Hey guys! This little bit of literary chocolate is for tose of you who, like me, have a morbid streak a mile long. I tend to think roadkill is adorable so pardon me if you find some of my humor somewhat too dark. Thanks so much to all of you who read and review on my other stories. I couldn't have made it this far without all of your support. This story is dedicated to my dear friend Megan W. a.k.a Jinxy. Love you darling! I'll always stand by you!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Stuff it, you sods.

Chapter One Till Death Do We Part

Harry tried not to look in the water as they crossed the sizeable underground lake. In the center, Voldemort's Horcrux glowed ominously. The corpses still floated like demented fish just beneath the surface of the water. It sent a shiver down his spine. At least nothing was happening yet. Harry had no doubt that once they got too close to the vessel that held the soul fragment, there would definitely be trouble. But not yet. It was smooth sailing so far, no pun intended. Just himself, Dumbledore, and the dead bodies in the lake.

Dumbledore's thoughts were decidedly less pleasant as the boat bobbed up and down, occasionally brushing gently against the sleeping Inferi. He was watching Harry with a calculating eye. He wanted to see how being close to another Horcrux would effect to boy. Yes, he knew that his pupil was one of Riddle's sick vessels. The question was, what was he going to do about it? If he played his cards right, he could get rid of two horcruxes in one trip. He would have to be quick, though. And wait for the perfect moment. The Inferi would do the rest. As soon as they laid hands on that soul piece, the dead would rise from their watery graves. If anything would kill Harry, being eaten certainly would do the trick. The boat jostled to a stop along the center island.

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Harry grabbed the locket and Dumbledore smiled somewhat hazily at him. The man was acting strange.

"It's safest with you, my boy. Put on so it doesn't fall out of your pockets. If it falls into the lake, there will be no retrieving it." The Headmaster said with an odd sort of solemn contemplation. The moment that they stepped back into the boat, the first shudder wracked it. The thing almost tipped when another large something bumped against it. Harry didn't want to look. He wanted to stare ahead and pretend that those bodies weren't there. That he wasn't standing there with a man he didn't trust in the slightest. Alas, he forced his eyes onto the depths and his stomach dropped. A pair of dead eyes stared up at him from beneath.

"Sit down, Harry. We suddenly have the need to speed up our journey considerably." Dumbledore ordered and lifted his wand.

Harry sat down quick. He was NOT going to get thrown from this boat. The vessel shot across the water, making a large wake as it went. They hit the bodies of the Inferi every few seconds with a sickening thud that had the teen thinking that throwing up sounded really good about then. The waves crashed against the boat, splashing fifty years of half stagnant dead water onto him. A stone cold hand gripped his wrist and Harry couldn't stop the cry of fear that bubbled out of his throat. He jerked away but to no avail for the steel grip held. He turned to Dumbledore for help but what appeared in his mentor's eyes frightened him more than the threat of Inferi waiting on his arm. They hit the shore while Dumbledore was watching him and the two humans were thrown from the boat, onto the hard unforgiving soil. The Headmaster was quick to his feet. Harry, however, was not so lucky. The hold on his wrist had remained and now another 

set was grabbing hold of his ankles. Terror seared through him and the teen began to struggle. Dumbledore watched as the Inferi began to climb over his student with an emotionless gaze. Harry began to scream for him to help but Dumbledore turned around.

" I can get rid of two Horcruxes in one trip. The locket…and you." He stated calmly and opened the doorway to the cave.

The wall sealed shut behind him and Harry's terror filled brain finally registered the pain as a mouth clamped down on his shoulder. The teeth pierced his skin cruelly. His panicked mind raced. He was being eaten?! But no. No other teeth set into his terrified flesh. No other Inferi crawled over him. Just the one. His vision began to fog as the skin around the bite grew cold. He was pulled slowly into the water and began to sink under the frigid waves with the Inferi's forever dead arms wrapped almost protectively around him. Black unforgiving water filled his lungs and he knew no more.

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