Harry had an agenda. As he wondered the hallways between classes, he knew what had to be done, and tonight was the night to do it. The past week had been an interesting one. There was the load of homework for everybody. Harry had to start putting together the Gryffindor Quidditch team soon. There was also Malfoy, who had grown moodier over the past couple days. Harry was outdoing him in every class they had together, which Harry was thankful wasn’t many. Many things weighed heavily on his mind. He would talk to Dobby tonight, but he was still wondering what his Animagus would be. The Horcruxes ever-present in his thoughts, he knew the time for hunting them down would be soon. Thus, the day dragged on to its end.
The evening would be a routine event for Harry. He talked to Ron and Hermione about what he was planning. Ron, of course, could be counted on as an accomplice. Hermione, however, decided she had too much work to finish. She apologized sincerely before departing, leaving the two boys to their plot. They waited until eleven o’clock in the evening before daring to move from their stations in the commons area near the fire place. Once the last student left for bed, they waited exactly five minutes: then they were off.
Harry raced up the stairs and quietly opened the door to his dormitory room. He softly muttered a new spell he learned to keep the wood from creaking under his feet as he jetted across the room to his chest, withdrawing his father’s invisibility cloak. He retreated, gently closed the door, and met Ron by the portrait. With just the two of them and not Hermione as well, it would be a little easier to fit them both under the cloak this time.
Both Gryffindors lit their wands and followed the Marauder’s Map down the many corridors of the castle until reaching a familiar painting. Ron reached out and tickled the pear on the painting, which opened a door not visible at first, both because of the dim light and because it was hidden. Harry and Ron entered through the door into the kitchen, and the home of the House Elves.
Upon the boys’ entrance, the elves stopped their work and looked their way. It had been a while since their last visit, and the house elves had forgiven the troubles Harry and Ron had caused earlier. They smiled at the boys and asked them if they would like anything. Ron acquiesced, naturally, but Harry respectfully declined. He scanned the room for the one elf he desperately needed to speak to, but Dobby was no where in sight. He walked forward through the sea of other elves to the fireplace, where he saw Kreacher sulking in the back corner. He called him forth, and Kreacher, not having any other choice but to obey, approached, muttering audible insults along the way.
“What would Master like of Kreacher?” he asked, stooping in a contemptuous bow.
“Have you seen Dobby?” asked Harry in a tone that demanded respect. “And don’t tell me you haven’t seen him or you won’t tell me where he is if you have seen him.”
The elf muttered curses at Harry for thinking of any loopholes to the question, and thus answered honestly: “Dobby is outside the castle.”
“What is he doing outside the castle,” asked Harry, now concerned.
“Dobby’s friend, Winky, died the other day, though she had it coming, the wretched “”
“That’s enough, Kreacher!” Harry said sternly. “Where is he outside the castle?”
After several rephrases of the question, Harry got the answer he was looking for. He told Ron, who was too interested in the food and the talk from the house elves to care much, so Harry left alone under the cloak. On his way out, Ron quickly said he’d wait for him in the kitchen before returning to his meal and conversation. Harry grabbed the cloak and put it on, leaving the festive environment that the kitchen always encompassed to find his friend.
Consulting the map, he found the nearest exit of Hogwarts, narrowly dodging Filch and Mrs. Norris. Once outside, he followed Kreacher’s directions, crude as they were, to a spot that the map pointed out as Dobby’s location. Harry looked up and saw the elf, ears drooped and a frown on his face. He was standing over a pile of dirt in front of a small stone, reading “Weenkey.” Harry felt saddened by the scene in front of him, and dropped his cloak from his shoulders.
“Are you alright, Dobby?” he asked tentatively.
Dobby turned around slowly, a sad look upon his face and tears streaming down his long nose. He tried to return Harry’s smile, but didn’t have the heart for it.
“Hello, Harry Potter, sir,” he responded. “Dobby is sad tonight, sir. Dobby’s friend Winky died today, and Dobby had to say goodbye to her.”
With that, the elf broke down into tears. Harry reached down and picked the elf up in a comforting hug, feeling an enormous amount of guilt for the question he had to ask. Dobby wept for a few minutes before pushing away from Harry and straightening up on the ground. He looked at Harry with a face of deep appreciation.
“What would Harry Potter like from Dobby, sir? After all, it is not every day that Harry Potter goes looking for Dobby. Dobby is sorry Harry Potter had to see him like this.”
“Oh, it’s not your fault, Dobby. I asked Kreacher where you were, and he told me where to find you. I have a favor to ask of you, if you want to help me. You don’t have to, as you are feeling sad today, but if you would, I would be very appreciative.”
“Dobby would be honored to help Harry Potter in any way he can, sir! Just ask Dobby what you will, and he will do it. Did Harry Potter want Dobby to follow the Malfoy boy again, sir?”
“No, not this time,” Harry chuckled. “But it does involve the Malfoys.”
Dobby looked confused at this statement, but nodded his head and perked his ears up to let Harry know he was listening.
“Can you remember when you were in the Malfoys’ Mansion?”
“Yes, Dobby can,” the elf replied, shuddering at the memories.
“Do you remember Mr. Malfoy having anything hidden away, like a locket or a box that he wouldn’t let anyone see?” Seeing the elf struggling to speak but hesitating, he added: “You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to.”
“Dobby will answer, sir,” he replied quickly, more as a self-reminder than a statement to Harry.
“There was a box my master would look at from time to time, hidden away in the back part of the Mansion, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby remembers where the box is very well, as Dobby was punished for looking inside it, sir.”
“You saw what was inside?” Harry asked excitedly. “Was it a locket?”
“Dobby was not able to look for long, and cannot remember what was inside. Dobby is sorry.”
“No, it’s alright,” Harry responded disappointedly. “Dobby, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it that Harry Potter wants?”
“I need you, in the near future, to take me to the Malfoy Mansion and lead me to that box.”
From the expression on Dobby’s face, it would seem as if Harry had asked him to kill the Minister of Magic! Dobby looked horrorstruck, and didn’t speak for quite some time. When he did speak, his voice was unsteady.
“If Harry Potter wishes to go to the Mansion, then Dobby will take him there. But there is only one time that Harry Potter can do this task, sir.”
“When is that, Dobby?” Harry asked, determined to finish this before the elf changed his mind.
“At the end of the week, sir, when my master leaves for the Ministry of Magic. I heard the Malfoy boy say it yesterday.”
When Harry and Ron returned to the commons area of Gryffindor tower, both were filled with food and ideas. Harry explained everything that was said to Ron, and the two of them sat in their respective chairs by the fireplace, trying to formulate a plan. Harry had to talk to Moody and Remus about this, but he imagined he would have to find a way of getting in first. After a few minutes, Hermione wondered down to meet them. Harry assumed she would, as she was usually curious to see what trouble he and Ron had gotten into.
“So what did you find out?” she asked with a yawn, drawing the sides of her robe around her.
“Dobby knows the way inside the Malfoy Mansion,” Harry responded. He retold the story quickly to Hermione, who was gradually waking up. Once he had finished, Harry slumped back in his chair and became silent for a while.
“So how are you planning on getting in?” Hermione asked after a while.
“That’s what Harry and I were about to discuss,” said Ron.
“Well,” began Harry slowly, “I would have to wear my father’s Invisibility cloak into the mansion. I’m sure Dobby knows of a way in other than the front door. He’ll lead me through the corridors to the room where Lucius is hiding the Horcrux, and I can grab it and leave.”
“It sounds too easy, Harry,” warned Hermione. “I think Lucius of all people would have traps set around this if it were a part of Voldemort’s soul. Oh, Ron, you’ve got to get used to that name! If I were you, I’d ask Moody what sorts of trappings there could be in a mansion, and how to disarm them. I doubt he’ll be able to go in with you, but I’m sure he knows how to get past anything.”
“Yeah, with parts of him missing,” added Ron, which gave Harry a rather unpleasant thought of him without certain limbs. He shook it off and passed a few more ideas between the two before they went to bed.
The next day, Harry set off to meet Moody after his morning classes. He found his professor in his office, pondering over some old books. Moody turned around right as Harry opened the door with a piercing look from both his eyes.
“Did you figure it out yet, Potter?” he growled.
Harry nodded, explaining to Moody what he had found out from Dobby and his plans for getting in.
“Don’t take Malfoy for a fool, Potter,” Moody warned. “Though he may seem like a witless idiot, he’s one of Voldemort’s most trusted, which means he has some power to him.”
Moody paused here for no apparent reason. He got up from his chair and started pacing around. His magical eye was moving all around the room, taking in all his surroundings. He seemed to be contemplating something vast, or perhaps he was remembering something from his past. After a few more seconds, he returned his look towards Harry.
“I’ll be going with you on this one,” he stated plainly. “I don’t trust Malfoy in the least, and if he’s anything like he used to be, he’ll be wanting a fight. And as determined as you are, you won’t stand a chance against him. The traps thing is a strong possibility, though. That’s something we’ll have to work on.”
He paced some more before explaining to Harry his ideas. He went over some of the craziest traps he’d ever encountered and how he’d gotten past them. Harry was bewildered with some of the stories now being told to him. When he left, he was confused as to what he would be doing at the mansion. It would either be an easy in and out or mortal combat just to get to the chest. Apparently Moody had encountered some trappings that only occurred on the way out of the place. There was a way to avoid everything, which Moody explained to Harry, but all that taken in at one time was too much for him to remember. He took to worrying again the rest of the day.
Every day since that meeting, Harry met with Alastor, who taught him how to take away charms and block curses with both his mind and his wand. The wand techniques were challenging enough for Harry, but he’d never been much good at blocking things with his mind. Moody sent him flying across the room several times because Harry’s mind was on something else at the wrong moment. After several falls, Moody was fed up with it.
“You’re not near where you should be, Potter!” he bellowed. “I’ve seen fifth years pull this stuff off and more, but the great Harry Potter can’t! You’ll never make it out of that mansion alive if you continue like this. Now get up and start blocking!”
At week’s end, Harry was exhausted, both physically and mentally. He was finally able to block almost everything Moody threw at him. He was reminded of his Occlumency lessons with Snape during his fifth year, which were atrocious. Harry collapsed on the couch near the fireplace, desperate for sleep. His eyes were closed for not even a minute when he heard a loud pop. He bolted upright and looked around the room. No one was there.
“Harry Potter, sir, Dobby has come to help you,” said the house elf, who Harry just now noticed. He’d forgotten today was the day he had to go.
As tired as he was, Harry pulled himself up and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. He did a double-take before running up the stairs for his cloak. He met Dobby at the portrait hole. The two took off down the hallways until they met up with another shadow of the night. Harry pulled out his wand just before he was blinded by a light from the wand of the shadowy figure.
“Mr. Potter, it’s Professor McGonagall,” said the voice. “I understand you’re going after the first Horcrux this evening. Professor Moody is waiting at the main gate for you. Please be careful, and let me know as soon as you’re back what you found. Good luck.”
With that, Minerva put out the light and continued on her way. Once the sight returned to Harry’s eyes, he continued towards the main gate. He passed Filch, who was forced to let him through, much to his dismay. Harry finally made it to the main gate of the castle. The doors were already opened, so he walked outside. Moody was waiting with a lit wand and his Invisibility cloak in hand. There was no smile on his face to greet Harry tonight.
“Potter, you need to know what you’re getting into here,” he began in a low voice. “This is a perfect example of an Auror’s work. You may not make it back here alive, and that’s a risk we Aurors have to face on a daily basis. Ever since Voldemort started acting up, we’ve been dying out because of the nasty things he does. You have to remember everything I taught you this week. Otherwise, you might as well turn in for the night and give up. There is no turning back after we’re off these grounds.”
Harry looked confidently at Moody, not as a student, but as a fellow Order member, saying, “I’m ready. Let’s go.” Moody smiled, and they were off.
Once the three figures were off the school grounds, Harry grabbed on to Moody’s robes as the man Apparated to the mansion. Dobby met them there seconds later. They hid in the bushes for a time to make sure the coast was clear before pressing on. Dobby told the two men, now hidden under Invisibility cloaks, where the entrance was that he used to take. It was small, but it wasn’t suspicious enough for the Malfoys to search for incoming spies.
“You know what to do,” said Moody. “Do not duel Lucius, as you will lose. I assure you of that, so listen to me. Get in there, get the Horcrux, fight your way through any traps he may have set up, and get back out here. No detours, Potter. I’ll be waiting outside the front door waiting. Should anything come up, use Lumos Maxima! I’ll see that and come in after you.”
Harry nervously nodded before he turned to Dobby. The elf turned and sprinted through the bushes swiftly towards a well-hidden hole in the side of the mansion. Harry was barely able to squeeze through it. He used a charm to reduce the noise he made while he wormed his way through the labyrinth of passageways. Dobby led him, diligently making sure he was alright. After what seemed like hours, Harry noticed a small hole in the top of the tunnel he was presently in. Dobby climbed through it first, looking around for a few minutes before signaling to Harry that the coast was clear.
Harry climbed out of the tunnel and quickly wrapped his father’s cloak around him and Dobby. He had no sooner done this than Narcissa walked through the doorway. She was in her work clothes and had a worried look on her face as she walked right past the two unwelcome guests in her house. She doused the lights and opened the door. After she closed it softly behind her, he heard whispering voices.
“Do you have any idea what I risked just to get here?” asked a slimy voice Harry detested more than any other save for Voldemort.
“I’m grateful, Severus,” responded Narcissa.
“You said it was an emergency?”
“Yes. Lucius said that Draco has to attend Hogwarts this last year, and he’s now becoming closer to the Dark Lord. I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
Though the voices grew quieter as the figures walked away, Harry felt himself starting to walk across the room towards the door. Dobby must have noticed, as he started pulling on Harry’s hair.
“Harry Potter must not go outside. It will be too obvious that Harry Potter is here, sir, and we have a mission to do.”
“Dobby, that’s Snape,” said Harry in a callous voice. “You can’t expect me to just let him get away! He’s responsible for the deaths of Dumbledore and my Godfather Sirius!”
“Dobby is most aggrieved sir, but Dobby cannot let Harry Potter go outside. Dobby must show Harry Potter the chest that he asked Dobby about so he can leave.”
Though Harry didn’t want to admit it, the elf was right. Harry looked around the room for the first time, noticing that a suit of green armor was standing right next to the little entryway he and Dobby had just used. There was a table on the other side of the hole, with a plant on top. Dobby must have placed it on there after he was out. The walls, though dark, had a grey color to them, and the floor was wooden. There were two hallways leading from this transitory room, with the staircase leading to the upper floor. Dobby wiggled his way onto Harry’s shoulders before whispering for Harry to walk forward to the first hallway.
Harry whispered, “Lumos!” quietly, hoping the dense fabric of his father’s cloak would shield the light from any unfriendly eyes. He passed several portraits, assuming most of them were the relatives of the Malfoy family. Though they were all sleeping, each portrait seemed to have some sort of unsettling feel about it, as if it were painted to keep the lewd nature of their real-life counterparts.
He continued into the next room, which had another portrait on the walls. He looked at the corner of the room in front of him and froze. Right in front of him, standing not five feet from him, was Voldemort! Harry backed away quickly, tripping over his feet and stumbling to the floor. The robe fell from his shoulders and the light from his wand illuminated the whole room. Voldemort had that cruel, sinister smile on his face as he stared at Harry, who had his wand pointed at his nemesis. He didn’t know how Voldemort knew he would be there, and he was shaking. Just then, he felt his arm being pulled. He couldn’t afford to look at Dobby now!
“What is it?” he whispered harshly.
“That’s my master’s portrait of the Dark Lord, Harry Potter, sir,” responded Dobby. “Not the Dark Lord himself.”
Harry looked at it, and sure enough, it was a portrait. He locked eyes with it, not sure whether to laugh at his reaction or to blow the painting away. Before he made up his mind, it spoke to him.
“What are you doing here, Harry?” the portrait inquired. “Looking for something that doesn’t belong to you, are you? What a shame that your journey has to end so soon.”
The painting of Voldemort took a deep breath, as far as portraits go, to be certain. Harry knew what would happen next: the portrait would scream for Lucius, and then his cover would be broken. He couldn’t let that happen. He quickly whispered “Langlock!” which froze the picture’s tongue. Voldemort didn’t look pleased, but he couldn’t say a word. Harry leapt to his feet, grabbed Dobby and his robe, and left the room.
The duo turned this way and that through another series of hallways and rooms, culminating in a staircase to the basement of the mansion. Dobby whispered for Harry to go down the dark passage. Harry felt very uncomfortable, but he continued. After all, he was beyond any help from Moody at this point. Even if he were to send for Moody, he doubted his professor would see it. Harry wandered through a few more rooms before halting again. Dobby didn’t say anything this time.
Up ahead of them, a light was protruding from one of the rooms. A silhouette was in the middle of the light reflected on the floor. Harry walked quickly to the room next to it before pressing himself against the wall nearest the lit room. He heard Lucius’ voice before Dobby confirmed his worst fear:
“Harry Potter must go in there for the chest, sir.”
The silhouette moved closer to the door until Lucius’ head peered around the corner into the room Harry now occupied. He looked right through Harry, squinting to see in the dark. Seemingly satisfied that he was alone, Malfoy returned to whatever he was working on. Harry was now curious as to how he was going to get in that room, so he inched his way along the wall, getting closer to the door. When he reached the corner, he held his breath and peered around.
Lucius was pacing the room in his work robes and boots. Apparently he hadn’t changed after he returned home from his work. Harry looked at this small room, which was obviously supposed to be hidden if no one were in it. There were two lit torches of green flame on either side of the door, and one yellow flame above a long table which spanned the entire length of the far side of the room. On the table, directly in its center, was a small chest, which was closed and locked. Harry jumped when he heard Lucius speak.
“It must be there. There’s no other explanation. If only Draco had been smart enough to grab it...oh, never mind that. He has enough to deal with. The Dark Lord will be wanting me to get it back, even though he doesn’t know it’s...well, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I still have time.”
With that, Malfoy took the yellow torch and made his way towards the door. Harry thought he felt him touch the tip of his cloak, but Lucius didn’t acknowledge any sign of contact. He made his way to the wall next to the door and put a book back in its place that was resting on top of a chair. The stone wall started to slide back. Harry quickly rushed into the room before the door slid completely into place, extinguishing the magic green flames.
Now immerses in total darkness, Harry waited a minute before saying softly, “Lumos!” He walked through the room. The only furniture in the entire room was that table and the chest. Harry stood right in front of the chest and stared at it for a moment. I didn’t think it would be this easy, he thought to himself. He leaned over and said, “Alohomora!” The lock was undone, and Harry carefully opened the chest. Inside was what he had come for. Inside was...
A piece of paper? What? This can’t be happening, thought Harry. Dobby had now climbed onto the table and picked up the piece of paper. He handed it to Harry, who took it, frustrated and embarrassed at this apparent failure. He read the piece of paper, his eyes widening as he proceeded further:
Dear Lucius,
I found what you were looking for, but I wasn’t able to get it in time. Apparently, before I got to Regulus, he gave his brother the locket. By the time I killed him, it wasn’t anywhere to be found. That means that, somewhere in the hidden House of Black is the missing Horcrux. I know you lost the diary, so hopefully I’ll have as good of luck as you. The Dark Lord never found out about that, and I’d like to keep this quite as well. At least until I can find the damn thing. With Sirius gone now, I have to wait until either Potter or someone else from their band of ‘heroes’ to go in before I’m able to reclaim it. Hope your luck is better than mine.
McNair
Harry was stunned. He re-read the note several more times before dropping the note and sitting. He forgot there wasn’t a chair and slumped to the floor. Lost in his thoughts, he tried to remember any time he may have seen a locket. There weren’t any lockets at Grimmauld Place, because Sirius didn’t own any jewelry. He wasn’t sure if his Godfather had kept such a seemingly worthless piece of metal. Harry put himself in a trancelike state, going through every time he was ever in that house. He blocked out Dobby, the light, the mansion he was in: everything was focused on that house. He remembered first seeing it with Lupin and Moody. He remembered talking about the Order of the Phoenix, which Snape was a part of at the time. He remembered cleaning the house. He remembered talking to Kreacher about Sirius being in danger. His mind retraced its steps quickly, and suddenly he felt it in his hand.
Harry knew exactly what he was looking for. It was as if it was in his hand right now. He felt the weight of it. He knew the look of it. He held it for just a moment when cleaning out the House of Black with the Weasleys before he returned to Hogwarts for his fifth year. He knew the exact location of the hidden Horcrux of Voldemort, because it was in the house that now belonged to him!
Barely able to contain himself after he returned to his normal state, he told Dobby what he just discovered. The elf was excited for him, and he climbed on top of Harry once more. He pointed to the lever that opened the stone door, to which Harry put a quieting charm on so it wouldn’t make any noise. The one thing Harry forgot was the flames. The instant the door started to open, the green flames burst to life, illuminating the next room. Harry quickly rushed out of the room to close the door. He held his breath once more as the light was slowly extinguished. He stood still for a couple minutes, just listening. When no apparent danger presented itself, he lit his wand and started his way up the stairs. He traveled through the basement without incident. Moody’s just overcautious, Harry thought to himself as he reached the top of the staircase.
“It never ceases to amaze me the way you always find yourself in the worst of situations, Potter” said a cold voice from behind him. As Harry whirled around, he heard the command, “Wingardium Leviosa!” being said, lifting the cloak from him. He threw Dobby up into the cloak to hide him just as it was pulled over his head.
“How did you find your way into my house,” demanded Lucius maliciously. Harry thought frantically about what he could do. He couldn’t very well signal for help, as Moody wouldn’t have enough time to get here to help him. Yet he remembered Moody warning him not to duel Lucius. He locked eyes with Lucius as the question was repeated.
“I’m not going to tell you,” said Harry, weighing his options.
“Well, I will tell you that you won’t be getting out! Avada Kedavra!”
Harry dove to the floor, the curse just missing him. He grabbed the robe with the house elf still in it and ran for the door. He tried to remember the way out, but he kept getting himself lost in the corridors. Curses of all colors whizzed past him as he dodged and rolled around the house. Harry finally came to the room he entered from. He shoved Dobby down the tunnel and pulled the plant down just before Lucius turned the corner. The two stared at each other for a time, both out of breath. Harry drew his wand, which was dropped quickly from a burning curse Lucius used on him. Malfoy was the first to speak.
“You’ve caused enough trouble for us. It’s time for you to die, Potter!” he said. Harry had no time to think. He knew he had no hope of blocking the killing curse twice. He only had his instincts. As Lucius shouted, “Avada Kedavra!” once more, Harry grabbed Malfoy’s wand, determined to point it elsewhere. He leaped as far from that corner as he could. He saw a bright flash of green as he fell flat on his face. He got up quickly and stood in the opposite corner of the room, ready for the next attack. But there would be no next attack.
Harry noticed the knight’s suit of armor had a huge dent in its body. His eyes looked down at the body now on the ground: the body of Lucius Malfoy. He walked up to his opponent, whose face still had a look of pure hatred on it. But there was no life in those eyes. He looked at the wand in Malfoy’s hand, and noticed the end where his hand was had snapped in two. The spell had reflected back at Lucius! Harry had no time to be happy about this, however, as the front door was shoved open to reveal Narcissa and Severus, both staring in shock at the scene in front of them.
“You killed my husband!” screamed Narcissa as Snape reached in his robes for his wand. Before either of them could move further, both were sent flying from a bellowed, “Expelliarmus!” from Mad-Eye Moody. He marched into the mansion, grabbed Harry’s robes, and pulled him out. He shut the door and put a lock on it before grabbing Harry again and Apparating the two to safety.
“You didn’t give any signal, Potter! I told you to not duel with Lucius!”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Harry said once they had landed at the gates of Hogwarts. It was now dawn. “He chased me from the basement to the front door!”
“So how did you beat him?” asked Moody.
“I broke his wand, and the curse shot back at him.”
Alastor looked at Harry blankly for a moment before laughing. He stopped for a moment to look at Harry once more before breaking into laughter again. After a few minutes, he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at him with a grin on his face.
“Somehow I always knew Lucius’ end would come from his own rash attitude. Never expected that, though. So, did you get the Horcrux?”
Harry had forgotten about the Horcrux. He explained the note to Moody as best as he could. Reading the mad look in Alastor’s eyes, he told him of the whereabouts of the last Horcrux.
“It’s safe,” concluded Harry after he finished debriefing to Moody. As he leaned against the wall, he noticed how tired he was.
“We’re not done yet, boy,” said Moody, pulling Harry off the wall. He put his wand in the air and the two were off again. In seconds, Harry fell to the ground for the third time that night. He looked up and noticed they were at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He pulled himself to his feet and the two wizards walked to the front door. Once inside, Harry raced to Kreacher’s old hiding place, digging through the many old pieces of Sirius’ ancestry before finally grasping the locket.
Harry returned downstairs to Moody with the locket in hand. Moody examined the locket for a brief moment before trying to open it. After several attempts, he gave up.
“There must be some sort of curse on this,” he said after thinking on it. “We don’t have time to think about how to destroy this at the moment, Potter. We’ll work on it later. We need to go.”
He walked past the front door and outside. Harry looked around one more time at the surroundings of his Godfather’s old home. He missed Sirius. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he exited Grimmauld Place again. When he did, he saw Moody on the ground, writhing in pain, with a Death Eater’s wand pointed at his chest.
“Give me the locket, Mad-Eye!” commanded the dark voice.
“Expelliarmus!” shouted Harry, and the dark figure went flying across the street. Harry rushed to Alastor’s side and helped him up. Moody took a moment to regain his strength before grabbing Harry roughly and Apparating for the fourth time that night. When the two landed back at the gates of Hogwarts, both collapsed from the evening’s events.
“Well, Potter,” said Moody between breaths, “I’d say you did pretty well for your first time out in the field of battle.”
Harry smiled in response, and helped his professor up to his feet. The two returned to the castle, where Harry returned to Gryffindor tower and fell onto the couch. He looked at the clock before his eyes shut. It was 8:00 in the morning. He was glad to be finally resting.
“Harry,” asked a soft voice as a gentle hand shook him. “How did it go?”
Harry turned to Hermione and Ron, who both looked at him in concern. His clothes were torn all over, and he was drenched with sweat. He stood up to start his story, but passed out from exhaustion. It had been a long night.
Harry Potter & The Silhouette Of Eternal Benevolence by JourneyJosh
Chapter Notes: After finding the location of the locket, Harry and Moody take off for the Malfoy Mansion to reclaim the Horcrux. Will this mission be easier than the one Harry had with Dumbledore, or will there be another twisted ending?