Chapter 12. The Last Horcrux

"Are we really going to trust Snape with something like this?" Chris asked, his arms crossed, his face showing evident disagreement.

It had been some time since Halloween, a month and a half to be precise. The Christmas break had just begun, and the group had finally decided to take some time to talk and decide what they would be doing next. Of course, the first thing that came up was Draco's and Mel's little chat with the former Potions' Professor.

"The question should be, can we take the luxury of not taking his words in consideration?" Henry changed the question. "I know most of you don't like Snape, I personally don't mind him. But the thing is, that if he's right and we do nothing, it would be even worse than if we try and fail."

"Henry is right." Draco nodded. "I know most of you don't trust him; but if you could give me a second chance, can't you do the same thing for him? I understand it might be a bit much to ask, but I do think it's worth it."

"I believe it too." Mel immediately stood up next to Draco. "You all know I just don't like Snape. The way he always tried to undermine me, refusing to accept the real talent I have in Potions just because he can't accept there's someone with as much talent as him…yet I do believe that it's time we push aside our grudges and look at the bigger picture. And here the bigger picture involves the safety of the whole world, magical and non-magical. Are we really willing to put the safety of that many people at stake because some of us aren't mature enough to work with Snape?"

No one needed to answer that question; the final decision was obvious already. They'd never let immatureness nor grudges step in the way of protecting the innocent; it was well known the kind of alliances the Charmed Ones had had to do in order to assure the safety of many (like with the Four Riders of the Apocalypse, to save Prue once; with the demons to lock the Void once again; or even when they had had to work with a white-lighter they didn't like just so she would give her approval for Piper's and Leo's marriage).

"So what do we do now?" Chris asked.

"Now, we begin searching for any possible place where that music-box might be located." His older brother declared.

"You have any idea how long that will take us?" Chris said, scandalized.

"Not that much." Mel told them.

"Explain yourself." Henry indicated.

"I knew you wouldn't like to have to look everywhere for the horcrux." Mel explained. "So I convinced Draco that before we told you we should have something better than just the former Professors words. I already scryed for the object's energy, including the obvious presence of dark energies; Draco helped me with that. We found two possible locations."

"Only two?" Billie was quite surprised.

"Well, there were a few more, but most could be easily scratched due to their location, their surroundings and other things." Mel continued explaining. "We came to the conclusion that the music-box is either in the Ministry, or in Azkaban."

"You sure must be crazy if you even think about going to either place to get that thing." Wyatt declared immediately.

"As crazy as it may be, that's exactly what we've gotta do." Harry declared seriously.

And they all knew he was right.

.---.

They decided to act right away. Taking advantage that the following day was Saturday, and a visit to Hogsmeade had been scheduled, it was the perfect opportunity. (Even after what had happened in Halloween, the Headmaster had seen no need for the visits to the village to be forbidden, after all, they all knew the wizard-teens had proven they were able to take care of themselves; having forbidden them to go would only have made them angry with the adults for overprotecting them, or would have made them doubt their own abilities to fight the Dark Lord and his minions).

The group waited until the last students had entered the village, they themselves had left the castle in the same direction, but then hid behind the Shrieking Shack before fully reaching the village streets.

Billie would be staying behind, to keep an eye on everyone there and make sure they weren't attacked again (and in case they were help fight and alert the teens of the trouble). The rest had divided in two teams, one that would be going to each location: Wyatt, Chris and Henry would be going to Azkaban (as the dementors were no longer there they had no need to worry about that, and they could become invisible if needed so as not to be discovered); Harry, Hermy, Mel and Draco would be going to the Ministry, Malfoy had already been there and knew the place, Mel could freeze anyone necessary so they weren't discovered, Hermy was carrying a crystal to scry if necessary and Harry had enough energy to orb them all if needed (and also all of them except Mel could apparate in an emergency).

.---.

The quartet arrived to the Ministry in utter silence. Harry had used his ability to transform his appearance to appear like one of the aurors he had seen once, Hermy and Mel had done spells to change their appearances as well, and Draco just needed a disguise to look like his father (something he didn't really like but knew was necessary in their situation).

They managed to enter the Ministry and reach the lift without anyone stopping them, proving they were having luck on their side.

"Now what?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure." Hermy replied honestly. "It's a toss up between the auror's headquarters or the Department of Mysteries."

"Why the department of mysteries?" Mel asked.

"Because that's were powerful and many times unknown objects are located." Hermy declared seriously. "And the aurors…well, it's obvious."

"I don't think the aurors would keep a dark object around them, especially if they don't know what it may do." Harry said thoughtfully.

"Then the department of mysteries it is." Draco finally hit one of the buttons on the lift.

They reached the department shortly afterwards and they walked slowly, not wanting to be found there by someone that would notice anything suspicious was going on.

They reached the doors soon enough and once more had trouble deciding which one to use.

"We have to be careful." Mel reminded them. "I wouldn't like to end in the Room of Death once more…"

"You're telling us…" Hermy said with a tint of sarcasm. "I still have bad memories of the last time we were here."

"Last time?" Draco asked.

So while Harry and Hermy made calculus and tried to decide in which room the horcrux might be, Mel told her friend everything she could remember about that night, a bit over a year ago. Draco was quite shocked to hear everything they had gone through, especially Harry and Hermy falling through the creepy veil.

Right as the other two finished their conversation Hermy and Harry finally chose one of the doors and they opened it.

As soon as they stepped inside they could all see the crystal around Mel's neck reacting.

"It's here." Mel declared confidently. "The object I've been scrying for…"

"Draco, could you try to use your powers as mindbreaker to pick up the horcrux?" Hermy asked the blonde hopefully.

"Don't know. I can try." Draco declared.

He concentrated and almost lost his footing, there were a lot of powerful objects in that room, and about half of them had dark magic in them. But finally after a few minutes he sensed one object that had both good and bad energy within it, both at a quite higher level than all the other objects.

The other three immediately followed Draco as he made his way between several shelves and to the farthest side of the room. There they found a chest that was sealed.

"That's why I couldn't find it before." Draco explained. "The chest has very powerful light-magic to prevent anyone from getting the dark object inside."

"It appears that even though they didn't know what the object they had found was, they knew it was better kept locked-up." Harry commented.

Everyone agreed.

"So, you want to try and open it with your own powers, or should I just blow the lid off?" Mel asked with her hands already raised.

"I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to blow anything up while in this room Mel." Hermy said seriously while taking a quick look around her. "We don't know how dangerous many of these objects are."

"I say we get the thing out 'a here and handle it someplace else, a safer place, maybe with the others help." Draco suggested.

They all liked his suggestion and they nodded.

"Someone's coming." Hermy announced suddenly.

"Let's get out now." Mel urged them.

Draco got out a black bag that was enchanted so anything would fit inside. Carefully Hermy levitated the sealed chest into the bag and after putting a concealing and protecting incantation in it she let Draco put it away.

"Lets go." Harry said.

They all took hold of him, and a second later, they orbed away.

When the auror that was guarding that floor arrived he noticed the door to the room slightly ajar, but no one was around. So he just closed the door and left, having no idea of what had just happened there.

.---.

Once they were out of the Ministry the quartet got themselves and their 'package' to a small cave in the outskirts of Hogsmeade, they believed it would be safer, or at least less dangerous, to try and destroy the horcrux there than in the school.

Once there they called the other trio to join them and began brainstorming on a way to get rid of the 'bloody evil thing', as Mel liked to call it. Eventually they decide to try and open the chest first and get the music-box out, and then try any kind of purifying spells. If that didn't work then Mel would be given the authorization to try and blow up both the music-box and the chest with her powers.

"Is this safe?" Draco asked doubtfully as Wyatt, Chris and Henry began picking at the locks of the chest to open it.

"Not really but, what else can we do?" Hermy answered simply. "We need to get this 'bloody evil thing' (as Mel says) destroyed, we have by far a greater chance that Dumbledore and his people to manage it without getting ourselves killed in the process, and if we get hurt Mel and Harry can heal us."

"And if they get hurt?" Draco asked, still not liking the idea.

"We can call for Auntie Paige, or any other white-lighter within range." Mel replied.

She didn't know why, but she too had a very odd feeling about what they were doing. As if they were missing something. And suddenly, it hit her.

"Wait!" Mel yelled as she spun around to face those who were trying to open the chest.

It was too late. Right then they managed to break the chest open, and the move made the music-box slip out and pop open.

A second later a soft and entrancing music filled the small cave. Mel immediately covered her ears to prevent herself from hearing the music, something that proved to be useless a minute later when Draco took hold of her arms and began dancing with her, therefore making her hear the music.

Looking around Mel could see Wyatt and Chris on the ground, both seemed to be struggling to move, but to no avail.

"What's the meaning of this?" Henry asked.

He and Draco seemed to be taking turns to dance with Mel.

"I'm not sure." Mel replied. "It seems the music-box was enchanted to make everyone who hears the music dance, and render those who may represent a threat immobile."

"What makes you think that?" Draco asked.

It seemed that all of them knew something was amiss but couldn't stop dancing (those who weren't unconscious that is).

"There are some things about us that we haven't told you yet." Mel explained to him. "My brothers are considered as prodigies by our magical society."

"Prodigies?" Draco asked.

"The most-powerful magic-wielders of the era, along with a few others." Henry explained.

"Wyatt was given the title of 'Twice-Blessed-Child' when he was just born, and pronounced the 'Heir of Excalibur' when he wasn't even a year-old, "Mel began and when seeing his face she added. "Long story, I'll explain more another time. Chris, on the other side is called by some 'The Traveler', because he's the only one that has been able to successfully travel to the past, change the future for the better and not erase himself from existence in the process."

"But that can't be too hard." Draco said thoughtfully. "I mean, even in the wizarding-world there exist the time-turners."

"Oh, but we aren't talking about traveling some hours or days into the past, but years." Henry said matter-of-factly. "Twenty four years into the past to be precise."

"He traveled from a time when he was twenty three, to a time when he wasn't even an idea yet!" Mel added. "Anyway, the Elders wanted them to be white-lighters, but they chose life as demon-hunters instead. They both are really powerful, maybe that evil-thing sensed it and activated this magic as a form of protection."

"What about you?" Draco asked.

Mel didn't answer the question.

"They call her 'The Golden Avatar'." Henry answered for her.

"Henry!" Mel seemed to be wanting to shut him, but he didn't stop there.

"Why are you ashamed of your own title?" Henry asked.

"Because I did nothing to deserve it." Mel replied.

Draco really didn't understand what was going on there; but he promised himself he would find out more about it.

Right then a noise interrupted them. When they turned they all could see Harry dancing with Hermy, the thing was, 'she' wasn't dancing with him. She seemed to be struggling with him to get free, to make him react.

"Why isn't Harry conscious like us?" Draco asked, confused. "And why is Hermione able to move freely?"

"I think the music-box considered Harry as more dangerous than us due to his mix of wizard and white-lighter power, and left him more controlled than us." Henry began.

"And Hermy…" Mel sighed. "Don't ask, I have no idea."

"Neither do I." Henry added.

"Harry Evan Potter, wake up!" Hermy yelled at the top of her lungs.

And then, to all the others' surprise, she pressed her lips against Harry's, in a full kiss.

Once could say it sounded as if a piece of glass had just shattered, except there was no actual sound, just the sensation, the moment Harry blinked and the light returned to his eyes.

Hermy sighed as Harry finally stopped dancing and she was able to 'get he arms free' of his own. She noticed her 'friend' seemed quite confused at the moment.

"The music-box!" It suddenly dawned on the young man.

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "We must get rid of it. I have a feeling that only then the others will be able to move freely again."

As she said that she pointed to where the other three continued dancing, and then to where the two eldest demon-hunters laid unconscious.

"Any idea as to what we can use to get rid of the music-box?" Harry asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe a spell." Hermione suggested. "Let me think…"

Harry kept an eye on the music-box, now that he had been freed of the hypnotic-spell of the melody it was easy for him to sense it was there, and therefore resist it.

"I think I've got it." Hermione said right then and began chanting: "I am light, one too strong for you to fight. Return to the void, where all evilness pace, you just don't belong in this place. Go away leave my sight, and take with you this creepy night."

The effect was almost instantaneous, a shadow emerged from the music-box just as the music stopped playing, once the shadow was fully out of the object it was encased by a glow that had emerged from Hermione's hands, a glow that seemed to hurt the shadow, making it twist and finally let out a high-pitched scream.

It all lasted only for a second before it was over.

Hermy collapsed on her knees, thoroughly exhausted for what she had just done.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked kneeling next to her.

"Just tired." Hermione answered truthfully. "I think that after some sleep I'll be just fine, and maybe an elixir could be useful too."

"Draco and I will get the elixir done Hermy, you go and get some sleep." Mel offered.

Harry didn't even give his girl a chance to reply, he scooped her in his arms and orbed out of the cave, to the Ravenclaw girl's dorms.

"I'll keep this until Harry decides what to do with it." Henry declared as he put the music-box, now purified, back inside the chest.

Chris decided to go pay his girlfriend a visit, while Wyatt went to find Billie and let her know they had successfully destroyed the horcrux (hopefully without including the fact of how he had remained unconscious for most of it).

.---.

It was until a few hours later, once they had rested and slept, that the group of teenagers, once more concealed under their cloaks, made their way to the Headmaster's office.

"Well," Dumbledore didn't bother to hide his surprise at seeing them. "To what do I owe this honor, my lords and ladies?"

"We're here once more to help you and your noble quest, sir." Hermy said softly as she gave a step forward.

Harry immediately stepped next to her. Albus Dumbledore deduced those two were the ones that had helped him and Harvey Potter at the end of the previous school-year, though he had never before seen the other three; although he could easily make out one was a woman and the other two were young men.

"We've brought you, a gift, you could say." Harry told him.

And as he spoke Henry stepped forward, left the chest in the Headmaster's desk and returned to his post at the back.

After giving a small look at the quintet of teenagers before him, the old man used his wand to open the chest, and took a look at the object inside.

"That's the Raven's music-box." Hermione explained as she herself brought it out for Albus to see. "A relic left behind by Rowena Ravenclaw herself, one Tom Riddle managed to get his hands onto."

They all noticed the man's immediate reaction, but Hermione soothed him right away.

"However, you have nothing to fear." The sorceress told him. "The evil that laid in this object has been dealt with, the dark soul exists in our plain of existence no more."

"You have my eternal gratitude, my lady…ladies and lords." Albus declared. "You have no idea how much you've helped me and the light side."

"Oh, but we do." Harry assured him seriously. "We know exactly what this object is, or used to be; that's why we took matters in our own hands. The spell that protected it wasn't an easy one to deal with, not even for us, you and your own would have been rendered defenseless. Know that we aren't underestimating anyone in any way, but being who we are, we know our strengths and weaknesses, just as the ones of those who surround us. We knew this duty was for us to handle."

"And who exactly are you?" Dumbledore asked, raising a brow.

"The time will come for all the masks to be pulled-off and the truth to be revealed; but that won't happen today." Harry said softly. "Not until all the cards are set and loyalties openly made known."

"If it's of any help, know that our efforts are put solely on the light." Hermione added. "Our very lives are sworn to the good."

"Times are changing, professor, just like the people." Mel spoke softly from behind. "We have many important allies, and so do you; some not even you know about. You may have noticed that the shadow is growing, but never doubt that we'll never let it get too far."

"We'll always fight." Henry added. "With our very lives if need be. This school, the light side, won't fall as long as we breathe."

"How can a group of teenagers make such promises?" Dumbledore asked, hoping he wasn't offending the group.

"Because our very lives have been devoted to this since we have memory." Harry answered. "And it will continue that way until our end."

And with that last declaration the five of them left in a midst of blue sparks.


Now, before people star getting confused here. The deal about Melinda will be explained, (in about two more chapters I think). And about the chapter, that wasn't 'really' the last horcrux, you people must remember we're still missing a certain snake, but as they can't go after the animal until the last moment (so as not to make Voldemort too suspicious), these will be the last horcrux they'll go after, for now. Also, I know that Ravenclaw's horcrux wasn't really a musicbox, but I had already written this when the books came out, and the true object of the horcrux didn't quite fit with the scene I had planned, so I had to leave things my way (and if you considered that my pairings aren't exactly cannon...). Anyway, I hope you liked it anyway.

Next chapter: The Winter Break arrives, and with it a few surprises for two certain white-lighters, one who will receive his first charge, and the other one who once rejected her help. And a new character is coming or way! This and more in Charges Old and New.