Of Butterflies in a Hurricane

*


"A promise? What does that mean?" Harry wondered how a promise would allow them to the Horcrux.

Hermione was silent for a moment, contemplating the floor. "It means we have to give it something, and a promise is the only thing we can keep."

"But what does it want us to promise?" Harry asked, feeling confused. How could they make a promise to an inanimate object?

"It wants... It wants the promise of repayment."

"Repayment? How?"

"Basically, if it allows us entrance, it wants repayment."

"But what kind?" Harry pressed, desperate to know more.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. It's obviously designed to trick us. But I don't see any way around it. There's no other way to get in."

"How can we promise something when we don't even know what the repayment will be?!" Harry exclaimed. "That's insane!"

"I know, Harry," Hermione sighed. "But there's no other way."

Harry didn't respond for a moment, staring intently at the floor, willing it to just open for him. He glanced at Ron beside him, who looked like he had no idea what to do.

Ron caught his eye and shrugged. "Maybe we should just do it," he said. "It's either this or leave and give up."

Harry wasn't about to give up, not when they had come so far. "No, okay, we'll do it."

Hermione looked up at him and nodded. She moved her wand over the wooden slats, whispering a spell in Latin. All at once, Harry felt a great gust of wind whoosh around his head, blowing his hair around. But as soon as it had come, it was gone and all was still.

"What was that?" Ron asked, sounding nervous. Harry saw that he didn't look comfortable, his eyes darting everywhere.

"The promise," Hermione explained. "I hope it worked."

Just as she said that, the board in the middle of the circle popped up just a hair. Harry hesitated then reached over and pried it all the way off. All three leaned forward carefully, craning their necks to see what was underneath.

Harry saw that it looked just like his crevice in the loose floorboard under his bed at the Dursley's. The space was about a foot long, six inches wide, and five inches deep. On first glance, Harry thought that the cubby hole was empty.

He felt a sinking sensation in his stomach as he looked at the empty hole. There was no Horcrux. He reached out a hand to put into the space in the floorboards but was stopped by Hermione.

"Harry, no!" she cried, pulling his hand away from the hole.

He gave her a quizzical look. "What? It's empty. There's nothing here." He immediately berated himself for bringing Ron and Hermione to this house. They had wasted so much time! And there wasn't even a Horcrux.

Hermione was shaking her head forebodingly. "No, Harry, there's something here."

"Where?" he asked, wondering what she was seeing.

"In there, of course," she said, regaining her normal, brisker tone. She indicated the empty space in the floor and Harry had to disagree.

"But there's nothing!"

"Oh, Harry," she sighed impatiently. "You think Voldemort would just leave his Horcruxes lying around in plain daylight with just a board to protect them?"

Harry suddenly felt very stupid, and he looked down at his knees in shame. "No."

"No," Hermione echoed, "there have got to be more spells. I wouldn't try to touch anything just yet."

Harry withdrew his hand and placed it safely in his lap, determined to touch nothing until they were sure. Beside him, Ron stuffed his hands in between his legs just to be sure.

"Okay, well, what do we do?" Harry always felt so inadequate when it came to retrieving the Horcruxes. He was always asking what to do instead of knowing already.

"Didn't you say before it was all about fears?" Ron asked suddenly and Hermione looked at him. "What fear is this then?"

Hermione was silent for a moment, thinking hard. Then, slowly, she answered him. "Fear of the unknown."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to tie everything together. "Wait, explain all the fears again."

"The first was the locket; a fear of darkness. Then there was Ravenclaw's wand; a fear of fire. A piece of his soul was in the diary which could have been a fear of knowledge. Obviously, the piece in the snake is a fear of snakes. And in Voldemort himself, it's a fear of power. This Horcrux is a fear of the unknown and the ring... Well, we don't know since we don't know how Dumbledore got it."

Harry was silent as it all settled in. He knew Voldemort was smart and had probably thought these through thoroughly. He never imagined so much work would go into just hiding a Horcrux.

"So the promise?" Harry asked. "That was part of the fear? We have to promise some unknown fate and then find the Horcrux when we don't even know how."

"Ingenious, isn't it?" Hermione asked grudgingly, like she thought Voldemort had no right to be so intelligent, what with the way he used it.

"But that doesn't help us find it," Harry said pressingly. "It could be anywhere!"

"No, Harry," Hermione said, exasperated. "It's right there, we just have to figure out how to get it."

Harry glanced at the still-empty space under the board and wondered how they would do that. Since it was obvious that they wouldn't find out any time soon how it was guarded, it was up to them to reveal it.

"Could we try just summoning it or something?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

Hermione glanced at Harry, who was sitting stoically still, then back to Ron. "Sure, why not?"

Ron took out his wand and cleared his throat. "Accio Horcrux!

Harry was forcibly reminded of when he had done the exact same thing only months before. He had no doubt that it wouldn't be successful.

He was right but was scared out of his wits when a bolt of lightening ripped through the room, crashing down just feet from Harry's hand. Harry jumped up from his spot on the ground and hastily scrambled to the other side of the circle.

"What the fuck was that?!" he exclaimed, staring at the charred floor where the bolt had struck.

"A warning," Hermione said seriously. "I don't think it's very pleased."

"Of course not! It just tried to kill me!"

Hermione sighed and raised her hands to her forehead, massaging her temples. Harry and Ron sighed also, wishing there was an easier way to do this. Why did it have to be so difficult?

Hermione looked up from her hands and looked at the empty space contemplatively. "I think we should test it." Ron and Harry had no idea what she was talking about and so said nothing. She took out her wand and gave it a wave. A wooden stick materialized in the middle of the room. Using her wand, she guided it over the space beneath the floorboards. She brought it down with the intention of tapping the bottom of the space.

As soon as the stick neared the space, Hermione found it harder to press it down. She forced it, though, and moved it slowly down towards the spot. Just at the point where the original wooden slat had been, the stick gave a shudder and cracked down the middle, splitting off and then bursting into millions of shards.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione shielded their eyes hastily as the wooden pieces flew everywhere. When they lowered them, they stared in despair at the hole in the floor.

"Great," Harry said unenthusiastically, "just great."

"Well," Hermione said tentatively. "I don't think we should reach in and try to get it that way."

Harry gave her such a look that even she colored slightly. "No, really?" he drawled. He was getting sick of these unsolvable puzzles. He just needed to get the Horcrux, destroy it and continue searching for Draco.

As he sat, guarded now behind Hermione, the snake on his bracelet gave a particularly violent hiss and he glared at it. "~~Shut up~~" he hissed quietly in Parseltongue.

Ron and Hermione both gave him an odd look but didn't comment on it, though Harry missed the look they exchanged. Ron gave Hermione a significant look and Hermione shrugged slightly.

The snake quieted down but began to circle in an agitated manner around his wrist. Harry didn't like the way it looked as it slithered quickly and nervously around its silver band.

He couldn't be bothered at the moment by an increasingly odd snake, though, and forced his thoughts back to the Horcrux hidden in the crevice before him.

"Wait a minute," Ron said suddenly, "what's that at the bottom?"

Hermione and Harry leaned forward, careful not to touch any part of the hole, and peered inside. Sitting in the very bottom of the space was a gold, glittering coin. Against the grey interior of the hole, it glimmered tantalizingly.

"Is that a galleon?" Harry asked, extremely confused. Why would there be money where a Horcrux was hidden?

"Yes, it is," Hermione said perplexedly.

"What's it doing there?" Ron asked.

Hermione was silent again for several moments before answering. "It's greed."

"Huh?"

"Greed," she repeated. "Voldemort never planned to come back for his Horcruxes unless at his utmost need. If he came back for this particular one, he would need someone with him. And we all know he doesn’t trust anyone, so he couldn't tell them why they were here or what they were doing. If they did, they would never resort to getting it for him, knowing his tricks. This is the only way. One of the mortal's greatest weaknesses is greed. Even Voldemort understands that. His greed got the best of him before so he knows it will work with other people. By placing a galleon at the bottom of the hole, a person would automatically reach in and take it. This would trigger something and allow Voldemort to get the Horcrux for himself. This whole thing is about greed. I don't know why I didn't see it before. He was greedy of Poe's work, and therefore used it to guard something important to him. The promise is greedy by forcing us into an unknown agreement. It's so obvious."

"Wow," was all Ron said and that about summed it up. Harry was increasingly amazed at how smart Hermione could be at times. He knew he would have failed long ago had it not been for her.

"Hermione, how do you come up with this?" he asked incredulously.

Hermione just shrugged. "I don't know. It just makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Sure," Harry agreed, sharing a glance with Ron that clearly said that it only made sense to her. "... Well, how do we get it out?" he asked at length.

No one said anything for several moments, each staring at the shimmering coin in the floor. Harry didn't know a way to get it without dying a horribly painful death and he didn't wish that upon himself.

"I'll do it," Ron said suddenly and began reaching for the coin.

"Ron, NO!" Harry shouted lunging for his arm and pulling it back at the last second.

Ron pulled it away, frowning at Harry. "Harry, we told you we'd help you, and I will. Let me do this. I want you to finish this. You said you didn't want us to get hurt, well, you can't guarantee that. There are just some things that will happen in life and it's not your fault."

Harry just stared at him, lost for words. How could he be saying this? It was like he was resigned already. There had to be another way. This couldn't be the only way.

"Ron, you--"

"No, Harry," Ron interrupted him, "it'll be okay. Just let me do this... for you."

Harry wanted to protest, stop him from doing the inevitable but his throat went dry as Ron started to reach for the hole in the floor once more. Hermione's eyes were wide and her hands pressed against her mouth painfully as she watched him.

Just as Ron's hand pressed against the ever-present invisible barrier, Hermione let out a small whimper. Ron swallowed hard and pressed harder, his hand slipping through and into the hole.

Harry's heart was thundering against his ribcage as he watched Ron's fingers open over the gold coin at the bottom.

"NO!" Hermione shouted finally as Ron's fingers closed on the small, golden coin.

For a second, Harry thought nothing had happened, but all of a sudden, the room was alight with white flashes and the sounds of bloodcurdling screaming. Harry wasn't sure if it was coming from Ron, Hermione or himself.

He had leapt to his feet and was searching desperately for a way to stop it. He couldn't see anything in the flashing white of the room; it was blinding him and he stumbled unseeingly around the room.

"Ron!" He heard a frantic cry over the screaming. "RON! NO!"

Harry took a step forward and tripped, sending himself sprawling over the floor, face down. He quickly pushed himself up, blinking quickly as the room continued to be illuminated by blinding flashes of light.

The screaming continued, raising the hairs on the back of Harry's neck. He knew it couldn't be good. He heard sobbing over the screams and suddenly, it was all over.

Harry rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to get them back into focus after the seizure-like lights dissipated. The screaming had stopped and now Harry only heard agonized sobs. They were broken and ragged and he knew it was bad.

He finally got his eyes into focus and looked around the room. He had tripped over the rolled-up rug and was further from the center of the room than he remembered. He looked over to where the hole was and felt all breath leave his body.

Hermione was crouched on the floor, sobbing into the body that lay there. Her hand was clutched around Ron's protectively as she wept brokenly into his shirt.

Harry walked forward stiffly, unable to say or do anything. He felt like his stomach had been wrenched out and cut open. He felt sick as he looked down at the scene before him.

"Ron," Hermione whispered and dissolved into new sobs, gripping Ron's hand tightly.

Harry stood awkwardly above her, unable to function normally. He didn't know what to do. This was the third death he had witnessed in the last four years. He had never wanted this. Any of it. He didn't want what this caused. He didn’t want deaths, despair; he never had.

Finally, he dropped to his knees beside Hermione and tried to pull her away from Ron's motionless body. She refused to let go, though, tightening her grip on Ron's hand and shirt, crying hopelessly.

Harry's mind was blank as he sat next to her, unable to help and not knowing what to do. Ron had been his best friend; his first friend ever and now... now, he had died, because of Harry. The thought choked Harry and made him feel like throwing up. He couldn't stomach the fact that it was his fault. Ron shouldn't have come along. Harry should have stopped him. Then none of this would have happened.

Finally, Harry made another attempt to pry Hermione from Ron. She came quite easily now, her body limp and her face stained with tears that continued to fall. She buried her face in Harry's shoulder and sobbed, unable to control herself.

He awkwardly patted her back, trying to soothe her but knowing it was no use. He didn't know what to do. He was in far too much shock and despair to know. He couldn't believe that he had lost Ron. He needed him. Without Ron, who would he hang around with, joking about random things no one cared about? Who would he make fun of Hermione with?

Hermione's sobs grew quieter as time went on. They sat for a long time on the dirty floor of the Riddle House, neither knowing what to do or how to handle it. Hermione had never faced anything like this, not like Harry had. Harry knew she needed reassurance but he didn't know how to give it.

Finally, Hermione pulled away from Harry, trying to calm herself by taking deep breaths and only shedding the last, occasional, tear. She wiped her face with her sleeve and refused to look back to where Ron's body lay.

Harry, however, knew he would have to look. They still needed to get the Horcrux regardless. If Harry knew anything, it was that Ron would be extremely disappointed if he had died in vain. He had died so that they could continue with their task and, in the end, win.

Harry left Hermione, carefully extracting himself and crawling over to the body. Ron's eyes were open and staring straight at Harry. Harry felt nervous under their strong gaze. He reached over and slowly pressed the eyelids shut, hating himself all the while.

He looked down the body and saw the hand Hermione had been clutching so desperately. Instead of the gold galleon like Harry had suspected, it was clutched around a small, golden cup. He reached over slowly and carefully, almost fearfully, and hooked a finger around one of the golden handles and tugged it out of Ron's grasp.

He felt horrible as he pulled the cup away and the fingers reluctantly let go. He just wanted to get out of there and never think about it again, never see that house again, never hear the name Voldemort ever again.

He moved away from Ron's body and back to Hermione, who immediately clung to him once more like she was afraid he might leave her too. He let her do so and stared down at the cup in his hands.

The repayment. It was all greed, Harry thought. It wanted an exchange. For the Horcrux, it got a life, an unfair trade, but Voldemort is greedy.

Harry heard a sudden swish of a cloak and barely looked up as Kingsley Shacklebolt swept into the room. He took one look at Ron on the floor and Harry and Hermione off to the side.

"What happened?!" he asked pressingly.

Harry shook his head, unable to speak, pulled Hermione closer and a single tear fell onto his cheek, drizzling down and falling onto the grey, wooden floor of the Riddle House.


~~**~~

A/N: Sorry I slowed down again, but I was focusing on finishing at least one. This is now my new focus. Please review!