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From The Usual Source
Harry rose from his place in the centre of the ritual circle, a twisted maze of ancient runes that seemed to dance and flicker like embers. The broken crystal ball lay before him, the jagged shards reflecting distorted images of the world beyond. He sighed, running a hand through his unruly black hair, before joining Albus at their now customary spot by the window.
"Tea?" Albus asked, with an easy grin, as he requested one of Hogwarts' elves to provide them with the steaming beverage.
"Please," Harry replied, his voice a little hoarse from the intensity of the ritual.
A silver tea set materialised between them, steam curling elegantly from the spout of the teapot. Albus began pouring the amber liquid into delicate china cups, the fragrant scent of Earl Grey mingling with the parchment smell of the headmaster's office.
"Six Horcruxes then," Harry said, taking a sip of his tea. "We don't need to worry about the snake."
"Indeed," Albus replied, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.
Harry's gaze drifted to the broken crystal ball. "I just want to put an end to this."
"Ah, my dear boy," Albus said, his voice soft. "The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark."
Harry smiled at Albus' words, drawing comfort from the familiarity of the headmaster's wisdom. As much as he wished to rid the world of Voldemort's evil, he knew that the best way was not through rushed vengeance but by finding and destroying the remaining Horcruxes.
"Only one more Horcrux to go," Albus said, a hint of urgency in his voice. "I do hope we're right in thinking that Hufflepuff's Cup is the last one."
"Me too," Harry agreed, staring into his tea as if it held the answer to their problem. "We need to find that Cup, and soon."
"Have you had any luck finding a ritual that would help us locate the Horcrux?" Harry asked, looking up at Dumbledore.
"Unfortunately not," Albus replied, sighing heavily. "As far as I or any of my sources know, the book you found in the Black family library remains the only known source on Horcruxes."
Harry and Albus continued to sip their tea in silence, the ticking of an ancient grandfather clock in the corner serving as a constant reminder of their race against time. Harry's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, the elusive Cup at the centre of them all. It could be anywhere, hidden in plain sight or stashed away in some dark, forgotten corner, and they hadn't the slightest idea where to begin their search.
The weight of the imminent fight also loomed over him like a shadow, and with each passing day, his nerves grew ever more frayed. If they couldn't find the Cup soon, they'd have no choice but to resort to plan B – a prospect that filled Harry with dread.
"Albus," he finally said, breaking the silence, "do you think there's any way we can speed up the process? We are running out of time."
"Believe me, Harry, I wish there were," Dumbledore replied. "But we must remain patient and trust in our abilities. We've come this far."
"Patience," Harry mused, taking another sip of his tea. "Not exactly my strong suit."
"Perhaps not," Albus chuckled. "But you have a knack for finding the light in the darkest of places. I have faith that we will succeed, Harry. We must."
Albus, mirroring Harry's thoughts, cleared his throat and spoke softly. "I am afraid, though, that we must be cautious and begin planning for the worst-case scenario."
Harry sighed, staring into his teacup as if it held the answers to all their problems. "There isn't much to plan, is there? If we can't destroy all the Horcruxes before the Third Task, I won't be able to kill Voldemort." He looked up at Dumbledore. "I'll have to try to capture his wraith before he resurrects, so we can prevent him from starting the war while we look for the last Horcrux."
"Perhaps," Albus said, adjusting his half-moon spectacles, "it would be wise for me to accompany you to the cemetery."
Harry shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. "We've talked about this, Albus. You can't go with me. If I fail and Voldemort kills me, the wizarding world will need you to lead the war effort against him." His voice grew sombre. "I didn't come back for history to repeat itself. If I fail, at least I gave you a better chance at success by knowing about the Horcruxes early and the steps Voldemort may follow."
Dumbledore's eyes bore into Harry's, filled with understanding but also a hint of sadness. "Very well, Harry. I understand your reasoning, but I still do not like the idea of sending you alone."
"Neither do I," Harry admitted, feeling the familiar weight around his heart. "But this is about winning the war and saving lives, not about me."
Dumbledore's eyes softened, and he gave Harry a grandfatherly smile. "I'm glad you included your friends in the search for the Cup," he said. "Ron and Hermione will be invaluable allies."
"Yes," Harry agreed, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "I don't like placing them in danger, but I must admit, I missed working on our adventures together."
"Friendship, Harry," He said with a nod of understanding, "The most valuable of gifts."
After a minute of silence, Dumbledore rose from his seat, his robes swirling around him like a majestic wave of purple. "Take care, Harry," he said, clasping the young wizard's shoulder warmly.
"Thank you, Albus," Harry replied, acknowledging the dismissal. He stood up from his place and left the office.
As he walked through the castle, his mind raced with thoughts of the remaining Horcrux, Hufflepuff's Cup. The uncertainty gnawed at him, the ticking clock growing louder and more insistent with each passing day. What if they couldn't find it in time? What if he failed, and Voldemort returned once more?
He shuddered at the thought, banishing it to the recesses of his mind. He had to remain focused and had to have faith in himself and those around him.
As Harry approached the library, he spotted Ron and Hermione waiting for him by the entrance. The sight of his two best friends brought a small smile to his lips, despite the gravity of their situation.
As soon as Hermione caught sight of him, she bounded towards him, "Harry! We found something!" she blurted out breathlessly. "At least, we think it might help us find the Cup."
"Whoa, slow down, Hermione," Harry said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "What did you find?"
"Follow us," she urged, grabbing his arm and leading him away from the library. Ron trailed behind them, his long legs easily keeping up with their hurried pace.
They ducked into an unused classroom nearby, its dusty surfaces and cobwebbed corners providing a stark contrast to the bustling corridors outside. Faded portraits of long-forgotten wizards adorned the walls, their occupants snoring peacefully or watching the trio with disinterest. A single shaft of sunlight filtered through the grimy window, casting hazy beams across the room.
Once they were all inside, Harry closed the door and quickly cast a series of privacy spells. Satisfied that they wouldn't be overheard, he turned to Hermione expectantly.
"Alright, Hermione, tell me everything," Harry said, trying to contain his excitement as he leaned against a dusty wooden desk in the dimly lit classroom. The walls were lined with shelves full of forgotten books and old scrolls, their pages yellowed and brittle.
"Okay, so Ron and I spent days going through every book in the library that even mentioned Hogwarts Relics," Hermione began, looking rather proud of their research efforts.
"You wouldn't believe how many books on relics there are at Hogwarts," Ron chimed in. "We must've gone through at least a hundred books."
"Oh, come on, Ron, it wasn't that bad," Hermione countered, giving him a playful shove.
"Maybe for you," Ron said.
"Anyway," Hermione continued, as she adjusted her bushy hair, which seemed to have become even more unruly from all the time spent in the library. "There are loads of mentions about the Founder's Relics. Each founder left a relic behind to help the students of their houses: Gryffindor left his sword, Slytherin left his locket, Ravenclaw left her diadem, and Hufflepuff left her Cup."
"Right," Harry said, nodding.
Hermione continued, her eyes lighting up. "And isn't it interesting that most of these relics are lost? I mean, we know where the sword is, but the other three relics... they haven't been seen in decades."
"Missing?" Harry snorted, amused by the irony. "You could say that they're... well, hiding in plain sight."
"Harry!" Hermione gasped, catching on to his subtle hint. "You don't mean...?"
"Ah, well," Harry began, stifling his laughter. "It's just that those other relics aren't quite as lost as you might think."
"What do you mean?" Hermione pressed, her eyes widening with curiosity.
"Alright, I'll fill you in," Harry relented, sensing Hermione and Ron's eagerness for answers. "Dumbledore and I have already found the Diadem and the Locket. And get this - they're both soul jars of Voldemort."
"Blimey!" Ron exclaimed, while Hermione's jaw dropped in shock.
"Where did you find them? What did you do with them? Can I see them? Did you learn anything from them?" Hermione fired off questions like a machine gun. "The relics must be incredible! I'm curious to know what similarities they have with Gryffindor's Sword."
"Whoa, Hermione, slow down!" Harry chuckled, amused by her reaction. "I promise I'll answer your questions, but first, we need to concentrate on finding the Cup."
"Right," Hermione said, her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment. "You're absolutely right, Harry. So, as I was saying, no book tells where the relics are, but they all mention that the founders left behind these relics to assist their students in their time of need."
"Which means," she continued, gaining momentum, "that a student should theoretically be able to access the relic in a similar way to how you accessed Gryffindor's sword."
"Of course!" Harry declared, understanding the logic behind Hermione's idea. "Just as I, a true Gryffindor, could retrieve the sword from the Sorting Hat, a true Hufflepuff should be able to get the Cup out of the hat."
"Exactly," Hermione nodded, pleased with Harry's grasp of the theory. "At least that's how we think it should work."
"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement. "You two are absolute geniuses! How did I ever manage without you?"
"It was mostly Hermione who came up with the idea," Ron shrugged modestly, but Hermione shot him a stern look.
"Ron, don't undermine your own contributions. You went through at least a third of the books with me, and it would have taken me many extra weeks to go through all of them alone," she scolded gently.
"Y-yeah, I s'pose so," Ron conceded, smiling sheepishly and nodding in agreement.
"Now all we need is a true Hufflepuff. Any ideas on who we could ask? We don't really know many Hufflepuffs, do we?" Hermione continued.
"Actually," Harry grinned, an idea taking form in his mind, "I happen to know the most Hufflepuff wizard that ever lived."
"Who are you thinking of?" Hermione asked curiously, while Ron raised an eyebrow in anticipation.
"Trust me, there isn't a more Hufflepuff student in the whole school than Cedric Diggory," Harry replied, confident in his choice.
Hermione's brow furrowed as if she wanted to object, and Ron seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Harry," Ron said hesitantly, "are you sure you can trust Cedric with something like this?"
Harry paused for a moment, mulling over his decision. He remembered the countless hours he had spent training alongside Cedric, witnessing the Hufflepuff's unwavering dedication and loyalty firsthand. "A couple of months ago, I wouldn't have thought of Cedric at all," Harry admitted. "But after our training sessions, I came to know him better."
Hermione and Ron exchanged glances, still not entirely convinced. Sensing their unease, Harry added, "I won't tell Cedric anything about the soul jars, of course. But I believe that if I ask him for no-questions-asked help, he'll come through for us."
"Alright, but you should definitely consult Dumbledore first," Hermione suggested, her tone cautious yet supportive.
"Of course, I will," Harry assured her, his heart swelling with gratitude. As he looked at his friends, he couldn't help but marvel at how they had come through for him once more. "I can't thank you enough, both of you. I'm incredibly lucky to have such brilliant friends."
Ron's ears turned red while Hermione beamed. Amidst their smiles, Ron asked, "So, what's the next step, then?"
"Right," Harry said, his excitement barely contained. "I'll speak with Dumbledore later and then work on convincing Cedric to help us. In the meantime, we should head back to the library and keep searching for any other leads, just in case this plan doesn't work out."
Ron grunted at the mention of more library time, while Hermione's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Chuckling, Harry patted Ron on the back. "Don't worry too much, mate. Hermione will have to go through her system, making sure we don't have to read a book we already read. I'm sure you'll have some time to destroy me in a few games of Wizarding Chess while she does that."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but Ron perked up at the suggestion. "You might be right about that, mate."
Hermione chuckled as they prepared to leave the room. With a wave of his wand, Harry dispelled the privacy spells he had cast earlier. The trio stepped out of the classroom together.
As they made their way towards the library, Harry couldn't help letting himself enjoy this moment. The deaths of his friends were still on his mind, forever present. But the longer Harry spent with them the duller they become. It was as if the wounds he thought would forever be fresh were starting to close.
These wounds would leave scars that Harry would have to keep carrying for the rest of his life, but looking at Ron and Hermione walking by his side, as alive as ever, he was sure he could mange.