Death at Hogwarts - A Harry Potter fanfiction

Chapter Seventeen

I sat in the tent with the others, ignoring the constant tapping of the rain on the tent as it poured down outside, watching Hermione pore over a book, while Harry sat by Ron, who was fast asleep, having had Splinched himself when the trio had left Grimmauld Place so suddenly.

"Dean?" Hermione asked timidly, suddenly looking up from her book.

"Hm?" I looked up to find both she and Harry staring at me.

"What did you do to Yaxley?"

I was surprised at her question, I hadn't expected her to be bothered about the likes of him, and said so.

"It's not that I'm bothered," she said. "It's more that I'm worried about what the other Death Eaters will do to us if they manage to find us. They might think we did whatever you did."

"You need have no fear about that," I replied. "I just scared him a little, then erased his memory of Grimmauld Place. All the same, I think it best that we camp out for some time until we are more sure of our plan of action for the next Horcrux."

The two nodded, and, over on the bed, Ron groaned in his sleep. Hermione looked over at him worriedly.

"He will live." I said. As I spoke, the Horcrux around my neck gave a throb, and I looked down at it. "Shut it, you. I wasn't talking to you."

Hermione gave a nervous giggle as she glanced at the Horcrux. I'd taken it from them the moment I arrived, wanting to save them from it's corruptive influence. They had no reason to have to suffer it, and my wearing it would hide it from anyone who could sense it.

"I still can't believe you can understand it." Harry said, looking at it.

"It's a soul - or at least part of one. Of course I can understand it." I replied, staring at his scar, and he shrank away from me as the piece of Voldemort's soul insisde him reacted.

I smiled and turned away, grabbing a book.

"I don't get it, Dean," Harry said. "One moment I'm okay with you, the next, I'm terrified of you."

I thought quickly. "It's not you Harry, it's Tom, looking through you, who is so afraid of me."

"Can he see us now?" Harry asked, looking worried.

"No. I sent him away. He won't look again in a hurry." I replied. He looked relieved and turned his attention to Ron, who had passed out again.

"Dean." Harry's voice broke the silence in the tent.

"Mm?"

"Can you go back to Grimmauld Place - you know, just to check on Kreacher again? I want to make sure he's completely safe. I can't stand the thought of the Death Eaters getting to him and torturing him."

"Of course, Harry." I stood and Hermione walked to me and grabbed the locket around my neck.

"Give it here, one of us will wear it while you're gone."

I nodded and slipped it off, handing it to her, and Harry slipped it around his neck as she passed it to him. Everything vanished silently around me as I whisked myself off to Grimmauld Place, to where Kreacher was pottering around in the living room, fluffing up the cushions and cleaning.

"Oh!" he said, strartled. "Master Dean, Kreacher did not see you come in."

"Are you alright, Kreacher?"

"Oh yes, Kreacher is just fine."

"Are you sure? None of the Death Eaters have come in, have they?"

"Oh no, Kreacher did as you asked and sealed the house against all but yourself, Masters Harry and Ronald, and Mistress Hermione."

"Good," I replied. "I do not know how long we will be away for, but I do know it shall be many months before Harry and the others can return to this house."