"Harry, what do you suppose is down there?" Ron asked timidly as he looked over the well.

"Who knows? Probably similar to what I encountered last time. I just hope it's easier."

"Easier? What do you mean 'easier'?" Ron asked as his focus once again settled on Harry. "How can it be easier? I mean what are you expecting? Cornish Pixies?"

"Of course not Ron," Harry replied exasperated. "I mean, with Dumbledore, he could feel the magic around him. I don't know how he did it. I just hope that I will be able to."

"Oh, okay. So, back to my original question: what do you think is down there? You don't suppose that there are spiders down there do you?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you Ron, spiders are the least of our worries at this point. There could be Inferi, or poisons, or dark arts booby-traps." Harry looked at the well. It really wasn't much to look at. You could tell it hadn't been used in at least a century. The bricks were old and crumbling. Harry sighed, "Spiders are the least of our worries."

"So was that a 'no' on the spiders?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Ron, will you please get off about the spiders. There are much, much worse things than spiders."

Ron looked hurt and grumbled incoherently.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked after several moments.

"I guess so."

Harry walked up to the well; he put his leg over the lip. "How deep do you suppose it is?"

"Beats me? Hopefully not too far, and hopefully a soft landing."

"Well, here goes." And with that Harry threw his other leg over and began falling in the well. Then as quickly as he jumped in, he landed with a soft thud at the bottom.

"Harry, Harry, are you all right?" Ron screamed down from above when he heard Harry land.

"Yeah," Harry replied as he stood up. He brushed the dirt from the back of his robes. "I'm fine Ron, come on down."

"Do you see any spiders?"

"Ronald, just come on!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ron screamed as he jumped in the well. Then he too landed with a soft thud at the bottom.

"Lumos." The tip of Harry's wand ignited in light and filled the chamber they were standing in.

"You know, that wasn't too bad," Ron commented as he stood up. "It was actually kind of—fun?" Ron was dumb struck. For in front of him were several passageways, none marked. "Well how in the bloody hell are we supposed to figure out which way to go?"

Harry opened and closed his mouth trying to speak, but no word's came. He stood there for a full five minutes working his mouth before he could say anything. "I—I—I don't know," he finally stuttered.

"What do you mean 'I don't know'?" Ron asked mockingly. You drag me all this way, and all you can say is 'I don't know'. Pathetic!"

"Ron, it's not my fault!" Harry exclaimed crossly. "You think I wanted to come down here and find this? I told you it wouldn't be easy?"

"Well, I don't know. I'm sorry Harry; I know it's not your fault. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I know Ron. It's just so important that it makes it so difficult. I—what's that?"

"What's what?" Ron asked turning to see what Harry was looking at.

"That." Harry pointed to what seemed to be an ordinary rock wall. He walked over to it and held his wand high to spread the light.

Ron walked over to Harry and stood next to him. "I still don't see what you're talking about."

Harry pointed at a stream of water trickling from the wall. "That is what I am talking about."

Ron looked at the water. "So, there's water on the ground. Big deal. It used to be a well." He emphasized the last word with heavy sarcasm.

Harry took his free hand and ran it across the surface of the wall. "Ron, the wall is dry. That means the water is coming from behind the wall. Which means the wall isn't a wall."

Ron looked at Harry, confusion evident on his face. "What do you mean 'the wall isn't a wall'? What else would it be?" Then comprehension seemed to dawn as an ecstatic grin split his face. "You're thinking it's a door."

Harry smiled; he inwardly chuckled at Ron's reaction. "Exactly! Put your hand on the wall, it's warm and it tingles. Maybe this is what Dumbledore meant by 'feeling' magic."

Ron did as he was told, and indeed the wall was warm, and it made his hands tingle. "Wicked." He looked at Harry eagerly. "So, how do we get in?"

Harry sighed, thinking back on the first trip to find a horcrux. "I think I know." He rolled up the sleeve to his robe, took out a small pocket knife, and made a small incision on his wrist.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing?" Ron asked disgusted.

Harry just ignored Ron and continued what he was doing. When blood began to trickle out of the cut he made he put the knife away. Then, in one fluid motion, he smeared the blood on the surface of the wall. The wall faded, and there before them was a dimly lit corridor.

Ron stood with his mouth agape. "I can' believe this. You weren't kidding, about anything, were you?"

Harry shook his head. "Get your wand out Ron, were going in."

xxxXXXXXxxx

"What's a horcrux?" Ginny asked absentmindedly as she thumbed through some paperwork.

"Well," Hermione began, "horcruxes are—wait a minute, you aren't getting me that easily. Harry told you, he would explain everything when they returned."

"Well, I just thought that since I've been helping you look through all those books lately, that you would tell me."

Hermione smiled, "If I hadn't promised, I would. Harry will tell you. Just wait until he gets back. Besides, I really feel as if he should be the one to tell you."

"Tell you what deary?" Mrs. Weasley's voice startled the two girls. They both quickly looked to the back door from which Mrs. Weasley was toting fresh vegetables through.

"What Harry wants for Christmas," Ginny quickly lied.

"Christmas?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "That's still several months away. Shouldn't you be thinking about a birthday present first, seeing as his birthday is a month and a half away?"

"Well, I already got his birthday present mum."

Mrs. Weasley shrugged, she knew her daughter was hiding something, but she didn't feel like prying. "Well, okay. You're going to have to clear off this table soon; dinner will be on in an hour."

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied.

"Hermione, please, call me Molly or mum. You're going to be part of this family soon enough. So drop the formality, please?"

"Okay, Molly," Hermione replied uncomfortably.

"There, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" Mrs. Weasley beamed as she walked to the sink.