Chapter Twenty: The Truth.
The next day Harry and Ron were allowed to get up and spend most of the day in the sunroom. Sirius was released and Harry was able to fully appreciate just how much he'd missed him over the last two years.
He'd almost forgot about the Horcrux until Ginny said to him 'Harry, what was that cup you had with you and how on earth did you get so badly hurt? And Sirius…'
Harry knew it was time to tell Ginny the truth about the Horcruxes 'Let's go back to the ward babe. I think we should talk about something' Harry replied taking her hand and leading her back through the door of the sunroom.
When they got back to the ward Harry sat down cross legged on his bed, Ginny sat down beside him, Harry took a deep breath to prepare for what he was about to say 'I haven't told you everything I have to do before going after Voldemort' he said.
'Are you about to?' Ginny asked.
Harry nodded 'last year I had special lessons with Dumbledore, well he was showing me different memories about Voldemort to help me find and defeat him. In the very last memory he showed me, Slughorn was telling Tom Riddle about Horcruxes' Harry said.
'What are Horcruxes?' Ginny asked.
'It's when a person splits their soul and puts a part of it in to an object. There've only ever been records of a person doing it once, it's the closest to becoming immortal as you can get' Harry said every syllable was paining him to get out.
'And he's made one?' Ginny asked.
'Not just one, he's split his soul in to seven parts, six Horcruxes plus the part that's still in him' Harry said.
'So unless you destroy all six of them, Voldemort can never be killed?' Ginny asked.
'Right' Harry said.
'How many have been destroyed?' Ginny asked.
'Three but when I destroy the cup, four' Harry said.
'So they're hidden then? What sort of objects are they?' Ginny asked.
'Yeah, they're hidden, on the night Dumbledore was killed I was with him looking for one' Harry said.
'Did you find it?' Ginny asked.
'It was a fake, but I found the real one just after school started and destroyed it, it was that big locket that we found at Grimmauld place. Remember the one that no one could open?' Harry said.
Ginny nodded 'what are the others? Do you know?' She asked.
'The two others that have been destroyed were a ring that Dumbledore found and destroyed and I destroyed the other in my second year without realising what it was' Harry replied.
'It was that diary, wasn't it?' Ginny said.
'Yes it was, but it's gone now. The others are the cup, something that belonged to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor and we think the snake Nagini, Voldemort's pet' Harry said.
'It's not that sword is it? Didn't that belong to Gryffindor? Ginny asked.
'We don't think so; I reckon it's something of Ravenclaw's. That sword was the only thing left of Gryffindor's and it was in the sorting hat so Riddle never touched it' Harry said.
'So it's really dangerous to find the Horcruxes and destroy them, maybe even dangerous enough that you might get killed' she said very quietly 'you didn't just propose to me because you thought you were going to die did you?' she asked dangerously close to tears now, staring down at the ring on her finger.
Harry took her hands in his 'no Ginny, I love you so much, you mean the world to me, I asked you because I want to marry you, not because I think I might die. It's dangerous, sure enough but I know that I can do it, I mean to marry you babe. Not die before I ever get the chance,' Ginny was crying now, Harry drew her in to his arms and held her tightly.
'I love you Harry, more than anyone will ever know,' Ginny said sobbing.
Harry wiped her cheeks with the back of his hand and kissed each of her eyelids, tasting her tears 'it's going to be alright' he said.
'I want to help destroy the Horcruxes' Ginny said.
Harry shook his head 'No Ginny you can't, I don't want to put you in danger, I'd prefer you not to help me, I don't want you to come along,' Harry said.
'Let me help with something? Isn't there anything I can do?' She said.
'Perhaps you could help me with the memories then' Harry answered.
'Ok then, I'll help with those, at least it's something' Ginny said, knowing that Harry wouldn't change his mind about going along on the searches.
Mr and Mrs Weasley along with Hermione and Ron came in at that moment. Harry let go of Ginny and she slid off his knee, thankful she wasn't still crying.
'We've just come to say that we're heading home now, we'll see you tomorrow before you go back to school,' Mrs Weasley said.
'We can stay for a while, can't we?' Ginny asked.
'Yes, but I want you home when Hermione comes please' Mrs Weasley replied.
'Ok mum, see you later' Ginny said.
'Bye dears' she said hugging Ron and Harry 'see you two at home,' she added to Hermione and Ginny.
'What's wrong Ginny?' Hermione asked noticing her friends red eyes.
'I just told her the truth about the Horcruxes' Harry said.
'Why should that make her cry?' Ron asked also noticing Ginny's eyes.
'It's not that Ron; it's the danger of the situation, the thought of…' She didn't say anymore she just put her arms back around Harry and sat on his knee.
Ron just nodded, when he was dangling down that hole all he could think about was Hermione and the baby, he spread his arms out to his wife and beckoned her over, she went and sat on his knee, he put his arms around her, resting her hands on her podgy belly 'I'm sorry hon' he said in her ear.
'I know Ron, you had to help your best mate, but you scared me' she replied placing her hands on top of his 'I'm sorry I was mad at you' she added.
The four of them sat like that, thinking about their loved ones until a healer came in to check on Harry and Ron. After the healer had finished he said that they'd be discharged the next day, but they had to take it easy.
Mr and Mrs Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, Sirius and Kingsley Shacklebolt came in the next day to see them before they left for Hogwarts in the evening. While Harry was packing up his things he came across the cup, he wondered if it would be easy to destroy but didn't try anything at the hospital, he just placed it on top of the clothes in his bag, he'd figure it out at school.