Chapter 48.
Neville and Susan were working on Herbology homework, Neville was helping Susan better understand some aspects when he wasn't to busy staring at her lips. Neville couldn't help but feel nervous he was lost in his thoughts when suddenly Susan interrupted. "Neville, what are you looking at?"
Neville gave his head a shake, "Sorry, Susan, I was thinking about something else." Susan smiled and couldn't help but giggle, "really what were you thinking about?"
Neville's face turned as red as Susan's hair. "Well, you see, um well." Susan loved watching Neville stutter, she thought it was cute. She got up and saw the book in Neville's lap and moved the book. She then remembered talking with Hannah about how to go forward with her relationship with Neville.
Neville was about to say something when Susan smiled. "You know I'm bored with Herbology, I want to do something else." Neville watched as Susan wrapped her arms around his neck and he looked into her eyes and Susan asked "Neville, do you want to kiss me?"
Neville's eyes went wide "Huh, what? Right here right now?"
Susan couldn't help but giggle. "Neville breathe, take a deep breath and," Susan leaned in and Neville puckered waiting for their lips to meet. They got closer and closer and Neville became very nervous. He was afraid he would do something embarrassing or worse what if he kissed her and she didn't like it?
Suddenly they heard, "Neville, Susan." Susan stopped, the young Hufflepuff was a little annoyed about their first kiss being interrupted. She was about to give whoever it was a piece of her mind when saw Harry and Hermione running towards them.
Susan got up from Neville's lap and straightened her skirt and ran out of the greenhouse with Neville close behind her. They met up with Harry and Hermione and Susan instantly saw the cup.
"Is that the fabled cup of Helga Hufflepuff?" Susan said shocked. Even Neville was surprised by this.
Susan was about to reach out for it when she heard 'No you must not touch the cup Susan, It's far too dangerous.' Susan stopped when Harry and Hermione met up with her and Neville.
Hermione held up the cup and Neville was about to reach for it when Susan stopped him. "No don't touch the cup, Lady Hufflepuff said it was dangerous."
Hermione and Harry nodded and then filled Neville and Susan in on what they and Sirius discovered.
Neville looked at Harry. "So you're saying thanks to these Horcrux things, you-know-who can keep coming back no matter what?"
Harry nodded and Susan looked to them "And he has more than one?" Hermione nodded and Harry looked to Neville and Susan. "We have destroyed a few already. Tom's diary, his snake, the locket, and now we have the cup."
Susan looked to Harry "But you said you were one, although not intentionally. How did you do it?"
Harry frowned "Through the healers at Gringotts. When they removed the blocks on my magic it cleansed me of all foreign magic." Hermione hugged Harry, "which freed Harry from any link to Voldemort."
Neville looked at Harry and Hermione in awe. "So your telling me, we have something with Voldemort's soul in it?"
Harry and Hermione nodded, "part of it anyway."
Neville looked scared "And the reason why haven't we destroyed it yet is?"
Harry looked at Neville. "We thought since it was Helga's cup, Susan should be the one to destroy it." Susan looked at Harry "Me?"
Harry nodded "Susan, you can do this. You can use Godric's sword and destroy the cup."
"Why the sword?" Susan asked concerned.
Hermione looked at Susan "No normal means can destroy a Horcrux, you need either the venom or a fang of a basilisk to destroy the cup."
Neville was confused. "Wait, how does the sword have venom?" Harry looked at Neville "The sword is Goblin made it takes in what will make it stronger. When I killed the Basilisk, it absorbed its venom."
Harry drew the sword and handed it to Susan. "You should be the one to destroy it."
Susan then heard. 'He's right, Godric's sword will destroy the cup. It is no longer my cup it's been tainted by dark magic and needs to be destroyed.'
Hermione set the cup down on a rock and Susan raised the sword, Susan felt a twinge of hesitation. She couldn't help but think what if she couldn't break the cup or worse missed it. Neville stepped next to Susan and reached up and touched her hand "Let me help." Together the two brought the sword down upon the cup and it shattered.
The broken cup soon erupted with black smoke, taking the form of Voldemort's head and it looked to be screaming in agony. Susan dropped the sword and it stuck in the ground. She looked at Harry, "don't make me do that again."
Meanwhile at Malfoy Manner, Bellatrix had just received a letter from Gringotts. Curious she opened the letter and read it's contents and she let out a blood curdling scream. Malfoy Senior looked to Bellatrix "What the bloody hell, Bellatrix?"
Bellatrix tore the letter a part "That bloody goody two shoes bastard cousin of mine. He ended my marriage to Rodolphus. He then cast me out of the Black Family seizing all the gold in my vault and oh no."
Malfoy looked to Bellatrix "And what?, What is it?"
"The Master's cup, I had placed it in my vault to keep it safe." Bellatrix said, now turning more pale than usual. Lucius knew the master would be furious, he then called to his wife.
"Narcissa!" Lucius shouted, Narcissa didn't answer he looked around and finally went to the bedroom. There he found a letter with his name on it in his wife's handwriting.
'Lucius, my cousin Lord Sirius Black has ended our marriage enclosed is the contract. I have taken his offer to flee where you will never be able to find me. I'm taking our son and I'm going to rid him of all your influence and hopefully the dark mark. I only hope that when Voldemort meets his inevitable end that you only see Azkaban and not the veil.
Good bye
Narcissa Black
P.s. all the money you received from the Black family is being reclaimed with interest including the house.'
Lucius was looked to the annulment form and became ghostly pale. He then heard his masters pain filled voice calling him. He could also hear the whimpering of Wormtail and Bellatrix asking for mercy. Lucius, now poor and homeless, didn't want to go downstairs for what would be a painful meeting. Voldemort then shouted "LUCIUS GET DOWN HERE NOW!"
Back at Hogwarts, Harry reached for the sword and swung the blade removing the dirt and re-sheathed the sword. "You won't have to, that's one more down." Hermione could see Neville and Susan and knew they needed to be alone. Hermione looked to Harry. 'We should go, they need to be alone right now.'
Harry looked to Neville and Susan and caught on to what Hermione was thinking. He took Hermione's arm and they walked back to the castle.
Once they were alone Neville decided to call on his courage and he looked to Susan throwing caution and fear to the wind "Susan?"
Susan looked to Neville as he held her in his arms "Yes?"
He leaned in and Susan's eyes went wide as hers and Neville's lips had met the kiss was soft but to Susan it was sweet.
