STRONGER TOGETHER

(Chapter Twenty Four)

"Harry!" Hermione whispered loudly as she searched for him through the darkness of the living room. "Harry, where are you?"

Hermione and Ron had just finished a short heart to heart and they had decided to come and talk to Harry.

The couple moved through the dark room and searched for their friend.

"Harry, are you here?" Ron said quietly as not to wake any of the sleeping Weasleys.

The room was deathly silent for a few moments and then Hermione and Ron snapped around quickly when they heard soft footsteps coming from the kitchen.

"Ginny, Where's Har-"

"He's gone," Ginny choked, cutting Hermione off.

Ron and Hermione starred at her incredulously. "What do you mean, he's gone?"

Ginny stepped forward into the little light that there was in the room and the tears glittered on her cheeks.

"He asked me not to say anything, but-but he went after who-know-who, he went after Voldemort!" She said with fear.

"He did what?" Ron hissed and Ginny flinched slightly at his rage. "Why didn't you stop him?" he said again rounding on his sister while Hermione muttered "oh my God," in the back ground.

"Did he say where?" Asked Ron and Ginny shook her head furiously.

"No!"

"Wait!" Hermione said a little too loudly and Ron and Ginny stared over at her.

Hermione stood in the middle of the dark room with an expression of worry and deep thought.

"Maybe he…No…but it would make sense…" She said to herself. Ron and Ginny continued to stare at her.

"What makes sense?" Ron finally blurted out and Hermione walked quickly towards them.

"The last couple of months, that's what makes sense!" She whispered, and continued. "Whenever Ron and I were alone together, which was a lot, Harry would be by himself..." She took a breath, "I noticed that he had taken up a lot of studying."

"So?" Ron asked.

"So one night he fell asleep in the common room and I went over to see what he was studying. I saw all sorts of books on the dark arts and wizards and its history. Another time he had an atlas and birth records of wizards!"

"So?" Ron asked again.

Hermione look exasperated. "He's studying Voldemort, or rather, Tom Riddle!"

"Does that tell us where he is?" Ron asked.

Hermione went silent, her breathing still deep. Everyone was still as she started to pace. Hermione ran through all the images in her mind. Maps, essays, guides, anything that made a connection.

Suddenly she stopped. "Little Hangleton!" Hermione shouted and Ginny and Ron jumped. "I saw it marked on several of the pages that Harry was studying, it's a small town…with a graveyard."

They were silent for a moment. "The one Voldemort was reborn in?" Ron finally asked.

"It has to be!"

"Well than let's go!" Ron said and moved quickly to leave.

"No wait!" Hermione said holding out an arm to stop Ron. "Let's think about this first!"

"We don't have time!" He stated frantically. All Ron could think about was his best friend and that if something had happened to Harry, than the last memory of him would have been Ron yelling at him.

Ron tried to move past Hermione, but she held his arm firmly.

"Ron...Remember what Voldemort said last summer? That he wants to fight the three of us so we'd serve as a distraction to Harry?" Hermione pleaded.

Ron was holding his breath. Now was not the time to be discussing this.

"And Dumbledore said that we have to stay together! We're stronger that way!"

Hermione thought for a moment, her eyes reflecting her frantic thoughts.

"Your right, but how do we get there?"

Ron thought for quick moment. "Brooms!"

Without waiting for a response, Rom moved to the broom closet and removed two brooms. When he turned around he found himself face to face with Ginny, her expression set with determination.

"Ginny-"

"Don't tell me I'm not coming too! I care about Harry just as much as you do!" She hissed.

Ron looked at her with a mixture of sympathy and frustration. "I know you do Ginny, but-"

"But What?"

"But if something happens…What will happen to mum if she looses both of us?"

"But," Ginny stared again.

This time, Hermione stepped in, her tone comforting. "Ginny, we need someone to tell the Order were we've went," She explained and Ginny looked at her sadly. "We'll help Harry until they get there. Don't tell your mum and dad first, we don't want them to worry. Just send an owl to Dumbledore…Ok?"

Ginny looked at Hermione determinately, but Hermione held her position and Ginny finally sighed in defeat. "Fine…please be careful," She pleaded.

Hermione faintly smiled and rested a comforting hand on the young girls shoulder and moved aside. Ron looked at his sister uncomfortably. It finally hit him that he was about to do something completely reckless and might never see his sister again. He had to do it though.

Ron took his little sister in a tight hug and then quickly exited through the door with Hermione, brooms in hand.

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"VOLDEMORT!"

Harry's angry voice cut through the silence of the night. Warm puffs of fog burst from his mouth into the cold air as he breathed quick and heavy.

"WHERE ARE YOU!"

Harry turned around frantically, searching through the darkness for anyone. He had found the graveyard in little Hangleton. The same graveyard that he was at two years ago. Only now, he was just down the street and up a hill, now standing amongst the ruins of what might have been a home. Charred wood was splattered across the dirt and old moldy bricks that once made up walls were now collapsed.

"SHOW YOURSELF! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!"

The more Harry had to wait the more frustrated he grew. He had spent the last four months researching every bit of information he could pull up on Voldemort. This was the place, it had to be. He had seen it in dreams, in books, and he knew this was the place.

Harry's angry, frantic thoughts were interrupted by the sound of numerous cracks breaking the silence of the cold night.

Harry reacted quickly and skillfully.

"Expeliarmus!" He shouted and the death eater's wand flew out of his hand. Harry turned in the direction of the other Death eater. "Stupefy!" The death eater fell. "Stupefy!" Down went another.

Harry moved to take out one more, but before he could, the enemy had uttered an unheard curse and several painful cuts appeared on his face. Harry hesitated and winced in pain.

"Incarcerous!" Shouted a woman's voice and Harry quickly found himself wrapped tightly by thick ropes. "Expelliarmus!" Said another voice and Harry's wand was gone. He frantically struggled against the ropes to get to his wand, but it was hopeless. Harry looked up just in time to see a large fist headed right for him. Then…darkness…

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Well, how was it? Please let me know what you think. Thank you!