Chapter 10: Leaps of Intuition

A/N: Let's just say pensieve portion of this chapter has been milling around in my head since I read book 6……I'd love to hear if you agree/disagree with me….

000000000000000000000000000000000

Harry and Ron rushed back to Hermione, who was kneeling beside Professor McGonagall's limp body. Though her hands were shaking, Hermione said, with a clear voice, "I just sent Professor Lupin a message. I thought it would be best if the Order decided how to take her to the hospital."

"Then…" Harry started uncertainly, "She's going to be okay?" Hermione looked them both in the eyes and gave a short nod. "I think so. She's starting to come around now." They looked back down at McGonagall, who was breathing shallowly.

Ron went back to retrieve the horcrux and books they'd left in Myrtle's bathroom. When he returned, they placed them under the invisibility cloak such that when Lupin arrived, he would not see them.

Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and waited for Lupin's arrival. Gazing over the map, Harry noticed that Malfoy had indeed left the grounds. Hagrid was not here. Nor was Filch. In fact, it appeared that, save Peeves, ghosts, and house-elves, the castle was empty. He looked up, "What happened to the increased security of the castle? I thought they had permanent aurors stationed here?"

Hermione also looked intrigued. "Perhaps they thought they were unneeded in the summer?" she suggested doubtfully. "But after," her voice stumbled slightly, "Dumbledore died, I'd assumed they would have increased security even more!"

Ron looked grim. "Either way, they'd sure better do so now."

Harry jumped up as 'Remus Lupin' appeared on the edge of the map. "I'll go let him in, shall I?" he muttered.

Harry's thoughts were flying a mile a minute. Malfoy. Malfoy was the first wizard of his age he'd ever met. Malfoy was the first wizard he'd ever truly hated. Malfoy, whom lately he had been feeling sorry for- not only had his own life been at stake if he failed the mission Voldemort had sent him, but his parents as well. Harry has honestly thought Malfoy was dead, regardless of his mother's daily prophet pleas. After all, it had been Snape that killed Dumbledore, not Malfoy. But now- was he still working for Voldemort? Why had he attacked McGonagall? But then, why hadn't he killed McGonagall? Why had he been hiding in the Castle? Perhaps he'd been hiding from Voldemort? Harry's head was bursting with thoughts, and was itching to use his new pensieve to sort them out.

Too quickly, Harry reached the front doors and greeted Lupin, whom he quietly escorted back to McGonagall.

Lupin did not ask Harry, Ron, and Hermione why they'd been at the Castle that day, for which they appreciated. He merely looked at McGonagall, said, "Let's get Minerva out of here," and headed toward the Headmistress's office. "We can make a portkey to an undisclosed location. It would not be wise to announce that more people have infiltrated Hogwarts."

Hermione jumped up and muttered, "Acid Pops" by the gargoyle. It did not slide open. "Hum, she must have already changed the password," she muttered to herself. She kneeled back down by McGonagall and asked kindly, "Professor, what is the new password to your office?" McGonagall blinked her eyes feebly and muttered, "biscuits".

Hermione jumped back up and called out "biscuits". The gargoyle still did not budge.

Lupin called out, "never mind, never mind now. We'll just side-apparate her out." He conjured a stretcher out of thin-air and they walked out. Harry quickly uncovered the horcrux, books and pensieve and shrank them, stuck them in a pocket. Except for the cup. He tried shrinking it twice, but the magic Voldemort must have spelled into was too strong. It gave a feeble flop, shot green sparks at him, and Harry hastily wrapped it back up and covered it up with the cloak.

He sped up a bit to become even with Lupin. "Professor, why aren't there any aurors stationed at Hogwarts today?"

Lupin eyed him warily. Harry could tell he was weighing how much he should tell the three about the security-runnings of Hogwarts. Finally, sighing slightly, he said, "Minerva was going to use today place her own spells and charms around Hogwarts. It is, er…inadvisable to be around when so much magic is being performed." He continued walking in silence.

Hermione now was walking even with Lupin. "But didn't Dumbledore already place security spells around Hogwarts?"

Lupin looked at her. "In times like these, you can never have too much protection."

Ron finally burst with the question they'd all been wondering, "Then how did Malfoy get in?"

Lupin looked at him. "Well, how did you get in?" Ron rolled his eyes. "The one-eyed witch, of course. As I'm sure you very well knew."

Lupin continued to stare into his eyes. "Yes, but perhaps Mr. Malfoy knew as well."

000000000000000000000000000000000

When the trio returned to headquarters, after much assurance that McGonagall would be fine and leaving St. Mungo's in a day or two, they turned their attention back to their find in the Chamber of Secrets.

The exhilaration of finding the horcrux quickly wore off as they stared wearily at the Hufflepuff cup. What did they do with it now?

"So, how did Dumbledore destroy the ring, Harry?" Ron asked. Harry stared at him, mouth agape. "I..I don't know." The diary was destroyed with the basilisk's fang. How did Dumbledore destroy the ring? Harry finally muttered, "it was just gone one day. It had the crack in the stone." Pathetic answer, he thought.

Ron eyed the cup, which Hermione had placed on the table in a magical, clear box so that they were not tempted to touch it.

Hermione had quickly busied herself with the documents and journals they had found. Harry paused. Neither of them would notice if he slipped away. He carefully stood up, picked up the pensieve, and walked to his room.

000000000000000000000000000000000

Harry sat the pensieve on his side table, pulled his wand out of his back pocket, pointed it to the door and muttered, "muffliato". He realized this was his first time using the pensieve by himself. True, he'd fallen into, both accidentally and purposely, before; however, he'd never pulled himself out. Dumbledore (or Snape, he thought bitterly) had always pulled him out. Perhaps he shouldn't try this for the first time alone. What if he'd never found his way out?

I don't have to fall in to use it, he reminded himself. He stared at the rough stone basin. Very slowly, almost against his will, he brought his wand to his temple. Against his will, visions of Snape appeared.

Snape's limp body, against the floor, "Maybe you are ready to face him after all, Potter". What did it mean? Why does Dumbledore still trust him? Harry cautiously pulled his wand from his temple. As he did, the silvery, liquid-air memory stretched from his head. Harry brought the wand to the pensieve. The memory swirled within. Harry watched it, once more, before bringing his wand back to his temple. He resolved to solve the mystery of Snape's loyalty now.

Much like during his occlumency lessons with Snape, memories rushed toward him. He focused, pulling the memories he wanted.

His anger with Hermione in the headquarters; was that only a week ago or two? The family portrait falling from the wall, the letter from his father appearing…

Unfortunately, I am writing this to pass on information that will make your life more difficult. As you know, your mother and I are aware that Voldemort is after our family. We have Snape's word that he will do everything to protect us from his side.

Harry added the memory of the letter to the pensieve. He contemplated it. Even his father had been convinced Snape was good. Then…he searched his mind again…

Less than three months ago, standing in the hallway with Professor Trelawney.

"I remember my first interview with Dumbledore. He was deeply impressed, of course, deeply impressed…I was staying at the Hog's Head, which I do not advise, incidentally – bed bugs, dear boy- but funds were low. Dumbledore did me the courtesy of calling upon me in my room at the inn. He questioned me….I must confess that, at first, I thought he seemed ill-disposed toward Divination…and I remember I was starting to feel a little odd, I had not eaten much that day… but then … but then we were rudely interrupted by Severus Snape!"

Brushing aside the information on the bed bugs, Harry thought out loud, "Dumbledore had hired her then, correct?" She'd said at the inspection by Umbridge that she'd been teaching at Hogwarts for "nearly sixteen years". She had been completing her 16th year. Harry, he'd been born in July. She started teaching the same year he was born. She'd made her prediction before Harry was born.

This meant that last year was her 17th year teaching at Hogwarts. And what had Snape said during his inspection? Umbridge had asked, " how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" He'd answered, "fourteen years". Had that meant it was in fact, his fourteenth year? Or had he completed fourteen years, and that year had been the start of his 15th? Either way, Dumbledore had not given him the job that year he'd walked into the Hog's Head. When did Snape start? Was it after Harry's parents had been killed? No, Harry had been a year old when they died. Back during the memory, then, it has been fourteen years ago that they had been killed. Snape must have already been at Hogwarts- after all his parents died on Halloween- and school started in September. But why had Dumbledore waited a year to hire him? He only hired him after Snape "turned" to the Order's side.

Harry swirled the memories in the pensieve, looking for the first court trials he had ever watched, well over two years ago. He found it. Igor Karkaroff chained to the dreadful chair that Harry himself had sat in two years before. Mr. Crouch, telling Karkaroff that his names were not useful, they were sending him back to Azkaban…and then, Karkaroff shouted, "Severus Snape!".

Mr. Crouch, coldly, "Severus Snape has been cleared by this council. He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore." Karkaroff's shouting reply, "No! I assure you! Severus Snape is a Death Eater!"

Harry watched, still transfixed, as Dumbledore raised to his feet and stated, calmly, "I have given evidence already on this matter. Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am."

Harry removed his wand from the pensieve and thought. So, Snape most certainly had told the prophecy, he'd already know that. And, at the end of year five, Dumbledore had mentioned that the spy who'd heard it did not hear the whole thing. What had he said? Again, Harry's wand reached for his temple. "My- our- one stroke of good fortune was that the eavesdropper was detected only a short way into the prophecy and thrown from the building." Harry added that memory, frowning.

Trelawney had not remembered giving either prediction- but she remembered Snape? Obviously, Snape must have entered the room…or else Trelawney wouldn't have seen him. And she must have finished the prophecy. But then, wouldn't Snape have heard the whole thing? Harry didn't think Trelawney and Dumbledore's stories matched. Harry was willing to bet Snape had heard much more than he'd ever admitted to.

Harry groaned, his mind too full. Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Snape…. all masters of occlumency? Was Dumbledore a master of it? Had he wanted Snape to teach him because Snape was, in fact, better at it then Dumbledore? Could he have been lying the entire time? And then, perhaps Snape knew that Harry and Voldemort needed to face each other- he'd heard the entire pensieve. It mattered not that Snape had not attacked Harry in six years at Hogwarts.

"I need to be a bit more methodical about this," he muttered to himself. "Alright, year one." Harry pulled memories of cold eyes gazing at him with hate. But then, the memory of himself, clutching a broomstick, holding on for dear life. Snape muttering the counter-curse to Quirrell's spell. Then Snape, in the Staff Room, muttering to Filch about Fluffy. He pulled the memories from his temple. They were pulled along like taffy from his head to the pensieve, where he'd placed his wand. Harry swirled the liquid-air and watched his memories. It certainly looked as though Snape was on Dumbledore's side during their first year.

Swiftly, Harry's mind focus on year two. Snape's smirk at the chamber been opened. His look of surprise when Harry spoke Parseltongue.

Then, third year. This was when the memories got really complicated. Why had Snape been so concerned about Lupin teaching at Hogwarts? Was it really a childhood grudge? Did he really think Lupin was helping Sirius into the school? Suddenly, Harry became numb with cold as he remembered the conversation in the Shrieking Shack. Sirius, as though it was only yesterday, speaking with disdain in his voice to Pettigrew, "I heard things in Azkaban, Peter…they all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them…I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information…" And then, Sirius bellowing in anger, "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE JAMES AND LILY DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

Harry's heart skipped a beat. Then another. Cold dread filled his body. If all of the other Death Eaters had known Pettigrew was the spy- then so did Snape. Snape- Snape would have known Sirius was innocent. But Dumbledore- he said, "I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius was the Potters' secret keeper." Harry felt faint. Dumbledore never knew. If Snape had indeed been on the Order's side, he would have told Dumbledore…or was that boyhood grudge really so strong that Snape had keep Sirius at Azkaban for so many years? Was there more to it than that? Perhaps it was more important to keep Snape's cover than save Sirius from prison?

And…and….if Snape had honestly been on the Order's side, and told Dumbledore that Voldemort was after the Potters…then why hadn't he told him that Pettigrew was the traitor BEFORE Pettigrew was made the secret-keeper?

Harry had had enough. He decided it was time to show the memories to Ron and Hermione.

000000000000000000000000000000000

Neither Ron nor Hermione had used the pensieve before, though of course they'd both heard Harry talk of it extensively. Harry carefully swirled them memories and told them his theory- without a doubt- Snape was Voldemort's. He'd never been on the Order's side. Once again, Dumbledore had been fooled.

Ron and Hermione nodded through all of Harry's reasoning. Finally, grimly, Ron asked the unanswered question, "How did Snape trick EVERYONE?" Which was quickly followed by Hermione's, "And why did he seem so proud of your dueling skills last week?"

Harry said, slowly, "I've been thinking about that, too. I wonder…remember how Malfoy and Snape had been talking? About the unbreakable vow? What if…I mean... what if Snape made one with my dad?" Hermione looked at him skeptically, and Harry rushed, "No, listen, it makes sense. Make a promise you can't break- maybe it was something like, "I will protect Harry or I will train him to fight, or something stupid." And so, of course, Snape hasn't been attacking me (except to "train" me)- but, if he truly heard the entire prophecy, he knows it doesn't matter! Because it is Voldemort whose got to destroy me. Snape can just get himself knocked out or busy or something when the final battle comes- and do his "best" to protect me, but fail…he'd still live then, right?" Harry paused, out of breath, eyeing Ron and Hermione through the fringe that hung flat on his forehead. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

Hermione said, rather calmly, "It does all make sense, Harry. But, still, let's think about it a bit more."

Ron rolled his eyes, said, "It is a brilliant plan on his part. I think you've nailed it. That would explain why Snape has been showing up- he's got to keep whatever this promise is that he made."

Harry flopped back on the couch and sighed. "So what have you two been up to?"

Hermione gestured toward the stack of documents they had removed from the statue of Salazar Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets the day before. "Any headway?" Harry asked.

Ron grunted, "nope" before asking, "do you think you can read Parseltongue?"

Harry looked at him, "You're joking, right? I mean…it is a snake language- snakes don't exactly write." Ron just passed him a stack of papers. Harry's eyes grazed the strange language briefly before cracking up. "Ron, this isn't Parseltongue!" He passed the papers to Hermione.

She looked up at him, "Ron, don't they teach you anything in the wizarding world about different cultures?" Ron blushed to the tip of his ears before muttering, "obviously not. What is it then?"

Hermione looked at him. "They are in all sorts of languages- this is obviously Chinese…this one is Hindi, I think. Hum…Arabic?" She ruffled through more pages. "I bet I can find a spell to translate them." She continued, "Anyhow, the documents I was reading were in English. Mostly just gruesome details on horcruxes, how to make them, suggestions on how to hide them. But nothing on destroying them, except," she shuffled some papers before reciting,"The destruction of a Horcrux can only occur if the force that which destroys it is both the same and opposite to the force that made it". She groaned, frustrated.

Harry, however, brightened. "That makes perfect sense!" Ron looked at him, agog.

"I destroyed the diary," Harry shouted, jumping onto the couch. "I'm the same- I'm a Parseltongue!" He paused, thinking. "But, I'm the opposite- because I wanted to save the muggle-born- not destroy them!". He paced the floor, amazed at his brilliance. "And Dumbledore- with the ring- it was taken from his family- so Dumbledore could destroy it, because he is the opposite- not family. But…Dumbledore was the head of Hogwarts! The only place Voldemort ever thought of as home!"

Harry took a deep breath. "The force- it is the person who destroys it, not how it is destroyed!"

Hermione was so amazed at Harry's leap of understanding she looked like she was going to faint. Ron jumped in, however, with, "And Regulus Black- he destroyed the Slytherin locket! He had been sorted into the Slytherin house- which turns out dark wizards- but he was good! He turned to the side to hunt dark wizards! Same and opposite again!" He paused. "And he was a dude. Lockets are rather girly- that's an opposite, too."

Harry grinned at Ron appreciatively, but Hermione spoke with apprehension in her voice, "So, we can't destroy the Hufflepuff Cup…because we aren't the same….we aren't Hufflepuffs. We're going to have to involve more people."