Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, unfortunately, as many things of HBP would have been different if I did…
A/N: Thanks to all of you who are reading this story, and thanks for your reviews. Please, if you read, leave me a comment, that would really make my day. Hope you'll enjoy this.
Chapter Seven
"Lord Voldemort"
And then, he finally pressed his lips to hers, both of them with their eyes closed, seeming to savour the moment.
It was like a ton of fireworks had erupted behind Harry's eyelids, as he started touching Hermione's bottom lip with his tongue, begging for entrance.
She eagerly complied, and a battle of tongues soon started, with some casual little moans from both of them.
After devouring each other's mouth for minutes, in the end they had to part for lack of air.
"That was…wow…" Harry said, grinning broadly.
"Yeah, wow" Hermione said, smiling, and turning slightly pink. The she grew serious again.
"Harry, you shouldn't have. I mean, I know you're not with Ginny anymore, but I know the reason too. That means you still love her, so you shouldn't have kissed me"
"Hermione, look at me" he said, lifting her face gently with his fingers. She let him do so, and found herself looking straight into his green eyes, in which she saw passion, burning desire, and love. She gulped.
"I'm not in love with Ginny anymore, Hermione. I don't know how that has happened, but I can't think about anyone else than you. Now, tell me just one thing. Do you regret this kiss?" he asked, looking at her seriously. "Because if you do…" he started again, just to be cut off by her mouth crashing on his.
They snogged the brains out of each other for long time.
"Guess this answers my question" Harry said, chuckling and pulling her closer.
"Yeah, it surely does" she said, looking at him lovingly.
"I love you, Hermione. I really do"
"I love you too, Harry. That's why I couldn't bring myself to be with Ron anymore" she confessed, resting her head on his chest.
That's how they fell asleep, and how Molly found them next morning.
"Harry, Hermione, wake up!" she said to them.
After some time, the two of them stirred, blinked some times to adjust to the light coming from the open window, and understood the situation they were in.
Surely now Molly would be angry at them…
"You need to hurry, we're going to pick Ron up and bring him home" she said, instead, leaving.
The two of them looked at each other releasing their breath.
"I was sure she was going to yell at us for betraying her children" Hermione said.
"That would make two of us, then" Harry said, giving her a quick kiss as a good morning, then he got up.
While she was making herself presentable, straightening her shirt and so on, he gathered all his courage, then spoke.
"Hermione, I think we shouldn't be together for now" he said, his own heart breaking.
She turned smiling and rolling her eyes at him. "I know, Harry. Voldemort on the loose and so on, it wouldn't be safe…same things you said Ginny. It's ok for me, I understand. What really matters is what we feel for each other. Just, try to not forget about me like you did about Ginny…" she joked.
"I couldn't even if I tried. I've come to understand that with Ginny it was just lust driving me, while with you it's love. That's pretty stronger, if you ask me"
"Agreed" she said, giggling. Having Harry declare his love for her made her all giddy.
So, they went to pick Ron up at St. Mungo's.
"Hey, mate, nasty scare you gave us there, you know it, don't you?" Harry said to him.
Ron grinned. "For once you've tried what me and Hermione have felt every time you got in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, then" he retorted.
"Ok, ok, now don't pick on me. Seriously, I'm really glad to see you're all right again" Harry said.
"Me too" Hermione chimed in.
"I'm glad to see you guys again too" Ron concluded.
So, after some last minute checks, he was released and they escorted him home with his parents. Arthur had taken a day off the Ministry for being there for his son.
Molly almost choked him with her usual hug, tears of happiness in her eyes.
That day was for relaxing, so no talk about Voldemort and his cronies took place, not with the adults and not when the trio was on their own.
They played Exploding Snap, chess, Hermione read some books, chitchatted a lot, and so on. Then dinner time came.
After that, they went soon to bed.
Next day, Harry reunited his friends in Ron's room.
"Guys, we need to search for Voldemort now. It won't be easy, but it is most crucial that we do that, or he'll surprise us and we won't be ready to fight him properly" he said, pacing in front of them.
"Well, maybe we could spy on some people we know to be Death eaters, and they will lead us to him" Ron said.
"Good idea, but really risky. I would keep that as our last option" Harry said, pensively.
"We could use the potion again, as it led us to Nagini, it may lead us to him too" Hermione suggested.
"That would be worth a shot. But somehow I think finding Voldemort won't be done simply drinking that potion. He's too smart for being found so easily, or any Auror could have done that" Ron commented. The ice between him and Hermione had vanished, and he was hoping they would go back together soon.
Little he knew about who she really loved…
After some time, they agreed that their first move was to study all the information they had from books, memories that Dumbledore had showed Harry and other objects about Tom Riddle, hoping to be able guessing where he would put his whereabouts.
After two weeks studying, they concurred that he would probably set it nowhere near Muggle cities, in a place where dark wizards would never be suspected to be, so no one would go searching there.
The result of their guessing was that they Apparated to the coast in front of Azkaban, near the border with Scotland.
Searching there for some days, finally they entered a wood in which they could feel magic had been used.
Following the main path, they arrived to a crossroad.
"I think we should go right" Ron suggested.
"Well, it's not like we have clues, so one direction is as good as the other. Let's go right then" Harry said, his wand alight as the wood didn't let sunlight to enter, so it was really dark. Almost like the Forbidden Forest.
But they found nothing on that path. So they walked back to the crossroad, and chose the left way.
After some time, they come to a big house, deserted and wrecked.
They cautiously entered it, searching everywhere, but found nothing on the ground floor. On the upper one, instead, Hermione suddenly tripped and fell revealing an hidden closet where Death Eater masks were.
"Bingo!" Ron shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "We found his hiding place!"
"What had once been, but not his actual one" Harry said, kicking the dust.
So they decided the area wasn't worth researches anymore.
Apparating back to the Burrow, Harry decided to try and use the potion.
Hermione and Ron looked at him expectantly after he drank it, but he didn't feel any good sensation this time.
"Guess Voldemort's ability at hiding is stronger that the potion effects" he said sadly, slumping onto the bed.
So they had just one option left, the most dangerous. Following a Death Eater and find out where they reunited.
"I'll do it" Ron volunteered.
"No way, Ron. You've been hurt few days ago, I don't want for you to be again" Harry said, commandingly. "I'll go"
"Harry, it's better you don't risk it in first line. You're crucial for defeating Voldemort, so you shouldn't risk to be hurt by some random dark wizard" Hermione protested. "I'll do it"
After some discussion, Harry agreed. Hermione would follow the Death Eater around and try to find their hiding place.
The chosen one was Nott.
For a week she had been able to follow him without the man noticing, but no hints to where they used to hide.
One day, she betrayed herself as Harry's cloak got moved by some wind and the Death Eater noticed her feet appearing.
He hastily turned, grabbed the cloak and took it off her. Hermione froze.
"So, who do we have here? Aren't you Potter's friend, the Mudblood?" the evil wizard sneered.
Hermione moved to take her wand, but he was faster. "Expelliarmus!" he cried, and her wand flew away.
"My, the voices were true. You're really pretty" he said, licking his lips. Hermione gulped.
Then he grabbed her wrists, pulled them over her head and pushed her on the nearest wall.
"I'm gonna have some fun with you now, and then I'll bring you to Voldemort. He'll be pleased with me" he sneered again.
Then he forced himself on her, kissing her. Hermione struggled, but he simply stunned her.
Darkness enveloped her as he carried her away to his master.
Harry and Ron were worried sick that evening when she didn't come back.
"Something has happened to her. I know it" Harry said.
"Hey, mate, she's gonna be here any minute. Calm down" Ron said, but he was worried too. It was not Hermione-like to be this late.
At three in the morning, Harry moved.
"There's one more thing I can do to find Voldemort before he finds me. And I'll do it" he said, his eyes dark. Then, he Apparated away, not bothering to tell Ron where he had gone.
It was an idea that had come to him some days before. Trying to lure Malfoy on their side and extract information from him.
So he Apparated to Malfoy Manor, and snuck in. Cautiously walking around the castle, he heard Draco's voice ordering around an House Elf.
"…and you better come here quick with that food, or I'll punish you" Draco said.
"Good Evening, Malfoy. Taking your frustration on Elves now?" Harry said, his wand in his hand.
Malfoy suddenly turned.
"Potter! How the hell you've entered?"
"Sneaked in. Couldn't have been more simple, you know. You must be more careful if you don't like surprise visits"
"What the hell you want, Potter?"
"I have an affair for you. I've heard your chat with Dumbledore before Snape killed him, Draco. I know you were seriously thinking to pass on the light side, before your companions arrived. I'm here to renew the offer. Pass on the light side, and I'll give you and your mother protection"
"You can't protect me from him, Potter. No one can"
"There's a place he won't be able to find. No one will. You and your mother will live there till he's been killed"
Draco thought about it for a while.
"And what will this cost to me?"
"Just an information. His whereabouts"
After some time pacing, Draco spoke again.
"I need to speak about this with my mother, Potter"
"Thought you would" Harry said, taking out of his pocket one of the DA Galleons. "Take this. If you tap it with your wand, the other in my pocket will grow hot. I'll know you accept my offer then. If I don't get the signal until tomorrow night, I'll take that as a no"
"Fine, Potter. Now, get the hell out of my house"
And so Harry left and Apparated back to the Burrow.
Meanwhile, Nott had brought Hermione to Voldemort's headquarters.
"Very well done, Nott. I'll take care of her now" the Dark Lord said. His servant bowed and left.
"So, you're the so much talented Mudblood we've all heard a lot of" he said coldly, looking at her with his red eyes. Hermione shuddered, and wondered how could Harry not be afraid of him and freeze on the spot when he saw Voldemort.
She suddenly understood why everyone was so fearful of his name.
Voldemort sneered. "You fear me, don't you? That's wise of you, not like your friend, Potter. But then, you are the wisest out of the three of you…you know, I could use you. So, will you join me?"
Hermione glared at him. "No way. I would never do that" she spat angrily.
"Very well then. You'll change your mind soon enough. Lestrange, take care of her" he called to Bellatrix's husband.
"Sure, master. I'll break her, don't worry"
And with that, Hermione was brought away to a cell.
All night she was tortured, but she resisted.
"You're a tough one, I see. Well, tomorrow you'll break" Lestrange said, walking out of her cell.
Once alone, Hermione started crying.
"Harry, please, save me" she whimpered softly.
"He can't save you, this time. But I can" Nott said, creeping out of the shadows. "Agree to be my sex slave, and I'll take you from this cell and your pain"
Hermione glared at him. "I'm not some kind of whore"
"You'll change idea soon enough" the Death eater said, leaving her alone, this time for real.
Next evening, when Harry was already thinking Malfoy had refused his offer, the Galleon in his pocket grew hot.
He grinned at Ron. "He's accepted. I'm gonna take them at Grimmauld Place, then I'll be back here" he said, then Apparated away.
Once in front of Malfoy Manor, he pounded on the main gates.
Few moments later, Draco opened.
"Ready to go, then?" Harry asked.
"As ready as we will ever be" the other boy muttered darkly.
So Harry activated the Portkey he had brought with him, and in few minutes he, Draco and Narcissa left, to land into the old Black household.
"So this is where you think we'll be safe" Draco's mother said. "Black's house"
"Yes, madam. This house is unplottable, and as Sirius has left it to me, no one will be able to find it without me wanting it"
"It will do, mother. Better than waiting for the day he kills all of us it is" Draco said. "Now, Potter, to seal our deal, I'll give you the information you need. Last time I checked, his whereabouts were in the Highlands" then he took a map and signed the precise place.
"Very well, then. Wait here for my return once we have defeated him. If we fail…well, just hope we don't" Harry said, then he Apparated to the Burrow.
"Mission complete" he said to Ron as soon as he landed. "He told me where Voldemort is"
"You trust him right?" Ron asked, sceptical.
"Yeah, I do, Ron. He's on our side now" Harry said, showing confidence even if he did have some doubts on Draco's honesty.
In three hours time, the two of them Apparated near the place Draco had signed, and moved to see what would wait them.
They found the place all empty, but for some plans of Hogwarts and notes scribbled on them.
"They are going to try and take the school! And they are doing it today!" Harry cried.
"And they have Hermione with them" he muttered after seeing the necklace he had given her on the floor of a room. He pocketed it swiftly.
Then they walked away and as soon as out of the hiding place, they Apparated to Hogsmeade. It was still destroyed as Hermione had seen it months before, but Harry didn't stop thinking about it.
He and Ron ran to the castle, and once on the grounds, they noticed the battle had already started.
Students and Professors had engaged the Death Eaters everywhere around the castle, and were fighting back every one of them. The two boys mixed into the crowd and started taking down as much Death Eaters as they could.
Hagrid spotted them.
"'Arry, glad to see you here. Your help will do a lot. Ron's too" he said to them.
Then they met Ginny, who was leading a group of girls in fighting the enemies.
He felt a rush of proud rise in him for her, but just that. Just as for a little sister who's doing very well her duty. They exchanged a quick nod then Harry ran to help Neville with two Death eaters closing on him.
He silently cast Sectumsempra on them.
"Thanks, Harry" Neville said.
"Glad to be able to help. How are things going?"
"The battle has gone on for two hours now. They are tough, but we are defending ourselves pretty well. Now that you're here too, they won't be taking the castle, I'm sure of that By the way, where's Hermione?"
"They took her. I suspect she's with Voldemort and he'll use her as a bait for me" Harry said sourly. "But I won't let him hurt her"
Neville was scared by the intensity of his gaze. If he was a Death Eater, he would have peed in his pants.
So, Harry and Ron helped as much as they could.
At one point Harry noticed Colin Creevey's body on the ground, dead. He sadly continued his run, cursing Voldemort for the cruelty of the life he was imposing on them.
"I'll avenge him too. Time for closing all the bills approaches" he thought angrily.
McGonagall was engaged in a duel with three Death Eaters, and it was clear she was going to be taken soon or later.
Ron bravely Accioed them to him, then before they could realize what had happened, he cast Sectumsempra on them.
"Good move, Weasley" the Headmistress praised him while going to help some young boys who were in trouble.
Ron grinned, then turned to go and help Luna who was surrounded by enemies.
Harry helped her too, so in few moments the Death Eaters menacing the blonde girl were taken care of.
"Thanks guys. That was really sweet of both of you" she said airily, walking away to search some other enemies.
Ron blushed, while Harry smiled knowingly at him.
But as good as Harry and Ron's arrival had been for the Light side, they were going to lose many more students if the battle didn't end soon. So Harry started searching for Voldemort.
"He has to have arrived by now" he thought, running here and there, taking down enemies in his path.
He noticed Snape, and moved to go and kill him, but then he noticed the man was killing the Death Eaters too.
"Guess he isn't a traitor after all then. But then why did he kill Dumbledore?"
He had no time to mull over those questions.
Finally he spotted the Dark Lord, with Hermione chained to him.
That made Harry's blood boil in his veins. He walked toward them.
"…and so in short time I'll take over the school. Your friend Potter doesn't stand a chance" he heard Voldemort say to her.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Tom" Harry said, fully enraged.
Voldemort turned, sneering.
"Oh, Potter. How kind of you to join us. Good show it is, isn't it?"
Harry ignored him. He cared just about one thing. "Release her, Tom. It's me that you want" he said.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about your Mudblood friend. No, Potter, I think you will enjoy seeing in which pain you put her, just for being your friend" he said evilly, then raised his wand.
"Crucio!" Riddle cried, and Hermione writhed in pain, screaming.
That pained Harry to the core. He looked at her in the eyes, hoping for her to understand.
"I'll save you, just resist" he thought.
She looked at him, and hope was reborn in her heart. She knew he would never leave her in the Dark Lord's hands if he could help it.
"I said leave her, Tom" Harry hissed menacingly in Parseltongue.
"No way, Potter. Just relax and enjoy her going mad for the pain just in front of you. By the way, did you know she's very good in bed?" the Dark Lord hissed back.
At that Harry was blinded with rage.
"Reducto!" he cried casting it on the chain, and the power he put in the spell pulverised it instantly, even if Voldemort, expecting that kind of move, had placed protection spells on it.. Then he Accioed Hermione to him.
As soon as he got her, Voldemort attacked.
"No one plays with me like this, Potter. Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, aiming at Hermione, who was still shaking for the curse she had suffered, after the hours of torture in the whereabouts.
Harry pushed her on the ground, then used a stone as a Portkey and sent her to the Burrow. She was not in the condition to fight right now.
"Now it's just the two of us, Tom"
"Don't call me that way!" Voldemort shouted.
"Why, are you ashamed of your past? Haven't you told your followers that you are a Muggle-born too?"
"I am not!" Voldemort shouted again. "Time to die, Potter! Avada Kedavra!"
Harry simply moved out of the curse path, then counterattacked.
"Incendio!"
"You're not going to kill me with these childish hexes, Potter" the Dark Lord sneered.
"Funny, your pet snake said the same thing, but it did end killed after all…" Harry retorted.
That made Voldemort really angry, but Harry dodged every attack from him.
Around them the battle was still raging, and no one had noticed the duel that would decide all their fates was going on.
After some more time, Harry decided it was time to put an end to it.
So he started searching for the moment of using his secret weapon.
He kept avoiding Voldemort's attacks and counterattacking when he could.
"Seems you can't do anything more than defending yourself, Potter. You're not going to exit this fight alive" Voldemort said smirking. "You're too weak to take me"
It was the moment. Harry cast a silent Sectumsempra on the Dark Lord, and while he was in pain, he silently Accioed Gryffindor sword.
Once it arrived flying to him, Voldemort was standing again, even if profusely bleeding.
"Your time has come, Tom. Prepare to die" Harry said, walking toward his enemy brandishing the sword.
Voldemort said nothing, panting and trying to catch his breath for some desperate assault.
Harry attacked.
"Sectumsempra!" he cried again, while contemporarily slashing the Dark Lord with the magical sword.
Voldemort fell to the ground, almost dead.
"You can win this fight, but you can't save yourself, Potter. Till you live, I'll do too, as you're one of my Horcruxes. Fate is strange, isn't it?"
"Surely it is, Tom. But see, I already knew that. And I took my precautions against it. See, I've killed many wizards lately. Lestrange, Dolohov and the other two you sent to protect Nagini. Many other here. So my soul has been already ripped. I did my own Horcrux before duelling you, as I knew it may have come to this. Wonder what part of my soul I've encased in it?"
Voldemort's face showed comprehension, and fear.
"Yeah, Tom. Just the piece of your soul that you left in me that fateful night, many years ago. Want to know how could I choose that exact shred? Because I have one thing you know not, Tom. I can love. And the true love I've found in Hermione pushed the evilness of your soul to the very end of my soul. It was just natural it was to be ripped from my soul once I killed someone. And it won't need too much to destroy that Horcrux, unprotected by charms as it is" Harry said, taking a quill out of his pocket.
He then snapped it in two with his fingers, and then Incendioed the two half.
It left nasty marks on his hand, as it was, after all, full of evil, but Harry resisted the pain, not showing it for even a second.
"Goodbye, Tom. Your permanence on this earth was nor healthy nor useful. It lasted even too long. Now, it's finished" Harry said, then with one last slash of Gryffindor's sword, he killed him.
An unnatural scream was heard on the grounds, and everyone noticed Harry plunging the sword in the Dark Lord's body.
That last scream from their master discouraged the Death Eaters still fighting, and they let the Professors and the Aurors who had by now arrived capture them and bring them away to Azkaban.
McGonagall went to congratulate with Harry.
"Well done, Potter. You rid us from the toughest evil we ever faced. Your parents, Sirius and Albus would be proud of you and the man you've become"
Harry lowered his head at the thought of the ones who perished in that 17 years-long war between him and his nemesis, Lord Voldemort.
"Thanks, Headmistress. I did what I had to, for the Wizarding World but mostly for myself. My quest is finished now, and I can live the life I want to"
"Of course, my boy. No one deserves it more than you" Professor Slughorn said, coming from behind him.
"I would love for you to be the special guest of my little party tonight" he added then.
"No, thanks. I've already things to do" Harry politely said, walking away to meet Ron.
Once he found him, the two of them reached Hogsmeade and from there they Apparated to the Burrow, where Hermione was surely worried crazy and waiting for them, but mostly for him.
"Probably she won't like I kept her from the battle, but I prefer face her wrath than risk losing her" he thought just before leaving.
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