Chapter 8 : Memories
Never one to turn down the opportunity of more food, Ron had disappeared into the kitchen to refill the plate and fetch more butterbeers. "Three down and three to go is worthy of a celebration," he announced as he returned, breaking the stunned silence which had remained since Hermione's killing curse.
Harry trawled through his mind, seeking something to break the awkwardness of the moment, when he remembered what Dumbledore had said. He fetched the pensieve over. "Dumbledore said these were excellent for parties and I agree with Ron, we should celebrate tonight. I would like each of us to pick a really happy memory, place it in the pensieve and share it with each other." Harry paused, as Neville gave him a confused look, having never seen a pensieve before. So Harry had to explain how it worked, and ended up demonstrating by placing his wand to his temple and drawing a silver strand of memory into the pensieve. "Ok now, everyone hold my hand and just lean in."
Ron stepped back. "Its perfectly safe just lean in," urged Harry.
"I know its safe, I just don't think I'm ready to see you and my sister getting that personal!"
"Idiot, that's not the memory I've chosen", blushed Harry.
He had actually chosen his trip to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. This was when he saw the magical world for the first time. While Harry had many great memories, most involved at least one of the others, or as Ron had guessed were too personal to share. So he had chosen the only good memory he had from his life before he met Ron and Hermione.
This was the first time the others had been inside a memory and it took most of the trip to Gringotts and down to Harry's vault, before they fully understood and were comfortable with the concept. But even this memory was tinged with sadness. There was Harry's first encounter with Draco Malfoy at Madam Malkin's robe shop, and now little Harry was being led into Ollivander's by Hagrid. Harry looked at the old shop, which in current times was boarded up, following the capture of Mr Ollivander by Death Eaters. He looked at the old sign, 'Ollivanders : Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC' .
"I reckon that window display has been there since 382BC!" Ron commented pointing at the single wand resting on a faded purple cushion. Even Hermione smirked at this, and at the initial failed attempts to find a wand for Harry. She ooh'd at his expense when Hagrid appeared with Hedwig. Finally the memory ended and they were thrown back into the present, on the floor in Grimmauld Place.
"Wow that was so clear, you must have a great memory, Harry," commented Neville.
"No, the pensieve allows you to relive the memory exactly as you originally saw it, even if you think you've forgotten parts of it."
Neville thought for a while, as Ron fetched more Butterbeers. "So, could I look at memories from my childhood, and see my parents before they were attacked?" he questioned.
Harry nodded, but carefully explained to Neville about his experiences with the Mirror of Erised and reiterated Dumbledore's warning about not dwelling on the past.
Although Neville acknowledged what Harry was saying, he wasn't to be put off, "I've got a vague memory of me annoying my father by crawling on his work. Please try it, just once?"
Neville looked so eager, that Harry gave in and showed him how to place a memory into the pensieve, before the four once again dived in. After the whirling mist came to a stop, Harry opened his eyes and looked around. They were all crowded into a small living room which, at first, he thought was Mrs Figg's on account of the tasteless interior decorations. However, the absence of any Kneazles or putrefying cabbage smells meant it couldn't be.
Stretched out on a hideous brown and orange striped sofa was a young man. Harry gasped as he recognised the figure as the lifeless shell of a man he had seen in the Permanent Spell Damage ward of St Mungo's. Neville's father looked so much younger and healthier in this memory. From the frown on his face, Harry could tell that he was hard at work. Neville's dad sighed and absentmindedly rubbed his forehead as he pondered over various pieces of parchment which were scattered, not only on the sofa, but all over the thick-pile orange carpet which adorned the floor.
Harry turned as he heard a giggle and spotted a young baby crawling determinedly from an open doorway towards the sofa. This must be baby Neville he thought, and caught Ron's eye as they both smothered grins. By now, baby Neville had made it to his Dad. He plopped himself down on the floor, directly on top of the largest piece of parchment, which his dad was studying. Neville appeared to like the rustling sound it made as he sat down, for no sooner was he seated than he kicked his feet up and down on what Harry thought looked like a map.
"Neville, don't, I'm busy at the moment," said his father picking baby Neville up and placing him away from the map. Several seconds later Neville had worked his way back onto the map again, sitting just where his father was studying it. As this was repeated several more times, Harry glanced around at the others. Hermione was looking at the baby with a very odd look that bordered somewhere between envy and desire. Harry thought it was a good job that Ron was busy teasing the current Neville, and hadn't seen Hermione's face.
"So Neville, from what Luna tells me you haven't changed at all, still determined to get what you want eh?"
Neville blushed red, but was saved as his father picked up his baby self and carefully sat him on the sofa. "Alice, can you put Neville to bed, dear. I need to concentrate."
"Coming, Frank. Just finishing ofhis dinner." Neville's mum strode out of the kitchen. She was much taller than Harry remembered, and her hair was longer, stretching halfway down her back in long-blonde locks, much like Luna's did. If it weren't for having Neville's chubby round face, Alice Longbottom could have been mistaken for an older Luna, something that Ron couldn't resist commenting on. Alice Longbottom picked up baby Neville, pried several pieces of parchment from his hands, and carried him out of the room. As she did this, the memory started to fade and everyone found themselves back in Grimmauld Place.
"Awww Neville," Hermione rushed over and enveloped Neville in a giant hug. Harry was pretty sure he could hear both of them sobbing gently, so he turned away discretely toward Ron. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but met Hermione's bloodshot eyes and decided against teasing Neville, just then.
"So we try and break the Fidelius charm and find the Orphanage tommorow then?" Harry tried to change the subject before his best mate got into trouble.
Hermione pulled away from Neville, "I thought you wanted to see Godric's Hollow?"
"I do, desperately. I've never even seen my parents' graves. I really want to tell them all we've done, but if we could destroy another Horcrux first, before I see them..." Harry's voiced tailed off, how could he tell the others he wanted to see Godric's Hollow alone, without offending them? The teenagers sat in silence for a few minutes, before Harry headed off to bed.
He was prepared for another restless night. He had not been sleeping well since the attacks. Every time he drifted off, he had the same recurring nightmare. One which made him relive the moment he became a murderer, as he repeatedly saw the unknown Death Eater fall, rigid from his broom to his death. Tonight, it was worse; he was even having difficulty getting to sleep at all. He was worried about the ruthless streak that Hermione had shown when she had destroyed the Horcrux. Without an apparent care she had effortlessly cast the darkest of all spells.
Harry remembered the fake Moody telling the class that they could all cast the killing curse on him and he wouldn't so much as get a nose-bleed. He also recalled Bellatrix laughing in the face of his pathetic Cruciatus Curse and telling him he had to, "really want to cause pain – to enjoy it – righteous anger won't hurt me." So how much hate had Hermione got boiled up inside her to be able to cast the killing curse?
Harry resolved to speak to Ron about his concerns in the morning and finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep with images of the Dursley's and Draco Malfoy, all accusing him of their murders filling his mind. As a result of his restless night, Harry was first in the kitchen in the morning, and set the frying pan up on the stove. He smiled ruefully to himself, as the bacon rashers started to sizzle. Was this only useful thing to come from the Dursleys? Harry grabbed a handful of cutlery and moved into the living room to lay the table, stopping short, as he found Neville curled up by the pensieve sobbing.
"Oh Neville, it doesn't do to dwell on the past. Come on, breakfast is nearly cooked."
Neville didn't move, so Harry moved over and patted his arm. "Did you see something that upset you?" Harry paused but there was no answer so he continued. "I saw my father in Snape's pensieve two years ago, it wasn't a good memory. He launched an unprovoked attack on Snape, which at the time really shocked me. But we've all done things we're not proud of. We've all got those bad memories hidden away, we're only human."
"Noth..hhing like that Harry, look," wailed Neville as he grabbed Harry and plunged them both headlong inside the pensieve again.
A Formica decorated kitchen swam into focus this time, as Harry and Neville landed in the memory. Harry could see baby Neville crawling at full speed across the lino-covered floor. He thought to himself, that maybe Ron was right about Neville's determination.
Just then a loud high-pitched voice called out "Crucio!" This was followed by screaming and a cruel, psychotic laugh. Harry sheepishly put away the wand he had instinctively drawn and crawled out from behind the fridge, where he had taken cover, berating himself that it was only a memory. He looked over at Neville, who despite crying openly, was following his baby-self towards the source of the noise.
The sitting room looked much like it had in Neville's previous memory, although there was no parchment scattered around this time. Instead, Neville's Father was bound on the sofa with ropes and what looked like a Petrificus Totalus charm. Barty Crouch Junior and Rudolphus LeStrange stood a few feet away, both pointing their wands at Frank Longbottom. Bellatrix LeStrange stood on the other side of her husband, manically laughing as she held the unforgivable curse on Neville's mother, who was writhing in agony on the thick orange carpet.
Bellatrix lifted the curse on Alice at the same time her husband released the freezing charm on Frank. She turned to Neville's father and demanded, "Now tell me where it is?"
"I don't know what you're talking about?"
"The Dark Lord's Horcrux. The one you and Regulus stole from me," screeched Bellatrix in a rage.
"What? I don't know. What's a Horcrux?" finished Frank unconvincingly.
"Crucio", screamed Bellatrix angrily, this time focusing her wand on Frank. Still holding the unforgivable curse, she turned to Neville's mum, who had vomited on the floor, and was now struggling to get up.
"Listen to me. The Dark Lord created several Horcruxes and left them hidden or with his most trusted of followers. But you already know this, as that Muggle-loving fool, Albus Dumbledore has asked you to find them." As she raged on, Bellatrix continued to hold the Cruciatus Curse steady on Frank.
"Before I killed him, I persuaded Regulus to tell me all about the Horcrux he stole from me. I know he brought it to you. For the last time; where is it?" Alice remained silent, as Bellatrix flew into a rage. She lifted the curse off Frank, who was by now unconscious and, returned it on Alice.
"I think you've killed him, he's not moving." commented Rudolphus.
"No matter, if they're dead, they can't tell Dumble... My-my, what have we here?" Bellatrix stopped the curse and moved her wand towards baby Neville who had crawled over to his mother. She smiled as she raised her wand, pointing it at Neville. "Did the ickle bitty baby want to be with his mummy, then? I think we can arrange that, Crucio." The room went dark, and Harry and Neville were flung out of the memory.
As Harry slowly regained his breath and composure, the first thing he heard was Ron swearing and trying to put out some large flames which were coming out of the kitchen. Neville was curled up once again rocking himself on the mat, just as he started to move awkwardly over to comfort Neville, Hermione appeared, and rushed over to cuddle him.
"What happened?" she asked Harry pointedly.
"He bloody burned my breakfast that what happened. How could you Harry, it was prime British bacon?" Ron threw a charred rasher at Harry from the kitchen earning himself a black look from Hermione as she hugged Neville.
Neville was inconsolable, and nothing Hermione or the others tried seemed to work. Eventually, desperate to make up for his earlier bout of insensitivity, Ron flooed to the Burrow and returned with Luna, and to Harry's delight, Ginny. This delight was short-lived, because as he leaned in to give her a welcoming kiss, his face was instead met by her palm. SLAP!
"What is the meaning of this?" Ginny brandished a copy of the Daily Prophet, open at page 9, where a rather defaced Hermione was pinching him. She then turned to page 3 and started reading "You can tell your readers I'm single, eh? Too bloody right you're single." With that Ginny turned on Hermione brandishing her wand. "You … you … scarlet woman. You were supposed to be my friend."
There was a flash, followed by a shriek as Hermione ran from the room clutching her nose, closely followed by Ron. This left a rather shell-shocked Harry to try and calm down Ginny and explain Hermione's plan to her, while avoiding getting hexed. Fortunately for Harry, Mrs Weasley chose this moment to appear, under the pretence of cleaning the house, yet again. "Tut-tut what a state, how can you live like this?"
As the Weasley matriarch began dusting the furniture in the hallway, Luna guided Neville onto a comfy looking couch in the Library, and started reading The Quibbler to him. Now that they were alone, Harry risked a glance at Ginny, but she was still staring daggers at him; clearly he was not forgiven yet. As he racked his brain for something to say, Ron and Hermione returned. Ron glared furiously at his sister as he tried to cast 'Episkey' on Hermione's damaged nose, which was still periodically emitting small bat-winged bogies. Seeing he had to do something, Harry took a deep breath and started grovelling. Eventually he had just about been reinstated as Ginny's boyfriend. At least, he mused, she was back talking to him, or more accurately lecturing him tirelessly for ignoring her, and leaving her at home while he buggered off and played the hero.
Harry noticed Ron sidle off towards the kitchen, stomach grumbling, and he envied Ron, as Ginny built up a head of steam, "You couldn't even be bothered to floo over and see me, not even ONE owl," she finished, red face and hair glinting dangerously.
Harry tried once again to pacify her by relaying the events of the last few days, and as the others gathered around, he explained what he had seen in the pensieve. After Harry had relayed the details of the Longbottom's torture, Hermione was full of questions "Did Neville's parents know about any other Horcruxes? How did they know Regulus Black? You're sure they said Regulus, Harry?"
"Yes Bellatrix said the one you and Regulus stole from me."
"Harry, when Mrs Black saw Neville she screamed at him LONGBOTTOM, I never thought I'd live to see a Longbottom in this house after Regu..." remembered Ginny.
"But," continued Ginny thoughtfully, "Regulus used Kreacher to steal the locket, not Frank Longbottom. And, it was in that horrid cave, so how could Bellatrix claim it had been stolen from her?"
"So, if Regulus was working with the Longbottom's, why leave a note taunting Voldemort? They and Dumbledore would have protected him surely?" queried Hermione, "Also what about the bit about leaving Horcruxes with trusted followers. All the ones we've found so far, except the Diary, have been hidden." Hermione broke off as Mrs Weasley bustled through with her duster yet again.
"I think we should postpone today's planned trip," suggested Harry changing the subject, as Ron reappeared with some freshly fried bacon and eggs.
"We've got some thinking to do before we can start anyway, I suggest we go to the Library today and get some research done."
"Hermione, we going to search an old derelict building, what good can a Muggle library be?" spluttered Ron, his mouth full.
"Ron, we need to able to find the building first before we can search it. In case you've forgotten, it is hidden by the fidelius charm. But, I happen to think that the library will hold the key to breaking that. Anyway, I wasn't going to take you, after your disgraceful behaviour in that supermarket last week."
In the end, Hermione, Ginny and Harry left to go to the library, leaving a disgruntled Ron to keep an eye on his mother, and help with the housework. Unfortunately for Ron, Hermione heard his parting comment about working like a house-elf.
Harry and Ginny looked questioningly at each other, as Hermione dragged them over to the map section of the library. After a few minutes ferreting around on the shelves, she pulled out a 1950's map of London. Still none the wiser, Harry leaned over the map, which Hermione was now scouring. He followed her gaze, and saw, quite clearly, St Mary's Orphanage. It was a large building at the end of Friar's Walk. Hermione then pulled out a new Ordnance Survey map, which showed an empty space at the end of Friars Walk. Next, she showed Harry and Ginny 'Google Earth' on one of the library computers. Again, there was nothing; just a space.
"So it's been demolished?" asked Harry, after struggling for twenty minutes to explain to Ginny the concept of computers and the internet.
"And left as wasteland, in the middle of a prime development area in London? Now if we look here at Grimmauld Place," Hermione zoomed in on the new area. "We have another blank space; and it's the same with Hogwarts" Hermione entered some new figures into the computer.
"Wow, so this means that Muggles can find buildings under the fidelius charm?"
Hermione nodded, "The charm causes wizards to forget about secrets, and magical texts are erased. But, it doesn't erase muggle documents.
"Don't muggles ever get suspicious of these blank spaces on their maps?" Ginny asked, struggling to catch up with the conversation.
Hermione smiled for the first time in ages, "No, they think they are secret government military bases?"
"So we just take this," said Harry, picking up the Ordnance Survey map, "and walk right into the Orphanage.
"Not exactly, we still won't see the building because the secret keeper hasn't shown it to us, and being Voldemort isn't likely to."
"Damn, despite all this, we still won't be able to find it," complained Harry throwing the map down in frustration.
"Don't you ever read any of our text books?" demanded Hermione picking up the map carefully. "If you had looked at the invisible book of invisibility …"
Harry caught Ginny's eye, as she suppressed a giggle behind the palm of her hand.
"… The fidelius charm has two constituent parts. Firstly, awareness of the secret within the wizarding world is erased. This knowledge is controlled by the secret keeper, and is only re-instated upon the keeper's death, or by Ordnance Survey maps," finished Hermione with a smile, as she assumed that Harry and Ginny were laughing at her joke
"Secondly, the secret is made invisible, by a complex combination of invisibility and confundus charms. This part of the fidelius charm is controlled by the pass phrase used during casting. The importance of selecting an appropriate phrase is often overlooked, too simple a phrase can lead to accidental revelation of the secret.
Indeed, Holruck the Hapless, swore when he accidentally dropped his wand, while casting the charm on his treasure chest. When he later emitted the same expletive after his butterbeer was spilled during a party, all the guests became aware of his secret and stole his gold …"
Noticing that Harry's eyes had glazed over, Ginny interrupted Hermione's monologue, "So, you're saying that if we can guess the exact phrase Voldemort used when he performed the charm it should work."
Hermione nodded and Harry swore loudly in frustration.
Ginny giggled, "I doubt that's it! But we could try."
An hour later, the three of them were talking to a wall at the end of Friars Walk. "Are you sure this will break the charm, I feel ridiculous," complained Harry.
"It should, for example Remus can say twelve Grimmauld Place in conversation and nobody is any the wiser. He has to use the exact phrase, Harry Potter lives at number twelve Grimmauld Place, to allow anyone in. That's why it always worked when other members of the order handed out Professor Dumbledore's hand written slips of parchment when he was secret keeper. Although, I think writing down the secret phrase was foolhardy in the extreme."
Harry tried again, "Lord Voldemort lived in an orphanage ... Tom Riddles Horcrux is at St Mary's ... The Dark Lord is a half-blood orphan." Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry after this last effort.
"Lord Voldemorts soul was left in an orphanage." As Ginny uttered these last words, a pair of wrought iron gates appeared then gradually a square two story brick building slid into view. It was very dilapidated and looked on the point of collapse, but here was no mistaking that it was the building he had seen in Dumbledore's memory last year. Harry turned and pulled Ginny into a kiss in celebration, before releasing her and hugging Hermione, awkwardly.
"It's late, I think we'd better come back tomorrow," Harry advised.
"Translation, you don't want me to go inside." pouted Ginny.
"No, although I did promise your mother you would be back by five, it's because I want to review the memory Dumbledore showed me of this place again, before we go in. I don't doubt your bravery, or skill, it's just this is dangerous and we need to be as prepared as possible."
Harry caught Hermione's approving glance, as he congratulated himself on avoiding another argument with his girlfriend, as they returned to Grimmauld Place. Once back inside number twelve, Mrs Weasley made an impassioned plea to Ron to come home.
While Ron was arguing with his mother, Neville pulled Harry away, "Sorry about this morning, It all sort of came to a head. Would you mind if I went with Luna and stayed with Mrs Weasley for a day or so? Just until I can get back on my feet, Luna helped me so much this morning."
Harry nodded, wanting to put a stop to his embarrassment, "Of course Neville, take as long as you want. Don't worry you will always be welcome here."
In the end, it was a simmering trio that was left in Grimmauld Place. Harry had argued with Ginny again before she left, this time about not allowing her to accompany them to the Orphanage the following day. Ron had fought with his mother about staying and Hermione had got caught in between. So, to try and allow Ron and Hermione the chance to patch things up, Harry headed upstairs for an early night.
He lay in bed for quite a while, mulling things over in his mind, unable to get to sleep. Despite all the heartache, it had been a very successful couple of days. They had destroyed one Horcrux and were on the verge of locating another. Harry thanked his lucky stars that Ron and Hermione had insisted on coming with him. They were proving invaluable, although Harry was still worried about the apparent ruthless streak that Hermione appeared to be developing. He hoped that Ron would help her return to some semblance of normality. Having lost both her parents, what Hermoine needed most of all now was for Ron to be strong, dependent and loving.
When he was alone at the Dursley's, Harry had worried what things would be like when Ron and Hermione finally admitted their feelings for each other. Would he be left out? Would he feel like a gooseberry? But none of this had happened and he found himself truly happy for his friends, and instead, focusing on his own future. A future, that he very much hoped, if he could patch up this latest argument, would involve a certain fiery red-haired Weasley. A future, that for the first-time in his life, looked like it just might be obtainable. With this last thought in his mind Harry drifted off into a peaceful, nightmare free sleep.
The following morning, after another visit into the pensieve, the trio found themselves in Friars Walk staring at the derelict orphanage. As planned, they carefully entered the building, its rusted gates and rotten wooden front door proved no match for Harry's 'Alohomora'.
Carefully, but quickly they made their way along the tiled corridors. Bits of plaster and tiles had fallen off here and there and mildew and damp-rot added to the general air of despair that hung over the building. They passed Mrs Cole's old office and climbed the stone stairs, taking great pains to ensure they were safe first. The upper story, the trio soon discovered, had a wooden floor, which in places was starting to rot, aided by large holes in the ceiling. An elderberry tree was pushing its way up from the ground floor all the way through the roof, at one point.
Progress along this floor was painfully slow and careful as a result. But, eventually they made it towards the room Harry knew that Voldemort, had grown up in. He couldn't help but compare the building to those he had seen in gritty prison programmes on the Dursley's television. It wasn't a very favourable comparison, and Harry now understood some of the feelings that young Tom Riddle must have had living here. Some very, very similar feelings he, himself had had, living in the cupboard under the bedroom stairs. It was very fine line between good and evil.
"Here it is," Ron announced, standing by the open, heavy metal door. "Like Azkaban ain't it?"
The panes of glass originally in the barred window had fallen out, or been smashed some years earlier, allowing the elements to batter the room. Tom Riddles iron bed still stood in the corner, along with the remains of a rotten mattress. The cheap wooden, fitted wardrobe was starting to fall to pieces in the other corner.
Ron surprised everyone by casting around for a magical presence, much as Professor Dumbledore had done in the cave. Harry could see that Hermione was impressed with the spell.
"What?" he asked accusingly, at their astounded looks, "Did you think I wouldn't learn anything from Bill all summer?" Hermione shifted her feet uncomfortably, as Ron finished his spell, "There is no complex magic in here," he concluded confidently. "Just a very faint presence, maybe a relic of some long-cast accidental magic, or Tom Riddle practising his first year transfiguration homework. Certainly nothing that would hide a Horcrux."
Out of frustration, Ron blasted the wardrobe open, but it was bare. For good measure he cast Incendio on it, reducing it to a pile of ash, but still no Horcrux appeared. Harry tried the same on the mattress, but apart from creating a pungent smelling, smouldering heap nothing happened.
"I guess its not here then," commented Ron.
"How about, if it wasn't magically hidden?" asked Harry slowly, "The fidelius should have protected it from all but the best of wizards. What if Voldemort had hidden it like a Muggle child would have hidden it, to avoid leaving a magical signature?"
Ron looked confused. "Exactly Ron; Pure-blood wizards wouldn't know the mind-set of an unwanted Muggle orphan, whereas, I would." At this Harry began examining the floor boards, looking for the one with a loose nail, and didn't see the look of abject horror that Ron exchanged with Hermione.
A few minutes later, Harry ripped up a loose board uncovering a small hiding place, which contained the small goblet he had seen in Hokey's memory and a colourful looking snake. He stood up for a second, to allow the others to look. The snake appeared to be soundly asleep, and it was a fair distance from the goblet, could he just grab it? No, surely it couldn't be that simple, it had to be a trap.
Evidently Ron was thinking the same thing, as he reached out to pick the goblet up. "No, Ron!" warned Hermione, but it was too late, Ron's hand had already closed around the goblet.
Ron shouted in agony, as the goblet appeared to bite him. Harry double checked; the snake appeared to be peacefully asleep, still a foot away from the goblet. How could Ron have been bitten? His thoughts were interrupted as Ron screamed in agony again. He was holding his hand, which had now started to swell, the tell-tale two-pronged sign of a snake-bite evident. Ron screaming became weaker and he collapsed.
"Harry, do something!" screamed a hysterical Hermione, tears streaming down her cheeks.
An anti-dote was out of the question, what he could do with now, was one of the bezoars out of Slughorn's storage cupboard. If only he could apparate directly into Hogwarts. But the wards made this impossible, so he would have to go to Hogsmeade and try and find a way to floo into the school, or get help from there. Harry quickly grabbed Ron and, shouting his destination to Hermione, side-apparated into Hogsmeade, re-appearing outside the Hogshead.
Harry raised his wand again, thought about Ginny, and cast his patronus. 'Prongs' galloped off towards Hogwarts, hopefully Hagrid or McGonagall would pick up the message and come and help, and quickly too. As Harry hoisted Ron onto his shoulder, preparing to run towards the school, he found that he could no longer feel his friend's heartbeat.