Chapter 67: The Ones You Love Most

Albus was growing increasingly worried for Harry. His protective instincts haven't faded since his death, in fact they have grown even more so. He tried to reason with himself that it was only natural that they would need time to recuperate from such an experience, but Harry needed sleep to try and recover and he wasn't sleeping.

He awoke in a cold sweat ever hour or so by terrible nightmares, but it wasn't at all difficult to wonder what he was dreaming of. Finally, it reached the point that he couldn't see the point in sleeping anymore and joined Hermione, who was reading 'A History of Magic' by the faint light of her wand. The snow was falling all around them, and she had been looking around worriedly as much as Harry had been. She looked only too relieved at his suggestion of leaving this place early.

"We'll find somewhere more sheltered," she agreed with him as she pulled on a sweatshirt over her pajamas in an attempt to keep warm. "I kept thinking I could hear people moving outside. I even though I saw somebody once or twice."

For the first time in what felt like years, Albus smiled faintly at that. For he knew who it was who had been wandering around there.

"I'm sure I imagined it," said Hermione, looking nervous. "The snow and the dark, it plays tricks on your eyes… but perhaps we ought to Disapparate under the Invisibility Cloak, just in case?"

Though that was a good idea, there was no need to hide from the person who was searching for them. Nonetheless, the two finished packing and covered themselves with the cloak before they Disapparated.

They left, going miles away to the middle of a thick forest, where Hermione informed Harry that they were in the Forest of Dean when she began to open the beaded bag. Oh… they had finally slipped up. Phineas was still with them and had most likely heard Hermione's words… and will undoubtedly tell Severus. It seemed a little much to hope for that Severus will finally be able to get the sword to them, but he couldn't help but feel that faint spark of hope inside him at the idea of destroying that locket at long last.

He patiently waited throughout most of the day as the two spent most of their time inside the tent, trying to keep warm with the bluebell flames that Hermione had conjured up for them. Though his concern for Harry was still strong for he looked as though he had been very ill. Which was to be expected however, for he had been bitten by Nagini… of course he would still be recuperating from such a nasty bite.

But he was also concerned whether Ron would be able to find them. Yes, he had this all planned out… he had a feeling from the start that Ron wouldn't be able to hold up as well as Harry and Hermione and with the threat of his family in danger, there was a chance that he might've left. But he also knew that he would regret such an act and be desperate to find his way back to them.

He had been watching over Ron as well and had seen the anguish in his face when he had arrived back at the campsite, only to see that his friends were gone. He searched all over the place, trying to find some kind of clue or hint to where they might've gone…

Ronald had stayed by the river that entire day and most of the night before, at long last, dejected and heart-broken, he left. He didn't return home to the Burrow, but to his eldest brother's house. Albus had a feeling that Ron couldn't bear having to face the rest of the family, but felt that Bill would be the safest place for him.

Ron barely spoke with Bill or Fleur the entire time that he was there. He merely sat up in their guestroom and listened to the radio, no doubt looking for any kind of information on how his friends were doing. He had been listening to the new network called Potterwatch—which made Albus smile just thinking about some of the broadcasts that they put up—and hung on every word that they said. And though no news about his friends was good news, he couldn't help but lay back onto his bed, disappointment written all over his face.

At long last, his patience was awarded on Christmas morning. He was sitting there, listening to the radio like he was accustomed to doing while at that moment…

'…Ron? When he broke his wand, crashing the car?'

Ron's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt-upright, staring around as he looked for Hermione's voice. It had been very faint and it echoed slightly, as if he was hearing it from far away.

'It was never the same again; he had to get a new one.'

"Look in your pocket, Ron," Albus said gently, having enchanted that Deluminator before he died… to help you find your way back to the ones you love… but only if they truly wanted you back.

Ron slowly realized that the voice was coming from his own pocket and pulled out the Deluminator with shaking hands, staring at it. He checked it all over before he clicked it open. The light in his room went out… but he wasn't completely in the dark either. For another light appeared outside his window, hovering near the garden. Ron stumbled out of bed and went over to the window to stare at the light. It all seemed to click for him.

He grabbed his bag and began to shove anything and everything he could reach into it before he wrote a quick note for his brother that he was leaving and not to worry before he went running outside to where the light was coming from. The bluish luminescence that you usually see around a Portkey cast an eerie glow over the ground before it slowly began to hover towards him, heading straight for the place above Ron's heart.

This was some of the most difficult magic that Albus could remember doing for a long time. But that light was bringing a warmth inside him, filling his heart with the knowledge of where his friends were and where he wanted to be the most in the world. He watched him disappear on the spot and he was on the hill… not far away from where Harry and Hermione were making camp. Oh, but how to find them with their enchantments up?

But Ron was only thinking of finding them as he began to shout out, "Harry! Hermione!"

Albus was concerned that he would be drawing in unwanted attention, though he knew that there wasn't anyone around for miles. Ron didn't seem to be thinking things through as he looked for any signs that his friends had been there, or might still be.

"Harry?! Harry! Hermione! HARRY! HERMIONE!" he shouted out, calling over and over until he seemed to realize that their protective enchantments were so strong that they couldn't hear. It was still dark out and he knew that he had no hope of finding them like this, so he pulled out his sleeping bag and laid it out under a tree, trying to keep himself as warm as possible, clearly planning to wait for dawn.

The sun had slowly risen and crossed over the sky, and still Ron waited… but there was no longer any point for him to wait since the two had already left mere minutes ago… having been unnerved to the sounds of someone bumbling around outside their camp.

Albus sat with him patiently, wondering if he could feel his presence there or not. But eventually he seemed to realize that he must've missed them. He pulled out his Deluminator in confusion, as if blaming it for not being able to find Harry or Hermione anywhere. He clicked it open and the light had appeared, ready to take him to the next spot and to simply try again.

As Ron disappeared, Albus felt the need to check something else and left to see Severus, wondering if he got the news from Phineas. He had arrived just in time, for Severus had just returned to the office and had just sat down when Phineas came running into his portrait.

"Headmaster!" he cried, out of breath, "They are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood – "

Severus's dark eyes suddenly narrowed as he hissed loudly, "Do not use that word!"

Albus smiled sadly down at Severus, knowing how painful that word must bring to him… those bad memories that still haunt his mind…

"– the Granger girl, then," Phineas went on, "Mentioned the place as she opened her bag and I heard her!"

"Good. Very good!" cried his own voice hand Albus looked to his own portrait who quickly told Severus, "Now, Severus, the sword! Do not forget that it must be taken under conditions of need and valor – and he must not know that you give it! If Voldemort should read Harry's mind and see you acting for him – "

"I know," Severus answered in annoyance, like he had been told to do something over and over again and was only doing it now to get him off his back. He took the real sword of Gryffindor from its hiding spot behind the portrait before he picked up his travelling cloak. They exchanged a few more words before he opened his eyes, only to appear back inside the tent. Everything was coming together now…

If things went well tonight, not only will they have their friend back, but they will have the sword and the Horcrux destroyed at the same time… it all depended on the right timing…

He waited anxiously, almost impatiently, the whole time. He stood there and kept a close watch on Harry—who was taking guard duty again. But anyone could see that he was exhausted… he was still recovering from his encounter with Nagini… yet he didn't at all seem willing to go to sleep only to have more nightmares.

He sat there at the tent opening and stared out, trying to keep warm by wearing all the clothes that he had, but even still, he could see him shivering. Albus was just wondering why they didn't teach their students about more survival spells like how to keep warm when Severus made his move.

He could sense it… he checked quickly and saw Severus standing next to a small, frozen pond. He watched as he blew a hole in the ice and let the sword sink to the bottom. That was almost cruel… but necessary. Severus refroze the top of the ice before he retreated to a small closure of trees that would block him from view, but still give him a glimpse of what was going on.

After making sure that his footprints were cleared from the snow, he cast his Patronus. Albus remembered how shocked he had been when he first saw it… knew what it meant. It saddened him greatly as much as it warmed his heart… but Severus had never forgotten about her… never once stopped thinking about Lily.

There wasn't anything else to do but watch and hope that things worked out the way they were supposed to do. The pond wasn't at all far from the tent, nor was Ron… it was a question of who would see it first.

Turns out that it was Harry… who had been dozing from where he sat every once in a while. The darkness had been pressing in all around and he was even holding up his own hand to try and see his fingers in this deep dark. As soon as the light of the Patronus caught his attention, he was on his feet, holding up the borrowed wand, ready to attack whatever was coming.

And then he saw her… the silver white doe that shone as brightly as the moon, dazzling the eyes as she slowly made her way closer to him. At the sight of her, Harry slowly lowered his wand, staring transfixed at the doe and Albus knew why. If there was anyone out there who could sense the familiarity of this doe… of who she represents… it was him. For even though he didn't remember her, no one could ever truly forget their own mother…

Albus could see his own mother's face flash in his mind's eye and his heart ached painfully. He shook his head, trying not to think of his family at that moment and to merely focus on what was going on.

He had hoped that Harry would at least call for Hermione to come with him this time… remembering what happened the last time that he went off on his own. But the doe slowly turned and walked away, leading him back to the pond where the sword lay.

"No," Harry suddenly called, "Come back!"

But she continued to walk away, trying to lead him to come with her. Harry seemed torn about what to do… but at last he went running after her. His instincts were usually good… and he had been surviving off them for years… and he knew that the owner of the Patronus was truly here to help him… as well as Ron also somewhere in this forest… but his heart was beating painfully in his chest.

He wanted to do something to help, but what could he do? The fact that there wasn't anything that he could do made his heart feel like it was being ripped out.

He followed after Harry, who continued to follow the doe, deeper and deeper into the forest. Away from the tent and he had to keep reminding himself that he would be safe with Severus watching… yet he didn't realize just how comforting the light had been. For whey they finally came to the pond, she turned to look at Harry one last time before he started to run after her, opening his mouth as if to speak…

And she was gone.

Harry stopped dead and stared around, fear coming back to his face before he lit up the wand, getting ready to attack.

Albus's eyes went to where Severus was safely hidden in the shadows, who was watching through narrow eyes. He could guess what he was thinking… how it could've been a trap that Harry just walked into. Luckily it wasn't…

Harry slowly stepped forward, his eyes staring around, and he was glad to see that Severus remained out of the reach of the light. Seeing his least favorite teacher—whom he believed was a murderer and Voldemort's right hand man—wouldn't do them any favors. Harry slowly walked over to the frozen pool and Albus supposed that the object in the depths caught his attention with the light gleamed over it.

At once Harry dropped to his knees and stared into the pool at the glittering sword that laid just beyond his reach. Albus couldn't help but smile, glad that something was finally going right for them. Looking like he forgot how to breathe, Harry continued to stare down at the sword, bafflement written all over his face.

Harry then looked around the area again, trying to find someone—anywhere here. Severus moved back ever so slightly as to make sure that he couldn't be seen, but he had also cast a Disillusion Charm over himself before he sent the doe off to find Harry so in this feeble light the odds of being found were near impossible.

Which was in the best interest for everyone.

Harry turned his attention back to the pool and he heard him try to summon the sword to him. Yet when the sword didn't even move, Harry didn't look surprised by this and he began to walk around the circle of ice, trying to think of a way to get it out.

"Help," he heard Harry muttered, though he wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or even to the sword.

But that wasn't how the sword worked… you had to earn it. Which means that there was only one way that he could get the sword out of the water. Harry seemed to have figured that out as well for he let out a long sigh and stopped walking. He glanced around at the trees one last time before he began to start pulling off his many layers of clothes.

At last he took off the pouch that he always wore around his neck and set it on the ground carefully before he pointed Hermione's wand at the ice and blew an opening for him. He watched as Harry then set the wand down and stood on the water's edge, looking like he was doing this against his will.

But that was when Albus noticed something else… he was still wearing the Horcrux. His eyes widening in horror, he tried to shout a warning, but he might not have said anything at all for all the good that it did. Harry finally jumped into the freezing water, letting out a startled cry, struggling to breathe and shaking violently before he submerged completely.

Albus watched in terror as he groped around for the sword, hoping that the locket wouldn't react to anything… but he was wrong. Just as Harry had found the sword, something happened… he let go of the sword and his hands flew up to his throat, struggling to get the chain off him.

He could see that he was tugging desperately, sinking deeper and knew that he was in serious trouble. Albus turned to look at Severus, trying to let him know what was going on… but he seemed to have realized it as well. He stepped out of his hiding place, looking ready to help, but someone else beat him too it. A tall figure with red hair bolted from the trees, dropping his bag before he jumped into the water himself.

Ron…

Ron had found Harry at long last and as soon as he had realized that something was wrong, he went diving in and pulled Harry and the sword out of the water. Grabbing hold of the chain around his neck, he cut it with the sword's blade and it sliced right through it like it was butter.

Choking and retching up water, Harry struggled just to breathe, too tired to even lift his head or notice he was here. He merely kept his hand on his throat where he could see the chain had cut into his skin.

Albus had never been gladder to have left Ron the Deluminator to find his way back to them.

"Are - you - mental?" Ron yelled at him and at the sound of his voice, Harry almost jumped to his feet despite the fact that he was half frozen. If there was ever a way to make up for walking out, this was the way to do so.

"Why the hell," Ron went on, swinging the locket around, "didn't you take the thing off before you dived?"

Harry didn't speak as he got his clothes and began to pull them on, never once tearing his eyes away from Ron, as if afraid that he would disappear again if he looked away. His teeth chattering and his voice hoarse he stuttered out, "It was y-you?"

"Well, yeah," said Ron, looking slightly confused, clearly thinking that Harry was asking if he was the one who pulled him out of the water.

"Y-you cast that doe?" Harry simplified.

"What?" Ron asked in great surprise, "No, of course not! I thought it was you doing it!"

"My Patronus is a stag," Harry reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Ron said, thinking it over, "I thought it looked different. No antlers."

Albus had to fight a smile… already feeling like the world was much lighter with him back. Harry finished putting on his clothes and picked up Hermione's wand before he turned to face him, asking just the one simple question…

"How come you're here?"

Ron looked as if he had been hoping not to have to answer that question and Albus tried to give him some form of comfort. Though whether or not he could feel him there, he didn't know. But Ron finally cleared his throat and said as best as he could, "Well, I've - you know - I've come back. If - You know. You still want me."

There was a rather thick pause between them and Ron was looking nervous, as if he wasn't sure if they would want him to come back. He looked down at his hands, having forgotten about the two things that he had been holding, and he stuttered that he got them out and handed the sword over to Harry, as if he wanted to see for himself if it was real.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking at it before going back to the question at hand. "But I don't understand. How did you get here? How did you find us?"

"Long story," said Ron at once. "I've been looking for you for hours, it's a big forest, isn't it? And I was just thinking I'd have to go kip under a tree and wait for morning when I saw that dear coming and you following."

"You didn't see anyone else?" Harry asked at once as Albus turned to look in Severus's direction, only to see that his old friend had long since left, leaving the rest up to them.

"No," said Ron. "I -" but his voice died in his throat a she turned behind him to where Severus had been hiding before. "I did think I saw something move over there, but I was running to the pool at the time, because you'd gone in and you hadn't come up, so I wasn't going to make a detour to - hey!"

Harry went running over to check it out, staring around for any signs of who was there, but there wasn't any use. After several minutes, convinced that the two were alone, Harry turned and walked back to where Ron was still waiting for him, cautiously asking if there was anything there. Harry shook his head and the two began to talk about the sword, looking at it in the wandlight.

"You reckon this is the real one?" asked Ron wonderingly.

Harry looked to the Horcrux and said, "One way to find out, isn't there?"

Albus also glanced down at the locket and his eyes narrowed when he saw that it was twitching slightly, as if it sensed that the object that can destroy it was near. That's why it tried to kill Harry… because it knew that the sword was the real thing. They had to destroy that thing now… it had grown to become very powerful since it fell into Umbridge's hands—and will only continue to grow stronger still unless they put a stop to it now.

"Come here," Harry said to Ron, leading him to a large, flat rock in the shadows of a sycamore tree. He set the Horcrux down as Ron held out the sword, but Harry shook his head.

"No," he said, "You should do it."

"Ah, very good Harry," Albus smiled, glad to see that he understood. "Very good."

"Me?" said Ron, looking shocked. "Why?"

"Because it was you who the sword answered the call too," Albus said. In his desire to save his friend, the sword responded to that desire and that was how he was about to use it to their full potential. It is very important for Harry to understand those kinds of things—not many wizards do, but the ones who can recognize them will be rewarded very dearly in the end.

"Because you got the sword out of the pool," Harry said. "I think it's supposed to be you."

Albus smiled proudly as Harry had his hands on the locket as he set it on the rock.

"I'm going to open it," he went on, "and you will stab it. Straightaway okay? Because whatever's in there will put up a fight. The bit of Riddle in the Diary tried to kill me."

"How are you going to open it?" asked Ron, suddenly looking terrified.

"I'm going to ask it to open, using Parseltongue," said Harry and Albus was surprised that he hadn't thought to use that before. But it does make perfect sense when you think about it now. Once again, Voldemort aided in his own downfall…

"No!" said Ron, his eyes full of terror. "Don't open it! I'm serious!"

"Why not?" asked Harry, looking up at him. "Let's get rid of the damn thing, it's been months -"

"I can't, Harry, I'm serious - you do it -" Ron pleaded desperately.

"But why?" Harry asked, a frown coming to his face.

"Because that thing's bad for me!" Ron finally declared, backing away from it as he started to tell him everything. "I can't handle it! I'm not making excuses, for what I was like, but it affects me worse than it affects you and Hermione, it made me think stuff - stuff that I was thinking anyway, but it made everything worse. I can't explain it, and then I'd take it off and I'd get my head straight again, and then I'd have to put the effing thing back on - I can't do it Harry!"

Albus's eyes sadden, knowing full well just how a Horcrux can mess with your mind and bring out your worst fears. He unconsciously reached for his hand, remembering how it had once been withered and caused him terrible pain the final year of his life… and for how his mind had been haunted by those ghosts of the past the moment he put that accursed thing on.

Ron continued to back away, as if it was something poisonous, shaking his head and his hand was shaking so badly that he almost dropped the sword. Harry's eyes softened at the fear he could see in his friend's face.

"You can do it," he said gently, encouragingly. "You can! You've got the sword, I know it's supposed to be you who uses it. Please just get rid of it Ron."

The tone in Harry's voice seemed to fill Ron up with some kind of courage. As if just hearing his name was helping him to keep going. He swallowed hard and slowly approached the rock, his hands gripping the sword tightly as he tried to stop the shaking.

"Tell me when," he croaked out with the air of a man about to do something against his will.

"On three," said Harry, looking back down at the locket and narrowing his eyes, as the locket continued to rattle around, as if fighting to get free.

"One… two… three…" Harry counted off and the next thing he said came out in a strangled hiss.

But then there was another hiss, and even a snarling sound from the locket as the little door opened with a click. And where the pictures usually went there were eyes looking back. Eyes that he remembered well… eyes that he remembered having belonged to a former student…

The same dark eyes that had once belonged to Tom Riddle… before they became what they are now.

"Stab!" Harry said, holding the locket steady and Ron raised the sword, the point dangled over the frantically swiveling eyes. They were looking around wildly, trying to find a way out of this mess before he heard them hiss… once they found Ron's face.

"I have seen your heart, and it is mine."

"No," Albus said anxiously. That was the piece of the soul talking now. He, himself, had heard that voice speak to him before when he put that ring on. It was now trying to prevent Ron from stabbing it by trying to scare him with his deepest fears…

And he had a terrible feeling what his fears were.

"Don't listen to it!" Harry yelled out to him when Ron froze. "Stab it!"

"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley," the Horcrux said, "And I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible..."

Ron was shaking so badly that it was a wonder he didn't drop the sword. Harry was shouting at him to snap out of it, but that was when the Horcrux began to speak again. How he was the least loved out of all his siblings and how the girl that he loved was in love with someone else. How he will always be second best, overshadowed forever…

Harry's voice cut through to him, yelling at him to stab the locket, but as Ron did so, the dark eyes in the locket turned scarlet…

No…

He couldn't watch what came next and so he turned away. But not before the two bubbles of Harry's and Hermione's faces blossomed out of the windows. He heard Ron yell in shock as he could hear Harry calling out Ron's name, but it was Riddle's voice he heard over everything else, taunting him asking why he came back when they were happier without him there.

Don't listen to it, Ron. Just do what you have to. He was stronger than this… but he knew that being tortured by your own fears and insecurities can make even the strongest man break. They continued to taunt him, with Harry yelling for him to hurry up and stab it.

"DO IT, RON!" Harry yelled out louder than ever before, just as he asked, "Ron -?"

It was that fear in Harry's voice that finally made Albus turn back to see Ron looking at Harry with Tom's eyes looking back. No… it was trying to possess him. Albus opened his mouth, but what he was going to say not even he knew. Harry dove out of the way however just as Ron seemed to seize control of himself and brought the sword crashing down onto the locket. It shattered and the piece of jewelry let out a terrible, drawn-out scream as the monstrous forms of Harry and Hermione that had been there before were gone.

Breathing hard, Albus looked to Ron, who was standing there with the sword in his hands, staring at what he had just done. Harry slowly walked back to him, looking as lost and confused as Ron did as tears began to fill the young man's eyes. Another Horcrux was gone and Ron had finally faced some of the fears that he had welling up in him.

But will they ever be alright again after something like that?

Harry picked up the broken and slightly smoking Horcrux as the sword fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Ron fell to his knees and covered his head with his arms, shaking violently. Harry stuffed the remains of the locket into his pocket before he knelt down next to him, a consoling hand on his shoulder.

But it was that moment, looking at these two, did Albus realize something. No matter what happened… these two—all three of them—have a bond stronger than family.

After a moment of silence, Harry finally said to him, "After you left… she cried for a week. Probably longer, only she didn't want me to see. There were loads of nights when we never even spoke to each other. With you gone…"

Ron froze at his words as Harry seemed to be close to breaking down as well. He took a deep breath and told him the truth. "She's like my sister," he went on. "I love her like a sister and I reckon that she feels the same way about me. It's always been like that. I thought you knew."

Everyone did know… but Ron. It was just painful at how noticeable it was. How you could never know about something even when it was obvious to everyone else. Why was it that the things that we want to say the most to someone we love are the most difficult things to say?

Ron wiped his nose noisily on his sleeve as Harry went to where Ron's rucksack lay several yards away and picked it up. He took his time doing so, and by the time he got back, Ron got to his feet, and he could see that he had regained control of himself.

"I'm sorry," he said in a thick voice. "I'm sorry I left. I know I was a - a -"

There was nothing to apologize for. Yes, he did walk out, but he came back in the end and that was what mattered. And he made up for leaving by his acts of bravery tonight. And it shouldn't happen again now that the locket was gone.

"You've sort of made up for it tonight," said Harry, voicing what Albus had been thinking, as Ron looked around, trying to think of something to call himself. "Getting the sword. Finishing off the Horcrux. Saving my life."

"That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was," Ron mumbled as a shadow of a smile came back and Albus finally chuckled.

"Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was" said Harry in a serious voice. "I've been trying to tell you that for years."

They looked long and hard at each other before they both walked forward and hugged each other hard. Albus smiled at the sight… once again feeling jealous at having such a close bond. Even after such a disastrous fight that would normally end friendships, they were able to put it past them once they finally understood. It had always seemed that way with the three of them. They have their share of fights but they can't seem to stand the thought of being apart for long. As well as always having something dangerous to bring them together again.

"And now," said Harry as they broke apart, "All we've got to do is find that tent again."

The two didn't talk much through the long walk back to the tent. With Harry the only one of them who could find it, and so Ron lagged behind. Yet, Albus suspected that this was dread at the thought of confronting Hermione… who he had a feeling may not be as accepting as Harry was.

Yes, Ron was going to have a time trying to explain to her his actions, which he was sure she wasn't going to forgive him so easily. Harry however seemed to be almost bouncing with excitement as they found the tent and stepped inside. She was fast asleep, and it took a few minutes for Harry to shake her awake.

Finally, he called her name loudly, and that got her attention. She sat up quickly, pushing her hair out of her face and said anxiously, "What's wrong? Harry? Are you all right?"

"It's okay, everything's fine," Harry said, "More than fine, I'm great. There's someone here."

"Don't say that, Harry," Albus said, his own mood brighter than ever.

"What do you mean? Who -?" she asked worriedly before she saw Ron, who was still holding the sword and dripping wet. Harry backed away so that she could move towards him with her eyes wide and expression holding nothing but shock. For one moment it looked like she was about to hug him… but then…

She threw herself at him and began to punch every inch of him that she could reach. Albus actually laughed openly at the sight of it all. Knowing that they were going to be ok, he opened his eyes, his heart lighter than it had been for a long time. He couldn't believe how far they had come in such a short time… they had found the Horcrux, gotten the sword, and destroyed. Sure, they stumbled and gotten lost along the way, they ended up getting there in the end.

But that still left the other Horcruxes…

He stared off into the mists for a very long time after that, just lost in thought.

Over the next couple days, tension between the three of them was on the rather tense side when it came to Hermione and Ron. She was still furious with him, and oftentimes pretended that he wasn't even around. But Albus was sure that her anger with him will fade over time… at least he hoped it would.

But whenever Ron was alone with Harry, he would keep saying to him over and over again, "Someone helped us. Someone sent that doe, someone's on our side, One Horcrux down, mate!"

Harry only smiled back, and it was so good to see that smile there again after all that that Albus was having a hard time keeping the smile from his own face. The three of them had needed this serious confidence boost and it couldn't have come any later. But as he watched the boys looking for some blackberries in some hedges, or at least pretended to, Harry told Ron everything that had happened while he was gone; including their trip to Godric's Hollow. While Ron, in turn, told him everything that he had heard that had been going on in the Wizarding World. But he asked Harry how he found out about the Taboo after he told him of some of the desperate attempts of the Muggle-borns trying to evade the Ministry.

Albus had been keeping a close eye on his old students and their families during this time and he had been relieved to see some of them had been lucky enough to successfully go into hiding. Others… weren't so lucky. He had been greeting a great number of people in this in-between world lately and it broke his heart over and over at the thought of how such people who had bright futures and loved ones had left this world.

"The what?" Harry asked in puzzlement.

"You and Hermione have stopped saying You-Know-Who's name!" Ron pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, Well, it's just a bad habit we've slipped into," said Harry in understanding. "But I haven't got a problem calling him V -"

"NO!" roared Ron, causing Harry to fall into the ledge and Hermione to scowl over at them. Ron tried to apologize, but Albus shook his head, glad that Ron was able to tell them the dangers in using that name. He blinked before he shook his head at what he had just thought. And here he had never seen the harm in using the name before. Ron was now telling him about how they had jinxed the name and how they track people and how it breaks protective enchantments.

This wasn't good at all. It definitely made things so much easier for the Death Eaters to capture Order members or anyone who was willing to stand up to Voldemort. Kingsley had been lucky to escape his encounter when he said the name. But he was concerned greatly for he knew this will be especially hard for Harry since he was so used to saying it; it would be so easy for him to forget all about it and blurt it out.

"Because we used his name?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Exactly!" Ron said serioiusly, "You've got to give them credit. It makes sense. It was only people who were serious about standing up to him, like Dumbledore, who even dared use it. Now they've put a Taboo on it, anyone who says it is trackable - quick-and-easy way to find Order members! They nearly got Kingsley -"

It really is an ingenious idea. Quick and simple and you don't even have to work that hard. Kingsley had decided to test this rumor himself and he had been cornered by three Death Eaters at the end of an alleyway for it. He had been able to fight his way out of it and sent a warning to the other Order members about that before he disappeared. Albus did feel a little satisfaction in knowing that two of those Death Eaters were still in the hospital after he got through with them.

"You're kidding?" Harry asked with concern on his face.

"Yeah, a bunch of Death Eaters cornered him, Bill said but he fought his way out. He's on the run now just like us," Ron informed him.

Albus sighed grimly. Gone into hiding yes… just like everyone else these days.

Ron scratched his chin thoughtfully with the end of his wand before he asked, "You don't reckon Kingsley could have sent that doe?"

Albus was a little surprise by that he would come up with that suggestion. But no, for Kingsley's Patronus is a lynx, not a doe. Harry remembered this fact and reminded him that they had seen it at the wedding. They didn't say anything for a moment as they moved a little farther along the hedge and Ron asked, surprising Albus once again, "Harry… you don't reckon it could've been Dumbledore?"

Harry barely glanced up as he said, a little coldly, "Dumbledore what?"

Ron looked a little embarrassed, but said in a low voice, "Dumbledore… the doe? I mean," Ron was watching Harry out of the corners of his eyes, "he had the real sword last, didn't he?"

"I wish I could continue to help you, Ronald," Albus said softly. "And though a part of us will never leave you alone… the problem is that the dead can't send Patronuses. Besides, my Patronus is a phoenix."

But Harry didn't laugh as he looked grim again. It was impossible to know what was going on inside his head at the moment. But soon he shook his head. "Dumbledore's dead," he said firmly. "I saw it happen, I saw the body. He's definitely gone. Anyway his Patronus was a phoenix, not a doe"

"Patronuses can change, though can't they?" said Ron, "Tonks's changed didn't it?"

Yes, but the way that a Patronus works is that it appears as a reflection of a person's soul. But if that person loved another more than they love their own live, then that is when it can take on the reflection of that person.

"Yeah, but if Dumbledore was alive, why wouldn't he show himself? Why wouldn't he just hand us the sword?" Harry asked suddenly.

Not that he wouldn't want to see them again face-to-face, the problem is that to use the sword properly they would have to earn it. He couldn't be sure if it would destroy the Horcrux any other way. The Basilisk venom is in the sword to be sure, but he wasn't sure the success would be as definite.

"Search me," said Ron. "Same reason he didn't give it to you while he was alive? Same reason he left you an old Snitch and Hermione a book of kid's stories?"

"Which is what?" asked Harry, turning to look Ron full in the face, his eyes full of a desperation for some answers.

"I dunno," said Ron at once. "Sometimes I've thought, when I've been a bit hacked off, he was having a laugh or - or he just wanted to make it more difficult."

Albus looked away. This was far from a laugh for him, but it was necessary to slow them down.

"But I don't think so, not anymore," Ron added and Albus glanced up. "He knew what he was doing when he gave me the Deluminator, didn't he? He - well," Ron's ears turned bright red and he became engrossed in a tuft of grass at his feet, which he prodded with his toe, "he must've known I'd run out on you."

Oh no. That wasn't to intention at all, and he was glad to hear Harry say the real reason.

"No," Harry corrected him. "He must've known you'd always want to come back."

Albus nodding slightly. Now that was the truth. He had known many people who have acted rashly in a moment of passion and have desperately searched for a way to rectify their mistake. Himself, included.

Ron looked grateful, but still awkward. Harry then asked him, "Speaking of Dumbledore, have you heard what Skeeter wrote about him?"

"Oh yeah," said Ron at once as Albus flinched at the awful reminder of that book. "People are talking about it quite a lot. 'Course, if things were different it'd be huge news, Dumbledore being pals with Grindelwald, but now it's just something to laugh about for people who didn't like Dumbledore, and a bit of a slap in the face for everyone who thought he was such a good bloke. I don't know that it's such a big deal, though. He was really young when they -"

Not a good argument. He's already been through that with Hermione.

"Our age," said Harry, coldly and the look of anger on his face said it all. Albus looked away again, once more ashamed at the reminder of how much Harry was disappointed in him. Rather than talk more about it, Harry decided to test out the spare wand that Ron had managed to steal from those Snatchers. He spotted a large spider and tried to make it grow bigger.

As he had thought the wand didn't do much compared to his old one. Wandlore was never something that Albus had been able to fully master but he knew that it depends on the wizard… and on the wand in question. He knew that Harry would find using either Ron's or Hermione's wands would have been a more acceptable result. In fact, Albus strongly believed that Ronald would've been able to use that wand more effectively since he was the one who took possession of it. Since Harry wasn't the one who won it, it did not feel inclined to work for him. He knew that the wand doesn't have a mind of its own, but there are bonds that are formed between them and the wizard.

"Stop that," said Ron sharply, "I'm sorry I said Dumbledore was young, okay?"

It was the strangest apology he had ever heard and he couldn't help but chuckle as Harry looked at him cringing away from the spider.

"Sorry – Reducio," he said. But the spider didn't shrink and Harry frowned down at the blackthorn wand.

"You just need to practice," said Hermione, who had approached them noiselessly from behind and had stood watching anxiously as Harry tried to enlarge and reduce the spider. "It's all a matter of confidence Harry."

Albus tilted his head thoughtfully. He was sure confidence and power and familiarity of the wand and wizard did have a bit of a factor in controlling a wand, and that the more familiar you get with the wand, the easier it will be to use. But it will never work for you like your chosen wand.

Harry looked like he was about to give her a retort, but seemed to think better on it and just nodded dully. Ron tried to smile at her, but she stalked off, away from him. The rest of the day went on rather peacefully, though still tense with Ron and Hermione there. Ron spent most of the time working on the wireless he had brought with him and tried to find Potterwatch on it.

He told Harry all about it, and Albus had to agree that he also deeply enjoyed hearing those stories. He would often sit through one of their broadcasts and listen in to how they would tell you everything like how it was.

Though it might be a little difficult tonight for Ron had forgotten the password to tune in. This week it was Fawkes it turns out and Albus felt a slight pang… missing one of his oldest friends already. Ron worked on it for some time, trying all sorts of words and names, hoping that they will be able to work. But he was also worried about upsetting Hermione and clearly afraid of some kind of outburst. Yet Hermione merely pretended not to listen as Harry continued to try and get the wand to work better.

But after about an hour, Hermione climbed down from her bunk and Ron stopped at once.

"If it's annoying you, I'll stop!" he told Hermione nervously.

Albus chuckled, wondering if they realized just how much like an old married couple they acted like. Hermione just continued to ignore him as she walked right up to Harry and said seriously, "We need to talk."

Harry looked up in surprise before glancing at the book in her hands. Albus groaned, really hoping that Hermione wasn't going to bring up anything else in that thing.

"What?" he said apprehensively and Hermione surprised them all by saying, "I want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood."

Albus blinked in surprise at that, wondering just why she would want to go and see him all of a sudden.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, looking like how he felt.

"Xenophilius Lovegood," she repeated clearly, "Luna's father. I want to go and talk to him!"

"Er – why?" Harry asked her as she told him about the mark. She put the book under his gaze and pointing to the letter that Albus, himself, had written to Grindelwald.

"The signature," said Hermione. "Look at the signature, Harry!"

"Er – what are you - ?" said Ron tentatively, but fell silent when Hermione glared at him and looked back to Harry.

"It keeps cropping up, doesn't it?" she said to him. "I know Viktor said it was Grindelwald's mark, but it was definitely on that old grave in Godric's Hollow, and the dates on the headstone were long before Grindelwald came along! And now this! Well, we can't ask Dumbledore or Grindelwald what it means – I don't even know whether Grindelwald's still alive – but we can ask Mr. Lovegood. He was wearing the symbol at the wedding. I'm sure this is important, Harry!"

Albus had mixed feelings about that. He knew what happened to Luna, the poor girl, and Xenophilius was getting desperate to do something to get her back. Yes, he wanted them to learn about the mark, but that would just put them in danger as well as the Lovegoods.

Harry looked up at her, clearly trying to figure out what to do. At least he said, "Hermione, we don't need another Godric's Hollow. We talked ourselves into going there, and –"

He made a good point. He assumed that their run in with Nagini was a hard learned lesson.

"But it keeps appearing, Harry!" she said stubbornly, "Dumbledore left me The Tales of Beedle the Bard, how do you know we're not supposed to find out about the sign?"

Yes, it was important. But it doesn't matter at the moment since it would be putting them all in danger. Xenophilius wasn't a bad person, he would never willingly work for the Death Eaters, but he was also a parent. And parents are often willing to do almost anything for the sake of their children. If they went, he might be desperate enough to try and turn them over to Voldemort in a desperate attempt to save his daughter.

"Here we go again!" Harry felt slightly exasperated. "We keep trying to convince ourselves Dumbledore left us secret signs and clues –"

"The Deluminator turned out to be pretty useful," piped up Ron. "I think Hermione's right, I think we ought to go and see Lovegood."

Oh, he does, does he?

Harry gave Ron a dark look, clearly seeing right through his ruse.

"It won't be like Godric's Hollow," Ron added, trying to keep things friendly between all three of them. "Lovegood's on your side, Harry, The Quibbler's been for you all along, it keeps telling everyone they've got to help you!"

"I'm sure this is important!" said Hermione earnestly.

"But don't you think if it was, Dumbledore would have told me about it before he died?" Harry asked and Albus frowned. He should have told him about it… but he wanted them to figure it out themselves. He wanted to prove that he did have faith in him and trusted him enough to be able to do this difficult job.

"Maybe… maybe it's something you need to find out for yourself," said Hermione, though Albus wasn't sure she truly believed that.

"Yeah," said Ron submissively, "that makes sense."

"No, it doesn't," snapped Hermione, and Albus's mouth twitched a little at that, knowing that she was just disagreeing with Ron for the sake of it. But Hermione turned back to Harry and told him that she truly thought that they should go talk to Xenophilius about that symbol. How it linked Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Godric's Hollow. She was sure that they needed to know about this.

Ron offered a vote, and naturally, he voted for Hermione and for a moment it looked as though she might smile at him.

"Outvoted, Harry, sorry," said Ron, clapping him on the back.

"Fine," said Harry, and he looked torn between laughing and yelling at him. "Only, once we've seen Lovegood, let's try and look for some more Horcruxes, shall we? Where do the Lovegood's live, anyway? Do either of you know?"

"Yeah, they're not far from my place," said Ron at once, clearly looking to be helpful. "I dunno exactly where, but Mum and Dad always point toward the hills whenever they mention them. Shouldn't be hard to find."

He wondered if there was a chance that they go to the Burrow. But then he knew better. If they went there, Molly would never let them leave again.

Hermione returned to her bunk, Harry turned to Ron and whispered, "You only agreed to try and get back in her good books."

Albus only laughed when Ron told him brightly, "All's fair in love and war and this is a bit of both. Cheer up, it's the Christmas holidays, Luna'll be home!"

But that smile was wiped off right away at the reminder of where Luna really was at that moment. He had visited her and Ollivander in the Malfoy's cell, and tried to give them as much comfort as he could give them. As well as trying to be there for young Draco Malfoy, who was now being haunted by some of the many horrors that he was forced to see and do as well. Albus shook his head, his heart hurting at not being able to help a young man who foolishly chose wrong over right.

They finished packing up and the three of them Disapparated to Ottery St. Catchopole that next morning. From their high vantage point the village looked like a collection of toy houses in the great slanting shafts of sunlight stretching to earth in the breaks between clouds. They stood for a minute or two looking toward the Burrow, their hands shadowing their eyes, but all they could make out were the high hedges and trees of the orchard, which afforded the crooked little house protection from Muggle eyes.

"It's weird, being this near, but not going to visit," said Ron wistfully, looking in the direction of where his house was.

"Well, it's not like you haven't just seen them. You were there for Christmas," said Hermione coldly.

"I wasn't at the Burrow!" said Ron with an incredulous laugh. "Do you think I was going to go back there and tell them all I'd walked out on you? Yeah, Fred and George would've been great about it. And Ginny, she'd have been really understanding."

"But where have you been, then?" asked Hermione, surprised. Ron told them about how he had gone to Bill, telling him everything that happened while he was gone and they headed up over the top of the hill. It was difficult for them to find, Harry walked under the Invisibility Cloak while they wandered for several hours, searching house after house for a clue to where the Lovegoods lived.

And inside lived a desperate man who loved his only daughter with all his heart.

(Again, another long wait, sorry about that. But we finally have Ron back and are reaching towards the Lovegoods place where we all know what happened there. We are reaching the end of this story and I hope that you are all looking forward to the ending as much as I am.)