Finally Hermoine had left the bedroom, she had not spoken more than a few grumbled words that sounded a bit like 'good morning', but at least she was moving again. Harry had prepared some fried eggs and toast and was now sitting in front of her as she was eating her breakfast at the large wooden table. Harry prepared mentally one last time for how he was going to approach this conversation and then scraped his throat before starting off with: "So, Hermoine, can I talk with you about something?"

Harry choose to interpret the grumble that Hermoine replied with as a consent. "I have been thinking about our mission over the last months, and I would like to try something different."

"What would you like to try?" Hermoine replied and Harry whooped internally as his friend finally articulated some understandable words.

"Well, I have been thinking that we are not specially well positioned to find the other horcruxes. There is nothing unique about our skill sets that would enable us to do that. I am not using a particular power which I possess." Harry began.

"Harry, your power is the ability to love according to Dumbledore." Hermoine interrupted him, "For example, the fact that you are able to develop and maintain friendships that will support you no matter what is something which Voldemort will never have or understand."

Harry had some small problems with this statement, since his oldest friend had just ditched him in a spectacular fashion. But he was not going to open that can of worms, he wanted to avoid Hermoine being curled up in her room for a few days again, so he replied:

"I understand that, and I value your friendship more than anything else Hermoine. But still, I was considering the mental connection which I share with him. This is something which I possess that makes me unique, could we not use that?"

Hermoine sighed and looked at her friend sympathetically, "Oh Harry, we have been over this. Dumbledore said it is important that you close yourself off from this connection. Have you been practicing your occlumency? I know things have been looking bleak for a few days, but I feel ready to continue our search again. I will stand by you."

Harry was touched by her sentiment, but still answered. "Thank you Hermoine, that means a lot. But ever since Voldemort tried to possess me at the ministry and failed, he has been a lot more careful about using our connection. I have the impression he is not sending me thoughts and dreams willingly, when I see something it is usually when he is very emotional. As if he loses control of the connection at that time. I feel like he might have become afraid of our bond."

Hermoine considered his words carefully for a moment before Harry continued. "Furthermore we have another connection to Voldemort's mind in our possession. That infernal locket has been influencing us, we both know it, but might it not be used as a weapon in our fight against him? Might we be able to turn the connection around and influence him?"

Hermoine looked at him thoughtfully before sighing again. "Harry, it is just too dangerous. I don't want to risk you or your mind. We should be focussing on finding a way to destroy the horcrux so that it will stop coming between us. It is the power of hate versus your power to love."

Harry knew that the next part of the conversation was very important, if he could engage Hermoine's sense for research and intellectual challenge he could get her on board. "Still, hear me out for a moment, as a pure theoretical exercise of course. What if we placed the horcrux in a set of runes in one of your new rasters? I was thinking the one with 31 power points or maybe even 37? With a combination of control runes and influence runes. We could even place a simple protective raster around me?"

Hermoine had slowly started chewing on her thumb as she considered his words. A good sign as this usually meant she was thinking deeply. "Mmm, protective runes might close your connection, but a raster with empowerment and soothing runes might help you. Of course the 37 point based raster would be suitable for such an undertaking that is situated on the mental plane. But then we would have to consider… Oh no Harry, we will not do this. These are the final words we will have about this, the risk is too high! I am closing this discussion."

"All right Hermoine, if you think it is too dangerous I will let it go." Harry sighed, but internally he was smiling, he saw the look on his friend's face. While she was chewing on her eggs and toast he could see her mind at work, calculating the implications of his idea and considering which ancient language would have the best suited runes. Gone where the dark thoughts that had been plaguing her about the friend and love interest that had abandoned her. Soon she would take some paper and start scribbling some notes and drawing some diagrams.

A month later things had developed beyond some simple sketches. They had been very busy with designing plans, collecting materials, working out rune series and setting up a practical work space.

"Harry, have you finished carving the rune series on the silver rings? Remember, they have to be positioned precisely, otherwise they will just drain your energy instead of helping you." Hermoine asked him nervously.

"Yes Hermoine, I completed the carvings and double checked everything while placing them on the dome."

"And did you place the stones with the controlling runes in the required pattern?"

"Of course Hermoine, and I already activated them." Harry assured Hermoine.

"What! They should not have been activated yet! First we should energise the…"

"…energise the stabilising runes and place the protective stone circle. I know Hermoine, because you already told me a million times. Which is why I obviously did not activate the controlling runes yet." Harry told Hermoine teasingly. "Relax, we have everything under control."

"Oh Harry, I don't know. I think we should just abandon this complete idea and go back to searching for the remaining horcruxes. Your safety should be the highest priority, and there are too many things that can go wrong. Also, what if you're not powerful enough to control the connection? Or Voldemort uses it to possess you?"

This had been a constant pattern during the last period, while Hermoine and Harry were working on their new project, bouts of doubt would flare up in Hermoine and she would start to question the complete idea again. A conversation would follow and sometimes she would stop working for a few hours, until she inevitably would return and continue their work.

"Hermoine, we have been over this, my destiny is to fight the dark wizard Voldemort. My safety is inherently in danger, it is part of the job description. Don't you think this gives us the best shot? If we don't at least try this, will you not keep wondering if it might have worked? You have calculated and recalculated everything forwards and backwards. I have designed and checked all the runes a dozen times, we can have some confidence in our preparation."

Hermoine still looked unsure, her doubts still very much present. But she did start working again, rechecking some of the placed patterns.

In a way the previous month had been nice, they were back to working together towards a common goal. The protective wards they had made and still kept them safe, were at least proof that they could create something successful, it felt good creating something like that again. Of course it was hard work designing and building up their magical machine. Hermoine kept insisting it technically was a magical artefact, but because of the huge size of their creation, somehow that term did not feel right to Harry, which is why he kept calling it a machine.

The whole thing had been set-up in the bedroom which was the only space big enough that they could miss, Hermoine had moved to the sleeping couch and Harry had moved to the floor and his duffel bag. The bed had been removed and in its place stood a creation that reminded Harry of drawings in a science fiction book. The heavy use of various metals like silver, bronze and steel together with the use of leather straps gave it a specific look, Harry thought steam-punk was the appropriate term. The whole contraption basically consisted of two large domes with a height of approximately one and a half meters, which were formed by metal rings. On these rings runes were carved and charms were placed, rune stones were applied inside the domes in patterns to enforce the magical energy even more.

One dome was the place where Harry would sit, it would empower him and allow him to activate the complete device. The second dome already contained and controlled the horcrux. This was a big improvement in itself, because the negative effects on their mental health had completely disappeared since they had placed the locket there.

Both domes were surrounded by a basic circle of rune stones that would protect Hermoine and the rest of the house while Harry was activating the machine. Harry was rather proud of their creation, even though he was not sure it would work completely. However, he did not want to show any doubt to Hermoine, because she would be ready at an instant's notice to start breaking down most of the construction.

After Hermoine had finished one of her double-checks. Harry turned to her and said: "We are ready, tomorrow we will do it. We will take one more night of rest and then we will make our first attempt."

The look which Hermoine cast in his direction made clear that this would still be further discussed that evening.