CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I'm as broke as a dead chicken.
Harry quickly cast a spell, hiding their sent. Why hadn't he done that earlier?
But it was too late; they found themselves staring into the face of a very angry and very hungry werewolf.
"Oh shit!"
You can say that again!
"RUN" Harry screamed, grabbing Dracos sleeve and dragging him through the dense forest.
We can't outrun a fully-grown werewolf. Draco panicked.
"At least try and be optimistic." Harry panted. "Silver, we need silver." He muttered to himself, "Get in a tree." He shouted at Draco.
Both boys jumped up and grabbed the rough branches above their heads. Almost in unison, they swung themselves up and started to climb higher.
What now?
"We wait."
What if it's one of Greyback's? When it transforms back it could tell Voldemort we're here.
Harry glanced down at the monster which was trying to scramble up the tree to get at them. "You any good at transfiguration?"
Why?
"Pull twigs off and see if you can change them into silver, when you've got a whole load aim for the werewolf." Draco nodded numbly and set about his task. It took the couple a good half an hour to collect enough silver to seriously injure the werewolf.
Shall I just chuck it?
"I suppose, you go first and if it doesn't work we'll think of something else."
Draco levitated his silver shards so they were above the unsuspecting wolf's head, then he jabbed hard with his wand, causing them to point downwards and piece its skin. Seeing that it was very effective Harry quickly did the same, aiming for the vulnerable parts of the animal's flank, before it sprinted off into the darkness, howling in pain.
Draco sighed in relief, Will it remember when it transforms?
"I'm not sure; it's probably going to be in a lot of pain for a while so I wouldn't worry, we'll be gone long before it recovers fully."
Err…Harry? How do I get down?
Harry smiled and launched himself out of the tree, as he hit the floor he rolled and then stood up, grinning at Draco. "Like that."
Ha ha. Draco drawled sarcastically as he carefully made his way down.
"Wimp." Harry teased.
Idiotic Gryffindor! Draco retorted.
It didn't take much longer until they reached the edge of the forest, however between them and the Lestrange mansion there was are large stretch of bare land. Not only would they be easily seen but also it would definitely be riddled with lethal traps designed by Bellatrix's sick mind.
Shall we wait for morning?
"No, better to do it under the cover of darkness and there could be more werewolves patrolling."
Draco gulped, good point.
"Get back! Someone's just appeared." Hissed Harry.
Rodolphus.
"Bella's husband?"
Yeah, wait, what did he do?
Harry turned his attention back to the man who was now carefully making his way across the land. All around there was now splotches of red, which Rodolphus was warily avoiding.
Traps.
Thinking quickly Harry disillusioned himself and Draco, "Come on, go round the other side but be quick we don't know how long the spell will last."
They walked as fast as they dared, occasionally one could see the moonlight illuminating hollow skulls and mangled bodies of those who had tried to reach the manor before. She is the most sadistic, insane, motherf***er…
"I get the idea." Harry cut him off sharply. "Concentrate, there's more traps here, try and head for that window. Rodolphus is almost across too, he'll cancel the spell."
When Draco had his mind back on the task, he made better progress and they reached the window and managed to climb through before the splotches of red disappeared.
That was lucky. How are we going to get back?
"Do you always have to think negative?" Harry groaned.
Sorry, I'm being practical.
Harry scowled, "We'll figure that out later. Where shall we start looking?"
If it was the cup or the diadem, it could be used as decoration or an ornament.
"Hidden in plain sight." Harry agreed.
Silently they scanned room after room for any sign of the Horcruxes, they were careful to not go near the west side of the manor as that was where Rodolphus was. After an hour of fruitless searching, they took a break; do you reckon it's near the other side of the manor?
"Could be, it doesn't look as though they use most of the parts we've searched much."
Or it could be in the dungeons?
Harry gave an unconscious shiver, "Let's hope not, you've seen the amount of torture devices and the results of the traps, I don't want to know what's been going on in the dungeons."
Draco shivered as well, good point. How long will it be until Rodolphus leaves?
"I don't know. But we could search whilst he's there."
Are you mad!?
"Then we could leave when he does and we won't be caught by the traps."
I still don't like it.
"Neither do I but it's the best option."
Reluctantly Draco agreed and they disillusioned themselves again and crept towards the mains rooms.
You know she adores him…well…you don't reckon it's in her bedroom do you?
Harry pulled a face. "I hope not. Lets look here first then her bedroom, then the dungeons."
After another half-an-hour of searching, Harry spotted it out of the corner of his eye as they peered round the door of what seemed to be a study. Luckily, they hadn't run into Rodolphus yet, unluckily he was in the same room as the Horcrux.
Just our luck. Do we wait for him to leave?
Harry looked at him, "Do you even have to ask?" Seeing Draco's blank face, he tapped him on the back of the head, "Of course we wait you doofus."
I wondered if your Gryffindor head was going to run away with you.
"Let's wait under the stairs, so we can see him coming out. Anyway, I'm part Slytherin."
How are you? Both your parents were in Gryffindor.
"Yeah, but the sorting hat almost put me in Slytherin."
Oh. How long is he going to sit there?
"How am I meant to know that? Stop being impatient."
This place gives me the creeps though.
"Me too. Me too." Harry sighed sitting back and resting his head against the wall.
xx Sometime later xx
"Sit still!" Harry snapped at Draco, who was fidgeting like mad.
I'm bored! Draco pouted.
Just as Harry was about to lean over to kiss the pout away they heard a noise coming from the study. "He's coming out." Harry whispered.
What bad timing. Draco complained.
"Shh"
Idiot, he can't hear me. Lalalalala. Draco sang cheerfully.
Despite himself, Harry smiled. Rodolphus appeared in the doorway, he was still in full Death Eater robes apart from the mask. He paused, and Harry forced his breathing to slow down a bit. 'He hasn't seen us. He hasn't seen us.' He silently repeated to himself. Rodolphus only paused for a couple of seconds but to Harry and Draco it seemed like a lifetime. Eventually he swept down the hallway, his cloak billowing behind him in a way which could easily rival Snapes.
Harry tiptoed to the door and peered round; seeing it was empty, he motioned for Draco to follow. Is it safe to touch?
Harry hesitated, "I don't know." He pulled a blanket out of thin air with a whispered incantation and approached the Horcrux carefully.
It won't eat you. Draco stated.
"You never know." Harry wrapped the blanket around the cup and lifted it off the mantelpiece.
Shall I make a copy to go in its place? Draco asked, eyeing the Horcrux warily.
"Good idea." Harry muttered.
Job done, they exited as silently as they had entered the study. "Now all we have to do is wait for someone to leave or arrive so we can get back across."
Well I don't mind waiting for a while, there are still werewolves out there.
"Come on, lets find somewhere to wait. I can take first watch if you want a rest."
xx Mid-afternoon the next day xx
Look. Harry he's leaving! Draco tugged on Harry's robes excitedly.
"Finally. Lets go. Have you got the cup?"
Of course. What do you take me for, a Gryffindor?
Harry glared at him, "Am I still invisible?"
Yes, am I?
Harry nodded, "We need to be more careful now, try not to move any plants or create any noticeable disturbances."
Draco would normally argue that he wasn't stupid but now he was too nervous, although he would never admit that. They had no trouble getting back across the open stretch of land or through the forest back into the village. Once they had reached the other side of the village, they decided that it was safe enough to apparate back to the outskirts of Hogwarts.
Using the two-way mirror Sirius had given to him; Harry contacted Ginny in the Room of Requirement and arranged to meet her in the shrieking shack.
"Harry! Are you ok?" Ginny asked as she drew him into a bone-crushing hug.
"We're fine. I need you to take this cup to Ron and Hermione so they can destroy it. Be careful not to touch it, I don't know if it's cursed or not."
"Right you are. I miss you."
Oh please!
Ginny sent him a withering glare, which caused him to take a step backwards; no one wanted to be on the receiving end of one of her bat bogy hexes.
"I haven't been gone that long. Anyway, we'll be back again with another Horcrux. If you have any ideas at all about where to look don't hesitate to use the mirrors."
After another couple of minutes, swapping stories they parted, Harry and Draco made there way back into the forbidden forest.
Where shall we camp tonight?
"Forest of Dean. Ready to go?"
Can't wait.
xx The next morning xx
"Ideas, we need ideas."
So you keep saying. Draco drawled sarcastically.
"You're not a morning person are you?"
You've only just figured that out now!
Harry couldn't help but smile; Draco tried to sulk but failed miserably. In the end both teenagers were laughing so hard that Harry fell off the log he was sitting on.
Back to business. Ravenclaw's diadem, another Death Eater perhaps?
"Could be. Who else would Voldemort trust?"
Not many.
"Not helpful."
Sorry, could it be hidden like the locket?
"In a cave or something?"
Well you said that the cave held some significance to him, so did that shack where the ring was.
"Good point. Tell you what, you have a pensive right?"
Yeah.
"I've got the memories that Dumbledore showed me, so if you have a look you might notice something we didn't."
I doubt it but I'll give it a try.
Authors Note
Sorry it took me ages to update but exams and laziness is to blame. Anyway, what do you think?
REVIEW!!!