Thanks for the reviews! We actually read this one over, so it shouldn't be too bad. Except for the first part, where we gave up trying to describe things coherently and find synonyms for "swirl" and "mist" after...oh, the fifth paragraph. ...And the last part, where we also gave up trying to keep Snape in character. :P
War of Souls – "Courage. Intelligence. Loyalty. Cunning."
31 May, 1997, 12:00AM
Harry blinked.
Did I…make it?
He had the impression that he had been dropped into a cloud. Everything was white – as far as he could see in any direction – and he was surrounded by wispy, silvery mist.
This…is a soul?
He didn't know what he'd been expecting. Something less…nondescript, maybe. Something more defining, something that would tell him that this was Ginny's soul and not some strange dimension.
As soon as he'd had the thought, he caught a familiar scent in the air. One he would recognize anywhere; one that set his heart at ease.
Flowers.
His hand tightened around his wand as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Don't worry, Ginny.
I'm here.
Now…what had Snape said? 'Once you have entered her soul, you must find the area in which the Dark Lord's soul has begun to take over. It should be easily distinguishable, since her soul is…relatively pure.'
The area…
Hoping only that Ginny's soul was directly proportional to her size, he squared his shoulders and set off.
'The Dark Lord's soul fragment should appear darker – almost black. If it's true that it's been dormant within her body since the incident with the diary, it may have already begun to integrate with her soul. In that case, you'll have to add another spell to the one required to separate the two.'
He sighed as he strode steadily forward. The scenery didn't change; if it wasn't for the silvery mist brushing past him, he would've thought that he was merely walking in place. But the flowery scent remained in the air, soothing him.
'But remember, you have to cast the Barrier Charm before you attempt anything. Otherwise, it offers an opportunity for the Dark Lord's freed soul fragment to escape into yours. But not even the Barrier Charm offers complete protection, so be careful.'
A smile tugged at Harry's lips; it had been faintly amusing to hear Snape tell him to be careful. In fact, this entire thing was rather ludicrous. Here he was, wandering around inside someone's soul – Ginny's, no less – in search of a splinter of Tom's soul.
It had been little less than a year since Dumbledore had died. Since he had seen Snape push Draco aside and brandish his own wand at the Headmaster. Since he had watched Dumbledore get blasted off the Astronomy Tower.
The grief of that moment, and of the following weeks, had been nearly unbearable. The anger and resentment he had felt at the world for thrusting an impossible task upon him; the self-pity he had wallowed in, at having to abandon Ginny and Hogwarts and all the comforts of a semi-normal life; the bitterness of not having a choice, a say in anything that happened – everything about his fate had made him want to simply drop dead.
And the fear – there had always been the fear. Fear of failure, of disappointment, of death.
But it had turned out that defeating Tom wasn't the hard part. The Dark Dork had ensured his own death when he had threatened Ginny. Harry still wasn't sure about Dumbledore's words – that love was the most powerful magic of all – but he had found that it was definitely a great motivator.
No – the hard part was getting rid of Tom's influence, on both the people he loved and the world.
'…I'll only ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to do this? Even with the power that you have, it will be very…difficult to cast these spells. And to destroy the Dark Lord's soul fragment afterwards will require even more strength, not to mention getting back out of her soul.'
As he had sat gazing at her pallid face, he had finally understood what he had put Ginny through over the past year. He had never thought it was possible to feel such anguish, terror, emptiness… Simply said, she had put dementors to shame.
And now, he fully appreciated her faith, her strength…and most of all, her love.
'Even if I do succeed, it won't be nearly enough to repay her for everything she's done for me. I will die for her, if that's what it takes.'
The scent of flowers seemed to get stronger. He slowed his pace and began surveying his surroundings more keenly. The silvery mist brushing past him felt more tangible; was it just him, or had everything gotten a shade darker?
'The soul fragment will sense your presence long before you sense it's presence. And because your soul is stronger, it will immediately seek to enter your soul… It is of strict necessity that you perform the spells at even the slightest indication of the presence of the Horcrux. If it really is there, it will react to the spells. If not, nothing will happen and you should abandon the casting as soon as possible.'
Frowning, he looked back over his shoulder. The expanse before him was definitely a shade darker than the area he had just walked through. But did that really mean anything? Was the Horcrux soul nearby? His wand hand twitched; he wanted to begin casting the spells, but if he was wrong he would only end up wasting energy…
He sighed. He'd just have to keep walking and see what came up ahead.
Keeping his wand at the ready, he resumed his normal pace. Nothing else had changed, except the fact that there suddenly seemed to be a rock in his left shoe. It pricked his toe every time he put his weight on it. He tried to ignore it; he didn't have time to waste. But after several more steps, it became too much.
With a grunt of frustration, he looked down –
To find that the toe of his shoe was wrapped in a thick film of – blackness.
Shit!
He cursed himself for his idiocy as he tried to kick his shoe off, but it seemed to have become stuck. A tiny flame of panic flickered to life inside his chest as the blackness steadily spread over his shoe. He jabbed his wand at it, but the words to the spells had suddenly fled from his mind.
Calm. Calm down.
'If the soul fragment goes for you, cast the Barrier Charm first. Then perform the Severing Spell; it should be easier in this situation since the soul fragment will have begun to detach itself from her soul in order to attach to yours.'
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could feel his hand shaking.
"T-Teori conjurus, agarum deiro…"
He gritted his teeth as he fought off a wave of nausea. It certainly didn't feel easy, and he shuddered to think what it would have been like if the soul fragment hadn't decided to go after him.
He began to feel much better the instant he completed the Barrier Charm. It also seemed to be repelling the blackness on his shoe.
Severing Spell. Severing Spell.
"Fracturus cordeum indorsi beni…"
It was hard to concentrate on the spell; he had never seen anything quite like what was happening around him. Strands of dark mist were slowly drawn out from the grayness of his surroundings, leaving behind the pure white mist he had first encountered. This white mist began collecting around his ankles and made its way up his legs and around his waist, while the darker mist condensed into an amorphous glob before him.
'If you succeed in separating the Dark Lord's soul from hers, it will appear completely black. It may take on some kind of form – rather like a black Patronus. It is most dangerous in this state; it will attempt to control you as you cast the final spell. During this time, you must not lose your focus. Do you understand? Concentrate on the spell, and it should not be able to penetrate your defenses.'
The black film on his shoe was pulled off and sucked into the writhing, pulsing mass, as if by a vacuum. More dark mist – as well as white mist – floated in from far corners.
As the blackness that was Tom's soul fragment grew bigger, a thin tendril was extended from the roiling mass toward him. He instantly felt colder as another wave of nausea rolled over him.
Beads of sweat formed on his brow. The white mist had covered his torso now, and was swirling down his arms. He barely knew what he was saying; only that the words steadily came forth. Silky threads of golden light had begun streaming from his wand, forming a web around him and the black soul. The black tendril twisted and coiled around itself as it neared the tip of his wand.
The white mist had reached his wand hand. It was warm and comforting as it brushed over his skin; it continued to wind down around his wand.
The black soul thrashed inside the golden web. He watched in fear and apprehension as the tendril – much thicker now – strained toward his mist-shrouded wand.
Bursts of blackness flashed across his field of vision. His legs were trembling, as well as his hands. His scar prickled. He could scarcely feel the white mist gently swirl around his neck and over his face.
And then the mist touched his burning scar, and there was a sudden warmth that filled him. A brilliance that made his heart well up, a sense of utter peace that made him want to cry for the sheer beauty of it.
The core of a soul…containing the essence of the being, filled with the purest and strongest of emotions…
There was a roaring in his ears beyond the tranquility, a rushing howl that steadily grew in volume until it drowned out all other senses. He looked down at his wand and was horrified to see that the black tendril was only a hair away from connecting with his wand –
The golden web thrummed loudly, but it wasn't enough to overpower the deafening howl. The scent of flowers was gone.
I… WILL... TAKE… EVERY… THING… FROM… YOU…!!!
His glasses shattered, piercing his eyes.
He screamed.
––––––
31 May, 1997, 2:47AM
Hospital Wing, Hogwarts
Ginny and Harry came awake simultaneously, screaming.
Hermione and Mrs. Weasley, who had been dozing in chairs between their beds, immediately jerked awake. Hermione started screaming, too, as she helplessly stood over Ginny. The younger girl was clutching her head as if it would fall apart if she didn't hold it together.
Mrs. Weasley's face was whiter than a sheet, and she seemed torn between helping Harry and her daughter. Hermione couldn't tell who was in more pain; Harry was thrashing around with his wand in his white-knuckled hand, precariously close to falling off the bed.
A door slammed and Madam Pomfrey came dashing out of her office, a look of alarm on her face.
"What happened?" she demanded; she had to shout to be heard.
Despite her efforts, tears started splashing down Hermione's cheeks. Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and shot a jet of blue light at Harry, but the spell rebounded off his body and crashed into the ceiling.
The front doors burst open and Ron, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and Snape spilled into the room.
"Harry!" Remus yelled.
"What the hell happened?" Ron said as he rushed over to Hermione.
"I-I don't know!" Hermione sobbed as she watched Remus and Snape approach Harry with their wands in hand. Madam Pomfrey had turned her attention to Ginny, who was now screaming as if she were being tortured; she and Tonks were attempting to get her to calm down. Mrs. Weasley looked like she would rather die than stand as a witness to the scene any longer.
"Molly, St. Mungo's!" Madam Pomfrey said sharply.
"Call Minerva," Remus instructed. "And tell Flitwick to keep the students away!"
Kingsley sped out of the Hospital Wing toward the Headmistress' office, while Mrs. Weasley hurried into Madam Pomfrey's office.
"Hold him down!" Mad-Eye growled as he joined Remus and Snape in trying to restrain Harry. His screams had escalated to the point where Hermione had to cover her ears, and his thrashing made it seem like he had been possessed by demons.
"What's wrong with him?" Mad-Eye bellowed at Snape as sparks began flying from Harry's wand. "You never said anything about this!"
"I don't know!" Snape shot back through gritted teeth. He was trying to avoid the sparks and the wild jabbing.
"The purple potion!" Madam Pomfrey was shouting at Tonks.
Tonks looked down bewilderedly at the array of potions on the table before her; a quarter of them were various shades of purple.
"Dark purple! Third to the left!"
Tonks grabbed the bottle and lobbed it across the room. Madam Pomfrey caught it deftly, uncorked it, and unceremoniously poured its contents into Ginny's mouth.
Ginny choked on the potion, but some of it seemed to have succeeded in going down her throat. Her screams subsided, and she promptly went limp.
"Thank Merlin – "
"GET OUT!" Harry suddenly roared, ripping off the sheets that had been entangled around his body. There was a loud bang and Remus was knocked off his feet. Hermione screamed again as something crashed to the floor and shattered.
"Get down!" Mad-Eye bellowed as Harry leapt out of the bed and staggered around like a crazed man. Fiery sparks and flashes of light shot intermittently out of his wand.
"Harry, mate!" Ron yelled, taking a step toward him.
"NO!" Harry howled, nearly falling to his knees; his face twisted in pain as he grabbed his head with his free hand. There were several more bangs.
"Get down!" Mad-Eye roared. He and Remus were standing between Harry and Ginny, trying to keep any stray spells from hitting her. Snape stood beside Harry's bed, his eyes screwed up as if he were trying to remember something.
"Hermione – " Ron dragged her to the floor as a jet of orange light soared over their heads and smashed into a window. More spells rocketed from Harry's wand, careening haphazardly around the room.
"Protego!" Ron muttered, creating a shield around himself and Hermione.
"Harry!" Remus was shouting, still trying to get through to him verbally. But Harry was clearly oblivious to his surroundings; half his spells rebounded off the walls and back to him. He was bleeding in several places. As he twisted and stumbled around the room, Hermione caught sight of his eyes once – and it was enough to make her want to scream again.
They were red.
There was a yell as a disc of yellow light cut Tonks across the cheek; Remus dove for cover as a purple jet of light shot over his head and smashed into the line of potions on the table behind him. Purple, green, and yellow liquids steamed and hissed as they splashed onto the floor.
"GET OUT! NEVER AGAIN!" Spells poured almost continuously from Harry's wand. Something nearby was burning, filling the room with smoke that made Hermione's eyes sting. Harry didn't seem to notice. "I WON'T LET YOU! GET OUT!"
Snape finally moved. He whipped his wand out in the midst of the fray and roared, "Stupefy!"
A jet of red light burst from his wand and hit Harry square in the chest.
The sudden silence was so tremendous that Hermione's ears rang. His mouth hanging open in surprise, Harry toppled forward onto the floor with a soft thud.
"Wh-What did you do to him?!" Hermione screamed.
"Hermione, calm down!" Ron said pleadingly, restraining her from throwing herself onto Harry's prone form. "He's just been Stunned!"
"Why couldn't you have done that in the first place?" Mad-Eye growled, picking himself up off the floor.
"The Healers are here!" Mrs. Weasley said as she burst back into the room. As if on cue, Kingsley returned with McGonagall and two green-robed Healers on his heels.
Hermione sank to the ground and sobbed.
––––––
31 May, 1997, 4:02AM
The Healers had returned to St. Mungo's an hour ago, deeming that they had done all they could and that it would be wiser to keep both Ginny and Harry in the Hospital Wing. The rest of the Order had arrived soon after, to help clean up and see for themselves what had really happened.
Harry had been bandaged up and fed multiple potions before the Stunning Charm was lifted. He still hadn't woken up; it was as close to a coma state as Kingsley had ever seen. Ginny, too, was locked deeply in the sleep induced by the various potions the Healers had given her.
Their beds had been shifted away from the others, back toward Madam Pomfrey's office, and pushed closer together. Bill and Charlie were hovering protectively over their sister, while Arthur had his arms wrapped comfortingly around his wife, whose shoulders shook as she sobbed silently into a handkerchief.
Kingsley couldn't recall a moment when he'd seen Fred and George so quiet. They were both pale and thin-lipped as they sat with their backs leaning against Ginny's bed. Ron and Hermione were beside them, Ron's arm around her shoulders and her head resting in the crook of his arm.
Kingsley, Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Sturgis were opposite the Weasleys, leaning against the table that had once held the healing potions. Madam Pomfrey stood by the door to her office with Minerva, who had left the school in Flitwick's charge.
Remus and Snape had stepped out into the empty chamber off the Hospital Wing half an hour ago. Aside from Remus being the only one who even deigned to listen to Snape, he also seemed to be the only one Snape was willing to speak to.
Kingsley and Tonks had both agreed that they would continue to keep an eye on Snape. Everything he did so far told them that Harry was right – that he was really on their side now – but wasn't that what he'd been doing for the past sixteen years? Pretending to be an ally, an invaluable member of the Order, Dumbledore's confidante…when he'd really just been a spy. You-Know-Who was dead now, of course, but there were still Death Eaters out there that he could be in contact with. Particularly Bellatrix Lestrange, who, for one, would want revenge for her master's death.
Who knew where they were now? Or what they were planning? The Ministry seemed to think that everything had ended with You-Know-Who's death. No Aurors had been sent to track the surviving Death Eaters, wards had been lifted from Diagon Alley and King's Cross Station…
Footsteps announced Remus' and Snape's return. Heads turned toward them as they approached the group, their heads bowed. Snape stopped a good several paces before Remus did, preferring to stay in the shadows.
"What…happened?" Charlie whispered.
They all looked at Remus, who didn't answer for a long time. His head was still bowed, and the small candles lighting up the room didn't reach his face.
"Remus?" Tonks said softly. She pushed off the table and took a step toward him.
Remus looked up, but not at her. He stared at Harry for a long, hard moment. Then he turned away, his fists clenched. "Harry – " he began, his voice breaking.
Tonks, looking distressed, reached a hand out to touch his arm.
"Harry's...a Horcrux," Remus whispered. "There's nothing – nothing we can do."
Hermione gasped, and Ron's eyes widened. Fred and George looked stunned. Charlie sucked in his breath sharply.
"Are you sure?" Bill demanded. "How do you know?"
Remus glanced at Snape, who nodded ever so slightly.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Remus said bitterly. "The night he was attacked, seventeen years ago…when Voldemort's curse backfired, a part of his soul was transferred to Harry. Even Harry knows; he's known for a long time."
"Harry knows?" Ron asked incredulously.
"He suspected it," Snape said softly. "We were trying to find a way to expel it."
"Then why this?" Mad-Eye growled, nodding at Harry. "Why now?"
Remus sighed as he turned back to face the group. "Before, there was a balance," he said quietly. He drew his wand and conjured two spheres in the air – one white, one black. "Light and dark. It's the rarest case of Horcruxes, where the host's – Harry's – soul and the Horcrux soul create and maintain an equilibrium. Neither one had complete control." He waved his wand, and the two spheres merged into one, becoming a pale gray color. "This is why Harry suddenly became so powerful. Traits from both Voldemort's and Harry's souls blended together, building up and manifesting themselves as unbelievable magical talents. This manifestation was triggered over the past year, in part, with Harry's increasing contact with the other Horcruxes.
"If nothing else had happened, Harry would have remained the way he was. The Horcrux soul wouldn't have been able to wield any more influence over him than that which involved his magic. But with the addition of the sliver of soul that was in Ginny…" He waved his wand again. Hermione gasped; a dense blackness had begun to pulse within the gray sphere. It slowly spread over the entire thing until the pale gray had become darker, murkier. Remus looked at the sphere, his eyes distant and his expression unreadable. "…The balance has tipped."
1 June, 1997, 1:12AM
Snape hesitated before reaching for the doorknob.
It was cool and comforting in his clammy hand. Familiar.
The door opened easily, and he slowly stepped into the Headmistress' office.
He grimaced and shook his head, remembering the last time he had set foot in this room. Then, it had been the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore's.
He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply.
Minerva had been here only a year; it was not enough to replace Dumbledore's traces. He sighed as he opened his eyes again and looked around. Not surprisingly, Minerva had kept all of her predecessor's whirring silver instruments. He doubted she knew what half of them were for, because he certainly didn't. Gryffindor's sword still lay on a shelf behind the desk, gleaming in its glass case, as well as the Sorting Hat. But the phoenix's perch was gone and the usual clutter of quills and scrolls had been cleared from the desk.
And then there was the golden frame hanging on the wall.
He felt his heart thudding against his chest. He kept his eyes trained on Gryffindor's sword, pretending to examine it. When he finally mustered the courage to glance – oh-so-casually – at the portrait, it was only to find that it was empty.
He had dreaded seeing the old man. But to find that he had stepped out at such a crucial moment rather infuriated him.
Never here when I need you, he thought bitterly. At least that hasn't changed.
He had come here because he didn't know where else to go. Didn't know what else to do. The plan had gone terribly wrong. Despite Potter's efforts – and somehow he knew the boy had been capable – the Dark Lord had been too much for him.
I could just kill him.
It was as simple as that. Since Potter had at least succeeded in removing the fragment of soul from the Weasley girl, he was now the sole remaining Horcrux. If he died, so would the Dark Lord. For once and for all.
Severus, please…
His mouth twitched. You fool. Why did you trust me? Those were empty promises. Lies!
It didn't even have to be by magic. He could easily slit Potter's throat – a Muggle's way of murder – and slip out of the castle in the dead of night. By the time anyone took notice, he would be long gone.
Severus…
You should have seen. You should have known. After what you did…after what you said…
Help him, Severus. Help him for me. Promise me you'll help him.
He shook his head in disgust; disgust with the old man, with Potter, with himself. Merlin's bloody beard. Irritably, he glanced around the circular room. Okay, I promised. So now what? He began walking around the room, running his fingers over the walls.
Books…silver instruments…empty portraits…a penseive…
He approached the desk, still scrutinizing the room.
Phoenix feather quills…Gryffindor's sword…
He stopped behind the desk and snorted. What? What am I supposed to do?
The Sorting Hat…Sneak-o-scopes…
He slowly sat down in Minerva's chair, sighing heavily. He set his elbows down on the table and rubbed his temples. Typical of you. Giving me nothing and expecting me to do everything.
…The Sorting Hat.
Struck with a sudden thought, he stood up so quickly that the chair screeched. He turned around to look at the Sorting Hat, sitting innocently beside the sword's glass case. He reached out and carefully picked it up. Curiously turning it over in his hands, he sat back down at the desk.
An old relic of Godric Gryffindor's. Has a mind of its own, really. It can always tell what you're thinking. And sometimes, at the right moment, it can give you what you need.
What I need.
Taking a deep breath, he gently placed the old, battered hat on his head.
There was silence.
He sat there, with his eyes closed, for a long moment. He felt ridiculous.
Disgusted, he'd been about to take it back off when he remembered…
––––––
As the clapping died down, Professor McGonagall looked at the next name on her list. In her stern voice, she called out, "Snape, Severus!"
Swallowing hard, he detached himself from the line of his fellow first years and approached the Sorting Hat. It looked old, battered; hardly suited for such an important task. But it had been here longer than Dumbledore, so who was he to question it's power?
He sat down on the stool and set the hat gingerly down on his head. It was so big that it covered his eyes.
"Hmm…" said a small voice in his ear.
He almost jumped. It was another moment or two before the voice continued. "Interesting," it said thoughtfully. "Very interesting."
What's interesting? he wondered.
"You're interesting," the voice said matter-of-factly. "Well, everyone is, really, but you're one of the most interesting by far."
I am?
"Of course. Look at all of this inside your head – courage, intelligence, loyalty, cunning. That's a lot for a little boy, don't you think?"
Really? You can see that in my head?
There was a snort. "Been doing it for decades. Gets a bit boring after a while. It's kids like you who make this job lively, you know. Now, let's see…"
He sat very still, wondering just how much of his mind the hat could see. Was it reading all of his thoughts? Could it find out all of his secrets?
"Okay, then. Say, you don't have a preference, do you?"
A preference?
"No?"
Not really…
"Slytherin it is, then!"
He heard the hat repeat the word at a bellow to the entire hall. People began clapping. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he took off the hat and replaced it on the stool. As he headed to the cheering Slytherin table, he looked up and found the blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore twinkling at him…
––––––
"Ah, Severus. Is that you?"
Snape was so startled for a moment that he couldn't speak. Could only stare upon a face that had haunted his dreams for nearly a year.
"I was beginning to wonder where you'd gotten to."
"A-Albus?"
"Might I mention how delighted I am at your visit?"
"Albus, I…"
"In answer to your question, I don't normally reside in the Sorting Hat. This is just a temporary arrangement."
There was a small chuckle.
"Albus..."
"Yes, it has been quite some time, hasn't it? I imagine many things have happened – Minerva does keep me informed, of course, but she's been very busy these past few months…much busier than I ever was, I daresay. But I trust you've been well?"
He gave up trying to change the subject. "…Relatively."
"Good, good. Now…was there something you wished to ask me?"
Yes. Everything. He wanted to ask the old man everything about everything.
"How are you here? Talking to me?"
"Like I said, it's only temporary. I shall have to leave shortly. In about a minute, in fact."
"Albus…I killed you."
"Yes, you did, Severus. And I believe thanks are in order – my arthritis seems to be completely cured here."
"…Have I ever told you that I despise your sense of humor?"
"Many times, Severus," the old man chuckled. "Many times. Now, I believe that there was another question you wanted to ask me?"
"…How do I help him?"
The old man smiled patiently. "If there's anything I taught you, Severus Snape, it's love."
"Love?" he asked incredulously. "You want – I can't!"
"You did before, didn't you?"
"That was different!" he said harshly. "That was completely different!"
"And what else?"
"…What?"
"What else have I taught you?"
He hesitated. "Love…and forgiveness."
Dumbledore nodded and spread his hands wide. "What more do you wish for, Severus?"
"I can't," he said adamantly. "You know I can't."
"You can. I know you can."
The outline of the old man suddenly began to shimmer. Right before Snape's very eyes, he began to fade away.
"You know I have more faith in you than all my Gryffindors. Courage. Intelligence. Loyalty. Cunning."
Desperately, he reached out to stop him. But Dumbledore had already melted away; only his voice remained.
"Remember, Severus. Love and forgiveness."
1 June, 1997, 3:02AM
He stood in the doorway of the Hospital Wing, no more certain of what to do than before. There appeared to have been no change while he had been gone, other than the fact that the Weasley girl had woken up. She had apparently been told what had happened; she had pulled her knees up to her chest and was crying softly. Lupin and her brothers were attempting to console her in quiet voices.
Sturgis was the first to notice that he had returned. His face immediately turned stony. Snape ignored him.
Remember, Severus.
He slowly walked forward, his gaze locked on Potter's motionless body. The boy's face was as white as the sheets tucked up around his chin, and his hair seemed all the blacker because of it.
Love and forgiveness.
He barely noticed Lupin turn and half-stand up from his chair. He could only see Dumbledore in his mind's eye, could only hear his words repeating themselves over and over in his head.
You know I have more faith in you than all my Gryffindors.
He stopped beside Potter's bed and stared down at his face. At the scar. Breathing out a long, shaky sigh, he shook his head and drew his wand.
You can. I know you can.
Lupin stood up and took a step toward him. With a flick of his wand, he conjured a chair and pulled it up beside the bed.
Can what, Albus? he thought bitterly as he sat down. What am I supposed to do?
After a moment, Lupin returned to his chair. He and Sturgis whispered something to each other, but Snape didn't care anymore.
He put his head in his hands and sighed.
Up Next: Snape tries to take Dumbledore's words to heart as Harry fights his inner demons, while some very real demons come knocking on Hogwarts' door…Please...review...
