Chapter II

The Nature of the Heart

The busy, scheduled day soon began to fade with a silent withdrawal as the sun crept back under the earth, tinting the sky with various shade of amber and rose.

Harry Potter sat gazing out at the descending light upon the horizon, his mind captured in a maelstrom of thought.

He knew what Voldemort had hidden. It was one of the seven pieces of his soul, a horcruxe.

What he couldn't understand, however, was the significance of the time period, as well as the place. America 1918?

How could that possibly relate to Voldemort? And how did Dumbledore ever discover it?

All of the possible horcruxes were somehow linked to the Dark Lord in some way, but, nothing he knew about him corresponded with America 1918.

"Harry," Hermione started, "listen to this."

Harry turned immediately. "What is it?"

He had previously asked Hermione to find out everything she could on the time period and place.

"Well, it says here, that the years 1918 was one of the most devastating times in all of history."

Harry nodded to show that she had his attention and she continued.

"Due to an epidemic of Influenza more American people were killed than in the Civil War, which had shed more American blood than any other war in the country's entire history."

Harry's eyes widened. "The Spanish Influenza?"

"Yes."

Harry turned and stared out the window. Had Voldemort lost a family member due to the illness? That would somehow tie in the year. But, then, why would one of his relatives have been in America? Muggle America, at that.

A relation to his father, perhaps, but, then, he was ashamed of his father. Why hide something there?

Harry sighed, exasperated, in defeat and let his head fall into his hands. "It's so confusing, Hermione."

Hermione nodded. "I know. I haven't even begun to figure it out."

Harry looked up at her. "My main question is, how did Dumbledore ever discover this?"

Hermione shook her head. "Beats me."

Harry suddenly stood and walked over to the door. "Come on, we need to figure this out."

Hermione stood and followed him out into the hall. "Are we going to talk to Dumbledore?"

"Yes."

They walked hastily through the darkening corridors, careful not to attract the suspicion of Filch.

They muttered, "Sugar plum," to the statue and then hurried into the office of Albus Dumbledore.

"Ah! Harry and Hermione do come in." Dumbledore greeted warmly. "I have been expecting you."

Harry and Hermione sat in the chairs facing Dumbledore's desk and then each politely refused the offered lemon drops.

"So," Dumbledore started with a smile, "what can I do for you?"

"Well," said Harry, "we have question pertaining to this mission you've assigned to us."

The Headmaster nodded. "Of course you do." Then he motioned for Harry to continue.

Harry took a deep breath, "how did you discover where Voldemort hid the horcruxe?"

Dumbledore smiled. "I was expecting that."

Both Harry and Hermione waited in unconcealed and immense anticipation.

"Well, as you know, Severus Snape has been working under me as a spy within Voldemort's circle of followers.

It was by mere chance that the Dark Lord entrusted the information to Severus, whom he believes is one of his most faithful. He also shared it with Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy and Barty Crouch Jr."

Harry's jaw dropped suddenly. "But…I though the Dementors had gotten Barty Crouch?"

Dumbledore nodded. "They did, but they now work for Voldemort, whom can summon back the souls that were taken."

Hermione shook her head, "unbelievable."

"Did Voldemort tell Snape any more than that?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. Severus did not even know it was a horcruxe; all he was informed of was that something of great value to the Dark Lord was hidden in America of 1918. Sadly, though, Severus could not find out anything more because not long after relaying the information, Lord Voldemort seemed to have second thoughts and wiped it off all the memories of those few he told."

"Well," Harry pressed on, "what exactly are we looking for?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "I can' be certain. If I knew that this whole thing would be a lot less complicated than it actually is."

Harry nodded. "Alright, then I have another question. How does this place and time relate to Voldemort?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I cannot be sure of that either. Something about it must have drawn him towards it."

"Professor," Hermione interjected, "I read that an epidemic of Influenza had spread across America in this time. Won't that be a tad dangerous?"

Dumbledore nodded, "yes, but, I have taken all the necessary precautions. You will be given a potion which will build your immunity to the disease. So, none of you can possible be effected by it."

He winked. "Wouldn't want to lose any of you within the flow of time would we?"

Hermione and Harry nodded and Dumbledore stood, "Any more questions?"

"Oh yes," Hermione began, "Uhm. Why wasn't Ronald one of the ones chosen to go?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Ah. That is because I have chosen him to be an observer with me."

"An observer?" Harry questioned.

"Yes," answered Dumbledore. "He and I will be keeping an eye on all of you. See, when you go back in time, time here stops. Ronald and I will be outside of time as we observe you."

Hermione smiled in fascination. "That's amazing."

Dumbledore nodded, "yes. I was the one who created out little time device."

Harry smiled. "I figured as much."

"Alright," Dumbledore stated. "The two of you had better be off and start getting ready for your journey."

Harry and Hermione both nodded and stood to leave. "Thank-you, Professor."

"Not at all, Ms. Granger, I'm glad you came."

Harry smiled, "yeah, thanks."

"Happy to help," Dumbledore answered with a retuning smile. "I will see the two of you tonight."

I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.II.I.II.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.II.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.II.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.II.

The golden glow of twilight illuminated the platinum hair of Draco Malfoy; his troubled, stormy gaze moved across the distant horizon. Within his hands, he held a book; a book titled, 'The Nature of the Heart'.

He smiled to himself as he reflected on one of the passages….

'Within every heart resides a bitter ache which none but love can soothe.

It festers and burns until it becomes nearly unbearable to stand.

Within every mind lurks a lingering doubt, which will not subside without the quenching words of love.

It consumes and overshadows all sensible reason; the darkest side of this thing that we call love.

When it becomes painful to feel and the mind is tricked into believing the worst of things.

The essence of love; the overlooked truth of its dark nature."

Draco sighed. Love. What was the point of it?

Countless people throughout history had suffered at the hands of it. They had made themselves vulnerable to its powerful clutches and allowed it to consume them forever.

All the myths that stated that love is immortal and pure, like an impassioned flame, had failed to convey the whole truth.

Everyone seemed to always overlook the fact that love, indeed, possesses a dark side.

"I will never fall into its clever trap." Draco silently promised himself. "I will never become love's fool."

"Draco, are you ready?" Severus Snape questioned, after hearing the younger Slytherins outburst.

Draco turned and nodded with widened eyes. "Yes."

"Alright then, try to get some decent sleep before we leave."

Draco nodded once more before turning back to the window, "In a minute."

He heard Snape leave before opening the book and turning the page to another passage.

'Those who welcome love, welcome pain. For you cannot have one without the other.'

Draco nodded. "You cannot have one without the other."

He looked up, baffled. What did people find so great about truly finding love? What could it possibly hold that would sustain them?

He shook his head, "insane."

He turned the page and then his brows furrowed as he realized that half the page was missing.

'Is the one thing, the one reason that I could ever find that I was able to understand. After searching for countless years, this is the one answer that has opened up my eyes to the reason for love. Its beauty, its greatness, is all explained.'

Draco's heart fluttered in frustration. "What answer?"

What was it? He then noticed that the torn page was not part of the book at all; he slid the foreign parchment out of the confines of the text, and then proceeded to observe it curiously.

"Where did this come from?" He mused.

It was a completely different texture, but in the very same handwriting.

Did it, by some impossible means, belong to the lost addition to the book he now held?

The author, Pedigrue Maryweather, had written one final text before he died, but it had been stolen before he could publish it.

'The lost manuscript,' Draco thought in astonishment. 'Could it be?'

He lifted the parchment and re-read it carefully. The final answer, the one Pedigrue had devoted his entire life searching for.

He eyed the paper proudly. 'It must be.'

Excitement filled hi gaze, and he stood and examined it over and over again before grabbing the biography of Pedigrue MaryWeather and reading the desired passage…

'But, sadly, the manuscript was stolen and never seen again. He died after searching many years for it and never finding a single clue as to its whereabouts.

On his death bed, he wrote one final letter, containing the final passage of his book. This letter was delivered to an unknown source, whom many had assumed was the only one entrusted with this final information.

He died with a smile upon his face and a single rose held to his heart. ' I love you' he had whispered with his final breath.

The day and year was October 15, 1918.'

Something within Draco's mind instantly clicked upon the reading the date and he realized that it corresponded with the date they were being sent to.

His eyes widened and his mouth parted in astonishment.

At long last, he was not only gaining the opportunity to meet his favorite author, but he had just discovered something himself did not even know.

He smiled a genuine smile as he thought of how he had discovered a mystery that would astonish all those who knew him.

'Especially that Mudblood, Hermione Granger." He thought with glee.

He felt like shouting out in triumph as he clutched the torn parchment tightly to his chest.

Nothing could suppress the immense pleasure he now felt. He was finally going to discover what the final words of wisdom were, which Pedigrue had searched his entire life for.

'Let Potter and the others find Voldemort's valuable item, and I will discover the secret of Pedigrue MaryWeather.'

He was on the brink of discovering the answer to a question that he had been desiring to answer since as long as he could remember.

What made love worth it?