As Ed was far ahead of them, he approached the sign first...and then passed right by it, walking on with that same slumped shouldered walk he had assumed shortly after they had left the mail place. Harry was unconcerned, figuring that there had to be other such places on this Birch street. Maybe they hadn't reached it yet. They walked on for a block or so, and Ed suddenly jogged across the street, watching for cars along the way. He stopped at the corner, and looked over at them, still, for several hearbeats.
'Oh no..He's doing it again. He's actually...ditching us.' Harry thought. He felt a sick feeling rising in his stomach as Ed disappeared from view into the dark alley.
"Is he.." Hermione gasped.
"'e's ditchin' us?!?" Ron hissed.
Lupin looked back at them, and, with a jerk of his chin, looked both ways on the street.
"Come on." Harry heard behind him. The voice gruff and low...it had to be Moody. In moments, they had all managed to both avoid being hit by Muggle traffic vehicles and safely arrived at the alley mouth that Harry had seen Ed disappear into. Lupin stood just in front of him, reaching into a pocket of his jacket. In the darkness, Harry could see some movement, like white skin against shadows.
"No sticks. Come back here vith me." Harry heard Ed call out.
"What do you think you'r..!"
"Dere is problem." Ed interrupted. Ed's poked his head out slightly from the shadows, and piercing gold eyes looked down the street."Come." Ed ducked back into the alley and melted into the shadows.
Harry hesitated. He glanced at Hermione, and Ron. Both friends seemed just as unwilling to move.
'No wands'? Harry thought. They'd be helpless...if..something dark like Deatheaters or even the stray Acumatuala showed up in that dark..well it WAS a Muggle alley....
"You draw unvanted eyes." Ed called, voice full of impatience, though it sounded like it was futher down the alleyway. "You come or vait for me at hostel door for talking after. Decide now."
Harry heard a bang! of metal against metal in the alley, and jumped. Harry took one glance back at Tonks.
"Grip your wand firmly Harry, just in case." Tonks said, and he saw she already had ahold of hers, within her pocket. Without a second glance back, or at his friends, he stepped into the darkness.
It took several minutes, but his eyes adjusted to the dark of the alley. He saw Ed, squatted atop a large, and rather full metal trash bin, picking though some plastic bags with his gloved hands, searching though the refuse for something. Harry saw a glint of metal, as Ed found something, and tossed it to the ground below. He did this several times. Ed worked in silence, ignoring them completely as he searched through the refuse. Harry took a breath.
"Ha!" Ed smiled, and another glint of metal could been seen. He then tossed the last piece of whatever it was to the ground and jumped lightly to the ground himself. (Quite the feat considering the bin itself was easily as tall as Harry was, and he towered over Ed by at least a foot) He then took off his trench coat, tossed it aside to the ground, and gathered up his collection of former residents of the garbage bin from the ground into his both hands. He then looked up, and raised his eyebrows.
"Oh..so you decided to join me." Ed said in a friendly manner. The friendliest Harry had ever heard from Ed. Ever. "You said there was a problem?" Lupin said.
"Yeah. Very small vone. Dere is someone vith a stick at hostel. Couldn't see vere vho had it vas, but I did feel it." Ed smiled, then looked behind him to the gargage bin, and walked there tightly holding his bundle. Harry couldn't really see him, but he did hear a distinctive sound. Followed by the blue light.
"FEEL it?" Tonks said, incredulously.
"Vhat. You didn't?" Ed said, and emerged from behind the bin. A metal tube in his hand. After several moments of looking, Harry recognised it.
"What are you doing with a torchlight?" Harry said.
"Dis? No ting." Ed set it on top the bin, and reached into his pants pocket and pulled out two metalic cylinders with his left hand. "Not unless I can remember vat dese tings are made of anyvay. Vas it carbon? Or lithium...? Anyvay. Dese vones are dead and useless to me."
"You can FEEL. A wand." Lupin stated, tone just as incredulous as Tonks.
"If it's pointed at me, yeah." Ed looked up at them for a moment from his pondering of batteries. "AH! Got it. Solid carbon core...copper..and zinc." Ed brought his hands together, and the blue light flashed, nearly blinding Harry in its intensity. Ed then turned back to the flashlight, unscrewed the top, and placed the batteries within. In moments, he flicked the switch, and the torchlight flared, overly bright in the darkness of the alleyway.
"I'm going below." Ed said, matter of factly. The torchlight found a target near the center of the alley. "Trew dat. If all goes vell, I vill becoming out the front door of hostel in about 15 minutes. 30 if not. Be listening for alarms."
"Hold it a tick." Harry said. "Let me get this straight. You are going.. through the sewers?"
"Vell..I COULD always jump from rooftop to rooftop, but that not vould draw nearly enough attention to me." Ed said, deadpan with a single raised eyebrow. "Vwatch my coat, vill you?"
"Wait." Tonks said. "There's no way I'm letting a kid go alone."
"Do not be calling me child!" Ed said in a flat tone.
He turned and walked over the the manhole cover. With his right hand, He firmly grabbed the latch and lifted it with a slight grunt. He set it aside on the ground where it gave a rather loud metallic THUNK! against the cobblestone street, and flicked the torch down the opening.
"I'm just saying that there's bound to be more than one there." Tonks said. "Be reasonable. You need SOMEone to watch your back."
Ed looked at her with an unreadable expression.
"Do not be taking dis vrong vay. If you vant to come vith me, I vill not be stopping you." He then regarded the entrance to the sewers, and rubbed at his bandage at his neck. "Be certain not to get in my vay."
Harry took a step forward to join Ed, but felt a pair of hammy hands on his shoulders.
'No Harry.' Moody whispered ever so softly. Harry scowled. Hermione and Ron both looked at him and frowned. Had they heard Moody, too?
Harry then saw Ed hook the flashlight on his belt, and descend into the darkness below.
:::
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