In search of horcrux - 5

"Any luck?" Ron asked, his eyes red and bleary.

"This is hopeless – it could be anything," Harry said, feeling discouraged.

"Even if we find what we think it might be, it still doesn't tell us anything about where he's hidden it," Ron said, moaning. "We've been at it all day, and it doesn't help that I keep forgetting what I'm looking for in the first place. I'm starving."

Feeling his own stomach rumble, Harry decided to call it a day. Ron's memory was continuing to improve, but there were still lapses, and Harry didn't want to push it. "Come on. Let's go back to the inn and order some food. Maybe the girls had better luck."

Harry followed Ron through the door, but just as they stepped outside, he grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him back into a nearby alley.

"What the–" Ron started to complain, but Harry slapped his hand over Ron's mouth and dragged him behind a group of rubbish bins.

"Shh," Harry whispered, nodding his head in the direction of the street.

He and Ron watched as an enormous blonde wizard with a hardened face slowly strolled into sight. He moved carefully, his small eyes roving and peering into storefronts and around corners, as if he was looking for something.

"Who's that?" Ron asked, squinting his eyes. "I've seen him somewhere."

Harry nodded, motioning for Ron to keep his voice down. "He was with Malfoy the night…on the Astronomy tower," Harry replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the blonde Death Eater.

The brutal-faced man suddenly turned towards the open alleyway, as if he knew he was being watched.

Harry's blood chilled and his body tensed. He clutched Ron's shoulder tightly, prepared to fling him out of the way of any curses. He held his breath, hearing Ron's ragged breathing beside him. He worried that it sounded so loud in the darkening alley that the Death Eater was certain to hear him. Dusk was spreading over the village, at least offering Ron and Harry more shadows in which to hide. If the man chose to walk into the alley, however, there was no way he could miss them. Harry cursed himself for leaving his Invisibility Cloak back at the inn.

The huge Death Eater drew his wand. "Lumos," he muttered, causing the tip to illuminate. "Who's there? Show yourself or face the wrath of the Dark Lord."

Ron's eyes widened as the man began walking down the alley, kicking at stray bins along the way.

Harry clutched his wand, knowing there was no way out. He wished he knew where Ginny and Hermione were before he called so much attention to them. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He'd never been the best at wordless spells, but it was certainly worth a go, and he always performed better under pressure.

Covering both Ron and himself with his wand, Harry cast a Disillusionment Charm just as the blonde Death Eater reached their hiding spot. He felt a cold trickle down his back alerting him that he'd been successful. He waited a few more moments, letting the man continue a bit further into the alley, before grabbing Ron's unseen arm and tugging him out of the alley.

Once they reached the inn, Harry wordlessly removed the spell.

"Harry, that was brilliant. Where'd you learn to do that? I thought you were still struggling with wordless magic," Ron said. "Feels a bit strange though, doesn't it?"

Harry shrugged. "Practice. Let's get upstairs and see if the girls are there. I hope they didn't run into any trouble."

Both girls were already in the room, however, and from their anxious, angry expressions, Harry reckoned they'd been waiting for a while.