“I don’t like this one bit,” Ron said that afternoon down in the kitchen. “You two are going to explore some strange forest and look for some cottage or something.”
“We’ll be back before you know it,” Hermione said, trying to calm him. “You’ll just be alone for about a day or two.”
“Besides,” Harry added, “you shouldn’t be complaining after agreeing to be taken off the Horcrux assignment.”
Ron stared into the fire thoughtfully. “It’s not just that. I think you should call this off. It’ll probably be more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Almost any amount of trouble is worth getting a Horcrux, Ron,” Harry defended. “In case you forgot, destroying them would make Voldemort vulnerable to death.”
He sighed in a consent that was too easily given. “Fine, but promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Of course we will,” Hermione assured him. “Now, if you would excuse us, Harry and I have to pack.”
“Seriously,” Harry said, going up the stairs with her, “you’d think Ron would put up more of a fight. He really doesn’t want us to go, and I can’t blame him.”
She exhaled profusely. “Thank goodness, I thought it was just me who was noticing that. Why has he been acting so calm?”
“MUDBLOODS! VERMIN! FILTH!” Mrs. Black screamed. Hermione had forgotten to quiet down. After shutting her up, neither of them brought the subject of Ron back up.
Mrs. Black’s shouts filled the house again the next day after the doorbell was rung. After closing the curtains, Harry grabbed his bag of charmed clothes, and answered the door to find Tonks”and for some immensely unpleasant reason, Mundungus Fletcher. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all gaped at him. He was the best person possible?
“Figure I’m gonna be killed, so you’ve come to get the rest of the stuff here?” Harry roared at him.
“Nothin’ like that, mate,” he said nervously. “Remus asked me if I had a tent, I said yes, and ‘ere I am”not like I’m ‘appy ‘bout it, mind.”
Tonks, who was dressed warmly as well and had a blonde ponytail behind her, stepped forward and poked Mundungus in the chest. “It’s you’re fault you’re here in the first place, Dung. All the Council asked of you was to borrow your damn tent, but you didn’t want to part with it.”
“It’s new!” he argued. “I had every right to refuse after all the trouble I went through to get this. But trust me, if I’d known I would be sent on this instead, I definitely would ‘ave lent it to you.”
“Then go back to headquarters and leave that here,” Harry said, wishing for Mundungus to leave his sight. “I doubt you’d be of any help anyway.”
“No,” Tonks opposed, “the Council said it takes a team of four. So, unless Ron gets off the hook on whatever he’s doing, then we’re stuck with Dung.”
“Hey!” Mundungus said. “I’m not completely useless.” He turned to Ron and Hermione. “Am I?”
“Well,” Ron started slowly, “I guess that you do have some…qualities.”
“You don’t exactly have the best reputation,” Hermione said apologetically.
Tonks intervened. “Look, I am not spending my time off talking about how useless Dung is outside of thievery.” Mundungus groaned. “I am here to go after that bloody Horcrux thing. Now, let’s go!”
“But we really would be”” Harry started.
“No,” Tonks said shortly.
“See you, Ron,” Harry said, feeling less confident.
“We’ll be back soon,” Hermione told him, clasping his hands.
“Just be careful,” Ron repeated from the night of the trip. He gave her hand a squeeze, let go, and closed the door behind him.
After Tonks did a quick check for Muggle eyes, she okayed them to leave. Harry turned on the spot with her, Hermione, and Mundungus. When the sensation of being squeezed through a tube went away, he found himself back in front of the forest.
Tonks adjusted the backpack she had on and said, “Well, we’re not going to find it by standing around.” She entered the start of the forest, which had to get thicker further in. Mundungus reluctantly followed. Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, and took up the rear.
Upon entering the forest, Harry realized how much worse he’d actually been through. After all of his excursions into the Forbidden Forest, this place wasn’t so bad. The sun came though the leaves, the foliage wasn’t as thick”the only ominous thing was the absence of wild animals, which ran rampant in the Forbidden Forest. Probably another sign that the forest was enchanted.
The worst so far was dodging low branches, a few thorns and twigs getting caught in their clothes, and avoiding rabbit holes in the ground hidden by dead leaves. But after a half hour of walking, Harry began to realize the full extent of their search. There was almost no change in the scenery. How would they be able to tell where they’d been?
“Are we just gonna wander around aimlessly?” Harry finally had to ask. “There’s no way we’ll find this cabin of Voldemort’s out here.”
Tonks and Mundungus cringed at the name.
“No, we aren’t,” she said after recovering. “I’ll show you what we’re going to do after we make camp.”
The day wore on with relatively little progress. After going in deeper, everybody slowed their pace, so as to search the surroundings more thoroughly. It would have been a very inefficient waste of time if they happened to accidentally pass the cabin. Unfortunately, the trees were starting to get so thick that they couldn’t see too far.
When the sun started to go down and it was getting too dark to see past three or four yards away, Tonks called it a day. She and Harry cleared a small patch of land of trees and brush to make way for the tent. Mundungus then took it off his back, flicked his wand at it, and the tent sprung up. From the outside it looked like the type of tent a Muggle family would use while camping.
The inside, however, was breathtaking. It was complete with a living room, kitchen, and a den with a fireplace. There was a set of stairs that led up to what must have been the rooms. Mundungus must have gone through serious trouble to get this.
Tonks took them into the dining room, put her backpack on the floor, and spread a piece of parchment over the table. On it was an outline of some shape with a line penetrating it partially through.
“This is where we are,” she announced, tapping at the end of the line. “I thought this place would be Unplottable, so we kind of lucked out that it wasn’t. Anyway, I drew the border of the forest on the map, enchanted it to correspond with the real thing, and the black line represents out progress.”
A smile went across Harry’s face. “This is great! We won’t have to be worried whether or not we checked an area twice.”
“Not necessarily, Harry,” Hermione interjected, frowning down at the map. “We are only on a thin line here, and it doesn’t cover the area within our sights. The northwest portion of the forest is still pretty big.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Tonks said, slightly pleased. “I mean, you are right that we won’t have to worry as much, Harry. But we still have a good bit of the area to cover.”
“Think we can finish this up in three days?” Mundungus asked pleadingly. “I meeting a friend of mine for…a drink.”
“Making plans to meet a chum at the pub in advance?” Tonks said, mocking approval. “I must say, Dung, you sure are organized.”
“What can I do to make you stop badgering me?” he grunted.
In response, she took out what looked like a small package of sugar used to sweeten coffee out of her bag, and tossed at him. “Put it on a platter, and add a small drop of water.”
The small package turned out to be a fabulous meal in a dehydrated form. Harry realized how hungry he was; so hungry that he forgot about his dispute with Mundungus for the time being. He and Hermione dug in on the partially dry roast, stale bread, and tasteless mashed potatoes. Harry wasn’t sure if an instant meal came like that or if not enough water was added, but that didn’t matter at the moment.
After the dinner, Tonks ordered everybody upstairs to find a bed. Harry did so, lying back and looking up at the barely visible stars through the canvas ceiling and overhead trees.
“’Night,” he heard Hermione say through the walls to the next room. Harry repeated the words to her and fell asleep. It was an uneasy sleep, however, due to the fact that a Horcrux was somewhere in the forest, and it had to be found.
When the sun rose the next morning, Tonks woke up everybody up. After Harry got dressed in his proper clothing, he went down to the kitchen with Hermione. There, Tonks had already set up an instant breakfast.
“Where’s Dung?” she asked. Harry and Hermione also noticed his absence.
“Right ‘ere,” he called, letting out a big yawn. Mundungus groaned as he sat down at the table, rubbing the sleep out of his bloodshot eyes. “C’mon, Tonks, I can’t do anythin’ without my eleven hours of sleep.”
“Deal with it,” she quipped.
“Please, who put you in charge anyways? Last I checked, having a thing with a Council member doesn’t mean you have authority over others.”
“You did seem to sort of take control,” Hermione said carefully.
“I’m not saying I’m the boss,” Tonks argued hastily. “It’s just that…well, nobody’s voiced their opinions!”
“Fine,” Harry chimed in, “I say we keep heading the same direction, but a little farther north.” It was he who had the most experience with Horcruxes, so Harry felt he should be heard out more”even though his advice had the basis of knowledge.
The rest of the day, everybody pretty much kept silent. The tent was put back up in the early afternoon to eat and plan the next route, but that was it. Practically all energy was focused on staying on their feet and peering through the trees for any sign of a clearing. When the sun started going back down, nobody had seen anything.
It was the same thing the next day. The only thing that really changed was Harry gradually moving to the front to lead the way. Then, as the third say started to dissipate, Harry looked up into the sky and groaned at the clouds.
Tonks stopped in her tracks. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s gonna snow,” he answered. Harry might not have felt the bitter cold on his body due to his charmed clothes, but his face constantly stung whenever there was a breeze. He knew it would be too cold for rain. And it was hard enough trudging through the forest without snow in the way. “And I don’t want to go into a fourth day.”
“You’ve gotta be jokin’,” Mundungus said, depressed. “Tonks, your time off should be almost over, right? Well, shouldn’t we head back? I’ll give you the tent for when you come back.”
Everybody in the group shot him a nasty look.
“And what about you?” Harry said scathingly. It was bad enough that he was here in the first place, but having him run home scared seemed worse.
“All I’m doin’ is pesterin’ ya, aren’t I?” he responded pathetically.
“Shut it, you two,” Tonks ordered, pulling out her map. “Well, we definitely made progress hiking around this damn place, though it was the western half mostly. The end of the forest isn’t too far off. We could make it before sundown.”
“So we’re just giving up?” Harry asked, turning his anger on Tonks. “We can’t do that. The Horcrux is still out there somewhere!”
“I’ll be in the bushes,” Mundungus said casually.
“What for?” Tonks and Harry asked at the same time.
“Nature calls,” he said. He started laughing, but tried to pass it off as a cough when no one else laughed. Mundungus dropped the tent and left.
“Listen, Harry,” Tonks continued, getting back to business, “I have to go back to work two days from now. And I’d prefer it I had one day to recuperate from all this.”
“Then leave the tent and food with us,” Hermione cut in. “The both of us are fine to continue. We’ll be able to handle it.”
“Absolutely not! The Council said this has to be taken care of in groups of four at the least. I’ll get in huge trouble if I just leave you two behind.”
“Does it look like I give a damn about what the Council or the Order thinks?” Harry said. “The only reason I joined up was to look for Horcruxes. I only did all that other stuff because I had no leads to go on. You can’t stop me from continuing.”
“Bloody hell!” Harry heard Mundungus shout from the trees.
“What is it?” Harry yelled back desperately. His heart was thumping already.
“C’mere and look at this!”
“I’d rather not,” Tonks responded reluctantly.
“Damn it, get over here!”
Tonks, Harry, and Hermione all went over and saw Mungundus pointing through a rather thick crop of trees. Harry went through them to reveal a very old building standing in the middle of a large clearing. Though the Gaunt house was still by far the most depressing house he’d seen, but this one came in a very close second. Harry was the first to step forward, and he felt the same feeling as in the cave. The feeling gave him a rush rather than dread.
“You’ve gottta be kidding!” Tonks said in an awed voice. Harry had to agree. After all that time, after all that walking, it was Mundungus Fletcher going to the bathroom that spotted the cottage. It was impossible. But the proof was right here.
“First step in the right direction, Dung,” Harry complimented him. He ran up to the cabin and everybody else followed.
The old building had only one floor to it, and all of its windows were cracked and grimy. Also, the wood that it was made from was rotting away, giving it a very noticeable smell. The bricks of the chimney were falling apart. The front door was still on its hinges, which were very rusty. Tonks went up to the door and after trying to turn the knob she took out her wand.
“Alohomora!” Tonks said, tapping the door, which clicked and opened surprisingly noiselessly. But the thing that caught Harry’s attention was how easy it was to open the door. He had expected that it would take another blood donation to open it. He then went over to a window, pushed on it, and was glad to feel it not giving in.
The inside was so dreary and the windows so grimy that it was completely dark inside. Tonks flicked her wand again and a number of flames lit up around her and made their way to the walls. Then they were able to see that it was all just one big room with a large table and chairs in the center, and an empty fireplace at the end. All the walls were just large bookcases filled with old and moldy books
Hermione went to the nearest shelf, took a book, and looked at the cover. She looked disgusted, and set the book back.
“Remember that book you found the spell in?” she asked Harry. “That one was ten times worse.”
Mundungus went over to the end of the table where a spindly chair overshadowed the others. It was definitely the one that Voldemort sat in.
“After we find this Horcrux, ‘ow about we take this along?” he said, examining the chair. “Could be worth a pretty Sickle or two. I’ll share!” he added defensively when the others were looking at him funny. “Well, not really.”
“Let me make this clear, Dung,” said Tonks. “The only thing we’re taking from this place is the Horcrux. Everything else stays.”
“Oh, all right…you strict nutter,” Harry head him mumble under his breath.
“From what Remus told me,” Tonks began, “this place is very different from that orphanage. So we’ll split up since this there is only one room, and we can keep an eye on each other. Leave no chair unturned, no book left shelved.”
So the search for the Horcrux began. Harry went over to the chairs and literally turned them over for some kind of clue. Hermione went over to the bookshelf with Mundungus, and they both opened every book without bothering to put them back. Tonks, to Mundungus’s dismay, was shredding the stuffing from Voldemort’s chair.
Finally, Harry got down on his knees and crawled under the table. He checked the dusty floor for some kind of oddity. Then he found a strange gap in the floorboards in the shape of a square. Harry ran his hands along all the sides, and found two holes just small enough for fingers to get through. Digging his index fingers in each the holes, he pulled up and it came completely off.
“Find anything?” Tonks asked, bending down to get a good look at Harry.
“Yes!” Harry answered excitedly, moving to the left so that she could see properly.
Mundungus’ and Hermione’s heads had appeared under the table as well when Tonks said, “Get out from under there.”
Harry complied, as did Hermione and Mundungus. Tonks stepped back from the table and pointed her wand at it. “Reducto!” The spell hit the table and blew clear across the room. They all walked over the now empty space, kicking away splinters.
Everybody looked down at the spot where the false floorboard was, and saw that there was a large, black handle to an unmistakably trapdoor. There were no locks on the door, just a piece of wood with rusty hinges.
“I’ll open it,” Harry said after a brief pause. He was almost to the handle when Tonks stopped him.
“I’ve got a better idea,” she said. She pointed her wand at the door and flicked it. Nothing happened. “Guess it can’t be charmed to open.”
“I don’t trust this,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “Harry, give me your jacket.”
After Harry did as he was asked, Hermione pulled one sleeve under the handle. She then took both sleeves in one hand and pulled on the door with the jacket. But it didn’t budge.
Harry cursed. “I think this can only be opened by hand”and I’ll have to be the one to do it.”
“No, Harry, I’m going to,” Tonks responded. “The Council doesn’t want you maimed.”
“I’ll do it,” Mundungus said aggressively. All eyes tuned on him.
“Why?” everybody asked simultaneously.
He started to take deep breaths. “Because…I want that bloody chair!”
Tonks started to chuckle. “Why on earth would you want to risk your life for a damn chiar? You should know what You-Know-Who is like. This handle will most likely kill you.”
“Actually,” Harry reminded her, not taking Mundungus seriously, “it wouldn’t straight off. Lupin wasn’t killed by that explosion after getting the scepter.”
“Good enough for me.” Mundungus pushed Harry out of the way, and grabbed the handle. Upon impact, a sizzling sound emitted from the handle, and Mundungus let out a wail of agony, but he didn’t let go. He panted his feet firmly and lifted the door, letting go to let it fall back to reveal stairs underneath.
Harry couldn’t believe what he witnessed! But Mundungus was right there holding out his palms in agony. Upon closer inspection of the hands, Harry saw the most grotesque burns he’s ever seen. They were nothing like Dumbledore’s, whose hand was black and dead. These were searing flesh wounds.
Tonks took Mundungus’s hands and tapped them with her wand causing bandages appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around. “These aren’t ordinary burns, Dung. Just hold out. After we get the Horcrux we’ll take you to St. Mungo’s.” She turned to Harry and Hermione. “C’mon, let’s get down there.” She was just as lost for words as Harry.
She led the way down a thin, spiral staircase, with her wand lit in front of her.
Harry and Hermione watched Tonks go down the stairs, and quickly followed close behind. They descended for almost five minutes before hitting ground level. It was the start of a very dark tunnel with earthy walls.
“Oh, I hope this place stays together,” said Hermione after extracting a wet ball of dirt from the wall. “The walls collapsed in the orphanage.”
“You mean the entire building collapsed,” Harry reminded her. Hermione groaned.
The tunnel abruptly ended when they reached a set of old doors. Tonks opened them cautiously and inside the candle brackets automatically lit up, giving the large room a red glow. At the far end of the room opposite them was a pedestal, upon which stood a box. And if Harry could guess from so far away, he would say it was about the same size Hufflepuff’s cup would have been.
“That has to be it,” Harry said, admiring the box. He stepped forward but was stopped again, this time by Hermione
“Are you mad? It can’t be as easy as just going over there and picking it up.”
“Hermione’s right,” said Tonks. “Look.” She ran her finger across the floor in the middle of the room, where a white line was drawn horizontally.
Harry took out his wand, pointed it at the box, and yelled, “Accio!” The box rattled, but stayed where it was.
Tonks sighed. “I guess we have no choice. I’ll go on.”
Harry had enough. “Look,” he said, “you may be a senior member of the Order, but this is my mission too. I did dangerous things ever since I joined, but you all took the risks. It’s my turn.”
“The reason we take all the risks is so that you don’t die!”
“You two go together,” Hermione compromised. “I’ll stay behind and if anything happens, I’ll help.”
Harry and Tonks agreed. They both started forward, with Harry slightly ahead. As Harry went forward, he started to feel that something would go wrong. But what could be so bad about a line? Everything, he thought.
Harry got his left foot past the line, and Tonks looked as if she hit an invisible wall over the line.
“Blimey!” Tonks exclaimed, backing up and rubbing her nose.
“What happened?” Harry asked. He was able to step over the line with ease.
Tonks went forward again and pushed against whatever was blocking her way. “What’s going on? There’s some sort of barrier.”
Harry retracted his foot, and Tonks suddenly fell forward but was able to keep her balance and stay behind the line. When she recovered, she extended her arm beyond the line as if nothing was there.
“What in the world…? Harry, try to move on.”
Harry did as he was asked and now he felt a wall in his way, like cool glass. He knocked on it and heard a faint sound.
“Any thoughts, Hermione?” Harry asked looking back at Hermione.
She came to them and put a hand on the wall, which was still air to Tonks.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Hermione said. She was applying a little more pressure. “It’s a Single-Person-Barrier Spell. It’s supposed to be a very difficult spell to pull off. Only one person at a time can enter a closed off area, and if anybody else tries to get in, he or she hits a solid wall. Tonks, get your arm away.”
Tonks did so, and surely enough, Hermione’s hand fell through.
Tonks’s eyes widened. “Of course. Why didn’t I see it before? There must be something foul in there that one people can’t deal by themselves. Doesn’t matter, because I’m still going in.”
“No, I’m going,” said Harry.
Tonks turned her wand on Harry. “Petrificus Totalus!”
Harry’s limbs snapped together and he fell on the floor. Tonks came into his line of sight looking sorry. “Had to do it. Release him after I pass the line, Hermione.”
Hermione, who was shocked at first, got over it and nodded. Tonks disappeared and Hermione did the counter spell. Harry got up, grumbling.
“Can’t believe she did that,” he complained. But Hermione wasn’t listening: She was looking horrified. Harry looked over and them saw that Tonks had crossed the line, and was about half way through when she fell onto her knees. She clutched her throat with both hands and was gasping for air.
“You okay?” Hermione yelled, banging on the barrier with her fist.
“What’s wrong with her?” Harry demanded. Hermione must have read something on what was happening.
“I’m not sure…but I think it might be Garroting Gas,” she answered desperately. “See how she can’t breath properly?”
That brought back a distant flicker of memory. “You mean that stuff Ginny said Fred and George were going to use on Umbridge?”
“I think so. Oh, we have to do something or Tonks will die!”
“But this can’t kill her! Fred and George would never release something that can kill.”
Hermione looked at Harry questionably. “This obviously isn’t the work of Fred and George. I bet that Voldemort concentrated the gas behind the barrier. That was if the person who’s trying to get the Horcrux has friends, they would be helpless to do anything.” She broke into tears. “And it’s working,” she sobbed.
Harry could not believe what was happening. That is supposed to be me out there. Dumbledore set for me to do this. He took out his wand and tried to break the barrier with a curse. It was bounced back and missed Harry by inches.
“Get out of there!” Harry yelled at Tonks. “You’ll choke to death.”
“No,” she managed to gag. “I’m almost there.” Taking long, ragged breaths, she got to her feet and stumbled forward to the pedestal. When she finally got there, she fell onto it with both hands for support. Her face was very blue.
“She can’t breath anymore,” Hermione said. “Not only that but the gas is still strangling her!”
As Tonks picked up the box and turned, Harry also now saw that her neck was raw red. With all her might Tonks forced herself back to where Harry and Hermione. But only a little over six feet away, Tonks fell on the floor unconscious or dead with her head only a foot from the line. When the box was dropped it bounced a little and skidded just far enough for some of it to pass the line at Harry’s feet.
“Help,” Tonks managed to say with the very last of the air in her lungs. She weakly moved her hand past the line.
Harry and Hermione immediately grabbed it and dragged the rest of Tonk’s body back. Harry turned her over and felt of a pulse. It was weak, but there was no breathing.
“Move over,” Hermione ordered, shoving Harry out of the way. She checked for a pulse herself, and then took out her wand. “Respira!” she yelled, jabbing her wand at the center of Tonks’s chest. Then Tonks started to breath, but she was still knocked out.
“What did you do?” Harry asked, but he was very relieved.
“It’s a simple charm. I filled her lungs with air and opened her airway so that she wouldn’t die. But she’s still out of it. We have to carry her back and get out of this place.”
Harry stepped forward, bent down, put Tonk’s arm around him, and heaved her up. “I’ve got her. You take the Horcrux,” he said indicating the box.
Hermione went over and picked up the box by the half of which was sticking from behind the line. She then led the way back through the door and long tunnel.
“This seems far too easy,” Hermione said nervously. “After we took the Horcrux out of its place at the orphanage, it started to collapse. So far nothing is happening here.”
Harry now noticed it too, and was half expecting the mounds of earth fall around them. Why was the area relatively peaceful?
The trip back up the thin, spiral staircase was not fun for Harry. He had to carry Tonks all the way up by himself because Hermione was carrying the box, and it was too narrow for her to help anyway. Finally, they made it all the way up. But something was wrong: it was much darker than when they left. The lights that Tonks put up earlier didn’t disappear, but the amount of light filtering through the grimy windows had lessened.
“You’re back!” greeted Mundungus, who was very happy to see them, and helped Hermione out. “You got the Horcrux…! Blimey, what ‘appened to Tonks?” he said when Harry brought half her body up through the door.
“Garroting Gas,” Harry said, having trouble bringing up the rest of the body. “And you can still help!”
Mundungus came up to him, and took a hold of Tonks under the armpits with his elbows. He brought her up and laid her on the floor gently.
“You guys came back just in time,” said Mundungus. “Look at that.” He gestured towards the fireplace, which now had large black flames shooting thick smoke billowing from it. “And the sky’s been gettin’ darker ever since it started.”
“How long ago?” asked Hermione.
“About ten minutes ago.”
Hermione rounded to Harry. “Harry, that’s about the same time we took the Horcrux from the pedestal!”
“Then we should leave, shouldn’t we?” Harry said. “Dung, take the box”forget the chair. Hermione, help me with Tonks.”
Harry and Hermione each took an arm, and put around their necks. Mundungus picked up the Horcrux and put it under his own arm. They were ready to go. When Mundungus went forward and opened the door, everybody’s mouths fell open at once. Outside was even darker than any of them predicted. The sky was filled with thick, black smoke, blocking out the sun.
Harry left Hermione with the burden and went outside to look at the roof. There the chimney was the source of all the black smoke. And source of the smoke was undoubtedly from the newly kindled fireplace inside.
“This is very bad, Harry,” said Hermione, coming over with Tonks still around her. “Something very Dark must be coming if it has to have no light.”
“Think we should bother to try and Apparate!” asked Harry.
Hermione shook her head in dismay.
Harry took out his wand, and muttered, “Lumos!” Harry wand lit up, and he scanned the area for any danger. “Can you still hold a wand, Dung?” he asked Mundungus.
“’Fraid not, mate.”
Harry cursed. Why did the two most experienced members of the group have to be out of commission? He and Hermione might be able to handle it, but other help would be greatly appreciated.
Suddenly, a sound came from the trees at the edge of the clearing. The thick plants around the area made it hard to see. Then, to Harry’s immense displeasure, an Inferius walked out of the shrubs, and came straight towards them. Its white face and molting clothes were covered in damp earth. From afar Harry could tell it wasn’t it the same condition as those back at the cave. It came from under the ground, he thought.
Hermione screamed, and Harry was already yelling, “Petrificus totalus!” The Inferius went still and fell over. Then Harry ran past the body, into the trees, and found out his theory was correct. Close enough to see properly in the wand light, Harry saw fresh, dug up dirt, and a hole large enough to fit a human body.
Harry heard another sound, and then lifted his wand higher to see dozens of mounds of earth rising up from the ground, eventually the tops of a pale heads rising up.
“Incendio!” Harry heard Hermione shout from behind him. He turned and saw another Inferi running away from Hermione. But it was only replaced by three more of Voldemort’s cursed corpses. Tonks was now being looked over by Mundungus.
“Get back here!” she yelled. Harry did as he was told.
Within a minute there were about thirty Inferi surrounding them.
“Incendio!” Harry and Hermione shouted together. More Inferius ran, but it was still not enough. At the rate they were going, the Inferius would finish them off in a minute.
A pack was getting closer. Harry pointed his wand at them, but suddenly a cold, white hand grabbed it. An Inferi met his gaze, and it then started to pull Harry away. But where are they taking him? Underground?
“Get off me, you disgusting”!” Harry stopped to throw a left hook, but the Inferi’s other hand caught that. It then started to put immense pressure on his left wrist while pulling him along. Harry screamed in pain as he felt the bones starting to crush under the Inferi’s strong grip. It would surely break soon.
“Ignito Orbis!” Harry heard Hermione shout. And then a ring of fire just like Dumbledore’s erupted around them, sending all the Inferius running wild. The one on Harry let go, and he too started to panic. Harry recoiled his arm, and saw that the Inferi had left a large bruise.
He looked over at Hermione with her wand up and smiled. She was using the same spell as Dumbledore. “How did you get that to work?” he asked, amazed. The fact that they were in mortal danger seemed almost irrelevant.
“The question is how long I can hold this!” she struggled to say, now gripping her wand with both hands in the air. “Not long! That’s how long!”
Harry’s smile dropped. “How do I do it?”
“Just concentrate on what you want, and say the incantation!” she shouted, appearing as if the wall of fire won’t last long.
Harry closed his eyes and concentrated. What did he want? What did he want…? To get out of this damn forest, and destroy the Horcrux, he thought hard. That was the whole point of this excursion. “Ignito Orbis!” he yelled, jabbing his wand into the air. And with a sense of horror, nothing happed.
What else could he possibly want more badly?
“Uh, to end the war…kill Voldemort,” Harry said under his breath. “Ignito Orbis!” There was a flicker of fire that went away quickly. Not that either!
“Stronger!” Hermione yelled, struggling more than ever. Harry saw this, and felt horrible at how much effort she was putting in. He looked over at Mundungus, who was scared out of his wits, and Tonks, who was just unconscious and might never wake up.
He got it. Harry didn’t care about the stupid Horcrux. All he wanted was to get out of this forest with everybody alive. “Ignito Orbis!” Finally, the flames shot out, and surrounded the area just as Hermione failed.
“Move!” Hermione ordered, picking up the Horcrux. “Mundungus, take Tonks!”
Harry started forward, setting ablaze all the trees and bushes in his wake. But Hermione had it under control by blasting away any hazards. It was slow moving, but they were getting out of the forest the fastest way possible.
After only ten minutes, Harry felt drained. But the clouds were still over him, so that meant more Inferius would come if he stopped now. Luckily, Hermione took over. They exchanged places twice more until the clouds were gone, and they could run away normally.
As the forest started to thin around them, everybody knew that the end was near. With the Inferi behind them and the black smoke receding, Harry and Mundungus decided to hold Tonks instead of keeping her under the Levicorpus. Hermione was running ahead of them, holding the box that had to contain Hufflepuff’s cup.
Then, Hermione seemed to have caught one of her moving feet in a hole covered in withered leaves, and fell forward on her face. The box escaped her and tumbled away.
“You okay?” Harry asked when he and Mundungus caught up.
“Yeah,” she said, trying to get to her feet, and brushing dead leaves from her hair and clothes. “Ouch, that hurt.”
“’Arry,” said Mundungus, looking at something on the ground curiously. “What does this cup of ‘Ufflepuff’s look like.”
That was a stupid question, Harry thought, looking at Mundungus in exasperation. “It’s a golden cup,” he answered. “I thought all this was explained to you.”
Mundungus didn’t look away. “Yeah, that’s why I’m confused.”
Harry now turned his eyes to where he was looking, and saw that the lid of the box had sprung open. And not far from the open box was a rough-hewn cup even shabbier than the Goblet of Fire.
“No,” Harry said in quiet dread. “No, it can’t be.” He left Mundungus with Tonks, went straight for the cup, and picked it up. It was definitely not the cup Harry had seen in the Pensieve. Not only that, there was a Dark Mark etched right into the wood. This wasn’t R.A.B.’s work at all, but that of Voldemort’s. To add to all of the foul things and spells protecting the real Horcruxes, he created decoys that were just as dangerous to get.
Harry looked at the unconscious Tonks, exhausted Mundungus with his burned hands, and beat up Hermione. It was all for nothing.
“That’s not the cup?” Hermione asked, bewildered. “Is it another fake Horcrux?”
Harry yelled in frustration with the top of his lungs. He hurled the cup away and started to kick the nearest tree. “Damn!” he shouted, continually kicking the tree. “Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!” The only thing it did was cause a bruised toe, which he didn’t even notice.
“Harry”” Hermione began sympathetically.
“He knew!” Harry yelled in blinding rage. “That bastard Draker knew that the Horcrux would be fake!” He had no proof, but he knew. “What are the chances that after a month of imprisonment, he finally gives in and tells us to go here”to one that Voldemort planted?”
“Listen to me, Harry!” Hermione shouted, finally getting his attention. “We have to figure this out later. Tonks is hurt, she needs help!”
Harry sprung towards Tonk’s unconscious form. “Yeah…you’re right.” It looked liked Mundungus needed help too.
She exhaled loudly. “Accio cup!” The cup zoomed from the bushes into Hermione’s outstretched hands. “I think this could provide some clues”doubt it, though.” She then started to stare right at the Dark Mark. “How many more you think there are?”
“Let’s hope none,” Harry answered, still seething. He was going to give Draker a very violent piece of his mind when he got back to headquarters. Harry tried to pick Tonks back up, but almost dropped her because the injury he got from the Inferi acted up. He was extremely lucky that it was slow in its work, and didn’t kill him.
“I got her,” Hermione offered, giving the cup back in the box back to Mundungus. Confident that they were out of the Anti-Disapparation zone, they all went back to headquarters to treat their injuries.
A/N:fake Horcrux? yes. Original? no. R.A.B.? no. Necessary? yes. I still have a long way to go before the end, so finding another Horcrux now would have the story end sooner. and if they didn't at least attempt to get one, people who ask when they would. show of hands, who's mad? please don't stop reading.
anyway, just wait for the next chapter. i'll be dropping another bomb.
Harry Potter and the Secret Spell by Phoenix 86
Chapter Notes: Please be patient with me.