Summer Quidditch

Harry returned to the Burrow, saying to Molly and Arthur that he had just wanted to look around his parent's home, and no, he hadn't found anything. But he gave a small jerk of the head to Ron and Hermione, which could have easily passed as a twitch to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Ginny, catching on, followed the trio as they walked up the stairs to Ron's room.

"Gin, go back to mum and dad." Ron said, glancing at his sister.

"It's ok Ron, she can come." Harry said. He didn't want to be alone with Ron and Hermione until he started getting comfortable with the fact that they were together. Ron rolled his eyes and slid his arm around Hermione's shoulders, who slid her arm around Ron's waist.

Harry nearly toppled down the stairs he was laughing so hard. Hermione and Ron seemed so awkward around each other that it was quite cute and hilarious. It was like they were both in their first relationship.

"Alright." Harry said as Ginny closed the door to Ron's bedroom behind the 4 of them.

"Did you find a horcrux?" Hermione asked.

"A what?!" Ginny looked very confused, so the golden trio quickly explained. Ginny said an inappropriate word and looked up at Harry.

"Cunning, isn't he?" She said, before sitting on the floor, crossing her legs.

"Too much for his own good." Ron jerked his head to get a piece of hair out of his eyes, in an obvious attempt to impress Hermione. But he hit her in the face with his red hair, smacking her nose.

"Ron!" she said, rubbing her check. Ron turned red. Harry gave them both a look as though he was concerned they were receding in age, and then continued.

"I found what I suspected to be one. Ravenclaw's charm bracelet. (A/N while I was rereading HP6, I saw that there was already a suspected Hufflepuff horcrux, so I switched the bracelet to being Ravenclaw's)

"Sweet." said Ginny blankly, watching Ron's Chudley Cannons poster, where the team was passing the quaffle back and forth between each other.

"Well, I used a piece of concrete to break it, but it seems too easy. Maybe it was his first horcrux, and he needed practice or something." Hermione nodded.

"But something's been worrying me." Harry added uneasily. "You know how Voldemort -stop whimpering, Ron- has a connection with me? And Dumbledore says -said- that it was just because of a powerful curse? And maybe the bracelet was his first horcrux? So he wouldn't have been very good at it, right? And it probably had it on his mind when his killed my parents? Well- what if- what if I'm a horcrux?" Everyone exchanged glances.

"I suppose it's possible-" Hermione began.

"That would be weird." said Ginny.

"Well, then, Voldemort couldn't kill you. He'd destroy a piece of his soul! But he probably doesn't know you're a horcrux, he could kill you and end up killing himself. But no, the prophecy said that neither can live while the other survives, you can't both die…" Hermione began rambling, but Ron cut her off.

"Yeah, thanks, Hermione, that would have been really confusing if you hadn't said it so logically." Ginny laughed.

"Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs.

"I would just like to talk to Dumbledore." Harry said, walking down the stairs. "It would make things easier." Hermione looked perplexed, but then lit up.

"Oh but Harry, you can!" Harry gave her a look. "His picture! In his old office! They can talk!" This certainly lightened Harry's mood and he ate dinner happily.

The Hogwarts Express

Harry did quite a lot of thinking in the month leading up to his return to Hogwarts. He finally decided that he would go, that he needed to talk to Dumbledore's picture on the wall of his old office (in the remaining time at school last year when Dumbledore was dead his picture simply slept, perhaps Harry could wake him up), and another year of learning could help him defeat Voldemort.

The day of leaving for school, everyone got up at the crack of dawn. Mrs. Weasley made eggs and toast, while everyone ate a bit slower than usual. After all, everyone except Ginny could use magic to collect their things.

"Oh, please help!" Ginny cried, exasperated, 10 minutes before they left. She had just begun packing that morning. Ron laughed, but Harry took pity on her. With a few waves of his wand, he flew Ginny's things into her trunk and sent it downstairs.

"Oh, thank you!" Ginny flung her arms around Harry's neck, but let go rather quickly.

They disapperated, Ginny doing side-along with her mother. For once, they were on time. Finding a compartment was easy, since they arrived at least 10 minutes before their normal time.

"Good summer?" asked Neville, sliding into the compartment.

"Pretty good, yes." Harry answered. Ron and Hermione were getting their prefect assignment, and Ginny was looking for Luna. They all returned together, saying hello to Neville. They train began to leave and footsteps stopped at their door. In stepped a 6th year Gryffindor that Harry had never talked to.

"Hello, Ginny." He said, sitting next to her.

"Hello, Jack. Everyone, this is Jack Smith, he's in my year."

"Hello." Everyone said in unison. Harry looked questioningly at Jack and Ginny, then looked out his window at the rolling countryside blurring past him. Conversations began, but Harry preferred not to talk. Ron and Hermione were discussing whether Snape would be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher again, or if he had left. Neville and Luna were sitting together, reading the Quibbler. Jack and Ginny were talking, and everyone so often Jack would say something that would make Ginny giggle and blush.

Harry felt very left out and wondered if Ginny and Jack were together. When he leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back, Harry promptly excused himself to go look for the snack cart and did not return until five minutes before they reached Hogwarts.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked.

"Just for a walk. Oh, look, we're here. Bye again." Harry stalked off. The others exchanged confused glances and shrugs. The sky that stretched above Hogwarts was painted with gorgeous streaks of pink, orange, and red. The sun was visible in the distance, a single sliver of a great ball of fire.

The castle loomed up ahead, standing stately against the sunset, like a storybook. Harry could not remember ever getting to Hogwarts this fast, and figured that this would be a good boat ride for the first years. With a glance back at his friends, Harry stepped into the nearest threstral- drawn carriage. He was soon followed by Ron and Hermione, who were holding hands and looking at the remaining slice of sun disappear over the horizon as the sky faded to slate gray.

It was a very quite ride, but the peacefulness ended there. The walk up to the castle was indeed uneventful, but, upon entering, Harry felt a great ball of anger rise inside of him. Severus Snape stood at the front door. Hermione squealed and buried her face in Ron's shoulder, but Harry drew his wand, stepping away from the great crowd of people that were quite unaware of the fact that Snape had murdered Dumbledore the previous year.

"Potter. Get in the castle. And put away your wand." Harry knew that Snape didn't know that Harry knew that Snape was a murderer. (A/N: I hope that makes sense!) But he could not restrain himself. He glared angrily at Snape and ignored his remark.

"Inside, Potter. Or perhaps you are too famous to follow orders?"

"I will never listen to you! You're a murderer and a Death Eater and I hate you!" Harry raised a fist and punched his teacher before he could even consider what he was doing. Snape, however, looked like he had been expecting this.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, boy."

"Oh, I understand perfectly! You killed Professor Dumbledore!" Harry could not control himself. He pressed his hand on Snape's arm; right where he knew the Dark Mark lay imprinted in his flesh. Snape screamed in pain and cursed inappropriately.

"Potter! My office! NOW!" He bellowed, dragging Harry way from confused onlookers. Harry followed, stomping loudly and angrily. People stared, Hermione and Ron looked horrified. They started to follow.

"Granger! Weasley! Dining Hall!" Snape yelled at them, pointing to the giant room. They did as they were told, though reluctantly. Harry had never seen Snape so angry. Not even when he had found Harry looking in the pensive. Veins throbbed out of his neck, and his already stony black eyes looked even colder. They reminded Harry of the Chamber of Secrets.

They stepped into another passageway, and down a flight of stairs. And another. And another. The old, bitter air stung at Harry, seeping in through his robes and veins, streaming through his blood, and chilling him to the core. Snape threw open the door to his office, and the instant Harry set foot on the cold, damp stone floor, he flung the door shut. It locked with a loud click that tore through the silence like a knife.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Potter. Once again, your information is wrong. As if you have the authority to need to know everything." Snape's voice was colder than his eyes, colder than the stale, lingering air, colder than the rigid floor that Harry stood on, shuffling his feet, wondering what to do.

"I know perfectly well what I'm talking about. And so do you. I don't know who let you back in here, but they are clearly deranged!" Harry spoke quietly, but the anger in his voice rivaled Snape's.

Snape looked at the ground and shook his head, wiping his eyes with his hand. "Potter." He spoke normally, catching Harry off-guard.

"Harry. Sit down." He gestured to a chair that he had just conjured out of thin air. Harry didn't move.

"Things aren't always what they seem. In the world that we live in today, they almost never are. Stories sometimes have no beginning and no end. It is nearly impossible to distinguish, by yourself, where it starts and where it finishes. And missing even the tiniest detail could destroy your entire perception of the tale. I think it's time you heard the whole story."