Secret Love

Chapter 24: The Hunt Begins

The crisp autumn air carried a sense of urgency as the days grew shorter at Hogwarts. Harry and Ginny had only just learned the significance of their rings and the power of their bond, but with that knowledge came a new, pressing responsibility: they needed to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes. The knowledge weighed heavily on Harry's shoulders, but it wasn't just his burden anymore. Ginny stood by his side, her determination as fierce as his own.

It was a rainy Sunday morning when they decided it was time to start their search. The Gryffindor common room was quiet, most students still tucked away in bed or lounging about after breakfast. Harry and Ginny had gathered a few supplies in secret: books on Dark magic, enchanted maps, and various magical objects they thought might help on their quest.

"We'll have to start with what we know," Harry said quietly, spreading the Marauder's Map out on the table before them. The map would help them track their movements within Hogwarts and beyond, though its true usefulness in finding horcruxes was uncertain. "Dumbledore already destroyed the ring. The diary... that's long gone. But there's still the locket, the cup, something connected to Ravenclaw, and Nagini."

Ginny frowned as she scanned the map, deep in thought. "And one more we don't know about yet, right? The one Voldemort never mentioned."

Harry nodded grimly. "Yeah, the mystery horcrux. We'll need to figure that one out eventually. But first, the locket."

"The one Sirius' brother had, right?" Ginny asked, leaning closer. "R.A.B."

"Exactly," Harry replied. "I think the locket is somewhere in Grimmauld Place. We didn't find it last time, but we weren't exactly looking for it then. Now that we know what we're looking for, it should be easier to find."

Ginny reached for his hand, squeezing it. "We'll find it, Harry. We're in this together."

Her words gave Harry a sense of calm he hadn't felt in a while. He knew she was right. Together, they were stronger than they had ever been apart. Their bond, their love—it was their greatest strength now, more than anything Voldemort could understand.

"I'll send an owl to Kreacher," Harry said, standing up. "He knows Grimmauld Place better than anyone. If the locket's still there, he'll find it."

They made their way to the Owlery, their footsteps echoing in the empty halls. The rain outside had picked up, tapping softly against the windows as they climbed the narrow staircase.

"Are you nervous?" Ginny asked suddenly as they reached the top. Her voice was soft, concerned.

Harry paused, watching as one of the school owls flew down to them. He took a deep breath. "Yeah," he admitted. "I am. There's just... so much riding on this. If we can't destroy the horcruxes, then everything Dumbledore did, everything my parents did... it'll be for nothing."

Ginny stepped closer, brushing a strand of wet hair from his forehead. "It won't be for nothing, Harry. We'll finish this. And we'll finish it together."

He nodded, letting her words sink in before he carefully penned a letter to Kreacher, explaining what they needed and instructing him to search the house for the locket. After tying the letter to the owl's leg, Harry watched as it flew off into the rain, disappearing into the stormy sky.

"That's one step," Harry said quietly. "Now we wait."

For the next few days, they carried on with their usual routine at Hogwarts, attending classes, studying in the library, and spending quiet moments together in the common room. But the tension of their mission was always in the back of their minds, like a shadow they couldn't shake.

Then, one morning at breakfast, a school owl swooped down over the Gryffindor table and dropped a letter in front of Harry. His heart raced as he recognized Kreacher's familiar scrawl.

"Kreacher found something," Harry said, ripping open the envelope. Ginny leaned in to read over his shoulder.

Master Harry,

Kreacher found the locket. It is in the house, hidden in the drawing room. Kreacher has kept it safe as Master Regulus asked. Kreacher is waiting for you to come.

Your servant,
Kreacher

Ginny's eyes lit up. "We've got it."

Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Yeah. We've got it. But we still need to destroy it."

Ginny's expression sobered. "We'll need to find out how. Dumbledore destroyed the ring, but... how do we destroy this?"

Harry thought for a moment, remembering Dumbledore's blackened hand. "The sword of Gryffindor. It's imbued with basilisk venom. That's what we need."

Ginny nodded, her face determined. "Then we need to get the sword."

That evening, they snuck away from the common room under the Invisibility Cloak. It was dangerous, they knew, to wander the castle so late, but they had no choice. Their first stop was Dumbledore's office. Harry hoped the sword was still there.

They whispered the password to the stone gargoyle and ascended the moving staircase. The office was dark and empty when they arrived, Dumbledore's portrait hanging solemnly on the wall. Harry's eyes immediately went to the glass case where the sword of Gryffindor had once been displayed, but it was gone.

"It's not here," Ginny said, her voice barely a whisper.

Harry clenched his fists. "Snape must have taken it. He's the Headmaster now, he probably moved it."

Ginny frowned, looking around the office. "So where do we look next?"

Harry thought for a moment. "If Snape has the sword, it'll be somewhere under lock and key. Somewhere we can't just walk into."

They left the office quietly, making their way back to Gryffindor Tower. The reality of their situation was starting to settle in—this wasn't going to be easy. Even with the locket in their grasp, they needed the sword, and Snape wasn't going to let them anywhere near it.

The next morning, Harry received another letter from Kreacher. The house-elf had found the locket and was keeping it safe until they could come. Harry knew they couldn't wait much longer—they had to act. But without the sword, they were stuck.

"Maybe we could ask someone for help," Ginny suggested as they sat by the fire that night. "Maybe there's another way to destroy it."

Harry shook his head. "The sword is the only way I know of. Basilisk venom destroys horcruxes completely. We don't have time to experiment with anything else."

Ginny was quiet for a moment, then leaned closer to him. "Then we'll have to find it. Somehow, we'll get that sword."

Harry met her gaze, feeling a surge of determination. She was right. They had no choice but to find it, no matter the cost.

"We'll start with Snape," Harry said finally. "If he has the sword, we'll figure out where he's hiding it."

Ginny nodded, her eyes full of resolve. "We're in this together, Harry. No matter what."

Together, they sat in the firelight, planning their next steps. The journey ahead was dangerous, and the stakes couldn't have been higher. But with Ginny by his side, Harry felt ready to face whatever lay ahead.

And so the hunt for the horcruxes began.