After class, Hermione lingered behind to talk to her Curse-Breaking teacher, Professor Cotilla-Gallo. Shifting from foot to foot, she wondered what to say and how to bring up the fact that she had a horcrux in her purse. The thing was feeding off her magic, she knew that now and the longer she kept it to herself the more she might not want to let it go.
"Can I help you?"
"Um, I sure hope so," said Hermione. "I've been doing research in the library."
"On horcruxes," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo. "Yes, I'm aware. The head librarian contacted me to ask if I knew what you were up to. I lied and said yes so he wouldn't give you a hard time. Students who research dark magic, especially those going into law enforcement, are paid special attention to in order to monitor behavior and, in some rare occasions, we can stop them before they perform the dark magic."
"I'm on a list?!"
"No. This is strictly within the school," said her teacher hastily. "We aren't going to tear your room apart, which would have been done before Dona Claudia took over, but if a student is showing signs that they might harm someone or themselves, then we can get them the help they need."
"I see." Hermione fidgeted with her rings. "What I'm about to tell you is, in fact, about horcruxes. See, there's this dark wizard in Britain and he's been resurrected, but the government is pretending he hasn't been and I can no longer trust the only person this wizard is afraid of. Although… if Voldemort is afraid of Dumbledore then it must be for a good reason." She furrowed her brow. "I can't remember everything I learned about him, but the stuff I do remember isn't the best."
"Miss Sanchez."
"Right. Sorry, I think it's making me dance around the subject. See, I found a horcrux in the floorboards of my brother's godfather's house. He's my foster brother, so Sirius isn't my godfather. I actually don't have a godfather, because when I was born, there was no point in assigning a godfather if he was gonna be dead in ten years."
"Miss Sanchez."
"Sorry. Neither my brother nor his godfather were aware that it was there. Actually, I stole it and cracked the code of a diary detailing what this artifact was. Now that I know what it is and what it took to make it…" She shook her head. "I have to destroy it and I was hoping you could tell me how."
Her teacher nodded slowly.
"I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me this," she said. "Do you have the artifact on your person?"
"No, I used to carry it around, but now I'm afraid to. I locked it away."
"Good. Keep it that way. If the horcrux suspects it's in danger then it may try to attack you. They're incredibly strong as they contain half a soul."
"Actually, I think it's a quarter soul."
Her teacher stilled and was quiet for a long moment. Hermione couldn't look at her any longer and turned her attention to other things. The reflective paper in her teacher's wheelchair spokes, the posters on the walls, the designs in the tiled floor. Finally Professor Cotilla-Gallo spoke.
"Miss Sanchez," she said shakily, "this is very important. How many horcruxes did this wizard make?"
"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "At least three. See, he tried to kill my foster brother as a baby intending to use him to make another one, but the spell was incomplete thanks to a protection spell cast by my brother's birth parents. So, my brother was turned into a pseudo-horcrux. I don't know what all that entails. I think it will keep Voldemort alive, but the soul itself can't take form."
"Does he know?"
"Probably not, but he's smart and probably knows that something is up. I honestly don't trust Dumbledore to tell him the whole truth. What he was made into… but I have to remove the horcrux from him before he can be sent to his death. That's on my to-do list after I destroy the one currently in my possession."
Professor Cotilla-Gallo nodded and pressed a hand to her mouth.
"To make three," she murmured. "I suppose if the soul is halved upon each make, then one could theoretically make an unlimited number of horcruxes, especially if the soul is infinite in itself. Each horcrux will present its different dangers, especially if the object itself is already powerful. If this Voldemort character was smart, and I'm sure he is, he would tie the smaller soul fragments to incredibly ancient and powerful artifacts. However, if they are tied to an artifact that was only important to him and his family, then we can wash it away in saltwater."
"Why saltwater?" Hermione asked.
"It's corrosive," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo. "And it stops dark magic. There are dozens of books containing the properties of ocean water. Put a dark artifact in the bottom of the ocean and it will slowly be washed away and dispersed until it can't harm anything. However, if it's powerful enough it would take eons to destroy and could be found or washed up on a beach before it is."
"The artifact I have belonged to one of the original founders of Hogwarts," said Hermione. "I think it has other magical properties, but I can't tell because the dark aura is so much stronger. Will you help me destroy it?"
"Well, no sense in destroying a perfectly good artifact," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo. "I'll show you how to properly destroy the horcrux while leaving the vessel in good condition."
Hermione tipped her head. "Will it work on my brother?"
"I don't know," she said truthfully. "There's no information about a living horcrux actually surviving the extraction process, but I will research and do everything in my power to help. It's going to take a lot to prepare this and I need you to gather a coven. A full circle is best when dealing with something of this caliber. Seven is the minimum but more is better. Prime numbers are best. While you gather these friends, I will give you extra lessons in the morning in order to prepare you for this. We don't have much time, but I think if we meet in the mornings, I can have you ready in about… a month."
"Is it wise to wait so long?"
"It's a bigger risk if we do it now while you're unprepared. Gather your coven and I will teach all of you what to do. Covens are best if you trust those around you."
Hermione exhaled slowly and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, ma'am."
"Of course."
Hermione left the classroom to go to dinner. She needed at least seven. She contemplated them as she stood in line for her meal. They were serving feijoada with rice today. They also had queijadinha for dessert. It took forever to get her food since she took so long going to the mess hall, but it gave her time to ponder who to ask. She supposed she'd ask Márcia and her cousins. That would make more than seven.
Everyone was already at the table, but Márcia and Alejandro moved over to make room for her.
"I have a hypothetical question," said Hermione.
"How hypothetical?" asked Noa.
"Not really all that hypothetical, I actually need everyone's help with something."
That got their attention. Hermione looked around and drew her wand, casting that charm Cedric did after she woke up from being petrified.
"Muffliato."
"Everyone hear me okay?" she asked and they nodded. "Okay. So, apparently this dark artifact I've been studying is actually a horcrux and I need a coven of at least seven people to help me destroy it. Ideally, I would wait and bring it home, but I worry the longer I hold onto it, the more likely I'll go all Gollum on it and refuse to give it up. Professor Cotilla-Gallo is going to train me on how to properly take care of it and that includes anyone who will help me."
"You've had a horcrux in your possession?!" Emilia snapped. "And you didn't tell any of us?"
"I only recently found out it was a horcrux!" Hermione replied defensively. "What, do you really think I'd keep something like that around for shits and giggles?"
"Is that what you were researching all through Sunday and Monday?" Márcia asked.
"Yes. I had a lot of follow up questions and was worried I might have been missing something else that was in front of my face," she said. "I want to destroy it now, but I also don't want to destroy the actual artifact. It's a thousand years old and very important. Professor Cotilla-Gallo is going to make sure I can accomplish that. She's also going to make sure I'd be prepared in case any others come along."
"Others?" Josefina squawked. "How many more do you think you'll come across?"
"I don't know," she said. "But I know three are from the same person. One has been destroyed, one is in my possession and about to be destroyed, and the third is a pseudo-horcrux and is inside a living person."
"My god," Paula whispered.
"Will any of you help me?" Hermione asked. "Professor Cotilla-Gallo says I need at least seven."
"I'll help," Márcia volunteered. "You're my friend, Nia, I can't let you face this alone."
Hermione smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Anyone else?"
"I will," said Alejandro.
"No," said Josefina, shaking her head. "No. I can't. I'm sorry. I'm not even that good at magic."
"That's okay," she said. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. I would just rather have my friends and family backing me up rather than undergrads."
"I understand," said Noa. "I'll help you."
"Me, too," Bianca chimed.
"I will help," said Bembe.
Luiz and Kyoko didn't want any part of it and neither did Paula. Emilia and Abril agreed to help. Hermione, Márcia, Alejandro, Noa, Bianca, Bembe, Emilia, and Abril made eight. Profesor Cotilla-Gallo made nine. Nine was a good number. Three times three. It was strong. Not prime, but strong all the same.
"Okay," said Hermione. "For the next month, we'll be taking extra lessons in the mornings to train and prepare for this thing. I don't know how deeply I can explain my appreciation for help with this."
Márcia squeezed her arm and smiled.
~o0o~
All of March was spent preparing to destroy the horcrux. The seven of them met with Professor Cotilla-Gallo three times a week before classes. The lessons involved learning proper safety circles that would work for a number of cursed objects that were similar in caliber to the horcrux as well as warnings and lessons as to how the horcrux would fight back. Sometimes it would physically react, but if it was tied to a particularly powerful curse or even if it was feeding off a wix, then it might act "smarter" for lack of a better word. In other words, it will try to appeal to the person trying to destroy it.
Every new fact she learned terrified Hermione even more. What if the horcrux inside Harry was what was effecting Ron and making him act so awful? After all, you give your heart to the horcrux and it feeds off you and impacts your mental state. If this were the case, then Hermione would need to do something within the next year before Ron lost everything that made him good. Cedric did mention that Harry was getting really mean lately. Not when he was being a teacher, but he was cranky, defensive, and picked fights with anyone who looked at him funny. Perhaps the ritual used to awaken Voldemort had strengthened the pseudo-horcrux inside of him.
The more she learned, the more she regretted confirming Dumbledore's suspicions. What if he hurt Harry? Or killed him so Voldemort could be defeated?
No. She couldn't allow that to happen.
What she needed to do was build up her arsenal and go back to Hogwarts. She went through her book list and singled out the ones on combative magic and some of the friends she made through S.A.M.B. who offered to direct her to some defensive magic in their cultures. After all, they could perform wixen magic, why couldn't a wix perform their magic if she was willing to learn? She could at least get the basics down and practice them before school ended in June.
She wished she could go back to Hogwarts now, especially as Cedric was being secretive again, at least where he was concerned. He wasn't even calling her anymore instead choosing to write in the IMNs and even then he hardly wrote. Which probably meant that there was something he couldn't hide from her and knew she'd freak out about it which, yes, he was right about that, but he still shouldn't hide things from her.
Still, he did mention that Umbridge was starting to get too big for her britches. She had tried to banish Professor Trelawney from school grounds. Hermione didn't like Professor Trelawney, but it'd be a slap in the face for a temporary teacher to fire you and ban you from campus. Professor Dumbledore retaliated by hiring Firenze the centaur as the new teacher. Hermione thought that was a bad choice because Umbridge wrote the legislature that restricted the centaurs' territory. Why would Dumbledore bring in a centaur, risk him being ostracized by his clan, and also put his life in danger with a bigot like Umbridge running amok?
She knew why. He cared more about displaying a persona of someone who deeply cared for minorities to boost his do-gooder image to the majority. All that ended with was the minority worse off than before and everyone else patting themselves on the back for absolutely nothing.
He also said that Hagrid was on probation and in danger of being sacked as well. Tabatha, who was still in the class, said that Umbridge was setting him up to fail by making him nervous and goading him into saying or doing something that would prove her right.
It's really not fair, he wrote. Professor Kettleburn was on academic probation 69 times and he was never forced to retire.
Excellent, Hermione had replied and then wondered if she had watched Bill and Ted too many times. Sorry. Tell Hagrid to hang in there. It isn't forever.
He hadn't responded to that yet.
Once the month was up, it was time to remove the horcrux from Slytherin's Locket. They had to do it later in the afternoon because Hermione, Noa, and Bianca had transportation lessons in the morning. Emilia rented a cart so the seven of them could get to the base that was far away from campus.
"So, have you faced dark entities like this before?" asked Alejandro.
"Well, sort of," said Hermione. "My first year at Hogwarts our defense professor had an evil spirit attach itself to the back of his head and I threw my shoe at him."
"That's badass, but it's also sort of a no."
Hermione drummed her fingers on her knee and thought about her misadventures. "Yeah, I've never done anything like this before in my life."
"Me neither," he admitted. "But fighting dark forces is a high honor in Troll society. If I help with this, I might gain a crystal. Crystals are sort of like badges or medals in most troll societies. We actually grow them. We can grow almost any type of crystal like normies grow plants."
"That's cool."
"Really? Most people tune out by this point."
"I'm always interested in learning new things," she said.
"We're here," called Emilia.
It kinda looked like a ghost town set up for nuclear testing, but it was meant to train students going into curse-breaking and law enforcement. One teacher wanted to bring his own students in for the horcrux, but Professor Cotilla-Gallo rejected that because she felt that those students would think they were prepared for the situation, try to jump in to play 'hero', and ruin the whole thing.
Which was valid in Hermione's opinion. She also felt that the idiot who jumped in would try to lay claim to the locket and that was hers.
No… it wasn't hers. Yikes, she was getting too attached to the damn thing.
Professor Cotilla-Gallo was waiting for them at the base and led them to a stone building. It was empty and cavernous like a warehouse with a single stone pedestal in the middle of the room. There was a hole in the ceiling and the walls were pitted with scars from curses. But the day was sunny and there was plenty of light flooding into the place.
Hermione set up her video camera in one of the corners and made sure it was protected. She used a new iolite crystal that she could keep apart from the rest. She needed to know exactly what was done so that she could replicate it in the event that there were more horcruxes than just Harry after this one was gone. Voldemort wouldn't be the last wizard to commit these atrocities.
"Alright, let's set up the circle around the pedestal," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo. "It's important that we get this exact so those of you with the steadiest hands please make the circle we went over in class. It is similar to the circle to create the horcrux except the order of the runes will be in the opposite direction. They have to be equidistant to each other because each one of us will be stationed at one of these runes."
Bembe, Alejandro, and Márcia had the steadiest hands so they set up the circle.
"Herminia, the horcrux please," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo.
Hermione nodded and reached into her bag. She withdrew the locket from the box she was keeping it in and felt a force that brought her to her knees. Indistinct whispering flooded her ears and a headache split her skull.
"Okay, nobody else touch this goat," she said, waving off help. "Where do I put it, professor?"
"Right in the center of the circle. Do not step on the lines or you'll smudge them."
Hermione clutched the locket in her hand and shook off every voice that screamed at her to turn back and keep it for herself. She had to do this. She zeroed in on the center of the circle. The angry energy from the locket left her feeling as if she were being stung by hornets. She stepped between the lines, being careful not to smudge the chalk. She placed it directly in the center of the pedestal and stepped back out.
Márcia started getting a little freaked out by that point and volunteered to man the camera. Hermione understood and didn't give her a hard time about it.
"I have brought a special weapon especially for this," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo, withdrawing a knife. "This weapon is impregnated with basilisk venom."
"Not a good enough reason to use the word impregnate," Bianca muttered.
Hermione shushed her and reached out to take the knife.
"Oh, no," said her teacher, holding it away. "You kids are going to keep the circle together. I'll take the horcrux out. I'm the teacher."
Huh, so that's what it was like to have a teacher that actually did something instead of saying, "It'll all work out."
"Okay," she said, moving to one of the runes and locking her wheels into place. "Everyone pick a rune. Make sure we are all equidistant. Márcia? Is the camera still filming?"
"Red light says yes."
"Great. Now, we need to chant the spell to keep it contained within this area and then we will ask the horcrux to show itself. Everyone remember the spell?"
Hermione stood between Alejandro and Noa and shook out her nerves. Once everyone was ready, they chanted the spell.
"Anima contineo. Anima exsolvunt."
They chanted the phrase seven times and a dome formed.
"Now we get the soul to show itself," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo. "Since it hasn't made itself known, I assume the locket needs a password to open up and release the horcrux."
"Slytherin was a parselmouth," said Hermione. "So it stands to reason you need to ask it to open in parseltongue."
Before Márcia could step up, Noa hissed.
The locket flipped open and a human eye looked back at them, the pupil contracting in the sunlight. Before they could proceed, it rattled violently and a living smoke shrieked out, pushing the barrier they created out and blasting everyone back. Everyone except Noa who was engulfed in the smoke.
"Noa!"
Hermione scrambled to her feet to get to her, but was thrown back by an invisible force. Wind whipped around them and she wondered how much worse it would be had they not set up the protective wards and runes.
Profesora Cotilla-Gallo pulled herself back into her chair, then sped around them looking for a way to get in. Unfortunately, a large veil of magic shimmered around the circle. It couldn't go forward anymore and therefore couldn't attack anyone within it, but that meant Noa was still trapped inside.
Voices overlapped as one and spoke directly to her cousin. They spoke in a soft tone, yet still rattled around Hermione's skull. She couldn't imagine what her cousin was facing.
"I have seen your dreams Noa Sanchez," said the locket. "I have seen your fears and your greatest desires. Crippled from birth and left behind by your sisters, you were always the last one chosen. You are a burden on your family, your eldest sister in particular. If it weren't for you, she could have left more easily."
Hermione opened her mouth to defend her cousin, but she was beat to it.
"Man, shut up!" said Noa, annoyed. "Hey, I could use an assist here!"
Hermione snatched the dagger from her teacher, tucked it in her belt, and pulled at the veil of magic surrounding her cousin and the horcrux, ignoring the calls of the others to come back. She urged the storm to still and it did. Sort of. The others still couldn't get in, but Hermione wasn't being forced out. Despite the circle only being ten feet in diameter, the horcrux made it seem much bigger.
Her skin buzzed and her braids fizzed and raised as if the air had been charged with electricity, but she forced one foot after the other. Moving through molasses, Hermione walked towards Noa. The storm had stilled enough for them to find each other. However, she had to release her hold on the veil to get the knife from her belt. The sensation of hornets returned and the storm picked up and tried to force her out.
The cousins made eye contact. Noa held her hand out and took the knife from Hermione, reading the message loud and clear. The locket had chosen her, she needed to be the one to destroy it. Hand now free, Hermione returned her grip on the veil, though her muscles ached and her skull throbbed painfully.
Noa's jaw was set in determination. She unlocked her wheels and inched forward, closer and closer. With Hermione holding back the winds, she couldn't be forced out but the smoke could slow her down. In a panic, the locket scanned her and a ghostly figure walked out of the whirlwind. He was handsome in a way that would have made him unassuming if it weren't for the look in his eyes. The kind that made women cross the street or hold their keys between their fingers on the underground. These eyes were hungry and his smile was cold. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn't pick it out. Whoever he was, he certainly wasn't Tom Riddle.
"Who the hell are you?" Noa snapped.
"Why, I thought you would recognize your own father."
She stiffened and her eyes widened, her fist clenched the handle of the dagger tighter.
"You're not real," she said shakily. "You're just an illusion. I don't even remember you!"
"And yet you fear me almost as much as Esperanza does," he said. "Your own sister would have left you to my mercy if she had been given the chance. All the times she begged for your Aunt Nachelle to take her away, she never even thought of you. Of course…I can see how she'd want to get away from you. Her childhood was wasted mothering you and your sisters. Who would care about you?"
Noa's nostrils flared.
"You stupid shit," she snarled, continuing to inch forward. "Are you trying to stop me? Cut me down so that I won't have the guts to stand up to you? Half the garbage you're saying is stuff people have been saying about me since I was little. I've spent my whole life trying to prove assholes like you wrong and I am not going to let some pasty, inbred, bitch baby, who doesn't even know me, try and play on my greatest fears on the off chance it will prolong his waste of an existence by a few seconds."
The image growled. "I'll kill you!"
Noa raised her head to look him in the eye, she was so close the locket was within arm's reach on the dais.
"I've met Death before," she said. "Tell her I said 'hi.'"
"NO!"
Noa locked her wheels once more, raised the dagger high above her head, and brought it down on the locket, passing right through the ghost of the man who caused her family so much pain. The tip of the weapon hit the dark bubble that was billowing out of the locket and pierced it. It popped and the soul fragment released an ear-splitting shriek.
The smoke dissipated and so did the negative energy.
"Noa, are you alright?" Hermione asked, checking on her.
"Is it gone?" she asked shakily. Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears and her breathing was ragged.
Right, the locket.
"Noa!" Bianca hugged her tightly and buried her face into her hair. "You're not a burden. Nobody in our family believes you're a burden."
"I know… Esperanza always told us, 'People aren't burdens. An ugly hat given by a close relative is a burden.'"
Bianca chuckled, a tear falling from the corner of her eye.
Letting her tend to her sister, Hermione looked at the jewelry, which was still smoking slightly. She pulled off her bandana and gingerly picked it up, the heat seeped through, but no more than a fresh cup of coffee. The glass was shattered and the eyes had disappeared. Instead, there was a tiny painting of Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor, and a standalone of Helga Hufflepuff on the opposite side. Even after his exile, Slytherin kept his friends close to his heart.
Hermione closed the locket and put it on. There was no chattering, no intrusive thoughts, and no anger. There were still silver lights twinkling around it, which meant that whatever magic it was imbued with before, remained and could take over.
"It's done," she said. "It's clean."
"I am so sorry," said Professor Cotilla-Gallo. "As a teacher it is my job to protect you and I almost let you get hurt."
"Don't worry about it," said Noa. "We're Sanchezes, it's in our DNA to be at the center of trouble."
"I think you prepared us very well, Professor," said Alejandro.
"Agreed," said Hermione, retrieving her video camera from Márcia who looked shellshocked.
Their teacher nodded. "Well, good job all of you. I think you handled yourselves very well in this situation and all of you could have careers in curse-breaking should you wish. I would be more than happy to apprentice any of you next semester. You will also be receiving extra credit that will be applied to your total grade point average."
Emilia, Paula, Abril, Bembe, and Alejandro readily agreed to the apprenticeship, but the rest declined politely. Noa wanted to work with prosthetics. Márcia just wanted to make art. Hermione probably would have taken up the offer if she weren't dead set on returning to Hogwarts.
"I'll think about it," she said noncommittally. "Thank you so much for your help, Professor."
"Anytime," she said. "Though, I think we should set some time aside each week to cover more about horcrux hunting. The warning signs and handling. If you're the only one who can find them, I'll have you going in as prepared as possible. I'll give you a schedule next class, but all of you should get something to eat and rest. Even if it doesn't seem like it, we all used a lot of magic today to contain that thing."
"Thank you, professor."
"Nia, want to hang out in my dorm?" Márcia asked.
She was about to decline since she had a lot of homework to do, but was she really going to do it or was she just going to sit on her bed and stare at her IMN waiting for Cedric to not message her back?
"You know what?" she said. "I would."
"Yay!" Márcia clapped her hands. "Alejandro, you can come, too."
"I can?"
"Of course! We're friends, aren't we?"
"I sure hope so."
The students made their way back to the cart and returned to the main campus while their teacher cleared away the circle they drew and checked on the building's structural integrity to make sure it wouldn't collapse on the next group that was handling a dark artifact.