𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧

ACT ONE, CHAPTER FIFTEEN
the storm is approaching.

ALL LESSONS WERE suspended and all examinations were postponed after the events that had occurred.

Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents on the following days after Dymbledore's death. The Patil twins were gone before breakfast that next morning, and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle from his haughty-looking father. Seamus Finnigan, on the other hand, refused to go home with his mother. They had a shouting match in the entrance hall that was only resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral.

Venus, Harry, Ron, Penelope, Hermione, Charlotte, Elijah, and Ginny had been spending all of their time together. Especially Venus and Harry — after watching him break down, Venus was left with a deep sense of worry in her heart. She would give him his space, but Harry seemed to be holding onto her tighter than ever. Venus didn't care. He was going through more than any of them.

All of them visited the hospital wing twice a day. Much to the relief of Charlotte, Neville had been discharged. However, she stuck to his side more than ever, clearly not liking the idea of him being hurt. Bill remained under the care of Madam Pomfrey's. His scars were as worse as ever, but he was still the same old Bill. The only thing that seemed to change was that he now had a great liking for very rare stakes.

" . . . so eet ees lucky 'e is marrying me, because ze British overcook their meat, I 'ave always said this," Fleur said happily, plumping up Bill's pillows.

Later that evening, Venus, Harry, Ron, Penelope, Hermione, Charlotte, and Elijah were sat beside the open window of the Gryffindor common room, looking out over the twilit grounds. Nobody really questioned it anymore when the two Slytherins and one Ravenclaw were there. Venus sat, her and Harry's interlocked hands resting comfortably in her lap. Harry rested his head on top of hers.

Ginny let out a sigh. "I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her." After Penelope had said that her and Venus had been trying to convince her since the summer that Fleur wasn't that bad, Ginny shrugged. "Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can."

"Anyone else we know died?" Ron asked Hermione, who was currently reading the Evening Prophet.

Hermione winced for a moment before folding up the newspaper. "No. They're still looking for Snape but no sign . . ."

"Of course there isn't," Harry cut in angrily, gripping Venus' hand just a little tighter. "They won't find Snape till they find Voldemort, and seeing as they've never managed to do that in all this time . . ."

"I'm going to go to bed," Ginny announced before yawning. "I haven't been sleeping that well since . . . well . . . I could do with some sleep."

Elijah gave her a soft smile. "'Night, Gin."

Ginny squeezed his shoulder momentarily and waved to the others before going to the girls' dormitories. The moment the door had closed behind her, Hermione leaned forwards to look at Harry.

"Harry, I found something out this morning, in the library," Hermione revealed.

He immediately removed his head from leaning on Venus' and sat up straight. "R.A.B.?"

After finding a fake Horcrux, it was evident that Harry needed to find out the truth about the real one. And once he did, that meant he had to find all the other Horcruxes and destroy them. It was the only way to defeat Voldemort. And ever since Harry had shown Hermione that note, she had been rushing off to the library — sometimes with Elijah — to try and find something.

Hermione shook her head, a sad look on her face. "No," she said sadly, "I've been trying, Harry, but I haven't found anything . . . there are a couple of reasonably well-knownwizards with those initials — Rosalind Antigone Bungs . . . Rupert Axebanger Brookstanton . . . but they don't seem to fit at all. Judging by that note, the person who stole the Horcrux knew Voldemort, and I can't find a shred of evidence that Bungs or Axebanger ever had anything to do with him . . . no, actually, it's about . . . well, Snape."

Harry slumped back in his chair, and Venus felt him lean his head against hers again. Venus didn't say anything. It was normal at this point.

Charlotte let out a noise of disgust. "Do we really have to talk about him?"

"Well, it's just that I was sort of right about the Half-Blood Prince business," Hermione insisted tentatively.

"D'you have to rub it in, Hermione?" Harry complained. "How d'you think I feel about that now?"

"No — no — Harry, I didn't mean that!" Hermione paused for a moment and looked around to check that they weren't being overheard. "It's just that I was right about Eileen Prince once owning the book. You see. . . she was Snape's mother!"

"I thought she wasn't much of a looker," Ron voiced, making Penelope hit the back of his head with a shut up.

Hermione ignored them. "I was going through the rest of the old Prophets and there was a tiny announcement about Eileen Prince marrying a man called Tobias Snape, and then later an announcement saying that she'd given birth to a—"

"—murderer," Harry stated.

"Well . . . yes. So . . . I was sort of right.Snape must have been proud of being half a Prince, you see? Tobias Snape was a Muggle from what it said in the Prophet."

"Yeah, that fits. He'd play up the Pureblood side so he could get in with Lucius Malfoy and the rest of them . . . he's just like Voldemort. Pureblood mother, Muggle father . . . ashamed of his parentage, trying to make himself feared using the Dark Arts, gave himself an impressive new name — Lord Voldemort — the Half-Blood Prince — how could Dumbledore have missed—?"

Harry immediately broke off and looked out the window. Venus frowned slightly. It was clear that no one, especially Harry, understood why Dumbledore trusted Snape so much. And she could also tell that Harry was starting to hate himself for using the Prince's instructions and spells.

"I still don't get why he didn't turn you in for using that book," Ron admitted. "He must've known where you were getting it all from."

"He knew," Harry replied bitterly. "He knew when I used Sectumsempra. He didn't really need Legilimency . . . he might even have known before then, with Slughorn talking about how brilliant I was at Potions . . . shouldn't have left his old book in the bottom of that cupboard, should he?"

"But why didn't he turn you in?"

"Duumbledore," Elijah answered. "I don't think he would've liked it if he found out about the book. Plus, the fact that his handwriting would've been recognizable and the book being in his old classroom . . . Dumbledore probably knew his mother had the last name Prince as well."

"I should've shown the book to Dumbledore," Harry said. "All that time he was showing me how Voldemort was evil even when he was at school, and I had proof Snape was too—"

"Evil, is a strong word," Hermione argued quietly.

"You were the one who kept telling me the book was dangerous!"

"I'm trying to say, Harry, that you're putting too much blame on yourself. I thought the Prince seemed to have a nasty sense of humor, but I would never have guessed he was a potential killer . . ."

After Penelope said that none of them could've known that Snape would've done something like this, all of them went silent. Venus absentmindedly ran her thumb back and forth on Harry's hand. Each of them were lost in their own thoughts, but Venus knew they all were thinking about the following morning when Dumbledore's body would be laid to rest.

Venus didn't sleep well again, but it had been like that for the past couple of days since Dumbledore's death. Not wanting to deal with anything, she had waved her wand and made her hair place itself into two French braids. She put on her dress robes and packed up the rest of her trunk since the Hogwarts Express would be leaving an hour after the funeral.

The mood in the Great Hall that morning was subdued. Everybody was also wearing their dress robes and no one seemed very hungry. Venus also didn't eat and just kept pushing some scrambled eggs on her plate around with her fork. Harry's hand was resting on her leg, his fingers anxiously tapping on her thigh.

McGonagall had left the thronelike chair in the middle of the staff table empty. Hagrid's chair was also deserted, and Snape's place had been filled by Rufus Scrimgeour. Venus had a feeling that's one of the reasons why Harry was so anxious — Scrimgeour would definitely be looking for him. Among Scrimgeour's entourage was Percy Weasley, whom Venus had never seen in person but could guess who he was by his flamingly red hair. Ron gave no sign that he was aware of Percy, although he kept stabbing pieces of kipper (Venus still didn't understand why the English ate fish for breakfast) bitterly.

McGonagall then rose to her feet, making the mournful hum in the Hall die away at once. Venus snuck a glance at Harry to see if he was paying attention, but he was only looking at Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table, who looked very lost without Malfoy there. She nudged his ribs gently, and Harry looked at her. Venus nodded her head to the front of the Hall.

"It is nearly time," McGonagall announced. "Please follow your Heads of Houses out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me."

All of them filed out from behind their benches in almost complete silence. Slughorn was at the head of the Slytherin column, wearing magnificent emerald green robes embroidered with silver. Sprout, Head of the Hufflepuffs, was looking cleaner than Venus had ever seen her — there was not a single patch on her hat. When they reached the entrance hall, they found Madam Pince wearing a thick black veil that fell to her knees and Filch wearing an ancient black suit and tie that smelled like mothbolls.

As they headed down the stone steps towards the lake, students started to leave their columns to be with their friends from other Houses, and none of the Professors seemed to really care. Penelope, Charlotte, and Elijah drifted away from their columns and joined the Gryffindor once. Charlotte stood next to Neville, the two of them beginning to whisper with each other. Elijah stood besides Ginny, the two of them saying nothing but their shoulders brushing against one another. Penelope obviously went to Ron, the two of them instantly holding hands. Venus linked her arm around Harry's, and although he said nothing, he moved just a little closer to her.

The warmth of the sun beat against Venus' face as they walked to where hundred of chairs had been set out in rows. An aisle ran down the center of them, and there was a marble standing at the front, all of the chairs facing it. It was a beautiful summer day.

There was already an extraordinary assortment of people that were settled into half of the chairs. Venus didn't recognize most of them, but she did know who a few were, including members of the Order of the Phoenix — Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks (her hair returned to pink), Remus Lupin (who was holding hands with Tonks), Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Fleur (who was supporting him), Fred and George (wearing jackets of black dragon skin), Tom (the landlord of the Laky Cauldron), and some people Venus couldn't put a name with their face. The castle ghosts were there as well, barely visible in the bright sunlight, only able to be seen when they moved.

Venus, Harry, Ron, Penelope, Hermione, Charlotte, Elijah, Ginny, and Neville all filed into a row beside the lake, Charlotte helping Neville in sitting down. Harry interlocked his hand with Venus' and rested it in his lap. People were whispering to each other. It sounded like a breeze in the grass, but the birdsong was louder by far.

More and more people continued to join the crowd. Cornelius Fudge walked past toward the front rows with a miserable expression, twirling his green bowler hat. Rita Skeeter was there, a notebook clutched in her red-taloned hand. And with the worst jolt of fury, Dolores Umbridge was there, an unconvincing expression of grief upon her toadlike face and a black velvet bow set atop her curls. Venus' scar that red blood traitor on her left hand slightly stung just from the sight of her. However, much to her delight, Umbridge scurried into a seat far away once she noticed the Centaur Firenze.

The staff was then seated at last. Scrimgeour looked grave as he sat in the front row of McGonagall. Then there was music — strange, otherworldly music. Many people looked around for the source of it, including Harry. However, Venus had already found it.

She squeezed his hand to get his attention. "Look."

It was coming from the clear green sunlit water. Inches below the surface, a chorus of Merpeople were singing in a strange language Venus didn't understand, their purplish hair floating all around them and their pallid faces rippling. It made her get goosebumps, but it wasn't unpleasant. The song clearly spoke of loss and despair.

Venus then looked, only to see Hagrid walking up the aisle. She nudged Harry's ribs again, and the two of them watched Hagrid. He was crying silently, his face gleaming with tears. In his arms was something wrapped in purple velvet that was decorated with golden stars. With horrible clarity, Venus knew it was Dumbledore's body. That seemed to take all the warmth from the day. She turned back towards the front, tears starting to escape from her eyes.

They couldn't clearly see what was happening at the front. Hagrid seemed to have placed the body carefully upon the marble table. He now retreated down the aisle, blowing his nose with loud trumpeting noises that drew scandalized looks from some. Venus glanced back, wondering how Hagrid could see with his swollen eyes, only to see that Grawp was guiding him. Hagrid sat next to his half-brother and Grawp patted Hagrid so hard on the head that his chair legs sank into the ground.

The music stopped, and Venus turned to face the front again. A little tufty-haired man in plain black robes had got to his feet and was now standing in front of Dumbledore's body. Venus couldn't hear what he was saying. She only managed to get a couple words as they floated back to them over the hundreds of heads — nobility of spirit, intellectual contribution, greatness of heart.

There was a soft splashing noise, and Venus looked to see that the Merpeople had broken the surface to listen as well. Her eyes trailed to the forest, only to see movement among the trees. The Centaurs had come to pay their respects too. They didn't come into the open and only stood still, half hidden in shadow, watching the wizards with their bows hanging at their sides.

Finally, the little man in black had stopped speaking at last. Venus waited for somebody else to get to their feet, expecting more speeches, but nobody moved. Then several people screamed, making Venus jump. Bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table it laid upon. They rose higher and higher until they covered the body. White smoke spiraled into the air and made strange shapes. Then the fire vanished, and in its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table.

There a few more cries of sock as a shower of arrows soared through the air — the Centaurs' tribute. Venus saw them turn and disappear back into the cool trees. Likewise, the Merpeople sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view.

Venus looked at her friends. Ron was wrapped up in Penelope's arms, both of them softly crying. Hermione had sunk into Elijah's embrace and he was holding him tightly. Ginny was no longer crying and had moved to have a conversation with Luna. Charlotte's head was leaning against Neville's shoulder.

And then Venus looked at Harry. He was staring at her curiously, but Venus knew what he was thinking. Even though she knew Harry was going to be stupid and noble, it still made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Star . . ." Harry began quietly as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people started to stand up. "We . . . we have to—"

"Harry," Venus interrupted. "I know what you're going to say. And I want you to forgive me when I fight against it."

"What?"

Venus swallowed nervously. "You want to break up with me. I'm going to respect your decision if you're going to, but Harry, you shouldn't push people away. I don't care about the things you have to do alone. Don't let Voldemort rip something else away from you."

Harry's pretty green eyes trailed across her face. "He uses people his enemies are close to. If something happens to you, darling . . ."

"Nothing will happen to me," Venus stated firmly. "I can take care of myself."

His eyes narrowed at her. "You're really fighting against this, aren't you?"

"I warned you." Venus paused for a moment. "Listen, Harry. The moment I met you on the Hogwarts Express, I liked you. And now that I'm finally dating you for over a year, I'm not going to let you go that easy."

Harry's facial expression softened. "You don't mind if I hold onto you?"

"No," Venus responded. She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "And I'll hold onto you tighter. Please, don't give us up."

"Okay," Harry agreed quietly. "It'll always be you and me."

Venus smiled, even though it was small. She leaned forwards and kissed his forehead. Harry then stood up and tugged on Venus' hand, making her follow him. The couple walked away from their friends and started to go around the lake.

"Harry!" a voice then exclaimed.

Both Harry and Venus turned. Rufus Scrimgeour was limping rapidly towards them around the lake, leaning on his walking stick.

"I've been hoping to have a word . . . do you mind if I walk a little way with you?"

"No," Harry stated before setting off again, tugging Venus with him.

"Harry, this was a dreadful tragedy," Scrimgeour continued. "I cannot tell you how appalled I was to hear of it. Dumbledore was a very great wizard. We had our disagreements, as you know, but no one knows better than I—"

"What do you want?" Harry questioned flatly.

Scrimgeour looked annoyed, but he hastily modified his expression to one of sorrowful understanding. "You are, of course, devastated. I know that you were very close to Dumbledore. I think you may have been his favorite pupil ever. The bond between the two of you—"

"What do you want?" Harry repeated, finally stopping, but placing himself slightly in front of Venus, holding onto her hand tighter.

Scrimgeour stopped too and leaned on his stick, staring straight at Harry while his eyes occasionally flickered to Venus. "The word is that you were with him when he left the school the night that he died."

"Whose word?"

"Somebody Stupefied a Death Eater on top of the tower after Dumbledore died. There were also two broomsticks up there. The Ministry can add two and two, Harry."

"Glad to hear it," Harry replied. "Well, where I went with Dumbledore and what we did is my business. He didn't want people to know."

"Such loyalty is admirable, of course, but Dumbledore is gone, Harry," Scrimgeour insisted, who seemed to be restraining his irritation with difficulty. "He's gone."

"He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him."

"My dear boy . . . even Dumbledore cannot return from the—"

"I am not saying he can," Harry interjected. "You wouldn't understand. But I've got nothing to tell you."

Scrimgeour hesitated for a second before speaking again with what was evidently supposed to be a tone of delicacy. "The Ministry can offer you all sorts of protection, you know, Harry. I would be delighted to place a couple of my Aurors at your service—"

Harry laughed at that. "Voldemort wants to kill me himself, and Aurors won't stop him. So thanks for the offer, but no thanks."

"So, the request I made of you at Christmas—"

"What request? Oh yeah . . . the one where I tell the world what a great job you're doing in exchange for—"

"—for raising everyone's morale!" Scrimgeour snapped.

Harry merely stared at at him. "Released Stan Shunpike yet?"

Scrimgeour's face turned a nasty purple color. "I see you are—"

"Dumbledore's man through and through. That's right."

Scrimgeour glared at him for another moment. His yellow eyes then turned onto Venus.

Venus raised an eyebrow. "Don't look at me. I'm not telling you anything."

Scrimgeour then turned and limped away without another word. The Ministry delegation was waiting for him, casting nervous glances at the sobbing Hagrid and Grawp. Ron, Penelope, Hermione, Charlotte, and Elijah were now hurrying towards Venus and Harry, passing Scrimgeour going in the opposite direction. Venus and Harry walked slowly on to wait for them to catch up, which they finally did in the shade of a beech tree under which they had sat in happier times.

"What did Scrimgeour want?" Hermione whispered.

Harry shrugged in response. "Same as he wanted at Christmas. Wanted me to give him inside information on Dumbledore and be the Ministry's new poster boy."

Ron seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he looked down at Penelope. "Will you let me go back and hit Percy?"

Penelope said she'd prefer he'd not, even though she wanted him to.

"Well, damn, I'll do it," Charlotte offered. "Let me at him."

Elijah let out a sigh. "No, Lottie."

"Aw, come on. It'll make me feel so much better."

Hermione grinned a little at them before it faded as she looked up at the castle. "I can't bear the idea that we might never come back. How can Hogwarts close?"

"Maybe it won't," Ron voiced. "We're not in any more danger here than we are at home, are we? Everywhere's the same now. I'd even say Hogwarts is safer, there are more wizards inside to defend the place. What d'you reckon, Harry?"

"I'm not coming back even if it does reopen," Harry revealed, and even though Venus guessed as much, she still frowned.

"I knew you were going to say that," Hermione admitted. "But then what will you do?"

"I'm going back to the Dursleys' once more, because Dumbledore wanted me to. But it'll be a short visit, and then I'll be gone for good."

"But where will you go if you don't come back to school?"

"I thought I might go back to Godric's Hollow," Harry told her. "For me, it started there, all of it. I've just got a feeling I need to go there. And I can visit my parents' graves, I'd like that."

"And then what?" Ron inquired.

Harry's eyes were fixed upon Dumbledore's tomb, which was reflected in the water on the other side of the lake. "Then I've got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven't I? That's what he wanted me to do, that's why he told me all about them. If Dumbledore was right — and I'm sure he was — there are still four of them out there. I've got to find them and destroy them, and then I've got to go after the seventh bit of Voldemort's soul, the bit that's still in his body, and I'm the one who's going to kill him. And if I meet Severus Snape along the way, so much the better for me, so much the worse for him."

There was a long silence. The crowd had almost dispersed now, the stragglers staying away from Grawp as he cuddled Hagrid, whose howls of grief were still echoing across the water.

"We'll be there, Harry," Ron stated.

Harry blinked. "What?"

"At your aunt and uncle's house. And then we'll go with you wherever you're going."

"No—"

"You said to us once before that there was time to turn back if we wanted to," Hermione remembered quietly. "We've had time, haven't we?"

"We're with you whatever happens," Ron added.

Venus looked up at Harry, squeezing his hand momentarily. "I said I'd hold on tighter, and I mean it. I would never leave your side."

"Yeah," Elijah said. "Lottie and I can stay behind at Hogwarts, be your inside eye."

Charlotte nodded, but for the first time since Venus had met her, she looked quite scared. "I know I'll be a target, since I'm a Muggle-born, but maybe they'll be a little easier on me because I'm a Slytherin . . . at least, I hope." She then squared her shoulders back. "I can take it. We're here to help, Harry."

Penelope then said that she would distract Bellatrix Lestrange while they were gone since her mother would be watching her like a hawk. Ron looked like he wanted to argue with her since they would be apart, but Penelope sent him a pleading glance.

Ron moved on. "But mate, you're going to have to come round my mum and dad's house before we do anything else, even Godric's Hollow."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Bill and Fleur's wedding, remember?"

"Yeah, we shouldn't miss that."

Venus Black stared out at the Black Lake. In spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path she would follow Harry on because she would not leave him, she felt her heart lift that there was still one last golden day of peace left that she could enjoy with Harry Potter.

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𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝙵 𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝙾𝙽𝙴

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deathly hallows is next LET'S GET IT