CHAPTER 35: THE HIDDEN TRUTHS

As the ceremony unfolded, it surpassed all expectations, radiating with joy and happiness. Nerves and doubts melted away as the couples exchanged vows, even the mischievous twins managing to sneak in a couple of pranks.

However, the highlight of the event came when Tonks approached the brides, hand in hand with Harry Potter himself. "Now you can know who my husband is," she announced with a smile, glancing affectionately at Harry. "And the father of my child."

The revelation left the brides stunned. Tonks' husband was none other than the famous Harry Potter, a fact that explained the stringent security measures surrounding their relationship.

Throughout the festivities, Harry and Tonks remained inseparable, their bond evident to all who witnessed their love and devotion.

As the dancing commenced, the twins spirited Tonks away while the girls claimed Harry for themselves. Amidst congratulations and well-wishes, the two couples shared a moment of solemnity, briefly united in their understanding of the gravity of their situations.

The joyous occasion was momentarily dampened when Alicia's mother made a comment that elicited laughter from everyone except the couples, a reminder of the delicate balance they must maintain to protect their loved ones.

The moment was charged with both humor and anticipation as Alicia's mother stood between Tonks and Fleur, playfully calling out to the girls. "I hope that soon both of you will be in this same condition! I want a grandchild as soon as possible!"

Tonks blushed furiously while Fleur chuckled softly, offering a knowing smile. "MOM!" Tonks protested, her embarrassment evident.

Undeterred, Alicia's mother turned her attention to the twins. "I'm counting on you!" she declared with a determined nod.

"We agree!" Katie's mother and Mrs. Weasley chimed in, standing in solidarity with Alicia's mother. "Neither Alicia nor I plan to quit Quidditch. Now is when we are at our best and..."

Mrs. Weasley interjected with maternal certainty, "My dear, as soon as you're pregnant, all of that is over. You'd leave a baby to Fred and George."

The girls paled at the prospect, while the twins, equally red-faced, rallied to defend themselves. "We'll be great parents!" George insisted earnestly. "We'll support our children in everything!" His new wife shot him a wry glance, adding, "When the time comes!"

Amidst laughter and playful banter, the ceremony reached its climactic moment. Instead of one ribbon, two were to be thrown, a symbolic gesture of joy and celebration.

Ron, ever the target of mischief, braced himself for the inevitable. He attempted to sidestep the ribbons, but Mrs. Weasley's watchful eye thwarted his escape. As the twins hurled the ribbons, Ron leaped to the side, only to find himself struck squarely by one and another landing on Hagrid's massive gray coat.

The room erupted in cheers and laughter, with Ron quickly realizing the implications of his catch. Making his way to Hermione, who watched palely, he swiftly removed the ribbon, relieved.

Meanwhile, Hagrid, flushed and nervous, approached Madame Maxime, who mirrored his embarrassment as she retrieved the ribbon from her own coat.

The twins reveled in the success of their prank, exchanging triumphant grins as the festivities continued into the early hours of the morning. Eventually, the group made their way back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, bidding Lupin farewell before retiring to their respective rooms for a well-deserved rest.

Half an hour later, several figures entered the Potter's bedroom. "Kreacher, Kreacher!" the old elf appeared. "The master calls, and Kreacher obeys," he glanced at the room's decor. "What has happened to the mistress's room? She wanted everything to her liking!" "And it is!" Harry said. He looked at Tonks. "The mistress will arrange the entire house as she sees fit." The elf glared at everyone, grinding his teeth. "Bring everything I asked for now. Remember what I told you, if you don't bring something, you'll go to the Muggles." The frightened elf disappeared.

"What did you tell him?" Tonks asked. "Dobby told me he overheard Kreacher saying he'd try to hide everything! So I threatened to send him to work for Muggles. My aunt and uncle!" Harry looked amused. "Your aunt would have a fit!" Hermione added. "I know, but for Kreacher, working for a Muggle is worse than working for a non-pure-blood wizard."

The elf appeared carrying a box. He left it on the floor and vanished once more. Ron went to grab it. "Wait!" his girlfriend said. "You might have some sort of protection." Ron sat back down.

Kreacher needed four more trips to bring everything he had hidden in the house. At Harry's feet were two boxes, a small chest, and what looked like two very peculiar hatboxes. "Kreacher has obeyed the master, Kreacher brought everything he kept and didn't forget anything!" Everyone was amazed when they saw the elf fearful for the first time. "Will the master keep his word to Kreacher, not send him to the hateful Muggles?" "No, Kreacher, you won't go with the Muggles. You'll stay in the house and help Dobby until we leave, then you'll return to Hogwarts." Harry looked at Hermione. "With two elves, it'll be less work for both." Harry noticed the elf grimacing. "What's wrong?" "Kreacher prefers to work with Elfina. She belonged to a pure-blood family and regrets what happened to her. But the young elf is happy with his new life. He enjoys being free and isn't ashamed that his masters freed him." "Is Winky here?" Tonks asked. The elf glared at her before answering. "She followed the mistress to the house! She takes care of everything related to the mistress. If the young elf or Kreacher try to do something, she gets upset and yells at us." He looked back at Harry. "She says she'll do whatever is necessary for the mistress!"

"It seems like Winky has taken a liking to you," Harry told Tonks. "Winky, Winky, come!" The elf appeared, somewhat fearful. "Why did you follow me?" "Free elves don't do anything if there's nobody in the castle! Winky followed the mistress..." "But, Winky, you're free," Hermione said. "Winky doesn't like being free! Winky prefers to be the servant of Mrs. Tonks. Winky likes you as her mistress." She timidly lowered her head. "Winky wishes to be your family's elf if Mrs. Tonks allows it." None of them expected that. A domestic elf wanting to belong to a family again!

"That's not possible, you're already free," Hermione was very surprised. "But I can work for the family of the mistress, even without pay. Will the mistress accept Winky?" There was great hope in her eyes. "I must discuss it with my husband." "Winky will look for the master, tell Winky where he is, and Winky will take him the message." She was very excited. "She didn't know anything about the wedding," Tonks said, pointing to Harry.

"My husband is him!" The elf's eyes widened completely. "Dobby's master is my mistress's husband!" Hermione seemed about to explode any moment. "I'm not Dobby's master, he's my friend." The young elf emerged from the shadows. "If Harry Potter and his wife take Winky as a domestic elf, could Dobby also be your domestic elf? Dobby loves Harry Potter!" There was hope and fear in his voice. He had the same sparkle in his eyes as Winky did.

"I can't believe it!" Ron said. "Now you have three house elves for yourselves!" "We haven't agreed," they both said at once. They saw the sad faces of the elves. "Yet." "What do you think if we think about it and give you the answer at Hogwarts?" Harry said. Both elves nodded happily. "All right! We'll think about it and let you know." The joyful elves bowed and disappeared.

Kreacher had looked at the scene angrily. He didn't dislike Elfina too much, but he hated the elf. "The master promised that Kreacher would keep everything the master didn't want!" "No, I told you that you'd keep the rest of the things I didn't want, but they'll still belong to me." He felt very annoyed. "Is there any spell protecting the boxes?" Only the elf's growl was heard. "Open them!"

He approached the first box and ran his hand over it, then did the same with the other objects. Once he finished, the lids opened by themselves. "You can go, I'll call you when I'm done." He bowed, and the elf disappeared.

As soon as Kreacher vanished, each of them took one of the objects and began examining its contents. "You'd better not touch anything!" Tonks said. "Place it on the floor and scan it with your wand. Some objects might have protective spells."

"Seems like the Blacks were quite dangerous," Ginny remarked.

Everyone followed the young Auror's advice, emptying everything onto the carpet. Countless items emerged from the containers, from simple jewels to strange objects whose usefulness nobody could figure out.

They separated each object with their wands and paid close attention in case any of them behaved peculiarly.

Hermione's cry alerted them that she had found what they were looking for. "Harry!" At the tip of the brunette's wand lay a large green medallion with a silver drawing, a large snake, identical to the Slytherin house emblem.

Harry approached the medallion and reached for it. "No!" Tonks shouted.

"Relax, we've already handled this medallion before." He touched it with his fingers, and his scar hurt. "AHHHH!"

"What's happening?" Tonks was very worried.

"My scar hurts. It didn't happen before. It seems its return affects me. There's no doubt this is what we're looking for."

"The question is... how do we destroy it?"

None of them had thought about that. The only one who knew something about it was Harry. He had seen Dumbledore's hand, how he suffered after destroying the ring. He recounted it to everyone.

"I'm afraid to cast any spell on it. Remember Dumbledore's hand?" They all nodded. "It was from destroying one. If he, with all his power, had that problem, we might fare worse." They all looked down, partly dejected and partly contemplating a possible solution.

They realized how difficult it would be. How would they destroy it without harming anyone?

They had been thinking for a while when Ginny had an idea. "A Basilisk fang!" Everyone looked at her oddly.

"What are you saying?" her brother asked.

"Harry destroyed the diary with a Basilisk fang. The diary was a Horcrux. We can destroy this one the same way!"

Hermione's words echoed in Harry's mind, slowly piecing together a revelation. "Your blood, Harry... It's powerful. When you touched Quirrell in your first year, he dissolved. Your blood can destroy Horcruxes!"

Understanding dawned on Harry's face. "You mean... the blood in the fang..." His voice trailed off as realization settled in. "It's my blood that can destroy the Horcruxes."

"Exactly!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement. "Your blood is the key!"

Harry's mind raced with the implications. "So, if my blood can destroy Horcruxes... then maybe... maybe it can destroy this too." He pointed at the medallion.

Tonks looked at him with hope in her eyes. "It's worth a try, Harry."

With newfound determination, Harry took the Basilisk fang and pressed it against the medallion. The metal sizzled and smoked as if being burned by an invisible fire. Slowly, the surface began to corrode, dissolving away like acid was eating through it.

"It's working!" Ginny exclaimed, watching in awe.

The others gathered around, witnessing the miraculous destruction of the Horcrux. Piece by piece, the medallion disintegrated until there was nothing left but a pile of ash.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "It's done," he said, his voice filled with satisfaction.

Tonks wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "You did it, Harry. You destroyed it."

As they stood there, celebrating their victory, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. They had overcome another obstacle in their quest to defeat Voldemort, and with each victory, they grew stronger.

But even as they rejoiced, Harry knew that their journey was far from over. There were still more Horcruxes to find and destroy, more battles to fight. But for now, in this moment, they allowed themselves to bask in the glory of their success.

"The fang had your essence. You forcibly wrenched it from your arm, that's why you obliterated the diary, not merely because of the Basilisk venom coursing through its pages. Your mother's protective enchantment empowered you to take that decisive action."

"But Hermione," Harry interjected, grappling with the revelation, "he safeguarded himself against me when he returned, using my blood."

"Yet the Horcruxes precede that," Tonks interposed, her eyes alight with comprehension. "They aren't shielded against such magic!"

Without hesitation, Tonks approached the locket and drew a small incision. She glanced around at the assembled group.

"You might want to take a step back; I cannot predict what may transpire." No one dared to defy her warning; they observed the locket with bated breath.

As the first droplet of blood made contact with the locket, it erupted into a dense, swirling green smoke. They all retreated, Harry mirroring their actions as a few more droplets descended upon the cursed object.

Drawing closer to Tonks, Harry grasped her hand tightly, their eyes fixed on the unfolding spectacle.

The smoke ascended in a spiraling dance, engulfing the locket in its ethereal embrace. Gradually, the locket began to disintegrate, enveloped in a brilliant, radiant glow. Just before its complete dissolution, a visage materialized within the smoke—a contorted face, twisted in agony, let out a piercing scream before vanishing into oblivion.

The fragment of Voldemort's soul had been eradicated.

Slowly, the group began to recover from the ordeal. Ron gingerly approached the spot where the locket had been, finding no trace of its existence.

Tonks incanted a healing charm upon her husband's wound, sealing it with practiced ease.

"You've done it!" Ron's jubilation was palpable. "You've destroyed it!"

"Just four more to go," Harry affirmed, his gaze meeting Tonks'. "I only wish Dumbledore could have witnessed this."

Soon after, the others retreated to their chambers, leaving Harry and Tonks alone.

It didn't take long for them to find themselves entwined on the bed once more, their love for each other evident in their every touch and embrace.

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Ginny had retired to her room, leaving Hermione and Ron alone. Their kisses were fervent, filled with the weight of their shared triumph.

"I'm relieved we managed to destroy one," Hermione murmured between kisses.

"Me too," Ron replied, his lips claiming hers once more.

With each passing moment, their ardor intensified, their hands exploring one another with unrestrained passion. Yet, with a lingering thread of rationality, Hermione spoke up.

"Ron, someone might catch us!" Hermione's voice was tinged with urgency, though her desire was palpable.

"I don't think my mum's coming from the Burrow, and Harry is busy with Tonks," Ron countered, his own desire overcoming any lingering reservations.

"But your sister!" Hermione's reminder gave him pause for a fleeting moment.

"Come!" Without further hesitation, he tugged her towards his room, Hermione offering only minimal resistance, secretly yearning for the same destination.

Once inside, Ron swiftly closed the door and cast a silencing charm, ensuring their privacy. Hermione marveled at how effectively her magic cooperated, even in such heated moments.

Driven by a shared urgency, they kissed as if every touch were a promise of eternity. Slowly, they gravitated towards the bed, their passion mounting with each passing second, until they both tumbled onto its inviting surface.

Their kisses were fervent, relentless, but the barrier of clothing soon became an impediment to their exploration. With an uninhibited fervor, Hermione tore at Ron's tunic, revealing his chest, which she proceeded to cover with kisses. Ron reciprocated eagerly, their actions guided by a mutual hunger for each other.

In a matter of minutes, they shed their remaining garments, lying naked and exposed to one another's desires.

Ron paused to drink in the sight of Hermione before him. "I never expected you to conceal so much beauty beneath those clothes," he confessed, his admiration evident in his eyes.

Hermione's smile was radiant. "You're getting better at this," she teased before pulling him closer, their bodies melding together in a fervent embrace.

Five minutes later, they were both consumed by the fire of their passion, their bodies intertwined on the bed. Ron hovered above her, his gaze seeking reassurance.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of desire and concern.

"More than ever," Hermione affirmed, her own resolve unwavering.

With gentle tenderness, Ron initiated their union, his movements deliberate and unhurried. For a fleeting moment, there was a twinge of pain, swiftly eclipsed by the overwhelming sensation of completeness as they became one.

In that moment, there was no room for regret, no space for fear. There was only the exquisite symphony of their bodies merging, lost in the ecstasy of their shared love.

Neither had anticipated the depth of magic that would permeate that night, nor the profound connection that would bind them together in its wake.

Hermione seemed to shed her usual demeanor, surrendering fully to the passion that consumed them both. And Ron, swept up in the whirlwind of sensation, surrendered himself completely, reveling in the euphoria of their shared intimacy.

"Ron... Ron..." Hermione's voice was barely a whisper, lost amidst the fervor of their lovemaking.

For Ron, it was a revelation—an awakening of his own desires, a liberation of his untamed spirit. In that moment, he surrendered himself wholly to Hermione, allowing the currents of passion to carry them both to heights they had never before imagined.

The climax of their passion defied description; words failed to capture the intensity of their connection. They could only kiss, their lips conveying emotions too profound for speech. Yet, in the silent exchange of glances, they found solace—a profound happiness and love that transcended language, enough to fill volumes.

Wrapped in each other's arms, they succumbed to exhaustion, their embrace a sanctuary from the world outside. As they drifted into slumber, their lips still occasionally meeting in soft, lingering kisses.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, a certain redhead pondered the prolonged absence of her roommate. The hours had passed, marked only by the distant murmurs of farewells exchanged between lovers. An idea sparked in her mind, a playful speculation tinged with amusement.

"I hope they're wise enough to avoid Mum's scrutiny," she mused aloud before settling into bed, her thoughts perhaps drifting towards the possibility of discovering a love as profound as that shared by her friends.

In the quiet hours before dawn, a figure stealthily emerged from one chamber, their movements deliberate yet careful not to disturb the slumbering occupants. Silently, they traversed the narrow passage to another room, where they beheld the sight of entwined bodies, lost in peaceful repose. A smile graced their lips as they settled onto the vacant bed, enveloped in a contentment that knew no bounds.

As the first rays of dawn painted the sky with hues of pink and gold, the room remained cloaked in a serene stillness. The figure on the spare bed stirred, roused gently by the soft light filtering through the curtains. With a quiet sigh of contentment, they shifted, their gaze drifting towards the sleeping form beside them.

In the dim morning light, the tousled mass of red hair seemed to glow, a vibrant contrast against the muted hues of the room. A surge of affection welled within them as they reached out, fingers brushing lightly against the strands, careful not to disturb the peaceful slumber.

For a moment, they allowed themselves to simply revel in the tranquility of the moment, basking in the warmth of shared intimacy. It was a feeling unlike any other, a sense of completeness that washed over them like a gentle tide.

As the world outside stirred to life, they remained ensconced in their own private sanctuary, cocooned in the embrace of love. And in that fleeting moment, they knew with absolute certainty that they were exactly where they were meant to be.

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