A/N: I know that there are many things that I could do to improve this story, and I appreciate the suggestions from everyone but I don't really think I'm going to take any of them. To tell you the truth, I'm kind of over this story and right now I'm just going to continue with the downhill path that it's on just to get it over with. Please read my other story (the Gilmore Girls RIP one.) I think it's better and I've gotten much better reviews on that one. Once again I apologize for the suckiness of this story, but I'm going to finish it because then at least no one can say I'm a quitter. Sorry this note was so long. Peace out!

Roxie whipped out her wand. She pulled up her left sleeve and said an incantation. She winced as the Dark Mark turned red with her blood. It had been carved once again in her skin. With one last look at the others, who were still preoccupied, Roxie pressed her arm to the Dark Mark carving she had found on the side of the cradle. Please let this work. For a moment, Roxie was fearful that she had failed, the light had gotten brighter. Then, the light went out completely. Roxie mended her arm with one quick spell, shook her sleeve down, and put her hand cautiously into the cradle. She was not thrown backwards. She felt the cool metal of the mirror against her fingers. She pulled it out and then strode over to the others.

Harry was arguing with Hermione. "Just take Ron and Ginny and go."

"Come with us. There's no other way for you and Roxie to leave."

"Well that's ok, because I'm not leaving until we get the Horcrux."

"Let's go," Roxie commanded.

"You go with them. I'll come later. I have to get…" Roxie had opened her hand. The mirror lay on her palm. "How did you…?" Harry took the mirror and examined it.

"Some simple spellwork. Now come on, let's go." He gave the mirror back. Roxie put it in her pocket and then picked up Ginny. Harry pulled Ron up and Hermione held the Portkey. They fumbled with it for a while until they were all touching it, but nothing happened.

"Er, Dumbledore's office," Harry tried. Roxie shifted Ginny's weight and she felt a familiar tug as she and the others were transported back to Dumbledore's office.

Fawkes blinked at them from his perch. Instruments hummed and portraits whispered, but there was no sign of Dumbledore. "We need to get them to the hospital wing," Hermione instructed. She threw the Portkey aside and then transferred Ginny from Roxie's shoulder to her own. The four of them rushed from the office, two carrying the other two, not noticing that Roxie wasn't following them. Roxie sank down into a chair. The afternoon had drained her. Will Voldemort know that it was me who stole it? Of course he will. But obviously he meant for a Death Eater to get it. Yeah and bring it to Him, not destroy it. Roxie pulled the mirror from her pocket. Gently, she pried it open. A green mist was inside. This must be the piece of soul. Roxie took it over to the merrily crackling fire and threw the mist in as best she could. For a moment the flames turned black then there was an earsplitting scream and the flames returned to their normal state. It's gone. All of the Horcruxes are. He's human now.

"My dear, what was that awful noise?" the nearest portrait asked. Many of the other Heads were shaking their fists angrily at Roxie. One Headmistress was collecting herself off the floor. She had fallen off in sheer surprise of the sound.

"Um, it was nothing," Roxie didn't know why she didn't just tell them the truth.

"Nothing?!" another portrait spoke. "Why if Dumbledore was here…"

"Where is he?" Roxie was curious.

"He went on important business."

"Went to get himself killed, more like," a cranky looking wizard corrected.

"Everyone knows he stands a chance. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fears Dumbledore. If anyone can…"

"Hang on," Roxie interrupted. "He hasn't gone to kill Voldemort has he?"

"Why yes, he took the beast called Buckbeak an hour ago. Didn't you know?" the cranky wizard asked.

"No she didn't you fool." An angry Headmistress had entered the conversation. "That's why she asked where he was. And now you've gone and opened your big mouth and…" Roxie didn't hear the rest of the argument because she had already left the office. Before she knew what she was doing, she was out on the grounds. But I don't know where he is. I don't know how to get there either. And even if I do get there, what then? Roxie ran back inside and collided with an enormous person. She fell to the ground.

"Er, sorry," a gruff voice spoke. She was sat upright by an enormous man. "Hey, you're Roxie right?" Roxie nodded. I don't have time for this. "I heard about you and Harry. He's a good kid. One o my favorite students. I'm Hagrid."

"I know, we met on the first day." Roxie was starting to worry.

"Oh ho, so we did, so we did. I'm heading down to the forest to go feed some thestrals. You could come if ye like." Roxie was not in the mood to go into the Forbidden Forest to go feed a bunch of beasts, but then she remembered something that Harry had told her once. He had been telling her the story of their adventure at the Ministry the previous year.

"We didn't know how to get there, but then these thestrals showed up and Luna remembered that Hagrid had told us that they had a good sense of direction. They can find almost anywhere you want to go." But could they find an unnamable place? It was worth a try.

"Sure. I'd love to help you feed them." Hagrid smiled and then led Roxie out the doors. They walked, or in Roxie's case jogged, across the grounds. Night had fallen and the moon shone bright overhead.

"So I heard a lot about ye. Mostly from the other teachers, but a bit from Harry." Roxie just nodded. She wasn't about to talk about her love life to a man that she barely knew. "The teachers said that you two are attached at the hip, or the lip I should say." Roxie felt herself flush, but Hagrid didn't seem to notice. He plowed on. "I knew he'd find someone someday. Bound to happen. Course I thought it be Ginny Weasley." So did everyone else. "But I'm not complainin, you seem all righ and Harry's happy. Tha's all tha matters I guess." Roxie nodded. They had reached the edge of the forest. "It's just a little ways in, not far." He picked up a piece of meat that was waiting for him and then walked into the forest. Roxie followed him in. They followed the path for a bit, but then Hagrid veered right. Hagrid brushed the bushes and tree limbs aside with ease. Roxie had a little bit more trouble. The tree limbs snagged her robes and the thorns on the bushes clawed at her skin. Finally, they reached a clearing. Hagrid laid the meat on the ground and then they waited. Soon, pairs of white eyes began appearing everywhere. The fleshless creatures walked into the clearing. "Shoulda brought mor meat." Hagrid reached over and began to stroke a few of the creatures. His back was turned to Roxie. Quietly, she mounted the nearest thestral. It pawed at the ground. Roxie willed it to stop making so much noise, but Hagrid did not turn around.

"Take me to Dumbledore," Roxie whispered to the thestral. Wings spread from either side of Roxie, she grabbed onto the neck. The thestral rocketed upward. Hagrid's angry shouting could be heard from below, but Roxie didn't care. She was on her way to save Dumbledore or so she hoped.

After a few minutes flying, the thestral began to descend. They landed in a country lane. Roxie looked around. It appeared to be a normal Muggle village. Surely Voldemort would not be hiding here. Roxie had only seen the inside of the house where Voldemort was staying, but she didn't think that it would be here amongst the Muggles. She looked around once more and saw a sign that had two arms. One pointed one way and read, Great Hangleton. The other arm was pointing the opposite way and read, Little Hangleton. The thestral took off down the lane in the direction of this sign. They walked a ways when the saw a hedge. The thestral pushed its way through the hedge. Is it lost? Little Hangleton is the other way. Roxie had assumed that this was there destination, but obviously she was wrong. The thestral was trotting in a determined sort of way down a narrow dirt track. They made their way towards a thicket of trees. Upon closer inspection, Roxie saw that there was a house amongst the trees. The thestral stopped. This, apparently, was their final destination. Roxie dismounted from the thestral, who wandered off into the trees. She looked at the house. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it; it certainly didn't look as though it could be the hideout of the most evil wizard of all time. There was a flash of green light. And then an evil, chilling voice spoke.

"You can't escape me forever old man." This must be the place.

"Ah, but Tom, you will get tired too." Dumbledore seems calm. Nothing sounds wrong with him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Roxie walked towards the house.

"No Tom. You can't kill me with a simple curse."

"Where's the boy Dumbledore."

"Safe."

"Well if he's not here to kill, then I must settle for killing you. Avada…"

"I wish you would stop that Tom. It's terribly tiring trying to dodge you. Although you must know that. That's why you do it."

"Why are you talking old man? Talking will not help you escape."

"Escape from what Tom, you have done nothing to me yet." Roxie had reached the house. She pressed her face to the window. Both wizards stood, facing one another, wands drawn.

"My name is Lord Voldemort, not that filthy Muggle name."

"Ah, but to me you will always be…ah." Dumbledore stood cradling his arm. One of Voldemort's jinxes had gotten to him. He shot another one at Dumbledore. Dumbledore sank to the floor.

"You should have just given up. Avada…"

"No!" Roxie shouted. She jumped through the window and raced over to Dumbledore's fallen form. She sat in between him and Voldemort. "Don't kill him."

"Ahhh I knew you'd be here. Come to save Dumbledore? That's ok. I can kill you both. Avada Kedavra." But Roxie was too quick for him she shot a spell back that deflected his. His own curse flew back at him. "You haven't seen the last of me." Then, with a whirl of cloaks, he was gone.

"Are you all right?" Roxie asked Dumbledore.

"I'll be fine. Poppy can fix me up real quick I believe. Please just get me back to Hogwarts." Roxie gently lifted him to his feet. He was weak. "How did you get here?" he inquired as she led him out the door. The thestral had emerged from within the trees and was now pawing the ground. "Ahhh, took a leaf out of Harry's book." Dumbledore gave a weak chuckle. Roxie helped him onto the thestral's back and then climbed on herself.

"Back to Hogwarts," she told the thestral. Once again, the wings spread and they were rocketed upwards. They flew in the direction of Hogwarts.