A/N: Another short chapter here but it has enough in it for you to enjoy it. Hopefully when I gain more experience at writing, I'll be able to have longer chapters. Who knows what the future holds?

DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot.

Chapter 14: Mortal Again.

Professor Dumbledore walked through the dark deserted town of Little Hangleton. He knew that Lord Voldemort was residing in The Riddle Mansion. He had used a spell to make himself undetectable so that Voldemort would not know he was there. He had found 5 of Voldemort's Horcruxes and his research had led him to believe that the last remaining horcrux was to be found on another cave. This one was in a mountain behind the Riddle Mansion. Dumbledore was sure that it had been hidden there only recently and he knew for a fact that Voldemort took it with him wherever he went. The final horcrux was Voldemort's snake, Nagini. The cave was where Nagini could hide out. She was a faithful servant to Lord Voldemort but she had been given the chance to reproduce because she was growing old and Voldemort wanted to keep a part of her with him. Dumbledore made his way up to the cave. It was cold and dark inside so he lit his wand to allow him to see where he was going. The cave was small and the snake was sleeping. Dumbledore whispered a spell, which awoke the snake but for her it was too late. The spell Dumbledore had used was a powerful spell. The snake twisted and hissed then in a puff of yellow and red smoke, Nagini disappeared. Dumbledore apperated to a spot close by where he could watch what was going on. The snake had called to her master and seconds after Dumbledore had removed himself from the cave, Voldemort appeared with 3 of his Death Eater's.

"Nagini" he hissed to the snake. Nothing happened. Voldemort muttered something under his breath and the whole cave filled with light. Dumbledore heard a cry of anger as Voldemort realized that his beloved snake was dead. The eggs she had laid were still there but as they had not hatched yet he hadn't been able to transfer his horcrux over to one of them.

"Search the area. The culprit will have hung around no doubt. Find whoever did this and bring them to me. Alive!" he yelled at the three Death Eaters. They ran out of the cave and with a satisfied smile, Dumbledore apperated back to Hogwarts. The Death Eaters went back to their master and told him that no one had been found. Voldemort was furious.

Dumbledore sat behind his office desk smiling to himself. He knew now that Voldemort could be defeated. He wrote two letters, and used the owl he kept in his office to deliver them. He knew the recipients would be asleep but the owl would not leave until they had been woken. He sat in his office waiting for them to arrive.

Harry woke up suddenly. He put his glasses on and waited to focus on the dark around him. When he could see he looked over at the noise, which had made him wake up. An owl was tapping on the window so he let it in. It dropped a letter on his lap and flew back out the window. Harry tore open the envelope and read the letter.

Harry,

Please come to my office immediately. I have some interesting news for you.

Albus Dumbledore.

Harry folded the letter and shoved it in his pocket. He dressed quietly and crept out of the dormitory. He made his way through the deserted school and up to Dumbledore's office. When he arrived, two other people came into view. Hermione and Draco had also been sent a letter requesting their presence. The knocked on Dumbledore's office door and walked in. The twinkle in their headmaster's eyes was stronger than ever and the three 7th years took a seat in front of his desk.

"Thankyou for getting out of your nice warm beds to listen to and old man. I have much to tell you." Dumbledore smiled at them, "I have been most fortunate tonight. Ever since Voldemort took you Hermione, I have been working tirelessly to protect you. I have also been travelling a lot. Harry you will remember the horcruxes that Voldemort has spread around the England?"

"Yes sir. But we don't know what he used. I mean we had our suspicions but we weren't certain or anything." Harry said feeling a little confused.

"This is true. As I said I have been travelling. I have found and destroyed all of his horcruxes. It is now up to you Harry to kill him. I will train you beyond your years and we are going into battle as soon as you ready. You still have the Sleeping Draught potion Professor Snape gave you?" Harry nodded and Dumbledore continued speaking, "You will need to use it on Ronald Weasley. He is to not take part in this fight. His parents, as I have already explained, do not wish for him to be apart of this. If he joins this fight, he will be killed. There is no doubt about it. Slip the potion into his morning pumpkin juice. It will put him to sleep long enough for you to kill Voldemort."

Harry, Hermione and Draco stared at Dumbledore. Something inside Hermione skipped with joy. This was because now she was going to get her revenge. The baby she would be giving birth to in 5 months would grow up never knowing how he or she was truly conceived. Another part of Hermione was filled with dread. She couldn't put her finger on it though but she knew something terrible was going to happen. Shrugging it off she just thought that this was because the wizarding community was going into battle with the most evil group of wizarding folk to have walked the earth.

Harry, Hermione and Draco left Dumbledore's office just before the sun came up. They headed down to the kitchens for a mug of hot chocolate. Dumbledore had told them that they didn't need to go to class that day, as it was the last day of term before the Easter holidays. Instead they sat in the kitchen talking about what Dumbledore had told them. Draco was worried that if he fought for the Order, his mother would be killed. Hermione had squashed his fears.

"Draco I'm sure if you ask Grandad he will somehow protect her. He trusts you and he knows you wouldn't ask him to protect you mother if you weren't absolutely sure she wasn't evil." Hermione had told him.

They headed off to bed just as some students made there way to the Great Hall for breakfast. For Hermione the Battle couldn't come any quicker. For Harry, he was filled with all different kinds of emotions. The wizarding community's fate lay upon his shoulders. It was all down to him to defeat Voldemort. How could he do that? He knew that now Voldemort's horcruxes had been destroyed The Dark Lord was mortal but Harry didn't know how to caste the killing curse and besides it was an illegal curse. Maybe the Ministry of Magic would give the Order special permission to use the three Unforgivable Curses. Surely they would, seeing as though they were fighting the one group of people who had wrecked havoc throughout England for so long.

Ron was getting out of bed as Harry entered the common room.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked him curiously.

"D-Dumbledore sent for me," Harry said yawning.

"In the middle of the night? What for?"

"A lesson. The same as last year. I'm going to bed. Dumbledore gave me the day off. I'll see ya later ok." Without even getting changed Harry got into bed and drew his curtains around his four poster bed so that he didn't have to answer any more of Ron's questions. Ron looked at Harry's bed quite puzzled. Shrugging he went down to the Great Hall hoping to see Hermione. She wasn't there and when he looked over at the Slytherin table, he noticed that Draco was also missing.

"Where is everyone?" he muttered to himself. He ate breakfast alone and went to class alone. Harry, Hermione and Draco didn't turn up for class all day. They had slept for most of the day and then Harry had met up with Hermione and Draco that afternoon to talk about what would happen when the went into battle. It was an unpleasant conversation as they thought about those Order members who could possibly loose their lives.

"If you kill him quickly Harry, the ministry can take the remaining Death Eaters to Azkaban and they'll be given the Kiss" Hermione said only adding to Harry's worries.

A/N: Nothing to say except hello!