Arriving by Floo powder, Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and into Severus' arms. The older man gently steadied him and smirked lightly at him.
"Still not used to flooing, huh?" he teased the young wizard.
Looking rather ill, Harry glared at his friend.
"Gee, already noticed that?" he sarcastically said. "I hate flooing. It should be banished from the wizarding world. Brooms and Apparating are so much better."
Severus chuckled and led his companion out of the inn/floo centre, pointing at the dark forest beginning not even a hundred feet beyond the building. Harry gulped; even he with his less trained magic ability could sense that the forest wasn't a very nice place.
"We're going there?" he hesitantly said.
Severus grimly nodded.
"Yes," he confirmed. "Sadly enough, this is the only forest where this particular mushroom grows. The bad news is that several dark species have discovered that as well and moved in. It's infested with vampires."
Harry shivered. The forest gave him a very bad feeling.
"I so don't like this," he muttered.
***
After the umpteenth time Harry got whacked with a branch in his face, he stopped to glare at Severus.
"Why was it we needed this bloody mushroom now again?" he acidly said. "Because I'm getting bloody tired of getting whacked in the face every other minute. Another question, why can't I use my magic to get those branches out of my face?"
Severus looked back at him with a look on his face bordering between sternness and amusement.
"Well," he retorted, "if you're going to make the headache potion, we're going to need that mushroom. And as to why you can't use your magic – if you want to stand face to face with a vampire, be my guest. Last, watch your bloody language!"
Harry only took one incredulous look at Severus, and then both broke into uncontrollable laughter.
"It's a pity Viktor wasn't allowed to come," Harry noted as they started walking again. "Then we'd have another pair of eyes to look with for the mushroom. Do you think we'll find it before we reach the middle of the forest?"
Severus didn't get to answer though, as a smooth, rather hissy voice exclaimed at Harry's last sentence.
"No, Child Master!" it said. "You shan't go into the middle of the forest. Evil dwells there, evil. We will not loose our Master."
Startled, Harry looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. As he looked at Severus, he looked rather startled too – he had also heard the voice. And when Harry looked at him with a question in his eyes, Severus pointed wordlessly at a small snake sunbathing on a rock.
Without really noticing what he was doing, Harry spoke back to it in it's own language.
"What do you mean, brother?" he curiously asked. "What evil dwells in these woods?"
Rising its head to stare at him, the snake replied.
"A man without substance came into these woods less than a moon ago," it answered. "He settled at the centre of the forest and keeps himself alive by inhabiting the bodies of our brothers and sisters. But he cannot stay long inside them. The host dies within a week. The Fellowship are shunning the place now, no one dares to go into the dark. Be careful, Master, do not walk into the dark."
Harry shook his head.
"As you advice me, brother," he calmly finished the talk, then looked at an only a little stunned Severus. "What do you think he means?"
The dark man seemed to ponder the question, then sighed.
"What I fear is true," he simply replied. "We have found Voldemort's hiding place."
"Crap," Harry gasped, not a little frightened by Severus' words. "What are we going to do?"
Severus grimly looked at him.
"The only thing we can do," he replied. "Weaken and trap Voldemort as good as we can and hope it's enough. Only the Boy Who Lived has enough power to kill Voldemort, and then only when he has fully grown into his powers. But he has disappeared."
Harry gulped. He understood what Severus was saying, he knew what they had to do, but that didn't mean he wasn't scared. The creature hiding in the woods was the murderer of his parents after all, the master both Severus and Nataniel had been trapped by, fearing for their lives.
"What are we going to do?" he croaked.
Severus quickly looked around.
"First we ask the snake where we can find the mushroom," he told Harry. "Then you and I will search mentally for him, one of us throwing a curse at him while the other puts up the strongest wards he can create."
It sounded simple, but Harry knew it wasn't going to be that. Especially when you considered that he didn't know any advanced wards. Which meant that he was going to have to be the one to throw the curse.
"I will have to curse him, won't I?" Harry weakly asked his friend.
Sympathising, Severus nodded, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. When he spoke again, he was looking squarely into Harry's eyes. And then he knew that it was important that he answered the oncoming question truthfully.
"There is only one curse that is strong enough to subdue Voldemort," Severus carefully said. "I believe you have the power to perform it, even if it is wandlessly and at a distance. You have performed it before, after all. The question is: are you willing to perform this curse on a living creature? For while Voldemort will likely survive this curse, the body he is inhibiting won't. I will not order you to do this, I will not even ask you. You will have to decide this for yourself. Is it worth it?"
His mind seemed to have blanked. The Avada Kedavra. On a living, breathing creature, who's only misdeed was to be in a place at the wrong time. Could he end an innocent's life? Had he even the right?
"Master," the snake suddenly hissed. I have heard what you are saying, and I believe it is my duty to offer my advice."
Startled, Harry nodded his agreement. He still didn't see why the snake called him 'master' though. Or why he understood it in the first place.
"The Fellowship of Snakes are connected," the snake started. "Many of my brothers and sisters have perished for this plague. One believes that if the death of one can save a thousand, one would willingly give ones life. This is war, brothers and sisters will die. You have to accept this, learn to live with it. But mourn those you kill and to it only to protect others or yourself."
Harry swallowed and nodded once again.
"Thank you, brother," he replied. "One understands what you are saying. I will do this for your sake and everyone else's sake."
He turned to Severus, who was looking at Harry with sadness in his eyes and grief in his face.
"I will do it," he softly said. "As the snake said, this is war and I will have to do things I'd rather not. It is out of my hands."
Severus nodded, bowing to give Harry a tight hug.
"I know this is hard," he whispered. "No matter what it is, loosing one's blood innocence is horrible. Killing a human is even worse. I have killed, Harry, and not a few, in the war. The grief and guilt will always be in my heart."
Then he released Harry and turned to the snake, his face now impassive and hard.
"Brother!" he hissed. "The child and I are searching for a special mushroom which smells like a carrion. Do you know where we can find it?"
The snake was quiet for a couple of seconds.
"Yes," it hissed. "It grows not far from here. The Fellowship keeps away from it. It hurts our senses."
Severus nodded.
"Can you describe the way?" he questioned.
The snake replied with some rather detailed descriptions, and when the dark man finally looked at Harry, his face was triumphant.
"I know where we can find it now," he softly announced. "Follow me, Harry."
The tall man started off through the forest, leading him along a small stream top a marshland. The stench floating around it made Harry want to retch. Severus though, just sniffed the air and nodded satisfied.
"It's definitely here," he commented. "Now, we just have to find it. Look for a beige mushroom with a black hat and yellow stripes."
Harry nodded and started to edge his way around the marshland. He did not want to fall into the simply disgusting water. In the end, it was Severus who found the mushroom, and when they arrived back at the glade where they met the snake, not even ten minutes had gone by.
Severus placed his satchel on the ground and looked enquiringly at Harry, holding out his hands.
"Are you ready then?" he gently asked.
At Harry's nod and hesitant grip of his hands, Severus breathed deeply.
"This is what we will do," Severus seriously said. "All of it will have to be done Wandlessly. I will link our minds and bring us to Voldemort's host. When we are there, I will separate us so that you stay at the hiding place and I go back to the glade. You will have to perform the curse and then go back. First when you are back, I will be able to put up the wards. For I will have to do this through you."
Harry looked puzzled.
"Why?" he asked.
Severus looked down for a second.
"Voldemort knows my magical signature," he silently said. "And when he manage to recuperate and starts to gather his followers again, the light side will need my help. I cannot reveal my position as a spy."
Harry nodded nervously. He knew what Severus was talking about. The man had never tried to hide the darker part of himself from Harry.
"I understand," he gravely said. "Let's do it."
Severus nodded and his grip on Harry's hands tightened as he closed his eyes. Following his friend and mentor's lead, Harry did the same, opening himself to Severus' mind.
The first contact was fluttering, as if Severus didn't really know what to latch on to, but at the second contact, he entered Harry's mind, filling it with foreign impressions. Love. Anxiousness. Fear. Affection. Hatred. For a few moments it nearly overwhelmed him, but then Severus drew back a bit, casting a mental ward between their minds as to not overwhelm Harry or be overwhelmed by him.
//Are you all right, Harry?//
Nodding before realizing that Severus couldn't see it, Harry answered.
//Yes,// he said. //It was a little uncomfortable in the beginning, but it's good now.//
Severus expressed his approval, then propelled them out of their bodies. Feeling like he was floating, Harry kept a strong grip on Severus mind. Opening his mental eyes, Harry found himself Being above the forest they technically still were in. He could see the boundaries of it, could see every glade, every stream within it.
//Stretch out with your mind,// Severus softly instructed. //Search for a feeling of wrong and dangerous.//
Rather than using the words, the wizard had sent his companion a feeling of what they were searching for, and when Harry actually tried to stretch out, he found himself doing just that. Stretching out to encompass more and more of the woods, feeling the souls inside, and finding…
//There,// he breathed. //By the red tree, I can feel him…//
Severus mind came closer, joining his.
//Yes,// he mumbled. //I can feel him. Wait a moment while I familiarize with the surroundings.//
Harry felt him floating around the edges of his mind, then he returned, bringing a satisfied feeling with him.
//I have the location,// he told Harry. //You know what to do?//
Even though Harry felt uneasy when it came to the next couple of minutes, he sent assurance to Severus.
//I do,// he promised. //Go…//
And with that, Severus' mind disappeared, fading more and more until it was only a vague buzzing in the back of his head. Then he acted after taking a deep breath. Knowing that he needed large amounts of power to cast this curse, Harry delved into the room in his mind he kept locked and barred, dissipating everything that kept it separate. Remembering once again…
He was sitting in his daddy's knee, playing 'clap clap huggie' when his daddy suddenly tensed, just as it was time for 'huggie' again. Harry pouted, not understanding why daddy had stopped. Suddenly, his daddy flew to his feet, holding Harry tightly to him. The little boy squirmed, wanting to get loose, but his daddy just held him tighter.
"Lily, take Harry and go!"
Harry didn't like this at all. Daddy was being loud he was hurting him! Wanted to play!
"It's him!" his daddy hurriedly continued, almost throwing him into his mommy's arms. "Go! Run! I'll hold him off…"
Mommy had started to run, tears running down her cheeks. She stumbled over a toy horse, almost falling but regained her balance, Then she pushed herself through the door, fleeing into the next room just as another door was thrown wide open with a loud, high-pitched laughter.
They burst out of the house, then fell as a dark shape latched itself onto his mummy. They feel to the ground, and Harry started to cry. This wasn't fun anymore! Clutching the material of his mummy's cloths, Harry watched as a dark shape with glowing eyes came closer to them. His mummy held him tightly to herself.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
She almost screamed this, causing Harry to scream with him. He didn't want to be here! Scary!
"Stand aside, you silly girl…" the redeye shape ordered. "Stand aside, now!"
In response, his mother just hugged him tighter to him, shielding him with her own body.
"Not Harry!" she stubbornly cried. "Please no, take me, kill me instead!"
Harry squirmed beneath her, terrified now. He wanted to get away; he wanted his mummy to stop being scared.
"Not Harry!" she protested as another shape tried to pry him from her. "Please…have mercy…have mercy…"
Then he was jostled to the ground as his mummy threw herself over him, just as the dark shape laughingly pointed his wand at him, saying something. His mummy screamed, then there was silence. Except for two muttered words…
Harry grinded his teeth over the pain, the anger that resurfaced at the memory. He couldn't let it go wasted, he couldn't! But it was so hard to turn it into a useable energy… Where was that damned murderer? There… His senses tuned into the dark soul contained inside a small body. And with a bone-shattering scream, he let his feeling loose, watching as the small body twisted and stilled, sending a dark cloud screaming into the air. Then he was back, lying in the grass with Severus mind inside his, muttering frantically, creating a cage over the glade which possessed the dark lord. A terrible power stroked, and then everything just disappeared, leaving him alone in his mind.
Gasping, Harry felt tears running down his cheeks. He had killed, he had really done it… He had killed a living, breathing being… Rising onto his knees, he retched, emptying his stomach time after time while sobbing, the pain his mind and heart was experience seemed to rip him apart.
Then the hands came, taking care of him, soothing him.
"It's all right," a voice whispered. "It's over. We have to get away, Harry. We cannot stay here. Get to your feet, Har… please… That's good, now come…"
Harry absently did as the voice asked him, not knowing what else to do. And it wasn't until they had reached the inn, he spoke again.
"Never again," he rasped. "I never want to experience this again."
Severus looked sadly at him, pushing a damp strand of hair from Harry's face.
"I'm so sorry, Harry," he brokenly said. "You cannot possibly understand how sorry I am. For I know, that this will not be the end. For death will follow you to the end., Even if I desperately wish it didn't."
The End