Chapter ten.
Helping the Hated.

Harry stood with his arm out in front of him holding his wand with it pointed at Snape on the floor. He didn't know how long he let the cruciatus curse go on for and he didn't really care, all he knew was that he enjoyed the look of immense terror and helplessness on Snape's face. He was feeling like he was finally getting revenge for Dumbledore's death and that was the best feeling he'd had in a long time. Harry suddenly felt someone bash into him, which broke the curse and knocked him face down onto the hard wooden floor, the person now lying on top of him. He felt them get up and grab his arm to help him up and he saw Hermione looking apologetic but also he saw some fear in her eyes as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry Harry, but if you'd have kept going for any longer. You could have seriously hurt him." Hermione said uneasily. Harry looked at Ron who was still sitting against the wall staring from Snape to Harry in disbelief. Snape was on the floor panting still unable to move. Looking at Harry, obviously shocked that he could of performed a spell as powerful as the cruciatus curse properly. Harry felt a rush of anger towards Hermione.

"Yeah, so what if I'd have done that Hermione? It's no more than what he deserves." Harry spat savagely, all the hatred still bubbling up inside of him. Staring at Snape with pure resentment. Harry saw Snape eyeing his wand briefly. "And you most definitely won't be getting that." Harry summoned Snape's wand into his own hand and pocketed it. Snape still hadn't said a word still lying on the floor aching from the cruciatus curse.

"Harry…" Hermione started talking in an effort to calm him down.

"Don't defend him Hermione. He's a murderer." Harry interrupted her; his voice was so filled with anger that Hermione was silenced. Hermione helped Ron up and they both sat down beside the kitchen table. Their hands on their wands incase Snape tried anything. Ron finally spoke; he looked at Harry straight in the eyes.

"So, what are you going to do now Harry, kill him? Because I seem to remember a few years ago you wouldn't let Sirius and Lupin kill Pettigrew, despite the fact that he was the reason your parents are dead." Ron had made a good point. Hermione looked at Ron thankfully. Harry stared back at Ron; he looked at his two best friends, he suddenly felt shocked and ashamed at himself and the way he had just behaved. He had actually enjoyed torturing Snape. He had performed an unforgivable curse on someone. Something, which was illegal and was what death eaters did, not people from the order. Harry knew Ron and Hermione were shaken at the way he had just acted too and he suddenly found himself unable to look at them.

"Potter, if you would just ignore your arrogance for once and listen to what I have to say. We might get somewhere." Snape snarled at him starting to get up off the floor. Harry raised his wand, as did Ron and Hermione.

"Expelliarmus!" He heard a different voice shout and suddenly found himself unarmed. He looked around to see Draco Malfoy walk into the room. The last time he had seen him was when he had found himself unable to murder Dumbledore and had run off with Snape.

"Stupef…" Hermione shouted but could not finish as Draco then waved his wand and disarmed both her and Ron in a matter of seconds. Draco looked scared and more pale than usual. Still he kept confident as he handed Harry's wand to Snape. Ron got up and stood in front of Hermione bravely, a determined look on his face. Harry lunged himself at Snape but was thrown back into the wall once again. Snape conjured some invisible binds out of nowhere as he had seen Sirius do to Pettigrew when they were in the shrieking shack before. They formed around Harry's wrists and feet leaving him unable to move. He saw the same had happened to Ron and Hermione who were also struggling frantically to move.

"I think I'll have that back from you Potter." Snape looked at him gloatingly and summoned his wand out of Harry's pocket into his own hand. He then sat down in front of Harry, Ron and Hermione beckoning Draco to do the same. Draco did as he was told. Harry saw he was not smirking with triumph at the three of them unable to move, probably minutes away from being killed. Which was unusual for him. He thought about what Dumbledore would say if he could see him now, he would be surely disappointed. He looked at his two best friends who were still struggling to break free. I'm not going to let anything happen to them he thought firmly. Snape began to speak again.

" I am here to speak with you." Snape said simply putting down his wand.

"Why should we listen to anything you have to say?" Harry said hatefully, biting at the rope that was around his wrists.

"Don't interrupt me Potter. Listen to what I have to say." Harry opened his mouth to answer back but Hermione spoke.

"Harry, I think we should just listen to him." Hermione said timidly. Looking at Harry pleadingly.

"Yeah, it can't hurt to hear what he has to say. I mean, look at the position were in." Ron agreed with Hermione. Snape ignored the three of them and continued to talk.

"The reason you are in this position is because you are most likely to try and curse me again." Snape began. " Yes I did kill Albus Dumbledore," Harry noticed Snape flinch as he said it a disgusted look appeared on his face. "But it was only because he asked me to. The dark lord had set Draco a mission to kill Dumbledore and I had made an unbreakable vow to fulfil the task if Draco didn't do it. Dumbledore was aware of this all along and asked me to kill him so to spare Draco's life." Harry thought this sounded like something Dumbledore would do; take his own life for his student. No matter how evil and cold hearted the student was. But Harry still didn't trust Snape as far as he could throw him. "Dumbledore said I was too much of importance to you to die myself. He wanted me to continue to help you, as much as I despise you." Snape paused.

"I don't believe you." Harry said stunned turning to look at Ron and Hermione to see what they made of this.

"If you don't believe me Potter, ask yourself why I haven't killed any of you yet when I have every opportunity. Why I'm going to give you information of the whereabouts of one of the horcruxes I know of and why I'm telling you Isabella Takard…is a TRAITOR!" Snape shouted the last word in fury. Harry couldn't believe his ears. He didn't know whether to trust Snape, but if Snape was truly on Voldemort's side he would of killed him by now which was a good point as any. And as for Isabella Takard being a traitor. He didn't know her too well but he couldn't believe someone in the order was a traitor. Finding out all the information from the order and just passing it over to Voldemort and his death eaters. All this information overwhelmed Harry.

"I believe him." Hermione said quietly, she had now stopped struggling and looked almost calm now. Ron looked like he was having trouble taking it all in as well as Harry.

"Takard is a traitor?" Ron said bewildered.

"Yes. The night she was supposed to be protecting you, she had Eccledon under the imperius curse and she told them the exact spot of Kingsley Shacklebolt so they could ambush him on unawares." Snape explained. Draco was sitting in his chair in silence, seeming almost bored of the conversation, not daring to speak.

"Then why are you here?" Harry asked still not knowing whether this was some strange nightmare and that he would wake up at any second.

" I came because this is where Draco has been hiding. I know Grimmauld Place is yours, but if I show my face to any of the order to hide him, I will be dead in seconds. I would most appreciate it if you would let Draco continue to stay here in protection of his life. Don't let Dumbledore have died in vain Potter." This was the first time Harry had heard Snape ask him for a favour. Harry considered this for a moment, thinking about what he should do carefully.

"He can stay." Harry looked at Malfoy for once not with hate, but with pity.

"I cannot stay long. I have to get back to my duties to the dark lord, as now I can only report back to you as Dumbledore wished. All I can tell you is that one of the horcruxes lies within the Hogwarts walls. One last thing you should know, the dark lord has spies, and they target Miss Granger and Mr Weasley. Be very careful the both of you." Snape looked at Ron and Hermione who had both turned pale at his words.
"I will be in contact." Snape waved his wand and the binds came off Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry's wand was sent straight into his hand and with a crack, Snape was gone. Harry got up and then held out a hand to Ron and Hermione helping them both up. They stood in silence for a few moments. Harry wanted to discuss everything with Ron and Hermione but not in front of Malfoy, who was still sitting down with a loss of what to do. Harry had forgotten for a moment why they were there.

"Shall we do what we came to do then?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione, trying to put everything that he had just heard to the back of his mind for the time being. Because he knew now, they had a horcrux to destroy.