Chapter 11: Conquering One's Own Fears

Voldemort was at Malfoy Manor with his second in command, as he is going through the plans to take out Harry Potter and Naruto Uzumaki in order to fully control the Wizarding World. "Kurasame, I have noticed that Nagini has been missing for quite a while. Tell me, have they found both Potter and Uzumaki?" Voldemort asked. "I haven't gotten a report of the snake. It seems as if the snake had gone rogue and decided to hunt down some unnecessary prey," Kurasame responded, as he was curious about the snake's whereabouts. "Blast it! I knew it was a mistake placing a piece of my soul in that snake! Find her and bring her back to me. While you're at it, find the Potter boy and bring him back to me alive. Do whatever you please to Uzumaki and his allies, as I have no business with them," Voldemort ordered. Kurasame nodded, before vanishing to do as requested. As Kurasame left, Voldemort was left alone, focusing on his thoughts as to where the item he sought was located.

Forest of Dean-Day Time

The three along with Itachi had moved to a new location, which was the Forest of Dean. Right now both Naruto and Hermione were admiring the view. "The Forest of Dean. I came here once with my mum and dad, years ago. It's just how I remember it. The trees. The river. It's like nothing's changed. Not true, of course. Everything's changed. If I brought my parents here, they wouldn't recognize any of it. Not the trees. Not the river. Not... me," Hermione stated. "Where are they?" Naruto asked. "Wendell and Monica Wilkens now reside happily in Sydney, Australia. They have two dogs, run a small sweet shop, but floss daily. No children," she said, losing her smile. "Maybe we should just stay here, Naruto. Grow old," she thought. "Hermione, I thought the same as well. But I know I can't do that, as I'll only disappoint the ones that have sacrificed their lives for me. Everyday I miss Tsunade, Mito, and Shizune, but I'll keep on fighting so I can one day see them again. Tell me, do you want to see your parents again one day?" Naruto asked.

Hermione was surprised, but she nodded as she wanted to see them again. "That's all I need to know," the blond said, before walking back. "We will see them, right?" she asked, feeling doubt. "Don't go there. No room for doubt," Naruto stated, looking serious. She nodded and wiped her tears away, as she knew Naruto meant well. "We'll see them again, and that is a promise. You are not only beautiful, smart and kind, but you are also strong. So stay strong for me, Hermione," Naruto said. "Don't worry, we'll finish this, and go see them together. When we do, I'll have the courage to ask them for their blessing, so that we can truly be together," she said, as Naruto nodded. The two walked back to the tent, as they saw Harry and Itachi waiting for them. "Ok, so what do we got on Grindelwald?" Harry asked. The blond explains everything from what knows about him through the journal, as Hermione added in more context from the book Rita Skeeter published about their late professor.

Needless to say, it shook Harry's view on Dumbledore, as he couldn't believe his mentor was just like Grindelwald. Of course, both Naruto and Hermione tried reasoning with Harry, as they're trying to get him to understand that Dumbledore was young at the time so he made mistakes. Itachi ended the whole argument, as he knew it was getting them nowhere so the three ended it. It was now night time, as Naruto got out of the tent to see that Harry was staring aimlessly at the forest. "Mind if I sit over here?" he asked, as Harry turned around to see that it was Naruto. "Be my guest," he said, as Naruto took a seat. "You know…when I found out the truth about my birth, I felt like I got betrayed my whole life," Naruto stated, as Harry looked at him. Naruto continued, "When Jiraiya told me the truth, I felt as if the leader of my village at the time had been lying to me at the start as he didn't have the balls to tell me the truth. I felt every negative emotion from anger to disappointment. But the worst part was when Itachi told me the truth about what he did for the village and why he did it, I lost faith in the very place that was considered home, as they treated the people that sacrificed for the village as if they were only tools disregarded once they outlived their usefulness."

"If I ever did return back to where I came from, I would have wanted to retaliate, vent out all my pain and frustration. But I know that it's never going to happen as the leader had died sacrificing his life for the village. Even if he were alive, the damage is already done as it won't take back everything that has happened to me. Look what I'm trying to say is that don't hold on to this anger towards a dead man, as it's only just going to make it worse. You have something worth fighting for, so stick towards that. No need to think it's what Dumbledore wanted or whoever wanted this, it's up to us to choose our own paths in life as we forge our own fate. I won't say anymore as there is no need, but at least think about what I said. Good night," Naruto stated, before heading back to the tent.

Harry was conflicted, as on one hand he still felt bitter towards Dumbledore, but on another hand he knew Naruto means well, as holding that much anger towards a dead man won't change anything. Harry knew what he and Naruto signed up for, with the intent on finishing this exhausting conflict. As he stares at the dark forest, he notices a faint light glowing between the trees. The light forms into a silver doe, as Harry takes a closer look. Soon the doe turns away, as it goes in a different direction. Harry begins to pursue the silver doe, as it was leading him to somewhere in the dark forest. Using the Lumos spell, Harry finds himself at a clearing that leads him to a small frozen pool. As he crosses it, he looks down to see not only his reflection but also the sword of Gryffindor. He tried to use Accio to summon it, but he had no luck as it seemed that it was deep underwater. Well desperate times call for desperate measures, as he strips to his boxers before using Diffindo to crack the ice.

He plunges in and swims towards the sword, but as he reaches it the locket starts to coil on Harry's neck like a snake and was strangling the boy. Harry was struggling, as he tried to reach the surface. Before he blacked out, he saw someone on the surface walking on the frozen lake. A pair of hands grabs Harry, pulling him back up to the surface, before going back to grab the sword. Harry thought it was either Naruto or Hermione who rescued him, until he puts on his glasses to see that it was actually Ron. Harry also notices that the locket was taken off of his neck. "Are you mental, you could have died you know?" Ron stated, as on one hand he held the sword whereas on the other hand he held the locket. "It was you, you were the one that saved me," Harry stated. "Well, yeah. Bit obvious, I'd think," Ron pointed out. "And the doe. That was you as well, right?" Harry asked. Ron shook his head, as he thought it was Harry's. "My Patronus is a stag," Harry explained, as Ron nodded forgetting that a stag has antlers. "You didn't see anyone else?" Harry asked. "No, I... I did think maybe I saw something - when I was running - over there," Ron stated, pointing at the area.

Harry looked at where Ron was pointing at, but there was no one there. Harry shook his head, before placing the locket near the sword, as the locket twitched when it was near the sword. "See that? It knows. It's afraid of the sword. Alright Ron, do it," Harry requested. "What? No. Harry. That thing's bad for me. I can't handle it. I'm not making excuses for how I acted, but that thing affects me more than it affects you, Naruto, and Hermione. It made me think stuff - stuff I was thinking anyway, but it made everything worse," Ron explained. "All the more reason," Harry stated. Ron protested this, but soon Harry had enough and knocked some sense into him, making the redhead suck up his insecurities and do the task.

"I'll have to speak to it in order for it to open. When it does, don't hesitate. I don't know what's in here, but it'll put up a fight. The bit of Riddle that was in his diary tried to kill me," Harry explained. Ron nodded and readied the sword, as Harry began to speak to the locket in parseltongue. "Take me inside," Harry said in parseltongue, as the locket opened, blowing back the two. Dark clouds emerge from the locket, as Ron stares in shock and horror. "Stab it, Ron! Now!" Harry yelled. "I have seen your heart and it is mine…" the voice hissed. "Don't listen to it Ron!" Harry yelled to no avail. "I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears," the voice said, as hordes of spiders crawl towards Ron, who backed away in fear. "Don't listen to it Ron! You have to stab it!" Harry yelled. "Least loved by your mother who craved a daughter. Looked down upon by your very own friends…" the voice taunted, as Harry kept trying to snap Ron out of it. But that wasn't the worst part, as soon three ghostly images of his friends arrived, looking at him with disgust and contempt. "We were better without you, happier without you," Riddle-Harry stated. "Who could look at you besides Harry Potter and Naruto Uzumaki? What are you, compared with the Chosen Ones...?" Riddle-Hermione spat. "You are nothing Ron, and you will always be nothing," Riddle-Naruto stated coldly.

Ron stood in horror, as the ghostly images of his friends insulted him. "Don't listen to it Ron! It lies! Stab it! STAB IT!" Harry yelled. "Your mother confessed that she would have preferred me as a son…," Riddle-Harry said. "Who wouldn't prefer him, what woman would take you, you are nothing, nothing, nothing to him…" Riddle-Hermione stated. "We despised you. You're an embarrassment to us and everyone you know. Heh, look at poor little Weasley, too weak to stand by us. Gonna cry?" Riddle-Naruto taunted, as the others laughed. They kept laughing, as they insulted the redhead. "Do it Ron! Kill it!" Harry yelled out. Ron, with pure hate and anger in his eyes, grabs the sword and rushes at Harry. Harry, fearing the worst, covers his face, only to find that Ron destroyed the locket with the sword. Harry looks at the destroyed locket, before looking at Ron, who was huffing and panting. He drops the sword and falls to his knees, as he cried after what he had just seen. Harry went up to his friend and comforted him, knowing that Ron had seen enough terrible things.