1Oh My Goodness! What a slacker I am! There are so many excuses for this chapter taking a month and a half to write. I'm soooooooooooooo sorry! I'm so ashamed! So this has been one of the hardest chapters to write, cause its action and you all know me and action and stuff. So please don't hate me if its disappointing, but you can tell me if you want. That is if you're still talking to me. Alright, enough rambling! Here we goooooooooooooooo!

Chapter 6 The Last one

Late one night in November Harry lay in his bed at the Leaky Cauldron; thinking about the past months' events. The night of his birthday was a long and unpleasant one after Harry had announced that he, Ron and Hermione would be leaving soon. Mrs. Weasley had yelled; then cried when that didn't work, and her last attempt was to beg. He spent his last night at the Burrow in the backyard slowly dancing to the soft music while holding Ginny close. She too yelled, cried and begged when they left. However, the trio had succeeded in leaving without too much damage and they had worked hard over the past four months. R.A.B. was discovered to be Regulas Black(AN: aren't I creative! Haha!), Sirius' brother, and the locket was found at 12 Grimuald Place and the Horcrux destroyed. Hufflepuff's cup was found in the cellar of the Riddle House and was also taken care of. A chance meeting with Voldemort in a cave allowed them to kill Nagini and escape with their lives. That left one more horcrux besides Voldemort. Just one more and then he could kill Voldemort. This last piece of soul; though, was becoming the most difficult. They still had no clue what it was or where it was. Harry was certainly getting annoyed and tired. He wanted to be home for Christmas, but at the rate they were going, he didn't know if they'd ever be able to go home.

Dumbledore was proud of their accomplishments that they had achieved in so little time. He voiced this to the other three in the room multiple times.

So as Harry was laying in his bed thinking over all of this, Hermione was in her room frantically taking notes as she was going through a book. This particular book was proving to be very useful. The trio had found it in the back room of Borgin and Burkes after it was abandoned when the owner was arrested for his dealings with Voldemort. It was a record book of every item that had gone through the shop and who it was sold to.

Suddenly her eyes got very wide and her lips broke into a grin.

"I do believe Ms. Granger has found something." Dumbledore announced his observation to the rest of the room.

Sure enough the brown-haired girl let out a squeal and rushed out of the room.

"Yes. She's definitely found something." Dumbledore repeated to the others who were playing poker at a table in the middle of the room.

"Check." Came a male voice.

"Did you say she's found something, Albus?" Lily looked away from the table.

"Yes. She's headed to Harry and Ron's room at the moment." Albus replied.

"Timeout boys. I want to see what information she's got." Lily stood from the table and walked towards the screen, ignoring the furious looks she was receiving from the men at the table.

"Lils just fold if your going to go over and watch." James begged and had her back not been to him, he would have given her his irresistible puppy dog eyes.

Turning back to the table for a split second, Lily shot him a glare. "James I'm not giving up my hand. Now be quiet so I can listen." Then she turned back around, leaving no room for argument.

Hermione, in her excitement, didn't even knock on the door but; instead, threw it open so hard that it hit the wall with a loud bang. Harry's eyes instantly left their spot on the ceiling, and shot to her at the same time as his hand reached for his wand on the night stand next to the bed. Ron, who had been sleeping, shot straight up in the air; his eyes wide open.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed in relief.

"What's the matter?" Harry lowered his wand onto the night stand.

"Well I was reading that book we found in Borgin and Burkes and I found it just when I was going to stop for the night. I can't believe it!"

"Hermione, breathe." Ron's laugh was weak because he was really worried about Hermione's sanity.

"Yeah your rambling again. You always do that when you've discovered something." Harry agreed with a nod.

"I have!"

"What?"

"The last horcrux!"

"What?"

"It's Ravenclaw's jewelry box!"

"Where?"

"The Hogwarts express."

"..."

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry screamed and jumped out of their beds as the information registered. The trio danced in a circle with each other as they celebrated the finding of the hardest piece of information as of yet. Finally they calmed down and began their discussion again.

"Why the train?" Harry asked.

"Well we couldn't think of anymore places that held significance to Voldemort. However he held Hogwarts in the highest esteem so I guessed there might be a second one there. Then I thought about the battle on the train a few weeks ago. Of all the battles we've ever had with Death Eaters there was always an important reason if Voldemort was there. Almost as if he didn't completely trust his Death Eaters. There was the Sorcerer's stone-"

"But he was attached to the back of Quirrel's head. Wasn't like he had a choice to go or not, did he?" Harry interrupted and Ron laughed.

"Well maybe. Anyway in the Department of Mysteries he came for the Prophecy. He showed up at the battle on the train, so it must have been important. I suspect he has Death Eaters periodically checking his horcruxes and suddenly they started disappearing. Of course he suspects you and knows Hogwarts isn't safe anymore with Snape on the run. So he was transporting it to the train." Hermione looked from each of the boys. Ron spoke first.

"Does make sense. The train is still considered Hogwarts. He used it as the way to get to his home, Hogwarts." Harry found the fact that he and Voldemort shared the same home somewhat disturbing.

"Exactly." Hermione nodded.

"Well, what do we have to lose by checking it out?" Harry said slowly.

"Nothing."

"So when are we going?"

"Tomorrow. No use wasting time. Now I suggest we all get some sleep, we have a busy day coming up." With that Harry took his glasses off and slid into his bed.

The next morning dawned bright and early over the Leaky Cauldron to find three of its occupants already awake and ready to start the day. They hired a cab and headed to King's Cross. For most of the trip they rode in silence until Ron startled them by asking,

"Won't the barrier be closed since the train isn't running?" Harry looked up in alarm as he considered this possibility.

"He's right. Remember in his second year." Hermione shook her head at the two.

"No. In second year Dobby closed the barrier, it had nothing to do with time. I think it will be open." They didn't have to wait long to find out, because the car pulled up to the station and the teens quickly filed out and rushed towards 9 3/4.

"Don't run at it; in case it's solid. It'll knock you out." Hermione warned as Harry approached the wall. He meandered casually so as not to attract muggle attention. He leaned into the wall, and to his immense relief, fell through. He stepped out of the wall because Hermione and Ron would quickly follow when he disappeared, and looked around. There were no children running around; saying last goodbyes before they boarded the train for another exciting year. No parents calling out last minute directions to their children. No crying mothers or proud fathers or teasing older siblings or jealous younger ones. Then he saw the train; it stood there silent and dark without any passengers or puffs of steam or warning whistles. It was eerily quiet and Harry was not sure wether it was because of the task at hand or the emptiness of the usually crowded train and platform.

This was all the time he had to think about it, because Ron and Hermione came noisily through the wall.

Wormtail cautiously approached his master.

"What news do you have for me, Wormtail." Voldemort's voice hissed from his make-shift throne.

"My Lord, Potter knows where you put your last horcrux."

"I expected this. But Potter doesn't know, that we know, that he knows where the last horcrux is." Wormtail just nodded, while inside his head he was utterly confused. "Very well. Wormtail give me your arm."

The trio boarded the train and looked around; the compartments were all closed and empty. Harry wasn't sure where the horcrux could be.

"It's probably in the compartment he normally sat in." Hermione figured.

"Any clue to which one that is?" Ron asked smartly.

"No. Let's start at the front and work our way down." Hermione suggested.

And so they did. Slowly they opened each compartment and thoroughly searched it. They came to the last one; without finding the jewelry box. Cautiously Harry opened the luggage rack and looked around; it was the last place to look in the compartment, and he found nothing there. He turned around disappointedly and out of the corner of his eye he saw a shimmer. He reached in and pulled out a cherry stained jewelry box. The top was decorated in fancy jewels that had caused the shimmer. Harry slowly turned around; a joyful meaningful smile, the first one in a long time, with the box firmly held in two hands.

"Ron, Hermione...I found it." He showed them the box and they too broke into wide grins.

"Harry set it on the floor and back away from it." Hermione ordered and pulled out her wand. "Aboleoius!" There was a black light that shot out from her wand and when it hit the box pieces of wood flew everywhere as the box shattered. A cloud of black smoke escaped through the compartment door. This they took as the now familiar sign of the soul leaving the horcrux. Once it sunk in that they were almost done, the trio did a jumping, circular dance. Suddenly there was a loud crack and a malicious laugh rang through the train, causing the trio to instantly stop and look around in horror.

"So you've destroyed my horcruxes, Potter. Ah well no matter, the most important piece is still intact." Voldemort swiftly entered the compartment, Harry drew his wand and the others followed.

"Ah, so you intend to try and destroy that last piece too, do you. Well I'm not about to make it easy for you. Crucio!" Harry fell to the floor in pain, and withered around only able to contain his scream. Several Death Eaters appeared and Ron and Hermione instantly began dueling with them. Harry was released of his torment and he slowly stood. He caught Voldemort's eye and a searing pain swept through his scar. A hand instinctively flew to his forehead but he didn't break eye contact. The two circled around each other in a very Hollywood fashion until Harry came to his senses.

'This is stupid.' He thought. "Expelliarmus!"

"Potter do you always have to use first year curses? Well I guess when you didn't complete your education at Hogwarts that is what happens." Voldemort made a noise closely resembling a laugh.

"Fine. Impedimenta!" Voldemort easily blocked that curse as well.

"Crucio!" Harry yelled but was once again blocked by Voldemort.

"Tisk Tisk, Potter. You can't use an unforgivable on me. Then with that Voldemort sent a spell that knocked Harry onto the ground. Luckily though it didn't knock him out. Harry looked up into those evil eyes once more and decided to take his chance.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted as Voldemort shouted "Avada Kedavra!"

The whole room was now leaning in front of the screen; looks of horror on their faces as the screen seemed to start moving in slow motion. They saw both green lights burst from the two wands. One coming from the ground and the other coming from a higher source. At first Dumbledore was worried that the two wands would connect again, and if they did he had no idea what would happen. Would it be the same when two killing curses are involved instead of just one? However he would never find out for it became quiet obvious that they would pass each other. Harry's positioning on the ground caused his spell to go directly underneath Voldemort's, the two beams running parallel to each other. Then suddenly the room seemed to understand what was about to happen right before it did, and there was a loud, unified gasp as two beams of light each hit their targets.