Minerva entered her office to see Filius, Harold, Hermione, Poppy, Alastor Moody, Amelia Bones and Remus Lupin. She raised an eyebrow in question as she looked at Harold. He sighed in frustration before speaking his mind. "This war will not be won with our forces divided. It is time to trust and pull our strengths together."
"I tried that with the Order," Minerva replied frigidly. "Only to have Remus here insult Harry's abilities and Ronald Weasley to insult Hermione."
"The twins have straightened out Ron," Alastor offered. "Remus here wants to apologize to Harry when he sees him again."
Minerva looked at Remus and raised her eyebrow in silent question. The werewolf felt like a teen again under her stern expression. "I didn't realize how powerful Harry is but that's entirely my fault. I didn't spend enough time with him when I should have. I let him and his parents down," Remus said sorrowful.
"It's about time you pulled your head out of your arse," Harry said as he walked into the office from the living room.
Remus frowned at the confidence Harry showed. "You have changed since the end of the school year," Remus said. "What happened to cause such a drastic change?"
Harry looked at Minerva, Harold and then Hermione to seek their opinions. Three brief nods and he answered honestly. "I chose to save a witch from certain death and completed the Animagus Mating Ritual."
"What," Remus asked confused. Amelia and Alastor stared wide-eyed at Minerva although Remus missed that. It seemed they connected the dots.
Harry looked at Remus and tried to explain. "Harold, Hermione and I stopped the Death Eaters from completing the ritual; however, the ritual had already began so it had to be completed. Hermione and me were the only two able to complete the ritual. The witch was straight so that left me to complete the ritual. I didn't understand much about the ritual but I refused to refer to the witch as my property or slave. I somehow changed the ritual and it has had some interesting side-effects."
"You have stumped the Unspeakable Department," Harold grumbled.
Harry grinned micheviously at him before turning his attention back to Remus. "I have learned more about myself and my abilities since the ritual. I am able to shift through her memories and she mine. I can communicate with her if I am touching her mating mark. It is truly amazing to be able to trust and experience a connection that strong."
Remus looked calculating at Harry before a theory took over his mind. "Who is your wife," he asked.
Harry grinned before walking to Minerva and unbuttoning her top three buttons on her shirt. He walked behind her and gently moved her shirt aside to show her mating mark. Her Phoenix tattoo proudly on display and was the identical image of Harry's animagus form. "Minerva is," Harry said gently.
Remus stared wide-eyed as his theory was proven wrong. I thought it was going to be a Death Eater's child Remus thought. Remus looked speechless at the revelation. "Accept it and move on," Harry said as he looked at Remus. "We have accepted the bonding and after this war is won, we will not hide our marriage but you understand the need for discretion now, right?" Remus simply nodded his head. He was too stunned to manage anything else.
"Now that is settled," Hermione said. "Can we pull our resources and win this war?"
"Hogwarts has named Minerva it's protector so I believe Hogwarts will be the strong hold," Harold said. "We have an heir from each house on our side as well."
"A Slythrein heir," Amelia Bones asked suprised.
"Helen was captured by Tom Riddle last war," Harold said. "Hermione is the heir of Slythrein. The bastard doesn't even know she exists."
"He does," Harry injected. "When we blocked his entrance to the castle, he figured it out. He contacted all of the families with children in the castle that support his way of thinking and discovered Hermione is his heir."
"Damn," Alastor said. "I was hoping we had more time before he realized that."
"The heirs will need to stay on Hogwarts ground," Amelia said in thought. "We need Hogwarts as a stronghold."
"That's not going to be possible," Harry said with a frown. "The bastard created Horcuxes and some of them have Parseltongue protections that either Hermione or I will need to break through."
"Horcuxes as in more than one," Moody asked in horror.
"Tom Riddle's diary which I destroyed, Marvolo Gaunt's ring which Dumbledore destroyed, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Salazar Slythrein's locket which I have in my possession but haven't been able to destroy it yet, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, Nagini the snake and then the final one," Harry said emotionally. "I know the location of all of them and the protections keeping them safe."
Moody and Amelia were cussing at the very thought of the Horcuxes and their existence but Remus looked at Harry calculating. Harry's rigid posture sent red flags up for the werewolf. "What's the last Horcux Harry," Remus asked, concern showing on his face.
Harry walked to the window and turned his back to the group. "Me," Harry whispered despondent.
"What," Minerva gasped in horror. "You kept that piece of information from me." Minerva walked to Harry and slid in between him and the window. She touched his mating mark with her hand. "Please," she begged. "Let me in."
Harry placed his hand on her Phoenix mark and allowed her access to his mind. She found the information about the Horcuxes and watched memory after memory feeling what Harry felt as he learned about it. Tears streamed down her face as the anguish he felt settled in her consciousness. Harry tried to break their connection to prevent Minerva from feeling everything he did but she refused to allow him. She wrapped her magic around them, flames surrounding them both but not harming either, and prevented him from moving away from her. "You don't need to see anymore," Harry said pleadingly. "You have seen the Horcux information."
Minerva ignored him. He was attempting to hide something from her. "No secrets," she pleaded and continued searching.
Minerva finally found what she was searching for. A conversation between Harold and Harry about the removal of the Horcux inside of Harry's scar. Minerva frowned at the information she gleamed. She broke their connection and tried to hold herself together emotionally. "Prepare the damn ritual," she said to Harold as she flashed out of the room in a cloud of flames.
Harry wrestled with collecting himself emotionally before calling out to Amethyst. "Where did she go girl," he asked.
Amethyst trilled sorrowfully before flashing an image to Harry. "Thank you girl," he said as she flashed away. "Minerva is off Hogwarts ground so I guess you have the wards Filius."
Suprised, Filius closed his eyes and searched. "I have them," he confirmed. "Minerva passed them to me as soon as she crossed the boundary line."
Harry smiled sadly before looking at Harold. "I beg you please don't prepare that ritual," he pleaded, unshed tears shining in his emerald eyes. "I would rather die if something went wrong. I couldn't live with myself."
"It will be Minerva's call," Harold said sternly. "I assume she saw the entire conversation and knows the risks."
Harry frowned at his surrogate dad. "I need to go to Minerva," he said. "I don't know how long we will stay away. We have a hell of a conversation to have." With that said, he transformed into his Phoenix form and flashed out of the room.
"What the bloody hell is the ritual they are referring to," Moody asked confused.
"I found a reference in the Unspeakable Department about a cleansing potion for a living Horcrux," Harold said. "One of the ingredients needed is the blood of the living Horcux's lifeline."
"Lifeline," Remus said. "Harry has no children."
"Minerva's pregnant," Hermione whispered sadly. "If something goes wrong she will most likely miscarry."
"Merlin," Amelia Bones said in frustration.
