Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight.

So guys before we start this chapter I just wanted to tell you of a new revolation that I had. As Allie developes more as a character the way I invision her changes as well. When I used to picture her I used to think of her as looking like someone along the lines of Aly Michalka but not that she is growing up I realize that Allie wouldn't look anything like that! Lol. So now I have decided that Allie's looks are similiar to those of Amber Heard. I posted a link to her picture in my profile so you can get an idea of what I'm thinking. Tell me what you think please! I'm very curious.

Okay, enough ranting. On with the story!

"So...what do we do now?" I asked as we all sat around the kitchen table minutes after Kreacher disapportated.

Hermione had found some granola bars stuffed into her beaded bag and took four out, one for each of us, but no one was eating. We all lost our appetite after finding out that Umbridge was in possession of the locket.

I looked down at my hands and traced the outline of the words I was forced to carve into the back of my hands during my fifth year: Some things are better left unsaid.

"Well, I guess we are going to have to go and get it." Harry answered, not sounding to convinced by his own idea.

"Right..." I said, trying my hardest not to laugh at how simple he made it all sound. "All we have to do is break into the Ministry of Magic-without being seen, might I add-get into her office, steal a locket, and get out without being caught. That sounds easy enough, right?"

"Allie, enough with the sarcasm. Instead of wasting your energy being witty just try and figure out what we are going to do, okay?" Hermione snapped.

My eyes widened at her sudden outburst. I cannot think of the last time Hermione talked to me-or anyone else besides Red-like that and I couldn't help but feel...proud. I smiled at my best friend before putting my hands up in defeat. "Alrighty, 'Mione. I'll behave."

"Thank you." She answered with a small smirk on her own face. I don't think she believed she was capable of saying something like that either. "Well, my proposition is that we use this" She pulled out three small vials and set them on the table, "to get into the Ministry building."

I took the the small tube and popped the cork on the top, smelling the contents. "Polyjuice potion?"

Hermione nodded her answer.

"This could work." I said. "We could just knock a few employees out when they are coming into the Ministry stash them, take their DNA, and head on in unnoticed."

My eyes met Harry and I could see that he was thinking this entire plan over, step by step, in his mind. A moment later, he nodded his shaggy head. "It's a good plan."

"I agree." Red added from next to me. "I don't fancy the idea of drinking that stuff again but it's the best way to go about doing this."

"Yeah, I'm with you on that, Red." I added. "But, Hermione, you only pulled out enough Polyjuice Potion for three of us. Do you have another one somewhere in that insane bag of yours?"

Hermione's brown eyes darted from me, to Ron, to Harry, and then back again "I-I don't have anymore."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

The bushy haired girl's eyes darted around the group, almost as if she was embarrassed of what she was going to say next. "Well, after Allie and Dumbledore's funerals, you know how we discussed leaving to find the horocruxes then? I sort of went home after that and decided certain potions that we would be needing while away and Polyjuice Potion was one of them. But, since Allie was dead, I only made enough for the three of us...and I never thought to make more."

I didn't think this to be that big of a deal until I realized what this meant: one of us would be staying back while the others went to the Ministry.

"So who is going to sit this one out?" I asked.

All of my friends stayed silent as they thought this over. I was just about to suggest that we draw straws when I saw a strange look pass between Hermione and Harry and instantly I knew what they were thinking without needing to even read their minds.

I felt my blue eyes grow wide with outrage at their unspoken option. "Oh, hell no. I have to go on this mission!" I yelled.

Hermione directed her eyes down and Harry dared me a glance. He was giving me a look that I had seen all too often from him; it was a look that a father would give to a child who was acting out, throwing a tantrum in a public area.

"Allie, stop and think about this rationally. You are supposed to be dead. What if we get caught or if the potion just wears off in front of the employees? Everyone will know that you are alive and we will be in more danger than before." Harry explained but I, being me, wasn't buying this take on the situation.

"Harry, Voldemort knows I'm alive. How can we be possible get in bigger trouble than that?"

"We don't know that for sure." Hermione interjected. "As Lupin said, the papers would be demanding your head if he knew for sure that you were alive. Nothing of the sort has happened yet; therefore, we must assume that the world still believes that you are dead."

"But Snape-" I started to argue only to get cut off by Harry. Right now I felt like Jake must have earlier today when we were all trying to explain that he could not come with us to hunt the horocruxes.

"I don't know why he hasn't said anything or why it's not in the papers but the fact of the matter is that you will make us more vulnerable than we need to be." Harry told me. I looked over at him with a narrowed gaze, causing him to go back into explanation mode. "There could be werewolves in the Ministry, Allie. You know that we cannot risk this just so you can get back at Umbridge for what she did to us."

My blue eyes stayed connected to Harry's green ones for a moment as I thought over another way to get myself into the mission and kick someone else out but, unfortunately, nothing came to mind. Damn, I hated not getting my way. But this was more than an issue of only child syndrome: it was about getting revenge. I would love nothing more than to finish what I started with Umbridge but I knew that it would have to wait until later because I wouldn't risk all of our lives to smack her around a bit.

"Alright, you're right. I won't go with you guys." I sighed in defeat.

"Thank you for not arguing about this." Harry said with a smile.

I nodded my head in response.

A moment of silence passed between our group before I decided to go on to round two of this argument. "But, I am not going to just sit around here waiting for the three of you to come back."

I saw Red wrinkle his forehead in confusion. "Then what are you going to do?"

I looked down at my fingers and began to play with them. "I'm going to pop into Italy...I need to talk to some people about some stuff." I knew my friends would not understand what I was talking about. I never talked to any of them-not even Harry-about the Volturi. They didn't need to know because if they did than I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with the stunt I was about to pull.

"Could you get any vaguer?" Hermione asked.

I sighed again before looking up at her and shrugging my shoulders. I wanted them to believe that this was going to be no big deal, that I wasn't risking my life by going back there. "There is a vampire clan there that I could get some tips from about avoiding werewolves like Greyback. I'm not too familiar with them and they'll know how to help. It wouldn't take me too long to talk to them and I should be back before you guys return." I lied.

"Well, why don't we all go? Perhaps what they tell you will benefit all of us in some-?"

"No!" I shouted, cutting off Ron's statement. The red-headed boy looked at me like a flipped my lid but shut up at my tone. The Volturi could stand having me around but if I bring three humans to them then I was not sure they could help themselves. I knew how good my friends' blood smelled, I didn't need them to know too.

"I-I mean, they haven't been vegetarian for as long as I have. It would be rude to bring fresh blood to them like that. It's like bringing a cake for a fat kid, ya know?" That was a terrible metaphor but it was close enough to the truth not to be a lie but far enough to not give them the full story; basically, it was an untruth I could live with.

"Oh, alright." Hermione said with wrinkled eyebrows. "That sounds reasonable, doesn't it, Harry?"

I averted my gaze from the dark haired boy, knowing that if I looked into his eyes I would give away the seriousness of this situation; Harry always had a way of seeing my lies through my eyes.

"Yeah, I suppose it's better than the alternative." He said slowly.

"Which is?" I asked, my eyes still pointed at my hands.

"You bitching about being left out." He chuckled, causing me to laugh, as well.

I finally looked up now that I knew my bluff had worked. "Well as much as I love to piss and moan I think this will be much more productive."

"Good." Hermione said, also smiling. "It's settled then. We shall go tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Red repeated in agreement.

"Tomorrow." Harry chimed.

"Tomorrow." I whispered, knowing full well that this could very possibly be the last night we spend alive.

"So, you all know the plan? You all understand exactly what you need to do?" I asked my three friends as they readied themselves to apporate into London.

It was just before eight o'clock: one hour before the Ministry employees would being their work day. We planned everything from knocking out three workers to stealing their clothes and blending in once inside the Ministry walls, to making a quick escape.

"Yes, mum." Harry sighed, annoyed with me since we have already gone over this about a gazillion times.

I slapped him on the arm lightly as I pursed my lips tightly together. "I'm just trying to make sure that we have all of our bases covered."

"We do, Allie. So relax." Ron said, fake punching my chin to lighten the mood.

"If you're sure..." I knew that they understood what they were supposed to do-they were not children, after all- but it still made me uneasy to let them go without me. It's stupid, I know, but I felt like I could protect them by just being there. I had strength that they did not possess and it was a known fact that I was not easy to kill but it was not an option.

"Yes, we are. Don't worry. You do your thing and we will do ours." Hermione said, coming over to give me a quick hug before returning to her position next to the two boys, grabbing each of their hands in one of hers in the process.

"Okay, so we'll meet back here in three hours then?" I asked.

"If all goes well then yes." Harry responded. "And if we can't make it back here?"

"Be at King's Cross train station at noon tomorrow. And check in everyday after that. Yeah, I remember." I smiled at my friends. "Take care, you guys. I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, you too, Have fun visiting your friends." Harry told me.

I just nodded, mentally laughing in my head about his comment. Friends? Yeah, right.

I waved at both Red and Hermione before the three disapporated right in to the belly of the beast so to speak. But there was something in my head telling me that they would be okay and come back safe; I just had to believe that and stay focused on what I must now do.

I went into the white bedroom where I was bunking with Hermione and put on the navy button up shirt I left laying on the bed over my white tank top before throwing on my dark green sweatshirt. I realized that I was completely overdressed for the insanely hot and humid weather on this island but I needed to be able to fit in once I was in Italy; the fall weather had probably hit there by now.

I went over to the mirror, making sure my usually side swept bangs were straight across my forehead to hide my lightening bolt scar, before pulling the hood of my sweatshirt up over my head, causing a shadow to fall over my eyes. I didn't know where Voldemort had planted his spies or where he had goons running around but I needed something that would be able to hide me in at least the most basic form. I doubted werewolves would be there but still better safe than sorry.

I put my wand, which had been sitting on the white dresser, in the front pocket of my jeans, where I would have easy access to it if need be, before feeling that I was ready to leave.

Alright, I supposed this was it. I turned the lights out in the house, giving the illusion that they place was as abandoned as ever before taking a deep breath and apporating.

I was sucked into the small closeness of the apporation before being spit out an instant later. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was standing in a dark alleyway twenty feet away from the famous square in Volterra where the Saint Marcus Day festival takes place. I always found it ironic that these Italians thought their city was rid of vampires hundreds of years ago when, in reality, the vampires are living right below their feet in the dark catacombs.

I walked out of my alley, completely unnoticed by the tourists congregating around the fountain and taking pictures of their families, and toward the building below the large clock tower.

My pace stayed steady and my head was kept down as I walked toward the building, not earning one glance from anyone the entire way; my mind was open, listening to the thoughts of all, but nothing out of the ordinary was to be heard. Of course, if Voldemort had his people in the city then I wouldn't be able to hear their thoughts anyway but it made me feel better to listen none the less.

My hand went out, about to open the door, when the knob turned of it's own accord. Jumping back a step, I waited to see who would appear. To my immense surprise I saw someone I was not expecting.

"Ah, Alec. Doing your sister's dirty work, I see." I told the vampire in front of me.

Alec was a vampire of few words with the ability to completely numb a person of their senses and make them feel as if they are burning from the inside out but, to be quite honest, the thing that scare me the most about this boy was that he could give a glare that would send even Lucious Malfoy on his ass. He must have been a year or two younger than me but he stood at least a few inches taller than I.

He didn't answer my smart ass comment with anything other than instructions. "Follow me."

I did has he told me to do, entering the building and closing the door behind me, before following the boy down several flights of stairs to an elevator. He told me to get in first then he enter, pushing the down button on the shiny metal panel.

The elevator music was worse than the silence he was producing so, instead, I decided to ask him a question. "So, how is it that you found me so fast? I couldn't have been here five minutes before you graced me with your presence."

The boy gave me a side long glance before directing his eyes back to the elevator doors again. "We have our ways."

"Of course you do." I responded with a nod before silence-well, annoying elevator music that sounded too painfully close to Celine Dion- wrapped us up again.

A little bell rang a moment later, followed by the doors opening in a reception room that resembled that of a very high end lawyer. A young Italian man sitting at the reception desk greeted us but neither Alec or I said anything in response; the fact that a human would want to be like us disgusted me and I would not acknowledge them.

Alec led me to two great double doors that were all to familiar; he opened one and told me to enter.

The room in which the Volturi used as a throne room of sorts was beautiful. It was a round room with a high domed ceilings with paintings on the walls from floor to roof. Under normal circumstances I would have marveled at it but right now my eyes were locked on the three vampires sitting on the dais at the head of the room.

The two vampires on the ends looked at me with indifferent hatred-how that is possible I will never know- and the one in the middle held a smile across his face that was part excitement, part insanity.

I came to stand in front of the thrones and the vampires that sat on them while Alec went to stand off to the side with the evilest bitch that had ever walked the earth- his sister Jane.

"Well, I'll be. If it isn't little Alice Cullen come to pay us yet another visit." Aro said as he stood to come before me. "It is such a pleasure to have you with us, my dear."

He held out his hand for me to take but I could do nothing more than stare at it.

Aro held the power to read every thought I have ever had by just touching me one time; he tried to make contact before but I managed, somehow, to make him keep his distance. I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt after I removed the hood off of my head. "Hello, Aro. I hope I am not disturbing you today."

Aro's smile grew at my rebellion and lowered his hand to his side. "Of course not! A Cullen is welcome in our city anytime they wish it, especially a Cullen as special as you, my dear."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, well considering I am the last one I'm the only one you will ever being seeing again so.."

In the pit of my stomach I knew that Aro was messing with me, with my mind, but I couldn't let him think I was offended by this or else he would be in control and I needed the ball to remain in my court or else I was never going to get out of here alive.

"Right, of course. It is truly a tragedy what happened to the rest of your clan. All the power that died with them...it is such a pity." He paused to shake his head sympathetically. I dug my nails into the palms of my hands to stay calm. "So what is it that I can do for you, Alice?"

I straightened my back, standing as tall as possible, and tried to look as confident as I could. What I was about to tell him was going to piss him off so much that I am sure some body part or another will be ripped from me but this needed to happen.

"I just wanted you to know that the bargain is off. I cannot promise what I offered you anymore." I told him confidently and like it was the most common thing in the world.

I saw the smile on Aro's face alter for the slightest of seconds before it was once again plastered on his face as if it was painted on. He looked back at his two brothers, who looked just as anger by the way, before starting to laugh. "Ah, Alice! Why ever could this be? Surely you can still join our guard! Nothing can stop you from that, I'm positive on that note." His red eyes narrowed slightly at the end of his last sentence, as if it was a threat.

I shook my head. "I'm afraid that you are wrong, Aro."

His eyes widened and I continued.

"This man I told you about-Voldemort-well, he is going to kill me and there is nothing I can do to stop it." I paused. "I-I" Oh no, I cannot start stuttering now. Suck it up, Allie! "I just thought that I should let you know so you do not going looking for me and...and."

"And kill those you love while looking for information?" Aro finished, smiling widely again. He had won a small victory when I faltered my words, we both knew it.

I nodded and lifted my chin up higher to be closer to his level. "Yes."

He chuckled as he came to tower over me again. "You really are Edward's daughter, aren't you, Alice?"

My nails dug deeper into my palms as I thought just how much I would love to punch this guy's head off. "Do we have an understanding?" I nearly hissed through my teeth.

Aro stared at me for a second, that stupid smile plastered on his face all the while. His red-eyed gaze turned from me to his brothers, still sitting behind him on the dais. "I wonder..." He started before walking away from me. "Perhaps, instead of death, you would choose to just stay with us and we shall keep you safe from this Voldemort character. What say you to that?"

I watched as he circled me, waiting for a reply. I knew what he was getting at by giving me this "option", he was saying what I knew he would all along: that I was not going to get out of this without a fight. "I can't do that, Aro. I am sorry."

"Oh?" He said as he came to stand before me again. "And why is that, my child?"

"Because I have to allow him to kill me in order for the people of my world to kill him." I answered with a semi-truth. By people I meant Harry, of course, but there was no way in hell that I was going to be giving out names, especially not those of the people I cared about.

"How intriguing." Aro smiled.

"Yeah, it's a regular Nancy Drew novel." Shit, I didn't mean to say that. My mouth was just too fast for my brain to stop. I cleared my throat and continued. "Well, I am sorry that I have taken up so much of your time. Once again, I apologize for this entire situation but there is nothing I can do. My hands are tied." I started inching my way toward the door. "It was so good to see you one last time."

I nodded and saluted the lead vampire before turning on my heels and booking it-well, I was actually going pretty slow for a vampire-toward the door. I was just about to walk out when two guards came up and closed the doors. Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my cool. I turned back to Aro and put on a gentle smile that he seemed so fond of wearing. "Was there something else you needed to discuss?" I asked, the picture of innocence.

"I am afraid I cannot let you go, Little Alice. You are all too valuable." He explained as if he hadn't just kidnapped me but as if he just asked me to have a cup of tea.

I could feel my heartbeat quicken and my senses heighten; something was about to happen. "Well, I am afraid I cannot stay."

"Then we do have a predicament, then. Don't we?" Aro chuckled. He turned away from me to face the small blonde girl that stood next to her brother at the base of the dais. "Jane, will you please explain to our guest how this situation is going to work?"

The small girl let the hint of a smile appear across her sadistic face. "Of course, master." She stepped away from Alec and came closer to me. "This may hurt...just a little."

"Go to hell." I snarled, knowing full well what was about to happen. Jane's power was to cause pain, not physical pain, but mental in the sense that she makes you believe that you are in pain. So yeah, the bitch was intimidating but I didn't think it would be as bad as the CruciatusCurse; nothing, and I mean nothing, could hurt as bad as that. I narrowed my gaze."Or, better yet, bring it on."

A small smile appeared on the girl's face before I saw something click in her eyes and she went into concentration mode.

I waited for the pain to hit me but strangely it never did. I looked over at Jane to see that she had bulging red eyes and a scowl on her face. An eyebrow of mine arched as I watched her try to use her power on me but it didn't seem to work. I was still waiting to feel something but after ten seconds I began to calm; she couldn't make me feel pain, she couldn't make me feel anything.

A smirk appeared on my face as she began concentrating even more. "Don't hurt yourself, sweetheart." I told her with a wink.

I heard Jane growl as she tried harder but still nothing became of it.

"Jane, that is enough." I heard Aro say as he came up to stand next to the small girl. The little vampire blinked for the first time in a few moments to look at her boss in shock and anger. Her jaw locked as she nodded.

My eyes switched from the girl, who was now retreating next to her brother, to Aro. The man was studying me with as much concentration as Jane had but I knew now that they couldn't get into my head. "Well, my dear, you are full of surprises, aren't you?" He chuckled to himself.

I just shrugged. "Can I go now? Obviously, your tactic for keeping me here didn't work and now you are just wasting my time."

The smile grew as the tension in the room did. "Why the sudden change of civility? What happened, Alice?"

I didn't turn to look but from the corner of my eye I could see members of the guard inching closer, encircling me between them. My hand began to slide toward my wand but I stopped it just short. I didn't know what would happen if I started using magic. Would they freak out and let me go? Or would that just cause them to kill me faster? I didn't know and had no way of figuring it out without just having a go at it. I think I'll pass.

"In all honesty, I stopped being polite when you started threatening me."

The guards were inching closer and I could feel my eyes redden at the threat they posed.

"Let's just talk about this, Alice. Before you rush to any conclusions." Aro said as he too came closer to me; he was now only two feet away. "Now, if I am correct-and I am usually-you do not only have your father's particular gifts but also your mother's."

I paused. My mother's gift? Bella had the ability to create a force field of sorts that not only protected her mind from the powers of twits like Jane but also to break into the physical world and be able to protect her body from harm.

But I didn't have that talent...did I?

I looked up at Aro. "How do you know that I have my mother's ability?"

"Because she too could deflect Jane's powers and," Aro suddenly grabbed my hand and held it tight between his two cold hands. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them with a knowing look on his face. "when I touched her I also saw nothing."

I ripped my hand away from his and took a step back. I had my mother's immortal ability but I could not dwell on it now; I had to focus on getting myself out of here alive. I bit my bottom lip as I glanced over my shoulder to see Felix a mere foot away. If I made any sudden movements I would be in his arms and crushed flat instantly. He was faster and stronger so I knew I couldn't out power or run him. I had already ruled out using my wand so now what? Come on, Allie. How are you going to make your great escape?

Then it hit me.

I felt like such an idiot for not thinking of it earlier.

Apporation-it wasn't the coolest exit but did I really care now?

"My mother's powers or not, I'd rather die than stay here with you Aro." I paused. "And you can take that statement quite literally because it's going to happen very soon."

I could feel Felix getting ready to pounce at me and I readied myself to be pulled into the small tube that was the apporation.

I swallowed before looking again at Aro who no longer tried to keep that fake smile on his marble face. In fact, I believe I even saw him snarl. I felt proud for a second.

I sighed as a small smile came to my own face. "Consider our deal off. Oh, and don't expect to be hearing from me again."

From behind me, I could feel Felix jump into action. He sprang on my back and grabbed me around the neck, cutting off my air supply. I grabbed his arm, trying to pry it off of me but, like I thought, he was too strong.

My brain was going fuzzy as he squeezed tighter and I knew I had no other option than to use my wand; this was life or death. In one quick motion, I reached down and grabbed my wavy wand and pointed it behind me toward Felix.

With the last of my oxygen I managed to yell one word. "Reducto!"

The member of the guard flew back and fit the beautifully painted wall behind him. I fell to the ground and turned to see that he had cracks all along his body from the spell I just shot his way. He was injured but he would live, unfortunately.

I could hear the lightening fast footprints of other guards coming toward me and before any others could attack, I pulled myself into the apportation and fell back onto the floor of my bedroom on Isle Esme a mere second later.

I laid on the floor coughing and gasping for air for what seemed like hours before I managed to stand up. I went over to the dresser and rested my hand there, supporting my weight. I dropped my wand there before looking up at myself in the mirror. I thought I would be more surprised upon finding angry purple strangulation bruises on my neck but really I wasn't. Heck, it could have been a lot worse; I could have been headless and dead.

But it was all over. I was rid of the Volturi for now but I knew it was not for good. Because, you see, I was a Cullen and messing with the Cullens is what the Volutri did best... besides being sadistic and bossy know-it-all's, of course.

I rubbed my neck once, wincing slightly, before leaving the bedroom and going into the kitchen to grab some water. I sat down at the kitchen table and took a deep breath. My vision was still slightly red and I needed to calm down before the others returned home.

Speaking of the others...

I looked over at the clock to see that it was only nine-thirty. Ron, Hermione, and Harry shouldn't be back for another hour and a half.

I laid my head down on the table and let my eyes drift closed. Who knew almost dying could be so exhausting?

"Allie! Allie!"

I was being shaken awake by a rough hand on my shoulder. My eyes shot open to see Harry in my face. I shot up from my chair to see my three friends standing by me in a close clump with various degrees of shock and panic in their eyes.

"We need to leave! Now!" Harry said, grabbing my hand and pulling me over to Hermione and Red. I could hear the sounds of shouting coming from just outside the front door. I wanted to know what was happening but thought it would have to wait until later.

We were just about to disapporate when I noticed that Hermione had her wand in her hand. It clicked in my mind that I had left mine on the dresser in the white bedroom. Oh, shit.

"Wait! My wand!" I shouted, running back to room at vampire speed. I grabbed at my wand but my fingers just missed, causing my wand to fall to the floor and roll under the dresser.

"Allie!" I heard Hermione call, her voice filled with panic. "They are coming in!"

I got down on my knees and reached under the dresser. My reach was not long enough, I stretched my arms to their maximum capacity but they still couldn't make it to the wand.

"Allie! Come on!" I heard Red yelling over the insanely loud banging noise.

"Screw it!" I yelled, standing up and simply throwing the dresser to the side.

"Allie!" Harry screamed in horror.

I grabbed my wand and ran as fast as I possibly could back to my friends. I skidded to a stop, taking hold of Harry's arm at the same time. The next thing I know the front door of the house is being blown to smithereens and the four of us are disappearing into the apporation.

Instantly, we were spit out of the other end. I landed on the ground several feet away from Harry, hitting my head against a rock in the process. My vision blurred for a second, as if I had forgotten to put my contacts in this morning, and my head began swimming.

From somewhere behind me I could hear someone screaming in pain and then other voices yelling at each other in rushed, sharp tones. I got onto my hands and knees, waiting for the spinning to stop. Thankfully, several seconds later it did.

It registered in my mind that we were in a forest of sorts, laying on top of a blanket of leaves and standing under a canopy of tall trees. I stood up and looked around, trying to find the source of the screaming.

About ten feet from where I had landed laid Ron grabbing his arm as Hermione and Harry hovered over him. Quickly, I ran over to them and knelt down my Red's thrashing legs.

"Hold him, Allie!" Hermione yelled at me as she rummaged through her beaded bag, looking for something frantically. I grabbed his ankles and held them completely still.

My eyes went up his body to see the source of his pain: a large chuck of Red's skin was missing from his arm.

"He got splinched!" I yelled as I stared more closely at the bleeding wounds.

Bleeding wound...

I looked away quick and held my breath.

"I have it!" Hermione exclaimed as she pulled her hand out of her bag, uncorked the vial, and shoved the liquid down Ron's throat.

Almost instantly, Ron stilled and began to relax; I was pleasantly surprised to see his wound closing right before our very eyes, leaving an angry pucked scar-like thing in it's place. We all took a collective deep breath and collapsed into a seated position.

I patted Red's ankle soothingly as he fought to catch his breath. Once the blood smell cleared from my nostrils I was able to turn back to my three friends and check out what was going on.

They were all still wearing the clothes that they had taken off of the Ministry workers this morning and, more importantly, they all wore the same "oh, shit!" expression on their completely exhausted faces.

I looked over at Harry who was running his hands roughly through his jet black hair. The boy sighed before looking over at me; his eyes went from my blue ones to my forehead.

"You're bleeding." He said with little to no emotion in his voice but after what happened to Red I'm sure what's going on with my head is as exciting as watching paint dry.

I reached up to touch the wound and came away with blood on my hand; the cut really didn't hurt at all. "Great," I said aloud before wiping my hand off on the dry leaves on the ground. Looking at the leaves made me realize that we were still in a strange bit of woods. "Where the hell are we?" I asked Hermione who was now looking over Ron's wounds.

"We are in a forest that my parents took me camping in when I was little." She paused. "I shouldn't have gone back to the house because now they know about it. I am so sorry, Allie, really. We have nowhere to stay now and it is all my fault."

"Hermione, things just happen. The important thing is that we are all safe, right?" Harry said in a monotone voice. By the look in his eyes he was upset because of what happened, obviously. He looked down at his pin-stripped breast pocket on his jacket before pulling something out of it.

The locket of Slytherin gleamed in the setting sun's light as he dangled it before me. "And right now we have to focus on destroying this."

"But where will we stay?" Ron asked from his position on the ground in a rough, hoarse voice.

"Here." Hermione answered, looking around at the small clearing in the trees a few yards away from us. "I have the enchanted tent. We should be alright."

I looked at my three friends in turn and then nodded. "I've never been camping but, hey, what the hell? There's a first time for everything, right?"

The next second Ron sat up and looked at me with angry, pained eyes. "No, Allie. There is not a first time for everything. Trust me, I could have done without my first splinching."

I looked down at my hands and shrugged. "Well, there was that one time I splinched my finger when we were learning to get our license..."

The next second Red was yelling at me, saying that it was not the same thing and that I was stupid for even comparing that to this; before long we were all laughing at he ridiculousness of this entire conversation.

For the last moment in a long while we smiled and laughed for a a few minutes; but, after that, it all went down hill from there.

I hope you liked the chapter. I'm not sure about it myself. Please give me some feedback! I love to hear from you! Thanks for reading and reviewing!