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SIYE Time:12:14 on 28th March 2024
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Difficult Choices
By EROD37

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Category: Post-HBP
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Nymphadora Tonks, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Comedy, Drama, General, Humor, Romance, Tragedy
Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Violence
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 3
Summary: Hermione Granger has been rescued and the G.S.F. has only one horcrux left to recover. The problem is they have no idea what it could be.
Hitcount: Story Total: 3105



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
J.K. Rowling owns these characters.
As I always strive to make each of my stories stand-alone, I urge you to read my other stories first as they lead up to the events in this story. The order of these stories is as follows:

-Intervention

-Misunderstandings

-Vows and Promises

-Incompleteness

-Escape and Evasion

-Dawn of the G.S.F.

-Old Wounds

-Rescue for a Friend

-Loss

-Grief and Recklessness

-Redemption and Salvation

But if you do read any of my stories, or any stories by any author for that matter, please take the time to leave a review. It means the world to authors when you do this and I’m sure I speak for all authors when I say that we always find it ironic when we get over a thousand hits on our stories but only get a fraction of the reviews. Your feedback, good or bad, is always appreciated.




ChapterPrinter


Difficult Choices


3 hours after Hermione’s rescue:

Severus Snape winced at the pain in his shoulder as he took in his surroundings. The smell of smoke still filled his nostrils as he glanced around the meeting table. After the events of the evening, many of the chairs which had once been filled with fellow Death Eaters, were now empty due to the actions of the G.S.F.

Members who were still fit enough, tried to repair the damage that the three teenagers brought upon the estate. But there was only so much that magic could accomplish. Severus took a seat to the right of the head of the table. He inhaled deeply as he mentally prepared himself for the verbal and, quite possibly, the magical beating that both he and his fellow wizards could be facing.

What the former professor was not prepared for was the dead body which slammed onto the center of the meeting table in front of everyone. He instantly recognized the Death Eater who was guarding the front door when the G.S.F. attacked the estate. The poor bastard looked as if he had been tortured thoroughly before finally being finished off with the Killing Curse.

Snape was just able to keep himself from physically flinching, but everyone else at the table had no such control when it came to the sight of the dead man lying before them.

“Oh, I apologize if the sight of one of your own causes any of you discomfort,” said Voldemort, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The dark wizard continued speaking, “If one of you would be so kind as to magically remove the body, please?”

No one moved.

Voldemort rubbed his chin as if in deep thought, “Oh silly me. I’ve forgotten that none of you can do that without a wand, and of course none of you have a wand because you allowed the G.S.F. to destroy them all.”

A wizard to Snape’s right attempted to speak, “But my lord…”

He was blasted with the Killing curse before he could finish his sentence.

“THE G.S.F!!! A GROUP OF TEENAGERS WHO HAVE NOT EVEN GRADUATED FROM THAT PATHETIC PLACE THEY CALL A SCHOOL!!!”

The room, once again, went eerily silent.

Voldemort magically swept the body from the table as he took his seat, “Can anyone explain to me how the G.S.F. found the holding place of their companion?”

“Anyone at all? … Severus?”

Snape turned and looked directly into the Dark lord’s gaze, “My lord, if I were to hazard a guess, a day or so ago, Draco Malfoy asked for permission to pay a visit to his home in order to see his mother. I ordered Bellatrix to follow him. They both should have arrived back earlier today, but neither has returned.”

As Severus gave the news, he saw a very brief look of sadness cross the maniac’s eyes. But just as quickly as he saw it, the look vanished.

“So what you are saying is that there is a possibility that they may have been captured by the G.S.F.?”


“Tonight’s incident would make that a sure possibility,” replied Snape.

Voldemort slowly rose from his seat and glanced around the table, taking in the witches and wizards who were avoiding his gaze. How the faces had changed over the last year. The G.S.F. had begun as a small insignificant thing that the Dark lord believed he could ignore. But now it had become a wound in the Death Eater’s side that refused to heal.

But inwardly, the Death Eaters were not an issue he was concerned with. As far as he was concerned, they were merely cannon fodder to be used and discarded at his whim. The true issue that was now eating at him was the sudden disappearances of his horcruxes. Those untrained, underage, uneducated teenagers had managed to capture all but one of his soul preserving items, including his now dead pet, Nagini.

“Severus, walk with me.”

“THE REST OF YOU, FIND DRACO AND BELLATRIX!!! DO NOT REPORT BACK TO ME UNTIL YOU DO!!!”

Severus and Voldemort walked out of the room and continued down the adjoining hallway. The Dark lord waited until they were out of earshot of the meeting area before he began speaking, “How much information were you able to garner from the Granger girl before she was taken from here?”

“Nothing, other than the names of her three companions and the fact that their headquarters is never in any one location for more than a few days at a time. As you know from firsthand experience, her Occlumency skills were formidable. Deeper probing was proving useless as I would have destroyed her mind and had nothing to show for it,” replied Snape, his face completely deadpan.

“You should have killed the little mudblood when you had the opportunity!” said Voldemort.

“My apologies, my lord”

“Not to worry, Severus. I’m sure in the near future we will get another opportunity to rid ourselves of Harry Potter and his annoying little band of heroes. They will pay for what they have done to Nagini and my people.”

Snape was about to speak when Voldemort posed a question, “Tell me, how goes the infiltration?”

Severus was inwardly taken aback by the sudden change of subject. He took an extra moment before answering, “As we both knew, the wards placed upon the grounds are arduous. So far every attempt to infiltrate has failed.”

Snape, once again, braced himself for a verbal lashing but Voldemort surprised him yet again when he placed a gentle hand on the potion master’s injured shoulder and said, “I am sure you’ll find a way. Increase your efforts.”

Voldemort began walking away, indicating to Snape that their brief conversation was over. Nevertheless, Snape spoke to the dark wizard’s retreating form.

“My lord, increasing our attempts is certain to attract unwanted attention.”

Without turning around or stopping, Voldemort pointed a solitary finger in the air, “Exactly, Severus … exactly!”

XXXXXXXXXX


14 Days after Hermione’s rescue:

Waking from a deep sleep with a smile on one’s face might be a common occurrence for the average teenager. But Hermione had concluded long ago that she, as well as the other three parts of the Gryffindor Strike Force, were far from average teenagers. So when she awoke, with her lips in a full grin, she decided to count her blessings as she did not have a lot to smile about over the last few months.

She also knew it was not a dream which kept a grin on her face, but her “marriage” to Ron that had taken place the night before, which brought her happiness. When she was captured by the Death Eaters all those months ago she had resigned herself to the fact that she would never see him again.

Thankfully, she was wrong. As Ron, Harry, Ginny, Fred and George came to her rescue. She loved them all for their loyalty and she made herself a promise to return that loyalty tenfold. It felt good to have them back at her side, to know she was once again with her extended family.

Hermione opened her eyes and started rolling out of bed when she discovered that she was not alone in her bedroom. Sitting quietly in a chair at her bedside was Ginny. Hermione could not guess how long the petite redhead had been sitting there, but it looked to her as if Ginny had not slept.

It suddenly occurred to Hermione that while Harry and Ginny stood witness to last night’s unofficial wedding ceremony, it had been Harry who had spoken with her last night. As she remembered, it was as if Ginny was almost afraid to speak to her.

“Good morning, Ginny. Did you have a good night’s sleep?”

But Ginny did not answer. She merely stared at Hermione’s face, her hands in her lap.

“Ginny, is everything alright?”

Still Ginny sat silently, her eyes slowly growing glassy.

Even without an answer, Hermione knew something was definitely bothering her unofficial sister-in-law.

Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed, so that she was sitting directly in front of Ginny. She then reached out and took the redhead’s hands in her own.

“Ginny, please talk to me. What’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything?”

Just as Hermione finished her sentence, the first of Ginny’s tears fell, as she finally spoke.

“I’m sorry I left you … I shouldn’t have … I’m sorry I left you … I’m sorry … I’m sorry … I’m so sorry!”

Hermione felt her heart break at her friend’s unnecessary guilt. She quickly pulled Ginny into a warm hug as her own tears rolled down her face.

“No, Ginny, no. You didn’t have a choice. I was the one who told you to leave me behind. You have nothing to be sorry about. The three of you did the right thing. It’s OK, Ginny. I’m home safe now.”

Ginny hugged Hermione tighter, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” replied Hermione as she used a free hand to wipe the tears from her own face.

The pair continued to embrace for another few minutes, when the door to the bedroom opened and in walked yet another member of the G.S.F.

“What’s with you two? The wedding was last night. Didn’t you do enough crying then?” joked Ron.

Ron instantly regretted the statement as he was forced to escape the room and evade the two powerful hexes that blasted the area where he had been standing only a moment before.

“OK, OK!!! Stupid joke!!! I’m sorry! I’m going to head back down to the kitchen and leave you two alone,” screamed Ron from the safety of the outside hallway.

Hermione and Ginny lowered their wands as they heard Ron’s retreating footsteps. They then looked at one another and broke into laughter as they hugged once again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ha rry was sitting quietly at the kitchen table reading the morning edition of the Daily Prophet, when Ron walked in and took as seat across from him.

“Any interesting articles, mate?”

“Normal rubbish, articles both for and against the G.S.F.’s existence… Increased Death Eater activity… Vandals attempting to enter Hogwarts… The Ministry stating it has everything under control. But it was this article that caught my attention,” answered Harry.

Harry turned the open newspaper so that Ron could read the article. After a few minutes, a smile crossed Ron’s lips.

“So Bellatrix has been checked into St. Mungo’s looking as if she were attacked by a Dementor? At least we now know that Neville didn’t kill her,” said Ron.

But Harry did not respond. He merely looked towards of one of the kitchen’s windows, an almost sad look in his eyes.

“Harry?”

Harry took a quick breath, “Ron, what have we become? I’m afraid we’re failing to listen to Moody’s warning about not letting this war change us for the worse. I know Bellatrix was truly evil, but did she deserve whatever Neville did to her? Did I have the right to decide to turn her over to him? Is that choice responsible for now changing Neville for the worse?”

Ron balled up the newspaper and then expertly tossed it into a nearby rubbish bin, “You just taking the time to ask those questions tell me that we haven’t changed for the worse. The day we start doing things without the thought of the consequences, that’s when we’ll know we aren’t any better than the people we’re trying to stop.”

Harry seemed skeptical, “But what about Neville?”

Ron put up a hand to stop Harry, “What about him? Of anyone on this planet, Neville Longbottom should’ve been the one to give that woman the justice she deserved. For years, the system failed to do just that and Neville had to stand by and live with it. I’m sure he was more than ready to do whatever he did to her. All you did was provide him with the opportunity. I’m sure if he was here right now, you’d see he was no different a bloke than he’s ever been. As a matter of fact, he’s more likely a better bloke for having done it.”

Ron continued, “Funny, but when I left the G.S.F., it was because I was thinking the exact way you are now. I had basically given up on myself because I couldn’t tell the difference between right and wrong any longer.”

Harry reached over and gave Ron’s arm a playful slap, “If it means anything to you, I never gave up on you, even if you did.”

A puzzled look crossed Ron’s eyes as he smiled, “When did you become such a good friend?”

Harry smiled in return, “I learned it from a bloke I shared my first Hogwarts express ride with. He and his family helped me with my trunk. He never judged me for my oversized hand-me-down clothing or my broken glasses. Matter of fact, he’s more family to me than any of the family I grew up with and I love him very much.”

The redhead’s smile grew larger as he rounded the table and wrapped his arms around his best friend in a huge hug.
“I love you too, Harry. Thanks for not giving up on me.”

“Never, Ron.”

When they broke the embrace, Ron was surprised to discover Ginny standing by their sides. There was a big smile on her face as well.

“What are you smiling about?” asked Ron.

“There he is,” answered Ginny.

“There’s who?” asked Ron.

Ginny reached up and pulled him down so that their foreheads touched, “My big brother… I’ve missed him. I’m glad he’s back.”

Before Ron could answer, Ginny spoke again, “Hermione sensed you wanted to speak to her. She said you can go back upstairs and speak with her if you’d like.”

Ron looked to Harry, “How did you get used to someone sensing your thoughts and feelings?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders, “You get used to it. Besides, you have to remember it works both ways. The real fun is trying to figure out what feelings are hers and which ones are yours.”

Ron smiled, “Ah, you’re no help. I’ll be right back.”

Harry watched Ron make his way back up towards Hermione’s bedroom. He then bent over and stole a morning kiss before Ginny could do the same to him.

“Hungry? I was waiting for you to come down before making breakfast. In case you wanted anything special,” said Harry.

“Actually, I’m starving. Anything would be great. But it might be a little while before I can eat.”

Harry was about to ask why, when Bill, Charlie and the twins walked into the kitchen. The four elder brothers said hello to Harry as they passed through the room and out of the back door.

Ginny smiled, “I figured it was time to start earning that forty percent the twins offered us in exchange for the G.S.F. licensing rights.”

Harry smiled in return, “Fair enough, breakfast should be ready by the time you’re done with your first lesson, Sensei. Try not to hurt yourself.”

Ginny made a sour face at him and walked outside.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Ron, honestly it’s fine, you can come into the room.”

“Are you sure? Because I can still smell the smoke from those hexes you and Ginny fired at me!”

Hermione crossed her arms, “You were being an unthinking prat at the most inopportune moment. What did you think we’d do?”

Ron slowly rounded the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers he had picked from the garden that morning. Hermione smiled, but she couldn’t decide whether it was because it was an arrangement of her favorite flowers or because Ron had actually remembered what her favorite flowers were.

He magically conjured a glass vase for the bouquet and placed it on her night stand as Hermione spoke again, “What is it that you’d like to speak to me about? I can sense you’ve been dying to say something to me since I woke up.”

Ron sat on the bed next to her, “I remember when Ginny told us about the bond that she and Harry share. I thought to myself that having someone special to share that kind of bond with would be so wicked. But I can’t lie to you; I find it a little strange knowing someone else is in my mind.”

Hermione reached out and stroked his cheek, “It isn’t like we can read one another’s minds. Some feelings are just stronger than others. I like it, you make me feel safe.”

A small blush rose in Ron’s cheeks as she took his hand, “So speak to me. What is it you want to say?”

Ron gave his new bride’s hand a soft squeeze, “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and considering what the four of us have been through, especially what you’ve been through…”

Hermione just sat quietly, her eyebrows raised, waiting for Ron to finish his sentence.

“… I think it would be best for you if you didn’t partake in anymore G.S.F. missions.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Ron returned to the kitchen to find Harry had the entire room smelling delicious. Normally Harry would have cooked everything by hand, but he just felt like using his magic to get things done a bit quicker. Ron could see pancakes and bacon cooking on the stove, oranges busy squeezing themselves into juice on the opposite countertop and slices of bread buttering themselves on the table.

Meanwhile Harry himself was once again looking out of the kitchen window, “What are you looking at, mate?”

Without taking his eyes from the window, Harry waved Ron over to join him. It was only when he saw what was going on outside did Ron realize what it was that had Harry fixated.

The window faced the eastern section of the garden and in the center of that was a beautifully manicured lawn. But it was not the greenery that caught the pair’s attention but what was going on in the center of it.

Ginny was in her fighting stance and was surrounded by her brothers. Fred and George in front of her, while Bill and Charlie took positions to her rear. All five Weasleys had their wands drawn.

Harry posed a question, “How long do you think your brothers are going to last?”

Ron ran his fingers through his hair, “Twenty-two seconds.”

Just at that moment, Harry and Ron watched as Bill switched his wand from his right hand to his left and then take two small steps to his right.

“Make that eighteen seconds,” said Ron.

Harry smiled and turned away from the window, “This isn’t going to be pretty. I can’t watch.”

He magically levitated some plates and began setting the table, “So how did Hermione respond to your request?”

Ron continued to look out of the window, “Well, she wasn’t happy, if that’s what you’re asking. In fact, she said something quite “Un-Hermione” like.”

“And what exactly was that?” asked Harry as he charmed the silverware.

Ron winced at the battle raging outside, “She basically said something about my wand and where I could put it if I thought she would stay out of future missions in this quest, sounded downright painful if you ask me.”

The redhead turned from the window as Harry spoke, “As a person who predicts actions as well as you do, I’m surprised you didn’t see that reaction coming.”

“What makes you think I didn’t? But I had to ask. I love the girl,”

“Now that I’m not surprised about, but you’ve forgotten our greatest strength,” said Harry.

Ron was about to reply when a voice spoke for him, “We’re stronger together than apart.”

Hermione had walked into the kitchen and came up behind Ron. She kissed him on the cheek.

“I love you too, you prat.”

She sat at the table, “Breakfast smells delicious. Where’s Ginny?”

Harry levitated all the breakfast food to the table as he and Ron took their seats, “According to our team strategist, she should be joining us in the next few moments.”

Almost as if on cue, Ginny walked through the kitchen’s back door. There was a small sheen of perspiration on her face, but other than that she looked none the worse for wear. She was using her wand to scourgify her hands as she took a seat next to Harry.

“That was a quick lesson,” said Harry.

Ginny slid some pancakes on her onto her plate, “It was their first lesson, and did you expect any different? I’m sure you three remember what our first lesson with Sensei Takahara was like?”

Ron chuckled, “Getting smashed in the face by a roundhouse kick is all I remember.”

The quartet all laughed at Ron’s statement as the older Weasley brothers entered the kitchen. The twins sported matching bloody noses, while Bill and Charlie were leaning on one another for support as they each limped towards the breakfast table.

Harry conjured four more chairs as Bill spoke, “So am I to believe that the rest of you are capable of doing exactly what my little sister just did?”

Hermione was passing Ron a glass of juice as she spoke, “Considering the various fighting styles we have each been instructed in, I would say yes, but the times of the lesson would have varied.”

Ron chimed in, “That’s true. Ginny is the fastest of us. So it might have taken me between ten and twelve seconds longer to have beaten all of you, but all of you would have ended up hurt worse. You four, like the rest of the wizarding world, depend way too heavily on magic.”

“What Ron means is we’ve been trained to defend ourselves with and without our wands,” added Harry.

Fred agreed, “George and I have seen it personally, it’s amazing to watch.”

“Considering what just happened outside, I have been meaning to ask, how many opponents have each of you defeated single handedly?” asked George.

“Four,” said Hermione.

“Nine,” said Ginny.

Ron looked up from his plate, “Sixteen.”

“Wicked, I take it that was the night you rescued Hermione?” said Charlie.

Ron looked over to Hermione and nodded, “And I’d do it again.”

Bill looked over to Harry, “And you, Harry?”

“Thirty.”

With the exception of the people who were there to witness it that night, all other eyes at the table went wide with shock.

Harry looked at Bill, “It’s a long story, but if Fleur was in trouble, you’d have been capable of doing the same.”

“So how many people have you killed?” asked Charlie.

All four members of the G.S.F. stared at Charlie with looks that showed no emotion. It was an inappropriate question and everyone at the table realized it as soon as it was asked.

Charlie pulled his wand, “Let me rephrase the question. So the training you received, did it train you to eliminate your normal emotions, so that you can handle multiple opponents?”

He leveled the wand in Ron’s face, “What I’m asking is if the threat of having a wand aimed in your face no longer scares any of you anymore?

For the briefest of moments, Ron did not move. He merely locked gazes with his brother… and in the blink of an eye… snatched the wand from Charlie’s hand.

“No, we definitely feel the same level of fear we normally would. We’re just better prepared to deal with it,” replied Ron.

“Don’t ever do that again,” warned Ron as he handed the wand back.

Before Charlie could reply, the tension in the dining area lifted as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered, followed closely by the Grangers and Fleur.

“Fred and George, what on earth happened to your noses?” asked Molly.

“Nosebleed Nougat experiments, eh boys?” answered Arthur as he looked over at Ginny and winked at her.

Harry conjured more chairs and then used a charm to extend the kitchen table as everyone sat down to a hearty family breakfast. Harry made an attempt to give up the seat at the head of the table, but Arthur silently motioned Harry back into chair.

It was a small gesture, but it filled Harry with a sense of pride.

Molly gave her adopted son a small kiss on the cheek as she was the only one who noticed the exchange.

Harry suddenly found himself smiling for two reasons. The first was that after too long a time, he had his family around him again. The second was because he realized one thing.

He no longer felt alone among them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nig htfall found the quartet, as well as, Fred and George in a large room of the safe house that had been converted by the twins into a makeshift lab. Throughout the room were several items created by the twins already in use by the G.S.F. There were also experimental projects that neither Fred nor George would speak about. On several occasions, they had to stop Ron from touching a tray of brightly colored jelly beans.

The twins were playing catch up with the rest of the G.S.F. as they busied themselves studying Dumbledore’s journal. Neither was happy about being forced to read.

“We haven’t done this much studying since we attended Hogwarts,” said George.

Ginny pointed at her brothers, “Oi! You wanted to be more active members in the G.S.F., Well, this is where it starts. Familiarize yourselves with what we’re after.”

The twins went back to their reading as the rest of the group discussed their next move.

“I have to admit, I honestly had a hard time believing we’d get this far. I don’t have a single idea as to what the last horcrux could be,” said Ron.

Hermione shook her head at him, “Ever the pessimist.”

Ron grinned back at her, “I’m a strategist, remember? The odds were stacked against us from the beginning. What’s your idea regarding the last item?”

“From the experience of having met the evil git, Voldemort is too arrogant to make his horcruxes from a common everyday item,” replied Hermione.

“Speaking of that, how did you manage to keep him from reading your mind?” asked Ginny.

Hermione laughed, “Every time he attempted to use his Legilimency skills on me, I would start reciting passages from “Hogwarts: A History” in my mind.”

Ron joined in her laughter, “I’m shocked you didn’t bore him into Avada Kedavraing himself.”

Ginny smiled, “Well Hermione’s statement regarding Voldemort’s arrogance is evident given the items that have already been recovered.”

Harry turned to the twins, “You two have been reading the journal, give us a fresh perspective, what do you two think it might be?”

Fred looked up from the journal, “Most likely something from the House of Ravenclaw.”

“Or Gryffindor,” added George.

The twins found themselves being silently stared at by the entire quartet.

“Or have you already guess that?” asked Fred.

Harry ran a hand over his face, “Yeah guys, we did.”

Hermione sat next to Fred and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, “Don’t be discouraged. We’ve been having this same discussion since we started this quest. It just hasn’t been a focal point until now.”

Ron stood up, “In the last two weeks, has there been any movement among the Death Eaters that would show that Voldemort realizes that we’re after his horcruxes?”

“In the time that both you and Hermione have been recuperating, we’ve heard nothing of substance from Moody, Tonks or the inner circle of the Order,” replied Harry.

“What about from the Prophet?” asked Hermione.

“Again, nothing substantial.”

“Do you think that maybe Moldy Voldy may have already grabbed up his last horcrux?” asked Fred.

“It wouldn’t make sense if he did. Why create a soul preserving device for later use if you’re going to keep it with you at all times? It would make things easy for your enemies to acquire it,” said Hermione.

“I hate being at a standstill,” remarked Ginny.

George closed the journal and handed it to his sister, “And since we are at a standstill, how about you four go get some rest and leave Fred and me to our specialty. We’ve got some work to do and we could use the space.”

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” asked Ron as he attempted to reach for a handful of jelly beans.
But Fred would not let him near the tray, “Out, out, out. Granger, would you please get your man out of our lab.”

Hermione smiled as she took hold of Ron’s hand and followed Harry and Ginny out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Two hours later found Ginny sitting up in her bed going over Dumbledore’s journal for what seemed the tenth time. She was not joking earlier when she stated her dislike for being at a standstill. So she decided since she could not sleep that she would take advantage of the time.

She looked down and grinned at the sleeping form of Harry, whose head was resting in her lap. He looked to be sleeping comfortably and she did her best not to disturb him. But unbeknownst to Ginny, Harry was in the midst of a dream heavy sleep. In his dream he continually saw a row of pensieves. He saw pensieves from Snape’s classroom, Dumbledore’s office and even the one from the Weasley’s home. Each was filled with liquid memories of which Harry knew not what.

Harry was about to walk over to one of the basin shaped magical items, when Ginny appeared before him. For a few seconds he thought it was actually Ginny joining him in another dream, but when she spoke it was with the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

“Why don’t we take these memories and review them back at the Burrow?”

Harry was about to answer her that her parent’s pensieve was right in front of her when he realized she was gone and replaced by Dumbledore. This time he was speaking in Ginny’s voice as he pointed at the row of pensieves, “These are useful if you find your mind a bit stretched. Something you might have overlooked. To get so close to an answer just for it to slip away… it’s maddening!!!”


He could see the frustration in the wizard’s eyes, it matched the same look they had when he heard Dumbledore say those same words to him back during the Triwizard tournament. He wanted to reassure him that he was doing everything he could to sort everything out. But when he looked up, Dumbledore was gone.

Harry looked over to the pensieves and saw Hermione, Ron, Fred, George and Ginny. They all looked like permanent residents of St. Mungo’s as they were all repeatedly dunking their heads into the silvery liquid. Harry made an attempt to stop them when he felt a pair of hands place themselves on his shoulders. He felt his heart begin to beat in his chest as he turned to find himself staring into the face of Voldemort. The evil wizard’s laugh filled Harry’s ears, just before he spoke.

“To get so close to an answer just for it to slip away… IT’S MADDENING!!!”

Harry’s eyes snapped open and he sat up so quickly that Ginny jumped in fright. She inwardly felt his anxiety, “Harry, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

He did not answer her as the dream replayed in his mind.

Finally he turned and answered her, “Yes and it wasn’t nightmare. I think I might be onto the last horcrux. Wake up Ron and Hermione. We have a small trip to make.”

XXXXXXXXXX

It was just past midnight when the quartet appeared in front of a small home. Harry knew this was not a pleasure trip, but a small part of him was looking forward to it. Harry could sense Ginny felt the same way. When he looked at Ron and Hermione, he could see they felt the same way as well.

“You do realize we could have made arrangements for the Order to set up this meeting,” whispered Hermione as they all stepped up to the front door.

“I agree, but what Fred said about Voldemort trying to grab up the last horcrux has been nagging me. Time might be running short,” replied Harry.

Ginny looked over at her brother, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you trying to neaten up your appearance?”

“Old habit, she always makes me feel like I’m a first year,” said Ron as he combed his fingers through his hair.

Harry suppressed a smile as he knocked on the door. After a minute or so of waiting, the sound of the door unlocking caught everyone’s ears. Slowly the door opened, a woman dressed in pajamas and holding a wand at the ready stood before them. If she had been asleep, the quartet could not tell as her eyes were as sharp as they had always remembered.

“Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, you were late for my very first class. What did I first suggest I transfigure Harry into, so that you two wouldn’t be late again?”

“A pocket watch,” said both young men.

Harry grinned, “What was the second thing you suggested?”

“A map,” said a now smiling Minerva McGonagall.

She quickly ushered everyone inside her home and locked the door behind them. As soon she turned around, they all smothered her with hugs. They really had missed their head of house.

“It has been way too long. I have heard many stories through the Order but needless to say I have been worried about you four. So what do I owe for the pleasure of a visit from the infamous G.S.F.” said McGonagall.

It had completely slipped Harry’s mind that his former professor was a member of the inner circle of the Order of the Phoenix and as such would be privy to all of their identities.

“Professor, we need some information. After Professor Dumbledore’s murder was anything removed from his office?”

McGonagall thought for a few moments, “Not that I’m aware of. Between his death and my being named Headmistress, nothing was removed and I’ve personally left everything as it was once I moved in.”

McGonagall continued, “If I may ask, why are you interested in the contents of my office?”

Harry looked to his three teammates and they were all nodding in unison as if to say, “She needs to know everything.”

So Harry explained the quest given to them by Dumbledore. McGonagall sat quietly and listened without as much as one change of expression. When Harry finally finished, the room remained silent as the four teenagers waited to see what the professor would say next.

“So you are thinking the last horcrux maybe a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor artifact and you need access to my office in order to view Albus’ collection of memories in his pensieve, in hope of putting you on the proper path?”

“We have exhausted all our options at this point, Professor,” answered Ron.

McGonagall was about to speak when a look of concern crossed her eyes.

“Professor, what’s wrong?” asked Hermione.

“What is the possibility that the horcrux you are looking for is still in Hogwarts?” asked McGonagall.

Ron answered, “Seeing as it could be a Founder’s artifact, the possibility is a good one but to be honest it could be anywh…”

Hermione recognized the urgency in the McGonagall’s voice as she cut Ron off, “Why do you ask, Professor?”

McGonagall put on her glasses and opened up a copy of the Daily Prophet, “Since I made the decision to close Hogwarts, from time to time, I have received reports that there have been attempts to circumvent the wards placed upon the facilities, so far without success.”

She then turned the newspaper so that everyone could see what she was pointing at in the middle of the front page, “But over the last fortnight, attempts to break in to Hogwarts have increased significantly, even though the perpetrators have still been unsuccessful.”

Ginny looked to Harry, “The horcrux has got to be in there.”

Harry nodded in agreement as he turned to McGonagall, “Professor, can you get us into Hogwarts?”

McGonagall did not answer as she made her way to the home’s fireplace and began scooping floo powder into a medium size sack. She then tapped the sack with her wand causing it to flash once in a brilliant blue.

“Take this, it will allow you all to travel via the Floo network into the office, but to avoid any chance you might be followed, the trip will be one way. You will have to make the return trip on your own. Harry, the wards that are in place are formidable, but with the constant attempts there is always a chance they may collapse.”

“If that’s the case, we really need to hurry,” said Hermione.

“What’s the plan, Harry?” asked Ron.

“Let’s get back to the safe house, pick up the twins and our gear. We should be prepared to fight our way out if need be.”

McGonagall gave the girls a quick hug goodbye as Ron made his way to the door. Harry was about to turn and follow Ron out the door when the professor’s hand grabbed his arm, “I worked with Albus for years. I trusted him and cared about him. But there were times I could have strangled that man and this time is no different. You children should not have had to bear this responsibility.”

McGonagall pulled Harry into a hug as he tried to reassure her, “Thank you, Professor. But even though he put us on this path, we chose to walk it. With any luck, it will be over soon. Please keep everything I told you secret.”

She broke the embrace and look him in the eyes, “If by chance the Death Eaters are on Hogwarts grounds, you have my permission as Headmistress to handle the situation as you see fit. Do not allow them to desecrate the school as they have done in the past.”

“You have my word.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Si x individual blue flashes broke up the quiet in the headmistress’ office as the G.S.F. stepped out of the large fireplace. Hermione magically lit all the torches in the room as everyone took a quick look around. The room was as McGonagall stated. Nothing had been changed.

“This place looks as if it hasn’t been used in months,” said Ginny as she noticed the layer of dust on everything.

“Look at all the picture frames,” said Ron as they all discovered the frames were empty, not a former headmaster was to be found, including the picture of Dumbledore.

George had just spread open the Marauders’ map and were scanning the pages, “In all the years we’ve used this map, we’ve never seen the grounds empty.”

“That’s eerie, if you ask me,” said Fred.

The others gathered around the table to look as the map. Short of the footprints showing them all in the “Headmistress’ office”, Hogwarts was completely deserted.

Harry removed his backpack, “Good, that should make it easier to walk the grounds if we have to start searching Hogwarts for that horcrux.”

“Agreed,” said Ginny as she watched Harry open up a large cabinet just to the left of the office doors. A strange glow filled the room as they found both the pensieve and the rack of stored memories.

Ron let out a breath of relief, “Thank Merlin they’re here.”

“Finding them was the easy part. The hard part starts now as we still have no clue as to what we will be looking for in these memories,” said Hermione.

Harry was already picking memories off the rack, “We can start by looking at all the memories involving Tom Riddle. Maybe get a clue as to magical items he might have thought to use as a horcrux.”

“Where are you two going?” asked Ron as he watched his brothers putting on their backpacks.

“Four heads in one pensieve is crowded enough,” answered Fred.

“While you four are looking for… whatever it is you’re looking for, my brother and I are going to be walking Hogwarts in case any unwanted guests decide to try and visit again,” added George.

“Do you remember the rally point if we get separated?” asked Ginny.

“Hogsmeade station,” said the twins.

Harry went to hand them the map but Fred waved him off, “You might need that more than we will. We know this place better than you four do.”

George continued, “Besides, we have a set of METS on each of you in case we have to find you quickly.”

Ginny smiled at her brothers, “Be careful you two and try not to break anything.”

Fred and George answered her in unison as they closed the office door behind them, “Now where’s the fun in that?”

Harry was just pulling the last Tom Riddle labeled memory from the rack as he noticed that Hermione was arranging them in chronological order.

“We can streamline the amount of memories we have to view if we eliminate any memories before Tom’s talk with Slughorn regarding horcruxes,” explained Hermione.

Ginny chimed in, “Great idea, and we can always backtrack if we don’t find anything of substance in the older memories.”

Harry poured the first memory into the pensieve, “Remember, we are looking for something Tom Riddle would consider worthy of holding his soul.”

Together the quartet touched their faces to the glowing liquid and in a flash, the present disappeared around them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aft er two hours of reviewing memories, several of them multiple times, the foursome decided to give their eyes a rest and discuss theories they might have developed during the viewings. While they decided that no theory would be too ridiculous, their frustration at coming up short was beginning to show itself.

“How about Slughorn’s hourglass?” asked Ron as he took a seat.

“It’s a beautiful item. But did you see Tom’s look of disdain for the man? Slughorn was just someone he used for information. He wouldn’t give that hourglass a second look,” replied Hermione.

“Not to mention the fact that Slughorn’s hourglass could be considered a Slytherin item and Tom might have considered the Slytherin locket a better target at the time,” said Harry.

“How about the Hand of Glory?” asked Ginny.

Ron shook his head, “There’s no way Voldemort would have allowed Draco to carry that thing around like he did the night Dumbledore died.”

Harry agreed, “Besides, that item was sitting in Borgin and Burkes for years. I remember seeing it when I accidentally floo’d in the shop in my second year. No way that Voldemort would have allowed his horcrux to just end up anywhere.”

“If we are associating the attempts to enter the school to mean that the horcrux is here, then we can eliminate a majority of items and include only those items within the school’s walls,” said Hermione.

Hermione looked over to Ron, who seemed to be focused on something other than the present conversation, “Ron… Ron! What are you looking at!?!”

“Sorry, I was just watching my brothers on the map. It looks as if they’re enjoying themselves walking all over Hogwarts.”

Ginny joined him and examined the map herself, “Those two weren’t kidding when they said they know this place. I honestly think they may even have the teachers beat in that category.”

Harry smiled, “Could you imagine if they had graduated and applied for positions here at Hogwarts?”

Ginny smiled in return, “Are you kidding? Dumbledore would have turned them down faster than he did Tom Ridd…”

Ginny’s smile disappeared off her face.

Harry felt his connection with Ginny as he could sense her mind had just stumbled onto something important. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she began sorting through the memories, searching for something.

“Where’s the memory of Tom Riddle’s job interview with Dumbledore?”

Harry quickly found it, just as Ron spoke, “We’ve already looked at that memory twice. Nothing that Tom said was of any importance to our search.”

Harry ignored Ron as he began pouring the memory back into the pensieve.

“I agree with you, Ron. But let’s look at it again anyway,” said Ginny.

Ron knew better than to continue arguing with his sister. The last time she acted this way they were able to find the Slytherin locket. Ron and Hermione gathered around the pensieve.

They all dipped their faces as soon as Harry poured out the last of the memory.

XXXXXXXXXX

T hey were watching the interview between Dumbledore and Tom for the second time since entering the memory, when Ron broke the silence between the four.

“Like I said earlier, Ginny, nothing that these two discussed has any bearing to what we’re searching for.”

Ginny was standing at the side of the Dumbledore’s desk so that she could see the profiles of both the late headmaster and Tom. Harry, Hermione and Ron were watching from behind Tom Riddle.

Ginny pulled her wand and then made the memory start from the beginning again. She then moved behind Dumbledore and then waved the others over to join her.

“You’re absolutely correct, Ron. There’s nothing in their conversation that applies to our quest. But I didn’t ask to view this memory again to listen to them talk.”

Everyone went quiet again as the memory played. Tom was talking about Defense against the Dark Arts, when Ginny paused the memory and pointed at Tom Riddle’s face.

“There!”

Ginny turned to her companions and spoke, “We’ve watched this enough times to know that at this point of the conversation Dumbledore was about to refuse Tom’s request for a position at the school.”

They all said nothing as they waited anxiously for Ginny to continue, “But I also believe that Tom knew he was about to be refused. His demeanor stays about the same except for his eyes. Watch his eyes!”

Ginny caused the memory to run in slow motion. The others watched for almost a minute when Hermione spoke, “This is Occlumency/ Legilimency lesson one. Shaky eyes are a sign of nervousness. Tom was about to get turned down. It may have shaken his confidence.”

Ginny backed up the memory again, “I agree, he was nervous, but I don’t believe it was because he wasn’t getting the position. I believe it was because without the position he wouldn’t have free access to Hogwarts or this office like he may have had when he was a student here. Again, watch his eyes!”

She ran the memory again, and it was Harry who caught what Ginny saw first as it was he who paused the memory this time, “Ginny’s right. His eyes aren’t shaking. Tom keeps looking from Dumbledore to something behind Dumbledore.”

Slowly they all followed Tom’s frozen stare, which went pass Dumbledore and behind him until they all saw what Tom kept looking at. Hanging from a wall, in a beautiful rectangular wooden display box with a glass lid, was an object that each of them knew as well as they did their own wands.

Godric Gryffindor’s sword.

Harry kept the memory paused as they all walked to the display case.

“Ginny, can you sense anything like you did with the Hufflepuff cup?” asked Ron.

The young redhead fought back the urge to pop her brother in the back of the head as she realized his question was not an attempt at humor, “No, Ron. I can’t sense anything through a memory.”

Harry examined the sword. It was as he remembered it the night it came to him to help him destroy the Basilisk. A unique work of expert craftsmanship, the Gryffindor name etched into the metal, the beautiful rubies embedded into the guard, handle and pommel.

But something about the gems caught Harry’s eyes. All the precious stones were red, all except the small stone embedded on the bottom of the pommel. It looked blackened in color. Almost as if it had been set on fire and allowed to be covered in carbon as it burned. It was still a shade of red, just enough to fool anyone who did not look closely enough.

“Good job, my wife. We’ve found it. I don’t know how Tom may have gotten his hands on the sword to make it a horcrux, but I’m guessing it had to be during Headmaster Dippet’s time, before Dumbledore took over.”

“I agree, but we can discuss that later. I suggest we get out of this memory, grab the sword and get ourselves someplace safe,” said Ginny.

In a flash, they were all back in the office in real time. Hermione and Ginny went to work cleaning up the pensieve and replacing the memory vials back in the rack. Ron walked over to the table to fold up the map when Harry’s voice stopped everyone.

“It’s not here!”

They all turned to find Harry standing in front of an empty display box.

“Harry, a lot has taken place involving the sword since that meeting all those years ago,” said Hermione.

“So basically, it can be anywhere at this point,” answered a frustrated sounding Ron.

Harry looked up at the empty Dumbledore portrait, wishing the essence of the headmaster was in it so he could question him about the swords whereabouts. His connection to Ginny grabbed his attention as he noticed she was standing near him with her eyes closed.

They all stood by quietly, all of them inwardly hoping for the best. They all knew Ginny loathe tapping into this ability, but they also knew that for the sake of the wizarding world she would overlook her hatred and tap into the small tainted section of her soul to find the sword.

Ginny opened her eyes roughly a minute later, “That’s strange, I can sense the horcrux, but it’s almost as if it’s inside this office, but at the same time it isn’t.”

Everyone went right to scouring the office, when the loud sound caught all of their attention.

Hermione went to the nearest window, “Looks like the wards are under magical attack again.”

Ron looked up from a trunk he was searching, “Where are Fred and George?”

Ginny ran to the map, “They were at the outermost section of the grounds, but it looks as if they are on their way back here.”

“There’s a good chance the Death Eaters have people watching from areas just outside the boundary. Maybe they saw the twins and decided to try and get in here again,” stated a concerned Harry.

Without saying another word to one another the four of them got back to searching the room. But after a few minutes, they came up empty.

Ron’s impatience finally showed itself, “Ginny, are you sure you sensed it in here?”

“I can sense your impatience, Ron. But remember she said it felt like it was both here and not here,” said Hermione as she came to her sister-in-law’s defense.

Harry was fighting the urge to kick something, when he happened to glance up at one of the office’s book shelves and discovered an item that reminded him of something Dumbledore said years ago.

“You will find that help will always been given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.”

Harry’s wand was out in an instant, “Accio Sorting hat!

The hat flew from the shelf and into his hand. The others had seen his actions and joined him at his side.

“Come on! You came to me when I needed help in the Chamber of Secrets! Come to me now, we need your help even more tonight!” said Harry as he reached into the hat.

For several excruciating moments Harry reached around the inside of the hat, finding nothing. The others were about to give up hope when Harry suddenly pulled his arm out of the hat, his hand holding the sword! He displayed it for all of them to see.

He was smiling as his three companions grabbed him up in a hug.

“Finally, we’ve found it. Let’s get this place cleaned up and get the hell out of here,” suggested Ron.

The girls collected the last of the vials and were in the midst of sealing the pensieve back in its hiding place when Ron let out an agonizing scream and fell. Ginny found herself catching Hermione as the brunette seemed ready to join Ron on the office floor.

“There’s nothing wrong with me! See to your brother! I can sense his pain through our bond! It feels like he’s being burned!” screamed Hermione.

Harry was at his best friend’s side in an instant, “Ron, what’s wrong? Speak to me!”

Ron was writhing on the floor in obvious pain. He let out another scream, grabbed his right leg and finally screamed through clenched teeth, “IT’S…MY...CALF!!! FEELS…LIKE…IT’S…ON…FIRE!!!”

Ginny managed to get herself and Hermione to Ron’s side just as Harry magically cut open the pants material over Ron’s leg. The calf was hot to the touch and the muscle seemed to be pulsing. Harry was about to examine him when Ron screamed even louder.

Harry, Hermione and Ginny watched in horror as two equally sized holes erupted from Ron’s calf. Blood flowed from both holes as he screamed yet again. The girls began searching their gear for something to treat the wounds.

Harry was about to apply direct pressure with his bare hands when he witnessed the holes pulse once more and then two small red glowing spheres, the size of two small pearls, exit the wounds. The spheres rolled to the center of the room and then evaporated.

Ron stopped screaming as he lay on his side and Harry applied a quick freezing charm to deaden the pain. Ginny then used a roll of gauze to wrap her Brother’s calf. Hermione was about to touch Ron’s face when a flash of light, similar to that of a lightning storm came from outside and filled the entire room.

Hermione face showed worry, “That’s not good. I think the wards may have finally collapsed!”

The sound of Ron’s laughter suddenly filled the room as he sat up straight.

Harry and Ginny thought he had gone mental as Hermione asked Ron the question that was suddenly on all their minds, “What in the world could be so funny at this moment?”

Ron answered after a few more seconds of laughter, “Hermione, you wondered months ago if Voldemort was a genius, a mad man or the biggest prankster on the planet. To answer your question, he’s all of those things.”

Ron tried to get to his feet, “I thought I was the master chess player, but that crazy bastard has me beat.”

Hermione was clearly confused, “What do you mea…”

“He’s been several moves ahead of us. Those two holes that just appeared in my leg were in exactly the same place Nagini bit me on the night I killed her. Voldemort must have charmed her to implant something in my calf that would activate once we were inside Hogwarts’ wards. He sacrificed Nagini just on the chance I would come in here looking for the sword. Just so I could help him unknowingly bring down the wards.”

“Maybe so, but now we’re a move ahead of him because we have the sword, and there’s no way he getting his hands on it until after we’re done destroying the horcrux first! Can you walk?” said Harry.

“Help me to my feet… I can run.”

The quartet gathered around the Marauder’s map as Harry took in the growing situation, “The twins have obviously seen what is going on and are rapidly making their way back here. How many Death Eaters do you all see?”

Ron pointed at various places on the map, “Maybe thirty or forty. But I don’t see any high level D.E. or Voldemort. I think we can take them, Harry.”

Harry shook his head, “No, we’ve got what we came here for. Our number one priority is to get as far from this place as quickly as possible.”

They all gathered the gear and made their way down the tower and into the main hall. Ron, who was holding the map, was the last out of the tower when they ran into Fred and George. Both young men were very worried.

“I take it you’ve seen that the Death Eaters are on the grounds? Did you find what you were looking for?”

Ginny pointed her thumb at the sword, which Harry had carefully stored in her backpack.

“What’s the path of least resistance out of here, Ron?” asked Harry.

Ron looks again at the map and made some fast calculations in his head, “Follow me!”

But George stopped them, “Wait, give us a few seconds.”

Hermione was about to say something as the twins ran into the headmistress’ tower. A moment later they backed out, carefully throwing handfuls of items across the floor.

Ron picked up one of the items and examined it.

Confusion crossed his features, “Jelly beans? Didn’t we see these in your lab?”

Fred slapped the candy from Ron’s hand, “Questions later, sprinting now!”

Ron led the group as fast as possible. His calf still ached, but his adrenaline and the fear of running into an army of Death Eaters kept him moving forward. He focused on the map as the other covered him through the hallways.

Fred was throwing handfuls of jellybeans behind them as they moved forward, “With the wards down, why don’t we just Disapparate out of here!?!”

Hermione answered for the team leader, “I tried earlier, but the only ward that went down was the one to keep people out!”

Ginny grinned, “What, did you expect this to be easy?”

George tossed another handful of candy into the air, “Just a little!”

The fleeing group was just about to turn a corner when Ron gave them a signal to stop. He then put up his hand and displayed all five fingers. He pointed at the twins, and motioned for them to take the map and stand against the wall.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione crouched behind Ron and waited.

The first of the Death Eaters had just stepped around the corner when Ron leg swept the dark wizard off both his feet and then drove the point of his elbow into the center of the man’s face, driving him harshly into the stone floor.

The rest of the G.S.F. were already rounding the corner as the remaining Death Eaters barely had time to register what was taking place.

Hermione launched multiple stunning spells into the nearest opponent as she sprinted forward. She grabbed his unconscious body with her free hand, using her momentum to drive him forward as a human shield, she then pushed her makeshift shield into the second wizard pushing them both onto the floor where she stunned them both a few more times for good measure.

Ginny blocked three spells as she closed the short distance between herself and her target. She sprung forward from the floor and drove her right knee into the taller man’s sternum. She followed up her powerful strike with an equally powerful hex that caused her injured wizard to collapse ten meters in front of her.

Harry allowed his opponent to come to him. The wizard came into arm’s length and thrust his wand hand forward to hex the younger wizard. Harry used his open hand to then catch the man’s wrist, apply a wrist lock and then step inside the Death Eater’s space, firing a spell upward into the man’s chin. The wizard back flipped into the floor, unconscious.

George handed the map back to Ron, “I’ll never get tired of watching your four work.”

Ron studied the map again, “Good news is these are the only Death Eaters in this area of the school. It looks as if they are all converging on the headmistress’ tower. Bad news is we’re going to have to go over the bridge to get to Hogsmeade station.”

Ginny looked at the map over Ron’s shoulder, “And the map doesn’t extend pass the bridge. That’s a great place for an ambush, Harry.”

An idea popped into Hermione’s mind, “Bait and hook?”

Harry’s eyebrows went up in surprise as he looked at Ron, “Haven’t tried that in a while, you up for it?”

Ron did not look happy with the suggestion, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Harr y, remembering Hermione’s response to Ron’s request to stop putting herself into danger, could not help himself but poke fun at his best mate.

“Ron, I can’t believe you’d allow Hermione to be the bait.”

Ginny sensed Harry’s mirth and joined in, “Some husband you are.”

Ron was positioning himself on the grass as he spoke, “Shut it you two. You know as well as I do that no one tells Hermione what she can and cannot do, especially me.”

Ron, Harry, Ginny and the twins had positioned themselves to the far right on the Hogwarts side of the bridge as they watched Hermione make her way across the bridge to the Hogsmeade side.

Ron propped up on his elbows with his wand between his fingertips. Ginny placed Harry’s glasses on her brother and then tapped them with her wand. Ron’s vision went from blurry to crystal clear. He then zoomed in on Hermione.

“Harry, you’re going to have to teach us that Omniocular charm someday,” said George.

“G.S.F. signature sunglasses with that charm would make millions,” replied Fred.

Ron ignored his brothers as Hermione cleared the far side of the bridge. She had taken no more than a few steps when two Death Eaters appeared from the woods and stopped her. Ron watched as Hermione put up her hands in mock surrender, she looked to be speaking to the wizards in an attempt to stall for time.

“Ron, cast the spell. What are you waiting on?” asked Ginny.

“I can’t cast until I have a clear shot at both wizards, and Hermione is standing directly in front of the wizard I have to hit first. She’s in my line of fire,” replied Ron without ever taking his eyes from Hermione.

Ron started to whisper, “Dang it, Hermione. I know you can sense me wanting you to step to the right. Come on; just take a step to your right. What good is having a bond if you don’t listen to it?”

An idea suddenly occurred to him as he inwardly thought, “Stand still, don’t you dare move!”

Almost as if on cue, Hermione took a step to her right. Instantly both wizards were hit by two spells. Ron smiled as Hermione, even from the good distance away, turned and gave Ron a dirty look.

Ron sent everyone else across the bridge, covering them before bringing up the rear. He found the bridge’s walkway covered in jelly beans as he made his way across and met up with the group.

“What in the bloody hell are you to doing with all the jelly beans?”

“Celebrating Easter early, we’ll explain on the way to the station,” said Fred.

XXXXXXXXXX

Thi rty minutes later, the G.S.F. was at the far end of the station. Hermione was preparing a portkey while the others spoke, “So you two developed yet another high explosive candy?”

“Smaller than our explosive gumballs but with at least five times the power,” explained George.

“Allows you to carry more and destroy more if need be,” added Fred.

Ginny spoke next, “So if you don’t mind me asking, how much did you bring with you tonight?”

The twins looked at one another before speaking in unison, “Enough to level Hogwarts.”

Hermione stopped her conjuring as she looked to the twins with wide eyes, “Did you just say, “Level Hogwarts”? Who told you to do that?”

“I did.”

All eyes turned to Harry as he continued, “None of you saw the look in Professor McGonagall’s eyes. She didn’t like the thought of Death Eaters taking over the school. So as a precaution, I ordered Fred and George to set the explosives.”

“So that’s what you two were doing while we were reviewing memories,” said Hermione.

“That and saying our last goodbyes to the old place,” said Fred.

Hermione stood in front of Harry, her eyes pleading, “Harry, no! Hogwarts has stood for over a thousand years! We can’t do this!”

Harry held Hermione gently by her shoulders, “The Death Eaters have infiltrated. Voldemort will most likely order it destroyed after he’s done picking it clean looking for the sword.”

“Which he won’t find,” added Ginny.

“I’d rather we be the ones to level it. We do it on our own terms and take a few of those bastards along with it,” said Ron.

“Agreed,” responded Ginny.

Hermione took a long sad look at the castle and then silently nodded in agreement.

The twins did a quick pass with their wands over the six of them and their gear, “No trace of jelly beans on any of us. Any time you’re ready, Harry.”

Ron opened the map, “The Death Eaters are all over the school. I’m seeing about fifty of them now.”

“You’d think the Ministry would have sent aurors here to stop them,” said Hermione.

“The Aurors are spread thin. By the time they’d get a large enough force together, the Death Eaters would be long gone,” answered Ginny.

“So how do we do this? It’s obvious you don’t tap the beans together to set them off,” said Harry.

Fred pulled his wand to demonstrate, “Total control of the beans has been magically linked to your wand, Harry. Concentrate on a Bombarda spell and then slap the bottom of your wand against the palm of your hand three times.”

Harry removed his wand from his holster and then looked at Hogwarts in the far distance. The enormity of what he was about to do suddenly weighed heavily upon him. The school had been his first real home. He knew he was already considered a vigilante and an outlaw by the Ministry. But he knew if he did this, they would put him and everyone with him at the same level as Voldemort, regardless of the reasons for doing it.

But in the end, he’d rather spend the rest of his days in Azkaban before he let Voldemort and his followers desecrate and disrespect his school.

So with a heavy heart, slowly and deliberately, Harry slapped his wand three times against his open palm.

The construction of Hogwarts took years.

Its destruction took only minutes.

The six members of the G.S.F. bore silent witness as explosions and flames engulfed the school. The bridge exploded, the towers fell one at a time, the headmistress’ tower falling last. Each person watching felt remorse, not for the Death Eaters that were caught in the explosions, but for their childhoods as a large portion of it died within each of them as the school disappeared into the flames.

Harry found it hard to speak.

“What have I done?”

Ginny took his hand in hers.

We did what had to be done.”

There were tears streaming down Hermione’s face as she found Harry’s eyes and again nodded in agreement.

Ron got everyone’s attention, “Lupin and Sirius were correct, the map never lies.”

Ron was holding the Marauder’s map in front of him for all to see. The pages no longer showed the castle or any of the rooms within, but instead showed every page on fire.

Harry pointed his wand at the map, “Mischief managed.”

A few moments later, the portkey flashed away. Leaving the fire to burn itself out.

XXXXXXXXXX

The young wizards returned to the safe house just after sunrise. They all were physically and mentally drained, but none of them wanted to go to bed. They removed their gear as they entered one of the house’s living rooms.

Ginny removed the sword from her backpack and placed it across the coffee table at the center of the room. The group sat down on the three sofas and stared at it, saying nothing.

Eventually their weariness claimed them as they all fell asleep where they were sitting.

Harry did not know how long he was asleep, when the sound of a door opening woke him. A few moments later, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fleur, and the Grangers entered the room. They were closely followed by Moody and Tonks.

All had worried looks on their faces.

The other had awoken as Harry walked over to Tonks and Moody. Both looked at a loss for words.

“What’s wrong, Tonks?”

She touched his face, “I’m sorry, Harry. We held them off as long as we could.”

A series of loud cracks answered Harry’s unasked question as no less than ten aurors, led by Rufus Scrimgeour apparated into the room, all with their wands drawn.

Harry raised his hands as Scrimgeour announced, “By my authority as Minister of Magic, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald, Ginevra, Fred and George Weasley are hereby under arrest for crimes against the law abiding magical world.”

“Including, most of all, the destruction of the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry!”
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