The door downstairs crashed open.

"Didn't I tell you there was no need to hurry, Travers?" said a rough voice. "Didn't I tell

you this nutter was just raving as usual?" There was a bang and a scream of pain from

Xenophilius.

"No...no...upstairs...Potter!"

"I told you last week Lovegood, we weren't coming back for anything less than some

solid information! Remember last week? When you wanted to swap your daughter for

that stupid bleeding headdress? And the week before" -- Another bang, another squeal --

"When you thought we'd give her back if you offered us proof there are Cumple" -- Bang

-- "Headed"--bang--"Snorkacks?"

"No -- no -- I beg of you!" sobbed Xenophilius. "It really is Potter, Really!"

"And now it turns out you only called us here to try and blow us up!" roared the Death

Eater, and there was a volley of bangs interspersed with squeals of agony from

Xenophilius.

"The place looks like it's about to fall in, Selwyn," said a cool second voice, echoing up

the mangled staircase. "The stairs are completely blocked. Could try clearing it? Might

bring the place down."

"You lying piece of filth." shouted the wizard named Selwyn.

"You have never seen Potter in your life, have you? Thought you'd lure us here to kill us,

did you? And you think you'll get your girl back like this?"

"I swear...I swear...Potter's upstairs!"

"Homenum revelio." said the voice at the foot of the stairs. Harry heard Hermione gasp,

And he had the odd sensation something was swooping low over him, immersing his body

In its shadow.

"There's someone up there all right, Selwyn," said the second man sharply.

"It's Potter, I tell you, it's Potter!" sobbed Xenophilius. "Please...please...give me Luna,

just let me have Luna..."

"You can have your little girl, Lovegood," said Selwyn, "if you get up those stairs and

bring me down Harry Potter. But if this is a plot, if it's a trick, if you've got an accomplice

waiting up there to ambush us, we'll see if we can spare a bit of your daughter for you to

bury."

Xenophilius gave a wail of fear and despair. There were scurryings and scrapings.

Xenophilius was trying to get through the debris on the stairs.

"Come on," Harry whispered, "we've got to get out of here."

He started to dig himself out under cover of all the noise Xenophilius was making on the

Staircase. Ron was buried the deepest. Harry and Hermione climbed, as quietly as they

Could, over all the wreckage to where he lay, trying to prise a heavy chest of drawers off

His legs. While Xenophilius banging and scraping drew nearer and nearer, Hermione

Managed to free Ron with the use of a Hover Charm.

"All right." breathed Hermione, as the broken printing press blocking the top of the stairs

Begin to tremble. Xenophilius was feet away from them. She was still white with dust.

"Do you trust me Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"Okay then." Hermione whispered. "give me the invisibility Cloak. Ron, you're going to

put it on."

"Me? But Harry --"

"Please, Ron! Harry, hold on tight to my hand, Ron grab my shoulder."

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 761