18. Chapter 18 - Silver Doe to Capture

After the event with Nagini, Hermione had Disapparated them to a lone, snowy forest. When they set up camp, Harry wondered about his wand. Hermione showed him the wand and it was snapped in two, unable for use. She explained that when she cursed Nagini, it rebounded and shattered his wand. Harry tried to repair it with her wand, but it was impossible. Aside from the fucking each night, they took turns keeping watch.

One blistery night, Harry was on watch when he spotted a silver doe across the way. Having the locket in hand, he wrapped it around his neck. Following the doe, he found a small pond covered in ice. The doe disappeared and Harry gazed down in the water. He saw a silvery sparkle and red. Harry had found the Sword of Gryffindor! He pointed his wand at the ice.

"Diffindo!"

The ice cracked open to expose a small hole he could jump into. He stripped off his clothes until he was just in his boxers. Slowly, he walked to the hole and put his feet in it. Instantly he felt shivers, as the water was ice cold. Taking a deep breath, he dived in, ignoring the icy chills overcoming his body. As he got closer, the Locket pulled away, wanting to avoid the sword. Harry struggled, getting trapped underneath the water with no way out. Up above, he saw a red haired figure and began to fade out.

A splash was heard and the figure dove for the sword, grabbing it with no trouble. He grabbed harry and dragged him up above. Once on land, Harry coughed out water heavily and looked as Ron stared at him, hair dripping with water.

"Ron?! Where? How?"

"Easy, mate. Had to get you outta there."

"Where's the sword?" Ron showed it to him. Harry took off the Locket and set in on a log. "Great. You kill it."

"Why me?"

"I feel bad about months ago. Plus, you saved me. I can never repay that. Kill it and we're one step closer to killing him."

As Ron prepared the sword, Harry spoke in Parsletongue and it opened in a flash, exploding in a cloud of blackness. Harry was knocked back, but Ron stood in place, shaking with the sword in hand. It began talking to him in Voldemort's voice.

"_I have seen your heart. And it is mine! I have seen your dreams Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears!_"

"RON! STAB IT! KILL IT!" yelled Harry.

"_All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible._"

"Don't listen to it Ron! It's lying!"

"_Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter... Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend... Second best, always, eternally overshadowed_."

With that, a shadow version of Hermione came and looked more beautiful than Ron had ever seen her. Behind her, a shadow Harry joined her and they both laughed at him.

"_Who are you compared to the great Harry Potter_?" she said. "_You are nothing compared to him._"

"KILL IT RON! FUCKING KILL IT!"

"_We were better off without you._" said shadow Harry. "_You will never come close to my fame, my power, my sexual prowess_."

With that, Ron charged at the blackness, darting through it. When at the source, he swung it down with all his might and utterly destroyed the Locket, ending its power forever. When it cleared, Ron gasped and calmed down. Harry joined him and congratulated him as they walked back to camp. Upon arriving, they saw Hermione looking shocked and worried.

"Where were you Harry? And what is HE doing here?"

"I..." started Ron. "I came to apologize. Harry was right. I should've asked you out when I had the chance. I'm not gonna get in the way off your happiness with Harry."

"That's nice of you to say Ron." said Hermione. "Where the fuck did you get that sword?!"

Ron explained about the Deluminator and the light. Followed by seeing Harry at the pond and saving him, thus destroying the Horcrux. Hermione was surprised by this and even gave Ron a friendly smile of pride. They entered the tent and she explained about wanting to see Xenophilius Lovegood. Agreeing to it, they Apparated to his home.

Half an hour later, they were inside his bizarre home, saying Luna was at the stream. Harry asked about his necklace and what it meant. Xeno explained that it was the sign of the Deathly Hallows. Wondering what they were, he said it was from an old story called The Three Brothers. Hermione got out her copy and read the whole story to them.

It was about three brothers who wandered the world with their magic. They stopped across a raging river and used a spell to build a bridge. As they crossed, Death greeted them and offered them anything the chose. The oldest chose a wand more powerful then any other, so Death picked a branch from an oak tree and gave him the Elder Wand. The second brother asked for an item to bring people back from the dead. Death got a pebble from the river and gave him the Resurrection Stone. The third and youngest brother asked for a cloak that would hide him from view, so Death gave his his own Cloak of Invisibility.

The three went separate ways for many years. The oldest was a renounced Dueling champion, unbeaten with the Elder Wand. One night, a man came in and slit his throat, stealing the wand for himself. Thus Death took the first brother. The second used the Resurrection Stone to bring his loved one back from the dead. She began to vanish, as she did not belong in his world. With that, he killed himself and Death took him as well. The third brother however, had avoided Deaths watch for many years. It wasn't until he was ready to die that he took off the Cloak and passed it down to his son and Death took the final brother.

When she was done, Xeno was nervous about them leaving. He explained about the deal he made with Voldemort. They kidnapped and would return his daughter if he hande dover Harry Potter. Luna had given birth to her child months ago and was living with Luna's grandmother. They were upstairs when he said the most dangerous word in their world: Voldemort. Death Eaters arrived and questioned him. As the trio made their escape, they made sure the Death Eaters saw them before Dissaparating.

Setting up camp once again, they examined their options as to where they would search for the next Horcrux. Harry however, was concerned about Luna's child. His child. On the radio, they heard Fred, Kinglsey, Lee Jordan and a few other talking about the Death Eaters and current news concerning them. Harry lost his temper and purposely said Voldemort. Death Eaters yelled at the from outside.

*This was supposed to be a Narcissa chapter, but it went on so long I decided to make it a non-smut chapter. Also, the Locket killing scene... when shadow Harry and Hermione come, I made up those lines. Didn't feel like using all the actual lines. Heh heh.