Chapter 18

"Draco, I want you to bring Dumbledore's wand to me by sunset tomorrow."

Draco was dumbstruck for a moment, but quickly snapped to his senses. "Yes, my Lord. Of course."

Narcissa shot her son a terrified look, but he was staring at the ornate carpet. She gazed pleadingly at Snape, who nodded, quite aware of the unbreakable vow he had made to protect Draco. "My Lord," he said. "May I accompany Mr Malfoy on his mission?"

Voldemort locked his crimson eyes on Snape for a long moment, then said, "Very well, but I want Draco to obtain the wand himself."

"Understood."

"If I may take my leave, my Lord, in order to begin planning…" said Draco.

Voldemort nodded and Draco left the library, trying his best not to look like he was running away.

As soon as he could leave, Snape found Draco in the downstairs study, filling a small glass from a crystal decanter of amber-colored liquor. He downed it in one gulp and poured another, hands trembling. "Would you care for a drink, Professor?"

"No, thank you."

"Then what can I do for you?"

"Do you have a plan?"

One look at the boy's stricken face told Snape all he needed to know. Draco let out a joyless, desperate laugh.

"Let me help you."

"The Dark Lord said he wants me to get the wand."

"All you have to do is disarm him, and I'll-"

"Don't tell me what to do. You're not my father. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a letter to write."

Snape paused before leaving, and said, "If I were you, I would appeal to his mercy."

Draco sneered. "Is that how you won his trust, with some vulgar display of remorse?"

Snape nodded solemnly and withdrew, closing the door gently behind him.

"July fifteenth, 1996!" announced the Doctor, materializing the TARDIS just outside of Hogwarts' wards.

The Doctor waved his sonic at the front gates, and was mildly surprised when they sprang open. "I wonder why I can get through, but the TARDIS can't."

"Maybe the gates are programmed to admit certain wizards, but not their…vehicles? You don't see any cars around here," said Amy.

The Doctor smiled widely. "I'm a wizard! That's so cool."

The Doctor slapped a hand on the top of his head. "The hat! I've lost it!"

"It fell off," said Rory.

"What? When?"

"In the dungeon. While you were convulsing in agony."

"Oh, right. Did it happen to say what house I'm in?"

His companions shook their heads. "Leave it to you to be unsortable," said Rory.

They returned to Dumbledore's office, where everyone was still gathered. "Did you forget something?" asked Harry.

"No, we're back."

The Doctor handed Harry the rolled-up parchment, and continued, "This is a letter from your future self. I haven't read it, because it's your timeline. It's your choice to change the future."

Harry looked up at him pensively. "How was it? I mean, was it bad?"

"Good or bad…it's just one possible timeline."

Harry looked around the room at all of his friends, then made a decision. "I want to read it here, now, in front of everyone…because it affects all of us. There have been so many secrets," –he glanced at Dumbledore–, "I think it would be better not to create more."

He unfurled the pages and began to read aloud. The writing was very small, and it took a few hours to get through it all, but Harry didn't falter, even during the parts that made his heart twist in dread. After he was finished, everyone sat in silence for a long while, until there came the sound of scratching at the window. "An urgent owl," said Dumbledore, and let the bird inside.

It perched on the desk and offered its cream-colored letter to the Headmaster, then closed its eyes and immediately went to sleep. Dumbledore opened the envelope and quickly read the message, turned away from the group. "What is it, sir?" asked Harry.

"It's from Draco Malfoy. He wants to meet with me in private, as soon as possible. He is in terrible trouble and needs my help…he is ready to throw himself upon my mercy."

"May I see it?"

Dumbledore handed the letter to Harry, who squinted at the text. "It's illegible."

"It's been charmed so that only the intended recipient can decipher it. Which adds some credence to the contents."

"You can't be serious. This must be a trick to draw you out so he can murder you. The scroll says that he'll attempt to kill you multiple times."

"But, in the scroll, Draco doesn't begin his attempts until the school year has begun."

Harry realized that Dumbledore was right. "I don't get it…how can time be changing already? We haven't done anything yet."

"The fact that I got involved is changing things. The TARDIS horcrux wasn't part of Voldemort's plan," said the Doctor.

Harry got up and began to pace slowly in front of the Headmaster's desk. "If he's accelerating his plan, we have to assume that Draco is going to try to kill Dumbledore tomorrow. And, like in the Astronomy Tower, he won't be able to go through with it. And Snape will step in and…do it for him, then Voldemort will kill him for control of the wand, even though he is mistaken. All of this is about the wand...I think he already knows it's the Elder Wand. There must be a way to manipulate the ownership and get it into his hands, without anyone having to die for it…except me, temporarily. Voldemort has to try to kill me with it, but end up killing himself. Well, the bloody horcrux part of him, in me."

Harry stopped pacing. "I can't believe I'm a horcrux. It's so…disgusting."

"I can't believe I ran off on you two, in the woods. I guess I really am a massive coward," said Ron.

"You came back and saved me, idiot," said Harry.

"You nearly died!"

"But, I didn't."

"My brother did! We can't let that happen!"

"Listen!," said Hermione. "What's important is nobody's died yet. Right now, we need to go get the horcruxes and destroy them. Preferably by tomorrow. Is there enough time for that, Doctor?"

"We could spend years collecting the horcruxes, and still come back here five minutes from now, barring incident."

"I don't want to leave until we think of a plan that doesn't involve the deaths of Dumbledore and Snape," said Harry.

The Headmaster quietly said, "Please understand…we must go through with the plan, don't you see? I must die, in order to convince Voldemort that the wand ownership has transferred to him. I am old and this curse will kill me within the year…a painful, humiliating death. I want Professor Snape to take my life."

"You don't give a damn about what he wants, do you?! You've allowed him to wallow in his guilt and misery for nearly two decades, manipulating him like you manipulated me! I thought he hated me until he finally opened up. And I know he did so only because of the Doctor and the Master. Seeing them work out their conflict gave him courage. While you would've let him go to his grave with the best part of him left unrevealed. I get that he's spying to protect me, but it didn't need to be like this…all the wasted time, all the unnecessary sorrow. So why is it this way? Is this some game you're playing? Are we all just…chess pieces to you?"

"Harry, I thought I was doing the right thing."

"I refuse to let anyone else sacrifice their life for me. Doctor, can't you go back and tell him not to put that stupid ring on?"

"Nothing would've stopped me from putting this ring on, Harry," said Dumbledore.

"Just stop, please, sir."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "It's possible, yes…but the more I interfere with your timeline, the more chances there are for creating fixed points, and splitting off parallel universes. Neither of those are good, in terms of making your future better. Remind me about Polyjuice Potion."

"What?"

"You just read about it. During the Battle of the Seven Potters, a potion was used. How does it work?"

"Whoever drinks it take on the appearance of another. You just have to put a hair of the person you want to resemble into the prepared potion, first."

"So, someone could stand in for Dumbledore or Snape…or both…"

"That person would die."

"Not if they can't die. Well, not, y'know, permanently. Excuse me, I'll be right back."