The Lost Horcrux

Two Birds With One Stone

Disclaimers: Dark themes, police state ideas, mention of spousal abuse (including rape) on and off-screen, death of minor characters, graphic imagery and violence, frank sex discussion, copious bad language, villainising the Weasleys and Dumbledore, liberties taken with mythical history and the HP real-life timeline.

***

Harry threw up his umbrella against the rain and walked through the large quad just outside the Sheldonian Theatre, as he moved briskly through the falling twilight of the city. He stopped a moment to admire the vista. The lights of Oxford blinked though the drizzly haze of the evening, a thousand splendid spires at this seat of Muggle learning power.

And Harry allowed himself a moment to think.

And the only thing he could think about was his son. It sent him wildly euphoric just to entertain the idea. He couldn't hold the notion at all steady in his mind for more than a few seconds, before it threatened to drive him to distraction. A son, a little boy ... suggested by his father, confirmed and fleshed out by Celesca, who had all but made herself Harry's daughter-in-law of her own volition.

Harry didn't think this was such a bad development, actually. It might have put a pause on Hermione's kidnap plans for the adorable little Seer, several of which had reached a significantly advanced stage of progress by now. Harry chuckled to himself as he thought of that. Poor Hermione ... what a conflict it must be for her! Kidnap Celesca and make her their daughter on the one hand, versus denying their unborn son the wife of his dreams on the other.

Even if little Celesca did say so herself!

Harry continued to chortle to himself as the rains came down a little harder. He pulled his jacket tight and moved off again, his thoughts firmly fixed on his future family. A son, two daughters, maybe a black and white kneazle kitten called Mimi ... all with the love of his life by his side at they sat proudly at the head of it ... it was picture postcard perfect.

And it seemed a small thing just then, to burn down the whole world just to make it happen.

And tonight was when Harry would begin to truly light the touch-paper.

He'd been out here for three days. He missed Hermione terribly, but he'd left her in charge of everything back home and there was so much to do. He had no interest in taking a curse, so he was in a shoot-on-sight sort of mode. But, so far, he'd not come across much danger. Which concerned him. It meant the enemy were up to something, plotting and scheming in the quiet. It was too quiet, Harry didn't like that.

For Tom Riddle was a loud, showy bell-end. If he'd gone quiet, it meant something particularly loud and showy was on the horizon.

So Harry and Hermione were going to strike first. And second, throw a little spanner into Tom Riddle's best workings. For their plan was two-pronged. The first part involved this little jaunt to Oxford. Harry had set up a clandestine meeting with two of his insiders and he hoped they'd come through for him. There were no guarantees these days. The Death Eaters had clamped down hard in recent weeks.

They'd publicly executed Jimmy Peakes just a few days ago, which Harry had been gutted to learn about. He'd always been a reliable wizard, tough and gnarly, a wizard who preferred blunt-force trauma to Harry's delicate subtlety, but he was a worldly sort. To lose him was a blow, but Harry knew he'd had a death wish since the demise of his close mate, Ernie MacMillan. Jimmy had never forgiven himself, for not being there the night Malfoy had butchered MacMillan, and it was only a matter of time before he martyred himself for the cause.

At least he'd sonorus-charmed his voice and shouted 'Harry Potter Will Avenge Me!', while he was being incinerated at the Diagon Alley Burning Stake ... even the state-manipulated Daily Prophet couldn't cover that one up.