Chapter 7
Into the Deep
Lily stood in the staffroom and looked out the window. Far below students were crossing the grounds, hauling trunks of luggage behind them.
"Good morning Lily."
She turned around to face Minerva McGonagall.
"Oh, hi Minerva."
"You're not packing yet? What are your plans for the Christmas break?"
"Plans? That's a laugh! I'm not planning to go anywhere," Lily said.
"Really? You do deserve a break after such a great start to the year."
Lily shook her head.
"I don't have anywhere to go. Hogwarts is my only home now."
Minerva placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You are more than welcome to come with me to my home in Inverness," she said.
"Thanks Minerva, but staying here will at least give me a chance to get ahead in my preparations for next term. Plus it'll be nice to have some peace and quiet with fewer students around."
Severus pushed his way through the door and nodded towards them.
"Professor Dumbledore wants to see us," he announced.
"Well I hope this has something to do with Dumbledore's secret plans," Minerva frowned. "Some Order members are beginning to get rather impatient."
"Believe me," growled Lily. "So am I."
* * *
Walking into Dumbledore's office a short time later, Severus and Lily sat down in front of his large desk. Dumbledore drew their attention to a book lying open on his desk. It was larger than many of the books usually found in the library, and by the tattered and age-coloured pages, looked extremely old. Dumbledore wore a large grin and looked very pleased with himself.
Lily looked at the open pages.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I called in some very special favours at the Department of Mysteries to get hold of this. Lily, would you care to read this section aloud?"
"The destruction of horcruxes," Lily read. "The object containing the soul fragment must suffer damage that no magic can repair. Once the object is destroyed, so is the soul inside."
"After I finished reading the rest of the chapter, the perfect way of destroying a horcrux occurred to me," Dumbledore said smiling. "Gryffindor's sword!"
"The sword that belonged to Godric Gryffindor?" Severus frowned. "I did not think the sword really existed."
"Of course it does," said Dumbledore. "And it would be perfect; the magic of the sword would easily be strong enough to destroy the horcrux."
"But we don't even know where the sword is," said Lily. "It hasn't been seen in centuries."
"Unless you have been hiding that in your office as well," muttered Severus under his breath.
"It's true that no one knows where the sword is now," Dumbledore began. "Historically though, it is believed that it will appear whenever a Gryffindor is most in need of it."
"I am assuming then that you have a plan?" Severus asked.
"I believe we can get our hands on the sword if the circumstances are right… or rather, if we create the right circumstances."
Severus squinted at him suspiciously.
"What are you concocting?" he asked.
"I think I might know," Lily smiled. "We can set up the right circumstances by having a Gryffindor need the sword to save someone's life."
"That's the kind of thing that had crossed my mind," Dumbledore said, winking at her. "But we would need a victim."
Severus looked from Dumbledore to Lily with a scowl. Lily caught him squirming in his chair and she grinned.
"Albus, it's a great plan!" Lily said excitedly. "Just think of it – the Slytherin in danger, about to die horribly when the brave Gryffindor bounds in to save the day and is rewarded with the sword."
Severus' lips were pressed together tightly.
"I do not think Severus is amused." Dumbledore smiled. "But you have to admit, it is a good idea."
Severus crossed his arms tight across his chest.
"And what if this so-called ingenious plan of yours fails?" he asked. "I will be dead and you will still have no sword."
"I think it's worth the risk," Lily said. "After all, it wouldn't be much of a loss would it?"
Severus' eyes looked momentarily saddened before they flashed back to anger.
"I… I'm sorry…" Lily tried to apologise.
Severus waved a hand to stop her; his face remained like stone, emotionless as he addressed Dumbledore.
"I will do whatever needs to be done," he said before he stood up and left the room.
After he had gone, Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at Lily.
"I was just joking," she said. "I forgot he had no sense of humour."
"Stop," Dumbledore said sternly. "We both know you weren't joking."
"I shouldn't be made to feel guilty after all he has done."
"And just what is it you think Severus has done?"
"He killed-"
"No."
Lily took a breath.
"He caused-"
"No."
"Well you tell me what he's done then!" Lily said raising her voice.
"Severus was a young man trying to find his place in the world and made the mistake of surrounding himself with the wrong people. Subsequently he made many more unwise decisions."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Unwise decisions? That's what you'll put this down to?"
"I think it is important to remember what Severus is doing now," Dumbledore said. "He has had to tear himself away, at great risk to himself, from all that he has known, from what kept him safe and made him important. Severus is at least making an effort to redeem himself for his past."
"I don't want to listen to you pleading his case for wizard of the year; he won't be winning any votes from me any time soon."
Dumbledore watched as she stormed out of the office, then he turned to look at Fawkes. The phoenix tilted its head to the side and looked back at him. Dumbledore sighed.
Twilight had just fallen as a small group gathered just inside the trees marking the boundary to the Forbidden Forest.
"What I don' understand is why yeh want to be traipsing through the forest at night." Hagrid, the school groundskeeper, complained.
"We have some business to take care of Hagrid, but thank you for your concern." Dumbledore smiled up at the half giant but was met with a frown.
"Are you sure Professor? I mean, it is dangerous in there, even with me comin' with you."
"I assure you Hagrid that everything will be fine," Dumbledore reassured. "Now Severus, Lily, are you both ready?"
Severus swallowed hard and nodded, Lily did too. Hagrid glared at each of them, deep frown lines creasing his face. Sensing his reluctance to move, Dumbledore stepped forward and held onto Hagrid's arm, pulling him into the trees. Severus and Lily followed.
The group travelled deep into the thick forest until Dumbledore and Hagrid stopped and the Headmaster motioned for Severus and Lily to continue on ahead of them. Severus looked at the darkness that surrounded them, tiny beams of moonlight breaking through the trees towering above them.
Dumbledore pulled Hagrid off the path and the two men disappeared into the shadows. Severus and Lily glanced at each other, anxiousness mirrored on both their faces. Lily gave him a slight nod then slipped behind a tree.
Alone on the path, Severus swallowed hard then took several slow steps forward. Leaves and twigs crunched under his feet as he moved. Another noise, something unfamiliar, made him stop short. The noise, a hissing and clicking, was growing slowly louder. In the distance Severus saw two large yellow orbs glowing brightly; they appeared to be floating in mid-air.
As the orbs drew nearer and the clicking got louder, a voice came, a voice that made the hairs on the back of Severus' neck stand up.
"What… are… you… doing… in… my… forest?" the faceless voice hissed.
Severus shuddered nervously.
"Hog-Hogwarts is my school and this is my forest," Severus said shakily.
The clicking started again and the glowing orbs were suddenly joined by several more pairs. Dozens of lights now filled the dark like eerie stars.
Severus closed his eyes and tried to breathe in and out slowly, and hoped against hope that that Lily wouldn't let him down.
The orbs that had spoken to Severus, those that were larger than the rest, started moving closer and as they neared him, and he lit his wand. In front of him stood the shadowy form of a giant spider, its enormous legs stretched out wide.
Severus stood to his full height but the spider still towered above him, its yellow eyes boring into him.
"This wizard is mistaken," the spider hissed. "He thinks this is his forest – show him his place!"
On the order, the dozens of lights surrounding Severus began leaping towards him. He cast a quick protective spell, and as the spiders hit it, they were repelled backwards. Undeterred, the spiders continued their attack, lunging forward and staggering back again as they hit Severus' shield. It did not take long for the charm to break and when it did, the spider who had spoken, lunged at Severus. It grabbed him, tossing him into the air and began wrapping him from head to foot in a thick web.
There was a sudden commotion, shouting and loud blasts and spiders flying through the air.
Lily shouted a series of curses as she started blasting her way towards Severus.
Several of the giant spiders lay stunned on the ground and others scuttled off into the forest, but even more were still coming.
Beside him, Dumbledore felt Hagrid move, and he grabbed hold of the groundskeepers shirt to keep him in place.
"But they're in trouble!" Hagrid pleaded. "If we do nothin' they'll be killed!"
"Just wait," Dumbledore said calmly.
Lily ran at the enormous spider that had now finished binding Severus, and blasted at it. The spider kicked Lily, sending her flying and she landed with a thud on the ground. As she struggled to get back up, she noticed something shining under a nearby bush. Lily reached over and pushed the bushes aside to reveal a handle. She took hold of it and pulled out a sword. Lily stood up, sword in hand, and took a moment to admire it.
"Lily, hurry up!"
Dumbledore's voice shook her into action and she charged forward, slicing one of the great spiders leg off. It squealed in pain and the surrounding spiders scurried towards Lily, their large fangs drawn.
From their hiding place, Dumbledore and Hagrid emerged; Dumbledore using his wand to blast the spiders while Hagrid threw stones and swung tree branches to scare them off.
Lily twisted under the largest spider, the leader, and sliced through another leg. The beast screamed again and dropped Severus' cocooned body to the ground, Hagrid rushed to him and began clawing at the cobwebs covering him, trying to free his face.
Lily raced around the spider, dodging it as it took swipes at her while she continued to cut its remaining legs off. With several missing now, the spider began to lurch forward, and as it did, Lily plunged the sword into its abdomen. She dove out of the way as it fell, lifeless, to the ground beside her. With shrieks and hisses, the rest of the spiders began scurrying off into the darkness.
"How are you dear?" Dumbledore asked, holding out a hand to Lily. "You did a magnificent job."
Lily let him pull her to her feet.
"I'm fine, how about Severus?"
They turned to where Hagrid sat with Severus cradled in his arms.
"He's breathin' a little heavy but I think he's okay," Hagrid said.
Dumbledore helped Hagrid to finish freeing Severus from the rest of the web and laid him down gently on the ground. Severus pulled himself up against a tree trunk and tucked his knees up to his chest.
Hagrid looked from the pale and shaken Severus to Dumbledore and Lily.
"I dunno if you're all brave or jus' mad!"
Dumbledore put a hand on Lily's shoulder.
"You did a splendid job Lily, and now we've got Gryffindor's sword."
Hagrid was confused.
"Did you lot plan all this? Did you plan to kill Aragog? I've known 'im since he was an egg and you lot…" Hagrid trailed off as tears filled his eyes.
"I am sorry Hagrid," Dumbledore said softly. "Your Aragog was an unfortunate casualty but he did die for a worthy cause."
Dumbledore stepped up to the giant spiders remains and with a flick of his wand, the body rolled over onto its back. Dumbledore took hold of the handle of the sword that protruded from the arachnid's stomach.
"Is it Gryffindor's sword?" Lily asked.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Given the way it miraciously appeared for you, I have no doubt."
"I can't believe the plan worked!" Lily said grinning.
"I am thankful that it did," muttered Severus from his place at the foot of the tree.
"What's so special about finding the sword?" Hagrid asked.
"Ah," Dumbledore smiled. "I think this sword will look great in my office."
Hagrid screwed his face up angrily and began trudging off. Dumbledore called out to thank him but Hagrid waved him off.
"And are you alright Severus?" Dumbledore asked holding out a hand and helping him to his feet.
Severus, still clearly shaken, simply nodded.
"Thank you Lily," he said.
"No worries," she said. "Did you doubt that I'd save you?"
Severus gave her an awkward smile that indicated that the thought had indeed crossed his mind, and followed Hagrid out through the dense forest.
"He didn't think I would save him did he?" Lily asked.
"Can you blame him? At least, to his credit, Severus still went through with it."
* * *
Back in his office a short time later, Dumbledore, Severus and Lily stood around the Headmaster's desk. Dumbledore held the small box from the Gaunt house and opened the lid.
"It is indeed a very special ring," he said, staring mesmerised by the trinket inside the box.
Severus squinted at him suspiciously, and as if sensing that Dumbledore might try to touch it again, took the box from him. He tipped the ring onto the desk.
Dumbledore turned to Lily, who held the sword, and gestured to her.
"I think it is time to get rid of this horcrux, don't you?"
"You want me to do it?" Lily asked.
"The sword of Gryffindor came to you after all."
The two men stepped back as Lily moved towards the desk. She lifted the sword so that the tip of the blade hovered just above the ring.
"What do I do?"
"Pierce the stone," Dumbledore instructed.
Lily tried to get the sword closer, pushing hard with both hands now on the handle, but still it refused to move. Another pair of hands were suddenly on top of Lily's and Severus helped her to push the sword into the black stone, shattering it instantly.
A blood-curdling scream escaped from the ring followed by a long hiss. When the room was finally silent, Dumbledore, Severus and Lily watched and waited, saying nothing for a long time. Lily put the sword down on the desk.
"Is that is? Have we done it?" she asked.
"I believe we have," Dumbledore beamed.
Lily lunged forward and hugged him, then turned to hug Severus but stopped herself. Severus pursed his lips tightly.
"We've done it," Lily grinned. "I can't believe it."
"And you should both be proud," Dumbledore said. "But let me remind you that this is but one horcrux down with the possibility of another five still out there to find."
"Voldemort didn't know what he had in store when he made them," Lily said defiantly. "He didn't count on the Awesome Trio!"
Severus raised an eyebrow and Dumbledore laughed.
"I think we still need to work on the name."
It had been several hours since Severus' close encounter with the giant spider and he had only now managed to stop reliving the experience in his mind. What had bothered him had not so much been the spider itself, but the overwhelming suffocating feeling as the spider had wrapped him firmly in its web. As the evening wore on, Severus sat in his quarters in his favourite arm chair in front of the fire; his long legs crossed at the heel and an old book open on his lap. On the table beside him sat a silver goblet and half a bottle of elf wine.
Feeling like his quarters was the only place in the castle where he could at least make himself comfortable, Severus sat wearing only his white undershirt. One of the sleeves had been rolled all the way up and Severus was examining his arm. Deep blue and purple bruises marred his arm.
A light knock at the door startled him and he quickly pulled his sleeve back down.
"Come in."
The door slowly opened and Lily entered. Severus stood up, eyebrows raised in shock, and his book fell to the floor.
"Wha-what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Professor," Lily said as she moved forward to pick up the fallen book and hand it to Severus.
"Ah, would you care for some wine?"
Lily shook her head.
"No thanks. I came because I wanted to tell you something."
Severus sat back down and crossed his legs. Lately he had grown to expect that he would not like anything Lily had to say to him.
"What you did in the forest tonight," she began. "It was incredibly brave. I've been thinking about it and I… I just wanted to thank you for trusting me. After all it was pretty crucial to us actually getting the sword."
Severus dropped his eyes to the floor; he didn't want to look at her.
"I will always trust you," he said quietly.
Lily remained silent, shuffling her feet on the carpet for a few awkward moments before walking back to the door.
"Goodnight Professor," she said.
"Goodnight Lily."
