Harry was feeling slightly guilty keeping the horcrux thing a secret from Ron and Hermione. He knew that they would want to know about it and they would want to help destroy all them. The problem with that was that Harry was not sure if he should destroy them. Granted Voldemort's tactics were horrific and obviously terrible, but his plans and ideas were pretty much in synch with Harry's own. Harry had read through most of the books that he had discovered at Grimmauld and was thoroughly convinced that was the reason behind Voldemort's insanity. In fact, Harry was pretty sure that the horcruxes were the reason that Voldemort had the homicidal tendencies he was now known for. From what it looked like in his past, the actual killing of humans had never been on his radar. Tom had been crazy, but it seemed like he enjoyed the mental and emotional torture far more than killing anyone... Not that torture was okay but-
Harry groaned and rolled over to hide his head in his pillow. It was far too early to deal with any of this. It was Christmas morning and Harry decided to take a break from all of the worrying and nonsense that was going on. It was five in the morning though so there really was not much else to think about. Unless you counted the numerous naps that he had been taking lately, and yes some of them were actually naps. He had made a habit of disappearing around two in the afternoon basically everyday. It served three purposes: it made it a hell of a lot easier to sneak out and go to Grimmauld when no one was expecting him to show up until dinner, it gave him time to read the books that Kreacher brought, and it let him catch up on sleep he missed because of Voldemort induced nightmares. In the end it was basically an excuse to get away from the noise and excitement that came from the Weasley's. He rolled over again and grew annoyed, he needed to do something.
A glance out the window showed him that the sun was up and that was good enough for him. Changing out of his pajamas and grabbing a jacket and gloves, Harry pulled open the window. With a last check that Ron was still an incredibly heavy sleeper Harry grabbed his broom from under the bed and slipped out the open window into the morning air. Harry pushed himself to see how fast he could go and could not help laughing as the wind whipped his hair around his head. Eventually though he slowed down to crawl and took the time to look around him. It really was gorgeous sitting up in the air staring out at the white blanket over everything. Harry found it ridiculously easy to turn off his brain and relax.
Eventually he heard noise coming from the Burrow far behind him and turned his broom to slowly make his way back towards his makeshift family. Or as close to a family as Harry ever hoped at getting. He sighed as he continued over to the crooked house. He knew that most of the family was hoping that he was going to marry Ginny, but he really did not want to. After the disaster relationship with Cho the year before, Harry was really wondering if he was ever even going to find a decent relationship. Ginny was adorable, sweet, tough, and powerful, but she was also his little sister. It would kind of be like one of the Weasley boys marrying her. As much as he wanted to be a part of this family, he really did not think that marriage would be the solution. He touched down gently and slid off of his broom shaking off his thoughts, today was a day of celebration.
He stepped into the kitchen and kicked off his wet shoes before hurrying up to Ron's room to change and put his broom away. He woke up Ron, much to the other boy's displeasure, and slipped down the stairs to see if he could help with breakfast. Harry got assigned pancake duty and was purposefully mixing the batter as he talked with Mrs. Weasley and Hermione. The meal was eventually finished and Harry was once again amazed at how everyone woke up just in time to eat without helping to cook. He grinned as he mentioned this to Mrs. Weasley who just laughed and said that it was an ingrained talent of Weasley men. They gathered around the table and enjoyed a loud, messy breakfast before Ron and Ginny became impatient for opening gifts under the tree. Eventually the Weasleys gave in and cleaned the table before migrating into the next room to hand out presents.
Harry always loved Christmas. As he sat among the torn paper and hugging family members Harry could not help but feel as if he was a part of something. Just as Ginny had finished opening up her last gift (being the only girl seemed to include gifts galore) a large bird came flying through an open window dropped a package in Harry's lap and flew out. The entire room froze for a single instant and everything was silent as Harry stared at the green and silver gift in his lap. He smiled and reached for it, guessing who it was from, and his movement sparked the rest of the family into a conniption. Several hands reached to block Harry and to take the package. And Harry flinched back without thinking and threw himself over the couch to hide, the gift held tightly against his chest. Every pair of eyes in the room blinked at him in shock.
"Sorry, guys. You all kind of surprised me."
Hermione broke through the silence first, "Harry that package could be dangerous, you shouldn't open it. Let someone test it before you decide to open it."
Harry laughed, "Nope, don't think so! It's like the Firebolt all over."
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley admonished him, "You don't even know who it's from, be reasonable about this."
"Actually I do know who it's from, I am being reasonable. A friend wanted to send me a gift, that's all."
Ron seemed shocked, "And who exactly are you friends with besides me and 'Mione?" He managed to growl out sounding like a jealous prat.
Several people in the room inhaled sharply at his words and responded with several different hands slapping across the back of his head. While Ron complained about abuse and everyone assuming the worst, Harry took advantage of their distraction. He peeled off the silver ribbon and pulled back the dark green paper, a piece of parchment began to fall and Harry quickly shoved it into his pocket before looking at his gift. He uncovered two books and could not help the smile that covered his face as he laughed. At the happy sound the room grew quiet again and the twins hurried over to see what Harry got that was so amusing. When they saw the books genuine smiles came across their face as they laughed with Harry and George felt free to clap a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, Harry, looks like you can start learning now."
"Know that you've wanted to for a while, mate."
"We just have to-"
"request that you-"
"try out all of your creations-"
"With us as taste-testers!" Harry beamed up at the twins as he held the books to his chest, the smile never fading.
Finally, Ginny gave in to the temptation, "What books are they Harry?"
Harry turned them so that the rest of the group could read the covers. One of them was bright orange and seemingly a muggle book the title read The Idiot's Guide to Baking and Desserts. The other was a bright purple and had the picture of a pretty witch stirring something while winking up at them, the words across the top referred to it as A Witch's Handbook for Delicious Desserts. They all looked flabbergasted before they all started to laugh at the sight of a grinning Harry with cookbooks. After a while, Harry realized what they were laughing at and the smile fell from his face. The words that they were gasping out felt like knives to his heart and he began to back away from the horrified twins and towards the stairs.
"What a joke?"
"Why would Harry cook?"
"Do they think he's gay?"
"Crazy, right?"
"What a good joke!"
"Harry, would hate cooking!"
"It would make him seem gay!"
"We were worried about a practical joke!"
One comment about how wrong it was to be gay and Harry felt as though his world had collapsed around him. So he did the only thing he could. Harry ran. He sprinted up the stairs and grabbed his broom, shoved some clothes in a small bag along with the books, and threw his invisibility cloak over his shoulders before sneaking down the stairs. He stood at the foot of the stairs listening to Fred and George yelling at their family. They drowned out the protests of Harry never saying anything by valiantly pointing out that he told the twins and that there was obviously a good reason to avoid telling them.
Not wanting to hear anything else he slipped past them and into the kitchen, out the back door and into the yard. He straddled his broom and kicked off. Ron's voice cut through the wind in his ears and Harry pushed himself faster. He needed to get away, but no matter how fast he flew the wind could not drown out the words that rattled around in his skull. He eventually landed among a group of trees, unable to fly with tears leaving tracks on his now dirt streaked face. He buried his face in his arms as he slid down the trunk of a tree, he drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep filled with harsh words and condemning faces.
"Harry's not gay! My best friend is not some perverted, sick person! That would just be disgusting! He's not a freak!"
(0,0)
Harry woke the next morning feeling stiff, sore, and with a massive headache. Someone was calling his name, but Harry kept quiet and drew his cloak closer to himself. He recognized the voice of Mrs. Weasley saying that they did not mean to upset him, that he needed to come back, that they would make everything right. Harry barely held in a bitter laugh at that statement, how could they make him being gay seem right? Especially after all of the things they had all said, it seemed like he was down to three people in the world who actually liked him. He heard the sound of parchment when he tried to straighten his legs out in front of him. Abruptly he remembered the card from Draco and pulled it out hastily to read it. He smiled at the little note loving the small words that suddenly meant so much more than they were meant to.
Harry,
Just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas! I wanted to give you something that you really wanted, besides this proves that I was actually listening to you doesn't it?
I hope you enjoy your books, just remember that you have to let me try some of your goodies after you have perfected them.
DM
Harry smiled again has he thought of Draco's reaction to his letter and his gift. Harry had debated getting him the cloak, after all it was really expensive, but he had decided it was worth it and placed an order to be delivered to Draco yesterday. He had also asked Kreacher to find him a book on developing spells from the Black library and had wrapped it up in gold paper before tieing a red ribbon around it. He dropped his head back against the tree and wished that the bird had come earlier or later so that Harry could have been alone when he opened them, but apparently that would have made life too easy for the Boy-Who-Lived. He snorted and reluctantly pulled himself up to his feet. He pulled his cloak tighter around him and swung a leg over his broom again before taking off into the sky, looking for a road so that he could call the knight bus. He was ninety percent sure that it would be able to get to him here, but he would rather take the time to cool his temper first. By time he found a road that was free from muggles, breakfast had been long ago and the sun was beginning to set. He pulled out his wand and called for the Knight Bus. He asked to be taken to the same spot as before. When he came upon his godfather's house he slipped inside and into his old room, which was surprisingly clean. Kreacher brought him a sandwich and he thanked him before laying on his bed and letting his thoughts carry his exhausted body off to sleep once again.
(0,0)
Harry woke to the sound of an owl tapping on his window. He smiled when Hedwig's head came into sight and quickly got up to open the window. She was carrying several letters and they looked as though they all came from the Weasley's. Harry quickly penned a note to the family saying that he was safe, but really wanted to be alone for a while. He promised to meet everyone at King's Cross when they were heading back to school and sealed it before handing it to an excited Pig who had apparently tagged along with Hedwig. When the little brown owl disappeared Harry pulled out a clean sheet of parchment and penned a letter to Draco asking him to meet at the safe cafe the next day at noon if it was possible. Harry asked Kreacher to retrieve the rest of his things from the Burrow without being seen and the house elf nodded at the sight of his master's distraught face and went to complete the task without complaint. And if Ron happened to wake up with spiders on his bed, well it was a shame that he had to go and hurt Kreacher's master, wasn't it?
(0,0)
Harry was reading still, he had received a note from Draco that said they would have to wait another day, unless it was urgent. Harry responded that it was not and he would see Draco then. Since then he had been reading. He took small breaks now and then to eat the food that Kreacher bought him and to sleep, but otherwise he read. He was halfway through the fifth book when he found a list of symptoms to see if an animal was being used as a horcrux. The signs all pointed to Nagini. The horcrux was able to understand their master in any language. Could be possessed by their creator at will. Developed resistance to curses; especially ones that controlled the mind. They began to possess traits of their creator's. They often were given an extended life span and were able to heal faster and more efficiently than others of their kind. Harry almost wished he was a horcrux- especially with the number of times he had been in the hospital wing at school. He snorted remembering all of the times that he had talked Madame Pomfrey into letting him leave early because he felt fine. He remembered that when he had to regrow his arm bones second year that Madame Pomfrey had been stunned by his appearance the next morning. Apparently, skelegrow was supposed to be extremely exhausting for the user, most people had to stay in bed for at least a couple of days. Harry tried to tell her that he just healed fast but-
The book fell to the floor with a crash as Harry sprang to his feet. Harry began pacing back and forth around the study as his mind whirled at the implication. His black hair was spinning about his head as he fervently shook his head in denial. Hell, no. This could not be happening. He picked up the book and looked over the list again, obviously he was wrong. Quick healing did not automatically make him a horcrux, that would be ridiculous. He read the first sign again.
A horcrux is able to understand their creator and all other horcruxes, thus giving them the ability to protect their creator and the shard of the soul it carries. Voldemort often spoke to Nagini, and no one could understand that except another...parseltongue. Harry bit his lip, okay two signs but that still meant nothing. Dumbledore had already told him that Voldemort had passed some of his powers to him when he died. That did not necessarily mean that-He cut himself off and looked at the next sign.
By using a live container for a horcrux, the creator establishes a connection to their mind that allows for possession and mind control. That was ridiculous, Harry had never been possessed by Voldemort- Well except at the Ministry which obviously did not count because he could have possessed anyone at that point in time. The visions were just convenient so that he could defeat him, after all they were destined to kill each other. Of course there was that one time in Voldemort's office where he had wanted to kill the headmaster but-
Due to the aforementioned connection these creatures develop a resistance to mind controlling spells and potions, such as the Imperious and Amortentia. Harry had absolutely no resistance to mind control. How many times had Dumbledore fooled him? Although he could throw off the Imperious curse, but that was because he was as stubborn as the day is long.
Due to the direct contact between souls, the horcrux will develop and retain a number of traits from the creator. Like what? Harry looked like his dad, was in Gryffindor like his parents. Was loved by friends and his adoptive family. He shut down the voice reminding him of his incredibly strong magic and the Sorting Hat's wish for him to be placed in Slytherin. That was obviously just a coincidence.
A horcrux is automatically protected by strong magic, such magic will often prevent the horcrux from becoming ill and will increase their life span as well as resistance to many spells that could cause harm. Harry tried to think of the last time he had been ill, he thought it was when he was six and caught the chicken pox. The doctor's had marvelled at the fact that he was only sick for a day. He also seemed to have a natural talent for dodging spells and curses that were flung his way, but that was just good training, right?
In an attempt to protect the horcrux, the creator is unable to harm the horcrux in anyway unless that is the wish or expectation of said horcrux. That solves the problem right there! How many times had Harry been harmed by Voldemort? The man had injured him frequently and often. His mind quickly broke through pointing out that he had always been expecting pain. Besides that he had never been permanently injured and Voldemort had never been successful in killing him, of course Harry had never expected to die.
Oh. My. God. Harry's mind was really and his knees gave out as he fell to the floor. All of the questions that Dumbledore had never answered suddenly made sense. He could speak Parseltongue because of the soul. He healed fast because of the soul. Everything was because of the soul. Because of Voldemort's soul. Because of Voldemort's bloody horcrux. Harry stared at the wall in the horror of what that meant.
Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was a Horcrux for the insane Lord Voldemort.
