Note: Ahh! I love you all! Reviews are so great. You made my day better. (After 8 hours in the sun and coming home to find my site host down…)

I do find that I write better after reading any of the HP books. Maybe you should try it. ;)

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Harry rolled over in his bed. The sun was just starting to peak through the blinds in the window. He opened his eyes to see what time it was, but someone else was in the room with him. He couldn't see much because of the light.

She was an angel. She had come with the sun. Harry had had this dream before. She leaned over to kiss him.

Wait a second, Harry thought. This wasn't the same dream. Usually she disappeared right as he kissed her. But this time, she was real…

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Aren't I allowed to be here?"

"I told you before -"

"Relax." She said, kissing him again. "I just wanted to say happy birthday."

"You shouldn't be here. If he sees you -"

"Calm down." Harry sat up in bed, letting his eyes adjust to the light. He reached out and touched her to make sure she was real. She reached to him and grabbed his hand. "It's okay. Really."

"No, it's not. I told you before why we can't -"

"Give it a rest already. I know how to protect myself."

"So did Sirius. So did Dumbledore. It doesn't matter. Whoever he wants dead will die." He squeezed her hand. "And I don't want anything happening to you."

She was quiet for a minute, thinking about what to say next. Finally she looked at him and said, "I want to go with you."

"No!" Harry screamed, nearly jumping out of the bed.

"But -"

"No Ginny! No! You can't!"

"But you let Ron and Hermione -"

"I tell them everyday to leave but they won't. Nothing I say can persuade them."

"And nothing you say can persuade me." She squeezed his hand a bit harder. "I want to be with you." Harry stuttered for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "Stop being noble. I think I can help you a lot."

"You're not coming."

"I want to help you."

Harry thought about it. Maybe she could help without actually going with us, he thought, remembering Ravenclaw's book collection. "You can help," he said, "but you can't come with us."

"Then how -?" Harry quickly explained to her about the horcruxes, the founder's objects, and Ravenclaw's collection. "If you could find that book -"

"I will." She said quickly. "I won't sleep until I do."

"No, you will sleep. We have three others to search for, so if you're looking at the books then we could move on…. Get Neville and Luna to help you."

"But I -"

"It's a big library. You can't do it on your own."

She sighed. "Okay. If I must." Harry leaned forward and kissed her. "Now, back to that birthday thing…" She said, kissing him again. "Mum's got a birthday breakfast waiting for you."

"It's five AM."

"She got a bit excited." Harry laughed. Ginny stood up and helped him off the bed. "You might actually get something good – Ron's still asleep."

They held hands as they walked, partly because Harry was still half asleep. On their way into the kitchen, Harry spotted someone familiar lying back on a couch and looking quite comfortable. Tonks rushed past them and headed for him.

"Really, Dora, I'm okay." Remus said. "Sit down for a second."

"Oh Harry!" Mrs. Wealsey exclaimed. She ran over and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're okay! We haven't heard from you in weeks! And you didn't come to the wedding!"

"Phlegm was quite disappointed." Ginny mumbled.

"Come in here and have something to eat!" Mrs. Weasley ushered him into the kitchen. Harry wasn't all that hungry, but he ate anyway. Ginny sat next to him and set her head on his shoulder.

Just as he was looking for an excuse to leave the table, he heard Mad Eye limping around. Harry stood up quickly – there was something he needed to ask him…

"Excuse me? Moody?" Harry asked, entering the room where Remus was lying.

"Yeah? What is it boy?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something – umm… it's an over the summer project, but I'm not quite sure how to finish it -"

"What's it on?"

"Horcruxes." Moody looked shocked, and Lupin slid himself up a bit to hear better.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, right? Didn't know they taught about horcruxes."

"Well, I have most of it done, except I couldn't find anything on how to get rid of one."

"It's the same as you'd get rid of a person, isn't it?"

"You mean by killing it?"

"Yes. I think that's the easiest way. An assignment, you say? I didn't know they gave any out, since the school might not even open."

"I think the ministry decides those kinds of things. It is a NEWT lever class."

"Yes." Moody said, apparently not believing him. "If you'll excuse me." Moody stood up and left the room, heading upstairs.

"Harry?" Lupin said after Moody had left. "We both know there wasn't any assignment. Want to tell me what's going on?"

"It's kind of between Dumbledore and myself. I promised I wouldn't tell."

"Ah, always the loyal one." Lupin said, nodding. "Yes, I guess Voldemort's horcruxes would be something that should be kept secret." Harry's jaw dropped. How did he know -? "Yes, he told me about it as well. I wasn't sure why at the time – What could I do about it? But now I think he suspected something – wanted to make sure someone else could help you, just in case. So, how's the search going? There were seven, right?"

"Yeah," Harry said, still shocked. "But he got the ring, and I got the diary years ago. And we just found the locket yesterday." He pulled it out of his pocket and held it up.

"I guess that's why you wanted to know how to destroy one."

"Yeah." Harry set the necklace on a table. "I've been saving my first non restricted spell for this." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the locket. "Avada kedavra." Harry said quietly, so as not to alarm anyone.

The locket spun quickly and whistled like a teakettle. Harry moved back. Black smoke poured from the locket. It sparked and jumped across the room, landing in an old vase.

"What was that?" Tonks said, entering the room slowly.

"Nothing, Dora." Remus said. "It was nothing."

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Harry spent the rest of his birthday lying in bed. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley would not let him move. As he lied there, Harry examined the locket. Inside was a picture what looked to be Voldemort's mother. There had been another picture on the opposite site, but it looked as if that side had been torn out angrily. Harry guessed that it had been where Tom Riddle senior's picture had been. Voldemort didn't like him much – that would explain why he tore it out before creating the horcrux.

Harry wondered if Voldemort could feel it when he destroyed the locket. Dumbledore had told him no, but still Harry wondered. How could you not feel a part of you dying?

Ginny came in and sat next to him in bed, pulling him into her arms. Harry leaned back against her, still looking at the locket. "That's a pretty locket." Ginny said.

"It was Slytherin's." He closed the locket and showed her the S.

"Oh – where'd you find it?"

"In an old broom cupboard." Harry pulled himself away from her and turned to look at her. "Listen, Ginny – tomorrow we have to leave again. We can't waste any time getting rid of these."

"I know."

"You should go back to the Burrow with your mum. She needs someone there to comfort her. She seemed a little sad about Ron going with me."

"It's not just Ron. All of her boys are involved in this in some way. Dad and Bill and Charlie are working with the ministry; Fred and George are making those products for the aurors; Ron's with you; and, well, you know about Percy -"

"He never came back again?"

"No. We haven't heard from him since last Christmas."

"See? You need to stay with her, at least until school starts again."

"If it starts again." Ginny said. "They've been having financial issues, from what I heard."

"You still can't come with me." Harry said, seeing where the conversation was leading.

"But, Harry!" Harry shook his head. "Don't leave me alone with Phlegm! She might be my sister in law, but that doesn't mean I like her any more."

"You can't come." Harry said slowly. "End of story. Be glad you get to help at all." She looked sadly at him. "No." Ginny leaned against him and looked up at him. "No. It won't work."

"Okay," she said, sitting upright again. "Well, can you at least stay for all of today?"

"Today's nearly over. There'd be no point in leaving now."

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Harry lied there that night, holding Ginny close to him. He wished that they could stay like this forever. If he really wanted to, he could forget about Voldemort and stay right here forever.

But something in him said no. Harry remembered something that Dumbledore had said to him once. Something about choosing between what is right and what is easy. Harry guessed this was one of those times.

Hermione woke him up early the next morning. They were off to find more information on Ravenclaw and on where else Voldemort might have hidden a horcrux. Ginny had herself so tangled around him that it took a while for Harry to get out without disturbing her.

He went into his trunk (which he had decided to keep at Grimmauld place while he was away) to get his invisibility cloak, scolding himself for forgetting it before. The Marauder's Map fell out. Harry picked it up and looked at Ginny. She could use this more that I could –

Ten minutes later, Harry was ready to leave. He left the Map on the bedside table with instructions on how to work it, kissed Ginny on the cheek, and left without a sound.