Disclaimer:

J.K. Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter. Stories she has written and characters that she created are not mine. I don't take credit for any of her work. I do thank her for providing such a wonderful universe to dream about and write in.

Harry Weasley and the Reflection of Vengeance

By: Starwin

Chapter 26 – Mirror

Two owls arrived almost at the same time as the end of the year drew to a close. The first owl Harry recognized, a large, white-gray with very long distinguished feathers, that looked just as displeased as it had been the last time it had delivered a letter to Harry. It's letter was from Kris, though both Riddle children had signed it. The letter explained that they wouldn't be able to come and visit, again, as they had been grounded for being out all night on Christmas Eve and not explaining why.

In a small way Harry was thankful the Chris's wouldn't be joining him. Even though Ginny tried her best Harry could tell that something was troubling her and the thought of having even more guests for her to look after didn't seem fair.

The second owl, arriving only a moment later, as though midday were some prime time for owl delivery, carried a much more official letter for Harry. It had come from Neville, the Minister of Magic and asked, very bluntly, if Harry had made a decision as to whether or not he would be returning to Hogwarts. Harry quickly penned a response to the second letter.

The holiday had left him in high spirits. He had a new broom, the best in the world, with which he could lead his Quidditch team to victory. And he had his friends had grown closer from their adventure. No, he would be returning to Hogwarts and he would be damned if anyone was going to stop him.

And so it was that it was just Alex and Harry who pasted the remaining week of Christmas break, though Alex did not leave the safety of the house. Although this limited their options for fun, they made do.

Harry had to fight the urge to get more information from his friend. Alex had gone through enough as it was and making him recount the horrible events that had happened to him seemed cruel.

---

It was late on the night before they were to return to Hogwarts when Alex spoke again. At first Harry was at a loss for word but then he realized that Alex was using, or at least trying to use, the vocal glass, the present he had gotten from his mother for Christmas. The words were very broken up and Alex seemed to be having great difficulty getting it to say what he wanted. Harry waited while his friend concentrated.

"Got it," Alex's glass said at last the voice was shaky and sounded uncertain but it was understandable, "me think. It like thinking-you-speak, but not like try-you-speak, and not-speak. Feel strange." The voice from the glass was more like thoughts then words and Harry wasn't sure he had understood any of what Alex had just said.

"Uh, Alex," Harry said recollecting his own thoughts. Now was the best time to ask. He had put it off all holiday but he couldn't put it off any longer, no matter how much he didn't want to hurt his friend. "I know it's not something you want to talk about, but I need to know. Why were you sent to Azkaban?" Alex's hand closed around the vocal glass and Harry was sure that Alex was about to retreat into silence.

"Saw something," Alex's glass said. "Something not-of-saw, not-of-heard." Harry remained silent but his gaze told Alex to go on. "Dumbledore… my house."

"What?" Harry asked confused. So what if Alex had seen Dumbledore, the man trying to kill Harry, that didn't seem like a good enough reason to send him to prison. Unless it was something Dumbledore had... "What did he say?"

"Plot to kill. Christmas," Alex's glass said. The words were starting to lose their volume and Alex looked distressed, his hand holding the orb shook.

"Do you know who?" Harry pressed. Why hadn't Alex told him this early! If they had known they might have been able to save the person or at least warn them!

"Professor."

"Professor who?" Harry asked taking Alex by the shoulders but Alex shook his head remorsefully.

"Not know name. Then brother find me spy. Shout traitor in face and… other things. Tie hands with silver thread and… and wake up in Azkaban." Alex's glass fell silent. Harry was silent too, thoughts were rolling over in his head. Dumbledore had been plotting to kill someone on Christmas. Someone that hadn't been Harry. This information drove home the fact that Dumbledore truly was a mad man.

---

Harry's mother bid an uneasy goodbye to Harry and Alex as they boarded the train. She even hugged Alex a little longer then she had hugged Harry. Alex seemed very nervous to be out in the open. It was the first time he had left the house since the escape. But there had been nothing to worry about. The train ride back was uneventful and by the time they reached the Great Hall the only thing Harry could think about was food.

After the plates cleared, Harry was ready for bed. But the Headmistress stood and the hall became silent. She hadn't spoken before the feast. As Harry watched her he had the distinct feeling that the words she was about to speak would not be pleasant ones.

"Students of Hogwarts," she began. Her tone was somber and her eyes sad, but her voice was strong. "It is with deep regret that I must inform you that Professor Severus Snape has decided not to return for the rest of the term." Talking erupted all over the Great Hall. People were laughing and being joyful. Harry's eyes found the Gryffindor table and his dislike of them climbed to a new level.

"I cannot go into detail I am afraid," Hermione continued. The hall became quiet again. "However until further notice Professor Roax has volunteered to help teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Divinations lessons are to be put on hold until a replacement teacher can be found." A very small group of students whined in protest at loss of Divinations.

When she stopped speaking some students burst into talk. Others rose and started to leave, Harry and his friends among them. However Harry hadn't even reached the door when he felt a hand upon his shoulder. It was his Godmothers hand.

"Harry, I was…" she began. Harry turned to look at her, her eyes wide but she wasn't looking at Harry. Harry followed her gaze to Alex who looked a little panicked. She turned her gaze back to Harry. "A word please, Mr. Weasley."

She led Harry up to her office and offered him a seat. Harry sat but she stood and paced back and forth very slowly, obviously distraught.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry asked when Hermione said nothing. She jumped when he spoke as though she hadn't even noticed he was there. She focused on him putting her palms down on her desk.

"Did Professor Snape ever tell you anything? Did he ever say anything during Occlumency lessons?" Hermione pressed and there was an insane gleam in her eyes.

"Like what?" Harry asked unnerved. Her eyes were locked with Harry's as though she was looking for something inside them. But whatever it was she seemed not to find it. She relaxed and sat heavily in her chair. She looked old and worn out, far worse then she had been the last time he had seen her.

"Are you… alright?" Harry asked tentatively. Again she was startled as though she hadn't expected to see Harry sitting there in front of her. Absently she pushed her hair back out of her face.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said at last. Her eyes flicked back up to his but it wasn't the same feeling as the last time she had looked at him. "I've suspected for a while that Snape was a traitor but it wasn't until recently that I was able to confirm it. I had to make sure that he hadn't done anything to you."

"A traitor, for who?" Harry asked confused.

"For Dumbledore," said Hermione wearily. Harry sat there feeling a little stunned.

A chill overtook Harry before he could open his mouth to speak and a whisper as soft as the wind spoke in his ear.

'He knows…' at first the voice was so low that Harry thought it might have been his mind playing tricks on him but then… 'He knows about him…' It was a voice, louder this time but still oddly quiet. Harry said nothing. Hermione hadn't reacted to the voice, maybe she couldn't hear it? 'He knows about Snape.'

Harry sat frozen but he saw a twitch that Hermione couldn't conceal. It all came together. Snape was dead and Hermione knew it. Snape had been the professor that Dumbledore had been plotting to kill.

"Snape is dead," Harry stated aloud. Hermione looked up at him in shock and Harry knew that she'd heard the voice too, that he hadn't just imagined it. She didn't answer, she looked pale. "And you know who killed him." This time his voice was more forceful and it sounded like… like a command.

There it was again, the twitch that she couldn't hide. She knew. She knew that Snape had been murdered and she knew who had done the deed. It was all there in her eyes, in her face!

"Tell me!" ordered Harry. His eyes were locked with hers. It was like he could see past them, like he could see if her words were lies or truth. But she didn't speak. "Answer me!" Harry's voice was not his own but he hadn't noticed.

Another voice float through the air, soft as the first but different. 'What do I do?' Harry realized that it was her voice, her thought, that he had heard. It was like he was tuned into some kind of thought radio. Then, ever so slightly Hermione's eyes flicked sideways looking towards something behind her. Without hesitation Harry stood and moved round her desk.

"No," she cried standing and putting an arm out after Harry. But Harry had already found what she had glanced at. It was something he had seen here before. Something he was afraid of. It was the mirror.

The silk covering had slipped off. The glass was inky black and reflected nothing of the room but it did reflect Harry. His is image was distorted in the glass. His reflection seemed to be many, many things overlapping. Other faces were mixed with his own. It was like he was seeing a reflection of his thoughts not of his body.

Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the mirror. What ever this thing was it felt wrong. He would destroy it. He knew he had to, thought he wasn't sure why.

"Exspelliarmus!" Hermione shouted. Harry's wand flew from his hand. Hermione caught it and made it vanish. She hadn't produced her own wand. Harry turned his back to the mirror and his eyes fixed with hers.

"You… should not have done that…" Harry breathed. Hate and anger and dislike and mistrust were all flowing through him as though a valve had been opened full inside him. Harry's face darkened as he took a step towards Hermione. "Give me my wand… give it to me… Now!" Hermione said nothing. She was still standing there, wandless and defiant.

'No, no, no, not now… too soon…' it was Hermione's voice again but it echoed out from the mirror.

Harry's hand shot out. "Stupefy!"

A blast of red light flew across the room. Hermione raised both her hands and cried, "Protego!" Blinding white light erupted from her fingers, Harry had never seen such a powerful shield spell…

The stunning spell hit the shield but instead of vanishing or deflecting harmlessly in another direction the bright red light ricocheted off the shield and sailed back towards Harry. There wasn't even time for Harry to react, his own spell hit him full on in the chest, his body froze.

As though in slow motion Harry began to fall backward. Any second he would collide with the glass of mirror. Hermione was trying to get to him to grab him. Her fist beat against her own shield spell that even she could not get through. Sharply Harry impacted with the black glass of the mirror. However there was no pain, no sting of broken glass. Instead everything just went dark, like all the lights had been turned off.

Harry continued to fall. He should have hit something by now, the ground at the very least. But he was still falling. He thought that he might even be tumbling now.

It was nothing like the last time he had entered the mirror. He was not in the place where his father had been killed. He was simply floating, no, falling, through unimaginable nothingness. This place felt cold like death.

'Welcome, Weasley…' The voice, the first whisper from before, the one that had talked about Snape, it was here. The sound came from every direction and yet it felt like it was inside his head. Harry put out his arms trying to find something, anything, to hold on to but there was nothing here.

"Lumos," Harry said holding out his hands. He had cast the light spell before without a wand but this time nothing happened. He tried again wordlessly, again nothing. He had done it right, the spell just didn't work.

With the uncomfortable blackness pressed against his open eyes Harry could think of no other tools he had but his voice. "Where am I?" There was a long pause as though the voice was gathering strength to speak.

"The void," spoke the voice, "between life and death…" This time it was louder, more focused in direction but the odd quality of great effort to speak still lingered on its words. "But you have another question… no, he is not dead." The voice added as if this was the answer to all of Harry's questions at once.

Suddenly a hand took sharp hold of Harry's wrist and pulled him. Harry felt like he was rushing very fast, faster then he had ever moved before. Light erupted into his eyes as and Harry toppled out onto the floor at Hermione's feet.

"Get out," Hermione said coldly. Her eyes blazed with fire. "Get out!" Picking himself up Harry moved quickly to the door and left. He didn't know if Hermione had heard what he had. But it didn't matter the voice had given him the answer to a more important questions. His father, he wasn't dead.

Authors Notes:

This was a difficult chapter. Been stumbling over completing it for a while, keep changing things. Even now I dono, I like it but at the same time I don't. I want to keep changing it. I kept going down paths that kept adding more and more plot points that I didn't want. I'm trying to be done with questions, its time I start getting to answers because there is a lot I need to wrap up… if you haven't noticed.

In any case this chapter is done for the moment, thought I am sure it will be revisited. Again. Which it has been.

It's time to post it but I still feel it needing 'more' something. Just not sure what that something is. Meh, it does it job done.

Anyhow… please continue to read and review. Next chapter this Friday, "Chapter 27 – Transformed"

Starwin