Harry wandered into the Great Hall in a daze. There were rows of bodies, the life gone from their pale faces. Still more were lying on makeshift cots, people gathered around them in an attempt to heal their injuries. Harry saw a cluster of red hair and raced towards the Weasleys.
Ted Tonks lay on the floor, dead. Colin Creevey was there too, and Dobby. Lavender Brown was in the next row, a peaceful expression spread across her face. He glanced across the room and saw Lupin, lying on a cot, his face drained of colour as Professor McGonagall hovered over spiked through him and he rushed from the room.
"Harry," Draco's voice called out as he neared the door. "Wait."
Harry paused, his hand resting on the door that would lead him outside. "I have to go," he whispered as Draco drew level with him. "I can't let more people die for me."
"You have an hour." Draco held up the vial he had collected from Snape. "He wanted you to see this. Begged me to show it to you before you got there. I think you should do that first."
Harry backed away from the door slowly. "Let's watch it then." He looked at Draco. "Together."
Despite all of the destruction the Headmaster's office had remained unscathed. Harry quickly retrieved the Pensieve from its cupboard and unceremoniously dumped Snape's memories into it. He took a deep breath and submerged his head.
Images flew past Harry and Draco, short snippets of memories that spanned years of Snape's life. They saw Snape with Harry's mother as children, and again as they grew up. It quickly became clear that he had cared very deeply for Lily Evans. The memories disappeared, only to be replaced by Snape standing in Dumbledore's office, crying.
Harry watched in amazement as Snape begged Dumbledore to save his mother, as he returned, sobbing, when she died. His mouth fell open as he saw Snape cast a Patronus; a Doe, to match Lily's. He had never stopped loving her.
Then the memory changed again. It shifted and solidified into Snape, grasping Dumbledore's blackened hand. "You shouldn't have tried to use it," Snape admonished. "It's been enchanted with dark magic."
Dumbledore seemed unphased. "Can you stop the spreading?"
"Only slow it. It will continue, and it will kill you."
"How much time do I have left?"
Snape sighed and dropped the hand. "A year, at the most." He paced across the office.
Dumbledore shook his sleeve down over his hand and stood up. "I have to say that your timing is impeccable, had you not been here I am certain that my demise would come much sooner. But, as grateful as I am, I have to ask. Why did you come here today Severus?"
Snape spent nearly a minute tucking his wand inside his robe before answering. "It is planned for tomorrow," he said quietly. "Draco seems enthusiastic about receiving the Mark, but I believe that he is not being entirely truthful." He sighed. "I'm afraid that there is nothing I can do."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I see two courses of action," he began. "Either Draco will take the Mark and be given a task to complete. This task will be to kill me, will it not?" Snape nodded and Dumbledore continued. "The other option is of course that he will take his fate into his own hands and will choose to leave. In which case, I assume that it will fall to you to bring about my demise." Snape nodded again.
"Then the path before us is clear," Dumbledore announced. Snape looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
"How so?"
"Regardless of which path Mr. Malfoy chooses, you must be the one to kill me."
Snape sneered. "And if I do not wish to?"
Dumbledore's voice took on an uncharacteristically serious tone. "You must. If Draco accepts the task set before him, you must kill me so that he does not have to. He is so young Severus. We cannot allow such damage to be done to his soul."
"And what of my soul?" Snape asked.
"Severus," Dumbledore looked directly at him. "Promise me that you will be the one to kill me."
As Snape opened his mouth to respond the scene shifted again. Suddenly they were on top of the Astronomy tower. Snape was grasping Draco's arm and staring at Dumbledore.
With a shock Harry realized that he could see his own shoes- in his haste to cover himself with the Invisibility Cloak he had put it on lopsided, leaving the bottom of his feet exposed.
Snape moved his eyes away from Dumbledore just for a moment, just long enough to notice the disembodied trainers. As Harry watched he saw something near a smile cross Snape's face, just for a moment, as he shoved Draco purposefully towards Harry's petrified body. He muttered the curse that killed Dumbledore and then… paused. As if he was waiting for Draco to make his move.
The memory shifted a final time, to reveal one last conversation between Dumbledore and Snape. As it ended Harry felt himself rising out of the Pensive, Draco next to him. Together they found themselves back in the office, dumbfounded by all that they had seen.
"That's how he got to me so quickly," Draco muttered. " He knew I would become a Death Eater that day. He was waiting for my letter."
"I'm the last Horcrux," Harry whispered. "I have to die."
Draco looked at Harry, tears in his eyes, and nodded. "It's the only way."
Harry ran his hand through his hair. His thumb brushed against his scar and he thought of his parents. And Sirius. And all the others he had loved and lost. The thought of them made death seem less frigthening.
"Promise me you'll keep fighting," Harry said. "And that after it's all over, you'll look after yourself. None of this was your fault."
Draco nodded. "I'll kill him Harry. You know I will. If it's the last thing I do, I'll stop V- Voldemort."
"The wand," Harry said suddenly. "It's loyal to you. It was loyal to Snape when he killed Dumbledore, but then you disarmed him." His eyes grew wide and he looked at Draco in panic. "But Greyback-"
Draco shook his head. "Greyback didn't take my wand. I dropped it. He just picked it up." He looked at Harry in wonder. "That's why Snape pushed me towards you, isn't it? He knew about the Elder Wand and he wanted me to have it."
"I think so." Harry sighed and glanced at his watch. "Listen, the hour is almost over. I have to go, before anyone else gets hurt for me." He looked into Draco's eyes. Can you- can you say goodbye to Ron and Hermione for me?"
Draco nodded. "Harry-" he paused and cleared his throat. "Thank you for being my friend. For years I was a complete ass and you were still willing to give me a chance. I wouldn't have made it this far without you."
Harry felt tears dripping from his eyes as Draco reached forward to hug him. They stood together for a moment, both too afraid of the future to let go, before Harry pulled away.
"I have to go. Kill him, Draco."
Well here we are, with just one chapter left! I plan to post it on Friday. Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and enjoying this story, you have been so encouraging to me.
-DollhouseDancer
