Chapter Ten The Hunted
Harry found the house easily enough just where Mrs. Higgins said it would be. It was a plush area and the house could almost be called an estate. It was a two story manor surrounded by well-kept gardens with tall hedges. Harry felt uneasy walking up the lane with the hedges on each side. They were familiar; it was too much like the hedges in the Triwizard tournament.
He knocked on the door using the big clapper in the shape of a lion's head. He thought that perhaps Slughorn might be in disguise or use a disguise as he did before, something in the shape of a chair. Harry was prepared to use a stinging charm on every piece of furniture in the place to prove to himself Slughorn wasn't there. Instead of going to all that trouble, he hoped that the man would show himself at the door. In case he did, Harry pulled the cap down on his forehead, stuck his hands in his pockets with the parcel tucked under one arm and tried to look shiftless and bored.
He was altogether surprised when a man didn't appear. Instead a house elf opened the door and announced, "The mistress of the house is not at home. What can we do for you?" This house elf was dressed in a tidy tea cozy with the initials MLM embroidered on it.
Harry nodded and said, "I've brought a parcel from the shop addressed to this 'ouse to Mr. Birdman." He held out the package as if reading the label and tried to use a heavy accent to disguise his voice. "I'm to deliver it straight into 'is 'ands, not to any elf." His tone was derisive.
The elf's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "He's not at home!"
"Right then," Harry responded. "I'll just bring it back to 'im some other time." He turned to leave with the package tucked back under one arm and started to throw a leg over one of the shop brooms, an ancient Cannon 200 that he borrowed. He knew that a poor boy riding a Firebolt would almost immediately look suspicious. He was about to launch himself into the air when Slughorn's voice erupted from behind the door.
"Nonsense, silly elf. I am at home!" He peered around the edge of the door with the elf shielding the lower half of his body and squinted to see Harry's face. Harry tucked it down and turned away to give himself an advantage.
Slughorn stepped out. "I am here boy. I see you have my parcel. Good. Good!" He waited and Harry didn't move. " I am Mr. Birdman. I have placed the order with Mrs. Huxley.'' Harry stepped off the broom but didn't hand the parcel over. "Oh, I see. You are wanting a tip," Slughorn chuckled. "Mrs. Huxley always looks out for her delivery boys. Just a minute then. Darby you can go back to the kitchens, I will handle this."
Slughorn reached into his overly large pants and dug around in his pocket. It gave Harry time to remove his wand, turn and level it at the man's face before he looked up. Slughorn was counting change in his hand, "Here's two galleon for the sweet and a couple of silver sickles; no more, not a knut more. That woman will bankrupt me!" He glanced up with a broad smile and saw the wand pointed into his face and the smile faded. His eyes drifted up slowly to scan Harry's face. "Harry." There was a deadness to the word.
Harry jabbed at him urging him to step back into the house and he followed him while quickly checking around them. He closed the door with his foot and shoved the hat back.
"Yes, Professor," Harry began, "Or should I just call you Slughorn since you never meant to return to Hogwarts."
"What....what do you want?" the man gasped. "It's very dangerous for you to be around here, Harry. How did you find me?" He shook his head and his jowls trembled. He glanced at the package Harry was handing him. "Oh, I see, the sweets gave me away. Always knew my habits would catch me up someday. Better you then....then You-Know-Who." He looked up again and smiled tentatively.
Harry didn't return the smile and remained silent.
"You know Harry you can't blame me for leaving Hogwarts after Albus was killed," he mumbled. "You-Know-Who would like to find me if he could. I'd be next you know?"
Harry leaned against a table in the foyer and studied the corpulent man. He continued to remain silent and it made Slughorn even more nervous. "It didn't take a genius to know what happened, Harry. After I gave you the memory about the....the..."
"Horcruxes," Harry finished.
Slughorn looked up with terror written in his face. "Yes, yes....those. But we shouldn't really talk so loudly. There are only house elves here but somehow things like this get out you know."
"That's why I've come," Harry said nonchalantly. "I've come to talk to you about Horcruxes." He said the word very plainly once again and watched Slughorn wince. "You knew what Dumbledore was doing didn't you? You knew why he hired you to teach at Hogwarts?"
Horace Slughorn rubbed his hands together as if washing them and then started towards a door in the hallway. Harry immediately stuck his wand into the man's fat neck." Move when I tell you to move, or you'll find yourself in a great deal of pain."
"Harry, Harry," he cried with his hands in the air like a common muggle robber. "I just thought we should go to the lounge and have some tea and talk about this."
"I don't trust you," Harry growled. "I'm not the Harry Potter you knew at Hogwarts."
Slughorn nodded vigorously. "Yes. Yes, I understand. Dumbledore's death affected everyone. I can understand...."
"You understand nothing!" Harry hissed in the man's ear and then pushed him forward. "Let's have a spot of tea and chat a little then," he said sarcastically. He walked behind him and entered a large well-appointed room. Some of the furniture was out-of-date but had been very rich in its' time. "Whose house is this?"
"Oh, uh, it's Minerva McGonagall's. She rarely comes here preferring to stay at Hogwarts; well she does now," he answered in a conversational manner, although the fear lay just under the surface and Harry could hear it. "It's an ancestral home. Minerva is a Gryffindor through and through. Probably related to THE Gryffindor in some way, who knows."
Harry nodded as Slughorn dropped into a chair.
"You're right about me Harry. I did leave Hogwarts never to return. And I will leave this house very soon. I intend to leave the country."
"Coward," Harry said quietly.
Slughorn winced again. He was sitting wiping sweat from his brow with an embroidered handkerchief, once again with the initials MLM on it.
"You're a freeloader and a coward," Harry said and took a seat. "But I don't care about that. When you've told me what you know about Horcruxes then I'll go away and you can go to the moon for all I care." Harry was feeling every bit as angry as he sounded and somehow the fingers that held the wand itched to make a slight wave and send the fat monkey head over heels.
"You can't expect me to tell you!" Horace Slughorn said. His eyes were shifting around the room as if looking for an escape.
Harry remained calm but alert. "Voldemort made seven Horcruxes."'
Slughorn turned the shade of new-fallen snow and stopped twiddling his fingers and shifting in his chair. His pale blue eyes steadied themselves on Harry. "You can't be serious."
Harry nodded and leaned forward to emphasize his words. "I am. Why should it surprise you? Tom Riddle asked you what would happen if you split the soul into pieces."
"Yes, but I didn't think...never thought he would do it. I thought I was clear that it would be a horrible, terrible thing to do!" Slughorn stammered and began to sweat even more.
They sat in silence, Harry waiting for the whole thing to sink in. He watched the man staring off into space for a minute before he interrupted. " You knew all of these years that your prize student had turned out badly. You, better then anyone, understood how brilliant he was and how- if he turned to the dark arts- how dangerous he could become and you did nothing about it. You didn't lift a finger to help. You left it all to Dumbledore to take care of." Harry spit the words out and had to stop and take a breath to calm himself before continuing. "It seems that you know something about Horcruxes and so I've come to get your help. Dumbledore is gone and it's partly your fault, Voldemort is partly your fault. Before you leave the country you are going to take some responsibility and help me by telling me how to destroy them."
Slughorn was shaking his head even before Harry finished. "I can't!"
"You will or the new Minister of Magic will receive an owl outlining in detail how you helped Lord Voldemort. I think you'd find yourself in Azkaban before the day was out and probably without your favorite sweets to console you." Harry threw the package at him and hit him in the face. Slughorn shied away from it and stared at Harry in horror.
"You wouldn't Harry.... I...I....really liked you. Thought you were a talent....liked your mother...." He stuttered for a moment and then was silent.
Harry stood and walked slowly over to the man and looked down into the sweating red face. "You're a despicable human being. You use people and hurt people for your own convenience and comfort and it doesn't seem to have any effect on you; you don't seem to care how your actions affect others. Lord Voldemort is almost immortal now. He will ravage this land and kill every half-blood and muggle born in it. He'll devour all the goodness in the world like you eat that ...pineapple and he won't stop. He'll be greedy and want more and more. If you don't help me, then it will be on your conscience and if it's the last thing I do I will let someone know that you designed and engineered a plan to put Lord Voldemort into power. I'll lie until I can't take a breath anymore if that's what it will take to put you away!"
Slughorn looked into his face and Harry could read his fear. There was some hesitation and then Slughorn slowly nodded. "If I help you, will you let me go?" he asked, his voice quivering. "You won't kill me?"
Harry studied the wand in his hand and let Slughorn sweat it out for a minute longer, before saying, "No, I won't kill you unless you lie to me. If what you tell me doesn't work then I'll hunt you down and kill you."
Lupin returned to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and found a note tucked under a vase in the sitting room. It was in Hermione's handwriting.
Dear Remus,
Viktor has returned and sent a note to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron. Ron is coming with me. Join us if you can and please, please don't leave without us.
Hermione
Lupin waved his wand over the note and shredded the paper into a fine dust. He glanced around the room looking for the box that held the locket, not expecting to find it. They were experienced enough to hide it.
It was already getting late in the afternoon and he wanted to get them back safely before dark. He also wanted to get away. The full moon was almost upon him and he could feel the feral urges rising up. They would overpower him soon. He would be turning and he couldn't be near them.
Although, he had been transforming into a werewolf since childhood, he never failed to feel deep despair at this time. This time, in particular, was inconvenient. The Order needed him and he needed to find Harry.
"With luck, I'll find him today," he said to the empty room and then left.
Lupin found them at the Leaky Cauldron and he was mildly surprised by the situation that confronted him. Ron was standing in the middle of the room pointing his wand at Viktor Krum who, in turn, faced him pointing his own wand. They appeared to be about to duel. Hermione was red-faced and standing between them directly in the line of fire and speaking to Ron and there was a row of wizards and witches watching the whole spectacle.
"You're jealous! You've never given me a reason not to see other people, Ronald Weasley. You just can't seem to find the nerve to speak your mind. And for your information, Viktor and I are friends. That's all!"
Lupin glanced at Viktor Krum who was watching Hermione. Krum didn't have the look of fury that was on Ron's face but he wasn't happy either. It looked to Lupin like Krum was of a different mind about his and Hermione's relationship which was confirmed a moment later.
"I have asked you to marry me," Krum said, bluntly. "We are not just friends."
Hermione rolled her eyes and looked back at him and then saw Lupin, giving him an imploring look. He gave her a pitiful shrug and opened his hands, palms out as if to say, 'what would you have me do?'.
"See! See!" Ron said, stridently. "You're not just friends! He's asked you to MARRY him, Hermione. Are you going to?"
Hermione shook her head and walked away from both of them and towards Lupin.
He glanced down at her when she reached his side. "Men!" she exclaimed. "How many times do I have to say it; I won't marry Krum and Ron is an idiot!"
Lupin stifled a smile and pulled out a chair at a table and went over to Ron. He raised an arm to Viktor indicating he should lower his wand. In a few minutes the three were talking in low voices and the rest of the people in the pub were bored and wandering away or returning to their conversations.
Lupin finally managed to convince the two young men to join him at the table with Hermione. "This is hardly the way to avoid drawing attention to yourselves," he chided. "We have more important things to consider. How many times must I say that these are dangerous times? There are spies everywhere and you two....," he glanced at Ron who was staring at the table looking livid with anger, and then at who Hermione was sitting quietly looking back at him, and continued, "You two are well known." Remus turned to Viktor.
Viktor was looking at Hermione and was very grim-faced.
"I should say...the three of you are well known. Now, Viktor," Remus began, "Hermione said she asked you to find Igor Karkaroff. Did you?"
"He is dead," Viktor said in his heavy Russian accent. "He was not in Bulgaria. He fled to Romania but I found him. He was dead." Viktor looked at Remus with his typical brooding dower expression. "Torn apart."
"Torn apart?" Remus repeated. The young man nodded.
"He was no good anyway. He was bad wizard and he would not have helped you 'ermione." Krum said, once again staring at Hermione.
Hermione flushed and continued to stare at her hands that were thrust out on the table. She was spinning a flower in her fingers like an umbrella.
"I see," Remus said sitting back. "I'm not sure if that is good or bad news, but thank you for helping. Now, we have a short journey ahead of us and I have to insist we leave soon. I want to get there and back before dark."
Hermione's warm brown eyes looked up and into his. He saw her thinking very hard and guessed that she was questioning the urgency or had guessed and was calculating the moon phases. She turned to Krum and said very sweetly, "Yes. Thank you, Viktor. You've been very helpful. I will write to you soon and let you know what happens." She stood and waited for him to follow suit. He did, leaning in to whisper in her ear and then he gave a stiff jerky bow to Remus that was almost a salute and left.
Ron glowered at her and remained silent.
"Perhaps I should go it alone," Remus suggested. "It look like you two need to stay and work some things out."
"No!" Hermione said and reached over and pulled Ron off the chair by his shirt. "We're going."
Remus just nodded and headed out the door. His immediate reaction to the whole thing was to recall a similar time many years before when he watched a headstrong girl by the name of Lily almost in the same position- standing between James Potter and Severus Snape- discussing almost the same issue. It brought a pang of sorrow to his heart and the amusement he felt a moment before faded away.
Snape wrapped his belongings carefully and tucked them into a traveling valise. It was growing late in the afternoon and he had made up his mind that he needed to keep on the move; first to avoid his doppelganger, and secondly, to avoid Lord Voldemort, which would be even more of a challenge.
He did not instinctively feel or have the ability to sense Harry's presence. Nor would he have guessed that Harry Potter would ever show up at this dilapidated house. Few people could find it, if not led to it directly, and even fewer would want to come to it if they knew where it was. The area had acquired a reputation since the murders of the Potters and few people wanted to be near it. Besides that, there was also the rather strange reputation that the Gryffindor castle had acquired over the centuries.
Snape knew about the Bermuda triangle in the muggle world. Anything that was considered out of the ordinary or mystical by muggles generally was the result of witchcraft or wizardry. Snape knew that the Bermuda triangle was not one of them; it was a mystery to them all. In the same sense, Gryffindor castle was like the Bermuda Triangle. Strange things occurred there; mysterious disappearances, wizards ending up dead from no apparent cause and so on. And like the muggle mystery, Gryffindor also had remained a mystery.
Snape assumed that the Potter's abandoned house was as safe a place as anywhere to hide. What he didn't count on was Harry Potter's strong muggle history. Harry knew nothing of the reputation of Godric's Hollow, other then that was where his parents died; and absolutely nothing of Godric's Gryffindor's castle.
Snape was standing in the foyer, his valise sitting on the floor at his feet and he was checking his pockets and looking over the room to see if he had sufficiently hidden his trail. The room looked exactly as it had when he'd broken in. Dust lay thick on the floors, gauzy cobwebs filled every corner and covered shelves. Objects that were left suddenly by their owners, like open books, were once again in their places.
He opened his watch, checked the time and looked up. Standing in the doorway, wand pointed at him, was a young man. He was dressed in old fashion clothing, wearing a hat pulled down and shading his face. An ancient pair of pince-nez was perched on his nose.
It would have taken Snape just a second longer to recognize Harry Potter if it weren't for the green eyes that stared back at him. Those were Lily's eyes.
He raised his hands, his watch still dangling from one, and waited for the killing curse. There was no doubt in Snape's mind that the look in Potter's face was murderous. And yet, the boy hesitated.
"Potter."
Harry was looking at him and was glancing just off to his left, his expression changed to one of puzzlement.
Snape knew exactly what was happening and spoke calmly. "What you see Mr. Potter is what they call a doppelganger. It means double." He said it very carefully, remaining perfectly still. He did not follow Harry's gaze to turn and look at it himself. If he did, then the contact would be made and seal his fate. As long as he didn't look at it, it could not attach itself to him.
Snape continued, "You must decide which one of us is the real thing or kill us both. In the split second it takes for you to kill one; the other will kill you." Snape wasn't sure that was true. He was fast, very fast. He could reach for his wand and throw a curse much more quickly then the average wizard, and he was deadly in his aim. But he also was not foolish enough or stupid enough to underestimate people; even Harry Potter.
"You evil.....gutless.... sniveling worm; standing in my parent's house. Awfully arrogant of you to be here isn't it, since you are responsible for their deaths?" Harry said contemptuously. His wand was steady in his hand and pointed directly at the real Snape.
He continued and his voice was steady, but filled with venom "You also killed Dumbledore. You didn't even show mercy when he begged for it. Surprised, that I would know that? I was there Snape! I was under an invisibility cloak frozen to the wall. I saw you kill him with my own eyes. All this time you have been a traitor. Why Dumbledore believed in you is beyond me."
Snape lowered one hand slightly and was surprised when the stinging spell shot out of Harry's wand and shot through his hand. The boy had not spoken the incantation or even moved.
"You are becoming quite adept at nonverbal spells it seems," Snape said. The wound hurt but he did not show it on his face. He had suffered injuries many times before and learned to ignore them.
"Wasn't that the last thing you shouted at me as you ran away?" Harry snarled. "You were quick to point out how clumsy and stupid I was. Well I've learned a little over the summer."
Snape watched the eyes. He could always read people and he saw the murderous intent there. Potter was going to kill him. The fact that he was still talking and hadn't actually done it yet gave him a little hope.
"I wasn't there Potter. The person you saw was him," he nodded towards the duplicate that was supposed to be standing at his side.
Potter's eyes roamed to a spot just a little to his left. "What do you have to say?"
Snape heard the voice and it sounded exactly like him.
"Believe what you want Potter, but I didn't kill Dumbledore."
"Where's Draco?" Harry asked. The eyes moved around the room, taking it in at a glance.
"He was brought to me that night. I was to take care of him but he has run away," the other Snape said. "It was probably a wise thing to do. His father is out of Azkaban and he will hunt him down and probably kill him, if one of you doesn't."
Snape saw the boy questioning himself, hesitating. Maybe he half-believed that he was innocent. Maybe it wouldn't make a difference and he'd kill him anyway. Snape spoke up before the other could continue, "What would it take for you to believe that I am the real person and it was my double who murdered Albus?"
Harry glared at him and then at the other. "What is a doppelganger?"
Snape explained.
"That doesn't mean you're innocent!" Harry retorted. "Whichever one of you didn't do it, you're still a traitor."
"On the contrary, Mr. Potter. To be fair, I have never been disloyal to Dumbledore or the Order. Would you kill an innocent man?" the duplicate asked.
"I'll say it again, Potter," the real Snape said. "What will it take for you to believe? My double does not share all my memories. He knows enough to fool most people. Will he make a fool of you?"
Daylight was now shining brightly through the windows which meant that dusk was coming. The sun was going down and the light would turn the color of honey, then orange and then the color of blood and night would set in.
Harry Potter stood in the doorway and his aim did not falter. "When you were teaching me occlumency..."
The double interrupted, "You looked in the Pensieve and saw me when I was young..."
The real Snape cut across the Double, "and I was with my father. He was beating me."
Harry nodded wide-eyed.
"That story will not convince you," Snape said. "My Double also has that memory. It must be something that happened a long time ago." Snape emphasized the words hoping that Potter would understand that he needed to ask about something else. Snape knew Harry knew about his childhood at Hogwarts. "Pick another event."
Harry frowned. There was a pause and he looked at Snape. "I learned that the real Snape had a sweetheart when he was young. He loved her. Who did he love?"
Snape was taken off guard. No one knows about this; no one!
He remembered the day as if he could reach out and taste it and touch it. Lily was on the dock. Snape had watched from the cover of a tree away from the house. He waited until Potter and Lupin walked away and left her alone, basking in the sun. He walked softly without making noise and yet she turned her head and smiled at him before he even reached the dock.
"Come on Severus," she said encouraging him. "Come and sit and talk to me." He turned and looked at the house where James and Remus had gone and then back to her. She waved to him and said, 'They won't be back for awhile. Come. I want to talk to you about something."
Snape now stood in her empty house and the moment faded. He was looking into the green eyes of her son and not hers and there was a bitter taste in his mouth. He forced himself to speak. "I loved your mother, Lily Evans."
Harry turned his wand and immediately shot the killing spell at Snape's double. Snape, however, knew that it was not enough to kill it, but he also knew that it was now gone. It had disappeared once again like it had earlier in the day. Harry lowered his wand slightly and turned once again to him. "This doesn't mean I don't hate you."
Snape nodded and lowered his hands.
At the same time three figures appeared on the front lawn. Lupin cautioned the others to follow behind and he entered the house. For the second time in the day he saw two men facing one another, with the exception that Snape was unarmed.
He raised his wand as he stepped in beside Harry and the boy immediately pulled it down with his hand. "Are you mad?!" Remus cried. Harry had done the same thing when he confronted Sirius at the Shrieking shack. Why doesn't Harry do it? he wondered in an instant. "He killed Dumbledore! If you don't kill him I will Harry."
Harry turned to him and shook his head. "He's innocent, Remus. I just killed his doppelganger."
There was a surprised, "Oh!" behind them and they both turned to Hermione. "A doppelganger, did you say Harry?" He nodded and she added after some hesitation, "That makes sense!"
Remus couldn't find the words to express his shock.
Snape watched the whole thing with interest. Once again Lupin faced him and had not killed him. Snape respected him for his talents if not for the person he was. Remus was almost as deadly as himself. They all were staring at him now and he allowed himself to relax.
"Doppelganger," Lupin said. Snape knew Lupin understood immediately even if the teenagers didn't. Lupin lowered his wand.
Remus collected himself and said, "If that's true, Harry, then you didn't really kill it. It's just disappeared. You can't kill a doppelganger." He walked into the house and glanced around and then at Snape. "Why are you here?"
"I thought it was the best place to hide," Snape answered. "I'm well aware of what has been printed in the Daily Prophet, and that everyone considers me a murderer. I also know that the Dark Lord is searching for me." Snape found a chair and sat down casually. Hermione was busy whispering things to Ron out in the front garden and Harry was still at the door silent and watching him. "The Fidelius Charm was broken when Albus died," Snape told Lupin. He watched the man wandering through the room looking at it as he himself had done when he first arrived.
Lupin turned and said, "Yes, I know. Still it's odd that you chose this house." He continued to stroll around. " I'm not sure I'm ready to stand down, Severus. I wanted your blood and I don't feel very satisfied right now that I don't have it on my hands."
Snape nodded and glanced at Harry. He understood completely. The energy, the desire, the need to kill rose up inside until it demanded satisfaction. If thwarted; it left a dull ache inside, an uneasiness.
Hermione and Ron appeared at the door and they gathered near Harry and whispered to him. He continue to glare at Snape and finally left with them and disappeared outside once again. Snape was left alone with Lupin.
"So what are you going to do with me?' Snape asked. He wasn't at all curious about the answer. He had asked the question to divert attention. The act of sitting down allowed him to reach his own wand. Now that he was armed he felt comfortable enough to socialize.
Lupin shrugged and continued to wander around the room. "Nothing, I guess. I'm not going to go out of my way to explain to everyone that you're innocent and I can't very well persuade your master to leave you alone. I guess you take your chances like the rest of us. Although it pleases me to say that your chances are a little slimmer than ours. "
"He is not my master," Snape said and stood. "If I am free to go, then I will." He reached for the valise. The room seemed a little darker then it had a half hour before all of this was taking place and Snape glanced at the window. The sun was setting in a grand manner flooding the world with shades of orange and red. The shadows were already lengthening and dusk was settling in. It would be a warm, late summer night; one where people normally would have stayed out in the evening and enjoy the last of summer.
This was not an ordinary summer. Snape reached for his valise and heard the sound of howling far off in the distance. It was not the sound of a dog. He stopped mid-action and stood erect, listening. Lupin was also listening, but with more sensitive ears.
"Werewolves?" Snape hissed.
Lupin nodded. They stared at one another for an instant. "Hermione, Ron and Harry! I have to find them. They're in danger. They don't know..."
Snape nodded.
"Apparate while you still can," Lupin said and headed out the door. Snape glanced at his valise and then out at the encroaching dusk and followed wondering how long it would take for Lupin to turn.