Parallel

CHAPTER 12: AT THE JEWELER'S/DISCOVERY/THE DARK LORD

It was yet another half-hour, however, before Hermione finally appeared, Ron at her heels, still yawning but fully dressed. When their eyes met, Harry saw questions there and knew he would have to answer them before too much longer. Meanwhile, he was still trying to take in all that had happened and get used to it himself. Until then, it was unlikely that he could explain anything to anybody.

Molly wanted Ron to eat something, but he waved off her hand, assuring her that he would eat when they returned from the jewelers'. Upon determining where the nearest jewelry store was, the young wizards and witches decided to Apparate there to save time; they could bear a few moments' discomfort as long as they held their breaths. A tight squeeze later, they found themselves in front of a latter-day version of Zale's Jewelers, a noted Muggle institution. Harry made a mental note to get something for Ginny which represented the wizarding world they both inhabited, but for the time being, this was the best he could do.

They had made sure to wear Muggle clothing so that they didn't stand out; Ginny was in a jumper that matched Harry's eyes, along with a snug pair of light green denims (she didn't feel bloated at this point) and her favorite white slippers. Harry wore black jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt with the phrase QUIDDITCH IS THE ONLY WAY TO FLY in light blue on it, charmed so that only magical people could see it, with matching dragon hide boots. Ron wore a jumper that matched his hair and his favourite pair of jeans and clunky shoes; Hermione wore snug blue denims with a matching top trimmed with lace and denim Mary-Janes. Both young women wore their hair long and loose, held in place only with hairbands.

When they walked in, the salesperson behind the counter, an attractive older woman in a maroon outfit, smiled and asked, "May I help you?"

"Yes," Harry said. "We'd like to look at some engagement/wedding bands."

If the woman had any questions as to just which of the two women present that Harry meant to buy the rings for, her questions were answered within seconds when Ginny moved up beside him and put a possessive arm around him, as he did around her, then they shared a sweet but brief kiss.

"Of course, sir. Have you any preferences?"

"Just a nice diamond, maybe a carat, set in yellow gold with two smaller ones on each side, then the wedding band with maybe a dozen smaller diamonds set into it."

"I believe I just may have what you're looking for," the woman smiled, opening a case next to where she was standing and reaching in.

A moment later she placed the flat holder for the rings on the counter and allowed her customers to peruse them. "What is your lady's ring size?"

"Six, I believe," Harry said. "Mine is nine."

She gave them samples to try on to make sure of the size, then they decided on a set very similar to what he had mentioned earlier. "Do you have these in our size?" Harry asked.

"Let me check ... Hmmm ... Yes, I believe I do. You're in luck. You won't even need to have these sized."

"Great. How much are they?"

"Five hundred pounds ... or roughly $3,500," she told him.

Harry reached into his pocket for the stated amount, having had to exchange his Gringotts gold for greenbacks. With tax, it came to roughly $3,725; they decided not to take a box for the engagement ring, just the wedding bands. Upon slipping them into his pocket, Harry turned to Ginny and asked her to hold out her hand so he could place the engagement ring on her finger. After doing so, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, then pulled her close for a long kiss.

"Congratulations," the clerk said.

"Thank you," Harry returned, then the four left the store. "Well, that much is done. Now we've got to get back home and start studying those books again." He already knew where he intended to begin and hoped that Hermione did too. They couldn't afford to waste any time, not with Voldemort and company on the loose. With that, the couples Apparated back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place; upon arrival, they headed back upstairs to their respective rooms and the books awaiting them.

* * * * *

When they broke for dinner that evening, Harry and Ginny agreed to ask if Ron and Hermione would like to be married when they were--if only to be on the safe side. After all, the more love they could muster up, the more they would have to fight with. His two friends looked at each other wordlessly for a long time, mentally debating.

Harry was well aware how much they would prefer to be married on Valentine's Day the following year, but who knew where they would be next year this time--or even if they would all still be among the living? No, if they wanted to do it, it was best that they do it now, and since a wedding was being planned anyway, why not make it a double one? If things worked out for them and they came back in one piece, they could re-marry then ... and even if it wasn't on Valentine's Day, try to make it as close as possible.

Finally their heads lifted to face their friends and Ron spoke. "All right, mate, we'll have a double wedding with you and Ginny."

"Great. I suggest you tell your mum, so she can plan accordingly. Meanwhile, we'd better tuck in before she starts wondering if we decided to stay in our rooms and snog or something."

With that, the two couples left Ron and Hermione's room and went downstairs for their meal. They had better enjoy the meals here while they could, though, because once they left, it might be a long time before they had another one even remotely comparable.

* * * * *

Over dinner, though, all concerned were pleased to learn that Hermione had found a somewhat obscure passage in one of the books that seemed promising. She had showed it to Harry and they had discussed it, agreeing that it had to be referring to their old school (and Voldemort's), Hogwarts, as a likely spot to locate another of the Horcruxes. They knew he had been looking for an artifact from each House, and had found one for every House but Gryffindor.

As far as they knew, that one (the sword from Godric Gryffindor) was safe, having been put under various charms and spells, not to mention armed guard. The one they were looking for now concerned Ravenclaw House ... and Hermione's nose for books had convinced her that it would most likely be found in the school library. The others had learned to respect her hunches over the years, but still couldn't imagine which book she could possibly have in mind.

If Harry went out on a limb, he might have guessed "Hogwarts--A History," which Hermione had loved to quote from ad nauseum over their years there ... but none of them could be sure of anything at the moment. If that's where it turned out the Ravenclaw Horcrux was, and they destroyed it, fine. Until then, they mustn't get their hopes up too high; simply hope for the best. However, they decided that they would all travel to Hogwarts again after the weddings had taken place and the two couples had each had at least a short honeymoon.

It would not be a social call, of course, but serious business, although Harry naturally planned to bring Headmistress Minerva McGonagall up to date on what they had been up to. They had also agreed to postgrad courses, for there were some things in the postgraduate curriculum that would serve them well in the upcoming battle, but they would have to do it via owl post--or at least the vast majority of it, since they would be too far away from the school to stay there on a regular basis as was the norm.

Harry and the others vowed that that would be one of the things they would discuss with McGonagall, how they could manage to supplement their studies even while fighting the Dark Lord. If owl post wasn't possible, perhaps they could suggest another means. Details, of course, would have to wait until they got there, but all agreed that it was what they wanted to do ... and just as soon as they possibly could.

* * * * *

Voldemort was livid. How could it possibly have happened? He had hidden it so well, been so certain that it would never be found! "What do you mean, destroyed?"

"Just that, my Lord," Wormtail reported quietly, submissively, to his angry master, his face looking every bit as rat-like as his animal alter-ego. "The fourth Horcrux placed in the locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin has been destroyed."

"But how? We put it into the traitor Regulus Black's grave in order to throw Potter and the others off the track!"

"I have no idea, my Lord. Just the same, it seems that he--they--have indeed discovered it and destroyed it," Wormtail continued. "Do you wish us to take steps to protect the remaining Horcruxes?"

"You have to ask, Wormtail?" Voldemort's voice was deceptively calm. "Yes, of course! Send as many Death Eaters and dementors as you can to each site and make sure that neither Potter nor any of his companions reaches them, whatever you have to do. I have no intention of allowing them to destroy the other Horcruxes as easily as they destroyed this one."

"It shall be done, my Lord," Wormtail assured him, bowing as best he could with his mis-shapen body and taking his leave.

Once his minion was gone, Voldemort closed his eyes and searched his mind for the essence that was his enemy, now 21-year-old Auror Harry James Potter. Ever since he had killed the latter's parents 20 years ago and was repelled so violently by the spell Lily Potter had used to defend her only child, so much so that he had lost his powers and his original body and was the next thing to dead, they had shared a psychic link, and many times Harry had had horrific visions of what was going on in Voldemort's mind, his scar paining him mightily whenever the Dark Lord was feeling particularly vehement anger or other powerful emotions, particularly since his rebirth seven years ago.

Had it been Harry alone who was after him, Voldemort would have dismissed it as inconsequential--at least publicly--although the prophecy was never far from his mind. Neither of them could survive while the other lived; Harry was the Chosen One destined to kill him. But his nemesis was accompanied by two--no, three
--companions, two of them female ... and if his latest premonition was correct, one of them was Potter's woman, his lover of four years past who had only recently come back into his life. What's more, the woman was the sister of another of his companions, one Ronald Thomas Weasley. The other woman was Weasley's own long-time lover, one Hermione Elizabeth Granger--and all had been students at his own favourite place, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

He had not felt too much from Potter lately, emotions- or thoughts-wise; he suspected that this was mostly due to his Auror training. Just the same, he had had flashes of what he suspected would be Potter's next move against him. Hogwarts School ... the library ... and a specific book entitled "Hogwarts--A History" which had originally belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, the founder of Ravenclaw House and which held yet another piece of his soul--another Horcrux. This discovery was likely due to the Mudblood Granger's penchant for books. He cursed them all with an unspeakably vulgar oath, but reserved his worst for Potter himself.

If Potter and company managed to destroy this one as well despite his precautions, Voldemort knew he would soon be obliged to go after them himself and make an example of them once and for all for having the audacity to think they could defeat him. Him, Voldemort, the greatest Dark wizard of all time! Particularly since the only remaining pieces of his soul would then be found within himself and his faithful snake companion Nagini.

And if the unthinkable happened and Nagini was destroyed as well, Voldemort vowed with every ounce of hatred left in him, that he would do everything he could to take Potter and all three of his companions down with him should they actually manage to mortally wound him. At the very least, he would torture them via the Cruciatus Curse and enjoy watching them writhe and scream in agony, playing with them like a cat would play with a mouse it was preparing to devour.

And this would be before setting the Death Eaters and dementors upon them! Particularly satisfying would be to see Potter's woman writhing and screaming as he tortured her and Potter being forced to watch, frozen by a Body-Bind Spell, unable to do a thing to help her. Either that or seeing her soul sucked out of

her by the dreaded Kiss, if not both. He would not be so easily destroyed by these four arrogant young upstarts--not now, not ever--prophecy or no prophecy!