The Last Protection: Harriett Potter's Legacy

Chapter 47: The Last Shadow Falls

The ancient manor loomed before them, draped in a suffocating silence, the very air seeming to hum with dark magic. Harriett, Sirius, and Regulus stood just inside the threshold, their wands drawn, senses sharpened. Dust motes floated lazily through the pale light filtering from cracked windows, but the ominous presence of the manor and the dark forces that held it in their grip drowned out any sense of peace.

"This is it," Sirius murmured under his breath, his voice low but firm. His eyes were hard, a reflection of the danger that lay ahead, but his shoulders were squared, resolute.

Regulus nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the hall. "The Horcrux is here. I can feel it, a gnawing presence... like a wound in the very walls." He paused, his gaze flicking to Harriett. "It’s older than the others. Its magic is more deeply intertwined with the very fabric of this place."

Harriett tightened her grip on her wand, her heart racing. The final Horcrux, the last piece of Voldemort’s shattered soul, was waiting for them. It had been months since they first set out on this mission, months of hunting, uncovering lies, and risking their lives. Now, here they were—standing on the precipice of victory, or failure.

She had trained for this moment, but facing the culmination of their years-long struggle sent a shiver down her spine. The walls of the manor seemed to whisper to her, calling her deeper into their grasp, but she wasn’t about to be swayed by the ancient darkness that filled the air.

"We’re not turning back," Harriett muttered, as much to herself as to her family. "We finish this now."

The trio moved cautiously through the manor, their footsteps echoing faintly against the cold stone floors. Every hallway seemed to twist and shift, as though the building itself were trying to confuse them, to force them apart. Dark shadows gathered in the corners of their vision, always just out of reach. The house felt alive, as though the very walls had a mind of their own, as if they could feel their intruders and were plotting to trap them forever.

“It’s trying to disorient us,” Regulus said sharply, his voice tight. He quickly cast a series of detection spells, the light from his wand illuminating the dark corners. “We can’t afford to be separated. Stay close.”

They pressed on, their wands at the ready, the oppressive weight of dark magic growing stronger with every step. The hallways twisted and turned like a labyrinth, forcing them to focus even harder. Harriett’s pulse quickened. The manor seemed alive, shifting around them like a beast coiling in the dark, its breath heavy and foul.

Finally, they reached the heart of the manor: a grand chamber, untouched by time but suffused with an unnatural chill. In the center of the room, resting atop an ornate pedestal, was the object they had come for.

The golden locket.

It appeared innocent enough—elegantly simple, with intricate engravings—but Harriett felt its presence immediately. The locket was suffused with dark magic so thick it felt suffocating. Its malignant energy radiated from it, a palpable force that seemed to make the air shimmer with menace. Even from a distance, Harriett could feel her skin prickle with its touch. She knew, without a doubt, that this was the last piece of Voldemort’s soul.

The Horcrux.

“The last Horcrux,” Sirius said grimly, his voice thick with a mixture of resolve and dread.

“We destroy this,” Regulus said, stepping forward and looking Harriett squarely in the eye, “and Voldemort is mortal again. But it won’t be easy. His defenses are formidable.”

Harriett nodded, her expression hardening. “Then let’s finish it.”

But as they moved closer, the temperature in the room plummeted, and a sinister wind began to howl through the chamber, carrying with it a coldness that seemed to freeze everything it touched. Shadows, dark and shifting, sprang to life around them. They gathered in the corners, leering with malevolent eyes, their outlines twisting and writhing like serpents.