A note from your Author: I haven't done this in a while, I don't own Inuyasha and I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 22

Just as the sun's rays were hitting the side of the mountain Harry remembered why the color golden was so familiar. Reaching for his side pocket he could feel the outline of the small locket through the fabric. Not wanting to wake anyone he left the cave for more room outside.

When Harry got out in the fresh air, he almost forgot the locket all over again. The air was so wonderfully fresh and cool, there was a slight breeze and it rippled through his hair and pulled at the trees around. (A.N. The entrance to the cave is on a path not just right on the side of a mountain). Harry was just about to set off walking when he heard a voice behind him.

"Not planning to run away are you?" Sesshomaru had settled himself on a rock just above the cave's entrance. If a person were walking on the path they would see neither he nor the opening to which he was guarding.

"No, I have to stretch my legs." Sesshomaru reminded Harry of a Hippogriff a being who only trusted you if you made eye contact with it. Harry had no trouble with that Sesshomaru was already staring at him.

"I don't believe you, however I don't care so do what you want, just don't get yourself killed thus making me come after you." After his little speech Sesshomaru looked away as if Harry no longer existed after he was done speaking to him.

Wanting to stay and argue but deciding against it Harry shrugged and left. He walked down the path a ways and then turned off to a clearing in the woods. It was there he pulled out the locket and examined it.

There was a rustling in the weeds behind Harry and when he looked back he came face to face with Jaken (rather it was Jaken's face to Harry's knee).

"Master Sesshomaru told me to follow the human and Master Sesshomaru is always right." Jaken said in a dejected kind of voice, Harry realized the small creature was never truly happy unless he was by his master's side.

"Can you do me a favor? Can you open this?" Harry handed the small locket to Jaken who took it with great interest. As he tried to pry it open he started muttering to himself.

"Yes, yes almost, almost, no, no, no, Master Sesshomaru wouldn't make me do such dirty work, Master Sesshomaru would be able to open it in a second he would, he's much stronger than the human over there, yes, yes…" This went on for some time as Jaken struggled with the locket. Harry soon became bored and sat down to play with his shoelaces. Jaken was determined, so determined that when he moved backwards he didn't notice the log behind him and he fell backward.

As he fell the thin gold chain fell over his neck and the second it did Jaken turned a color of pale green and went as stiff as a board.

Harry noticed none of this, as he was watching a small worm crawl up his hand. He did notice a being floating up among the weeds.

It was the exact replica of an eighteen or nineteen Tom Riddle; he must have finished up at Hogwarts because the robes he now wore were midnight black and bore no house crest. The figure looked around the clearing and then shouted out.

"Trying to hide from me again Potter? Well it won't work this time I don't feel like fighting fair, I just feel like killing you." With that there was a flash of green and Harry saw nothing but white-hot pain searing in front of his eyes.

In another second the pain was gone, Harry held his fingers up and examined them, he was alive, but where was Riddle? Harry jumped up before the curse could be called again and aimed his wand at Riddle's heart. When Riddle saw this he burst out laughing.

"Ha, ha do you really think you can beat me I am Voldemort! I am the greatest wizard of all!" He was thrown back as Harry's curse hit him. An ugly look crossed Riddle's face, he didn't wait to boast anymore, he simply raced toward Harry throwing curse after curse.

At some point during the battle between them Harry realized something, but just as he was about to formulate a thought, another curse was lodged at him that he had to duck. Riddle had Harry running in circles all around the small clearing, Harry finally decided he had enough running he turned and faced Riddle his wand raised.

Just as Harry was about to throw his first curse at Riddle, something white leapt over both their heads and charged to a side of the clearing away from the battle.

Riddle grinned, "There's no magic bird to save you now Potter." He raised his wand and started to cast the final blow to Harry.

In one second he was standing next to Harry his wand raised, the next he was on the ground screaming in pain. In less than a few moments Riddle had vanished. Harry glanced over to the direction of the white thing.

Sesshomaru stood over a weeping form of Jaken his sword placed firmly in the ground. As Harry ran over he saw at the butt of the sword smashed the locket shut.

"I told you, human, don't go off and get yourself in a situation where I need to come and rescue you." Sesshomaru started to turn but waited for Jaken to compose himself; then the three of them, much to Sesshomaru's disdain that a human was following him, made their way back to the cave.

Harry was fingering the locket; it was still as smooth as ever but it now held no shape as it was snashed flat. It seemed even Sesshomaru's sword wasn't strong enough to break the charm that kept the locket from opening. As if on command Harry heard a small click and the necklace opened up.

Inside there must have been a picture but all Harry could see was blank parchment, the occupants must have wandered out of the picture Harry thought.

"How did you know to come?" Harry asked, they had been silent for a while, now nearing the mouth of the cavern.

"I sensed it, I also sent Jaken with you and I know when he is in trouble." And as always Sesshomaru left as soon as he finished speaking, Harry felt he learned something from the demon. Sesshomaru may pretend as if he didn't care for anything, but he did come running when he sensed Jaken was in danger.

Still smiling Harry made his way into the cave and was met with an explosion of noise.

"Where were you?! We were worried sick! You can't just leave without telling anyone!" Hermione was a cross between fury and concern as she hugged her friend.

"Sesshomaru knew where I was, he even helped me defeat a Horcrux." Harry said this in an off-hand sort of way but everyone was on the edge. There was another explosion of how's and why's and Koga's 'what is a Horcrux?' and Harry was surrounded by people. Even Inuyasha showed some interest, though he made Harry stop what he was saying as he explained to Koga what a Horcrux was, then Harry had to stop again when they had to explain again what a Horcrux was because somehow Inuyasha told Koga it had something to do with jewels.

There were two people who didn't join in the festivities (well four, but we already know Sesshomaru and Jaken are outside). Shippo, though making great improvement was still not strong enough to leave his bed, and Kagome simply stood at the entrance of the tent watching the happenings in front of her.

When everything had died down, and Harry had told his story nearly seven times, Harry made his way over to Kagome.

"I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am," he said not looking up from his feet, "but instead can I make it up to you?" At the last word Harry looked into Kagome's eyes.

She nodded and they went inside the tent. They made their way back to Shippo's room. The Kitsune was sound asleep his thumb in his mouth. Kagome took the only chair and sat next to the bed and Harry was left to sit on the floor.

"There was something I noticed during the entire time I was fighting Riddle." Kagome listened, she was about to become fed up, was he just acting like she wasn't standing there before listening to everything, or he wanted to brag more about it. "The only curses he used were the Unforgivable curses," Kagome looked up, Harry hadn't mentioned this earlier, Kagome tried to remember what the unforgivable curses were, and when she looked confused Harry explained.

"There are three Unforgivable Curses, and using any one of them you'll get sent to prison. The Imperius Curse, that causes the victim to be brainwashed and only do the will of the person who performed the curse. The Cruciatus Curse, that causes extreme pain." Kagome remembered that curse all to well, "And the Killing Curse." Harry knew it needed no explanation. "He only used those three curses, they're very advanced but I was able to dodge all of them. I can't figure it out, I really need your help." Harry gazed up into Kagome's eyes and saw comfort.

"Well I think he probably used those because he sees them as completely powerful and noting can stop them right?" At this Harry nodded, "Well it seems to me he figured that they can't be stopped so that is the only thing good enough for him to use. If he is anything like Naraku he's going to be full of himself. He'll believe the only thing good enough for him to use is something full of power. Riddle won't do anything that may seem weak, so any simple spell would seem beneath him. But then again I don't know all that much about this Riddle guy."

"Well from what you told me, I think he and your Naraku guy somehow merged themselves together to become more powerful. You said yourself you felt the evil aura growing, after that the demons were let out. I would bet the same day you felt the aura was the same time my scar started hurting." Kagome looked up with concern, she didn't know Harry's scar hurt, and she just thought it was a symbol of what he had lost.

Kagome slid down to the floor and looked at Harry, sitting in front of her was a boy who had lost everything and was forced to grow up on his own. Kagome was sure if the same thing had happened to her, she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Without thinking Kagome reached forward and kissed the man sitting across from her. She didn't know why but even though her feelings for Inuyasha were still there, her feelings for Harry seemed to have deepened.

It was Harry who broke off the kiss first. He knew she still wanted to be with the hanyou waiting outside but he couldn't stop wanting to be with her, to hold her, to kiss her, to just to sit and talk with her.

"I can't be with you only half way," It was Harry's turn now to try and chock the painful words out, "I can't be with you and know you're still with him." He looked at the girl who now held all of his dreams and kissed her quickly on the cheek, "I'm still yours." He whispered in her ear, with that he stood and closed the door gently behind him.