Scream stopped, still echoing around the distant mountains.

"Accio Cloak!" roared one of the Death Eaters

Harry seized his folds, but it made no attempt to escape. The Summoning Charm

Had not

Worked on it.

"Not under your wrapper, then, Potter?" yelled the Death Eater who had tried the

Charm and

then to his fellows. "Spread now. He's here."

Six of the Death Eaters ran toward them: Harry, Ron and Hermione backed as

Quickly as

Possible down the nearest side street, and the Death Eaters missed them by inches. They

Waited

In the darkness, listening to the footsteps running up and down, beams of light flying

Along the street

from the Death Eaters' searching wands.

"Let's just leave!" Hermione whispered. "Disapparate now!"

"Great idea," said Ron, but before Harry could reply, a Death Eater shouted,

"We know you are here, Potter, and there's no getting away! We'll find you!"

"They were ready for us," whispered Harry. "They set up that spell to tell them

we'd come.

I reckon they’ve done something to keep us here, trap us - "

"What about dementors?" called another Death Eater. "Let'em have free rein,

they'd find him

quick enough!"

"The Dark Lord wants Potter dead by no hands but his - "

" 'an dementors won't kill him! The Dark Lord wants Potter's life, nor his soul.

He'll be easier to

kill if he's been Kissed first!"

There were noises of agreement. Dread filled Harry: To repel dementors they

Would have to produce

Patronuses which would give them away immediately.

"We're going to have to try to Disapparate, Harry!" Hermione whispered.

Even as she said it, he felt the unnatural cold being spread over the street. Light

Was sucked from

The environment right up to the stars, which vanished. In the pitch blackness, he felt

Hermione take hold

Of his arm and together, they turned on the spot.

The air through which they needed to move, seemed to have become solid: They

Could not

Disapparate; the Death Eaters had cast their charms well. The cold was biting deeper and

Deeper

into Harry's flesh. He, Ron and Hermione retreated down the side street, groping their

Way along the wall

Trying not to make a sound. Then, around the corner, gliding noiselessly, came dementors,

Ten or more

Of them, visible because they were of a denser darkness than their surroundings, with

Their black cloaks

and their scabbed and rotting hands. Could they sense fear in the vicinity? Harry was sure

of it: They

Seemed to be coming more quickly now, taking those dragging, rattling breaths he

Detested, tasting

Despair in the air, closing in -

He raised his wand: He could not, would not suffer the Dementor's Kiss, whatever

Happened afterward.

It was of Ron and Hermione that he thought as he whispered "Expecto Patronum!"

The silver stag burst from his wand and charged: The Dementors scattered and

There was a triumphant

Yell from somewhere out of sight

"It's him, down there, down there, I saw his Patronus, it was a stag!"

The Dementors have retreated, the stars were popping out again and the footsteps

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 608