Hermione's POV

We tumbled into the forest together, I rushed to my hands and knees, assessing the situation. Harry was lying on the ground somewhere across from me, Ron was underneath him, I looked around for (Y/N), but there was no sign of him.

In a panic I tried to process this turn of events, to see what had happened to him. My mind only went to one place, as we dissaparated from Grimmauld Place, I knew Yaxley had grabbed hold of me, so in the moment I used a Revulsion Jinx to get him off me.

My heart sank, that had to be it, that had to be the moment, I wasn't thinking, I hadn't considered who the jinx could shake off other then Yaxley. I just wanted to escape, and I sent him off to his death.

I went to call out to Harry or Ron, to tell them we needed to go back, we had to help him, we couldn't just leave him there, he could be hurt, or captured or... I snapped my head around I saw the state Ron was in.

My body reacted before my mind could, I ran over to help him, blood drenched the whole of Ron's left side and his face stood out, greyish white, against the leaf-strewn earth.

I busied myself with helping him trying to push the thought out of my hand and focus on the present. Using my wand to tear his sleeve and asses the damage I found a gouge out of his flesh, I knew the cause immediately.

I heard rustling from beside me and noticed Harry had joined me, looking as concerned as I was, Ron was losing a lot of blood. The Polyjuice Potion was wearing off now. Ron was halfway between Cattermole and himself in appearance, his hair turning redder and redder as his face drained of the little colour it had left.

"What's happened to him?" asked Harry "Splinched," I said, trying to not waste time with an in-depth explanation. After running through everything I knew about treating injuries in my head It occurred to me I had the thing for an injury like this.

"Harry, quickly, in my bag, there's a small bottle labelled Essence of Dittany–" "Bag – right" Harry sped to the place I had landed, seized the tiny beaded bag and thrust his hand inside it. He was taking a few seconds to rummage around.

"Quickly!" I urged him. He grabbed his wand from the ground and pointed it into the depths of the magical bag. "Accio dittany!" A small brown bottle zoomed out of the bag; he caught it and ran back.

I was worried he was too slow, Ron's eyes were now half closed, strips of white eyeball all that was visible between his lids. "He's fainted," I said as I tried to think of what to do next while trying my best to staunch the bleeding in the meantime.

"Unstopper it for me, Harry, my hands are shaking." I pleaded, Harry wrenched the stopper off the little bottle, I took it and poured three drops of the potion on the bleeding wound. Greenish smoke billowed upwards and when it had cleared, to my relief, the bleeding had stopped.

The wound now looked several days old; new skin stretched over what had just been open flesh. 'Wow,' said Harry, blown away by the potion's effectiveness. I felt ill, my hands were still shaking, and my head was pounding.

"It's all I feel safe doing," I said shakily. "There are spells that would put him completely right, but I daren't try in case I do them wrong and cause more damage, (Y/N) usually does that stuff and he's lost so much blood already"

"How did he get hurt? I mean," Harry said, trying to make sense of whatever had just taken place, "why are we here? I thought we were going back to Grimmauld Place?" I took a deep breath, I knew the next question before he asked it. "Where's (Y/N)?"

I couldn't contain it any more, I burst into tears, the stress finally getting to me, the fear welling up inside of me and the shock finally setting in. As I composed myself, I tried my best to explain. "Harry, I don't think we're going to be able to go back there."

"What d'you –?" "As we Disapparated, Yaxley caught hold of me, and I couldn't get rid of him, he was too strong, and he was still holding on when we arrived at Grimmauld Place, and then..."

"Well, I think he must have seen the door, and thought we were stopping there, so he slackened his grip and I managed to shake him off and I brought us here instead! But I didn't realise that (Y/N) wasn't holding on and...and we left him"

"But then, where's he? Hang on ... you don't mean he's at Grimmauld Place?" I nodded, the emotion welled up inside me and I couldn't contain it, just the thought of him being alone and in danger shook me to my core.

"Harry, I think he can. I – I forced him to let go with a Revulsion Jinx, but I'd already taken him inside the Fidelius Charm's protection. Since Dumbledore died, we're Secret Keepers, so I've given him the secret, haven't I?"

'Harry, It's my fault, all my fault" I said, my strength failed me as I slid down a tree, my back pressed against it, I just sobbed. Harry tried to comfort me. "Don't be stupid, it wasn't your fault! If anything, it was mine..."

I shook my head, unable to form words, he was wrong, it was me, I was the one that left him and now he had no way of getting back to us. Oh my god, what had I done?

Harry put his hand in his pocket and drew out something that I couldn't focus on because of the tears in my eyes, once I wiped my eyes I looked at it and was revolted. It was Mad-Eye's eye.

Holding it up, Harry explained, "Umbridge had stuck it to her office door, to spy on people. I couldn't leave it there ... but that's how they knew there were intruders."

Ron groaned and opened his eyes. He was still grey and his face glistened with sweat. 'How d'you feel?' Hermione whispered. "Lousy," croaked Ron, wincing as he felt his injured arm. 'Where are we?'

He looked around, "Where's (Y/N)?" he asked, concerned, and I couldn't help but wonder that exact same question.

(Y/N)'s POV

I barely got a second of a shocked reaction before I was blasted down the stone steps by the force of his spell and landed harshly on my back, rolling backwards from the impact. "Seize him!" Yaxley bellowed to the two Death Eaters guarding Grimmauld Place.

As I was forced to the ground I realised, I was outside the Fidelius, Yaxley wasn't. It had broken. The two guards outside Grimmauld place blinked in shock and then seemed to focus on number thirteen for the first time.

Yaxley must have seen it as we apparated. But where were the others? Were they inside, safe for now but unaware of the approaching danger, or had they escaped? "Take his wand" Yaxley barked out his orders in a booming voice.

No matter how I twisted and turned I couldn't stop them from seizing it from me, "Petrificus Totallus" said a voice and I was rendered immobile. I was forced to watch Yaxley take it, give it a once over and stash it in his robe with a smirk.

I was trying my best to find ways to escape, but I was frozen and could only look in one direction. I couldn't get my bearings or understand my surroundings. I didn't have any hope of backup, I couldn't move, and I didn't have my wand. I could do without Yaxley's taunting too.

"I have to hand it to you scum, for a few seconds, you may have fooled me. But lucky for us" He gestured to the two men who had attacked me, "Potter must think you're as worthless as I do." He kicked me swiftly in the face.

Despite the fact it must have knocked my brain around and I had the immediate urge to vomit I tried my best to concentrate on the spell binding me in place. But it wouldn't budge, I was still frozen.

"Crucio" said a low gravelly voice that didn't belong to Yaxley and I was immediately overcome by indescribable agony, but still unable to move a muscle, unable to scream and vent some of this pain.

I couldn't focus at all, I was too concerned with the others and I'd never been very good at wandless magic, even if I had my wand I was still screwed. I tried to take a deep breath only to realise I couldn't.

"You two, secure the perimeter, we can't have the Muggles seeing us entering." They grumbled in agreement. As he left, one of the Death Eaters cackled at me and stomped on my knee. Yet again I was forced into soundless fits of agony.

Yaxley pulled my head up, then bound me with chains. "Now, I'm going to give you one chance to tell me where Potter has gone, if you don't, well, the dementors are very upset about losing the Mudbloods, it would be a shame to deny them."

He undid the full body bind and a plan started to form in my head. "Ok, ok, I can't tell you where they are, because I don't know, but I'll tell you where they're heading." I said, my eyes filling with fear at the thought of Dementors.

He smiled, "Maybe you aren't as foolish as I thought, go on then, tell me and no harm will come to you." He lied through his teeth. I looked into his eyes and it was over. I looked into his eyes and made him forget one thing, one simple thing that would be his downfall.

I couldn't make him free me because the other Death Eaters present would object and probably stop me escaping, what I could do, was make paralysing me again slip his mind. "Your mum's house, she's very inviting." I cackled.

"Crucio!" he said again, and I fell to my knees under the sensation of the torture curse. Once he stopped, I turned as if I was trying to crawl away from him, unable to support myself on my recently injured knee.

He nodded and gave a little chuckle, "Oh, yes, I forgot, you're the fighter. The Dark Lord warned us about you." I chuckled, "My reputation precedes me then. Good." He grabbed the chain, forcing me up to my knees.

"Where do you think you're going, you can't escape. Just give up." He taunted me as I fought against the chains that bound me and tried to flee. I snarled, "And bow down to people like you? Never. I'd rather die."

Then he dropped all pretence, "Oh, you will, don't worry, and so will everyone you love." I chuckled, "You shouldn't wish death on your mother, it's rude." He cursed me again and I fell prone on my belly, the chains still on top of me.

Luckily this meant a small portion of them were obscured from his vision. I focused on one section of chain, one weak point, hoping not to break the spell entirely and dispel them, but to weaken them as much as I could.

What I didn't account for was the way my magic decided to manifest being that the loop of the chain became scalding hot and lost integrity, while I was lying on top of it, and that is exceptionally bright, even in broad daylight.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop from screaming at the burning pain "Nice try scum" He immediately forced me up by the shoulders, my knee buckling beneath me again, "Oh, you think I would fall for such a silly trick? Not likely" he spat.

he pressed his wand to the base of my skull and whispered in my ear. "It would be so easy to just end you here, leave you lying in the street, maybe that will make your friends get the message." "Times are changing boy, like it or not."

with that another streak of pain shocked my entire body. "But the Dark Lord has other plans for you." I fell forward, unable to move, unable to breathe, the pain was so intense I lost consciousness for seconds at a time, my vision turning blurry and white.

I saw him turn and press his own wand to his forearm and I knew I had little time to act. If Voldemort was to arrive, I was dead, and that was that.

What's worse, knowing he is the only person who had ever been able to overcome my Occlumency, he would likely find out about Godric's Hollow and my friends would follow me soon after.

The other two wizards were off dealing with the public, so this was my only shot. As he took a second to scan the skies I focused and closed my eyes, seeing golden eyes looking back at me.

I did something out of desperation, out of fear for my life and the lives of the others, and sheer adrenaline. I regretted it almost immediately, but I couldn't change it, because as Yaxley turned back, I transformed and lunged at him, he was still talking as I did.

"Now you will tell me where Potter and the Mudb-" he didn't get the next word out, because my teeth were through his throat. With surprisingly little pressure, I bit down harder and pulled back.

He didn't speak, didn't grasp for his throat, didn't even react, he was just gone. Collapsing under the weight of the beast that had just attacked him.

His blood was spilling out onto the street outside Grimmauld place. There were gasps from a now forming crowd, screams from confused Muggles, but I couldn't hear them at this point, my ears were ringing and my heart was beating out my chest.

I didn't really process what happened next, I was human again, I reached inside his robes for my wand and found it, but I didn't feel anything, it was like my body was on autopilot, the only thought I had was to escape before he got here.

As I finally found my wand in his now blood-soaked robes when I got a cold chill down my spine and the wind seemed to shift in the air. A dark storm cloud seemed to be sweeping through the air. Rain was beginning to fall and thunder cracked in the sky.

I looked to the skies, expecting to see the swirling mass of death that was Voldemort. Instead I just stared into the clouds, seeing nothing but lightning in the air.

I didn't understand why Yaxley would summon him. Harry said he was hunting down the wandmaker wasn't he? Why would he show his face here, in public? That's when it clicked. He wasn't here yet. But he was coming.

In sheer panic I tried to apparate, just away, I wasn't even thinking of where, just away. The first placed I thought of, "Madam Malkins!" I thought desperately as I got done searching Yaxley's robes.

But as I began to disappear from the spot I was stood, turning in place, I was forced back, as if I was tied to the spot by an invisible bungee cord, snapping back into place I understood that I had been caught by an anti-apparition spell.

Fear and disbelief racked my body, I didn't know what to do, I turned my attention to the skies, "Depulso. Reducto! Dep...REDUCTO!" I bellowed to the skies, sending out streams of ineffectual magic and hoping to clear it in a panic.

I turned and ran, I sprinted down the closest street near me, my knee was burning with pain but I fought through it, not having thought of my destination yet, but knowing I had very little time to escape.

The two Death Eaters who were watching Grimmauld Place had gotten over the shock of Yaxley's death and both shot killing curse at me, I barely managed to duck around a building to dodge them.

They chased after me, the whole time sending curses and jinxes my way, only missing because of the new change in weather making visibility limited and the speed at which I was moving and they were chasing after me.

Eventually after skirting down a side alley I knew there was no point in running from them, so I turned abruptly, using the momentum to my advantage. Since they were skidding to a halt and I had already turned I was able to line up my wand perfectly to the two of them as I spun.

"Expelliarmus!" I called out to the first, who's wand went sailing over his head onto the pavement below, then, "Stupefy" to the other who was unable to stop his momentum and took the spell full force to the face, skidding along the ground as he was rendered unconscious.

The disarmed Death Eater looked at me, his eyes glazed over in confusion, he was clearly imperiused, so as I was feeling a little sympathetic to the man who was chasing me against his will I used the full body bind rather then anything more vicious.

With the two men chasing me incapacitated I worked on a plan of escape. I had to go somewhere Voldemort wouldn't follow in person, Death Eaters I could handle, Dark Lords, bit of a stretch.

That plan was derailed almost immediately as plumes of smoke fell from the sky like comets and left behind four Death Eaters. Enemy reinforcements had finally come, probably a starting act before the Dark Lord himself.

There were two I didn't recognise, and two I did. Nott and Jugson. Before they were even fully formed I was sending curses at them, hoping to end the fight before it had a chance to begin. I quickly wrapped up my knee with my wand and yelled "Come on then!"

Only one of them was caught unaware, as he attempted to dodge he was hit by a knockback jinx and flew sidelong into a wall, crumpling to the ground. I tried to fight them off, but it only took me a few seconds to realise that would be impossible.

I'm not as much of a badass as Professor McGonagall, I couldn't fight multiple opponents like she could, in a span of thirty seconds, I was pushed backwards by the sheer force of three people casting spells at me.

They had forced my back literally to a wall within seconds and were feet away casting curses at me, never letting up. All I could do was defend and hope my charm held up.

I couldn't imagine what would have happened if they'd sent someone more substantial like Lestrange or Dolohov with them. But as I shielded myself, I could hear something, in the back of my head.

It was quite distracting, a little tick. tick. tick. in the depths of my mind. It reminded me I didn't have much time...Time...They were stalling for time.

Yaxley said Voldemort had plans for me, that's why none of hem have killed me yet, they were waiting for Voldemort to arrive, that's why they came, to stop me running. I had to get out of here, now.

Nott taunted me just as Yaxley had as he sent curse after curse at my only protective charm. "Ready to see Mummy again?" he cackled, I snarled at him, but it reminded me of something, something I could use.

I used the rest of my energy to push my back off the wall, tumbling into the three attackers. I lost my wand in the scuffle but that was fine. Before they could react I started driving my fists into Nott's shocked face. Using the same trick I did on Yaxley.

He sent out a knockback jinx and I was launched backwards a few feet, away from them, but my back wasn't against the wall anymore, perfect.

"Kill him!" cried Jugson to the unknown Death Eater. Nott rushed to his feet, his face swollen and bloody, "NO! He's mine!" he slurred, just as I made him.

"Before that though, would you like to meet my friend Ezekiel? I think you'd like him" I tried to keep them talking as I shifted through my belt pockets.

I pulled out the course rock from its pouch and quickly spiked it onto the floor at my feet, almost immediately the whole alley was engulfed in darkness. Despite being the one that threw it, it still sort of shocked me.

I didn't expect it to act so fast, I was thinking smoke bomb not light switch. "Thanks Ezekiel, you will be missed" I whispered as I snatched up my wand and turned on the spot as half a dozen spells ricocheted off the walls and blew up portions of the street I'd already left behind.

I sprinted through the darkness, hoping to all things holy I didn't run into a wall, and soon I was able to cast a Disillusionment Charm on myself and disappear into the crowds of people.

Stopping momentarily in a corner shop to think. I deduced that Voldemort wouldn't expose himself to the public, otherwise his take over of the ministry would be made public, so I formed a plan, if you could even call it that, more like a last ditch effort.

I sprinted down the busy street and the storm cloud seemed to follow me, then I understood, the Death Eaters had played around with his Meteorology Jinx, It was the thing stopping me from apparating.

After a few minutes of running my lungs were burning and my legs felt heavy, yet I still couldn't escape it. Again and again I tried to dissaparate away but each time I was forced back, each time more painful then the last.

It felt as if someone had speared me through the chest with some sort of giant hook and was forcibly keeping me in place, but in my sheer panic, it was the only thing I could think to do in order to escape.

Figuring I needed to get out of the cloud cover I fled into the underground, hoping I could take the tube or something and move fast enough to escape. He wouldn't come to the underground; he wouldn't risk being seen.

I undid my invisibility and went to buy tickets, unfortunately, I forget I was still covered in blood and the muggle police were abut to be called, so instead I fled while every muggle that saw me stared on in disbelief.

I darted into a toilet quickly and cast "Scourgify" quickly. The blood that had seeped into my clothes and hands disappeared. Then I realised the real reason people were so terrified.

I still had his blood smeared across my mouth, I had sickening memories of a horrible nightmare that had plagued me in my fifth year at Hogwarts, the taste of Arthur Weasleys blood rushing into my brain.

In my shock, it hit me, this was the first time I had ever killed someone. At least intentionally, even earlier in the year when we were moving Harry I hadn't really thought about it. I had always rationalised that I didn't know for a fact that any of them died.

My mind always conjured images of them landing safely, in a conveniently placed hedge or something, or even that they would have thought ahead and had ways to land without getting hurt. But there was no hiding it this time. I had just killed a man.

I was shaken and the shock hitting my senses with such sickness that I had to rush into a stall to vomit immediately. Bile and acid rising in my throat. Being found in that state was not my finest moment.

There was a banging on the stall door and as I pointed to my wand to it, I was met with two Muggles who found it very amusing, they began chuckling to each other and speaking to me, but in my delirium, I couldn't make out what they were saying.

I slammed the stall door closed and used the spell McGonagall taught us last year and change my hair colour and style, then changing the colour of my eyes the best I could.

I thought about changing my clothes too, but I realised Hermione still has my clothes in her purse. So I settled with an alternative, using "Colovaria" to change the colour of Dawlish's suit, which was still too small for me.

As I stepped out of the stall, the two Muggle men where utterly bamboozled and were gaping at me, looking between me and each other.

I headed to the sink and began cleaning my face with some water and trying to calm my trembling hands. "You might want to leave it for a few minutes" I said shakily as I exited.

I quickly boarded the nearest train, not caring about destination or cost, and tried to ignore the groups of workmen and suited individuals who had suddenly began to flood the station. I just hoped my disguise would hold up.

A few of them boarded each train, every one of them scanning the faces in the crowd for mine. There was a man beside me reading the Daily Mail. "Can I borrow that?" I all but begged, hoping it would help obscure my face.

He looked to me, gave me a once over and with a scoff said "No." But he must have caught me stealing glances at the Death Eaters, because he sighed after five seconds and handed me the sports section.

Then placed himself to stand in between us to obscure me from them "Thanks, you're a lifesaver" He just let out a breath of derision and went on with his day. And so, I pretended to read about Muggle football teams until I was at Mile End station.

My mind was swimming with horrible thoughts. Thoughts of Yaxley, of the momentary shock in his eyes, of the moment he hit the floor. The blankness in his stare, one I had only seen twice before in my life, in Cedric, and in my mum.

But this time was different, I wasn't a spectator, I was the perpetrator. The reason those eyes were empty, the life snuffed out. After all my big talk throughout the years, you'd figure I would have reacted better.

I had threatened to kill Umbridge, I had threatened to kill Snape, Dung, even Malfoy...but now I didn't feel as confident in that sentiment, I didn't think it would make me feel like this. Every time I thought of it I could only imagine how pathetic those empty threats felt.

I began replaying the moment again and again, wondering if I could have done something differently, I should have just bitten his wrist, I should of just disarmed him, bound him with a spell like I had with Dawlish.

Sure, Yaxley was a horrible person, but after the fact, killing him wasn't a triumph, not something to be praised for or justified by the fact he was a Death Eater, I had just killed a man and I felt hollow inside.

Harry's POV

"Harry!" I opened my eyes, panting, my forehead throbbing. I was passed out against the side of the tent, I had slid sideways down the canvas, and was sprawled on the ground.

I looked up at Hermione, whose bushy hair obscured the tiny patch of sky visible through the dark branches high above us, her eyes still red and sore looking.

"Dream," I said, sitting up quickly and attempting to meet Hermione's glower with a look of innocence. "Must've dozed off, sorry." "I know it was your scar! I can tell by the look on your face! You were looking into Vol —"

"Don't say his name!" came Ron's angry voice from the depths of the tent. "Fine," retorted Hermione. "You-Know-Who's mind, then!" "I didn't mean it to happen!" I defended "It was a dream! Can you control what you dream about, Hermione?"

"If you just learned to apply Occlumency —" But I was not interested in being told off; I wanted to discuss what he had just seen. "He's found Gregorovitch, Hermione, and I think he's killed him, but before he killed him he read Gregorovitch's mind and I saw —"

"I think I'd better take over the watch if you're so tired you're falling asleep," said Hermione coldly. "I can finish the watch!" "No, you're obviously exhausted. Go and lie down." She dropped down in the mouth of the tent, looking stubborn.

Angry, but wishing to avoid a row, I ducked back inside. Ron's still-pale face was poking out from the lower bunk; I climbed into the one above him, lay down, and looked up at the dark canvas ceiling.

After several moments, Ron spoke in a voice so low that it would not carry to Hermione, huddled in the entrance. Though nobody would speak of it, we all knew that she had left the tent to cry again.

"What's You-Know-Who doing?" I screwed up my eyes in the effort to remember every detail, then whispered into the darkness. "He found Gregorovitch. He had him tied up, he was torturing him." "How's Gregorovitch supposed to make him a new wand if he's tied up?"

"I dunno. . . . It's weird, isn't it?" I began thinking of all I remembered, all I had seen and heard. The more I recalled, the less sense it made. . . . Voldemort had said nothing about my wand, nothing about the twin cores, nothing about Gregorovitch making a new and more powerful wand to beat it.

"He wanted something from Gregorovitch," I said, eyes still closed tight. "He asked him to hand it over, but Gregorovitch said it had been stolen from him . . . and then . . . then . . ." I remembered how I, as Voldemort, had seemed to hurtle through Gregorovitch's eyes, into his memories.

"He read Gregorovitch's mind, and I saw this young bloke perched on a windowsill, and he fired a curse at Gregorovitch and jumped out of sight. He stole it, he stole whatever You-Know-Who's after. And I . . . I think I've seen him somewhere. . . ."

I wished I could have another glimpse of the laughing boy's face. The theft had happened many years ago, according to Gregorovitch. Why did the young thief look familiar? The noises of the surrounding woods were muffled inside the tent; all I could hear was Ron's breathing.

After a while, Ron whispered, "Couldn't you see what the thief was holding?" "No . . . it must've been something small." "Harry?" The wooden slats of Ron's bunk creaked as he re-positioned himself in bed. "Harry, you don't reckon You-Know-Who's after something else to turn into a Horcrux?"

"I don't know," said Harry slowly. "Maybe. But wouldn't it be dangerous for him to make another one? Didn't Hermione say he had pushed his soul to the limit already?" "Yeah, but maybe he doesn't know that."

"Yeah . . . maybe," I said hopefully. But deep down I was sure that Voldemort had been looking for a way around the problem of the twin cores, sure that Voldemort sought a solution from the old wandmaker . . . and yet he had killed him.

Apparently without asking him a single question about wandlore. What was Voldemort trying to find? Why, with the Ministry of Magic and the Wizarding world at his feet, was he far away, intent on the pursuit of an object that Gregorovitch had once owned, and which had been stolen by the unknown thief?

I could still see the blond-haired youth's face; it was merry, wild; there was a Fred and George-ish air of triumphant trickery about him. He had soared from the windowsill like a bird, and I knew I had seen him before, but he could not think where. . . .

With Gregorovitch dead, it was the merry-faced thief who was in danger now, and it was on him that my thoughts dwelled, as Ron's snores began to rumble from the lower bunk and as he himself drifted slowly into sleep once more.

(Y/N)'s POV

It had been a few days since my impromptu train ride, I wasn't sure what to do to be honest, I wanted to meet up with Hermione and the others to check if they were safe but that was proving next to impossible, they had probably gone into hiding by now.

The only lead I had was my compass I made a few years back, but even then it just told me the direction Hermione was, not the distance she was away from me, a little oversight in the design I guess.

I wish I had something more concrete to go on but that wasn't the case, all I had was a shake of a compass and a direction to be pointed in, that was good enough for me for now, failing that, Godric's Hollow was my last shot, if only I knew where the hell that was.

I followed it for hours, apparating miles and miles at a time in search for them, trekking through the countryside and cities alike. I think I might have gotten close at one point.

The compass 'needle' started to move as if she was close to me, but then as I sprinted in that direction it rolled in the opposite direction and all I could find left behind were the embers of a campfire.

That was a pretty big blow to my morale, being so close but still unable to see them. Upon finding the campsite I was absolutely filled with rage and disappointment.

I ended up screaming into the forest just to vent some of the frustration and bringing myself to tears a few times but at the end of the day I couldn't stay and sulk, I had to keep moving.

I made an effort to not stay in the same place for too long, I didn't know if the Ministry was still hunting me actively but my face was all over the Prophet and I think I had even been put on the muggle news as an 'escaped convict.'

The first time I saw my face plastered on a wall was quite the shock, I had just purchased some cheap muggle clothes from a charity shop and ducked into an inn for wizards when I saw it.

There, written in bold above an unflattering picture of me were the words "Undesirable Number 2" I was horrified, absolutely shaken to my core. "Number 2?"

"Number 2! That's ridiculous, I'm much more dangerous than Harry is!" I pouted, but upon seeing the reward for my capture was 8,000 Galleons part of me wondered if I should have Winky hand me in so I had some pocket money.

"Wanted for assault and battery, impersonating a Ministry official, arson, destruction of property, murder and being an unregistered animagus."

I laughed a little, grimly trying to cheer myself up, "well at least they have their priorities straight." I thought until I read the next sentence, which both filled me with dread and an odd sense of pride.

"To Be Considered Armed and Extremely Dangerous, DO NOT APPROACH. Contact Ministry officials immediately if you have any information concerning his whereabouts. Failure to do so will result in imprisonment."

This made me a little more satisfied, "Eh, not bad, I'll take it, I hope they don't send Hit Wizards after me though, that might be rough." I ripped the poster down and rolled it up, stashing it in my belt.

And while I didn't encounter any Aurors or Hit Wizards despite the manhunt, I did have some problems at one point as I stopped for refreshments.

I found a bar somewhere in the countryside on my way to Godrics Hollow, it was rather dingy bar that looked a little decrepit but I needed time to think before I got back on my journey.

"Afternoon," I said to the bored looking barkeep who was in the process of pouring drinks to other patrons. "Afternoon, what'll it be?" he asked. I took a moment to think. "Got any gigglewater?"

He deadpan stared at me, took a dramatic look around his bar and said, "Does this place look like it serves gigglewater?" I looked round and shrugged, "Dunno, maybe it's full of surprises. That's why I asked."

"This is the closest I have" he said, passing me a dusty bottle of gillywater. "Cheers, this is probably better anyway, I'm dissaparating home" I smiled, he looked me up and down and had an expression of recognition for a moment.

"You're just a kid." He said sadly, his eyes shifting from me to something over my shoulder, "You need ID?" I asked quickly, keen to leave. Oh that reminded me.

"Do you know how to get to..." I wrote 'Godric's Hollow' with my wand in the air, in case anyone was listening. He shrugged, "No, sorry." With a deep sigh I shrugged back, "Fair enough."

I planned to wipe his memory of the word in case he pulled anything, but before I did, he nudged me. He drummed is hand on the bar, pointing behind me then, he coughed weirdly and mumbled something that sounded like 'matchers.'

I was a little perturbed by this sudden behaviour, he looked me in the eyes, worried, as if he was asking me to understand, then sighed again and began stepping away from the bar. Muttering something about finding more firewhisky.

That's when I noticed some other patrons in the corner get a bit shifty, all murmuring about a paper on their table and arguing amongst each other. One was shuffling through a stack of paper on a desk with increasing haste and the others started looking tense.

"Oi, wots your name?" one called out thickly from the corner of the room. Subtly, I rested my hand next to my wand and said "Cormac McLaggen." I answered, it had been the alias I had been travelling under.

"I's jus' you do look an awful lot like a bloke we're meant to be lookin' for" "Weird, Is he devilishly handsome too?" I tried to play it off, acting like McLaggen to the best of my ability.

Four of the patrons got up, walking to the bar as if they were going to order drinks, but coincidentally blocking all my exits. I sighed.

Now I realised that the nice barkeep was trying to warn me about these idiots, I still had no idea what 'matchers' where though. "It's jus' if we did find this (L/N) bloke, I bet he'd be worf a lot." He immediately reminded me of Dung.

I shrugged, "Never heard of him, sorry, good luck though," noting that the others around me were slowly closing in, I improvised. "My father works at the ministry you know." I said, thinking that would be something McLaggen would say in the situation.

"He can pay you" "Does he now?" he said, pointing his wand at me. "Where's he work then?" "Uhhh, he hunts pheasants and...crumple-horned snorkacks" I said as the others drew theirs too.

Giving up the façade, I went to plan B, slamming some change for the drink I ordered on the bar, I grabbed it, spinning around and hitting the ringleader in the head with it. That's when I realised the bottle was plastic.

"Oh come on!" regretting my choice of beverage, the ringleader smirked at me and snarled. I headbutted him instead, managing to duck a few stunners by spinning over the bar by kicking off him. Landing on my back on top of now shattered glass bottles was not fun

I watched in horror as the culmination of the spells splintered to bar and sent shattered glass everywhere. "Get 'outta my pub!" I joked as there was a brief silence. But I realised I was in trouble as I saw one of the men duck his head out of the door of the bar and whistle for reinforcements.

"Show off." I muttered. Going to plan C. "WAIT!" I called before they swarmed me. I stood up. Raising my hands in surrender "You got me! I'll come quietly, you'll get more money for bringing me in in good nick."

"Smart. Chuck us your wand!" one demanded, holding out his hand. I weakly chucked it at him, it landed on the counter in front of me. "Fenrir's gonna love this one." one in the back smirked. The blood drained from my face and I immediately felt faint.

"G-Greyback?" I said in shock, they all burst into laughter, apparently they found my utter horror hilarious. "He's been looking for you boy." My mind began to race, of course he was, he still wanted revenge for almost killing him and sending him off to Azkaban.

I remembered his snarling face in the Prophet, even his mugshot had made him look like a caged animal. Now that animal was free and hunting. It seemed that I had walked right into the wolfs den and presented my neck to him unknowingly.

Cursing myself for being so stupid I tried to think of an escape plan, but I had nothing. I went to open my mouth to try and turn them against each other over the money, thinking it was my only shot, but they were too cautious. "Don't try it!" the ringleader said as they pointed their wands to me.

"We know all about your little tricks, read them in the prophet. You open your mouth again and we drop you" one said, "You can read?" slipped out my mouth. There were some chuckles and he growled at me. Firing a spark at me that deeply burnt my chest. "Last warning."

We stood there for a few minutes, but it felt like hours, the whole time I was trying to formulate any semblance of a plan. If I could reach my wand I would be able to at least do something. Go down in a blaze of glory maybe? Nah, didn't feel like it. Hermione would kill me if I died.

My salvation came whistling past my right ear, scaring the life out of me in the process. A spell hit the leader in the chest and he let out a noise that sounded like he had just been pulled by the ear, then the spell split apart like a firework on his chest.

Each splinter of light from the spell hit a different thug, burning their clothes and making them all cry out in pain, that's when I realised it wasn't like a firework, it was a firework. Not the most elegant spell to use for an attack, but it was undoubtedly very effective.

I wheeled around, expecting another attacker, perhaps an Auror hellbent on my capture, instead I found the tired looking barkeeper. I grabbed my wand quickly as he dragged me away by the wrist in the commotion, we were already outside the bar by the time I had the capacity to ask.

"Why are you doing this?" He shrugged, making his signature bored expression. "My sister works for the Ministry, she saw what you did, said you were a hero, guess I trust her judgement. Or maybe I didn't want to see a kid get mauled by Fenrir Greyback. Who knows anymore?"

He let out one final shrug "Good, I was worried you just needed the money for yourself" I joked, he let out a amused breath, "Well, you're not wrong, now my bar is up in flames" I suddenly felt a huge swell of guilt. "I'll pay you back." I promised.

"That would be nice, but for now answer me one thing." He said, I nodded, "Is it true? Is Potter the chosen one?" I wanted nothing more then to tell him he absolutely was and that we could destroy Voldemort without question, but he didn't seem like the type of person who'd enjoy being lied to.

"I hope so. Even if he's not, we're still going to try to stop this. Someone has to." He smiled at me for the first time since I met him and said "That's good to hear. Good luck." And with a sharp popping noise he was gone. "And I'm not a kid!" I called after him.

As I lamented not getting his name, I decided it would be best to follow his lead. Greyback was probably still on my trail it was probably best to leave and go somewhere he couldn't track my scent.

After closing my eyes, I was between spaces for a second until I came to a halt, landing in the first place I thought of, unfortunately it was almost the last place I wanted to be right now. The Burrow.

It was so bittersweet, I had so many mixed emotions just seeing it. there was a pang in my heart that ached for simpler times and longing hit me in the chest like a shotgun blast.

Of course I wanted nothing more then to rush inside, to smell the fresh grass and the dirt, to taste some of Mrs. Weasleys amazing cooking and finally see my family I know deep in my heart I couldn't.

Despite it pulling me towards the burrow, beating with excitement at the sight of Mrs. Weasley cooking a meal inside I fought against it, knowing the consequences of my recent actions and how it would affect anyone I came into contact with.

I knew I couldn't stay, but just seeing the rickety old house brought back happy memories and helped my mindset immeasurably, what also helped was seeing the company she had.

"Good lord Bones has gotten fat" I chuckled, seeing her perched near the window as she lazily swished her tail, she was seriously huge, I mean, she had been getting chubby, but damn. Crookshanks was sat with her, his smushed face searching down the garden.

I think he might have caught sight of me because he darted away in a flash. "Mrs Weasley must be overfeeding her, maybe I should leave a note?" I thought against it, not wanting to stir up any emotion that me making an appearance may bring, no matter how small, it might tip someone off.

I decided it was time to go, apparating in the general direction the compass dictated until I was too exhausted to keep going, but something still felt off about Bones. It was a nagging sensation in the back of my head that something about her felt out of place.

I was in Leeds by the time I had figured it out. "Oh...OH!" I took a deep breath to calm myself as I dissaparated again. "I'm skinning that ginger git if I ever make it back there I swear to all things holy!"

To clear my head for a few hours I started dissaparating to familiar places, places the others might have gone. I know it was stupid and a waste of time, the compass basically told me so, but I just felt like I needed to, I had to put things back into perspective.

I wasn't risking going back to Grimmauld Place, instead I visited my house, as well as Hermione's and the Dursleys, never actually going in, just looking. I made an effort to be seen by the nosy neighbours in Surrey and it worked like a charm, just as I'd hoped, the Prophet had done my job for me a few days later.

Ron's POV

"I have news!" cried Hermione from outside the tent, back from getting us something to eat apparently, she ran into the tent so fast she almost knocked over several of the pegs. "What is it?" I said tiredly from my perch on the bunkbed. "He's alive..." Hermione said tearfuly.

"Look" she said, slamming down a newspaper onto the table. She and Harry crowded around it. "Blimey, what's happened? What did he do? Is he ok?" I asked, they just kept reading, Harry was slack jawed, and Hermione began sobbing.

"Oh, don't mind me, you take your time!" I shouted, my anger rising, all I could see was a huge printout of (Y/N)'s face on the cover, the picture from the Tri-Wizard tournament.

They knew I couldn't come over and see and they still chose to leave me in suspense. Harry finally seemed to remember that I was here too and said, "It's from the prophet."

"I found it in a bin after I caught a glance of his face on the-" "Never mind that!" I said, sick on the dancing around the subject. "Why's he on the front page, what's happened to him?" My chest swelled, ready for the terrible news as I ever could be.

Harry held up the paper and scanned it once more. "He's killed Yaxley" he said in utter shock, I couldn't blame him, it took me a few seconds to grasp it myself. "Listen." Said Harry, reading aloud.

"The Ministry manhunt continues for (Y/N) (L/N) who continues to evade capture, he is wanted for the murder of the Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement Corban Yaxley. This savage attack took place in Islington blah blah blah..." He said as he scanned for more pertinent information.

"The Ministry is doing everything they can to secure his capture...The Minister of Magic makes no statement at this time...Former Hogwarts student...ties with Harry Potter...known for excessively violent behaviour...reward for his capture..." He continued until he reached something more important.

"He is believed to be an unregistered animagus and is a well-practiced Legilimens. The public are urged not to approach if he is spotted and to instead inform Ministry officials. He was reportedly last spotted in Little Whinging, Surrey."

"But that means-" I began, Hermione cut me off, "He's looking for us!" she said, with an enthusiasm I hadn't heard from her in days. But that wasn't necessarily a good thing, he could lead You-Know-Who straight to us.

But still, the comforting thought of our friend coming to find us meant we all went off to sleep that night relatively happy and the locket around my neck didn't feel quite as heavy anymore.