𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 | 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿

Time to Surrender & Gone Forever

CHAPTER TWELVE:

(A/N: credit to wonhosmila and TomasGranger003 for the amazing Charlie graphic <3)

Third Person Narrative:

Charlie quickly ran out of the office and down the spiral staircase, desperately trying to escape the sudden feelings of suffocation that were closing in around him. He staggered through the halls, using the walls as support, and peered out the corridor windows in search of salvation; the sun was now a ruby-red glare along the horizon.

His intentions for visiting his grandfather tonight had been reasonable and legitimate in the beginning. He wanted to find out whether or not Dumbledore had managed to find the Horocrux. Charlie, however, ended up leaving with an unmatched rage that burned in the centre of his chest. He exhaled deeply as the sudden urge to explode with feelings of disscontempt overtook him. These feelings aside, Charlie's mind was oddly clear all of a sudden as he walked. He had remembered the Horocrux beneath his rage, and he now knew what to do to ensure it be found.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting together in the common room when he came back, evidently awaiting the details to what Charlie's meeting with Dumbledore entailed. They were genuinely surprised, however, when their friend showed up looking more infuriated than ever before.

"Babe, is everything alright?" asked Hermione hesitantly, standing at once and moving to comfort him with a hand overtop of his chest. "What did your grandfather say?"

"He's found the bloody Horocrux," mumbled Charlie, unwilling to calm down at his girlfriend's touch. He snapped his head towards Harry, "You can go with him; I can't bare the sight of my grandfather right now."

Harry cast his eyes over toward his friend, full of confusion, "Wait, what? What happened?"

"Doesn't matter," Charlie hissed angrily, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione all showed signs of inevitable curiosity. "I haven't got the patience to explain it to you right now. All you need to know is that Dumbledore is leaving the castle to find the missing Horocrux, and you need to go with him."

"Okay, okay," Harry breathed, not willing to say anything in question. Without a moment of hesitation, Harry dashed up the stairs and into his dormitory, where he flung open his trunk and pulled out his invisibility cloak and a pair of balled-up socks. Then he sped back down the stairs and into the common room, skidding to a halt where Charlie, Ron and Hermione sat, looking uneasy.

"I'll see you guys later," Harry panted, "Take this just in case —"

He thrust the socks into Ron's hands.

"Thanks," said Ron. "Er — why do I need socks?"

"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. If something happens while we're gone, share it between yourselves and Elaina too. Say goodbye to her from me. I'd better go, Dumbledore's probably waiting —"

"No, wait!" said Hermione, as Ron unwrapped the tiny little bottle of golden potion, looking awestruck. "We don't want it, you take it, Harry, who knows what you're going to be facing?"

"I'Il be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," shrugged Harry, and with no explanation as to why, Charlie scoffed. "I want to know you lot are okay... don't look like that, Hermione, I'll see you later..."

And he was off, hurrying through the portrait hole towards the Entrance Hall. Charlie watched him go with a sharp glare, unable to stop himself.