Chapter 8

Trials of the Heart

The destruction of the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux had gone about as smoothly as it possibly could. Hermione had asked question after question, wanting to know everything about what they were doing and what they had done to reach the final stages. Harry had to admire her persistence but couldn't help feeling grateful when Tonks had discretely stunned her. Everyone was tired, aching and nearly out of patience. Questions could be answered tomorrow after a good night's sleep.

Returning to Hogwarts hadn't gone as smoothly. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had been waiting for them, not approving of the condition they were all in. Harry's bruised back was the most severe injury but it seemed that no one had escaped the night without some sort of souvenir from the abandoned orphanage. Cuts and bruises were easily healed. Harry's back, on the other hand, wasn't fixed so easily. In addition to the severe bruising, damage had been done to Harry's spine, forcing him to spend the night in the Hospital Wing in a full body-bind while potions coursed through his body.

Needless to say, it was a very long night for Harry. The position he had been forced to remain in wasn't very comfortable and any sort of sleeping potion would have countered the potions he needed to heal his back. Everyone else had been given a sleeping potion and forced into bed. Harry suspected that Madam Pomfrey knew that they would stay at his bedside the entire night for support if she hadn't done something so drastic.

When morning finally arrived, Harry was released from his body-bind and immediately given a vial of Dreamless Sleeping Potion. Much to his annoyance, he would be spending the entire day in the hospital wing sleeping. Deep down, Harry knew Madam Pomfrey was in the right. He was sore and tired but he was also desperate to begin working on locating the next Horcrux. They needed to…they needed…he needed…

…sleep. Sleep sounded too good to pass up at the moment. He would worry about it all later.

Harry didn't wake until the sun was vanishing under the horizon to the sound of mumbled voices whispering across the room. Grudgingly, Harry grabbed his glasses off the bedside table and shoved them on as he slowly sat up to see who the voices belonged to. He wasn't surprised to see Sirius, Remus and Tonks but he was surprised to see them evidently arguing with Professor McGonagall.

"It's not like we planned for a Phoenix to arrive and bloody whisk us away!" Sirius protested in a hushed voice. "We'll talk to the Aurors, all right? If they have a problem then we'll talk to Scrimgeour. He understands more than anyone that what we're doing is important."

"You know we can't do that, Sirius," Remus countered quietly. "Scrimgeour may have agreed to let Harry do his own thing but I have no doubt Scrimgeour's curiosity is getting the better of him. He wants to know exactly what we're doing so he can either claim to have some part in it or take credit for it."

Tonks stared at Remus in disbelief. "You can't honestly think that—"

"—Scrimgeour would sell Harry out to make himself and the Ministry look like the heroes?" Remus interrupted. "You better believe it. Why do you think there is so much focus on werewolves at the moment? If the public is worried about the 'werewolf problem' then they're not criticizing the Ministry. The Ministry has mastered the art of pushing bad publicity on someone else. The best thing we can do for Harry is to keep Scrimgeour out of this until the last possible moment."

"No boy should be under this much pressure," Professor McGonagall said gravely.

"Is this a private conversation or can anyone join in?" Harry asked as he pulled the bed covers away as slowly moved towards the edge of the bed. His back still was a little sore but he had experienced worse.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed as he hurried over to Harry's side. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving yet, at least until Poppy takes a look at you."

Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance but allowed Sirius to help him back into bed. They all knew the danger with spinal injuries which was the only reason Harry wasn't telling Sirius to leave him alone. "What have I missed?" he asked as his head hit the pillow.

"We managed to obtain some Muggle newspapers," Remus said as he joined Sirius at Harry's bedside. "As far as they know, the partial collapse of the orphanage happened on its own. The building was extremely unstable before last night. Of course, that may change once specialists go in and inspect the damage."

"Fortunately, Kingsley still has friends in high places at the Ministry," Tonks added as she approached and sat down on the foot of Harry's bed. "With the help of a few Obliviators, the Muggles won't suspect a thing."

"And Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"There was a Death Eater attack near Edwinstowe last night," Sirius answered. "There weren't many deaths but a lot of damage. We were lucky. Voldemort probably won't realize the orphanage was damaged for at least a few days."

Harry let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "So we have a few days to find the remaining hidden Horcrux and destroy it?" he asked.

Sirius, Remus and Tonks shared a look. "Harry, you know that will be impossible to accomplish," Remus said carefully. "It took us months to find the last one."

Madam Pomfrey's entrance halted the conversation but it was probably a good thing. Harry couldn't understand how they could act so calm. This was horrible news. By the time they located the next Horcrux, Voldemort would have learned what they were up to. As much as Harry didn't want to admit it, they needed help. They needed someone on the inside to let them know what Voldemort was doing. They had worked too hard to waste it all now.

When you are determined to complete one task, focusing on another is extremely difficult. For Harry, putting any sort of concentration in classes and schoolwork was impossible. Instead of taking notes, Harry reviewed research. Instead of studying, Harry memorized Voldemort's past. He knew the answer to everything was right there in front of him. He just couldn't find it.

The arrival of November brought increasingly colder temperatures along with snowfall. True to Tonks' word, the experts investigating the orphanage had found nothing out of the ordinary, declaring that it was only a matter of time before the rest of the building fell. Muggle authorities were currently trying to notify the owner of the property but Harry had a feeling that task would be difficult. The owner was either dead or unreachable because they were currently planning world domination.

Death Eater attacks were increasing in numbers and intensity. It was now rare to open an issue of the 'Daily Prophet' and not see an article about the latest list of deaths. Several students had been pulled out of school leaving many to wonder if they would be next. As much as Harry didn't want to admit it, he knew it was only a matter of time before Hogwarts was forced to close. Everyone knew that Hogwarts was a target. Voldemort was just too focused on creating havoc around London at the moment.

The Marauder Quarters was currently in disarray. Parchment was attached to the walls containing detailed notes of a variety of topics. Harry was currently staring at the cluster of parchment that held Voldemort's past. The diary had been the first object in Voldemort's possession followed by the Gaunt ring. Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup had been acquired at the same time with Hepzibar Smith's murder. The ring, locket and cup had been intended on being hidden in places significant to Voldemort before his graduation. The diary, on the other hand, had been entrusted to a person with no sort of warning to how important the item was.

Of course Voldemort had no intention of vanishing for thirteen years so there was no reason to believe a warning was necessary.

After Regulus Black's betrayal, there was a good chance that Voldemort wouldn't entrust any more Horcruxes to his Death Eaters. The possibility of betrayal was too high. That left places that Voldemort would never forget and the wizarding world would never suspect. Riddle Manor was certainly possibility but would Voldemort really hide a Horcrux in the large house with another hidden only a short distance away in the Gaunt house?

Possible but unlikely.

Hogwarts was also an unlikely hiding place. Yes, the castle held many secrets but secrets had many ways of being discovered. Keeping something in a place with so many people wandering around every day was too much of a risk for anyone to take. Of course there was also the fact that Hogwarts had assured Harry that the only area with a significant amount of Dark Magic was the Chamber of Secrets which had already been searched, confirming his theory.

With the two known locations before graduation out of the question, Harry glanced at the list of locations after leaving Hogwarts and before Godric's Hollow. It was an extremely short list. Voldemort's employment at Borgin and Burkes as at the top of the list but that seemed almost as risky as Riddle Manor or Hogwarts. Mr. Borgin would sell anything for the right price and a relic from the Hogwarts founders would certainly guarantee a very good price.

The sound of the door opening distracted Harry for a brief moment until the soft waves of nervousness and concern washed up against him. Ron and Hermione had found him, not that he was hiding or anything. It was obvious by the mess he had made that he would be spending a lot of time in the Common Room of the Marauder Quarters, especially since it was really the only place Harry could go without being stared at by the entire school.

"Sirius and Remus are looking for you, Harry," Hermione said as she sat down in a chair behind Harry, her bag of books dropping to the floor with a thud. "Scrimgeour wants to schedule another meeting."

Harry couldn't hold back a snort. In other words, Scrimgeour wanted to hear some good news since he didn't have any. The Ministry was slowly losing ground against Voldemort and everyone knew it. People were joining Voldemort just to be spared when the Ministry fell. "They know where to find me," Harry said with a shrug. "I wouldn't doubt that they're deliberately taking their time so we don't have to deal with it until tomorrow."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Harry continued to stare at the parchment on the wall. Any moment now…three…two…one…

"Is there anything we can help with, Harry?" Ron asked breaking the silence. "Three people can work faster than one."

Harry shook his head as he took a step towards the parchment filled wall. "We're running out of possible places and each location is even more unlikely than the previous," he admitted in frustration. "The answer's here. It has to be. I just can't figure it out."

"Then perhaps you should take a break from it, Harry," Hermione offered cautiously. "You've been spending too much time staring at those notes. Sirius and Remus are doing everything they can to gather more information. Professor Shacklebolt is even contacting everyone he can. The problem is it has to be done so discretely otherwise Voldemort will find out."

Harry let out a sigh as he tiredly rubbed his eyes. "I know," he admitted. "I just hate waiting. Time really isn't on our side here."

"So you plan on going nutters in the mean time?" Ron asked earning a reproving look from Hermione. "What? Staring at the same thing for a long period of time would do that to anyone."

"I'm sure it would," Hermione said shortly, "but you didn't have to be so…crude."

Ron shrugged his shoulders as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You dance around the subject and I get straight to the point," he countered. "It's the way it's always been and probably always will be."

Hermione glared at Ron before returning her gaze to Harry. "My point is that everyone's doing what they can," she said firmly. "Pushing yourself like this isn't going to help, Harry. Take a break. Go for a walk. Start your schoolwork. Do something that isn't focused on Voldemort. Members of the Order are watching the orphanage for any sign of Death Eaters. We'll know if something happens."

Harry didn't miss Hermione's not-so-subtle-hint. He knew she was worried what would happen if he started putting off schoolwork now and she wasn't the only one. Everyone around him seemed to take it upon themselves to do what they could to ensure that Harry completed his final year at Hogwarts so he could become a Healer. They didn't realize he was just as determined as they were. However, Voldemort was a higher priority at the present time.

"I prefer not to be caught on the defensive, Hermione," Harry said dryly. "Without the luxury of a spy in Voldemort's ranks, we have to do everything we can as quick as possible."

"Then lets find a spy," Hermione countered.

Harry stared at Hermione incredulously. "It's not that simple," he pointed out. "I highly doubt the 'Daily Prophet' has a classified section for spys."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she enfolded her arms across her chest. "I didn't mean it like that," she huffed. "Look, we need inside information. Who better to give it to us than Death Eaters or children of Death Eaters who had been betrayed by Voldemort? They have nothing to lose!"

Harry stared at Hermione for a long moment before his eyes widened. She couldn't mean… "Are you talking about the Malfoys?" he asked cautiously.

"Are you bloody out of your mind?" Ron blurted out. "The Mafoys hate us and are currently in Azkaban. They would never help a bunch of Gryffindors and if they did, they would want something in return that we couldn't give them."

Harry had to admit that Ron had a very good point. "They would want their freedom," he added. "Scrimgeour would never agree to releasing convicted Death Eaters, especially in the middle of a war."

"Lucius Malfoy is a convicted Death Eater," Hermione clarified. "Draco Malfoy was only convicted of using an Unforgivable—"

"—on Harry!" Ron interrupted.

Hermione shot Ron a glare. "I know, Ron, I know!" she snapped. "What he did was horrible but considering what was revealed…"

"Malfoy was emotionally unstable, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh. "I think I know that more than anyone. The problem is that Malfoy made the choice to decline help from everyone who offered it. He chose to strike out which was why he was sent to Azkaban."

"For two years, Harry," Hermione countered. "Think about it, his help for one year being removed from his sentence. If his information helps us, wouldn't it be worth it?"

"If he helps us," Ron pointed out, "and that's a very big 'if'. If Malfoy wasn't even a Death Eater then what could he give us?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "We won't know until we talk to him," she said simply.

Harry let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He honestly didn't want to see Draco Malfoy again but he had to admit Hermione had a point. If someone could provide help, who was he to turn them down because he didn't like them? Winning the war was more important that childish animosity. "I'll speak to Sirius and Remus about it," Harry said finally. "If they agree then I'll arrange a meeting with Scrimgeour. We'll need his approval before we actually do anything."

"Good," Hermione said with a nod as she rose to her feet. "Now go for a walk while we look over your notes."

Harry groaned as Hermione grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards the door. Sometimes Hermione was too pushy for her own good. "Yes Mum," he muttered earning a snicker from Ron and a glare from Hermione. Luckily for him, Hermione didn't specify how long the walk had to be. One stroll around to get some fresh air would be enough to make Hermione happy.

Curfew was still an hour away so there were still plenty of people in the halls. Groups of students immediately moved out of Harry's way and began whispering loudly, leaving no doubt to who they were talking about. Harry suppressed an irritated groan and moved on. This was one part of Hogwarts that he would never miss. No matter how much Harry tried to remain in the shadows, the rest of the school was determined to keep him in the spotlight. They preferred to think of Harry as a hero rather than a teenager.

It was also extremely difficult ignore all of the emotions bouncing off the walls. Jealousy and hate battled against admiration and desire. It was hard for Harry to figure out who resented him and who lusted after him since people in the same group had such a large variety of emotions. One thing, however, was clear. Ginny Weasley's feelings hadn't changed at all.

"Harry!"

Harry let out a sigh. This can't be a coincidence. Turning around, Harry immediately put a friendly smile on his face. It didn't matter how much he was dreading this conversation. Ginny was still Ron's little sister and a member of his honorary family. "Hello Ginny," Harry said softly.

Ginny reached Harry with a wide smile on her face. Her long red hair was pulled back with a few strands left out, framing her face. It was clear that she was coming from spending hours in the library. "How've you been?" Ginny asked brightly. "I haven't seen you much lately."

"I've been busy," Harry said honestly. That was an understatement and Harry knew that Ginny knew it. The entire Weasley family knew that Harry was working on something important for the war. They just didn't know the extent of it.

Ginny nodded before glancing around nervously. "Um—do you mind if I walk with you?" she asked quietly. "I would like to talk to you about something."

I really don't need this tonight. "Er—sure," Harry said uncomfortably before turning and continuing on his way with Ginny walking beside him. Nervousness poured off of Ginny overwhelming the slight eagerness that Harry couldn't miss. It was times like this that Harry really hated his empathy. He knew he was going to have to break Ginny's heart and he would feel every moment of it.

"We've known each other a long time, Harry," Ginny began uncomfortably. "When I was younger, I'll admit that I was caught up in the-boy-who-lived label but then I got to know you. You aren't some untouchable hero. You're a normal guy who does whatever he can to make the world a better place."

Harry held back a wince as they turned a corner and walked past a group of Ravenclaw girls who giggled loudly to each other. Thank you, Hermione, for suggesting a walk while the majority of the female population is out and about.

When the girls were far enough away, Ginny cleared her throat. "As I was saying," she continued, "I know others have wanted more than friendship—"

"—Ginny—"

"—let me finish," Ginny said quickly. "Cho liked you, Harry. She didn't hide that she wanted more than friendship. I realize that having a relationship with someone is probably the last thing on your mind right now. I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need someone to talk to or spend time with, I'm available. I would like to be more than friends but I won't push you, Harry. I wouldn't add to the stress that you're already under."

Harry felt ill. Ginny wasn't offering anything more than friendship with hopes to be more in the future. The problem was if he accepted Ginny's offer, he was implying that they could be more in the future. If he didn't then he risked his friendship with Ginny. As much as Harry didn't want to lose Ginny as a friend, he knew that postponing the truth would only cause her more pain by creating false hope.

Coming to a halt, Harry turned to Ginny as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I want to be friends, Ginny," he said honestly, "but that is really all I can see us being. I see your family as my own. Your brothers have been like brothers to me and you have always been like a little sister. I can't bring myself to see you as anything other than that."

Ginny stared at Harry with a pleading look in her eyes. "Couldn't you try?" she asked softly.

Harry let out a sigh as he looked away. He could try but it wouldn't change anything. He couldn't change anything. Cho had proven that any sort of relationship deeper than friendship was impossible. The intense lack of control wasn't something he could afford to do. "I would only break your heart, Ginny," Harry answered at last as he met her gaze. "There are things you don't know about me, secrets that would make a normal life impossible. You deserve to live a happy and normal life."

Tears filled Ginny's eyes before she turned her face away. Harry could hear her letting out a few shaky breaths before strengthening her posture and looking back at him. Disappointment and pity poured off her so intensely that Harry felt the need to take a step back. "I understand, Harry," Ginny said firmly. "I may not agree with you but I won't stand in your way. I hope that one day you realize you do deserve to have a normal life like the rest of us."

Without waiting for a reply, Ginny turned and walked away. Harry could only let her go as he took a few steps backwards and leaned against the cold stone wall. Why did life have to always get more complicated when it was already complicated enough? He didn't want Ginny to feel sorry for him. He wanted her to move on and have the life he couldn't give her. Hermione is in so much trouble. I'm never listening to anything she says again.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Harry turned and walked back to the Marauder Quarters. Suddenly solving the mystery of the remaining Horcruxes didn't seem to be so exasperating. Studying data was certainly easier than dealing with people and their emotions.

A/N: A short and boring one, I know but it needed to be written. I needed to deal with the Ginny/Harry situation sooner or later.