"Look He know's his mummy! Hello, Norbert!"
Upon their return Harry leaned on Tonks for balance. His magical core strong and pure as it was now still couldn't fully restore the draining that the ritual caused him and he felt his legs almost give out the moment they transported to Potter Manor.
"Wow easy there Harry." She pulled him closer and let him lean on her. "Don't need you passing out on me now." She looked up at him and he gave his small smile at her that made her both want to slap him for being a smartass and kiss him for being him.
"I'm fine...ish?" Harry commented as he couldn't stop himself from leaning on her.
"Stop lying." She scolded as she carried into the house and to a chair where he could sit. As soon as he slumped in the chair did Grindelwald enter the room.
"Ah you succeeded!" Stating it almost factual than questioning. Grindelwald took his seat across from Harry. "Tell me have you succeeded in making ties to High King Ragnock?"
Tonks spun on her heels as she looked at him. "Can you let him rest for five minutes before bombarding him with questions?!" It was truly clear how much the process seemingly drained the young man.
"Tonks." Harry spoke softly and looked up at her with a look that wanted it all left to be as it was. "Yes, I did Grindelwald and with their help perhaps the hunt for the horcruxes will not be as long as we all predicted initially."
"Ah! Very good!" Grindelwald grinned at the news of their success. "Where is Albus by chance?"
"He travels back to Hogwarts. You must remember he is still a Headmaster." Tonks explained as she finally put her foot down. "And as for you Harry. Rest love...or I'll make you." She threatened the lad but only got his smirk. One glare and a z wave of Tonks' wand and the smirk disappeared as Harry's green eyes closed. She put her wand back where it belonged and looked down at him gently pushing his hair from his face. Grindelwald sat and observed this as he looked at the two, his mind traveling to a time him and Albus were not so much different.
"The care and love you share with him...it shall be used against the both of you." He informed her. "Be warned and fear the way the Dark Arts can twist it." A whipping sound shook the room and his head turned to the door way and saw Albus who walked with a book in his palm. "Ah Albus...I can almost smell the dark magic remnants from that."
"It makes sense...this was the Diary of one Tom Marvolo Riddle." Albus placed it on a table between them all and he ran his hands together to warm them back up. "It was an Horcrux just like Harry." He turned and sat. "I am hoping the remnants of the Dark Magic will help guide us to another by the bond they share."
Nodding Grindelwald looked at it and lifting his hand laid his finger on the very clear stab wound through it. "Basilisk?... So the legends of the Chamber were true?" He asked Albus who nodded. "The Fangs would be quite useful for destroying said horcruxes."
"Yes but...all the destructive probability will be not if we do not have them first." Albus countered and as he did he saw shifting and Harry sitting back up.
"How do we find them?" Harry asked as he had heard the back end of the dialogue as he pulled himself from sleep's grip. Tonks gave him a look. "I'm fine Tonks." He tried to assure her. "I can help."
"Harry, I'm not surprised."
"Huh?"
Grindelwald cleared his throat once to gain attention to him.
"Harry, she bewitched you to sleep...for only moments and yet you have seemed to fight off a spell from that of a Auror in a weakened state no less." He said with clear admiration. "It seems the training and curing of your damaged core has proved fruitful already. Though I do caution restraint. Like a muscle it can be harmed, damaged again, and even strained to the point it can be more detrimental than you believe."
Harry nodded as he understood but continued. "Okay but-"
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Tonks snapped. "Rest...FIRST!" Her wand glowed with a spell readied to cast as Harry's fast turned white in fear.
"Yes Ma'am." He spoke quickly his voice cracking slightly as he rose, and almost ran to his room to rest finally with Tonks on his tail, leaving behind a laughing Albus and a grinning Grindelwald.
As morning came and the strain of the other day now gone it was clear that the desire to go onward was still instilled in Harry as he was already in the living area the earliest. He gazed at the book on the table as Albus opened a map and spread it out. "Magic always leaves a trace Harry." Harry nodded as he watched Dumbledore open a cauldron before he opened the book wide.
"Keep it open my boy." And with a nod Harry gripped the book tightly as Dumbledore poured the contents of the cauldron straight onto the book, releasing a hellish scream from it as if forcing it to spill it's darkest secrets to be told. Eventually the book quieted and returned to it's original normal self but with a difference. On the page were coordinates.
"Professor...what is that?" Harry curiously looked.
"A Horcruxes Location...one i did not expect there to be." Dumbledore tapped his lips softly before turning to him and then over Harry's shoulder. "Ah sorry for the wake up call."
"mmmmm Atleast made coffee?" Tonks asked as her eyes blinked a handful of times before walking over and kissing Harry's cheek softly. "Be glad I'm too tired to yell at you." She muttered as she walked to the kitchen.
"Sorry Love." Harry called after her as he looked back at the book and then to Albus. "Sir, what is that place?"
"That, Harry, is the address for the home of the Gaunt family. His mother was the last Gaunt before him and lived there with her father and brother...the latter of which I presumed Tom killed."
He offered Harry his hand. "We must make haste. With two Horcruxes destroyed we must assume that Voldemort must have taken notice."
"Agreed sir." He reached over and took Albus' arm. "We'll be back Tonks!" He yelled before they apparated away and re appeared in a forest of twisted branches and a heavy mist that seemed to cover the grass. Finally as they arrived at the home Dumbledore stretched his hands out to stop Harry. With a raise of Dumbledore's wand he pointed it at the building and a white stream stretched from the wand and impacted a wall of spells which tried to resist Dumbledore for much until he was left gasping for air. "Sir?"
"Give me a moment Harry...I am an old man after all." Dumbledore used a nearby tree to help push himself up. "Be warned Harry...there may be more curses as we move inward to the resting place of the horcrux that is here." He stepped uneasily for a moment as Harry walked up and helped him for a moment. They looked at each other before entering.
"Beware...…" A voice rang through the room "Get out...….GET OUT!" A cloud of smoke which turned into a skull rushed at them as Harry rushed forward.
"Riddikulus!" He casted and the skull spun in a circle before turning into Voldemort himself.
"You will die...…but i will make you watch...as I take her life...inch...by inch." The cold serpent voice spilled from the false being before a flick of Dumbledore's wand casted the spell a second time turning into a young woman who looked up at Dumbledore.
"YOUR FAULT!" This gave Harry the opportunity to cast the spell a third time and with a pop the Boggart was no more.
"God I hate those things." Harry admitted aloud.
"Agreed." Dumbledore nodded before his wand lifted and he pointed to a wooden plank which he took off the floor and his eyes widened. "He turned it..." He stood and in his hand was a golden band ring with a black stone on the top. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he gazed at it and slowly his hand began to raise. "The power...to see beloved ones..."
"Sir?" Harry tried to gain his attention. "Sir." Again more forceful before jumping forward and smacking the ring from Albus' hand to the floor. He pushed the Headmaster away from the ring. "Professor!"
"Ha...Harry?" He blinked as if woken from a dream. "You...thank you my boy...I was careless...Please grab the ring before I prove myself more foolish." With a nod Harry did as Albus wished and lifted it up looking at it before shoving the ring in his pocket. Instantly he felt the heavy weight on him again...it felt like he was before the ceremony.
"It is a Horcrux sir...I can feel it." He looked back a tired look in his eye. "We better get out of here sir."
"Indeed Harry.." Dumbledore walked with him out to the front lawn and gazed back and forth at each other before taking an arm. Soon they reappeared at Potter Manor. "Shout for Caesar, Harry." Harry did so and the house elf reappeared. "Please a Keeper's box." The elf nodded and disappeared before coming back with a box. "The ring, Harry." He gestured Harry to it who placed the ring within. "Give it a password...in your mind."
Harry closed the box and thought of a password no one would guess. "Done sir...Caesar take Dumbledore to his chambers to rest please." He walked them until Caesar took Dumbledore's hand and disappeared.
Tonks was waiting as she saw him. "Next time you're taking me with you...no questions mister." She threatened before she kissed him softly. "You found one?" She asked now excited about the thought.
"Yeah we did." They entered the manor and began to walk a bit.
"Good the sooner we rid ourselves with that it'll be another inch closer to his death...and our safety." Tonks smiled as they interlocked hands.
"Still...It was weird.. Dumbledore seemed pulled to ring. Not by enchantment but almost...like seeing a piece of chocolate after not having one in a long time and desiring it's taste again."
"Huh.. Maybe it's simply the odd magical nature of the ring. You remember all those instruments he had in his room." She teased the old professor laughing before stopping at hearing a knock on the door. "Who's that?" Harry asked and slowly walked back to the door his mind wondering the possible people who would know where the manor was and more importantly how to get there. He opened the door with his wand at the ready, behind the door as he had become trained to do, even if it was a guest.
What they were not prepared for was a familiar woman. A woman who's Harry's blood instantly began to burn in anger of seeing before staring in confusion at the words that came out of her mouth.
"Before you kill me let me begin...I need your help." The usual crazed grin clear from her face as she threw her wand in front of them.
"Why should I help you...?" Harry growled. "Bellatrix."