around. Something was wrong. The pale blue carpet was also thick with dust. There were















no clothes in the wardrobe, whose doors stood ajar. The bed had a cold, unfriendly look,















as though it had not been slept in for weeks. A single cobweb stretched over the nearest















window across the blood red sky.















"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as Harry descended the staircase, but before he could















respond, Xenophilius reached the top of the stairs from the kitchen, now holding a tray















laden with bowls.















"Mr. Lovegood," said Harry. "Where's Luna?"















"Excuse me?"















"Where's Luna?"















Xenophilius halted on the top step.















"I -- I've already told you. She is down at the Botions Bridge Fishing for Plimpies."















"So why have you only laid that tray for four?"















Xenophilius tried to speak, but no sound came out. The only noise was the continued















chugging of the printing press, and a slight rattle from the tray as Xenophilius's hands















shook.















"I don't think Luna's been here for weeks." said Harry. "Her clothes are gone, her bed















hasn't been slept in. Where is she? and why do you keep looking out of the window?"















Xenophilius dropped the tray. The bowls bounced and smashed Harry, Ron, and















Hermione drew their wands. Xenophilius froze his hand about to enter his pocket. At that















moment the printing press have a huge bank and numerous Quibblers came streaming















across the floor from underneath the tablecloth, the press fell silent at last. Hermione















stooped down and picked up one of the magazines, her wand still pointing at Mr.















Lovegood.















"Harry, look at this" He strode over to her as quickly as he could through all the clutter.















The front of the Quibbler carried his own picture, emblazoned with the words















"Undesirable Number One" and captioned with the reward money.















"The Quibbler's going for a new angle, then?: Harry asked coldly, his mind working very















fast. "Is that what you were doing when you went into the garden, Mr. Lovegood?















Sending an owl to the Ministry?















Xenophilius licked his lips















"They took my Luna," he whispered, "Because of what I've been writing. They took my















Luna and I don't know where she is, what they've done to her. But they might give her















back to me if I -- If I--"















"Hand over Harry?" Hermione finished for him.















"No deal." said Ron flatly. "Get out of the way, we're leaving."















Xenophilius looked ghastly, a century old, his lips drawn back into a dreadful leer.















"They will be here any moment. I must save Luna. I cannot lose Luna. You must not















leave."















He spread his arms in front of the staircase, and Harry had a sudden vision of his mother















doing the same thing in front of his crib.















"Don't make us hurt you," Harry said. "Get out of the way, Mr. Lovegood."















"HARRY!" Hermione screamed.















Figures on broomsticks were flying past the windows. As the three of them looked away















from him. Xenophilius drew his wand. Harry realized their mistake just in time. He















launched himself sideways, shoving Ron and Hermione out of harm's way as















Xenophilius's Stunning Spell soared across the room and hit the Erumpent horn.















There was a colossalexplosion. The sound of it seemed to blow the room apart.















Fragments of wood and paper and rubble flew in all directions, along with an















impenetrable cloud of thick white dust. Harry flew through the air, then crashed to the















floor, unable to see as debris rained upon him, his arms over his head. He heard















Hermione's scream, Ron's yell, and a series of sickeningmetallic thuds which told him















that Xenophilius had been blasted off his feet and fallen backward down the spiral stairs.















Half buried in rubble, Harry tried to raise himself. He could barely breathe or see for dust.















Half of the ceiling had fall in and the end of Luna's bead was hanging through the hole.















The bust of Rowena Ravenclaw lay beside him with half its face missing fragments of















torn parchment were floating through the air, and most of the printing press lay on its side,















blocking the top of the staircase to the kitchen. Then another white shape moved close by,















and Hermione, coated in dust like a second statue, pressed his finger to her lips.















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."















Harry held out his left hand. Ron vanished beneath the Cloak. The printing press blocking















the stairs was vibrating. Xenophilius was trying to shift it using a Hover Charm. Harry















did not know what Hermione was waiting for.















"Hold tight" she whispered. "Hold tight...any second..."















Xenophilius's paper-white face appeared over the top of the sideboard.















"Obliviate!" cried Hermione, pointing her want first into his face then at the floor beneath















them. "Deprimo!"















She had blasted a hole in the sitting room floor. They fell like boulders. Harry still















holding onto her hand for dear life, there was a scream from below, and he glimpsed two















men trying to get out of the way as vast quantities of rubble and broken furniture rained















all around them from the shattered ceiling. Hermione twisted in midair and thundering of















the collapsing house rang in Harry's ears as she dragged him once more into darkness.

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