*Perspective Switch: Ron/Harry* *Time jump: 1 week before Ron and Harry finish.*
Ron opened his eyes to see Harry standing over him. "Wake up, mate. We've got stuff to do." Harry gave Ron a gentle kick in the shin and walked off the kitchen. Ron sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking over at the framed picture of Hermione next to his sleeping bag. He stretched out, stood up, and went to find Harry. "Morning," Ron sat down at the table. "Can you believe we've been away for almost two months?" Ron stuffed some cereal in his mouth.
"Yeah, actually. I can. How long till we can go home?" Harry sat down next to Ron, and shivered at the cold December air blowing into the tent.
"What's the date?"
"15th."
"In that case..." Ron counted on his fingers. "7 days."
"That's great - I can't wait to get a proper night's sleep!" Harry joked.
"Mhmm." Ron nodded, his mouth full of cereal.
"Speed up, mate. We need to go in 10." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder, and went to get ready. Ron scoffed down the rest of his cereal, pulled on some old clothes, grabbed his wand and a coat and left the tent. He walked out into a small clearing in the forest. Everything was dead, as it was mid-December. He caught Harry sitting on the muddy ground, staring up at the sky. "It reminds me of that time when we went looking for the Horcruxes." he said. Ron sat down next to him.
"Yep." Ron looked at his hands. "They aren't exactly nice memories, Harry."
"I know, but they're memories." Harry took a moment to stare around the clearing absent-mindedly, before scrambling to his feet. He was quickly joined by Ron.
"So," Ron brushed his muddy hands off on his trousers. "Where are we going today?"
"I'm not sure. We have a few remaining Death Eaters to chase down..."
"Where the bloody hell do we find them? I thought they ended in '98."
"Well, apparently not. There are only one or two left. Regarding location... I have absolutely no idea." Harry produced the invisibility cloak out of his bag. "But this might be useful."
"Agreed." Ron nodded. "Where do we look first?"
"Hmm..." Harry thought for a while, pacing back and forth on the dead forest floor. "Well, I have no way of finding them using Voldemort, so I guess we use common sense."
"Right..." Ron stared at Harry quizzically. "... and where is your 'common sense' leading you?"
"The shrieking shack."
"How cheery," said Ron sarcastically. "Well, off we go!" The two boys Disapparated to the Shrieking Shack.
"Blimey, Harry. I still get the chills from this place."
"Same. Hard to believe the last time we were here was..." Harry swallowed his tears. "Never mind." Ron nodded in silence, and Harry draped the invisibility cloak over himself and Ron. They scurried over to the tree, and gave the knot in the trunk a solid kick. The secret passage opened, and the two entered. Ron coughed. Dust had erupted from the old wooden floor beneath him. "Eugh!" He waved away the dust from in front of his face, and looked around him - it was almost pitch black. During the entry, he seemed to have lost the invisibility cloak, but Ron knew Harry still had it, as he couldn't be seen. "Harry, where are you?" Ron was being careful to whisper, just in case someone was there. "I'm here." Ron heard footsteps on the dusty floor, and before he knew it he was standing under the cloak, right beside Harry. Ron carefully took his wand out of his pocket, and whispered "Lumos." A tiny, but powerful, light appeared at the tip of the wand. "You lead, Harry." Ron mumbled into Harry's ear. The two boys carefully stepped forwards on the creaky floorboards, and came to a door. (Well, the only door.) Harry pressed his finger to his lips, and held his ear up against the door. He heard muffled voices inside. "There's someone in there, Harry." Ron took care to speak very quietly.
"I know." Harry mouthed. "1...2...3!" He kicked open the old door with all the power he had, pointed his wand straight at the man standing in front of him and screamed "Sectum Sempra!" The man flew across the room, hitting the peeling wall behind him. He keeled over in pain, blood spurting from his face and chest. He lay in his own blood, whimpering softly in the darkness. "Your turn." Ron tore out his wand and aimed it directly at the other man standing a mere 5 feet away from him. "Reducto!" Ron yelled, and the man before him burst into a thousand tiny pieces. He whipped off the invisibility cloak and strutted over to the man lying on the floor. "Where are the others?" Ron demanded. The man managed to speak only a few words: "No more."
"WHERE ARE THEY?" Ron screamed, and kicked the man in the side. He didn't respond. "TELL ME!"
"No. Others." The man grew increasingly weak; his old, wrinkled face was covered in blood.
"Bloody tell me, or I'll finish you off the muggle way." Ron threatened, holding his grazed fists out in front of him.
"Please," the man murmured, little life was left in him. "Believe me."
"Ron," Harry stepped forwards. "Leave him, he's obviously telling the truth. Let's just finish him off quickly."
"Fine." Ron grumbled, taking a step back. Harry flicked his wand and the man drifted off into death. "Nice work, mate. Nice work." Ron patted Harry on the back.
"You too." Harry smiled, and the two returned to their tent. When they got back, Kingsley Shacklebolt was waiting outside.
"Boys!" He laughed. "Nice work!"
"Thanks, Kingsley." Harry smiled. "Can we help you with something?"
"Actually, I was going to tell you that you're no longer needed."
"Umm..." Harry couldn't tell whether or not he was being fired. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that you two boys can go home to your women!" Kingsley disapparated suddenly, leaving the two blood-stained boys standing in amazement.
"Hear that, Harry?" Ron spun around to face Harry. "We can go home!" The two patted each other on the shoulder, and went inside to clean themselves up.