Well today is my birthday... and no my birthday wish didn't come true! I STILL don't own Harry Potter!

Oh well! How about I just give you wonderful readers this chapter and the next as a HUGE THANK YOU!

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Ninety-six

The Soul of the Snake

The rest of the afternoon the six of them spent refining their plan on how they were going to set up a few diversions and how much time they would need, as well as where they would need sentries to warn them when Voldemort arrived and how many. The Hufflepuff proved a very valuable asset as he had a more thorough knowledge of the Ministry building itself and the buildings surrounding it, having visited the Ministry numerous times with his father or one of his uncles.

Hermione and Ginny followed Taylor up to the girl's washroom just before they were going to head down to the Great Hall for supper.

"So Taylor… what's with the ring?" Hermione asked casually as she leaned against one of the sinks.

Taylor glanced from one friend to the other as her face warmed but she felt a smile pull at her lips.

Ginny's eyes narrowed, "It's not what I think it is, is it?" asked the red haired witch as she reached for the bespectacled witch's hand with the silver ring on it.

Taylor looked at the floor as she shrugged her shoulders. "I know it wasn't right… that with what we have to do…but…"

Hermione gasped and the sixth year one squealed, "Oh my god! The Hufflepuff asked you to marry him!"

Taylor's face burnt bright red but she nodded. Suddenly she felt arms grabbing her and squeezing her tight.

"Oh Taylor! I'm so happy for you!" Hermione cried as she hugged her friend.

"Wow that must have been some talk with Greg!" Ginny giggled as she hugged her friend too.

Taylor's voice quivered a little as she said, "I know it is the wrong time… I shouldn't even have let him back around me…"

"Taylor, the guy loves you. And you love him, anyone can see that. You deserve to have a little happiness in your life. Even with this craziness that we are planning." Hermione said with a warm smile.

"It won't be any harder on Greg now than it was before. Maybe even easier because now he knows you love him." Ginny said wisely as she looked the other underage witch in the eye. "Whatever might happen… you know that you love each other."

That night with the common room once again full of Gryffindors, the six teenagers moved up to the seventh year dorm room to work on their plans.

"So how are we going to signal back and forth with whoever is outside? We can't very well use a Patronus, it would be seen." Ron said thoughtfully as he peered down at their plans.

"We need something that is quiet. The last thing I want is for whoever is outside to get hurt." Harry said firmly. They'd already gotten into a rather heated discussion on who was going to be left outside. He didn't want Ginny included at all, but as Hermione had pointed out, the six of them were going to be hard pressed to carry this plan out themselves.

"What about the coins we used for our DA lessons in fifth year? I could easily charm some coins to relay a simple message, like how many Death Eaters there were. It would be silent and easy." Hermione said as she thought about it.

"Yeah. That's a good idea. Now do you think we should have more than one watcher?" Harry asked.

The Hufflepuff left when the curfew bell rang, to head for his own common room. They were going to get up early tomorrow morning and meet at breakfast and continue their plans.

McGonagall had, at the start of exams that the Prefects and Heads had to write, reassigned most patrol duties to the aurors and teachers, giving those students a well earned rest. Their patrols had been quartered, so that each Prefect or Head only had patrol duty every fourth night.

The next day was Friday and the five Gryffindors and the Head Boy spent the entire day holed up in the seventh year boy's dormitory, working on their plan and working out as many of the kinks as they could.

The part that was causing them the most trouble was the sixth Horcrux, Nagini. How were they going to find the snake on Sunday night, kill it and then still make it to the Ministry on time.

"I think our only hope is to split up. That way we can be at the Ministry ready and still get the snake." Ron said as he stood leaning on the table they were using in the middle of the dorm.

"No. Absolutely not. That snake is going to be in the middle of a Death Eater camp and is going to be hard enough for either Harry or I to get… No offense Ron but neither you nor Greg are good enough to take on something like that. In a stand up fight we aren't either. Not against Bellatrix or Malfoy Sr. We both got lucky a couple of weeks ago. We aren't likely to get that lucky again." Taylor said shaking her head.

"Taylor's right. Our biggest advantage is surprise, but even with surprise on our side we wouldn't stand a chance going in there like that. And we definitely can't split up." Harry agreed with his sister.

"Well, what are we going to do then? We are starting to run short on time." Greg asked shortly.

"I'm going to meet that Death Eater tomorrow night… I could…"

"No! Dammit Taylor! So help me! I'll throttle you if you even finish that sentence!" Harry snapped angrily.

"And I'll second that!" the Hufflepuff threatened with a scowl.

Taylor simply rolled her eyes at the two wizards, "I was going to say I could ask him where we could find Nagini. Jesh!"

"That probably will be our best shot. If we can't take the snake out then these plans will be for nothing. The Horcruxes have to all be destroyed before we take on Voldemort." Ginny said reasonably.

Taylor nodded and thought about how she was going to ask Snape to tell her where Nagini was. If he wanted to destroy Voldemort, then he was likely to help her… Or maybe not.

"I don't like it… we are relying way too much on what this Death Eater is willing to do." Greg said after a few moments. "What if he is playing you?"

"Look, he's not playing me okay. The memories that he gave me… well let's just say I don't doubt his intentions." Taylor said confidently.

"About these memories that he gave you… how do we know we can trust them? The guy is a Death Eater. They could be a ruse to lure Harry and us to the Ministry. I have a hard time believing that there is a Horcrux hidden in the Department of Mysteries… Why would Voldemort ever hide it there?" Ron asked uncertainly.

Taylor couldn't help but glance at her brother before she answered, "Like I told you all, the memory about the Horcrux is from Dumbledore… and I have no doubt about its authenticity."

"Well I have a problem with that." Hermione said sharply. "If the memory is from Dumbledore why hasn't he told us about it before now? He's had plenty of opportunities since we destroyed the locket and tiara. Why let a Death Eater, who we might not even trust, have such an important piece of information? That just doesn't make sense."

Taylor caught her brother's eye once more before she said slowly, "I think, maybe because we weren't ready for that information. For as long as we've known him, Dumbledore has never told us anything before we needed to know it. And this particular piece of information is no different."

"But why use a Death Eater? Why not use the portrait for this too? The more I think about it the dodgier it gets." Ginny put in, concerned.

Starting to pace, Taylor tried to think of a reasonable answer for this. Why had Dumbledore imparted this incredibly important piece of information to Snape? He had asked the wizard to kill him, which Dumbledore had to know would make everyone on the light side mistrust him. Why use someone who would be so hated?

Taylor's feet stopped moving as understanding washed through her. Dumbledore trusted Snape with his life, and to take his life when the time came… The memory, so vital in taking Voldemort down was given to him to show Snape that Dumbledore trusted him implicitly. Snape was asked to do the unthinkable, and rewarded with the most important.

"What did you just figure out?" Hermione asked as she stood in front of the astounded witch.

"Dumbledore gave it to him as a sort of reward…" Taylor said softly.

"A reward for what?"

"He knew Snape…" The moment the name left her lips, Taylor knew her audible musing had been a huge mistake. Her eyes flew past Hermione to land on her brother as fury contorted his face.

"Snape? The Death Eater you are meeting is Snape?" The words were hissed out.

"Yes, but…" Taylor tried to reason with her brother.

"That bastard killed Dumbledore! He was supposed to be on our side and he killed him! And now you are trusting him?" Harry yelled furiously.

"Yes I trust him! That didn't happen like you think it did." Taylor tried to keep her voice calm.

"Don't give me that line of bullshit, Taylor! I saw him! I saw him kill Dumbledore! Dumbledore was defenseless! Without even a wand! And he killed him!" Harry had advanced on his sister until he stood right in front of her, glaring down at her.

"I'm telling you it wasn't what it seemed! Dumbledore…" Harry's irate voice cut her off.

"I can't believe you! You actually think you can trust him? What you told me… it came from him! God Taylor, are you a moron? He's leading you on! He's a Death Eater! I'm surprised he didn't just kill you! Right then and there!"

"Yes I trust him! Will you just listen to me! He saved me! He saved Hermione and me. Snape helped us escape from Voldemort at Christmas! He didn't have to but he did. He confounded Hermione and then caused the distraction so that we could get away!" she yelled imploring her brother to listen.

"He played you then! For whatever reason he played you! Voldemort probably told him to let you guys escape!" The hatred in her brother's voice was unmistakable.

"He didn't play me! He knows, Harry! He knows who I am!" Taylor yelled as she glared up at her brother. "He's known since last September when I set him free of that Dark Magic binding spell. If he wanted to betray me, he's had almost a year to do so."

Hermione and Ginny stared at Taylor questioningly, trying to understand what her statement had meant. The Hufflepuff glanced at Ron and he could see the same understanding reflected in his eyes.

"So what is that, just another thing you didn't bother to tell me?" Harry snarled. "What else are you not telling me, Taylor? What else? How can I trust you? How can I believe what you told me?" The words were flung at her. "Maybe I had it right last fall! You can't be trusted!"

"You bloody git, Potter! You're too damn pigheaded for your own good!" Taylor yelled back angrily.

"I'm pigheaded? At least I'm not going off meeting a murderous traitor in secret!"

"That's not fair! I'm not just going off to meet him for the fun of it you know! I'm getting information that we need!" Taylor snapped heatedly as she glared at her brother.

"That's right I forgot. Whatever you want to do, you do! Be damned if it is right or not! Merlin! I can't believe your gullibility!"

The Head Boy had about all he could take of Potter yelling at his witch and was about to step in when a hand caught his arm and Weasley shook his head in warning.

Taylor was about to yell again, when her brother backed up a step and hissed vehemently, "That's it! I'm leaving before I do something I just might regret. Someday!" Wheeling he stalked out the door slamming it shut behind him. Silence blanketed the room sounding very loud after the shouting match.

With a sigh Taylor ran her hands up through her hair, shaking her head.

It was Hermione who broke the silence. "It was Snape who saved us? That's why you never told me who it was… because if Harry found out…"

Taylor met her friend's worried expression and nodded.

"How do you know you can trust him?" Ron asked, his voice very skeptical.

"Because he has risked his life to help us." Taylor said firmly.

"He killed Dumbledore. And Dumbledore trusted him." Ginny's voice was hard as she glared at the other redheaded witch daring her to contradict her.

Taylor sighed, as she wondered if they would ever believe her if she told them the truth. She had barely been able to believe it and she had witnessed it in the Pensive.

Ginny took her silence as confirmation that the other witch didn't trust the traitor as much as she said and turning she walked out to go find Harry. Ron followed her.

"Even I am having a hard time believing you trusted Snape after everything he did. What aren't you telling us?" Hermione asked, as she stared hard at her friend.

"What does it matter? If you don't believe me you won't believe that either. I guess it comes down to if you trust me or not." Taylor's reply was low as she waited.

Hermione sighed, "I don't know. I trust you, but your judgment on this… I don't know." With an apologetic look she headed out of the dorm room.

Taylor looked down at the plans that they had made. She knew that if Harry didn't believe her, if he stayed angry at her, then the likelihood of them pulling this together by Sunday was unlikely. Worry twisted through her. Something big was going to happen soon, she could feel it, and they had to act before Voldemort did. Snape had even warned her that they needed to act soon…

"Hey, it's going to be alright. They all trust you. They'll come around." The Hufflepuff said gently as he pulled his witch into his arms. The worry was clear on her face.

Welcoming his comfort, she leaned into him as she sighed again. "Yeah, but will it be soon enough? Voldemort is planning something. I don't know what, but he is… We need to act before he does."

"Harry really hates Snape." The Hufflepuff said after a few seconds.

"Well I'd say the feeling is fairly mutual. Snape was never nice to anyone, except those in his house but he was particularly nasty to Harry, always. Right from our first Potions class. Of course at the time we had no idea it was because he knew James and Lily from school… He hated James Potter with a passion. Harry looks so much like his dad… Maybe that's why he's chosen to help… through me… because I look something like Lily…" her voice trailed off as her head started to pound unpleasantly. Her head had started to ache earlier but the fight with her brother had really escalated it. She wondered if it was more from stress than anything else. Knowing her brother was a Horcrux was putting a strain on her, even if she had gotten over her anxiety attacks. She knew it had to be incredibly hard on him too. She had seen the strain in his face and more than once the worry in his eyes.

"What do you know that you aren't telling? It might help if…" Greg started but he could feel her shaking her head.

"If they don't at least trust Snape a little then they won't believe it… I'd have to show them. Harry… he'd… I don't think he would accept the memory. I can't put any more on him right now. He has enough to deal with as it is."

"But you do trust the memory?"

"Yes. I do." Her head gave a horrible throb and she rubbed at her temple with her fingers.

"It's nearly curfew, we'd better get this cleaned up before one of the others decide to come to bed."

Together they gathered up the plans and put them safely in Harry's trunk before vanishing the table and double checking to make sure they didn't miss anything. The Head Boy saw his witch massaging her temples again.

"What's the matter?" He asked as he moved over to her. Putting his hands on her shoulders he began to rub them. "You have a headache?" At her nod, he pulled her over to her brother's bed and sat down with her. "That's not surprising. You've had a lot to deal with these last couple of days. Do you have any headache potion?"

Taylor shook her head just a little, "No, I doubt it would help. Plus I don't dare take it. It'd make me drowsy. I just need to close my eyes for a little while I think." The pounding in her head was starting to make thinking painful, and she leaned on the Hufflepuff beside her, closing her eyes trying to get some relief.

Greg frowned. He wanted to suggest going to see the nurse but knew that the witch wasn't very likely to agree. The curfew bell rang, but the seventh year Gryffindor boy's dormitory remained empty. The sound of the Friday night party going on down in the common room could just barely be heard through the silencing charm on the room. He knew he should leave but he couldn't ask his witch to come down with him, not if she had a headache, especially into that noise.

"Here, I doubt anyone will be up for a while. Why don't you lie down on Harry's bed? I'll put up a charm to let us know if someone comes, and I can wake you up if you fall asleep." The Head Boy offered as he picked up his witch and, sitting back down on Potter's bed, he leaned back against the headboard and laid her beside him. Pulling out his wand he cast the charm to alert him as his witch snuggled up against him. Smiling a little he flipped the bedspread over her and was surprised to hear her breathing even out so quickly as his witch fell asleep.

He sat there, content to be with his witch, as he let his mind wander. So much had happened in the last couple of days. To his witch, as well as him. He'd found out his witch had a brother, and that he was a Horcrux… the ramifications of that were still difficult for him to deal with and it was worse for her. Then he had found out why she had broken up with him, and he'd asked her to marry him. Whether it was right or not, he felt a smile pull at his face as he remembered how happy he had felt when she said yes.

The road ahead of them was so fraught with danger… So uncertain… yet he knew if by some miracle they reached the end, that his witch would become his wife. He would do everything he could to make that happen.

He had to admire her, she was so strong. He knew not many could deal with what his witch was dealing with and still remain strong and keep fighting. Shifting a little he glanced at his watch. It was after eleven. The Gryffindors could return at any time. He was just thinking that he'd better wake his witch up when he glanced down at her. His surprise quickly changed to fear when he saw the sweat that covered her face. Her blood curdling scream filled the room and for a second he froze, as fear filled him. That night in the Hospital Wing flashed past in his mind and he grabbed his wand from beside him. Igniting the tip he touched it to Taylor's neck. Her screaming stopped but the terror in her eyes was nearly as bad.

"Taylor? Can you hear me?" He whispered fearfully as he picked her up and cradled her gently against his chest as her whole body shook, but she never even blinked to indicate that she had heard him.

"I've got you. You're going to be okay. Nothing's going to hurt you," His voice wavered slightly as he tried to reassure himself as well as the trembling witch in his arms.

A low whistle sounded as the alert charm was activated and the door to the seventh year boy's dorm opened to admit Ron.

"So you two are still up here! I don't think…" Ron's voice trailed off as the look on the other wizards face registered. "What's the matter? What happened?"

"She said her head hurt so I told her to lay down up here where it wasn't so noisy… She… she had another one of her nightmares!" Greg couldn't keep the fear out of his voice.

"Oh bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed as he wheeled and ran out of the dorm room after his best mate.

The Head Boy waited, knowing Ron had gone to get Harry. The shaking witch in his arms had yet to indicate that she was even aware that he was there when the door flew open and in rushed Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"What happened?" Harry demanded as he sat down on his bed looking at the utter terror in his sister's eyes. He'd seen that look too many times.

The Head Boy quickly relayed what had happened, but there was no surprise on any of their faces.

"You said she was complaining of a headache?" Hermione asked curiously as she sat down on the other side of the bed, her concern for her friend deeply ingrained on her face.

The Hufflepuff nodded.

"She must have fallen right to sleep… How long ago did this happen?" Harry asked as he gently brushed the sweat soaked hair off his sister's forehead.

"Two or three minutes before Ron came in. I really didn't think too much of her falling asleep so quickly. I…?" Greg said fearfully as he met Harry's eyes.

"It's nothing you did. I have no idea what causes her to have these nightmares. You woke her up right away. That's what is important." Harry told the Hufflepuff.

Greg looked down at the shaking witch, her eyes still held no sign of knowing anything but terror. He knew so much about her, yet this he knew so little.

"I'm not sure this has any meaning or not but before she had a nightmare two other times she was complaining of a headache. It might not mean anything but…" Hermione said thoughtfully.

Harry tried to think back to last summer when his sister had her first one, but he couldn't remember, and he said as much. "The one in the hospital that time… It might have been brought on by the potion Pomfrey gave her. I don't know. I… just… don't… know." Harry whispered shaking his head. He'd been so furious at his sister about Snape… He was still angry! This thing with his sister though, it scared him. He'd heard her speak enough to know that she saw a snake after her soul, though he wasn't exactly sure what that meant. He did know that whatever happened to her, it terrified her. And unless someone woke her up she was completely at its mercy.

Slowly recognition came into the trembling witch's eyes but before she was recovered enough to speak the door to the dorm room opened and in walked the other three inhabitants of the room.

Thinking quickly Harry conjured a blanket and threw it over his sister, "Greg you'll have to carry Taylor down to the common room. Hermione can take her up to her room from there. I told her not to drink so much Firewhisky." He said, inventing a story as he went. His best mate caught on quickly, pulling the bottle the two of them had been drinking from earlier out of his robes and pretended to take a drink.

"Yeah, if a witch can't hold her Firewhisky, she shouldn't drink it!" Ron said loudly as he threw his arm around Hermione's shoulder and led her out.

Harry caught the Head Boy's eye and saw him nod nearly imperceptibly.

"No problem Potter! A bloke hates not to share a little with his witch though," the Hufflepuff said as he stood and carried his witch out of the dorm room and down to the common room. He noted it was thankfully nearly empty. Sitting on the sofa, he adjusted his hold on her and looked down.

"You're okay. I've got you. Harry is right here too," His voice was gentle and reassuring. He knew before two days ago it would have been difficult to add her brother's name in there.

The witch nodded a little for the first time, finally responding to his voice. The Head Boy breathed a little easier, his witch had finally recognized him, though her body still shook uncontrollably.

Harry peered down at his sister and saw what the Hufflepuff had seen. She was starting to come back to them. Sitting on the sofa beside Ron and Hermione, Ginny had gone up to bed before Ron had gone up to their dorm room, his thoughts turned to what his sister had told him yesterday morning. It had been a shock for sure and maybe without his sister there for support he probably would have gone to pieces. As it was, he had a hard time dealing with it. His sister's belief that there was hope in the Room of Love kept him from falling to pieces right now. He trusted his sister, but he had a hard time trusting anything to do with Snape. Anger bubbled up inside him, hot and potent just thinking about the traitor. Though for some reason he didn't even think to doubt that he was a Horcrux.

Taylor struggled to get a grip on the terror in her mind. The nightmare, that was so much more than that, controlled her thoughts. Slowly, as the terror began to lose its grip, the realization of what it meant set in. Later she would wonder why it didn't paralyze her with fear, or make her numb and send her body into shock like it had when she found out her brother was a Horcrux.

Sometime during the night she could remember Hermione and her brother asking her what had happened but she couldn't tell them.

She could never tell her brother…

The Head Boy stayed with her and she leaned on him heavily for emotional support. A part of her mind knew it was wrong, knew that the tiny glimpse of what could be that he had given her, was all that she would ever get. She was going to hurt him so deeply… but it was too late… there was nothing she could do now about that.

A/N MWHAHAHAHAHAHA Okay now my evil laugh is over ;) I thought I should let you guys stew for a while on this chapter! But seeing as how it is my birthday I am going to be nice and post the next chapter right away! Hope you guys read carefully cause there is alot going on in this chapter! And a lot of foreshawdowing! Hope most of all though that you enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to all the wonderful people who left a review! those that are signed in and those who are guests! Thank you! Thank you for reading as well! ;) And last but not least Thank you to my wonderful beta barbc!