Chapter 6:“No, wait!” Harry yelled, startling the twins.
“Something really is going on, isn’t Harry?” Fred asked, surprised.
“Yes, I need to find Mundungus. You wouldn’t have any idea where he is?” Harry asked hopefully, realizing this was a long shot.
“No-” Fred started.
“But, we know where he will be!” George finished.
"This is much worse than I remember it," an invisibility-cloak-wearing Harry muttered to Hermione as they walked down the street. Diagon Alley was deserted and they had not yet passed an open shop. The boards on the windows were troublesome reminders of the wrath of Lord Voldemort.
"I know," she whispered back. "It’s eerie. And I hate talking to you while you’re wearing that thing!" she added, with an awkward sideways glance.
"I don’t actually think you need it, Harry," Ron offered. "There’s no one here to see you anyway."
Ron was right. Harry hadn’t seen anyone except Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George since they had Apparated here twenty minutes ago. The autumn weather that was beginning to overcome the late summer heat swept through the group. Harry let the cloak slip, despite the growing chill.
Fred and George were still a little way ahead and Harry was beginning to doubt he would find Mundungus today.
"Guys," Harry called ahead to them, "what makes you think Dung will be here today?"
“Last I heard, he was arrested,” Ron mumbled.
“He was arrested, dear brother,” Fred turned jovially to answer.
“But, he got himself released,” George continued.
“Heard it cost him a couple crystal balls and a flying carpet or two.”
“But, why will he be in Diagon Alley?” Harry asked.
"It’s August 31st, mate," Fred answered, as though in explanation.
"Only one more day until Hogwarts opens," George continued. "Dung knows this is the only day whole families will venture into Diagon Alley."
"He won’t miss a prime selling opportunity!"
"But, Hogwarts isn’t opening this year!" Hermione hissed, impatiently. "No one is going to come today!"
"Ah! This is true," George said with a smile.
"But, you forget who we’re talking about here!" Fred continued, striding down the street as though this were any other day.
"Not too bright, our Dung," George lowered his voice as he motioned towards the end of the street where, huddled in filthy rags and scratching his head, sat Mundungus.
“Azkaban doesn’t exactly keep up on the latest in Hogwarts news, either.”
"Looks confused, doesn’t he?" Fred asked with glee.
Harry gritted his teeth. Hermione had already lectured him on not losing his temper and allowing Mundungus to escape like he did last time. "Alright. Hermione, you know what to do."
"Pedlock," Hermione muttered as she hit Mundungus with a well-aimed charm designed to glue his feet to the ground.
"Right, can’t wait to see the old bugger try to Apparate without being able to turn!" George said with enthusiasm.
"Should ensure us a good splinching!" Fred added.
Ron and Harry quickly strode across the street and directly towards Mundungus. As they closed the gap, Harry saw Mundungus flinch and fall over as he attempted to rapidly gather the assortment of rubbish he was trying to sell to unsuspecting customers.
"Not so fast, Dung," Harry bellowed as he and Ron approached. Ron was towering over Mundungus with a very unpleasant look on his face. “Accio wand,” Harry muttered, causing a wand to fly from underneath Mundungus’s cloak and directly into Harry’s hand.
"Yeah, we need a word with you, mate," Ron continued, stepping threateningly closer to Mundungus.
“’Arry! ‘S’ up,” the considerably shorter man had given up trying to collect his belongings and now began tugging at his boots.
"Oh, we took the liberty of keeping you in place before we arrived," Harry explained to the obviously confused Mundungus, "just in case you had the urgent need to Apparate before we finished our conversation."
Hermione and the twins stood in the background, Fred and George looking slightly disappointed that Mundungus hadn't managed to splinch himself.
"We need to talk to you. When we're through, Hermione will lift the Holding Charm she’s placed on you," Harry said gruffly as he stared down on Mundugus. He looked back up at them warily, as though he expected a more severe punishment for nicking Harry's belongings for the past year. "There's a locket missing from the Black House. It's a large, gold, and heavy; I need it back," Harry stated this calmly, though his thoughts were still raging inside.
Mundungus looked at Harry innocently for a moment before responding, “Blimey “Arry, why’d I know?”
Harry gritted his teeth and calmly replied, "I’ll ask one more time. Where is the locket?"
“I don know where the bloody thing is!”
Ron was the first to react. "Well," he hissed, pulling Mundungus to his feet by the scruff of his shirt, "you better think harder then!" Mundungus, gesturing helplessly, was pinned to the wall by the lanky redhead, his feet still attached firmly to the ground. Hermione reached up to place a steady hand on Ron’s back. Harry was surprised at the effect this had on Ron as he instantly relaxed his grip on the thief.
Mundungus brushed himself off before responding, “Sorry, ‘aven’t got a clue. Why do you want it?”
"That is none of your business, Dung," Hermione, who had been surprisingly quiet up to this point, bit back. "Produce it, or you will find out just how advanced my skills can be!"
At these words, Mundungus paled. “’Ere now, maybe I ‘ave it at my flat. I’d come right back once I find it...”
Harry laughed. "I think we'll join you, Dung! Nice try though."
Mundungus shrugged, conquered, and looked questioningly towards his feet.
"I'll Side-along Apparate with Dung and meet you all back here in a few minutes," Harry said to the rest of the group, raising his wand to remove the Holding Charm.
"We're coming with you!" Ron interrupted Harry, causing him to lower his wand. Mundungus groaned.
"We can't all side-along. We have no idea where this place is," Harry replied.
"We do," George interrupted.
"We were there once for a business transaction," Fred continued.
"This was all before we found out he was nicking your stuff," George assured Harry.
"We would have taken you there first, but we know Dung doesn't even like to show up there," Fred explained.
"Up to date on the rent yet, Dung?" George asked Mundungus, who replied with a dirty look.
"Alright," Harry decided, "we'll all go. Hermione and Ron, you side-along with Fred and George."
"Oh, sorry little brother," Fred said teasingly to Ron, "I just hate to have to steal Hermione away!" Moving swiftly to Hermione's side Fred gave one last wink before they both disappeared.
"Damn!" George exclaimed. "Oh well, come on Ron!" Ron, looking thoroughly disgruntled, allowed George to take his arm and they both disappeared instantaneously.
"That just leaves you and me, Dung," Harry muttered as he firmly grasped Mundungus's arm and undid the Holding Charm. "Straight to your flat and no detours!" Harry said firmly before the familiarly unpleasant sensation of being squeezed through a small piece of tubing consumed his body.
The first sense Harry became aware of was the overpowering stench of rotting rubbish.
"Bet you charm all the ladies with this place, eh Dung?" George asked, pinning his nose shut.
Hermione, wrinkling her nose in disgust, pointed her wand in the general direction of what Harry could only assume was the kitchen and said, "Scourgify." She had to repeat the incantation several times; but, it eventually cleaned whatever the smell was coming from and allowed the twins to unplug their nose. Harry was close to performing the Bubble-Head Charm on himself before he passed out.
"Thanks, lass," Mundungus began roughly, "I guess I just don’t-" but his mouth instantly sounded wordless and he grappled at his throat.
"I’m sick of listening to him,” Ron said to the questioning looks the rest of the group was giving him.
"Where do we start looking?" Harry asked, beginning to take in the surroundings. They were standing in a small, dank room. There was only one windowpane near the ceiling that was barely allowing a grimy light through. An old mattress was thrown unceremoniously in the corner with a stack of rotting magazines piled next to it. In what Harry could hardly call another room, as it was just separated from the rest of the space by a low counter, sat a sink and a hot plate. The flat wasn’t large and roomy, but Mundungus definitely made productive use of all the space he had. In the ‘kitchen’, were at least two dozen black cauldrons. The floor was littered haphazardly with half open boxes. Peering into one, Harry saw an array of china that he knew Mundungus had never purchased. Harry noticed large piles of assorted furniture stacked in the corner near the bed and in the other corner was a box full of what looked like lacy arm sleeves.
"Excellent," Ron let out a slow whistle, "cribbing cuffs!"
"We could have used these in Hogwarts," Fred remarked, envy tinting his voice.
Mundungus strolled over to the box and began pointing at them with interest.
"Oh no!" Hermione quickly interrupted, "We are not here to buy!"
"C’mon Dung," Harry, taking Hermione’s cue on refocusing the group, said, "which box did you store my stuff in?"
Mundungus shrugged again and strolled behind the counter in the kitchen, lifting several of the heavy boxes and handing them over to Harry. The trio each took one and began searching though their contents.
"Look at all this stuff!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "Who would even want it?" He was currently holding up what appeared to be an old pair of women’s knickers. "Ugh!"
Harry’s own box contained many items with the Black family crest on it. But, even he had to admit that he wouldn’t want the items Mundungus had nicked. He was reaching the end of his box, which contained several glass bottles of suspicious looking purple and green liquids, when Hermione let out a small shriek. Harry immediately looked up.
With trembling hands, Hermione withdrew an old, tarnished, gold locket. Harry was sure that was the one they were looking for.
Fred and George leaned in to peer at the locket. Harry knew they were curious as to why he had desperately wanted to find an old and battered Black family heirloom. To their credit, they had yet to ask for an explanation.
"Give it here, Hermione." As the locket gently fell into Harry’s outstretched hand, he could have sworn the phoenix bezoar strapped firmly around his neck warmed slightly before the sensation quickly disappeared. "Fred and George, thanks so much," Harry turned to the twins to express his gratitude.
"Anytime!" Fred said graciously.
"The offer always stands," George continued, referring to their offer of help anytime Harry asked for it.
George playfully grabbed a surprised Hermione and quickly kissed her on the cheek. “Sorry, Fred, you got her on the Apparating and all. So long, little bro!"
They Disapparated seconds later to avoid a charging Ron.
“What do we do with it now, Harry?” Ron asked, eyeing the golden locket that was sitting on the kitchen table cautiously. All three had Apparated back to Godric’s Hollow, the recently attained Horcrux in tow.
“Destroy it…somehow…” he responded quietly, sitting at the kitchen table and staring at the cold hunk of metal. Harry realized they had hit yet another wall. Yes, they had found a Horcrux. Destroying it was another matter.
“We need to be really careful, Harry,” Hermione whispered. “Dum…” she hesitated, the word caught in her throat, “Dumbledore’s hand...”
“So, out of all the Horcruxes, we know that two have been destroyed,” Harry started in an attempt to review. “I destroyed the diary and Dumbledore the ring. I survived unharmed but Dumbledore’s hand went…well it looked all…dead.”
“What happened when you destroyed the diary, Harry? What made you think to stab it with that fang?” Hermione asked, pointing her wand towards the stove and bringing of pot of water to a boil.
“I dunno, really,” Harry responded slowly, never taking his eyes from the locket. “I just sort of felt I should. It’s hard to explain and it was so long ago…”
“How did Dumbledore destroy the ring?” Ron asked, accepting the cup of tea Hermione was offering him.
“He never told me,” Harry replied sadly. “He just said it took him a long time to do and there were many magical enchantments protecting the ring.” Harry waved off the tea Hermione had pushed towards him.
“Maybe he had to put the ring on,” Hermione mused, sipping her tea, “which was why only his one hand was injured.”
Harry reached out and tentatively lifted the locket.
“No, wait!” Hermione urged. “We should try everything else first, everything that might work to destroy it.”
Harry nodded in agreement as he replaced the locket on the table.
“We need to find a safe way to do this,” Ron stated, diverting his gaze from the table and locking eyes with Hermione. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Right. Ron, you and I will take turns trying to charm and jinx the hell out of that old thing while Hermione will use a Shield Charm to protect us after we throw the offensive spells.” Harry instructed quickly, rising from the table and moving to the entrance of the kitchen. “Ron, you stand next to me and Hermione, you stand behind us.” They quickly moved into position, neither questioning Harry’s orders.
“Harry, you go first and tell us what you’re going to try before you do it,” Hermione said quietly after taking her place behind the two boys. “I’ll erect the shield just after you send the spell. Ron, you should try to get a shield up as well. More protection…” she said, a slight tremble accenting her voice.
“Right,” Harry started nervously, tightening his grip on his wand. “I’m going to try the Reductor Curse…” Harry raised his wand as Hermione and Ron shifted nervously behind him. “Reducto!”
A brilliant red light erupted from Harry’s wand tip as it fired off towards the still Horcrux. As the light touched the surface of the locket, it refracted into a million pieces, spraying into the walls of the small kitchen and ramming into the shield that Hermione had erected just in time.
Ron gulped before he let out a very weak, “Bloody hell…”
Hermione was shaking slightly as she dropped the shields. “That was close, Harry,” she whispered, her eyes glowing. “I barely had time to say the charm…”
“I know,” he responded quietly. “Thanks for getting it up though.” Harry smiled weakly in her direction as Ron shifted nervously.
“Should we try again?” Ron muttered. Hermione instantly opened her mouth to object, but Harry interrupted her.
“We have to,” Harry responded intently. “But let’s step back just a bit.”
For over an hour the trio tried every charm they could think of to destroy the locket. They tried Crushing Charms, Blasting Charms, Sectumsempra, and Severing Charms. Every spell attempted bounced off the locket just as the Reductor Curse had. There were several close calls and Ron was nursing a small burn on his arm from a refracted Melting Charm.
“I’m so sorry, Ron,” Hermione said sorrowfully as she bandaged Ron’s burnt left forearm.
“I think we need a break,” Harry called, frustrated at their lack of success. Ron and Hermione nodded as they made their way to the living room. They collapsed together on the couch as Harry paced the room.
“I don’t think any spell we throw at it is going to work, mate,” Ron began, wrapping his good arm around Hermione and drawing her into his chest. It was a sign of how exhausted and upset she was that she allowed him to hold her so close in Harry’s presence. She was staring mournfully at Ron’s left arm.
“I know,” Harry responded distractedly. “I think Hermione’s right, the locket needs to be on someone for it to be destroyed.”
Hermione’s eyes closed momentarily. “Harry…” she murmured.
“Hermione, it makes the most sense!” he interrupted passionately. “Dumbledore’s hand was hurt because he was wearing the ring when he destroyed it! And the diary…the diary was destroyed by stabbing it with a fang…” Harry was thinking hard to connect this action with the destruction of the diary. “The diary absorbed anything that was spilt on it. It was like spilling poison!” he continued triumphantly. “The diary Horcrux was destroyed because I used poisonous ink! Maybe the key to finishing off these Horcruxes is to find a way to use them in the process!”
Hermione sat up slowly as Harry spoke, her eyes widening. “Harry, that…that may be it!”
“But even if you put the damn thing on,” Ron interrupted, “you’d still have to figure out a way to destroy it once you did. If you think I’m sending a curse at the bloody thing once you’ve got it around you’re neck you’ve gone nutters!”
“No, we won’t be doing that,” Hermione confirmed firmly, resting back on Ron’s shoulder.
“I wish I knew how Dumbledore destroyed that ring!” Harry muttered fiercely as he continued his pacing of the living room.
“After the ring was destroyed, Harry, what did it look like?” Hermione asked thoughtfully.
“It was cracked.”
“And the diary…”
“Had a hole from the Baslisk fang, why?”
“Maybe, we need to find a way to open the locket, create a hole…” Harry’s face brightened considerably at Hermione’s musing.
“Once again,” Ron said proudly, “brilliant!”
At Hermione’s insistence, the trio once again began firing off spells towards the locket while it sat on the table, with the protection of the Shield Charm, in attempts to get it open. Just as before, nothing seemed to have any effect whatsoever. However, in addition to the kitchen looking a mess from the first barrage of offensive spells, every jar and container now had it’s lid floating two inches above it.
“Alright, Harry,” Hermione finally admitted after the second hour. “We’ll need to try it your way…”
After a light dinner and a quick rest, which Hermione begged Harry to take before he continued, Ron carefully brought the locket into the living room for Harry to put on.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to-” Ron began but was quickly cut off.
“No, Ron,” Harry said firmly, “I’m going to do it.” Ron nodded in accord. Hermione was worriedly chewing her lower lip as Harry unclasped the locket’s chain and brought it to his neck. He closed his eyes as he attached it and quickly reached for his wand.
Nothing happened.
“Harry,” Hermione ventured, “what’s happening?”
“You alright, mate?” Ron continued.
Harry opened his eyes and looked at his two best friends. “Yeah, fine.” Harry didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Hermione, who had apparently been holding her breath, exhaled sharply.
“Alright,” Harry began nervously, “now how to open the bloody thing.” Harry attempted a smile; he didn’t succeed.
“Harry, say something in Parseltongue!” Ron said quickly. Hermione gaped at him. “What?” he started defensively, “it is Slytherin’s locket!”
Harry grinned at Ron’s defensive turn. Hermione locked eyes with him before murmuring tenderly, “Ronald, that was fantastic.” Ron smiled weakly in return.
Harry closed his eyes again and concentrated on what he was about to say. He always found it difficult to start speaking in Parseltongue. He began and said, as clearly as he could, “Open.” Harry saw Ron and Hermione staring as a slow hissing escaped his lips.
Instantaneously, the locket burst open. A blinding green light emanated from the center of the locket as a piercing, inhuman wail flooded the room. Harry’s body went rigid, feeling as though it had been stunned. He couldn’t move an inch if he tried. He saw Ron attempt to reach him. An invisible barrier must have been erected around Harry, because Ron was thrown back forcefully into the shelf on the opposite wall. Hermione, covering her ears, ran desperately to Ron, looking helplessly between the two.
Harry felt his body rise an inch off the floor. The opened locket was sending powerful waves of magic through his chest. Harry felt as though his lungs were deflated. He felt his heart was being compressed. The cold chain on the locket was slowly tightening around his neck, choking him.
A warmth that Harry barely registered as foreign to the locket glowed red on his throat. Shocks of heat radiated from his chest and through his outstretched fingertips. The chain on the locket snapped and the Horcrux, along with Harry, fell with a thud to the floor.
Hermione advanced quickly; the barrier the Horcrux had produced fell as soon as the chain snapped on the back of Harry’s neck. She raised her wand towards the still open locket and bellowed, “Avada Kedavra!” Harry had never seen her look so menacing.
The Horcrux glowed green before collapsing into itself. A now crumpled-looking lifeless locket lay in its place, harmless.
“Harry! Oh, Harry!” Hermione yelled, dropping to her knees next to her friend and just barely noticing the small stone that was smoking slightly around Harry’s neck. Harry could just make out Ron’s crumpled form by the shattered bookcase. He was still breathing.
The final thought to enter Harry’s mind was Ginny. He wanted desperately to be taken to her and he tried, in vain, to communicate this to Hermione.
And that was the last he could remember before the quiet darkness finally gripped his mind.
A/N: Exciting? Yes, no? Thanks, as always, to my beta reader Asphyxiated. Sorry for the extra long wait…school is a pain, I’m just now moving, and I most recently got engaged! So, as you can see, life is always interfering. But, luckily in this case, in a great way! Reviews are greatly appreciated! ~ozma333