It was New Years Eve and four teenagers sat in a small room of an abandoned house talking merrily as they watched the watched sparks leap from the blazing fire in the fireplace. One, a brown haired boy, looked to his watch; nearly 10:00. Another rose from the thread-bare carpet on which they were sitting and went to a closet door and wrenched it open. He rummaged inside for a moment and emerged with two bottles clanking together in each hand; two full of a red liquid, the others amber. "Who wants some?"

"Where'd you get those mate?" question a third, red-haired boy as he rose to grab some of the bottles and see what else was in the closet. "Bloody hell, how much have you got in here?" The others rose too, to see.

"Harry! What are you doing with all of this?" said Hermione, the only girl and the voice of reason, sounded thoroughly perturbed. "You haven't been drinking all the time have you?"

"I--" Harry started.

"Oh, lighten up, Hermione. He can do what he wants." Ron shoved a bottle of dark liquid that he had just pulled from the closet at her.

"But—you know that's no way to make this go away. It's only a temporary fix. You really shouldn't use alcohol to drown away your problems; losing yourself for a little while won't solve anything. You can't live acting you may not get another chance at things. It will only make it wor—"She stopped mid-sentence. Harry was smiling at her, laughing slightly. "What?" she sounded annoyed now.

"Don't you go telling me about what not to do to forget my problems and lose myself for a little while or acting like I may not make it." He shot a knowing smirk at Ron as well. Neville however looked clueless. Hermione reddened. Ron had already returned to where they had been sitting with his hands full with bottles. Harry and Neville sat back down as well, pulling the corks from their drinks. They looked up at Hermione, as she hovered over them with her hands on her hips.

"Come-on, 'Mione. No one but us will know; it won't tarnish your reputation; you don't have to be Little-Miss Perfect."

"I am not little-miss perfect! You know perfectly well, Ronald," she had to force herself to keep from smiling at the look that had emerged on his face.

"Well, suit yourself then," He chuckled raising his bottle in her direction. "Cheers." She scowled. The other two joined in Ron's laughter looking at her tentatively coaxing her to have just a little.

Finally she cracked a smile, "Oh alright!" she feigned contempt. She grabbed a bottle yanked out the cork and unceremoniously downed half the bottle in one gulp. "Uggh!" her face contorted with disgust. "What was that? It burns terribly!"

"Fire-whiskey," said Ron through his laughter. She laughed to as she sat down.

"This is horrible!" she said, but still took another—this time smaller—sip. And they began to share and laugh, forgetting what they were involved in and losing all track of time (as well as how much they were drinking). Soon they were laughing so loudly that any muggle or death eater in a mile's radius would have been able to hear them.

"…So then, she just gets up wraps the sheet around her and leaves! Ha! It was great--haven't seen her since!" Neville concluded the story of his very eventful summer, laughing hysterically. The other three just stared at him.

"We had no idea! Yeah, Nev'!" Ron slapped Neville jovially on the back and began to laugh as well.

"Ronald!" Hermione smacked him, pushing her messy hair from her angered face. But the smile that slowly crept onto her lips deceived her and she began to chuckle with the others. She stopped suddenly. "Lets play a game!" She turned quickly to Harry. "Truth or dare?" There was an amused sparkle in her eye and a drunken grin that let on to her intent in playing such a childish game.

"Ha-What?"

"Truth…or dare."

"Okay, truth," Harry answered confidently.

"Right then," she grinned.

---

By the next hour the four friends were sufficiently drunk, now partly un-clothed, and constantly alternating between erupting spontaneously into fits of laughter from the outrageous stakes of the game and into rousing choruses of particularly profane drinking songs.

"Okay! Okay!" Ron sat up from the floor, laughing heartily while holding his hands out to steady himself. "Okay Hermione, I need to know—"

"You've got to ask me truth or dare first!"

"Fine! Truth," he said hinting to choose it, "or dare."

"Truth," she giggled.

"When this is over, will you marry me?" He smiled broadly and began to chuckle again; she however became suddenly very serious, her smile faded. She got up slowly and headed toward her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The boys looked very confused. "What's her problem?"

"Dunno, mate. You might want to go check."

Neville shook his head, "Women!" He then continued laughing as he curled up on the floor, then quickly fell asleep.

Ron got up and walked down the hall toward Hermione. He knocked but his only answer was a sob. "Great, she's crying." He shook the door handle trying to open it, but it was locked. "Come on 'Mione! Let me in; what's wrong?" Another sob. "Don't make me get my wand!" There was a click and the door swung open. Hermione was lying on the bed crying into the pillow. "Oh, 'Mione, what's the matter?"

"I just, just—" she cried on his shoulder now. "You just reminded me about how uncertain everything is. I am so scared! I don't want to get my hopes up for the future when everything in the present is so unsure." He hugged her.

"You think too much. Leave it to you to be so serious when you're drunk! Why can't we just have fun now?" With this he pinned her down and kissed her fiercely.

"Ronald!" She was laughing again now as she hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"Come on, Hermione. You know you want to," He looked at her lustfully. She responded by grabbing him and pulling him towards her. Their subsequent laughter could be heard through the walls in the other room.

Harry sighed and laid down on the floor with his hands over his face; sure he was happy for them, god it only took seven years! But he could not bare to hear them so happy together when he was so incredibly depressed. He missed Ginny immensely. He felt so selfish. "I should be happy for them. I am happy for them! I just wish I was as happy as them. I wish Ginny was here. No, no—I could not put her in danger too. Gods, I need to get this over as quickly as possible" He thought as he rubbed his forehead; his head was beginning to ache.

---

Ron and Hermione emerged from Hermione's bedroom a while later, straightening their clothes and smoothing their hair. "Harry, we've been talking."

"So that's what they call it now," Harry smirked and slid over another bottle to each of them. Ron shot him a look, but couldn't help but be pleased with himself.

"Well, yes, "Hermione smiled too. "We know that it really is up to you and that you wanted to do it alone as not to put anyone else in danger, but we really want to help you. And we—well I certainly think its time to stop all this nonsense and move on, we're doing no good sitting her and drinking our troubles away." Harry frowned and made to speak. "No Harry, I think you should genuinely consider filling us in on you ideas. I for one will not let you search for anymore of these horcruxes alone."

"Hermione, I--"

"I think this should be worked out as quickly as possible. And—"

"Hermione! I know," he raised his voice, waking Neville. She was slightly taken aback. "I've been thinking about it as well. Tomorrow I will tell you about the plan I have been working on since I left and we will leave tomorrow night, I've decided. I have given up on the idea that you would possibly leave me to do this myself. Besides, I think you all will turn out to be more of a help than I realized. It's damn lonely work, trying to defeat an evil wizard who is trying just as hard to do you in." He laughed, Hermione did not.

"But right now, I think you are all far too sober! It's New Year's Eve and nearly midnight!" Neville spoke up.

"Amazing how alcohol changes people," Ron realized. They all laughed and popped the corks from their bottles. It was nearly midnight.

"Tomorrow, we really begin this journey. No turning back now!" Hermione said.

Two minutes to go.

"We're going to finish this once and for all."

"No, you are going to finish this. It's your prophecy to fulfill."

"I won't be able to do it without you, Mate."

One minute.

"We should toast to something!" Neville raised his bottle.

"To friendship, courage and loyalty!" Began Hermione.

"To ending this god damn war!" Ron added.

"And to the one thing Dumbledore said could end it." The other three were surprised to see Harry say this with a smile, melancholy as it was. "To Love." He shot a look at Ron and Hermione as he said it, they blushed.

Ten seconds.

"Cheers!" They said together, clanking their bottles together as the bells of a muggle church in the distance tolled midnight. "Happy new year," Harry said quietly as Ron and Hermione shared as New-year's kiss.

The group slept that night right where they sat, on the floor near the fireplace; worried yet contented at the same time.

---

At 7 o'clock the next morning, Harry was the first to stir. His head was pounding furiously, almost as badly as his scar used to. His stomach turned; he ran to the bathroom, tripping over Ron in his haste. He groaned and woke Hermione who was curled up against his chest. Neville remained sleeping, sprawled out amidst their trash from the night before.

"Fuck! I feel like I've been hit by a train."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded before sitting up herself. "Oh" she moaned, laying back down immediately.

"See!" He retaliated. "Why the hell did I drink so much?" His hair stuck up in the back and he yawned deeply."

"Attractive," Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, he grimaced. "The same reason I did. That was so completely stupid of us. Where's my wand, I need to get rid of this headache."

"I think it rolled under your bed after the contracept— Hey, Harry. How are doing?"

"Been better." He held his head as he walked into the room.

"As soon as I find my wand, we'll get rid of this. Ginny taught me a handy charm…"

"How does my sister know a counter-hangover charm?"

"Um…well…" She disappeared from the room before answering. She returned a few minutes later looking completely refreshed, brandishing her wand merrily. After casting the spell on them silently she said, "Right, now we can get down to business. Let's hear it."

"Shouldn't we wake Neville?" Ron gestured over his shoulder.

"Let him sleep," Harry shrugged before mysteriously began to study the floorboards, walking towards the window as he did. He knelt down and knocked on one in the corner, it popped up slightly. He pried it up and stuck his hand underneath. Ron and Hermione looked at him confusedly. "I've had a lot of experience hiding things from the Dursleys; there was a loose board under my bed."

"Right. Well, what ideas have you got, Harry."

"Well, as you know I have been out for the past few months gathering information about Voldemort," Ron no longer winced at the use of the name. "I have found out a lot about possible Horcrux locations during this time. But what I never realized is that one place we have known about all along. Dumbledore showed me. Hell, it's been right under our noses the entire time."

"Hogwarts!" Hermione had a revelation.

"Yes."

"But there was already one found at Hogwarts. What are the chances that there'd be another?" Ron questioned.

"But the diary wasn't meant to be at Hogwarts; there was no way that Voldemort would have know it would end up, and be destroyed there. Of course! Why didn't I see that before?" Hermione looked disappointed in herself but somehow at the same time almost fervent at the idea.

"The same reason I didn't. I should have realized when Dumbledore showed me the memory of Voldemort returning to request a job. Hogwarts was the only place that he ever felt was his home. The only problem, I don't know what object he would have made into a horcrux, how would he have brought it into the school. He surely couldn't have created it there. The only thing I could think of is possibly Gryffindor's sword?"

"I don't know, Harry." Hermione looked unsure, "That seems too simple."

"I know, but I'm sure there must be something there though."

"Well, we've got that; there's one at the school. Have you thought of any others?" Ron prompted.

"Honestly, no," Harry looked both discouraged and embarrassed at divulging this. "I've gotten loads of information though: Some about Voldemort, some about the death eaters, and even more about Regulus. But I'll we have time to talk about that. I think the first thing we should do is move to where we are sure we'll find something."

"Good idea."

"Lets wake Neville; we need to get ourselves ready."

Ron nudged Neville with his foot, "Oy, Nev! Get up." Neville grunted and turned over. "Come on." Hermione stamped on the floor near his head shaking the dilapidated boards causing Neville to sit up suddenly with a loud snort.

"Wazgoinon?"

"Rise and shine, Neville! Tonight we leave for Hogwarts!" Harry said loudly, knowing his head was pounding as badly as his own had been before Hermione's miracle charm. Neville moaned and grabbed his head before collapsing back onto the floor. "Well at least one of us is excited," Harry joked as he headed out of the room to gather his belongings.