Note: This takes up immediately after HBP. Meaning yes, Harry is still in his 6th year at the beginning.
Disclaimer: If J. K. Rowling owns it, then I do not. -
Harry Potter and the Seventh HorcruxChapter 1: The Reappearance
Dumbledore, dead, Snape, Avada Kedavra, kill, revenge… so many things swirled through Harry's head as he walked back towards the castle after Dumbledore's funeral. He walked up the stairs in a daze, hardly noticing when he finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady in front of the common room. He looked up to say the password when he heard a voice behind him, "Mr. Potter!"
Harry turned to see Professor… no, Headmistress McGonagall walking towards him.
"Yes, Headmistress?"
"Please, Mr. Potter, refrain from calling me that. There's someone in the Headmaster's office that wishes to speak with you."
Harry followed after her trying to wonder who wanted to talk with him, and why McGonagall called her office "the Headmaster's office." As they were ascending the spiral stairs Harry suddenly snapped out of his wondering and looked forward. What he saw when McGonagall opened the door almost knocked him onto his back. There, sitting at his desk as though nothing had happened, was the ghost of Professor Dumbledore.
"Ah, Harry, yes, come in. Sit down," said the ghost as soon as he spotted Harry.
However, Harry was too stunned to move. Only when McGonagall gave him a slight push at his back did he begin to walk forward and sit down in one the chairs opposite Dumbledore. Dumbledore stared at Harry, as though he expected Harry to start the conversation. However, after realizing that Harry was no where near being able to make coherent words yet, he began, "Well, Harry, I assume you took the locket out of my cloak before you let them put my body away in that coffin. For if you didn't we would be in quite a pickle now, wouldn't we?"
Mention of the locket suddenly brought Harry back to reality. He rummaged though his pockets and pulled out the locket.
"Uh, Professor… this locket… it's not a Horcrux."
Dumbledore took the locket from Harry as though he hadn't heard what Harry had said. He opened it, took out the note, and a slight smile began to form across his face.
"You're right, Harry. This is no Horcrux. This is, however, a very important piece of the puzzle."
"What do you mean, Professor? We don't even know who R.A.B. is."
"On the contrary, Harry, I already had a hunch about who R.A.B. was before I ever saw this note."
Harry's eyes widened as he stared at Dumbledore.
"Well, Professor, if you know who it is, why don't you tell me and we can go get that Horcrux?"
Harry, however, had a sinking feeling in his stomach when he already had an idea of what Dumbledore was going say. He felt it was going to be the same as he had always said all year, "I can't tell you that yet, Harry." However, Dumbledore's answer surprised him.
"I suppose it's about time I filled you in on everything, Harry. Ever since I learned of the Horcruxes, I assumed one of Voldemort's followers would work up the guts to defy him and try to destroy him himself. When I heard that Regulus Black had tried to escape Voldemort and the Death-Eaters, I had a hunch that he had attempted to do just that. Now, finding this note, I firmly believe that it is non other than our friend Regulus Black who snatched this Horcrux, and possibly the others as well."
Harry contemplated this for a moment, but then he looked back up at Dumbledore as he suddenly realized something.
"But Professor, isn't Regulus dead? If he's dead, how are we supposed to find the Horcruxes? You don't suppose Voldemort found them all and is now guarding them himself do you? What if-"
At this, Dumbledore held up his hand to silence Harry.
"Calm down Harry. Remember that I'm dead. I'm past old; I can't handle that many questions. It is true that Voldemort had Regulus killed. But we must trust what Regulus was doing. If he went so far as to betray the Dark Lord and steal up to four pieces of his soul, he would not have let it be easy for Voldemort to get them back. I believe they are very likely hidden somewhere safe; somewhere Voldemort cannot reach."
"But Professor, is there really a place that Voldemort cannot reach?"
"I can only think of one, Harry, and I think it better for you not to know at this moment."
Harry wanted to push the subject further, but from the look in Dumbledore's eyes he knew not to pursuit the subject further.
"And, now," said Dumbledore, "I believe there is another subject that needs explaining. All this time I have told you and the order that I trust Serverus with my very life, have I not?"
With this, Harry gave a slight nod. Dumbledore continued, "And I am sure, that in light of recent events, all of you now have absolutely no trust in Serverus, and very likely despise him."
Again, Harry nodded.
"Then I assume that you will be surprised in me saying that I still do trust Serverus with my- I use the term lightly- life. Because you see, Serverus made an Unbreakable Vow, as you yourself told me. After you informed me of this, I called Serverus to my office and he explained everything. He had made an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissus Malfoy, Draco's mother, in which he swore to help Draco succeed in the mission the Dark Lord assigned to him. That mission happened to be to kill me. I then knew that had to make a decision between my life and Serverus's. Well, Serverus is very valuable to the Order inside Voldemort's ranks; he tells us information that we would otherwise be without."
At this point it was Harry's turn to interrupt.
"But Professor, he killed you! Snape cannot be trusted! The rest of the Order sees that, why can't you!"
"You are fortunate, Harry, that I can no longer correct you in how you address Serverus, but that is beside the point. Harry, I can trust Snape because I ordered him to kill me."
Harry's surprise at first seeing Dumbledore's ghost was no where near the surprise he felt now. Why on earth would Dumbledore order Snape to kill him? It didn't make sense.
Dumbledore continued, "I realized that either Serverus or I would have to die. I would die if Serverus upheld his vow, and he would die if he broke it. I therefore ordered him to kill me when the time came so that he could continue to live and infiltrate Voldemort's ranks. Now Harry, I believe that is all the explaining that needs to be done now. I believe we should now move on and inform the other members of the Order that I am- in a manner of speaking- still alive."
As they were heading towards the door, Harry suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Nearly-Headless Nick after Sirius died.
"Wizards can leave an imprint of themselves upon the earth, to walk palely where their living selves once trod. But very few wizards choose that path."
Harry stopped and turned to face Dumbledore.
"Professor, a year ago, when Sirius died, I talked to Nearly-Headless Nick-"
"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Harry, that's his name. Not Nearly-Headless Nick."
"Right, anyway, I talked with him and he said that wizards were able to leave imprints of themselves upon the earth where they had walked while alive. Does that mean…"
"Yes, Harry, it means I can only exist within the confines of Hogwarts school grounds."
Harry nodded and continued, "He also said that few wizards choose this path. Why is that?"
"Because, Harry, by becoming a ghost, you lose your chance to die. You are, in essence, immortal, and you are never able to move on."
"So you're immortal now?"
"Yes, Harry, I am now immortal. I have achieved, to a degree what Lord Voldemort wishes to achieve with his Horcruxes."
"But Professor, if you are able to become a ghost, then what's to stop Voldemort from doing as you have done?"
"Because, in order to become a ghost, one must have their entire soul intact."
At this, Dumbledore winked at Harry, and walked through the door of his office.
Please read and review. First fanfic and your reviews will decide whether or not I go on.
