Disclaimer: Of course I don't own HP. I actually feel very awkward about using someone else's characters and tried to keep this as short as possible. I doubt I'll be able to keep this up that long because it doesn't feel right to use someone else's characters.

NO I do not believe that this will happen in book 7. NO I do not think that one of the horcrux's will be what's in this story (at least I hope not, how awful would that be). Though I think that we should expect something more clever from J.K. than just necklaces and goblets (not that there's anything wrong with that it's just I think that J.K. will come up with something…trickier).

If people actually like this (which I don't see many of them doing) I might do a follow up one of Harry and the woman. Reviews would be nice but I've always been afraid of them so e-mails would be nicer! I didn't have a beta reader for this so pardon the flaws that I've missed!

'Beauty and The Beast' The Last Horcrux

The Crafty One

Harry stood in the semi-empty playground, wand raised and ready to explode with the curse that was on the tip of his tongue. Rage filled every inch of his determined countenance, yet tears threatened to spill and break this confidence.

"You clever bastard…you clever, clever bastard." Harry said through gritted teeth.

Before him was the last horcrux, the thing he had been searching for all his life. The thing that would take down Voldemorts last defense. The thing that would relieve Harry of his suffering and allow him to finally be happy. You would think after all the pain…all the death, ridding the world of this threat would be the easiest choice of his life…but indeed no…it was the hardest.

"Who are you?" The Horcrux asked timidly.

"…I'm Harry." Came a cold and lifeless reply. "Do you know what I am?"

"No."

"Do you know what a muggle is?"

"No."

"Do you know what this does?"

"The stick?"

The horcruxs' blue eyes blinked at Harry and looked at him perplexed. A mist clung to the bars of the surrounding swings and slides as the white light from the street lamp above illuminated the two faces.

Harry lowered his wand as he dropped down to his knees. Around the corner a woman lay stiff and frozen on the street her face holding an expression of fear and deep confusion. He had chased the little girl to this very spot without having the horrible truth register in his mind. A cold sweat ran over his tense muscles as he froze only a few feet away from the child the truth hitting him like a sickening invisible wall.

He had known the horcrux would be something precious to someone, and he had expected the woman to be carrying it. But when he apparated onto the street there was nothing on the woman (other than her clothes) that could've possibly been a horcrux except for…

The Lucky One.

The girl couldn't be more than 6 years old if even that. She was the generic blonde haired blue eyed innocently adorable child that every little girl her age ought to be. A giant image of 'Beauty and The Beast' was plastered onto her pink dress giving her an even more youthful and defenseless disposition.

"What did you do to mommy?"

She was frightened and crying, but not in wailing sobs…they were quiet and pleading almost.

"Don't worry…she's just sleeping a little while."

"I'm not stupid you know!" The little girl blurted out not being able to contain herself. "If she's dead you can…you can…" Words failed her as her lower lip trembled.

"If she was dead I would tell you!"

Harry smiled despite of himself. Probably would too. He thought while looking her squarely in the eye. The smile had seemed to settle her nerves a bit because she looked mildly less scared though her look still told Harry that he was slightly distrusted.

She should be scared and cautious…I would be. The horcrux was starring straight into Harrys eyes, a rare thing for someone to do at first. It was nice to be a nobody to someone and not "the chosen one" or some other thing the media had cooked up, even for just a few minutes. Yet slowly her eyes traveled upwards and rested on the scar.

"What's that?" She asked tilting her head to the side like.

"A scar…" He replied softly temporarily forgetting what she was as he stayed on his knees before her utterly void comprehensible thought.

"Can I…?" She asked curiosity taking over fear and reaching an inquisitive hand out.

Harry nodded pushing back his hair revealing the lightning shaped mark. It burned…burned to have her touch it, but physical pain was something he'd grown a remarkable tolerance to.

He felt oddly connected to the girl once he thought about it (or was able to think again). She had no idea what she was…just like he had not known what he was. She is bound to this sordid affair just as he is. Yet both were on opposing sides…Ah to be blissfully ignorant again, something Harry would've given anything to be once more.

The Only One…

For a long moment the two continued to stare at each other neither knowing what was to happen. A drizzle began to fall about them as a harsh breeze whipped at their skin. It was an eternity there…an eternity of doubt, sorrow…hate.

Finally the silence was broken by a short mirthless laugh from Harry. Tears fell freely down his face as he could no longer bear to look at the child. He stood and paced for a restless minute running a hand through his hair as his other hand gripped and loosened around his wand.

I can't! His thoughts moaned as the girls wide eyes followed Harry's every step. He knew…he knew nobody would ever be able to point a wand against a child…and by the time she's grown he'll already be in power…I can't…but I must…I have to.

Harry felt a small hand tugging on his jeans and looked down into the crystal eyes of the little girl. The world stopped moving in its relentless race around him once more as his mind went blank.

"S'ok…you said she was just sleeping…you didn't mean to hurt her…?"

"No…I never meant to hurt anyone." He hadn't, after all, expected to find a person instead of an object.

The little girl smiled faintly, still unsure about the boy who had the funny mark and acted really weird yet she was unafraid. Harry caught the growing ease in her smile and became anxious once more his mind racing into a million different places at once while his feet stayed firmly planted on the ground.

Why don't you run? Why didn't you hide? Why are you still here, DIDN'T YOUR MOTHER TEACH YOU ANYTHING? Harrys chest was heaving, yet he wasn't moving. His heart was pounding…yet nothing was happening. Of course she doesn't run…she's probably 5 years old! She doesn't know any better.

The little girl didn't know what was more frightening, having some stranger chase you into a playground after making your mother faint or having thus said stranger erupt into what she could only explain as a "spaz attack". Yet a six year old mind has not been around long enough to be tainted by the selfish and judgmental influences of common sense and society. Thus being so generally pure of heart and soul the little girl did the only thing that came to her.

Harry felt a tiny hand clasp his and he didn't even have the heart to look down. His chest stopped heaving and his shoulders slumped with the invisible massive weight of indecision. He could practically feel his hair turning gray like Remus's as he suddenly felt much older than he really was. Harry went down to her level again not even feeling the descent ion, moving with some other force driven within him that had control over his limbs.

The eyes that had not been able to face the girls now looked into them once more as tears swelled and poured one right after the other. He would cry for her now when her minutes were ticking towards forever nothing, and he would cry for her during the long years that she should have been allowed to live.

The girl fidgeted not understanding why the boy was crying or why they were still out when it was about to pour, or why he had come after her and mommy in the first place. She had always felt better when her mommy had held her hand when she was upset, why hadn't this helped?

"Don't cry, Harry." The horcrux said patting his shoulder as Harry cradled his head in hands. "Don't cry."

Harry lifted his head from his hands as he felt the little arms circle around his middle and hug him. Of course he'd have to pick the cutest little girl in the world to be the one…why couldn't she have been just like Dudley? Harry scooped the little girl up in his arms hugging her with a heavy sigh.

Why this? Why couldn't you have used anything else? Why must she have to…Yet Harry knew no matter how long he stalled that the hug would eventually end and he'd be left with the task from before. For the first time the right thing felt so wrong…so cruel. Could he really do what he knew had to be done? Did he have the heart to back up his mind?

Phew! The horcrux thought as Harry set her back down on the ground the tears stopping as a new look came in his eyes. That had always worked whenever mommy was crying and the girls' last desperate attempt to stop the tears worked. Her faint smile of success quickly faded as she saw something strange come over the Harry boy as he began to slowly walk away his hands clenched into tight fists. She tilted her head to the side once more confused and wondering when she could go back to her mommy when the Harry boy turned back towards her again the pointy stick thing drawn.

In the distance an old man sat by the window looking out at the light rain pouring over the neighborhood. As his eyes roamed the rooftops and streets he noticed a peculiar green light go off in the distance immediately followed by an almighty wind that took the light from the street lamps as it swept by.

Alone in the darkness a young man sat in the middle of an abandoned playground rocking back and forth; a limp figure in his arms. His shoulders heaved with each great sob as hoarse words were deafened by the rain.

Only those who have paid can truly know the price of war.