Sophia Holmes and the Search for Horcruxes (Harry Potter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Ten

Ron takes charge of the locket the next day and we pack up and move on, walking through fields and farms, but heading in no particular direction.

As it approaches midday, there's a soft whistling sound accompanying the breeze and I look up as we continue to walk. What was a blue sky earlier is now perforated with black dots. Birds maybe?

Harry stops as he hears it and the others look at him questioningly. The dots grow before taking the shape of plumes. Okay, not birds.

Fortunately there's an abandoned barn not far away and we run straight towards it, shutting the doors behind us. They're still tracking us. The light coming through the remains of the hayloft is punctuated as the Death Eaters fly over, causing a swarm of bats to flap around noisily. Eventually, the whistling recedes into the distance, the bats calm amd we unfreeze.

We pass around a bottle of water and take a short break before heading off again.

Harry and Hermione lead, discussing our next plans while I walk beside Ron. The locket is starting to affect him and he looks around sullenly at the landscape and then forward to Harry and Hermione with more than a hint of jealously.

"I’m hungry," he says abruptly, causing Harry and Hermione to stop and turn around, studying him for a minute.

"What?" Harry asks in disbelief.

"I’m hungry," Ron repeats. Hermione glances at Harry who continues to stare at Ron, as if taking the measure of him.

"We’re all hungry," Harry replies sharply. Ron returns Harry's stoney glare, then looks away again.

Hermione steps forward and examines his ragged bandage, but he shakes her off. "Leave it." She glances up at Ron, then briefly turns it to the Horcrux at his neck. Ignoring him, she begins to rummage in her beaded bag. "Mum can make food appear out of thin air," he says, bitterly.

"No one can conjure food out of thin air," Hermione says, tenderly. "Food is the first of the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp’s Law.  The other four are -"

"Oh, speak English, can’t you?" he snaps, jerking his injured arm away. Hermione looks up and meets Ron’s hard gaze. "I said leave it."

Hermione glances at the bandage in her hand, before reluctantly putting it away.

"It’ll be dark soon," I say, trying to break the tension. "We need to find a place to sleep."

"Good plan," Hermion agrees.

"Yeah. Brilliant," Ron says sharply. "Only, correct me if I’m wrong, wasn’t that yesterday’s plan? And the day before that? And the day before that?  Walk. Sleep. Walk. Sleep."

Harry stares at Ron, then begins to walk toward him as we watch. Ron stands still, expecting to be hit, but Harry simply nods to Ron’s neck. "My turn." As he reaches out, Ron blocks his hand. The locket seems to react the worst with Ron and yet he seems to be the most drawn by it. It's almost as though he's attracted to the power it represents.

For a moment, the two boys simply stand silently, then Ron strips the chain from his neck and hands it to Harry before brushes past him. Harry glances at me. Emotions are running high, like they would with anyone forced into spending time in a new environment, but these are heightened by the locket. He drapes the Horcrux over his head and follows before Hermione and I follow behind.