When two worlds collide.

Deluminator.

I stick the sword in the ground. As Hermione emerges, she blinks against the brightness of the morning sun, Harry follows behind.

"Everything all right?" Hermione mumbles nervously.

"Fine. Actually... more than fine." I step aside.

Hermione sees Ron, standing at the edge of the camp. She stares, mute, then walks past me and the ashes of the campfire, stopping right in front of Ron.

He raises a hand, smiles sheepishly. "Hey.."

And then...Hermione begins to punch him.

"Wo-hey-ouch!" Ron whimpers.

"You-complete-arse-Ronald-Weasley! You crawl back here after all these weeks and say, 'Hey?'." Hermione states between punches.

"Where's my wand? Alex, where's my wand!" She turns to me.

"Um... I don't know?" I mumble.

"Alexandra Rosalyn Barnes! You give me my wand!"

"How come she's got your wand?" Ron scoffs.

"Never mind why she's got my wand-" She starts but stops. "What is that?"

She stares at the blackened locket dangling in Ron's hand.

"You destroyed it?" Harry's eyes widen.

Hermione glances at Ron. Ron indicates to me. She looks at me and I nod before she turns back to Ron. She starts to speak when her eyes shift, see the sword stuck in the ground.

"And exactly how is it you have the Sword of Gryffindor??!"

"It's a long story." I shrug.

Hermione ponders this, baffled, then looks back at Ron.

"Don't think this changes anything!" She snaps.

"No, of course not. We only destroyed the bloody- fucking horcrux! Why would that change anything! Do you know what it was like for me to hear those words coming from you! To see you doing those things-" He growls.

Ron stops. He blinks, mortified and Hermione turns to me.

"What happened out there?" She gawks at me.

"It's a long story!" I groan.

"Look, I wanted to come back the minute I'd left. I just...didn't know how to find you.." He mumbles, kicking a pile of frost.

"Exactly how did you find us?" Harry folds his arms.

"With this." Ron reaches into his pocket, pulls out the Deluminator. "It doesn't just turn off lights. I don't know exactly how it works, but Christmas morning I was sleeping in this little pub I'd given some Snatchers the slip the night before, me being a blood- traitor and all...anyway, I was sleeping when I heard it...a voice!" He turns to Hermione. "Your voice, Hermione. Coming out of this!"

"And what may I ask did I say?" Hermione folds her arms.

"My name. Just my name. Like a whisper.." Ron mumbles as he tries to remember.

Hermione stands perfectly still...and blushes.

"So I took this and I clicked it and this tiny ball of light appeared. And I knew." He smiles.

"Knew what?" Harry questions.

"Just knew. On account of Hermione's voice. And sure enough, it floated toward me, the ball of light, right to my chest and then went straight through right here.." Ron touches a point close to his heart. "I could feel it inside me. It was warm, like the first sip of a good cup of tea. And I knew it would take me where I needed to go. So I Disapparated and came out on this hillside. It was dark. I didn't have any idea where I was. I just had to hope one of you would show yourselves in the end. And you did.."

"I'm bloody tired." I grab the sword from off the ground and walk back into the tent.

Harry lies in his bunk, Hermione looks down at a pile of open books and I throw the snitch up and down in boredom while Ron sits cross-legged, warming his hands over a bowl of flames.

"I've always liked it. These flames Hermione makes.." Ron smiles warmly.

Hermione blushes, hiding her face in books.

Then suddenly, Ron jumps up, grabs his own rucksack and begins to fish through it. "Bloody hell. I just realized. You need a wand, right?"

"Yeah.." I nod.

"Well, I've got one. Here. It's Blackthorn, ten inches, nothing special, but I reckon it'll do. I took it off a Snatcher a few weeks back." He shrugs.

"I want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood." Hermione looks up

"Sorry?" Harry leans back.

"See this? It's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald. Look at the signature. It's the mark again." Hermione turns the book in my direction, but I was in my own world.

I wondered how Draco was getting on, and the others. There's so much I want to say to them, but what if I die? What if they die? I won't have the time to say anything..I should write letters. Y'know, make sure they all reach em when I die.

"ALEX!" Ron yells.

I look at him.

"Are you okay? You've been quiet ever since you've come back.." Hermione looks at me, worriedly.

"I'm fine. What's this?" I look down at the books.

"Dumbledore replaced the "A" in Albus with the triangular eye." Harry explains.

"It keeps cropping up. Here. In Beedle the Bard. In the graveyard in Godric's Hollow..." Hermione sighs.

I look at the book carefully, trying to remember where else I saw it.

"Fuck. It was there too!" I exclaim.

"Where?" Hermione questions.

"Outside Gregorovitch's wand shop..on the alley wall..." I state.

"But what does it mean?" Ron questions.

We all look down at the symbol etched in Dumbledore's fine hand in the book.

"Alex, you don't have a clue where the next Horcrux is. And neither do I. But this, this means something. I'm sure of it.." Hermione cries out in frustration.

"I think Hermione's right. I think we ought to go and see Lovegood. What say we vote on it? Those in favour..."

Ron's hand flies into the air. Harry eyes him knowingly. Hermione rolls her eyes, then lifts her hand as well. I sigh, lifting mine up.

"Sorry, Harry. Looks like it's Alex, Hermione and me this time."

. . .