A/N: Sorry it's been so long; hope it was worth the wait.

Chapter 40: Crossing Over

The talk with Malfoy had left me a little off-balance. My prior enemies – Snape and Draco – were now my allies, my best friend was dating by far the most brilliantly insightful (and odd) girl I'd probably ever meet in my life, and the supposed 'leader of the Light' was fostering a Horcrux in a phoenix. I shook my head and knocked once again on Snape's office door.

"What is it Potter?" he snarled as he glared down at me.

"I have it. I saw him just now, and he gave it to me." There was no need for me to clarify who or what -- there was only one pair that could be considered too important to wait.

"Very well." He said, stepping aside to allow me entry. "I'll see what I can arrange to dispose of it. Albus is away, but the wards on the castle will detect the release of evil and sound an alarm to bring him back. We'll have to go into the forest."

"Well, what are we waiting for! We have to get this done!"

"We have to wait." He said, rubbing his eyes wearily. "The full moon is tonight, and there is a clan of werewolves that have settled on the other side of the forest. It would be a suicide mission to release dark energy into the forest tonight. The werewolves would sense it and be drawn right to us, and we'd be sitting ducks because the spell has to be cast by three people simultaneously. If the circle is broken before the spirit is dissolved it could possess one of us or worse – it could possess one of them. I imagine that I don't need to tell you how disastrous it would be to have the Dark Lord's spirit in a werewolf's body."

"No you don't." I agreed shuddering. "But what are you going to do with it in the mean time? You can't wear it – it'll only make it harder to destroy."

"I'm not sure… perhaps I could put it in stasis. At least then it won't gain any power. It's not an ideal situation, however…"

I nodded. "It's better than the alternative. So you think that it'll be safe to destroy in a few days? We probably shouldn't wait too long. He might decide to check on it, and then we'll have a whole new pile of shit to sort out."

I watched as Snape placed the entire box in a jar filled with a luminous, semi-liquid substance. "Indeed."

xxx

The next day the Headmaster accosted me in the hall after dinner.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, grabbing my elbow and steering me towards his office, "May I have a word?"

"Of course." I followed him up to his office, all the while wondering what the old man was up to this time. After I took the offered seat (and declined the tea and sweets) I gave my full attention to the Headmaster.

"Harry, it has come to my attention that you are more… mature than you were before, and that I am no doubt at least partially responsible. I should not have left you with the Dursleys, nor should I have allowed you to return there year after year. I should have told you about the prophecy when you first asked all those years ago, but…" here he trailed off, eyes gazing unfocused at some fixed point behind me. Shaking his head, he continued. "It doesn't matter why I didn't tell you, all that matters is that I put you and your friends in danger by keeping it from you. I know that Sirius meant to you more than perhaps anyone else had in your life, and I know that in keeping the details of the prophecy from you coupled with keeping him in an environment that he'd loathed since childhood, I contributed to his death. For that, and for the other transgressions against you that I have committed, I am truly remorseful."

I surveyed Dumbledore with no small amount of suspicion. Of all the things that I'd imagined I'd hear, an apology was not one of them.

"Something's happened, hasn't it?" I whispered, afraid. Of all the things that he could have said – of all the things that he had said – this apology made me extremely uneasy. It almost sounded as if the old man was trying to make amends now because he didn't think he'd be around to do it later. But that couldn't be true, could it? He'd have to have either lost or used his Horcrux in order for that to happen. No sooner had the thought manifested itself had my eyes sought the perch where Fawkes normally sat.

"Ah." The Headmaster said, following my gaze. "The curse from Riddle's ring was killing me, and I have too much to teach you – too much time to make up for not to save myself if I could. Fawkes will be in recovery for quite some time, and I do not plan to make another."

"But that doesn't mean you won't." I accused.

He smiled ruefully. "I only made the first to ensure that I would live long enough to pass my knowledge of Tom on to you. If Death comes to call before I have completed that task, then perhaps I will make another, and perhaps I will not. I cannot say for certain what I will do in the future."

"I understand. What is it you wish to teach me?"

"History." He stated simply.

"History? I don't understand." I admitted confused.

"I will impart to you my knowledge of the history of Tom Marvolo Riddle, for if we fail to learn from the past, then we are doomed to repeat it. I never truly fulfilled my destiny. Gellert and I… there was too much of a history between us, and I still fancied that he could be rehabilitated; that with enough time he would become the man that he once was. I was destined to slay him, but when it came down to it, I couldn't. The world lauds me as a hero, but in truth I am a coward. I was afraid that killing him would make me just as bad and that once the newness of salvation had worn off, society would hunt me like they had him. So I liberated society, but I never realized my destiny and have instead burdened someone else's shoulders with it. I have burdened your shoulders with it. Voldemort is not the only Dark Lord you need to destroy, Harry. If you do not do what I could not, Tom will gain from Gellert knowledge that he did not have in the first war, and upon acting on it make himself invincible. I wish that I had displayed as much courage facing my destiny as you have when facing yours, and I wish that I did not have to ask you to finish what I dare not, but I know that given the choice, I could never strike down Gellert. For all the evil he has done, he still holds my heart in his own, and I cannot look upon him without seeing him as he once was."

I closed my eyes against the budding headache that Dumbledore's request had summoned. I better have a damn good afterlife waiting for me when I die.

"Harry?" he asked, sounding concerned. "I know that it's a lot to ask, but--"

"I'll do it." I stated, eyes snapping open to hold his gaze. "I'll do it. All that I ask is that you don't keep anymore secrets from me about Voldemort, the war, or myself, and that you stay out of my way and let me do this the way I want."

His shoulders sagged in relief. "Of course. If there is any way that I can assist you in fulfilling your destiny, please let me know. I owe you at least that much."

I agreed and took my leave of his office. Once the gargoyle had shut behind me I sighed in angry frustration. Why is it always me?