Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The last week had not been kind to them. Their days were spent traversing by foot, as Ron was still too weak to apparate, and their nights were spent thinking of ways to destroy the Horcrux, resting and listening to the radio.
For once, they had some variation. Lori was stood over Cedric, Hermione over Harry as the girls cut the boys' hair, short strands of brown hair fluttering to the tent floor.
Suddenly, Hermiome straightened as realisation swam over her, "Oh, my God."
"What?" Harry asked as his fingers flew to his hair, shooting a nervous glance at Cedric beside him as Hermione raced to the table.
"I'll tell you in a minute."
The other three followed her, "Maybe you could tell us now?"
Her fingers flicked eagerly through the pages of a nearby book, her eyes scanning over the words at an incredible pace as she smiled, "The sword of Gryffindor. It's goblin-made."
"Brilliant." Harry replied as Lori and Cedric sent each other a confused look.
"No, you don't understand. Dirt and rust have no effect on the blade." she turned the book and pointed to a paragraph, "It only takes in that which makes it stronger."
"Okay..."
Hermione's tone became more shrill, "Harry, you've already destroyed one Horcrux, right? Tom Riddle's diary in the Chamber of Secrets."
"With a Basilisk fang!" he said, eyeing her bag, "If you tell me you've got one of those in that bloody beaded bag of yours."
"Don't you see?" she eyed them all.
"No." they replied in unison, all shaking their heads.
Hermione sighed slightly as she continued, "In the Chamber of Secrets, you stabbed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor. Its blade is impregnated with Basilisk venom."
"It only takes in that which makes it stronger." Harry realised, Lori and Cedric nodding along from behind them.
"Exactly, which is why..."
"It can destroy Horcruxes." Lori finished for Hermione with a smile, "That's why Dumbledore left it to you in his will."
Harry looked at her, "You are brilliant Hermione. Truly."
"Actually," she began, "I'm highly logical, which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook."
"Yeah, there's only one problem, of course." Harry started, before all the lights shot into the Deluminator in Ron's hand, the locket hanging around his neck.
Annoyance laced the younger Weasley's tone, "The sword was stolen." He clicked the Deluminator and turned the lights back on, "Yeah, I'm still here. But you four carry on, don't let me spoil the fun."
