Disclaimer- J.K. Rowling/Warner Bros. own all things Potter. This story is in no way intended as an infringement of that copyright.
Chapter 16
For several days they waited for Kreacher to return with Mundungus Fletcher. Though their time waiting for the return of the elf was not just spent sitting idle. The group continued to practice magic. They talked about what they would do when the elf returned. Then they practiced more magic.
Everything they learned they practiced both verbally and non-verbally. Offensive and defensive spells, jinxes, curses, and hexes were learned and mastered as were other more mundane things like healing spells, compass charms, housekeeping magic, magic involving the elements such as fire, water, and the air, they really tried to cover everything they could think of.
They practiced transfiguring one thing into another, conjuring things, and even allowed Hermione to begin teaching them what she knew about ancient runes and arithmancy.
It wasn't long before they settled into a routine which had the benefits of giving them something to do with their time and an opportunity to learn things that they might not have quite mastered at school. Harry in particular thought that Professor McGonagall would have been quite pleased with the progress he and Ron both had made in Transfiguration alone.
However with all of the activity, there was still plenty of time for boredom which left Harry alone with his thoughts. One thought in particular that kept creeping up in his mind, especially when he was trying to go to sleep at night was what would happen when Voldemort discovered that the ring he'd hidden away so carefully was gone.
It worried him more and more as each day passed because he knew that when the discovery was made, it would mean another episode. This was something that Harry dearly wanted to avoid for as long as possible. After the effects of the last two times he'd seen into Voldemort's mind, it worried him what might happen when the link was opened up again.
Unbeknownst to Harry, this topic was also one that had occurred to the others as well. Though they were loathe to discus it with him or anywhere that he might over hear it, it was a common topic of conversation for them.
The reasons for their concern was very real. None of them had enjoyed watching Harry as he had endured the tortuous agony of bearing witness to Voldemort's rage. Neither did any of them care to watch Harry having to recover from such an incident.
Another area of concern for the group was what would happen when the Horcrux was destroyed? Harry alone was the only one of the group to have actually destroyed a Horcrux and from what he'd described, it had been fairly easy after dueling with the Basilisk.
However after hearing about what happened to Professor Dumbledore and his hand when he'd destroyed the ring, the very ring Voldemort now hunted, Hermione had now developed the very irritating habit of interrogating Harry about everything he'd seen or heard about the actions Professor Dumbledore had taken.
"After all," She'd explained more than once, "The Diary was already doing what it was designed to do when Harry destroyed it. Young Tom Riddle had returned and was getting stronger as he sucked away at Ginny's life energy. The ring had only been found when it was destroyed,"
After the third such interrogation, Harry's answers became more terse and clipped; "Yes, Hermione. I'm sure you're right,"
"I rather think that we would be wise to use what happened with the ring as our example of what to expect,"
"I'm not disagreeing with you," Harry sighed heavily.
He was wishing more and more that Kreacher would hurry up and return. At this point, Harry would give him Regulus' room for his very own place to sleep if it would make Hermione stop the endless speculation and interrogation.
"So tell us again what you know about the ring and what happened when Professor Dumbledore touched it," Hermione urged happily.
"Oh come off it, Hermione!" Ron said getting disgruntled now, "We've been over and over this. We know what happened when he touched the ring. What good is it going to do to go over it all again?"
Hermione's feelings were hurt, "I just thought if we went over it maybe we could catch something important that we might nave missed!"
Wanting to prevent a row, Harry intervened; "I don't think we've missed anything, Hermione. Anyway I reckon it won't do us much good to go over it again now, but that doesn't mean it might not help to review everything again when Kreacher gets back,"
Mollified for the moment, Hermione gave Ron a dirty look and left the room with Ginny following her. That left Ron and Harry alone in the living room. Ron's mind was still on the conversation they'd been having.
"Honestly, I don't know what she hoped to gain from going over it all again. By now I think we could all describe what happened in our sleep,"
"You know Hermione," Harry replied tiredly, "She likes to make sure nothing is over looked,"
"I don't know how that's possible as many times as we've gone over everything,"
Harry let this go his mind drifting to other topics. It had been almost a week since Kreacher had left. Almost a week as well since his episodes when Voldemort discovered the missing Horcrux. What would happen when he got around to locating the ring? How bad would the episode be then?
He had to admit the thought of what was sure to happen scared him. The fact was that seeing into his mind and feeling his rage was frightening enough but lately the intensity of the experience had increased ten fold. He well remembered the pain from what happened last time and it wasn't something he was anxious to experience again even with the potions that would help him being close by.
Knowing full well the others were just as nervous, Harry couldn't help but be just a little jealous of them. They only witnessed what he went through. He had to live it.
His mind was so deep into his thoughts, he didn't hear Ron's question until he called Harry's attention to it.
"Hey, Harry! Did you hear me?"
"What? No Ron, sorry,"
"Are you alright?" Ron's question was meant to be friendly it wasn't his fault that everyone had been asking it lately.
Even if it was several times a day. By almost everyone in the house. Of course they also had reason to ask the question and be concerned.
"I'm fine, Ron," Harry said irritably.
"Well I was wondering what you thought,"
"About what?" Harry sighed.
"About Dumbledore and if he knew what things would be like for us. Do you think he had any idea?"
Harry thought about that question for a moment. How much did Dumbledore really know? How much could he have known?
"I think...I think that he knew full well that it would be difficult. That much I'm sure of. I don't that he would have taken the time he did to help me learn and to prepare if he didn't think it would be difficult,"
"Why didn't he teach you and help you learn more advanced magic do you think?" Ron asked looking curious, "I mean, he had loads of time to do it when you two were up in his office. It didn't all have to be about learning about You-Know-Who, did it?"
"Who knows, Ron? I don't. There's a lot of things about Dumbledore that I wish I knew," Like why he never mentioned he was from Godric's Hollow, or how I'm supposed to defeat Voldemort once the Horcruxes are gone, Harry thought angrily.
Standing up Harry left the room. He heard Hermione talking to Ginny in low tones in the kitchen and after suddenly deciding that he wanted to be alone, Harry went upstairs. Not wanting to be disturbed, Harry ducked into his old bedroom.
It looked surprisingly sparse and bare with his bed removed. He spent a few minutes tidying up the space a bit as his mind wandered.
Kreacher was gone looking for Mundungus. No one really knew for sure if he still had the Horcrux and the answer to that question would be what determined their next move.
Voldemort was going to look for his ring. He knew that Harry was in possession of at least one Basilisk fang and the reason why Harry needed one. While the question of what the other Horcruxes were had been answered, the question as to how to get to them had not.
What was more now that Voldemort knew that Harry was looking for the Horcruxes, he was bound to do more to make sure that they were protected. Its not like the magic that had protected them before was easy enough to get past either. Who knew what measures Voldemort would take? Dumbledore never gave Harry any indication of the types of things that Voldemort might use either.
Why hadn't he done more to help me? To teach me? There had to be magic out there that might he might have thought was worth knowing. Look at all the things we've learned since leaving school!
On a whim, Harry waved his wand and vanished the trash that he'd picked up off the floor. The task came as easily as breathing to him now. Only a year ago it was one that he would have found exceedingly difficult. Thinking about this only served to underline his point.
Did Professor Dumbledore not think that Harry was up to learning this kind of magic? Did he think that Harry might abuse it? Where was the trust?
Thinking back on that cave, Harry wondered how much of Dumbledore taking Harry with him had been a show of trust and how much had been a shrewd hunch that he might need some help and since Harry was so deeply involved, why not let him do it? If only he could have lived that night.
Harry had so many questions for the venerable old man that his mind reeled at the thought of which one he might ask first.
"Harry?" Ginny's voice called from just outside the door.
Turning around he saw it swinging open to reveal Ginny standing there on the other side. He looked at her a moment while trying not to stare. She was beautiful. Her hair shone in the light from the hall almost like molten copper. Her chocolate brown eyes were bright and inquisitive as she studied him in return. Feeling some color enter his face, Harry wondered if she was fighting the same urge to hold her and kiss her that he was.
She entered the room and came up to him. Her hands on his chest she sighed heavily. "I couldn't take any more of Hermione's ranting. Ron's asleep in the living room and so I thought I'd see what you were doing up here..."
"Thinking mostly," Harry answered as he slowly and tentatively wrapped his arms around her waist.
"About what?" She seemed genuinely curious.
Unlike Ron and Hermione who spent so much time worrying about him, Ginny seemed content to leave him alone. Either that or she was just better at hiding her worries than they were.
"Do you think we'll be here long?" Ginny asked quietly.
"Here in this house?" Harry asked.
She nodded and Harry began to think, "I don't know. It makes sense to stay at least for a little while since we're safe here. We can practice our magic and get things ready for what it is we have to do. But I think that sooner or later we're going to have to leave. There's work that has to be done and we can only spend so long preparing for it before we have to get out there and do it,"
"Are you ready? You know, for what it is we're going to do?" Ginny asked as she sat down on the floor with her back to the wall.
She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Getting the hint that she wanted to spend some time talking to him, Harry sat down next to her. He pulled the little Snitch from his pocket and began playing with it absently as they talked.
"I don't know if ready is the way to put it exactly. I don't know that I'll ever be ready to do what all needs to be done. That doesn't change the fact that it needs doing..."
"...and you're the one who has to do it," Ginny looked away from him as she finished his statement quietly.
Not knowing quite how to respond or even what it was she wanted to hear, Harry didn't say anything at all. He just sat there next to her as they both let their minds wander.
"Are you...scared? You know, to face him?" Ginny asked softly.
She turned to look at Harry now her brown eyes searching his green ones for something. What that something was Harry didn't know.
He already knew the answer to her question. It was something that had been on his mind off and on for some time now. The dilemma he faced was whether or not to tell her. Finally Harry decided on the truth.
He nodded his head and answered quietly, "Yes, I'm scared to face him."
"What has you the most scared?" Ginny reached out and took his hand in hers. Her thumb gently rubbed the back of his hand back and forth.
"Many things, it's hard to pick just one; what kind of magic is he going to know and use? What are his followers going to do? How do I keep you safe? He's the one who killed my parents. If they couldn't stop him, what makes everyone so sure that I can? If by some kind of miracle I do defeat him, what happens then? What happens to me? To us? I don't know..." Harry shook his head and looked out the window at the dark clouds in the sky.
He didn't realize how intense his feelings were on this subject until he gave voice to them. Even so he still couldn't say the one thing that bothered him even more than what he'd told Ginny; What happened if any of them, especially her, was lost in this war?
The feelings he had towards Ginny were getting stronger. A lot stronger. He had lately even started thinking about what a life with her could be like. One that was free of the constant fighting and running from those who wanted to kill them. Those thoughts and feelings were things that he could ill afford right now.
*POP*
The sound caught Harry's attention. He turned his eyes towards the door and was on his feet before Ron or Hermione could yell out; "Harry! Kreacher's here!"
"OW! Gerroff me! Yeh the lot who set this bloody house elf on me? Call 'im off!" The angry voice of Mundungus Fletcher could be heard shouting and swearing downstairs.
Taking a moment to help Ginny to her feet they together rushed downstairs to see Kreacher there holding tightly to the dingy, grimy, tattered old robes of Mundungus Fletcher.
"Master," The house elf's eyes lit up upon seeing Harry, "Kreacher has fulfilled his mission! Kreacher has located and brought back the filthy sneak thief Mundungus as Master ordered!"
He couldn't help but smile at the old elf and his enthusiasm especially as he aimed a kick at one of Dung's shins.
"OW! Yeh bleedin' elf! Piss off!"
"You did well, Kreacher. Thank you!" Harry said happily to him as he turned towards Mundungus, "Hello Mundungus. Remember me?"
Dung looked at Harry and his eyes nearly popped out of his head, "Aye, yeh, I do. You're Harry Potter. What's the big idea settin' your house elf on me like that?"
Indeed Harry was happy to see his house elf again. He felt like a great load had been removed from his shoulders. Even more so when he saw Mundungus Fletcher's eyes widen a little fearfully when he pointed his wand at the man and said calmly;
"Accio wand,"
The filthy wand shot out of Dung's cloak and Harry caught it deftly left handed. He handed the wand to Ginny who took it gingerly in two fingers like she was afraid that whatever was on it might rub off on her. The look on her face was revolted. Harry couldn't blame her for feeling the way she did.
"Right Dung, this shouldn't take too long. Come with me," Harry said as he gestured for the scruffy old man to proceed him into the kitchen.
"What's this all about? Why did you bring me here? What do you want me for anyway? I panicked alright? I saw Bleedin You-Know-Who himself and I panicked. That's why I left. I never meant no-one to get hurt!"
His eyes looked close to panic and they kept glancing towards the door. Bringing his wand up to point straight at his heart, Harry said calmly; "I want to talk to you, Dung,"
Putting his hands up in defeat, the older man went into the kitchen. Ron and Hermione, who had been standing behind Harry and Ginny, parted to let Dung go past.
Harry noticed a whiff of stale tobacco smoke, fire whiskey, and clothes that had gone too long without being washed. The old con's hair was long, down past his collar. It was greasy and filthy as the rest of him. It made Harry smile to think of how his Aunt Petunia would cringe to know such a filthy, dirty creature had been invited to sit down in her spotless house.
Once in the kitchen, everyone took a seat at the table. Kreacher, who was happy to be back with his family and proud of himself for completing his assigned task, went about the process of making tea for everyone. Every now and again the elf would gleefully turn around and take a swipe at Mundungus, or kick at his legs, or pull on his ears or hair.
Watching the elf do this made everyone else except Mundungus laugh and giggle, much to the man's increasing aggravation and discomfort. After a particularly hard smack on the back of his head, Dung finally had enough; "Ow! Would you tell your bloomin' elf to stop? That hurt!"
Seeing an opportunity, Harry seized upon it and replied, "I'll tell him to stop. But I want you to tell me the truth. We're going to have a talk, okay?"
"I already told you, I panicked!" Mundungus cried.
"That's not why we had you brought here, Dung. I..."
"...We..."
"Thank you, Hermione, we, have something else in mind to discus with you," Harry finished.
From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Hermione and Ginny nodding at each other. Ron, who was standing behind him, clapped Harry on one shoulder and added; "There's a few things we need to know, Dung. And from what we can tell you're about the only one who can help us right now,"
"Me? Whaddaya lot need me for? I don't know nuthin!"
"I think you know more than you're telling us," Harry leveled a steely gaze at the old scruff.
Dung shifted uncomfortably in his seat and his eyes kept glancing at his wand. Seeing this and fearing that he might make a grab for it, Harry told him; "Tell us what we need to know, and we'll let you go. No harm done. It's not like we're going to kill you,"
"You might not be going to kill me, but that don't mean that bloody You-Know-Who or some of his followers won't if they cotton on that I talked to you," Dung grumbled mutinously.
"You're an old hand at getting yourself out of tight spots, I'm sure you'll do alright," Harry was feeling merciless at the moment; the man who was at least partly responsible for the death of Mad-Eye.
"Well come on then, tell me what it is that you want to know!" Dung wailed.
Taking only a moment or two to marshal his thoughts, Harry cleared his throat and began; "How many times did you ransack Sirius' house?"
"I don't know what you mean," Dung said as his eyes widened.
"Don't give us that," Ron growled, "We all know you took anything you thought was worth something and you ran off with it. Harry caught you last year trying to sell some of the Black family's things!"
Mundungus held up his hands looking at Ginny fearfully. Glancing back at her, Harry noticed she held her own wand in her hands and was toying with it a little.
"I went in there, alright? It wasn't like he was ever going to need any of it!"
"And you thought you could sell those things for your own profit!" Hermione's voice was scathing.
"Not to mention that it was Harry's stuff you took," Ginny added dryly.
"Hey now, no one told me...OW!"
There was a blurring movement of the wand in Ginny's hand. The next thing everyone knew, Mundungus' hands were slapping at slimy things with bat wings that were attacking his head and face.
"Bat Bogey hex," Ginny explained with a smile.
"Brilliant!" Ron chortled as he and everyone else watched Mundungus try to fight off his own flying bogies.
"Alright, alright! I knew it was Harry's! I just never expected him to want any of it!"
"More likely you never expected him to catch you until after you had sold it off for a price," Ron quipped.
For a few more minutes they watched Dung as he tried unsuccessfully to get rid of the bat bogeys. When Ginny cancelled the spell, the look on Dung's face was one of cautious respect. Whatever he had been expecting from the group of kids holding him hostage, this certainly wasn't it.
"So," Harry went on, pretending like the bat bogey hex attack never happened, "You stole the things Sirius left to me to sell and make a profit from. Do you have any of those things left?"
"Why?" Dung asked suspiciously.
"He wants to know what he has that's worth anything," Ron realized.
"Or if he got rid of something he should have asked more for," Ginny amended.
"Answer the question, Dung," Harry ordered.
"I might have a few things left, yeah. I suppose you'll be wanting them back now, is that it?"
"In a manner of speaking," Harry smiled at him.
Carefully setting his moleskin bag on the table, Harry opened up the drawstring and reached inside the bag. From within it he removed the fake locket and then held it up for Mundungus to see. From the corner of his eye he saw Kreacher, who had been about to serve the tea he had made, freeze and stare at it. Dung's eyes widened as he too recognized the item Harry held up in front of him.
"Do you still have anything that looks like this?"
Immediately Dung started shifting and squirming in his seat. Clearly he was quite uncomfortable. Whether it was because he had the item and didn't want to give it up or was afraid because he had gotten rid of it and didn't want Harry throttling him again remained to be seen.
They watched him shift and squirm for a minute before Ginny said; "You don't have it, do you?"
The fidgeting and squirming became even more pronounced. Dung reached up and scratched the back of his head glancing at the back door as he did so. He looked like he was weighing his chances of going for it.
"Mundungus?" Hermione prodded.
"I...No, I don't have it. But I can get it! I know where it is! It won't take me but a minute, if you just let me go and get it..." He said quickly, eyes on his wand in Ginny's hand.
"Not likely," Ron scoffed, "You'd walk out that door and we'd never see you again. Not a chance,"
Heartily agreeing with his best mate, Harry followed with an offer of his own; "Where is it? One of us will go and get it. You can leave when we come back with the locket,"
The others started to argue but Harry held up his hand, his eyes on Mundungus. The shifty old man seemed to be a step ahead of them; "Oh, you'll never find it. Not without me there. I really ought to be with you when you get it,"
"Not happening, Dung. You stole the object. It's only right that you have to give it back. I'm beginning to think either you don't really have it, or you really want me to repeat that Bat-bogey curse," Ginny said.
Glancing back at her, Harry had to stifle a smile. She looked fierce and determined. He wouldn't want to cross her if she was looking at him the way she was looking at Dung. More over, it seemed that Dung didn't either.
"No! Not that! Not again! Anything but that!" He shifted uneasily and shuddered in his seat.
"Then let's try this again," Harry said with no trace of humor or kindness in his voice, "Where is my locket?"
"I...I sold it. To a...fellow perveyor of fine and wonderous objects of...questionable history...he paid me seven Galleons for it. Shoulda asked more I expect..." He looked side long at Harry and his friends as he said this like he was assessing the reaction.
"Can you find him again?" Hermione asked.
"Or do you know where we can find him?"
"I know where he might be maybe. I might could find him...if you let me go try,"
"Sure, but we're going to go with you," Harry smiled at Dung, "Ron and I,"
"We are?" Ron asked looking surprised.
"Sure, why not? We haven't been out and about in a good long time. It will do us some good to get outside and see how things are," Harry grinned.
Hermione and Ginny exchanged fearful glances
"Harry, you aren't exactly the most popular wizard in the world right now. Don't you think it would be better if one of us goes instead?" Hermione asked with Ginny nodding her head in support.
"Nonsense, I'll just take my Invisibility Cloak," Harry answered.
In truth as soon as he heard Dung say that he didn't have the item, he figured they would have to hunt it down. The thought of being out there doing something appealed to him. Harry was tired of laying low and not doing anything to help further their cause. Now that Kreacher was back and they knew what had to be done, Harry was anxious to be out there doing it.
The thoughts of walking down Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade village were so appealing to Harry that he felt his chest tighten at the thought of it. He wanted to get out. To get away. He wanted freedom.
Then reality came crashing down. Even with the invisibility cloak there were still so many things that could quickly go wrong. Just as he started realizing this, Ginny had started speaking,
"Dung, where is it that you expect to find your friend?" The stress in her voice could not be mistaken.
"Oh he don't like to keep to one place for too long now," Dung said shiftily.
"Where, Dung?" Ron pressed more directly.
The grizzled man scowled at the four young people in front of him and set his jaw, "He don't like to say,"
Ginny's wand whipped up and it pointed steadily at Dung's face. When she asked him again there was no doubt she would revisit the Bat Bogey hex on him if he didn't answer the question; "Where?"
Eyes widening he quickly held up his hands as if to shield himself and cried, "I don't know! Alright? I don't know, he could be at the Hog's Head, that's where I found him last time,"
"I think," Ginny said looking at Harry and Hermione, "That Hermione and I should go. We're smaller, so its easier for us both to fit under the invisibility cloak. We're not as well known as Harry is and we could probably accomplish more than you boys could if it came down to a negotiation,"
"What makes you say that?" Ron asked indignantly. He didn't seem to like being left out of things.
"Simple, Ron. If it comes down to talking our way out of a tight spot or if we need to convince someone to give up something, we can turn on our feminine charms," Ginny winked at him.
Ron's ears turned bright red and his eyes widened slightly as he looked away from his sister, seemingly at a loss for words.
Ginny smiled at Harry who had to look away from his best mate to hide the grin on his face. He didn't particularly like the idea that she had suggested and his mind was racing to try and think of a better one. One that didn't involve him putting his foot down and having to endure the wrath of both women when they accused him of thinking they couldn't handle themselves just was well as he could.
Truth be told, when Harry thought about it and was truly honest with himself, he had to admit that Ginny's idea was a good one. Her face hadn't been in the Daily Prophet nearly as often as his had. That he knew of anyway. Hermione too was not as quickly recognized but she had the extra danger of being a muggle born. If she were to be caught Harry shuddered to think of what might happen to her.
"So the Hog's Head is where we're likely to find him? And who is it we're looking for?" Hermione asked.
Looking mutinous Mundungus crossed his arms over his chest and looked like he wasn't going to answer, "His name is Vincent LeMorte and he don't like talking to strangers,"
"I'm sure he'll be very willing to make friends once you introduce us," Ginny smiled sweetly at Dung.
"And just what do I get for helping you all with this, huh? Wha's in this for ol' Mundungus Fletcher?"
"You can have your wand back," Ginny told him holding up the grimy and well used wand, "After we get the locket."
This offer only seemed to make Mundungus all the more uncomfortable. She started shifting and squirming in his seat even more. Watching him like this only served to annoy Harry.
After a few moments of seeing the wizard in front of them squirm like a child at a formal occasion, Harry finally said; "If you like, I can send Kreacher with you. I'm sure he'd love to accompany you to get the locket."
Old Mundungus sighed; "And what do I get out of it, huh? What do I get for getting your precious locket back for you? It must be worth something to you for you to push me so hard about it,"
"Are you saying you want to be paid for something you stole from me in the first place?" Harry was outraged.
He could feel his anger rising and his opinion of the man in front of him lowering as the seconds went on. It was all he could do to not throttle Dung all over again. To do so however, would be less than productive.
That didn't stop Ginny. With a flash and a bang Mundungus' hands were at his face again as he had to bat at the flying bogies that were suddenly attacking him. When Harry turned to look at her, she had a fearsome expression and an angry cast to her eyes.
Ron and Hermione both wore identical expressions of shock and disbelief. However at the moment Harry didn't care. Maybe this would be enough to remind Old Dung of the situation he was in and get him to cooperate. He could hope so anyway.
Just then Kreacher came running into the room with a screech and a heavy frying pan. He started kicking at old Dung and whacking away at him with the pan in his hands.
"Oi! Gerroff! Gerroff! Stop!" Dung wailed trying to fend of this newest attack as well as the bat-winged bogies that were flying around his face and head as he continued to swear at the bogies and Harry's house elf.
For all his hemming and hawing over being asked to get the locket, Harry was beginning to wonder if Mundungus knew where it was at all. He was of a good mind to let Kreacher and the attack of the bat bogies continue for another minute or two, if only to teach the man a lesson.
Harry was just turning to have Ginny cancel the jinx when Dung cried out; "I got it! I got it! Get 'em offa me n you can have it!"
Chills ran down his spine when he heard that. Did Mundungus just say what he thought he'd said? The looks on the other's faces told him that he wasn't hearing things.
"Kreacher, I want you to stop attacking Mundungus for the moment," Harry ordered.
Immediately the elf stopped his assault on old Dung and backed off a few steps. As he did this Ginny cancelled her jinx. Harry looked back at the now battered, bruised, and bleeding old man.
His left eye was beginning to swell up and his nose was leaking blood like a sieve. There were knots forming on his head and bruises covered the rest of his face and arms. Harry felt momentarily guilty for all the abuse that had been heaped on the man.
"What was it you just said?" He asked firmly.
"I said I have it! I have that bleedin locket you're going on about!" Dung reached deep into his robes and pulled out a locket that looked nearly identical to the fake one that Harry had in his own hands.
The man's hands shook as he held the locket out and then dropped it unceremoniously on the table, "Here! You can bloody well have it!"
All eyes in the room landed on the locket that was now on the table. It seemed to have a presence of it's own. No one moved to touch it or even take a closer look at it.
Suddenly with a terrible screech, Kreacher came bounding up to Mundungus and whacked him once on the head very hard. The old man went careening to the floor where he lay still, knocked out cold by the elf who was now attempting to punish himself with the frying pan the same way he'd been going at Dung.
"Oh no you don't!" Ron grabbed for the elf and tore the pan out of his hands.
The venerable old elf started bawling and crying now, his eyes on the locket.
"Master, Kreacher is sorry. He is a bad elf! Kreacher could not carry out your orders to destroy the locket. Kreacher is bad! Bad! Bad!"
His eyes were leaking tears as profusely as Dung's nose was blood. The elf fell to his knees and started pounding his fists on the floor.
"Kreacher," Harry said kindly, remembering his promise, "Kreacher, I order you to stop this right now,"
Immediately the elf stopped his crying and bawling and reluctantly he stood up. Harry knew what it was that needed to be done. Seeing it in his mind's eye he addressed his elf as kindly as he could. Holding out the fake locket, he said; "Here, Kreacher. You've done what I asked. You earned this,"
With his eyes leaking and nose running, the grizzled elf reached out with trembling hands and took the locket from Harry's outstretched hand. The look of adoration and gratitude in his eyes was impossible to miss. It looked completely foreign on this particular elf's face.
"Th-Thank you, Master," Kreacher said bowing low and continuing, "Noble is the house of Potter. Kreacher will serve him and his friends gladly. What would master have Kreacher do next?"
Looking to the others for suggestions, it was Ron who spoke first.
"We need to get Dung out of here,"
"But he knows where we are. Are we going to find somewhere else to go?" Ginny asked looking from Ron to Harry.
"We'll obliviate him. We can have Kreacher take him somewhere and leave him at the bottom of a hill. Like maybe near Hogsmeade or something. We can Obliviate his memory and maybe plant the idea that he took a bad step and fell. That would explain all the bruises and when he gets into the village he'll probably get drunk to forget even more,"
"Hermione," Harry began uncertainly.
"That's brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, "Anyone who finds him wouldn't be at all surprised to see him turn up in a bar looking like that!"
Cutting short his argument, Harry looked over at Ginny and did a double take. Never had he seen such loathing, such utter revulsion on her beautiful face. Such was her expression that it didn't even look like her; more like a poor caricature.
Her eyes were deadlocked on the locket in front of her on the table. Her attention was focused on it to the exclusion of everything and everybody else. Harry could even see a slight tremble to her lips, eyes, and fingers. She was burning with hatred and rage at the locket and what it held.
His mind started racing in several directions at once. They needed to get Dung out of the house. Kreacher could take care of that. Then there was the locket.
Harry had planned on being the one to destroy it. He had felt that since it was he that Dumbledore had taken so much trouble to prepare and educate about Riddle and the Horcruxes, that it should fall to him to destroy them all.
Looking at Ginny now and the effect the locket was having on her, now Harry wasn't so sure.
"Ginny?" He said softly, trying to get her attention.
A single tear formed in her eye and began trailing down her cheek. She didn't seem to notice it.
The sounds of Ron and Hermione talking excitedly were for the moment drowned out as Harry directed all of his attention on the girl he was coming to love so much.
"Ginny?" He said again louder this time.
She looked at him and then back at the locket again. She seemed drawn to it. Like it held her in it's sway and she could not let it go. Harry was starting to worry and knew that it was time to act and quickly.
"Kreacher," Harry said a little louder than he maybe should have.
Ron, Hermione, and the elf jumped. Even Ginny seemed to have her self induced trance broken as she jerked her head back in reaction to the sudden loud calling of Harry's elf.
"Master?" The elf said sweeping into a low bow.
"Kreacher," Harry said again in a calmer tone, "Would you please, er, take Mundungus and leave him near Hogsmeade village? You can return here when that's done,"
"Kreacher will comply with his master's request," The elf made to reach out to Dung but Hermione stopped him.
"Wait Kreacher, one moment please," She said aiming her wand at the man lying unconscious on the floor, "Obliviate,"
The spell was cast and Hermione then took a few minutes to describe to Dung how he'd been out walking off his latest drinking binge when he'd fallen and rolled down a hill where he hit his head and must have knocked himself out. She then went on to order Mundungus to forget that he'd seen Harry Potter, Kreacher, Ron, Ginny, and herself. Furthermore she ordered him to forget that he'd ever had the locket or been anywhere near Number Four, Privet Drive, Surrey.
When she was finished, Hermione nodded at Kreacher who sketched a kind of half nod back to her before moving forward and grabbing Dung by the scruff of his neck. With a pop the elf disapperated taking the still unconscious Mundungus Fletcher with him.
"That was a good idea, Hermione," Harry said, "At least that way it makes sure we're still protected while we're here,"
Smiling at the praise, she looked adoringly at Ron and Harry before turning her attention to the locket. Unlike Ginny, Hermione's eyes were inquisitive. Even curious.
"Are we sure that this one isn't a fake?" She asked the room at large.
"It's not," Ginny said quietly.
Turning to look at her, Harry could see that again she was staring at the locket. Her eyes riveted upon it like they were frozen there.
"What makes you say so?" Ron asked skeptically.
"Because I know it. I can feel it," Ginny said now, her voice almost a whisper.
Turning his own attention directly to the locket now, Harry examined it closely. There were some minor differences in the details of the locket in front of them versus the one he'd given Kreacher. Then he felt it. If his attention hadn't been on it, it would have been something he would have missed. There was a slight tug.
It was deeply seated inside his chest, but it was there. The tugging sensation got stronger as Harry moved in to take a closer look at the thing. He reached out gingerly and picked it up.
"Harry?" Ginny said, her voice now a pleading whisper.
Turning to look at her, he saw that face was pale and white. Unlike her usual self she now looked fearful, even scared.
"She's right," Harry confirmed with a grim nod, "This is the one we want,"
"So we're going to destroy it, right?" Ron asked.
"Of course we're going to destroy it, Ron," Hermione sounded a little flustered, "That's why we're looking for it."
"Well..." Harry said thinking fast, "We aren't going to destroy this locket,"
All three of the other looked at him aghast. Their faces looked outraged, shocked, and full of disbelief.
"We're...we're not?" Ron asked.
"No. Ginny is,"
"Me?" Ginny asked in a tiny voice.
"Yes, You," Harry confirmed.
It had hit him all of a sudden. The look on her face, the fear in her voice. The anger, disgust, even rage in her eyes told him something. She was remembering the time she had been possessed by Riddle. The time he'd saved her in the Chamber of Secrets was long ago. She'd been little more than a girl then. Now she was nearly an adult. Harry realized deep down somehow that it needed to be Ginny who destroyed the locket.
Setting the locket back down on the table, Harry ran quickly out of the dining room. Moving down the hall, up the stairs, and into the room he shared with Ron, Harry picked up his moleskin bag. Opening it unceremoniously, he removed one of the Basilisk fangs.
Holding it up in front of his face, he could see the fang clearly. The curve of it. The wickedly sharp point. The dried venom encrusted just inside the hollow tip where it was injected into the monstrous creature's victims was visible. Harry smiled and then ran back downstairs.
Once back into the dining room, Harry was surprised to see that everyone was staring wide eyed at the locket on the table.
"What is it?" Harry asked slowly.
"It...it moved," Hermione said.
Just then the locket started shaking and rattling on the table. It started jumping around like water on a hot iron. Then it started emitting a strange humming noise.
He froze in place to stare at the locket. It must realize that we're about to destroy it, Harry thought.
Which made sense in an odd sort of way. If it held a portion of Voldemort's soul and it knew it was about to meet its demise, it would probably do everything within it's power to prevent that from happening. The question was, what was within it's power?
"Here," Harry said crossing over to where Ginny stood and gingerly handing her the fang.
She looked up from the agitatedly dancing locket with wide eyes and hesitantly took the proffered tooth from the large serpent.
"I...Harry...I...I don't think I can do this," Ginny said.
Again there was another tear in her eyes. Just as before it started falling down her cheek. This time instead of a tremble, the fang in her hand was shaking more violently. Almost as much as the locket was that the fang was intended to destroy.
"You have to, Ginny. I know it has to be you," Harry directed her towards the table and the locket started rattling and jumping around even more.
"No, I can't do it Harry. You do it, or have Ron kill it. I can't," She was crying now.
Not sobs, but tears were running down both cheeks. Harry took her face in his hands gently.
"You feel it pulling at you, don't you?" Harry asked looking her directly in the eyes.
Ginny's eyes widened and Harry nodded his head, "I feel it too. It's reaching out to you. Calling you. And you want to reach out for it and take it, don't you?"
Again she nodded her head and a fresh series of tears ran down her face.
"Don't you see, Ginny? That's why it has to be you. That's why you're the one who has to do it. Otherwise it wins. He wins. That isn't what you want, is it?"
"What's Harry saying?" Ron asked.
"Shh!" Hermione shushed Ron, intently watching the interaction between Ginny and Harry.
Harry ignored this as he waited for Ginny to reply to his question. He knew deep down that it had to be her to destroy the locket. She still battled demons that she carried since her first year because of what the possession had done to her and in turn made her do. They had talked about this. It was a kind of bond that only they two shared. Not even Ron or Hermione could claim this.
The locket on the table was rattling and gyrating even harder now. It was as if it sensed that its end was near. And so it was if Harry had his way about it. He knew that he'd destroy it himself if Ginny truly couldn't. However he also knew how vitally important it was for her to do this. He felt sure that if he were here Professor Dumbledore would agree without reservation.
"No, I don't want that," Ginny's voice was so silent that Harry barely heard it. He read her lips and knew what she'd said.
The rattling of the locket was now becoming a buzz sound, so violently was it moving.
"I'll open it. All you have to do is stab it with the fang. Do that, and its over. It will be that easy. I know, remember?" Harry gave her a humorless smile.
Ginny nodded her head again this time with a kind of conviction Harry wasn't sure she really felt. Nevertheless, he kissed her gently on the lips before letting go of her face and turning towards the locket.
The racket being made now by the locket was loud and unnerving. Harry could feel the locket pulling at him even now as he set forth resolutely and picked up the locket. He could barely hold on to it for all the moving about it was doing in his hands. Finally he was able to unfasten the catch. He was thrown bodily backwards and rammed with a bone smashing crash into the wall.
Dazed and feeling a little punch drunk, Harry looked up to see what looked like black clouds blooming rapidly out of the locket. It quickly filled the room and as it did so all light evaporated away.
All sense of happiness and hope left him as he once again heard the screams of a woman. Except like the effect of a Dementor, this was augmented by several orders of magnitude.
Then came the voice. His voice from out of the gloom. Except that this time the voice was not talking to him, but to Ginny.
"You think that you can kill me, Ginerva Weasley? Do you think that you have the courage to land upon me a fatal blow? I know you. Your heart, your life, your very soul is mine!"
Harry had to do something. He could just make out the others, Ron and Hermione, as they stared in horror at the events unfolding in front of them. They were huddled against the wall and the fear in their faces matched what Harry felt in his heart. The only thing more powerful than that fear at the moment was the love he felt towards Ginny. He had to help her.
"I know the things that lie within your heart, Ginerva Weasley. That love that you carry for Harry Potter. What makes you think he might actually love you? What makes you think that he really cares? You're nothing to him. You're less than nothing. You're the little girl he rescued. You're the sister of his friend. You are nothing to him. You worry that his heart lies elsewhere and how right you are..."
"Ginny! NO! DON'T LISTEN TO IT, GINNY! GINNY! I'M HERE! I'M HERE! YOU HAVE TO DO IT GINNY! YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM! DO IT! DO IT NOW!..."
Harry could barely hear his own voice and he was sure that if he could barely hear it, that the others couldn't hear it at all. His eyes found Ginny who was staring into the black cloud and the shapes within it. The horrific fear on her face was clearly visible. So was the pain. What the presence within the locket was saying was hitting home. He had to do something.
"How could Harry Potter love a girl like you? Born last in a family who never had anything. A mother too tired to worry about her poor daughter. A father too entranced with his sons to care about his little girl. Brothers who secretly preferred another brother rather than a girl who would chase them and bother them.
And then there's Harry Potter. You thought because he rescued you that maybe something might become of it? You thought if you told him your feelings that maybe he might return them? He laughs at you. He mocks you. You are nothing to him and will always be nothing to him! When you are gone he will move on. It will be as if you never existed. All this for a boy whose heart you never had."
Lurching to his feet, Harry stumbled and staggered towards Ginny. He started waving his arms at her, trying to get her attention; "DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, GINNY! I'M HERE! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! HE'S TRYING TO GET INTO YOUR HEAD. DON'T LISTEN! GINNY WEASLEY I LOVE YOU!"
Harry screamed this last line at the top of his lungs. His throat, still raw and tender from events of days past, was now bleeding again. He could taste the salt of the blood in his mouth but didn't care.
Ginny had finally noticed him. Whether she heard him or saw his movement out of the corner of her eye, Harry didn't know. But when she looked at him her anguish and fear filled eyes took on a manic gleam. A rage born of a deep seated anger and sorrow. With a primal scream of her own, Ginny held up the fang and ran at the locket. She slammed the point down into it once, twice, and again.
"NOOOO!" Came the shrill angry scream from the locket before the clouds exploded outward in a whirlwind of energy being released.
Then it the room was quiet. The locket was destroyed. It lay blackened and scorched on the now broken dining room table. Smoke rose in lazy tendrils from the mangled wreck of wood, metal, and jewels.
Turning to look at him, he heard Ginny say warily, "Harry?"
Her voice was a rasp; horse from the scream she'd made as she killed the Horcrux.
"Ginny," His own voice matched hers.
She stumbled forward into his outstretched arms and fell into them. Then she began to cry. Great wracking sobs that shook them both.
"It's over now. You did it. You did it," Harry whispered to her over and over.
Ron was helping Hermione off the dining room floor. His hands were shaking as bad as hers. Once they were both standing Ron pulled her into a bone breaking hug.
"What the Hell was that?" He asked no one in particular.
"It was Riddle. Or the part of him that lived in the locket anyway," Hermione's voice shook as bad as her trembling body. She looked over at Harry, "Is it over?"
"It's over," Harry replied, feeling the pain in his throat, "It's gone,"
"It...it was like it could hear everything in my heart. In my mind. It was like it was reading my thoughts," Ginny faltered.
"But it was wrong, you know that right?" Harry replied looking back at her as he tightened his hold around her.
"What do you mean?" She looked up at him, tears still wet on her face.
Harry kissed her softly then but with feeling, "You aren't just anyone to me. You mean everything to me. You have my heart and you always will. Ginny Weasley, I love you,"