The first week of summer started off quite smoothly in the Granger house.
On Monday, Harry and Hermione woke up bright and early with Tonks, and joined her on her morning jog around the neighborhood. Tonks was a bit worried at first – as she had explained, if Dumbledore had sent one of his allies to Crawley in search for Harry, then they might spot him easily while he was jogging. Harry and Hermione had an answer for that. Tonks was quite impressed at Hermione's knowledge of the modified Disillusionment Charm that allowed choice individuals to see you, while remaining invisible amongst everyone else. Once again, Harry was slightly worried that they would receive notices from the Ministry due to active magic usage in a Muggle area, but no owls had come by. So it was decided that this would be their routine every morning.
After their morning jog, Harry and Hermione spent most of Monday morning working on their summer homework. It was decided it would be best to get that finished early in the summer, so that the only educational things they had to worry about for the remainder of the summer was Ancient Runes and Arithmancy that Harry needed to learn, in order to join Hermione in the fourth year classes. Due to their foreknowledge, they found that all of their summer homework took a bit over three hours to complete.
After lunch, it was time to continue knife-throwing exercises. However, for the first hour of training, Dan had decided on a new strategy. He taught them how to play darts, which he explained would help them with their accuracy. It turned out he was quite right. Once they resumed knife-throwing, Harry was able to hit the center of the closest hay-bale target after only the second try. Hermione was able to get it after ten minutes; she was quite thrilled about it. The second hay-bale which was a bit farther in distance was a bit more difficult. It took both accuracy and distance. This meant that they had to use a lot of power to get the knife the whole distance, whilst also concentrating on throwing it accurately. By the end of their second full day of training, Harry had been able to hit the center of the first target, and the outer rim on the second target and make the knife stick, while Hermione was only able to make the knife stick in the hay-bale.
Harry and Hermione spent much of Monday evening after dinner on the hammock in the backyard, where they started to practice Occlumency. Hermione was quite outraged when Harry went into detail exactly what Snape had taught him in the Occlumency lessons. Hermione told him that, out of everything she had read in the Occlumency book, there was nothing that described what he had learned. It seemed that Snape wasn't actually teaching him Occlumency at all. She described it almost as mental torture. Harry found that he had agreed with her. After all, the only thing Snape's lessons really did was make his mind weaker and more vulnerable to Voldemort being able to invade it. Hermione suggested it was likely the reason Voldemort had possessed him so easily in the Ministry of Magic, after the events in the Department of Mysteries.
Hoping to calm Hermione down from the outrage of his explanation of Snape's lessons, Harry suggested they focus on meditating which was a suggested practice for Occlumency training. This turned out to be a good idea, because Hermione had calmed down quite quickly, mostly due to the fact that she really wanted to perfect the technique. While they hadn't started on actual Occlumency practice that evening, they found that they were able to get in the right mood setting to do so through meditation. After the session was over, it was mutually decided they would practice meditation one hour a night, then follow it up with Occlumency practice.
Tuesday, after another round of early morning jogging, and mid-morning knife-throwing exercises, Harry, Tonks and the Grangers spent the afternoon at the local swimming pool. Harry felt those familiar tingles in various parts of his body when he saw both Hermione and Tonks in their bikinis. He had to refrain from doing too much staring at both girls – Hermione, because her father was watching, and Tonks because he wasn't sure what Hermione would think of it.
A lot of fun and laughs were had as both Hermione and Tonks taught Harry how to swim. It turned out that Harry was a fast learner, because it only took upwards of a couple of hours before he was confident to swim around on his own. He spent the rest of the time in the pool having fun and splashing about with Hermione and Tonks. He had even tried his luck on the shorter diving board a couple of times, after Hermione, Tonks and Dan showed off their skills on it.
One interesting factoid Harry and Hermione learned about Tonks' Metamorphmagus abilities, was that she could grow actual gills if needed, either in her neck or torso. This allowed her to breathe underwater for lengthy periods of time. She demonstrated this once, but did not remain underwater for more than what is usually humanly possible, so that the various Muggles didn't notice anything strange. Harry did notice that a male lifeguard at the pool had been keeping an eye on Tonks, and not only when she did this. He wasn't sure whether the bloke was just doing his job, or admiring Tonks. Either way, it made him slightly jealous for some reason.
That evening, Harry and Hermione once again meditated on the hammock, before moving onto Occlumency studies. The only problem with their studies was that neither they, nor Tonks, knew Legilimency, so there was no way to figure out how good their Occlumency shields were holding up until they found a trustworthy Legilimens. Still, they decided to use the theory and practice, and hoped that by the time they could encounter a trustworthy Legilimens, that they had improved on the practice a bit.
A little after eight-o-clock Wednesday morning, as Harry was getting dressed, an owl landed on the windowsill and pecked on the glass to get his attention. He had just finished taking a shower after his morning routine of jogging with Hermione and Tonks. Today was the planned trip to Diagon Alley to meet with Ragnok and Carver, then Harry and Hermione would visit Sirius and Remus with Tonks, where they would tell the three their time-travel secrets. Harry, Hermione and Tonks had planned on leaving at half-past nine that morning; Tonks would bring him and Hermione to Diagon Alley via Side-Along Apparation.
Harry tied his trainers, then stood and walked over to the window. He opened it, and the owl flew in and dropped a scroll of parchment and two magazines on the desk, then flew back out the window. Harry picked up the magazine and found that it was the new edition of the Quibbler; the owl had come from Luna – he had nearly forgotten that she had said she'd be sending him and Hermione copies of the new Quibbler sometime during the week.
The front cover of the magazine showed the large iron door which led into the Chamber of Secrets, one of the pictures Colin had taken. Scattered around the cover were several teasers previewing the contents within. There were two that caught Harry's eye:
SECRET NO MORE: Discover what lies inside the legendary Chamber of Secrets. Complete with pictures!
THE RIDDLE OF A DARK LORD: The Truth about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Find out what You-Know-Who and the Daily Prophet doesn't want you to know!
Harry set the magazine on the desk, then picked up the scroll of parchment, unrolled it and began to read:
Hello Harry (and Hermione),
As promised, here is the newest edition of the Quibbler, complete with both the Chamber of Secrets and Voldemort articles, penned by yours truly. I believe I did my very best when it came to these stories. I feel this will be a big seller! I am sure you're worried about what the Daily Prophet will think about this, but Daddy ensures me that he will be prepared for any backlash. He was quite pleased with these articles and he wishes to thank you personally when you meet him.
That is the reason I am writing this letter. Daddy and I will be at Sirius Black's trial this Saturday as part of the media. When all is said and done and Mr. Black is a free man (which I am sure he will be), Daddy wishes to meet with you to discuss a time and date for our Betrothal meeting.
Wishing you a wonderful day,
Luna
As soon as Harry finished the letter, he heard a knock on the door. He walked over to the door and opened it. Hermione was standing there, dressed for the day.
"Good timing," Harry said, "I was about to come see you. Luna sent a letter and two copies of the new Quibbler."
"Excellent," Hermione said; she walked over to the desk and picked up of the magazines, "Mum will have breakfast ready in a few minutes. We can read the articles before then."
Harry nodded; he handed her Luna's letter, since it was also addressed to her, then picked up the magazine and turned to the first article, which was about the Chamber of Secrets.
Luna had written a wonderful article about her experiences in the Chamber of Secrets during her visit with Harry and Hermione. The article also had a retelling, in Harry's words, about his initial visit to the Chamber of Secrets at the end of his second year. The pictures of the dead Basilisk and the Chamber of Secrets taken by Colin Creevey and chosen by both him and Luna perfectly represented the visual details and provided actual proof of the truth of the article.
Luna's second article, this one about Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, was just as wonderful as the first. Luna even mentioned Voldemort's name once in the article then referred to him as Tom, or Riddle, or the usual "You-Know-Who" and "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Once again, Luna quoted Harry, giving a retelling of his story as well as showing the change from "Tom Marvolo Riddle" to "I Am Lord Voldemort." The article talked about the Riddles and the Gaunt family – all of which was factual evidence given from either Harry or research done by Luna herself. Harry grinned when he saw Luna attempt to inform the readers that Rita Skeeter's article was absolutely untruthful, doing so in the nicest manner that she was usually known for.
While Harry knew that the Quibbler's stories usually provided a lot of skepticism from many of its readers, he was confident that both articles gave enough proof, so the readers could believe that Luna's words were correct and honest.
"It will be interesting to see the response to these articles," Hermione said, as she finished the articles.
"That depends on the number of people who will read them," Harry said.
"Harry, once word gets out that you're mentioned in the articles, people will read them," Hermione said. "You're still famous, no matter whether or not you want to be."
"True," Harry said, "I guess it is a worthy sacrifice if it gets the information out there."
Hermione smiled, then looked back at the Quibbler. "I wonder if Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet will give any response to the Voldemort article. It basically proved that Rita's article was dishonest."
"Unlikely," Harry said, "It would only turn the focus to the Quibbler and not their own newspaper."
"True," Hermione conceded, with a nod.
"Though it makes me wonder what Lucius Malfoy would think about it," Harry said, "After all, he was quoted with saying that his family had connections to Riddle."
Hermione snorted. "Can you see someone like Malfoy reading something like this?"
"Good point," Harry said, with a snicker.
Hermione smiled. "Come on. Let's go down to breakfast. We have about an hour and a half before we need to go to Diagon Alley."
Harry agreed and followed Hermione out of the bedroom.
At ten minutes to ten-o-clock that morning, Harry, Hermione and Tonks strode through Diagon Alley toward Gringotts. Tonks was on high alert as she looked around Diagon Alley for any suspicious behavior: for example, anyone looking at Harry for more than a passing glance. Her expression seemed calm as they neared Gringotts, so Harry knew that there wasn't anything too troublesome.
"Harry, Hermione, is it alright if I leave you whilst you're in Gringotts?" Tonks asked, as they reached the front steps, "I realized earlier this morning that I need to go home and pack a few things if I am going to be with you for much of the summer."
"Fine by me," Harry said, "I doubt we'll be in any kind of danger whilst we're with my Vault Keeper."
"I agree," Hermione said. "We should only be a couple hours or so."
"Brilliant," Tonks said, "If you're out of the bank by noon, meet me at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, then we'll head for Sirius' place."
It was mutually agreed and Tonks started off back toward the Leaky Cauldron.
"It is probably a good thing that she didn't come with us," Hermione said, "Because of your – err – appointment, questions would rise from her that we don't want to explain until we speak to Sirius and Remus."
"Yeah," Harry agreed.
They walked into the Atrium of the bank and were immediately met by a Goblin.
"Greetings Lord Potter," the Goblin said, quietly, "The two of you are expected. Keeper Ragnok and Harvester Carver are waiting in one of our meeting rooms. Follow me, please."
The Goblin led Harry and Hermione across the Atrium and toward the same room which they had met with Ragnok during their previous visit the day they came back in time. When they entered the room, they found Ragnok and Carver sitting at the table.
"Keeper Ragnok, Harvester Carver," the Goblin said, "Lord Potter, and his lady friend, are here for your ten-o-clock appointment."
"Thank you, Smokescythe," Ragnok said, "You are excused. Lord Potter, Miss Granger, welcome! Please come and sit down."
Harry and Hermione crossed the room toward the table and sat down across from Ragnok and Carver.
"I'm sure you have been looking forward to this visit," Ragnok said, "So we shall begin. Lord Potter, as soon as we get done with this meeting, the Goblin Healers will be on hand to cleanse you of the Horcrux in your body. A simple transfer ritual will be done. I assure you that our Healers will know exactly what they are doing. I witnessed the transfer ritual when it came to Helga Hufflepuff's Goblet and it was very entertaining. It should be the same with you, even though you are – ah – more delicate than an ancient artifact. No offense meant, of course."
"None taken," Harry said, with a smile.
"And will the procedure be safe?" Hermione asked; Harry could hear the worry in her tone.
"You have my promise, Miss Granger," Ragnok said, "The Healers have guaranteed me that it will be safe. I will be honest with you. The Healers have said there may be a little pain during the removal."
"I've endured my share of pain," Harry said, "I'll do anything to get this damn thing out of my head. Especially if it means that is one more step toward Voldemort's defeat."
Hermione frowned as she glanced sideways at him. Harry took her hand gently and squeezed it reassuringly. She smiled briefly, though Harry could see she was still worried.
"Very well," Ragnok said, "I will turn this meeting over to Carver now."
"Thank you, Keeper Ragnok," Carver said.
Carver snapped his fingers and three boxes appeared on the table. He pulled the smaller of the three boxes in front of him and opened it up, then puled out a folder from it and set it in front of him. Then he looked at Harry and Hermione.
"Ever since we last met a week and a half ago," he said, "myself and my associates have been very busy. It has been many years since a Basilisk has been found in Great Britain. A Basilisk of that size has never been seen in the Great Britain area in known history. Of course, said Basilisk had been down in Slytherin's Chamber for a thousand years or so. So it has had time to grow into the mammoth beast. No Basilisk in the wild would ever have the chance to live that long before it was killed."
"Which is why it was the biggest on record," Hermione said, with a nod.
"Precisely," Carver said. "Suffice it to say, we've had much to do, when it came to cutting up and sorting the various parts. We've had several offers from Apothecaries and other various businesses, as well as offers from those not in businesses, but whom have their own private means. This past weekend we started a silent auction for the various parts, and it has already been fairly successful. The bids continue to rise higher and higher."
Carver opened the folder and looked through various pieces of parchment.
"I have spent many hours counting numbers, averages and predicted totals," Carver said, "And I have come up with a nice round number. That number: 20 Million Galleons."
"Blimey," Harry muttered; beside him Hermione looked gobsmacked.
"Now, not all of it is yours, of course," Carver said, "Most of it, but not all of it. 1.5 million Galleons is being taken away from that sum, as payment to those Goblins in the Harvesting department who have worked on this project."
"I can agree to that," Harry said. "Please tell them that I thank them for a job well done."
"I would be honored to pass on that message," Carver said, "Now, if I remember correctly, you requested six Basilisk skin outfits?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
Carver pushed the two other boxes in front of Harry and Hermione.
"These two boxes hold three outfits a-piece," Carver said.
Harry and Hermione each opened one of the boxes. Harry took one of the outfits. It was colored green, the same color as the Basilisk. It reminded Harry of a ninja outfit he had seen in books. The top was a pull-over shirt, and the bottom resembled sweats. There was even a hood that could be attached to the top.
"If you do not like the color, fear not," Carver said, "It can easily be changed with Color-Changing charms. I am told they look excellent in black. The outfits can fit under or over any of your normal every day clothing. When it is under your clothing, it can easily be hidden from view, aside from the hood. Much like the Basilisk, the armor is immune to most magic."
"Most?" Hermione asked.
"There are theories that the Unforgivable Curses could affect the armor unfortunately," Carver said, with a grimace. "However, the Torture Curse might be less painful. Our Armorers have also made the armor stretchy, so it can fit any height and weight. 'One size fits all' is the phrase I believe. Brickbone, the lead Armorer has figured out the cost of each outfit at 100,000 Galleons a piece. However, for you, he will sell the set for a total of 500,000 Galleons. Buy five, get one free."
"Sounds very reasonable," Harry said, "I agree to the price."
"Brickbone will be quite pleased," Carver said, "Very well. After you take that from the total, you end up with 18 Million Galleons. That is yours, Lord Potter."
"I cannot claim all of it, sir," Harry said, "I wish to give some of it away."
"I thought as much," Carver said, "So we shall move on to that. How would you like to divvy up the total?"
"Two million Galleons to each of the following," Harry said, "All of whom were victims of the Basilisk and the event. Ginny Weasley – and she is the only member of her family who gets to decide what to do with the money. If she wishes to give some of it to her family, so be it."
"Of course," Carver said, "Who else?"
"Colin Creevey," Harry said, "Justin Finch-Fletchley, Penelope Clearwater, and the family of Myrtle Warren. I believe she said she has a living brother somewhere."
"Madam Amelia Bones said she would try to contact Myrtle's brother," Hermione said, "So you could try to find Myrtle's brother through Amelia."
"A good suggestion," Carver said; he was currently jotting down notes on a piece of parchment, "That is ten million so far going out to other individuals. Anyone else?"
Harry smiled and looked at Hermione. "Hermione Granger gets 2 million Galleons as well. No arguments, Hermione. It is only fair."
"I suppose so," Hermione said, with a sigh. "I just didn't expect to get so much. I don't know what to do with that much money!"
"For starters," Harry said, "You should place it in a Vault."
"I would be happy to speak to you about that whilst Harry is with the Healers, Miss Granger," Ragnok said.
"Okay," Hermione agreed, with a nod.
"That brings the total to twelve million, Lord Potter," Carver said. "Six million remaining."
"Four million Galleons goes to Hogwarts," Harry said, "None of it is to be touched by Albus Dumbledore for any personal gain. One million of it goes to the Potions Department – if they wish to buy any of the Basilisk parts, I am sure that money will go toward it. Half-a-million will go to Rubeus Hagrid. Another half-a-million will go to the Hospital Wing. The staff at Hogwarts can decide what to do with the other two million."
"I'm sure they will be thrilled," Carver said. "I assure you I will personally oversee that which goes to Hogwarts, so that the money is not handled irresponsibly. I assume the last two million will go to you?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said, nodding.
He would have rather given it to someone else, but after all of the money he had just given away, he knew Hermione would likely be upset with him if he hadn't kept some of the reward. After all, he was responsible for destroying the Basilisk.
"Very well," Carver said, as he jotted down more notes. "After our meeting is finished, I will send out notices to those who you have donated a part of the fortune too, aside from Miss Granger, who is already here, of course. The portion belonging to Myrtle Warren's family will go in a Vault to be claimed by said surviving family. Do you have any more questions?"
"What about the Basilisk's skull, sir?" Hermione asked, "Aside from its venomous fangs, I'm curious as to what was done with it?"
"Ah, now that is an excellent question," Carver said. "And it moves us on to the next part of the discussion with a nice opening. The skull will soon be on display here at Gringotts, where it will remain for a year. Lord Potter, you will be credited with its claim as seen on a golden plaque. Then it will be transferred to various other branches of our bank around the world, so that others can look upon it. Your story, Lord Potter, will soon be legend amongst the Goblin Nation. In fact, if you do not mind, I'd like to hear a verbal retelling of it. Also, I'd like to obtain a copy of the memory of the event in order to show it to the Goblin Nation. But only with your permission. I can understand if you don't want this to happen."
Harry looked at Hermione, who shrugged and motioned to him as if to say it was his choice. Harry debated inwardly for nearly a minute before he gave his answer.
"Would I have to be present for any of the revealings?" Harry asked.
"No," Carver said, "That would be your choice."
"Then I'm okay with all of it," Harry said.
"Excellent," Carver said, "If you are up to it, I'd like to now hear the retelling in your own words. I understand the Quibbler has the full story, but I have avoided it because I wish to hear it from you."
Already well-practiced in telling the tale, he spent the next fifteen minutes telling the story of his defeat of the Basilisk, including his confrontation with Tom Riddle and rescuing Ginny Weasley. Carver paid absolute attention to Harry, remaining silent as a good audience should, and taking in the story.
"As I mentioned for the Quibbler," Harry said when the tale was over, "Really, it all came down to luck. If it wasn't for the phoenix, Fawkes, and the Sorting Hat which produced the Sword of Gryffindor, the entire thing might have ended in a different and horrible outcome. That is what I wish to emphasize. I was twelve years old, a second year who didn't know half of what I was doing at the time. I apologize, sir, if that isn't what your expected audience would like to hear during the presentations."
Carver only grinned and laughed. Ragnok, too, looked quite amused.
"On the contrary," Carver said, "I believe the 'expected audience' – as you say – will favor such a story more than anything else. Simply because it was the truth and not a fabrication. Goblins value honor even more than we value treasure and gold, Lord Potter. Again, I say this with out any intention of offending you, Lord Potter. No Goblin would expect a twelve year old wizard - even one with an extraordinary past - to waltz in and defeat a seventy-foot, one-thousand year old basilisk without a bit of help and luck."
Harry grinned and shrugged. The Goblin had a point.
"With that said," Carver continued, "It does not matter whether or not luck and assistance played a factor. What matters is this: a twelve year old wizard was brave enough to begin such a task and do his best to survive the confrontation. You went head-on, without knowing the dangers in front of you, and you did it in order to save another's life."
"And I would do it again, if it meant saving another life," Harry said.
"That, Lord Potter," Carver said, "is where the legend will come from."
Harry smiled gratefully and looked at Hermione who had an equal smile on her face.
"Do you know how to remove a memory from your person?" Carver asked.
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
"Again, with your permission," Carver said, "I would like a copy of the memory of your confrontation with the Basilisk. It will be kept behind securely locked doors and nobody but myself or my team will touch it. That is a guarantee."
Harry nodded and placed his wand at his temple. Then he concentrated on the entire memory, before releasing a long silver strand of memory. Carver used his Goblin-magic to conjure a phial and Harry dropped the memory inside.
"Thank you, Lord Potter," Carver said; he stored the phial in the pocket of his vest, "I believe if there are no more questions, we can conclude my part in this meeting."
Harry and Hermione indicated that they had none. Carver voiced a summarized recap of the entire meeting so that Harry could confirm the information, then he motioned for Ragnok to continue the meeting.
"Lord Potter, without further delay, I believe it is time for your appointment with our Healers," Ragnok said. "The process will take thirty minutes approximately, which gives Miss Granger and I enough time to settle the business with her new fortune. If you will accompany me, we can go to our Hospital Wing. You are allowed to come with us, Miss Granger."
Harry and Hermione stood and said a respectful farewell to Carver, who echoed their sentiments. The pair then followed Ragnok through a different door than they had come in. It was soon discovered that the door lead into a rocky, cavernous passage that, in turn, lead deeper into Gringotts. Harry wondered, as he followed Ragnok, just how many humans got the privilege to visit the depths of Gringotts that was not the Atrium or the Vaults below the bank. He didn't think the number was too high, given that this appeared to be where the Goblins of the London branch of Gringotts, and their families, resided.
Even then, it seemed as if they were only visiting a small fraction of the hidden Nation. The trip to the Hospital Wing took less than five minutes, and they had passed by different doors, all of which seemed to lead to meeting rooms. There was no sign of any passageways that lead to residential areas and it appeared that the Goblins lived far deeper than humans were allowed to go.
When they arrived at the Hospital Wing, they were met by three Goblins. One was dressed in what could only be the Goblin version of a Healer's garb. The other two Goblins were obviously part of the security team.
"Lord Potter, may I introduce you to Healer Branchwaithe, our Chief Healer," Ragnok said. "He is the lead expert in the procedure you are about to undergo. He was also part of the team which removed the vile Curse from Lady Hufflepuff's goblet. Healer Branchwaithe, your patient Lord Harry Potter."
"It is an honor to meet you, sir," Harry said.
"The honor is mine," Branchwaithe said, then peered over at Hermione, "I assume this is your mate?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
"Hermione Granger, sir," Hermione said.
"I am sure you worry for your mate, Miss Granger," Branchwaithe said, "But I give my assurance that the patient will be as healthy when he returns to you, as he is now. Probably even more so."
Hermione smiled nervously and looked at Harry. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back. Harry knew this was the only affection she wished to display in front of a group of Goblins.
"I guess I'll see you shortly," Hermione said, "Be safe."
"You have my promise," Harry said.
Harry gave her hand another squeeze then released it.
"In we go, Lord Potter," Branchwaithe said.
Harry nodded and followed the Healer and the pair of security inside.
The next half-hour was both nerve-wracking and exciting.
Harry was asked to completely undress so that his clothes would not interfere with the process. He was understandably nervous doing so in front of Goblins, but they didn't seem to care. He was then ordered to lay down on a hospital bed. On the floor around the bed, rituals were drawn in runic symbols. Harry knew Hermione would be interested in the symbols, as well as the entire ritual, so he tried his best to concentrate on details.
During the first ten nerve-wracking minutes of the process, Harry lay on the hospital bed as Branchwaithe and two other Healers, dressed in the same garb, chanted in Gobbledygook. Harry felt nothing happening for ten minutes and he wasn't sure if anything was actually happening. Then the chanting became louder and Harry felt an enormous pain in his scar, more pain than he had felt before. He had been silenced early on so his voice did not echo or distract the Healers, but he was sure he was screaming at the pain.
Then suddenly the pain and his screams stopped. A new sound was heard. At first, Harry thought he had gone mad from the pain. The sound he was hearing was that of oinking. Harry forced himself to look toward the sound and he found a enormous swine writhing and struggling in a large cage. He had not seen the cage nor the swine before then. The two security Goblins he had met earlier stepped into the cage with axes and swords.
What happened next was a five-minute battle between the two Goblins and the swine. Two minutes in, after the swine seemed to be putting up a fighting chance, Harry had a revelation. The Horcrux which had been in his scar was now inside that swine. The swine was now possessed.
Five minutes after the fight began, five minutes of loud squeals and other sounds from the swine, and curses, grunts and growls from the Goblins, it ended. A whoosh of Goblin metal slicing flesh, a loud painful squeal followed by an even louder scream that Harry had heard before when he had destroyed the locket Horcrux, and the battle was over. The swine was destroyed, and with it, the Horcrux which possessed it.
The two security Goblins walked out of the cage, miraculously alive, and Harry stared at them, concerned.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
The Goblins glanced at each other than Harry and laughed uproariously.
"They're completely fine, I assure you," Branchwaithe said, looking quite amused. "They're probably much better than fine actually. They just broke their own record."
"Er... what?" Harry asked.
"The Goblet Horcrux went through the same ritual you did, Lord Potter," Branchwaithe said, "The Horcrux inside the artifact, and inside you, were transferred into swines, such as the one you saw. The battle with the first swine took nearly ten minutes. They cut their time in half."
"I've never seen a pig fight like that," Harry said.
"The swine was possessed, Lord Potter," Branchwaithe said, "Possessed with the Horcrux which had been inside you. It is quite interesting..."
"What is, sir?" Harry asked.
"Lord Potter, if your mental capabilities were similar to that of the swine," Branchwaithe said, "You too would have been possessed, just like that swine. It is interesting that you were able to hold off such a dark Curse all these years, even when you were a toddler. Even as a toddler, you had far more mental capabilities than a swine."
Harry only nodded, unsure if that was a compliment or not. A thought then crossed his mind. He had been possessed in the previous timeline, the night Sirius died. Voldemort had possessed him. He recalled his conversation with Hermione earlier that week about Snape's Occlumency lessons. It seemed that Snape really had tortured his mind. To the point where it was around the same as that swine. The thought nearly made him sick. He needed to put his mind elsewhere.
"So the Horcrux is destroyed?" Harry asked. "Nothing remains of it inside me?"
"One-hundred percent guaranteed, Lord Potter," Branchwaithe said, "You have my assurance."
"What does that mean... exactly?" Harry asked.
"Nothing like this has ever happened before," Branchwaithe said, "Not in a human, at least. I can only make assumptions as to what will happen. You may discover that your mental capabilities, your magical capabilities, your physical capabilities – they may improve greatly in the future now that you are not being affected by this Curse."
"Would the Curse have given me abilities?" Harry asked, "Some that I may now have lost? For example, I was able to speak Parseltongue. Voldemort could speak Parseltongue..."
"It may have been due to the Curse," Branchwaithe said, "Or it may have been in your genes from the beginning. This you must discover for yourself. Find out, for yourself, what you are capable of. Nobody but you can tell you that."
Harry nodded. "Thank you. For everything."
"You are most welcome," Branchwaithe said. "You may get dressed. After a final check-up, you may be excused."
Harry laughed. "I think I broke my own record. The least amount of time spent in a Hospital Wing."
Branchwaithe laughed out loud.