Author's Note:

Thank you to everyone who was so patient in letting me have some time off without rioting, but here is the new chapter, two weeks exactly! I love you all!

This chapter is for Jmcglynn522, even though you worried me half to death, this chapter is for you — and remember, don't do it again, remember my threat! *gives stern look*

Reviews and Comments: To LifeOnEarth: Yay, first review again! This greatly entertains me LOL. I love writing Weasley sibling stuff! I have plans for Ron and Hermione and I know, I'm drawing it out, but hey, I can't give everything over right away. It takes time. I feel like Remus realizing he's the only one left would be something he would focus and yes, it would be painful for him. To Wolf's scream: Duelling on a surfboard would be interesting, though I can't imagine there'd be much call for that. But you never know… To Queen Raja: Thank you! I thought it was important to note that Harry would normally go to Sirius and yet he still went to Remus there to help him. To notthatchhavi: How could Remus not get flustered by Harry's news LOL? I thought Ron falling into the closet was just perfect! He and Hermione are just hopeless, aren't they? As to Sirius and Remus, they are the platonic Wolfstar in ASC, which is why I can't help but make it a joke that they are gay for each other — it's just too easy to pass up! To SpeedsONEandONLY: If Percy hadn't been there, would she have kissed him? I guess we'll never know, will we? Charlie is helping with the war effort as to the future, who knows what it will hold? Well, I do, I suppose lol, but no, I'm not telling. No, Misha didn't forget that Colt was a cop, but like any other Auror, he tends to forget that Muggles know how to do things without magic (he may be Muggleborn but he's been a wizard longer) and he forgot that Colt would have insight he might not. And no, the moon cycle was three days before the diadem.

To Pottermum: Absolutely! You deserve it! To reader777667: I have no idea what part of this story is my favourite, I guess every new thing I write I tend to love. Romione will happen when it happens. To Moony The Sheep: Best cliffhanger so far? Thanks! To DoodleBug78: I don't think Harry is pent up no, as he is a virgin and wanks when he needs to. To Saz J: I live to torture, what can I say? To Lolikiano: Maybe I hope if I leave it in a cliffhanger it will inspire more of you to come back and review? To FaerieCakes: Thanks, I do love writing Remadora smut. To ABlackRaven: Thank you, I hope the final battles live up to what you've been hoping for. I always find those the hardest to write, battle scenes in general. To LittleEngland: Congrats on graduating! And wow, thanks! I'm honoured that you want to re-read it! To PurpleLotus: Remus is the last Marauder standing and I wanted to emphasize how heartbreaking it is. To Annabeth67: Thank you! To Tyas85: Romione will happen at its own pace I'm afraid, those two dunderheads need some more time. To kamiam123: Three days to read this? Wow!

My posting schedule: Once a week.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!

CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO:

Harry smiled under the heat of the sun, his girlfriend's arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Her lithe body pressed up against his back as the Bonneville rumbled under them. He drove the now familiar path down from the surf shop to the beach. Sorcha had Apparated the two of them with the motorbike to Tybee Island and promised to pick them up in the same spot at five that evening. Since the beach in question was over five hours away from the ranch, Apparition was the best way to get there. Harry was looking forward to spending the day with Ginny.

They were returning to England the next day and Harry could scarcely believe it. They'd been gone a month already and he felt like it hadn't quite been long enough. But so much seemed to have changed in that month. His birthday had been three days ago and Zee seemed to be physically changing every day. Her little baby bump had grown quite a lot over the last two weeks, almost doubling in size alone. She was now seventeen weeks pregnant - which, according to Zee, meant that the twins were supposed to be the size of pears. The twins had been prone to hiccupping rather often, which Zee claimed was a rather peculiar feeling.

Zee seemed so much more relaxed out here and had been going for long walks, cooking with her grandmother and mother, and watching Harry and Ginny with the horses. Healer Abbey had strictly told her no when it came to horseback riding while pregnant and Zee was following her instructions. Harry knew that this holiday had done them both some good. But he knew that she was anxious to get back home herself and back to work.

For their last day in Georgia, Zee wanted to spend the day playing with the dogs and relaxing. When Harry had mentioned that their surfboards were ready and how he and Ginny wanted to try them out, Zee had happily agreed to let them spend the day at the beach. A muggle beach on the Georgian coast was a safe place to be, and Harry knew that Death Eaters weren't going to find them here. They were cautious and they knew that if anything looked suspicious, they needed to get out of there fast. But being in America gave him a sense of freedom that he didn't feel in England. There was no Voldemort here, no Death Eaters, no fear… but it wasn't home.

He missed his friends. He even missed the English weather. The cool breeze in the heat of the sun; the sudden rain out of nowhere. He missed Black Cottage more than he expected, and even knowing that Sirius wouldn't be there to welcome him home, he still wanted it. He wanted his own bed, his own living room, his own treehouse, and he wanted his father.

He missed Remus and talking to him over the mirror wasn't quite the same. He'd been spoiled the last few years by seeing him in school every day. He wanted to sit with his father and tell him about his summer and he wanted to make plans for FUVP and for the future.

But for now, he had one more day to spend on the Georgian coast with his beautiful girlfriend; their new surfboards were strapped to the back of the bike. He was eager to try them out, and he knew that Ginny felt the same. When they finally arrived at the beach just before ten that morning, he parked the bike and they took their boards down to the water.

Harry spread the blanket out onto the sand and almost swallowed his tongue when Ginny pulled her tee shirt over her head. He stared at the beautiful scattering of freckles on her arms, across her stomach, letting his eyes move up over her perfect breasts covered in that turquoise bikini he loved. When she shimmied out of her shorts, he visibly bent his head to look at her behind.

Ginny smirked at him. "See something you like?"

Harry's grin was slow as he marched over to her, tugged her up against him, and kissed her deeply. "You're so bloody gorgeous."

Ginny's cheeks flushed and he slid his hands down to cup her bum. "Flatterer."

He kissed her again and she wound her arms up around his neck. "I can't believe that we go home tomorrow."

Ginny rested her cheek against his chest before she spoke. "I know. It's been the best summer, Harry. I'm so grateful for you for letting me come here. The horses, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, Zee… it's been incredible."

Harry lifted her chin to meet her eyes, letting his thumb brush across her bottom lip. "There's nowhere else I'd want you to be. I needed you here."

He kissed her softly, lingering until her tongue met his. She deepened the kiss and he groaned against her as someone wolf whistled. They reluctantly tore apart and Ginny chuckled at him.

"We did come here to surf."

Harry nodded and unwillingly dropped his hands from her. He pulled his own tee shirt off as they dropped their clothes on the blanket and grabbed their new boards.

"Race you to the water?" Ginny said before she tore off across the sand.

"Ginny!" he shouted. "That's cheating!" Ginny was laughing, but his long legs caught up with her a moment later and he splashed into the ocean a full thirty seconds before her, smirking victoriously. "I win."

Ginny shrugged as she moved into the ocean, her board floating next to her. "For now."

They each took a moment in the low tide to secure their boards to their ankles and took off. Each surfboard had been designed specifically for them adjusting to their height and weight. Ginny had designed hers to be a beautiful ocean blue painted like a mosaic with a sea turtle and a seahorse. The edge of the board was a bright emerald green that she told him matched his eyes. Harry had chosen a sea turtle on his as well, drawn in geometric patterns on a board that was half blue and half red. He loved the colours of it and he had always had a fondness for red. The sun caught the red of his girlfriend's hair and he smiled as they enjoyed the freedom of their new boards. They had both chosen the turtle because it was a symbol of endurance and good luck and Harry thought that nothing sounded better than a bit of luck.

Both of them were laughing as they rode the waves gleefully, loving the feeling of soaring above the water as if they were riding the wind on their broomsticks. When they finally paddled to shore for a break, Harry dug open the picnic basket and passed her one of the sandwiches that Flo had made them.

"So, what's the first thing that you're going to do when you get home?" Harry asked her.

Ginny squeezed water out of her wet hair and tossed it over her shoulder before she accepted the sandwich. "Sneak into the broomshed."

He smirked. "Well, that's a given. But since you're on the Gryffindor Quidditch team now, I don't think that you have to sneak around anymore."

She shrugged. "Old habits die hard."

Harry couldn't argue with that. "We still have to have our fly race."

"Why? Eager to be left in the dust?"

"Oh, you think that you're such a shoe in, don't you? I'll have you know that I was the youngest Seeker in over a century."

"That's catching a Snitch, Potter; has nothing to do with how fast you can fly."

"I have a Firebolt."

Ginny's warm brown eyes twinkled in amusement. "A better broomstick means nothing. It's all about skill."

"And you think that I don't have skill, do you?"

Ginny leaned in close to him. "Oh, you have plenty of skill." Her fingertips danced along his thigh and his breath hitched when she stopped at the edge of his bathing trunks. "I just have more."

He swore under his breath. "Oh, it's on. And when I leave you crying in the dust, I expect an apology."

"Weasleys don't cry."

Harry chuckled, tugging her up into his lap. "Other than the satisfaction of winning, what are we getting out of this?"

Ginny shrugged as she finished chewing her sandwich before she spoke. "Winner gets to declare that they are the greatest flier of all time, and loser has to bow before them and proclaim their admiration before the first match of the season."

Harry's eyebrow rose. "Pity that will be so embarrassing for me. You know how much I hate being the centre of attention - especially when people are fawning all over me."

Ginny's eyes twinkled. "You'll be the one on your knees and doing all the fawning."

Desire flickered through him as quick as a flash. He rested his hands on her hips before slowly moving them down to cup her bum. "That part might be worth it."

Ginny smacked his hand away playfully. "We're on a public beach, Mr Potter."

He grinned and kissed her softly. "But your arse is just right there."

Ginny merely slipped off his lap and helped herself to an orange slice. "I'll just stay over here then, shall I?"

Harry could only groan at that. It had been three days since he'd had his hands on her, his fingers in that incredible wet heat, and he'd been dreaming about doing it again ever since. He helped himself to an orange slice as well before he spoke.

"The Potter house in Somerset has a homemade Quidditch pitch that my grandfather built for my dad. It's not as big as a real pitch, but it's more than decent sized. We can race there."

Ginny smiled at him. "I'd like to see it, this infamous home of the Potters."

"It needs some work, but it's in pretty great shape. Maybe you can help me decide where we can build the stables."

"I'd love to help," she told him. "But it's your home, Harry. Or, it will be one day. You want to live there, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think I do," he admitted, surprising himself.

He had never consciously admitted it aloud, but he did want to move in there one day. Not yet - the thought of leaving Black Cottage made his heart clench, of leaving Zee and his new siblings, whoever they might be; he didn't want to leave them. But one day, he wanted to move into Clevedon Court and make it great again.

"Well, you'll have to design it the way you see fit. You have to make it yours."

Harry only tilted his head at her. "And you don't want to help?"

"I would be honoured to help. I just want you to make it the way you want it, Harry. It's going to be your home one day, not mine."

He leaned over and brushed his lips gently across hers. "It could be."

Ginny's eyes widened. "What?"

Harry met those wide brown orbs and swallowed before he spoke. "The moment I kissed you on that Quidditch pitch, Ginny, I knew you were it. There's no one else for me."

"Harry…"

He shook his head. "I love you and I can't see my future without you. I don't want to see it without you."

Ginny's lips met his, hard and bruising as she climbed back into his lap. Her tongue met his and the feel of it, the taste of her had him pulling her closer and diving in deeper. He lost himself in her. She smelt like his Ginny, that distinctly floral scent mixed with the salt of the ocean. He could taste the orange on her lips, taste the salt on her skin, and he couldn't stop kissing her.

Kissing her was all he needed, all he wanted.

Kissing her was like the sun, too bright and too hot, leaving nothing but flashes of colour before his closed lids.

Kissing her was the best thing in the world.

It made him happier than he'd ever been and he never wanted to let her go. Her lips left his and he merely kissed her jaw, her slender neck, sucking the skin above her collarbone not quite hard enough to leave a mark. He planted kisses over her shoulders, kissing every freckle as he went and she dragged her fingers through his hair.

"Harry…"

Her small hands framed his face and his eyes met molten chocolate.

"I love you, Harry," she told him, and then her lips were on his again and he felt like he could take on the world.

It could have been hours, it could have been weeks for all he knew. But when they finally came back up for air and returned to their lunch, they were grinning at each other. Ginny lifted her lemonade to her lips, a small smile there, and he couldn't help but grin back.

"So, I was thinking, after we get settled back at home, maybe after your birthday — we can go to Clevedon Court. I can show you around, we can talk about some ideas for the house and the stables, and then I'm going to leave your arse in the dust."

Ginny smirked. "We both know that I'm going to do the arse kicking, Harry."

"I'm going to beat you."

"Hope you like eating your words," Ginny said tartly.

"You're going to eat my dust."

"As I circle you for the second time — absolutely."

Harry's lips curved at that. "I'll flatten you."

"You don't stand a chance."

"I'll admire your form while I wait at the finish line."

"All bark and no bite," she teased.

Harry's eyebrow rose. "Oh, I'll do more than bite when I win."

"If you win."

"When I win," he corrected. "I'm the best flier by far and we both know it."

Ginny smiled widely. "We'll have to see about that, won't we?"

"You're all talk, Weasley."

"Then why do you look worried, Potter?"

Harry leaned in and nipped at her bottom lip. "Can't look too confident, don't want to make you think that you don't have a chance."

Ginny's mouth dropped open. "You're going down."

He dropped his gaze down her body before he slowly brought it back up to her face, a devilish smirk on his face. "Maybe later."

Ginny's eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, holding his hand out to her.

"Cool off in the water for a swim?"

She accepted his hand, still rather speechless. "Last one to the ocean is a doxy's droppings!"

Before Harry could react, she shoved him down into the sand and made a run for it. Harry caught her halfway to the ocean and lifted her into his arms and they fell into the water together laughing. Harry's lips found hers as they moved deeper into the ocean and her arms slid around his neck. When her legs locked around his waist, he moaned against her mouth, sliding his hands down to cup that perfect bum. He felt the waves shifting them slightly, but he cupped her tighter, his hands running over her arse below the water.

Ginny's lips met his greedily over and over and Harry tried to concentrate, tried to focus on more than her lips and he slid his hand around her thigh and between their bodies. When his fingers slid under her bathing suit bottom, she gasped. His eyes locked onto her brown ones as he slid a finger along her folds, marvelling at how hot and wet she was in comparison to the cool ocean around them. Then he dipped his finger inside and her head fell back. She pushed off of him in the water, floating before him to give him more access and he slid his finger over her, stroking up and down in a maddening motion as she whimpered.

Harry bent his head to kiss her neck, his thumb grazing her clit and she stiffened in his arms.

"Harry," she gasped.

He smiled, kissing her throat as he began to push against her. Soft and hard rubs, deep strokes as he experimented, trying to get the right feel. He moved his thumb in a figure eight pattern and she half-panted, half-moaned his name against his ear. Someone swam close to them and he kissed her lips to quiet her, his fingers still working her below the water. Her body was writhing in his arms as her tongue met his and once they were relatively alone again in the ocean, he began to rub his thumb a little harder.

"Yes…" she panted against his lips. "Yes, oh, Harry… right… yes!"

Harry danced his fingers in a g shape as if he was tracing her name as his fingers slid in and out of her in aching glory. His own body ached to be touched, so turned on by the sounds she was making, by the heat of her breath against his neck. The feel of her on and around his fingers was the most incredible thing that he could imagine and he again wondered what it would be like if it was his tongue. He kissed her, his tongue plunging into her mouth deeply, and she vibrated against him, groaning against his mouth as she clenched and unclenched around his fingers. He continued to rub her vigorously as his fingers slid in and out and up and down in a comforting rhythm until her body convulsed and she collapsed against his shoulder, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

Harry reluctantly slid his fingers out from between her legs, his hands stroking her thighs and her bum under the water. "I want to do that every second of every day."

Ginny's eyes widened before she grinned. "That might be a sure way to kill me, Mr Potter."

Harry kissed her softly. "I love you, Ginny."

Ginny kissed him back slowly, her fingers trailing up his neck to mess his hair. "I love you, too."

Harry nipped at her mouth. "I changed my mind." At her eyebrow, he grinned. "When I best you at flying, you have to wear a hat that says you're dating the best flier in the world."

Ginny chuckled. "Deal. You're going to look so bloody sexy in nothing but that hat, Harry."

"What?"

She grinned. "Winner gets to choose how the loser wears the hat and I'd like to see how well you keep the hat in place covering your bits."

"But it would only be held in place if I was… you minx."

Ginny swam away from him, grinning widely. "A deal's a deal, Mr Potter. I can't wait to wipe the pitch with you."

Harry chased her back to the beach, taunting her back. He couldn't wait to take her to Clevedon Court, and more importantly, he couldn't wait to get on his broom and show her who the best flier was.

He was only a little worried that it might actually be her.

But just a little.

~ ASC ~

By the time they made it back to the spot to meet Sorcha, they were both tired from their afternoon. They'd swam a little bit longer before surfing again. Harry had taken out his camera and the two of them had laughed as they took photos together, both in and out of the water. He couldn't wait to develop them, especially the one he'd gotten of her lying on the blanket in her bikini, the coolness of her wet suit making her nipples pebble through the material. It had taken everything in him to not bend over her and suckle those peaks into his mouth.

But the beach was fairly packed and there were families around with kids. The ocean had been their private escape, and even then, he knew that they'd just gotten lucky to be in that area alone as long as they had. Not to mention that there weren't too many people out surfing at the moment which had greatly worked in his favour. He was a little disappointed that they'd been under the water as he'd wanted to taste her again, but the salt water didn't give him that opportunity.

They arrived back at the ranch and Sorcha asked them how their new boards worked out as Harry parked the bike near the house. They went inside to change before meeting everyone at the picnic table behind the house. Colt had barbecued burgers and Flo had made potato salad, corn on the cob, and coleslaw to go with it. They dug in eagerly and Harry and Ginny showed off their new boards.

Colt asked them about their upcoming school year and Harry's OWL results, which he promised to share with them the moment that he opened his letter. He told them about how he had to decide what classes he wanted to take this year and how it all depended on what career he was leaning towards.

Misha smiled. "You can be anything that you desire, Harry. You're a strong, bright, and resourceful young man vho can do anything he puts his mind to. You'll make the right decision for yourself."

Harry knew that Misha wanted him to be an Auror. Sorcha had told him that it was rare for Misha to think anyone was cut out for the field of law enforcement. That alone told Harry that Misha wasn't just humouring him, but he didn't truly know if that's what he wanted. He wanted to ask Remus what he thought and to hear more about his parents. What had they done after school? Had they decided to immediately become Order members and parents? What jobs had they desired? It bothered him that he really didn't know the answers to that.

Moody had hinted that he wanted Sirius to be a Hit Wizard or an Auror. Sirius had said he and James worked great together, but he wasn't sure if that's what his father had actually desired. He wondered what it would be like to play professional Quidditch and that brought a smile to his face as well. Playing Quidditch for a job would be great, but he was worried that Misha was right and despite the fun of it - it wouldn't truly satisfy him.

He listened to Flo tell Zee what kind of things she should be eating and what to watch out for as Sorcha told her she needed to make sure she continued to get the rest she needed when she returned to work. Harry promised to make sure that Zee did so and Zee squeezed his hand with a smile. Ginny told them about her brothers' joke shop and how Fred and George were working on a communication mirror much like the one that Harry had.

"Once they get it up and running and sellable, we can send you one," she went on, smiling widely at Colt. "Then you can talk to Harry whenever you want and won't have to rely on letters travelling across the ocean."

"That would be lovely," Flo said brightly. "Zee never calls us enough anyway."

Zee rolled her eyes. "Grandma, we talk twice a week!"

"That's not enough," Flo said stubbornly. "I'll want to be updated much more frequently on what those babies are doing in there."

Zee grinned. "I promise to keep you updated, Grandma."

Sorcha reached out to touch her daughter's hand. "We'll all be keeping in close contact. Usually towards the end of the second trimester there can be some interesting tricks."

"Tricks?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Magical babies can be trouble," Flo said with a smile. "Muggles have to worry about the baby kicking and squirming and basically playing a game of soccer on their bladders, but magical women have that and much more. When I was pregnant with Magnolia, she used to erect a shield around my stomach."

"A shield?"

Flo nodded. "Whenever Colt tried to touch me, he'd get a shock like he was struck by lightning."

"Until I'd talk, then she'd recognize my voice and the shield would go down and I could just rub Flo's belly and talk to my baby girl." He looked sad for a moment before he masked it. "She'd be so proud of you, Zahira."

Zee nodded. "I know."

She placed her hands over her stomach. In the last week, it seemed as if her tiny bump had doubled in size. Those little butterfly flutters that Zee had alluded to were now much more persistent, and Harry was amazed at how quickly it seemed to happen.

"I wonder what games they'll be playing in here," Zee said as she rubbed her stomach.

"Beaters for sure," Harry said with a grin.

Zee kicked him lightly under the table. "The last thing I need is two little Bludgers in here."

Harry chuckled. "You asked."

Misha draped an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "You are glowing, dochka, and it only makes you more beautiful."

"You know they always use glowing as some form of endearment for pregnant women, but the glow is really just a sheen of perspiration from all of the vomiting and greasy foods."

Ginny snorted, spilling lemonade down her wrist and Harry laughed.

"Real graceful, Gin."

Ginny gave him a look and he only laughed harder.

"Zee, you're beautiful, don't worry."

Misha kissed his daughter's cheek. "That she is."

"I have an appointment with Healer Abby tomorrow afternoon when we arrive back home. She's going to check everything out and she says that she has some new potions for me to start taking now that I'm a few weeks into my second trimester."

"Stronger protein potions and vitamins," Sorcha told her. "The pregnancy potions are just to help you stay healthy."

"Second trimester?" Harry asked, his brow furrowing.

Zee smiled at him. "Pregnancy is usually broken into three trimesters, Harry. The first trimester is usually the first twelve or thirteen weeks, so basically, when I didn't know I was pregnant and just thought that I was sick and bloated — that was the first trimester. I was just starting to suspect it was something more than the flu when Remus confirmed it for me. I started my second trimester our second week in Georgia, which thankfully means no more morning sickness, and now I'm starting to expand outwards a little, not to mention starving."

Harry chuckled. "If you keep expanding you really won't be able to ride that bike anytime soon."

"Shut it, you!"

"Just saying you are eating for three now," Harry said.

As Zee was on her second burger she only nodded. "I've noticed."

"Eating is good, dochka," Misha said with a smile. "Ve must fatten you up for those babies."

Zee nodded. "I know. Healer Abby said ideally I should be gaining fifteen to twenty kilograms or three stone and just the thought makes me worried."

Sorcha rubbed her daughter's arm. "You'll be fine, Zee."

Zee smiled gratefully at her mother before she spoke. "Harry and I will be unpacking and relaxing when we get home, I think. He wants to go to Clevedon Court as well."

"I want to start going through it and seeing what's there and maybe start some redecorating a bit," Harry explained.

"Planning on moving out so soon?" Colt asked, a smile on his lips.

Harry grinned. "When I finish school, maybe, yeah. But not any time soon. I need to be there to help with the twins."

"If they're anything like their father, I'll need all the help I can get."

Harry smirked. "That's entirely true."

Talk turned to the war once more as Colt and Flo fretted over them returning to England.

"I'll take care of them, Dad," Misha said sternly. "I know that I failed to protect Magnolia, but I vill keep my family safe."

Colt shook his head. "We never blamed you for that, Misha. You're a good man and we know how much you loved our daughter. It wasn't your fault."

Flo squeezed Misha's hand in hers. "No one could have loved her the way you did and she left you with a beautiful daughter and you found Sorcha, who we love so much."

Sorcha blushed and kissed Zee's cheek. "And he gave me a daughter. The world works in mysterious ways." Her eyes turned on Harry as she spoke. "And sometimes losing someone is hard, but in the end, the good outweighs the bad."

Ginny's hand found Harry's as he nodded at his grandmother. "I still miss him, Grandmama."

"Me too," Zee said quietly, tears brimming in her eyes. "I feel the babies hiccupping and I want to share it with him. I want to tell him what I'm feeling and how the babies are feeling and he's not here to share it with me. It hurts. But I know that he's watching over us. I know that he's with your parents and your grandparents and he's probably filling them in on your life and watching them burst with pride. I know that he's probably telling them about our babies and how excited he is for them to be born. I know that because not knowing it makes it hurt more."

Harry's eyes met hers and he nodded. "I know, Zee."

Ginny squeezed his hand. "We have a lot to do when we get home."

"Including celebrating your birthday," Harry said, kissing her softly and ignoring the whistle from Colt.

"We hope that you'll come back and visit us again soon, Ginny. Maybe next summer?"

"I'd love to," Ginny admitted. "You've made me feel right at home here and I thank you for it."

Flo smiled warmly. "That's because it is your home, and never forget that."

Harry's eyes raked over his girlfriend. She was his home, he realized, and wherever she was, was exactly where he wanted to be. He smiled at Colt when he thumped him on the back as Harry helped himself to a second helping of potato salad. It really had been an incredible summer and it was only half over. As much as he wanted to stay, he was anxious to return to England and he was anxious to find out what was happening with the war.

What was Voldemort doing?

Had there been any more attacks?

And most importantly, he wanted to find that damn diadem.

He just needed to figure out what that bloody riddle meant first.

~ ASC ~

Neville stared down at the list that he had written, chewing methodically on the end of his candy quill. The Wizengamot and Cumbria had kept him rather busy this summer and he was surprised to realize that it was already August. He had two greenhouses constructed and had been spending his free time with his hands buried in the dirt, sorting through seeds and coordinating with Professor Sprout, who was happily supplying him with some plants to work on. But in the limited free time he did have, he stared down at the list he'd made.

The diadem was in the mysterious Room of Requirement or the Come and Go Room - and he was determined to get it out.

Across the top of his list he had written the riddle, outlining and shadowing each letter as he tried to make sense of it: If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask.

Augusta glanced over his shoulder when she stepped into the drawing room. "Making plans for a sixth greenhouse?"

Neville grinned and shook his head. "No, but another one would look great by the back pond. Once I get the other three up and running that is."

Augusta chuckled. "You won't find a wife with your hands buried in the soil."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Gran, I'm only sixteen!"

"And a wealthy lord who needs to make an heir."

She caught him rolling his eyes that time and the book in her hand thumped him smartly over his head. "Sorry, Gran." He stared down at the riddle again. "Ugh — this is why I'm not a Ravenclaw!"

Augusta raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"This riddle! It doesn't make sense! What's the point of riddles anyway? Why can't people just speak what they mean instead of being so cryptic like?"

"Let's hear it then," Augusta said, making herself comfortable in the chair by the fireplace before she placed her book in her lap.

Neville only stared at her. "You hate riddles."

"Doesn't mean I can't hear one," she said, her eyes on her grandson. "Go on, tell me."

Neville leaned back in his chair and dragged his fingers through his hair. "It's about Hogwarts, the riddle that is: If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask."

She raised an eyebrow again. "Hidden things."

"What?" Neville exclaimed, his gaze meeting hers sharply. He had hardly expected her to react let alone shoot out an unexpected answer.

"Hidden things," she said with a smile. "Reminds me of when I was a girl. I fancied a boy, you see, and I'd written it in my diary and a girl in my dorm, she teased me mercilessly over it. She threatened to show it to the boy in question and I panicked. I was fourteen and I ran from the common room, desperately trying to find a place to hide my diary so that no one could ever find it and I found myself in the most amazing room."

"Room?" Neville asked, his ears perking up.

She nodded. "I never found it again. But I always called it the Room of Hidden Things in my mind. It had mountains of lost objects, books and cabinets, clothes and furniture… as if someone had stored it there and forgotten about it. I placed my diary in a small oak cabinet with a mirrored clock on the front under a gold cage and I never found it again. The only solace I received was that I knew that the boy in question would never see it either."

Neville's mind was racing now as he stood up. "Gran, I have to go!"

"Go where?"

"Hogwarts! I just... I'll be back."

"Neville Franklin Longbottom, you get your arse back here this instant!"

He turned to smile at her. "Gran, I can't explain it, I'm sorry - I can't - but you just have to trust me!"

Augusta stared at him for a long moment and then she nodded. "Go on then."

Neville turned to go before he stopped to look at her. "Who was the boy?"

Augusta smiled at him. "Your grandfather."

Neville grinned back at her before he bent down to peck her cheek and then he ran to the entrance hall to use the Floo to take him to Ottery St Catchpole. He needed Luna for this.

Twenty minutes later, he and Luna stood outside of Hogwarts with Mr Lovegood, who had kindly Apparated them there.

"Now, you two do what you need to do. I'll have a pint at the Three Broomsticks while I wait."

"Thanks, Mr X."

Mr Lovegood nodded, dropping a kiss to his daughter's head and took off whistling. Neville grinned at Luna and the two of them headed down the bridge to the school only to be greeted by Filch, who was looking particularly unpleasant.

"School's over! Get lost! No students allowed before the first of September! Scram!"

Neville nodded. "We know. But we, er, forgot something."

"Likely story! You must leave!"

"We need to speak to Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall, if you please," Luna said kindly.

"Girl, do you think that they stay here all summer? Get lost!"

"Yes," Luna said honestly. "It's their home. If not them, please get Professor Hagrid."

"The school's closed!" Filch exclaimed again. "Now scram!"

"Filch! Who th' bleedin' hells ar' yer screamin' at?" Hagrid exclaimed, coming up behind him with Fang by his side. "Neville, Luna, what ar' yeh two doin' 'ere?"

"Hagrid! You have to let us in, it's important!" Neville exclaimed.

Hagrid raised one bushy eyebrow. "Important, eh?" When they both nodded he shrugged. "They'll stay wit' me, Filch."

Filch looked like he wanted to protest, but Hagrid had already moved forward and pulled open the gate to gesture them both into the castle. Once they were in the entrance hall, Hagrid stared at them.

"What ar' yeh two doin' 'ere, really?"

Neville sighed. "Hagrid, it's important. We just need to go up to the seventh floor for a bit, please?"

Hagrid shrugged. "Well, I know yeh two aren't goin' teh cause trouble, so go ahead. I'll be waitin' 'ere for yeh when yer done an' I'll be wantin' an explanation!"

Luna beamed at him before she and Neville ran up the stairs. It was strange being inside of the castle when there were no other students about. The portraits questioned them and some of them followed them from portrait to portrait as they hurried up to the seventh floor.

Neville stopped, slightly out of breath when they arrived in front of the brick wall between the two torches. His heart was pounding in his chest now that they had finally arrived. He knew it was mostly nerves, but it was also anticipation.

This was it.

"This is it, Luna," he said, almost to himself.

"A Room of Hidden Things does sound lovely," she told him.

He grinned at her. "That's why I wanted you to come with me."

Luna tilted her head to the side before she spoke. "Oh? I thought that you merely asked me because Harry and Ginny are still in Georgia until tomorrow, Hermione's in Spain, and Ron is much too busy working with his brothers."

"Semantics," Neville told her. "You're my first choice. And, I'm pretty sure Hermione's back, but I don't know for sure."

Luna's smile widened. "Thank you."

Neville closed his eyes and let out a long slow breath. "I know this is it, Luna. When my gran was telling me how she stumbled across this Room of Hidden Things, it just clicked into place. It's in here, I know it. Just like I know that we're the ones who are supposed to find it. You were the one who guessed that Lady Ravenclaw had the clue and well… it was meant to be us, don't you think?"

"You don't think that we should maybe have asked Bill to come with us or maybe even Professor Lupin?"

Neville shook his head. "No. I don't want to waste their time if I'm wrong, but Luna… I'm not wrong."

Luna nodded, her eyes on him. "I don't think that you're wrong either. If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask — your gran was right. It's a hidden treasure. If you have to ask, you don't know the location, but if you already know, then you need only unbury it. I can feel it, too. It's in there, Neville."

His eyes met hers as he let out a slow breath. "Okay, Luna can you just step back a little, I need to concentrate."

She did as he instructed and he let out a slow breath again before he focused his thoughts on the wall.

I need to find the Room of Hidden Things.

I need to find the Room of Hidden Things.

I need to find the Room of Hidden Things.

And when he opened his eyes, the large wooden door stood there. He turned around to beam at Luna and the two of them headed inside.

As soon as they entered, the room lit up and Neville blanched. His grandmother had gotten something right: It was most definitely forgotten. They were staring down a long thin aisle with objects piled almost to the ceiling on either side of them. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, some of them interlaced between the shelving. Dust rose up around them and Neville wondered how long it had been since someone had actually stepped foot into this room.

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "Guess it won't be a quick find, then."

Luna stepped in first, stopping to examine something on the bottom left. "Ooh, a first edition of Hogwarts, A History. I bet Hermione would love that!"

"Luna," Neville said with a chuckle. "Come on, let's split up; it's here somewhere."

"Accio diadem!" Luna said. When nothing happened, she shrugged. "I had to try it."

He couldn't fault her for it, but he knew that it wouldn't be that easy. They each wandered down another aisle marvelling at the sheer number of things that people had hidden or lost over the years. There were books and articles of clothing, jewellery and furniture, trunks and owl cages, and things he couldn't even describe. His eyes found old portraits, forgotten artwork, lost homework, a box full of at least a thousand quills, and another box full of ink bottles in every colour. His eyes widened when he recognized his own Remembrall that he'd lost six years ago sitting in a basket full of rubber balls and beat up Quaffles.

"Hey! It's my Remembrall!"

Luna followed his voice to appear next to him. "Did you hide it in here?"

Neville shook his head. "No, I lost it and... Luna, do you suppose this room hoards items that students lose in the castle?"

"It finds them and keeps them safe for you," Luna said with a smile. "That does make sense."

Neville tucked the Remembrall in his pocket for safekeeping as they moved on. "Fascinating."

They moved past cabinets, chairs and old mirrors; broken grandfather clocks, large tables and antique candelabras; past bookshelves, paintings, and old bird cages. They found a large cabinet that opened to reveal that it was full of hats of every shape, size, and colour; another one full of dresses. Two broken tables sat together to hold a broken cabinet. A mannequin dressed in a luxurious ball gown from the seventeenth century stood in the corner in front of a wall-sized mirror. Another smaller mirror told him that he had dust on his face and looked like a ragamuffin, making him jump, as the portrait on his left told the mirror to shut it. He turned a corner and found another row of old antique chairs and a huge canopy bed covered in blankets almost piled to the ceiling in every house colour. Past the bed was an area full of sculptures: A broken bust of a goblin, a centaur shooting an arrow, and a gnome sticking its tongue out. Another cabinet was buzzing nearby and when he opened it, a swarm of moths and two Golden Snitches flew out.

Luna came around the corner as he ducked to avoid the moths and tugged him to the left, past an armoury of old medieval shields and swords with two helmets that were burned black. A skull sat on the table to the left surrounded by black candles, the top of the skull cut open to hold what looked like finger bones. Neville shuddered at the image and they kept walking.

Lanterns lit up one aisle, revealing more books covered in dust, some opened and some tossed about. Luna bent to pick one up, revealing a rather scandalous cover of a witch with her breasts exposed, the wizard kissing her deeply. A life-sized portrait of a woman hiding a man under her voluminous skirts stood on the left across from a massive Roman statue of Priapus. The penis of the statue stood so large and erect that it worked as a bridge across the aisle. Luna laughed when Neville pulled her up so that they could walk across it.

When they put the statues behind them, they found more statues; these ones were made from bronze, along with more portraits that looked even older than the ones they'd already come across. Neville looked up towards the ceiling and the towering objects that seemed to stretch towards it just as Luna grabbed his arm. He turned to see where she was pointing and saw that broomsticks littered the wall on the right.

"We might get a better view if we flew around on those."

Neville shook his head. He and broomsticks really didn't mesh very well. "I've never been a very good flier."

Luna smiled kindly at him. "Me neither, but it's not like we have to impress anyone."

Neville seemed to take her words in stride because he picked up a broomstick and carefully mounted it. Luna followed suit and soon the two of them were flying low over the aisles, looking around for anything that could glimmer like a tiara could.

Luna found diamond earrings on top of an old Hufflepuff scarf and a ruby necklace that said Aphrodite. Neville saw a flash of blue, but it was only blue sapphires on an ornamental mirror that scolded him for disturbing her slumber. The mirrored cabinet caught his attention though and when he flew down to open it and found the worn leather journal with his grandmother's writing, he smiled. He tucked it into his robes and thought she'd appreciate him bringing it back to her after all these years.

"Neville, look," Luna said, opening a blue velvet box and revealing an incredible diamond and emerald necklace. "Do you remember Ginny saying something about a lost necklace of Slytherin's?"

His eyes widened. "You think that's it?"

Luna shrugged. "It certainly looks like it could be. Whether it is or not, I think it's a lost treasure that shouldn't stay hidden in this dusty old room regardless."

He had to agree with that as she tucked the box under her arm.

And then he saw it.

There was a stone bust of an ugly warlock sitting on top of a black table just to the left of them and on top of the bust, was a discoloured tiara with a blue sapphire. He knew immediately that it was what they had been looking for.

"Luna!"

He landed badly, tripping over the broom as he did so and knocking over a pile of books on the side before he caught himself. Luna landed easily next to him, grabbing his arm for support.

Neville pointed up to the warlock. "What do you think? Does that look like Ravenclaw's lost diadem?"

Luna tilted her head, examining it critically. "Yes, I think it could be."

Neville reached over Luna's head to grab the tiara from the bust and the moment he touched it, he realized his mistake, but the memory gripped him so strongly that he couldn't let it go.

"Oooh, make her do it again, Bella!" Crouch's sing-song voice declared.

Bellatrix trailed her wand between the full breasts of Alice Longbottom gleefully, before she tugged hard on her hair and Alice gasped. "Do you like watching us hurt your husband, bitch?"

Frank was on the ground, twitching and withering under the effects of the torture curse being held over him by Rudolphous Lestrange. His screams were echoing off the walls of the house and he in turn made baby Neville scream.

Bellatrix turned her wand on the child in the playpen and shouted, "Crucio!"

Neville's little limbs were suddenly shifted the wrong way and he screamed and cried loudly.

"Not my son, you bitch!" Alice shrieked, turning around and despite not having a wand in her hand, smashed her fist into Bellatrix's face, breaking her nose.

Bellatrix screamed, her hands covered in blood, but Alice's movements had done enough to stop the curse on Neville. "You broke my fucking nose!"

Crouch grabbed Alice, ripping her robes open and throwing her onto the ground. "How about I hurt you, bitch? How about I make you feel real good?"

He'd just started undoing his pants when Bellatrix sent the torture curse at her again and Alice screamed. The sounds of the two of them screaming in pain seemed to echo in the room over and over again. With every new scream, Crouch and Bellatrix cackled in laughter until Frank was lying on the floor, broken and bleeding, and Rudolphous had come over. He gripped Bellatrix tightly and kissed her. His hand had moved under her dress as Alice screamed louder and Crouch giggled.

"Want me to make her scream louder? Would it make you two randier?"

Rudolphous only grinned and licked his lips. "I'm going to shag my wife right here, Bart, while you watch. I love how wet she gets when she hears screaming."

Crouch cackled and twisted his wand up making Alice's neck snap to the side as she screamed, her body contorted painfully and the screams no longer sounded human. "Shag her right here next to the woman. I want to watch."

"NEVILLE!"

Her voice finally broke through his haze and when he came to, her hands were on either side of his face and he found himself looking into her eyes.

"I..."

Luna slapped the diadem from his hand and it clattered to the ground. "It makes you see horrible things."

He nodded. "My... my parents... being tortured."

Luna wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I know. I saw it, too. It was like your memory rose up around us and was coming to life here in this very room. Do you remember it?"

Neville moved into the hug. "I do now."

Luna hugged him tighter. "I'm so sorry."

He shook his head, but he didn't let her go. He buried his face in her hair, waiting for his heartbeat to go back to normal. It was a few minutes later when he pulled back and offered her a small smile. "Thanks."

She nodded, framing his face with her hands again. "No one should have to see that."

Neville only stared at her. "It… this is it, Luna. We found it."

They both stared down at where the diadem had fallen to the ground. "We did," she whispered.

Then she stood on her toes and kissed his lips softly.

Neville's eyes flew open in surprise and she smiled sweetly at him.

"I think that we both needed that."

"Luna…" he said, touching his fingers to his lips.

Luna smiled. "You were a lovely first kiss, Neville, thank you." Then she reached around to grab the old Hufflepuff scarf on the table, wrapping it around the diadem carefully. "We need to get this to Professor Lupin."

"Luna…"

Luna turned to grin at him. "We've had this conversation before, Neville. You and me would never work. But I appreciate you letting me kiss you."

Neville watched her grab the box with the necklace and pass the scarf wrapped diadem back to him before she headed towards the door. He kept his eyes on her, thinking about her words. She was sweet and pretty, uniquely beautiful really if one took the time to look closely. But the thought of being with Luna in any way outside of friendship felt off. She wasn't meant to be with him and he knew that. He loved her for who she was: A friend and someone he held dear to his heart, but romantically… he felt nothing. Feeling lighter at coming to that conclusion he touched his fingers to his lips with a smile.

But she had been right. They both needed that.

He tucked the scarf covered tiara under his arm and followed Luna to the exit. Now they had to tell Remus about what they had discovered.

~ ASC ~

Remus stepped out of the fireplace into his office and hurried down the steps into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Neville and Luna were sitting on top of two of the desks chatting, but they both looked up when he came down the stairs.

Luna pointed to his desk at the front of the classroom where the Hufflepuff scarf was bundled. "We wrapped it up as it was rather aggressive."

Remus tore his eyes away from the scarf and back to them in amazement. "You found it. How? What are you two even doing here in the school?"

Neville just grinned. "Never mind that now. How the hell do we destroy this thing?"

Remus shook his head in amazement as Tonks came down the stairs from his office. "We should do it at FUVP headquarters, I just… I want to hear the story."

Neville's grin widened. "Can't we destroy it first?"

Tonks picked up the scarf, carefully unwrapping it.

"Don't touch it," Luna warned her. "It makes you see dark and horrible things."

Tonks nodded, revealing the sparkling diadem amidst the black and yellow cotton. "Blimey, it's really here!"

"And there's really a Horcrux in it," Neville said, his smile fading. "Please be careful."

Remus dragged his fingers through his hair, making it all stand up on end before he shook his head. "Nymphadora, let's get this back to FUVP. Neville, Luna, you're both coming along."

Luna smiled brightly. "That sounds wonderful, Professor. But Daddy is waiting for us in Hogsmeade so we'll have to let him know."

Remus' eyebrow rose. "He brought you two here, I take it?"

Neville nodded. "Yeah."

Tonks handed the scarf wrapped diadem to her husband. "I'll go find him and let him know we'll bring them home when we're done."

Remus smiled at her. "Thanks."

Ten minutes later, Remus was leading Neville and Luna into the study in Number Twelve, still rather overwhelmed and impressed with the sudden turn of events. He placed the scarf wrapped diadem on the coffee table and moved to the vault. Tonks came into the study just as he was taking out the sword of Gryffindor.

"Your father says splendid, Luna, and he wants you home before bed. You didn't tell him why you needed to go to the school?"

Luna shook her head. "Daddy doesn't need explanations. Neville said that we had to go to Hogwarts and he offered to take us. Thanks for letting him know, Mrs Lupin."

"Tonks is fine, Luna," she said before she nodded at the sword in her husband's hand, her eyes on his.

Remus knew that his wife was thinking the same thing that he was. He held the sword out to Neville. "I think that you should do the honours."

Neville's eyes widened before he shook his head. "No way, Remus! I'm not… I can't use that sword."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Well, it… I've never used a sword!"

Remus smiled. "Well, today will be the first time. It's made for Gryffindors, Neville, which means it has to be either me or you - and since you found it — I think it should be you."

Neville gulped. "That thing… it makes you see things… it makes you…"

Remus stared at him for a moment. "Neville, a Horcrux is a part of Lord Voldemort's soul. It makes you think up the worst things imaginable. It feeds on your worst memories, your worst thoughts, and then it twists them. The key is not to let it affect you. You have to strike it quick and hard. The sword must strike the jewel in the diadem, that's where I imagine the power lies."

Neville gulped again. "That sword is for heroes, Remus."

Remus nodded as he held the sword out once more. "Yes, it is."

Neville took a slow breath as Remus pressed the sword into his hand and this time, he took it. The sword felt warm against his palm and he could feel the tingling magic that seemed to reverberate up his arm as if the sword had been made for him. Remus was right about that, the sword was for Gryffindors and the realization that the sword knew him made his stomach churn. He could do this.

He looked over at Luna before he spoke. "I… in the room… it showed me Crouch Jr and Bellatrix and Rudolphous Lestrange… torturing my parents."

Remus placed a hand on Neville's shoulder and squeezed. "It's a memory, Neville, and a terrible one at that, but that's all it was. You can do this."

Neville stared at the sword in his hand as Remus carefully unwrapped the diadem. Tonks transfigured the coffee table into a flat rock so that Remus could place the tiara on top of it. It gleamed in the sunlight coming in through the window. Neville took another slow breath, sword in his hand, and he slowly approached the tiara.

The moment he stood in front of it, his memory rose out of it once more.

Crouch cackled and twisted his wand up making Alice's neck snap to the side as she screamed. Her body contorted painfully and the screams no longer sounded human. "Shag her right here next to the woman. I want to watch."

The screams echoed. Rudolphous picked up Frank by the back of his shirt, his wand to his throat. "Want to watch us hurt your wife some more? What do you say, Longbottom?"

Frank's eyes were glazed and disoriented. "Alice…"

The wand at his throat jabbed forward hard enough that Frank gasped for breath before he was twitching and contorting in the man's arms, his eyes rolling back into his head.

"Please!" Alice begged. "Please! Please, stop hurting him!"

Bellatrix cackled and turned her wand on Frank as well. The two of them both using the curse made Frank collapse to the ground. His body flip-flopping and bouncing as it stretched and cracked. The sounds of his joints moving out of place echoed like the sound of corn popping between his screams.

Crouch grinned widely, fondling Alice's breasts. "Aren't they sexy? The way they work together like that, wands pointed towards a common goal," he whispered. His lips brushed Alice's ear as he spoke, continuing to fondle her. "See how their eyes meet? It's so romantic. He's hard now, watching his wife. And Bella, well, I can promise you, she's so wet she's soaked right through her knickers watching your husband like that."

At his words, Bellatrix dropped her wand and jumped her husband, kissing him deeply. Clothes were pushed aside and they collapsed to the carpet, half on top of Frank as they began to shag, moaning loudly. Crouch cackled as Alice let out a small sob and he shoved her to her knees.

"Don't you want to watch, love?"

She pulled away from him, eyes on Neville who was crying in the crib. "Please, I have a son. Please…"

Crouch stroked her hair almost lovingly. "Don't worry about your boy, dearie. You'll take good care of him when I'm done with you."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as Crouch grinned. He pointed his wand at her and said, "Imperio!"

Her eyes glazed and he smiled joyfully, an almost boyish grin on his young face. He grabbed her wand from the ground and placed it into her hand.

"Why don't you try the Cruciatus, dearie."

Alice turned her wand on Neville, her eyes wide.

"Neville! Destroy it!" Remus' voice broke through. "Don't listen to it!"

The jewel in the diadem flashed and for a second, Neville swore that he saw an eye looking from it. It locked onto him and suddenly a different voice hissed vehemently as it echoed throughout the room.

"Your parents weren't strong enough! They wanted to suffer, they relished in the pain. They didn't care about you. If your mother truly loved you, she would never have allowed them to do this. If your parents wanted you, they would have stopped this."

The figure of Alice changed, her face distorting into a look of disgust as Frank rose up beside her.

"We're not truly insane, we just didn't want you. We'd rather spend our lives in St Mungo's pretending to be nothing than to spend another moment with a whining, insignificant little brat like you!"

"We wanted a son who we could be proud of, not a bumbling coward too afraid to stand up for himself," Frank hissed. "If the Aurors hadn't shown up to arrest them, we could have been rid of you for good."

"How could we ever want you as a son?"

"How could we ever love someone as pathetic and as weak as you?"

"The world would be better off if you took yourself out of it!" The monstrous figure of Alice declared viciously.

Remus' hand grasped his shoulder tightly and a muffled sob tore through him as he lifted the sword. The eye flashed and the voices grew louder as the distorted images of his parents now molded together, glowing brightly and fiercely and looking more life-life than the parents he visited.

"We know what you desire," Frank said as an image of Hannah rose up between them. Her blonde hair was more golden than ever, her skin glowing like a beacon as Kevin's hands wandered over her shoulders.

The Hannah-like figure looked over to meet Neville's eyes. "You'll never be good enough for someone like me. You'll never be worthy."

Snape rose up behind them, his hooked nose looking down at him as the Kevin-like figure kissed the image of Hannah. "I always said that he was good for nothing. Can't even follow simple instructions. With a mind that small it's amazing he can walk and talk at the same time."

The memory and the Horcrux creations began to merge into each other until Snape and Hannah had their wands pointed at the child version of himself, until everyone was holding their wands over him.

"The world would be better if you were dead," Frank declared.

"Kill it!" Alice screamed.

Crouch Jr's eyes gleamed. "Crucio!"

"NEVILLE! Stab it! Stab it, now!"

Neville let out a roar as he closed his eyes, the sword coming down with an almighty clang that vibrated against the diadem. The force of the blade hitting the jewel knocked him backwards, flying him into Tonks who gripped his arms tightly as green smoke burst from the diadem in a booming roar and vanished into the air.

Neville's heart was pounding in his chest as Remus hurried over to him. He found himself looking into his professor's whiskey coloured eyes as he urged him to breathe slowly in and out.

"You did it, Neville," Luna said softly. "It's gone."

He looked over at his friend who was holding the diadem in her hands. The jewel in the centre had seemed to both shatter and melt upon impact, leaving a large black burn across the metal.

"It's gone," he whispered.

Remus hugged him tightly. "You're a brave young man, Neville."

Neville returned the hug, feeling warm for the first time since the memory had emerged. "I…"

Remus pulled back to smile kindly at him. "It twists your thoughts, your memories. None of that… your parents were two of the kindest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing and they loved you so much. They doted on you. You were their entire world and there is nothing that would have changed that. They are so proud of you, Neville. I know it. They love you more than they can express and they would have suffered a million times over to see you safe."

Neville swallowed. "I… do you think the rest of it… the part with the… do you think they really tried to get my mum to - hurt me?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know what happened that night, Neville, but I do know that no matter what they did, your parents sacrificed themselves to protect you. Don't ever forget that."

Neville stared at him a moment before he hugged Remus again. Remus held him close until Neville moved away as if embarrassed. "Thanks."

"No, thank you," Tonks said from behind him, holding the diadem in her hands. "Another one bites the dust because another brave Gryffindor destroyed this bad boy. Thanks to you and Luna, we're another step closer to getting rid of Voldemort."

Luna's eyes moved to the list on the blackboard walls. "Just the snake is left."

"That's right," Tonks said, waving her wand to update the list and adding a checkmark to number six.

FUVP Hit List:

1. DIARY (found in Chamber of Secrets by Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter through vault of Abraxas Malfoy; destroyed by Harry Potter) ✓

2. LOCKET OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN (found in seaside cave by Regulus Black and then found in Grimmauld Place by Sirius Black; destroyed by Sirius Black) ✓

3. SIGNET RING OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN (found on Gaunt abandoned property by Bill Weasley, Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, and Alastor Moody; destroyed by Sirius Black) ✓

4. CUP OF HELGA HUFFLEPUFF (found in vault of Bellatrix Lestrange by Sirius Black and Harry Potter; destroyed by Harry Potter) ✓

5. HARRY POTTER (accidentally put into the scar on his forehead; moved to cigar box by Healer Xander Papakonstantinou; destroyed by Harry Potter) ✓

6. DIADEM OF RAVENCLAW (found by Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood in Room of Hidden Things inside of Hogwarts; destroyed by Neville Longbottom) ✓

7. NAGINI THE SNAKE (always by Voldemort's side)

8. VOLDEMORT HIMSELF

"And getting to her is going to take more than just luck," Remus said slowly.

"It's going to take war," Tonks finished, her eyes on her husband's.

Remus knew the impact of his wife's words… and he knew that the war was truly just beginning.

End of Author's Notes:

Thanks to Not_Steve for her "doxy droppings" suggestion!

Thanks to Ella for Russian lessons.

(Russian) dochka = daughter

Looking for more Sirius/Zee mixed in with your Hinny?

I gave the incredible author known as Velvethope (found on both ff and Ao3) permission to use my lovely original character of Zee (Zahira Zelena Zacarias) in her mini Muggle AU two-parter and so far she's done an amazing job (not that I expected anything less). For anyone interested (and you should be) - please go check it out and DROP HER A REVIEW!

Moving the Goalposts - A Muggle AU in which Harry, a former football star, meets a mysterious redhead. Things are not always what they seem. Think of this as You've Got Mail Meets Harry Potter. A character study with romance, email, and misunderstandings. A bit of fun and fluff, among other things.

Possession - The sequel to Moving the Goalposts - my Muggle AU. Harry and Ginny are starting to settle into their new relationship, with love and passion. But dark times are ahead for the couple, when a person from Ginny's past begins to pull at the new life she's made for herself. Is she in danger? Is Harry? What happens when obsession turns into something worse?

It's a pretty amazing feeling to see someone else use a character that I invented in their story - makes me feel like a celebrity. Thank you for loving Zee as much as I do. Thank you to everyone who reads A Second Chance!

Thanks for reading and as always, please review — reviews are the payment us fanfic authors take for sharing our work. Bring a little joy to our lives :D I love you all and thank you!