Dudley stared at Malfoy, his hand was resting on his wand, just as a warning to Malfoy not to try anything. "What do you want?" he asked, shortly, deciding to get this over as quickly as possible. They had hung back after class and gone behind Hagrid's hut to talk.

Malfoy was silent for a few seconds, as if struggling to come to a decision. "I need your help," the Slytherin boy said, finally.

Dudley hadn't been expecting that. To say he and Malfoy had never been close was an understatement. They hated each other. Dudley couldn't stand Malfoy because he was a mean, sly bigot. Malfoy couldn't stand Dudley because he was a thug and a bully.

"What?" Dudley asked, at last. "My help?"

"Believe me, Dursley, I don't want your help, I need it. If there was any other option," Malfoy said, sounding like his old, sneering self.

"Spill it, Malfoy," Dudley said in a bored voice.

"My father took me to the Dark Lord," Malfoy said.

Dudley stared at him in surprise. He wasn't surprised that Malfoy had been taken to Lord Voldemort—that was obvious to anybody. He was surprised that Malfoy was openly telling him about it.

"And?" Dudley prompted. "Sign up to be a Death Eater like your loser old man did you?"

Malfoy flushed. "No! Shut up and listen, Dursley," he said angrily.

Dudley balled his fists at being spoken to like that.

As if sensing the danger signs, Malfoy spoke quickly. "He's threatened to kill my parents."

"So what?" Dudley had zero sympathy. "Your dad ran off to join the Death Eaters. So what if he does get killed?"

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath to control himself. Dudley tried not to smirk. In truth, he enjoyed being able to taunt Malfoy. It had been too long since he had done anything like this.

"You don't know what it's like … he's treating my mother like a House Elf …"

Dudley yawned, not caring. The Malfoy family were trash as far as he was concerned.

"He … he forced me to use crucio on my father …"

"He … what?" Now, Dudley felt sympathy. "Crucio?" he repeated, blankly. "On … no … that's obscene. Why?" He felt shook by what he had just heard. Forcing a boy barely 15 to torture his father—it was evil. Lucius Malfoy may be garbage—Dudley couldn't care less if he got crucio'd all day long. But to make Draco do it—that was beyond evil.

Draco nodded. "He enjoyed it. Enjoyed watching my father in pain. Enjoyed watching me have to … have to torture him …" Malfoy trailed off, his face was blank as he spoke, as if he was forcing himself to bottle up his emotions and not show sadness or even cry.

"Look …" Dudley began, awkwardly. How did you even begin to comfort someone you had hated for almost five years? What did you say to somebody who had been forced to torture their own father?

"I hate him," Malfoy said, suddenly.

"You mean …"

"The Dark Lord … You Know Who … I hate him. I hate what he's done to my father. How he treats my mother. What he's done to my family … how he threatens me. I hate him."

Dudley stayed silent, unsure of what to say.

"I want him gone, Dursley … dead … destroyed … whatever. I want him to pay for what he's done to my family!" Draco said.

Dudley was shocked. He had never seen this side of Draco Malfoy before. He had always seemed like a future Death Eater recruit. But then, Malfoy was very proud. He was always talking about being a Malfoy and how that made him better than others and how good his family was. It must sting a bit, seeing your parents reduced to working like House Elves for Lord Voldemort. The once proud family reduced to that. Then, of course, there was the threats and torture.

"So what do you want with me?" Dudley said. "Get your parents and go on the run or, I dunno … go to Dumbledore."

"Father … won't leave. He's … he thinks the Dark Lord will win. But even if he does, so what? The Malfoys… we're finished under him. I don't want him in charge and us … my parents, me … slaving away. Cleaning up his filth … washing his feet … suffering his taunts and insults."

"So, go to Dumbledore," Dudley said again.

"The Dark Lord wanted me to do something," Draco said. "He said … he said he'd kill my parents if I don't. That he would give them to that animal Greyback …"

Dudley shuddered. Greyback was the vilest of Lord Voldemort's supporters. What he had done to Padma, Mandy and Sue was beyond horrific.

"… that he would make me watch while Greyback tears them apart …" Malfoy trailed off.

Once more, Dudley felt sympathy towards him. Malfoy was an absolute git, but he didn't deserve to go through this. If Voldemort was just torturing Lucius and Narcissa, Dudley wouldn't have cared left. But involving Draco, forcing him to watch his parents be mistreated and even getting him to torture them—that was sick.

"… he wanted me to get you to go to the Department of Mysteries. There's something there he wants … a prophecy."

"Yeah, Dumbledore told me about it—Voldemort …"

Malfoy winced at the name.

"… thinks it's about me," Dudley said, then, suddenly, remembered that he wasn't supposed to talk about the prophecy and yet was blagging about it to Malfoy of all people.

"Well, he wants it. He said only you can retrieve it. He wants you to go there and get it," Malfoy said.

"And?" Dudley prompted, unsure what Malfoy was getting at.

"If you get it … so I can give it to him, I swear, I will help you defeat him," Malfoy said.

Dudley stared at Malfoy for a few seconds. Did that mean Malfoy believed the prophecy—that it would somehow mean Dudley was the one destined to defeat Voldemort?

'What makes you think I'm going to try to defeat him?" Dudley asked.

Draco looked surprised.

"I mean, sure, I want to see him defeated … and I''ll gladly hex any Death Eater that gets in my way. But I'm not idiotic enough to go picking a fight with him," said Dudley. "That's for Dumbledore, or the Aurors."

"So, you won't …" Malfoy began.

"I don't know what you think, Malfoy, or what Voldemort told you …"

Malfoy winced again.

"… but I'm … Dumbledore doesn't think it's about me. He thinks Voldemort is wrong."

"Wrong?" Draco repeated.

"Wrong," said Dudley. "It'll be Dumbledore or the Aurors who beat him, not me. I mean, I'd try … if he attacked me or I saw him. But I'm not going to go hunting him down. I'm not an idiot."

Malfoy looked thoughtful. "So … if the prophecy isn't about you, does it matter if he gets it? Durs … Dudley, listen, please."

Dudley blinked. He had never … not in a million years … ever expected Malfoy to ever say please to anyone, let alone himself.

"Go to the Ministry and get the prophecy. If I can give it to the Dark Lord, he'll spare my parents. Then, I'll get them away … even if I have to stun them. I'll get them away from him. That will be too less Death Eaters in his army … and then, I'll help any way I can. If you ever need … Dudley, I need to get that prophecy. I need to give it to him or my parents are dead."

Dudley stared at his rival, thinking hard on what he had been told.

On one hand, the Malfoys deserved it. The whole family was garbage. Lucius and Narcissa had made their beds as far as he was concerned. They had decided to join an evil, bigoted, wannabe dictator. Now they were seeing the consequences of their actions.

On the other hand, he could tell Malfoy was suffering. What he had gone through was unimaginable and Dudley could only imagine how he must be feeling.

But then, he owed Malfoy nothing. They had been rivals since year one and Malfoy had done nothing but torment him and insult him. He was a git, pure and simple. Then, a memory came rushing back to Dudley … one of himself lying on the grass while Dementors approached, then of a silver dragon-shaped patronus driving them away. Malfoy had saved his soul, Dudley recalled.

"We can't just go walking into the Ministry," Dudley said, finally.

"You're best mates with the Minister, of course you can!" Draco said, scowling.

That was a fair point, Dudley had to admit. "What I mean is-no way will let us just take the prophecy if they know we're going to hand it over to You-Know-Who, and ... we need to make sure it won't be of use to him, and what migth be protecting it."

"That means you're going to help?" Draco said.

"Possibly," replied Dudley. "I'm not going to go rushing off there. I need to speak to Hermione and the others first. Then we need to, you know, find out more." By 'we', he really meant Hermione. She was the bookworm of the group.

Draco gave a small nod. "Thanks," he said, with some difficulty.

Ron Weasley

"He asked what?" Ron's eyes bulged. "I hope you told him to shove it up his arse!"

"No, I said I'd think about," Dudley replied. "No, listen-you didn't see him. What Voldmort's been doing ... he made him torture his parents."

Ron looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, well ... that's taking things too far," he admitted. "But still, this is Malfoy."

"I'm with Ron," said Dean. "You don't owe that git anything."

"He did save me," Dudley said.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," replied Dean.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "It's, well, commendable that you're going to help your worst enemy," she said. "But, honestly-do you really think he's telling the truth?"

"Huh?" Dudley said, that hadn't occurred to him before.

"This could easily be some sort of elaborate ploy to get you to take the prophecy," Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah-then his Death Eater mates do you in!" Ron said, excitedly.

"Cheers," Dudley said, grumpily. He had to admit, it was a valid concern. "He seemed like he was telling the truth-nobody is that good of a liar"

"He's a Slytherin, though," said Dean. "They are crafty and cunning. Lying will be right up his street. What do you think, Luna?"

"Well, I think it's very nice what Dudley is doing," said Luna, smiling.

"Cheers," Dudley said, pleased.

"But, I don't like Draco. He's not a nice person at all, and I certainly wouldn't trust him. But ... would he really lie about crucioing his own dad?"

"Ginny?" Dudley turned to Ginny.

"I have no idea," she said. "Malfoy's a git, but is he really, well, evil enough to set Dudley up to be killed?"

"If his parents are in danger, he would," said Dean. "He might think there's no other choice."

"Is there a way we can get him to tell the truth?" Ron said, as always, turning to Hermione.

"Well, there's one way ..." she said. "It's illegal, and will be tricky, but we could try veritaserum."

"The truth potion," said Dean, nodding. "Of course."

"Can you make it?" Ron demanded.

"Yes," said Hermione. "But it takes a full moon cycle ... 28 days," she added, noticing Ron's blank look. "And we need to start brewing it on the full Moon ... which is, anyone got a Moon chart?"

"I have," Luna said, pulling out hers.

"We just missed one," Hermione said. "But, we can start on November 24."

"That gives us time to get the ingredients together," Ron said.

"We'll have to raid Snape's supply cupboard for that," Dean pointed out. "And with me and Hermione as prefects ..."

"That means it's down to us," Ron said, unhappily. "Terrific."

"I can help," Ginny said. "I haven't got into trouble much yet, so I should be ok. What do I need to get, Hermione?" she said, speaking fast so Ron couldn't argue.

Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore paced in his office. He now had proof that Lord Voldemort was using horcruxes-the diary and now the ring. He was certain. But what he didn't know was how many were out there. It was concerning. As far as he knew, nobody had ever made more than one horcrux, yet Lord Voldemort had made at least two-he suspected more. The diary was used as a weapon, whereas Horcruxes would usually be kept safe and secure. If Voldemort was willing to risk one, he must have plenty of others.

The ring had been hidden in the Gaunt House, did that mean the other horcruxes were hidden in places valuable or important to Lord Voldemort? He thought on the places where he knew Lord Voldemort had lived or visited.

The orphanage-he would have to check there.

The cliff where he had tortured two muggles-that would be tricky.

Borgin and Burkes where he had worked-that was easy enough to visit

Riddle Manor-could he have hidden two horcruxes so close to each other? Unlikely, but it needed checking

Hepzibah Smith's residence-he would have to make a trip there, it was a wizarding historical society's headquarters now, he believed

Was there anything else?

Hogwarts? Surely not, nobody could hide a horcrux in the school under his nose

Albania? That was possibility-he had hid there. There could be a horcrux in Albania, that needed investigating. Perhaps he would use Charlie Weasley to search out Voldemort's Albanian lair and report back.

Anywhere else? Dumbledore decided he would have a think and go through the memories he had collected of Tom Riddle, see if there were any clues where one might be hidden. He was on the trail, he was sure of it.

For a second or so, he considered using Snape to dig for information, but dismissed that idea just as quickly. Too risky. Voldemort couldn't know that Dumbledore was searching for horcruxes. Plus, Snape being by Voldemort's side was vital to ensure the Dark Lord's downfall.

No, he would have to do this alone.