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SIYE Time:18:19 on 28th March 2024
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The Lost Year
By _kb_

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Category: Post-OotP, Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley
Genres: General
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 94
Summary: After the battle in the Department of Mysteries, Ginny seems different and more confident; she also inspires Harry to change. How did that happen? (gray H/G)
Hitcount: Story Total: 20100; Chapter Total: 1558
Awards: View Trophy Room






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Chapter 10

The next morning, Harry felt a weight settle on his bed and almost cried out in surprise at the face and two large eyes that were staring at him from less than the length of his arm. “Dobby?” he whispered.

“Master sir can talk. Dobby has silenced the bed area and no one else can hear us.”

“Thank you and good job,” Harry told him as he sat up and pushed back to lean against the headboard while trying to force his heartrate to slow down. “What can you tell me?”

Dobby shook his head as if in disappointment. “Old master’s son has the mark of the skull and snake on his left arm.”

He was right in his guess, or rather guesses. “Err, how did you find out if I can ask?”

“I looked last night as he was sleeping. Dobby was very quiet and wasn’t seen.”

“Good, good. What of the Room of Requirement?” asked Harry.

“He went to the room of lost and hidden things also,” Dobby informed him. “On the side you didn’t clean is a cabinet that he was working on.”

That puzzled Harry. “Do you know what the cabinet is for or what it does?”

“Dobby does not.”

Harry nodded chagrinned. “All right, thank you for checking. Good job, Dobby.”

The elf looked very please. “Thank you, Master. I go make sure your breakfast is excellent.” With that said, he snapped his fingers and left.

Seeing that it was half an hour before he normally woke and that he’d gone to bed early, he sat there and thought about what this all meant. The only thing that made sense was that Malfoy was up to something, as this was yet more unusual behavior from the Slytherin. He’d just have to watch him and see what he found.

He also remembered that he needed to apologize to Ron for yelling at him last night; he really shouldn’t have done that.




They hadn’t been at the Halloween Feast for long before Harry noticed something. Turning to Ginny he said softly, “Have you noticed a ferret is missing?”

Ginny looked up and casually looked across the room since they always faced that way. Harry didn’t like putting his back to the Slytherin table, a sentiment she whole-heartedly agreed with. “Hmm, I’ve seen him miss other meals too.”

Harry continued to look around slowly. “His two sidekicks are here. I think he does it at times that are busy enough he doesn’t expect anyone to miss him.”

“What’s going on?” Hermione asked from across the table, apparently not able to hear the soft conversation.

“Just checking the mood,” Harry told her normally. “Looks like everyone is forgetting a certain Dark Wizard for the night and having fun, like it should be.”

“Why shouldn’t we?” Ron asked.

“There’s nothing wrong with fun,” Neville spoke up, “but I agree with Harry that we should always be ready for trouble.”

Harry gave his friend a nod. “Well said, mate.”

Ron snorted. “You’re going to turn into Mad-Eye if you keep going like that.”

Ginny gave him a contemptuous look. “We’re not expecting to be attacked right now, but it never hurts to be aware of what and who is around you.”

Ron shrugged not wanting to argue and Hermione looked thoughtful and took a look around herself but didn’t say anything.

Back in the common room after the Feast, Harry pulled Ginny over to a corner where he enlarged a chair to a ridiculous size that made her giggle, since he had enlarged everything not just the width. However, it was also wide enough to act like a couch too. He sat and pulled her onto his lap where she sat sideways and stretched her legs out.

“This is silly but comfy,” she told him with a grin.

“I could have just stretched it, but now you can lean against the arm like a back if you want,” he told her. “Hey, let me teach you a charm Flitwick taught me the other day. He told me my mother came up with it and taught him. Muffliato.”

“What did that do?”

“It muffles our conversation so others only hear background noise. I asked about privacy spells,” he told her.

“I’ve got one I looked up in the library last week. Confundus.” She waved her wand a couple of meters in front of them and smiled. “Now if they get too close, they’ll get confused and turn around. That also means they can see from across the room and we’ll look normal.”

“Great,” he replied with a smile too. “I’ve heard of that one. You’ll have to teach me and I can teach you mine.” He started digging out the Marauder’s Map and laid it on her lap.

“Deal,” she agreed. “What is this for?”

He activated it and said, “Look for Malfoy.” After a couple of minutes searching mostly in the dungeons but also the rest of the school, they could only come to one conclusion. “Since we can’t find him he must still be in the Room of Requirement.”

Ginny sighed. “I think I know what you’re going to suggest and I’m not a fan of it.”

“I’m not either, but I think it’s going to have to be done.” Harry took a deep breath. “I wished we didn’t have to do, but I think we’re going to have to find out what he’s doing and the sooner the better. Since we’ve known for a few weeks that he has definitely has the Dark Mark, that changes a lot.”

“How do you plan to find out?” She asked and frowned. “You better not be thinking of using the Imperious curse.”

“While it is a way, I have a better way,” Harry told her, glad she’d talked first because he had considered using that curse. “The hard part will be covering our tracks if he’s innocent. It would mean having to learn and use the Obliviation spell.”

Ginny put an arm around his neck and leaned against him, allowing him to hold her tighter. “I don’t want to do that either. I’ll do things that need to be done when I’m sure the enemy really is our enemy, but this isn’t obvious.”

“I know,” he agreed, “but he does have the Dark Mark. We should probably ask about that too; you know, what he had to do to earn it.”

“Maybe it was make some promises to follow the Dark Idiot,” she suggested hopefully.

That caused Harry to snort. “I bet that’s unlikely.”

“I know, but I can hope.” Ginny sighed. “How would you do it?

“Look at the map,” Harry said suddenly, causing her to lean away from him to watch the little footsteps labeled ‘Draco Malfoy’ walk to the stairs leading down. As they watched, Harry told her, “I’ve seen him do this a few other times. He either goes just before curfew and stays so late I’m asleep when he leaves, or he goes around dinner time and goes back just before curfew. Hmm, he always takes the same path too. We could use that to our advantage.”

“You mean wait for him and grab him? Then what?” Ginny asked as they watched their possible enemy walk through the dungeons to his common room.

“I wait under my Invisibility Cloak and stun him. You’re backup. We take him into the Room of Requirement and ask him some questions with Veritaserum that Dobby gets us from Snape’s closet like he did the Gillyweed a couple of years ago.” Harry paused for a moment. “If he’s guilty like we think, he disappears. Otherwise, we try Obliviation.”

“What if you can’t learn that spell?” she asked pointedly.

“I have my cloak so he can’t see me. You stand where he can’t see you. We find a spell in the library to disguise my voice. If he does remember anything it won’t help,” Harry told her. “Maybe we should do that as then we don’t have to worry about Obliviation.”

“We’d need to do this when he skips dinner; it would be easier than very late at night,” she suggested.

“Probably true … here comes Ron,” he told her and they both watched her brother come over.

“Ginny…” Ron stopped as he hit the edge of Ginny’s spell. Shrugging, he turned around and left, causing muffled laughter from the two on the couch/chair.

“Good one, Gin.” Harry turned her head towards him and kissed her, which she greedily returned for a few minutes.

When they relaxed again, Harry said, “It’s doable. I’m not going to be complacent and I’ve not going to give those I don’t trust a million chances like Dumbledore does. Perhaps he can handle it, but I can’t.”

Ginny hmm’d for a moment. “That’s something I’ve never thought about before. Maybe he gives so many chances to those who do wrong because he has so much magic and experience he can see and deal with the problems so well.”

“Maybe,” Harry allowed, “but the rest of us can’t.”

“True.” Ginny turned to him again. “Enough talk about that. It’s time for us.” She leaned a little and they were kissing again.




It had taken a couple of weeks, but Harry finally saw Malfoy leave the Slytherin area while they were in the library and not long before dinner; he was alone too. Harry had the map inside the book he was reading, moving it as he needed to read the opposing page. They were revising with Luna again. The great thing about that was that she didn’t ask questions about what they were doing as Hermione would have.

Harry closed his book and looked at Ginny. “I want to take a quick walk before dinner.”

At their prearranged signal, Ginny nodded and packed up as quickly as he was. “Thanks for the help again,” she told their friend who smiled at both but said nothing.

Harry patted Luna on the shoulder as they left.

A moment later they were in a secret passage that went up. Harry pulled the map out and handed it to her while he took his special cloak out also. A quick shrinking spell on his bag and that went into her bag, all while they were climbing stairs. “I’ll be waiting by the door for when you do your part,” he told her before he started taking the stairs two at a time and running up.

Ginny continued her normal speed and looked at the map occasionally, keeping track of where Malfoy was just in case he did something different. At the top of this passage on the sixth floor, Ginny cast a coloring charm on her hair to make it dark and a newly found obscuring charm on her face to hide her identity.

When Malfoy went by her in the main corridor and turned the corner, she exited the secret passage and quietly followed behind him, keeping one corner between them at all times. Merlin, she hoped Harry was right about the ferret.

She could see the label for Harry beside where the door to the Room of Requirement should be, as well as Malfoy moving back and forth not far away. Sticking one eye around the corner, she could see Malfoy moving towards the wall where a door probably was now. Pulling back, she stomped her feet as if walking heavily. Listening, she heard a thump on the floor.

Peering around the corner again, she saw Malfoy on the floor in a heap with an open door propped against him while a hand with a wand floated in the air. Her mission of distraction accomplished, she hurried over while Harry floated the Slytherin inside. She closed the door behind her and asked for them not to be found and the door disappeared.

Harry took his cloak off before summoning the boy’s wand, conjuring a wooden chair, putting Malfoy into it, and tying him up. “Over here,” he said and levitated the chair and boy with him, putting him beside a wooden cabinet not too unlike a wardrobe. “Do you know what it is? I didn’t when Dobby showed me the other day and I still have no clue.” He tossed Malfoy’s wand on the floor next to the cabinet.

Ginny walked around it and then opened a door on it and looked in. “Not a clue. Looks like he is trying to repair it.” She waved her hand at the various wooden parts on the floor around them. “Or else the parts were smuggled in one at a time and he’s trying to put it together.”

“Let’s find out,” he said. “Dobby come!”

The elf popped in with a small phial in his hand. “It is what master asked for. I also have master’s broom as requested.” The second item was placed on the floor.

Harry took the phial and pulled Draco’s head back and placed the three drops in his mouth. “Take it back and be careful my friend.”

Dobby took the phial and disappeared.

“So far so good,” Harry said, motioning her to stand behind Malfoy while he put the cloak back on and put a charm on himself to disguise his voice. When they were ready, he shot a Reviving spell at their captive.

As Draco Malfoy wakened, Harry asked, “Are you a Death Eater?”

Yes,” was returned in a monotone.

“What is this cabinet you’ve been working on?”

It’s a Vanishing Cabinet.”

“What’s it to be used for?”

To bring fellow Death Eaters into the castle.”

“Why?”

To kill Dumbledore.”

Harry blinked at that. “Did you give the cursed necklace to Katie Bell?”

Yes.”

“Why?”< /p>

“She was to give it to Dumbledore to kill him.”

While afraid of the answer, he had to ask, “How did you make her do it?”

I put her under the Imperious.”

He shook his head in disgust. “What did you have to do to earn the Dark Mark?” He was curious.

I was ordered to torture and rape a Muggle girl before I killed her.

“Do you know where the Dark Lord is staying?”

Yes.”

“Whe re?”

At Malfoy Manor.”

“Is his pet snake there too?”

Yes.”

Harry cast a Stunning spell and watched Malfoy’s head droop before pulling the cowl of his cloak back and removing the charm on his voice. “Unbelievable. He’s done every Unforgivable and plans to bring Death Eaters into the castle. There’s no predicting how many students would die during that.”

Ginny canceled the Obscuring charm on her face. “He’s worse than I thought. I still don’t like doing it because I have a conscience, but I’d agree he has to go if you think so.”

“I don’t want to do it, but I think it has to be done.” He shook his head again. “I bet if I took this to Dumbledore that he’d say he’s giving Malfoy a chance to change his mind and redeem himself.”

“And that Snape is helping,” she quipped.

He snorted. “No doubt.” He looked at the cabinet. “If we could fix it tonight, I’d step through it and cast a bunch of Fireball hexes before coming back and destroying this end. I think we’ll have to settle on destroying this one and Vanishing all the parts.”

“I can do that,” she volunteered.

Harry knew she wasn’t trying to get out of the other task as he’d already told her he’d do it. “Be sure you Vanish the wand too.” He picked up his broom and mounted it. Ginny helped levitated their victim over the front of the broom, lying on his stomach with a sticking charm to help hold him in place.

Harry asked the room for a large window that could be opened. “When you finish cleaning up his … things … set up a table and chairs and we can have dinner here before going back to the Tower.”

He pulled the cowl of the cloak back up and flew out the window slowly and spiraled down to the ground being careful to avoid windows. At ground level he made his way over to a ravine and flew in that until he was at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, careful to stay away from Hagrid’s hut, but keeping it in sight to know where he was.

Knowing his spells would make a little light, he flew a short ways into the forest and then started Vanishing Malfoy clothes; he wanted to remove even this evidence.

Flying to the top of the trees, he angled over to about where he thought the giant spiders were. Seeing shining silks in the top of a few trees over on the right, he started to spiral up in that direction until he was several hundred feet over the trees. Tipping his broom forward, he ended the Sticking charm and watched Malfoy slide off his broom and go plunging downward. The weight shift was larger than he was expecting and he didn’t get the broom back under control until he heard the crashing in the trees below.

With his broom normal now, he flew down towards the tops of the trees, careful of his height. He didn’t have to get too close to hear the loud chittering of the spiders. Glad that was done, Harry leveled out and returned to the Room of Requirement as he’d left.

As he flew in the window, he saw Ginny sitting at a table with food on it courtesy of Dobby, waiting for him. He closed the window and joined her. “I don’t think he’ll be found. At worst, Aragog will tell Hagrid about a body falling from the sky at night, but I really doubt that will happen.”

Ginny nodded, not looking like she was in a good mood.

“The Muggle world has standing armies of soldiers. I think I understand them a little better now,” he told her as he reached for a drink.

“How’s that?” she asked.

“Sometimes you have to do what you don’t like to protect others,” he replied. “I sort of thought the prophecy was barmy and it had been fulfilled when I was a baby.” Harry shrugged. “Maybe it was, but it seems like I’m going to end up having to kill old Snake Face whether I like it or not. To do that, some of his followers are going to have to go too -- like it or not.”

Ginny nodded. “I can’t argue against that, but I don’t like having to do it. I’d prefer to finish school, us get married, have a few children, and enjoy life.”

He noticed her blushing a bit as she went through the sequence and wondered if he was too. “That’s a nice plan; I hope it happens.”

She smiled shyly at him before returning to dinner.

When they finished dinner, they returned to Gryffindor Tower with Dobby cleaning up and returning his broom. Since it was a Friday night when most relaxed, their missing dinner and coming back midway through the evening wasn’t considered unusual, especially when they were holding hands, laughing, and giving each other looks that were only for the other.




The next morning, Dumbledore stood somberly as breakfast was starting and a few stragglers were still coming in. “If I may have your attention.” The room instantly quieted down.

“It seems we have a missing person and a teacher died last night.” There were gasps from all of the students.

“It appears that Professor Snape had an unknown health condition that claimed him last night while he was in his office. Professor Sinistra has agreed to take over as head of Slytherin house for the rest of the year. I shall teach Potions for the remaining month or so of this term and try to find a replacement by next term.” The murmurs rose for a moment.

“In addition, Draco Malfoy is missing and no one can recall seeing him after his last class. If anyone can provide more information, please come forward to any teacher so we can search for him more expediently.” Dumbledore sat down tiredly.

Ron looked gleeful. “Imagine, no more Snape or Malfoy; life will be a lot better now.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say,” Hermione admonished him.

“Why? We’re all thinking it,” Ron returned.

“I don’t believe everyone is thinking it,” she told him frostily. “I’m not.”

“It’s hard to get worked up about it though,” Neville added in, also getting a frown from Hermione.

“I agree with that,” Harry supported his friend. Several others, including Ginny, Dean, and Parvati, nodded. “If it makes you feel better, Hermione, it’s not that we wish them dead, it’s that we’re glad they’re not here anymore. That’s what Ron meant.”

“Thanks, mate,” Ron said, gesturing with his toast in a salute.

Hermione huffed and returned to her breakfast.

When they were leaving for their first class, Harry put his arm around Ginny’s shoulders and whispered, “I wonder what happened to Snape?”

“Don’t know,” she said just as quietly, “but the timing is interesting.”

“Indeed.”




At the end of the week, Albus Dumbledore walked into the weekly staff meeting and sat tiredly, the last to arrive. “My apologies, I was advising a student on Potions.”

“How is teaching that class going?” McGonagall asked innocently.

Dumbledore looked at her and wondered if that was really an innocent question based on the questioning looks he was getting from Flitwick and Sprout. “I have been surprised multiple times this week. Various fundamentals seemed to have not been stressed enough, and I’m not sure how Severus kept things under control. I need eyes in the back of my head at times.”

When Sprout and McGonagall smiled, he was sure he’d been set up. “Albus,” Sprout said gently, “we’ve told you for years that Severus has not been doing his job and you refused to listen. Now you know.”

Aurora Sinistra cleared her throat. “From some of the things I’ve heard in the Slytherin common room when I’ve been there, he didn’t do a very good job as head of house either. I regret having to speak ill of the dead, but I’m having to straighten out problems that are just short of chaos. Apparently the Malfoy boy was the cause of much of the trouble. If you find him, my suggestion would be to expel him and send him to Durmstrang.”

“Aurora!” Dumbledore said shocked.

“It’s the truth, Headmaster,” she insisted.

Dumbledore noticed that McGonagall, Sprout, and even Flitwick all looked smug. “You’ve all been sending the students to me, haven’t you?”

“Yes, Albus,” Flitwick admitted. “You are the Potions teacher now. We’re tired of having to tutor in the subject because none of our students would go speak to Severus.”

Minerva cleared her throat. “Albus, what are your thoughts about students joining Potions at this time? I’ve had over a dozen NEWT level students from multiple houses approach me asking that very question, many of whom told me before they didn’t want to take the class because Severus was teaching it.”

Albus leaned back in his chair. “All right, I get the message. As for the NEWT students, they can join the class in the new term assuming the professor that takes it over agrees.

“On to our next topic. Has there been any information shared regarding the disappearance of Draco Malfoy?” Dumbledore looked around.

Sinistra said, “I’ve heard that he had a habit this year of going off on his own quite a bit, especially up to the seventh floor somewhere, although the two that told me that were very tight-lipped about it, barely telling me that much. I’ve also heard he received a number of packages by owl this year, though no one knows what was in them. Perhaps a conversation with his mother is in order.”

“I’ve spoken with Mrs Malfoy,” Dumbledore answered. “She’s quite broken up about his disappearance as you can imagine. She had no suggestions on what might have led to his leaving, whether by his choice or someone else’s.”

McGonagall gasped. “Albus, surely you’re not suggesting someone did something permanent to Mr Malfoy.”

“I’m not suggesting anything since I have not a single clue as to what happened to him,” Albus returned slightly testily for the first time.

“Magic is a blessing and a curse,” Flitwick parroted the popular truism and received a few nods from the staff.

“Moving on,” Dumbledore said more normally, calming himself. “Poppey, anything unusual we need to be aware of?”




Harry was at the Weasley’s for Christmas and was just going to sleep on the cot in Ron’s room, made comfortable thanks to Dobby’s magic, when his elf shook him. He put his finger to his lips and whispered, “What’s wrong, Dobby?”

“Master need not worry, I’ve put a sleeping spell on friend like for babies. Master needs to know that while I was cleaning downstairs I heard four people come outside. They have white masks on and are trying to enter the house,” Dobby told him seriously.

“Crap,” he swore under his breath and searched for his shoes. “Go tell Ginny that I’m going out to take care of them. She can wake her parents if she wants to, but I’d suggest not to unless I call for help.” Throwing his heavy winter cloak over himself and grabbing his broom and wand, he opened the window quietly and looked out. He couldn’t see the main door since it was on the other side of the house, so hopefully they wouldn’t see him either.

Hoping it all worked out, Harry crawled out the window and pushed out as he pulled his broom under him. He was glad Ron’s room was so high. When he had control of the broom, he pulled out his wand and made a hard turn to heads towards the door in the cold air that his cloak did little to stop.

As he turned the corner, he saw the Death Eaters and started a Cutting curse, putting as much power into it as he could as he flew by, stretching the curse the entire length of the porch. Going around the house, he saw no others and slowed as he came back around for a second pass in case they were still able to fight. He didn’t have anything to worry about as all four were on the ground. He stunned each to make sure.

While he looked, he saw the door open and Ginny poke her head out. She joined him wand in hand and he saw she was wrapped up in her heavy cloak with slippers. “Is that all?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, I didn’t see any others. They were standing together and I surprised them.” He checked them all and found all were breathing but bleeding heavily. He pulled the masks off of their faces. “I don’t recognize any of them,” he said as he held his lit wand near each. “I guess we need to tell your parents since you didn’t.”

“Since you stunned them, come in.” She closed the door and pulled him into a hug and didn’t let go. “I think a few minutes will be enough time.”

He understood what she was saying and held her just as tightly. “What a way to ruin Christmas,” he groused.

She sighed. “I know what you mean, but at least you were here and took care of them and we get to spend more time together.”

“True.” He held her a little longer before he called, “Dobby?”

“Yes, master?”

“Please release the spell on Ron, but don’t wake him if you can help it.” Harry watched the elf leave. “Go get your parents. I think we’ve waited long enough.”

“Got a story?” she asked.

“I was still awake and lying in bed when I heard them pop in before they walked around to try to get in.” He shrugged. “Other than it wasn’t me who heard them, it’s the truth.”

“Very good.” She stretched up and gave him a quick peck on the lips before she left.

Arthur was amazed to find the scene on his front porch, as well as the new gouges on the side of his house, which he told Harry not to worry about it as they were easily fixed. Molly was in shock to be attacked in their home, as was Ron.

The Aurors were not amused to find four dead Death Eaters so they couldn’t question anyone. Harry explained what happened and they took his statement. He was told he’d be contacted later -- he wasn’t.

The next morning, the Daily Prophet announced multiple attacks by Death Eaters at the homes of key Ministry officials in retaliation for Amelia Bones forcing loyalty oaths on all ministry workers that they didn’t and wouldn’t support anyone or group trying to overthrow the Ministry. That had also allowed them to catch eight Death Eaters. Twenty-two others without the Dark Mark had refused to take the oath and resigned.




Harry felt pretty good now. He’d finished the last of his sixth year exams yesterday then went to bed early and slept for twelve hours. That was mostly because he’d had both Charms and Defense exams, each had taken a lot out of him.

The others who’d had the same classes were dragging worse than he was if they were up at all. Presently, Ginny was leaning against him and barely nibbling on toast. Neither Ron nor Hermione were to be seen, and he knew Ron was in his own bed alone; Ginny had confirmed it was the same for all three of her dorm mates. There were only a couple of Hufflepuff sixth years present and one Ravenclaw -- all of who probably hadn’t taken both classes. Harry had no idea why the teachers had scheduled both classes on the same day. His only consolation for next year was that he knew they never scheduled more than one NEWT exam a day.

An owl landed in front of him with a fancy envelope, which he took and opened.

“What is it?” Ginny asked only a little less sleepily than before as she took another sip of tea.

“It’s a wedding invitation from Tonks. Apparently she and Remus are getting married and as Lord Black I’m invited. I also get to bring a friend if I want.” He grinned at her. “Want to go?”

“Sure, if I can get more sleep first,” she all but whined.

“It’s not for another month, so you have time for that and more,” he told her and put it all back in the envelope.

“Have you decided where you’re going to stay this summer?” she asked him. “You know you’re welcome at The Burrow.” Her tone left no doubt where she wanted him.

“I probably will,” he told her. “I appreciated your parent inviting me, but the most important thing is I don’t have to stay with the Dursleys. Ut-oh.”

“What?”

A few seconds later they heard a deep voice. “Harry, I’d like you to come with me to check out something. Also, I have some paperwork you’ll want to sign. I think right after dinner would be a good time as it will hide us from the Muggles.”

“As you wish, Headmaster,” Harry agreed before the man left. “I’m heading back to bed for a nap too then.”

“Hear, hear, and help me up,” Ginny told him raising her arms.

Harry chuckled but helped her up so they could walk back arm-in-arm leaning on each other. “Oh, how about a few protection spells and then napping together on a couch in the common room?”

“You’re brilliant, Harry! I’d love to sleep with you,” she told him sleepily.

Harry suspected she was half-asleep and didn’t realize what she’d actually said. Still, the idea was a nice one.

– – –

A much more refreshed Harry kissed Ginny on the cheek in the Great Hall after dinner as he followed Dumbledore out. He’d promised Ginny he’d be careful and he’d meant it.

In the man’s office, Dumbledore put a few official looking papers in front of him. “If you’ll sign that, Harry, the Goblins at Gringotts will release Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault to you. It has taken me months and a large amount of luck, but I believe we’ll find Hufflepuff’s cup is in there.”

“How did you do it?” Harry asked.

“It took me most of that time to find a few laws that work in our favor and that the Goblins were willing to uphold.” the older man answered. “The key was an old law that allows us to confiscate her vault because she was convicted to life imprisonment in Azkaban but escaped in addition to you being the head of House Black.”

“Interesting. So I do this and then we can search through those things. If found, then all we have left are the snake and Tom.” Harry read through the document and signed it, handing it back. “How did you think to look in there?”

“Very good, I’ll take care of that tomorrow.” Dumbledore looked at him for a long moment. “It was a dose a luck started by the idea that if Voldemort gave one Horcrux to a trusted person to hide, perhaps another had been handled the same way and Bellatrix Lestrange was the obvious person.

“Now,” Dumbledore gave him a very serious look, “I’ve found evidence of one other place that might have a Horcrux that we need to investigate in case the cup isn’t in the vault.”

“But if the cup is in the vault then we should have them all,” Harry protested.

“I believe that’s true, but we should check anyway,” the older wizard insisted.

“Fine, where is it?” Harry asked with resignation.

“In a cave off of the English Channel.”

Harry blinked and then laughed.

“What?” Dumbledore asked politely with tolerance.

“There’s no need to go. That’s where the locket was, but it’s already been retrieved,” Harry informed him.

“Oh, how?” Dumbledore was intrigued.

“I don’t know all of the details,” Harry told him, “but apparently Regulus Black had a change of heart about being a Death Eater and found out about the locket Horcrux and removed it from a cave by the sea. His last command to Kreacher was to destroy it, which the elf couldn’t do. He told me all of that when I asked him to bring me the locket before I brought it to you months ago.”

“Thank you for sharing that story. I suppose we’re done for the evening then,” Dumbledore told him. “By the way, have you had any more visions from Voldemort?”

“Not a one since the battle in the Ministry,” the boy answered.

“Any issues with touching or being near any of the Horcruxes?” the professor pressed.

“No. In fact, I’ve never felt better,” Harry said with a smile.

“Oh, well, that’s good to know,” Dumbledore said with a puzzled tone. “I must assume Voldemort is blocking the connection to you on his end, and that you are as well.”

“Actually, I haven’t been and I haven’t felt any intrusion at all. I’d say that whatever magical connection we had is gone,” Harry suggested.

“I assume,” Harry continued and gestured at the paperwork on the desk, “I’ll get a notification from Gringott’s in the next day or two then I’ll go get the cup and give it to you. So with that all done, when’s the assault on Voldemort?”

“First we’ll need to find him,” Dumbledore told him as if it should have been obvious.

“Get all the Aurors you can and storm Malfoy Manor. An elf told me he should be there. Have a good evening, Professor.” Harry left with a smile and looking forward to more cuddling time with his favorite redhead.

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