As time went by, it was now Christmas Eve, or so they assumed. No one thought to bring a calendar to mark how long they'd been hunting the horcruxes. In fact, everyone got a laugh out of the fact they didn't know what day it was. Ron was still gone, but they all decided that the teenager just couldn't get back to them like Harry had with Severus because no one else had a bond.

Well, Lucius and Narcissa did, but that was not the point. After not being able to subdue Harry for long, it was agreed they would go to Godric's Hollow. Unfortunately, whatever Ron had was circulating the group and a fair few of them had fallen sick. Sirius and Narcissa were okay, Lucius, Draco, and Severus weren't. Yes, there were potions to help with symptoms, but it wasn't a cure-all.

"Okay, how about this…" Hermione spoke up to stop the squabbling about if they should go or not. "Harry and I are completely fine, why don't he and I go to Godric's Hollow by ourselves and the rest of you stay here to either get better or help the sick ones get better." She suggested. "There's no point in all of us going, it's just to confirm if the sword is there and Harry can check if there's a horcrux. Simple, we can be back in a few hours."

"I don't know how much I like that idea…" Severus commented. "Just the two of you?"

"Sev, you know I can handle myself and protect Hermione. Like she said, we'll be quick. We get there, look for Bathilda and ask about the sword. I try to sense if there's a horcrux. If we get nothing, we come right back." Harry told him.

"Alright…Alright." Sirius sighed, eyeing Hermione to keep an eye on Harry while they were there. "The first sign of danger, you come straight back. No dawdling, and don't pick a fight unless you have to defend yourselves."

"Got it." Harry nodded.

"Understood." Hermione agreed. "Harry, ready when you are…"

"Ready." Harry assured. "Your lead then, your apparition is better for unknown places."

Harry grabbed her hand and she focused on the destination, then they were gone from sight.

"Was it wise to let them go?" Narcissa asked.

"You tell me if we would have had the power to stop him, Cissy?" Sirius sighed. "He's determined."

"And while he might have Slytherin in him…He also has the bold as brass Gryffindor too." Severus mocked.

"Ain't that the truth." Draco muttered.

"You're not worried about him being in danger, Severus…Are you?" Sirius inquired gently.

"Neither are you, Sirius," Severus lowered his head. "He's never been…"

"He'll be okay." Sirius assured.

"You don't know that." Severus remarked. "He's been suffering from depression for years, and that place…Is where it all started. His parents being killed, you refusing to take him to go after Pettigrew, him ending up at the Dursleys where he was treated like a slave, ended up…Molested and raped by Vernon. Everything started with Godric's Hollow, Sirius. No…I don't truly think he'll be alright. On top of that…" He paused.

"They went as themselves. No cover, no disguises…Harry's public enemy number one right now with the ministry taken over by Death Eaters, and he's on Tom's shit list for Harry outing Tom as a half-blood." Draco muttered.

"Severus, I agree with Sirius…Harry's very capable and it might hurt. Yes, it may hurt him to go there, but he can protect himself and Hermione if there's trouble." Lucius revealed.

"Harry knows what's at stake. Do what he always asks of you…Have faith." Narcissa smiled.

. . .

Harry and Hermione appeared on an empty street, buildings and houses on either side. There were Christmas lights, people laughing and carolers.

"I still think we should have used Polyjuice potion," Hermione insisted.

"No. This is where I was born, I'm not coming back as someone else," Harry stated. "Come on." He offered his arm to his friend. Hermione linked up and they began walking normally down the snow covered street.

"Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve…" Hermione pointed out.

"I think you're right," Harry agreed softly. They continued walking, eventually Harry stopped and was looking over at a cemetery. "Do you…Think they're in there, Hermione? My parents…"

"I think they are. Do you want to go?" Hermione inquired.

Harry only nodded as they made their way inside and broke off to search for the stone belonging to Harry's parents. Hermione roamed to a long grave, brushing the snow off to find a symbol she'd been seeing in that book Dumbledore gave her. A triangle with a circle inside, then a line going through the circle. Harry, of course, found his parent's headstone right away and just stood before it. Harry had heard Hermione say something, but he tuned it out to stand still and take in the double headstone before him. James Potter. Lily Potter. Their birth and death dates. A line from the bible; The Last Enemy To Be Destroyed Is Death.

"I'm finally here," Harry said gently. "I'm…Finally home, Mum and Dad." He added. "I-I only know you from pictures and stories but…I miss you. I wish you were both still here." Hermione had realized Harry found the grave.

She was going to approach when she heard Harry talking to them. Hermione, respectfully, stayed back to give him his space. "Sirius and Remus are great, both still kicking and taking care of me…If you're wondering, Mum, Severus is okay too."

"I don't know if you know, but…We're married. Bonded. Have been over a year now. He's always protected me since I came to Hogwarts and when I needed his help, I asked it of him. He agreed after a debate." The teen continued.

"We're doing good, happy…Some force believes we're soulmates and while that's…Shocking. I've started to believe it…I think I'm starting to fall for him, and…That scares me." Harry admitted.

"It scares me because everyone I love leaves or gets hurt…Every time I think it's going to be alright, the universe throws something else for me to deal with…" Harry's voice was starting to break. "I-I'm…Sorry. I'm sorry you're both gone because of me. Tom never would have been looking for you two, nor killed you, if not for that stupid prophecy about me. And now it's me…It's always me who has to fight him."

Hermione wanted to comfort him, but it seemed like Harry needed to get this out. "I was the boy who lived. I'm the one destined to defeat the dark lord. When he's gone…I'll be the hero who saved the wizarding world. Fame I didn't ask for, fame I don't want and will never escape." Harry sighed.

"Who the hell thought it was a good idea to put this on my shoulders. I'm…God, I'm just a kid. Seventeen or not. It's all on my shoulders, I'm the beacon of hope for everyone and…I'm just a kid. Who is my beacon…Who am I supposed to turn to? No one understands how it feels. The stress. The burden…The weight I have to carry. I try. I try to look to God, but sometimes…" He sighed and trailed off.

"Sometimes I just feel so alone, no matter how many people are around. I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a crowded room, screaming at the top of my lungs and no one even looks up. And the worst part…The worst part of it is that I have no choice." He sniffled. "I wish you were with me, some guidance…I'm sorry for unloading on you, but I guess now and then, I just need you both."

Hermione finally walked beside her best male friend, kneeling before the headstone and waving her wand to create a wreath of flowers in the middle of the stone for them, then she stood up and leaned her head on Harry. The male wiped his eyes and set his head on hers. "Merry Christmas, Hermione…"

"Harry," She said softly. "Merry Christmas." The two stood there for a bit until Hermione noticed someone watching them and she just barely glanced over. "There's someone watching us, over by the church," She whispered to her friend. Harry glanced, seeing an old woman.

Just as soon as they'd seen her, she was walking away. "I think I know who that might be." Harry said before he began to follow.

"Harry, I don't like this," Hermione admitted.

"She knew Dumbledore, she might have the sword…" Harry told her. Soon, they turned a corner and Harry caught sight of a destroyed house, still standing, but very destroyed. "This is where they lived…My parents." Harry said quietly as he got closer, but never went past the gate.

"This is where I was born, and where they died. This is where he killed them…" Flashes of that horrid night came across his mind and he tried to will away seeing his father's dead body in the hall, or his mother's scream when she was killed. "I'll kill him for what he did. I swear it…" Harry cracked his knuckles when his hand went into a fist.

"We should go, Harry…" Hermione tried again.

"Then you go, Hermione…But I'm staying. I need answers." Harry said. The woman appeared just a few steps down from them, on the sidewalk. "You're Bathilda Bagshot, aren't you?" The woman nodded and motioned for them to follow. Harry did and Hermione stayed right beside him, her gut still screaming something was wrong. "I sense one, Hermione…" He whispered. "It's close."

"Are you sure it's not the one around your neck?" Hermione stated, remembering now Harry was on his turn to carry the locket.

"I'm used to its presence. This is a new one…" Harry told her. Bathilda led them into her home, and began to try and light a match. Harry took over to do it for her, lighting the candle. Harry held the match afterward, looking around and spotting a photo of a young boy. The same one he saw from the vision of Voldemort interrogating Gregorovich. "Miss. Bagshot, who is this man?" Harry inquired.

Bathilda held the candle and went upstairs, Harry following with his lit wand. Hermione had tried to call for him again, but she was ignored. Getting upstairs, Bathilda zeroed in on the locket and to Harry's surprise, but also making him cautious…Bathilda began to speak Parseltongue. That…Wasn't right. How could she know the ancient language? It wasn't common at all.

Downstairs, Hermione was walking the halls and found a book titled the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, a note from Rita Skeeter, thanking her for the scoop. Hermione held onto the book, continuing her walk. Upstairs now, Bathilda was having Harry look through a photo album. More of the boy, and another, who Harry believed was a young Albus. However, the sense of another horcrux around made Harry lose focus, and he tried to pinpoint where. Harry sensed something was wrong, he looked to Bathilda, finding her shaking and a moment later, a snake emerged. Nagini.

"Oh, God damn it!" Harry grabbed his wand to defend himself as Nagini struck.

"Harry!" Hermione screeched with worry as she tried to hurry to get upstairs to her friend.

The tussle caused a wall to crumble down, Harry found himself in a nursery, and didn't bother to look around much as he ended up coiled with Nagini. Harry grabbed a brick and smacked her with it, getting free then stunning her to fall through the floor as Hermione got upstairs quickly.

"My wand…" Harry went to reach for it, but Hermione snatched it first as it was closer to her, and also the hole Nagini fell through. "Let me see my wand, Hermione."

Nagini launched up and through the hole at them. "Confringo!" Hermione cast, holding both wands. It sent Nagini flying out the window as Hermione grabbed Harry's hand quickly and apparated them out back to camp.

. . .

Arriving back, Hermione couldn't hold Harry's weight; he was unconscious from whatever. "Help! I need help!" Hermione cried out.

It didn't take long for the group of six inside the tent to rush out and see Hermione trying to hold Harry up. "What the hell happened?" Severus rushed forward to get his husband from the struggling teenager, then carry him inside the tent where the rest followed. "Speak, Miss. Granger…"

"T-The whole thing was a set up. No sword, Bathilda Bagshot is dead and Nagini was animating her corpse. I tried to warn Harry something was wrong, he sensed a horcrux…Not that he was wrong and this confirms Nagini is one because he sensed her through the disguise and just couldn't place it until she revealed herself." Hermione sobbed. "They fought, I fired a blasting curse holding mine and Harry's wands, she went out the window…I grabbed Harry and apparated back here. H-He wasn't unconscious when we left…"

"Perhaps something to do with attacking the horcrux, Nagini, in this sense. She's not an object, but a live thing and with the link Harry and the dark lord share…Maybe he was able to feel her pain when attacked?" Lucius offered.

"I don't know and I don't care. Right now, I need to make sure Harry's okay…" Severus said quickly as he examined his husband's body, checking for injuries. Notably, snake bites. "No bites, just banged up…Doesn't explain the passing out, but perhaps what Lucius said is correct…"

"Harry also once said that the power of the horcruxes together was stronger. Nagini, plus the fact Harry was wearing the locket and he's got the connection; it…Just might have been too much on him." Narcissa tried. "But he is okay?"

"Seems so. I'll keep watching him," Severus pulled the necklace off Harry, passing it along to Draco, who was closest and had been ready with potions to help his godfather out with Harry.

"Was there anything else, Hermione?" Sirius inquired.

"I wasn't with Harry when he was with her. He was so…Fixated and angry; he didn't listen to anything. Bathilda, or Nagini in her body, never said a word…She was watching us at the cemetery. Harry followed. I told him I didn't like it. He got angry, revenge-filled when we passed by Potter Cottage." Hermione said softly.

"Promised he'd kill Tom for what he did to his parents…Nagini showed up as Bathilda again, led us to her house. Harry followed her upstairs, ignored my concerns…I should have gone with him…" Hermione looked down. "I left him unprotected and he's going to hate me when he wakes up and realizes what happened…"

"He won't hate you," Draco tried to comfort her.

"Yes, he will…I-I cast that blasting curse holding both our wands, i-it rebounded," Hermione revealed the two broken parts of a dark wood wand.

"I-Is that…Harry's wand?" Severus asked. Hermione nodded.

"I-I didn't know it would rebound. I didn't even think. Nagini just…Came at us and I fired the first thing I thought of to give us a window to get out of there." Hermione whimpered. "He's going to hate me, he loved his wand…"

"I don't think that's going to be what gets to him…" Draco mentioned. "The only reason Harry could hold off Tom's killing curse with his wand is because they had brother wands, remember? As long as Harry used his to block, and Tom used his to cast the curse…They couldn't kill one another. Their wands wouldn't let them…"

Everyone seemed to forget about that. Yeah, this was much worse. "Then it's now more imperative than ever we keep Harry safe, no more risky trips and we always go together." Severus stated. "No doubt Harry can cast wandlessly for a lot of things, but you're right about the killing curse factor." He added. "For now…We just sit back and wait for him to wake up."

"You mentioned being at the cemetery?" Sirius asked softly.

Hermione nodded to him. "We passed it after arriving, Harry asked me if I thought his parents would be buried in it. I said yes and asked if he wanted to go. Of course, he did. We went in and browsed around…Harry found it before I did and…" She paused.

"And…What?" Severus pushed.

"I think he's extremely stressed out and holding it in for the mission. I've…Never heard him talk the way did tonight before. It's…Moving and concerning at the same time." Hermione said.

"Show me…" Severus asked.

"I can't, Professor. I'm sorry…There's…Things he said I don't think he wants getting out just yet. It would be unfair of me to reveal them." Hermione admitted. "I beg of you to forgive me, but he thought he was having a private talk with his parents, I don't think he realized I was there until I stood next to him."

"Gist of why you believe what you do then?" Severus urged.

"The base? He hates the weight of the world on his shoulders and often feels like he's alone despite the people around. I believe he worded it that he feels like he's standing in a crowded room, screaming at the top of his lungs, and no one even looks up." Hermione informed. "He said what he hates the most…Is that he doesn't have a choice and wishes they were with him now because he needed them."

"That…Is what I was afraid of with him going, Sirius…" Severus remarked.

"Okay, you made your point…But you know at some point he would have gone alone. If we refused his idea to venture to Godric's Hollow, no matter how it turned out tonight; he would have just snuck off. It was better he went with Hermione. She got them out safely, even if the price is Harry's broken wand. It's better than him losing his life, or being captured." Sirius told him.

"He's right, it could have been worse." Lucius agreed.

"All we can do is wait for him to wake up, then we'll figure out the next move." Narcissa said gently.

What more could they do? Harry was unconscious, his wand was snapped in half and they didn't have a new lead for where to go. Harry was the one figuring things out, so while they were all in things together; Harry was the leader so they couldn't do it without him. Severus kept Harry laid in their bed, covered up with the main curtain open while the rest just sat around the wood stove of the main room to stay warm.

. . .

Harry was out all night, and now, it was Christmas Day. Hermione informed the others that they realized it had been Christmas Eve the night before while she and Harry were in Godric's Hollow. It was about 9 am, Harry finally started to wake up while everyone was around the main space of the tent. The teenager groaned and forced himself to sit up.

"Harry, you're awake…" Narcissa pointed out first when Harry walked into the area.

"How do you feel?" Severus inquired.

"Like I've been out for hours…" Harry stated.

"You've been out all night, my friend." Draco chuckled a little. "You and Hermione came back around 9:30 pm. It's 9 am of the next day."

"Well…That also doesn't surprise me as I feel it should…" Harry sat down. "Hey, Hermione…You still have my wand?"

The girl tensed, biting her bottom lip. "Harry…I'm…I'm so sorry."

"Hermione…?" Harry pushed.

"I-I fired a curse when Nagini leapt through the floor at us. I-I panicked, I was holding both our wands…" Hermione shifted a little to get the object. "The…Curse rebounded and it…Broke your wand." She set the two pieces in Harry's hands.

The teenager stared at the object. His wand that he'd had for the last six years, almost seven, and let him hold off Voldemort's killing curse…Was broken in half and couldn't be used any longer. "I'm sorry, Harry…I'm so sorry. Please forgive me…"

Harry didn't know what emotion to feel. Anger? Sadness? Regret? Harry didn't know what worked for this. He knew it was an accident, but this was also really bad. Harry closed his eyes and laid his head back to face the ceiling of the tent. "…We're screwed." He laughed slightly. "God, I shouldn't be laughing. We're so goddamn fucked…"