Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 89: Incognito

"Oh, I don't know, Hermione. I wish I could convince Little Friend to come with me. It would be weird to just get a different snake," Harry said. "It wouldn't feel right somehow."

"And everyone would be freaking out!" Ron added.

"They are going to be freaking out anyway... might as well be about something worthwhile," Harry said.

"Yeah, right!" Ron said, laughing.

Up ahead, Harry could hear bits and pieces of a stern lecture that Molly was giving the twins about doing underage magic around muggles and how they could get Arthur in trouble with the Ministry and he could lose his job.

Ron and Hermione were quiet, too, and Harry figured they were also listening to it.

"Oh wait, there's a big puddle here, Harry," Hermione stopped.

"Can we walk around it?" Harry asked.

"Not really—can you jump over it?" Hermione asked. Harry heard Ron land.

"Here, I'll reach with my staff—tell me when it is past the puddle," Harry suggested.

"Okay, that's the edge of it," Hermione said.

"That's a big puddle," Harry said.

"Yeah—want to jump together?" Hermione said.

"I guess so," Harry said.

"Okay, on three! One, two, three!" Hermione squealed as they launched themselves across the puddle. Harry stumbled when he landed and pulled on Hermione's arm, causing her to fall against him. Their feet splashed in a puddle. He steadied her, laughing.

"Did we jump into another puddle?" he asked.

"Yeah, we overshot it a bit," Hermione said.

"Come on, you two, stay with us, we're crossing the street," Percy said in an officious voice.

It sounded like a busy street and at the curb, Harry stepped back when the air from a lorry rushing by felt too close.

"Okay, let's go, Harry," Hermione said, stepping out into the street.

Harry's staff tinged against the pavement as he hurried alongside Hermione. She yelped and pulled him close to her as his staff struck something metal and bounced out of his grasp. He felt as if there was a pillow of air pushing him back.

Someone yelled at them, "Hey, watch it!"

He launched himself at the street, trying to grab his staff as it fell and let go of Hermione's arm. There was a blare of a hooter and the squealing of brakes.

Hermione was screaming, "Harry, where are you?" and her hand brushed his back and then was grabbing his arm. Fear gripped his gut.

I can't lose my staff!

His hands scrambled against the street's wet, rough surface and he couldn't find his staff—then remembered his wand and flicked it into his hand and yelled, "Accio staff" and the staff snapped into his outstretched hand at the same time that Hermione was hauling him up and pulling him across the street. He was stumbling and tripping as he tried to right himself.

The Weasleys were yelling, "Where'd Harry go? Did he get hit by that Lorry?"

Then suddenly, several hands grabbed him by the arms and shoulders and hauled him back onto the pavement of the other side of the street and he was colliding with bodies. In the melee, he managed to flick his wand back into the holster, run his hand over his staff to make sure it was all there, then collapse it to stick in his pocket.