Hufflepuff boy - Cedric Diggory x male oc x Viktor Krum

72

Harry lies in his bunk while Ron sits cross-legged, warming his hands over a bowl of flames. Cayden is cooking their food with some stuff Ron had brought with him.

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

Harry peers at the bowl, then beyond the tent flap, sees Hermione sitting just outside, keeping watch.

"How long you reckon she'll stay mad at me?" Ron asked.

"Keep talking about that little ball of light touching your heart -- she'll come around." Cayden said, tasting the food and was satisfied with it.

"It was true. Every word." Ron said. "You're going to think I'm mental, but I think that's why Dumbledore left it to me -- the Deluminator. I think he knew that at some point I'd... need to find my way back. And she'd lead me."

Harry eyes Ron, pondering this.

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

"Yeah..." Harry said, taking the bowl of food from Cayden's hand and starts eating it. Cayden places Ron's bowl on the table beside the bowl of fire and walks out of the tent towards Hermione.

"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." Ron said, whispering to Harry. "Don't tell Hermione, but they're a bit dim, Snatchers. This one was definitely part Troll. The smell off him..."

Harry points the wand at the flames. "Engorgio." And the flames flare massively and Ron leaps back.

"Woah!" Ron exclaimed in surprise.

"Reducio!" Harry exclaimed.

As the flames subside, Ron pats down a small flare-up on the canvas.

"What's going on in there?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing." Harry and Ron said.

"Maybe a bit more practice, eh?" Ron said to Harry.

"We need to talk." Hermione said, standing in the mouth of the tent, Life and Lies in hand while Cayden's food in the other, looking at Harry.

"All right." Ron said.

Hermione ignores him. "I want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood." She said, letting Cayden passed by her into the tent.

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

"See this? It's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald. Look at the signature. It's the mark again." Hermione turns the book in Harry's direction. Dumbledore replaced the 'A' in Albus with the triangular eye. "It keeps cropping up. Here. In Beedle the Bard. In the graveyard in Godric's Hollow-- what?"

Hermione looks at Harry, who is staring hard at the book.

Harry blinks. "Jesus. It was there too."

"Where?" Cayden asked, eating his own food.

"Outside Gregorovitch's wand shop. On the alley wall..." Harry said.

"But what does it mean?" Ron asked.

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

"Harry, you don't have a clue where the next Horcrux is. And neither do I or Cayden. But this, this means something. I'm sure of it." Hermione said.

"I think Hermione's right. I think we ought to go and see Lovegood. What say we vote on it? Those in favor..." Ron's hand flies into the air.

Cayden and Harry eyes him knowingly.