I hope you are holding on because this will be a CRAZY rollercoaster ride to the end! Hope you enjoy! :D

Chapter Ninety-three

Memories

When she landed in the Forbidden Forest she incinerated the horn and then quickly made her way along the path to the hidden passage and through it. She wasn't sure if the tunnel would still be unwarded but she'd try this way first. To her relief she made it all the way to the stone statue of an evil looking serpent and opening it slowly she peered out and, seeing no one, she slipped out and sealed it herself.

She knew it had to be close to curfew if not a little after. She was just thinking she had better vanish the blood and dirt off when a cold quiet voice stopped her feet as her heart slammed into over drive.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come back. Ten points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew!"

Taylor wheeled, palming her wand, to glare at the Head Boy. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that was obvious. Catching a sneak." The Hufflepuff was leaning against the wall casually but the set of his jaw and the hardness in his eyes was anything but casual.

"Why don't you just piss off Hunter!" Taylor snapped, her feelings were roiling too close to the surface and she knew if she didn't get away from him she'd either jinx him or kiss him.

"You better watch it Porter, I could give you detention. Or if I let it slip that you've been off galavanting around the countryside again, maybe even worse!" The cold voice held a hint of menace.

"You really are a sodding git, you know that Hunter! Do whatever you want! But unless you plan on drawing your wand I'm going." Turning her back on him she started up the corridor again.

Two figures came around the corner and Taylor recognized them instantly.

"Ohhh! A lovers spat! Disgustingly revolting! What's the matter Mudblood? Did Hunter finally get tired of sharing you with Potter and Weasley?" Parkinson asked viciously. The Slytherin seventh year wizard with her laughed coldly.

"Parkinson unless you want to spend the few remaining days you have here at Hogwarts in the hospital I suggest you shove off! Now!" Taylor said in a low warning tone. She wasn't in the mood for a fight but she wasn't about to back away either.

Parkinson laughed. "Oh Mudblood. I don't think so, not this time!"

Taylor already had her wand in her hand and the instant that the two Slytherins went for their wands she stunned the two of them. Turning around she saw the Head Boy push off the wall and stride towards her. Behind him four more Slytherins came skidding around the corner and she figured that something must have held them up. Parkinson had hastily made plans to get her back and they hadn't come together quite like the Slytherin witch had planned.

With a flourish she fired two spells past the Head Boy before he had time to draw his wand. Advancing, her wand a blur, she made it past him as she blocked and fired letting loose her pent up anger, and within moments all four Slytherins lay on the floor.

"Ten points from Gryffindor! For fighting in the hallways!"

Taylor wheeled her lip curling up over her teeth in fury. "Go to hell Hunter before I stun you and leave you here with this bunch of gits!"

"That wouldn't surprise me Porter. You've already proven that you'll leave a person in a vulnerable position!" was the cold reply.

Taylor's wand had red sparks spitting from the end as she glared at the Head Boy attempting to get a grip on her temper. "That's right! I'm dangerous like that! So stay the hell away from me!" She spit the words out like they were something foul before she stalked past the tall Hufflepuff to the corner and around it before her feet started to run. Anger fueled her and she raced up through the castle using every short cut and back stairway she knew, barely avoiding a patrolling auror once, to finally reach the Fat Lady gasping for air.

As soon as she could, she uttered the password and went into the common room, where her brother was waiting along with the others in the loud crowded common room. She didn't give Harry time to say a word, she just headed up to his room knowing he and the others would follow.

"Where have you been? Hermione said that Hunter had told her that you'd gotten some sort of message and went tearing off!" Harry demanded the second they were in his dorm room, which thankfully was empty. With exams being over, everyone was looking to celebrate and going to bed early wasn't high on anyone's list.

Taylor warded and silenced the room before she turned to her brother. "I went to meet the Death Eater. But what's more important, I know where we can fight Voldemort!"

"You went to see him again!"

"Bloody Hell Taylor! What did you do that for?"

"What did you find out?" Ginny asked calmly.

"Not all that much from him. He gave me some memories that I need to see in a Pensive. They are supposed to be clues for the last two Horcrux." Taylor said to the red-haired witch.

"I thought we had decided that it was Nigini." Ron said.

"Well that will be a little troublesome don't you think? If we go after Nigini before we kill Voldemort he'll know we know about the Horcruxes." Taylor said in a dismissive tone. She had something bigger to tell them.

"So where is this wondrous place exactly?" Harry asked sarcastically, as he glared at his sister. He really didn't understand what went through her head at times.

"At the Ministry for Magic! In the Department of Mysteries to be exact!" Taylor proclaimed with a satisfied grin.

"Are you barking mad?" Ron shouted.

"You have got to be joking!" Harry said shaking his head, wondering if maybe the obviously broken nose she was sporting had somehow addled her brains.

"The Department of Mysteries? Why there?" asked Hermione as she started to think about it.

Taylor grinned at her friend, "Because of the locked room!" The blank looks on her brother's and friends' faces told her that she needed to explain further. "The locked room is full of a powerful positive magical force. It's the Room of Love. Dumbledore told Harry about it at the end of fifth year…" she trailed off as they really didn't seem to get as excited over it as she was.

"Wouldn't the room with the Dark Veil be better? Maybe we could get Voldemort close enough to it and push him in!" Ron suggested half-heartedly.

Taylor stared from one to the other and knew they just didn't get it.

"Okay," Harry started skeptically because he could see how crestfallen his sister looked and wanted to try to understand her idea. "If we go to the Department of Mysteries and find the locked room what makes you think we can get through it this time? We couldn't last time!"

"Because this time we know that Ancient magic sealed it… and I can use Dark Magic this time!" Taylor explained forcefully.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked, and Taylor quickly told them about going to the Head Boy's house and asking his father.

After a few well-chosen oaths from the two wizards, Hermione shook her head and said, "I think that was very dangerous! You could have put Greg's parents in danger by going there. Plus that was a very dangerous piece of information to ask. What if Mr. Hunter tells someone?"

Taylor shook her head. They didn't get it. She started to pace as she thought. Deep down in her very soul Taylor knew that she was right. The images of her last nightmare, that had been plaguing her ever since, finally made sense. Deep in thought, it took a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Hey, I'm not saying that it isn't a good idea, just that we need to think about it some more." Harry said gently, "What happened to your nose?"

Taylor felt her teeth clench and said through them, "I'm surprised Hermione didn't tell you. I'm sure he'd enjoy gloating over that one!"

It was Ginny who caught on first. She knew that the last few weeks, ever since the last full moon, Taylor had refused to talk about Greg and if she absolutely needed to speak of him she never used his name. "Greg broke your nose? Why would he do something like that?"

"Because he thought he'd stop me from going. Bloody tosser!" Taylor snapped.

"Greg broke your nose?" Harry asked surprised and then he said tongue-in-cheek, "Well I guess I can't blame him for that. I would have done worse if I'd've caught you sneaking off to go see a Death Eater!"

Taylor gave her brother a dirty look, but Hermione interrupted what was likely to escalate to a shouting match between the two. "Oh for heavens sake! I know Greg would never have done anything to you on purpose Taylor! And so do you. Here I can fix your nose for you and then you can go get cleaned up." The bushy-haired witch quickly gave a swish of her wand and a little crunching sound followed by a groan had Taylor's nose fixed. "You'll probably have two black eyes tomorrow but if you go to Pomfrey she can have those cleared up by tomorrow night."

Taylor's thank you was short before she strode to the door and, releasing the wards, left.

Hermione watched her friend leave with a sad sigh. She really didn't understand what had gotten into the witch. First she had broken up with Greg for no apparent reason and then refused to talk about it. Of course with NEWTs nearly on them she hadn't had much time to think about it, but now…

"Do you know why Taylor broke up with Greg?" she asked no one in particular.

Harry shook his head. He was just as astounded as the others. His sister had refused to even speak to him about it. "I don't know. Like I told you, when she came out of that classroom with Greg's father and uncle she was different. She wasn't even in there that long. I know they weren't all that happy with the fact that she could use Dark Magic but with Moody watching with his magical eye they couldn't have done anything to her."

"She just wouldn't break up with him because his father and uncle were upset. There has to be more to it than that. I've talked to him about it and he is just as confused as we are. He really isn't taking the break up very well. I happened to run into Ernie this evening and he said Greg is really upset. Do you think he followed her after the exams to maybe talk to her?"

"I don't know but the bloody git better not have hit Taylor, upset or not!" Ron growled.

"I think she's trying to distance herself from him." Ginny said quietly. When the others looked at her she continued. "She's already told us that she doubts she'll make it through this fight. If she is as convinced as she seemed to be with the location, then wouldn't it stand to reason she is trying to make it easier on him if she doesn't."

The other three were silent for a long moment.

"Well that's just barking mad! Anybody can see the bloody bloke is crazy over her! She can't expect Hunter to just get over her like that." Ron exclaimed in exasperation.

"I didn't say it made sense," Ginny said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Taylor had gone up to her dorm room and after a quick shower had grabbed parchment, quill and ink and set about drawing up plans for her idea. When she heard someone coming she had pulled her coverings closed and sealed them. She worked most of the night until she was too exhausted to keep her eyes open, like she had every night since the full moon, and she fell into a fitful sleep plagued by images of blue eyes and the haunting howl of a werewolf.

At dawn the next morning she was awake and she got up, already planning her next move. Getting dressed and pulling her once again clean school robe on, she slipped silently out of her room. She moved down one stair case and up the other and into her brother's room. Carefully she opened his trunk and after a quick search took out the Map and slipped back down to the common room. Activating it, she looked carefully around the school and, other than Mrs. Norris, no one seemed to be up except the patrolling aurors on the lower floors. Not unusual for that early in the morning.

She looked at the Head Mistress' office and noted McGonagall looked to still be asleep. Then almost of their own accord, her eyes searched out and saw the dot labeled Greg Hunter in his common room, unmoving. Even as she told herself not to, she stared at that dot and time had no meaning as she thought back to all the good times they had. The way the tall dark haired wizard could make her laugh, or even smile, with just a look. Her heart pounded painfully as she remembered the way he made her feel, safe in his arms and protected. Something she hadn't truly felt since she had lost her uncle.

Deep down she knew that his remarks to her, just like hers had been, were to cover up the pain he felt. She wished that she could make it so that he didn't hurt, but what kept her going, what made her put one foot in front of the other, was the thought that this way, if she didn't reach the end of the fight, that he would heal. In time.

When McGonagall finally got up and headed out of her office for the Great Hall, Taylor slipped out of the still empty Gryffindor common room and headed for the stone gargoyle, easily avoiding anyone with the help of the Map.

Stepping off the revolving stair case, she finally reached the oak door, checking the Map one last time she pushed open the door. The Head Mistress' office was lit up by the early morning sun as she moved across it to a cabinet that she was fairly sure held the Pensive she needed. Opening it, she could see the round stone bowl and she carefully took it out and set it on the large oak desk. Glancing around she noticed that Dumbledore was absent from his picture frame, and all the other portraits seemed to be asleep.

Pouring the vial Snape had given her into the Pensive, she looked at it for a moment and then, just like her brother had told her he did, she put her head down and when she touched the swirling mass she felt like she was upended and fell.

The scene that appeared was a bright sunny day and a little girl with dark mahogany hair put up in pigtails sat beside a thin narrow boy with dark lanky looking hair.

Taylor crept closer and she heard them speaking.

"I told you Lily that you were different. See you're a witch just like I'm a wizard. What did your parents say when you got your letter?" The lanky dark haired boy asked.

"Well they were really surprised. Mum's so excited. Dad and she are taking me to Diagon Alley the first of next week to get my school stuff. Have you ever been to Diagon Alley?" The red-haired girl asked.

"Sure. A bunch of times! It's really neat!"

Taylor felt a warm glow spread through her whole body, this was her Mum. She was seeing her Mum for the first time in something other than a picture. As she watched she heard a very young Snape talking about Diagon Alley and Hogwarts.

After a while the scene shifted and they were on the Hogwarts Express both with their school robes on sitting in the same cabin. The scene shifted again and the two were a little older, possibly third year, walking through the corridors together.

"So what did you think of the potion Professor Slughorn gave us?" the thirteen year old Lily asked.

"It wasn't that bad. Until Potter dropped that dung bomb into Goyle's cauldron!" the thirteen year old Snape hissed.

"Honestly I don't know why Professor Slughorn doesn't kick them both out!" Lily said disgustedly.

"Oi! Evans!" a voice called and the two kept walking but Taylor looked behind them and saw a black haired spitting image of her brother hurrying to catch up to them and a dark haired tall boy with him. It had to be her father and Sirius Black, at age thirteen. When they stopped, Taylor could see that she did in fact have her father's eyes, though his twinkled with mischief and the smile on his face was easy and carefree. Something she had never been.

He messed up his hair as he spoke, "So Evans you coming to watch me tomorrow? You can bring Snivilus along if you want. When we beat the Slytherins you can show him where the losers go!"

"Why don't you just go jump in the lake, Potter! If I go to the game tomorrow it won't be to watch an arrogant toe rag like you! Now shove off before I do something you'll regret!" Lily snapped as she pushed past James Potter and Sirius Black who both laughed as if Lily had said something very funny.

The scene changed again. A tearful older Lily and an angry Snape.

Then it completely changed. It was dark and they weren't at Hogwarts but on an empty hill top. Snape was on his knees, a look of total devastation about him. A pop and Dumbledore stood there was well.

"He told me he would spare her…" the voice was anguished almost unrecognizable. "He promised…"

"Severus! What are you talking about?" Dumbledore demanded in a hard voice.

"Lily… the Dark Lord told me that he would spare her!"

"Lily… Potter? Severus what has happened to the Potters" Dumbledore's voice seemed to vibrate with authority.

"He found out where they lived… the secret keeper told him. He promised me…" the howl of agony in his voice cut through Taylor. Whatever else Snape might be, she had no doubt that he loved her mother.

The scene shifted again. It was in the Head Master's office, by the look of Dumbledore it was around their sixth year. She could see his blackened hand anyway.

"Severus you need to promise me two things. One when the time comes you will make sure you give the right memories to Harry and two that if it comes down to it you will take over Draco's mission and take my life instead of him."

"Head Master you can't be serious! Surely…" Snape started to say but Dumbledore interrupted him.

"Severus please, I am dying. I don't have much longer. My own foolishness caused me this," the Head Master held up his blackened hand. "I need to know that should something happen to me, that Harry gets the information that he needs. You will know when the time is right. If he is to have any chance at all of defeating Tom Riddle then he has to have this information."

Snape resignedly nodded his head.

"And you need to promise me too that you will do the deed Voldemort set out for Draco."

It was like all the fight had gone out of Snape as he nodded once again. "I promise Albus, that I will."

Taylor had felt her stomach drop to about her knees. Dumbledore had asked Snape to kill him. Not only asked but made him promise to do so. All to save the thankless git Malfoy!

The scene changed once again, and Taylor found she had to struggle to concentrate on the new one as the ramifications from the other one were still swirling through her mind.

The new scene was in the Head Master's office as well and she could see her brother standing in front of Dumbledore's desk, as a blackened broken ring and a dirty black book with a hole scorched into the center of it sat on the oak desk.

"So these are the Horcruxes you have found?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you recognize Tom Riddle's diary of course, and this is Marvolo's ring. It gave me this black hand when I tried to destroy it." Dumbledore was watching Harry incredibly closely as he spoke, and then Harry reached out towards the ring and Taylor felt a shift in the air almost as if the pressure in the room had dropped and she looked at Dumbledore.

The Head Master had sat forward ever so slightly and his blue eyes became penetrating as he stared hard at her brother who was looking at the two items lying so innocently on the desk.

The scene shifted again, just slightly, and she saw the door close behind her brother, and Dumbledore leaned back in his chair a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Of course… Why didn't I see it before? Tom would have thought that making a Horcrux from such a murder would be significant… That explains so much…"

Taylor felt her heart thudding in her chest, each beat hard enough to rock her where she stood.

"Harry's ability to speak Parrseltongue. His connection to Voldemort… The scar… Tom inadvertently made a Horcrux the night he killed James and Lily… Harry is a Horcrux."

The scene faded and Taylor felt herself land back on solid ground.

A/N First of all I know some of you are going to say that these memories are very close to what was in Deathly Hallows... and you would be right because I had read the book pryer to writting these and yes that did influence what I wrote... but these memories were all written in my own words so no plagiarism was intended! These memories are important to my story similar to them being important in DH. Though I still have stayed true to what I orginally wrote as the ending of this story before I ever read DH!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter... I promise not to keep you waiting too long for the next one! Until then, cytpotter.