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And bring him here, to Grimmauld Place," said Harry"Do you think you could do that for us?"
As Kreacher nodded and got to his feet, Harry had a sudden inspirationHe pulled out Hagrid's purse and took out the fake Horcrux, the substitute locket in which Regulus had placed the note to Voldemort
"Kreacher, I'd, er, like you to have this," he said, pressing the locket into the elf's hand"This belonged to Regulus and I'm sure he'd want you to have it as a token of gratitude for what you\a151"
"Overkill, mate," said Ron as the elf took one look at the locket, let out a howl of shock and misery, and threw himself back onto the ground
It took them nearly half an hour to calm down Kreacher, who was so overcome to be presented with a Black family heirloom for his very own that he was too weak at the knees to stand properlyWhen finally he was able to totter a few steps they all accompanied him to his cupboard, watched him tuck up the locket safely in his dirty blankets, and assured him that they would make its protection their first priority while he was awayHe then made two low bows to Harry and Ron, and even gave a funny little spasm in Hermione's direction that might have been an attempt at a respectful salute, before Disapparating with the usual loud \icrack\i
\p\C0="Chapter gucci coin wallet Eleven: The Bribe"
\bChapter Eleven
\iThe Bribe\i\b
If Kreacher could escape a lake full of Inferi, Harry was confident that the capture of Mundungus would take a few hours at most, and he prowled the house all morning in a state of high anticipationHowever, Kreacher did not return that morning or even that afternoonBy nightfall, Harry felt discouraged and anxious, and a supper composed largely of moldy bread, upon which Hermione had tried a variety of unsuccessful Transfigurations, did nothing to help
Kreacher did not return the following day, nor the day after thatHowever, two cloaked men had appeared in the square outside number twelve, and they remained there into the night, gazing in the direction of the house that they could not see
"Death Eaters, for sure," said Ron, as he, Harry, and Hermione watched from the drawing room windows"Reckon they know we're in here?"
"I don't think so," said Hermione, though she looked frightened, "or they'd have sent Snape in after us, wouldn't they?"
"D'you reckon he's been in here and has his tongue tied by Moody's curse?" asked Ron
"Yes," said Hermione, "otherwise he'd have been able to tell that lot how to get in, wouldn't he? But they're probably watching to see whether we turn upThey know that Harry owns the house, after prada bag with metal handle all
"How do they \a150\a150?" began Harry
"Wizarding wills are examined by the Ministry, remember? They'll know Sirius left you the place
The presence of the Death Eaters outside increased the ominous mood inside number twelveThey had not heard a word form anyone beyond Grimmauld Place since MrWeasley's Patronus, and the strain was starting to tellRestless and irritable, Ron had developed an annoying habit of playing with the Deluminator in his pocket; This particularly infuriated Hermione, who was whiling away the wait for Kreacher by studying \iThe Tales of Beedle the Bard\i and did not appreciate the way the lights kept flashing on and off
"Will you stop it!" she cried on the third evening of Kreacher's absence, as all the light was sucked from the drawing room yet again
"Sorry, sorry!" said Ron, clicking the Deluminator and restoring the lights"I don't know I'm doing it!"
"Well, can't you find something useful to occupy yourself?"
"What, like reading kids' stories?"
"Dumbledore left me this book, Ron -"
"\a151and he left me the Deluminator, maybe I'm supposed to use it!"
Unable to stand the bickering, Harry slipped out of the room unnoticed by either of themHe headed downstairs toward the kitchen, which he kept visiting because he was sure that was where Kreacher was most gucci laptop bags likely to reappearHalfway down the flight of stairs into the hall, however, he heard a tap on the front door, then metallic clicks and the grinding of the chain
Every nerve in his body seemed to tauten: He pulled out his wand, moved into the shadows beside the decapitated elf heads, and waitedThe door opened: He saw a glimpse of the lamplit square outside, and a cloaked figure edged into the hall and closed the door behind itThe intruder took a step forward, and Moody's voice asked, "\iSeverus Snape?\i" Then the dust figure rose from the end of the hall and rushed him, raising its dead hand
"It was not I who killed you, Albus," said a quiet voice
The jinx broke: The dust-figure exploded again, and it was impossible to make out the newcomer through the dense gray cloud it left behind
Harry pointed the wand into the middle of it
"Don't move!"
He had forgotten the portrait of MrsBlack: At the sound of his yell, the curtains hiding her flew open and she began to scream, "\iMudbloods and filth dishonoring my house -\i"
Ron and Hermione came crashing down the stairs behind Harry, wands pointing, like his, at the unknown man now standing with his arms raised in the hall below
"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"
"Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at louis vuitton travel bag MrsBlack instead; with a bang, the curtains swished shut again and silence fellRon too lowered his wand, but Harry did not
"Show yourself!" he called back
Lupin moved forward into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of surrender
"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag
"Oh, all right," said Harry, lowering his wand, "but I had to check, didn't I?"
"Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to checkRon, Hermione, you shouldn't be so quick to lower your defenses
They ran down the stairs towards himWrapped in a thick black traveling cloak, he looked exhausted, but pleased to see them
"No sign of Severus, then?" he asked"What's going on? Is everyone okay?'
"Yes," said Lupin, "but we're all being watchedThere are a couple of Death Eaters in the square outside -"
"We know -"
"I had to Apparate very precisely onto the top step outside the front door to be sure that they would not see meThey can't know you're in here or I'm sure they'd have more people out there; they're staking out everywhere that's got any connection with you, cheap chanel purse Harry |
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