Harry Potter and the Cry of the Phoenix

Chapter One: The Argument

Harry sat on his bed at the Weasley house. He was still in a slight daze from the weeks previous. After all that had happened at the end of his Sixth year, he was expected to be dazed. Dazed, but not all out depressed. It had surprised him that he hadn't fallen into depression after Dumbledore's death, in fact, his resolve had become stronger than ever. The same way that Sirius's death had affected him. But now he also had a purpose. He had to continue what Dumbledore had set him out to do. He had to find those last Horcruxes. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but then again, nothing was going to be easy till Voldemort was dead.

The walls of Ron's room were as they always had been. Disorganized, and covered in Chuddley Cannon's posters. It was sometimes hard to look at the bright blazing orange walls, but over the years of being here, Harry had gotten used to it. He loved this house. Not for the structure, but for the emotional support that it provided him with. It was his second home, and when he came here, he knew he could be `just Harry'. He didn't have to be the Boy-Who-Lived, he could just be himself. He never knew what kind of a burden it was all year at Hogwarts, till he was back at the Burrow. It was a lot on him, but he managed it all the time.

The hardest part about coming here this year was Ginny. He had felt so uncomfortable seeing her again. When he had first come back from Privet Drive, she had taken one look at him and burst into tears. It was to be expected. He had of course dated her, and broken up with her for no real reason. But in Harry's mind it was reason enough. Once Ron had learned about what he had done to Ginny, he had become increasingly upset with him. But they had managed to come to an agreement about it. They were still friends, but the tension was there in plenty. The roaring monster that had lived in Harry during the previous year was gone now. Snuffed out like a candle. He had no feelings for Ginny any more, other than brotherly protection. But as for the romantic side of it, he couldn't believe that he had kissed her. Now, he knew more than ever that he couldn't be with anyone. He wouldn't target anyone like that. It wasn't fair, nor was it necessary. He was going to have to finish this all on his own. It was a daunting feeling, but he knew he was on the right track.

Slipping out of the bed, he crept out of the room, and into the dark hallway. It was the pitch of night, and it was hard to see in the hall. The wedding was scheduled for next week. Something Harry was not looking forward too. He didn't particularly want to see some of those people again, and he was afraid of the emotions that would come with it. It was supposed to be such a happy thing, but Harry was having a hard time finding happiness within himself. It was such a dark time for him. He had so much in front of him, and happiness didn't seem to fit into the picture. With a quiet word, he lit his wand. It was on him at all times, since he was never sure what was going to be around the next corner. He was the most wanted Wizard in the world at the moment. That wouldn't be that bad, other than the fact that the person who wanted him was the most powerful wizard in the world. Not a good combination for Harry. He was seventeen now, and full capable of doing magic whenever he wanted. Not just that, after what Dumbledore had told him, the Ministry couldn't keep up with Magic usage in a wizarding household anyways.

The flight of steps creaked some, but Harry ignored it. No one would wake from that. Not with the ghoul in the attic making noise all the time. In the burrow you learned to sleep with noise in the background. In the kitchen he had no trouble finding something to drink. Hopefully that would calm him down. He was so tense all the time. But he expected that of himself. How could he calm down when his life had been turned upside down like this? The cool water cooled his throat and his nerves some, but when he heard a creak behind him, he dropped the glass and spun, wand pointed and a jinx on his lips. The glass shattered, and he winced at the tinkling noise.

The bushy head of hair however marked his attacker before she even made a noise.

“Hermione?” Harry questioned quietly, repairing the glass on the floor with a swish of his wand.

“Why are you still awake Harry? Do you ever sleep anymore?” She inquired with some sarcasm hidden in her voice. He could almost see her smiling in the half light of the room.

“Yes, I sleep…I just have so much on my mind right now, can you blame me?” he asked quietly.

“No, not entirely, but you need to calm yourself for a while. I know you have things you need to do, but lets take this week off before we start on that.” She said in reply. The subtle hint was not lost to Harry.

“Hermione, you know very well how I feel about you coming.” He said exasperated. They had been over this a number of times already. The argument was the same. He didn't want her and Ron to come because of the danger. And they didn't want him to go alone because of the danger. It was a back and forth thing. Hermione just wouldn't give it up.

“Yes I do Harry, and you understand why I can't let you go.” Hermione replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. The dim moonlight from the window seemed to make her hair glow, and her eyes to shine slightly.

“That doesn't change the way I feel about it. We both have perfectly good reasons for wanting it the way we want it. I don't particularly like the idea of you two coming, but I will not deny that I am surprised that you want to come.” Harry said, his voice dropping as he said the last bit. He was surprised that they wanted to come. It was going to be the most dangerous year of their lives, if not longer, if they decided to do this. Constant fear, constant running, and more than likely, constant fighting. It would only be so long before Voldemort and his cronies realized that they were going after the Horcrux's. For the moment, they had the advantage because Voldemort didn't know, but that would only last for so long.

“Oh Harry,” she said reaching out for his arm and grasping it gently. “We will always be here for you. We are your best friends, and no matter what happens, we are going to be there with you during that final battle.” She said with tears in her eyes.

“How can I let you do that? How can I lead you to your possible death? Look what happened to Dumbledore when he tried to help me. He was the most powerful wizard alive, and he still fell to the same curse that everyone else does. I brought him to his death. It was his choice yes, but it was my fault. I can't do that to you or Ron.” Harry said, turning away from her penetrating gaze. Her eyes seemed to bore into his, even though he could only half see them.

“Harry,” she said again, and pulled herself closer to him, now more tears spilling from her eyes. “Why can't I let you go? Because I won't be able to live with myself knowing that I didn't help, knowing that I didn't go with you. I would rather die helping you than die not doing anything. You know as well as I, that Muggleborns are targeted above others. I am a target either way. Let me at least do something! I can't let you go alone….” She said fiercely.

Harry was having a hard time arguing with her. The more she said, the more it made sense. He hugged her close, and rubbed her back. “Calm down Hermione. Don't cry….” Harry held her till her shoulders stopped heaving, and her breathing returned to normal. He pushed her back some and looked her in the eyes. “Give me one good reason to make me change my mind Hermione. I know you want to help, but can you help?” Harry asked seriously.

“Yes,” she said looking at the ground. “You are going to need us Harry, me and Ron. We are your best friends, and the Power that is going to take down Voldemort in the end is Love. You are going to need someone to love Harry, and that is going to be me and Ron.” She said looking triumphant.

Harry hated it when she proved him wrong, or proved herself right. The fact that he was going to need someone to love, or friends to love, was going to be a deciding factor. How could he deny such brilliant logic? He couldn't.

He heaved a huge sigh, and Hermione took that to mean that she had won. “Your right, I am going to need you two.” Harry said, feeling the tears in his eyes. No one had ever loved him before, yet he knew that his two best friends loved him more than anything. “Thanks Hermione. I never knew what it really felt like…you know…to be loved like that….” He finished, stumbling through his words.

She just smiled. “I think its time for bed Mr. Potter.”

The next morning proved to be an interesting morning. After breakfast Harry called Hermione and Ron into the garden. He wanted to tell them what he had decided after yet another sleepless night.

“What's up mate?” Ron asked curious to why he had been torn away from his food. Meanwhile Hermione just smiled, knowing what Harry was going to say. The girl knew him so well.

“I have made a choice about next year. I will not be returning to Hogwarts, even though it will be open. I don't have time for such trivial things as N.E.W.T's or anything like that. I have to stop Voldemort. I know what needs to be done, and as you both know, I am the only one who can do it. Dumbledore would have wanted me to do this. The question is, do you both want to come with me? We will probably be traveling a lot, and it will be dangerous. But I won't go as far to say that I don't need you. That would be a lie. I do need you. Both of you. You are my best friends, and my closest confidents. If you want to, you can come.” Harry said, trying to remember the way he wanted to say it. It sounded good.

Ron looked pensive for a moment, but when he looked into Harry's eyes there was a determination in them that was unmatched by any. “Of course Harry, I'll be there with you every step of the way.” Harry had rarely heard such sincerity in his voice. Apparently his emotional range had expanded from a teaspoon to a cup….

Hermione on the other hand didn't even wait to think about it. “Harry you know very well that I wouldn't let you two go off without me. They don't call us the golden trio for nothing.” She said with a smile. It was good to have Hermione back on his side. Harry would never admit how hard it was for him to have her on the outs during the last year. It was so difficult to have his best friend against him the whole time. Harry needed her on his side, but unfortunately, he had never known how bad he needed her till she had been gone.

A slight twitch of movement caught Harry's eye, and before he could respond to his friend's words, his wand whipped out and shot a light shock into the flesh colored string under the bush. As Harry suspected there was a squeal of pain, and the Extendable Ear was retracted in a hurry.

“Ginny come out here.” Harry said, not liking where this was going to go.

A furious red head came around the corner. “Why didn't you ask me to go? I was your girlfriend!? Why didn't you tell me about all the different things about Voldemort!? Didn't trust me enough? Was I only good for a quick snog?” She yelled, her temper rising.

“Ginny!” Hermione gasped.

“I've heard enough from you, Ms. Bookworm.” Ginny responded coldly. The hair on the back of Harry's neck rose.

“Your right Ginny, I didn't tell you any of that. And I didn't ask you to come. You're too young, and I won't put you in that danger. I thought you understood that!?” Harry said, now very aggravated.

“What I understand Potter is that you never really liked me! You always trust her before me anyways.” She said with an angry gesture to Hermione. The added `Potter' irked Harry too. This was going too far.

“Enough Ginny. This is why I didn't ask you to come. Now either leave us alone, or I'll erase your memory of this whole thing. I won't have you risk our chance at taking down Voldemort.” It was a bluff, but it worked.

“Fine! But don't bother crawling back to me Harry.” She said, and stormed off.

“I hate younger sisters. How could she say all that?” Ron said, shaking his head.

“You don't need her Harry; if that's the way she wants to be….We are still here for you.” She said, laying a comforting hand on his arm.

“Ron, I am sorry I said that to your sister, I can imagine that you didn't like that.” Harry said studying his shoes.

“No Harry, I understand. I don't know why she is being like this. Besides I knew you would never Obliviate my sister.” He said with a grin.

“Good…” Harry was lost for what to say next. “So you're sure you two want to come?” He asked one last time.

“Yes!” They both said with more than a little enthusiasm.

“I really can't explain how nice it feels to know you two are backing me up…” Harry started.

“You don't have to.” Hermione saved him. “We already know….”

“Thanks.” He mumbled back.

They all started to walk back to the house, but as they approached the door, Hermione spoke up, and asked if she could talk to Harry alone. Ron gave her a strange look, but he nodded, and Harry followed her back to the garden. She sat on the bench, and folded her hands in her lap, looking intently at them. For once, Hermione Granger was lost for words. Harry sat down next to her, and waited for her to start. He knew what it was like to try to come up with something important to say.

“Harry, before we three leave, I need to get something out of the air first. During the last year, I can't help but feel I need to apologize for my behavior. I never believed you about the Malfoy thing, and even when you had clear proof, I was too wrapped up in other things to notice. I don't know how I let something as material as grades get in the way of helping you. I was so upset. I was so mad, that I couldn't see straight! Then there was the whole thing with Ron….” She trailed off.

“You two…?” Harry left the question unfinished.

“No, it ended before it began. We discussed it at the funeral. I just don't think we would be right. Besides look who I became when I tried to get him!? I was a caddy teenage girl! Something I always prided myself in not being. The person I became when I tried to get him was not someone I liked.

“The thing is this. I can't help but feel guilt for last year. I should have helped you. I should have been there with you. And I can't apologize enough for not. Maybe things would have been different if I had helped more…I don't know. But I do know for sure that it was the last time I am going to act like that.” Hermione said looking deep into his eyes. He had very rarely felt a stare that powerful, and he was surprised by the sheer force of it. But he knew what he was going to say anyways.

“Hermione, don't worry. I understand. Although I admit that I missed you during that year. I missed having you by my side. I missed your friendship, and I can't help but feel that we totally missed out during that year. I missed you Hermione, and I am so glad that I have you back.” Harry said, never breaking eye contact with her. She smiled, and leaned over and hugged him. It felt good to have her back. It felt good to have his friends on his side.

Now that he knew that he had their support, he could relax. After the wedding. After all that, he would get down to business….

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Chapter Two: The Wedding

Harry sat in the row next to Hermione. He, like everyone else, was waiting for the march to begin. Ron was going to have to lead Ginny down the row, since he was the best man and that left Harry and Hermione alone in the audience. Of course, Harry preferred it that way. He really didn't want to have to spend any more time around Ginny than at all possible. Ever since the argument, they had avoided one another. Harry couldn't help but feel guilty, but no one gets to say those kinds of things, or act that way. Not to his friends anyways.

As expected, the Wedding was gorgeous. Fleur was stunning as she walked down the way. Bill looked just as nervous as ever standing there; Harry imagined that his father looked quite the same before he married Lilly. His scars weren't totally healed, and they still marred his face very seriously, but they looked better. They surely didn't look like they did when he was in the Hogwarts infirmary. Fortunately, Bill had not become a Werewolf. He was only half of one. Once a year, on the day he was bit, he would transform. But that was all. No one cared, they were all happy to just have Bill alive.

The music started and the doors opened at the end of the isle. The front lawn of the Burrow had been transformed within a couple of days to an amazing sight. The chairs were lined perfectly, and flower petals from the garden were scattered all through them. The pinks, yellows, and reds shined wonderfully in the morning light. The `doors' at the end of the isle were actually just a cascade of flowers draped over a lattice archway. With a small flick of his wrist, Mr. Weasley pointed his wand at the arch, and the flowers spread apart elegantly, and Fleur stepped out. The music continued and everyone with in range gasped at Fleur's beauty. Harry even had to admit that she was.

Harry watched as she walked down the row, and said her vows along side Bill. The ceremony was wonderful, and Harry couldn't help but hope that he would live to see his own wedding day. Of course, that wish seemed to get smaller and smaller everyday. At the end of the ceremony the twins and a few others transfigured everything into a more party setting. Loud dancing music started and the cake appeared on a table out to the side. Before everyone started to spread out, Ron tapped on a glass and caught everyone's attention.

“Well my brother. The time has come for me to make me spectacular speech. As your best man, I am required to say something nice. As hard as that may be.” He winked and everyone laughed. “Bill, I have always looked up to you, and as strange as it may seem, I've always wanted to be like you. I hope you and Fleur have a wonderful time tonight, and I hope it won't take you too long to make me an Uncle!” Ron ended it with a bow, and everyone laughed as Bill and Fleur blushed crimson.

The rest of the reception was fairly standard. Cake, dancing, loud jokes, and much laughter. Of course, with the presence of Fred and George, some things were about as unusual as you could get. When Bill took the first piece of cake out (which in Harry's opinion was a mistake from the start), it bounced off of the plate, and proceeded to gather its `companions' (from the rest of the cake) and smash EVERYONE in the face. It was quite funny, but of course, the twins had on their shield hats, and were spared from the cake. It was a good laugh, and after they managed to wipe their faces off, the pieces of cake exploded, sending icing everywhere. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Even in light of all that was happening around him, Harry found himself having quite a wonderful time. It was so relaxing to just be around people who would laugh and giggle, rather than the people at school who were always stressed and worried. It was such a different lifestyle. Then of course, there was Harry's lifestyle. Totally different from all of them. He was constantly worried about other things. He had such a burden on his shoulders.

Yet while he was at the part, that burden seemed to lessen.

“Penney for your thoughts?” A voice came from behind him. He knew it was Hermione. She was the only one at the Burrow who knew what a penny was, much less know how to use the saying….

“That's an American saying…and you know it Hermione.” Harry said, thinking back to the movie that he saw it in.

“Yes I know…but it sounded right! And I surly wouldn't pay a pound for your thoughts. That's much too high a price. Penney is just right.” She said smiling.

“Very true,” Harry mused. “Want to dance?” He asked on spur of the moment.

Taken a back for a moment, Hermione nodded. “Sure Harry, that would be fun.” He lent her a hand, and they stepped out onto the floor. The slow song settled in, and Harry lost himself in the swaying and the stepping. Hermione looked very nice today, clad in her nicest dress robes. They were a pale green color, and Harry had to admit that she looked stunning in them. They spun and danced three songs through before either of them realized it. When the song ended, Harry let go of her, and they both smiled.

What a great friend she is. Harry thought to himself. It hadn't been hard to dance with her. With Ginny he would have gotten nervous, and fumbled, but with Hermione…he didn't. It was so easy to fall into the steps with her, and just be who he was. She knew him so well, and he never had to worry about being someone else for her. It was just so easy to be Harry Potter with her. Not the Chosen One. Or the Boy who lived. He was just Harry.

A thought smashed into Harry that made him stop in his tracks. All day his burden had seemed lighter. With all the laughing and carrying going on, it was so easy to forget. But in a split second, the weight of it came crashing back down.

This is what I am fighting for. He thought with a shock. This was what the fight was for. This was why he had to do it. This is why it was so important. This was why he had to win the battle. This was what he was fighting for. His friends. And, his family. These people were his family. That's why he was fighting this war. To keep them safe. To keep them happy. The world was becoming a place that was without safe havens, and without happiness. Harry was the only one who could stop that from becoming a final reality. He had to stop Voldemort now, before it was too late. He had to do this. These people all around him were why.

His party mood was killed swiftly, and he slowly withdrew himself from the gaiety. After he felt that he was no longer noticed, he slipped back into the house and up to his room. With a wave of his wand, his things packed themselves into his open trunk. His broom shrunk to the size of a toothpick, and he placed that in his pocket of his trousers. He then changed into his normal clothes. It was time to leave. The trunk shrunk, and he placed that in his other pocket. He left a hastily scrawled note for the Weasley's to take care of Hedwig, and he turned on his heel with full intention of leaving. Of course, he should have known better. With Hermione around, he couldn't get away with anything.

“Where do you think your going?” She asked, twirling her wand between her fingers. The sight of her leaning against the doorframe with her wand like that was very threatening.

“I…uh…er…well you see…” Harry stumbled through the words.

“You're not leaving without us.” She said simply.

“Yeah, and we mean us.” Ron said stepping around the corner.

Tears sprang to Harry's eyes when he fully realized the devotion his friends were giving him. He nodded, and looked away hastily.

Hermione held up a note. “I already wrote our goodbye. I think it will be better that way.” She said somberly.

“My parents don't know yet of course…” she trailed off.

“We will go there first, and tell them. Then we are off to Godrics Hollow.” Harry said looking between them. It seemed that they liked the idea.

“Thanks guys.” They placed the note on the desk, and they all apparated with a crack.

No sooner had they been gone, did Mrs. Weasley step in the room with tears on her face. She understood of course what had happened. She just hoped that her children would be safe.

“Good luck my dears.” Was all she could say.

The front yard of Hermione's house echoed with three loud `pops' as the trio apparated in the yard. They walked up to the front door of the two story house and knocked on the door. The house was nice. It wasn't extravagant, but it was elegant. Of course, the outside didn't speak of much. But when Hermione's mother opened the door that said much more. The furnishing was nice, but as before, not overly done. It was a very beautiful and clean house.

“Hermione!” Her mother said as she threw her arms around her daughter. Harry felt a pang of sadness knowing that he would never be a recipient of that.

“Mum! I brought along my friends. This is Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley.” Hermione said excitedly. Her mother invited them in, and was very kind to them. She was a woman of normal height and weight. She had the trademark brown bushy hair, and brown eyes. Harry could easily see where Hermione got most of her looks from.

Harry could tell that all of a sudden, Hermione had remembered why they were here. They weren't here just for nothing. They were here because they had to explain to Mrs. Granger why she wouldn't be seeing her daughter again for some time. They had to explain to her that there was a chance that she would never see her daughter again. That wasn't something that Harry looked forward to doing, nor was it something that Hermione looked forward to doing either.

“Mum, could you get Dad for a minute; there is something we need to tell you.” Hermione said solemnly. Her mother seemed to pick up on the fact that it was important, so she briskly strode from the room.

On impulse, Harry grabbed her hand, and squeezed.

“We're here for you Hermione.” He said quietly.

She squeezed back. “I know.”

Her mother returned now with Mr. Granger in tow. He was of average stature, but he did have a shock of blond hair on him. It made for a funny mental picture. Hermione with blond hair. No.

“Mum, Dad. We stopped by to tell you that…that we are going away for a while.” Hermione bit back for a moment and tried again. “There is something that we have to do. Well, something that Harry has to do, and I want to be there with him. Ron too.” She said aptly.

“Does this have to do with that Voldemort fellow?” Mr. Granger asked quickly.

“Dad…how do you know about him?” Hermione said taken aback.

“Well, after you left for school last year, with that nasty scar on your side. I decided to do some investigating. I subscribed to a newspaper of your kind.” His hand shot out from behind his back and showed a new copy of the Daily Prophet.

“So you know all about me, and what I have to do then?” Harry stepped into the conversation before Hermione could say anything.

“Yes Harry, I do. I figured that Hermione would be going along with you. Your all she talks about when she is home you know.” His words seemed to make Hermione blush for some reason, and Harry smiled.

“I promise that I will take care of Hermione to the best of my ability. I need her though sir. I wouldn't be able to do this without both of them.” Harry said, gesturing to his friends.

“I understand that. And if she trusts you the way that I believe she does, then there would be no stopping her anyways. But do be careful.” He cautioned.

Their understanding struck Harry hard. Again he realized that these were the people he was fighting for. This was why he had to do this. And he would.

The family embraced and they stepped back. With tears in their eyes they simply said. “Good luck.” And with that, the teens apparated away with a crack.

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Chapter Three: Godrics Hollow

The three appeared in front of a hill. It was a small hill in the middle of nowhere. Nothing. Harry looked around, hoping to catch sight of the building that he was born in. But still, as he looked around there was nothing on all sides. Swaying grass, and birds chirping in the nearby trees. Harry understood the fact that his parents had wanted to live out in the middle of nowhere, but they were really out there. They had been told where to go, but they had expected to find something here.

“Where is your house mate?” Ron asked, aptly assessing the situation.

“I really don't know. I assume that it is like headquarters…but how do we know what the password is?” Hermione stated in a matter of fact tone.

Harry nodded, and what she said made a little clicking noise inside his brain. He did know what the password was.

“I solemnly swear I am up to no good.” Harry said quietly.

Sure enough, within seconds of the words dropping from his mouth, the house appeared as if by nothing. A small front yard popped up around them. A white picket fence, sprouted out of the ground surrounding the quaint yard. A two story house with white walls and a small porch was in front of them. It was beautiful in the simplicity. Harry took a deep breath and felt the loss of his parents more than ever. But at the same time, he felt their presence. He could feel them almost as if they were here beside him.

“Well, let's go in.” Harry mumbled, not wanting to show the fact that he was sorely missing his parents right then. Of course, Hermione caught his eye, and gave him a withering look. She knew his too well.

They marched ahead, and walked up to the front door. Of course, it wouldn't open when Harry tugged on it.

“I forgot my mum was a charms master.” Harry said taking out his wand. He tried all the different spells that he knew for unlocking doors, but nothing happened. Of course, Hermione pushed past him and within a few waves, the door was open. That was Hermione for you. She just does things. Doesn't wait for anyone, just goes ahead and does things.

The living room, was the first room that they walked into. It was like the outside, beautiful in the simplicity. Or at least, it would have been beautiful if it was practically destroyed. The couch was overturned and there was stuffing coming out of it on all sides. The fireplace looked as if it had been blown to bits in several places, and ashes were all over the room. The wall was cracked in one spot, as if someone had been thrown into it. Another wall had a hole blown clear through it. Spell markings were all over, and Harry lost count of them. James must have put up one hell of a fight.

Thanks Dad… Harry thought to himself. He shuffled into the room, and cast his glance around. He knew that his friends were still at the doorway, afraid to come in. As well they should be for the moment.

On the counter there was a small bowl, and a note. Harry tried to ignore the bowl, he knew what it was, and he was terrified to even think what it might contain.

Dear Harry,

I have left the house in the condition that it was in when your parents were murdered. I assumed that you would want it that way, as a final memory to them.

In the bowl, there is a memory. The memory is of your parents last night alive. Halloween night.

After you have done that, I encourage you to go into the back yard. There is something I want you to see there.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry read the paper, and couldn't stop tears from falling on the beautiful script. Not only was he crying for his parents, but he was also crying for his mentor. The only man who he had truly trusted.

With a shock, Harry realized that Hermione and Ron were right behind him, and they each had a hand on his shoulder.

“Everyone, touch the surface of the memory at the same time. I want you two to be there with me while I watch this.” Harry said hollowly.

They all leaned a hand down, and with a snap-tug, they were all drawn into memory.

The trio landed in the same spot that they had started in. Right next to the table. But the house was very much in tact, and it was very much inhabited.

“James, I just put Harry to bed. Is there anything you want from the kitchen, now that I am able to actually cook?” Lilly said, with a light tinkling laugh.

“No dear, I actually have begun to enjoy cooking for myself.” James said from the couch in front of the fire. He chuckled a minute later when Lilly threw herself down on the couch too, right on top of him. “Dear, must you do that every time I sit here?” He asked smiling.

“Of course, I like annoying you and you know it!” Lilly said, again laughing with that tinkling laugh.

Harry watched his parents interact, and he felt the tears slide down his face. This was the last time he would see them. This was the last time that they would actually have a night of calm. He couldn't help but watch them, as if an invisible force was forcing him to watch ever second.

A crash sounded outside, and Harry knew that it was time. James jumped up, and ran to the door. For some unknown reason, he seemed to know what was happening.

“Lilly, he's here. Get the boy.” James called to his stunned wife. James pulled out his wand, and got in a prepared stance. “NOW!” he yelled. She dashed upstairs right as the front door was blasted to pieces.

“James…James…do you really want to fight me?” Voldemort hissed.

Harry had tears pouring off of him as he watched his father determined face.

“You will have to kill me first Tom!” James yelled, and then he spat at him. The defiance that James was showing was something that Harry couldn't help but be proud of.

“Just for that I am going to kill you slowly!” Voldemort screeched.

Before anyone could see it, his wand was out and he had blasted James backwards into the wall. The sickening crunch that sounded was proof that more than the wall had just been broken. Harry cried out. He couldn't stand to watch this.

James rose from the floor, bloodied and slightly broken, but not dead yet, and he surly hadn't given up yet. A curse flew from James's wand, but it was easily deflected away.

The yellow beam that Harry knew very well flashed out of Voldemort's wand and James started to scream and writhe on the ground. But in an act of pure bravery, James stood up while the curse was still locked on him. Even though he was in terrible pain he stood to face his enemy. In the moment of surprise, James flashed a curse at Voldemort, and it sliced open a nice amount of flesh on Voldemort's chest. Harry recognized the curse; it was the one he had used on Malfoy the previous year. James of course, had not opened his mouth once.

Then, with a final look of pure hatred, James took the green curse in the chest. The killing blast threw him against the fireplace. His final word had been screamed. “Lilly!” And then he was gone.

With a swish, Voldemort was up the stairs, and was moving towards Harry's room, and undoubtedly where Lilly was still hiding.

The Harry that was standing there transfixed by what he was seeing was having trouble following along, but when a tear stained Hermione, and Ron ran up the stairs to follow, Harry did too.

“Step aside girl.” Voldemort said hollowly. He had given her the choice.

“NO! You killed James!!!” And once again, Voldemort got spit upon.

She huddled over Harry's body, and with another green blast, she was gone. But what the trio saw was something that Voldemort didn't. A blue glow had covered Harry's body at the second his mother died. He was protected. When the wand turned on Harry, the curse rebounded and fired back at the monster. And with a blast that made the house shake, he was gone. Harry could feel the memory ending, and he quickly grabbed onto the sobbing forms of Hermione and Ron. They were pulled out, and were left standing in the living room area of Harry's home.

Harry sunk to his knees, letting the tears fall in rivers down his face. What he had just witnessed was the most painful thing he had seen in his life. He had never expected to see his parents die in such a way. He had never expected to see such a vile destruction of people. And more importantly, his family.

“Harry,” Hermione managed to hiccup between sobs. “I never knew…” she trailed off, not really needing to go any farther. Ron stood there, letting the tears fall.

“Now do you understand?” Harry asked them both, “Now do you understand why I want to kill him? Why I want to destroy him for good?” He sputtered.

“Yeah, and we are going to be there with you every moment of it.” Ron growled in agitation. For some reason, it seemed that Ron wasn't taking it very good either. Worse than could be expected. Maybe Ron finally realized that Harry's fame had come at a higher price. A price that he would never want to pay himself.

Harry nodded, wiping the tears from his face, and stood.

”The note said something in the back yard.” Harry walked out, not wanting to meet their gazes. Not wanting to see the pity there. He walked out into the back yard and was greeted with a nice sight. It was small, and enclosed in trees. Ideal for a small child to play in. The grass was low for some reason, it was most likely charmed to stay that way, and there was a small swing set where Harry must have played as a child. He wished more than anything that he could remember some of it. Anything. Just a glimpse of his past life. But nothing came.

What was supposed to be out here? There wasn't anything note worth, nothing Harry wanted to see at the moment. Right now, he just wanted to curl into a ball and fall asleep. He didn't want to think about what he had just seen, nor did he want to see further reminders of a life shattered. A life that he would never have.

“Harry.” A female voice called. Harry turned around, what did Hermione want?

“What Hermione?” Harry replied. But she had her mouth closed, and she was looking around as intently as he was. She had obviously never said anything.

A tinkling laugh sounded. One that he had just heard a moment before.

“Mum?!” Harry called, spinning around.

“I'm here.” She said, as the Ghost formed. The ghost of Lilly Potter was as beautiful as she had been in the memory. Full of life, and vivacious.

“Harry, I don't have long. These ghost forms are only allowed to us so that we could give you one last push of encouragement. And hopefully to cheer you up after watching that memory….” She trailed off, frowning slightly. “I told Albus that he shouldn't have done something like that. But he always did what he wanted too…” She smiled all the same.

“Mum…all I can think to say right now is this. I'll get him. I'll get him back, I'll rip him out of his invincible body and kill him where he stands.” Harry said fiercely.

Tears sprung to her sparkling ghost eyes. “Your just like your father…brave to a point…” She said with absolute pride. “He should be along in a moment.” She turned and looked back as if she was looking down a long hallway.

“James!” She called, and within a moment, he had appeared by here side.

“Sorry dear! Sirius was telling me this hilarious joke!” James said still smiling.

“Dad,” Harry mumbled. Still moved by his father's act of courage and bravery.

“Ahhh, Harry my son!” James said with a grin that made Harry feel like he was staring in a mirror. “So good to see you again! You have grown. Even since your fourth year when we met briefly…” He trailed off as if remembering that time.

“Dad…thanks. For what you did. I saw the memory…it was amazing….” Harry said, trying not to cry again.

“Don't worry about it Harry, I had to do what I had to do. I just wish I had known it was Peter. I wouldn't have spent all that time angry with Sirius. Oh well, we are getting along fine now!” He said jovially.

“Mr. Potter…I'm Hermione Granger, and I just also wanted to say how moved I was by your act of selflessness.” Hermione pipped up from behind Harry. He had forgotten they were there.

“Oh right! These are my best friends. Hermione, and Ron Weasley. They are going to help me find the other Horcruxes, and finish off that old windbag!” Harry said, feeding off of his father's happiness.

“We've been watching Harry dear.” His mother put in. “We know how many times they have saved you. And you them. We are proud of all three of you. I just know that you will do what you're meant to do.” Lilly said with a joyous smile. “You three make a wonderful pair, and I am sure that James is proud to say that the Marauder name was carried on well.” Again the tinkling laugh sounded, and Harry knew that he would remember that noise for the rest of his life.

“Thanks mum, dad. It means everything to me. And I never got to know you…and I never got to say goodbye…” Harry said, trying to find the words for what he was trying to say.

“Don't worry about it Harry, just give him hell for us!” Harry was strongly reminded of Fred and Georges farewell from Hogwarts when James said this.

“We will.” The three chimed together.

“And it is time for us to go.” Lilly said somberly. “Good luck my son, I know you will do well, and do what you need to. Hopefully we won't see you again for a long time. And not until I have grandkids.” She then gave Hermione a small wink which Harry found strange, and she blushed.

“Goodbye Dad, bye mum…I'll never forget what you did for me.”

Lilly looked at him with tears in her eyes. “We are more proud of you than you can imagine Harry.” James said as he placed a hand on Lilly's shoulder, and they were gone.

Harry nodded. He didn't cry. He didn't fall apart. He had been given direction today. He knew what he needed to do. And he knew that he wouldn't throw away the gift that his parents had given him. He would be as brave as them, and he would give good ol' Tom hell too.

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AN - Sorry I haven't given you one of these yet! But that's ok, I wanted to get the story out as fast as I could, and I think I managed that. Thank you all for your Reviews, they really mean a lot to me. This chapter is mostly a fluff chapter, but some information is conveyed too. I didn't want to make Ron out to be the bad guy, so you will see a slightly more at east Ron in this fic. But I may change my mind…Alrighty then, I will get back to writing, and you get back to reviewing. OH! And before I forget, VOTE FOR ME PLEASE! I want to at least do justice to the competition….

READ ON! And review/Vote.

Oh, and please understand my spelling mistakes. I am working without a Beta right now. I wanted to get it out fast. But if someone is willing to do some very quick return beta work, PLEASE email me. Thanks!!!

Chapter Four: Some down Time…Sort of…

A few spells cast around the rooms of Godric's Hollow spruced it up quite a bit, and made it a lot more homely than it had been. Harry had been unable to do it himself. The knowledge of how those marks had appeared there were just too much for him. Hermione seemed to know that he wouldn't be able to do it, so she stepped in far long before he needed to say anything. The house was very nice. It was not all that large; after all, it was a cottage. But still, it was his home. Or it had once been. That was enough for Harry. The sense of security that he got from just being inside the house was amazing.

The first day that they had spent there, Harry had stayed up all night wit his Parents graves. Just talking. Hoping desperately that they were all listening up there: Dumbledore, Sirius, Lilly, and of course his father. They had all died to protect him in one way or another. He had stayed out all night, and in the morning, he had come back inside and fallen to sleep. He slept all day, and Ron and Hermione didn't bother him. It was part of Harry's recovery process he guessed later on. He didn't think that if he had done that, he would have made it through all that easily. Seeing how his parents had died was very hard for Harry, but knowing that they were supporting what he was doing was comforting.

The day after that was normal. Well, as normal as their days were going to get. They spent all day researching, looking at maps, making guesses. That's all they had to go on now. Was guesses, and hypothesis. Things were so difficult without any lead, or starting point. It felt like Harry was just scrambling into nothingness all the time.

R.A.B still remained a mystery, as did where the locket was at the time. The Cup, Harry had no idea where to start looking. Nagini, he would just kill the big snake before he went after Tom. That one at least would be easy. Then there was the great mystery. Something of Gryffindor's, or Ravenclaw's. He had no idea what that was, or even where to start looking for that. It was going to be a long summer Harry guessed. And sure enough, a week past without them gaining any ground what so ever.

Maps were spread out all over the living room floor, they were draped across chairs, and they were tacked to walls. They were all over with little flashing dots on them to show where a possible location was. Harry had never seen so many flashing dots, and after a few days, he had to tell Hermione that she needed to tone them down some. As of right now, they had a few hunches, but again, nothing more than that. Hunches that were guessing where Tom might have hidden another piece of his soul. It was so difficult to just sit around thinking.

Hermione came down the stairs with yet another stack of books, Lilly had loved books as much Hermione did, and for some strange reason had her own mini library in an upstairs room. Hermione lived in there it seemed, but maybe that was because Harry was so wrapped up in everything. He was staring out the window at the white marble headstones when Hermione interrupted his thoughts.

“You know Harry, they were truly amazing people.” She said simply.

“Yeah, I don't think I could have ever asked for better parents. I just hope that I can live up to them. That I can live up to the standards that they expect of me. But then again, the standards they set are so much lower than the standers the world has set on me. I just don't know what I feel right now.” Harry said, trying to verbalize his thoughts. He had been doing a lot of that recently.

“Don't worry Harry, one day they will all look back and say that you did a great job.” She said, placating him immediately. “But I do have a question.”

“Sure, anything.” Harry said.

“What did your father mean when he said that you had grown since fourth year? How would he know?” Harry could tell that the question had been eating at her for a while, but thankfully she had enough respect to give him some space and time.

“Well, when Tom and I dueled,” Harry used Voldemort's real name now. They all did. Almost in respect for Dumbledore, they tried to be as much like him as they could. Voldemort only feared Dumbledore, and the reason he did was because Dumbledore didn't fear him. So if they wanted to be half as powerful as Dumbledore had been they would have to start fearing less and trusting more. Harry had brought this up to them in the first few days, and they agreed. “at the end of our fourth year, in the graveyard you know?” Harry asked, making sure she knew when he was talking about.

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yeah….”

“Well, when I forced the Prior Incatatum back on him, the last spells were forced from his wand. And since he had been dead for a long while, the last couple of things he did were my parent's murder. So when that happened, echoes of my parents came out. They talked to me for a moment, and gave me encouragement. I saw them, and they saw me. So that is what he is talking about.” Harry said, seeing the battle in his minds eye. It was hard to think about. But again, he used that night as a catalyst for his battle now. Harry knew what had to be done now, and he wasn't going to stop because of the past. Nothing but what was a head mattered now.

“Wow,” Hermione breathed. “I didn't know all that happened.”

“Yeah, it was a nasty night.” Harry recollected.

“Well, Harry, I have been thinking. I think that we need to get a move on soon. We can't hide here forever. We really only have till the school year starts to be safe here. From what I can tell, we really need to leave here about a week before term would start.” She said having thought this out well.

“Why is that Hermione? I mean…what is the difference?” Harry asked, sitting up in the chair, and focusing on her.

“Because once Tom realizes that we aren't at school, he is going to go looking for us. At least for now, we have the protection of him not knowing where we are. He is waiting for us to go back to Hogwarts, and when we don't, he is going to be after us like flies to honey.” Stated Hermione. It was very simple really, and Harry realized that once again, she was right. She was right most of the time.

“Of course…why didn't I think of that! We need to gear up to leave….” Harry said, trailing off, wondering where they would go first. He started to sit up, but when he realized he had no idea where he was going, he sat back down. “Where are we going to go though?” Harry asked, now feeling slightly taken down.

“Well, I think the first place that we need to go is to Hogwarts.” She said matter-of-factly. This surprised Harry.

“What do you mean? I thought we weren't going back.” Harry asked, hoping that she didn't really want to. He defiantly didn't want to do another year of schooling.

“No no, we need to go back there because I think a Horcrux is there….” Hermione said simply and with out a doubt, much pride.

This time Harry came careening right out of his chair. “What?! How!? Why?! When!?” Incoherent babble followed. Harry was so excited that maybe they had a lead.

“Well, I base it on what Dumbledore said.” Hermione stated, preparing herself to launch full into lecture mode. At the moment, Harry didn't care. “He said that Hogwarts was the place that Tom felt most comfortable. It was the place that had felt like home for him. It was the most important place for him. Wouldn't it make sense that he would leave a part of himself there?” Hermione said smiling as she finished.

Harry frowened as he thought it made sense, but something was off. “What about the diary? He left that at Hogwarts.” Harry said, hating to shoot down the idea.

“No, he left that with Lucius Malfoy telling him that it was cursed object. Naturally, when Lucius heard that, he bestowed it upon the first person he could get his hands on that he hated. Ginny. The diary was never intended to go to Hogwarts, that's just where it was. I think there is still something else there.” Hermione said, apparently having thought this one through. The girl was so smart.

“Hermione! Your brilliant!!!” Harry grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a hug, and then spun her in circles. When she landed Harry looked into her eyes for a moment. But a moment turned into a minute, and a minute turned into two. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was smiling. Her hair was swept in front of her face, and it framed her features in a way that Harry had never seen. Her eyes were sparkling with the excitement of discovery and of learning something new. He had seen that sparkle before. Whenever she had found out the answer to a hard problem. He loved that look. But not because she was his problem solver, no, he loved it because that was the look she got when she was completely happy. When she was in a complete state of euphoria, she got that look in her eyes. That was the look he loved. But he had never seen it like this. He had never seen her like this.

Why had he never seen her like this? What had stopped from seeing this in her before? What had stopped him from seeing the beauty behind her eyes. The absolute perfection of the cinnamon brown orbs. Where had his best friend gone and the beauty in his arms come from?

Thought was lost to Harry's mind. Without thinking of the repercussions, without thinking of what it would mean, he leaned down and pressed his lips to his best friends. The sweet taste that he met there was so much more than he expected. It tasted like caramel, and pumpkin juice at the same time. For a second he could almost taste books and parchment. Of course that only made him think of Hermione more. That only reminded him of who she was on a whole.

In an instant, the second that he placed his lips on hers, he remembered every moment of their friendship. The bossy girl on the train. The scared girl in the bathroom. The petrified girl in second year. The brave and headstrong girl that rode the hippogriff with him. The girl that had stood by his side during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The one that had trusted him to go after his Godfather even though she knew he was wrong. Through it all, she had been there for him. She had been his friend. But the trust that the two of them shared tempted to make Harry believe something more.

The light kiss that it started as had changed, now they had their arms wrapped around one another and were trying to press themselves as close together as they could. How had his hands get wrapped in her hair? Harry pulled away slowly. Staring into her eyes the whole time. It had never felt like that with Ginny, that's for sure….

Harry was about to open his mouth to ask what had just happened, but someone else beat him too it.

“Well, I think asking what was going on is redundant. And I also think that you just put me and Lavender to shame Harry.” Ron said with a grin from the stairway. Harry started at the sound of the voice, but he didn't pull out of Hermione's arms. He didn't want to.

“Well, I am glad your not mad Ron, but I think I need a minute to talk to Hermione, and then we have something that all three of us need to discuss.” Harry said levelly. Even though his breathing was still ragged.

“Sure mate,” He laughed then. “Don't know if you'll get a word in edgewise though.” He chuckled again, and then left the room.

“Hermione, what did just happen?” Harry asked, raising an eye brow, but still holding her.

“I don't know Harry,” She looked pensive for a moment, and almost smacked her lips. “I did rather like it though.” She said, almost to herself as much as to Harry.

“Well where does that leave us? I can't lead you into anymore danger than I already have. But I know a part of me has wanted to do that for a long time.” Harry said, and took a deep breath. He was about to tell her something that he had been holding back for a long while. “Hermione, I haven't been true to you or myself recently. Ever since the end of 6^th year, ever since…Dumbledore died, ever since then I have wanted to tell you. I realized how short life was all of a sudden. It started when Sirius died, but when you kind of `left' last year, and then he died…well, I realized how much you mean to me, and also how little time we have on this planet. I know it sounds very worldly, and romantic, but it's true.” Harry paused, looking for the effect he was getting. Ironically she was crying. Harry decided to continue even though it was obviously causing her pain. He did let her go a little more. “I just…I needed you all last year, and its like I said, I didn't know what I had till it was gone, and then I realized that I wanted something more. Something that at the time it seemed that only Ron was going to get. I wanted to be with you. Not with Ginny, I wanted to be with the only one who understood me. I wanted to be with the one person who I would trust anything too. I wanted to be with you Hermione.” He hung his head. “I understand that this is upsetting you, and I hope that we haven't ruined our friendship based on that…that…wonderful kiss.” Harry finished lamely, trying not to feel to down. “I shouldn't have said that…” Harry almost laughed at the reminder of Hagrid, but this was a bad time.

“Oh Harry, I'm not upset…I have been wanting to do that for a long long time…” She threw her arms around his neck, and they more or less picked up where they left off a minute previous.

“Harry, I know we are seventeen, but admit it, we are more adult than anyone else could be. We have been through more together than most people can say. We have done it all together, and through it all, I realized that I loved you. Not the way I love Ron. I love him like a brother, and I was more infatuated with the idea that someone liked me back. Don't say anything Harry.” She said with a smirk, when he opened his mouth. “But you Harry, you're different. You were always there for me. You were always my backup and more. I can't explain it to you Harry, but you hold a different place in my heart than Ron does…and honestly…if you think that Ron and I even stood a chance, you're delusional!” Hermione said with earnest. “I do love you Harry. Very very much.” She then again kissed him for all she was worth.

Harry pulled back and looked at her, he looked at his Hermione. “I love you too Hermione.”

After a while of getting to know one another on a more intimate level, Harry turned to Hermione with a smirk on his (bruised) lips. “So what about this Horcrux?”

Hermione laughed. “You're impossible Harry!”

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AN - ok first thing. PLEASE FORGIVE ANY SPELLING ERRORS! I plan on going back and revamping the whole fic, but since I am still Beta less, I will need to fend for myself. So please, just point them out to me if you find them, and let that be the end of it. I want to get my idea out, and I feel that my spelling is failing some…Again, anyone who wants to be my QUICK beta, please Email me. (sgasperino[at]hotmail[dot]com)

Hope you all enjoy the chap!!!

Chapter Five: Sharing the news, and planning the next move…

To say the least, Harry and Hermione were ecstatic about their new `development'. Ron didn't seem to mind either way. From what Harry could tell (he didn't have the guts to talk to him about it yet.) Ron had realized that he only loved Hermione in the same way that Harry had loved Ginny. In a very brotherly and protective manner. Ron genuinely seemed happy for the two of them, and that really made it easier for all three. None of the dynamics changed thankfully. Harry would have been very upset if they had, and he would have questioned if he had done the right thing. But it was all turning out right, and all three were happy.

In the living room, now there was a large map that was marked “Definite Locations of Remaining Horcruxes.” Harry would have just writing “Kill me here”, or something of the like, but Hermione would have none of that. “Harry we need to label everything accordingly so that way we don't get ourselves confused!” Hermione's voice trilled in his mind. Of course, Harry just shrugged it off. She had been the same way for seven years, and he wouldn't want her any other way.

When they had first moved in, Hermione had tried to write them all up shower schedules and the like complete with color coordination. Harry and Ron had looked at her for a full minute after she had finished explaining them. They had just stared at her like she had lobsters crawling out of her ears. Then, as if some cue had set them up, they both laughed. Hysterical laughter which had lasted for over five minutes. Hermione had not brought up the subject again.

That was Hermione for you. Something about her would never change.

“What are you grinning at loverboy?” she asked him looking at him sideways from over one of her maps.

His grin grew. “I was just thinking about those shower schedules again.” Harry said smirking.

She gave him a withering look, and turned back to the map. “Don't you think it is high time you cut me some slack on that one? Besides,” She said gaining a wicked grin of her own. “I can play take away now.” Harry's grin vanished quicker than the snitch did at a Quidditch game.

“Now Hermione, you know I am only joking!” Harry tried to explain. This feeble attempt made Hermione cackle with laughter as she slapped her knee.

“Don't worry Potter. I wouldn't do that to you. Nor me….” She said looking thoughtful.

Ron came down the stairs. “What did I miss this time?” He asked grinning.

“Ron I just had a thought, why are you always up there in my parents room? You haven't let either of us in there yet….” Harry asked, determined to figure out what Ron was up to. He had noticed it this past week. Ron for periods of varying times would disappear up stairs and into Lilly and James room. At first Harry didn't think anything about it, but soon he became curious.

“Not yet my friend. I will show you soon, but I want to talk to you about this Hogwarts Horcrux first. I have my hunches.” Ron said looking contemplative.

“Really? Like how are we going to find it, if it is there?” Harry asked Ron, now interested in this new development.

“Yeah, I had an idea of how we can test it, and how we can find it if it is there.” Ron said looking proud of himself. He had been taking all of this very seriously since he had seen the memory of Harry's parents. Ron pulled a familiar piece of parchment out of his pocket. “This is the key. I think using the Marauders map, we can find if there is on there, and where it is.” He said, beaming.

“How? The map only shows people….” Hermione said trailing off.

“It does feel good to get the better of Hermione for once!” Ron said punching the air.

“Shut up and get on with it.” Hermione said good naturedly.

“Well, the way the map works is with a number of enchantments. The enchantments make the different people in the set area visible. It works by tapping into the echo that one's soul makes on the environment, and the reverberations on the enchantments that were set to begin with.” Ron said sounding like Hermione more and more.

“So by changing the enchantment on the map, we should be able to set it and make it show partial souls. If it shows fragments of the souls, then we should be able to see a Horcrux if one is there. Because it would register as still part of Tom.” Ron finished with a very smug look on his face.

Harry had his mouth open. He was just sitting there staring at Ron's proud face. It was an amazingly well thought out idea, and it seemed flawless.

“Ron…how?” Hermione stared at Ron the same way that Harry was. For once in her life, Hermione had been totally beaten out by Ron. Especially in something like this. This was Hermione's thing, this was her forte, how had Ron come up with this, and not Hermione? It was amazing. Harry could see the gained respect for Ron immediate on her face.

“Well, I was just thinking on everything, and the map came to mind. And I got to thinking that maybe possibly I could tap it into Tom's soul. The other part about how the map works took some research. But…well, I suppose I can show you now. C'mon.” Ron turned and walked up stairs.

The only reason that Harry hadn't spent much time in his parent's room was because it was very hard for him emotionally. He had been in his room once, and that had taken a lot. Since he had to repair his own crib. He didn't let Hermione do it, like he had the other things. He had wanted to do this himself. It had taken a lot out of him, but he had placed his own room back together more or less. He hadn't been back upstairs since. He couldn't force himself to do it. That's why when he found out that Ron was spending time in his parent's room, it had surprised him. But hopefully he was about to find out why.

Ron led the way, and opened a door on the side of the hall way. Harry assumed that it would be small like the rest of the rooms in the cottage. But he was wrong. The room was huge. Book shelves lined the walls, and the four poster bed looked like it could fit eight people. A couple of desks were over in one corner, and at the moment they were both covered with papers, and notes, and parchment. It was amazing to think that Ron had done all this work on his own more or less.

“Wow.” Harry breathed, and he could Hermione gasp behind him as she caught sight of the bookshelves.

“Your mom was apparently the one who charmed all the enchantments onto the Map. We should have guessed that James and Sirius wouldn't have done it all themselves. I will have to ask Lupin about it later. Lilly was an amazing potion maker, and apparently her skill in Charms was also unbeatable. School record I believe. But that's not the point. She left detailed notes on how the map works, and what the enchantments do.” Ron explained as he gestured to the desks.

“It wasn't hard for me to read up more about it, and try to find out if I could alter the enchantments. The spell work is WAY above me, and I didn't want to destroy what we already have. So that's why I wanted Hermione to do it.” He pushed a piece of parchment to her. “That's the spell. I think you can do it.” Ron said, knowing entirely that she could.

“Ron, you did an amazing job. Lets just see if this is going to work.” Harry said, still in a awe of the room, and the work that his friend had put into this.

“Hermione, can you do it?” Harry asked, knowing full well the answer.

The look of determination, and confidence on her face was enough to give Harry his answer.

“I sure can.” She whipped out her wand, and placed the map on the desk.

With a few complex movements, and some words that Harry couldn't pronounce for the life of him. She tapped the piece of parchment. It glowed for a moment, and then returned to normal.

“There, that should do it.” She said, handing it back to Harry.

Harry smiled, and took out his own wand. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” He said.

The ink spiraled out from his wand tip like normal, and he reveled in the intricacy of what had once been his school. The walls spread out, and the castle formed itself. But for once, the black dots didn't appear. Then Harry noticed a small arrow on the map. It seemed to be pointing farther down. Right under that, there was a small green dot. The arrow and the dot seemed to be hovering over one specific spot on the map. And when Harry recognized where it was, he let out a snort of laughter.

“I should have known Tom…you are so predictable.” Harry said wryly. For the green dot was apparently directly under the girls bathroom on the second floor.

Three pops echoed outside of Hogsmead station. Harry, Ron and Hermione hadn't wasted any time in grabbing their stuff, and heading to Hogwarts. If there was a possibility that they could destroy one more Horcrux, then Harry wanted to do it as soon as possible. The walk up to Hogwarts was much shorter than Harry remembered it to be from the night of the attack. All the same, they arrived at the empty castle.

“It makes sense that he would place it in the Chamber. I mean, where else would the heir of Slytherin place a piece of his soul?” Harry commented as they climbed the steps.

The castle was cold and dark. Harry had never been here during the summer, but apparently the teachers didn't even stick around. The only movement, or sign of life was the flickering portraits. That was the only thing that seemed alive, but other than that it was a desolate building.

Walking to the bathroom was easy, and when they entered they were greeted by Moaning Myrtle sitting on the high window.

“Oh are you here to see me Harry?” She asked hopefully. “Or are you going to nearly kill someone again? That would have been nice, I would have liked him as a ghost. He was nice to me.” She said in her whimpering voice.

“No, sorry. We have something we need to take care of….” Harry said evasively.

“Where is the entrance?” Hermione asked. Harry then remembered that it had only been himself and Ron all those years ago when they had entered.

“Right here.” Harry said crouching down. He leaned over, and made the small light in the room catch the eyes. They seemed to flicker and that's when Harry spoke.

“Open.” He said in Parseltongue. The pipe immediately widened and Harry prepared to jump in. No fear of a Bastalisk in here this time. As he jumped down the chute, he distinctly heard Hermione comment on the amazingly wonderful complexity of the hidden opening.

They walked down the hallway and Harry remembered the blockage that had been there previously. This time however it was no trouble because they merely used a few `reducto' charms, and it was gone. The hall stretched on and on. The dankness hadn't changed, and again Harry contemplated that it might be under the lake. The lit wands shed some light but when they came to the second door, the torches flared to life, and Harry spoke again. The door opened and they were inside.

Harry was thankful that the walk hadn't been anything special. He didn't exactly want to be back in this particular part of the castle, but sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. The columns around him still showed signs of where he had fought those years ago, and the walls still had cracks in them. Unfortunatly though, the statue of Salazar was still intact, and still very ugly. The mouth had never really closed after the Bastalisk had been summoned out of it, but Harry wasn't worried. The skeleton the snake was still curled where it had died.

“Nasty place isn't it Hermione?” Harry asked good-naturedly.

“I concur.” Ron said from behind.

“Ron I think you need to lay off of my moms books. Your sounding very smart.” Harry joked.

“Shut it. I like being more than just a silly red haired companion.” He said, explaining his true beliefs.

“Your doing a fine job mate.” Harry said placating him.

Harry looked around, and tried to find something that he had missed the first time. There didn't seem to be a whole lot more to the room than what Harry had seen back in Second Year. But then again, Tom wouldn't have wanted them to know where it was right off of the bat right?

Then Harry remembered how he and Dumbledore had found the Locket. He walked over to the wall, and closed his eyes. Walking along it. Trying to sense some difference in the way he felt. Trying to feel some difference in his magical energy and the way it resonated. He walked around the whole room, and when Hermione spoke up to ask him what he was doing, he just waved his arm and indicated that he needed to concentrate. Finally as he came around to the base of Salazar's statue, Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, and he felt like his hands had gone to sleep. This was the spot. But how was he going to get in? What was the key?

Harry wracked his mind. Still in complete silence. If any of the three was going to figure this one out, he was going to do it. He had seen the last time. He had been there. After this they would know what to expect, but this time he needed to do it himself.

Tom liked to be different. He didn't like to be the same…. Harry thought to himself as he stared at the wall where he knew a door was hidden. Well the whole chamber had been opened on the premise of one thing. Parslemouth…Tom would want to be different.

“Open.” Harry said in plain English. Sure enough the white gateway glowed, and the door opened.

“How did you?” Hermione stuttered behind him.

“Never mind now, I will explain later.” Harry said as he stepped into the antechamber. Sure enough, just like last time, there was a pedestal. And a basin sitting atop it.

“Tom my friend, you underestimate me.” Harry growled and stepped forward towards the next Horcrux.

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AN - Oh my gosh! I am so sorry for the long wait! I didn't mean it I swear! I was just so busy…don't hate me! Please? Awww, I even made it a nice longer chappie for you! *puppy dog eyes* REVIEW!

Oh yes, BIG thanks to PhoenixFirebolt! MY NEW BETA! *claps* You rock! Thanks so much!!!!

Chapter Six: Creatures from the Dark

Harry stepped into the room, his footsteps echoing in the dank chamber. It was wet, cold, and all of the things that you would imagine about an evil hiding place. Harry wasn't at all surprised that Tom would hide a part of his soul here. It was just like him, to pick a nasty place like this. The question in Harry's mind was how Tom would have protected this one; the last set of protections nearly killed Dumbledore. How would the three of them manage to get out with it, and all of them, intact?

“Portus.” Harry picked up a rock and handed it to Hermione. “If things get bad, grab the rock and say `Godric's Hollow', and it will take you back there.” He did the same for Ron. “If I tell you two to get out….” Harry never finished the sentence.

“We aren't leaving, Harry,” Ron said very somberly. He was rarely so serious but the look that he gave Harry was something that he wasn't used to. “We aren't going to abandon you when it gets tough.”

“You'll have to get used to us, Harry,” Hermione said with a grin and a kiss on the cheek. Then she tossed the rock over her shoulder and it clattered away. She was so cute sometimes.

Harry looked around the room. It was so dark that Harry couldn't even see the corners of the ceiling and it seemed to swallow itself before you could get to the top. Harry wasn't sure if it was an enchantment or not, but it was still unnerving. He boldly stepped forward all the same, wanting to put on a good face for his friends. Of course, that was silly, since they both knew him well enough to know that he was scared out of his mind.

The pedestal in the center of the room wasn't like the other; it was easy to get to. Harry literally walked up to it without any resistance. That was a sign in his mind right off the bat.

“This was too easy. What could Tom have placed after this?” Harry asked the other two.

“I don't know, Harry, it seems that whatever came after this would have to be powerful too…it would only make sense,” Hermione said. “But, of course, I don't know if Tom would have assumed that the Basilisk was still alive. If he did assume that, then it would be redundant to have more protections, because that would be one in and of it self,” she rambled off, while she bit her lower lip.

“True, but I don't think he would have been that complacent,” Harry said. “If he had found out that someone had stolen the locket, then he would have come back and placed more protections on the others, wouldn't he?” Harry asked.

“But he didn't know that someone had taken the locket. We are the only people who know about all this, and you said that he can't tell what happens to the Horcruxes. You found the note inside the fake locket, not Voldemort,” Hermione said astutely.

Harry stepped up to the basin and looked down. Instead of a green potion there, he found a blood red liquid. He knew that the cup was down there, he could see it glinting under the red potion. What was it? He tried to touch it with his hand and, surprisingly, his hand came within an inch of it without any resistance. He could touch it if he wanted to.

“Evanesco!” Harry said, trying to clean it away. But nothing happened. He tried all the different things that Dumbledore had tried and a few others that Hermione had thought up. Nothing worked. The only thing he could come up with was to try to reach in and touch the cup.

“I think I am going to have to just reach in and take it. I don't like it, but I think it's the only solution,” Harry said glumly. “When I touch the stuff, I want you two to be checking my back, and keep a close eye. I don't know what this will trigger.” As he finished, he pulled back his sleeve.

His hand dipped into the thick liquid, and with a cold shock he realized what it was. Blood. With a swift snatch, he grabbed the cup and yanked it out. His arm was covered in blood up to his elbow, but he had the cup in his hand now. He shrunk it and stuffed it into his pocket. That was about the time that Hermione screamed.

Bats started to fly around their heads, darting down from the ceiling and landing on the floor around them. The darkness was filled with them. But before they fully touched the ground, they transformed.

Vampires.

Harry looked at the blood on his hand and knew that it was a trap.

“Harry, we have to leave!” Ron said aptly.

“Thanks, Ron, for the situation assessment,” Harry said darkly. He pulled out his wand, but he wasn't sure what was going to help him against the undead.

“Where did that Portkey go?” Harry asked.

“I threw it away! We aren't leaving you!” Hermione said back.

“It would have been nice for all three of us though!” Harry said sharply, as he thought of how that was dumb of her to do. “We don't have time now!”

He started firing curses at the growing number of Vampires, but they just kept coming. The curses and stunners seemed to slow them down, but not enough. When the curses hit them, they seemed to stumble a bit, almost as if they tripped and got clumsy. It was comic to watch them stagger around and falter, but that also triggered something in Harry's mind.

“Riddikulus!” Harry shouted as loud as he could. The vampire that he had pointed his wand at, shuddered a moment and popped. It was gone. They weren't really vampires, they were boggarts. But a boggart could be just as dangerous. Harry remembered the dementors from third year.

Tom must have had a stroke of genius. It would have been difficult to keep this many real vampires trapped up in a cave for so long. So what was the next best thing? Something that would turn into vampires. They must have been enchanted to always transform into the same thing. Harry wasn't sure how that had all worked, but some how Tom had rigged this trap….

“They are only boggarts!”

But the biggest problem was that three people could not dispel a thousand boggarts by themselves, it just wasn't going to happen. Harry glanced around looking for an escape and a sudden idea struck him. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he could try.

“Cover me for a moment!” Harry yelled, and Ron and Hermione got closer, covering him for a short minute.

Swiftly, Harry bent down and sliced off a piece of the pedestal. The rock fell away and he quickly transfigured it into a many sided crystal. It was gorgeous, but that wasn't what he wanted it for. Harry quickly tossed it fifty feet into the air and charmed it to stay there. The boggarts still had to retain the properties of the vampire, even though it was not their true nature.

“LUMOS HALEM!!” Harry screamed, pointing straight at the fake crystal that he had made. The flare that fired out of his wand was so bright that he had to look away. The beam of light went from his wand right into the crystal and refracted the light all around the dark room. The highest corners were lit up as much as if it was full day light.

In blasts of smoke, the vampires/boggarts disappeared.

“Brilliant, mate!” Ron said, looking up at the sparkling crystal.

With a wave of his wand, the crystal fell and Harry caught it. It went into his pocket too, as a reminder that nothing is what it seems to be.

Back at Godric's Hollow, the trio stretched out, trying to relax. They were all in the living room, and on the table in front of them was the cup. What they were going to do with it still remained a mystery. None of them were really sure of how to `destroy' a part of someone's soul.

“I suppose we could try destroying the cup?” Ron asked. They kept tossing ideas around and this one kept coming back.

“I don't know, Ron, that seems like it would just release whatever was trapped in there,” Hermione said, sounding doubtful.

“I really don't know. Both ways seem to have benefits,” Harry said, trying to take the good from both sides. “I don't know how to get the soul out. The only logical thing to do would be to AK it. But wouldn't that tear my soul apart too?” Harry asked hypothetically.

“I don't know. Does everyone who has used the killing curse have a torn soul? Or does that only happen when you use it to purposely place your soul in a horcrux?” Hermione asked, sounding unsure.

“I think the best bet is to just treat it as if it was Voldemort. I mean, if I saw him, I would AK him without thinking, torn soul or not.” Harry said staring at the ceiling. His feet were resting over the top of the couch and he was lying upside down. It was actually very comfortable.

“Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just think that this could have side effects that we haven't researched enough yet….” Hermione said in her lecture tone.

“We can't look at it that way though. So far we know more about Horcruxes than any book at all. The only person that knows more than us right now is Tom. And that doesn't help much. So researching more isn't going to do anything,” Ron said plainly.

“All right, I give up,” Harry said sitting up with a jerk. He pulled his wand out of the waist band of his jeans and pointed it at the cup. “Avada Kedavra!” Harry yelled.

Nothing happened.

“You have to mean it, Harry. It's the same way that you couldn't keep the curse on Lestrange. You have to mean it when you curse it,” Hermione said quietly. It was hard to coach someone into using an Unforgivable curse properly.

With a sigh, Harry closed his eyes. He thought of the way his parents had died. He thought of the way Sirius had died. He thought of the way Tom had killed them all. With a growl of anger he opened his eyes and whipped his wand up.

He didn't even need to say the words. So strong was his hatred and anger at Tom that he did it wordlessly. A rushing noise filled his ears and the green blast flew at the cup. The gold workings of it disintegrated under the blast and a shimmering red cloud formed out from it. The green curse overtook that too, and it was gone in a second.

“I think it worked. How do you feel, Harry?” Hermione asked, looking worriedly at him.

“I don't know how I feel. I feel bad using that much hatred and anger to do that. But I know it was the right thing…I don't think that my soul is torn though,” he said, trying to analyze himself.

“I don't like it, mate. I really hated that look on your face. You looked like…well, like you could kill. Not pretty,” Ron said, trying to find the right words.

“I know, Ron, but it was the only way that I could use the curse. And I think it worked,” Harry said, trying to convince not only Ron, but himself too. It was hard to think that he had just performed the most evil curse that someone could use.

“I still think that we should find another way to do it,” Ron said, staring out the window. “Ever since I was a kid, I was taught that using hate and magic at the same time was not allowed, it would just make the spell dangerous. It just seems so wrong to me to use that curse, and the hatred behind it.” He finished looking right at Harry.

“I understand, Ron, but…I don't know if there is any other way to destroy Tom. And personally, I want him gone forever, not just for a while,” Harry said darkly.

“Yeah, I suppose you're right. But I still think we need to do some more research….” As the words dropped from his mouth, a grin split Harry's and Hermione's faces at the same time.

“So you want to study?” Hermione asked with a bite. She was going to enjoy this.

“Uhhh. Yeah. I suppose,” Ron said shuffling his feet.

“Good, I am glad I taught you something.” Hermione let him off the hook awfully easy. Harry was looking forward to seeing her tear down on Ron, but she was playing kind tonight.

Ron yawned. “Right then, I am off to bed. I'm whipped. Have a good night you two,” Ron said with a wink to Harry.

Harry looked out the window and realized that it was now night time. The time had flown by today and now he was feeling the weakness too.

“Harry,” Hermione purred. A suggestive smile caused him to walk over to her in less than a second.

“Did I do the right thing?” Harry asked, looking right into her eyes, inches from her face.

“Yes, Harry, I think you did. Now kiss me,” she said, the firelight reflecting in her eyes.

“As you command.” The rest of the night was lost to the both of them.

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AN - Thank you all for your votes in the competition! I know we didn't make it to the end, but that's ok! This has been a joy to write, and I am not done yet! So, here is your newest chapter. I think I have taken on a more contemporary view of the Trio. I just think that ignoring the muggle world is stupid, so I have taken a little into account here. Hope you all enjoy it. Oh! And there will be some action coming up in the next chapter!!!

Again, A HUGE thanks to my beta, because she rocks. Believe me; this chapter would be hard to read without her! Thanks PhoenixFirebolt!!!!! *hugs*

Chapter Seven: To Be or Not To Be

Harry sat on the couch in the living room staring at the thick parchment envelopes in his hands. They had the Hogwarts seal on them, and Harry knew what they were. He had expected this; the last few weeks of protection were coming to a close. Harry knew before hand that the three of them only had a short time in which they could be safe. Once Tom realized that they weren't in school, he would start looking for them. So the time was coming when it would be open war fare and open searching for the golden Trio.

Harry knew that the letters were eventually going to come, but the part that he hadn't expected was the small bulges in two of them. Well, he had expected one of them, but definitely not two. Hermione's letter had the telltale bulge in it that told Harry that she had been made Head Girl. No surprise there. The surprise was the bulge in his envelope. He was already Quidditch Captain so that meant that he had also been made a head student. But why would McGonagall make him Head Boy? It didn't add up, but still, it posed a problem.

“You know where these letters came from and we knew that they would come,” Harry said, as he looked up at his friends. “You can go back, if you want. I understand. But I am sticking by my choice, I can't go back there.” He carefully placed his letter on the coffee table. “Even if I did make Head Boy,” Harry finished lamely.

“Oh Harry!” Hermione said, quickly hugging him. “That's wonderful!”

“And you made Head Girl, of course,” Harry replied with a smile.

“No surprise there!” Ron chortled. “But why did you make Head Boy, Harry?” he asked skeptically.

“I think it's because they want me to be a kind of shield for the school. They want it to look good,” Harry said exasperatedly.

“Good point. But it doesn't matter. None of us are going back,” Hermione said, staring at her letter.

Harry knew how hard it was for her to do that. He knew that she had wanted to be Head Girl since she started school seven years ago. It wasn't fair that Harry's circumstances had changed all of that. Because of Harry, she wasn't going to fulfill one of her dreams.

“Hermione, I know you want to go. You've wanted to be Head Girl since you were eleven,” Harry said, feeling horrible. “I hate to think that I am holding you back.”

“Don't even go there, Harry, you know I make my own decisions. I just think that it would be wise for us to stay away from Hogwarts this year. We'd only bring trouble,” Hermione said, Ron nodding in agreement for once.

“Thanks, you two. It means a lot,” Harry said, smiling lopsidedly at them. “I've also been thinking; our protection is up. Tom is going to come after us soon. Once we aren't at school, he's going to know something is up, and my first bet is he is going to start taking Horcrux inventory.” Harry looked back and forth between his friends.

“Good point, Harry, but I don't think Tom is going to come after us immediately. It's not the way he plays. He's going to try to drag us out, rather than wasting resources trying to find us,” Ron said, putting on the same face that he always did during a chess game. His talents clearly lay in planning out strategies. “I think he is going to try to strike at people close to us. If he can get us riled up enough to come out of hiding, then he has us as good as any other time,” he finished, looking up.

He had a smile on, but it wasn't the same smile that Harry had looked at for seven years. This was a Ron that he had never really met, but always knew was there. There was a part of Ron that had never really grown up, the immature part of him that had always kept him in a perpetually boyish stage of life. But recently, that had changed. He was finally growing into the person that he was supposed to be. He was changing into the man that would finally step out of the shadow of his brothers.

Harry really felt that Ron was finally coming into his own, no longer being hidden by the incredible accomplishments of his brothers. Part of the reason that he had stayed there so long was because he was too wrapped up in the drama of the situation; he had always felt bad for himself. This year though, it seemed that he was dragging himself up and realizing that life was only what you made of it. And Harry thought that Ron had finally started to make his life into what he wanted. He was proud of his friend.

“I think you're…right….” Hermione said with a grimace on her face. She looked down at her shoes and then laughed. “I actually agreed with him!” She said through her giggles.

Soon Ron was laughing, too, and Harry was also. Partly because it was funny, and partly because he was glad that his days as mediator were over. Finally they could function as a team rather than two against one all the time. It was all clicking into place.

“Ok, so who are our victims?” Harry asked, once they had all simmered down somewhat.

“Well, I think it would be obvious that my parents are high on the list. They are just prime subjects. I should talk to them and see if I can get them out of the house for a while,” Hermione said calmly.

“Maybe I should go to the Burrow for the afternoon and talk to my family? `Course, I think that they are more prepared than any other wizarding family in Britain,” Ron said, but Harry nodded to him all the same.

“It would be good to talk to them about it anyways. Besides, I'm sure that they all want to see you again,” Harry said. “But what about me? I am totally alone right now. Dumbledore is gone and so is everyone else that was close to me. Remus is safe in his own way. As dangerous as his position is, he is still safe….” Harry said, trying to figure out who would be the target.

“Don't think that you have a different target, Harry. Consider it. Our families are most likely your target, too. What would hurt you the most? If one of us was in pain like that, it would cause you almost as much suffering,” Hermione said softly.

Harry had to agree with her, but it didn't make him feel any better. Now he was worried about his friends' families. But then again, hadn't they always been in danger? Harry let the thought process end there.

“Okay, well, we can all go to both the houses today. It would be a good idea to give them plenty of heads up,” Harry said. But before he could even get up from the couch, the fireplace burst into flames, and Fred's head appeared. Or was it George's?

“Heya, Harry! How's it goin'?” He asked in a jovial tone. “Had enough of my brother yet?” He laughed a little and smiled.

“Hey, you! Wait till I get my hands on you!” Ron said, but the threat was lost as he smiled at his brother.

“We're fine. What do you need?” Harry asked, curious to why they would call.

“Well, we finished some new projects at the shop and we figured that you three would love a look at them. They aren't pranks though, this is the good stuff, and all the things the Ministry is begging us to sell them.” He smiled mischievously.

“Really!? That's great. Can we come down today? We have some other errands to run, but we could stop there first,” Harry said hurriedly.

“Sure, Harry, any time! We'll see you this afternoon then!” George's head disappeared. Or was it Fred's?

Harry wondered what kind of things the Twins had cooked up this time. He hoped that they were as useful as the shield hats and the like.

“Let's get going; I don't want to spend all day out. I don't think it would be good for us to be in public too much,” Harry said, and Hermione nodded her agreement. “We can go to the shop first. Meet you there?” Harry asked, and after another affirmative nod, they all disapparated.

They all apparated outside the shop with a loud crack. A number of witches and wizards pulled out their wands at the noise. Everyone seemed extremely on edge, but that was better than everyone ignoring the obvious facts.

The shop was entirely different now, no longer being a joke shop. From the looks of it, it seemed that most of the jokes had been transformed into defense objects, or better put, they were all useful for the war now. There seemed to be a joke section in the back, but now the most prominent items were the defensive ones.

“Hey, guys!” Fred said from the back. The only reason that Harry knew which twin had addressed him was because he was wearing a name tag.

“Come around back, I think you will like the packs that we have cooked up for you,” George added from his brother's side.

The three followed him around back and when they got to the room, they were greeted with a table. The table had three small backpacks on it, but Harry knew better now not to judge things based on appearance anymore.

“These are our backpacks that we have improved for you. The packs are charmed so that way they can never be filled, and when you reach in and think of what you are looking for, it jumps to your hand,” Fred explained.

“Wicked!” Ron exclaimed. Harry had to agree.

“There are all sorts of things in them already. Of course, there are the shield hats and gloves. Darkness powder, and, incase of an incident like last year, there is also Light Powder now. It instantly reverses the effects of the darkness powder. But that isn't for sale so no one can get a hold of that except for you three. Let the Death Biters think they have the upper hand with that.” George smiled wickedly.

“There are also mini potion kits in there along with some pre-made potions. Veritaserum, Polyjuice, Antidotes, and some other dangerous potions. I figured that would appeal to Hermione.” This was true because her eyes had lit up at the thought of having some of those potions made right away. “Oh, yeah, and there is some Felix Felicis in there, too, for that extra boost,” Fred added.

“Excellent, that will come in handy,” Harry said, remembering what it felt like to be filled with the Luck potion.

“We went through the liberty to buy you each an extra wand. Obviously, it won't work as well as your original, but it will work. We had one of our friends use some of your DNA and match you with the wand, so don't worry.”

“How did you manage to get some of our DNA?” Harry asked curiously.

“You think that you spent time at our home and we didn't prepare for all of this?” George responded as Fred laughed. Harry should have known that this had been in the works for a while.

“Oh, and these are really neat, too,” Fred said, pulling three cell phones from the drawer in a desk. Harry knew what they were, but Ron was confused.

“These are communication devices. They have an extendable ear in there, but it has been charmed to work in ordinance with the other phones. You can get in contact with the other phones any time.” The phones that he handed them were small, being standard flip phones, but when Harry opened his, on the screen it said `Chosen One'.

“What's the inscription for?” Harry asked.

“Well, that is your code name so you don't give too much info out by accident. Hermione and Ron have them, too.”

Hermione giggled when she looked at hers. “I'm `Bookworm,'” she said with a smile.

“I am `The King',” Ron said, and busted out laughing.

“Yes, we picked the names nicely I think; they all fit you, but make sure to use them. And that is also how you place a `call'. You say the other's code name and it will link to that phone so that way not just anyone can use the phone,” Fred finished. “I think they could be quite useful.”

“I agree. This will make things easier all around. You guys amaze me,” Harry said, tucking his phone into his pocket.

“There are some distraction bugs in there, too. You might be in a situation where you need that. That's about all that is in the bags though. I wanted to show you the last items,” Fred said, his face going solemn.

George turned and took something off a shelf, and when he turned back to the three teens, he had three guns in his hand. They were totally black handguns. Harry had seen them in movies like The Godfather and such. The guns were average size, and from the looks of them, they packed a punch. When George handed it to him, it felt very light, as light as his wand. It must have been charmed that way.

Hermione on the other hand looked at the gun with some very obvious disgust on her face.

“What's the problem?” Harry asked his girlfriend before he let George continue.

“I don't like guns. My uncle killed himself with a handgun just like that. I've never felt the same about those things since then,” She said, looking away.

“Hermione, these are no different from our wands. If this gives us an upper hand, don't you think that it would be worth it?” Harry said, trying to convince her.

“Yes, I suppose, but what do we need them for? What is the difference between them and our wands?” Hermione asked, looking at George critically.

“Well, these are for many purposes. The guns have three settings; stun, kill, and Silver. The silver function is incase you find yourself face to face with a werewolf. The silver bullet will kill him instantly, in human form or not.” The grimace on Fred's face was evident. What had happened to his brother only months before must have still stung. “The stun setting obviously fires a full power stunner. Normally that wouldn't be anything special, but if you keep pulling the trigger, it fires them out really fast. The kill setting fires out an AK. Granted, you still are going to need the hatred to fire the curse, the gun doesn't do that for you, and it will still take away from your magical energy. But the point is that it's silent, fast, and just as effective. When you're charging a building, it might be nice to have this in your hand rather than your wand,” George finished.

“Let me give you a demo,” Fred said, and took Harry's gun. With a flick of his finger, he put it on stun setting and the glass window on the barrel started to glow red. He spun on his heel and pointed it at a dummy in the corner. He pulled the trigger three times; three bright orange-red blasts fired out of the gun and hit the target all in the head. The stunners had almost over ridden each other, that's how fast they had come out of the gun.

“It will do that just as fast for the AK's, but like I said you still need the hatred behind it to make it work.”

“Ok, so I concede that they would be a good asset to us. If they can fire that fast then they are definitely an upper hand against the Death Eaters,” Hermione said, caving. Even she had to be impressed with an item like that. Harry smiled. He knew that logic would win his girl over.

“That is really great,” Ron said, looking at them with awe. He, of course, had never heard of guns before. The entire concept was all new to him.

“That is amazing and I can't thank you two enough for all of this. These will make a lot of things easier. How much do I owe you for all this?” Harry asked.

“Nothing. Kill that bastard for us and you get all the free stuff you want,” Fred said with a bite to his tone. He was serious.

On their way out of the shop, the twins fitted all three of them with holsters for their guns. The sleek black backpacks fitted on their backs were small and light. The guns fit on one hip, while their wands fit on the other. The second wand was tucked into a secret holster on their calf. In essence, they were totally decked out with weapons. Harry found a small problem though.

“If we just wear all this stuff, don't you think that we will be drawing attention?” He said, looking at Ron covered with black holsters.

“Good point! Well, here.” Fred took the pack and shrunk it. It was about pocket size now, and it easily slipped into a compartment on Harry's belt.

“That's great, but I am still covered with weapons,” Harry pointed out. Ron laughed.

“Doesn't it feel good to have this much firepower? I feel like I could take out ol' Tommy now!” Ron said. Hermione cut him off however.

“Do you have anything we could wear to cover all this? A robe or something?” She asked curiously.

“We could give them the prototypes of the shield robes,” George added to Fred. Fred smiled in return and disappeared into the back room. When he came back he had three sleek black sets of robes.

“These things have the same properties as the shield hats do, except they cover your whole body. They should be able to block most curses, well, anything short of the Unforgivables,” Fred said as he fitted them.

“I like these!” Ron said as it slipped around his shoulders. Harry, again, had to agree with Ron's assessment.

“These will make us slip into the crowd more. Thanks, you two,” Hermione said to them appreciatively.

“Remember, you three, you are the only ones with this stuff. So make sure to use it well, okay? They won't know what hit them,” Fred said as they were leaving.

“Good luck, we are all depending on you,” George said as he closed the door to the shop.

The three teens in sleek black robes hiding their weapons, walked away. After a few silent steps, Harry spoke. “How about you go to the Burrow, Ron. Hermione and I will take care of her parents. Spend some time with your mum, she's going to need it. Be back at Godric's Hollow at six and call on the wireless if anything happens,” Harry said, and Ron nodded.

“I suppose this means that none of us are going to be head students, huh?” Ron said with a grin. Harry laughed.

“No, I suppose not.” He smiled and looked at Hermione. She smiled back and took his arm. A moment later, all three of them were gone.

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AN - Okies! Here is your action! This chapter is longer than most, and I am hoping that is a sign of things to come. I want to start writing longer chapters sooo, hopefully this is the first of many. I am starting to fall into the main plot line now, so be prepared for some more stuff. For once I know what I want to do with the story, so we are getting rolling now! I hope you like what I did with this chapter, and I know it is slightly a cliffy, but it had to be done. I will have the next chapter up VERY soon anyways. I am actually getting ahead in the writing, so I will have a new chap for you soon. So that way you don't have to wait too long. (I hope you all aren't going to hate me for what I do next….)

Thank you so much, PhoenixFirebolt, I totally love you. You have helped me soooo much with this story so far. And I can't say it enough. You absolutely rock! This story wouldn't be where it is at without you! *hugs*

And without further ado!

Chapter Eight: A Little Bit of a Big Fight.

Harry and Hermione appeared outside of her parents' house in an instant. He hated side-along apparition, but it was the only way he could have gotten to Hermione's house. The cracks that they created echoed around the yard and Harry took account of the surroundings, a hand resting on his new pistol. He had yet to come up with a name for the guns, but having his hand on the cold metal made him feel better. For some reason, the fact that he would be able to fire off a stunner faster than any other wizard made Harry feel very comfortable walking around. Even though he hadn't even pulled the gun out of the holster, he knew that it would find his hand if he needed it.

Hermione's house was as Harry remembered it from the months before. The sight of it made her sigh, showing it must feel good to have a place to come home to. Harry wouldn't know, of course. Maybe it was because they hadn't left Godric's Hollow for a few weeks, but Harry got a strange feeling as they walked towards the door. Reaching down, Harry pulled out his gun and switched it to stun. Hermione looked at him strangely, but Harry shrugged and kept it out. Something wasn't right, and a long time ago, Harry had learned to trust his instincts. Normally, they were the thing that saved the day. As Hermione reached out to open the door, Harry slapped her hand away and leaned against the door. Sure enough, he got that tingling sensation; someone had just used magic there.

“Get your gun out. I think we have trouble,” Harry said through gritted teeth.

“But…” Hermione started.

“Just do it,” Harry cut her off.

Once she had her gun out, Harry turned and kicked the door in. It shattered under his foot and they were witness to a scene which Harry would have preferred them not to have seen Inside the elegant living room that he remembered, were two screaming muggles; Hermione's parents. Somewhere among his thought process, Harry was grateful for the fact that they were still screaming. It meant that they weren't dead yet. Swinging his gun to the side, Harry pulled the trigger three times and stunned the Death Eater standing there instantly, with enough force to throw him into the opposite wall. As Harry fired the stunner bolts, he could feel the gun tap into his magical ability and take some out of him, the same way a spell did. The Death Eater didn't even have a moment to blink before he was smashed against the wall. Harry smiled grimly, liking the new weapon.

Hermione, on the other hand, had whipped her gun around to aim at the other Death Eaters that were standing in the kitchen area beyond and the ones staring in a sort of awe at Harry. In the moment of confusion, she fired off about ten stunners and within a few seconds more anyone who wasn't stunned had apparated away. As the Death Eaters had one by one fell unconscious to the ground, the curse had lifted off of her parents. They were breathing heavily on the ground, but they were still alive. Hermione quickly holstered her gun and pulled out her wand. Muttering the incantations for different wards around the house, they bubbled into place immediately before she made sure her parents were okay. Hermione was always cool and collected about things, and very rarely did she go in to hysterics mode, but she now couldn't control herself.

“Mum! Dad!” She basically screamed as she threw herself down near them. She wrapped them both in a hug and there was a little crying going on from all three.

“Oh, Hermione, we thought that if they were here that meant that they had killed you! We were so scared. Then they used that terrible curse on us. I don't think I have ever hurt that bad!” Hermione's mother said, as she wrapped her arms around her hysterical daughter. “It's okay, we're fine now,” she said, trying to comfort Hermione.

Hermione's father stood up though, still shaking slightly from the effects of the curse, and the whole time looking Harry directly in the eye. For a split second, Harry thought that Mr. Granger was about to call him down for something, but that never came.

“Harry,” he said, extending his hand, “I can't thank you enough right now. Obviously, for our own lives, but you seem to have protected Hermione as well. I can't think of anyone better to place my daughter with.”

Harry took the extended hand. “It was nothing really. But I have to admit I would do anything for your daughter. Without her, I would be more lost than I care to admit,” he replied, never taking his eyes off of Mr. Granger's.

“Good,” he answered and nodded in approval.

“Hermione, how did they get here before us? Was it coincidence? Or was someone following us in Diagon Ally?” Harry personally had some ideas of which of the two it was, but he wanted her opinion as well. She stood up from the floor and dried some of her tears.

“I think we might have been followed. Voldemort knew where Godric's Hollow was once, why wouldn't he know again? He probably has been waiting for us to leave for a while. We need to be more careful, Harry,” she said chokingly, as she still was trembling from the sight of her parents being tortured.

“Harry, thank you,” her mother croaked out.

Harry kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder. “No problem, Ma'am,” he said comfortingly, smiling again.

“'Mione, finish explaining to them everything, I'm going to test out the phone.” She nodded and Harry walked down the hall.

“'The King,'” Harry said into the cell phone. It buzzed to life and Harry placed it to his ear.

“Harry?” Ron's voice came from the other side, sounding extremely distressed. “We have trouble here, mate. Death Eaters are all over the village and my family is in the middle of it! They're everywhere! We managed to back them up into the village, but they are overwhelming us!” he said. Harry could hear commotion in the background as well.

“We had the same problem. We took care of it, but it sounds like you have a bigger problem than we did,” Harry said back.

“Yeah, some help would be nice,” Ron answered. He sounded cold and distant. Not something Harry was used to hearing from Ron. But then again, Ron had never had to fight alongside his family in a life or death battle.

“We'll be there in a minute. Keep safe,” Harry said to his friend.

“You too, mate,” The click was evident as the call was canceled.

Harry walked back down the hall, trying to decide what to do. They had Hermione's parents who needed protection, and then they had Ron and his family who needed help. Harry made a last minute decision.

“Portus,” He said with his wand in his hand. The clock on the table glowed blue for a moment, and Harry walked into the living room.

“We're leaving. You have two minutes to grab anything really important.” He stressed the words so that he knew this needed to be quick. “Hermione, Ron's house was attacked, too, but it sounds like they have a bigger force there, he needs help. Your parents are going to have to come, too. I have the portkey set for the Burrow's backyard. They can hide in the house while we help Ron and everyone else.” It was more of a statement than a question. They didn't have time to do anything else.

“We don't need anything. We have our daughter with us, that's all we will need,” her father said, her mother nodding in agreement.

“Mr. Granger…” Harry started.

“Dan, call me Dan,” Dan Granger replied.

“Dan, this is important. You may never come back here, is that okay?” Harry asked.

“Material possessions mean nothing right now. We understand,” his wife added.

“Thanks, mum,” Hermione said quietly.

Harry held out the clock and they all touched it when he motioned for it. The familiar tug behind his navel was only a moment behind.

The Burrow came quickly into view, and Harry took a good look at his surroundings. He wanted to make sure this was safe before he just dropped off Hermione's parents. Harry had the gun in his hand, but Hermione had her wand out. When they walked in, she mumbled something, and her wand glowed green.

“There isn't anyone with ill intentions in the house,” she said to Harry. He smiled at the brilliant idea that his girlfriend had.

“Excellent. Mrs. Granger….”

“Emma!” she said, correcting him just like her husband had.

“Right, Dan, Emma. Go upstairs and stay in one of the rooms, away from the windows. Keep safe,” he said quickly, and hurried into the living room, Hermione close behind.

“'Mione, be careful out here, okay?” He asked tentatively.

She smiled in response before leaning up and kissed him. “Don't worry, Harry, I will. Let's go.” They both left the house together.

The front yard of the Burrow was torn apart. It was evident that there had been quite a show there. Harry could see curses flying some way down the road and whoever it was using an overturned bunch of trees as a base. It looked like they were holding the Death Eaters away from the houses that were nearest. It was hard since there were plenty of Death Eaters. Harry started to sprint once he realized what was going on, Hermione right at his heels. Both had their guns in their hands now as they were dashing for the clump of trees. When they got there, Ron grinned at them.

“Finally decided to show up, eh?” He asked.

“Yeah, I made time in my schedule,” Harry said offhandedly, as he fired his gun out into the charging Death Eaters. Three fell instantly as he and Hermione joined the fray. “Is everyone okay here?” Harry asked, afraid of the answer.

“Yeah, they were well prepared for all of this,” Ron said, aiming and firing off some more stunner bolts.

“Good.” Harry leaned down behind the tree as a yellow curse blew over his shoulder. The blue defensive shield shimmered around his body as the robes took some of the hit, giving Harry an idea. “You two stay here while I go and distract them. They don't know I have the shield robes on. I'll do some damage and distract them, while you two can pick them off from here. Good?” Harry asked his two partners.

“Sounds good! But remember the robes can only take so much.” Hermione cautioned as she ducked a nasty looking purple curse. “You should have the upper hand though, you have the gun.” She smiled good luck.

Dashing out, Harry looked like he was going out there without anything to protect him. So, naturally, every Death Eater turned their wands on him. That was the plan, of course. Once that happened, Hermione and Ron would be able to nail them from behind. As Harry started to dive and roll to avoid curses, he watched as some of them fell from behind. Wielding his gun the whole time, Harry fired bolts off in every direction. Some of his shots got deflected, but a moment later, a Death Eater normally fell prey to one of the defenders behind Harry.

As Harry fought, he saw some other Aurors and Order members fighting, too, each wrapped up in their own duel. Harry felt really strange being in the middle of it all and holding his own. The gun enabled him to fight more than one person at once. Rather than taking on one person in a duel, he could keep firing, and fight as many Death Eaters at a time as he needed to. Maybe he wasn't as helpless as he thought. But, of course, with every perfect plan, there was a snag.

In Harry's peripheral view, he could see Ginny dueling with a Death Eater. There were tons of Aurors and Order members doing the same all around, and yet Ginny's stood out to him. He could see Ron and Hermione firing off spells from the woods. He could see everything that was going on. All the while, he was fighting his own battles, but yet at the same time, he was very conscious of Ginny. Why he was paying so much attention to her battle wasn't clear to Harry at the moment, but all the same, he was. Unfortunately, Ginny's battle wasn't going well; she wasn't trained to fight off Unforgivable curses. She wasn't prepared to take their intensity, though it wasn't her fault, she just hadn't grown up yet.

Stunned Death Eaters fell under Harry's assault all the time and their number was rapidly fading. Just as Harry found an opening to escape from his own battle, he watched as a sickly colored yellow beam shot out of a Death Eater's wand. The beam made a solid connection with Ginny's chest and she crumpled to the ground screaming a horrible noise. It was terrible to Harry's ears. Spinning low, he ducked under one Death Eater and aimed his gun. The stunner bolt flew out and hit true. The Death Eater fell and the curse was broken. Harry dashed over to Ginny as fast as he could. In his haste to make sure that she was okay, and to get to her side, he failed to notice the Death Eater behind him.

“Ginny,” Harry breathed. “Are you okay?” She slowly started to respond, than all of a sudden her eyes shot open. It was then that Harry realized his mistake. Faster than Harry could move, Ginny did. She launched off of the ground and dove between Harry and the devastating looking purple flame. The flame caught her across the chest and tore open her skin. Blood flew from it and Harry was so stunned for a moment he couldn't even see straight. Then his body went into overdrive. For in that split second he knew who was behind the Death Eater's mask.

The finger on his right hand flicked the switch and changed the gun in his hands from a stunning weapon to a killing machine. Harry felt distant from his body, like he wasn't in control. The purple beam that had just maimed Ginny brought back memories. In Harry's mind, he saw Hermione fall again and again as the same curse flicked out and sliced her. He saw the lifelessness in her face. It blinded him, rage filling his mind. But then there was a part of him that wasn't rage, it was love. It seemed like a conflicting emotion at the moment. But his love for Hermione, and even for Ginny to some extent, was flowing from him. That was why he was in the battle, it was why he was there; for the people he loved. That was why he had to do the things he did.

All this came to Harry's mind in a split second. He realized everything that his life was about, everything that mattered to him. It all crashed down on him in a second. And in that same same second, while mixed emotions were running through him, Harry pulled the trigger. For a moment he didn't know what had happened. The barrel of the gun went from the red stun color, to the green killing color, to a bright pulsating blue. It was such a radiant color that it almost drew Harry's attention. Unknown to Harry though, his eyes had taken on the same color. The bright emerald that was normal to him had morphed into the same blue that was being displayed on his weapon. Then everything stopped. The rushing noise came to Harry's ears, and he watched as the electric blue curse smashed into the Death Eater's chest.

Then all was quiet for Harry. The man in the pitch black cloak who he knew to be Dolohov fell down dead. The color drained out of the gun and it turned back to green, as did Harry's eyes. Then a sort of draining effect seemed to take on Harry's body. He felt like something about him was missing now. Of course, his first thought was his soul. Had he torn it? Was it gone now?

Then Harry heard the distinct pops of disapparition. He didn't care though. He knelt down to the small girl in front of him. That was all she was, a small girl that was in over her head, a small girl who was heartsick over someone who would never be hers. She was a small girl who had possibly just died.

The Weasley family came over and before Harry could say anything Mr. Weasley spoke.

“She needs to get to St. Mungo's. We will talk about things later, Harry.” And with that, the whole seven person family was gone. Harry knew without looking that Ron was gone, too. He loved his sister dearly, even after all that she had put them through.

Harry didn't move though, he couldn't. He stayed there on the ground and remained motionless. He knew things were going on around him. Death Eaters were being tied up and taken away, people were being identified, but he didn't care. A sinking sensation was coming over him. Ginny could be dead. Why? For him. She had seen her mistake and had thrown herself in front of a deadly curse for him. She could be dead. One more stacked onto Harry's guilt list. How many more people could he lose? How many would die because of Harry's incapability's? All of a sudden, the weight that had a moment ago seemed bearable, was now crashing down on him with the weight of a mountain troll.

How could he do this? How could he save the world all by himself? Then a cool, delicate hand touched his shoulder. He knew without turning around who it was.

“You're not alone, Harry,” she whispered. “And it's not your fault.”

“Can you read minds?” Harry asked, slightly bitter. Even though she was right, it wasn't the moment.

“No, but I know you. I know how your guilt complex works,” she continued softly.

“Thanks. I appreciate that…but what just happened?” Harry asked looking at his hands and the gun still lying between his knees. It looked so cold and cruel now. It had taken a life. Harry had taken a life. “I killed him, Hermione….” Harry whispered.

“Yes, but you did it for the right reasons.”

“Is there ever a right reason to kill someone?” Harry asked wisely. “Who are we to decide who is deserving of life?”

“Very true. We aren't. But who would have died? Would he have taken that second chance with you? Would he have spared you? Obviously, he didn't do that for Ginny. Would he have done that with you?” Hermione asked, kneeling next to him.

“No.” Harry answered sullenly.

“Exactly.”

Harry stared at the gun on the ground. How could he pick it up and continue to do what he had to do, knowing what it cost him. Now he knew the toll that it took, the things that he risked, the things he sacrificed. The weight of taking that burden was huge. And yet, he still leaned down and picked up the gun and holstered it. This was his fight, his responsibility to finish this, and that was something that he could not turn away from. He could not turn a blind eye away from that and neglect the greater need. Maybe he had a saving people thing, but that was about to save the world.

Harry stood, but that hand never left his shoulder. It stayed there, much the same way that Harry knew she would always be there for him.

“Thanks, Hermione. You're right, as usual. It still hurts though,” he said.

“I know, and I want to talk about what happened. Last time I checked, the killing curse was green. What was that that you used?” She asked as if she was in class.

“I have no idea. We will talk about that later though,” he said as an Auror approached him.

“Mr. Potter, sir, I would just like to thank you for your assistance today. My name is Gabriel Madalin, I am the head of the Auror department. I don't know what we would have done without you and your team. You have two very well trained friends there. I saw the way your team fought today, and I couldn't help but notice that you were held back somewhat,” the tall man said. Harry looked him over and noticed that he had slick salt and pepper hair that was smoothed back. The scars that crisscrossed some of his face didn't seem out of place with the combat suite that he wore. He did his job and there were no butts about it.

“Held back? How?” Harry asked, intrigued about what the man meant. He was interested by what he had to say, but as always he was wary of anyone who worked for the Ministry.

“Well, you three were still using stunners. A few weeks ago a law was passed that the Auror department had license to kill Death Eaters. That, of course, allows us to AK them without getting penalized. I am sorry to see the war come to this point, but all the same,” Gabriel said, smiling slightly. “Between you and me, the heads of the departments have taken far too long to do anything about this war. We should have been doing some of this stuff three years ago at the Quidditch World Cup. But, of course, Fudge wanted to keep his head up his arse,” he said. Harry's trust level in him went up somewhat, he could tell that there was no politicking with this man.

“If it has come to that, then it has. There is no changing that. There isn't any other way to handle them, what with Azkaban being fairly worthless,” Harry replied bitterly.

“Exactly,” Gabriel agreed. “After watching the way you three fought today, I would like to offer all three of you jobs. You obviously don't need combat training, and I am down members. We could use you,” he said, offering his hand out slightly.

Harry's first reaction was to decline all together. Only because he didn't like the Ministry. But after a few moments he realized that all that needed to be put aside. Having Ministry aid could benefit all three of them. “I need time to think about that. Can we have a meeting about it, say tomorrow?” Harry asked, weighing the options.

“Yes, of course! I will be in my office at the Ministry. Goodness knows I will have a load of paper work to do on this little fiasco,” he said, sounding disgruntled.

“Good. I will have me and…my team, in to see you,” Harry said smiling dismissively and shook the man's hand. They said their goodbyes before Harry and Hermione walked off.

“We need to go see Ginny,” Hermione said softly.

“I know,” Harry replied. “I'm afraid though. I don't want to see her hurt. She may have been a nuisance, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her.” Harry carefully studied his shoes.

“Alright, let's go,” he said, and before she could reply, he took her arm and side-along apparated her to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

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AN - Alright folks, this chapter could be controversial for some. I want to remind everyone that this is for the sake of the plot line. I am not doing this because I hate certain people or still carry a grudge from HBP. This is purely because I need this to happen, okay!? So don't flame me. I hope you like where I am going, because I have high hopes for all of this.

Thank you all for your reviews. I have never before been so encouraged to write! The reviews are so kind and nice to read. They are truly making my day every time I read them. Thank you soooo much for that!!!

Thank you again, Teri, for all you do in this story. You suggest so much, you push me in the right direction, and I am so glad that I have you helping me. I can't say it enough. (Psst, her story is better than mine! *Points at “Heirs of Hogwarts”* Go read it!!!)

Alright, on with the story!

Chapter Nine: Too Much To Take.

Harry and Hermione apparated into the foyer of the hospital with a loud crack. The white walls immediately made Harry blink; the difference between inside and bright daylight was astonishing. He tried to steel himself for whatever was going to come, whatever horrible thing awaited him when he went into Ginny's room. He knew it wasn't going to be good, but he hoped that whatever it was, she could pull through it.

“Oh Harry! What about my parents?” Hermione asked.

Harry had forgotten about them. “Apparate back and tell them what happened. It will only take a moment. I'll find what room Ginny is in,” Harry said, thinking calmly.

“Of course, I'll be right back.” She apparated away and Harry walked up to the front desk. The woman at the counter was reading a magazine, twirling her hair while smacking gum in her mouth. It was rather annoying, and Harry cleared his throat when he finally had waited long enough for her attention.

“Oh, yes, sir?” She asked tonelessly.

“Where can I find Ginevra Weasley?” Harry asked, trying to keep his cool. It was difficult under the present situation, but apparently some of his tone seeped through his voice. Or maybe it was the pitch black robes that he was wearing. In a quick mental inventory check, he went through all the things on his person. Wand, gun, extra wand, and of course the extra pack on his belt carrying all the specialized equipment.

“Uhh, she is going to be on the fourth floor. Spell damage, room 2b,” the blond haired witch answered. While she was saying that, a crack sounded and Hermione walked up behind Harry.

“Thank you, ma'am.” Harry said, still retaining politeness. He knew that Hermione was right on his heels as he turned and headed up the lift.

“What did they say? Were they worried?” Harry asked when they were alone.

“Yeah, they were worried, and scared. But I explained really quick, and I enhanced some of the wards around the Burrow. I know it is still crawling with Aurors, but I wanted to make sure. They are totally defenseless against wizards,” she said calmly. Hermione was taking this all very well.

“Okay, good. They'll be fine I am sure,” Harry said, pulling her into a hug. Even though she was handling it well, he still wanted to be there for her if she needed it. It was in Harry's nature.

The lift stopped, and they stepped out and sought out Room 2b as quickly as they could. As Harry reached out for the door handle, he mentally prepared himself for the worst. The door clicked open softly, and Harry was greeted by the whole Weasley family staring back at him. Some of them had tears in their eyes, including many of the males. Unashamed tears sparkled in most of theirs, and Harry couldn't blame them.

“How is she?” Harry asked quietly, as Hermione closed the door behind both of them.

“Not very well, thanks. Harry, come here,” Ginny rasped from the bed. She was conscious, but Harry could tell that she was hanging on by only a thread. A sixteen year old girl having to struggle for her life. The mere fact of it all tore Harry up inside.

He walked up to the bedside and knelt down next to her. “Thank you for what you did, Ginny. You saved my life,” Harry said simply. His own tears started to form.

“Well, even hero boy needed someone for once,” she said, smiling thinly. “But I wanted to say that I don't want you to feel guilty for this. I made a choice just now. It was mine to make so don't you dare take that away from me. I love you like a brother, and I always will.” Her voice got weaker as she went on, and Harry knew that time was closing in on her. “Kill that bastard for me, will you?” She asked, her voice quavering.

Harry couldn't find anything else to say, so he didn't say anything. He blinked for a moment, and nodded. She smiled back at him.

“You've got yourself a good one, Hermione. Take care of him,” she said, now the tears coming to her eyes.

“The pain is terrible,” she continued with a small sob. It made her whole frail body shake. “I love you all, and please don't mourn forever.” It almost seemed that Ginny was giving up and letting herself die, but Harry knew the truth. She had been holding on till she could see him. She had been holding on till she could let him know that he needn't feel guilty. Harry now realized this.

He bent down slowly and kissed her forehead. “It's okay, Ginny,” he said, smiling down at her. And when she smiled back for the last time, he watched as the life finally faded from her face. Her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing ceased.

Harry closed his eyes and let the tears squeeze from between his eyelids. He knew that they would come but he tried in vein to hold them back. He could hear the whole Weasley family start to cry. Mrs. Weasley's sobs were the most pronounced. Her wailing was breaking Harry's heart all over again. It was absolutely horrible to hear the noises of absolute sorrow coming from the family. Mr. Weasley was just as emotional as his wife. Such a calm man, so collected, and here he was destroyed over what had happened. The twins were no exception either. The tears flowed freely down their faces, but they were silent about it. A severe anger was running through them at the same time. Harry knew the look. It was the same look that they had given him at the shop. They were laying this on Harry once more. They were all comforting one another while their own pain was unbearable. He knew that it wasn't a time for him to be here. They needed one another, not Harry. So he slipped out the door quietly, and into the waiting area at the end of the hall. Once he was there, he laid his head in his hands and let the tears fall. It wasn't tears of guilt, it was just tears of sadness. The waves of guilt that he had expected never came. She had done what she had to. And that was the last thing she asked. In her own way, she had contributed to the war as best she knew how. And she had done a great thing. The love that she had shown him was immense, and uncomprehendable. She had given the final sacrifice for Harry. How was he going to handle this? How could he take this?

It was simple. He had to kill him. He had to do the thing that everyone was asking of him. Tom Marvolo Riddle had to die; his reign of terror had to be obliterated. It was time enough for this war to end. Harry had the power to do it, and he had to. There were people counting on him, and even though it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, he knew that he was ready for it. It was time for him to take the full burden up. When Harry rose from his chair there was an ethereal blue glow around his whole body. His eyes were consumed by it, and he was immersed in it. So overcome by the love that he was feeling from others, and the love that he was feeling for others that he didn't notice the difference. But Hermione did when she walked in the room.

“Harry?” She asked.

Whatever had happened seemed to go away the moment that she broke his silent vigil.

“Yeah?” He asked curiously. She shook her head, and seemed to pass on the thought for another time.

“Are you okay?” She asked, and he nodded his head somewhat.

“I'm fine, but I have been better. I don't feel guilty, I just feel sad.” He opened up his arms, and Hermione immediately took refuge in them.

“I already miss her,” Hermione said, and started to cry. Harry wrapped his arms tighter and started to make little patterns on her back hoping to calm her slightly.

“I do, too, `Mione,” Harry agreed. It was going to be hard without the vivacious red head around. He leaned his head down atop hers and added his shaking sobs to hers. Part of it was hard for Harry because he didn't want to believe it could happen. He didn't want to believe that he could lose people that close to him. The Weasley's had always seemed invincible; no one could hurt them. But then again, it had started with Bill; he had been hurt that night at Hogwarts, Ginny just happened to be next on the list. It was horrible, and Harry felt empty inside knowing that one of the people that had been there at the beginning of his life wasn't there anymore. Ginny had been there that first day at King's Cross. She had been there. Life just didn't seem right without her.

“Hey, guys,” a raspy voice sounded from the doorway. Harry and Hermione looked around to find Ron standing there, his eyes extremely bloodshot. He looked like hell, but what else was to be expected? His sister had just been killed in cold blood, before his eyes.

“Ron, I am….” Harry started, stepping away from Hermione, but Ron cut him off.

He stepped in front of Harry and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. For a moment, Harry thought that Ron would hit him.

“Don't even say it,” he growled. “She died for you. For our cause,” he said in a dangerous tone. “Now we are going to get down to business and finish this war. We are going to end this. I have had enough. My sister is in there dead because he has risen too far too fast. It's time this is over.” Ron now had more tears forming in his eyes. “So you listen to me, Harry bloody Potter, don't you dare get your head up your arse about this, we are going to do this together. And we are going to do it now.” Ron loosened his grip. “If not for us, then for Ginny.” He finished, and let go entirely. It seemed that Harry was his support and once he let go, he collapsed and his best friend had no choice but to wrap him in a hug and let him cry.

“I promise, Ron. I swear that I will do my best,” Harry said as his tears came again, and the two men sobbed in unison. He couldn't help himself. Ron had always been the emotionally detached one and seeing him so worked up was hard for Harry, but at the same time it brought them much more close than they could have imagined.

Harry stepped back and held Ron at arms length. “We are going to do this.” He held his shoulder with one hand and reached for Hermione with the other. He clasped it hard, and felt a comforting squeeze in return. “All three of us. We are going to do this together. I promise. We will win this time,” Harry said with as much conviction in his voice as he could muster.

“You're damn right we will,” Ron said, looking back at Harry with tearstained eyes.

The next few days held more than one tear jerking moment for both of them. They had a small private funeral for Ginny; it was held as dawn broke in the sky above them. It was hard for Harry to stand there and watch them lower the girl who had been his sister in all but blood lowered into the ground. Even though she had made him angry a few months before, even though she had said some things she shouldn't have, it didn't matter, she was still someone that Harry cared about. He couldn't imagine what the Weasley family was going through right now. It must have been extraordinarily difficult for them, watching their only daughter being buried.

Despite the fact that it was a small ceremony, it was still as emotionally damaging as if it were a huge one. A few minutes after the ceremony, Harry, Ron, and Hermione said their goodbyes, and apparated away to Godric's Hollow. It had been arranged that Hermione's parents would stay with the Weasley's; they would be safest with them.

The Hollow was just as they had left it. Before the cracks had finished echoing around the yard Harry spoke up.

“We all are going to a meeting today. There is someone at the Ministry that we need to talk to. I understand that today isn't the best of all days, but I think meeting with him will help along our cause. You know I don't like the Ministry that much, but I think that if we work with them to some extent, then we might benefit,” Harry said softly. Ron nodded understandingly, but still didn't say anything.

“Harry, are you sure that you want to get mixed up with them?” Hermione cautioned.

“Yeah, I thought about it, and we are only going to do this if I can get the terms that I want. And I will let him know that,” Harry replied calmly. He looked down at his watch. “We have a few hours, so we'll rest; do whatever the hell you want. Take some time to relax. I know you need it, Ron,” Harry said understandingly.

They all walked back into the house, and Ron went right upstairs and closed the door softly. Harry knew that his friend was hurting, but right now, he just needed to be by himself.

“Harry, we need to talk about what happened at the battle. What did you do to Dolohov?” She asked curiously. Harry hesitated, not really sure himself.

“Well, I don't really know. But I can tell you that there were so many mixed emotions running through my head, I am surprised that I managed to kill him,” Harry said. “Hatred had been there, but not in the mass quantities that are normally required for the killing curse.”

“But you didn't use AK; you killed him with something else. So technically you didn't need the strong emotions,” she said, sinking into the couch.

Harry sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. “True, but what did I kill him with? He was definitely dead,” Harry said.

“What was the main emotion running through your mind?” Hermione asked, biting her lower lip in concentration.

“Well, there was plenty of hatred. At that moment I hated Dolohov more than ever,” Harry said softly, trying to remember.

“Why did you hate him?” Hermione asked, trying to get to the answer.

Harry thought about it. He thought about why that emotion had been triggered in his mind. What was the first thing he thought when he saw the purple beam slice at Ginny? It only took Harry a split second to realize what it was.

“I thought about how I felt when he attacked you in fifth year, and I thought about how I would have been without you. Then that led into me thinking about you, and how I loved you so much. I loved Ginny, too, but not the same way. But the driving force for the hate was love, if that makes any sense,” Harry said, trying to sort through it himself.

“Exactly!” Hermione exclaimed. As if she had already come to that conclusion. “The power that he knows not!” Hermione said. “The power that Tom doesn't know is love. Tom can't feel love, that part of his soul was ripped away a long time ago. Tom can't feel that, therefore he can't understand it. And finally that means that he has no defense against it,” Hermione said, rapidly hitting points on her fingers.

“Of course. But can I do that again?” Harry asked.

“Yes! You most certainly can. But I want to try a few things, based on how I saw you fight at the battle. Let's go into the back yard,” she said, and stood, walking out the door.

“Pull out your gun,” Hermione instructed. Once he had done that, she continued. “Now, switch it to kill and aim it at the target that I conjured over there,” Hermione said, pointing to a scarecrow popping into existence. “Before you fire, try to recreate the feeling that you felt yesterday afternoon.”

Harry closed his eyes, and thought hard. He looked back on his feelings, trying to recreate the love and the hate that he had felt. Harry thought of what it felt like to be in Hermione's arms and knowing that she loved him. Yet at the same time he thought of someone taking that away from him. It only took a moment before he felt the energy rush through his veins. When he opened his eyes they were electric blue, and the gun was responding in kind.

“Fire,” Hermione instructed.

Harry did so. The blue bolt that smashed into the target blew a hole clear through it. The smoldering target stood there swinging in the breeze with a hole from one side to the other. Hermione smiled.

“Don't loose the feeling. If you can, intensify it,” she continued. “Now put the gun away, and use your wand.”

Harry holstered the gun, and slid his wand out from the leather sheath. This time, he thought of what it had felt like to laugh with Sirius, how wonderful it had been to have an understanding Godfather. Then he thought about what it felt like to have him taken away. This on top of the previous thoughts built up greatly intensified the magic within him. Love was pouring through him and it was escaping on all ends. His eyes were glowing blue with an intensity that was unmatched, and a slight charge was in the air.

“Fire,” Hermione said.

Harry performed the curse non-verbally, and it worked just as well. The blue beam that hissed out of his wand this time was much quicker and much more powerful. When it struck the target, it lifted it out of the ground and threw it back ten feet before it burst into flames.

“'Mione, why was it more powerful this time?” Harry said, keeping his concentration.

“The gun was never meant to handle that kind of emotion; it was never made to channel love. It was meant to draw hatred and raw magic power, never love. Your wand channels anything that is in your body. Therefore it is capable of taking the full force of it and using it, not just part of it,” Hermione said, smiling proudly.

“You've been thinking about this, huh?” Harry said, smirking.

“Yes….” Hermione giggled. “Now this time, I want you to try it without your wand. I understand that wandless magic is extremely difficult, but I want you to try,” she instructed.

“Okay,” Harry agreed. The power was still raw in him, and it was still coursing through his veins like a fire flood.

“Go.”

Before Harry moved, he threw another layer onto it all. He thought of his parents, and the love that they had shown him. He thought of them taking care of him, and again, how they had been taken away from him at such a young age. Then he thought of Ginny, how she was gone now, too. Then Sirius and Dumbledore. All the people in his life that weren't around any more. Then he thought about Hermione. He couldn't lose her. The raw love that was flowing through him grew ten fold. The magical power surging in him started to radiate from him in waves.

He opened his eyes, and threw out his open hand. This time, the blue wave flew straight from his palm and literally smashed into the new target. For a moment after impact, nothing happened. Then all of a sudden it was turned to a fine dust. There was nothing left of it, no trace that it had ever existed. Everything that had been part of the target was decimated.

Harry let the feelings flow out of him, and he felt the energy drain. It was hard, like he was letting life out of his body.

“That's what I thought, Harry. The power that you are going to use to destroy Tom is the same that you just used against the practice dummy. When you use that on Tom after we have destroyed the other parts of his soul, there won't be anything left,” Hermione said excitedly. “You can do this, Harry!” She exclaimed.

“Only because I have you,” Harry said simply, and kissed her passionately.

“Now, now you two! Nice display, Harry,” Ron said from behind them. He looked better than he had before, but not completely himself still. There was a raw anger and hurt that remained behind his eyes, but that was to be expected.

“So, do you want to go meet this guy now? Or is it too early?” He asked casually.

“No, we can go now. I think we are done practicing for today,” Harry said, smiling. Ron would make it through okay.

“Are you talking about the kissing or the spell work?” Ron chortled.

“Ron!” Both his friends yelled at the same time.

No matter what Ron would always be Ron.

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AN- Thank you all for your reviews for the past few chapters. They have made my day over and over again. Thanks soooo much. We are getting to the part of the story that is my favorite; the mystery. So be patient, and if anyone can figure it out before hand, please tell me. I am curious. Hehehe. Anyways, have fun with the chapter, and hopefully the next one won't be too far behind.

And again, Muchos Gracias to Teri, my AWESOME beta. I don't know what I would do without her…I mean really…you rock, Teri!

Chapter Ten:

The atrium of the Ministry was as it always had been. Not much had changed in the few years since Harry had been there. Of course, the statues had been rebuilt, but that was to be expected, the workers had wanted the place to go back to normal as much as possible. The thought of `You-Know-Who' being in their building seemed to have frightened them, so they had kept the original layout. Harry got chills as he looked at the gilded statues and remembered them bursting to life.

When they got to the front desk they had to leave their wands there. It was standard protocol, and none of them protested. The second wand was still tacked to their calf, and of course, the gun was holstered on their thigh, all of which was hidden under the sleek black robes. The teens smiled at one another secretly, and walked down the hall, minding their own business. Following the directions that the attendant had given them, they quickly found the office.

Gabriel stood and offered his hand. “Good to see you all! I am very sorry about your sister, Mr. Weasley,” he said, looking genuinely sad for Ron. Ron nodded mutely in return. What was really expected to be said anyways?

“Well, I asked Mr. Potter here today so that we could discuss a job opportunity. I understand that you three didn't even make it out of Hogwarts yet?” he asked, settling into his chair.

The three nodded. “We won't be going back for the final year either,” Harry said strongly.

“It doesn't matter. The only reason we require NEWT's is so that we don't have complete idiots applying for jobs. I have seen you three work together though, and I know for a fact that you don't need to go through the training,” Gabriel said, using a dismissive hand gesture. “But since I am head of the Auror department, I can make that call.” He smiled and leaned back.

“Let me make something clear before we get down to it,” Harry interrupted. “I will not be used as a poster child for the Ministry and I will not speak on behalf of the Ministry.” Harry said this while looking Gabriel determinedly in the eye. He wasn't kidding. “Don't think that a job offer will get me to do Scrimgeour's biddings,” Harry finished.

“Do what now? He wanted you to do what?” Gabriel said, and then erupted into laughter. “I never did think that man had all his screws in place. Only a fool would ask you to do that. After all the mess we put you through, Mr. Potter? He really wanted you to do that?” He laughed again, swaying in his chair.

His response was similar to Harry's first reaction, except with a little more humor than Harry had shown.

“No, I wouldn't ask you to do that. In fact, if that is what Rufus is trying to do, then I have an idea. If he was to find out that you were working for me, he could technically hold that over your head,” Gabriel said, steeping his fingers in thought. “So really I am torn. I want you in the field, we need agents like you. But then on the other hand, I wouldn't put you in that position, Mr. Potter.” Harry was grateful for the fact that Gabriel wouldn't do that to them.

“Could we work as undercover agents? Then he wouldn't know that we were working for you?” Hermione asked.

“That is a very good idea, Miss Granger,” he said, leaning forward suddenly. “He can't force me to disclose any names of the Unspeakables.” Gabriel now had a devilish grin on his face.

“And would we be able to tap into the Ministry's records and information, correct?” Harry asked, liking the man more and more. Based only on Gabriel's opinion of the Minister, Harry liked him.

“Of course, we wouldn't send you out there blind!” he said taken aback. “And as I mentioned yesterday, once you are labeled under my Agents, you have license to kill. And this would prove useful to your defense in a dangerous situation. The only reason that I wasn't forced to take you into custody yesterday, Mr. Potter, was because you didn't use AK. I don't know what it was, but it certainly killed him. There is going to be a change in the law as of next week though. Any spell that kills, is considered an Unforgivable,” he said, now looking somber. “That saved you this time, but next time I can't do that. I wouldn't want to take you into custody because I know you have no ill intent, Mr. Potter, so taking these jobs would highly benefit you,” he finished. At this point, it was on Harry.

He looked from side to side, and got nods of approval from his `team'.

“Mr. Madalin, we will take the jobs,” Harry said, “but we function as a team. I won't be split up from these two, or vice versa.”

“Don't worry; splitting up you three would be the stupidest move of my career. You work together better than my best trained agents. But if I remember right, you three have been doing this together since you were eleven,” he said with a smile.

Harry had to laugh at the expression on his face. He smiled back at the older man; he trusted him.

“Well, since you are a team, I am going to place you under a code name. Anything in particular?” he asked, starting to scratch away at a piece of parchment on his desk.

Harry thought about it. The three of them were a symbol of hope, to them at least. They had a very important mission, and they needed all the encouragement they could get. What was encouraging?

“Phoenix Cry,” Hermione blurted out. Harry smiled at her, and nodded in agreement. Ron was doing the same.

“Good choice! You three will be Special Team Phoenix Cry 1. Other wise know at SPC-1. What do you think?” Gabriel asked.

“It's perfect,” Harry said.

“Good, let me get your wands from the front desk, and we will be almost done.” He stood and left the room, leaving the new team alone.

Ron sat down in a chair, and crossed his legs. “SPC-1, huh? Sounds really awesome to me. I never thought I would get good enough grades to get into the Auror program, but I guess I didn't need them, huh?” Ron said, smiling. It was good to see Ron smile again.

“I agree, I wanted to do this from square one, and I am so glad that we are here together. Most of the time, they split friends up in the training program,” Hermione said, fingering the hem of her sleeve.

“I am just glad that we aren't under Rufus's thumb. That would be the absolute worst,” Harry said, looking at his friends.

“I agree, mate,” Ron replied, grinning.

Gabriel walked back into the room holding the wands that the teens had checked at the desk. “Here are your wands. All I have to do is place the charm on them that will allow us to identify your spell work.” He waved his wand over them and they all glowed a silver color for a moment, and then it dissipated. With a closer glance, Harry saw that on his wand it now said in small black letters “Harry Potter. SPC-1,” down the length of it. He knew that the other two wands would have the same markings.

“Never let your wands away from you. They could be misused now,” he said to them. The three quickly holstered their wands, and waited for a dismissal.

“Before you leave, I have one more thing for you.” He reached into a pocket, and pulled out three small leather wallets. “These are your badges. Now, obviously since you are undercover, you wouldn't flash these all the time. But if the situation requires it, or you need more access to a business or something of the like, flash this. It will get you in anywhere, and it will also allow you access to any part of the Ministry.”

Harry opened his and inside there was a small golden shield with two swords crossing over it. Engraved on the badge was the same lettering as his wand, but over the top of the shield it said, “Special Team Phoenix Cry”. Harry liked the look of it.

“So this will get us just about anywhere we need to go?” Hermione asked.

“Yes, in any country these are recognized as passports, and freedom passes. No one can stand in your way now,” Gabriel said to Hermione. She nodded, but Harry knew the look. She was thinking something else.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Madalin.” Harry said.

“Call me Gabriel. You're my agents now,” he said and smiled.

“Then you can call me Harry,” Harry replied, and stuck out his hand. The two shook hands, and Harry could tell that they had made a good choice. They walked out of the building, and to the apparition point in the lobby. Within seconds, all three had Disapparated.

*********************************************************

“They are gone, Draco,” Gabriel said to the empty room. But then again, it wasn't empty. A shimmer appeared in the corner, and out stepped the platinum blond teen with a wide grin on his face.

********************************************************

The cracking noises echoed around the yard in front of the cottage, and the three newest agents for the Ministry walked into Godric's Hollow. Once they were inside, Harry rounded on Hermione.

“What were you thinking back there? I have seen that look a thousand times. Every time you come up with something new, you get that look,” Harry said, leaning on the banister.

“Well, he said that no one can stand in our way. And the first thing that I thought of was Borgin,” Hermione said nonchalantly. “We could walk in there at any time, and take what we needed, and do what we wanted. Based on the law, of course. We are full fledged Ministry Agents, we have more access to the Wizarding world than many people could even imagine,” Hermione said, twirling her wand between her fingers.

“Good point. But why would we go there? As far as we know, he doesn't have anything we need?” Ron questioned. “I know he keeps all those dark things, but would he really have a Horcrux in there?”

“Not that he knows he has,” Hermione said. “Where else would Tom hide one? He worked there. It makes sense,” she finished.

“No, I don't think so. He worked there, but he never trusted Borgin, he was always playing against him. He wouldn't leave anything that important there.” Harry said, remembering the scene with the old woman. Borgin was certainly not the first thing on Tom's mind.

“Okay, so that takes that idea off the map,” Hermione said, having to cave under the boy's logic. “But I have been thinking about the locket, and I think I know who might have taken the real one.” Hermione walked over to one of the many maps posted on the living room walls and she pointed a finger at a familiar spot. “That is where I think it is,” Hermione said with a grin on her face.

Harry and Ron's reactions must have been hilarious. Harry closed his mouth, and coughed. “Hermione, dear, darling…that is Number 12…I don't think you are pointing to the right place on the map….” Harry said, trying to break it to her nicely.

“No no no, you dimwits! I know where I am pointing at! That is where it is,” Hermione said laughingly. “I realized who RAB is!” she continued.

“What does that have to do with my other house?” Harry said questioningly.

“Everything. Remember what Sirius told us, about his younger brother…? Regulus Black?” Hermione was full out grinning now. She loved to figure things out.

“Of course! The ex-death eater who chickened out and got killed!” Ron said surprisingly.

“He must have known what was going on, and tried to stop it,” Harry said putting it all together. “There is a good chance that it would be there at Grimmauld.” Harry was preparing himself to leave in an instant.

“Correct,” Hermione nodded, glad that her boys had caught on without much trouble.

“Let's take the rest of the day to rest, and then tomorrow we can go over there. Good?”

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I am beat,” Harry said yawning. Even though he wanted to get out of here as fast as possible and take out another portion of Tom, sleep seemed to be more important at the moment.

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AN - I am SOOOO sorry for the long time between updates. I have been so busy, and this just took a back burner for a moment. Don't worry; I won't do that to you again! I hope….Anyways, thanks for your reviews, because I love them!

Thanks again to my AWESOME beta, Teri! You rock so much.

Oh yeah, and in case you were wondering. I own nothing. Still. Damn.

Chapter Eleven: A little golden locket…

Harry and the other two members of the Golden Trio slept away the rest of the day, and by the time they woke up, it was the next morning. Harry wasn't surprised when he blinked his way past the sunlight. He had fallen back on the couch, and had expected to be out for a good long time. He brushed away the brown hair out of his face. Halfway through his brushing, he realized that he wasn't alone on the couch, and the brown hair wasn't his own. He shook his head and looked down. Sure enough, there was the love of his life in his arms, still fast asleep. Even though he had been brushing at her head, she was still dead to the world. She was more tired than the other two, Harry thought. She had been up to a lot recently.

It had now been three days since Ginny died, and only a week and a half away from term starting. Harry had been over it in his head over and over again; they only had a little time left. Once term started, it was going to be open season on their heads. That thought scared Harry a little bit. All the new gear was protecting them, but the fact remained that they weren't invincible.

Harry stirred, and Hermione did, too. He immediately felt bad for waking her, but when she tilted her head and smiled up at him from his chest, he knew that she didn't care. She looked so beautiful right there, wrapped in his arms, where she belonged.

“Hey there, sunshine,” Hermione said, in a lower voice than normal.

“Hey yourself. How are you feeling?” Harry said with a grin.

“I'm alright, I feel better now that I am rested, but still I feel tired,” she said, yawning very prettily.

“I know what you mean. No matter how much sleep you get, you still get tired,” Harry said, looking out the window across from him. It was a beautiful day.

“So are you ready to take down a new Horcrux?” Harry asked, starting to stand up.

“I could go for some coffee first,” Hermione said with a giggle.

“Yeah, I am going to get cleaned up, and then we can head over to Grimmauld, okay?” Harry asked.

“Sure, I'll do the same.” They both walked up the stairs, and to different bathrooms.

**************************************************************

About an hour later, all three of them were awake and dressed. The black robes that had now become their dress of choice were cleaned and sharp looking. Their new badges were tucked into the inside pocket where they could reach for it in an instant if they needed it. And, of course, the guns were holstered on their side, and wands on their hip. They were ready to go, but Harry doubted that they would be finding anything that would really cause them any trouble.

“Alright boys, lets get out of here,” Hermione said, and turned on the spot, disappearing. Harry and Ron nodded and followed a second later.

************************************************************

When the three stepped inside the large House of Black, they were surprised by the fact that there wasn't anything changed; no one had been in it since Dumbledore had died. The Order was inactive at the moment, the only reason that Harry knew that was because no one was tailing them around.

“Well, how are we going to find a small piece of jewelry in a house this size?” Ron asked astutely.

“Good point,” Harry said, thinking.

“What about that room we cleaned out ages ago? The one with all the old stuff that was cursed?” Hermione said, wracking her perfect memory. Immediately, Harry realized how much he loved her.

“Yeah that's the one, Hermione,” he said, and started walking to the old drawing room. Once inside, there wasn't much to see, except for all the remnants of their cleaning efforts two years ago. It wasn't much, at the time Harry and Ron hadn't been big on cleaning. Now Harry regretted that.

“C'mon, let's start looking through all this.” Harry reached over to a trash bag, and dumped it. Different objects tumbled out, and Hermione and Ron did the same on either side of him.

“Wait just a sec. I should never follow you two with stuff like this! You weren't raised like me,” Ron half mumbled to himself, as he pulled out his wand.

With a flick things started to separate themselves, and sort themselves into very disorderly piles, but piles none the less. And one of them was a pile of jewelry.

“Sometimes, you amaze me, Ron,” Harry mumbled as he leaned over the pile and reached down. When his hand came back up from the pile it was empty.

“I don't think it's here…” Harry said. “Accio Locket!” Nothing happened.

“Nope, wherever it is it isn't goddamn here!” Harry yelled and kicked a wall. Anger seemed to flow off of him in waves. They were so close now. They had two more Horcruxes to find, and then Harry could kill the bastard that had ruined his life. The more time they wasted, the more people died everyday.

“I need to think,” Harry said as he stalked out of the room. He walked up the stairs and straight into the master bedroom. He didn't realize that was where he was going until he was there. Sirius's bedroom was large and unkempt. Sirius and Ron always got along for a reason; Harry suspected that this was it. They were both teenagers to a `T'.

Harry sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. If it wasn't here, then where was it? Where could Regulus Black have put it? Harry had been so sure it would be here, and now it wasn't.

This house had been through so much in the past few years. It had been headquarters to a secret order. It had been a home for a wonderful man, and it had been a place where they had all felt safe.

Well, safe until that bum Mundungus started to steal from us… Harry thought bitterly.

Then, as if he had been shot in the arse, Harry leapt off the bed like a lightning bolt.

“HERMIONE! I KNOW WHERE IT IS!!!” Harry yelled as he dashed down the stairs.

When he got back to the drawing room, he found Hermione and Ron staring at him like he was a mad man.

“What do you mean, Harry? How…?” She trailed off.

“Dung! He was stealing stuff from us, and selling it off to all sorts of people! Remember?” Harry said frantically.

“Yes, of course! He would have seen an ornate locket and taken it right off, wouldn't he!?” Hermione said, now she was starting to pace.

“But where would he have sold that?” Ron inquired. It was a good question.

“When I was training with Dumbledore, he showed me a lot of memories, and I saw a younger version of Borgin. That man loved his dangerous objects, and he loved that locket until Tom stole it from him. So I would be wiling to bet that if he ever got any wind that it was on the market, he would have made an extravagant offer for it. But that is just a guess,” Harry said, thinking back to the extra time he had had with Dumbledore.

“That sounds like as good a place to start as any,” Hermione said, gathering up her wand, and anything else she had put down.

“Let's go then,” Ron said, that determined look coming back to his eyes, and Harry remembered his promise to Ron.

“All right!” Harry said and nodded. “Knockturn Alley?” he asked.

“Sounds good,” Hermione said, and Harry immediately turned and apparated away.

With a small crack, he appeared at the entrance to Knockturn Alley without a problem, unless you count the squished feeling that he got from Apparition. No other cracks followed his though. Harry glanced around nervously, looking for his friends, but they weren't there. He started to get frantic, but a few minutes later they did show up.

“Where were you guys!?” Harry said, trying to push the feeling of dread out of his stomach.

“What are you talking about? We had to walk out of the house before we could apparate! The wards prevent apparition,” Hermione said, looking at him like a new research paper. “The question is why you didn't apply to that. Somehow you got passed all the wards,” she continued.

“I did? I didn't even feel it!” Harry said somewhat awkwardly.

“I think we need to realize that you are finally coming into your powers, Harry. Dumbledore knew you were a great wizard, and I think you are finally coming to the point where you are proving it. There is a reason your going to beat Tom,” Hermione said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Harry shook his head. It wasn't time for this.

“In any case, we have a locket to find,” Harry said, and walked away. The alley was bustling, which wasn't a surprise to Harry. This was their time, their era. All the dark wizards and witches of the world were starting to become more and more public with their standards, and showing their true colors. Someone must have told them that Tom would win. They were wrong.

Borgin and Burkes looked like it had the year before, except this time they weren't following Malfoy. For some reason, the shop appeared to be empty, but that didn't seem right with so many customers walking around. Harry boldly walked up to the door and tugged on it. It opened right away, and they all walked in.

Shelves lined the walls and various cursed items were displayed in ornate fashion, but none of the golden trio was looking at that.

“Malfoy, what in the bleeding hell are you doing here?” Ron asked suddenly, pulling his gun and aiming for his head.

“Shut it, Weasel, I'm on your side,” Malfoy sneered. And in his hand, swinging like a pendulum was the golden locket that they had been seeking.

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AN - Thanks for all your reviews, although I have to say you were all slack on the last chapter. But I suppose that is punishment for not posting for so long? Ah well, I got this one out fast enough for you, and the next one isn't far behind either. Thank goodness that writers don't suffer from writers block forever! Thank you all for your support, it means everything!

THANK YOU TERI! You rock soooo much. I can't even explain how much you are helping me stagger through this story. Thanks bunches and bunches. :D

On with the story.

Chapter Twelve: Of Emeralds and Diamonds

“Malfoy!” Harry growled when he realized what he had just walked into. In an instant, he had his gun drawn and leveled at Malfoy. “Give me one good reason not to blast you to hell,” Harry said and the gun powered up.

“Go on, Scarhead, try me.”

Harry didn't wait for anything more. He pulled the trigger, and a stunner bolt flew out. But Malfoy flicked his wand and a shield appeared and bounced it back at Harry. The gun in Harry's hand prevented him from making a shield in return, so he ducked.

Okay, note to self, do not duel with the guns… Harry thought to himself.

“You are all pathetic, thinking your inventions make you special,” Malfoy sneered. “Besides, like I said, I am on your side.” He insisted this statement again.

“Like hell you are,” Ron snapped at him.

“If you don't believe me, check this out,” Malfoy said, and tossed a black leather wallet at them. Harry snatched it out of the air, his seeker mentality coming into play.

He flipped it open and gasped. “You're part of Phoenix Cry?!” Harry said. “Why didn't Gabriel tell us that you were in on this, too?” Harry's facial expression clearly showed he was slightly miffed that he had missed out on that piece of information.

“Would you have trusted Gabriel at all if he had?” Malfoy said, twirling the locket around his finger.

“Good point, but why does he trust you?” Hermione spoke up from behind Harry.

“Excellent question, Granger, you do always ask the obvious ones.” Malfoy rolled his eyes, and Harry felt his hackles rise. “I brought him information. The information was dead right, so I got in. You'll have to trust me on this one, Potter. I hate my father, and I hate Voldemort,” Malfoy said, and looked like he wanted to spit.

Harry stared straight into his grey eyes; he looked deep into what Malfoy was saying. Inside the swirling grey eyes Harry saw more things than he needed. One was definite hatred, but others were fear, and compassion somewhere deep down. Harry had seen the way he had looked at Dumbledore that night at Hogwarts. He wasn't a killer. Harry knew it, because he had seen it then, and he was seeing it now.

“Alright, Malfoy, give me the locket then,” Harry said, and extended his hand.

Malfoy shrugged, and handed it to Harry. “It's all yours, Potter. I'm not going to be working with you all the time, but there will be times where we will bump into one another. But just remember not to blast me next time you see me, alright?” he asked, smirking again.

“Sure thing, ferret boy,” Ron said, and laughed. Malfoy glared, and apparated away.

As the three of them walked down the street, Harry spoke up. “I want to see the twins about something. I had an idea, but I need their opinion,” Harry said.

“What is it, mate?” Ron asked.

“I don't want to spoil the surprise if I am right,” Harry said.

So they walked to the store and Harry slipped inside for a moment. Several minutes later, he came back out, tucking some items into his pocket.

“Got what you need, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“Sure do!” Harry replied and smiled. “Now let's get back to the Hollow and destroy this one.” Harry said, and patted his pocket. The three apparated away immediately.

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The trio walked into the living room and sat down around the coffee table again, the same way they had for the previous Horcrux. The locket sat in the middle of the table and all three stared at it.

“Harry, I want to see if you can destroy it the same way that you did with Dolohov. Okay?” Hermione said, crossing her legs.

“Alright, but do you want me to do it wandlessly?” Harry asked back, starting to put himself in the mind set.

“Yes, I think that would be best,” she replied, and sat back, ready for the show.

Harry calmed himself and thought of the love he felt. He thought of the love, and the hate he felt at the same time. He felt his surge of emotions flow through his veins. He felt the magic cackle around his body as it built to a crescendo. He was aware of everything. The beating of his heart. The beating of Hermione's and Ron's hearts. The sounds of the room creaking. Everything around him was apparent to him as if he was seeing it with crystal vision. Magic flowed off of him in waves, as he concentrated further and further on his emotions.

Harry extended his hand, and the blue bolt snapped out with the non-verbal incantation. It struck the locket, and immediately the locket ceased to exist. It disintegrated and motes of dust flew away from where it was a moment before. Then slowly those motes of dust folded in on themselves and also ceased to exist. As the dust was disappearing, and evaporating in a way, a red shadow of Voldemort's soul rose up from it. In another split second, Harry had cast the spell again, and the soul fragment was eaten by the blue bolt that ripped through it. Another portion of Voldemort's soul was destroyed.

They all sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. “Why didn't it work the same way this time?” Ron asked looking down at the coffee table, not able to meet Harry's glowing blue eyes.

Slowly the magic died away from Harry as Hermione answered. “Because, last time Harry used the Avada Kadavera curse. The purpose of that curse is to destroy the soul of a human, and kill them instantly. So when Harry used it on the cup, it sought a soul to destroy, and it found one. However, this time when Harry cast the other spell on it, it didn't go for the soul. That's why Harry's soul remained intact when he killed Dolohov. He didn't destroy another's soul; he just rendered the body lifeless. So this time when he cursed it, it just destroyed the artifact and released the soul fragment. While the second time, the love that is poured into the spell from Harry, is what kills the fragment of Tom's soul. It wouldn't do that to many other people's souls because they do not fear and despise love as much as Tom does.” Hermione finished taking a deep breath. She really needed to breathe before she did something like that.

“You've been reading again, haven't you?” Ron asked his jaw still slack.

“Ummm…yes,” Hermione answered blushing slightly.

“Well,” Harry said, slightly distracted by his earlier idea. Now that the Horcrux was gone, he felt so much better. They were one step closer. “I am going to go upstairs and work on this idea I had. I can't wait to show you guys if I am right.” Harry grinned and ran upstairs.

“What's gotten into him?” Ron said, shoving a thumb in Harry's direction.

“I have no idea, but when he is that determined, it must be good,” Hermione said, and pulled up a pillow and a book.

Ron mumbled something about her reading that bloody book again.

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Harry walked down the stairs two hours later with a huge grin on his face. Hermione was still reading, and Ron was in the kitchen eating. Ron's eyes came up to meet Harry as he walked down the stairs, and Harry grinned even bigger. The livingroom and the kitchen joined and there was a large six foot entrance way, so that way Harry could see Ron eating, and talk to Hermione in the living room at the same time.

“So, what did you figure out, darling?” Hermione asked.

Harry didn't say anything. He just raised his hand, and silently and wandlessly transfigured the piece of chicken that Ron was eating into a live one. It squawked and Ron screamed. After a second, Harry waved his hand again, and it was as lifeless as it had been a moment before.

“Harry…you just did wandless magic! I thought the only spell that you could do like that was that blue one!?” Hermione said, shooting up from the couch.

“Well, it's not really wandless. I am using a wand, just not the same that you would think.” Harry flipped his hand over and showed them a brilliant ring on his right ring finger. It was a sold piece of metal all around with a single band of solid emerald through the middle. The emerald seemed to glow in the light, and Harry smiled. “I had the idea when I attacked Malfoy with the gun. When he deflected my stunner, I couldn't block it back because I had the gun in my hand. It may be a good charging weapon, but total usage wouldn't be good. So I was thinking about what else we could do to give us the upper hand. Well none of us can do wandless magic because it takes years and years of study. So I wanted a way we could, now,” Harry said grinning as Hermione took in what he was saying. Ron was still staring at the piece of chicken on the floor, debating whether or not to pick it up.

“So I remembered what we learned in Charms. The wand is just a focus point for a wizard or witch to cast magic through. The magic is inside of us, it just needs a place to come out. So I wondered if a stick was the only way that it would work.” Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Harry cut her off.

“Yes I thought of all this on the way from Borgin and Burkes to the shop.” He smiled and she nodded.

“So I integrated a piece of a wand core into the metal of the ring. Then to focus the power even more, I closed the wand core in with a band of emerald.” Harry said, and took the ring off and handed it to Hermione.

“It's the wand core from my spare wand,” he said.

“What made you choose emerald to amplify the power? Or rather, how did you know it would do that?” Hermione said, and looked at the ring from all angles.

“Well I looked through your Arithmancy book just now actually, and it said that emeralds are known for increasing the overall power of a spell, if the caster could harness the boost properly,” Harry said and shrugged. “I wanted a way to make it better, and I found one.”

She nodded. “Yes, but you do know that emeralds won't work for everyone. Emeralds only work for some, because the kind of power they amplify is too sheer and unstable. It is just a pure amplifier without any stoppers,” Hermione said trying to explain it to him. “The amount of magical power inside of you must be enormous; otherwise the spell would rip back on you because of the amplification.”

“I don't get it!” Ron yelled from the other room.

“You don't have to!” Hermione called over her shoulder.

“Know-it-all!”

“Disgusting pig!”

Hermione finished her argument with Ron, and turned back to Harry.

“The only thing that could increase the power more would be a diamond. Merlin used one…” Hermione trailed off.

“So would I be able to make them for you and Ron?” Harry asked trying to keep up with his girlfriend.

“Yes, but I think the stones would have to be different. Let me do some more reading, and I will help you with them. I think this one was a great idea though.” She handed it back to Harry, who slipped it on.

Just to prove it, he turned Ron's chicken back to the living form. He screamed again, and Harry doubled over in laughter.

“YOU JUST WAIT TILL I GET ONE!” Ron yelled as he chased Harry out the back door and into the yard. Hermione all the while watched her boys laugh as they tumbled in the grass. They would finish this some day, maybe then they would be able to be normal.

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AN - Hey all!!! Thanks again for your reviews. I am really sorry this chapter is behind. I have been contemplating how I want things to pan out, and this was what I decided on. And I take longer to write fight scenes. Anyways, enough excuses. Here is the next chap!!!

Thank you again to Teri, because she is always patient with my stupid mistakes, and talks me through everything. You rock so much, thanks for working with me on this story!

Chapter Thirteen: Attacked Again?

Harry and the other two friends sat around Godric's Hollow and thought about what they wanted to do next. Other than the fact that they knew they only had two more Horcruxes to go, and the fact that one of those two was an ungodly large snake, they had no clues; they were lost. The only Horcrux that remained a mystery was the object of either Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's. If that wasn't vague enough, they didn't even know what it was.

Another problem that was about to arise was the fact that Hogwarts' term had started two days ago. September 1^st had come and gone without a hitch, which surprised Harry to some extent. Something was bound to happen. It was blatantly obvious that Harry wasn't at school, thanks to a wonderful article in the Daily Prophet.

Harry Potter turns down Head Boy Badge!

The famous boy-who-lived turned down the position at Hogwarts this semester and it is a mystery as to why he did not come back for his final term at Hogwarts. The seventh and last year is the hardest, and the NEWT exams are held in that year, yet Harry Potter and his friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, did not show up Monday morning on the Hogwarts Express. We can only extrapolate on why he would be motivated to decline the Head Boy position at Hogwarts. Some say it is because Albus Dumbledore is no longer headmaster, or even alive anymore. Others say that he too busy fighting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. While still others say that he is just sitting at home snogging his new girlfriend, Hermione Granger.

I hate to say in papers like this, that I told you so, but I did. Three years ago now, I pointed out that Harry Potter and his friend Hermione Granger were closer than they wanted others to think. But now it seems that my guess has hit home. We can only wonder what Harry Potter is really doing. But we can be sure that he is not, nor will be, at Hogwarts this semester.

Rita Skeeter

Harry growled while his eyes danced across the page. Without even lifting a finger or saying a word, the paper in his hands burst in to flames and ceased to exist.

“Oy! I was still reading that!” Ron said from behind him.

Harry grinned and snapped his fingers and the paper reappeared. Ron grabbed it and started to mumble about bloody powers.

“Well, we can expect anything at any time now,” Hermione said from across the table, drinking her morning coffee. Harry swirled his cup and nodded.

“I just wish Dumbledore was still there. I would feel so much better if he was, the students would be better protected,” Harry mused.

“Well, at least Order members are there. Lupin is teaching DADA, and I believe Tonks is his assistant,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “The castle will be under close watch, which you can be sure of.” Hermione finished, and took a swig of her coffee.

“Well, that's better than nothing,” Ron mumbled, and sat down. He was about to dig into his ham and eggs when he glanced at Harry, who grinned. Ron narrowed his eyes.

“Go on, play with my food, you can't run forever, Potter,” he growled dangerously.

Harry had to laugh. Mess with Ron's food, and you got a monster.

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Later that day, Harry and Ron were pouring over maps, and Hermione was reading more in her Arithmancy book and fiddling with the leftovers from Harry's ring. It was quiet and peaceful in the house, where it was only the three of them studying, but that never lasts.

The fire burst with emerald flames, and Gabriel's head appeared in sight.

“Harry?” he said, and Harry looked up.

“Yes, sir?” he replied. He then he remembered Malfoy. “I think you owe us an explanation for our fourth member,” Harry said, leaning back.

“Yes of course, I do…but not now, this is important. We just got a last minute report from a source. Hogwarts is under attack as we speak. The Death Eaters came out of the forest.”

Harry didn't even have time to respond. The three grabbed their cloaks, and he grabbed Ron and Hermione's arms hard. Side along was difficult, but Harry knew that he could get passed the wards.

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The three pops that normally accompany apparition, were lost in the sound of the battle raging around them. The calming presence of Dumbledore was of course lost, but the effect that Hogwarts had on Harry would always be the same; home. And of course, as was true with anyone's home, there is a sense of fierce protection that lays within a person for it. Harry's true home was under attack, and his body was responding to it. Adrenaline surged through him, and he felt magical energy rush through his veins and entire being.

“You did it again, Harry!” Hermione breathed next to him, surveying the ground in front of them.

“No time now. I want this to end.” Magic cackled around him, and Harry was sure that his eyes were glowing a bright blue as he spoke. He could feel it in him, the power that he was supposed to have. It was raging inside of him like a wild flood of freezing ice and searing fire.

In front of them he could see children fighting, Gryffindor colors flying, and faces red with anger. He could also see the teachers backing them up, Lupin and Tonks were visible as fighters, and so was McGonagall. There were curses being fired all over the place. Most distressing of all, Harry could see students unmoving on the ground. A few scattered along the edge of the lake, and a few under the same trees that Harry, Ron, and Hermione used to study under. They must have been outside when it happened.

Anger joined with the already flowing magic that was ripping through Harry. He was shaking, and he could feel the air around him start to charge with his own magic.

“Let's end this,” Harry growled, and surged forward. Something about his magic level must have changed, because when he ran forward, everything slowed for a moment. Time seemed to slow. In a nanosecond, Harry was there in front of the Death Eaters. They were surprised, and tried to hit him, but before they could even move their wands, Harry had killed three. The blue curse that Harry had yet to name removed them from the earth faster than they could even blink. The ring on his finger seemed to be glowing from the inside with a power that Harry didn't know himself, but his hand flew left and right destroying anything that stood to defy him.

In the midst of all this however, one single noise broke through to Harry. It was a scream, a scream of pure terror, and to make it worse, it was his name. Hermione was screaming his name. If he had moved fast before, it was nothing compared to how fast he moved now. He might have apparated, because in a second he was there by her, but it didn't matter. Hermione was inside a protective bubble of magic that even Harry couldn't do anything to. Behind her, a familiar cackling voice was heard.

“Like my new curse, Potty?” Lestrange asked venomously.

“You will let her out now,” Harry said in the coldest voice that he had ever let pass his lips. If it had scared her though, she didn't show it.

“Oh no, wee Potty, I'm going to kill her first.” It was then that Harry realized that all the Death Eaters had their wands on him. It had been a set up and he had fallen for it. Now, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all going to die.

“No,” Harry growled. And all the magic in him that had been suppressed for seventeen years built to a crescendo inside his body. He could feel it all surging within him, like he had tapped into a new power. It was flowing into him. He wouldn't let his friends die, not for another one of his mistakes. His eyes were burning blue and the air was charged.

The Death Eaters took a step back when they saw this, and Harry could feel their fear.

“You won't hurt anyone. I'll give you one last chance. Leave right now,” Harry spoke in a commanding voice.

“Potty, you're about to die, no matter what you do.”

“Fine, you made your choice.”

Harry closed his eyes. All the magic that he had felt in his life, every drop of it, was pouring out of him now. He reached his hand up into the air and the ring exploded, and with it, a wave of pure magic blasted away from him and every Death Eater that it hit, simply turned to ash. Close to two hundred Death Eaters, died instantly, mere piles of dust lying where they were a moment before. The curse was lifted from Hermione, and she fell to the ground looking up at him in awe.

When Harry opened his eyes, he saw all the students looking at him, and the teachers standing stock still. Hermione was still staring at him with awe, and Ron was nursing a bleeding arm, yet he was slack jawed also. The silence weighed upon all of them. Yet through the silence, one thing was heard; a phoenix song was trilling through all of it. The blasting notes of the song immediately brought all of them to a calm center that they didn't have a moment before.

“Your hair, Harry!” Hermione whispered, breaking the silence.

“What about it?” Harry asked, while the teachers tried to gather the students back into the school.

“It's white. Pure white!” She cast a mirror charm so Harry could see himself. And sure enough, it was white as snow. Actually, it was white as Dumbledore's had always been.

“They're gone…all of them. You wiped them all out, Harry!” Ron said, looking at his friend in amazement.

“Yeah, I guess I did. The Power he knows not I suppose…” Harry said with a snort.

“Potter, I would like to talk to you.” McGonagall's Scottish burr was evident in her voice.

“Of course, Professor.” Harry said amiably. He was actually getting tired. The vast amount of magic he had just cast was amazing, and he was starting to feel the effects of it.

The four walked straight to her office, and sat down in front of the desk that had once belonged to Dumbledore.

“Harry, thank you for today. Once again, we owe our lives to you. It is amazing, even though you no longer attend classes.” There was some bite to that statement. “You protected us. Thank you.”

Harry could only nod. What else was there to say?

“I want you to know something though, something that not many others know. And I only know because I was very close to Dumbledore for many years,” she said, continuing.

Hermione immediately was interested. It was a history lesson for her.

“Years back, when Albus defeated Grindelwald, he did something much like you just did; an unnaturally large expander of magic. He wiped out their whole army, and Grindelwald himself. Then the same thing happened to him, all his hair turned white. It is supposedly a mark of a true White Mage. Merlin was also known for this. You are the youngest to have ever come to this, but the mark is clear. When a wizard unlocks his full magic potential, and he taps into it, his hair turns white like yours is now. In a few hours it will go back to it's usual color, but when the time comes and you tap into your powers again, it will change back. As I said, normally they are much older. I am amazed that you have shown this sign, but I shouldn't be. You always were amazing, Harry,” she finished.

“So I am a White Mage?” Harry said.

“Yes, I assume that is the Power that he knows not.” She smiled knowingly. “Right now, Harry, you are the strongest wizard in the world, other than Voldemort himself.”

Harry let the new information sink in, and he could feel his body responding to the new seemingly endless vat of magic that was inside of him.

“I just wanted to let you know that, Harry; I thought it was important. You, of course, are welcome anytime in my school, because you truly are Dumbledore's man through and through.” She smiled, and Harry knew there wasn't anything left to say, but only to leave.

The three of them left the walls of Hogwarts, and were about to apparate away when Harry saw Fawkes perched on the corner of the gate. He was staring at Harry knowingly.

“I'll always be here, Fawkes. I'm not abandoning Hogwarts,” Harry said, and nodded respectfully to the Phoenix. Fawkes seemed to think that was enough, and he burst away in a fall of flames.

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“Harry, you do realize that you shattered your ring yesterday. I saw it explode when you…did whatever you did,” Hermione said, looking down at her notes the next morning.

After a nights `rest,' Harry felt better. His adrenaline levels had gone back down to normal, and he was feeling better than ever. His white hair, had went back to normal after the nights rest, but it was still something to get used to, but he thought that it looked nice with the green of his eyes. More and more, Harry felt he was making Dumbledore proud by stepping into his shoes. He was a Mage now. Dumbledore knew he could do it, and now Harry knew it too.

“I know. I don't know why it did that…” Harry said, looking down thoughtfully.

“Remember how I told you that the only thing that channeled magic stronger than an Emerald was a Diamond? Well you broke the Emerald because you overloaded the stone. Therefore you would need to make yours out of diamond this time,” Hermione said, clearly impressed.

“I suppose. What stones am I going to use for your two rings?” Harry asked, trying to take the pressure off of him.

“Mine is going to have to be a sapphire, and Ron's is ironically going to have to be a ruby. Sapphire because there is more complex spells going into it, and the Ruby because Ron does everything based on his emotions. And rubies generally transfer emotions better,” she said, glancing at her notes.

“Alright, I'll have three new ones by tomorrow,” Harry said, and smiled down at his best friend and lover.

“I love you, you know,” Harry said, smiling.

“Yes I know,” she replied and smiled back. She was just so cute, he had to kiss her.

“Thank you for saving me, Harry,” she said softly.

“I'll always save you, Hermione.”

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