It was late in the evening and the dark lord restlessly paced through the huge and currently empty dining hall of Malfoy's Manor.
His head had been aching for three days now, and even when the pain subsided for a few hours, it always returned. And he didn't know why.
It didn't feel natural, of that he was sure, but Voldemort couldn't comprehend how anything would be able to inflict pain on him when the source of his anguish was magical.
"Somebody actively tries to weaken me.. my enemies must be in possession of a weapon that I don't possess." Voldemort told himself in a whisper as the throbbing feeling inside his skull continued to cause discomfort.
"I could swear this is related to Dumbledore.. But if the old man is using legilimency on me, then I would know. This feels different, it has nothing to do with mind magics. At least not.." He paused and came to a halt when a thought sprang to his mind.
"Harry Potter." Voldemort said aloud before continuing his pacing through the hall.
"The Seven spoke of our connection and how he could use it to inflict pain on me, just as I can make him feel pain. But what power does this BOY possess that is strong enough to harm me.. His spellwork is nothing extraordinary, and even if it was, he's still just a silly, naive teenager. ARGH!" Voldemort directed his wand at a chair and pulverized it with one spell, feeling a tad better after destroying some worthless objects.
"How I'd love to kill some mudbloods right now. Oh, their screams are always sweetest.", The dark lord thought with a demonic grin, "But you have to be patient. One day you will reveal yourself and then all those filthy muggles and mudbloods will get to know your mercy."
Just as he started to ignore the pain inside his head, a particularly painful blast of throbbing anguish went through his body.
"But until then I have to find out a way to stop this madness! Maybe I should prioritize on the prophecy again, I could swear the answer to my problem lies there.." The dark lord concluded and mentally noted to gather his followers on the very next day. It was time to set a new objective…
Harry and Hermione were sitting on a couch in the common room, both their heads buried in a book.
Hermione's thick tresses of hair tickled Harry's shoulder as she leant against him, her Arithmancy book in front of her eyes.
Harry on the other hand was reading his mother's diary and he couldn't stop smiling when it had dawned on him how similar he and Hermione were in comparison to his parents.
He was the quidditch player, the trouble-magnet, the instinctive one. She was the intellectual person, the responsible one, a daughter of rationality.
Both teens still couldn't believe their luck to finally be together, and even if they focused on the letters in front of their eyes, it still was only a matter of seconds before their thoughts drifted off to the person next to them.
"I want to give her the best live I can afford.." Harry thought as he lay down his mother's diary and instead used his hands to snake one around his girlfriend's waist and gently rake the other through the brunette's smooth curtains of hair.
"Mh, Harry.." Hermione softly purred and her sound was like a sip of Firewhisky, warming his entire body from the inside.
It was one of their favourite new interactions as a couple to cuddle and exchange affectionate caresses, making both their hearts swell whenever such a situation occurred.
"I love you, Hermione." Harry whispered and the brunette averted her gaze from the book in her hands to kiss the raven-haired wizard on the lips.
Both teens sighed into the sensation, the contact of their lips like pure fire: Warm, comforting, consuming.
"I love you too, Harry." The Brightest Witch of Her Age said when they had parted, her eyes lovely rings of chocolate-brown.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" Harry whispered with an enamoured tone he saved for his girlfriend alone, the question making the brunette smile at her boyfriend.
"I think you've told me around a hundred times in the last four days.", She replied before leaning into his ear, "But it still makes me feel as special as it did the first time."
"That's good. I want you to feel special, 'cause you are special, 'Mione.", Harry replied and pecked her lips again, "You are my girl."
"Just as you are my man, Potter." ,Hermione lightly giggled before nuzzling his chest lightly, "I've bewitched the Boy-Who-Lived."
"That's an understatement, love.", Harry chuckled, "According to the media you've drugged me with love potion."
It of course hadn't taken long for the public to register that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were together, the press going after the topic just as radical as it had to be expected.
The young couple laughed softly when they recalled the article of the "Daily Prophet" dedicated to their new union. It of course had been used as a means of propaganda, just as the two teens had anticipated.
What they hadn't anticipated however was how absurd and thus amusing the article turned out to be.
"What can I say, I love famous wizards." Hermione giggled and Harry smirked.
"I'm not complaining, at least we're together because of your taste for famous wizards." He half-joked and the brunette slapped his arm playfully.
"You know that you're not the first famous wizard who has fallen into my traps?" She asked and Harry groaned.
"You mean Viktor Krum? Don't remind me of the fact that he's been the first bloke to ever have a date with you, if you count the Yule Ball. Which I do, by the way." He told his beloved, who stroked his chest compassionately.
"But that's the only "First" he got from me. I'm planning to save all the other firsts for you, Mr. Potter." Hermione declared with a mixture of mysteriousness and suggestiveness, something that made the raven-haired wizard grin smugly.
"That's good to know, Miss Granger." Harry kissed her scalp and received a soft purr from his girlfriend.
"Never stop spoiling me like this. You're just the way I imagined you to be, and dreams rarely come true.." Hermione sighed and Harry chuckled.
"First of all: I won't.", He proclaimed and the brunette smiled widely, "And secondly this reminds me of something: Would you mind if I get up for a second?"
"What do you plan to do?"
"I'm fetching some ink and some parchment. It's time to write a letter.", Harry declared and when his girlfriend only gave him a bemused look, he smiled mildly, "I'm gonna tell you once I'm back, love. No need to worry."
His words seemed to calm her for the moment, so Harry quickly went up to his dorm and grabbed what he needed to write a letter before returning to his beloved's side.
"See? I wasn't gone for long." He said when he sat down next to her again, kissing the brunette beauty on the cheek in the process.
"Forty-one seconds.", She pouted and nuzzled her face against his neck, "I want forty-one kisses from you in return for leaving your lady."
"I think that's a most generous penalty." Harry teased and glanced down into the pouting eyes of Hermione Granger, a sight he couldn't get enough of.
"I think so too." She said and when her eyes ignited with a fiery hunger he just recently got to know, Harry gently covered her lips with his hand.
"I'll give you a hundred kissed and more if you can wait until we're back in our room." He declared and he watched how the pupils of his girlfriend further darkened, something that made his trousers feel tight.
Just two days ago, on Sunday, the couple had found a new purpose for the hidden classroom that had served them as a practice room until the foundation of the Phoenix Pinions: A very private snogging room.
"Alright, that's a most lucrative deal. Though you still have to explain why you left me in the first place." Hermione accepted and urged him on to start explaining things.
"So, this letter I want to write is for Gringotts. Since you're my girlfriend now, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't get a key for my or our vault. So I want to ask them if they can make a copy of mine and send it back here to Hogwarts." Harry explained and Hermione warmly smiled at him.
"You don't have to do that, Harry. Please know that I'd never force you to do such a thing." She softly went through his messy hair to further emphasize her point and Harry sighed.
"I know you wouldn't. But I still want to share what I can offer, it's like my heart is telling me to do so." He explained and the brunette beauty made an "Aww" sound.
"Continue arguing like that and you'll always win.", She grinned before kissing him briefly, "But um.. I'm more than honoured to accept a key for your, I mean OUR vault. From what I've heard it's not common in traditional wizarding families to give the woman access to the families finances."
"Those purebloods and their stupid ideology, it's natural for me to have equal rights in a relationship." Harry snorted and Hermione gently messaged his scalp, effectively soothing the enraged wizard.
"I know that, Harry.", She whispered with an admiring voice, "You always care more about others than you care about yourself. It's a curse and a blessing at the same time."
"That might be true..", Harry mumbled before unbottling his ink bottle, "Now, I think it's time to give my girlfriend the opportunity to bankrupt my account in one night due to her extensive shopping bills."
"Ha ha, how funny Harry. You know exactly I'm not that kind of girl. I can stand shopping, yes, but I don't enjoy it too much." Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry snickered as he began writing the text.
"Then I guess it's my task to make you this kind of girl. You know that I have a small fortune to spend, right?" He asked and noticed how his beloved's pupils dilated.
"Oh my god, I completely forgot! House Potter is considered a minor noble house!", Hermione face-palmed herself and glanced at her boyfriend apologetically, "Sorry, I.. forgot. You don't necessarily show off with your wealth."
"No harm done, love." Harry simply planted a kiss on her head in return and everything was well again…
After Harry had finished and sent off his letter to Gringotts, he and his radiant girlfriend retreated to "their" hidden room for a direly needed snogging session – there was a debt to repay.
It hadn't taken long for the two of them to realize that they both were the all-or-nothing type of person during a kiss, their romantic exchanges either sweet and gentle or hot and hungry; There wasn't much in between.
"Mh, 'Mione.." Harry moaned when Hermione bit his lower lip during one of their more fierce kisses, her entire form firmly pressed against his.
He had trapped her against a wall and his hands were wandering all over her sides, something the Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't stop doing in a thousand years, while his girlfriend returned his fire by entangling her hands in his messy black hair and roughly playing with it.
Harry felt his beloved smirking evilly as she made sure the form of her body was printed onto his, their closeness and directness something that intoxicated the minds of both teens.
When Hermione was done toying with his lip, the raven-haired wizard decided to return the favour and sank his teeth into her satin-soft lip, feasting on her tender flesh like a ravenous animal. His behaviour had the brunette beauty mewling in seconds.
"Harry.." She gasped and it made his already tight trousers feel even tighter, the way she sounded when they made out even more arousing than he had ever imagined.
His hands travelled to her hips and she gently swayed them when he traced the way they curved, making the raven-haired wizard grin into his affectionate attack on her lip.
"I love the way you curve, honey." Harry whispered into her ear when he had retreated from her mouth and lovingly stroked his girlfriend's round pelvis.
"I can feel." Hermione giggled and Harry immediately blushed at her suggestive reply, something that made the brunette girl cup her boyfriend's face.
"Hey, you don't have to feel uncomfortable because of your body's normal reaction to physical contact with a girl. A very attractive girl to boot, if I might add." She laughed at her own "joke" and Harry smiled at her sheepishly.
"Well, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, that's for sure..", He confessed and the Brightest Witch of Her Age peppered him with little kisses for his words, "But you're right.. I shouldn't feel uncomfortable because of my hormones. You love me, you accept me as the person I am. As long as it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, I shouldn't worry."
"You don't make me feel uncomfortable when you're aroused, Harry.", Hermione smirked briefly when she saw Harry's cheeks turning red again at the mention of his problem, "It's actually quite flattering.. Knowing you love me in that regard as well."
"It's hard not to.. Girl, you spin my head right round without even trying." The Boy-Who-Lived whispered with a hot breath and his lips inched closer to her neck, knowing she loved it when he worshipped her neck by now.
"Same here. You know how good you look when you're walking around with your hair still damp from the shower?" Hermione whispered back and Harry's grip tightened on her hips.
"Must be as good as seeing you in sports clothes for me.. Tell me, do you wear these figure-hugging Adidas shorts on purpose?" He asked as he almost made contact to her neck, the brunette trapped between him and the wall giggling like the little devil she was.
"At first I just wore them because I liked the colour and the design. But since I knew that you fancied my body, I just wore them a bit tighter than usual." She admitted and Harry groaned before assaulting her neck, something that made his girlfriend pull at his hair.
"You're so intense.. And here I was scared you might not stand the heat." Hermione moaned and teased at the same time, the young man attacking her neck responding by sucking at her sensitive skin.
"Keep dreaming." Harry hoarsely chuckled when he temporarily had retreated from the column of her neck.
As he wanted to continue his feast, the brunette caught him off-guard and escaped his grip, only to make them change positions.
"You haven't even seen the real heat, Potter." Hermione dangerously whispered when she had pressed herself flush against the Boy-Who-Lived, making it impossible for him to escape her grip.
"You look like a fucking goddess when you're this assertive, you know that?" Harry groaned with hungry eyes and Hermione smirked evilly.
"Yes, I'm your goddess. And you shall learn to worship me accordingly just as I shall learn to worship you.." She felt his erection twitch against her clothed abdomen at her declaration and firmly put her hands on his hard chest muscles.
"Show me the real heat you've just been talking about.", Harry's eyes were burning like emeralds ablaze, his hands moving up from her wide hips to her narrow waist, "Show me what they call passion, love."
"My pleasure." Hermione whispered and the second her words had left her lips was the second their mouths collided again…
Both teens were exhausted beyond belief after their fiery make-out session and after fixing their appearances they gladly paid a visit to the Great Hall for a hearty meal. Kissing was hard work, after all.
Now that Harry and Hermione were together, it seemed like even more people glanced at them from time to time, the factor of their romantic relationship accumulating all the other reasons to talk and whisper about what some already called "The Golden Couple".
It annoyed them, quite naturally, but once they intertwined their hands under the table, everything seemed to be easier than before. They found strength in each other's love.
Harry and Hermione had almost finished their meals when suddenly their head of house made her way to the two students, a small scroll in hand.
"Good evening, my prefects." She greeted them and the couple turned around to fully face the Transfiguration teacher.
"Good evening, professor." They replied and the animagus offered the scroll in her hand for Hermione to take.
"The headmaster wishes to speak to you tomorrow afternoon. You'll find all the details in there." Professor McGonagall instructed as Hermione took the scroll before quickly unwrapping it.
"Finally he's back!" Harry groaned and Hermione gently rubbed his back, effectively stopping her boyfriend from jumping up from his seat.
"Do you know where he has been?" Harry then asked but the professor just shook her head.
"I think it would be unwise discussing such matters here in public. Besides, it is Albus' tale to tell. I'm sure he'll enjoy the monologue just as he always does. Enjoy your evening, you two." She somewhat smirked at the young couple at her last remark before taking her leave, leaving both teens with a major blush on their faces.
"We desperately have to get used to this teasing.." Hermione mumbled and Harry agreed with a nod.
"Yeah, especially if we want to survive our next conversation with Snuffles. I bet he's seen the newspaper article by now." He dryly commented and his girlfriend groaned in response.
"Oh my god, can we please stay the holidays at my place?" She almost begged and Harry laughed with a tone of despair.
"I think that's decided then: Limited teasing from my godfather and two weeks at your house, I take the deal..", Harry declared before giving her a pouting face, "But I still want to see him a few times during Christmas. He's family after a.."
Hermione voiced her agreement by sealing his lips with hers for a brief moment.
"I will never, ever stop you from spending time with your godfather, Harry. I really like him as well, despite his tendency to make people blush and all. It's just that I.."
"Don't want to get red in the face every time I sit at the same table as him? I can understand that. Also, I guess there will be some other people around for Christmas at Grimmauld Place. Which means each remark will be heard by a dozen other people and we don't want that." Harry completed her argumentation and the brunette smiled at him.
"How about we spend Christmas at my place and the Easter holidays with Snuffles? I bet he has calmed down about the teasing by then.", Hermione suggested, "And besides, I want to keep the share equal: One holiday at my place, one at "yours"."
"Yeah, sounds good. Really good, in fact. And I'm not just saying that because I want to please my girlfriend." Harry joked, which earned him a smile of amusement and a pinched cheek.
"Sometimes you're really cute for no reason." She giggled and the raven-haired wizard smiled at her enamoured.
"You're always cute, love." He sighed and the brunette's eyes became all dreamy at his words.
"How about we return to our room after dinner for round two?" She innocently suggested and Harry grinned at her like a fool. A fool in love…
The next afternoon Harry and Hermione stood in front of the gargoyle blocking the way to Dumbledore's office, the Boy-Who-Lived a bit more tensed up than his girlfriend.
"Chocolate frogs." Hermione stated the password and the gargoyle came to life before giving way to the spiral staircase leading up to the headmaster's office.
"Please don't act impulsively this time." She whispered and rubbed Harry's back affectionately, a gesture that had him smiling mildly.
"I'll try my best. Though nothing's guaranteed." He stated.
"That's right. Never make promises you can't keep." The Brightest Witch of Her Age recited herself as the staircase began moving. Harry chuckled when he got her innuendo.
"You've told me so before." Harry said and Hermione's hand quickly squeezed his own.
"I know. Quite a lot has happened ever since, hasn't it?" She asked and the raven-haired wizard chuckled.
"Most definitely." He agreed before knocking at the door twice.
"Enter." The calm voice of Albus Dumbledore granted them permission and the young couple indeed entered the office.
"It's nice to see the two of you again, especially now that your bond shines more radiant than ever." The headmaster commented with a merry smile on his face as he gestured them to sit down in front of him.
"It's good to see you too, sir.", Hermione politely responded, "And thank you, we're both still over the moon to be together."
"Yes, I can imagine. Often have I asked myself if there is a force greater in this world than young love..", Dumbledore went with a hand through his beard, "But that is not of concern for this meeting. As you have noticed, I've been travelling again in search for anything that might help us with defeating Tom Riddle and his allies. And what a success it has been.."
The old wizard then opened one of the many drawers of his desk and magically levitated a certain locket onto the wooden surface.
"Is this the locket we've found at Grimmauld Place this summer?" Harry asked and the headmaster nodded lightly.
"I'm absolutely certain about the true nature of this locket now. We all assumed that dark spells lingered on this object, but only now do I realize just HOW dark..", Dumbledore shortly paused before gazing at Hermione, "Tell me, Miss Granger, how advanced are Harry's mental shields by now?"
"They are more than enough to withstand a legilimens for limited time. Of course, we're still working on them.."
"That should be sufficient. As we'll surely discuss a bit later, Voldemort doesn't like using his mind magics on Harry as of lately." Dumbledore chuckled mysteriously with a twinkle in his eyes, leaving the two teens more than bemused.
"Anyway. The reason why I wanted to know how good your occlumency skills are, Harry, is quite simple: The dark lord must never know what we now know about him." The headmaster explained with narrowed eyes and the couple nodded.
"I do not want to force this revelation onto you, if you don't feel ready yet. However.."
"Please, tell us. You wanted to prove that you're trustworthy, this seems to be another step into the right direction." Harry cut him off and Dumbledore agreed with a hum.
"Alright, the tale I want to tell you isn't a pleasant one, but I think the truest stories are those which inflict pain.. Intentionally or unintentionally." He began and gave the two teens a most serious look.
"Let us start with a single question, a reminder of what we already know: What is the one thing that Voldemort fears above all?" Dumbledore asked and Harry's eyes immediately lit up.
"Death!" He exclaimed and the headmaster nodded.
"Precisely. Death, the end of all our lives. Something we cannot escape nor fight. Countless people have tried to reach the state of immortality, not one succeeded. Until now." Dumbledore shot the couple a meaningful glance and Hermione gasped.
"You mean Voldemort has become immortal?! Is that why he didn't completely die when his killing curse backfired in 1981?" She asked and the headmaster nodded with a sad smile.
"Yes, that is my assumption, Miss Granger."
"Now, you might ask yourselves what immortality has to do with the locket of Salazar Slytherin or even my journey. And I tell you this: Everything." Dumbledore's eyes widened dramatically before he opened his drawer yet again, this time revealing a very familiar diary for Harry and Hermione to see.
"Remember this, Harry? This is what you've given me at the end of your second year, after your encounter with the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. It contained the same kind of magic as the locket, that was until you pierced it with a basilisk fang." Dumbledore lay down the destroyed diary next to the locket. The headmaster smiled weakly when he noticed how big the eyes of his students were in this moment.
"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" He asked calmly and Hermione cleared her throat.
"So you want to say that.. Voldemort has modified these objects with some spell that grants him immortality?!" She asked, completely gobsmacked and Dumbledore nodded slowly.
"That is somewhat true, Miss Granger. Not a mere spell lingers on the locket, but a part of Voldemort's very soul.", He dramatically gestured to stress the importance of this revelation, "But yes, spells are needed in order to fixate a soul fragment to an object."
"HE SPLIT HIS SOUL?" Harry asked and eyed the professor with a mixture of shock and disgust, "But how in the world did he do that?"
"I think you know the answer yourself, Harry.", Dumbledore calmly eyes the raven-haired wizard, "Not the ritual necessary to fixate a fragment of your soul, but the act of splitting it."
"Killing." Harry almost whispered in response and the old wizard hummed.
"Yes. It violates all rules of nature. And because of that, it may grant every violator of these rules an unnatural ability: Immortality." Dumbledore explained but Hermione raised her brow.
"So everybody who has killed another person lives with a split soul? If that's the case, then even Harry has a split soul since he killed Professor Quirrell at the end of our first year." She asked and the headmaster raked through his silvery beard.
"Good point, Miss Granger. I do not think that every successful kill is enough to split the soul.. If I had to hazard a guess then dark magic has to be involved in the act of killing another in order to split the soul. But since I am no expert when it comes to necromancy, I cannot give you a better answer than my mere guess." The professor speculated and Harry wrinkled his forehead.
"Sir, I don't understand something: I get it that Voldemort is practically immortal because parts of his being are attached to objects outside of his body, but doesn't that weaken what is left of him? Isn't that like a part of him is missing, like a limb cut off?" He asked and Dumbledore gently tipped on the wooden surface of his desk.
"Hard to say.. Although I find your argument highly intriguing.", Dumbledore narrowed his eyes on the wall in front of him briefly, "But if I think about it.. This would explain his temper and his hot-headedness. The Tom Riddle I once knew was composed and disciplined. Maybe he is distraught, with several objects carrying a part of his soul."
"SEVERAL?!" Harry and Hermione asked simultaneously when the professor stopped speculating, "How many are there?"
"I believe that Voldemort wanted to create seven so-called horcruxes.", Dumbledore stated, "And a horcrux is nothing but a soul jar, an object in which a part of a human's soul resides."
"Alright. So Voldemort is immortal because he has created these horcruxes by doing some crazy rituals and.. The diary was one, but it's destroyed, so one is already down! And oh my god, the locket is another one!" Hermione exclaimed and Dumbledore nodded approvingly.
"Yes, precisely. I think it's no secret when I say that we need to destroy the others in order to be able to kill Voldemort once and for all." He stated and Harry's eyes widened.
"The prophecy says that I'll kill him. Does that mean.."
"That you will also destroy the horcruxes? Most certainly." The headmaster ended Harry's sentence, who looked at his girlfriend in need for advice.
"Any guess how do they look like?" He asked and Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"I think they could be anything."
"Yes, indeed. But as you might know, Voldemort desires power above all. From my point of view, it is logical that the dark lord would only use objects of great significance and prestige as soul jars.", Dumbledore explained and pointed at the locket, "A proof to this theory of mine lies right in front of you."
"The locket of Salazar Slytherin, huh? Did the other Founders have similar objects in their possession when they lived?" Harry asked and Hermione eagerly nodded.
"Helga Hufflepuff owned a golden cup bearing the crest of her house, Rowena Ravenclaw possessed a legendary diadem and Godric Gryffindor.."
"The Sword of Gryffindor. Well, that's out of question.", Harry gestured towards the referred sword proudly shining in it's display, "But what happened to the other items of the Founders?"
For a second there was silence as Dumbledore took a deep breath for what seemed to be a long explanation.
"Whilst the locket and the sword are currently in our possession, it is unknown where the other items reside. The first time I left the school, I already knew that it was too much of a coincidence that Salazar Slytherin's holy locket seemed to be corrupted by dark magic while the other Founders' objects were lost, so I not only assumed that Voldemort was behind these occurrences, but also that he had created soul jars with them.", The mighty wizard shortly paused to let the words sink in, "When you discovered the locket this summer and gave it to me, I experimented a bit with it, thus giving me reason to believe that the locket was and still is a horcrux."
"How do we know the amount of horcruxes he has created? Why not just two or three?" Hermione asked and Dumbledore raised his brow.
"What is the most magical number? You as a student of Arithmancy should know."
"Seven, of course!" She exclaimed and face-palmed herself, something that amused Harry slightly.
"So, I left the school, assuming that Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem were soul jars and lost to boot. Since little to nothing is known about the diadem for a long, long time, I made it my task to trace the cup first - my primary objective when I first left the school. Do you remember the conversation we had after my first return, Harry?" Dumbledore asked and the raven-haired wizard nodded.
"Yes, sir. You told me that you would.."
"Tell me when you had a breakthrough?" Dumbledore supplied, still aware of his choice of words at that specific moment in time. The headmaster chuckled when he saw the gobsmacked reaction on his student's face.
"Yes, Harry. I've kept my promise.", He declared with an amused smile, "Now, where was I again?"
"Ah right, my search for Hufflepuff's cup. It was tough work to find a trace which would lead me closer to the cup, and it was even harder to prove that Voldemort had his dirty hands involved.", The headmaster's gaze wandered between his two students for a second, "But eventually my journey lead me to the family of a certain Hepzibah Smith. And this is where things truly get interesting."
"Quite sadly, Hepzibah Smith herself is dead since many years, but I was lucky enough to get in touch with her grandchildren, my primary source of information when it comes to the cup of Helga Hufflepuff." Dumbledore said and Harry and Hermione shared a knowing look.
"Something tells me Voldemort has killed her." Harry stated and the old wizard nodded in confirmation.
"Good instincts, Harry.", He praised before continuing, "According to her grandchildren, Hepzibah Smith was in possession of Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket until the year 1946. Yes, you heard me right: The locket as well."
"But how did the locket end up in London with Sirius?" Hermione asked but the headmaster gestured for his students to keep the question at bay until he was finished.
"Please keep that question in mind for now, Miss Granger. Now, as I continued questioning Mrs. Smith's grandchildren about the relics, they told me that a man used to visit their grandmother shortly before she died – something they only know because of their ancestors, of course. But there was something odd about the story they told me: Instead of questioning the intentions of the man that used to visit Mrs. Smith, her grandchildren told me that a house-elf called Hokey accidentally poisoned the poor witch, thus causing her death. And I can assure you that Hepzibah Smith died around the time where this "man" used to visit her, the grandchildren even told me so." Dumbledore continued and remained silent for a few seconds, the crackling fire in the fireplace the only noises in the office.
"Don't you find it peculiar that the owner of two Founders' relics gets poisoned by her own house-elf at this point in time?" He asked his students and Hermione just snorted.
"Voldemort made the poor elf poison Mrs. Smith. That or he killed her himself, stole the relics and manipulated the elf's memory." She accused and Dumbledore agreed with a nod.
"I think Voldemort killed her himself and used her death as a means to create a horcrux.", He stated, "But yes, what happened to the locket? If it was in his grasp, how did it end up with Sirius? This is yet another question that I cannot answer, another question that needs further investigation."
"To look on the bright side however, the second I realized Tom Riddle was literally hunting these relics, these trophies, I knew he had created soul jars. It all came together: The locket pulsated in your hands, Harry, it was valuable, seemingly indestructable, and without a doubt corrupted by dark magic. There was no other explanation." Dumbledore added and gave his students a moment to breathe.
"Sir, coming back to the cup, do you know where it is now?" Harry then asked and the seemingly almighty wizard shrugged his shoulders.
"Unlike the locket, the cup still seems to be in Voldemort's possession. And if I had to guess, it's hidden and protected. Guarded, even."
"We have to find out where the cup is, sir. If we have to destroy the horcruxes in order to kill Voldemort.." Harry began but was cut off by his headmaster.
"Yes, we have to find the horcruxes. But whereas the cup is most certainly here in Britain, the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw cannot be located. Which brings along many issues, but it also brings me to my second and most recent journey.."
"You see, initially this journey had been a waste of time. I just couldn't find any clue about the whereabouts of this diadem. I went as far as Albania, the country where Voldemort had hidden before the start of your forth year, only to come back to England with empty hands. For now I have stopped searching for the diadem, but as I said in the very beginning of this conversation, my second journey was a success – eventually." Dumbledore recapped and again took a break to let his words sink in.
"You must know that Voldemort actually never achieved splitting his soul seven times. He wanted to, but never had the opportunity until his resurrection. Harry, you are his arch-enemy, destined by the prophecy, and that's why he wanted to kill you in 1981. I imagine he would have used your death to create his final horcrux, but as we all know, he failed.", Dumbledore smiled weakly when he saw the confusion on his students' faces, "Wait until the tale is finished. I'm sure your question will evaporate soon."
"Voldemort of course knows that he didn't succeed with his final soul jar. Only a deliberate ritual could create a horcrux, and he's adamant to have seven. Judging by your looks, I should probably name them all for clarity: His diary, the locket, the cup, the diadem, his snake Nagini and a precious ring that we'll talk about on another day." The headmaster listed and the confusion did indeed leave Harry's and Hermione's face. Somewhat.
"Now, there is another factor that raised my suspicions about his quest for immortality, a factor we've neglected for this entire conversation so far: The unknown hall you've been dreaming about, Harry." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled dramatically and Harry's jaw dropped.
"HE WANTS TO MAKE A HORCRUX OUT OF THE STATUES, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT TO HIM!" He literally shouted as the realization hit him head-on, a smile forming on the headmaster's face.
"Sharp thinking, Harry. I see Miss Granger's character traits are already rubbing off on you." He praised and the brunette blushed. Which looked quite bizarre in combination with the expression of shock etched into her face.
"As you might remember, you have these dreams ever since an unspeakable has been abducted and killed by Voldemort. My interpretation of things was that the Department of Mysteries held all the answers to our questions concerning the mysterious hall. And since my quest for the diadem of Ravenclaw was a failure, I redirected my attention and infiltrated the Department of Mysteries." Dumbledore's eyes glimmered just as mysteriously as the place he had infiltrated.
"I can tell you, that place is more grotesque and bizarre than anything I've seen in my life, but the only thing you need to know is that I've found answers. Many answers." The headmaster then revealed a thick tome from another drawer of his desk and carefully placed it on the centre of his desk, for everybody to see.
"Myth #7 – How legend becomes reality" The title read and Hermione gasped loudly.
"Is this some kind of educational paper about the tomb?" She asked and Dumbledore raised a brow.
"How do you unequivocally know that it's a tomb?"
"Professor, I've had visions again when you were still outside of school. I saw the place through his eyes, saw him entering the tomb and I heard seven voices talking to him. He's found it, sir." Harry answered and the old man let his shoulders sag.
"And here I thought we had an advantage.."
"But what about the tome here, isn't it useful?" Hermione asked and Dumbledore nodded with a sigh.
"It tells the story of the place Voldemort has now found. It's called "The Tomb of the Seven" and it perfectly meets Tom Riddle's expectations of a horcrux-worthy object, but you'll understand that when you read the book. Yes, I'm borrowing this to you. If we are to crack the enigma that Lord Voldemort is, then I need your help.", He explained and flicked his wand once, the tome changing in form and colour, "That way nobody will notice something suspicious. We can't have you running around with a book stolen from the ministry, right?"
When Harry and Hermione now looked at the cover of the tome, it read something entirely different: "The Lord of the Rings."
"Alright, I guess a muggle novel really is of little interest to most people in this castle." Hermione commented as she placed the book in front of her and Harry.
"Do you think he's managed to create his seventh horcrux by now?" Harry asked and Dumbledore shook his head.
"Only a truly special murder would be worthy of becoming his final and seventh soul jar. I also presume that you would feel enormous pain through your scar should he attempt to further fragment his soul. Remember, a part of you lives resides in him just as a part of him lives within you." The headmaster argued and Harry rolled his eyes.
"Of course, it has to hurt.." He mumbled to himself but the almighty wizard smiled.
"Speaking of pain.. While the dark hurts you, the light hurts him." He mysteriously stated and Hermione raised her brow.
"Could you elaborate?"
"Of course, my dear. As you know, Professor Snape is very close to the dark lord, a spy that managed to gain Voldemort's trust without being discovered. His constant reports to the order are always helpful, but yesterday, during a meeting of the order, he told us the dark lord seemed to be plagued by some kind of intervallic headache.", Dumbledore's tone was almost joyful when he revealed this piece of information, "And this was the proof I needed to confirm that the prophecy, YOUR prophecy, was right all along."
"Um, and to what part do you refer? My prophecy is quite long.." Harry asked and Dumbledore's smile widened.
"In summer I told you that you possess a power unknown to Voldemort, namely known as love. Now, with that little reminder, I think you can figure out the rest by yourself." The headmaster helped out and Harry's eyes widened.
"Oh my god, the prophecy refers to my love for Hermione! And since he inflicts pain on me with every cruelty he commits, I can cause him pain by.. kissing Hermione?" He more asked than stated and Dumbledore nodded as both teens blushed.
"Yes, I think this seems to be the case. Every time you kiss, Voldemort feels pain. The more intense you act, the stronger will be his pain. And since you're not kissing all the time, this explains why his pain was described as "intervallic" by Professor Snape." The headmaster soberly explained like it was the most usual thing and the flush on his students' faces intensified.
"Yes, love can be a terrific weapon. I of course don't encourage you to see it that way, but keep in mind that emotions can just be as magical as our spells..", Dumbledore lectured as he stroked his beard gently, "And if my guess is right, then your love for Miss Granger does also protect you from potential assaults on your mind from Voldemort, Harry."
"How is that?" Hermione asked and the elderly wizard chuckled.
"Both your minds are so filled with love now that the dark lord would literally injury his mind, should he be so foolish to attack you. It's like the blood magic of Harry's mother: A natural barrier of defence." He declared and the young couple grinned joyfully.
"Yet another reason to love you." Harry said and Hermione intertwined their hands to express her affection.
"As you know, Harry, I told you during our last conversation that it is crucial for you to have strong, mental shields before I tell you what I've told you today. A normal learner needs at least a year of regular training until he reaches a point where he can defend his mind, however you are gifted with the rather special power of love, giving you an immunity to mental assaults from the dark lord. When I learned of this ability of yours, I knew that today was the day where I had to reveal what I know about horcruxes." Dumbledore smiled and the two teenagers nodded firmly.
"So, just to make sure that I've understood everything correctly..", Hermione said before gathering her thoughts, "Voldemort has split his soul and created soul jars to become immortal. There are currently five intact horcruxes, the diary is destroyed but he is unaware of it, and then there is the Tomb of the Seven, a potential horcrux. Since Harry is destined to kill Voldemort, he will most likely destroy the horcruxes and we at least know what his remaining soul jars are, although we don't know their location. Does this cover everything?"
"You missed the part where my love for you prevents Voldemort from mentally assaulting my mind." Harry smirked lightly and the brunette slapped his arm playfully.
"I think your summary was quite complete." Dumbledore assessed and Hermione smiled subtly in return.
"If you don't have any questions left, then I think we can call it a day here. It's been a truly fascinating afternoon." The headmaster announced and waited for either teen to speak up.
"Sir, how do we destroy the horcruxes?" Harry asked and the elderly wizard rubbed his temples.
"How foolish of me! Of course, the most important part..", He mumbled before gazing at the raven-haired wizard, "It's actually quite easy: Hit them with a basilisk fang or something that has absorbed the venom, like.."
"The Sword of Gryffindor!" Hermione exclaimed and clapped her hands.
"Exactly, Miss Granger." Dumbledore chuckled, but Harry still wasn't done with his questions.
"Why don't we destroy the locket right on the spot, then? We've got a horcrux, we've got the sword.. Nothing would delay us." He asked but the headmaster shook his head.
"I imagine that Voldemort would feel it in his corporeal form if we kill a part of his being, and if he feels it then he knows it. You remember the most important rule of this conversation?" Dumbledore asked with a serious look and the couple nodded.
"He must never know."
"Precisely. It is my plan to collect all of his soul jars before destroying them almost simultaneously. This way he won't be able to relocate any of his horcruxes." He explained but Hermione wrinkled her forehead.
"But what about his snake? Or the statues in the tomb? We surely can't transport a lethal reptile and giant statues." She remarked and the almighty wizard nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I know. That is why we'll collect and destroy all the small horcruxes such as the cup or the diadem first, because they could be relocated by Voldemort, thanks to their size. The tomb, however, is of significance because it's a historic site – and sites cannot be moved without losing their historic background, so Voldemort wouldn't mess with that horcrux."
"But what about his snake? Let's assume we destroy all the "mobile" horcruxes and even the tomb, how do we kill his snake? It's always around him, and if we destroy all the horcruxes but Nagini, won't he protect her even more ferocious? Won't he know then that somebody is after his soul jars?" Harry asked and Dumbledore sighed.
"This is the only loose end I currently see here. Should the day come where Nagini is the only remaining horcrux, then we will have to face the dark lord in open battle and kill the snake, there is no other way, I'm afraid." He admitted and both teens groaned.
"I'm really looking forward to this day.." They both mumbled and Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders.
"But this day is still far away, my young students. We still have to find the Founders' objects and the special ring before we get to the Tomb of the Seven. And only when the tomb is destroyed will we have to deal with Nagini. I assume we'll figure something out in the meantime." He winked at the young couple with a small chuckle.
"So will you continue travelling in the future? Finding the cup and the diadem.." Hermione asked and the headmaster nodded firmly.
"Yes, indeed. Although for now I will stay here at Hogwarts. I'm still a headmaster, you know?" He joked and Harry grinned.
"Umbridge won't like that." He stated and Dumbledore agreed with a hum.
"As Minerva told me when I returned yesterday, she has authorized a certain decree. Tell me, are you involved in these recent developments?" He asked with a curious tone and Hermione giggled.
"Well, we might have started a practical defence organization in October and it seems like she has gotten wind of it." She explained and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled triumphantly.
"So you've found the "school-friendly means" to fight Voldemort?" He addressed Harry, who chuckled in response.
"That's what you meant the last time we spoke. You KNEW we would start a silent rebellion." He said and Dumbledore nodded.
"Forgive me, but I even wanted you to continue your defence training. And it seems like you've recruited quite a team, haven't you two?" The elderly wizard asked and Hermione nodded.
"Students of all houses participate in our lessons. I think we must have around thirty members or so." She explained and Dumbledore's eyes lit up.
"Impressive. Truly impressive.", He praised before furrowing his brows, "Although I'd really like to know your means of communication. It must be hard exchanging information within the group without making it look suspicious. If I had to hazard a guess, then Professor Umbridge surely initiated this "Educational Decree" as an attempt to counter your efforts..."
"Well, I also think she is aware of our anti-ministry activities, but that's why I've created modified fake galleons for our members. They not only display the time of the next meeting, but also have limited texting abilities." Hermione proudly smiled and Harry looked at his girlfriend with a mixture of surprise and amazement.
"Why don't I know of them?" He asked and the brunette crooked her head lightly.
"That might be because you've been in the hospital wing when I created them last week. And I also might have forgotten to give you your own galleon..", She admitted and blushed lightly, much to Harry's amusement, "Please remind me to correct my mistake later."
"I think your organization will be much safer now with the help of these devices, Miss Granger.", Dumbledore nodded firmly before getting up from his mighty chair, "And I also think it's time for some dinner, my young students. It appears we've chatted for quite some time, look at the clock yourselves."
"Oh, you're right.. It definitely would look suspicious if the couple of us and you were absent during dinner. Umbridge would notice.." Harry agreed when he saw that it already was half past seven and followed his headmaster's lead.
"Yup, and I'm also quite famished after all these revelations. It will definitely take a night to let everything sink in..", Hermione added before picking up the disguised ministry book from Dumbledore's desk, "And thank you for the book, sir. It will most certainly help us to achieve our goal."
With everything being said, the trio left the office for a well-deserved dinner…
Author's note:
This chapter was a prime example of challenging enjoyment. Sweet and romantic scenes on the one side, a most serious and "sober" one on the other side. But the contrast itself wasn't the issue here.
No, the difficulty came with the content of the long conversation scene between Dumbledore and Harry + Hermione.
It was hard work for me to find the right way to structure this truly central and essential scene, but here I am. Three days after I started writing it.
But what probably was and is even more challenging is to keep track of all the non-canon elements I'm integrating into this story. Everytime I create something of my own, my creation has consequences. And I have to be aware of them, thus requiring intense planning.
By now I've got a decent amount of non-canon elements swirling around in this universe, so I gotta watch out. Too often have I seen stories without consistancy, so I'm really motivated to be better than that..
You will also see some Phoenix Pinions action in the next chapter again, I feel like Rowling didn't show a lot of the DA in the canon saga - which is something I'm not too chuffed about, so I'm changing this in my version of events. I hope you look forward to it as well.
'Til the next time!
NewOrderFan05
