Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: Thanks to Eminnis for beta-ing this story.
Chapter Fourteen
The Thief
"The Thief," Ginny read.
Mentions that Harry saw that they and Hermione were lying on a forest floor, apparently alone:
"Good," Molly sighed, she was afraid that someone might have been with them.
Mentions that blood drenched the whole of Ron's left side:
"NO!" Molly and Hermione both moaned, and all the Weasleys and Harry looked pale.
"He's all right though … right?" Hermione said, looking at Ginny, who was reading. Ginny's only response to that was to continue reading.
Hermione says Splinched:
Everyone winched at that knowing how serious that could be, and how dangerous it would be if it was too bad. It's not like they could go back for any body parts that were missing.
Mentions Harry always thought of Splinching as something comical:
"Comical … Harry Splinching is not comical!" Molly reprimanded; a lot harsher than she normally would have (especially when she was talking to Harry) in her worry over Ron's wound.
"I know," Harry agreed, this was definitely not funny at all.
Mentions that Ron's upper arm had a great chunk of flesh missing as if it was scooped cleanly away by a knife:
Another round of wincing from everyone in the room, even Severus and Draco were disturbed by this.
Hermione says there' a small bottle labeled 'Essences of Dittany':
"Good," Molly said, though she wished she was there so she could have healed the wound properly, or that they could just go to St. Mungo's, but at least with the Dittany, no farther damage could be done, and it would stop the bleeding.
Mentions Harry gets the bag and thrust his hand inside it:
"You'll never find it that way, not with all that's in there," Bill said.
"Especially since you don't even know what it feels like," Ginny added, "you need to summon it."
Mentions Ron's eyes were now half-closed, strips of white eyeball all that were visible between the lids:
Hermione moaned and grabbed Ron's hand. She couldn't stand the thought of that, and she wasn't the only one to be affected by this either, Ginny's voice shook as she read and Arthur's was holding Molly closely to him, both looking troubled.
Mentions Hermione poured three drops of the potion onto the bleeding wound:
Severus raised an eyebrow, he was expecting the girl to be careless with the use of the potion, pouring far more than was necessary in her haste to heal her friend, but she used the exact amount that was needed. He was sure that she realized that they were on a dangerous mission, and they had to be careful at how they used this potion. Gryffindor she might be, but she still knew how to keep her cool in dangerous situations.
Hermione says there are spells that would put him right, but I daren't try it could cause more damage:
"A wise move," Remus said, "for healing spells can be very dangerous indeed if done incorrectly."
"But what spell has Mione ever done incorrectly," Ron smiled at her.
"There's no way I'm going to chance your safety on something like this," Hermione said softly, she was sure she was the reason he was hurt in the first place … she had Apparated them there after all … and she couldn't bare it if she hurt him farther.
Hermione explains that Yaxley had grabbed her ending with I brought us here instead:
"Sorry … it's my fault that you're hurt," Hermione said in a shaky voice.
"Don't be stupid Mione, if you hadn't Apparated us all out of there, we probably would have been caught," Ron rolled his eyes. "You saved us."
Hermione didn't really agree with that, but she didn't feel like arguing about it.
Hermione says I taken him inside the Fidelius Charm's protection, so I've given him the secret, haven't I:
"It wasn't you that gave him the secret, I was the one that Apparated us to Grimmauld Place," Harry told her.
"Argh, that doesn't really matter," Ron rolled his eyes. "We went to the bloody Ministry, where just about everyone in the building was trying to capture us, and all we lost was our safe house and I got a bloody arm … It could have been a lot worse than it is, so stop trying to take the blame for things."
Harry and Hermione smiled at Ron (though Hermione's smile was still weak as she worried how bad Ron's injuries were).
Mentions Harry imagined the house-elf busying himself over the steak-kidney pie they would never eat:
"Hm … I think most of my regret would go toward not being able to eat that," Ron said and Hermione glared at him.
"How can you be so insensitive?" she hissed.
"Er … Hermione, have you met Ron, he's the most insensitive git in the world," Ginny said.
Ron stuck his tongue out at his sister, but Hermione knew that wasn't always true. Sometime Ron really surprised her with how sensitive he can be.
Harry says Umbridge stuck the eye on her office door, I couldn't leave it there, but that's how they knew:
"You would still have found it difficult getting out of the Ministry with all those Muggle-borns even if you didn't take the eye," Tonks said. "They would have questioned what you were doing."
"And you might not have been able to come up with the proper response then," Hermione said, "you know you work better when you have to think on your feet. The more dangerous the situation is, the better you are at reacting to it."
Mentions that the last time that they Apparated to the first place Hermione had thought of they were found:
Everyone shivered at that hoping that nothing like that happened again.
"I think they are okay," Sirius said after pausing a second to think, "the Death Eaters would have been there by now if they were coming."
"What a comforting thought," Ginny grumbled before she started reading again.
Mentions the prospect of moving Ron was daunting:
Ron frowned at this; he was a weakness to his friends … he was putting them in more danger because he couldn't be moved.
Ron asks where are you going:
"Ah … I think little Ronniekins wants you to hold his hand," Fred said.
"And tell him that everything is going to be okay," George added, the two of them laughing.
"Shut up!" Ron said his ears were red.
Mentions the tent was the one they used during the Quidditch World Cup:
"Well, that should do nicely," Harry said, though of course he could have done without the cat smell. "But didn't that tent belong to your friend Perkins, Mr. Weasley?"
"Yes, but when I tried to give it back to him, he said he couldn't use it anymore," Arthur said. "I must have lent it to Hermione so you can use it."
Ron says don't say the name:
"Ron, when are you going to get over that," Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Says the girl that still stutters on his name," Ron grumbled.
"At least I can say it," Hermione huffed and Ginny started reading before Ron and Hermione could argue anymore.
Ron says I'm sorry, but it feels like a jinx or something:
"A jinx!" Fred said. "Come on Ronnie, just admit that you're afraid of saying the name … don't come up with lame excuses."
Dumbledore, however, raised an eyebrow at that. He wasn't sure if it really was plausible for Voldemort to jinks his name, but he could see how useful that would be to the dark side. Only Order members or those opposing Voldemort would use the name.
Ron says call You-Know-Who by his name didn't do Dumbledore much good:
Ron flushed slightly at that as he looked at his headmaster shyly, "Sorry sir."
"That's alright, though I think my death had little to do with my saying Voldemort's name," Dumbledore said serenely.
Ron says just show some respect:
"Respect!" Harry hissed, "I will not show that bastard any respect!"
"Sorry," Ron mumbled again, looking down.
"Arrogant fool," Severus muttered, shaking his head.
"I wasn't saying that I don't know that he can kill me at any time," Harry said, still feeling angry about hearing he should respect the murderous bastard that killed his parents. "I'm just saying that he hasn't done a damn thing worthy of respect … fear yes … but not respect."
"Harry," Hermione said softly putting a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. Harry took a deep breath and nodded towards Ginny to continue reading. She gave him a reassuring smile.
Ron says I didn't get the feeling Reg was all that quick-witted:
"No Ronniekins, they just realized that you were somehow impersonating him and were trying to make sure you could keep up," Fred teased.
"Can't you two ever be nice?" Hermione glared at the twins.
"Hey, I didn't say anything!" George complained.
"Ron can be very quick-witted," Hermione continued as if she didn't hear George at all.
Ron says I hope they made it, if they both end up in Azkaban because of us:
"They won't be much worse than they were before you came," Charlie stated.
"Wow, Ron, you really can be considerate!" Ginny teased her brother, though she knew better than anyone about this.
Mentions Harry was going to asks if Mary's lack of wand would prevent her Apparating alongside her husband:
"No, that wouldn't have prevented that," Dumbledore answer the question. "When you side-along Apparate someone the only magic that is being use is your own. You would even be able to Apparate Muggles if you needed to."
Mentions Hermione was watching Ron fret over their fate with such tenderness that Harry felt as if he surprised her in the act of kissing him:
The amusement was evident in Ginny's voice as she read this, and the twins 'aw' at the appropriate time, which had Ron and Hermione blushing and looking away from each other. Ron had a goofy smile on his face, and Hermione glaring slightly at Harry; did he have to notice that?
Harry says so have you got it, to remind Hermione that he was there:
"Aw … Harry you should have let them have their moment," Fred sighed.
Ron says you got it, no one tells me anything:
"We didn't really have time to tell you," Hermione attempted to speak in a normal voice but it was clear she was still embarrassed.
Harry says we're going to have to work out how to open this thing before we can destroy it:
"Yes, and you'll have to have the means to destroy the Horcrux before you open it," Remus said, not liking the idea of them finding out how to open this without being able to destroy it.
Mentions Harry felt a violent urge to fling the locket from him:
"Er … have you gone mental, mate?" Ron questioned.
"Don't know," Harry shrugged. "But I don't really fancy having a piece of Voldemort's soul near me."
Dumbledore grimaced at that; thinking about what he believed to be true.
Mentions Harry tried to open the locket ending with no more successful at opening it then he had been:
"Why don't you try speaking to it in Parseltongue, Potter?" Draco said. "It would make sense that Slytherin would seal his locket in a way that only he or his kin would be able to open it."
Everyone looked at Draco for a second and then at each other.
"It's a good idea," Dumbledore agreed.
Mentions that Harry felt the Horcrux against his chest was ticking away the time he had left:
Dumbledore's grimace deepened the longer Harry talked about the Horcrux like this, and he wasn't liking the sound of this at all. He was sure that the Horcrux was affecting the boy.
Mentions Harry thought of poor Kreacher, who had expected them and got Yaxley instead:
"Don't worry, Kreacher should be fine," Sirius said. "He is supposedly helping my cousin right now, so the Death Eaters would think he was on their side."
"I just hope he doesn't try to defend me against them," Harry mumbled. He was sure that would cause the Death Eater to torture the elf, and he didn't like to think of the Kreacher in the last few chapters going through that.
Mentions would he elf keep silent, or would he tell the Death Eater:
"And don't worry about that either Harry, Kreacher can act," Sirius said. "He really likes you and he wouldn't betray your secrets no matter what."
Voldemort says do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Gregorovitch, he knows, he always knows:
"How does he know the guy is lying?" George questioned.
"He doesn't, he just assumes that he is," Dumbledore said, "for most people tend to lie to him when he wants something of value."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Fred said. "I mean lying to him."
"In Gregorovitch's position, it's no more dangerous than telling the truth," Dumbledore said gravely, not adding that he knew Gregorovitch was telling the truth.
Mentions Harry was hurtling back out of those wide and Gregorovitch's face was stricken with terror:
"What was that?" Harry questioned.
"Voldemort was using Legilimency on Gregorovitch," Dumbledore said.
"Voldemort's reading his mind," Harry said, and Snape scoffed at Harry's choice of words.
Mentions a scream that went on and then a burst of green light:
"He killed him … but I thought he wanted to know about Harry's wand?" Charlie said.
"It seems that we were wrong about that," Remus frowned. "It seems that Voldemort is after whatever it was that this thief stole."
"And we have no idea what that might be," Sirius grimaced.
"Well, it might be safe to suspect that it's a wand, considering what Gregorovitch does for a living," Severus said smirking.
Ron says don't say his name:
"Argh … that's going to get annoying," Harry groaned.
Mentions harry was not interested in being told off:
"When do you ever have an interest in being told off?" Hermione questioned. "Just so I know when I should do it."
"Never … never would be nice," Harry said to her.
"That's never going to happen, mate," Ron said.
Hermione says no, you're obviously exhausted, go and lie down:
"Dismissed," Fred said, chuckling.
"I wouldn't argue with her right now, mate," Ron added.
"And you should always take Ron's advice when it comes to arguing with Hermione, he is the master at it after all," George laughed.
Harry says I think I seen him somewhere:
"Really … where?" Ron questioned.
"I don't know," Harry said. "I didn't actually see him."
Dumbledore, however, could easily see the connection.
Harry says wouldn't it be dangerous for him to make another one, didn't Hermione say he pushed his soul to the limit already:
"That's probably true, but that didn't seem to stop him before," Sirius said. "I mean after making two wasn't he pushing his soul to the limit."
"I would agree with you Sirius," Dumbledore said, "at least to a normal man's definition of a soul's limit. However, I would agree with Miss Granger as well, that it would be ill advise for Voldemort to attempt to make another Horcrux."
"And you don't believe that's what he was doing," Remus stated.
"No, I don't believe so," Dumbledore confirmed.
Mentions that Harry drifted slowly into sleep:
"That's the end of the chapter," Ginny said, relieved that she was finished. "Who wants to read next?"
"I will," Percy said. Ginny handed the book to her brother without looking at him.