Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

Flared Tempers

Estella, Harry, and Hermione felt that it was best not to stay anywhere too long, and Ron agreed, with the sole proviso that their next more took them within reach of a bacon sandwich which was reasonable since Estella would die for any type of food beside mushrooms. Estella, therefore, removed the enchantments they'd placed around the clearing, Hermione repacked their bags, and Ron and Harry obliterated all the marks and impressions on the ground that might show they had camped there. Then they Disapparated to the outskirts of a small market town.

Once they had pitched the tent in the shelter of a small copse of trees and surrounded it with freshly cast defensive enchantments, Harry ventured out under the Invisibility Cloak to find food.

"But you can cast a brilliant Patronus!" protested Ron, when Harry arrived back at the tent empty-handed, out of breath, and mouthing the single word, dementors.

"I couldn't...make one," he panted, clutching his side. "Wouldn't...come."

"So we still haven't got any food."

"Ron," said Estella. "If Harry cast one, they would've known we were near. They know his Patronus because we cast one in the Ministry, remember?"

Harry seemed to appreciate her response, his disappointed expression lessened ever-so-slightly.

Ron kicked a chair leg. "I'm starving! All I've had since I bled half to death is a couple of toadstools!"

"You go and fight your way through the dementors, then," said Harry, clearly stung.

"I would, but my arm's in a sling, in case you hadn't noticed!"

"That's convenient."

"And what's that supposed to-?"

"Of course!" cried Hermione, clapping a hand to her forehead and starling them both into silence. "Harry, give me the locket! Come on," she said impatiently, clicking her fingers at him when he did not react, "the Horcrux, Harry, you're still wearing it!"

She held out her hands, and Harry lifted the golden chain over his head, and dropped it into Hermione's hand.

"Better?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, loads better!"

"Harry," she said, crouching in front of him, "you don't think you've been possessed, do you?"

"What? No!" he said defensively. "I remember everything we've done while I've been wearing it. I wouldn't know what I'd done if I'd been possessed, would I?"

"I'm pretty sure it brings out the worst in you, rather than actually possessing you," murmured Estella. All eyes turned to her. "I mean, it's a piece of You-Know-Who's soul and a Dark object so it'd make sense."

Hermione looked deep in thought, Ron looked like he could care less, and Harry's eyes glinted in her direction.

"That does make sense...maybe we should keep it in the tent," said Hermione, looking down at the gold locket.

"We can't leave it laying around," Harry stated firmly. "If we lose it, if it gets stolen-"

"Oh, all right, all right," said Hermione, and she placed it around her own neck and tucked it out of sight down the front of her shirt. "But we'll take turns wearing it, so nobody keeps it on too long."

"Great," said Ron irritably, "but now we've sorted that out, can we please get some food?"

If she didn't know better, it could've been Ron wearing the locket with how snappy he was.

"Fine, but we'll go somewhere else to find it," said Estella. "No point in staying with dementors nearby."

In the end, they settled down for the night in a far-flung field belonging to a lonely farm from which they had managed to obtain eggs and bread.