Chapter 23: Retrieving The Horcrux

One minute after Hermione’s curse, things seemed to become visible once again. Harry felt calmer and he could see that the others were calm too. Everyone but Ron. He was still looking furious. He raised his wand and pointed at Hermione, he shouted, ‘Crusio’

Hermione screamed. She was floating in midair, howling with pain. Hagrid pushed Ron and made him fall. His wand fell. Ron got up and started fighting with his hands.

Harry asked Hagrid, ‘What happened to him?’

Hagrid said, ‘It’s the effect of this place. Has he been close to or attacked by something evil lately?’

‘Well yes, Voldemort attacked him.’

‘sure than, the corazio spell has no effect on him.’

Meanwhile, Hermione said, ‘Oh! Stop chit-chatting and look for the Horcrux. The spell only works for five minutes.’

‘But where could it be?’ asked Harry.

‘Under the monolith, off course. All evil things are hidden under the Devil’s commandments.’ She said. She couldn’t still move because of the pain and this was the major drawback. Harry didn’t know what to do.

‘But how on earth are we supposed to get to it?’ he asked.

‘We can’t’ said Hagrid. ‘only something evil can do that.’ It was really hard for Hagrid to talk because Ron was constantly hitting him.

‘there’s one option’ said Harry, ‘Ron is right now under the effect of something evil, so we can ask him to get the monolith removed.’

‘Yeah that’s likely’ said Hermione.

Ron had found his wand and he was picking it. ‘Hagrid, move’ said Harry. He took out his own wand and shouted at Ron, ‘hey, redhead, come and fight me’

Ron looked furious. He pointed his wand at Harry and shouted, ‘Avda KeDavra’

Harry ran at the right moment, avoiding the curse by inches. The curse then hit the monolith. The monolith broke into two pieces and fell. Hermione just in time did the body binding curse on Ron. Harry went close to the hole that was now created where the monolith stood a few minutes ago. There were a lot of things there. Books, trophies, etc. Harry knew that these were to confuse anyone who comes here. He knew that touching the wrong object would mean a painful death. But he knew what he needed. Hufflepuff’s cup was kept in one corner of the mound of objects. He took his wand, pointed it at the cup and said, wingardiun leviosa, it flew in the air. He held it in his hand. His scar burned like fire. But he did not loose the grip. The didn’t have time. The sense of anger was starting in him again. As fast as possible they went out of the circle. Hagrid was carrying Ron on his shoulders. As soon as they left the circle, the monolith was intact again and everyone was calmer, even Ron.

Chapter Twenty Two: The Third Secret: The Devil’s Commandments

Harry didn’t know weather to take Hagrid’s help or not. He did not want to tell anyone what he was up to. But he decided that he will take his help. After all, there were no chance that they would find the monolith without his help. As they went to Hagrid, he said, ‘Now wait a minute, what for do you want to go to the forests now? It’s dangerous out there.’

‘But Hagrid, we need to find something. We know it’s there. In the forest.’

‘What’s in there?’ he asked.

‘Hagrid,’ said Hermione, ‘Dumbledore left us a task. Now Voldemort had left some things hidden in different places. These things are important to him. We don’t know what they are, they could be a weapon he had saved for later or something that he values… we don’t know what they are. But Dumbledore told us that we need to destroy it before we can destroy Voldemort. So you see –‘

But Hermione stopped. Hagrid was looking horrified. ‘Horcrux’ he said. ‘you people have been looking for horcrux. And I know that you know what they are… where is it? Where is it in the forest?’

‘there is a barren area in the forest where there is a monolith. It’s – ‘ said Ron but Hagrid cut him midway.

‘The devil’s circle’ he said, ‘I know that place. The scariest place I’ve ever seen. Apart from Azkaban. You folks are not going anywhere. I will go there with professor McGonagall and Flitwick, you thre–

Harry interrupted, ‘NO HAGRID, it’s my fight, my battle. I have to do it. And Ron and Hermione are in it with me. I know they won’t back out either’

‘But it’s a horcrux you are dealing with Harry, you have no idea’ he said.

‘Hagrid, after destroying two of them if you feel we have no idea, then I don’t know what you –‘

What do you mean?’ Hagrid said. ‘destroyed two? How many are there?’

‘Six’ said Ron. And at this Hagrid looked absolutely stunned. Harry had never seen Hagrid look so horrified.

Hermione said, ‘But four of them have already been destroyed.’ And they told him about all the other horcruxes. As soon as they finished, Hagrid said, ‘let’s go then’ and they were off to the forbidden forests.

The had been walking for hours and hours without reaching anywhere. Harry could sense that it was night by now. They were so deep in the forest that there was no natural light. This was place Harry had never seen. There were magical creatures that he never knew about. There was big black curtain like thing hanging from a tree. Harry thought it was a cloak of someone, some student of Hogwarts perhaps but was frightened to death when he went closer and saw that it had eyes.
‘There’re Dropes, magical creatures you’ll not find anywhere but this forests.’ Hermione said. Harry was a bit fed up of Hermione as she showed so much interest in seeing these creatures. She made them all stop for half an hour when she sat chatting with a cat with three heads of which one head spoke intellectual stuff, the other said rubbish and the third said nothing at all. Later she told them that “Porgota” (that’s what the 3-headed cat liked herself to be called) had seen the whole world and was five hundred year old. She had now come to the forbidden forest to make it her final resting place, after all, she was about to die in just hundred years.

“Hundred years, and that mental cat thinks she has no time left? Well look at us. With you-know-who after us, it would be a miracle if we could live for another year’ said Ron.

Twelve hours had passed since they had left. And now the density of trees was decreasing. Hagrid said that they were about to reach the Devil’s Commandments.

‘Hagrid, why do they call it the devil’s commandments? I mean strange name for a place.’ Asked Ron.

‘well’ he replied, ‘it’s no ordinary monolith there. that monolith contains powers of turning pure hearts into evil.’

‘But then, how are we supposed to save ourselves?’ said Hermione.

‘just a moment.’ said Hagrid.

They had finally reached the barren land. It was like a crop circle, with a monolith at it’s centre. The monolith had things written on it. Some symbols. Harry felt a sudden surge of hatred in him. He felt like hitting Hagrid. He had even raised his had when Hagrid pointed his umbrella at the monolith and shouted, ‘CORAZIO’

But nothing happened. Then, Hermione pointed her wand and shouted ‘The DEVIL’S COMMANDMENTS, CORAZIO’

And everything went white. As if they were in between two parallel worlds.

Chapter Twenty Two: The Third Secret: The Devil’s Commandments

Harry didn’t know weather to take Hagrid’s help or not. He did not want to tell anyone what he was up to. But he decided that he will take his help. After all, there were no chance that they would find the monolith without his help. As they went to Hagrid, he said, ‘Now wait a minute, what for do you want to go to the forests now? It’s dangerous out there.’

‘But Hagrid, we need to find something. We know it’s there. In the forest.’

‘What’s in there?’ he asked.

‘Hagrid,’ said Hermione, ‘Dumbledore left us a task. Now Voldemort had left some things hidden in different places. These things are important to him. We don’t know what they are, they could be a weapon he had saved for later or something that he values… we don’t know what they are. But Dumbledore told us that we need to destroy it before we can destroy Voldemort. So you see –‘

But Hermione stopped. Hagrid was looking horrified. ‘Horcrux’ he said. ‘you people have been looking for horcrux. And I know that you know what they are… where is it? Where is it in the forest?’

‘there is a barren area in the forest where there is a monolith. It’s – ‘ said Ron but Hagrid cut him midway.

‘The devil’s circle’ he said, ‘I know that place. The scariest place I’ve ever seen. Apart from Azkaban. You folks are not going anywhere. I will go there with professor McGonagall and Flitwick, you thre–

Harry interrupted, ‘NO HAGRID, it’s my fight, my battle. I have to do it. And Ron and Hermione are in it with me. I know they won’t back out either’

‘But it’s a horcrux you are dealing with Harry, you have no idea’ he said.

‘Hagrid, after destroying two of them if you feel we have no idea, then I don’t know what you –‘

What do you mean?’ Hagrid said. ‘destroyed two? How many are there?’

‘Six’ said Ron. And at this Hagrid looked absolutely stunned. Harry had never seen Hagrid look so horrified.

Hermione said, ‘But four of them have already been destroyed.’ And they told him about all the other horcruxes. As soon as they finished, Hagrid said, ‘let’s go then’ and they were off to the forbidden forests.

The had been walking for hours and hours without reaching anywhere. Harry could sense that it was night by now. They were so deep in the forest that there was no natural light. This was place Harry had never seen. There were magical creatures that he never knew about. There was big black curtain like thing hanging from a tree. Harry thought it was a cloak of someone, some student of Hogwarts perhaps but was frightened to death when he went closer and saw that it had eyes.
‘There’re Dropes, magical creatures you’ll not find anywhere but this forests.’ Hermione said. Harry was a bit fed up of Hermione as she showed so much interest in seeing these creatures. She made them all stop for half an hour when she sat chatting with a cat with three heads of which one head spoke intellectual stuff, the other said rubbish and the third said nothing at all. Later she told them that “Porgota” (that’s what the 3-headed cat liked herself to be called) had seen the whole world and was five hundred year old. She had now come to the forbidden forest to make it her final resting place, after all, she was about to die in just hundred years.

“Hundred years, and that mental cat thinks she has no time left? Well look at us. With you-know-who after us, it would be a miracle if we could live for another year’ said Ron.

Twelve hours had passed since they had left. And now the density of trees was decreasing. Hagrid said that they were about to reach the Devil’s Commandments.

‘Hagrid, why do they call it the devil’s commandments? I mean strange name for a place.’ Asked Ron.

‘well’ he replied, ‘it’s no ordinary monolith there. that monolith contains powers of turning pure hearts into evil.’

‘But then, how are we supposed to save ourselves?’ said Hermione.

‘just a moment.’ said Hagrid.

They had finally reached the barren land. It was like a crop circle, with a monolith at it’s centre. The monolith had things written on it. Some symbols. Harry felt a sudden surge of hatred in him. He felt like hitting Hagrid. He had even raised his had when Hagrid pointed his umbrella at the monolith and shouted, ‘CORAZIO’

But nothing happened. Then, Hermione pointed her wand and shouted ‘The DEVIL’S COMMANDMENTS, CORAZIO’

And everything went white. As if they were in between two parallel worlds.