A death eater was chasing them and kept shooting spells at them. Charlotte's eyes widened when she realized it was the one that Ron had knocked out, he had a deadly look on his face and they kept swerving in between people and dodging them as they attempted to grab them.
As a distraction, Harry shoots a spell at some paper to make it disturb the others, unfortunately, it didn't work as they were still getting chased. The other shutters for the floo network were closing and they ran to one that was still open, it all felt like they were running in slow motion as Harry grabbed Charlotte's hand and pulled her into the fireplace, Ron was close behind, but so was Yaxley.
They immediately began apparating and instead of Hermione taking them back to Grimmauld Place, they all landed in an open area in a forest. Charlotte groaned as she landed on her back, her breath was caught and she coughed out.
Charlotte then gathered the strength to get up and brushed the leaves off herself, she looked around and found Harry clutching the locket in his hand and she breathed out in relief, knowing they are safe, but the groans of pain coming from Ron said differently.
Lottie immediately ran over to Ron and nearly threw up at the sight of his mangled shoulder and the smell of the blood, Hermione was trying to calm him down and Charlotte got tears in her eyes seeing her twin in such state. She dropped to her knees and tried to stop the bleeding, but it didn't work. Harry must have been behind them because Hermione frantically spoke.
"Harry, Harry, quickly, in our bag there's a bottle labeled "Essence of Dittany."
Charlotte heard shuffling and knew that Harry was looking for it, but her main focus was on Ron, he kept withering around and it made his shoulder worse, so she snapped at Harry as he was taking so long.
"Quickly!"
Harry nodded and then got his wand out, he murmured "Accio Dittany" and the bottle flew into his hand, he then frantically got up and walked over to them. Hermione tried to instruct him, but Harry was too busy looking at Ron's arm. Charlotte looked up and shouted, getting impatient.
"Just do it!"
Harry quickly took the cap off the bottle and squeezed some of the Dittany on Ron's wound, all whilst Hermione and Lottie were trying to calm him down. The sizzling noise and the sight of the wound closing up calmed Charlotte, but she was still distraught. Harry asked out of breath.
"What happened? I thought we were going back to Grimmauld Place."
Hermione took the bottle off Harry and continued to squeeze the liquid, she replied breathlessly.
"We were there, we were there, but Yaxley had a hold of me and I knew once he had seen where we were, we couldn't stay, so I brought us here but Ron got splinched."
When she finished, the wound was nearly closed up and Ron was starting to calm down a little, Charlotte moved a piece of hair out of his face and ignored the fact that she had her own brothers blood on her. Hermione got up and raised her wand in the air and started to speak.
"Protego Totalum, Salvio Nexus."
Harry noticed and asked curiously.
"What are you doing?"
Hermione paused before replying.
"Protective enchantments, I don't fancy another visit like the one we had in Shaftesbury Avenue, do you? You can get going on the tent. Lottie, please come help, two is better than one."
Charlotte nodded and took a deep breath before shakily getting up and doing the enchantments as well, she overheard Harry ask about the tent, but ignored him as this was more important.
⋆
Harry had set up the tent and Ron was feeling a bit better, he was still very pale though. The four were taking turns in shooting spells at the locket in attempts to destroy it, Harry went first.
"Dissendium."
The spell made the locket fly off somewhere and the place it had just been was steaming, they went to look for it when they heard it chittering under some leaves. Hermione went next.
"Incendio."
That spell set it on fire but it did no damage to the locket, Charlotte went next.
"Expulso."
Her spell sent sparks at it, but it went flying again, Harry was getting agitated and kept firing spells at it.
"Diffindo. Reducto. Dissendium. Expulso. Incendio!"
The last spell set it on fire again, but it did absolutely nothing, Harry was panting and when the flames had diminished, he picked up the locket and placed it around his neck. Hermione asked what he was doing and he responded bluntly.
"We have to keep it safe until we find out how to destroy it."
Ron finally speaks up after staying quiet.
"Seems strange, mate, Dumbledore sends you off to find all these Horcruxes but doesn't tell you how to destroy them? Doesn't that bother you?"
Harry sighed deeply, but didn't reply as he walked off. Charlotte sighed as well and mumbled.
"I'll go keep him from ripping his head off."
Hermione nodded and Lottie followed after Harry, she eventually found him sitting, looking into a small crystal and listening to the radio that was inside the tent with Ron. She heard what the person was saying.
"A goblin by the name of Gornuk was killed, it is believed that Muggle born, Dean Thomas and a second goblin both believed to have been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell.."
The mention of Dean and Tonks caught Charlotte's attention, but the radio crackled and the rest of the words were muffled. She sighed and stood as Harry stared at the locket in thought, he then gasped and started to breath heavily, like he was in one of those nightmares he told her about. When he stopped, Charlotte asked carefully and softly.
"I thought it had stopped? You can't keep letting him in, Harry."
Harry breathed out and announced.
"You-Know-Who has found Gregorovitch."
Lottie asked in remembrance.
"The wand maker?"
Harry nodded slightly before continuing.
"He wants something that Gregorovitch used to have, but I don't know what, he wants it so desperately, I mean, it's as if his life depends on it."
The crackle of the radio made him jump and he turned to it in alarm, Charlotte muttered.
"Don't, it comforts him."
Harry snaps back.
"It sets my teeth on edge, what's he expecting to hear, good news?"
Charlotte looked down to her hands and thought a bit before declaring.
"I think he just hopes he doesn't hear bad news."
Harry got up and asked, ignoring what she said.
"How long before he can travel?"
Charlotte looked at him incredulously before explaining.
"Hermione and I are doing everything we can-"
Harry exclaimed, making Lottie jump and flinch.
"You're not doing enough!"
Charlotte breathed out in shock that he had just raised his voice at her. Yeah, it hurt, but then she remembered that he had the locket on. He walked past her and Lottie sternly ordered.
"Take it off!"
He stopped and turned to her in confusion, she sighed and continued.
"The locket, take it off, now!"
Harry stared at her before reaching into his shirt and taking the locket off, she took it off him and noticed his body language change, she asked lightly.
"Better?"
He stared at her again before replying.
"Loads."
Charlotte nodded and looked to the locket in her hand, she announced.
"We'll take it in turns, okay?"
Charlotte didn't bother hearing his reply as she walked into the tent, flopped down onto a bed and sighing deeply.