Chapter 5: Finally Free

'Ow,' was all Harry could think as he blinked trying to open his eyes. He didn't remember going to bed, but he was obviously lying on something soft. It didn't smell anything like the Hogwarts infirmary though, so he was confused for a moment.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice interrupted his thoughts and he finally managed to open his eyes. His vision was immediately obscured by the bushy brown curls of his best friend as she hugged him desperately. "How do you feel?" She finally asked pulling back slightly and allowing him to take in the fact that Bill, Ron, Luna, and Kreacher were also in the room though standing back from the bed where he lay. He recognized the room they had talked in earlier as he thought about the question, and realized that aside from the headache, he didn't feel so bad.

"I'm fine," he reassured his friend, "just a bit of a headache." Hermione still looked concerned, her brow furrowed in thought and her teeth worrying at her bottom lip, a tell Harry long ago learned meant she was pondering something.

"I told Bill and Luna about the horcruxes," Hermione stated after several long moments of silence. Harry's brows rose in surprise as he looked over the group of people huddled in the bedroom not sure what to say.

"It was the only way they would let her use the sword on your scar," Ron stated bluntly voice oddly serious. And then it hit Harry, something he had begun to wonder about, but always dismissed because he didn't want to think about it. His scar was a horcrux, and Hermione had used the sword of Gryffindor to destroy it. Some of the horror and shock must have showed on his face because suddenly Hermione had enveloped him into another hug.

"How? How am I still alive?" He managed after Hermione finally released him and the reality of what must have happened sunk in somehow. Ron grinned at the remark surprising Harry.

"Well, she didn't try to slice your head open, just pressed the edge of the sword against the scar which was pulsing and bleeding already. The backlash knocked everyone away from you, but this thick black smoke poured out of your scar with a scream. It was brilliant," his friend declared. Harry blinked at his friend at the commentary.

"It was terrifying," Luna observed quietly and Harry's eyes found hers and took in the fact that they were red rimmed and still wet from tears.

"We were concerned with how the basilisk venom would affect you, but Hermione theorized that you had an immunity to it because of the bite you got when you were twelve," Bill remarked shaking his head slightly. "It was pretty obvious we had to do something though, and Hermione seemed confident it would work."

"Are you sure you only have a headache?" Hermione pressed still concerned and worried that Harry was downplaying other symptoms.

"Just a headache, really, Hermione," Harry did his best to be reassuring knowing that his friends were worried. "How long was I out?"

"Just over an hour," Bill responded easily to the query as Harry pushed himself into a seated position.

"Careful," Hermione cautioned moving her hands as if to push him back down again.

"Hermione, I am fine, really," Harry stated surprised a little himself. His headache was continuing to fade and he felt no desire to stay in bed any longer than he had to. Luckily, Madame Pomfrey was nowhere around to force the issue. He fully intended to take advantage of that fact.

"Harry, you could have died," Hermione reminded him concern clear in her voice.

"But I didn't thanks to you and your quick thinking," he replied resting a hand on Hermione's arm that seemed to want to push him back down on the bed. He wasn't about to think too seriously about that fact that a piece of Voldemort's soul had been inside his scar all these years. He suppressed a shiver not wanting to set Hermione off again.

"Budge up, Hermione," Ron stated reaching out a hand to pull Hermione back and to her feet. She allowed herself to be pulled back and Harry sat up fully and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His headache was nearly gone, so he slowly stood relieved that he wasn't even a little dizzy. The rest of the room seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief, and Harry once again found himself being hugged by his best female friend.

"Bloke needs to breathe, Hermione," Ron reminded her knowing first-hand how tightly Hermione could hug someone when she was worried about them.

"Thanks, mate," Harry managed after taking several deep breathes once Hermione finally let go of him.

"Boys," Hermione fumed frustrated as she turned and exited the room quickly.

"Go," Harry stated softly to Ron nodding his head towards the door Hermione had disappeared through only a moment ago. Needing no further encouragement, Ron went after her hoping to calm her down and reassure her that Harry was, of course, fine. 'Maybe he'd finally get around to telling her how he felt about her,' he thought as he hurried away.

"You may want to take it easy, Harry, and let us know if you start to feel strange or worse, alright?" Bill remarked looking back and forth between Luna and Harry who seemed caught in a staring match that he wasn't sure who would win.

"I will, Bill, thanks," Harry responded and Bill took that as a good sign that the young man truly was okay for now.

"I'll leave you guys to it then," he added before leaving the room as well.

"Master was accepted as Head of the ancient and most noble house of Black, so family grimoire is yours," Kreacher stated reverently handing Harry a thin black book before disappearing with a pop. Harry barely glanced at the book in his hands. Now that he was alone with Luna again he didn't know what to say or do. He took a tentative step towards her only to have her move into his arms sliding her own around him in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," they both stated at the same time only to hold on tighter.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Harry murmured near her ear breathing in the scent of her hair and feeling it calm him. It seemed such an odd thing to him that something as simple as hugging Luna and smelling her hair made him feel instantly better.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Luna replied her voice wavering.

"You didn't hurt me, Luna," Harry assured her puzzled by her remark that she had.

"I told you that you should be fine when putting the ring on, and you weren't. If Hermione hadn't been there…" her voice trailed off into a hiccup and Harry realized that Luna was crying again.

"That wasn't your fault, Luna. I didn't even know that I was a horcrux, or that putting on the ring would affect that. I don't know that anyone could have predicted that," Harry tried his best to comfort her. "Besides, Hermione made the connection and it all worked out in the end." He moved one hand to stroke through her hair knowing that had worked before to soothe her, and was rewarded when he felt her shaking abate and the sniffles taper off slowly. He waited several more moments, then asked, "would you like to check out this book with me?" Luna nodded against his shoulder and he loosened his hold on her drawing back slightly. Luna scrubbed a hand and her sleeve across her face trying to wipe away the tear tracks. A whispered spell left her face feeling scrubbed clean though it did not ease the feelings still churning inside her.

"Stay here or outside?" Harry ventured.

"Outside," was the prompt reply.

"Lead on," Harry directed and then followed Luna from the room.

-DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR—DHR-

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay. I kept meaning to work on this chapter, and I actually intended it to be longer, but it's been so long since I updated, I wanted to give those loyal readers something. I have more plans for this, but not much more already written. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and all the mistakes are my own. Thank you to all those who read, and especially to those who review.