Chapter 14: "Dearest Godson"

Snape simply stared at Harry. He swallowed a little harder than usual.

"Nothing can come of it. So let's let it rest," Snape concluded at last. "Back to the matter at hand – horcruxes."

"Professor Dumbledore thought that there might be a total of seven, including the piece of his soul that resides in his body now. We know that the ring is destroyed," offered Harry. "And, of course, there was his diary that I destroyed in the Chamber of Secrets."

Snape leaned back on the counter, "Makes sense. What of the fake one you recovered in the cave?"

"The note inside said that R.A.B. had destroyed the real one."

"R.A.B.?" pondered Snape. "Likely Regulus Black, Sirius' brother. For a short time he was a Death Eater. He was killed when he tried to leave."

"Killed?"

"Yes, Harry. You can't just quit the Dark Lord," Snape supplied.

"You did, sir," Harry remarked.

"Yes, and it nearly got me killed," Snape spat back. "If it had not been for Draco and a newly discovered conscience, I would have died at the Dark Lord's hands."

"Draco?" Harry was stumped. "What happened?"

"Hermione never told you?" Snape was mildly taken aback.

"No, she did not," Harry said. "How did she know? I thought you could not remember much from that night."

"I couldn't until she, shall we say, helped jog my memory," Snape commented. "The Dark Lord had his sport with me first then gave me to others for more fun. It would seem that Crabbe and Goyle took me to the dungeons for a beating before the Dark Lord decided on how to kill me. He rather enjoys making death as painful and lingering process as possible. Draco had a change of heart and rescued me before the Dark Lord got back to me."

"We've not heard anything about Draco. It was as if he simply vanished without a trace," Harry supplied.

Snape nodded, "What about his mother, Narcissa?"

Harry shook his head.

"They may have escaped to the continent then. They would do well to stay there until this is all over, if they value their sanity and lives," Snape added.

"Professor Dumbledore believed that he used objects from the founders to make into horcruxes," Harry said.

"Yes," Snape responded thoughtfully. "That would make sense. He has a perverse sense of humour. So we have from Slytherin: a locket and a ring, both destroyed. Let's assume that Nagini is the final horcrux, that leaves four still to be discovered and destroyed before we can finally make an end of the Dark Lord."

"Would he not have to 'spend' a horcrux to come back?" Harry posed.

Snape nodded, "That night in the graveyard, what exactly did you see that you've not told us before?"

Harry shook his head, "Nothing. I did not see anything that looked like an artifact that Wormtail used to bring him back to a body."

Snape frowned and thought for several moments. He conjured some tea for them and sipped his as he rolled the problem around in his mind. At last he put the cup down.

"You," he said flatly.

"Me?" Harry was aghast.

Snape nodded, "Yes, you. You said that Wormtail took your blood and put it into the caldron, and it was then that the Dark Lord rose."

Harry nodded. Snape pushed back the hair from Harry's forehead.

"Your scar. You got it when he tried to kill you. It formed at least a temporary horcrux. It would also explain why you and he had such a close connection, an almost sharing of the minds, last year," Snape went on.

"So, you are finally going to get your wish and kill me," Harry challenged Snape.

Snape gave him a slightly puzzled look, "Why would I do that?"

"You've got to destroy the horcrux and I'm it," Harry was not happy.

Snape shook his head, "I think not. I think he has already used that horcrux's power in order to return to a corporeal state. He's used it up. That means that you are no longer a horcrux."

"How can you be sure? You will have to kill me after I've killed him to be positive," Harry tried to wrap his mind around it all.

Snape pursed his lips, "I will do no such thing, Potter. So drop it. Once a horcrux is used, it's used. There is no more magic to be extracted. So let's consider what is left – three horcruxes."

"Or four if I was unintended," Harry added.

"Or four, if you were unintended. We also have to consider that he might not have been able to form all seven before being defeated the first time," Snape put forward.

"Okay, say we find these horcruxes, how do we destroy them without them destroying us?" Harry asked.

"Good question. The Headmaster placed the ring on his finger and extended his arm through the veil at the Ministry," Snape described. "In doing so, his hand and arm died. This would seem to me to mean that we will have to send the horcruxes through the veil with some living being."

Harry nodded, "So who do we have as volunteers?"

Snape's eyebrow went up and a smirk formed on his lips, "Death Eaters. And I can think of a few I'd like to run through the veil, too."

"Okay. So we've destroyed the following horcruxes: the diary, the Slytherin ring, the Slytherin locket," Harry inventoried. "Professor Dumbledore suspected that he killed for the Hufflepuff cup."

"That's only four and Nagini makes five," Snape made his addition. "That leaves artifacts from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, if you were an accidental horcrux."

"What about Tom Riddle's award here at school?" wondered Harry. "Could he have deposited some of his soul in it?"

"He most certainly could have. I think it may have been most difficult to acquire something from Gryffindor and to apply the magic required to make a horcrux," Snape followed.

"Let's go!" Harry started for the door.

He and Snape quickly found Tom Riddle's Award. Snape borrowed Harry's wand and examined it in the trophy case.

"It could well be. We will need to examine it up close," Snape mentioned. "To do that, we will need the approval of the Headmistress."

It did not take long for McGonagall to approve and for Snape to discover that it was indeed a horcrux. They decided that this would make a fitting substitute for something Gryffindor since a Gryffindor had awarded it to him in the first place. Before leaving the Headmistress' office, a thorough examination was made of all the relics from the founders. Gryffindor's sword and the sorting hat were all free from horcruxes.

A plan was set in motion to have Lucius Malfoy take it through the veil. "Mad Eye" Moody escorted Malfoy from Azkaban to the Ministry under the pretext of further interrogation. Moody cast the Imperius curse and directed him to walk straight through the veil. The next morning, he reported that all had been accomplished without incident, much to Snape's personal satisfaction. McGonagall warned her friend Severus that his satisfaction was not presenting a good role model for the younger wizards. Snape skulked off to his dungeons quietly and triumphantly. There remained the Hufflepuff cup, something from Ravenclaw, and Nagini for last, as she would be missed. When dealing with Voldemort, timing was everything!

Snape sat at his desk and began to compose a letter to the remaining Malfoys.

Dearest Godson,

I am pleased to let you know that I have survived the little incident and am grateful for the assistance which you rendered me in such a timely manner. I desire a meeting with you and/or your mother at the earliest possible time of your convenience. I possess information that you need to know which cannot be sent via owl post. I am in your debt. Please owl me.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

That should do it he mused to himself. McGonagall was not so happy when she was informed that the meeting was all arranged for later that week.