Chapter 16 – Something is Coming

It was the first week of April, and though the students should have been playing pranks and being cheery, there was a sombre atmosphere that had seeped in. The only fools on April Fool's Day were those who still did not believe a war was coming.

One morning, during breakfast in the great hall, the trio received an owl delivering the day's Daily Prophet. On the front page was a picture of a burning house, with the Dark Mark emblazoned in the night sky. It was Hermione Granger's house, and her parent's were not in it. The article beneath the photograph said that the Granger residence had been attacked in the still of the night and that the couple had been tortured with multiple Cruciatus curses, leaving them in a catatonic state, much like the Longbottoms had been years ago.

Hermione ran from the Hall, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Ron and Harry stared dumbly at each other until Ginny threw down her napkin and ran after the sobbing girl.

The day was spent comforting Hermione and in emergency Order meetings. At this point, they were allowing not only the trio, but Ginny, as well, to attend the meetings. Everyone's lives were at stake, and it would do no good for anyone to be left in the dark about the everyday happenings during this war.

Over the next few weeks, there were many more articles like the one about Hermione's parents. The Dark Lord and his henchmen were picking off many muggle born witches and wizards. Their families were attacked and many ended up in St. Mungo's from long standing Cruciatus curses. It would not help the victims to be sent to Muggle hospitals, the muggle doctors would not recognize the symptoms or treat them accordingly.

In one particular Order meeting, it was decided that the time had come for Harry to go after Voldemort's last Horcruxes. It was almost time to defeat the Dark Lord, and every member of the Order knew what had to be done. The Headmistress, the current Head of the Order, agreed that it was best if Harry were to take Ron and Hermione along with him as this particular task was not to be an easy one and it would be helpful to Harry to have some support and partnership along the way.

The first of May brought the trio's journey to Voldemort's lair and, with it, the start of the last battle. However, they would not know of the latter until a couple of weeks after their return.

It was a night that first week of May that the trio decided to leave. They went by broom; Hermione and Ron paired on one and Harry on another. In the previous weeks, Hermione had found many spells to aid them in their journey and the things they had to do. The most important spell was the one that would make them seemingly invisible while they were to fly to Voldemort's lair.

As a last attempt at helping the Order, to prove his loyalties, Severus Snape had sent them the location of Voldemort's hideout. He was lucky to have seen it before the situation at Hogwarts when he had killed Albus Dumbledore. It had been Severus' second correspondence with the Order; the first being when he had informed the Order and the school of Draco Malfoy's return as a student and of his involvement with Dumbledore's untimely demise.

Once they had this information, and were on their way to find the Horcruxes, those students and teachers left at Hogwarts could only sit idly and hope for the best. Only members of the Order knew exactly what the Trio had set out to do. The remaining students only knew that they had left the school on some sort of mission. The smarter ones figured out quite quickly that it was something important to do with Voldemort and the impending battle.

It was halfway through the night when Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived in the outlying forest near the manor that Voldemort was using as a lair. They quickly shrunk their brooms and secreted them away in their pockets.

"Ok you two, listen up. We have just one shot once we're in. Ron you stick with Hermione as best as you can, and you keep each other safe. Voldemort will not kill me. Not yet, anyway. He would want to do it where everyone can see, I think. I'll go off to find Nagini and the two of you find the cup. When I've finished with the snake, we'll take care of the cup. Got it?" Harry gave his friends a briefing

"No, mate, we should stick together. I won't risk your life like that. We stay together; we'll be stronger that way, in case we get caught." Ron did not quite like Harry's plan.

Hermione interjected. "Ron, that sounds possible, but maybe separating is a better idea. At least that way if we get caught Harry can go back for help, or if Harry gets caught we can help him, too."

Harry, in the end, had the final say. "So that's it then, I get the snake, you two get the cup. Look for a side room, with items in glass cases. We all know how arrogant that git is. He would keep the cup in plain view for all to see. Just whatever you do, don't touch the glass before I get there, alright? It could very well be cursed."

The trio agreed and set off on their missions. Ron and Hermione found the room, easily enough, and started to observe the glass casing around the Cup. Harry, on the other hand, was having a harder time locating Nagini without being caught. Fifteen minutes later, Harry had finally located the snake, but, unfortunately, he was right outside the meeting chamber that was currently being used by Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Harry knew that Nagini was outside the room to keep watch and warn of any intruders, so he knew he had to make it quick, whatever he was to do. He quickly trapped the snake with a rope spell, and used a "Stupefy" to make the snake stop thrashing about. With a "Wingardium Leviosa," Harry started to back away slowly, the snake following behind him.

He proceeded to search for his friends, and the room where Hufflepuff's Cup would be held. He continued into the room, sending in the snake ahead of him. They were going to destroy Nagini before starting on the Cup.

"Alright, let's have it. We decapitate this thing with a 'Reducto', each, alright?" Harry gave his instructions.

The snake taken care of, it was time to proceed to the Cup beneath the cursed glass.

"Harry, we've figured out the secret to the glass, without touching it, of course. There is one weak spot, toward the top of the case, where we can each send a 'Finite Incantatem' and that should create cracks in the curse. After that, I'm not quite sure what we can do to it, but we'll figure that out in a few moments' time, I suppose." Hermione explained the situation to the boy who had just walked in.

They proceeded to crack the glass and then, at the last moment, Ron decided to kick the cracked casing to see what would happen. With a bright light, the casing shattered and sharp shards of glass went flying in every direction. Hermione, being Hermione, threw up a shielding charm to protect them from the flying shards.

Harry grabbed the Cup and was about to activate the portkey they had brought with them, when he felt a wand placed at the back of his neck.

"I would not do that if I were you." Said a silky voice, strangely similar to the drawl of Draco Malfoy.

The trio turned around to gaze upon their intruder with frightened eyes.