Ron paced around the living room. He has been waiting for Olivander from past half an hour. Kingsley sent his Patronus early in the morning telling him about bringing Olivander today. Ron went near window to see anybody coming but nobody there. He started pacing the room once again. Bill who was sitting on the sofa had enough of Ron's impatience.
"Ron, stop pacing. It's really irritating me. Have some patience little brother they would be here any minute." Before Bill finishes his sentence they heard a pop indicating somebody apparated there. Bill immediately took out his wand and went outside with Ron on his toes.
Kingsley and Olivander were walking towards Shell cottage. Bill with his wand pointing at them asked the security question. Once everything settled down they were all settled down in the living room.
"Mr. Olivander, you look far better than last time I saw you." Ron said looking at Olivander.
"Thanks to you son, if you didn't save me from those death eaters I don't think I would be alive now." Olivander said with voice filled with gratitude.
Ron ears turned red, he quickly came to the intended topic, "Mr. Olivander, what do the death eaters want from you? Why did they imprison you?" Ron asked. He knows whatever reason it might be that doesn't concern Horcruxes, so he didn't bother to talk with Olivander alone.
"He-must-not-be-named is after elder wand, I am afraid if he gets his hands on that. He will be invincible. Nobody can beat him." Olivander shivered.
"Mr. Olivander, could you please explain from the beginning?" Bill asked seeing Ron's perplexed expression.
"Well, I think you all heard the story of three brothers in the beedle bard?" All the three nodded. "I don't know about the other two but the elder wand exists. It is believed that it is passed from one wizard to other by murder." Olivander turned pale. "You-know-who wants that wand. He knows about the twin cores shared by his and Harry Potter's wand. He thought he could beat that by using different wand from what You-know-who said Mr. Potter's wand performed some extraordinary magic and it blasted the borrowed wand." Olivander stopped to take a deep breath. "Wandlore is a complex and mysterious branch of magic. It is very hard to understand." Olivander said.
"I have a question Mr. Olivander." Ron paused. Olivander nodded him to continue. "We are all wizards but why can't we perform magic with any wand. Why does it always the wand selects the wizard?" Ron asked.
"You ask deeper questions Mr. Weasley." Olivander said. "It is very difficult to understand how exactly a wand works. The wand chooses a wizard based on character and talent of the witch or the wizard. But the wand changes its allegiance when it is won in a duel or taken from a wizard or witch by force. But the elder wand passed through ages by murder because of the power it holds. The wand is unbeatable but the wizard is not." Olivander said.
"Where exactly is this Elder wand now?" Ron asked already knowing that it is too late and if he is correct you-know-who must already got his hands on it.
"The previous owner of the elder wand was Albus Dumbledore. But I think by now You-know-who must have taken it from Dumbledore's grave. I am sorry, he tortured me with Cruciatus Curse I didn't had ant choice but to tell him." Olivander said with shame and regret.
That's new information Dumbledore was most powerful wizard in the history and him owning the Elder wand explains it all. But he should have taken necessary precautions to protect Elder wand after his fall. He didnt even shared this piece of information with anybody. Ron sighed loudly if the Order knew about this before only. The order would have done something to protect the wand now they are too late. He has nobody than himself to blame if he have asked Mr. Olivander as soon as they escaped from Malfoy manor may be they had an offhand chance Ron thought pushing away the thought that it wouldn't have been the case.
The Order was busy with eliminating some snatchers and some minor Death eaters and where as you-know-who acquired an unbeatable wand and Harry didn't even have his original wand. He doesn't know how Harry will face You-know-who. Ron pushed all the thoughts about the elder wand in back of his mind. He will worry about it when the time comes. Now he has to plan to get into Gringots.
"Thank you Mr. Olivander. The information you have given is very vital in coming days. But you should have told this piece of information before itself. Kingsley will get you back to the safe house. Take care of yourself." Ron said and with that he went to meet Griphook.
Hermione peeked out of the tent looking for Harry. Harry sat on a rock and twirling the wand between his fingers. Hermione went near him and sat beside him.
"Harry, can you think of any more places to look for Horcruxes?" Hermione asked tentatively.
Harry sighed loudly. He removed his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt before putting them on.
"I don't know Hermione. It's been months and I can't think of any more places. I am not even getting any visions. I even tried to open up my mind to You-know-who." Hermione gasped loudly. The memory of Harry possessed by You-know-who after their escape from Godric's hallow was still fresh in her mind. Harry continued as if he didn't hear Hermione's gasp. "But he is blocking me out. I thing he is playing the waiting game. He is staying low and one wrong move from us in desperation we will be finished. We are lucky to escape from the Malfoy Manor. But I don't think luck will be always on our side." Harry said he too ran out of ideas and his patience is thinning out.
"I think… I think it's time for us to bring the Order into this." Harry opened his mouth to interrupt but Hermione shushed him. "Harry I know what you are going to say. But we are getting nowhere. I know Dumbledore entrusted us with this mission but he didn't gave us enough information for this task. We are just going around blindly without knowing where to look and what to look. If we just continue like this the chances of us getting caught are very high. We have to involve the Order in this. We went to all the places we know. We are once again repeating the same places. We are trying very hard just to stay alive. Please Harry, just listen to me. We have to take Order's help." Hermione said trying desperately to make Harry to see her point.
"Hermione, are you even listening to yourself? You want to take the help of the Order and risk all their lives. It is between me and You-know-who, I still feel bad bringing you and Ron along with me and you are telling me to bring some more lives on the line. Ron is like my brother and you are love of my life even though you don't feel the same. I don't want anybody involved in this more than necessary." Harry stopped and stood up furiously. "Just tell me this Hermione, are you concerned about the Horcruxes or about Ron? You want to go back to Weasleys so that you can go back to Ron. You know what Hermione I am not going to stop you if you want to go back to Ron. I wanted to do this mission alone it won't be any difference to me." Harry said fuming like an angry dragon.
"Harry, just snap out of your stupid hero complex. The Order is fighting with You-know-who even before you are born. Even though I hate to say this they are more experienced than us. Most of the members in the Order fought in the first war. They can help us. Just tell me this Harry, what if you die in this war? You think the Weasleys and the Order stop fighting? They will fight till death than accepting You-know-who's rule. It is not about you and it was never about you so you better stop thinking like that. Just because some stupid prophecy says only either you or You-know-who survives doesn't mean you stupidly take out your wand and go to war without any planning or help. This is the last time I am saying Harry don't try to bring him in this. You know me for years you really think I am going to leave something once I started something. Then you don't know me at all." Hermione said breathing heavily she is beyond angry and fed up with Harry's attitude for years.
"Hermione, even if you want to kill You-know-who you can't, just remember that. I am the one who had to kill him. I don't want any more deaths if it is possible I will face You-know-who now itself if not for that stupid Horcruxes. Curse Dumbledore for keeping me in the dark all those years." Harry shouted he knows if they went back to Order all his lies will come out and he will never get Hermione.
"Harry, I am warning you. You are not doing anything stupid. If you do anything rash I am telling you I will find you anywhere in the world and kill you myself. I don't want to say this Harry but your rash decision of rushing into the ministry led to Sirius's death. You shout about how unfair was Dumbledore for keeping you in the dark, than what about you? You too used to take your temper on us. All we tried to do was trying to help you. You better look at yourself before you point your finger on others." Hermione shouted much louder than Harry.
"I didn't do any such thing. I am telling you one final time Hermione, if you want you can abandon this mission and go back to Weasleys or out of the country like all the Muggleborns but don't try to change my mind." Harry said venomously and stormed inside the tent, leaving a stunned Hermione behind.
Hermione let out an angry huff. She is going to convince him. He can't just shout and have his way. They are wasting so much time already. It's time they get some outside help. With Ron not being with them taking a toll on them, she is going to give Ron a earful after getting back and that is if he able to survive her wrath for first few days.
Ron entered the room of Goblin and coughed loudly to get the Goblin's attention who was staring at the sea from the window. Griphook turned his head towards him and gave him a dirty look.
"Mr. Weasley, I see you were able to get the Tiara from your great aunt." Griphook said looking at the Tiara in Ron's hand.
"Well you get this one only after you get me into Lestrange's vault." Ron said pocketing the tiara in his coat. "I want to get into the Gringots tomorrow. I want you to be prepared and ready." Ron said.
"Indeed Mr. Weasley, I assure you I will get you into the Lestrange's vault but first let me look at the Tiara whether it is some replica or the original." Griphook said extending his hand.
Ron glared at him before handing him over the tiara and carefully watched him as he examined it. He took it back as soon as the Goblin finished looking not taking his eyes off the tiara all the time. Ron doesn't believe the Goblin, but he didn't have much of the choice.
Ron planned everything with the help of Bill and also by some inside information from the Goblin. He hoped that the Goblin will be true to his word. He has this gut feeling that the Goblin will betray him at some point. All he can hope is to destroy the horcrux before it comes to getting caught or even worse die. He practiced the fiend fire spell for the worst case but he still couldn't control it. So he can only use it as the last retort. So all in all, tomorrow is going to be the big day.