The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Trip to Hogsmeade

Rather than an alarm clock or light shining in through her bedroom window, Sarah was awoken by a giant throwing a tantrum.

"WANT FOOD!" Grawp shouted, stomping his feet so that Sarah's cot bounced on the the cavern floor. "FOOD!!!"

"Alrigh' Grawpy, calm down," Hagrid shouted. "We'll get yeh some food."

The others were still dazed by the rude awakening. Elena had jumped out of bed and was now flailing her wand around, unable to see through the curtain of messy hair still covering her face. Barnaby had fallen out of his cot and sat on the ground spinning his head wildly, apparently confused as to why everyone was suddenly so much taller than him. Merula just grumbled and put her pillow over her head. 

"Does anyone mind runnin' down teh the village and grabbin' us some grub?" asked Hagrid. "I don' wanna leave Grawp alone. Aberforth down at the Hog's Head should be willin' teh help us."

"Yeah, I'll do it," said Sarah groggily, pushing off her blanket and pulling her hair into a ponytail. 

"Yeh'll need to be careful walkin' through Hogsmeade," said Hagrid. "There'll be nearly as many Death Eaters there as in Knocturn Alley these days."

Barnaby recovered from his stupor and sprang to his feet. "I'll go with you."

"I'll go as well," said Elena at once. She gave an anxious glance at the cranky giant. Grawp was moaning softly as if moments away from death. 

"You can't all go!" Merula whined. "Someone with a wand and the ability to walk needs to defend me, in case the giant goes wild."

"He won' do nothin' like tha'," Hagrid insisted, but Barnaby gave Merula a resigned look. 

"Okay, I can stay."

"You go with Sarah, Barnaby," said Hagrid quickly. "Ol' Abeforth would prefer to deal with people he knows. Elena can help me catch some rats fer Grawpy teh snack on."

"Lovely," said Elena through a grimace. 

So, Sarah placed a disillusionment charm on herself and Barnaby, and the two of them departed. It was so early, they could just see the edge of the orange sunrise behind them. Below them, the valley was shrouded in fog, and there was a slight chill in the air as they began their descent. 

It was a difficult journey to the village. There was less a pathway down the mountain and more a succession of jagged and slippery rocks they had to navigate. The process was made more difficult by the disillusionment charm; it was easier to misstep when you couldn't see exactly where your feet landed. 

"I wish I had a broom," Sarah muttered, after slipping for the fifth time. Her left ankle throbbed in protest. 

"Or a hippogriff," Barnaby agreed. 

"Remember when you first introduced me to Featherfur?"

"Yeah. He misses you, you know. When I first got here and found him, he kept looking past me, waiting for you to turn up. I was a little hurt he wanted to see you more than me, to be honest."

She grinned. "He's a good judge of character."

"No, it's just that you were always spoiling him, sneaking him extra treats." He shook his head, grinning. "And I thought I was a softy."

"I think he's the reason I'm here," she said. "Merula and I had been fighting dementors, and I chose the first time you and I rode him together as my happy memory. Right after that, we had to flee Ottery St. Catchpole, and the forest was the first place that popped into my head."

"Then I take back everything I said. I'm gonna slip a few extra treats for that."

Sarah chuckled, then gasped as something bumped her elbow. She jumped violently and would have slipped down the side of the mountain, had Barnaby not grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.