Daisy Potter and the Fallen Angel (Book 7, Harry Potter ff)

Chapter 22 - Basilisk Venom

"But it was a Patronus!" Terry said. "Couldn't you see who was casting it? Didn't you see anyone?"

"No, we didn't see anyone!" I said.

We were explaining to Terry, George, and Lee what had just gone down, back in the tent soaking wet, and our emotions were incredibly heightened. Fred's eyes were no longer leaking, but they were still too bright, and I was feeling a strange emptiness inside me ever since the Horcrux had been destroyed. The boys had just been woken up, and were confused, messy, and wide-eyed.

"And it led you to the sword! I can't believe this! Then what happened?"

Fred explained how he had watched me jump into the pool, being confused as hell; how he had realised that something was wrong, dived in and saved me, then returned for the sword. He got as far as the opening of the locket, then hesitated, and I cut in.

"- And Red stabbed it with the sword."

"And... and the fucker went? Just like that?" Terry whispered.

"Well, it - it, uh, screamed, and shit." I said with half a glance at Fred. "Here."

I threw the locket into Terry's lap; gingerly he picked it up and examined its punctured windows.

"Is it time to destroy Hufflepuff's cup as well, then?" George said excitedly.

Fred, Lee, and I turned to him as Terry poked at the left window of the locket. George put his hands on his hips and leaned back against the canvas of the tent, looking from person to person.

"What? If Red got to destroy one, I want to as well." He said, shrugging.

"Um. Okay." I said. "Do I not get to destroy any?"

"You got to destroy the diary, remember?" Terry reminded me.

"Oh, yeah. Well, that's not the same." I said huffily. "I didn't know it was a Horcrux at the time. I'd much prefer to know it was one so I could get the satisfaction of destroying it."

"Yeah, but doesn't it feel better to know you destroyed the thing that possessed you and made you do all that weird shit?" Fred said darkly.

I sniggered. "Okay, sure, I guess. Destroying Tom Riddle as a twelve year old girl was satisfying... but now..." I paused. "It would be personal."

An uncomfortable silence fell upon us. Lee looked awkwardly between us.

"What Horcrux would you want to destroy, Terry?"

We all looked at Lee, who shrugged. "I mean, the rest of you are all destroying at least one. Is it not an Insurgent thing?"

"True." I said. "Yeah, Hopper, you want the diadem or the snake?"

"The diadem." Terry said immediately. "Definitely the diadem."

"I take it you've been thinking of this." Fred said.

"Yeah, I have. Riddle used his predatory captor-captive relationship with my best friend to torture me." Terry said, his voice almost a growl. "He made her wear that diadem on their wedding day. I definitely want to destroy it."

We made eye contact. All of the times Riddle had shoved our relationship in Terry's face, all of the times Riddle had mentally tortured Terry, went through my head but from Terry's perspective; watching me on Riddle's lap at the staff table from the Ravenclaw table, watching me walk up the aisle towards Riddle and take his hand in marriage, watching us say our vows, watching us walking hand-in-hand around the lake, watching Riddle kiss me, touch me, fuck me... and as the vision faded of being in a full Body-Bind curse, watching mine and Riddle's faces over the top of the armchair in his quarters, Riddle clearly thrusting up into me from underneath and my face slacked in pleasure... Terry blinked away the tears gathering in his eyes and turned to glare at the canvas wall of the tent.