That Friday evening, Dumbledore arrived at Mrs Figg's house.
"Danny, I just wanted a word before I collect Harry to go to the Burrow. Is that alright?" Dumbledore inquired. Danny shrugged.
"Fine by me. Everything okay?" Danny answered as they sat down in the cat infested, faintly cabbage-smelling living room.
"I want to talk to you about the other night in my office," Dumbledore replied. Danny sighed. He knew that this would come up soon.
"Look, I'm sorry for losing my temper like that," Danny began.
"Oh, that's not what I'm here for but I'm glad to hear it. You and Severus need to get along Danny. We're all allies," Dumbledore interjected.
"Oh, well… um I can try. But I don't take threats well. And er that argument wasn't just my fault. What did you want to talk about?" Danny retorted.
"I wanted to tell you that I have a plan. And I need you to stick to it. You're my failsafe in case Severus is killed or unable to carry it out. I will also be telling you a few extra details that you must keep to yourself," Dumbledore replied.
"What's this plan then?" Danny prompted.
Dumbledore glanced at a clock and shook his head.
"That will have to wait. But come to my office tomorrow. I should be there all day. I'll tell you then. I arranged to meet Harry at eleven," Dumbledore answered. Danny blinked before nodding.
"Sure, I'll be there," Danny confirmed and followed Dumbledore to the door. He watched Dumbledore walk off towards Privet Drive and frowned. A plan where he was the failsafe. That didn't bode well.
The next day, Danny teleported to his room in Hogwarts, not yet cleared out as the halfa wasn't sure if he was returning yet or not. He floated through the castle, startled by how quiet it was, having grown accustomed to the hordes of students filling the halls with noise. He knocked on the door into Dumbledore's office and entered when called.
"Ah, Danny. Wonderful. I've been asked to invite you to dinner at the Burrow tomorrow. A celebration for when the OWL results come. I'll send Remus to apparate you if you wish," Dumbledore greeted the halfa brightly. Danny smiled.
"Sounds good. Thanks," Danny replied.
"Now, I asked you here to hear my plan. Well, first I must inform you of an important development aside from my injury. Voldemort seems to have recruited Draco Malfoy and ordered the boy to kill me," Dumbledore began, gesturing to his now shrivelled hand that looked almost burned. Danny frowned.
"He expects Draco Malfoy to be able to kill you?" Danny muttered disbelieving. Dumbledore shook his head.
"I highly doubt it. Both Voldemort and Draco's mother have asked Severus to step up in Draco's place should he fail. But it has given us something else to contemplate. So, instead of letting this curse finish me off, I have ordered Severus to kill me. It will be a mercy and protect Draco from Voldemort's wrath. But no one should know that plan as it is designed to secure Severus's place within Voldemort's ranks. There are still doubts of his allegiance," Dumbledore answered.
Danny nodded slowly, not happy with the plan but understanding it.
"So, what's my part in that plan?" Danny asked.
"Keep an eye on Draco. Try to inform me of his plans for killing me before they come to fruition in order for my demise to be stalled. Severus will try to offer his aid to the boy to achieve the same end. I must teach Harry everything I must first, before I die," Dumbledore answered. Danny sighed and nodded.
"I really don't get how you're so comfortable with dying. It took me ages to understand and accept that I was half dead. You act like you don't care," Danny mumbled. Dumbledore smiled serenely.
"I understand that dying for one as young as you are is frightening but for one my age, it is a normal thing. I'm not afraid or upset because death must come to us all. To die, makes us live. Accepting that I will die, is simple. Although, I do admit, that I would prefer to be there for Harry for the coming months after my predicted death. They will not be easy for him," Dumbledore replied.
"But that is not the plan I have to tell you about. Severus was understandably upset when I explained it to him yesterday. There was a prophecy, as you know, about Harry and Voldemort. During the fight a number of weeks ago, it was destroyed. But what isn't widely known is that it was told by Sybil Trelawney in my presence. I have a copy of the prophecy in my memories. And one line specifically states that either Harry or Voldemort must kill the other. And it must be Harry that dies," Dumbledore resumed.
"So you want Harry to throw the fight?" Danny inquired confused. Dumbledore shook his head.
"No, I want Harry to face his death and not retaliate," Dumbledore corrected.
Danny blinked in shock.
"You want Harry to sacrifice himself," Danny whispered. Dumbledore nodded seriously.
"And it will be yours and Severus's job to ensure that Harry understands this," Dumbledore confirmed.
"No! I refuse! I'm not sending Harry to his death!" Danny shouted horrified. He floated back a few feet towards the door.
"I… I thought you cared about Harry. But he's just-just a pawn to sacrifice to you isn't he? If this is what being in the order is, then I quit!" Danny resumed angrily and turned to the door. His fisted hands were shaking. Dumbledore… he was supposed to be the good guy. This was something Voldemort or Vlad Plasmius would do.
"Danny! Please, you don't understand. Allow me to explain," Dumbledore called. Danny shook his head.
"No. I will not send Harry off to sacrifice himself. That's murder. And I made a promise to never become that twisted future. I refuse," Danny growled.
"Danny! Let me explain!" Dumbledore ordered.
"What's to explain?! I can see why Severus was "upset". You're asking him to murder two people! First you and then Harry. Why protect him all year? Why tell me to watch over him? Or was it never about Harry? You were just protecting yourself and the order's secrets and plots weren't you?" Danny hissed. Dumbledore stood up.
"I understand that you're reluctant to agree to this plan. But I must ask that you hear it in its entirety before jumping to conclusions. Once I explain, you're free to leave. You can quit the order. Return home. I won't stop you. I'll keep watching over your family and yourself in case they are targeted. But please, let me explain my reasoning," Dumbledore retorted sternly.
Danny hesitated. Dumbledore was a powerful wizard and knew of many of his powers. He also knew what spells worked on the halfa and what didn't. Worse, he knew his deepest and darkest secrets from teaching him occlumency. If Danny defied him, it would be far worse than ticking off Vlad. Danny sighed and floated back in front of Dumbledore's desk, sitting cross-legged in the air, rigid and scowling. Dumbledore heaved a sigh of relief and sat back down.
"Thank you. Now, as I was saying the prophecy stipulates that Voldemort must kill or be killed by Harry. But I believe I understand what this means now. I need my suspicions to be confirmed but I will tell you my suspicions prematurely in order to make you understand. Do you know what a soul is?" Dumbledore started to explain.
"It's you right? You can't survive without a soul, like you can live but you're… empty," Danny answered stiffly. Dumbledore nodded.
"Crude but yes. That understanding is sufficient. Well, there is a form of dark magic that can utilise a person's soul in order to make that person exceptionally difficult to kill. So difficult in fact that that person can appear immortal. There are more… savoury methods, but this is one method I fear Voldemort used," Dumbledore resumed.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a battered book with a wide hole through its covers. He then brought out the cracked ring that cursed his blackened hand.
"I believe Voldemort made horcruxes, how many I don't know yet. But I am certain these are two of them, since destroyed. The book was a diary from Voldemort's school days. Back then he went by his birth name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. During Harry's second year, Miss Ginny Weasley came into possession of this object. She used it as her own diary and became possessed. While possessed she opened the chamber of secrets and unleashed a basilisk on the muggle-borns of the school. A basilisk is a large snake able to kill by making eye contact. Very dangerous creatures and exceptionally rare. They can live for centuries. But that is beside the point. Harry went after Miss Weasley when Voldemort took her in order to transfer her life force to him and give him a corporeal body. Using a basilisk fang, he destroyed the book," Dumbledore explained.
"Okay, I don't see why this is important now though," Danny interjected impatiently. Dumbledore nodded.
"I understand but it is. Very important. A horcrux is a piece of a person's soul trapped in an object for safe keeping. It can only be formed after committing murder. Killing rips the soul you see. So, you see as long as Voldemort possesses one horcrux outside of his original piece of soul, he can live on. No matter what," Dumbledore informed Danny.
"So, we need to find and destroy those horcruxes. That still doesn't explain Harry though," Danny pointed out.
"I'm getting to that. Next I need to explain why Harry survived Voldemort's initial attempt to murder him. You see just as there is ancient dark magic, there is also ancient light magic. Sacrifice is a noble and powerful thing Danny. And Harry's mother sacrificed herself to protect Harry. That forged powerful magic. Magic that protected Harry for many years. So when Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, who was protected by that ancient magic, the curse rebounded. The killing curse hit Voldemort," Dumbledore explained.
"And because of his horcruxes, he survived. But that isn't explaining why Harry has to die according to you," Danny retorted.
"Oh, but it does. I believe that Voldemort made an unintentional horcrux that night. His soul split and it latched on to the only living thing in the room. Harry," Dumbledore corrected. Danny blinked.
"Are… are you saying that Harry is a horcrux?" Danny muttered worriedly. Dumbledore nodded sadly.
"Which means for Voldemort to die, Harry must die first," Dumbledore confirmed. Danny shook his head.
"Why does anyone have to die?" Danny retorted. Dumbledore smiled sadly.
"The prophecy states it. And unfortunately, Voldemort is too dangerous to keep in a prison cell. I doubt he'd be possible to arrest in any case," Dumbledore replied. Danny fell silent. He did understand now. But he didn't like it. And he really didn't think he could do what Dumbledore asked. He protected people. He didn't send people to their deaths knowingly.
"That is what Severus knows. But there is a last part I wish to tell you. You will be the only person to know Danny, and it must remain that way until the end. There is other magic at work. When Voldemort returned over a year ago now. He did so by using Harry's blood. Harry's blood contains his mother's protection. Therefore, Lily Potter's protection extends to Voldemort, in a way. I truly believe, and I suppose hope, that that magic will save Harry. When Voldemort kills him, Lily's sacrifice should interject and save Harry. Your job, assuming you are agreeable, at that point is simple Danny. Make sure Harry's survival remains a secret until Harry makes a move. It may mean overshadowing a Death Eater and declaring Harry dead. It may mean stealing Harry's "body". I don't know," Dumbledore added.
Danny blinked in surprise.
"I do care Danny. I care for Harry very much. In my effort to protect him last year, I fear I placed him at a disadvantage by keeping facts hidden. You were right about pushing Harry away. It made him far easier to target than I anticipated. I have always tried to do right by Harry. But this is the simple fact. Harry and Voldemort are so connected that the only way for Voldemort to be defeated is to kill Harry first. But if he sacrifices himself and is killed by Voldemort's hand, those magics will come into play. Everyone Harry dies to protect, will be protected, hopefully, and Lily's protective magic should save Harry's life," Dumbledore told the halfa. Danny frowned in thought.
"So, I'm giving you the choice Danny. Leave and avoid taking part in the order for now on, or… agree to this plan and end this war," Dumbledore concluded.
A tough decision right.
What do you think he'll say?
Let me know what you think.
Until the next chapter.
