Harry Potter and the Secret Horcrux

Chapter Eighteen: Book of Secrets

Harry went to bed with his recent quarrel with Ginny fresh on his mind. He should have been thinking about how to destroy the Horcrux. Harry knew that even if he found all Voldemort's Horcruxes he had to destroy them before he could go after the Dark Lord. Still, he couldn't quite get his mind to focus.

The next morning, Harry came down for breakfast feeling fairly confident that he had survived his little adventure without any consequences. It appeared as though Lupin was the only one who had realized he had escaped. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Tonks and Lupin were whispering about something that seemed rather serious. As soon as Tonks spotted Harry she passed him a chilly look.

"I've got to run," she announced in an abnormally loud voice. No doubt, she wanted to alert Lupin to Harry's presences.

Before Harry could respond Tonks quickly Apparated out of sight.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked feeling quite bemused at Tonks's behavior.

Lupin sighed loudly and gave Harry a long glance. "It's none of your concern."

A bubble of anger that had been festering inside Harry's stomach suddenly burst. "I'm sick of that! I have a right to know what's going on. I've already proven my bloody self to you, but you insist on treating me like a child."

"I haven't treated you like a child, Harry," Lupin said in a cool, collected voice.

"You won't tell me what's going on. You tell me I can join the Order, but I'm not allowed to do anything!"

Lupin simply raised his eyebrow. "I find it rather interesting that you expect me to share things with you when you won't even tell me where you went during your little stunt yesterday?"

"I would if you'd give me the chance. Why did Tonks run off? " Harry demanded.

"Perhaps it's because she's helping Cho out of a mess. Moody is upset with her and considering what was at stake yesterday, I don't blame him. It has something do to with her abandoning her assignment to allow Dung to conduct more of his questionable business practices?"

Harry felt a wave of guilt rush over him. It had been his fault that Cho had abandoned her assignment and was now dealing with the wrath of Mad-Eye Moody. His anger deflated slightly.

Lupin continued. "Or she might be rushing off to help Mundungus. He's in quite a predicament after Borgin reported him for trespassing and stealing. He spent last night in Azkaban due to what he says was an 'unfortunate misunderstanding.' We were relying on Mundungus for an important assignment and now he's going to have to lay low for a while. Do you know what 'unfortunate misunderstanding' he's talking about?"

"He's Dung, isn't he? You know how unpredictable he is...probably some bad deal with cauldrons or something," Harry said in a tense voice.

Remus let out a long breath. "Cho said you went off somewhere with 'Dung.' You were the last one to see him, so tell me what happened? Why did you go to Borgin's?"

Harry bit his lip before pulling the golden locket of Slytherin out of his pocket.

Remus squinted and lifted the locket out of Harry's hand to get a better look.

"It's one of his Horcruxes," Harry said slowly. "Dung sold it to Borgin so he helped me get it back. Cho took Dung's watch so that post wouldn't be abandoned while we were gone."

"She's rather worried, Cho," Lupin said in an emotionless tone. "She said you were supposed to return to let her know you were okay, but never did."

Harry grimaced. "I forgot. I was so lost in thought when I had the locket that I just came straight back to Grimmauld Place."

Lupin looked as if he was considering something for a second before handing the locket back to Harry. "You can't keep running off like this, Harry. You put the Order in a very sticky situation and we cannot afford to lose any members. You've read the papers; you know what's going on out there."

"I can take care of myself," Harry said firmly.

"I don't doubt that, but you have to realize that you aren't in this fight alone. Your actions have consequences," Lupin said in a teacher-like voice. "You have to learn to work with those on your side, not against us. This time we can repair the damage, but what if somebody was killed due to your rashness? Do you want that on our conscience?"

Harry felt a chill at Lupin's words. He already had death due to his rashness on his conscience.

Lupin placed a fatherly hand on Harry's shoulder. "Let's talk about this locket over a spot of breakfast."

A week passed and Harry was no closer to destroying it than he had been when he arrived at Borgin and Burke's with the fake locket tucked in his pocket. To add to his problems, Ginny was more of a distraction now that she had taken to completely ignoring him. Harry wasn't sure what he resented more: the fact he was the Chosen One or the fact that Ginny had finally come to terms with it.

He took an angry breath and turned back to the golden locket that was gleaming at him as it lay on the table. Lupin had suggested going through Dumbledore's old files at Hogwarts in case he had any records of how he destroyed Marvolo's ring, but Harry knew the only person who was still alive that would have that information would be Snape.

Snape had helped Dumbledore after the ring had blackened his hand. Professor McGonagall had allowed Lupin to sort through Dumbledore's files, but there was nothing in them that they could use. Most of the files were the Headmaster's personal comments on his students, nothing more.

Ron has suggested putting the locket in a Muggle "micywaver." Hermione had to explain to him that microwaves were used to cook food and putting metal in a microwave was not the safest of plans. Hermione also tried to figure out a clever way of destroying the Horcrux, but her ideas were as unlikely to work as Ron's.

At first she was hopeful she'd find a charm that would repel the evil soul fragment out of the host locket, but she quickly realized that the ritual and incantations were far too difficult to undertake since it required a 'beating goat heart' and had never been attempted successfully.

"Any luck?" Ron asked as he peeked into the drawing room where Harry had taken to hiding.

Harry shook his head as he mindlessly fiddled with the long golden chain of the locket. Ron took a seat next to him and mimicked Harry's actions.

"Cho is looking for you," Ron said flatly.

Harry nodded.

"Avoiding her then?" Ron questioned.

Harry shrugged, "I'm avoiding questions at the moment. The entire Order is trying to piece together what happened, and only Lupin, Cho and Dung know for sure what I did."

Ron grinned. "They still don't know if anything did happen. I mean, Tonks was suspicious when she had to get Dung out of trouble for trespassing at Borgin's, but other than that..."

"They're also suspicious why Cho was at Dung's post," Harry added. "And she and Dung both know that this locket belonged to Slytherin."

"Minor details," Ron said calmly. "Hermione thinks that the key to destroying this Horcrux is somehow prying it open."

Harry frowned. "Remember Dumbledore's hand. Voldemort is no fool; he's made sure that there is a price for destroying his Horcruxes."

Ron nodded and leaned into his hands as he lazily watched the locket with Harry. Harry didn't know what he was hoping for. Maybe he thought it would simply hit him, the answer to destroying the Horcrux that is. He knew it was a ridiculous notion but gut instinct had taken him a long way since he had discovered he was a wizard.

Ron swallowed hard causing Harry to look up at him for a moment. It was apparent that the stress of the situation was a burden that haunted all of those involved, not just Harry. It seemed like it had been a decade since the evening he had spied his two closest friends in a compromised position in the kitchen and he found it odd that the question of what was going on between the two had rarely crossed his mind.

Harry tried to remember if he had seen anything that indicated things were progressing in Ron and Hermione's relationship but his mind came up blank. He had been so preoccupied with the Horcruxes and his fights with Ginny that he hadn't paid Ron and Hermione's behavior towards each other much mind. Suddenly, the issue seemed extremely important.

Harry swallowed hard. "Mind if I ask you something personal, mate?"

Ron shrugged nonchalantly at the request.

"What's going on with you and Hermione?"

The only movement Ron made was a blink and his face seemed to indicate that he was trying to decide on an answer.

Harry smirked. "I saw you two in the kitchen that night."

Ron bolted upright and a twinge of red slipped into his freckled cheeks. "We're just friends, maybe a slight bit more... well...we really haven't had much time to talk about it."

Harry knew exactly what Ron was saying. Things were always more complicated than they should be and he had no doubt that Ron and Hermione's obstructed relationship had found a very familiar limbo.

"You should," Harry said in a low voice.

"Should what?" Ron asked in a very similar tone.

Harry didn't answer Ron's question. Ron grabbed the back of his head in a nervous fashion and stumbled over a few incomprehensible words.

"It doesn't matter; even if we ended up loathing one another we'd still work together to help you with this Horcrux matter," Ron assured in what sounded to Harry like a rehearsed manner.

Harry grimaced. "I wasn't worried about that."

Ron gave a sigh of relief as he continued to look as if something was on the tip of his tongue; instead he scratched his nose then shook his head defiantly.

"Harry, have you ever been in love?" Ron finally asked.

Harry almost coughed on his breath.

"I mean, do you think you know what it's like to..."

"Why?" Harry interrupted feeling as if he were suddenly being pushed into a corner.

Ron seemed to reconsider his words before taking a deep breath. "I just, I mean... It's not like it was with Lavender. I'm not sure what I even felt for Lavender."

"Do you think you're falling in love with Hermione?" Harry asked slowly, feeling somewhat thankful that Ron wasn't asking if he was in love with Ginny.

"No," Ron said softly. "I don't know, maybe?"

"How do you know?" Harry inquired before he could stop himself. He couldn't deny he was curious as to what being in love felt like. Dumbledore had told him he was full of love and that was why Voldemort couldn't touch him for so long. Harry found it rather bizarre that he was so full of something he wasn't sure he even understood.

Ron gave a foolish grin. "I don't know. She's Hermione--drives me mad. It doesn't matter that I know she's going to nag me about my homework or not taking thing seriously enough. I don't even mind that she doesn't understand Quidditch."

Harry swallowed hard and felt a sting of regret course through him. He had no clue what Ron was talking about. How could he fight with someone and not speak to her for weeks and still feel like he might be in love with her?

"Do you think she loves you?" Harry asked as his heart ached in his chest for a reason he just couldn't place.

Ron smirked. "Dunno, she'd probably tell me to sod off if I asked her."

"Right," Harry said, clearing his throat and shifting uncomfortably. Perhaps it had nothing to do with love. Perhaps the Weasleys were just better at understanding the emotion than most. Regardless, Harry knew that this conversation was one he just wasn't ready to have, even if it was with his best mate.

"I'm going to see if Lupin is around. Maybe he's got a new suggestion about the Horcrux," Harry said quickly as he rose to his feet.

He didn't give Ron a chance to respond as he rushed out of the drawing room and into the main living area of the house. Thankfully nobody was around to ask him odd questions. It was times like this he understood how trapped Sirius must have felt. Even when he was at Hogwarts there were more places to wander off alone and hide.

Harry collapsed on the sofa and propped his feet up.

"Focus on the locket," Harry told himself as his mind immediately started to wander.

After a few moments of forced thought he felt his frustration growing. He didn't even know where to begin. His best idea was to throw it into a vat of Basilisk venom since that was how he had destroyed the diary. The only problem was that he had killed the only Basilisk he knew of during his second year at Hogwarts and he didn't think it was likely he was going to find another one. As his mind jumped from one thought to another his eyes grew heavy. Just as he was about to doze off he was startled awake by the sensation of being watched. Harry readjusted his skewed glasses as he saw Cho Chang studying him with an uncertain expression.

"I seem to make a habit out of waking you up," she said in a hesitant voice.

Harry forced a smile. "I guess I don't sleep very well at night these days."

"Did your friend, Ron, tell you I was looking for you?" Cho asked.

"No, he didn't," Harry lied.

"I just wanted to check if you needed any help," Cho said in a quick whisper. "You know, with Slytherin's locket."

"Thanks, Cho, but I don't need any more help with that," Harry responded hoping he didn't sound as harsh as he thought he had. "Got it all figured out."

Cho strained a grin. "I'm glad to hear that, Harry. Listen, if you need any help with the Ministry or the Order--anything."

"I appreciate that."

Cho nodded before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and turning. She paused before glancing over her shoulder one last time. She looked as if she was about to say something but stopped herself, much to Harry's relief. He realized he owed Cho a great deal at the moment. Thanks to her quick thinking he had managed to get the locket back, but he wasn't keen on involving her any further.

Harry stifled a yawn before gathering himself and returning to the drawing room. His previous conversation with Ron seemed like a distant memory. Ron was no longer sitting at the table where Harry had spent so much of his time lately. Also missing was the locket that he had left lying on the table. Harry assumed Ron had taken it with him. He took his usual seat and began trying to think of another plausible solution to destroy the locket.

By the time Harry finally gave up his frantic thinking it was close to dinner. He gave an annoyed moan as he remembered the pile of homework that was waiting for him in the library. He was already behind in his studies but he just couldn't get himself to give attention to his homework when there were more pressing issues to deal with.

Harry made his way down to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley had prepared a pot of stew for the evening meal. He took a seat at the table and Hermione passed him a pitcher of pumpkin juice.

"Thanks," Harry greeted as he poured himself a glass.

Hermione bit her lip nervously and Harry knew she wanted to ask if he had done any of his assignments yet.

"I'll start working on it after dinner," Harry told her, which caused her to shift uncomfortably.

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione said in a low voice so Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear. "You have to start taking your lessons more seriously."

Harry frowned. "I have other things on my mind at the moment."

"Lupin is supposed to be coming by later tonight to meet with Moody," Hermione commented. "Perhaps he's found something."

Harry shrugged. "I just wish I could talk to Dumbledore. I'm sure he had a plan."

Ron stumbled in a moment later looking like he had just awakened from a long nap. He dropped his heavy Transfiguration book on the table and caused some of the pumpkin juice in Harry's goblet to spill out

"This new Transfiguration Professor is worse than McGonagall," Ron groaned.

Hermione smirked. "I don't think she's bad at all. You know they say she used to be an Unspeakable."

"That one is obvious," Ron muttered. "She's more of a nutter than Trelawney."

Harry wasn't interested in the personality of the new Transfiguration professor; in fact, he could care less about what he was supposed to Transfigure at the moment. He tuned out Ron and Hermione's conversation when Mrs. Weasley set a bowl of soup in front of him. He was confident that after dinner, Ron would allow him to copy his Transfiguration essay and Hermione would help him practice whatever spell they were supposed to master.

"Where is Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked, interrupting Harry's train of thought.

"I haven't seen her since this morning," Hermione confessed, "but she had a difficult Potion lesson today so that may be what's been keeping her. She mentioned working on it in the attic so the fumes wouldn't stain the books in the library."

Mrs. Weasley took Harry's empty bowl and asked. "Harry dear, would you mind taking a bowl of stew up to Ginny?"

"No problem," Harry agreed in an edgy voice. He didn't particularly want to confront Ginny but he couldn't tell Mrs. Weasley that.

Mrs. Weasley fixed a nearby tray up with a bowl of stew and a glass of pumpkin juice. Harry glanced at Ron. "I'll meet you in the library."

Harry made his way up the stairs and up to the attic. There was a strange purple fog rolling out from under the attic door. He knocked lightly, but there was no response. He felt a small feeling of trepidation surge through him and he hastily opened the door.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Ginny was standing over her cauldron with her books scattered around the floor. He watched her for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "What are you doing up here?"

Harry frowned at the sharpness of her voice. "Your mum asked me to bring you dinner."

Ginny looked slightly flushed as she approached him and snatched the tray out of his hands. She then glowered at him as if she were daring him to say anything.

"What potion are you working on?" Harry began.

"Don't worry about it," Ginny interrupted him before stashing her books back into her satchel and out of Harry's view. He thought he caught a glimpse of gold when she opened her bag but he didn't pay it much mind.

"Right," Harry said with a note of uncertainty. He turned to leave half hoping she'd tell him not to, but she didn't say anything. He latched the door behind him and made his way back down towards the library. He couldn't blame Ginny for being short with him. He realized he had hurt her, unintentionally of course. He hadn't meant to, and he wouldn't have purposely hurt Ginny for anything. It was ironic that what he wanted more than anything, keeping Ginny safe, was making him this miserable.

Ron and Hermione were sitting close together and laughing in a flirtatious manner when Harry entered the library. They quickly placed some distance between themselves when Harry appeared, which caused him to let out an annoyed breath and roll his eyes.

"Do you want to copy my essay?" Ron asked as he pulled a scroll out of his bag. "Hermione let me use hers so it's correct."

Harry nodded. "While I'm finishing this up you two work on the locket. You do have it?"

Ron frowned suddenly and gave Hermione a puzzled look.

"I left it in the drawing room with you this afternoon," Harry continued. "When I came back you and it were gone."

"I don't have it, mate," Ron confessed. "I left it on the table when I went to the loo. I was only gone for a bit."

"You left it?" Harry asked feeling rather panicked.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I was only going to gone for a minute. I came back and saw you had returned but you didn't look as if you wanted to be bothered."

"I don't have it," Harry said in strained tone. "It wasn't on the table."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, which seemed rather thick to Harry since what he had said was fairly straightforward.

Harry raced out of the library and into the drawing room without a moment of hesitation. He searched under the table and along the shelves. It wasn't until he was quite positive that the locket was not in there that he noticed Ron and Hermione were also searching.

"There has to be an explanation. Maybe somebody picked it up," Hermione tried.

Ron looked abashed. "I was only gone for a minute."

Harry had an ominous expression on his face as he suddenly wondered if the locket had been stolen. There had been traitors in the Order before. What if Voldemort knew that Borgin had the locket and when Harry stole it, he sent one of his Death Eaters to get it back.

"Somebody must have been watching," Harry said darkly. "Just waiting for one of us to leave it unattended."

"I didn't mean for somebody to steal it," Ron defended. "I just didn't think you'd want me taking it to the loo with me."

Hermione folded her arms across her chest. "Ron, he isn't accusing you. I promise there has to be a rational explanation. We're in the safest place we could possibly be. Who would steal it?"

"There have been traitors in the Order before, Hermione," Harry snapped, feeling rather irritated at her rational tone of voice.

"Maybe Lupin came in and got it. Maybe he found a way of destroying the Horcrux," Ron said hopefully.

Harry groaned. "He would have told us! He wouldn't have just taken it!"

"Unless destroying it was dangerous and he didn't want us involved," Hermione added.

Harry took a nearby chair and flung it across the room in frustration. It smashed loudly into the wall, causing Hermione to let out a small cry.

"Throwing chairs isn't going to help us find it," Hermione scowled a moment later.

"Maybe Kreacher came and nicked it," Ron suggested. "He was always trying to stash things so we couldn't get rid of them."

Harry cut his eyes towards Ron. "Kreacher is at Hogwarts. I'm telling you guys somebody has taken it. If Voldemort gets his hands on that locket, if he discovers that I know..."

"We'll find it, Harry," Hermione said firmly. "If Voldemort knew Borgin had it he wouldn't have left it in that shop."

Harry knew Hermione was probably right. From what he had heard from Lupin, Borgin hadn't even realized that Dung had switched the lockets. Maybe Lupin had taken it. It wouldn't have surprised Harry if Lupin had tried to protect him by destroying the locket without him. Dumbledore's hand was proof enough that destroying Horcruxes was a nasty business.

"Let's split up," Hermione suggested. "We'll search the house to see if it's just been misplaced."

"Hermione, I left it right here on this table. Unless Ron was sleeping walking I don't see how it could be misplaced..." Harry started to argue.

Just as the words escaped him something hit him. At first he thought he was just being paranoid. There was no way she would do something so foolish, but he quickly remembered that Ginny Weasley had a mind of her own.

"I'll start with the upstairs. You guys comb the rest of the house," Harry said, suddenly changing his mind.

He didn't wait for Ron or Hermione to ask him any questions. He made a dash straight up the stairs and back into the attic as quickly as he could. He didn't even bother knocking as he flung the door open. To his relief Ginny was sitting on the floor reading the silver-covered book by R.A. Black.