A New Place to Stay Chapter 55 - Harry Potter

Back at Hogwarts after the Hogsmeade disaster, Harry is still furious that Draco used the Imperius Curse and walked away with nothing more than detentions and wand restrictions, while he himself got punished for fighting. Over dinner he publicly shuts down Cho and the Ravenclaws for bullying Luna and moves her to sit safely between himself and Neville, making it very clear that anyone who touches her will answer to both of them. A casual comment from Luna about a strange tiara in a hidden Room of Requirement sends the trio racing to the castle’s junk room, where Harry feels the same sick pull he sensed from the diary and realises they have just found Ravenclaw’s lost diadem. After binding Neville and Luna with a magical Vow, he finally tells them about Horcruxes, Voldemort’s real name, and Dumbledore’s habit of using him as bait. Then it is down to the dungeons where Severus and a basilisk fang destroy the diadem once and for all before launching into another brutal duel that leaves Harry exhausted and with a healed broken arm. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger when McGonagall walks in on a shirtless, battered Harry and a wand in Severus’s hand and jumps to all the wrong conclusions.

Transcript

**Chapter 55: Unexpected Turn of Events**

“Harry!” Neville shouted, rushing over to him, his face etched with concern. He had been worried sick all afternoon, unable to find either Harry or Malfoy.

Now that dinner time had arrived, he was on his way to the Great Hall when he finally spotted Harry. Relieved beyond belief, he stopped in front of him and began firing off questions.

“Are you okay? What happened?

Where have you been? They haven’t expelled you, have they?” 

“Keep it down,” Harry replied, guiding Neville to one of the alcoves and casting a silencing spell.

“They didn’t, did they?” Neville asked, still anxious. “They only said dueling isn’t allowed… you can use it to get out of it.” 

What they had been doing was Muggle fighting, which technically wasn’t against the rules at Hogwarts since students didn’t usually settle disputes with violent Muggle wrestling.

Harry smirked wryly. “Do you seriously think Dumbledore would expel me?” he said, giving Neville a look that clearly said, 'don’t be ridiculous.' 

“Well… no,” Neville admitted sheepishly.

“But what happened? Professor Flitwick looked ready to explode when he picked up some blue box.” 

“I caught Malfoy using the Imperius curse,” Harry said, his expression dark and furious as he recounted the events to Neville.

He was far from happy, but unfortunately, not surprised. “As usual, Dumbledore’s sweeping it under the rug.

All the bastard got was detention and restricted use of his wand.” 

“You’re joking!” Neville exclaimed, wide-eyed. Malfoy had used an Unforgivable Curse and was getting away with it?

That was unbelievable! Did Dumbledore not care about the students' safety?

It was no wonder Harry was furious. “What else happened?” Neville pressed.

“He was demanding Rosmerta put the Imperius curse on Luna to give Dumbledore the box Professor Flitwick found. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but it must have been—”

“Bad.

The professor wanted to destroy it,” Harry said darkly. “I lost it after that.

That’s why I wanted you to get Luna back to school and not leave her alone. I wasn’t sure if Malfoy was acting alone.” It seemed like he was, but Harry would never trust him as far as he could throw him.

He didn’t care what Severus said or did; he was determined to stick to his guns. “Couldn’t Rosmerta press charges?” Neville asked, sitting down on the window ledge.

He stared out at the school, furious. He had to stop himself from hunting Malfoy down and doing something reckless.

Luna was his girlfriend, and the thought of anything happening to her was intolerable. He’d lost his parents before he even got to know them, and he didn’t want to lose Luna too.

“Apparently, she doesn’t remember,” Harry replied suspiciously. “Convenient.

But we all know the Imperius curse doesn’t make anyone forget what they did,” Neville said doubtfully. “I know, right?” Harry replied.

“I’ve got detention for fighting.”

“That’s not fair!” Neville cried, outraged. “They can’t do that.

You didn’t break the law.”

“Try telling that to them,” Harry said. “But it doesn’t matter; at least the teachers will be keeping a close eye on him now.”

“He should be in Azkaban,” Neville snapped, infuriated.

Harry nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. Truthfully, Malfoy should have been in Azkaban a year ago.

Unfortunately, the Ministry wouldn’t have believed him. Even if he had given them the memory of what happened, they would have claimed he tampered with it.

And tampering with memories was only possible for a very skilled Legilimens or Occlumens. If you weren’t, there would be obvious signs of tampering.

But Harry had been so frantic back then; surely he could have accomplished such a feat. Sometimes he hated the magical population, but he loved magic too much to ever think about abandoning it.

“Did they even let you have lunch?” Neville asked. “No,” Harry replied.

Shaking his head, Neville's stomach grumbled loudly. “Come on then, let’s get some dinner,” he said, stepping out of the silencing bubble.

He noticed Hermione watching them, a hint of sadness lingering in her eyes. It had taken her two years to regret being a teacher’s pet and prioritizing the teachers over her friends.

She should have known better; she had been quite insufferable during their first year. Thankfully, Harry and Ron had managed to calm her down a bit, but she still had her irritating moments.

A smile crept onto his face as he recalled the look on her face when he successfully cast a Patronus spell. He would never forget it, nor would Luna; she had been so proud of him, and he had craved that approval.

Until that moment, he had never truly felt it. His grandmother had been equally proud of him for his actions during the whole Ministry debacle.

“Good idea,” Harry said, his appetite fierce. He could eat a scabby horse right now.

Flicking his wand, he dispelled the silencing spell and made his way into the Great Hall with Neville by his side. He noticed Hermione but chose not to acknowledge her.

“Come on,” he urged, grabbing Neville’s arm. Neville stood there, glaring at Malfoy with a look that could rival his father's.

Speaking of his dad, Harry noticed him watching them with a raised eyebrow, clearly impressed. But why, Harry wondered—maybe it was Neville's fierce glare.

He felt a swell of pride; Neville was finally coming into his own, and it had certainly been a long time coming. Just as Harry was about to sit down, he spotted Cho Chang picking on Luna again.

He narrowed his eyes, irritation flaring within him. He had already warned them all, yet they continued to make Luna's life miserable.

Why did she put up with it? She could easily expose their cruelty.

As another pea was flung in her direction, he made his way over, magic crackling in the air around him. “Hey Harry!” Cho beamed as he approached the table.

The others seemed to regain their senses and shifted away slightly from her. Luna sat quietly at the table while Cho faced her, using her peas as target practice.

With each projectile that landed, Luna calmly removed the offending peas from her hair and placed them on the table. “What did I say the last time you bothered Luna?” Harry growled, his green eyes flashing with anger.

The smile faded from Cho’s face as she realized what everyone else had—he was genuinely furious. She swallowed nervously, glancing around for help, but none of the Ravenclaws would meet her gaze; suddenly, their meals seemed incredibly interesting, though none of them took a single bite.

“It was just some fun,” Cho said, trying to placate the furious wizard. Her thoughts drifted back to what he had done to Malfoy—the evidence of that encounter was still fresh.

“Was it fun when I poured that bowl all over your head last year?” Harry asked, feigning sweetness. “Shall I have some more… fun with you?” His voice trailed off dangerously.

“Harry, it’s fine,” Luna said quietly. At least they weren't taking her things or hiding them anymore.

She had managed to pack up quickly last year, and she sensed it would be the same this time. Used to the teasing, she accepted that she was different in their eyes but didn’t care enough to change who she was.

“You're supposed to be Ravenclaws,” Harry sneered, glaring at the others in disdain, ignoring Luna’s attempt to calm him. “What was it the hat said?

A ready mind, with wit and a will to learn and wisdom? I don’t see any of that here.

You’re acting like idiots. You should look after your own, no matter what they’re like.

You disgust me. This will be your last warning, all of you…”

“Harry, it’s okay,” Luna said, trying to ease his anger.

“Tease her, touch her, bully her, take away her things, and then you will deal with me. Is that understood?

Trust me, what I did to Malfoy will be child’s play compared to what I’ll do to you,” he snarled. Harry once again ignored Luna’s attempt to calm him down.

“Do you understand?” he enunciated slowly, leaning closer to Cho, causing her to flinch. “Yes,” she squeaked, backing away from him, shuddering.

His magic was strong; she had never felt anything like it before. She couldn’t understand why Luna wasn’t backing away too—surely, she could feel it.

“Not just Harry. I will bring the Longbottom name down on anyone who tries,” Neville added, backing up Harry’s warning.

“Come on, Luna,” Harry said, grabbing her under the arm and hoisting her from her seat, guiding her toward the Gryffindor table. He sat her down between himself and Neville, making it clear that both of them would unleash hell on anyone who dared to bother her.

“You shouldn’t have,” Luna said, shaking her head. “She would have stopped.

Cho gets bored easily.” 

“If anyone bothers you, tell me. I mean it, Luna,” Harry insisted.

He had spent years dealing with bullies alone and despised them with every fiber of his being. It had been coming out more lately since he had stopped playing the hero.

“Alright,” Luna replied, smiling sweetly at him as she began to pile her plate with food, having eaten nothing at the Ravenclaw table. “What happened earlier?” she asked after swallowing a piece of juicy meat—it was delicious.

“I’ll tell you later,” Neville said, planning to head to the library. He wanted to find out whether the tattoo was actually a tattoo.

He knew Harry wasn’t being entirely truthful; tattoos could move, yes, but they didn’t completely disappear from where they were drawn. He had seen Harry without his tattoo earlier, which only made him more curious.

“Okay,” Luna said, and the three of them dug into a hearty dinner, enjoying a sweet dessert—strawberry tarts for the boys and éclairs for Luna. Afterwards, they chatted among themselves, mostly about when they would next gather to learn more spells.

This led to a very important discussion. “I love the Room of Requirement,” Neville said wistfully.

“It gives me all the books I need when I’m searching for something. It’s just too bad we can’t take the books out of the room, but that doesn’t matter much.”

“Do you want to know something funny?” Luna asked.

“I tried to get into the room, but I ended up somewhere completely different. It had millions of things—chairs, benches in all the different house colors, cutlery, busts, statues, even old towels and items that students probably brought to Hogwarts.

I found a really old magazine; it was an early version of Witch Weekly. I even found my old shoe from three years ago!” Luna exclaimed.

“It’s no good to me now, but I took it anyway. Oh yes, I bumped into a bust, and this old jewelry box fell on me.

It was a tiara. I was tempted to take it, but there was something about it that felt tainted.”

“A tiara?” Neville said, amused.

“Nobody uses tiaras anymore.”

“Not even for weddings?” Harry asked, arching an eyebrow. “Well, some do—mostly Muggle-borns,” Neville conceded.

“It looked like Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem,” Luna said offhandedly. “Of course, that’s silly; it’s been missing since the founder times.” 

Harry froze, hesitant to dismiss the ‘tiara’ as easily as Luna had.

They’d already found one item related to the founders that turned out to be a Horcrux. Could it be that simple?

Had one of the Horcruxes just fallen into his lap? He thought it best to play it safe.

If it wasn’t a Horcrux, at least they could rule it out. “Um…Luna…did you say you found the room where the Room of Requirement is?” Harry asked, his voice slightly strained.

Luna gazed at him curiously, sensing the importance of her words. “Yes,” she replied.

Harry admitted, “What were you thinking about?” His heart raced; they might not be able to get back into the room again. “My lost shoe,” Luna replied, smiling her sweet smile.

“Alright, let’s go,” Harry said, getting up and grabbing the last piece of tart from his plate. He quickly ate it.

“Don’t you have detention?” Neville asked, standing up as well. “It can wait.

This is more important,” Harry said hastily as the three of them hurried out of the Great Hall. As he left, he shot his dad a look, hoping it conveyed that something was up.

He didn’t dare stare for long with Dumbledore present, but all he could do was hope his father understood. “Alright,” Luna said, running to catch up with them.

“I hope we don’t lose a lot of points,” Neville said as Luna paced back and forth. “You know what Snape’s like; he’d leave the jar empty,” he added, referring to the glass jar that collected what looked like rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and yellow quartz—gaining points for students and removing them when they lost.

Harry bit his lip, trying to suppress a laugh. “Actually, he could have today, but he didn’t.

Well, more than the fifty points Dumbledore has already taken from both of us,” he replied thoughtfully. “We haven’t lost points.

Didn’t you see the jar? It’s the same as it was last night,” Neville said blankly.

“Huh, weird,” Harry mused. Had Professor McGonagall given him the points back?

She had protested against the Headmaster’s decision about something. It wasn’t in his dad’s character to do that; he’d probably have found amusement in the loss of points, especially since this time, it wasn’t him taking such a large amount.

Dumbledore usually added points to Gryffindor to help them win. “I know,” Neville said.

“Look, she’s done it… Is it the right room, Luna?” he asked thoughtfully. “Yes, come look,” Luna said, her voice strong and firm even from inside the room.

The door was open; otherwise, it would have been... As they stepped inside, the door closed behind them, and Harry and Neville found themselves in a remarkable room.

It resembled a vast junk shop, filled with centuries of forgotten treasures—books, broken quills, sweets, and even old Gryffindor bedding. “It’s over there, on the floor,” Luna said, pointing toward the tiara.

The three of them approached it, still marveling at their surroundings. “I see what you mean, Luna,” Harry replied, sensing the darkness radiating from the tiara even before he touched it.

Was he more attuned to the remnants of the Dark Lord’s soul because he had once shared a connection with it? It was undeniable that he felt a heightened awareness.

He tried the spell Severus had taught him to detect enchantments on objects, but he found nothing but the presence of the Horcrux itself. “Gives you the heebie-jeebies, doesn’t it?” Luna remarked, admiring the beautiful item now tainted by dark magic.

“I can’t feel anything,” Neville said, frowning as he looked between them, perplexed. He wasn’t calling them liars; he trusted their instincts.

He simply couldn’t understand why he was unable to sense what they could. “Maybe you just aren’t sensitive to dark magic, Nev,” Harry suggested.

“Nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you’re sensitive to earth magic—can’t have both.” 

“Maybe we should give this to Professor Dumbledore,” Neville proposed.

“It is a Hogwarts heirloom, after all. I’ve been to Dumbledore’s office, and the sword is still there.

It’s beautifully crafted. The Sorting Hat was about to tell me the story behind it when Dumbledore interrupted us.”

“No,” Harry said firmly, his voice intense.

There was no way he was giving this to Dumbledore. Luna turned to stare at Harry, aware that his relationship with Dumbledore had been strained, but there was something in his tone that made her pause.

It sounded like he actually hated him. She wondered what had happened to cause it.

She wanted to ask, but this wasn’t the right moment. Harry was staring at the box intently, as if there was something they were missing, something he felt strongly about.

“Okay, Harry. What’s going on?” Neville asked.

“Nothing,” Harry replied simply, brushing it off as he picked up the box and shrank it. “No, you don’t,” Neville said, stepping in front of him, blocking Harry from leaving the room.

“I’ve let you brush me off all year. You’re entitled to your own secrets, but Harry… I just want to know what the hell is going on!

You’re different. I thought maybe you’d found someone and were secretly dating… but it’s not that, is it?”

“No,” Harry said, a half-hearted grin crossing his face at the thought.

“Well? Come on, Harry!

Surely you trust us? What do we need to do?” Neville asked, growing increasingly exasperated as they stood there, arms crossed.

“It’s not as simple as that,” Harry groaned, clearly irritated. “Not telling you is for your own safety!

Someone could read your mind and glean the information from you.”

Neville laughed. “Harry, purebloods are trained to close their minds from the age of five to fifteen.

Even my Gran taught me. It starts with meditation, and I could close my mind before coming to Hogwarts.”

“Nobody else can do it,” Harry said, confused.

“Not many, no. But my Gran is… set in her ways.

She was taught it and expected my father—and obviously me—to learn it in turn,” Neville explained. “It’s a dying art since most people can’t perform Legilimency anymore anyway.”

“My mother started helping me,” Luna said, her smile bittersweet.

“Of course, Daddy took over when she went to heaven with the angels.”

“Some only begin it when their child is seventeen, or extremely early if they have family secrets that need to be kept,” Neville added. Harry’s mind drifted back to the day he caught the look of irritation on Dumbledore’s face.

It couldn’t be that, could it? Was Dumbledore upset because he couldn’t peer into his friends' minds?

Could he truly trust them? No, he couldn't—not about everything.

He couldn’t risk his dad’s life like that. So perhaps a modified version of the truth would be best.

“If you want answers, I need an oath that you will never speak, write, indicate, sign, or in any way reveal what I say tonight,” Harry said seriously. “It’s not about you guys, trust me.

This is something people can’t find out. This will prevent you from accidentally telling anyone.”

“How about a Vow from both of us?” Neville suggested, locking eyes with Harry.

He was determined to do whatever Harry needed. A wave of relief washed over him; it wasn’t about him, and that meant a lot.

It would have hurt him deeply if Harry hadn’t trusted him. “Alright,” Harry said, nodding firmly in agreement.

“You know what it is?” Neville asked wryly, recalling how he hadn’t known what an oath was a few years ago. Even Ron had known, and they’d quickly explained it to Harry.

Oaths and vows both required magic, but a vow didn’t just take your magic; it took your life. “Of course I do,” Harry chuckled drolly.

Neville and Luna took the Vow alongside Harry, each standing as a witness and binder for one another. The first promise was to never tell another soul about their discussion.

Considering that 'ghosts' were souls and Dark Creatures had souls too, that covered just about everyone. They also swore to discuss it only with Harry if and when it came up again.

Additionally, they pledged to help him in any way he needed, despite Harry's heavy protests on that front. Once the Vows were sworn, the magical fiery links vanished into their skin, binding them to their word.

If anyone had observed Harry's magical core, they would have seen two magical strands change color to the bright gold and yellow typically reserved for family—mostly siblings. Admittedly, not much had changed regarding Neville's strand, but it had definitely grown stronger.

The strand was thicker than before, with a slight whirling orange hue to it. “Bloody hell, they weren't joking when they said it took a lot out of you,” Neville said, wiping his sweaty brow with his cloak.

“I agree,” Luna replied, looking as cool as a cucumber, which made Harry suppress a smirk. “Alright, spill it.

What's going on with that Tiara? And you and Dumbledore?” Neville asked, settling down on the green leather couch nearby.

He understood that the room didn’t just provide the items you needed; it was clear to him that it was more than just a single room—it had many uses. “Dumbledore?” Harry said, surprised.

“What makes you think anything's wrong?” 

“No, you've been visiting his office more than usual,” Neville pointed out. “Ah,” Harry said, nodding.

Of course, he hadn’t considered that might bother anyone. At least it tied in with everything he was planning to share.

“So?” Neville prompted as Harry and Luna joined him on the large leather couch, both of them brimming with curiosity. “Alright, to start off, Dumbledore came to get me during the middle of the summer.

He dangled me in front of Slughorn to coax him back to teach at Hogwarts. It was the icing on the cake for me.

He put me with the Dursleys, claiming he didn’t want me to grow up with the fame, yet he used it for his own purposes,” Harry sneered. He felt manipulated, not just in front of teachers but also in front of the Ministry and Order members.

Dumbledore constantly decided his fate—where he would go for the summer and so on. Harry was furious with Dumbledore, and that would never change.

“I had wondered why he came back,” Neville admitted. It was unfortunate he hadn’t taken Potions; from what he heard, the Professor wasn’t as bad as Snape.

It wasn’t just Snape that made him anxious; even during tests, he was a bundle of nerves. He just didn’t perform well under pressure, and the thought of a potion exploding in his face was enough to send shivers down his spine.

"What's Slughorn got to do with the diadem, if that's what it is?" Luna asked. "There’s someone who will know for sure—the Ravenclaw ghost.

Her name is Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Really?" Harry replied, surprised. "Yes, she's very kind," Luna said wistfully.

"When we were done with Slughorn, Dumbledore wanted me to come to his office for training," Harry explained. "So that’s how you got so good?" Neville inquired.

"No, it wasn’t that kind of training," Harry said, shaking his head. "He’s showing me memories of Tom Riddle, which is the Dark Lord Voldemort’s real name."

"It’s odd to think that monster has a normal name like that," Neville said bitterly.

"Riddle? He’s either Muggle-born or a half-blood," Luna mused, visibly shocked by this revelation, especially considering all the pureblood nonsense he spouted.

"No!" Neville exclaimed, staring at them in disbelief. "Yeah, his father is a Muggle.

His mother was from the Gaunt line, which directly descends from Salazar Slytherin," Harry explained. "If they knew, they wouldn’t still follow him!

I mean, they’re all pureblood fanatics," Neville protested. "Actually, not all of them are purebloods," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Most of them are, I agree, but he does take a few half-bloods." His mind wandered to Severus, who was much like Voldemort—a half-blood. Both had mothers from well-known pureblood lines, and if his research was correct, the Prince line was a direct descendant from the Ravenclaw line.

The goblin-made dagger was a giveaway. So far, he’d found only a few people who possessed goblin-made materials.

Godric Gryffindor was one, and the design was too similar to the Prince dagger he had examined, leading him to believe it had been made around the same time. "I think it’s too late for them.

Whether they wanted out or not, they couldn’t. The evil things..."

“They’ve done things that will never be accepted, so they’ll have to put up with him and hope he wins to remain free,” Luna said, always extremely perceptive.

“It’s not always too late,” Harry disagreed quietly. His father had returned from the Dark side, putting himself at Dumbledore’s mercy—an act of courage he could never fully understand.

“And it’s not always their decision. There are more ways than just using the Imperius Curse to get someone to do your bidding.”

“Nothing would get me to join that evil bastard,” Neville said vehemently.

“No? How about them kidnapping Luna to force you into it?

Or even threatening her life? Would that not make you consider it even a little?” Harry asked.

Neville’s face twisted in pain at the thought; it was terrifying. “Point well made,” he admitted.

“We’ve gotten off topic, haven’t we?” Harry said wryly. “The tiara, or diadem, is a Horcrux.” He hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much.

He had been horrified himself when he figured it out, especially because he knew he was one. Blank stares met his pronouncement.

“That is what stopped Voldemort from dying. Horcruxes are vessels hosting a piece of someone’s soul—in this case, Voldemort’s.

To destroy him, we need to destroy the Horcruxes and then him. That will make him mortal,” Harry explained, giving them the rundown without the gory details.

“He split his soul?” Luna asked, aghast. “Yes,” Harry said, nodding firmly, surprised at how well they were taking it.

“How?” Neville asked. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.

If I could, I’d rather not know myself,” Harry replied solemnly. “Fair enough,” Neville conceded.

“Now I have to go,” Harry said, standing up. “Wait a minute.

If you don’t want to give it to Dumbledore, does that mean you’re destroying it by yourself? Why don’t you want him to know?” Neville asked, baffled.

“He knows about their...”

"Yes, they exist, but I'm the one who will destroy them. Voldemort has controlled my entire life, so it's time he sees things go my way for a change." Harry admitted, though he was only partly truthful.

He wasn't destroying them alone, and he had no intention of revealing anything about Severus. When Voldemort was gone, maybe then he would share, but until that moment, he had to keep him safe.

He would never forgive himself if anything happened to his dad because of him. "I'll see you guys later," he added, hastily leaving the room and making his way to the dungeons.

"You’re late," Severus stated, glaring at his son. He had no patience for impudence, especially from Harry.

With his arms crossed over his chest, he silently demanded an explanation. It wasn't just a few minutes he had waited; it had been over twenty.

"Never mind that," Harry said as he entered the room and slammed the door behind him, striding up to the desk. "Excuse me?" Severus replied, unimpressed.

Harry dug into his cloak and pulled out a small box. With a flick of his wand, he opened it, revealing its contents to Severus.

"Look."

Severus’ expression shifted quickly as he realized why Harry had been late. Removing his wand from its holster, he cast a spell and found nothing.

It must have been one of the earlier Horcruxes; otherwise, there would have been something imbued in it, aside from the soul piece, of course. "Where did you find this?" Severus asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

He suspected Hogwarts but struggled to believe that one had been right under their noses all along. Admittedly, it was a clever place to hide it.

"In a room inside the Room of Requirement," Harry explained. "It was full of stuff—old benches, tables, chairs, bedding, and other things students had left behind over the years." He continued, "Luna mentioned seeing this and how it felt tainted, especially since we already found one of the founder's items.

I suspected it might be one. Better safe than sorry.

I tried to tell you when I was—"

“Let’s go,” Severus said swiftly. He stood up and grabbed the box, his robes billowing behind him as he left his office.

Together, they made their way to Severus’ quarters, which didn’t take long at all. They both unconsciously relaxed once they were there.

“Are we still training today?” Harry asked, settling into a chair and watching Severus disappear into his personal lab. “Yes,” Severus replied.

“It’s important to learn everything you can, Harry. It may be the difference between winning and losing.”

“I know,” Harry said.

Severus opened a drawer and pulled out an item, placing it on the empty bench before digging into a small secret compartment. His fingers searched until they latched onto something.

With a triumphant pull, he withdrew a Basilisk fang, its size larger than his palm. A shudder ran through him as memories of nightmares and that fateful day in the Pensieve flooded back.

Harry had been bitten by a fang just like it. He had come so close to dying.

If it hadn’t been for Fawkes, he would have been mourning both Lily and her son. Severus shuddered again, forcefully closing his mind.

He didn’t want to dwell on “what ifs.” Harry was alive, and he needed to train him to stay safe for the inevitable confrontation ahead. Another Horcrux had been discovered—unexpected but not entirely unwelcome.

“What are you up to?” Severus asked, his curiosity piqued. He hadn’t seen those journals lying around in quite a while.

“I’m looking through the book,” Harry explained, flipping through the pages. “I’m trying to find the one that mentions Horcruxes.” He focused on the left side of the paper, knowing the list he sought was dotted and evenly spaced.

His lip puckered in concentration as he searched. “Ah-ha!” he cried when he finally spotted it.

The entries hadn’t been updated in ages. Horcruxes:  
- Diary  
- Slytherin locket  
- Hufflepuff cup  
- The Gaunt ring  
- Nagini  
- Me  
- Possible's

"Ravenclaw's Diadem?

Anything from the founders?" Harry murmured to himself. He ripped the page out of the book, relieved to find nothing on the other side.

Spreading it out, he began writing a new list. This time, he didn’t include any ‘possibles’; he simply rewrote the list at the back of his red journal.

If they had destroyed an item, he drew a line beneath it—not that he would forget the destruction, but it helped him keep track. What struck him most was how many of their ideas had actually turned out to be true.

If he was honest, he hadn’t really expected it. They had only been suggestions, but luck seemed to be on his side, and he was grateful for it.

Horcruxes:
- Diary
- Slytherin locket
- Hufflepuff cup
- The Gaunt Ring
- Nagini
- Me
- Ravenclaw's Diadem

He crossed out the Diadem, knowing it would soon be dealt with. That left them with only two more to find, assuming they were correct about the number he had created for himself.

"That just leaves two possibilities we've thought of: the cup and Nagini. Both are going to be difficult to obtain.

We’ve searched every possible location…any ideas?" Harry asked. "I must admit, I am stumped," Severus replied, flicking his wand to silence the room and clear the area.

Once everything was out of the way, he placed the Horcrux in the middle of his living room. He stared at it, feeling a twinge of regret.

This was a piece of history; it felt like destroying a part of Hogwarts, akin to destroying the Sorting Hat. But that feeling didn’t last long.

He had to destroy it; the alternative was far worse than erasing a fragment of history. Unless, of course, you wanted to be history yourself, which was exactly what would happen if the Dark Lord won.

Everything would become history—not just wizards. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and plunged the fang into the priceless diadem.

The screeching began almost immediately, nearly knocking Severus off his feet. The piece of soul fought for its survival, but as always, it was futile—hopeless in the face of destruction.

“Wouldn’t the potion I took have destroyed the soul without damaging the diadem?” Harry asked, tilting his head thoughtfully as he sat. He closed the journal, realizing it was no longer useful; it contained nothing about the cup or Nagini.

If it were possible, it would be easier to kill Nagini than to find the cup. Severus stiffened, arching an eyebrow in contemplation.

“It very well may have,” he replied, though he knew it didn’t matter now. He plucked the useless chunk of metal from the ground and wandered to his bedroom, placing it in a secret compartment alongside the other damaged Horcruxes.

After closing it again, he replaced all the protective spells. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt compelled to keep them, but he did.

“Are you ready?” Severus asked, removing his teaching robes to reveal a pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved undershirt. Harry couldn’t understand how Severus managed to look so lean despite being strong and fit.

He placed the robes on the couch and did a few stretches to warm himself up. “Yeah,” Harry replied, standing up and removing his cloak and shoes.

They made their way to the spare room they used for dueling. It was as safe as they could make it, even if they ended up crashing into the floor or walls.

Cushioning charms prevented serious injuries, though the impact still left you winded. Facing each other, they bowed before stepping back three paces, and then the duel began in earnest.

Their only rules were to avoid the Unforgivable Curses and ensure that every spell had a counter-curse. Spells flew back and forth for hours as they each tried to outmaneuver the other, only pausing once for Harry to remove his jumper, feeling overheated from the exertion.

Having trained under Severus’s guidance for two years, it was no surprise that Harry proved to be a formidable opponent. They each knew the other’s moves, making the duel even more challenging.

They could anticipate the next move in time. “Effrego!” Severus shouted, and Harry quickly raised his shield.

But he was exhausted, and the spell broke through, striking him directly. Harry fell to the floor, panting heavily, the sound echoing around the room.

Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, and his t-shirt was drenched. “Work through the pain,” Severus urged as he stepped forward.

“Get back up!” 

Harry waited for Severus to come close enough before twisting his body, causing Severus to stumble and fall. As his leg was pinned beneath Severus, Harry cursed, pulling himself free and standing up, his wand already in hand.

“Expelliarmus!” he shouted, catching Severus's wand with his left hand, steadying his grip, knowing it wasn't over yet. Severus quickly grabbed the wand that had fallen to his calf and stood back up, maintaining an air of grace.

“Good, well done. Don’t presume the Dark Lord will get this close to you,” Severus said.

With that, the duel resumed, and Severus unleashed the next spell without warning. They exchanged spells back and forth, ducking and shielding themselves, both utterly exhausted yet determined to continue.

Harry kept casting spells, even though he felt the pain of a broken bone in his arm from the Effrego spell. Thankfully, it was his left arm, not his right; otherwise, he would have had to switch hands.

The motions for spells felt different in his left hand, making it awkward, even if the actual movements were the same. As spells rained down, Harry ducked and fell onto his backside.

Aiming his wand at Severus, he non-verbally cast three “Expelliarmus” spells. He didn’t care if his dad disapproved; he just wanted to end the duel.

To his utter astonishment, Severus’s wand was flung from his hand by the third spell. He had successfully disarmed him.

Twice during the duel, Harry finally slumped to the floor, panting from exhaustion and pain. “Well done,” Severus said proudly as he retrieved both wands.

“Are you hurt?”

“Broken bone,” Harry rasped, groaning as he sat up. Merlin, he didn’t think he’d be able to move from this spot, let alone make it to the Gryffindor common room.

“Your arm?” Severus asked, realizing that the spell hadn’t missed him after all. “Yes,” Harry winced, shivering from the cold and wet.

He placed his wand on the floor and pulled off his soiled t-shirt. His arm was red and swollen where it had been broken, but with two spells from Severus, it was soon mended and numb.

He bunched up his t-shirt and wiped his forehead, neck, and back. “Severus, what on earth is going on?” Minerva exclaimed, her eyes wide as she took in the scene before her.

She couldn’t believe her eyes, glaring at Severus with the wrong assumption that he was abusing Harry. After all, they were in a teacher’s quarters after hours, with Harry clad only in a pair of trousers and Severus hovering over him.

“Oh no,” Harry said, staring at Minerva in dread. Severus closed his eyes briefly before turning to face her, his expression impassive, despite the turmoil in his mind.

Just how would he get himself out of this situation? He tightened his grip on his wand as he noticed just how furious Minerva was.

Then all hell broke loose.