Thanks for the reviews. About that suggestion on lengthening my chapters, I'll do my best but I hope you guys understand that for me as a reader, I don't like reading long chapters full of nothing. A long chapter would be okay if that chapter would be interesting but if not , better stick with shorter ones. And actually, one of you guys has already thought of one of the plot twists I'm making. So, read and review as usual.

CHAPTER SEVEN

USING A BOGGART

The next days went on with the seventh years busily monitoring the progress of their Wizidium Potion. Harry was prodding his cauldron-full of the liquid with his wand as it bubbled and hissed out orange bubbles. Hermione's however, was now golden and was emitting sounds of a babbling brook. Of course, Slughorn was still expecting something amazing from Harry's cauldron, confident of Potter's Potion making ability he saw last year.

The bell rang and Harry, along with Hermione and Ron, walked out of the castle to visit Hagrid. They haven't visited their half-giant friend in a long time and now that they weren't taking his Care of Magical Creatures classes, they thought it would be nice to pay him a visit.

They knocked on the door and listened for any sound coming form within the hut. There was a sound of barking, probably from Fang, and giant footsteps. The door finally swung open.

"Harry!" said Hagrid cheerfully. "Thought you guys have forgotten where I live!"

"Oh, sorry," replied Hermione as she stepped into Hagrid's hut. "It's just that we've been very busy, what with NEWTS and all."

"'Oh, I see. Well, guess who's with us today!"

Inside the hut, sitting by the dining table, was Grawp. He apparently was smiling now at the sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and was spilling hot coffee all over himself.

"Oh, Hi…" said Ron warily to Hagrid's half brother, agitated by him.

"Well, sit down you three. Come have some tea with Grawp and I!" said Hagrid, happy that his half-brother was having some company other than him.

All three of them sat hesitantly beside Grawp, who was now patting Hermione on her head, pounding her to the ground.

"So, Hagrid, how are you?" said Harry.

"Oh, great. I mean after Dumbledore's thing and all, I'm moving on fine. Well, now that he is, ye know, passed over, well I'm supposed to help you along with them Horcruxes."

"But, Hagrid, how did you…"

"Ay don't worry. Dumbledore told me the day he died. He told me, just before you went to that cave, that I'm supposed to help you find them Horcruxes and destroy all of 'em."

"Oh. Well, I guess there's no point hiding it from you. Listen Hagrid. We may know how to destroy a Horcrux."

"Oh, really?" said Hagrid, happy to hear that Harry's working on how to destroy the Dark Lord. "What then?"

"We need a dementor."

"What!" barked Hagrid, causing Grawp to spill coffee all over himself again. "Why? How did you know this?"

"We can't tell you. Just trust us."

"What do you mean? You need to tell me! I'm a teacher!"

"That's exactly why we can't tell you" said Harry, knowing that if any teacher knew how he, Hermione, and Ron went apparating out of the grounds in the dead of night days ago, they'll be in deep trouble.

"Well, then I am now assuming you did something out of bounds in the rules of the teachers and the school then."

Silence filled the hut. Hagrid was a bit annoyed with the three Gryffindors. On the other hand, Harry still knew that Hagrid was a teacher and recognized this fact in deciding not to tell any professor, even if it was Hagrid.

"Well all right" sighed Hermione. "We'll tell you."

Harry then eyed Hermione, pinching her hand under the table as a signal to not tell Hagrid about their nighttime trip to Durmstrang a few nights ago.

"Ouch Harry!" said Hermione, massaging her hand where Harry pinched her. "I mean we can tell Hagrid, you know. He is part of the Order and besides, Dumbledore told him about the Horcruxes. Why can't we tell him how to destroy them?"

"Oh fine" said Harry dismissively.

"Okay Hagrid," started Hermione gently. "Some nights ago, we were desperate for information on how to destroy a Horcrux. There were no references in the library about them."

"Of course not!" said Hagrid suddenly. "'Dumbledore didn't want to. Who would want to meddle with things like Horcruxes anyway?"

"We know Hagrid, now let me finish… So we thought of asking Viktor Krum for help since Durmstrang focused on the Dark Arts. Well, we then went apparating there for information."

Hagrid's eyes widened at the sound of Hermione's explanation. He immediately put down the large cup of tea he was holding and started to open his mouth, about to tell the three seventh years off.

"Yer did that did ye!" said Hagrid with his voice progressively getting louder. "What yer three did was dangerous. What… apparating in the dead of night and all," his voice was now rougher and harder, sounding more and more enraged. "and going to that school of that Death Eater Karkaroff's!" His voice was booming now. "You shouldn't have done that, you three!"

"But Karkaroff's not headmaster of Durmstrang anymore!" explained Hermione.

"Well then I guess that'll make going to Durmstrang okay, does it?" retorted Hagrid sarcastically, now on top of his voice.

"Look Hagrid, knowing how to destroy the Horcruxes is really important!" intervened Harry, seeing as Hermione was at a loss for words. "Really important to me, anyway. This is something personal, Hagrid. Voldemort killed my parents. I need to know how to destroy Voldemort. This is more than school rules. This is about trying to save the wizarding community and avenging my parents."

Hagrid, after hearing this, sat silently, thinking. Harry, too remained silent, not knowing where all he said came from. Hagrid then started to open his mouth to talk: "Alright, Harry. I know this is all personal to you but you got to be careful. That's why you students aren't allowed to wander off at night."

"We know, Hagrid" said Hermione comfortingly, patting Hagrid on his massive arm.

"Well, what did you learn in Durmstrang then?"

"Oh, we went to the library" started Hermione yet again. "And well, Harry found a book saying that the only thing that can destroy the soul within a Horcrux is by exposing it to something that naturally consumes souls."

"And you think this thing is a Dementor?'

"Yes, we think it's a dementor. Though if it is, we don't know how to get one since they are all with Voldemort's crowd."

"I think I have an idea on how to get a dementor though," broke in Harry, who has spent two nights thinking about his plan on getting a dementor to suck out the soul from a Horcrux.

"Oh yes, you told us you had an idea back in Durmstrang" chipped in Hermione, waiting for Harry's explanation. "What is it?"

"I got this idea from Lupin's class when we were in third year. When he was teaching me the Patronus Charm, he used a Boggart to act as a Dementor."

"So you're saying," said Hermione excitedly. "That we get a Boggart to become a Dementor and suck out the soul from the Horcrux!"

"Exactly. I mean that could work since Boggarts can imitate to some extent the thing it transforms into. It must still be able to suck out souls."

"Well, do you have a Boggart already?" asked Hagrid. "You have to find one."

Three nights later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in the Great Hall, eating dinner. The night was breezy as the Gryffindors, all eating as fast as they could to do some homework, worried about their huge pile of assignments. Harry though, had something more important than homework in his mind.

"Guys" whispered Harry to Ron and Hermione. "We have a boggart. I asked Professor Lupin to find me one and he just did, under the sink."

"That's great. So when do we destroy the Horcruxes?" answered Hermione.

"Tonight. Guys, I told Lupin all about our plans, including our trip to Durmstrang. He sort of fished it out from me. Well, he said that we three got ourselves detention with him. He hasn't told me when though."

"Oh well, that's life, I guess" said Ron as he bit into his chicken. "What about tonight and the Horcruxes though?"

"Lupin's joining us tonight," answered Harry. "He said that we three will go to his office later on, with the Horcruxes, and there, he will help us try to get the boggart to turn into a Dementor and suck out the soul within the Horcruxes."

They all ate their dinner as quickly as humanly possible and scrambled up towards the common room to squeeze in time to do some homework. They sat by the fire with their homework and books, quill at hand scratching over parchment, waiting for the clock to strike ten so they can go to Lupin's office.

"Its ten minutes to ten, Harry" said Hermione. "Better get the locket now so we'll be ready to go to Professor Lupin's office."

Harry then walked up towards the boys' dormitory and dug into his trunk, looking for the tiny, crystal laden locket. He finally found it and pocketed it, trooping back towards the Common Room.

"Found it" said Harry as he went towards Hermione and Ron by the fireplace. "We better get moving. We don't need the Invisibility Cloak to roam around after hours since both you guys are Head Boy and Girl. Let's go."

They went out of the fat lady's portrait and went out towards the Grand Staircase. They went to the floor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor and walked towards Lupin's room. They opened the door, finding Lupin standing by the lamp light and beside him was an old trunk.

"Ah, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Just on time. Lets get to work" said Lupin as the three seventh years went to his office.

"Professor Lupin." Said Hermione hesitantly. "Is what were about to do safe?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, Ms. Granger" answered Lupin. "Let's get to work then. Harry, stand in front of the trunk. Give me the locket."

Harry groped within his pocket and gave Lupin the locket. Harry then stood in front of the trunk, knowing that within it was a Boggart. Lupin said "Harry, when I open this trunk, a boggart will come out. It will then turn into a Dementor, just like last time during your third year. You will then use the Patronus Charm to keep it at bay but not too much, just enough that it doesn't make you pass out. Then, I will give you this locket and you will place it near the Dementor okay?"

"Ya" said Harry, suddenly nervous about what he was about to do.

"Well then, let's start." And with these words, Lupin flicked his wand, causing the locks of the trunk to turn and release the latch. The trunk then opened and within it rose a Dementor, its rotting breath filling the room instantly. Harry saw its gnarly, rotting hands and its torn veil swishing back and forth. He then started to hear things. "Lily! Take Harry!" screamed a male voice in his head. "Take me instead, don't take my baby!" shouted a woman frantically. Harry knew of course, that those voices belonged to his parents, the night they died.

Harry then shook all these thoughts out of his brain and concentrated on one happy memory. With the happy memory in mind, he raised his wand and shouted "Expecto Patronum!"

Suddenly, a white smoke sprang out of his wand. The mist slowly took form, becoming a stag, trotting to and fro. It then walked towards the Dementor and stood there, acting as a barrier between Harry and the Boggart, which was trying to come closer to Harry but couldn't due to the Patronus.

"Harry, get this!" said Lupin, handing Harry the locket.

Harry then stretched out his hand, clutching the locket, and let it fall inches near the Boggart. Sensing the soul it contained, the Boggart started to concentrate on it, placing its hooded head closer to the locket dangling from Harry's fingers. As the Boggart's head went closer to the locket, Harry's hand felt cold and numb, as if it was immersed in ice water. Chills went up and down his spine as the Boggart came closer. Harry just closed his eyes and bit his lips, waiting for the Boggart to suck in the soul that lay within the locket.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN