At Malfoy Manor, Severus Snape meets with Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters. He reports that the Order of the Phoenix will move Harry Potter, no longer under his mother’s protective spell, to a safe location. Voldemort confiscates Lucius Malfoy’s wand; his own is powerless against Harry because it and Harry’s wand are “brothers” by sharing the same phoenix feather core. During the move, Harry survives Voldemort’s attack.
During preparations for Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour’s wedding, the Minister for Magic arrives. He informs Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Albus Dumbledore left each a bequest: Ron a Deluminator, Hermione a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Harry the Golden Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match. Harry is also bequeathed the Sword of Gryffindor, which is missing and was never Dumbledore’s.
News arrives during the wedding that the Ministry has fallen and the Minister is dead. Death Eaters attack and Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. While there, Ron realizes that Sirius’ brother, Regulus Black, is the R.A.B. who stole Salazar Slytherin’s locket from Voldemort. Local thief Mundungus Fletcher later sold it to Dolores Umbridge. The Trio infiltrate the Ministry and recover the locket but their hideout is inadvertently revealed to a Death Eater during a chaotic exit. Hermione, having packed everything they need disapparates them to a forest. Ron is injured while disapparating, and the Trio travels on foot while he heals.