A/N1: Here, it is one chapter more. I just finished it. Please enjoy!

A/N2: I won't have time to update in the next few days as I'll be occupied with the Deathly Hallows. It is important after all.

All comments, suggestions and flames are welcomed.

Disclaimer – JK Rowling and various publishers own the world of Harry Potter.

Chapter Sixteen

Possessed

Nagini flinched as though hit by a whip. She turned towards the hissing. There stood Sentinel poised for attack.

"Who are you?" – Nagini hissed.

"I am Sentinel, royal guard of the Matriarch of the house of Acrustia." – Sentinel replied.

"And yet serving a human?" – Nagini hissed mockingly.

"Now who's talking?" – Sentinel mocked back. "Wretched servant of an extinct fossil."

"How dare you?" – Nagini bristled up. "My masster is the heir of Slytherin."

"Then he is a disgrace for the name of Slytherin. If Lord Slytherin could see his heir he would have turned up in his grave." – Sentinel spat.

"That'sss enough."

Nagini hissed dangerously then attacked. She aimed for under the head but had made its move without knowing who she was dealing with. Sentinel evaded the attack easily then targeted the head of its opponent with the deadly curse. Surprisingly Nagini dodged the spell but looked incredulously at Sentinel.

"You can cast spells?" – Nagini sounded surprised.

"Well, the great ones can but the weak, well, they are weak." – Sentinel hissed superciliously.

Nagini stick out her tongue at Sentinel then slithered quickly away. "Coward," – Sentinel hissed and headed after her.

Harry watched this physical and word combat speechless then remembered that he told Ginny to run away. He was still in shock of the appearance of Voldemort's favorite snake. He vaguely had noticed the direction in which Ginny went. But the problem was that Nagini was heading in her way. This took out Harry out of his first shock. He made his way in the same direction, worry was building up.

Ginny was wandering deep into the forest since Harry pleaded her to run. Now, she regretted her decision to obey him. She felt like she betrayed his trust. She said she would never leave his side and she left him against an angry snake and all of that because Harry wanted to look for his snake. Snakes, she hated them now – all of them big, small, black, white; not to mention that this very snake almost killed her father. How she could leave him, Ginny thought. That very though was eating her inside out like a disease. Ginny stopped walking. She then turned around. She has to be at his side. How could one silly snake scare her away?

But finding the way back was not as easy as Ginny thought at first. She now noticed that she had wandered without idea or direction. She had no idea where she was. This dark forest was depressing. Slytherin was a bastard after all for choosing such a place to live. She stopped again to clear her thoughts. She had to retrace her footsteps. But anywhere she was looking she was seeing dark trees and small thorny bushes that could give anyone the shivers just looking at them.

She shook her head. Then she suddenly remembered the mirror vision. "No, it can not be," she whispered, fear growing in her. She had foreseen her own fate. "No." she cried out, "No." She had to get away from here. And she ran as fast as she could. The fear was increasing with each step. The panic and the sheer fear of being possessed again, yes again, was giving her speed, doubling her senses but also making her look around every tree, every bush, as though she expected to see the ghost of the devil himself. That sensation was starting to consume her. No, she could not give into this, not again.

Then she heard a noise nearby that made her jump. She stopped herself instantly and remained still. She mastered her breathing after taking a deep breath. Nothing was moving around, everything was still. She remained this way listening for a sound. After a while she relaxed slightly, and started moving again. "Calm down Ginny, calm down," she told herself.

Hermione and Ron were walking together northwards. They had their wands lit up searching the ground for any sign of the lost snake – Sentinel. But maybe she was not lost, as Hermione thought. It was not the first that this snake would take a walk like this. Nonetheless, she was important to Harry and they had to find her.

"Anything?" – Ron asked after a while.

"No, nothing." – Hermione replied.

"Should we call it by name?" – Ron suggested looking questioningly at Hermione.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked irritated. "Yeah, sure. Please do!" – She said then mockingly.

"It was just a suggestion." – Ron said in a low voice.

Hermione only snorted. Ron looked at her but just shook his head. He knew she did not like Sentinel. I mean who would after being attacked by a snake that casts spells. Ron pondered for a nick then shook his head again. "What an adventure," – he thought, "Who would have ever thought possible that there could be snakes casting spells, looking like humans and also talking like ones." Ron continued his survey of the ground but there was no indication what so ever of Sentinel's passing.

Ron looked around noticing that Hermione was not in the near vicinity. Ron panicked for a second. Then he saw her bushy hair straight ahead behind one very ugly looking bush. He hurried to catch up her.

"Hermione!" – He called.

"What?" – She snapped.

"Don't rush up like this." – Ron said while panting from the running. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Don't worry, Ron, I won't do this anymore." – She smiled at him for being so concerned. "I don't think Sentinel is anywhere near here."

"I begin to agree." – Ron said.

"Let's…" – Hermione did not finish as they heard a scream. "What the…?"

"Ginny." – Ron said with difficulty, paling quickly.

"Let's go." – Hermione urged.

They hurried up in the direction of the scream. But the sound has already faded away so they had to use their instinct.

"Ginny!" – Ron called out loudly. But only silence answered him. "Ginny!"

Neville and Luna were headed southeast. Neville was scanning the ground with his wand while Luna was looking at the low levels of the trees. Sometimes, well not only sometimes, snakes like to climb trees or should you say slither there way up.

"Any luck?" – Neville asked.

"No, you?"- Luna replied asking back.

"No, nothing. But how are we supposed to find a snake in such a dark place?"

"I don't know but may be she was abducted by furlings." – Luna replied.

"What? What are those?" – Neville asked bewildered.

"Furlings, they eat lizards, snakes and worms. My dad says that they find them very tasty. After the furlings accumulate enough they start the feast of eating." – Luna replied with an innocent and somewhat dreamy look on her face.

Neville looked stunned then he shook slowly his head. "Furlings, funny," he thought. Luna always managed to come up with something odd like that when there was no explanation for something. It was amazing though how she was doing that. Maybe that was what fascinated him about her. She was so free at times. But one thing was now sure Sentinel has not passed through here. Neville wondered what could have prompted the snake to take a leave. Maybe she sensed some food or something else and went to check it out.

"Maybe Sentinel has not passed by here?" – Neville wondered aloud.

"Maybe." – Luna repeated.

"We should head in a different direction then."

"Good idea. Let's roll." – Luna exclaimed happily.

They changed the direction westwards. They walked and walked. The trees were getting bigger and darker. As they were passing a big swarm of bushes Luna spotted a glimmering light.

"What's that?" – She asked.

Neville looked in that direction. "It looks like something is on fire." He was correct the light turned out to be fire. But then just a second later the fire blinked and vanished. This puzzled them. Luna scratched her head.

"Should we check it out?" – She asked.

"I think we could." – Neville replied. "And…here it is again."

Neville was again correct but it was not a fire. It was a beaming light and in the midst of that light was an object. But they were too far to see it. So, they looked at each other and headed in the direction of the light. The light flickered as if it was winking at them.

They were now closer and they saw a cup. The cup was emitting this strange beaming and flickering light. The cup was golden. There was a badger. Neville and Luna blinked in disbelief. It was the cup of Hufflepuff. They approached it carefully. Neville extended his hand in hope to grab it and Luna was holding his other hand. But they were due for a surprise. The moment Neville's fingers entered into the lightened field of the cup there was a sound of bells like Neville had reached a barrier of some kind. But it did not end there. After the bell's sound the ground under Neville and Luna collapsed revealing a hole in which they fell.

Harry was panting. It seemed that chasing the seemingly slow slithering snakes is not easy. And it turned out he was not wrong. After several hundred feet moving deeper inside the forest Harry had lost track of the two snakes. Harry stopped to take his breath and use the time to think.

Nagini was Voldemort's snake. This was not good news because if Nagini was here then Voldemort could not be far behind. That very thought had paralyzed him on the spot when he saw the snake. But it was also possible that Voldemort was not here. If that was true he could not let the snake to return to him. So he hoped that Sentinel would manage to catch her in time or his quest goes to hell although there was nothing to fear. Nagini could not possibly know what he and his friends were doing here but eventually Voldemort could figure it out. And the fact that they were at Slytherin's house would only serve to increase Voldemort's suspicion. Bottom line they had to catch that snake.

Harry then realized that he might have made a mistake letting Ginny go. But he couldn't have known that Sentinel was nearby. Harry managed to catch his breath. He was now trying hard to catch a hissing or any kind of movement in the near vicinity. But the surroundings were filled only with silence. So Harry continued in the direction he last saw the two snakes slither.

He walked for over twenty minutes. He must have reached the deepest side of the forest because it was already darker and somewhat colder. Hopefully there were no more blood hungry flies, the thought of which made him smile. Suddenly he heard a scream. He stopped dead in his tracks. He had recognized the voice. It was Ginny's voice. The scream faded. Harry's heart had stopped for a nick. Then with big bounds he moved in the direction of the sound.

Ginny had hidden behind a tree after hearing another suspicious sound. Her breathing was now under total control. She stayed a while before deciding to move again. "Pull yourself together, Ginny," she said to herself, again, to calm down. For the last twenty minutes or so she has been hearing sounds or forest sounds and she was jumping at each one of them. But she promised herself that if she was ever offered again to look in mirror she would refuse flatly. It was unbelievable how an innocent peek in a mirror could change your life.

While Ginny was having all these thoughts, a big black snake slithered from a branch just few steps above her. The snake was considering seriously biting the human but something inside was commanding her otherwise. She approached her pray ready to strike. She however did not manage to do that as she was stricken with a freezing charm. Nagini fell from the branch in front of the dead scared Ginny.

The moment, Nagini fell from the tree branch, Ginny froze in her place. Hopefully she realized in time that the snake was also frozen not by its own will of course. She relaxed but this feeling did not last long. Nagini regained consciousness quickly. Ginny jumped back drawing out her wand. She remembered the incredibly stupid spell Lockhart used at the dueling club and cast it immediately. Nagini was thrown high in the air and she was obviously protesting with a soundly hiss.

Where Nagini had landed Ginny did not see because she vacated the vicinity of the tree. She was running quickly till again she was surrounded by silence. There Ginny relaxed for a bit. Then as she decided to move one she got the nagging feeling that she is been watched. Fear climbed in her again. "Run," she said to herself but it was too late. Suddenly everything went black and she managed only to let a scream. She then sensed that she was falling down a deep tunnel.

When she opened her eyes she realized with terror that she was back in the Chamber of Secrets. Leaning near the statue of Slytherin was the true reincarnation of evil itself – Lord Voldemort. But it was not the young Riddle. It was Voldemort and he staring at her with his red glaring eyes, studying her.

"Hello." – Lord Voldemort sounded almost polite.

Ginny did not reply. Voldemort smiled and asked again. But Ginny held her tongue.

"Impressive." – Voldemort said after a few tries. "You're resisting me. I'm flattered but you won't last long."

"Oh, yes, I will." – Ginny finally spat.

"Finally, some progress." – Voldemort said pleased. "Now, who are you? Naturally, I want to know everything about you."

"I'll die before I tell you anything." – Ginny snapped looking defiantly.

"Information first, death after." – Voldemort smiled satanically.

"I don't think so."

"But you will."

"I won't." – Ginny shouted. "I'll fight you."

"Bravery. Hmm." – Voldemort sneered irritated. "But then again you can always try. They all try but in the end all fail."

Ginny looked at him murderously then shut her eyes to avoid seeing his sneering face. Voldemort laughed and laughed coldly. He was amused. But he knew that he would be victorious.

Neville opened his eyes then raised his head. He was inside a wooden tunnel. Luna was lying nearby. He reached for her. "Luna," he said. Luna stirred, sat and looked around.

"Where are we?" – She asked.

"I don't know." – Neville replied honestly.

"And the cup, what happened with the cup?"

"I don't know. I think it was bait or a built-in trap."

"Oh. Well, are we going to look for it?"

"I guess." – Neville replied. "We have to find also a way out of here so we might as well look for the cup."

"Great." – Luna said and got up to her feet. "Which way?"

"Pick one!" – Neville shrugged.

"Ok, this way then."

Luna headed left and Neville followed. They walked in silence looking for apertures or anything that could be used to get out of this tunnel. Soon they reached a crossroad.

"Now what?" – Luna asked.

"Pick the direction. So far we had no surprise." – Neville answered.

"Why don't you pick one?" – Luna asked intrigued.

"Well, I really wish to avoid it because all my choices end up in dead ends, as with everything I do." – Neville explained.

"No, this is not true. I think your choices are good, you just don't see it yet." – Luna said softly. "So you pick."

"All right." – Neville surrendered. "Right."

"Fine. Let's go!"

They turned right. The walls of tunnel changed gradually from wood to dark stone. The tunnel led them into a small cavern. In the middle of it they saw a stone rack. On it there was a parchment. Luna and Neville looked at each other then approached the rack. The parchment read: "Leave the essence of life on the wall ahead and the hidden stack will be revealed."

"Where is Hermione when you need her?" – Neville asked.

"We will do fine." – Luna encouraged then pondered. "The essence of life…hmm…I think it is…"

"…blood." – Neville finished her sentence.

"Ok. I'll cut myself and…"

"No." – Neville interrupted her. "I will."

Without any delay he conjured a small knife. He made cut a little above the elbow. He let his blood pour on the wall. The wall flashed and a passage was revealed. Neville and Luna ventured it.

They walked only a few steps then stopped and gasped. They were inside a small room full of golden coins, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, goblets, plates, lockets, gems of all sorts and shapes. But near the wall, the farther wall, there was another rack. On it, surrounded by a greenish light, stood a golden cup.

"The cup of Hufflepuff." – Neville exclaimed.

"Go, take it." – Luna said.

Neville approached carefully the rack. He reached out for the cup. His fingers barely touched the green light when he was thrown away. He was hurtled down on the floor. Luna ran to him.

"Are you all right?" – She asked concerned.

Neville groaned with pain but moved. "I'm fine, I guess."

"How do you feel?"

"I feel a bit odd." – Neville replied. Luna looked at him. "Well, I felt for a second that I was going cold. But my contact with whatever it is was brief so I'm fine now."

"It is undoubtedly protected." – Luna said. Neville looked at her – Luna reasoning this was something new and exciting.

"So what now? We can't touch it." – Neville pondered. "But maybe we could take it with a spell."

"Great idea, Neville." – Luna exclaimed. "Accio cup!"

The cup did not come instead there was a loud bang, and suddenly Luna noticed something very disturbing. Neville was wriggling uncontrollably. It did seem that the effect of the touching was not gone or perhaps it was her attempt to summon the cup.

"Neville, are you alright?"

But it was clear to Luna that he was not. Neville did not reply but continued to wriggle. Luna was at a loss what to do. She tried several spells that came to mind but nothing helped. Then she remembered Harry saying the cup of Hufflepuff had healing powers so she made her decision instantly.

She stood up, and with the thought of concern for her friend reached for the cup. Her hand passed through the green field without encountering any resistance and grabbed the cup. She pulled her hand back along with the cup. She then said, "Aguamenti." The cup was filled with water instantly. She held the cup to his lips and poured it down his mouth then moved back and waited. At first, it seemed that there was no effect but then Neville stopped wriggling. Neville took a deep breath and looked with surprise at the obviously now relaxed Luna and the cup.

Harry was hurrying up as fast as he could to reach the place where he lastly heard Ginny's voice. It was not far. He knew it. He could feel it. Suddenly he heard or at least thought he did the hissing of Sentinel or Nagini, he was not sure. He followed the sound but froze dead in his tracks when he turned around a big tree. On the other side a ghostly like figure was staring at him. This time it was not young Riddle, it was the enemy, Lord Voldemort. Voldemort was almost fully visible, which made him relax, of course, which was before he noticed the body of Ginny in Voldemort's feet.

"No!" – Harry whispered terrified at the idea that he might lose her again.

Before Voldemort could say anything, Hermione and Ron appeared on the other side but also stopped when they saw the ghostly figure.

"Bloody hell." – Ron swore under his breath.

"Ah, more guests to our little party." – Voldemort hissed pleased. "But first to fulfill the prophecy. Say your last words, Harry Potter." – Voldemort spat those last words with pure hatred.

"You wish," – Harry snapped.

"Now, now be polite, Potter or your girlfriend will die." – Voldemort sneered. "Actually she will be shortly."

"No!" – Ron shouted and charged with wand poised for attack.

"RON, NO!" – Hermione and Harry screamed.

Voldemort sneered with delight. He raised Ginny's wand and struck the unprepared Ron, hopefully not with the deadly curse but something that knocked him down. Voldemort cheered.

Then Harry and Hermione saw Nagini. She was circling around Ron's body.

"Be patient, Nagini, soon you can have this one." – Voldemort said, Nagini hissed with delight.

"Oh, no, you won't." – Hermione shouted her eyes dangerously flickering. "You dirty ugly snake."

"Watch your tongue, you mudblood." – Voldemort shot then turned to Nagini. "Well, he's yours and…" – The last words stuck up Voldemort's throat as several things happened in a row.

Hermione's eyes widened. Her concern for Ron increased her fear but the last words of Voldemort brought vivid anger. She raised her wand and shouted in a language unknown to Voldemort, "Deecera Ginea." (This corresponds to the spell – Flamma Vectis). Hermione's wand shot a bolt of dark red fire that encompassed Nagini before turning her to dust.

Then Sentinel appeared out of nowhere. Voldemort jaw fell in surprise when he saw the ashes of Nagini then were surprised by Sentinel statement.

"Time to embrace eternal darkness, you Voldemort – disgrace the name of Slytherin and everything he stood for. " – Sentinel hissed.

"What the…" – Voldemort did not finish his sentence as Sentinel attacked – "Mortis Spiritus."

Then Voldemort's ghostly figure contorted and vanished. Harry ran quickly to Ginny who had just awakened.

"Ginny." – Harry whispered while hugging her. "It is over, "then he looked at her and softly added, "Don't ever scare me like this."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." – She cried out. "I fought him as much as I could but in the end he…"

"Shh, it is over now." – Harry calmed her down then looked at Hermione. "Who's Ron?"

"He'll be fine." – Hermione answered evidently relaxed.

"Hermione, what did you do to Nagini?" – Harry asked.

"I don't know, Harry. It just came to me." – Hermione shrugged.

"Good job, Hermione, good job. We have to go soon."

"Indeed but first we have to find Neville and Luna." – Hermione said.

"Sure. We will." – Harry said.

"Is he gone for real?" – Ginny asked.

"Yes, he is. Sentinel struck him with something. I don't know what it was but he is gone for good." – Harry replied.

"Harry, I can't believe it." – Hermione announce happily. Harry frowned. "We just destroyed a horcrux – Nagini, Voldemort's snake."

"Yeah, with Sentinel's help." – Harry agreed.

"Speaking of which, again she is not here." – Ron informed after regaining consciousness.

"Oh, no!" – Harry cried out. "Not again."

At least for their comfort, Sentinel has gone to fetch Neville and Luna. She had smelled their scent not far from the others but underground.

Neville and Luna were unfortunately nowhere near finding a way out. However suddenly they heard hissing. The hissing was approaching. Neville took apprehensive stand but quickly relaxed, as it was Sentinel.

"Merlin's beard." – Neville exclaimed. "Sentinel, could you help us out?"

"Neville, I don't think she understands you." – Luna said.

"Maybe but it doesn't hurt to ask."

Sentinel hissed loudly then turned around. Neville and Luna looked at each other and followed the faithful snake. Soon they saw the light coming from a narrow climbing groove. They followed it. The climbing was not difficult and soon they were back in the forest. Sentinel hissed again and they followed till they heard the sound of their friends' voices.

"We have to find them." – They heard Hermione say.

"Hey guys." – Neville called.

"Neville, Luna, we are so glad you're here." – Hermione said.

"You won't believe what happened to us." – Neville exclaimed.

"You won't believe us either." – Ron said.

"Oh, really, what?" – Luna asked with interest.

"You first." – Ginny encouraged.

"We found this." – Neville said and showed them the cup. Surprise spread on his friends' faces.

"How did you…?" – Harry's jaw has fallen since he saw the cup.

Neville sat down. He and Luna then told how they found the cup. Harry was fascinated and proud of his friends' achievement. Then their friends told them the rest of the story. After they all finished, they discussed their next destination.

"So we are off to Albania?"- Neville asked.

"No, we are not." – Luna said suddenly.

A/N3: Surprise! I decided to put two horcruxes into this chapter. In the next chapters, our heroes are going to care of one more horcrux and then it comes the end.

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Lordheaven