Author Note: I'm having one of those days, or rather weeks, where you're head seems to be full of cotton wool and simply doesn't want to function, so you'll have to bear with me for this chapter, I'm trying to move things on and get to the bits I cant wait to write!
Thank you to J S for the anonymous review of my last chapter. Thank you, I'm glad to hear you think the story is flowing well, and no, you're not a bad reviewer, I rather enjoy reading yours.
Chapter nine: The scarper
Ivy
I stood there, my wand hanging loosely from my fingertips, my eyes wide and my mouth agape, staring unblinkingly at the shimmering, silver Patronus bounding down the corridor, its stunning glow hitting the oncoming Dementors and, surprisingly, driving them back. As it zigzagged across the corridor, forcing each Dementor into retreat, I felt my brain struggle with this concept and in my numb state I couldn't make sense of anything. There aren't really any good times in life to have your brain completely shut down. But a best case scenario for this to happen might be when hearing something you don't want to hear, or during the times when you're alone and you can just switch off with no real danger to yourself. In the Ministry of Magic when you're one of the four most wanted people in the country, hidden by only a Polyjuice Potion which might run out at any second and being pretty much alone in a corridor full of soul sucking Dementors, all of which are converging on you, was not such a good time to freeze. But I couldn't help it; I just stood there, staring blankly at the stunning silver ferret as it drove back the Dementors, my eyes wide, my mouth open and the space between my ears utterly vacant. Only one word could force its way through my foggy brain.
What?
I couldn't understand it, it didn't make sense, my Patronus was a dog, it had always been a dog and I had thought it would always be a dog, why had it changed? Looking back I suppose that it was obvious, but at the time I was either too stunned or too deep in denial to figure it out, either way I could only watch as my surprisingly ferocious ferret scurried through the air and forced all of the Dementors into retreat further back down the corridor, but not to vanish completely. My Staffordshire Bull Terrier had never been able to do that, I thought absentmindedly, it had never been able to drive off more than one Dementor unaided, but it seemed to be no trouble for the silver ferret. It charged at the Dementors with all the fierceness of a Rottweiler, despite its size, the strength of the memory that had caused it was enough to keep the hooded creatures at bay. For a short while anyway, regardless of whatever power this new Patronus seemed to have the sheer number and strength of the Dementors began to overwhelm it and they made their menacing way back towards me, gliding with intent and purpose as my ferret began to flicker and backed away, losing its strength. The small animal bared its teeth at the creatures one last time before it vanished into swirling mists and disappeared, taking all the warmth from the room with it.
I was shocked from my stunned state when a sudden coldness landed heavy on my shoulders, causing me to shiver. Thoughts began to return to my head then, miserable thoughts, thoughts I normally avoided at all costs. His face drifted before my mind, his expression one of cruel amusement and his eyes as cold as the ice that seemed t fill my veins pain in my heart and abdomen returned to me and I began to feel hopeless once more, I could see the Dementors swooping towards me, their corpse like hands reaching for me, but did nothing. All my happiness was being sucked from me, leaving only my post painful memories for me to contemplate and that was punishment beyond measure to me. Half blinded by the tears forming in my eyes and the sense of pointlessness they instilled, I did try to fight, I told myself that none of this mattered any more, that what was important was my friends and this mission, but it didn't work, the misery they pumped into me was too overpowering. I couldn't bring myself to do anything; I didn't move or even conceder raising my wand I was too busy drowning in my own despair, just as painful as it had been months ago. This is HIS fault; I thought as they glided ever nearer from where my Patronus had driven them, if I die here it's all his fault.
"Look out!" I heard a horrified woman shout, her hands on her face and her expression terrified, she couldn't understand why I wasn't doing anything. I looked at her (noticing absentmindedly that she was blonde as I did) and the crowd of terrified Muggleborns, having forgotten that they were there until just now, I realised, in some cloudy part of my brain, that she was afraid for me. She didn't know what he had done to me though, I thought, she couldn't feel the pain I did, if she did she'd know why I didn't move, I thought, aloofly, as though she were just a foolish woman who couldn't understand.
However, despite her warnings I still stood there, hopeless and agonised into immobility, unwilling to even try and escape, that was until a rotting hand closed around my throat and lifted me abruptly from the floor. I soon snapped from my trance then. Gasping for air as skeletal hands tightened around my neck and arms, I watched in horror as they all surrounded me, each Dementor holding onto me and pinning me to the wall. What on Earth had I been doing? I wondered in horrified disgust, had I wanted them to get me or something? Appalled by what I had been doing as I sank into depression, I didn't have to try very hard to focus on the here and now. As something a thousand times more pressing that my sudden misery under the Dementor's influence was happening. I was in great danger.
It was a terrifying sight, looking around as they surrounded me, choking the life out of me, even though I knew that death would come from under their hoods and not by their hands. Their rotting, dead smell filled my nostrils, the sound of their ominous breathing echoed in my ears over the nose of my blood pounding there, and worst of all, I could see hints of their grey, expressionless faces under their tattered hoods. Opening and closing my mouth, like a goldfish fighting for air, I began to struggle, trying desperately to pull myself free of their cold grasp. I kicked and thrashed and pulled but I couldn't free myself, they were holding me too tightly, anxious to end who was probably the first person to fight back against them since they'd been brought here. Panic rising quickly inside me, eclipsing all earlier emotions, I whimpered as I tried to yank my arm free and their sharp nails scratched at my skin. I wanted to swallow all my pride and plead with them to let me go, but I knew it would do me no good. A horrible thought began to dawn on me as they pinned me firmly against the wall, having to use force now my despair had been pushed aside once more. I realised that this could be it, this could be the end.
I wanted to cry, to scream and to fight, but in my current state I could do nothing, the Dementors' grip and my own fear preventing me. I could hear the other Muggleborns shouting, screaming, weeping, but they could do nothing to help me, their own fear was paralyzing them as well, and that, if it was possible, made me feel even worse. To hear their sorrow was almost as painful as feeling my own and certainly not the sound I wanted to die to. When a Dementor to my right began to lower its hood, I felt my heart stop in my chest, my eyes widen and my stomach plummet.
"No," I cried as it began to reveal its horrific, dead face and my struggling intensified.
"No," I repeated as I trashed about in their grip, where only seconds before I hadn't even been able to move an inch. It wouldn't end like this, it couldn't, I didn't want to die, I refused to! I wasn't ready to go yet. Fighting with all my might I twisted my wrist and pointed my wand, which I still mercifully held, at the Dementor in front of me, shaking with the effort it took to keep it trained there, as cold hands battled to retrain me. I wasn't going down without a fight.
"Expecto Patronum!" I exclaimed, quivering and latching on once more to that happy memory, the same one as before.
I closed my eyes and, cringing away as the Dementors lent in close, I felt something explode from my wand tip. The next second I was falling. Hitting the hard marble floor with a painful thump, I groaned and opened my eyes, watching in relief and amazement as my enraged silver ferret shot across the room, driving back the Dementors once more, tiny teeth and claws bared. Quickly I got to my feet, gripping my wand tightly I balanced on shaky legs, still quivering from what had almost happened. Feeling my cheeks pinken in humiliation as I thought about how I had just stood there and let the Dementors get a hold of me, I did my best to push that aside for now, I could chastise myself later, for now I had more important things to do. Looking over at the wizards and witches gathered together by the wall of the corridor, standing together for comfort and protection as my Patronus fought off the Dementors; I hurried forwards, remembering my determination to help them. Now that they were free of the Dementors I couldn't just leave them here, I had to help them escape, lest they all be unfairly tried in this reverse witch hunt.
When I reached them they all reached out for me, warm hands banishing the chills left by the Dementors and comforting me. They thanked me and asked me if I was alright, I insisted that I was fine but that still didn't seem to ease their worry, though I could understand that since they had spent who knew how long in the company of Dementors. Gaze flicking over to my ferret, which seemed to be struggling again against the gang of Dementors, I anxiously turned back to the Muggleborns about to tell them that I was going to help them, that we just needed to wait for my friends and then we would get them out of here. But at that moment I heard the sound of commotion from the other side of the Courtroom door, shouted spells, bangs and screaming. Alarmed I turned, wand clasped tightly in hand, to face the door, just in case what should emerge wasn't a friendly face. The wandless witches and wizards gathered behind me, listening to the noise behind the door and watching as the Dementors made their ominous and persistent way back towards us, wasted hands reaching and ragged robes blowing in an nonexistent breeze, and my strong little ferret was growing fainter with every passing second. I meanwhile wanted nothing more than to burst into the Courtroom and help my friends, as judging by the noise something had gone seriously wrong in there, but I couldn't, it wouldn't be safe to leave these people here alone, I had made the Dementors angry and who knew what they would do to them if I ran off. So I stayed, braced and ready to spring into action.
The door to the Courtrooms flew open a second later and out glided a tall silver stag and a sweet, drifting otter. Harry and Hermione's Patronuses, followed closely by the two themselves, both looking slightly harassed and anxious, which instantly had me feeling the same. Lastly emerged a dazed looking Mary Cattermole, who was holding on to herself tightly, clearly scared witless. I ran to meet my friends, who had spotted me, and had been jogging this way, just as my silver ferret unwillingly vanished, fighting up until the last for me. So I skidded to a stop, the terrified Muggleborns right behind me, and pointed my wand at the Dementors once more.
"Expecto Patronum!" I cried for a third time, clutching tightly to the same unlikely memory I had used twice before, as it seemed to be working for me. I just wouldn't allow myself to think too deeply about it.
There was a gasp from Hermione as my silver ferret shot from my wand and scurried once more, to join the stag and otter and this time with their help it succeeded in driving the Dementors into the shadows. Both my friends were looking at me when I turned back to face them, surprise and confusion evident on their faces, they both knew full well what form my Patronus was supposed to take and both knew as well as I did the only circumstances that could cause a Patronus to change. But I wasn't thinking about that either. However, mercifully they didn't say anything, both seemed to understand that this was something to discus at another time, and Hermione had noticed the bloody gashes in the sleeves of my robes.
"Ivy!" she exclaimed as she pointed to them "what happened to you?"
"Dementors," I answered as I looked away and shrugged, though my voice indicated that I felt anything but nonchalant, words couldn't accurately describe how it felt to be restrained by those creatures and so close to losing your soul. "I'm fine, but we need to get these people out of here." I said firmly, looking intently at Harry, who nodded before turning to the others.
"It's been decided that you should all go home and go into hiding with your families," Harry announced to the crowd, who were still hunched over each other and staring at the Patronuses in fascination "Go abroad if you can. Just get well away from the Ministry. That's the – er – new official position. Now, if you'll just follow the Patronuses, you'll be able to leave through the Atrium."
The frightened witches and wizards didn't need to be asked twice, in a tight knit group they hurried down the corridors, following Harry's great stag and Hermione's graceful otter. My ferret, meanwhile, doubled back over the heads of the crowd until it was curling its long, silken tail around its self and waiting for me a little way ahead. Staring at it with a fascination of my own as I reached it and it scampered along beside me, drifting by the side of my head, I got a proper look at my new Patronus for the first time since it had arrived. It was bigger than your average ferret, I observed, with a long, twitchy nose and a furry, arched silver back. It was beautiful, so elegant as it scampered through the open air, its head held high and its silken tail swishing behind it, and despite my shock I felt fondly towards it already, as though I was already familiar with it. So, weirdly, I smiled as we all raced up the steps and away from the Courtrooms, though needless to say I was the only one doing so. Harry and Hermione were watching me with troubled expressions in place, as though they knew some grave secret I didn't, or maybe because I was doing something they didn't approve of, which didn't make sense to me. When I raised my eyebrows at my friends questioningly they both looked away, seemingly uncomfortable, and refusing to answer my unspoken question.
As we neared the lifts, Ron appeared, running down the corridor towards us, apparently having just gotten down here. He was still soaked through, only now rather than looking miserable he looked determined, not to mention alarmed, something wasn't right and Harry, Hermione and I picked up our own pace, hurrying towards Ron, anxious. Mrs Cattermole got their first though, thinking Ron was her husband she threw herself at him and hugged him tightly, telling him that Harry, or rather Runcorn, had saved her and told them all to run away. Ron looked extremely uncomfortable as she clung to him lovingly, and ordinarily that would have been amusing, though none of us felt like laughing now, he ignored his discomfort though and turned to us.
"Harry, they know there are intruders inside the Ministry," he said worriedly meeting Harry's gaze gravely.
"How?" I asked, feeling fear grip me all the tighter, how were we going to escape if they knew someone was here?
"Something about a hole in Umbridge's office door, I reckon we've got five minutes, if that-" Ron answered but was cut off when a loud pop echoed in the corridor as Hermione's Patronus vanished in her sudden panic. Which I could understand, since I was surprised mine was even still here with how frightened Ron's words made me, this wasn't good for us, but it was still there, floating closely by my side. I was determined though, adamant that we get ourselves and all these people out of here safely, so maybe that was why it remained.
"Harry, if we're trapped here - !" she said fearfully, voicing all of our thoughts and trembling a little.
"We won't be if we move fast," Harry insisted before looking back at the terrified group behind us, who looked really sceptical now "I promise." He said firmly, wanting them to trust and believe in him, since that would increase our chances of getting out of here in time.
"Let's get going then," I suggested gesturing towards the lifts, not too far away from us, the others nodded and we set off at a jog, the Muggleborns following behind us at Harry's encouragement.
We reached the lifts and all twenty or so of us squeezed inside two, the Patronuses meanwhile, hovered outside, almost like guards as the doors shut behind us. I felt a prang when my ferret disappeared, having been drawing strength from it, but I wasn't about to dwell on something so trivial right now, even if I felt suddenly more alone without it. I realised that there were more pressing things to think about than my new ferret. Like how were we going to get all of these people out of here safely, when they were all known Muggleborns and surely the Ministry wouldn't just let them leave. Asking had revealed that only about half of the wizards here still had their wands, troubled Harry had asked those who didn't have a wand to attach themselves to someone who did, and advised them all to stay close to us. Things still didn't look too good for us though, we still had to cross the Atrium, which was going to be tricky at best. Harry looked to be thinking along the same lines, as his face was firmly set with a frown by the time we reached the Atrium and the lift doors shuddered open.
The sight that awaited us there was not a good one, it was the exact opposite of what we needed right then and as we all began to make our way out of the lift we stared, in restrained horror, as we watched several Ministry workers running about between the fireplaces, sealing them off. Sealing us in. As we all stood together in an indiscreet crowd by the lifts, I clutched my wand, ready to act, and irately brushed a strand of hair out of my face, noticing as I did that it was now an auburn colour, rather than red. The Polyjuice Potion was starting to wear off. Looking up I went to warn the others, as Hermione's hair was regaining some of its colour and I could she her slowly starting to grow. We needed to hurry, we needed to get out of here now, otherwise we'd be stuck in here when we turned back into our normal selves, leaving no doubt in the Ministry's mind as to who we were. However, as I went to reach out for my friends, Harry, who so far had not started to change back, shouted in Runcorn's booming voice.
"STOP!" he said powerfully and even above the noise of the Atrium, the wizards sealing the fireplace stopped in their tracks and looked up fearfully. I looked at Harry, wondering what the man who made up his disguise had done to gain such infamy here.
Harry glanced at Hermione and I meaningfully before starting across the Atrium, Hermione followed instantly and I turned back to the terrified Muggleborns, beckoning them to follow.
"Hurry," I urged as we crossed the room, a great many eyes upon our highly noticeable procession as we moved "we need to get you out of here."
The woman who had shouted for me to look out down in the Courtroom, a motherly looking woman with mousey blonde hair, nodded discreetly, motioning for the others to be quick as we neared the Ministry workers, all of which looked alarmed to have gotten on the wrong side of Runcorn. One balding man asked what was wrong and Harry said that we needed to get this group out before the exits were closed, the wizards were reluctant to let us however, and the one who had spoken before said that they had been given instructions to let no one out. Harry cut across him though, impressively shouting at the man and making him quiver at Runcorn's voice, demanding to be let out. The man, while obviously terrified, still didn't want to let us out despite how imposing Harry was, though he looked more inclined to so I decided to add some credibility to this and stepped forwards, head held high.
"Muggle-Worthy Excuses Office," I said flashing Rosalind's ID tag and using my very best telephone-voice "we're running on a tight schedule here, we need to have this lot in Blackpool in the next minute, or else who knows what will happen."
"Blackpool?" the man questioned, his dubious gaze landing on me and looking considerably less intimidated than when he had been looking at Harry, not that I let that deter me, since I didn't need to be tall and imposing to be threatening. Just ask anyone who ever got on my bad side at school.
"Yes," I said, trying to put an important and demeaning edge to my voice as I'd heard others here do "we are heading out to defuse the incident of the vanishing rollercoaster, tell me you have heard of it? Surely everyone has!" I said and the man looked slightly taken aback, and a touch on the embarrassed side since clearly he didn't know what I was talking about, and why should he? It wasn't that big a deal, but he didn't need to know that. "These fine witches and wizards are to stand in as fake witnesses for the Ministry's official excuse."
"Which is?" the man asked, still doubtful despite the red tinge to his cheeks.
Trying not to look around anxiously for approaching Death Eaters, like I wanted to, I stared at him unflinchingly and said "that the incident was caused by a Muggle illusionist; these wizards are to stand in on the Muggle news as witnesses to the 'trick'. A highly important job, so, if you'll excuse us." I said firmly, leaving no room for further discussion as I barged past him and started to lead the Muggleborns away.
The man looked from me, with wide eyes and a slightly surprised expression, to Harry and said, with the tone of a man quickly backtracking realising he was in the wrong,
"Sorry, I didn't mean nothing, but I thought... I thought they were in for questioning and..."
"Their blood is pure," Harry said firmly as I continued to usher my fellow Muggleborns towards the fireplaces and Ron and Hermione stood guard, gradually looking more and more like their real selves with each passing moment, I anxiously noticed. "Purer than yours, I dare say," Harry continued loudly, addressing the whole of our audience and clearly trying to play the part of Runcorn and use it to our advantage, though I didn't know what good it would do us if we didn't get out of here soon. "Off you go," he said to the Muggleborns as they disappeared through the fireplaces, and feeling we needed to hurry, I caught his gaze.
"Albert," I said tightly as I shot Harry a meaningful glance that I hoped wasn't too obvious to the watching Ministry workers "hadn't we best be off?"
"Right," Harry agreed, motioning for Hermione, Ron, Mrs Cattermole (who was the only Muggleborn left by this point) and I to head towards the fireplace, and we were almost there, walking around reluctant and suspicious looking Ministry workers, when suddenly a loud cry echoed through the Atrium and we all turned.
"Mary!" The real Reg Cattermole, looking pale and sickly, shouted and I felt my eyes widen as I turned to look at the others, who looked about as shocked as I did, this wasn't good, we needed to get out.
"R - Reg?" Mrs Cattermole asked, her expression the epitome of confusion as she looked between the two men who both appeared to be her husband, obviously not sure what to make of this.
Ron swore loudly, knowing how bad this was for us, and as I looked around, trying to get my bearings and see what our chances were and Mr Cattermole continued to call out for his wife, I heard Hermione whisper,
"Harry!" In an urging voice, trying to get us into action. My heart beating frantically in my chest as the Ministry workers tried to figure out what was going on, and realised there was something not right about us, and Mr Cattermole converged on us, I started to take steps backwards, forcing my friends to do the same, bringing us closer to the fireplaces.
"Seal the exit!" Yaxley yelled as he exploded out of one of the lifts and started to sprint across the Atrium towards us.
"Not good," Ron commented as he turned urgently towards Mrs Cattermole and Harry quickly punched the man, who we had been dealing with mere minutes before, when he raised his wand to try and stop us. Harry then shouted something which caused all the floored man's colleagues to get in an uproar, however I didn't hear what as I was quickly turning to the real Reg Cattermole, who looked distressed as Ron used the madness as a cover and led Mary through the fireplace.
"Come on!" I said to Mr Cattermole insistently as I took hold of his arm and began to pull him towards the fireplaces, not wanting him to be left behind in all of this and bless him, the poor man was confused. "Quickly, you need to get out!"
The roar of enraged and determined men rang loud in my ears as we ran towards the fireplace, my dark hair flying hinderingly in front of my eyes as we did so, and my temporarily long legs shrinking awkwardly with each step I took, making running difficult. Spells whooshed past my head as they tried to apprehend us, but I knew they didn't stand a chance, we had already reached the fireplace and there was no stopping us now, but still I couldnt feel any relief yet, there was still time for something to go wrong. So, looking worriedly over my shoulder just as Mr Cattermole and I skidded into the fireplace, I spotted Harry and Hermione running right behind us, just before the emerald flames leapt up around us and we spun for a short while before we were thrown out of the toilet. Coming to a clattering halt on the dirty tiled floors of the public toilet, I knocked my hair out of my eyes, and with my heart in my throat I hurried forwards, letting go of Mr Cattermole, and spotting Ron trying to shake off his wife by the sinks.
"Ron," I called to hurry him as I ran, we really had no time, we had to get out of here.
"Reg, I don't understand-" Mrs Cattermole was saying as she clung to Ron's arm and he tried to pull it free, a look of restrained disgust and desperation on his face.
"Let go, I'm not your husband, you've got to go home!" he insisted and I quickly turned back to Mr Cattermole, who was now staring at the scene in utter disbelief, even though Ron was looking less and less like the older wizard every second. He couldn't understand it.
"This, is your husband," I said leading Mr Cattermole to his wife, who loosened her hold on Ron, to look intently at her husband, and allowed me to take his hand and pull him away from her.
Hermione and Harry shot out of the toilet then, Hermione almost all the way back to looking like herself, however, as they emerged from the cubical and started towards where Ron and I stood there was a terrifying noise that came from the toilet behind them. I felt my heart beat quicken with fear as Ron and I started towards our friends, reaching out for them and desperate to get out of here now.
"LET'S GO!" Harry shouted as I caught onto his hand and Ron quickly took Hermione's in his, his big eyes going enormous with fear as he looked over her shoulder and spotted Yaxley emerging from the cubicle, I was just as terrified, but it didn't matter, I couldnt register anything more, Hermione was already apparating.
Darkness encompassed us and heavy forces seemed to press on us from all sides, tight and suffocating, made a thousand times worse by the frantic beating of my heart and my fear that we wouldn't escape, but just when it reached the point where I thought I could bear it no longer, that it would never end, it did. The world opened up again, the great hand that seemed to be squeezing us all tightly during apparation, let go, and I found myself teetering dangerously on the edge of the top step at Grimmauld place, about to fall, when suddenly I was sucked into darkness again and the crushing pressure returned. My friends and I seemed to shoot down a tight pipe, the only fixed things my grip on Harry and Ron, and then suddenly the pressure lifted.
Losing my balance, I let go of their hands, unable to hold on any longer as Harry and Ron tumbled as well. Feeling a chill wind blow back my now completely brown hair, I gasped as the floor suddenly rose up to meet me, confusingly orange and damp, but then I felt no more, just an otherworldly breeze drifting across the forefront of my brain and then darkness. The numbness of the immense blackness stretching out before me in every direction, was strange after the flood of frantic emotions I had been feeling just before, it was almost like I had been pulled up short and that keen sting of abruptness was the only thing I could feel. Until colour and sight returned to me and my Inner eye shot open. I was greeted by the blinding contrast of brilliant white snow and the blackness of night, I felt a coldness settle around me, but oddly enough I felt happy, ecstatic even as I focused in on something, seeing only that from my first person perspective. It was a locket, dangling from someone hands on a heavy gold chain, the hexagonal locket was open and the windows inside it smashed. I had only the time to register that and a deep, almost hysterical, happiness, before this world too was ripped away from me and I awoke, gasping, in the real world.
Laying there, suffering from apparation whiplash, struggling for breath and staring down at the leaf strewn ground, I felt a twig digging into my hand but ignored it, too busy willing my dizziness to pass so that I could sit up and tell the others what I saw. As I lay there, my cheek pressed against the muddy earth, I realised that I didn't even know the outcome of our mission yet, I didn't know if we'd been successful in obtaining the locket or if the whole thing had been a gigantic failure. But my vision made me hopeful, uncertain and confusing though my visions often were even I couldn't find something to dispute with that one, it seemed clear as day to me. I had felt so happy in it, seeing what was surely the locket Horcrux destroyed. Blinking a few times and tiring of waiting, I quickly rose up, pressing my hands against the damp earth as I did so, and regretted it almost at once as the world continued to spin around me, though I impatiently ignored that and span around so that I could look for the others. I spotted them all, laying unmoving against the forest floor and I felt fear begin to take hold of me again, and tried to get to my feet as I feared the worst, but just then Harry moved and I relaxed a little.
This didn't make sense, I thought as Harry groaned and began to stir, and Hermione slowly began to pull herself up, why were we in a forest? Looking up and around me at the leafy canopy I couldn't understand how we had gotten here, Hermione had been taking us back to Grimmauld Place, in fact we had reached Grimmauld Place, I could remember nearly falling down the steps. So, why had we ended up here? However, I didn't get the chance to think much more about that, or admire the scenery any longer, as Hermione let out a pained cry and my gaze snapped to her, crawling across the floor to Ron, an agonised expression on her face. My heart plummeted and I quickly jumped to my feet, and on shaky legs I stumbled across to where they both were, Harry sitting up on my left, looking like himself again and his expression panicked.
Hermione was shaking and whimpering when I reached her, her expression one beyond pain, and as I looked down at Ron I understood why. Ron was deathly pale and shuddering where he lay, but other than that he showed no signs of life and would not open his eyes, his entire left hand side was covered in blood, staining the leaf strewn ground around him, and Hermione's red hands were fluttering uselessly between Ron's head and his wound. I sank to the ground, Hermione's frightened whispers and Harry's heavy footsteps as he hurried towards us the only sound I could hear over the pounding of my own heart, oh God, Ron. Terrified beyond belief I began to look for something to do, however I could think of nothing, Hermione was already putting pressure on the wound, so I sat there, tears filling my eyes and feeling useless in my friends pain.
"What's happened to him?" Harry asked in a distressed tone and I looked up at Hermione as she answered.
"Splinched," Hermione said as she fumbled with Ron's shirt, her resourcefulness slowly vanishing in the wake of her anguish. Blinking back tears and determined to help I reached forwards and gently touched Hermione's shaking hands before ripping open Ron's shirt myself, wincing when I saw the deep, bloody gash on his shoulder. Hermione looked at me and mouthed a thank you, returning to work at once.
"Harry, quickly, in my bag there's a small bottle ladled 'Essence of Dittany'-" she instructed and an anxious Harry needed to hear no more, he quickly ran from where he had been previously stood by my side and searched out the bag.
"Bag – right-" I heard him say as he franticly searched for it.
I listened to the rustle of the leaves as Harry dashed about and snatched up Hermione's bag, watching quietly as Hermione looked down at Ron through a haze of her own tears, her expression one of out right agony as she smoothed down his hair and whispered that it would be alright. Unwittingly I watched in my minds eye as a memory flashed there, reminded of it keenly by the scene before me. I could feel cold water soaking my robes as I knelt down beside another bleeding boy in my head, his pale face contorted with anguish that I felt as keenly as if it were my own, blooded hands fluttering between the gashes on his chest and face, my breathing quick but laboured with terror. I felt helpless panic filling me now as it had then, only now I could only sit here, half paralysed by fear for my friend as well as by the sting of the memory I had just called forwards. I was hardly aware of Hermione shouting for Harry to hurry, or of Harry dashing back with the bottle of Dittany in hand, but all that happened around me without me so much as batting an eyelash.
"He's fainted," Hermione said snapping me back to my senses and reminding me that this wasn't about me, or my own suffering, that I was being selfish by just sitting here and thinking about the past. "Unstopper it for me Harry, my hands are shaking."
"Hermione," I said in a quiet voice as Harry pulled off the stopper and Hermione looked up at me, her tear tracks glistening in the sun streaming through the leaves overhead. "What can I do?"
"There's a flask of tea in my bag," she told me and I immediately shot to my feet "he'll need something for when he comes back around, to bring up his strength."
"Right," I said as I quickly turned, snatched up her beaded bag and summoned the flask from its depths.
Meanwhile Hermione gently lent over Ron and poured three drops of the potion into Ron's wound, Harry and I watched in amazement as green smoke suddenly billowed from the cut and it began to instantly heal its self. The bleeding quickly stopped and new skin started to form.
"Wow," Harry said as I unscrewed the flask and returned to stand by his side, admiring Hermione's work, the wound had now almost vanished, so that all that remained was a scar.
"It's all I feel safe using," she told us as the put the stopper back on the bottle and looked down at Ron "there are spells that would put him completely right, but I daren't try any in case I do them wrong and do him more damage… he's lost so much blood already…" Hermione said as though explaining herself.
"We understand Hermione." I said gently, watching all my friends anxiously, worried for them all.
Sounding thoroughly confused, Harry then asked how we had gotten here, since we had been heading back for Grimmauld place, and looking deeply ashamed for no reason that Harry or I could see even after she told us what had happened, she explained. Apparently Yaxley had grabbed hold of her as she apparated, meaning we brought him with us to Grimmauld Place, where Hermione had shaken him off and brought us here. However, it was impossible for us to go back there now, as we had brought him inside the Fidelius Charm, meaning he could get inside the house now. Taking the blame Hermione hung her head and apologised, even though as far as I could see she'd done all that could have been expected of her, and probably acted faster and more wisely than any of us could have done. Harry agreed and told her it wasn't her fault, saying that if it was anyone it was him, before producing a whirling sphere I quickly realised as Moody's electric blue eye. Harry told us that he had taken it from Umbridge's office door, and that it was why they had known we were there, however he said that he couldn't just leave it there and we all understood.
Despite how no one was the blame the mood was still a little bit down then, all of us regretting that we couldn't go back to Grimmauld Place as it had almost felt homely of late, I even felt sorry for Kreature, who, instead of greeting us this evening, would instead meet a gang of fierce Death Eaters. It was disheartening, but we'd get by. However, before any of us could think much more about this Ron groaned from where he lay on the floor and we all let out a collective sigh of relief as he shifted and opened his eyes. Ron said he didn't feel good, but he was once again in one piece and that was what was important. Ron then asked where we were, as the three of us gathered closely around him, and Hermione told us we were in the forest where the Quidditch World Cup had been held, because it was the first place she could think of.
After that we decided to stay here rather than move on again, as Ron was still weak, so, with Hermione setting protective enchantments around what was to become our campsite, and Harry pulled the tent, which was the same one they'd used at the World Cup, from Hermione's bag, I sat with Ron and handed him a cup of tea, which he took with only minimal complaint. With the tent erect, the enchantments in place, and a minor argument about calling Voldermort You-Know-Who, Harry, Hermione and I did our best to carry Ron carefully into the tent, putting him gently on a bed and hoping for the best. All of us sat in the comforting familiarity of the magical tent, a cup of tea in each of our hands, we discussed, in grave worried voices, the fate of the Cattermole's, each of us hoping they made it to safety. Harry then asked if Hermione had the Horcrux and Ron and I (despite my vision) turned to them in shock.
"You got it?" Ron shouted in disbelief from where he lay on his bed "No one tells us anything! Blimey, you could have mentioned it!"
"Well, we were still running for our lives from the Death Eaters, weren't we?" Hermione said as she rooted around in her coat for the locket.
"I thought you'd get it," I said watching as she pulled the great thing out and dangled it from its heavy chain "but still, you might have said!"
"What made you think we'd got it?" Harry asked me in a confused tone and I smiled, in spite of everything, and shrugged.
"Faith," I said easily, trying to lighten the mood before adding "oh and a vision I had just as we landed here, I saw the Horcrux destroyed, so I figured we'd get it at some point."
"You saw it destroyed?" Hermione exclaimed, turning to look at me intently "did you see how?"
"No," I said shaking my head as the others looked at me expectantly, thinking I might hold the answers to our next big question, which was how on Earth were we meant to destroy it, when Kreature said it couldn't be destroyed. "I only saw it broken, I didn't see how."
"Well," Ron said grumpily "that's no good. What are we supposed to do with that?"
Annoyed, I scowled at him from across the room, regardless of how poorly he was he had no right to talk to me like that, I was doing all I could and it wasn't my fault my visions weren't very useful. Harry and Hermione caught sight of my expression, and Hermione shot me a warning look, clearly not wanting me to argue with Ron in his state and Harry jumped in to calm the situation.
"But at least we know its possible now," he said with a meaningful look at Ron and an apologetic one at me, I huffed before unfurrowing my brows and muttering my agreement.
We all sat there then, inspecting the Horcrux in turn and trying to figure out how to destroy it, before Harry slipped it around his neck, saying we ought to keep it safe until we thought of what to do with it. Harry then decided we should take turns keeping watch and Hermione and I thought it best to try and find something to eat, since everyone would be hungry soon, and she hadn't packed any food since she'd thought we'd be going back to Grimmauld Place. So, with my Guides book of forest plants in hand Hermione and I set out to find something edible from the surrounding trees, but all we turned up were a few mushrooms, which when we sat down to eat them, turned out to be horribly rubbery and difficult to eat. All of us did cleaned our plates though, apart from Ron who only looked at them in disgust, knowing we would need our energy for what was to come.
After that darkness began to swiftly fall, and exhausted from today's events we assigned ourselves our watch rota, excluding Ron, who was too ill to sit up outside the tent and guard. I was told that I'd have the third watch, from three in the morning until six, when dawn would come and everyone would get up. Harry was taking the first watch and so said goodnight to us all and took up his post outside the tent flaps, Sneakoscope and wand in hand. Feeling my eyelids droop and my limbs ache with exhaustion, I said night to Ron and Hermione and climbed into the bottom bunk as Hermione took the top.
For a while I just lay there, despite how tired I was, listening to the wind rustling the leaves in the trees and the sounds of woodland animals moving around outside, half expecting each noise to be a Death Eater approaching. Although I was tired and wanted to rest I was in no real hurry to get to sleep, knowing that all that awaited me there was my vision dream, and after today that was the last thing I needed. I'd been reminded of him today more times that I needed, first with the nightmare, second with the Dementors and then again when I saw Ron bleeding on the floor. It wasn't good for me, those unguarded memories may seem harmless but all they ever did was knock down the defences I had been building up ever since the start of the summer. They shook my resolve, which I needed to hold onto for the next time I saw him. I had to be strong then, firm, angry and ready to take my vengeance, to show him that no one got away with what he did. But to keep thinking of him like I did only brought back the pain I'd felt when he left, which made me feel so helpless that if I saw him then I'd just break down out of sheer misery. And I hated that.
So, pushing aside all thoughts of blond Death Eaters, and even refusing to contemplate the change in my Patronus, which I was starting to understand now and no longer liked at all, I rolled onto my side and screwed my eyes tightly shut. It was my turn to take watch in a few hours; I needed to get to sleep. Focusing on the Horcrux, the bulky necklace which was the very reason everything that had happened today, had come to pass, I racked my brains for a way to destroy it, dissecting every inch of my vision for any sign of how it had been smashed, until sheer exhaustion overcame me and I fell into a fitful slumber, the platinum ring still resting against my chest as I slept, despite everything.
Author Note: Noel Ardnek asked me an interesting question, which was do I have any idea who I think would play Ivy. Well I had one idea and she suggested a few, but I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas? If you did I'd love to hear them.
