Lost In Parasomniaen-us49A7D90935

Lost In Parasomnia

by

Soltice Muse

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue

Prologue

She was so relieved to have them back, even if it was only briefly, at least when they with her at the Burrow she knew they would be safe.

This mission Dumbledore had set Harry before he had died wasn't the sort of thing a young wizard who had only just come of age should be doing. He should be studying for his N.E.W.Ts and playing quiddich and under the watchful eye of Minerva McGonagall. There was no watchful eye for Harry, other than Ron and Hermione's own but who was watching over them? Oh Hermione, of the three of them she would've been sure that she would have scuppered their plans to leave school and throw themselves into a private war with you-know-who himself, but she was as willing and enthusiastic for their quest as Harry and Ron seemed to be.

Then there was Ron...

"Ron?" Molly was jolted out of her maternal fret-session by the sight of her youngest son standing in the kitchen doorway in silence.

He wasn't looking at her, he didn't seem to be focused upon anything really, his eyes seemed glazed and she rose from her chair at the table and walked over to him cautiously.

He hasn't done this in a very long time...why now?

"Ronnie?" she waved her hand in front of his face but his eyes didn't register anything.

She examined him with a worried frown. He was wearing one of those grubby t-shirts he was so fond of sleeping in and a pair of Bill's old tracksuit bottoms, his legs were still growing at a freakish rate and had outgrown everything he had left at the house, and he was barefoot. She gasped as she saw the cuts and bruises all over his feet and almost reached out to grab him by the arm before remembering that she couldn't wake him that way and shouldn't be trying to anyway. It was then that she noticed the writing all the way up the underside of his arm, eleven numbers in black ink, she couldn't make any sense of it and fought another internal struggle with herself not to take out her wand and charm him awake. Instead she hissed, a most theatrical whisper that wasn't really all that quiet at all, to her husband in the living room.

"Arthur...psst, Arthur quickly before he tries to leave!"

He popped his sleepy head around the door with a befuddled look on his face.

"What on earth are you talking about? Oh Ron, what are you doing out of bed?"

She slapped Arthur's hand away from the spot just above Ron's shoulder where he had been about to rest it and hissed for him to be quiet again.

"He's sleepwalking again, we've got to get him back to his room."

Arthur looked more than a little shocked and squeezed between Ron's body and the doorframe to stand in front of him and get a good look at his son's eyes.

"Oh no," his face fell at Ron's blank stare, "I thought he'd grown out of this. It must be what; ten years since he last did it?"

Molly tried to think back, it couldn't be ten years, Ron was nearly eight when he finally stopped going for moonlight strolls in his sleep. But wait a minute, yes, that was right. Ron was nearly eighteen now. It was ten years. The time had passed by too fast; she thought as she tugged at her husband's arm and pointed down to the floor.

"He can't have only just started doing it Arthur. Look at his feet."

"Oh no," he sighed once again, "well he couldn't have fallen back into his old ways for very long, he's obviously not resorted to wearing shoes to bed has he and what's he got written all over his arm? "

She had been about to say something when Ron nodded and began to walk forward. She and Arthur jumped aside to let him pass and she squealed in panic as she realised he was heading for the back door.

"Arthur we can't let him go outside!"

"Of course not, does he have his wand on him anywhere?"

She cast her eyes over every inch of him frantically before turning back to her husband with some relief.

"No he doesn't."

"Good," Arthur said, now feeling more confident in his ability to handle the situation, "lock the doors and we'll just let him wander until he goes back up to bed."

Molly magically locked the door just as Ron reached for the door handle and then aimed her wand over her husband's shoulder to charm the front door as well. As Ron turned away from the door he had now found he couldn't open Arthur's eyes suddenly bulged and he pointed his wand over the fireplace in the living room.

"Accio floo powder!"

The bowl whizzed across the living room and into his waiting hands where he stood in the hall. He smiled and shrugged at Molly.

"Just in case."

They stepped out of Ron's way as he trudged past them and started down the hall to try the front door and began to relax enough that he was going nowhere to ask each other some questions.

"Molly, do you remember what we did last time to snap him out of this?"

"We never snapped him out of it, remember what the Lockheart book said about the dangers of waking a sleep walker?"

"Lockheart? Oh really Molly you don't still follow the twaddle spouted by that fool do you?" Arthur sniped quite uncharacteristically, "That whole thing about waking sleepwalkers is a myth you know?"

"Well I don't need to remind you what happened on the one occasion we did wake him so I thank you not to take that tone with me!"

Ron was rattling the locked front door now, interrupting their bickering and returning their thoughts to the problem in hand.

"Molly you need to understand this is a lot more serious than it was when he was seven years old," Arthur said as he gripped her arms firmly and looked her unblinkingly in the eye, "he can apparate now."

She shook her head; it wasn't that she couldn't believe the possibility of what Arthur was saying but that she didn't want to have to think about it.

"He couldn't disapparate in his sleep, that can't be possible."

Ron was now walking back towards them, making a beeline for the living room fireplace, and her husband looked at her apologetically.

"Well it seems I was right to hide the floo powder doesn't it?"

Molly clamped her hand to her mouth, she didn't need this, not on top of all her other worries for her family. Now, as well as throwing himself into the frey with Death Eaters and toying with whatever it was of You-Know-who's on their mission from Dumbledore, he was going to be wandering around who knows where in a trance like state.

Just as she was going to ask Arthur what they should do a noise from upstairs distracted her. A thudding and the sound of a door swinging open, then footsteps and another door opening with a loud bang. She looked to Arthur who was looking back at her in a state of similar confusion to her own before their attention was drawn upstairs again by the sound of Harry's panicked voice.

"Is he here?"

"Wha...what?" the feint sound of Hermione being woken drifted down the stairs to them.

"He's gone, did he come in here?" Harry's voice sounded firm, almost as if this was something of a routine question to ask a friend in the middle of the night.

"No," Hermione's voice sounded alert now and there were more thumping footsteps as the two of them seemed to be rushing to the stairs, "he didn't take his wand did he?"

"No, I've got it," Harry panted as their feet became visible at the top step, "Hermione if he disapparates again we're screwed!"

Molly folded her arms and stood at the foot of the staircase, stunning them into what looked like a petrified state halfway down the stairs.

"Oh I'd say you were in enough trouble as it is wouldn't you?" she said, her stern facade covering up the knot that had just tightened in her stomach on hearing that Ron had not only been sleepwalking but disapparating in his sleep and she hadn't been informed immediately.

"Mrs Weasley, we...we're sorry but Ron's gone and..."

"He's in the living room trying to find this" Arthur said as he held up the bowl of floo powder.

Harry and Hermione visibly relaxed at this and peered through the banisters to see Ron walking away from the fireplace and deeper into the living room and out of sight.

"Maybe you could explain to us exactly what's going on" Arthur said as he put a calming hand on Molly's shoulder.

Hermione seemed to be the braver of the two as she took a step closer to them.

"Ron's been sleepwalking."

"Well we know that," Molly found herself snapping, "Since when did this start up again?"

"Again?" Hermione frowned, seeming to feign ignorance.

"Yes, he used to do it when he was a boy," Arthur said, "used to wander for miles before curling up somewhere and falling asleep until morning. Didn't he mention it?"

"No," Harry said as he began to walk down the remaining stairs, "well yes, he told us it had happened before but he didn't make it sound as if it was that much of a problem."

Molly snorted, that sounded typical of Ron.

"Well it isn't to him, not until he wakes up in the snow without a clue where he is of course, but he's not really present for the actual sleep-walking is he?"

Harry shook his head, Molly felt her tyrannical indignation dissolve and gave him a sad smile.

"It's hard to deal with him when he's like that isn't it?" Harry and Hermione both nodded, "You really shouldn't have kept it to yourselves you know?"

"We know Mrs Weasley but we didn't want to worry you" Hermione said with a grimace of apology.

Before Molly could point out that she was always pretty worried in general Arthur voiced an important question.

"When exactly did this start up again?"

"Well..." Harry began before Hermione gripped his arm and shushed him.

"I can't hear him moving around anymore" she said, panic draining the colour from her face as the four of them listened carefully and looked at the open door to the living room.

"Did you seal the windows?" Harry asked Arthur.

As one the four of them ran into the living room and saw the window flapping in the wind.

"We've got to stop him!" Harry yelled as he ran to the window and wriggled out.

"Where is he trying to go?" Arthur asked Hermione as she started to crawl out after Harry.

"It's a long story" she said as she jumped out and ran into the darkness after Harry.

A long story? They seemed to be dealing with this pursuit of Ron with some degree of resignation Molly thought. Why couldn't they have told her about this so she could have put a magical barrier around his room like she used to in the old days? Why hadn't Ron mentioned anything about it over dinner earlier on? He must remember how rationally she had dealt with it the first time, the whole family had, Ron-watch had been a routine of their lives for almost a year and they could almost deal with him in their own sleep. She wondered if any of the others knew about this, the twins and Ginny maybe, and vowed to owl every member of the Weasley clan warning them there would be hell to pay if she found out they had known about this and kept it from her and Arthur.

She gripped Arthur's hand tightly and stared out into the blackness of the Burrow's back yard before she heard a crack. Over her shoulder she heard the family clock whirring as Ron's hand moved from home to travelling. She and Arthur lifted their lit wands and made out the shapes of Harry and Hermione plodding back to the house, shoulders slumped, and she knew none of them would be getting any sleep tonight.

As Arthur helped Hermione back through the window the young witch turned to Harry and let out a weary sigh.

"I'll go and get the phone."

Harry nodded and clambered through the window back into the living room to face the wrath of the Weasleys.

"Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley...I think we've got some explaining to do."

Chapter One - Wake Up Ronnie

"I can't believe how useless you two are," Ron grumbled as he stirred the pot over Hermione's magically conjured fire, "heroic stuff: brilliant; defensive magic: brilliant; hoarding an entire library's worth of knowledge in your head: brilliant; actual practicalities that are of some real use when searching for fragments of the most dangerous dark wizard in history's soul: clueless!"

Harry chuckled, he was sure he could have a go at preparing dinner for the three of them out of absolutely nothing but Ron was fantastic at it so he had been feigning incompetence. He was nowhere near as good at turning dew into salt, pollen into honey, and moss into a variety of different herbs as Ron was. Harry thought that was due to Mrs Weasley, if there was a way of doing something that kept them within their merge budget then the Weasleys would know of it. Putting food on the table for a family of nine must have been hard, Harry thought, but Mrs Weasley had managed to do it for all those years somehow. He watched Ron as he transfigured a handful of gravel into tomato seeds and tossed them onto the ground, added water to them and mumbled and incantation that made the seeds rapidly sprout and begin to grow inside the cave.

"Surculus! They won't be very sweet I'm afraid, I need to be doing this in the sunlight really" Ron had shrugged as he turned his attention to some toadstools he had found just outside and transfigured them into mushrooms.

"It'll be fantastic Ron, it always is" Hermione smiled.

Harry could see that she felt a little frustrated that Ron was able to do this so much better than she was. She had attempted to transfigure toadstools into mushrooms herself but they had been hallucinogenic mushrooms and none of them wanted to go through another night like that one again in a hurry. He tried not to laugh at the memory and could've sworn he saw Ron was having the same thought.

"Um, Hermione could you do me a favour and conjure up some bowls and cutlery for me?" Ron said, with a hidden snigger in his voice, I'm going to have another crack at getting us some bread."

Hermione nodded and set about transfiguring rocks and leaves that were scattered around the inside of the cave into a matching dinner service, now that was complicated magic at it's best and that's why she could do it so well. Cooking, it seemed, wasn't her thing and neither was improvising ingredients.

"Lanx, calix! There you go," she said with some satisfaction as Ron left the cave, wand in hand, "good luck with the bread this time."

Ron snorted and called over his shoulder.

"Thanks, I'll need it!"

Bread was a bit of a complicated one to transfigure from scratch. Even Mrs Weasley had to use the basic ingredients when she was baking her own. Ron kept telling them it was the yeast that complicated things. He never managed to get his bread to rise apart from that one time when the dough he managed to transfigure from a pile of damp wheat kept swelling until it almost swallowed up a large oak tree they had intended to camp beneath. That had taken some getting rid of that was for sure.

Harry watched Hermione as her eyes followed Ron out of the cave. When he was out of sight she turned her head towards Harry and caught him watching her, a slight smile on his face, and blushed.

"I'd offer to go and help but after the toadstool fiasco..." she shrugged.

"Yeah, best be safe eh?" Harry chuckled.

She sat opposite him, cross-legged, and let out a sigh.

"So do you have any clue where to begin looking?"

He shook his head and looked at the dirty ground.

"What about which horcrux we're going to go after first, any preference?"

He sighed and raised his eyes to meet hers again for a moment before staring back down and prodding at an earwig with the tip of his wand.

"I don't know. I don't even know what all of them are."

Hermione's hand reached out for him and he looked up as her hand rested on his knee.

"You've got an idea though haven't you?"

He sighed a little deeper and shrugged.

"All I've got is Dumbledore's theories. Dumbledore's theories and no Dumbledore."

Hermione gave him a sad smile as Ron stomped back into the cave with a defeated huff.

"Didn't rise again, we'll have to make do..." he paused and stared at Harry and Hermione for a moment before frowning, "...am I interrupting something?"

Harry suddenly realised that Hermione's hand was still resting on his knee and she had obviously noticed it too as she pulled it away and tutted at Ron.

"We're talking about where to start tomorrow, we haven't really got a plan of action have we?"

Ron made a humming sound and walked back over to the fire.

"So," Harry stood up and moved across to Ron's side to see what he had managed if not bread, "Is it pita again tonight then?"

"What? Oh no, better than that, I managed a naan for each of us" Ron said as he held up three large naan breads.

Harry was quite impressed as he examined the fluffy naans, he felt sure Ron would master a loaf within the week at this rate. Hermione leaned over the stack and inhaled the aromas.

"Mmmm, you even seasoned them."

Ron nodded.

"Garlic and coriander," his face broke into a smile, "we're gonna stink!"

As Hermione set a naan on each of the plates and Harry filled the cups with water from his wand Ron stirred his stew and mumbled something to himself.

"Maybe I should add some curry powder seeing as we've got naans."

"No!" both Harry and Hermione blurted, eyes wide.

The Weasley family's idea of curry was a normal human beings idea of molten lava and Harry's taste buds had still yet to recover from Mrs Weasley's curried eggs at Bill and Fleur's wedding the previous week.

"Fine," Ron rolled his eyes, "stew and naan bread it is then."

He and Hermione cast a thankful glance toward him before sharing a relieved sigh and sitting on the floor before their plates.

"Philistines" Ron grumbled under his breath.

"I think you're using that word in the wrong context Ronald. Your curry isn't exactly a work of art." Hermione smiled as Ron levitated the pot down into the centre of their dining area on the floor.

"Now that's blasphemy!" Ron said with a wave of his ladle at a visibly amused Hermione.

This was how their first week of the quest had been so far, fun. Harry knew it wouldn't last and decided to savour the laughter while they had the luxury of it. He had a fake horcrux in his pocket and three genuine ones to track down before facing Voldemort himself. He didn't have a clue where to begin. He didn't know how Dumbledore had come up with the idea of looking in that cave from Riddle's childhood but he felt sure that he was going to clutch at a hell of a lot of straws before even getting close to a real horcrux and then what? Then he would have to go through something similar to what Dumbledore had to, and all for nothing, or maybe worse. He broke his naan bread and watched as Ron and Hermione teased each other between mouthfuls of stew. What would they have to go through in order to help him he wondered? He hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

He knew it would be though.

Harry felt something kick against his foot and jolted awake, fumbling for his wand with one hand and his glasses with the other.

"Lumos!" he yelled, waking Hermione.

"What is it? Who is it?" she was wriggling out of her sleeping bag and pulling out her own wand as she spoke.

Harry's eyes finally focused on the figure silhouetted in the mouth of the cave against the moonlight.

"Ron?"

Hermione was three steps ahead of him as they ran to join Ron, who had obviously seen something and gone to investigate, and Harry had seen her expression as she reached him and looked at his face.

"Hermione what is it?" he whispered as he drew up alongside Ron and tore his eyes from Hermione's expression of discomfort and concern to Ron's own blank face, "What's wrong?"

"Ron?" Hermione stood right in front of him and snapped her fingers twice but Ron didn't even blink.

"What's the matter with him?"

Hermione bit her lip as she examined Ron's glazed eyes closely.

"I think...I think he's sleepwalking."

She reached out to shake Ron awake but Harry batted her arm away fiercely.

"Don't do that! Don't you know you're not supposed to wake a sleepwalker?" he hissed, beginning to wonder if Ron really was sleepwalking at all.

Hermione huffed and cast an annoyed glare in Harry's direction before responding with great impatience.

"Don't you know a myth when you hear one Harry? That's a load of tosh and you know it."

She reached out to Ron again with both hands now and Harry pulled her away with some annoyance.

"I don't know it and neither do you! Are you telling me you stayed in the library in Hogwarts and read up on sleeping disorders for fun?"

"Well no I didn't but it's obviously an old wives tale isn't it? What's supposed to happen to a sleepwalker if you wake them up then? Do you know that?"

"No I don't, I know about as much as you do and that's why I don't think we should take the chance of waking him up!"

Harry couldn't quite believe they were having an argument right now; he turned to glance at Ron and saw that he was gone.

"Oh shit."

Hermione spun around and pointed to Ron as he trudged in an uncoordinated manner towards the woods several feet away from the mouth of the cave. They rushed after him, disagreeing all the way about how to stop him wandering off.

"You see Harry we've got to wake him."

"It could be dangerous."

"And wandering off into the woods in the middle of the night in a trance isn't?" she puffed.

They reached him and before Harry could stop her Hermione leapt in front of Ron and placed her hands forcefully onto his chest, stopping him in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" Harry let out an exasperated cry.

"I'm not waking him alright? I'm stopping him."

He saw her eyes looking up into Ron's own once again and realised that she wasn't trying to be difficult, they really did have to get him back to the cave somehow for his own safety, and rested his arm around Ron's back.

"Come on Ron, back to bed now" he said as he pulled Ron around as gently as he could.

Hermione seemed greatly relieved at his actions and took Ron's arm on the other side and helped to lead him back into the cave.

"It's alright, there's nothing to see out here, let's get back inside ok?"

She and Harry shared a look of apology as they guided Ron deep into the cave and got him to settle back down on the floor.

"His eyes are still open aren't they?" Hermione frowned as she covered him with a blanket.

Harry nodded as he looked into the unfocused stare that made his best friend look nothing like himself at all.

"Maybe we should try to close them" he wondered aloud.

"No," Hermione said quickly as she sat beside Harry and watched Ron as if trying to work out a difficult equation inside her head, "you're right, neither of us know anything about this really do we? We shouldn't do anything other than make sure he doesn't wander off again."

"I'm sorry about just now Hermione, I was just worried because I've heard..."

"I've heard those stories too Harry," she interrupted him with a smile, "I understand why you wanted to be careful about waking him, I just don't believe that they're true. I should've understood your need for caution though, I'm sorry."

Harry smiled and shook his head.

"Let's just say we're both sorry and never mention it again."

"Deal."

The rest of that night was spent waiting for Ron's eyes to close, which they eventually did after half an hour, and sitting guard on the off chance he might make another unconscious escape bid. As they talked through the night they covered as many angles of Ron's history of sleep as they could; the fact that he sometimes mumbled and the fact that he always snored. Harry had sworn to Hermione that, as far as he knew, Ron had never once walked in his sleep in all their years sharing a dormitory in Griffindor tower. There was a tangent-filled discussion about Ron's nightmares and his ability to fall into the deepest of sleeps within record time before they both grew too tired to keep their own eyes open any longer and resolved to let themselves sleep at last. Hermione conjured a seal across the mouth of the cave that would rouse her or Harry if anybody tried to get in or out.

That was the first time, as far as Harry could remember, that Ron had woken up before both him and Hermione in the morning. Harry's eyes had opened to the sight of Ron pointing his wand at a small bundle of wheat he had obviously just grown in the same way as he had the tomatoes the night before and tried the incantation that had become quite familiar to Harry by now.

"Crustum!" Ron flicked his wand and the wheat began to weave together into the shape of a loaf of bread before flattening out into a solid disc shape and dropping to the floor like a frizzbee, "Bollocks!"

"No yeast again?" Harry's voice croaked.

Ron was startled by this sudden intrusion into his quest for bread and flinched slightly before sighing and shaking his head with resignation.

"I'm missing something, it should already have yeast in it, I just can't get it to rise" he grimaced before lifting up the baked disc and knocking on it with his knuckles.

"Speaking of which," Harry said as he heaved himself up into the sitting position, "you seemed pretty eager to rise yourself in the middle of the night."

Ron's eyes almost bulged out of his head and Harry realised how what he had just said could be interpreted.

"No not that! You were sleepwalking."

Ron looked predictably surprised but there was something else in his expression that made Harry question him on whether this had happened to him before.

"Not for years," Ron had said as they sat down in front of the porridge Ron had managed to transfigure the failed bread into as it magically served itself into Harry's clumsily conjured bowls, "I used to wake up in the strangest places but I never remembered doing it. Apparently I punched George once."

"Really?" Harry exclaimed, thankful that Ron hadn't become violent with him and Hermione the previous night.

"They tell me I'm quite strong when it happens. It used to make Ginny cry, I look a bit scary when I'm like that so I'm told, but I haven't done that since..." Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, "...before Hogwarts. Bloody hell years before Hogwarts. I really did it again?"

Harry nodded.

"I can see why it used to upset Ginny mate, it was as if you weren't...in there."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Hermione's tired voice sounded from the spot she lay curled up inside her sleeping bag, "although I'd like to request your permission to tie you up tonight just to be on the safe side."

Ron raised an eyebrow, Harry stifled a laugh and Hermione's voice spoke up once again with more than a passing resemblance to McGonagall's disapproving tone.

"And I don't even have to bother opening my eyes to know you've got that look on your face Ronald Weasley."

Ron and Harry stared at one another before sharing a smirk and a shake of the head before turning their attention back to their porridge and their conversation.

"You know there is one thing that Hermione and I really need to know Ron?"

Ron swallowed his mouthful and frowned.

"What's that then?"

"Do you know if you can be woken, is it ok to do it I mean?"

"He wants to know that it's safe" Hermione sighed as she sat up and shook the grit from her hair.

"Um," Ron seemed to have suddenly lost the ability to look Harry in the eye, "it's best if you don't."

Hermione and Harry looked at each other in astonishment before turning their gaze back to Ron.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked.

Ron still wasn't looking at either of them and this was causing Harry some concern.

"Well it's just that Fred and George did once and...mum said to the rest of the family that I shouldn't ever be woken from it after that."

"Do you remember what happened?" Harry asked, not entirely sure he really wanted to know the answer to this question.

Ron shook his head.

"I never remember anything about it when it happens."

"But you were woken up," Hermione pressed for more information with more perseverance than Harry could muster right then, "do you remember waking up?"

Ron seemed suddenly agitated and got to his feet.

"I don't remember anything about anything, I'm just telling you both what I've been told."

He began to walk to the mouth of the cave and Hermione got up and ran after him.

"Wait what's wrong? You can tell us Ron, we just want to know how to deal with you if it ever happens again."

Ron spun around with what Harry assumed was a false cheerfulness and shrugged at her.

"It won't happen again. It hasn't happened for ten years, it won't happen for another ten, you don't have to worry about it." he nodded over her shoulder and back to the bowl of porridge that was waiting for her, "Eat up Hermione, it'll go cold."

Harry didn't buy it and he could tell by Hermione's posture that she didn't either as she tugged at the sleeve of his sweatshirt as he turned to leave again.

"Should I send an owl to your mother to ask her how to deal with it?"

Ron turned on her defensively.

"Don't you dare go upsetting my mother!" he warned her.

Harry got to his feet and took a couple of steps toward his two friends.

"Why can't you trust us?" Harry asked in as calming a tone as he could manage at that moment.

Ron seemed to slump before giving the two of them a look of apology and shaking his head.

"I don't know what I did ok? I did something and they wouldn't tell me what it was and it made mum cry...for three days...she wouldn't even look at me."

Ron's head dropped and Hermione pulled him into a hug without hesitation.

"It's ok, we won't try to wake you if it ever happens again I promise, we just wanted to be prepared that's all."

Harry felt awful now, he was right after all and he hated that he was, he knew that whatever it was that happened to Ron when the twins had woken him had caused Mrs Weasley not to be able to bare looking at her own son for three days. That Mrs Weasley even had that in her made Harry feel queasy but the fact that it was caused by something Ron did made the feeling even worse.

Hermione released Ron and he took a reluctant step away from her.

"Dad told me it wasn't my fault. He kept saying it wasn't me, I wasn't myself when I woke up," Ron took a step towards the mouth of the cave as he spoke, "and that I shouldn't feel guilty about upsetting mum."

Harry's stomach twisted as he watched Ron edging away from them both, the news that he was sleepwalking again obviously bringing back some very bad memories for his friend, and knew that this wasn't a matter of Ron trusting them but trusting himself.

"Ron I..." Hermione began before Ron fixed a smile on his face and interrupted her.

"I'll just go for a walk if you don't mind, a conscious one, I'll be back in...I'll be back."

Ron stepped out of the cave and a wave of energy shook Harry and Hermione to the bone.

"Whoa!" Ron gasped, "What the bloody hell was that?"

"I think that was our warning system being triggered" Harry shivered, feeling slightly nauseated and struggling to keep his porridge down."

Ron could see how badly the alert spell had affected them and arched his eyebrows.

"Maybe we'd all be better off if you tied me up tonight after all eh?"

Before either of them could respond he had walked away.

"Harry I..." Hermione began.

"If what you're about to say involves the words library or research then just go now."

She nodded once and disapparated on the spot. She was back seconds later to get changed.

Chapter Two - The Young Somnambulists Handbook

"Well we were both right."

Hermione was finally returning to the world outside her book on Somnambulism to have an actual conversation with him.

"Well of course we were, I'd hate to see you ever be wrong about something even once Hermione" Harry said with weary sarcasm.

She looked at him as if he was a stranger to her.

"Are you channelling Ron?"

"What have I done?" Ron suddenly asked as he packed up the last of his gear from their overnight stay in the cave.

"Don't worry, Hermione's just telling me how she was right after all."

"Right about what?" Ron frowned.

Harry shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't think it really matters as long as she's right."

Harry and Ron shared a snigger at Hermione's obvious annoyance at their teasing as she looked back at her book.

"Well if you don't want to know more about Ron's sleepwalking then I'll just keep what I've learnt to myself shall I?" she said in a clipped tone.

"Ooh you're in trouble now" Ron smirked as he shrank his sleeping bag down to the size of a Swiss roll and dropped it into his backpack.

Harry dumped his own full backpack beside Hermione and sat down on top of it to look at the page Hermione was focusing so intently upon.

"Sorry Hermione, what were you going to tell me?"

"I was just going to fill you in on the basic facts but you don't have to humour me, I'll just deal with Ron by myself tonight."

Ron paused and his eyes flicked up to meet Hermione's own, she seemed to be fighting back the pink flush that was creeping over her cheeks.

"You're going to have to stop saying stuff like that Hermione, it'll give people the wrong idea" Ron said before re-arranging the contents of his back pack.

Harry tried not to laugh and nodded to a now flustered Hermione as she returned her attention to her book.

"Right then, sleepwalking or somnambulism usually happens in childhood and very rarely continues into adulthood. You will find it incredibly difficult arousing a patient during an episode. The patient is not aware of what is happening and not formulating memories of his or her actions, this amnesia only lasts a short time after waking."

"Tell me something I don't know" Ron mumbled.

"The sleep walking only ever happens when the patient is in a state of deep sleep which usually occurs three or four hours in," Hermione continued, "Adult sleepwalkers can be more aggressive and there is potential for self-injury."

Hermione stalled at this paragraph and Harry glanced over to Ron who seemed to be concentrating hard on untying a knot in his shoelace and deliberately averting his eyes from the both of them. Hermione took a deep breath and carried on reading.

"If the patient is suffering from a fever the symptoms can become much worse. Ah, here it is," she said with a confident tone as she pointed to the sentence she was reading aloud, "It is a common misconception that sleepwalkers shouldn't be woken. See I told you it was a myth didn't I?"

Harry was in the middle of rolling his eyes when Ron kicked at his misshapen back pack and growled with annoyance.

"Bloody thing!"

Hermione looked from Harry to Ron with concern as she closed the book and got to her feet, crossing the cave as she spoke.

"This is a muggle medical book Ron, I don't doubt that there could be a big difference between magical somnambulism and muggle somnambulism, Harry and I will still follow your mother's advice and be sure not to wake you up I promise."

Ron turned his head and stared at her for a second before nodding.

"Thanks. It might not even happen again eh?" he said with a hopeful smile.

Hermione grinned back at him.

"There's absolutely no reason to think it will."

Hermione turned back to shrink the library book and stuff it into the mini library in her own backpack and Harry leaned in to whisper to her.

"Did the book say anything about any kind of treatment for it?"

"Only hypnosis," she sighed, "and as neither of us know how to do that we'll have to work on magical confinement spells just to be on the safe side."

"Right so where else can you think of from what you saw of Riddle's childhood then Harry?" Ron called over to them as he hoisted his backpack over his shoulders.

"You said he was really fond of the school didn't you? He kept wanting to come back to Hogwarts all the time" Hermione pondered.

"Please don't tell me we have to go back into the Chamber of Secrets again,” Ron pleaded with him.

"Well that can be a last resort. I've been thinking actually, he spent a lot of time at the Riddle house considering how much he hated that family."

"There's an idea," Hermione nodded.

"Come on then, let's go."

Harry had to take Ron and Hermione to the Riddle House using side-along apparition as neither of them had a destination to focus on. In truth Harry was kind of amazed that he had even been able to get there himself seeing as he'd only ever seen the place in a dream but there he was. It made him feel very uncomfortable to be standing there and he was thankful that it was daylight.

"You don't think he still uses this place do you?" Ron asked with anxiety.

"I'm sure Voldemort doesn't but you never can tell where you'll find a Death Eater these days can you?" Harry said bitterly, "wands out just to be safe though alright?"

Ron and Hermione complied and the three of them approached the house with great caution.

"So of all the things that could be a horcrux here what do you think's the most likely then Harry?" Hermione whispered for no particular reason.

Harry hadn't the faintest idea; he was really unprepared for this now that he thought about it.

"Well all I know is that Dumbledore felt pretty sure that Nagini was one of them, she could be here I suppose."

"Oh great," Ron muttered as they neared the large oak door at the front of the house.

"Then," Harry went on, "there's that goblet thing of Helga Hufflepuff's, I can't think why that would be here though, at least I've seen Nagini here so that would make sense."

"Well it looks the sort of place to be filled with old relics so an ancient cup would blend in easily wouldn't it?" Hermione ventured as her own fingers tightened around the handle of her wand.

"Isn't this place generally known to be deserted though? It's a bit open for thieves isn't it? Surely anything of value would've been nicked ages ago" Ron said as he stopped at the doorstep to the Riddle house, holding out his wand in preparation for a sudden attack.

"That's why this place screams snake to me for that very same reason mate, she's her own defence isn't she? That fake horcrux, that had a hell of a lot of protection and surely if something like that was in place here then there'd be a lot more dead and missing muggles connected to this place than just the Riddles and that old man a few years back."

"We still don't know what it is of Griffindor's that we're looking for do we?" Hermione said, tension in her voice as she flicked her wand and unlocked the door, "We could be walking into anything."

"Or even worse," Harry said as he took a deep breath and stepped into the house, "nothing."

They began their investigation of the massive house together, safety in numbers was the theory, but after the first hour of ensuring that there was nobody there but themselves they agreed to split up to get the search done before dark. Nobody wanted to still be there at night.

Hermione was going to cover the ground floor, Ron the second and Harry the third, and when they were all done they were going to venture up into the attic together.

Harry shuddered at the familiarity he felt walking down those hallways and couldn't help but feel guilty as he rummaged around amongst the Riddle family's personal artefacts. He wasn't sure what he was looking at half of the time. How was he supposed to tell if something was significant or not he asked himself? He had spent a good ten minutes cautiously approaching a set of horse brasses that hung on the wall in the wood panelled smoky room at the end of the row of bedrooms because they gave him an eerie feeling before realising that the reason for that was because they looked just like the ones that Uncle Vernon had admired at his boss' house and that Harry had accidentally brought to life and watched in shock as they set about trying to strangle his uncle.

Harry huffed and wondered if he was ever going to be able to do this without Dumbledore.

"Detineo!"

Harry recognised Ron's voice from downstairs as he yelled the defensive spell and then heard a mighty crash. He ran before he even realised he was moving and heard Hermione calling out Ron's name as she ran up a flight to meet Harry as they turned to the source of the commotion and saw Ron backing out of the room, wafting dust and debris away from himself and sputtering.

"What happened?" Harry demanded as he ran to his friend who was now brushing himself down and looking slightly embarrassed.

"False alarm, all my fault, sorry."

"What were you defending yourself against?" Hermione snapped, obviously annoyed at Ron having given her such a scare in this huge intimidating house.

Harry watched the dust settle as Ron ventured back inside the room and picked up a long fresh snakeskin with his wand.

"I only caught it out of the corner of my eye and I sort of panicked" Ron explained with a shrug.

Hermione backed away a step.

"That looks as if it came from a big snake."

Harry nodded.

"That looks as if it came from Nagini."

Ron let the snakeskin slide off of his wand and coughed some more of the decades old dust from his lungs as he walked back over to the two of them at the doorway.

"So does that mean we just missed her or I just tipped her off that we're here?" he asked Harry, fearing the answer was the latter of the two scenarios.

Harry gave this some thought before lowering his wand.

"I think that when we find Nagini we find either Voldemort himself or a hell of a lot of Death Eaters. I can't see her slithering around by herself can you?"

"So," Hermione tilted her head at an angle and squinted at Harry, "there was a horcrux here and there isn't now."

Harry raised his eyes to the ceiling and said the one thing that none of them wanted to hear.

"If there is there's only one place left to look...in the attic."

There was no light switch in the attic. Harry went ahead of Ron and Hermione and felt the cobwebs breaking against his face as he groped his way forward. He brushed the fine strands away and wondered how badly Ron was going to react when he felt them on his skin. He was about to light his wand tip when he lost his footing and twisted his ankle as he slipped off the narrow beam he was unknowingly balancing upon. Ron's arm had caught Harry as he started to fall and Hermione's voice broke the darkness.

"Lumos!"

Harry almost lost his balance once again, pulling Ron over with him, when he saw that there was no floor to the attic at all. Ron managed to find a secondary beam to rest his other foot, making himself a lot more solid as Harry felt his friend brace himself and pull him up to rest both feet on the widest beam beneath him.

"Cheers mate," Harry winced as he took the weight off his swelling ankle.

"Well this is going to be more difficult than we thought isn't it?" Ron huffed as Hermione's wand light was directed around the walls of the attic, "Balancing across a rotten piece of wood three inches wide in the dark, looking for something that you don't recognise or that could be a huge snake with huge fangs..."

"With a sprained ankle?" Harry added.

"Well there is that too" Ron shrugged as he shifted his weight out from beneath Harry and manoeuvred himself in front of him on the widest beam, "and you do realise that if a spider lands on me I'm going to completely lose my composure."

Harry found himself smiling. Ron wouldn't even make it to the far wall without losing his footing in the throes of an arachnophobia attack and go crashing through the floor.

"So essentially this is all down to me then is it?" Hermione huffed.

She didn't wait for an answer as she hopped deftly onto a narrow beam to her left and speedily walked it like a tightrope, overtaking Ron as he edged his large feet along the beam to the right of the attic now, and Harry couldn't help but be impressed at her cat-like balance. He must have made some sort of sound to let her know that was what he was thinking as she spoke with nonchalance over her shoulder as she reached the far wall of the attic.

"I used to want to be a gymnast before I found out I was a witch, the beam was never my best apparatus though, but you never forget do you? Like riding a bike isn't it?"

"I'd like to see you riding a bike up here," Ron snorted as he lit his own wand now and flinched, clumsily jumping across to the next beam over and waving his hands in front of his face with a squeak of panic.

"Ron please try to stay calm," Hermione huffed as she set about rummaging through the dusty shelves, "they're more scared of you than you are of them you know?"

"I seriously doubt that Hermione!" Ron snapped.

Harry would've laughed at this little exchange if he hadn't just lost his balance and been forced to put some weight down on his sprained ankle for a second or two.

"So when you eventually get to your side of the wall remember you're looking for a gold cup with a badger on it, anything with something to do with Godric Griffindor or a locket with an 'S' engraved on it” Hermione called across to Ron.

"Thank you for emphasising the word eventually Hermione. It's so nice to be reminded that, yet again, I'm nowhere near as good as you at something" Ron snapped as he waved a large cobweb out of his path wile cringing.

"Can we concentrate guys?" Harry called out to them, not really wanting his best friends to fall out on this mission.

"We?" Ron's head snapped around to glare at Harry before an anxiety-laced smile crept over his face, "I'll take a twisted ankle over this anytime, you want to swap over?"

Harry chuckled, as Ron seemed to build himself up to walking the last few feet of the beam without stopping to freak out about anything that might crawl over him on his way. He took a deep breath and faced the back wall before hopping, with more luck than skill, along the beam and throwing himself against the shelving against the wall and frantically brushing himself down from head to toe. Harry glanced over at Hermione who was watching him with a small smile on her face before turning back to a locked wooden case about the size of one of Hagrid's fists and tapping the lock with her wand.

See, you faced your fears, you can do anything now Ron" Harry called across to him.

Ron was already hurriedly rummaging amongst the items on the shelf in front of him as he grumbled a response that involved several quite severe swear words.

"I've got to get back yet" was the last thing he said before pointing his wand at what looked like a brass tankard and tossing it way.

"Gold with two handles Ron," Hermione said to him before calling over her shoulder to Harry, "I don't think there's anything up here Harry, this is all just muggle junk."

Harry grimaced, partly with the discomfort of his ankle and partly with the frustration of his utter clueless-ness of where to find any of these magical relics.

"This was the most obvious place to look wasn't it?" Harry's voice said, sounding hollow even to him, "And isn't it obvious that he wouldn't hide something that valuable in such an obvious place as this? I'm such an idiot!"

"Harry don't say that. Even if this turns out to be a non-productive day at least we have another place to cross of the list. We can only find these things by narrowing the list of places they could be down."

Hermione could even make failure sound like a rational and logical decision. Harry was about to tell her this when Ron suddenly yelped and stumbled backwards. He and Hermione turned their wand tips on him in time to see him slip off the beam.

"Agh, bloody hell!" Ron said as the floor gave way at the same time he seemed to be trying to shake of a huge spider as it crawled up his right arm and he disappeared between two beams to be replaced by a cloud of dust.

"Ron!" Hermione screeched as she vaulted from her own beam and landed almost halfway across the attic floor, a frantic look on her face.

Ron had actually done what Harry had seen coming, he had smashed through the unstable floor due to a spider attack, and he would've laughed if the look on Hermione's face as she reached the jagged hole in the floor and peered through wasn't so worrying.

"Harry," she called over to him as she coughed and fanned away the dust that hung in the air, squinting as the light flooded through the hole and illuminated the attic, "we've got to get down there, he's not moving."

Oh this was great. They hadn't found anything and two of them were hurt already. He was cocking this mission up good and proper.

Harry struggled down the ladder and back onto the third floor landing with Hermione hurrying down after him.

"What room do you think he fell into?" Harry winced as he hobbled in the general direction of Ron's fall.

"It looked like a bedroom with thick burgundy curtains hanging in the window."

Harry remembered searching that room earlier and limped along the hallway to the third door along and flung it open. He expected to see a limp or twisted Ron on the floor but the sight that greeted him was even worse than that. Harry wouldn't be able to get there in time and he grabbed Hermione and shoved her through the door ahead of him.

"Stop him!" Harry gasped as he watched Ron swinging his leg out of the window and begin to hoist himself up onto the ledge.

Hermione crossed the room in a second and wrapped her arms around his waist, hauling him back inside and falling back onto the floor with the weight of him.

"Ron what are you doing?" she demanded as she wriggled out from under him.

Harry had dropped to his knees and crawled over to the two of them and found himself shushing Hermione as she turned to yell at their friend. He could see what was going on in an instant and it made him feel sick. Ron's eyes were unfocused and unblinking as he began to get back to his feet. Harry grabbed Ron's arm to hold him back and looked at Hermione in desperation.

"He's sleepwalking again."

"What?" she gasped as she clambered to her feet and held Ron's face in her hands, staring into his glazed eyes with determination to prove Harry wrong, "He can't be asleep, he's unconscious, it's not the same thing."

"It's a deep sleep isn't it, a kind of deep sleep anyway, and that's what your book said was the kind of state he'd have to be in for it to happen."

Hermione was feeling the back of Ron's head with her fingers while remaining focused on his expressionless face.

"He's knocked out this shouldn't be possible," her eyes were beginning to well up now, "and why did he try to jump out of the window?"

Harry struggled to make sense of this from his position in a heap on the floor.

"I don't think he was trying to hurt himself, I think he's just trying to go somewhere."

"From the third floor window?" Hermione spat the words down at him in a way that would have made Mrs Weasley proud.

"He doesn't know where he is," Harry speculated in his own defence, "he just knows he needs to be somewhere else."

Ron was now pushing against Hermione to try to get to the open door, a fight that she was loosing with him, and she glared down at Harry as he massaged his greatly swollen ankle and winced.

"Harry I need your help, he really is too strong for me you know?" she groaned as she used all weight to hold Ron back.

"In case you haven't noticed I can't really stand right now" Harry barked at her.

Was this how it was going to be with the two of them? Every time Ron had an episode he and Hermione would have a fight? He hoped not, it was bad enough when it was just Ron and Hermione bickering all the time without it becoming a three-way thing. Hermione withdrew her wand and in doing so found herself unable to hold on to the struggling Ron any longer. As he blundered out of the room and off down the hallway she pointed her wand at Harry's ankle and he covered his eyes.

"Adstringo sano!" a flash of warm yellow light enveloped his ankle and he felt a soothing pressure and the pain receding.

Harry couldn't wait around to test his the spell's effectiveness and just hoped that his ankle was strong enough to support his weight as Hermione's helped him to his feet and the two of them ran after Ron. They caught up to him halfway down the stairs and began to debate what to do.

"We're going to have to wake him," Hermione said reluctantly.

"No, we promised him we wouldn't and you know we shouldn't."

"But Harry he just tried to throw himself out of a third floor window!"

"No he didn't, he just tried to leave the house, he didn't know he was on the third floor..."

Hermione seemed to be stifling a sob as she spoke now.

"But the book, the book said sleepwalkers hurt themselves, this is what it meant. He's going to fall down the stairs or jump out of a window and not know he's doing it. We've got to do something to stop this and now it's pretty obvious that knocking him out isn't going to help."

"We promised Hermione!" Harry said with determination while linking his arm with Ron's to be sure he didn't take a spill down the stairs he was clearly not focused upon, "We swore we wouldn't wake him, we're right here aren't we? We won't let him do anything stupid."

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Harry felt Ron pulling towards the front door.

"He wants to go outside, he's trying to leave the house, that's all he wants."

Hermione's rational thought seemed to come back to her now that Ron was at ground level and she nodded.

"Ok well the grounds here are pretty big, we can let him wander until he comes round or falls asleep and just keep a close eye on him until then."

"Good idea," Harry nodded, "know any spells just to be safe?"

Hermione's eyes darted from side to side as she seemed to be going through the extensive library inside her own head and pointed her wand at the retreating Ron.

"Contineo!"

A shimmering bubble seemed to form several feet around Ron and he was unable to leave it.

"A containment spell, I think we should use that every night from now on Harry."

He nodded and let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks for fixing my ankle by the way, it feels even stronger than before."

She looked a little bashful at this compliment.

"It's magically bound that's all, it'll give you extra support until the healing's done."

Harry pointed his wand back into the Riddle house and summoned their backpacks. He sat down on the steps to the house with Hermione and watched Ron fidgeting inside his magical sphere. He seemed to be mumbling something to himself and nodding. Harry really wished Ron could remember what went on when he was in this state; it really was fascinating. He watched with Hermione in silence as Ron withdrew his wand and pointed it at the shimmering wall. Harry stiffened and nudged Hermione; he didn't know why really, she could see exactly what he could see.

"Can he break out of there d'you think?"

"He shouldn't be able to, only a really powerful wizard would know an incantation strong enough to rupture..." she stopped speaking as something resembling white noise began to emanate from inside the confinement bubble before it fell away from Ron.

Harry and Hermione got back to their feet and watched Ron, readying themselves to pursue him again but taken slightly off guard by the sight of Ron taking a deep breath and nodding again before walking back towards the two of them.

"He's going back into the house again?" Harry frowned.

Hermione held her wand ready and shrugged. Ron was almost directly in front of them now and shoved Harry aside as if he wasn't even there before crouching down and rummaging through the backpack Harry had been resting against. Hermione squatted beside him and rested her hand on his back. She tilted her head at an angle so she could look up into his still unfocused eyes and spoke to him in a calm, soothing manner.

"Are you looking for something Ron? What are you looking for? Can we help you find it?"

Harry felt an icy chill when he heard Ron's voice, barely a whisper, as he appeared to be responding to another question entirely.

"Not without me."

Hermione frowned and tried to lift Ron's head, as if she was trying to force him to look her in the eye, but he just turned back to the contents of Harry's backpack and carried on rummaging.

"We'll find it together. What is it you need?" Hermione's voice was beginning to crack now.

"When are you going to leave me?" Ron said, staring into the distance at nothing at all.

"I'm never going to leave you!" Hermione gasped before looking up at Harry, her eyes reddening and becoming watery.

Harry rested his hand on top of Ron's as it lay still inside his backpack and spoke firmly to him, desperate to get his friend to hear him, and feeling determined to break into his subconscious.

"Can you hear us? Who are you talking to?"

"When it's over?" Ron said, still addressing the middle distance.

Harry and Hermione shared an incomprehensive glance before looking back at Ron who was speaking again before either of them could open their mouths.

"How long?"

Ron seemed to hear something that upset him and he lowered his head and sighed. Hermione tried to pull him into a hug but Ron was looking up and staring into space again.

"I can't see them. They're like shadows" he said, once again in that eerily weak whisper.

"Harry this is scaring me" she said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

Harry felt a cold chill running through his bones and he grabbed Hermione's backpack and began to search for the book on sleepwalking.

"Where's your mini library? There must be something we can do to...I've got it!" Harry pulled out the shrunken down book and held it out to Hermione, "Enlarge it for me."

"Engorgeo!" she said with a swish of her wand before returning her attention to Ron.

Ron was making renewed efforts to find whatever he was looking for inside Harry's backpack as Harry flicked through the pages of the book.

Bloody hell was this thing long-winded, why couldn't they just have a chapter marked 'cures'?

"Give it here," Hermione snapped and grabbed the book from Harry, "we need to find something about what to do if the patient becomes distressed."

Harry realised that even if they did find anything it probably wouldn't apply to Ron anyway, this was a muggle textbook after all.

As Hermione fanned through the pages Ron's left arm suddenly shot out towards her and tore the book from her hands, she let out a squeal of shock as she watched him pull out a quill from Harry's backpack and begin to try to write something on one of the pages.

"Ron," Harry said to his friend with great urgency, "wait a second, you don't have any ink, don't write just yet."

Hermione let out a gasp of hope.

"He's trying to send us a message."

Ron was still scratching away on the page and Harry cursed as he reached around in the mess Ron had made of his organised backpack for the bottle of ink he knew was in there somewhere.

"Got it!" he said as he unscrewed the top and tried to ink Ron's quill while he was still attempting to write with it.

Hermione's eyes widened suddenly and she clamped her hand to her mouth in horror.

"Oh no this is a library book! You can't write on library books."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Hermione, get some perspective!"

They both leaned forward to squint at handwriting that was even worse than Ron's usual scrawl. Ron seemed to be at the end of whatever sentence he had been trying to write and the handwriting was illegible. Harry could make out one word though, and from the gasp that Hermione had just let out she could read it too, the last word Ron wrote before slumping over and being caught in Harry's arms.

...Borgin's.

Chapter Three - Distant Voices

They had waited for a minute or two before deciding it was probably safe to revive Ron. Harry decided to leave that job to Hermione who had been cradling Ron's head in her lap and continuing to talk to him in her soothing tone while stroking his hair away from his face in the same way he had seen her stroke Crookshanks over the years.

"Ennervate!" she said and for some reason Harry took several steps back, feeling as if the two of them needed privacy for some ridiculous reason.

They were outside a long dead family's stately home in the broad daylight with an unconscious redhead who had just had a conversation with thin air, privacy and discretion had nothing to do with this afternoon at all, but Harry could see that Hermione needed a moment with Ron when he came round and remembered how elsewhere the two of them had made themselves every time Harry and Ginny had had to have a moment when they were getting ready to leave the Burrow. That felt like months ago now.

Ron was stirring and he groaned before turning over onto his side and snuggling into Hermione's stomach. She glanced up at Harry, slightly embarrassed before giving Ron a gentle shake and whispering to him.

"Ron wake up, you hit your head and I can't let you sleep I'm sorry."

Harry saw Ron lift his head and look up at Hermione before scrambling back from her and stammering all sorts of different apologies before wincing and rubbing the side of his head. Harry was about to rejoin them and get to the matter in hand but he hesitated when he saw Hermione crawl forward on her hands and knees to give Ron's skull another close examination. She had already done this three times while he was unconscious but Harry didn't feel the need to point this out to her as she ran her fingers through Ron's hair before holding his head in both hands and making him focus his eyes on her.

"Um Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron asked, a tad self-consciously.

She smiled at him but didn't release his head.

"I'm making sure it's you, it feels so strange to look into your eyes and not see you looking back at me."

"Sorry" Ron mumbled.

Hermione released him but they were still looking at each other. Harry really didn't know where he was supposed to be looking but he felt pretty sure it wasn't at the two of them so he pretended to be having another go at re-reading Ron's unconscious shorthand in the book he had been clutching ever since he had managed to pry it from Ron's hand.

He chanced a glance back over to the two of them and saw Ron shake his head rapidly as if trying to get rid of an annoying buzzing in his ear.

"Wait a minute, we're at the Riddle house still right?"

Hermione nodded and glanced at Harry who was now making his way over to them.

"And it's still the same day?" Ron asked as he tried to fathom out exactly what had happened to him.

"Yes Ron, you fell through the floor of the attic and hit your head remember?" Hermione spoke slowly as if believing him to be mentally impaired in some way.

"That's not the point," Ron said as he tried not to sound annoyed at her patronising tone, "you're talking to me as if I've just been on one of my walkabouts...I didn't did I?"

" 'Fraid so mate," Harry said as he squatted down beside him and held out the book, "you were walking and talking and doing graffiti all while being totally out cold."

"I was doing what?" Ron's eyes were wide.

Harry pointed to the page of the book with the scribbling all over it. Ron scrunched up his face as he tried to read it.

"It looks like a drunk wrote this,” he said and Harry and Hermione shared a glance.

"So you can't make it out either?" Harry said, not surprised but still a mite disappointed.

"Well that's clearly Borgin's," Ron said as he pointed to the last word, "but as far as the rest of it goes..."

Ron shrugged and took the book from Harry for a closer look. Harry stood up and nodded to Hermione to step away for a moment and join him. She did so with great reluctance.

"What's the matter?" she asked, keeping one eye on Ron.

"Is he alright to apparate? I really think we should get out of here."

Something was making Harry very nervous and he was finding the Riddle house more threatening now than he had when they had first arrived wondering if there was anybody home.

"I haven't even got him on his feet yet Harry," Hermione chided before softening toward him, "but he seems alright considering."

"Good, well let's get him up then."

Harry was standing before Ron with his arm extended before Hermione had even decided whether or not she thought they were moving him too soon. Well, for crying out loud, he had been walking around all right when he was unconscious so why shouldn't he be able to now? Ron took Harry's hand and hauled himself up while remaining focused on his erratic handwriting in Hermione's library book.

"This isn't even a whole sentence y'know?" he said to Harry as he pointed out the first part of the untidy scribble, "I don't use any capital letters until I get to Borgin's name at the end."

"No," Harry confirmed Ron's suspicion, "you started writing without any ink, and this was all we got out of you before you flaked out again."

Ron sighed and closed the book, Hermione was watching him intently, as if waiting for him to fall down again but Harry thought his friend looked pretty sturdy to him.

"Hey mate, sorry to rush you but do you feel up to apparating right now?"

Ron examined Harry's expression before narrowing his eyes and speaking to him the same way he did to Fred and George when they were playing innocent just before a prank.

"Yeah, I feel fine, why do we need to go immediately Harry? Is your scar hurting you or something?"

"No, I just, we need to...there's a good reason but I really don't feel comfortable hanging around here any more. I want to go. I want to go now."

Ron took that to be all the explanation he needed and nodded before bending to pick up his backpack.

"No, I'll get that," Hermione fussed as she struggled to haul both Ron's and her own backpack over her shoulders.

"I'm fine Hermione really, let me take..."

"No!" she barked like a snappy little terrier and turned to Harry, "So back to the cave again? I'll meet you both there."

And with that she disapparated.

Ron turned to Harry with a confused look on his face.

"You didn't wake me did you?"

"No I swear we didn't, we promised you we wouldn't and we didn't" Harry said, holding up his hand and adopting his most sincere expression.

"It's just she's acting a little..."

"Back at the cave mate, we'll talk there."

Ron nodded and they prepared to disapparate. Ron smirked and caught Harry's eye before they did.

"You had another row about waking me didn't you?"

Harry grinned and, with two cracks, they were gone.

"I was really going to jump out of the window?" Ron asked incredulously.

Harry nodded solemnly and Hermione didn't even manage to look at him to respond.

"You wanted to get out of that house really badly,” Harry said.

Ron flicked his wand at a large cooking pot as he took this in.

"Legumen!" there was a flash as about a quarter of a pound ofkidney beans appeared in the pot.

Harry leaned forward and pressed his lips together as he prepared himself to address the very uncomfortable thought he had been having.

"Listen, there's one thing about all this that's really worrying me."

"Just one?" Ron huffed as he ran his hand through his hair and tapped the pot with his wand without even looking away from Harry's face, "confundo!" the contents of the pot began to move around as if being stirred by an invisible spoon.

Hermione was in the middle of conjuring up a whole new set of plates and cutlery when she froze to hear what Harry's great fear was, he thought maybe she wanted to see how similar it was to her own.

"Well the thing is, there's somebody or something in your head trying to get you to go somewhere...sound familiar?"

Ron looked as if he knew exactly where this was going but didn't want to be the one to have to say it.

"You're thinking about the Department of Mysteries disaster aren't you?" Hermione asked, her voice hollow.

Harry nodded and fixed his eyes on Ron's to make him understand that there was no issue about trusting Ron himself but there was a real need for caution.

"Voldemort's already got to me in my sleep and, well, I can't stand to think that he's manipulating you when you're unconscious."

"What...makes you say that? I mean..." Ron looked as if he was about to throw up into their dinner.

"This isn't about you I swear Ron, it's just that you wrote the name Borgin while you were like that and we all know the kind of people he does business with don't we?" Harry felt awful for doing this to Ron but he had to explain what needed to be done from now on just to be safe.

"Something's trying to get you to lead Harry to Borgin and Burke's, somebody's setting a trap and using you...as bait maybe or as some kind of Pied Piper" Hermione's voice had grown smaller as she spoke and found herself unable to look at Ron once again.

Ron didn't say a word for a very long time. He was twirling his wand between his fingers while he thought over the way his friends were now having to be suspicious of him. Harry hoped he understood that this wasn't about him at all, none of this was Ron's fault, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Ron while Hermione couldn't seem to even turn hers in his vague direction.

"Oryza!" Ron said with a sudden ferocity that made Harry flinch and Hermione finally look at him.

A huge mound of rice appeared on one of the larger plates. The rice filled the plate and overflowed the edges and spilled onto the floor and was pilled over a foot high like a small mountain.

"Shit," Ron grumbled, "I went a bit over the top there, sorry. Decretum!"

The amount of rice on the plate decreased and Ron met Harry’s eyes, looking very much like a puppy that had just done it's business on an expensive rug.

"I trust you with my life mate," Harry smiled at him, "and I think somebody's trying to use that against me. Somebody's trying to use you against me and that was my biggest fear for both you and Hermione, I've made you targets."

"Bullshit," Ron snapped, "this theory is bullshit!"

"Ron please" Hermione reached out for him but he jumped to his feet and began to pace up and down the darkening cave.

"Explain it happening to me when I was seven, explain that, Voldem...he didn't target me when I was seven Harry. I didn't even know you when I was seven."

Harry didn't have an answer for that, he could only watch Ron pace.

"I'm not being possessed; this isn't like that" his friend said stiffly.

"You don't know what it's like yourself, you don't remember do you?" Hermione seemed on the verge of getting to her own feet to grab hold of him and keep him still.

"If I was dangerous mum would've...well dad would've told me, something would have been done back then."

Harry couldn't stay seated any longer.

"I'm not saying you're dangerous Ron, nobody thinks that, you didn't think I was dangerous after I lead you all into Voldemort’s trap and got Sirius killed did you?"

Ron looked suddenly tired.

"Oh don't go down that road again Harry, I'll drown myself in this bleedin' chilli I swear."

They stood opposite each other for a second before letting a pained smile flicker upon their lips momentarily.

"Do what you have to do to feel safe," Ron sighed with resignation, "whatever you've got planned to 'control' me I don't mind. I just don't think it's anything bad or evil, this has been going on since I was little, it's just...me. I'm just mental!" he shrugged and smiled a real smile this time.

Harry chuckled.

"You and me both!"

"Can I just ask one last thing?" Hermione said from the floor where she was serving a hefty portion of the rice onto her plate.

Ron nodded.

"How is it you can conjure rice out of thin air so easily and your mother can't?"

Ron frowned.

"She can't?"

"No, she complained about it to me and Ginny while she was preparing dinner for the order once, you can actually do something your mother can't in the kitchen Ron" she smiled up at him.

Ron crouched down and grabbed a large ladle to spoon some of the chilli on top of Hermione's rice.

"Well I think it's the God of magical cooking having a laugh actually, 'cause you see I can't conjure chocolate."

"That's why you haven't been doing it every five minutes!" she exclaimed as if she had just solved a great mystery of our time.

Ron chuckled.

"You seriously think if I had the ability to conjure chocolate from thin air I would be wasting my time making proper meals?" he scoffed.

Harry bent down to pick up his own plate and pile on the grub.

"Plus the fact he would be at least seventeen stone in weight by now!" he teased.

He loved that about his friends, no matter how dreadful the subject matter was they could always do something to alleviate the tension, and that conversation really had some tension.

Ron finished serving himself and settled down beside Hermione, lifting a heaped forkful of chilli and rice up to his mouth before pausing to ask his own casual little question.

"So are you guys going to tell me what you're gonna do to me tonight or are you waiting to surprise me?"

Chapter Four - Where Are You Now?

"Compescor!"

"Obtineo!"

Harry and Hermione had both hit Ron with different spells to keep him confined to his sleeping bag that night. Ron had looked a little dazed at being slammed with two spells at once but shook it off pretty quickly Harry thought.

"Comfortable?" Hermione asked as she settled down inside her own sleeping bag.

"Not really," Ron grumbled as he fidgeted around before flipping over onto his side to face Harry.

"So any ideas on where to look tomorrow then?" he asked Harry.

"Absolutely none; you?"

Ron snorted and none of them said another word other than goodnight to each other until they all drifted off to sleep.

Harry's sleep was fitful, plagued by his usual nightmares and some new ones thrown in for good measure, and he couldn't quite relax as something inside him kept making him open his eyes every half hour to check on Ron. Harry had noticed that Ron hadn't actually gone to sleep for over an hour after Hermione had drifted off, this was unusual as Ron could sleep anywhere and immediately, and he put that down to this sleepwalking thing starting up again in his life. Something about it made Ron very uncomfortable and he didn't seem to want to fall into a deep sleep and risk it happening. Nothing could happen tonight though, he had been restrained twice over, and Harry's state of perpetual alertness was sure to rouse him if Ron got himself into any distress later on that night.

For several moments Harry had wondered if this sleepwalking thing was a positive or negative distraction from their mission to find the horcruxes. It was taking his mind off of the important subject of where to search but he liked the distraction as well as resented it. It was nice to be thinking about your friend's immediate well-being rather than thinking about the inevitable time when either he, Hermione or Ron would have to die for the each other in the process of destroying Voldemort piece by piece.

Harry shuddered and opened his eyes again. Ron was still there; still sleeping peacefully, and the fire had died right down to a small pile of smouldering embers now. Harry sighed deeply and let his eyes fall closed again.

Ginny was dancing with Sirius, dancing and laughing, and Ron and Hermione were playing a game of chess before Ron disappeared and was replaced by Dumbledore. Harry had called over to them and waved but neither of them noticed him. Ron was beside him now, smiling at the scene that was playing out before their eyes. Snape was dancing with Ginny now and Neville was wrestling with Sirius on the ground, all four of them were smiling. Ron chuckled and Harry turned around to ask him what was so funny but he was gone again. There were two familiar looking men with the Weasley red hair standing in his place, but they weren't any Weasley's that Harry knew of. He didn't see any family resemblance in their faces; they were both quite handsome though. Harry squinted at the nearer man to him, he could've sworn he'd seen that face somewhere before. He'd seen it in a photograph. Harry was just about to tap the man on the shoulder and introduce himself when he saw Ron lying on the floor at his feet.

"I can't move."

Harry's eyes forced themselves open and he stared at Ron, had he just said something?

"Ron," Harry whispered as he fumbled for his glasses in the darkness, "are you awake?"

"They didn't make that mistake twice."

It was Ron's voice, but the distant voice from his episode at the Riddle house. Harry blinked the sleep out of his eyes and just about made out Ron's open eyes, seemingly fixed just over his left shoulder, and watched Ron with great caution, hoping that his and Hermione's spells were going to hold him this time.

"I don't want to go there."

Harry knew that talking to his friend did no good whatsoever but he just couldn't help himself.

"You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to Ron. You can stay here with us."

Ron took in a deep breath and exhaled it as he spoke, he sounded so weary.

"Why?"

Harry sat up in his sleeping bag and looked over Ron to see if Hermione had woken, she hadn't, he wondered if he should get her up to hear this. He decided against it.

"He knows where it is, he's already been there."

Harry re-kindled the burned-out fire and saw that Ron's eyes hadn't registered any of his movement.

"No, the shop."

Harry was trying to pick out anything that sounded dubious. Was Ron being threatened? It didn't sound like it. Was he being duped into something while not in his right mind?

"I shouldn't be talking to you."

It certainly didn't sound as if he was feeble-minded when in his somnambular trance. It sounded as if he was having a civilised, if cautious, conversation with someone.

"I need you to leave me alone," Ron's eyebrows crinkled and met above his nose.

Harry couldn't help but cheer his friend on when he heard this; he was putting up a better fight with his subconscious tormentors than Harry had ever been able to.

"You tell 'em Ron!"

"You're making them scared of me."

Harry's grin fell from his face as if somebody had thrown a bucket of icy water at him and washed his expression away. He wished Ron wasn't alone in there...wherever he was in his own head, and wanted more than anything to be able to make himself heard.

"Never Ron, we'd never be scared of you, we're scared for you mate" Harry found himself reaching out for his friend as he spoke and stopped himself.

He understood, more than ever at that moment, why it was paining Hermione as much as he suspected it was not to wake Ron when he was like this. She just wanted to be there for him and she couldn't, neither could Harry.

"I'll write for you again, I'll write..." Ron seemed to be panicking a little now, though his eyes remained unfocused and unemotional as ever.

Harry leaned forward, Ron's voice had seemed to vanish into nothing and Harry hadn't managed to catch the last part of what he had said, if indeed he had said anything. He saw Ron shaking his head. He was being asked to do something he didn't want to.

"Stay strong in there mate, don't let him grind you down" Harry found himself whispering into Ron's ear before sitting back and observing him again.

Him? Who was this 'him' that Harry had just envisioned trying to persuade his best friend to do his bidding for him? Who did Harry suspect Ron was talking to?

"It's a trap" Ron's weak whisper barely penetrated Harry's own internal monologue.

Ron's breathing suddenly became rapid and Harry's body tensed.

"Wake up!" Ron hissed, his fists clenching, "wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!"

Right that was it; he couldn't take this anymore. Ron was willing himself to wake up and he couldn't so Harry was going to do it for him. He grabbed Ron's shoulder and squeezed firmly.

"It's ok Ron, wake up if you want to," he shook him quite roughly, "come on wake up!"

"No!" Ron suddenly said, his voice still sounding like a whisper but much louder and clearer than anything he had ever said so far in this state, "Harry don't wake me."

Harry let go of Ron as if he'd just received a powerful shock from him and held his breath.

Could he hear him?

Harry leaned back to speak firmly but softly into Ron's ear.

"Say something to me Ron, tell me what to do, I'm right here. It's going to be alright, I can hear you."

Ron's breathing had levelled out again and Harry's words or reassurance and comfort seemed to be working. That had been what he had thought until Ron gave a shuddering sigh and whispered in the most devastatingly broken way.

"I'll do whatever you want just don't come out."

"No!" Harry found himself yelling.

Hermione flinched over in her sleeping bag but did nothing else but turn over in her sleeping bag and mumble something under her breath that sounded like 'not now Crookshanks'.

Harry had to physically restrain himself from trying to shake Ron awake again. He was conflicted. Ron had asked him not to wake him, but that had been before he gave up, he had been putting up some resistance to whomever it was invading his subconscious and now he had been worn down.

"Ron please don't give up, I'm right here for you, don't let him win?"

Ron blinked; Harry held his breath, and slowly Ron's glassy blue eyes closed. Harry wondered if his message had got through to him in time, if at all, and lay back down beside his best friend.

He watched Ron sleeping peacefully for what felt like an hour, though Harry couldn't be sure of that, before his own eyelids grew stronger than his will and he drifted back to sleep again.

"Harry!" it was bright outside and Hermione was yelling at him far too loudly considering Harry's lack of sleep that night, "Harry, where is he?" she was gripping his shoulders so hard he felt the bruises forming beneath her fingers already, "Did you lift the charms Harry? Open your eyes and answer me!"

It was that last order that caused Harry to let himself be woken. She had sounded very angry with him, that was reason enough not to come back to the land of the conscious, but she had also sounded upset. His eyes snapped open and he sat up, almost knocking her out in the process.

"I'm up, what's up?" he babbled as he straightened his wonky glasses to focus on her frantic-looking face.

"Did you lift the charms so he could go for breakfast?" she demanded, he fingers still burrowing painfully into his flesh, that girl had a hell of a grip on her.

"What?" Harry scrunched up his face and turned to see Ron's empty sleeping bag beside him, "Where's he gone?"

"That's what I'm asking you!" she screeched into his face before letting him go and racing across the cave, "How did he get out?"

Harry wriggled out of his sleeping bag and tried to make sense of this. Hermione picked something up from the far corner of the cave where they had hidden it and stomped back to Harry.

"He didn't use his wand, it's right here," her livid voice was wavering now and she looked as if she was about to burst into tears, "you swear you didn't lift the charms while you were still a bit sleepy? You're sure he hasn't gone out to try and make bread again?"

Harry shook his head solemnly.

"I swear to you I didn’t let him go."

The tears forced their way onto Hermione's cheeks now.

"Then where is he Harry?"

He grabbed Hermione and hugged her tightly while she began to sob silently into his chest.

"I stayed up with him while he went through it last night, I stayed awake watching him for an hour afterwards just to be sure he wasn't going to try anything, I don't know what happened Hermione."

She pulled away from him and stared up at him, wiping her face and forcing her old steely resolve to take control of her emotions again.

"What happened last night, did he say anything again?"

Harry recounted the whole uncomfortable business of the previous night, Ron's refusal to do the other party's bidding and the attempt to wake himself up before surrendering and accepting the demands of whoever it was he was talking to.

"I really thought he could hear me for a moment, like he knew I was there with him, but...I don't know." Harry shook his head.

"So he could feel you trying to wake him up and told you not to?" she asked, still trying to process every twist and turn of this one-sided conversation.

"I don't know. I just know that my gut instinct was to wake him up, I wanted to more than anything else in the world, and I didn't and now he's gone."

Neither of them said anything for nearly three minutes before Hermione swallowed and looked Harry in the eye.

"I'm so worried."

"So am I."

Crack!

They both jumped and turned to face the mouth of the cave, wands out and ready to defend themselves, and they froze as the saw a figure take a hesitant step into the cave.

"Ron?" Hermione gasped.

It was, it was Ron barefoot, wearing the threadbare clothes he had slept in, and shivering in the chilly morning air.

"How did that happen?" Ron's voice had a nervous edge to it as he stepped a little deeper inside the cave.

Hermione ran to him and dragged him over to the fire, rubbing his arms to warm him up while Harry could only stand and stare. Ron looked ok. He looked confused as hell but he looked all right otherwise. Harry had to remain frozen with shock otherwise he would collapse with relief. Hermione grabbed Ron's jacket and flung it around his shoulders.

"Harry," she hissed at him, "make him a hot drink or something will you?"

There that was something, he had a task now. He could busy himself with that rather than falling down. Ron was back. He was back and not hurt. Every worse case scenario that had rushed through his head hadn't happened.

Oh Merlin that was scary!

"Where did you wake up?" Hermione asked Ron with a worried smile, "Did you wander far?"

Ron shook his head and something about the look on his face tied Harry's internal organs into one huge knot. The tension had obviously had an effect of his conjuring of a cup of hot coffee for his friend as he looked down to see he was now holding a mug of bubbling mud.

"I didn't walk there," Ron said with a shudder, "I hadn't thought about that...it was never an issue when I was seven." he rushed to explain himself before he had really explained anything at all.

"Calm down Ron, take a deep breath and start again. Where did you wake up?" Hermione said, he voice seemed to be reassuringly calm now, it had only been minutes before that she had been a frantic wreck, Harry was amazed how different she could be with and without Ron.

Ron did as he was told, he took a calming breath in and let it out and swallowed before looking her in the eye.

"I woke up at Mr Borgin's house."

Hermione's face dropped. Harry dropped the mug of boiling mud and Ron lowered his head.

"I can apparate in my sleep."

Hermione grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

"It's ok, it'll be ok, we'll figure something else out to keep you safe at night alright? It'll be fine."

"Was anybody there?" Harry managed to ask before his throat dried up altogether.

"They were all still in bed when I woke up, I couldn't make any sense of what was going on at first, I just started to look around. I found some papers on a desk and saw his name on them. There was dark magic stuff everywhere, I think I was in his secret den or something."

Ron juddered and Hermione pulled his jacket tighter around him but Harry didn't think that the reason for his sudden shakiness was that he was cold. Ron fixed his eyes with Harry's own and the two friends knew that an awful truth had to be faced. Fortunately Ron was brave enough to vocalise it.

"I'm apparating into dark wizard's houses that I've never ever been before Harry. I think...what you said last night...I think you might be right."

Chapter Five - A Sixth Sense of Direction

Ron had been sitting by the river with his head in his hands for twenty minutes now and Hermione had been silently sitting beside him for every single one of them.

Occasionally she would rub his back in a soothing manner and in the last few seconds she had seemingly forgotten that Harry was sitting a few feet behind them and rested her head on his shoulder and put her arm around him. Harry had been expecting to see more of this sort of thing ever since Dumbledore's funeral but they were being thankfully slow in moving their relationship forward. They hadn't mentioned anything to him about things changing between them so Harry hadn't said anything to them either.

Ron finally lifted his head and looked out at the river.

"I can't stay with you two for this can I?" he said, his voice sounding raw, "I'm a liability."

Hermione looked up at him and tucked a lock of flaming red hair behind his ear.

"Don't say that, we don't know what this sleepwalking thing is really about yet, if it's about anything at all, and you shouldn't go tying yourself up in knots about it until we really know what we're dealing with."

"What we're dealing with," Ron scoffed in a way that made Harry feel a pain in his chest for his friend's inner conflict, "is my fantastic new ability to apparate into homes of Death Eaters and the like in my sleep."

Hermione tried to shush Ron as she resumed rubbing the soothing circles on his back again but Ron needed to let this out, the last twenty minutes of silence had obviously only made things worse.

"I mean what's next Hermione? Do I wake up tomorrow morning in the bath with Bellatrix fucking Lestrange?"

Harry saw Hermione's shoulders suddenly jerking up and down and her head lower, she clamped her hand to her mouth and stifled several squeaks, it was as if she was struggling in vain to suppress a convulsion. Ron looked at her for a moment before turning back to the river and letting out a resigned sigh.

"Oh just let it out will you? You'll burst a blood vessel if you keep that up."

Hermione's hand dropped away from her mouth and her head fell back as she let out a roar of laughter. Harry found himself grinning like an idiot at this unexpected levity.

"It's just such an image to have planted in my mind," Hermione gasped, her voice high pitched and the laughter still nowhere near subsiding, "it's the look I picture her having on her face."

Ron let himself chuckle at that too. He went back to his silent observation of the passing river while Hermione gradually recovered from her fit of the giggles. When she had she shuffled sideways to sit even closer to Ron, and linked her arm through his.

"We'll work something out, anti apparition wards wherever we camp and warning's or restraints to alert us when you're on the move, we'll come up with something don't worry" she sighed.

Ron shook his head.

"It just seems like a lot of hassle for somebody who doesn't really have a hell of a lot to offer Harry on this little quest doesn't it? Why go to all that effort just to include me?"

Harry was about to throw a clump of dirt at the back of Ron's head for saying that when Hermione gave him a well deserved dig in the ribs so he decided to let it go for now.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"That was for being an idiot! You're our best strategist and you're the only one of us that can cook, if you go we'll starve and then stumble into a trap and you know it."

"Ah a trap, I know the sort of thing you mean," Ron said, teasing Hermione but also sounding fairly annoyed with himself at the same time, "that's where the Death Eaters do something to one of Harry Potter's best friends and summon him to the private residence of a secret Death Eater in the middle of the night. That the sort of trap I'm saving you from falling into is it?"

Hermione was looking at Ron as if replaying his little speech back to herself inside her head. She blinked and frowned up at Ron.

"You think Borgin's a secret Death Eater?" she asked.

"I know he is!" Ron snorted, "you should've seen the room I woke up in, it definitely wasn't a guest room I can tell you that, you know if the Death Eaters knew that room existed they'd probably kill him themselves."

Harry sat up at this revelation, so did Hermione, but Ron remained slumped. It was as if he had been so bewildered by waking up on the other side of the country in his grubbiest sweatshirt and boxers that he hadn't really registered the significance of the place he had been given the opportunity to explore.

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked.

"Well I was looking around for letters or something with an address on so I could find out where I was and I came across this big bundle of receipts and invoices for dodgy transactions over the years."

"How do you mean dodgy? Surely every transaction with Borgin is a dodgy one isn't it?" she frowned.

Ron shifted around on the bank side to face her and Hermione mirrored his movement as he spoke.

"Well there's the borderline stuff that he has on display in his shop and that gets written up in the books he has to show the ministry inspectors whenever they ask to see them but these receipts are for stuff that's either illegal or nicked."

Hermione seemed impressed that Ron had picked up on something anybody else in those circumstances would have just passed over without a second thought.

"How could you tell just from receipts and invoices, they couldn't have mentioned that items were illegally obtained, that's just carelessness for stupidity’s sake?"

"Well," Ron leaned forward, "there was a recent one with Mundungus' name on it and it accounted for a hell of a lot of stuff bearing the Black family crest."

Harry's eyes widened, that dirty little thief Mundungus had sold Sirius' stuff to Borgin. He felt his insides boil as Hermione glanced around the bank side, Harry slid down into the shadows before she spotted him, he didn't want them to stop this conversation to spare him having to think of Sirius again.

"So that's where he palmed off all the things he looted from Grimmauld Place?" she asked when she was sure they were alone.

Ron nodded.

"The thing is why would he write all that stuff down and keep records as far back as Hagrid's Hogwarts days? If anyone from the Ministry found any of that stuff Borgin could get life in Azkaban, reason enough to burn it all don't ya think?"

Hermione looked rueful.

"Not if he kept it all for the purposes of doing as many deals as it took to keep him out of Azkaban. He could sell out all kinds of big customers to keep his freedom and he could also do quite a good business in the line of blackmail."

"Sneaky fucker!" Ron said with a shake of the head.

Hermione slapped him on the arm for his language.

"Seriously though, that's quite sharp of old Borgin really. The amount of paperwork I saw there looked like it covered every illicit transaction he's ever made.” Ron said, almost seeming impressed with the nasty old codger, "I reckon if someone got their hands on those records they could probably tell you exactly what Death Eater owns what stuff right now."

Hermione saw it as soon as the words left his lips, Harry had bristled with excitement at the same moment, but Ron shook his head and turned his to look back at the river before his head snapped back to Hermione and his eyes widened with the realisation of what he had just said.

"We...he probably...records..." he sputtered.

Hermione's face was alight with the enormous smile that had broken across it.

"You're nearly there Ron, keep going" she beamed.

"A horcrux could've passed through him over the years and he...he's...he would have it written down!" Ron was almost shaking, as he finally understood what he accidentally pieced together.

"And you thought you were no good to us on this mission" Hermione laughed.

Ron's face fell and he put his head back into his hands.

"I can't remember the bastard's address!" he exclaimed with despair, "I read it and I can't remember it."

Hermione pulled his hands away from his face and smiled at him.

"You don't need to remember anything other than what that room looked like Ron. You've been there once and you can go there again and in exactly the same way you got there in the first place."

Ron seemed to understand what she was saying to him and almost let himself smile too.

"I can just apparate back there."

Hermione laughed and nodded before resting her hands on each of Ron's cheeks and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"With me and Harry of course, you can take us side-along apparating with you so we can investigate properly, safety in numbers has worked well enough for the three of us so far hasn't it?"

Ron finally smiled a real smile. Harry was about to appear to them as if he had just shown up so he could join in with this great news, they finally had a place to start looking, when he noticed Hermione moving her face closer to Ron's and he stayed frozen in his spot in the shadows.

"You know what this means don't you Ron?" she said, the excitement that was in her voice now mellowing into a contented sigh as she spoke, "This means it's not inevitable that whoever took you to Borgin's is on Voldemort's side after all. You could have a guardian angel."

"Another one?" Ron asked her, his ears pinking up as he tried to suppress the grin that was creeping upon his lips.

Hermione leaned in and Harry forced his eyes shut. Now he understood what it must have felt like for Ron to see Ginny kissing him all those times. As he lay in the shadows, trying not to listen to any of the sounds his two best friends were making, he wondered if this was the karmic punishment for breaking the sacred rule of friendship.

Thou shalt not snog your best mate's little sister.

The three of them had apparated inside Mr Borgin's secret den, Ron gripping Hermione's arm with one hand and Harry's with the other and the two of them holding their wands in preparation just in case Borgin was home when they showed up.

"Quick," Ron hissed as they saw that the room was empty, "hide just in case somebody heard us arrive."

Harry dove behind a thick dusty curtain while Ron pulled Hermione into what seemed to be a wardrobe as if was full of very old but regal looking robes and closed the door. They held their breaths and waited. Harry fought against sneezing as what felt like a century's worth of dust billowed from the curtain and drifted down on top of his head. He didn't know if Borgin lived alone or if he had a house elf or any family at home who would come investigating a strange sound in this room. That was, of course, assuming that anybody but the three of them and Borgin himself even knew that this room existed at all. The silence seemed to last the duration of the afternoon although it could only have been two or three minutes.

"Ron?" Harry hissed across the room, pulling back the heavy curtain and peering across to the wardrobe Ron and Hermione were hiding inside, there was no response, "Ron!"

The door of the wardrobe opened a crack and Harry saw a shock of red hair poke out as he heard Ron's whispered reply.

"What?"

"I think we're the only one's here."

Harry began to step out from behind the curtain and dust himself down as he spoke and couldn't help but arch his eyebrows as his two friends squeezed out of the wardrobe looking a little flushed. He didn't want to think about what had been going on in that cramped space so looked around the room for some kind of distraction.

"Where are these papers then mate?" he found his voice sounding very business-like and almost like Percy's when he was talking about his beloved Mr Crouch...that was, of course, when Percy was talking to any of them at all.

"Oh yeah," Ron cleared his throat and strode over to a large wooden desk surrounded by about fifty pigeonholes, all full of different paperwork, "it's all here, the stuff I was telling you about I mean, but I never really got around to investigating the rest of this place. I was a bit confused at the time."

Hermione marched over to the desk and sat down with a smile that reminded Harry of the way she would sit down to take a written test during her O.W.L.s and began to speak in a similar manner to the way Harry had just spoken to Ron. Something had definitely been going on in that wardrobe, Harry thought to himself.

"Right well we're going to have to go through every record Borgin ever made as we can't be exactly sure when Voldemort created his first horcrux so this will take some time."

She sounded so efficient that it almost distracted Harry from the flush that hadn't yet dispersed from her cheeks.

"Yeah, well don't forget that we know the locket was bought from Borgin before Voldemort got his hands on it so don't let that transaction distract you when you come across it Hermione" Harry said as he set about emptying the contents of the closest pigeonhole and fanning through the scrolls of parchment and loose papers that were crammed inside.

Ron was stepping over a stack of broken artefacts that looked an awful lot like the stuff the fake Mad-Eye Moody had all over his office throughout the fourth year and crouching down to dust of something large and flat with his sleeve. Harry thought it was a foe glass; Ron seemed to flinch and look behind him before looking back at the object and putting it back down. He stood up and seemed to be shivering, Harry wondered if Ron had seen the face of Voldemort.

"Alright there Ron?" he called over to his white-faced friend.

"Fine," Ron said, almost as if it was a programmed response rather than the truth, "it's just a...saw a spider."

Ron crouched down again and continued to rummage amongst the dark objects that were stacked somewhat precariously in the darkest corner of the room.

Their investigation went on until the sky began to darken outside and Hermione was not longer able to read without a light.

"We don't want to risk it Hermione," Harry warned her as he squinted at the parchment in his hand, a request for a pint of unicorn blood and crow's feathers to be handed over at an agreed meeting place by an anonymous but loyal customer so the scroll said, "if Borgin sees a light on in here he'll hex us into next Tuesday."

"A bond of blood?" Ron's voice seemed to reading something aloud as he held two silver hoops in the palm of his hand.

Hermione spun around in her seat and called over to him urgently.

"I've heard of that, be careful with those Ron, the only witch or wizard capable of breaking the bond is the one whose blood rests on the shackles."

"Don't fret Hermione, it says here they've never been used," Ron examined the two hoops, each about the size of an orange, and called back across the room to her, "maybe we could use..."

"No!" Hermione snapped firmly, "We will not bind you by blood just to stop you sleepwalking Ron."

"It's just an idea" Ron shrugged.

"I said no!" she hissed before turning back to the papers she could no longer read and letting out a growl of frustration, "I'm still only half way through this bloody lot and still nothing."

Harry and Ron shared a glance that expressed the same thought.

Blimey, Hermione swore!

"It's ok Hermione, we can come back tomorrow and finish up..." Harry found himself on the receiving end of her temper now as she turned on him with livid eyes.

"I would've lost my place by then, I have a system Harry and it's not the same as Borgin's. We will have to put everything back exactly the way it was so as not to tip him off that anybody was here in the first place and then come back and start all over again tomorrow and we just don't have time for any of that nonsense Harry, we just don't!"

Harry had backed away as if his stressed-out friend was spitting fire at him with every word.

"Alright, alright, I get you. We can't come back tomorrow and we can't finish up here today."

"No we can't," she said as she turned back to the enormous pile of paperwork in front of her with a determined look on her face, "so we'll take the last of it with us."

Ron's eyes were wide.

"Are you saying we steal it?" he asked, unable to believe that this was goody-goody Hermione Granger speaking those words.

"All of this is illegal anyway, what's Borgin going to do, report his invoices for stolen goods as stolen?"

Harry found himself laughing at this logic and took a step toward her, holding his arms out with his palms up.

"Load me up then and let's get out of here."

Hermione grinned and lifted a stack of papers from the desk and piled them against Harry's chest.

"Yeah, good luck apparating like that mate" Ron snorted from the far side of the room.

"You're doing it too,” Hermione said with her hands on her hips.

Ron looked to an amused Harry with a shrug of resignation.

"Would you believe that's her asking nicely?"

Harry nodded.

"Of course, I know her too well."

Ron stumbled over the junk in the corner, which was so poorly lit by this time Harry couldn't see anything other than Ron's pale skin and red hair, and something crashed to the floor and smashed.

"Oh very stealthy Ronald," Hermione huffed as she picked up a stack of papers for him to apparate with.

"I can't bloody help it, it's a mess over here," Ron grumbled as he crossed the room and almost buckled as Hermione thrust his load into his arms before he was prepared for it, "and where exactly are we apparating to may I ask?"

"Back to the cave of course," she said as she gathered the last of the paperwork in her own arms.

Ron groaned at this news and Harry, although he had expected to be spending another night on the uncomfortable rock of the cave floor, met his eyes and gave him a grimace of sympathy.

"Oh not another night in that bloody hole please, my back can't take it," he whined.

"Well you don't exactly sleep there do you? You're up an away after a couple of hours so you've no right to complain."

Harry could see Hermione's face falling as she said the words but she didn't seem able to stop herself. By the time she had completed her sentence she looked as if she had just seen a baby seal getting clubbed to death. Harry turned to Ron but he wasn't there long enough for Harry to read his expression as he disapparated.

"Oh no," Hermione said, he voice sounding small and broken as she disapparated after him.

Harry gripped his bundle of papers as firmly as he could and followed suit.

He set his bundle down beside Hermione who was crouching before the three stacks, trying to assemble them back into some sort of order, with her head down. Harry glanced around the cave. A fire was lit and their backpacks were all there, leaning against the wall of the cave, but Ron was nowhere to be seen.

"Um, where's...?" Harry began.

Hermione sniffed and kept her head down, concentrating on the task at hand.

"Ron's just gone for a walk."

Harry nodded to show he had understood but she didn't see as her hair was hanging forward hiding her face, Harry thought that Hermione wanted to be left alone for the time being and left it at that.

Note to self: the sleepwalking thing is a more sensitive subject than Ron had originally let on.

He didn't know whether he should go out and find Ron or not. One part of him wanted to, he needed to tell him that Hermione didn't mean it and to remind Ron that he had said many a thoughtless thing to her over the years but then there was another part of him that knew what it felt like to need to be alone because of feelings of guilt and frustration. Ron was feeling guilty for worrying them and Harry still hadn't forgotten what he had been saying down at the river bank about his presence on this journey being worthless. Harry hoped that Hermione would find something to help them track down one of the horcruxes, at least then they would be able to show Ron that he had made a valuable contribution other than that of chef so far.

He also wanted Hermione to find some lead in their search for the very same reason she did. They needed to prove that Ron had been led to Borgin's secret room in his sleep by a force that was on their side and that this wasn't another one of Voldermort's tricks.

Harry wouldn't be able to bear it if something more sinister was toying with his best friend. Hermione had to find something in those papers.

She had to.

Chapter Six - My Cup Runneth Over

It had been over an hour and Ron still wasn't back from his 'walk'.

Hermione was scanning every piece of parchment for any useful information in between casting lingering glances back to the mouth of the cave. She hadn't said anything apart from just after sunset when she lit a flaming torch outside the cave, meeting Harry's eye for the first time since they had got back from Borgin's, and gave a shrug.

"To help him find his way back."

Harry had been struggling to make dinner for them, he was beginning to regret not paying much attention to Ron when he did it, and had only managed to create boiling water with onions floating around in it. He was thinking of telling Hermione it was broth. He knew he wouldn't get away with that though and tried to remember how to grow tomatoes from nothing.

Just as Harry cleaned one of the plates from last night a loaf of crusty brown bread landed on it. Harry looked up and saw Ron pulling on a jumper, he looked as if he was quite cold from his walk in the woods, Harry saw Hermione put aside the scroll she was examining and get to her feet.

"Ron I'm so sor..." she didn't get to finish.

"Are you planning on putting anything in that onion stock Harry?" Ron leaned over the cooking pot.

"I admit it, I'm more useless than we first thought" Harry smiled.

Ron didn't smile back and Hermione was still standing, hugging her arms to herself and biting her bottom lip as she stared at his back.

"Look I don't really feel like cooking tonight so," Ron flicked his wand at an empty bowl, "Lactis! Confundo accelero!"

The bowl filled with milk that began to churn itself rapidly. Ron put his wand away and kicked off his shoes.

"That'll turn into cheese in about five minutes, you can make sandwiches if you want."

Harry looked back at the loaf of bread; it was still warm.

"You finally did it then, well done" he tried to iron the worry lines off his face but he didn't think he'd managed it that well.

"Yeah."

Ron was unfurling his sleeping bag and crawling inside.

"Ron, are you ok?" Harry caught his eye and forced him to hold his gaze.

"I'm fine," he nodded but couldn't even manage to fake a smile for them, "I could just really use an early night that's all."

Harry nodded and started slicing the bread. He noticed Hermione building herself up to say something to Ron and he hoped the two of them didn't get into an argument. She walked over to Ron's side and crouched down. She lowered her voice a great deal but Harry could still hear every word she said.

"I'm sorry Ron, I really didn't mean to..."

"It's fine, don't worry," Ron mumbled, Harry frowned, he sounded as if he really meant it.

"No it's not fine, I'm such a..."

"Hermione don't, it's fine. I just need to sleep."

"But," she seemed to see that Ron wasn't looking for a fight or an apology, just a break from having to think about his old problem rearing its ugly head and disrupting his sleep again, Harry heard her let out a sigh, "good job on the bread Ron, it looks perfect."

Harry chanced a glance back over at them and saw that Hermione was smiling a sad smile down at him as he settled down in his sleeping bag.

"We'll talk tomorrow ok?" she said before moving to stand up again.

Ron reached out and grabbed her wrist, holding her in place at his side.

"Hermione wait, could you do me a favour?"

"Of course, whatever you want."

Harry strained his ears to hear Ron's whispered request.

"Can you put me to sleep please?"

She nodded and pointed her wand at him.

"Goodnight Ron, obdormio!"

A blue light emanated from the tip of Hermione's wand and Ron's shoulders relaxed and his arm dropped away from her. She looked across to Harry who hadn't realised he had been so obviously watching the two of them and frowned.

"Do you think, now that we've been to Borgin's like his subconscious wanted, do you think he'll sleep through?"

"I hope so," Harry said, "He needs a peaceful night."

Hermione nodded, as if Harry words had convinced her that a good long sleep was all Ron needed and then he would be back to his old self. She stood up straight and pointed her wand back down at him.

"Obtineo, compescor servo!" she saw Harry's quizzical look and shrugged, "Just to be sure."

Harry turned back to what was now a bowl of hard cheese and set about making some sandwiches for the two of them as Hermione returned to her stack of paperwork.

Ron might well be the only one of them to get a good night's sleep tonight.

He could've sworn he heard Hermione shouting something.

No he didn't. He didn't need to wake up. Nobody was shouting anything.

"Yes!"

That really sounded like her though.

"Small, gold, two handles and a badger...this is it!"

That sounded promising. She sounded as if she had found a horcrux. That would be good if she had wouldn't it? Wait...What?

"What do you find? Where did it?" Harry garbled as he forced his eyes open and sat up from his slouching position against the wall of the cave.

She was scrambling over to his side, her eyes alight and a long roll of parchment dragging along the floor behind her.

"I think I've found it Harry, Hufflepuff's cup, it turns up on this inventory of a dead wizard's possessions but never made it to the will when the stuff was divided up amongst the relatives."

Harry rubbed his bleary eyes.

"How does that constitute finding it Hermione? You just have a list of dark wizards you know don't have it don't you?"

"To the untrained eye yes," she said with an exasperated shake of the head as she sat beside him and draped the parchment across his lap and pointed to something scrawled in a different hand than the rest of the text.

"All artefacts not accounted for in Mr Lotterby's last will and testamentare to be put into the vault of Olive Lotterby in Gringotts bank and held until the said witch comes of age and can prove her bloodline to the Gringotts goblins by means of blood and magical testing."

Harry's brow furrowed as he re-read this amendment.

"So this Olive Lotterby got the cup when she turned seventeen then?"

Hermione looked victorious.

"There is no Olive Lotterby, she can't ever claim the contents of that vault because she doesn't exist Harry. The Lotterby blood line died along with the wizard who made this will, the wizard who didn't write this amendment, as it would become blatantly obvious to anyone fool enough to sit and read through this thing."

To illustrate her point Hermione jerked the parchment so it unfurled even further across the floor, Harry guessed it must be at least twelve foot in length, and he looked at Hermione's jubilant face once again.

"You read all of this?"

"Good thing I did too," she nodded, "and it's a very clever way to hide something that is never supposed to be found but essential to keep intact."

"How do you mean?"

"Think about it Harry, where's the safest place a witch or wizard could put anything valuable?"

"Gringotts."

"Almost impossible to break in, the only person that ever did it in our lifetime being...?"

"Voldemort!" Harry gasped.

"Albeit in the back of Quirrel's skull at the time but yes and only one person can ever access any particular vault in Gringotts bank. That person is the person named on the goblin's records unless other arrangements have been made by that person to allow others to access the vault with their permission and no such arrangements were made for Olive Lotterby."

"So," Harry needed to make sure he understood this correctly, "Olive Lotterby is the only person who can ever open the vault with the horcrux inside?"

"Correct."

"Olive Lotterby can only access the vault when she comes of age?"

"Again correct."

"Olive Lotterby will never come of age due to her failure to actually be born?"

Hermione nodded.

"Therefore nobody will ever be able to open that vault?"

"And nobody, but Voldemort, has ever been able to break into Gringotts in the first place to even attempt to open a vault that is impossible tobe opened."

Hermione's pride at having found the horcrux after hours upon hours of reading the dullest paperwork in magical history faded as she spoke those last few words.

"So what you're saying is that it's impossible to get to that horcrux to destroy it?" Harry asked, his own spirits taking a down turn.

Her shoulders slumped.

"So it would seem. But at least we know where it is eh?"

Harry smiled at her vain attempt to look on the bright side.

"Great job Hermione, that was way beyond perseverance, that was incredible."

She let the parchment drop to the floor and rubbed her eyes with an exhausted sigh.

"A lot of good it does us though," Harry followed her eyes as they drifted over to Ron's shape, as he lay still, encased in his sleeping bag.

"Has he woken?" Harry asked.

"No, not in either kind of way, it seems like this was what he was trying to show us."

Harry lowered his head.

"I'd still like to know what was trying to show it to him."

She nodded and began to roll up the absurdly long scroll of parchment.

"Do you think he knew," Harry turned to Hermione as he asked the question, "that he wouldn't do it tonight?"

She stared at Ron thoughtfully.

"Maybe, he probably hoped more than anything that he'd get tonight off, I'd like to think that's why he wanted to go straight to bed as soon as he got back."

Harry gave Hermione a smile of reassurance and put an arm around her shoulder.

"That's definitely why Hermione, he knows you weren't being nasty before, he knows you too well to think that."

"I still can't believe I said it, it was so thoughtless of me."

Harry chuckled.

"Yeah, that's supposed to be his thing isn't it? If he's mad about anything I reckon it's that you stole his gimmick!"

They laughed before crawling into their own sleeping bags and wishing each other a good night. Harry couldn't see her face but he knew that she was watching Ron sleep.

Harry drifted off almost immediately with dreams of daring break-ins at Gringotts bank peppering his sleep until morning.

Chapter Seven - Withdrawal Symptoms

"Harry"

The voice whispered, penetrating his sleep, was this his dream or was this somebody really talking to him again he wondered?

"Harry please wake up!" the voice hissed, it was Ron and he sounded desperate.

Harry's eyes flew open and he jerked up from the ground.

"Oh thank Merlin, I was beginning to think I was in trouble there," Ron sighed with relief.

"What's the matter? What's happened?" Harry sat up and looked down at Ron laying quite still in his sleeping bag.

"What happened? You tell me Harry. You two obviously did something after Hermione put me to sleep 'cause I can't get up."

Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh blimey Ron, don't do that to me, you had me scared for a second then."

"You're scared? I can't move and I've needed to pee for almost an hour now, I've been bloody terrified!"

Harry finally understood the gravity of the situation and pulled out his wand.

"Oh sorry, let me lift the...um..."

Harry realised he wasn't really sure what Hermione had done to restrain Ron for the night. He remembered she'd used more than one kind of spell.

"Um?" Ron said, his state of panic flaring up again, "I don't want to hear 'um' Harry."

"Hermione did it."

"Well bloody well wake her up then!"

Harry scrambled over Ron to shake Hermione awake. She tried to shrug Harry off at first before suddenly flinching and sitting bolt upright, brandishing her wand at the wall with wide eyes.

"What is it? Where are they?"

Harry wondered if this was the way the three of them were going to wake up for the rest of their lives from now on, ready for attack, he hoped not.

"It's fine, Ron just needs the spells lifted so he can...move."

Hermione relaxed on hearing this.

"Move urgently, I need to move urgently!" Ron called over to her, "This is actually causing me pain now."

Hermione leapt into action when she though that one of her spells was hurting him, Harry didn't have time to explain the situation, and she quickly lifted the spells. Harry had never seen Ron move so fast in his life, it was quite an amusing waddle he left the cave with as well, causing him to laugh out loud and Hermione to demand an explanation.

A couple of minutes later Ron walked back into the cave with a resigned smile on his face.

"You know I remember a time, long ago, when I had dignity?"

The three of them had burst into uncontrollable laughter at this and nobody seemed to want to mention the previous night beyond Ron's question.

"Did I do it again last night then?"

"Nope, slept like a log, you were fine mate."

Ron seemed to relax on hearing that and set about slicing the remains of his bread to make toast. Harry tried to scrape the last of the cheese from the bowl so he could have cheese on toast for breakfast and he noticed Ron discreetly nudging Hermione with his elbow. She looked at him and he gave her a small smile that she returned before turning her attention back to her own toast. She looked as if a load had just been lifted and she began to fill Ron in on their progress with Borgin's paperwork.

"...so the guardian angel theory seems to have been right doesn't it?" she beamed at Ron, himself looking as if the weight of the wizarding world was no longer resting on his shoulders, "you helped us find out the location of one of the horcruxes and then you got a peaceful undisturbed night right after. I'd say that meant there's nothing sinister messing with your head."

Harry knew she wasn't being completely honest about her opinion on Ron's nighttime guide but that she needed to feel as if he wasn't being infiltrated by dark magic every night. Harry wasn't sure if he trusted this thing that had, seemingly, been helping them. There was something about the way Ron spoke to them, or it or whatever the hell he had been talking to, that caused Harry to dislike them.

"I'll do whatever you want just don't come out."

Something about that told Harry that his friend had been coerced into going to Borgin's place rather than convinced that it was the right thing to do. He hoped it was over now, they had found what the guide had been trying to show them and now there was no need for it anymore.

"Wow," Ron was exclaiming as he held the obscenely long roll of parchment in front of him, "how did you not fall asleep three paragraphs into this Hermione? This is like a handwritten sleeping draught."

Hermione had chuckled at this and Harry found himself letting out a sigh.

"You alright there mate?" Ron asked as he stared across the fire at him.

"Fine, why do you ask?" Harry grinned a little too eager to seem ok.

"Oh nothing, it's just that your toast is kind of black now."

Ron gestured to the square piece of charcoal that used to be his slice of toast by the fire and Harry hissed as he withdrew it from the flames, burning his fingers as he removed it from the stick he had been using to toast it.

Ron laughed and threw another slice of bread over to him.

"So we're off to Gringotts today them are we?" Ron asked while Harry set about skewering the bread onto the stick and having another go at making his breakfast.

Hermione nodded.

"We can say we're going to make a withdrawal from Harry's vault and see if we can get a decent look around and come up with a plan."

Ron shook his head and took a bite of his toast.

"You seriously believe you can find a way to break into Gringotts vaults? You're off your head Hermione."

"I'm an optimist Ron Weasley!" she said before frowning down at her piece of dry toast, "Um, I don't suppose you're still averse to conjuring up any food are you?"

"What?" Ron wasn't following this until he saw that she didn't have anything on her toast, not even butter, "You can make honey Hermione, I know you can make honey, I've seen you make honey."

She lowered her head and flushed in the cheeks.

"Yours is nicer."

Ron glanced across to Harry and couldn't suppress the smirk that was splitting his face. He pulled out his wand and tapped at Hermione's toast, honey dripping from his wand tip and trickling over the surface of it.

"I'm beginning to think you're making inferior ingredients on purpose, both of you," he turned on Harry as he said this, still with the wide smirk across his face, "just to lumber me with all the cooking duties."

Hermione took a bite of her toast and feigned innocence while Harry pretended he hadn't heard Ron speak at all.

"Hmmm, I thought as much," Ron muttered before biting another chunk out of his own slice of toast.

Ron had been right to some extent as far as Harry was concerned. He could conjure ingredients well enough but he just couldn't do as good a job of combining them into something appetising. Hermione was a different story though, she would have Ron believe that she was just faking incompetence but in truth she really was that dreadful! Harry remembered Hermione conjuring honey too, but he had been fool enough to taste it and discovered that she had actually produced beeswax. He withdrew his golden brown toast from the flames and put the cheese on top of it.

"So back toGringotts," Ron said after licking the residual honey from the tip of his wand, "there's no way we can do this."

"Oh come on Ron, there's always a way with us," Hermione said briskly after swallowing a mouthful of toast, "we see something impossible and laugh. Ha, we say!"

Ron looked at Hermione as if she had grown a second head, and not just any second head but the second head of Grawp.

"Are you alright?"

She grinned and shrugged.

"I'm in a jovial mood this morning."

Ron turned to Harry.

"Why does that scare me?"

"Harry James Potter?" the goblin snarled.

"That's me" Harry nodded.

"Do you have your key?"

"I do" he held up the key to his vault at Gringotts Bank.

"And you would like to make a withdrawal?"

"Well understood, yes that's exactly what I want to do."

Ron sniggered under his breath. The goblin turned on him.

"And would sir like to make a withdrawal from his own vault?"

"I don't need to visit my vault thank you, I'm just here to help Mr Potter carry his money, galleons can be so heavy y'know?"

Harry knew that Ron was joking but it still made him quite uncomfortable.

The goblin's eyes darted up to Ron's bright red hair and back down to his face before a spiteful glint flickered in his eyes.

"A visit to the Weasley family vault maybe?"

Ron didn't even blink.

"No thank you, I've seen an empty vault before."

Harry felt a sudden urge to kick the goblin as he made an amused snorting sound and turned to lead them deep into Gringotts bank. He chanced a glance at Ron, who remained impressively calm about this cruel little dig at his family, and noticed that Hermione had taken his hand and interlaced their fingers. She was also seemingly unaffected by the nasty little man's comment.

"Come on Ron, we wouldn't want to lose sight of him, he is quite tiny after all" she said.

Harry saw the goblin visibly tense up and noticed the corner of Ron's mouth twitch at this before he reset his face into a mask of nonchalance once again as the three of them followed the goblin.

He tried to take in as much of the layout of the bank as he could but there were so many corridors and lifts and at least three staircases that didn't actually seem to lead anywhere at all that he gave up and hoped that Hermione was able to take in all this information better than he was. They knew what number vault Olive Lotterby's vault was, 3830, and that was nowhere near Harry's vault or the Weasleys' for that matter. They were soon hurtling along so fast that Harry wouldn't have been able to tell if they had passed vault 3830 fifty times already.

"Here you are, the vault of Harry James Potter, key if you will sir."

Harry handed the goblin the key and watched as the vault was opened and the key was forced back into his hand as the goblin took a step back.

"In your own time sir, I have no other business to be getting on with today, take as long as you want."

Harry glared at the goblin who stared insolently up at him.

"Don't let me keep you, I'm sure we can find our own way out by ourselves."

The goblin arched an eyebrow and actually managed the feat of looking down his nose at Harry despite only being twelve inches off the ground.

"I think you'll find it impossible to remain in the Gringotts vaults without the presence of either myself or one of my colleagues Mr Potter. I will step to one side if sir is sensitive about being watched admiring his money in front of his, let's say, less fortunate friends."

Harry really wanted to kick him now. Luckily for the goblin he made himself scarce pretty fast and Harry turned his livid gaze to Ron who was smiling and shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it mate, I'm above it...about five feet above it actually!" Ron chuckled.

Harry felt quite impressed at Ron's rational attitude and glanced at Hermione, he noticed she was no longer holding Ron's hand but looking up at him proudly, and grinned.

"I never thought the day would come when I missed his temper" Harry found himself muttering.

Hermione laughed at this.

"What can I say," Ron shrugged, "I've been seeing a specialist in anger management."

Harry tried not to let his eyes dart back to Hermione again and turned back to the vault, gesturing for the two of them to follow him inside.

"Well now we know that, even if we could find a way to get in here, it's impossible to remain here unaccompanied by a Gringotts goblin. This is going to be more of a challenge than we originally thought isn't it?" Hermione said without drawing breath.

Ron put an arm around Hermione's shoulders and introduced his bushy-haired friend to him in a very formal way.

"Harry, the queen of understatement, I believe you've met?"

Hermione shrugged off Ron's arm and rolled her eyes as he and Harry shared a chortle.

"Maybe you were better off when you channelled your energy into angry outbursts after all" she grumbled.

"I'm merely the blob of clay, you've been moulding me, it's your fault" Ron shrugged without realising, as Hermione had done, that Ron had just admitted in front of Harry that there was something more going on between them than just ordinary friendship.

"So back to the...problem in hand," she said, failing to disguise how flustered she was, "any ideas Harry?"

Ron turned to Harry, still oblivious to his slip-up, and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"All I'm seeing is more obstacles," he said with a disheartened shake of the head, "it's like we found the most impossible place to get into and them found out that we had to get into it blindfolded and with both our legs hacked off at the knee!"

"I had a dream like that once," Ron said a to neither of them in particular, "except I was running away from spiders instead of breaking into a..."

"Sirs? Young Miss? Is your business complete today?" the goblin leaned around the door, his gnarled fingers curling around the doorframe.

Harry flinched, hoping that the goblin hadn't heard what Ron was beginning to say, and grabbed a single bronze knut from a pile to his right.

"Yes, got what I came for," he said flicking the coin into the air and catching it with a jaunty wink, "I need something to tip the house elf."

Ron's jaw hung open and Hermione looked a little bit miffed at Harry’s 'house elf' comment as they followed him out of the vault and saw him slap the tiny goblin on the back, almost knocking him for six.

"Thanks' for your help my good man, I'll ask for you again next time."

The goblin looked as if he would be glad never to see Harry Potter again as long as he lived and gruffly ushered them along ahead of him.

That'll teach you to look down your nose at MY family.

Chapter Eight - Unforgivable

Ron had been sitting up in his sleeping bag and rubbing his head for about five minutes before settling back down to sleep. His eyes hadn't opened and he hadn't said a word when Harry and Hermione had spoken to him.

"So I'll put that seal over the mouth of the cave just in case ok?" Hermione said as she reached for her wand.

"Good idea" Harry nodded, not tearing his eyes away from Ron as he slept.

They hadn't tried to restrain Ron that night, a discussion had been had and Ron had told them he was ok with it if they wanted to do it but Hermione had seemed pretty sure that Ron's walkabout nights were over with.

"This isn't really the same is it? It's not like it was," she said, to reassure herself more than anything it sounded, "this is just restlessness. He hasn't been left alone to just sleep in days, this is just...usual don't you think?"

Harry nodded, that sounded right.

"Yeah, he's just settling down that's all."

They looked from Ron to each other and seemed to be having the same thought.

"Shall I just put a restraining charm on him to be safe?" Hermione frowned.

Harry knew he'd sleep better if she did and nodded.

"Yeah, he told us we could, he'll understand in the morning."

Hermione nodded and pointed her wand at Ron who suddenly sat up again, his eyes open but glazed, and sighed.

"I've had enough,” he said weakly.

Hermione, her wand still pointed at Ron gaped over at Harry and mouthed 'what shall I do?’ Harry held up a hand and mouthed the word 'wait' back to her. She nodded but kept her wand pointed at Ron, ready to have to stop him if he bolted.

"No" Ron's head dropped as he spoke.

Hermione's free hand reached out and rested on Ron's knee. It was as if she wanted to give him some of her own strength, Ron was sounding defeated before he had even begun this time around.

"No more," Ron sighed, his head still hanging.

"Why is this happening again?" Hermione asked Harry, who hadn't a clue, "We found out the location of the horcrux, why can't they leave him alone?"

"Why can't you find somebody else?" Ron's voice said as his head lifted again and his eyes stared into space ahead of him.

Hermione's eyes almost bulged out of her head as she stared at Harry.

"Hermione, d'you think he heard you?"

She seemed to change from shocked to fiercely determined.

"Yes, yes he did, he can hear me."

She squeezed his leg and stared into his face.

"I'm here for you Ron, you're not alone, don't leave me again you hear me?"

"The gift?" Ron frowned.

Hermione's resolve didn't falter.

"Don't listen to them Ron, listen to me, I know you can hear me. Close your eyes and lay back down, let yourself sleep, if you go back to sleep I can wake you up safely. Listen to me Ron."

"What?" Ron looked a little confused.

"It's working!" Harry gasped and Hermione seemed to swell with confidence.

"Close your eyes and don't listen to them. Close your eyes and lay back down."

"My family, do they know?" Ron asked, his eyes still staring into space ahead of him.

Harry decided to join Hermione; if Ron could hear her he should be able to hear him too.

"Don't pay any attention to them Ron, it's a trick, your family are fine."

"They're safe and well and at home Ron, don't listen, they're lying to you."

"The truth?" Ron asked and Hermione shuddered with excitement.

"Yes! They're lying, you're coming back to us Ron, you can't trust them."

Harry was as awake as he had ever felt in his entire life, he was so proud of his friends. He was proud of Ron for fighting back and proud of Hermione for getting through to him.

"Why are you telling me?" Ron said; a confused frown etched upon his face, "It'll all be gone in the morning."

"No, you're listening to us now, not them. You don't want to listen to them anymore," Hermione ordered.

"I don't know if I can" Ron's weak voice seemed to grow even fainter as he said this.

"You can!" Harry found himself yelling at his unconscious friend, "You can do it Ron, come back to us, you know you can do this."

"I do."

On hearing this affirmative response from him Harry and Hermione looked at one another and smiled.

"What for?" Ron said.

Hermione's smile faded immediately.

"We have to keep talking Harry, the second we stop they get to him again."

"No" Ron seemed to speak with real determination.

"That's it Ron," Hermione said with what sounded like pride, "you can beat them."

"No, it's...I can't" Ron's voice was breaking again.

Why couldn't he shake this off, he was getting so strong just now?

"It's an unforgivable curse!" Ron almost raised his voice to a yell.

This shook Hermione and Harry felt sick to his stomach.

"Hermione what are they doing to him?"

"They can't hurt you Ron, you're sleeping and you're with us, it's a bluff. Don't give in to them."

"But I can't, I'm not strong enough" Ron said with a shuddering breath.

"You're the strongest person I know," Harry found himself getting angry with Ron, he was actually telling him off, "I've seen you fighting with a broken wand, I've seen you protect me with a broken leg, don't you let them tell you you're not strong enough!"

Ron swallowed and stared into the darkness of the cave.

"I don't want it."

Hermione was smiling again.

"That's it, Harry's right Ron, you don't have to do anything for them anymore. We found what we were looking for, we don't need them, you don't have to listen to them anymore."

Ron shook his head, Harry felt a wave of confidence and pride wash over him and beamed at Hermione who looked as if she was experiencing similar emotions.

"Are we going now?" Ron asked the darkness.

"What?" Harry's face fell.

"No Ron, what are you saying? You're not going anywhere!" Hermione was beginning to panic.

Ron frowned.

"Hermione, the containment spells quick!" Harry snapped at her but she was already raising her wand.

But Ron had his wand raised too; they hadn't taken it from him that night. Harry's stomach flipped inside him as his friend flicked his wand to his right and then his left, hitting Harry and Hermione with the same spell.

"Immobulus!"

Harry couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could only move his eyes and saw that Hermione's were flooded with tears as they could do nothing but watch as Ron crawled out of his sleeping bag and got to his feet. The strangest thoughts rushed through Harry's head as Ron walked forward towards the space he had been conversing with up until then.

He's only wearing that thin t shirt, he'll freeze.

Put some shoes on: put some shoes on: put some shoes on!

How can he go for so long without blinking?

Harry watched as Ron disapparated and found himself with one overriding thought left in his head.

Where are they talking him tonight?

Harry had regained the use of his limbs after about fifteen minutes and had managed to release Hermione from the spell with an awkward flick of his wand as it rested in his numb hand. She still hadn't moved all that much though, Harry understood why as he couldn't manage to say anything himself and it had nothing to do with the spell.

After they had recovered from the shock they had lit a fire and tried to make sense of the night's events. Hermione had been hugging her knees to her chest in front of the fire for several minutes while Harry couldn't stop himself from staring at the spot Ron had disapparated. They had been getting somewhere, he had been responding to them, this was probably the very reason they were taking his surrender to 'them' so badly.

"I almost had him," Hermione's chin was resting on her knees and she was staring into the flames, "I really thought I had him."

Harry tore his eyes away from the blackness and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light of the orange flames.

"It just changed so fast, he was under their control so quickly, and I don't understand how it happened. He was putting up such a fight towards the end."

A gift, his family, and the unforgivable curse; that had been all Harry could really remember as being the key factors that were being used against Ron.

"If they're on our side why is he so afraid of them?" Hermione's voice was barely audible.

Harry thought about that for a moment. Ron wasn't really afraid but he was always upset by what he was hearing. He had been upset when they told him they were taking him to Borgin's house that night. That worked out as well as they could've ever hoped for. Ron hadn't been caught there and they had discovered information leading them to Hufflepuff's horcrux. Something made him feel uneasy though. Why did it have to be Ron? Ron had seemed to be asking that himself and Harry knew that he would forget the answer by the time he got to speak to him again.

He would get to speak to him again right?

"He's going to be devastated when he finds out what he did," Hermione said into the fire.

"We don't need to tell him," Harry said, knowing that Hermione was right, "we'll just say he disapparated before we could stop him."

She nodded silently.

Harry wondered how long it would be until sunrise. They sat in silence for another half an hour before Hermione's voice broke into Harry's internal meditations.

"He'll have fallen back to sleep by now wouldn't he?"

Harry stared at her; he had nothing to say to make her feel better so he just let her know he was listening.

"Mmmm."

"It never lasts longer than half an hour or so does it? He'll be curled-up God knows where fast asleep on his own."

Harry nodded.

"I just want him back," she said, her eyes shining with the tears she refused to allow to escape onto her cheeks.

"So do I" Harry managed to say.

"We've got to find a way to stop this."

Neither of them said another word until daybreak when an owl swooped into the cave and landed at Harry's feet. He looked from the owl to Hermione and back again, for several seconds totally forgetting what an owl in the morning actually meant, before untying the letter from the owl's leg and letting it fly away.

"What is it? Is it Ron's handwriting?" Hermione asked as she scrambled around the dying embers of the fire to kneel beside Harry as he opened the letter.

"No but it's familiar..." he said, not wanting to get her hopes up before reading the letter aloud, "...Harry, could you please explain to us why our little brother spent last night sleeping on our front doorstep? Yours utterly confused, Fred and George."

Hermione let out a sigh of great relief.

"He's at the shop."

She closed her eyes and dropped her face into her hands at the same time Harry scrambled over to his backpack and pulled out some clothes to wear.

"Get dressed, we'll take his stuff with us, we're not staying here another night. We're staying somewhere with locks on the doors and bars on the windows and something we can bloody well chain him to. He is not going through this again Hermione."

She lifted her head and nodded, a new strength coming over her as she got to her feet and started to pull clothes out of her own backpack. They didn't eat breakfast or even ensure that their magical fire was completely out before the apparated to Diagon Alley.

"Where is he?" Harry demanded as soon as Fred answered the door, it was still quite a while before opening hours so the shop was locked-up tight.

George appeared over Fred's shoulder with his arms folded.

"Oh I think you're going to answer our questions first Harry."

Harry was about to tell them he didn't need this right now after the night of worry he and Hermione had just been through when the said concerned friend of his shoved the twins apart and barged through the shop like a woman possessed.

"Bloody hell Hermione, do you remember manners at all?" George called after her, as she didn't even look over her shoulder on her way to the stairs that lead to the twins' flat.

"Listen, " Harry said as he followed them up the stairs after Hermione, "I know you're probably worried but..."

"Worried?" Fred said, looking at Harry as if he'd just made the understatement of the century, "You haven't seen him yet."

Harry felt the blood drain from his face as he turned the corner at the top of the stairs and saw Hermione dropping to her knees in front of the sofa where Ron lay with his eyes closed. He was covered in bruises, all over his arms and on one side of his face, and his feet were very badly cut and grazed. He jumped forward to join Hermione at his best friend's side but Fred and George held him back.

"We gave him a Weasley brothers version of the dreamless sleep potion," Fred said.

"He wouldn't let us put him to sleep any other way," said George.

"They'll take me again, isn't that what he said George?"

"They'll take me again, you're right that's exactly what he said Fred."

"Who are they Harry?" Fred demanded.

Harry almost fell backwards, this was the famous Weasley wrath from the two people he never imagined he'd ever see it from and never in his worst nightmares thought he'd be on the receiving end of.

"We don't know, I swear, we try to stop them every night but..."

"Every night!" George exclaimed.

"What does that mean?" Fred demanded.

"You found him like this?" Hermione called across the room to the two of them, buying Harry time to plant his feet a little firmer on the floor.

George turned around and strode across their flat to stand over Ron on the sofa.

"No he was worse than this when we found him Hermione, there was blood everywhere."

On hearing this Harry raced across the room to watch as Hermione began to frantically examine Ron for a wound or injury of some sort.

"It wasn't his," Fred said as he joined them, "well apart from the cuts on his feet...his feet!" Fred's eyes were suddenly wide and he looked at George who also seemed to comprehend the same thing as his twin.

"We are idiots! How did we not work that out sooner?" George asked Fred with a shake of the head.

Fred shrugged and looked back at Harry.

"When did he start sleepwalking again?"

Harry let out a breath and realised that the twins were a little less likely to beat the crap out of him now.

"It's been about a week."

"Wait, where are you three staying?" George frowned.

"Somewhere in Lancashire" Harry said, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"Lancashire!" Fred yelled.

"You mean he can apparate in his sleep as well?" George said with horror.

Harry nodded.

"We haven't been able to stop him, we've been trying everything."

"Have you tried chains?" Fred asked, his eyes livid.

"Confinement spells, containment spells, he's been able to break out of them all" Hermione said from her spot crouched on the floor.

"Even without a wand" Harry said, almost shrinking under the twins gaze.

When they were full of sibling protectiveness they really did have a look of Mrs Weasley about them Harry thought.

The twins turned back to look down at Ron and their tension seemed to visibly seep out of their bodies.

"You haven't woken him have you?" Fred asked without addressing the question to either he or Hermione in particular.

"No, he told us we shouldn't, no matter what happens."

George had put a hand to his mouth and started absent-mindedly chewing his nails.

"He remembers last time?"

"No," Hermione said as she finally looked away from Ron to glance up at the twins, "he said your mum told him it was really bad and shouldn't ever be done."

"No it shouldn't," George said with a shake of the head.

Harry's curiosity got the better of him.

"He said it was you two who woke him the last time," Harry paused for long enough to see the twins exchange a guilty glance, "do you remember what happened?"

"He...it wasn't Ron," Fred shrugged.

Harry blinked, what on earth was that supposed to mean?

"What do you mean it wasn't Ron?" Hermione demanded.

"Like Fred said, it wasn't him, it was somebody else for a while. You just shouldn't wake him that's all," George said with quite noticeable discomfort, "ever!"

So when Ron's dad had told him that he hadn't been himself it wasn't just a figure of speech, Harry thought to himself.

"Who was it?" Hermione asked.

"We don't know," Fred shrugged again.

"Why was your mum so much more upset than the rest of you afterwards?" Hermione pressed further.

"I don't know alright!" Fred snapped.

George seemed to be a little more forthcoming, however.

"We think that whoever it was in there knew mum. They were talking to her and she got really upset and we were all shooed away so we didn't see what went on but mum was adamant that nobody ever wake him if we ever saw him sleepwalking again. We never did after that night anyway so it wasn't an issue."

Fred suddenly looked as if a small fire had been lit beneath him and he turned on Harry with narrowed eyes.

"You know I seem to remember saying that we were asking the questions for now don't you George?"

"Yes I do Fred."

"Right so we get informed that the three of you are going on a little mission of Dumbledore's."

"We don't get any information other than that."

"And we don't see or hear anything from any of you since Bill's wedding until this morning."

"When we open our front door to find Ron curled up like a baby, covered in someone's blood, shivering and pretty battered in general," George said as he glanced back down at an obviously cleaned-up Ron.

"In nothing but sweat pants and a t shirt I might add," Fred waggled his finger at Harry, "when you know someone is a sleepwalker you make sure they go to bed with shoes and warm clothes on, we worked that one out in less than a week."

"We thought he'd stopped doing it," Harry tried to explain.

George raised a finger to silence Harry.

"Oh no Harry, it gets better."

"We wake him up, he's understandably confused, until he looks in his hand and finds this," Fred reached over to the mantle and picked up a small gold cup with two handles.

"At which point he completely freaks out and we have to persuade him to let us put him back to sleep to calm him down."

"Hufflepuff's cup!" Hermione gasped.

Harry took the cup from Fred and examined it closely, it was exactly as he had seen it in Dumbledore's pensive, and he gaped at Hermione. He could barely speak.

"He broke into Gringotts."

"He what?" Fred and George both exclaimed at the same time.

Hermione's eyes suddenly seemed to remember something from the night before that seemed to mortify her beyond words.

"What is it Hermione? Tell me," Harry ordered, fearfully.

"An unforgivable curse..." she whispered as she turned back to look at Ron, "...Oh Ron, what did they make you do?"

Chapter Nine - The Things You Do

"Agito!"

The charm to wake Ron had obviously worked but, after the previous night's adventures, he was more than a little reluctant to get up just yet.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled as he turned over onto the bruised side of his face before flinching, "ow!"

The discomfort of trying to lay on his tender side had achieved what Hermione's spell hadn't, Ron was awake, and he hauled himself up on the twins' sofa and looked around with bleary eyes.

"Where the hell...?" he began to say in a slightly confused tone before suddenly throwing himself into a standing position and searching himself for his wand, "Where the hell...?" he said again, his tone now much more urgent.

"Looking for this?" George said as he held up Ron's wand.

Ron stared at his brother, it seemed he was about to ask the twins what was going on, before remembering how he had originally been woken that morning. Ron's eyes darted from left to right rapidly, not even taking in Harry and Hermione's presence in the flat as he did.

"Where's the...?" again he didn't manage to complete his sentence as Fred held up Hufflepuff's cup.

"The thing you apparently stole from Gringotts last night, is that what you're looking for?" Fred asked while George stood at his side and folded his arms in that way that made him look as solid as a brick wall.

Ron finally noticed Harry and Hermione at his side and shuddered.

"I didn't did I?" his eyes were pleading with them to prove the twins wrong.

Hermione rubbed her hand up and down Ron's arm, not noticing him wince at the discomfort she was causing his bruises.

"We don't know what happened," she sighed.

"How did you get hurt?" Harry asked, grimacing at Ron's swollen eye.

Ron glanced down at his bruises before staring back at Harry and shrugging.

"What is going on?" George demanded.

Hermione pushed Ron back onto the sofa as she began to magically treat Ron's injuries while Harry realised there was no way out of this other than telling the twins the truth, or at least a version of it.

Fred sat down and stared at the cup in his hands.

"So you're saying that if you destroy this cup You-Know-Who gets a little bit weaker?"

Harry nodded.

George cleared his throat and set off into another room.

"Well destruction is our middle name."

"Fred," Ron winced as Hermione tried to examine his swollen eye before continuing, "do you get the Daily Prophet delivered?"

"We do little bro, we do indeed," Fred nodded as he sat forward in his chair, "why do you ask? Afraid you'll see your face on the front page?"

"Well I wasn't until you just said that...Ouch, Hermione!"

Hermione huffed and lifted her hands away from Ron's face, dropping them into her lap in annoyance.

"I'm just trying to help you Ron, don't be such a baby."

"You were poking me in the bloody eye!"

"Now now Ronniekins, be a good little soldier for nurse Hermione or we'll call in matron mum to heal you," George teased as he re entered the room carrying a large block of stone with a deep indentation all the way around the top of it.

"Don't you threaten me with mum," Ron snapped defensively.

Fred was grinning wickedly.

"Oh how we'd love to see you squirm little brother," his mirth seemed to dissipate rather quickly as he spoke, "but I wouldn't want to mention your name and sleepwalking in the same sentence to her for all the galleons in Gringotts."

George gave a derisive snort to break the tension.

"The ones you left in there after your 'raid' last night at least."

"Oh you're funny, both of you, I could listen to you for hours," Ron's deadpan delivery didn't fool Harry, he was very anxious to find out just how much trouble he was in after his escapades during the night.

"Look Ron," Harry began, "I know you're going to tell me you don't but I have to ask you anyway. Do you remember anything at all?"

"Nothing. Did I talk before I left?"

Harry and Hermione shared a glance before Harry nodded.

"Yeah, a bit."

"What did I say, anything interesting?"

"Nothing that made any sense, it was only one half of a conversation mate," Harry shrugged, he didn't think Ron really needed to know just how close they had come to getting through to him.

Ron slouched and Hermione seemed to scowl at Harry before renewing her efforts to treat his eye, which had started to go down quite a lot.

"So what's with the brick then George?" Ron asked as he allowed Hermione to heal the last of the swelling around his eye without complaint.

"This brick, as you so ignorantly put it," George said, "is a chest."

"Carved out of stone from Pevensy Bay and naturally hinged, making it ideal for the incineration of magical objects." Fred nodded.

Harry looked closely at the unimpressive but heavy looking chest and hoped it would be up to the job of destroying a horcrux.

"Um, will it destroy any magical enchantments when it destroys the actual object then?" he tried to ask as casually as he could.

The twins didn't buy it for a second, Harry suspected they knew they had been given the edited version of what this cup of Hufflepuff's was and why it really had to be destroyed but they seemed to have decided to let it go for now. Harry suspected they were doing so to show Harry that he could trust them later on down the line rather than keeping them in the dark. Now that they knew about Ron's return to sleepwalking they probably wanted to be in the information loop even more than they had before. Despite their usual attitude of teasing and boasting Harry still hadn't forgotten their state of sibling protectiveness when they had been worried about Ron's condition. They weren't just the jokers of the Weasley clan, they were a force to be reckoned with, which was probably why they had been the only ones Harry had ever witnessed standing their ground with Mrs Weasley.

"It'll destroy anything you put in it no matter how magical the protection spell put upon it," George said proudly.

"And no matter what might be secretly hidden inside...for example," Fred smirked as he opened the lid of the stone trunk.

George took the cup and placed it inside the stone trunk. Fred closed the lid and nodded to George who withdrew his wand and tapped the top of the trunk three times.

"Aboleo, nusquam esse, absisto!"

The sound of a raging fire came from the chest as it violently shook in Fred's hands before smoke pushed out of the indentation where the lid rested.

"There," Fred grinned as he opened the lid and showed them the empty trunk, almost like one of the muggle magicians Harry had seen on the TV, "all gone."

Fred handed the trunk to George who turned to return it to wherever it was he had got it from. As he did he caught sight of Ron's butchered-looking feet and pulled out a small green bottle from his back pocket.

"Ron you're feet are putting me off having breakfast, go to the bathroom and soak them in some hot water with a capful of this will you?" George winced.

Ron eyed the bottle he had just been handed with great suspicion.

"Alright but if this stuff makes my feet swell up to five times their normal size I'm going to use them to kick your arses!"

George chuckled as he left the room with the trunk in his arms. Ron got up and hobbled across the room towards the bathroom, Hermione watched him with a pained expression on her face, and he let out several sharp intakes of breath as he put his weight on the soles of his raw feet. As soon as he closed the bathroom door and they heard the sound of running water she spun around in her seat and hissed at Harry.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

This took Harry by surprise.

"We agreed he'd feel guilty about it and it wasn't his fault," Harry sputtered.

"Not the immobulus spell, the unforgivable curse, why did you tell him he didn't really say anything last night?"

Harry couldn't believe she didn't understand that this extra worry was the last thing Ron needed on top of everything else that was going on. Fred sat forward in his own seat and looked at Harry with the same severe expression he and George had been wearing when they had first opened the door to them that morning.

"I'm fully aware that you've lied to me and George over the course of this morning but you're lying to Ron too? That's not on Harry and you know it."

Harry made a frantic hand gesture to get Fred to lower his voice as the sound of running water from the bathroom ceased.

"I'm not lying to Ron, I'm trying to protect him," Harry hissed.

Hermione actually scoffed at this.

"Protecting him from something he'll never find out and should never know like hexing the two of us in his sleep," Hermione ignored the horrified look on Fred's face on hearing this, "is not the same as lying to him about what he was talking about last night."

Fred looked from Hermione to Harry and then back again.

"What was he talking about last night?" Fred demanded just as his twin returned, oblivious to the serious turn in the conversation.

"Right, who's up for breakfast the Weasley way?" he grinned, on seeing the three un-amused faces that turned to glare at him his face fell and he sat down on the arm of Fred's chair, "What now?"

"Hermione's about to tell us," Fred said as he turned his attention back to Hermione.

She, in turn, glared at Harry.

"He's going to want to see the Prophet when it arrives Harry, there's going to be a report on the break-in at Gringotts, and there's going to be some mention of what he had to do to get that horc...cup."

Harry let out a deep sigh, she was right and he hated her for that, but Ron wasn't taking this latest attack of somnambulism quite as badly as he could have been and he didn't want anything to ruin that.

"I thought you two didn't know what he was doing last night?" Fred asked when he realised that Harry didn't have a response to Hermione's statement.

"We don't," she sighed as she looked at the twins, allowing Harry to breathe easier now he was no longer subjected to her accusing stare, "but there was one thing he said last night that makes me think..."

"Hermione thinks that the person Ron's been talking to in his sleep was trying to force him to use an unforgivable curse last night."

George's eyes were wider than Harry had ever seen them in his life.

"On who?"

Hermione shrugged.

"We don't know but we do know that he's been in quite a fight and had something that nobody is supposed to be able to get their hands on from one of the most impenetrable fortress' in the wizarding world."

"You don't think he hurt anybody do you?" Fred asked, seeming to be more horrified at actually saying those words than of the consequences that would arise if they turned out to be true.

"He wouldn't, not even in his sleep, he couldn't do something like that. He's Ron." George shook his head vigorously.

Harry wanted to believe that was the truth more than anything right now.

"Yeah he's right Hermione, Ron was being threatened with an unforgivable curse just like we originally thought last night."

"Haven't you worked this out yet Harry?" she said, seeming to be annoyed at the both of them, "They weren't threatening him with an unforgivable curse they were telling him he had to use one. That's why he said he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't talking to me at all, he couldn't hear me the whole time, I was just kidding myself."

At those last few words Hermione's head dropped and she looked at her hands as they rested in her lap. Harry had nothing to say, neither did the twins, and not another word was spoken until Ron stepped back out of the bathroom. He seemed to be walking a lot more comfortably now.

"You know I've got to say you two have impressed me with this," Ron said as he handed George back the green bottle, "I mean they still look a bit raw but they feel great. Ever thought of doing business with St Mungos?"

The twins were staring at Ron and didn't answer his question. Harry assumed they were trying to picture him using the cruciatis curse against a room full of Gringotts goblins and finding themselves unable to do it.

"What?" Ron looked down at himself and then felt his face before glaring at the twins, "What did that bloody stuff do to me? If I've turned green or something I swear I'll..."

"You're exactly the colour you're supposed to be Ron, we were just talking about how dreadful the Cannons are this season and didn't want to offend you," Harry impressed himself with his cover story.

Hermione didn't seem quite so impressed with him though and got to her feet to address Ron before he went on an hour-long rant in defence of the Chudley Cannons.

"Ron there's something I think you should know," she began.

She didn't get any further than that because of the post owl that swooped into the flat and landed on the table beside Ron with some letters for the twins and that morning's Daily Prophet.

"Oh great the Prophet's here," Ron said as he grabbed the newspaper up and read the front page with some combination of dread and excitement.

Hermione looked down at Harry fearfully and the twins were looking at each other in much the same way. Ron was reading silently and they couldn't see his face behind the paper. Hermione took a step toward him but Harry reached out and grabbed her wrist to hold her back. He didn't know why but he seemed to think Ron had the right to find out about his own activities before the rest of them did.

After an agonising minute Ron lowered the paper to meet their eyes, he looked worse than he did when he had first apparated back to them from Borgin's house, and he seemed to be shaking. Hermione shook off Harry's hold on her and took a step towards him. Ron's eyes darted down to Fred and George who were getting to their feet in one liquid movement and he shook his head and took a step backwards.

"I couldn't have done this," his face was white, even his freckles seemed to have been drained of all colour, "it's not possible. I didn't do this. I didn't do it. It wasn't me."

Ron looked back to the paper and gulped. Fred took a step toward him and spoke in such a gentle way that Harry wouldn't have believed him capable of had he not been there to hear it for himself.

"It wasn't you, you're absolutely right about that Ron, whatever happened last night it wasn't you. We know that."

Ron looked back down at the paper that was shaking in his hands itself now and Harry could've sworn that his legs were about to give way.

"That's...That much power, I shouldn't be able...I couldn't do that, it's not possible."

Hermione bundled Fred aside and tore the paper from Ron's hands. She thrust it into Fred's and threw her arms around Ron's neck, hugging him tightly, while Fred began to scan the front page frantically.

"I don't care what the paper says happened in Gringotts last night because you weren't at Gringotts last night," Hermione said firmly as she gripped Ron even tighter, "you're right Ron, it was somebody else who left us in that cave. It was somebody else who dumped you on Fred and George's doorstep this morning. Whatever happened, had nothing to do with you do you hear me?"

She pulled away and forced him to look her in the eyes, Ron couldn't speak, and Harry was shocked to see Hermione shaking him as she repeated her question.

"I said do you hear me Ron?"

Ron shook his head as Fred passed the newspaper to George and sat back down looking devastated.

"I can't trust myself to be around you, either of you, not anymore."

"Rubbish!" Hermione snapped.

Harry ripped the Prophet from George’s hands and read the offending article for himself while George steeled himself against the wall, took a deep breath and grabbed Ron out of Hermione's grip, pulling him into a hug of his own.

"Bollocks Ron, I trust you with my life and don't you forget it."

Ron pulled away from his brother and ran his hand through his hair.

"I've already hit you when I was like that," Ron scoffed as he began to pace up and down.

Fred got to his feet now.

"Oh come off it, you can't blame yourself for that, you were just a kid."

"It wasn't you!" George almost snarled at Ron as he passed back and forth in front of the twins.

"Goblins and powerful enchantments and aurors guys, aurors! I...I...all of 'em!"

"Stop it, stop it all of you!" Hermione screamed.

Ron stopped pacing, Fred and George were halted in the middle of their protestations, and Hermione stood frozen with her arms in the air just as she had been standing to let out her scream. Harry carefully folded the paper and set it down on the table. He still couldn't tear his eyes away from the headline though.

Gringotts Goblins duped into handing over entire contents to one of their vaults. Staff, security and several aurors controlled by the imperius curse at same time. Shocked witnesses declare 'Only You-Know-Who capable of such powerful magic'!

Ron leaned against the wall and slid down it, his head dropping into his hands.

"I'm going to go to Azkaban for this."

Chapter Ten - I'm Only Sleeping

Hermione had read the front page of the Daily Prophet three times before she felt confident enough to correct Ron.

"No, you're fine Ron, they don't know it's you."

"It wasn't him," George said with determination.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"What I mean is that nobody saw you there to blame you. You won't get into any trouble over this."

"No trouble?" Ron rose to his feet; he had his second wind apparently and began to pace even more frantically than he had been before, "No trouble Hermione? I attacked aurors!"

"You didn't attack anybody, you controlled people."

Ron stopped in front of her with a look of disbelief etched on his features.

"Oh well that's fine, perfectly acceptable isn't it?"

"Calm down," Hermione said firmly as she held him in place by the shoulders, "nobody got hurt. Nothing belonging to anybody got stolen remember? You are not in any trouble because, along with everything else, you managed to perform a memory charm on everybody."

"Witnesses Hermione," Ron prodded at the paper with his finger, "did you not read the word witnesses...plural?"

"Witnesses who, along with everybody else, didn't see the wizard's face and weren't able to supply any kind of descriptive details to the investigators who arrived on the scene. You're in the clear Ron."

Ron looked as if he was about to burst into tears for a fraction of a second before his fearful frantic demeanour took him over again.

"All those people Hermione, I had one wand and I was asleep, and I performed an unforgivable curse and an unbreakable memory charm on all of them."

Harry suddenly came back to himself and drew himself up, setting his jaw with determination.

"So what?"

Ron looked at Harry as if he was clearly insane.

"So I need to be locked-up!" Ron said incredulously.

"You need to be shut-up," Harry said harshly, "you're talking bollocks."

"Hear, hear!" George said.

"Look at the state of me Harry," Ron said through gritted teeth as he held out his bruised arms for Harry to get a good look at, "and I was covered in blood when I first woke up, you're seriously telling me I'm not dangerous?"

"That's easily explained," Hermione chipped in, tugging at Ron's elbow, "Voldemort would've got word almost immediately that one of his...possessions had just been stolen from Gringotts and sent as many Death Eaters as he could summon to Diagon Alley to get it back. If you hurt anybody it was only somebody who was looking to hurt you."

"Oh so I'm fighting Death Eaters in my sleep too now? What the hell is going on?"

"What's going on is that Voldemort now knows what we're trying to do," Harry's voice silenced the room, "and unless you managed to perform that memory charm while fighting those Death Eaters Voldemort also knows that the wizard the Prophet has just declared to be as powerful him is you. This mission just got a whole lot harder."

The twins had been adamant that they stay with them for a few nights but Harry and Ron wouldn't hear of it. Then they had told Harry and Hermione that they should take Ron home to the Burrow.

"Mum's still got Dumbledore's wards up, he wouldn't be able to apparate out of the house, you could confine him to his room and keep an eye on him."

Harry had said no to this idea as well. Worrying Mrs Weasley wasn't something he wanted to do and something told him that Ron would take a return to the Burrow so soon after leaving to begin the mission to be a hint that he shouldn't be with them anymore. That wasn't the truth at all. Harry wanted Ron with him, more than ever now, to protect his best friend from whoever was guiding him for whatever reasons and from Voldemort if he had indeed discovered the identity of the Gringotts thief. He didn't care if the person Ron was talking to in his sleep was on his side or not, he didn't like the way they were going about showing Ron the horcruxes and retrieving them. Death Eaters had ambushed him in his sleep for crying out loud. He couldn't let Ron out of his sight again after that.

They were in a room above the Leaky Caldron, it was the only way to get the twins off their backs and Harry really meant it when he said they wouldn't be going back to the cave again, and had just eaten lunch in absolute silence. Hermione was finally getting some sleep on the large bed in the centre of the room. Ron was sitting at the window, examining his wand with wary fascination at what it had been able to do the previous night, and drinking strong coffee in an attempt to keep his own eyes open. Harry simply sat on a worn old armchair in the corner of the room, stuffing spewing out of every seam, and scanning the interior of the room for the sturdiest thing to bind Ron to when he eventually fell asleep that night.

There was the bedpost of Hermione's bed, but something about that made Harry feel uncomfortable so he had continued to look elsewhere, a pipe which ran along the length of the far side of the room and a very solid looking radiator against the wall. Harry liked that idea, at least Ron would be warm, and he had noticed that Ron was looking a little peaky after his nighttime activities in minimal clothing and with nothing on his feet.

The room was no better or worse than the usual standards he had come to expect from the Leaky Caldron over the years really. The yellow streaked ceiling sagged in the middle and the entire place shook every time somebody opened the magical wall into Diagon Alley. The lampshade that swung low from the middle of the droopy ceiling looked as if it had been rotting away for decades until all that held it together were the cobwebs that interlaced around the wire frame.

Harry let out a deep sigh and Ron took another sip of his coffee.

"Listen Ron," Harry began, shocked at the hoarseness of his own voice from lack of use, "if you want to get some sleep we can work something out."

Ron smiled across at him and shook his head before turning to look at Hermione as she slept soundly on the bed.

"Look," Ron twisted his body away from the window to face into the room as he spoke, "in my backpack there's..."

"I know, I saw them," Harry nodded, he had packed up Ron's things before they had apparated to Fred and George's place with them, "I thought Hermione made her feelings about that pretty clear."

Ron lowered his head and cast another sheepish glance her way.

"Yeah well that was then wasn't it?" he raised his eyes to stare into Harry's with determined ferocity, "Do it before she wakes up so she can't stop it."

Harry sat forward in his chair and clasped his hands together.

"Ron I don't know about this, she was cautious for a good reason you know?"

"The reason being that whichever one of you does it for me...if anything happened to you, I'd be stuck forever, but you know what Harry? If anything happened to either of you me being stuck would be the last of my worries."

Harry thought about this for a moment, his eyes drifting over to Ron's backpack where it rested on the floor, he did want to do this but he didn't want to be the one to do it for Ron. He knew it had to be Hermione or no one and that she wouldn't accept the idea no matter what either of them said.

"The thing is Ron," Harry began, "I really don't think it should be me."

Ron looked at him with disbelief.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm almost certainly going to get killed."

Ron shuddered.

"Don't say that."

"It's the truth Ron, I've told you the words of the prophecy haven't I? Neither can live while the other survives."

Ron swallowed.

"Well you're going to kill Vol...You’ll kill him and then you'll be able to live won't you, there's no problem."

Harry couldn't help but smile at Ron's faith in his abilities.

"I intend to kill him Ron, I just can't be sure that he won't take me with him and if you're bound by my blood when that happens, when my blood stops flowing, you're bound for the rest of your life."

Ron blinked and fixed Harry's eyes in an unbreakable glare.

"Well you better not bloody 'bind' me anywhere during the battle eh?" he said firmly.

"I didn't mean that Ron, I was thinking of a night time attack, I could get caught up in defending myself and not have time to release you."

Ron stood up and crossed the room to crouch down at his Backpack and rummage around for the two silver coloured hoops that he had been hiding from Hermione since he took them from Borgin's secret room. Harry heard them clinking together as Ron withdrew them and held them out to him.

"It's the only way to stop me Harry," Ron looked up at Harry with pleading eyes and he found his hand reaching out to take the hoops from him, "please."

"Don't you dare!" Hermione's furious voice hissed from the bed, "Either of you."

Ron's head dropped and Harry jumped back from the hoops as if they were scalding hot as Hermione threw herself off the bed and stormed over to yank the offending items from Ron's open palm.

"I don't care what you did last night Ron, I don't care what you do tonight or the night after that, you are not restraining yourself with the bond of blood and that is final!" Ron was understandably cringing at her feet from his position crouched on the floor.

"It was just a maybe Hermione," Harry tried to help his friend out, "we were just talking about the idea of it. I wasn't going to do it."

Ron glared up at Harry, who tried to signal to him with his eyes that he was just trying to get them out of trouble and to keep his mouth shut.

"No you were going to suggest I do it, I heard you both Harry," Hermione yelled and stamped her foot like a petulant child throwing a tantrum.

Ron pulled himself back up to his feet and rounded on Hermione.

"I knew you'd never do it and I would never have asked you ok? Now give them here."

Ron held out his hand for her to give the hoops back but Hermione was gripping them so hard that her fingers were almost turning blue from the lack of blood reaching them. She seemed to swallow down a ball of rage and her eyes were burning fiercely as she stared at him.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

Ron lowered his voice but still spoke with strong resentment.

"I knew you'd say no. I didn't want to waste my time."

The two of them seethed at each other until Ron lowered his hand and turned away from Hermione.

"Keep 'em then," he growled under his breath.

Hermione seemed to loosen her grip on the rings now that she had won their little standoff and exhaled her built-up tension. She seemed to be trembling now as she watched Ron stomp back over to the window and sit on the sill with silent resentment.

"Harry's right Ron," she said, her voice sounding weak now, "if you're bound while the binder's blood stops flowing you're bound for life."

Ron met Hermione's eyes as he spoke with more seriousness than Harry had heard from him in a long time.

"If the binder's blood stopped flowing I wouldn't care about being bound for life."

Hermione raced across the room faster than Harry thought was possible and he felt sure she was about to fling her arms around him and burst into tears. He prepared himself to avert his eyes when he saw Hermione's right arm fly back and swing forward and heard the cold, hard slap as it landed on the good side of Ron's battered face.

The sound seemed to echo forever. The resulting silence that followed this seemed to hurt Harry's ears. Ron was looking at Hermione with a blank expression that would have reminded him of his sleepwalking face if his eyes hadn't been so obviously focused on Hermione's own. Hermione's hands were covering the lower half of her face in shock at what she had just done and the agonising silence dragged on for a painfully long time.

In a movement that would ordinary have been silent, but in these heightened circumstances seemed to be deafening, Ron sprang up to his feet and grabbed Hermioine in a full body hug while whispering into her hair with a broken voice.

"I'm sorry."

Hermione began to blurt out sentence after sentence so fast that Harry didn't even think she was following what she was saying.

"We'll find another way I promise you. There's got to be a way to keep you safe, to keep you with me, and I can't let you do something this drastic so soon. There has to be something else we just haven't thought of. I can't let you do it, I won't, it's far too risky. We can chain you up physically and magically tonight and I'll stay up with you all night long and you won't go anywhere. I won't let you go tonight. I won't let you go, not ever, ok? You're not a bad person. You're not a dangerous person. The thing that comes to you at night isn't dangerous either. They didn't hurt anybody last night. They didn't make you hurt anybody. It's going to be ok Ron, I promise you, I swear."

"Say that again, I didn't quite catch it," Ron muttered.

Harry laughed, so did Ron and Hermione, before making his excuses and going for a walk.

He needed to go into the muggle world and pick up some handcuffs.

Ron tugged against the handcuffs as Harry finished fixing the one that wasn't around Ron's wrist to the radiator.

"These'll be off in a second you do know that right?"

Harry shrugged.

"Well we'll take your wand from you, that'll make it a little harder for you won't it?"

Hermione had a book open on her lap and had been casting charms on Ron, on the handcuffs, on the door and window and pretty much anything she could fins a charm for.

"You shouldn't be able to get out of them and my magical re enforcements on them Ron and even if you do the room should hold you."

Ron glanced up at her.

"And if it doesn't?"

Hermione's resolve only wavered for a millisecond, although Harry was sure that Ron had seen it as well as he had, and she stood up straight and closed the book calmly.

"Harry or myself would have woken up long before that becomes an issue, if either of us sleep tonight at all, and if you apparate anywhere we'll be taken with you."

Harry nudged Ron and grinned.

"Don't worry mate, we'll be on you like glue tonight."

Ron rolled his eyes and smiled as Hermione took a step back and regarded the sight of their best friend sitting on the floor, one arm chained to a radiator, on top of his sleeping bag and began to frown.

"Well you're obviously not going to doze off in that uncomfortable position are you?" she said, before raising her wand and twirling it in front of her, "Let me know when you're ready and I'll..."

"Cheers Hermione," Ron nodded as he turned onto his side to continue chatting with Harry.

Harry gestured to the radiator with a nod of the head.

"Why does this room even have one of those when there's a fireplace right here?" he asked.

Ron shrugged.

"Hot water's got to come from somewhere hasn't it? Besides, these fireplaces are really for flooing rather than heat, the chimney’s haven't been cleaned in an age."

Hermione settled down on the end of her bed with another book and Harry and Ron played wizard chess and talked into the night until Harry caught Hermione watching Ron yawning for the third time in as many minutes over the top of her book and let out a sigh.

"Well mate I don't know about you but I'm knackered."

"Oh very subtle," Ron snorted, "couldn't you have just said, you're boring me now, knock him out Hermione?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the wicked grin that lit up Ron's face as he spoke.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings," he shrugged.

Hermione put her book aside and sank down to the floor with her wand in her hand.

"You have been looking sleepy these last few minutes Ron," she smiled as she held up her wand to his face, "I think it's time for you to get some rest don't you?"

Ron nodded and settled down into the most comfortable position he could manage.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked him, he nodded, "Obdormio!"

Ron's eyes closed and his body slumped. Hermione pushed his fringe away from his face and tried to move him into a position that looked more natural. Ron's handcuffed hand hung limp and Harry wished that they had been able to find a spell that would be strong enough to hold him without having to resort to this.

"And now we wait," she said as she sat back and stared at Ron's still form.

Harry leaned against the foot of the bed beside her.

"What if it doesn't happen again tonight?" he asked.

"It will."

Harry wasn't really sleeping, he was just resting his eyes for a minute or two, and the second he heard the clank of Ron's cuffs against the radiator his eyes were wide open and he was alert and prepared for action. Hermione had been vigilant all night, her afternoon nap having giving her the extra stamina she needed for this all-nighter and she gripped Harry's shoulder to reassure him that he hadn't missed anything.

"He's only just sat up," she informed him as they watched Ron staring at the wall.

"For what?" he mumbled, blankly.

"Here we go," Harry gripped his wand and braced himself.

"Now?" Ron wearily.

"How do you think he's going to get out of this one?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Who's to say he will?" she said, not sounding as hopeful as Harry would have liked her to be.

"There's really no other way?" Ron asked the wall.

"This is different to the last time isn't it?" Hermione said as she studied Ron's features, "He doesn't seem quite so..."

"Upset?"

"Throwing your lap dog a bone huh?" Ron sounded like he was huffing.

Harry found himself laughing at this.

"He's giving them attitude!"

Hermione smiled a tired smile at this and shuffled a little closer to Ron, taking his hand in hers.

"I'm going to hold on to him just to be on the safe side ok?"

Harry nodded just as Ron spoke again.

"You know just how to play me don't you?"

Harry frowned as he heard Ron's tone.

"He's definitely not scared of this person Hermione, he's cautious though."

"I don't know, do you dare?" Ron said, his voice was sounding rougher than the usual whisper he spoke in when in this state.

"What's going on? It sounds as if he's challenging them," Hermione seemed to be more than a little concerned at this change in Ron's demeanour.

Ron let out a sigh before Harry could respond.

"Thank you."

Hermione's eyes tore away from Ron and stared at Harry, she had hope, and Harry smiled at her. It sounded to them as if Ron had won a little victory.

"You can't break the spells?" Ron was asking the wall as they both turned their attention back to their transfixed friend.

"We did it Harry!" Hermione tried to suppress her squeal of delight, "They can't move him."

"I have to go alone?" Ron said with great discomfort.

"Oh this doesn't sound good," Harry glanced at Hermione whose euphoria was rapidly diminishing as she tightened her grip on Ron's hand.

"When?" Ron asked with resignation.

Hermione pointed her wand at the handcuffs and cast another charm with determined ferocity.

"Obtineo! He's not going anywhere Harry, I promised him."

"What? What's the matter?" Harry blinked, as Ron seemed to be addressing the wall with concern.

Hermione looked almost annoyed.

"He's worried about them. Is this a different person do you think?"

"He's familiar with them just like he always has been but, you're right he's warmed to them for some reason, I think he trusts them." Harry didn't like that idea one bit.

"Why? What is it?" Ron demanded, "Where are you sending me?"

"Nowhere," Hermione huffed as she clasped his hand in both of hers now, "you're going nowhere."

"I don't get this, can they break our spells or not?" Harry said with agitation.

"Regulus?" Ron frowned.

Harry and Hermione stared at each other, their mouths hanging open.

"I know that name," Harry began, "I saw it on that tapestry at Grimmauld Place, that's the name of..."

"You're not going to make me kill anyone are you?" Ron suddenly interrupted Harry.

Harry lost his train of thought on hearing Ron ask this question, his voice now back to the uncertain whisper it had been on the previous nights.

"The draw with his wand inside, you locked it right?" Harry blurted to Hermione who nodded in shock.

"It's locked and magically sealed with three different..."

"You're going to kill me?" Ron asked the wall with a shudder.

"No!" Hermione yelped like a dog that had just had its tail stepped on.

Harry felt foolish doing so but he moved around to physically put himself between Ron and the wall he was conversing with.

"Harry this is in his head we can't shield him from anything," Hermione sobbed.

Harry was about to say something; he hadn't a clue what but that didn't matter, as he never had the chance. Ron's eyes closed and he slumped backwards into Hermione's arms. Harry fell to his knees and pressed his index and middle fingers firmly onto Ron's pulse point at his handcuffed wrist and held his breath. Hermione had lowered her head to his chest and was listening for a heartbeat, tears streaming down her face.

After three agonising seconds their eyes met.

"He's got a pulse," Harry said in a voice that didn't sound like his own.

Hermione nodded though kept her ear pressed firmly against his chest.

"I can hear his heart beating. He's breathing too,” her ragged voice whimpered.

"He's only sleeping," Harry sighed and slumped against the wall with relief.

Hermione's red eyes looked up at him, she had her arms curled around Ron's body in a way that let him know she wasn't planning on letting him go any time soon and her head still rested upon his chest, and she spoke with utter devastation.

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?"

Chapter Eleven - Home and Away

Their bags were packed, Harry's gums hurt from his over zealous tooth brushing a few minutes earlier, and Tom had been paid for their overnight stay. Ron was stirring on the floor and Hermione was fumbling with the key to the handcuffs as she crouched over him.

"Right as soon as he's up we tell him we're going to Fred and George's for breakfast, I've already spoken to them and they've told their mum and dad to expect us at nine thirty exactly," Harry blustered as he dragged both his and Ron's backpacks over to the door.

"Too much noise!" he heard Ron groaning as he attempted to roll over before the handcuffs yanked him back again.

Harry rushed over to Hermione and took the key from Hermione.

"I'll do this, you put his shoes on."

She complied without complaint, that was probably what made Ron finally open his eyes.

"Is the building on fire or something?" he blinked as he tried to sit up.

"Stay still for a second Ron, I'm trying to liberate you from the radiator," Harry said as he shoved his befuddled friend flat onto his back.

"Hermione, why are you putting my shoes on the wrong feet?" Ron winced as he squirmed to look around Harry's body to try and work out what they were rushing for.

Hermione hissed something under her breath and pulled Ron's shoes back off roughly. At the same moment Harry turned the key and the cuffs slid open. Ron took this opportunity to wriggle off of his sleeping bag and away from both of them.

"Look what is wrong with you two? What's the panic about?"

"We're going to take you home," Harry said firmly, waiting for the explosion of protest from his best friend.

Ron's head dropped.

"Oh," Harry glanced at Hermione and saw that she hadn't expected this subdued reaction either, "right, I'll just pack my..."

Ron saw his backpack full and leaning against the doorframe and looked at Harry as if he'd just kicked him in the guts for no good reason.

"...you've packed for me already? How efficient."

Hermione took a step toward him and handed him his shoes.

"We're coming with you silly," Ron's head raised at this, Harry was such an idiot, of course Ron would immediately assume they were dumping him, "we need stronger wards and the Burrow has them."

"Sorry mate, I didn't think about how it must look, I'm a prat.

Harry tried to smile but he hadn't been able to manage that expression ever since he had found himself in the awful position of feeling for Ron's pulse in the middle of the night and not expecting there to be one.

"We managed to keep you safe last night but you said some stuff that made us think that we really need to be around somebody who's dealt with your sleepwalking before."

Ron's eyes were wide.

"You didn't tell my mum about this did you?" he asked fearfully.

"No," Hermione insisted as she grabbed the wrist that still had the handcuffs dangling from it, "but we think that things might get nasty tonight and we're going to need..."

"Wait you think things are going to turn nasty so you're bringing me closer to more people I don't want to hurt? Where's the sense in that?" Ron snapped as he wrenched his arm away from Hermione.

Harry put the key into Hermione's hand and grabbed Ron's arm back, holding it out for Hermione to unlock the other cuff from his wrist firmly, and met Ron's eyes with a hard glare of his own.

"Ron you are going to have to trust us and stop being so sensitive about this sleepwalking stuff alright?"

Hermione slipped the cuffs off Ron and tossed them aside but Harry didn't release his arm. Something had snapped inside him and he wasn't going to let Ron's fragile ego get in the way of his plan to keep him safe.

"We don't think that you're going to hurt anybody. We don't think that the person sending you after the horcruxes is anything to do with Voldemort, we think they're genuinely trying to help us with the mission, but we also don't think that this person is being careful enough with you ok?" Harry released his grip on Ron when he saw his friend wincing and suddenly remembered the bruising on his arms.

Hermione took another step forward and tried to make Ron understand in her, much gentler and more diplomatic, way.

"Something you said last night made us worried, for you Ron, not for the safety of us or others but for you and we want to take you home so there are more people there to protect you. There are wards there that Dumbledore put up himself and right now Harry and I can't think of anywhere safer for you." Ron had put his hand to his head briefly as if he was being given too much information but he shook this off almost immediately and Hermione put her hand on his cheek, "We're not trying to take you to the Burrow to get rid of you, we're trying to keep you with us."

Harry's hard detachment was dissolving and he fought to stay tough for the benefit of everyone.

"Listen Ron, something was in this room with you last night telling you that you were...that somebody was going to die and I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to. We're flooing from Fred and George's place in ten minutes and that's final."

Hermione looked at Harry and he tried to beg her with his eyes not to tell Ron exactly what they had heard the night before. They had already spent the last few hours since Ron had fallen back to sleep debating the use of telling him the truth. Hermione seemed to think they owed him the truth no matter how nasty it was if they ever expected Ron to be straight with them about how badly this was affecting him. Harry just wanted to spare Ron more stress, he was already looking pretty rough as it was.

"Ron," Hermione began, tearing her stern gaze away from Harry's, "last night, whoever it was you were talking to threatened to kill you."

Ron said nothing; he just blinked and turned to Harry.

"That was only what it sounded like," Harry tried to explain, "it could've been anything, we've miss-interpreted things before haven't we?"

"You're going to kill me, that's what you said Ron, that's what you said word-for-word!" Hermione said firmly before shoving him backwards onto the bed and forcing his shoes onto his feet, "We are getting you out of here now and no arguments."

Harry picked up their backpacks and set off down the stairs to the Diagon Alley exit while Hermione ordered Ron to pull a jumper on and dragged him along behind her. Ron hadn't said a word since she had revealed what they had heard that had scared them so much and Harry wasn't the least bit surprised. He didn't need this, he had told her that time and time again, but all Hermione could do was remind him how he had felt when the Order of the Phoenix had kept him in the dark after Cedric's death in the summer before their fifth year. She had made some good points, he had thought at the time, but that still didn't mean she was right about everything.

When Fred answered the door several minutes later it was to a very tense scene. Harry had filled in Fred when he had woken the twins up in the middle of the night and told them that they needed to get Ron to safety as soon as he woke up in the morning. They had insisted on their original idea of taking him to the Burrow and Harry had agreed without much persuasion. He had always felt safe there and he secretly craved the security of the Weasley home every moment he was away from it. George had flooed his mother and calmed her down before informing her that the three adventurers were fine but needed a rest for the time being.

The twins had also told Harry that they had put out some feelers among their 'less desirable' customers and that it looked as if the identity of the Gringotts thief was still as much of a mystery to the wizarding underworld as it was to the rest of the wizarding world.

"Mind you," Fred had frowned, "a pretty shifty-looking bloke cornered George yesterday and asked him if the family were all doing alright but that could have just been anything. You-Know-Who's supporters have been making their presence felt in Diagon Alley ever since Ollivander went missing.

Fred stared at a livid looking Harry and a scowling Hermione on his doorstep before grabbing his unnaturally quiet little brother and hauling him in off the street.

"So I take it Hermione won the 'do we tell him' war then?" George said as he saw them climbing the stairs up to the flat.

Harry didn't say a word and Hermione hissed at him.

"What would you have me do, tell him everything was fine like you did the last time?"

Ron turned on them.

"What about the last time? What didn't you tell me then?" he asked, his ears getting red.

Harry looked at Hermione as she sputtered over her slip-up.

"What's the matter little Miss honesty?" he snapped as she tried to swallow her anger.

"Harry don't," she warned.

Harry turned to Ron who was looking at him expectantly, his ears almost crimson now.

"You hexed Hermione and me in your sleep to get away and rob Gringotts the other night."

As Harry said it he felt sick, it was he who had persuaded Hermione to keep that to themselves and now he saw the look on Ron's face he remembered why.

"I did what?" Ron gasped.

Hermione turned on Harry with her full fury.

"You wanted to protect him from that Harry...You! How dare you do that to me," she punched Harry on the arm so hard that it went numb, "how dare you do that to him! After all you said..."

"Shut up the both of you," Ron snarled, "I am sick of being treated like the fragile little nutcase in this scenario!"

Fred clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder and gave Harry and Hermione a severe look.

"I have to say I'm with Ron on this one, you two are letting the stress get to you and you're disguising it as concern for the nocturnal wanderer here."

Ron seemed to be surprised at his brother's display of support but he seemed to relax a little because of it. Hermione lowered her head in shame but Harry wasn't able to let any of his worries go just yet. Every time he let himself relax something bad seemed to happen. A relaxed Harry was a clumsy Harry he told himself, he wouldn't relax until they were back at the Burrow.

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in the Weasley's living room and found himself being dusted down by Mrs Weasley while Mr Weasley and Hermione wrestled with the backpacks.

"Oh I'm so glad you chose to come back here for a rest, I've been frantic about the three of you out there all alone," Mrs Weasley fussed as she wrapped Harry in a hug that felt like sinking into a warm bath on a winter's day, "and when the boys woke us last night to ask if you could come, oh I thought the worst I really did but look at you" she beamed with pride.

Ron appeared in the fireplace and Mrs Weasley released Harry from the hug and they stepped back to give Ron some room. As he spluttered from the mouthful of soot he seemed to have inhaled his mother flung herself at him and planted a wet kiss on his forehead before holding his face in her hands and scrutinising it closely.

"You look different Ronnie dear, what is it?"

Ron flushed and gave a shrug.

"It's only been a couple of weeks mum."

"Nearly a month is not a couple of weeks Ronald," she said in her stern but warm manner before turning the side of his face to the light and squinting, "have you been healed recently?"

Ron pulled his head back and turned his previously swollen side away from his mother's eagle eye.

"It's soot mum, I'm fine really."

Ron gave his mother his winning smile; Ron had once told Harry that he kept it in reserve for emergencies, though it didn't work when she was furious. In fact it seemed to make her ten times worse but in times of maternal over protectiveness it was always guaranteed to distract her from whatever she was fussing over at that moment. Harry realised that he and Hermione were beaming at Mrs Weasley too, Ron was right, that smile really was infectious.

As they heaved their backpacks onto their shoulders to take them upstairs to their rooms Mr Weasley held Ron back for a moment to say, out of Mrs Weasley's earshot,

"I'd ask Hermione to have another go at that face of yours Ron, when your mother sees those bruises aren't soot she'll go spare."

Ron nodded and Hermione blushed a little. Harry couldn't help but glance at the Weasley clock as he passed it and smiled as he saw Ginny's hand pointed at school. He had done the right thing insisting she couldn't come with them. They were fighting with each other enough as it is, he couldn't imagine how bad it would be to have an over-protective sister and ex-girlfriend thrown into the mix!

Harry and Hermione agreed to unpack and meet in Ron's room where they could set about magically barring his door and window. Hermione placed multiple charms on the handcuffs and set them on his bedside table while Harry set up a number of defensive spells to ensnare any intruders, physical or metaphysical, into Ron's room while he was asleep. Ron was downstairs for all of this, Hermione told him it was best if his subconscious didn't see what defences he had to beat that night, distracting his mother from coming looking for them. Distracting his mother was easy enough for Ron; she was just so relieved that he was all right that his mere presence was enough to focus her mind on the cooking of the greatest feast she had made since the wedding.

Harry and Hermione finished their charms and hexes and put their wands away. They glanced at each other and looked away uncomfortably. Harry looked back at Hermione and held the uncomfortable connection when she also looked back at him. Her shoulders suddenly slumped and she ran to him and whispered that she was sorry for fighting with him again and that she was just so worried about Ron that she was losing her sense of reason because of it. Harry smiled at that and apologised too, he called himself five different kinds of idiot and they both laughed and separated.

"You and Ron don't have to keep it a secret y'know?" Harry smiled.

Hermione's cheeks flushed and she wiped her watery eyes.

"What are you talking about Harry?"

"You and Ron."

She knew exactly what he was saying but she didn't seem ready for this conversation so Harry decided to let it go.

"I just meant that, I understand why you're so worried about him and I should be a lot more tolerant, I can see how much all this is upsetting you."

Hermione sighed.

"It's not upsetting you?" she asked.

Harry laughed as they made their way down to save Ron from his overbearing mother.

"Only in that pesky brotherly way, I'm like Fred and George only I get to finish my own sentences!"

Hermione cleared her throat just as Harry was climbing into bed and she walked over to Ron, who was already handcuffed to the bedpost, and sat down on the bed beside him. She withdrew a small black object from her pocket.

"What's that?" Ron frowned, Harry was kind of curious about this too and leaned closer to listen to Hermione as she explained.

"It's a mobile telephone Ron, I got one so you can contact us even if you end up in the muggle world, it's a way to tell us where you are and if you need help."

She held up the mobile phone and flipped it open.

"See? You'll see public telephone boxes everywhere and all you have to do is put one of these coins into the slot," Hermione held up a silver coin with corners and slid it into the pocket of Ron's tracksuit bottoms before continuing, "and dial the number and you can speak to me wherever I am in the world right then and there ok?"

"What's the number?" Ron asked, in awe of this little device that Hermione was closing up and slipping back into her own pocket.

"It's 0744..." she began.

"Whoa, how many numbers is this? I thought you said a number, as in one?" Ron sputtered.

Harry couldn't help but laugh, it did make perfect sense if you thought about it really, and Hermione smiled and shook her head.

"Sorry Ron, a phone number is actually several numbers long and this one is eleven digits."

Ron's face fell and he shook his head.

"I'm never going to remember that Hermione."

Her lips pressed together as she glanced around the room in deep thought before picking up a quill and a pot of ink.

"I'll write it on your arm for you ok?"

Ron extended the arm that wasn't manacled to the bedpost and Hermione inked the quill and began to write the numbers up the length of Ron's arm. Ron seemed to be a little ticklish Harry thought as he was struggling to keep some kind of emotion under control and it seemed to become more and more difficult the longer Hermione was writing upon his skin, even his ears were going bright red with the effort. When she finally completed the final number and placed the quill back on Ron's bedside table Ron's ears were almost in flames and he couldn't even speak to her, he just gave a nod and she sat back upright again.

"So that's my number then," Hermione said, her voice sounding breathless, "and you dial this number and the phone will ring and I'll answer and be speaking to you ok?"

Ron nodded again.

"Ok then, I'll be saying goodnight."

Ron managed to make a sound as he nodded this time.

"Well goodnight," she almost giggled, it made Harry snort into his pillow, and Hermione jumped as if suddenly remembering that he was there too, "oh, goodnight to you too Harry."

" 'Night Hermione," Harry grinned as he watched her backing out of the room and bumping into the door.

"Goodnight."

She finally made it out of the room and closed the door behind her before charming it several times and walking back to the room she usually shared with Ginny but had to herself that night.

Harry looked over to Ron who was staring at the numbers on his arm.

"Don't smudge 'em mate or she'll have to come in and do it all over again," Harry teased.

"What?" Ron seemed to have been deep in thought and not really paying any attention to Harry's words.

"I said do you want me to put you to sleep tonight or are you ok?" Harry decided to let his friend off the hook; he'd tease him mercilessly tomorrow.

"No, I'll be fine I think, as long as this thing doesn't get too uncomfortable," he jangled the handcuffed arm against his bedpost.

Harry gave him a sympathetic smile before wishing him a goodnight and blowing out the candle at his bedside.

"Give 'em hell from me Ron," Harry muttered into his pillow as he settled down to sleep.

"Will do," Ron's voice drifted back from his side of the room.

The sleepless nights caught up with both of them pretty fast because the next time Harry opened his eyes he was squinting in the light. The sun was up already? That night went by bloody fast he thought to himself as he put his glasses on and turned to grumble to Ron that he needed thicker curtains to block out the sunrise when he realised that the light wasn't coming from Ron's window but from the hallway. The light was flooding in through the open bedroom door. Harry's head snapped around to check on Ron but he was gone, the handcuffs hanging from the bedpost.

"Oh shit!" Harry hissed as he threw himself out of bed and ran out into the hallway.

He grabbed his and Ron's wands as he went. As he ran he wondered how Ron had broken all of Hermione's charms without it and then had a thought: Hermione. After what he'd seen before they had settled down to sleep he thought that maybe Ron might be with Hermione. Maybe she had released him and they had gone into her room to...well maybe they had gone into her room for some reason he thought. He hoped that was true. He doubted it though.

His footsteps thudded along the landing and he flung Hermione's door open without even knocking. The door banged against the wall with the force he had opened it.

"Is he here?" Harry barked into the darkness of Hermione's room.

"Wha...What?" Hermione's voice was sleepy and confused, Harry's eyes were still blinded by the brightness of the hallway and he couldn't make anything out other than a shape moving under the covers.

"He's gone, did he come in here?" Harry needed to know the answer and he didn't care if he was causing the two of them embarrassment, this was serious.

"No," Hermione was suddenly alert and rushing toward him, the light of the hallway letting Harry see her frantic expression as she grabbed her wand and rushed out of her room and along the hallway to the stairs with Harry at her side matching every step, "he didn't take his wand did he?"

"No I've got it," Harry panted as they started down the stairs, "Hermione if he disapparates again we're screwed!"

It was then that he saw her; Mrs Weasley standing at the foot of the stairs with her arms folded, much in the same way George had been standing when they had gone to collect Ron from the twins shop the other day, with a livid look on her crimson face; and they froze halfway down the stairs in fear of the inevitable explosion that was due any moment now.

"Oh I'd say you were in enough trouble as it is wouldn't you?"

Chapter Twelve - Not Dead, Just Sleeping

They four of them sat around the kitchen table, staring at the mobile phone Hermione had set in the centre of it, and tried to make sense of what Mrs Weasley had just told them after much persuasion.

Ron was an oracle.

Mr Weasley had been furious with his wife for keeping the Prewitt family secret from him. She had explained that she was the last surviving Prewitt and she didn't have the gift, none of the children had showed any signs of possessing the gift, so she hadn't ever spoken of it to him. The gift died with Fabian and Gideon that awful night during the first war. Her boys and Ginny never had to know because it never affected them. Not until Ron started walking in his sleep at around six or seven years old.

Mrs Weasley's twin brothers had been prone to the same thing at that age and she had recognised it at once but still wouldn't let herself believe that her youngest son was talking to the dead in his sleep. She knew that only those who knew of someone possessing the gift could visit them and manipulate them in their sleep and wanted to keep that knowledge to the barest minimum for Ron's sake. The more people that knew the more people would seek him out to do their bidding once they had passed on. Ron deserved a life of his own, she had told the stunned threesome, and not a life as a vessel for the unfinished business of others. Nobody alive knew about Ron's gift but her. Nobody.

"Of course when You-Know-Who began attacking Harry and the family again I had to tell Dumbledore to warn him, to let him know that Ron was to be sent straight back home if his sleep patterns became erratic but they never did." Mrs Weasley sniffed.

"You never told me Molly, he's my son and you never told me what was happening to him, how could you?" Mr Weasley had been devastated and betrayed by this lifelong lie.

The table had barely spoken to each other for an agonisingly long time before Harry couldn't hold in the number one question any longer.

"So who was he when he woke up that time?"

Mrs Weasley's eyes were bloodshot and filled with fresh tears as her whole body sagged in her chair and Mr Weasley turned and stared at her expectantly.

"It was Gideon," she could just about manage to say before dissolving into tears, "it was my brother, he was talking to me like he was...as if it was..."

Hermione leapt out of her seat and hugged Mrs Weasley with all her strength.

"It's alright Mrs Weasley, everything's going to be alright, I know your brother wouldn't hurt Ron. He'll be fine I promise."

"But he swore to me!" the older woman suddenly bellowed, causing Hermione to release Mrs Weasley and leap back in shock, "He looked me in the eye and promised me never again. he promised for both of them."

"Promised what Molly?" Mr Weasley asked, resting a hand on his wife's back.

"It was Ronnie's eyes but it was Gideon inside, I could see it Arthur, and I begged them to leave him alone and never come back I begged them to and he promised. He promised me!"

Again Mrs Weasley was lost to tears and Mr Weasley lost his anger towards her at the same moment, crushing her in his own embrace and rocking her from side to side slowly.

Ten years previously

"Ron get back in bed now!" George shoved his zombified baby brother back towards his bedroom.

"Oh don't be rough with him boys," Fred said in a cruelly accurate Mrs Weasley impersonation, "you mustn't wake a sleepwalker, it says so in all the books!"

George chuckled as he steered Ron along the landing in a zigzag motion because of Ron's resistance to returning to bed.

"What do books know?"

"Nothing, they're no good to anyone in my opinion."

"In our opinion Fred."

"In our opinion George. What can a book tell us that we don't already know?"

"The book said that a wizard of our age couldn't transfigure an inanimate object into a living creature and we proved that wrong!"

Fred laughed.

"Ronnie's face when he found himself holding that spider..."

"Priceless!"

Ron spun out of George's grip and turned to head back to the stairs but Fred was blocking his way and grabbed him, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Oops, look who's a slippery little fish tonight eh?"

George huffed and withdrew his wand.

"Oh he's such a pain when he's like this," George flickedthe battered wand he had stollen fromBill's old roomat Ron, "Ennervate!"

Ron's glazed eyes came into focus and he spun around to see George pointing his wand at him and grinning.

"Can't wake a sleepwalker my a..."

George couldn't complete his sentence as Ron punched him with an uppercut to the jaw that sent him crashing to the floor. Fred couldn't believe what he was seeing as Ron turned back to glare at him.

"She told you not to wake him up you cocky little smartarses," Fred was speechless, his seven year old baby brother had just floored George with one punch and was now putting Fred in his place in the same way Charlie was only able to do and that was because he was so big and intimidating, "you think you're so clever don't you?"

Fred swallowed and tried to hold Ron in place again.

"Sorry Ron, let's get you back to your bed ok?"

Ron shook off Fred's hold on his as if he wasn't even there.

"Well I'm here now, I may as well talk to her, she downstairs?"

Fred blinked as George struggled back to his feet behind Ron.

"She?"

"Molls? Your bloody mother! Is she downstairs?" Ron barked before shoving Fred aside and stomping down the stairs in a huff.

Fred and George cast frantic glances at each other before Fred hauled George up to his feet and they followed their out-of-sorts brother down to the ground floor and into the kitchen where their mother and father sat drinking hot chocolate.

"Ron don't tell her we woke you she'll kill us," Fred pleaded as he tugged at Ron's elbow.

"Being dead ain't all that bad," their brother sniggered, "and we both owe Molls and explanation."

The three of them stopped in the kitchen doorway and Mrs Weasley rose to her feet.

"What on earth are you doing out of bed at this time of night?" she snapped at them.

Ron looked slightly amused at this tyrannical display.

"Listen to you, you've turned into our mother!"

"I am your mother Ronald Weasley!" she screeched.

"He's not, he's not himself mum..." George stammered as he tried to pull Ron back toward the stairs.

"We'll just put him back to bed and leave you in peace. Goodnight." Fred said as he too tugged at Ron's arm to pull him back.

"George, what on earth happened to your face?" Mrs Weasley suddenly gasped.

Ron looked at her with a familiar expression of amused guilt.

"Ah well, that was me I'm afraid, I had to hit him Molls. He went and woke the poor kid up after all the times you warned him as well."

Mrs Weasley looked at Ron with utter confusion.

"You hit...Molls? What do you mean the poor kid? Who woke who?" her face fell slack with horror as she realised who she was talking to, "No!"

Ron rested a hand on Mrs Weasley's shoulder and smiled.

"At least I get to explain to you, face-to-face, what we've been doing with him."

"Fred, George, up to your room now, I'll deal with you later."

Fred blinked and George massaged his jaw.

"But mum..."

"NOW!" she growled and the twins ran up the stairs as if fleeing from a stampede.

She turned to her husband who was looking bewildered and concerned from his seat in the kitchen and gave him a flustered smile.

"Arthur, wait there for me would you, I'm just going to get Ronnie settled back down for the night."

Before her husband could answer she bundled Ron into the living room and shut the door behind them.

"We've wanted to try to explain what we've been doing with him all this time," Ron began to explain in a flippant manner before Mrs Weasley cut him off.

"Get out!"

Ron blinked.

"What?"

"Get out of him now!" she was shaking with rage and fighting herself not to bellow her enraged words into the seven year old's face.

"At least let me..."

"Which one of you is it?" she said as she squinted into the familiar blue eyes that she loved so much, trying to see the essence of the person who had hijacked her son from her.

"It's Gideon Molls, it's me."

She flinched and looked on the verge of tears before resuming her determined attack on the intruder into her home.

"Leave him alone."

"We didn't pick on him Molls, he's the only one of the lot of you who can do it, we tried all of them. I would've thought it was the girl what with her being the seventh..."

"You stay away from Ginny, both of you!" she growled with genuine fear and anger.

"She's not one of us Molls; it's only this one, he's the only one we can use."

"You can't use him anymore, how dare you even try to in the first place, he nearly froze to death last week because of you. How dare you!" she began to hit the cringing boy.

"You're hitting him Molls, please stop, you're hitting your boy not your brother!"

She seemed to be mortified as she took another step back and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Please Gideon, please leave him alone, he's just a baby."

"He's no younger than Fabian and I were when we first..."

"I...don't...care!" she spat the words as she drew herself up and took a step forward again, "Get out Gideon, get out and never come back, that goes for both of you."

Ron's head dropped and he looked ashamed of himself.

"We didn't want to leave him in the snow, we only had him for half an hour and then his body forced us out and he just slept where he was standing at the time, I swear if we knew how long it would be before you found him..."

"Get out of my son!"

"I'm sorry Molls, I'm really sorry, we were trying to help you."

"Just go Gideon, please."

"We've got money stashed, money that'll help the family," Ron tried to explain.

"I don't care about your money, I just want my boy back the way he was, now leave him alone."

"But you're struggling Molls, all those kids and you can barely feed them, we want to help."

"Get out!" she fought not to scream and alert her husband to her distress as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Ron stepped forward and grabbed her and hugged her tightly as she broke down and sobbed into the top of his head.

"We never meant to upset you Molls, we'll go I promise, we'll never use him again I promise you ok? We're really sorry."

She pulled away and wiped her eyes as she looked at the small boy in front of her.

"I miss you both so much."

He smiled in a way that was so familiar to her, it was a smile that wasn't Ron's, and she smiled back at him.

"We never went anywhere."

She kissed him on the cheek and told him she loved him, she told him to tell his brother she loved him too, and held out her wand to his face.

"I swear on our souls we will never use him again Molls, no matter what, on our eternal souls."

"Thank you Gids," she sniffed, "obdormio!"

Ron's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed into his mother's waiting arms. She sat on the sofa with him crying her heart out for three or four minutes, rocking him back and fourth and saying 'I love you' to the three different souls that had inhabited this sleeping body over the last year or so, before lifting her baby boy up in her arms and carrying him to the door and out into the hallway. Her husband leapt out of his chair and rushed over to her, offering to take Ron up to his room for her, but she refused. She made her way up the stairs in silence, her tear-streaked face shining in the candlelight as the bruised face of George and then Fred peeped around their bedroom door and looked ashamed of themselves at the sight of their mother carrying their limp brother past them.

"Get back inside you two," she said, her voice-sounding nasal, "I'll deal with you both in a minute.

They shared a glance of pure dread and went back into their room. Percy was watching through a crack in his bedroom door.

"Go back to sleep Percy, there's a good boy."

"Did they really wake him?" Percy's voiceasked although he remained hidden.

"Go to bed Percy," his mother said once again.

As she climbed the last lot of stairs to Ron's room she found Ginny crying on Ron's bed. She had always hated Ron's sleepwalking the most, it scared her to see her bother and not have him see her back, and she used to wait on Ron's bed whenever he was missing during one of his walks.

"Ginny dear, I need to put Ron down there, can you move over for me please?" she smiled at her daughter as she complied.

Ron was put back in his bed and Ginny insisted on staying with him that night so she bid her two youngest sweet dreams and goodnight, planting a soft kiss on each of their foreheads, before heading back downstairs to remind the twins that they were never to wake their brother if they saw him like that again.

They wouldn't see him like that again; she knew that, she trusted her brothers to keep their word.

Back to the present

"I can't believe it's them Arthur, I just can't, he swore on their souls."

"Shh Molly, it's alright, I can't believe you didn't share this with me at the time I could have helped you."

She whimpered as she gripped his Weasley jumper as if it was a comfort blanket to a small child.

"It was the hurt look on poor Ronnie's face when he saw that I couldn't be around him afterwards, like he was scared that he had done something wrong, but for a time I could just see Gids still lingering inside and I couldn't...I just couldn't...be in the same room as him."

The aching sobs took Mrs Weasley over again as Harry and Hermione felt an empty understanding of what was happening to Ron now and wanted him back more than ever.

"So our Ron," Mr Weasley smiled to himself at finally being able to understand after all this time, "is the last of the Prewitt oracles."

Mrs Weasley nodded and sniffed.

"But nobody can ever know," she looked across the table to Harry and Hermione, "none of you must ever speak of this you hear?"

Harry and Hermione shook their heads vigorously.

"Nobody's going to say anything Molly I assure you," Mrs Weasley sighed as he gave her another reassuring squeeze.

"Because if this became common knowledge he wouldn't...wouldn't get a moment's peace." she began to cry again.

Harry understood her fears. If people knew about Ron then whenever any body from that day forward died they would seek him out and use him to try to carry on living in their own manipulative way through Ron's sleep. Only those who knew of Ron's ability could abuse it so nobody was ever to know.

"Mrs Weasley," Hermione said calmly from across the table, "I promise you now that if I should die I won't use him like that, not even to say goodbye, not once."

Harry felt sick at the thought of Hermione even feeling it necessary to make that promise but he knew that it was highly likely that very soon one of the people sitting around that table would have to face that dilemma. Harry knew what he had to do.

"I won't either, no matter what."

Mrs Weasley was about to say something when the mobile phone between them rang.

Hermione grabbed it as if it was a lifeline and pressed a button that must have been speakerphone.

"Ron, where are you? Did you get any clues to..." she remembered that Mr and Mrs Weasley were listening, "anything?"

All they could hear was ragged breathing. Harry swallowed; this couldn't be good.

"Ron, it's Harry, where are you mate?"

Still nothing.

"Ron are you hurt?" Hermione said, trying not to panic, "your mum and dad are here, we know what's going on with you now and it's nothing to worry about. Ron? Please answer me."

Mrs Weasley gripped her husband's hand.

"Ronnie, it's mum, let us know where you are and we'll come and get you. We'll lift the wards and you can apparate right back here if you want to."

"No," the shaky voice sounded from the phone where Hermione had rested it on the table between them, "I can't, I can't apparate right now."

Something was definitely wrong if he wasn't able to apparate. Harry felt the blood drain from his face.

"Ron tell us where you are and we'll come and get you. Do you know where you are Ron?" Harry tried to sound strong for his best friend.

Suddenly they heard something that Harry had never heard before. Not when Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets, not when faced with Aragog, not when people had started dying year after year...he hadn't even heard him at Dumbledore's funeral. Ron was crying.

Hermione seemed to have to hold on to the table to keep from falling out of her chair.

"Ron please," Harry almost choked on his own emotions as he spoke, "tell us where you are. Tell me where to find you and I'll be there in a heartbeat."

"I'm in..." Ron's broken voice wheezed with the sobs he had racking his chest, "...I'm in..."

"Where?" Harry demanded, knowing that the money in the payphone wasn't going to last much longer.

When Ron finally spoke again he sounded as if he had nothing left to give of himself, he sounded as if he had just spent the night in a room full of Dementors.

"I can't do this anymore Harry, this has to stop, I can't take it anymore."

Hermione rose from the table and shouted down at the phone with renewed strength.

"Ron, tell us where you woke up and tell us now, it'll be ok we're coming to bring you home. Where did you wake up?"

There was a shuddering gasp and a choked sob before the answer that turned Harry's insides to ice came through the tiny speaker that was the focus of everyone's wholehearted attention.

"In a coffin."

Chapter Thirteen - Earth To Earth

Harry thanked Merlin for the muggle technology that helped Hermione to trace the origin of Ron's call. She had the number of the phone booth stored in the mobile and, after trying to call Ron back several times without an answer, she called the operator to ask where the call-box with that number was situated. As soon as they got an address they flooed to a nearby wizarding pub and ran all the way to the graveyard.

Harry, Hermione and Ron's parents raced to the top of the hill in breathless silence. Ron had woken up in a coffin. Harry had originally hoped that simply meant he had woken in an undertaker’s. Then he thought that maybe Ron was in the company of vampires before Hermione spelled out the difference between vampire myths and vampire realities. Finally, with the location of the telephone box known to them, the gruesome realisation of what had really happened to Ron became clear.

He had woken up in a coffin, in the ground, and from the distressed sound of his voice he hadn't been alone in there.

Ron had been buried alive. Maybe somebody had thought him dead after an attack and buried him. Harry didn't know anything accept that the night before Ron had thought that he was going to be killed and within twenty-four hours he was six feet underground in a coffin.

"There," Hermione almost screamed as she pointed at a slumped figure on the ground outside the graveyard, leaning against the dry stone wall, "I see him!"

Harry picked up the pace, willing Ron to be ok, he couldn't be dying. He couldn't die. Harry wouldn't allow it.

Skidding to a halt and several steps ahead of Hermione, who herself was way ahead of Mr and Mrs Weasley, Harry dropped to his knees and lifted Ron's head to see if his friend was alert. Ron flinched, in the same way every dog in Privet Drive flinched when they saw Dudley and his smelting stick, and Harry realised that Ron was suffering from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder and couldn't be touched. Just as he understood that Hermione flung herself at him with breathless relief and Ron seemed to have a mini seizure as he tried to wriggle away from her. It made Harry feel sick to witness it. Ron was cowering away from his best friends.

"Ron?" Hermione choked on the lump that seemed to have formed in her throat, "Are you hurt? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

Harry gripped Hermione's arm and spoke to her with a trembling voice, unable to look away from Ron.

"Hermione don't touch him, he's in shock, he needs space right now."

Hermione nodded her head and seemed to make a sound that said 'I should have expected that, I'm such an idiot to have grabbed hold of him' and she got to her feet and began to warn Mrs Weasley off from making the same mistake as she approached with her husband.

Harry now had time to really look at Ron, the state his friend was in after the night's events, and he wished that he had a time-turner so that he could spare Ron this nightmare. Every part of Ron's body told part of the awful story of where he had been and how he had escaped.

Firstly Harry was drawn to the ugly mess that was Ron's fingers. Every one of them was bloody and his fingernails were ragged and almost torn and chipped down to the flesh. Harry swallowed what felt like a little portion of his lunch as he looked away and put his hand to his face. Ron had clawed his way out of that coffin with his bare hands. How long must that have taken? He couldn't bear to think. He forced himself to look back at his trembling best friend, at his clothes, and saw how filthy he was. There wasn't just dirt from the soil he had fought his way through but also some other kind of awful smelling grime that Harry had to accept was long-decayed human flesh. Something was crawling around in Ron's pocket and that seemed to hit Harry the hardest. Ron was alive with all sorts of creepy-crawlies that thrive where life rots away and he wasn't even flinching.

Ron had been in a coffin with a dead body.

"Ron, I'm so sorry," Harry gasped, his voice barely more than just a noisy breath, "I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I'm so so sorry."

Ron didn't seem to hear him, he just jerked slightly and whimpered.

"Take me home."

"We will, Ronnie, we're taking you back to the Burrow right now," Ron's mother was on her knees beside him, struggling with all her strength not to reach out and touch her devastated son, we can apparate with you whenever you're ready."

Ron's head shook and he went green, as if she'd just suggested throwing him back in the ground and nailing the coffin lid shut, and Harry suddenly remembered what he had thought when he had apparated with Dumbledore for the very first time.

It squeezed you tight, you felt confined and as if the air was being pushed out of your lungs, and that couldn't be what somebody who had just woken up in a coffin with a dead man needed right now.

"Claustrophobia," Harry shuddered.

"Of course," Hermione whispered, "apparating is too constrictive, he's not ready for that so soon...so soon after..."

Harry now knew that Hermione had come to the same conclusions he had from taking in Ron's appearance.

"We'll floo Ron, don't worry, we can floo from the place we came in..." Ron's dad began but Ron shook his head again,"no, maybe not eh? Tiny little fireplace like that."

They all looked from one to another, begging somebody to come up with another idea. The only thing that broke this hopeless stalemate was the sound of Ron being violently sick into the gutter. Instinctively Mrs Weasley rubbed her son's back. He reeled away from her.

"Don't touch me!" he gasped before vomiting again.

Hermione took a deep breath and said what she knew Ron would hate her for saying right now.

"We're going to have to put him to sleep to move him."

"No," Ron gagged, his back arching and his vocal chords sounding raw, "no please, I can't go back. I can't go back there Hermione please."

Hermione began to weep as she withdrew her wand and Mrs Weasley tried to reassure Ron that there was another way and that they would think of it any second now. Harry knew the truth as much as Hermione did but he also knew that it would kill Hermione to be the one to do this to him in his state of mind. Harry lowered Hermione's wand and raised his own in an instant.

"Obdormio!"

Ron collapsed face down at the roadside. Hermione broke down completely and Mrs Weasley joined her while finally being able to clutch Ron to her tightly with no intention of letting him go. Harry shuddered and Mr Weasley pulled him up to his feet.

"You did the right thing Harry," he said with a pained smile, "Ron will understand when he gets his senses back."

"When he gets them back?" Harry found himself saying aloud.

"Yes Harry, when he does, and he will," Harry nodded, reassured at Mr Weasley's confidence, he looked down at his wife bawling over the bloodied and soiled form of their youngest son and spoke with the most authoritative tone Harry had ever heard him use, "This wasn't Fabian or Gideon Molly, they would never put him through that."

"I know Arthur," she sniffed, "I know."

Mr Weasley looked as livid with panic as he had done when he saw half the wizards at the Quiddich world cup throw a dozen or so hexes at Ron during the Death Eater attack by mistake.

"Somebody just tried to kill my son...and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Get 'em off me!" Ron gasped as he threw the covers off him and scrambled out of his bed.
This was happening every hour or so since they had brought him back with them. The first time Ron had insisted on taking a shower, convinced that there were things crawling all over him, and it had taken his mother over forty minutes to coax him back out again. After drying him off and putting him to sleep again; against his will as before and at the insistence of Harry, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to be the bad guy, to spare the others Ron's heartbreaking looks of betrayal for sending him back into the state he had now come to fear so much, Ron had been going through a very distressing night ever since.

Fred and George had flooed to the Burrow when Hermione sent an owl to them telling them of this latest development, she had promised them to keep them abreast of Ron's condition after they had heard about his declaration that somebody was going to kill him in his sleep, and they had offered to stay up with him while the others got some sleep but Harry would have none of it. He had to stay up with him. He had to be sure he wasn't taken again. He had to make amends for letting Ron get away from him that night. He would go through with the bond of blood if he had to, risky as it was, he wouldn't allow Ron to be hurt like that again.

Never again!

"It's ok Ron, you're still here, you're fine and safe and there's nothing on you I promise."

Ron was trembling violently as he looked at his hands. Mrs Weasley and Hermione had done their best for his shredded fingers and George had been to his flat and backfor the small green bottle they had used to treat Ron's feet what felt like years ago now. He seemed to expect to see the blood and dirt still there, and didn't trust his own eyes; Harry was trying not to touch Ron while trying to comfort him at the same time. Ron was still sensitive to human contact. Harry couldn't blame him. The previous time Ron had thrown himself from his bed he had been screaming something about 'dead hands' being all over him.

He had wanted to wash every time he woke so Harry had been sure to have a bowl of water and a flannel at the bedside to appease him without having to go through the whole shower business all over again. And every time Harry had to see Ron's despairing look as he raised his wand and put him to sleep again.

"The bed's alive with them, they're still on me Harry, get 'em off!"

Harry didn't need to light his wand, Ron seemed mortified and disorientated when he woke in the darkness so they had filled his room with candlelight, but he still pointed his illuminated wand tip to the bed to reassure his friend that there really was nothing there. Ron had looked as if he was going to be sick for the third time that night and Harry pulled the bucket he had kept in the room just to be safe and set it in front of his pale friend.

"Ron please let us get you some dreamless sleep draught, it'll be ok I promise you," Harry pleaded as Ron's ragged breathing evened out slightly.

"No," Ron shuddered, "I can't sleep Harry, don't do it again please."

Harry sighed deeply and raised his wand.

"I have to, please try to understand Ron, I'm sorry."

Ron pushed Harry's arm back down, this shocked Harry so mush that he forgot to resist, and Ron had touched him.

"Please, not right away Harry, let me be for a little bit longer."

Well this was an improvement, Harry thought, Ron was forming coherent sentences. He nodded and put his wand away. He wanted to help Ron back onto his bed but was still reluctant to touch him. Ron had been the one to instigate physical contact with him and Harry didn't want to send him back into a panic.

"How about we get you off the floor eh mate?" he smiled warmly.

Ron shook his head and drew his knees up to his chest. The bedroom door creaked and Ron flinched, Hermione's head peered around the door and smiled sadly at the two of them on the floor.

"I thought I heard you," she took a step into the room and Harry saw she was carrying a glass of water, "I thought you might want a drink Ron."

Ron was shaking again and shook his head, refusing the glass as she held it out towards him. Hermione sighed deeply and Harry forced a smile onto his face and took the glass from her.

"I'll keep it for later, right Ron?"

Ron didn't seem to hear him, concentrating on brushing himself down despite there being nothing to brush off, and Harry set the glass down on the bedside table. Hermione squatted beside Harry and whispered to him.

"How's he doing, any improvement?"

Harry gestured to Ron despairingly and shrugged.

"This can't be the same person who was helping us find Hufflepuff's cup, what did doing this to Ron achieve, how did that help us find another horcrux?"

Ron struggled to his feet and mumbled to the floor.

"I need to wash it off."

Hermione blocked his path with out laying her hands on him and spoke with her most soothing but firm voice.

"It's all gone Ron, you're clean now, why don't you sit on the bed with me and Harry?"

Ron met Hermione's eyes for the second it took him to whisper two words before moving back to the bedroom door.

"It's alive."

Hermione walked backwards in front of him and blocked the doorway with her body and her extended arms.

"No more showers Ron, you are making your fingers sore," she managed to stand firm despite being on the verge of exhaustion; Harry couldn't help but admire her stamina.

Ron looked at his hands again and whimpered meekly.

"He's under my fingernails, I can feel him,"

Hermione took a deep breath, obviously building herself up to do something that could make him even worse, and grabbed hold of Ron. He squirmed at her touch but didn't throw her hands off as he had been doing so far and she steered him back over to his bed.

"I don't want to sleep," Ron said, "don't lay me down."

Hermione shushed him and sat him on the edge of his bed gently.

"I won't, I'll just sit with you ok? Can I hold your hand?" she asked him so cautiously, Harry could tell that she would be heartbroken if Ron refused her this little gesture.

He didn't refuse her, but he didn't encourage her either, there was no shake of the head and no nod so Hermione took his hand and held it as gently as she could.

Harry got up from the floor and sat on the edge of his own bed as Ron began to ramble.

"I can't sleep anymore, I can feel him under me, he's trying to pull me back and keep me down there with him," Ron suddenly gagged, Harry made a move for the bucket but Hermione shot him a warning look and he held back, "and the smell...I couldn't breathe down there, he was choking me."

Hermione put her other hand on top of Ron's, causing him to shudder and pull away involuntarily, but she held on to him with determination.

"These are my hands Ron."

Ron winced and began to scratch at his head with his free hand.

"They're in my hair."

"There's nothing Ron, they're all gone now, you washed them all away remember?" she smiled; Harry could see her eyes welling with fresh tears.

Ron was beginning to lose his brief moment of lucidity to another panic attack and desperately tried to wriggle his hand out from between Hermione's.

"Let go, let me go now, it's enough!"

With a hurt sob she reluctantly released Ron's hand and he crawled back away from her, almost sitting on his pillow at the far end of the bed, and clung his arms to himself with another shudder.

Harry rose from the bed; his wand ready and Ron met his eyes and shook his head with dread.

"I'm sorry Ron but you need to rest now, you're just upsetting yourself again."

His resolve was broken temporarily at the sight of Ron letting out a short laugh.

"I'm upsetting me? It’s him...he's rotting around me Harry and I can't go back again, I can't."

"Who is he?" Harry asked.

They hadn't gone looking for the grave Ron had fought his way out of, none of them could face the sight of it and their imaginations were bad enough without seeing the real thing, but Harry and Hermione were more than a little curios as to whose coffin Ron had woken up inside.

"R-R-Regulus Black!" Ron shook so hard on saying this that Harry feared he might be having a seizure.

"Obdormio!"

Harry's wand was hanging at his side and he turned to see a tearful Hermione still pointing her wand at the now sleeping Ron. She hadn't been able to bear seeing him like that any longer. She and Harry pulled Ron out of the foetal position and lay him down on the bed before pulling the covers over him as loosely as they could. Hermione was quietly crying and Harry didn't feel it necessary to say anything, there was nothing to say after all. That conversation could be had in the morning. It could all wait until morning. Harry longed for this hellishly long night to finally be over.

He watched from his own bed as Hermione laid beside Ron and rested her head on his chest, she might just have been listening to his heartbeat for reassurance but Harry knew there was more to it than that, and her sobs slowly faded into slow even breaths as she slept. She was burrowed into Ron's side as if he was made that shape specifically to fit her there. Harry would've smiled to himself at this if he didn't know that within the hour Hermione would be harshly awoken by Ron scrambling away from her as if she was the corpse of Regulus Black and her devastation would begin all over again.

Ron woke up in the coffin of Sirius' brother, the Death Eater, Harry wished there was somebody to cast a sleeping charm on him right now.

He couldn't sleep though; Ron would never wake up alone again if he had anything to do with it.

Chapter Fourteen - Grant Unto Him Eternal Rest

Harry and Hermione were back at the graveyard, this time in the cold light of day, and feeling more than a little uneasy.

They knew that had to get back there before anybody noticed the unearthed body of Regulus Black and alerted the authorities to investigate. They had to find out why Ron had been taken there. Hermione refused to believe that their horcrux guide had intended to kill Ron. Harry just hoped that was the truth. They had left Fred sitting with him in his room, George had gone to open up the shop, and Mr Weasley had gone to work in an effort not to draw any undue attention to the Weasley family. After discovering that it had been Ron who had broken into the Gringotts vault Ron's parents had become concerned about doing anything out of the ordinary and resolved to keep up the appearance of normality.

Harry shivered as he saw the freshly disturbed earth, a feeling of dread chilling him to his core as they neared the spot where Sirius' brother's corpse was waiting for them, and thought about telling Hermione to let him do this alone. There was no need for them both to have to see it.

"I have to see it," she had said in a small but determined voice, "I have to see what he went through last night."

Harry had been correct about so many things recently. He had been correct in thinking that Ron would react badly to Hermione's presence, practically on top of him, when he woke from another dreadful nightmare. He had been correct in thinking that Ron would need that bucket in his room at some point. He had been correct in thinking that Ron and Hermione's friendship had moved into another area of closeness. There was something about the fact that she had kissed Ron's sleeping form goodbye before they left, in front of him and Fred without embarrassment, that let everybody know that they had a deeper connection now and with that a deeper pain to see the other in distress.

Harry didn't notice he had done it but he took her hand in his and led the way to the open graveside.

"Oh God," Harry choked as he held his hand up to his face at the horrific smell that made his eyes water.

Hermione was holding the sleeve of her coat over her nose as she bravely leaned over to look down into the deep hole in the ground. She made a squeaking sound and Harry gripped her hand even tighter.

"Oh Ron..." she whimpered.

Harry took a breath in and held it before leaning over and looking down himself. He almost fell into the same state as they had found Ron. He shook and dry retched at the sight at the bottom of the grave. A wooden coffin, looking as if it had been half blown apart by magic and half ripped apart by hand, was splintered open and the revolting remains of a human body was clearly visible. A skull without a jaw and matted hair, Harry had been surprised to see that there was still hair, was crawling with flies. The stench had obviously attracted a whole new generation of insects and parasites to the body. While Harry was still reeling from the sight of the disturbed dead, Hermione drew her wand and pointed it down into the grave.

"Wingardium leviosa!"

Harry cringed as he saw movement down amongst the remains and wondered what on earth Hermione was trying to levitate, he really hoped it wasn't the body. He forced himself to lean forward and get a closer look as a battered and partially rotted wand floated up to them and rested on the grass beside the disturbed earth.

Hermione shuddered.

"His wand Harry, he was buried with his wand," she swallowed down a wave of emotion before continuing, "if that wand hadn't been there...if it had degraded any more than it already was Ron wouldn't have been able to use it. It wouldn't have worked."

Harry realised what was stabbing Hermione like a rapier in the chest.

"Ron would never have been able to get out at all."

Harry felt a sudden wave of anger that he fought to keep out of his voice as he turned to Hermione.

"Still think they weren't trying to kill him?"

Hermione didn't look at him, didn't answer, she just let go of his hand and walked around to the other side of the grave to look down at the contents from another angle. Harry didn't know how she had the stomach to do it but she crouched down even closer to get a good look at the appalling sight. She was searching for something that she didn't seem able to find and stayed down as long as she could manage before staggering back and choking away the stench of death and shaking her head. Harry wondered what Sirius would think of all this. He had a brief moment where he wondered if Sirius would have done this himself.

Could Sirius have known about Ron being an oracle?

Harry shook his head; Hermione didn't seem to notice that he was responding to his own internal question. Sirius couldn't have known and even if he did he would never have done this to Ron; never.

Hermione took an audibly deep breath and marched back to the graveside, aiming her wand back into the hole in the ground and performing a summoning charm, loud and clear.

"Accio locket!"

With a revolting squelching sound a twisted metal chain freed itself from the years of decaying flesh within, what would have been the stomach of the body, and flew into Hermione's hand. She caught the locket and threw it down onto the grass beside the wand with revulsion before losing her self-control and being sick herself.

Harry ran around the grave to comfort her but she pointed to the locket on its knotted and twisted chain and he stopped in his tracks. She had done enough, it was his turn to deal with the horcrux from now on, and she wiped her mouth and stumbled over to the wall of the graveyard where she leaned to get some clear air.

"Scourgify!" Harry pointed his wand at the locket and winced as the sickly black slime was cleaned away from it, then the solid calcified scum was gradually prized off, leaving the battered silver locket that Harry recognised so well from the memory he had first seen it in.

He picked it up and looked at it closely, it seemed to have been destroyed, so Sirius' brother had told the truth in his note after all. He decided to ask Fred to finish it off, just to be sure, in the twin's stone chest and put it in his pocket before stamping on the wand. It broke into three pieces. Harry didn't want the muggles doing any accidental magic with it when they found it at the scene of an apparent grave robbery.

He rushed across the graveyard to join Hermione, where she was recovering against the wall, and smiled with some considerable effort.

"You were right. They didn't want him dead after all. That's good isn't it?"

Hermione's eyes looked up and stared deep into Harry's own, they looked as if they had witnessed years of atrocities and devastation, and it broke Harry's heart to see her that way.

"No Harry it's not, they may not want him dead but they don't seem to care if he does die along the way, they're using him like a spiritual puppet for the greater good of mankind."

Harry hated to agree with her so he tried to think of what Dumbledore would've said to try and rationalise this to him had he still been alive.

"Sacrifices have to be made for the good of others, Ron knows that doesn't he? He sacrificed himself once already and he was just eleven years old then. I'm probably going to have to do something similar when it comes to the final..."

"Don't!" she yelled fiercely, "Don't defend whoever this is Harry, I hate them, I hate them and their greater good."

She broke into gut-wrenching sobs and Harry pulled her into a hug. She was still yelling into his chest through the tears as he did.

"It's so cruel what they're doing to him Harry, they're treating him like a pawn and he's not...he's...he's..."

"He's yours."

Hermione pulled away from him and the tears stopped almost as suddenly as they had started as she looked at him and swallowed.

"He's mine."

They had just stepped back into the kitchen at the Burrow and Harry saw something that lifted his spirits, though only by a small fraction it had to be said, Ron was sitting at the table.

"Harry, Hermione, you're back!" Fred said with relief that seemed to be disguised as a simple warm welcome for Ron's benefit.

Harry gave him a tired smile and watched as Hermione took a seat across the table from Ron and tried to get him to meet her eyes, which to Harry's great relief, he did immediately. Fred offered to take Harry's jacket while leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"I can't get him to eat anything, I'll tell mum you're back and while I'm gone could you...?"

Harry nodded and Fred bounded out of the kitchen.

Hermione rested her hands on the kitchen table and struggled not to reach out and take one of Ron's hands. Ron forced a strained smile onto his face and Harry pulled out the chair next to Ron and sat down.

"So, where have you been?" Ron's voice was husky from the long night of vomiting.

"You know where we've been," Harry sighed and picked up Ron's fork and took a mouthful of scrambled egg, "Mmm, this is good."

Ron smiled a more natural smile now and slid his plate across to Harry.

"You can finish it if you want, I've had enough."

Harry looked at Ron, they both knew he was lying and Ron was willing Harry to let it go, and scooped another forkful of eggs up and put in into his mouth.

"Thanks mate, I left without any breakfast," Harry looked up at Hermione, who was still focused on Ron, and pushed the plate towards her, "do you want some Hermione or are you still feeling a little queasy?"

Ron's eyes darted across the table to Hermione who was shaking her head.

"No, I don't think I could manage it Harry, you go ahead."

Ron's hand edged across the table a couple of inches, Hermione noticed this immediately and moved hers slightly closer but didn't force her touch onto Ron, keeping a little distance between them for Ron to make up if he chose.

"Did you have anything for breakfast Hermione?"

She shook her head.

"No but I'm fine Ron, I honestly don't feel like eating anything right now, maybe later."

Harry pulled the plate back towards him and scooped up another forkful.

"Well if you're sure," he said with nonchalance before shovelling more eggs into his mouth.

Ron looked from one of them to the other, waiting for someone to say something, for an uncomfortably long time before looking down at the table.

"So you went back and saw him then?"

Harry stopped chewing and swallowed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, it was...nasty."

Hermione's fingers flexed but she still resisted the urge to touch Ron's hand, less than an inch away from hers as it rested on the table, and she lowered her head to force him to meet her eyes again. He did so with great reluctance.

"We can't imagine what it must of been like in there Ron but if you ever want to talk about it we're both..."

"You sure you don't want to eat Hermione? You look a bit pale and you know mum'll notice and start fussing."

Ron had tried to smile but he just didn't have it in him.

"I really don't think I could keep anything down right now."

"So," Harry decided to get right to the point, "we found the locket. Regulus destroyed it and swallowed it, he was buried with it in his stomach Ron, so that's another one to cross of the list thanks to you."

They heard Mrs Weasley's heavy footsteps on the stairs and Ron let out a sigh. Hermione frowned and opened her mouth to say something but Ron rested the tips of his fingers on top of her hand and she was silenced before she could even begin.

"She told me the truth, what I am, it didn't go well and she's been in her bedroom crying for ages. I've made her cry again," Ron sounded broken by this admission.

Hermione's eyes began to redden and she reached out to clasp her other hand on top of Ron's but he jerked back and gave an involuntary shudder just as Fred re-entered the kitchen.

"Dear me Ron, who just walked over your...grave?"

Harry had seen Fred's face falling as he had said it, the realisation of just how badly he was putting his foot in it etched upon his features but his mouth not allowing him to stop, and his shoulders slumped. Mrs Weasley had been walking in behind him and she smacked him across the back of his head but Fred didn't even cringe, he just stared at Ron and mouthed incomprehensible words of remorse for the slip-up as he shook his head at his own stupidity, and their mother bundled him aside to get to Ron and see that he was alright. Ron sprang out of his chair and backed away as calmly as he could manage.

"It's ok mum, Fred's made bad jokes before, and he’ll make them again, no harm done."

Ron smiled at Fred who still shook his head in disbelief, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish out of water, and Ron made his way to the kitchen door.

"I'm just going to brush my teeth ok? I'll be right back."

Mrs Weasley looked distressed and called after the departing redhead.

"But you've brushed your teeth three times already Ronnie."

Ron didn't answer and Mrs Weasley sunk back into her chair in defeat.

"He'll never forgive me for keeping this from him will he?"

Fred took a step toward his mother and began to rub her back.

"It's not that mum, you know this has nothing to do with you, it's last night. He's still messed up over what happened, you can't expect him to handle big news like that on top of everything else that's going on can you?"

Harry frowned at Fred.

"So you know too?"

Fred nodded grimly.

"It was one of many theories and after you left me and George just threw them all at her until she gave in and told us the truth. We'd never posses him though, we both swore, when we die we'll stay dead."

Mrs Weasley sniffed and squeezed Fred around the waist, it was as high as she could reach from her sitting position, and smiled a watery smile up at him.

"He isn't possessed Fred, I keep telling you, he just sees the dead and talks to them that's all."

"He's possessed when he's woken up though isn't he?" Fred blinked back down at her.

"No, it's complicated Fred dear, waking him up while he's...conversing with somebody draws them out and gives them a body, his body, to use until they are rendered unconscious again. But during his sleepwalking he's himself, it's why you shouldn't ever wake him, when he wakes he isn't there. He becomes the spirit and the dead become the oracle."

Mrs Weasley's voice seemed to fade in to a half-sob as she struggled to complete her last sentence.

"Then of course there's the extra strength the dead can draw when the oracle is ill. That night when he floored George and Gideon came out, he almost froze to death the week before as was still quite poorly, was he feeling under the weather at the same time as doing something that takes a lot of power?"

"Yes," Harry gasped," I remember thinking he looked a bit rough after the Gringotts raid but I put that down to the fight afterwards."

"Fight?" Mrs' Weasley's eyes were wide.

Fred couldn't seem to face hearing another of his mother's maternal explosions of worry and looked to Harry for some kind of distraction.

"So did you find any clues as to why he ended up in a coffin with a dead man?"

"Um yeah," Harry hesitated and glanced at Mrs Weasley, who was looking at him with suspicion, "I'm going to need you to take care of something for me in that chest of yours if you don't mind, just to be on the safe side."

Fred gave a silent nod and Hermione jumped in before Mrs Weasley could ask any more questions.

"It appears that he apparated into the coffin,found Black's wand, managed to blast away at some of the coffin and loosen some of the earth above before...well, you know what he had to do."

They all lowered their heads and sat around the table in silence. Harry stared at his, now cold, scrambled eggs. Ron's footsteps sounded on the stairs and they tried to make it a little less obvious that they had been talking about him.

Ron stopped in the kitchen doorway and looked at the grinning faces all staring back at him.

"Subtle...very subtle," he smiled, Harry couldn't quite believe what he was seeing, it almost looked like a genuine smile.

"Teeth clean?" Hermione smiled back at him.

Ron ran his tongue over his teeth and nodded before looking away from them all and at the kitchen cupboards.

"It wasn't really my teeth, I had a bad taste in my mouth."

Harry couldn't even imagine how sickening that must have been for Ron, he could still smell that awful stench from Regulus Black's graveside now, and he was about to say something to take his mind off everything when Ron took a step towards one of the cupboards and opened it.

"You feeling any better Hermione?"

She blinked several times and glanced at Harry before looking back at Ron.

"Yes I think my stomach's settled a bit now."

Ron turned away from the cupboard and looked back at her, avoiding the eyes of everybody else around the table as he did.

"It's just, I was going to make some...soup or something, if you wanted some."

Hermione smiled in a way that made Harry want to give her a big cuddle, she looked so grateful for this tiny little thing, and he understood just how long it was going to take Ron to recover from this. Harry had realised what Hermione was dreading inside, they might have to leave him at the Burrow and go on with their mission without him after all. Ron couldn't be touched, he couldn't sleep, it had taken all his strength to prepare himself to do something as simple as eat, and if he ever got sick he would become a powerful weapon for whoever this dead stowaway was. They weren't going to be able to do that to him, Harry wouldn't allow it; he had to stay at the Burrow and heal.

"I'd love to join you for lunch Ron, no offence to your mother but I've missed your cooking these last few days."

Ron gave a half smile and looked at the others around the table.

"Anyone else?"

Harry looked down at his cold scrambled eggs and then back at Ron with a nod.

"The eggs have gone cold, if you don't mind I'd love some soup."

Ron nodded back at him and seemed to understand that something was going to change between them but wanted to pretend that it wasn't for the time being.

"This isn't you're famous Oxtail soup is it? I still think you could go into business selling that stuff, it's addictive!" Fred grinned.

Ron turned away from them suddenly and pulled out various ingredients from the cupboards.

"No, sorry Fred, I'm doing vegetable soup."

Fred frowned, wondering how he had upset his brother this time.

"That's good too, make extra and I'll take some back for George, he'll be miffed that he missed it otherwise."

Ron seemed to relax again and looked back over his shoulder at Fred.

"Sorry."

"No it's fine little bro, what have you got to be sorry about?"

Ron lowered his eyes and pulled a couple of potatoes out of the cupboard. He busied himself with dicing them while answered the question with his back to them all.

"It's just that...I don't think I can cook meat right now, or touch it, not for a while."

Harry looked back down at Ron's rejected eggs and suddenly understood. Ron couldn't handle the thought of touching something's flesh, even the eggs were a little too close for comfort, and this was why the Weasley's were having such a hard time getting him to eat something.

"Good for you Ron," Hermione said, understanding exactly the same thing Harry had done but not wanting to make a big thing about it, "a vegetarian diet is so much better for you, no cholesterol worries, no fat..."

"No food!" Mrs Weasley scowled, she had obviously not understood why Ron wasn't able to handle meat anymore and was worrying that he wasn't going to be getting enough sustenance.

"Mum!" Fred snapped at her under his breath, she still didn't seem to understand but knew that it was best to go along with it until somebody could explain it to her.

"Oh but I'd love some vegetable soup Ronnie, a nice light lunch is just what we could all do with I think."

"And Ron," Hermione called over to him, getting him to look back over at her again, "if you could manage some croutons that'd be great."

Ron blinked. Mrs Weasley rose from her chair.

"Well for croutons you need bread, I'll get cracking while you do the soup Ronnie."

Hermione smiled over at Mrs Weasley.

"No need. Ron can conjure bread in an instant, delicious it is too."

Ron blinked again and smiled at Hermione before taking out his wand and pointing it at the table.

"Crustum!"

A large loaf swelled on the kitchen table and gave off the most delicious warm aromas. Fred looked impressed and Mrs Weasley gasped.

"How did you do that? I can't do that."

Ron gave a slight smile of gratitude back at Hermione before turning back to his vegetables.

"He can feed the three of us with all sorts of nourishing stuff Mrs Weasley, why I don't think I'd ever need to eat meat again if I had Ron around all the time" she said breezily as she conjured a bread knife out of Harry's ordinary knife resting beside his plate and set about cutting the bread into slices.

Harry knew then that the point had been made. Mrs Weasley finally understood. Ron needed to be a vegetarian, at least for the time being, or he would never be able to eat at all. She silently began to set the table and Fred nervously cleared away Harry's eggs. As he did he leaned in and whispered to Harry once again.

"I don't know how you did it but thank you."

Harry didn't think he had done anything other than eat part of Ron's lunch but if Fred wanted to give him credit for getting Ron to eat again then that was fine by him.

Fred had left long ago with some soup for George in one hand and a damaged horcrux to destroy in the other. Mr Weasley had come home from work very promptly, Harry didn't doubt for one second that he had been counting the hours until he could get back to check on Ron, and the family had sat down for dinner together. Ron had joined them but only had a jam sandwich. Nobody pestered him to eat more.

The night closed in and Ron seemed to become more and more agitated. As soon as it got dark enough that candles had to be lit Ron made a feeble excuse about finding something to read and went up to his bedroom. Harry and Hermione followed him without a second thought. They found him sitting in the corner of his room with his head in his hands.

"Ron, it's going to be alright, we're going to stay awake in shifts and we've found some older binding spells in one of your grandma Prewitt's spell books, she had them highlighted for when your uncles needed restraining in the night. Your mum says they'll work and I believe her."

Hermione's words didn't seem to have even registered with Ron. She reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder and he squirmed.

"Oh sorry," she pulled her arm back and bit her lip, "I keep forgetting."

"Lucky you," Ron mumbled before looking up at her and looking annoyed with himself, "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be silly, this isn't your fault, you take as long as you need. I can wait."

Ron squinted.

"Wait for what?"

She gave him a sad smile.

"Wait until I can get a hug of course."

Ron sighed and looked down at his hands. Harry knew what he was thinking and he was thinking it too. He would do it, he would do anything after last night, and he didn't care what Hermione had to say about it.

"Are those hoops still in your backpack?" he asked.

Ron looked up into Harry's eyes as if he had just given him a reprieve from a firing squad, even his body seemed to relax with the knowledge that Harry was finally going to let him be secured in the only way he could trust, and he nodded weakly. His eyes were suddenly heavy too, as if this was what he was waiting for, this was what he needed to be able to sleep without waking every hour.

"Harry wait..." Hermione began.

"No Hermione, I've heard everything you have to say about this and I don't care, look at him for Godric's sake!"

Ron really did look tired, Harry assumed that he was letting his guard down now that he felt he was going to be safe for the night, and Hermione looked at him and then back at Harry. She nodded and got to her feet. Harry turned and grabbed Ron's backpack but Hermione laid her hand on his arm and told him again to wait.

"They're not taking him Hermione, if this bond of blood was going to kill me I'd still do it, I don't care if they're helping me anymore. I'm going to do this."

"No you're not," she said firmly, "I am."

Chapter Fifteen - The Bond Of Blood

The blade sliced through Hermione's palm and she picked up one of the silver hoops, her blood making contact with the metal and causing the hoop to glow and hum in her fingers, and she locked eyes with Ron.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, knowing his answer but needing to hear it all the same.

Ron nodded, he looked about ready to drop and Harry was thankful that he was still sitting on the floor, he held out his arm.

"Thank you," he said in barely a whisper.

Harry held his breath as Hermione put the hoop over Ron's fist and let it go just befor the crook of his elbow. The hoop floated there, the hum and the glow fading until there was nothing remarkable about it other than it's levitation around their friend's arm.

"Can you take it off?" she asked him with apprehension.

Ron tried to slide the hoop back down his arm but it wouldn't budge. Hermione nodded, she still didn't look happy about this but she seemed reassured to see that it was working the way it was supposed to be. She picked the second hoop up from the floor and let her blood connect with it until the same glowing hum began again. She slid the hoop over her own fist and let it float in place around her wrist.

The glow faded a second time and Harry took out his wand and healed Hermione's cut hand.

"This is only until morning Ron, they come off as soon as you wake up understand?" she said, nervously.

Ron nodded and looked down at his hoop.

"So how far do I get from you before it kicks in?"

"As far as I allow," she said with a shudder, he knew she hated to have power over him like this but Harry thought that it was better to have Hermione able to manipulate Ron's whereabouts rather than some anonymous dead guy, "and while we're asleep I won't allow you to leave your bed."

She seemed to be saying this to her hoop. This wasn't necessary, she just had to think that that was where she wanted Ron restricted and it would be so, but she felt she needed to do it anyway.

Hermione walked away from Ron and stood at his window, looking out and sniffing quietly. She obviously didn't want him to see how much this had upset her but it was pretty clear. Despite this Ron still needed confirmation that everything had gone to plan and got to his feet.

"Hermione," he called across the room to her, she took a breath and turned around to face him, "can you just try it once? I need to know what it feels like."

Harry wasn't really sure what Ron was asking of her but she seemed to cringe at the idea.

"I need to know," Ron pleaded, "so I'll know it's you and I won't...freak out or fight it or anything."

Hermione still didn't look happy about this but she nodded all the same. She raised the arm with the hoop around it and jerked it back suddenly. Ron was yanked across the room, like a dog being given a sharp tug on its lead, and thudded into her. The two of them slammed against the wall, knocking the air out of their lungs. Harry had been so startled by this that he had withdrawn is wand from his back pocket. Hermione kept her balance by steadying herself against Ron who was bracing himself against the wall behind her. As they both breathed heavily from the winding they had just received Ron tried not to tense up under Hermione's touch. She noticed his rigidity immediately though, and pulled back from him.

"Sorry, I knew that was a bad idea," she flushed, "are you alright?"

Ron nodded as he got his breath back.

"I hate this!" she cried aloud and wiped her eyes to prevent any tears from escaping, "I'm just as bad as them now, whoever they are, I'm controlling you against your will and I hate it!"

Ron had taken a couple of steps back from her as she went through her attack of frustration and stood before her in silence. He seemed to be building himself up for something that was very hard from him.

"Ron do you need...?" Harry began to say from the far side of the room.

Ron didn't seem to hear him as he took the two steps back toward Hermione and leaned forward, kissing her incredibly briefly on the lips, before pulling back and trembling slightly.

"Never mind," Harry smiled to himself.

"I trust you to control me ok?" he said, sounding as if he had just run up a flight of stairs and looking as if he was about to fall down, "I need it, I need you, and I'm sorry that's all I can give you right now but..."

Hermione looked genuinely happy for the first time all day.

"I can wait," she said, so quietly that Harry barely even heard her, "I can wait for as long as it takes for you to be comfortable again, don't rush it for me."

She held up her arm, the hoop suspended before her.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Harry was just about to fall asleep. Ron's dad was sitting on a chair at the bedroom doorway, it was his shift on 'Ron-watch' the Weasley family ritual from ten years before that had been resurrected once again, and Hermione was in Ginny's room. Mr Weasley had seen that the bond of blood had been performed and had sighed something about his wife's reaction when she found out, but other than that he had said nothing.

He pulled his eyelids apart one last time to look across at Ron sleeping. His friend had a frown etched on his face as he slept, it had been that way since he had allowed Hermione to put him to sleep, and Harry hoped that he wasn't having nightmares about being in the grave of Regulus Black again. His eyes fell closed and Harry was lost to his own nightmares; nightmares involving Ron not finding Black's wand and suffocating inside that toxic coffin.

"Ron, come on son, settle down. You're at home with us, safe and sound."

Harry was drawn out of his light sleep by Mr Weasley's voice. Had Ron woken? Why hadn't his screams roused Harry sooner he wondered? He sat up and rubbed his eyes to see the blurred shape of Mr Weasley sitting on the edge of Ron's bed and what looked like Ron sitting up with his knees drawn up under his chin and his head down.

"Mr Weasley, what is it, another nightmare?"

Harry fumbled for his glasses as Mr Weasley's voice whispered his response across the room.

"I'm dealing with him Harry, go back to sleep, he'll go down in a minute."

Harry's glasses were already on and he tilted his head to look past Mr Weasley to Ron.

"Why is he so quiet?" Harry was unfamiliar with this behaviour, "Last night he was shouting at the top of his lungs and before that he'd be talking as soon as he sat up. Is he awake or...?"

"He's in one of his trances Harry, you've dealt with enough of these lately, go back to sleep and leave this one with me alright?" the older man smiled before turning back to his son, the smile fading fast.

Harry couldn't just go to sleep though, Ron was too quiet, and something was different. He wondered if it had anything to do with the bond of blood. Could Ron’s connection with the dead have been suppressed too? Harry hoped so. He wondered if he should wake Hermione. He knew Mr Weasley wouldn't allow that, he didn't even want Harry's sleep to be disrupted let alone the rest of the household. Harry thought about lying down and pretending to go to sleep. Just as he decided to follow that plan Ron lifted his head and looked at the Chudley Cannons poster pinned up between his and Harry's beds on the far wall. His eyes were glazed but shining bright with tears.

"How could you do that to me?" Ron's voice was so hurt and broken, barely even audible in such a low whisper.

Mr Weasley looked as if he was reliving his worst nightmare, that being the previous night's events, all over again.

"I know Harry and Hermione told me you can't hear me when you're like this so I'm going to hold on to you instead alright son? I don't want you to feel alone in there."

Mr Weasley sat forward a little closer and wrapped his arms around Ron, resting his chin on Ron's shoulder, and rubbing his back.

"Um Mr Weasley," Harry said nervously, "he really doesn't like being touched at the moment."

"If he wriggles away at least I'll know he can feel me Harry," came the disheartened reply.

"Believe you? I trusted you!" Ron gasped at the poster.

Harry knew he couldn't just go to sleep now, not even pretend to, he had to stay alert and take in every little thing Ron said to share with Hermione the following morning.

"Times? There'll be more times?" Ron shook and Mr Weasley held him tighter.

"I'm here Ron, it'll never happen again I promise you, I've got you."

"That's not good enough," Ron said without emotion.

Harry found himself following Ron's glazed eye line and scowling at the spot he thought he was focused upon.

"Leave him alone you bastard," he hissed under his breath, "can't you give him one night, after what you did, just one night alone?"

Mr Weasley seemed to be releasing his hold on Ron and Harry looked back at them to see Ron shaking his head.

"I'm just expendable to you, you don't even care."

Mr Weasley didn't seem to have anything to say to counter that. He seemed crushed to think that the person who held such power over his son was being careless with him. That thought didn't upset Harry it angered him even more.

"What do you call last night then?" Ron blurted out, causing Mr Weasley to jump out of his skin.

Harry felt a surge of pride in his best friend, they deserved to be told off, and he was amazed in him after everything that they had put him through. He was still standing up for himself. It was the broken hopelessness in Ron's voice that ruined this moment of defiance for Harry, however.

"Leave me alone," Ron's said as his head dropped again.

Mr Weasley had just recovered from his son's little outburst and was lifting his arms to comfort him once again when Ron's head snapped up and he bellowed at the top of his voice.

"You betrayed my mother!"

Harry could've sworn that the walls shook at that moment. Mr Weasley was shaking almost as hard as Ron was now and his face was just as pale. The door crashed open and Hermione and Mrs Weasley were standing there, looking terrified.

"Girls get back to your beds, you don't have to see this," Mr Weasley said.

"Was that Ron?" Hermione asked Harry, ignoring the older man's instructions completely.

Harry nodded.

"But he's never been loud before, what's going on?" she took a step deeper into the room.

"He's angry with them for last night," Harry explained.

"Molly please, I don't want you to hear this," Mr Weasley begged his wife.

"I heard it already Arthur, he's talking about me with somebody. I can't believe they'd do this, they swore on their souls," Mrs Weasley screamed up at the ceiling, "damn you both, I'll never forgive you for this, I'll...I'll..." her head dropped and she began to cry into her dressing gown, "...I'd kill you if you weren't already dead."

"Yours or mine?" Ron's voice cut through the unbearable silence, his voice was low again.

"Molly, I swear it can't be the twins, I don't know how I know but I do. They're not talking to him like a member of the family."

Hermione crossed the room and knelt down at Ron's bedside.

"He's letting you touch him," she said to Mr Weasley, whose hand was resting upon his son's shoulder.

"Yes he is, I don't think he can feel me though, it just makes me feel better to do it."

Mr Weasley took his hand from Ron and shuffled over on the bed to allow Hermione to take his place. She did so in the blink of an eye and embraced Ron as best she could in his position.

"I bet you wouldn't have done it to Harry at all," Ron said coldly.

"They know me," Harry said coldly, Hermione and Mrs Weasley turned on him with wide eyes, "Ron's telling them they wouldn't have done to me what they did to him last night. This is happening to him because of me."

Harry suddenly felt the fury that he had just stifled come back up with a vengeance. He grabbed his wand and threw back his bed sheets.

"Harry no!" Hermione said fearfully as she clung to Ron with everything she had.

"Hermione get out of the way," he demanded.

"No!" Mrs Weasley screeched as she tried to pull Harry's wand arm down.

"Harry we don't know who it is, I know you want to give them what for but you can't do this...it's Ron in there not them, this is your friend."

"What if I decide I've had enough?" Ron spoke through all the protestations and Harry's fury.

"He's had enough, do you hear him? I'm waking him up and I'm telling whoever it is who wants to protect me so bloody much to fuck off!"

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley gasped.

He pulled away from her and leaned over Hermione to yell at Ron, he didn't really know why Ron was bearing the brunt of this, maybe it was just because he could actually see him as opposed to his tormentor.

"Ennerva..."

"If you take my body where will I go?" Ron asked the Cannons poster.

Harry froze, wand in hand pointed at his best friend's head and in mid-incantation, he felt disgusted with himself. He was about to draw out the dead spirit for his own satisfaction and curiosity and send Ron's spirit who-knows-where in the meantime. Hermione was holding Ron tightly and openly crying. Mr Weasley grabbed Harry from behind and pulled him away, yanking his wand out of his now loose grip as he did, and Mrs Weasley was simply standing in the middle of the room in stunned silence.

Harry was forced back onto his bed where he sat in shock.

He heard Hermione gasp as Ron suddenly went limp in her arms and his eyes fell closed once again. He was asleep again. Harry’s hands were shaking. Hermione laid Ron down and Mrs Weasley drew the covers back across his still form. Hermione bent back over him and hugged him while she still could. Mr Weasley stood in front of Harry with his wand and a shaken expression on his face.

"I don't know...I almost..." Harry sputtered.

Mr Weasley sighed and set Harry's wand on his bedside table.

"You didn't that's what matters. It's alright Harry, none of us like just standing back and waiting for that person to let Ron go, but please remember that it is still Ron inside that body."

"I'm sorry," Harry shuddered.

Mr Weasley smiled a strained smile and set about ushering his wife back to bed. Hermione didn't leave Ron's side for the rest of the night.

There are more to some bonds than just blood.

Chapter Sixteen - Goodbyes, Lies and Inferi

Ron was breathing heavily and Harry's sleep was still light enough for the sound of Hermione's whispers to penetrate his subconscious and pull him back into the waking world.

"You're ok, you're with me. Please calm down."

She was still lying beside him, her arm draped over his chest as it rose and fell as if Ron had just been playing quiddich for an hour and a half, and she was holding herself up on her elbow. She saw that Harry had woken and whispered over to him urgently.

"He's having another nightmare."

Harry saw that Ron was thrashing around under the sheets and, when Hermione moved her hand from his chest to the side of his face, seemingly panicked by her touch.

"It's his claustrophobia Hermione," Harry whispered back, "don't lean over him like that, it's making him worse."

Hermione gave a little yelp as she pulled away from Ron, who shuddered at this sudden movement against his skin and murmured something between uneven breaths.

"Gemme out."

Hermione clasped her hand to her mouth and Harry crawled out of his bed, Ron's mind was back in that coffin, and he did the same thing he had tried to do the previous night. This time he was doing it for the right reason.

"Ennervate!"

Ron's eyes opened and he started shivering.

"It's ok mate, you were just having a bad dream, you're fine now," Harry smiled as he lifted a blanket off thefloor where Ron had kicked itand draped it around Ron's shoulders.

"S-s-sorry," Ron said, his shivering seeming to worsen.

"What are you sorry for?" Harry frowned.

Ron almost laughed as he shrugged and pulled the blanket around him tightly.

"I dunno."

Harry smiled and saw that Hermione was looking uncomfortable. She had pressed her back flat against the wall to ensure she wasn't crowding Ron or touching him in any way.

"Hermione, do you want to take off the hoops?" Harry asked her in an attempt to draw Ron's attention to her presence at his side.

Ron was indeed alerted, he turned and flinched at the unexpected sight of her on his bed, before he smiled at her and seemed to try to get his shivering under control.

"Morning," he said before looking at his shaking hands, "I don't know what's wrong, I'm not even cold."

Hermione seemed to build herself up to deal with another morning coaxing Ron out of his state of prolonged shock and put on a brave face for him.

"It'll pass soon enough," she beamed, "let's get that hoop off your arm shall we?"

Hermione, being the person whose blood had activated the hoops, was able to slide the hoop from Ron's arm with ease before doing the same for herself. Ron glanced at Harry with apprehension.

"So did it work then? Well I know it did, I didn't go anywhere did I? Did I?"

"No mate, you were right here the whole time," Harry had to remind himself not to pat Ron on the back as he said this, "you talked to them but that was it."

Ron's face fell.

"They came back for me?"

"You gave them what for, you actually shouted at them, you were brilliant."

Harry saw that these words didn't really make much of a difference to Ron, the knowledge that he was still being visited in the night taking up all the thought space in his head for the time being. Hermione put the hoops on the bedside table as she crawled off the bed, careful not to touch Ron while she did, and looked at him with the same overly chipper grin.

"I'll bring you up a cup of tea I think, would you like one Harry?"

Harry nodded. Hermione turned to make her way out when Ron lunged forward and grabbed her by the wrist. She gasped and froze, it was as if she had electricity passing through her, and stared at him in shock. Harry saw that Ron's shivering had subsided a little now but the tremors were still present in his voice as he spoke.

"You stayed with me didn't you?" he asked her.

"Yes," Hermione nodded breathlessly.

Ron let go of her wrist, she seemed to be greatly upset by this loss of contact, and he glanced over at the silver hoops before looking back at her again.

"Thank you."

Ron looked down at his hands and Hermione practically ran out of the room, Harry knew she would go straight to Mrs Weasley in tears, and Harry felt a pain building up inside. He was going to have to leave Ron behind, he knew it for sure now, he was going to be emotionally fragile for a long time and it was time they didn't have now that Voldemort knew that somebody was out to destroy his horcruxes.

"Ron, I need to talk to you about something," he began.

Ron was still staring at his hands, his fingertips looking sore and painful, when he responded with an eerily accurate guess at the topic in hand.

"You're going on without me aren't you?" Ron looked up and for a moment there was no discussion to be had, they both saw every possible angle in each other's sad eyes and the futility of going over it out loud seemed obvious.

"I'm sorry, I wish..."

"It's ok," Ron half smiled, "I can't go anywhere at the moment can I? I'm no good to anyone right now."

"No don't say that," Harry said, feeling empty inside.

"It's alright," Ron smiled a little more convincingly now, "at least we've found a way to stop me eh?"

Harry nodded. He didn't know why but he felt he had to tell Ron the truth about what had happened during the night.

"I almost woke you last night," Ron's eyes were wide and he paled even more than he already was, "I'm sorry, don't worry I didn't do it. Your dad stopped me, well no it was you, you stopped me."

"Why did you...?" Ron began.

"I was just so angry with them for what they did to you, I wanted to get them to face me, and I let my temper get the better of me as usual. I was going to..." Harry shook his head at his own hot-headedness and stupidity, "...I just needed to yell at them so much, to find out who the hell was doing this to you, that I was willing to let them posses you. I'm so sorry Ron."

Ron let the blanket slip from his shoulders, his shivering had finally stopped, and he crossed the room to sit beside Harry on his bed.

"It's ok, I understand, I'm kind of curious about who this bastard is myself," he shrugged.

Harry had to let Ron know what was weighing so heavy on his mind; he hoped that his best friend didn't hate him for it.

"That's not the point. I'm not leaving you behind because you're not up to the trip anymore, not just that, I have to leave you behind because I scared myself last night Ron. I'm scared of what I almost did. I can't trust myself to keep my cool when they're getting to you."

Ron and Harry both looked at the floorboards, tense and silent, for several seconds before Harry took a deep breath and told Ron the last of his worries.

"I found out last night that this person you're being manipulated by knows me. They're protecting me. They're risking you to protect me and I won't allow that. If I can get Hermione to stay with you I will. If they can find a way to hurt you then they might try to go through her as. This was why I wanted to go on my own in the first place. It's one thing for the people against me to be a threat to you both but now the people on my side are...they're...I won't stand for it anymore."

Ron looked shocked at this little speech and opened his mouth to say something but Harry raised his hand.

"Now that Hermione's bound to you she can't leave anyway, it's all worked out for the best."

"I don't think so," Hermione was standing at the bedroom door holding two cups of steaming hot tea and with a livid look on her face, "I could restrict Ron's movements from the other side of the world as long as he was held by that hoop, that was one of the reasons I was so against that bloody ritual in the first place, the bond of blood is an incredibly powerful way to contain somebody. I can be sure that he's safe without being anywhere near him."

"So you'd do that to him would you?" Harry snapped at her, "Bind him and rush out into all sorts of potentially fatal danger with me, risking your life, while he sits at the Burrow bound by your blood. That was another one of your worries wasn't it Hermione? The binder dies while Ron is bound to them and what if he's totally restricted at the time eh? What happens then Hermione? You're willing to risk that because I'm not!"

Hermione looked hurt, as if this had been Harry's plan all along and he had tricked her into doing the bond of blood to keep her from continuing the journey with him, and she looked as if she was going to yell at him until her face turned beetroot but something distracted her. Harry followed her fearful eyes to the spot where Ron had just fallen to his knees on the floor beside Harry. He dropped down beside him but there was some kind of blue light crackling all around him and he couldn't get close to his stricken friend.

There was a crash as both full cups of tea shattered on the ground and Hermione aimed her wand at Ron and screamed.

"Abrumpo, abrumpo, abrumpo!" she repeated with a fearful rage that Harry had never seen before, not even in the days of Umbridge, "Break the connection Ron, break it!"

Ron's eyes were glazed. This couldn't be, Harry thought to himself, Ron was awake. How could they be taking him over now?

"This isn't an oracle thing Harry, this is a viator spell, old magic. Somebody's using him to send a message to you but we can't let him deliver it."

"Why not?" Harry asked, sure he already knew the answer but desperately hoping he was wrong.

"As soon as he delivers the message he'll die!"

Before Harry could begin to perform the spell to break-off the connection being made with Ron his friends blue eyes glowed and an unfamiliar voice came from his lips.

"An old man with leaden-coloured skin stretched tight over his face, lips thin and bloodless and a half-open toothless mouth. Two piercing semi-luminous eyes set far back stare at you. The figure, hardly dressed, two filthy strips of calico wound round and round its emaciated body peruses you. Running away you are followed by it as it floats down the road. It is almost on top of you..."

"Ron you can control this, this isn't like the sleepwalking, you can stop this!" Hermione screamed at him.

"Beside the canal at Llangynidr. The inferi guards the secret that will deliver you the timeto destroythe dark lord's shattered soul."

The crackling blue light faded away and Ron's eyes lost their glow. He fell forward and extended his arms to hold himself up, he was sweating and panting, and the violent shivering had begun again.

Hermione grabbed him and pushed him back so he was resting against the foot of Harry's bed. She stared into his face and didn't seem to be able to believe her eyes.

"Ron? Oh my God Ron you're ok," she turned to face Harry and gasped, "that should've killed him."

"Oracles have a resilience to it."

Mrs Weasley's hollow voice sounded from the doorway, she had obviously heard the smashing cups and come to clear up the mess.

"It only works on a waxing moon, they won't be able to send you a direct message like that again for another month."

Ron shuddered and tried to speak, his voice seemed to have left him, and he cleared his throat and tried again as he looked to his mother.

"Mum?"

Mrs Weasley still seemed strangely distant.

"Yes dear?"

"What else didn't you tell me about myself?"

It had all been explained. Ron had listened silently and did nothing more than nod when his mother had finally let go of the last great secret. Nearly all oracles go insane if they are used for a prolonged period of time.

"What's a prolonged period of time?" Hermione had asked.

"More than twenty or thirty consecutive nights of visits, so I've heard," Mrs Weasley said with a sigh, "and when things like the viator spell and the spirit being drawn into the body to posses the host the deterioration happens even faster."

"Why didn't you tell us this when you told us about the whole oracle thing in the first place?" Harry said, trying to keep his cool.

The sad woman turned her eyes to Ron, who still sat in total silence, and shook her head in apology.

"I couldn't bear to think about it and I didn't want you to lose hope Ronnie. If you knew you might just give in to it and...stop fighting. You have so much on your mind and I didn't want to add another worry when it's something none of us can do anything about."

Ron met his mother's eyes and smiled.

"What's the use of worrying eh? It never was worthwhile."

Mrs Weasley actually laughed at this. Harry and Hermione were shocked at this unpredictable behaviour. She grabbed Ron into a hug that he didn't fight against and sang a familiar tune to her brave son. Despite her voice being muffled against Ron's shoulder Harry could still make out the words.

"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile."

Ron glanced over to Hermione and rolled his eyes.

"Dad's muggle record collection, you wouldn't believe the kind of crap you people used to listen to to ignore the great wizarding war of the forties."

Hermione smiled before biting her lip and turning to Harry. They marvelled at the strength of will Ron was displaying, it was almost as if he was sick and tired of all the anxiety and had just decided to accept it all with a shrug. Hermione looked back as the mother and son separated from each other.

"Que sera sera eh?" Hermione asked with a sad smile.

Mrs Weasley's face lit up.

"Oh Hermione that one's my favourite!"

The older woman cupped Hermione's face with her hand and the two of them shared a silent exchange before she turned away and busied herself with making a fresh pot of tea. Ron's chair scraped on the stone floor as he got up.

"I don't know why you thought I wasn't prepared for a life of insanity mother, you did name me after crazy uncle Billius after all and that bloke was off his head!" he chuckled.

Mrs Weasley turned, her face red but her smile wide, and she huffed an exasperated breath.

"Don't let your father hear you saying that Ronald Weasley, he was very fond of batty old Billius, and he wouldn't thank you to bring up his little eccentricities in that derogatory manner."

Ron shrugged.

"All I'm saying is that you jinxed me. I always knew I was destined to be a nutter. In the wizarding world we call a spade a spade and a madman Billius, it's just the way it is."

Mrs Weasley's shoulders fell and began to shake, her head dropped and her palms were flat on the kitchen counter, as she began to cry loudly. Ron grabbed her and gave her another firm cuddle, once again his physical contact issues not noticeably affecting him as far as Harry could tell, and he tried to keep the smile on his face as he comforted her.

"Come on mum, don't do this, we think this is funny remember?" his mother squeezed him a little tighter to her and nodded, her face was still the picture of devastation though, "This is nothing, we're not going to worry about this, and how much more loopy can I get anyway?"

Mrs Weasley gave a tearful chuckle and sniffed.

"I am surprised you didn't snap sooner, having the twins for brothers and everything," she said, causing Ron to laugh and rub his mother's back, "and I should have sent you to St Mungo's for treatment when I heard about your little stroll in the forbidden forest in the second year."

Ron pulled back from his mother and frowned at the smiling woman who was doing her best to put on a brave face for him.

"How d'you mean?" he asked as he wiped away the tears that had been falling earlier.

"Well any arachnophobe who follows a trail of spiders into the lair of an enormous spider that wants to eat him is really in need of a head examination."

Ron snorted and even Harry found himself laughing now. He understood this new philosophy in the Weasley household. Worrying wasn't going to make any difference so they'd just bypass that emotion and resign themselves to the bad times ahead. The time should be spent laughing rather than crying. He glanced at Hermione, she couldn't seem to understand the use of this group denial and wasn't able to become a part of it right now, she rose from the table and ran out of the kitchen. Harry could've sworn he heard her fighting back a sob as she went.

Ron sighed and let his mother go, something she didn't seem to want but accepted all the same, and shrugged as he walked backwards toward the door.

"I s'pose I'd better..."

Mrs Weasley nodded.

"You go after her, I'll finish making the tea," she smiled.

Ron turned and followed Hermione out of the kitchen and up the stairs while Harry's eyes returned to Mrs Weasley and he gave a silent sigh.

"We have to laugh don't we Harry?" the woman said, her back still to him.

"Yeah we do," Harry smiled.

"We'll have a nice cup of tea and them I'll get out the map."

Harry frowned at this comment.

"Map?"

Mrs Weasley turned around to look at Harry as if she was being accused of gullibility.

"Well you want to find out where Llangynidr is don't you? Sounds Welsh to me, what do you think?"

Harry sighed a deeper and audible sigh now. Reality needed to be faced up to and the reality was that Harry needed to find out what the inferi Ron had spoken of in a place called Llangynidr was guarding for, or maybe from,Voldemort. He was going to be going without Ron, maybe without Hermione too, and leaving his best friend to slowly descend into madness in order to give him the information that he needed.

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile...

Chapter Seventeen - Strangers In The Night

With two cracks Harry and Hermione apparated beside a lock keeper's cottage in Llangynidr, a Welsh village near the town of Abergavenny, and rushed for cover in some nearby bushes. Harry took in his surroundings; anxiously searching for anybody who might have seen them appearing out of thin air at the canal side, and relaxed when he saw that there was nobody around. Hermione let go of her tension too, her body loosening up and her emotions pouring out, as she burst into tears beside him.

It had been an emotional farewell at the Burrow. She had been torn between accompanying Harry and staying behind with Ron. They had both insisted that she choose the other and she had become something of a wreck. After talking to Ron for quite some time she made the decision to go on with the mission with Harry, a decision which pained her more than Harry wanted to know, and she put the hoop on his arm and told him he would be restricted to the Burrow until she came back to him. They had hugged, she had told him she knew how much of a struggle it was for him to allow that level of physical contact and that she was proud of him for keeping his positive attitude, but Harry had seen how reluctant she had been to let Ron go and hadn't been able to watch any longer.

He felt just as guilty as she did, they had done what they both promised him they would never do, they had left him behind. To make matters worse, they had left him behind to face the next awful night alone. Well he wasn't going to be alone, his parents would be there for him and Harry knew that Fred and George would take it in turns to watch him overnight, but he would be without them. Harry had vowed never to let Ron out of his sight after that night he woke in the Black grave and here he was, so very soon after making that declaration, doing just that.

The horcruxes had to be found and destroyed as soon as possible. Not just because Voldemort had to be stopped before any more innocent people were murdered, not just because he knew that the horcruxes were now at risk and was probably protecting them or creating new ones to replace those already destroyed, but because he needed to end the constant messages being delivered to him via Ron's gift. Ron only had a month, give or take a few days and the strength of his will, before the psychological damage became irreversible and his best friend was lost forever. Thirty consecutive nights of somnambulism was all Harry had to get this done. He knew that his horcrux guide from beyond the grave would only leave Ron when the job was done and he had to get that guardian angel of his out of his friend as soon as possible.

Hermione was recovering from her tearful outburst now, fingering the silver hoop that floated around her forearm thoughtfully, and got to her feet with a sniff.

"We'll see him again soon," Harry smiled as he put an arm around her and squeezed.

"Yes," she nodded, forcing a smile onto her face, "we'll get this done in no time and he'll be fine. His mum knows how to deal with his oracle abilities and his dad was great with him last night wasn't he?"

Harry nodded and the two of them began to walk alongside the canal.

"He might not even get a visit at all tonight, they might know that I'm not there and leave him alone, and if that happens we'll have more time. They've given him a break before haven't they?"

"I'm sure they know about the damage consecutive episodes do to an oracle, they wouldn't want to risk him I'm sure, us being away might actually be the best thing for him."

Hermione had meant that statement to be a positive one but it made them both feel awful. Ron's only chance at peace, a slim chance at that, was being away from them.

The walked in silence for several minutes before Hermione spoke again.

"So we've Nagini, something of Griffindor's, and Voldemort himself to destroy before this is all over."

"Right," Harry nodded.

"So we're probably looking for the Griffindor horcrux here aren't we?"

"That's what I'm thinking."

"Got any idea where to start?" she frowned as the stopped at a second lock.

Harry looked at the building beside the lock and broke into a grin.

"We start at the best place for unreliable tales of dead people walking the street at night."

"Where's that then?" Hermione huffed.

Harry pointed over her shoulder to the black and white, Tudor style building behind her.

"The pub of course!"

A man with more teeth in his mouth than hairs on his head had been slurring at them for hours now. His name was Ivor and he had been spinning yarns to Harry and Hermione as soon as he heard them asking the barman if he had heard of any ghost stories about the town. Ivor had begun telling all kinds of tall tales, in between trying to buy Harry a pint of beer every five minutes or so, ever since.

"You sure you don't want a pint?" Ivor slurred, almost slipping off his seat as he leaned forward.

"No, really I'm fine thanks. What was that you were saying about the Welsh mummy thing?"

"The calico kid!" Ivor said, raising his empty glass in a kind of toast.

"Is that what it's called?" Hermione said, ducking the drunken Welshman's arm as it came back down to set the glass on the table again.

"It's what I call 'im Minnie," Ivor shrugged.

Hermione tried not to look cross at his use of her new knick name. Ivor couldn't seem to get his tongue around the name Hermione and had re-christened her Minnie, much to her annoyance.

"Calico?" Harry frowned.

"He wrapped in it, that's why the young 'uns call him a mummy but it ain't bandages he's wrapped in it's strips of calico, he don't wear anything but those calico strips."

Harry and Hermione shared a meaningful glance before Ivor jumped up from the table and stumbled backwards over to the bar.

"Brains my son, another pint of Brains and one for the boy too, he's over eighteen I can vouch for him."

The Welsh beer that Ivor was drowning himself in was called Brains and Harry wasn't sure that it really did a hell of a lot for your real brain. The barman seemed to know that Harry wasn't old enough to be drinking just yet but complied as they were keeping the troublesome Ivor quiet in the corner of the pub with their questions.

"And something for Minnie, what do the young ladies drink these days?"

"No I'm fine with my fruit juice," Hermione spun around on her seat to send a pleading look at the barman, "nothing for me thank you Ivor."

"Wine!" Ivor said with a flourish, "Ladies drink wine, she'll have a glass of your finest wine and she'll have it with a cherry!"

Harry almost laughed at Hermione expression of exasperated confusion. He looked over to the barman to try and contain his amusement only to see him sniggering at Ivor's request for a cherry in a glass of wine.

"No thank you Ivor, I don't..." Hermione began.

"It's ok Min," the barman teased, "I'll do you a Bucks Fizz, sparkling white wine and orange juice, you can even have a cherry in it."

"That's what she's having!" Ivor declared happily, "A Fucks Bizz!"

Harry clamped his hand to his mouth and tried to hold in the laugh, he had really needed this, although Hermione wasn't amused at all. As Ivor carried his and Harry's pints of beer to their table the barman caught Hermione's eye and held up a bottle of orange juice. He poured it into a wine glass and dropped a cocktail cherry into it before putting his finger to his lips and calling out to Ivor.

"There you go Ivor, Minnie's Bucks Fizz with extra wine."

"Ah good man!" Ivor declared and Hermione smiled a thank you to the clearly entertained barman.

When they were all settled back around the table Harry tried to bring the conversation back to the calico kid.

"So have you seen him then, the calico kid?"

"I've seen everything my boy," Ivor slapped Harry on the back heavy handedly, "drink up, it'll do you the power of good. Better than that shite you get in London I can tell you."

Harry picked up his pint.

"I'm not from London..." he said nervously as Ivor put his finger on the bottom of the glass and tipped it towards Harry's lips.

He had to drink to stop the liquid spilling all down the front of him. It didn't taste like he had expected, he didn't like it but he didn't dislike it either. He still preferred butterbeer he thought.

"So back to the mummy," Hermione said, taking a sip of her faux Bucks Fizz so Ivor didn't try to pour it down her throat for her, "do you believe it's a real spectre or just a myth?"

"No no no, I've seen him with my own eyes! He's followed me home many a night. Except the nights I didn't go home, then he just went off by himself."

Harry frowned at this.

"So he always goes the same way every time you see him then? He's always walking the same way you go home?"

Ivor nodded and put his elbow on the table and pointed a finger into the air.

"Except...when he's walking...back."

Ivor's elbow slipped off the table and he fell onto the floor. Hermione tried to help him back onto his chair but the barman was making his way over to them and shaking his head.

"No more for you tonight Ivor, time to go home now."

He took Ivor from Hermione and guided him to the door. Harry jumped to his feet and pulled his coat on, indicating for Hermione to do the same, and ran after Ivor as he swayed at the exit to the pub.

"I'll see him home alright, we've got to go now anyway haven't we Minnie?"

Hermione scowled at Harry momentarily for calling her that but played along all the same.

"Yes we're going, um do you know of somewhere we can stay overnight? A Bed and Breakfast or a guest house or anything?" she asked the barman.

"Not around here I'm afraid, there's just no call for it, nobody comes here unless they know someone who lives here."

"Ah well never mind, we'll sort something out," Harry smiled as he struggled to steer Ivor out of the door."

Hermione grabbed the backpacks and followed them out onto the towpath.

"You two be careful down by that canal with him, he's knocked people in before!" the barman called after them.

"Oh great, that's all we need," Harry grumbled as he let go of Ivor, "alright then, which way is home?"

Ivor was already staggering off up a slight hill to a road that ran parallel to the canal. Harry took his backpack from Hermione and they both struggled up the hill after him.

"Dim bendith..." Ivor began to sing up at the stars as he swayed down the road.

"Come on, even if the calico kid doesn't show up we can't leave him in this state," Harry grumbled.

Hermione sighed and they followed Ivor's very slow progress along the road. He was bellowing his Welsh song as he went but nobody seemed to be bothered by it, none of the curtains even twitched as they passed by small cottages and houses along the way.

"...Gorau chwarae, cyd chwarae..."

Harry noticed that there was an ominous icy chill floating on the breeze and looked behind them into the mist. Then he realised something.

"It wasn't misty just now."

"What?" Hermione shivered as she turned around to look back the way they had come, she gasped when she saw the encroaching fog.

They looked back and could barely make out the shape of Ivor as he was enveloped in the grey cloud that was swelling around them all. Harry and Hermione ran to him, they were grateful for his singing as it made him harder to lose track of.

"...caneuon! Bore da Cerys, bore da..."

"Ivor keep it down for a minute," Hermione whispered as she gripped his arm when they reached him, "Harry listen, do you hear that?"

Harry knew what she was talking about, it didn't seem to be a sound though, more of an audible feeling in the air. It was as if the fog swirling around them was sighing. The three of them peered into the thick grey gloom and Ivor spoke clearly, his slur seeming to have left him for the moment.

"Here he comes, the calico kid, he's come to see me home."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other nervously and Ivor took a step away from them and called out into the mist.

"I'm here old friend, let us stroll to the church together before we part ways again until tomorrow night!"

Harry desperately shushed Ivor but he was striding off into the freezing fog, almost vanishing from sight immediately, and he grabbed Hermione's hand so he didn't loose her too and they ran after him. Harry felt his clothes growing damp as he ran through the thick cloud and saw two figures ahead of him. One was zigzagging along in a clumsy drunken manner and the other seemed to be half dragging its feet, half gliding ahead of him.

"Harry," Hermione whispered as she clutched his hand tightly, "it's an inferi. This is the inferi Ron spoke about in his attack this morning."

Harry shushed her and they followed the pair as the continued on along the roadside. Just as the fog thickened to the point that Harry was afraid that he would choke on it the two figures separated at a fork in the road. Ivor weaved across the road and began fumbling with a key at the door to a small bungalow the inferi picked up speed and broke out of the icy mist and into a dark wooded area. Harry and Hermione followed him, deciding against lighting their wand tips in case it alerted the inferi to the fact it was being followed. Harry wasn't entirely sure that the thing didn't already know that anyway but remained cautious regardless.

The trees groaned and twigs snapped under their feet. Hermione's fingernails were digging into Harry's hand the further into the woods they followed the inferi but he didn't dare yelp with pain. The inferi stopped and crossed a marshy area without it's sickly grey coloured-feet touching the ground once. There was a fallen limb of a tree lying across the marshland, it looked as if it had been severed by a lightning strike, and Harry shook off Hermione's grip on him and raised his wand. Hermione's wand was up too, ready for an ambush, while he stepped up onto the limb and tested it for strength. It seemed to be supporting his weight well enough and he began to edge his way across.

"Harry be careful!" Hermione whispered as he went.

He was about to reassure her that he was doing fine when a hollow voice drifted back towards him from within the trees.

"Caligo!"

The incantation was almost sighed by the leaves and the groaning trees themselves in an eerily slow echo. It was then that Harry felt it, the overwhelming dizziness spinning his head around on the inside. He was losing his balance, he was losing his ability to even stand upright, it was some kind of vertigo spell and he could fight it off.

"Corrigo!" Hermione yelled as her spell hit him in the back.

He came to himself immediately but was already in mid-fall and couldn't do anything to stop himself from squelching down onto the marshy ground beneath. It was a strange feeling, the earth under his body wasn't soft but it wasn't solid either. He tried to slowly ease himself up onto his hands and knees and crawl. Again Harry heard the woods sighing another spell that hit him from every direction.

"Seputus!"

His hands were pulled down into the pliable mud beneath and he felt his knees being swallowed up as well. The mud was turning into murky water and he was sinking into it, still unable to free his hands and knees from the earth where they were held with some kind of suction. The water was up to his chest and he couldn't get up from all fours. He turned to see a fearful Hermione frantically searching her brain for a spell to help him. He was about to call out for her when the water reached his chin and began to cover his mouth. He held his breath and begged her with his eyes to think fast.

"Concavo!" he heard her shout, not sounding entirely sure of herself as she did, and he felt the mud and the water pulling away from him and clinging to the sides of the deep hollow in the ground that was now forming around him. He could stand and move, there was no more water rising around him, but eight feet high walls of mud and slime now surrounded him.

"What did you do that for?" Harry cried out.

"It's the best I could do!" he heard her hiss back at him, "Given the urgency of the situation I did the first thing I could think of. You're alright aren't you?"

Harry was filthy and trapped in an eight feet deep slime hole but other than that...

"I'm fine."

He looked up to see Hermione looking down at him and shaking her head.

"I didn't have time to think, sorry."

Harry huffed and gave her a smile.

"I didn't drown in sludge so I'm happy enough for the moment."

She was about to smile down at him when the trees seemed to bend in on Hermione and groan another incantation.

"Hermione, look out!" Harry hollered up at her but it was too late.

"Adficto affligo!"

There was an awful cracking sound and Hermione screamed, she fell out of Harry's sight but Harry could still hear her cries of pain.

"No, what are you doing to her? Hermione what's happening up there?" he bellowed.

"Harry," he heard her agonised screams and they made him feel sick and helpless, "my arms...my arms are broken, I can't use my wand!"

Harry desperately scanned the high walls of slime around him for some kind of foothold he could use to climb out and help her but he could see nothing.

"Hold on Hermione, I'm coming, I just need to find a way out."

His last word was drowned out by her new scream of panic.

"Harry the inferi is coming back! It's coming towards me. I can't hold up my wand, help me!"

He racked his brain for a spell, how could he get out of this magically made hole in the ground? There must be a way. Hermione was defenceless and injured up there and he had to do something before the inferi got to her.

"Aggero!" he yelled as he pointed his wand at the ground and held it on the spot.

The earth beneath his feet began to pile up into a heap and grow bigger and bigger. Quickly he jumped upon the mound as it piled higher and higher until he could not longer concentrate the spell on the same spot and made a jump from the top of the heap of earth to the edge of the hole. It was slick from the mud and water, a green slime oozing through his fingers as he began to slide back downwards into the hole, when Hermione threw one of her broken arms out toward him. Instinctively he grabbed it and pulled himself out of the hole, Hermione screams ringing in his ears and making his eyes water at the pain he was causing her. As soon as he was fully out of the hole he scrambled along the ground to see the awful sight of Hermione bowing over her broken forearms, the silver hoop the only thing that remained the shape it was supposed to be.

"Oh Godric," Harry winced before pointing his wand at her arms and trying one of the few healing spells he knew, "Episkey!"

Hermione's arms seemed to straighten, there were now no longer corners where there shouldn't be, but her bones still didn't seem to have healed and she was still in considerable pain.

"Can you use your wand?" Harry asked her as he tried to put it into her hand at the sight of the approaching inferi.

She tried to grip the wand but cried out in agony.

"It hurts!" she whimpered.

"It's ok, I'll hold it off, don't worry."

Harry stood before her and pointed his wand at the inferi.

"Depulso, detineo, oppugno!"

The three defensive spells hit their target and seemed to have taken some small effect. Harry turned and bent over, trying to lift Hermione up and support her weight but this involved holding on to her still painful arm and causing her to scream with agony once again.

"I'm sorry Hermione but we've got to get out of here right now!"

She was breathing heavily and choking back anguished sobs which made what she then said to him all the more amazing to Harry.

"We came here for a reason Harry and we're not leaving until we find what we need."

"But..." he gaped at her as she grimaced in pain and held up her wand arm and aimed at the inferi.

"Contineo profundum!" she cried through the wave of discomfort.

The inferi flew over their heads and down into the hole that Harry had just crawled out of. Harry looked down and saw that the hole was deepening further than he could see and the inferi was still falling. Hermione was crying with the effort as she raised her wand again and pointed it down at the hole

"Aggero contego!" she managed to say before feinting into Harry unprepared arms.

The hole filled with soil and a magical seal seemed to form over it. Harry sank to the ground with Hermione's limp and drained body. He needed to get her out of there but she was right, they had come there for a reason and she hadn't gone through all that for him to leave empty handed. He raised his wand and lit the tip. Scanning the still groaning trees he could see nothing that seemed out of place. He thought about what Hermione would suggest right now. Suddenly he remembered a spell Neville had bee telling him about in Herbology once. A spell that helped you find water or edible plant life when in unfamiliar territory. It was all he could think of right now so he gave it a go.

"Invenio horcrux!"

Nothing happened.

"Invenio Griffindor's property!" Harry demanded, knowing that was a little too optimistic of him but giving it a try anyway.

Still nothing. He heaved Hermione up a little more as she had bee sliding down while he was concentrating on his unsuccessful spells.

"Invenio...help?" Harry huffed half-heartedly.

The trees shifted and some solid soil at the base of a large trunk began to bubble as if it was boiling coffee, the trees roots thrashed around beneath the surface and after a short while a figurine floated up to the surface. As soon as the six-inch tall figure of a robed man broke the surface the earth was solid and the soil compacted just as firmly as it had been before around the statue's base. Harry pointed his wand at the object and summoned it. It pulled itself out of the inch of soil that still held it and flew into Harry's hand. He put the object in his pocket and got a better grip on Hermione, his priority was to get her out of there right now, and he turned to carry her back the way they had come.

He froze as he saw Ivor standing in his path, Harry recognised the look on his face immediately, he had been put under the imperius curse.

"You destroyed the calico man, the woods will destroy you."

Ivor raised his arms up to the trees and bellowed.

"The dark lord commands to you retrieve what has been stolen from you and hold the thieves and their bounty until he arrives to deliver justice."

Harry gripped his wand, he didn’t want to curse Ivor, he was a muggle and it wasn't his fault he had been possessed but he didn't know what to do to get himself and Hermione out of there before Voldemort arrived. Harry wondered briefly that if this wasn't a horcrux sight, why had it been so strongly guarded and what the hell did he have in his pocket that meant so much to Voldemort anyway?

His curiosity would have to be put on hold for the time being as the trees groaned and the leaves hissed another incantation at him from every direction.

"Plaga pulpa, sectus pulpa!"

Harry felt as if a thousand punches had struck him at once and fell to the ground. As Hermione landed on top of him the second wave of the curse hit and she bore the brunt of it, cuts slashing at her flesh wherever bare skin was visible, Harry rolled himself on top of her but the worst had been done already. He looked over to Ivor who had also been beaten and slashed by the invisible army and didn't seem to be moving.

"Oh no," Harry groaned as he dragged Hermione over the forest floor to Ivor and felt for a pulse.

Harry's fingers were pressed against Ivor's neckbut there was no need to feel for a pulse, his fingertips sank deep into a cut into the man's jugular and warm blood stained Harry's hand. Harry cursed loudly and lay the bloodied Hermione on the ground, pointing his wand at her.

"Mobilcorpus!"

Hermione floated up and Harry clutched his side as he began to run with her floating ahead of his. On of the blows had caught him in the ribs and he thought that several of them were probably cracked. He ran on through the discomfort and wove their awkward way through the threes until they came back out into the open again. The fog had completely dispersed now and Harry could see the canal a little way away. There was an abandoned-looking long boat moored there and it was the only plan he had to get the two of them out of there so he went for it.

Hermione was levitated onto the deck and Harry severed the rope before pushing the boat out and jumping on board himself. He dragged Hermione over to the doors, which were locked but that was no obstacle for him, and after magically unlocking them and heaving Hermione through he ran back out onto the deck and attempted a concealment charm on the whole boat. It was a big thing to do and he wasn't sure he could but they were sitting ducks otherwise.

"Dissimulo!"

In the distance he heard multiple cracks of apparating Death Eaters and possibly Lord Voldemort himself and dove in through the door and closed it behind him, feeling the vessel slowly drifting along with the current. He grabbed Hermione again and lifted her, with his aching bones and battered and bruised skin screaming at him with displeasure all the while, onto a cushioned seat. He felt his ribs sending a sharp pain through his chest and gasped before pointing his wand at Hermione and trying his healing spell on her one more time.

He would've liked to stay conscious for long enough to see if the spell had made any difference but he couldn't manage to fight his weakened body's need for rest any longer and passed out on the nearly bald rug beneath him.

The last thing he thought before the blackness took him completely was that the lump in his pocket was digging into his side quite uncomfortably.

Chapter Eighteen - The Morning After The Night Before

Dum!

The floor shook with the deep thudding sound and Harry began to form thoughts in his sleepy head.

Dum!

There it was again, something was banging and shaking the floor, and it was as if he was trapped inside a huge drum that was being pounded on by a very angry person with a stick.

Dum!

Harry groaned as the floor reverberated again. Ron didn't need this first thing in the morning, not the way he had been sleeping, Harry thought to himself. Then he began to come to his senses. Ron wasn't here, they weren't at the Burrow, and he was with Hermione in Wales somewhere. Then he forced his eyes open at the thought of Hermione.

"Oh my God," he gasped as he tried to move his body, his ribs were killing him and he felt as if Grawp had spent the night kicking him around a football pitch for sport, "ouch, Hermione can you move? Can you hear me?"

Dum!

The boat shook again. What was that pounding noise? He built himself up to move despite the pain and forced his body into the sitting position. He cried out much louder than he would really have wanted to considering he didn't know if there were still Death Eaters out there looking for them.

"Harry?" Hermione's weak voice strained to call down to him from the cushioned seat she was laid out upon.

"I'm here, I'm fine...I think, don't move."

"There's blood on me," her voice shuddered.

"Don't worry, I'll get us out of here, just give me a minute to think." Harry groaned as he tried to crawl over to the door.

"How? Where are we anyway?"

Harry's muscles were screaming at him to stop torturing them by moving but he reached up for the door handle and turned it.

"We're still in Wales as far as I know, we're on the canal on a boat, keep your voice down. I'm going to check to see what that noise is."

He opened the door a crack and squinted out. There was nobody around as far as he could see, they seemed to be in the middle of the Welsh countryside, and Harry opened the door a little wider just as the thudding sounded again.

Dum!

It was the sound of the boat bumping against the lock they had stopped at. Harry breathed a sigh of relief that hurt his ribcage even more and allowed himself to rest against the steps leading to the deck.

"What is it?" Hermione winced as she tried to lift herself up and found that her arms were causing her considerable pain.

"We're just banging against the lock that's all, don't move Hermione, I don't think my healing charms are up to much."

She looked at her skin, the dried blood and scabs on her hands and legs, and examined the cuts she had suffered the previous night while she was unconscious.

"They're not too deep, I think you did a pretty good job Harry. How did this all happen?"

Harry shook his head, it was all too much to remember right now, all he knew was they had managed to get away before the Death Eaters arrived and somehow stay alive; unlike poor old Ivor.

"Ivor got killed," he said as he tried to find part of his body that wasn't bruised to lean on.

"What," Hermione gasped, "how?"

"He was under the imperius curse and when the woods attacked us they hit him as well. He was dead almost instantly, there was nothing I could do."

Hermione closed her eyes and pressed her lips together firmly for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to sit up.

"We've got to get out of here Harry, I can't treat you and you can't treat me, we need to go back to the Burrow."

Harry grimaced as he pushed himself up to his feet, his hand still clutching his ribs as he did, and staggered across to where his blood-drenched friend sat.

"We'll splinch ourselves if we try to apparate in this state and I don't know how to make a portkey do you?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow and almost smiled at him.

"Of course I do, do you really think I'd come on a mission like this one and not have as many plans for escape as possible up my sleeve?"

Harry sank down on the seat beside her.

"Oh you're a star."

She rolled her eyes and tried to keep a firm enough grip on her wand with her injured arms. Glancing around for something to turn into a portkey she noticed the face of the figurine peering out of the top of Harry's pocket.

"What's that?"

Harry turned so sharply it made him yelp with pain before easing his hand into his pocket and pulling out the six-inch statue.

"This is what we went through all that for, and apparently it's not even a horcrux so why the hell we bothered I don't know."

She took the figurine from him and read the inscription on the bottom of it.

"St Nectan, why does that name ring a bell?" she asked herself thoughtfully.

Harry managed to smirk through his discomfort.

"Maybe because you've read every book ever published?"

Hermione huffed and shook her head.

"Well, we may as well use this, we're taking it with us anyway aren't we?"

Harry watched as Hermione performed the spell and silently prayed that their landing wasn't going to be too rough.

Harry's eyes opened and he saw that he was lying on the sofa in the living room at the Burrow. He smiled before screaming aloud in a very unmanly manner at the stabbing pain in his chest.

"Oh Harry don't move, we haven't got to you yet," Mrs Weasley's frantic voice called from somewhere across the room, "I'm just finishing with Hermione."

Harry turned his head to see Hermione lying on another battered looking sofa on the other side of the room. Her eyes were open and she was casting a pained smile back at him.

"Sorry about landing so hard on you Harry," she said weakly, "I think I heard something break."

Harry tried to smile at her reassuringly but his chest just hurt too much.

"Don't worry, it was already broken anyway."

"Y'know Harry, for somebody whose life has been made a misery by a scar you really aren't doing much to avoid getting more of 'em are you?" Fred's voice said with amusement as he squatted down beside Harry and grinned mischievously.

"I'm laughing on the inside Fred, I swear I am."

Fred gave a chuckle and started to spray Harry with some kind of blue aerosol. Harry began to sputter and his ribs tortured him even more as if to punish him for trying to breathe.

"Hold your breath Harry, this stuff tastes dreadful if you get it in your mouth.

"Too late," Harry gagged, it was as if he was chewing a mouthful of earwax flavoured every flavour beans.

He realised that his aches and pains were dulling into nothing as soon as the spray settled on his skin though and decided that he could tolerate the unpleasant aftertaste if it meant he didn't feel as if he was an elephant's trampoline any more.

"Another one of your little inventions?" he asked, impressed.

Fred beamed proudly.

"Yup, we're geniuses, it's official! Don't go jumping around just yet though Harry, mum's got to see to your bones still, someone must've given you a right kicking."

"Something like that," Harry scoffed, "but as long as it was worth it...the statue, where is it?"

Hermione's eyes were wide, as she seemed to realise that neither of them had the figurine of St Nectan on them.

"What, that thing you used for a portkey?" Fred asked with incredulity, "That was what you went through all this trouble for?"

Harry nodded.

"Seems so, do you still have it?"

"It's still out in the yard as far as I know," Fred shrugged before leaning in close on seeing Harry's alarmed expression, "is this something we need to put into our special chest?"

"No!" Hermione shouted from across the room.

"Ears like a bat that one," Fred snorted, "I'll go and find it for you. Don't get up!"

Fred pointed a warning finger at the two of them before trotting outside to search for the discarded portkey.

"There Hermione, all patched-up as best I can I'm afraid, some nasty cuts you had there and I'll want to check on your arms again in a few hours just to be safe alright?" Mrs Weasley said as her knees made a grinding sound when she got back to her feet.

"Yes, thank you Mrs Weasley, I'm feeling much more comfortable now."

Harry saw that Mrs Weasley had bandaged Hermione's forearms while she was still wearing the silver hoop.

"Hermione why didn't you take that off? It would've made things much easier," Harry frowned.

"No!" Mrs Weasley snapped before blustering out of the living room muttering something about needing another book on healing broken ribs.

Harry was shocked and stared over to Hermione who was almost shaking with the shock of this outburst.

"What's going on?" Harry demanded of her.

"They had a rough night themselves last night," Hermione explained sadly, "apparently Ron tore the house apart trying to get out. He's still sleeping, George is up there with him now, and Mrs Weasley wants me to keep him restricted to his bed until he wakes up just to be on the safe side."

Harry shook his head. Ron had another episode. How many consecutive nights did that make it now, he shuddered to think?

"It sounded...it sounded as if he was ten times worse without us here Harry," Hermione said, her voice small, "they may be using him to communicate with you but it doesn't seem to matter whether you're here or not."

Harry felt a wave of nausea wash over him as this thought sunk in.

"So it was that bad eh?"

Hermione met his eyes and he could tell it was worse than that.

"I'm still not clear on exactly who did what but, somebody had to stun him."

"What?" Harry sat up so fast he felt his broken ribs grinding against each other and let out another yelp of pain.

Mrs Weasley rushed back into the living room with an open book in her hands.

"Harry lay still, what did Fred tell you?"

"You had to stun him?" Harry snapped, "Is he ok?"

Mrs Weasley glanced over to Hermione who couldn't meet her accusing eyes.

"Now is a time for healing and nothing else, the rest can wait understand?"

Hermione still couldn't look at the older woman but nodded silently. Mrs Weasley's glare turned on Harry who still stared at her with considerable anger. He had never needed to hurt Ron before, why had they felt the need to last night?

"He's awake," George said as he leaned in at the living room door, interrupting Harry's need for further questions, "wow you're looking much better Hermione!"

Hermione didn't seem to have time for frivolous comments like that and demanded he get straight to the point.

"How is he?"

George gave a shrug.

"Well he's got one hell of a headache but other than that he's fine. He doesn't remember anything though and he'd quite like to get out of bed if you wouldn't mind Hermione."

"Oh of course," Hermione suddenly became flustered and moved to take off her hoop.

"Just widen the barrier to the house Hermione, until we can be sure everything's alright, would you mind dear?" Mrs Weasley pleaded with her.

Hermione nodded and within a few seconds they heard footsteps on the landing two floors up. Ron was moving around.

"Cheers," George smiled at her and suddenly realised that he was missing an identical twin, "Fred gone to open up the shop has he?"

Just as Harry was about to explain his absence Fred reappeared over George's shoulder and held up the figurine.

"Found it!" he smiled, "St Nectan eh? Never heard of him."

George took the figurine from his brother and began to wipe the mud and dried blood off of it.

"Isn't this the junk you used for a portkey?"

"It's not junk," Hermione huffed as she drew her wand and summoned the figurine into her hand.

"Oh really," snorted George, "what is it then?"

"It's some kind of clue," Hermione said thoughtfully as she turned the figurine over in her hands.

"It's an aid of some sort, it only revealed itself when I asked for help," Harry told her.

Hermione frowned and look at it even more closely.

A warm feeling seemed to grip Harry and wrap itself around his chest several times before dispersing and Harry felt his ribs, they weren't broken anymore, and he looked back at Mrs Weasley who was putting away her wand and closing the book.

"Fred, George, it's nearly noon. Help me make the walking wounded some lunch will you dears?"

The three of them left Harry and Hermione alone on the sofas in the living room. They stared across at each other in silence.

"Hell of a night eh?" Harry said eventually.

Hermione nodded.

"Hell of a night."

They smiled before the sound of footsteps on the stairs turned their attention to the door again. Ron was coming down. Harry couldn't see around the door and could only watch Hermione's eyes as she followed the sight of him descending and then passing the open living room door and into the kitchen. Harry thought he could hear Ron yawning. Hermione looked back at Harry with wide eyes as soon as she lost sight of Ron, he had obviously not seen her there and she hadn't been able to say a word to him as he passed, frozen with either fear or excitement. They could hear Ron talking to his brothers in the kitchen now.

"I wonder why Hermione waited so long to let me get out of bed, d'you think she slept late or something?"

"Didn't you just see them?" Fred's amused voice snorted.

"See what?"

"Harry and Hermione, they're in the living room you nit!" George laughed.

There was suddenly a sound of hurried footsteps and Ron appeared back at the door he had just passed by so lazily mere moments ago.

"Oh Merlin, what happened, did something go wrong?" Ron gasped; he was obviously quite shocked at the sight of Hermione's blood drenched clothing.

Hermione looked as if she was about to cry and lifted her arms as if she was reaching for Ron to hug him tightly. Ron was suddenly dragged by an invisible force across the living room floor on his knees and into Hermione's waiting arms.

"Whoa!" Ron gasped as he realised what had just happened.

Hermione released him urgently.

"Oh God Ron, I'm so sorry!"

Ron still seemed startled at being literally swept off his feet, well dragged anyway, and gave an amazed laugh.

"No it's fine, I'm not so bad about the touching anymore."

Hermione looked really upset now Harry noticed.

"It's not that," she whimpered, "it's what I did, I hate these things! I don't care what your mother says I'm taking them off now!"

As Ron tried to make sense of everything that had just happened in the last sixty seconds Hermione slipped the silver hoop off Ron's arm and did the same with her own.

"My mother?"

"Don't you get it Ron?" Hermione said as she clung to him even tighter than she had before, "I wanted to hold you and the second I thought it you were dragged into my arms on your knees. When this is over I want those hoops destroyed in the twins chest do you hear?"

Ron began to rub Hermione's back soothingly.

"It's ok Hermione, I don't mind really, it's alright as long as it's you doing it."

"It's never alright," she snapped as she pulled back from him to stare into Ron's eyes, "I'm manipulating you to my own ends and it doesn't matter if you understand or you grant me permission, I'm just as bad as whoever's messing with you every night, and I wish you were angrier with both of us about that."

"You want me to be cross with you?" Ron sounded well and truly lost now.

"C'mon Hermione, give the poor bloke a break, he got stupefied last night," Fred's voice sounded from the doorway.

Ron glanced over his shoulder and then back at Hermione before doing a double take.

"I...What?"

"Sorry little bro," Fred spoke again, only this time he sounded a lot less amused, "I had no choice, you were kind of out of control."

Ron's eyes looked down from Fred and he finally saw Harry lying on the sofa on the other side of the room, watching the proceedings in stunned silence, and he took a deep breath.

"So," Ron looked completely bewildered now, "how long ago did this happen?"

"About eight hours ago," George said nonchalantly.

Ron stared at Harry.

"You two were only gone one day?"

Harry gave a shrug and a smile, glad of the ability to do so thanks to Mrs Weasley's spell, and found he was just as lost about that night's goings on as Ron was.

"Yeah and look at the state we got ourselves in without you."

Ron laughed and Harry found himself wondering just how things would have turned out had they allowed Ron to come along. Harry's night had involved a dead guy and a big deep hole in the ground...yes, maybe they had been right to leave Ron behind after all.

Chapter Nineteen - If You Can Keep Your Head While All Around Are Losing Theirs And Blaming It On You...

Everybody had been caught-up on each other's news from the night before. Ron had gone predictably quiet during all the talk of the inferi and Hermione had taken his hand as Harry told him and the twins how she had buried it under the earth for them to make their escape. Neither of them could really bear to go into too many details about the amount of physical pain they had both gone through in those woods but the three red heads hadn't been fooled by their glossing-over of the facts of their escape.

Harry had figured that, seeing as Ron was already a little uncomfortable they may as well get the rest of the explanation over with and asked Fred and George exactly what Ron had been up to the night before.

George had been sitting up with him on Ron-watch when he had woken and seemed to be in some kind of panic. At first George had thought Ron had just woken from one of his buried alive nightmares and rushed over to comfort him but Ron had thrown himself out of bed and ran for the door while his brother was totally unprepared to stop him. He had hurried toward the stairs, causing George to yell the house down for assistance, and Fred appeared just in time to tackle Ron before he crashed down the first flight in his trance-like sprint. Ron's strength was more than both twins could manage as the tried to stop him crawling down the stairs and kicking them off as he reached the ground floor. His parents had risen and followed the struggling brothers down the stairs and Mr Wealsey had tried to put Ron into a full body bind but he had thrown himself into the kitchen and hidden behind the door.

Harry had been very confused by this, how did Ron know a spell was being aimed at him? Hermione had voiced that question but nobody could come up with any theories before Ron lost his patience and insisted they tell him what had happened next.

When Fred and George had followed him into the kitchen they saw him at the open back door, held back inside the house by the barrier Hermione had put around the house while she was away with Harry. They had been relieved, Ron couldn't go anywhere and hurt himself again, but soon Ron began to try and smash his way out of the house. He was frantic and furniture was flying against the walls. Ron didn't have his wand and he seemed to be throwing spells at the barrier over and over again but to no effect. Ron had been doing wandless magic and partially destroying the Weasley home while he was at it.

Harry watched as Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks before turning their attention back to Fred.

"So why did you have to stupefy me?" Ron had asked.

Fred had looked at his mother before turning back to Ron and shaking his head.

"You just got out-of-hand that's all."

That explanation wasn't nearly good enough for Ron and Harry didn't think that more lying to Ron for his own good was actually doing him any good these days.

"And what exactly is out-of-hand Fred?" Hermione snapped, getting to her feet and putting her hands on her hips, a ferocious look in her eye.

George decided to be the brave one and told them that Ron had suddenly started trying to magically and physically remove the hoop from his arm and ended up on the verge of cutting his arm off to sever the connection. Hermione's face went white as a sheet and Harry felt himself swaying on the spot. Fred had stunned Ron to stop him chopping his own arm off.

After a painfully long silence Ron finally spoke.

"Well at least I don't wear that hoop on my wand arm, it would've been a right pain to have to learn to do everything again left-handed."

George had smiled at this little comment. Mr and Mrs Weasley had rolled their eyes and relaxed to a certain degree and Harry turned to Hermione to see that she was still looking tense. She didn't say anything, however, she seemed to understand that Ron needed to be blasé about all the bad things that were happening to him in order to keep his sanity. It seemed to be his psychological defence mechanism and Harry decided to play along with it. Ron had, after all, had yet another consecutive night of channelling the dead.

Mr Weasley, Fred and George had all disapparated back to their jobs after lunch and Mrs Weasley was going about repairing her obliterated kitchen while Harry led Ron and Hermione up to his and Ron's bedroom to discuss the figurine that had caused the three of them so much trouble.

"So I got struck down with a message while I was awake and you two had to fight of a whole magical forest and for what?" Ron frowned as he examined the figure in his hand, "It isn't even a horcrux."

"It's help," Harry thought aloud to himself, "it's something to help us find horcruxes."

"How does it help though?" Hermione took the figurine from Ron and tapped it a few times with her wand, nothing happened, "It doesn't have any magical properties other than us using it as a portkey this morning."

Harry sighed.

"Maybe it's a message, who is St Nectan anyway?"

Ron ran his fingers tiredly through his hair and suddenly looked wearier than Harry had ever seen him before.

"The patron stain of nectarines?" he sighed lazily.

Hermione had noticed this sudden exhaustion hit Ron too and stared at him with concern.

"Ron why don't you go back to sleep? All that wandless magic last night must have taken a lot out of you. I'll put the hoop on just to be sure you don't go anywhere."

Ron shook his head in an effort to wake himself up and grinned at her.

"No, it's alright, I'm fine. So St Nectan then, that sounds like research is called for," he nudged Hermione, "that sounds like your sort of thing."

Hermione forced a smile onto her face and nodded.

"Yes well I'm sure you two wouldn't mind helping me out would you?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a look of resignation and agreed to hit the books with her.

The snore rattled the table and Harry and Hermione shared a quiet chuckle before looking back down at their respective books. Ron was face down, sound asleep, in his own book and had been that way for twenty minutes now. Hermione was turning the pages of her magical history of Britain with one hand while stroking the back of Ron's head with the other. It was like watching her ruffling Crookshanks' fur in the Griffindor common room late at night. Harry returned his gaze back to his own book and wondered if he should keep quiet or just ask the question that had been bugging him for several days now.

"Any luck yet?" he chose to ask instead.

Hermione sighed and twisted a lock of Ron's shaggy red hair around her forefinger as she answered.

"Well St Nectan is in here but there very little information about his life or who he was. He does seem to be a good person though. A quiet wizard who wanted to help the less fortunate and who met a bloody end. He doesn't sound like somebody Voldemort would want to associate with. He doesn't even seem to be that powerful according to this but, like I said, this doesn't say a lot."

Harry nodded and went back to the paragraph he had read five times already without taking in any of the information. He read it from beginning to end for the sixth time and still didn't feel as if he had taken in any of it's information and gave up, turning the page and glancing up at Hermione again. Without thinking he just blurted it out.

"So why are you two so coy? I mean everybody knows y'know?"

Hermione's head snapped up and she seemed to have been expecting him to ask this question but not at that exact moment.

"Well we're just being discreet that's all," she shrugged, "and Ron seems to think that saying it out loud will jinx it, jinx us, so we're just trying to be as low key as possible."

Harry frowned and looked at Ron's sleeping head, Hermione's fingers interwove with locks of red hair, and thought that discretion wasn't really a very Ron-like trait.

"But after the whole Lavender fiasco I wouldn't have thought he was, y'know, shy?"

She laughed and looked back at her book while responding.

"That's exactly why he's being so subtle, he's done the big snogging in front of everybody to show them this is who he's with, thing and look at how badly that turned out...for both of us."

Hermione looked a little sad for a second or two before she carried on and seemed to be just a light hearted as before.

"He just wants us to be exactly how we've always been, but slightly different, if that makes any sense." she shrugged and smiled again.

Harry thought he understood what she was trying to say.

"He doesn't want the three of us to change the way we're friends just because the two of you are a couple now?"

"Something like that, he worded it in this really overly-complicated way and I just went along with it."

Their eyes met and they laughed. Hermione's face dropped and she looked down at Ron's sleeping form once again sadly.

"There's something else too, after he found out about the oracle thing and the deterioration of his mental faculties, he told me he didn't want to make a big deal out of us being together so nobody would judge me too harshly when I had to move on after he..." she tailed off and her voice seemed to break into a sob.

Harry felt sick to his stomach.

"Once he goes insane you mean?"

Her eyes glistened and she nodded.

"We had a big argument after he said that."

Harry slammed his book closed, the vibrations on the table almost caused Ron to wake up, he made a murmuring sound and drifted off again.

"Well I hope you told him he was being a prat!" Harry snapped crossly.

She smiled and resumed stroking his hair again.

"As ever."

They turned their attention back to their books and Harry wondered what he and Hermione would do if the somnambulism didn't let up any time soon. What would they do without Ron? He tried to read the chapter on West Country saints but found it hard to concentrate on anything other than the thought of visiting Ron in St Mungo's. Sitting at his bedside while Neville sat across the ward with his parents every other weekend. Ron who could talk to him for hours and make him laugh until his eyes watered and who he could depend on to watch his back through thick and thing; Ron was going to be reduced to handing Hermione sweet wrappers in a deranged attempt to communicate through his insanity. That was the future Harry was fighting for. That was what Harry's quest to destroy Voldemort was in aid of. He decided to cherish these moments of Ron's lucidity while he still had them.

"Here!" Hermione pulled Harry out of his self-induced mope as she alerted him to a page in her book.

Her sudden outburst disturbed Ron's sleep and he started to breathe heavily. Hermione leaned forward and shushed into Ron's ear while brushing his hair away from his face with her fingers. She glanced at Harry, a look questioning whether or not they should wake him from his nightmare when he really did need the sleep, and he shrugged back at her. Before he could find out what Hermione planned to do Ron gasped, his eyes flew open and he batted Hermione's hand way.

"I can't breathe!"

Ron tried to calm himself down when he realised that he had been dreaming again and took several deep breaths before taking Hermione's hand back and squeezing it.

"Sorry about that, I didn't hit you did I?" he asked with breathless concern.

She smiled and squeezed his hand back.

"No you just made me jump a bit that's all. Are you ok?"

Ron smiled and his breathing slowly began to even out.

"Yeah fine, it's just the claustrophobia again, it's getting better though isn't it?" he smiled optimistically.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other for a moment before lying to him with encouraging smiles.

"Yes, much better."

Ron tried to suppress a shudder as he pulled the book he had been sleeping on back towards him and tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

"So Hermione was just telling me that she found something weren't you Hermione?" Harry said, with a meaningful nod across the table to get her to start distracting Ron from his nightmare.

"Oh yes!" she suddenly sprung into action and read aloud from her book while Ron and Harry listened with interest, "St Nectan was originally from Wales, which probably explains why we found his icon in a Welsh forest, and moved down to the west of England where he became one of the most celebrated saints in the region."

"Yeah but celebrated for what? I can't find that the guy actually did anything," Harry grumbled as he closed his book with annoyance.

"Well he did settle at a valley in Hartland point and created a never ending spring there. Creating eternal fresh water is something of an achievement don't you think?"

"Creating eternal butterbeer would be a better one," Ron snorted.

Harry sniggered and Hermione rolled her eyes and carried on.

"He tended to the needs of the poor, mostly muggles but he did a lot of good in the wizarding community too. He sounds like a quiet peaceful man who kept himself to himself despite having an awesome amount of power. He wielded it but it didn't seem to have any negative affect on him."

"So what are you saying?" Harry frowned.

"I'm just telling you what's written down here," she huffed, although Harry felt sure she was getting excited about something and trying to keep a lid on it, "so it goes on to say that he had two cows stolen from him and he was beheaded while in the process of retrieving them."

"They chopped his head off because he wanted his cows back?" Ron said with incredulity.

"Hold on," Harry tried not to laugh along with Ron, "if he was so powerful how on earth did they manage to chop his head off in the first place?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He's a magical martyr Harry, he did it for a greater good."

Ron cursed under his breath and looked annoyed.

"Oh not the greater bloody good again, I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime."

Hermione smiled at him sadly and pushed her book in front of him.

"But it says here that legend has it Nectan picked up his severed head and returned home to his chapel."

Ron blinked at her and looked to Harry before trying to understand what Hermione was finding so informative about this.

"So he's the patron saint of headless people is he? Nick will be pleased."

Harry chuckled before shrugging at Hermione to let her know that this had passed him by as well.

"Oh you two can be so literal. Of course he didn't pick up his head and go home, that's not possible, it's a metaphor isn't it?"

Ron looked at her as if she was accusing him of being an idiot.

"Is it?"

Harry noticed that she was smiling even more now, despite being slightly frustrated by their refusal to understand, and felt a little tingle of hope inside him. Something good was about to happen he could feel it.

"Let her finish," he said before nodding to Hermione who tried to contain her own optimism.

"He didn't lose his head, even when they chopped it off, that's the metaphor. A powerful wizard who didn't lose his head Ron."

She threw Ron a meaning full look and he shrugged.

"Think about it," she huffed as she took Ron's hand in both of hers and looked him in the eyes, "he was really powerful but there are no stories about his power, no demonstrations or legends about his deeds during his life. Why did he become a saint if there was nothing more to him than his creation of a spring and the fact that someone stole his cows?"

Ron turned to Harry with exasperation.

"Am I really that slow or are you not following this either?"

Harry shushed him and leaned across the table, eager for Hermione to continue.

"He was very powerful but for some reason his power had to be kept a secret, sound familiar Ron?"

Ron's eyes were wide.

"He was an oracle?"

"Makes sense doesn't it?" Harry nodded, "So what are you thinking Hermione?"

Hermione took a deep breath in and readied herself to say something that might provoke a negative reaction.

"I think that Ron's night time companion is on his side just as much as yours Harry."

Ron snorted and Harry almost jumped out of his chair with his eagerness to refute this crazy theory.

"How can you say that after what they did to him Hermione, you said yourself that they were just using him and didn't care if he got hurt along the way as long as he got the job done."

Ron looked at Hermione in shock.

"You said that?"

"Listen," Hermione raised her hands to silence them both, "This wasn't a horcrux, this wasn't even a clue to the whereabouts of a horcrux, this was a six inch high icon of an oracle...who kept...his head."

She said the last sentence with such emphasis on every word that there was no way she could be misunderstood.

"An oracle who didn't lose his mind?" Harry said, unable to allow himself to hope that there was a way to save Ron after all.

Hermione nodded victoriously. Ron swallowed and looked at the figurine.

"So what you're saying is..." he began.

"What I'm saying Ron is that the message, the viator spell, that wasn't for Harry at all. It was for you."

"They're trying to help you, they know that they're d...damaging you and they're trying to keep you sane," Harry could barely get the words out.

This person, who he had hated so much, really was on their side. They didn't want to hurt Ron, they weren't being careless with him, and they were trying to show them a way to help him hold himself together during the consecutive episodes.

"So how does knowing that this guy didn't go mad help me?" Ron said, the apprehension in his voice clear to the both of them.

Hermione cupped Ron's face in her hands and beamed.

"That's what we're going to find out."

Chapter Twenty - St Nectans Glen

"No, I won't allow it, it's too soon!"

Mrs Weasley wasn't taking the news that the three of them were leaving that afternoon very well.

"You and Hermione have only just been healed from last night and neither of you are up to going back out there again."

Harry glanced at Hermione who was trying to hide some of the nastier looking cuts on her hands but the frantic woman had now turned her attentions to Ron who was hoisting his backpack over his shoulders with determination.

"Ronnie you can't go, I forbid it!"

"You what?" Ron's eyebrows lifted so high that they seemed to disappear into his hair.

"You're not well Ron and you and I both know it. Does Hermione know? I bet she doesn't, I bet she wouldn't be so eager to take you back out there if she knew the truth."

Harry wondered why Mrs Weasley felt so sure that Ron had been keeping his mental deterioration from Hermione. If anything she had been the one who he would let his guard down with the most.

"Mrs Weasley, I promise I'll be very careful with him and we're going out into the open so his claustrophobia shouldn't be an issue, this is something we have to do to try and help Ron. It won't make him any worse which just leaving him sitting in the Burrow being tormented every night seems to be doing. He tried to get out of here for a reason last night and I think I know what that reason is now."

"Oh you silly girl, I'm not talking about that I'm talking about his fever!" Mrs Weasley snapped.

Hermione glared at Ron and camped her hand to his forehead.

"Ron you didn't tell me you had a fever!"

Ron shook off Hermione's hand and threw his own glare at his mother.

"I don't, it's gone now ok?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, noticing his best friend's ears pinking-up.

"When he has a fever his oracle powers become incredibly strong, that was why we couldn't stop him any other way when he was wrecking the kitchen last night, for Merlin's sake Ron you've been wandering around in the dead of night barefoot and hardly wearing anything. You're going to catch your death if you go camping with these two again."

"It went away as soon as I was stunned, George told me so, it's only when I'm sleepwalking."

"It's the reason you're sleepwalking Ronnie, I told you your episodes get worse and worse when your ill and you've not been well since Gringots. Harry you said so yourself."

Ron threw his arms up into the air.

"Ok how many conversations have been going on behind my back? I just can't keep track of them anymore."

Harry sighed.

"Mrs Weasley, you're right," Ron was about to turn on him but he continued with a firmer tone of voice, letting both Weasleys know that he was not finished yet, "but he's not feverish now and he really does need to come with us."

Ron relaxed and looked back at him mother, almost daring her to try to stop him.

"But Ronnie, you're going to get worse if you start sleeping in caves again, you know you are."

Ron stepped forward and put his hand on his mother's arm.

"But staying here won't make me any better will it? You know that."

Mrs Weasley began to cry. Ron leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek before taking Hermione's hand and leading her out the back door.

"Come on before she starts trying to force-feed us."

Harry knew that Ron had meant it as a joke but his voice didn't have any humour in it right at that moment. Hermione sniffed and Harry shrugged apologetically at Mrs Weasley before heading for the door himself.

"Harry," Mrs Weasley called after him, he turned at the door and saw her wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "look after each other won't you? I worry about all three of you you know?"

"I know Mrs Weasley," Harry smiled, "but we live charmed lives us three, we'll be fine."

The woman let out a solitary sob.

"You sound just like Ron," she sniffed before looking Harry in the eye, "you do know that when he says he's fine he's lying don't you?"

Harry nodded sadly.

"Only too well."

The three of them had been hicking up to St Nectans Glen, in a hidden valley in Tintagel in the West Country, while pondering aloud how exactly this long dead auror could be of help to Ron. None of them knew what to expect at all. As they reached a sudden drop several feet ahead of them they soon saw something that took the mission and all their other worries off their minds.

"Oh wow!" Harry gasped.

Hermione threw her backpack off her shoulders and moved around for a better look at the sixty-foot waterfall they had stumbled upon. It really was breathtaking, Harry thought, as Ron began to climb down a little way to a natural arch that the water was falling through.

"There's no way this is the eternal source of water you were talking about is it Hermione?" Harry asked his awestruck friend as she started to climb down after Ron.

"Why not?" she smiled as she was overtaken by her backpack as Harry levitated it down into Ron's waiting arms, followed by his own.

"Because when you were talking about a never ending spring I pictured a little trickle of water spurting out of the ground not a sixty foot waterfall!" Ron chuckled with amazement.

Hermione lowered herself a little closer to the ledge where Ron was waiting for them and called over her shoulder to him.

"I told you he was a powerful wizard didn't I?"

Harry set about climbing down himself as he wondered why all the muggle and magical history books had been so vague about how impressive a wizard St Nectan was. He had created this whole thing with a flick of his wand, a valley that only magical folk could find, a never ending source of water that plummeted sixty feet into a beautiful pool at the bottom of his hidden valley, and even an archway in the middle of the great waterfall made out of the very stone of the valley walls as if it was a naturally formed footbridge.

Ron reached out and lifted Hermione down when she was low enough for him to get a firm hold of and Harry heard that they were saying something to each other but the sound of the water crashing beside him drowned them out. They were both smiling, Harry could just about make out before he turned his mind back to climbing the rock face at the side of the waterfall, and he assumed that this was a new couple moment that they wouldn't appreciate him bringing their attention to.

"I can't believe he made this," Harry heard Ron saying as he helped Harry down from the last couple of feet.

"I know," Harry said, sounding impressed, "and to think he was worried about a couple of missing cows!"

They laughed and Hermione rolled her eyes and picked her backpack off the ground and hoisted it back onto her shoulders.

"Look, I can see a great place to set up camp for the night," she pointed to a sheltered crack in the rock at the foot of the valley.

Ron turned to Harry with a shrug of resignation.

"Oh good, another cave."

Hermione had kindled a small fire and Ron had made dinner for them, followed by a rather delicious apple crumble that had thoroughly impressed Hermione, while Harry tried to fill the cave with as many protection and containment charms as he could remember. The hoops were working brilliantly but he still wanted to do it just to be on the safe side, sleepwalking when so close to water wasn't something that Harry felt the need to combine.

"We'll get the hoops on as soon as I'm done making sure there's nothing you can use to cut yourself with in here," Hermione said, matter-of-factly, "I don't want to wake up in the morning to find you missing a limb."

Ron grinned mischievously.

"Oh come on Hermione, I don't know why you're fussing about last night so much, I was arm-less!"

Harry couldn't help himself, he had to laugh, but Hermione scowled at the pair of jokers and hissed something under her breath. Ron lowered his head and muttered to Harry.

"Oh I'm in trouble now."

"Well if you do insist upon bringing 'the missus' everywhere you go..." Harry teased his friend.

Ron stared at Harry silently; he was just beginning to understand that Harry didn't just suspect him and Hermione of having a relationship now, he knew; and he broke into an embarrassed smile.

"So you two have been talking behind my back as well then eh?"

Harry smirked.

"Well you two have been doing a hell of a lot more than talking behind mine haven't you?"

Ron's ears flushed pink and he turned away to straighten out his sleeping bag on the hard ground.

"Shut up Harry."

Harry chuckled before his face suddenly set into an expression of seriousness, followed by great annoyance.

"Oh yeah, I forgot there was something I had to do to you," he said sternly.

Ron looked concerned as he turned back to face him.

"What's that then?"

"This," Harry punched Ron hard in the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he exclaimed, rubbing his numb arm.

"I heard about your little chat with Hermione, the one where you told her not to make a big fuss about the two of you being together because it would be harder on her when she had to put you away with Lockheart and Neville's parents in St Mungo's," Harry tried not to soften his tone when he saw Ron lower his head with shame, "that's right you prat you should be ashamed of yourself."

Ron took a deep breath before meeting Harry's eyes again and he seemed to have a look of steely determination as he spoke.

"Wouldn't you have done the same thing if it was Ginny?"

Harry found himself unable to hold Ron's gaze at this, his backbone turning to jelly and his resolve crumbling into nothing as he turned to his own sleeping back and fussed over it unnecessarily.

"Well never mind all of that now," Harry mumbled under his breath, "you're not going to go crazy, we're going to fix that when we find out how St Nectan did it, so this entire conversation is redundant isn't it?"

Ron snorted with amusement.

"It's funny how when I back down during an argument you and Hermione claim to have won it but when either of you back down the conversation suddenly becomes redundant."

Harry laughed so loudly at this that it attracted Hermione's attention and she approached the two of them with a look of quizzical amusement.

"If only I could use that defence against you in chess I'd never lose," Harry chortled.

"What's this?" Hermione asked as she arched an eyebrow and looked from one of them to the other.

Ron narrowed his eyes at her but couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he spoke.

"Some blabbermouth's been talking about me behind my back that's all."

Hermione tried to wipe the smile from her own face as she sat down on the ground and conjured three cups.

"Now Ronald, that's no way to talk about your mother is it? Calix, calix, calix!"

Ron was about to feign offence before Hermione held out one of the cups to him.

"Milk please, if you'd be so kind."

Harry grinned at Hermione's attempt to look as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth while Ron merely shook his head and filled her cup with milk from the end of his wand.

"Lactis!"

He turned to Harry to ask see if he wanted him to do the same for his cup.

"Um I'll be having coffee if you don't mind Ron?"

Ron's wand lowered and his light-hearted expression fell with it.

"Ron-watch is still in action then is it?" he asked glumly.

Harry nodded and shrugged.

"It's not that we don't trust you mate, I think you won't be half as bad now that we're all together again, but I do think that one of us should really stay up until you've said your piece. I mean come on Ron, you and I both know you'll probably have something to say tonight and if me and Hermione are both asleep you'd have had another consecutive night of it for nothing."

Ron seemed to accept this without much argument, this made Harry a little uneasy in itself, the old Ron would have protested a little or at least grumbled for a bit. These episodes really were taking their toll on him, little by little, and Harry felt the need to do something that he knew would definitely get Ron's temper going.

He leaned forward and put his hand to Ron's forehead. Ron pulled away and looked at him as if he'd just called him a liar or a cheat.

"What are you doing? Are you my friend or my mother?"

Harry laughed as he turned to Hermione.

"He really is feverish if he can't tell me and Mrs Weasley apart."

Hermione didn't seem able to smile at this and Harry kept his head turned away from Ron and mouthed to her, ' he's fine '.

"Honestly though, that woman," Ron grumbled to Harry's internal jubilation, "I think she just makes stuff up to worry about. It's as if she doesn't know what to do with herself if there's nothing to fret over so she just creates problems."

Hermione really did smile now.

"Oh come on, all mothers are like that," she sighed as she crawled into her sleeping bag.

"Yeah but my mother is a mother seven times over with no kids at home to focus all that extra strength worry on," Ron said as he too wriggled into his sleeping bag, "so the second any one of us walks through that door, or the fireplace, she's on us like a middle aged witch on Lockheart!"

Harry howled with laughter at this imagery.

Ron was still on a roll.

"If she's not putting a forkful of food in your mouth she's putting a thermometer in there."

"Be thankful she takes temperatures orally Ronald, you wouldn't want her to get confused and put that fork anywhere else," Hermione smiled innocently.

Harry almost spat his coffee all over his own sleeping bag and began to choke on his own amusement.

Ron huffed and lay back on his sleeping bag, pretending to be annoyed with them.

"I'm only away from you two one day and you're starting on me already," Harry and Hermione's eyes met and they chuckled, "I don't know who you're going to pick on when I'm not around anymore."

Ron looked at them with a smile but Harry and Hermione weren't laughing anymore. Harry felt as if his entire body had just plunged into icy water and Hermione had shuddered and her eyes were growing red and watery. Ron suddenly realised what he'd said and sat up on his elbows.

"I didn't mean it like that, it's a figure of speech!" he said quickly.

Hermione got back out of her sleeping bag and ran to the mouth of the cave in tears. Ron tried to get out of his sleeping bag to go after her but was slammed back down onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. Harry didn't understand what had just happened until Ron nodded to the hoop around his upper arm.

"Great, so she can keep me away from her as well as dragging me across hot coals for a cuddle," he growled, "it's funny how she doesn't want to abuse the power until it comes to her storming off in a huff isn't it?"

Harry frowned and tried to give Ron a sympathetic shrug.

"I don't think she did it on purpose, she probably just thought that she didn't want you to see her crying and bam, you're on your back."

Ron rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Well could you maybe go and ask her to give me a couple of inches more so I can at least turn over?"

Harry nodded and followed Hermione outside. He saw her sitting at the side of the freshwater pool, watching the waterfall crashing on the other side of the valley, and made his way over to join her.

"Go away Harry, I'm coming back inside in a minute, I just need a moment alone."

Harry stopped in his tracks and paused before calling out to her back.

"Ok sorry, it was just that Ron was asking if you could maybe let him move a little, you really threw him down hard you know?"

Hermione's head turned and, for a moment, she didn't understand what Harry was saying to her. Then her eyes filled with fresh tears and she looked back out across the valley.

"Those bloody hoops!" she cried, "They're driving me up the wall. I didn't hurt him did I?"

"No, he just can't move, he asked if you could give him a couple more inches breathing space that's all."

He watched her; she didn't seem to be moving.

"It's done," she said with a sniff.

Harry turned to go back inside.

"I know he didn't mean it," she called back to him, "tell him I know he didn't mean it, I'm just being over-sensitive that's all."

"Ok," was all Harry could say before taking another couple of steps away.

"And Harry?" she called to him again, this time she turned and met his eyes, he saw her tear streaked face and wanted to give her a hug, "Could you put him to sleep before I come back in? I...I just can't..."

Harry nodded and stepped back into their shelter in the rock face.

Ron was lying on his side, resting his head on his elbow and looking into the fire, when Harry returned and sat back down on his sleeping bag. He took a sip of his coffee and pulled out his wand.

"Um Ron I..." he began.

"I heard," Ron sighed with resignation and tried to settle into a comfortable position, "go ahead then."

Harry gave him as much of a smile as he could manage.

"Night mate, obdormio!"

Ron's body relaxed and his eyelids fell closed. Harry rubbed his own face roughly before taking another sip from his cup.

What would they do if he weren’t around anymore?

Ron had a lot of trouble slipping into a deep sleep that night.

Hermione had settled back down in her sleeping bag and chatted to Harry for half an hour before Ron sat bolt upright and gasped something about being crushed. Harry had to be the one to calm him down as Hermione looked on the verge of tears again. She did widen Ron's free range though, Harry had noticed, as he had been able to reach out and take a drink of water before laying back down and letting Harry put him back to sleep. He had said goodnight to Hermione before he did and she had responded in kind through her strained vocal chords.

Hermione had drifted off to sleep herself fifteen minutes later, after remaining totally silent after Ron's reawakening, and Harry sat re-stoking the magical fire for another hour before Ron flinched violently in his sleep and Harry readied himself to have to settle Ron down again. He waited on tenterhooks for two full minutes before relaxing again and that was the moment when Ron started gasping for air and beginning to hyperventilate in his sleep. Harry leaned over him and willed his friend to wake up from his nightmare. He was still breathing as if he had an elephant sitting on his chest and Harry began to worry. He with drew his wand and pointed it at Ron.

"Ennervate!"

Ron's eyes flew open and he had a small coughing fit that woke Hermione who looked alarmed to see Ron, red in the face and struggling to steady his breathing, with Harry rubbing his back and trying to calm him down. Hadn't Ron said that these nightmares were getting better? This didn't seem better to him. Then he remembered Mrs Weasleys words to him as he left the Burrow that morning.

"...when he says he's fine he's lying."

"Mate I really think we should get you some dreamless sleep draught in future, this is getting to be too much now."

Ron nodded and took several slow deep breaths before looking up at Harry.

"Ask the twins, that stuff they gave me before was pretty good," he turned to Hermione, "sorry to wake you."

She smiled at him.

"Don't worry, it's fine, as long as you're ok."

Ron lay himself back down again and Harry waited a while before sending him back to sleep this time, he wanted to be sure that Ron had fully calmed down, and as soon as he did Hermione sat up and shuffled her sleeping bag closer to him and held his limp hand.

"You've got to expect this haven't you?" she asked Harry who was still somewhat shaken from the whole unconscious anxiety attack itself, "Now that he's decided to put on a brave face he's holding a lot of that pain from the night in the coffin inside and it's got to come out somehow."

Harry nodded, he just hoped that Ron wouldn't have to get any worse before he got better, and he realised that waking up in a coffin with a decomposed corpse wasn't something that time would ever completely heal.

The coffee was wearing off now and Harry thought that maybe this wasn't going to be a night that Ron would descend into a deep sleep at all. He smiled a little, at least that would give Ron one night off at long last, maybe that was the secret of St Nectans Glen. Maybe it drew all your anxiety out of you in one night so you could find some peace and sanity again in your life. He hoped that was the case.

Harry had only slept for thirty five minutes before waking to find Ron being rocked in Hermione's arms, guttural sobs being choked into her shoulder, and she gestured for him to go back to sleep and let her deal with it. Harry settled back down and closed his eyes. He didn't sleep until he heard Ron pull himself together and sit talking to Hermione for a few minutes.

"I scared the shite out of George last night," Ron had wheezed a strained chuckle, "he was leaning right over me when I woke up and I totally lost it. He was almost as shaken-up as I was."

Harry heard Ron sniff and Hermione sounded as if she was shushing him and hugging him again.

"It's alright to take your time getting over this Ron, nobody's hurrying you, we just want you to learn to deal with all of this in your own time ok?"

Ron took a deep breath in and let it out again slowly; Harry thought he heard a shudder in the exhalation, before he spoke again.

"Bet you didn't miss this last night eh?"

There was a very long pause, Harry wondered if they had actually gone back to sleep, but finally Hermione spoke again with a smile in her voice.

"I missed that."

Harry let himself go to sleep after that.

Chapter Twenty-One - Awakenings

Something kicked Harry awake.

Sunlight poured in from outside and he squinted at the two figures that were standing at the opening of their shelter for the night. It was Ron and Hermione, it must have been one of them who had kicked him as they stepped over his prostrate body, and he sat up and grumbled.

"Didn't you think I'd had a rough enough night without booting me awake as well?"

Hermione turned and hissed at Harry urgently.

"He's sleepwalking Harry," Harry squirmed out of his sleeping bag and ran to his two friends immediately, "he wants to leave but I've got him restricted as far as here. He hasn't shown any signs of the other night's violence so far though."

"I believe you," Ron nodded.

Hermione glanced at Harry who was staring at Ron's expressionless face cautiously.

"Has he said anything interesting yet?" Harry asked her.

Before she could give him an answer Ron nodded again and did something unprecidented in his somnabulistic state up to that point.

"Hermione I need you to let me go outside," Ron spoke with that emotionless whisper he always seemed to have in this state and he was still staring straight ahead but he had definately been talking directly to Hermione, "just as far as the lake. Please."

Hermione was shocked; she took Ron's hand and squeezed tightly.

"Can you hear me Ron?"

Ron lifted his hands and pushed against the barrier, it was still solid. Ron seemed to frown.

"Are you sure she's there?"

Hermione seemed to understand and turned to Harry with a gasp.

"He can't see us but the other person can, they're telling him I'm here with him," she was smiling and then she did something that took Harry completely by surprise, she blew a raspberry into Ron's ear.

Ron suddenly laughed; this was also unprecedented in his sleepwalking state, and both Harry and Hermione gasped.

"Hermione are you blowing a raspberry at me?" Ron said, still staring directly ahead.

"Yes!" Hermione punched the air victoriously.

Harry felt something he never thought he would feel for the dead person who was hijacking Ron's sleep, he felt affection for them, and now he knew that he could really trust them with his best friend's well-being. He laughed along with Hermione. Ron's hand suddenly moved towards him and groped the thin air between them.

"I don't feel him," Ron frowned.

Hermione swelled.

"Harry he's looking for you."

Harry took a step closer to his friend and lifted his hand up to his face and rested it there.

"What was that?" Ron looked a little confused and Harry let his hand go again.

Hermione shrugged at him.

"It must feel weird to suddenly have your arm moved about by an invisible person."

"Oh," Ron said before Harry could respond, "hi Harry."

He smiled.

"Hi Ron."

It was such a good feeling to have Ron know he wasn't alone, although it was a very odd one to be ghostly spectres to him when the three of them were all solid flesh and blood, and he watched as Ron nodded again.

"Where is she? Is she here?" Ron asked as he turned to his right, though still looking out onto the shallow pool ahead of him.

Hermione stepped forward so Ron's outstretched hand brushed against her stomach and both of them shivered. Ron turned away from the point he had been staring at and looked in Hermione's direction. His eyes didn't meet hers, he seemed to be staring through her, and his eye-line was all over the place as if he was a blind person. Hermione grinned anyway, he was trying to look at her and that was good enough.

"I need you to let me out Hermione."

Hermione looked out at the lake and shouted out at whoever was out there.

"He's not going anywhere without me, I won't let him out unless you promise I can go with him."

Ron seemed to be listening to something and he smiled slightly before nodding again.

"I'm only going as far as the water's edge, he said you're welcome to join us if you want."

Harry couldn't let this opportunity go and hollered out to the lake.

"Who is he? I mean who are you?"

"What?" Ron looked back out at the lake and frowned.

Harry waited eagerly and Hermione seemed to be equally intrigued.

"For what?" Ron sounded confused, Harry didn't know what was going on in the other world but he was beginning to think that the spirit's procrastination couldn't be a good thing.

"He's still there yeah?" Ron asked as he pointed to where Harry had been standing before.

Harry suddenly remembered that Ron hadn't seen him move around to his other side and rushed back into his old position. Ron seemed to have been corrected however and turned back to the spot he had just vacated.

"Oh right, I've got to tell you that we've only got eighteen minutes left..." Harry rushed back around to stand before Ron, who had been momentarily distracted by the spirit on the lake before looking back and continuing, "...seventeen now, and then I'll force him out and...and..."

Ron furrowed his brow and looked back out to the lake before snapping his head back and finishing his speech.

"...and now is not the time."

Harry huffed and mumbled to the lake.

"Thanks for nothing."

"You're welcome," Ron said as if not really knowing what he was saying to who anymore.

Ron turned to try to step outside again but the barrier was still up.

"Um, Hermione? Please?"

Hermione took his hand and lead him outside; she looked over her shoulder to Harry and whispered.

"I've got him restricted to within three feet of wherever I am, that should be safe shouldn't it?"

Harry nodded and followed them.

Hermione stopped at the water's edge and Ron was looking out toward the waterfall this time, the spirit must've moved as well, and then he sat down on the bank. Hermione sat beside him, her eyes refusing to leave his face for a second, and Harry sat on a rock a little way away to keep an eye on them. He had his hand on his wand just in case. Ron shifted and crossed his legs before looking back out at the waterfall.

"What exactly are we...?" Ron began before listening carefully and nodding.

Ron sat up straight and rested his hands on his knees, Hermione let out a gasp and seemed to be mouthing the words 'of course' to herself, and Ron inhaled deeply through his nose before blowing the air back out through his mouth. Hermione watched him with a small smile on her face as he closed his eyes and did it again.

"Meditation Harry!" Hermione whispered across to him excitedly.

Harry nodded to let her know that he had understood and turned his attention back to Ron who was still breathing steadily in and out with his eyes closed and his legs crossed. He wondered if helping Ron stay sane was really as simple as this. He had heard of muggles, quite loopy ones at that, raving about meditation and relaxation techniques before but he couldn't believe that it was a powerful enough technique to stave off the effects of insanity. Ron was suffering from an intense magical invasion on top of the trauma of waking up in Black's grave with the deceased and Harry felt his heart sinking at the thought that this was all St Nectan and the spirit had to offer his best friend. It wasn't going to be enough. He saw the hope in Hermione's eyes and decided to keep that thought to himself.

Ron was still breathing steadily, in through the nose and blowing out through the mouth, for quite some time before giving a small nod and continuing. Harry was noticing something different now though. Ron's arms seemed to be limply resting in position now and he didn't seem to look as pale as he had been recently. Harry released his hold on his wand and rose from the rock.

"It's working," he gasped, "it's actually doing something for him."

Hermione could barely contain her excitement as Harry joined then to kneel at Ron's other side and watch as a swirl of bright white light began to form and circle Ron's head. It crackled with energy and Hermione swallowed and looked across at Harry who was equally in awe of the magical lightshow. If he hadn't been so close he wouldn't have been able to hear the throaty sigh at the back of Ron's throat, as if he was trying to respond to a question but wasn't able to concentrate on anything other than his meditation right now, Hermione reached out to rest her hand on Ron's but Harry threw her a warning look.

"Hermione don't we don't want to snap him out of it now that it's working."

She nodded and bit her lip with overwhelming excitement as she watched Ron take a deeper inhalation and exhale, not by blowing this time but with a sighed word.

"Vivificus."

She looked at Harry with wide eyes and gasped.

"What? What does vivificus mean?" Harry demanded.

"It means..."

Ron had taken another breath in and was now exhaling another word.

"Corroboro."

Hermione looked relieved and happy as she watched Ron breathing in, keeping the same rhythm as before but exhaling with those two words, alternating one for the other each time around.

"Vivificus..." Ron inhaled again and let the breath leave him, "...corroboro...vivificus...corroboro..."

"What's he saying?" Harry demanded of her again.

"It's an incantation, a chant, vivificus means life restoring and corroboro is the spell to give strength. He's saying life giving or life restoring to strengthen over and over again."

Harry joined her in her grin now.

"The..." Hermione hesitated as she struggled for the best way to refer to the dead person in their company, "...the spirit must be doing it with him, they're doing it together. They're strengthening him, focusing it on his mind and...Oh my!"

Hermione's explanation was stopped in mid-flow as she saw the light swirling around Ron's head growing brighter and moving faster. Every time Ron inhaled he would take in some of the brilliant white energy now and expel some dark green smoke with each exhalation. The spell was creating more and more white energy and Ron was taking deeper breaths now, inhaling more and more of the magical mist and releasing thicker clouds of the murky green smoke.

"Harry, he's cleansing himself, he's releasing all the damaging toxins that were building up inside his head."

Harry found himself swept up in her enthusiasm now.

"You mean that green stuff is what was driving him mad? What was going to make him insane?"

She nodded and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"He's being..." she choked back another tear, "...they're saving him Harry, they're clearing his head."

Ron's eyes suddenly opened and he seemed to be staring at something directly in front of him before his eyes closed again and his head flopped backwards, pulling his whole body back into a fall to the ground, and Hermione hurled herself forward and caught him before he hit his head on the bank. Ron was spent, he lay unconscious in Hermione's arms, and Harry knew that their time was up. He took out his wand and levitated Ron back into the shelter of their crevice in the rock face and set him down on his sleeping bag. Hermione pulled her own bag over him and planted a kiss on his forehead and then his lips before looking up at Harry and daring to be hopeful.

"Do you think he's going to be ok now?"

Harry ran his hand through his already dishevelled hair and shrugged.

"He can't be any worse can he?"

Harry had been exploring all morning while Hermione stayed close to Ron waiting for him to wake up. He had hoped to find a shop or something around but they were miles away from the nearest village and he had turned back and hoped that Ron was up to cooking for the three of them as he was famished.
When he got back to the hidden valley he saw Hermione washing her hands in the lake and made his way over to her. She saw him approaching and waved.

"Any luck?"

"None I'm afraid, it's beautiful out there but you can't eat scenery can you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure Ron could find a way to eat anything."

Harry chuckled and extended his arm to help her up.

"So is he up yet?"

Hermione shook her head, seemingly amused but also a little disappointed, and they made their way back inside.

"On the plus side he's not had any nightmares, he's not even mumbled or stirred once, I've never seen him sleep so heavily."

They sat down and Hermione poured them some water to drink while they chatted about all the sights Harry had seen outside St Nectan's Glen. It was five minutes into that conversation when Ron groaned and turned over. Hermione froze and glanced at Harry before leaning in toward Ron and resting her hand on his leg gently and softly calling his name to see if he was waking or just fidgeting.

"Ron, are you awake?"

Ron made another incoherent groaning sound and buried his face into his pillow. She turned to Harry and smiled, they had both had plenty of experience in waking Ron over the years and knew his routine off by heart. He was coming round but very reluctantly.

"Oi Ron, come on mate, we're starving here!" Harry called out as he threw his pillow at Ron's head.

"Sod off," Ron grumbled before opening his eyes a fraction, "morning."

He yawned and his eyes closed again, he seemed to be snuggling into Hermione's sleeping bag for another semi snooze, Harry pulled the sleeping bag off him and Ron huffed and sat up. He had his grumpy morning expression plastered all over his face as he scowled at the both of them, seemingly grinning from ear to ear attheir inconvenience to him, and fumbled for his wand.

"Oh I've got that hidden, sorry," Harry remembered as he got to his feet and went to the back of their shelter to retrieve Ron's wand for him to make a start on breakfast.

Ron yawned again and stretched, Hermione was watching him with an irrepressible smile on her face.

"What's up with you?" Ron asked with curious amusement.

"Nothing, it's just good to see you fully rested for once."

Ron snorted.

"You're just buttering me up because you want me to make you breakfast. No good morning Ron, no allow me to get you some toast for a change, I'm beginning to think you only took me back for my cooking skills."

"That and your scintillating company," Hermione teased, "and for the record, Harry and I have been without breakfast and lunch so we expect something more than toast y'know?"

Ron was about to engage in further banter with his girlfriend but he seemed to stop and shake his head to make sure he had heard her correctly.

"Wha...? Wait, what time is it?"

Harry called across from the cave where he returned with Ron's wand.

"About half past two in the afternoon."

Ron sat up straight and gaped at Harry as he tossed the wand down into Ron's lap.

"What?"

Hermione laughed and rubbed Ron's arm.

"You've been asleep for eight hours."

Ron didn't seem to be able to make that add up in his head.

"Wait, no that's not right, I know I was up and down all night long but...eight hours?"

"We're counting from half six this morning when you passed out mate," Harry smiled.

Ron's face fell.

"Oh so they came back did they?"

Hermione was gripping Ron's arm firmly now and she spoke with the barely contained excitement she had displayed when she and Harry had gone over the events of Ron's early morning episode after they had put him to bed.

"No Ron it was brilliant, they really helped you and...and they spoke to us as well."

Ron blinked.

"You saw them too?"

"No, they spoke to us through you, the spirit or whatever he is can see us even if you can't, he got you to talk to us," Harry grinned.

"And it's a he Ron, we know that much, and he really helped you. You helped yourself too, you were brilliant!"

Hermione threw herself at Ron and hugged him tightly.

"Blimey Hermione, what the hell?"

She ignored this embarrassed protestation and pulled back far enough to look him in the eye.

"So how do you feel? Inside I mean, you look so much better on the outside but we've both been waiting for you to wake up and tell us how you feel in...in your head."

Harry squatted down and tried to calm Hermione's enthusiasm.

"He's only just woken up Hermione, give him a break."

She took a calming breath and released him with some reluctance.

Ron seemed to be having a little moment of introspection. Harry and Hermione waited patiently before Ron's face seemed to register some alarm and Harry's hopes fragmented into shards that pierced his heart. It hadn't worked.

"Oh Godric I had a bad night last night didn't I?"

Harry felt his spirits lift a little at this.

"Is that what you're worrying about?"

"Well I must have been a right pain, keeping you both up all night like that."

Hermione took his hand and smiled.

"You didn't, Harry was awake anyway weren't you Harry?"

Harry nodded and Ron gave him a look that told him he wasn't a total idiot and didn't need them to patronise him.

"Oh come on, I've woken you often enough with my nightmares haven't I?"

Ron smiled and picked up his wand. He twirled it between his fingers.

"Well what do you fancy then? I've been thinking of trying to do pizza for a while now, that sound ok to you?"

Harry wanted to throw himself at Ron's feet at this, pizza was just the ticket, and now that the idea was planted in his head he knew he wanted pizza more than anything else in the world.

"That sounds brilliant Ron."

Ron cast a mischievous glance at Hermione.

"Shall I do the mushrooms or do you want to have another go at it?"

Hermione punched him in the arm and he and Harry laughed.

Ron might not feel any different but he certainly seemed his old self again. Harry knew that something else had definitely changed as well. Ron had slept for eight hours without a single nightmare. He knew that there would be another episode tonight; there had to be, they still had more horcruxes to find; but it wasn't such a worry anymore. Ron had been recharged and his mind had been cleared of all the destructive effects of his oracle abilities. Harry let himself be optimistic as he watched Ron set about growing all the ingredients for a vegetarian pizza, that aspect of Ron's recovery still hadn't changed, but he didn't mind that so much. It was just like Hermione had told Mrs Weasley, the vegetarian diet is a very healthy one.

"Oh and I'm sorry again about what I said last night," Ron suddenly blurted out from out of the blue, "I really wasn't thinking y'know? I honestly didn't mean it that way."

Harry grinned at his friend.

"I don't know what you're talking about mate," he shrugged and Ron smiled and carried on preparing the pizza base.

Hermione met Harry's eyes and they silently agreed that something had changed for the better.

Something good had finally happened after the past few nights or horrors and worries.

About bloody time too!

Chapter Twenty Two - If You Love Something Set It Free

The rest of the day had been spent swimming in the lake and talking about everything and nothing until the sun went down. It was nice to have a day like this one, Harry thought, a day where nobody he loved was hurt or scared or worried. Now that Ron had been given some respite from the negative affects of his oracle abilities they were able to prepare for the next episode with less fear for his well-being and more determination to get the job done as fast as possible.

Harry had been for a walk to give Ron and Hermione some time together before they had to put Ron to sleep for the night and had been thinking about Ginny. He had never wanted her to come along on this quest for one second but it was at times like these that he really missed her company. Times when he saw the comfort Ron and Hermione were to each other. He soon reminded himself how awful it would be to see Ginny put through even half the physical and mental pain Ron and Hermione had seen each other going through and knew that he'd made the right call in refusing her adamant declaration that she would be coming with them whether he wanted her there or not.

She had told him that Ron was her brother and Hermione was her friend and he couldn't deny her the right to come along and help them just because of his own ego. Harry had been both enraged and ashamed at this. He had quite bluntly informed her that Ron, being her brother, would never allow her to risk her life just to watch over him and Hermione, being her friend, would also explain to her the pointlessness of her leaving school and her only hope of a normal life just so she didn't feel left out. That had been Harry's winning card in the end, he had accused Ginny of wanting to come for her own ego more than for anyone else's benefit, and she had been furious with him and stormed off. That was how they had left it between the two of them.

They hadn't even said goodbye to each other after Bill and Fleur's wedding at the Burrow. She had bid Hermione and Ron a tearful farewell and had said, very loudly, within Harry's earshot that if anything happened to her brother while he was off 'playing the hero with Potter' she would give him a real scar to worry about.

Harry smiled to himself sadly. He wondered if Ginny had any idea how much Ron had suffered already. Had the twins mentioned anything to her? Had she guessed something was wrong? Harry wondered if he should suggest sending an owl to Ginny in front of Ron to see if he thought it was a good idea. Of course they wouldn't be able to put any real information in the letter but she must be worrying about them, about Ron and Hermione anyway, and he didn't want her to think he'd made them choose him over her. For all her teasing and frustration with her closest brother Harry never could forget how scared she had been when he had been poisoned the year before. It was one thing to wind him up and make him look foolish but if anybody ever tried to hurt her brother Ginny was as protective as Mrs Weasley herself.

Harry dreaded being on the receiving end of either woman's fury and felt another wave of gratitude to his deceased helper for what they had done for Ron that morning.

He entered the shelter of the crack in the rock face and caught Ron and Hermione kissing. They jumped apart and Hermione pretended that she was just checking the hoop around Ron's bicep was comfortable.

"So that looks ok, nice to have finally found a position that's comfortable for us of a night...I mean a position for the hoop on us for when we're sleeping!" Hermione sputtered much to Ron's amusement.

"I knew what you meant Hermione," Ron grinned and looked over to Harry who was deliberately finding his fingernails the most fascinating things in the world right at that moment, "nice walk Harry?"

Harry's eyes darted up and he tried to act as if he hadn't just heard Hermione make an accidental innuendo, although the shadow of a smirk still graced his lips as he answered Ron's question.

"Yeah, I could go out and do it all over again it was so enjoyable," he said, raising his eyebrows at Hermione, "if you didn't mind occupying yourselves for a little longer while I was gone that is."

Hermione flushed a brilliant shade of crimson and Ron tried not to laugh. He too was a little embarrassed, his ears visibly pink beneath his hair, but he was too amused by Hermione getting flustered to let it bother him.

"Well I was just going to brush my teeth and settle down to sleep actually so the two of you can...occupy...each other."

Hermione seemed to look mortified at her inability to say anything without it having a hidden meaning and almost ran out of the cave. Harry couldn't hold in the laugh when he saw the expression on Ron's face at her parting comment.

"People don't think that about us do they?" he said with wide eyes.

Harry was cracking up with laughter as he shook his head and held his sides, feeling a dull ache from his still healing ribs, and staggered over to his sleeping bag. Ron gave a tut and rolled his eyes as he too crawled into his own sleeping bag.

"I can move a bit further away if I make you uncomfortable," Harry said, another wave of amusement hitting him as he spoke.

Ron huffed and scowled an annoyed grin in Harry's direction.

"Shut it Potter!"

Harry let himself laugh freely and finally regained control of himself enough to wipe his eyes and mutter to himself.

"Oh that's definitely got to go in Ginny's letter."

Ron sat up and blinked at him.

"You writing Ginny a letter?"

"Oh no, I was going to ask..." Harry's levity evaporated as he paused and wondered if this was a good idea after all, "...I was just wondering if you were going to write to her. I know she'd like to hear that you and Hermione were doing ok and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate a letter from me right now."

Ron looked at Harry for quite some time before shaking his head and sighing.

"And what exactly would I put in this letter then Harry? Hi Gin, can't tell you where we are, can't talk about what we're doing, can't say where we'll be tomorrow and don't know when we're going to be finished. Lots of love, Ron. P.S. We're not dead yet!"

Harry gave a sad chuckle as Hermione walked back into the cave with her toothbrush in her hand.

"Please tell me you haven't just written that down and intend to send it to your sister Ronald?"

"Just a joke babe," Ron shrugged as he lay back on his elbows.

Hermione had frozen for a second at Ron's endearment, Harry too had stared at Ron with a smug grin as if waiting for Ron to realise what he'd just said and become cripplingly embarrassed, but Ron didn't seem to register that he'd said anything out of the ordinary. Hermione quickly pulled herself together and settled into her own sleeping bag at Ron's side.

"Well if you want to write Ginny a letter to reassure her please run it past me before you send it, you haven't got a clue how to structure a letter."

"Yes Professor McGonagall," Ron huffed and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

"That's not funny!" she snapped.

"You're telling me," Ron said with a shudder at the thought of having a mini McGonagall for a girlfriend.

Hermione couldn't keep up her disapproving attitude with him and broke into a smile. Harry felt sure it had something to do with him having just called her 'babe' without thinking anything of it.

"Anyway," Ron continued as Hermione rested her head on his shoulder, "it's Harry who wanted to write to her, not me."

"I didn't say that!" Harry protested, "I just said I thought one of us should write to her that's all."

Hermione gave a thoughtful frown before narrowing her eyes at Harry.

"Saying what?"

"Oh don't you start!" Harry grumbled as he realised that a letter would only exacerbate things as far as Ginny was concerned. All they would do would be to highlight just how out of the loop she was right now and Harry didn't want to do that.

They lay around the crackling fire in silence for a few minutes before Ron sighed and whispered in to Hermione's hair.

"So do you want to try that thing and get it over with straight away then?"

Hermione nodded and lifted her head off of his shoulder to look up at Ron, Harry felt incredibly uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Yes, let's see if it does any good, at least that way I won't be kept up all night waiting for you to get it over with."

Had they forgotten he was there?

Harry cleared his throat urgently, Ron and Hermione looked away from each other and across the campfire to him.

"Harry missed that whole conversation, I'll explain it when we're done ok?" Hermione said in a very business like manner.

Harry was even more panicked now.

"When you're done with what exactly?" he said as he shifted in his sleeping bag as Hermione moved away from Ron who was taking a deep breath and laying down with his eyes closed.

Hermione put her finger to her lips before looking back down at Ron.

"Ready?"

"Go for it."

Hermione flicked her wand at Ron and uttered an unfamiliar spell.

"Sopor!"

A purple light from the end of Hermione’s wand hit Ron and his face went slack, his breathing deep and even, and his arms lay heavily at his sides.

"Hermione what was that? A kind of sleeping charm?"

He watched her turn Ron's head to one side and gently stroke his hair away from his eyes.

"It puts him in a state of deep sleep almost immediately, this way we won't have to wait three or four hours to get the message from him," she explained, "he was feeling kind of bad that you had to wait up all night just to get the messages."

Harry felt himself relax now, he couldn't believe what he had been thinking earlier, and shuffled a little closer to Ron's still form.

"So do you think it's going to," Harry began just as Ron's eyes opened and he sat up, "work? Never mind."

"Ah that's logic and we don't go in for that kind of thing," Ron smiled a weak smile.

Hermione frowned at this statement and called out to the walls of the cave.

"What did I do wrong?"

There was a short pause before Ron delivered an emotionless answer.

"Hermione you're to do the spell in the morning in future, he wants us to get a good night's sleep before dragging us off far and wide."

"Oh," she said, her head lowering, "I suppose that is quite logical isn't it?"

"Wait, dragging us off? Where are we going?" Harry called out to nothing in particular.

"Harry we're obviously going to be taken to the next horcrux," Hermione said.

"Yeah but how does he now where they are in the first place and why can't he just tell us where to go and let us go when Ron's conscious and why can't he tell us who he is?"

"Why are your messages always so bloody long?" Ron grumbled.

Hermione looked at him and laughed.

"Ok," Ron sighed, "Harry he doesn't need to drag all of us with him, just me, but because of the bond of blood he can't take me anywhere without Hermione's permission and he doesn't think that you'll let me go alone Hermione."

Hermione threw herself forward and gripped Ron's arm tightly.

"No I won't!" she snapped.

"Hermione, he's wearing the hoop, you don't need to physically hold on to him y'know?" Harry pointed out.

"I know that," she said, not loosening her hold on Ron for a moment, "he's not going anywhere without me."

"Or me," Harry called up to the rock above his head for some reason.

"I would but I can't move," Ron frowned.

Harry knew that Hermione had restricted Ron's movements so much that he couldn't even pull out of her arms.

"Hermione let me go."

"No!" she yelled with determination.

Harry could do nothing but watch as Ron looked into the middle distance while Hermione shifted to get a firmer grip on Ron's body, pinning his arms to his sides, and seeming to be immovable.

"Is this..." Ron began to ask the opening in the rock face, "...will this be dangerous?"

Hermione pressed her lips together firmly and muttered under her breath.

"He's not going without me, he's not going anywhere on his own."

"Why doesn't he want us to come? I thought we were all on speaking terms now?" Harry asked himself aloud.

"I'm not letting him go without me," Hermione said with determination.

Ron let out a loud sigh and his eyes began to move around the rock wall as if he was looking for something black in a dark room.

"Hermione are you there?" he asked the space over Harry's left shoulder.

"I'm here Ron, I'm right here," she turned his head towards her but his eyes were glazed and staring through her earlobe it looked to Harry.

"I need you to take off the hoop."

"No!" she gasped.

"I need you to let me go alone. Please Hermione."

She held him tighter and burrowed her face into his neck, muffling her ongoing protests.

"I can't, I won't, don't ask me to do this."

"I trust him ok? I trust him to look after me, please let me do this without you."

Hermione shook her head and sobbed.

"I don't care if you trust him or not, I don't care, he's not taking you anywhere without me."

"Do you trust me?" Ron asked with a sigh.

Harry knew that Ron really felt he had to do this alone. He didn't want to let him go either, not after the night of the coffin, despite everything the spirit had done for Ron he still held that night against him. What could have gone wrong during the discovery of the R.A.B horcrux was too close for comfort.

"Please don't ask me to do this Ron," Hermione cried.

"I'm asking for you to do this, not him, he says you can come but I'm asking you to trust me and let me go."

Hermione was weeping into Ron's shoulder now and Harry wondered what he would do if the choice to release control of Ron rested with him. He was glad it didn't.

"I trust you Ron I really do but I'm so scared that there's nobody there to protect you except for some ghost."

"A ghost who can do wandless magic Hermione," Harry said, he wasn't quite sure why he was taking the spirit's side, "and who gave Ron some peace at long bloody last this morning. This is Ron asking us to stay anyway, not the ghost,Ron."

Hermione wiped her tear-stained face and pulled the hoop from Ron's arm with heart-wrenching sobs that came from deep within.

"Thank you," Ron sighed before getting to his feet and walking towards the opening in the rock face.

"You promise me you'll look after him," Hermione suddenly bellowed, he ragged voice echoing off the walls and shaking Harry to the bone, "promise me you'll take better care of him, promise me!"

Ron stopped as he reached the opening and looked back over his shoulder.

"He says he promises."

Ron stepped outside and disapparated without another word.

Hermione lost her composure completely and broke down onto Ron's vacant sleeping bag. Harry wanted to comfort her but there really was nothing he could think of to say. All that ran through his mind was what kind of letter he would write to Ginny about all of this. How could he explain to her that not only had he taken her brother on a dangerous journey without her to watch his back but he had lost him multiple times and was now waiting to see if he would come back from a perilous trip they let him take in his sleep with a dead man for company.

Hermione was hugging Ron's pillow to her face now and whimpering prayers to every body she could think of to pray to for Ron to be all right and Harry stood and walked outside to look out at the waterfall.

"Don't make us wait too long mate."

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Elephant Rock and The Phoenix Feather

There was a distant crack outside and Harry jerked out of his state of semi sleep.

He straightened his glasses on his nose and looked around the lakeside but couldn't see anything despite the clear morning light. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Hermione was still sleeping in Ron's sleeping bag, curled up into a tight ball, and he turned around to look back outside. He flinched at the sight of Ron crouching beside the freshwater pool just outside the opening in the rock face, washing his face and hands and running his wet fingers through his hair. Harry ran to him and dropped to his knees at Ron's side.

"Are you ok? Where did you come from? I was just looking for you a second ago," Harry blurted as Ron smiled at his friend's eagerness to get information from him.

"I'm ok, somewhere called Bossiney Cove, and I've been here since I apparated mate. Did you have your glasses on when you looked the first time?"

Harry let himself relax enough to get embarrassed.

"Oh well they were a little wonky when I was looking I admit."

Ron laughed and got to his feet with a groan.

"Are you hurt?" Harry frowned as he watched Ron rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nah, I just slept funny,"

Harry couldn't help but find that amusing.

"You can say that again."

He and Ron walked over to a rock beside the pool and sat down on it.

"So I have a quick question for you," Ron said with a wince as he massaged his aching neck.

"What's that then?"

"How come I'm not wearing the hoop and yet I still have my arm?"

Harry smiled and heaved a deep sigh.

"You persuaded Hermione to let you go alone. It was a tough sell but you did it."

Ron's eyebrows disappeared into his hair and he gave an amazed whistle.

"I bet that wasn't a barrel of laughs for you stuck here with her after that, did I say why I needed to go alone?"

Harry shook his head. Ron looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Harry with about as much understanding on the matter as he had.

"Well it was quiet when I woke up there, no scuffle or inferi or anything, and no horcrux either."

"What, nothing at all?" Harry frowned.

"Well there was a nest, a birds nest, and a kind of familiar looking feather."

"How do you mean familiar?"

"Well I mean it's the same kind of feather that used to show up with messages from Dumbledore to the Order."

"A phoenix feather?" Harry gasped and Ron nodded, "Was it Fawkes?"

"Can't say, it was just a nest and a feather, there wasn't any sign of a phoenix and there wasn't any fresh scraps of food laying around so it hasn't been there for a while anyway."

Harry pondered why Ron needed to go to an empty phoenix nest alone. Maybe he was just there to check that it was empty and not a trap. The three of them would've been harder to defend than just Ron and an invisible spirit who had the ability to perform wandless magic through him. Ron seemed to have been having the same thought.

"I reckon I was just supposed to see it in my conscious state so I could apparate you both back there and we could have a proper look around."

Ron glanced over Harry's shoulder and back at the shelter as he said this.

"Speaking of the three of us, where is our missing third?"

"She's curled up in your sleeping bag waiting for you to come back, she's been a wreck, I'm not sure if you're going to be on the receiving end of a good or bad welcome to be honest."

Ron huffed and decided to brave it; he got to his feet and set off for the shelter.

"Wish me luck."

"You're not going to wake her up are you?" Harry said with a disapproving look at his departing friend, "She hardly slept as it is."

"No but I want to be there when she wakes up...well I want to be there for her so she doesn't worry anymore than she already has at least," Ron shrugged before stepping into the cave.

Harry turned back to the lake and whispered a thank you just in case the spirit still lingered, watching over Ron in the daytime as well as the night, and let himself relax on the rock now that he knew they had been right to trust him with Ron's life last night after all.

"Wow, you're getting really good at this side-along apparition Ron," Harry said, sounding impressed at Ron's ease in transporting the three of them to Bossiney Cove all at once.

"Yeah well, I won't be held responsible for missing eyebrows or anything you may find you've lost along the way, I'm still not comfortable with dragging one person with me let alone two."

Harry chuckled and let Ron lead the way up to Elephant Rock. Harry could see why Ron had called the towering rock above the cove by that name, it looked exactly like an elephant with its head bowed, and he tried to see the spot Ron had spoken of before they left for Bossiney Cove. He had mentioned dangerously uneven stairs that led up to the abandoned phoenix nest. Ron was leading Hermione by the hand, she had been greatly reluctant to let go of him since he had got back, and Harry shivered as the chilly coastal wind cut through his three layers of clothing. The summer was well and truly over now and camping was going to become much more of a hardship for the three of them.

Harry watched Ron as he pulled Hermione into the gap between the elephant's hind legs and jogged along to keep them in his sight, and to warm himself up a little, and he reminded himself to make sure Ron slept in warm clothes in future. He had only just been rejuvenated by the life restoring meditation and he didn't want him to get ill all over again. Maybe they should all keep their shoes on when they slept too, he thought as he saw Ron and Hermione looking up at the most crooked stone steps Harry had ever seen.

"Blimey Ron, it's making me dizzy just looking up at them!" Harry exclaimed.

Ron threw a warning glance over his shoulder to Harry.

"You wait until you start climbing them, it makes you feel sea sick, it's like you're climbing while rotating three hundred and sixty degrees. That was why I needed to get myself together when I first apparated back, I thought I was going to throw up."

Hermione took a hesitant step onto the first stone step; it was pretty even but bowed in the middle.

"Any tips before I start?" she asked Ron nervously.

Ron placed the hand he was holding upon a rusty handrail to Hermione's left.

"Just make sure you hold onto this the whole time," he said as he watched her swaying slightly and readied himself to catch her if she fell, "you'll feel as if you're walking sideways sometimes but you've just got to remind yourself that while you're holding onto the handrail you're the right way up. It's all an optical illusion."

Hermione took a deep breath and gave a nod before starting up the steps. Ron followed closely behind, Harry assumed he wanted to be ready to catch her if she became dizzy, and then it was Harry's turn. He looked up to the top of the stairway, he could see that the handrail was pretty straight the whole way up and it was just the steps that jutted out at odd angles. At one point, halfway up, they seemed to disappear altogether and after that they were almost a vertical wall. Ron was right about it being a trick of the mind. Harry had seen drawings like that before. He could do this, he told himself, and stepped up onto the first stone step.

That was when the nausea hit him.

The steps ahead suddenly seemed to be moving, he felt himself tipped to his left and gripped the handrail as firmly as he could, this was worse than Ron had warned them it would be. His eyes were being tricked and his brain was being fooled into adjusting his balance when there was really no need to. That was what was throwing him off centre. Harry closed his eyes and felt his way up the next three steps. It was much better now, as long as he didn't let the dizzying illusion fool his senses he would be able to get up this stairway just fine. He extended his foot for the fourth step by couldn't find it. He stretched his free hand out and felt for the next step up but there didn't seem to be anything ahead of him. He reluctantly opened his eyes a crack to see where he needed to put his foot and the walls started to rock from side to side around him.

He staggered to his right; it felt as if he was on a boat as it sailed through the roughest of seas. He struggled to hold on to the handrail but his instincts told him he should be letting go of it and righting himself to his new centre of gravity. No, Harry told himself, it was a trick, Ron told him to trust the handrail. The handrail was the only constant thing on that climb. It was straight and true and he would be fine as long as he kept a hold on it.

"Harry are you alright back there?" he heard Ron calling from several steps ahead of him.

Harry could only nod as he forced his eyes closed again and the walls seemed to stop rocking from side to side. He felt his head clear and his stomach settle.

"Harry mate, I'm really sorry but you've got to climb this with your eyes open, I know it feels better to close them but the steps are so uneven you'll twist an ankle or a knee and go down like a sack of spuds."

Harry took a deep breath in.

"I'm beginning to realise that," he managed to say before forcing himself to open his eyes and step onto the next stone step.

He saw Ron and Hermione ahead of him, Hermione was practically crawling up on her hands and knees and Ron looked as if he was walking along the wall rather than on the ground. He was still griping the handrail though, Harry tightened his own grip of the rusty metal, and he reminded himself to trust the handrail over his instincts. Trust the handrail over his eyes. Trust the handrail over gravity.

There was a dreadful vomiting sound ahead of him now and Harry heard Hermione sputtering and coughing before apologising to Ron.

"Don't worry about it, just keep going ok?"

Harry needed a distraction from the need to be sick himself now and called out to Ron, feeling that a conversation might make it pass, and staggering up another step that was broken into four pieces that sat at different angles.

"Ron!"

"What?"

"Couldn't you have just apparated us to the top and save us all this?"

"Not possible," Ron began before Harry saw him grip the handrail with both hands and rest his forehead against the wall, taking a couple of deep breaths, "the ceiling's really low."

Harry forced himself up another two steps and saw Ron bracing himself to continue.

"We'd have taken our heads off."

Harry felt a pull and gasped, he thought that his feet were lifting off the steps altogether and dangling freely until they touched the wall; he closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again he saw that he was still standing on a stone step, still holding on to the handrail, but still feeling as if he was hanging at a right angle. He threw his right leg forward to the next step, missing on the first attempt but getting a decent purchase on it with the second, and lifted himself up onto the next step. Suddenly the world righted itself once again and Harry almost fell to his knees as the ground seemed to shift beneath him.

He looked up; Hermione was crawling off to one side now and Ron was sitting on the top step with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths; and he knew he didn't have far to go now. He was almost there.

He struggled up another three steps and was almost upon Ron, who had forced his eyes open again, and suddenly felt as if the handrail was a limp strand of spaghetti in his hand. His balance was thrown, he had nothing to hold on to, and he felt an awesome pull behind him that threatened to hurl him back down the steps. Harry was about to call out when Ron grabbed him and pulled him up the last two steps and threw him beside Hermione on the gritty floor of a ledge deep within the side of Elephant Rock.

Ron had been right, Harry thought as he tried to get used to things not spinning any more, the ceiling was only about four feet high and it would've been impossible to apparate there. Hermione was trying to calm her seasickness, or stair sickness as it was to be more accurate, and Harry turned around to see that Ron was still sitting on the top step with his eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

"Ron, you alright?" Harry croaked.

Ron didn't open his eyes. Instead he spoke rapidly through his enforced deep breaths.

"Can you get me off of here please?"

Harry realised that Ron was still being affected by the vertigo and had lost his bearings now that he was no longer holding on to the handrail. As Harry crawled over to his green-looking friend and grabbed him by the arm, Ron was loosing his battle with gravity and began to tip forward; he heaved his friend back off the step with all his strength.

"Oh no you don't," Harry strained as they both fell flat on their backs.

After taking a moment to clear his head Ron finally spoke.

"Thanks."

"No problem mate," Harry sighed, "I can't believe you held it together right up to the top."

"It's a lot easier going down I can tell you."

Hermione crawled over to the two of them as they sat up and she looked very pale and slightly ashamed.

"You sure you're ok Hermione?" Harry asked her.

"Just a little embarrassed," she managed to smile, "a lady doesn't tend to want to throw up in front of her boyfriend, at least not so soon into the relationship."

Ron managed to laugh at this and rubbed her back.

"Has it passed yet?"

She nodded.

"Thanks for your help, I couldn't have done it without you," she smiled and wiped her mouth self-consciously.

Ron mumbled something about paying her back for all the help she'd been giving him recently as Harry crawled over to the abandoned phoenix nest and began to investigate.

There it was, the golden phoenix feather nestled in amongst the twigs and leaves and even some sheep's wool, and he reached in and picked the long feather out and turned it over in his hands.

"D'you think it's Fawkes' or another phoenix's?" Ron asked as he looked over Harry shoulder.

Harry turned to see that, even on his knees, Ron had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the roof. Ron really did look uncomfortable, Harry thought, and wondered if this was why his neck had been causing him so much discomfort that morning.

"I can't say, I've only ever seen one phoenix my whole life and I didn't really pay all that much attention to individual feathers at the time."

Hermione linked her arm with Ron's and frowned at the feather in Harry's hand.

"I've just had a thought," she began, "what if Ron's guide is Dumbledore?"

"What?" Harry gasped, not able to believe that he hadn't thought of that himself.

"Well if it was then that would explain why he's looking for Fawkes wouldn't it?"

Ron looked from Harry to Hermione, trying to read their expressions, and didn't seem to know what to think about this new suggestion.

"That would explain Ron trusting him," Harry said aloud to himself.

"It would also explain how he knows where to look for horcruxes and clues," Hermione nodded, "and of course all that power he has when he's sleepwalking."

Harry couldn't allow himself to get too excited about this theory though, there was always the one niggle that he would never be able to forgive the spirit for no matter what he did to redeem himself to Ron.

"Would Dumbledore have put Ron in Regulus Black's coffin?"

Ron's eyes now didn't look at either of them, dropping to examine the feather with intensity as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen in his life.

"I don't know Harry," Hermione looked at Ron sadly and bit her lip, "I don't know him well enough to know how far he would go but he did know about Ron being an oracle, Mrs Weasley said."

Harry didn't want to go into Dumbledore's motives, if indeed it was him, and decided to concentrate on the feather again.

"Could Fawkes, or the phoenix in question, have been guarding a horcrux?"

Ron looked back up at this change of subject and glanced around the tiny enclosed ledge.

"Well Vol...he knows that we're looking for them now doesn't he? Maybe he moved it and the phoenix followed it wherever it went."

Harry nodded.

"That makes a lot of sense."

Ron sniggered and nudged Hermione in the side.

"Hark at me eh, I'm making sense!"

Hermione and Harry laughed.

"There's a first time for everything," Hermione teased before taking the feather from Harry thoughtfully and staring at it, growing gradually unhappier, as she seemed to be forming a plan of action that she didn't really want to have to follow through.

"What's the matter?" Ron asked her with concern.

She swallowed and looked him in the eye with a determination to be strong.

"I think we should put you to sleep and see what the spirit has to say for himself about this, he can tell us if this is a clue or a dead end, and that way we don't have to wait around until nightfall to move on with the search. He said so himself didn't he? We've got to start using your somnambulism in the daytime so the three of us can spend our night's actually sleeping."

Ron took in what she had to say before turning to Harry and shrugging.

"What d'you think?"

"Well I don't know," Harry frowned, "it's a crazy idea, that's for sure, sleeping in the night time?"

Ron broke into laughter and Hermione rolled her eyes at the both of them.

"Go on then Minnie, knock me out if you must," Ron chuckled.

"Minnie?" Hermione growled as she turned her fierce gaze onto Harry.

"What? I didn't say it!"

"No but you're the only one who could've told him about Ivor's little nickname for me," she said as she punched Harry on the arm.

Harry rubbed his sore arm and turned on Ron.

"You call her Minnie and I get punched, how is that fair?"

Ron was visibly amused and gave a shrug.

"Hey I'm the one getting knocked out, count yourself lucky mate."

Harry grumbled incoherently about the 'couple' ganging up on him while Hermione pointed her wand at Ron and instructed him to lay down.

"The deep sleep charm totally relaxes every muscle in your body, I can't do it if you're sitting up, you'll hit your head."

"What harm can that do," Ron asked as he lay flat on his back; "all you'd do is knock me out twice as much?"

"A deep sleep charm and a fractured skull are very different things Ronald, now take a deep breath," she instructed in her bossiest tone, "your breathing drops straight into slow even breaths and it can be risky if your not relaxed."

"I'm bloody relaxed ok?" Ron snapped in the most un-relaxed way possible, "Godric Hermione, will you just get on with it?"

Hermione looked annoyed and flicked her wand at Ron.

"Obdormio!"

Ron fell silent, his eyes closed, and he lay still. Harry frowned at a still somewhat annoyed Hermione.

"That wasn't the deep sleep charm, that was just a sleeping charm."

"I know that Harry, he wasn't prepared for the deep sleep charm so I've put him into a state of relaxation myself," she paused to glare down at the sleeping redhead, "obnoxious idiot!"

Harry was about to defend Ron, after all he had done nothing more than call her Minnie really, when Hermione pointed her wand back down at him and cast the deep sleep charm on him.

"Sopor!"

Ron was very still now, his breathing slow and deep, and Hermione turned to rummage in her back pack for something. Harry knew exactly what she was looking for. She withdrew the silver hoops and slid one on Ron's arm, all the way up to his bicep, and then put the other on herself. She leaned over him and whispered into Ron's ear.

"You're free to go wherever you want as long as you stay in my sight."

She stroked his hair away from his face and kissed him on the lips before looking up at Harry with a softer expression on her face now.

"Sorry about before, I just hate the fact that I'm getting somewhat addicted to using the bond of blood on him."

Harry blinked; he had no idea this was happening to Hermione at all.

"But I thought you hated putting the hoops on, you always seem so reluctant to use them."

"I am, but last night when he was wandering alone without me I was...it was just so hard, I missed the control."

She looked disgusted with herself.

"I missed having that power over him Harry, how awful is that?"

Harry smiled at her and rubbed her arm for comfort.

"You're not getting power-hungry Hermione, you see the hoops as a way to protect Ron and last night you felt as if you'd let him go off into a dangerous situation completely defenceless, that's not a bad thing. You're not letting the control the bond of blood gives you go to your head I swear to you. I'd have noticed."

She sighed heavily and seemed to at least partially believe Harry's words. Before she could say anything more, however, Ron sat up and opened his eyes.

Chapter Twenty-Four - The Never-ending Horcrux

Ron crawled on his hands and knees to the top of the crooked stairway.

"Oh great, so we've got to go all the way back down again?" Harry grumbled.

Ron was looking down at the stairs and a magical energy began to form along the stairs all the way down to the ground, like a carpet rolled down them and pulled taught so it made a perfect smooth slope, Harry saw that he was nodding before turning his head over his shoulder to the two of them behind him but not fixing his glassy eyes on any particular point.

"Harry, Hermione, we can slide down. It won't be as bad." Ron said in that same familiar whisper.

Harry sighed and glanced at Hermione who seemed to be hoping that not as bad wasn't an understatement. Ron sat himself upon the magical slide and pushed off, gliding smoothly down the crooked stairs and Harry stood aside to let Hermione go ahead of him.

"I don't know if you're being chivalrous or cowardly," she muttered as she positioned herself on the magical surface.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"A bit of both."

Hermione gave a strained smile and pushed herself down the slope. Harry decided that hesitating would only make it worse and threw himself down after her.

It was a strange sensation indeed. It was as if he was surfing on dry water or sledding on warm snow, it was quite pleasant, and it was very fast. He saw Hermione toppling off the end and landing on Ron's back. Ron himself had landed face down and Harry tried to get some kind of purchase on the magical surface to slow him down without much success.

WUMPH!

Harry managed to miss landing on Hermione and Ron but in the process had landed quite hard on his side, winding him a little, and his watering eyes made out Hermione rolling off Ron and helping him to his feet. Ron seemed to be ok, despite Hermione's heavy landing, and Harry struggled up to his feet as Ron frowned and spoke to his dead buddy.

"I've heard of that place somewhere."

Hermione blew her dishevelled hair out of her face and looked up at Harry.

"So I take it we're going somewhere else now."

Harry nodded.

"It would appear so."

"And Fawkes?" Ron asked, taking a step away from the two of them.

"Ah so it is Fawkes we're looking for," Harry said, sounding almost happy at this news.

Hermione wasn't joining Harry in his state of comfort; however, she was looking concerned at the alarmed look on Ron's face.

"What?" Ron said, with what sounded like disbelief and slight annoyance, "They can't go, I can't take them into that, what kind of plan it that?"

Harry joined Hermione in her state of anxiety now. This was obviously going to be very dangerous and Ron wasn't willing to take them along.

"Hermione I don't care what he says or how nicely he says it, this time I'm going with him," Harry said with fierce determination.

"That makes two of us then," she nodded, her jaw set and her eyes boring into the back of Ron's head almost daring him to try and leave her behind.

"Not really," Ron said with insolence.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other and Hermione absent-mindedly fingered the silver hoop around her wrist. Harry knew she was making sure he was well and truly bound to her without realising she was doing it.

"Of course I do," Ron said with a huff.

Harry took a step closer to try and get a better look at Ron's face as he spoke to the dead man, as he did Ron shook his head and looked down. Harry looked at the empty space in front of Ron and thought about telling him, the spectre he now strongly suspected to be Dumbledore, to convince Ron to let them come with him but he and Ron seemed to be having a heated conversation.

"But..." Ron began and stopped, obviously having been interrupted before he could protest.

"Tell him we're going!" Hermione shouted into space, obviously having the same thought Harry had just had moments earlier.

Ron looked back up at the space and seemed a little less tense.

"Yeah, I forgot about that, ok let's go."

Harry was about to ask the spirit if the ' let's ' part of ' let's go ' was directed at himself and Hermione as well when he saw Ron reaching out his arms and begin groping around for them. He found Hermione almost immediately as she was at his side and flailed his other arm about a little further.

"Harry we need to go now, take my arm," Ron said urgently and Harry linked his arm with Ron's tightly, "right. Wands out at the ready ok?"

Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and saw Hermione doing the same on Ron's other side.

"So it looks like we're apparating into an ambush then doesn't it?" Harry asked Hermione with a forced smile.

"Maybe we're apparating into something really good, like a huge vat of candy floss and we need our wands to gather it up in lieu of a stick."

Harry was about to point out to Hermione that optimism didn't sound right coming from her when Ron let out a small chuckle.

"That's not how things tend to work out for us is it?"

Harry and Hermione blinked at him and broke into laughter that faded as quickly as the amusement on Ron's face did, he looked very grave now and liked his lips as he gave a determined nod before letting out a shiver. Before Harry could wonder why Ron had felt such a sudden chill the three of them had disapparated.

A ruined old castle whirred into vision and Harry let go of Ron's arm as he looked at his surroundings with caution, holding his wand in readiness for a surprise attack. There was none. He remained cautious as Ron and Hermione seemed to be taking in their surroundings with great suspicion.

"Are they here?" Ron asked the spirit.

Harry scanned every possible hiding place he could think of in and around the ruined castle and hoped that Hermione was doing the same. It wasn't long before Ron had instructions for them.

"Be alert you guys, something's not right."

Harry was about to snort that this was pretty obvious when he saw Ron slam hard into the soft grass beneath their feet as if pushed by a giant invisible hand. A green light whizzed between Harry and Hermione and struck a tree a little way away from the three of them. Harry gasped at Hermione.

"Did you do that?"

Hermione saw Ron fighting to get back up to his feet, thankfully ok.

"It wasn't me, I didn't even see it coming to knock him out of the way."

"Where, where are they, I can't see?" Ron said as he managed to stand up again and cast his blank gaze all around him.

"You and me both!" Harry snorted before suddenly seeing Death Eaters everywhere.

"Where the hell did they come from?" Hermione screeched as she aimed her wand at as many of them as she could, "Protego!"

A dozen or so hexes bounced off her shield charm and Harry found himself having to do the same on his side. This was too much, there were too many of them and Ron couldn't even see them to defend himself against attack, what were they going to do?

"Ah so the only pure blood among you is blind is he?" a disgustingly familiar high-pitched voice sneered with obvious amusement.

"Voldemort!" Harry hissed as Hermione tried to throw a shield around the three of them but only managing to hold it for just over a second.

"Dirvo!" Ron yelled as he extended his empty wand hand in Voldemort's direction and the snake-like face seemed genuinely surprised before waving his hand and shielding himself from Ron's attack with ease.

Harry allowed himself to smile as he turned on the Death Eater who was trying to blindside him.

"Oppugno!" he said aloud while internally thinking, ' that'll teach you to underestimate a Weasley you murdering bastard '

Ron looked utterly confused as he battled an enemy he couldn't see but took a step toward Voldemort nevertheless and threw both his arms forward and bellowed a spell to restrain him.

"Captivas!"

Voldemort seemed to be rigid for a moment before looking livid and throwing off an invisible binding, his eyes flashing red.

"Absisto! Reluctor crebo! Abeo!" Hermione was hurling spells in every direction, one Death Eater being blasted through one of the castle walls, two others who were throwing unforgivable curses at Harry suddenly fighting against the air as if it was pulling their wand arms away from their intended target and another who was turning on Hermione after having his spell deflected by Harry disappeared where he stood, "Ron, no!"

She had screamed as she allowed herself to look at Voldemort, the red eyes burning as he spat the killing curse while aiming his wand at the wandless Ron.

"Avada Ke-"

Harry had abandoned his defensive spells and turned on Voldemort with incredible fury.

"Expelliarmus!"

Voldemort's wand didn't go anywhere but his aim was thrown off and a Death Eater over Ron's shoulder hit the ground stone dead. Hermione yelped and her body thudded to the ground, Harry hoped she'd just been knocked of her feet or immobilised and nothing worse but he didn't have the luxury of time to turn his head to see as on his undefended side he heard a dozen voices hurling different hexes at him but he wasn't able to counter them all at once. Hermione screamed again as Ron's body suddenly tensed as if he had been stabbed before he threw his arms forward again and yelled.

"Contego! Detino!" raw white energy was crackling between Ron's fingers as Voldemort was hit full on with a double-whammy of a shield charm and enough power to hold him off long enough for Ron to throw his left arm out to send another powerful defensive spell at every one of the Death Eaters' hexes as the were about to hit Harry, "Oppugno!"

Voldemort was shaking off the detainment spell and Harry could see that Ron needed Hermione back on her feet and back in the battle but he couldn't afford to turn his back on the Death Eaters on his side again.

"Protego! Petrificus totalus! Stupefy! Stupefy" Stupef-"

One of the spells got through his defences and he felt his body hit with the force of a cannonball and fell to his knees. He saw Ron lower the hand that was concentrating on holding Voldemort at bay and he tried to scream at Ron to keep holding him off and not to worry about them but he couldn't find the breath. Ron's hands were right over Hermione's prostrate body now and he freed her from whatever was keeping her from the fight.

"Solvo!"

Hermione jumped back to her feet and blasted the last of the Death Eaters on her side into the deep empty moat around the ruined castle at the exact same moment Voldemort looked victorious and shook off the last of Ron's spell.

"You just let your guard down to save the mudblood boy, whatever power you are channelling is mine now," Voldemort aimed his wand at Ron and Harry pointed his own at the serpentine wizard but couldn't find the breath to defend his vulnerable friend.

"No Tom, I won't let you do this," Ron shouted, shocking Harry out of his desperate state.

Did he just call Lord Voldemort Tom?

"Permeo pulpa! Accio power!" the dark wizard said without hesitation.

Ron's arms were thrown back up in front of him again, his open palms sending the same white energy crackling between his fingers as he shouted with an unfamiliar kind of rage.

"Everbero!"

A blood red lightning bolt shot out of both of Ron's palms and hit Voldemort, slicing through his own incoming spells along the way, causing the wizard to stagger backwards and blood to appear through his robes at his chest. Harry couldn't quite believe what he was seeing, Ron had drawn blood, Voldemort was bleeding.

"Yes!" Harry hissed as he struggled back to his feet, the sight of Voldemort on the back foot filling him with extra strength.

Ron barely had time to take a breath deep enough to utter his next spell as he pointed his arms to either side of him and then upwards.

"Contineo!"

The large shimmering bubble shield Hermione had tried to hold Ron inside at the Riddle house surrounded them, Death Eater curses bouncing off as if they were nothing but rubber balls being hurled at a brick wall. Harry let out a laugh and suddenly remembered just how much his chest hurt and fell back to his knees. He didn't know what he had been hit with but it hurt. Suddenly Ron's body wasn't as tense as it had been during his face-off with Voldemort and he looked panicked.

"What?" Ron gasped, and began to feel around himself blindly, "Harry where are you, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, watch your own back Ron," Harry wheezed as he looked down the neck of his sweatshirt and saw a bruise the size of a platter from the great hall discolouring almost all of his torso.

Ron dropped to his knees and fumbled around for Harry's body, Hermione was scanning the situation outside the bubble as Ron crawled around looking for his invisible wounded friend, Harry didn't know how long the bubble shield would hold but he didn't want to be on the ground with Ron when it did.

"I'm here, patch me up quickly Ron, Hermione can't hold them all off alone."

Ron's hand found Harry's body and rested upon his chest before he shouted the healing spell at the exact same moment Voldemort was able to break through the bubble shield.

"Sano! Corrigo sano!" Ron completed the spell and turned as if hearing somebody calling his name.

If I can not have your power then neither can you," Voldemort growled before hurling a spell from his wand directly at the distracted body of Harry's best friend, "Adficio!"

"No!" Harry yelled.

Hermione threw a re-enforcement charm at the failing bubble shield and it flickered once before dying and, despite seemingly being focused on something at his side Ron somehow cast a wispy shield in front of him without even raising his arms to do so. The shield was too fragile though, as if his not being focused upon it's formation depleted its effectiveness, and Voldemort's curse fractured the shield in the centre. A little of the curse's kick having been taken by the shield, but not nearly enough, Harry and Hermione could only watch in horror as Ron was struck, still on his hands and knees from healing Harry's wounds. His elbows gave way, unable to support him any longer, and he fell face down onto the grass.

Harry and Hermione both turned to face Voldemort and the remaining Death Eaters, who now flanked their jubilant master, and screamed with fearful fury.

"Reluctor!"

The spell to fight against the dark wizards shot forth from Harry's wand and Hermione's simultaneously and seemed to meet a third spell from nowhere in the middle and the power of the three castings knocked the group of Death eaters away from Voldemort like bowling pins. The dark lord himself was shaken but managed to retain his footing nevertheless. Maybe the third spell was Ron's, he was still fighting with them from the ground, despite not moving very much, and that meant he was still with them. Ron was still in the fight, they would just have to cover for him until he was back on his feet and his spirit could blast away with their extra strength power and they'd be able to get away. They had overcome every one of those damn Death Eaters, they could escape Voldemort alive, he knew they could.

Harry heard a groan from the body at his feet and chanced a quick glance down at Ron who was grimacing with the effort to raise his arm. Harry turned back to send another shield charm in front of himself and Hermione, although she had already thrown one up herself that was twice as strong as his, and heard Ron's weakened whisper.

"Acerbus!"

As soon as the spell swirled around Voldemort and plunged him into darkness Ron collapsed completely, his head dropping, his breath inaudible and his eyes slowly closing.

"Ron no," Hermione sobbed, not tearing her eyes away from the thick black cloud he had enveloped Voldemort in to render him as temporarily blind as Ron had been in the battle, and gripping her wand tightly ready to make Voldemort pay for whatever he had done to her boyfriend.

Harry stood at Hermione's side, ready to finish Voldemort off, ready for vengeance. Just as the red eyes began to shine through the dissipating black fog Harry heard the desperately weak croak from the ground.

"Oppugno!"

Harry's heart lifted, just a little, as he heard his friend's barely audible voice still fighting back, still defending the three of them. He saw that Ron couldn't lift his arm but was directing his fingers at the blackness that held Voldemort at bay. The spell wasn't anything that could hurt him, Ron was too weak to deliver anything now, but that didn't matter. Ron was fighting. He was still fighting with them. Voldemort wasn't going to win this time, he wasn't going to take another person Harry loved away from him, and he cast his own spell.

"Expecto Patronum!" he hollered as he harnessed that marvellous thought and watched as the stag charged into the darkness and set upon Voldemort.

"Sectum doleo!" Voldemort's enraged voice roared from within the darkness and Harry felt himself slashed with what felt like a dull blade, the pain was excruciating and he fell to his knees beside Ron, whose eyes were starting to close again.

"No Ron, stay with us, we need you."

Harry's voice was drowned out by the defensive spell Hermione threw into the darkness and the second wave of Voldemort's attack on Harry.

"Protego!"

"Claudeo! Plaga everbero!"

Hermione's spell was lost in the black fog and Harry felt himself knocked backwards, flat on his back, as his leg was inflamed with pain and wounds of all varieties broke the surface of his skin, some bleeding and some bruising. He was battered and lame, Ron was fading fast and Hermione had to face Lord Voldemort alone.

"Labor lapsus profundum!" she screamed, still not letting herself be distracted by Ron and Harry's conditions as she stepped in front of both of them and held her wand firmly.

Harry saw Ron's eyes close and a warm yellow light waft around him very briefly before fading, the spirit was trying to help him but wasn't strong enough without Ron to channel their powers. He reached out a bloodied hand and shook Ron.

"Please stay with us mate, don't give up," Harry pleaded and let out a relieved shudder as Ron forced his eyes open again, "that's it! You're not going anywhere just yet are you? You're not going anywhere."

Harry winced and smiled at the same time as Hermione ignored the two of them, or at least appeared to, and drew a deep breath and cast a spell with such ferocity that she sounded like McGonagall handing out multiple detentions.

"Everbero crebro!"

"Herm..." Ron's voice struggled to make even the slightest of sounds, "...Hermione."

Harry looked up at Hermione, who was in no position to chat right now.

"Protego crebro!" she yelled at the sight of a jet of orange light zooming out from the blackness, "I can hear you Ron, hold on."

"Her-minnie...?"

Suddenly the weak wispy spell shot out in all directions around them and a fragile shield surrounded them on all sides. Hermione allowed her self to fall to her knees and take Ron's hand. He whispered something but his voice was almost nothing more than a breath now and she lowered her ear to his lips.

"What was that?" she asked with a resolve etched onto her face that told Harry she wasn't going to let her emotions get to her, she had to keep her head clear to hold Voldemort off.

Harry saw Ron's lips moving and Hermione biting her lip and nodding.

"Right you are," she said as she pulled back and looked down at him but his eyes were closed completely and his lips were parted and totally still now.

Harry shook Ron roughly, he didn't flinch, and he felt his head spin with a combination of panic and his injuries making him slump to the ground alongside his still friend. There was a shattering sound and the barrier disintegrated with the force of one of Voldemort's spells. Harry nudged Ron again as he felt a shooting pain from his injured leg all the way up to his pounding head, but the other boy still didn't move, and rested his face on the cool grass. He spotted the snake-like features emerging from the blackness and the cruel grin that twisted is lips when he saw Harry and Ron sprawled on the ground. Hermione yelled a disarming spell followed by a banishing spell but both were deflected with ease.

"Pathetic little girl," he sneered, "if Potter cannot best me in this battle what on earth makes you think you can?"

Harry shook Ron again, a wave of pain coursing through his battered frame and making him see spots before his eyes, he patted him on the side of the face and begged him to come round again.

"Ron please."

"Reluctor!" Hermione said with determination.

"Depulso!" Voldemort sighed lazily as Hermione was knocked off her feet and landed heavily upon Harry and Ron, Harry couldn't think for several seconds, the pain was too much, when he eventually came to his senses he caught the tail end of the dark wizard's speech, "...I don't need to replace the wretched horcruxes mudblood, you can kill Nagini if you can find her and you can do your best to kill me in my human form but that last little piece of my soul, that is forever immortal."

"No, there's a way around anything, nothing is infallible. Nothing is immortal," Hermione said, her voice betraying her confidence in that statement.

"I am immortal foolish witch, as long as Dumbledore's phoenix...or should I say Griffindor's phoenix, is immortal I am immortal. Can you find a way to kill a phoenix and keep it dead little bookworm?"

Hermione didn't answer. Harry didn't think she'd answered anyway. He couldn't hear anything anymore, or see anything through his closed eyelids, and he felt Ron's limp arm at his side as he fell into unconsciousness.

He's still warm. Ron's not dead.

Something gripped him so hard that the agonising pain almost woke him up...almost.

He wondered if Sirius and Dumbledore would be waiting for him.

Then he heard several of the same fragmented and weakened spells, similar to the shield that had been cast to protect Ron from the attack, flying Voldemort's way from the middle of nowhere but they were of no consequence to the dark lord. All they seemed to do was distract and intrigue him.

Harry didn't want to leave Hermione to fight alone...he didn't...he couldn't...he did.

Chapter Twenty-Five - The Spoils of War

Harry was parched. He felt plenty of other physical and mental things but the one he seemed to focus on right now was that he really needed a drink.

He lifted his head an inch, pain shooting all the way down his spine, and he saw Ron lying beside him. Ron's head was beside Harry's bare feet, his hair tickling his toes, and he seemed to be fast asleep. Harry lowered his head back down and winced. He tried to swallow but he had no moisture in his mouth to do so. He really was thirsty.

He wondered where Hermione was. He turned his head left and right and saw that he and Ron were sprawled out on top of a bed in a small room. How they got there he had no idea, the last Harry remembered was passing out after...

"Ron!" Harry tried to call out to his friend, his voice was painful against his dry throat, "Ron are you alright?"

Harry strained to sit up a little but his body ached so badly that all he could manage was to tilt his head up against the headboard. He had been fighting, and losing the fight, with Voldemort. Ron had been hit with a terrible curse and he had no idea what had happened to Hermione after he had passed out. How had they got here, wherever here was?

"Hermione!" Harry's hoarse yell made his vocal chords feel as if they were shredded.

He could hear nothing but birdsong outside the window. Harry didn't like this, he needed to know what was going on, and he needed to know that Ron and Hermione were all right. Harry gritted his teeth and moved his foot closer to Ron's sleeping head.

Please let him just be sleeping.

Harry nudged the side of Ron's face with his toes and Ron's head rolled to one side on his pillow with a groan. Harry said a silent thank you to a person who wasn't there and prodded at Ron's head a little harder with his big toe.

"Get off," Ron mumbled as he moved his shoulder as if he wanted to roll over onto his side, he didn't manage the manoeuvre though and Harry's big toe shoved him in the back of the head again.

"Ron, wake up, something's wrong."

Ron's eyes opened and he focused on Harry without lifting his head.

"What's up?" Ron asked, still with just a mumble.

"I don't know where we are and I don't know where Hermione is," Harry croaked.

Ron's eyes were already closing as he replied.

"She's gone out to get ingredients," Ron stopped speaking, Harry wondered whether he had dropped back off again but then his friend forced his eyes open a little more and shifted with great effort to the edge of the bed, "for a potion."

Harry frowned, he couldn't quite believe it but even that hurt, and watched as Ron struggled to prop himself up on his elbow.

"A potion for what?"

Ron's eyelids became heavy again and his head began to drop.

"Ron!" Harry shouted as best he could with his raspy voice.

Ron's head jerked slightly and his eyes opened a crack.

"I shrugged," he murmured lazily.

"No you didn't," Harry said with a growing concern, "Ron are you ok?"

Ron seemed to take a laboured breath in and fight to pull himself up a little more, dragging his heavy body closer to the edge of the bed, and managed to smile over at Harry.

"I'm just tired. Are you ok mate?"

Harry winced and shook his head.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ron murmured as his eyelids drooped for a second before he forced them open wide again.

"I don't know; you don't seem to be able to do much at all."

Ron smiled again.

"Seriously Harry, what do you need?"

Harry dry swallowed again.

"Water," Harry said, sounding more pathetic than he really liked to appear in front of his best friend.

Ron gave a single nod and looked over at his wand, which rested on his bedside table.

"I'll get you some," Ron said as he leaned in towards the bedside table with determination.

Harry watched as Ron focused on the wand in its resting place and seemed to be concentrating hard on it. He wasn't making any attempt to move though and after a few seconds Harry became impatient.

"Any time Ron," he sighed.

Ron's brow furrowed and he jerked his shoulder slightly towards the wand. Harry didn't understand what he was playing at. Then he saw Ron's fingers slowly reaching out to the bedside table from the edge of the mattress where his palm rested. After one or two attempts Ron's middle finger hooked over the edge of the table and he pulled his hand off the bed and rested it on the table beside his wand. Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing and he looked back at Ron's face, his friend looked exhausted, and Harry realised why this was taking so long.

"Ron what's wrong with you?"

Ron managed another weak smile as his fingers crept along the table towards his wand, dragging his limp arm along behind.

"I'm just really tired, I'll get it in a minute, don't worry."

Ron's fingers curled around the wand and his hand slipped off the bedside table, which in turn pulled his arm off theside of the bed, and Ron fell off the edge of the mattress and onto the floor with a deep thud. Harry couldn't see him, he tried to lean forward to see if he was ok but he still couldn't bring himself to sit up properly.

"Ron are you ok?"

"Just gimme a second," Ron's voice murmured from the floor, "I'm getting to it."

Soon Harry saw Ron's back moving along the side of the bed, he must've been crawling very slowly on his hands and knees, and then he saw Ron's hand strain to pull the rest of him up to lean against Harry's end of the bed.

"There," Ron said proudly, "what did I want to come down here for again?"

Harry smiled at his weary friend and felt bad for ever telling him he needed a drink at all, but then he remembered that he really did more than anything in the world, and he gasped while pointing to his own throat.

"Water please."

"Oh right," Ron sighed and looked at his wand arm, which hung, limp at his side, "I just need to..."

Ron bit his lip and his face set with determination as he jerked his shoulder again, attempting to manipulate his lower arm up onto his lap, and then took several deep breaths before lifting his wand arm up onto the bed. Ron smiled at Harry again, he assumed he must've been looking worried for his friend, and angled his wrist at Harry before his face fell and he let out a discouraged huff as his head dropped.

"I forgot the fucking cup!" he groaned into the mattress.

Harry grimaced through the pain in his arm to reach out for Ron to tell him not to worry and that he would wait for Hermione to get back when Ron's head lifted again and Harry saw that familiar determination return to his blue eyes.

"There's one on the floor over there, lemme just..." Ron angled his wand at a point on the floor that Harry couldn't see, he could see that Ron didn't seem to have the strength to lift his wand and was using the mattress to rest his wand upon while he aimed, "...Accio cup!"

Harry heard a dragging sound and saw Ron's head drop again. The redhead grumbled something before looking up and trying again.

"Accio cup!"

Again there was a dragging sound and Harry tilted his head and saw a small chipped cup dragging along the floor towards Ron before stopping after a few inches. Harry saw Ron's eyes' falling closed again and he realised how much effort the simple summoning charm was taking out of him.

"Ron seriously, I'll wait for Hermione," Harry began just as he heard a door opening and footsteps getting closer.

"Ron!" Hermione appeared at the open door and looked down at Ron, slumped on the floor leaning against the bed, with a livid but worried expression on her face, "What did I tell you?"

Ron lifted his head and forced his eyes open a little.

"What?"

Hermione dropped to her knees and took Ron's wand out of his hand.

"Stay in bed that's what I said, don't move, do you remember?"

Ron barely managed a shrug and his eyes began to close again.

"You said a lot of things."

Hermione huffed and she looked over at Harry and tried to smile.

"Welcome back Harry, I hope you're not to uncomfortable."

"I've been worse off," he wondered if he was lying, "and it's my fault, I asked Ron to get me some water. I didn't know he...what is wrong with him?"

Ron's head jerked up again and one eye opened.

"I told you, I'm just tired."

Hermione scowled at Ron and reached into her coat pocket to pull out the silver hoops. She forced one of them up Ron's arm and the other onto herself.

"Right, now you have to stay still until your potion is brewed and no complaints!"

Ron's open eye closed and he made a half-hearted grumbling sound while Hermione sighed and produced a brown paper bag from her other pocket and set its contents down on the bed.

"I can't believe you got out of bed, I can't believe you survived getting out of bed," she hissed at Ron, who was either asleep or ignoring her, and she started reading the instructions on the side of one of the small glass bottles she had just taken out of the bag, "I told you that you barely had enough energy to keep your own heart beating but no, don't listen to Hermione, get out of bed and do magic. What do I know?"

Harry coughed and caught her attention.

"It was my fault Hermione, I really needed a drink, and I don't think he was completely with it when you were telling him...could his heart really have stopped?" Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that question.

Hermione swallowed and summoned a saucepan from the kitchen and began to pour the contents of the bottle into it.

"Voldemort hit him with an energy draining hex, it weakened him so quickly, I restored as much as I could but he really needs a strengthening solution before I can let him move around. I think we should take him back to St Nectans Glen to meditate again as well, just to be sure."

"Voldemort," Harry remembered, "how did we escape? Did you manage to do anything to him?"

Hermione shook her head glumly.

"You were both so badly injured, I just threw all the defensive spells and restraining charms that we'd been using on Ron at him and apparated us all out of there. I thought I'd lost you both, you were so still and Ron was barely breathing, I just saw this cottage and dragged you inside."

Hermione levitated the saucepan in mid air and lit a floating fire beneath it before reaching out for the cup on the floor and filling it with water from the tip of her wand. She held it out to Harry's lips and he drank greedily.

"I'll just get the potion started and then I'll finish healing you," she held up an ointment with the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes logo on the label, "I picked this up from Fred and George. They wanted me to transport you both to the shop for them to take care of but..."

Hermione's gaze turned back down to Ron who was definitely asleep now.

"He can't even stand let alone apparate, not even side-along," Hermione suddenly choked back a sob before pouring the contents of another bottle into the saucepan, "I really thought he was dead for a while back there. I couldn't find a pulse for so long. It was just weak though, it was there the whole time, he'll be fine when he takes this."

Hermione refilled Harry's cup and he drank deeply before she set about rubbing the ointment on his chest. Harry felt a little uncomfortable about this, what would Ron think if he wasn't too exhausted to process thoughts right now, but soon Hermione withdrew her wand and pointed it at the thickly applied ointment and flicked her wand in all directions. Soon the ointment was spreading itself all over Harry's body, seeping into his pores and burning into his muscles and bones. He began to feel more comfortable now and could just about manage to sit up in bed.

"Thanks Hermione," he sighed.

"Thank Fred and George," she grinned on seeing his newfound comfort.

Harry watched as she turned her full attention back to the makeshift caldron as she added more ingredients to the strengthening solution and began to stir the contents with her wand.

"So did we find anything out last night other than we're completely unprepared to fight Voldemort?" Harry asked.

Hermione turned to him with surprise.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Oh Harry," Hermione said sadly as she sat beside him on the edge of the bed and pulled Ron's drooping head into her lap, "he's too clever for us all, it's impossible to destroy Griffindor's horcrux."

Harry smiled at her with confidence.

" You know what Griffindor's horcrux is?" she nodded sadly and Harry forced a confident smile on his face, "Nothing's impossible Hermione."

She lowered her head.

"This is."

The waterfall at St Nectans Glen thundered in the background, Hermione and Ron were sitting opposite each other, legs crossed and eyes closed in meditation, and Harry went over the hopelessness of their situation.

"In...and out...and then you say vivificus when you breathe out..." Hermione was instructing Ron on how to do the recharging spell, as he had no memory of doing it the first time.

Fawkes.

Fawkes couldn't die.

Fawkes would burst into flames and then become a hatchling again; there was no death, no end, no way to destroy Voldemort's soul where it rested within the bird. That must've been what Voldemort did when his wand twitched during that meeting with Dumbledore Harry witnessed in the pensive. He had made Griffindor's phoenix a horcrux. Harry wondered who had died so he could do that.

"Now alternate the two phrases with me ok?" Hermione's voice bought Harry back to the lakeside and he saw Ron nodding his head, " Right so in...vivificus...in...corroboro...in...vivificus..."

Ron and Hermione did this together for almost two whole minutes before Hermione's eyes opened and she hissed something under her breath. Ron's eyes opened and he blinked the bright light of the sun out of his eyes as he rubbed Hermione's arm.

"What's the matter?"

"It should be working by now, what am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing," Ron smiled at her, "you're doing nothing wrong, it's probably me. I bet it's my fault, don't be so hard on yourself Min."

Hermione allowed herself to smile at this, she seemed to have accepted Minnie as a term of endearment without complaint now, but she still looked bitterly disappointed. Harry walked over to the two of them and crouched down.

"Y'know maybe the spirit did something more, we don't know what his side of the spell was like, how about we put Ron to sleep and let the spirit take him through it again?"

Ron raised his eyebrows with hope at Hermione. She gave a nod and pointed her wand at Ron.

"Lay down and breathe deeply...and no arguments this time please."

Ron did as he was told without a word and after Hermione was satisfied that he was in the right physical state she sent him into a deep sleep. They didn't have to wait for very long before Ron's eyes opened and he sat up. With out a word he crossed his legs again and resumed his meditation, Harry looked at his watch; they had half an hour before Ron's body would throw off the spiritual invader. He had half an hour of restorative magic. On top of Hermione's strengthening solution Ron should make a full recovery.

Hermione sat back with Harry and they made small talk while watching the energy forming around Ron's head and then spread to his whole body.

"They're restoring strength to all of him," she sighed with relief.

"Yeah, I can't believe I'm actually glad Ron's got his little unconscious visitor."

They smiled at each other before Hermione turned around to look right at Harry, who mirrored her movement, and she narrowed her lips to such a degree they almost disappeared altogether.

"Ok so you're behind me one stage as far as this Fawkes thing goesaren't you?"

Harry's eyebrows knitted together.

"How do you mean?"

"Well when I first heard I dug in my heels and said no, nothing's impossible, just like you did when I told you, and then I resigned myself to the fact that he'd outsmarted us and there was no way to kill a phoenix. That's the stage you're in now isn't it?"

Harry nodded.

"So what stage are you in then?" he asked her.

"I'm confident that there is always a way and if every book I read tells me there isn't I'll make one myself. I will not be told there's nothing I can do to stop him. I will not accept that Harry."

Harry smiled at her confidence, if anybody could do this Hermione could, and they watched Ron cleanse himself for the next twenty-five minutes in silence. As Ron expelled a toxic cloud of green smoke his eyes opened and began to breathe normally, the energy dispersing around him, Harry looked at Hermione.

"Is he finished d'you think?" he asked.

"Harry?" Ron called out.

Harry and Hermione ran to his side and Harry gripped Ron firmly on the shoulder to let him know he was there.

"Wormtail wasn't there, last night he wasn't there, and neither was Nagini. They're together." Ron's distant whisper was clear as a bell to Harry, "We've got to find the rat."

With that final word Ron's eyes closed and his body slumped. Harry still had hold of his shoulder and managed to hold his friend up while Hermione waited several seconds to be sure it was safe to wake him up before doing so. Ron's weight shifted and Harry felt him holding himself up now as he let out a cough and his eyelids fluttered open. He blinked at Hermione, whose face was staring at him expectantly, and gave her a smile.

"So did I do it right that time?"

She grinned and nodded.

"Perfectly Ron, how do you feel."

Ron shrugged.

"Well I used to use my hands," he gave a mischievous smirk as Harry gave a tut and shoved his friend over.

"You're funny Ron, I'll save that laugh for when I'm having a really bad day," Harry stood up and watched as Hermione did the same, bending to offer Ron and hand up, "seriously mate, are you ok now?"

Ron slapped Harry on the back.

"Much better, thanks you two."

Hermione snorted.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for, I didn't do anything."

Ron pulled her into a hug.

"You got me here."

That seemed to make Hermione feel a lot better and Harry proceeded to tell Ron about his final message before passing out again.

"Hunting down Pettigrew, sounds like just the quest I could really enjoy."

Harry was in full agreement on that. He turned to Hermione at the same time Ron did.

"So where do we start Min?"

Chapter Twenty-Six - The Snake In The Grass And The Rat In The Trap

"So where would that backstabbing little git be hiding then Hermione?" Harry asked as he took a sip of the vegetable soup Ron had quickly put together for the three of them.

"Well I get the feeling Voldemort has tired of his company but doesn't completely trust him to let him leave his service completely so he's given him the task of keeping Nagini hidden. The snake is also keeping her own eye on Pettigrew for her master."

"So am I right in thinking that Scabbers..."Ron shook his head, "I've got to stop thinking of him like that, Pettigrew is the one who is hiding the two of them?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well there's always the hope that Nagini eats him in his rat form and chokes to death on his poisonous existence," Ron grumbled.

Harry laughed at this and dipped a chunk of bread into his soup.

"Well I'm not sure if Wormtail's a great hider or not. I mean he did manage to stay hidden for twelve years but at the same time he also managed to make his escape when he knew Sirius was onto him and not have the brains to get any further than Hagrid's hut in all that time he was gone."

"Hagrid," Hermione said thoughtfully, Ron and Harry looked at each other and shared a bemused shrug, "he'd know how to catch a snake wouldn't he?"

Harry grinned, he had been missing the great old half-giant a lot, and he thought that a quick trip to Hogsmede was just the kind of break the three of them needed after the disastrous attempt at fighting Voldemort.

"We'll go to the Three Broomsticks and send him an owl," Harry said.

Ron's eyes lit up.

"Maybe I could go and see..." Ron hesitated and looked away from Harry before continuing, "...some of the guys."

Harry smiled a sad smile at the redhead and kicked at his foot to get him to look at him again.

"You should go and see Ginny, she'd really like that Ron, I bet she's really missing you."

Ron looked a little guilty.

"You could come?"

"You and I both know that's not a good idea."

Ron lowered his head and Hermione took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Go and see your sister Ron, we'll talk to Hagrid and fill you in when you get back."

Ron sighed and nodded.

"I couldn't believe it when they told me you three weren't comin' back to school, it's bin bad enough without Dumbledore but without the three of you..." Hagrid wailed as he almost suffocated Harry and Hermione with his enormous hug, "...hold on," Hagrid released them and stared down as they caught their breath, "why are there only two of the three of you? What's happened to Ron?"
"Don't worry Hagrid," Harry said, catching his breath, "he's gone to the school to see Ginny."

Hagrid looked happy enough at this news and guided Harry and Hermione into chairs in a quiet corner of the pub with an unintentionally heavy hand.

"Oh well there's a good big brother for you eh? I know she's been pining for 'im...well all of you really, now let's get ourselves a drink shall we?"

Hagrid waved his large hand to get some service and Hermione decided to get straight to the point of their flying visit.

"The thing is Hagrid, we wanted to pick your brain, you've got more knowledge on all sorts of creatures than anybody else we know."

Hagrid blushed, at least Harry thought he was blushing from what skin was visible under all the hair.

"Your expertise is invaluable and I can think of nobody better to help us fulfil Dumbledore's mission."

Harry had to admire her skill at telling Hagrid exactly what he wanted to hear. He was needed, his knowledge of creatures was appreciated, and he was going to be helping his beloved Dumbledore.

"It would be an honour to help Dumbledore, great man he was...great man, so what do you need from me Hermione?"

"Well we need to track down a snake and a rat and we need some way of trapping the snake without getting hurt ourselves."

Hagrid looked thoughtful and three large bottles of butterbeer were set on the table before them.

"Well there is something I use when I go searching for wounded animals in the forbidden forest but I'm not sure it'll be of any use to you though."

"Why not?" Harry frowned as he swallowed his mouthful of butterbeer.

"Well unless you got a piece of either animal or some blood then it's no good to yeh. See what I do is I find blood from a hurt creature and I put it into my tracker and say invenio and it guides me through the forest until I find the poor thing."

"So unless we have fur from the rat or blood from the snake then..." Hermione trailed off.

"There's nothing else you can suggest Hagrid?" Harry asked with no attempt to disguise his disappointment.

Hagrid looked crestfallen that he wasn't able to assist them on Dumbledore's quest and scratched his beard while desperately searching his mind for another way to be of help to them and coming up with nothing.

"Well come to my hut and take one of my spare trackers with you anyway, you never know do you? You might be able to adapt it Hermione, you're always good with stuff like that aren't yer?" Hagrid grinned with hope in his eyes.

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Great idea Hagrid, and thank you for having so much faith in me too."

They finished their butterbeers and set off for Hogwarts castle. Harry felt a little strange as he approached the building he was supposed to already be inside, studying for his N.E.W.Ts. As they passed through the gates Hagrid called across to Filch to let Ron know that they were in his hut, the bitter old man didn't seem to appreciate that very much, and Harry and Hermione couldn't hide their amusement. They reached the hut and got a very warm and very sloppy welcome from Fang and tried to politely refuse Hagrid's rock cakes. Harry suspected they were made from real rock.

"So why exactly do you need a rat and a snake then?" Hagrid enquired while brewing the tea, "'cause I can get you a rat and a snake if you need live ones for a spell or a potion or sumthin' y'know? On the quiet of course."

Hagrid tapped the side of his nose and Hermione looked outraged.

"Hagrid we would never do anything of the sort! What a suggestion."

"Oh sorry, didn't mean to offend, I'm jus' curious tha's all. Just you tell me to mind my own business."

"She didn't mean it like that Hagrid, really."

Harry glared at Hermione, who didn't notice as she was still looking somewhat affronted at Hagrid's animal sacrifice suggestion. Hagrid poured the tea and moved the untouched plate of rock cakes aside and replaced it with another plate of sausage rolls that Harry dared to try and found were actually edible.

The door to Hagrid's hut opened and Ron stepped inside, Harry held his breath for a moment as he looked behind him to see if Ginny had insisted on following her brother to see Harry but she hadn't, and Hagrid's body engulfed him in his own suffocating hug.

"Ron, good to see yeh again, have some tea and help yourself to sausage rolls."

Harry thought that Ron was saying thank you to Hagrid but he couldn't be sure as his face was still crushed into the half giant's stomach. When Ron was released he looked a little flushed and caught his breath as he sat down only to have the plate of sausage rolls thrust under his nose. He looked a little nauseated for a second before pushing the plate away with a smile.

"I ate with Ginny thanks Hagrid."

"Ah come on Ron, I know you've always got room for food, you're not tellin' me that you're full are yeh?" Hagrid chuckled.

He pushed the plate back under Ron's nose and this time around he couldn't help but notice him flinch.

"Hagrid," Hermione pulled the plate out of his hands and put it to one side with a smile, "Ron's actually a vegetarian now."

Hagrid looked at Ron as if he was an oddity.

"Well for now anyway," Hermione added.

"No," Ron quickly corrected her, "for good, forever."

Hagrid looked from Ron to Hermione and then to Harry who gave him the most subtle shake of the head and Hagrid seemed to understand that this was something he shouldn't push.

"I really did eat quite a lot in the great hall Hagrid. It's fine really," Ron grinned.

"Rock cake?" Hagrid asked with great caution, not wanting to accidentally upset anyone again.

Ron knew exactly what Hagrid's rock cakes were like but he felt obliged to take one after seeing how anxious he was.

"Thanks Hagrid," Ron smiled and took one of the smaller ones from the pile.

Hagrid seemed happy at this and sat down while Ron attempted to soften the cake a little more by dipping it into his tea.

"So do we have anything then?" he asked them as he began to gnaw at the very edge of the cake.

"Well no," Hermione shrugged, trying to mask her obvious disappointment from Hagrid, "but we do have something from Hagrid that could help us if we found some of the rat's fur or blood, I don't suppose you kept any of Scabbers fur did you?"

Ron shook his head while Hagrid frowned.

"Scabbers?"

Once again Harry shook his head at Hagrid who looked a little annoyed that everything was out of bounds conversation-wise.

"Well we'd need something of the rat or the snake to make Hagrid's tracker thingy work but I have no idea where to get hold of either," Hermione sighed.

"If we knew where to go to get the snake's blood we'd be right where we wanted to be anyway wouldn't we?" Harry said, equally disheartened.

Ron gave up on his attempt to politely eat the cake and sat back in his seat.

"Well we know where to find her snakeskin don't we? Would that do the trick Hagrid?"

Harry and Hermione both jumped up from the table before Hagrid could answer in the affirmative.

"Of course!" Harry smacked himself on the forehead.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione squealed.

Ron remained seated and looked from one of them to the other with some amusement.

"Have I been an accidental genius again?"

Hermione laughed and planted a kiss on his cheek. Hagrid's eyes almost bulged so far out of his head that they wouldn't have been able to go back in and he pointed at Hermione and Ron with great excitement. Harry caught his eye and shook his head in warning once again. Hagrid looked thoroughly exasperated at this and threw his huge arms into the air.

"Is there anything I can bloody talk about?"

Harry shook with laughter and gave the half giant a sympathetic shrug.

There was a loud crack and Hermione apparated back into Hogsmede clutching the snakeskin in her hands.
"Got it!" she beamed.

"Any trouble?" Ron asked her.

"No, the place was just as deserted as when we were there the last time."

"Good," Ron sighed, it made a change for him to be waiting anxiously while Hermione disapparated into the unknown.

"So put it in the tracker and let's find that snake," Harry said as he held out the thin metal tube Hagrid had proudly presented him with before they left the Hogwarts grounds.

Hermione stuffed the snakeskin into the tube and Ron tapped it with his wand.

"Invenio!"

The tube glowed yellow and a jagged trail of light, nothing brighter than a firefly darting ahead of them through the night sky, flitted off into the distance. Without a word to each other they followed it.

This could be a long night Harry thought to himself as they pursued the speck of light out of Hogsmede village and along a quiet country lane. If Nagini was hundreds of miles away they would be walking for days non-stop at this rate, Hagrid's tracker was only really used for tracking a creature you knew you were quite near to. It was the only thing they had going for them though and they soldiered onwards.

"So as we've got time to kill," Ron spoke out of nowhere, "maybe we should come up with a plan of action."

"A strategy you mean?" Harry asked, a little amused at Ron's thought process.

"Yeah, you've got to think ahead haven't you? Winging it gets you so far and then it's the better prepared person who gets the upper hand."

Harry met Hermione's eye and they shared a grin before Harry spoke again.

"This is the chess player in you coming out isn't it?"

Ron finally caught on to the source of their amusement and smile with a little embarrassment.

"Yeah, well I didn't have a battle plan last time did I and look how badly that went."

Hermione linked her arm with Ron's as they walked on.

"That wasn't your fault, you couldn't plan your next move when you couldn't see any of the pieces on the board, you were fighting blind and I think you did brilliantly."

Ron didn't look convinced.

"Well that was mostly him wasn't it? Eyes in the back of his head the way you two described it."

"No it wasn't like that at all Ron," Harry said thoughtfully, "it was more like he was the eyes in the back of your head. You two make a good team."

Hermione nodded and seemed to come over exceptionally sad all of a sudden.

"That's true Ron, the power comes from the two of you together, and when you were...well when you were taken out of the game he could barely create any kind of substantial spell at all. It was just like wisps of coloured smoke coming out of nowhere."

Ron looked at Hermione as she let out a deep sigh and they carried on their way in silence for several steps.

"Well I'll go after Sc...Pettigrew, he's my pest to deal with," Ron said quietly.

Harry frowned, he always suspected that Ron felt a little guilty about all the things Wormtail went on to do after escaping on that night in their third year, he didn't want Ron to blame himself for helping Voldemort return to power and the killing of Cedric Diggory.

"He owes it to you to face you properly," Harry nodded and Ron smiled, "hexing you while you were injured to save his worthless skin that night...he's got it coming the coward."

Ron suddenly looked very cross indeed.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that was him!"

Harry felt a little better now that Ron remembered he hadn't just let the rat escape, he had been so determined to bring that git to justice that he'd chained himself to the pathetic little runt despite having a broken leg himself. Hermione was chuckling at Ron's selective memory.

"What?" Ron asked her.

"It's just comical how you remember every little thing you've ever done wrong and yet one of the most heroic things any of us have ever seen you do just slipped your mind!"

Harry laughed at this too and Ron's ears pinked-up at Hermione calling him heroic.

"Right well that leaves me and Hermione to catch Nagini," Harry smiled, "piece of cake!"

Hermione frowned uncomfortably.

"Do we really have to catch her? Can't we just kill her on sight?"

Ron gaped at Hermione.

"I never thought a day would come when I'd hear you say something like that."

"Well these are dark days and they call for desperate measures," Hermione swallowed and seemed to be struggling with something internally, "speaking of which..."

She put her hand into her pocket and pulled out the silver hoops. Harry saw her glance at him with an un-disguisable look of guilt in her eyes.

"...pop this on for me would you?"

Ron's face crinkled with the complete lack of comprehension regarding her actions.

"What for? I'm not going to fall asleep Hermione."

Hermione looked really guilty now, Harry thought, and he remembered her reluctant confession that the power of the hoops was becoming slightly addictive to her. He knew she could read his thoughts and refused to meet his eyes any longer.

"I know that Ron but I still want you to let me put it on you," she looked up into his eyes, "you trust me don't you?"

Ron laughed and held out his arm.

"Of course I trust you ya twit, I just know how much you hate using these things so you kind of took me by surprise that's all."

Harry stared at Hermione with such ferocity he thought he was going to burn right through her hair. Her face was getting flushed and he knew she could feel his glare upon her. He was on the verge of saying something when Hermione pushed the hoop up Ron's arm and past his elbow but Ron had turned to him and shrugged with amiable resignation.

"Better to be safe than sorry I suppose eh?"

Harry nodded and tried to force a smile on his face but he was too concerned about Hermione. What was she playing at? There was no need for the hoops, Ron wasn't going anywhere, all he could think of as a reason for her insisting on using them was because what she had told him she feared most was now true. She was addicted to the control. She was developing some sort of feral ownership of Ron and it scarred Harry more than he wanted to admit.

Harry aimed his wand at Ron's feet and untied his shoelaces with a non-verbal spell.

"Oi mate, you don't want to go into battle like that do ya?" he pointed out to the lanky redhead who cursed under his breath and crouched down to tie his shoes again. Harry kept walking and took Hermione's elbow dragging her along with him, out of Ron's earshot.

"What the hell's going on with you Hermione? There's no need for the bond of blood and you know it."

Hermione finally met his eyes and set her features into an expression of fierce determination.

"This isn’t what you think Harry, I was just worried about Ron when I was talking to you at thenest before, and it's just like you said; I'm not power-hungry am I?"

"You weren't then."

"What does that mean?"

"I mean then you were upset at the fact you wanted control over him as much as possible, now your justifying it as if it's reasonable Hermione and it isn't!"

Harry could see Hermione trembling quite violently as she turned and faced him full on.

"We're going into battle Harry, another one so soon after the last, and he could get knocked out and I wouldn't have time to put the hoop on him. There'd be too much else going on with Nagini."

"That's not why you did this and you know it," Harry spat back at her as he noticed Ron trotting back to them in the distance.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked him, softening only slightly towards him.

Harry bit his lip before answering.

"I do. Do you trust yourself?"

He saw Hermione swallow and avert her eyes.

"I'd never let anything happen to him Harry. He's mine."

Ron was closer now; Harry lowered his voice to a whisper.

"He doesn't belong to you."

Hermione's eyes welled-up a little and she turned away and continued walking onward after the disappearing light.

"You know what I meant."

Ron stopped beside Harry and slapped him on the back.

"What was that?"

Harry blinked and stared at Ron's inquisitive face.

"What was what?"

Ron nodded to Hermione several steps ahead of them.

"You two, you looked kind of serious."

"Oh just battle plans and snake attack strategies that's all," Harry smiled and shrugged.

"That's all is it?" Ron said with great sarcasm, "And there was me thinking it was something difficult and hazardous."

Harry made himself laugh as he let his eyes fall upon the silver hoop that floated around his best friend's upper arm.

"That thing comfortable?"

Ron glanced down at the hoop and shrugged.

"I don't notice it until she starts throwing me around accidentally," he chuckled.

Something inside Harry didn't find that at all funny though.

"Look!" Hermione called back to them just as Ron was about to ask Harry what was bothering him, "The light's changed direction, and it’s heading toward the Shrieking Shack."

"Of course," Harry gasped, "that idiot Pettigrew would've chosen one of the only hiding places he had that had no connection from Voldemort. His childhood bloody secret."

"No imagination that little rat," Ron scowled as they ran to catch up with Hermione and followed the light into the rickety old house.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Snakebite

Harry put his finger to his lips as the three of them began to creep toward the stairs, wands out and at the ready. He hadn't been here since he had followed Sirius and Ron inside in his third year. He gripped his wand tightly at the thought of Sirius, he was going to see Pettigrew again and he hated that cowardly bastard for betraying his childhood friends the way he had done, but this wasn't about revenge. He had to concentrate on destroying Nagini and let Ron deal with his old pet himself.

They reached the top of the stairs and Harry tried to see if he could see either of their intended targets through a crack in the rickety old door. There was nothing. He swallowed and glanced down at Ron and Hermione who were looking anxiously back up at him. They listened for several seconds and heard nothing. Harry didn't like this at all but he wasn't getting anything done just hiding at the top of a flight of stairs so he stepped up onto the landing and winced as the floorboards groaned noisily.

"Shhhh!" Ron hissed to him.

Harry glared at him and mouthed the words 'I didn't do it on purpose' before edging along the wall towards the flimsy door. Ron and Hermione were right behind him and Harry paused by the doorframe and nodded the count of three to them before diving inside, wand raised, and spun around ready for an ambush.

There was nothing.

"So the tracker was wrong then?" Ron asked with a cautious frown.

"I don't know," Harry whispered, still prepared for attack, "it was leading us to something so I don't know why it's completely empty in here."

"You're right Harry," Hermione said, she looked incredibly tense as her eyes darted around the room, "it's too quiet in here."

"You little bastard," Ron whispered as he crouched down and pointed his wand under the furniture, "get out here you little bastard."

"This is a trap," Harry said fearfully.

Ron looked up at Harry, his eyes wide as an idea struck him all of a sudden.

"Traps..." he smiled to himself before swishing his wand across the floor and hissing "Orno traps!"

The entire floor was covered in mouse traps, set and waiting to snap shut around the neck or any other body part a certain rat might accidentally put into it. Hermione looked at Ron proudly and pointed her own wand at the bed in the centre of the room.

"Wingardium leviosa!"

The bed lifted, a fearful squeal sounded as the limited light in the room highlighted the cowering form of Ron's old pet rat surrounded by mouse traps and shaking with terror, and Ron pointed his wand at the scruffy rodent with the silver paw.

"Stupefy!"

The rat jumped and tried to negotiate his way between the traps as they snapped to his left and right. Ron and Harry threw more curses at it but somehow he managed to evade them and the traps until one caught the silver paw and Ron bent down and grabbed the rat up off the floor where it struggled to get free.

"Gotcha!" he said victoriously.

Harry was about to help Ron give Pettigrew his dues when a huge snake lowered itself down from the rafters in the ceiling in front of him and he fell backwards onto the floor to avoid being bitten. Unfortunately the floor was full of still un triggered mouse traps and he felt several sharp pains along the back of his legs and on his buttocks, even three of his fingers were caught in a couple of traps, and heard Hermione throw an immobilising spell at the snake that had just appeared from the attic.

This had momentarily distracted Ron and Pettigrew took the opportunity to turn into his human form while still in Ron's hand. Ron pointed his wand at the wizard he now had hold of by his stringy hair but Wormtail was too quick for him and backhanded Ron out the door with his silver hand. Hermione screamed and Wormtail pulled the trap from his silver fingers and threw it down to the floor with a grin.

"Well that was easy," he sneered, "who's next?"

As Wormtail raised his wand at Harry Ron leapt back into the room and onto his back.

"I've got him, kill the snake!" he hollered as the two of them wrestled back out onto the landing.

Harry and Hermione didn't have a hell of a lot of other options seeing as the snake hung between them and the door. They raised their wands and tried to ignore the loud crashes and flashes of light outside the room.

"Nusquam esse!" Harry ventured, he wasn't sure that the spell would really work even if he managed to hit Nagini with it, which he didn't, and tried another spell to obliterate the snake from existence, "Leto!"

There was an alarmingly loud crash outside now and Hermione ran at the snake screaming a destruction spell so she couldn't miss.

"Dirvo!"

She seemed to have achieved something as Nagini uncoiled her tail from the rafter she was hanging from and thudded to the floor. She carried on past the snake and stopped at the open door, turning around to cover the snake from the other side as Harry pointed his wand down at it and repeated Hermione's spell.

"Dirvo!"

He hit Nagini square between the eyes but she seemed only to be dazed at the most.

"Ron, are you alright out there?" Hermione called out the door, not taking her eyes off the snake for a second.

"Fine," Ron yelled from what sounded like downstairs somewhere before swearing and his voice being drowned out by a smashing sound, "duel like a man you bloody coward!"

Hermione's eyes darted out of the door briefly and widened before looking back at the snake.

"What is it?" Harry asked as he searched his brain for something that would penetrate the snake's scales.

She swallowed and winced slightly as if she was imagining what she had missed seeing in her head.

"The banister's gone, they must've fallen right through it and to the ground floor."

"Sepelio!" Harry bellowed and watched as his spell struck Nagini and made the snake smoulder slightly and rise up, hissing fiercely, "Oh crap, I think I just made her angrier."

The snake slithered rapidly toward Harry, who jumped up onto the bed and threw several restraining charms at her but missing most of them in his panicked state, and Hermione ran forward and aimed her wand at the centre of Nagini's body and yelled over more sounds of battle from downstairs.

"Caedo!"

Nagini's reared head fell with a heavy thud onto the floorboards, she seemed temporarily woozy and Harry and Hermione looked at each other with excitement, this was their best chance to hit her with something together.

"Captivas!" Hermione yelled and Harry looked to her for further instruction, she did have the widest vocabulary of spells after all, "We need to strike her, you know the violent strike curse Harry?"

"Everbero," he nodded.

"We'll do that on three with letaliter, that should make it fatal."

"Sounds good to me."

Hermione began to count as Nagini began to stir.

"One...two..."

Where the third count should have been there was nothing but the sound of Ron screaming at the top of his lungs. Hermione's eyes were wide and terrified.

"Three," Harry finished the count for her as he knew she had her mind downstairs right then and it seemed to snap her out of it as they both drew their wands back and flicked them at the snake in perfect unison, "Everbero let..."

The sounds of crashing yelling and splintering wood grew louder at an unsettling rate and Ron's body suddenly dragged up the stairs and slammed into the last remnants of the banister on the landing before being hurled through the door. Ron looked pretty beaten-up as his fingers curled around the doorframe and he roared at Hermione with wild eyes.

"What the hell are you doing? I almost had him!"

She spun around to stare at her boyfriend as he struggled against an invisible pull, his knuckles white from gripping the crumbling doorframe so tightly, and didn't seem to understand what was happening.

"Take it off!" Ron pleaded as he lost his hold on his temporary anchor and hooked his now bleeding fingers around a loose floorboard.

Hermione seemed shaken and Ron was immediately released from the Hermione centred gravity and managed to pull himself up off the floor.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Ron snapped before turning his head on hearing the sound of the front door being flung open, "Oh no you don't," he growled as he raced back down the stairs after the fleeing Wormtail.

"I'm sorry," Hermione called after him, "I didn't mean to, I didn't know!"

Harry was about to say something along the lines of I told you so to Hermione but the thought was soon banished from his head when he looked down and saw that Nagini was no longer immobile at his feet. She was, in fact, completely gone altogether.

"Oh great, where'd she go?"

Hermione dropped to her hands and knees to look under the bed and various tables and chairs, her focus returning to the matter at hand.

"Is that her or is it an old belt?" she squinted as she leaned in to the shadows beneath the window frame.

Harry was about to light his wand when the snake shot out at Hermione, fangs bared, and nicked her across the back of her wand hand. She squealed in shock and tumbled backwards, trying to push herself away from the attacking serpent with her feet as she cradled her bleeding hand in her healthy one. Harry aimed a stunning spell at Nagini but she slithered away from it and struck out at Hermione once again, both fangs penetrating Hermione's calf muscle deeply. She screamed and, for want of anything better to do at that moment, stabbed the snake in the eye with her wand tip.

Nagini reeled in shock and Harry dragged Hermione out of her reach.

"Hermione? Oh Merlin Hermione what should I do?" Harry garbled in panic.

"She's disorientated, let's try again," she said through what sounded like considerable pain, "one...two...three...Everbero letaliter!"

"Everbero letaliter!" Harry said at the same time.

Both spells hit Nagini in the same spot at the same moment and she hissed and coiled up into a night spring, writhing and hissing with both eyes forced shut now. Harry flicked his wand firmly at the centre of the tight coil, the top of Nagini's diamond shaped head, and used the last destructive spell he could think of that wasn't an unforgivable curse.

"Annullo!"

The snake flinched and lay still. Harry kept his wand aimed firmly down at her, not quite trusting his own skill as a killer to relax, and stared at the immobile snake until he heard a sigh and a dull thud behind him. He turned and saw that Hermione had passed out. He was about to reach out for her when he heard a yell and a body smashed through the window above Nagini's dead body and slammed down at Hermione's side, it was Ron.

"Whattahell?" Ron wheezed as the air left his lungs and he began to sputter to breathe in again.

"Ron are you alright?" Harry said as he scanned his friend’s body and saw that he quite clearly wasn't.

Ron was almost lying on top of Hermione and tried to roll off her but didn't seem to be able to do so.

"What did I tell you?" he said, his voice still strained from both the winding and the shock at being magically pulled through the air and smashing through a first floor window, "Take it off I said, why didn't you bloody liste..."

Ron stopped in mid rant when he saw her laying pale and still at his side.

"Hermione?" he said with a gentle shake of her shoulders, "Min?" Ron looked up and met Harry's eyes, "Did I hit her when I came through?"

Harry shook his head and swallowed.

"She's been bitten, Nagini bit her on the leg, she summoned you after she..." Harry couldn't complete his story and looked down.

Ron's eyes looked down at Hermione's bleeding leg and then drifted along the floor to the dead snake beneath the shattered window before looking back down at Hermione who was lying in his arms.

"Hermione...can you hear me?" Ron's voice was so small, Harry watched in uncomfortable silence as Ron started to shift uncomfortably and his face contorted into an increasingly concerned state of panic, his pained eyes looked up at Harry and he said breathlessly, "I can't let her go Harry."

"You won't have to Ron, we're so close to Hogwarts, we can take her through the marauders tunnel and get her to Madame Pomfrey. She'll be fine I promise."

Ron shook his head and swallowed.

"No I mean she won't let me let her go."

Ron seemed to be fighting to pull away from her but she was dragged along with him. Harry grabbed at Ron's arms and tried to pry him away from her but it was as if his two best friends were welded together. Harry thought fast.

"Carry her," he said, "you can carry her."

Ron seemed to be about to lift her before he huffed and shook his head desperately.

"I can't move my legs."

Harry didn't know what to suggest. He stood up and paced a couple of times before stopping at the window and looking out at Hogwarts castle in the distance.

"I'll go and get help, you wait here with her and I'll bring someone," Harry said with a determined resolve before a flash of panic hit him, "wait, did Pettigrew get away, I don't want to leave you like this if he's still lurking somewhere?"

Ron didn't look at Harry, he couldn't really tell where his sombre friend was looking as he spoke, and he seemed to visibly darken before Harry's eyes.

"Pettigrew's dead."

Harry gave a single nod and left it at that.

"Ok I'll go, I'll be as fast as I can and..."

"No wait," Ron said as he looked Harry in the eye, "let me just try something first."

Harry crouched down beside the two of them and listened as Ron leaned in to Hermione's ear and whispered to her.

"Hermione? Hey Min, can you hear me? I need you to let me move ok? Can you let me move a little please?"

Harry watched as Ron grimaced as he tried to lift her to no avail.

"Please babe," he pleaded with a desperate sigh, "I won't let you go I promise, I'll be holding you all the time I swear, I just want to be able to carry you ok?"

Ron looked up and locked eyes with Harry and shook his head. Harry gave him an encouraging nod. If she could pull him through a first floor window in a state of unconsciousness then she could certainly let him lift her up and carry her to safety.

"Hermione I just want to move my legs that's all I need, just let me move my legs please," Ron said with a shudder in his voice.

Harry didn't know if it was that Hermione was coming round of if it was the sound of Ron seeming so upset but he saw his friend's foot twitch and Ron let out a sigh of great relief.

"Thank you," he whispered before looking to Harry, "can you help me up mate?"

Harry grabbed Ron's elbow and heaved him up as Ron fought to get his footing and lift Hermione at the same time. He stumbled slightly and Harry grabbed him around the shoulders and steadied him.

"Are you ok?" he asked Ron without hiding his concern.

Ron somehow managed to smile at him.

"Yeah, other than flying through a window, I'm fine."

"Fine?" Harry pressed.

Ron looked him in the eye and nodded.

"Really."

That was good enough for him and he picked up the dead snake, hauling it over his shoulder and lighting his wand tip, before catching Ron's slightly disgusted look.

"What do you want to bring that thing for?"

"Well it might help Madame Pomfrey and I also want to give it to Fred and George to be absolutely sure that the horcrux side of her is destroyed too."

Ron nodded and they set off back down the stairs and to the secret tunnel of the marauders.

"Madame Pomfrey! Somebody!" Harry yelled as he burst through the doors of the hospital wing.

"What on earth...?" Madame Pomfrey blustered as she appeared from her side room in her dressing gown, "...Mr Potter? What are you doing here?"

Before Harry could respond he saw her eyes widen with shock, she'd obviously seen Hermione in Ron's arms and she shoved him aside while letting out an urgent yelp.

"Don't drop her!" Harry turned in time to see Ron's legs giving way beneath him and the exhausted redhead crumpling to the floor, still cradling the unconscious Hermione in his arms, "Here, give her to Potter and we'll set her on one of the beds."

Ron shook his head. Harry tried to explain.

"He can't put her down, she won't let him."

"What do you mean she won't let him?" Madame Pomfrey scowled at Harry as if he was talking gibberish.

Harry pointed to the hoops around Ron and Hermione's arms and he saw that the older woman knew exactly what he meant but Harry said it anyway.

"It's the bond of blood, she can control him."

The woman turned to him, looking livid.

"Who did this to them? That is illegal magic you know?"

"Look," Ron suddenly snapped, "can we discuss our law breaking after you save Hermione please? She's been bitten by a bloody snake."

"Right, Potter, help me get him to his feet and over to the nearest bed."

They lifted Ron and had to practically drag him over to the bed, he really had gone to jelly what with going straight from a battle to the death into a long walk with a dead weight.

No not dead weight, don't say that.

"Get him something to sit on before he falls down," Madame Pomfrey said as Ron rested Hermione on the bed and did a half-squat, half-kneel at her bedside, his arms still firmly clamped around her.

Harry pushed a chair underneath Ron and helped him into it, he saw in the clinical light of the hospital wing that Ron was quite cut up from his journey through the windowpane.

"Do you need anything Ron?" he asked as Madame Pomfrey busied herself pouring potions down Hermione's throat and casting spells on her hand and leg.

Ron smiled tiredly and looked as if he was about to respond with his standard ' I'm fine ' before meeting Harry's eyes and letting his guard down completely.

"Actually my back is killing me."

Harry looked at Madame Pomfrey, eager to be instructed, and she nodded into her potions bag at her side.

"There's a cream in a round blue jar, spread it along his spine, you've got to rub it in deep though understand?"

Harry nodded and rummaged in the bag, pulling out the jar and holding it up to confirm that he had the right one. After being given the nod he pulled Ron's jumper up his back and began to smear the cream all the way up his vertebrae. Ron let out a sigh before chuckling weakly.

"What?" Harry asked as he began to massage the cream deep into Ron's skin.

"It's just that I'd ordinarily feel weird about you doing this but it just feels so much better that I don't care."

Harry let himself laugh too. He could've sworn that he saw a small smile appear on Madame Pomfrey's lips too.

"So will she be alright?" Harry asked anxiously.

"I have managed to stop her deteriorating any further, I notice you brought the snake Mr Potter, well done, I'll extract some of the venom and brew an antidote within minutes and then she'll be well on her way to a full recovery."

Ron seemed to relax even more on hearing this. It didn't last too long though as the doors burst open and McGonagall stormed in.

"Poppy what on earth is going on? Potter, Weasley...oh my goodness what happened to Miss Granger?"

Harry pulled down Ron's jumper and wiped the residual cream from his hands onto his jeans.

"Professor McGonagall we were in Hogsmede and Hermione got hurt and we needed to get her help immediately and..."

"Weasley!" McGonagall snapped, her eyes almost bulging out of her head, "That is not what I think it is around your arm is it?"

Ron let out a sigh and looked at the floor wearily.

"It was necessary," Harry began, "well in the beginning it was."

"And now?" she glared at him accusingly.

Harry didn't want to betray Hermione while she was in no fit state to defend herself, especially not to Ron, so he took a step forward and lowered his voice.

"She's kind of hooked on using them on him, that's why he can't let go of her now, she wants him with her professor."

McGonagall looked shocked.

"Miss Granger is the one in control?"

Harry nodded.

"Well I would have thought she knew better than to go through with such a binding as this. The bond of blood is infamous for the binder's obsession with control when in frequent use. Why on earth did you do this in the first place?"

Harry looked to Ron who was watching Madame Pomfrey administer the antidote to Hermione and sitting a lot more comfortably than he had been before the application of the cream.

"I can't tell you Professor, I'm sorry."

"You will tell me Potter, the three of you are trespassing in my school and receiving treatment from my staff, now what does Weasley need such a powerful form of restraint for."

Harry shook his head again.

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you, it will put his life at risk if too many people know, I swore to his mother."

"Molly knows about this?" McGonagall blinked and Harry nodded, "Well I suppose I should send her an owl informing her of this latest development."

"But professor..."

"Her clock Potter, she'll see he's in hospital and be frantic, I have to put her mind at rest."

Harry nodded and watched as the new headmistress of Hogwarts turned and left the hospital wing.

"Mr Potter," Madame Pomfrey spoke softly as she rested her hand on his shoulder, "I've done everything I can for now, she'll be fine and Mr Weasley has already dropped off himself so if you wanted to take one of the spare beds...?"

Harry looked over to Hermione's bed where Ron rested his head on Hermione's chest, fast asleep with his arms still curled around her, and he smiled.

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that."

Madame Pomfrey packed away her potions bag and returned to her side room, turning off the light, Harry thought for a moment and aimed his wand at Ron.

"Sopor!" he hissed as quietly as he could.

Ron's head lifted and Harry whispered out to the hospital wing in general.

"We got Nagini, he's really tired, please let him sleep tonight?"

Harry waited and looked over at Ron who stared across the hospital wind at one of the moonlit windows.

"Thank you," Ron whispered so softly that Harry wondered if he had imagined it before his head dropped back down and Ron's deep sleep resumed.

Harry smiled and let his own eyes fall closed.

Riddle's diary...destroyed; Hufflepuff's cup...destroyed; Nagini...destroyed; Slytherin's ring...destroyed; the locket...destroyed.

All he had left to do was work out how to destroy the penultimate horcrux before Voldemort himself.

Fawkes.

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Eternal Flame

Harry woke to the sound of raised voices outside the door to the hospital wing.

"I know they're in there, they're my friends and he's my brother, I've got rights you know?"

It was Ginny. Harry wondered how she had found out. Then he remembered that he would always get information like that from Dobby or Peeves, one thinking they were being helpful and the other being cruel. He looked over to Hermione's bed and saw that she was still unconscious, Ron still holding her and sleeping at her side, and at that moment the doors burst open and Ginny stormed into the hospital wing with Neville trailing along behind her. He seemed to be trying to calm her down but being utterly unsuccessful.

"Harry what's going on?" Ginny demanded of him as she stood between the two occupied beds.

"Um, Ginny I don't think..." Harry began.

"I don't care what you think," she scowled, "what happened to them? I have dinner with Ron who avoids about eight different subjects while not eating the way he usually does and then, not ten hours later, he turns up in the hospital wing. What's going on?"

"Hermione got bitten by a snake, Ron's fine."

Ginny's shoulders seemed to relax slightly but her face still looked livid.

"He doesn't look fine," as Ginny took a really good look at her sleeping brother, arms curled around Hermione's body her face softened, "and why are they hugging like that?"

Neville was smiling and rested a hand on the youngest Weasley's shoulder.

"Oh come on Ginny, you know about those two...you're the one who told me about them."

"No this is different," Ginny frowned and looked to Harry for confirmation that there was something more to their state than just affection.

"See that silver hoop around his arm?" Harry pointed reluctantly, Ginny nodded, "and Hermione's too? Well it's a powerful binding spell so..."

"So what?" Ginny said, knowing what was coming wasn't going to be good but needing to know anyway.

"So he can't move if she doesn't want him to. She can hold him in a room or a house or wherever she wants to and right now, well, she wants him by her side so that's where he is."

Neville looked shocked.

"Not the bond of blood Harry, I've heard of that, it's illegal isn't it?"

Harry shrugged and avoided Ginny's newfound outrage.

"So I'm told."

"And who's restraining you eh?" she snapped, "Or Hermione, who's restraining you two?"

Harry looked down at the bed sheets and shook his head.

"Why Ron?" she asked with undisguised fear in her voice.

Neville grew pale as he scanned Ron's cuts and obvious battle fatigue.

"He's not...a werewolf is he?"

Ginny gasped and her eyes filled with tears in an instant.

"No!" Harry said as quickly as possible, "He's definitely not I swear."

"So why?" Ginny demanded with a childish stamp of the foot, as her face grew red.

"I can't..."

"Don't you dare say you can't tell me Potter! Don't you dare!"

"But Ginny it's dangerous for..."

"Stop protecting me from everything!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the walls of the hospital wing and causing Madame Pomfrey to glare at the group at the far end of her peaceful ward.

Ron stirred but Ginny hadn't noticed.

"I can't be with you because you're protecting me, I can't come on the quest with you because it's too dangerous for me, I can't know what the quest is because I'm just some silly little blabbermouth who will risk all your lives just so I can have a gossip..."

"I didn't say that," Harry snapped, becoming very annoyed.

"Then I find out that the three of you had to go back to the Burrow for a few days and mum won't tell me why, Fred and George are taking it in turns to run the shop while the other one goes to the house and they won't tell me why, Ron shows up at Hogwarts and doesn't tell me why and now Hermione's bitten by a snake and Ron's a bloody prisoner and I'm still in the bloody dark! I won't have it anymore Harry, I won't, this is my family and how dare you keep me out of the loop. I should know...I should know more than...more than..."

"Don't you dare," Ron's rough voice warned his sister from his spot at Hermione's bedside.

"Ron?" Ginny's voice softened and her eyes began to water.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence you spoiled little brat."

Ginny looked devastated and Neville and Harry were dumfounded with the shock of Ron addressing his precious little sister in such a way.

"But I was just..." she began with a trembling voice.

"You were just the centre of your own bloody universe yet again, that's what you were, you might be able to play that game in the family but in the real world you're not the only girl."

"Ron..." Harry began but Ron was staring at his sister with real fury.

"In the real world Ginny you are not always right, you are not always popular, and you are not always entitled to know every-bloody-thing you want."

Ginny was shocked beyond words and her bottom lip began to quiver as she fought not to cry.

"I love you Gin but you can be really full of yourself sometimes."

"Why...why are you angry with me? What have I done?" she squeaked in a fragile sounding voice.

"You're pissed off that I'm being controlled while you're trying to do the exact same bloody thing."

Ginny lowered her head and Harry suddenly realised that Ron had noticed Hermione's power over him was becoming a little too risky now.

"I have to have a secret otherwise my life is over do you understand me Gin? Over. Do you really want to know everything that much that you're willing to ruin the rest of my life just so you don't feel left out?"

Ginny broke down and shook her head as she threw herself at Ron and hugged him tightly.

Ron looked sadly over Ginny's head at Harry before glancing at Neville.

"Neville could you cuddle my sister for me please? I...can't right now."

Neville grabbed Ginny and hugged her tightly while she gripped handfuls of his robes and cried into them.

"I'm...sorry...Ron," Ginny said between sobs and Ron let out a deep sigh and looked back down at Hermione.

"No I'm sorry, it's been a rough night, I didn't mean it."

Ginny pulled away from Neville and sniffed.

"No you're right, I do think I have the right to know everything, and I'm sorry. It's just that I worry, I'm my mother's daughter what can I say?"

Ron laughed and Ginny smiled a watery smile before looking at Harry with her bloodshot eyes.

"I'm sorry Harry, you are family of course you're family, I never meant it to come out that way."

"I know, I'd be out of my mind if Ron was going through all this without me, I totally understand. It's ok."

Ginny shook her head, not allowing herself to be forgiven it seemed and let out a shuddering sigh as Neville pulled a chair across for her to sit down on.

"Does mum know?" Ginny asked as she sat.

Ron was about to say no but he saw Harry nodding.

"What?"

"McGonagall went off to send an owl, don't you remember?"

Ron heaved a sigh that seemed to sound as if he was carrying the weight of the world and rested his head back down.

"Are you sure you're alright Ron?" Harry frowned.

Ron's eyes met Harry's and he scrunched up his face.

"This isn't exactly the most comfortable position to be in."

Neville chuckled to himself and Ron looked at him and smiled.

"How's it going mate?" Harry asked his old roommate.

"Pretty well, the school's weird this empty, so many people didn't come back. It really shocked those that did when you were there. After students told their parents Harry Potter hadn't returned to Hogwarts about seventy more were withdrawn by their parents."

Harry lowered his head.

"How does that make them safer eh? What kind of protection is that?" he asked himself.

"How does me being thrown through a window help either?" Ron asked Harry with a heavy heart.

"What?" Neville straightened up and suddenly seemed toremember Ron's cut arms and face.

"Who threw you through a window?" Ginny demanded before looking at her hands, "If I'm allowed to ask."

Ron smiled at his sister's caution and nodded down to Hermione.

"No way!" Neville gasped.

"Why did she do that?" Ginny asked, wide-eyed.

"She didn't mean to do it," Harry shrugged, "she was unconscious at the time."

"Who did what?" Hermione's tiny voice mumbled and Ron turned to stare down at her as she shifted in his arms and smiled, "Good morning Ron."

Ron glanced around at the three faces who were all staring at him and he cleared his throat and spoke softly into Hermione's ear.

"Hermione can you let me go please?"

Hermione's sleepy eyes opened and looked confused before settling upon Ron's face and widening in shock.

"Ron what happened to your face?"

"You did," Ron sniggered before looking serious again, "Can you please let me put you down now?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione frowned before looking at Ron's arms tightly wound around her and the hoop on his arm, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

Ron smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah you keep saying that."

Ron suddenly moved backwards and pulled his arm out from under Hermione's body and shook it out at his side.

"Oh Godric that feels good," he sighed and sat back in his chair, his eyes closing with the ecstasy of sitting in a different position.

"How long were you like that?" Hermione said as she sat up, looking guilty.

"Only all night," Harry said, a little harder than he had really intended to, "I think it's time to take off the hoops don't you?"

Ron sighed and held out his arm without thinking, it was as if he was programmed to do whatever he was told regarding the hoops, and Hermione noticed this immediately and pulled the silver hoop from his arm as if she was scared it was hurting him. She slid her own hoop off her arm and looked at them in her hands sadly.

"I think we should get these to Fred and George, we don't need them anymore."

Harry smiled and held out his hand, she gave him the hoops and looked a little bit upset as she let them go, and he saw Ron lifting the front of his jumper and examining the result of the beating he seemed to have taken from Pettigrew the night before. He winced and Ginny rose from her chair.

"I'll get Madame Pomfrey."

Ron head jerked up and looked at Ginny, Harry waited for the inevitable plea for her not to worry but his friend surprised him again and he nodded.

"Thanks Gin."

"Wow," Harry couldn't help but say out loud.

"What?" Ron asked, looking puzzled while Hermione tenderly touched the nasty bruises and slashes across his stomach.

"It's just so unlike you that's all, first you let me help you with your back and now you let Ginny get you some help for your war-wounds, what did Wormtail do to my best friend 'cause you don't seem to be the same guy!"

Harry and Ron laughed and Hermione smiled and began to examine the cuts on Ron's face.

"What happened with Pettigrew anyway, did you get him sent to Azkaban where he belongs?" she asked absent-mindedly as Ginny returned with Madame Pomfrey.

Ron swallowed and Harry watched as he stood up from his chair and let Madame Pomfrey lay him down on another bed for treatment to all the injuries he sustained on the parts of his body his holding Hermione wouldn't allow her to access the night before.

Harry leaned forward and Ginny, Neville and Hermione did the same.

"Pettigrew's dead."

Hermione gasped and Ginny turned and looked at her brother before looking back at Harry.

"Ron didn't, he couldn't have could he, how?"

Harry bit his bottom lip.

"I didn't ask for details, he seems a little shaken up about it."

Neville couldn't quite believe that Ron had it in him to kill anybody, not even a Death Eater, and he became pale.

"Maybe it was an accident?" he suggested.

"Maybe," Harry shrugged, though he didn't think so and could see that Hermione shared his view.

"So anyway," Ginny changed the subject abruptly, "you're going to see Fred and George for something are you? You should go now before they open up the shop Harry."

Harry nodded and put the silver hoops into his pocket. At the sound of them clinking together Hermione's eyes flashed and she looked away and over at Ron who was being healed by Madame Pomfrey's wand. He picked up the dead snake from the floor and heaved it over his shoulders.

"I'll see if I can use McGonagall's fireplace, be back in a sec."

It had been thoroughly revolting.

Fred and George's chest had been too small for Nagini's body and they had to chop her up into small pieces and destroy each little bit one at a time. At least Harry could rest assured that that horcrux was thoroughly destroyed he thought. The twins had asked Harry how things were going and how long they had to go on before the three of them returned to the Burrow for good and Harry had simply shrugged apologetically. They had purposefully avoided asking after Ron, possibly knowing that no news was good news as far as Ron was concerned these days, so Harry casually mentioned before leaving that they had discovered a restorative treatment for Ron's 'head problems' and felt a warm tingle inside at the wide smiles of the twin's faces as they bid him farewell before he flooed back to McGonagall's office.

He still had the hoops in his pocket.

He separated them, one in each pocket so they wouldn't clink together and alert Hermione to their continued existence, and hoped he was doing the right thing by not destroying them. Something in him still wouldn't let him completely trust his friend to the spirit and he just wanted to be safe. He hoped that Hermione's addiction to the hoops wasn't so strong that she would be able to detect them on him. he shook his head, he was just being silly now.

He opened the doors to the hospital wing to find Hermione limping gingerly along with Madame Pomfrey and Ron sitting up on the bed he had bee receiving treatment on with Ginny and Neville playing a game of chess against the two of them at once and winning them both. Ron glanced up and smiled at Harry.

"All done?" he said.

Harry nodded and joined them.

"All done, Fred and George say hi, where's Hermione going?"

"A magical bath thingy," Ron shrugged, "they did tell me but you know how I am with paying attention to stuff, it's to heal her hand and the bite marks in her leg so they don't get infected."

"Oh right," Harry nodded, "so do you want to really show off and play me too?"

Ron grinned before moving a piece on both boards and saying to Ginny and Neville.

"Checkmate!"

Harry never ceased to be amazed at Ron's ability to think so clinically about chess and so foggily about everything else in the world and he let out a chuckle.

Ron began to put away the pieces and looked to Harry.

"So seeing as we're here do you want to check out the restricted section of the library for anything about killing an un-killable magical bird?"

Harry groaned and nodded with great reluctance.

"We'll help," said Ginny brightly.

"Oh no you wont," Ron said warningly, "you've got defence against the dark arts class and you're not missing that, and you," he turned on Neville, "are in your N.E.W.T year. Go to classes the both of you, we'll be fine on our own."

Ginny stared at Ron with her jaw hanging open. Neville let out a short laugh of disbelief.

"It's not the first time he's gone all Hermione, don't worry" Harry smirked.

Ron rolled his eyes and punched Harry in the arm.

"Oh shut up funny man."

Harry rubbed his sore shoulder and watched as Ron got off the bed and glanced over his shoulder to the room Hermione was having her last treatment in.

"D'you think we should leave her a note?" he asked as he turned back to Harry.

"Nah," Harry responded as he shook his head, "we're not going to be gone all that long."

Six hours later

"Bollocks to it!" Ron snarled as he slammed yet another book closed, causing a plume of dust to rise up from the table and choke him a little.

"I don't think I'm even processing the words anymore, I'm just seeing blurred shapes that look familiar on every page, I don't think we're going to get very far without Hermione."

"Hermione," Ron suddenly gasped, eyes wide,"Oh Merlin, she's going to kill us!"

Ron and Harry began to hurriedly stack all the weighty texts back onto the shelves and Ron bent over to begin picking up the one's they had already worked through from the floor when one of the books that hadn't been staked properly fell from the shelf and hit him on the back of the head. Harry winced at the horrible sound it made and the sight of Ron slamming face down onto the floor.

"Ron! Oh bloody hell, that looked like it hurt, are you ok?" Harry turned Ron over and saw that his friend was out cold, he shook him and patted him firmly on the side of the face, "Ron, come on mate, you only just got fixed-up. Pomfrey will kill me if I bring you back broken again."

Ron's eyes opened and Harry was about to smile when he realised that Ron's eyes were staring into space and his shoulders slumped.

"Oh, it's you," he said to the air around him, "he hit his head, we didn't call on you. Can you go away please so I can get him treated?"

Harry waited for Ron to slump and close his eyes but he didn't. Instead he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Where?" Ron whispered into thin air.

Harry didn't think that now was really the best time and definitely not the best place for Ron to be having an episode but at least he wouldn't be able to apparate. Harry helped Ron to his feet before freezing at the look of alarm on his unconscious friend’s face.

"No," Ron said, Harry thought he looked afraid of something and gripped his arm a little tighter, "you can't do this to me, not another grave."

Harry felt an unbearable rage boiling within him and he held on to Ron's arm with all his might.

"You lying bastard, I knew it, I knew we couldn't trust you!" he hissed.

Ron's breathing was becoming rapid as he panicked.

"On your body?" he shuddered, "I don't want to see your body, you can't make me. You can't make me do it."

"Ron it's alright, you're not alone this time, I'm right here and I'm not letting you go understand?" he looked out into the same space Ron was addressing, "I'm not letting you take him this time!"

"No more dead people," Ron whimpered.

Ron was breathing very raggedly now, it was the same as that time he had been hyperventilating in his sleep, it was just like his 'trapped in Black's coffin' nightmare. Harry couldn't let it happen again, he would never let that happen again.

"That's why you were keeping him sweet all this time was it? Just so we trusted you enough to destroy the bond of blood and you could do what you wanted with him? Well I've got news for ya you evil bastard..." Harry felt his throat closing up with emotion.

"Keep your voice down, this is a library you know?" Madame Prince hissed at him, obviously coming to see what the commotion was all about.

"I can't, not another grave I can't." Ron began to shake.

"Get professor McGonagall, please hurry, tell her...tell her Ron's been possessed."

"Why don't you just kill me if that's what you want?" Ron sounded like a wounded animal.

Madame Prince looked horrified. Harry had no time for this and bellowed at her.

"Go!"

Harry gripped Ron's arm with both hands now and felt the tremors running through Ron's body rattling his own.

"If you hurt him again I'll find a way to hurt you back. I'll find you and kill you all over again I swear."

"I can't do this anymore," Ron began to cry, and Harry's chest tightened with the pain of empathy for his panic stricken friend, "I want to go home, I want my mum."

Harry hugged Ron to him as tightly as he could, the redhead's face burrowing into his neck.

"It's ok Ron, I'm putting a stop to this, and there’ll be no more. You're going home and getting some rest. You've done so much already you can stop now. No more, I promise, there'll be none of this pain any more," Harry tried to soothe him even though he knew that his words weren't getting passed on to Ron, he said them anyway.

Ron's body suddenly began to convulse and Harry let him go just in time to see him drop to his hands and knees and violently vomit onto the floor.

"You fucking bastard, you're killing him!" Harry screamed at the ceiling, tears in his eyes as Ron coughed and vomited yet again.

McGonagall appeared with Madames Prince and Pomfrey in tow and a hobbling Hermione fighting with Neville and Ginny to get through.

"Let me go, Ginny he needs me!" she demanded.

"He's possessed Hermione, you can't touch him," Neville tried to explain.

Harry's eyes met Ginny's and he knew she didn't buy the possession story but was playing along with it because of what Ron had told her about his life being in danger the more people that knew about his problem. She was fighting to hold Hermione back.

"Hermione, he can't be taken..." Harry hesitated, "...he can't go anywhere, it's Hogwarts remember?"

Hermione's lip trembled and she nodded.

"It's all been a trick hasn't it? The second we destroy the bond of blood and...this happens. I've been so stupid."

Ron was taking calming breaths and spitting the fowl residue of his stomach contents onto the unpleasant mess on the floor.

"Ok," he said, his whisper even more husky because of his raw throat, "you're right, I'll do it."

"No!" both Harry and Hermione yelled.

Ron got to his feet unsteadily and seemed to be listening to something while he regained some more of his composure. Eventually he nodded.

"Harry, Hermione, I know you're there somewhere."

"Right here Ron, I've got you mate, you're not going anywhere this time I promise you." Harry said firmly while Hermione let out a sob.

"I was overreacting, I'm fine now. It's just the mention of anything to do with graves, I panicked, but it's ok."

"No Ron, he's brainwashing you, don't listen to him anymore. Stay with me mate, stay with me." Harry said as he watched Ron squinting in the direction of the group at the doorway who were staring at him in fear.

"So many shadows," Ron sighed.

Hermione finally managed to break away from the grip of Neville and Ginny and approached him carefully.

"It's ok Ron, we're all here for you, you're perfectly safe."

"More people," Ron said sadly, "more people to come find me just like you did."

Hermione and Harry locked eyes in realisation of what was going through Ron's head. Hermione took a step closer and lowered her voice as she rested her hands upon his shoulders.

"No it's not like that Ron, nobody else knows, you're still safe. You can still have peace."

"What the hell," Ron shrugged her hands off with resignation, "I've got nothing to lose, let's go dance on your grave professor."

ChapterTwenty-Nine - The Return of the Phoenix

"Potteris he an..." McGonagall began as they followed Ron out ontoHogwarts grounds. Hermione gripping his hand tightly and Ginny tryingto push him back.

"Don'tsay it Professor," Harry ordered, "think it if you must butdon't ever say it out loud."

Thewoman blinked and smiled a sad smile at Harry.

"Ofcourse I understand, and whatever I think might be going on here Iwant you to know I would never outstay my welcome in this life."

Harrysmiled and whispered a thank you to her. McGonagall turned and sentNeville and Madame Prince back into the school with messages for allthe professors to keep the students away from the windows and not tolet anybody out onto the grounds. Ron's secret wouldn't becomeschool-wide knowledge after all. Harry felt a little relieved as heran to catch up with the girls.

"Ronstop, stop walking," Ginny demanded as she pushed on his chestbut Ron strode onward.

"Howcould it be you?" Hermione called at the space around her, "Howcould you have done this to him? You'd really do anything to get ridof Voldemort wouldn't you? You'd sacrifice anybody for it wouldn'tyou?"

"Hermionewho are you talking to?"

"MissWeasley, I know this must be difficult for you but I must ask thatyou go inside and wait for me in your common room."

"I'mnot leaving him with a ghost who wants to kill him!" Ginnyscreamed at the headmistress as if she was a foolish first yearplaying with matches.

"Youtold your brother you understood there were some things you shouldn'tknow about him and this is one now please go inside and see to itthat nobody comes outside."

"Butprofessor..." Ginny protested.

"Foryour brother Ginny," McGonagall insisted and Ginny crumpled andlooked at Harry and Hermione.

"Ipromise you I won't let anything happen to him Ginny, i promise on myown life," Harry said firmly as she wiped her eyes and ran forthe castle.

Harryknew that if she didn't do as she was told right there and then shewould never be able to leave him. Harry joined Hermione and ProfessorMcGonagall called out from behind the three of them.

"AlbusI hope you know what you're doing to this poor boy. I'm trusting you,don't make me a fool to have done so all these years."

Harryfelt the burn of internal rage at Dumbledore. It wasn't as bad asthis when he had been wrecking the headmaster’s office afterSirius' death. Dumbledore had put Ron at risk, he had put Ron in theground, and yes he had done all he could to protect him during battleand restore his sanity but now he was pushing him over the edgeagain. Ron has been so terrified that he had been physically ill.

Theywere almost upon the white tomb of Albus Dumbledore and Hermione wasshaking more than Ron had been in the library earlier.

"No,I won't let you, I order you to stop. I forbid you to leave my sideRon, listen to me," she was muttering barely audible commandsunder her breath, it was as if she was going through withdrawalsymptoms from the hoops at this time of need and trying to enforceher will on Ron without them, "Stop walking away from me. Stopmoving, stay!"

"He'snot a dog Hermione," Harry found himself hissing at her.

Sheturned on Harry in a rage.

"Youdid this, this is all your fault, you took the hoops from me and nowhe's out of control. I can't stop him and it's your fault!" shecried and punched Harry on the chest before crumpling into tears andHarry put his arms around her and watched as Ron reached the tomb andstopped before it.

"Hehas free will Hermione," Harry said as he suddenly understoodall those one-sided conversations, "we only ever heard the halfof it but you can see that Ron makes the final decision every time.He allows himself to go where he's needed, He has free will but hejust doesn't remember his reasoning when he wakes up and that's whyhe's been feeling lost and confused."

Hermionesniffed and pulled away from Harry, turning to look at Ron as heclimbed up on top of the white tomb, and letting out an anguishedcry.

"I'vebeen suffocating him," she wailed as McGonagall put an armaround her shoulder and shushed her, "no professor, he'sclaustrophobic and how did I chose to help him with that? I made hispersonal space smaller and smaller and smaller until it wasnon-existent. I stole his independence because I wanted him to besafe. It wasn't his claustrophobia that was crushing him it was me.It was me all along!"

Shefell to her knees and cried her heart out as Ron took a deep breathand raised both his hands into the air and began to call out in aloud and clear voice.

"Inveniointus orno viator!"

"What'she saying?" Harry demanded of Hermione who looked up from herbreakdown and sniffed.

Shewiped her face and frowned.

"Somethingabout finding the messenger within, summoning Fawkes I think."

McGonagallnodded and helped Hermione back to her feet.

"Albus'spirit and flesh are in the same place at the same time, Fawkes canbe recalled to his master."

Sureenough a beautiful sound emerged from deep within the forbiddenforest and the phoenix Harry had last seen at Dumbledore's funeralsoared towards his master's grave and landed at Ron's feet. Ronsquatted and stroked the phoenix, it was as if he could see it justas well as Harry could, and smiled.

"Iknow you don't trust me but he does so I hope that's good enough foryou Fawkes," Ron said to the bird as it bowed its head, allowingRon to stroke the back of its neck.

Ronstood up again and took another deep breath before directing hishands down at the large bird at his feet.

"Obtineo!Permeo pulpa effodio..."

Hermionewas desperately translating for Harry as best she could.

"He'sholding Fawkes on the spot so he can...pass through the flesh to digout..."

"...abducoabrumpo!"

"...andwithdraw to sever."

Harrygasped.

"He'strying to extract the portion of Voldemort's soul from Fawkes so itcan be destroyed."

"Weneed something for him to channel the horcrux into once he's got itout!" Hermione snapped urgently.

"Hesays he already has it Hermione, right here."

Harryfelt his stomach plummet, no that didn't mean what it sounded like;it couldn't mean what it sounded like.

"Whatare you saying Ron?" Hermione asked fearfully, Harry could tellshe was sharing the same though he was.

"Albusyou can not sacrifice that boy, let me get an owl from the owlery ora magical object...the sorting hat, we'll use the sorting hat Albus,"McGonagall said with nervous insistence, "you will not makeWeasley a vessel for that poisonous wretch."

Ronsmiled and shook his head.

"He'soffended, he says you've all offended him," Ron tilted his headand seemed to be listening to something and he sighed, "this isgoing to look bad but it doesn't hurt...he tells me."

Hermionebegan to protest when Harry saw Ron's body flinch and go rigid as ifhe had been stabbed in the back, it was just like the time during thebattle with Voldemort when Ron had seemed to be able to cast severaldifferent spells at once and see out of the back of his head. Ron'sarms were still over Fawkes as white energy crackles between Ron'sfingers and a black vapour rose from the phoenix's beak and swirledin mid air before Ron. Harry found himself shaking his head. IfDumbledore drew that fragment of Voldemort's soul inside Ron he wouldgo to any lengths possible to expel it from him again. Expel the souland track down Dumbledore's spirit and send it to hell.

"GoFawkes," Ron said in a voice that wasn't his waking voice or hissleepwalking voice.

Thephoenix took off and flew back into the forest silently. Ron directedhis hands back down at the spot the bird had been resting for theextraction procedure and yelled a spell as he pushed the black vapourback downwards.

"Occludointus!"

Thevapour disappeared into the white tomb and Ron frowned as he began topant heavily.

"Areyou sure about this?" he asked, his own voice sounding strainedand breathless.

Ronlistened and nodded before calling out.

"Harrywhen I fall you have to move me quickly, you have to get me off ofhere understand?"

Harrybellowed over the rumbling sound that was now emanating from withinDumbledore’s tomb.

"I'llget up there with you mate, I'll be right beside you don't worry."

Harryclambered up onto the white tomb and stood beside Ron, bracinghimself to catch him when he passed out. Now that he was closer toRon he could see how much effort he was putting into this wholespell, he was sweating heavily and his breathing was becoming evenshallower than before, Ron shuddered and became less rigid. The whiteenergy was no longer crackling between his fingers but Ron was stillsurging with power that had to come out and Ron closed his eyes andreleased it all through his hands which were directed at the top ofthe white tomb where he and Harry stood side by side.

"Profundumannullo nusquam esse!"

Anintense beam of white light left Ron's body through both his palmsand penetrated the tomb. The white tomb glowed and began to quake.Ron was still releasing energy and breathing rapidly with his eyesforced shut for several more seconds, sweat pouring from his brownnow and his hair damp and clinging to his face, until his head fellback and he collapsed into Harry's arms. Without hesitation Harryhauled Ron over his shoulder in much the same way he had handledNagini's body earlier that morning and jumped down off of the tomb,landing heavily but managing to remain on his feet, and breaking intoa run after a retreating Professor McGonagall and Hermione.

Therewas a sound that was like a colossal explosion in reverse and thethree of them were knocked off their feet, Harry dropping Ron's bodyas he fell, and when Harry came to his senses again he looked backand saw a smouldering burnt patch of ground where the white tomb hadjust been.

"Ron!"Harmione's voice called as she scrambled over to the prostrate redhead, "Is he alright? Is he hurt?"

"He'sasleep," Harry said, feeling pretty exhausted himself now.

"NeverthelessI'm going to get Poppy to take you both back to the hospital wing forthe once-over."

McGonagallwas leaving before Harry could even register what had been said.

"Dumbledore'sbody, he made his own body a horcrux and destroyed it," Harrysaid, confused about exactly how he felt about his old headmasterright at that moment.

"Peopleare going to wonder where it went," Hermione said whiledistracted by pushing Ron's wet hair back off of his face.

"Ohdo you really think so?" Harry asked with Ron quality sarcasm.

Shesmiled a sad smile at him before concentrating once more on Ron.

"Thatreally seemed to take a lot out of him Harry, do you think he'salright?"

"Wecan take him back to St Nectans Glen as soon as he's back on his feetand then..." Harry paused and tried to contain his disbeliefthat they had made it this far, "...then I can face Voldemortonce and for all."

ooo

"Iknow you can't tell me what happened out there tonight Harry butplease just tell me one thing."

Harrylooked at Ginny and hoped he could give her an answer.

"Goahead."

"Arethe three of you going to be alright?"

Harrylet out a disheartened breath.

"Youknow that's an impossible question to answer Ginny."

"NoI don't mean in the long run, ending the war and all that Imean...When Ron wakes up will he be Ron?"

Harrysmiled and nodded.

"Yes."

Ginnyseemed to exhale at this before asking her next question.

"AndHermione, she'll get over the bond of blood and be Hermione again?"

"Shenever stopped being Hermione, she just got a bit possessive that'sall."

"Shethrew him through a window while she was unconscious Harry."

"Becauseshe wanted to be with him, not because she wanted to hurt him."

Ginnylowered her head and looked across the hospital wing to her sleepingbrother and his girlfriend who sat at his bedside holding his hand.

"Butlook at her, she's still clinging to him as if she can't stand to lethim sleep in peace for one minute."

Harryhad noticed that the physical contact had increased since Hermionehad thought that the hoops had been destroyed. It was going to takequite some time before she could get the control issues out of hersystem.

"Butall she's doing now is holding his hand in his sleep Ginny, notthrowing him around the place subconsciously, things are gettingbetter. They're not aliens or anything, they're still the same oldRon and Hermione you knew."

"Thesame old not possessed Ron eh?" Ginny said with a raisedeyebrow.

"Iknew you didn't buy that story," Harry sighed with a chuckle.

"AndI know that you can't tell me what was happening to him either. Iknow it has something to do with him being used and that the morepeople who know about it the more people will try to and I wouldn'twant that for him, not ever, so I'll never ask about it ever again."

Harrysighed.

"You'rea good sister."

"Iwas a great girlfriend as well."

"Iknow, I'm sorry."

"Sothat brings me to the last part of my question, as my question wasabout the three of you, and the last part is about you."

Harryswallowed.

"Areyou going to be the same Harry who spent those few weeks with me atthe beginning of last summer when this is over."

"Justyou try and stop me."

Rongroaned and rolled over onto his side. Ginny and Harry ran to see ifhe was waking up for real this time, they had already had three falsealarms in the last hour alone.

"Ibet you three chocolate frogs and a packet of Droobles that hedoesn't wake up this time," Neville said as he leaned inexcitedly.

"Youjust lost your bet," Ron mumbled into his pillow with a lazysmile.

"Ohdamn!" Neville grumbled and Ginny laughed out loud causing Ronto open his eyes.

"Ithought I told you to go to class?"

"Yeah,this morning, it's almost tomorrow now."

Ronsat up and frowned.

"Ifit's that late how come you two are allowed to still be here?"he yawned and rubbed his face roughly.

"Wellwe did get quite a fright y'know, you looked...kind of like you usedto when you scared me as a kid. Remember that Ron? When you used tosleepwalk?"

Ronpaled and tried not to look too alarmed, Harry wondered just how muchGinny had been able to put together for herself.

"Ithink I remember doing that...once."

Harryglanced at Neville who was the only one of them who didn't get thesignificance of this conversation and was just listening with mildinterest.

"Thosedays are long gone now though aren't they?" Ginny smiled.

"Yeah,"Ron nodded suspiciously.

"WellI'm glad you're ok, that was quite a heavy book that knocked you outy'know?"

Ronsuddenly winced and rubbed the back of his head.

"Isthat what it was?"

Ginnynodded to Neville that it was time for them to go and they bid themgoodnight.

"Doesshe know?" Ron turned to Harry urgently as soon as the doorclosed.

"No,and don't worry she'll never speak of it again, she knows it'ssomething you need to never talk about and she's ok with that."

Ronseemed a little anxious about how much Ginny knew, or thought sheknew at least, and turned to meet Hermione's eye. She had beenstrangely quiet since he had woken up and Harry was about to excusehimself when Ron looked back to him and asked him what went on whilehe was out of it.

"Hermione'llfill you in, but one bit of good news is we know who it is who'stalking to you now."

Ronsat up.

"Who?"

"Dumbledore,Hermione was right," Harry smiled at her and she smiled backweakly.

Rontook her hand and smiled at her himself.

"Whenisn't she?"

Rightwell I'm going to go for a walk before bed, maybe pop in on Dobby fora bit, see ya."

Ronand Hermione said goodbye and as Harry closed the door behind him heheard Hermione break down in tears and decided to make his walk along one.

"Potter?Oh no I thought we'd got rid of you," a Slytherin prefectsneered as he passed by and set off downstairs to the kitchens, "beenslapping some sense into the Weasel have you? I heard he had abreakdown in the library, what was it? Too many big words for such atiny brain?"

Harrydidn't want to dignify that with a response and carried on walking.The Slytherin was almost out of earshot now but he did hear one lastthing that made him spin around on the spot as he reached the top ofthe stairs.

"I'msure Draco would love to hear about the blood-traitor's little'episode'"

Harryran back down the corridor as fast as he could, what did that oilylittle git know about Ron? He couldn't let Malfoy and Snape and theDeath Eaters know that Ron was an oracle; they would torture him fromwithin or use him to kill his whole family, the Order of the Phoenixand anybody else he came into contact with. He had to find thatprefect and pound him into dust; he'd kill him if he had to. Maybenot, but he's put a memory charm on him worthy of Lockhart himself.

Harryturned the corner and lit his wand tip, he pointed it left and right,he woke up portraits and asked them which way he had gone but it wasno good. He had lost him.

Harryhoped that Slytherin was all talk like most of them were.

Thenagain...wasn't that what they all used to think about Malfoy?

Chapter Thirty - The Battle of St Nectans Glen

Harry sat on a rock at the lakeside some distance away from Ron's meditation spot and watched him cleanse himself with the ghost of Dumbledore. Hermione sat beside Harry and offered him some water.

"No thanks."

"It's strange isn't it?" she asked him as they watched Ron expel a dark green cloud of smoke from between his lips, "They barely even spoke during all that time he was alive and now look at them."

"Well we can't look at them seeing as only one of them is visible and they aren't really talking right now either are they?" Harry said with a mischievous grin.

"Don't be facetious Harry, you know what I meant."

"Are you happy that it's Dumbledore or do you think...are you a little...? Never mind."

"You're still angry with him for the coffin aren't you?"

"Aren't you?"

"Every day," she said quietly, "I'm sure there must have been a reason for him having to do it that way but I still can't help but think that he could have tried other things first. He could've tried a little harder to spare him that."

"Yeah."

They watched for another two of three minutes.

"How long has it been now?" Hermione asked him.

"Twenty six minutes, not long now," Harry said looking at his watch, "one of us should go over there to catch him."

"You're right, his head's still a little sore, I'll go."

Harry hadn't expected it to be any other way. Hermione was doing her very best to give Ron more space but it was obvious how much it killed her to be too far away from him. He put his hand in his pocket and felt one of the two hoops. Maybe he was wrong not to have destroyed them when he said he had. He vowed to do it the next time he was in London.

Hermione sat beside Ron and watched his meditation. The swirling light around his head being drawn in through his nose and the noxious smoke being blown out of his mouth over and over again, it was hypnotic in a way. Ron always looked so peaceful when he was like this. His skin had a healthy glow and he looked so relaxed. A knot tightened in Harry's stomach and he remembered his encounter with the Slytherin prefect who wasn't.

At breakfast the following morning Harry had scanned every face at the Slytherin table and he hadn't been there. He had confided in McGonagall and she had summoned all Prefects to her office, he wasn't among them, and Harry felt even more edgy. Was it just a Slytherin wind-up or was it something more sinister? He watched Ron inhale and exhale and prayed that his friend's serenity wouldn't be compromised. He couldn't believe that after all the trouble they went to keeping the truth from Ginny and Neville that Ron was at even more risk of being abused by a string of dead Death Eaters who knew his secret while his own little sister was in the dark. Well as much in the dark as a person like Ginny would ever allow herself to be.

Ron exhaled a small wisp of green smoke and then nothing but his own breath came out. This was the first time Harry had seen it happen but Ron had completely purged himself of magical toxins. Hermione's face lit up and just as she was going to beam at Harry Ron slumped and she leapt into action, catching him and resting him in her lap.

"Did you see that Harry?" she called over to him proudly, "He got it all out of him that time."

"Yeah I saw," Harry smiled as he got to his feet and walked over to them.

"Do you want to wake him or shall we let him sleep a little longer?" she asked.

Harry was about to reply when he heard a crack in the distance, it echoed around the valley and Harry froze, he had his wand out and Hermione looked startled.

"Did you tell anybody about this place? The twins maybe or Ginny?" Hermione whispered.

Harry shook his head and scanned the area around the waterfall. Then he heard several more cracks and turned to Hermione.

"Wake him up now!"

He heard Hermione mutter the revival spell and Ron being shaken awake against his will.

"Ron on your feet we've got trouble," Harry whispered.

"What?" Ron frowned as another few cracks echoed around the valley, but this time they were louder.

"How many of them are there?" Hermione asked him as she scanned the horizon with her wand, "I can't see anyone."

"This is not good Harry, something's really wrong," Ron said as he stood at Harry's other side.

"Ron there's something I think you need to know," Harry began.

"What?"

"Last night I..."

"Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione flung herself on top of both of them and they hit the ground, the green light of the killing spell whizzing past them far too closely for comfort. Harry looked in the direction the spell had come from and saw a triumphant looking Voldemort standing before him.

"You're stupider than I thought Voldemort," Harry scowled as he jumped to his feet and cast a bubble shield charm around Ron and Hermione as they helped each other up, "you just saved me the job of looking for you to finish you off."

Voldemort laughed and hurled a violent attack curse at Harry that he was more than ready for and deflected with ease. This was a mere mortal now, not an unbeatable sub-human beast, and Harry was going to take him down.

"You really think that Dumbledore's tomb was my last horcrux? I heard about to raising the thing to the ground, not a trace that the old coot ever existed now and for what? For nothing Potter, like I told you it was the phoenix and that my dear boy cannot die."

"The phoenix is the only thing on this earth that can't die, " Harry smirked, "including you. Plaga!"

The attack was defended without a blink. Harry noticed the shield around Ron and Hermione falling and so did Voldemort. Harry raised his wand to defend them against his attack but the two of them had an attack of their own planned.

"Sectum pulpa crebro!" they both yelled and multiple cuts slashed Voldemorts body before Harry threw up a shield charm before all of them and Ron turned around to throw another shield up to defend from the attack they all knew was about to come from behind them.

"Death Eaters," Voldemort bellowed with rage, "rid me of the two pests and leave me to duel with Potter in peace!"

"Like we planned it yeah?" Ron said to Hermione.

"Good luck," Harry heard Hermione saying before they went running off in opposite directions and seeking cover in the area that was, thankfully, more familiar to them than their attackers.

They had a plan, which was good Harry thought to himself, Ron's a great strategist. Then, as Harry threw three reinforced shield charms between himself and Voldemort, he realised that the dark wizard had just instructed his Death Eaters to kill Ron. He couldn't know about Ron, he wouldn't dispose of such a valuable weapon, Harry found his confidence boosted by this and went on the attack.

"Everbero letaliter! Oppugno leto! Trunco pulpa!"

After the onslaught of destructive and harmful spells was released from the tip of Harry's wand he cast another bubble shield around him to cover his back from the Death Eaters he couldn't trust to follow their master's instructions and leave their fight between the two of them. While Voldemort staggered and cast his own wand across his injured body, healing himself without any trouble, Harry heard Ron and Hermione's voices attacking and shielding themselves from the Death Eaters that outnumbered them.

Harry's shield was hit by a powerful spell of Voldemort's and he threw himself to the ground as a secondary spell penetrated the failing walls and whizzed past his left ear. From his spot on the ground Harry aimed up at Voldemort and yelled a spell to try and disarm the smirking wizard who gleefully approached him with his wand directed at Harry's chest.

"Abdo wand!" Harry said as he rolled away and jumped to his feet.

Hermione had once confided in Harry that the more obscure the spell, the harder it was to defend against. He could have used the standard disarming charm but that was easy to block. This one was supposed to remove something and hide it. Harry almost whooped with joy when he saw the wand vanish from Voldemort's hand.

"Foolish boy!" the dark wizard snarled, "Your childish games aren't any defence against me."

Voldemort flexed his long thing fingers and the wand re-appeared in his hand and his eyes flashed red.

"Impendio!"

Harry felt himself dragged upwards, off his feet, by his neck. He began to choke and gasp for air as he fought the invisible pressure that was crushing against his voice box to try to free himself. It was no good, he couldn't say the incantation, he couldn't say anything, and he couldn't call for help.

"Expedio!" Hermione's voice yelled and Harry was released, falling heavily to the ground, and she ran in front of him to put up a shield between them and Voldemort.

"Hermione no, this is my fight, Ron needs you in position. He can't hold them off by himself."

Hermione looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows while non-verbally reinforcing the shield as Voldemort threw shattering curses at the magical walls around them.

"I think you're underestimating Ron there."

Harry chanced a glance over to the other side of the valley where Ron was taking cover behind a rock as fifteen different curses slammed into it before standing and throwing a hex from his own wand that caused long spears to repeatedly shoot from his wand tip, like a medieval machine gun, and the Death Eaters fled.

"How the hell does he know how to...?" Harry began as he saw Hermione staring at the floor in a state of distraction, "...Hermione?"

She met his eyes and looked both betrayed and elated at once before answering Harry's half question.

"It's a gardening spell, they're poles for beans to climb up, he adapted it into a weapon, he might not be able to pull a sword out of a hat but he can use what he does know."

Hermione's voice was drifting off into a breathy whisper as she finished the sentence. What was going on? Was Voldemort weakening her through he shield? It still seemed to be holding. Harry did notice that Hermione's abandoned post was letting more Death Eaters close in on them from her side and he had to shake her out of this state of shell-shock. What on earth was she so distracted by?

He looked at the ground at his feet and saw what had fallen from his pockets when he had hit the ground; the bond of blood hoops. She could see that they weren't destroyed; she could see he had lied to her, and Harry could see her overwhelming longing for them.

"Hermione it's not..." Harry began but Voldemort finally broke through her shield just as a hooded Death Eater ran onto the clearing to stand at his master's side.

"Abrumpo discerpo!" Hermione screamed at the two figures with wild eyes and the Death Eater's hood blew off of his face and the man's wand arm was sliced clean off by Hermione's spell.

Harry gasped as Severus Snape roared in pain as he fell to his knees at his masters feet, clutching the stump at his shoulder. Harry felt an unfamiliar jubilation swelling inside him at this sight and pointed his own wand at the traitor, about to do some damage of his own when Voldemort took advantage of the distraction and blasted Harry off his feet and into the rock face behind him. Hermione was now standing before Voldemort alone, just as she had done before, Voldemort sneered. He wouldn't let her get away so easily this time. Hermione seemed to have a steely look in her usually warm brown eyes and pointed her wand to her feet.

"Accio hoops!"

"No..." Harry tried to shout out to her, this wasn't the time to get territorial over Ron, she'd get them both killed, what was she thinking?

The hoops flew into her waiting hand and she pushed one of them over her hand on let it float around her wrist.

"Bond of blood girl?" Voldemort sounded even more high-pitched than usual as his mirth increased at Hermione's odd behaviour, "You think your binder can save you and Potter do you?"

Hermione looked furious as she aimed her wand at the dark wizard.

"I am the binder and you are about to pay for last time," Hermione disapparated before Voldemort could laugh at this threat, she reappeared right behind him and thrust the other hoop over Voldemort's free arm at his side, the dark wizard spun around and lifted hi wand arm with genuine fear and fury before freezing on the spot like a statue, "I'm afraid I won't allow that."

Harry was amazed, Hermione stood before a completely immobilized Voldemort with a triumphant expression on her face.

"Oh my God, that was incredible Hermione!"

He ran to her and stared at the magically paralysed wizard.

"Well go on then, finish him off," she said with that familiar warmth and confidence back in her eyes.

"Weasley..." Snape's weakened voice growled from the spot he knelt, bowing over the arm he no longer possessed.

Harry spun around to scowl at Dumbledore's murderer.

"Don't you dare try to talk to my friends Snivelus, and Ron's doing a fantastic job if you care to look over..." Harry was turning to gesture to his valiant friend and his heart sank as he saw that Ron was no longer taking cover behind the rock.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed up into the valley.

The rock was in pieces, the Death eaters were wounded, some dead, but still throwing curses at the spot Ron had been as if the didn't know he was no longer there.

"Where did he go? What did they do to him?" Harry demanded as he turned back on Snape.

Snape's face contorted with pain and he shook his head.

"They didn't take him Potter, they've no reason to..."

Harry kicked his old professor in the stomach and jabbed his wand into the slimy bastard's throat.

"Did you see what happened to him?"

"He was there fighting and then he wasn't, I was keeping more of an eye on the two of you to be honest Potter."

Harry kicked him once again.

"Honesty? You talk about honesty to me you traitor!" Harry pointed his wand between Snape's eyes.

"Don't attempt an unforgivable curse Potter, you'll never have it in you."

"I will unless you tell me what they've done with Ron, I'll kill you all and I'll fucking well enjoy it too."

"He doesn't know Potter," a sickeningly familiar drawl came from over Harry's shoulder, Harry saw Hermione pointing her wand at the robed figure who revealed himself to be Draco Malfoy.

"You pathetic little ferret," Harry spat, "come to watch more dirty work you haven't got the stones to go through with yourself have you?"

"He doesn't know about the Weasel, I didn't tell any of them"

Harry felt a chill rattle his bones.

"What are you saying?"

"A prefect badge and my old tipple of polyjuice potion, the security in that damned school is still so bad you know, I'm not surprised hardly anyone came back this year."

Harry felt sick.

"That was you!"

"That was me," Malfoy smirked, "I was supposed to report back to my master when I found out just how it was your Weasel-king could suddenly do wandless magic. Well I found out didn't I?"

"What have they done with him? Where did they take him?" Harry began to shake.

"I promise you Malfoy if they hurt him I'll..." Hermione possessive instincts shone through so violently that even Malfoy cringed at her rage slightly.

"They've no reason to mudblood, I didn't tell them."

"Oh and I really believe that!" Harry scowled.

"He didn't even tell me Potter, and he's too good an occlumens for me to take the information from him," Snape's ragged voice said at Harry’s feet.

"Another reliable source!" Harry snorted and kicked Snape again, feeling the satisfaction of a rib cracking in Snape's chest as he did.

"I know exactly what he is and I know exactly what they'd do if they found out," Malfoy said, trying to take a step forward but Hermione caught his eye with her own wand directed at him in the same way Harry’s was aimed at Snape, "and I didn't tell any of them Potter."

"And why would I fall for that?"

"Because I'm asking you to," Ron's voice, though at the same time it wasn't his voice at all, sounded from the direction of the immobile Voldemort.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped and ran towards him with tears in her eyes.

"Miss Granger I have to say this is the best use you have made of those hoops since you first activated them."

Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"Miss Granger?" she asked, Ron didn't call her Miss Granger.

Harry felt as if he was going to be sick.

"Professor Dumbledore?" he said with a childishly frightened squeak in his voice.

Mayfoy smirked.

"Weasley asked me to bring him out for him, thought you could use a little more help than he could provide."

Harry looked from the Dumbledore wearing a Ron suit to Malfoy and back again.

"What did you do to Ron?"

"Harry he is safe, he is waiting." Ron's unusually calm voice smiled.

"But...but..." Hermione began to stammer, "...but he's not, you can't, you killed him so you could come out?"

Ron's hand rested upon Hermione's shoulder and he smiled sadly.

"He isn't dead Miss Granger, he's just swapped places with me for a short time."

Harry shook his head. That sounded bad.

"Swapped places; with you? Swapped places with you ya mean? That means he is dead doesn't it?"

Ron let out a sigh and looked over to Malfoy.

"You see sir I caught on immediately, even Weasley knew how it had to be, but these two? I don't know why Potter was ever your favourite sir, he's so dense and emotional."

Ron looked wearily amused and then turned his attention to Snape on the ground and crouched.

"Oh dear Severus that's a nasty nick isn't?"

Malfoy laughed. Hermione looked about ready to pass out and Harry wanted to scream. He wanted to grab Ron's body by the shoulders and scream into his friend's face for him to come back to them, to come back to life.

"Albus?" Snape croaked in disbelief, "It can't be, it's not possible, not unless Weasley..."

Ron put his finger to his lips and nodded over his shoulder to the immobile Voldemort.

"Those who do not move still have the ability to listen Severus."

Snape nodded, though his eyes were still wide with a horrified awe.

"Of all the promises I have made you make to me I'm afraid I must ask you to make me another," Ron sighed as he helped the weakened traitor to his unsteady feet.

"Anything, as long as you don't ask me to kill you again."

Harry felt himself sway, what on earth had been going on between the two wizards?

"You must promise me never to do as I do now, this is a matter of great urgency and as soon as our task is complete I will never disturb the peace of this boy's life again. I need to know you will not abuse this knowledge Severus."

"Oh my honour Albus." Snape bowed.

Snape bowed to Ronald Weasley! Harry convinced himself he had been killed, he had been killed and he was in hell.

"Honour?" Harry managed to sputter, "Him?"

Ron smiled at Harry and a familiar but absolutely un-Ron like twinkle flickered in his eye.

"I trusted Severus with my life and I trusted him with my death and I trust him with both life and death as far as Ronald is concerned. He is quite safe Harry, none of us want to destroy his wonderful mind, I promise you that."

Hermione tugged at Ron's elbow and looked up at him with tearful eyes.

"Give him back now, please give him back."

"Oh Merlin Granger you really are pathetic you know?" Malfoy grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

Harry drew back his fist ready to strike the ferret down but Ron took his arm and held it back with considerable strength.

"Mr Malfoy is on our side Harry, he has been working with Severus as a double agent," Harry snorted and glared at Snape.

"Where have I heard that before?"

"He discovered Ron's gift and kept the information to himself, not even telling Severus because he knew of the dangers of too many people knowing about it, and he didn't kill me if you care to remember Harry. He is not a murderer."

Harry glared at Snape.

"No that's him."

"Come now Harry you know now that it wasn't like that at all. If I remember rightly Ronald told you himself when you were nothing but two eleven year old boys, you have to make some sacrifices, Ronald made his sacrifice on that chess board and I made mine in the astronomy tower."

Harry shook his head.

Hermione suddenly spun around on the spot and searched the hills and smooth rock face of the valley before gasping.

"When did all the Death Eaters leave?"

"They didn't leave Miss Granger, Draco and Ronald bested more than enough to give them time to bring me out and I forcibly apparated them into Azkaban," Ron smiled.

"It is time for you to destroy the last fragment of Tom's soul now don't you think Harry? The seventh piece is waiting for you."

Harry bit his lip and began to breathe rapidly. He was about to kill somebody in cold blood. He was about to avenge his parents. He was about to fulfil that bloody prophecy that had caused all this trouble in the first place. He stepped up to the immobile wizard and felt his arm shaking.

"Unfortunately Harry it cannot be as simple as that," Ron said with a sad shake of the head, "if he is killed while bound to Miss Granger than there could be some negative effects."

"You mean I've got to release him?" Hermione gasped, "No, I won't do it, the bond of blood is only dangerous if the binder dies not the bound."

"Come now Miss Granger think logically, you know that isn't true."

Harry wondered why that had never come up when Hermione had argued with Ron about using the hoops if she knew the curse of death while bound worked both ways. Then he thought he understood. Hermione had obviously not been able to contemplate Ron being killed while under her protection and must have thought that if he ever did she would want him to still be with her, even in death. Hermione wasn't just going out with Ron, she was whole-heartedly and selflessly and selfishly in love with him all at once.

"But we've got him, we've finally got him and we're all safe, if I let him go then he could kill more people. he could kill Harry."

"If you never let him go the fear will never die, he will always be a threat, he will always be a shadow cast over Harry's life."

Harry understood this was how it had to be.

"He's right Hermione," Harry spoke, his breathing becoming strangely calm now, "I want him out of my life for good. I want it over with now."

Hermione gulped and she looked up at the dark wizard, his eyes flashing red as she did.

"I will protect everybody else," the Ron and Dumbledore in one said as he bent over to look Harry directly in the eyes, "you will have no distractions, we will all be safe and you can focus upon the task at hand. I promise you Harry, I will keep them safe for you."

Harry glanced over Ron's shoulder, he couldn't care less about Snape and Malfoy despite Dumbledore's claims that they were really good at heart, but he wanted to know that Hermione was going to be looked after. He also wanted to know that Ron was going to be protected wherever he was within the spirit world.

"Ron too," Harry said, knowing it didn't need to be said but demanding Dumbledore say it anyway.

"Ronald is my priority Harry, I will do everything in my power to preserve his physical form and his dear uncles are with him now to ensure that his spirit is guarded while he waits to come back to you."

Harry smiled.

"Fabian and Gideon?"

Ron nodded and Dumbledore's glint appeared in his eyes once again. Harry felt a little better about Ron's absence from his own body now, his uncles would look after him and see that he got back alright, he was going to be ok.

"Hermione, take off the hoop and stand well back," Harry said with newfound confidence.

Hermione sniffed and took a step toward the dark wizard and slid the hoop over his hand and leapt backwards as Voldemort made a grab for her as it left the tips of his fingers.

"Contego sempra!" Ron yelled as the continual protection spell enveloped Hermione and Voldemort's fingers burned against the magical barrier.

"Annullo! Depulso!" Harry yelled as the two curses hit Voldemort.

He blocked the first but had no time to shield himself from the second and was knocked off his feet and onto his back.

"Servo! Detino!" Ron's voice called out from behind Harry, he knew they were all being protected and didn't allow himself to be distracted.

He took a step forward and flicked his wand back down at Voldemort as he got up and threw the cruciatus curse at him, Harry ducked it and heard Ron levitating a rock to catch the curse in their stead as it hurtled toward them.

"Dirvo! Discerpo! Trucido pulpa!"

"Perfringo!" Voldemort jerked his wand and fragmented the spells and scattered them to the wind.

"How many times does it take you to fail before you realised that you can never win this Voldemort? It isn't meant to be."

"Neither are you boy," Voldemort's mouth twisted into a cruel sneer, "Obtineo captivas! Compescor!"

Harry felt himself being compressed, constricted, and he recognised the spells as ones Hermione had used to restrain Ron when he was first sleepwalking, the sound of Ron's voice echoed around the valley and Harry felt his invisible bonds pull apart.

"Reluctor!"

"Stay out of this old man!" Voldemort hissed at Ron.

Harry's heart jumped into his throat, Voldemort knew that Dumbledore possessed Ron's body, he just hoped he hadn't worked out how. With a combination of fear and rage he struck out at Voldemort with a roar.

"Oppugno! Ron is no concern of yours Voldemort; I'm the one you should be worrying about right now. Everbero crebo! Everbero intus!"

Voldemort ducked the first spell but caught the second and doubled over with pain, he aimed at Harry and cursed him with more different kind of hexes than Harry had breath to defend against.

"Discerpo! Caligo! Everbero doleo! Plaga leto! Trunco pulpa!"

"Contineo permeo!" Ron's voice yelled out and another bubble shield covered those behind him but now extended to Harry as well, Ron fell to his knees and Hermione dropped beside him and put her arm around his shoulders while Snape looked fearful and tried to perform a strengthening spell with his existing hand but to no avail as he wasn't ambidextrous, "Continue to fight Harry, spells can escape this shield but not penetrate, go on."

Harry nodded and hoped that this would be over soon; if Dumbledore was being forced out and left Ron with a weakened body there would be nobody to protect Hermione and the others. Harry flinched, he had just expressed concern for Malfoy and Snape, and he set his jaw with a determination to end this now and glared back at Voldemort who looked as if he was searching himself for something internally.

"Lost something Tom?" Harry said before hurling a spell at him, "Dirvo! Everbero caedo annullo!"

"The phoenix still lives, this can't be, this can not be!"

Harry felt enough joy in him at the sight of Voldemort panicking that he suspected he could produce the most powerful patronus in the history of magic, it would never fade, his grandchildren could play with it when he was an old man. That was how long this patronus would last. Harry laughed at this thought and realised that if he could laugh at a time like this then this was truly the time to conjure one.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The stag erupted from Harry’s wand with as much brilliance as the sun, Harry couldn't even look at it the light was so blinding, and he yelled instructions to the great mystical creature.

"Attack him, drive him out of his body, drive him out of his living form, drive him out of existence!"

The stag charged and Harry threw curses at the wizard as he cowered and fell under the stag's hooves.

"Nusquam esse sempra!" was the final attempt Harry made to finish him off.

The dark wizard was losing, he had fallen and was struggling, weakened, screaming...but still not dead. Harry was running out of different spell combinations.

"Avada kedavra!" he bellowed as the stag reared up and hammered down upon the stricken wizard.

"No Harry," Ron's voice called out over Voldemort's screams of despair and fury, "you forget what I taught you, you never did believe me when I told you that was the way did you? It is love and not hate; you can't kill him with those curses because you have more love than hate. Strike him down with positive energy Harry, the most positive energy you have, the patronus was the right direction to go and you went back to the hate filled curses. Think Harry think!"

Harry searched his brain, any positive spell he could think of would help Voldemort, heal him or strengthen him or save him and that wasn't what he wanted to do. Why couldn't Dumbledore just tell him the spell he needed? Why was he always so bloody cryptic the frustrating old codger?

"Potter...close your mouth and you mind remember?" Snape growled and Harry stared at him with wide eyes.

He looked back at the dark wizard that just wouldn't die and stepped out of the protective bubble shield. Hermione screamed out for him to be careful but he just walked calmly toward Voldemort and called off the stag, which stepped away and stood at his side.

"Potter, you may have destroyed the other horcruxes but the one inside me is the one you can never touch. My soul resides within me in a place you would never think to look and none of your righteous anger can ever penetrate. You can never defeat me and I will one day finish you."

The dark wizard smiled, he grinned an evil grin and his eyes flashed red as he began to laugh.

"Whatever you do, however you do it I will destroy you, you will die. There will never be a happy ending for you boy..." Voldemort pointed up at Harry's scar, "...you are a marked man."

Harry knew what was needed but he didn't know how to achieve it. He looked back at Ron, supported on the ground by Hermione and Snape, and asked for help.

"How do I make him see?"

Ron's face looked triumphant and he pulled himself back to his feet, Harry knew that Dumbledore had just used Legilemancy to understand Harry's plan and he wondered how this was going to be possible. The Dumbledore Ron left the bubble shield, still supported on either side, and seemed to be having an internal moment of concentration before letting out a deep breath and smiling at Harry.

"Severus, Miss Granger, this is as far as I need to both, thank you but I will be able to do this myself from now on."

Hermione didn't want to let Ron's body go anywhere near the danger zone and Snape was equally reluctant to let Dumbledore, his true master, go near Voldemort in his vulnerable state but they both stepped back into the shield and waited with Malfoy who had his wand out, covering the possessed redhead as he stood behind Harry and rested his hands on his shoulders.

"Now Harry I need you to produce another patronus for me but this one won't be yours."

Harry looked over his shoulder but Ron nodded for him to focus back on Voldemort in front of him.

"Will it be yours sir?" it felt weird calling Ron sir.

"No, not mine either Harry, just conjure the patronus and I'll will do the rest...along with Mr Weasley and the Prewitts of course."

Harry felt another buzz of pleasure and confidence, Dumbledore's little internal moment had obviously been some kind of communication with Ron, wherever he was, and he and his uncles were going to help him. Ron and Dumbledore were going to be fighting with him, they were right behind him, and Harry had never felt happier than this since he heard the prophecy. He had always feared that this final moment would be his loneliest but it wasn't going to be that way at all. He was surrounded. He was surrounded by love.

"Expecto..."

"Send her now Ronald!"

"...patronum!"

A brilliant light exploded from the end of Harry's wand and when the flash died down a glowing silvery white figure stepped away from the wand tip, it was a woman. It was a woman Harry recognised.

"Tom?" the woman spoke in a ghostly echo that made Harry's body feel cold inside, he even shivered when the sound of her speaking again hit his ears, "You can't be..."

The woman crouched down before Voldemort and reached out a translucent hand to his face. Voldemort looked terrified and tried to pull away from the woman.

"...my Tom, my boy?"

"No!" Voldemort shuddered and looked disgusted as the woman tried to cup his face in her extended hand, "No!"

"What have you done to yourself my angel?"

"No!" Voldemort said again as he scrambled backwards away from the figure of his mother.

"What have you become?"

Voldemort was scrambling away from the spectre of his dead mother backwards while unable to tear his eyes away from the woman who looked so desperately sad as she drew nearer to him.

"I tried my best for you, I never wanted to leave you, my precious baby boy."

You aren't her, she was weak and pathetic and a filthy muggle-loving..." Voldemort trembled.

"You've become one of them,"

"...you should have been a squib! You're a disgrace to the Slytherin bloodline. You have nothing to do with me you worthless pathetic blood traitor!"

"You've become nothing more than the man my father wanted to be."

"No!" Voldemort screamed with disgust.

"You are just like them, your grandfather and your uncle. I just wanted you to be good and kind and loving and all you wanted was..."

"I am nothing like those imbeciles, those rancid parasites living off the name of Salazar Slytherin, I am Lord Voldemort!"

"...power."

"I have power, I am an immortal, I have done what you couldn't do mother, I cheated death. I wasn't that hard. Why couldn't you have done it? Why couldn't you have done it for me?"

"You are my Tom, my boy, you aren't Lord Voldemort at all. He never existed my love."

"Don't call me that!"

"Tom is your name, you're my boy Tom, Tom Marvollo Riddle. My son Tom."

"Not that, don't call me that either but don't call me love."

"You are my love Tom."

"Don't say that!" Voldemort curled in on himself and screamed, he forced his eyes closed so he couldn't see the woman who kept advancing them more he tried to retreat from her. He was at the edge of the lake now and could go back no further, "Love is what took you from me. You let yourself die for love. You were weak and selfish and wrong. Love is wrong!"

"I love you Tom."

"I don't want it!" Voldemort roared as he scrambled back further and found himself sitting waist deep in the still lake.

"I gave you my life and you spent the rest of your own taking other people's from them. All because you thought love killed me, my love for you."

"Shut up!"

"I didn't die because I loved you Tom."

Voldemort crawled back further into the lake.

"You ignorant blood traitor, you were a disgrace to a disgrace of a family and I broke away from them, I eliminated their shameful presence from the history books before it could be recognised the they dirtied the name of Slytherin. I am the heir of Slytherin. I am the new generation. I am the one who will show the wizarding world the way back. We have been lost and infected and out blood has been diluted. You diluted my own blood you whore!"

"Your blood is poison now Tom, you tainted it when you killed innocent people, you were a great gift to the wizarding world and you took your gift and made it toxic. You are the poison Tom. You are the disease that infects the wizarding world."

The ghostly woman was waist deep in the lake now and Voldemort was floating and flailing as he tried to keep of her reach.

"No!"

"Father told me to drown you at birth but I did everything I could to save you and give you life."

"Mother stay back, stay away from me!"

"If I had know then what I know now Tom I would have done as he asked."

"Mother no, please don't say that!" Voldemort looked crushed as he flailed in the deepening water.

"You are the one with the tainted blood Tom, the blood of those you killed is coursing through your veins, and I have to stop you now."

"No, mother please don't," Voldemort's red eyes faded and he looked at the ever-advancing image of the young woman as she curled her fingers around his shoulders.

"I love you Tom, but it's time to wash you clean away from this world."

As Voldemort was gently dragged under the water his eyes stared in to his mothers as they were both immersed in the still waters of St Nectans Glen, the magically created source of water and purity, and he managed to say one more thing before the water covered him completely.

"Mother don't leave me again."

As both the figure of Voldemort and the patronus in the form of his mother disappeared under the water the lake shone with silver light and Harry knew what he had to do.

"Septus profundum sempra!"

The lake bubbled for a moment and then was still once again. Voldemort would not rise from the lake again.

He heard a groan behind him and spun around to see Ron collapsing onto the ground. Harry dropped down beside him and held him up, the twinkling eyes they weren't really Dumbledore's to twinkle gazed upon Harry as Hermione, Snape and Malfoy ran to join them.

"Professor is it still you or are you...?" Harry began before Hermione interrupted him.

"Ron?"

Hesmiled and shook his head.

"Not quite yet Miss Granger, he's on his way now," Dumbledore turned Ron's head to look back at Harry and smiled a little wider, "I'm very proud of you Harry, you were magnificent."

"I didn't do it alone."

"You are never alone Harry, and now you can live...as the other no longer survives."

Harry felt a weight lift off his shoulders as Ron's eyes began to close and his body began to relax further in Harry's arms before opening again and his head lifting to stare at Harry quite purposefully.

"Would you say goodbye to Ronald for me Harry as I will not be speaking to him any more after today?" Harry nodded, Ron was finally free again, "And please thank him for being such a gracious host."

"I will, thank you for keeping him safe."

Ron's eyes closed and his head fell back. Ron's body was hanging completely limp and loose now. Hermione leaned forward and kissed his forehead before jumping back and gasping.

"He's burning up!"

Harry suspected as much, and looked at Malfoy who was frowning guiltily.

"Yeah well that was me, he told me to do it Granger, don't give me that look!" Malfoy tried not to cower under Hermione's livid scowl, "he said Dumbledore would be stronger if he had a fever so I...made him ill, nothing that St Mungo's can't fix I swear."

"Well it better hadn't be," Hermione warned him as she helped Harry drag the unconscious Ron to his feet while Malfoy helped Snape up.

"Well let's get them to hospital and tell the world that the great bloody Potter is the new messiah," Malfoy grumbled.

Harry scowled at the still easily hateable boy before looking across the Snape's severed wand arm resting on the bank.

"Shall we take that, they might be able to re-attach it, they can do it in the muggle world sometimes so the magical..."

"Don't bother Potter," Snape growled, "it's too late for that now, let the scavengers have it. Come on, before Granger decapitates me on a whim."

"Well I didn't know you were on our side did I?" she snapped defensively as she swayed under Ron's body weight, "Can we go now Harry, he's getting really heavy now."

"I'll do it, you help professor Snape," Malfoy snapped as they swapped burdens, both looking extremely reluctant to do so.

"So what are we going to portkey then?" Harry asked none of them in particular.

"Well use the hoops," Hermione said, Harry flashed her a concerned look, and did she still have the bond of blood on her mind even now he wondered? "I have to take them with me so I can make sure Fred and George actually do destroy them this time around."

Harry smiled at her as they prepared to leave.

It was all over, they had done it, they had survived and they were going home all in one piece.

Well apart from Snape!

Epilogue

Harry lay in his bed at the Burrow and felt the strangest feeling inside him.

He didn't know what to do with the rest of his life. He didn't expect to have one. There was auror trainingor going back to Hogwarts to complete school, Hermione was all for that plan herself, but he just didn't know what he wanted from his prophesy-free life now. He had no mortal enemy and didn't really remember how to conduct a life without one.

He chuckled at this thought and turned over to face Ron's empty bed.

Ron wasn't supposed to be with Hermione in her room but he was. She was much better now, she still reached out for him whenever he was close enough to touch and tried to keep him in her sight as much as possible but she was allowing him to have time away from her without nearly as much anxiety as she had been displaying at first. She had done exactly what she had said she was going to do and destroyed the bond of blood forever in the twin's stone chest. She had told them all about the final battle and they had come to St Mungo's with her to visit Ron.

Ron had one hell of a fever, Malfoy hadn't held back when Ron had explained to him that the sicker he was the more power Dumbledore would be able to channel when he possessed him, and he had been unconscious for a whole day afterwards. When he eventually came round he was pretty much drowned with feminine affection and smothering as first Hermione, then Mrs Weasley and then Ginny began to war over which of them was going to be his primary care-giver. Ron had even become so annoyed with this behaviour he went back to the Lavender defence he had used after his poisoning the previous year, pretending to be asleep!

He had even gone to visit Snape one afternoon to see how he was doing with his magical false arm. He had made some comment about it being like Moody's fake eye and wondered aloud if students would start calling him 'Scary Arm Snape'. Snape had given Ron one of his coldest looks of disapproval at this and Ron had made his apologies and left, only to find Draco Malfoy doubled up with laughter outside the door where he had been eavesdropping.

They had come back to the Burrow, where a huge party was in full swing, and finally the three of them were safe and sound back at home...yes it was Harry's home now...for the first night in a long time. Harry and Ginny had even talked about resuming their relationship when Ginny got back home from school for the summer.

Harry sighed deeply and settled into his soft pillow, closing his heavy eyelids and letting sleep take him over.

Then he heard the door creak and squinted over to the two figures silhouetted in the doorway. Harry put on his glasses and reached for his wand, lighting the tip and mumbling when he heard Hermione's sob.

"Oh you two can't go one night without upsetting one another? Why do I have to be woken up just because you've had a fight?"

Harry pointed his illuminated wand at Ron and Hermione, still framed by the open door, and felt suddenly sick to his stomach.

Hermione was dangling about a foot off the landing, her feet desperately searching for something to put her weight upon, while silently pleading to Harry through her rapidly purpling tear-stained face as Ron held her up off the ground by the throat with one hand.

"Ron what are you doing? Put her down you're killing her!"

Harry suddenly saw what Hermione was trying to warn him about through her bloodshot watery eyes. Ron's eyes weren't glazed though, he wasn't sleepwalking, but he wasn't Ron either.

"Dumbledore's not the only one who knows how to use an oracle Potter," Ron smiled cruelly as his eyes flashed red, "we've got some unfinished business to attend to."

The End