Chapter Twenty
Harry woke with a splitting headache as flash after flash of torture and death stormed through his mind. He felt like he was going to throw up, not helped when he sat up so quickly he smacked his head off the bunk above him.
Draco mumbled slightly in his sleep and rolled over to face Harry. Harry forced himself to lay very still so he didn't wake his friend. Once he was sure Draco was still fast asleep he slipped from his warm bed and crept into the bathroom, laying his head on the cool tiles on the floor.
Fifth year had been hell for many reasons, one of the main reasons was the never ending pain in his head from his mind being linked with Voldemort's and now, it seemed, it was back. He tried shutting it out, and most of the time he could manage but when he was asleep, there was no hope of keeping his mind closed.
Harry forced himself to take slow, even breaths and worked on pushing the horrifying images from his mind. One of the books he'd read talked about imagining a giraffe running in and out of your mind and then, on the third time it leaves, it takes the thoughts with it.
It worked surprisingly well, although Harry struggled to imagine Severus sitting in his room at night, picturing giraffes and wished he was there to help teach him.
"Harry?" Hermione asked, rubbing her eyes.
Harry pulled himself into a sitting position and forced a smile, something that only made him feel more sick.
"Are you OK?" Hermione asked, rubbing her eyes and some how managing to get her fingers caught in her very frizzy bed hair.
Harry nodded, "I'll be fine."
Hermione flopped herself onto the floor next to him and tucked her knees up to her chest, "You had the 'thoughts' again?"
Harry nodded again, "Yeah. They're gone now though."
"At least you're just getting them when you're sleeping?" Hermione said, trying not to get annoyed at him, "I just wish you could fully close your mind, you really do need to learn."
Harry sighed, "I know. I know. I just don't know how."
"I'm not meaning to nag it's just… I hate the idea of the two of you having a link, any sort of link." Hermione said, giving him an awkward one armed hug in the small-ish space.
"Why are you up so early anyway?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
"I heard you flop on the floor." Hermione shrugged, "Thought I should make sure everything was OK. I'd had a bad dream and was just reading to try and clear my mind."
"You need to stop reading that gods awful Horcrux book before bed." Harry told her firmly.
Hermione couldn't argue; she'd been having reoccurring nightmares about people using her to make another Horcrux, or watching them use her friends, or once watching herself using her friends to make her childhood teddies into Horcruxes. She always awoke sobbing, with sweat pouring down her face.
She knew that reading about the horrific process that was needed to create a Horcrux over and over again, hoping for some hint of something, anything that could help them wasn't helping her dreams.
"Well I promise that I will stop reading that awful book, and you keep working on shutting your mind?" Hermione said.
Harry grinned and nodded, "Agreed." he said, shaking her hand.
Hermione spotted the Mokeskin pouch around Harry's neck, the pouch that the locket was currently sitting in.
"Do you think that the locket might be making it worse? It might be strengthening the connection between you and him?" Hermione said, "I could wear it for a while if you wanted."
Harry smiled at her but shook his head. They'd all agreed that they couldn't just leave the locket lying around, that they should make sure that one of them always was wearing it but it was the most horrible feeling.
The metal was always cold, it made them feel alone, unloved, unwanted and angry at the world and everyone around them.
After the second argument, Harry had drawn the line, saying that wearing it wasn't worth the risk. Instead it could live in his pouch which would provide a barrier between him and the Horcrux. He was the only one who could open it so there was no chance of it falling into the wrong hands and there hadn't been any issues between them since they took it off.
It had been hard enough to watch Hermione take off her mother's locket the first time, making Draco and Harry promise that one of them would wear it as she couldn't bare the idea of the Horcrux locket touching hers, he couldn't to that to her again.
"It's fine." Harry assured her, "It might be making it worse but I doubt it's making a huge difference. And I am only having problems when I sleep, and it's nothing fixed just flashes and feelings."
"I just know how hard it was for you when You-know-who was dipping in and out of your mind all the time, when you weren't sure what was really happening and what wasn't, having memories that weren't yours." Hermione said softly.
"I promise I wont let it get that far again." Harry told her firmly, "I learnt my lesson that You-know-who cannot be trusted, nothing I see is real for sure."
Hermione nodded and leant against his shoulder slightly. Rain started to fall, pattering down on the canvas above their heads.
"We should try and get some sleep." Harry said, rubbing his eyes as the tiredness started to creep into his mind again.
Hermione nodded and hauled herself to her feet before reaching down her hand and pulled Harry to his feet as well. They gave each other a quick hug and went their separate ways, thankfully both of them managing to fall asleep quickly.
Harry awoke the next morning feeling no worse for wear from waking up during the night. Hermione was already awake, her long hair in a neat plait down her back while she changed three bits of cracker into three large plates of eggs, bacon and toast.
Harry took the squealing kettle from the hob and made them each a coffee before settling himself at the table, Draco was reading over a paper from just over a week ago that they'd managed to snatch from someone when Hermione risked going out to get them fresh, real sandwiches one day.
"Have you seen this?" Draco asked, shaking his head. His neat blonde hair had grown shaggy already, but he'd looked at Hermione with the up most horror when she'd suggested that she could trim it for him.
Hermione nodded, tucking into her breakfast, "I read it last night. Lovely coffee by the way, thanks Harry."
Harry smiled; they'd gone out and gotten ground coffee rather than instant when they'd found a cafetiere in one of the cupboards. It was the little things that like that that were making their experience slightly more bearable.
"I would just like to clarify, I did not kill anyone on my way out of the Daily Prophet!" Draco said, only half jokingly, "I didn't even have my wand out!"
Harry shook his head, "We know, don't worry. I can't believe they're raising money for the families. The families that don't exist!"
Hermione felt suddenly sick, the worry she was flooded with killing her appetite.
There would be people out there donating what money they could for the poor grieving families that evil Hermione, Harry and Draco had destroyed. Money that she highly suspected would then go to fund more anti-muggle efforts.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded and forced a smile, hoping they would ignore how pale her cheeks were, "Yeah I'm fine."
Draco was about to point out she clearly wasn't, something had upset her, when there was a loud pop outside.
The three of them froze for a second before grabbing their wands and slowly stepping towards the tent door. They were invisible in their wards, no one knew where they were or how to find them but that pop was definitely an apparition sound.
Harry had no idea who was outside or what to expect as he carefully opened the rough, fabric door, holding his breath and hoping it didn't make a sound as he moved it out the way.
"Winky?" Harry said, stepping out into the mild September sunshine.
The house elf turned to face them and smiled, flapping her ears, "I is so glads to have founds you."
Draco and Hermione stepped out with Harry and stared down at the little elf.
"What do we do?" Draco asked, "We have to move. Now."
"No!" Winky said quickly, holding up her hands to stop them, "I means. Waits, please."
"Winky you shouldn't be here." Harry said, trying not to get annoyed at her, "We're on the run! Who else knows we're here?"
"No ones." Winky said, her eyes wide, "I promises. I was sent here bys… Dumbledore."
Harry froze at the name, unsure what to say or how to feel, "Dumbledore is dead." he said after a few long, silent minutes.
Winky nodded, "That is truth. But before, before he goes, he gives me something to gives to you."
Harry, Hermione and Draco looked to one another in confusion, not knowing what to do.
"We'll move now." Hermione said, rubbing her temples, "And Winky can come with us. Then, once the wards are set up you can tell us what you have for us."
It wasn't ideal, they should have had another night where they were and it was nice and sheltered, with a stream nearby for washing clothes and plenty of bushes for drying them.
"You don'ts have toos." Winky shrugged, "House elf magic can finds you, with Dumbledore help but wizards or witches couldn'ts finds you."
"Winky…" Harry knelt down, so he was eye level with the elf, "You're sure? We need you to be sure because otherwise we're going to be in danger, you wouldn't want us to be in danger would you?"
Winky let several fat tears roll down her squashed tomato nose and shook her head, "I promises Harry Potter. I would never gets you hurt!"
Harry looked to Hermione and Draco, "I trust her."
Hermione and Draco nodded, slightly reluctantly but the little elf did seem very sure. They led her into the tent and all sat down around the coffee table.
Draco filled the kettle and stuck it on to boil before perching himself in one of the arm chairs, "Would you like a drink Winky?" he offered.
Winky blushed and flapped her ears, before reaching up to hold them still, "Tea pleases."
Harry waited until they all had drinks and biscuits before turning to face Winky fully.
"You said… you said Dumbledore gave you something to give us?" Hermione asked carefully.
"Never mind about that." Draco said anxiously, "How's Father?"
"And Mum. And Danica. And Nikka. And Sirius? And everyone." Harry put in.
Winky smiled, "Master Lucius is doings just fines. He is pale and we makes him eat lots of rich foods, to makes more blood. The bottles of blood you lefts were most helpful. He misses you but keeps busys. Miss Lily is very sads to be missing you. She cuts her pretty hair as Miss Danica keeps pulling it, even though she does not means to. Miss Danica is growing lots. She helps in garden much as well. Master Sirius is still sleeping. He is better looks after with us than in that's hospital though." she said proudly, sniffing in disdain at the thought of the hospital.
"I'm so glad." Draco said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"It's a busy house. Master and Misses Tonks's parents live in the North wing mostly. They had a horrible argument about Master Tonks's dad leaving as he's a muggle borns but he agreed to stays. We is safe there. Misses Tonks is very fussy eater at moment. Master Lupin is doing betterer, he likes changing with someone, makes it hurt less for them both. Misses Nikka is gone lots. She is fighting all the times, Misses Lily gets a bit cross at her."
Harry was very glad to have news of home, but it also increased the ache of homesickness he'd been living with for the last two months.
"But you could come more often." Harry suggested to Winky, "Everyday even! You found us and you got through the wards. You could take letters from us home and bring them here…"
Winky looked very sadly at him, "I is sorry, but I can'ts. Coming through might have broken your wards, it didn't this times but that was onlys luck. It would puts yous in a lots of danger. I could only finds yous in the first place because of what Dumbledore gaves me and yous needs that."
Harry forced himself not to show the disappointment on his face, "It was worth an ask." he said "So what was it that Dumbledore gave you to give us?"
Winky smiled, she clicked her fingers. Hermione, Draco and Harry watched in wonder as the Slytherin scram sax appeared in her arms.
"Winky… is that what I think it is?" Draco said quietly.
Harry knew that it was exactly what they thought it was, he could feel the locket trying to quiver through his Mokeskin pouch, very glad once again that it wasn't touching his skin.
Winky nodded seriously, "Yes. Dumbledore gaves it to Winky and says 'Winky when Harry Potter has the locket you must give this scram sax to hims. You can't just gives it thoughs you haves to hide it, make it a game'. So Winky says yes, to help Harry Potter but says 'how is I meant to knows when they has the locket?'. So Dumbledore gives Winky this."
Winky dug into the pocket of her pillowcase and pulled out the missing corner of frame from Draco's mirror.
"Dumbledore says that the mirror wouldn't works properly without it all. And that the mirror will wants to be fixed, so I could use it to finds you." Winky shrugged, handing over the metal corner.
Draco reached out and took it, running his fingers of the smooth, boring surface, "I'll fix it later I guess." He had no idea what she meant by the mirror not working properly, it had been reflecting perfectly fine, "This told you when we had the locket?"
Winky frowned and nodded, "I heards things." she shrugged, "I heards you says locket and Mokeskin so I knews you had its."
Hermione shuffled in her seat slightly, "I… you said that Dumbledore told you to make it a game, us getting the scram sax… did you?" she asked rather worriedly.
Winky shook her head, "It feels bad. Dumbledore was always so goods to Winky but I was a free elf then. I is not a free elf now and Master Lucius says we must do everythings we can to help Harry Potter. I don't haves to obeyed that order… because of timings but I wanteds to."
Harry reached down and gave her a tight hug, "Thank you Winky. It means a lot."
"It's not a game Harry Potter, why did Dumbledore say that it was?" Winky asked, as Harry pulled away.
Harry looked down at the little elf, a million feelings and emotions flooding through his brain. The big question was, did Dumbledore actually think of this as a game, or did he just think the elf was too stupid to understand the truth?
"I think Dumbledore was getting very confused towards the end of his life." Harry said after a moment.
Winky nodded, "Well, I is glad I gaves it to you. And Winky is not a bad elf. Keep it safes?"
"We will, we promise." Hermione said, slipping the scram sax into her small bag.
"I know you need to get back, but could you wait half an hour or so, and take some letters back with you?" Draco asked.
Winky nodded, "Of course."