"So if we say his name, it's sort of like a tracking spell now?" Harry looked intrigued, but Ron only nodded solemnly.

"Snatchers are brutal, mate."

Hermione had a pensive look on her tired face. "Harry, should we tell him?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well now we have to, Mione." He turned to Ron with a sigh. "Listen, mate. Dumbledore… he lied. To me. To us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Hermione took over with a shake of her head. "Ron, Dumbledore lead us on this path in his death, to find the Horcruxes and defeat Riddle, but he's alive."

"Of course Riddle's alive. You think he was an inferi or something?"

"He looks like one," Harry muttered under his breath bitterly.

Hermione cast him a look and turned her gaze back to the other. "No, Ronald, Dumbledore is alive, and there's more."

Ron looked confused, but seemed to take it in stride.. "More?"

Harry grimaced. "He… he put a block on my magic. And… he knew Sirius was innocent and still threw him in Azkaban. I was supposed to-" He broke off, a pained look on his face.

"He was supposed to be with Sirius. Lily's will stated that under no circumstances should Harry go to his Aunt Petunia." She said as gently as possible, encasing the small boy next to her in a comforting hug.

Ron blanched. "Harry… binding magic… that's- that's illegal! Outlawed ages ago because it had such bad effects on the people it was cast on. Do you, uh, do you know how much?"

"About 80 percent." Hermione looked surprised at Ronald's knowledge on the subject but offered the fact up anyways.

"Bloody hell! That could've killed you! And he left you with those abusive assholes?"

Harry nodded a bit miserably. "He basically got Siri killed."

Ron and Hermione had hard looks on their faces and Mione spoke up. "Harry had a rather… odd idea, but I trust Harry."

"I want to say the name."

"Are you daft, mate? Absolutely not!"

"I can keep us safe-"

"No!"

"Ron! Harry, show him what you can do." Mione snapped.

Harry rolled his eyes and, without words or a wand in hand, a protego shield appeared in front of him. The bright blue force actually started to push Ron backwards from the two others, and Harry instructed him to throw the most forceful curse he could. Ron looked skeptical, but obeyed.

"Diffindo!" The spell shot towards the shield and almost seemed to pass through it, until- it was gone! Suddenly the shield was too.

"I absorbed it!" Harry said rather proudly. He didn't even look as though he had used up any energy. "Mione's been teaching me what she can."

Ron looked like he was thinking very hard, but after a moment, he smiled hesitantly. "What do we need to do to prepare?"

They were finally ready to go.

Harry shoved the rest of the tent into Hermione's bag, shared a look with his friends, and took a deep breath.

"Count of 3?" Harry asked nervously. At their nod, he counted down.

"Voldemort!" The three of them chorused, grabbing onto each other's hands.

Within seconds, the snatchers appeared.

Bellatrix LeStrange was charging at them from down the hallway. The Malfoy family followed, curious, until Draco saw the face at the front of the trio and paled.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he mouthed furiously.

The Lord Malfoy stalked up to them and grinned widely. "Oh, will our Lord be happy to see you three. Finally got caught, did you?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, not intimidated by the prissy blonde with peacocks in the least. "Yeah, if you count us saying his name on purpose as 'getting caught.'"

The senior Malfoy looked surprised, while Draco gaped. Losing any pretense of not caring for the trio, Draco let his facade drop. "Bloody hell, Potter! Why would you come here? And Granger! You promised before you all left that you wouldn't do anything stupid! And- just no, Weasel, no."

Harry's face split into a grin. "Missed you too, Dray."

Draco's scowl deepened. "He'll kill you! All of you!" Behind them, all of the adults were shocked.

"He can't." Hermione said simply.

"Mione-" Draco started. "Mione, he will. You know the power he has."

The trio exchanged smirks, which dropped as a silky voice spoke behind them.

"What have you brought for me today, Lucius?"

Draco's face paled as the three other teens whirled around, Harry throwing up his shield. And there he was. Motherfreaking Tom Riddle.

Harry swore loudly. "You? You changed back?" He was rather hot, and only looked to be in his twenties. "For bloody fuck's sake, how?"

Riddle swore as well and raised his wand, shooting off a few spells in quick succession, which were absorbed. "How-?"

Harry smirked once again. Oh, it's on, he thought happily.

The trio raised their wands.