OOO

"You know, when you said we were going swimming, I thought you were joking. That or completely daft to try swimming outside at midnight in the middle of winter." Ron cinched the belt on his bathrobe and flopped into the chair. "But I have to admit, it was really fun – and really beautiful, what with all the stars overhead. And what was that stuff that you poured into the water anyway? It was completely gross and green before but it cleared up like that," he said with a snap of his fingers. "Smelled better too."

"Mother brewed that." Pansy squeezed water out of her hair. "It's a combination of a couple different potions, some used for clearing things like lakes, some for bathing. I've used it here before, but never shared it with anybody else. You should consider yourself lucky."

"Believe me, I do." He looked around the inside of the empty building they were in. "Are you sure we're not going to get into trouble for this?"

"The Muggles will never know we were in here. Besides, they're the ones who are trespassing," she sniffed," by making our heritage into some stupid tourist place. This whole complex used to have wizarding connections."

"Back when the Romans were here?"

"And even before that." Pansy nodded to the ruin on the wall, a rock fragment depicting the head of a man with wild hair. "Muggles don't know any better so they surmise a bunch of nonsense about gods and goddesses, things like Sulis Minerva that they can safely dismiss as totally superstitious or fictional. In reality it was probably the location of a wizard healer or even a line of healers."

"And the spring? Did wizards make that too?"

"Possibly. Or not. The water might have had magical properties or it might have simply been a place where a wizard or witch settled down, used the waters to relax and became known for brewing healing potions that then got expanded and conflated with the baths themselves." She sighed. "It must have been quite a sight to see back in the old days, back when it was ours, before the Muggles overran it and chased us out. A lot of places used to be like that, you know, places where powerful wizards lived and people would come from all over to seek their advice or get potions or spells from them. Then Muggles took over and slapped some mythological label on them, like they were never real to begin with."

Ron nodded. "Do you think these baths could ever be ours again? That this place could function like it did?"

"I wish." She shook her head. "But the whole 'cooperation' stupidity our people have been promoting for ages means there's not much chance of that ever happening."

"Well maybe…" His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden appearance of an owl that flapped over to him.

"What's that?" Pansy looked at the parchment he unraveled. "Is it something important?"

"My sister woke up from the Petrification. And my parents are back early. Something about the Chamber being real and Ginny going inside it." He crumpled the parchment up in his fist. "Don't worry about it. It's not important."

"Come on then." Pansy tapped his shoulder. "We'd better get dressed and get back home. It's nearly two in the morning and we've still got a lot to do to get the house decorated and everything."

"Coming," he said, following her down a hall where she'd stashed their wizarding robes.

OOO

"These are all you have?" Lucius Malfoy browsed the meager selection with a frown.

"Our specialty is objects, Mr. Malfoy, not books. We receive very few volumes of little import. After all, artifacts can always be created but books, well," Borgin said with a twisted smile, "those have a nasty habit of disappearing here and never getting reprinted."

"I see." He looked at the man with a level gaze. "Do you know where I could find… books?"

"There are a few specialty sellers here and there, depending on what you're looking for. There are a few in England, London even, but I don't think they're selling the sort of volumes that would interest you."

"Then who does?" Malfoy snapped impatiently. "I have no patience for vague hints of games."

Borgin nodded. "Well, if you really wanted good selection, you would have to go to a place where anything goes, at least in terms of wizarding society." He took out a quill and scribbled an address on a piece of paper. "There. She's a witch in California. Pasadena to be precise. If anybody has the books that would interest you, it would be her."

"Thank you." Lucius took the scrap and turned. "And of course you realize I was never here," he said as he reached the door.

"As always. I know how to hold my tongue." He smiled wryly. "I wouldn't have much business otherwise would I?"

"Just see that you do this time. From everybody."

OOO

When all of the adults were gone and they could be sure of not being overheard, Ginny gave all of the boys and Sirius a glare worthy of her mother.

"I told you the occlumency was a bad idea," she snapped. "See what you did?" She glowered down at the dog that was draped across Draco's feet. "Trying that stuff almost got Theo killed!"

"No," Theo shook his head. "It was a good idea."

"Don't be dumb, Theo." She looked at him anxiously. "You would have never touched that diary if he hadn't gone prying into your memories in the first place."

"But I would rather have true, painful memories than blissful ignorance." He looked over at them. "And I've had practice. It wasn't exactly legilimency, but it was close enough, what he used to pry and insinuate himself into my mind. I didn't have a lot of success keeping him out, at least not at first. But at the very end I managed to keep a little, just a little. But he was good. It was like learning to play chess against Bobby Fisher. I lost a lot, but I learned a lot. And now I think… I think I want to go back to practicing."

"You can't be serious!" Ginny looked at Luna. "Don't you think this is a bad idea?"

The blond paused and twirled her hair with her finger and looked nervous.

"Well I think that if legilimency is something that Voldemort uses," Draco whispered, "that it's better to get ready as soon as we can."

"We're not going to be fighting…"

"But we have. Twice already," Harry added. "I think Draco and Theodore are right."

"Luna?" Ginny turned back to her.

"I wish we wouldn't fight." She looked at Ginny. "But inside your mind should be private. If you don't have that, what else do you have?"

Ginny threw up her hands. "Fine. But if anything like what happened last time happens again, we got to my parents or a teacher or somebody. Alright?"

"That sounds alright." Harry nodded. "Are you going to learn with us?"

"Might as well. I'm not falling behind you guys."

There was a sound at the door and they all fell silent, turning to see Madame Pomfrey. She was carrying a tray filled with bottles that she set down on a table.

"I'm afraid I will have to ask you all to leave." She looked at the group. "I'm going to be waking the other children up shortly and I'm sure their families will want to come visit them. Besides, they should have room to recover."

"We know most of them, though," Harry protested.

"Should I stay?" Theo asked.

"If you need the rest, dear."

"Why don't you come with us Theo? Besides, I thought the mandrakes weren't going to be ready until months from now." Ginny frowned. "What happened? Did you get them from somewhere else?"

"Not sure. Professor Sprout went to check on them when the school was deemed safe to return to yesterday. Apparently she found all the snow melted and the mandrakes mature." She uncorked one of the flasks and went to Hermione's bed. "Now hurry along. You may come back later, after everybody is awake and oriented."

"Will they be alright?" Theo looked worriedly at Hermione. "I didn't want to hurt anybody."

"You didn't dear. They will be as good as you are."

"Hopefully better," he murmured. "Maybe I will come after all," he said, getting out of the bed.

"We can come back right away, right?" Draco looked at Cedric and his fellow Hufflepuffs. "I want to see them."

"Only after I've administered the potion which I will only do it if leave," she told him firmly.

"We're going, we're going," Draco replied, practically leaping out of the room.

OOO

Narcissa adjusted the holly on the fireplace ledge and made sure each of the stockings hanging from there were straight. Everything had to be perfect for when Draco and Harry returned, all of that Chamber of Secrets nonsense behind them. Satisfied, she turned and saw her shopping bags from earlier in the day sitting in an armchair.

"Dobby!" She called as she rifled though a bag.

"Yes Mistress?" He appeared in the room in an instant.

She composed herself carefully, unsurely. "You did an admirable job. A job you didn't have to do." She cleared her throat and held out a package. "I got you these."

Ripping off the paper, Dobby's eyes began to well. "Socks!" He lifted us a pair of green and red striped socks. "Mistress got me socks!" He quivered.

"Well don't get all weepy about it," she sniffed turning away. "Payment for services rendered, that's all. Now leave me alone, I've got a lot of work to do."

Dobby was out of the room as quickly as he'd come and, despite herself, Narcissa smiled a little as she went to string more tinsel on the tree.

OOO

The motley group of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs looked into the Gryffindor fire.

"So was it really him?" George finally asked, wedging another log into the fire. "Was it reallyYou-Know-Who?"

"I think it was." Draco said. "But we weren't sure exactly how."

"I think…" Theo started. "There was something in my father's library. I remember… but I'm not sure. I would need to check again, but I can hardly do that now."

"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered.

"I'll never forgive that," Theo said, eyes reddening again.

"He'll get what's coming to him," said Fred uncertainly, leading Harry and Draco to glance at one another, recalling what Riddle said about the Mirror.

"Really? And who will give him that punishment?" Theo looked at Fred. "There's no way to connect the book to him for certain. Draco's father will certainly be no help as anything would implicate himself. There's nothing but the weak word of a boy who thinks he remembers something from his childhood against a wealthy, well-established wizard. They'll say I'm bitter at him for mistreating me, they'll say that I was the one at fault." He looked into the fire. "Not that they'd be wrong."

"Bollocks," Ginny snapped. "And if you don't stop saying that, I'll… I'll slap you!"

As this Theo managed a smile but said nothing.

"Maybe we can sneak into your dad's house?" She went on. "Steal from the library and maybe do something while we're at it?"

"We couldn't do anything to hurt him enough." Theo kept staring. "But I know one thing, that I'll never be that stupid again. Never. And it wasn't all bad, I suppose. I learned a lot you know."

"For instance?" Harry asked.

"He puts stock in formality. Even if it puts him at a disadvantage, he likes things to be significant. Uniforms, ceremonies, symbolism, all of that. He feels that it helps distance himself from his Muggle upbringing and 'lower class' practices. He hates many of the students but he loves Hogwarts. That came through loud and clear.

"And he hates. More deeply than anything I've ever touched in my life, more visceral than any of my father's icy calculations. That's what I know."

"What was that thing anyway?" George frowned.

"I shouldn't say anything until I'm certain." He sighed. "I wish I had access to my father's library."

"What about Hogwarts? We could check there," Ginny offered.

"They would be in the restricted section for sure."

"Well, maybe Madame Pince isn't back yet." She stood up. "We've got a little time before everybody else is up and about again. Let's go check before somebody finds us."

"You guys go, we'll hold down the fort in case our mum comes back," the twins offered.

When they got up there, the library was in fact empty; but they found their search frustrated.

"They're in the catalogue," Theo said, scanning the shelves. "But not on the shelves. Who would want them?"

"What were the names?" Luna said with a frown.

"Here." Theo handed her a scribbled list of titles. "These are the ones I know would have information."

"Dumbledore has them," she said almost instantaneously.

"What?" Harry paused from his browsing and looked over. "What do you mean?"

"When Ginny and I were in his office looking for ways to help, I saw his bookshelf. I remember seeing Secrets of the Darkest Art there." She handed the list back to Theodore. "He must have taken these books out of here himself."

"But why would he…"

"Because a former Hogwarts student already caused a lot of damage by reading them," Theo answered before Harry could finish his question. "Which tells me first that I'm probably right about my guess and second that Dumbledore does not trust students with knowledge, if he assumes it to be inappropriate knowledge."

"You don't approve," said Ginny.

"No. One person's sins… never mind. I dislike banning in any form, but that does not help us now." He looked at Ginny. "How did you manage to get into his office?"

"Luna knew the password."

"I overheard him giving it McGonagall one day." She smiled ruefully. "Funny what people will say about you if they think you're a bit daft and not really all that important."

"Maybe it will work again. Let's go." He started off.

"And if Dumbledore is in and asks why we're there?" Harry wondered.

"Surely we can make up something, given the circumstances," Theo replied, moving quickly.

When they reached the office, however, the password no longer worked.

"He must have changed it as soon as he returned," Draco sighed. "We'll have to wait for another opportunity to sneak in. Or get the book some other way. Any chance we could buy any of them?"

"Highly unlikely." Theo shook his head. "If I'm remembering… it's very dark magic. Books on it are exceedingly rare, almost always extremely old and, to be frank, any attempts to track them down would be met with more than a few raised eyebrows."

"Well what do you remember?" Ginny asked.

"Not much."

"Start with what you know. What was it anyway?" She asked as they walked down the hall.

"I think it might… there's a good chance it was a Horcrux," he whispered. "A dismembered piece of soul."

"What?" Draco froze, feeling suddenly ill. "That's not… how could you even do that?"

"It's murky, but it involves murder, that much I remember. It would have to. You have to… I mean, ripping a soul apart would require something really awful wouldn't it?"

"Disgusting," Draco growled.

"So if he could make one, could he make more?" Ginny looked to Theo anxiously. "You can rip a piece of paper up more than once. Maybe not infinitely, but more than once. What if that one wasn't the only one? What if there are more diaries out there?"

"It's very likely. I didn't pick up anything specific from the diary. But like I said, he puts a lot of weight into significance and symbolism."

"Meaning what?" Harry asked.

"Meaning that if he was going to make more than one, he would have picked a magically significant number. A number low enough to be feasible but symbolic, especially to wizards."

"Three, seven and twelve would make the most sense," Luna murmured.

"You mean there could be almost a dozen of those things?" Ginny nearly shouted, then lowered her voice. "What do you do? We can't let them float around out there!"

"Maybe they were…" Draco gulped. "Maybe he gave them all to people like my dad. If they were all locked up like that, it would explain why none of them has hurt anybody until now."

"That we know of," Harry interjected.

"So how do we find them? How do we even know what they are? And if we find them, what do we do with them?"

"I don't know," Theo sighed. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Sure you do," said Ginny. "You have his name right?"

"I suppose…"

"We know who he is; we can start tracking him down. Go over everything, find out about his life, and ask what questions we can without raising too many suspicions."

"You really think we should be doing something like this?" Harry asked quietly.

"It's the same as you wanting to learn Occlumency, isn't it?" She insisted. "This hurt one of our friends. And we know, all of us know, that he isn't really dead. Maybe he's not strong, but he's not dead. And if he's using these Horcrux things, maybe we can't kill him until we destroy all of them."

"We don't know what we're going up against," Draco said quietly. "There might be curses on them, who knows what might be guarding them…"

"You guys were the ones always getting into trouble last year," she insisted. "What happened? Look, if Dumbledore has taken all those books out, he has to have some idea of what they were being used for. Why didn't he ever do anything? Why didn't anybody find this stuff until now? What do they think this is? Some stupid set of tests, some dumb game?" Her cheeks were alight with anger.

"You're right," Harry nodded. "We should. We've got to start doing what we can."

"The others are probably up by now, you know," said Draco, still a bit nervous about the topic and its closeness to his family. "Shouldn't we go and check on them?"

The others nodded. As they went towards the infirmary, Ginny grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him back.

"If this is about my dad…"

"He took the sword, right?" She interrupted.

"Uh, yeah. I think so."

"Good." She nodded. "Make sure you know where it is."

"Alright…" He trailed off, and then hurried to catch up with the rest.

OOO