43

Severus stayed by Harry's side as they stepped into the Headmaster's office. The Order members had been in the throes of an argument when they moved through the door but upon seeing Harry, silence fell over the room.

Harry was surprised to see so many people here. Tonks, Mc Gonagall, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tupin, Hagrid, Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, all sitting in various chairs and sofas in a big circle. He looked from one person to the other, instantly noticing how Mrs. Weasley and Tonks looked as if they had been crying. Hagrid blew his nose into a giant polka dot handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.

Harry's gaze stopped on his godfather who still had tears in the corners of his eyes. He realized at once that the sadness in his godfather's eyes was caused by him.

Harry stepped back as an overwhelming sense of shame washed over him. These people had been through so much and now, because of him, they were facing yet another war. He took another step back until he was pressed against the closed door they had just come through.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered, his face heating up.

A strong hand gripped his arm and pulled him away from the door. Harry looked up into the intense gaze of his father.

"You've nothing to be sorry for!" Severus emphatically stated, his gaze leaving his son to glare at the Order members. How dare they show any weakness in front of Harry!

"I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Harry said, wishing he hadn't come here now. He could do this alone, maybe it was even better to do this alone. He'd fought Voldemort before, he could muster up the courage to do it again.

Professor Dumbledore stood up, his own look of disappointment towards the Order members was quickly replaced by affection when he looked at the boy he had grown to admire. "Come in, Harry."

Harry sat on the sofa next to Sirius, then slid over to make room for his father. He couldn't help grabbing his godfather's hand and squeezing it.

"Everything will be alright," Harry said, just wanting that look of grief to be wiped from Sirius' face.

"Pathetic," he heard his father hiss from his other side. He turned towards his dad and whispered, "Stop it."

That reprimand seemed to bolster Sirius more than the words of comfort. Sirius sat up straighter and smiled.

Dumbledore cleared his throat before starting, "Harry, I regret to tell you that Voldemort has …"

Harry didn't let him finish. In a strong voice he said, "Returned. Voldemort is back. Yeah, I already know." He tapped his scar and tried to ignore the looks of horror everyone now had. "That bastard just won't stay away," he joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"You are not concerned?" Auror Tupin asked, not unkindly. "I thought you might be more alarmed?"

Harry looked from one face to the next. He could see that emotions were running high. It felt wrong to hide how he had reacted when he found out about Voldemort's return. Besides, he didn't want them thinking he was too immature to understand the ramifications of what was happening.

"Um, I was pretty upset when it happened. I've had time to cool off but I know how serious this is. I also know about the horcrux."

Tupin gave a hesitant nod.

"We'll come up with another plan," Molly said with passion. "We'll get rid of that horcrux another way!"

Severus stiffened and growled out, "Silence, woman!"

Harry furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what Mrs. Weasley had meant. He could see everyone looked to be very uncomfortable with what was revealed.

"We must tell him," Albus calmly stated, reaching out to put on hand on Severus' arm. "We must."

Severus shook the hand off, "Not yet, not now."

"No more secrets, Dad," Harry calmly said. "Please."

Severus locked eyes with his son. Having come to some unknown conclusion he gestured for the headmaster to continue.

Harry unknowingly held his breath as he waited to hear his fate.

"Harry, I will tell you the facts," Dumbledore said, "I will try not to soften the truth."

"Thank you," Harry said.

Dumbledore didn't mince words, but in a straight forward manner began, "On the night your mother protected you, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Voldemort. A fragment of his soul was blasted apart from the whole and latched itself onto you, making what is known as a Horcrux. Now you know the reason you could speak to snakes and why you have that connection with Voldemort. Nagini was the last remaining Horcrux, other than yourself."

"There were more?" Harry asked in a voice much too small.

"Seven, all together. A most magical number. The diary was one Horcrux. You destroyed that without knowing that you also destroyed a piece of Voldemort's soul. I have managed to rid the world of all the other Horcrux," Dumbledore said, matter of factly, as if it were expected of him.

"I'm the last one," Harry said.

"Yes, you are," Dumbledore said.

"That doesn't sound too promising," Harry clutched the hand he was holding tighter. "Um, how do I get rid of it then?"

The room remained silent.

"I can't get rid of it, can I?"

"No. There is only one way." Dumbledore took his glasses off to rub his eyes.

"Do not say it," Severus firmly stated.

"Please tell me," Harry implored to both men.

Dumbledore closed his eyes, and kept them closed, "He can not die whilst you are alive. Voldemort must be the one to take your life to end this Horcrux." Those words seemed to cost the headmaster everything. He slumped in his chair, looking every bit his age.

Harry felt his dad shift. He looked up to see Severus give the headmaster a look that conveyed such fury that he almost moved away. His heart was beating so quickly it was hard to breathe. He tried to comprehend the ramifications of what was said. He wasn't ready to die.

No one spoke, no one moved. Harry didn't want to look at anyone, he already knew what he would see.

"There is no other way," Harry stated, knowing these people would have tried to come up with another solution already.

"I wish there was another solution," Albus said in almost a whisper.

Harry swallowed the large lump that had been forming in his throat. He didn't want any of these people to see him cry.

"So, Voldemort has to kill me but why would he kill me if he knows it means he will die too?" Harry asked.

It was Remus who answered, "He does not know."

"So, once he kills me," Harry tried to ignore Mrs. Weasley's loud weeping. "Once he kills me," he said again, this time in a much stronger voice, "will he die too?"

"Your mother's blood magic will help me to cast a spell upon you which will cause Voldemort's killing curse to rebound after it hits you. He will die immediately."

"Oh," Harry said. A million questions racing about in his mind. "When will this happen?"

Harry couldn't help noticing the uncomfortable silence that followed that question.

The headmaster chose his words carefully, "Harry, the stronger Voldemort grows, the more probability the rebound spell could be blocked by him."

Harry closed his eyes for a long time. He wasn't ready to die, not yet. His dad squeezed his hand, causing him to open his eyes.

"Harry, the timing is your decision alone."

Harry nodded, wondering if he had the courage to just stand there and let Voldemort kill him.

As if reading his thoughts, Severus quietly said, "You will not be alone. I will be by your side the entire time,"

Harry shook his head. He saw no reason for anyone to risk their lives. He was the only one who had to die. "There's really no point in your coming with me."

"I WILL BE BY YOUR SIDE," Severus insisted, squeezing his son's hand so hard he saw the boy wince.

"So will I," Sirius said. "You think I'm going to let you walk into that snake's den by yourself?"

"I can't let anyone else die … especially for no good reason," Harry said. He pulled his hands into his lap, rubbing the one his dad had been holding. He stood up, brushing down his school robe as he tried to pull his thoughts together.

"Harry, we all want to be there with you," Remus declared, gesturing to all the inner circle of Order members that was present.

Harry couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley crying. He had no right to put them in danger. He had no right to ask anyone in this room to risk any more than they already had. He didn't want to see his friends crying in the same way, so he asked, "Do you mind not telling anyone else about this?"

Severus answered, "No one else can know. This information does not leave this room."

"Thank you for telling me," Harry said turning to look at Dumbledore. He stepped away from the sofa, "I need a little time by myself… okay, Dad?"

Severus nodded, his own emotions were threatening to get away from him.

Harry walked down the steps and through the quiet corridors. Even though the air was still frigid outside, the sun was shining brightly. He made his way down the path leading to the Quidditch pitch. Just because he could no longer fly didn't mean he couldn't enjoy watching others fly.

His mind was reeling with all that he had learned. Somehow, even though his mum had saved him on that fateful day fifteen years ago, he would still die because of it. So, in the end, Voldemort would die but so would he. They would both lose.

Once he reached the pitch, he sat by himself in the stands. The air was filled with students practicing for the try outs. He spotted an expert flyer with red hair streaming out behind her. His heart swelled with pride over being lucky enough to call Ginny his girlfriend. He watched as she swooped and dove then looped high into the air. He could see others, in the stands across from him, watching and pointing at her skills.

He closed his eyes against the bright light and imagined he was flying by her side. The wind whipping through their hair and the thrill of another sky high kiss.

He felt a swoosh of air and opened his eyes to see his girlfriend standing before him.

"Daydreaming, are we?" Ginny said, with a cheeky smile. "Fly with me, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, then reached out and stroked her long red hair. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so beautiful."

She actually blushed at the compliment and tried to straighten her hair. "Harry," she said with a shy giggle.

Harry smiled. She never giggled. "It's true. You look spectacular flying like that, with your hair catching the sun."

"Harry," she giggled again, "What's come over you? You've seen me fly a hundred times before."

Harry closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her broom clattered to the ground as their lips met. He nuzzled her ear before kissing her neck. "Mmm, you even smell good."

Ginny arched her neck to give him better access. "I like this side of you."

Harry ran his hands up the back of her Quidditch robe as he kissed her on the lips once more. He parted her lips with his tongue, loving how eager she seemed to kiss him back in the same way.

"Oh Merlin," Ginny whispered before tugging open Harry's robes and running her hand up the back of his shirt. "Do you want to go down by the lake?"

"Yeah."

They walked hand in hand. Ginny's prized broom lay on the ground where it had fallen.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Severus waited until Harry was down the spiraling staircase before laying into the Headmaster.

"Albus, you had to tell him everything?! For Merlin's sake, he is just a boy!" Severus spat, paying no heed to anyone else in the room.

"He is a boy with a prophecy hanging over his head," Albus calmly replied. "He deserves to know."

"I will find a different solution!" Severus yelled.

Sirius came to stand next to Severus, "Yeah, Snape will find something to save him!"

"You cannot change a prophecy, no matter how deserving the boy is. He should know now. It wouldn't be fair to give him false hope," Albus said, his voice sounding so very tired. "I love him dearly. I would gladly trade places with Harry, should it be possible,… but it is not. Severus, not even you have the power to change what was written long ago."

"So, I'm to walk him to his death? I'm to lead him to be slaughtered like a pig!?! NO! Unacceptable!"

Albus grimaced, "We must remain strong," came his feeble voice.

"How is he supposed to live his last days knowing that he will be killed by a beast too awful to die? The poor boy will be a wreck," Tonks said, her eyes filling with tears again.

"No, you underestimate, Harry" Remus said. He was standing by the window and gestured for everyone to come look.

The Order members crowded around the large window. They spotted two students walking down to the lake, hand in hand. They watched as Harry picked Ginny up by the waist and twirled her in a circle until both teens fell to the ground. It was apparent the teens were laughing and having fun. The Order members finally turned away when Harry chose that moment to pull Ginny into an embrace and kiss her.

"She's going to be heartbroken," Molly said through her tears.

"She's down right besotted with that boy," Arthur added with a mixture of fondness and sorrow.

Severus felt his emotions come dangerously to the surface. In a severe voice he admonished everyone in the room, but was mainly speaking to himself, "We must stay strong for the boy. No more tears or pity whilst my son is present. He already feels as if this whole disaster is his fault. If anyone feels the desire to weep, you are to do it away from Harry."

"Not everyone is made of stone, Snape," Sirius snidely commented, "Some of us actually have feelings."

Severus' hand shot out and grabbed a handful of Black's robe. He leaned in close, "Do not EVER question my love for the boy!"

Sirius was shocked that Snape would expose so much. He pulled away, tugging his robe back into place. "Sorry," he said and meant it. "I know how dedicated you are to him. You've actually been a pretty decent father."

Those words resonated something deep within Severus' chest. He was finding it hard to hold himself together. With an awkward nod of acknowledgment he turned on his heel and strode from the room.

"He will never recover from this," Minerva said, "It still amazes me that Harry was able to break through that stone wall, Severus had built up. Without Harry here to pull him back, I fear he will withdraw from us all."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX