Note-like-things: Don't want to keep you waiting. After this chapter the story's gonna go really fast, casue I know exactly where I'm going after Christmas. I still don't know how he's going to get Nagini though…

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Once they had left, Harry examined the shelf again. There was something there, but the shelf was so dark. "Lumos." Harry muttered. The shelf lit up, and in the back was a large gold cup with a badger on it.

Harry smiled. I knew Ron was good for something…

He wondered what kind of trap there would be this time. Maybe the floor would fall out – or maybe it would hex him – or maybe the house would explode – whatever it is, he told himself, you have to do it. Every horcrux is one step closer to Voldemort and freedom and Ginny…

Harry took a deep breath and reached for the cup. Pain shot through his arm, and he let the cup go. It's hexed… well that's not too bad. At least no giant snakes or dead people are attacking me. He grabbed the handle and pulled the cup violently, sending it flying onto the floor.

His hand burned horribly, but he didn't care. Harry took off his robe to scoop up the cup with, when he heard a rumbling in the distance. The house started to shake. ((Think of a Jurassic Park type thing)) Now what? Whatever was coming was obviously sent to kill whatever had touched the horcrux.

Harry scooped up the cup and ran for the door. Ron and Hermione weren't far off. He was about to tell them to run, when he saw the look on Hermione's face – she was very pale and had her mouth open slightly, as if she were going to scream but her voice wouldn't work.

Harry heard a loud bang above him, and he spun around. A twenty-foot high river troll had lifted the roof off of the house.

"Run!" Harry screamed to Ron and Hermione, who immediately turned and took off. Harry sprinted as fast as he could, trying very hard not to drop the cup. Suddenly he felt as if a bus had hit him – something very large had collided with his right shoulder, sending him flying up against a tree.

Someone was screaming. Harry couldn't tell who it was. Everything was spinning, and a sharp pain ran through the whole right side of his body.

When his vision became clearer, Harry could just make out Ron and Hermione, trying to keep the troll from squishing Harry. Spells were flying everywhere. Aurors were starting to appear.

Harry saw an auror pushing Ron backward, telling him to run. Ron tripped, falling onto his side. Harry watched in horror as the troll moved sideways and stepped onto Ron.

Harry wanted to scream, but his lungs wouldn't work correctly. There was a sickening bone crunching sound. Someone was screaming again. Harry spotter Hermione running to Ron's side. Then she got up and came to him.

"Harry? Harry? Can you hear me?"

"Get Ron. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You -"

"It's only my shoulder. I'll live. A troll just stepped on Ron. Help him!" Hermione obeyed. Harry pulled himself up, using the tree to balance himself. In a few seconds his head stopped swirling, and he found his cracked glasses on the ground.

By now the aurors had control of the troll. More were appearing to deal with the muggles in the nearby city. Harry stumbled over to where Ron was.

Healers and nurses from St. Mungo's had arrived and were helping the injured aurors. Two of them came and took Ron to a van before Harry had gotten close enough to see how much he had been hurt.

Hermione came up to him and put her arm around him. "Come on. The healers are over here." Harry pushed her off and headed for the van that Ron was in. Just before he got there, Mr. Weasley popped in. Oh no…

"Harry, you -" Mr. Weasley started, but then he spotted Ron in the van. "What? What happened?"

"Mr. Weasley, I -"

"Out of the way." Mr. Weasley said, pushing Harry away from the van so hard that Harry fell over. Pain shot through his right side. When he looked up again the van was gone.

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"We need to go see Ron." Harry said. He and Hermione had apparated back to Grimmauld Place. The healers had checked his arm, given him a sling and a purple potion, and had sent him on his way. But Harry didn't care about his arm. Ron was hurt, and it was all his fault…

"You need to rest for a bit." Hermione said. "Ron will be okay."

"No, you don't understand -"

"Harry you won't accomplish anything by pushing yourself to the point where you die from exhaustion. You need to rest. Ron will be okay." She pulled him over to a couch and made him sit down. "Would you like a sandwich?"

"No. I'd like to go see Ron." Hermione didn't listen. She went into the kitchen and came back with two sandwiches.

"Here. Now eat before I curse you." Harry ate it, not wanting to provoke someone that he knew could kill him if she wanted to.

"Now can we go?" Harry asked after he had finished the sandwich.

She sighed. "Fine. You should go clean yourself up, though. You look like to just took a mud bath."