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Hi, Friends, Sorry for the delay in getting this back up but I rewrote part of it and added a new twist at the end. I know the story may seem as if it will become redundant but I promise you that it won't. Since the beginning of Harry's Last Hope, I knew how this would end.

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Harry held his hand to his forehead as it continued pulsing with pain. Voldemort couldn't be alive, he just couldn't have survived! Up until now he hadn't told anyone about what Bellatrix had divulged to him regarding the horcrux. What the bloody hell was a horcrux anyway? As much as he wanted to keep it a secret from anyone, he knew he had to tell.

He looked at the people staring at him, they all wore looks of concern. He hesitated, then his eyes landed on his godfather, "I need to tell you something …it's kind of unbelievable and I don't even know if it's true."

"What is it Harry? You know you can tell me anything," Sirius said, placing a hand to Harry's arm.

Harry looked at his friends again. He closed his eyes then blurted out, "I think maybe Voldemort is back."

"What? That's impossible!" Ron exclaimed

"Harry, you're just feeling stressed," Hermione said.

Draco shook his head, "No, I saw the body. I know for a fact that the bastard is dead."

Harry looked towards his girlfriend. She was sitting on the edge of his bed with a look of utter horror on her face.

"Harry, what makes you think it could be possible?" Sirius asked.

Harry pressed his hand to his scar, but kept his gaze directed at Ginny, "I can feel him."

Ginny closed her eyes.

"How can it be possible?" Hermione asked.

Harry tore his eyes away from his girlfriend and looked at Hermione. "Have you ever heard of something called a horcrux?" Hermione shook her head. "Think about it… how was it ever possible for Voldemort to survive that killing curse he used on me when I was a baby? His own killing curse had bounced off me and struck him down… yet he survived." Harry grabbed up his wand and cast a privacy spell over the room. He couldn't take any chances of anyone else listening in.

"When I was being held captive by Bellatrix, she told me that Voldemort had cast something called a horcrux within me. I don't know what it is exactly but she promised Voldemort that if anything ever happened to him she would come looking for me and keep me safe."

"Oh that's rich! Keep you safe, she said!?! It didn't look like she was doing a very good job of keeping you safe whenshe got a hold of you," Sirius spat out, raking his fingers through his hair. "I can't wait to get my hands on that bitch after what lies she's filled your head with! She's a liar, Harry. You shouldn't listen to anything she has to say!"

"Calm down, Sirius," Harry said, patting his godfather's arm. Up until now, Sirius had been acting rather calm, it was hard to see him lose control.

"Don't you tell me to calm down! She nearly killed you and not just once either. And now she's filling your head with lies! Harry, you may not know this but when you were in the infirmary I saw what she did to you …I saw those bruises and whip marks all over your body, your wrists were caked with blood from being tied up. Not to mention those awful love bites and I don't even want to think about what else she probably did!"

Harry's face turned a crimson red. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone about what she had done to him in Vespa's cell. He had pushed that nightmare deep down and refused to let himself dwell on that time.. He covered his face with his hands to keep from seeing the looks of outrage and horror his friends now wore.

"Harry, what did she do to you?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head, he couldn't force himself to talk about it. He turned his attention to his godfather. He felt a heavy dose of betrayal towards the man. "Don't talk about that. It's no one's business but mine."

"I'm not going to let you believe any story that bitch tells you! How can you believe anything she has to say after what she did to you?" Sirius was standing with his hands clenched into fists.

"That's enough, Sirius! She didn't do anything!" Harry yelled, wishing to just melt into the bed.

"She didn't do anything?" Sirius repeated incredulously, "If she wasn't the one to litter your neck and chest with love bites, then who put those there!?!"

"Shut up! Just shut the bloody hell up!" Harry was sitting up, his whole body tense with anger. "What does any of that have to do with the horcrux? What does dredging up a horrible event like that have to do with anything!?!"

"It has everything to do with this situation!" Sirius yelled. "I can't believe Dumbledore hasn't forced you to talk about this stuff. It really bothers me that you're allowed to pretend that it never happened. You should know by now what a liar Bellatrix is. I grew up with her, I know what she's like!"

Harry suddenly felt exhausted. He fell back against the pillows and just shook his head in denial. How had this conversation wound up to be about that time in the cell?

"Harry, you should listen to, Sirius," Draco said. "I've known Bella my whole life and she is most definitely a liar. She would say anything to get her way."

Harry growled out in frustration. His head pounded and he felt like he might sick up from thinking about that time spent alone with Bellatrix. Now everyone knew about it, they would pity him. His hand automatically went to his neck and the bite she had given him. Thanks to Severus' potion it was no longer red and swollen but there was still a faint mark left behind.

Hermione could see how this conversation had effected her friend, "Maybe we should talk about this later. Why don't I go back to the school and try to research what a horcrux really is. Sirius, could I borrow that extra large black book on dark curses you have in your library?"

"Sure," Sirius said, trying to calm down. "I'll go to Grimmauld Place and pick it up right away."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Ron added, feeling bad for what Harry must have gone through. "It probably isn't as bad as you think it is, Harry."

Harry closed his eyes, "Yeah."

"Harry?" Sirius asked, unsure if the teen was angry with him. "I didn't mean to get you mad, I just think you should see Bella for who she really is."

Harry couldn't muster the words to say everything was okay. He still felt betrayed to have his experience talked about so openly. If he had wanted his friends to know about Bella, he would have told them himself. He kept his eyes closed and mumbled, "I need to sleep."

One by one his friends left. Each had a word of encouragement to give him. He felt pathetic for having garnered their pity.

"I'm sorry I opened my big mouth. Do you forgive me, kiddo?" Sirius asked, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

Harry nodded but didn't look him in the eye. Sirius gave him a pat on the arm before leaving him alone with Ginny.

She slid in the bed next to him. Her arm draped across his chest and her head was tucked under his chin. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight.

They stayed that way for a few minutes before she spoke, "I believe you."

Harry felt a sense of relief wash over him, "I wish it wasn't true but…" the sentence trailed off into silence.

A long moment later, Ginny asked, "Harry, what did Bella do to you?"

Harry's arm tightened further, "She-she forced me to kiss her. I can't explain how awful it felt …it was horrible."

Ginny hugged him tighter.

"I can take the beatings and stuff but …that kiss is what I have nightmares of."

"I can't really remember much of the time I spent with Voldemort but …I think he kissed me too," Ginny quietly confessed.

Harry suddenly felt like such a git. He hadn't really given much thought to what Ginny must be going through after her time spent with Voldemort. He had thought she didn't really remember much about that time since she had been placed under the Imperius. "It must have been awful. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you through it."

Ginny looked up at him with pain filled eyes, "We'll help each other. Just do me a favor?"

"Okay?"

"Trust me," Ginny said, "You can tell me anything."

"I know," Harry said, for the first time feeling like he could. "It's just hard for me to talk about Bellatrix. I felt so helpless, being tied up and all. I don't think I've ever felt so threatened in my life."

"Not even when you fought Voldemort?"

"No, not even then. When I fought Voldemort my only thoughts were getting you out of the graveyard. I didn't have time to feel afraid for myself. When Bella tied me up, it brought about all these bad memories from when my uncle used to hurt me. But, I know she was telling the truth about the horcrux."

"What does your dad say about all this?" Ginny asked.

Harry knew he wasn't supposed to tell anyone about Severus' loss of memory but he needed to talk about it. "Vespa cast a terrible spell against Severus and he lost his memories of this past summer. He didn't even remember that he had adopted me."

"Oh, Harry! You mean to tell me that you've been dealing with this all by yourself?"

"Yeah. It's hard to talk to Sirius about that stuff. He's been through so much and Severus wasn't himself either. He was treating me like he used to before the adoption."

Ginny grimaced at the thought of Professor Snape treating Harry that way, especially after all that Harry had been through. "Where is Professor Snape now?'

Harry pulled the tattered blanket up over both of them, "Dumbledore found a spell that's supposed to restore all of Severus' memories. They've been under a spell induced coma since last night. That was the reason Draco's mum was watching me last night."

"How could your dad leave you with someone like her?" Ginny asked in outrage.

"He trusts her. She even slept over one night," the bitterness in Harry's voice was plain to hear. "He fancies her and was probably hoping we would form a friendship or something. Severus isn't exactly thinking clearly these days."

"So Professor Snape doesn't even know about this horcrux?"

"No, he doesn't remember anything. I told him about it in the cell but that was before his memories were taken."

"How long do you think it will take for the memory spell to take?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. Severus said it could take up to a few days."

"I hope Professor Snape is better soon," Ginny whispered. The sunlight had just started to break through the clouds, filling the room with filtered light. It somehow felt safe in the dingy, run down shack.

"The spell isn't exactly good for someone as old as Dumbledore. I just wish I knew how they were doing?" Harry's eyes conveyed just how worried he really was for his father.

"Do you want me to try and find out?" Ginny offered.

Harry nodded then kissed her on top of the head. She looked up and their lips connected. The passion filled kiss was just what they both needed to wipe away the memories of those other kisses they had been forced to endure.

Ginny sat up, turning to look at Harry, "I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll find out where your dad and Dumbledore are performing their memory spell. It shouldn't take me too long to find out how they're doing." She got up and grabbed the rucksack Hermione had brought back earlier. She rummage though it and pulled out a sandwich and bottle of water. "Here, I expect you to finish this before I get back, Mr. Potter."

"You sound like your mum," Harry teased.

"My mum's not as strict as I am," Ginny said, giving her boyfriend a wink.

"Gin, could you bring me back my Firebolt and some clothes? I think I would feel better knowing that I have a way to leave fast if I have to."

"Sure. That's a good idea to have a way to escape … just in case you need it." She gave him a long look that began to make Harry uncomfortable, before she finally left.

Harry waited until she left before he stood up on shaky legs. He made his way over to the grimy window and pressed his burning forehead to the icy pane. Outside, the ground was covered in a field of white snow. That feeling of foreboding just wouldn't leave him. He knew Voldemort was out there …looking for him.

This wouldn't be like the last time Voldemort had come after him, far from it. Harry had too much knowledge to let things get out of control like they had before.

He remembered back to his first year at Hogwarts. He remembered when he had seen Voldemort, nothing more than an aberrant fetus feeding off the blood of a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.

One thought struck him; if ever there was a time to go after Voldemort, this was that time. If he could reach Voldemort before any of the remaining death eaters did, then it should be easy to kill the beast.

The sound of his stomach grumbling loudly forced him away from the window. He grabbed up the sandwich and bottle of water and sat on the bed to eat.

He had to keep his strength up in case he had to flee. It was crucial to stay out of the ministries reach. He needed to hide out until Dumbledore and his dad were ready to help him. He knew he would need their help before facing down Voldemort, no matter how weakened Voldemort would be.

The roast beef sandwich tasted good after not eating for so long. He finished off the bottle of water then relax against the mound of moldy pillows. The heaviness he had been feeling from the dreamless sleeping potion was beginning to wear off. Now he was just feeling the natural signs of fatigue. His eyes slowly closed, allowing him to be pulled into sleep.

Before long his dreams turned into nightmares and were filled with an evil presence. He let the presence come closer so he could clearly see what he would be dealing with. His scar throbbed but not like it had before. There was no deep connection, just a feeling of darkness.

A small shadow appeared in his dream, unmistakably something wicked. The shadow stopped as if it felt Harry's presence too. It turned in Harry's direction and started coming towards him with an eagerness that could be felt. Harry stepped back and began to run. He felt foolish for having alerted the shadow of his presence. In his nightmare, he ran as if his legs were stuck in thick goo. He struggled to get as far away from the shadow as he could but he could barely move his legs.

The shadow was coming for him, that much was undeniable. The shadow was almost coming into focus before Harry was abruptly pulled out of the vision by a strong shake to his shoulders.

Ginny and Sirius had been calling Harry's name for a few moments. They panicked when it looked like he was struggling to breathe. They resorted to shaking him forcefully when he looked as if he were straining to come out of his nightmare.

Harry's eyes flew open and he looked into two very concerned faces. It took a moment to grasp the significance of the dream he just had. Whatever that shadow was, it was coming closer. It had felt him and now it knew that Harry was no longer under the protection of Hogwarts Castle.

"I have to get back to the castle!" Harry croaked, grabbing at Sirius' arm.

"You can't!" Ginny said, her voice wavering with fright. "The castle is crawling with Aurors."

"Then I have to get to Grimmauld Place!" the sound of Harry's panic was heard by both Sirius and Ginny.

"Harry, relax," Sirius said, pushing him back down onto the mound of pillows. "It was just a nightmare. Besides, Grimmauld Place isn't safe anymore. Someone broke in and tore the place apart. I'm assuming they did it to find you."

"That's impossible," Harry and Ginny both said at the same time. Ginny said, "Only Order members can get in."

"I just came from there and found the place ransacked. There must be a spy in the Order," Sirius said, feeling like a failure for not being able to offer his godson a safe place.

Harry tried to think logically, he tried to come to some sort of rational solution. The ministry was after him, this shadow of Voldemort was after him, he had no where to hide. He was sure the shadow knew where he was now and it was only a matter of time before it came for him. Merlin, he was in trouble!

He looked into the concerned faces of his girlfriend and godfather. He knew they would stand by his side no matter who was coming for him, whether it be Voldemort or the Minister himself! He couldn't let them be harmed by Voldemort or arrested by the ministry. His heart twisted with the thought of Sirius being locked up once again. No, he had to deal with this alone, at least until his dad and Dumbledore could help him. It was the only way to keep everyone safe.

He had to stay safe until his dad and Dumbledore were finished with the memory spell. Then, they would know what to do. They would know what a Horcrux was and how to get rid of it. They would take care of Fudge and Moody. He just had to stay safe until then.

"Harry, what happened to make you think you need to get out of here?" Ginny asked, taking a seat on the bed next to him.

Harry knew the only way to get Ginny and Sirius to leave him by himself would be to lie. In his most convincing voice he said, "Nothing, I think I was just having a nightmare. It's nothing. Ginny, what did you find out about Severus and Dumbledore?"

"I spoke to Madame Pomfrey and she said everything is going along fine with your dad and the headmaster. She said they're fine but still under the spell induced coma."

All three sat in heavy silence. Harry knew he what he needed to do. The thought of it was rather frightening but he knew he was ready to face that fear. It was important that he do this on his own.

Ginny finished unpacking the bag she had brought, putting all his clothes on the bed. She brought over his cloak,. "I brought your warmest cloak."

Harry took hold of the fur lined cloak and ran a finger over the sillver clasp. Thoughts of Severus and all the man had given him came to mind. His chest felt tight just thinking of his dad.

"Your Firebolt's by the door, Harry," Ginny said, running a hand through the fur in the cloak. "Try to stay in bed, Harry. I should be able to sneak back after supper. I have to get back to the school before my next class."

"Thanks for everything, Gin," Harry said, knowing that he wouldn't be here when she returned. By then he should be far away. It was the only way to keep himself and his friends safe. He pulled her into a tight embrace then kissed her when he noticed Sirius turn his back and face the fire to allow them a bit of privacy.

Ginny looked at Harry. She could tell that something wasn't right. She almost decided to stay with him instead of heading back to the school but changed her mind thinking that might draw the attention of the ministry aurors to her. She reluctantly walked to the door and went back to the school.

"I better get going too, kiddo. I want to get back to Grimmauld Place in case that traitor comes back. Will you be okay here all by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Be careful, Sirius," Harry said, getting out of bed so he could give Sirius a hug.

After a moment, Sirius pushed Harry back arms length away and looked at him. "You remind me so much of your father. James would have been so proud of you, Harry. You're growing into a fine man."

"Thanks," Harry whispered, his emotions felt too close to the surface so he forced them down. He would need nothing but bravery to get through the next few days.

Sirius left him alone in the musty room. Harry changed into a warm pair of jeans and one of the jumpers Mrs. Weasley had given him for Christmas.

He packed the rucksack Hermione had brought earlier with all the clothes and food he had left. He wasn't sure if he'd need it.

He grabbed up his Firebolt and warm cloak before heading outside. As soon as he stepped out into the open air, he felt a sharp stab in his scar. He felt the shadow approaching fast. He had to get out of here now!

There was only one place he knew he would be safe from Voldemort.

There was only one place the ministry would never think to look for him.

There was only one place that would protect him …Number 4 Privet Drive and the blood protection his mum had left him.

He kicked off on the hard snow, soaring through the crisp air. The sky was filled with the threat of another storm. The icy cold air stung his ears, making him wish he had asked Ginny to bring him a hat too. His heart thudded madly in his chest when he thought about the place he was seeking refuge. He never imagined he would willing go back to Privet Drive.

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