Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with J.K Rowling.
AN: Just to let you know in this story the Golden trio have already heard about what happened to Ginny and the others that tried to steal the Gryffindor's Sword from Snape's Office. The argument and split up takes in place a couple of days later.
Chapter 1
The Split Up
As the days stretched in to weeks, Harry began to suspect that Ron and Hermione were having conversation without, and about, him.
Several times they stopped talking abruptly when Harry entered the tent, and twice he came accidentally upon them, huddled a little distance away, heads together and talking fast; both times they fell silent when they realized he was approaching them and hastened to appear busy collecting wood or water.
Harry had began to notice the behavioral and attitude changes in both Ron and Hermione ever since they heard a conversation among a couple of people who were on the run from the death eaters, they were talking about an attempted theft on the Gryffindor's sword by the youngest Weasley and her other friends. The attempt was foiled by Snape who caught them in his office and they were taken to Hagrid for punishment in the forbidden forest.
It was through this conversation that Harry realized two things. The first being that the sword that was in Snape's office was a fake one and the second thing was, Dumbledore had used the Gryffindor's sword to break the Slytherin's ring when they asked the portrait of Phineas Nigellus (which Hermione had been carrying it in her beaded handbag at that time.)
Since that day they had been acting cold and distance towards him. He could not help wondering whether they had only agreed to come on what now felt like a pointless and rambling journey because they thought he had some secret plan that they would learn in due course.
Ron was making no effort to hide his bad mood and Harry was starting to fear that Hermione too was disappointed by his poor leadership. In desperation he tried to think of further Horcrux locations, but the only one that continued to occur to him was Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw Tiara that was hidden in the room of requirement where he had kept the Half-Blood Prince potions book, and as neither of the others thought this at all likely, he stopped suggesting it.
It had been four days since they had heard about what happened to Ginny and the others, the tension had been high between them. Right now Harry was sitting outside, reading a book on how to 'Discovering your Metamorphmagy Skills' , a book that he had been given by Tonks in his Seventeenth birthday. Just as he was getting himself into a more comfortable position, he had the whispering between Hermione and Ron beginning curious as to what they were talking about he reached into his pocket and withdrew the Extendable Ears and he quietly slipped inside the tent.
"I am telling you Mione this is ridiculous we are not getting anywhere with the so called Horcrux hunt! Potter himself doesn't even know what the hell he is doing let that alone he doesn't even know the rest of the Horcruxes or where they are. We are not even able to eat decent food and beside I miss my family and I am tired of this, I think it would be best if we just went back to the Burrow." an irate Ron whispered to Hermione
.
"I know Ron, Harry is so engrossed in his ego that he doesn't realize that we need help desperately. Remus had offered to help but he had to go and yell at him and blow our only chance of getting any help away. I think you are right Ron, this is getting us nowhere, I don't wha......."
She never got to finish her sentence as at that moment Harry had enough of hearing them badmouthing him. Putting the the Extendable Ears in his pocket. He withdrew out his wand and walked inside leaving the book he was reading outside. His face displaying pure rage he strode in to the tent, when Ron and Hermione gulped in fear at the look on Harry's face.
"So it seems the two of you have been busy talking about me behind my back." Harry said as he struggled to keep his voice down. "Harry its not what it seems like..." Hermione pleaded as she saw that they had been caught red-handed.
"Shut up! I heard both of you talking about me and guess what I heard everything that you were saying about me." no longer able to maintain his cool composure he yelled at Hermione who backed away in fear.
Ron who didn't like it when Harry yelled at Hermione so he quickly rushed to her defense. "We thought you knew what you were doing!" shouted Ron, standing up, and his words pierced Harry like scalding knives. "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!"
Hermione stood quietly next to Ron and she looked pretty pleased and smug at the same time when he rushed to her defense.
"Well, sorry to let you down," said Harry, his voice quite calm even though he felt hollow, inadequate. "I've been straight with you from the start; I told you everything Dumbledore told me. And in case you haven't noticed, we've found a Horcrux"
"Yeah, and we're about as near getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them nowhere effing near in other words?Didn't you hear what they said about my sister? But you don't give a rat's fart, do you, it's only the Forbidden Forest, Harry I've-Faced-Worse Potter doesn't care what happens to her in there well, I do, all right, giant spider and mental stuff—" Ron replied snidely.
"Take off the locket, Ron, I think it would be best if we left and let him follow a dead mans order of searching for things that we don't even know of." Hermione said in a superior voice "We all know that this is a lost course, you need help but you large ego won't let you. I can't even believe we left school for this crap! Oh and before we go I think it would be best if we just gave you what Dumbledore left for us I think it would help you more than us."
Before either of the two could give Harry the gift they were given by Dumbledore, they were both hit with silent stunners at the same time followed by a disarming spell. Harry who was fuming from what his so called friends were saying about him and Dumbledore having heard enough he just let the wand do the work for him.
Moving towards Ron he enervated him and cast a Petrificus Totalus on him Ron eyes widened as he saw that he couldn't move and Harry had his wand pointed at him. Casting a wordless Legilimens on Ron he searched for all his memories with any thing concerning Horcruxes and he brought them forward and obliviated all his memories on Horcruxes leaving only the recent memory of them arguing with Harry on the lack of progress in their mission, returning the things given by Dumbledore and also insulting Harry.
After doing the same to Hermione, Harry freed both of them from the petrifying spell. Looking at the two former friends that seemed to have ditched him in the middle of a crisis. "Well since you two were so adamant on leaving, why don't you just leave the things that Dumbledore gave like you wanted to do earlier. Just to let you know I have obliviated all the memories the two of you had on you-Know-What. So that you don't go and spill your guts to other people." He told them coldly.
"Harry! I can't believe you obliviated us! How could you? Come on Ron just give him the Deluminator. Harry you are a wanted man, how are do you think you are going to survive and for how long can you manage to do this by yourself? Just for the sake I don't think Ron and I are ready to die for you." Hermione spoke breathlessly as tears were running down her pale face.
Getting no answer from Harry she threw the book on 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' on the nearest chair as Ron did the same with the Deluminator. Looking at Harry with a sorrowful eyes she quickly packed her things and waited for Ron to finish. Once he was done Harry gave them back their wands, and he did not bother to even look at them as they headed for the exit.
Before leaving Hermione turned to look at Harry one last time and she said "Am sorry for this Harry but your ego has already gotten people killed and it could kill us too. I've left a book on healing for you, in case you are hurt or injured when you do something stupid." Getting no response from him she sighed and left the tent before Ron followedher, he looked at Harry and said " I can't wait to go and eat mum's food after all these crap I've had to put up with for the last two months and to be clear with you I think it would be much safer and better for Ginny to get her self a new boyfriend she deserves someone better than you."
As soon as Harry heard two pop sounds he collapsed on the floor and clutched his head in disbelief and despair at being abandoned by his best friends. Dragging himself to the nearest bed he threw himself face first on the bed and willed himself to sleep hoping this was just a bad dream and it would all go away when he woke up in the morning.
As morning came a miserable teen sat in his bed abruptly, looking at his surroundings with a hopeful look before it fell as he realized something. Dragging himself slowly he made himself hot tea and he sat down with a heavy sigh as he remembered what had happened yesterday. Reaching for his wand he was surprised to see that he had left it on the floor where he had collapsed first before he went to sleep.
Unconsciously he willed his wand to him and he was shocked to see the wand float towards him. Getting excited at the possibility that he could do wandless magic he willed the book on Warding to him and he was pleased to see that it worked again. As soon as he finished his tea he flicked his wrist as he concentrated in willing his magic to clean and pack everything in the tent, he was successful but he felt like he had drained his magic.
As he rested for a few minutes to regain his energy he tried to come up with places where he could go and at the same time be able to lay low while he looked for the Horcruxes and at the same time he needed to find where the Gryffindor's sword was. He was struck with an idea and he called out "Kreacher!" a pop sound announced the arrival of his house elf.
"At last Master has called for Kreacher. What can Kreacher do for you Master?" the demented elf spoke out in his low voice. "Kreacher can you tell me if there are people staying in the Grimmauld place?" Harry asked quickly as ideas kept coming in his head. The ancient house elf looked at Harry and answered "Master, people stayed there after you left, but not anymore."
Looking pleased at hearing that he breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing that the deatheaters could easily access the Grimmauld place, he knew that it wouldn't be safe to stay there until the house was under the Fidelius charm. Knowing that he could perform the Fidelius charm even though it took a lot out of a person, but he lacked the ward-stones that were used to in protecting ones house.
Getting an idea, he leaned closer to the house elf who had been waiting for him to talk "Kreacher, do you know what ward-stones are? 'Seeing him nod his head, he continued' I want you to do something for me that is important okay, I need you to find four ward-stones and then bring them to me as fast as you can. Do you understand me Kreacher?" the ancient house elf croaked as he looked pleased to be given something to do at last "Right away Master." and with soft pop he was gone leaving Harry alone in the tent.
