The Locket

Warning: Crude language! Mild sexual situation!

...

Harry placed Slytherin's locket on a log not too far from the wards. He turned to look at Hermione who was anxious for the locket to be destroyed. With the Sword of Gryffindor in his hand, he held it out for Hermione.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Do you want to be the one to destroy the Horcrux?" he offered.

"What?! Me? Don't be ridiculous, Harry. You were the one who got the Sword. You should be the one to do it."

"Come on, it's the least I could do after I gave you such a fright."

"No. Harry, you do it."

"Hermione..."

"No! You have to be the one to do it, Harry. It's your mission, after all."

"It's our mission, Hermione. We're in this together, remember? We shouldn't do one thing all by ourselves. We agreed on teamwork, Hermione."

"But... what if I can't do it?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I knew you couldn't do it. I believe in you, 'Mione. You can do it."

Hermione nodded hesitantly and with shaking hands, took the Sword of Gryffindor from Harry's grasp. She held the hilt tightly with both hands. Harry approached the locket.

"Are you ready, Hermione? I'm going to open it now."

Hermione nodded hesitantly once again. She readied herself. As soon as Harry saw this, he turned to the locket.

"Open!" he hissed in Parseltongue.

Unfortunately, both were standing rather close to the locket and didn't expect the backlash upon it's opening. Harry and Hermione were blown away by a huge gust of wind. Harry, who was rather unfortunate, hit his head on a rock but managed to stay barely conscious. Hermione landed on a pile of leaves, still holding on to the Sword with one hand. A black cloud was emitted from the locket and swirled around the air above it. Wind gusts continued to spiral all around them.

As the locket was faced towards Hermione who held the Sword of Gryffindor, an eerie and cold voice hissed, "I have seen your heart, Hermione Granger, and it is mine."

Harry's figure appeared from the Horcrux and sneered at her. He looked pale in his ethereal form and was much more like Voldemort himself. "Hermione Granger. Oh, how I loathe you. You are a pathetic, useless little mudblood. I don't even know why I stuck around with you. How could I, the Chosen One, the Boy-Who Lived, stick around an ugly, bushy-haired, bucktoothed little mudblood like you?"

Hermione's eyes began to sting at the words as she struggled to stand. "H-Harry? What are you saying?"

Locket-Harry sneered again. "Don't play dumb, mudblood. We both know you are anything but that. I'm actually surprised you haven't noticed it yet."

"H-Harry... I don't understand."

"You are pathetic! I only hung around you for your my grades. You are nothing to me, mudblood. You're nothing but a mousy bookworm to me. How could anyone love you? I don't even understand how Ron could even like a pathetic mudblood such as yourself."

"No... Harry, y-you don't mean t-that. You don't mean that!" By this point, tears were freely streaming down Hermione's face.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the locket, Harry struggled to stay conscious. He heard his voice coming from the locket, tormenting Hermione. 'No! Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep! Hermione needs you!' Harry thought. He frantically searched for his wand. 'Where is the damn thing?! I can't stay awake for much longer. Hold on, Hermione!' Harry managed to steady himself using his hands and knees.

Hermione looked on helplessly at Harry's figure from the locket. The words felt like the Cruciatus curse performed repeatedly on her heart. "H-Harry, don't say those things. Please, stop."

Locket-Harry gave a humorless laugh. "And why should I? They're the truth, after all. You should be ashamed of yourself. Have you ever wondered why Harry Potter of all people hang out with you? You make my life miserable every time you're around. Malfoy wouldn't leave me alone, you're always fighting with my best mate, ultimately, with him leaving me with you. Ugh. You're disgusting, mudblood! If only I had went with Ron then I wouldn't be so miserable. Instead, I had to play nice to a little mudblood. We're going to die here, after all. I figured I'd do you a favor if only you'd spread open your legs out for me. Doesn't that sound nice, mudblood? Does the thought of Harry Potter shagging you breathless tickle your fancy? I've always wondered if there was any truth in the saying: Bookworms like it best. Merlin, I'm getting aroused over a mudblood!" He laughed once again.

"No! Stop it! Harry would never do that to me!"

The real Harry, however, found a little more energy and decided to put it to good use. "Her-Hermione!" he called out weakly but Hermione barely heard him over Locket-Harry's laugh.

"Come on, mudblood. Don't deny it. Your knickers are wet, aren't they? Your body's getting hot by the thought of being shagged by the Chosen One. How about it, mudblood? I'm doing a favor for both of us. I get some pussy and you get to have your virginity taken before you die. After all, no one would want to shag a mudblood like you. So why don't you be a good mudblood and spread open those legs for me."

The real Harry decided enough was enough. Even though his head was pounding with blood running freely down his temple and his energy was at an all-time low, he shouted over the top of his lungs, "'MIONE! IT'S NOT REAL! I'D NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT YOU! DON'T LISTEN TO IT! STAB IT NOW!" And with that, he passed out.

Harry's voice calling her by her nickname seemed to have snapped something within her. She saw Harry's unconscious form laying prostate on the ground not far from her. She glared at the Locket-Harry who was licking his lips and visually undressing her. A shudder went through her but she managed to suppress it lest Locket-Harry sees it and torments her again. She stood up and gripped the Sword of Gryffindor with both hands.

Locket-Harry laughed once again. "He will come to notice you're nothing but a mudblood. You're just a nuisance to him. He's better off without you. Then again, he's as good as dead whether you're with him or not. And it's going to be your fault. You and I both know it, mudblood. There's no certainty whether he'll survive or not. But we both know he'll die. The prophecy said so. And you can't do anything about it. So you better say your goodbyes early, mudblood. Harry Potter will die!"

"NO!!!" Hermione screamed in rage and charged at the locket, bringing down the Sword in one swift move.

The locket gave an unearthly scream which was mixed with Hermione's scream of agony. At once, the winds ceased and the black cloud disappeared. The locket remained, destroyed. But none of it mattered to Hermione. She dropped the Sword of Gryffindor and ran towards the unconscious form of Harry. Blood was streaming freely from his temple and his glasses were shattered.

"H-Harry! Oh, Harry. Merlin, what happened to you?" Hermione cried as she hugged his body to her chest.

She began to sob.

'He won't die. Please, Merlin, don't let him die. I don't know what to do without him. I... I've fallen in love him!'