I'm back! It took a long time and I apologize. Hopefully this chapter will make up for my absense.

And as always, thanks for the reviews. :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They belong to JK Rowling.

Chapter 4

Harry stepped into the Headmistress's office, carefully shielding his mind from the gentle mental probes the Order would no doubt send his way. The young man looked around him at the Order members gathered. They were all looking at him in anticipation. He forced down the bitterness of indignation. Here he was going voluntarily into the Dark Lord's mind, and they were sitting in comfortable chairs sipping tea as if they were at a horse race.

"Everyone" Harry said, putting his acting to use as he smiled fondly around the circle. "I am ready whenever you are."

Arthur Weasley clapped his hands together and gave Harry a bright smile.

"Excellent my boy," he pointed his wand and a paisley chaise appeared wedged between the avocado green couch the rest of the Weasley clan was occupying and the plaid lounge chair that Tonks was sprawled in.

With an internal sigh, Harry went to the offensive piece of furniture and lay down. He hated that Arthur felt that the entire Order needed to watch as he did his information gathering. It was more than a little disconcerting to have some 15 or 20 faces peering down at you and to smell on their breath whatever they had eaten for breakfast that morning.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to ignore the feel of the stares.

Harry entered the structured confines of his psyche and walked the hallways purposefully, heading for the back of his mind where the bolted and chained double thick door leading to Voldemort's mind waited. It took a concentrated effort for Harry to force the door open. Even with the keys, the door was reluctant to open. When it finally did, the black vortex of evil sucked Harry in and down long twisting tunnels of chaotic darkness. Bracing himself, Harry used all of his determination and stubbornness to veer off the path he was being dragged along. Once out of the mainstream he was able to determine his own path.

As Harry got closer to the center of Voldemort's filthy mind, he began to feel the emotions pouring off the Dark Lord. There was a confusing mix of hate, over whelming anger, and a sense of triumph. Confused by that last emotion, Harry focused on it. He flew toward the source of the triumph, the intensity of the feeling growing. There it was. Harry stopped and concentrated.

Voldemort felt the upsurging of triumph. It overpowered even his anger and hatred for Severus and that Malfoy brat. The traitorous duo might have destroyed yet another horcrux, but there was still one left, and it was in a place that no one would expect.

Laughter burst from his throat, startling the Death Eaters gathered around him. He would remain immortal. There wasn't a person alive that would be willing to destroy the final horcrux. Even Harry Potter would fail in this one task.

Voldemort laughed again, a shrill expression of his twisted pride. The wizarding world would fall to his army of darkness and prophecy or no prophecy, Harry Potter would fail.

"My faithful!" Voldemort called, spreading his arms, "There is yet hope. We are not defeated! The final horcrux will never be destroyed, and we will rule this world forever!"

The cheers and cries for blood echoed through the dimly lit room and Voldemort closed his eyes and reveled in the power he felt. The horcrux would be safe for it was part of...

Harry felt himself being yanked back along the tangled tunnels to his own mind. He screamed in frustration. He had almost discovered the location of the last horcrux! That was vital information and with it Harry would not have to meet with Snape and Malfoy. Damn Arthur and his infernal meddling! Harry woke with an angry retort on his lips and fire in his green eyes.

The members of the Order all jumped back as they saw the fierce anger in their hero's eyes.

"What did you see Harry?" Arthur asked, his eyes bright with anticipation.

Harry snarled, his fists opening and closing spasmodically, "I almost discovered the location of the final horcrux, but someone didn't think that I could handle it! Do you realize what you've done? I could've ended this war within the week if you hadn't interfered! Damn you Weasley! Damn you."

Harry stormed from the office and down the staircase letting his anger carry him out of the school and across the grounds. He was so lost in his fury that he didn't notice the students that practically ran out of his path. The wet grass smacked against his shins as he strode through the Forbidden Forest. A clearing materialized out of nowhere and Harry drew his wand and took his anger out on the trees and stumps and any small animal that crossed into his line of sight.

Severus added the last ingredient to the battered cauldron simmering on the small fire. The color changed as he stirred anti clockwise.

Draco peered into the cauldron and wrinkled his nose, "Do we really have to drink that?"

Severus rolled his eyes and nodded shortly, "I did not steal all of these ingredients for nothing Draco."

The potion bubbled and popped, a foul smell rising with the steam.

"But..." Draco whined.

"But nothing!" Severus snapped. "We are fugitives. Do you really think that we could just walk into Hogsmeade? We cannot be seen as ourselves, so we will be seen as someone else. That is what the Polyjuice is for."

Draco sighed, but he could see the logic behind his godfather's argument. It was true. They could not just walk into town anymore. He nodded in resignation and watched as Severus ladled the gloop into two canteens. The potions master reached into his inner pocket and withdrew 2 hairs. He put one into each canteen and handed one to Draco.

With a grimace, Draco peered into the small mouth of the bag. A smell like rotting roses and burned chocolate drifted to his nose, cause him to sneeze in disgust. He looked up at his god father for the go ahead. Severus nodded, and as one the two men took a large swallow of the potion. Draco gagged as the thick liquid slid down his throat. In seconds Draco's body began changing. He could feel his bones grinding into new positions and his muscles liquefying. It was an agonizing minute and a half. When he was done changing, Draco ran his hands over his new body. His eyes widened.

"Severus!" he screamed in rage. Then he screamed again when he realized that not only was his body that of a skinny girl, so was his voice.

Severus doubled over in laughter, his new voice wheezing and cracking, "You should see your face!"

Draco felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment as Severus, still laughing, transfigured his tattered robes into sky blue robes with a definite feminine cut.

"Don't forget Draco, drink every hour or our cover is destroyed." Severus said seriously, "Come."

The two men walked down the road and into town for the first time in a year to await Harry Potter.

Friday came all to quickly for Harry. Despite his resolve, he really did not to meet Snape or Malfoy. He was afraid that his temper would take over and he would kill them both before getting the information he needed. Knowing his weakness, Harry slowly and methodically gathered his anger and hatred and hid it away behind a thick door in his mind. Hopefully the blocks would hold until the meeting was over.

A knock came at his door, and Harry waved the door open with a hand. Ron and Hermione practically fell into the room and Harry allowed himself a small smile.

"I can't believe that you are going to go with us Harry!" Ron exclaimed, a huge smile lighting his freckled face. Hermione nodded in agreement, her brown eyes shining.

Harry sighed and forced a smile. "Yes, it has been too long. I wonder what new things Zonko's will have in their shop." Ron and Hermione were Harry's cover. They were going to spend the afternoon in Hogsmeade and Harry was going to get a room at the Three Broomsticks for the night on the pretense that he was planning on coming to the Quidditch match tomorrow.

He grabbed his cloak and allowed his friends to drag him out into the sunshine. The walk to town was filled with Ron and Hermione's cheerful conversation and Harry's occasional comment. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but despite the beauty of the day, Harry could not shed the feeling that something was wrong. He pushed it away, determined to enjoy the day.

The first stop was Zonko's where Ron went crazy, and Harry pretended to care about the newest tricks and gag gifts. Hermione just smiled indulgently and watched her boys play, not even suspecting that all was not well with Harry and had not been for some time.

Honeydukes was next on the list and here all three of them gathered up handfuls of candy and chocolate. There was something for everyone in this store.

As the three friends left the store, bags in hand, Harry caught sight of a skinny girl in blue robes and a heavyset man staring at him. They both wore looks of extreme dislike, and their intense gaze made a shiver run down Harry's spine. Harry gratefully went into the Three Broomsticks after his friends, hoping that he would never see those two again.

The afternoon ended all too soon and the sun began to go down, signaling the end of the day. Harry saw his two friends off to Hogwarts before going up to his room and collapsing on the bed for a much needed nap before his midnight confrontation.

Snape and Draco situated themselves in the Shrieking Shack a couple of hours before midnight to allow the Polyjuice to wear off before Potter showed up for the meeting. Heedless of the dust and grime of many years, the two men sat down to wait.

Right at midnight the door creaked open. Snape was instantly on his feet, wand at the ready.

There was no one there.

"Potter," Severus sneered, "Take off that ridiculous cloak of yours and talk to us face to face."

There was a shimmer and Harry Potter appeared. Severus felt a ripple of shock. This was not the same Potter that he remembered. This Potter was haunted and much to old for his age. There was evidence of his depression etched on his face and in his eyes.

"Snape." Potter said simply in a voice devoid of feeling. He turned and saw Draco seated on a rickety chair, "Malfoy."

A shiver of unease went through Severus. He had been expecting blind hatred, not this cold uncaring reaction.

"Come in Potter. We must talk." He said, allowing a little respect to bleed into his voice.

He was gratified to see surprise flicker in those green eyes.

Potter nodded and came in, taking a seat on the edge of the torn mattress. Severus sat on another unstable chair next to Draco and cleared his throat.

"We know the location of the final horcrux." he began. "You won't like it," he withdrew the piece of aged parchment from his pocket and opened it. "Voldemort was really clever when he created this particular horcrux. It's something that no one would expect and something that no one would destroy."

Harry shifted on the bed, his feeling of unease growing with every word that Snape said.

"Just tell me Snape. I will destroy it."

Snape nodded and took a breath, "It is you Harry. You are the final horcrux."