Chapter 5
The Prophecy
[Author's Note: Oodles of love to everyone who reviewed/liked/followed the story – especially those who took the time to leave me a review. You keep me going! Reached the Middle East, but another flight awaits before I get to my destination. I'm realising I'm infinitely more productive at airports.]
The prophecy left Harry numb. He would either be a murderer or end up dead. Would he be able to live with himself if he actually managed to kill Voldemort? How was he even supposed to kill the dark wizard? He didn't have any special powers, let alone a 'power he knows not' – Hermione was much smarter. He was just an average boy wizard. Perhaps he should just let Voldemort kill him the next time he tried.
"Harry," Sherlock's deep voice shook Harry out of his depressing thoughts.
"Perhaps Albus was right. He is too young for this knowledge," Severus muttered.
Sherlock shook his head. "I have met Harry only recently, but I know for certain that he is much stronger than you give him credit for. He appreciates the truth."
Harry nodded weakly.
"We will get you through this, Harry, I promise," Emrys told him, eyes flashing gold.
"Let us look at this logically," Sherlock said. "Voldemort, at present, does not have a corporeal form, yes? He told Harry so when he tried to steal the philosopher's stone."
Severus nodded.
"Then Harry found a diary which contained the essence of Voldemort, but was unaware of his present state beyond what the girl had written in it."
Severus nodded again.
The Holmes exchanged a dark look.
"This can only mean one thing," Mycroft said, rubbing his forehead as if to stave off a headache. "Voldemort split his soul – not once, but multiple times. If I were to guess, I would say seven – it is the most powerful magical number."
"So we find these objects and destroy the embedded piece of his soul. As soon as the last soul-vessel is destroyed, Voldemort will be dead for good," Sherlock said.
Severus nodded. "Albus thinks so, too. However, he also believes that for the Dark Lord to be finally destroyed, he must be in mortal form…and we must, at some point of time, allow him to regain his body."
"Albus has gone senile in his old age," Sherlock snapped. "Why would we want him to regain his powers when we can get rid of him before that?"
"Even if we find and destroy all the…horcruxes, I believe they are called, how do we kill the spirit which moves around without a body?" Severus argued.
"But he's not without a body, is he?" Sherlock replied. "He possesses things and people. If we bind him to one, we will be able to destroy him."
"No," Harry said finally. "I will not let you risk yourselves. I'm the one under the prophecy, I must do it or die trying."
"The prophecy, if you indeed want to believe in a woolly discipline like divination, does not say that you have to do it yourself," Sherlock retorted. "We will ensure that you win. You are an honorary Holmes now, after all, and a Holmes will always win in the end."
Harry swallowed with great difficulty. A thought suddenly struck him.
"How do you split your soul?" he asked Mycroft.
"I believe you have to kill with extreme prejudice," Mycroft said.
"Dumbledore said that I can speak Parseltongue because Voldemort can, and my wand has the same phoenix's tail-feather as Voldemort…so, when Voldemort tried to kill me, what if he left a part of his soul in me?"
The Holmes brothers looked unsurprised and Severus flinched – confirming Harry's worst fears. The Headmaster knew it, too, then. He had been raising Harry so that he could die at the right moment.
"Don't worry, Harry," Emrys said softly. "I am perfectly capable of removing an unwanted soul-fragment from a living person."
Harry smiled weakly.
Sherlock levelled his best I-can-see-into-your-soul gaze at Severus. "You were a Death Eater. You will know the likely candidates to hold the soul-vessels. A diary was given to Malfoy. Who else? And what else?"
Severus racked his brains. "Bellatrix Lestrange must have something; she was his favourite. It is possible that Regulus Black had another and tried to destroy it – the Dark Lord killed him for it. There may be one hidden at Hogwarts…I know for a fact that the Dark Lord wanted to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts and cursed the position when Dumbledore refused to give it to him. It's why no one lasts at the job for more than a year. Nagini, his pet snake, might be one – she was always much to large and vicious to be an ordinary snake. With the diary and Harry, it makes six. I have no idea of the last."
"Then let's start with the ones we know," Emrys said.
Sherlock looked thoughtful. "He was obsessed with blood purity and claimed to be the heir of Slytherin. I am certain we will find something if we look into his history." He looked at Harry. "We will do this, Harry. I promise."
"One more question, Professor," Emrys said. "What does Albus think of the power he knows not?"
Severus snorted. "Love."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to love Voldemort to death?"
The adults laughed.
Mycroft turned to Severus. "Will you be able to keep this discussion from Albus or would you prefer to forget?"
Severus sighed. "Much as I would like to say yes, I fear Obliviate is a better course of action. I would like to remember what I learnt of Harry, though. Prophecy onwards should be removed."
Emrys stepped forward. "I'll do it."
Severus looked surprised. "Wouldn't Lord Holmes be a better choice?"
Mycroft laughed. "Emrys is the incarnation of magic, Professor."
Black eyes widened in shock. "Who are you?" he whispered.
"Merlin," Emrys replied and his eyes flashed gold.
Severus knew no more.
XXX
Mycroft, Sherlock and Emrys made a formidable team. They didn't involve John as he was busy with his wife's impending delivery, but Sirius and Remus were immediately roped in. Moriarty was all but forgotten in the hunt for horcruxes.
Emrys had removed Voldemort's soul from Harry as soon as Severus left. Harry, to his surprise, found that he was not only unharmed, but retained his knowledge of Parseltongue. The next thing they found, thanks to Kreacher, was the Slytherin locket. Emrys brought Excalibur to Harry and let him wield it, much to his delight. The Hufflepuff Cup was found in Bellatrix's vault, thanks to Mycroft's Azkaban visit to interrogate the madwoman – Harry and Emrys ended up freeing the Gringotts dragon in the process. Sherlock traced Riddle's family and found the Slytherin ring. Sirius and Remus visited Hogwarts on the pretext of requesting Dumbledore to make Sirius the substitute for Remus' around full moon (a request Dumbledore accepted immediately, sensing, perhaps, that he would need to get into Harry's good books again) and returned with Ravenclaw's diadem. Harry destroyed each horcrux with great relish. The snake and Voldemort himself proved difficult to trace, however, and it was time for Harry to meet his friend and go off to Hogwarts.
XXX
John's daughter, Emma Rose, was born two days before Harry was scheduled to leave. Sherlock was named godfather and Harry was roped in to ensure that Sherlock took his role seriously.
"Don't worry, John," Harry reassured the doctor. "Sherlock is the best guardian a child can possibly have. Besides, it's a package deal – Mycroft and Emrys tag along, too. Emma will be the best-protected baby in Britain."
John smiled and hugged the boy. "Just like you," he said. "You are backed by the combined power of the three men who can take over the world in a week if they choose to do so. I am very glad you stepped into our lives, Harry. I worry less for Sherlock now."
Harry was rendered speechless.
XXX
Things were fine until September 1. Cornelius Fudge, in an attempt to showcase his competence, turned the Dementors loose to hunt for Pettigrew.
Harry's new guardians had taken great care to keep him away from Dementors during Sirius' trial. Unfortunately, no Holmes was aboard the Hogwarts Express when the Dementors struck. Fortunately, Remus and Sirius were. But Harry had already experienced his first encounter with the foul creatures by the time Sirius' wolfhound patronus turned up to keep him safe.
