Later that evening the tent they had set up was packed, the ceremony of the wedding had been beautiful and everything a perfect match should have been, the after party was just as lively. A delicate tapping on her bare shoulder caught her attention, she turned "Beau!" she grinned and moved to embrace the wizard she'd been writing too since the end of fourth year.
"Lyra, you are more beautiful every time i see you" he smiled "Would you grant me a dance?"
"Of course" Lyra chuckled letting him lead her to the dance floor.
"Terrible stuff that is going on" he whispered bringing her closer "You are not staying here are you?"
"I have too, this is my home, the people i love are here"
Beau hummed spinning her, they moved onto more happy conversations dancing as they went not noticing two men watching, one with a sad glint in his eye while the other looked positively green with envy. That was before a ball of light entered the tent and all music cut off, people stopped dancing and faced the light moving from it just in case, Lyra took herself out of Beau's embrace as she looked around for her friends, this was it, this was when they had to go on the run from their loved ones to keep them safe.
"The Ministry has fallen" Kingley's voice echoed from the light, it was a Patronus "The Minister of Magic is dead...They are coming. They are coming. They are coming" the light fizzled out into nothing and that's when the panic started.
A few people had apparated before black smoke appeared, Death Eaters attacked the tent sending people screaming, people were fighting everywhere, "Lyra!" she spun seeing Harry holding his hand out for her, the second her hand was in his she felt herself being sucked away, Hermione must have apparated them.
When they landed they all stumbled backwards to avoid being run over by a bus "This way" Hermione panted and they all followed her through the busy street.
"Where are we?" Ron demanded as he was jostled by another muggle.
"Shaftesbury Avenue. I used to come to the theatre here with mum and dad, i don't know why i thought of it, it just popped into my head...This way" Hermione lead them into a small alleyway "We need to change" she pulled her purse open and reached in pulling out some of the boys clothing.
"How in the ruddy...?"
"Undetectable extension charm" Hermione answered handing Harry jeans.
"You're amazing you are" Ron chuckled.
She smirked "Always the tone of surprise" as she moved there was a loud clattering "Ah, that will be the books" Hermione pulled out some clothes for Lyra who took them gratefully, the boys changed first then stood guard so the girls could change from their dresses.
The four of them then found a small café "What about all the people at the wedding, do you think we should go back?" Harry asked.
"They're after you mate, we'd put everyone in danger by going back" Ron shook his head just as the waitress approached their table clearing her throat.
"Coffee?"
"A cappachino please" Hermione answered.
The waitress hummed and then pointed to Ron "You?"
"Uh, what she said"
When the waitress looked at Harry he muttered an awkward "Same"
Lyra faced the waitress and flashed her a bright smile "Do you do mocha?" the woman nodded "Can i have one of them then please? Thank you" she smiled again when the woman walked off to complete their orders.
"So where do we go from here?" Ron asked when the lady was out of ear shot "Leaky Cauldron?"
Hermione shook her head "Too dangerous, if Voldemort really has taken over the Ministry then none of the old places are safe, everyone from the wedding will have gone underground, into hiding"
"God, my rucksack with all my things, i've left it at the burrow" Harry groaned looking panicked, Hermione shook her head looking down at her purse just as two men walked in "You're joking"
"I've had all the essentials packed for days, just in case" Hermione turned to look at Lyra in pity "I couldn't find any of your things, i've packed enough that we can share clothes i'm sorry"
"Don't be Mi" she tapped her bracelet bring their eyes to it while her eyes were pinned to the two men who had walked in "Great minds think alike, i've been packing too"
"Told you" Ron flashed Harry an 'I told you so' look "By the way, theses jeans? Not my favourite"
"Down!" Harry yelled just as she saw one of them pull out their wands, they began casting and Harry was quick on the draw too "Stupify!"
"Expulso" Lyra muttered and the pair went flying backwards as the counters exploded, she thought she'd got the pair of them but one stood back up aiming for her but Hermione was faster.
"Petrificus Totalus!" she called and he too fell, the waitress walked out and froze looking at the damage "Go. Leave!" Hermione ordered her and the woman scattered to the back.
"Lock the door, get the lights" Harry told Ron who pulled out his brand new deluminator making all the lights go out while Lyra and Hermione saw to the doors and windows. When they were seen too they approached the Death Eaters "This one's name's Rowle, he was on the Astronomy tower the night Snape killed Dumbledore"
"This is Dolohov" Ron looked to the second dark haired wizard "I recognise him from the wanted posters, so what are we going to do with you aye?" the wizard had his eyes wide open as he was just frozen "Kill us if it was turned around wouldn't you?" Ron sneered at the man.
"If we kill them, they'll know we were here" Harry shook his head.
"And we won't be here Harry" Lyra answered "Plus that doesn't look too good and i'm not healing it" she pointed to the large wound on Rowle's side.
"We don't kill" Hermione frowned at both Ron and Lyra.
"Well technically Rowle would die of blood loss, so we didn't kill him, and him" Lyra pointed to Dolohov "He was the reason you were going to be hurt at the Ministry Hermione, he tried to cut you in half, if we just let him go now how many others will he kill?"
"We do not kill!" Hermione hissed.
"Suppose he got Mad-eye, how would you feel then?" Ron asked agreeing with Lyra.
Harry shook his head "It's better we wipe their memories, Lyra can you?" he pointed to Rowle's wound.
She narrowed her eyes but moved closer, she removed the blood and used his coat to cover the wound without actually healing him at all, she had already made that clear. If he died it was his own fault, it had nothing to do with her.
Ron moved away from Dolohov "Hermione, you're the best at spells"
"I can do it" Lyra got to her feet when she saw Hermione hesitate, her last experience with the memory charm was on her parents "Mi?" she put her hand on her best friends arm "I've got it" Hermione nodded allowing Lyra to pass her, she crouched in front of Dolohov and smirked lifting her wand "Obliviate" she entered his mind getting rid of the memory of the four of them being there but while she was there she did a quick sweep taking note of the spells he's done, when she found the purple one he was going to hit Hermione with she scrapped that memory too and she wasn't delicate about it either.
"How is it they knew we were there?" Harry asked as they were back walking down the street.
"Maybe you still have the trace on you?" Hermione offered but Ron shook his head.
"Can't be, the trace breaks at seventeen, it's wizarding law" Harry had turned seventeen, the day of the wedding surprisingly enough, the two occasions fell on the same day.
Hermione gasped and stopped in her tracks "We didn't celebrate your birthday Harry, we even prepared a cake, we were going to bring it out after the wedding"
"Hermione, i honestly appreciate the thought but really, given the fact we were almost killed by a couple of Death Eaters a few minutes ago..." Harry raised his brows at her.
Hermione nodded "Right...Perspective"
"We need to get off the streets, get somewhere safe" Ron frowned looking around and all three of her friends turned to look at Lyra.
"Right, right" she nodded "I fixed the wards we should be fine for a night or two, my father shouldn't have gone back yet but we need to be gone before he looks for us there" she took Hermione and Harrys hands, Hermione grabbed a hold of Ron and Lyra apparated them into the Black wards.
When they entered the door, they all watched a person form from dust, it approached them at some rate and Lyra jerked back seeing Dumbledore, Hermione screamed when he reached for them but just before he reached them his appearance disappeared into smoke "Meddling old man" she shook her head walking inside.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked having not moved from his spot by the door.
Hermione stood next to him breathing heavily as her heart settled "Probably Mad-eye's idea, case Snape decided to come snooping"
Lyra shook her head "Snape wouldn't come here even if his life depended on it"
~~~
In the morning they had all gathered in the kitchen, Lyra pulled out the locket from her bag "This is it, the real locket, the horcrux" she rested it onto the table "I haven't been able to destroy it yet"
"What do you know about it?" Harry asked.
Lyra sighed setting it onto the table "Not a lot i must confess but there is one who might know more"
"Who?"
"Kreacher" she smiled as as summoned her beloved elf popped into the room.
"Oh mistress, we were so worried!" he moved closer to his mistress looking more then slightly destressed, he'd been on her case since that night at the Burrow wanting to be by her side at all times. He felt awful that she had been attacked while he wasn't there, seemed to have blamed himself and that's why he had decided where she went he went too but he had lost her in the tent but he felt by her magic she was fine and she didn't want to be found.
"I'm alright Kreacher, i'm afraid it is time" she smiled softly looking at the locket on the table and he nodded climbing up to take the seat beside her as he looked at her friends.
"What can you tell us about the locket Kreacher?" Harry questioned the elf who looked down at the locket.
"It was Master Regulus' locket, a most evil object"
"How do you mean?" Harry asked once more and the elf looked to Lyra who nodded that it was alright to answer.
"Before Master Regulus died he ordered Kreacher to destroy it but no matter how hard Kreacher tried he could not do it" the elf answered curling in on himself, Lyra reached her hand over to place it on one of his trying to sooth him.
"That's just great" Ron sighed tapping his fingers on the wooden table "What do we do now?"
"There's nothing for us to do but try to figure it out" she whispered, luckily because she had the horcruxes she did have they didn't need to be doing any of the dangerous adventures that the trio had done, there'd be no Ministry break in, no Gringotts break in although she did feel for the dragon there maybe she could talk to Kingsley when he became Minister and Charlie about freeing it.
They stayed a night before they all agreed they would leave before Sirius came back after Kreacher had told them Sirius would be coming back soon so the four of them had left Grimmauld place and were staying at muggle hotels making sure to keep moving every other day. Papers and wanted posters had been made already stating that Harry was undesirable number one, Hermione, Lyra and Ron had been placed on the list too in that particular order.
At least they had used a cute photo of her to use, she was out at the market buying some food for the group when she felt like she was being watched. Lyra glanced over her shoulder but didn't see anyone watching her however, the feeling didn't go away. She moved to leave the market taking a few left turns not actually walking back to the hotel and after the third left turn she saw a few people had followed, they weren't walking together as if trying to remain inconspicuous.
Lyra watched one slow bring down their wands and she spun "Bombarda!" with that she apparated to the hotel room "Time to go! We need to go now!" she was quick to rip up anything that was unpack as her friends scattered to join her.
"What happened?" Harry took her hand.
"They found us, i don't know how" with that Hermione was the one to apparate them trying to confuse them if they followed Lyra there.
~~~
The four of them landed in the forest and Lyra frowned, seemed this bit of the adventure would remain the same, Hermione moved forward and begun protective enchantments with Lyra not far behind, they started at different ends and would meet up locking the shield together "What are you two doing?" Harry frowned as he watched them.
"Protective enchantments, i don't want another visit like the one we had in Shaftsbury Avenue do you?" Hermione turned to face him momentarily before she continued the wide circle they had been enchanting "You two can get going on the tent"
That night she wrote to Draco, Rowle had died due to his wounds and Dolohov had been punished for apparently letting them go even if he could not remember doing so. Voldemort had been furious and rightly so, since that day the so called 'Golden Quartet' hadn't been sighted once until that morning and even then they had slipped through his men's fingers.
"You go first" Hermione nodded to Harry after Lyra laid the locket out, she had told them no spells would work but they wanted to at the very least try so she was just going to let them entertain themselves. She had collected all the horcruxes from the chamber before leaving for the summer sixth year, along with the artefacts she had grabbed a few Basilisk fangs, she had also collect the goblin made dagger from her vault coating it in Basilisk venom.
Harry shifted on the spot "Dissendium!" he yelled, Lyra nodded slightly impressed that instead of throwing curses and that at the locket he had gone with the incantation to open something but as promised the locket flew up into the air and landed untouched.
The four of them walked to where it had landed and Hermione lifted her wand "Incendio" the ground around it flew up into flames but the locket remained unscathed.
"Expulso!" Harry snarled sending the locket flying a few feet away and when they approached it it was still in perfect condition not even a scratch "Diffindo!" Nothing "Reducto!" not a single dent, spell after spell Harry sent at it just wore him out instead of effecting the locket.
Lyra passed him and picked it up from the ground "I tried all of that"
"We have to keep it safe until we can find a way to destroy it, we should wear it" Harry studied the locket in her hand.
Lyra shook her head placing it back into her bag "No, that's a bad idea, you shouldn't be in direct contact with a horcrux for too long, the dark magic effects you that's why i keep them under wards and i'll continue doing so"
"Why would Dumbledore send you off to find all theses horcruxes but doesn't tell you how to destroy them?" Ron shook his head "Did he even tell you how he destroyed the ring?"
"No"
Ron frowned at Harry "Doesn't that bother you?" instead of answering Harry walked away clearly effected by it all, he trusted Dumbledore, he thought Dumbledore was one of the best men alive but the longer he was dead Harry slowly began to see it wasn't all that he thought.
The others just gave him so time while they remained in the tent by the radio, Hermione had left a little while ago to see if she could find any plants for potions "A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed, it is believed that muggleborn Dean Tomas and a second goblin both believed to be travelling with Tonks, Cresswell and Gornuk may have escaped...If Dean is listening or anyone had any knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents..."
They hadn't been the only ones on the run that year, most muggleborns had scattered with the wind but others weren't so lucky and the Death Eaters had started carting the muggleborns they did catch into Azkaban. Lyra heard Harry and Hermione talking outside of the tent and she left Ron who was staring at the radio intently to go see "He wants something that Gregorovitch used to have but i don't know what but he wants it desperately i mean, it's as if his life depends on it" Harry shook his head.
"Who?" she made herself known as she walked out.
"You-Know-Who" Hermione answered, Ron had made it increasingly clear he didn't want them to say his name, became almost paranoid in fact, of course Lyra knew he was right in his worry and had agreed readily not to say the name which in turn made the others agree.
The radio inside the tent screeched as it continued to fade in and out of signal seeing as they were in the middle of no where, Harry spun about to storm inside but Lyra caught his arm "Don't" it had been Hermione who told him not to "It comforts him"
"It sets my teeth on edge!" Harry hissed slightly "And what's he expecting to hear good news?"
"I think he just hopes he doesn't hear bad news" Hermione frowned looking at the plants in her hand.
Later in the night Hermione and Lyra stayed outside by the fire, Ron was inside sleeping and Harry was reading the books both of the girls had brought that mentioned anything to do with horcruxes. Hermione froze in her soft spoken conversation "Did you hear that?" she whispered and Lyra tilted her head as they both fell dead silent.
Twigs snapping in the near distance had both girls on their feet "Animal?" Lyra asked softly.
"I don't know" the pair walked slowly towards the noise, Lyra had sent an efficient silencing charm on their feet so they wasn't rustling leaves, Hermione threw her arm out stopping Lyra from taking another step as people walked out of the bushes. A small group of three but they could tell one was a werewolf, who was in fact carrying a thin looking body in it's arm, another man was holding another body and they watched in horror as one of them paused.
"What's that?" another asked.
The one who brought his group to a stop walked back until he was stood just in front of the two girls, Hermione reached down and clutched Lyra's hand tightly as she breathed deeply "What's that smell?" he took several deep breaths until the other snatcher dropped the body he had been holding roughly "What are you doing?"
"It's heavy"
"Oh, i'm sorry do you want me to carry it?"
"Yeah, thank you"
"Don't be ridiculous! Pick it up" the group of three began walking away once more laughing between themselves.
"Snatchers" both girls jumped out of their skin as they turned seeing Harry who was stood just behind them "Good to see your enchantments work"
"He could smell it" Hermione whispered "My perfume"
"We need to leave, give it another hour or so, let them get further away and then we leave" Lyra placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder squeezing in comfort "I'll stay here, you two go on and start packing up"
"Alright" Harry nodded "Next time Hermione, as much as i like your perfume just don't wear any" she heard him speaking as he walked back to the tent with Hermione, Lyra looked to where the men had disappeared and frowned, who were they carrying and why?
They moved from one resting spot to another, only staying a night or two before they were on the move once more "He doesn't know what he's doing does he?" Ron asked gesturing towards Harry who was stood looking at to the water, they had stopped by the sea this time.
Both girls turned to look at Harry "None of us do" Hermione answered looking uncomfortable, Lyra had seen Ron beginning to crack, she wasn't sure what it was that had set the boy off seeing as none of them wore the locket but he was on his way to breaking. She had tried to help obviously but he wasn't having it, instead he watched every little interaction between Harry and Hermione and when he wasn't he was sat staring at the radio listening to names of the missing or dead.
~~~
"Tell me again" Harry demanded as he sat in a chair with Hermione behind him cutting his hair.
Lyra sighed leaning back on the seat she sat in "I've told you everything i know Harry"
"I want you to tell me again"
She sighed "Alright...You-Know-Who wanted to live forever so he created seven horcruxes, we have the locket, the cup, the diadem, which was not easy to find might i add! Dumbledore found the ring and destroyed it and in second year we destroyed the diary which was his first horcrux"
Hermione froze as she cut his hair "Oh my god!"
"What!" Harry demanded bringing his hands up to his head to feel his hair.
"I'll tell you in a minute" Hermione moved away in a rush.
"No Hermione, maybe you could tell me now" Lyra giggled as he shot to his feet.
"Oh stop worrying, you look as handsome as always" she reached up to brush some cut hair off his shoulder.
"The sword of Gryffindor--It's goblin made" Hermione thumbed through a book on the table.
Harry tore his eyes off of Lyra in turn to face Hermione with a light blush on his face "Brilliant?"
Hermione grinned "No, you don't understand. Dirt and rust have no effect on the blade, it only takes in that which makes it stronger"
"Okay?" Harry frowned.
"Hermione! You are brilliant" Lyra grinned widely taking a few steps back to sit in the chair Harry was having his hair cut in.
Hermione laughed "Harry, Lyra just told you! You two already destroyed one Horcrux right? Tom Riddles diary in the Chamber of Secrets"
"With a Basilisk fang, if you tell me you've got one of those in that bloody beaded bag of yours i'd kiss you"
"Don't you see?" Hermione scoffed "In the Chamber of Secrets, you stabbed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor, it's blade is impregnated with Basilisk venom"
"It only takes in that which makes it stronger!" Harry grinned.
"Exactly which is why--"
"It can destroy horcruxes" Harry finished Hermione's sentence.
"And that's why Dumbledore left it to you in his will..."
"You are brilliant Hermione, truly!" Harry smiled at his friend who shook her head.
"Actually i'm highly logical which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook"
Harry nodded "Yeah, there's only one problem of course--" before he could finish the lights went out and they all looked up seeing Ron stood there.
"The sword was stolen" Ron spoke clicking the deluminator in his hand making the light return from where he took it from "Yeah, i'm still here but you two carry on" he stared at Harry and Hermione who was sat so close on the table that their knees were locked together.
"Ron?" Lyra frowned standing from her chair cautiously.
"No, no, we mustn't spoil their fun Lyra" he barely turned his head to look at her.
Harry moved slightly putting more space between himself and Hermione, he shot a glance at Lyra to see if she too looked effected by the accidental closeness "What's wrong?"
"Wrong?" Ron shook his head "Nothings wrong, not according to you anyway"
"Look if you've got something to say to be shy" Harry confronted him "Spit it out"
Ron snarled at him "Alright, i'll spit it out but don't expect me to be grateful just because now there is another damn thing we need to find"
"Actually I--"
"Not now Lyra!" Ron spat turning sideways to talk to her but she quickly fell silent seeing the warning in his eyes, Harry however sprung to his feet.
"Don't speak to her like that!" Harry glared sharply "I thought you knew what you signed up for?"
"Yeah, i thought i did too"
"Well then i'm sorry but i don't quite understand" Harry walked down from the table "What part of this doesn't exactly meeting your expectations? I mean did you think we were going to be staying in some five star hotel, finding the remaining horcruxes every other day, you thought you'd be back with your mum by Christmas?"
"I just thought, after all this time we would have actually achieved something" Ron answered and by 'all this time' he had meant two months, they had been hiding from Death Eaters for two months so far "I thought you knew what you were doing, i thought Dumbledore would have told you something worthwhile or Lyra would have finally had a vision showing us where the last two horcruxes were!"
"I told you everything Dumbledore told me! Lyra doesn't choose what she sees and when Ron you know that!" Harry yelled "And in case you haven't noticed we have three horcruxes because of her!"
"Yeah and we're about as close to getting rid of them as we are to finding the other two aren't we!"
"Ron?" Hermione moved to stand in between the two guys "Please--"
"Do you want to know why i listen to that radio every night?" Ron glared at Harry, it had happened, he had finally snapped "To make sure i don't hear Ginny's name or Fred or George or mum--"
"What do you think i'm not listening too!" Harry yelled "You think i don't know how it feels?"
"No you don't know how it feels!" Ron blew up in a large form of rage and panic "Your parent's are dead, you have no family!"
"Ron!" Lyra gasped, she had never of thought he would have ever said it without wearing the locket but it seemed the uncertainty of how his family were, the constant being on the run, doing the same thing everyday was too much for him, it had broken him mentally like it would one being in solitary confinement.
The two boys rushed each other, both trying to land punches "STOP! STOP IT!" Hermione yelled and Harry shoved Ron off of him.
"Fine then go! Go then!" Harry yelled.
Ron grabbed his bag moving to the tents opening but he paused and turned facing Hermione "And you? Are you coming or are you staying?" Hermione looked between him and her two friends who stood behind her in shock, it was like the words in her throat were stuck and she couldn't get a single one out "Fine" Ron nodded "I get it, i saw the two of you the other night"
"Ron that's-That's nothing" Hermione shook her head.
Ron turned to face Lyra "No point even asking you is there? Even when these two are together you'd stay for him wouldn't you? Like a puppy" he shook his head in something that looked like pity.
Lyra just stared in shock as he well and truly snapped but she didn't move, nothing they said would stop him, he missed home, he was frightened for his family, maybe a bit of space would do him well "Ron!" Hermione chased after him when he stormed from the tent.
Harry turned to face her "Me and Hermione are not...There is nothing--"
"I know" she whispered sadly "I know Harry" the pair heard someone apparate "He'll be back, he's just panicking, he's scared and that can make people do and say things they don't mean"
They stayed in that camp space for another night hoping Ron would come back but he didn't, when they were getting ready to leave Hermione wrapped her scarf around a tree even when Lyra warned her against doing so.
It had been Harry who had taken the two girls' hand and apparated them out of there, when they arrived at their new destination Hermione crouched to the floor trying not to cry while Harry and Lyra separated and began cast the protection enchantments giving her some privacy. Lyra stayed outside watching the sunset, it was worrying how everything got out of hand, it felt like everything she'd been planning years for was getting swept away from her and no matter how hard she tried to claw back at the control it was pointless.
She heard music playing from inside the tent and smiled resting her head on her knees as she stared out at the scenery before her, the tent scene with Harry and Hermione had always been one of her favourites and she knew they both needed it so she stayed where she was until she heard the quite laughter stop. Lyra climbed to her feet and walked inside the tent, seeing her both of them ripped apart from each other as if they had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been.
"We--We were just--" Hermione looked at her wide eyed.
"Dancing?" Lyra grinned "You two are being so weird, you were doing nothing wrong stop acting like i caught you with your hands in the cookie jar" she shook her head and walked further into the room "I remembered something, something you two will really want to see"
"What is it?" Hermione walked closer watching as Lyra started rooting through her own bag.
"I thought it was just a coincidence, the venom, i didn't put two and two together but something told me to...Well just look" she pulled out a bag and when she opened it the pair of them gasped.
"How?"
"I was keeping the horcruxes down in the Chamber, i thought it would be better having them together in a place not many people could get into plus i didn't know what they were and i didn't want what happened to Ginny to happen again, i had extracted some of the fangs because Basilisk venom is a very rare potion ingredient. Completely forgot they were in here to be honest until that night but tensions were high" Lyra smiled shyly "Sorry i didn't say anything sooner"
"No-No this is good" Harry grinned pulling her into a tight hug "This is...Brilliant Lyra truly!"
~~~
They had agreed to sleep on it and then make a plan in the morning, they needed to go into it with level heads so they all went to sleep. Come morning Hermione and Lyra were sat outside in the sunshine, Hermione was talking about how she felt with Ron being gone, ranting, she needed it and Lyra was more then happy to listen.
"Lyra? Hermione, you were right" Harry called out as he ran from the tent "Snitches have flesh memories but i didn't catch the first snitch with my hand, i almost swallowed it" he handed the golden snitch to Hermione.
"I open at the close?" Hermione frowned handing it to Lyra who studied the small thing.
"Yeah, what do you think that means?" Harry questioned.
Hermione shook her head "I don't know, i found something as well" she grabbed a book from her bag and flipped it open "At first i thought it was an eye but now i don't think it is, it isn't a rune and it isn't anywhere in the spellmen's syllabary. Somebody inked it in, it isn't a part of the book, somebody drew it" Hermione pointed to a small symbol, a triangle which held a circle with a straight line through it.
"Luna's dad was wearing that at Bill and Fleur's wedding" Harry smiled.
"Why would someone draw it in a children's book?"
Lyra looked at the symbol briefly, she didn't like how close they were to being caught at the Lovegood's place and if they didn't go then Luna should be fine so she sighed "Because it's a children's story"
"What" both Harry and Hermione looked at her in confusion.
"This is a symbol from a children's story, it's in the book...The Tale of the Three Brothers, it's a darker bedtime story but that's because it is no story after all. It's based on the Peverell Brothers"
Hermione flicked to The Tale of the Three Brothers and began reading "There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time the brothers reached a river too treacherous to pass but being learned in the magical arts the three brothers simply waves their wands and made a bridge. Before they could cross however they found their path blocked by a hooded figure, it was Death and he felt cheated, cheated because travellers would normally drown in the river but Death was cunning"
Hermione cleared her throat gently before continuing "He pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. The oldest asked for a wand more powerful then any in existence, so Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby. The second brother decided he wanted to humiliate Death even further, and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave. So Death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him."
"Finally, Death turned to the third brother, a humble man he asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death and so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own cloak of invisibility. The first brother travelled to a distant village where with the Elder Wand in hand he killed a wizard with whom he had once quarrelled, drunk with the power that the Elder Wand had given him he bragged of his invincibility. But that night another wizard stole the wand and slit the brothers throat for good measure and so Death took the first brother for his own"
"The second brother journeyed to his home, where he took the stone and turned it thrice in hand, to his delight the girl he'd once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. Yet soon she turned sad and cold for she did not belong in the mortal world, driven mad with hopeless longing, the second brother killed himself so as to join her and so Death took the second brother."
"As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him, only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother shed the cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. He then greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly departing this life, as equals"
"But what does the symbol mean?" Harry frowned.
Lyra smiled and dragged her finger through the dried mud on the ground "The Cloak of Invisibility" she drew a triangle "The Resurrection Stone" she drew a circle inside the triangle "And The Elder Wand" she drew a line straight through the two shapes "The Deathly Hallows"
"The Deathly Hallows" Hermione whispered "They cannot be real?"
"But they can and they are...I always wondered why Harry's cloak remained perfect, you both should know by now the invisibility cloaks available are no where near as good as Harry's, plus they don't last anywhere near as long as yours have"
"So you're saying that i--"
"Hold one of the Deathly Hallows? Yes i am, i also have a feeling that the Elder Wand has not long been buried with a wizard that we knew"
Harry's eyes widened "Dumbledore...That's what he's looking for! The Elder Wand"
"And who knows where the Resurrections stone is but let's hope he doesn't get it" Lyra nodded.
Hermione frowned "Why? Who would You-Know-Who want to bring back?"
Shaking her head Lyra sighed gently "It is not the use of the stone that worries me, legend says if one finds themselves holding all three of the Deathly Hallows they become the Master or Mistress of Death...He wouldn't need horcruxes if that's the case"
"This is good though, i feel like we're finally getting somewhere" Harry smiled "We have Basilisk venom, we know what You-Know-Who is after, we now have this new clue" he held up his snitch which Lyra had handed back to him "It finally feels like we can do it, that we're no longer getting hit one after the other...I've been thinking, i want to go to Godric's Hollow, you know it's where i was born, it's where my parent's died"
"That's exactly where he'd expect you to go" Hermione sighed softly "Because it means something to you"
"Uh, yeah but it means something to him too Hermione, You-Know-Who almost died there i mean isn't that exactly the type of place he'd be likely to hide a horcrux"
"It's dangerous Harry" Hermione sighed once more "But even i have to admit recently i've been thinking we'll have to go there"
Harry silently pumped his arms in celebration when she turned her back to walk back to the tent "Mature" Lyra whispered with a snicker, he grinned and held his hand out to help her up but he didn't release it when she had stood.
"I think it's possible something else is hidden there"
"What?"
"The sword, although now it doesn't really matter if we do find it" Hermione answered nodding to Lyra "However, if Dumbledore wanted you to find it but didn't want it falling into the Ministry's hands where better to hide it the the birthplace of the founder of Gryffindor"
"But the sword is practically sentient, it could have moved itself" Lyra frowned.
"Yes, there is that too" Hermione pushed back a stray of Harry's hair "Don't ever let me give you a hair cut again" with that she walked into the tent while Harry turned to face Lyra.
"Is it that bad?"
"No" Lyra chuckled "No i think it's dashing"
~~~
The Trio were apparated by Lyra who had seen Godricks Hallow before and was more confident on how to get there, Hermione had tried to persuade Harry about them using Polyjuice potion but he had been set against it and she made the case clear once more "I still think we should have used Polyjuice Potion"
"No" Harry shook his head as he looked around the small village "This is where i was born, i'm not returning as someone else"
"Technically, you were born in St Mungos but pop off" Lyra also looked around, there was no way in hell she was going to be having a close call with a snake...But she could try to kill it...Oh bollocks she was going to have to try wasn't she?
If she managed to kill the snake then that removed the probability of him hiding her indefinitely when they began destroying these horcruxes soon, she'd put it off for as long as possible for that reason. However that meant she would have to put off destroying one of them just in case, she didn't know everything about horcruxes which meant she couldn't risk Harry being the last one, so if she waited until after Harry's cleansing to destroy the diadem, there should be nothing to worry about.
It would also stop Moldy from going crazy, if he thought he had two more left, one being the diadem, which from his knowledge was still residing inside Hogwarts which he had taken over then he should feel safe. Lyra sighed deeply, yeah she was going to have to try killing the snake.
As they walked both girls hooked onto Harry's arms as if he was accompanying them along, bells tolled, people were laughing and singing as if there wasn't a war going on "You guys, i think it's Christmas Eve" Hermione whispered taking everything in "Listen"
They all stopped and fell silent so they could hear the people singing Christmas carols but Harry's gaze was fixed on the graveyard "Do you think they'd be in there? My Mum and Dad?"
"I think so Harry" Lyra squeezed his arm slightly tighter, there was nothing for them to do but check, for Harry's sake. They split up going row by row and after a while of searching Lyra saw Harry freeze in his step as he stared at a gravestone, knowing he'd found it she walked over "Found them?" Harry nodded reaching out to take her hand "When this is all over Harry we will come back i promise, we could come everyday if you so wanted to, or you could come by yourself obviously, i didn't mean..." she sighed and went silent.
"I'd like that" Harry pulled her closer by her hand and rested his head on the top of hers as he sniffled "I'd like it a lot, if you'd come with me"
Lyra shifted so she wrapped her arms around his waist resting her own head against his chest "Of course" the pair of them stood and they were joined by Hermione shortly after who crouched down and made a beautiful wreath of white roses to rest against the gravestone.
"Merry Christmas Hermione" he whispered hugging Lyra tighter to his chest as he held back tears.
"Merry Christmas Harry" Hermione greeted back softly.
Harry dropped his head down "Merry Christmas Lyra" he breathed into her curls and she smiled brightly.
"Merry Christmas Harry, and to you Mi. I know we all couldn't be with our families but i'm glad i have you two" the Trio stood like that for a while just soaking in whatever they were feeling until Hermione shifted.
"There's someone watching us, by the church" Hermione whispered and Lyra tilted her head as if she was just shifting to get comfortable but instead she looked outwards and saw the 'woman'.
Harry looked at Hermione but looked over her shoulder seeing an old woman, they locked eyes before she turned and started walking away "I think i know who that is" they started to follow her.
"I don't like this Harry" Hermione frowned.
Lyra nodded "No me neither, we could turn back Harry"
"She knew Dumbledore, she might have the sword" he answered gently stopping when they came to a cottage in ruin "This is where they died" he spoke after a few tense seconds "This is where he murdered them"
They all jumped when they turned to the side to see the old woman stood mere feet away "Fuck" Lyra breathed placing her hand over her heart.
"You're Bathilda, aren't you?" Harry walked closer, she didn't say a word, instead she turned and lead them away.
"Spooky bitch" Lyra breathed under her breath and reached into her bag placing a basilisk fang into her coat pocket, she'd have one chance and one chance only, she just hopes it she didn't get killed in the mean time.