Girl Who Survived: Book Two {Harry Potter: Order of Phoenix}

[Chapter Three: The Advance Guard]

I jumped a bit at his volume, and looked down, feeling as if I had caused him to treat me this way. I knew Harry was beyond flustered, but was I the only one excited to be seeing one of my best friends? Or did he simply just not care whether or not I was here? Either way, there was no denying that my feelings were hurt. I stood up and walked over to the window, staring into the velvety darkness, cursing what I knew would come next.

A tear slipped from my eye, and no matter how hard I tried to stem the flow, they poured over mercilessly. I used to never cry. But after Cedric died, I became emotional. The cruelty of life had softened me, rather then hardened me. Harry looked over, clear shock on his face.

"Acacia? Are you... crying?"

"No." I lied stubbornly, wiping my face.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hurt your feeli - "

Then, quite distinctly, I heard a crash in the kitchen below. We both froze and turned around, listening intently. The Dursleys couldn't be back, it was much too soon, and in any case neither of us heard their car.

There was silence for a few seconds, then voices. Burglars!

Harry snatched up his wand from the bedside table and stood facing his bedroom door, I followed behind him slowly, clutching the wand on my belt. Next moment, we both jumped as the lock gave a loud click and the door swung open. Both of us stood motionless, staring through the open doorway at the dark upstairs landing, straining our ears for further sounds, but none came. Harry seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then moved swiftly and silently out of his room to the head of the stairs. I could do nothing more than be a shadow of him, and follow behind.

My heart shot upwards into my throat, and I gripped Harry. There were people standing in the shadowy hall below, silhouetted against the streetlight glowing through the glass door; eight or nine of them, all, as far as I could see. Harry pushed me back gently, and gave me the universal look of 'stay here!'. I nodded soundlessly, and watched as he progressed halfway down the stairs, while I stood at the banister, peeking over at him.

"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out," said a low, growling voice.

Suddenly relief washed over me and was replaced with anger. I knew that voice. It was one I had become very accustomed to arguing with.

"Professor Moody?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"I don't know so much about 'Professor'," growled the voice, "never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here; we want to see you properly."

Harry lowered his wand slightly but did not relax his grip on it, nor did he move. I couldn't help but to laugh quietly. We had recently spent nine months in what we had thought was Mad-Eye Moody's company only to find out that it wasn't Moody at all, but an impostor; an impostor, moreover, who had tried to kill Harry before being unmasked... And had succeeded in killing Cedric. I had to once more, fight the wash of melancholy that came over me at the thought of my dead boyfriend.

"It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away." said a second voice that I was not familiar with.

"P-Professor Lupin?" Harry asked disbelievingly. "Is that you?"

"Why are we all standing in the dark?" said a third voice, also unfamiliar, a woman's. "Lumos."

A wand-tip flared, illuminating the hall with magical light. I blinked. The people below were crowded around the foot of the stairs, gazing up at Harry intently, some craning their heads for a better look. I balanced my face in my palm, leaning on my elbow against the banister for support, watching them corral around Harry curiously.