𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

lxxx | the horcrux

CHAPTER EIGHTY
the horcrux

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𝐇𝐎𝐆𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 the morning following Dumbledore's death. The castle had been completely trashed thanks to a little rampage that Bellatrix went on, and Hagrid's hut had been burned down.

Just like after the battle at the Department of Mysteries, Lyra Black was nowhere to be found. Nor was Draco Malfoy.

"Do you think she would've done it?" Hermione asked as the Legacies stood on the balcony of the astronomy tower. Dakota sat on the floor with her legs dangling over the edge, her arms resting on the railing. "Lyra?"

Harry thought for a moment. "No. She was lowering her wand. It looked like she was about to have a panic attack. In the end, it was Snape. . .It was always Snape."

"Not gonna try to defend him now, are you, Dakota?" Ron asked the blonde, whose brows were scrunched together. "You can't defend a murderer."

"Harry said that Snape made an Unbreakable Vow," Dakota stated, rising to her feet. "What if part of that Unbreakable Vow was for Snape to carry out the task if Lyra couldn't do it? He's in the same position that she was in. He didn't have a choice. You said it yourself, Ronald, you die if you break an Unbreakable Vow."

"I mean. . .would that really be such a bad thing if Snape died?"

Dakota whacked him in the back of his head, her jaw clenching.

Harry took a locket out of his pocket and gave it to Hermione. It was a horcrux, which were pieces of Voldemort's soul. That's what Tom Riddle had asked Slughorn about all those years ago; that's what he and Dumbledore had gone to retrieve just last night. "It's fake. Open it."

Hermione opened the locket. Inside was a slip of parchment. Dakota leaned her head onto her shoulder as she unfolded it and read aloud what was written. "To the Dark Lord. I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B."

"R.A.B.?" Dakota questioned, frowning softly in confusion.

"Don't know." Harry shook his head. "But whoever they are, they have the real horcrux. . .Which means it was all a waste. All of it." He placed his hands on the railing and looked out at the grounds. "I'm not coming back, guys. I've got to finish whatever Dumbledore started, and. . .I don't know where that'll lead me, but I'll let you all know where I am when I can."

"Harry." Dakota moved so that she was standing next to her cousin. She put a hand on top of his. "I admire how courageous you are, but how many times do we need to get it into your thick head that the six of us are in this together? Yes, the six of us. Lyra's not here right now, but she's just as much a member of this team as the rest of us are. You need us, Harry."

"You don't think you're going to be able to find all those horcruxes by yourself, do you?" Aliyah asked. "Kody's right. We're a team, and we're coming with you. All of us."

"And how are we supposed to bring Lyra with us when she's wrapped up in all this Death Eater nonsense?" Harry questioned.

"We'll figure that out when the time comes. We always do," Hermione stated.

"Come on, Hairball." Dakota held her hand out, her palm facing down. "One last adventure. One final life or death affair to put a stop to dear old Voldy's plans to destroy our world. Together."

"Together," Aliyah agreed, placing her hand on top of Dakota's.

"Together." Ron followed suit.

"Together." Hermione put her hand in. They all looked at Harry, who sighed.

"Together." He placed his hand on top of Hermione's, the five friends exchanging smiles. Harry looked back out at the Hogwarts grounds, sighing softly. "I never realized how beautiful this place was."

"Yeah." Dakota smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "We really did get lucky when we got those letters. . .Or unlucky, depending on how you choose to view it."

"No. We got lucky," Harry agreed. "And now it's our job to defend this place so that others get to enjoy it as much as we did."