The Hunt Begins

A group of chickens was peacefully eating their morning corn when they were rudely scattered by two young men too engrossed in conversation to notice where they were walking.

"I can't believe she talked me into coming here!"

"Mum isn't easy to resist, mate. Don't worry about it. We won't waste any time while we're here. There's a lot of planning to do," consoled Ron.

"I guess you're right. There's no sense in rushing off when I have no idea where I should go. When will Hermione get here?" Harry asked.

Ron blushed at the mention of their friend.

"She's going to visit her parents for a few days before joining us," he replied.

"Good. We'll need her," said Harry as they walked up to the Burrow's kitchen door.

As they came through the door, the Ron and Harry were consumed in one of Molly's famous bear hugs.

"Oh, you're here! Come and get a bite to eat before we go to headquarters. We have a meeting in an hour. I still don't like the idea of you two coming to the meeting, but Moody seems to think it's necessary. Just put your trunks over there. You can take them up after you've had a bite," rambled Molly.

Ron and Harry obediently sat down at the scrubbed table as Molly conjured snacks and pumpkin juice. They ate enough to please Molly then excused themselves. The whole house seemed to shake as they dragged their trunks up the rickety stairs. Harry was thankful for the reliable magic that undoubtedly held the Burrow together. He'd be nervous that the whole house would fall on their heads without it.

Once they reached the privacy of Ron's room, the two plopped down on their beds. Harry had been at the Burrow so often that he graduated from a camp-bed to a real mattress. They could have moved into the twins' room, but they were happy in the isolated top room of the house. They laid there for a bit trying to digest their snack while contemplating the impending Order meeting.

After a bit, they heard Molly's voice from the stairwell.

"Boys! It's time to go."

Ron and Harry charged down the stairs to find Arthur and Molly waiting in the kitchen. There was an old jug sitting on the table. Harry and Ron knew what to do.

"On the count of three. One, two, three."

Everyone felt the familiar tug behind their navels as the Portkey transported them to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. They landed with a small thud in entryway of the house. Ron gave a small yelp as Harry landed on his foot.

"Sorry, Mum," whispered Ron as he braced for Mrs. Black's screams.

Arthur and Molly grinned at the amazed looks on the faces of Harry and Ron.

"Remus finally got that blasted portrait down," explained Arthur.

"He was so upset after Dumbledore's funeral," continued Molly. "When she started up again, Remus just flew into a rage. He started flinging spell after spell at her and actually got her loose. After that, it was a piece of cake to finish the job."

"I wish I could have seen that!" said Ron.

"Me too!" agreed Harry. "It must have really shocked Mrs. Black that a werewolf was the one to finally get rid of her."

"Oh yes!" exclaimed Arthur. "She really let us have it once she knew she was going down. I can't repeat most of what she said in respectable company."

Molly and Arthur then turned and went into the kitchen before Ron and Harry could try to convince Arthur to repeat it anyway.

The kitchen was almost full of Order members when Ron and Harry entered. Mad-Eye waited until the new arrivals found places to settle then addressed the group.

"All right," he began. "First of all, I would like to commend everyone for staying vigilant and not falling to pieces because of Dumbledore's death. He still has plans for us and I have no doubt that we can still bring Voldemort down. We haven't seen much movement in Voldemort's camp since that terrible night at Hogwarts. I think his plans are changing since he's rid of Dumbledore. Does anyone have any ideas?"

"I agree with you, Moody," said Kingsley. "The one wizard he knew could resist him is out of his way. He probably assumes we are lost without Dumbledore. And I think he will grossly underestimate us because of it."

The rest of the room murmured their concurrence as Kingsley sat back down.

"Since we have lost our inside operative, there is really no way to know for sure where Voldemort will strike next," observed Remus.

Harry clenched his hands as he thought of his former Potions Master. He felt his stomach churning in anger as he tried not losing focus on the meeting taking place. He knew he was lucky to be included in the Order meeting and did not want an outburst to ruin it. He calmed himself and stepped away from the wall he was leaning on.

"I have an idea," proposed Harry.

"Let's hear it," responded Mad-Eye.

"I would like to look around Professor Dumbledore's office. He taught me a lot this past year and there are things that we started that I have to finish. I need to work out what I have to do next."

The room stayed silent for a minute while everyone considered what he had said. Harry felt Molly bristle protectively beside him. Remus obviously wanted to say something but kept closing his mouth every time he opened it to speak. Moody's magical eye was oddly still staring at Harry as if trying to see inside his head. Just as the tension was getting as much as Harry could bear, Professor McGonagall stood up.

"I'll take you to Professor Dumbledore's office, Harry. I haven't changed anything in there. You're free to spend as long as you want there."

Everyone in the room seemed to exhale simultaneously. Harry gave a small smile at Professor McGonagall and reclaimed his place against the wall next to Ron.

After the meeting, Professor McGonagall had instructed Harry and Ron to be at the school gates at nine o'clock the next morning. Harry and Ron decided to head back to the Burrow before their good luck ran out.

Back at the Burrow, Ron and Harry sat in their room and marveled at their good fortune.

"I didn't think there was any way they would let me in there," confessed Harry. "I had a speech all ready in case they refused."

"And a plan to get in there, I bet, if they had denied you," guessed Ron.

Harry looked over at his friend. Ron knew him too well.

"Well, yeah, but we don't have to worry about that now," answered Harry.

"What do you think you're going to find?" asked Ron.

"I don't know. A clue...inspiration...anything. It would be just like Dumbledore to leave something behind to help me."

It took them forever to fall asleep that night. They had only gotten a couple hours of sleep before Molly was banging on the door to wake them up.

Harry and Ron walked slowly up the road from Hogsmeade to the gates of Hogwarts. As much as Harry wanted to finish the horrible tasks before him, the thought of going into Dumbledore's office filled Harry with a sense of dread. One part of him longed to remember his mentor and be among his things. The other part wanted to protect him from the hurt that would go along with the memories.

As they approached the gates, Ron and Harry saw Professor McGonagall waiting for them. She pulled her wand from beneath her emerald green robes and softly muttered an incantation that made the gates swing open just enough to let the two in.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning, Professor," responded Ron and Harry simultaneously.

There wasn't really anything else to say so Professor McGonagall turned and led the way up to the school. Ron and Harry had to pick up their pace to keep up with her and before they knew it, they were standing in front of the gargoyle that protected the entrance to the Headmaster's Office.

"Sherbert Lemon," uttered McGonagall.

Once they reached the office, Professor McGonagall ushered Ron and Harry in ahead of her. She lingered at the door as her eyes swept the room pausing on the things that held the dearest memories for her.

"Good luck, boys," she said thickly. "Let me know if you need anything."

With that, she closed the door and Harry and Ron were left alone in the expansive office. They just took their own paths around the office as they adjusted to being there. Harry finally took a seat at the desk and sighed heavily.

"You alright, Harry?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, I'm fine," answered Harry unconvincingly.

With one more sigh, he began to shift through the parchments that were out on the desk. Most were letters from the Magic of Ministry or the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Harry got bored with those rather quickly.

He stood up and joined Ron in moving about the office. He paused at one of the spindly leg tables that still held Dumbledore's instruments. One caught his eye and his memory.

"Hey Ron!" he called. "Remember the night your Dad was bitten by the snake?"

"Of course," Ron answered. "What about it?"

"Professor Dumbledore had taken this instrument out and had asked it a question," responded Harry.

"That's right! He mumbled something about 'in essence divided'," remembered Ron.

"The smoke had formed a snake. In one of my sessions with him, Dumbledore thought that Voldemort's snake might be one of the Horcruxes."

"Of course it is," moaned Ron. "It couldn't be something safe and boring like the ring or necklace. No. It's got fangs and can crush us to death. No problem!"

"Dumbledore had theories about the other Horcruxes, but I think this is the one we can find the quickest. Let's concentrate on Voldemort's snake first," decided Harry.

Harry and Ron got back to the Burrow as quickly as they could. They thanked Professor McGonagall as she walked them back to the gates. They didn't share what they found, only that their time had been extremely helpful. She ushered the two through the gates with a promise that they could always return if they needed to do so.

Ron grabbed a piece of parchment and scrawled a message to Hermione to get to the Burrow as soon as she could. He hinted that they had made an interesting discovery to ensure her prompt arrival. Harry suggested that they use Hedwig since Pig would attract far too much attention.

Once Hegwig's snowy wings had carried her out of sight, Harry began pacing again in the kitchen of the Burrow. Now all they had to work out was how to kill Voldemort's snake without actually running into its owner himself.

Neither Ron nor Harry could come up with any reasonable plans that evening and decided to wait for Hermione's arrival. They couldn't wait to tell her what they discovered. Ron was just ready for Hermione's arrival, news or not. He didn't like her being away one bit.

The next morning, Ron and Harry slept in since they had spent most of the night awake and thinking. They got dressed and went down to the kitchen to try and find leftovers from breakfast. They arrived to find Hermione and Ginny sitting at the table speculating on this big news that the boys had.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Ron as he quickly ran his fingers through his still messy hair.

"Nice of you to join the land of the living," teased Ginny.

"Yeah, thanks," said Harry as he landed a kiss on top of Ginny's head.

Ron and Hermione were staring at each other taking in each other's appearance when Ginny cleared her throat and asked, "You two want breakfast? Or I suppose we're closer to lunch now."

They jumped at the interruption and Ron responded, "Erm, thanks Gin. That would be great."

Ginny got up to gather sandwich makings for lunch while Hermione brought up the topic that had brought her there.

"What did you guys find?"

"Voldemort's snake is one the Horcruxes," stated Harry. "We've decided to go after it first."

Ginny dropped a plate on the floor at this statement. After what happened to her in the Chamber of Secrets, she was not a big fan of snakes anymore. Hermione just sat there for a minute turning Harry's statement over in her mind.

"Okay," responded Hermione. "Now how are we going to get to the snake without getting too close to Voldemort?"

"That's where we're stuck," admitted Harry. "I have no idea where the snake is. We just have to hope it leaves Voldemort's side every once in a while."

"Where would Voldemort be hiding?" pondered Hermione, more thinking out loud than asking.

"I don't think he's out of the country," guessed Harry.

"No, I don't think so either," agreed Hermione. "We need to think of something he is connected to."

The four fell silent as they thought about anything that might be a link to Voldemort. Ginny resumed making sandwiches. She always thought well when her hands were busy. She was setting down a tray of sandwiches on the table when it came to her.

"The graveyard! Harry, didn't you say that it was his father's grave that you were tied to the night he came back?"

"Yeah, it was," answered Harry as his mind started bringing back images of that night.

"Well, if we find that graveyard, maybe Voldemort will be close by," theorized Hermione.

"Well, it's a start," said Ron. "How do we find the graveyard?"

"I just need to find the Muggle records of his father," answered Hermione. "Hopefully, they'll have his burial information."

"All right," exclaimed Harry. "Let's get going!"

"Can we finish lunch first?" asked Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" exclaimed Ginny and Hermione.

Hermione went off that afternoon to find the senior Riddle's information. Ginny disappeared for a while leaving Ron and Harry to pass the time on their own. Neither could sit still so they decided to degnome the garden. They reckoned anything to get in good with Molly would be helpful. They were pretty sure she'd hang them up by their toenails if she had any idea what they were about to do.

A few hours later, Ron and Harry were tired and sweaty from their work. Ginny was back in the house again helping Molly prepare dinner.

Hermione returned just before dinner was ready with the characteristic gleam that she had in her eye when she had discovered something.

The four of them ate dinner quickly while trying not to draw Molly's attention. As soon as they were done, they excused themselves and casually started up the stairs. Once they were out of sight, they sprinted the rest of the way up to Ron's room.

As soon as Ron closed the door Hermione launched into her story.

"I found out where Tom Riddle, Sr. is buried! But that's not all. The house that he lived in, the man working in the Records Department called it the Riddle House, is still standing and has been vacant for years. People have been scared of it since Voldemort killed his Dad there. It would be a perfect place to hide out. It's in a town called Little Hangleton," reported Hermione in what seemed like one breath.

"Okay," replied a stunned Harry. "Okay, well, we know where we need to go."

It was almost like no one had expected to find that much information so quickly. They all sat frozen afraid of what had to be their next move.

Ron finally found his voice and said, "I guess we should keep watch on the house."

"Yeah, can everyone be ready to go in the morning?" asked Harry.

Everyone murmured their consent. They were finding it hard to find their voices now that this frightening path was laid in front of them. Hermione and Ginny left to go to Ginny's room to pack. Ron and Harry moved silently around their room as they gathered their things.

The next morning, everyone got up early and silently descended the stairs. Ron left a note for Molly and Arthur with just enough information to hopefully keep them from panicking at their absence. They snuck out to the garage where Arthur's newly acquired 1963 Ford Cortina was parked. He hadn't even had time to tinker with it so it was still safe to drive. Hermione walked up to the hood of the car and applied a Silencing Spell while the rest put their bags in the boot and loaded into the car. Hermione sat down behind the wheel and took a deep breath.

"You sure you know how to drive this thing?" asked Ron apprehensively.

"I've passed my test, Ron," she retorted. Her answer did little to convince anyone in the car including Hermione herself.

"We've got no other choice," reminded Harry. "Ginny can't Apparate and Hermione can't make it that far on broomstick. Let's just get going."

Hermione unfolded her map and laid it on the seat before tapping the ignition with her wand. They felt the vibration of the car underneath them but Hermione's Silencing Spell had done the trick. They couldn't hear a thing. Hermione backed carefully out of the garage. Once that was accomplished without incident, everyone felt a little better. Hermione put the car in gear and they disappeared down the gravel road.

Almost three hours later, the Ford arrived in Newcastle with four very tense occupants inside. Hermione had done reasonably well on the drive but had been honked at a lot for driving just under the speed limit the entire time they were on the Motorway. They decided to stop at a small restaurant just south of town to unwind before the next leg of their journey.

Hermione pulled out a camping brochure and laid it out on the table.

"There's a campsite just a couple of miles south of Little Hangleton," Hermione pointed out. "We can park the car there and walk the rest of the way. No one will suspect anything when we walk into the woods and disappear for a couple of days. Then we just have to locate Riddle House."

"Easier said than done," remarked Ginny.

"It's a small village," said Harry. "We shouldn't have a problem finding out where it is. Hopefully, they'll just assume we're thrill seekers wanting to get close to a haunted house."

Just then the waitress walked up to take their drink orders and give them menus. As they looked over the selection of food, the group realized just how hungry they were. They ordered enough food to feed a small army and sat in silence sipping their drinks. They all had their own worries about the task that dominated their minds.

Once the food arrived, the four ate like they had been starving for a month. The mood lightened a bit as their stomachs filled. Hermione and Ginny quickly realized they wouldn't have a chance at finishing their meals. The boys, however, just kept eating and eating.

"You two are going to make yourselves sick," Hermione said.

Ron groaned, "I think I already have."

The waitress returned to the table with the bill. Harry picked it up and suddenly realized that he had no Muggle money. Hermione could see the panic in his eyes and grinned as she took it from Harry and pulled out her parents' credit card. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and spent the next few minutes explaining credit cards to Ginny and Ron who thought the whole concept was ludicrous.

Back in the car, the group headed to the campsite. Ron continued to groan and hold his stomach the whole way. The entrance consisted of a very small booth and an ancient looking gate. The man in the booth looked up casually as Hermione rolled down her window.

"We'd like to camp here for a few nights, please," said Hermione.

"Okay," said the man as he pulled a clipboard out and handed it to Hermione. "Just fill out your name and address there. It'll be five pounds a night."

Hermione took the clipboard and signed her name as Jane Smith. She took a twenty pound note from her purse and clipped it to the board before handing it back out the window.

"All right, Miss Smith, you have a good time. You'll be at campsite number seven. If you follow this road, you'll find it just after the second curve. Here's a copy of the site rules. Make sure to read them so you'll know where the toilets and rubbish bins are."

He then walked over to open the gate and waved them through. They found their place easily and parked under a large tree at the edge of the site. Everyone just sat for a minute. No one really wanted to get out and start their hike. Eventually, Ginny sighed in exasperation and opened her door. Everyone else followed her lead and got out of the car as well.

Once everyone had their bags, Hermione handed each person a big bottle of water. Harry just shook his head at how she was the one to think of everything. He felt lucky to have her on his side.

Hermione took out her wand and map. She used the Four-Point Spell that she had found for Harry to use in the Triwizard maze. After considering the map for a moment, she pointed toward the Northeast and started walking.

The group trudged along for almost an hour when the trees thinned and they came out on the edge of a small village. Little houses lined a dirt road that they followed until they came to what seemed to be the main street of the village. They received curious glances as they looked around to find a suitable person to question. They spotted a pub and decided that would be their best option.

Once inside, the group surveyed their surroundings. It was definitely the smallest pub they'd ever seen, but it was clean and cozy with glowing brass fixtures and well polished dark wood. They walked up to the landlord who had been eyeing them since they walked in.

The landlord asked, "Now you four are a bit young for a drink, aren't you?"

Hermione walked up to him and answered, "Oh, it's ok. We only wanted a soft drink and to sit down for a bit, if that's alright?"

"A soft drink I can get for you," said the landlord with a wink.

The group sat down at a table as Ron waited at the bar for their drinks. The landlord opened four bottles and poured them into glasses. As he was setting the glasses on a tray, Hermione ventured a question.

"Do you know a lot about this village?"

"I've lived here all my life. What would you like to know?"

"Have you ever heard of the Riddle House?" she asked.

The landlord's arm froze in the middle of putting down Ginny's drink. His face turned pale and his eyes were wide as he stared at Hermione.

"Wh-Why do you want to know?" he stammered.

"We just heard it was haunted and wanted to see it for ourselves," answered Hermione trying to stay as casual as possible.

"It ain't haunted Missy, but you'd be smart if you just forgot about that place. Bad things happen around there."

With that, the barman hurried away leaving the group with no more information than they had when they entered. They finished their drinks, left their money on the table and went back outside. As they looked up and down the street, they noticed a man leaving the pub that they had not seen while they were in there. He made eye contact with Harry and motioned for the group to follow him.

They followed the man up the street a little way. He stopped after a couple of minutes and waited for the four to catch up with him. They looked at him anxiously as he checked his surroundings for any unwanted listeners.

"You really want to see the Riddle House?" he asked.

"Yes, we do," answered Harry.

"OK. Just continue up this road until you see a gravel road branch off to the left. Take that road and it will lead you to the gates of the house. Go right off the road along the fence and you'll find a gap about 500 yards away. Just be careful. There are a lot of strange things happening around there."

"Why are you so willing to tell us this?" asked Ginny as she eyed the stranger suspiciously.

"Ah! Most of the people around here are so wound up about that place. No sense in having you wander around town working everyone up about it. Just go get your thrills and get it out of your system," he answered.

Hermione led the foursome up the road and called back over her shoulder, "Well, thanks for your help."

"No problem. Have fun!" he called, completely unaware of what was in store for his new acquaintances.

They easily found the gap in the fence and went through it one by one. Once on the other side, the group walked as silently as they could through the trees hoping to find the house but nothing and nobody else.

Hermione saw the outline of the house first through the trees. She stopped in her tracks and she tried to slow her racing heart. Ginny and the guys continued a few steps before they noticed.

When they came back to her, Hermione whispered, "There it is."

The rest of the group followed Hermione's sightline and saw the Riddle House for themselves. They stayed as close to trees as they could as they walked up to the edge of the woods.

The house did look rather frightening. It was an imposing stone structure with massive columns. It almost looked black from the years of grime that had been allowed to take over. Its position on top of the hill gave the foursome the feeling that they were being watched. Despite its neglected appearance, Harry could tell that the house had been used recently. A path had been worn through the dirt and grime on the steps leading up to the front door. There was also an air about the place that indicated life inside.

They moved back into the woods and found a very small clearing inside a clump of trees. It was sheltered enough that the group felt protected. Ron pulled out a pup tent that Harry recognized from the Quidditch World Cup. He could see the patches and mending that Molly had done to fix the damage from that night. After struggling for about half an hour, the boys managed to get it set up.

Ron began to pile leaves and branches on the tent in an effort to camouflage it just in case anyone stumbled into their clearing. Ginny and Hermione got settled in the tent until the boys were done. Then they all sat down at the table to plan.

"I'll take the first watch tonight," offered Harry. "I won't be able to sleep anyway. You lot get some rest."

Hermione nodded as she pulled a piece of parchment. She started writing out a schedule for the next couple of days. Harry and Ron just rolled their eyes. They knew it would make her feel better to do it.

Once the backpacks were emptied and they had eaten a small supper, the group got ready for the first watch. Hermione rigged a light that would stay in the tent. It would be triggered when any of them tapped their wands three times in quick succession. That way they would know if the person on duty needed help.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny laid down on their camp-beds and tried to get comfortable while Harry made his way back to the edge of the forest. It was almost dark when Harry got himself settled. He tried to watch as many windows as he could at one time. He could have sworn he saw the curtains shift a couple times as if someone had walked past them. Around midnight he even spotted a Death Eater entering the house and another one leave. They Apparated or Disapparated on the lawn outside the house on the same spot.

Around two in the morning Ron joined Harry. Harry disclosed what little he had seen to Ron before he headed back to the tent. He found Ginny and Hermione fast asleep on their camp-beds and took a minute to look at Ginny's face as she slept. He marveled how peaceful and beautiful she looked when she was asleep. Finally, his fatigue seemed to sweep over him and he collapsed on his bed to fall into the deepest sleep he had had for weeks.

When he woke, the tent was still quiet. Ron was asleep on his bed and Hermione was reading at the table. Harry got up and had to stretch considerably after sleeping on the uncomfortable camp-bed. As he did so, Hermione looked up and grinned at her friend. She motioned to the plate of food sitting at the other end of the table and got up to get him a glass of water.

Harry sat down and nibbled at some crackers. He didn't have much of an appetite but knew he had to force some food down. Hermione quietly relayed the details of Ron's watch. He had noticed some movement along the ground just at the beginning of the sunrise but couldn't tell what it was. Other than that, he did not see anything that might help.

Hermione checked her watch and sighed. It was time for her shift. She gave Harry a squeeze on the shoulder before she left the tent.

Harry paced up and down the length of the tent for a while. He was impatient for Ron to wake up and give him a more precise location of the movement he saw. He looked at Hermione's book to see if it would offer any distraction but it was just an advanced Ancient Runes textbook.

"You don't want to read that, mate."

Harry jumped at Ron's unexpected comment. But he was glad that Ron was finally awake.

Ron began to describe where he had seen the movement in the grass when Ginny entered the tent and headed for the table.

"How'd it go?" asked Harry.

"Fine. Nothing really to report," she responded as she sat down and started slathering crackers with peanut butter.

"Did you see anything?" Harry asked.

"No," she reported. "Not even a hint of activity. Of course, I would expect that for the middle of the day."

"I'm ready for nightfall. I want to see if I can recognize any of the Death Eaters that going back and forth," said Harry. "I'm going to stay until dawn to see if I can find the same movement that Ron did."

"We can move the watch point so you can see it better," offered Ron.

"Good idea!"

The three spent the rest of the afternoon talking. Ginny started to get sleepy so she lay down while the boys fixed a simple supper. Around dusk, Harry made his way out to the watch point. Hermione had her wand out looking back at him as he approached. Once she could see him, she returned her gaze to the house.

"Anything?" Harry whispered.

"Nope," answered Hermione. "I haven't seen a thing. I'm glad you're here. I'm getting terribly sleepy."

"Go to bed, then. I'll see you in a few hours."

"I think I will. Be careful, Harry."

Harry settled into the little nook that was beginning to form where they were keeping their watch. He could see bits of movement here and there as he had the night before. Around midnight, there were a couple of Death Eaters who Apparated on the lawn. He was pretty sure the same two came back out to Disapparate soon after.

Ron joined him a couple of hours later. They moved nearer to the spot where Ron had seen the snake-like movement the previous morning. They settled into their new surveillance spot and anxiously waited for dawn.

Harry's eagerness soon wore him out. He was fighting the urge to drowse when Ron bumped him with his elbow.

"Look!" Ron whispered as he pointed to some movement beside the house.

Harry and Ron followed the movement as its maker moved toward the forest. As it got closer, Harry started to pick up sounds coming from it.

"Ssssssssssso hungry," Harry heard.

He froze and strained his ears to hear more. They watched as Nagini emerged from the grass and made her way into the forest. Soon she was out of their sight. Harry could hardly keep still in his excitement. They had found her! He and Ron stayed and watched for her return. Sure enough, Nagini made her way back toward the house an hour later.

"Let's go back," Harry whispered. "We need to make a plan."

Ron and Harry found both girls asleep on their cots. They were too keyed up to lay down themselves so they sat down at the table and impatiently waited for the girls to wake.

When the sun had properly risen, the light coming into the tent caused the girls to begin to stir. The guys took this as a good sign and began to make a bit of noise around the tent to ensure they would get up sooner rather than later. It didn't take long.

"For goodness sake! What are you boys doing?" whined Ginny as she pulled her blanket over her head.

"Oh! Are you awake?" asked Harry.

"We are now!" complained Hermione.

"Good. We have news!" declared Harry.

All of a sudden, both girls were completely alert. They both jumped up from their beds and joined the boys at the table.

"We saw Nagini," Harry reported. "If the last two mornings are any indication, she leaves the house to eat every morning just before dawn."

"Hmmm," responded Hermione.

"What?" demanded Ron.

"She shouldn't have to eat every day. Snakes can usually wait a few days between feedings."

"Well, I heard her this morning. She was hungry," answered Harry.

"Maybe she needs to eat more since she's carrying part of a human soul inside of her," proposed Ginny.

"Maybe," said Hermione still sounding unsure.

"Well, that's all we've got," snapped Harry.

There was an awkward silence for a minute before Hermione broke the tension.

"I'm sorry, Harry. It's a good lead. Really. Why don't you two sleep for a little bit and then we'll get a plan together for tomorrow morning."

Harry grudgingly nodded his head as he stood and walked over to his cot. Ron laid down too while the girls whispered to each other and began to eat some breakfast. The last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was Ginny looking over at him with a look of concern and affection.

The guys must have been more tired than they realized. It was dark when they woke. Harry sat up quickly in his cot and looked around. Both Hermione and Ginny were reading at the table. Ron was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Wow! You're finally up!" commented Hermione. "I guess the past few days finally caught up you."

"Probably," responded Ron.

"Everyone ready to make a plan?" asked Harry.

"Let's do it," answered Ginny.

The four sat at the table and planned where they would position themselves for the capture. Ron and Harry planned to execute the attack with Hermione and Ginny backing them up. They didn't know if Nagini would be immune to magic. A manual capture and kill would be the most sound approach even if was the most dangerous as well.

Hermione and Ginny tried to get some sleep before dawn but they weren't as lucky as Ron and Harry. Sleep evaded them as their minds kept going over their task.

Before they knew it, it was time to go out into the forest. They had brought long metal poles with tines on the end to hopefully keep Nagini from getting within striking distance. They had also brought a large machete to hopefully remove her head from her body. Ginny changed clothes as Hermione shakily gathered their tools.

Ron walked over and put his hand on Hermione's. He didn't like to see her so scared and vulnerable. Ginny came out from behind the partition to find Ron and Hermione looking into each other eyes. She quickly grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him out of the tent. She didn't want anything to distract them from what she hoped might be happening.

Maybe it was the fact that they were about to risk their lives. Maybe it was just time. Ron let his eyes remain on Hermione's. Looking in her eyes was like looking into shattered glass. He could see all of the different reflections of himself. He saw the brave part of himself, the awkward, the impatient, the humorous, the loyal, the stubborn, every good and bad part reflected back at him. It was all there in her eyes. She could see it all. And she loved him. Every part of him.

"I love you, Hermione."

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. She had waited so long for that statement. Now he had finally said it. She found her strength doubled and her fears diminished as she accepted his love.

"I love you, too, Ron. Very much."

Harry and Ginny had been pacing outside the tent for a few minutes. They didn't want to interrupt but it was time to get going. Ginny took a deep breath and peeked inside the tent. As soon as she poked her head in, she quickly came back out blushing furiously. She did not need to see her brother snogging like that. It was embarrassing. Harry tried not to laugh at Ginny's awkwardness and cleared his throat rather loudly. Ron and Hermione must have gotten the hint because they came out of the tent pretty quickly.

"Well, um, you guys ready to go?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," they answered simultaneously.

The group trudged through the forest and the reality of their task started weighing upon them. They came to area where they had spotted Nagini.

Harry and Ginny would take up position on one side of Nagini's previous path. Ron and Hermione would be on the other side. They didn't want to leave their scent on the path. So Hermione took out her wand, pointed it at Harry and said, "Locomotor Corpus."

Harry rose up in the air and Hermione moved him to the other side of the path. She repeated the spell on Ginny and placed her next to Harry. All four of them hid and waited hopefully for Nagini's arrival.

They did not have to wait long. In the quiet of the early morning, Harry heard the snake approaching.

"Ssssssssssssso hungry. Sssssssssssssso weak," she hissed.

Harry's heart started pounding in his chest. He squeezed Ginny's hand and gave the signal to Ron and Hermione to let them know she was coming. Harry turned his head to the left and saw her coming closer. Just as she had passed group, Harry and Ron jumped out. Ron was wielding the stake and managed to put it through Nagini's tail. Now she was pinned to the ground but still had a large range in which she could strike. Harry had been ready to strike with the machete but had to dive quickly to avoid being bitten.

Hermione took her chance while Nagini was focused on Harry. She tried to place her stake in the upper part of Nagini and fully pin her down. But she missed and narrowly avoided being bitten herself. Then it was Ginny's turn to strike. But Nagini was ready for another attack. She whipped around, knocked the stake out of Ginny's hand and sank her fangs into her lower leg.

Time stood still as Harry got back on his feet just in time to see Ginny bitten. He rushed to Ginny and hit Nagini with the machete just below her head.

A horrific shriek and an eerie green light shot from Nagini's severed head. Then the sound and light seemed to implode upon itself and disappear.

Once the shock had worn off, Ginny looked down at Nagini's head still attached to her leg and almost fainted. Harry was there to steady her.

"Ginny? Oh my! Let's get you back to the tent," Hermione stammered.

"No," muttered Ginny. "I'm okay."

"Gin, you've been bitten. We need to get you help," pleaded Ron.

"I know. Really, I'm okay," insisted Ginny. "Just let me sit down."

As Ginny sat down, she again laid eyes on the gruesome snake head that was still attached to her leg.

"Will someone please get that off," she pleaded.

Ron and Harry looked at each other with the same look. Neither one really wanted to touch it. But finally, Harry took a deep breath and pulled the snake's mouth apart until it came free. As soon as it hit the ground, Ron kicked it as hard as he could.

Ginny pulled up the leg of her jeans. Ron, Hermione and Harry were all holding their breath as they waited to see the wound. But all they saw were some ugly green boots with the words "Snake Gardz" imprinted on the side. Harry exhaled and put his face in his hands. Ron and Hermione leaned over to see what Harry saw and almost collapsed from relief.

"I found them in all the Muggle stuff in Dad's garage," Ginny explained. "I didn't think they'd actually work. Especially since whoever made them can't spell."

"So that's what you were doing in the garage before we left," said Ron.

"Yeah, you're not mad at me, are you?" asked Ginny.

"No, we're just glad you're okay," answered Hermione.

"Harry, I don't like hanging around. D'you think we can get the hell out of here?" asked Ron as he looked around nervously.

"Definitely," agreed Harry. "Let's get packed up and out of here. They might come looking for Nagini and I don't want to be here when they do."

Harry took Ginny's hand to pull her up and continued to hold it all the way back to the campsite. The four of them got the tent down in no time. They walked as quickly as they could through the woods. They passed through the fence and back into Little Hangleton. As they passed by the pub, their new friend came out of the door.

"So did you get your wits scared out of you?" he asked.

They looked at each other with knowing looks.

"Absolutely!" answered Ron.

"Never been more scared in my life," replied Harry tightening his hand around Ginny's.

"Since you managed to stay in there as long as you did, I reckon you can survive anything. You kids take care and visit again soon."

"Thanks for all of your help," replied Hermione. "Good bye!"

As they began their hike back to the car, Harry thought about what their Little Hangleton friend had said. And he agreed with him.

He would survive.