Call Me Vengeful

I Swallowed It

Chapter Nineteen: I Swallowed It
***Embry's POV***

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked from her seat next to the tent entrance. I glanced over my shoulder at her to see her watching my back as I silently casted healing charms on my leg, trying to ease the pain. Though I'd tried this before it never seemed to help with the pain but it was all I could do.

"Nothing." I lied. I jumped up from where I'd been sitting and forced myself not to wince at the sharp pain that coursed through me from the action. I walked over and joined her side, in front of the small fire we'd made earlier, as the wind made my hair fly about and slap me in the face every now and then. Glancing over her shoulder I recognized the book Dumbledore had left her along with a second book that I didn't know. "What are you doing?"

"Looking." She stated simply before elaborating. "Dumbledore wouldn't have just left me this book without a reason. Everything he left us he left us for a reason, I just have to figure out what the reason for this book is."

"I understand the sword and the Deluminator, but how are a locket, a Snitch, and a book supposed to help us?" I frowned as I touched the old locket that hung from my neck, well one of them, the Horcrux locket also hung from my neck with the one Dumbledore had left me.

"I'm not sure." She pursed her lips in a frown. "There had to be something in this book though...What about the locket? Have you opened it?"

"Tried the night we got the stuff, wouldn't open even when I used some charms." I twirled it between my fingers. "It still confuses me as to why he'd leave me something of his sister's when I barely ever spoke to him."

"Didn't you tell me once how he was the one Arthur wrote to about your being at the Burrow?" She asked and I nodded in conformation. "Maybe you reminded him of his sister or-"

"Hermione. Embry." Harry interrupted Hermione by calling our names as he hurried out of the tent with the Snitch in his hands. He handed it over to Hermione.

"You were right. It's like you said." He told her. "Snitches have flesh memories. But I didn't catch my first Snitch with my hand. I
almost swallowed it."

I looked at the small golden orb over Hermione's shoulder and just as I did so I saw the words beginning to disappear. I was still able to catch them though.

"'I open at the close?'" I frowned.

"What do you reckon it means?" He asked us.

"I don't know. But look, I've found something as well..." Hermione held out her copy of The Tales of Beedle and the Bard into the dim light of the fire for us to see. At the top of the tittle page I saw a small drawing that didn't belong there. A triangle that had a circle and a line inside of it.

"I thought it was a picture of an eye, but now I don't think it is. It isn't a rune and it's not in Spellman's Syllabary either. And it's been inked in - somebody drew it - it isn't part of the book." She explained, rambling slightly.

"Luna's dad was wearing that, at Ron-" Harry started but cut himself off. "At Bill and Fleur's wedding."

"What d'you mean - wearing it?" Hermione asked the same thing I was thinking.

"Around his neck. Like an amulet. I didn't think much of it at the time. You know Luna - she's always got some mad thing or the other she's carrying around. I just figured it ran in the family." He explained.

"Why would someone have drawn it in a children's book?" I took the small book from Hermione and looked closer at the drawing. It seemed familiar, though I couldn't place where I had seen it before. I knew it couldn't have been the same place as Harry since I hadn't spoke to Luna's father at the wedding.

"Hermione, I've been thinking. I -I want to go to Godric's Hollow." Harry's words made my head snap up from the book, as did Hermione's. "It's where I was born, it's where my parents died -"

"And it's exactly where You-Know-Who will expect you to go. Because it means something to you." Hermione pointed out.

"But it means something to him too, Hermione. You-Know-Who nearly died there. Wouldn't that be just the kind of place he'd hide a Horcrux?" He tried to reason. When Hermione didn't speak up he looked at me, looking for back up.

"He has a point," I agreed weakly. This caused Hermione to look at me with a sharp look in her eyes. "If I were Vol-Snakenose then I would hide a Horcux there."

"It's dangerous, Harry. But I have to admit, recently even I've been thinking we might have to go." She sighed. "I think it's possible something else is hidden there."

"The sword?" I guessed.

"If Dumbledore didn't want it falling into the
Ministry's hands, but wanted you to find it, what better place to hide it than the birthplace of the founder of Gryffindor himself?" Hermione nodded at my assumption.

"Godric's Hollow is the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor - I mean, 'course it is." Harry shook his head, giving a weak chuckle.

"Obvious, isn't it?" I smirked.

"Harry, Embry, did either of you ever even open A History of Magic?" Hermione arched an eyebrow at the both of us.

"I was only there for three years, and one of those years was the tournament. I think I have a valid excuse." I defended myself. She only rolled her eyes at my answer and we then both turned on Harry.

"Tossed it at Neville once when he was snoring - might've popped open." He scratched the back of his neck. Hermione only smiled at us as she collected her books before getting to her feet.

"Hermione..." Harry trailed off, clearly not knowing what to say. She looked at his and reached out, lightly stroking his hair before going past us and towards the tent flap.

"Don't ever let me give you a haircut again." She said over her shoulder. I snorted in laughter at her words before getting to my feet and looking at his hair. I had to agree with Hermione, she'd done an awful job. It wasn't even with parts being shorter than others when they weren't supposed to be. It was safe to say that I'd never let her give me a haircut.