The three walked in complete silence through the night. Hogsmeade was completely dark, and their silenced feet did not make any noise. They knew the town quite well after all these years, so they had no problems reaching Honeydukes. With an whispered Alohamora, Hermione opened the door. Ron and Harry followed her inside like two shadows. Locking the door back, they headed towards the cellar maintaining their silence. Only after they've closed the trapdoor above them and took some steps down the tunnel did they dare talk in low whispers. There wasn't much to say though, so they continued slowly towards the school.
Just before the tunnel started heading slowly up, Ron stopped Harry with a hand on his forearm and gestured to him, indicating something like a large sheet. Harry nodded silently, took the Marauders' Map out from his pocket and murmured the password.
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
Even before he finished it, he was thinking how true it was right now, even more than ever before since the twins gave him the map.
Inked lines and dots appeared on the parchment, together with names. The four house dormitories were full, and it was difficult to distinguish individual names. He focused for a bit on the Griffindor tower and managed to identify Ginny's dot. It seemed she was in her bed.
Looking elsewhere, the corridors around the one-eyed witch were clear. He could see all the professor's names (even the Carrows, which gave him a shudder) in the Faculty Wing. Snape was missing, though.
Keeping the map active, he handed it to Ron and took his cloak out, gesturing to Hermione to keep going.
Hermione arrived first at the false wall and looked back to Ron and Harry. Ron checked the map one more time and then nodded. At his signal, Hermione opened the door in the wall, and Harry draped the cloak around their shoulders as the emerged into the corridor. After closing the wall, they started to make their way towards the seventh floor corridor. The cloak was stretched at the limit, they were no longer first years. Harry couldn't stop the bitter sweet memories from emerging.
Soon enough and without and surprises on the way they were in from of the dancing hippogriffs. After another nod from Ron, Harry left the safety of the cloak and proceeded to walk quickly in front of the naked wall opposite the tapestry. As the door emerged, they quickly made their way through it, closing it behind them. Both Hermione and Harry started to put some newly learned spells and wards on both the door and the room at large. Nobody could ever say they circumvented learning during what should have been their seventh year.
Finally allowing themselves to breath easily, they took their seats in front of the fireplace the room provided and look at each other.
"It wasn't as difficult as we thought would be," Ron started with something like a bit of awe in his voice - like he was surprised himself at how well that part had worked out.
"Ron, it was easy because we've planned it well, and covered all the possible outcomes," Hermione said back to him.
"It was easy because it was the easy part of the whole thing," Harry interjected. "Now comes the more difficult part. I still think we should try and get Ginny and maybe Neville here, too. We have the map, but we still don't know much about what is happening in the castle. We need information."
"And, beside, you want to see Ginny," Ron almost boasted. Ron had been quite vitriolic to Harry after his breaking with Ginny, but as he saw Harry watching Ginny's dot on the map during the months together he became quite enthusiastic about getting Harry and Ginny back together.
"That too, yes."
"We had this discussion before, it is too dangerous to try and contact them directly." Hermione sounded almost regretful.
Her words though, started Harry thinking. What they needed was to contact Ginny indirectly. His heart constricted again at the thought of Hedwig and Dobby's deaths. He realized that, had Dobby been alive, he would have called him already to take a message to Ginny. Dobby might not be with them anymore, but...
"Kreatcher!" Harry shouted. Both Hermione and Ron shifted their eyes to him, surprised.
"It is so good to see master and his friends." Kreatcher materialized with a pop.
"Good to see you, too, Kreatcher," Harry replied. "Listen, we need some very discreet help, and maybe some information as well. Can you take a message to Ginny Weasley with being noticed? You must not be seen by anybody but her, it is a matter of life and death."
"Kreatcher can do, master."
"Very well. Please contact her as soon as possible and let her know we are in the room of requirement, and would like to see her here as soo as she can get here in absolute secrecy. She must not draw any attention to this place. Also, please ask her to bring Neville if at all possible."
"Very well, master. Would master like some tea or food now?"
"No, Kreatcher, we are going to sleep. Please bring some around 8 in the morning. With these words Harry looked to the other two, to see if there was anything to add. At their blank looks, he continued, Go and rest now, Kreatcher, we will talk more after we all sleep. Please let me know if Ginny has a reply message."
And Kreatcher bowed and left.
-HPGW
During their sleep and then through the morning, the three friends thought about were to start looking for the horcrux. Through their bantering and mind storming, Harry realized that they should start in the room where he's hidden the potion book of the half-blood prince the previous year. Considering all he saw in that room, there was a good chance it was there. They exited the room with great care and under the cloak. Ginny has sent a message back with Kreatcher that she had a free period that afternoon and would come then. Harry just managed to materialize the door when Ron hissed at him from under the cloak. He pushed the door open and the other two followed him quickly. Ron stopped him before he could close it.
"Ginny's coming. She is alone and it seems safe."
Harry grabbed the map and looked at it quickly, then, giving it back to Ron, kept the door open with his foot, without stepping out in the corridor. Ginny's steps could be heard.
As Ginny walked through the door, Harry closed the door and lifted his left hand, stopping Ginny from moving or saying anything. Just like earlier, he and Hermione placed their spells and wards on the door and room. Only then did he turn toward Ginny and took a couple steps to her. She had the same blazing look in her eyes, but Harry couldn't stop from thinking that they looked darker and sadder, even as she took several steps to him and grabbed him in a tight hug. His hands found her hair and her back and their lips found their way together and time stopped for both of them, Ron and Hermione forgotten. After a while they had to some out for air.
"I missed you, Harry. So much."
"I missed you, too, Ginny." Harry didn't want to stop looking into her eyes. She was here in his arms right now, and he had a hard time bringing himself to care about anything else.
"Be that as it may," Hermione startled them both, "you will have time for more of that later. This configuration is not safe. We must identify the object and then return the room to the safe mode."
Harry wanted to strangle Hermoine right then and there, but he only nodded. He hated she broke his moment with Ginny, even though he knew she was right.
"There is an ocean of lost things here," Ron complained, "it will take forever to go through all this."
While keeping Ginny in his arms, Harry had his head clear and thinking by now. Ginny was quiet in his embrace, she seemed to realize that they were in a tight spot right then.
"Try your spell, Hermione," Harry suggested. "It should have enough range to cover this room."
Hermione nodded, took her wand out, and cast the spell. That particular spell was an area spell with a medium range, meaning that the whole surrounding area was affected as Hermione cast it. They looked around and saw something turning red on a dresser halfway to the back wall. They were almost relieved, when they realized something none of them expected - both Harry and Ginny were bright red as well.
-HPGW
"What in Merlin s beard does that mean?" Ron almost shouted.
They were back in the room of requirement in the configuration they first called when the arrived and Ginny was still with them. She would have to leave in less than an hour, but for now they were all seated around the fireplace, Ron and Hermione in two fluffly armchairs and Harry and Ginny on a shared couch.
"It obviously means both Harry and Ginny are " Hermione left her words to trail.
"Yes, Hermione, I will tell Ginny everything," Harry understood her hesitation. "This was my intention from the start, but even more so now."
Ginny was still very unclear about the meaning of all this, but the next twenty minutes or so proved quite traumatic for her.
"It must have jumped hosts when I destroyed the diary," Harry spoke thoughtfully.
Ginny was still under shock and did not say much during Harrys explanations. Then, she came back.
"And how do you destroy a horcrux?" She asked. Harry could hear the tears in her voice, but also the determination not to let them spill.
"As far as we know, by putting the object that contains it beyond any repair, magically or otherwise." Harry had managed to cut in before Hermione could start. Ginny did not need a lecture just now.
"We have to die?" Ginny s voice was less than a whisper.
None of the other had any reply.
"We will split our efforts tonight," Harry started quite forcefully. He would take control right know, his Ginny needed him. "Ginny, you have to go back as to not arouse any suspicions, and soon. Please return tomorrow morning or the soonest you can, we ll continue this discussion then. The rest of us have to go back into the chamber to retrieve some basilisk venom if we are to destroy the horcrux we found in here. As to Ginny and I, we will have to think some more."
"What is to think, Harry? I would die for this war to end, I would give my life to destroy Tom." Ginny was just the tiniest bit hysterical, but Harry understood. Honestly, he probably was as well, but he vowed to keep himself in check for her if nothing else.
"Let s sleep on it and talk again tomorrow," he smoothed her. He didn t want to think about any of this right now. Tomorrow will come much to fast anyway.
He ended his words by taking her in his arms again. They kissed and her arms hugged him just as strongly as his hugged her, but he could feel her slight trembling.
-HPGW
Ron and Hermione had convinced Harry they could handle retrieving the venom, so he was sitting in front of the fire, lost in thoughts. He would not allow himself to wallow in grief, he had to save Ginny. After a while he crossed his arms and felt something pressing on his chest. In his inner chest pocket he found the snitch Dumbledore left him, and he started playing with it the same way he d seen his father.
Something about the golden speck caught his eye. I open at the end. He knew now what it meant. He had to die. Inspiration of the moment driving him, he brought the snitch to his lips and whispered I am about to die .
The snitch opened with a tiny crack and inside he found the black stone from the Gaunt ring. What the heck did Dumbledore want him to do with it? And then it came crashing down on him the Resurrection Stone. It wasn t a children story. He marked the story of the Deathly Hollows for them, and gave him the Stone. He already had the Cloak well, Ron and Hermione had it right now. And if he guessed right, Dumbledore owned the Elder Wand. And Malfoy then disarmed him, and then Harry has disarmed Malfoy. Did that make him the Master of the Elder Wand? And he owned all three of them, did that make him the Master of Death? And if he was the master of Death, could he use that to save Ginny? He couldn t think, everything was just floating in his mind. He needed advice, and his friends were not there. And then he looked at the stone in his hand. There were only two people whose advice he wanted. Whose advice he ever wanted. His parents.
He twirled the stone three times in his hand thinking about his parents he never knew. And then two shadows appeared. He was stunned.
"I did not hope we would see you before your death, Harry, but I am so happy we can be here for you right now, we love you so much."
"And your Ginny, too. We are so proud you fell in love with such an wonderfull girl." His father was gushing.
"She has to die!" Harry almost shouted.
"Harry, if there is any other way, you must find it!" His mother was stern, but her eyes betrayed her, because tears could be seen forming.
They did have quite a bit of stories to tell, but Harry knew he must hurry. He had to save Ginny. He could call his parents to swap stories later. Their discussion reached only one conclusion.
"You should call Dumbledore. He almost knew more that anybody else could guess about everything, and he liked to keep his secrets close to his chest," James advised.
"Talk to him, and get all the information. Find a way to save your Ginny, kill that bastard and live a long life with her. We love both of you."
"And remember that you are the last of Potters, you must renew the line with a lot of children." Harry could hear the smile in his father s voice.
"I cannot let her die," he whispered.
"Either of you, Harry," Lily tenderly whispered back.
"Can I call you later again?"
"Sure, darling, we we ll always love you." Both his parents were smiling at him now, but both had tears in their eyes.
"You can go now," he finally said.
He took a couple of minutes of deep breathing to get ready for the next discussion.
"Well, Harry, I will say I did not expect to talk to you so soon." Dumbledore appeared with the same twinkle in his eye. I am very proud of you.
But Harry did not have time for that.
"Tell me what do you know of Horcruxes, how they can be removed. And the Deathly Hollows as well. Was your wand the Elder Wand?"
"Yes, I was the Master of the Elder Wand until Draco disarmed me. And I do not know more about the Deathly Hollows then you right now. One of the Peverell brothers had been your direct ancestor. But now that you have the Stone, I guess you could ask them directly."
"The Peverell brothers?" Harry was quite surprised at the idea.
"Why not?" That damn twinkle was quite annoying after a while." As for horcuxes, I do not know of any way of destroying the horcrux without destroying the object underneath. There are no precedents were a horcrux was in a living body. I am sorry, Harry "
"What about your plan, I know you planned everything. What else is supposed to happen now?"
"Well, Harry, as I said I never expected you to contact me this early. Or to open that snitch before that moment. I do not think my plan holds any relevancy now."
"Damn you, old man, this is my life, and also the lives of so many people in the whole Wizarding world. And muggle too. And you still desire to keep your secrets?"
"Alright, Harry, you are right, of course. Two things: one, you must die to destroy the horcrux in your scar, but you d not stay dead because your blood is in Voldemort s veins now."
"So he s like my horcrux now?" The idea made him sick.
"Sort of, but it is all his doing."
"Right, so I die, destroy the horcrux, and come back. What about Ginny?"
"I am sorry to say, I never had an inkling of that horcrux."
"Damn you again. And what then, he would still be around."
"He will come to Hogwarts and steal the Elder Wand from my tomb it s on his most desired treasures list. But he is not its Master."
"Am I now that I disarmed Malfoy?"
"You did? Very good. I guess you d be, yes."
"So I have the Wand, Cloak and Stone. Does that make me the Master of Death?"
"According to the story, yes. But who knows?"
"As you said, I could ask the Peverell brothers "
The discussion ended and he let Dumbledore go, his mind was already focused on the three brothers now. Another twirling of the stone, but only one shadow appeared where he expected three.
"Quite a night, my descendant, quite a night," the shadow exclaimed.
"So you are my direct ancestor, aren t you? And where are your brothers?"
"Of course I am. And I don t know exactly what you were thinking about, but you only called me."
"Doesn t matter." Harry felt quite under pressure by now. "Do you know how to remove a horcrux from a living person without affecting that person?"
"No, my boy, I do not." Harry was quite annoyed but that appellative, but he did not have time for that.
"And what exactly means that I am the Master of Death?"
"That is also somewhat unclear to me. It not something we called ourselves, but a name invented after us. My best guess is that you could ask Death itself."
At Harry s blank look he continued.
"You can call Death just like any other person. Normally it wouldn t bother listening to you, but now that you have all three the so called Master it might show up."
Harry didn t even bother with pleasantries; with a murmured thanks Peverell was gone. He took a deep breath and thought do I really want to call Death? But there was no doubt in his mind, he had to save Ginny.
And Death showed up with a hissing sound.
"I see you gathered possession of all three of my gifts, young Potter." The voice was strange, and lacking any attributes.
"What does that bring me?"
"Nothing really other that their use, but I would like them back. Well, I don t actually care, but they are much too powerful for you humans, so I should get them back."
"Right " Harry let a long breath out with this word. "I ll make you a deal. I ll give you back the ownership of all three of them, in exchange for one favour."
"And would that be, young mortal? Immortality?" His voice had one attribute now, it seemed amused?
"Ginny and I will die at some point in the next 48 hours or so. You will not take us, but return us unharmed in our living bodies. Once we both are back, I will give you the Hallows."
"Very well, we are agreed." And it disappeared with the same kind of sound.
Harry almost fell out of his chair in relief. It seemed he managed to fix things. All he could think was Ginny s red hair, and red lips, and Or maybe not, as he realized that he might be the master of the Elder Wand, but he did not have it. With a bit of luck, it would be still inside Dumbledore s tomb. He would have to break in there and retrieve it before daylight.
A bit later Hermione and Ron returned with the venom. Harry only told them about his talk with Dumbledore, and his need to retrieve the Wand, and left with the cloak and map. He also had the Stone in his pocket. When he got outside the sky was lighter in the east, but he managed to retrieve the wand and close the tomb back before long. No signs to show the tomb had been open. He also had an amused thought nothing really happened when he touched the wand. He thought that having all three Halllows on his person will produce some effect, but no
He hurried back to the Room of Requirement.
-HPGW
Ron and Hermione were asleep when he returned and he managed to get some sleep as well. They spent some time waiting for Ginny, but she showed up pretty soon.
"No need to worry about classes anymore, I guess," she whispered as she entered the room.
As Harry and Hermione warded the room, she was looking around, first at Harry and then the table in between the two couches. Her eyes grew at the sight af the two glasses.
"What the heck are you thinking about Harry?" she exploded.
"What?" Harry was definitely shocked by that outburst.
"What is with the two glasses?" she demanded.
"I spoke with Dumbledore last night. Resurrection Stone, you know? He said I cannot die, as my blood is in Voldemort s veins. But you don t have that, and if you have to die, I want to die with you. Only I will not die, because of that. Nonetheless, I want to be with you for all this."
Ginny was crying openly now, and Ron and Hermione were sitting unmoving on the other coach.
Harry and Ginny looked into each other eyes, and picked up their glasses. They emptied them at the same time, and then rushed in an embrace and kiss. But it didn t take long before they couldn t move anymore, and the pain was hot and sharp. Then all went black.
-HPGW
Harry opened his eyes, and found himself in the platform 9 at King s Cross. Next to him was Ginny. They were both wearing Griffindor school robes, but, he saw, without their insignia for the year. And then a sound was heard behind them.
"My part of the deal is done, young humans. Ah, and I see you were thoughtful and brought your part of the deal with you " They turned the see Death with almost a grimaced smile. The contours were much better defined now, and it even had a face. "You can return now."
"Thank you," Harry managed while putting his arm around Ginny s shoulders. He looked down and saw that the Hollows were not in his robe anymore, but when he looked at Death he saw them in its hands. Ginny still did not manage any words.
"Oh, and your parents have a message for you, both actually. They do not want to see either of you again for a long time. Aha, yes, and something about lots of Potters to carry on the line."
The last words seemed muffled, and the whole world dissolved around them.
-HPGW
Harry opened his eyes and the room of requirement materialized around him. The pain was gone, and his and Ginny s lips were no longer glued together. But the sweet little lady was still in his arms, and was just opening her eyes. And then she exploded.
"Harry James Potter! What the bloody hell happened there?"
-HPGW
A couple of weeks had passed since what was now called by everybody the final battle . Harry and Ginny were slowly walking hand in hand through the woods at the Burrow. Suddenly, he spun towards her and grabbed her tightly in his arms. They went to sit on a large rock moments later, and Harry took her hand.
"Do you regret not having the Stone anymore, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"No way, I would have given up anything for your life, Ginny. And I would do the same again. As for them, I know I will see them again "
He let the silence draw a bit, and then continued.
"There is also the second part of the message Death gave us from my parents," he murmured.
Ginny looked at him, a bit surprised, as he kneeled in front of her and took both her hands in his.
"Ginny, I love more than anything else, and I will love you as long as I live and afterwards too. Will you marry me, and make babies with me, and grow old with me? Will you let me spend my life making you happy?"
-HPGW
End