Harry Potter and the Curse of V'Ardian
Chapter 35
Of Discoveries and Draco
Standard Disclaimers Apply
oOoOo
"Do you ever regret it?" Harry asked quietly, looking at Draco as he stared out of the window. His expression was melancholy; he seemed anxious and upset.
"Regret what?" he asked, turning dark eyes on Harry, who shrugged slightly.
"Not following your father. It must be hard."
Draco turned back to the window with a sigh.
"I regret that he isn't with me. Even though I despise his values and his beliefs, I love him because he's my father. But I couldn't do what he does."
Harry nodded.
"I don't think I could have done that," he said quietly. Draco snorted.
"You would have," he said, sounding sure of himself. Harry didn't answer him.
"You were out late last night," Draco said after a while.
"I don't sleep much. One of the perks…"
"It would be an advantage," Draco acknowledged.
"Had a bit of a chat with Katherine, too," said Harry, smirking.
"A chat, eh?" Draco grinned. "Had a bit of chat myself, last night."
"With who?" Harry asked, sitting up. "You can't tell me you've coerced some poor student into snogging you already."
"Oh, I have my ways," said Draco, arching an eyebrow with a mischievous smile.
"Tell me who it is," Harry demanded, getting suspicious. "What's so bad about them that you can't tell me?"
Draco sighed as though he had been severely put-upon.
"Promise not to kill me?" he asked. Harry laughed.
"You're snogging my sister, aren't you!" he burst out. "You sly bastard!"
"I can't believe how low I've sunk," Draco lamented, and then added hastily, "Not that Emily's low or anything. But she's…"
"A Gryffindor?"
"Yes, that's the word. Knew it rhymed with scum."
Harry laughed and stood up, clapping Draco on the shoulder.
"I'm proud of you, Draco. I couldn't ask for any more."
Draco allowed himself a small, quick smile, hiding it from Harry.
"You sound like you should be an adult," he said, and Harry shrugged.
"Come one, let's go. We're meeting the other three and going down to the lake."
"But I'll get dirty! I just washed my hair. And my hands-"
"Don't worry Alex. I'll buy you some gloves for your birthday and you won't have to worry about a thing."
"But I'll look like a pansy!"
"The trials of Draco," sighed Harry dramatically. "If only we understood…"
"Git," muttered Draco, punching Harry as he walked past.
"Ow!" protested Harry. "You really didn't have to do that you know…"
oOoOo
Harry sat stiffly in Dumbledore's office – McGonagall's office, he reminded himself firmly – fidgeting distractedly. It had suddenly hit him that this was the first time he would be revealing everything to someone who had not found out on their own. This was someone who might not understand his motivations; someone who might not forgive so easily. Swallowing lightly, he looked up to meet Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze, his hands clenched tightly together under the desk.
McGonagall's expression seemed to shift, and she smiled slightly.
"So, Harry, you wanted to speak to me about something?" she asked. Her expression became serious once again and Harry nodded curtly, clearing his throat.
"Yes. There are…things you need to know. You're not going to like those things, Professor, but you have to know that there was no other way. They were things that were beyond anyone's control, and-"
"Harry, stop. You're not making any sense. What are you talking about?"
Harry took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
"Alright. Alright. I'll start with the most important things first. Voldemort is getting stronger. You know that, and I know that. He had never been more powerful than he is now. His attacks are getting worse, closer together. He has more followers and it is getting harder and harder to track his movements." And I know he's stronger because it's getting harder and harder to control the bits of him that are inside me. "I suppose the first thing you need to know is that Snape didn't kill Dumbledore."
Professor McGonagall leant forward, her face paling in shock.
"Severus is innocent? How do you know these things, Harry? You told the Wizengamot that he was guilty at Draco Malfoy's trial!"
Harry ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Snape has been spying for me. At the time of Dumbledore's death, Voldemort was beginning to distrust him; if he believed that Snape helped in Dumbledore's murder, his position as a spy would be guaranteed. I'm only telling you now because if anything happens to me, someone needed to know."
McGonagall nodded, her hands clenched just as tightly as Harry's now.
"If Severus did not kill Albus," she asked, "then who did?"
Harry felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
"Did Dumbledore ever tell you, before he died, that there was a second prophecy that concerned Voldemort?"
Professor McGonagall nodded sharply.
"He showed it to me, just a few days before-"
Harry nodded.
"The prophecy stated that someone would return Voldemort to his rightful power. You know that there was only one person stopping Voldemort from becoming as strong as he could."
"Albus."
"Yes."
"So… the Lord of V'Ardian killed Albus?"
Harry took a deep breath and nodded, averting his eyes.
"Yes. But you should also know that the Lord of V'Ardian is someone you can trust. They aren't on Voldemort's side, as he believes they are."
Professor McGonagall leant forward even further, surprise evident in her tone.
"You know who they are? Albus said he never knew…"
"Because I never told him," replied Harry. "Dumbledore never knew, not until the very end. By then it was too late for it to be any other way. Everything just…came together at that particular time. It sounds so clichéd and everything, but it was destiny."
"Albus…Albus knew the person who murdered him? You said-"
"Yes," Harry interrupted. "Dumbledore knew the person who murdered him. Everyone who was there that night knew."
"And you were there that night?"
Harry nodded and looked up at Professor McGonagall with hollow eyes. Now was the time to tell her, and all he could do was hope for the best and pray that she would forgive him.
"I am Lord V'Ardian. I killed Dumbledore. I had no choice."
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and her face paled. Her hand covered her mouth and she leaned back, staring at him in horror. Harry saw the betrayal and the fear in her eyes even before she felt it, but when she did, she stood up, hatred oozing from her very being.
"Get out of this school, Mr Potter. You are no longer welcome here." She raised a shaking hand to point at the door. Her attitude hit Harry like a thunderbolt, even though he had been prepared for such an outcome. Maybe, he thought, he had gone about telling her the wrong way. But out of the school? How could he do that? How could she do that? Another thought occurred to Harry. Maybe this was it. Maybe it was time. Time to accept that everything had come to a head, and from now on, things were going to start going down hill.
He stood slowly and turned to face her.
"I'm leaving," he told her, his voice flat. "But just listen for a minute. Know that I had no choice in what I did, and I didn't enjoy it. You can still trust me. You have to trust me. The war will be over soon, but I can't guarantee that it will be us who wins. I'll try my hardest, but I need you to prepare the Order. You have the aid of the elves if you need it, and the V'Ardian clan has also pledged their allegiance. In the end though, it will be up to me. I have to kill Voldemort, no one else. Please remember. I don't want anyone else to die because they think they have a chance at destroying him."
Harry walked slowly back from her as she glared at him.
"I'm going to say goodbye to my sister and my friends now. I'll be gone within an hour."
When she didn't answer, Harry turned and walked from the office, his spirits low. When he reached the bottom of the staircase he started running, heading as fast as he could for the Slytherin common rooms. The giant stone snake that guarded the entrance let him in as soon as he asked permission, something for which he had never been more grateful.
He flung open that door and dashed inside, looking around for Katherine. He ran over and grabbed her before anyone had realised that a Gryffindor had invaded their sanctuary, and dragged her out into the corridor.
"Come on," he said, grabbing her arm. "I'll explain in a minute."
They ran up to Gryffindor tower, and to Harry's great relief, Draco was sitting in front of the fire with Ron, Hermione and Emily. They looked up as Harry approached, and Ron sneered.
"Harry! What's she doing here? She's a-"
"Don't say it, Ron," snapped Harry. "There's no time."
The four of them stood up to meet Harry and Katherine, Ron looking at Katherine suspiciously. Harry grabbed Ron's hand and put it over Katherine's, forcing Ron to look at him.
"Listen to me, Ron. This is Katherine. Katherine Snape."
Ron's expression of distaste deepened, and Hermione let out a small 'oh' of surprise. Ron made to say something but Harry interrupted him.
"No, Ron. You have to listen now, okay? Her mother is Evelyn Prewett, do you understand? She's your cousin, Ron. I need you to look after her."
Ron stared at Katherine with dawning comprehension, but Harry had no time to wonder about their family politics.
"Harry, what's going on?" asked Hermione. Harry drew her into a hug.
"I have to go, 'Mione." He pulled back clasped Ron on the shoulder. "See you soon, mate."
He turned to Emily and Draco.
"McGonagall's kicked me out, Draco. I had to tell her. I have to go to-"
"She's what?" screeched Hermione.
"What did you have to tell her?" asked Emily, bewildered.
"What did you just call Alex?" asked Ron.
Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.
"Guys, this is Draco Malfoy, not Alex Grey. You can trust him, but I don't have time to explain. I have to go. Draco can you explain to them, please?"
"Everything?" he asked weakly, and Harry nodded firmly.
"Yes, everything. The good and the bad."
Harry drew Emily into a hug, and clapped Draco firmly on the shoulder. He turned to Katherine and placed a fierce kiss on her lips, eliciting a gasp from Hermione. He turned and gave the rest of them a weak smile, bid them goodbye, and ran up to his dorm. He packed quickly; his Cloak, and a few vials of potion and other things he might need. He placed them all in his bag and jumped on his Firebolt. He directed it out the window, and in seconds, he was gone.
oOoOo
Harry breathed deeply in an attempt to calm his nerves. He marvelled at how quickly the last half hour had gone; at how much is life had been altered in that short amount of time. If he was truly honest with himself, he would have said that he really hadn't expected Professor McGonagall to act the way she did. Not that he didn't deserve it, but…well, what could he say? He had killed Dumbledore, and he had lied about it before. He would be lucky if McGonagall trusted him in the end.
Why did life have to be so damned hard and complicated? Harry grew angry at the unfairness of it all, before forcing calmness upon himself. No point getting upset about something that had already happened, after all. No, that was right. Accept what's happening. Accept all the crap, because there's no way it's going to be any other way. Accept your destiny.
Harry took a deep breath. His thoughts were jumping all over the place, and he couldn't afford not to be clear about things right now. Clarity of mind was what would get him through the next few days, weeks, months…however long it took. So he cleared his mind and looked around. Darkness surrounded him. There were no stars- just the roiling underbelly of the black clouds and the black ground beneath him. Everything was black.
oOoOo
Harry hadn't seen the dank little flat at Spinner's End before, but he'd heard about it. Her father's English home, Katherine had said; where he stayed when he wasn't with her. It had been where he lived as a child, the best place his Muggle father had been able to afford, until his mother's father had passed away and left her the Prince family manor.
It was not the kind of place that Harry would have expected Snape to live in. Granted, it was reclusive, and unknown by the ministry, and was therefore probably the safest place for Snape to be.
Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak closer around him in an attempt to ward of the bitter cold. He desperately hoped that Snape would be here. He moved slowly, wary of wards, wincing as the gate whinged as he opened it. He closed it slowly behind him and started up the short concrete path. The garden was in disarray; weeds sprouted in profusion from every conceivable crevice, and any domesticated plants had long since run wild. The path was cracked an broken in many places, and Harry nearly tripped on a protruding piece of it.
The house itself was the epitome of despair, in Harry's eyes at least. Against the dull grey sky and the lightly falling rain, the flat in Spinners End made for a depressing sight. The windows were a smoky grey, and heavy curtains covered them like shuttered eyes. The rendering on the outside was cracked and missing in some places. Where it had once been white or cream, it was now blacked with grime and soot from the city, mould trailing up from the ground. A shingle lay on the ground, and looking up, Harry could see that many more were missing from the edge.
No, this was the last place Harry would have expected Snape to reside.
Debris crunched beneath his feet as he made his way silently up the path, and he stopped hesitantly before the door, wondering if McGonagall had reported him by now. Raising his hand, he pulled the knocker back and rapped smartly on the door. He stepped back to wait, but a minute passed and there was no answer. He tried again, and then a third time, but still Snape did not come.
Maybe he's not home, Harry thought desperately. Or maybe he just doesn't like visitors.
Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew his wand.
"Alohomora," he whispered. As he had expected, there was no answering click, but a strange tingling feeling enveloped his body.
Oh no, he thought. Vindictive bastard! What's he done now?
Feeling as though he had gone in over his head, but seeing no other way, he tried a stronger unlocking charm. It rebounded off of the door and hit him in the stomach, momentarily stealing his breath from him.
"Merlin, Snape," he gasped out, holing a hand over his stomach as he wheezed. He looked around. There had to be a better way in than this. Straightening up, Harry left the path and made his way through the knee-high weeds to the side of the house. A narrow path separated the house from the fence, and Harry squeezed down beside it. As he went, an odd sensation enveloped him, and he had the sudden urge to go elsewhere.
Ah, Muggle repelling charms, he thought. I'm finally getting somewhere.
He had to fight for a moment not to turn and run as he began remembering very important things that he was missing at this very moment, and had he not understood the nature of these wards, he probably would have done so. The weeds grew higher, seemingly pushing him backwards, but he struggled past them and found himself in a minute courtyard surrounded by a rotting wooden fence that blocked out the view of the neighbouring slums. The small area was grassed, but it was uncared for, and the bird bath that provided the centre decoration was mouldy and filled with filth.
He ignored everything there and headed straight for the door, and the urgent feelings vanished from him. Not willing to try any more spells, he raised his hand and knocked loudly. A moment passed, and then out of the corner of his eye he saw the curtain on the window shift slightly and fall back into place, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Snape was home.
"Snape," he said quickly, and hopefully loudly enough. "Open the door, please."
He hoped Snape was alone, but felt safe in assuming that he was, given the amount of trouble he was having getting in. Suddenly the door in fron of Harry swung open to reveal Snape. He looked wary; his wand pointed directly at Harry and his eyes darted around.
"Who's there?" he barked.
"Are you alone?" Harry asked. If Snape recognised his voice, he didn't acknowledge it.
"Incarcerous," he muttered. Ropes flew out to bind Harry, and he didn't fight them.
"It's really me, Snape," he said. Snape scowled and reached out, finding the cloak and dragging it away from Harry's face. Harry knew he would have to make the first move. "I swear on my life and on my magic that I am Harry Potter, Lord of V'Ardian, and I wish you know harm," he stated, and a silver swirl surrounded him and confirmed his vow. Snape relaxed, and the ropes binding Harry disappeared.
Harry stepped past Snape into the dim room beyond, and Snape closed the door.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. He looked ill; his cheeks were pale and bags sat beneath his eyes.
"McGonagall kicked me out," Harry said simply, and Snape looked surprised.
"You told her? Why?"
Harry shrugged.
"Because there isn't much time left. I would rather she found out from me than from someone else."
Snape nodded and gestured for Harry to move into the next room. A light was on, casting a yellow glow over the threadbare furniture. Snape sat in a well-used lounge chair in front of the fire, and Harry took the one across from him. It was lumpy and worn, but comfortable.
"How is Katherine?" he asked softly, his gaze searching. Harry allowed his own gaze to travel to the fire, entranced by the flickering yellow and orange.
"Draco is looking after her, and Ron and Hermione. I had to tell them."
Snape made an odd sound of disapproval in his throat, and Harry looked up at him.
"Ron knows," he said. "There is no place she will be safer. The Weasley's value family."
Snape's face was expressionless, but slowly he nodded, and his gaze drifted to the fire as well.
"My family and Evelyn's family…they had been arguing for as long as I can remember. A family feud, started goodness knows when. No one approved of our relationship, so we kept it a secret. Eventually…Evelyn left her family to join me. I believe that is why Molly has never been comfortable around me. I think they believed that I had forced her into it, or used the Dark Arts to coercing her into loving me."
"Ron had no idea that anything happened between you and his Aunt. From what I've gathered, discussing her was something of a taboo thing in their household."
"A skeleton in their closet…" Snape said quietly. Harry made a noise of agreement, and they sat in silence for a minute. It was odd, having a conversation like this with Snape. He had never imagined Snape would let down his guard around him, but he supposed it had been inevitable, with the amount that they had been forced to trust each other. Suddenly Harry realised that it was easy to trust Snape now. He wasn't doing it because he had to, but because he could.
"What are your plans now?" asked Snape. Harry shrugged, staring into the flames.
"There's nothing left to do. I can either wait for him to make his move, or I can go after him on my own. Either way, it will have to be soon."
"Why do you say that?" asked Snape sharply. Harry looked up at him with shadowed eyes.
"I told you about his Horcruxes?"
"Yes," confirmed Snape. Two glasses and a bottle had appeared before him, and he filled them both to the brim and handed one to Harry. He took it gratefully.
"I haven't been able to destroy them. I was afraid that if I tried, I would end up like Dumbledore…dying from the attempt."
"You told me you had destroyed them," stated Snape, turning his piercing gaze on Harry.
"In a manner of speaking," replied Harry. "The objects themselves are no longer Horcruxes, but the pieces of Voldemort's soul still exist."
"What are you saying, Potter?" demanded Snape. Harry took a deep breath.
"I have a favour to ask of you," said Harry.
"I take it this has something to do with the Horcruxes?"
"It's the reason I came here," replied Harry blandly. He raised his gaze to meet Snape's. "I believe that what I'm about to ask you is something similar to what Dumbledore might have asked you."
Snape's face drained of colour and he placed his glass sharply down upon the wooden side table.
"Why?" he demanded sharply.
"Because I couldn't destroy Voldemort's soul," said Harry loudly, "so I transferred it. At this very moment, there is more of Voldemort contained within me than there is within him, and I don't know how much longer I can control it for. That is why."
Snape's eyes flashed in anger and confusion, and something else that Harry couldn't quite name.
"You fool!" he spat. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"Because it was the only way," replied Harry crossly.
"How?" Snape asked, his voice going hoarse. He stared at Harry in something akin to horror, and Harry was suddenly strongly aware of his heart thumping in his chest, and of the blood pounding in his ears. This was something that he hadn't told anyone, something that he had barely even admitted to himself.
"How?" he asked, mimicking Snape. "Because I was Voldemort's last Horcrux. I doubt that even he realises it. He made me that night in Godric's Hollow, when he died and I survived. That is why we are connected, not because of this scar," he said, rubbing furiously at the thing that marred his forehead. "Because I already shared a part of his soul, it was easy to do it. The soul wants to be whole, and I was bringing parts of it together."
"How much…"
"How much of me is him?" asked Harry hollowly, giving a small, mirthless laugh. "Dumbledore destroyed the ring. Regulus Black destroyed the piece of his soul that resided in Hogwarts. Nagini is a Horcrux; I know, because I once saw through her eyes. Voldemort holds the last piece of his soul. I am a Horcrux, and I also hold the soul that was in the remaining two Horcruxes."
"And you say you are having trouble controlling it," said Snape. "What is it, exactly?"
Harry shrugged.
"The more of him I take in, the longer it's there, the more I feel…vindictive, hateful, murderous. I feel what he's feeling even when I'm awake. And I have these…urges…"
"Urges?" prompted Snape, and Harry nodded, no longer meeting his eyes.
"To kill. To torture. Part of me feels like I'd enjoy it, if I did. Sometimes I'm not even sure who I am anymore- how much is me and how much is him. It's getting hard to separate the two."
"And so you are asking me-"
"When the time comes, Professor, it has to be done. You know it has to. I will kill Nagini, and then I will kill Voldemort." Harry looked up into Snape's dark eyes, searching for those unfathomable thoughts and wondering if he could really ask this of this man. "And then you will kill me."
oOoOo
A/N: I wasn't going to end there. I had so much planned out, but when I wrote that, I just had to stop. I'll put the rest in the next chapter though. Please review! I'd really like to know if you like it or not – Wujjawoo
Chapter 36: Of Redemption and Respect