Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and The Vampire Diaries

The news of Albus Dumbledore passing was a major blow to the Order and the rest of Magical Britain. Snape's betrayal was hugely felt by the faculty and Harry at most who had come to view the man as a mentor. Iris however was sad of the fact that Dumbledore didn't pass on some of his knowledge to her brother of the mission he was about to embark with his friends to track down the last horcruxes that remained.

"So Dumbledore left you a mission to track down Voldemort's horcruxes?" She asked Harry the next day after the funeral as they stood on the quidditch pitch.

Harry turned to look at his sister in shock at her knowledge.

"I learned of their existence in your midterm Harry." She replied the unspoken question. "I traveled a little during my exile and met a wizard who knew a lot about immortality, don't worry i was careful not to arouse suspicion."

"There are not gonna be easy to find." Harry said after getting over his shock and then turned to stare at the clouds. "I was surprised that you attended the funeral since you and Dumbledore didn't get along."

"I might not have been a big fan of his methods in his dealings with you Harry but i respected him. He was a powerful figure and will be missed greatly."

Harry just gave a little nod and didn't say anything.

"Not meaning to rush you or anything Harry but i do have to ask you something important."

Harry turned to look at the emerald eyes that matched his.

"The horcrux that you found, was it destroyed?"

Iris expected the palpable anger on her brother's face. This was a sore subject to him and he wasn't ready to deal with it.

"Iris, i am not ready to talk about it ok?!" he replied trying to refrain from shouting in anger.

"I know you are not Harry but this is important. Dumbledore left you this mission with more questions than solutions. They will no doubt be heavily protected with powerful enchantments designed to maim or kill as you have undoubtedly witnessed."

Harry glared but she waited patiently for his reply.

"It was a locket, but its fake.."

"Ok." it was a vague response so she decided to press him. "A locket as in what exactly?"

Harry pulled out a locket from his pocket.

"Is that a fake of Salazar Slytherin's true locket?" She asked in shock as took it to examine it closely.

"Yes, the original was stolen by someone with the initials R.A.B…" He didn't get to finish as Iris cut him off.

"Yeah i know him, Regulus Arcturus Black,he was Sirius's brother."

Harry's eyes became saucers.

"I slept in his room back at Grimmauld Place in my Seventh year, don't you remember? There was a locket there of heavy gold with a serpentine S in glittering green stone inlay on the front. At the time i just assumed that it was a fake of the original and tossed it aside when we were cleaning the old house."

She could see a wild excitement that began to creep its way on his face, "you can't fetch it now Harry."

The smile slowly disappeared from his face only to be replaced by a frown. "You are right. Even if i did fetch it, i don't have a weapon to destroy it."

He suddenly looked frustrated with himself. "I can't believe i forgot to ask Dumbledore how he destroyed the ring."

"Easy Harry, there are two ways of destroying a horcrux and there are both dangerous."

Harry looked at her in expectation.

"Basilisk venom or a very dark spell called fiendfyre which you only learn about in Seventh Year…"

"Wait, you mean that i have to stab it with a basilisk fang?"

She nodded. "But you have to be very careful Harry. It is a dangerous object to carry around and will arouse suspicion should the news reach Voldemort's ears of you moving around with it."

She stiffened in surprise when she found herself engulfed in a hug.

"Thanks Iris, it would have taken me a lot of time to figure out that vital information by myself."

"Harry, you don't have to this alone and i'm sure that Ron and Hermione wouldn't allow you to hunt those dangerous objects alone. You three have been through so much together. I can fully understand why this job was entrusted to you alone by Dumbledore."

Harry pulled out of the hug wanting to protest only for a small index finger to be pressed firmly against his lips silencing him.

"By this time next year you will be the number one target of voldemort Harry. The Ministry and this school is going to fall to the Death Eaters…"

Harry's face became a mask filled with dread.

"Surely you can predict this Harry. Some of the highest Ministry Personnel was being targeted this year. The murder of Amelia Bones was another blow to our side.."

"The Hogwarts Professors won't allow…."

Harry paused from continuing his passionate speech when Iris began to laugh.

"They won't have a choice in the matter Harry. If Voldemort gets his hand on the Ministry, he will enforce his will on the masses. His cruelty will be much worse than the last time he was in power with no one to challenge him."

"So how is Mystic Falls?" Harry asked as they walked headed to the Castle. The harsh reality that her sister revealed had left him deeply unsettled that he needed to do or say anything to forget about it.

"Mystic Falls, how shall i put it." Iris said with a thoughtful expression on her face. "It's a boring town which attracts the supernatural element namely vampires."

Harry stopped only for his sister to reciprocate his movement.

"Vampires?!"

"Believe me i was surprised too when i read the papers of sudden disappearances of people. I imagined it to be coincidence at first but then i saw a bite mark on the neck of a douchebag History teacher named Tanner…"

"And you are not concerned about your life…"

"Harry, vampires are the least of my worries. The key is to stay in huge crowds, not to invite anyone suspicious and ingest vervain should they try to suck you dry." Iris replied calmly but Harry expression wasn't calm at all.

"You are forgetting that they can literally snap your neck before you can even blink or i don't know rip your heart straight out of your chest!"

"Yes, vampires have a tendency to that when provoked, but name me one place where it's safe in this world Harry and i will gladly go."

No response came.

"This mission you are embarking on will probably get you captured and killed. There i no telling when it would last, it will probably take years Harry. Your friend's parents and cousins will most likely be taken and tortured for your whereabouts. They will either press on and let them be killed or they will betray you…"

"Ok stop stop!"

Harry began to walk as the previous fear that was momentarily forgotten return to the surface.

"I don't mean to scare you Harry but merely prepare you to the possibilities since we are at war."

Harry sighed deeply. "I know."

"So will you be joining me on the quest?"

Iris withheld her reply when she saw an enraged expression on Ron's face who was standing with a curious looking Hermione at the double door entrance. "I highly doubt that you and your friends would approve of my much darker side Harry."

"So what did your sister want?" Ron asked rudely when the girl passed them headed for the double doors that led to a corridor.

"Ron!" Hermione reprimanded him sharply before turning to face Harry who had a small frown on his face.

"Let's go somewhere private."

Harry began to walk his mind fixed on the Room Of Requirement.

"So what did you want to talk about Harry?" Hermione immediately asked the moment the Room sealed itself. It had three small couches that surrounded a small coffee table. After taking their seats, Harry told them everything that Iris told them.

"Wow, she's already thought of everything ahead of time." Hermione complimented deeply impressed.

"Slytherins." Ron muttered.

"Oh please Ron, the reason you are not happy about her contributions is because she flat out refused to go to the Yule Ball with you because she regarded you as an immature imbecile for actually believing that Harry was powerful enough to trick the Goblet which was created centuries ago."

His face turned red at the reminder of that humiliating refusal that had most of the Slytherins and his twin brothers laughing raucously at him.

"This is good Harry." She proceeded on. "We finally know what can destroy a horcrux, all we have to do is head down the Chamber Of Secrets and get ourselves a few basilisk fangs."

"Is she coming with us?" Ron asked but they all could detect a suppressed anger in his tone.

"No Ron, she won't be joining us but she said that she would help us from time to time should we encounter some difficulties along the way."

"We have hermione for that…"

"Ron, you really need to change your view about Iris, she is more capable and skilled than i am."