Chapter 28:

Due to Alicia and Harry's injuries they didn't move from the snowy hillside and stayed another night. Hermione had the next watch at Midnight and Alicia was given a full night's sleep, however she didn't sleep very well. Several times she woke up after hearing someone calling out from a distance, footsteps joined it and she even got out of bed to join Hermione, to check.

"Did you hear anything?" she whispered and Hermione pursed her lips

"I keep thinking I'm hearing people… I thought I just saw someone."

"I keep thinking the same, like someone's shouting out…" she mumbled "I wondered if I was dreaming it but… maybe there is someone out there?"

"But why would they be shouting?"

"Could be a muggle who's lost?" Alicia offered, crouching beside the girl. "Or a lonely… wizard." she mumbled. Hermione turned to her, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Hermione asked. Alicia looked at her but she shook her head and looked out at the trees around them

"I'll sit with you, clearly I can't sleep, and if someone is out there…" Hermione smiled at her gratefully. Alicia eyed the trees.

A lonely wizard, wondering around, calling out as if looking for someone… Ron flashed though Alicia's mind and she stared at the darkness that engulfed most of their surroundings. She'd already guessed he'd want to come running back, but that didn't mean he'd actually find them. And if Ron was wondering around the woods right now, knowing they were here, how had he found them?

Harry seemed to have been awoken but the calls and voices as well, for he got up and joined the two girls as Hermione was reading A History of Magic by the light of her wand and Alicia was staring out, deep in thought.

Both girls looked up at him as the snow was falling thickly and he made the suggestion they pack up early and move on.

Hermione was more than happy too.

"We'll go somewhere more sheltered," she agreed, shivering as she pulled on a sweatshirt over her pyjamas. "I kept thinking I could hear people moving outside. I even thought I saw somebody once or twice."

Harry paused in the act of pulling on a jumper and glanced at the silent, motionless Sneakoscope on the table.

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

Alicia frowned, but she didn't argue. After all, it could be anyone, and perhaps she just hoped Ron was coming back as he always did so that it was the four of them again, so Hermione could be happy and Harry could have his best friend back? But there was no way Ron would be able to locate them, even without their protective charms, there was no way to check the entire countryside for them.

And so, she helped pack up in silence until, half an hour later, Harry had the Horcrux, Hermione had her bag and Alicia held both their hands as they stood beneath the invisibility cloak and Disapparated.

Once the tightness had released them and the had darkness gone, their feet left the snowy ground to be treated with a hard set of frozen earth covered in leaves.

"Where are we?" he asked, peering around at a fresh mass of trees and Alicia instantly looked at Hermione, who had the beaded bag and began tugging out tent poles. She grinned ever so slightly with the hope Phineas was listening as she had instructed.

"The Forest of Dean," she said. "I came camping here once with my mum and dad."

Here too snow lay on the trees all around and it was bitterly cold, but they were at least protected from the wind. They spent most of the day inside the tent, huddled for warmth around the useful bright blue flames that Hermione was so adept at producing, and which could be scooped up and carried around in a jar. That afternoon fresh flakes drifted down upon them, so that even their sheltered clearing had a fresh dusting of powdery snow.

Alicia dozed off in her chair, her book in her lap as Hermione and Harry, in hushed tones as to not wake her, argued over who would take first watch. Harry won and told Hermione to go to bed before he moved a cushion to the tent mouth and sat, all of his layers on.

Alicia!

The girl's eyebrows furrowed as she slept and she registered an uncomfortable stiffness in her body.

Alicia!

The voice was sounding through her head and she resisted the silence around the tent as she began to open her eyes.

Alicia…

She recognised the voice and Alicia jolted upwards before turning around for the tent mouth. Harry was standing at the mouth of the cave and Hermione's wand in his hand, having taken her's for the night while Alicia had slept. There was a bright light beyond Harry and out within the darkness that seemed so dense nothing but it could be seen.

Alicia moved forwards and Harry jumped as she appeared at his shoulder. There was a light moving through the trees, making not a single sound, as it came closer and closer. The light was so blinding that the twins both had to squint in order to make out the figure.

The source of the light stepped out from behind an oak. It was a silver-white doe, moon-bright and dazzling, picking her way over the ground, still silent, and leaving no hoof prints in the fine powdering of snow. She stepped toward them, her beautiful head with its wide, long-lashed eyes held high.

Alicia looked around, trying to find the owner of the beautiful patronus. She could not understand who would be out there, sending this message towards them. The doe was staring at them, clearly knowing they were there and also being sent to them for a soul purpose. Her talk with Phineas two nights before and Hermione saying their location as she opened the bag for Phineas to hear them came back to her…

Could Snape's Patronus, be a doe?

Alicia wondered why… it was such a soft and beautiful creature, to fit with someone with a personality like Snape's… But there was no one else who could be around and be sending a message for them.

Unless it was the person who had been shouting before…

Not Ron but some stranger… but how could they have followed them here? How was it possible? And why send them something beautiful and harmless as a die? To draw them out? If they knew they were here then the enchantments were likely useless anyway, wouldn't rushing the tent unexpected be better?

No… Alicia believed, for they'd awoken her. A legilimens had gotten into her head while she was asleep, when her defences were down. And it had been Snape's voice… she knew it had been.

The twins stared at the doe, gazing for a long time, before she suddenly turned and walked away.

"No," Harry said, and his voice was cracked with lack of use. "Come back!"

She continued to step deliberately through the trees, and soon her brightness was striped by their thick black trunks.

Harry looked at Alicia who watched him.

"She wants us to follow."

"It could be a trap?" Harry whispered back

"Someone knows we're here, if that's the case, they could storm us whenever. Why send something harmless like a Patronus?" Alicia whispered.

Harry looked after the diminishing light as she moved further and further away.

"Stay here." he whispered to his sister who gapped

"And let you walk out into the woods alone?" she demanded quietly

"Trust me." She stared at him, pursing her lips. "If you're right, you need to protect Hermione." Alicia glanced back at the girl sleeping in her bunk and then she nodded her head.

Instantly Harry set off in pursuit, the snow crunching below his feet and soon, Alicia could no longer see him. She ran for Hermione's beaded bag and pulled out the portrait of Phineas Nigellus.

"Professor Black!"

"It's a bit late don't you think Miss Potter?" he walked into the portrait.

"I need to ask a really quick question if it's alright?"

"Well I suppose so…" he mumbled watching her,

"Did you hear we're in the Forest of Dean?" she asked

"I may have."

"Then please tell me Professor Snape's the one outside and I haven't sent Harry to his doom!" she said with a worried expression on her face. Phineas watched her for a moment.

"I did indeed hear you location, I was waiting as you instructed believing early mornings was the best chance," Alicia nodded expectantly. "And Professor Snape did take the sword as requested by Dumbledore's portrait." Alicia nodded again, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Professor." he nodded and walked curtly past the edge of the frame so Alicia could put the portrait back and return the bag to where it'd been.

Alicia returned to the mouth of the tent silently, her wand in her hand, and looking out into the darkness. The light of the doe was gone and so was Harry and Alicia held her breath hopefully.

Professor Snape was out there, handing over the sword… no, he couldn't let Harry see him, he would never be greeted with happiness by Harry, Snape would not be able to just hand it to Harry. And if it was left lying around, would it be obvious someone had left it there? So what was Snape's plan to make sure Harry saw it and collected it, without it being obvious a person had given it?

Alicia wondered if maybe it had been better she went and collected it. If Phineas had relayed everything Alicia had told him, Snape would know she knew he had the sword and that he could be trusted, she was likely the only person in the world who Snape could walk up to and present help of killing Voldemort with.

Another puzzling question came to her mind, Dumbledore had told her that he hadn't told Snape about the horcruxes, so did Snape know why he was giving them the sword? Or was he just doing so because Dumbledore had said so?

Harry still had not returned and Alicia wondered how far they had walked, or had Snape given Harry some secret task to possess the sword? If it was to be natural, then the sword would have to be presented to a Gryffindor, a true Gryffindor, one who was daring, had nerve and chivalry. Snape was going to make him take a risk then? Gosh she hoped he'd look after him if something went wrong.

Alicia hadn't noticed she'd started to pace the front of the tent, waiting for a feeling or a thought, something. Her mind was reeling too much with information Harry couldn't know, she didn't want to plunge into his mind incase he got a look at her thoughts.

Alicia rubbed her arms as the cold bit at her and she continued to glance at the trees, waiting for Harry. It wasn't until a few moments later that Alicia realised she was shivering so bad her teeth began to chatter and she looked down at herself confused. Her arms and fingers were trembling and her teeth banging together echoed through the surrounding forest. She didn't understand, she didn't feel cold, and with her necklace from Hagrid, it was impossible for her to feel such. So why was she shivering?

The answer came as soon as the question had. Harry was where it came from. But he'd been fine a moment ago?

And then her lungs were freezing and her body complained in protest as though she was being frozen inwards. What was Harry doing? She moved inside and grabbed a blanket, going back to the tent mouth before a pain appeared around her neck and she gasped as though her breathing had been cut off. She reached at it but there was nothing around her neck.

Suffocation was pouring all over her. She was suffocating. She was drowning.

Alicia didn't even notice as she was running off through the trees after the doe that seemed long gone. She heard gasping and footsteps and then a giant splash before she arrived to see a small pool, in which the glint of a wand was bright and alight beside a large pile of clothes. Something was coming out of the pool of water and Alicia instantly ran forwards to help the two figures out. One was Harry, his hair was plastered his his skull and face and his body was a dangerous blue colour as he wore nothing but his underwear. The other person jumped back into the pond, unnoticed by Alicia. As Harry was released from the pool she felt the tightness of Harry's suffocation leave her as she dropped beside him and instantly wrapped him in the blanket she was still holding.

Alicia turned as panting and coughing came beside them the person staggering around, he'd returned from the bottom of the pool again. She noticed him instantly, dripping wet, and with the sword of Gryffindor in one hand and the Horcrux Harry had had on the other, the chain broken. Alicia understood now. The Sword had been at the bottom of the pool, it needed a daring move to be collected. Harry had almost suffocated because the horcrux had tightened around his neck, perhaps running from the sword that could kill it. Why Harry had jumped in with the locket Alicia didn't know but she got to her feet and as Ron watched her, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. Ron stood still for a moment before she felt one hand on her back, the length of the sword tapping her leg slightly.

"Took you long enough to get back." she whispered and then pulled back and looked at him, grinning slightly and he looked at her surprised.

Alicia looked down at the horcrux in Ron's other hand.

"Did he jump in with that?" she asked and Ron nodded. Both turned to Harry. "He…?" she mumbled. Even the pouch Hagrid had given Harry sat with his heap of clothes, he'd taken off everything but the Horcrux…

Ron spoke before Alicia could say anything.

"Are — you — mental?"

Harry stopped and suddenly, shivering violently despite the blanket, he began to stagger to his feet. He looked from Alicia and then to Ron beside her.

"Why the hell," panted Ron, holding up the Horcrux, which swung backward and forward on its shortened chain in some parody of hypnosis, "didn't you take this thing off before you dived?"

"You took off absolutely everything else, except the horcrux?" Alicia asked "You could've killed us."

"Us?" Ron said

"Well… I dunno if I'd have died but I was definitely suffering the feeling of drowning." she mumbled back as Ron rose an eyebrow.

Harry ignored the two as he began to redress and Alicia looked around the trees, trying to see if their old potions master was anywhere around, wanting to at least give him a motion of thanks behind the two boys for the sword… after all, Harry almost drowning was his own stupidity.

"It was y-you?" Harry said at last, his teeth chattering, his voice weaker than usual due to his near-strangulation.

"Well, yeah," said Ron, looking slightly confused. He looked at Alicia but she was still looking around trying to find the hook-nosed professor.

"Y-you cast that doe?"

"What? No, of course not! I thought it was you doing it!"

"My Patronus is a stag."

"Oh yeah. I thought it looked different. No antlers."

Harry put Hagrid's pouch back around his neck, pulled on a final sweater, stooped to pick up Hermione's wand, and faced Ron again.

"Alicia I thought I told you to stay by the tent?" Alicia turned to Harry looking surprised.

"Gosh you sound like Ron telling Ginny to do something." she admitted "You were drowning and you expected me to sit and do nothing?" Harry turned from her and to Ron, not bothering to answer.

"How come you're here?"

"Well, I've — you know — I've come back. If —" He cleared his throat. "You know. You still want me."

Alicia watched Ron before she rose an eyebrow. "You haven't by any chance, been following us for the last… day or so? On a hillside covered in snow?"

"Y-Yeah." Ron said surprised.

"I knew it!" Alicia smirked triumphantly. Harry was staring at Ron still who turned and looked down at his hands. He seemed momentarily surprised to see the things he was holding.

"Oh yeah, I got it out," he said, rather unnecessarily, holding up the sword for the twins' inspection. "That's why you jumped in, right?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "But I don't understand. How did you get here? How did you find us?" Alicia looked at Ron too.

"Long story," said Ron. "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 kip under a tree and wait for morning when I saw that deer coming and you following."

"You didn't see anyone else?"

"No," said Ron. "I —"

But he hesitated, glancing at two trees growing close together some yards away.

"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 was already hurrying to the place Ron had indicated. He looked between the two oaks were there was only a tiny gap between the trees. Harry returned towards the two who were watching him.

"Anything there?" Ron asked.

"No," said Harry.

"So how did the sword get in that pool?"

"Whoever cast the Patronus must have put it there."

They both looked at the ornate silver sword, its rubied hilt glinting a little in the light from Hermione's wand. Alicia glanced at the hiding place slightly disappointed.

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

"One way to find out, isn't there?" said Harry.

The Horcrux was still swinging from Ron's hand. The locket was twitching slightly. Alicia watched it and then looked at Harry. He met her gaze and she knew they were thinking the same. Harry looked around, Hermione's wand high.

"Come here," he said, and he led the way, brushed snow from the rock's surface, and held out his hand. When Ron offered the sword, however, Harry shook his head.

"No, you should do it."

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

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

Ron looked at Alicia who shrugged. Harry didn't let either them contradict him.

"I'm going to open it," said Harry, "and you 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. He looked terrified.

"I'm going to ask it to open, using Parseltongue," said Harry. Alicia looked at him surprised. That option had never come to her, why hadn't she thought that parseltongue would be a great way to open Slytherin's locket with the heir of Slytherin's soul inside?

Harry looked at the locket to speak the hissing language but Ron interrupted.

"No!" said Ron. "No, don't open it! I'm serious!"

"Why not?" asked Harry. "Let's get rid of the damn thing, it's been months —"

"I can't, Harry, I'm serious — you do it —"

"But why?"

"Because that thing's bad for me!" said Ron, backing away from the locket on the rock. "I can't handle it! I'm not making excuses, Harry, for what I was like, but it affects me worse than it affected you, Alicia and Hermione, it made me think stuff — stuff 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 on straight again, and then I'd have to put the effing thing back on — I can't do it, Harry!"

He had backed away, the sword dragging at his side, shaking his head. Alicia moved and put a comforting, reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You can do it," said Harry, "you can! You've just got the sword, I know it's supposed to be you who uses it. Please, just get rid of it, Ron." Both boys looked at Alicia before she began to nod.

"That thing affects you the worse Ron, it's caused you the worst issue, I think you have the right to give it some payback." she said looking at him. "You got the sword out. If not for you, we may have lost it, Harry and the horcrux." she said. Ron looked hopelessly as the twins ganged up on him.

Ron swallowed, then, still breathing hard through his long nose, moved back toward the rock. Alicia stayed where she was behind him.

"Tell me when," he croaked.

"On three," said Harry, looking back down at the locket and narrowing his eyes

"One… two… three… open."

The last word came as a hiss and a snarl and the golden doors of the locket swung wide with a little click.