The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|132| Mr. Loony Lovegood

Despite my slight tolerance of Ron's presence, Hermione did not share my resilience. Hermione's anger did not abate overnight and therefore unsurprisingly she communicated mainly by dirty looks and pointed silences the next morning. Ron responded by maintaining an unnaturally somber demeanor in her presence as an outward sign of continuing remorse.

"Someone helped us," Ron kept saying. "Someone sent that doe. Someone's on our side. One Horcrux down, mate!"

"The question is who and why," I responded to him, "because it was not my doe."

Not wanting to be stuck inside while Harry and Ron picked berries, and Hermione stayed on watch, I decided to sit with Hermione. Harry told Ron the entire story of our wanderings without him as I corrected some details, right up to the full story of what had happened at Godric's Hollow; Ron was now filling Harry in on everything he had discovered about the wider Wizarding world during his weeks away while I quietly listened.

"...and how did you find out about the Taboo?" he asked Harry after explaining the many desperate attempts of Muggleborns to evade the Ministry.

"The what?"

"You, Maisey, and Hermione have stopped saying You-Know-Who's name!"

"Oh, yeah. Well, it's just a bad habit we've slipped into," said Harry. "But I haven't got a problem calling him V —"

"NO!" roared Ron, causing Harry to jump into the hedge and Hermione (nose buried in a book at the tent entrance) to scowl over at them. "Sorry," said Ron, wrenching Harry back out of the brambles, "but the name's been jinxed, Harry, that's how they track people! Using his name breaks protective enchantments, it causes some kind of magical disturbance— it's how they found us in Tottenham Court Road!"

"Because we used his name?" I spoke up.

"Exactly! You've got to give them credit, it makes sense. It was only people who were serious about standing up to him, like Dumbledore, who ever dared use it. Now they've put a Taboo on it, anyone who says it is trackable— quick-and-easy way to find Order members! They nearly got Kingsley —"

"You're kidding?"

"Yeah, a bunch of Death Eaters cornered him, Bill said, but he fought his way out. He's on the run now, just like us." Ron scratched his chin thoughtfully with the end of his wand. "You don't reckon Kingsley could have sent that doe?"

"His Patronus is a lynx, we saw it at the wedding, remember?" I said. "Again, mine is a doe, but I didn't send it."

"Oh yeah..." Harry and Ron moved farther along the hedge, away from the tent, Hermione, and me so I couldn't hear their conversation.

"Reckon we follow them?" I said to Hermione.

"Do we have to?" said Hermione.

"Yes, they'll get themselves into trouble without us. Remember first year?" I reminded her of the troll situation.

Hermione gave me a soft laugh and closed her book, leaving it on the tree stump she was sitting on. Following Harry and Ron into the trees, I saw a spider grow three times its size.

"Stop that," I heard Ron say sharply. "I'm sorry I said Dumbledore was young, okay?"

They must have been talking about the book of Dumbledore's life. At least Ron agreed with me.

"Sorry— Reducio," Harry said as we walked up behind them.

The spider did not strink. Harry looked down at the wand in his hand.

"You just need to practice," I said. Both Harry and Ron turned to look at us, Ron was terrified whereas Harry looked annoyed.

"It's all a matter of confidence, Harry," Hermione added.