Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Missing Mirror

Ron couldn't concentrate on the chess board in front of him. He knew Bill brought it up to keep his mind occupied while the others packed up. But every time Ron closed his eyes he was back in Riddle's office, looking across the board to the person who had nearly ended his life twice.

It had been several hours since James and Snape disappeared, even though Snape had warded the house extensively Lupin was concerned that Riddle would find a way in. If they're found out, Ron thought darkly, you've got no idea, maybe they're already on their way back. But he seriously doubted it. He knew that James and Snape had had enough, that they didn't plan at all before attacking the Death Eaters.

"It's still your move," Bill reminded him, bringing Ron back down to reality.

"I don't want to play," Ron said dully, it was true in multiple ways.

"Fine by me," Bill grimaced, and Ron tried not to count the dark circles under his eyes, although he couldn't imagine he looked any better. "I went over a couple of Snape's books to see if he had anything on horcruxes."

Ron grunted, that plan seemed like a far away dream.

"He actually had a lot of information on them. Turns out they work more like a parasite, they can't survive outside of the host vessel. The only way to sever them without destroying the vessel is if the wizard feels genuine remorse for what they've done."

"So, its hopeless." Ron said in a dead voice. Riddle didn't feel anything.

"It just means we have to keep looking." Bill set the chessboard aside and place a hand on Ron's forehead.

"You're still cold," Bill sighed. "D'you want some tea? Or another pain-relief potion? We'll probably be leaving soon, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to walk anyways."

"Ask Lupin." Ron snapped, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He desperately wanted another relief potion, but he knew it was a bad idea. He needed his wits about him before they left.

There was a faint knock at the door, before Lily Evans stepped in. Near her leg, Ron saw Crookshank's bushy red tail prance into the room. She looked like a ghost of her former self, Ron's stomach twisted in knots. He knew it was likely that James was already dead, and that if she ever saw Harry again he'd be forced to kill her.

"The others have packed up the kitchen, Sirius says we'll be safest at the old house." Her gaze darted quickly to Ron, but it seemed she was also reluctant to look at him. "There's some medical supplies still left over there."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to move Ron?" Bill asked. "Snape said his wound is still tender, he can't lose any more blood."

Lily finally turned her attention to Ron.

"May I take a look?" She asked him. Ron nodded, he felt warm hands remove the bandages around his stomach, there was already a fresh blood stain on it. Lily pursed her lips, she waived her wand over Ron, and the bandages were clean once again. Ron looked down at his stomach to see a gash approximately the size of his fist, held in place by four sutures. Sirius was right, he'd likely get a scar over it.

"Still some bleeding," Lily said, more to herself than Ron or Bill. "But there's no sign of infection, are you feeling well enough to stand?"

"Sure," Ron lied, his head pounding dully like it was filled with cotton.

"Can't we get a stretcher?" Bill asked, "or I could carry him—"

"Not to apperate," Lily said, waving her wand once again. The bandages rewrapped themselves around Ron's stomach. "I don't want any pressure on his torso, and portkeying would be just as rough, not to mention easier to track."

"But he wouldn't accidentally splinch himself—" Bill said desperately. Ron wished he'd be quiet, he hated how weak he felt having so many people fret over him.

"We can't afford to leave any trace," Lily helped Ron back up into a sitting position. Ron felt another waive of sickness overtake him. "Could you fetch Sirius? We'll need a second person to help him downstairs."

Bill nodded and left. Ron felt awkward being alone with Lily, he liked James a lot and felt like he'd gotten to know him quite well over the past few weeks. But Lily … well he didn't know. It was hard to not hold her partially to blame for everything they'd all been through.

"I'd hate me too, if I was in your place." Lily said, and Ron grimaced. He hadn't meant for it to be so evident on his face.

He said nothing in response, far too tired to come up with a good lie. Crookshanks jumped up on the bed, Lily waived the cat away from sitting on Ron's stomach. Crookshanks meowed indignantly, but settled himself beside Ron instead. The cat purred, and Ron reached out a hand to pat him.

"Smart cat," Ron said thickly. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but he knew they'd have to keep moving soon. "Mione adopted him back home."

"I'm glad they both found people like you," Lily smiled, but he could see tears swimming in her eyes.

"Why didn't you go to the castle?" Ron blurted out. All the pain and suffering he'd endured, he wondered how much of it was in Lily's hands. She did not respond right away, packing parts of the potion kit.

"I was in a similar position to you," Lily said quietly, pressing her hand to her stomach. "It took months for my wounds to fully heal, and Albus was terrified about what Tom Riddle would do if he found out I'd survived. We didn't know how he planned to circumvent the prophecy."

"Severus was able to maintain his cover, so I still got updates," Lily continued. "That was the hardest part, I could see both of them from a distance. But I could never truly be there, and I couldn't bear to face James until I fixed what I had done ... I got a job in a shop in Diagon Alley to keep my mind occupied, I never told Albus that. He thought it dangerous for me to leave the house at all, muggle-borns don't typically live long now, you see. I tried to help a couple of the people I found, but I've no idea if they actually made it out of the country." Lily smiled sadly.

"I won't deny it was selfish and reckless, I wanted to see him in something other than one of Sev's memories. Even if it was just from a distance. And then, four years ago, it finally happened." Lily looked over to the snowy owl peacefully sleeping in her cage. "Harry was so excited, Nagini brought him to the alley for his birthday. He'd saved up his pocket money to buy his own owl." Lily was quiet for a moment. "I … think about that a lot. I don't know what either one of them would have done if they'd recognized me. I always kept my face covered, you see."

"She'd have killed you." Ron said bitterly. He knew none of the inner circle would actually undermine Riddle, and Harry was too afraid of him.

"You're probably right … but I still wonder if things could have gone differently … Perhaps you wouldn't have been taken by the mirror. We'll keep trying, there's got to be another way to get you back home."

"Thanks," there was no part of Ron that believed that was even possible now. He had no idea what Riddle actually planned to do with the mirror, but the horcrux's words echoed in his head:

"I am going to send pieces of you back through the mirror. I will break into your reality and a thousand more, an infinite spiral unfolding unto itself, I am beyond Death."

Ron was already nervous about you-know-who's return. Ron'd made his decision that if he ever got close enough to the mirror again, he'd smash it into a million pieces to prevent the Death Eaters from getting through. He hadn't told James or Bill about it; he didn't think any part of his plan was noble. Ron was simply terrified of the thought of what Riddle could do if any of them used it.

"Alright, let's try standing up," Lily reached out her hands to help Ron up, yanking him out of his thoughts once again. Ron reached out towards her hands, but from across the room he saw a faint flash of blue light, and heard a quiet but familiar voice speak as if through a long tunnel.

"Hello? Sirius … can you hear me?"

Lily froze. She let go of Ron's grip immediately, her attention fixed on a small handheld mirror left on top of a dresser. Ron's stomach twisted at the sound of Harry's voice. Lupin mentioned the two-way mirror, but they'd all seriously doubted he still had it.

"Harry," she was shaking so badly Ron thought she was going to drop the mirror. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"No."

He didn't clarify, the answer was barely audible. Lily sat down on the floor beside Ron's bed so they could both speak into the mirror. The mirror was entirely blank, except for a small triangle shaped piece in the middle, Ron wondered if the rest of it was broken. In the piece that remained, he could see a small fraction of Harry's face, but the room was dark.

"You … need to run … they know …" he said thickly, Ron noticed his eye seemed unfocused like he'd been confunded.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked feverishly. "Have you seen your dad? Is James there?"

"He's alive … I'm supposed to …" There was a coughing sound and Ron realized he was trying to make himself retch.

"S-stop," tears streamed down Lily's face. "Sweetheart where are you? Do you have your wand? Please, tell me what's wrong—"

"My door's locked … potion makes it … hard to focus …"

"How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?" Ron asked. There was silence on the other side of the mirror, and Ron realized he was squinting through to get a better look.

"You're alive?"

"Sorry to disappoint," Ron said, feeling another sharp pain stab through him. He heard Harry laugh on the other side of the mirror. Ron felt taken aback, it sounded genuine.

"No … I'm relieved." That surprised Ron. "You need to run … she's coming ..."

Lily continued to frantically try and make Harry focus on the question. Ron's brain raced, there weren't a lot of women in the Death Eaters, although Bellatrix seemed like the most likely answer. He could still see her cold black eyes glistening at him from across the interrogation room. He didn't know which was worse, Riddle himself or the people that enabled him. Ron wanted Bellatrix to try and come for them … he'd make her pay for making his family's last moments in that world a living hell …

The door opened to the bedroom, and Sirius and Bill stepped in. Sirius took one look at Lily with the mirror and swept down next to her. Ron didn't get a chance to warn him it wasn't James on the other end.

"They'll burn … at Hogwarts … two days from now … I'm supposed to do it …"

"Jesus christ—Prongs—" Sirius shook his head. "I told him not to go."

"He can't," Lily said. "They can't make you do that—"

"They already did," Ron said darkly, running his hand across the bandages on his stomach. He knew there was nothing off the table, as far as Death Eaters were concerned. They'd do anything to stay in power.

"She's coming … but it's not her anymore …" Harry said quietly.

"Who's coming after us?" Sirius looked at Lily in confusion.

"There is … no graveyard … near my house."

"Oh, bloody hell," Sirius went pale. Ron looked at him in confusion. Sirius seized the mirror from Lily's grasp, searching it frantically for answers. "Harry, listen to me very carefully, where does he put the command inscription on the bodies?"

"Dunno …"

Sirius tucked the mirror under his left arm. In his other arm he helped Ron up to his feet. Bill stepped in and helped take Ron's other arm, holding tightly so he didn't fall over. Lily snapped to her feet, a wild look in her eyes. She called for Crookshanks, and the cat got up from the bed, hopping up into her arms with unexpected agility. She also grabbed the owl cage, Hedwig jolted awake, hooting indignantly.

"What's going on—" Ron wheezed, as Sirius and Bill helped him down the stairs.

"Inferi," Sirius hissed, they finally reached the bottom. Sirius thrust the mirror into Malfoy's hand. Malfoy turned a pale pink, muttering a greeting under his breath.

"Inferi?" Hermione asked, "but that's illegal—"

"I'll be sure to call the aurors right away then." Sirius looked at her in amazement. "It's Tom Riddle, Hermione, what did you—"

"What the hell are inferi?" Ron asked.

"It's a dead body enchanted by dark magic," Bill said. "The reanimator carves an inscription in their bone to get them to obey their commands. You run into them sometimes in tombs."

"London suburbs as well, these days," Sirius said darkly, drawing back the curtains. "They're the reason Riddle's been able to expand his operations so quickly abroad."

"How do we kill them?"

"You can't, Ron," Bill sighed, Ron felt his legs shaking uncontrollably. "They're already dead, the only way to stop they is by destroying the inscription or the entire body."

"Let's not wait around to see." Sirius helped take Ron's other arm again. "On the count of three everyone. One, two—"

Sirius twisted to disapperate, and Ron felt once again like he was being squeezed through a keyhole. But this time something felt wrong, Ron felt a sharp pain in his lower stomach. He shouted out, his yells echoing into the darkness. He was neither in Spinner's End, or the bunker house Sirius meant to apperate to. The dark spat Ron back out, he landed flat on his back in the living room at Spinner's End again. Sirius yelled in frustration.

"Shit!" Sirius scrambled to his feet, he snatched the mirror back out of Draco's hands. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

There was silence on the other end, and for a brief moment Ron wondered if Harry had snapped the link for good. But he heard a faint groan come from the other side.

"Who … cast your wards?"

"The disapperation wards, we need to check," Lupin said, helping Bill lift Ron back up. Ron felt something cold spreading across his chest. He waived his wand, and Ron felt the blood try and retreat back into his body, but the bleeding didn't stop.

"Wait—stop—"

Bill helped lower Ron back to the ground, black spots appeared in Ron's vision. He could hear Sirius shouting at someone, but he couldn't recall why. He felt someone tip a potion down his throat. The room came back into focus a little more, but it was still hazy. Bill and Lupin were sitting on the floor with him, pale and afraid. Further away, he saw Malfoy reach out to help Hermione to her feet but she stood up on her own. Lily waived her wand, and Ron could see a thin white line ensnaring the entirety of the house.

"They've turned the wards against us." Lily said quietly. "But why?"

Ron hated that he knew the answer, they were suffering simply because Riddle liked to play with his food. It would have been much easier to send Death Eaters in. And in that moment, he finally realized what Riddle had had sent to kill them.

Standing in the threshold was a woman, paler than a skull. Her black hair hung around her face, stringy like she'd been standing in the rain for hours. Deep sutures held her neck in place, as Ron looked up in horror to a set of vacant yellow eyes.

Nagini had risen again.

A/N: I couldn't resist adding an inferi fight before the finale, and love/hate the implication that's where Death Eaters get their name from. Either way, we're nearing the homestretch now, thanks so much for reading.