My Little Horcrux
Chapter 5 The First Horcrux
Harry watched the land below fly past him as he sat in another plane, this time heading for Rome. Everyone else was sleeping, as they would have to work hard to even get into the Vatican Catacombs, but Harry couldn't sleep. So, he watched as ground and sea flew by, until the plane came to its destination.
"Well, here we are, the first of our three horcruxes." Ginny sighed, surveying the landscape just outside Vatican City. "What's the plan Harry? I'm assuming we can't just waltz in there and ask to see a dead pope."
"No we can't," Harry whispered, "This is the plan," Harry whispered to them how they were to obtain the Horcrux, and they split up, entering Vatican City through different gates. They all entered St. Peter's Basilica through different entrances, cleverly disguised as muggle tourists. Then, one by one, they slipped into the sacristy, and re-entered the sanctuary dressed in various clerical attire.
"Good morning Father Ronald." Harry nodded slowly, still not used to the stiff collar of his black shirt that rested under mounds of fabric that he had donned by looking at a display of the correct order of each garment. Ron seemed equally uncomfortable as he nodded back, and they waited until Ginny appeared, a black novice habit falling down to the floor, and a rosary hanging from her belt. Her red hair was pulled back, and only the front was seen under the black cloth draped over her head.
"Sister Mary Ginny." Harry smiled.
"Fathers." She acknowledged, it took all they could not to laugh, until Hermione walked towards them. They could barely tell that it was she, her entire hair was shielded, and her body covered in a mass of black, her eyes seemed wrinkled and her jaw line more severe.
"Father Ronald and Harry, Sister Mary Ginny." She said curtly.
"Reverend mother." They mumbled, all a little frightened.
"Fathers!" a yell came at them, "Thank goodness!" a man wearing a black robe covered in a while one, with a sort of sash running from one shoulder to his waist ran up to them. "Father O'Henry was supposed to perform afternoon mass, but he is ill and you are the only priests I could find."
"This is Vatican City," Harry objected, "Surely there must be many other priests, we are far to busy."
"I could do it." Hermione offered.
"Reverend Mother," The man protested, "You are a woman."
"I can't imagine what difference that would make." She snapped harshly, causing the man to jump.
"Well," He said, "Perhaps I'll keep looking then."
"That was close," Ron breathed, "Why are we in this get up anyway?"
"Because," Harry sighed, "We have to blend, if we look like tourists, they'll send a tour guide after us, plus, there are hundreds of people dressed just like us, if anyone suspects us of anything, we'll be unidentifiable."
They walked towards a building, and slipped into an empty room, where Hermione muttered an incantation, and they all blended perfectly with their surroundings. Silently, they slipped out of the room and located the entrance to the catacombs, which were guarded by the Swiss Guard.
"Expeliarmus!" Hermione whispered at each of them, and the pried open the door, and right before closing it, "Oblivious!"
Ron and Hermione stay by the door as a look out, ready to send a pulse to Harry and Ginny's wands if anyone enters. Ginny and Harry looked over every tomb, until they finally found Pius XII's.
"Here we are" Ginny whispered, taking Harry's hand.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, squeezing affectionately. "Extollo!" The stone lid of the tomb lifted slowly and hovered in mid air above their heads.
"You look," Ginny gagged. Harry put his hand into the tomb and found what seemed to be a hand, but there was no ring, but there was a slip of paper in the hand. It had obviously just been put there; the paper was not decayed in the slightest.
"R.A.B." Harry read. "Shit!" He sent a pulse from his wand, calling Ron and Hermione.
"It's okay, Harry, we'll find R.A.B. and all the Horcruxes he's stolen. It'll be all right." Ginny placed her hand on Harry's waist and pulled him into an embrace. Their bodies were pushed together, but they could barely feel the contact through their robes. Their lips were centimetres apart, their eyes flickered to a close, and their lips brushed. It was Ginny who continued, she pressed harder against Harry, her lips fitting against his, she softly pushed her tongue through into his warm mouth.
"Father! Sister!" A sharp yell came, and a stern nun stared down at them, it was then that Harry realized that the camouflage spell had worn off. "Shit!" he exclaimed.
"Harry." Hermione laughed.
"Oh. It's you, Hermione." Harry gasped.
"It might not have been, no more kissing in costume!" She tried not to giggle. "Did you get it?"
"R.A.B. got here first"
"Damn!" She waved her wands and rid them of their costumes, she reapplied the camouflage spell, and they left Vatican City.
"What's the next Horcrux?" Harry asked Hermione.
"You're not going to like this one, Harry," Hermione started tentatively.
"Well, what is it?" Harry wondered.
"Not what, Harry, who." Hermione's voice fell.
"What?" Ron, Harry, and Ginny asked in unison.
"Dr. Rodger M. Theosis." Hermione recited, "The famous French chemist. He has in recent years however, been barricaded in his lab just outside of Lyon."
"By who?" Ron asked.
"By whom." Hermione corrected, "Himself actually."
"Hermione," Harry asked, "would by recent years mean within the last thirty?"
"Twenty-seven actually," Hermione stated, "and if we're thinking the same thing, then I agree, probably right after he was made a Horcrux."
"Does this mean we have to kill him?" Ginny whimpered.
"I don't know," Hermione admitted, "I've been trying to do some research on Horcruxes, but most references to them are either vague or fabricated. I've never read any case of a human Horcrux."
"It seems off," Harry puzzled, "after all, what if the human Horcrux were to die, would that dispose of the Horcrux?"
"From what I've read," Hermione started, "It would seem that a Horcrux cannot be destroyed without being acted upon by an outside force, that would explain why Dr. Theosis had to be locked in his lab."
"What's the plan, Harry?" Ginny asked nervously.
"I don't want to kill anyone." Harry held, "We will find him, and we will hold him until we figure out someway to safely get rid of the Horcrux."
"Guess it's off to Lyon then, for the second Horcrux." Hermione huffed.