A/N: Chapter 5 is finally here. Thank you for all your reviews and patience. Thank you to Arnel for your brilliant editing skills as always.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.

EDITED: 15/07/2021

Several weeks had passed since the unexpected discovery of Slytherin's locket and Kreacher's revelation about how it had come to reside at Grimmauld Place. The occupants of the house had continued on as though nothing of importance had been revealed to them, having been sworn to secrecy through the use of a modified Unbreakable Vow. Sirius had been certain that Dumbledore, who they had spoken to that same evening the locket had been discovered, would not want the information being revealed and had searched the library for a suitable charm that would stop anyone revealing what they had learned. No one's life or magic was at risk, but instead they risked being jinxed to not being able to talk for a month if they spoke to anyone, except for those in the know or anyone who would be informed at a later date.

Once everyone had moved past the shock of what Kreacher had revealed to them, Molly had tried to usher all the teenagers back into the drawing room to continue with the cleaning, just as Sirius led the old house-elf into the kitchen to talk. Harry, knowing the locket was important, had ignored the Weasley matriarch and had followed his dad into the kitchen to listen to Kreacher's story. Ginny had tried to follow as well, but had been spotted by her mum, leaving her no choice but to follow her brothers.

Harry had been amazed to hear how his dad's brother, Regulus, had realised his mistake of becoming a Death Eater and had given his life to help bring down Lord Voldemort. However, he couldn't imagine how Sirius felt, given that he had believed his own brother had been an ardent supporter of the Dark Lord. When Kreacher finished his story, though, Harry could only watch as his dad stared at the house-elf in shock before he stood abruptly and disappeared through the Floo. Minutes later, his head reappeared, summoning both Harry and Kreacher to the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

The moment Harry had stepped into the office he had been asked to use his Parseltongue skills to open the locket. Sirius immediately brought the Sword of Gryffindor down upon it, destroying it beyond repair. The look of relief that crossed Kreacher's face when Dumbledore confirmed they had successfully destroyed the locket had been a blessing and a revelation. The house-elf had finally fulfilled his final order from Regulus, making Harry realise just how hard it was for any house-elf to follow the orders they were given and the impact it could have on them if they were unable to complete them successfully. Kreacher was instantly more willing to follow the orders that his dad gave, finally accepting that Sirius was his true master.

Dumbledore had then gone on to tell them, once Kreacher had returned home, that he had been researching Voldemort's past over the last couple of years, ever since the events of the Chamber of Secrets. He confessed that he had held back the information from them as he had wanted to pass over every piece of necessary information to them at the same time.

Harry had been shocked at what he had learned as the headmaster went on to explain just how far Voldemort had gone to avoid death. Admittedly, he had felt some relief at knowing that they now knew what needed to be done if they were going to defeat Voldemort once and for all, but he also felt frustrated that it would still take time to discover what each of the Horcruxes were and where they were hidden. Harry knew he needed to accept it was going to take time, though, as they would not all be as easy to find as the locket had been and that had been pure chance. He would just need to be patient.

Thankfully, Dumbledore had agreed, when asked by Sirius, to arrange a time to meet with them in the coming months to give them everything he had discovered and discuss it all in detail with them. Having been a teacher during Voldemort's time at Hogwarts meant that Dumbledore had a little more insight into the person Voldemort had once been. However, he needed a little more time to obtain one more piece of information that he felt would be absolutely vital to the fight against the Dark Lord.

"I must ask, however, that you do not reveal anything that we have spoken about here this evening," the headmaster had told them as their discussion drew to a close. "You may, Sirius, give those who were present when the locket was discovered, some kind of explanation for it, but they must also keep its discovery a secret. It is absolutely vital that the knowledge of the Horcruxes is kept between the three of us to avoid Voldemort from learning that we are now aware of how he can be defeated."

"No," Harry had simply responded, much to the shock of the two older wizards.

"Perhaps you don't quite understand the danger of this information becoming known, Harry," Dumbledore had replied, talking to Harry as though he was one of his students.

"No, I do understand." Harry fully understood the dangers and he was not going to let anyone prevent him from fulfilling the prophecy his dad had made him aware of. "There is one person, though, who deserves to be informed of what the locket was. Considering the diary that nearly killed her was a Horcrux, I genuinely believe that Ginny should be made aware of the truth. Not only will it give her some sort of closure and help her move on from it, but she may be able to provide her own personal insight to the sort of person Voldemort was."

Harry held the headmaster's gaze, standing his ground when it came to his best friend. He knew, even if Dumbledore refused his request, that he would still reveal this information to Ginny. He truly believed that if anyone deserved to be told about the Horcruxes, it was her. Even through her letters, Harry had been able to see just how much of an impact it'd had on her and he wanted to continue to help her process it all. No one, in his opinion, could possibly expect him to keep information from her, especially when it had the potential to help her. At the same time, for Harry, it was even more than that – he needed to be able to talk to someone about what he had just been told and what it meant for him. Yes, he had his dad and his uncle, but he wanted someone beyond them whom he could confide in, someone who was there just for him and him alone.

"I am going to have to agree with my son on this, Albus," his dad unexpectedly said, pulling Harry's eyes from the headmaster and towards where his dad stood. "I was already planning on arranging some sort of oath or vow to make sure no one can speak about the locket or to whom it belonged. However, Ginny deserves to be told of the significance of the diary, while allowing Harry to have someone he can confide in beyond myself and Remus, who I will be informing about all of this as well. I think you know as well as I do that, had Harry been a student here, you would have given him permission to tell whomever his closest friends were. He needs to be able to confide in someone of his own age, otherwise he will be left to feel like he has to carry the burden of that information alone, especially if, god forbid, something were to happen to myself or Remus."

"Thank you," Harry whispered as he walked over to his dad and hugged him tightly, grateful for his understanding and backing on the issue.

"It would seem that I am outnumbered," Dumbledore said with a sigh, "but, I do understand and accept your reasoning. I will allow you to tell Miss Weasley about what has been discussed here tonight and any further information I relay to you in the future. I would be happy for you to bring Remus in on all of this as well, Sirius. I suspected that you had planned to before you confirmed it. However, beyond them, I would ask again, that no one else is informed of the prophecy, or of the Horcruxes."

Harry and Sirius nodded in agreement. Neither wished for Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters to become aware that they now knew how to defeat the Dark Lord and risk making it harder for Harry to fulfil his destiny.

"I would highly advise that you add Occlumency to your training schedule for the two teens, Sirius," the headmaster suggested, "if you have not already done so."

"I will do so for Ginny as Harry has already been trained in the Mind Arts, but, and as much as this pains me to say, I would very much appreciate it if Snape could take a look at Harry's defences."

"I will arrange a time with Severus that is convenient for you both."

Thankfully, the conversation had come to an end quickly after that. Harry had wanted to return to Grimmauld Place to speak to his best friend about what he had learned once he had understood the diary was a Horcrux. He had only remained at Hogwarts because he knew it would have been rude and disrespectful to leave before the conversation was over. Plus, he didn't want to disappoint his dad.

The moment Harry had stepped out of the Floo, he had briefly acknowledged those who were present in the kitchen before running off to find Ginny as quickly as possible. Finding her in her bedroom, he closed the door behind him and sat down on her bed, knowing this was where he would be holding the daunting conversation. Hopefully, his dad would be able to keep anyone from interrupting them until it was time to go downstairs for dinner.

"Where did you end up going?" Ginny asked as she put down the book she had been reading. "You disappeared from the kitchen without telling anyone."

"I'm sorry about that," Harry replied, having not realised at the time they had failed to inform Molly, at least, to their whereabouts. "We went to see Professor Dumbledore at Hogwarts."

"That's what we assumed."

"He obviously knew what the locket was," Harry explained, avoiding eye contact with his best friend as he tried to figure out how to tell her the truth about the diary. It didn't seem to matter that he had fought for her to be informed, he now couldn't find the words.

"I can see that whatever Professor Dumbledore told you is bothering you, Harry," Ginny gently said as she placed a hand on his cheek and coaxed his face back to looking at her. "Given the fact that Kreacher told us the locket belonged to Tom, it isn't hard to figure out that it is the sort of information we cannot speak freely about. So, if you have been told to keep it to yourself, I understand."

Harry stared at Ginny in awe, thankful to have her in his life. He knew in that moment that she was strong enough to handle what he was about to tell her.

"Actually, I fought for you to be told," he confessed, finding the strength and courage he knew he would need for the conversation. "Once Dumbledore revealed what the locket was and why it was important in the war against Voldemort, I knew you, of all people, needed to be told."

Ginny smiled in response to being told her best friend had fought for her to be included.

"It's hard to explain, though," Harry continued, still processing everything he had been told himself, "and I haven't been given all the details yet."

"Tell me what you do know, then."

Harry slowly and carefully explained what Kreacher had told them about Sirius' brother, Regulus, and how the locket came to be in his possession. He told her how they had destroyed the locket and what had happened when they did so before explaining as best as he could what a Horcrux was.

"They will all need to be destroyed before I can even contemplate finishing Voldemort off for good," Harry told her as he wound down his explanation. "Dumbledore confirmed he definitely made more than one. As it turns out I have already destroyed one."

Harry turned to look at Ginny, knowing he could not avoid telling her now he had come this far. The expression on her face, though, was hard to read. He suspected she was just processing what he had told her, which was understandable given the information.

"Harry?" Ginny finally said, having remained quiet while he had been talking. "Was… was the diary a Horcrux?"

"Yes."

Ginny's face fell in response. Harry said nothing as he allowed his best friend to process the bombshell he had just dropped on her.

"That explains a lot," Ginny unexpectedly replied.

Harry's jaw dropped. He knew the youngest Weasley was strong, but he had not expected that reaction at all. He knew it was likely that she wouldn't cry as Ginny didn't like to cry, but, right now, he honestly felt he would have coped better with tears than immediate acceptance.

"But… I can't deny that knowing that makes me feel…" Ginny continued before Harry could say anything. However, whatever it made her feel, Harry never found out, though he suspected he knew what word she was going to use. His best friend, instead, let out a gut-wrenching scream before collapsing against Harry in tears.

Harry didn't know what else to do in that moment, except to hold her and let her cry it out. As much as he knew this information was tearing her up inside, he was certain that this would only make her stronger and more determined to work hard when they began training together.

"It makes me feel dirty," Ginny whispered painfully. "Just knowing that a piece of his soul was possessing and controlling me makes the whole experience far worse than it was."

"I'm sorry, Gin. I wouldn't have told you if I thought it would make it worse for you."

"No, don't say that, Harry," Ginny said forcefully as she sat up straight and looked Harry directly in the eyes. "Yes, it makes me feel dirty, but, at the same time, you have given me the final piece of the puzzle that I could never solve. I knew the Mind Arts were extensive, complex and dangerous, but it never made sense to me that a memory could have that much power over one person."

"Neither did I," Harry agreed.

"I would have reacted like that whether I had been told at the time or not for another ten years. It is going to take me some time to wrap my head around what you have just told me, but knowing the truth makes it easier to know I can put this behind me once and for all."

"Don't you ever forget what he did to you, Gin," Harry told her, needing her to take that pain Voldemort had caused her and channel it into their training. "While we should never live in the past, we should never forget the experiences that impact us and shape who we become."

Ginny smiled as she reached out and took Harry's hands in hers.

"I am not going to forget what I have been through, Harry. I doubt I ever could, but I won't let it dictate my life or define the person that I am. It doesn't mean I can't let it drive me to train as hard as I can, though!"

Harry laughed at hearing her declaration. She had proven him right that she deserved to know and that it would help her move on from the event that had impacted her deeply and defined her life for the past couple of years.

"Though, I do think you could stand to take some of your own advice, Mr Boy Who Lived," Ginny stated, shocking Harry out of his laughter.

He wanted to glare at her for the suggestion and tell her he couldn't ignore the event that ended up determining his course in life. Yet, he couldn't because he knew she was right. She hadn't let the fact that he was the Boy Who Lived determine their friendship. She, instead, knew and accepted him for who he truly was – just himself, Harry.

Several days later, they finally began training. Ginny stayed true to her words and allowed her experiences of the Chamber and new knowledge about the diary push her to train hard. This was something that Harry had discovered not long after they had walked into the newly renovated basement.

"Right," Sirius said as he clapped his hands together, "I think it would be best if we start with a duel between you two. I obviously know what Harry is capable of, but we need to know where Ginny stands in terms of her knowledge of spells and duelling."

Neither teen said a word as they took a place at either end of the room within the wards Sirius had set up to absorb stray spells and prevent any potentially fatal spells.

"The aim is to disarm," Sirius explained, "but anything goes. Just none of the Unforgivable Curses, not that either of you could cast them, and nothing intentionally deadly. The wards around you should minimise any injuries and will absorb any stray spells. Ready?"

The two teens nodded in agreement.

"Ok, on the count of three, you may begin. One… two… three… DUEL!"

Ginny didn't wait around for Harry to throw his first spell as she immediately tried to Disarm him, which was blocked easily by Harry. Admittedly, the raven-haired teen was holding back on his full potential, worried that he would hurt and Disarm his best friend far too quickly. However, Ginny quickly picked up on this, making sure to use every spell in her arsenal in her attempt to win the duel. In the end, though, Harry still won, having thrown three spells in quick succession – the first having smashed through her weakening shield, the second Ginny had side-stepped, only for her to move directly into the path of the third spell, which had ripped her wand from her hand.

"Wow, Ginny, that was impressive," Sirius exclaimed as he quickly took down the wards surrounding the teens. "I am disappointed that you held back, though, Harry."

"What would you prefer? Me taking out Ginny in seconds or an actual duel that gave you an idea where to focus on in her training?" Harry said in defence, refusing to admit his fear of hurting the person he cared for the most out of all those close to him. He could see Ginny glaring at him for holding back, but she did not attempt to argue with him about the decision he had made.

"Fine, that does make sense," Sirius replied, knowing his son was right, while also recognising there was far more to Harry's choice.

"Well, I am not remotely surprised by what Ginny has accomplished," Remus spoke up as he gave the redhead a smile. "She was certainly one of my best pupils while I was teaching at Hogwarts and I can see that she has also improved in the past year."

"Thank you, Professor Lupin," Ginny responded earnestly.

"Remus or Moony is fine, Ginny. Remember, I am no longer your teacher."

Ginny gave the werewolf a nod in acknowledgment before turning her eyes towards Harry.

"I will let it slide today, but, before I return to school, I want us to duel again with you not holding back," Ginny demanded, hands on hips and a fierce glare that made all three wizards realise she would not back down.

Harry nodded meekly, much to the amusement of his father and uncle.

"Remus and I will come up with a plan of what we need you to work on," Sirius explained when he realised Harry was not going to respond to Ginny. "We will set an official schedule once we are done here. Next, I need to know what you know about Occlumency and check your natural shields."

It turned out Ginny had begun attempting to learn Occlumency in her second year but had struggled to advance with it. With no one to help or check her progress, she had immediately hit a wall in her learning. Thankfully, Sirius quickly discovered her basic skills were good and felt she would make significant progress by the end of the summer if she worked diligently.

Harry was extremely impressed by his best friend's work ethic and determination to learn everything that his dad and uncle threw at her over the next several weeks. However, he was most proud of what Ginny had achieved that very morning, something she felt had been her biggest breakthrough throughout their entire training. She had finally produced a fully-fledged corporal Patronus.

Ginny had started to learn the charm back in her second year with help from Remus. Neither had expected her to perfect it that year, given her age at the time, but Ginny had managed to create the basic mist. She had continued attempting it over the past year, but had made no more progress. Harry had been quick to pinpoint the problem when he discovered her chosen memory had been the feeling she had any time she flew on a broom. Minutes later, with a new memory, she finally created her own personal Patronus – a silver doe.

Harry had been shocked to discover it was the partner of his own Patronus – a stag – and had not been able to stop thinking about it all day. To be honest, it was another thing to add to the list that seemed to be ever-growing when it came to Ginny. He had no experience and, therefore, nothing to compare it to, but he suspected he had a crush on his best friend. He wasn't ready to admit it yet, at least, not to Ginny or anyone else. It was something, instead, he wanted to speak about with his dad, but there was never a free moment to do so with the house full of people. He would have to be patient and wait until the Weasleys had returned to Hogwarts.

"Harry?"

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Harry turned to see his dad standing in the doorway to the sitting room.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Just thinking."

"It's time to head to the Ministry and swap the Prophecy ball," his dad responded. "Are you ready to go?"

Harry nodded, quickly getting up and joining his dad, hoping that their planned swap would go unnoticed for as long as possible. While they didn't need it in their possession, given Harry already knew the exact wording, they were not willing to take any chances. If everything went to plan, Voldemort would not be getting his hands on the prophecy.