"Lestrange..." Voldemort murmured. He was not thinking of Sylvia's family, but of his loyal follower, Bellatrix Lestrange.
He had entrusted Hufflepuff's Cup to Bellatrix. It was one of his Horcruxes.
Bellatrix had placed the Cup in the Lestrange Vault at Gringotts—her husband Rodolphus's family vault, to be precise.
Rumors had long circulated among Pure-blood families that, ever since the Dark Lord vanished and Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange were imprisoned, the Lestrange family's vaults had all passed to Roy Lestrange.
Voldemort wanted to know whether Hufflepuff's Cup was still safe.
He had begun worrying about it because, during his recent battle with Dumbledore, he had learned that Dumbledore was hunting Horcruxes. To keep them safe, he needed to check on them and hide them better.
He knew his student Will Behrens was close to Roy Lestrange's granddaughter. He intended to have Will find out what he could.
The weather on the day school let out was glorious, with a cloudless, clear blue sky.
Inside Hogwarts Castle, though, feelings were mixed: anticipation, reluctance to leave, relief that exams were over, and the sadness of impending farewells.
Of course, only a few felt that last one. Not everyone had the chance to fall into a cross-border romance.
"Harry, will you come visit me in France this summer?" Sophie Robert blinked at him, reluctant to part. "I'd really like you to."
"Of course, Sophie. Of course." Harry's answer came out a little haltingly as he calculated whether he had enough Galleons.
He and Sophie had made up yesterday. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were leaving today, and they had packed their luggage and come to the shore of the Black Lake to say goodbye to the friends they had made at Hogwarts.
Harry and Sophie clung to each other, oblivious to the murderous look