RoLP Ch. 88: For the want of a Crown

13th July 1996

Grimmauld Place, London

The gray clouds drifted overhead, a slight drizzle falling over the city of London, trailing down Harry’s windowpanes. He lightly tapped his window with his finger and the water steamed away, only for more droplets to patter down the glass as thunder rumbled in the sky.

“Mon amour, I was thinking that we should all move to France once this is over.” Harry turned to see Fleur, standing by the door, dressed in protective robes, her ward-breaking kit in her hand. “This English weather of yours is horrible.” 

“It is a charm.” Harry snorted. “Though, you don’t need to worry about it. We’re flooing straight to Hogwarts and our work is indoors. We need to find whatever Voldemort’s hidden there, and be very careful while doing so. It’ll undoubtedly have some nasty curses protecting it.”

“Oui, we will be careful.” Fleur nodded, placing her kit on the table next to the door. “But before we leave, I want to talk about something else, mon coeur.”

Harry inclined his head, turning away from the window, watching Fleur shift her weight from one leg to another, biting her lip. “You can talk about anything you want, Fleur. I’m not going to bite.” A mischievous smile curved on his lips. “Not unless you ask me to.”

Fleur gave him a half smile, shuffling closer. “I— I was thinking about the future, mon amour. Once this war is over, you, Daphne, Susan, and I will be a family. And a family will need a home. A home for us… and our children.” 

Harry sobered and nodded. “Sure. I’m not planning to live here anyway. Grimmauld Place is very safe, yes. But not someplace I’d raise my family in.” Harry glanced around the room. “It isn’t bad, but it isn’t home either. It can always be a safe house, but not a home. The only reason we’re here is because short of Hogwarts, maybe, including it, this is the safest place in the world right now.”

“Oui, I know. But I was thinking about our home after all this is over. Where we can settle down for the rest of our lives.”

“I don’t think we’ll be short of houses to choose from. And you girls can choose amongst yourself where you wish to live. I’ve got quite a few houses, and even if you all want something better, we can buy a new house. We’re not short of money.”

“Oui, oui. But I was thinking… I was thinking that maybe we could move to France. We can get a nice chateau by a river or a lake, where we can do all sorts of things. And have perfect summers instead of this.”

She gestured to the window and Harry chuckled, walking up to her, sliding an arm around her slim waist.

“I suppose it is rather very inconvenient, having rain in the summer,” Harry said. “But all I have is here, in Britain. Sirius, Amelia, my friends, Hogwarts… everything.” 

“We can always floo over when we wish,” Fleur suggested. “We could set an international floo from our home. Between my papa and you, it’d be quick and easy. Plus, Daphne would love it, non?”

“France? I suppose she will.” Harry mused. “She speaks French well, even without the translation charm.”

“Oui.” Fleur’s eyes sparkled. “She learned even better with my incentives since I came to know of it. And Susan joined in to help her to perfect my English.”

Harry snorted, knowing exactly what the incentives were and how they were given, much to Susan’s… pleasure.

“Think about it, mon amour?” Fleur leaned against his arm, fluttering her eyelashes. “We do not need to move away immediately. But we cannot live here forever. Once the war’s over, Sirius and Amelia will be raising a family too. They are still young and have lots to look forward to.” 

“As far as I know, Sirius can’t. That is why I am his heir.” Harry grimaced. “If he can now, that’s well and good. But till it happens… well, it is only Susan and I for Amelia and Sirius.”

Fleur winced slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “It is sad, non? How two such wonderful people might not get what they want because of a wrong decision someone else made?”

“It sucks, really.” Harry nodded, squeezing her waist. “As for your question, we’ll talk about it. All four of us, together. It is a big decision, changing countries. Susan wants a career like her aunt and Daphne knows she’ll be taking over her father’s businesses.” Harry rubbed little circles on her arm. “Plus, we’re all on the Wizengamot. I’ve already taken my seats, and Susan would take hers in a year from now— maybe two if she sits out till she graduates. Daphne would take the Greengrass seat when her father retires.” 

“I know. The thing is that I…” Fleur fidgeted in his arms. “I might too. Madame Flamel asked me if I’d like to help her out with more than charms. And learn more than magic from her.” Fleur looked up at him with wide blue eyes. “She’s asked me if I’d give her a hand in managing the estate and the businesses.”

Harry’s head whipped around to her. “The Flamel estate?”

“Oui.” Fleur bobbed her head. “She has many businesses and no one to help manage the boards. Madame Perenelle said that she can’t ask your headmaster and has no one else to turn to for help. At least one she knows.” 

“And she needs a successor. Someone smart, skilled, and powerful,” Harry said and beamed at her, causing Fleur to flush. 

“She didn’t say successor, mon coeur. But if I do well and impress her…” Fleur trailed off. 

“You’d be the inheritor of the biggest fortune and set of businesses in the world,” Harry whispered. “If you get the Flamel businesses— or even a part of them, you’d blow us out of the water. Rich and influential as we are, the Flamel estate is ten times that of any family in Britain. It’d be a very big responsibility.”

“Oui.” Fleur shifted. “But I’ll understand if you all say no. I thought I’d talk to you first— you have the most share in responsibilities, mon coeur. Not to mention, the fame. While it is a big decision, it is the biggest for you.”

“It is,” Harry said, nodding. “I had thought we’d move to Potter Manor— after whatever renovations and changes we feel like making to it. But you girls are all equally a part of this. I am guessing that Perenelle would like to have you in France?”

“I don’t know.” Fleur sighed. “But in case I do get a business— which I will from my Papa at least, if not Madame Perenelle too, there would be problems if I lived here in Britain. For one, I’ll miss out on all the advantages the French Ministry of Affairs gives to business owners. Not to mention, the taxes will be—” She frowned. “How do you say Cauchemar?”

“You looked that up?” 

“Non, I knew.” Fleur shook her head. “When I was younger, I told my Maman that I wanted to sell the cups I had enchanted… to open my business and earn money. My Maman told me to research it all. We didn’t go ahead on it, beyond selling a few to our friends— but I learned.”

“That’s impressive.” Harry gave her a broad grin, before pulling her closer and kissing her cheek. “If you want to do this, we’ll find a way for you. I don’t know what the laws are in Britain for businesses. But laws are meant to be bent and used as advantages rather than obstacles.” Harry squeezed her shoulder. “But if you're asking me what I would say to moving to France, I’ve no answer for you right now. It is not a no, but it isn’t a yes either.”

“I understand, mon coeur. I didn’t expect you to say anything. Whatever we decide, it doesn’t happen immediately. We’ve some time, and frankly, more problems to worry about.”

“That we do.” Harry agreed. “We’ll talk with Susan and Daphne too about this once we get back from Hogwarts today. It is a decision for all of us, and a rather important one.” 

“Oui.”

“And Fleur? Whatever problems arise, we’ll come up with a way to solve them. Together.”

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13th July 1996

Room of Hidden things, Hogwarts

“Bloody hell,” Susan whispered as she craned her head to look through the mountains of things that towered before them. “Where does the room even fucking end?”

“Language, Miss Bones.” Dumbledore strode past her, pulling long, brightly colored protective gloves onto his hands. “But yes, it is a rather vast room, one which has gathered things for as long as Hogwarts has stood.” He surveyed the gathered Order members, his eyes boring into each one of them. “I would advise extreme caution today, my friends. Always stay in pairs and be prepared to even defend or attack your partner if needed.”

“What are we looking for, Professor?” Bill frowned, eyeing the pile of weapons and the blood-stained axe atop them. “Because this seems to have all sorts of things, some which we wouldn’t even find in the worst of tombs.”

“Most things here are contraband, hidden by Hogwarts students through the years. Or maybe even elves, who found these things lying around, forgotten.” Harry sighed. “It has potions, poisons, weapons, cursed objects, prank items, books, jewels, treasures, and Merlin knows what. Be careful while handling even the most mundane thing here. If you can, begin separating the very valuable things. If not, find the worst item you can, and call Dumbledore, Perenelle, or me.”

“That’s vague, innit?” Tonks pushed her way forward. “We don’t even know what we’re looking for.”

“We do not know what exactly we’re looking for, Miss Tonks,” Dumbledore said. “Potentially, Harry and I believe that it is a tiara— a rather beautiful crown, which once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw herself.”

“The Diadem of Ravenclaw,” someone whispered.

“Indeed,” Dumbledore said. “But I’m afraid that it is a guess. I urge you all to be careful, and as Alastor would say, employ constant vigilance.”

“Voldemort hid something here. Something that allows him to live, despite me destroying his body— twice in fifteen years. Professor Dumbledore and I have encountered another such object before— and it nearly killed him the last time we did.” 

Dumbledore nodded. “Had it not been for Harry disarming me, and slamming me into a wall, I would’ve died from a very nasty withering curse. You see? It had a compulsion on it. A very strong one that I couldn’t overcome. We’re looking for another such item today. Something very foul and very cursed— one beyond anything any of you might’ve encountered or heard of.” 

“Please do not touch it, use it, destroy it, or even interact with it,” Harry added. “We just need it to be found. And once it is, we will personally deal with it. We have the means and ways to destroy it. The rest of you, don’t.” 

“Wait, once you destroy this, Voldemort dies?” Tonks’ eyes burned with a fierce hope that it stung Harry’s heart.

“Probably not. It is not out of the realm of possibilities, as he doesn’t have a body right now. If we’re lucky, which I am certain we won’t be, it may kill him. But if it doesn’t, destroying the item will ensure that the next time he dies, he’ll stay dead for good.”

“Not the worst thing I’ve heard,” Sirius said. “As long as there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Now, what are the teams?”

“One detector, one protector,” Harry said. “This is a very high-risk thing we’re doing here, and it might be as dangerous as facing Voldemort himself in a battle, albeit a sneakier version, whom you won’t see till he kills you or your partner. You may be capable of doing both, but I don’t care. Protectors touch nothing except their wands and fire at the first sign of trouble.”

A series of faint affirmatives rippled through the gathered order members and Harry nodded.

“Seven teams. Susan, go with Dumbledore. Daphne with me. Tonks and Fleur. Bill and Sirius. Remus and Professor Flitwick. Professor McGonagall and Fred and George— yes, you three together, and sorry for this professor, but they do have a talent with cursed objects and enchantments.”

“One prank or joke from them and all three of you will be in detention for the rest of the year, Mr. Potter.” She pursed her lips, giving Harry and the twins a glare.

Harry shifted, while Fred and George grinned broadly. “You’re forgetting, professor—”

“—We’re no longer at Hogwarts!”

McGonagall gave them a slight smile, the gleam in her eyes suggesting that them not being at Hogwarts wouldn’t even hinder her. The twins gulped, sharing a look, while Dumbledore let out a little chuckle beside Harry. 

“Right,” Harry said. “Fred, George, don’t upset her. The last team is of course— Hestia and Perenelle.” Harry glanced at Hestia Jones and Perenelle, who nodded. “You both can start right here, and the rest will begin digging into the deeper piles. If you find something, yell with a Sonorous and send up red sparks. Let’s spread out.”

The Order members moved through the room, disappearing in the rows of mountains that rose high above, their footsteps fading as Daphne fell in step with Harry, drawing her wand.

“Did you try summoning it?” Daphne asked in a low voice. “Or, just manipulating the room for it?”

“Yep. Didn’t work,” Harry said, his eyes flicking up as a fanged frisbee went spinning between the piles. “Dumbledore and I tried everything from locator spells to revealing spells. Nothing worked. Voldemort probably put a confundus on it, or something similar which is fooling the room— and our spells.”

“Not even the wand works?” Daphne prodded and Harry shook his head. “It does anything you will it to, I thought.”

“It does pretty much everything, yes.” Harry’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But the thing is that Horcruxes are a different breed of magic. You know that I do say there’s only magic, nothing light or dark. But Horcruxes? They’re an abomination. They’re like dementors, but worse.”

Daphne gulped involuntarily, grasping her wand tighter, before nodding. “Let’s find it then and destroy it. I suppose Fiendfyre works?”

“It does. But unless you are absolutely sure that you can control it at your lowest, don’t use them. Heightened emotions and fear can make those flames even worse than they already are. And being in a magic-saturated place like Hogwarts means it’ll expand very fast and very soon.” 

Harry eyed a huge dagger sticking from a pile and pulled it out with a flick of his wand, letting it hover at his eye level. “Cursed dagger. Nasty to get even nicked by. And made of goblin silver to boot. Do you want one?”

“Seriously?” Daphne raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were hunting down a fragment of Voldemort’s soul. Not hoarding treasures.”

“Finders keepers.” Harry stuck the dagger back in between two brooms and shrugged. “There’s no reason we cannot take something we like, as long as it is not harmful.”

“It’s a cursed dagger, Harry.”

“The curse will keep a wound bleeding— and make sure it burns like insane. But that’s only if someone’s cut by it.” Harry snorted. “Anyhow, we’ll see about the treasures later.”

Daphne tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her blue eyes running through the towering piles of forgotten and hidden things that had accumulated in the room. “So, what’s the plan once we find it? I suppose even you wouldn’t be unleashing Fiendfyre?”

“Not unless absolutely needed. I have the Sword of Gryffindor. It can destroy it with ease— basilisk venom, you see?”

“Ah,” Daphne said. “So, we just have to find it and then, you cleave it in half… given there are no additional protections on it.”

“There will be,” Harry snorted. “Voldemort doesn’t do anything by halves. He probably layered it with every dark curse he could think of, just like the one Dumbledore and I dealt with before. There could be blood magic, compulsions, maybe even something lethal.” He cast her a sharp glance. “If I tell you to run, Daphne—”

“I won’t.”

Harry sighed. He had expected as much.

“I know what we’re dealing with,” she continued. “You’ve trained me for stuff like this, and I know what’s at stake. You may be the Chosen One, Harry, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone.”

Harry’s eye twitched. “I never said I did.”

Daphne arched her brow. “Oh? So that’s why you tried to keep Fleur, Susan, and me out of your Horcrux hunt?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “That wasn’t because I didn’t want your help. That was because I didn’t want you three anywhere near something this dangerous.”

“And yet here we are.” Daphne rolled her eyes. 

“If we went through this alone— Dumbledore and I, it would’ve taken weeks. And it is time we don’t have.” Harry picked out a golden quill, frowning at it before turning it to crisp, its ashes falling at his feet. “Voldemort’s using a Horcrux to have his rebirth. If we take this one, he’ll be down to one when he’s reborn— his snake.”

“Do you plan on ending it?” Daphne asked quietly. “Like, really end it?”

“If I get the chance, I’ll take it. Grindelwald and Voldemort together are a nightmare. But if one of them goes down, the other will likely follow soon or reach for alternatives. Alternatives that either of them don’t have.” Harry smiled. “So, yes, it is coming to a head. We’ve foiled Grindelwald enough and depleted his forces. Voldemort, even more so. If he’s no longer immortal, he’ll be a way easier target.”

“And you’re planning on interrupting the rebirth too, I suppose?” Daphne’s wand twitched as a pixie went fluttering past her, vanishing into a cabinet, and shaking it. Dust fell from its edges, stinging Harry’s nose, while Daphne sneezed.

“Bloody pixies,” Harry muttered, clearing the dust with a wave of his wand. “Snape doesn’t know where it is yet. Once we know, we might. Wards aren’t going to be a problem if we have an army on our side too. Once we get in, we could catch them unaware and smash through their ranks, getting Voldemort’s snake before going for him.”

“What if Grindelwald intervenes?”

“That might be a problem, especially if they call a retreat and run. If it is to death… we would have a greater chance.” Harry frowned at a crown nearby, prodding it with his wand, its edges glowing a faint blue before he levitated it.

Daphne’s breath hitched. “Is that—”

“No. Not this one.” Harry sighed, and flung a Reductor curse at the crown, shattering it to dust with a soft bang. “It was enchanted, but not in a lethal way. The enchantment was to protect the wearer from nightmares.”

“So, why’d you destroy it?”

“Just to ensure some magic wasn’t fooling my senses. Had it remained intact, that’s when I would’ve been worried. Let’s keep going.”

“What if the Horcrux is buried in one of these piles?” Daphne moved around a crushed, half-melted Cauldron. “Like, truly hidden?”

“We should’ve felt its magic then. And if it is, we’d have to dig even deeper, which is something I am not particularly enthused about.”

A crash echoed through the chamber, and they both whirled around sharply. Somewhere in the depths of the room, someone had knocked something over. 

“What was that?” Harry murmured. “EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?”

His voice rang through the room, echoing faintly, before being drowned by a bang, as something metallic clanged against the ceiling in the distance, falling back down. Harry winced as the noise tore at his ears, while Daphne shoved her fingers in her ears.

Someone cursed loudly, followed by Sirius’ muffled voice calling out, "All good! Just enchanted armor attacking— US! HELP! There are too many!"

“Fuck.” Harry ran, his footsteps thundering on the floor as he twisted and turned between the piles, reaching toward the sound of metal.

Bill and Sirius stood back-to-back, a dome of magic wavering around them as multiple armors hammered it with their spears and swords, smashing their fists into the dome.

"This place is going to be the death of someone," Daphne scowled. “Reducto!”

The arm of the nearest armor exploded into dust and some of them turned to them, raising their spears. Behind them, Sirius shot a wild spell, and an armor crumpled with a horrible crunch that screeched in Harry’s bone.

“Bloody hell.” Harry shoved Daphne behind him and raised the Elder Wand, pouring magic down its length, flooding the armors with it. They glowed with a golden haze, freezing in their tracks as Harry seized them.

‘Mine!’ He snarled, tugging the enchantment into his control. As one, the armors straightened, saluting him, as the haze seeped into their metal.

“Wow,” Daphne breathed. 

“Bloody ancient pieces of shit.” Sirius kicked the nearest armor with a scowl. “Good one, Harry.”

Footsteps echoed through the aisles and Harry turned, seeing three teams of Order members pour toward them for different, their wands out. They stopped in the clearing, looking at each other, their chests heaving.

“Are you alright?” Susan looked over at Harry and then, Daphne, who gave her a nod. “We heard crashes and screeches. It was quite the ruckus.”

“It was Sirius… and Bill.” Harry watched Perenelle kneel by Bill’s side, healing a large gash on his forearm. “Did any of you find something?”

“Bad stuff or good stuff?” The twins grinned. “Because we—”

“You’re returning all that you’ve pocketed, Messrs Weasley. This is not a place to take ideas for your shop— which, while wonderful, will not be selling things that have been stolen.”

The twins gave her a wide-eyed look. “You’ve seen our shop!?”

“I have.”

The twins goggled comically, falling to the floor and clutching their hearts, causing snickers to erupt among some of the Order members.

“What’s happening?” Fleur drifted over to them, looking at the twins and McGonagall, who was glaring at them.

“Comedy.” Harry rolled his eyes, looking around at the group, seeing most of them there. He frowned, and did a head count, his heart pummeling in his chest. “Thirteen. Fourteen with me. We were fifteen! Someone’s missing.”

The laughter ceased and people turned to look at their partners, while Fleur paled.

“Tonks.” She whirled around. “She was right behind me when we heard you call for help.”

“Me? I never called for help.”

“Non, I heard your voice calling to me.” Fleur stared at him. “You called my name.”

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face, and he looked at Dumbledore who gave him a grim nod, raising his wand, a blue haze spreading from it.

“There,” Dumbledore said, moving through the piles, with the speed of someone a lot younger than him and Harry followed, racing after him, till they ran around a pile to see Tonks standing against a tall cupboard.

A silver, jeweled tiara gleamed on her head, as she smiled cruelly, and Harry felt his heart twist. 

Nymphadora Tonks had found the Horcrux. Or more appropriately, the Horcrux had found her.

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

I know, I know, I am colossally late, all things considered. I had planned for the chapter to go live on Saturday, but shit happened on Friday, and I had to go away for an emergency, that too out of town. I didn’t have my laptop or my account either (thanks to my dumb self forgetting the password), so I couldn’t publish. I got back yesterday evening, was so damn tired mentally and physically that I couldn’t do anything.

But now I am back, and I should be back on the proper schedule by this weekend or so. I am truly very sorry for the delay but there was nothing I could do. In part, it was my mistake too for forgetting my password, but still, I was in the middle of a crisis.

Anyhow, yes, we’re gearing up to the finish. This is quite frankly, the beginning of the end. We’re in the endgame now. And I can pull quotes like these all day :D [GotSIS update next, can’t you feel it?]

I will see you all soon, with another chapter (and hopefully get back on schedule with it or close enough)!

A huge thank you to Mughil and Nanu for betaing this chapter!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

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