HARRY POTTER :flash forward.

"That's one unresolved issue being investigated," said Daphne as she turned back from watching Hedwig leave. "What others are there?" "My list I wrote up when we first got back is already complete," said Harry. "Well, all except for getting Dumbledore to go after the ring."

"Do we have to wait until the summer break to let him go after it, then?" asked Hermione. "Can we send him earlier?"

"How do we get him to go after it?" asked Harry.

"Tell him you had a vision?" she asked back.

Shaking his head, he said, "No. I don't want him thinking about my scar being a horcrux anymore."

"Actually, yes, you do," said Daphne. "He's not going to be around when all this comes to a head, anyway. Let him think the soul fragment is still there. At least, for now. Tell him it's not after he gets the ring."

"Tell him you had a dream about some old shack with a dead snake nailed to the door," explained Hermione. "And that, somewhere within the dream, you saw a large ring with a big dark green stone affixed to it. And make special mention of how the stone is engraved with the triangle-circle-line symbols you read somewhere was the Mark of Grindelwald."

"The Mark of Grindelwald?" asked Daphne.

"Actually it's the Mark of the Deathly Hallows," explained Harry. "But, Grindelwald also used it."

"Ah!" said Daphne, understanding. "And the stone is the Resurrection Stone. Got it."

"If the ring is destroyed before Voldemort's resurrection, will that stop the resurrection?" asked Hermione.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "Nagini's already a horcrux. That'll keep his soul anchored enough to allow the resurrection to go ahead."

All three sat for a few moments with their own thoughts, before Daphne asked, "What else?"

"Hmm?" issues?"

asked

Harry.

"Oh,

outstanding

When she nodded back, he thought about it and said, "Getting Madam Bones to dig that tunnel under the Bones Mansion."

"Just as with Madam Longbottom, we'll send her a note and ask her to come pay us a visit," said Daphne. "This time, though, we'll bring her up here."

"That's the easy part," sighed Harry. "The hard part is convincing her to do it, and for her to not let anyone else know she's doing or done it, not even her guards."

"Explain how you believe the Death Eaters will soon be active, again," explained Daphne. "Don't worry about mentioning Riddle when you do. We'll tell her how our research into the activities of the Death Eaters in the previous war showed that their modus operandi was to throw up both anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards over the top of the existing wards, then attack."

"Use the attack at the Quidditch World Cup as an example," added Hermione.

"And what do we tell her when she asks why?" asked Harry. "Tell her you cannot tell her; with emphasis on the 'cannot'," suggested Daphne. "Let her come to the conclusion it's because of a Wizard's Oath."

"She also needs to get it done fast," said Hermione. "She was killed in early July."

"Next year, love," corrected Harry. "I can't remember anyone we know who was killed before about June next year. And Scrimgeour was killed about a month later."

"The 1st of August," added Daphne. "That was about a month after Fudge resigned in disgrace and was killed a few days later."

"And Mister Fortescue was dragged off by Death Eaters about that same time, too," said Harry. "So was Garrick Ollivander." "Yes, but that was because no one would believe Riddle was resurrected until the Battle of the Ministry in June next year; and he didn't want anyone to know, either," said Hermione as if she hadn't heard Daphne and Harry mention the other three wizards. "I take it you plan on everyone knowing Riddle is alive earlier? Such as, immediately after the third task?"

Harry sat back and thought about that. "Actually, why would I?" he mused.

"I mean, he really didn't do anything until the Battle of the Ministry except build up his forces... Of course," he sighed. "That was most of the problem, wasn't it? The year gave him the time to build up his forces."

"There were attacks on muggles," corrected Hermione. "That was Death Eaters - partying," said Harry. "I doubt, very much, they did so under Riddle's orders."

"Yes, but that was because he was mainly focussed on how to get the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries," she replied. "Wasn't there an Unspeakable who was Imperiused and sent in to get it?"

"Bode," he replied. "When was that? April next year?"

"Earlier, I think," she replied. "Someone then placed a Venomous Tentacula or a Devil's Snare or something in his room at Saint Mungo's while he was recovering. It killed him."

"So, do we force the issue to 'out' Riddle earlier, or not?" asked Daphne, bring things back on track. "Earlier," her bondmates replied together.

"Then, Madam Bones is going to need to get that tunnel built as quickly as she can," she firmly said.

"Owl her," Harry firmly instructed. "We need to see her as soon as possible."

"Anyone else we can save we know of already?" asked Hermione.

"Let's see," he mused. "Mad-Eye... the real one... was killed during the movement of me from Privett Drive to the Burrow a couple of days before my birthday."

"Well, that event won't happen this time, so there's no need to warn him," mused Hermione. "Hedwig, too," she said with a worried glance at Harry. "Yeah," he softly said.

She didn't know if he realised he'd verbalised that.

"Most people we're close with or know were killed at the Battle of Hogwarts," she said. "Of course, there're also those who disappeared through the Voldemort-ruled Ministry sanctioned pogrom against muggleborns. Neither of which will occur this time around."

"Umbridge," he half-growled. "That bitch goes down, first chance I get."

"So," said Daphne, breaking both out of their maudlin reveries. "On the 'To-Do' list is: Get Madam Longbottom to find out what's happening about the Order of Merlin; get Madam Bones to dig her tunnel; send Dumbledore after the ring. Do we save Fudge, Scrimgeour, Fortescue, Ollivander, et cetera?"

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