Chapter Twenty-Three: The Death Eaters
"Unbelievable," Bill said, touching the crown lightly with his wand. A white spark issued from the horcrux, both Ron and Bill jumped back. "I mean, the senior curse breakers told me about magic like this but it's—"
"Evil," Ron interrupted. Not a day had gone by since his experience at the ministry where his dreams were not crowded with twisting endless snakes.
"That too," Bill nodded in agreement. He waved his wand and the diadem levitated off the table. "But I don't know why you're so adamant about exorcising it, it'd be a lot quicker to just destroy the enchantment. Although I don't have anything here that's capable of doing that."
Ron felt winded, he didn't know what he could and couldn't say to Bill yet. What if he thought the same way as Moody? Ron was thankful that he'd been warned ahead of meeting the ex-auror again. But for Bill, well he wasn't sure … Bill cared about making sure people were safe. But he couldn't imagine Bill killing someone.
"Bill, could a dark wizard …" Ron began speaking before he had time to think about what he really wanted to say. "I mean—could someone put a horcrux in a living person?"
Bill frowned, lowering the diadem back onto the table.
"It's kind of counterintuitive to the point," he said slowly. "A horcrux anchors the soul so that you can't be killed, why create one if the person its linked to will eventually die on their own? It'd be completely mental."
"Yeah, I guess …" Ron thought quickly. "But … if someone did it, and knew the other person couldn't be killed another way. I dunno, would that be like—I dunno—a cosmic stalemate? Or could you detach it from the person?"
"No idea, most tomes on horcruxes just begin and end with the author condemning it as the highest form of depravity." Bill leaned back in his chair, he gave Ron a knowing look. Ron didn't have to say anything else, Bill understood why he'd pressed the matter so much.
"A cosmic stalemate, huh?" Bill asked, and suddenly both of them were laughing.
There was nothing funny about the situation to Ron, but it felt nice to have someone acknowledge how unimaginably hopeless their current situation was. After a moment, Bill fell quiet again, a sullen smile on his face.
"How the bloody hell did you get involved in any of this?" He asked.
"Dunno, sat in the right train compartment I guess."
"Mum and Dad would be proud of what you did back at the bank," Bill said. "I've never seen anyone stand up to a senior-level ministry official like that."
"He spat at you." Ron shrugged, he didn't feel like what he did was brave. Truthfully, he'd wanted nothing more than to curse Crouch since they met. "Will Fleur be okay?"
"She's laying low for a while at a friend's, I let her know along with the goblins." Bill flicked his wand and a cage of glowing stars appeared around the diadem. The horcrux shook in rage. "I didn't think I'd ever see any of you again, but …" Words failed him, and Ron suddenly felt very sick to his stomach.
"Look Bill, I—" Ron began, this was much harder to admit than the horcruxes. "We're brothers, but I'm not your brother." He took a sharp breath. "I'm from a world where you-know-who hasn't won yet. The version of me from here died when I was eleven."
It felt strange to admit that out loud. He'd thought about it constantly since Harry told him, but it never felt real until he had to say it. Bill was quiet for a moment, Ron could see tears brimming in his eyes.
"I know," Bill said quietly. "I think about each of you every single day, for a couple of years it was the only thing keeping me going … You've got a birthmark behind your right ear, had it since you were a baby, but I saw it on the left when we got it the carts …" He cleared his throat. "Will defeating Riddle help you get home?"
"I don't know." Ron paused. He wanted to kill Riddle because of what he'd done in both worlds, he had no idea how to get back to the mirror or if he could even open it again.
"It's good enough for me." Bill grimaced, magicking the diadem back into Ron's knapsack. "There's an underground market tonight in Knockturn Alley, they might have a grimoire with more information on horcruxes."
Ron's heart pounded in his chest.
"Are you both quite finished?" Andromeda snapped, yanking back the curtain that separated Bill's bed and living room. He had a tiny studio apartment a short way away from Diagon Alley. "There's only so many places I can go without overhearing, you know."
"Sorry about that Mrs. Black." Bill stood.
"Tonks," Andromeda corrected him. "My married name is Tonks, no matter what my disgusting brute of a sister does to the record." She rounded her attention on Ron. "Remus says that there's Death Eaters swarming the alley, are you sure its wise to go so soon after attacking a member of the Dark Lord's inner circle? You haven't got a way back to the safe houses without me."
"They're going to be looking for James and the others." Ron said. "Crouch doesn't give a damn about me." He didn't actually know if that was true now that'd he'd actually managed to curse Crouch, but it sounded confident regardless. Andromeda scowled, turning back to Bill for support.
"If there's any sign of them—any whisper—"
"Then we'll all leave right away," Bill blinked, he seemed slightly offended that she'd taken such a motherly approach. "Promise, Mrs. Tonks."
Andromeda pursed her lips, looking in between the two brothers, before she nodded curtly.
Two hours later, not believing his luck, Ron was in a new disguise following Andromeda and Bill to Knockturn Alley. This time he was blond, and looked a little too much like Malfoy for his own taste. Andromeda had taken another dose of Polyjuice potion, and Bill kept the hood of his cloak pulled tight over his face. But their disguises seemed excessive to Ron, as they approached the market. Every single witch and wizard they passed looked like they were also trying hard to hide something.
"Dead man's toes," a wispy witch said, with a small tray around her front. "Fresh from the executioner's pile!"
"Oh good, we were out at home." Bill smirked and nudged Ron, trying to get him to relax. Ron thought painfully about Sirius, he wondered where he and James were at that moment.
There was a banner up over the alley, with the words "Knight Market" crudely written in red paint. Ron clutched his backpack tightly, feeling the eyes of other marketgoers linger on it for longer than he cared for. He was not going to lose his one chance to stop Riddle because of some petty sneak-thief. The market stalls were filled with dark magical objects Ron had never dreamed of. He practically had to drag Bill away from a stall claiming to sell bottled spells. His gaze was fixed on a small bottle of fire that seemed to dance in the night.
"It could be useful," Bill whispered. "Both Aleister Crowley and Ptolemy agree that fiendfyre can be a purifying agent for the most evil of dark magics."
Eventually they found the booth Bill was looking for, and he began to pour over stacks of old books. Ron thought painfully of Hermione, it'd been a couple of days since he'd seen her, she'd gone to help set up a second safe house Edinburgh and would be back later that evening. He'd thought about sending Hedwig off with a letter earlier, but it felt wrong to use the owl without permission.
Ron had a few coins that Lupin lent him, maybe he could find something cheap for Hermione. Ron didn't dare to open any of the books, one too many trips into the restricted section of Hogwarts taught him better. Harry once had to physically pull a book out of his grip when Ron ignored the warning telling him that it wouldn't let him put it down. Ron felt a warm ache in his heart, if he did this right … maybe he would get to see both of them again …
The thought of the horcrux back in his world scared Ron, Riddle had intentionally created it in his current reality. But Ron had no idea what you-know-who would do if he found out he'd done the same. Not only would Ron loose Harry, but you-know-who would become unstoppable.
Andromeda noticed Ron lost in his thoughts.
"One of my sister's favorites growing up." Andromeda tapped her finger on a book called Witches in the Hopkins Trials. "She liked the part where they faked their deaths and drowned the hunters in the river afterwards."
"Charming," Ron said. He couldn't believe someone like Andromeda was related to people like Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. Ron could still see Delphi's face as she screamed for mercy from both of her parents, he knew Regulus just showed them the memory to manipulate them. But it didn't change what happened. Bellatrix let her own daughter die because she wasn't magical enough.
"No—it's a copy of Demonomica, red volume about this big—" Bill held up his hands to show the booth clerk. "Surely you have it?"
The man gave Bill a toothless grin, shaking his head. Ron's heart sank, the book Bill was asking about must've been expensive. He didn't want his brother to worry about money, after all, it was Ron's fault he was a fugitive now …
"Damn," Bill said, turning back around to Ron. "Okay, change of plans. There's a fence named Mundungus Fletcher who comes by the market sometimes—"
"He's not coming," Ron felt his breath hitch. There was not a doubt in his mind that Nagini left Mundungus Fletcher in pieces. He could almost feel her arm curling around his again, feel her breathing down his neck. He didn't like the way she moved; it was like something pretending to be human. Ron shuttered, and Bill frowned.
"You okay?" Bill asked.
"M'fine—just—I don't want to talk about it."
Bill opened his mouth to press the matter, but decided against it. He patted Ron on the shoulder and turned his attention back to a crudely-bound grimoire that Ron suspected was made out of human skin. Ron felt empty inside, like he'd never be cheerful again. From inside his knapsack, he could feel the diadem shifting. Ron sighed and adjusted the bag, waiting for Andromeda and Bill to finish up with the book vendor. He looked across the alley to a small stand selling magical artifacts.
And just like that, Ron's world fell apart.
It was the strangest sensation, he was looking directly at the back of his own head at the other booth. He could see the birthmark behind his ear. When the person wearing his face turned around to ask the vendor a question, they had the same nose, same freckles. There was no doubt in Ron's mind that this was not the version of him from this world. Besides, the body language was wrong. This person was more closed off, trying to take up less space in Ron's gangly body. The fake-Ron turned around dejected, after speaking with the vendor.
Ron's heart skipped a beat as a beautiful woman with dark auburn hair approached the fake-Ron. Her body language was wrong too, haughty and proud whereas the real Lily was down to earth. Fake-Lily asked him something, looking concerned, but he tried to not look at her. Ron's heart was pounding in his chest, as options raced through his mind. Fake-Lily was every bit as likely to be a Death Eater in disguise, but fake-Ron … he would have recognized Harry in a heartbeat.
Ron thought back to what Andromeda said about leaving if they saw Death Eaters. She'd make them leave, and it was every bit as likely that Harry was still possessed or under some sort of curse. But somehow Ron didn't think so, Harry'd acted and sounded very different when he was possessed. If Ron was going to do anything, he needed to do it while he still had a chance. Ron waited a beat for the witch wearing Lily's face to leave, but she didn't go far, speaking quickly into some sort of device.
Harry leaned on the side of the vendor booth, taking out a quill and notebook to cross something out. Even though he was in disguise, Ron could see his left arm was bandaged. Snape was right, he thought bitterly, Riddle wouldn't kill Harry but that didn't stop him from getting hurt. Ron took a deep breath, willing himself to go to the other booth. Ron didn't know how long he had, but he needed to get Harry out.
"Right useful, that one is." Ron tried to put on a deeper voice, pointing to a severed hand holding a candle. Harry barely spared him a glance, mumbling in agreement as he poured over his notes.
"But probably not so much for me," Ron continued. "See … I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."
Harry broke his quill. It was unsettling to Ron, to see his own blue eyes filled with such rage. For a fraction of a moment, Ron felt very stupid for expecting their reunion to be warmer. In one quick movement, Harry drew his wand, and blasted Ron backwards into the book vendor stand.
Ron felt a lump quickly forming on his head, dazed he reached out a hand to steady himself on the mountains of books. He heard Andromeda shout in rage, a fox patronus danced around Ron before racing off into the night sky.
"Poor little Annie," a woman's voice cackled, as a third hooded figure swooped in after Andromeda. Ron could smell books burning. "Husband dead, and hated by her daughter."
It was Bellatrix Lestrange.
Ron groaned, he felt a hand haul him back up to his feet. For a moment Ron struggled, he couldn't see the person helping him. "I've got you," Bill said firmly, his wand raised in defense against the fake-Ron.
Harry glared back at the two of them. Ron blinked, trying to focus against the pounding in his head. Ron couldn't tell how much of the blurriness was from the Polyjuice potion wearing off of Harry, he'd gotten a concussion when he hit his head. Ron could see the jagged angry red streak of the scar dragging itself along Harry's forehead. Bill sent a stunning spell flying his way, but another wordlessly deflected it.
"The dementors missed you, Ronald," a third voice said. The fake-Lily was back, her features warping into Tonks's heart-shaped face. "You're still due at the ministry."
"Stupefy!" Ron said thickly, shooting his own spell at Tonks. She clicked her tongue, in annoyance.
"The great Order of the Phoenix," Tonks held her wand in her right hand and a long javelin in the left. "Can't even teach your students non-verbal magic …"
She threw the javelin in one swift motion, Bill deflected it into the pile of books. Bill yanked Ron behind him, dueling both Tonks and Harry at once. Ron had never seen Bill move so fast in all his life, and yet, it wasn't enough. He was a curse breaker, but they'd had Death Eater tactics beaten into them. Each spell made Bill retreat further into the book stacks, until he was practically pinning Ron against the wall, shielding him from the two dark wizards. The spells stopped, although both Harry and Tonks kept their wands trained on Bill.
"Well, well, Bartemius made it sound like this would be hard." Bellatrix rounded the corner, pressing a knife against Andromeda's throat. Although it looked like the second witch hadn't gone down without a fight, Bellatrix's left eye and mouth were bleeding freely onto her uniform.
"I trust you won't need a proper demonstration," Bellatrix breathed. "On how to cast the cruciatus curse, Mr. Weasley?"
