AN: I'd like to apologize to all my readers for this insanely long waiting period between chapters. Real Life has a habit of getting away from you and before you know it it's May and you haven't posted anything in months and you feel lousy. Another reason for my seeming abandonment of the fic, is that I've been writing another fic on the side. I've learned from my mistakes and won't upload it until it's complete, so you can all sign in relief, no more WIPs for me. At least, not for now g

For those of you who've read HBP this will have a hint of what's to come, so the next chapters plus this one will have some heavy spoilers. I myself have no intention of taking every fact of HBP into account, but the items of Voldemorts destruction are present in the fic.

Chapter 13. Secrets Unravel

Severus watched silently as Harry and Spot conversed in their unique language. The dragon resembled more of a lizard than any self respecting dragon should. The companion's size had degreased rapidly through the years as more and more information was transferred to Harry. In his studies of the fennsey, Severus had come across this phenomenon only in time altering. In other words the companion brought future information to its Chosen. More and more Severus understood the glances and odd occurrences that had littered Harry's years at Hogwarts. If you had knowledge of what would befall most of your year mates and friends, would you be able to shoulder the burden of that fate without destroying yourself.

At times like these Severus could only grasp the enormous task that had been given to his lover and best friend. To have an obligation to magic in its purest form was a gift and a curse of epic portions.

'Severus- 'a voice called him back to reality from his dark thoughts.

'What were you thinking of? You were so far away, I was worried.' Harry nudged Severus with his hip in a playful manner.

'Nothing much, just trying to figure out what you two were talking about.' Severus muttered in slight embarrassment. Harry was the only one who could make him feel self conscience about his thoughts and still make him feel warm with his teasing.

'You know I can't tell you everything that I know' Harry said silently. It was clear that his mood had taken a darker cast. 'From playful to dead serious in eight seconds. That had to be a record' Severus thought ruefully.

'I know.' Severus signed. It might irk him at times, but when Harry had a secret to guard there was no way to get anything out of him, by any means, even torture. In a way it was a relief, Severus knew that everything that he said in confidence remained evermore as such. It did make for some interesting arguments between the two when others took Harry as their secret keeper.

'Harry! Harry!' a voice called urgently from the edge of the castle grounds.

'What in the name of Hyne… was that a centaur?' Severus watched in disbelief. 'What business would a centaur have with Harry?' Severus asked himself and then thought the thing through and could have hit himself. 'What business wouldn't Harry have with someone? It could be something from a runaway cat to taking over the world one chocolate a time.' Not that Harry cared much for chocolate, that was Severus' vice and damnation. 'Mmm… chocolate…' As always when he thought of chocolate his thoughts turned to mush, much like when he was faced with a naked Harry, or better yet, a Harry dipped in chocolate, 'Ah Heaven…'

While Severus was drooling over the mental images running in his mind Harry talked with the centaur.

'What is it, Ashwood?' Harry inquired with concern. 'Has something happened in the conclave?'

'No, no, everything is alright. We've finally managed to locate the Cup!' chirped the enthusiastic young centaur.

'You're sure? Absolutely sure this is it?' Harry asked urgently.

'YES!' shouted Ashwood in delight. He had been chosen to give the news to the fennsey, and he couldn't be more proud of his clan and their efforts. Technically he didn't have a clue to why some cup was important, but you didn't question Elders on these matters. He was just happy to be able to give the good news to Harry.

'This was it! Finally it could end!' Harry thought in amazement. 'No more running around the country looking for clues, no more nights worrying about the future of his friends, no more… just no more! The end to all his efforts and a clean chance to win in this silent battle between his foe, had finally arrived. The rest of the horuxes had been located and were just waiting for destruction, the cup had been the only one left and the hardest to find as its hiding place was hinted to be somewhere in the Forbidden Forest.'

'YES!' Harry shouted on the top of his lungs snapping Severus out of his thoughts about chocolate and its heavenly taste.

'What? What? What happened? Are you alright?' Severus asked concerned. This just wasn't normal behavior for Harry. He hadn't been this exited ever, at least not in any instance that Severus could recall.

Harry snagged Severus' hands and started to whirl around in a dizzying dance of utter delight. The centaur jumped and bounced around the comically bedazzled Severus and ecstatic Harry. It was utter pandemonium.

'What in the world?' Professor McGonagall said in confusion as he watched the three from the front steps of the castle doors. She looked to her right at the Headmaster for answers and took a step back for the Headmasters face gleamed in delight over the scene.

'They're crazy, all of them utterly mad.' Muttered McGonagall as she quickly turned away so that no one would mistake her for their accomplices.

'Could this mean the end of Tom?' wondered Dumbledore in delight. He had been silently aware that Harry had been working toward some end in his summer holidays and on the weekends and seeing the utter joy on his face at the moment, the solution had apparently presented itself. 'Has he been on the side of the Light after all?' thought the Headmaster in wonder. The boy's sorting into Slytherin had prejudiced him to Harry involvement in the war as fennsey could be on any side, be it Dark or Light, as long as the Magic degreed chance to be necessary. But his involvement with the centaurs seemed to tip the scales to Light as they were inherently Light creatures. 'Have we finally found the weapon to take this war to Tom?' puzzled Dumbledore in silence. But only time would tell, as headmaster of Hogwarts was by the wards itself forbidden to interfere in the fennseys task. The exact reason he hadn't been able to influence Harry in anything.

TBC…

P.S. Who of you caught the little insertion of another fandom? g