Chapter 17

The next morning all the occupants of Shell Cottage gathered in the parlor. Even the elderly Mister Ollivander joined them, helped to his chair by Dean Thomas and Griphook.

The goblin, who was leery of everyone when he first arrived, had been grudgingly impressed with how he'd been treated by the others — from Fleur's kindness while healing his wounds to Luna's insistence on calling him 'sir' to the respect he'd observed from everyone during the funeral and burial of the poor house elf, Dobby.

However it had been Ollivander that had ultimately swayed Griphook's allegiance to their side. The old man's willingness to share his knowledge of wandlore with a goblin — a practice previously unheard of in the wizarding world — is what convinced Griphook that the group was sincere when they said they wanted a better world for all of Britain's magical inhabitants.

Everyone sat and listened intently as Ron, Harry and Hermione laid out the information they had acquired, starting with what they'd learned about the original creation of the horcruxes all the way through their months long search for the remaining items.

Finally Hermione looked around the room. "And that's all we know. I wish we had more time for research and investigation but it looks like we'll have to move soon — very soon."

"Why?" asked Dean.

Hermione glanced at Harry, who looked tired and care worn. "Harry is sure that You-Know-Who has figured out our plan to find the horcruxes, so we need to act fast before he finds a way to keep them from us. He can feel every time one gets destroyed. The more we eliminate, the more vulnerable he becomes. He won't just let that happen without a fight."

"Why didn't you share this with us from the start, Harry?" asked George.

The boy shrugged. "Because it wasn't part of Dumbledore's plan."

Fred crossed his arms. "Yeah? Well, sorry mate but I say sod Dumbledore and his bloody plans. We've all seen where they got him. I think from now on we do this our way."

Bill, who'd been taking extensive notes the whole time, passed his parchment over to Griphook and gestured towards the list of horcruxes that had already been identified.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Griphook nodded, "Bellatrix was out of her mind at the Manor thinking the girl had the sword. I finally managed to convince her it was a fake. If she doesn't know about the switch it can definitely work in our favor."

"Sorry," interrupted Harry. "What switch? What are you talking about?"

"Before I went on the run, Bellatrix deposited what she thought was the Sword of Gryffindor in her vault," explained Griphook. "Except it wasn't the real sword. It was a copy."

"How could you tell?" asked Dean.

"A goblin can spot a true goblin made weapon from thirty paces," Griphook sniffed. "It was a good copy, I grant you, but a copy nonetheless."

"Where'd it come from?" asked Harry.

"I don't know but I wasn't about to tell that arrogant, condescending witch that the object she prized so highly was a forgery," the goblin snarled. "However, I can tell you that a genuine cup belonging to Helga Hufflepuff is in the LeStrange vault as well."

"So if Hermione is correct in her assumption that the other items you're looking for are tied to the founders..." said Bill. "That means we need to get in there and retrieve it while Bellatrix assumes her vault is still secure."

Fred sat forward in his chair. "Is that something the two of you can help us with?"

Bill and Griphook nodded.

"We know every inch of that place," said Bill. "As the senior curse breaker I not only had complete access to the facility, I also helped establish some of the security protocols. Griphook here was not only my boss but also upper level management. He knows things about that building that no one else has any idea about."

"Excellent," said Fred. "So, Slytherin's locket has been destroyed and we know where to find Hufflepuff's cup..."

He turned to Luna. "Lu? What do you think? Anything belonging to Ravenclaw that might fit the bill?"

Luna thought carefully. "My best guess would be Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem."

"Excuse me? What's a diadem?" asked Ron.

"Et es like a tiara or a petit crown. Like the one I wore on my wedding day," said Fleur.

"That's great," said Fred "But if it's lost it's not doing us much good."

"You're right, of course," said Luna, "That is, unless you know the person that hid it in the first place."

"And that would be...?" asked Harry.

"The ghost of Ravenclaw house. Helena Ravenclaw. The Grey Lady," answered Luna. "She and I became good friends my first year at school. I didn't have many people to talk to and neither did she."

George pulled her close as Luna laid her head on his shoulder. "She and the other ghosts were lovely but I think it's much nicer to have friends I can touch now."

"We think so too, Luna." Fred smiled at the girl before taking a deep breath. "Okay. That's Ravenclaw taken care of. Anything else?"

He noticed a quick glance pass between Harry and Ron before Harry said, "The snake. Not sure how she became a horcrux but she definitely is one."

At this, the frail Mister Ollivander finally spoke. "That's why You-Know-Who keeps the creature so close," he said in a small, frightened voice. "She'll be the most dangerous one to destroy, you know, because she can fight back. Someone would need to be right next to...him to finish her off. And she moves fast...very fast..."

Luna reached over and patted the old man's quivering hand. "It's all right, Garrick. You're safe here, remember?"

The elderly wandmaker gave a feeble nod as Dean said, "I think I ought to take him back to his room, don't you?"

Everyone nodded their agreement. As the young man helped Ollivander from the parlor, Fred addressed the group again.

"Right. Now we have a bloody snake in the mix. So, providing we can get close enough to any of these things — how do we actually destroy them?"

"The only thing we know works for certain is Basilisk venom," said Hermione. "It destroyed the diary, the ring and the locket."

"I thought you said the sword destroyed the ring and the locket?" said George.

"It did, but only after Harry killed the basilisk with it," said Hermione. "Being goblin made it was able to not only withstand the venom but absorb it, meaning it's now imbued with the same powers as the venom itself."

"Do you think ANY goblin made sword would react in a similar manner if it were coated in basilisk venom?" asked Bill.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't see why not. The only magic accorded to Godric's sword was the promise to appear to any 'worthy Gryffindor'. Nothing else really special about it other than being an incredibly well made weapon."

"Then I think we can help you out there as well," said Griphook. "There's a cache of goblin swords inside Gringott's. If you'd be willing to swear an oath that they'd be returned once we've defeated You-Know-Who then I would be willing to temporarily 'liberate' a few."

"Sorry," asked Harry. "Don't mean to be thick but how will that help us?"

"If we can dip a bunch of swords in basilisk venom that's more of us with the power to destroy any horcruxes we find - including the snake, " said Bill. "Gives us a way to improve our odds, instead of putting all our eggs in one basket, so to speak."

"That's great," said Fred. "But I think we're missing the larger question. Where do we find a stash of basilisk venom? It's not the sort of thing you pop off to buy at the corner shop."

"If I could get back into the school, I could get us some. I'm certain there were a couple of fangs left in the chamber after we destroyed the diary," said Ron.

"Okay, but it sounds like we'll need more than that for this plan to work," said George.

"Are zere any other basilisks zat we know of?" asked Fleur.

"No. Other than the one under the school there hasn't been a basilisk spotted in Britain in over four hundred years." Hermione shook her head. "I'm guessing more venom would be impossible to come by."

"Under normal circumstances you'd be right, Hermione, but —" said Luna.

The entire room turned to look at the little blond.

"While it's true basilisks haven't been seen in this country for centuries, Daddy and I encountered them when we were in Europe looking for Snorkacks a few years ago," she said. "We'd heard rumors there might be some in the areas where we'd be camping, so before we left I asked Dumbledore if he'd be kind enough to allow me to collect some of Fawkes' tears in case of an emergency and he very graciously agreed."

The girl glanced at George who nodded his encouragement. "Thankfully, we avoided that scenario but we did come across a rather grisly scene while we were in Switzerland. A couple of poachers had apparently hunted down a pair of Basilisks. They'd managed to blind and kill the creatures but the men were exposed to the venom during the fight and lost their own lives in the process. It was quite gruesome."

Luna shivered at the memory. "Anyway, Daddy is a big believer in never letting an opportunity go to waste. So, while we didn't find any Snorkacks on that trip we did manage to collect a rather large amount of basilisk venom to bring back with us."

"How on earth did you manage to do that without killing yourselves in the process?" asked Ron.

Luna blinked twice then replied, "Very carefully."

It took great effort on everyone's part not to laugh at the expression on Ron's face as George beamed with pride at the witch by his side.

"Quite right, love," George said, "Where did you store the venom when you got home?"

Luna turned her large grey eyes towards Griphook. "The safest place we could think of. Our vault at Gringotts." She then frowned and sighed, "But I've lost my key and Daddy is in Azkaban..."

George leaned down and laid a kiss on her temple. "And as soon as we end this, we'll get him out, Lu. I promise. First thing."

Fred looked at Bill and Griphook. "Do you reckon you could access the Lovegood vault as well as LeStrange's?"

The goblin nodded. "All we'd need to know is exactly what to look for because once we get inside the bank there'll be no time to waste."

Fred stood, motioned to George and announced, "Right. That sounds like a start. Let's get to work, shall we?"

The twins then began planning the group's next moves with an almost military precision. They started by breaking everyone into teams, each with their own specific mission.

It was decided that George, Luna and Ron would go directly to Hogwarts. George would take the lead, guiding them through one of the hidden tunnels he and Fred knew by heart. Once inside, Ron would coordinate their movements with Neville via one of the boys' secret codes while Luna would confer with the Grey Lady in order to locate the diadem. After that the group would access the chamber and gather as many basilisk fangs as they could get their hands on.

At the same time, Bill and Griphook would smuggle Harry, Fred and Hermione into Gringott's through the underground passage used to secretly to bring in food for the dragon who, unbeknownst to almost everyone, served as yet another layer of protection for the vaults.

Dean would stay behind with Fleur to help care for Ollivander while they contacted the remaining members of the Order and the DA to inform them that the final fight was looming on the horizon.

After Bill's team successfully completed their tasks, Fred, Bill and Hermione would make their way to Hogwarts to destroy the cup and the diadem then wait for the Dark Lord's inevitable appearance, while Griphook would try and recruit as many goblins as possible to rally on their side.

Once the broad framework was in place, work began on ironing out the details. After a few hours, Fleur insisted they needed a break to eat and clear their heads before proceeding.

While Dean and Luna joined Fleur in the kitchen and Hermione went to see what reference books she might have that could be of use, Fred pulled Bill outside for a private conversation.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked. "You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The one that always makes me nervous. The one usually reserved for big favors, like providing you with an alibi to Mum and Dad. The 'I'm going to ask you something really important' look."

"I suppose that's because I am going to ask you something really important. More than one thing, actually."

"Alright. Fire away."

"First — do you think we can trust Griphook?"

"Yes. I honestly think we can," said Bill. "He's leery of magic folk in general but he knows that if You-Know-Who wins that the goblins will suffer as much, if not more, than anyone else. He saw what they did to humans like Hermione and Luna and he's aware that Death Eaters consider goblins significantly lower on the food chain than people. He'll do whatever he can to keep his own kind from falling victim to that kind of fate."

"What about the promise he made to Luna and Hermione about the dragon?"

Bill nodded. "He'll honor his word, especially after I reminded him that the goblins still owe Hermione for informing them about Bagman's fake gold trick. It kept them from losing a substantial amount of money. They take that sort of thing very seriously. Her promise to call that debt even, along with you and George's offer to help develop new products to replace the security they'll lose when the dragon goes to live with Charlie will ensure he follows through."

Bill tipped his head and regarded Fred carefully. "But dragons and goblins aren't what has you worried, is it? What is it you really want to ask, little brother?"

Fred looked him directly in the eye. "Once this starts...once we enter that bank...If anything goes wrong, I need your word that your first priority will be keeping Hermione safe, got it?"

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You're forgetting that not only was I the bank's most successful curse breaker but I also served as Hogwart's Defense Against the Dark Arts tutor after graduation. I can do this."

"I don't care if you're bloody Merlin himself. I need to be sure that if for any reason I can't protect Hermione that you will. I need you to swear it. Understand?"

"Understood," Bill nodded then glanced through the window into the parlor where the other two Weasley brothers were deep in conversation. "You think George is extracting the same promise from Ron?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Ron will agree?"

"Of course he will," said Fred. "It's what brothers do."

xxx

After dinner Fred found Hermione on the beach. He summoned a blanket and draped it around her shoulders then they sat and looked at the stars until he asked, "So...any idea what secret Ron and Harry are trying so desperately to keep to themselves?"

"I'm not sure but I have a pretty strong suspicion."

"Care to share it with me?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I think Harry is the last horcrux."

"Wow..." Fred's eyebrows lifted slightly. "How do you reckon?"

"Think about it. Once You-Know-Who figured out the process of making a horcrux with the ring and the diary, he then took great pains to make sure he created one tied to each of the founders of Hogwarts. So why isn't there one from Godric?"

She turned to face him. "I'm sure the Dark Lord stole the sword and took it with him that night when he went to kill the Potters. He couldn't resist the symbolism — making the final horcrux by killing a family of Gryffindors in the village named for their house's founder. But his plan backfired. Harry didn't die and the bit of the Dark Lord's soul meant for the sword instead latched onto the only living thing in the room."

"The baby. The Boy Who Lived, poor git." Fred shook his head sadly. "Makes sense. Do you think Dumbledore knew all along?"

"I don't know how long he had the information but...yes. I'm certain he knew for the past few years, at least."

"The old bastard," growled Fred. "And he never did anything to..."

Fred stopped. His face went pale as he looked at Hermione. "You don't think...I mean...The rest of the Order...Did they...do they know?"

"No. I don't think so," she said. "I can't envision any circumstance in which Sirius or Remus would have gone along with keeping that secret. Certainly not your parents. For whatever reason, Dumbledore kept the fact that Harry is a horcrux to himself."

"So, if Harry is a horcrux and all the horcruxes need to be destroyed to defeat You-Know-Who that would mean..."

Hermione nodded. "The prophecy does say, 'eithermust die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.' " She picked up a small seashell and turned it over in her hand a couple of times before tossing in towards the water. "Of course, worded like that the stupid thing could have a dozen different interpretations."

Fred picked up a shell of his own and chucked it as well. "And that's exactly why I bloody well hate prophecies. Can't just say anything plainly. Always just damn vague enough to scare you without actually being useful."

Seeing the look on her face he reached to comfort her. "Hey. He'll be okay. I'm sure of it. That kid has an absolutely infuriating way of surviving the most ridiculous predicaments."

"I'm ashamed to say it's not actually Harry that I'm most worried about."

"Who then?"

She averted her eyes. "I'm scared about you and Georgie being on different teams for this mission."

"Why?"

She began twisting a piece of hair with her finger. "What if something happens?"

"It won't," assured Fred, taking her hand in his. "But if - Merlin forbid - something did happen...it will be awful and we'd grieve for a very, very long time."

He pulled her into his arms. "Listen to me, Kitten. You're right. Georgie and I have a special bond because we're twins. Nothing will ever change that. But the last few years you've helped us to realize that we're also separate and distinct human beings, capable of existing without being in each other's presence for more than an hour. And that's a good thing. Because - if we're being honest - the odds are that one day, one of us is going to have to learn how to survive without the other."

He pressed his lips against her forehead. "Once we realized just how serious this war was going to be Georgie and I had a long talk about that fact. I'm not going to lie and say we aren't terrified of the day that might happen but we're equally terrified about the idea of something happening to you or Luna. We've almost lost the pair of you once. We're not going to let that happen again."

He raised her face so she was looking at him. "The truth is that Georgie isn't going to let Luna out of his sight any time in the foreseeable future and the last time I entrusted your safety to someone else you almost died."

He tapped his finger on the tip of her nose and gave her a wink in an effort to lighten the mood.

"So...as I've told you before, you're stuck with me. Whether you like it or not."

She tugged the front of his shirt until his face was less than an inch from her own.

"I like it," she whispered.

"So do I, " he said, kissing her gently before standing and reaching for her hand. "Now — let's get back to planning this operation. The quicker we take care of Moldywarts the quicker we get on with the rest of our lives and I've got a date planned with a gorgeous witch in a secluded little cottage that I'm quite keen on getting around to."