Chapter 2 : Christmas
"Harry, are you sure you don't want to come to the Burrow with me? You know we are more than happy to have you here, right? In fact, mum was crazy when I told her you wouldn't be following. Why don't you want to come anyway?" Ron asked a slightly disheveled Harry who just woke up from a loud bang of Neville's trunk crashing onto the floor.
"Ron, I told you, Professor Dumbledore said he might have sessions with me during Christmas break. We both know he is currently extremely busy, so I'm not going to waste any opportunity if he happens to have spare time. Every second lost is giving Voldemort a slight edge, and I'm not going to risk that, thank you very much," Harry snapped a little. He had been having this conversation with Ron and Hermione for numerous times now, and they just wouldn't let it go.
"Harry, you are exaggerating! It's just one week, and it's Christmas. Give yourself a break," Ron pleaded. He was getting worried about how obsessed Harry was on killing Voldemort once and for all. Of course, he knew about the prophecy and thus Harry's destiny, but he felt that Harry was pushing himself too much.
"Just drop it, please, Ron," Harry concluded the conversation and left for the shower, leaving a frustrated Ron gaping at him.
Soon, it was time for Ron and Hermione to leave Hogwarts. Harry helped Hermione carry her bags which were heavier than normal for a one-week vacation. Obviously, she managed to pack most of her books into the bag, undoubtedly with an undetectable extension charm. Being Hermione, she couldn't live a day without books.
"Harry, are you sure you don't want to follow?" This time, it's Hermione's turn to ask. Harry silenced her with a glare. "I'm tired of having this argument for the tenth time in three days, just leave it okay? It's not like I'm going to get crazy alone in the castle. Just enjoy your holidays, and don't worry about me, please?"
Reluctantly, Hermione nodded and wrapped Harry into a hug. Beside him, Ron thumped him on the back. "Take care, mate." With that, they both turned and boarded Hogwarts Express.
Harry waved and smiled at them until they glided out of his vision. Then, he strolled back to Hogwarts, feeling a little lonely. Hastily, he pushed the thoughts away and reminded himself that he voluntarily signed up to this and had no one to blame.
Harry was having his breakfast with several other students the next morning when a note appeared out of nothingness in front of his plate. He was the only Gryffindor staying for Christmas break, together with three Hufflepuffs, one Ravenclaw and a pair of Slytherin twins.
Filling his mouth with the last scoop of mashed potatoes, Harry stole a glance at Dumbledore who was seated at the high table, chatting with Flitwick. Dumbledore nodded and waved at Harry, confirming Harry's suspicion that the letter was from Dumbledore. He stuffed the letter into his bag and left the Great Hall.
Back at the Gryffindors' dormitory, Harry opened the seal and read the letter enthusiastically. Dear Harry, the letter said. Please meet me at my office by 8pm tonight. I managed to locate one Horcrux which happened to be at Hogwarts. We will try to destroy it tonight. I expect you to be on time. Yours sincerely, Professor Dumbledore.
The letter was short and forthright, but that did nothing to dampen Harry's spirit. He was hoping that Dumbledore had some breakthroughs about the Horcruxes, but he didn't expect it to be so fast. He thought that their sessions might mostly be watching memories and having discussions about guesses of possible Horcruxes, but now they already found one!
To say Harry was surprised and excited will be an understatement, he was exhilarated. After all, the earlier they destroy all the Horcruxes, the faster Voldemort would be mortal again, and greater the chance they would be able to kill him once and for all.
"I made the correct decision to stay for Christmas break. I wouldn't have liked to miss destroying a Horcrux," Harry decided with a grin. "Wait till Ron and Hermione hear about this, they will be pissed for missing the first hand information!"
Harry waited for the night to come with anticipation and apprehension. This simply had to go right.
7.50pm found Harry standing anxiously outside the gargoyle of Dumbledore's office. He wanted to dash in, but he wasn't sure if Dumbledore was ready yet. After all, he was 10 minutes early, and Dumbledore had many things on his mind.
What if the horcrux was not real? What if they didn't manage to destroy the Horcrux? Everything they knew about Horcruxes was only by theory, would it work? What if the Horcrux managed to possess him because of his connection with Voldemort, and he harmed Dumbledore? What if…?
Thoughts were running wild in Harry's mind, and he found his calmness slipping away every second he was standing alone in front of Dumbledore's office. His face was clammy and his hands trembling slightly. He didn't know how long he could stand before his legs gave way.
"Mr Potter, would you mind giving me the password and get in? You have been standing there and fidgeting for more than 5 minutes, it's quite disturbing. Do me a favor, please? I want to rest, boy." The voice of the gargoyle snapped Harry out of his trance. "Err...sorry, do you know if Professor Dumbledore is free now? I don't want to interrupt him if he is busy," Harry asked, blushing a little. "He is actually waiting for you. Password?" "Chocolate frogs." The gargoyle leapt aside and granted Harry's entrance.
"Good evening, Harry. Take a seat. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore was sitting in his usual position serenely, with a twinkle in his eyes. Harry couldn't help but admire how the older wizard can stay calm in almost any situation. No doubt why Dumbledore was recognized as the most powerful wizard of the time, and the only wizard Voldemort was afraid of.
Harry accepted the lemon drop and nodded his thanks towards the professor. Taking a seat at the comfortable chair Dumbledore gestured at, Harry waited patiently for Dumbledore to start the conversation. He knew they were going to have a brief walkthrough of what they were supposed to do before executing it.
"So, Harry, it's my pleasure to inform you that I had successfully located the whereabouts of a Horcrux, namely Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, which as its name suggests, was thought to have been lost hundreds of years ago. I knew Voldemort had sought it in his years as a Hogwarts student, though I had not acknowledged his success until yesterday, when Helena, Ravenclaw's resident ghost, notified me that she spilled the secrets to Tom Riddle. I understand that Tom can be very charming when he wants to," Dumbledore finished. He smiled when Harry nodded his understanding.
"Err...professor? I have a question. How did Voldemort return the diadem to Hogwarts after turning it to a Horcrux? I thought Hogwarts denied his entrance when he turned dark?" Harry asked. He was anxious to see and destroy the diadem, but he couldn't refrain from asking the questions immediately. It worried him tremendously to think that Voldemort could once walk in the passages of Hogwarts even after he turned dark, it just didn't seem right.
"Voldemort entered Hogwarts as Tom Riddle when he applied for the post as DADA professor. It was not known to the public that Tom was Voldemort, although I'm pretty positive about that, so I can't deny his entrance, unfortunately," Dumbledore explained. "Oh," Harry said, not knowing what to respond. "Should we get going now?" he asked. "As soon as you are ready, my boy." Harry nodded his consent and stood up. Dumbledore followed suit and led Harry out of his office.
Several minutes later, Harry found himself standing outside the entrance to the Room of Requirements. "Voldemort hid his Horcrux here, without any protection? Anyone can access the room if one knows just what to do." Harry couldn't keep the curiosity and awe out of his tone. He fully expected the Horcrux to at least be kept somewhere guarded by perhaps another basilisk.
"Yes, Harry, nice question. My guess would be that Tom discovered this room as a student, and being the arrogant Tom, he thought no one knew about it other than him. Another speculation is that he is willing to bet no one would guess him placing such an important artifact in Hogwarts, where most Light wizards can reach easily. A psychological battle, which he had lost, apparently."
Dumbledore proceeded to pace back and forth three times when Harry muttered another "oh", feeling quite dumb for the second time. Needless to say, it is not easy to figure out Voldemort, and Dumbledore, who simply seemed to know everything.
A soft 'pop' and the door materialized in front of Harry's eyes, not that he was shocked. After all, he had been cooped inside this room long enough with the DA last year. Silently, he followed Dumbledore and entered the room without any back thoughts.
Before Harry could do anything, Dumbledore waved his wand in a flourish, muttering complicated Latin under his breath. They both stood still, apparently anticipating for something to happen, although Harry had no idea what. Meanwhile, Harry eyed his surroundings. Things that looked like junk were piled all over the place, ranging from school books to brooms and even candies. "Strange room," Harry pondered.
Dumbledore gave a small sigh when nothing happened after a minute. "Seems like we need to search for the diadem manually. Harry, why don't you go down that aisle while I search here," Dumbledore motioned to another path surrounded by mounds of everything. "Just send me a signal with your wand if you come across the diadem." Harry agreed and moved in the direction Dumbledore pointed just now.
Scanning through the piles and piles of unwanted things that seemed to stretch into infinity, Harry couldn't help but wonder how many days would it take before they found the diadem. "At least a week, I would bet," he chuckled darkly to himself. Nothing was ever easy around Voldemort. He guessed he should be thankful that at least they knew for sure that the diadem was in this room, and was not searching the whole Britain for a bloody Horcrux.
He was lost in thoughts when a familiar cabinet caught his attention. The cabinet was placed among other junks, but there was a large space cleared around it. A few tools and magical objects were scattered around it. It was obvious that someone was working on it, maybe to restore it?
Harry racked his brains to recall when he saw a cabinet like this. He knew he did. Suddenly, memories of him trailing Draco to Borgin and Burkes flashed through his mind. Then it all clicked and made sense. This cabinet was the project Draco was working on mysteriously for the whole year. Why was it important though?
Harry was taking a step closer to examine the cabinet when a red streak of light illuminated the room. Dumbledore had found the diadem. A little begrudgingly, Harry casted a point-me spell and followed his wand to Dumbledore. He made a mental note to come back and find out more about the cabinet later. It was obvious that the cabinet had some special usage. Even a dunderhead would know Draco Malfoy couldn't be spending his time restoring a normal cabinet.
Fortunately, Dumbledore was not too far away from Harry. Harry reached Dumbledore after several minutes trailing through the unwanted goods and debris. Dumbledore was holding a diadem close to his eyes, scrutinizing every inch of it. "Yes, this is Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. It has the motto 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure on it' ".
"So we found it?" Harry asked, partly wanting to notify Dumbledore of his arrival, as the older wizard was in a trance of his own. The leader of light nodded slightly, but made no move to talk or proceed with destroying the Horcrux.
"Err..so what now, sir?" Harry asked, a little tentatively. "We destroy it," Dumbledore stated simply. "How?" Harry couldn't help feeling more than a little dumb asking this question. Dumbledore surely would have planned things out, right? "What do you think?" Dumbledore caught Harry off guard.
"Huh?" Harry stared, gaping at his professor. Dumbledore was asking him how to destroy the Horcrux? He simply had no idea. How was he supposed to know anyway? Dumbledore knew full well that there were no reference books about Horcrux in the library, not even the Restricted Section, thus Harry would fail to retrieve any useful information even if he tried. Not that he tried, anyway.
But wait a minute. Voldemort. Horcrux. Diary. "We pierce it with Basilisk fang," Harry stated, his eyes searching the older wizard for confirmation.
There. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eye was obvious when he turned to face Harry. "Yes, my boy. Very good. Any other ideas?"
Other ways? Harry racked his brain. He only destroyed a Horcrux one, and methods to destroy Horcruxes were definitely not an everyday syllabus. What makes Dumbledore think he would have other ideas? "Gryffindor's sword," Harry blurted out before considering the idea thoroughly.
The effect of the words on the headmaster was obvious and immediate. He smiled at Harry, while his whole body was literally radiating happiness. "Good boy, you really listened to my words, didn't you?"
Harry felt himself blush. Willing his cheeks to return to normal, he replied, "of course I pay attention to your words, sir. I remember you telling me that the Sword of Gryffindor will absorb the powers of anything it comes in contact with. So, it would have possessed the powers of Basilisk venom after I killed the Basilisk with it?"
The professor nodded. "I'm so proud of you, Harry." Harry felt the tinge of pink returning to his cheeks. Truth be told, he had no idea why he could remember the statement from second year, let alone have the ability to deduce the whole logic. Maybe fate was helping him. No matter what, he was happy to make his mentor proud. "But I will also make sure I deserve it next time," Harry swore to himself.
By the time Harry and Dumbledore dealt with the Horcrux, Harry was ready to fall unconscious in his bed of exhaustion. Dragging his unwilling body through the corridors of Hogwarts, he recalled the events of the evening.
The professor and student left the Room of Requirements shortly after their conversation. Once back to Dumbledore's office, Dumbledore decided that it was easier to use the sword to end this Horcrux. Harry immediately agreed. He was thankful that they didn't need to trek all the way to the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and into the chamber of secrets. Moreover, Harry would be damned having Myrtle flirting with him in front of Dumbledore.
So, Harry commanded the Horcrux to open using Parseltongue whereas Dumbledore was holding the sword, prepared to stab the Horcrux to death upon its opening. Unfortunately, Dumbledore's reflexes might have deteriorated due to old age or his blackened hand, thus he somehow missed the diadem. As a result, the Horcrux flew directly towards Harry, which he was barely able to keep away from him despite the ultra strong shield he casted.
For unknown reasons, the Horcrux was finally subdued when Harry decided to fist fight it. The situation would be hilarious if the diadem was not trying to smack into Harry's scar every second. After a tough fight, Dumbledore managed to get an aim and pierced the diadem. Both Harry and Dumbledore were drained the time they finished. Thus, Harry left immediately after bidding farewell.
"Watch your step, Harry!" The Fat Lady shrieked. Too late, Harry tripped and almost bumped into the portrait. He hastily picked himself up from the floor, and grumbled "christmas" to the Fat Lady, who was laughing at Harry. The portrait swung open, granting Harry entrance to the Gryffindor's common room.
Finally succumbing into his fatigue, Harry fell asleep on the sofa, with his legs falling off the end. He knew he would regret this decision the next morning, but it was so appealing at this moment that he simply couldn't deny the comfortable sofa. Momentarily, he forgot about the mystery of the cabinet. Not for long though.
A/N : Draco is missing in this chapter, but I promise he will be back in the next. Oh, and the timeline of my story will be a bit different from HBP. I try my best to make it canon-compliance for HBP, but some minor changes will apply to suit my plot. Hope that clears any confusion you might have. And thanks for the review turanga4!
Coming up next...Christmas from Draco's perspective
