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Chapter 7 - Back to Hogwarts

The golden trio remained at Chateau Bertrand until the morning of Saturday, the 28th of December. By then the combination of strained smiles and the feeling of impending marital disaster drove the students back to school. As they bid the Grangers and Grammere farewell they felt a great surge of relief.

The taxi driver who took them to La Poste on Place Bretagne may have suspected his passengers were magie, but kept his opinions to himself. Luna calculated the fare and added the customary ten-percent tip.

They passed through the charmed door, to the left of the main counter and into the local floo network.

Harry stepped up to the counter and politely requested, "Three for Paris, sil vous plait."

Luna placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "No Harry, first we need to go to Beauxbatons."

The bureau de transport magique official looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"What she said."

)O(

It was late afternoon by the time Harry, Hermione and Luna returned to Hogwarts. As they entered the main hall they saw Malfoy, looking pale and wan. Still the miserable Slytherin managed to grace them with a sneer. Harry and Hermione glared back, but Luna looked at Draco with sad eyes, almost as if she were attending a funeral.

Luna's piteous gaze made the Malfoy heir more and more uncomfortable until he fled the hall.

"Dead wizard walking." She said, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Harry knew what Luna meant and nodded solemnly, "It's all about choices, and he chose to become a murdering bastard."

Luna shifted from sad to determined, took her mates by the hand and said, "Time to see the Headmaster."

Arriving at the stone gargoyle Hermione produced a long parchment, "Mr. Gargoyle, this is a list of every candy and confection produced in Great Britain over the past two-hundred years, both magical and ordinary. We can start reading the list or you can assure yourself that we are, indeed, in possession of the password."

The gargoyle blinked, then shook his head and slid out of the way.

"Thank you, Mr. Gargoyle."

"Irving." The stone gutter-spout said.

"Thank you, Irving."

"Don't mention it."

The trio entered the headmaster's office where the resident phoenix trilled a greeting.

Harry stroked his feathers, saying,"Good to see you too, Fawkes. It's been too long."

Dumbledore entered wearing a blindingly fuchsia dressing gown, a lime green sleeping cap and a look of utter bewilderment.

"I left word with Professor McGonagall that I wished to see you as soon as you arrived, but I should have stipulated that it was to be a private meeting. I'm sorry Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, I do not wish to appear rude, but Harry and I have much to discuss."

"Luna and Hermione need to hear about Riddle's life and times as much as I do. When it comes time for action, they will insist on joining me."

Horrified, Dumbledore asked, "Do you value your friend's lives so little, Harry?"

"On the contrary, Headmaster," Luna interjected, "Harry would much rather we stay safely behind stone walls and impenetrable enchantments, but if he does, the results will be disastrous - the best way to ensure Harry's survival, and ours, is to fight alongside him."

Dumbledore's shoulders sagged, "Well, Iam very tired; perhaps we can discuss this further in a few days."

"Sir, I think you'll find this useful." Luna said, handing the headmaster a bottle of caramel-colored liquid.

Dumbledore accepted the bottle with raised eyebrows, "Pepper-up potion?"

"We have a long night ahead of us, Headmaster, you'll probably need this. Oh, and would you have the kitchen staff bring us our evening meal, we can save time by eating here."

"Miss Lovegood..."

"Headmaster, you need to tell us everything you possibly can about Tom Riddle and how this knowledge is supposed to help Harry defeat him, and live. If you do not, we have acceptance vouchers from Academie de Batons de Beau and can begin our next term in France in one week. We have also been offered French citizenship, and will not be extradited for anything less than a capitol offense committed on British soil.

"If we leave your office now, it will be to return to France, where we will enjoy the support and the protection of La Republique Francaise Magique."

"Sir," Harry added, kindly, "we know that you don't have, well, a lot of time." He pointed to Dumbledore's ruined hand, grown blacker and even more shriveled since the beginning of the holiday, "Luna has the ability to interpolate events with astonishing accuracy, given enough information. Right now we can't afford for you to be miserly with the details. Please, for all our sakes, don't leave anything out."

The next few minutes was a study in interpretive facial expression.

First the Headmaster looked surprised, then angry, then thoughtful, and finally, resigned.

Albus Dumbledore cocked his head to one side and, addressing his familiar, asked, "What do you think, old friend?"

A sharp gaze and a long trill later the headmaster nodded, "Very well, let us begin by reviewing the memories that Ihave already shared with Harry."

Luna, Harry and Hermione went into the memories, each with their own dicta-quill(tm), charmed to copy down everything said by the shades of the people in the memories as well as discussions between the flesh-and-blood wizards and witches.

Stepping back from the memory of Riddle's orphanage days Luna had an expression no one in the room had ever seen before, disgust bordering on revulsion.

"You know, of course, that Lord Voldemort is a creature of your own making?"

Dumbledore paled, "I think that's arather harsh and unfounded pronouncement, Miss Lovegood."

Luna shook her head, "If you had offered young Tom Riddle the sanctuary of Hogwarts all year, he would have become your protege, and a powerful light-aligned wizard. As it was, he was forced to return to an abusive home where, to survive, he had to become malicious, pitiless, one could say reptilian."

"Look at him, he's an attractive boy. The older boys would have wanted to ride him like a bicycle - the reason they didn't, or rather the reason they stopped, was because Tom became more vicious then his buggerers."

"You mean, young mister Riddle was sexually abused?"

Luna nodded, "Probably from a very young age, before his powers began to manifest themselves."

She regarded her headmaster with less warmth and considerably less respect than she ever had before, "Dumbledore, abused children often become abusers. You had it in your power to remove him from that awful place, and you didn't. Tom Riddle could easily have been fostered with a magical family - the Pruitt family would have gladly taken him in, and Molly Prewett would never have lost her twin brothers to the first Voldemort war."

"I know I have made mistakes..."

Harry and Hermione were both amazed by Luna's brusqueness, "Just give us the memory crystals."

"Luna," Harry whispered, "Professor Dumbledore couldn't have seen what Tom Riddle would become."

"You think this is about Riddle?" she asked, aghast, "He's done the same bloody thing to you that he did to Tom!"

Luna whirled on the headmaster, "You knew how Riddle turned out, and yet you have gone out of your way to make sure Harry'enjoyed' the same kind of abusive environment - what in Hecate's name were you thinking?"

"I-I..."

Luna cut him off with a gesture, "Next memory, and keep them coming."

There was young Tom Riddle at Hogwarts.

Then came the corrupted Slughorn memory, but with the all-important introduction to the term Horcrux.

"What is a Horcrux?" Hermione asked, "I've never seen anything written about them."

Luna narrowed her eyes, "That's because the information has been purged from the Hogwarts libraries. Tell me, Dumbledore, when did you appoint yourself Chief of the Thought Police?"

"I felt the information was too dangerous..."

Luna was just short of livid, "More dangerous than the unforgivables? More dangerous than blood boiling curses? More dangerous than fiend fyre, or the flensing curse? All of these subjects are detailed in the Restricted Section. Now explain, in detail, or we're on the next carriage out of here."

Dumbledore explained the theories of soul splitting and containment, and his reasoning for the 'Tom Riddle, this is Your Life' lessons.

Then came the memories of Tom Riddle and Slytherin's locket, and Hufflepuff's golden goblet.

When Hephzibah Smith revealed Slytherin's locket, Harry and Hermione simultaneously gasped, "I've seen this!"

It was nearly dawn when they finished.

"Is this all, Headmaster?"

"Everything pertaining to the Horcruxes and Lord Voldemort, yes."

Luna sighed, sounding more like her normal self, "You are being evasive, again, Headmaster. Just remember, you, along with the rest of Magical Britain, have placed all your hopes on Harry. If you are holding back something, then you doom us all to the nonexistent mercies of the creature you created."

With slow, deliberate and apparently painful resolve, Albus Dumbledore pulled a ring from his finger and placed it on a copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard, then handed both to Luna. "That, Miss Lovegood, is indeed everything. If your remarkable skills can suss out why these tales are significant, you may find yourself in possession of the greatest power imaginable. I can only hope you will use it responsibly."

Luna all but ran to the Room of Requirement. Her resolve was such that she didn't even have to pace the corridor, the door appeared and opened as if the room had been expecting her.

Harry and Hermione quickly followed.

The room was, once again, apsychiatrist's office and Luna lay back on the couch, tears streaming from her eyes.

"T-tell me you - you f-feel." She sobbed from the couch.

Harry slid onto the couch to Luna's left side and Hermione sat on the right.

He stretched out along one side and said, "I feel that you have seen far, far too much for one day and that you need a hug and a good cry."

Luna rolled onto his chest and did just that, with Hermione cuddling along her other side.

"Harry," Luna sobbed, "He's Albus Dumbledore, everyone knows he's infallible."

Harry stroked her hair, "Apparently not."

Luna began to wail in earnest.

Harry looked horrified at Hermione, his wide, panicky eyes screaming what can I do?

Hermione kissed Luna's forehead, "Albus Dumbledore is human, Luna. He's not infallible, none of us are."

Luna sniffed, loudly, "That's just it. If Dumbledore can bollix things up so badly, then what can I hope to do?"

And Harry knew.

He couldn't trust Dumbledore to be right all the time, and he couldn't trust that Luna would be right all the time either. In the end, he could only hope to do his best, given the best information available.

He loved his witches, and he loved Dumbledore, flawed as he was, as the grandfather he never knew.

In the end, it would all come down to him.

They lay together, just sharing warmth and companionship, for the rest of the morning.

Harry and Hermione found themselves alone on the couch when they awoke to the aroma of his favorite shepherd's pie.

Luna had convinced the Room that it needed to be a Command in Control center, with an adhesive wall on which she'd placed dozens of scrolls, notes, and diagrams.

"Good morning, or rather, good afternoon, loves. The shower is through that door. I'd join you, but I'm in the middle of something here and besides, I've been up for hours."

"You should have awakened us as well!" Hermione groused.

"Uh, uh," Luna said, shaking her head, "I love you Hermione, but you are not a morning person. Besides, isn't it nice to sleep with our wizard all by yourself sometimes?"

Hermione couldn't argue with that so she grabbed Harry by the hand and pulled him into the adjoining bathroom.

Luna smiled at the sounds of laughter, followed by moans followed by the sound of skin slapping on skin and ending with satisfied groans. Only then did the shower come on.

Two-thirds of the thruple came out looking refreshed and sated. They pulled Luna into a three-way hug, each one kissing her tenderly.

"All right then, Luna?" Hermione asked.

"Nevah bettah!"

The golden trio looked at the wall, covered as it was by the outline that was in fact, the blueprint for success against Lord Voldemort.

Harry whistled, "Is this time-line accurate, perhaps we should give ourselves more leeway here?"

Luna shook her head, "Once the Horcruxes have been destroyed, we must act quickly."

Neither of the other two mages doubted Luna's judgment.

"Okay, first, the locket." Hermione said, "It was back at Grimmauld Place when we saw it last."

"How about a nice carriage ride into Hogsmeade, and then a floo from the Three Broomsticks?" Harry suggested.

The carriage ride to Hogsmeade station was nice and slow, allowing Harry and Luna to enjoy a nice long snog which, after a short time, included Hermione. As it was the dead of winter clothing stayed on, but hands wandered freely.

A happily dazed thruple stepped out of the carriage and walked, arms linked to Madam Rosmerta's establishment.

"A nice, warm, butterbeer wouldn't go amiss." Luna suggested.

Three warm mugs later the trio stepped into the fireplace just as another patron appeared in green flames. They stepped back from what appeared to be a loose pile of clothing that smelled of stale tobacco and firewhiskey. The raggedy man fell to the ground with the sound of crashing silverware and breaking crystal.

The tattered man griped, "Oi! Watch where you're goin!"

"Sorry, here, we can help," Harry began tossing silver and other bric-a-brac into a large canvas bag, "Dung?"

"Whozzat? Harry? Uh, sorry, mate, um, gotta go..."

"Harry," Hermione asked, holding up asilver goblet, "Isn't this the Black Family Crest?"

"Dung? What is all this?"

The old thief looked ready to bolt until Luna tapped the top of his head with the tip of her wand and said, "Dormus."

Mundungus Fletcher crumpled to the floor and immediately began to snore.

"Madam Rosemerta, please call for an auror." Luna said, "While we catalog some of Harry's property."

Virtually all the silver from the Black household was in the bag, and not just flatware, doorknobs, tankards and goblets, all goblin made and virtually priceless. Fletcher would have pawned it for a fraction of its value, and then gone on a binge.

Mundungus had at least one gold ring on each finger; all of them bore the mark of the house of black. Around his neck he wore a dozen gold chains some with pendants, some without, and one bore agreen locket with a stylized 'S'.

When the aurors arrived they took Harry's statement. Property crime against a lord would put Mundungus Fletcher in Azkaban for twelve years.

"Harry, how did you destroy Riddle's diary?" Luna asked.

"With a basilisk fang."

"Do you happen to know where to find one of those?"

Harry nodded, "I know where to find a whole mouthful of those."

"Then it would be possible for each of us to carry a 'Horcrux obliterator'." Hermione enthused.

Luna added, "One for each of Potters Commandos wouldn't go amiss." She then added, "Time to get Professor Slughorn on board."

When Horace Slughorn learned that there was a twenty meter basilisk carcass in the lower chambers of the castle his eyes went slightly unfocused. There may have been drool - he was clearly hyperventilating.

Before he could have access to the priceless ingredients, though, Luna demanded his signature on a magically binding contract - he would have the normal agent's fee of fifteen percent, fifty percent of the proceeds would go to Harry, ten percent to Hogwarts' general fund and the remaining twenty-five percent would remain in trust for Ginevra Weasley until she reached the age of majority.

When Horace balked at his 'paltry percentage' Luna vaporized the contract on the spot with a flame hex.

"Very well, Professor. The goblins have offered us better terms in any case, and a much better return on our investment."

"I'll take it!" the portly potions professor nearly shouted.

Luna produced another parchment, the wording of which was nearly identical, except Horace Slughorn's share was now ten percent, and Ginevra Weasley's was thirty.

The potions master wanted to complain again, but chose to bite his tongue.

Students began arriving back from holiday in large numbers by Saturday the fourth of January. Padma greeted Luna and Hermione with a hug and a kiss on each cheek, then smiled at Harry, "Mama oyata adarei." She said and kissed his cheek.

"What does that mean, Padma?"

"Oh, just a traditional greeting in Sinhalese, it means, um, 'I'm glad to see you', more or less."

Just then Parvati entered with a gushing Lavender Brown.

Harry accepted a hug from Lavender, who only briefly interrupted her narrative, "And then he, oh! Hi Harry, kiss, kiss," bussed Harry on the cheek, "He asked if I would go with him to Hogsmeade and of course..."

Harry, swept up in the momentum of greetings, kissed Parvati on the cheek and said, "Mama oyata adarei."

"W-what?"

"Did I not say that right? I wanted to surprise you."

Padma looked ready to burst, but managed to keep her calm, "Yes, Parv, I was telling Harry, that's how we greet each other in Sri Lanka."

"Oh, I see." Parvati said, grinning broadly, "In that case, Harry, if you use that greeting, only say it to a girl, and you should always give her a little kiss as well." She looked at her twin, "It's only polite."

Harry said, "Oh, okay." And moved to give her a peck on the cheek, but Parvati turned her head at the last moment and kissed him full on the lips.

Slightly dazed Harry said, "Glad to see you too."

As he walked away from the smiling twins he asked Luna, "I didn't think Indian, um, Asian, um."

"Sinhalese, Harry" Hermione said helpfully.

"I didn't know Sinhalese people were so, ah, demonstrative."

On Sunday afternoon Harry called Potter's Commandos to their first meeting. Each member received a short, sharp fang-blade in a basilisk-hide scabbard and were admonished to use them only in great need as the points were guaranteed deadly, unless one had a phoenix handy and could get treatment within a minute.

In addition to her fang-blade, Luna gave Ginevra a Gringotts key.

"What's this?"

"The key to your trust vault, call it a dowry, if you want."

"H-how much?"

Luna shrugged, "Whatever thirty percent of a basilisk is worth these days. You are allowed to draw ten percent per year from the vault for school expenses and clothing."

In short, Ginevra Weasley would never again have to wear second-hand clothes.

At the beginning of the meeting all eyes turned to see Neville Longbottom entering the Room of Requirement escorting, of all people, the Slytherin pure-blood princess, Pansy Parkinson.

He'd apparently blossomed over the Yule break and stood tall and self-assured in new, well tailored robes. The Longbottom crest embroidered over his left breast, the head of family ring glittered on the third finger of his right hand. As Harry and his witches approached Neville, he bowed and Pansy curtseyed, "My lord Black."

Harry and Neville excused themselves leaving Luna and Hermione with Pansy.

Luna smiled and extended her hand, "You will be the next Lady Longbottom."

It wasn't a question.

Pansy smirked, "And you will be Lady Potter?"

"I think I'll be the Lady Black, Hermione will be the Lady Potter, of that I'm sure."

Hermione blushed, but smiled and nodded. "If Luna's interpretation of events is accurate, then I have good reason to hope."

The Slytherin girl cocked an eyebrow, then smiled broadly. "Neville tells me you prompted him to seek me out this past month."

Luna nodded.

"Then I owe you a debt I can't begin to repay. Neville has ascended to his lordship and placed the Minor House of Parkinson under his protection. I had planned never to return to Hogwarts when I left in December. I was going to escape my betrothal to the disgraced House of Malfoy either in death or disenchantment, giving up my magic and moving to Australia - I don't know which would have been worse."

Luna looked thoughtful, "Well, the few dead people I know, the Lady Helen of Ravenclaw and Myrtle, of course, will tell you that dying is unpleasant if you have no place to look forward to. However, parts of Australia are beautiful!"

Pansy nodded and said, "You will maintain your facade, and I respect that, but know this, if there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask, Lady Black."

"I will remember, Lady Longbottom."

"For the record, Pansy, it's not an act." Hermione explained. "Luna seems distracted because of her unique ability to divine information, past, present and future. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be able to stop, and that keeps her, um, distracted."

"That's not entirely true, Pansy," Luna corrected, "When Harry and Hermione have their hands all over me and Harry is thrusting into me with his..."

Hermione placed a gentle hand on Luna's lips, "TMI dear. The Lady Longbottom doesn't need to know so much about our private lives."

Luna looked at Pansy, surprised, "But you did want to know, didn't you; aren't you curious?"

Pansy blushed and grinned, "We can talk privately later, Lady Black."

The first assembly of Potter's Commandos dispersed with plans to meet again after the regular DA meeting on Monday evening.

Membership in Harry's Defense Association, still initialed the 'DA' was thrown open to all interested students. There were murmurs of dissent when Blaise Zabini entered, accompanied by Daphne Greengrass. Tracy Davis entered the room as a guest of Neville and Pansy.

The tall, dark and too handsome Zabini drew his wand and swore, "I swear by my life and my magic I mean no harm to anyone here."

The three Slytherin girls also swore and the tensions eased.

Blaise walked over to Harry and said, "Potter, there is a new division within Slytherin. There are the Death Eater wanabees, and the fence sitters, but now there is a faction that openly opposes Voldemort."

Tracy joined the conversation; "Those of us who are anti-Voldemort never travel anywhere alone and sleep in shifts. Some of us just want to leave."

"Who is openly anti-Voldemort?" Harry asked.

Blaise counted off on his fingers, "I am, Tracy and Daphne, Astoria - that's Daphne's little sister - and Pansy."

Daphne smiled, "Pansy caused quite astir when she tore up Malfoy's betrothal contract, but apparently Draco's done something that rendered the contract null and void, and now Pansy is the presumptive Lady Longbottom."

Harry nodded, "Draco took the Dark Mark last summer."

Blaise was shocked. "I can't believe it; do you know what you have to do to get that mark?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, and apparently he did." Looking thoughtful, "Who, besides Draco is openly pro-Voldemort?"

"Well, Crabbe and Goyle, of course, along with Nott and Avery."

"Do you think any of them are marked?"

"Doubtful, but then again, before this past summer, I would have said the same thing about Draco."

"Okay, Blaise, I need a sparring partner tonight, care to be my victim?"

"Victim? Feeling a bit cocky, are we, Potter?"

Dead serious Harry answered, "I've fought Voldemort twice in the past two years and I'm still here."

Zabini swallowed heavily and said, "Um, can we take it easy, at first?"

"Fair enough."

Adding the Slytherins to the DA classes turned out to be a godsend, their knowledge of borderline dark spells and just plain dirty tricks added considerably to the arsenal at the Defense Association's command.

After the open DA class Potter's Commandos convened. It was made up of the "Ministry Six," along with Padma, Dean, Lavender and, to everyone's surprise, Pansy Parkinson.

"Neville knows better than to try to leave me out of the loop. Wherever he goes, I go. My fate will be the same as his."

Luna smiled, "You're not simply betrothed - you've Handfasted."

Neville and Pansy smiled and held up their left hands so that their sleeves fell back, revealing the bright green ivy tattoo about their wrists.

Neville explained, "In order to ascend I had to be seventeen or married. Pansy and I are Handfasted for a year and aday. We hope you will all attend our wedding this August."

Congratulations were offered all around and Luna saw Harry looking wistful.

"You know Hermione and I would be glad to bond with you, Harry, but please, don't feel that this is something you have to do. We love you, and we are both willing to wait. We are young, and, statistically, first loves seldom last."

"And what does your mathemagical sense tell you about us?"

"That we will be the exception to that rule, of course!"

Luna called the group to order, then handed back the galleons they had given her the week before the Yule break.

"These coins still have the protean charm, but will call only fellow commandos. In addition, each coin is a portkey, and will buzz three times if one of the master coins is activated. If your portkey activates have your wand at the ready and wherever you land start shooting the deadliest hexes you know. No stuns, no incarcerous spells, if you are summoned, someone wants to kill us, all of us."

Dean whistled, "Damn, Lovegood, gloves are off, eh?"

Luna smiled and said, "Stunned and stupefied enemies will come back into the fight - we saw that last year at the Department of Mysteries. Decapitated people are less likely to do so."

At the end of the short meeting Luna and Hermione pulled Pansy aside, "Tell me, Pansy, have you ever seen this cup?"

Saying this, Hermione conjured an image of Helga Hufflepuff's golden goblet.

Pansy nodded, "Lucius had it on loan from his 'sister in law'. I can only assume he meant Bellatrix, as no one in wizarding society will have anything to do with Narcissa's other sister. In any case, he seemed eager to be rid of it."

Luna quickly worked it out, "Voldemort must have given it to Bellatrix for safe keeping, she must have assumed Malfoy could keep it safe, but he already had one of Voldemort's artifacts so he wouldn't have wanted to be responsible for another."

Luna shook her sandy blonde main and said, "Time to co-opt the goblins."

)O(

Sharptooth shook his head as he mulled over what the Presumptive Lady Black had just said.

"The entire collection of goblin wrought silver in the Houses of Black and Potter to be returned to the goblins immediately in consideration for removing a curse from an object in another vault, the one belonging to the Lestranges."

Luna continued, "Please note, honorable goblin, that the item will not be taken from the vault, it won't even be touched by human or goblin hands."

Then he'd been presented with the means to do so, a fang-blade of immeasurable value, taken from a basilisk, killed in combat.

All that Lady Luna Black had asked for in return was a pensive memory showing the curse's removal.

In consideration of the Lady's trust, Sharptooth had taken her to the vault in question, opened the door for the biannual inventory of contents, and left the door open so that she could witness the curse-breaking with her own eyes.

The goblin touched the tip of the knife to the crest in the cup and was shocked to see the vaporous form of a man coalesce, before dispersing with an agonized shriek.

As Sharptooth handed the blade back to the Lady Black she smiled and said, "You have proven yourself a Goblin Friend today, Sharptooth. Please accept this blade with the gratitude of Lord Potter Black."

Goblin custom insisted that a gift must be returned in kind.

"Lady Black, I grant you the title and responsibility of Goblin Friend. For the next three generations, you may call upon the Sharptooth Clan in times of need and we shall respond."

Luna smiled. Of course she'd calculated the probability that he would do that, but it's always gratifying to be proven right...

Later that night as she lay with Harry and Hermione she smiled, "The diary, the ring, the locket, the goblet. We know that Nagini is probably one, although it makes no sense to make a living thing into a Horcrux. The snake will eventually die, then what?"

"How do we get close to the snake?" Hermione asked.

"Catch Wormtail in his rat form, break two of his legs and then call her." Harry groused.

"Well, that would be one way to cancel his life debt to you." Luna said, dismissively.

"Wait, what was that?" Harry asked.

"Pettigrew owes you a life debt. That means his life is quite literally belongs to you."

Hermione hummed, "So if we can somehow get in contact with Pettigrew..."

Harry shook his head, "Oh yes, if we could just say, 'Accio Peter Pettigrew' and have him fly into our hands."

Luna thought hard for a moment, then smiled.

"Use Snape."

"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, unbelieving.

"Snape is a death eater, ostensibly working as a spy for the light side, but whether he is or not he does have to report to Voldemort on a fairly regular basis."

So if we were to charm a simple message to Pettigrew, saying, what, "Kill the snake and I'll cancel your life debt? And I can just see it now, excuse me Professor Snape, but would you take this note to Peter Pettigrew and please not read it along the way."

Ten minutes later Harry was confused, "We left a perfectly warm, comfortable bed in the Room of Requirement so that we could look through Ron Weasley's wardrobe?"

"I remember Ronald being quite the pack-rat as a child; I don't think he'd throw it away. Ah, here it is!" Luna said triumphantly.

"What?"

"Scabber's old cage."

)O(

And so it was on a cold bleak evening in mid-January, Severus Snape answered the call of his dark lord. He did not notice the black origami beetle in the folds of his billowing robes. When he arrived at the Malfoy's manor he didn't see the paper art flutter aimlessly around the room until it recognized its recipient by his hair. The paper bug had been charmed using one of Scabbers hairs to deliver itself only to the one with hair to match, and whether rat or human, one of Pettigrew's hairs was as good as another for this particular charm.

The paper beetle landed on the rat animagus's nose, then unfolded itself.

The note read.

Peter Petigrew,

The life debt you owe me will be considered paid in full upon the receipt of the head of Nagini, the snake and familiar to he who calls himself Lord Voldemort.

Lord Potter

PS, Do this, Peter. For once in your life do something right!

Pettigrew stared at the impossible note for several long moments when it reassembled itself and flew into the fireplace.

He looked at the snake and thought, "I never did like that scaly monstrosity."

Now he just needed some pretense to get Nagini off someplace. It would just be a matter of time.

)O(

Luna watched the great barn owl at dinner. It circled three times over the tables then landed gracefully on the table before Harry. He accepted its package and gave the owl a mutton chop, which the bird gratefully accepted.

Hermione cast a revealing charm on the box and said, "There's something dark in this box, Harry, let's not open it here."

After dinner Harry stood in the Defense classroom with Hermione and Luna. Also in the room were Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape.

Dumbledore did a series of hand motions, as if he were peeling an invisible egg, and the package unwrapped then opened itself.

Inside was the head of Nagini, and a two word note, "We're even!"

"One Horcrux to go and then we can finish him." Luna said.

Snape, normally pale, had gone the color of milk. "H-how did you do this, Potter?"

Luna answered, "Thank you for taking our note to Peter Pettigrew, if you hadn't done that for us, we'd still be trying to suss a way into Voldemort's lair, which I know is protected by a fidelius, but that doesn't matter."

"Why not?" Minerva asked.

"Because Voldemort and his death eaters are at the Malfoy's manor house."

By this time Severus Snape was beginning to develop a slight tic. A common response to being in close proximity to Luna Lovegood when she was on a roll.

Walking away from the DDA classroom, Luna sighed, "Now we just need the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Do we know what it looks like?" Harry asked.

"There's a statue of Rowena in the Ravenclaw common room, come on."

Luna led her mates to the Ravenclaw tower and stood by the entrance waiting for the riddle.

"I am the only one, beyond nill, whose own product is the same as my own sum."

"You're the number two." Hermione said, with a smirk.

"Enter."

Harry, Hermione and Luna walked around the life sized statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. In her hair was a thin gilded circlet that read, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

A nagging crumb of a memory teased Harry. "I've seen this, or something like it, but where?"

Luna led her loves out of the common area up the stair to her room, "Perhaps if we sleep on it?"

Harry smiled, "As much as I'd like that, I don't want to get you into trouble."

"You won't Harry, I'm on the potion."

"I mean..." then he caught it, the little gleam that meant she was having him on.

He was about to respond in kind when he saw a goddess over Luna's shoulder.

Padma stood in a short diaphanous gown, her dark legs seeming to go on forever. The Singhalese beauty smiled and said, "If you need help, ladies, let me know, I am the prefect on duty tonight, and I feel it's my responsibility to help you, or your wizard, out of any 'tight spots' he might find himself in."

Luna led Harry into her room and Hermione chuckled, "I think Padma wants to help Harry into a tight spot, eh sister?"

Luna ran her hands down Harry's front, "Do you like that idea, love? I could call her."

Harry groaned, "Are you trying to kill me, woman?"

Hermione smirked, "Maybe, but what a way to go!"

He sat on the bed and pulled the two witches to sit with him. "I'm just learning what it is to be in love. Of course I find Padma attractive."

"Attractive?" Luna said with a snort, "You, dearest, have a gift for understatement. She. Is. A goddess."

"Okay, lets say we invite Padma to join us, who next? Parvati? Susan? Hannah? Maybe Lavender? How about those Slytherins, Daphne and Tracy?"

"I love you, Luna," he said, kissing the open palm of her hand, "But no more and certainly no less than I love you, Hermione." Saying this he kissed Hermione's palms as well. I don't need a harem, I want to survive this upcoming battle with Voldemort, then finish school, then figure out what to do with the rest of my life, and I hope and pray that you will both be with me when I do."

Luna gasped, "Mr. Potter! Is that a proposal?"

Harry smiled and answered, "It will be, the day I turn seventeen."

Two squeeing girls pounced on Harry and kissed him senseless.

"You've got to admit, though, Padma is very intelligent, and very, very hot."

Harry chuckled and said, "Oh all right. Yes, yes she is."

Then lost himself in their kisses.

Luna smirked.

The seed was planted, now they had to encourage it to grow and blossom.

)O(

A/N: "Mama oyata adarei." means "I love you" in Singhalese.

A little omake from JaCeeisme

The gargoyle blinked, then shook his head and slid out of the way.

"Thank you, Mr. Gargoyle."

"Irving." The stone gutter-spout said.

"Thank you, Irving."

"Don't mention it."

"Oh, don't be like that. I really appreciate it, Irving."

"No, I'm serious. Please, please, don't mention my name. I hate it, and I wanna kick my father's basalt backside all the way back to the quarry for naming me that!"