She cleared his hair away from his forehead, and he opened his eyes and looked at her. "I brought you breakfast. You should try to eat. It would do you well."

He blinked. She pulled him up, and shifted the pillows behind him. He sat back slowly, wincing a bit as the pain hit. She offered a cup to his lips. "Drink this."

He took it, and his eyes never left her. She refused to look at him, though, and turned to lift the tray to his lap. "What has happened?"

His voice was not as strong as usual, but in the past two days he had steadily regained much of his strength. He had only started speaking last night, and it had begun as a hoarse whisper, and he'd had to strain with everything in him to make the tiniest sound. But it was better now, and Poppy Pomfrey was not there, and he needed to deal with what plagued her mind.

"Don't worry yourself with anything. Just eat. Here, I'll cut this for you." She raised a knife to the pork, and he watched her face intently.

"Where is Lupin?"

She swallowed, not lifting her eyes. "He's having lunch in his room. He's been a bit under the weather, I'm afraid."

Severus frowned, taking in a breath but not releasing it. "And Black?"

Her fingers slowed, and she looked up at him, her eyes locking with his for quite some time. "Why do you ask things that you already know?"

"Because I am much like my cousin, Evelyn Prince, who often does the same thing."

She pursed her lips, and went back to cutting the meat.

"It would be a mistake, to remove Black from the premises, Evelyn. And quite cruel, seeing as how he had no control."

She ignored him.

"He was telling the truth. It's been happening for quite some time. I believe that even you have felt the effects."

She tilted her head, and studied the window. "He threatened you. He tried to kill Remus. Remus, Severus. Remus Lupin. His oldest friend. I will not have this."

"Is he still here?"

"Of course he is." She met his eyes. "That is purely Remus's doing. He feels I might have been a bit harsh in judging him."

"Really. How fortunate for Black, to have such an ally in his latest victim. It would seem odd, that Lupin would defend the man who so cruelly tried to kill him. Unless, of course, he was telling you the truth when he said he had no control..."

She shot him a look. "Please, Severus, don't..."

"It would be a mistake to send Black away, Evelyn."

She bit her bottom lip. "This, coming from the man who has always wanted him out of sight and out of mind, and now, with him slinging his threats..."

"I can assure you, it will not happen again. And you know it will not. But I will say that Black must remain here at all costs."

She stared at him. "Why?"

He took her hands from the knife and fork and began to cut the meat himself. "Because I am right."

She stared at the floor, and suddenly tears seeped from the corner of her eyes. "I can't do this. Not now, not when this is all happening around us..."

"Might I suggest you stop looking for reasons to push everyone away? You have made yourself look like quite the fool in the last few days."

She looked at him. "I have only been concerned about you, and for damn good reason, Severus."

His hands suddenly threw the knife and fork to his plate. "There are others in this house besides me. Potter and Black and I had made our amends, however civil they may be, and they in no way deserved your outburst. Your temper is your downfall, Evelyn, and your desire to serve everyone at the same time has become tiring, even to you."

She looked at him, and her lip trembled. "You don't understand. I had no control over any of it. I don't expect you to understand." She looked away.

He was quiet, and studied her. "This influence on you… it cannot go on. I have felt the storm and the war that rages inside you. You are weakened, and this is something even I cannot hope to protect you against."

The tears came freely now, and she closed her eyes.

"How long have you known, Evelyn?"

She put her face in her hands, and paused before answering. "Three days."

He lifted his chin. "And you have held this back, all that time, even from me?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"May I offer you some advice? Do not let this overpower you. If you need an outlet, choose me. Not the others. Your task is not yet through. And if everyone in this house finds you incapable of handling their trust, I doubt you will succeed."

She nodded, wiping her face.

"And Black deserves an apology. Along with Potter. After all you have said to them about forgetting the past, your words must seem quite hypocritical."

She swallowed, and nodded again.

He stared at her for a long while, then reached over and took her hands. "You know I would never tell you anything that would put you in harm's way."

She met his eyes. "I know."

He was staring into her eyes so intently that she knew he was in the recesses of her mind, searching for something. And of course, he found it. "It would be a mistake, to move him from here, Evelyn. Letting your fear and emotions make decisions for you is not the way to handle any situation."

"I am afraid. I… I don't know what to do…"

"Might I suggest getting some sleep? Your mind needs to rest as much as your body."

She shook her head. "I can't. If something happens to you..."

"Pomfrey will take care of it."

She stared at him doubtfully, and he went back to his plate. "I am well out of harm's way. You know that." He arched an eyebrow and glanced at her. "But if you are not going to rest, perhaps you should do the adult thing and stop hiding."


Sirius was standing with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand, staring down at the fountain in the foyer.

He was miserable.

He had been there for at least half an hour, doing nothing but staring at the fish and wondering how long it would take for him to drown himself before anyone tried to rescue him. He hated his life. He couldn't force himself to eat. He couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. He felt like screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, and crawling into bed and pulling the covers over his head the next. He almost liked it better when pure rage claimed him. That way, he knew how he felt and didn't have all this seesaw of emotion that threatened to drive him insane.

If Remus hadn't convinced her, she would have sent him off to nowhere, and forgotten about him entirely, and left him there to rot. She hated him.

She was a real piece of work lately, slamming doors and shunning everyone, and even losing her temper and yelling at Tilly once.

But dammit, he couldn't be mad at her for it. He wasn't much different.

Quinn seemed to be at a loss for words or anything else, because he treaded softly, always gentle and quiet when she was around. She had somehow reached a breaking point, and had slipped over the edge, and he knew it. Severus's brush with death had changed her; that had been a given. But something went deeper now, and plagued her, and he hoped it wasn't that voice that had ridden him so fiercely, because no one deserved that, no one in this world, least of all her.

"I'll bet I can hit the blue one," a voice said.

Sirius looked to his side, and there he stood, the first time he'd seen him since hell had broken loose in the sitting room. Remus had joined him while he had been lost in his thoughts, and stared down at the water thoughtfully. Sirius followed his gaze to the koi fish that swam lazily towards them. He swallowed. "He's less than a foot away. Anyone could hit that."

Remus nabbed a tiny piece of bread from the slice in Sirius's hand, tossing it in, and it missed by six inches. "Oh, well."

Sirius shook his head. "You always had the worst aim. You always managed to throw dungbombs towards me and James whenever the three of us were attacking the Slytherin Quidditch team."

Remus cocked his head, staring at the ceiling. "No, actually I was always trying to hit you and James. You always picked on them too much."

"But you missed half the time."

"I know."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "We were closer to you than that fish, and you still missed?"

Remus shrugged, and snagged another piece of bread to feed the koi that had come to the surface for more. "I guess it wasn't my strong point."

Sirius felt a grin pull at the corners of his mouth. "You always took the brunt of everything. You let us walk all over you, all the time."

"You were my friends. I couldn't have made it without you."

Sirius pursed his lips, and began tossing crumbs to the multiplying fish in front of them. "You'd probably have been better off without us. Sometimes we… I… was selfish."

Remus pulled half the sandwich from his hand and began throwing pieces of it to the water. "Sometimes it's not someone's fault, the things he does or says. Sometimes he may be trying to express something, and it just comes out wrong."

Sirius licked his lips. "Like, just for example, if… if there was some evil force at work, and it somehow happened to take over a man, and he… and he said things and did things to… to his best friend, his best friend in the world…"

"That would be totally understandable. And if another man was under the same influence, and happened to lose it a little, and gave in to a part of him that he's never even seen, and maybe frightened himself and his best friend in the world…"

"That would be okay, too."

They stared at the fish for a while, and Lupin suddenly let out a long breath. "Are you hungry?" Sirius raised his eyebrows at him and Remus smiled. "All this feeding the fish has made me start thinking about food."

"Well, I had a sandwich…"

Remus chuckled, and they fell silent. Sirius shook his head. "I'm sorry, Remus."

"I'm sorry, too, Sirius."

"I swear, I… if anything had happened to you, I don't know… I couldn't have…"

"Forgotten. And… I feel the same way, I could have killed you, for Merlin's sake…"

"Don't, don't talk about it, I…" he grabbed him into a hug. "I don't want this happening again, I don't want to think about it."

Remus slapped him on the back. "It won't. And neither do I."

"That's good to see." They looked up, and Evie was standing on the steps, her arms around herself and her eyes a bit puffy. She smiled.

Remus grinned back. "How's Severus?"

She nodded. "He's fine. Hungry. He's eating like a horse."

They smiled, and Evie tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sirius, I wondered if… if I could speak to you… just for a minute?"

He stared at her, and Remus glanced at him. "I'm going to go see if Tilly has anything… you know, in the kitchen." He walked out, and Evie came to the bottom of the stairs. She approached Sirius slowly.

He crossed his arms, and lifted his chin, appearing casual. "So he's hungry?"

She nodded. "Mm-hm."

They were avoiding each other's eyes. "That's a good sign, right?"

She nodded again. "Very."

They watched the fish for a second as they waited at the top of the water expectantly, and she finally spoke. "It's been hard, these last few days. On all of us. But… on me… I know it's not an excuse, but… I just wanted to let you know that I was sorry."

Sirius blinked, and shook his head. "Don't worry about any of it. It's fine."

"You couldn't help what happened, Sirius." She swallowed. "Don't think I don't understand that. I just… you don't understand. And when I… you and Harry, I know you were only trying to help that night. I had no right throwing all that up in your face."

"Evie, you thought Severus was going to die. Don't apologize for something you had no control over."

"But I still said horrid things to you."

"Evie, haven't you noticed what's been happening? You, me, Remus, Quinn- there's something in us, in all of us. It's been trying to turn us against each other. I didn't know until this morning, but for days Molly's been housing the thought that Arthur's spending too much time with Poppy Pomfrey. Do you hear that? And Ron's been under the impression that Neville is trying to nose his way into his family. Evie, Severus was right. Something's been toying with us." He swallowed. "If you honestly believe that I would ever, in a million years, do something to Severus..."

"I don't."

He relaxed. "Then there's nothing to forgive." He stared at her. "Evie, you need sleep. You look horrible, if I may say so."

She smiled weakly, and stepped towards him, lowering her voice. "And I need to… we need to talk about… this thing, with Quinn, I want you to know that..."

He glanced around the foyer. "Not here. Come on, the library." She followed him in, and he turned and closed the door. She looked at him."

"I'm not going to marry him, Sirius. I can't. It's dishonest, letting him believe so. As long as I have these feelings for you, I can't imagine being with someone else."

Sirius looked at her, and he knew, knew in his heart, that he had to do it.

He reached for her, and she hesitated, but then leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. He put his arms around her and put his lips to the top of her head. "You know that I care for you." She let out a breath, and nodded. "That's how I can say what I'm about to say." He braced himself internally, and pulled back to meet her eyes. It set him back a few seconds, though, and he fought to muster up the courage. "You and Quinn… it's a good match. He cares for you, and he… he would do anything for you, Evie. Anything in his power. And… I want you to have all that you deserve, and I can't give you that. He's ready to accept Severus, which is something I never once offered to do, and I know he strives to make you see what you mean to him. I'm afraid I treated you like one of my possessions for most of our time together, and I hate myself for that. I really do. Because you deserve so, so much better than me. And I want you to give Quinn a chance. I want you to open up to him, and let him know that woman that I knew." He ran a hand through her hair, and her eyes misted. "Instead of accepting Quinn because you feel he's like me, maybe you should love him because he's everything I should be."

She swallowed, and frowned. "Why are you saying this?"

It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, standing there looking at her, into those eyes, and saying it. And he hoped one day he could forgive himself for it. "I think we both know that it was just a foolish mistake, the two of us. We had so much to fall back on, so much unfinished business, and… it just took me over. If I had been as clear-headed as I am now, I would have seen how… how wrong and how stupid it was for us to… to just act on a memory like we did."

She was breathing hard, and her eyes looked pained. "So if I told you that it was you I wanted, and you I loved, you would walk away?"

He clenched his jaw. "Yes, Evie, I would."

"Because you think it's better for me. Because you think if you really love me, you have to let me go."

He cursed to himself, and backed away. "Evie, I'm afraid that I see things much differently than I did before. And one of those things I see so differently is you."

"Is this because of the last few days? Because of the things I've done and said? Because if it is..."

"This is because… what do you think is going to happen after this war? Do you think we're going to be able to fall right back in where we left off? You said it yourself, Evie, some things are not meant to be. We aren't the same, can't you see that? I'm not the same." He swallowed the lump in his throat that kept him from saying his next words. "I don't feel the same."

She shook her head. "Please don't say this, not now."

"I can't love you like he does, Evie. I can't. I'm sorry. And I won't try to take his place at your side."

"Sirius, don't say that. I know you're lying. I know that you..."

"Evie, it was a mistake. And there's no little voice in my head telling me to say that. It's my decision, and nothing can make me go back on it. There's no magic that is going to make me feel differently. Can't you understand that?"

She hugged herself, then lifted her chin. "And nothing could change your mind, Sirius?"

His hands were balled up so tightly that he feared his nails would be inches into the skin when he opened them. "Nothing. Nothing in this world."

She lowered her eyes, nodding, and let out a little breath. 'I should see if Severus needs anything."

He watched her turn away, and as she opened the door, he made himself say it. "I'm sorry I've hurt you, Evie. But we were fools to think that it could ever be like it was."

She slowed, but didn't stop. "Some things are not meant to be."

He gave a nod, stepping out into the foyer behind her. "Some things are not meant to be."

Her feet gained pace again, and soon the only sound was the trickle of the fountain, the tick of the clock, and the beat of his painfully rushing heart.


Hermione sat with Harry, and he stared down at his shoes as Evie left. She had been in tears, on her knees before Harry as she apologized, and seeing her so emotional had left him a bit uncomfortable.

"A lot's happened since I was here last," Hermione said. She had arrived that morning, and with little to show for her days and days of research on phoenixes.

Harry nodded. "She was out of her head, you know. It's been happening to everyone. Even Lupin and Sirius got into it. Lupin was down for days."

Hermione pulled her legs up under her. "Have you asked her about the Altress family's dealings with phoenixes? She would know."

"Hermione, you just saw her. She looks like she's wasting away. I'm telling you, she lost it when Snape was hurt. I'm not going to ask for a history lesson."

"What about Quinn? He'd know something, wouldn't he?"

"He's been acting weird since Sirius and Lupin had their fight. He's watching everyone like a hawk, scared to death that someone's going to lose it. He's jumpy, and I don't think he would want to tell me anything, either."

"KINGSLEY'S HERE!" The voice came from down the hall, and got closer. Ron stuck his head in, and his cheeks were red. "Kingsley's here. You won't believe what he's saying."

They rushed down the hall to the second floor, and pushed into Snape's room. Kingsley was at the foot of Snape's bed, talking animatedly. Sirius, Lupin, and Arthur stood by the bed, joining Pomfrey and Evie, and Quinn was beside Kingsley, his face thoughtful.

"And they were looking for something. The Ministry's sure of it. They seemed interested in something in the front hall. Half of them were caught there. But nothing seems to be out of the ordinary."

Neville, Ginny, and the twins had come in with Molly, and Harry and Ron parted to give them room. Arthur shook his head. "But what would they want at Hogwarts? There's nothing there that would interest them."

Except the remains of Albus Dumbledore, Harry thought.

"And they very well saw to it that they were destroyed," Snape suddenly said, and everyone looked at him. He looked at Harry. "You are still an open book. Please learn to close your mind."

Harry swallowed, and looked back to Kingsley. "The Death Eaters were looking for something inside the school? But what?"

Kingsley shrugged. "If only we knew. But it had to be something important, or they never would have risked the consequences of entering."

Harry's mind raced. What could they have wanted inside the school?

Footsteps bounded to the door, and Tonks was coming in. "Sorry. Moody wanted to make sure we weren't being followed." She rolled her eyes impatiently. Remus saw her, and gave her a small smile, gesturing to her to come to his side. She hesitated, then obeyed, and he pulled her close. "I missed you," he whispered.

She looked as though she would burst into tears, but fought for her composure. "I missed you, too," she replied.

An unsteady gimp of footsteps was echoing from the hall, and Mad-Eye Moody came in, his face in a snarl. "Can't tell that girl anything. Death Eaters everywhere and she wants to just rush right in like we're going shopping." He moved towards Severus's bed, and Sirius held his breath, wondering if Moody could still be influenced by the voice that had turned everyone in this place into animals. Surely if anything was said, it would be directed towards Quinn or Severus. As he shifted, he saw it.

There, in plain sight, was the Dark Mark on Severus's left arm, exposed for anyone to see.

Or for someone like Alastor Moody to comment on…

Quickly and secretively Sirius pulled the loose end of the sheet over Severus's arm, then gave him a small smile.

Severus Snape glanced at his covered arm, then stared at Sirius for a long, long time.

"What's all this about the Death Eaters?" Moody plopped to a chair beside the bed, pushing it back into the mattress. The bed shifted and Sirius shot him a dirty look. "Careful, alright? He's hurt."

Moody glanced at Snape, then gave him a pat. "Sorry 'bout that, Severus."

Snape didn't say anything.

Kingsley continued. "If something was at Hogwarts, something of value to him, then it would be something quite personal. What in the world would he have wanted? There's no way of knowing." Everyone began discussing this, and the murmuring gave Sirius a buzzing headache. He wondered if it was perhaps too much on Severus to have all these people around him at once. He felt a little protective of him for some reason, and it made him a bit angry that everyone had just invited themselves in like this. Poppy and Evie kept glancing at him, keeping tabs on his reaction, and quickly Sirius did the same.

The man was looking directly at him.

"They did make it a point to come inside the school. If they were there to destroy the tomb, which… which I really don't understand…" Evie shook her head. Harry frowned at her, and though maybe she was being too thick lately. The Death Eaters had known about Dumbledore's remains and how Evie was going to resurrect them. Cyrus had told them. And they had come to the school to destroy any chance that he could come back. And Evelyn Prince, the overseer of it all, didn't get it.

Snape was quiet, and Harry saw that his brow was furrowed and he stared heavily at the sheets. "Do you find it odd, Potter, what you heard when we left the Headmaster's office?" His voice was low and steady.

Harry swallowed as every eye shot to him.

Sirius tilted his head. "What did you hear?"

Harry looked at him. "A… a voice. It was… it was calling for me."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Was it?"

The boy stared at him for a long time, and he knew there was something to this, he just knew there was... "I… I think it was. It was calling for something…"

Lupin frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Evie swallowed, not taking her eyes from Harry. "When we were at Hogwarts, before his scar started hurting, they heard it. He- Voldemort- was calling..."

"But why didn't we hear it?" Ron asked.

Severus Snape was watching Harry. "Because you cannot recognize Parseltongue, Mister Weasley."

Sirius's eyes shot to Snape. "You… you do?" Snape gave a nod. Moody was looking between them like they might both turn into crocodiles and devour him at any moment, and it was obvious he was reminding himself that they were all on the same side.

Quinn raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "I didn't know that."

"And neither of us is proud of the things my father introduced us to." Evie was staring down at the quilts on the bed.

Harry took a step towards Evie, not really caring what language anyone spoke at that moment. "If… why would he call for me? What else… it couldn't have been me, because Snape heard it. But what… what could he have been calling for?"

Snape lifted his chin, and his eyebrows raised. "Perhaps we should remember what the Dark Lord has been searching for most feverishly."

Harry let out a breath, and a confused expression twisted his face. There was no way. Not there. If there had indeed been one there, it would mean that Albus Dumbledore had completely overlooked it a thousand times.

And so had everyone else.

"A Horcrux."

Everyone looked at Harry, and he was staring at the floor, his eyes haunted. "He wasn't calling for me. He was calling for the piece of his soul that he needed."

"At Hogwarts? Ridiculous." Moody shifted in his chair, then looked thoughtful as he glanced at Severus. "It is ridiculous, isn't it?"

"How do we know he doesn't already have it?" Tonks asked.

"Because his surge in power would have crippled Harry like it did before." Evie watched him. "I am sure that we would know by now if he had acquired it."

Lupin shifted. "There's something I don't understand. If he is so desperate to rebuild himself, why hasn't he used the snake? Why hasn't he taken the part of himself that resides in her?"

Evie looked at them, and her face fell. "I can't believe that I… I thought you knew!"

Arthur frowned. "Knew what?"

"About the Horcruxes! He can't use them in just any order. They have to be absorbed in the order they were made. If he did risk taking that part before any other, then the spell could be damaged. He could lose the ability to absorb the others. It's a very fragile thing, dealing with splitting the soul."

Hermione was suddenly in front of Evie. "Then we can maybe find a clue about what he needs from the school! Harry! What was the first Horcrux destroyed?"

Harry swallowed. "The diary."

Hermione nodded. "Alright. The first Horcrux he made. And the next?"

He shifted. "Marvolo's ring."

Hermione was shining with excitement, and Harry could actually hear the gears in her mind working. "Now, what do we know they have searched for?"

Harry thought. "We know they found the cup first. And then they came for the locket."

"So the locket must have been made after the cup. And whatever they're looking for was made after the locket but before the snake… but at Hogwarts?"

Harry shook his head. "That can't be right. He was gone from Hogwarts by the time he made the locket, I'm sure of it."

Hermione frowned. "He could have come back, couldn't he? I mean, if he had, Dumbledore would have known about it, wouldn't he?"

And it hit Harry like a ton of bricks. "The Pensieve," he said.

They all frowned at him, but Snape had leaned forward. "Think, Potter. Remember."

"He came back to ask for a job. He came back..."

"Can you remember anything of the memory, Potter, anything at all?"

Harry was trying, he really was, and suddenly, like it was being planted in his head, he remembered something else.

When they had passed the trophy case, it had exploded. His scar had hurt him so badly that his mind had shut down.

"Potter, what is it? What is the connection?"

He didn't care that Snape was dipping into his mind at all, because he had it. He could see it in his mind, so clear that it was like he was standing in front of it that very second. "I know what it is," he whispered. "I know what it is."

Snape was trying to rise from the bed. "We have to go, now."

Evie pushed him back. "No. I have no idea what's going on, but you're staying here."

"It's been there, all along, and no one knew." Harry was backing up to the door. "He's right. We have to go now."

Kingsley was moving towards him. "I'll follow you wherever you say, Harry. Lead the way."

Moody was up and hobbling towards him, Tonks and Lupin at his heels. Sirius was close behind, and Quinn was beside him. Evie watched as Arthur told Molly to contact McGonagall, and she then turned to Severus. "Poppy will watch over you until I get back."

He grabbed her arm. "No. You will stay."

"Severus, if one of them gets hurt..."

"Do not be a fool, Evelyn. You will stay, and Pomfrey will go."

Evie looked as though she'd remembered something, then sat down on the edge of the bed. Poppy gave a quick nod, following the others out. Evie breathed, taking Severus's hand in hers. "What do we do if we have found it, Severus? What then?"

"We destroy it."

"How?"

He laid his head back, frowning. "It evades me."


Lupin, Harry and Sirius were side by side, Quinn in front of them and Kingsley behind. They entered slowly, peering through the darkness of the castle. The others had stayed at the front gates with Hagrid and Grawp, awaiting any sign of trouble. Thomas had made sure that the Ministry had gotten word of a very successful raid in London, and saw to it that the stragglers that watched Hogwarts were away to assist. The school was still in shambles from the attack, and Harry's heart grew heavy as he saw the rubble peppering the halls he loved so much. They walked to the front hall, and Harry pushed through. "It was right here," he said, and walked to the trophy case. He pointed at the floor where he had collapsed in agony. "It happened right here." He lifted his finger directly to the case, and walked closer.

Quidditch trophies bearing his father's name were everywhere, and plaques bearing the names of other pioneers of the sport were there also. Harry's eyes wandered over the House Cup winners from throughout the ages, and then to the innocent looking trophy for services to the school.

The feeling electrified in him, and he knew. He knew without a doubt that he was right. It seemed that something in his head was screaming that he was right, and to just take it, take it out and keep it safe…

Sirius was at his side, intruding on the strange thoughts in his mind. "Harry… you can't tell me that…"

There it was, so obvious yet so unbelievable, something that was overlooked by even Albus Dumbledore. Harry nodded. "That's it. That's it, Sirius. I can feel it. That's what we've been looking for, and it's been here, out of his reach, until..."

"Until the protection was lifted." Lupin was next to them. "That's why they wanted us here. They wanted this."

Kingsley frowned. "I thought he would use things that held a certain glory, things that were glamorous in some sense."

Harry shook his head. "How much more glory could you want, after convincing everyone around that you saved the day when it was your fault in the first place?"

Kingsley's deep voice came, reciting. "Awarded to Tom Marvolo Riddle, For Special Services to Hogwarts."

Quinn was looking in the case intently. "He wanted something inside the school. Imagine how protected this has been for all this time. No one could ever reach it inside of Hogwarts. It was safe, even from him. As long as Dumbledore was here…"

"My God, how many times have walked right past that thing?" Sirius shook his head. "But how… how could he have taken it and done all that, and still brought it back here?"

"No one would question a man wanting to take a walk down memory lane, if perhaps he wanted to see it, or…" Lupin said.

Harry swallowed. "He could have taken it, then returned it later and… and said he… I don't know, but that's it. That's it. I can't explain how I know, but that's it."

Quinn put his hands on the glass. "Why didn't they get it? If it was right here, why couldn't they retrieve it?"

Harry took out his wand, firing a red ball of fire at the case. The spell bounced off the glass like rubber.

"Protected." Kingsley knocked on the glass.

"A bunch of sixth year Slytherins broke into it once when we were kids," Sirius said. "Destroyed the Gryffindor Quidditch Trophy. I'm sure Dumbledore made sure it wouldn't happen again."

Harry thought hard. There was no way to get past something that Dumbledore had put in place, for he tended to use enchantments that were a bit on the foreign side. Something no one else would understand. Something that only Dumbledore would know.

He tightened with a shot of excitement.

"I have to get to his office," he whispered. "I have to get to Dumbledore's office. I might be wrong, but I think I know how to open the case."

He was running for the stairs before anyone could follow, and Sirius caught up to him as he was climbing the next flight. Quinn was close behind. "Don't just go running off like that, Harry! We don't know what's here!"

Sirius nodded, agreeing with Quinn. "Yes, and not to mention you're a good twenty years younger than the both of us!"

Quinn grinned. "Than you, perhaps. Harry and I happen to be merely eighteen years apart."

Sirius tilted his head. "Ah, just a pup, then, aren't you?"

They laughed, and Harry led them to the stairs. He turned. "I should go alone. Evie really stressed it before."

Sirius looked at him sternly. "Yes, well, Evie's not here now, is she, and I'm not about to let you go in there alone."

"He's right, Harry," Quinn said. "We can't let you just go off alone."

"Why not? I'm of age now, aren't I? Everyone still treats me like a child. Dumbledore knew he didn't have to shield me anymore. He would expect me to do it alone."

The men shared a look, and Quinn raised his eyebrows. Sirius let out a long breath and his eyes went back to Harry. "Alright. But if you're not back down here in ten minutes, I'm coming up."

Harry turned to the staircase. "Cherry broth."

The staircase turned, and he stepped on. Quinn looked at Sirius. "Did he say cherry broth?"


The office was exactly as it had been left, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. At least the Death Eaters hadn't made it in. He looked at the painting of Dumbledore, and it was empty. The other paintings were vacant, too, and Harry thought for sure they were elsewhere in the castle, studying the damage. He went to the case that had contained the Sword of Gryffindor, and searched the paintings above it. "Professor Dumbledore?"

There was no answer from anywhere, and Harry let out a frustrated breath. They were so close, as close as could be, and yet so far. He thought about the painting at the Manor, and figured they would have to go there for answers as he walked to the door.

"Harry Potter, I hardly recognized you. The past few months have changed you quite a bit."

Harry looked up to the shelves behind the desk, and the Sorting Hat seemed to be staring down at him. Well, provided a hat could stare

"You," Harry said, "What are you doing here?"

"I live here. What are you doing here?"

Harry shifted. "Where is Dumbledore? Why isn't he in the painting?"

"I can't say that I know. But he thought you may show up soon."

Harry frowned. "He… he did?"

The Sorting Hat moved as it spoke, and seemed to be a bit off kilter. "Did you know that I contain a gift, placed in me by none other than Godric Gryffindor? He could tell immediately about a person. Never had to get to know them, he could just look at them and tell. I've used his gift well, I believe- wouldn't you say?"

Harry cocked his head. "Are you alright?"

"Godric Gryffindor was a genius of a man. He found a way to pass many of his talents down through the ages. He even found a way to assure his knowledge never really died."

Harry shook his head. "This is all very interesting, but… I have to get back downstairs. If you see Dumbledore, make sure you tell him I've found what Voldemort used. It's the trophy. Tom Riddle's own trophy, the one that was kept right downstairs. That's the missing Horcrux. But I need to know how to open the case. I have a feeling that it's the same spell that opened the case containing the Sword of Gryffindor."

"Oh?" The hat seemed to straighten. "Why, that's simple. I've heard that one many times."

Harry felt his heart fly into his throat. "What is it? What is the incantation?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Your tongue could never pronounce it."

Harry closed his eyes, counting to ten.

"However, if you would kindly take me down, I would be more than happy to oblige."

Harry beamed, and reached for the tattered object, lifting it from the shelf. He suddenly sneezed so forcefully he felt pain behind his eyes.

The Sorting Hat shook itself, and dust billowed into a cloud. "You would think they would clean up in here a bit."


­­­­­­­­­­

Quinn and Sirius leaned against the wall, waiting not so patiently for Harry's return. Quinn's fingers drummed on his knee, and Sirius watched him closely. He seemed to be overpowered by stress, and his brow was furrowed deeply. "It's been rough, these last few days, eh?"

Quinn looked up at him, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, it has. On you, too."

Sirius nodded. He shifted. "I know it's none of my concern, but Evie seems very ill, Quinn. Is she alright?"

"She's so worried about Severus it's pitiful. I had no idea they were that close."

"They are." Sirius leaned his head back against the wall. "Some would say too close." He stared at the ceiling and let out a long breath.

Quinn pursed his lips. "I've tried so hard to be there for her. But she's so intent on keeping everything inside herself. It can't be good for her. She's more like him than I thought. She bottles a lot of herself up."

"Yes, literally," Sirius mumbled.

Quinn looked at him. "How are you feeling? You had a pretty bad… you and Remus…"

Sirius breathed, crouching against the wall. "Better. No more voices, no more fits of rage. And that's fine with me." He raised his eyebrows. "I can't tell you what that's like, feeling something inside of you and having no control over it."

Quinn raised his hands. "You don't have to tell me anything. I would have killed Alastor Moody if I'd had the chance."

Sirius raised his chin. "You knew him, did you?"

"He knew my father. I was too young to care. My father, he was… he was a good man, Alastor's right. I could never hope to be what he was. He served Dumbledore for many years. And he was quite vigilant for the rights of werewolves." Quinn spread his hands. "I would think it would be obvious why."

Sirius was frowning. "Why didn't you ever come to school here?"

Quinn shrugged. "I didn't want to. I was bitter. I'd just lost my parents, and I was living with… with Cyrus. He and I, we never really got along, and I was more interested in making his life a living hell. Besides, I had it in my head that all wizards… I thought for sure they would hate me. Remus told me how Dumbledore made a way, but I just… two werewolves might have been too much, even for him."

Sirius leaned his head back again. "I'm sorry, Quinn. That must have been hard on you."

He nodded. "But then there was Evie." He shook his head. "I was eighteen when she came here. She floored me. I knew, as soon as I saw her, that she was the one. Have you ever just looked at a woman, and felt it? That no one but her would ever do?"

Sirius swallowed hard, and nodded. "Yes, I have."

Quinn looked at him, and his face fell. "Sirius, I'm sorry. I wasn't… I was just talking, and I..."

"Don't apologize, Quinn," he said. "What do you have to be sorry about? Evie and I… it was too long ago for me to care about. Besides, you're going to be married to her. You have every right to talk about her. It's good, that you'll let it be shown. Don't ever forget to do that. It's important, to let someone know that it's them you're thinking about, instead of everything else."

Quinn nodded, and took Sirius's shoulder. "You're a good man, Sirius. You really are."

"I'm not that good, Quinn. Trust me."


Harry was climbing the stairs to the third floor, and stopped as he saw Evie near the fire on the second story sitting room. He paused, then walked over to her. "Evie?"

Her head lifted, and she offered a thin smile. "Good evening, Harry. You're up very late."

He smiled. "I've been practicing nonverbal spells," he admitted, feeling a bit childish.

Evie didn't seem to think he was. "I'm very proud of you. You've shown so much progress over the past months."

Tilly appeared from the hall, and they turned. "Miss must come quickly. Master Severus needs a potion. He is in pain."

Evie nodded and rose. "I'm on my way, Tilly." She stopped, and smiled. "Come with me? I hate roaming these halls alone at night."

Harry gave her an understanding smile. He followed her a few steps, then swallowed, and took the chance to ask some questions that he'd wanted to for far too long. He took a breath. "Evie, why have all the phoenixes gone?"

She didn't hesitate. "Because they are no longer needed."

He frowned. "Why not? Because the tomb was destroyed? That's it, isn't it? You were going to use them to bring Dumbledore back, but Voldemort, he destroyed what was left in the tomb."

She was quiet for a long time, then raised her eyebrows. "I'm very sorry, Harry."

He blinked again.

He was right. It was that easy.

He was surprisingly calm, and it scared him. With all the nuttiness going on in this place, he didn't want it to be a trigger on some poor, helpless person later. He'd rather have felt the anger and hurt and disappointment fresh and full at this moment, instead of later. But he could not, for the life of him, do it.

Evie had stopped, and reached over and touched his face, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Sometimes you have to forget the life you leave behind. Sometimes, you have to realize that what was can never be again. Everything changes, Harry. Nothing stays the same. And the time comes when all of us have to make decisions that will affect the rest of our lives; ones we might not want to make, but we have no choice. And… and I realize it now, after all this time. You're lucky enough to see it while you're young, so you won't make all the mistakes that others do." Her voice shook. "The life you leave behind should never hinder the one that is before you."

His lower lip trembled. "It's close, Evie. The end is so close, I can feel it in me."

"And you will face it like the brave young man you are."

He bit his lips. "Why did he say Severus Snape was the Chosen One?"

She swallowed. "He was Albus Dumbledore's Chosen One, Harry. He was the only man Albus trusted with his most prized possession. That is all."

"So I'm..."

"You are still the only person who can defeat Voldemort. You are still the Chosen One to the world, and The Boy Who Lived. Nothing has changed about the prophecy."

Harry stared at her. "I'm afraid."

She looked at him, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye. "Then we will be afraid together." She pulled him to her, and he hugged her close.


Quinn splashed his face with the cold water, and rubbed his eyes. He stared at himself in the mirror, and his green eyes flashed back, set in his sharp face and accented by his hair, which had finally grown out since the Weasley Twin accident. He grinned as he remembered, and bent to feel the water on his cheeks again.

When he looked back to the mirror, he froze.

She was there behind him, leaning against the doorframe and watching him.

He cocked his head. "Evie?"

She smiled, and it was weak. She crossed her arms. "I couldn't sleep."

He turned, taking a towel from the wall and wiping his face. He tossed it to the floor, and she looked at it. "Why don't you just put it back where you got it?"

He shrugged. "That's the thing about being a bachelor. You don't have to. But, I suppose I'll have to get over all that."

She stared at the floor, and he watched her. "What's wrong, Evie? You should be happy. Severus is getting stronger every day, you've got the locket and the trophy, and all that's left is to destroy them."

She looked at him. He was everything anyone could ask for, strong and handsome and ruggedly so. His bare shoulders were broad and shone with the drops of water that donned them, and his torso was shaped thickly as it narrowed to his waist. His pants hugged the large thighs, and his bare feet were protruding from the bottoms, large against the light wood.

She could do it. If she set her mind to it, she could do it.

"I've been thinking, Quinn." She fingered the etchings on the bathroom door. "I've been… I've been selfish. I've pushed you away, time and time again, and you still manage to tolerate me. And these last few days… I've been a different person. I've had to apologize to Harry and Sirius, but I… I feel I owe you more of an apology than them."

He looked at the floor, and picked up the towel, running it over his hands. "What would you have to apologize for, Evie? You haven't done anything that can't be explained by grief, or fear."

She watched him, and stepped towards him. "I've denied you. I've tried to deny what I feel, and… I can't do it anymore."

He didn't look at her, and folded the towel over, putting it back on the hook.

"Are you even hearing me, Quinn?"

He turned away, and went back to the sink. He braced his arms on it, his head down.

She took a step towards him. "I've lied to you. I've made you believe things that… I realize now that I have no reason to push you away. I see that now. Quinn, please talk to me." She put a hand on his shoulder, and he tensed under her touch.

"What are you saying, Evie?" He turned and looked at her, his eyes a bit hard. "Why are you here?"

She studied his eyes, and knew she had to, had to do it now. "I feel that I've kept you waiting long enough."

He blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Her lips were against his, and her hands pulled him close, tangling in his hair and feeling the curve of his neck. His hands weren't touching her; instead, he was pulling back, his breath coming hard. "What are you doing, Evie?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she said.

"You're not well. I don't want you doing this because you are under some spell." He tried to turn away, and she took his face, making him look at her.

"The only spell that claims me is regret. Regret for not seeing this sooner, and regret for keeping you so far from me." She studied his eyes. "Can you deny me? Your own, your woman… the woman who would be your wife?"

He let out a ragged breath. "Evie…"

And this time, when she kissed him, he kissed her back, a purr issuing from his throat, and soon she could feel him hard and ready, pressed against her stomach. He lifted her in one sweeping move, and as he carried her to his bed, and lowered himself to her, she gave in, gave in to his hands and his lips and the gentleness of him.

She could forget. She could forget the life she'd left behind, and cling only to Quinn. She could make herself. His hands undressed her slowly, and he stared down at her with an awe in his eyes, as if she were the greatest gift he could ever be given. He removed his belt, and soon he was against her, and she could feel him, his skin hot and flushed and his heart thudding in his chest, evident in its rushing.

She had to. It was the only way that things would ever be right. Sirius was no more. All that was left was Quinn.

He moved over her, and she succumbed to him, his thickness filling her completely, and as he moved in her, pulling her close to him, breathing against her ear and tasting her lips, she closed her eyes.

And as much as she wanted to deny it, as hard as she tried to push it from her senses, she felt a part of herself die inside.