By Loralee
Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry PotterPost HBP
It was the shock, they would agree later that kept them pinned in their seats, the shock that an unknown could walk in to the secure meeting, the shock that no one had thought to change the wards after Dumbledore's death. They would agree that it was good that Moody was dead or he would have killed them all for their lack of vigilance.
It had been a typical meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. They all would voice their opinions loudly, repeatedly, angrily. They would argue, bitch and moan and in the end each time Potter would go out and do what had to be done. He stood there each meeting watching from the shadows, never taking sides.
That night, when the cloaked figure staggered into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place they'd once again been arguing about the Horcruxes. Two still could not be found, Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's brooch. The man hidden in the dark cloak stumbled into the kitchen and the vaunted Order sat still, shocked and only watched as the man staggered to Potter and sunk to his knees.
Potter's wand was the only one out as the man emptied the grimy bag at Potter's feet, the golden cup of Hufflepuff clanking against the filigreed brooch of Ravenclaw. One dirty hand pushed back the hood as the other offered up a wand, hilt first.
"Potter, I've done as Albus asked," he croaked, "I'm tired, my life, my magic and my soul are yours to do with as you choose."
They sat there as Severus Snape offered up the ritual oath; they sat and watched as Harry Potter, wand pointed directly between Snape's eyes, considered those words. They hardly dared to breathe as Snape calmly waited for Potter's decision, life or death.
"Legilimens!" came the unexpected spell
Harry tore through Snape's shields. Snape tried to cooperate, to lower them but he'd held them so long that it was most painful. Harry didn't wait. Snape stiffened and started to shake at the pain of the memories Harry was dredging up.
Faster and faster they came, his childhood, Hogwarts, Marauders, Malfoy, Voldemort, Dumbledore. The images slowed, the unbreakable vow, Dumbledore's orders, the Horcrux search, and Voldemort's location. As Harry withdrew from his mind he pitched over into the blessed relief of unconsciousness, 'with luck' came his last thought 'I won't wake up.'
AN: I keep thinking I'll expand this one but I have quite a few projects in the works now so it probably won't get done.