Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, sadly, as if I did, HBP would have been different…
A/N: This is my response to a Challenge. It is named "HBP: The Redemption", by Talon Karrde, thus the story title. If some of you have read my other story "HP and the quest of the Horcruxes", you may find some similarities in some points. That's because being this one on seventh year too, I rearranged parts of my other story to fit the requirements of the challenge. As usual, if you read, please leave a comment, good, bad, the way you want, but leave it. It means a lot to me.
Closing The Bills
Next day, Harry and Hermione were called by the Headmistress.
"Harry, Hermione, I've had news that Mr. Weasley is going to be released today. I thought maybe the two of you would like to go and pick him up…"
"Of course we would like to!" Harry eagerly said. Hermione nodded too.
"Very well. I thought so. This is why I've arranged a Portkey directly to St. Mungo's. Here it is" the older witch said, passing them a broken quill.
They grasped it, grinning.
"When he's ready, the three of you just have to grab it to return here in my office" the Professor explained just before they vanished.
Once in the hospital, Hermione went to the reception.
"Sorry, we're here to see Mr. Ronal Weasley, he should be released today" she said.
The receptionist controlled her notes, then smiled at them.
"Room 54 in the Ministry relatives yard" she said politely.
The two teens moved to reach the room they were told, and then entered to find their friend in bed, his things already packed to leave.
Harry couldn't help to notice the room seemed strangely tidy, for being one Ron stayed in.
"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 to school. Arthur had taken a day off the Ministry for being there for his son, but seeing that they had a Portkey directly for Hogwarts, he did not need to accompany them there, or at the Burrow.
That day was for relaxing, so no talk about Voldemort and his cronies took place, they simply enjoyed being all together once again, and that they were still in one piece.
They played Exploding Snap, chess, Hermione read some books, chitchatted a lot, and so on. It felt good to be able to do what teenagers like them do all the time, without worries of a madman coming after them.
Faster than they expected, dinner time came.
They walked down to the Great Hall, and the students at Gryffindor table greeted Ron back. Ginny hugged her brother in a perfect imitation of the trademark Molly Weasley hug.
"Big brother, feels good to see you again" she said. Although she was not supposed to know he had been hurt, his absence spoke volumes to her, since she knew what the trio had been up to the whole year.
After dinner, Hermione and Ron stayed in the common room, and when it deserted, they had time for themselves.
"You can't imagine how worried I was for you" she said, cuddling with him on the couch. He kissed the top of her head.
"Hermione, we all knew we would be in danger soon or later in this quest. Harry almost lost his hand, and something could have happened to you too" he reasoned.
"This does not mean I've to like it" she said, claiming his lips in a kiss.
"You know, if this is what I get every time I get hurt or you worry for me, I think I'll do that more often" he said, chuckling.
"Prat" she said, swatting his arm.
"But you love me for that" he said, kissing her again.
"That I do" she said sighing contentedly and enjoying the closeness.
In the meantime, Harry busied himself into the library, reading and taking notes on some books he found in the Restricted Section, but mostly from the ancient one he had found in Rome.
Next morning, he was woken up by soft hands stroking his hair.
"Harry, wake up. We need to get to breakfast, then to Transfiguration" he heard Hermione's voice telling him.
He finally opened his eyes to find her there.
"Seems I fell asleep on my books last night" he joked, putting them in his bag. He was trying to keep something from her, she could tell, but let it slip for the moment.
The fact he often stayed in the library alone was however not lost on her, and she wondered what he was up to.
Later that day, Harry and his two best friends reunited in the Heads common 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. Hermione nodded at him.
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.
That weekend there was the last match of the Quidditch season.
Harry and Ron decide a little break could do them no harm, so they played.
With Gryffindor at their best and Slytherin that had lost all his best players that year, due to graduation and Voldemort's recruiting, it was a mere formality.
Ron did not let a single Quaffle in, Ginny scored lots of goals, and Harry had no problems guiding his Firebolt 2005 on the Snitch's tail, thus grabbing it just in front of the Slytherin stands, an added pleasure as it gave him the chance to mock them.
The final score was a thundering 500 to 0, and the team went to collect the Cup in the middle of the pitch.
Ginny raised it to the sky, while a crowd of gold and red kept cheering them.
All night the festivities continued, and that involved quite a bit of snogging for the couples in the House. That meant Hermione and Ron got some time alone too, especially since Harry was too busy to try and keep the girls throwing themselves at him at bay to be able to use their private common room.
Some days later, Harry resumed his Animagus training, while Hermione was already able to transform at will into her animal form, a white fox.
He found that if he thought about something happy before attempting the transformation he would not incur in the risk of changing into a snake, thus confirming the suspicion that his second animal form was due to his link to Voldemort.
His skills helped him be able to have the transformation learned in a week time, but Professor McGonagall alerted both him and Hermione that it would be painful for the first times to attempt it, and especially the turning back to human could make their bodies ache for hours.
After two more weeks, they concurred that Voldemort would probably set his hiding point 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 Hogsmeade, 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"
"No way! I won't let you step in such a peril" Harry stubbornly said.
"Harry, reason. Out of the three of us I'm the less known by them. You are their prime target, so it's not logical for you to do the spying"
After some time, Harry admitted defeat. 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 a gust of wind and the Death Eater noticed her feet appearing.
He hastily turned, grabbed the cloak and took it off her. Hermione froze.
"So, what 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 ran away out of the castle, 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 where Malfoy Manor was signed on the maps, and snuck in through an old hole in the ground, once meant to be the entrance to the secret Chamber under the manor. It had been sealed, but Harry managed to unlock it.
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 have you 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 do 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 village, and hastily made his way back to the castle.
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, Ron, please, save me" she whimpered softly.
"They 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.
Ron seemed sceptical, but before he could say a thing Harry was gone. He ran on the stairs and outside the castle, almost knocking Filch down in the process.
"I swear if he wasn't Head Boy…" the caretaker muttered angrily.
Once in front of Malfoy Manor, Harry 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 hastily left. Hermione needed them.
"Mission complete" he said to Ron as soon as he landed. "He told me where Voldemort is"
"You trust him right?" Ron asked, still not convinced.
"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 checked it everywhere, and in four hours they had looked every little hole in the place. It was 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 already destroyed, but Harry didn't stop thinking about it. They needed to make their way to castle as soon as possible.
He and Ron ran, 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 one hour 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 were 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, especially Ronald" she said airily, walking away to search some other enemies.
Ron blushed, while Harry simply smiled. The girl had always had an huge crush on his redhead friend.
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.
"Snape!" he bellowed. "How dare you show your face here again?"
The man turned and sneered at the boy. "Who are you to stop me from coming here, Potter?"
Harry's rage blinded him.
"Deflagro!"
But Snape managed to block it.
"Haven't you learned to cast silently yet, Potter? Crucio!"
Harry let the curse hit him, and used the meditation techniques Professor Trayens had taught them. He felt no pain, and used the surprise of his opponent as weapon.
He cast Sectumsempra silently, and Snape's body got covered by deep gashes, blood spilling freely from them.
"How does it feel to be killed by your own spell, traitor?" Harry said coldly, then spit on the man's body before continuing searching for Voldemort.
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 screamed. Probably she was too weak to be successful in the meditation to avoid the pain.
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. It surprised the Dark Lord enough to let Harry Accio 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 on the Astronomy Tower, the only place she would be safe in the castle, at least till the battle raged outside. If the Death Eaters were to find her there, it would have meant the castle had fallen. 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?" the madman said, with a fatigued evil laugh.
"Surely it is, Tom. But see, I already knew that. And I took my precautions against it. I've studied the theory behind Horcruxes deeply this year, and I know everything about them. I know how to make one, and I know how to avoid to have to make one. See, you claim part of your soul is in mine. While it is true, it is a bit that is easily recognizable, as it is pure evil. This spell will rid me of that"
Voldemort's face showed comprehension, and fear. He knew the one spell that could rid Harry of that last link to the Dark Lord.
Harry's wand was pointed at himself.
Hermione, who had regained her composure enough to want to join the fight, although still weak, had returned to the battle field, and looked at Harry in horror. She had managed to get some look at his notes after that morning she woke him up in the library, and she had researched the spell he had noted there.
It was something highly dangerous and possibly lethal.
"Goodbye, Tom. Your permanence on this earth was nor healthy nor useful. It lasted even too long. Now, it's finished" Harry said, the closed his eyes.
"Malevolus Pars Animi Extorco" he cast on himself, and his whole body glowed in blinding white light.
The last thing he heard was Hermione screaming his name, before darkness engulfed him.
An unnatural scream was heard on the grounds, and everyone noticed Harry falling on the ground, while the Dark Lord's body started burning.
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.
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