Eighth [Harmione]

2. The Trio Returns

  PART I: The End of the Beginning  

It took them four minutes, but Ron and Hermione were back in the ruined living room, with what few belongings they had brought to Godric's Hollow with them, facing Lupin expectantly. Remus looked back at them, oddly amused by this, that they still looked to him as the adult for direction, when they had proven themselves adults in the strongest sense of the word.

"Did you get absolutely everything pertaining to the horcruxes?" Lupin said urgently, looking directly at Hermione. She met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Yes sir," she said clearly, indicating her knapsack, where the entire contents of the desk had been reduced in size and placed.

"Where's Harry?" he asked them, even though the house was tiny enough that his voice carried clearly to the back bedroom.

"Right here," he called back, heading down the hallway, with someone in tow. "I had to get my cloak." Ron and Hermione both gaped at the newcomer, and Ron lunged toward him suddenly, only to be held back by both Hermione and Lupin.

"He was the Death Eater going through the desk?" Hermione asked, disdain dripping from every syllable. Harry nodded grimly.

"I've 'Incarcerous'ed him...and used Silencio... and put up an anti-apparation ward. Is that enough?" he asked Lupin seriously. Lupin didn't answer right away, as he was staring at the young Death Eater with utter contempt and loathing.

"That'll do, Harry," their former professor finally said. "Are we ready? I'm going to Incendio the house once we're out. Then we'll Apparate to Hogsmeade. We'll have to walk to Hogwart's from there. Minerva won't be expecting us, but..." Lupin shrugged.

"What about him?" Ron asked with disgust.

"What choice do we have but to take him with us, Ronald?" Hermione said in her lecturing tone, her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the Death Eater. "Besides, there's been an entire squad of Aurors searching England for him for the last 3 months. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to deal with him... appropriately."

They walked carefully out onto the small, shabby lawn, and Hermione, Harry, and Ron went immediately into a kind of defense mode, each with his or her wand out, and facing a different direction. Not a thing stirred. Their house was far enough on the outskirts of the little village that the brief, but noisy, battle had apparently gone unnoticed.

"Incendio," Lupin said, and a stream of fire issued from his wand, and hit the house, which went up in flames as if it had been hit with an accelerant. Harry watched with mixed emotions as the house burned, unsure how he had felt while living here in the town where his parents had lived, and unsure also how he felt now upon leaving. He felt Hermione's light touch on his arm.

"Harry? Let's go," she said gently. He reckoned that somehow she knew exactly what thoughts were running through his mind. He quirked his lips upward in the approximation of a smile. It had bee awhile since any of them had really smiled.

"What about him?" Harry said.

"I'll side-along young Mr. Malfoy," Lupin said, with a mirthless smile that bared nearly all of his teeth. The Slytherin's face managed to retain his impassive mask, even though Lupin had him by one arm, escorting him none too gently.

"But - " Harry said, wanting to remind him about the ward he'd set up. Lupin looked at him warningly, reminding him wordlessly not to say too much around Malfoy.

"Go." Lupin ordered. "Start on to Hogwart's straight away. Watch yourselves. I'll be right behind you."

The Trio nodded in a determined fashion, and with soft cracks, vanished away almost simultaneously.