Chapter 17
Put Harry Back in Charge
"How long will you be staying, Mr. . . . . , Chalmers?" The attendant at the front desk of the small Swiss mountain resort had to turn the thick registry around to read the name.
"A week, I believe," replied Severus Snape smoothly, "Perhaps a few days longer. I need some extended rest. For health purposes."
"Of course, Mr. Chalmers," the young Swiss woman with long blond hair replied in a tone of practiced civility, "Many of our guests come for just that purpose. You'll have plenty of time to relax here. The mountains are beautiful, we have a variety of hiking paths, from easy to challenging, and the lounge is open until midnight. I'm sure you'll feel like a new man by the time you leave." Even Snape had to admit that she had a charming smile, and she spoke English perfectly, with the merest hint of an accent.
He tried his best to sound friendly in return, only succeeding in a slight modification to his naturally cold voice, "I am sure I shall. Thank you for your assistance."
Years earlier, Dumbledore and Snape designated this small resort as the perfect location for Snape to hide when the time came to leave Voldemort's service. Dumbledore considered this site to be his little secret, and during his summers, he often spent a few days here. He never informed anyone of the resort's location except Snape. He even side-along apparated Snape to the site so that he would be able to apparate himself in an emergency. That time had arrived.
He breathed in the sparklingly clear mountain air, and gazed for the first time at the Alps surrounding the high valley. Snow still covered the peaks but had long since melted in the area of the resort. Off in the distance, he heard cow bells echoing. Though he felt out of place in such beauty, he could certainly think of worse places to disappear for a few days. His footsteps crunched on the rocky soil between the front office and his small cabin.
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Though Ron and Ginny had been mere seconds away from apparating back to Ottery St. Catchpole, they could hardly leave after Harry's bombshell.
"How do you know?" Harry's three friends asked simultaneously, responding to Harry's assertion that he knew the location of the remaining three horcruxes.
"I just know," he responded, "The horcrux. Somehow the horcrux knew, and now I know." They all paused for several seconds, trying to comprehend this turn of events. Little by little, Harry thought he understood. "The locket was the final horcrux. I think that it brings with it knowledge of any previous horcruxes. I know what they all are and where they were placed, though I can't be certain that they are still there."
"What are they?" Hermione asked excitedly.
Harry's eyes angled up towards the ceiling, as he tried to visualize the three items in his mind. Somehow he knew without a doubt the description of each horcrux and where they each had been initially hidden, but he needed to concentrate to pull the information from his mind, as if that knowledge resided in a separate location, needed to be transferred to his brain, and then interpreted.
"Nagini is one. Dumbledore was right about that. Then there's the trophy at Hogwarts. Remember? The one in the trophy case. We've seen it a few times. It's a horcrux. Been right under Dumbledore's nose for decades." He paused as he thought how upset the headmaster would feel if he knew that for all those years, a horcrux sat right before him in Hogwarts Castle, his own home. His mind wandered, and he neglected to mention the final horcrux.
"What about the last one?" asked Ron, after they waited for Harry to finish his list. Harry returned from his musings, and turned towards his best friend.
"Hufflepuff's cup. The one he stole from the old lady in Dumbledore's pensieve." He stared at them gravely. "It's at the bottom of the lake by Hogwarts."
His three friends stared at him just as gravely. Somehow, knowing the nature and location of the remaining horcruxes on the heels of eliminating one brought the gravity of the situation to them. What they thought might take months or even years, could now possibly be dealt with in weeks, or even days. None of them felt ready.
Ron checked his watch again, and his heart filled with frustration. He knew that Ginny and he had to return. Already they had stayed too long and their mother would be worried. The four friends said goodbye, and Ron and Harry embraced briefly. Ginny stood nervously next to her brother, and she knew that she should embrace Harry as well.
Harry turned to her, and before she knew what happened, he wrapped his arms around her briefly. Her arms reacted automatically to complete the embrace, but as soon as it happened, Harry released her.
At that very moment, she knew it was over. Harry and Ginny. No more. With the information revealed that morning by Hermione, the distance he showed her during the day, and finally through the brief contact of the embrace, she knew that Harry no longer considered her his girlfriend. He no longer loved her.
Ginny instinctively turned her eyes to Hermione, who had observed the interaction carefully. She saw the pain in the younger witch's eyes, and she knew that Ginny knew. The two girls embraced, holding each other several seconds longer than normal, Hermione wordlessly imparting her sympathy. Ginny turned away so that Harry would not see her face and stepped next to Ron. A moment later Ron and she disappeared, reappearing by the river outside of Ottery St. Catchpole, a mere ten minute walk from the Burrow. They walked silently, Ginny several paces in front of her brother. By the way she strode ahead of him, Ron sensed that his sister did not desire conversation.
When the two entered their home, Molly eyed them severely, but she did not yell at them. Another half hour and she might have, but even though they stayed away longer than she preferred, she could not truthfully claim that her son and daughter arrived late. Ginny walked right by her, up the stairs and into her room.
She threw herself onto her bed and wept the rest of the evening.
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Harry kicked off his shoes and threw himself onto his bed as well, but he had already forgotten about Ginny, completely unaware of his former girlfriend's anguish. Instead he closed his eyes and reflected on the destruction of the locket and absorption of another part of Tom Riddle's soul. Hermione watched him from near the wall, and wondered if he even remembered that she remained in the room.
"It's weird," Harry spoke out of the blue, proving that he did in fact recall her presence, "I shouldn't be feeling like I am. I have another piece of his soul, but it doesn't really bother me. In fact, I feel better than I have in a long time. We've finally accomplished something, made progress. What do you think?"
Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, and gazed appraisingly at her friend. His eyes remained closed, and she tried to discern how he may have changed from the events of the day. He looked exactly the same.
"I don't know what to think?" she responded to his question. She paused a few seconds before admitting, "I have to be honest, Harry, I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
Hermione did not want to answer, but she could not avoid it. The two words left her mouth before she could retrieve them.
"Of you."
Her honesty caused Harry to open his eyes, and the two friends looked at each other briefly before Hermione turned away, embarrassed by her admission. Harry's face for the first time displayed worry, not for himself but for Hermione and his other friends. Of course they fear me. They should fear me.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," he consoled her softly, "I can't blame you. We've just entered the great unknown, but it's too late to turn back. I can only go forward."
"But there are three more horcruxes. Are you going to absorb them too? What will that do to you?" Hermione's voice could not conceal her tremendous anxiety.
"I have to absorb them," Harry responded with determination, "We'll just have to find out. I don't know who I'll be by the time I'm done. Hopefully I'll be someone you still want to be friends with. But if not, I'll understand. At least now I understand. I don't know what I'll think later."
Hermione shivered at Harry's statement. For years she understood, if not accepted, that Harry faced an extremely dangerous future, and that a real possibility existed that he would not succeed. Though she attempted not to think about it, the reality could not be changed. Harry might die. But never had she considered that Harry and her friendship might not survive. In a strange way, that thought struck her as more terrible than his possible death. If he died, or if she died (another distinct possibility), they would pass away with their friendship intact. But how could they possibly both survive without being friends? Even during the past school term, when they butted heads more than a few times, their friendship never wavered. She needed to disabuse Harry of this notion immediately.
"I'll always be your friend, Harry, no matter what happens. Nothing could change that!"
Her voice trembled slightly, and Harry could not help but feel affected. His lips formed a thin smile.
"Thanks, Hermione. That means a lot to me," he responded quietly, and the two friends turned away from each other, a little embarrassed by their outward display of friendship. After an awkward silence, Harry added, "A lot is about to happen. It's all coming much faster than I ever thought. I have to absorb the other horcruxes, and each time I'm going to change. I may be a complete pain in the neck by the time I'm through."
"So how would that be different from now?" she asked in feigned seriousness, deciding the time had come to lighten the mood.
Harry paused at her statement, as if he did not completely understand it. Then his face broke into a wide grin, and he laughed.
"You told a joke, Hermione! You! Hermione Granger told a joke." He laughed even harder.
Now Hermione felt a touch offended. True, she would not consider herself a champion comedian, but she did possess a sense of humor. At least in her mind. Of course, she knew that others would disagree with her, and despite her irritation, she could not blame Harry for finding her feeble attempt at humor to be more humorous than the joke itself. After a few seconds, she broke into a smile as well.
"I do have a sense of humor, Harry," she averred defensively.
"So you do!" Harry agreed, "A pretty good one too. You should show it more often." The levity of the moment relaxed the two of them. Harry looked at his watch. "Let's get something to eat."
"We just ate a couple of hours ago. Are you hungry again? You've been eating like Ron lately."
"Well, horcrux absorption is hard work," he joked jovially, "It's a well-known fact that absorbing a horcrux causes the absorber to develop an insatiable appetite. Surely you've read that in one of your books." He tried to sound appalled that his supposedly brainy friend did not know such a basic fact. Hermione laughed and gave up.
"Fine. Let's go. Maybe you'll finally put some meat on your bones if you keep eating like this."
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"Are you sure, sir?" Evan Harrington asked his supervisor, "I'm sure we can bring him in. We've had some leads, and Potter's sure to lose his patience. He'll make a mistake if WE remain patient."
The supervisor, a beefy man whose appearance reminded many of the Minister of Magic himself, shook his head.
"The decision's been made. We're backing off. Call everyone on the case back here. We'll have new assignments by tomorrow." Harrington nodded and waited to be dismissed. His supervisor, however, stared at his subordinate for several moments before commenting, "To tell you the truth, I'm relieved. This was a bad idea from the beginning."
Harrington merely nodded his head, but he did not sense that the supervisor sought his opinion. He continued to wait for further instructions.
"After you call back your team, take the rest of the day off, Evan. You deserve it. Tomorrow we'll have a new assignment for you."
"Thank you, sir," Evan replied briefly, "I could use a little down time. I'll be in tomorrow morning." As he left the office, he could not prevent a smile from forming on his lips, but a moment later, it disappeared.
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"OK, Miss Goldsmith. Fortunately, things are calmer than we anticipated. If your mother is ill, you may leave. Take tomorrow off if you need to."
"Thank you, Mr. Oglesby," Michelle replied graciously to her employer. Normally Mr. Oglesby would not be involved in such a routine staffing matter, but these were not normal times. She considered herself extremely lucky to be granted the time, and as she departed from his office, she suppressed her guilty conscience for the bald-faced lie. Her mother, thank Merlin, enjoyed perfect health.
Excitement replaced guilt. Soon she would conduct her first mission for the Order of the Phoenix. Fear mixed with excitement.
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"What are we going to do now, Harry?"
After Hermione and Harry finished eating, they ambled slowly back towards his room, taking a circuitous route. This time they did not hold hands, and in fact Harry's earlier expansive mood had dramatically changed, and for the last half hour, he shifted into introspection and sullenness.
"I guess we're going to Hogwarts," he surmised after a brief pause, "We can't go after Nagini, so we may as well try for the other two."
All logical enough, Hermione agreed, but everything seemed to be happening too quickly. She needed time to adjust to the recent turn of events. Of course, Harry would not want to wait; she knew him too well.
"When do you want to go?" she asked, already anticipating the answer.
Harry breathed in the early evening air before admitting, "Tomorrow, I suppose. Not much point in waiting."
"Ron will want to be there. So do I. I'll have to tell my parents something. We need to make arrangements," Hermione opined, "Besides, we can't just show up at Hogwarts during the summer. We'll need to contact McGonagall for permission. The castle is practically empty this time of year."
"All the more reason to go sooner rather than later."
Hermione could not rebut Harry's reasoning in that regard, so she returned to her stronger arguments.
"We still need to contact McGonagall. We can send Hedwig tomorrow morning. She's still at my house. Maybe you can come over tomorrow morning to see her, and we can write the letter there. I'm sure she'll allow us to come. But I have to talk with my parents. This will be a shock to them, because they think I'm staying through the end of the month. Do you think we could wait an extra day?"
"OK," Harry agreed simply, and that put an end to the discussion. They walked silently for the final two minutes to Harry's room, arriving about eight in the evening. When they opened the door, they found Evan Harrington patiently waiting for them, watching the television. He immediately turned it off as the two teens entered.
"Good news, Harry. Scrimgeour's giving in, at least for now. I've been called back and so has everyone else on your case. You're a free man." Evan gave Harry a satisfied smile, but he then squinted his eyes at Harry's lack of reaction. Certainly, one would expect Harry to breathe a sigh of relief that his nearly three-week odyssey finally would come to an end, but Harry barely reacted.
"That is good news," he agreed with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
"What did you two do today? Has something happened?" asked Evan. He thought that perhaps the two friends may have fought. Supposedly they were not "together" in a romantic sense, but he could not help but feel that something more existed in their relationship than mere friendship.
"What did I do today?" echoed Harry in a suddenly sarcastic tone, "Oh not much. Ate breakfast. Met my friends Ron and Ginny for the first time in over a month. Went to my house. Smashed a horcrux with a hammer and then absorbed it. Came back here. Ate lunch. Ate dinner. Took a walk. That's about it." He threw himself onto the bed, wrapping his hands behind his head.
Evan stared at the young man, confusion in his eyes. He knew better than to follow up with Harry, so he turned to Hermione. She provided a brief recounting of the events at Grimmauld Place, finishing with the bombshell that Harry suddenly knew the identity and location of the final three horcruxes.
The auror, however, could not get past the fact that Harry and the others acted without his knowledge. He felt that they had an understanding that he would be involved in these matters from now on, provide them guidance, yet on this day they rashly acted without his contributions.
"Why didn't you inform me of this?" he asked harshly, pacing quickly back and forth, "You should not have acted until you told me!"
Evan's tone prodded Harry out of his lethargy, and he propped himself up on his elbows, peering intensely at the older wizard.
"I don't answer to you, Harrington," he sneered, "You're not my babysitter. If you don't like it, you're welcome to go back to your cushy little job at the Ministry. You can always be Scrimgeour's lapdog again."
Hermione stood up at Harry's insulting comments, tension running throughout her body. She knew that the "real" Harry Potter would never speak like this, even if he felt the same way. He went out of his way to treat Evan in a degrading manner. She nervously turned her eyes towards the auror, wondering how he would react.
"This is not a game, Potter," the auror retorted hotly, "A thousand things could have gone wrong. Maybe they did go wrong, and we don't know it yet. Why did you destroy it in the house? There was no need. You could have taken it to a safer location. You also could have considered the consequences of smashing the locket to bits in the presence of three others, needlessly placing them in danger. Right, you don't need me."
Harry stood during Harrington's tirade, and instinctively his fingers folded around his wand. Evan noticed and acted likewise. Hermione bit her bottom lip almost to the point of bleeding from her anxiety.
"It worked out OK," Harry growled through gritted teeth, "Don't overestimate your value. We can get along without you."
"Right! Just like your brilliant plan to get the Ministry off your back," Evan laughed derisively, "You wouldn't have had a clue without me. You're full of yourself aren't you, Potter. You don't even know that you don't know what you're doing. That makes you dangerous."
"You've got that right!" Harry exploded, whipping his wand out and pointing it towards Evan, who reacted in similar fashion.
Anticipating their actions, Hermione jumped forward in front of Harrington all the while yelling, "STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU! Stop acting like schoolchildren!"
Harry instinctively lifted his wand, not sure what spell he almost cast. Evan for his part failed to appreciate Hermione's intervention, feeling that the time had come for him to teach Potter a lesson.
"I don't need your assistance, Miss Granger," he snorted angrily. He glared at Harry, only to note that his eyes seemed to glow with anger, especially at his last remark. Harry did not lift his wand again, but he walked around the bed to within a foot of Harrington's face.
"Don't you ever talk to Hermione like that!" he threatened in a barely audible voice, his eyes staring directly into Evan's.
"It's OK, Harry. He didn't mean anything," Hermione quickly interjected, trying desperately to head off a confrontation. She moved in front of her friend and placed the palms of her hands on his chest. "This is not you, Harry," she murmured softly, "This is Voldemort. Put Harry back in charge. The real Harry."
Harry redirected his irate eyes from Evan's to Hermione's, and she did not avert them, instead staring pleadingly. He realized that she was correct; he almost lost control. The two friends stared at each other, eye to eye, for an extended time, and Evan realized that the girl had a special effect on Harry. The young wizard visibly calmed.
"OK," Harry whispered to her, regaining his composure, "I understand. I'm in control now." Hermione remained in front of him with her hands touching his shoulders, but Harry looked past her towards Evan. "I'm sorry, Mr. Harrington. I need to control myself, especially now."
This perhaps did not qualify as an apology for acting without his assistance, but Evan was not a sensitive person, and Harry's change of tone satisfied him.
"It's OK. Part of it is my fault for not discussing a plan with you, setting ground rules that we can agree to. I'm not Professor Dumbledore, Harry. I'm a normal wizard, good at some things, lousy at others. It just so happens, however, that some of the things I'm good at can be of great assistance to you."
Feeling that Harry had calmed, Hermione stepped to the side so that the two men could face each other.
Let's forget it," Evan suggested, and he extended his right hand. Harry hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded his head. The two men shook hands.