SALEM ᵈ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ

x. Not-So-Great Reunion

THE three of us walked further away from the lake, finding a solid boulder in an empty clearing that acted as a table to place the locket on.

Ron held out the sword to Harry but the latter shook his head. "No, you should do it."

"Me?" Ron asked affronted. "Why?"

"Because you got the sword out of the pool. I think it's supposed to be you."

I made a noise of amusement at the back of my throat. "Harry's feeling a bit poetic tonight, isn't he?" Ron simply looked at us like we were insane.

"I'm going to open it," Harry said, "and you stab it. Straight away, okay? Because whatever's in there will put up a fight. The bit of Riddle in the diary tried to kill me."

"That's certainly assuring."

Ron was as pale as the snow now. "How are you going to open it?"

"I'm going to ask it to open, using Parseltongue."

"No!" Ron objected. "No, don't open it! I'm serious!"

"Why not?" Harry said. "Let's get rid of the damn thing, it's been months—"

"I can't, Harry, I'm serious—Margo, tell him—you do it—"

"Ron. . ." I trailed away.

"That thing is bad for me!" he exploded, staring at the locket with resentment in his eyes. "I can't handle it. I'm not making excuses, Harry, for what I was like, but it affects me worse than it affected you two and Hermione, it made me think stuff — stuff I was thinking anyway, but it made everything worse!"

"Ron—"

"I can't explain it, and then I'd take it off and I'd get my head on straight again, and then I'd have to put the effing thing back on—I can't do it, Harry!"

I reached out to him before he could walk further away. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I made sure he wouldn't bolt before snapping a finger in front of his face.

"Ron, listen to me," I said firmly. "You've only given yourself the list of reasons on why it should be you. This is your chance to face those fears. You remember what they say about the sword: it may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor, Ron, but you retrieved it. You!"

My eyes softened when I studied his slightly trembling frame, the eyes he averted so much just so he wouldn't face the truth of my words, nonetheless I continued on. "You can do it, Ron. Let your doubts melt away and. . .and just destroy that piece of shit."

"You've just got the sword," Harry added, "I know it's supposed to be you who uses it. Please, just get rid of it, Ron."

There was an emotion in Harry's voice that made Ron snap and stiffen with determination. I didn't know whether it was because of how Harry was pleading, or the fact he said his name, but either way it worked.

Ron inhaled deeply and walked towards the rock, tightening his grip on the sword. "Tell me when."

"On three," Harry said, readying himself by the rock as he narrowed his eyes at the locket. I braced myself, moving slightly away from the boulder as I waited.

"One. . .two. . .three. . ." The last word was a soft hiss that came from his mouth, followed by a snarl as the locket snapped open with an audible click.

"Stab," Harry ordered.

I was close enough to see that inside lay a dark and blinking eye. I clamped my mouth shut as my hands began to tremble at my sides, my breathing becoming uneven.