"Umbridge has the locket. The cup is in Bellatrix Lestrange's Gringotts Vault. You-Know-Who has the snake. The last Horcrux might be something of Ravenclaw's." Hermione recited the list for what felt like the millionth time.
"And I want to go to Godric's Hollow," Harry added.
"I still say we should find her in the Ministry and get the locket there," Ron said irritably. For a week they had been trapped in debate, and it was beginning to wear on his nerves.
"And I say that's idiotic," Draco growled. "Getting caught in the Ministry would be a death sentence for any of us."
"Do you have any better ideas?" Harry snapped. Kreacher looked up from the stove where he was making dinner.
Since the incident with Mundungus Kreacher had become surprisingly pleasant, helpful even. Harry had given the fake locket to the house elf as a gift, which seemed to make a great difference in his attitude. He was so grateful that he had taken to cooking and cleaning with a passion. Harry had never seen the house look so clean or well-lit.
"What about her house?" asked Hermione. "She doesn't live at the Ministry, does she? Besides, she's more likely to keep the locket at home than in her desk."
"We've been over that. We don't know where she lives," Ron retorted.
"What if we put the two together?" Harry ignored the confused gazes of his friends. "What if we watched the Ministry for where she comes out and followed her home?"
Draco contemplated the idea. "She probably apparates to the Ministry. Following her wouldn't be easy."
"We could grab her as she apparates," Ron suggested. "Then we end up wherever she is."
"We'd have to watch her first." Draco said warily. "It would only work if she apparates alone. And even then we'd have no idea what we're walking into on the other side."
Hermione nodded. "But we'd be prepared. And it is definitely better than going straight into the Ministry."
"That's settled then," Harry declared. "We'll watch Umbridge using my Invisibility Cloak, and we'll learn her habits. Then we'll follow her home one way or another, and we'll take the locket."
The month of August came and went quickly. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving tomorrow and all of the students felt a pang of regret that they would not be on it. Death Eaters had been watching Grimmauld Place, standing outside in the square and starting whenever they caught a glimpse of a misplaced foot or a dropped item.
For weeks they had been tracking Umbridge using Harry's Invisibility cloak. They discovered that she apparated to a point just outside the Ministry and followed a crowd of workers to a public toilet, where they promptly vanished. In the evening Ministry workers reappeared and streamed out of the toilet, headed for their pre-approved Apparition Zones. Umbridge, however, had a tendency to work late, missing her apparition group and returning alone later.
"It has to be tomorrow," Hermione insisted. "She'll be there extra late because of the start of school, I'm sure of it. I heard her talking about it today, she said it's putting all kinds of extra work on her department."
Draco nodded. "Did you get the last hair?"
Hermione held up a small vial containing the hair of a Ministry worker. She placed it carefully next to three others.
"Okay. Is everyone clear on the plan?" Harry glanced around the circle. The others nodded.
"Remember our contingency plan," Hermione said. "If we get separated we meet in 3 days, that'll be September 4, at the address I gave you for my parents. After that, if someone is still missing, we wait another 3 days and meet back here. No one can come back here before 6 days have passed." She took a deep breath before starting again. "And we have to remember to keep our Polyjuice with us, and to drink it every hour on the hour, and…"
"Hermione, we know the plan," Ron interrupted. He took her hand. "If we're really doing this tomorrow we need to relax. We can't be too worked up."
"Ron's right," Harry agreed. "Let's try to do something fun." He cast his eyes around the room, looking for something to do.
A smirk spread across Draco's face. "Hermione, did you bring those Uno cards?"
September first was cool and bright. The regular complement of Death Eaters staked outside of 12 Grimmauld Place had doubled overnight, as if they were expecting its occupants to emerge, trunks in hand, and head towards King's Cross Station.
The four occupants of Grimmauld Place were indeed planning on leaving that day, though the Death Eaters stationed outside would never know it. Shortly after noon they stepped carefully onto the front porch. Harry had his Invisibility Cloak, though it wasn't much good for four of them. Silently they joined hands, glancing one last time towards the hooded figures watching for them before disapparating.
They arrived several streets away from the Ministry. Immediately they dropped their hands and walked away from each other, towards their predetermined lookouts. Though they weren't close enough to talk, they were situated strategically in order to be within view of each other. They each settled down and cast a Disillusionment charm, except for Harry, who pulled on his cloak. They were invisible as they waited.
Harry glanced up at the large clock across the abandoned square from him. He took a drink from his vial of polyjuice potion and grimaced at the bitter rush of Ministry employees had come and gone hours ago. The air was becoming chilly as the sun set, leaving him to wonder if Umbridge was intending to leave the Ministry at all that night. He was restless.
Just as Harry contemplated the idea of moving from his hiding place and stretching his legs he heard footsteps approaching. He glanced towards the places where he knew his friends were hidden, hoping that they had heard as well. He thought he could make out a faint shimmer of movement from Ron.
A woman came around the corner. Harry shivered as her features came into view: a repulsive, toad-like face, a perpetual sneer, and altogether too much pink. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was alone.
A figure moved out of the shadows. "Dolores!" A male voice called enthusiastically. "I thought I was the only one here so late!"
Harry moved silently towards the pair. Draco continued to speak to their former professor, weeks of observations paying off as he flawlessly imitated the Ministry worker whose hair he had stolen.
"I'm just on my way home now," Umbridge said with a hint of what Harry assumed was meant to be a smile. "The start of the school term, you know. So much to do, especially with all those Muggles trying to get onto the train. It took a good deal of time to sort out their blood status."
The face that had replaced Draco's smiled. "You look exhausted. Why don't I accompany you home?"
A slight blush crept up Umbridge's face. "That won't be necessary," she said, "I'm headed straight to bed anyways."
"I insist," the dark-haired man pressed. Harry was surprised; they had agreed that if Umbridge refused Draco's offer, he was not to repeat it, and they would resort to more hostile methods to follow her. "At least let me see you safely home. Can't be too careful these days."
"Oh, alright," Umbridge gave in. "But just to apparate with me, I wouldn't want to make you any later getting home than you already are."
Draco smiled sweetly and offered his arm to the witch. "Lead the way then!"
Harry rushed forward to grab onto Draco. He felt another body next to his as he grabbed a handful robe. He held tight as he he felt the familiar sensation of swirling away, followed by the feeling of being squeezed through a tube.
They landed with a thud. Umbridge looked around in confusion. "That was strange," she muttered.
Draco was quick to jump in. "Dolores, I just noticed that lovely locket you're wearing." His hand waved beside him, poking Harry in the ribs. "Is that an S on it?"
Umbridge looked up. "Sorry, what was that? I'm afraid that apparition was a little rougher than usual."
"Your locket," Draco gestured at the chain hanging from her neck. Invisible, Harry snuck around in front of the pair. He was surprised to find a body already there.
"Oh, this?" Umbridge beamed as she held it out to him. "The S stands for Selwyn, cousins of mine. It's been in the family for generations."
Harry grimaced at the lie. He recognized the locket; it was the one that he had seen in Grimmauld Place two years earlier. Eagerly he reached out to grab it.
Umbridge jumped as a squeak escaped from her lips. The dark-haired man that was Draco gave her a curious look.
"I felt something touch my back," the woman explained, whirling around. "What's going on here?"
At that moment the chain of the locket fell from her neck, the clasp undone. Harry reached forward and snatched it out of her hand. He hid it quickly underneath the Invisibility Cloak.
Umbridge screamed as two figures appeared next to her. Quickly they grabbed the hands of the dark-haired man. Unseen, a fourth figure grabbed onto the arm of one of the others. A moment later they were gone, abandoning Umbridge to her shock.
"We got it!" Ron shouted as the door to Grimmauld Place slammed shut behind him. "We actually got the bloody Horcrux!"
Hermione smiled as her Polyjuice wore off. She threw her arms around Draco. "That was brilliant!" she exclaimed as she pulled away from him. "She had no idea what was happening!"
Harry turned the locket over in his hands and held it up to the others. He had thrown off the Invisibility Cloak at the door. "Only two more to find!" he crowed excitedly.
Draco smirked as he stared at the locket. "I told you Slytherin ways are the best."
