Horcrux Hunting By Various Folk

That summer ended up being very busy for Harry and Galahaut "Charles" Potter.

Voldemort was adopted legally, though under glamours that the Ministry wards couldn't cancel, by Harry Potter. Harry had now in writing ended the reign of the Dark Lord, as he was Lord Slytherin, as the Potters had the next closest claim to the Slytherin title as the Gaunts were biologically all dead. Voldemort wasn't needed anymore, and when the newly named Galahaut Potter recognized that fact, he broke. He and his father went and rounded up the most of rest of his horcruxes that summer. The Malfoys rotated household servants through the Dursley household with polyjuice for most of the summer, with "Potter" disappearing two weeks before the Weasleys would typically pick him up. They knew by Severus Snape though he was safe. Of course, knowing he had to do so and doing it was another thing altogether.

One such conversation was had in the office at Malfoy Manor.

"How does a healer help his patient, if the patient refuses to follow direction?"

"Who said that?" snapped a suddenly angry Dark Lord.

A deep breath, and his young father started stepping forward. "Young man, is there something I can help you with?"

"Apparently I need to absorb some of my horcruxes!"

"Do you know why?"

"So that I could be consistently sane!"

"Is that not something you want? To be able to think more clearly and outmaneuver Dumbledore?"

"Yes."

"Than we have to put you back together."

"But if I don't have any, I'll be killed. Too many people want me gone!"

"Which is why we won't get you to absorb all of them. Just one or two. We'll leave the rest if they're safe. Is there a soul piece of yours close by that's not me?"

"I am glad I hadn't made Nagini a horcrux yet. The diary is gone, so that was 1/2 gone. The ring has 1/4, and is in the Gaunt Shack. The Slytherin Locket has 1/8th, and is in a cave. Helga Hufflepuff's cup has 1/16 and is in a bank vault. The Ravenclaw Diadem is 1/32 of me, and is in Hogwarts. Closest would probably be in Hogwarts, though easiest is probably the cup in Bellatrix's vault."

"1/16th is still more of you than what you already hold. If you can get it, it would be great for your present health."

Galahaut gave a start.

"Oh, no. Oh, no," he started sobbing.

Harry sat beside his son on the arm of his chair, while rubbing his back. While his son was in his arms, he started humming. Sensing Galahaut tense, he said, "I'm your father. Let me help you with this."

"I've never been held by a parent before you."

"Now I am here. Let me, please?"

Seeing the man's face open in bewilderment and awe, Harry knew that he had just given Galahaut something precious. Murmuring "It's okay; I'm here" had a steady impact of causing the man to relax for a few minutes, at which point he started talking.

"I know what it's like. You want to trust me to touch you, but you don't because then there is the possibility of being stabbed in the back again. I know we've been fighting for most of our lives, but I promise never to stab you in the back or play on your emotions to kill you if you're willing to reciprocate."

"You're willing to do that?"

"You're not being a nuisance to have me say that."

"Right, thanks."

"You aren't a nuisance just because you have emotions."

"So what is the plan for seeing your godfather?"

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Severus Snape quickly obtained Ravenclaw's Diadem with the watchful eye of Lucius Malfoy and handed it to his lord. It was then that one downside to absorbing the horcruxi was found to be stronger than thought previously. The second, larger soul piece had tried to fight for control of the body, and after the ritual for their amalgamation was completed, Galahaut had migraines for a week while he assimilated two sets of memories.

The second horcrux found was not where they thought it would be. After finding out about Regulus's treachery through his note, Harry asked to keep the necklace. It ended up being a good thing, for when he arrived for his weekend with his godfather, Kreacher was willing to trade necklaces if Nasty Halfblood would promise to make the bad magic leave the original. He was ecstatic to hold something that his last real master had made. Nasty Halfblood (Harry) promised, and that piece to was absorbed and assimilated. With a reinforcing of his younger memories, Galahaut started remembering goals of back when he started Hogwarts.

With two pieces back, the former Dark Lord, now unofficial leader of the Dark faction, was steadier and it was noticeable to all who knew him. Also, he started looking more human, and he was starting to reintroduce himself to new hairstyles as his hair was starting to come back. His nose was there already. Galahaut decided to get everyone to call him Charles, as it was not a referral to his former identity. Of course, then he had to defend why he wasn't just called Junior.

Harry over the next year moved in with the Malfoys until he and his son could buy a house, and got into Bellatrix's vault using polyjuice and kidnapping and returning the kidnapped and got the Cup. The ring was still in location, and Galahaut was still looking at his old notes and trying to discern what exactly he did and how to undo it without killing his current body. He did put a protection on it against fiend fire, which ended up being a life piece saver.

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Albus Dumbledore, hunting down the horcruxi after deciphering just what Harry had killed in second year, found the ring. He tried to destroy it with fiend fire. It didn't harm it, so he put it on. However, he got the curse from the ring. He assumed that Lord Voldemort heavily protected it as it was a family heirloom that was magical and one of the three Hallows.

He called Snape for help. Snape, after looking at his hand, succeeded in cutting off the finger it rested on, but the curse wouldn't leave the hand, despite the finger dissolving messily once separated from the hand. However, Snape was able to delay it.

"Headmaster, you have about a year to live if I continue to delay it weekly."

"That short, Severus?"

"Yes, Albus."

"Then I want you to give that ring to Harry. It will give him comfort I hope."

"Comfort, Albus?"

"Indeed, as a gift from me? It will be a keepsake that will last a long time."

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Professor Snape pulled Harry aside one day.

"The Headmaster says to give you this. Don't tell anyone yet and don't let anyone see it."

Harry looked at it and forcefully opened his link to his son briefly. It was still hard to do without a large amount of stress. The feeling of relief from Galahaut when the professor stated that the curse is no longer on the ring relieved Harry. He wasn't thinking of the prophecy then, though it applied.

Draco, with Hermione's help, got the cupboard working. However, he was not needed to get the wand from Dumbledore. In fact, it probably surprised everyone but Snape, as he saw both sides.

(AN: There are some things that didn't change. Voldemort has raided Azkaban under the impression that there was still a chance that Harry could die and he would have to fight Dumbledore. That is the reason for Draco fixing a certain cabinet.)