Complete and Utter Poppycock

Chapter 15: Xenophilius Lovegood

Chapter 15: Xenophilus Lovegood

The next morning Hermione was still holding a grudge against what happened. She gave dirty looks and pointed silences. We set to debate about the possibilities of where the other Horcruxes were.

I kept thinking about the weird dreams I was having. I was no longer dreaming about the locket. But it was the same thing over and over again and it made me tired of all the same dreams. A vault in Gringotts, the room of requirement at Hogwarts, the now blind Nagini, and Harry himself. It was weird. I didn't know what it was or what to make of it.

Harry and Hermione where talking about the triangle-eye thing and then wanting to see Luna's father, Xenophilius.

"The Deluminator turned out to be pretty useful," piped up Ron. "I think Hermione's right, I think we ought to go and see Lovegood."

Harry threw him a dark look.

"It won't be like Godric's Hollow," Ron added. "Lovegood's on your side, Harry, The Quibbler's been for you all along, it keeps telling everyone they've got to help you!"

"I'm sure this is important!" said Hermione earnestly.

"But don't you think if it was, Dumbledore would have told me about it before he died?"

"Like he did with everything else?" I pitched in.

"I still think we ought to talk to Mr. Lovegood," said Hermione. "A symbol that links Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Godric's Hollow? Harry, I'm sure we ought to know about this!"

"I think we should vote on it," said Ron. "Those in favor of going to see Lovegood —"

His hand flew into the air before Hermione's. I slowly raised my hand.

"Outvoted, Harry, sorry," said Ron clapping him on the back.

"Fine," said Harry. "Only once we've seen Lovegood, let's try and look for more Horcruxes, shall we? Where do the Lovegoods live, anyway? Do any of you know?"

"Yeah," I said. "They were my neighbors when I lived with the Diggory's. Not too far off."

We had an excellent view of the village from the hillside the next morning from where we've Disapparated. I could see the Burrow clearly in sight. I missed them greatly.

"It's weird, being this near, but not going to visit," said Ron.

"Well, it's not like you haven't just seen them. You were there for Christmas," said Hermione.

"I wasn't at the Burrow!" said Ron with an incredulous laugh. "Do you think I was going to go back there and tell them I'd walked out on you? Yeah, Fred and George would've been great about it. And Ginny, she'd have been really understanding."

"But where have you been, then?" asked Hermione surprised.

"Bill and Fleur's new place. Shell Cottage. Bill's always been decent to me. He — he wasn't impressed when he heard I'd done, but he didn't go on about it. He knew I was really sorry. None of the rest of the family know I was there. Bill told Mum he and Fleur weren't going home for Christmas because they wanted to spend it alone. You know, first holiday after they were married. I don't think Fleur minded. You know how much she hates Celestina Warbeck."

Ron turned his back on the Burrow.

"Let's try up here," he said, leading the way on top of the hill. We walked for a few hours. We found a small cottage that seemed deserted. I knew it wasn't theirs, so we tried again going up north. The house looked like a chess rook. It was obviously theirs because they had a sign of Xenophilius of him with the Quibbler.