Year 5 (pt. 5)
Michael and Hermione sat in the drawing room, nervously sipping tea after explaining their plans to Bloodwic,Veronica, and Dumbledore. Bloodwic and Veronica sat across from them, their expressions a mix of excitement and pride by seeing how passionate their son was about this journey. Dumbledore, stood by the fireplace, his eyes twinkling with a mix of seriousness and warmth.
"So, you two want to leave school to hunt down Horcruxes, huh?" Bloodwic said with a grin, "That sounds like a wild adventure. Dangerous, sure, but we trust you guys."
Veronica chimed in, "If this is what you feel you need to do, then go for it. We'll support you all the way. Just remember to eat food and get rest, okay?"
Dumbledore nodded as Hermione turned to him and said, "Professor Dumbledore, what about school? We can't just disappear without consequences." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled even more. "As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I have the authority to grant you leave without incurring any penalties. You will be excused from your studies for as long as necessary."
Hermione sighed with relief yet was still incredibly anxious. All of a sudden an idea popped into her head. "Professor, do you happen to know a location of a Horcrux? We have an idea of where to start but if we can have more information it would be very useful.”
Dumbledore's expression turned solemn. "I know of the location of one Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring. It is hidden in the ruins of the Gaunt family shack. The shack is located in a remote part of the countryside, protected by powerful enchantments and dark magic." As he said this, he waved his wand. A map appeared in his hand with a clear mark upon it to show Michael and Hermione the way to the shack.
With that, Michael and Hermione stood, their resolve solidified. With the enthusiastic support of their Michael’s parents and the guidance of Dumbledore, they were ready to embark on their journey with a little more confidence than before. They just had a few little things they needed to prep for and people to talk to before they left.
~
Michael and Hermione met Luna and Ginny at Rosa Lee Teabag where they planned on a small meal and tea before shopping a little. The two of them agreed to tell Ginny and Luna their plan at the tea shop so they wouldn’t be so anxious the entire time they hung out.
“So, there is something that we need to talk to you two about.” Hermione started. Ginny and Luna had a nervous look but listened intently. She continued, “Michael and I are going to try and defeat Voldemort. There is more to it than just killing him so we have to prepare everything beforehand. That means that we won’t be coming back to Hogwarts after the break.”
“What?!” Ginny said a little too loudly. Luna hushed her and said, “What do you mean you need to prepare?” Michael went on to explain what Snape told him about horcruxes and how they work with parts of souls in objects and how they need to be destroyed in order to defeat Voldemort. As he told how all of that works, Ginny’s face darkened.
“Do you remember Tom Riddle’s Diary?” Ginny asked. They all nodded. “Well, that was Voldemorts. It had to have some of his soul in it if it was communicating with me as it did.” Their eyes widened. She was right. That HAD to have been a horcrux. After a bit of talking about the diary and how it was destroyed they all agreed that that had to have been one of Voldemort's seven horcruxes.
Their conversation calmed down a little and they moved back on to the other main reason that Michael and Hermione were telling them this. “We are making you two in charge of Dumbledore's Army.” Hermione announced. Luna looked interested while Ginny looked skeptical. With that, Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a thick binder and slid it over to the two of them. “This will be everything you need to know to teach them. I think it won’t be nearly as bad as you think it will be. I have all kinds of spells that will be useful to learn, a short history behind them, some key steps to do them, and some personal tricks I found useful when I did them for the first time.” Hermione said while showing off the table of contents and pointing out how the binders information was set up.
Hermione nudged Michael and looked around before he pulled out a crumpled up piece of parchment and handed it to Ginny. “This is some workouts you can do. I have done them with you before so I’m sure you know what they all mean. I don’t do them in any particular order. I just kinda wing it and pick whatever one fits the mood.” He shrugged. Hermione gave him crap all that morning, saying how he should have written more or explained the workouts better but he didn’t feel the need to.
“I think we can do it.” Luna piped up. “We will miss you greatly but I am glad you guys put in the effort to tell us in person and by letter. Hopefully we will make this a good last day before we don't see you for a while.” She said with a smile. Ginny looked a little down but she also agreed. After they finished and paid for their tea they went out to the other shops.
They made stops at Amanuensis Quills, Obscurus Books, Quality Quidditch Supplies, junk shops, and various stalls that lined the streets. After a long day of looking and buying, they stopped at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for some ice cream before saying goodbye.
They each gave each other a big hug wishing each other luck with their new tasks that awaited them after winter holiday. As Luna and Ginny started walking off, Michael quickly stopped them and said, “You guys mean the world to me. I will try and write whenever I can. Make sure to keep Hogwarts safe.” He flashed them a big smile and turned back to Hermione.
~
Michael excitedly shared the details of their plan with his parents while Bloodwic and Veronica listened, looking remarkably unphased by the seriousness of the situation.
"Okay, so we're going to leave school and head to this cave by the ocean to find Marvolo Gaunt's Ring," Michael explained, trying to get excited looked from his parents.
Bloodwic shrugged casually. "Alright, sounds like a plan. Just be safe, okay?"
Veronica nodded, handing them a small pack filled with sandwiches and other snacks in plastic bags. "Here's some food for the journey. I packed some things you might need. Be safe, I love you."
Hermione looked at the pack curiously. "What's in there?"
Michael rifled through the pack, pulling out a baggie full of carrots. "Ugh, I hate carrots." Making Veronica smile. "You'll thank me later. And Hermione, there's a little surprise for you."
Hermione found a small, seemingly ordinary bag inside. "What's this?"
Bloodwic gave her a grin before saying. "That bag can hold more than it seems. It's enchanted to carry everything you need without getting heavy or bulky."
Hermione's eyes lit up as she examined the bag. "This is so cool! Thank you so much!"
Michael and Hermione stood up, confidence now flowing through them despite the seriousness of what they were about to face. With a quick hug from Veronica and a pat on the back from Bloodwick, they were ready to go.
~
In the dimly lit shack, Michael and Hermione stood side by side, staring at the trapdoor they had just discovered. A chilling draft wafted up from below and Hermione let out a shutter. “There’s got to be a room down there right?” she said to Michael.
Hermione, being ever so cautious, was analyzing the ancient runes etched around the trapdoor. "These symbols have to be a series of puzzles guarding the ring," she murmured, showing curiosity. She was carefully touching them with her wand while Michael stood behind her rolling his eyes with a huff.
Michael, being less intrigued by the mystery and more impatient to get into the room said, "Let's just get down there," while tugging at the trapdoor. After a few good pulls it gave way with a crack, revealing a wore stone staircase descending into darkness. Hermione who was less amused and annoyed lit her wand and made Michael go first down the stairs.
They descended into the cave, their footsteps echoing ominously, their wands cast eerie shadows on the stone walls. Soon, they arrived at a grand chamber, where the first puzzle awaited. Hermione immediately set to work trying to piece together the clues. She worked on deciphering cryptic inscriptions and carefully manipulated the intricate mechanisms. "These puzzles are incredibly complex," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Each one is designed to test different aspects of intelligence and skill."
Michael watched for a while, but his patience quickly wore thin. "This is taking too long," he muttered, looking around for another way. He wanted to get this over with and eat some food. As he looked around, his eyes fell on a narrow passageway to the side, partially obscured by rubble.
After a while of watching Hermione try and figure out this puzzle he walked over to the rubble and started punching it with his metal arm and then clearing the rubble away. Hermione noticed what he was doing and yelled out to him, “Mike! I almost had it! Why do you just go straight to punching things?!”
As he continued, he made a narrow gap that he could squeeze through. The passage was tight and dark, but Michael pushed forward, using his strength to force his way through obstacles. All of a sudden he emerged into another chamber, this time much grander and he saw a pedestal stood in the center.
Hermione arrived moments later and slightly out of breath. "You can't just brute force your way through everything and expect it to work," she scolded but when she saw where they were she was quite impressed.
Michael gave a boyish grin, grabbing the ring. "Maybe not, but it sure worked this time," he said, holding up Marvolo Gaunt's Ring triumphantly. Hermione couldn't help but smile at Michael.
~
Michael and Hermione stood on the rocky shoreline, the crashing waves cheering to their triumph. In Michael’s hand gleamed Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, the dark artifact holding part of Voldemort's soul. Michael carefully handed it to Hermione as she placed it into her enchanted bag, its endless space ensuring it would be safe.
"Alright, let's get out of here. I need to take a nap or something," Michael said as he looked around. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed dark figures emerged from the shadows. Without any warning a group of Death Eaters yelled, "Stupefy!" before Michael and Hermione could defend themselves. Both of them collapsed to the ground and passed out.