A/n: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling only. I'm not making any money by writing this, and hopefully no one is paying any money to read it.
Also, Chapters 1 and 2 are going to be redone and expanded into more chapters. After reading it over a few times, I see some things that I would like to describe in more detail, as well as some things that were just god-awful.
Okay, so if you didn't read it in the previous chapter, The Harry/Ginny stuff is over, done with, no more. That was just me sort of re-living a past experience. Sorry 'bout that. Ginny will only be making brief appearances in the fiction from now on. We all happy now? Okay then.
Harry Potter and the Journey to the End
To Hollow and Back
"Well, so far, no good. You sure Slughorn wasn't just brushing us off?" Ron asked, yawning loudly and flipping through his third book.
"Well he said he didn't know off hand, but there was an answer somewhere in these books. Don't give up on me now, Ron, we've got a long way to go." Harry said, suppressing, with a large amount of effort, a yawn himself.
"Yeah well, this isn't getting us very far. We should just chuck the books and hold old Sluggy at wand-point."
"Ron!" Hermione said, looking scandalized. "He's trying to help us and you want to attack him?"
"Never said attack him, just said hold him at wand-point. Maybe he'll talk." Ron grinned.
"Still jealous about the party invitations, Ron?" Harry asked, the edges of his mouth twitching.
"Course not!" Ron said, a little color rising to his cheeks. "Just cause Slughorn doesn't seem to think I'm 'Slug Club' material doesn't mean I want to jinx him."
"Right, right." Harry said dismissively. "Go back to sleeping at your book. Snore real loud if you find anything."
Ron looked mutinous, but Harry just grinned at him and went back to his book, looking for anything that might help him banish a Horcrux. Soon, the only sounds in the drawing room were the turning of pages, joined shortly by Ron's heavy breathing.
"Harry." Hermione said, after making sure Ron was asleep.
Harry looked up with a sudden rush of excitement. "What is it?"
"I haven't had a chance to talk to you about it before now, but I saw you and Ginny at the wedding reception. I don't think it was right for you two to be kissing. You broke up, remember?"
Harry looked down guiltily.
"It's just...hard, you know? Any time I'm around her I just want to-" He broke off, looking away.
"I know it's hard, Harry, but you have to be more in control. We have to worry about the Horcruxes, right now. Killing Voldemort is more important than snogging." Hermione said, soundly a little stern and soothing at the same time.
"Your right. Besides, it's not like we're going to be seeing her any time soon, are we?" Harry said, forcing himself to make a small grin. "Won't need to worry, huh?"
Hermione smiled slightly before returning to her book, and Harry looked over at the large locket sitting on the table between the three of them. They had read enough to find out that the Horcrux hadn't been destroyed, but merely taken off of Regulus Black's body and sent to his mother and father.
He had turned his first page before Hermione heaved a great gasp and jumped up.
"I've found it!" She squealed, waking Ron up. "It's right here, look!"
The Harry and Ron leaned over her shoulder and looked as she read aloud.
'The Horcrux, which conceals the part of the soul a Wizard is evil enough to severe from himself, is made and un made in the same fashion. Upon making the Horcrux the Wizard puts a part of his living self into it, and so to un make it, it must be killed."
"So we have to Avada Kedavra it?" Harry asked, wondering if he got that right.
"Looks like." Ron said, looking down at the locket. "You wanna try it, Harry?"
"Guess I'd better."
Harry drew his wand from his pocket and looked down at the 'S' that represented the name Slytherin. He took a few deep breaths and thought back to his night at the Ministry over a year ago.
"Never used an Unforgivable Cure before, have you boy?"
He remembered Bellatrix Lestrange yelling at him that he had to want to cause pain and death to cast those curses. He pointed his wand at the locket, wondering if he had it in him to cast the worst of the Unforgivables.
But then he though back to Dumbledore, falling from the highest tower of Hogwarts, his body illuminated from the glow of the Dark Mark above him. He thought back to Sirius, who's face was still smiling slightly as he fell through the veil. He imagined James and Lily, dying to protect their son as the worst Unforgivable Cure was cast upon them. The same curse that had given him his scar.
With a deep feeling of fury and hatred, Harry gripped his wand and roared "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The dimly lit room was filled with a blinding green light, and Harry's wand grew hot in his hand. Bracing himself, he poured more of his hatred into the spell until, at last the light faded and the Harry dropped his wand to the floor.
The room was silent for a moment, before the locket started shaking violently, clanking against the table. Harry watched, wide-eyed and breathless as the locket began floating and spinning in mid-air. The polished silver started turning black and once again, the green light of the killing curse lit up the room as an unearthly howl of agony pierced the room.
And then as suddenly as it began, the noise stopped and the locket, now black and smoking slightly, fell onto the table. The silence that followed was short lived, however, as outside the drawing room the remaining portrait of Mrs. Black started screeching.
"Go and take care of her, guys." Harry mumbled, slumping back in his chair, his eyes glazing over.
Without saying anything, the two of them obeyed and Harry was left alone, looking numbly at the former Horcrux. After a moment, he reached out and picked it up. The metal felt warm to the touch, but it wasn't nearly as heavy as it was before.
"You have to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain - to enjoy it - righteous anger won't hurt me for long..."
Harry dropped the locket to the floor and looked at his own hands. 'When it comes down to it, will I have the strength to enjoy killing him? Could I really take his life with the same words he nearly took mine with?'
He distantly heard the door open and noticed somewhere in the back of his head that Ron and Hermione had joined him, but no cognitive thoughts would form. Before long, darkness gripped him.
-O-
"Mmm" Harry groaned, opening his eyes and trying to sit up.
"Easy there, Harry, don't try and get up just yet."
"What happened?" Harry asked, not recognizing the voice.
"Well from what Ron and Hermione tell me, you passed out shortly after casting a spell of some sort." The still unfamiliar voice said.
Grabbing his glasses and putting them on tentatively, noticing that his very skin seemed to hurt, the room came in to focus and he was looking in Kingsley Shacklebolt's eyes.
"Oh, hello Kingsley." Harry muttered, sitting up slowly and leaning back against the headboard.
"I was just walking in when you blacked out. You gonna be alright?"
"I'll be fine, I think." Harry said, smiling weakly.
"All right then, McGonagall's downstairs. I'm giving her a report and then I'll be gone. Make sure to take care of yourself, Harry." Shacklebolt said, patting him lightly on the shoulder and then leaving the room.
After a few tries, Harry managed to stand up and walked out into the hall. Taking the steps one at a time, at a very slow pace, Harry got to the bottom of the steps and went into the kitchen. Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall were all inside. Jumping up, Ron rushed over to him and helped him in to a seat. McGonagall conjured up some food and Hermione looked for something to drink.
"I know what you're doing is your own business, Potter, but please be more careful with whatever you're doing." McGonagall said, passing some of the sandwiches to him. Harry didn't respond at first, but merely took a massive bite out of the sandwich, suddenly realizing that he was ravenous. After a few moments, he looked at McGonagall and nodded weakly, trying to smile with his mouth full.
McGonagall smiled faintly before looking at Ron and Hermione. "I trust he'll be in good hands?"
The two of them gave their affirmatives and she left, leaving them alone.
"Well, that was a close one, eh, mate?" Ron said after the door closed behind McGonagall.
Swallowing and taking a swig of the mead Hermione had gotten him Harry grinned despite himself. "Yeah, that was pretty close. No one knows what we were doing they, do they?"
"No, McGonagall asked very few questions. No one's seen Slughorn out of his room in a couple of days but we can hear him in there. Kingsley didn't really ask anything either." Hermione said, taking a sip of mead as well.
"Good, because we're going to be leaving for Godric's Hollow in two days."
Ron's eyebrows furrowed as if he wasn't sure that was a good idea. "You sure you don't want to rest up a bit at least? Maybe wait a couple weeks, and then we'll be around once Slughorn finishes the Felix."
"I already told him to deliver it to the Hollow, anyway. He's going to bury the potion behind my parent's grave." Harry said, taking another bite of his sandwich. "I don't think we'll be there long, and I want to get a move on with tracking down the rest of those Horcruxes."
They nodded and looked briefly at each other, and an understanding silence fell over them. After a moment, Hermione spoke.
"Well, we should probably go for the Hufflepuff Horcrux next, shouldn't we? That's the one we know for certain, besides the snake, and we won't be able to get that one until we get the others because it's always around Voldemort."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan. Dumbledore reckoned that the Gryffindor Sword was the only surviving artifact left of that founder, but that's still safe in the Head's office at Hogwarts. I have no idea what Ravenclaw might have, but hopefully if we find Hufflepuff's, we'll get some clue as to Ravenclaw's."
"Sounds like a good plan." Ron said confidently, draining the last of the ale from him mug. "But maybe you should let us cast the Killing Curses on some of them. It seems to take a lot out of the person and we need you fit to take him down once it comes to it."
"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it." Harry said, smiling slightly.
-O-
Harry knocked lightly at on the bedroom door, waiting for a moment before calling "Professor Slughorn? Are you in there?"
There was a sound of shuffling inside the door before it swung open. Harry stepped back as Slughorn's enormous stomach took up the space where he was just standing.
"Ah, Harry m'boy, what can I do for you today?" Slughorn said, yawning very loudly.
"Sorry to wake you sir, but my friends and I are about to leave for Godric's Hollow. Do I have you assurances that the potion will be there when then time comes?" Harry asked, trying hard to sound respectful.
"Yes, yes, it'll be there, Harry." Slughorn said, smiling widely.
"Good. I also have confidence that you will tell no one where we have gone or about the potion?" Harry asked pointedly, holding out a small satchel of gold.
Slughorn took the gold and smiled more widely. "Of course."
"Then farewell sir, we'll see each other sometime in the future, I hope."
Slughorn went back in to his room and Harry joined the others at the door.
"We have everything we'll need? Wizard money, muggle money, everything?"
"All here, Harry." Hermione said, flinging a light bag over her shoulder.
"Alright, then." Harry said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of the things given to him by Dumbledore after he died. They walked out onto the sidewalk and Harry clicked the Put-Outer several times, causing the lights(most of them already broken) to go out.
Harry grinned at the shadowed forms of his friends. "Well, see you at the Hollow."
He closed his eyes and focused with all his might on the name Godric's Hollow, and then took the step into the compression. The feeling wasn't nearly so bad anymore, and Harry considered that it was just something to get used to. He opened his eyes and there were Ron and Hermione still next to him, standing in front of the wooden street sign bearing the Legend 'Godric's Hollow'.
"Well, looks like we made it alright." Ron said, looking around at the quiet village.
"Yeah, looks like." Harry agreed, looking around as well.
"There's an inn over there." Hermione said, pointing to a tall building down the cobbled street. "We should probably room there for tonight."
"Yeah, we'll hit the graveyard tonight." Harry said, prodding along with the other two.
The inn wasn't very crowded, and most of the patrons seemed friendly enough. When the matron asked what three teenagers were doing around here, Hermione simply said that they were backpacking across the continent. The matron accepted the story and led them to a couple of rooms.
"Oh we don't get many young people around this time of year, so you can stay here for a few days for free." She said warmly, handing them keys to the rooms.
"Well, it looks like you get your own room them, Hermione. Unless of course you want to stay with her, Ron." Harry said, grinning in a very suggestive way.
The effect was instantaneous. Both Ron and Hermione flushed a deep shade of scarlet and both started mumbling incoherently. Laughing openly, Harry went in to his room, closing the door but not locking it. After a few moments, Ron came in to the room, still red in the face, but grinning in a guilty sort of way.
"If you want to stay in her room, go for it mate. We're all adults here." Harry said, smiling very widely.
"Nah, I don't think we're that far in the relationship yet." Ron said, grinning sheepishly.
Harry shrugged and flopped down on his bed, kicking his shoes off. "Suit yourself, mate."
-O-
The next day they greeted the matron and had breakfast, hatching out a plan to act like sightseers and making their way over to the cemetery. There, they would visit the Potter's graves and look around see if they could find anything to do with Godric Gryffindor that might lead them to an artifact that hadn't been uncovered yet. Whether they found out where it was or not, they would seek out Hufflepuff's and then return to take care of Gryffindor's.
Making their way down the main street, they looked in to various quaint little shops that were full of muggle things. They spent more than an hour in a clothes store as Hermione crooned over various dresses and outfits.
"Oh these are adorable!" She squealed for what had to be the hundredth time.
Smiling in a very forced way, Ron moved in to intercept and whispered. "Hermione, you do remember why we're in Godric's Hollow, right? We can come back after we get the Horcruxes, okay?"
Dragging Hermione out of the shop twenty minutes later(after many protests), they finally managed to get to the cemetery.
"You guys go and look around, alright? I think I should visit my parents alone first." Harry said. The other raised no objections and went off on their own.
Making his way through the headstones, Harry felt his throat start to tighten slightly. After a little searching, he finally came upon a large headstone with the legend bearing his parent's names. Kneeling in front of the headstone, Harry traced the carved letters of his father's name with his finger.
"Hey Dad. Hey Mom." He said quietly, not bothering to stop the tears brimming in his eyes. "I want you to know that your sacrifice will never be in vain. Voldemort more than killed himself the night he took your lives."
He talked for a long time, reliving the moments when he had seen the shades, the echoes, of his parents erupt from Voldemort's wand. He talked himself in to silence and stared at the names for a few moments longer. Then, he kissed his hand and pressed it against his mother's name, and stood up.
He looked around and spotted Ron and Hermione not far off. Walking over to join them, wiping away the remaining tears with the back of his hand, he felt like a large weight had been lifted that he hadn't even been aware of having carried. Hermione hugged him tightly when stopped in front of them, and Ron patted him softly on the shoulder.
After a few moments of silence, Harry said "We should probably look around some more. Godric founded the place so maybe there's a tomb or something around here for him."
"We already found it." Hermione said, smiling slightly. "It's over there, the giant one."
It was indeed a giant mausoleum, and when they arrived at it the first thing Harry noticed was the name Godric Gryffindor etched into the sealed entrance. On either side of the tomb, large statues of lions stood sentry. An ancient looking script was also carved into the pillars that framed the entry. There were also hieroglyphics on the outside walls.
"Look over here, there's a picture of the sword." Harry said after they split up to examine the picture writing. "It's right next to what looks like--I think it's a shield. I can't really tell."
"That's what it looks like to me." Ron said, looking over Harry's shoulder. "It'd make sense, wouldn't it? Sword and Shield?"
"Yes, I supposed it would. So you think Voldemort found Godric's Shield?" Hermione said, looking from Ron to Harry.
"It would seem so. Actually, now that I think about it, he conjured a shield when he was fighting Dumbledore at the Ministry." Harry said, but then dismissed the thought. "But I doubt it was the same one. He wouldn't be stupid enough to use a Horcrux when fighting Dumbledore."
"Well, now we know what we're looking for at least." Hermione said, standing up straight and looking around the graveyard. "That gets us a bit further."
"Yeah. Now we just have to find out where Voldemort hid that Cup of Hufflepuff." Ron said.
Harry smiled at his best friends and looked off in the direction of the rising sun. "We'll worry about that in a bit. I think we've done enough discovering for today, and it's about time for lunch anyway."
With that, the three of them walked off toward the inn, an all too comfortable silence falling over them.
The next chapter might take a little while to get out since I have to register for classes and everything. College life (Groan!). Anyway, the trio finds out about an ancient library in an even more ancient town by the name of Raven's Bluff. Maybe the books in this library hold secrets that will help them in their quest, if they can convince the very xenophobic(fear of outsiders in this case, not race) townspeople to let them in!
I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to drop me a review!
GC