In search of horcrux - 10

Harry scowled at Ron's back, but moved his fringe aside, feeling suddenly vulnerable.

Ginny pulled her scarf up so she could bury her nose, and slipped her hand in his. "Come on," she murmured. "It's just for a little while."

The four walked towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes hunched from the chill. The pit in Harry's stomach grew as he noticed the abundance of closed shops. The combination of Voldemort and Umbridge was wreaking havoc on the Wizarding world, and the worse part was they were allowing Umbridge to do it.

"Harry, you're hurting my hand," Ginny said, trying to pull her hand from the death grip he had on it.

"Oh!" he said, starting. "Sorry, Ginny. I wasn't paying attention."

"Obviously," she said, working her fingers in and out inside her fuzzy yellow mittens. "What're you so cheesed off about, anyway? Is it this nonsense of Ron's? He's just being Ron – it takes awhile for his brain to catch up with the rest of him sometimes."

Harry snorted. "Nah, I don't know what's bothering me. Something just doesn't feel right–"

"Oi, Ron! Ginny!" Fred shouted, poking his head outside the door of his shop. "Dad said you lot might stop by this afternoon. What's happening?"

Harry craned his neck to peer inside. There were a few scattered customers in the aisles, but nothing like the crowd he'd seen the last time he'd been here. "How's business?" he asked.

Fred shrugged. "It's been slow, but the mail order catalog is booming. People are afraid to go out."

"Probably a good thing or Um-bint might make a decree declaring it illegal to shop here next," George said, scowling.

Ron, Ginny, and Harry sniggered at the insult, and even the corner of Hermione's mouth twitched.

"We're not her favorite people," Fred said, scratching his chin. "I can't imagine anyone not loving us, can you?"

"Pansy and Iris don't seem to care for you much," Ginny said, sniggering. Fred scowled and looked away.

"Dad said you needed to be spotted somewhere public. The shop next door sells coffee and has a big open window. Care to take a stroll and grab a cuppa?" George asked.

"All right," Harry replied.

"Can you watch the store for a tic, Shannon?" George called to the pretty girl behind the counter. She nodded and the twins led them outside.

"Who's she?" Ginny asked. "She's new."

"Yeah. We keep losing employees. We suspect some of them are being pressured by the Ministry to disassociate themselves with us. Apparently, Um-bint holds a grudge," Fred replied. "Shannon can be a bit flaky, but George likes her."

George flushed and kept walking.

It wasn't difficult to get a large table by the window because the shop was nearly deserted. They'd just placed their orders when the entire shop shook from the force of a blast somewhere down the street.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, alarmed.

"Dunno," Fred said, standing up to peer out the window. The second blast knocked him to his knees. Coffee cups rattled on the table, and Harry heard something shatter in the kitchen.

The few patrons in the shop glanced at each other warily, uncertain whether or not to flee. Harry helped Fred to his feet and looked outside. To his horror, he could see half the street in flames. Death Eaters were walking unhindered, blasting spells at various shops along the way. They appeared to be gathering around the shops near Gringotts.

Harry turned around. Their waitress had backed against the counter, a panicked expression on her face.

"Do you have a Floo connection here?" he asked.