Lost Memories

lxx. unexpected help

"Did you see where in Hogwarts it is?" asked Ron, now scrambling to his feet too.

"No, he was concentrating on warning Snape, he didn't think about exactly where it is —"

"Wait, wait!" cried Hermione as Ron caught up the Horcrux and Harry pulled out the Invisibility Cloak again. "We can't just go, we haven't got a plan, we need to —"

"We need to get going," said Harry firmly. "Can you imagine what he's going to do once he realizes the ring and the locket are gone? What if he moves the Hogwarts Horcrux, decides it isn't safe enough?"

"Harry, we need a plan! We can't just barge into Hogwarts with no plan. People will die, not just us– other people, too," I whispered hastily.

The idea of Death rang in Charlotte's mind. There was nothing she could do as the word echoed in her empty chest and rang in her ears. She had known how Fred, Remus, and Tonks would die during the battle, but, as of now, she knew nothing– could remember nothing.

"Charlotte!" Ron shouted, causing me to look up. "How are we going to get in?"

I only shook my head, an odd, heavy feeling eating at my chest.

"We'll go to Hogsmeade," said Harry, "and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like. Get under the Cloak, Hermione, I want to stick together this time."

"Harry, that's still dangerous."

"We don't have any other plan, Charlotte!"

I paced through the tall grass and gave a final look at the three, they looked so determined and hopeful on my answers.

"But we don't really fit—" I tried to come up with the only excuse I could think of.

"It'll be dark, no one's going to notice our feet."

It didn't matter that no one could see our feet under the Cloak. As soon as we Apparated into Hogsmeade, the air was rent by a scream, notifying the village of our presence. The door of the Three Broomsticks burst open and a dozen cloaked and hooded Death Eaters dashed into the street, their wands aloft.

"Accio Cloak!" roared one of the Death Eaters.

I held my breath in anticipation, but it made to attempt to escape: The Summoning Charm doesn't work on it.

"Not under your wrapper, then, Potter?" yelled the Death Eater who had tried the charm, and then to his fellows, "Spread out. He's here."

Six of the Death Eaters ran toward us: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I backed as quickly as possible down the nearest side street, and the Death Eaters missed them by inches. Disapparating didn't work, they had Charmed the village. Dementors soon reigned Hogsmeade. Harry wanted to expel his Patronus, but it would be a dead giveaway of his presence.

"Harry, let me produce it; they know your Patronus, not mine," I whispered frantically. Although I couldn't see Harry's face, I knew he understood.

They seemed to arrive quickly now, taking those dragging, rattling breaths he detested, tasting despair on the air, closing in... I raised my wand: I didn't want to wait for my friends to suffer the Dementor's Kiss. It was Harry, Ron, and Hermione that I thought of as I whispered, "Expecto Patronum!"

The silver deerhound burst from my wand and charged: The dementors scattered and there was a triumphant yell from somewhere out of sight.

"Someone is here, down there, I saw a Patronus, it wasn't Potter's but someone is here!"

The dementors had retreated, the stars were popping out again, and the footsteps of the Death Eaters were becoming louder; but before we could decide what to do, there was a grinding of bolts nearby, a door opened on the left-hand side of the narrow street, and a rough voice said, "Potter, in here, quick!"