Chapter 2: Dumbledore Flummoxed

"Potter? Potter, are you alright?"

Harry blinked blearily, and his vision cleared. McGonagall was looking at him in concern, wand in one hand.
Harry propped up on his elbows. "Professor, what happened?"

"What do you remember, Harry?"

"Bellatrix, Death Eaters –", Harry gasped as he remembered Dumbledore. "Professor, Professor Dumbledore is hurt! He's asking for Snape!"

The little color left in McGonagall's face disappeared. "Albus is hurt? Where is he?"

"The Hospital Wing. He's asking for Snape", Harry repeated, slowly getting up.

"Severus!", Professor McGonagall called, already hurrying away. "Severus!"

Snape appeared out of nowhere. "Yes, Minerva?", he drawled.

"Albus is hurt! He's in the Hospital Wing!"

Snape recoiled, and then immediately turned around and ran, shoving through the others.
Harry frowned. He had seriously underestimated the relationship between the Headmaster and Snape.

"Harry!", he heard a squeal before a mass of brown hair collided with him, almost knocking him down.

"I'm fine, Hermione!", Harry laughed, gently hugging back.

Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna had caught up to them.
"How did it go, mate? Where's Dumbledore?", Ron asked in a low voice.

"He's hurt, and in the Hospital Wing.", Harry said glumly. "C'mon!"

The six of them hurried to the Hospital Wing.
On the way there, Harry briefly told them what happened, not recalling any more than necessary. He also skipped over the locket's particulars. Ron and Hermione understood, but the others were confused.

"What's so special about the locket?", Ginny asked, but Hermione looked troubled by something else.
"Harry, how did you break the Petrification Dumbledore cast on you? It only breaks if someone casts the counter, or Dumbledore lifts it, or…"

"He dies.", completed Harry. "But he didn't. I don't know how I broke it, but I'm sure glad I did."

Yesterday, Harry would have been gloating about the fact that he was right, Malfoy was a Death Eater, but he just felt empty. Sad, even.

Hermione and Ron had looked stricken when Harry had told them about how Draco had disarmed Dumbledore, and almost killed him. He wouldn't have actually done it. Harry had seen his hand waver, and almost drop. Perhaps Dumbledore was right. Perhaps Draco did have some good in him.

McGonagall was just exiting the Hospital Wing when they reached it. "Oh, good. Potter, you're here. Professor Dumbledore is asking for you, "her voice wavered slightly. "Oh, not you, Weasley. Only Potter," she added as Ron made to join him.

Shrugging at his friends, Harry entered the Hospital Wing. Snape and Madame Pomfrey were standing next to a bed, looking to be in a serious discussion. For once, the trademark sneer on Snape's face was gone. He seemed unusually anxious, and surprisingly, much more human. Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

"Harry", called the aged Headmaster from the bed Harry left him, looking more tired than Harry had ever seen him. Snape whirled around, and glared at Harry, as if this was all his fault.

Harry ignored Snape and walked over to his mentor. "Professor. Professor, are you feeling better?"

Dumbledore laughed weakly. "Do I look like I did, my boy? No, my days are coming to an end."

"No!", exclaimed Harry, looking wrenched. "Professor, what are you saying?"

Dumbledore smiled." I assure you; I know what I am saying, my boy."

Harry was struck speechless. He didn't – He couldn't understand the concept of Dumbledore, the man who always seemed so powerful, who seemed to know exactly what would happen, and what to do; was going to die.

"Harry, I want you to tell me," Dumbledore spoke in a low voice. "How did you break the Petrification?"

Harry scowled. "I don't know, Professor. All I remember is my scar burning really badly, and suddenly, I could move."

Dumbledore looked alarmed. "Harry, are you sure?"

"Yes, Professor."

Harry couldn't understand why this was such a bad thing, when it struck him. He gulped. "Professor, was I – could I have been"

"Somehow using Voldemort's power?', Dumbledore finished, looking grim. "Possibly, my boy. It is the only explanation I can think of."

Harry winced. "But I thought he was using Occlumency to block me out!"

Dumbledore frowned. "Give me some time to think about this, my boy. But it is possible that Occlumency is completely unconnected to this – new ability."

Harry nodded, and then remembered why the Headmaster was on a sick bed.

"Professor, you said that potion won't kill!"

Dumbledore looked amused. "It's not the potion, my dear boy. It's this."

He held out the withered hand that had been bothering Harry since the start of the year.
Harry gasped. "But- but…"

"It's a curse, Harry. A curse that's eating up my life force. Severus contained it to my arm when I was inflicted with it, but the curse strengthens with time. I already feel its effects."

"The whole curse is in the hand?", Harry asked.

When Dumbledore nodded, Harry spoke without thinking. "Then just cut it off!"

Dumbledore froze, and looked at Harry in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Professor.", he apologized quickly, blushing. "I don't know what came over me."

Dumbledore stared at Harry for a few more moments, then laughed out loudly.

"Severus!", he called. "Severus, Harry had a brilliant idea."

Snape had rushed over the moment he heard his name, looking anxious, and disconcerted that the Headmaster was in almost hysterics. Madame Pomfrey was right behind, wringing out her hands.

Snape glared at Dumbledore in disbelief. "The brat!", he sneered. "had an idea!"

Dumbledore chortled. "Let's cut my hand off!"

Madame Pomfrey gasped in shock. "What on earth are you on about, Albus?", she asked faintly. "Severus, does the curse effect one's… brain?"

Snape, on the other hand, looked dumbstruck. "Amputation.", he whispered.

"Poppy, numb Albus's arm. Or better yet, send him into deep sleep."

Madame Pomfrey gasped yet again. "You can't be serious?".

Snape glared at her. "Do it now!"

Madame Pomfrey took out her wand and mumbled an incantation. Dumbledore, who had been watching on with amusement, immediately slumped in the bed, eyes fluttering close.

Harry, who had been struck speechless by the proceedings of his mindless comment, finally found his voice. "You're cutting off his arm!"

His voice was shrill, and Snape winced on hearing it. He chose not to respond, and ran his wan along the Headmaster's arm, mumbling something.

And then, his wand, glowed red and slashed down. Harry looked away just a moment too late, and saw the wand cutting through the arm like a hot knife through butter.

He spent the next few seconds trying not to puke. Snape and Madame Pomfrey were talking in low voices, but the vulgar thud of his mentor's arm hitting the floor was too much.

The taste of vomit filled his mouth, as he rushed to the nearest bin and expelled anything left in his stomach.

After a few moments for recovery, he took the risk of turning around, and his mouth fell open. Snape had his wand in the air and was chanting something under his breathe. Liquid silver was coalescing in the air, and Harry immediately remembered that night in the graveyard.

Finally, the silver shot at the Headmaster and at the now handless arm that Harry refused to look at. It combined with it, and shaped to form a hand that was indistinguishable from a healthy hand. Other than the color, of course.

Snape collapsed in the nearest chair, looking pale and tired. Madame Pomfrey was running her wand over the Headmaster again.

"He will be fine.", she announced, finally falling into a chair too. "After some sleep, he'll be back to normal."

Harry breathed out a strangled sigh in relief, and dropped into a bed nearest to him. The exhaustion caught up with him, and he too fell into what he hoped would be a dreamless sleep.

And the second chapter is done. Reviews are not necessary, but of course, appreciated.
I hope I did justice to the personalities of every character.
The scar on Harry's head is NOT a Horcrux. It has some remnant of Voldemort's magic, hence the connection. However, it is also something more, as you'll find out in the next chapters.

Toodles!