Harry's New Boggart - Chapter 3: Destroying a Horcrux
The next morning found Hermione, Ron, and Ginny walking into Knockturn Alley. Harry was also with them, but under his invisibility cloak. Up until now, upon Hermione's insistence, they'd avoided this area. Now, however, with a Horcrux in their possession (safely hidden in Harry's room at the Burrow), they had no choice but to use whatever means necessary to find out how to destroy it.
Harry felt that his presence would be too conspicuous, therefore he was under the cloak. He had also started to suggest that Ginny stay home, but upon receiving an evil glare from his girlfriend the moment he'd started suggesting, "Er, maybe Ginny…" he said, "never mind." He'd then suggested they both go under the cloak, but Ron believed they'd end up snogging and forget about shopping altogether.
They ended up in front of a dark book shop. The building was small, made of rotting wood that had apparently been painted black several decades before. In Harry's opinion, the building should've been torn down. The faded sign said, 'Da-k -rts B-oks.' Through holes in the door, he could see someone inside, so he whispered to Ginny, "There's someone in there. I suppose we should go in."
Ginny announced, "There's somebody in there. Let's go," and opened the door, which creaked loudly, startling the old wizard in ancient, filthy robes inside.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, while watching three young people enter his shop.
"This is a book store, isn't it," asked the brunette. "We're here to shop for rare books."
"I don't think I carry anything you'd be interested in!" he yelled.
"You'd be surprised what we're interested in!" yelled Ginny. "That's no way to treat a potential customer! Do you chase all your customers away like that?"
The old man appeared stunned for a moment, and then calmly said, "Fine, you can look around."
"Thank you," replied Hermione, and they proceeded to do just that.
After an hour of searching, they had found books on special dark protection charms, rare dark creatures, and powerful dark spells. They even found a book that had a chapter on Horcruxes that said how to detect them, but not how to create or destroy them. Upon consulting with Harry, since it was his money, they decided to purchase them. Ron found a book describing evil methods of cheating in Quidditch games that he talked Harry into letting him buy. When they went back to the old man and said they wanted to buy those books, he demanded, "A hundred Galleons each!"
Ginny shouted, "You're crazy! In case you haven't noticed, hardly anybody comes into this shop, so you probably haven't sold anything for months! We'll give you fifty Galleons for the lot."
He looked into Ginny's unflinching face and smiled slightly. "One hundred for the lot."
"Sixty."
"Seventy-five."
"Done," said Ginny, triumphantly. "Hermione, hand the man his money."
As Hermione pulled the money out of her purse, Harry couldn't help but smile while staring at Ginny. He was simply amazed at her. He found new reasons to love her every day, and couldn't help but wonder why she loved him. When they were safely out of the shop, he whispered to Ginny, "You were amazing in there!"
She whispered back simply, "Negotiation is something you have to learn when you're financially challenged."
"I didn't see Ron arguing price with the old man."
She smiled, "Well, Ron, er, isn't very good at that sort of thing. When he hears a price he can't afford, he gets mad and leaves." Then she put on a wicked smile. "I, on the other hand, find a way to get whatever I want, even if it's a dark-haired, green-eyed, teenage boy." He chuckled as he blushed under his cloak.
They spent a few more hours exploring other shops, purchasing a few items, including a 'hand of glory' like Malfoy had used against them. As much as they hated to admit it, Draco had come up with a good strategy using the 'hand of glory' in conjunction with instant darkness powder. When they arrived back at the Burrow with a few shopping bags and less money, they didn't feel it had been a wasted trip, even though they still hadn't found a way to destroy a Horcrux. They were surprised to find Professor McGonagall sitting in the kitchen, having tea with Mrs. Weasley.
"There you are," said an annoyed looking Molly Weasley, "I was wondering if you'd ever get back from Diagon Alley! Anyway, Ms. McGonagall wants to see Harry."
"Ms. McGonagall?" asked the four teenagers in unison.
"Yes," explained Minerva McGonagall. "Hogwarts' board of governors has decided to close the school temporarily this year and then vote on whether to make it permanent next year." She looked sad and her lips were thinner than ever as she made that announcement. "As we speak, letters are being sent to all the students. For the time being, I am not your teacher, so the use of the title, 'professor' would be inappropriate. However, the former faculty, such as myself, are welcome to live there until the vote next year since the castle won't be needed for anything else, anyway." She then turned to the Boy-Who-Lived. "Harry, may I speak with you alone?"
"Of course, Prof…I mean, Ms. McGonagall," replied Harry. He was a bit confused that even though he hadn't planned on attending, he was disappointed that the school wouldn't be open. He led her to the room that used to belong to the twins, where he'd been staying.
When Harry had closed the door, Ms. McGonagall pointed her wand at the door and window, and then said, "I need to speak to you about two things. The first is that Professor Dumbledore has left you and your friends some things at the castle in his will." At this statement, Harry looked down but said nothing. She continued nervously, "The next thing is a little strange. The portrait of Professor Dumbledore woke up this morning. He wishes to speak with you. He says it is very important."
"He, what, oh," replied Harry. Then he smiled and added, "I'd like to speak to him, too. Did he say I had to be alone?"
"Well, he said you should bring Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, and, if you'd like to, Miss Weasley." She smiled at Harry when he blushed at the mention of Miss Weasley. "He doesn't want anybody else to realize that his portrait has awoken yet. Usually headmaster portraits don't awaken until the new headmaster has been officially appointed. Prior to his death, he'd performed a spell to awaken his portrait earlier than usual."
"Wow," responded Harry. "Can we see him tonight?"
"Yes, of course, but I've no idea how long he'll want to speak to you. You should probably plan to spend the night."
Harry found himself getting very excited. "Okay. Would you mind going downstairs and telling the others to come up here? I'd like to see them before committing to an overnight."
"Very well, Mr. Potter. I shall be waiting downstairs for your answer."
While Harry was waiting for the others, he got Slytherin's locket out of its hiding place and stuck it in his pocket.
"Harry," came Ginny's voice from behind him. "What's going on?" Ron and Hermione were right behind her.
"Hermione," said Harry, "make sure no one can overhear us." After she'd cast the appropriate charms, Harry explained excitedly, "Professor Dumbledore's left us some stuff at Hogwarts, and his portrait wants to see us! The only thing is we can't tell anyone that his portrait has woken up. Prof, Ms. McGonagall wants us to spend the night at Hogwarts!"
The others all looked stunned for a few seconds until Ginny said enthusiastically, "We can ask him about how to destroy the Horcrux!"
"Exactly!" exclaimed Harry.
"And we can ask him if he has any notes or research or other books on Horcruxes as well," added an excited Hermione.
"Maybe we can visit the Quidditch pitch," suggested Ron, earning stares from the other three.
"Honestly Ronald," said an exasperated Hermione, "Is that the only thing you can think about?"
"Not the only thing," replied Ron, winking, causing Hermione to blush while both Harry and Ginny rolled their eyes.
Harry said, "I doubt we'll have time for Quidditch."
"Okay," responded Ron. "It was just an idea."
They packed some clothes, as well as their new books (minus Ron's Quidditch book) and came downstairs to find that Ms. McGonagall had already convinced Mrs. Weasley to let them spend the night at Hogwarts, saying that Dumbledore had left them a few items at the castle.
They all flooed to Dumbledore's former office, and Minerva McGonagall told them that she would leave them alone with Professor Dumbledore, and she walked out the door.
"Hello, Harry," came Dumbledore's jovial voice from the other side of the room.
Harry's, as well as his friends' eyes, filled with unshed tears. "H, Hi, Professor Dumbledore," he greeted tentatively.
"Is Ms. Granger with you?" asked Dumbledore.
"I am," answered Hermione softly.
"Then by all means cast a silencing charm on the door and then all of you come and stand where I can see you!" instructed Professor Dumbledore enthusiastically. "We have much to discuss." They did as they were told. As soon as Ginny came into view, Dumbledore said with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, "Miss Weasley! I'm very glad to see you here. I admit I was afraid that Harry would push you away after my untimely death. I'm glad to see I was mistaken."
"Er, actually sir," explained Ginny with a mischievous grin, "You weren't mistaken. He did dump me at your funeral."
"What? Of all places?" replied Dumbledore calmly. "Obviously something has changed since then."
Harry blushed slightly and said, "I realized that I can't live without her, with the help of a Boggart."
"Really?" asked the old headmaster, his eyes twinkling. Ron and Hermione, who hadn't been told about Harry's new Boggart, asked in unison, "A Boggart?" and looked at Harry for an explanation.
Harry explained what had happened, including his decision to tell Ginny everything, to which Dumbledore gave his immediate approval, and then about how they'd visited Grimmauld Place, caught 'Dung,' who they learned from Arthur had just been released from Azkaban after three months, and found the locket.
Harry then took the locket out and showed it to the professor, who commented, "It was a good idea for you to ask Arthur to modify Mr. Fletcher's memory so that he doesn't remember you were interested in it. I'm also pleased that you found a way to remove Mrs. Black's portrait from the wall. I'm also obviously thrilled that you have already located a Horcrux. I knew I had not made a mistake when I placed my confidence in you, Harry."
Harry's face turned slightly pink at this praise. "The only trouble is, sir, I don't know how to destroy a Horcrux."
Hermione added, "We even searched Knockturn Alley for books on them, and the only book we found only says how to identify one."
"That's quite an achievement to even find a book that says that much, Miss Granger. However, there is no set way how to destroy a Horcrux. The method I used to destroy that ring cost me my hand and nearly killed me in the process. The method Harry used on the diary had no ill affect on him. I wonder if it would work for the others."
"The basilisk's tooth?" asked Harry, noticing Ginny's face turning slightly pale. "I joked about that yesterday, but do you really think we should try it?" He put his hand near Ginny's and she squeezed it tightly.
"I believe it is worth a shot," said Hermione, looking excited. "It has worked in the past."
"I suppose so," agreed Ron, "but that means we'd have to go to the…"
"Chamber of Secrets," finished Ginny quietly.
Harry replied, "All right! Ron and I will go down there and get the snake's teeth, while Hermione and Ginny start reading our new…"
"No!" yelled Ginny. "I'm not gonna stay up here while you go down there. Harry, I told you I'd follow you anywhere, even if it means…"
"You don't have to do this, Gin," said Harry.
"Yes I do!" declared Ginny, firmly. "Harry, you saw my Boggart. It's been over four years, and I still think about what happened down there. I think it's about time I faced my fear."
Harry realized there was no way to change that beautiful redhead's mind. "Okay. You, Ron, and I…"
"No. Please, Harry, just you and me."
"Why not me?" asked a scandalized-looking Ron.
"Because she probably wants privacy!" explained Hermione.
"Why, are they planning to snog?" asked Ron.
"Not bloody likely!" yelled Ginny. "We'll do that in the common room when we get back."
Harry blushed, and then Dumbledore, who'd been enjoying this exchange, said from his portrait, "Excellent! It is settled. Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley will go down to the chamber to retrieve basilisk fangs, while Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley will do research while we wait. Miss Granger, it may interest you to know that I myself have several notes on Horcruxes, along with another book, in this very office."
Thirty minutes later, Harry and Ginny found themselves carrying two school brooms, a mid-size bucket and the sword of Gryffindor into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Myrtle immediately asked, "Harry, what are you doing here, you monster!"
"Wh-what?" asked a confused Harry. He always thought she liked him.
"I saw you try to kill that nice blond boy! He was my friend!"
"Draco was plotting Professor Dumbledore's murder!" yelled Harry. "He was crying to you because he was having trouble getting Death Eaters into the school! He serves the one responsible for your death!"
"Wh, What?" asked Myrtle, looking horrified.
"Lord Voldemort, who was then known as Tom Riddle, opened this chamber and released a basilisk. You died when you saw its eyes," explained Ginny.
"What? Tom, the handsome Slytherin prefect? No!" With that she began crying loudly and fled down her toilet.
"I'm glad she's gone," said Harry, as he began hissing to open the entrance.
"You know, Harry, in my second year, I thought about asking you to bring me down here to face my fear," commented Ginny nervously.
"Why didn't you?" asked Harry.
"I was afraid you'd laugh at me or think I was hitting on you."
Harry looked concerned and hurt. "Was I really that bad? I don't think I was ever mean to you. Was I?"
"No, Harry. You were always polite to me, even when my crush made you uncomfortable. I was stupid to think you wouldn't want to help me, because that's what you've always been about — helping people." She sighed, "I should've done this years ago." As she faced the entrance, she trembled slightly.
"Gin, please don't get upset, but I want to ask you one more time if you're sure you want to do this. No one will think less of you…"
"I'm sure. I need to do this." She then jumped into the Chamber of Secrets, followed closely by her boyfriend.
After rushing down the slimy, dark slide, they both got up and Ginny grabbed his hand. They put their brooms under their shoulders, pulled out their wands, and said, "Lumos," causing them to light up. They then mounted their brooms and flew forward, each holding their wands ahead of them like headlights. Harry had Gryffindor's sword in the bucket, and was awkwardly holding the bucket between his knees, forcing himself (and Ginny, who didn't want to be alone) to fly slowly.
They quickly came across the remains of the snakeskin and the cave-in Professor Lockhart had caused. There was just enough room for them to fly past the rocks on the ground that Ron had cleared out a year earlier. Then they reached the solid wall on which two entwined serpents were carved. Harry hissed, "Open," in the language only he and Voldemort could speak. The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry and Ginny, still on broomsticks, flew inside.
They quickly flew past the pillars and came to the spot where Harry had found Ginny a year ago. They dismounted their brooms.
Ginny knelt on the floor, putting her hands where she had awoken years before, and started trembling slightly. "This, this is the spot where you found me." Unshed tears were now starting to form in her eyes. "There's what's left of the basilisk," she said pointing at a smelly, decomposing snake.
"Uh-huh. Here's the tooth I stuck through the diary," commented Harry, picking up the object he had discarded long ago, and putting it in the bucket.
Ginny looked at him and asked, "I don't know anything that happened down here until I woke up. If you wouldn't mind, would you please tell me what happened when you got here?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I never did tell you about it, did I? I suppose it's about time. You may be disappointed in your hero after I tell you, though." He then told her the whole story, starting with finding her lying face down on the floor, ending with her waking up. He left nothing out.
Ginny remained silent, listening intently to the ordeal Harry had gone through for her. Finally, she spoke. "How could I be disappointed in you after that? You really were the brave hero slaying the monster to save the damsel in distress!" She smiled slightly.
"I was just lucky Fawkes came to help. I don't even know how to fight with a sword. I was just lucky to beat the basilisk. And even then I would've died if Fawkes didn't heal me with her tears."
Ginny replied, "I know I put you in terrible danger, and I'm so sorry about it, but you were brilliant! Don't let anyone tell you differently. How many second-years would've even tried to save me while the defense teacher was cowering in fear? Time and time again you've proven yourself to be a hero. An imperfect hero, but a hero, nonetheless. I know you've made mistakes. We all have. This chamber is proof of my biggest mistake. We just have to learn from our mistakes and move on!" She then started crying. Harry put his arms around her and held her while she cried on his shoulder.
When she was finished, Harry suggested, "I guess we should get the other fangs off the snake," and grabbed the sword. They started walking toward the smelly snake until Ginny cast a spell to clean the air. Harry asked, "Where'd you learn that spell?"
Ginny smiled and explained, "When you grow up with brothers who like putting dung bombs in your room, you end up doing a lot of research into these types of spells."
Harry chuckled a little, and then commented, "Hermione's parents are dentists. I wonder what they'd think of these teeth."
They managed to cut out the other three sharp fangs, a rather bloody business, with no serious setbacks, and scourgified each other so they didn't look like sectumsempra victims. Harry asked, "Do you think we've been here long enough?"
"I certainly have. Thanks, Harry, for letting me cry on your shoulder."
"That's what boyfriends are for," responded Harry. "Well, that and snogging."
"How can you even think of snogging in this place?" scolded Ginny. Then she winked and said, "I told you, in the common room." They then mounted the two school brooms and flew out of the chamber and into the bathroom, happy to find that Myrtle still wasn't back.
When they arrived at the headmaster's office, they found Hermione and Ron sitting at a desk reading what were obviously Dumbledore's notes. Also on the desk, Harry noticed a pair of dragon hide gloves, a heavy apron made of a material Harry was unfamiliar with, and a helmet that was obviously from one of the suits of armor. Dumbledore's portrait said, "You're back. I take it you were successful." Harry and Ginny both nodded. "Excellent!"
Hermione stated, "I managed to test the locket for a Horcrux, and it does have one. From what I've read, the poison from a basilisk's tooth is magical so that it doesn't just destroy bodies, but anything it comes in contact with. I think that since it destroyed the Horcrux in the diary, it should destroy this one as well.
I also read in Professor Dumbledore's notes about a Horcrux made by a dark lord called Sauron that was destroyed in a volcano many millennia ago. If this doesn't work, we might want to consider that option, although that would be extremely dangerous. I don't think anything will go wrong, but I had Ron collect this safety gear," she pointed at the helmet, etc., "for you to wear, just in case. We'll all be standing on the other side of the office."
"Speak for yourself," countered Ginny. "I'll be next to Harry."
"If something happens and you're next to me, you might be hurt, too. Then you wouldn't be able to help me," reasoned Harry. Ginny nodded and walked to the other side of the room along with Ron and Hermione. Harry put the locket on the desk (which had been cleared off), put on the safety gear, and grabbed one of the basilisk fangs. He took a deep breath, said, "Here goes nothing," and plunged the tooth into the Horcrux as hard as he could.
His hands felt warm as he watched the poison flow into the now broken locket. For a few seconds, nothing happened, then there was a flash of light coming from the Horcrux, and then everything was back to normal. Harry declared, "I think I did it. Hermione, would you run the test?"
It seemed everyone in the room held their breath for the two minutes it took to perform the spell. When it was over, she excitedly announced, "The Horcrux is destroyed!"
After a few minutes of mild celebration, Dumbledore mentioned, "Harry, I got so occupied with the Horcrux that I almost forgot one of the reasons I called you here. My will."
"Oh yeah," replied Harry. "Prof, Ms. McGonagall mentioned something about that."
"I left several of my belongings to others, but left my private library to Miss Granger, my collection of muggle sweets to be divided between Mr. and Miss Weasley here, my Pensieve, my real estate, which consists of several houses, and half of my Gringotts vault to you, Mr. Potter. The other half was left to the order."
"What?" replied Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione together.
Chapter end