Hufflepuff boy - Cedric Diggory x male oc x Viktor Krum

67

The world spins as Cayden lies on his back on a bed of leaves and twigs. Above him, sunlight streams through a canopy of trees. Wincing, Cayden rises on his elbows, and sees Hermione kneeling next to an injured Ron.

Cayden scrambles up and moves to Hermione's bag, finding the Essence of Dittany bottle.

Hermione sees Cayden with the Essence of Dittany and quickly 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.

Cayden moves to kneel on the other side of Ron's body and sprinkles three drops onto Ron's bleeding wound, watching the greenish smoke billows.

"What happened? I thought we were going back to Grimmauld Place." Harry questioned.

"We were. We were there." Hermione said. "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. I'm... sorry."

"Don't be stupid." Harry said.

The smoke sifts, clearing. Ron's wound is no longer bleeding.

"It's all I feel safe doing." Hermione said, watching Cayden stood up and takes out his wand. She already knows what he is going to do, Cayden is as smart as her after all.

"Salvio Hexia... Protego Totalum..." Cayden mutters, walking in a wide circle.

"What's he doing?" Harry questioned, watching Cayden.

"Protective enchantments. I don't fancy another visit like we had on Shaftesbury Avenue, do you? Especially with Ron like this. You can get going on the tent..." Hermione said, caring for Ron.

"Tent? Where am I going to find--" Harry cuts himself off, glancing down at Hermione's bag, then back to her.

"Repelli Muggletum... Muffliato..." Cayden mutters, glancing behind him at Ron and then turns back to what he was doing.

≪ °❈° ≫

Hermione pours tea from a kettle into cups. "How're the mushrooms? Seem to be the only edible things growing round here."

Harry grimaces as he chews. 'Edible' is clearly debatable. "They're great."

"Make sure to leave some for Cayden and Ron." Hermione said, glancing at Cayden who is taking care of Ron's injury.

"No problem." Harry said under his breath, setting his plate aside, plucks up the locket and dangles it in the firelight. He glances at Cayden and Ron. "How bad is he?"

"He'll be alright in a fews days. Hopefully. If we could take him to Hogwarts, to Madam Pomfrey--"

Harry's glance stop her, confirming what she knows.

"So where do we go next?" Cayden asked, standing up from where he is sitting.

"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."

Hermione eyes the locket as it glimmers in the firelight. "It scares me a bit, that, thinking it's a piece of Vold--"

"No, don't! Don't say it!" Ron exclaimed, cutting Hermione's words off. "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?" Harry asked.

"I overheard a bloke from the Enforcement office talking about it at the Ministry. Blimey, what's that smell?" Ron questioned.

"Dinner?" Hermione said with a question, losing her confidence.

"Not bloody likely. Smells like something Ginny would cook." Ron said.

"Tea?" Hermione asked.

Ron nods. Grimacing, he pushes himself up, noticing he's wearing a sling of Hermione's fashioning. He looks from it to her as she tends the tea, a flicker of remorse playing over his face for his 'dinner' remarks. "Is that it?" He asked, looking at the locket.

Harry nods, handing him the locket.

Ron turns it over in his hand, frowning. He looks at Harry, who nods.

"I know. I felt it too." Harry said. "It's... it's like it's ticking or something, like it has a tiny heart, like it's--"

"... alive." Ron finished.

Harry nods.

Hermione eyes it coldly. "I hate it. It's like he's here with us."

"That's why we're going to kill it." Harry said, turning his head to look at Cayden.

≪ °❈° ≫

Ron leans against a tree, looking pale with Cayden standing next to him.

Hermione nods to Harry, who raised his wand.

"Dissendiun!" Harry said, watching the locket spins swiftly in place, but remains whole.

"Incendio!" Hermione said, and flames engulf the locket and its metal flesh turns scarlet, but then the flames die.

"Expulso!" Harry said.

Three stumps explodes, but the locket remains unmarked.

"Confrigo!" Hermione said.

The ground beneath the stump craters, but the locket remains untouched. Hermione lowers her wand, but Harry continues on, firing a succession of spells, looking almost possessed. Hermione studies him oddly until, finally, he stops. All goes silent except for the leaves shifting in wind above. Then, slowly, another sound comes clear. It sounds like a ticking, and it's coming from the locket.

"It's angry." Ron said.

Hermione shivers. Harry steps forward, kneels down and takes the locket by its chain. It ticks. He slings it over his neck and stand up.

"What're you doing?" Cayden asked, crossing his arms.

"We have to keep it safe until we can figure out how to destroy it." Harry answered, looking at Cayden.

"I can put it in my bag--"

"No." Harry said, cutting Hermione's words off.

"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 asked.

Harry studies the locket, whose ticking has slowed, then walks off.

Hermione eyes Cayden and Ron, who returns her glance, then Ron pushes away from the tree and walks off slowly in the opposite direction.

"I think we need the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy the locket." Cayden said, breaking the silence.

"What make you say that?" Hermione asked, looking at Cayden.

"I don't know, just a feeling." Cayden said, shrugging, and starts walking towards the tent with Hermione following.