SALEM ᵈ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ

xii. The Snatchers and the Snatched

"THAT treacherous old bleeder!" Ron panted angrily, shoving the Invisibility Cloak off him. "Hermione, you're a genius, a total genius, I can't believe we got out of that!"

"Have I ever told you," I panted as I lay sprawled on the ground, "that I love you Hermione?"

She let out a breathless chuckle. "Cave inimicum. . .didn't I say it was an Erumpet horn? Didn't I tell him? And now his house has been blown apart."

"Serves him right," Ron said. "What'd do you reckon they'll do to him?"

"Oh," I groaned, "why would you even ask that? Poor Mr. Lovegood. . .I can't imagine what it must've been like—to be without Luna for months. . ."

"I hope they don't kill him!" Hermione pleaded. "That's why I wanted the Death Eaters to get a glimpse of Harry and Margo before we left, so they knew Xenophilius hadn't been lying!"

"Why hide me, though?" Ron asked.

"You're supposed to be in bed with spattergoit, Ron! They've kidnapped Luna because her family supported Harry! What would happen to your family if they knew you're with him? Plus, it puts Margo's parents at risk too."

Slowly, I crawled to where she was standing and lazily clung to her leg. "Thank you," I said breathlessly. "You're a genius."

Harry and Ron agreed.

"What about Luna?" she asked suddenly somber.

"Well, if they're telling the truth and she's still alive—"

"Don't say that, don't say it!" she interrupted Ron.

"She has to be alive," I said. "No room for question."

THE weather was in a downpour the next day as we packed up the tent to Apparate and camp in another area of the forest.

The rain kept going, creating such a dreary and depressed atmosphere that we only talked to one another with hushed voices and somber tones. Though, it was just mostly Ron, Hermione, and I who did.

Ever since we got back from Xenophilius Lovegood's place, Harry grew to have an unhealthy obsession with finding the Hallows, not realizing that he's been neglecting the actual quest of finding the Horcruxes.

The same day we arrived at a new forest, the four of us got into a very intense discussion about the Hallows as soon as Harry brought it up. It went on for a long time, growing more and more heated as one revelation led to another.

Harry was on a roll, claiming so many things that made my head spin as we listened to him. Though, I suppose his rant did make room for possibility that there are three Hallows indeed: Harry's Cloak, the Resurrection Stone he claimed was inside the Snitch, and the Elder Wand that You-Know-Who is after.

We were all silent after that. Except for that one part where I stuck my tongue out at Hermione and said, "I told you so."

But that was the very last discussion we had about the Hallows. Ron silently took the role as our 'leader', opting to leave Harry in his own fantasy with the Hallows as we discussed places where the Horcruxes might be.

It went on like that for a couple of weeks more, but neither of us really complained about it. Thank Merlin the locket's destroyed, if it weren't and we were still wearing it. . .I shudder to think about the consequences.

The cold winter left as quickly as it came, though perhaps I didn't really pay attention to how long winter had lasted; the lines between the seasons have been blurred for me ever since Christmas finished. The only indication I knew that it was changing was the endless rain and hints of wildflowers and shrubs growing in the forest.