"So you are saying that I have a piece of Voldemort's soul stuck in my head?"
"In your scar, yes," Sirius nodded.
Remus shifted on his chair as Harry stared at Sirius blankly. "You are taking this surprisingly well."
"I'm still progressing it before I might freak out," Harry muttered, shifting uncomfortable on his own chair.
"Don't worry, we've been working on a solution since we found out," Sirius tried to reassure him and Harry's green eyes turned back to the man leaning against the table.
"Just how long have you known about this?"
"Since you told me about your scar hurting and the nightmare you described last summer."
"Why didn't you tell me?" There was a questioning note in his voice, but Remus was surprised there was no hint of being upset in his tone.
"Would you have wanted to know?"
"Yes! No...I ..." Harry trailed off, taking a moment to actually think it through. "No. I would have worried endlessly about it if I'd known before. But what made you decide not to tell me? You've never kept secrets from me before."
"I'm sure there are tons of things I haven't told you yet."
"Yet being the keyword there," Harry grumbled.
"Fair enough. I didn't tell you for two reasons. One; you would indeed be worried and distracted."
"And second?"
"Safety reasons. We know that you dream about things he does and can feel it whenever he is nearby or having strong emotions. Who knows what he can see through you," Sirius admitted honestly.
"He could be listening in right now!" Harry realised shocked.
"Not exactly. Sirius has been giving you Occlumency lessons and you are constantly shielding yourself. So you'd know if he were to try and break in," Remus shook his head.
"But I doubt he is aware I'm dreaming what he's seeing, either," Harry argued.
"He's not as far as we know, which is why we didn't tell you until we were absolutely sure we had a way to remove it," Sirius said.
"How?"
"We've experimented on relocating a Horcrux from one vessel to another last night and we are positive we can shift the one in your scar without harm coming to you."
"Another...just how many did he make?"
"We have reason to believe he's made seven in total. But to confirm it I will need to enter your mind with Legilimency and locate the essence of your Horcrux. I hope I'll be able to form a connection and confirm the others. If I succeed then I'd like to try and reach Nagini through your Horcrux."
"Why do you want to reach Nagini?" Harry asked curiously, leaning forward in his chair as Sirius spoke.
"To cast a couple of enchantments on her so Voldemort won't discover we've destroyed the Horcrux in her and he won't attempt to make new ones."
"Why doesn't he do that anyway?"
"He can't. A soul is meant to remain intact and splitting it damages it. The more he split it, the more damaged his soul became," Remus spoke up.
"He damaged his soul so badly that it became unstable and he knows he cannot really risk making another one with the way his soul is now. We think that is what has defeated him that night," Sirius took over when Remus turned to him. "We think his extremely unstable soul was torn into half the night he attacked your parents and you and his spell met your mother's sacrificial blood magic."
"So he didn't make one out of me on purpose?" The hopefulness in Harry's voice was hard to miss and Sirius shook his head.
"I doubt it. It would be stupid and risky to use a living creature as a vessel as they have a mind of their own and are hard to control. I think the only reason he is able to control Nagini the way he does is because he's a Parselmouth and snakes automatically listen to those."
"Do you think..." Harry trailed off, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Yes, I do. We know you aren't a Parselmouth from birth so I- we believe you gained the ability when the Horcrux nestled inside your scar," Sirius answered him.
"So I'll lose the ability when the Horcrux is removed?"
"Along with your nightmares, visions and pain in the scar, if our theory is correct," Remus smiled as Harry's face lit up at his godfather's words.
"So, what do you think? Are you willing to let us try and remove it?" Sirius placed a hand on his godson's and squeezed it.
"Yeah...I assume you can't simply destroy it while it's still inside of me?" Harry shifted nervously.
"No. There is a small chance that the destruction of the Horcrux will also destroy the vessel."
"Meaning that you would die," Remus finished what Sirius didn't say and Harry nodded in understanding.
"Which is not acceptable so we've come up with our current plan," Sirius said.
"And you're using Kreacher to relocate it, because..."
"Horcruxes are generally heavily warded. The locket we found yesterday burned my fingers at the mere touch, but that was nothing compared to what it might do when worn," Sirius answered.
"How are you going to relocate the Horcrux in Nagini if there's a chance she'd die and you don't want Voldemort to discover what you are up to?" Remus smiled proudly as Harry thought logically about what they had told him and had seen that little flaw.
"Kreacher can relocate Horcruxes from a distance, too. He just needs to be able to see or feel it. If I connect with the Horcrux in you and in turn the one in Nagini, then he'll automatically be connected too since he's bound to my magic and can relocate it without ever coming near her."
"All right, let's get on with it then," Harry took a deep breath before shifting so he sat side-ward on the chair, facing Sirius completely.
"If I'm hurting you, then you warn me immediately, all right?" Sirius gave Harry his free hand, smiling as the teen squeezed it nervously.
"I will, good luck," green eyes looked up into light grey ones and then neither of them moved any more as Sirius entered his mind.
Remus remained as quiet as he was, keeping an eye on Kreacher, who had been silent throughout the entire conversation and was now closing his eyes.
It didn't take long before Sirius pulled back, rubbing his temple and Harry blinked at the same time Remus sensed a new pulsing darkness in the rat cage beside him and he inched away from it automatically.
"It worked?" he asked just in case as Sirius pulled the second cage forward, the rat inside it twittering at him angrily, as if it knew what was going on.
"Yeah, I managed to reach the essence and connect with the other Horcruxes. We were right about all of them by the way, but even better, I know where all of them are hidden."
"And?"
"We were right about the cup and the diadem. The ring is located in the Gaunt's old house," Sirius grimaced. "It is under heavy protections, though."
"And Nagini?" Harry asked.
"I cast several spells on her, including a loyalty and obedience charm so she'll still obey Voldemort like she did before," Sirius turned to Harry. "Did you feel anything?"
"No, you didn't hurt me and I completely lost your presence when you connected with the Horcrux."
"That's good to hear. I'd like to remove the one in your scar to the second rat now."
"Go ahead," Harry closed his eyes, tightening his hold on his godfather's hand.
"Kreacher? Move the Horcrux from Harry to this rat like we've practised."
The house-elf nodded, Remus and Sirius holding their breath as a third pulsing darkness filled the room as it was relocated to the rat and Harry opened his eyes a crack after a few moments.
"My headache's gone."
"How are you feeling?" Remus cast the diagnostic spells on the two rats while Sirius fretted over Harry, both of them able to confirm they were fine.
"I have to admit that I was expecting more," Harry finally said as he pulled away from Sirius' embrace.
"I'm not complaining, but let me check just to be sure."
Remus sighed relieved as Sirius pulled back from Harry's mind mere moments later with a large grin splattered on his face.
"It's completely gone."
"That's great, but let's wait with the celebration until we've destroyed them, shall we?"
"Of course. Kreacher, move it from the rat to the old clock in the corner. We'll use that to destroy them all," Sirius ordered and moments later it was done.
"Brilliant, thank you for your help and the same order remains standing; you are not to communicate with anyone about what we were doing."
"Yes, Master."
"Good, you may return to what you were doing for now. I might call on you again in a little bit."
As the elf left Remus and Harry followed him to the large standing clock and watched as he placed the rat and the jar, both Horcruxes beside it.
"You may want to step back a little, because I don't know what will happen to the vessels when I cast this spell," Sirius warned them and Remus pulled Harry back a little.
"What happens when the Horcruxes are destroyed?" Harry asked, allowing Remus to pull him back.
"These assure his body can be destroyed, but he cannot be killed. With them gone, he will be mortal again and he can be killed in battle," Remus answered, keeping his voice down as Sirius began the extremely long and complicated curse that had goose bumps form on his arms.
"What's happening now?" Harry whispered so he wouldn't break Sirius' concentration.
"He had Kreacher move your Horcrux to this magical clock so he can use it as a conduct and destroy the other Horcruxes in a chain reaction. The other two Horcruxes will be a guidance to see if we succeeded..." he trailed off as all at once cold sweat ran down his spine and the dark pulses became stronger before abruptly vanishing.
"Was that..." he swallowed and as Harry looked up to them curiously and confused, he realised the teen hadn't felt that.
"Yes," Sirius knelt down at the cages. "The Horcruxes are destroyed and ...it looks like these fellows are none the worse for it."
"So we succeeded?" a slow grin spread over Harry's face.
"Seems like it, that eerie feeling was the same I felt when connection with the one that was in your scar," Sirius said.
"It just vanished though," Remus admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy it was so easy, but I had expected more of a fight, somehow."
"It was rather easy," Harry nodded.
"Only because we sidestepped the most common destruction method," Sirius got to his feet again.
"What is the most common destruction method?"
"Facing the protections placed up and around it while trying to destroy it beyond repair," Remus smiled at Harry's wince. "Yeah, I don't look forward to that part either."
"Wait...you're still going to hunt down the Horcruxes?"
"Well, technically they are no more than vessels now, but yeah. We need to be a hundred percent sure they are truly destroyed and retrieve the items," Sirius smiled. "But without the Horcruxes there, we should be fine while dealing with the protections."
"Will you be careful?" Harry wrapped his arms around his godfather, holding him close for a long moment.
"Of course. We're not going to take any risks or endanger ourselves in any way, I promise," Sirius placed a kiss into Harry's hair and pulled him against him before moving back to the table.
"So, Nagini's taken care of, the Diary was already destroyed and we've destroyed the ones in Harry and the locket," he tipped three of the items off.
"That leaves the ring, cup and diadem," Remus nodded.
"And you discovered their locations while you were in my mind?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. The cup is at Gringotts so Remus will have to retrieve that and I'll need your help with the diadem," Sirius smiled. "It is hidden at Hogwarts so it'll have to wait until September, but I'd like you to retrieve it then."
"Of course, where is it hidden?"
"In the Room of Requirement. I've been told that you have to ask for the room in which everything is hidden and then ask to be directed to Rowena's diadem and the room will light the way. If it does not, then ask for the Grey Lady, she knows exactly where it is. Tell her I send you and that I intent to keep my promise and she will help you."
"You want me to send it to you with Dobby?" Harry asked, not asking how Sirius knew so sure the ghost of Ravenclaw would help him.
"That would be best. Remus and I will go after the ring together, from what I saw that one will be the most difficult to reach."
"Let's leave that one for last, I think we've done enough for today," Remus smiled. "You should go get some more rest while you still can, we woke you rather early."
"I'm happy you woke me up early for this," Harry grinned. "I'm headache free and from what you just told me, I'll be less nightmare prone and that stupid scar won't hurt any more. I think this is the best late birthday present I could have ever gotten!"
"We definitely need to spoil you more if that's true," but Sirius was smiling as he said it and ruffled Harry's hair as the teen gave him another hug. "I'm glad it worked."
"So am I, thank you, both of you," Harry grinned at Remus as he wrapped his arms around Sirius tightly.
"Anything for you, pup," Sirius dropped a kiss into his hair before pulling back. "But Remus is right; you should get some more sleep. It's six o'clock now so I'll make sure no one disturbs you before eleven."
"Yeah...I'll...can I return to your room?" Remus had to bit his lip to keep from laughing as Harry looked up to Sirius with big green eyes.
"Do you need to ask? I might even join you once I've handled the last few things here. But you should go back to sleep now."
"I will, good night," Remus smiled as godfather and godson exchanged one more hug and nodded as Harry smiled at him before hurrying off.
"You're not going to go back to bed yet?"
"In a bit, there's something I still have to take care of," Sirius picked up the locket.
"What are you going to do with that?" Remus asked as Sirius dangled it from his fingers.
"I promised Kreacher I'd destroy it but it is a useless piece of jewellery now. Nothing special about it any more."
"You're not going to destroy it?" Remus raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, it is going to be destroyed, I just won't be the one to do it," Sirius smiled. "I might not like that house-elf, but he's been more than helpful in our quest so I figured he should do the honours and fulfil his last orders from Regulus."
"He'll appreciate that," Remus smiled, reaching forward to squeeze Sirius' biceps. "You're a good person, Siri."
"Why? Because I let a house-elf destroy a necklace?"
"No, because you are willing to put your personal opinions aside for what is right. Letting Kreacher destroy it is the right thing to do, even if you don't like the elf."
Remus smile grew as Sirius entwined their fingers together and squeezed. "Want to come with me so you can see his reaction?"
"I wouldn't want to miss it for the world."
And Remus was right as the filthy house-elf's eyes grew huge at Sirius' offering and the two Marauders stood to the side as Kreacher thoroughly destroyed the locket with tears streaming down his snout-like nose.