I'm sorry chapter 5 took too long to write. I was pretty busy this week so I had no time to just sit and type. Well, here it is. If anyone of you guys thought that I'm abandoning this fan fiction, well be assured that I will never do that. I love writing so I'm sticking up to this whole fan fiction thing. Although, I have been thinking recently on writing my own series of books much like what Christopher Paolini had done with his book Eragon and Inheritance. I mean he wrote Eragon at age 15 so I guess I could do so, too. Cuz well, I'm 18.

So whatcha guys think of me writing an actual book?

As always, read and review.

CHAPTER FIVE

A NIGHT TRIP TO DURMSTRANG

Classes commenced much as always since NEWTS were coming up this year. Harry and the rest of the seventh years noticed how more difficult their schedules and lessons were becoming. Most of them were not doing very well except for Hermione, who was able to study everything perfectly and still have time to read a new entertainment magazine called "Fab Wizards and Witches."

Harry and Ron, both sitting with Neville, Dean, and Seamus, were finishing up with their homework when the clock struck eleven.

"Well, guys," said Harry, closing his book and plunging it into his bag. "I'm off to bed. Ron, won't you come with me?" Harry gave a wide eyed expression to Ron as he said this, implying that he needed to have a talk between the both of them about something urgent.

"Oh," said Ron, getting what Harry's expression meant. "Yeah, Harry, lets go upstairs."

"See you guys in the morning" chorused the other Gryffindor boys as Harry and Ron trooped towards the Boys' Dormitory. Once they were upstairs and in their room, Ron sat on his four-poster and looked at Harry.

"What?" asked Ron right away.

"Well, I thought we needed to think about trying to sort everything out about the Horcruxes and stuff" said Harry as he sat on his own bed.

"Well, its no use is it? I mean Hermione is not with us. She's the smartest one if you didn't know."

"I know, I know!" said Harry, annoyed. "That's why she is waiting by the library to talk to us. Sorry that this had to be at this hour but we can't afford to let others hear about this whole thing."

"Fine, fine. Lets go."

Harry then started to walk out of the room and into the Common Room. They then went out of the portrait hole, knowing that they were allowed to roam around the castle at this hour since Ron was head boy. They went down the stairs and walked up towards the hall leading into the Library. Once they were near the mahogany doors of the library, they saw Hermione standing there, looking impatient.

"Finally!" said Hermione. "I though you guys weren't coming."

"Sorry" said Harry as he approached Hermione. "We were just finishing homework."

"Yeah" said Ron. "Homework is building up quick recently."

"Well. You both better learn time management soon" said Hermione in an arrogant air. "So, now, we need to talk somewhere secluded. Let's go to the History of Magic classroom."

The three of them started to walk down the hall and down the Grand Staircase. They ran through the fourth floor and up a corridor and into the History of Magic classroom.

"So, what's this about?" said Ron as he closed the door of the classroom.

"Well, we need to know how to destroy the Horcruxes. If we can find them all, well it's pretty useless if we can't destroy them" said Hermione as she sat in one of the seats.

"Well, know a way for us to know? How about the library?"

"No. There are no books on Horcruxes in the library. It's a banned subject here in Hogwarts, Ron. I was actually thinking of another way."

"What?"

"Asking for help from an old friend" answered Hermione with a twinkle in her eye. She then conjured a piece of parchment and a quill. "I though we can ask help from someone from Durmstrang. I mean that school focuses very much on the dark arts so we can find out something from there."

"Ahh, missing Krum are you? Asking for help from your boy friend" teased Ron. Hermione blushed but ignored this statement.

"I'm writing to Viktor" said Hermione after scribbling down on the parchment. "I've written that we need to be able to get into Durmstrang, by apparition if needed, and well, for Viktor to give us a reply if we can go."

They then went down the Owlery to send the letter. That night, they slept soundly, comforted by the thought that they were starting to do something to find a way to destroy the Horcruxes of Lord Voldemort.

The next day, they had Potions as their first class. The Gryffindors went down the Dungeons to be greeted by Professor Slughorn sitting on the teacher's desk. They all sat on their respective seats and fell silent. Before long, Professor Slughorn stood up to start the lesson.

"Class, we will now start our lesson on making a very potent potion called the Wizidium Potion. Who can tell me what is a Wizidium Potion?" asked the professor.

Hermione's hand shot up immediately, waiting to be called by the professor. As no other hand was in the air, Slughorn called upon her to answer the question.

"A Wizidium Potion," said Hermione confidently. "is a potion that will repel Inferi."

"Correct, as always Ms. Granger" said Slughorn heartily. "20 points to Gryffindor. Yes, I have decided to teach all of you how to make this potion. I know, this potion is not in your seventh year syllabus but I feel that you all need to know this particular potion, seeing the present situation."

Everyone knew what this 'present situation' was. Voldemort was as active as ever nowadays, with his Death Eaters, Dementors, Giants, and Inferi. All the pupils felt that they needed to pay attention on this lesson in order to know how to protect themselves when the time arises that they are face to face with Inferi.

"The potion," said Slughorn again, walking around the classroom. "takes exactly three months to brew so we shall start now. After the end of the brewing period of three months, all of you will give me a sample of your work and will be graded based on that output. Now, we shall start."

Slughorn passed documents containing the procedure on how to brew the potion. All the students then read it and started to work. Cauldrons were lit and mysterious scents started to invade the air as the Gryffindors began work. Ron, who was sitting between Hermione and Harry, was having a hard time measuring the ingredients, involving the gills of a live crab and the bone marrow of a dog.

"So, Hermione," said Harry as he wrestled with his crab. "Any word from Krum?"

"Not yet" replied Hermione. "No owls as of this morning."

"Well, I guess it's gonna arrive later."

The letter did arrive as Harry was eating dinner that evening. Hermione opened the letter while chewing down some baked potatoes and started to read.

Hermione,

Well, there is no way for you to arrive unless you apparate. You can come tonight. Meet me outside the Durmstrang entrance gate.

Sincerely, Viktor

"Great. So around ten, we go outside the castle, far enough from here to apparate since we can't apparate within the school grounds" whispered Hermione as he tucked away the letter.

At ten o'clock, the three of them went out of Hogwart's doors, saying to anyone who inquired why they were outside that they wanted to check out something for McGonagall. They crossed the grass as the night air swished upon their cheeks. A few moments later, they broke into a slight sprint, feeling the wind fluttering their robes until they stopped running. They were now far enough to apparate.

"So, ready?" asked Harry.

"Ready" said Ron and Hermione and then, they disappeared with a pop.

A familiar uncomfortable sensation started to spread throughout Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's bodies, as though they were being squeezed out of a hard tube. They were prepared for this feeling, of course, since they had their Apparition lessons one year before. Not long after, the sensation faded away and they landed on their feet. They had successfully apparated out of Hogwart's grounds and into the Durmstrang Institute.

They arrived by some bushes and after making their way through the nettles and shrubs, they were by a lake that was as smooth as glass. Beyond the lake was a dock where familiar ships were staying, ships that once surfaced on the Black Lake's surface in Hogwarts when they were in their fourth year, the year of the Triwizard Tournament. By this dock was a giant mansion with a green flag waving by the night sky. The flag had a large D embroidered onto it. They were now outside theDurmstrang school grounds

They walked around the lake, making their way to the dock. As they walked, the cold air made them clutch their robes closer unto their body. They had forgotten that Durmstrang was in a snowy country. They hurried towards the dock, sprinting around the lake. Once they arrived at the docking bay, they swiped the snowflakes that were upon their robes. They slowed down and walked towards the big campus building of The Durmstrang Institute. By the handsome Durmstrang entrance gate was a charming young man who smiled as he saw Hermione rushing towards him, hugging him immediately. It was, of course, Viktor Krum.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE