Chapter 341 - A Little Spy

Chris cautiously approached the bushes. She crossed the trees and finally reached behind the bush to confront the spying vicious person but . . . found a young boy laying on the ground, glaring at her. By looks, the boy was hardly seven or eight years old, he had a roundish face, narrow icy blue eyes and little long messy jet black hair.

Chris looked around to make sure that there was no one else, feeling very confused. She looked back at the little boy and found him still glaring at her, this time more dangerously. He wasn't a vampire and Chris felt his aura wasn't a wizard's either. Who was this kid? Either way, he was the one spying on her and knew something. Chris cleared her throat and addressed the kid.

"I'm gonna release you but your legs still will be unmoveable, so don't try to escape."

Chris undid the curse and cast a jelly leg curse. Chris thought he was going to scream but he didn't. The boy looked at her hands and legs, then turned to look at Chris. He looked very angry but stayed motionless and said nothing.

"Who are you? Why were you spying on me?" Chris asked kneeling to get on his eye level.

The boy just kept eyeing her suspiciously without answering.

"I asked you something," Chris glared back.

No answer. He turned around and Chris could see his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"I could use more spells on you if you don't answer me," Chris said impatiently. "And they are quite painful. Don't think I won't use them just because you're a kid."

The boy looked back at her and then eyed her wand but didn't look intimidated. He gave a small shrug then tried to get up but his legs didn't cooperate, so he just lay back down. Chris felt frustrated, she didn't want to hurt the boy but he was giving her a hard time. He looked so cool and indifferent even after her threats. Chris was scary when she wanted to look frightening but the boy was just laying there watching her with no care in the world.

An idea came into Chris mind and she changed her tactics.

"If you don't talk, I am going to tell everything to Prince Oziyat," Chris said hopping for any kind of reaction.

And it worked. At the name of Oziyat, the boy looked panicked. He glared at Chris spitefully. Chris gave him a strict look and after a moment he finally opened his mouth.

"I . . . live . . . here," he muttered with long pauses in between her words.

Chris waited for him to go on but he didn't say anything else.

"What's your name and why were you spying at me? Who told you to spy on me?" Chris asked.

He glared some more before answering, "No. . . one. . . told. . . me. I was. . . curious. Let. . . me. . . go."

"First tell me, who are you?"

"Sol. Now. . . let. . . me. . . go."

But Chris wasn't ready to let go, so she shook her head.

"I want to know --"

Before Chris could finish something fast and large whooshed in front of her and the force of that thing knocked her back. The thing was so fast that it created a whirlwind of dirt and tree leaves and Chris scrambled back closing her eyes.

And then it was gone. Chris opened her eyes as Zil and Faux rushed to comfort her. She took Zil's support and got up. As everything else came into focus Chris realised the boy was gone. She looked around searching but the entire place was empty.

"What the hell just happened?"

⁂

"Expecto Petronum! Expecto Petronum!"

"Harry? What are you doing?" Hermione asked walking towards Harry.

Harry, Hermione and Ron were moving through the countryside, pitching the tent in a different place each night for security. Every morning they made sure that they had removed all clues to their presence, then set off to find another lonely and secluded spot, travelling by Apparition to more woods, to the shadowy crevices of cliffs, to purple moors, gorse-covered mountainsides and, once, a sheltered and pebbly cove. Right now, they had Apparated to another mountainside. While Hermione put the protecting charms and Ron set the tent, Harry was sitting on a rock in a corner, a book opened in his lap.

As soon as Hermione came near, Harry closed the book and put his wand away.

"Nothing," Harry lied.

Hermione looked at him critically.

"You were practising magic, weren't you?"

"Yeah, so?" Harry replied defiantly.

"Harry, I know what you are trying to do," Hermione sighed.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Harry said coolly.

"I think you know," Hermione snapped. "You are practising your talking Patronus."

"So? You wanted me to work on my spells."

"Yes, I did. But I know why are you practising this spell. You are trying to send a message to Chris," Hermione angrily muttered. "Stop doing this, Harry. She doesn't want to be contacted."

"I . . . Maybe, so. But I know she wouldn't stop caring about us. I know she would like to know if we are okay," Harry felt a lump in his throat and coughed. "I am just trying to tell her that we are okay. That's all. And I am learning the spell because I know you don't want to send her any messages."

"Yeah, because I think she made herself very clear when she left," Hermione almost shouted. "I know Harry that you . . . still like her. But as your best friend, I don't want to see you hurt. You have to let her go. Even after everything she left like this . . . even after we decided we will be in this together . . . even after you asked her to come with you . . ."

"I am not giving up on her, Hermione," Harry shouted getting up. "No matter what she does, I will support her. I am not waiting for her to return my feelings, so give it a rest. But I am not giving up on her. I know she is somewhere thinking about us because I know how much her friends mean to her. I know she will never give up on us! I know her, Hermione. I do. I know this is important to her. These things are tearing her apart but she is still doing it because it's her responsibility to save the Wizarding world."

Hermione stared at Harry as Harry's eyes become red. He quickly turned around and walked past her. His vision filled with tears as he clutched a crumpled photograph inside his pocket and walked away.

_________ _________

To be continued. . .