A/N: To find out just how Snape acquired the book, see the ficlet, Calling in Favors.

Chapter 26: Retrieval

"Harry, I have that… item we discussed." Severus announced, handing me a parcel the size and weight of Hogwarts, a History. I didn't ask him how he'd done it – I was simply relieved that he had.

"Thank you sir." I said, peeling off the brown paper to reveal a book bound in black dragon hide. As I opened to the first page, a chill crept into the room.

"Did you feel that?" I asked Snape.

"Yes, it does have a rather ominous feel to it." He replied.

I only nodded and continued turning the pages. The ink glittered in the now dimmed candlelight, and the pages had a texture quite unlike any parchment I'd ever felt.

"What kind of ink is this? And the pages… this isn't normal parchment, is it?" I inquired of the Professor.

"It's not ink, per se… and that's not parchment either."

I traced my hand across the page, relishing the velvety feel of it. "What is it?"

"Unicorn."

My hand stalled over the page. "This book was written with unicorn blood?"

Snape nodded. "And the pages made of its hair, yes."

I could feel his eyes on me. "How many…?"

"There are three copies of this book in existence. This is the only one that has been translated into English. The others are in the original Russian; one is the original scroll."

"And whoever translated this copy did it this way because…"

"Because it was the only way. The spells won't work unless the book has been written in the blood of the innocent on the skin of the innocent, and bound in the skin of a dragon."

"That's… barbaric."

"Not as barbaric as it could be. The original scroll is rumored to have been written on the skin of a virgin priestess and in the blood of her stillborn sister."

"That's… sick. Just… no, I don't even want to think about that. How could anyone do something like that?"

"You'd be surprised what people would go through to cheat Death."

"Yeah…"

Xxx

Reading Volta de Morte was interesting – if not gruesome and depressing. Anything could be used as a Horcrux – even other people. To think that someone would be evil enough to stick part of their soul in someone else's body... I shuddered. If that were the case with Voldemort, then who knows how many innocents I'd have to go through to be rid of him? And the number a person could make were virtually limitless! One man recommended six – seven is the most magically charged number in the universe, and if you had six Horcruxes, you'd have seven pieces of your soul. Rasputin disagreed. He believed that you should have eight – so that you could have nine lives, like a cat. He also believed in making Horcruxes out of cats, so that you could essentially have seventy-three chances to cheat death. I honestly hope that Voldemort didn't listen to him…

The book wasn't just about making Horcruxes – it also had the ritualistic procedures needed to return to corporeal form. Apparently, Voldemort did it wrong – you're not supposed to use the blood of your enemy; you're supposed to use the blood of a friend or lover. I snorted. Like Tom Riddle had any lovers The blood of your enemy would do, but if you wanted to return with the full range of powers that you possessed before you lost corporeal form, you had to use the blood of someone that "held you dear to their heart, and keeps you there always". Bellatrix would have worked easily – there isn't anyone more devoted to him than her – except maybe Barty Crouch Jr.

The further I got into the book, the more disturbing it got. It gave details on how to "sever your soul" and "call the shard from beyond the veil to anchor it to a vessel". And there were more ways to rip your soul than just killing someone – if you tortured them into insanity that would work too. Better not tell Bellatrix that… There were also ways to make Horcruxes for someone else – I skipped that chapter altogether. And there were ways to permanently resurrect the dead – even if you didn't have a body for them. So, theoretically, I could resurrect Sirius or my parents…but would they want to come back? Probably not, I thought morosely, they're probably happy.

Xxx

Hours passed as I sat in the library, bent over the ancient tome. How long exactly I sat there, I have no idea.

"Harry." Snape said, stepping into the library, "Put the book down and get some rest. My colleague said that spending too much time with it could have negative effects on your mental state."

"Just let me finish this chapter." I said, my eyes never leaving the book.

"No. Put the book away, get dinner, and go to bed."

"But Professor--"

Snape stormed over to the table and shut the book with a decisive thud. "Now."

I sighed, knowing I was defeated. "Yes sir."

Snape's eyes followed me as I collected my things. "I want to be rid of him just as much as you do Harry, but this book is a dark artifact. Prolonged contact with such an item has been known to unhinge wiser men than Albus. I must insist that you do not spend more than two consecutive hours with this book."

"Yes sir."

"Good." Snape followed me to the door and rested a hand on my shoulder. "There are some leftovers in the cupboard in the kitchen. After you eat, I suggest you get some rest. Lupin will be by to take you to Diagon Alley in the morning."