The group sat in the Gryffindor common room while Harry chugged his vial of Liquid Luck.
"Well, how do you feel?" Hermione asked him once he had put the vial down on the table.
"Excellent. Really excellent," Harry had a large smile on his face as he suddenly lifted Riley into the sky and twirled her.
Her heart beat fast as she stared down into the green eyes of her lover.
The white skirt she was wearing flew. She was also wearing a blue and white checkered sweater.
"WHEEEE!" Riley screamed as Harry kissed her cheeks.
"Remember, Slughorn usually leaves early, takes a walk, and then returns to his office," Hermione reminded him as he put Riley down.
Both of their faces were flushed from excitement.
"Right. I'm going down to Hagrid's," Harry said confidently as he gave Riley a quick kiss on the lips and made his way outside.
"What? He's acting like he's drunk," Hazel looked confused as the chosen one had a wide grin plastered.
"I like drunk Harry," Riley smiled mischievously at her boyfriend.
"I like you too boop," Harry poked her nose making her giggle.
"What? No, Harry, you've got to go to speak to Slughorn. We have a plan," Hermione demanded.
"I know, but I've got a really good feeling about Hagrid's. I feel it's-it's the place to be tonight. Do you know what I mean?" Harry looked at his friends.
"No," Hermione and Ron said in unison.
"Well, trust me. I know what I'm doing. Or Felix does," Harry replied as Riley snorted at his strange behavior.
He walked up to Riley and cupped her face and kissed her one more time
"Sorry I can't help it, you just look so pretty in that sweater," he spoke in a hushed whisper before exiting the room.
Riley's cheeks were coated with a pink tint at his sweet words.
"Hi!" he said happily to Ginny and Dean who just came into the common room.
"Is he okay?" Ginny asked.
"Nope, he's acting like he's high," Riley laughed.
Harry went down to the greenhouse because he also had a good feeling about that place as well.
"Merlin's beard, Harry!" Professor Slughorn looked exasperated as he entered the greenhouse surprised by Harry's appearance.
"Sorry, sir. I should've announced myself. Clear my throat. Coughed. You probably thought I was Professor Sprout?" the boy who lived said quickly.
"Definitely. What makes you think?" Slughorn asked while picking a spiky-looking leaf from a bush.
"Ah well, just your general behavior, sir. Just sneaking around, jumping when you saw me. Are those tentacular leaves, sir?" Harry nodded to the spiky leaf in Slughorn's palm.
"Yes," the older man admitted.
"They're very valuable, aren't they?" Harry questioned.
"Ten galleons a leaf to the right buyer. Not that I'm familiar with any such back-alley transactions but one does hear rumors. My only interests are purely academic," Slughorn said honestly.
"I mean, personally, these plants always kinda freak me out," Harry laughed.
"Exactly how did you get out of the castle, Harry?" the potions professor took a closer look at Harry.
"Through the front door, sir. I'm off to Hagrid's, you see. He's a very dear friend and I just fancy paying him a visit. So if you don't mind, I will be going now," Harry spoke as he swiftly left the greenhouse.
"Harry!" Slughorn called.
"Sir?" the boy who lived paused.
"It's nearly nightfall. Surely, you realize I can't allow you to go roaming the grounds by yourself," Slughorn replied firmly as he looked at the sky which was bright orange and pink color.
"Well then, by all means, come along, sir," Harry smiled.
"Harry, I must insist you accompany me back to the castle immediately!" Slughorn tried to be intimidating but Harry ignored him.
"That would be counterproductive, sir," Harry responded quickly.
"And what makes you say that?" Slughorn questioned.
"No idea," Harry said as he ran outside of the greenhouse over to Hagrid's hut.
"Wait up!" Slughorn ordered.
Once the two arrived at Hagrid's hut there was a large dead spider in front of it. Hagrid stood in front of it wiping large tears from his eyes.
"Horace," Hagrid croaked as Slughorn looked at the spider with an astonished look.
"Merlin's beard! Is that an actual Acromantula?" the potions professor asked.
"A dead one, I think, sir," Harry tried to hide his smile.
"Good God. Dear fellow, however, did you manage to kill it?" Slughorn looked at Hagrid.
"Kill it? My oldest friend, he was," Hagrid gasped as he looked glum.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Slughorn tried to apologize.
"Ah, don't worry yourself. You're not alone. Seriously misunderstood creatures, spiders are. The eyes I reckon, they unnerve some folk," the half-giant sobbed.
"Not to mention the pincers," Harry clicked his tongue while using his fingers to demonstrate the pincers.
"Yeah, I reckon that too," Hagrid sniffled.
"Hagrid... The last thing I wish to be is indelicate but Acromantula venom is uncommonly rare. Would you allow me to extract a vial or two, purely for academic purposes, you understand?" Slughorn asked as he took out two empty vials.
"Well I don't suppose it's gonna do him much good now is it," Hagrid sobbed. His beard had fresh tear droplets in it.
Slughorn crouched under the beast and once he was done collecting his samples, the formerly empty vials were now full of a purplish liquid.
"My thoughts exactly. I have an ampoule or two about my person for just such occasions as this. Old... Potion master's habit, you know?" Slughorn stood up beside Hagrid.
"I wish you could have seen him with his prime. Magnificent, he was. Just magnificent," Hagrid said.
"Would you like me to say a few words?" Slughorn asked the half-giant who nodded.
"Would you like me to say a few words?" the potions professor questioned.
"Oh, yeah," Harry said brightly.
"Farewell...uh what was his name?" Slughorn looked at Hagrid.
"Aragog, his name was Aragog," Hagrid cried.
"Farewell, Aragog. King of the arachnids. Your body will decay... but your spirit lingers on and your human friends find solace, the loss they have sustained," Slughorn said as Hagrid continued to cry.
"Come, let's go inside. A beer might soften you up," Slughorn spoke as Hagrid nodded and they all went inside of his hut.
After multiple beers, Slughorn and Hagrid were drunkenly singing some song while Harry watched them with amusement.
" I had him from an egg, you know? Tiny little thing he was when he hatched. No bigger than a Pekingese. A Pekingese, mind you," Hagrid told the potions professor.
"How sweet! I once had a fish. Francis. He was very dear to me. One afternoon, I came downstairs and... it vanished. Poof," Slughorn made a movement with his hands to resemble an explosion.
"That's very odd, isn't it?" Hagrid frowned.
" It is, isn't it? But that's life! I suppose, you--you go along with and suddenly... poof," Slughorn said.
"Poof," Hagrid nodded.
"Poof," Harry agreed as Hagrid passed out. Gentle snores came from him.
"It was a student who gave me Francis. One spring afternoon, I discovered the bowl on my desk... With just a few inches of clear water in it... And floating on the surface was a flower petal. As I watched, it sank. But just before it reached the bottom, it transformed into a wee fish. It was beautiful magic. Wondrous to behold. The flower petal had come from a lily," Slughorn told Harry.
"Your mother. The day I came downstairs, the day the bowl was empty. That's the day your mother... I know why you're here. But I can't help you. It would ruin me," the old man looked sad.
"Do you know why I survived, Professor? The night I got this? Because of her, because she sacrificed herself... Because she refused to step aside. Because her love was more powerful than Voldemort," Harry glanced at the professor who cowered.
"Don't say his name," Slughorn said.
" I'm not afraid of the name, Professor. I'm going to tell you something. Something others have only guessed at. It's true. I am the Chosen One. Only I can destroy him, but in order to do so, I need to know what Tom Riddle asked you all those years ago in your office and I need to know what you told him. Be brave, Professor. Be brave like my mother. Otherwise, you disgrace her. Otherwise, she died for nothing. Otherwise, the bowl will remain empty forever," Harry explained.
Slughorn sighed and then got out his wand and a vial. She used his wand to take out a white string from his head and he placed it in the vial.
"Please, don't think badly of me when you see it. I had no idea what he was like, even then," Slughorn spoke as he took a swig of beer.
....
"He's been going to Dumbledore's office a lot recently hasn't he?" Riley told Hazel as they sat in the Gryffindor common room by the warmth of the fireplace.
"I mean he's the chosen one, Riles, he has a lot going on in life," Hazel reassured.
"Yeah but he seems so autopilot sometimes and I don't know stressed," Riley complained.
"That's life for you, honey and I mean he is the chosen one, he has a lot of shit going on in his life," Hazel kissed her friend's cheek and then yawned.
"It's pretty late why don't you get some sleep," Riley looked at the brown-skinned girl who had put her head in the blonde's lap.
"Aren't you waiting for Harry though? I can stay with you since there's no one else in the common room," Hazel argued.
"I'll be okay, get some sleep you look dead, Lockwood," Riley shoved Hazel off of her making her friend yelp.
"Going by last names now, huh Madden, what are you Draco Malfoy?" Hazel ruffled the blonde's head and then proceeded up the girl's dorms.
"Night, my love," Riley called.
"Night, Riles," Hazel called back and then disappeared.
Harry stumbled into the Gryffindor common room with a dazed expression on his face. He looked at Riley who was startled by his loud entrance.
"Riley!" he looked like an excited child as he ran up to her and lifted her up in the air.
Riley giggled even though she was still worried about his mental health.
"Haz, put me down!" she yelled as she pounded her fists onto his back.
"Alright alright," he plopped her on the floor.
"Have you had a good day, Haz?" Riley asked her boyfriend.
"Yeah! I've had an amazing day this liquid luck is brilliant!" Harry said brightly.
"Harry I've noticed you've been a little stressed recently are you okay?" Riley put her hand over Harry's arm gently.
"I'm alright-" Harry was interrupted.
"Sweetie I know that you're fine right now but you always seem so autopilot," Riley put her hand on his cheek and stroked it lightly.
"Riley, I can handle this stuff, I promise angel," Harry told her and kissed her on the forehead.
She hummed thoughtfully for a moment as she shut her eyes and felt the warmth of his lips.
"Thank you for being concerned though, it means a lot," her boyfriend brought his lips to hers.
Lightning bolts rushed through her entire body as he pulled her in closer and onto his lap.
His hands went under her shirt onto her exposed skin giving Riley chills.
"We're seriously gonna do this here," Riley asked as Harry kissed her neck.
"I don't believe I see anyone," Harry smirked as his hands continued to roam around her bare skin.
"Fine but just so you know when this little potion wears off I'm in charge," Riley growled.
....
The next day Harry marched over to Dumbledore's office without a word, dumped the vial into the blue bowl, and put his head in it.
His surroundings changed to Slughorn's dinner party. It was just Tom and Slughorn together.
"I was in the library the other day. In the restricted section... and I read something rather odd about this rare magic. It's called, as I understand it, a Horcrux," Tom recalled.
"I beg your pardon?" Slughorn's eyes went wide.
"Horcrux. I came across the term while reading... and I didn't fully understand it," the dark-haired boy looked at the older man.
"I'm not sure what you were reading, Tom, but this is very dark stuff. Very dark, indeed," the potions professor said.
"Which is... why I came to you," Tom told the professor who sighed.
"A Horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul," Slughorn explained.
"But I don't understand how that works, sir," Tom's face was written with confusion.
"One splits one's soul and hides part of it in an object. By doing so, you are protected, should you be attacked and your body destroyed," Slughorn replied.
"Protected?" the dark-haired boy looked at the older man.
"That part of your soul which is hidden lives on. In other words, you cannot die," the potions professor explained.
"And how does one splits his soul, sir?" Tom was deep in thought.
"I think you already know the answer to that, Tom," Slughorn shuddered.
"Murder," Tom admitted.
"Yes, killing rips the soul apart and it is a violation against nature," Slughorn looked disgusted about this subject.
"Can you only split the soul once? For instance, isn't seven—" Tom was interrupted.
"Seven? Merlin's beard, Tom! Isn't it bad enough to consider killing one person? To rip the soul in seven pieces! This is all hypothetical, isn't it, Tom? All academic?" Slughorn was concerned as he looked at his student.
"Of course, sir. It'll be our little secret," Tom smiled as the memory slowly faded away.
Harry brought his head out of the bowl where Dumbledore stood above him.
"Sir?" Harry questioned as Dumbledore had an unreadable expression.
"This is beyond anything I imagined," the old man mumbled.
"Do you mean, sir, he succeeded, sir? In making a Horcrux?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes, he succeeded, alright. And not just once," the Headmaster stated.
"What are they exactly?" the boy who lived looked at Dumbledore.
"It could be anything. Most common place of objects. A ring, for example, or a book," Dumbledore answered.
"Tom Riddle's diary," Harry recalled the chamber of secrets and his adventure in his second year.
"It's a Horcrux, yes. Four years ago when you saved Ginny Weasley's life in the Chamber of Secrets, you brought me this. I knew then, this was a different kind of magic. Very dark, very powerful. But until tonight, I had no idea just how powerful," Dumbledore trailed off.
"And the ring?" Harry remembered Tom fumbling with a dark-colored ring constantly in the memories.
"Belonged to Voldemort's mother. Difficult to find. Even more difficult to destroy.," Dumbledore said resulting in Harry humming as a way that he heard.
"But if you could find them all if you did destroy each Horcrux-" Harry started.
"One destroys Voldemort," Dumbledore finished.
"How would you find them? They could be hidden anywhere, couldn't they?" the chosen one asked.
"True, but magic, especially dark magic... leaves traces," Dumbledore put his finger in the air.
"It's where you've been going, isn't it, sir? When you leave the school," Harry put the two together.
"Yes, and I think perhaps, I may have found another. But this time, I cannot hope to destroy it alone. Once again, I must ask too much of you, Harry,"
....
That was Chapter 34! I'm tired. I hope you all have a great day though.
xx Asiya