All right. First off, sorry. We know we said we'd quit if we didn't update within a week, but whatever. We got this done and we decided to post it. Continuing on this tragic vein (?) - we probably won't continue/finish this story unless we get literally loads of feedback, since we're not going to work our arses off trying to write ten chapters in a month if no one's going to read them. Anyway...excuse the quality of this chapter and any possible future chapters, since we sort of told our beta we'd stop writing and it would be crazy trying to make her edit any more. :)


Impossible Feat – "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those doing it."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Harry had only been up for three days and he was already engaging in heated disputes.

She and Ron sat on the couch in the common room, watching as he and Hermione argued back and forth.

"We can't waste time, Hermione," Harry said angrily, waving a piece of parchment in Hermione's face – it was the list of self-updating notes on Horcruxes that the Order had given to him.

"But we can't risk your health," Hermione said stubbornly, her arms folded across her chest. "You were out like a drunk gnome on Christmas Eve for an entire week, and you just woke up three days ago. You're not ready for this."

"But we know where it is!" Harry cried, jabbing his finger at the last two lines on the parchment.

We've found the location of Hufflepuff's Cup. It was buried in the tomb of Adrian Ghale near the Helgan Cathedral in Durham in the early 1900s – Adrian Ghale was Hufflepuff's last descendant.

"That's too easy," Hermione said, shaking her head. "And besides, why would the Dark Dork hide his Horcrux in the tomb of Hufflepuff's heir?"

"Because," Ginny interrupted, "that would give it far better protection."

Harry and Hermione both turned to stare at her.

Ginny shrugged. "Think about it. Why would the Dark Dork waste his resources trying to guard his Horcrux when other people can do it for him?"

"There'd be wards on the tomb," Harry said slowly, nodding as he realized what Ginny meant. "Helgan Cathedral. The name probably comes from Helga, and the cathedral is probably dedicated to her family. They'd make sure the tomb of Hufflepuff's last descendant isn't disturbed."

"And what makes you think the people there will let us dig it up?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We can explain the situation – "

"We're going to convince them that we need to dig up a grave because a seventh of the Dark Dork's soul is in it?"

"Yes!"

"Wait," Ginny said, holding her hand up to stop Hermione's retort. "Did it say whether Helgan cathedral's run by Muggles or wizards?"

Harry shook his head. "No. But it's probably wizards, since it's named after Hufflepuff."

"Then we can tell them," Ginny said, as if it settled the matter. "They're wizards. They'd understand. It's not like we're going to destroy the place or anything."

"I thought you were all for secrecy," Hermione shot at Harry. "Now we're just going to spout off about Horcruxes in front of strangers in Durham?"

"This is the fifth Horcrux, Hermione," Harry said heatedly. "We've already destroyed half of the Dark Dork's soul. It doesn't matter how many people know about them now!"

"What if it's another trap?" Hermione asked. "What if the Order's wrong?"

"What if it isn't?" Harry countered. "What if they're right? You can't have all the facts."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Fine. Let's say the Order's right, and let's say the caretakers of Helgan cathedral believe our story and let us dig up the Cup. There's still the problem of you having to destroy it."

"Then I won't!" Harry said exasperatedly. "I'll bring it back here! Look, we should at least get it before the Dark Dork finds out we know where it is."

"And what if there's a curse on it, like Ravenclaw's wand?" Hermione pressed. "What if there's a charm that won't let you take it out of Durham? What if the Death Gobblers show up again?"

"Then we'll fight them," Harry said mulishly.

"Fight them?" Hermione snapped. "And have the Order come save us again, at the expense of another – "

She stopped abruptly. Ginny and Ron cringed. They had all sworn not to talk about Hestia's death with Harry, particularly in a way that Harry could interpret as it being his fault.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "This is a war," he said in a low voice. "Fighting a war means taking risks. Taking risks means people die."

He abruptly stood up, his hand clutching the parchment tightly. Without another word, he strode over to the portrait hole and disappeared.

Ron shook his head after him. "Way to go, Hermione."

Hermione glared him into silence.

Ginny sighed. "Damn."

­––––––

Ginny spent the better part of the afternoon looking for Harry. He never returned to the common room, where Hermione had returned to her schoolwork, or the dormitory. Ginny searched through various empty classrooms and asked several members of the PA that she passed by, but no one had seen any sign of him.

She had just been about to give up when she heard his voice coming from an empty classroom on the fourth floor; he was talking to someone.

"...Kingsley and Tonks..."

"And probably Mad-Eye..."

Ginny approached the door, which stood slightly ajar.

"So Saturday evening..."

"...McGonagall's room..."

Ginny quietly pushed the door open until she could slip in. Harry was sitting at one of the desks with his back to her and his phoenix Patronus conjured before him. He was talking to it, and it replied...in Remus' voice.

"...Aurors will be on backup," Remus' voice was saying.

Harry nodded. "Okay. So eight o'clock."

"Right."

"I'll see you then."

Harry stood up and waved his wand; the phoenix dissipated. Without turning around, he said, "Have you been looking for me?"

Ginny started and looked down at the floor, suddenly embarrassed that she'd been eavesdropping. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to – "

"It's all right," Harry said, turning around and smiling at her. "I was just talking to Remus. I have to tell you, anyway."

"What?"

"We're going," he said quietly. "We're going to find Hufflepuff's Horcrux."


It felt decidedly strange, Harry thought, to be going on a Horcrux hunt without the secrecy that was usually involved.

"Everyone ready?" Kingsley asked.

Seven heads nodded in unison.

Kingsley looked around at them – Remus, who stood beside Harry; Tonks, who stood beside Ginny; and Mad-Eye, who stood beside Hermione – and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Destination – Helgan Cathedral. Let's go."

Harry gripped his wand tightly. Remus took his hand, and they Disapparated.

––––––

"Man, this is creepy," Ron whispered.

"What did you expect?" Ginny retorted. "It's a graveyard."

Harry was already looking around for Adrian Ghale's tombstone. The others had spread out, checking the names and dates inscribed on the grave markers.

"Here!" Hermione announced a moment later, her wand shining on a large marble headstone. Everyone moved toward her to read the illuminated flowing script:

Adrian Ghale
Founder of Helgan Cathedral
1803-1918

Mad-Eye nodded affirmatively. "That's the one."

Kingsley stepped forward. "His body was actually cremated and the ashes were sealed in a stone casket. They built an underground chamber here where they stored the casket and some of his possessions – including the Cup."

"So we're standing on top of a chamber?" Ron asked, looking down.

"Essentially," Kingsley said. He began tapping the top of the headstone with his wand. "There should be something...ah."

Kingsley seemed to have found some sort of magical trigger; as he pulled his wand away from the bottom left corner of the headstone, a hole about the width of a Firebolt appeared in the ground behind the headstone. It revealed a crumbly set of stairs that led down into the dark.

"Looks dangerous," Kingsley mused. "We need more light."

Everyone muttered, "Lumos," and seven lights flared from seven wand tips.

"What're we waiting for?" Harry asked impatiently. "Let's go."

"Tonks, go first," Kingsley instructed. "Mad-Eye and I will stand guard."

"Right you are," Tonks said cheerfully, stepping toward the stairs.

Remus followed immediately after her, a grim look on his face.

"Don't stand around down there," Mad-Eye growled. "Get the Cup and get out."

"Stop being a worrywart," Tonks said cheekily as she began descending. Harry followed Remus with Hermione, Ginny, and Ron behind him.

The air became stuffier and colder the farther they went. There was a strange odor in the air, too; it reminded Harry of mothballs and one of Neville's potions gone wrong.

"This is weird," Ron whispered. "We're going into somebody's grave. Isn't this illegal? And I thought this place was guarded."

"It is," Remus said grimly. He and Tonks had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, where there was a sort of antechamber that led to two different passages. Remus and Tonks were pointing their wands straight ahead. Something shimmered in the air as the light passed through it.

"Wards," Hermione said softly.

"How do we get past them?" Ginny asked.

"Here," Harry said, moving past Remus and Tonks. Before anyone could stop him, he made a slashing movement with his wand across his palm. He grimaced as a line of blood appeared.

"Harry, wait – "

Remus grabbed his arm, but Harry had already touched his bloody palm to the shimmering barrier.

There was a flash and a bang. Harry had to shield his eyes.

"What the – "

"It's gone," Harry said simply, jerking his head at the passages. "We should split up."

Ron gaped at him. "How...?"

"What did you just do?" Remus demanded, yanking Harry's hand toward him. He touched the gash with his wand and it instantly closed itself up.

"It had to be activated with blood," Harry said, shrugging. "Thanks."

"How'd you know that?" Tonks asked curiously. "Hmm...it really is gone."

"I've been doing research," Harry said ambiguously. "We're wasting time."

Remus sighed. "Tonks, take Ron and Hermione and go left. Harry, Ginny, and I will go to the right. The main chamber should be in the center, so we should meet up eventually. Come back here if you don't find anything in five minutes."

"Right-o," Tonks said cheerily.

"Eventually," Ron muttered darkly as he followed Hermione into the corridor.

"Let's go," Remus said. He led the way into the dark passage. The lights from their wands bounced across the walls and the ceiling. The sounds of breathing echoed in the enclosed space as they walked on. Harry thought he heard something once or twice, but neither Remus nor Ginny seemed to notice.

The passage began to curve slightly inward. "They must merge again," Remus said, half to himself.

"Then what was the point of having two corridors?" Ginny asked, sounding irritated.

Harry cocked his head. "There were other doors along the wall," he said. "Didn't you see them?"

Remus and Ginny gave him strange looks. "Really?"

"They didn't look like much," Harry shrugged. "Probably extra rooms to hold more things."

"Hey, you three, hurry up!" Ron's voice called from up ahead. "We found the main chamber!"

Harry broke into a jog with Remus and Ginny right beside him. A moment later they saw Tonks, Ron, and Hermione waiting for them at the top of a small flight of stairs.

"There," Ron said, pointing down. There was a large archway at the bottom.

"And there's another ward," Tonks said, her brows furrowed, "but my blood doesn't work."

"It's not the same kind," Harry said, shaking his head. Tonks stepped aside to let him descend and approach the shimmering web within the arch. The others climbed down after him. He slashed his palm with his wand again, but more forcefully. He then shifted his hand so that the blood spurted onto the arch itself.

There was a low rumbling sound as the arch began to glow. Harry took a step back, but there was no bang this time as the ward vanished.

Harry nodded. "Let's go."

He stepped into the dark chamber beyond the arch and shined his light around. There were several sconces along the walls, which he lighted with a flick of his wand. The soft glow they offered illuminated the contents of the room. Directly in front of them was a large stone casket that was engraved with intricate designs, and to either side of it was a pile of glittering jewelry and gold that made Ron suck in his breath.

A tapestry hung on the wall behind the casket, depicting a giant badger on a black and yellow field. A bookshelf stood along the left wall, filled to the top with dusty tomes. The right wall had a door-sized opening in the middle that revealed yet another set of stairs, this time leading back up.

Harry began sifting through the piles of gold. The others started to join him when a loud, booming voice filled the chamber.

::Death Eaters!::

The exclamation was immediately followed by an explosion that nearly knocked everyone off their feet.

"Harry!" Remus said, whirling around.

"It's not here!" Harry growled, looking around wildly. He was throwing jewelry and gems aside in his frantic search.

"Get out!" Remus roared, dashing out of the chamber and up the stairs. "Go out the other way!"

There were shouts from above and Tonks rushed out after Remus. Harry grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him along toward the other exit. Hermione and Ginny followed on his heels as they scrambled up the stairs. These seemed to lead all the way out to the cemetery; Harry could soon see a circle of light above.

A second explosion from below made him nearly lose his balance. Hermione screamed. Harry gritted his teeth and sprinted up the last few steps to the top. Once his feet touched level ground he spun around to help the others when another explosion rocked the crypt.

Ron lost his footing as the stair below him crumbled. Harry lunged for his hand, but Ron was already sliding back down.

"Harry!"

"Ron!"

"Go, Harry!" he heard Ginny shout. "We've got – Stupefy! We'll hold them off! Find the Cup!"

"Damn!" Harry yelled, slamming his fist into the ground. He couldn't see anything even with his wand. "Damn!"

There's no choice.

He leapt to his feet and looked around. He was shocked to find that the doors to an enormous cathedral stood before him. They stood slightly ajar, and a bright swathe of light spilled out through the cracks.

Whoever's inside would know where the Cup went, Harry thought. He dashed up the steps and yanked the doors open. He raced through the vast antechamber and into a colossal hall. Magnificent chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the area with a soft glow. Hundreds of pews lined the right and left sides. Statues, busts, and carvings decorated the walls.

Two men stood beside the altar, discussing something. They were dressed in the simple clothing of priests –Muggle priests. And there, on the altar…Hufflepuff's Cup.

Without thinking, Harry sprinted down the length of the cathedral toward it.

"Hey! What are you doing?" one of the priests called out.

Harry leapt up the steps, but the second priest grabbed the Cup and cradled it in the crook of his arm.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"

"Cup," Harry panted. "I need the Cup!"

"This cup?" the first priest asked incredulously. "Why – "

"There's no time!" Harry shouted, lunging forward. The second priest moved back, an alarmed expression on his face. "I need it!"

"This is a house of God, son," the first priest said sternly. "There will be no – "

"That doesn't matter!" Harry bellowed, brandishing his wand at them. "We're going to die! Just give me the Cup!"

"I cannot, sir," the priest said indignantly. "Under strict – "

There was a loud pop and Kingsley Apparated between the two priests.

"Soporificus!"

Harry snatched the Cup out of the second priest's hands as Kingsley caught the two priests.

"Where are the others?" Harry demanded, glancing toward the door.

"They were tackling the rest of the Death Gobblers," Kingsley said, lowering the slumbering priests to the floor. "They don't know – "

The popping that announced the arrival of eight masked Death Gobblers echoed thunderously in the hall.

" – that you're here," Kingsley finished with a sigh. "Shit."

Before the Death Gobblers could move, Remus, Mad-Eye, Ron, and Ginny Apparated into their midst. Fighting erupted almost instantaneously. Two Death Gobblers broke off from the group and converged on Harry and Kingsley.

"Go back!" Kingsley instructed, shoving Harry out of the way as he sent two Stunners at the oncoming Death Gobblers.

"Yeah right," Harry retorted. "And leave the rest of you here? Expelliarmus!"

Harry's spell hit his mark, and his target screamed and crashed into the wall.

"No! The Cup is more important!" Kingsley growled. "Stupefy!"

"Protego!" Harry shouted. The shield flew up around them just in time to deflect a Killing Curse.

"Damn, Harry, would you just listen?" Kingsley snapped.

"You take it, then!" Harry said angrily, thrusting the Cup into Kingsley's hands. "I'm not leaving them!"

––––––

"Damn stubborn fool!" Ginny heard Kingsley yell. She looked up fleetingly to see Harry sprinting down from the altar and into the fray.

"Watch out!"

Ron's warning came just in time; Ginny dove to the ground as a Stunner rocketed over her head. She raised her own wand and retaliated with a Full-Body Bind. An orange jet of light suddenly shot toward her from the left. There was no time to raise a shield; she rolled away, but not fast enough. The spell grazed her cheek and her forehead, opening cuts on both. Ginny bit her tongue to keep from crying out loud.

"Furnunculus!" Ron shouted from above her. "Expelliarmus! Impedi – argh!"

Ron staggered backward into a pew, clutching his left arm. A long gash ran down its length, steadily staining the sleeve of his shirt with blood. Ignoring her own blood streaming down her face, Ginny scrambled to her feet and went to his side.

"Ginny!" he grimaced. "Your face – "

"I'm fine," Ginny said tersely. "How's your arm? Protego!"

"Not deep," Ron said, shaking his head. "Hurts like hell."

"I can't – "

"Ginny! Ron!"

Harry suddenly appeared before them. Blood spattered the front of his shirt, but he looked uninjured. He stared at Ron's arm.

"Not deep," Ginny informed him. "Can you do something? I'll cover."

Harry nodded and Ron held out his arm. Out the corner of her eye, Ginny watched Harry tap the gash with his wand. The wound slowly closed up.

"Thanks, mate," Ron said, rubbing a hand down his healed arm.

Harry nodded cursorily as he looked around. Two Death Gobblers lay on the floor nearby, with two more beside the altar. Mad-Eye and Kingsley were engaged with another pair across the hall while Remus dueled a third.

"There were eight," Harry said, his eyes narrowed.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Duck!" Harry bellowed, tackling Ron into the ground. Ginny dove for cover under the pew and the Killing Curse punched into the polished stone floor not three feet away.

"Impedimenta!" Harry shouted, his wand pointing toward a Death Gobbler fleeing down the aisle. "Incarcerous!"

Ropes flew out of Harry's wand and whipped through the air to bind themselves around the Death Gobbler, who went crashing to the floor.

"Accio wand!" Harry added, and the Death Gobbler's wand zoomed into his outstretched hand. "Incendio!"

The wand was reduced to ashes in Harry's hand. He let them fall to the ground.

"Harry!" Kingsley shouted. "Catch!"

Kingsley pulled his arm back and threw Hufflepuff's Cup into the air.

"Accio Cup!" Harry shouted, just as another Death Gobbler yelled the same thing. The Cup was suspended in the air, caught between the pull of both spells.

Ginny raised her wand. "Accio Cup!"

The force of her spell and Harry's combined overpowered the Death Gobbler's. The Cup shot down through the air and into Harry's hands.

"Where are Tonks and Hermione?" Harry demanded as he waved his wand over the Cup. It shimmered for a moment, then vanished.

Ron gaped. "What – "

"They went to call the rest of the Order," Ginny said quickly, thinking it best not to question Harry's skills at this point. He had somehow become much more powerful in the course of several weeks than most full-grown wizards did in their lifetime.

There was a shout from across the hall; the three of them looked up to see Mad-Eye fall backward, his good leg skewed at an awkward angle. One of the Death Gobblers kicked Mad-Eye in the ribs and ran toward Harry, Ginny, and Ron while the other two kept Kingsley busy.

The Death Gobbler pointed his wand at Ginny with a wicked grin, apparently marking her as the easiest target. "Imperio!"

Harry grabbed Ginny's arm, tugging her out of the way and taking the spell for himself.

Ginny gasped before remembering that Harry was one of the few that could resist the Imperius Curse. Sure enough, Harry merely shook his head roughly before firing off a curse of his own. He and the Death Gobbler locked themselves in a fierce duel as Ginny and Ron watched, mouths hanging open.

"Hit his legs," Ron said suddenly to Ginny. "Trip him up or something."

"Help Kingsley!" Harry shouted as he deflected a jet of purple light. It careened off into the ceiling, narrowly missing a chandelier.

"I'll go," Ron said grimly.

Ginny nodded. She aimed for the Death Gobbler's back as Ron dashed off. Don't let me hit Harry. Don't let me hit Harry. "Tarantallegra!"

As if he'd known what she was going to do, Harry rolled out of the way and back up to his feet as the spell hit the Death Gobbler. "Petrificus Totalus!" he said, and the Death Gobbler, who had lost his balance, crashed to the ground like a stiff board.

Before Ginny could even breathe a sigh of relief, there were more popping sounds. Tonks and Hermione appeared almost simultaneously with a dozen more Death Gobblers.

"Where do they all come from?" Harry growled.

"Harry!" Hermione said as she ran over to them, sounding close to tears.

"Where are the others?" Harry demanded. He fired off spells into the melee as he listened.

"We couldn't get back to McGonagall's office!" Hermione said, nearly hysterical. "It must have been sealed again, the wards – Tonks couldn't – "

Harry swore.

Three of the closest Death Gobblers left the main group and started toward them.

"Come quietly, now," one of them said, "and no one will get hurt."

Harry snorted. "Someone will get hurt. But it won't be us."

He suddenly spun around and flicked his wand at Ginny and Hermione. He then leapt over a pew to avoid the curses the Death Gobblers had thrown at him. Ginny looked down, wondering what Harry had done to her – and found that she was invisible.

"Where'd they go?" one of the Death Gobblers shouted.

"Here!" Ginny heard Hermione's voice from somewhere off to the left. A jet of red light burst seemingly from thin air and caught the Death Gobbler in the chest.

"Rictusempra!" Ginny shouted, and the second Death Gobbler fell to the ground, laughing uproariously and clutching his sides.

The last Death Gobbler cursed. "Finite incantatem!" he cried.

The second Death Gobbler stopped laughing, and Ginny found that she was visible again.

"Expelliarmus!" the third Death Gobbler shouted at Harry. He had caught Harry off-guard; his wand suddenly flew out of his hand.

"Tarantallegra!" Ginny yelled at the Death Gobbler as Harry vaulted over a pew to retrieve his wand.

The Death Gobbler Hermione had hit was back on his feet. Just as Harry went to snatch his wand off the floor, the Death Gobbler kicked it away with his foot and pointed his own wand at Harry.

"Incarcerous!" Harry bellowed.

To Ginny's utter astonishment, ropes came flying out of Harry's wand. They bound and gagged the astounded Death Gobbler, who toppled forward.

"Accio wand!" Ginny said, pointing at Harry's wand. She then tossed it to Harry, who caught it and grinned his thanks.

"Crucio!" the second Death Gobbler shouted.

Ginny whirled around to see Hermione fall to the ground, shrieking as if she were being torn apart.

A look of pure rage passed across Harry's face. He leapt at the Death Gobbler and slugged the masked man in the head. "Incendio!"

The fallen Death Gobbler's wand burst into flame.

Before Ginny could go to Hermione, a terrible pain hit her in the back of the head. She screamed and dropped to her knees; it felt like her skull had been sliced in half and lit on fire. She vaguely heard someone call her name, dimly saw a blinding flash of light...

She lay on the ground, face-down, and tasted blood. The pain had spread all the way down her back, but it no longer felt unbearable. Just burning, piercing, throbbing dully...

She watched through her blurring vision as someone crawled toward Hermione's limp body. He collapsed halfway there, his outstretched hand barely touching the sleeve of her robes. Ginny let her eyes slide shut as she listened to the sound of ragged breathing.

Can't die...

Not now...

She struggled to keep breathing.

Can't...

Die...

She suddenly felt someone take her hand, but she couldn't even find the will to open her eyes. The last thing she felt was a cool hand pressed to her forehead...


Up Next: Hidden powers? Another Dumbledore? The next Merlin? Whatever he has and whatever he is, in the end, the Chosen is just human.

Note: We couldn't include everything we wanted to in this chapter, so the second part will probably just be an extra fill between 16 and 17; or we'll just shift the other chapters. And in case we don't write anymore... We'd just like to say thanks to all of you who stuck with this story. We really appreciated the reviews and comments. Check our profile later on for more stories! ;)