This chapter is dedicated to @Zombieroselover hope you enjoy the chapter :D!
Also, lol, if the picture seems random I promise it will make sense XD
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Pennelope's POV
Everything seemed fuzzy and slow. I gave a shaky breath and clutched closer to Vincent as he wrapped his arms around my waist, the two of us looking around in alarm as well as everyone else.
Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed. Then I saw her appear right in front of me, Vincent couldn't see her since his back was facing her, but I gave an angry gasp.
"YOU!" I yelled angrily over the chaos, pointing at her.
Bellatrix cackled as panic broke out around the tent, the crowd pushed and kicked, making me lose Vincent as everyone ran around screaming as people began to appear.
The panicked crowd knocked into me, making me fall to the ground on my knees, my hair falling onto my face, but it didn't block my vision from a pair of black shoes, my eyes followed the trace of the female body only to stop at Bellatrix's grinning face.
"So helpless," she drawled, stalking forward as I scrambled back. "What happened to that oh so tough, Pennelope Jone...?"
"It's Black," I spat, glaring at her.
"AWWW, took the name of your dear dead uncle? It was a pleasure to be the one to murder him..."
Tears welled up in my eyes as a deeper level of rage settled in for the witch in front of me.
"Don't speak of him like that," I growled under my breath.
"Are you going to cry?" She laughed. "Weak.... Lonely, Pennelope BLACK."
"Stop!"
I made move to grab for my wand, but she had already uttered the words, "Avada Kedavra!"
It happened so fast, my life flashed before my eyes, but my life strangely looked like a male body. I realised it before it was too late as Vincent landed at my feet, his eyes unfocused and his body as stiff as a board.
"No!" I cried, falling back onto my knees as the crowd separated me from Bella. I gripped his shoulder and shook him furiously, calling his name over and over as tears fell from my eyes.
But he was unresponsive, he just lay there. I felt arms lift me up and drag me away from Vincent's body, I screamed and kicked, trying to reach for him.
I felt like I was being sucked through a tube before I slipped from the person's hold and fell onto concrete.
"Where are we?" I hear Ron ask behind me.
My breath was heavy, a ringing piercing my ears and the same words running through my brain, "Vincent is dead. Vincent is dead."
"Tottenham Court Road," I hear Hermione pant, I felt someone lift me up and hold me into their arms, I couldn't move, I was frozen from shock. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere for us to change."
"Put me down," I finally spoke, looking up to see Barny. What the actual crap is he doing with us? He set me down and I stormed ahead of my group, not wanting to talk to them or look at them.
Girls giggled as they passed us, probably because of the sight of Ron and Barny.
"Why didn't I make sure I had the invisibility cloak with me?" Barny said, his voice slowly turning into Harry's, and with a sickening feeling I realised Harry was Barny the whole fucking time. "All last year I've kept it one me and -"
"You were Barny the whole time!" I yelled, turning on my heel and rounding on Harry. "Why didn't either of you tell me?"
"We didn't want to ruin your night," Hermione squeaked. I made a noise of high annoyances and stomped my foot dramatically.
"I was nice to you!"
"You still can be," Harry muttered.
"Fuck you," I snapped, pushing his shoulder roughly.
"I didn't do anything," Harry retorted, his temper rising. "Whatever Ginny said she was lying!"
"Right, because I didn't see you two kissing," I spat.
"You came in -"
"And saw everything I needed to," I interrupted.
"And I saw everything I needed to," Harry retorted, he caught sight of my confusion and continued. "I saw that look on your face dancing with Vincent, it was obvious you wanted to kiss him."
"But I didn't," I snapped. "Because I knew it was wrong! But that never stopped you!"
"So what? After all this you're going to leave with Vincent?" Harry bellowed. His eyes holding anger, jealousy, and heartbreak.
"Vincent's dead," I suddenly cried, making everyone stop and turn to face me. "He died trying to save me."
Harry closed his mouth, looking down at the ground in guilt.
"I need to go back," I finally croaked, looking at Hermione. "I can't just leave him there."
"If you go back there you're walking right into death's open arms," Ron objected, grabbing my upper arm.
"I don't care! Vincent killed himself so I can live and I'm not there for him."
"Pennelope, if we go through with this and get rid of all those Horcruxes then his death meant something, don't go back there and kill yourself because then what's the point of his sacrifice?" Hermione asked, grabbing my arm and pulling me into a shady alleyway. "We need you with us. Just ignore Harry, please."
"And I've got the cloak," Hermione called back to a very silent Harry. His head dropped and his arms crossed.
Hermione pulled a pair of jeans, a sweatshirts, some maroon socks, and finally the silvery Invisibility Cloak.
"How the ruddy hell -?"
"Undetectable extension charm," I muttered. "Tricky, but I did it."
"Oh damn, that'll be the books," Hermione said, peering into the bag. "And I had stacked them all by subject . . . Oh well . . . Harry, you'd better take the Invisibility Cloak. Ron, hurry up and change. . ."
"Why did you do all this?" Harry asked as Ron stripped.
"We've had these packed for days like we discussed at the burrow," I said, my voice coming out in forced calmness.
"You're amazing, you both are," Ron said, handing Hermione his bundled up robes.
"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling. I smiled to myself, my ship sailing smoothly. "Get the cloak on Harry!"
Ron and Hermione set off, I walked a small ways behind them.
"I'm sorry," a voice said to my left. "About Vincent. But he died for a really good purpose."
"Yeah right," I grumbled.
"He did. Pennelope, if you had died, Imagine all the lives it would effect. Vincent for example, Hermione, Ron, everyone. . . Me."
"Stop being dramatic," I sighed, looking down. "This doesn't change anything."
"Whatever you may think, it's not true," Harry whispered.
"I don't care. I don't want to listen to this right now." And with that, all conversation ended, I'm not even entirely sure Harry was still beside me.
"Don't you two feel a bit - exposed?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione and back at me.
"I don't care," I shrugged, rolling my eyes as the men on the other side of the road started wolf-whistling. "I have a joke. . . Why did Pennelope cross the road?"
Ron shrugged, looking confused.
"To fucking shut those idiots up!" I yelled, beginning to storm across the road in my blue heels, but Ron grasped my arm and pulled me back.
"All right, darling?" The drunkest of the men on the other pavement yelled back at me. "Fancy a drink? Ditch ginger and come have a pint! Both ya girlies looking fine."
"Fuck them up, Pennelope," Ron growled, releasing my arms. But Hermione stepped in and pulled me away, hastily calling for Ron as he began to open his mouth. "Lets go in here!"
Hermione opened the door to a small shabby face. A light layer of grease lay on all of the Formica-topped tables, but it was at least empty. I slipped into the booth first, Ron across from me and Hermione beside him, which made me realize that Harry had to sit next to me.
"You know," Ron said, breaking the ice. "We're not far from the Leaky Cauldron here, it's only in Charing Cross -"
"We can't!" I snapped.
"Not to stay there, but to find out what's going on!"
"We know what's going on! Voldemort's taken over the Ministry, what else do we need to know?" I cringed, saying his name for the first time in a while, and I don't plan on saying it again anytime soon.
"Okay, okay, it was just an idea!"
The gum chewing waitress shuffled over at the sight of us. "What can I get y'all?"
"I'll have a coffee," Hermione said.
"Me too," Ron said.
"Me too," Harry said.
I turned to the woman.
"Get me some apple cider," I said.
"We don't have any apple cider -"
"Then get some!" I snapped, banging my fist on the table.
"Pennelope," Hermione scolded as the waitress jumped and scurried away.
"I'm not a child, Hermione," I drawled, looking away from her, thinking a quick sorry in my head because no way in hell was I going to throw away my pride like that.
"I say we find a quiet place to Disapparate and head for the countryside. Once we're there, we could send a message to the Order," Hermione whispered.
"Can either of you do the Patronus thing, then?" Ron asked.
"We've been practising, and I think so," Hermione said.
"Well, as long as it doesn't get them into trouble, though they might've been arrested already. God, that's revolting," Ron added after one sip of the foamy grayish coffee. The waitress had heard; she shot Ron a nasty look as she shuffled off to take the new customers orders.
"Lets get going then, I don't want to drink this muck," Ron said.
"I didn't even get my apple cider," I sighed, turning to Hermione. "have you for any muggle money to pay for this?"
"Yes," Hermione sighed deeply and began to reach into her bag. "Bet all the change is at the bottom."
And then suddenly everything happened. Ron, after a few second later realised what was going on, pushed Hermione sideways onto her bench, the moment the workmen had made a suspicious movement, Harry instantly pushed me behind him, covering me with the Invisibility Cloak as he shouted, "STUPEFY!"
I jumped as one of their spells hit the tile beside my head, I pulled my wand from my dress (please don't asks where it was) and stood up, a sudden feeling washing over me that I still hadn't quite been able to control, but it was like a stronger power was controlling me.
I jumped up, waving my wand and making the great blonde one fly into the wall to his right, knocking him unconscious. His companion fired a spell at Ron, making ropes wrap around his body- the waitress screamed and ran for the door- Harry sent a spell at the Death Eater, but missed, rebounding on the window and hitting the waitress, who collapsed in front of the door.
"Nice one," I sarcastically called.
"Expulso!" The Death Eater bellowed, and the table behind both Harry and I blew up: the force of the explosion knocked me off my feet, sent me flying across the room and land on a suddenly visible Harry.
"Just my luck," I said sarcastically as I was straddling Harry, my wand across the room while his disappeared from sight, most likely behind the counter.
"Just my luck," he said, breathing heavily. I rolled off him, hearing Hermione shout a spell, making the Death Eater crumple to the ground.
"Nice going gang," I said, breathing heavily as I looked over the destroyed café, glass and plastic everywhere.
"Diffindo," Hermione said, her wand pointed at Ron, who roared in pain as she slashed open the knee of his jeans, leaving a deep cut. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ron, my hand's shaking! Diffindo!"
The severed ropes fell away. Ron got to his feet, shaking his arms to regain feeling in them, I bent down, picking up my wand and bounced over to the blonde Death Eater.
I pulled my foot back and kicked him hard in the stomach. Then repeated my actions over and over again, all the while grunting 'stupid - ass - bitch - leave - me - the - bloody - no Ron - not - heck -' with each kick.
"Dolohov," Ron said. Kicking him gave me more pleasure knowing that he could feel the pain, just not do anything about it.
"How did they find us?" Hermione asked hysterical. "What are we going to do?"
"Skin them and sell their meat to some restaurant," I casually said, shrugging at their horrified expressions.
"Lock the door," Harry said calmly, "and Ron, turn out the lights."
The lock clicked and Ron used his Deluminator to plunge the café into darkness.
"What are we going to do with them?" Ron whispered. "Kill them? They'd kill us. They had a good go just now."
Hermione shuddered and took a step back.
"We just need to wipe their memories," Harry said. "It's better like that, it'll throw them off the scent. If we killed them it'd be obvious we were here."
"You're the boss," Ron said.
"Um, I think you're forgetting who the real boss is," I cut in. "I'm the boss ass guacamole queen. And I am going to perform the memory charm."
I calmly pointed my wand at Dolohov's forehead and said, "Obliviate."
At once, Dolohov's eyes became unfocused and dreamy.
"Brilliant!" Harry said, about to clap me on the back, but locked eyes with me and slowly retracted his hand. "Take care of them while we clean all this up."
"Clean up?" Ron said, looking at the partly destroyed café. "Why?"
"Don't you think they might wonder what's happened if they wake up and find themselves in a place that looks like it's just been bombed?"
"Oh right, yeah . . ."
Ron struggled for a moment before managing to retract his wand from his pocket.
"It's no wonder I can't get it out, Pennelope, you packed my old jeans, they're tight."
"Let me make a suggestion on where you can stick your wand instead," I snapped, advancing on Ron.
"I got a few suggestions where you can stick your attitude," Ron retorted.
Once the café was restored to its previous condition, we heaved the Death Eaters back into our booth and propped them up, facing each other.
"But how did they find us?" Hermione asked, looking from one inert man to the other. "How did they know where we were?"
She turned to Harry.
"You - you don't think you've still got your trace on you, do you, Harry?"
"He can't have," Ron said. "The trace breaks at seventeen, that's Wizarding law, you can't put it on an adult."
"As far as you know," I muttered. "What if the Death Eaters have found a way to put it on a seventeen-year-old?"
"But Harry hasn't been near a Death Eater in the last twenty-four hours. Who's supposed to have put a trace back on him?"
I glanced at Harry, but quickly looked away.
"If I can't use magic, and you can't use magic near me, without us giving away our position -" he began.
"We are not splitting up," I said firmly. "Not after what has happened."
"We need a safe place to hide," Ron said. "Give us time to think things through."
"Grimmauld place," Harry said.
All of us gaped at him.
"Don't be silly, Harry, Snape can get in there!"
"Ron's dad said they've put up jinxes against him - and even if they haven't worked," he pressed on as Hermione began to argue, "so what? I swear, I'd like nothing better than to meet Snape!"
"But -"
"Where else is there," I finally cut in. "It's the best change we've got."
"If we've still got the trace on me, we'll have a whole crowd of them on us where we we go," Harry finished.
Ron clicked the Deluminator to release the café's light. Then, on the count of three, we revered the spell of our three victims. And before the waitress or either of the Death Eaters could do more than stir sleepily, we all turned on the spot and vanished.
Second later my lungs expanded gratefully and I opened my eyes: we are now standing in the middle of the familiar small and shabby square. Tall, dilapidated houses looked down on us from every side. Number twelve visible. We all rushed towards it, checking that we were not followed. We raced up the stone steps, and Harry tapped the front door once with his wand. A series of metallic clicks rang out and the clatter of a chain, then the door swung open with a creak and we hurried over the threshold.
As Harry closed the door, the old-fashioned gas lamps sprang to life, casting a flickering light along the length of the hallway. My heart jerked as I remembered everything vividly.
"I think somebody has been in here," Hermione whispered, pointing to an umbrella stand that had fallen over.
"That could've happened as the Order left," Ron murmured back.
"So where are these jinxes they put up against Snape?" Harry asked.
"Maybe they're only activated if he shows up?" I suggested.
Yet we remained close together on the doormat, backs against the door, scared to move any farther into the house. Almost like the Scooby gang.
I know I despise Harry, but right now I can't help but clutch his hand, and he wasn't complaining.
"Well, we can't stay here forever," Harry said, and he took a step forward.
"Severus Snape?"
Mad-Eye Moody's voice whispered out of the darkness, making all four of us jump back in fright. I clutched Harry, Harry clutched me, Ron jumped on my back, and Hermione fell to the floor at our feet.
"We're not Snape!" Harry croaked, before something whooshed over us like cold air. My tongue curled backwards on itself, making it impossible for me to speak. Luckily, my tongue unraveled again.
Ron began making retching noises on my back.
"That m-must have b-been the t-tongue-thing curse Mad-Eye set up for Snape," I stammered.
Gingerly Harry took another step forward, also bringing me, who brought Ron, which pushed Hermione forward. Something shifted in the shadows at the end of the hall, before any of us could say another word, a figure had risen up out of the carpet, tall, dust-colored, and terrible.
I screamed and hid my head in Harry's chest as Ron screamed and his his face in my hair. Hermione also joined in along with Mrs. Black, her curtains flew open; the grey figure was gliding towards us, faster and faster, it's waist-length hair and beard streaming behind it, it's face sunken, fleshless, with empty eye sockets.
"No!" Harry shouted, squeezing me to him. "No! It wasn't us! We didn't kill you -"
On the word kill, the figure exploded in a great cloud of dust: coughing, my eyes watering, I looked down to see Hermione's head tucked between my legs, and Ron sliding clumsily from my back down beside her, patting her shoulder and saying, "it's all r-right . . . It's g-gone. . ."
I locked eyes with Harry, then pushed him off me, stepping away from everyone as Mrs. Black continued to scream.
"Mudbloods, filth, stains of dishonour, taint of shame on the house of my fathers -"
"SHUT UP!" Harry bellowed, shooting a burst of red sparks at her and making her curtains swung shut.
"That . . . That was . . ." Hermione whimpered, as Ron helped her to her feet.
"Yeah," Harry said. "But it wasn't really him, was it? Just something to scare Snape. Pennelope."
But I stood there as stiff as a board.
"Pennelope, it's over," Harry whispered softly, touching my arm, I snapped back to reality and pushed him away.
"Don't touch me," I whispered, pulling out my wand. "Homenum revelio."
Nothing happened.
Harry's POV
"Well, you've just had a big shock," Ron said unkindly, making Pennelope look down. "What was that supposed to do?"
"It did what I meant to do," Pennelope whispered, rubbing her arms, she kept her eyes on the floor. "That was a spell to reveal a human presence, and there's nobody here except us."
"And old Dusty," Ron said, glancing at the patch of carpet from which the corpse-figure had risen.
Pennelope nodded mutely, and walked away from us. My head snapped towards Ron, who was watching her closely.
"Pennelope, I'm sorry, I didn't mean -" Ron began guiltily.
She shook her head and made her way up the stairs, a distant door slamming.
Pennelope's POV
I slammed a door shut to a random room and slid down the wall, my head fell limp against my knees.
I looked up, not realising what room I had stumbled into until I saw pictures of the dresser. I stood up, a closet was to my left still filled with clothes, some of which had been pulled from their hangers and thrown onto the floor. Papers and many other objects covering the floor.
A four post bed was to my right, tucked into the corner with a window beside it, the blinds shut tight.
On the wood of the bed carved messily into the side were the words
Andrew Black
I ran my hands along the sheets of he bed and fell down, laying spread-eagle as I looked at the ceiling, glow in the dark stars painted on the bedroom walls creating a replica of space.
"Gosh, you're a nerd," I muttered, jumping from the bed and collecting his old clothes, pulling on one of his old shirts.
The pictures on my father's dresser held photographs of him and his friends. Mainly James, Sirius, my mum, Remus, and a couple other friends of his. I wanted to take them, but I couldn't hold them all on this journey. I just pray that nothing will happen to them. One particular photo of my parents caught my eye, the two of them most likely in there seventh year. My father had his tongue sticking out at the camera while my mother was making a face resembling a troll. I felt my smile grow as I took that picture, only that one.
There was a knock on the door, making me jump and drop the picture. I bent down, retrieving it as Hermione spoke through the closed door.
"Pennelope, Ron didn't mean -"
"Please go away," I sighed, gathering everything I could take on my journey, including my father's shirts and other random things I could find. "I just want to be alone."
There was silence, I thought she had left. "No one wants to be alone. Sure, you get peace, but at the same time you want someone there to hold you -" I swung the door open and harshly pushed past her.
"Well, everyone I want has either died or left me ," I snapped, rolling my eyes and entering the drawing room.
But right as I entered Harry gave a cry of pain, bending forward and clutching his scar.
"What did you see?" Ron asked, advancing on Harry. "Did you see him at my place?"
"No, I just felt anger - he's really angry -" Harry looked over at me, giving me desperate eyes to sooth his scar, but I turned my head and focused on a random dusty window.
"But that could be at the burrow," Ron said loudly. "What else? Did you see anything else? Was he cursing someone?"
"No, I just felt anger - I couldn't tell -"
"Your scar again?" Hermione said in a frightened voice. "But what's going on? I thought that connection had closed!"
"It did, for a while," Harry muttered, and for some reason I felt it was directed at me. "I think it started happening again whenever he loses control, and ever since Pen-"
"Don't start," I hissed, turning to him. "You've got to close your mind! Dumbledore didn't want you to use that connection, he wanted you to shut it down, that's why you were supposed to use Occlumency! Otherwise You-Know-Who can plant false images in your mind, remember -"
"Yeah, I do remember, thanks," Harry said through gritted teeth. "It would help a bunch if you helped too -"
"Whatever. You know what happened last time you trusted the connection. He led you right into a trap that killed my uncle." I wanted to scream at him, to blame him for everything that happened, but I couldn't. I couldn't do that to anyone, no one deserved the guilt of feeling like they've murdered someone close. But my damage was done. Harry turned his head and pressed his scar against the cold window.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, avoiding Ron and Hermione's eye. Suddenly, Hermione gave a cry, making all of us jerk to face her. But instead of a threat, a silver Patronus soured through the drawing room window and landed on the floor in front of us. It solidified into a weasel and spoke in the voice of Ron's father.
"Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched."
The Patronus dissolved into nothingness. Ron let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped onto the sofa: Hermione joined him, gripping his arm.
"They're all right, they're all right!" She whispered, and Ron half laughed and hugged her.
"Harry," he said over Hermione's shoulder "I -"
"It's not a problem," Harry said. "It's your family, 'course you're worried. I'd feel the same way."
"I don't want to be on my own," Hermione said softly. "Could we use the sleeping bags I've brought and camp in here tonight?"
Ron agreed. Harry winced and made his way to the door.
"Bathroom," he muttered, and left the room as fast as he could.
I felt a sickening feeling, making my head spin. I dropped all of my father's things into Hermione's bag and made my way out of the room after Harry.
I gripped the handle to the bathroom and tugged aggressively. I heard a thud and felt a numb feeling on the side of my head, I pulled out my wand and frantically whispered, "alohomora." The door swung open to reveal Harry on the ground, sweat dripping from his forehead as he thrashed around in anger.
"More, Rowle, or shall we feed you to Nagini?" he spoke in a cold, merciless voice, sitting up and looking at me with deadly eyes. "Lord Voldemort is not sure that he will forgive you this time. . . You called me back for this, to tell me that Harry Potter has escaped again? Draco -" my heart jerked and I fell in front of Harry. "Give Rowle another taste of our displeasure. . . Do it, or feel my wrath yourself!"
"Draco," I whispered, my heart pounding and my stomach dropping. I gripped Harry's shoulders and frantically shook him, making him gasp and blink rapidly, his cold red eyes returning to his bright green.
"Is he all right?" I frantically asked, staring deep into Harry's eyes, he looked up at me, his mouth hanging open.
"He's fine, he's just scared," Harry gulped, his head lolling slightly. I quickly pressed my thumb against his scar, making him calm down instantly.
"Thank you. . ."
"Just this once," I said sternly, my mind rapidly running, wishing I could be there for Draco. He doesn't deserve this, no one deserves this.
"This doesn't change anything."
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Man, I am posting these chapters like wildfire! It's pretty impressive because school has even started back up!. . . Guess this shows how much I procrastinate. . . Good for you! Bad for me XD