The destruction of many things

Narcissa winced at her mirror, touching her cheek stung even now after Madam Pomfrey had treated her wound. There was a line, nearly imperceptible but it was there, on her cheek. A tiny white line that went from the corner of her mouth to just below her left ear. It's horrible...She thought as she turned to go through her makeup case. I'll be getting married in less than two weeks...and I can't get rid of this stupid thing...and I refuse to let Harry see it. She applied a dab of 'Mistress Mab's Magical Concealer' and gently worked it into her skin.

She hissed in pain. This scar was from a curse, and those scars did not like being hidden. There's got to be something I can do about it...She thought as she stepped closer to the mirror.

She'd very nearly killed Amycus Carrow. Cassiopeia Black's multiplication hexes were well known in the family. Bellatrix had applied a variation to the treasures of the Lestrange vault when she'd married Rodolphus. It was a simple enough spell; it conjured a single item and then began to copy it. Once one item had been copied enough times, it would switch to the next and repeat the sequence. The version in the Lestrange Vault was a piece of fake silverware with a contact sensitive burning rune etched onto it. Narcissa thought about that as she tried to distract herself from the pain on her cheek. I'll see Andi. Perhaps she'll have something...

She gave up on the scar and sat down on her bed. Just as she lay back there was a knock, "Come in." She called out watching as the door opened. Harry and Bellatrix walked inside the room. They were carrying a small gray bag, and she noted that Bellatrix had a look of triumph on her face. "I take it your excursion went well?"

"Very." Bellatrix said, "Now, why don't you explain why there's a scar on your face. When we left you said you were going to be studying." She walked over to her sister, "Who did this?"

"It doesn't matter-" Narcissa began.

Bellatrix held up a hand, "Tell me who did this to you." Her voice was soft and even. Narcissa knew this tone. This was the one she'd used when she'd threatened Rabastan Lestrange when he'd tried to paw her. This was her 'I am going to murder someone, give me a target' voice.

"Bella, it doesn't matter. The Headmaster has them. They'll be sent to the Ministry." Narcissa said, holding her hands up, "I used Great Aunt Cassiopeia's replication spell. I filled his stomach with sand."

"Who?!" Bellatrix shouted, coming up to Narcissa's face, "I swear if I have to use legilimency I will." She said, "Someone attacked you. I will call blood-feud on them and their entire line!"

"It was the Carrows..." Narcissa finally admitted, "They attacked me in the hallway. But I stopped them. I stunned Alecto and cursed Amycus. Headmaster Dumbledore has already taken them." She stepped back from her sister, "It's over."

"It's not over," Bellatrix said, "Until I see their wands snapped, and preferably their necks as well." She looked at Harry, "Will you let me call for blood-feud on the Carrows?"

Blood-feud. It was a simple enough concept. As the twins were the last of their line, calling for a blood-feud meant that they were recognized as enemies of the family. It meant that, wherever and whenever possible, a member of their family would seek to destroy them. What Bellatrix was asking for was to bring war on the Carrow family.

"If they get out, there's no way they won't seek to hurt Narcissa. Or our children. So yes, call for it." Harry said to his wife. He didn't like the idea of wiping out families. But, he wasn't blindly forgiving as his Dumbledore had been. Harry had found himself wondering about the difference. This Dumbledore was much more proactive than the one he'd known.

That was the moment the Headmaster came to the room. In his hand lay a small unassuming leather-bound book. "Alastor had a very interesting conversation with Mr. Malfoy. At the end of it, he delivered this book to me. According to Lucius, this is a very important item to Voldemort." It was the Diary. Harry would know it anywhere. This was the book that had nearly eaten Ginny's soul. Suddenly he remembered the conversation at the Gaunt shack. The Ring and the Cup weren't the only ones. The Diary had contained a piece of Tom...He could have slapped himself. "As for the Carrow siblings, they left with Alastor. They have been taken to a cell and will await sentencing."

Harry took the book and placed it in the bag with the Ring and the Cup. "That's three. I wonder if there are any more..."

Scene Break

Sirius and Lily were in the Courtyard watching as Remus and Jane played Gobstones. "D'you want to play?" Sirius asked her. He looked over at his friend, "I bet you are better than Remus."

"I suppose if you want to." She offered, taking his hand she led him closer to Remus and Jane. Just in time for Jane's stone to send out a jet of foul liquid. Lily grinned as he heard Jane curse under her breath. It was to Remus' credit that he didn't laugh as his quasi-girlfriend applied a drying charm to remove the mess. Sirius, however, had laughed aloud.

"Keep it up Black, I'll leave you stuck to the Whomping Willow...naked." Jane threatened as she pocketed her wand again. "Alright Remus, you got me this time." She said to Remus as she stood up, "I've got to meet up with Alex, we've got a Defense test tomorrow." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, winking before she turned and walked away, leaving Remus touching his cheek.

"Mind if we play Remus?" Sirius asked. Seeing no response, he snapped his fingers in front of his friends face. "Remus?" He shook his friend lightly, "Reeeeeemus!" He began to shake him harder.

Remus snapped out of it, "Get off!" He snapped at Sirius before looking back at the door Jane had walked out of, "She kissed me. Jane kissed me." He touched his cheek, "I- what?" He said, finally taking full notice of Sirius and Lily.

"We wanted to know if we could use your Gobstones..." Lily began, her face pink from held in laughter. "Was that your first kiss?" She asked him. At his shy nod, she smiled, "She certainly seems to like you."

Remus smiled absently, "She's amazing...you know? She's incredibly smart and she likes me-"

"So, she's not that smart..." Sirius interjected with a sly grin before wincing at his girlfriend's sharp elbow in the ribs, "Ow! Hey! Abusive wench!" He muttered as he rubbed his side.

Lily gave Sirius a look before turning back to Remus, "My boyfriend is an idiot, please continue."

She missed the little upturn on Sirius' lips. He liked that Lily defended Remus. One of the little things I lo- wait, shit. I don't love her yet. I love that about her, that's different than loving her...

That idea drove him out of the conversation. He knew Remus and Lily were talking about Jane, but he couldn't stop thinking about the idea of loving Lily Evans. Images of Lily, dressed in Lady's robes befitting the station of Lady Black flitted into his mind. He couldn't help but scoff quietly at them. Lily would never wear formal robes except to parties and very much under protest. A more likely image of Lily in muggle jeans popped into his mind. That made much more sense to him.

Would pure-blood society ever accept a muggleborn Lady? Easy answer; no. Honest answer; ditto. The bigger question was: would Sirius ever give a toss about their opinions? Not. Even. Slightly...

Scene Break

Bellatrix would have her vengeance against the Carrow twins later, she knew that much. For now, the trio of herself, Harry, and Narcissa joined with Dumbledore made their way into the private vault of Slytherin. In her hand was the bag containing the Cup, the Ring, and the Diary. They were about to witness the destruction of three incredibly powerful dark objects. The Slytherin in her regretted their destruction, even as she knew that it was for the best. Such powerful objects should be studied to see if their enchantments could be replicated and their powers harnessed. Everyone thinks Ravenclaw is the House of the Brilliant, but there are plenty of genius Slytherins...Merlin knows people should be aware of that...literally since he was a Slytherin.

There sat the basin of venom. Harry stepped over towards it, "So I guess I should just dunk them in the venom?" He wondered aloud.

"The tools are goblin silver Lord Slytherin," The muffled voice of Salazar reminded him, "goblin forged tools draw in what makes them stronger. The scalpel will do what is required."

Harry looked at it, it was a small tool, smaller in fact than the scalpel Remus Lupin had used to cut through a runic brand he'd been given as a 'birthday gift' by his original timelines Bellatrix. That brand, Harry remembered, had interfered with the wolfsbane potion Remus had needed to take during the full moon. Remus had killed many innocent muggles because of it. Only in the daylight had he been able to fix the problem by marring the brand.

Another thought of the world he'd left behind. In a way, he was glad that reality didn't exist anymore. All of his friends, his true family were dead. It had been a world ruled by darkness because they hadn't been ready. Even Dumbledore hadn't prepared properly for the world that Harry had grown up in.

"Alright. I know what the Diary can do, so I'll stab that one first." He said, "The Ring has a powerful curse on it so we should probably handle that one last, after the Cup." Harry said as he reached for the bag held by Bellatrix. She slowly handed him the bag, her own thoughts of the treasures before them and their encroaching destruction distracting her.

"Are you sure there's no way to save these items?" She asked him, watching as Harry drew out the leather-bound book. "Helga's Cup was said to replicate perfectly anything drinkable that was poured into it. Think about healing potions, or-"

"I'm afraid Mrs. Fawkes," Albus said softly, "That once an object is turned into a Horcrux, the foulness of the ritual used to craft it as such corrupts the vessel forevermore." He looked sorrowfully at the bag, "If there is a way to return them to usefulness, it's beyond my knowledge."

Harry could feel the darkness inside the Diary more strongly than he had before. As if he were more in tune with the wrongness inside of it. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he knew what it was now, he couldn't say for sure. Instead of trying to figure it out, Harry touched the scalpel to the venom and then stabbed the blade into the book.

Ink began to spurt out like blood from an artery. In the ink-blood, Harry saw shimmering patterns, appearing and fading away. He saw a teenaged face that recognized as Tom Riddle, then it vanished, turning into the screaming face of a young woman, her features locked in a silent scream of terror, and then nothing...it was gone and the diary was powerless.

"The Cup next," Harry said softly, dreading what he would see as he drew the chalice from the bag with his wand and set it down before him. Sorry Tonks, but I've got to destroy a priceless artifact of your Founder...He thought as he repeated the actions. This time as a dark liquid began to bubble into existence, Harry saw an older Riddle, perhaps in his twenties now, and then an old woman, limp in her chair. The liquid began to steam and boil in the Cup before evaporating away.

Finally, the last object. The Ring. Harry repeated the actions of bringing the box containing the Ring out of the bag. He opened it, revealing Slytherin's Ring and dipped the scalpel into the venom once more. This time it wasn't liquid, but smoke like the Locket he'd seen in his dream. This one revealing another young Tom Riddle, and then a man with coldly handsome, aristocratic features. The serpent's mouth holding the stone inside the Ring began to turn as if the snake was recoiling from the venom. The gold of the Ring sizzled and bubbled away leaving a small stone. Harry picked up the stone and looked at it, "What is it?" He wondered aloud.

"If you could face me, my Heir, I will explain it." Came the now familiar muffled voice from the portrait. Harry led the others from the vault and allowed the Portrait to swing forward, "It is the Resurrection Stone, treasure of Cadmus Peverell and despised by the same. With it, he brought back his beloved, but each moment she spent in the mortal world was agony. In his heartache, he took his life, to join her side."

"The Resurrection Stone..." Albus said softly, "One of the Hallows in your very hands." He looked at Harry for a moment, "Do you know of the Hallows?" He asked.

"Before you died, you were adamant that I learn. Three brothers, three 'gifts' from Death. The Elder Wand which Draco Malfoy stole from you after he and Snape murdered you, the Stone, which as it turned out was inside the Ring, and-"

"The Cloak of Invisibility, tool of the wisest brother. Currently owned by the last Peverell descendant, the Potter family." Albus finished, "He who wields all three will be the Master of Death. We have two here now. Harry this is not my fight, it can't be, not truly, you are the one destiny brought to this place. I need you to do something. I need you to disarm me in a formal duel. You must earn my wands loyalty and that is the only way. Your seventh-year class will watch the two of us duel. We need the students to know that you have bested me. Once they know, Voldemort will know."

"But won't that cause him to come after the school again since this is where I am?" Harry asked.

Albus nodded, "It may. But it will also cause him to act to safeguard his remaining Horcruxes if indeed there are any more."