All Kinds of Directions

“I can’t believe it,” Hermione said faintly, staring at the object resting neatly on the table beside the locked mystery box. “I—it’s just so improbable.”

“I was joking,” Ron said for the fifth time. “I never really thought Voldemort would be daft enough to hide a Horcrux under the Muggle Prime Minister’s nose!”

Helga Hufflepuff’s cup glinted slightly at them, almost like it was winking imperiously. It looked exactly as it had in the memory Dumbledore had shown Harry, just days before Voldemort has murdered Hepzibah Smith and stolen it.

Harry had already confirmed it was a Horcrux by touching it—his head was still pounding, but he ignored it. “I don’t think it’s as nutters as it seems,” he said slowly. “Voldemort wanted to hide the Horcruxes where they wouldn’t be found…well, who would think to look in a Muggle government office? We even thought of it but believed it was too ridiculous to consider.”

“And Voldemort probably liked the idea of hiding it in plain sight,” Ginny pointed out. “Like he did with Ravenclaw’s tablet in the Slytherin dorms.”

“Not to mention the irony of a Muggle-hater like him using Muggles to protect himself from death,” Hermione added. “Thinking about it now, it makes a lot of sense…”

“It’s always easier to see things in hindsight,” Harry said.

“What’s even more amazing are the odds against anyone finding it,” Ginny said. “The cup was sitting on the mantel in the middle of a bunch of other odd trophies and plaques and such; it was really one of the most boring of the lot. Only someone who knew what the cup looked like would recognize it, and Harry’s probably the only living person in the world other than Voldemort who’s seen it. What if Ron and I had gone, or Hermione and I? We wouldn’t even have thought to look, and even staring right at it we might not have realized.”

“And it was directly under a wizard’s portrait,” Harry added. “If we hadn’t Stunned the portrait, we couldn’t have taken the cup without the wizard noticing.”

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again,” Ron muttered. “Merlin’s balls, we are so lucky it’s scary!”

“Yeah, we are,” Harry said darkly. “We lucked into it—again. If we hadn’t decided to have a chat with the Muggle Prime Minister, we would never have found it! It’s just another sign of how desperately we need better information!”

“I dunno…with the way things have been going, we shouldn’t really complain,” Ron pointed out.

“Harry, Ron’s right—there’s just one left!” Ginny exclaimed, her eyes shining. “Just one more Horcrux to find, and Voldemort will finally be vulnerable!”

“Well, we still have to destroy them,” Ron said.

“Yes, and Luna hasn’t been making any progress with Sawol Immortalis,” Hermione said sadly. “I’m beginning to wonder if it wouldn’t be better for me to spend all my time working with her, Harry…I don’t think she’s focusing very well without me there to help.”

“Right now, figuring out how to restore Neville’s memories is more important,” Harry said. “Still, if Luna’s not making progress, maybe it would be better if she took a break for a while? We don’t want her getting careless and making a mistake…”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ginny said. “Luna’s already depressed; if she doesn’t have anything to keep her occupied it’ll just get worse.”

“What we need is for George to get his head out of his arse and talk to Luna,” Ron growled. “Even if they don’t get back together they could at least get over it.”

“That’s true,” Harry agreed, frowning. Then he shook his head. “We’ll worry about that later. Ron, put the cup with the other Horcruxes, would you? Right now we have to arrange to go to Godric’s Hollow. Tomorrow.”

“What?” Hermione asked. Harry took in her and Ron’s surprise and confusion and realized he and Ginny hadn’t even told them about what the Muggle Prime Minister had said.

Ginny rolled her eyes and started filling them in, but in his excitement Harry spoke over her and took over the explanation. When he finished Ron asked “So you think Voldemort was there looking for something?”

“Yeah, of course,” Harry answered impatiently. “It can’t be a coincidence that that house exploded in the middle of Voldemort’s second rise to power; not after it was just sitting there for so long. He was there, and I want to go see if we can figure out why.”

Hermione, Ron and Ginny exchanged glances, much to Harry’s annoyance. “Okay, YES,” he snapped. “I also want to see where my parents died! Happy?”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see where—where it happened,” Hermione said meekly. “I just thought that maybe you hadn’t realized that was why you want to go.”

“That’s not the only reason—”

“Of course it’s not,” Ginny said softly, placing her hand over Harry’s. “I think you’re right, Harry. We should go—for both reasons.”

Hermione and Ron both nodded their agreement, and Harry relaxed slightly. “But we can’t go tomorrow,” Hermione countered. “If Voldemort really was there, we’ll need to be prepared for anything. Harry, you did say that we should take more time in organizing our plans—”

“Sure, throw that back in my face,” Harry said ruefully, but his smile took the edge off the comment. “Okay, we can wait until we’re ready. But we should do it soon, all right?”

“Of course,” Ginny agreed. “We can probably have everything ready within a few days—”

Ginny was cut off when Ron yelped and started fumbling with his robes. “Ron!” Hermione exclaimed in shock. “What is it?”

“Something’s burning me!” Ron exclaimed. “It’s—”

Before he could finish Harry felt a heat rising sharply in the pocket of his own robes and realized what was happening. “It’s the signal!” he shouted, jumping to his feet. “Someone’s in trouble!”

The four of them all pulled out their D.A. Galleons, which had Protean Charms on them so they could be signaled at a moment’s notice. Hermione tapped hers with her wand, and an instant later she gasped. “Oh no!” she cried. “It’s Justin! He’s—”

“Guarding Neville,” Harry finished; he was already running around the table to the magical chest they kept their most precious possessions in. He yanked open a drawer as fast as he could, reached in and pulled out the phoenix feather Dumbledore had gifted him with. “No time for anything else,” he snapped out, darting back and thrusting the feather out above the table. “Everyone touch this and clear your minds!” The others all reached out, and the second their fingers were on the feather Harry tapped it with his wand and thought The greenhouse at Magical Herbs!

Harry and Hermione appeared between two long tables covered with plants. Ron and Ginny were nowhere to be seen. Damnit! Harry thought angrily, but he didn’t have time to dwell on the unreliability of the feather—not with the scene in front of him.

Neville and Katie Bell were jumping, dodging and most importantly retreating from five cloaked and hooded Death Eaters. They were putting up a good fight, throwing almost as many hexes and curses back at their attackers, and there was one other Death Eater already down. But Justin was lying unconscious across the room, and Katie and Neville were barely still on their feet themselves.

Hermione didn’t waste a second, throwing a Stunning Hex into the midst of the Death Eaters; Harry followed with a Jelly-Fingers Curse. Both struck home before the Death Eaters even saw them—one collapsed unconscious, and another’s wand slipped right out of his fingers; with a muffled curse he stooped and tried to pick it up, but his floppy fingers wouldn’t obey him.

The others noticed Harry and Hermione, and one instantly sent a curse their way; both ducked down to avoid it. Harry found himself staring under the various greenhouse tables at the feet of the Death Eaters about fifteen feet away. Not to miss the opportunity, he fired off the first hex that came to mind; “Levicorpus!” he shouted, and with a yelp of shock one of the Death Eaters was jerked to the ceiling by his ankle; his wand went flying out of his hand across the room, and his robes fell down over his face.

Within a few seconds Harry and Hermione had reduced the fighting Death Eaters’ number to two. Unfortunately, one of them growled out “Bombarda!” The spell clipped Neville’s leg slightly, knocking him down, and hit Katie full-on, sending her flying back into the wall of the greenhouse hard enough to crack the glass.

Harry dodged another hex and looked around to see Hermione sinking to the dirt-covered floor; but instead of collapsing as if she were unconscious, Hermione sat cross-legged and closed her eyes.

Not having the time to wonder or worry, Harry shot another Levicorpus that missed. But the Death Eater dodged right into Neville’s view, and Neville cast a perfect Mobiliarbus, which caused the large flowering plant to strike Death Eater beside it solidly in the head, felling him instantly.

The final Death Eater realized he was outnumbered, and that his opponents were surprisingly competent. Before Harry could level his wand, the Death Eater stood up straight, concentrated… and nothing happened. He just stood there looking utterly bewildered right up until Harry’s Stupefy struck him.

Harry shot off another Stupefy to silence the shouting, struggling Death Eater hanging from the ceiling, while Neville again cast Petrificus Totalus, this time on the jelly-fingered Death Eater. Then Harry ran down to the end of the row he was in, only to have to dodge a hex from Neville. “Neville, stop! It’s me, Harry!” he cried, darting behind a stack of boxes.

“Prove it,” Neville called back hoarsely; when Harry glanced over the boxes and saw Neville’s face he looked pale and drawn—no wonder, considering the state his leg was in. It was nothing more than a surface wound but it looked horrible, and Neville was clearly losing a fair bit of blood.

“Your mum gave you a bubble gum wrapper and you stuck it in your pocket,” Harry called out. “None of us ever told anyone, not me, Ron, Hermione or Ginny!”

There was a pause. Then Neville’s voice said, a bit faintly, “Harry, c-could you come stop this bleeding?”

Harry shoved off the ground and ran over to Neville; it seemed like a lot of blood, but the wound itself wasn’t deep. Harry cast a couple Charms that Cho had taught him to clean the wound and wrap it in bandages; Neville yelped in pain when the gauze touched his skin. But the blood stopped flowing, and Neville nodded slightly. “That’s better… Thanks.”

“I have to check on the others,” Harry said. Neville nodded, and Harry made straight for Hermione. He didn’t know why she has suddenly sat down in the middle of a fight, and worried that she may have been hit with a Jelly-Brain Jinx.

Hermione hadn’t moved when Harry reached her; but there was a strong glow coming from her wand that was brighter than any Lumos Harry had ever seen. “Hermione?” Harry said, dropping to his knees. “Hermione?” she didn’t respond, so Harry reached out and shook her shoulder lightly.

Hermione flailed back in surprise, but recovered quickly when she saw it was Harry. “Harry! Did you get them all? The Death Eaters?”

“Yeah, they’re all down,” Harry said a bit angrily. “No thanks to you! I know you’re still getting used to being cursed, but—”

“I did help!” Hermione said indignantly. “I was holding an Anti-Disapparation Jinx in place to keep them from escaping!”

Harry blinked. “Oh. That would explain why the last one just stood there looking confused.”

“Yes it would,” Hermione huffed.

“Sorry,” Harry said, standing and helping Hermione to her feet. “Come on, we have to help the others; I stopped Neville’s bleeding, but—”

“Neville is bleeding?” Hermione exclaimed in distress, and headed straight for where Neville was sitting.

Harry headed the other way towards where he’d seen Justin unconscious earlier. But right before he got there the sound of pops made him spin around, wand ready.

Ron and Ginny had Apparated into the greenhouse. “What the hell?” Ron shouted, running straight toward Hermione, while Ginny headed for Harry. “We tried to Apparate as soon as we could, but we couldn’t get in!”

“That was me,” Hermione said softly. “I was using an Anti-Disapparation Jinx…”

“Hang on,” Harry said, pointing his wand at Ginny, who pulled up short. “If you’re Ginny—”

“That fucking feather!” Ginny exploded. “This is twice it’s left me behind while you go off and almost die!”

Harry dropped his wand and pulled Ginny close; she threw her arms around him and hugged him so tightly he thought he might crack a rib. “I’m so sorry, Gin,” he whispered.

“I d-don’t think I’ll be able to take it if you do that again,” Ginny said tearfully; her shoulders were shaking.

“I’m not using the feather again,” Harry said fervently. “It’s too bloody unpredictable. But you are exaggerating, you know; I wasn’t even close to dying here, and last time the Death Eaters were long gone!”

“That’s not bloody funny,” Ginny muttered, but she did laugh weakly. Then she pushed back. “It’s okay, Harry. Go on, go do leader stuff. I’m okay, really.”

Harry hesitated for a moment, but gave in after promising he’d make it up to her later. “Come with me,” he said, and walked over to where Justin was, Ginny right behind him. He wasn’t sure what to do, though… “I didn’t see him get hexed,” he told Ginny, “so I’m not sure how to wake him up.”

Ginny turned to face where Ron and Hermione were still amidst a tearful reunion, right next to a slightly amused and highly embarrassed Neville. “Neville,” she shouted, “what did they do to Justin?”

“They Stupefied him,” Neville called back hesitantly.

Thank Merlin it’s nothing more complicated, Harry thought, and pointed his wand. “Enervate.”

Justin’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked confusedly at Harry. “Harry? Ginny? What the…?” Then his eyes narrowed and he sat up. “Prove you’re Harry.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Before you knew you’d have a separate Invisibility Cloak, you refused to come guard Neville with Katie because you said it would be improper for a boy and a girl to be forced so close together.”

Justin grinned a bit sheepishly. “Okay. What happened? I saw the Death Eaters and used my Galleon, and then—”

“Not sure. Come on,” Harry said, offering his hand. Justin took it and got up. “You two, go Stupefy all the Death Eaters,” Harry ordered. “Even if they already are, do it again.” Justin and Ginny nodded and hurried off to comply. Harry ran past Hermione and Ron, who were re-checking Neville, to where Katie was stirring. “Katie,” Harry said, kneeling beside her and helping her sit up, “are you okay?”

“I think so,” Katie said, wincing. She scowled good-naturedly at the attention Neville was getting. “Oh, don’t mind me,” she said sarcastically. “I only got hit full-on with that spell, after all!” She focused on Harry and her eyes narrowed.

“You told me I had to make you try out for the Quidditch team even though I’d seen you fly plenty before, just in case there was someone better,” Harry said before she could ask him to prove who he was. “You said otherwise I’d be accused of favoritism.”

Katie nodded. “Had to check,” she said, unrepentant.

“Yeah, I know,” Harry said. “I—er, what is it?”

Katie was staring wide-eyed at Hermione. “You’re walking!” she gasped finally.

Harry laughed at Hermione’s expression of long-suffering. “She can explain that later,” he said. “Hang on a second…” He cast a Charm or two but couldn’t find anything wrong. “You might have a concussion; we have to—”

“Not St. Mungo’s,” Katie said sharply. “I’ll be fine until we get back to—”

Katie tried to continue but she clearly couldn’t. “It’s because Neville’s right there,” Harry said when he realized she’d tried to say back to the House of Black. “Come on, Cho will check you out when we get there.”

“What do you mean, it’s because I’m right here?” Neville asked pointedly, waving away Hermione’s help and dragging himself to his feet, while Ron and Harry helped Katie up. “What’s going on here, Harry? I was just working alone in the greenhouse when all those Death Eaters Apparated in! And then Katie and Justin turn out to be right there under those cloaks, and you and Hermione appear out of nowhere! And Ron and Ginny knew to come here too, at just the right time? What the hell is going on?”

By the end of his tirade he was practically shouting, which was unusual for the normally mild-mannered Neville; the attack must have shaken him a great deal. “Neville, I promise we’ll explain all of this, but we have to get you somewhere safe first,” Harry said. “Voldemort might be waiting to hear back from his Death Eaters, and when they don’t come back right away—”

“You-Know-Who?” Neville exclaimed, and Harry was once again struck by the bizarreness of the situation; Neville had been saying Voldemort for months before being Obliviated. “Why would You-Know-Who care about me?” Neville demanded. “And how come you all know about it? Just because he’s been after you forever, Harry, doesn’t mean that—”

“Neville, I swear to you I will explain everything,” Harry insisted, “but only once we’re away from here!”

Neville stuck out his jaw. “I want to trust you, Harry, but I just can’t believe that—”

“Stupefy,” Ginny said. “Don’t look at me like that!” she snapped at them while Justin caught Neville before he could fall. “If you’re right Voldemort himself could appear here at any second! Let’s get the hell out of here and we can argue all we like later!”

Harry didn’t hesitate. “Right. I don’t want to walk out into Diagon Alley with Neville Stupefied, obviously, so I’m going to make Portkeys. Ron and Hermione can take Neville, Justin can go with Katie and Ginny and I will go together. Ginny, Ron, you two sort out the Death Eaters and pull some hairs from them for Polyjuice Potion; Hermione, make some Portkeys to send them to the Ministry like we did with the others while I make our Portkeys.”

“I can’t believe we took down six Death Eaters,” Katie said, her voice filled with pride.

Harry grinned. “You did great, Katie.”

Ron hurried away to help Ginny with the Death Eaters, while Harry started grabbing random objects and transforming them into Portkeys, with Hermione doing the same. Justin was casting the same Charms that Harry had on Katie again.

In no more than a minute all the Death Eaters had been sent to the Ministry, and the group regathered. “Okay, Justin and Katie will go first,” Harry said, handing Justin a Portkey. “These Portkeys will take us right back to the kitchen at the house. Justin, take Katie to the conference room and then go find Cho and bring her there to check Katie out—she’ll have to look at Neville’s leg, too. Oh—do you both still have your cloaks?” he asked Justin and Katie. They both nodded. “Good. Put one of them over Neville. Ron, Hermione, you take Neville and go next,” he continued, giving Hermione another Portkey. “We’ll space ourselves fifteen seconds apart, so Ginny and I will be right behind. And all of you, don’t tell anyone you see what happened, and don’t let them see Neville. We have to figure this all out and I don’t want a bunch of crazy stories going around.”

Justin and Katie activated their Portkey and vanished. Harry helped Ron lift up Neville and settle his weight against Ron’s side. Hermione put Neville’s hand on the Portkey; then she and Ron both touched it as well, and they all disappeared.

Ginny reached out and gently took Harry’s hand. “I swear, Harry,” she whispered, “if you ever do that again you’d better hope Voldemort kills you, because he’d be merciful compared to what I’d do if I got my hands on you again.”

There was love and care in her voice that took the edge off the threat, but Harry had no doubt she was serious. “I believe you, Gin,” he said with a smile. They Disapparated.