The Last Horcrux

Disclaimer: The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

Summary: Sorted in Slytherin when he came to Hogwarts, Harry with his best friends Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger is now in sixth year. With Voldemort killed once again at the end of his fifth year and Sirius free, it's time to destroy the horcruxes before Voldemort gets resurrected again. But can they do it before the Dark Lord's servants find him again? What happens when there is one horcrux that none of them ever knew about still in existence…

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Chapter One

"Father, my best friend invited me to their home twice on the train and by owl yesterday for the summer holidays and I'd really like to oblige them and visit… If it's OK with you." Draco Malfoy added the last part with slight deliberation knowing it would irritate his father.

He wasn't disappointed.

His father sighed and put down his luxurious eagle feather quill and looked up at his sixteen year old, smirking son.

"The Boy-Who-Lived or the little self righteous know-it-all?"

"The former, father and please do not call Hermione a know-it-all."

Lucius Malfoy gave a short laugh. "Rest assured son! It is this quality of hers that I like the most! After all, that girl beats my son in every subject. I much prefer her to your other best friend."

"You know father, I think sometimes that if she was a pureblood, you'd adopt her or something, by the way you talk to her when having your little debates. And she beats me by a small amount of marks mind you." Draco huffed. "So, may I go tomorrow?"

"Son, can't you live with your loving family for longer than two weeks?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's just for a week and a half, father! And I can return any time by floo. And I think you've forgotten but Harry Potter's godfather, with whom he is living now, is my uncle. He counts as family, right?"

"I meant parents!"

"I'll be back soon father and then we can go buy my new books together like the nice happy family that we are!"

"Sarcasm doesn't become you…"

Draco smirked again and leaned back on his father's prized bookshelf. "I think it's one of my better qualities father! Girls love it!"

Lucius sighed in defeat and took up his quill again. Draco took this as permission and swept out of his father's study to inform his mother of his plans.

Lucius Malfoy still had a hard time believing that his son, the progeny of a death-eater-turned-spy-but-still-slightly-malicious-and-evil man such as himself was best friends with Harry Potter aka the boy who lived himself and the brightest witch of her age, the muggle-born Gryffindor Hermione Granger. At least the boys were in Slytherin, he comforted himself with this fact repeatedly.

He had given up his faith in Voldemort when he had threatened his wife and a year old son. That was the straw that broke the camels back for him. Annoyed that he had to do the bidding for a half-blood self proclaimed dark lord, he was already annoyed at himself and his master. Malfoys did not take orders from anyone. Voldemort threatened to kill his family if he rebelled and Lucius knew that he couldn't be a death eater anymore.

Voldemort lost his power when his son was very young and Lucius couldn't be happier, knowing that Draco wouldn't be forced to become what he had become, but his resurrection a year and a half before was like his worst nightmare come true. He had returned to his supposed master when his mark burnedand started his highly dangerous job once again as a spy, as did Severus Snape.

Then, it was the next year when Harry Potter faced Voldemort again at the Ministry of Magic where Dumbledore was able to defeat him in a duel and reduce him again to his ghostly existence, the likes of which he was when he tried to kill Harry Potter when the latter was a baby. The minister had acknowledged his return only to find that he was again half dead, or whatever the dark lord was previously. Also, his wife's cousin Sirius Black had been cleared of all charges when it was clear on which side he had always been.

The absence of the Dark Mark didn't hurt his case.

And so his son's best friend got back his godfather and started living with him in his ancestral home, The Grimmauld Place, which had served as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.

And now he was inviting his son to the dark and gaunt house, to spend holidays. Lucius Malfoy grumbled as he went back to what he was working on before he was interrupted.

Whatever it seemed, Lucius loved his wife and son very much. It was not that he hated his son's friends but the safety of his son came into question if he had to live in the Blacks' ancestral home, which had been abandoned since Sirius's mother died, and that was certainly a long time back. He had seen with his own eyes, infestation of doxies and huge spiders in sofas and kitchen utensils when he had been there for the meetings.

This was the first time Draco would go there. After all, Draco had been the one who had always invited his friends over to his house as Lucius had at first not allowed his only son to stay at a muggle house, Hermione Granger's house, when she had invited the boys. So his friends came over to keep him company. He could swear on his dead father that they now knew Malfoy Manor as good as Draco himself. And he was very sure that the girl had read almost all of the texts which he had allowed in his extensive library by now. Lucius wouldn't admit it under the torture of the cruciatus but he was impressed with her! Thus, Lucius gave in and allowed Draco to go over to her house the summer before their fourth year. Was his son happy!

He wouldn't say that he was not prejudiced against blood. He was. After all, it was not easy to forget something that one had been taught since one could talk. But his son's best friend was certainly someone whom he had no trouble regarding as an exception. The exceptionally intelligent girl had proved to him that she could do better than a wizard whose family could trace their blood as pure as far as the family tree showed, which showed back to almost sixty seven generations. He would loath to show it but he was certainly pleased that his son did not show the prejudice that Lucius had always exhibited and had befriended the witch. The only problem he had with Hermione Granger was that she was in Gryffindor house!

"Lucius, did you allow our son to go over to that dilapidated house?"

Lucius broke out of his reverie and looked towards his wife, Narcissa who had just entered his study with a displeased expression on her face. He put down his quill again and stood up from his desk. He was certainly not going to be able to complete anything that day.

"Yes Narcissa, I-"

"Have you been there before?" She cut him off.

"Narcissa, if I did not let him go, his friends would come here!"

She huffed in annoyance. "I happen to like them both unlike you Lucius!"

"I don't hate them. And I have a hunch that Sirius would have gotten it cleaned by now if his godson is going to invite his friends over there."

"Sirius was never the one for cleanliness, believe me."

He rolled his eyes at her. "It'll be fine Narcissa. Look on the brighter side… We have the house to ourselves. Just me and my wife, no son and his annoying friends."

"Lucius, we have the house to ourselves when our son goes to school, which is for the most part of the year."

"Details are of no consequence. And he'll be back after a week and a half."

"Father, you're the world's biggest hypocrite!" Draco stated as he waltzed in his father's study, once more with his chin high in the air, smirking at his father.

Lucius regarded him with a cool and annoyed expression. "I'm also your father, boy. So it'd do you better to leave right now."

Lucius's son walked out of the room and he could swear he heard the words crazy family and stupid father in his low grumblings.

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So, how was it??? Please REVIEW and tell me whether I should continue or not… This plot came into my head and refused to leave and after a fortnight, I was sure I could write a story on it. Please people, review and let me know how it was. I'll update the next chapter very soon as I just finished with a very big exam. It was on Sunday and I am relieved. The next would be on 26th but I'll post two more chapters by then. Once again, REVIEW!