Chapter 14

- Team Work, Makes the Dream Work -

Teddy leaned back in his bunk bed, running his fingers through his freshly trimmed hair. Hermione had done an okay job of cutting it. It was short than he would've liked and was slightly uneven in some places. As he leaned backwards he watched Hermione as she begun to cut Harry's hair. Arkie was out, scavenging for food, claiming that there should be some herbs known to grow on cliffsides, though they all knew it'd be harder to spot them at night. Perhaps it was just an excuse for her to be alone?

Suddenly, Hermione looked up, her mouth forming an excited 'O'. "Oh, my God." She dashed away.

"What?" Harry looked panicked as he felt his hair, as if to make sure all of it was still there.

"I'll tell you in a minute." Hermione called back to them from the kitchen. Teddy followed Harry after Hermione, she was grabbing out books and spreading them across the table.

"Maybe you could tell us now." Harry said, watching Hermione.

"The sword of Gryffindor," she looked at them, her eyes shining. "It's goblin-made!"

The two boys were silent, looking at each other then back at the frizzy haired girl standing in front of them, waiting for them to catch on to what she was saying. "Great." Teddy said. Hermione let out a short breathy laugh.

"No, you don't understand." She pointed at one of her books. "Dirt and rust have no effect on the blade. It only takes in that which makes it stronger."

"Okay." They said together.

Hermione turned to Harry, her brown eyes glistening. She was the most alive Teddy had ever seen her in the months since they'd begun their journey. How much time had passed? What was the date even? Teddy had lost track of time.

"Harry, you've already destroyed one Horcrux, right? Tom Riddle's diary in the Chamber of Secrets."

Harry tucked his hands into his jumper pockets, the burning lamp above their heads shook left and right with the wind blowing against the tent. "Yeah, with a Basilisk fang. If you tell me you've got one of those in that bloody beaded bag of yours..."

"Don't you see?" She grinned widely. "In the Chamber of Secrets, you stabbed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor. Its blade is impregnated with Basilisk venom!"

The pieces were beginning to come together. "It only takes in that which makes it stronger." Teddy said, a silent gasp on his face. "And that means it can..."

"Destroy Horcruxes!" Hermione practically squealed. Finally, they were getting somewhere. Teddy spun around to Harry, resting one arm on the book which had a large sketch of the sword in it. "That's why Dumbledore left it to you in his will, Harry!"

"You are brilliant, Hermione. Truly."

They all stood, staring at the book. Hermione gave an embarrassed giggle. "Actually, I'm highly logical, which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook."

Harry didn't seemed to have been listening and neither was Teddy. "Yeah, there's only one problem, of course." Teddy glanced up at the others. "The sword was stolen-"

He stopped suddenly as the lights went out. They all stared at Ron, who was walking towards them holding his Deluminator in his now healed arm. He flicked open the cap again and the lights returned to their bulbs. "Yeah, I'm still here." He said with a scowl, the locket tucked away under his shirt. "But you three carry on. Don't let me spoil the fun." He aimed the last sentence towards Hermione and Harry.

Teddy walked around the table but before he could speak Harry got in first. "What's wrong?" He asked and Teddy prepared for the worst.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong." Ron said sarcastically. "Not according to you, anyway."

"Ron-" Teddy tried to jump into the conversation but Harry beat him to it again.

"Look, if you've got something to say, don't be shy. Spit it out." The wind outside blew so hard and whistled so fiercely, Teddy could've mistaken it for a boiling kettle left on the stove too long.

"All right, I'll spit it out. But don't expect me to be grateful because there's another damn thing we've gotta find!"

Teddy held Harry back, taking a few steps towards Ron. "Ron, we all knew what we signed up for-"

Ron's hair looked life fire again his red face. "Yeah. I thought I did."

"Well then," Harry spat. "I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand. What part of this isn't living up to your expectations? Did you think we were gonna be staying in a hotel? Finding a Horcrux every other day? Thought you'd be back to you mum by Christmas?"

Teddy looked between the two frantically. "Guys-" But neither boys were listening to him.

"I just thought, after all this time we would've achieved something!" Ron growled, standing so close to Harry they could smell each others breath. "I thought you knew what you were doing. I thought Dumbledore told you something worthwhile. I thought you had a plan."

"I told you everything Dumbledore told me. And in case you haven't noticed, we found a Horcrux." He gestured to the locket round Ron's neck.

"Yeah, and we're as close to getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them!"

"Take it off, Ron." Teddy demanded, Hermione was at his side in an instant, her eyes pleading.

"Ron. Please, take- take the Horcrux off." She struggled with Ron. "You wouldn't be saying this if you hadn't been wearing it all day." Ron pushed her away.

"You all want to know why I listen to that radio?" He shouted so hard his voice cracked. "To make sure I don't hear Ginny's name, or Fred, or George or Mom. And I'm not the only one!" He looked from Harry to Teddy who stared back at him, his expression unreadable.

"You think I don't know how this feels?!" Harry's hands curled into fists at his sides.

"No, you don't know how it feels!" Ron exploded like a nuclear bomb. "Your parents are dead. You have no family!" Teddy ran forward as Harry pounced on Ron.

"Stop. Stop." Hermione cried from the sidelines. Teddy split the two, pushing them on opposite sides of the tent.

"Fine, then go!" Harry hissed, struggling against Teddys grip. "Go, then!"

"Fine." Ron raised his top lip in a snarl. He turned on his heel towards the door. "Ron." Hermione whispered.

Ron heard her and turned back around, his eyes like acid. "And you? Are you coming or you staying?" Hermione couldn't meet his eyes. "Fine. I get it. I saw you two the other night."

Hermione opened and shut her mouth in surprise. "Ron, that's- that's nothing. Ron- Ron, where are you going? Please, come back." She ran out of the tent after Ron. As she dashed through the tarp opening she bumped into Arkie who had returned empty handed. The chestnut haired girl watched her and the furious Ron go.

Slowly, she turned back to Teddy. "What happened?"

No one replied, Hermione's shouts could still be heard in the distance. Then a loud... crack! Teddy picked up the locket Ron had thrown on the ground before leaving. He looked down at Harry who was staring out at the entrance of the tent.