Murio Crux

Seconds later they reappeared in front of a dingy old house in which Harry's Godfather used to live. Together they entered the house. Knowing better then to speak in the front hall, the group crept passed a set of tattered old curtains and into the Kitchens.

"HARRY! RON! HERMIONE! GINNY!" Mr. Weasley jumped up from the table and embraced them all in a gigantic group hug. "Molly! They're here!" He yelled. "My God where have you been, we've been so worried."

It looked as though Arthur had been eating breakfast, there was toast on the table and pancakes cooking on the stove. A Copy of the daily prophet lay open and forgotten amidst the food. Mrs. Weasley ran into the room.

"Oh, Dears!" She hugged Ron First, then Harry, Ginny, and Hermione. "Where have you been? We've been beside ourselves!"

"We…" Hermione started but before they had a chance to explain, Hagrid, Tonks, Lupin, and Mad-Eye all entered the room as well.

"Blimey, Harry," Hagrid said. "You best not do that again, it's only thanks to Professor McGonnagal we knew you lot were alive!"

"C'mon," Mad-Eye gestured for them to sit down. "What's been going on?"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all sat around the breakfast table, and told them all that had happened the past month. After Bill and Fleur's wedding they had taken off with the news of a body being discovered in an ally. And since then they had been tracking a Death Eater who seemed to be going some where without magic on Voldemort's orders, Or as Hermione Referred to him "Lord Murder-All"

"Must you keep doing that?" Ginny asked. "It sounds like you're selling a cleaning product 'It murders all the dust in an instant'" She said in a Mock-Announcer Voice. But she was right, Hermione had diverted to calling Voldemort odd names whenever she talked about him.

"The Jordans," Lupin sat back. "I never met them, but I taught Lee."

"We tried to contact Leona, at the ministry, but we haven't heard back yet," Ron said.

"Oh, Hedwig is here, By the way, Harry. We've been looking after her," Tonks informed him.

"Thank you, very much," Harry said. It was all he could muster. Being here. In this house. It made him want to throw up. It was too off. Too fit for living. Not like it had been when Sirius…

"I'm sorry you had to see all this." Lupin said, as he stood up. "You really are a part of this now, aren't you?" He smiled and looked down at Harry who was avoiding his gaze.

"L…listen," Mrs. Weasley was shaking. "Y…You all should get some…some rest…We…we're going to the…um…meeting tonight with the…the school governors…they…um…they're deciding what to…do…with… the…um…the school…Hogwarts." She said all of this very slowly.

"Mum?" Ron said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Fine." She said suddenly smiling. "W…Would you like to come with us?"

"Sure," Harry said.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione.

Although it was midday now, it was dark outside. Harry and Ron were both enjoying a nap. Or at least Ron was. Harry was staring at the ceiling. Not thinking at all. He was still fully clothed, and didn't even realize it until the fake horcrux slid down his neck onto his side. He sat up and pulled off the locket, placing it on the nightstand between his and Ron's beds. He heard a door slam downstairs. Realizing what time it was he looked over at the clock and saw it was 2:30. Only 2:30? How could it only be 2:30. He looked back up at the ceiling and heard another door slam one level below.

"Tonks, dear, what are you looking for?" He heard Mrs. Weasley say.

Their door suddenly opened and Tonks and Mrs. Weasley stood in the door. Ron awoke with a start and Harry looked up.

"What?" Ron said, stupidly.

"What's wrong?" Harry swung his legs over the side of his bed.

"Nothing, I'm just looking for…" Tonks began. She stopped and walked over to the nightstand. "Is this…" She eyed it for a moment with gluttonous eyes. "Oh, This is the fake Horcrux, is it?" She seemed disappointed.

"Yes, What?" Harry said, confused.

"What are you looking for dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked again.

"It must be upstairs…." Tonks said, ignoring them. She left the room quickly. Ron pulled on a shirt and he, Harry, and Mrs. Weasley followed.

"What are you looking for?" Ron asked.

They entered the drawing room and Tonks started looking through drawers.

"It must be in here somewhere," She told herself.

"What, What is it you're looking for, we can help you!" Mrs. Weasley said, sounding frustrated now.

"Oh…Here it is," She pocketed something and then walked past them.

"What?" Harry pestered. "What?" She completely ignored them as she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Really," She picked up her bag. "I must be going."

"Wait, what is that? Why are you acting this way?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Accio!" Tonks' hand flew open and a gold chain flew out of it.

For a moment no one moved.

Harry stared at what she had been holding. The other three started at Harry.

"STUPEFY!" Harry yelled and a red light shot out of his wand and hit Tonks square on the chest. She fell backward onto the tile.

"HARRY!" Mrs. Weasley, yelled, pink in the face, but also scared and surprised.

"What the Hell was that?" Ron asked, looking stunned.

"It's the locket!" Harry held out the Horcrux. The True Horcrux. The One that Dumbledore had died to get.

"Horcrux?" Mrs. Weasley looked confused. "What is a Horcrux?"

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry turned to her, and put his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to take Tonks to Saint Mungos. She's been imperiused. Ron," He turned to Ron, now. "Wake Hermione and Ginny, We're leaving." He nodded and went back upstairs.

"What? You cannot, leave again, you do not have my permission!" Mrs. Weasley grabbed Harry's Arms Violently. "You tell me what's going on, NOW!"

"I can't," Harry said calmly, clutching Slytherin's locket in his hand.

"What do you mean you can't!" Mrs. Weasley looked more angry then Harry had ever seen her before.

"Dumbledore!"

There was silence.

Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry. "What?"

"Dumbledore and I," He began. "Last year. We figured out how do stop him."

"What?" She sat down, and now looked dumbfounded, and almost sorrowful.

"We know how to do it. And so does Ron, and Ginny, and Hermione." He continued. "But I can't tell you, or anyone else, Dumbledore forbade it."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Stop him how? What is going on? Where have you been going? Why are you leaving now? What is that necklace?"

"I cannot tell you Mrs. Weasley. But, we have to go." Harry said.

"No…No, you are not leaving!" She said.

"I need you to take Tonks to St. Mungo's. Please Mrs. Weasley." He got up, she did too. He embraced her in a hug. "I love you, Mrs. Weasley. You've been like a mother to me since I was eleven. I have fought Voldemort several times, and I'm still alive. I need to kill him. I need to kill him. Dumbledore understood this. So together we discovered how to do it. Now I need you to understand."

He let go and she looked up at him with a fearful look on her face. A tear dripped down her pink face.

"Harry, What's going on?" Hermione came down the stairs, luggage in hand, followed by Ron.

Harry held out the locket.

"Oh my god." Hermione said. "What's happened? How did you get it?"

Mrs. Weasley backed up against the wall allowing Ron and Hermione to come and examine the necklace. The locket that meant so much more then she could realize.

"Harry?" Ginny came down and saw the locket. "You've found it! But where?…Tonks!" She ran to Tonks side.

"NO!" Harry said, and Ginny stood up quickly. "She's been imperiused."

"Oh, Lord. Was that…here?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded.

"Listen," Ron walked over to Mrs. Weasley. "Mum, we've got to…" But before he could finish Mrs. Weasley embraced him and began sobbing wildly. She grabbed Ginny too and they stood in the corner with Ron and Ginny standing awkwardly and Mrs. Weasley crying her eyes out. Hermione offered her a tissue but she grabbed Hermione as well. Harry walked over and handed her a tissue. She took it, let them go and wiped her eyes.

"I…I don't like it," She said, cleaning up her tears. "But, I understand….You…all of you…listen to me…be careful…promise me." They nodded.

"I just need you to take Tonks to St. Mungos' before she wakes up." Harry said.

Mrs. Weasley nodded, clutched Tonks' hand and with a soft POP they both vanished.

"Hermione," Harry said. "You've got the potion right. The one you found in Dumbledore's Books?"

"Yeah." Hermione said. "I'll get on that." she waved her wand and a door appeared. The door that stored most of Her and Harry's earthly possessions, and a lot of Dumbledore's. Various things that were not left in his will that they had round up from hi office, hoping they would come in handy for Voldemort Research. Hermione had been fascinated by a lot of them. Telling them not even the restriction section had such material. In only one book she had found a mention of Horcruxes, and it was a potion, a potion to purge the item of the soul piece, and in the end destroying the Horcrux. It did not, as Hermione frequently mentioned, actually talk about the technicality of how a Horcrux worked, or anything that could help them understand it.

"How long?" Harry asked.

"Only a couple of hours." She responded. "If I get some help it'll go faster."

"What do you need?" Harry asked. Hermione started spitting out several ingredients, all of which they found easily in the cupboards around Grimmauld Place. Harry set the Locket on the table, and went to grab a jar of Lacewing flies.

"It's strange how common these ingredients are." Hermione said. "It really reminds you just how magically potent they can be."

It didn't take long at all to get the silver tar-like substance described in the book. It wasn't bubbling as much as Hermione would like, but it would do.

It was now 4:15, and Mrs. Weasley still had not returned from St. Mungo's, nor had anyone else from the order come to call. Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered "Murio Crux" and the cauldron's silver tar congealed into an almost solid form.

"Alright, give me the locket." She said.

Ginny reached over and picked the light off the table, and suddenly an earsplitting scream echoed through the room. Ginny's eyes had rolled back into her head, and the hand in which she held the Horcrux was shaking. She fell out of her chair, as the others ran to her. Her body was twitching and twisting as though she had been put under the imperious curse. Tears flowed from her eyes, but none of them could think what to do. Harry grabbed her hand and pulled the Horcrux away, dropping it back on the table.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron knelt down and checked Ginny's pulse. "She's alive."

She coughed once and then opened her eyes. "What was that?" She tried to stand up, but Harry knelt down and held her down, leaning her up against a cabinet.

"Don't try to get up." Harry said. "What did you see?"

"See?" Hermione and Ron asked.

"Voldemort." Ginny responded. "It was, Tom Riddle, His sixteen year old self. I saw, Slughorn, and flashes of Dumbledore, and the old headmaster. There was an old man in a house. He had a ring. There were, there was…An old lady with the locket, she was fat, and blond, and she had Hufflepuff's cup too."

"Hebzibah. Hepizibah Smith." Harry said.

"Yeah…" Ginny stuttered. "There was…some old man. I don't know who he was. And, Uncle Gideon, and Uncle Fabian. Flashes of Voldemort. He was killing."

There was silence.

"Those must have been the murders. The ones he used to make the Horcruxes." Harry said.

"What?" Ron said.

"Ginny," Hermione said. "She must have some…connection with the Horcruxes."

"What?" Ron and Ginny both said at once.

"When Riddle's diary was possessing her," Harry said. "Some…must still be…leftover in there."

"We've got to destroy it." Ron said. They all stood up, Ginny looking a bit dizzy.

"Harry, you do it," Hermione picked up the Horcrux and handed it to Harry.

"Yeah, Thanks." Harry walked over to the cauldron.

With the other three surrounding the table he let the Locket dangle from his hand, before dropping it into the potion. The silver liquid bubbled and rumbled. The table began to shake and the chain started vibrating as it was slowly engulfed by the potion. The locket broke open and suddenly set on fire. The locket became completely engulfed in the silver potion.

"Is is gone?" Ron said, as he stared talking toward the table.

The Potion exploded and splurted silver goo all over the kitchen.

"Guess so,"

Hermione reached into the cauldron and pulled out the chain.

"Well lets see if this worked." she said.

"Hang on, I thought this thing was supposed to destroy it." Ron said.

"Not to destroy it… to purge the item of the soul piece." Hermione held out the chain. And Without waiting for instruction Ginny grabbed the locket…

Nothing happened.

"It's gone, there's no more of him in there anymore." She said.

Next: Confronting the Faceless