"Okay, enough with all the uncomfortable stuff." Fred piped up, scooting over to my left and leaning against the stack of books we were taking. "We need to discuss what our actual plan is before Mum comes and finds all of us hiding out up here. She'd probably blow a gasket if she saw us all in here." He finished, smirking at the thought.
"Yeah," I replied grabbing another book. "First thing we need to think about is where we're actually going to go."
"Godric Hollow?" Harry piped up before I could finish.
"Godric Hollow?" George and Fred questioned together. "Why there Harry?"
"It's where his parents died." I explained, keeping my annoyance out of my voice. I made it as gentle as possible. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Harry. Won't Voldemort expect you to go there? Shouldn't we go some place we have less of a connection to?"
"Where else is there then?" Harry questioned looking annoyed.
"I was under the impression we were camping out in the wild." Ron said, looking surprised by the mention of Godric Hollow. "Wasn't that the original plan? Camp out until we figure out where the Horcruxes are?"
"Yeah," Harry said quietly, looking unsure. "We can make a more concrete location later."
"How do you destroy a Horcruxe?" Fred questioned, looking at Harry.
"Umm…" Harry started, he paused and turned towards me.
"I've actually been researching that." I said, setting my book down.
"How?" Harry questioned in surprise. "None of the library books had anything on them."
"Oh," I said, flushing. I'd forgotten to mention that I'd done this. "Well they didn't. Turns out Dumbledore removed them all, but he didn't destroy them." I explained, reaching into the keep pile and grabbing out an immense book.
"How in the name of Merlin's pants have you managed to get your hands on those books?" Ron asked, looking at me wide eyed.
"I-I didn't steal!" I exclaimed, feeling desperate. What if they thought I was awful for what I had done? What if they thought I'd been disrespectful?
"Go on Hermione," George said softly, smiling encouragingly at me. I took a breath and began to explain.
"Well . . . it was easy," I said, my voice small and unsure. "I just did a Summoning Charm. You know – Accio. And – they zoomed out of Dumbledore's study window right into the girls' dormitory."
"Brilliant!" George and Fred exclaimed, equal smiles lighting their faces.
"But when did you do this?" Harry asked, looking at me with a mix of disbelief and admiration.
"Just after his – Dumbledore's – funeral," I answered, feeling awful. "Right after we agreed we'd leave school and go and look for the Horcruxes. When I went back upstairs to get my things it – it just occurred to me that the more we knew about them, the better it would be . . . and I was alone in there . . . so I tried . . . and it worked. They flew straight in through the open window and I – I packed them."
"This is the one that gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux." I explained, showing them the detestable book. I still had nightmares from reading it. "Secrets of the Darkest Art – it's a horrible book, really awful, full of evil magic. I wonder when Dumbledore removed it from the library. . . . if he didn't do it until he was headmaster, I bet Voldemort got all the instruction he needed from here."
"Why did he have to ask Slughorn how to make a Horcrux, then, if he'd already
read that?" Ron asked, looking confused.
"He only approached Slughorn to find out what would happen if you split your soul into seven," Harry answered quickly. "Dumbledore was sure Riddle already knew how to make a Horcrux by the time he asked Slughorn about them. I think you're right, Hermione, that could easily have been where he got the information."
"And the more I've read about them," I said, shivering at the memory, "the more horrible they seem, and the less I can believe that he actually made six. It warns in this book how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that's just by making one Horcrux!"
"Bloody awful." Fred mumbled, looking slightly ill.
"So, he's evil, nearly immortal, and mentally unstable?" George questioned. I nodded my head.
"Isn't there any way of putting yourself back together?" Ron asked looking hopeful.
"Yes," I answered with a sad smile. It wasn't likely to happen. "but it would be excruciatingly painful."
"Why? How do you do it?" asked Harry.
"Remorse," I answered simply. "You've got to really feel what you've done. There's a footnote. Apparently the pain of it can destroy you. I can't see Voldemort attempting it somehow, can you?"
"No," said Ron, before Harry or anyone else could answer. "So back to the original question, does it say how to destroy Horcruxes in that book?"
"Yes," I replied, already flipping through the moldy tome. "because it warns Dark wizards how strong they have to make the enchantments on them. From all that I've read, what Harry did to Riddle's diary was one of the few really foolproof ways of destroying a Horcrux."
"What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?"Harry asked in disbelief. I couldn't blame him, I'd had trouble believing he could have really got that lucky as well.
"Oh well, lucky we've got such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "I was wondering what we were going to do with them."
"Actually we really do." Fred said, looking over at Ron. "The basilisk is still in the Chamber of Secrets. We could grab some from there if we get desperate."
"It doesn't have to be a basilisk fang," I said, making a note of Fred's suggestion less we need it later. "It has to be something so destructive that the Horcrux can't repair itself. Basilisk venom only has one antidote, and it's incredibly rare –"
"– phoenix tears," Harry said nodding in understanding.
"Exactly, Our problem is that there are very few substances as destructive as basilisk venom, and they're all dangerous to carry around with you. That's a problem we're going to have to solve, though, because ripping, smashing, or crushing a Horcrux won't do the trick. You've got to put it beyond magical repair."
"But even if we wreck the thing it lives in," said Ron, "why can't the bit of soul in
it just go and live in something else?"
"Because a Horcrux is the complete opposite of a human being."
"Well that clears things right up." Fred said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "What do you mean Hermione?"
Whatever happens to your body, your soul will survive, untouched," I answered. "But it's the other way round with a Horcrux. The fragment of soul inside it depends on its container, its enchanted body, for survival. It can't exist without it."
"That diary sort of died when I stabbed it," Harry said, his eyes distant as he recalled the memory.
"And once the diary was properly destroyed, the bit of soul trapped in it could no longer exist. Ginny tried to get rid of the diary before you did, flushing it away, but obviously it came back good as new. "
"I wonder how Dumbledore destroyed the ring?" Harry said aloud, sounding troubled. "Why didn't I ask him? I never really . . ."
"Okay," George interrupted, breaking Harry off before he could get too depressed. "Do we know where any Horcruxes are?" he looked around when he was greeted by silence before returning his gaze to me. "What about RAB? Hmm? Anything more on him?"
"No, I haven't-" I was interrupted from finishing my statement by the slam of the bedroom door hitting the wall. I jumped into George while Ron fell over. Mrs. Weasley stood in front of us, and she was livid.
3{}o{}o{}3
Mrs. Weasley had yelled at all of us for over an hour after she found us hiding in Ron's room. My ears were still ringing from it. I'd been tempted to apparate away, but I figured Harry would have killed me, because the others would have followed me and he would have been the only underage one not able to get away. So I had stayed, sitting right next to George and cringing every time she yelled.
I'd been grateful to head to bed after it, finding relief more my headache in the peaceful oblivion sleep brought. Mr. and Mrs. Delecour arrived the next day, and I spent most of it helping Fleur and her mom finalize wedding plans.
Today, was going to be far more exciting, it was Harry's birthday, which not only meant that he was finally seventeen and could legally do magic, but also meant that George would be over and I'd get to spend the entire day with him and Harry. I helped Mrs. Weasley set up the party, waiting eagerly for the birthday lunch.. I couldn't have been more excited.
Finally, noon arrived and George and Fred arrived. Mrs. Weasley promptly sent them to the end of the road to wait for the guest. I followed them of course, no way I was passing up even a moment to see George.
The guest began to arrive, Remus, Tonks, and Sirius first, all looking chipper. Remus looked a little haggard, but Sirius was making him laugh. Luna next, she was positively elated and wearing bright periwinkle robes. Hagrid arrived last, positively glowing with happiness. We followed him back to the Burrow, we weren't expecting anyone else who wasn't already here but Mr. Weasley.
"Seventeen, eh!" said Hagrid as once he caught sight of Harry. He beamed brightly and ran up to the raven haired boy. "Six years ter the day since we met, Harry, d'yeh remember it?"
"Vaguely," Harry replied, grinning up at him and letting out a happy, boyish, laugh. "Didn't you smash down the front door, give Dudley a pig's tail, and tell me I was a wizard?"
"I forge' the details," Hagrid chortled. "All righ', Ron?"
"I'm good, how about you?" Ron replied, pulling a chair out for Luna who thanked him with a quick kiss. He flushed red, his ears pink, but he had a huge grin on his face as he sat next to her.
"Not bad. Bin busy, we got some newborn unicorns. I'll show yeh when yeh get back-" I promptly turned around and faced George, my eyes growing large in alarm. A faint smile passed his lips but he quickly dismissed it. He handed me a dish of potatoes to make it look like I had a reason to turn to him.
"Here, Harry - couldn't think what ter get teh, but then I remembered this." He pulled out a small, slightly furry drawstring pouch with a long string, evidently intended to be worn around the neck. "Mokeskin. Hide anythin' in there an' no one but the owner can get it out. They're rare, them."
"Hagrid, thanks!" Harry said, looking at the wallet with interest. That could be vastly useful for the upcoming hunt. I'd have to remember it.
"'S'nothin'," Hagrid replied, waving his hand. "An' there's Charlie! Always liked him - hey! Charlie!" He called, walking away. I turned to George, sliding into the seat he pulled out for me and grabbing his hand when he sat next to me.
"Mmm," I whispered, kissing his knuckles. "I've missed you."
"Just wait till tonight, you won't even believe what I'm going to do to you when I get you alone." He whispered, nuzzling my neck. I shivered at the sound of his voice, forcing myself to remember that we were at a party, that it would be extremely inappropriate to drag George away and snog him senseless.
A bright streak of light lit the sky, heading for the table. It landed with a flash before turning into a beautiful silver weasel. Mr. Weasley's voice issued from it.
"Minister of Magic coming with me."