Author's Note:
Comments and Reviews: Only two Quidditch players so far (Oliver and Angelina LOL). I love that everyone is appreciating my Ron love. He is such an incredible character that I think is overlooked and everyone thinks Hermione is too good for him when in fact I think it's the other way around. To AntiCreator: Thank you. It warms me to know that my writing makes people cry as I have invested them well enough in this story to do so. Harry will be getting more powerful, but remember at this point, he's still only 15 and is learning. To Wolf's scream: Hermione's list was in her head, so no worries on anyone stumbling across it LOL. To speedsONEandONLY: It WAS underhanded to tell Molly that he needed Ginny to help him heal, but growing up with Sirius has taught Harry a few tricks. And yes, Ciara may start calling Theo "uncle" soon. To Saz J: "lovely chapter until it becomes a hot messy ooh lala tonks and remus" lmao! I just loved that! To rawsoncara: Thank you! I've been learning Irish for years too and I feel like I know next to nothing. It is a hard language to learn. To Guest: Thank you, I appreciate your opinions. To I-cant-think-of-a-username7: One of the best fanfics you've read in ten years? Wow! Thank you so much! I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story as it progresses.
To Pegg7: So glad everyone loves my Theo as much as me. He's not going to be included in FUVP no, but he is going to be important in what's to come. To PurpleLotus: Thanks, when I was googling types of wand wood I just loved that one and became intrigued enough to make it more important to Theo in that way. To SylviaLestrange: Thanks for reading! Ah the Hinny love scene, it will come, but not yet. They aren't quite ready and I think they are too young just yet. Thanks for leaving a review and don't worry, Zee and Ginny will be there to help Harry along.
For those of who have been commenting on Neville and how having Sirius in his life has changed him and helped him along, I agree, and thank you. Neville's story is important too, just give me time to get there.
My posting schedule: Once a week.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE:
Draco wasn't sure how this had happened.
No, that was a lie, he knew exactly how it had happened.
He sat on his bed, the moon trickling through the window and he stared down at the vivid tattoo on his left forearm. The terrifying skull with the snake that flowed through it. The sight of it made him want to vomit, but it was part of him now. He had stood tall and accepted it and for the first time in his life he had seen pride in his grandfather's eyes and he'd hated himself for it.
It had burned like fire, the tip of the Dark Lord's wand poking so hard into his skin that he thought it would puncture right through his arm. He'd watched in fascination the way the ink had fizzled and burned before glowing a dark vibrant green and heated as if he'd put his arm in the fire. Then it had fizzed out and he'd felt numb.
There had been applause.
And then the Dark Lord had told him his task and the words had been haunting him for the last twenty-four hours.
"Your grandfather is a treasure to me, Draco, but your father has trouble following simple instructions. We won't have that kind of trouble with you, will we?"
"No, my Lord," he'd answered quickly.
Voldemort stared at him for a long moment. He could feel the probe on his mind, but he didn't dig in any further and Draco was grateful. Until he spoke again.
"Everyone keeps asking me, why did I leave the Ministry? Why did I see it crumble and then call everyone away? Was it cowardice? Was it stupidity? No, it was neither. It was because someone stands in my way. Albus Dumbledore."
"Let me kill him for you, my Lord," Bellatrix begged.
Voldemort shot her a look and she quieted. "I need him dead, that much is true. Taking over the Ministry - in any capacity - is foolish with him around. He has too many allies, too much influence... but if he were to be killed, the confidence that he helps the Ministry hold onto will be shaken, and then we can move in more easily for the kill. Bart."
Crouch's eager eyes met the Dark Lord's. "Yes, my Lord?"
"Draco will prove himself to me by killing Dumbledore, don't you think?"
Crouch looked crestfallen before he caught himself. "Yes, my Lord. He is lucky to be given such an honour."
Draco swallowed and his hands shook. "My Lord, I have never..."
Voldemort sneered. "You will be remembered forever as the one to defeat the great Albus Dumbledore. It is an honour and one you will carry out for me. Your task is not only to kill him, no - but to retrieve something for me when you return to school."
"Retrieve something, my Lord?"
"An old heirloom of mine that I hid away in a secret room. I never meant to leave it there as long as I have. I need it with me, for sentimental reasons."
Draco nodded. "I can do that, my Lord."
Voldemort smiled, his thin lips making it look twisted. "And one more thing, Draco. Killing Dumbledore isn't an easy task, I understand that. People have tried and been incapable of it, but you'll succeed where others haven't because you'll already have a death under your hands."
Draco paled at those words. "I will?"
"Your father," he said slowly, making Draco pale further. His lips twisted into a cruel smile as he paused dramatically. "Your father has failed me, Draco. He chose his emotions over his loyalty to me, so we're going to remove the root of his disobedience."
Draco only stared at him, waiting for instruction as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. What was he going to do if the Dark Lord instructed him to kill his father?
Voldemort's red eyes gleamed as they met Draco's. "You're first task is to bring me the Marquess of Norfolk and you will kill him in front of me."
"No!" Lucius exclaimed. "My Lord, Draco and Theodore, they grew up as close as brothers, asking him to do so is —"
"— Is what, Lucius? Brothers kill each other all the time, and this particular son of yours, as you claim, has caused me to lose one of my most loyal followers, one of my oldest and dearest friends. So, here's your choice, Lucius - which one of them will you allow to die? Draco or Theo."
Lucius' lip trembled and he sat back down at the table in silence.
Draco risked a glance at Voldemort. "He has powerful allies, my Lord. Potter, Dumbledore, and the whole Court of Tara."
Voldemort sneered. "The fae are not my concern, childish pranksters and nothing more. They have riches in their kingdom, true, and once I have power I will take those riches and give them to those who serve me well."
Draco nodded, his hands trembling in the pockets of his robes from where he had stored them. "Yes, my Lord."
Voldemort stared at him for a long moment, the probing on his mind getting a little stronger, but still not making an effort to dig further. "Fail me, Draco, and I will kill your mother - after my Death Eaters have their fun, of course. Lucius, tell me, how many times do you think we can rape your wife before she begs for death?"
Draco grabbed his father's wrist under the table and squeezed.
Lucius' fists clenched but he didn't respond.
Voldemort smirked. "As I thought, you're too cowardly to give me a real answer. You have the summer to prepare yourself, Draco. After all, I don't expect you to do all of this at once, oh no. I'm not a monster. I understand that you will need time to prepare and to train. We will worry first about you getting my possession, but that won't be until you return to school. In the meantime, why don't you go down to the dungeons with your Aunt Bella and Bart? They have two Muggle women that they've been playing with. You can see what will happen to your mother if you fail me. Go on, son."
Draco was sheet white when he stood to follow Bellatrix and Crouch down the stairs, but his mind was clear.
It had been twenty-four hours since Voldemort had given him his instructions and his mind was still clear.
And those implications worried him even more.
~ ASC ~
Bill was lying on his back, his hands folded under his head as he stared at the ceiling of his flat. Fleur was asleep next to him, curled into the pillow, her silvery blonde hair shimmering around her and covering her naked back. Part of it was what had happened, and part of it was his insatiable lust for her, but the two of them hadn't been able to keep their hands off of each other since the Department of Mysteries.
He knew that they were both so happy to be alive. Both had suffered minor injuries, but knowing that Sirius had been killed only made them more grateful for each other. The moment Bill had returned from the hospital after visiting his brother and sister, they'd pounced. He'd taken her against the wall of his flat, unable to control his lust, and they'd rutted against each other desperately until they'd collapsed to the floor. They'd stayed on the floor for round two before finally crawling to bed for round three.
Each day (between checking on his family and work), the two of them hadn't stopped touching. They'd even done it in his office at Gringotts. She sat in his desk chair and he'd knelt before her and used his mouth, her legs hanging over his shoulders during their lunch break.
Bill snuck a look over at her, at the sparkling diamond on her finger. The ring was an heirloom. When he had told Gamma that he wanted to propose, Cedrella Black Weasley had presented him with her grandmother's ring. A gorgeous rose gold and diamond flowered engagement ring that she had inherited when her grandmother died. Bill had immediately known it was perfect for Fleur.
He had known if he'd let himself get involved with her, he'd fall, but he hadn't expected to fall so hard and so fast. He knew that they were rushing into marriage, but he needed her in his life. It wasn't just the sex, though that was stupendous: It was her. She was brave and smart. She had a quick wit and a sassy mouth. After taking her on their first date, they'd spent two hours snogging on his sofa and he'd felt like he'd been back in school.
By the fourth date, she'd used her hands on him. On their fifth date, he'd used his mouth on her, and the sounds she'd made had made him hard for days. He'd been the first, he remembered; smiling as he looked at her. A beautiful witch like her and he'd been the first to make her orgasm, the first to give her the pleasure she deserved. It was the Veela part of her that made men into bumbling fools, too eager to get themselves off. He'd vowed never to let that happen. He wanted her to know how important it was and how much he loved giving her pleasure.
When they'd finally made love, she told him there had only been one other before him. The young man from Hogwarts who had taken her to the Yule Ball. It had happened quickly, after the Third Task, when she'd been upset and looking for comfort. She'd claimed it was nice, painful at first, but nice. After she and Bill had made love, she'd lain next to him, her heart pounding and claimed it had definitely been something more than nice.
They'd spent almost every night together since.
Working with her each day, he was amazed by how her brain worked. She talked to herself while working on projects, half in English and half in French, and swore like a sailor on leave in French when she was frustrated. When she succeeded at something, she still did the booty dance. Then she'd run at him and kiss him passionately. They made a great team and he couldn't imagine his life without her.
It only made him think more on what was coming.
Tomorrow afternoon was the meeting for Operation FUVP and he agreed with Remus on bringing in Harry and his friends. They needed to get this operation back up and running. They needed to find a way to bring those last two Horcruxes down so that they could end this damn war. He knew that as a group they should have been working more diligently to find it, but knowing it was hidden somewhere in a magical school where no one could find it, was rather daunting. Remus claimed that Harry and his friends thought they knew where it was but couldn't access it.
That intrigued him.
He wondered if it was a curse that needed to be broken. It would be nice if he could help in some way, but as far as his knowledge on the school was concerned, Hogwarts hadn't had any curse breaking to deal with since the ice curse fiasco back when he was in school.
He looked over at Fleur again, a soft smile on his lips, as she rolled onto her back. Her breasts were exposed to the cool air, and he let his eyes gaze over the perfect pink peaks, down her flat stomach and lower to where the sheet covered her. He couldn't wait to marry this woman either. He couldn't wait to start his life with her.
Bill turned on his side, reaching out to let his fingers trail down her stomach and beneath the sheet. They'd made love half an hour ago before she'd fallen asleep; he was sated from the two orgasms he'd given her, but the sight of her made him hard again. She was so incredibly beautiful and he still couldn't believe that someone like her had chosen him. His fingers slid between her folds, stroking softly, and she let out a sleepy groan that made him smile as he dipped his fingers into her. He brushed her clit as her eyes fluttered open, bright blue staring into him and he smiled.
"Come for me."
Fleur's legs fell open under the sheet and she kept her eyes on him as his fingers worked her, and it was only a few moments before she was panting below him, eyes wide as she cried out his name. He bent his head to capture her lips as she writhed beneath him. Then his hand was gone and he was kissing her neck, her breasts.
Fleur reached down to grip his cock. "Will you tire of me, you zink?"
Bill shook his head, letting her guide him into her. "Never."
When he began to thrust, she looped her arms around his neck to meet him and he kissed her over and over, bringing her up again and they crashed together. Fleur snuggled into him when he caught his breath.
"Je t'aime, Bill."
"Je t'aime," he said, kissing her once more.
"You 'orry about zis meeting aujourd'hui?"
"Oui," he said. "I'm worried about us, what the future will bring."
Fleur kissed his cheek. "We will be together. Zat is all zat matters."
Bill held her close. "We're going to the Burrow for dinner again this Sunday. Ginny will be gone, she's going to America with Harry and Zee."
"She does not zrust me, your seester."
Bill kissed her temple. "She likes you."
"As a woman, oui, but as ze woman who is about to marry her brother, non, she does not."
Bill chuckled. "Well, you'll have to win her over then, won't you? Show her you're more than just a pretty face."
Fleur only raised one perfect eyebrow. "I am much more zen a pretty face. Your maman does not like me either. She zinks I am only a pretty face."
Bill shifted a little to kiss her breasts. "You have to give them time to know you and love you like I do. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Magnificent body and face. Sexy mind, talented curse breaker, sassy mouth… naughty mouth on you, actually."
She rolled her eyes, letting her hands wander down his muscles, his tight stomach and down over his shapely bum. "Et tu, so comely," she said with a smirk. "Ginger hair sprinkled here" - her hands slid over his chest through the soft red curls that adorned him - "and 'ere, ze hair is not as soft."
Bill's eyes crossed as she began to stroke him in earnest. "Merciful, Zeus… we'll kill each other if we keep this up."
Fleur moved over him, kissing her way down his chest, soft bites and nips until she began to lick him deliciously. "Zis would not be a zerrible way to die, n'est-ce pas?"
Bill's hand slid into her hair, cupping the side of her head as she wrapped her mouth around him and thought, no, it wouldn't be so bad at all.
~ ASC ~
Draco waited until he was sure everyone was down for the night before he called for Binky. He had the elf Disapparate him straight to the front gates of Norfolk Manor and asked her to stay guard in his room until he called for her again. Draco ran up to the Gate Tower and waited for one of the house elves to come and get him.
"I need to see Theo," he demanded.
The elf only nodded and led him inside the front entrance. "Wait here."
Draco nodded and watched the elf Disapparate; he began to pace back and forth, chewing his bottom lip methodically before he shook his head. What was he doing? He couldn't risk this!
He called for Binky again and Disapparated back to his bedroom. He thanked the elf and crawled into his large bed, burying his face in his pillow.
And for the first time since everything had happened over the last two weeks: He cried.
~ ASC ~
Theo looked at Kiki in puzzlement when he came down into the entrance hall a few minutes later. "I thought you said that Draco was here."
"He was, Master Theo. He demanded to see you. He seemed frantic."
Theo frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. "Thank you, go on back to bed. I'm sorry that you were disturbed."
He went into the drawing room, searching for parchment and a quill, and he wrote a quick message:
Our dragon's in trouble. Come back.
He rolled it up and turned to go find his owl, but instead saw that Morrigan was sitting on his desk. He smiled. "Hi, girl, can you take a letter somewhere for me?"
She chirped in response and held out her leg. Theo tied the note into place and stroked her wing affectionately. "It's for Blaise and it's urgent."
Morrigan took off through the open window; Theo crossed his arms in front of his chest as he stared out into the starry night. He knew Morrigan travelled fast, but Blaise's last message had claimed that he was in Maui and that wasn't exactly close by. He wondered if Morrigan could flash there the way that Finn could. She was a very special bird, he knew that, but he didn't know how fast she travelled. He just hoped it was quickly. He needed to talk to Blaise about his fears because more than anything, he was worried about Draco. Why had he shown up here? What had he wanted? And more importantly, why had he left?
He wanted to go to Malfoy Manor and demand answers, but he knew that he couldn't. It wasn't safe there, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides at the implications of that. How could it not be safe for him in a place that he had always felt was his home? The sun was just starting to rise when arms encircled his waist. He was pulled back against a warm body and smiled when Finn's lips pressed into his neck.
"You never came back to bed."
Theo nodded. "Draco's in trouble. I'm worried."
Finn kept his arms around him. "I can sneak in and take him."
Theo shook his head. "No, not with the Dark Lord living there. We don't know what his situation is. I won't risk you like that. But… Draco came here last night demanding to see me and by the time I came downstairs, he was gone. I know him, Finn; something's wrong."
"I can bring him here safely for you," Finn offered again.
Theo hesitated. All of him wanted to say yes, but another part of him knew better. "No. Not yet. I want to talk to Blaise first."
"Ask and you shall receive," Blaise said, leaning against the door jamb of the drawing room. "Got your note."
"How'd you get here so fast? I thought you were in Hawaii!"
Blaise grinned. "Always travel with a personal house elf, not to mention send a magical bird that appears out of thin air. Honestly, Finn, your owl is magical, too?"
Finn chuckled. "She was blessed by Morrigan herself so, in times of need, she can get someplace quickly with a message."
Blaise looked impressed by that. "Brilliant. I hope this is good, Theo, I left a warm bed with a lovely brunette in it."
Theo moved to hug his friend and Blaise patted his back. "Draco showed up here in the middle of the night demanding to see me, and by the time I came downstairs, he was gone."
"So, he changed his mind, big deal."
"Blaise..."
Blaise sighed and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs. "Do you think he took the mark?"
Theo's mouth opened and then closed and then he shook his head. "He wouldn't."
Blaise gave him a look. "He's not like us, Theo. He has his entire family very involved there. The Dark Lord is literally living in his home. He might not have had a choice."
"He did!" Theo exclaimed. "He could have come to me or his aunt or..."
Blaise sighed. "Theo... we knew that this was a possibility. Look at how his grandfather treats his mother, if he threatened her..."
Theo shook his head in denial. "He can't have taken it, Blaise!"
Blaise leaned forward in his seat. "I think it's time we both agree that he could have. We've been talking about it. We knew that it was possible. At one point we worried that all of us would be forced to take it."
"Yes, but —"
"— If he did take it," Blaise continued. "He had a reason and we both know that it's not because he agrees with the Dark Lord and what he believes. But it does mean that we need to be more cautious. Mamma still hasn't come back to Italy so I think that I'm good to return there, but we need to figure out a plan."
"We're safe here, Blaise. You should stay."
"It is safe," Finn said. "I've added my own protection upon that which already was. No one can enter without Theo's permission or find it without knowing the location."
Theo nodded. "Yes, I'm good here. You'll stay?"
Blaise hesitated. "I don't want to impose..."
"Blaise —"
"— Yeah, I'll stay. But we need to talk about what we're going to do when we go back to Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts is safe."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Safer yes. But safe? You got fucking raped last year and didn't report it!"
"I just meant…"
Blaise stared at him. "I know what you meant. It's only July, we have the summer to figure things out, but I think that you need to better protect this place. A Fidelius would be a wise choice."
"You mean lock out the Malfoys?"
"Theo… I love Draco like a brother, but until he comes to us looking for help, yes, I think that you need to deny him access."
Theo looked like he was going to protest and Finn linked his fingers through his. "Listen to your friend, mo grá." He kissed Theo's palm tenderly. "Blaise will stay with you for the summer."
"And you?"
Finn kissed his palm again. "Will warm your bed as many nights as you'll have me."
"And use silencing charms," Blaise added, making Theo give him a look. "What? I'm just saying."
Theo let out a slow breath. "I don't know anyone who could perform the charm for me. I would be the Secret Keeper."
"You'll figure it out," Blaise told him. "In the meantime, be cautious. I'm going back to Maui for now. I'll return at the end of the week and we can talk about plans from there. Are you still looking to redecorate this whole place?"
Theo nodded, his eyes on the room around him. "Yes. It will keep me busy, I think."
"And less worried," Blaise agreed. "I'll help you. I know a really amazing designer from Rome who can help. I'll bring her with me."
"And you will train with Theo and I," Finn told him. "You will be safe in all of this for Theo's sake."
Blaise's eyes met his and he nodded. "And we will train." He turned back to his friend, his eyes masked. "And we will hope every damn day that we're wrong about Draco, but if we're not, he's going to need us more than ever. We're going to have to figure out how to be there for him without letting ourselves get swallowed up by the tide."
Theo watched him leave and he knew that he was right. He turned into Finn when his arms came around him and the worry he felt made his gut churn.
"It will be all right, mo grá," Finn crooned, kissing the top of his head.
Theo only burrowed closer into the strong arms and desperately hoped that Finn was right.
~ ASC ~
George looked up when the shadow filled the doorway of his office that afternoon and he grinned widely at the sight of his girlfriend. He'd been thinking about her all day, wondering if she'd come straight here when she finished. She was wearing black robes tied tightly over what he assumed was her practice attire. Her dark hair was pinned up in a messy bun at the top of her head and she had a huge smile on her face.
"Well?"
Angelina sauntered into his office, plopped herself down into his lap, and kissed him. "You just snogged the new Chaser for the Ballycastle Bats."
George yipped, kissing her again. "I'm so damn proud of you!"
She beamed and kissed him a third time. "I can't believe it! I mean — I can believe it, because it happened — but to me! George, I'm going to be a professional Quidditch player!"
"You are a professional Quidditch player," he said. "And now you have the contract to prove it!"
"They signed me for three years, George. Three years! Practice starts next week!"
George slid his hands up her sides and kissed her again, long and deep, losing himself in the taste of her until she moaned against his mouth. He pulled away, tilting his forehead against hers. "I'm so proud of you."
Angelina held onto his shoulders as she kissed him, moving to straddle him in the chair. "Did you take a break yet?"
He grinned. "A lunch break? Yeah, two hours ago."
"So, you're due for another," she said, nipping at his mouth.
"I suppose I might be, yeah."
She flicked her wand at the door and it closed, locking before she grinned and took his lips in hers again, kissing him deeply. His eyes were glazed when she stood up and then they widened when she opened her robes. She was wearing nothing beneath them except for red and black lace knickers with a matching bra.
"I'm wearing my new colours."
George licked his lips. "I can see that. I don't see any bats."
She let the rope fall to the ground before she turned. He was greeted to the sight of the black bat symbol spread across her arse. "See it now?"
George reached for her, eyes wide. "You're so beautiful."
Angelina straddled him. "I'm tired of waiting, George."
"Waiting?"
She nipped at his earlobe. "Yes, waiting. We've done so many naughty things already and yet we always stop from going too far. I don't want to wait anymore."
George only stared at her as she pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it behind him. Those lips began to move down his chest. "Are you sure?"
Her fingers opened his jeans and her dark gaze met his. "I'm sure. I want you."
He lifted her as he stood, shimmying his jeans and boxers down his legs and stepping out of them as he lifted her onto the desk. "Want to go upstairs to my room?"
Angelina shook her head. "No. I want you to take me right here on your desk, right now." She turned and pushed all of his papers onto the floor, reaching out to stroke his growing erection. "Any questions?"
George shook his head, grabbing his wand and muttering the contraception charm before he climbed onto the desk with his girlfriend. He put his fingers in the sides of her knickers and pulled them down, tossing them to the floor before he bent his head to taste her. The first time he'd done it, she'd lost her mind beneath him and he wanted her to feel that again, that ecstasy. Bill and Charlie certainly hadn't lied to him in this regard: Angelina tasted incredible.
Her hands clutched his hair as he licked her, adding a finger as he did so, and she moaned. "I want you, George."
He kissed his way up her stomach, sucking her through her bra before he kissed her neck. "Are you sure?"
Angelina gripped his face between her hands. "If you ask me again, I'm going to go find someone else to shag me."
He grinned and kissed her, positioning himself between her thighs. He rubbed himself over her, torturing them both before he used his hand to slowly guide him into her. The wet warmth had him groaning, and he only stopped when she winced. He saw her eyes cloud in pain before she let out a slow breath, gripping his biceps tightly. He kept his eyes on her, his heart pounding and when she gave him the go-ahead, he continued. By the time he was fully inside, he thought that he was going to die. She was so warm and wet and she felt perfect. And when she gave him a nod to move, it was unlike anything he had ever imagined.
His hips moved quickly over and over before he used his fingers to rub her. The moment he touched her clit, she cried out, and he worked her over in tandem with his thrusting. She moaned his name, clutching his arms desperately as she came. With that, he lost it, thrusting harder and finishing with a loud grunt, his head dropping to her breasts as he did.
Angelina ran her fingers through his hair with a smile. "Wow."
George lifted his head to grin at her. "I heard it's kinda crappy for the woman, you know, the first time."
Angelina kissed his cheek. "It hurt at first, but it wasn't crappy. Most girls aren't lucky enough for her bloke to work her clit while he takes her."
George blushed. "I love you, Ang."
Angelina kissed him. "I love you, too."
They rested for a minute, kissing softly before they climbed off the desk. George helped her find her knickers and put her robes back on, kissing her again by the door as he did up his jeans. "You'll let me take you out tonight to celebrate?"
Her eyes twinkled. "I thought we already celebrated."
George kissed her. "A second celebration and maybe followed by a repeat of the first."
Angelina chuckled and kissed him again. "I'll meet you back here at six."
He winced. "Better make it seven. Seems something put me a bit behind today."
She kissed him once more before she opened the door and hurried off. George was just pulling his shirt over his head when Fred came into the office.
"I must say, I didn't expect you to lose your virginity in our place of business in the middle of the day, when customers were here."
George flushed. "Er…"
Fred grinned. "Don't worry, after the first rather loud moan, I silenced your office. But a few customers heard some things." He pointed to the desk. "Is it safe to sit here?"
George flushed darker. "Well, we…"
Fred nodded and sat in the chair in front of the desk. "You need to scourgify this entire office. So, how did it feel?"
"Brilliant," George told him, grinning widely. "She's the new chaser for Ballycastle. She signed a three year contract."
"And then you shagged her on your desk, you sly dog."
"I love her, Fred."
"I know that, you fool," Fred told him. "I've known it for years. Just like I knew you were saving yourself for her like some old romantic."
"It felt as amazing as Bill and Charlie always said it did."
"And they didn't lie about any of it either," Fred said. "It gets better the more you do it."
George nodded. "It was her first time, too."
"Did you remember to make sure she came first?"
"Yes," George said, eyeing his twin. "Did you?"
Fred shook his head. "After the fact, I'm ashamed to say. But I was sixteen and too excited by the fact that I was about to be shagging Wendy Dickens, Hufflepuff, and well, it was lovely. I used my fingers on her after and she thanked me. Sounds like you did it right the first time, guess since you were older and wiser."
George smiled at his twin. "I just wanted it to be special and maybe I was waiting for Angelina."
"And was it special?"
George thought about what had happened, how it had happened here in his office, how excited she'd been about her offer. He knew that most women would want it to be romantic and the mood set just right for their first time, but this… with her so high on excitement over signing with the Bats, it was right.
"For Angie and me? More than special. We were celebrating her success and to me, nothing is more romantic than that and I know she would agree. I think it was just perfect for us."
Fred slapped his brother on his back. "After the Wizengamot meeting, Weasley brothers night out — I'm buying you your first pint in honour of you becoming a man."
George snorted. "Sounds like a plan." He waved his wand to pick up all of his parchment and quills and whatnot that they'd thrown to the floor and grinned at his brother. "By then I'll have even more experience."
Fred laughed as he headed to the door. "You sly, sly dog."
And when Fred closed the door behind him, George couldn't stop smiling.
~ ASC ~
Harry stepped into Number Twelve with Zee and Remus. Tonks had gone to pick up Neville and Hermione and Bill would be bringing Ron, Ginny, and Luna. Kreacher immediately hurried towards them.
"Master Harry, Mistress Zee, how may I be of service? I will get you some orange juice, miss, and maybe some crackers?"
Zee smiled kindly at the elf. "Thank you, Kreacher, that would be lovely." At Harry's raised eyebrow she explained, "it helps with the nausea."
"How long is this morning sickness thing supposed to last exactly?" Harry asked her.
Zee linked her arm with his as they headed down the hall to the kitchen. "Healer Abby tells me it usually stops between twelve and fourteen weeks, but that some unlucky women experience it most of the pregnancy. Let's hope that I'm a lucky one."
"How far along are you again?"
"Going on week thirteen and the nausea is already not nearly as bad as it was."
Harry nodded. "So, almost better?"
Zee chuckled and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek before they entered the kitchen. "Almost better."
Zee gratefully accepted the snacks from Kreacher, who had made up a full platter of deli meats and cheeses with crackers, pickles, and olives. Remus thanked him and told him that they were taking the meeting in the study. Harry followed Remus into the study, stopping at the door.
"You know how to get in, Harry, Sirius showed you," Remus told him.
Harry nodded. He remembered how Sirius had explained it to him just over the Christmas break.
"See! It's easy. So now, whenever you need to get in here, which shouldn't be necessary - as it's just full of FUVP stuff - but if so, you have full access and you don't need me or Uncle Moony to be here. The lock on the vault is the same as the one at home as well, in case you need to get inside for any reason."
Harry reached forward and he felt the pull before the door clicked open as the blood wards recognized his magical signature. He left it open so that the others could get inside. The study was large; the old ornate desk in the front of the fireplace and the rather imposing life-sized portrait of Lord Arcturus Black, Viscount of Falmouth, hid the vault behind it, which Harry knew contained the destroyed Horcruxes. The portrait hadn't been finished before Sirius' grandfather had died, so it was just that: A portrait. Harry was rather relieved it didn't speak and he knew that Sirius had felt the same, which was one of the only reasons he had kept it.
The walls of the study had been turned into the historical timeline of Voldemort's life, along with the list of Horcruxes. He studied it carefully, leaning back against the desk as he did. Remus spread the food platters on the small coffee table and had Kreacher move one of the sofas into the study for more space.
Moody arrived first and sat himself down in one of the cushy armchairs, accepting the bottle of Scotch and a glass from Kreacher with a grunt of thanks. Bill arrived next with Ron, Ginny, and Luna and they all took their seats. Ginny sat in the same armchair that Harry had just settled himself into. It took another ten minutes for Dumbledore and McGonagall to arrive along with Tonks, Hermione, and Neville. Once everyone was seated, Remus stood up and cleared his throat.
"As you can see, Zee and I have decided to add Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville to this operation. I know that most of you are thinking that they're just kids, but that's not entirely true. These young men and women have been through a lot and they know all about the Horcruxes, because Sirius and I trusted our son with it. He in turn trusted his five friends."
Bill nodded. "I think that it's about time we get some fresh blood in here. I may like to think that they're too young, but my eleven-year-old-sister went head to head with Voldemort five years ago and came out victorious with a little help from Harry and Ron. And the six of them, along with Theodore Nott, sure as hell held their own at the Department of Mysteries three weeks ago."
"They could use some more practice in their fighting techniques, but yeah, they held their own," Moody said gruffly. "Lupin's done a hell of a job teaching them defence."
"Thank you, Alastor," Remus said kindly.
Zee stood up. "Losing Sirius is a hit to all of us, not only on a personal level, but for this operation. It was he and Remus who started it and they've done a great job at keeping things organized. They've shared that with Harry to a great extent which is why I think he should be the one to start off this meeting."
Harry's eyebrow rose in surprise. "You do?"
Zee smiled at him. "I do. Harry, why don't you start by explaining what you know about the diadem."
Harry nodded as she sat back down. "Well, it was Luna who came to the conclusion that the Horcrux was most likely the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. We've been trying to learn more about it and where he could have hidden it."
"Black said that you lot believed it was hidden in Hogwarts. It's been well over a year and yet no one has found it yet," Moody said gruffly, taking a drink of his Scotch.
"That's right," Harry told him. "We've been searching the school as thoroughly as we can. But with everything else that's been going on, not as diligently as we should have been."
"With Umbridge at the school, I know you were limited," Remus told him. "Go on."
Harry nodded at his father before he continued. "The timeline of Voldemort's on the back wall there and as it says, we're pretty sure that he hid the diadem in Hogwarts in '67, when he came to you, Professor Dumbledore, to ask you for a job."
Dumbledore stared at the timeline thoughtfully for a moment. "It would make the most sense. He came to the school to speak to me and he made a point to use the facilities before he left. He must have made a stop then, to put it somewhere."
"We think that he put it on the seventh floor, Sir, just below your office."
Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow. "Why the seventh floor?"
"The Room of Requirement," Neville said, making everyone turn to him.
"Ah, the mystery room! It has been a fascination for centuries and most have never figured out how it works. I myself have stumbled across it numerous times by accident."
"Have you studied it, Sir?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Not studied it exactly, but I know the basics of how it works. The room will give you what you need most at that moment, it becomes a place of sanctuary or escape. We've used it over the years to help troubled students find their way."
Hermione frowned at his words. "What do you mean by that, Professor?"
McGonagall smiled. "Students have come to us over the years, struggling with bullying or problems at home or issues with anything and the room has become a personal therapy for them. One student made the room full of puppies and she would go there when she was feeling down; others used it as a quiet space to relax and refresh. But no one has figured out how it becomes what one needs. Flitwick wrote an entire paper on it, oh three decades ago, and submitted it to the Hogwarts Board of Governors to help discuss how to utilize the room. But when the governors came, none of them could make the room appear. It seems it is particular as to who it allows into its quarters."
"You speak of the room as it it's alive?" Moody asked.
McGonagall shrugged. "The magical signature that the room has gives off that feel. It has a mind of its own."
"I agree. And we think that Voldemort found out how it works," Harry told them. "We know that he was fascinated with the school as he found and opened the Chamber of Secrets. I think that he found out how the room worked as well and turned it into his personal hiding place. The problem is trying to decipher what that hiding place would be."
"We've asked the room for the diadem in different ways and yet it doesn't answer us," Hermione explained. "But Harry says that he knows it's in there."
Harry stared at the Hit List on the wall.
FUVP Hit List:
1. DIARY (found in Chamber of Secrets through vault of Abraxas Malfoy; destroyed by Harry Potter) ✓
2. LOCKET OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN (found in seaside cave; destroyed by Sirius Black) ✓
3. SIGNET RING OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN (found on Gaunt abandoned property; destroyed by Sirius Black) ✓
4. CUP OF HELGA HUFFLEPUFF (found in vault of Bellatrix Lestrange; destroyed by Harry Potter) ✓
5. HARRY POTTER (accidentally put into the scar on his forehead; moved to cigar box by Xander Papakonstantinou; destroyed by Harry Potter) ✓
6. DIADEM OF RAVENCLAW (believed to be hidden in Hogwarts)
7. NAGINI (always by Voldemort's side)
8. VOLDEMORT HIMSELF
"Five of them have been destroyed, three by me and two by Uncle Sirius, and there are two left for us to destroy before we can even contemplate getting rid of Voldemort," Harry told them.
"Have you considered that he might make more?" Moody asked gruffly.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't think he will, Alastor. He has too much going on at the moment with the chaos of keeping the Ministry on their toes. I also don't think that he's aware of the ones we've destroyed. He has no idea that we've come so close to ending his immortality."
"I know the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry's new Defence Department are both trying to figure out what he wants and what he might do next, but I think that this is equally as important — trying to learn how to gain access to the Come and Go Room," Harry explained. "The problem is, we think that we've reached a standstill. Neville's figured out the room the best so far and yet, none of us can find it."
"How sure are we that it's the diadem?" Moody asked. "Black told some story about Voldemort charming it out of the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"
"He did," Ginny said cooly. "Luna and I spoke to her ourselves. He charmed her and manipulated her into telling him her story. Then he defiled the one thing that she had left of her mother, her greatest treasure and her daughter's biggest failure, and she hasn't forgiven herself for it. She's the reason why we think it's inside of the Room of Requirement."
Dumbledore stared at her. "She isn't to blame for being manipulated. Tom was always good at that."
Ginny's gaze met the Headmaster's. "I know. I told her how good he is at it and that it's not her fault."
Bill smiled at his sister. "That's right, Firecracker. Being tricked by that monster is not a crime, it's human. Now, what did the ghost say to make you turn the tide."
Luna brushed her long blonde hair behind her ear as she spoke. "If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask."
Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "A riddle."
"The room gives you what you ask for, but you have to know what you're looking for in order to ask for the right thing," Harry told him. He looked at the timeline on the wall again. "Professor Dumbledore, you helped Uncle Sirius make the timeline all the way back to when you believe his mother gave his father a love potion. As someone who was under a love potion myself, we've concluded that Voldemort's mother raped his father to get pregnant, is that right?"
"Yes," Dumbledore answered.
McGonagall let out a huff of breath. "The very concept of a love potion infuriates me. She didn't rape him in the physical sense, but given that his predilection towards her was skewed and that she would have encouraged his affections, it wasn't exactly consensual."
"Sounds like rape to me," Zee told her.
McGonagall nodded. "Merope was abused herself and didn't realize what she was doing was wrong. It's hardly an excuse for what she was doing, but in her mind, it wasn't rape. In her mind, she believed the potion created love, therefore it was real emotions. In her pregnant state, she came to believe that Tom Riddle really loved her and that she no longer needed to give him the potion. She was wrong and the moment he woke from his dream-like state, he left her and their child without a word."
"Merope, heartbroken and terrified of her family learning that she was carrying the child of a Muggle, went to a Muggle orphanage to give birth naming her son for his father and his grandfather before she died," Dumbledore told them.
Harry nodded, eyes on the timeline. "And there were early examples of his violent behaviour in the orphanage."
Dumbledore tapped his fingers together. "There were. In '36, a pet rabbit was strangled and the matron thought it was Tom who had done it, but she could never prove it. Her suspicions became stronger in '37 when he terrorized two students in a seaside cave. It was in that cave that he originally hid the Horcrux of the locket. He put it somewhere that had meaning to him, a place where he had once exuded violence and control over those inside."
"These are all signs of someone with a serious psychological disorder. The Muggles claim that those who show cruelty to animals from a young age often move from animal cruelty to arson and often to violence towards others," Tonks told them. "Arson wasn't a big one that I'm aware of on Voldemort's front, but we know that he murdered his parents in the summer of '42, when he would have only been fifteen years old as his birthday wasn't until December."
"There were other signs that I've put together over the last year. His first year at Hogwarts, two cats went missing — nothing out of the ordinary, it's a large castle and animals often run off or disappear into the Forbidden Forest. But I remember the groundskeeper found one of them completely ripped apart, cut open and sliced as if someone had dissected it. He found the other one skinned and hung from a tree in the forest. We never knew what happened and at the time, we had never suspected a student," Dumbledore told them. "Professor Kettleburn at the time thought that it was the work of an angry Merman or a Centaur as the Ministry was conducting unflattering demands on both. He also brought up Fae or Elf, but neither of them is known for hurting other animals. The Centaur was the most plausible, but Silvanus couldn't understand why they would kill them so brutally without using them for a food source."
"He was doing it," Tonks said quietly. "He took someone's pets and he murdered them for sport."
Dumbledore nodded. "I certainly believe so, yes. I think that it was after he killed his parents that he discovered why he had been able to find the Chamber of Secrets. After realizing that he was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, he began to research the founder, and upon learning that he was a Parselmouth, made the connection to himself. I don't know if he felt the Basilisk within the school or uncovered one of the passages that unknowingly led him to it, but he opened the Chamber as early as '39 and yet didn't set the Basilisk on the students until '43, when he ultimately killed Myrtle Warren and framed Hagrid. In by doing so, he cut off the Basilisk's power and he was no longer able to use it, which is why I believe he created the diary — a memory of his sixteen-year-old-self."
"It was more than a memory," Bill snarled. "He combined that memory with a piece of his soul in a way that I still can't figure out. I've seen Horcruxes. I've studied them in Egypt, in China, and in South America, and no one has ever created one that fused with a memory the way that he did. The others… they've been pieces that he could return to his body if needed, but the diary… if Harry hadn't destroyed it, he would have removed Ginny's soul completely and used it as a life force to bring his soul piece to life in his sixteen-year-old-body."
"He didn't," Ginny said quietly. "Harry stopped him."
Bill's eyes met hers. "And you fought him, Firecracker. Remember what Na'eemah told you, that your soul battled his on a daily basis and you came out on top."
Ginny nodded, her hand grasping Harry's for support. "I did, Bill, and the diary's been destroyed. That Horcrux is gone."
Harry squeezed his girlfriend's hand. "It's long gone."
Dumbledore stared at them, his piercing blue eyes twinkling for a moment before he continued. "We believe that the diary was the second Horcrux he created, the first being the ring that belonged to his grandfather. He stole it after learning of his parentage and discovering how Morfin Gaunt had been horrified to learn his sister had a halfblooded child. Tom made Morfin believe that he was the one to kill the Riddles and his uncle confessed, ultimately dying in Azkaban for a crime that he didn't commit. We estimate it was September of '42 when he turned the ring into the first Horcrux; by October, he was no longer wearing the ring. Tom must have begun studying the magic of Horcruxes in more detail after this, because in May of '43 he asked Professor Slughorn about Horcruxes and the ability to create more than one. Since he set the Basilisk on the school the next month, I think he was working on how to create the second, but didn't succeed until the following September. By '44, his dorm mates were referring to him as Lord Voldemort."
Tonks cleared her throat. "In '44, the Slytherin class roster included not only Tom Riddle and Thaddeus Nott, the latter who is thankfully no longer with us, but also Abraxas Malfoy, Linus Lestrange, Titus Avery, and Boris Bode. Bode died of Dragon Pox shortly after finishing school. The girls in his year included Isla Rowle, Druella Rosier, Cassia Shafiq, Tullia Travers, and Vita Crouch. Sirius and I did research on where they all ended up. Rowle and Malfoy married as did Lestrange and Shafiq. Travers married Roman Yaxley, three years older than her. Druella married Cygnus Black, four years her senior. Crouch married Augustus Flint. Avery married Nott's sister Tabitha and Nott didn't marry until much later, not until '79 when he married Aster Rosier who was only seventeen to his fifty-two. They had Theodore in '80 and Aster died in '84 in a magical accident."
"Accident?" Harry asked.
Tonks nodded. "Thaddeus claimed that she had been making a healing potion for Theo, who was running a fever, got the ingredients wrong and it exploded. Aurors investigated but claimed it did look accidental at the time. From this list, we know the following are followers of Voldemort."
She pointed her wand at the board and a list formed in her neat printing:
FIRST DEATH EATERS:
➾ Abraxas Malfoy
➾ Isla Rowle Malfoy (potential)
➾ Thaddeus Nott (deceased)
➾ Linus Lestrange
➾ Cassia Shafiq Lestrange (potential)
➾ Titus Avery
➾ Tabitha Nott Avery (deceased)
"We don't know for sure if Malfoy and Lestrange's wives are involved, but we have to consider that they at least know of their husband's loyalties considering they all went to school with Voldemort."
She flicked her wand a second time and a larger list appeared on the other side.
DEATH EATERS:
➾ Abraxas Malfoy
➾ Isla Rowle Malfoy (potential)
➾ Lucius Malfoy
➾ Thaddeus Nott (deceased)
➾ Linus Lestrange
➾ Cassia Shafiq Lestrange (potential)
➾ Rodolphus Lestrange
➾ Bellatrix Black Lestrange
➾ Rabastan Lestrange
➾ Titus Avery
➾ Tabitha Nott Avery (deceased)
➾ Atticus Macnair
➾ Wendall Selwyn
➾ Woodrow Selwyn
➾ Antonin Dolohov
➾ Bartemius Crouch Jr
➾ Vincent Crabbe Sr
➾ Gregory Goyle Sr (deceased)
➾ Fenrir Greyback
➾ Igor Karkaroff (deceased)
➾ Severus Snape (spy)
➾ Ludo Bagman (blackmailed into DE activities, deceased)
➾ Castor Parkinson
➾ Octavius Greengrass
➾ Bellarosa Zabini Beauchamp Barkley Sanders Standford
➾ Peter Pettigrew (deceased)
➾ Calypso Fields
➾ Quinton Jugson (deceased)
➾ Aaron Macklebee (deceased)
➾ Marcus Bulstrode (lost his leg to Lady Godiva, assumed alive)
➾ Alecto Carrow
➾ Amycus Carrow
"How did you assemble all of these names?" Harry asked her.
"King and I have been working on sorting them out and based on who you saw in the graveyard when Voldemort made his return, and based on who was in the Department of Mysteries and who Pettigrew outed, we know more than we did," Tonks explained. "But as I've explained to Remus, knowing and proving it are two different things. I wanted to share the list here before turning it over to the Order to help understand who might be in the know on the Horcruxes. We know the ones who are deceased as shown above: Macklebee was killed by Lady Godiva in France, Karkaroff and Bagman were killed on Voldemort's orders, Goyle Sr and Jugson were both killed by Lady Godiva at the Ministry, and Pettigrew died saving Zee in the Department of Mysteries."
"I'm as shocked as everyone else," Zee admitted.
Harry stared up at the list. "Peter's guilt for what he did to my parents caught up with him maybe. As to Nott, he was killed by Lucius Malfoy."
Bill's eyes widened. "You're sure?"
"Yes," Harry said. "Nott shot a curse at Theo that knocked him out and Malfoy lost it, proclaimed that no one was allowed to hurt his son and just killed him right there in the brain room. He didn't even hesitate."
Ginny reached over to squeeze Harry's hand. "Theo always said that the Malfoys were his family. I'm glad that despite his crimes, Mr Malfoy stood up for him. Does Theo know?"
Harry shook his head. "I didn't tell him. I haven't spoken to him since it all happened."
"We'll make sure he knows," Bill told him
Harry nodded gratefully. "Thanks."
Zee stood up to take a closer look at the list on the wall. "Roman and Tullia Yaxley, is their son Corban Yaxley?"
Tonks nodded. "Yes. King suspects him of Death Eater activity, but we're not sure. As I said, we don't have any proof, and you've never mentioned anything about him being a boss you can't trust in your department."
Zee bit her lip. "I've never had reason not to trust him, no. But it was Yaxley who was alone with Forrester both times that he came back acting strange, and after what happened in Marseilles when I was attacked, we know that someone Imperiused Forrester to get to me."
"And you think that it could be Yaxley?"
Zee shook her head. "It's unfair of me to accuse him simply because his mother happened to be in the same year of school as Voldemort, but it does make me question. We might need to keep a closer eye on him."
"As to Crouch Jr," Tonks continued. "My department has been hunting him for over two years and we've found nothing. He tortures and mutilates and then vanishes into thin air. His aunt Vita has been no help and claims that she hasn't seen nor spoken to her nephew since he went to Azkaban. We have no reason to doubt her, but we think that she knows more than she's saying."
"Agreed," Dumbledore told her. "I'm glad to see that the Auror Department is looking into the potential people of interest. As to the Horcrux Hunt, I think that he made the diadem his third one."
"Why his third?" Bill asked, eyes on the timeline. "If we follow your chronological timeline, after he finished school he went to work for Borgin and Burkes so, wouldn't he have found the Cup of Hufflepuff first?"
"Yes, and no. He did international travel for the shop and I know for a fact that he found himself in Eastern Europe looking for an Albanian count who collected Egyptian canopic jars. I think he brought the diadem back with him, might have even turned it into a Horcrux when he was overseas. The count who had possession of the jars happened to go missing soon after Riddle's visit. He was never found," Dumbledore told them.
"So, he had the diadem before '57 when he met with Hepzibah Smith and claimed the Cup of Hufflepuff by framing her house elf Hokey into poisoning her," Harry said in understanding.
"Yes," Dumbledore told them. "He then turned the cup into Horcrux number four and the locket into Horcrux number five by murdering a Muggle tramp in 1957. I traced the Muggle to be one Colonel John Adams, homeless World War II Veteran to Voldemort, and soon after, Voldemort vanished. No one knew where he went or what he was up to, or so his friends claimed."
"Until he showed up for a job interview," Remus said quietly.
"You broke the curse, Remus. I'm not sure if you succeeded merely because you resigned and left before returning again, but whatever hex he placed on the job, it's gone. Of that I'm certain."
Ron snorted. "What kind of wanker curses a job he didn't get?"
Bill smiled at his brother. "A murdering immortal psychopath."
Ron grinned back. "And it was after you denied him the job that the war began, right, Professor?"
"Not right away," McGonagall told him. "But by the time that Remus would have started at Hogwarts, similar things that are happening now were going on then: Terrorist attacks, mysterious disappearances… the Minister at the time, Eugenia Jenkins, was doing everything in her power to try to quell the panic and worked with Dumbledore on creating the Order of the Phoenix in a fledgling attempt at the Phoenix Initiative. However, she was forced out of office in '75. In '77 and Dumbledore was forced to create the Order underground due to the Ministry's stance at the time. Minchum tried his best to keep order, but the world was panicking and people were dying and Voldemort seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. When Bagnold took over in '80, she came back to Dumbledore to discuss his original plans with Jenkins, but the plans fell through and just over a year later, Voldemort was presumed dead."
"Thanks to Sirius finding out the truth from Kreacher, we learned that Voldemort hid Horcrux Number Five in the seaside cave in '79 where he had originally tortured the two children back in '37. We believe that in '81, after learning of the prophecy, Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow with the intention of making Horcrux Number Six with Harry's death as the instrument. Whatever object he chose was decimated in the aftermath of the blowback from the Unforgivable Curse he used on Lily Potter," Dumbledore told them. "We know now that blowback included the making of Horcrux Number Six, quite accidentally, in Harry's scar."
Remus cleared his throat. "Which with Xander's help, we were able to safely remove a year ago and place in an old cigar box where Harry destroyed it with the Sword of Gryffindor."
"Sirius and I spoke to Snape about Voldemort's attachment to his snake and Snape mentioned a ritual in which they used Nagini. Snape thought that it was something to do with Voldemort's rebirth, but Sirius and I think that he placed Horcrux Number Seven into the snake before he resurrected himself. Harry was able to ascertain that Nagini was already a Horcrux when he was in the graveyard," Zee explained.
Harry spoke up. "Which means of the seven Horcruxes he created, the only one we have yet to find is his third attempt, the diadem. We know where Nagini is, she never leaves Voldemort's side, which means that we can't even attempt to destroy that one until we find the diadem. It would immediately clue Voldemort into what we're doing and as of right now, we're pretty sure that he doesn't know."
"So, what could He Who Must Not Be Named have turned the Room of Requirement into that he would consider a safe enough place to hide a part of his soul?" Luna asked quietly. "What would he consider safe?"
No one spoke, and then Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Riddle was always arrogant, even as a young boy. If he truly discovered the room, I don't think that he would have made an effort to turn it into an elaborate trap as he did in the past. He would have believed that by putting it into the room, it would be safe for him until he could come and obtain it. I don't believe he intentionally planned to leave it there forever. Which does beg the question: Will he come looking for it?"
"Attack the school?" McGonagall asked in shock.
Dumbledore shrugged. "It's possible, Minerva. We don't know what his next plans are and other than causing chaos and terror, he hasn't made a move to tell us what he wants to do next. I don't imagine that it's something he will do in the near future, but we cannot underestimate him."
Harry swallowed as he stood up. "I'll find it, Sir."
Dumbledore nodded, folding his hands in his lap. "I would never bet against you, Mr Potter."
End Author's Notes:
I wanted to review the Horcrux Hunt and the timeline of Voldemort's life. I felt the gang needed a refresher as much as we did and looking into Voldemort's past can help them figure out what he would consider a safe place to hide his soul in. Just a fun thought.
As to Hinny, there will be some coming of course, but there are a few important things that need to come up as well.
Thank you as always and please review!