DH15: The Goblin's Revenge – Harry Potter Lexicon

"I saw no reason to trouble them with the information"
-- Griphook

Harry, Ron and Hermione spend weeks moving from place to place. They fail to either to destroy the locket Horcrux or think of a lead to find the others. They squabble with one another in frustration, aggravated by the Horcrux’s poisonous influence. Eventually they stumble across other fugitives – a party of Muggle-born wizards and goblins on the run – and learn that a fake has been substituted for Gryffindor’s sword. They then question the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black (which Hermione hid in her bag) and learn that the sword is able to destroy Horcruxes. Ron, his anger increased by wearing the Horcrux, argues with Harry and he walks out on them.

Calendar and Dates

Begins the day after the episode at the Ministry, which puts the beginning of the chapter at 3 September. The action then stretches over "weeks". Subsequent chapters let us put an upper limit on how long this could have been (the chapter ends before Christmas, for instance) but at the moment we can't be more sure of the timeframe.

Interesting facts and notes

purple moors

Could be either northern England or Scotland, to name two possibilities.

gorse-covered mountainsides

We might be able to narrow this down a little, though.

a sheltered and pebbly cove

The fact that it's empty of people (albeit late in the year) coupled with the description might let us narrow down the location a little, at least by elimination.

As the days stretched into weeks

So this would be at least 14 days.

Autumn rolled over the countryside

Autumn officially begins at the equinox, which would put this at 21 September.

Might be Confunded. If so, I'd like to shake the hand of the witch or wizard who did it, probably saved my life.

Ironic, because it was probably a Death Eater, judging from what was said in DH1.

Did you think you'd be back to Mummy by Christmas?

"Home by Christmas" is not a good phrase when associated with any kind of a war.

Exceptional character moments

Phineas Nigellus, referring to his own portrait as "a great work of art".

Ron's quarrel with his friends and his desertion.

Memorable lines

"Yeah, let's go to Albania. Shouldn't take more than an afternoon to search an entire country," said Ron sarcastically."

"You can Summon it if you know where it is, you can transform it, you can increase the quantity if you've got some -"
"-well, don't bother increasing this, it's disgusting," said Ron.

"Dean and I are still missing something here," said Ted.
"So is Severus Snape, though he does not know it," said Griphook, and the two goblins roared with malicious laughter.