"I'm going to explain everything to you." said Harry as they climbed the broken staircase.
"You don't have too, Harry. You can wait." Hermionie said tentatively.
"No, I owe you an explanation. You've both stuck with me for so long."
"Okay. Start with what happened after you left the hall." said Ron. Harry took a deep breath.
"The stuff that poured out of Snape were memories. I took them to the pensive-"
"What?" Ron asked.
"It's this bowl that Dumbledore had." explained Harry. "You can view memories in it. Those were pretty interesting. Snape was the one who told my mother she was a witch. He - also called her a mudblood in their fifth year." said Harry.
"Sounds like he was being really hot and cold." remarked Hermionie.
"I guess he was. But it was right after James had been bullying him, so-"
"Wait." Ron cut in. "James was bullying Snape? As in your dad?" Harry had forgotten that he hadn't told them about that particular memory.
"Yeah. I saw it for the first time two years ago. That's why I wanted to talk with Sirius so badly." said Harry.
"So d'you think that's why Snape hated you?" asked Ron.
"Yeah, I do." said Harry. "The next memories were the ones with pure information. He started betraying Voldemort as soon he started hunting me and my parents."
"Why? He couldn't care less about your dad." said Ron.
"Didn't you hear me earlier? He loved my mother." said Harry.
"You were telling the truth?" asked Hermionie, surprised.
"Yep." said Harry.
"Where's the proof?" asked Ron skeptically.
"In his patronus. That's why Dumbledore trusted him." said Harry. Had they been listening at all during his and Voldemort's duel?
"That's why he saved my life in our first year. Dumbledore's death was also planned between them."
"We know, Harry, we heard you." said Hermione.
"Really? I didn't." said Ron. Harry continued.
"The next part might come as a shock." Ron and Hermionie looked at him skeptically.
"Honesty, what, after the past six years, could come as a shock to us?" asked Hermionie.
"Voldemort left Godric's Hollow with less than just a seventh of his soul." said Harry quietly. Ron looked confused, Hermionie wide-eyed. Harry didn't think he had the strength to say what he had been.
"Harry- oh my gosh- how?" asked Hermionie faintly.
"What're you two on about?" asked Ron.
"He had seven horcruxes. I was the final one." said Harry. Ron's jaw dropped.
"How?" he asked.
"On the night he killed my mum and dad, a piece of his soul was blasted off when the curse rebounded, because it was so unstable. I was the only living thing there, and it latched itself onto me."
"If you were a horcrux, why didn't we feel any of the effects, like on the locket? We were with you most of the time for six years." said Ron.
"I dunno. It must have been a thing with the locket."
"Harry, why didn't you tell us? We could have figured something else out, you wouldn't need to have sacrificed yourself-"
"You said it yourself, Hermionie. The three ways of destroying a horcrux are basilisk venom, Fiendfyre, and Avada Kedavra. They all would've killed me."
"Yeah, how are you alive?" asked Ron. Hermionie shot him a look.
"I came out of the pensive, and went straight to the forest. I just don't think I could've faced anybody. I eventually found him, I let him hit me with the killing curse, and everything was just...gone." said Harry. Hermionie had tears falling down her face.
"I woke up in this strange, clean, trainless version of King's Cross. And Dumbledore was there-"
"What?" shouted Ron and Hermionie together.
"Yeah, and he explained some things. For example, that the Hallows are real. I'm a descendant of Ignotus. The thing inside of the snitch was the resurrection stone."
"Did you use it?" asked Hermionie skeptically. Harry didn't answer her.
"He also explained why I survived."
"So?" prompted Hermionie.
"Riddle took my blood."
"He drank your blood? No offense, mate, but that sounds bloody disgusting." said Ron.
"He didn't drink it, he wasn't a vampire. He used it to bring himself back to a full body. My blood was in his system." said Harry.
"So, let me get this straight: You're alive because your blood was in his system?" questioned Hermionie.
"Yes. More specifically, it was because my mother's protection was in his system. He didn't understand the depth of that, he thought it would cancel it out." said Harry.
"He could touch you, though. Didn't it work?" asked Ron.
"Kind of. The only part that worked was that he could touch me without hurting himself, like you said. I still couldn't die, at least not at his hand." said Harry.
"Harry- this strange form of King's Cross- it kind of sounds like heaven. Did Dumbledore ever say whether you could be dead?" asked Hermionie. Harry nodded.
"He did say I had a choice." Hermionie was thoughtful for a moment.
"Why did you want to come back? You could have been with your parents, Sirius, and Lupin-" Hary stopped her and looked into her eyes.
"Because I wanted to. I haven't lost everybody. There are still things worth living for, I promise." Hermionie threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face, wiping away the dirt and blood. She pulled herself together and wiped them away.
"You do realize how devastated we were, don't you?" Hermionie asked quietly.
"'Course I do. I'd never heard Professor McGonnagal sound so terrible." said Harry. Ron laughed, Hermionie didn't.
"You- heard everything?" she whispered.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" asked Harry. Hermionie resumed her usual manner.
"Harry, nobody should have to experience that! And Neville, the hat- I'm surprised you didn't get up right then and there! That's actually what made me completely sure you were dead!" cried Hermionie. Harry scowled.
"You actually need to remind me of all the death and destruction I caused?" he said in a low voice. "Because I'm already convinced it's all my fault. If I was faster-" Ron cut him off.
"Mate, none of it's your fault. Everybody wanted to get rid of Riddle, they knew the stakes!"
"Why do I have a feeling this will be a constant battle?" said Hermionie, looking at Harry's expression. They reached the stone Gargoyles, and the subject was dropped.