Azkaban - 20

"Did you find it?" Hermione asked, squeezing Ron's hand.

Harry dug his hand into his pocket and removed the heavy gold locket that hung on a chain. "Got it," he said without opening his eyes. He pulled himself into a seated position next to Ginny and laid his head back against the headboard.

They all stared silently at the Horcrux for a moment while listening to the sound of each other's breathing.

"After we found it, we had to put up with Percy," Ron said, finally continuing the story. "He brought all these extra forms and questionnaires for us to fill out. He made us each fill out one even though Harry was the only one who took anything. Tonks was right hacked off about that."

"Tonks? What's wrong with her? She did seem rather put out downstairs," Ginny said.

"Once she saw the locket – Percy insisted we had to declare what we took – she got really upset. She thought Harry nearly got himself killed only to get a present for you," Ron said, sniggering at Ginny although the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"So, now we have to figure out how to destroy it," Ginny said, ignoring Ron's jibes.

"Yeah. I suppose that's the next step," Ron said, shrugging.

"I found a Translation Charm while I was researching. I tried it on the Romanian book, but it wouldn't work on the section on Horcruxes. It's as if that part of the book didn't even exist," Hermione said, her frustration obvious. "It's ridiculous. The only word I've been able to decipher is object, and that doesn't help. It's repeated several times, so I assume it's referring to the object used to make a Horcrux."

"I wish we could ask Professor Dumbledore," Ron said glumly. "It would make this so much easier."

"Perhaps we can," Harry said, his eyes only half open. "His portrait is in McGonagall's office at Hogwarts. I saw it there."

Hermione shook her head. "It will depend on when the portrait was commissioned. If it was before Professor Dumbledore suspected Voldemort had made Horcruxes, the portrait will know nothing about them."

"Didn't you say Professor Dumbledore didn't know about them until you got that memory from Slughorn, Harry?" Ginny asked in alarm. "That would mean the portrait would have had to have been done within the last few months of school."

"No," Harry said wearily. "Dumbledore suspected the Horcruxes existed since I brought him the diary – maybe even before that. He just didn't know how many."

"He would have had to have known there were more, right? I mean, Voldemort came back after the diary was found, and he went after the ring himself before you got that memory," said Hermione.

Ginny felt Harry stiffen and she looked over at him, finding his eyes wide. "Dumbledore did go after that Horcrux long before we got that memory from Slughorn," Harry said. "I'd forgotten that. So, he knew there was more than one, maybe he even knew I was one."

"He suspected there was more than one, Harry. You said so yourself. Slughorn's memory only confirmed the number," Hermione said.

"He must have known," Harry said, looking dazed. "He just didn't tell me."

"Harry, if it was something he only suspected, why would he have told you?" Hermione asked reasonably. "He must have known it would only upset you, and he obviously cared about you very much. If he knew at all, he probably wanted to be certain before he mentioned it. You believe that he hadn't known Snape was going to betray him that night."