A few minutes later Maya joined Harry and Ron to the latter's bedroom on the fifth floor, right beneath the attic. It was very small and two camp beds had been added to accommodate Maya and Harry, leaving almost no room to move.

Everything in Ron's room was a violent shade of orange, owing to the fact that nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper had been covered with posters of some Quidditch team. There was a balcony leading outside and a small window through which Maya could catch a glimpse of the family garden.

"Well, I must say, I never thought I'd have you sleeping in my room, Dursley," Ron said, as they all put on their pyjamas and got into their beds.

"Trust me, Weasley, neither did I. I like your room, though," Maya lied. She actually thought the orange decor was revolting; it was like a gigantic pumpkin had exploded right in the centre of the room. Plus, when Harry and she lay down their feet almost touched.

As eventually the snores of Harry and particularly Ron began to fill the room, Maya lay wide awake and found herself staring restlessly at the sloping ceiling.

Still overwhelmed by guilt, grief and regret she decided she needed some fresh, cool night air to clear her troubled mind and very quietly snuck out of the messy room. She carefully descended five flights of slightly squeaking stairs until she heard soft yet audible voices issuing from the living room.

"You know what I hate?" Ginny said.

"No, but I'm all ears, er, ear," George said.

"Dursley being in our house. She's a right bitch and completely useless. I'm sure it's her fault Moody died!" Ginny said savagely.

Maya's heart sank.

"What makes you say that?" Fred asked.

"I think it's too much of a coincidence how she turned up perfectly unharmed. I bet when Mundungus Disapparated, she immediately sped off like a kicked puppy, abandoning Moody to save her own pathetic ass!" Ginny spat.

"Bill said he saw it happen, though, and that it wasn't her fault," Fred said reasonably.

"Bill was just trying to be nice, as usual, but he doesn't know Dursley like we do. Remember when she was Umbridge's little lapdog? How can we trust a turncoat like her? The moment things got hairy she ran er, I mean, slithered to us like the spineless little snake she is. How can we even be sure she won't do the same to us? Or worse, what if she's actually a double agent? She certainly thinks she's smart enough for that," Ginny went on relentlessly.

"Snake? With the lack of a spine she is more like a worm. And yeah, she thinks she knows everything and that she's a really bright light, but it's all book smarts. When you look at the real deal, she's nothing more than a broken streetlight in a starless night," George said.

"Look, we all know Dursley isn't particularly likeable..." Fred said.

"You don't say!" Ginny interjected.

"... but I don't think she could possibly have cheated Moody's Veritaserum test and at the end of the day Harry trusts her, for reasons only he knows. And if we can't trust Harry, who can we trust? She's on our side now, whether we like it or not. We can only guess why, but here we are," Fred went on, unfazed by his sister's interruption.

Maya had heard enough and quietly crept back upstairs. She was genuinely hurt by what she had just heard. Maybe The Burrow was not where she belonged...

However, by the time she made it back to Ron's bedroom she had decided that leaving was not an option. Where else could she go? Who else could she turn to?

Instead, she now only felt even more determined to be a vital contribution to her side's success and prove them wrong. A bitch? Maybe, but she was not useless and definitely did not nor would not abandon her allies when disaster struck.

She was more than willing to accept that she had made mistakes in the sky skirmish and with that inadvertently contributed to Moody's death in one way or another, but she had plain and simple not abandoned him.

Mundungus, in fact, had and frankly they should be speaking more about that, which was after all a hard fact, while all the nasty stuff about her, talked about behind her back no less, was just scandalous speculation.

The following days were not all that pleasant either. The shock of losing Moody hung over the house like a very dark cloud and since they had failed to recover his body they had not been able to hold a funeral.

If that was not bad enough, Maya could clearly tell that nobody really liked her.

Ginny constantly shot her nasty looks and whenever Maya tried to initiate a conversation with someone, be it the people who stayed at The Burrow or the Order members passing in and out to relay news, it was obvious nobody really enjoyed it.

It was a tough place to be and Maya hoped that Harry's journey, whatever it would entail, would commence shortly. The very saddest part about nobody liking her, though, was the dire realisation that she could not exactly blame them.

Despite their somewhat cold attitude towards her, Maya for the first time appreciated that the Weasleys were a genuinely good family, who always looked out for each other, and that Harry had always been very lucky to have them as friends. And that they had always been willing to share what little they had with Harry.

Every evening the kitchen was so crowded, owing to the fact that they were often joined for dinner by other Order members, that it was a bit of a challenge to properly use knives and forks.

The Burrow was now the Headquarters because their previous location, the so-called number twelve, Grimmauld Place, was no longer safe. From what Maya had managed to piece together, since Dumbledore's death everyone who had once been granted access to Grimmauld Place could now disclose its location, which made it a rather precarious situation indeed.

If there was one thing Maya's stay at The Burrow was not, it was boring.

Mrs Weasley kept everyone, Maya included, so busy with wedding preparations that the days went by quickly. Maya honestly did not care about Bill and Fleur getting married, but if she did her part without complaining then maybe they would like her better and thus she duly cleaned cutlery, washed windows, cut weeds in the Weasleys' massive garden, repaired the fence and swept the yard.

Maya felt that Mrs Weasley was rather rough on her in particular, handing her the most physically demanding chores. Besides, the jobs she was given always seemed to keep her apart from Harry, so that any hopes she had of him telling her more about the mission they were going to undertake had been temporarily dashed.

She got a lucky break one day before Fleur's family would arrive, when both Harry and she had just finished a chore and ran into each other in the living room.

A quick glance around confirmed that the coast was clear; they did not see Mrs Weasley anywhere.

"Come on," Harry said quickly, leading the way to Ron's attic bedroom.

Maya did not hesitate to follow.

"I'm cleaning!" Ron said quickly as Harry opened the door.

A soft bang on the floor taught Maya that he had just jumped off his bed. He had not been alone, however; Hermione was sitting on Maya's camp bed, meticulously sorting books into two teetering piles.

As Harry softly closed the door, Maya carefully sat down on his camp bed.

"Oh, it's just you," Ron said in relief, laying back down on his bed.

"Just trying to decide which books we should take with us," Hermione said, catching the curious look on Maya's face. "When we're out looking for the Horcruxes."

"Horcruxes?" Maya asked blankly. She had never heard of that before, but it sounded pretty ominous.

"Oh, I thought..." Hermione said most uncomfortably, anxiously looking from Maya to Harry and back.

"Yes, Maya. It's time I fill you in on the core of our mission," Harry said, and for the next few minutes Maya listened rather breathlessly to her cousin's intriguing and somewhat gruesome story.

"So, let me get this straight," Maya said at last. "In search of immortality Voldemort created six Horcruxes, objects in which he hid a detached fragment of his damaged soul? And so in order to make him mortal again we need to find and destroy those Horcruxes first? And you and Dumbledore already managed to destroy two, leaving us four to find?"

"Yes," Harry said. "And they are probably Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's Cup, an object that belonged to either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor and his pet snake, Nagini. It'll be a dangerous journey through uncharted territory but, like I said, Dumbledore was convinced you'd be a valuable asset."

"I'll prove him right," Maya said determinedly. "And you're the leader, I promise I'll do whatever you say."

"And so will we, mate, no matter your concerns," Ron said, looking at Harry. "Hermione has modified her parents' memories and they have moved to Australia. And dad, Fred, George and I have transfigured the family ghoul to look more human and make it seem like it has Spattergroit, a highly contagious disease. It'll take up residence in my room and we can put out the story that I'm too ill to go to school. No Ministry official or Death Eater will want to go near me, er, it."

"Harry, this was decided months ago... years, really," Hermione added.

"Everyone needs friends, Harry. And they have always been there for you," Maya said, clearly spotting that Harry was not at all thrilled to expose them to danger.

"Yeah, unlike you," Ron said in an undertone.

Harry and Hermione gave him exasperated looks, but Maya remained perfectly calm.

"It's true. Even though we grew up in the same household, we were always worlds apart. However, our worlds are now entirely one and the same," she said. "Here," she added, offering Ron her hand to shake.

Ron looked rather revolted. "Why are you still wearing that Slytherin ring despite those rotters being responsible for everything?" he spat at Maya.

Maya shrugged. "It's important to remember that every individual has their own story and that being sorted in a certain category, especially at the tender age of eleven, doesn't mean they automatically agree with everything associated with that category. There are good Slytherins out there. Might as well be me to show it," she said earnestly.

One thing about Slytherins ultimately transpired not to be true, though: they certainly did not always have each other's backs...

Ron shook Maya's hand, but he let go rather quickly.

"Right, so what we really need to decide is where we're headed first after we leave," Hermione said, tossing the book Umbridge had them read in their fifth year straight into the bin. "Now, Harry, I know you wanted to visit Godric's Hollow first and I understand the desire to visit your parents' graves, I really do, but, well, shouldn't we focus on the Horcruxes first of all?"

"If we knew where they were, yeah," Harry said. "But I have this strong feeling that the place holds answers, Hermione."

"But Voldemort's bound to keep a watch on the place," Hermione said.

"And don't forget we still need to try and trace the real locket, you know, to find out whether R.A.B. has actually destroyed it. The note they left just said 'intend to destroy it as soon as I can'. Hang on, how do you destroy a Horcrux?" Ron asked.

"I've been researching that," Hermione said. "Using books I got from Dumbledore's study by means of a Summoning Charm, right after his funeral. But it wasn't stealing! I doubt he'd have been angry, he didn't exactly make it hard..."

"We're not complaining, are we? Where are those books?" Ron demanded.

Maya watched in awe how Hermione, after some rummaging, extracted from the vast pile a large book, bound in faded, black leather.

"This one's called Secrets of the Darkest Art. A truly hideous book, full of evil magic, and as far as I know this is the only one that gives clear, explicit instructions on how to actually make a Horcrux," Hermione said, looking thoroughly disgusted as she held it in her hands.

For a split second Maya's old self came out and she made to reach for the book for just a quick glance, but she caught herself just in time.

"Yeah, I reckon that is where Voldemort got the information from," Harry said.

"Reading about Horcruxes only makes it more horrifying to me that he actually made six. The book is very clear on the fact that even by making a single Horcrux you make the rest of your soul extremely unstable by ripping it," Hermione said.

"Can't you repair the damage somehow?" Maya asked.

"Well, yes, there is a way, but it's an extremely painful one," Hermione said. "The only way to put everything right is through genuine, excruciating remorse. The pain of it alone can suffice to destroy you, though."

"I see," Maya said slowly. "But wasn't the Horcrux of the matter how to destroy Horcruxes? I don't know about you guys, but I'm not exactly sorely tempted by them."

"Right, Maya. Only the most destructive of things suffice, to ensure that the Horcrux can't repair itself. Basilisk venom is one of those things, seeing that it only has one antidote."

"Phoenix tears," Harry said, nodding slowly.

"Exactly. Obviously very few substances have the same destructive powers as Basilisk venom, and those that do are very dangerous to carry around with you. It's another obstacle we'll have to deal with, because merely smashing or crushing a Horcrux won't do. The key is to put it beyond any sort of magical repair."

"But why can't the soul part in it just find another object to live in?" Ron asked.

"Because a Horcrux is basically the complete opposite of a human being," Hermione explained. "Whatever damage happens to your body, your soul will survive, utterly untouched. But a Horcrux works in exactly the opposite way. The soul fragment inside it is fully dependant on its container for survival."

"Yes, it was like the diary died when I stabbed it with a Basilisk fang," Harry said. "And with the diary destroyed the bit of soul could no longer exist."

"Hang on," Ron said, frowning. "The bit of soul in the diary was actually possessing Ginny. How does that work then?"

"Ginny got too close to the diary, emotionally. She made herself incredibly vulnerable by pouring her heart out into it, which caused the bit of soul inside it to flit in and out of her. Getting too fond of or dependant on a Horcrux spells trouble," Hermione explained.

"But how did Dumbledore destroy the ring? I doubt he had some Basilisk fangs lying around," Maya said.

"Well, actually, I don't know. I should've asked him," Harry said, his voice trailing off.

Then suddenly a wall-shaking crash abruptly shattered the silence.

The bedroom door had flown open and Mrs Weasley appeared, her face contorted with anger. "Awfully sorry to break up this cosy little gathering and correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that you four had agreed to help with the wedding preparations," she said, clearly trying her hardest to keep her voice level.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Maya and Hermione said together in fright, and books flew everywhere as both of them leapt to their feet.

"Hermione, Dursley, I need you to sort out the wedding presents. Chop chop!" Mrs Weasley said before stomping down the stairs.

"Ugh, it's like being a house-elf except without, you know, any form of job satisfaction," Ron said.

"Don't worry, Weasley, the wedding will be over soon. And don't think too badly of your mother, she's not just stressed and worried, but also frustrated she no longer has any real parental control over you," Maya said before quickly following Hermione out of the room.

The whole place looked extremely tidy when the Delacours arrived the following morning.

They quickly turned out to be helpful, pleasant guests, satisfied with everything and very keen to assist with the wedding preparations, which significantly relieved the others.

It was a very stark contrast with how Fleur had behaved during her stay at Hogwarts, and Maya inadvertently wondered how two very nice people like Monsieur and Madame Delacour could produce such a stuck-up snob like Fleur.

Her little sister Gabrielle seemed quite nice too. She looked a lot like Fleur with the same long, silvery blonde hair but thankfully without the attitude; she smiled politely at Maya after Mrs Weasley had commanded her to take Gabrielle's coat.

The house was now severely overcrowded and frankly uncomfortable to Maya; to her it was quite the challenge to simply not be able to get away from people, most of whom still did not like her much despite her best efforts.

Mr and Mrs Weasley now had to sleep in the sitting room, insisting that Monsieur and Madame Delacour take their bedroom.

Fleur and Gabrielle shared Percy's old room and Bill shared a room with Charlie, his best man, once he would arrive from Romania.

Because of all this it became virtually impossible to make further Horcrux-related plans, which would have been a very welcome distraction to Maya.

The day before the wedding it was Harry's seventeenth birthday. Since he had not wanted a fuss they would just have a normal dinner with Lupin, Tonks and Hagrid included.

Maya followed Harry and Ron downstairs and watched her cousin open his rather big pile of presents.

It made Maya feel an odd sense of regret, not having celebrated her own seventeenth birthday two months prior. One only came of age once...

Mrs Weasley gave Harry a gold watch.

"It's traditional to give a wizard coming of age a watch. I'm afraid this one once belonged to my brother Fabian and..." she began to say, watching Harry rather anxiously.

He was very grateful however and promptly hugged the Weasley matriarch, interrupting her speech.

Maya had intended to get herself a new watch too, but she could never find the time.

Hermione had bought Harry a new Sneakoscope.

Bill and Fleur gave him an enchanted razor.

The Delacours gave him a big box of chocolates and lastly Fred and George had assembled an enormous box of the latest Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes merchandise.

Maya had legitimately forgotten to get him anything with everything that had happened the last couple of weeks, if not months, but thankfully nobody seemed to notice.

That evening they sat in the garden, because The Burrow officially could not handle the amount of people anymore.

Maya, who had been very anxious to get out of the house, made the mistake of being among the first to sit down, which enabled the rest to pointedly take their seats elsewhere.

Thankfully the Delacours had nothing against her and immediately sat down next to her, for which Maya was very grateful.

As Fred and George bewitched purple lanterns emblazoned with the number '17' to hang over the guests, Hermione made purple and gold streamers shoot out of her wand and Mrs Weasley used her wand to carefully put a giant birthday cake resembling a Snitch on the table, Maya was glad to strike up a conversation with her newfound French friends.

By seven o'clock all the guests had arrived.

Hagrid, Lupin and Tonks offered Harry their congratulations.

"Six years ter the day we met, Harry!" Hagrid said happily, accepting a bucket-sized glass of wine from Fred. His birthday gift to Harry transpired to be a small Mokeskin pouch to be worn around the neck. Hagrid explained that only the owner could get things out of it and Harry seemed quite pleased indeed.

All cheerful chatter promptly died down when a flash of light shot across the yard and straight onto the table, where it resolved into a bright silver weasel, standing on its hind legs and speaking with what was unmistakably Mr Weasley's voice.

"Minister for Magic accompanying me."

The Patronus subsequently dissolved into thin air, leaving Maya and the Delacours peering in utter astonishment at the place where it had vanished.

Maya did not know that one could use a Patronus to send messages like that and figured that it could very well have been one of Dumbledore's inventions.

Lupin and Tonks left at once, and before Mrs Weasley could do anything more than muttering a few words in bewilderment Mr Weasley appeared at the gate, sure enough in the presence of Rufus Scrimgeour, whom Maya recognised immediately from the pictures in the Prophet.

Nobody spoke as the odd duo drew closer.

"Sorry to intrude," Scrimgeour said, limping towards the table and making a rather scraggy appearance. "Especially since you seem to be having a party. Many happy returns, Potter. I require a private word with you, and also with Mr Ronald Weasley and Ms Hermione Granger."

Failing to completely conceal their surprise the trio followed the Minister for Magic into the now empty house.

Maya stared after them, wondering whether whatever it was that Scrimgeour wanted from them would influence their planned journey in any way, shape, or form.

About an hour later she got her answer.

After the trio's return they all ate rather hurriedly and sang a hasty chorus of 'Happy Birthday' before the party broke up, after which Maya followed Harry, Ron and Hermione upstairs.

"So, what do you reckon? Any ideas as to why Dumbledore left us these?" Ron asked.

He, Harry and Hermione carefully laid three items onto Harry's camp bed: an old Snitch, a copy of a book called The Tales of Beedle the Bard and something that looked like a standard silver cigarette lighter.

"Why don't you show us that Deluminator, Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron picked up the little silver object, held it up in front of him and clicked it.

Next moment they were plunged in total darkness as the solitary lamp went out at once.

For a few seconds they could not be more de-lighted.

Another click and the ball of light from the lamp illuminated them once more. but Hermione looked puzzled.

"Dumbledore definitely knew the Ministry would confiscate his will and thoroughly examine everything he wanted to leave us, which is why he couldn't give us instructions. I just wonder..." she said.

"... why he didn't give those when he was still alive?" Ron asked.

"Exactly," Hermione said, now flicking through the book. "Unless he was sure it was obvious?"

"What about the Snitch? Is there something inside?" Maya asked, gazing at the little golden ball.

Harry pressed his mouth to the Snitch, but it did not open.

"Can I see that?" Maya asked, and Harry carefully dropped the small golden sphere in her outstretched palm.

Maya examined the Snitch closely until she spotted something. Engraved upon the smooth surface she saw five words. "There's writing on it! Look!"

She held it up, but Ron snatched the Snitch right out of her hand.

"I open at the close," Ron read aloud. "What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

Nobody had any ideas, no matter how often they repeated the words and tried to find different interpretations.

"And the sword? Why did he want to leave it to Harry?" Hermione asked.

"And why didn't he just tell me? I was in his office so often last year and all the while it hung right there on the wall!" Harry said.

Maya could see Harry racking his brains. She could not be of much help, having just joined the mission and still missing bits of information the trio had previously acquired. Her strength probably lay in actual combat, which only made the whole Moody tragedy even more painful to think about.

"And what about the book? I had never heard of it before," Hermione said.

"You haven't?" Ron asked incredulously, which in turn made the other three look at him in surprise.

"Come off it!" Ron continued. "Surely you heard about Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump! It's a famous children's story!"

"Ron, you know full well Harry, Maya and I grew up in Muggle households! We never heard stories like that one!" Hermione said.

"So why did Dumbledore leave you that book?" Ron asked, but nobody could tell him why.

One thing was for certain, however. The stories might have been for kids, but these four young adults were utterly stumped.