Alexander was walking down the hall away from others to get to the Room of Requirement, what he didn't know was that he was being followed by Harry and Alexis.
Alexander placed a small white bird into the cabinet. Chanted the spell and it was gone. When the bird returned it was dead. He stared at the bird, thinking that if he failed in his quest that would be him.
At breakfast, Alexis kept glancing over at Lavender; who was glaring dagger's at Hermione. Snow started to fall.
"Stop it Ron, you're making it snow." Hermione states,
Ron stared up for a minute and it stopped snowing, "Tell me how I broke up with Lavender again,"
"Um, well she came to visit you in the hospital. And you talked." Hermione replied, "I don't believe it was a particularly long conversation."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm bloody trilled to be rid of her. It's just she seems a bit put out." Ron states
the four look over again, Lavender looked like she was going to break the spoon she was holding in half.
"Yes, she does, doesn't she?" Hermione asks "You say you don't remember anything from that night? Anything at all?"
"There was something. But it can't be. I was completely boggled, wasn't I?" Ron asks
"Right. Boggled." Hermione replies in a whisper.
Alexis looks up as a group started to form, "Harry,"
Harry looks over at her,
"That's Katie," Alexis states. Harry didn't seem to recognize the name, "Katie Bell."
Harry stood up and took his copy of the advanced Potions book with him.
"Katie, How are you?"
"I know you're going to ask, Harry, but I don't know who cursed me." Katie replies. "I've been trying to remember, honestly. But I just can't." she stopped as Alexander entered the room.
Alexis stood up from the table, as Alexander stiffen and took off at a fast walk.
Harry and Alexis followed Alexander to the Boys' restroom.
Alexander pulled off his vest, and turned on the water splashing cold water on his face. And starting sobbing,
"I know what you did, Alexander. You hexed her, didn't you?" Alexis accused
Alexander turned around sobbing, then he hurled a spell at Alexis and Harry.
Alexis and Harry fired their counter spells back at Alexander. Having to duck around stalls to avoid being hit by the spells, Alexis looked at Harry and mouthed. 'What next?'
Harry raced along the stalls firing spells at Alexander and ducking spells. "Sectumsempra!"
Alexis walked around the corner when she saw Alexander fall to the ground with slashes all over his body, blood pooled around him. Alexander lay gasping for breath.
Snape came in and saw Alexander on the ground, he stared at Alexis and Harry before they turned and ran out of the flooding bathroom, Snape knelt down in the water with tip of his wand waving slowly over Alexander's body, he began to chant "Vulnera Sanentur." the gashes slowly healed and the blood was siphoned into Snape's wand.
In the darken corner of Alexis' dormitory, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Draco sat watching Alexis and Harry staring at the book.
Alexis stood up and Ginny took her spot.
"You have to get rid of it. Today." Ginny states,
Harry nods in agreement.
"Take my hand," Ginny states, as she stood before the wall with a unicorn on it.
Alexis didn't know what happened in the time Ginny and Harry were gone, she waited in the corridor enjoying the sunlight on a beautiful winter day.
She saw Ron and Harry walking up. Harry seemed to be in a daze.
"So did you and Ginny do it, then?" Ron asks
"What?" Harry asks
"You know hide the book." Alexis states, coming up to them.
"Oh yeah," Harry replies.
They look up and saw Slughorn.
"Ah. Dear, Yes." Slughorn states then he turns and walks off.
"Still no luck with Slughorn, then, I take it?" Ron asks
Harry and Alexis looked at each other, smiles forming.
"Luck. That's it. All I need is a bit of luck." Harry states,
Harry sat with the vial of Felix Felicis in his hand, uncorked it and drank it.
Alexis would let Harry lead this one.
"Well, how do you feel?" Hermione asks
"Excellent." Harry replies, "Really excellent."
"Remember Slughorn usually eats early takes a walk and then returns to his office," Hermione states,
"Right. I'm going to down to Hagrid's" Harry states
"What?" Hermione asks "No, Harry, you got to go and speak to Slughorn, we have a plan."
"I know but I got a really good feeling about Hagrid's, I feel it's the place to be tonight. Do you know what I mean?" Harry replies.
"No." the other three answer.
"Well, trust me, I know what I'm doing or Felix does." Harry states.
Alexis shrugs and follows. She followed Harry to the Greenhouse. Where Slughorn was sneaking in through a window and getting leaves of a plant inside. They just stood next to Slughorn and waited until he noticed, when he did he jumped in surprise.
"Merlin's beard. Harry, Alexis!" Slughorn exclaims
"Sorry, sir. I should I announced myself. Cleared my throat, coughed." Harry apologized "You probably feared I was Professor Sprout."
"Yes, I did, actually. What makes you think of that?" Slughorn asks
"Well, just the general behavior, sir." Alexis answers. "The sneaking around the jumping when you saw us."
"Are those Tentacula leaves, sir?" Harry asks "They're very valuable, aren't they?"
"Ten Galleons a leaf to the right buyer." Slughorn answers. "Not that I'm familiar with any such transactions, but one does hear rumors. My own interests are purely academic, of course."
"Personally, these plants always kind of freaked me out," Harry replies,
"Same here." Alexis agrees. But they turned and walked off.
"How did you get out of the castle?" Slughorn asks
"Through the front door, Sir." Alexis answers. "We're off off to Hagrid's. He's a very dear friend and we fancied paying him a visit. So if you don't mind, we will be going now."
"Alexis!" Slughorn exclaims.
"Sir?" Alexis asks
"It's nearly nightfall." Slughorn replies. "Surely you both realize I can't allow you two to go roaming the grounds by yourselves."
Alexis glanced at Harry,
"Well, then by all means, come along, sir." Harry invited.
Alexis and Harry started walking down the steps toward Hagrid's with Slughorn following.
"Harry, Alexis, I must insist you both accompany me back to the castle immediately!" Slughorn exclaimed.
"That would be counterproductive, Sir." Harry replies.
"And what makes you say that?" Slughorn asks
"No idea," Harry answers.
The three people found Hagrid crying over a dead huge spider.
"Horace." Hagrid greets, clearing his throat
"Merlin's beard. Is that an actual Acromantula?" Slughorn asks
"A dead one, I think, sir." Alexis answers.
"Good God." Slughorn gasps "Dear fellow, however did you manage to kill it?"
"Kill it? Me oldest friend, he was." Hagrid answers.
Alexis then realized that the dead spider was Aragog.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't..." Slughorn tried to apologize
"Don't worry yourself, you're not alone." Hagrid waved off the apology. "Seriously misunderstood creatures spiders are. It's the eyes, I reckon. They unnerve some folk."
"Not to mention the pincers." Harry adds, making pincer movements with his hands.
"Yeah, I reckon that too." Hagrid agrees.
"Hagrid, the last thing I wish to be is indelicate but Acromantular venom is uncommonly rare. Would you allow me to extract a vial or two? Purely for academic purposes you understand."
"Well, I don't suppose it's going to do him much good now, is it?" Hagrid asks choking on tears.
"My thoughts exactly." Slughorn agrees, "Always have a ampule or two on my person for just such occasions as this. Old Potions Master's habit, you know."
"I wish you could've seen him in his prime." Hagrid states. "Magnificent, he was. Just magnificent."
"Would you like me to day a few words?" Slughorn asks
"Yes." Hagrid answers
"He had a family, I trust?" Slughorn asks
"Oh yeah." Alexis and Harry answer.
"Farewell..." Slughorn states.
"Aragog." Hagrid supplied
"Farewell, Aragog king of the arachnids. Your body will decay but your spirit lingers on and your human friends find solace in the loss they have sustained"
They went back to Hagrid's hut. Alexis and Harry listened to Hagrid and Slughorn's drunken singing.
Alexis and Harry clapped at the end.
"I had him from ad egg, you know. Tiny little thing he was when he hatched. No bigger the a Pekingese. A Pekingese, mind you." Hagrid explains
"How sweet. I once had a fish. Francis He was very dear to me. One afternoon I came downstairs, and he'd vanished. Poof." Slughorn replies
"that's very odd, isn't it?" Hagrid asks
"It is, isn't it?" Slughorn agreed. "But that's life, I suppose. You go along and then suddenly, poof!"
"Poof," Hagrid agrees
"Poof," Harry and Alexis whispers. Then smiled at Hagrid who passed out and started snoring.
Slughorn stared at the two students, "It was a student who gave me Francis. One spring afternoon I discovered a bowl on my desk with just a few inches of clear water in it and floating on the surface was a flower petal. As I watched, it sank. Just before it reached the bottom it transformed into a wee fish. It was beautiful magic. Wondrous to behold. The flower petal had come from a lily. Your mother. The day I came downstairs the day the bowl was empty was the day your mother...I now why you're here. But I can't help you. It would ruin me."
"Do you know why I survived, professor?" Harry asks, "The night I got this?" he touched his scar. "because of her. Because she sacrificed herself. Because she refused to step aside."
"Because her love was more powerful then Voldemort." Alexis seconds, remembering the day she was saved by Carmela.
"Don't say his name." Slughorn states.
"We're not afraid of the name, professor." Alexis states.
Harry stood up, "I'm going to tell you something. Something others have only guessed at. It's true. I am the Chosen One. Only I can destroy him but in order to do so I need to know what Tom Riddle asked you years ago in your office and I need to know what you told him."
Alexis stood up, "Be brave, professor. Like my sister Prue was,"
"Be brave like my mother," Harry adds. "Otherwise, you disgrace her. Otherwise, she died for nothing."
"Otherwise, the bowl will remain empty forever." Alexis whispers.
"Please, don't think badly of me when you see it." Slughorn replies, "You've no idea what he was like even then." pulling out his wand and giving the slivery mist of memory.
Alexis and Harry reached out to steady Slughorn's hand around the vial.
Later in Dumbledore's office. The two teens watched as the headmaster poured the memory into the pensive.
~~~Memory~~~~
Tom flicks the hourglass. "I was in the library the other night in the Restricted Section and I read something rather odd about a bit of rare magic. And I thought perhaps you could illuminate me. It's called, as I understand it a Horcrux."
"I beg your pardon?" Slughorn asks
"Horcrux." Tom answers. "I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it."
"I'm not sure what you were reading, Tom, but this is very dark stuff, very dark indeed." Slughorn replies.
"Which is why I came to you." Tom states.
"A Horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul." Slughorn explained.
"But I don't understand how that works, sir." Tom replies walking forward.
"One splits one's soul and hides part of it in an object. By doing so, you're protected, you be attacked and your body destroyed." Slughorn continues to explain,
"Protected?" Tom asks
"That part of your soul that is hidden lives on. In other words, you cannot die." Slughorn answers.
Tom turns away and stares at the fire "How does one split his soul, sir?"
"I think you already now the answer to that, Tom." Slughorn answers
"Murder." Tom states.
"Yes." Slughorn agrees "Killing rips the soul apart. It is a violation against nature."
"Can you only split the soul once? For instance, isn't seven...?" Tom asks
"Seven?" Slughorn repeats. "Merlin's beard, Tom. Isn't it bad enough to consider killing one person? To rip the soul into seven pieces. This is all hypothetical, isn't it Tom? All academic?"
"Of course, sir." Tom replies. "It'll be our little secret."
The memory ends, Harry and Alexis look up at Dumbledore.
"Sir." Harry states
Dumbledore hold up his hand and then goes and sits on the steps of his office. "This is beyond anything I imagined."
"You mean to say he succeeded, sir, in making a Horcrux?" Harry asks
"Oh, yes, he succeeded, all right. And not just once." Dumbledore answers.
"What are they exactly?" Alexis asks
"Could be anything. Most commonplace of objects." Dumbledore answers. Standing back up and going to his desk, he opened a drawer, "A ring, for example. Or a book." he held up Tom Riddle's diary
"Tom Riddle's diary." Harry gasps
"It's a Horcrux, yes." Dumbledore agrees. "Four years ago, when you two saved Ginny's life in the Chamber of Secrets you brought me this. I knew this was a different kind of magic."
"Dark Magic," Alexis states.
"Very dark, very powerful. But until tonight I had no idea just how powerful." Dumbledore agrees.
"The ring?" Harry asks
"Belonged to Voldemort's mother. Difficult to find. Even more difficult to destroy." Dumbledore answers, he held up his left and and it was blacken.
"But if you could find them all, if you did destroy each Horcrux..." Harry replies
"One destroys Voldemort." Dumbledore finished.
"Or curses him into a locket or something." Alexis seconds. "but how would you find them? They could be hidden anywhere."
"True. But magic, especially dark magic..." Dumbledore states
Alexis watched as Harry cracked his neck like Voldemort had done so in the graveyard. She understood having fought against evil for so long. "Leaves traces."
"It's where you've been going, isn't it, sir?" Harry asks "When you leave the school?"
"Yes." Dumbledore answers "And I think I perhaps I may have found another. But this time, I cannot hope to destroy it alone. Once again, I must ask too much of you both, Harry, Alexis."