Once they arrived to the destination, they took a moment to breathe and take in their surroundings. Harry and Ron immediately recognized where they were and to a certain degree, felt safe but it was a fleeting moment since Number 12 looked too deserted. They walked up to the door; Harry tapped the front door once with his wand. They heard a series of metallic clicks and the clatter of a chain, then the door swung open with a creak and they hurried over the threshold. Not a moment too soon after closing the door, they heard a rumbling sound. All three of them had their wands up, ready to fight the unknown. The rumbling became louder and louder, no sooner did they feel a rush of wind attacking them. Their backs were against the wall, trying to fight against the wind but it was of no use. Once it passed, Ron spoke up, "What was that all about?"
"Probably Mad-Eye's idea, in case Snape decided to come snooping," Hermione guessed. With her wand up, she said, "Homenum Revelio." The trio waited for an answer but none came. "We're alone." As soon as Hermione said that, Harry never felt more alone than he did at that moment, despite his two best friends being there.
They just stood there for a moment before Harry started walking, he picked up his wand, "Lumos!" and with his wand-light, and he immediately started walking down the long hallway. Ron and Hermione followed suit. They arrived to what looked like the kitchen, looked around in the dimly lit room, Harry asked, "What should we do?"
"I think we need to put charms up and cast out whatever unseen spells that's lying around the house," Hermione said.
"You're right," Harry said, "Let's do that, and then get settled in." Harry, Hermione and Ron walked around, casting charms and disarming spells. Once that was done, they managed to pick the living room as a temporary Ops Center. Harry, Hermione and Ron were setting up the furniture in a tactful way.
No sooner, did the trio fall asleep, Harry was dreaming, "I believed another wand…" Ollivander attempted to explain.
"You lied," Voldemort interrupted.
"It makes no sense. I believed another wand would work, I swear. There must be another wand," Ollivander informed him. At that moment, Harry woke up. He tried to shake off the dream but he found that he couldn't and didn't even bother trying to go back to sleep. Instead, he got up, looked at Hermione and Ron, only to find them fast asleep. He decided to explore the house a bit more.
What seemed like hours, but only merely a couple of hours later, he heard a voice calling out, "Harry? Hermione, where are you? I think I found something." Harry and Hermione found themselves standing next to Ron, who was standing by a door.
Hermione saw what was written on the door, "Lovely," she read out loud, "Regulus Arcturus Black."
"'R.A.B.'" Ron commented.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went back downstairs to the kitchen to find the note they had with them. Harry opened the letter and re-read what the note said, "I know I will be dead long before you read this. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it."
"R.A.B. is Sirius' brother," Ron stated.
"Yes. Question is, did he actually destroy the real Horcrux?" Hermione asked. Before anyone could answer, they heard a noise. All three of them took out their wands to protect themselves from the potential threat. Harry slowly inched closer to the source of the noise. Knowing that he had Hermione and Ron backing him up, he opened the door and saw that it was Kreacher.
"You've been spying on us, have you?" Harry asked as he put his wand away. Hermione and Ron followed suit.
"Kreacher has been watching."
"Maybe he knows where the real locket is," Hermione said, directing the comment to Harry.
"Have you ever seen this before?" he asked as he picked up the fake locket. No answer came from the house-elf. Harry noticed that he turned away, afraid for his life. "Kreacher?"
"It's Master Regulus' Locket," he answered.
"But there were two, weren't there? Where's the other one?" he inquired.
"Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is."
"Yes, but did you ever see it? Was it in this house?" Hermione asked.
Kreacher turned towards her and began to snap at her, "Filthy Mudblood. Death Eaters are coming—"
Ron lunged forward at him but Harry stopped him as Hermione called out "Ron!"
"Blood traitor, Weasley."
"Answer her," Harry said as he pointed his wand at Kreacher.
"Yes. It was here in this house. A most evil object," he answered.
"How do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Before Master Regulus died, he ordered Kreacher to destroy it but no matter how hard Kreacher tried, he could not do it."
"Well, where is it now? Did someone take it?" Harry inquired.
"He came in the night. He took many things, including the Locket."
"Who did? Who was it, Kreacher?" Harry asked.
"Mundungus. Mundungus Fletcher."
"Find him," Harry ordered. With a snap of a finger, Kreacher reluctantly disapparated.
Harry, Hermione and Ron were doing all that they could do to not pay attention to the time but the trio felt like they've been waiting forever. One particular late afternoon, they were sitting in the living room, lost in thought with their own respective agenda: Harry with the Golden Stitch, Hermione and Ron sitting at the piano with Hermione attempting to teach Ron how to play Fur Elise. Hermione saw what Harry was toying with in his hands and spoke up, "They have flesh memories. When Scrimgeour first gave it to you, I thought it might open at your touch. That Dumbledore had hidden something inside it."
Harry was about to respond but they heard the announcer on the radio talking, "Many of you are wondering why Voldemort has yet to show himself now that he has vanquished the most powerful symbol of opposition to him and his followers."
Before they could listen to any more news, they heard a commotion in the kitchen, "Get off," Mundungus said, fighting off Kreacher.
"I suggest you tone down, Fletcher!" a voice called. The trip immediately stood up and were ready to grab their wands but they saw that Kreacher had come back with Mundungus with two additional, unexpected guests in tow.
"Harry Potter, so long it's been," Dobby said as he saw Harry as he was clutching onto Fletcher's leg.
"Get off me!" Mundungus called him off.
Before anyone else could say or do anything, he found himself up in the air, groaning and moaning and scratching at the hand around his throat, "Didn't I warn you to tone down?! You're here for a reason, so I suggest you shut your trap!" He fell unceremoniously onto the floor, rubbing his neck and taking in air. He didn't say anything after that.
"As requested, Kreacher has returned with the thief…" Kreacher started to say but Fletcher took his wand out and was ready to assault his attacker as she turned her back against him.
"Expelliarmus," Hermione said and his wand flew out of his hand, leaving him defenseless.
"Mundungus Fletcher," Kreacher finished off.
After a moment of peace, Harry smiled at the newest additions, "Dobby, it's good to see you… just as good as seeing you, Ella." She looked at Harry and smiled. Inasmuch she wanted to hug him but held back because it wasn't the appropriate moment.
Mundungus straightened himself out, after a moment's realization that he's been outnumbered and then spoke up, "What are you playing at? Setting a pair of bleeding house-elves and a vampire after me."
"Dobby was only trying to help," Dobby spoke up. "Dobby saw Kreacher in Diagon Alley, which Dobby thought was curious. And then Dobby heard Kreacher mention Harry Potter's name."
"I was across town but I heard Kreacher talk about you. I ran towards them and arrived in time to hear where they were going and apparated here," Ella explained.
"I just –" Mundungus tried to interfere but was quickly cut off when Dobby spoke up.
"And then Dobby saw Kreacher talking to the thief Mundungus..."
"I'm not a thief!" Mundungus called out. "You foul little... git! I'm a buyer and purveyor of wondrous objects." Ella glared at him and stood over him.
"You're a thief Dung, everyone knows it!" Ron reprimanded as Mundungus cowered out of fear from Ella.
"Master Weasley, it's good to see you again," Dobby greeted.
"Listen, I panicked that night, all right? Could I help it if Mad-Eye fell of his broom?"
"You…" Kreacher started.
But Hermione interrupted him, "Tell the truth."
"When you turned his place over – don't deny it – you found a locket, am I right?" Harry asked.
Mundungus looked at him after Ella backed away from him, "Why? Was it valuable?"
"You still got it?" Hermione asked instead. He started to back away from the group and sat on a single sofa chair.
"No, he's worried he didn't get enough money for it," Ron answered. He knew Mundungus well and knew what he had done to it.
"Bleeding give it away, didn't I?" he confirmed Ron's suspicions. "There I was, flogging me wares in Diagon Ally when some Ministry hag comes up and asks to see my license. Says she's a mind to lock me up. And would've done it too, if she hadn't taken a fancy to that locket."
"Who was she? The witch. Do you know?" Harry asked.
"No, I—" he began to say but saw the newspaper on the floor picked up the newspaper and recognized her immediately, "Well, she's there. Look. Bleeding bow and all." He put the newspaper on the table. The trio as well as Ella felt disgusted that she had the locket. It made their jobs that much difficult. Once they felt that they had the information, they let him go. Mundungus didn't need to be asked twice. He was thrilled to have left that house. Once he had left and they felt secure enough that no one could hear them, Harry smiled, genuinely for the first time since they had left the Burrow. Harry looked at Ella who had her own smile on her face.
"Ella, I'm so glad that you're here," Harry said as he went up to her and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him as gently as she could without hurting him. They stayed like that for a few moments, allowing him to drink in her strength, allowing it to comfort him. Once they stepped away, Hermione was next, Ella smiled, knowing that she needed strength and comfort from her too. As they parted, Ron just waved meekly from where he stood.
"How long are you staying with us?" Hermione asked.
"For a week at most, I need to make it look like I'm looking for some other vampires while Edward and Esme are at our temporary home," she answered. "I know that you'll be seeking some female companionship during my time here." Hermione smiled because Ella knew what she needed. But before they could do anything else, they needed to focus on the topic at hand.
"We need to get that locket from her," Hermione said.
"Yeah but how? I'm sure that Voldemort has the Ministry infiltrated," Harry responded.
"That's true," Ella confirmed.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Do you care to guess who the new Minister is?" Ella inquired. All of them shook their heads. "It's Pius"
"You're kidding!" Ron exclaimed.
"Do I look like I'm joking, Ronald Weasley!" Ella exclaimed. Ron opened his mouth to retort back but realized that nothing came to mind and shut it immediately. "This is nothing to tease about, especially with Voldemort out there, looking for you," she responded as she looked at Harry. "I know that you don't know who he is but he works for him. And with him as the Minister, you can guarantee that Voldemort will use Pius in any which way he wants him to. Hogwarts is the same."
"What?!" All three of them exclaimed.
"Snape is the Headmaster now. Voldemort has his armies spread out in your world. He wants to squeeze it so hard, that all three of you will have no choice but to come out of hiding. He knows that you're on the run but he's patient. He's also working with the Volturi and weeding out the vampires. There's only so few of us left. We're doing all that we can to regroup but it's difficult because both Voldemort and the Volturi are monitoring every source of communication."
"There's something that we can do," Hermione said. For the first time in her life, she never felt so helpless.
"The only thing you can do is continue what you're doing. Find the horcruxes and destroy them," Ella replied.
"But how is Pius handling things, especially those who work there?" Ron asked. Ella knew that he was concerned about his family.
"First of all, Ron, as far as I know, your family is safe, each and every one of them. I'm doing all that I can to protect them," she responded. She could see the burden roll off his shoulders when he heard that. "Secondly, Pius is weaning them out one by one. He said and I quote, 'As your new Minister for Magic, I propose to restore this temple of tolerance to its former glory. Therefore, beginning today, each employee will submit themselves for evaluation. But know this: You have nothing to fear, if you have nothing to hide.'"
"He's planning on interviewing them one by one," Ron said.
"Yes, but I do not know what happens to those who go against him or Voldemort. I fear that Umbridge is working closely with the Dementers and sending anyone who is against the belief to them." Hermione felt disgusted with Umbridge. "You're not alone, Hermione. She plays a part in this; the question is how big of a factor she's involved. We're trying to see if anyone is willing to go into the ministry and spy for us."
"How's that going so far?" Hermione asked.
"No luck so far," she responded. "But I think the four of us might have to."
"What do you mean?" Ron questioned.
"Look, the three of you need the locket from Umbridge. No one except for Voldemort's select few knows where the locket is and they're not planning on destroying it. Dumbledore left strict instructions that only the three of you to fulfill it. As far as my family and my world are concerned, I need to go in there to gather Intel before meeting up with my family. We're stretched as it is but we're doing the best that we can. There is no other choice for us."
Harry looked at Hermione and Ron, who mirrored his expression, "What do we do?"
"We need to find people who currently work in the Ministry and gather some hair," Ella started off.
"Hair?" Ron asked. "Why do you need hair for?"
"To make the Polyjuice Potion," Hermione responded. Ella smiled knowingly, she knew that Hermione would catch on.
"Why do we need to make it?" Ron inquired.
"Because we can't just walk in with our faces. The Ministry is after me," Harry said.
"Then Hermione and I can do it," Ron replied.
"Then they'll capture you and use the Cruciatus Curse on you to get to me. I won't allow you to do that, not for me," Harry informed him.
"When are you going to get it through your thick head, Harry?" Hermione asked. Ella attempted to cough to cover up her laughter. Ron and Harry looked at her questioningly before looking at Hermione who scoffed. "Ron, Ella and I are here because we want to be here, not because you asked us to."
"Yeah, mate, you don't have go through this alone, like you think you do," Ron said.
"Harry, think of it this way, Voldemort needed help to get him where he is today. If he needs help to get what he needs to be done, so do you," Ella told him.
"Okay, so what do we do?" Harry asked, as he realized that they were right.