The Locket's Influence

When Harry, Hermione and Neville walked through the tunnel door from the Room of Requirements into the boy's dorm the door disappeared. Neville turned to Harry, "So I really did all that stuff?"

"You did Neville, you really did," Harry replied patting his friend on the back. "I will show you every memory I have of what you told me and what others told me about what you did during your seventh year. While we were away working on how to kill Voldemort, you led Dumbledore's Army, you battled the Death Eaters who taught students here and saved those who were being tortured. Trust me when I say that besides my lovely wife here, there is no one I want by my side in a battle more than you."

"But I've never been that good with magic."

"We think it's your wand Neville," Hermione said. "When it broke in the Ministry you got a new one that matched you. One of the things that we learned in the next couple of years is how important it is to match a wand to a wizard."

"I had my wand broken that last year," Harry explained, "and when I had to use someone else's wand it didn't work nearly as well for me."

"Hopefully your father's wand won't be broken this time," Hermione said, "but you still need to get a new one soon. Ollivander…" Hermione stopped and turned to Harry, "That's who we need to warn someway. If we can keep the information about yours and his wands away from Voldemort, it'll be one more thing that keeps Riddle in the background. It was another answer he needed."

"But how can we?" Harry asked. "Go over and say 'Mr. Ollivander, Voldemort is going to kidnap you soon, so you better run away'?"

"No but…" Hermione's eyes lost a little focus then snapped back. "Neville, would you like to go to Diagon Alley on Thursday?"

"What...how...we can't leave the school. If we tried, Umbridge would put us in detention for the rest of this year and all of next one too."

"Not if she doesn't know. We'll get you there. We were just in London on Sunday."

"How?"

"We'll show you. I presume you know about apparition right?"

"Yeah but you aren't old..."

"We were Neville," Hermione replied. "We apparated around the whole country with the Ministry and Voldemort trying to find us."

Harry looked at his wife. "What do you have in mind?"

"Does Mr. Ollivander know what happened between your wand and Voldemort's in the graveyard at this time?"

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure Voldemort told him when he wanted the information."

"Well when you and Neville are in Ollivander's shop on Thursday getting Neville a new wand why don't you tell him?"

"But then..." Harry's eyes widened as he figured out what she was driving at. "And once I do, I should mention something like 'I'm glad Voldemort is still trying to figure out what happened?' "

"Exactly Harry. I don't think it's a problem with him knowing. He's going to find out if Voldemort captures him anyway," Hermione said. "If Mr. Ollivander has any intelligence whatsoever; if he understands he knows something that Voldemort wants; he won't stick around long enough for Voldemort to catch him this time."

"Do you think he really can get away from Voldemort?" Neville asked.

"We can hope so."

The door opened and they turned to see Ron standing in the doorway. He stopped when he saw who was in the dorm. "First Loony and now the squib? You been studying with him all the time now and helping him in class. Is he your new best friend?"

"What next, going to start hanging around with Moaning Myrtle? You really are turning into a loser aren't you Harry?" He looked at Neville. "Better watch out mate, hope you don't have a girl you like or Harry will take her from you. He can't stand anyone else to have anything they want."

Harry took a breath to calm down before speaking softly but with a hard edge to his voice "That's it Ron. All you had to do was congratulate Hermione and me on becoming a couple. But you couldn't do it. You had some delusions that Hermione might possibly like you more than as friends, even when she made it perfectly clear she didn't, you didn't care. Tell me Ron why do you fancy her? What do you have in common with her? Don't you see she is happy? Isn't that important to you?"

Ron eyes flicked over at Hermione and then back to Harry but he didn't say anything. Then the answer hit Harry. He was back in the forest two years in the future and Riddle from the locket was saying "Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend . . . Second best, always, eternally overshadowed . . ." Harry did a mental slap of his head. "How could I have missed it?"

"Missed what?" Hermione asked.

"The locket. When it opened and Riddle was talking to Ron. I now know he didn't love you but I thought he liked you at least and that's why he used the potions on you. I'll explain later," Harry replied to his wife. "You don't really like her do you? Not as someone special," Harry continued to Ron, "You just need to prove you can better than me at something."

"It wasn't the person you liked; it was what she was to me. You saw the one person who was always there for me, someone who was a better friend than you could ever be," Harry's eyes hardened even more. "You knew she preferred me and you felt if you could have her, it would prove you were better than me."

Ron continued to glare at Harry as his ears turned red, but he continued to say nothing to refute the allegations.

"It's over," Harry said forcefully. "Our friendship is officially over Ron. No future apologies, no invitations to the Burrow; nothing will make it right between us again," Harry paused and looked at Hermione who he could feel had anger coursing through her as well as she understood what he was saying. He then looked at Ron again.

"Insult my friends again and you will regret it. Unlike you, I have complete faith in Luna and Neville to never abandon me or Hermione when a friend is needed. I don't have to worry that some petty jealousy might crop up.

As for Myrtle, considering she didn't get jealous when some disguised death eater put my name in the goblet in the four...last year and help me solve a clue and complete a task it might be a step up from you wouldn't it?" Harry asked in a scathing tone as he thought of the ghost who helped him solve the egg and pointed him in the right direction under Black Lake.

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