Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's reading this. As for my fast updates I write as I go so you all are getting everything pretty much as soon as I'm able to get it typed up. Some things are easier than others. The thing with Romilda it always kind of irked me that she didn't get punished for her toxic chocolate caldrons. My original scenario was Hermione kicking her ass but I couldn't get it to play out right. As for Harry being a little frisky after drinking the Felix Felicis, that was inspired by the movie where he was a whole lot more outgoing while under its influences.

Chapter 14: The Light At the End of the Tunnel

It was well after midnight by the time Harry made it back to the common room. He was exhausted both mentally and emotionally. While the idea of getting the memory from Slughorn, with the aid of the Liquid Luck, seemed like it would be simple but the process was painstaking. He grinned when he saw Hermione curled up in one of the arm chairs. There was a book that was possibly bigger than she was in her lap, her chin was propped on her hand, and at some point she'd dosed off. Harry gently pulled the book from her lap and kissed her softly. "Wake up sleepy head." He said softly.

"Harry?" she yawned slowly opening her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Late." He said sitting down on the floor at her feet.

"Did you get it?" she asked.

He nodded, "Where's Ron?"

"Um….he went to watch the corridor." She said stretching. "Well are you going to tell me what happened?"

Harry sighed and leaned against the chair laying his head in her lap. "Well when I left here I headed towards Hagrid's on the way I ran into Slughorn. I'm pretty sure he was stealing Tentacula leaves from Professor Sprout's greenhouses."

Hermione looked scandalized, "Harry he's a Hogwarts Professor and a potion master at that. Are you sure he wasn't collecting the leaves for class?"

Harry laughed, "Academic purposes is what he said, the fact that he was sneaking to do and was able to quote prices that it sold for in the black market at Knockturn Alley, well that was what really tipped me off. When he found out that I was heading to Hagrid's to help put Aragog to rest his interest was perked. He said acromantula venom was very rare again he wanted to collect it for Academic purposes."

"And then what happened?" she asked gently running her fingers through his hair.

"Well after the funeral we went back to Hagrid's hut, where I spent several hours between a drunk and weeping Hagrid and a drunken Slughorn. The man is a complete lush anyway once he was into his cups I was able to convince him to give it to me. I took it straight to Dumbledore."

"And then?" she asked looking down at him.

"Well let's just say that I now understand why those books refused to mention it. It's….evil Hermione the likes of which we never would have believed existed." Harry said then explained everything that he'd seen that night in the Pensieve.

"So Dumbledore thinks he succeeded?" she asked.

"Dumbledore doesn't think….he knows that Voldemort succeeded. In fact we've in countered one before…Tom Riddle's Diary. It's the reason it was able to possess Ginny."

"That does make sense and you said that when you stabbed it….it bled ink it died."

Harry nodded, "Dumbledore killed one too…he said that he thinks he's located another one and when he goes for it he'd take me with him."

"And he thinks that killing them will kill You Know Who?" she asked.

Harry nodded, "As long as his soul is trapped in them he'll always be able to come back."

"Do you think he feels it when they die?" she asked.

"I think he's so detached that it doesn't matter."

"It's true…pain and death are like his bread and butter." She said.

Harry gave a short laugh, "So when Voldemort's dead and we're no longer in danger what do you think we're going to have to occupy our time?"

"That is a very good question." She laughed.

He sank his hand into her hair and pulled her down into a slow kiss. "The quiet might be nice." He said.

"For at least a week or two," she teased. "You'd get bored."

He cupped her chin in his hand, "No…I think I could enjoy a quiet life with you."

She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his palm. "One day at a time Mr. Potter." She smiled at him.

After bidding Hermione a good night Harry headed up to the boys dorm and climbed into bed. Though he was exhausted he was at the same time very exhilarated. For the first time since he'd faced Voldemort him at the end of his first year, Harry was able to see the light at the end of the very long dark tunnel he'd been going down. He knew that it wouldn't be easy that it could be years before it was over. Still the idea of one day settling down with Hermione was appealing. Maybe in a cottage in Goddric's Hallow, he'd always wanted to see the little village where he'd lived with his parents. Maybe even have a family. Yeah the idea of a quiet life did sound appealing.