Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.
(A/N):
Chapter 8
Revelation
Harry had risen and dressed early. Hermione had insisted that they go incognito and had even gone out to buy the three of them 'proper muggle attire', though the thought that Harry didn't know how to dress like a muggle made him chuckle quite a bit. Still they had all ended up with jeans and variety of hooded sweatshirts and jackets. Despite seeing no difference from his usual casual clothes both girls insisted the change was vast. She had also gotten him a baseball cap to hide his telltale scar and messy hair. Tucking his invisibility cloak in his pocket he looked around.
There were only a few days until they left for Hogwarts and they still had a number of important things to do. Today was the visit to Godric's Hollow that he had been both anticipating and dreading. He had also promised them he would show them the night on the Astronomy Tower courtesy of the pensieve. They wanted to see it for some reason, perhaps disbelief Snape had actually turned so fast. Ginny's birthday would be tomorrow, he still had her gift safely hidden in his room. It had been pure luck she hadn't found it when she arranged the furniture.
Also hidden in his room, in the box the twins had gifted him, were both the fake locket he and Dumbledore had recovered and the Horcrux Ron and Hermione had found. And there they would stay until he worked out how to destroy them once and for all. The possibility that they might uncover another Horcrux in the Hollow had crossed his mind but he couldn't believe it. Tom had so far chosen places he had been strong to hide the bits of his soul and the Potter house definitely didn't fit that description.
Growing restless Harry rose to his feet and exited the bedroom. Turning right into the first room he entered what they had set up as a work shop. Work benches ringed the room along with a number of stools and one large table sat right in the middle. It was incredibly convenient as it allowed them plenty of space to set up anything they might need to test a spell, do some research, practice enchanting an object or whatever else they might need and then leave it set up until they got back to it. In one corner that Hermione had simply taken over there sat a large cauldron over a low fire simmering away, surrounded by various supplies. She had taken it upon herself to practice brewing Wolf's Bane both for Professor Lupin and as a test to see if she could.
Harry was slightly surprised to find Ron sitting at the main bench actually pouring over a book and looking intently at a small wooden box with his wand drawn. With a quick flick the box turned into a rough approximation of a locket. Harry's eyes bulged. When had Ron started using silent incantations? Taking a few steps forward the flame haired cohort looked up. With a slight jerk of his head for greeting he returned his attention to the book.
"Morning Ron."
"Morning Harry."
"Whatcha' doing?" Ron flicked his wand twice more. The first turned the object back into the box and the second transfigured it into a nearly perfect copy of the locket he had found.
"I was thinking, if we're going to be stealing these things from You-Know-Who, we should leave a copy in their place. It might not fool a close examination, but if he just glances…or sends a follower…"
"Good idea. Couldn't hurt at least. We're going to be going soon, you ready?"
"Yeah…I'll be done in a couple minutes. I just want to get this right first." Harry looked in wonder at the book he was reading over again.
"Wow…you studying. Hermione must be rubbing off on you…finally." Ron chuckled by way of response, acknowledging the truth of it. "Speaking of…have you seen her lately?"
"Library." Harry realized just how absorbed Ron was when he didn't continue. It was weird to see Ron getting up early to do research and it was becoming slightly unnerving. Harry backed out of the room before he could become truly freaked out.
Heading down the hall he passed what Ginny had dubbed the War Room. It was an oddly fitting title. The room contained a few desks against the walls, one each for intelligence, rumors, personnel control and tracking Death Eaters. On the center of one long wall was a massive bulletin board that appeared blank. A wave of the correct hand however would reveal a map covered with various notes that denoted all the known Death Eater attack, Dark Mark locations, last known locations of certain people and a host of other information kept up to date by Hermione who copied much of it from the Prophet.
In the center of the room's main table sat the same chess set Ron had first set up back at the Burrow. Upon moving it here the four had looked it over while Ron explained to his sister what each piece was. A second white rook had appeared off in a corner to represent Grimmauld Place as well. After a further moment's contemplation Ron removed the white bishop he had dubbed Harry and set the King back on the board in its place.
"We have our leader again." The significant glance he cast at Harry left no doubt who he thought that was. A moment later Hermione cast a ward on the board so only Ron could move the pieces; she wanted to make sure it wasn't disturbed. Glancing in now Harry noticed Ginny had taken over marking new attacks for today. Stepping in behind her he looked for the newer ink. There had been surprisingly few attacks in the wake of the headmaster's death and it had him a little unnerved.
Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Good morning." Turning her head she kissed him lightly.
"Hey." She grabbed a paper off the table and showed him the folded page. "This was just printed today. A muggle house was destroyed the day after your birthday." Somehow he knew what she was going to say. "Number 4 Privet Drive." So…they had tried to kill him outright.
"Was…was anyone killed?"
"No. The whole family was on vacation and it looked at first like a house fire. That's why it took so long to show up." He nodded in response and looked a little stunned. "You warned them didn't you?" Harry had no need to ask who she was talking about and simply nodded against her shoulder. "That was a good thing you did." Turning, she hugged him tightly. "You're a good person Harry, don't ever lose that."
"I won't. So, about ready to go?" She had asked to come along and he gladly accepted. Any emotional support he could get was likely to be helpful if not needed.
"Yeah. I'll be down in a minute; I just want to finish this."
"Okay." Letting go he headed out and down the stairs. Swinging past the second floor he caught a glance from Mrs. Weasley who was coming out of her and Arthur's room. She didn't approve of the trip they were taking and especially didn't approve of not sending a guard, but he had silenced her simply by pointing out that he could have just left without saying anything. She really didn't approve of Ginny accompanying him but Hermione had been kind enough to step in and argue his case. He still didn't know what she had said to make the woman relent.
Making his way through the first floor he stepped into the library and found Hermione once again searching the shelves. It had taken her three whole days just to get a rough idea what all was there and even now she was hunting through individual books in search of anything of use. The Black family had an incredible collection of books dealing with the Dark Arts; one that she had said might exceed the one at Hogwarts. The incredulity on her face at this possibility had been worth getting up that day. She stood now near the back paging through yet another dusty manuscript.
"Hey Hermione." She glanced up from the book and smiled. Closing the text and replacing it on the shelf she turned to face him. Despite weekends during school and most of the summer he still found it odd to see her not wearing the school uniform.
"Morning. The others ready to go?"
"Yeah. They're going to meet us in the entry in a minute. It's kind of weird seeing Ron put off a trip, even for a minute, to finish studying. I think you're having a serious effect on him."
"Yeah…well…payback for the years of corrupting influence he's had on me." As she spoke she pulled a rubber band from her pocket and used it to tightly pin her hair back. Making sure it was orderly she pulled up the hood on her sweat jacket and tucked it in. The difference was astounding. "Well, let's go." Following her out, they found Ginny already in the entry way, her hair similarly hidden beneath a hood. She also wore a cap to further hide her red locks. Harry fit his own cap over his head, making sure to cover up as much of the scar as he could and pulled the hood over it. A moment later Ron descended the steps, also pulling his hood up. Harry looked over the faces of his closest friends
"Okay, everyone got their wands?" They each nodded, Ron checking his forearm and the girls checking within their jackets. Harry could feel the solid weight of his wand strapped to his arm. "Good. Now remember, we're supposed to be muggles. Watch what you say and do." They nodded again. "See you there. Be careful." Hermione held out an arm for Ginny and they dissapperated from the entry way. A second later Ron threw him a glance and disappeared as well. Harry followed a second later.
After being pulled through the tight tube he appeared in a small stall in a public bathroom. Opening the door he met Ron also emerging from a stall. Glancing around he confirmed they were alone. Heading for the door he followed his friend out into the bus station. Hermione appeared a moment later with Ginny from the nearby door. Coming here had been Hermione's idea and so far it seemed to be working well. She had planned it out so they would just have time to catch the bus they wanted. After a moment's searching she found the correct placard and they trailed after her across the platforms.
Harry glanced around more out of curiosity than anything else. There were fewer people here than he had expected, even for mid morning. Those that were around seemed to be moving quickly and not really looking at each other. Though far from the panic gripping the magic world, clearly they were sensing the gathering darkness as well. At the end of the line following Ginny into the bus he found it nearly empty as well. A glance at the placard told him either Godry's Hole was unpopular or people just weren't traveling much. After sitting he questioned Hermione as to the placard.
"Sometimes names get changed…or shortened. Trust me, this is the right way." He wasn't feeling foolish enough to question her intelligence this morning so he simply leaned back in the near empty bus and waited. Ginny sat next to him also trying to relax but failing as miserably as the other three. Each of them threw glances around trying to watch everything while appearing to look at nothing. They were getting as paranoid as Moody.
The ride was surprisingly short and fifteen minutes later they were stepping down onto a concrete curb. Looking around they could see where the original name had come from. The Hollow was surrounded on three sides by a rolling hill the gently flowed away across the land. A single road led straight into the small valley and was flanked on either side by old houses. All of which looked just a little broken down. A thick fog that the mid morning sun had yet to burn off had settled around the little village, just obscuring the far end of the road. There was little movement in the area and only the bus just pulling out of their vision seemed at all colorful. After a moment Harry pulled out the paper his aunt had given him and looked it over. He handed it to each of them. He noticed they each smiled just a little at the address. As Ginny handed it back he glanced once again, written in harsh straight script.
The Potter's Home
may be found at
21 Griffin Street,
Godric's Hollow.
After a moment Harry realized the note must have been written by his parent's Secret Keeper. Anger rose in him as he realized who that was. Putting the paper back into his pocket and trying to calm himself he jerked his head forward. "Let's go." Ginny followed at his side as the other pair trailed behind. Each of them surreptitiously looked around as they walked trying to look everywhere at once. Ginny seemed to notice the bit of anger shown in his eyes, not quite concealed by his hat.
"What? What's wrong?"
"It's…look, I'll tell you later. Okay?"
"Okay." She tenetivly gripped his hand and received a thankful squeeze in return.
The village was quiet. It was clear there hadn't been much excitement here in some time. Keeping half an eye on the cracked sidewalk to make sure he didn't trip, Harry began scanning the house numbers. It didn't take long for them to reach the spot where his parent's house was supposed to be located. It was near the end of the street where the road terminated in a little cul de sac. All they saw though was an empty lot, overgrown with weeds and some little trees. Maybe he had gotten it wrong. No…it had to be right.
Looking back and forth he glanced back up the street and to the end where a broken down church sat, solemnly looking over the town. 21 Griffin Street… Turning back as he thought of the address again the house suddenly sprang into view, much as Grimmauld had. Ron let out a low whistle looking at it.
"Whoa. Nice place." Harry couldn't help but agree. It was a good sized two story house that fit in perfectly with the rest of the neighborhood. It looked slightly newer though and was a little less broken than the rest. He stood there staring at it for a long time, Ginny's hand keeping him in the present. She spoke at his side, just loud enough for him to hear.
"You sure about this?" He slowly nodded in response and took a step forward. They followed him as he approached the door, gripped the handle…and realized he couldn't get in. She sensed his hesitation. "What?"
"It's locked."
"So? Unlock it." He could tell she was about to reach for her wand and do it herself. He lightly grabbed her wrist.
"No…not here. The ministry might be watching this place and we can't risk it." She nodded slowly in agreement.
"Okay. Then we'll do it another way." This time she reached for her hood and slid two fingers in near her temple. A second later they emerged holding a hair pin. "Keep lookout." He turned and glanced around as she approached the door. Ten second later he heard the lock open and the door swing in. She replaced the pin in her hair as he looked at her, stunned.
"Where…?" Ron and Hermione were also staring at her, Ron with approval, Hermione with shock.
"I grew up with Fred and George. You don't think they didn't realize the value of picking locks without magic do you?" He smiled, admiring her handiwork. "Turns out a woman's touch makes it even easier." She flexed her fingers to emphasize the point.
"And much appreciated it is. Now, shall we?" Gesturing to the door he followed the others in and locked it behind them. Turning from the door he looked over what had been briefly his home. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and looked to be just as it was left. He could tell things had moved somewhat though. Chairs had been pushed aside to make moving between the rooms a little easier. Ron looked around as well and swiped a finger over a table, collecting an inch of dust.
"Wow…mum'd have a fit. Looks like nobody's been here in about…"
"Sixteen years. Give or take." They turned to see Harry's emerald eyes shining with emotion. Ron quickly wiped the dust off his finger.
"Right…sorry mate."
"It's okay. I'm just going to…look around for a little bit." They each nodded and stepped away from him as he started moving slowly through the house. They each kept a respectful distance, not wishing to intrude but wanting to be there should he need them. He looked over the living room first and found the trappings of a completely normal life. It could have been any muggle house. Apparently anything that was specific to his family had been removed. Even the books were nonmagical. Covering the rest of the first floor it was all the same. It was as if his parents had completely cut themselves off from the world of magic.
A moment later he realized that was exactly what they had done. They had left everyone and their entire lives behind to protect him. And they had thought themselves safe. He would see Pettigrew suffer for what he had done. Approaching the stairs he felt a sudden resonance in the very spot. He had felt this magic before. It was Tom Riddle's magic.
Falling to one knee his hand spread on the ground, knowing this as the spot his father had fallen. A pair of hot tears fell to the carpet and were absorbed. A split second later Ginny was there with an arm wrapped around his shoulders.
"Harry…what is it?" He could just raise his head to meet her eyes.
"My father." He could see her eyes widen with understanding. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before struggling back to his feet with her help. She waved the others off and let go as he headed for the stairs. They followed as he slowly took one step after another.
Emerging on the second floor he turned right first. Through the open door was his parent's room. Here he finally found some evidence of magical ties. Well disguised in the muggleish bedroom were bits and pieces of the magical world. A plaque for the Quiddich cup was propped up on a dresser. Two brooms sat in the corner, untouched for years. Seeing nothing else he turned and headed for the room he had left for last. Stepping into his nursery he approached the crib and again felt the resonance, stronger this time.
Pain dropped him all the way to the ground in a hunched position, both hands clenched in fists against the floor, tears dropping against his glasses. Again he could feel Ginny's comforting arms. Drawing strength from her presence he opened his eyes and started to rise. As he did something caught his eye from under the nearby dresser. Reaching under it his hand returned a moment later holding a rather ornate rectangular hand mirror. He rose, staring at it.
Ginny, still clutching him, looked over his shoulder. "What is it?" He shook his head, unsure what significance the mirror had. It was a deep blue carving wrapped over a faded bronze frame, with what appeared to be eagles prominently carved around the edge.
"It's the mirror of Rowena Ravenclaw." They both turned to see Hermione, who had withdrawn with Ron, return and look at the object he held. "I got you that book for a reason you know." Truth be told he had wanted to read it, but other things kept coming up…like time with Ginny. His eyes grew wide at the revelation.
"You're…sure?"
"Of course I am Harry. Page 231. She made it, supposedly as a gift to the first headmaster after the original four. She was the last to die and wanted him to have something of hers. It was suppose to help anyone who looked into it focus." He returned his gaze to the mirror and was hit by something else. With the magical resonance that filled the room to this point he had missed the feeling of the mirror. It held the same signature as he had found downstairs and felt in this room, only far more so. No…it couldn't be that easy… "What Harry? What is it?"
"I…I think…that this…is…I think he managed to do it…before…" None of the others understood what he was talking about. Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder to turn him.
"Harry? What are you talking about? What is it?"
"A Horcrux." Everyone's eyes shot open when invoked the name. Hermione was the first to respond, skeptically.
"Harry…are you sure. I mean…there were no traps…it was just lying there. Surely something that evil would have been sensed by any ministry officials that came through here."
"Not necessarily. I didn't sense it until I tried. This whole room is thick with Voldemort's signature, and this even more so. I…I think he managed to make it…just before getting destroyed. That's why it wasn't hidden."
"Then why didn't he come back and get it?"
"I…I don't know. Maybe he figured either it was still here and if no one had found it yet, they wouldn't. Or if it had been found it…they likely stuck it in a museum somewhere and it was still safe." He could feel certainly growing inside him. "Yes…this is a Horcrux. Four down." A moment later, still savoring his victory, Ron called from the window.
"Harry, get over here!" They all dashed to the window to find two very familiar faces in muggle clothes looking over the street. Harry took the chance of opening the window to hear them. Crabb and Goyle, faces he would never forget from that night in the graveyard were conversing rather loudly. It was Goyle's voice they heard first.
"…believe you didn't get the address from Pettigrew!"
"I thought you got it!"
"Well obviously I didn't. Don't see why we're here anyway. That Potter's not going to come back here."
"Fine. Wait here. I'll be right back." Turning in place the Death Eater disappeared. Harry pulled back from the window.
"Any ideas?" Ron nodded.
"There's only one of them. I say we take him out." Hermione shook her head at his aggressive mindset.
"And the other could return at any second. Plus, if we start throwing spells around, the ministry will be all over us in a minute. I say we just apperate away." Harry nodded at the idea.
"Fine, you first." She stepped back and turned in place. Nothing happened. Cocking an eyebrow she tried again. Still nothing. One more time yielded the same result. "What?"
"Anti-Apperating seal. We have to leave the house."
"Great, then we'll be caught for sure."
"No we won't. Backdoor. Come on." Harry took the lead and quietly moved as quickly as he could from the room his destiny had first been set in. Crouching as they rushed down the stairs they each kept a careful eye out the window in case Crabb should return. Harry led them through the kitchen to the backdoor and stopped dead at the keyed deadbolt. "Uh Ginny?" Before he could ask she was at the door and picking the lock. He slipped back to the kitchen entry watching Goyle looking around. A second later Crabb reappeared and showed him a piece of paper. "Ginny? Fast would be good."
"Just a second. This is better lock than the front. Come on…" She was speaking through gritted teeth now and frustration was beginning to show. "Right…left…get in there…" Time seemed to slow as the two Death Eaters approached. He felt the bulge of his wand up his sleeve and gripped the handle. Instinctively he knew the others were doing the same. After what seemed an eternity he finally heard the satisfying click. "Got it." Silently pulling the door open she was the first out followed by Hermione. Ron backed out, ready to draw and attack to defend them. Harry was the last to go, also backing out, having to strongly resist the urge to draw his wand. Pulling the door shut he could just hear the front door being rattled.
"See? No one's been here for years." A few seconds later, during which Harry thought they must be checking windows the voice continued. "Not a speck of dust out of place. Come on; let's report to the Dark Lord. Remember to get away from the house so you can go." Dashing across the backyard to where Ron was signaling he kept low and ducked over the neighboring hedge. Following them up along the side he could just make out the pair reaching the street and disappearing. Turning away he fell back against the hedge, holding the mirror against his arched knees and dropping his head.
He could hear each of his friends letting out a relieved breath he knew he was echoing. Calming his still jittery nerves he waited for just a moment before opening his eyes to look at the Horcrux. He didn't get much of a chance though before Hermione's voice cut into his thoughts. "Uh…Harry?" He looked up at her and found her gaze pointed straight ahead.
"Yeah?" Instead of answering her hand rose and pointed ahead. He followed the gesture and found what had spooked her. They were sitting against the outer wall of the church's cemetery. "Oh…" Tucking the mirror into his pocket, carefully at first then harder when he realized he wouldn't mind if it broke, he rose to his feet and looked around. They followed and each took a couple steps forward. "Split up. See if you can find…"
"We're on it." Ron split off to the side, Hermione ahead and Ginny the other side. Harry began randomly walking amongst the stones and statues that dotted the ground. While his friends moved methodically he walked aimlessly, unsure of what he was looking for. Seeing a tree in the corner that reminded him oddly of the Walloping Willow he headed in that direction. Arriving at the base of the tree he glanced down as his friends arrived, each shaking there heads. When he did he finally noticed a large headstone he could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago. Taking a step forward he fell to his knees, tears flowing freely again. After a moment Ginny laid a hand lightly on his shoulder.
"Harry…what is it? I'm sure they're here, we just have to keep looking."
"My…parents." He pointed to the stone. It was of dark granite and wide enough to encompass both of them. Along the bottom were two placards, one for each of his parents stating their names, birthdays…and October 31, 1981. Above their names were carvings of their faces, more real than any chisel could have cut. Between the portraits was a small inscription.
In loving memory
of those who died protecting
what they loved most.
Below this seemed to be a carved envelope, though what it might symbolize he had no idea. It seemed a long time later before Ginny spoke again. "Harry…there's nothing there."
"What? You…you don't see it?" All three shook there heads in response. "But…it's right here." He reached out to touch the stone and placed his hand firmly on the top. When he did a slight jolt ran though him. Before he could wonder what it was a light began to glow from the center of the stone, outlining the envelope carving. It seemed to come forward from the stone and a second later it dropped to the ground in front of him. Reaching out he picked up what was now a paper envelope. Glancing back to the stone he saw the last two words of the inscription that the letter had hidden.
Their son.
Letting the tears flow he flipped over thick envelope and stared at the elegant script he knew well spelling out his name. His heart nearly stopped as he realized this letter was from Dumbledore. Swallowing hard and choking back tears he rose. They each noticed the letter and Ron asked. "Where'd that come from?"
"The stone. It must have a concealing charm on it…that's why you can't see it. And this must have been transfigured…"
"Who's it from?"
"I'm not sure. But I'll check…after we get home." Hermione glanced at the watch she had procured somewhere that obviously had no magical affiliation.
"Then we'd better hurry. The bus will be here in five minutes." Double checking to make sure they weren't being watched they took off as a dead run back up the street to begin retracing their steps back to Grimmauld.
Harry
I do not know how this letter will reach you, but hopefully you are well and your aunt has taken care of you. The letter I've written to her should be in her hands by the time I finish this one. First of all, should you have any friends with you; they would be unable to see your parent's headstone due to a concealing charm I placed on it. This letter's return to its normal state was triggered by your touch.
Now...on to more pressing matters. By now you will hopefully know all about Tom Riddle that I could tell you here, so I will set that aside.
We now believe it was Sirius Black who betrayed your parents. Though I cannot think he would have done it, the evidence appears overwhelming. It was in fact Sirius who first discovered your dead parents and tried to remove you from the house. Fortunately I arrived a moment later and took you into my care. Sirius disappeared for parts unknown after loaning Hagrid, who I hope you have met by now, his enchanted motorcycle. While I went ahead to prepare the way for you he carried you to your aunt's house.
Having no idea when you will receive this I don't know what would be redundant.
Know this though…you're parents died bravely, fighting to protect you. I believe it was your mother's sacrifice that allowed you to defeat Tom, though I must still do some research on this matter. I do hope he is gone for good, but we found no body when I and some close friends searched you home. I also have some theories about that but I will say no more as it may simply be an old man's paranoia.
I imagine you will be a hero in many eyes at this point and a target in others now. Hopefully the protection I've placed on your aunt's house will keep you safe until you reach Hogwarts. Then I will do my best to help you. Sybil's prophecy is still fresh in my mind and I am not sure it is fulfilled yet.
Take care Harry. And remember, your parents will always be with you.
Albus Dumbledore.
P.S. – Also enclosed in this envelope are some papers I believe need to be well guarded. They include your original birth certificate and the deed to your parent's house.
Harry laid the letter down on his desk where he had been reading and looked at the other papers. Also included was a scrap of parchment with Peter Pettigrew again telling him where to find the house. Packing it all back into the envelope and sliding the envelope into the box on the upper shelf he removed his glasses and leaned back, letting it all sink in.
His door opened and he could tell it was Ginny by the way she walked across the floor. For a second he thought it odd he could pick that out but quickly dismissed the idea. She slowly sat down next to him on the bed. "So…did you read it?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"It was from Dumbledore. Nothing new unfortunately. He wrote it the night after… Even then he was suspicious Tom survived."
"He was a very wise wizard."
"Yeah." Harry reached for his glasses and slid them back on. "I am also owner of yet another dead man's house. My father's."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The deed was in that letter. And I'd just come to terms with this place." She gripped his hand slowly.
"Yeah…but you've got time. After you beat Voldemort, you can take all the time you need."
"Yeah…" They sat like that for a few minutes before the tentative knock came at his door. "Yeah?" Ron leaned his head in, obviously anxious.
"Say mate…you mentioned the…pensieve?" Harry nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah…come on in. We might as well get this over with." He had been dreading this, reliving the moment of Dumbledore's murder, but he had promised. Rising and letting go of Ginny he headed for the pensieve stand as Ron and Hermione entered. Each of the others took seats in the sitting area. He almost smiled at them. They had each quickly picked out a favorite chair and never deviated. Sitting in his personal favorite, the large burgundy wing chair, he set the basin on the table between them.
Drawing his wand he swirled it in the silvery liquid. He was still apprehensive; this would be his first trip into the pensive without Dumbledore to guide him. He had dropped the memory they wanted to see into the basin earlier. It was a good thing he had or they would have been sitting there for half an hour while he figured it out. Setting aside those thoughts he waited until Snape's face, still as set and determined as it had been on the tower, swirled into view.
"Okay…here it is. Now…just lean toward the liquid…and you'll fall into the memory." Ron, brazen as always, was the first and the girls gasped as he disappeared. Hermione was next, followed by Ginny. Taking a breath to settle his mind, Harry followed.
Familiar with the feeling he waited until he landed roughly on his feet and glanced around, fully expecting to see Hogsmead, where the memory he had removed started. Instead they were in Dumbledore's office standing off in a corner and the man himself sat behind the desk, looking over some papers. The others, not knowing what to have expected, saw nothing wrong, but Harry, standing behind them, whipped his head around rapidly trying to figure out what was going on. His attention was drawn when Dumbledore spoke.
"Come in Severus." The door opened to reveal Professor Snape, hand still raised to knock. He entered and closed the door before striding forward. Harry was still confused.
"What the hell?" The others turned.
"This isn't it?"
"No…this is…I have no idea what this is…" Their attention returned to the aged wizard as he spoke again.
"Severus, whatever it is, stop pacing and tell me." Harry looked and was startled to see Snape was indeed pacing and looked genuinely distraught, something he had never been able to associate with the teacher. He did stop and turned.
"Sir…we have…a very…big…problem."
"What is it?" I'm going to kill you, thought Harry.
"Narcissa and Bellatrix visited me at my home last week. There were the usual accusations and verbal sparing but…I think I've made a terrible mistake." Dumbledore now seemed to decide this was a truly important matter and set the papers down. He gestured for Snape to continue. "I…I was put in a position where I had no choice but to make an Unbreakable Vow." The headmaster's face actually paled at this revelation.
"To do what?" Snape remained silent for a moment. "Severus! To do what?" There was…desperation...in his question. "What did you promise?"
"I…swore to aid young Malfoy on a mission he has been given by the Dark Lord." Dumbledore rose to his feet at this and slowly rounded his desk.
"Severus…what mission?"
"I…I faked knowledge to escape them, but I have been able to glean some bits from Draco. I don't know all the particulars…but one of the main points…is that he must kill you." Albus actually looked shell shocked at this and stumbled back to nearly fall against his desk. He seemed to speak to himself more than Snape and they had to lean in to hear him.
"Tom…Tom…not only do you want me gone…but to sacrifice that boy to do it…"
"Sir…what are we going to do? You know the rules of the Vow. If he can't do it, then…"
"I'm well aware of that Severus. And this is a problem." Some of his strength and color seemed to return as he stood to face the black robed man. "And I see only one solution." Snape nodded in agreement.
"As do I. I will die rather than fulfill the Vow. We can not lose you."
"No! You are too valuable to us where you are. I…must die. And you must kill me." The pure shock on Snape's face was mirrored on each of Harry's friends and his own.
"Sir…I…I can't do that."
"You have to Severus. I won't let that boy become a murderer and you are far too valuable to sacrifice."
"But sir…if I do this…Everyone will see me as a murderer. Everyone will be hunting me. I'll be killed before I could ever explain."
"There will be at least one who will know the truth."
"Who?"
"Harry."
"Potter? How do you plan to do that? He hates me as it is. If I do this…"
"Very simply Severus. It's all in here." He tapped the side of his head. "I'm leaving him my pensieve. I will simply add this memory and trigger it to be the first seen when he adds a memory of his own. Unless I am very much mistaken, he will wish to share memories of my lessons with his friends Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. When he tries, he will end up here."
"But…he could still feign ignorance. They would both go along with him. If he conceals the truth then he can kill me and no one will know the difference. His father would have done that."
"Severus! James may not have been the nicest person to you but when it came down to it, he would have died to protect you. You know it, as do I. Harry is no different. He will tell those who need to know." Snape took a long while to consider what he was being asked to commit to. While he did Dumbledore returned to the chair behind his desk. Finally his drawn face nodded.
"Very well sir. I shall do as you ask."
"Thank you Severus. Now…is there anything you wish to say that I may pass on to Mr. Potter?" Snape considered it a moment before approaching the desk and taking a piece of parchment and quill.
"Potter! Get over here, you too Granger, if you're here." The named students leapt to attention and were at his side before they realized it wasn't even real. Looking down they could see he was writing an address. "Remember this. You may contact me here after you see this memory. Make the note short and vague in case it is intercepted. And for the love of Merlin don't use that damn white owl of yours. Every Death Eater knows that thing on sight. Granger, I'll trust you to remember this should he forget." Picking up the paper he set fire to it and let it burn to ashes. "Sir." Stepping back he turned and left the office. It was a moment before Dumbledore spoke again.
"Harry…would you come stand over here please." Harry moved to the appropriate place in front of the desk. "Thank you." He paused again before continuing. "There is so much I wish to tell you, so much you need to learn this coming year. Hopefully I'll have enough time to show you everything you need to see. If you know what Horcrux are, know how they are made and have seen a memory I strongly suspect is contained within the head of one Horace Slughorn, then I have indeed had enough time. There is one…now there will be two additional things I wish you to see. The first is when I destroyed the ring and did this to my hand. The second will now be my thoughts on how to destroy the rest of the Horcrux. I recommend you wait until you have them in hand to seek these memories. One thing at a time.
"Now…if, as I suspect will be, I have died by the time you see this, know Snape was innocent and acting on my orders. I still trust him completely and you should as well. You will perhaps remember that I told you in your first year, in regards to my now departed friend Nicholas Flamel, that to the well ordered mind, death is merely the next great adventure.
"Remember two things for me Harry. First, I'll never really be gone as long as at least one person remains loyal to me. And second, you have the power to defeat Tom. Don't dismiss it as weak; it is something he can never do. Goodbye." Harry could feel himself falling up but instead of returning to his room, they flowed immediately into the next memory, the one he had originally wanted. Though he was in shock the others managed to recover enough to watch events play out. It wasn't until near the end that something brought him back.
It was Dumbledore's voice, much weaker and desperate. "Severus…please…" Harry stared in wonder, realizing that Dumbledore wasn't begging for his life…he was begging Snape to kill him.
(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.