With the help of the followers of Hecate, Percy and Annabeth continue their horcrux hunt.

Chapter Rating: General Audiences

Content Warning: None

Word Count: 2781

I just passed the 10K mark for this fic. Thank you guys so so much for all your support!

Letting you know--31 & 32 will be edited by Sara only because Giulia is away on vacation for the next 14 days without Internet. Never fear, though, she shall return for 33!

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

____________________HARRY____________________

The first ten minutes after Sirius voiced his decision to look into adoption, Harry could do nothing but sit there, his godfather's arms on his back, and process the meaning of those words.

If you and I survive until next year... maybe we can see what it takes to make that happen.

It wasn't happiness Harry felt, nor excitement nor even bliss. He'd felt all that before. This wasn't the kind of feeling that made him laugh or smile or make his insides squirm. It wasn't the kind of thing Harry could name--English hadn't yet invented the language necessary to do so--but it was the kind of thing that made him so overcome with emotion his brain elected to remove all feelings from his body, leaving him with a blank and buffering mind that could only focus on the cause of the circle spinning into infinity.

If you and I survive until next year... maybe we can see what it takes to make that happen.

It wasn't like the end of Harry's third year when he'd just met Sirius; this wasn't a stranger but friend of his dad's who'd offered to take him away from the Dursleys. No, this was Sirius Black, the closest thing Harry had to a father, discussing a near future in which he'd be free of the Ministry's shackles and able to call Harry his son. His son. A near future where the Order didn't spend every day in the Black Manor, a future where the place would be livable and pleasant and a place Harry would one day consider home.

It was an opportunity for summer to be more than waiting for Hogwarts, more than reflecting on whatever Dark Magic had interrupted final exams that school year, more than running from Dudley and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. A near future where Lord Voldemort didn't lurk behind every corner, where living past twenty wasn't just guaranteed but an exciting prospect. A future where Harry wasn't an orphan. A future where that long ago Halloween no longer defined every waking moment of Harry's life.

If you and I survive until next year... maybe we can see what it takes to make that happen.

A future, in short, that Harry had never dared to imagine. And now, in twenty words, that future wasn't just a dream, but a prospect. A goal. Something to work towards. Something to ponder and plan for and maybe even expect.

If you and I survive until next year... maybe we can see what it takes to make that happen.

There was something almost poetic; how the worst night of Harry's life gave way to the best morning of his existence.

But, before any of that happened, Harry had to do his part to make sure the world got through the next nine days unscathed. And that meant getting to work doing what Nico could no longer--hunting horcruxes.

"Sirius--could you help me figure out what the rest of the horcruxes are?"

"I can try, but I don't know Voldemort's mind the way Dumbledore seems to, or the demigods."

"Percy and Annabeth said they figured out a few horcruxes, from Dumbledore, but they don't know all seven."

"All right... so, what do they have so far?"

Harry thought back to the briefing the night before--he'd been so focused on guilt he'd barely heard what the demigods were telling them.

"Um... Riddle had a diary that's already taken care of, they have a ring and Hufflepuff's cup, there's this locket--"

"Locket?"

"Um..."

"Harry--do you remember at the beginning of the summer, that locket inside the cabinet we couldn't open?"

"You think that's it?"

"Regulus joined the Death Eaters the second he could. There's a good chance his master gave him a horcrux to hide here."

Harry almost hit himself on the head from his own stupidity. "Where is it?"

Sirius grimaced. "We threw it out, remember? Unless Kreacher's hoarding did us a favor for once--"

Sirius and Harry exchanged a nervous look, then Harry walked back to the dingy door that opened to Kreacher's den. He fumbled around in the cramped space, feeling Sirius's eyes on his back until he reached behind he boiler and--"

"I think I found something!" Harry yelled towards Sirius. "Feels like it could be the cabinet--but it's stuck!"

Sirius joined Harry at Kreacher's Den and helped him to tug on the object. Ten minutes later, sweating and frustrated, the piece of furniture loosened, so sudden Harry ended up falling on his rear. Sirius stepped in closer and pulled, grunting from the effort, until he removed...

The cabinet.

"Yes!" Harry even pumped his fist in the air; it felt like the first victory he'd experienced in months. "Sirius, I've got to get this to Percy and Annabeth. Even if we couldn't open it, they'll know how to. Or Hermione, now that she's able to use magic again."

Sirius nodded and grinned at Harry, breathing too hard to say a word. Harry grinned back, threw his arms around his godfather in a quick embrace, then helped him to carry the cabinet back to the fireplace in the living room--big enough to fit it, thank... gods?

That feels weird.

Harry dismissed the odd thought and pushed the piece of furniture into the emerald flames. "I'll see you soon, Sirius. Thank you."

"Good luck, Harry. I'll see you before the thirty-first."

"Hogwarts--Room of Requirement--the Horcrux Room!" Harry shouted. The area where Percy and Annabeth kept the horcruxes became the agreed-on meeting spot for everyone involved the night before. Per usual for the room, a floo-powder connected fireplace popped up as soon as they needed it, undetectable from Umbridge's office, or the ministry.

Harry appeared in the room, somewhat familiar from Annabeth's showing him around after the briefing the night before. Even at half-past six in the morning, everyone was awake, alert, and working. Percy and Ron stood over a piece of parchment, a list of the horcruxes and their status. Hufflepuff's cup and Marvolo's ring sat in pieces around their feet, the Sword of Gryffindor still in Ron's hand. Hermione and Annabeth sat at a table nearby, with a stack of books beside them, no doubt researching various objects that might qualify as a horcrux. Blaise and Hestia lay on the ground in another corner, huddled around the Marauder's Map that Ron had taken from Harry's trunk the night before, calling out various possible hiding spots for horcruxes.

"Guys!" Harry called, stepping out of the fireplace.

"Harry!" Ron greeted him. "Where you been, mate?"

"I found the locket," Harry said, deciding to keep his conversation with Sirius to himself. It was too loaded for him to talk about yet, or even to think about.

Lucky for him, no one seemed to care enough to pry. "What?!" Annabeth looked beside herself with happiness. "How?!"

"I remembered seeing a locket at my godfather's place this past summer," Harry explained / lied, "It was trapped in this cabinet--none of us could open it. His family was affiliated with Riddle before they died, so I figured it might be a possible hiding spot for the horcrux. And I think I was right."

Ron and Hermione both gasped at their lack of recollection. "Of course!" Hermione cried.

"Didn't we throw that out, though?" Ron asked.

"Kreacher," Harry replied.

Blaise helped Harry to carry the cabinet to the center of the room. Annabeth looked through the glass at the necklace, inspecting it. "That's it," Annabeth announced, though her voice sounded far more grave than Harry expected. "Issue is, how do we get it out?"

Hermione tried a spell, but nothing happened. All the wizards joined her, shouting various incantations to no avail. To his left, Harry heard Percy ask Annabeth, "Is the cabinet important at all?"

"No," Annabeth told him but sounded wary. "Why--"

She got her answer. Percy darted to the side of the cabinet not being pelted with spells and uncapped then swung his sword at the top. All the wizards stopped firing at once, shocked at such a rash decision. But, it paid off--the top of the cabinet fell to the ground, the glass shattered, and the locket sat there, ready for the taking. Everyone stared at Percy in utter shock as he strut around the front and grabbed the necklace.

"What?" he questioned, holding the locket by his right pointer-finger, its charm dangling and swishing like a pendulum in the air. "Sword beats wand. You said it wasn't important."

Annabeth walked over to Percy, in a daze; he looked afraid she'd smack him like the night before. Instead, she grabbed him and kissed him full on the mouth--PDA style. When they parted (long after the awkwardness had set into the air), she smiled at him, looking at him like he was her sun, moon, and stars.

"You, Perseus Jackson, are incredible."

Percy gave a breathy laugh and grinned back. Harry spent so long watching this scene play out, he didn't notice Ron walking up to him until he tapped him on the shoulders. He met Harry's eye and held out the Sword of Gryffindor.

"No," Harry declined. "You do it."

"You found the locket," Ron protested.

"It's your mission," Harry countered. "We wouldn't be helping the demigods if you hadn't convinced us to. I wouldn't've found the locket. That's your sword; you're leading this."

Ron looked so taken aback he lost the ability to speak. But, he nodded and motioned for Percy to hold the locket out to him. Percy did so, and Ron swung. Everyone but Harry covered their ears; when the blade made contact, a deafening screech of pain erupted from the charm. In a moment, it stopped, and the broken locket fell from its chain and hit the floor with a metallic clang.

"Now what?" Blaise asked, glancing at the others in turn.

"We have three horcruxes left to find," Hestia answered him. "The snake--Nagini, the one somewhere in the Room of Requirement, and whatever the last one is."

"The snake?" Harry asked.

"We figured that out while you were gone," Blaise answered, the 'we' referring to himself and Hestia. "He always keeps that snake nearby, and Hestia's aunt and uncle mentioned Riddle calling the snake 'blessed' the summer after her first year. They were Death Eaters. Put two and two together, and..."

"Wait..." Hermione grabbed the list of horcruxes from the table where Percy left it and scanned the names. "I think I know what the Room of Requirement horcrux is."

"Well, what is it, then?" Hestia pressed.

"Riddle took Hufflepuff's cup, and Slytherin's locket. You said the Gaunts called that Slytherin's artifact, right?" Annabeth nodded. "He must've wanted one object from each of the Hogwarts founders."

"You're right!" Annabeth agreed. " Di immortalis I'm stupid! Riddle was an orphan when Dumbledore invited him to Hogwarts; he was so happy to find a place where he wasn't a freak--Riddle must've had some connection to this place, one he'd reflect in his horcruxes. It's Ravenclaw's diadem! There's a statue of her wearing it in my common room--that's got to be it!"

"And he'd put it in the castle," Hermione continued, "to connect himself even more here. Hogwarts is famous for being one of the safest places in the Wizarding World, and he must've learned about the Room of Requirement during his time here!"

"He's so arrogant, he'd think no one else ever discovered this room!" Annabeth finished, excited and gleeful for the first time Harry could remember. "You're right Hermione, this has to be it! The diadem in the room where everything is hidden!"

"Wow," Percy breathed, staring in awe at Annabeth and Hermione working. "This really does go faster with wizards' help."

"All right, Hermione, choose your two companions," Annabeth instructed. "You discovered where the horcrux is, which makes this your mission."

"Shouldn't you come with me?" Hermione asked. "You helped."

"With knowledge I gained weeks ago," Annabeth reminded her, "I wasn't smart enough to realize the truth; I don't get to lead. Simple as that."

"All right..." Hermione glanced around the room at all the faces, nervous.

"Pick people who you think will be helpful," Percy advised her, "Not just people you're friends with. Not that you can't choose someone you know well--but... you know what I mean."

"Harry," Hermione decided, "You know the Room of Requirement better than I do. And... Annabeth, if you'll come, you know what the diadem looks like the best."

"Sounds good." Harry smiled at his friend, to ease her nerves.

"Agreed," Annabeth seconded. "We'll be back soon--Blaise, Hestia, see if you can figure out where Nico might've run off to while we're gone. Will and Lou Ellen IMed me a few hours ago; they haven't had much luck so far. Percy, Ron? See if you can figure out the final horcrux, or at least how we'd get Nagini."

"Got it," Percy said. "Good luck."

____________________HERMIONE____________________

Hermione was thankful for Harry's hand squeezing her own outside the Room of Requirement. His presence calmed her down, which helped her think; it was one thing to sit in base, as the muggle saying went, and research possible ways to thwart Riddle and Hecate. It was another to lead a side-mission to a horcrux. Those things scared her to death--their shrieks as though they were alive, all the defenses Percy and Annabeth described. Slytherin's locket had been unguarded, which surprised her, but she didn't count on her luck holding out. Something felt off about the locket's hiding spot, though Hermione couldn't figure out what bothered her about it. Whether the locket had something strange surrounding it or not, she knew it was nothing more than an outlier. The diadem would not be.

"I need the room where everything is hidden," Hermione said to the wall in front of her. The door shimmered into focus and stood ready to be entered.

"Let's go," Harry urged her after a moment of staring at the ominous entrance. "Hermione--"

"Going," Hermione responded, voice shaky. She grabbed at the doorknob, twisted, and pushed, revealing what lay beyond it.

The cavern--there was no other word for it--that lay beyond the door went miles in every direction. Every inch of the place contained mountains of knick-knacks, books, jewels, junk, and any other object imaginable.

" Accio diadem!" Hermione shouted, but nothing happened.

"The room's guarded against spells like that," Harry warned. "We'll just have to search."

Hermione shook her head. "That'll take weeks; do you see the size of this place? We need a way to track it... a way Riddle wouldn't guard against. Annabeth is there--"

"No," Annabeth replied, cutting her off. "The only godly way to track this would be through nature magic, and all that'll say is that it's somewhere at Hogwarts. Besides, Hogwarts itself can't be seen through our powers--Grover tried a few weeks ago, and couldn't see the diadem. No, we need a magical way to get the horcrux. And you two are the experts on that."

Hermione stood in thought, reflecting on everything she'd ever read or learned about the Wizarding World. There had to be something...

"We can't find it," Hermione decided, "So we'll have to destroy it without knowing where it is."

"What, like, set fire to the room?" Harry asked.

Annabeth nodded. "That should work, provided we know a spell that can destroy horcruxes. Not many can--they have to be destroyed to the point where there's no way for it to recover."

"Fiendfyre," Hermione announced. "It'll work--but we have to run out of here as soon as it's cast. I don't have the skill to control the fire, and if it touches you, you're dead. It's potent dark magic--I don't know anyone who's ever talked about it beyond the theoretical."

"Cast and run," Harry recapped. "Got it."

Annabeth opened the door back into Hogwarts for a quick escape. Hermione and Harry stood side to side, five feet from the escape route.

"Start forward, move out. We'll make a crescent shape with the curse, then bolt." Hermione nodded at Harry's instructions. "On the count of three," he said.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

"FIENDFYRE!"

Orange flames, so hot they tinged the air red, burst from the tips of her and Harry's wands. The licks of fire morphed into winged beasts, flying and spreading the monstrous curse in every direction. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and, together, they ran out the door. Annabeth slammed the door shut just as a familiar shriek filled the cavern. The three exchanged glances and let out a collective, relieved laugh.

"Two left," Annabeth noted.

"Then Riddle's mortal," Hermione finished, "and we can start to clean up this mess."

"Yeah..." Harry said, his voice far away. "Then Riddle's gone."

This week's beta commentary:

STORY: I wouldn't've found the locket

SARA: CONTRACTIONS THAT ARE TECHNICALLY RIGHT

LISSY: YES--PLUS THEY SOUND MORE CONVERSATION-Y

SARA: 10/10

AND ALSO (bc I love this one too)

STORY: "FIENDFYRE!"

SARA: BURN THIS MOFO D O W N

LISSY: http://chezapocalypse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/burning-room-community.gif

SARA: OMG

Credits:

Melody Rose - Author ()

Sara - Beta Reader (http://icomparemyselftoyou.tumblr.com)