Closure

Sirus nodded his head towards Maxima, "Listen to her. Follow her-"

Maxima cut in with a sharp but soft, "Sirius, no. I think..." she paused and pressed her lips together, "You should sit down. Kreacher, I would appreciate it if you sit down as well."

Kreacher mouth moved soundlessly and Maxima looked up to see everyone staring at her with various expressions. Maxima looked toward Kreacher, "Kreacher," Maxima said kindly, "I know what happened in that cave. Both of the times."

Kreacher stopped his silent muttering, looked up at the girl, and ran straight towards the wall. Maxima had expected that so she grabbed him and made sure he couldn't hit himself. "Sirius!" Maxima shouted, "Stop him! Please!" She was sure she sounded desperate but she couldn't help it.

Professor Dumbledore made an aborted movement from where sat which Maxima is sure only she saw it. Sirius looked he had never seen Kreacher, "SIRIUS!" Harry shouted. Sirius blinked before ordering Kreacher to not hurt or punish himself.

"Kreacher," Maxima spoke softly, "We only want to help fulfil his last wish. But we can't do that unless you help us."

Maxima brought out a locket and opened it. She looked at it before looking at Sirius and Kreacher. She sighed and read it, "To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. -R.A.B"

Silence. Kreacher had started rocking himself back and forth. Maxima folded the parchment, brought forward Sirius's hand, place said parchment in it and closed his fingers around it. Maxima turned to Kreacher who had slowed down, she took the locket and kept it in front of him, "It's yours to keep."

Kreacher tentatively reached for the locket as if expecting Sirius to shout. Maxima sat patiently waiting. She knew it was pointless to go there, to go through the pain, to be so canon-like. But she had to because if she didn't Kreacher could betray them in the future and always remain bitter. Sirius would never truly know the truth about his brother. Kreacher wore the locket around in his neck and immediately started crying again. Maxima pressed her lips together out of nervousness. Was she over-doing it? Kreacher slowly stopped and seemed to be hiccoughing.

"Mi-Miss be ver-very kind! Krea-Kreacher be helping. Kreacher be brin-bringing the real locket. Mis-Miss be destroying it and he-helping Kreacher?"

Maxima nodded quietly, for some reason her voice had left her, she felt oddly embarrassed. Kreacher popped out to retrieve the locket. Maxima looked to Sirius, who was staring at the parchment. Professor Snape looked downcast as well, the two of them must have been friends. Professor McGonagall seemed to be dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief and Professor Dumbledore had his head bowed. Harry seemed to be in awe but in awe of what Maxima had no idea. She smiled slightly at him and he smiled back, after the healing, Maxima noticed, his eyes seem brighter and the scar seemed faded. Maxima broke eye-contact and looked towards Sirius.

"I..I don't...What?"

Maxima licked her bottom lip, "He..." Maxima looked away, Sirius's pleading eyes were too much, "Not much is known, about your brother. But before I told all of you, no one knew this except Kreacher."

"Thank you.." croaked out Sirius, his voice was laced with gratitude and Maxima suspected him to be on the verge of tears.

Kreacher popped back in with the locket in his hand, "Miss be destroying it, yes?"

Maxima nodded. She turned to Professor Dumbledore who nodded his confirmation. "Do we have basilisk fangs?" asked Maxima as she turned to face the Potions and Transfiguration Professors who shook their heads.

Professor Snape spoke up, "We used the fangs attached to the skull. We could not extract it properly. Not on such short notice."

Maxima raised her shoulders in a what-can-we-do gesture and gestured to the hat, "The sword of Gryffindor then?"

Professor Snape raised his eyebrow and Professor McGonagall tilted her head incredulously, she spoke, "How would a simple sword destroy such a dark artefact?"

"The sword is goblin-made and takes in only that which will make it stronger. Harry," She gestured to him, "stabbed the basilisk in the mouth. It took in the venom. The blade was then imbued with it."

Everyone had a look of realisation and Harry blurted out, "Brilliant!" he paused before looking at the sorting hat, "How do we get it out though?"

Maxima got a teasing grin on her face, "How about you do something stupid and see if it drops out Gryffindor boy?"

Harry looked at Maxima, "That...is not what causes the sword to come out."

Maxima looked away, trying to hide her grin, "Oh? My mistake."

Sirius looked offended, "Oi! Gryffindors aren't stupid!"

Professor Snape shook his head, " Of course not," Sirius was gobsmacked as Snape paused but was again offended when he continued, "They're just reckless and don't think before acting."

Professor Dumbledore interrupted, "I think," he paused and grabbed the hat, "It's about time Maxima got sorted."

Maxima's grin only widened further. Her eyes shining with determination as her shoulders squared confidently. Professor Dumbledore gestured for her to take a seat. Maxima sat down, barely concealing her excitement by fidgeting with her fingers.

The hat fell on her head and it covered her eyes.

Ah, it has been a while since I sorted an Ink Traveler. I do quite like learning about new worlds.

I would say we could exchange information but you already have seen my mind. Also, could you drop the sword in a while?

If I must. Hmm...Indeed, you're loyal, very loyal but only to those who earn it. Smart and a creative soul, but you don't want to sit still do you?

I'd rather not thank you.

No, you're rather bold for that. I'd say Gryffindor but you want something else.

I do?

Oh yes, it flows through your blood. Easy as breathing. Better be-

"SLYTHERIN"

The hat was lifted from her head and Maxima grinned confidently. She stood up, grinning as Professor Snape nodded, "Welcome to Slytherin."

Maxima's smile grew. Professor McGonagall sighed, "I thought for sure you'd be a Ravenclaw. I owe Severus 10 sickles now."

Wait, wHAT? Maxima glanced at Harry who felt as bewildered as her before looking at Professor McGonagall, "You...were...betting on me? Wait, no. Do you bet on things? Is that a common occurrence? Do you bet on students?!"

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Yes."

Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore, as mortified as Maxima, "Yes to what, sir?!"

Sirius and Kreacher seemed to stand awkwardly in the background as Maxima and Harry internally freaked out. Professor Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore seemed to be amused.

Maxima waved her hand as if to push the thought aside, "But we didn't get the sword. Harry go do something stupid and reckless."

Harry looked at Maxima offended, "Excuse me?"

Oh my god, thought Maxima, the perfect opening, "You're excused." Damn, she felt badass.

Sirius laughed loud and the mood was light. Professor Dumbledore seemed to examine the hat, and suddenly a clang sounded. Everyone jumped and turned to look at the source. Professor Dumbledore had picked it up and the sword fell through. "Well, nice to know the Hat has good taste in comebacks."

Sirius picked up the sword and stood in front of the locket. "I think we might need to open it."

Maxima nodded, "Yeah we do, but as soon as it opens. Stab it, do NOT give it a chance to speak or influence you. Harry, use parseltongue to open it."

Harry looked at the locket and spoke, a series of hisses came out. The locket opened and Maxima felt a seething hatred for the thing that revealed Ron's secrets, his fears, his insecurities.

Behind both of the glass windows within blinked a living eye, dark as Tom Riddle's eyes had been before he turned them scarlet. Sirius raised the sword, stone-faced. Harry stepped forward and steadied the locket, the eye was swivelling frantically.

Then a voice hissed from out the Horcrux.

"I have seen your heart, and it is mine."

Maxima shouted harshly, "STAB IT!"

" I can see your desires, your dreams. I can see your fears. All that you desire is possible but so are the things you dread."

Harry was the one to shout this time, worried. "SIRIUS! Stab it!"

"Least loved, by the family who you tried so hard to impress. Betrayed, by a friend with whom you shared precious moments. Alone, with only despair for company for twelve years. Now to come back, broken? Who cares about the ex-con who only destroys everything he comes in contact with?"

Maxima was frozen. Sirius was canonically described lonely and guilt-ridden but this...Maxima stared. Harry let go of the locket with a shout, it had burned him.

Three grotesque bubbles seem to come out and formed into the shapes of James Potter, Harry and Remus Lupin. NO! Maxima thought fiercely. She moved with swift precision, grabbing the sword from Sirius and raised it to stab the locket.

The bubbles changed to her previous family, who shouted the same things they did every day, "WORTHLESS" yes father, "USELESS" of course mother, "PATHETIC!" is that so brother?

Maxima bared her teeth in a fierce grin, "I know I am, what about you?!" she shouted and with that, she brought down the sword and there was a clang of metal and a long, drawn-out scream.

The versions of her family disappeared and Maxima held the sword slackly in her hand. She turned around to see Sirius whose eyes had gained a silver sheen. She looked towards Harry who stepped forward and hugged Sirius like his life depended on it. Kreacher started crying again and hugged Sirius's leg. Maxima looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Professor McGonagall sat down heavily on one of the chairs and Professor Snape looked like he felt out of place. Professor Dumbledore...was unreadable. Maxima went into the corner of the room where Poseidon had run off to and knelt near him. "Here boy, the bad stuff is gone. It ca-" Maxima swallowed the lump that seemed to keep rising, "It can't hurt us anymore." She hugged Poseidon.

She looked towards Kreacher, Sirius and Harry hugging. To Professor McGonagall who seemed to have some sort of realisation. To Professor Snape who looked a bit understanding. To Professor Dumbledore who seemed to have aged 10 years.

She looked to Poseidon and murmured softly, "We can only go up from here."