**** Sorry had to make some edits that I noticed last night ****

A few hours later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were making their way from Hogsmead to the gates of Hogwarts. They had found an iron box, in the attic at Grimmwald Place that they put the locket in and they left the box at Grimmwald Place for safety. They had packed a bag for the three of them that had books and clothes and some other things that Hermione thought they would need. They had shrunk the bag and Ron had it in his pocket.

"Do we need to alert Professor McGonagall that we are here or will the gates be open," Hermione asked Harry as she reached for Ron's hand.

"She said that Hagrid would let us in," Harry responded.

They continued on in silence until they arrived at the closed gates to the school. At the gates Harry sent a patronus to Hagrid asking him to let them in, Hagrid came quickly to the gates.

"Hallo, how are you lot?"

"We're fine Hagrid, how are you," Ron responded for the group.

"Can't say that I'm good, but it's not so bad here yet."

"You don't know where Professor McGonagall is, do you?"

"Well, Hermione I can't be sure but I think she is in her office."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry said as the group arrived at the front doors to the castle.

"Not a problem," Hagrid bid the three farewell and left them at the doors.

Harry turned from the grounds to open the door to the castle, he was dreading the place without Dumbledore but they needed the library for the success of their mission. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The entrance hall was empty, but Harry knew the way to the library after six years of being best friends with Hermione. They headed in the direction of library.

"Okay, I think that Ron and I should look to see if we can locate where the other objects might be. Hermione I think that you should see if you can find anything that might help us destroy them. I don't know if we are on a wild goose chase but I don't know how else for us to go about this," Harry stated determinedly.

"Whatever you say mate," Ron said. "I am not really sure what we are looking for though, I mean I thought that we knew what objects we were looking for."

"We do Ron, but we need to know if there is a way to locate them or if there is any information on them at all. We need to know anything that might prepare us for what is to come," Harry told him as they climbed the last set of stairs on their path to the library.

The three walked into the library and looked around for Madame Pince, they didn't see her but assumed that she was around somewhere. They made a bee line for the restricted section.

"Okay, so let's get started," Harry said as he pulled a random book from off the shelves in front of him. The stack of books on the table built as they went through the books for several hours before they had a reason to stop.

"Good evening."

"Professor," Harry said as he turned to Professor McGonagall who had appeared at the entrance to the restricted section.

"Have you lot had any luck?"

"No, we don't think so," Hermione said. "I'm not even sure how long we have been in here."

"Three hours Miss Granger, I came to see if you wanted something for dinner, we don't have a formal dinner during the summer and I was not sure if you would know that you can call on the house elves, and they are happy to help Miss Granger."

"Thanks Professor, I'm famished," Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're always hungry." She tried to hide her smile. "Thanks Professor, even though I don't like to have to use house elves, I am not sure what else we would do to feed Ron."

Professor McGonagall smiled. "I also wanted to let you all know that if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. Remus flooed earlier and asked if you all were here and I told him yes, I hope that was okay. I think that he was just worried, he said that had gone to see you and you weren't where he thought you would be. He wouldn't tell me where that is, but I didn't expect him too."

"He can't tell you Professor," Harry said. "He's not the secret keeper."

"Ah, I see. Well then, I will be in my office if you need me, the password is muggle. Good luck." She turned and started to walk away.

"Professor," Hermione said making the Professor turn around and look at her again. "I was wondering where Madame Pince is?"

"Oh, she has gone to see her brother's family in Berlin, she will be gone for the rest of the month."

"Oh, okay, thanks."

"Not a problem Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said before she turned and left the three of them to their research.

"Can we eat now," Ron asked.

"Yeah, we probably should," Harry said. "Could we see a house elf please," he said.

There was a sharp crack before a house elf appeared.

"Mr. Harry Potter, Winky is here for you, what cans Winky get for you?"

"Hey Winky, how have you been?"

"Better miss, what cans Winky get you," Winky asked again.

"Well, Winky we're hungry for some dinner."

"Winky will get Mr. Weezy something to eat," she said and with a crack she was gone.

Harry started to open the book he had pulled down and thought better of it.

"Ron's right Hermione, we need to eat and then we can get back to work after that."

Hermione wanted to argue that they could do both but thought that maybe they needed the break. She put the piece of parchment she had been writing on in the book she had been looking through and closed the book and turned back to the boys.

"Okay, let's take a break and eat."

Ron looked up at her with shock in his eyes before he grabbed his chest.

"What," Hermione said.

"I'm getting ready to die, you are willing for us to take a break, I must be dying." He smiled and winked at her.

"Shut up, you prat," she tried to hide her smile as he walked up and put his arm around her waist.

"Well as 'Mione put it, I'm always hungry and I think we all know what I think of studying, even though this is more important than any studying we have done up to now."

"Okay, let's go to a different area to eat," Harry said as he got up from the table and led them out of the restricted section.

There was a loud crack and then something ran into Harry's legs.

"Harry Potter! Dobby is so sorry he not come sooner, he did not know Harry Potter was here," Harry saw that it was Dobby who had attached himself to Harry's legs.

"Dobby, hey," Harry said as he patted Dobby on the head. "How have you been Dobby?"

Dobby extracted himself from Harry's legs as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the table outside of the restricted section.

"Not so good Harry Potter. Some of the other house elves at Hogwarts are really scared and they are not behaving Harry Potter. Dobby is worried too, but he still goes on doing his job. Dobby likes having his job."

"That's good Dobby," Harry said.

"What is Harry Potter doing here? School is not going on, and there are not supposed to be any students, Harry Potter is okay right?"

"Well, not exactly Dobby," Harry said as he looked up at Ron and Hermione who had sat at a table and were watching Harry and Dobby converse. "I have to go on a trip and we are here to um, gather information."

"Oh," Dobby said. "Is there anything Dobby can do for Harry Potter and his friends?"

"Not right now Dobby," Harry said. "Winky is bringing us some food and then we have to get back to our research.

Dobby left the three friends when Winky came back with their food. After the three finished eating they searched for a few more hours with no obvious success with their search.

Harry looked at his watch and saw that it was late. As he looked up he noticed for the first time how dark it had gotten. He looked over to where Ron was and found his friend had fallen asleep on the book he had been looking through.

"Hermione," he said as he turned to find that she was fiendishly writing on some parchment with a pile of used rolled up parchment in front of her. "Hey," he said trying to get her attention. "Have you found anything?"

Hermione looked up at his question.

"Oh," she said as she looked back at her notes. "Maybe, it is not specific as to what kind of curses it will make obsolete but I thought that we could try it. It's a potion, says that Merlin found it very useful but it doesn't say why. I thought that we could ask Professor Dumbledore's portrait if he knew anything about it."

"I don't know if I am ready for that Hermione, but at least one of us made progress. Look at Ron," he turned back to their best friend. "Should I wake him?"

"No," she said with a small smile as she looked at Ron. "Will you see if we need to know a password to get into the common room, I will wake him and we will meet you outside the fat lady."

"Okay," Harry said as he shut the book he had been looking through and put his things away. "See you at the common room." Harry left his best friends in the library and went to find Professor McGonagall.

He wondered the halls with mixed feelings about the place he has loved since he first laid eyes on it. This place held so many of Harry's good memories, but now there were just as many bad. He stopped walking as he reached the bottom of a stair well. He looked up expecting to see a classmate coming down the stairs. This was not a place that was comforting when there weren't hundreds of other students there. It was lonely and quiet.

"Mr. Potter."

Harry turned at the sound of his name.

"Professor, I was looking for you."

"Up the stairwell to the astronomy tower, are you sure?"

"Oh," Harry looked back at the stairs and realized that she was right. "No, I guess not. Though I am supposed to be, we were wondering if there was a password to get into the tower."

"Yes, during the summer the password is Gryffindor, not very original but easy for Professors to remember if they need in."

"Right," he said. "I think that we may be here for a few days if that is alright?" Professor McGonagall nodded. "Could you please not tell the Weasley's that we are here, I don't know that Molly would be able to stay away and I won't be able to leave her again?"

"I won't volunteer the information but I can't lie to Molly either. I think that you can understand that."

"Okay," Harry said understanding that Molly was not an easy person to lie to. "We will try to make our stay brief so you don't have to."

"I will keep my contact with her brief as well, just incase. Is there anything else I can do for you three Mr. Potter?"

"Um," Harry started. "Actually we may need to speak with Professor Dumbledore's portrait at some point if that is alright?"

"Yes, just let me know. Harry," she said to get his attention. "I am here if there is anything that I can do for you, please let me know. I know that I am not Albus, but maybe I can be of some help."

"Not right now Professor, but I will let you know if that changes."

"Alright, well you had better go on to bed then."

Harry nodded and went back the way he came, diverting to the Gryffindor tower midway.