15 Trains
An owl swooped in on Harry and dropped him a note. It read: "Final Lesson, Tonight at eight, 7th floor." Harry stuffed the note in his pocket and finished his dinner.
Time seemed to drag on for Harry. Eight o'clock finally came and he found himself alone in the Room of Requirement.
There in the dimly lit room was a sword floating in the air. Until he got closer. It was held up by a finely wrought glass gauntlet.
Harry tried to pull it free but glass had formed around the hilt.
Drawing his wand Harry said "reducio," the gauntlet bubbled briefly but the sword held fast. Harry muttered more curses, but he still could not free the sword. He stepped back and repeated an incantation he'd heard Hermione use. The glass hand flowed tighter around the weapon.
Angrily he kicked the glass gauntlet. It shattered easily as he caught the sword in midair. Running his eyes down the blade made his blood move. Harry slipped the sword into his robes and left.
Harry dreamt about trains again. Only this time he knew he was on the Hogwarts Express with Ron and Hermione. They were dressed like ancient nobility and eating and drinking from elegant gold cups and plates. The tea lady came by and humbly offered them sweets.
Harry searched his robes, he had no money but Ron pulled fistfuls of galleons from his pocket and bought everything.
Harry woke up feeling like Voldemort had got into his head but without the usual degree of certainty. Trains had been haunting his sleep all term.
Harry was sure if he got to the train he would make a discovery.
He looked across the dormitory. Ron was still asleep. Harry couldn't wait for him because the dream was fading and it Ron took ages to get up.
The Hogwarts Express, Hagrid would know how to get him aboard. Harry flew down to breakfast and inhaled his toast and eggs. Hermione sat across from him.
"Come with me Hermione!"
"Harry, I've only just sat down--"
"We need to see Hagrid."
"Harry, has this something to do with the Forbidden Forest?" she said uneasily.
"No, the Hogwarts Express. Now let's go."
Hermione grabbed some toast and a gulp of juice as she followed Harry from the table.
They found Hagrid at the staff table enjoying a mug of tea after his meal.
"Hagrid, Harry said slowly. "When you finish your tea would you take us to the Hogwarts Express?"
"You're not thinking of leaving are you?" Hagrid gave the pair a look of concern.
"No, Hagrid, we just need to get on the train, we're looking for something." said Hermione.
"Well, if you've lost something then I suppose it won't hurt to take you straightaway. I can't stay long though, I've a lot to do today."
Hagrid took them to Hogsmeade Station and let them onto the train.
"Lock up when you're done and bring me the keys. I'll be working near the Owlery for the rest of the day."
Harry and Hermione started with the engine, looking in the many gaps and nooks.
"Harry, at the rate we're going it will take weeks to search this train. We can't use any spells that might damage the train. We'd be found out here in any case if we did."
"Hermione, think like Tom Riddle: an over-proud wizard hiding a vital object on this train to keep it safe. Where would you put it?"
Hermione took only a moment to answer.
"The prefect's carriage seems the best possibility."
They walked the length of the train to the prefect's carriage. The two searched everywhere. In luggage areas and compartments, the underside of seats. Harry even rapped the walls. Hermione wracked her brains trying to think of a good hiding place.
"Remember what Ron said, 'maybe it's invisible'." Harry ventured.
"He was joking Harry. Besides, we'd have to know the object is there to be able to break the disillusionment enchantment," Hermione said impatiently.
Harry did not answer as he left the carriage and stood outside on the platform. Hermione followed looking rather perplexed.
"What's the one thing you can count on a horcrux to do?" Harry said.
"Not behave as any other object would in the face of magic."
Harry pointed his wand. The prefect's carriage slowly faded out of sight. Helga Hufflepuff's golden cup hung in the air just below where the floorboards had been.
"The cup!" Hermione gasped. "It all fits. The prefect's car signifies upward status and fond memories for Tom Riddle. Make the cup invisible and hide it here. I'll bet he never thought anyone would turn that spell on its head. His vanity is a weakness, a liability. Something we might be able to exploit."
The disillusionment spell faded quickly and the carriage reappeared. Harry pulled up the floorboards and snatched the slowly vanishing cup from between the axles.
Hermione smeared ink on the cup to make it easier to see but the ink disappeared. She ended up wrapping it tightly in a scarf and handing it to Harry.
They locked up the train and hurried back towards the school.
"Think how many prefects rode that train with the cup of Helga Hufflepuff beneath their feet. Tom Riddle must have had a good laugh, making fools of those who are supposed to keep order," Hermione thought out loud.
Hermione and Harry slipped down to the old potions classroom and pondered their next move. Hermione wanted to make it visible so they could see when they had really destroyed it. Harry wanted to destroy it on the spot.
"I'm with Hermione on this one," a voice said.
Hermione and Harry jumped. Ron dropped the invisibility cloak on a worktable.
"I thought I'd find you two here. Normally I'd be glad that you let me sleep in." He glanced at the scarf. "Sorry about taking the cloak Harry, but Filch wouldn't leave me alone, he kept going on about dungbombs."
"So what's your great idea for making the cup visible?" Hermione said sarcastically but with a twinkle in her eye. Ron draped Harry's invisibility cloak over the scarf. The scarf disappeared and the cup became visible.
Hermione made a face at Ron that she normally saved for Harry when he bested her in Slughorn's potions class.
"You can't make something invisible twice," Ron said simply, like invisible horcruxes were as obvious as basic Quidditch moves. Hermione turned scarlet for a moment but managed to hold her tongue.
"We really should get something to eat. I'm not taking my eyes off this cup until it's destroyed. Could you two fetch me something back please?" Harry asked. Pleased with their morning's work Hermione and Ron went happily off to lunch.
Harry grabbed the cloak and scarf and taking secret passageways whenever he could, got himself to the Room of Requirement. The only object in the entire room was the sword he'd found there earlier and a stone plinth.
Harry gripped the sword and clove the cup in two. It burst into flame and smoke, searing Harry's eyes. He let go of the weapon and wiped his face. When he regained his vision the sword had broken in two and the cup was a molten pool of metal. The puddle crept across the ground and covered the broken pieces of sword. The sword emerged anew. Harry picked it up and hefted it. Conflicting emotions crept across Harry's heart: completeness and longing. The opposites sought each other and merged into the sword. Pain from his scar flashed across his eyes. He swung the blade. Harry knew that the new sword could cleave any man that walked the earth.
