Author's Notes: I do tend to use a lot of comic relief and in some chapters you will notice or might have noticed this. Just be warned that not all will be funny throughout the fic.
Song: 'Koi, Thrill, Shock, Suspense' by Rina Aiuchi (From Detective Conan)
Ch. 12: Destroying the Second
Ginny Weasley and Cassius had proceeded throughout the mysterious woods undisturbed through the night. The Lumos spell Ginny held wasn't enough to light their way, but Cassius seemed to know those woods by heart.
They walked for a long time until they saw something of great brilliance lying on the ground between dry branches. It moved and Ginny clinged to Cassius feeling a bit frightened. He quickly reassured her: "It's just a young unicorn, but it seems hurt..." Cassius got close to the creature and noticed that one of the creature's hind legs was broken. "I wonder how this happened..."
The unicorn seemed scared and moved frantically trying to get up, but as Ginny approached it calmed down. She caressed its face and smiled as the animal accepted her. At that Cassius said something that made Ginny blush. "I don't know what a virgin is, but I've learned that when it comes to humans unicorns prefer females, especially virgins."
Ginny laughed nervously at that, hoping that Cassius wouldn't be able to appreciate her reddened face in the moonlight. She then lowered herself and pointed her wand at the unicorn's leg and said to the creature: "I truly hope this won't hurt, alright? Os Resarcio." The fractured bone mended and the unicorn tried to get up again, but it fell. At that Ginny searched her backpack and got some bandages that she wrapped around the recently mended leg. "Better?" The unicorn then nuzzled her face as a reply, making her laugh.
Cassius simply stared, but not really interested. "Can we continue now? I guess he'll be able to walk in a while and be reunited with the other unicorns..."
Ginny nodded and got up to leave, but the unicorn bit her light pink jumper. She looked back at it and asked: "Do you want something?" The unicorn managed to stand and gave her a very serious look. It did seem like it wanted to tell her something, but didn't know how to. "You can walk with us if you want..." Ginny stated with a smile.
The unicorn seemed satisfied with that and it followed Cassius and Ginny, but they were alarmed as they heard clip-clopping noises behind them. Cassius quickly turned to Ginny: "Turn me back! NOW!"
Ginny nervously muttered: "Finite!" In seconds Cassius had his true form back. "What now?" Ginny asked him with a trembling voice.
He swiftly replied: "We run! Even if I have two days I don't want an encounter, especially when I'm with a human!"
They started to run with the young unicorn behind them even when it was limping a little, but Ginny could barely see the path. She screamed as she fell into a pit, but reflexively grabbed onto a strong root, which kept her from falling into the unknown depths. Cassius got into a sitting position on all fours and grabbed her hand to help her up, but just as he got her into the firm ground where he was crouching they found themselves surrounded by five centaurs. The centaurs observed them for a while, but they didn't say anything. One of them spat in front of Cassius though, then they left without a word. Cassius lowered his gaze and covered his face in shame before saying: "Thank the stars they didn't see me on two legs..."
"It's alright, Cassius. At least they didn't say anything and... Thanks, for saving me."
"No problem," Cassius blurted monotonously and lowering his arms. "We have to leave," he added softly before they proceeded through the trail he had always known.
It was almost dawn when they finally reached the end of those woods and Ginny turned Cassius into a human boy again, but the unicorn kept limping after them. "Now, this is a problem, Ginny. He keeps following us for some reason! Oh no... It's because he feels that he is in debt to you! He will follow you everywhere from now on! Quickly, set it free!" Cassius adviced.
Ginny caressed the beautiful animal and spoke to it in a whisper: "It was my pleasure to help you, but you should now return to your family, alright?" The unicorn shook its head and gave her a pleading gaze. "Why are you doing this? I can't take you with me! Muggles might see you!"
Cassius laughed sarcastically and said: "You could always turn him into a human too..."
Ginny gasped. "That's a great idea! Transfiguration!"
Cassius flinched as soon as he heard Ginny's words: "I wasn't being serious! Don't you dare turn a unicorn into a hu--"
"Puer Hominis Mutatio Expletus!" Cassius was horrified when he saw the unicorn turn into a boy about Ginny's age in front of his eyes, but with a horn on his head. The boy had white hair that almost glittered and fell down to his waist. He also had very white skin and his eyes were silvery, but...
Ginny shrieked and banged her head against a tree. "Why do I keep forgetting that clothes are not included in the spell?" She then took a deep breath and searched for things in her backpack. In minutes she had the new boy dressed in blue jeans and a long sleeved white t-shirt, plus with trainers. The problem was his alicorn.
"I don't think there are humans with a horn on their heads..." Cassius stated matter of factly while glancing from the horned boy to Ginny and vice versa.
"I think I can do something about that." And with another spell Ginny made the alicorn blend into the boy's head. After that, it took a while until they managed for the unicorn to walk on two feet, a bandage still around one of his legs. By the time they had accomplished it the morning sun was up in the sky, illuminating the woods' edge and everywhere down to the horizons ahead. "Now that you can walk, what's your name?" Ginny asked happily. The boy replied with a whinnying sound that made Ginny twitch.
Cassius raised an eyebrow, stared at Ginny with a very serious expression, and said: "You should really do something about his voice, you know? Seriously."
Ginny didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but then she said. "I'll name you. From now on your name will be Theseus. Do you like it?" The white haired boy blinked. "For now you'll be a mute, alright? Until I figure what to do about your voice, that is..." Theseus nodded. "As soon as we reach an avenue we'll take the Knightbus. I have a feeling I have to go to Hogwarts so we are heading to Hogsmeade." The two magical creatures that were now boys just fixed their eyes on her.
XxXxX
Ginny and her two companions finally arrived at Hogwarts. Hagrid let them into the school's grounds, glancing a lot at the two strange boys, but not saying anything. He escorted Ginny towards the headmistress' office and left her there. Ginny was able to speak to Minerva McGonagall and the teacher left the girl to speak with Dumbledore's portrait, but not before looking warily at the young boy with mint green hair and the slightly older one that had mildly pink cheeks on an extremely pale face, plus long white hair. She studied the two boys, shook her head, and closed the door behind her.
"What do we have here?" the portrait chuckled. "You cannot fool me, Miss Weasley. Those two are not human. They are a centaur and a unicorn, but seeing them in that form is highly amusing. I hope the Ministry is not tracking you because that is illegal." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled, even in the portrait.
"It's illegal?" Ginny was honestly taken aback by learning that piece of information. "But I didn't have a choice! Cassius would have been murdered by his own people and Theseus seems to desperately want to tell me something and keeps following me! What will I do now?"
"Calm down, Miss Weasley. The Ministry is probably going mad over such magic having been performed, but I'm sure that you're the least of their worries right now. Did you come here for a reason?" The portrait looked very interested in the girl, as if it knew something.
"Yes, sir... I... I had a nightmare. I saw Harry--"
"Die?" the portrait completed.
"Yes," the girl lowered her eyes.
"Are you sure that he was dead, Miss Weasley?"
"Yes! I mean..." Ginny was thoughtful all of a sudden. "He had his eyes open when he fell to the floor. He looked dead to me, sir."
"Things are not always like they appear, Miss Weasley, but it's true, Mr. Potter is in grave danger."
"What can I do? How can I prevent Harry from dying?"
"You won't be able to change what will happen, Miss Weasley, but you might be able to alleviate those things. Still, if Harry's destiny is to die you won't be able to stop it."
"I will stop it, sir! I won't let Harry die!" Ginny didn't want to cry, but the knot that had formed on her throat was unbearable.
"I do not have anything to say that can help you, Miss Weasley, but stay here in Hogwarts for some time. I'm sure Minerva won't mind, but your parents must be worried..."
"I'll send them an owl!" Ginny said quickly.
"Wait for a little while. You might receive a message from someone that will be able to help."
"How do you know that, sir?"
"Ah! Being a magical portrait has certain benefits, Miss Weasley, but at the same time it can be a burden not being able to do anything," he chuckled.
Ginny indeed ended up staying in Hogwarts with her two found companions for quite some time, waiting for her next destination to be revealed, unfolding for her.
XxXxX
Nymphadora Tonks passed by Kingsley Shacklebolt's desk. "Did you hear, Kingsley?" She asked with a laugh.
"About what, Tonks?" the black Auror asked with a raised eyebrow as he filled some paperwork while occasionally sipping from a cup of coffee.
"The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement are going through a very hard time right now," the young female Auror kept laughing. "It seems that some witch or wizard decided to play a huge joke on the Ministry and is having fun turning magical creatures into humans. So far both departments have registered the transfigurations of a centaur and a unicorn!"
Kingsley, who had been taking a sip at that moment, choked on his coffee and spilled some on his robes. He used a cleaning spell on himself and said: "It's not April 1, but you are joking, right?"
"Not at all! I'm being serious, Kingsley! At least I've had a good laugh about it! They have no idea where the joker is right now, but as the prankster has already turned two magical creatures into humans they are definitely getting worried. I wonder what this wizard will do next. Turn a fairy into a human girl?"
Tonks seemed to be having fun, but Kingsley frowned and said: "I do hope that the prankster is not Harry Potter, by all means. He already has the Minister on his tail and doesn't need to bury himself further." Tonks stopped laughing at that and started to cough.
XxXxX
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Severus Apparated in a strange deserted place and just like everywhere else they had been in that day, it was pouring. Severus told them that they would have to walk about 2 km. They all nodded and started the long walk using charms to repel the rain and on their way Snape asked Ron: "Stuart?"
Ron started to laugh and Harry and Hermione did the same. They laughed like they hadn't done in quite a while and even Severus laughed a little. It seemed to relieve them from accumulated tension.
While in Renard's mansion they had been able to relax, but not completely as every night they somehow expected Death Eaters or Aurors to surround the place and ask them to surrender. The three teens felt themselves understanding how hard it must have been for Sirius Black to remain hidden for so long. Snape was in more or less a similar situation.
"We are back to where we were a few years ago, huh? Protecting a fugitive that the Ministry wants, but turns out that he is really innocent?" Ron looked at his friends, but Severus shook his head.
"I am not innocent, Mr. Weasley. I did murder Albus Dumbledore. The Ministry has every right to find me and punish me with either execution or the Dementor's kiss. The latter is impossible right now, with the Dementors serving the Dark Lord, but I am sure that Auror orders are to execute me on the spot."
"Erm, sir? Please don't call me Mr. Weasley, it sounds like you are addressing my father. You can call me Ron, if that's alright?"
Severus nodded. It would take him a while to call them by first names, but he had to try, as it seemed he would be stuck to them like a leech for quite some time. Severus then added another question: "Bodyguard? I don't consider myself better than all Aurors put together, Po... Harry. In fact, the thought of all Aurors put together against me would probably mean me joining your parents, Black, and the old fool."
Harry didn't like Severus calling Dumbledore 'old fool', but ignored it as he had done before. The thought of Severus dying too gave him goose bumps for some reason. Almost two months ago, he would have wanted to kill Snape himself, but now he didn't want the ex Potions master to die. He was starting to pity the man.
On their way to the cave, Hermione explained to Harry and Ron why she and Severus had to leave the mansion. Ron and Harry were surprised with the detail of Draco and Narcissa desperately looking for protection. Harry felt a tiny bit of pity for Malfoy. He clearly remembered that Malfoy had hesitated in front of the Headmaster. The boy couldn't kill Dumbledore and it was terribly ironic that they were actually traveling with the true killer.
XxXxX
After drying their wet clothing inside the cave, Harry removed the cup from where it had been unable to escape inside his backpack. They all stared at Hufflepuff's cup and hesitated in looking for a way to destroy it. After the Inferi they didn't want to even guess what would come for them if they destroyed this new Horcrux, especially after what Renard had told them, but they didn't have much choice in the matter.
The cup was an open item so there was nothing to really open it like it had been with the locket. Still, it had a fragment of the Dark Lord's soul and thus they were supposed to destroy it. Hermione tried to use a spell to break it, but the spell was repelled almost hitting Harry on the face. It missed him by a mere two inches, hitting the cave's wall and cracking it, and Severus almost insulted the girl telling her that she could have gotten one of them badly hurt.
The item repelled everything they tried and when Snape used a little bit of the potion he had used on the locket the cup simply absorbed it. They kept at it trying everything, knowing that there had to be a way when Hermione accidentally cut her hand with a rock. She ignored the cut and tried to use a spell, but a few drops of her blood fell into the badger cup and it glowed, then the glowing effect faded. They all looked at each other and Severus frowned: "It seems that we have to completely fill the cup with blood." Then Severus slashed his hand and let blood fall into the cup, but Harry stopped him by healing the wound.
"Not only one. We'll each add a portion of our blood." They nodded in agreement and after a few minutes, the cup was almost full with Ron being the last one to add some of his own red life liquid. The cup rose in the air glowing orange and then red. Right then Harry's eyes became glazed and he chanted in a strange tongue. They all observed as the cup started to melt until it was no more. The locket had merely been broken, but the cup had been completely destroyed. Harry paled a little then, but no one noticed.
Suddenly a very cold mist entered the cave and everything outside started to darken even though it was still a few hours before dusk. They all ran outside knowing that they couldn't get themselves trapped inside a cave and found themselves in the middle of a terrible downpour, surrounded not only by Dementors, but also by Acromantulas, savage goblins that were different from those in Gringotts, and graveyard ghouls. There were no wraiths as those ghastly creatures didn't venture into the world outside caverns and dark dwelling places unless it was completely dark. Ron wanted to faint as he saw the giant spiders even when the blue ghouls looked uglier and scarier. Harry was quick to go against the Dementors along with his friends. They yelled: "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" in the middle of the rain. An otter, a stag, and a small dog were quickly pushing the Dementors away from them while Snape fought Acromantulas with spells that made them fall on their backs. Ron, who had miraculously managed a Patronus in his fright, became petrified with fear at the sight of an Acromantula that approached him. He murmured a very pathetic: "Stupefy!" but it only bounced off the spider hitting the ground. The spider jumped on the boy and clasped his left thigh inserting its venom into it. Ron screamed in pain before the Acromantula was lifted from him with a spell from Snape's wand.
The Dementors were approaching them again with the goblins and the ghouls and Hermione was desperate performing spells to push them back when Harry, with a crystallized gaze, lifted his wand straight up: "DEMENTOR, ACROMANTULA, GOBLIN IMMUNDUS, GHOUL QUISLIBET ERADICO!"
A very powerful wind surrounded them and it took the Acromantulas, Dementors, goblins, and ghouls together rupturing them into pieces and then dissolving the parts. The wind was there for two minutes and fifteen seconds and then the rainy late afternoon light had returned and they were all in front of the cave, dripping wet under the downpour. Harry then collapsed and Severus caught him just before the boy hit the wet soil.
Severus approached the wounded Ron, Harry over one shoulder, and quickly poured an anti venom potion on the redhead's wound. "This will have to do for now. We have to leave this place." Hermione and Ron, making an effort to stand, grabbed the older wizard and soon they Disapparated.
XxXxX
Inside of the Shrieking Shack, Severus ripped Ron's pants to check the wound. It was swollen and had a dark green putrid colour. Severus looked for some vials that he had in his things and poured another potion after extracting dark green liquid from Ron's thigh. Ron screamed a lot, but Hermione had made sure to put up silencing charms. The Shrieking Shack was already famous for its shrieks, but there was no need for them to even give a hint that they were inside.
They had dried themselves with drying charms and Hermione suddenly thought about Aurors getting there, but pushed that thought aside as she realized something. The Ministry was more wary when there were Apparitions in secluded places, like in the area of the cave they had been in, or close to Muggle areas because they were rare. In the case of the Shrieking Shack, the Ministry couldn't possibly imagine it was them. They could have only registered wizards Apparating in Hogsmeade area and that was too common to worry about it. The thought of them going to Hogsmeade when they were being pursued was too ridiculous for the Ministry to even consider it a possibility. Still, Hermione wondered why the Ministry of Magic didn't trace Voldemort and the Death Eaters. There could only be one answer to that. The Death Eaters had to know some sort of spell to block the Ministry from perceiving their magic.
After a while, Ron was sleeping with Hermione beside him. She had already explained to Severus that Ron suffered from arachnophobia so she wouldn't have expected more from him in the middle of the situation they had been immersed in. At least Ron was already out of danger, but Severus was a little concerned regarding Harry. The boy again had used too much power in just one spell after having destroyed yet another Horcrux! The second spell had completely drained the young Potter and the wizard couldn't figure how Harry had destroyed so many dark creatures together. It was simply an impossible task.
After four hours, Harry hadn't yet awoken. Ron had awoken twice and soon Severus and Hermione were sleeping too as it was already nighttime.
Morning caught them in the abandoned house and Ron could already stand, although limping. Harry hadn't yet awoken and Severus decided to check on the boy, his expression changing to worry. Harry had a fever and when Severus scanned the body with the little Healer knowledge he had, he discovered that Harry had developed pneumonia. After the rain and draining himself of magic, the boy's defenses had plummeted down.
Severus surprised Hermione by calling her by her first name: "Hermione, I will need you to enter Hogwarts with Harry's Invisibility cloak and look for the following vials in the Potions' dungeon. They should still be there and I hope that Horace didn't change their places." Severus quickly wrote several potion names in a scroll and gave it to Hermione. Then he prepared a second note, folded it, and tied it.
"Who is that for, sir?"
"I didn't really want to contact this person, but we need help and he is the only one that can serve as our provider without reporting us to the Ministry. It is a risk for me, but we need him. The note is for Remus Lupin."
Hermione looked alarmed: "You didn't sign it, right?"
Snape growled. "Of course not... I wrote that a bespectacled green-eyed boy needed his help and signed it as 'a friend taking care of your black haired brat'. I mentioned that we are in the place where the Marauders used to hide during special nights once each month. He'll know where we are." Hermione nodded, grabbed Harry's cloak from his backpack, and quickly left.
XxXxX
Hermione arrived after lunchtime and brought them some food along with the potion flasks. Severus was about to ask her about the nourishing items when she quickly replied that she knew how to get into Hogwarts' kitchens and that the house elves would keep their mouths shut.
Harry awoke at about 2:00 PM, but he was burning. Severus made him eat bits of soft bread and made the young man swallow a potion. Harry mumbled a 'thanks' and fell asleep again breathing with difficulty. Severus was feeling tempted to go into Hogwarts and put Harry in Madam Pomfrey's care, but that was extremely dangerous.
For two days, Harry's fever wouldn't come down and he had developed a horrible cough, vomiting, and even diarrhea. Ron and Hermione were avoiding their friend, but Severus was always patiently cleansing Harry with charms, not even understanding why he had the will to do so.
During the afternoon of the fourth day, a visitor arrived. Severus had made sure to be in Muggle clothes, ponytail, baseball cap, and shades so that the other man wouldn't attack him the minute he saw him.
Remus looked at the man curiously, looked at Ron and Hermione, and then concentrated on Harry. Severus was alarmed when Remus softly addressed him: "The boy will need proper care, Severus. Here he might die." Snape flinched, while Weasley and Granger gasped and then gazed at Lupin in awe. For a werewolf, that wizard had the greatest self-control someone could ever have. As in answer to their non-verbal questions Lupin smiled a little and replied: "You cannot fool me, Severus. I can smell you. I am a werewolf after all and can recognize scents very well. I have no idea how is it that you are with these kids, but I am glad that you've been taking care of them. My home is not exactly a very nice place, but at least I can provide better resources than this abandoned shack. You will also be able to bathe."
Hermione went crimson thinking that after four days without a proper bath they had to smell quite a lot, especially Harry. Now she knew how it was to be in Snape's position when they picked him up...
XxXxX
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Severus were grateful to be in a more normal house. It was very small and they still had to sleep on the floor, but at least they had sheets, pillows, blankets, food, water, and much needed hygiene, especially appreciated when it came to a very sick person.
Remus was surprised when he learned everything they had gone through so far in so little time. They found themselves telling Lupin about the Horcruxes and the werewolf had been taken aback by the fact that the Dark Lord had divided his soul in seven parts. No wonder Voldemort had seemed invincible, but something worried Lupin even more than the Horcruxes. Remus was immediately concerned when Severus told him about Harry's sudden magical outbursts in which it seemed like someone else spoke through Harry.
That night, while the teens slept in a room, Severus and Lupin had a conversation about Harry's mind somehow being possessed, but Harry being completely aware of it. Severus asked Lupin if it was possible that Dumbledore had turned the boy into a Horcrux of himself, but Lupin shook his head. "I don't think that's the case, Severus. I don't know much about Horcruxes, but I don't think it would work that way, plus Dumbledore needed to kill someone to create a Horcrux. Albus would never have used dark magic like that and I think that another wizard cannot really become a Horcrux. A wizard making another wizard into a Horcrux would be too risky unless the wizard making the other is sure that he will be able to kill the other wizard's soul to take the body. That is quite unrealistic. How can a fragment of a soul consume a whole soul? It wouldn't make sense. I don't think you can use a vessel that already contains a soul for a Horcrux. You can use objects and if something that lives, an animal, which has to be a risk too, although animals don't have souls. The thought of a simple 1/7 fragment of a soul consuming a whole soul is ridiculous and utterly impossible, which also discards Harry's link to Voldemort meaning that Harry is a Horcrux of the Dark Lord. In conclusion, Severus, a body that already has a soul cannot become a Horcrux. There is also the fact that if indeed you take someone's soul, like in the case of the Dementor's kiss, then yes, that body can easily become a Horcrux. But even if it is a body of someone you know that person won't be the one you knew, but a clone of the one that turned that body into a Horcrux. We are all sure that this is Harry Potter and not a teenaged version of Voldemort."
Severus then showed Lupin the letter from Dumbledore that they had found in Godric's Hollow. "What do you think of this? Isn't it strange the way he writes 'No matter what, I will live inside you. You will discover it little by little. You'll see what I mean very soon. I planned everything from the beginning.'?"
"It is indeed strange that Albus writes such a thing and then Harry makes such manifestations, but in any case whatever Albus did was Light magic and not dark, Severus. Albus would have never wanted to possess Harry, but he probably wanted to help Harry as much as possible even after death. Albus was always a mystery and he had too much knowledge for a wizard. He was never an average wizard. There is so much that died with him and that we will never learn..."
Severus smirked with disgust: "At any rate we might learn that old maniac's mysteries from Potter himself." The words got a laugh out of Remus and Snape frowned: "I just hope that Albus knew what he was doing. So far, Harry hasn't been able to handle that magic very well. With only a spell or two, he collapses, except for the first time. Then he used three extremely powerful spells in a row. I guess the stress of the situation kept him going. This last time he used two: again, he destroyed a Horcrux and then used that almighty spell to get rid of the dark creatures. Maybe he can indeed vanquish the Dark Lord, but..."
"But what, Severus?"
"It's unfair to bear such a burden being so young."
"I never thought I'd see the day Severus Snape would be showing concern for Harry Potter, son of James Potter. Life is really full of surprises, isn't it Severus?"
Snape answered in a very soft tone as if drained of all energy: "It is, Remus. It is."
Severus stood up and went to Harry's side right after he entered the room, checked the boy's forehead for any signs of fever, placed a cold towel on the still burning forehead, and lied down beside the three teens. Harry was mumbling a name in his troubled sleep: "Ginny... Ginny..."
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