Change the Future

DH 16

Harry had managed to tell Ron the whole story of his and Hermione's various wanderings, right up to the full story of what had happened at Godric's Hollow. Ron was now filling Harry in on everything he had discovered about the wider Wizarding world during his weeks away.

"and how did you find out about the Taboo?" he asked Harry after explaining the many desperate attempts of Muggle-borns to evade the Ministry.

"The what?"

"You and Hermione have stopped saying You-Know-Who's name!"

"Oh, yeah. Well, it's just a bad habit we've slipped into," Harry said. "But I haven't got a problem calling him V" 

"NO!" roared Ron, causing Harry to jump into the hedge and Hermione to scowl over at them. "Sorry." said Ron, wrenching Harry back out of the brambles, "but the name's been jinxed. Harry, that's how they track people! Using his name breaks protective enchantments, it causes some kind of magical disturbance it's how they found us in Totenham Court Road!"

"Because we used his name?"

"Exactly! You've got to give them credit, it makes sense. It was only people who were serious about standing up to him like Dumbledore, who ever dared use it. Now they've put a Taboo on it, anyone who says it is trackable quick-and-easy way to find they Order members! They nearly got Kingsley" 

"You're kidding?"

"Yeah, a bunch of Death Eaters cornered him, Bill said, but he fought his way out. He's on the run now, just like us." Ron scratched his chin thoughtfully with the end of his wand. 

"Not good enough to get me though" Kingsley said with a smirk.

"I mean you are great" Rory said smiling at him.

They returned to the tent when darkness fell, and Harry took first watch. Sitting in the entrance, he tried to make the blackthorn wand levitate small stones at his feet; but his magic still clumsier and less powerful than it had done before. Hermione was lying on her bunk reading, while Ron, after many nervous glances up at her, had taken a small wooden wireless out of his rucksack and started to try and tune it.

"There's this one program," he told Harry in a low voice, "that tells the news like it really is. All the others are on You-Know-Who's side and are following the Ministry line, but this one you wait till you hear it, it's great. Only they can't do it every night, they have to keep changing locations in case they're raided, and you need a password to tune in. Trouble is, I missed the last one" He drummed lightly on top of the radio with his wand, muttering random words under his breath. He threw Hermione many covert glances, plainly fearing an angry outburst, but for all the notice she took of him he might not have been there. For ten minutes or so Ron tapped and muttered. Hermione turned the pages of her book, and Harry continued to practice with the blackthorn wand. Finally Hermione climbed down from her bunk. Ron ceased his tapping at once. "If it's annoying you, I'll stop!" he told Hermione nervously. Hermione did not deign to respond, but approached Harry.

"We need to talk," she said. He looked at the book still clutched in her hand. It was The
Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. 

"What?" he said apprehensively.

"I want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood." He stared at her.

"Sorry?"

"Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna's father. I want to go and talk to him!"