Living Death

- chapter thirty one

"I believe there's a Horcrux concealed within Hogwarts.." Harry stated confidently, tapping his fingers on the table before him as he stared ahead in deep thought, "Perhaps in the Room of Requirement.. It makes sense"

It had been a while since the trio had spared you a thought, hunting Horcruxes had become their purpose and they were getting ever closer to destroying them all. They had only just escaped the clutches of Yaxley and the Ministry but found sanctuary in a mundane looking muggle coffee shop, deciding on where next to relocate to continue their search.

"We can't be certain but it's definitely worth considering" Hermione chewed on her lip, "Now he knows we're hunting them, he'll be desperately trying to protect the ones that remain.. If only we had a more cohesive idea of Voldemort's intentions instead of your fleeting visions.."

Harry paused and hummed in a light agreement, he too was growing increasingly frustrated at how restricted his visions were, and how easily Voldemort could manipulate them to suit what he wanted him to see.

"Y/N" Harry's eyes suddenly lit up, earning him a perplexed look from the others. "She was in the company of Deatheaters that day we saw her in Knockturn Alley.. What if she knows about the Horcruxes? If we could find out more about her situation-"

"Yes but.. Harry" Hermione looked up at him with a slightly defeated sigh, "What if she isn't on our side anymore?"

"I think if we can find her, it's worth a shot" Ron shrugged a little, partially agreeing with Harry despite his initial confusion, "Sure she's with a shifty bloke like Malfoy, but she's always been close to him hasn't she?"

"Exactly, why would that change anything now?" Harry suggested, looking at Hermione for some sort of approval as she still seemed anxious.

"We can continue to speculate but I think it could be highly dangerous to try and involve ourselves with her right now" Hermione shook her head slightly. She wanted to believe that you were on their side but this wasn't school anymore, they had to be more careful now.

"Just because she has a thing with Malfoy doesn't make her a Deatheater" Ron joked with a light chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Wait- That must be it" Hermione fell silent suddenly and her eyes darted around a little as a realisation hit her, everything beginning to make sense. It was a reach granted, but the more she thought about it, the more it was the only explanation.

Harry and Ron both looked at her with slight concern, Ron resting his hand on hers on the table for reassurance as they tilted their heads closer to listen.

"How did I not consider it before?" Hermione looked up to them both with a distressed expression, shaking her head at the awful realisation "She'll have to become one of them"

"Y/N? A Deatheater? Surely not" Ron looked at Harry with a raised brow, not entirely convinced but with a lingering worry etched on his features.

"How do you suppose she's still alive then?" Hermione added with another slight shake of her head, leaning into them closer before whispering lowly "That would explain why she was no longer hiding, or at the castle for that matter"

Harry rested his chin on his hand, staring ahead in thought. He had seen the dark mark surface in his visions lately, it appeared to be on the forearm of a girl, but he didn't think it held much significance, not even mentioning it to Hermione or Ron.

"I have seen a girl's arm with the dark mark in my visions.. I assumed it to be Bellatrix Lestrange or another high ranking Deatheater.. but perhaps I was mistaken" He looked to Hermione with that same sudden realisation. "What if it's unwillingly? Draco must be one by now surely, maybe she was pressured into it, or maybe it's some sort of punishment?"