When two worlds collide.

The Locket.

"Reg..." Mary mumbles.

Ron turns. Below the balustrade, a frail woman, sits alone, wrists chained. Seeing Ron, her wan face brightens. Ron glances at Harry, who nods, urging him on. I scoff and push Ron  to the center of the room, taking his place behind the woman. Hesitating, he places his hands gently upon her shoulders, then glances up, sees Hermione watching him.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?" Umbridge questions.

"Yes." Mary nods.

"Mother to Maisie, Ellie and Alfred? Wife to Reginald?"

Mary looks up to Ron, her eyes glistening with fear. He smiles reassuringly. She looks away, replies. "Yes."

I carefully eye Umbridge. She has draped the pink scarf over her chair, revealing a golf change that extends from her neck down into the ruffled folds of her blouse. A slight humming , faint and oddly lyrical, rings in my ears as I study the chain. As if drawn forward by some irresistible force, I begin to drift toward the balustrade.

"A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today, Mrs. Cattermole. Is this that wand?" Umbridge displays a cherrywood wand.

"Yes." Mary nods.

"Would you please tell the court from which witch or wizard you took this wand."

"But I didn't take it. I got it in Diagon Alley, at Ollivander's, when I was eleven. It chose me!" Mary exclaims.

Umbridge leans forward, teeth glittering as the cat slinks by and briefly illuminates her face, and the chain at her neck trembles like a snake, something heavy swinging forward and dangling over the void.

The locket.

Ron stares at it dumbstruck. Hermione catches her breath. Harry, fully removed from the shadow now. I stand right in front of the balustrade as the humming becomes louder.

Ron starts to speak, but Umbridge's gaze has shifted, to me, to the wand rising in my hand..and pointed at her.

"What are you doing?!" She gasps.

As I speak, my own face ripples through Mafildas, the Polyjuice Potion wearing off.

"You're lying. And one mustn't tell lies, Dolores." I growl as I feel the poly juice potion wear off.

"Stupefy!" A flash of red light hits Umbridge and she slumps, forehead striking the balustrade. Instantly the silver cat vanishes. Yaxley draws his wand, but Ron is too quick and takes him out with a single blast. Hermione strips the locket from Umbridge's neck and leaps down. Instantly, her breath comes in plumes as the Dementors drift forward.

"EXPETO PATRONUM!" A wolf soars from the tip of my wand, circling the room as it drives the Dementors back.

. . .

The world spins as I lie on my back on a bed of leaves and twigs. Above, sunlight streams through a canopy of trees.

Wincing, I rise on my elbows and sees the locket lying in the dirt. I quickly get up and scoop it in my hands.

"Alex, quickly, in my bag, there's a small bottle labeled 'Essence of Dittany.'" Hermione panics.

I turn and Hermione, bent over Ron's twitching body.

I stumble dizzily to the bag. As I reach in, objects present themselves in furious succession.

"Accio Dittany." I breathe out.

A small brown bottle lands in my palm.

"Unstopper it." Hermione sniffs.

Hermione rips open Ron's shirt, which is soaked in blood. The flesh of his upper arm is flayed, as if someone had scooped a portion away.

"Hermione. His arm-" Harry starts, taking the bottle from me.

"Just do it!" She growls.

Harry does so and hands her the bottle. She sprinkles three drops onto Ron's bleeding wound and it quickly healed

"What happened? I thought we were going back to Grimmauld Place." I sit down.

"We were. We were there. But Yaxley had hold of me. I knew we couldn't stay once he'd seen, so when he let go I brought us here. Ron got Splinched.." She panics.

I stand up and hold my hands out. "Salvio Hexia... Protego Totalum..." I mumble.

"What're you doing?" Harry questions.

"Protective enchantments." Hermione adds.

"I don't fancy another visit like we had on Shaftesbury Avenue, do you? Especially with Ron like this." I state, turning back to create the spell. "Repello Muggletum Muffliato..."

. . .

"So where do we go next?" Hermione questions.

"Dumbledore had a theory. He felt that the Horcruxes would not be made out of random objects. And he felt they wouldn't be hidden randomly either. We know of three so far. The ring, which according to Dumbledore belonged to Tom Riddle's grandfather. The diary, which belonged to Tom himself. And this, which, again, according to Dumbledore belonged to his mother." I explain.

"It scares me a bit, that, thinking it's a piece of Vol-"
Hermione starts.

"No, don't! Don't say it!" Ron whines.

We turn and see Ron stirring. "It's taboo -- You-Know-Who's name. That's how they track people now. It's how they found us in the cafe that night."

"How d'you know?" I question.

"I overheard a bloke from the Enforcement office talking about it at the Ministry."

. . .

The locket spins swiftly in place, but remains whole.

"Dissendium!" I yell.

"Incendio!" Hermione

Flames engulf the locket and its metal flesh turns scarlet, but then the flames die.

"EXPULSO!" The tree stump explodes, but the locket remains unmarked.

"Confringo!" The ground beneath the stump craters, but the locket remains untouched.

Hermione lowers her wand, but I continue on, firing a succession of spells, but none of it works.

All goes silent except for the leaves shifting in wind above. Then, slowly, another sound comes clear...a ticking which comes from the locket.

"It's angry." Ron mumbles.

Hermione shivers. Harrys eyes widen slightly and I kneel down and takes the locket by its chain. It ticks. I slings it over my neck.

"What're you doing?" Harry gasps.

"We have to keep it safe until we can figure out how to destroy it." I state.

"I can put it in my bag-" Hermione starts.

"No." I scoff.

"Seems strange, mate. Dumbledore sends you off to find a load of Horcruxes, but doesn't bother to tell you how to destroy them. Doesn't that bother you?" Ron looks at me.

I study the locket, whose ticking has slowed, then walk off.

. . .