Chapter Fifty-One – Rose

Destroying a Horcrux

I glanced around as Cara led the way through the trees, into the cavern. I remembered now that I was here; the last time we were here we had hidden the horcrux and I would thank God for Cara – it had been her idea to hide it here, where only Whites and our guests could enter.

We stepped inside, opening the cave simply by touching it. Sirius and James entered, following Cara, and I followed, careful to close the cave behind me so that no one could follow us.

"Lumos," I whispered, lighting my wand, and then I followed the others deeper into the cavern. All four of us had our wands lit up, and we were following Cara.

She turned back to us and whispered, "It's just in here. Everyone stay very, very quiet. We don't want anything to wake up."

Then she stepped past a crevice and, one by one, we followed her. The part of the cave we were in was small, and held a naturally grown altar, on which we had placed the cup. Thankfully, it was still there. Cara glanced at me, and said, "I think this one's yours, Rose. This one is yours to destroy." She handed me the basilisk fang, and not even Sirius protested as I walked towards it.

I could feel the malevolent presence radiating out of it. The moment I reached it and lifted the fang, it moved, and Tom Riddle's voice echoed out of it.

"Rose White…" it whispered, and darkness jumped out of it to surround me. "I have seen your heart Rose White… I know your darkest fears, and they are true."

"Don't listen, Rose!" Cara yelled. "Stab it."

I struggled for a moment and the voice spoke again. "Your fears are nothing but truth, for you do not deserve them and they shall soon realise this. Then they will leave you… And your baby."

I screamed in anger and stabbed down, crumpling the cup with the fang. It let out a metallic shriek and the soul burst out of it, dying in front of me. Tom Riddle's red eyes stared at me for a long moment while it screamed, then it evaporated into nothingness.

I dropped the fang, breathing heavily, and stepped back. Sirius pulled me too him and kissed my forehead. "It's over," he said.

I nodded. "Let's go home."

Cara smiled and led the way out. We were all outside when I heard a cracking sound and shouted, "Get down!" without pausing to think. We hit the floor and seven jets of light shot over our heads. I drew my wand and cast a shield charm, turning to see where they had come from.

Seven Death Eaters surrounded us and I grinned fiercely. It was about time I got to duel someone, I thought, and shot a stunner straight at the first one. He was too slow to react and got hit in the heart. This cued everyone to move, and the battle begun.

I danced back and forth, shooting stunners and shield charms almost alternately. I darted around the others and shot another spell as Cara and Sirius each dropped their opponents. James had already dropped his. With four down, the three kicked their spells up a gear and began shooting unforgivables.

I growled in anger and parried one of theirs, turning it back on the castor, who screamed in agony. I shot a stunner at him and he fell. The other two shot looks at each other and turned to run, but Cara and James shot stunners at them and they fell too.

Suddenly, it was quiet.

"Come on," I said softly. "Let's actually get out of here, this time." The others laughed and we took up the brooms, flying away quickly. Behind me, Sirius tightened his arms and I leant against him happily. We had done it; we had destroyed one of the horcruxes.

Now for the others…

We arrived back at Hogwarts to an angry Professor McGonagall. "Where exactly have you been?" she snapped. I winced, and Sirius smoothly stepped in front of us.

"Now, Minnie," he said, a small smile on his lips. "Is that anyway to greet us? We've had a very difficult morning already."

"Sirius Black!" she shrieked, angrily. "I do not CARE if you have had a difficult morning. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"Professor," I said, instinctively stepping in front of my fiancé. "We went to destroy something… Professor Dumbledore knows about it and has sanctioned it."

"Well, not precisely," Dumbledore muttered as he walked towards us. He looked at me, then turned to stare at Cara. "Well?"

"One down," she told him, barely able to hold back a grin. "Only… well, I have no idea how many more there are."

"You are in luck, then, Cara," he said. "Because I do. Come with me, please, all of you."

We followed him up to his office, exchanging worried glances. He took a seat behind his desk and gestured for us to sit in front of him. Then he began to explain.

"While you have been struggling to work out a way to destroy the horcrux you already had, I have been researching what the others might be. Please," he added, gesturing to the Pensieve. "Watch."

We all leant forwards and touched the Pensieve.

Once we were spat back out of it, I had to sit down. I understood…

"Seven," I croaked, horrified. "Seven. How could he do that?"

Dumbledore sighed. "We do not know if he has managed to do seven, but we do know-"

"The locket," Sirius muttered. "The cup we have done. The ring… What about the others?"

I stared past them, seeing without seeing. "Cara…" I whispered. "Look into the future."

"Rose, I don't know how to," she pointed out.

"Just do it," I told her, and she closed her eyes. We sat in silence for a moment, before I sighed and reached over, holding her hands. "See, Cara White. Use your powers, gifted to you by your heritage and your destiny. See, Cara White; see what you must see, know what we must know. Find the answers," I urged.

Then she gasped and opened her eyes, staring at me blankly.

"Seven Horcruxes, seven souls," she whispered. "A ring, first, and a diary. A cup and a locket. The diadem and the snake… And an infant not yet born. These are what the Dark Lord shall choose. The last part of his soul, ripped and torn beyond repair, resides in his ruined body. Destroy him…"

I swallowed and dropped her hand. "The ring his grandfathers," I explained. "He showed it to me once. I didn't realise what I was seeing… he must have hidden it back in the ruins of his old home. The diary… I have no idea where that might be."

"Malfoy," James said suddenly. "He's given it to Malfoy."

"How do you know?" Cara asked curiously, as she returned to normal.

"He was showing off the other week, in one of the bathrooms. Said he'd been specially 'chosen'. He's got it, I'd bet my life on it."

I nodded. "That sounds about right. Tom knows that the coward like Malfoy would never dare to betray him. The cup we have done, the locket… We'll have to search for. The diadem… Where would he want to hide that?"

Sirius said softly, "Where is most important to him? His home?"

I shook my head. "No. His first home was Hogwarts; he has always hated wherever else he has lived."

"Well," Dumbledore said, "Perhaps he has hidden it here."

We all looked at him, and Cara asked, "But where?"

James grinned, understanding. Then Sirius understood, too, and the best friends – the single soul in two bodies – looked at each other and said, "The Room of Requirement."

I grinned, too. "Perfect! It's perfect! The arrogance of that man; he must think that he alone is the only man to have found the school's darkest secrets, when actually…"

We all smiled evilly. "Well, let's go!" Cara said. "Let's go and get it."

"What about the snake?" Dumbledore asked as we stood, walking swiftly down and out of his office.

I shrugged. "I've never seen him with one, and if he'd turned it into a horcrux it would always be with him, right?"

He nodded, and James led the way to the Room of Requirement. He stared at it for a minute, then said, "What should I be thinking of?"

"I need the room where everything is hidden," I said softly. He nodded and the five of us focused. The door appeared and we went inside.

"Let's split up," Dumbledore suggested. "Find it."

We nodded and moved off. I searched for a long, long time – perhaps hours – before I heard Cara yell, "I have it!"

We turned and ran to join her. She stood, holding a beautiful diadem in her hands, and I handed her the basilisk fang. "This one's yours."

She smiled and stabbed it, not hesitating like I did. It let out a scream, louder than the cup had, and we jerked back. Sirius wrapped his arms around me, pulling me away from it and shielding my head as the thing let out the black part of his soul.

The dust resettled around us as I looked up, hesitantly. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah," everyone called out as we stood up again. "Jesus…"

"Well," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Two down."

"Only five more to go," I added, grinning. Sirius spun me around, kissing me happily.

"Let's get back to the common room," he suggested. "And then we can have the rest of the evening off."

I smiled and said, "Lead the way, my love."