The Eighth Horcrux

Chapter 6: Why Can't You Just Go

The next morning, the golden sun rose over the tall trees, casting a rose-tinted glow over the auror camp and the woods beyond. Everything was still with the exception of the boy with floppy brown hair and a lightning shaped scar wandering through the trees outside the magical barriers of the camp, his hands in his pockets and his face turned up to the sky. All of the sudden, a familiar figure with sharp brown eyes and wavy chestnut hair appeared by the stream a ways ahead of him.

"Hermione!" Harry cried, running towards her. "You got the owl! We sent it really late last night and I wasn't sure when you could get here if you were busy or..."

"I came as quickly as I could," she said, closing the remaining distance between them and hugging him tightly. "What's going on?"

Harry told her about Alex, Matt, and Salome, about Voldemort's return, how Alex was the eighth Horcrux, and Voldemort's threats that prevented Alex from telling wizards what was happening.

Hermione was silent for a moment, and then finally said, "Do you trust her?"

"Alex?"

Hermione nodded.

"Yes," he said firmly. "I really do believe that she is telling the truth and that she isn't a Death Eater anymore. She told the Ministry about them, remember? What reason would she have to make this up? And besides, we don't have a choice. If we ignore this, he could take over the world."

"Okay," Hermione nodded slowly. "That makes sense. I would like to meet them... Alex, Matt, and Salome."

"Now?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Before everyone else wakes up."

Harry and Hermione made their way back to camp and to the tent Alex, Matt, and Salome were sharing.

**********

That morning, Matt woke up before the sun rose, while the sky was no longer the inky color of night, but that strangely iridescent blue it always turned just before the fire of the sun graced the horizon. He thought about the last few days. How of all of the things that had gone through his mind as to what might be the reason why Alex was upset, this had definitely not been one of them. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around all of it; he felt as if he had been thrust into another world. As hard as he tried, he couldn't picture Alex doing any of the things she said she had done. Every time he looked at her, he tried to imagine her murdering someone, but he couldn't do it. She had never been anything but genuinely kind to him and the rest of the cast on Who in the time he had known her. In his eyes, that overshadowed her past. Of course what she had done was horrible, but it was who she was now that mattered. Matt was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly sprung off of the cot in surprise when he heard a light tapping on the canvas of their tent. Alex was still fast asleep next to him, her hair covering half of her face. He smiled, gently brushing it away, before getting out of bed, throwing on a t-shirt, and opening the flap of the tent. Harry and a girl he had never seen before with brown hair and a serious expression were standing outside.

"Sorry to wake you up," said Harry, "but we need to talk to you. This is Hermione."

"Nice to meet you," Matt put out his hand awkwardly.

Hermione shook it firmly. "You too. I wanted to talk to you now while no one else is awake. Harry told me what's going on."

"Right," Matt ran a hand through his hair. "Of course. Come in. They're still asleep-Alex and Salome. I'll go get them. You can just have a seat in the kitchen."

Harry and Hermione stepped inside and sat down at the table.

Matt went back to the bedroom area and saw that Alex was awake, sitting up in bed. She looked adorable with her curls sticking up at different angles around her head.