In Northumberland, England, beside a small stream that wound its way through a patch of forest, autumn had painted the woods in richer, more varied colors than summer ever could. Squirrels darted among the fallen leaves, and most of the tall trees had shed only half their foliage. The setting sun bathed the forest in a warm, fading glow.
By the stream, four human shapes shimmered faintly into view. The moment they appeared, Harry yanked off the Invisibility Cloak.
"Hermione! They—"
"I know!" Hermione snapped. She looked tense and furious, pacing twice with her wand clutched tightly in her hand. She held out her free hand toward Harry. "Harry, the wooden token, quick, we have to send Anne a message right now—"
Thankfully, she stopped herself before saying more.
Harry swiftly pulled the small wooden token from the worn leather pouch hanging around his neck and handed it to her. Hermione tapped it, sending a short coded message:
Identity exposed. Rescue needed. Location: 8,6.
While she did that, Ron and Harry were already casting protective enchantments around them.
Xenophilius watched the three of them, utterly bewildered. He turned to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, what on earth is going on?"
The token flickered with a reply:
On my way.
"Mr. Lovegood," Harry said grimly, "I'm afraid you can't go back home. The Death Eaters placed a curse on You-Know-Who's name. Anyone who says it triggers a magical disturbance, they know your location instantly. That's how they've caught so many wizards who opposed him."
Xenophilius stared blankly for a moment, then dropped to a crouch, clutching his head. "Then my house… it's gone. All my inventions, everything I've built, destroyed?"
Hermione and Harry exchanged a quick look. Harry started gently, "Mr. Lovegood, right now your safety—"
But Xenophilius grabbed his hand suddenly, his face pale with panic. "My Luna! You said before, if they found you, it would implicate her, wouldn't it? I can't, I can't lose Luna!"
"Mr. Lovegood, please calm down," Hermione said firmly, stepping forward. "We've already contacted the head of the Order of the Phoenix. He'll help you. But you can't stay with us, it's too dangerous."
"The Order of the Phoenix?" Xenophilius sprang up so suddenly that Harry nearly fell backward. He steadied himself just as the token flashed again:
Arrived. Where are you?
"He's here," Hermione said. She handed the token to Harry, took her wand, and stepped beyond the protective barrier.
Anne was already approaching through the trees, wand in hand.
"Are you all right, Hermione?" Anne asked. Her voice was slightly hoarse behind the mask she wore.
"I'm fine," Hermione said quickly.
"That's a relief. What happened? You were just supposed to ask Xenophilius about that symbol."
"How's your cold?" Hermione asked as they walked. "There was an accident, he said You-Know-Who's name out loud."
"Much better. I'll be fine by tomorrow," Anne replied, following her into the encampment where a tent had already been set up.
Inside the tent's main room, Xenophilius stood as soon as he saw Anne, half anxious, half curious.
"You're Skoll? Head of the Order of the Phoenix?"
"I am," Anne said with a brief nod. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Please, you can protect Luna, can't you? My daughter's at Hogwarts. That's all I ask."
Anne's tone stayed even. "I'm sorry, but until I understand the full situation, I can't make any promises."
"I'll explain," Hermione offered, nodding for Ron to fetch tea. Standing beside Anne, she quickly summarized what had happened. "Before we left, we heard them talking. It's very likely they've realized Harry was nearby."
Anne frowned, thinking. Then she said, "Mr. Lovegood, I believe Luna will be safe. Hogwarts students aren't being targeted directly. As long as she stays within the castle, she'll be fine."
"Really?" Xenophilius asked, desperate for reassurance.
"Really," Anne said firmly. "You have my word. But we need to discuss your safety now. It's obvious you can't return home. In fact, by tonight, your name could already be on the Ministry's list."
"Then what should I do?" Xenophilius asked, clutching the cup Ron handed him.
"If you're willing, the Order can arrange a secure location for you," Anne said.
"Of course I'm willing!" he said quickly. "I know who you are, you're the ones fighting on the front lines, saving Muggle-borns while The Daily Prophet keeps spreading lies. If it were my magazine, oh, I'd never—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his expression shifting from despair to sudden excitement. Setting down his tea, he stood and hurried toward Anne.
She instinctively stepped back, frowning slightly.
His eyes gleamed with fervor. "Can I keep publishing The Quibbler? Harry Potter just agreed to an interview, it would be the perfect way to strike back against all the propaganda!"
"Harry, you agreed to that?" Anne turned sharply to him.
"Uh, I didn't really think about it at the time…"
"Never mind." Anne sighed. "Mr. Lovegood, about The Quibbler, we'll need to conduct a full security check before deciding. Things are unstable, and the Order can't afford too much attention."
Disappointment clouded his face. He looked between Anne and Harry. "But just a small interview? I only wanted to ask if he's really been fighting You-Know-Who, like people say—"
"Sorry, no," Anne said firmly, glancing at her watch. "Mr. Lovegood, the Order has a meeting in half an hour. You'll come with me. It's too dangerous for you to stay here."
Whether the danger was for Xenophilius or for the trio, she didn't say.
"All right," he murmured. He looked at Harry, then back at Anne. "Could the Order deliver a letter to Luna for me?"
"Yes. If you write it tonight, we'll get it to her. But it can't go through the normal owl channels. Once we're back at headquarters, someone will help you with that. Anything else?"
He shook his head, finishing his tea with a sigh. "Guess that's the last of the Gurdyroot tea I'll ever drink…"
Harry and Ron exchanged uneasy looks.
Anne gave Hermione a reassuring nod before leading Xenophilius out into the twilight. The sun had vanished, leaving only the faintest trace of red along the horizon.
Once they were gone, silence filled the tent.
"Uh, well," Ron said at last, "it wasn't a total loss, right? At least we learned about the Deathly Hallows! Xenophilius's house, well, that's not on us. He's the one who said You-Know-Who's name. We even saved him!"
"I still don't believe the Deathly Hallows are real," Hermione said flatly. "They're just legends."
"Come on," Ron argued, sipping his tea. "The Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be a legend too, remember? You even asked about it in History of Magic!"
"But the Hallows are impossible!" she protested. "It's nonsense!"
"You always say that, but one of them does exist," Ron said. "Harry's Invisibility Cloak—"
"The Tale of the Three Brothers is a story," Hermione insisted. "It's about people's fear of death. If surviving were as simple as hiding under a cloak, we'd already have everything we need!"
"Still, an unbeatable wand wouldn't hurt," Harry said quietly.
"There's no such thing, Harry!"
"But Xenophilius mentioned historical records about similar wands," Harry said. "You didn't deny it at the time."
"Fine," Hermione said sharply. "Yes, there have been stories, 'Deathstick,' 'Destiny Wand', names that cropped up through the centuries, usually linked to dark wizards bragging about their power. But it's superstition. And as for the Resurrection Stone—" she made air quotes, her tone biting, "there is no magic that brings the dead back. None."
"But when my wand connected with You-Know-Who's, my parents appeared… and Cedric… during the Triwizard Tournament—"
"They didn't really come back, did they?" Hermione countered. "Those shades, they were echoes, not resurrection."
"But the girl in the story didn't really come back either," Ron said, frowning in thought. "She was dead, but the brother still saw her, talked to her, even lived with her for a while. Maybe she was like a Hogwarts ghost, summoned back somehow—"
"Ron!" Hermione's voice rose, her posture snapping into her old classroom stance. "Have you learned nothing in class? Ghosts can't be summoned! Every ghost at Hogwarts—"
Before she could finish, the Deluminator clicked. All the lights in the tent went out.
Four small red sparks floated from the device's tip, glowing faintly as they drifted from the southeast toward it, slowly, steadily drawing near.