The next morning Erin was at the breakfast table working on some rune sheets when the others joined her. "How long have you been up?" Hermione asked. "Your bed was empty at 5 o'clock this morning! I thought they didn't serve breakfast until 6."
"They don't," Erin said swallowing a piece of toast. "But sometimes the early risers take pity on my and send something my way if I'm doing here working."
"Did you get any sleep?"
"Of course I did. I slept for like 10 hours before I got up. I get up early though to work on things. It's quiet and a nice time to actually get the work done. Louisa sometimes joins me as well. But never mind that, how did the Apparition Test go?"
"Well, it was just a practice," Hermione told her.
"She did it perfectly," Ron said. "He couldn't stop going on about how wonderful she had done." He rolled his eyes.
"And how did you do?"
"He did well too," Hermione said. "He was in front of the wrong building, but he did Apparate."
"The real test is this afternoon." Ron explained.
Louisa came into the hall, it looked like she had been crying. She came over. "Harry, I was asked to give this to you."
"Thanks, are you all right?"
She just burst into tears and hurried out.
They all looked at each other before Harry opened the parchment. "Harry, Ron, Hermione and Erin, Aragog died last night. Louisa was with me throughout it all. Please come down to his burial later this evening. I wouldn't ask, but I can't be alone."
"We've been taking turns…" Erin told them. "The Care of Magical Creatures students, helping Hagrid with Aragog. He was so old though…it was only a matter of time. It was Louisa's shift last night. She must have stayed with him all night."
"Is Wolf with him?" Harry asked quickly.
"No, Madame Maxime picked him up over a month ago. He'll be back this summer."
"I can't believe it." Hermione said. "How could he think we'd actually risk going down there at night! Just for the burial of some humongous spider."
"Makes me want to go even less," Ron said. "He's mental."
Erin scowled. "If that's how you feel then you don't have to come." She told them getting up and gathering her papers. "Sometimes friendship means breaking the rules. You've said that yourself, Hermione. And this year you've all been neglecting Hagrid as a friend. You never go to see him anymore! You're all too busy! Well, friendship means making time." She headed out turning a deaf ear on their calling to her to stop. Kaeli and Dean were coming in and Erin took their arms, she said something, but they couldn't hear what at the table. The two immediately turned around going with her though.
Erin hadn't seen hide nor hair of the other three all day. She was busy making sure that Hagrid had tea and lunch and dinner made for him and Fang to eat. He was kept busy some of the time by digging a hole for Aragog. Erin worked on runes sheets in between the times that Hagrid was doing something else. Kaeli and Dean had stayed until it was time to take their Apparition tests. They had turned 17 back in January. They came back once they finished, they had both passed. Dean told them had to see to Louisa. She had taken the test and immediately left without knowing that she had actually passed. Kaeli and Erin saw to Hagrid, keeping him company while he mourned for his friend. As it grew towards dusk they were out there when Dean and Louisa showed up and then surprisingly Harry and Slughorn.
"Harry, didn't 'spect to see yeh here." Hagrid said surprised.
"Yeah, Ron and Hermione couldn't make it, they're sorry and everything."
"Don't matter…he'd be touched yer here though." Hagrid said swallowing hard. "He's be pleased so many of yeh came…"
"Hagrid, I don't want to sound crass, my dear sir, but I thought perhaps we could get some of his venom?" Slughorn asked. "It's very beneficial."
"O' course, he'd be pleased he could be of help." Hagrid told him.
Slughorn knelt next to the spider extracting the venom from his pincers. When he finished they all said a few words since Hagrid couldn't. Even Slughorn did and he had to be reminded of Aragog's name more than once. Afterward they all went into Hagrid's cabin drinking and telling stories. It was late when Harry shook Erin awake. "I've got the memory. I'm going up to Dumbledore now. You stay here and get some sleep, I just needed to tell you that I got it."
"Okay, I'll see you in the morning unless you come back sooner."
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised kissing her before he left the hut.
Harry told them all about the memory and what he had discussed with Dumbledore during Charms the next morning, after casting the spell so they wouldn't be overheard. "He wanted to know about Horcruxes. A Horcrux involves ripping off a part of your soul and putting it into something, an object."
"How does someone rip a soul apart?" Hermione asked.
"By killing someone," Erin told them. "You don't have to rip your own soul…but it's easier."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"How do you think I got this, Ron?" Erin asked about the scarring on her shoulder and neck. "Wormtail killed Cedric and then he ripped apart my soul. Voldemort ripped his own voluntarily to put into something."
"We know about a few of them." Harry said. "Riddle's diary during second year. That was a Horcrux. And the necklace that belonged to Voldemort's mother, a cup belonging to Hufflepuff, the ring belonging to his grandfather. It all fits together. And Dumbledore wants me to go with him, because he knows where a Horcrux is, we have to retrieve all of them and destroy them. If we can destroy all of them then Voldemort can be killed."
They walked into the Great Hall after lunch. "Look! Katie's back!" Seamus called hurrying over to the girl. Others followed welcoming her back.
Finally it was just Katie and Harry. "I'm really glad you're back." He told her.
"Yeah, I heard about McLaggen in the last match."
Harry blinked. He actually hadn't heard or seen much of McLaggen. He expected the guy was avoiding him. "Uh yeah, now that you're back, we have a good chance of winning."
Katie smiled a little. "I know you're going to ask, Harry. Everyone has. But I honestly can't remember who gave me the necklace."
"That's okay, Katie…" He said and realized she was looking behind him. Harry turned to see a group of Slytherins standing there and Malfoy had just walked in. He looked at Harry before turning around and leaving.
On impulse Harry went after him. Malfoy went into the boy's bathroom and Harry opened the door. He was actually crying. Well, he should, Harry thought. After what he did to Katie and to Ron! He didn't care what everyone said. He knew Malfoy! He knew what he was capable of. Malfoy seemed to be having trouble breathing even. He shuddered and then looked up into the mirror and saw Harry standing there. He whirled around and on instinct drew his wand. Harry just reacted and shot at him. The spells flew as Malfoy dove for cover. He kept shooting spells at Malfoy, all his pent up energy of people telling him the Malfoy was innocent and he needed to leave it alone was coming out. He knew the truth! Why didn't they ever listen to him? A spell from his Potions book came to mind. "Sectumsempra!" He bellowed at Malfoy and then dropped his wand. Blood started pouring from slashes all over Malfoy's body. "No…I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
The door flew open and Snape was there. He gaped at Harry and then flew to Malfoy to help him. Harry rushed out of the room. He couldn't believe what he had done.