A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, but my life's been real hectic lately! I hope you all enjoy this! R&R, please! Thanks for reading!

-Jacki :)

Chapter Eleven: Doing Exactly What She Says

Harry woke up before the sun rose the next morning. He looked over at the bed he knew Ron was fast asleep in and he grinned to himself as he heard his best friend's loud snores. He sat up and put on his glasses and ran a hand through his hair. He slowly got out of the bed, part of him wanting to curl back in it and wake up with everyone else and go to classes, but the other part of him knew that he needed to go. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his previously packed bag, and slipped his wand in his back pocket. He took one last look at the dormitory where he had spent the majority of six years. He sighed and then turned and walked out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

He walked down the stairs and into the common room, where Ashlyn was sitting by the almost nonexistent fire. She didn't look up at him when he entered, so he knew she must be deep in thought. He lifted his bag higher onto his shoulder and walked over to her, careful not to make too much noise and startle her. She was staring into the dying flames and her eyes were watering. Harry placed his hand on her shoulder, gently, and she turned to look at him, quickly blinking her eyes.

"Hi." She whispered and stood up, picking her bag up off the floor and then looking back up at him, "Ready?" her voice was shaky.

He nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be."

She smiled and slid her hand into his. He squeezed it and they left the common room. McGonagall was waiting by the front door and she nodded to them as she opened the large oak doors for them as they left. She gave them a reassuring smile and they returned it. They waved, then began the walk across the grounds, so they could Apparate outside the gate. They heard the door shut behind them, and they swallowed hard, there was no turning back now.

Ashlyn was biting her lip, and Harry felt like something was wrong. She seemed even more worried than he was. He cleared his throat.

"Ash? You're not worried about your father, are you?"

Ashlyn looked up at him, "No, no. That's not it. It's just; I'm worried. I just hope everything works out."

He looked into her eyes, "Remember, I won't let him lay a finger on you. If he's mad at you, or anything, he can take it out on me when we fight. He won't touch you."

"I know, Harry, I know." She smiled up at him.

The walked in silence the rest of the way to the gate. Harry noticed Hagrid's hut and realized he never even said good-bye to Hagrid, there were quite a few people he didn't get to say good-bye to. He quickly looked away from the hut where he had spent many afternoons, visiting the gamekeeper with Ron and Hermione. He led Ashlyn outside the gate and over to side where they would be safe to Apparate.

"All right, Ash, you're going to have to help me. Since, I've never been to the mansion…"

"Neither have I. My father has told me where it is, but he never brought me to it. I happened to see picture one day when I was exploring his house, but that's all I have to go off of."

"Okay, but, just hold my hand tight, since you know more about it than I do, you'll have to lead me."

She nodded and gripped his hand tight as she pushed her long black hair out of her face with the other hand. She pulled her bag tighter to her side, and Harry did the same. Then she nodded and they both stepped forward and twirled around. Harry was still not accustomed to the feeling of Apparition, so he shut his eyes tight as they went. When he opened them, they were in a forest of some kind, but at the edge of it. He could see a large, white house from behind the trees, and knew that must be the mansion.

"Ashlyn, is that…?"

"Yes, Harry. That is my father's mansion." She gulped and led him to the edge of the trees. She quickly poked her head out and looked around to see if anyone was there, "The coast is clear." She whispered then slipped back in and turned to Harry, "Now, listen closely, Harry. You are going to stay right here, okay? I am going up into the mansion to get the Horcruxes. When I come back down, we have to destroy them. You do remember what I said about destroying Horcruxes, right?"

Before Harry could say anything, Ashlyn took off to the mansion, leaving him in the trees. She quietly opened the door and held her wand high in the air, just in case her father had any traps or alarms for when she walked in. When she saw nothing wrong she ran up the stairs. She had no idea where to begin to look for the Horcruxes, but she figured if she found her father's bedroom, she would find them. She finally found it; it was the largest door and it had a detailed carving of a serpent taking up half of the door. She unlocked it with her wand and hurried into the room.

She looked around; there was a large bed with green and silver sheets, and the curtains were silver and there was a large chest of drawers that was mostly green, but the handles were silver. She finally found what she was sure held the Horcruxes: a large silver podium that had a large glass case that was tinted green so she couldn't see what was in it. She ran over to it and put her hand on the green case. She felt surges of power go through her and they took her breath away. She took a deep breath, slid her wand in her back pocket, and put the other hand on the case. Another series of surges went through her and this time she had to work hard to get her breath back.

She shook her head, took another deep breath and pulled the green case with all her might. It finally gave way and she slid it up carefully and set it down on the floor. She smiled sadly as she looked at the Horcruxes; a cup with a badger and a large 'H' on it and a very big, delicate looking diadem. She sighed and grabbed them both, the cup in her left hand and the diadem in her right. She then hurried out of the room and out of the mansion.

Harry saw her run out of the doors and he hurried over to her. He smiled as he saw that she had both of the Horcruxes. She looked up at him, her eyes full of emotion. She was shaking, and her knuckles were white, clenched around the cup and the diadem.

"Harry, do you remember what I told you about how to destroy Horcruxes?" she asked again, wanting an answer this time.

"Yeah, once the Horcrux is in contact with someone other than the person who owns it, it begins to pour all its energy into that person, causing the person touching it to lose themselves, and become completely possessed by that part of the soul in the Horcrux. And in order to stop the Horcrux you have to… kill…the person in contact… with the… Horcrux… Ashlyn, NO!"

Tears were welling up in her eyes, as she nodded, "Harry, you have to! I told you! You have to do everything I tell you to, in order for this to work. My father will be here in an hour. And in order for you to fight him, you have to destroy these!"

He shook his head, "No! We can find someone else to do it!"

Her head fell, and then she looked back up at him, tears falling down her cheeks, "Harry, who would you choose to die? Who would you choose to kill?"

"Your father, a death eater, anyone but you! I can't do it! I won't!"

She shook her head and looked him in the eyes, "No, Harry. It can't work like that. You have to kill me."