Welcome back! Sorry it took so long to get this one up. We had to split it into two chapters, so there are still six left instead of five. Anyway...how did you like DH? Personally, we thought it was the worst of the series. JKR could have done much better. But then again, we both read it in under six hours, so we should probably read it again slowly... But tell us what you think!
Without A Fight
23 May, 1997, 9:52PM
Hogwarts
Tell me there's a way.
He stood outside the doors and kept pacing across the floor, and then sat against the wall in the dark and stared at his hands. Those two things seemed to be all he could manage, and he wondered if it would be that way forever. It was hard to imagine that he could ever manage more than that – just waiting, looking down, looking at the emptiness of his hands, and sometimes saying her name.
The days since he and Snape had come back seemed to have blurred together. It seemed that it had been a different lifetime in which he had fought Tom Riddle. He couldn't think straight, couldn't focus on anything but the fact that Ginny was sick.
Hermione and the Weasley brothers took turns sitting at her bedside. He stayed there himself for hours, or until he couldn't bear to look at her anymore. Even now, he couldn't get the image of her lying there, pale and helpless and haggard, out of his head. He thought that he wouldn't mind having to fight Tom again – or even a thousand times over – if that meant she would wake up and smile at him and not be sick anymore.
Powerful enough…to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…
You've taken everything from me, Harry Potter. In return of the favor, I will take everything from you.
Had Tom known all along? Was this what he had meant? Or had fate just turned on him at the last moment?
There has to be a way.
All members of the Order were currently in the Great Hall, still poring over the hundreds of available resources on souls and Horcruxes they'd pulled from the library and the Order's private collections. They had been on it for nearly four days now, trying to find even the merest mention of how to dispose of soul splinters.
Word had spread to the students, too, of course. He had thought, at first, that they'd all been sent home because the corridors were always empty. But he now suspected that they had just been warned to leave him alone. At any rate, he hadn't seen much of them. He had only recently learned that Neville and Dean had gotten the PA together yet again to help with the research.
It appeared that they had also gotten wind of Snape's return; Remus had questioned him about the man's loyalties only several hours after he had arrived. The only thing he remembered telling Remus was that Snape was, for the moment, an ally. Remus seemed to believe him somewhat, but McGonagall had decided to keep Snape locked in a separate room anyway. Harry had only learned of this the day before; he had immediately demanded that Snape be released and permitted to leave.
Of course, Snape surprised the entire Order by choosing to stay at Hogwarts. By choosing to help.
Harry had expected it.
I work for my benefit and my benefit only. It just so happens that this will benefit you, too.
He believed it – Severus Snape was that kind of man. Independent. But he didn't understand it. How had killing Dumbledore benefited him? How would making sure he and Ginny didn't remain Horcruxes help him? What did he want?
But those kinds of questions made his head hurt, and he already had enough pain to deal with. He knew he wasn't being of any help, sitting here lost and wallowing in grief, but the stack of books Remus had picked out for him had been left untouched. He couldn't concentrate; couldn't manage anything more, at the moment, than being.
24 May, 1997, 1:31AM
Hogwarts
He sat in the Hospital Wing, surrounded by darkness except for the single candle flickering on the bedside table. A thick, leather-bound book lay open on his lap. His lips moved soundlessly as his finger slid across the worn, yellowing pages.
His eyes traveled back and forth until he realized that the words had become blurry. He leaned his head back with a sigh and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Ginny's shallow breathing beside him.
A living body…cannot exist without a soul. In the same sense…a Horcrux cannot exist without a host. To destroy the soul is to destroy the body. To destroy the host is to destroy the Horcrux…
Horcruxes…were not meant to be created with living things… In the case of inferior animals, the Horcrux soul will most likely assume a parasitic role…consuming the host and allowing its creator to manipulate it…
Using another human being as a host is strictly forbidden… It would seem that…if the host were human, one of three things could happen, depending on the strength of the Horcrux soul…and the strength of the host soul…
One…as in the case of inferior animals, the Horcrux soul would overpower the host soul…first subjecting the host to pain surpassing that of a Cruciatus Curse; then rendering him weak and mindless, much like the victim of the Dementor's Kiss; and finally, ending in either complete control or death…
Two…opposite to the first case, the Horcrux soul would not be able to overpower the host soul…it would therefore remain dormant within the host, unable to move freely or influence the host's thoughts or actions…
And three…the rarest of cases…where the Horcrux soul and host soul balance each other…resulting in a blending of traits of both souls… It cannot be discerned whether this would cause the host pain, or how long this balance could be maintained…
The sound of the door opening cut through his thoughts. His eyes flew open as his hand instinctively jumped to his wand. Light from the corridor came spilling into the room, illuminating the figure standing in the doorway.
"Potter."
He let go of his wand. "Snape."
Snape took a step forward. There was a book clutched in his hand. Harry couldn't see the expression on his face, but the way he was standing seemed tense.
They were silent for a moment. Then,
"How is she?"
Harry frowned, startled that Snape would ask such a question without the usual sarcasm. Concerned about the welfare…of a Weasley? But Snape's face was still in shadow, and Harry could discern nothing.
He looked away. "Same," he mumbled.
Subjecting the host…to pain surpassing that of a Cruciatus Curse…
"And you?"
He shrugged, and it felt exhausting. "Tired," he said quietly. "Just…tired."
"You should sleep," Snape said. There was still no hint of sarcasm or mockery; it was nothing more than a simple suggestion. Harry couldn't get his head around the fact that this was the same Snape that had murdered Dumbledore in cold blood.
He shook his head wordlessly. Closing the book on his lap, he set it on the table beside the candle and changed the subject. "I heard they locked you up," he said.
There was a delicate snort. "Cozy place, the dungeons."
"At least it was old territory."
"Yes, I felt right at home," Snape said dryly.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Are you…okay?"
"Fine," Snape replied, rather stiffly.
"Why didn't you run?" he asked. "Before they locked you up, I mean."
To his surprise, there was no snappy rejoinder. When Snape finally spoke, it was in a voice so soft that Harry thought he had imagined it.
"I deserved it."
In another time, there would have been a million things he could have said to this. Now, he could only nod. Without pressing it further, he changed the subject again.
"Do they speak to you?"
Another snort. "They put up with my presence because, and only because, of you. Had you not told Minerva to release me, I imagine I would not have the ability to be standing here right now."
Harry digested this in silence. So…I saved you, by telling Remus you were our ally. You helped me, by trying to help Ginny… We're even. But still, it comes down to one question.
What do you want?
"Potter…" Snape said quietly. He moved forward again, closer. "There…might be a way."
Harry closed his eyes again and willed his heart to stop beating so fast. It wouldn't do any good to get his hopes up.
Another step forward. "If you can truly do a Binding Spell, you might be able to do this. It's only theory; no one has ever successfully performed something like this before."
Harry opened his eyes, feeling oddly calm. Snape was only a few paces away from him. The candlelight didn't reach far enough to light his face.
Harry took a deep breath. "Tell me."
Snape looked down at the book in his hands. "It requires the same sort of magic and energy used to cast a Binding Spell. The spell will allow you – or, rather, your soul – to temporarily vacate your body and enter hers. Once there, you would cast another spell to separate out the Horcrux soul from her soul and destroy it. It's incredibly risky, since there would be a pathway between your body and hers. And if the spells aren't performed correctly, both you and she could be destroyed."
Harry furrowed his brows. "Will separating the Horcrux soul from Ginny's hurt her? Is it like splitting your soul to create a Horcrux?"
Snape shook his head. "It didn't say. There is also a chance that the Horcrux soul has begun to integrate with hers, making it even harder to separate."
Harry was quiet. He closed his eyes again and reviewed his choices. Ginny was strong – stronger than most people he knew – but it was folly to hope that she could balance out or overpower Tom's soul splinter. Which meant she would either die or survive to become Tom's puppet…
He had to at least try. Consequences didn't matter anymore, because it was all or nothing. And he wouldn't let Ginny go without a fight.
"Think about it," Snape said softly, holding the book out to him. "The incantations are written in runes. I'll be working on them."
Harry accepted the book wordlessly and nodded his thanks.
Snape turned away from him so that Harry was staring at Snape's back.
"Potter…" he said, "I think…you can do it."
And he swept from the room.
29 May, 1997, 2:27PM
Hogwarts
Remus set aside the book he'd been perusing and sighed. Rubbing his temples, he stared down at the parchment he'd been scribbling notes on.
"Anything?" Tonks whispered from his right.
He looked at her and shook his head. "Not a word," he replied.
Tonks put a hand on his arm and smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry. There has to be something."
Remus glanced around. They – along with the rest of the Order – were sitting at the long table in the staff room, and had been for the better part of the week. Large, dusty tomes, scraps of parchment, quills, and the remains of lunch littered their work surface. Everyone was poring over some sort of document or another, jotting down notes as they went.
"I hope so," was all he could say. The books they'd scrounged from the library and the staff's private collections were proving to be only selectively useful. Remus now knew more than he cared to about Horcruxes – the spellcasting, the complications, exactly how the soul was ripped apart and transferred, all the things that could go wrong. But there was nothing – not even a passing mention – of how to reverse the process. How to take the soul splinter back out.
Except for Snape's way, of course.
But it was too dangerous. Too risky.
The Weasley brothers, along with Hermione, sat on the other side of the table. It made Remus feel strange to see the red-heads so quiet and focused, all five of them hell-bent on saving their sister. And Hermione was in her element here; she had already filled three rolls of parchment and gone through twice as many books as the others. But that didn't change the results – they couldn't find anything either.
"I'm going to go take a walk," Remus said quietly to Tonks. "I'll be back in five minutes."
She nodded and kissed his cheek. Before he could stand up, however, the door to the staff room swung open.
"I'm going to do it," Harry said resolutely as he stepped inside.
All heads swiveled toward him; Ron and Hermione half-stood up from the bench. Remus frowned. They had seen very little of Harry over the past few days. Remus had a strong – and uneasy – suspicion that he had been planning something. Something Remus wouldn't like at all.
Harry strode to the head of the table and tossed his book down. It echoed in the silence of the room.
"Going to do what?" Mad-Eye finally asked.
As if we don't know.
Harry didn't look at him – or any of them, not even Ron or Hermione. He was looking straight at Snape.
The ex-Death Eater sat at the end of the table, somewhat detached from the group. Remus knew for a fact that no one in the room trusted him at all; the only reason he wasn't in Azkaban was because of Harry. Whatever had transpired between the two of them after the battle at Godric's Hollow, it seemed that there was now a semblance of respect – trust? – in the way they regarded each other.
And if Harry was willing to accept Snape, then Remus would, too – for now.
"Are you sure?" Snape asked slowly. He and Harry were gazing calmly into each other's eyes.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked down at his book. He stared at the worn, dog-eared cover as he spoke. "It's been eleven days. She's not getting any better. If we don't do something soon, who knows what might happen? We might be running out of time without realizing it. I wish there was another way, but the spell in that book is the only thing we've found so far."
"He's right," Kingsley said, shaking his head. "There's nothing else in any of these." He indicated the books strewn across the table.
"And the translations are finished," Sturgis added.
Remus felt Tonks cover his hand with hers. The gesture was comforting.
The eyes of all the Weasley brothers were trained on Harry. Everyone could hear their unspoken words.
This is our sister you're dealing with, mate. If anything happens...
"Harry…what if it goes wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly. "What if it doesn't work, or you get trapped, or – " She stopped herself, as if she were too afraid to even think of the possibilities. "I mean, it's not even a real spell, and – "
"It is," Snape said icily. Remus looked at him, as did everyone else. "It's as real a spell as the Killing Curse. It's just never been performed."
"You have the incantations?" Harry asked him.
"Harry!" Hermione said in a pleading tone.
A look of frustration passed across Harry's face. "Don't you think I've thought of all that, Hermione?" he asked her angrily. "Don't you think I know the risks? There are a million ways this could go wrong. Ginny could die, I could die, we could both die. But we're running out of time, and spending another week poring over ancient scrolls isn't going to be any better."
Harry turned back to Snape, whose expression was unreadable. "I have them," he said. "But they don't matter as much as your will and concentration."
"Don't worry about that," Harry said firmly. "If he wants to take Ginny, he'll have to get through me first."
It still amazed Remus to see Snape forgo the taunts and insults. Without a single caustic comment, he nodded slowly and picked up the roll of parchment that he'd been working on. He stood up and indicated that he and Harry should leave. "There are some things you need to know."
"Will I be ready by tomorrow night?"
Several people inhaled sharply. Tomorrow?
Harry ignored them.
"That depends on you," Snape said simply.
Harry nodded. "Let's go, then."
Before anyone could say anything more, they swept from the room side by side.
30 May, 1997, 11:55PM
Hogwarts
As Tonks watched Harry converse quietly with Snape in the corner of the room, she sincerely hoped he knew what he was doing. And not just for his own sake or Ginny's, but for the sake and sanity of the man standing next to her.
Because she knew that if Remus lost Harry now, it could break him for good.
She didn't even care anymore that they were working with a Death Eater. If they could save Ginny, she would readily be willing to hear out any mad explanations he wanted to offer for Dumbledore's death. Because if this worked, then they could do the same for Harry. They could destroy the Horcruxes and be rid of You-Know-Who once and for all. The war would be over for good, and they could pick up the remains of their lives and move on.
But first, the spell had to work.
Tonks had glanced at Snape's translations yesterday and had been completely baffled. It wasn't like any spell she had ever seen or heard of; it consisted not only of spoken incantations (which looked more like an essay in a foreign language), but complicated wand movements and drawing symbols on the floor. It was all rather bemusing, and it was odd to think that Harry could do it.
He and Snape had drawn a large, shimmering circle at the foot of Ginny's bed last night. Seven candles stood at equal intervals around its border, along with strange signs that glittered and swirled around as if they were alive. It reminded Tonks of some sort of ritual of a pagan cult; but then again, it was an ancient spell.
And since Snape had forbade any other sources of light, the glow the circle emitted was the only light they had in the Hospital Wing.
Harry had assured everyone that it was safe to walk on and touch, but Tonks still steered well clear of it. In fact, the only people who had even dared to approach it were Harry and Snape.
Hermione and the Weasley family sat around Ginny's bed, watching the poor girl with miserable expressions and stroking her damp forehead. They would occasionally look at Harry and the magic circle, which threw dark shadows on their faces.
Minerva was also there, having left Flitwick in charge of the school and the students. Classes had been cancelled again, since everyone had somehow gotten word of what Harry was going to attempt and would be much too worried about the fates of two of their fellow classmates to think about their studies.
Kingsley, Sturgis, and Mad-Eye stood guard by the door, while Madam Pomfrey had positioned herself in the doorway of her office.
It was another minute before Harry and Snape finally emerged from the shadows. There was only unyielding determination in Harry's eyes; Snape was, as always, expressionless. He stopped in front of the glowing circle while Harry approached the Weasleys. It was so quiet in the room that everyone could hear them.
Hermione got up first and hugged him fiercely. "Be careful," she said whispered.
"We know you love her, mate," Ron said quietly. "We trust you." Behind him, his brothers nodded.
Molly stood up from her chair. She embraced Harry and kissed him on the forehead. Her cheeks shone with tears. "Please," she said in a broken whisper.
Harry hugged her back. "Don't worry."
Molly bowed her head and allowed Arthur to lead her away from her daughter's bed.
Alone now, Harry looked down at Ginny's pale face. He ran his fingers through her hair and caressed her hollow cheeks.
Snape shifted as he watched; he looked impatient.
There's the real Snape, Tonks thought dryly.
After a long moment, Harry bent down and gently kissed Ginny. He then turned away from her as if it was the hardest thing he had ever done. But he looked more determined than ever as he returned to Snape's side. They whispered something to each other, and Snape nodded.
Before Harry stepped into the circle, he glanced over at Remus and smiled, ever so slightly.
Tonks looked up to see him smile back.
The symbols seemed to glow brighter as Harry set foot inside the circle. It was deathly silent in the room as he drew his wand. Tonks reckoned she could feel the air in the room shift, as if reacting to his presence.
He closed his eyes and began chanting the incantations in a low, steady voice. He waved his wand in intricate patterns as he did so, leaving wispy silver trails in the air around him.
"Estacus coderum torzi…"
Something seemed to build up as Harry continued to cast the spell. It was almost as if he was creating some sort of force field around himself; Tonks got the impression that she was being pushed back toward the wall. Even Snape seemed to be farther from Harry than before.
"…horbrius sancto icari firum…"
The circle began to glow a deep blue. Its eerie light made Harry seem like he was under a spotlight, and an unseen wind whipped up his robes. His voice escalated gradually, as if someone had cast a Sonorus Charm on him. The words of the spell vibrated through Tonks' body.
"…graderio wadi exportum torvorus…"
The worries Hermione had voiced before suddenly struck her all at once, threatening to overwhelm her. What if it goes wrong, what if something happens, what if he gets trapped, what if she dies, what if You-Know-Who wins, what if Snape is wrong, what if this is the end, what if what if what if… Harry was bellowing now, and sparks flew from the end of his wand.
"…dracorum pilosi cantadilum quarut… SORTIUX EXPELLIUM!"
It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. And when the light burst out, it came not from Harry's wand, but from his body. She heard someone scream, felt Remus' hand grip hers painfully.
She squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding flash; Remus pulled her down against the wall, and they huddled against each other. There was a forceful whoosh of air that nearly bowled her over and whipped around the rest of the room like a tornado.
Remus gripped her tighter, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She buried her face in his chest and whispered prayers to whoever would listen.
Please, let it stop. Please, let him be all right. Please…no more pain.
The wind stopped so suddenly that Tonks forgot to breathe for a moment. She carefully pulled away from Remus to find that the room was pitch-black. She heard Remus' breathing become frantic.
Light. Need light!
She took out her wand with a shaking hand and pointed it to where she hoped Harry was. "L-Lumos!"
It was not such a good idea; the sudden beam of light only blinded her again. Gasps from around the room told her it had done the same to the others.
When she could see again, she found that the circle was no longer shimmering. The symbols around its edge had stopped swirling and the candles were nothing more than puddles of wax.
And Harry was lying unconscious in the middle of it all.
That last sentence looks awkward. Anyway...review, pretty please!
Up Next: Harry succeeds in entering Ginny's soul...but what now? How do you destroy a soul when you're inside one?
