Harry Potter and the Serpent's Eye by Marauder9744
Chapter Notes: Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed “ I really appreciate it! My wonderful beta, LucyLupin, was nice enough to get this chapter back to me very very quickly so I would be able to post it sooner. Thanks so much, LucyLupin and I hope everyone enjoys!
Chapter 8 “ Harry and Ron take their Apparation tests; the trio embarks on their Horcrux hunt.
Harry awoke very early the next morning, much earlier than he had the previous day. He had thought about the locket and talked endlessly with Ron, Hermione and Ginny about it, all of them coming up with the same conclusion after asking the twins about Mundungus the previous evening. According to the twins, Mundungus had probably sold everything that he had stolen from Grimmauld Place; they promised that by nine the following morning (this morning) they would have an answer for Harry. Harry wasn’t quite sure how they were going to do this but he was grateful nonetheless.
Harry shuffled out of his bed and walked across the room to wake up Ron. They were to take their Apparation tests today, but Ron was much harder to wake than Harry had hoped.
“Ron, wake up, we’re going to be late,” Harry begged, poking Ron in the shoulder.
“A little lower,” mumbled Ron incoherently.
Harry laughed out loud and made a mental note to tease Ron endlessly for this later, but now he had to get him awake. After lightly prodding and poking Ron to no avail, Harry lost all his patience and pushed Ron out of the bed and onto the floor.
“Oi, whadidyado that for?” said Ron sleepily.
“We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry,” replied Harry irritably, throwing Ron a pair of jeans and his trainers. Harry and Ron dressed in silence and then hurried down the stairs to find Mr. Weasley waiting for them.
“Ready, boys?” he asked, finishing his coffee.
Harry and Ron nodded, both of them looking slightly nervous. Harry was dreading this and he knew Ron was more than likely feeling the same way. Harry had no desire to go back to the Ministry, a place he already had many bad memories of. Harry was also dreading reporters, which he was sure would be there. That had been his reasoning for asking Mr. Weasley to make the appointment for as early as possible in order to avoid any fanfare.
Mr. Weasley put on his travelling cloak, as did Harry and Ron, and they set off towards the London Underground together.
“Why do we have to walk?” asked Ron irritably, stifling a yawn.
“It’s the safest way, and we want to be able to get you two in and out without many people noticing… and I do love travelling on the Underground.”
Ron rolled his eyes at Harry behind his father’s back and walked on silently.
They reached the Underground without incident and Harry, once again, had to sort out the Muggle money for Mr. Weasley, who was simply ecstatic about the whole process. They boarded the train and Harry noticed that the only other person to enter with them was a strikingly beautiful woman. Harry watched as Ron turned his head and noticed the woman, his eyes the size of beach balls. She gave him a slight smile and walked away. Ron stared at her backside quite obviously as she sauntered away, finally being brought back to reality by a gentle nudge by his father.
“Maybe she’s part veela,” teased Harry, while giving Mr. Weasley a wink.
Ron turned beet red and muttered something that sounded like “Wasn’t looking at her.”
They travelled on in relative peace (unless you count when Mr. Weasley nearly had his fingers severed while examining one of the automatic doors) and soon reached their stop. The three of them made their way to the familiar old red phone box, where they all squeezed in. Mr. Weasley dialled the number and stated their names and reason for being there. Harry took the silver badge that slid down through the coin return slot and pinned it on his chest: Harry Potter, Apparation Test.
The floor shuddered and they began to sink slowly into the ground. Within a minute, Harry was bathed in golden light that forced him to shield his eyes.
“The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day,” said a familiar woman’s voice as the door sprang open.
They stepped onto the highly-polished, dark wood floor and Harry was relieved to see that no one else was in the room; granted, it was still quite early in the morning. He did notice an immediate difference, however, in the room’s appearance. Harry noticed that at the end of the hall, just past the Fountain of Magical Brethren, the golden gates that in his previous visit had been open, now, however, were firmly shut. In front of the gates stood six stern-looking men, whom Harry was sure had to be Aurors. The bored-looking wizard, who had previously been behind the security desk, was replaced by two more menacing men who, Harry thought, must also be Aurors.
Mr. Weasley led Harry and Ron down the hall and to the security desk where he presented Harry and Ron to the two Aurors behind the counter.
“Your wands please, gentlemen,” said one of the Aurors.
It was a demand, not a request.
Harry and Ron presented their wands to the Auror, Harry more warily than Ron.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Potter, I’ll take good care of it,” said the Auror, giving Harry a fleeting smile and opening the golden gates for them to pass through.
The three of them made their way into a nearby lift and waited patiently until the lift doors slid shut with a crash and the lift began to slowly ascend. They passed the seventh level and when the lift doors opened on level six, Department of Magical Transport, the three of them stepped out.
They walked up to the receptionist, a young-looking witch with soft features, a bright smile and blonde hair, and Mr. Weasley introduced them.
“Ah yes, here we are, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, 6:15, Apparation Test?” she asked, looking between Harry and Ron.
They nodded, apparently at a loss for words.
“Nervous?” she asked, with a small smile. “Don’t be. If what I’ve heard about what you’ve both been through is true, then you two will do just fine.”
Harry glanced up at her and smiled thankfully.
“Now, which one of you would like to go first?”
Harry looked at Ron.
“You want me to go?” asked Harry. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
Ron nodded his head. He seemed incapable of speech. The witch smiled warmly at Harry and ushered him through the oak front doors as Mr. Weasley and Ron wished him luck.
“You’ll do fine, Mr. Potter,” said the witch, leading Harry down a long hallway and into a massive room, much the same size as the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She guided him to a chair in the corner of the room.
“Your examiner will be with you shortly, oh and umm… I just wanted to say, well… if what they say is true then… good luck… against You-Know-Who, we’re all well… everyone’s pulling for you,” and she stepped out of the room.
Harry, wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that and, thankfully, he only had to wait a few moments before an elderly witch, with long white hair, stepped into the room and made her way over to where Harry was sitting. Harry thought she looked fairly familiar.
“Ah, hello, Mr. Potter,” she said stiffly, not offering her hand for a handshake. “My name is Mrs. Edgecombe; I believe you know my daughter, Marietta.”
Harry’s heart dropped. This complicates things slightly, he thought. In Harry’s fifth year, it had been Marietta who had told Professor Umbridge about Harry’s secret defence club, Dumbledore’s Army. Due to Hermione’s cleverness, once Marietta had snitched, her face was covered in thick acne that spelt SNEAK. He was quite sure that that had not gone over to well with Mrs. Edgecombe.
“Hello, Mrs. Edgecombe,” Harry began uncertainly. “How are “” but Mrs. Edgecombe cut him off.
“Well let’s see if you are as great as advertised,” she said smirking slightly. “I want you to Apparate into the opposite corner of this room.”
Harry concentrated hard on the opposite corner of this massive room without a word to Mrs. Edgecombe. Within a moment, Harry had succeeded in his task as he now stood in the opposite corner of the room. Mrs. Edgecombe stalked over to Harry and carefully examined him, making sure he hadn’t left any of his body parts behind.
“Now Apparate back,” she said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Harry took a moment, concentrating hard on his destination, and did as he was told. Mrs. Edgecombe hurried back and checked over Harry once more. She did not look at him as she furiously scrawled on her notepad.
“You will receive the results once you have returned to the waiting room. Good day, Mr. Potter.”
With that, Harry rushed from the room, a small smile spreading across his face. Harry walked back to the waiting room where a pale-faced Ron was sitting, his freckles standing out clearly against his stark-white skin.
“How’d it go?” he asked nervously, when Harry had reached him.
“Great,” Harry answered. “I think I may have passed.”
“You did, Mr. Potter, with flying colours, I might add,” said the young receptionist bringing over his results. “Your turn, Mr. Weasley, please come with me.”
Harry gave Ron a thumbs-up as he passed through the oak doors and out of sight.
“Well done, Harry,” said Mr. Weasley, looking thoroughly proud. Harry sat down next to him and told his story of Mrs. Edgecombe.
“At least she passed you,” said Mr. Weasley, frowning upon hearing Harry’s story.
“Well, I think had I left so much as a hair behind she would have failed me,” replied Harry.
Mr. Weasley nodded at this, his frown increasing.
“Can I ask you something, Mr. Weasley?” asked Harry after a moment of silence.
“Sure, anything,” replied Mr. Weasley, putting down his copy of the Daily Prophet and gazing expectantly at Harry.
“I’d never do anything to hurt Ginny,” he began, trying to say what was on his mind as quickly as possible. He had been thinking about what he was about to say for a long time now and Mr. Weasley was probably the best person to talk to. “But if something happens to me, well… I just, I don’t want her to have to put her life on hold by waiting for me. I don’t want her distracted at school or anything like that, I mean, I don’t know how long it’s going to take to defeat Voldemort.”
Harry had never spoken to Mr. Weasley about Ginny but it felt like the right thing to do: he was Ginny’s father after all. Mr. Weasley gazed at the young man for a moment before speaking.
“Harry, Ginny would wait for you forever. And personally, if I had to hand pick someone for my daughter to wait, possibly a lifetime for, it would be you.”
He smiled at Harry and Harry felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The last thing that Harry wanted was for anyone, especially Mr. or Mrs. Weasley, to think that he was bad for Ginny. Mr. Weasley and Harry talked for a little while longer, about much happier things, until a very happy redhead came back through the large oak doors.
“I passed!” yelled Ron, as he got a little closer to Harry and his father. “I must have… didn’t even leave an eyebrow behind this time.”
“Excellent, mate,” said Harry, clapping him on the back.
The receptionist soon returned Ron’s results to him and he was right, he had passed.
“Well, boys,” said Mr. Weasley, once they had gotten back through the golden gates and retrieved their wands, “would you like to Apparate back?”
“We can, really?” asked Ron his father, as they exited the Ministry and reappeared back outside.
“I don’t see any reason why not… just, um… well, don’t tell your mother. I promised her I wouldn’t let you.”
Harry and Ron grinned at each other.
“After you, Harry.”
Harry concentrated hard on his destination, just as he had done during the test “ the front lawn in front of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. He felt the familiar feeling of Apparation and he was soon deposited exactly where he wanted to be. Harry was joined a few moments later by Ron (who looked thoroughly surprised) and a very pleased Mr. Weasley.
The three of them entered the house and the moment they crossed the threshold, Harry was hit by a flying body with long, flaming red hair.
“How was it?” asked Ginny, greeting him with a very long kiss.
“Hello to you, too,” teased Harry.
Goodness, I’m going to miss her, he thought.
“It was brilliant, we both passed!”
“I knew you would,” replied Ginny, looking absolutely giddy, “both of you.”
“Congratulations, Harry,” said Hermione, who had followed Ginny into the room, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek. “And you, Ron,” and she kissed him on the cheek as well.
Ron’s ears turned bright red, but he looked rather pleased nonetheless.
“It wasn’t that bad,” he said, as the four of them strolled into the kitchen. “Blimey, I’m starving. What have we got to eat?”
Hermione rolled her eyes but said nothing.
“The tester was really mean though, wasn’t she?” Ron said to Harry as he grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. Hermione watched this in absolute revulsion.
Harry nodded furiously in response to Ron’s comment and told Hermione and Ginny about Mrs. Edgecombe.
“Thas weranew erfrum,” said Ron, now devouring a muffin.
“What?” Hermione asked, now thoroughly annoyed.
Ron swallowed the muffin before answering.
“I said that’s where I knew her from.”
“She must have been awful,” said Ginny, consolingly.
“It could’ve been worse,” replied Harry, shrugging slightly.
“Well, we’ve got some even better news,” said Hermione, sarcastically as she motioned for Ron to shut the kitchen door. She waited for Ron to do so before she explained.
“The twins have tracked down the locket. Don’t ask me how,” she said, at Harry and Ron’s astonished looks, “but they did. It turns out Mundungus sold it, ironically, to Borgin and Burkes. There’s only one problem. We told them to ask Borgin about it once they located it, but apparently he told them that it was not for sale. It seems that he has realised its importance. Not that he knows it’s a Horcrux, but that he realises how valuable it is.”
“Well then, we’ll have to try for ourselves,” replied Harry. “Are you packed?”
Both Ron and Hermione nodded.
“Come on, Ginny, why don’t you help me get ready?” he continued as he, grabbed her lovingly by the hand. “You two can amuse yourselves while you wait,” he added to Ron and Hermione, who, by their sneers, obviously did not find this comment as funny as he and Ginny did.
Harry and Ginny walked up to Harry’s room and they began putting things in his trunk.
“I’m going to miss you, Harry,” said Ginny, after a minute.
She looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. Harry moved over to her and comforted her, gently smoothing her hair and rubbing her back. This gentle comforting soon became more heated and they found themselves rolling around on Harry’s bed.
“Calm down there, Potter,” said Ginny panting slightly.
“Well, I’ve been told by certain females that I have, shall we say… special talents… that you, my dear, were lucky enough to experience. You’re welcome,” he said cheekily.
“Who said that? Hedwig?” replied Ginny sarcastically, swatting Harry’s arm.
She couldn’t hold her grin off for long though, and she was soon being held in Harry’s arms again. He was going to miss moments like this.
“Come on,” he said, instantly hating what he was doing, “I have to finish getting ready.”
Together they got most of Harry’s stuff packed away in his trunk and with the help of a Shrinking Charm, which Mrs. Weasley had taught her, Ginny was able to transform Harry’s bulky trunk into a pocket-sized rectangle. They walked arm in arm, back downstairs and into the kitchen where they found everyone waiting for them, including Bill and Fleur who must have just recently returned from their honeymoon.
“Good luck, ‘Arry,” said Fleur, kissing him on the cheek, “and you too, Ron,” as she kissed him too.
Ron looked very pleased with himself before Ginny poked him hard in the ribs, scowling.
“If there’s anything you need, Harry, just say my name into your mirror and I’ll answer, I promise,” said Lupin, putting a comforting arm on Harry’s shoulder. “We’re here to help, all of us.”
Harry looked graciously at everyone who had assembled to wish him, Ron and Hermione luck and smiled.
“Thank you, and I will,” replied Harry.
“Do take care of yourself, won't you, dear?” said Mrs. Weasley obviously fighting back tears. “I’ll being seeing you all soon, I trust?”
“As soon as we can manage, Mum,” said Ron as he and Hermione took turns receiving bone-crushing hugs from Mrs. Weasley. Finally, Harry made his way down the line and stood staring at his girlfriend.
“Oh, Harry,” she cried and grabbed onto his neck, “please be careful, please, please be careful. And, Ron, oh, Ron… Hermione,” and she grabbed them as well.
The four of them hugged tightly for a few moments until finally Ginny released them. “Let me know how everything goes with Borgin,” she whispered to Harry, “I’ll wait for you.”
Harry looked her in the eye and then whispered very quietly in her ear,
“I love you, Ginny Weasley.”
“Oh, Harry, I love you too. I always have,” and with that she gave him one more lasting kiss and let him go.
Harry, Ron and Hermione said their final goodbyes and walked out onto the front lawn. With one final wave, the three friends Disapparated.
* * *
“Well, any ideas?” asked Harry, as he, Ron and Hermione crouched under his Invisibility Cloak, staring into the shop window of Borgin and Burkes.
“I suppose we could try to just go and ask if the locket is for sale,” offered Hermione.
“We could, but the twins said they already tried that and if we go in there and Borgin says no, we won’t be able to risk going back in there without seeming suspicious,” said Harry, thinking hard. “I think our best bet is to try and steal it.”
“Steal it!” said Hermione, looking scandalised.
“Hermione, it was stolen from us!” Ron replied angrily.
“Well I don’t think.…”
“Would you two just shut up?” said Harry irritably, “I’m going to steal it back.”
“How, exactly?” asked Hermione, still with a slightly scared look on her face.
“Well, we’ll need a diversion and we’ll need to have a clear plan of escape,” replied Harry, thinking hard. “What would get Borgin out of the shop long enough for us to find the locket and take it?” he thought out loud.
“I’ll take care of that, you two find the locket,” said Hermione suddenly, lifting the Invisibility Cloak.
“Hermione, wait!” cried Ron, but Hermione had already dashed from under the cloak and hurried into the shop. Harry and Ron watched intently as Hermione walked slowly up to the closest object that she could find and grabbed it.
“Hey!” cried Mr. Borgin, who was standing behind the front desk, “put that back.”
Hermione was too quick, however, and she ran as fast as she could from the store. Harry and Ron looked on in excitement as Borgin rushed out of the shop and after her. He turned around quickly, however, and ran back to the door with his wand out, as if to lock it. Harry and Ron hurried forward and were able to sneak through the door while under the cloak before Borgin had managed to lock it. They dove inside and then heard the lock click.
“Come on, Ron,” said Harry, throwing the cloak off and hurrying over to the front desk in search of the locket.
“I hope she’s all right,” said Ron nervously, as he searched in every nook of the front desk as well. “Damn, it’s not up here.”
Harry, who had checked every shelf and drawer in the store with no luck, was now growing nervous. What if Hermione was caught? What if Borgin returned to find Harry and Ron searching through the shop? Would he notify the Death Eaters?
Harry and Ron had searched for what seemed like forever until finally:
“Here, I think I’ve got it!” yelled Ron, pulling the locket out of a small box that was hidden behind Borgin’s desk in the back office.
Harry smiled from ear to ear upon hearing Ron’s cry, but he was brought back to earth once he looked outside the window and saw Mr. Borgin hurrying back towards his shop.
“Quick, Ron, he’s back, get under the cloak!” yelled Harry, and Ron came hurrying into the front room, locket in hand, and slid under the cloak just as the door clicked unlocked and Borgin entered.
“Stupid girl,” they heard him say, as he hurried to the front counter. “When I get hold of her, she’ll wish she’d never been born.”
Harry felt Ron tighten next to him and he laid a pacifying arm on his friend and he could feel Ron calm somewhat. Borgin pulled out a very large knife from behind the counter and rushed back out of the shop, nearly running into Harry and Ron.
“Let’s go,” whispered Harry, and they rushed out of the open door while Borgin fumbled with his wand in an effort to lock the door again.
“Where do you suppose she went?” asked Ron, throwing off the cloak once they had reached Diagon Alley and had found a deserted side street.
“I don’t know,” replied Harry, now growing worried as well. “Let’s go and wait in the Leaky Cauldron, maybe she went there, and we can also get a room for the night.”
Harry and Ron set off for the Leaky Cauldron, all the while trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. They reached the crowded inn and found a table off to the side, where hopefully no one would notice them.
“Psst… Harry, Ron,” whispered a voice behind them the moment that they sat down. It was Hermione, who was brilliantly concealed behind a plant that Harry was sure she had Conjured.
“Hermione!” said Harry, giving a sigh of relief.
“That was bloody brilliant, Hermione,” said Ron, a happy grin spreading across his face. She blushed profusely but waved it off.
“Did you get it?” she asked, moving from her hiding place and seating herself in between Harry and Ron.
“Yeah,” Ron replied, pulling out the locket and holding it up so she and Harry could both examine it. Harry traced his finger across the serpentine S stamped across its face.
“This is it,” said Harry, pocketing the locket.
“Any ideas on how to destroy the Horcrux?” whispered Hermione, so as not to be overheard.
“Some,” replied Harry, “but I think it would do us better to stay here for the night. It’s getting late and it might not be such a good idea for us, especially you, Hermione, to go back out into Diagon Alley.”
The other two nodded in agreement and Harry went up to Tom the barman and arranged for a room for the night.
“Mr. Potter,” called Tom after Harry had started to walk away. “I’ll keep your being here a secret of course… oh, and your owl arrived a short time ago. She is waiting in your room.”
Harry thanked Tom again and he, Ron and Hermione made their way up to their room as surreptitiously as possible.
The three of them entered the room as the sun sank low on the horizon. Harry moved over to the window and shut the blinds with a snap.
“Well, looks like you two will have to share a bed,” teased Harry, as he lay spread-eagled on one of the beds, making it impossible for Ron to lie down. “Goodnight.”
He closed his eyes and waited a second for what he knew was coming. Harry smiled when he felt a body flop down on the bed, next to him, muttering, “Very funny, Harry.”