"You look worried," Ginny said to Harry as he dressed for work.
"I am," he admitted. "I'm going to Hogwarts today to tell McGonagall we've got to have the roof of the Astronomy tower torn up."
"And you're worried about her reaction? That's a bit silly, isn't it?"
"I'm more worried about Severus," he told her.
"I thought you said he was all right with the horcrux being destroyed."
"He did seem to be, but then, we are talking about Severus Snape," said Harry. "He's always been a great one for not letting on about his real feelings." He fussed with his ascot, and Ginny fixed it for him. "Also, I wonder what kind of effect destroying the horcrux will have on him."
Ginny looked thoughtful. "Well, he hasn't actually been carrying that part of his soul around with him. I mean, it's been locked away in the horcrux all this time, and he's been getting on without it, hasn't he?"
"I suppose so," Harry allowed. He and Ginny headed downstairs.
"Why don't you invite him for dinner?" she suggested. "We haven't had company in ages."
"It's only been a couple of months, Ginny," he reminded her. He smiled inwardly. Ginny had gotten used to Teddy Lupin being a regular visitor at their table, but he had not been over since he had married Ginny's niece, Victoire. Ginny frowned at him. "All right, I'll ask him," Harry told her, then he kissed her, picked up his broomstick and headed out the door.
Two hours later, Harry was sitting in a chair opposite Minerva McGonagall's desk with Severus Snape beside him. Professor McGonagall looked thoughtful, Severus, grave. Harry was surprised. When he had first mentioned destroying the horcrux to Severus, he had been, if not exactly cavalier, at least accepting of the situation. Now, he seemed unnerved.
Finally, Professor McGonagall spoke. "We'll have to do it during the Christmas holidays, so the repaving won't interfere with classes," she said.
Harry nodded in agreement. Hermione had spent more than four months doing research, trying to find a way to destroy Severus's horcrux while minimizing the damage to the castle. Another two months was not going to hurt anything. "The question is, how do you destroy the stones beyond magical repair? I doubt the Sword of Gryffindor could stand up to the beating, and I'm really not up for hunting down a basilisk and trying to milk it for its venom."
"Why not use Fiend Fyre?" asked Severus's portrait. Severus himself was silent.
The thought made Harry nervous. He remembered Gregory Goyle perishing in the Room of Requirement. "It would work," he admitted. "We'd have to find someone who could control it."
"I'm sure there's someone in Magical Accidents that would be up for the job. I believe that would be the department the task would be assigned to," Severus said, speaking at last.
"It would," said Harry, "assuming there was someone in the department that could be trusted to keep quiet."
"Then it's settled," said Professor McGonagall. "As soon as the students have gone home for the holidays, I'll have Argus take up the paving stones and you can burn them to cinders."
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"You're quiet," Harry commented as Severus walked him to the entrance hall.
"I'm a bit apprehensive, I suppose," Severus replied. "It's easy to be phlegmatic about the prospect of having part of one's soul destroyed in theory, but now that the event has actually been scheduled, I find myself feeling a certain disquiet."
"It's only natural that you would," said Harry. "I've been wondering myself what kind of effect it's going to have on you."
"Probably none," said Severus, seeming to shake off the thought. "It has, after all, been separate from me for quite some time."
"Let's hope you're right." They reached the door, and Harry said, "By the way, Ginny wanted me to ask you to come over for dinner."
"Did she now?" Severus seemed to brighten.
"Yes, she did. She loves having company. Mostly, I think she likes to show off her cooking. She's a hell of a good cook. Gets it from her mother. So, will you come?" Severus hesitated. Harry knew that he had never been a great social animal. Harry decided to try an added incentive. "You could ask Professor Carlin to come," he suggested.
Severus seemed to consider this. "You're sure your wife wouldn't mind an extra guest?" he asked.
"No," Harry assured him. "Ginny's used to cooking for small armies of people. Besides, with the kids at school, the dinner table gets a bit lonely."
By now, a smile was tugging at the corners of Severus's mouth. "All right. I accept," he said finally. "And I'll extend your invitation to Serene."
"Great, then. See you Saturday night, around seven?"
"I'll be there," Severus told him.
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Back at his office, Harry found a note telling him to report to Shacklebolt. He knew what this was about. He had not mentioned Serene's owl to Severus, as he had not as yet received a reply for her request to open his grave. He was also unsure as to whether she had discussed the matter with Severus. She may have wanted to wait until she found the disinterment had been authorized before she talked to him about it.
He walked to Shacklebolt's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in, Harry," the Minister said. He entered the office, and Shacklebolt invited him to sit down. He was holding Serene's note.
"I've been considering Professor Carlin's request to have Snape's grave opened," the Minister told him.
"And have you made a decision, sir?" Harry asked.
"I have," Shacklebolt told him. "Professor Carlin's curiosity is understandable, and I must confess, I am more than a little curious myself as to what, if anything, would be found in Snape's coffin. However, I don't want to draw any more attention to the matter of Snape's horcrux than is absolutely necessary. I'm afraid I have to say no."
Harry was a bit disappointed. He was curious himself. "All right, then, sir.," he finally said. "I'll send an owl to Professor Carlin and let her know."
Back in his office, Harry sat at his desk reviewing the file of the investigation of the killings of Muggle-borns, which had culminated in the attack at Diagon Alley. He was satisfied that the five people currently in custody were not part of a larger gang. They were just a bunch of punks with pureblood supremacist ideas. They were all young; the oldest of them was twenty three. Harry was glad that the idea of killing Muggles and Muggle-borns hadn't inspired a spate of copycat killings. He would recall his Aurors in the morning.
He was about to put the file away, when a sharp rapping on his doorjamb startled him. He looked up to see Marcie Carrington standing in his doorway. "Oh, hi, Marcie," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if I might have a word," she said, looking about nervously as though worried about being overheard, "about Professor Snape."
"Sure, what is it?"
"It's just that, well, I think I have an idea about what brought him back, and I think you do too, and I want to know if I'm right."
"And just what is your idea?" Harry asked, afraid of what this was leading to.
"He's created a horcrux, hasn't he? That's why you went to Hogwarts today, to see about destroying it."
Harry drew his wand, aimed it and the door slammed shut, startling Marcie badly. "Sit down," he ordered. The girl obeyed. "You haven't talked about this with anyone else have you?" he demanded.
"No, sir," she replied meekly. "It's not exactly the sort of thing you talk about in the lunch room, is it?"
"No, I suppose not." He decided to level with her. "You're right, there is a horcrux. It seems that when Professor Snape killed Dumbledore, it hurt him so badly, it tore his soul in two, and part of it attached itself to the Astronomy tower."
"He didn't do it deliberately, then?"
"No, he didn't," he assured her.
Marcie looked relieved to know that a man she deeply admired had not consciously committed such an evil act. She seemed to be she was about to say something else, but then thought better of it. After a moment's silence, she said, "All right, then. Thank you, Mister Potter." She stood to leave.
"Marcie," said Harry with a warning tone in his voice. She turned to look at him. "You're not to talk about this to anyone, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," she said quietly, and left the office.
Harry wished he could have been relieved. He knew that Marcie's respect for Severus alone would be enough to keep her quiet about the existence of the horcrux. However, he also knew that her silence alone would not be enough to keep the secret. If Marcie could deduce the thing's existence, others might as well. He knew the Minister was already under pressure to have Severus arrested for Dumbledore's murder.
He was glad that Professor McGonagall was not having similar troubles with the Hogwarts Board of Governors. They were well aware of the precautions Minerva took in hiring new staff, and she had their full confidence that she would not have offered Severus a position if she were not absolutely certain of his loyalties. A few parents had pulled their children out of the school when they learned that Severus Snape had returned to his old position, but for the most part, he had the support of the families of the students as well. He had become, if not exactly popular, at least a respected teacher.
Perhaps it was for the best that the horcrux was now scheduled for destruction. The potential damage to Severus's soul could not be worse than a life sentence in Azkaban. He sighed, and picked up the file he had been reviewing and put it in the filing cabinet. It was going to be a long two months.