Chapter 23: The Resurrection Stone
After the failure of destroying the ring Horcrux, Severus had taken on a more dismal demeanour around his friends. He stuck to his studies, spoke as little as possible, and overall was causing Lily and the others strong concern. Even James and Sirius showed their worries.
"Is someone giving you a hard time, Severus?" asked James.
"If it's a bunch of Slytherins, like that Malfoy, we'll sort 'em." added Sirius confidently.
"No. Nobody is harassing me." said Severus civilly, but impatiently.
James and Sirius knew that he was still showing reluctance to be friends, but they decided to give him all the time he needed, as a small return of the favour for saving them.
Lily and Quincey showed no sign of getting the problem out of Severus. No matter how many times they asked what was wrong, or suggested ways to cheer him up, nothing had any effect.
Eventually, after a week, Severus found himself beginning to rise in spirits. To Lily and their friends, it seemed that their hounding him to cheer up had finally worked, but really it was because Severus had received another note from an owl at breakfast. It was concealed this time in an envelope, and Severus realized that McGonagall must have informed Dumbledore of how his previous correspondence was nearly intercepted by Malfoy.
"Finally, some sense." he murmured to himself.
Severus went to a private room once again to open the envelope and note. He knew it wasn't a letter from Eileen or his grandparents, as they had all sent him one the previous day, saying that Septimus' hearing was due to begin on the first week of May. So, with great anticipation, Severus unfolded the note and read its contents.
Dear Severus,
I have succeeded in freeing one item from the other. No permanent damage was done, to either object or to my good self.
Meet me in my office tonight, and I shall keep my promise.
Yours,
Professor A.P.W.B. Dumbledore
Severus frowned. Did Dumbledore waste a whole week prising the stone from the ring? He was supposed to be finding ways to destroy the ring, that and searching for the diary of Tom Riddle.
"I hope this stone of his is worth wasting time like this." he fumed.
Later, in Herbology, Lily saw that although Severus looked cross about something, his happier demeanour was back in place.
"Are you going to tell me what's been up with you lately?" asked Lily as they partnered together to clip a lively new plant.
"I just found that two of my items that I asked Dumbledore for were bound together by some odd magic misuse. He said he'd have it sorted in a day, but I only got notification of his success today. I was just a little upset that he was taking so long." he said.
"Hm, weird that Dumbledore couldn't do it sooner. I see why that would upset you. You reckon he took his time on purpose?"
"Maybe." said Severus. "He does favour his own House after all." He frowned, still believing this whole-heartedly. He forgot to speak to him about this issue in the excitement of the previous meeting.
Lily patted his back. "He'll learn soon enough that you're as good a student as any Gryffindor. Except for me, of course." she added with an innocent pitch.
Severus shoved her playfully, which resulted in their rather lively Devilish Dandelion swatting them with its sharp leaf after Lily nearly clipped its stem off in the shove. Sprout saw this and deducted ten points from Ravenclaw.
Severus didn't mind. He and Lily were cheerful again, and he was sure that despite Dumbledore's slow approach and the inability to destroy the Horcrux, things were still progressing quicker than he had originally imagined.
After dinner that evening, with Severus consuming a splendid beef stew with a fruit salad following, Professor McGonagall anonymously approached him and whispered passing him: "Meet me on the second floor."
Severus was surprised, but casually diverted from Quincey on the way to the Ravenclaw tower.
"Just gonna rush to the library. See if I can find a book. See you in the common room." he said quickly.
Quincey shrugged and went on with the second year he and Severus befriended at the welcoming feast, Nora Waynefleet.
Severus found McGonagall waiting for him. "Mr Prince, Professor Dumbledore wishes for me to take you to his office."
"Why couldn't Professor Flitwick escort me, Professor?" asked Severus.
"I believe Professor Flitwick is not supposed to be in the know about this meeting, hence this anonymous meeting with me." replied McGonagall with a suspicious tone.
Severus shrugged, feigning the look of obliviousness, appeasing McGonagall's frown slightly.
They reached the gargoyle, and McGonagall spoke the password: "Strawberry lollies."
Severus stepped onto the staircase, thanked McGonagall and knocked.
"Enter."
Severus entered the room and found Dumbledore petting Fawkes softly and affectionately. The ring was wrapped in its half a dozen handkerchiefs, but a stone, clearly the one that intrigued the Headmaster so, was perched on the centre of the desk.
"Hello, Mr Prince. Please be seated." Severus suddenly noticed something about Dumbledore. He looked like he had lost several decades. As cheerful as the Headmaster often looked, there was undeniably something about him that lost some…shadows.
"Are you…alright, Professor?" he asked.
"How observant you are, Severus." smiled Dumbledore. "I can safely say that I am more than alright."
"If you say so, sir." said Severus. He was beginning to feel nervous, more for the Headmaster than about him.
"Indeed." went on Dumbledore cheerfully. "I have removed this object from the ring, and it took a whole week to accomplish, but it was still worth it to avoid permanent injury and I believe, in the long run of our situation."
Severus frowned disbelievingly.
"How can a stone help us defeat Voldemort, sir?" he asked cynically.
Dumbledore chortled softly as Fawkes ruffled his feathers.
"Always the critic and realist, eh, Severus?" he said. "Well, you see, this stone is possibly one of the most important objects in this mission of ours."
"How?" snapped Severus impatiently. "It's just a stone, a pitifully small one at that. What are we gonna do with it? Chuck it at Voldemort and see what happens?"
Dumbledore couldn't help chuckling in a good-natured way.
"Not at all, Severus." said Dumbledore. "Besides, even if we gave the stone to Voldemort, I doubt anyone would come to him. He never loved in his entire life. And nobody showed any love for him, except perhaps his mother, for a first few brief moments." He sounded regretful, perhaps even piteous.
"You feel sorry for that murderous scum?" puzzled Severus.
"More his mother." sighed Dumbledore. "The agony of carrying a replica of the man she loved, whom abandoned her during the pregnancy, then releasing him from her loins, only to die, likely now aware that she carried such a wicked being. I believe that to be worthy of feeling sorry for somebody."
"But what does seeing someone you love have to do with this stone?" asked Severus.
"This is none other than…the Resurrection Stone, Mr Prince." declared Dumbledore.
Severus frowned. He had never heard of it.
"In your previous life, Severus, Voldemort wanted my wand, did he not? He claimed it to be the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in all creation, isn't that so?" asked Dumbledore.
"Yes." replied Severus.
"Well, the Wand and this Stone were actually derived from a legendary children's story for witches and wizards. The story was called The Tale of the Three Brothers." explained the Headmaster. "Death was cheated by three brothers, and Death gave them each a reward. One brother asked for a wand with power beyond compare, and he was given it. The brother boasted of his invincibility, but then he had the Wand stolen from him, and was killed by the thief, so Death took him after all."
Severus was puzzled but interested. As a child in both lives, his mother never kept wizarding children's books around, as his father would have destroyed them and flipped out on the both of them for good measure.
"The third of the brothers asked for a way to pass on from that bridge without Death being able to find him. So reluctantly, Death gave the third brother his own Cloak of Invisibility. He never was able to find the brother, until the day he willingly chose for his life to end, giving the Cloak to his son, and greeted Death as an old friend, and they departed life as equals."
Thoughts were swarming through Severus' head. Could it be? But then he had another thought.
"What did the second brother ask for? A stone?"
"The second brother was prideful, and not as wise as the third brother. He had decided to cheat Death further by asking for a way to bring loved ones back from the dead. So, Death gave him a stone…later known as the Resurrection Stone." went on Dumbledore. "The brother revived the woman he had hoped to marry before she died an untimely death. But she wasn't whole and did not belong in the world he was keeping her in, so the brother hanged himself to join her in the Afterlife, so Death took that brother after all as well."
Severus froze looking down at the Stone.
"I knew the Elder Wand was real, as Voldemort and Ollivander had shown me the evidence…but that stone…it cannot be so."
"I assure you it is." smiled Dumbledore. "I have experienced the effects myself."
"What?" murmured Severus.
"I used the Stone for myself." said Dumbledore. "I met those I loved who are dead last night. It was quite…the liberating experience."
Severus now understood why Dumbledore looked so, to use his word, liberated. He remembered Rita Skeeter's book on Dumbledore's life before becoming Headmaster. He learned of how Dumbledore neglected his sister in favour of gaining glory and fame with the Dark Wizard, Gellert Grindelwald. And he learned of how Ariana died. It was never revealed how, but Severus now wondered if Dumbledore inadvertently played a role in her death, and spent his life trying to atone, just as he himself had done for his role in Lily's death.
But then-
"You never showed me."
"Pardon, Mr Prince?" asked Dumbledore.
"You had that ring, and that stone in your office for months after destroying the ring. You could have told me about it, allowed me to see Lily again at any time. But instead, you felt I was not trustworthy enough. Not worthy of knowing whether or not the love of my life could have ever forgiven me! And you had intended for me to survive that night. To live up to an old age! I would have spent decades, maybe a century never knowing, always wondering, always living in fear that she would hate me when my time came! YOU'RE EVIL!"
Severus made to bolt out of the office, maybe even destroy some of Dumbledore's possessions on his way out, but then Dumbledore locked the door with the Elder Wand.
"That wasn't me." said Dumbledore quietly and pitifully. "That Albus Dumbledore made many mistakes, just as I have done, but he and he alone made the mistakes concerning you. I have not."
"You would have done if I hadn't been caught out." sneered Severus. "Don't deny it."
"I truly do not know." said Dumbledore. "Considering that you are not a Slytherin and have therefore no intentions on becoming a Death Eater, I may have still treated you differently."
"And that!" snapped Severus. "Is that why your other version allowed the Marauders to torment me for all those years? Is that why you never showed me the slightest care back then? Is that why you still could not trust me for all those years in your service? Because I was a Slytherin?!"
Dumbledore frowned in confusion.
"NOT ALL SLYTHERINS ARE DESTINED TO GO BAD! LOOK AT PROFESSOR SLUGHORN! LOOK AT ME NOW!" bellowed Severus.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with shame.
Severus went on. "Slytherin may have been the House Voldemort was raised in. It may have been named after the more prejudiced and notorious of the four founders of Hogwarts, but that should not define all those young and innocent students who are instantly rejected in society because they are ambitious and have the potential to be cunning! There is no guarantee that they want to be Death Eaters, or bad wizards automatically because of that. I will admit that some are influenced by their family's ancient views, like the Malfoys, the Mulciber and the Averys. But there are still those who are also pushed to the Dark side by the prejudice that Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and you inflict upon them. They end up feeling that the Dark side, the Purist way is the only option they have. And I should know…I experienced that first hand."
Severus' eyes released tears welling up since he first began to lose his temper. He slid down against the door he could not escape from. All he could hope for at this juncture, was that Dumbledore would now see some sense.
Dumbledore rose sadly from his seat, ignoring all the portraits' reactions of: "Well, really!", "Flaming cheek of that boy!" and Phineas Nigellus' "Well said. A true Slytherin's resourceful insight. Though, a little misled in the belief that the purity of blood is not an issue."
Dumbledore knelt to the sobbing child, really a sobbing man before him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, rubbing it affectionately.
"I am sorry, Mr Prince." he said. "I see now that although you died at a young age and have made many mistakes in your life before…you have learned from those mistakes more than I ever did in either. You're absolutely right. I spent so much time mulling over the facts of how Voldemort was a Slytherin, his similarities to his predecessor, Salazar Slytherin…and how he was proud of Slytherin's views, that I was blind to all those who needed me, those whose lives I have likely turned to the worse. I was too blind to realize that I was fuelling Voldemort's resources, and lessening the reputation of Slytherin House even further. I promise you now, Severus Prince, that I will endeavour to change things for the better for all those in Slytherin House in future. And I again say, for both myself and for my predecessor, that I am so sorry for what that prejudice turned you into."
Severus looked up from his hands, his bloodshot eyes gazing into Dumbledore's pearly blue ones, as if searching for truth behind his words.
"And if you want proof that I will be a better Headmaster than my predecessor, then take this."
Dumbledore slipped something into Severus' hand. Opening out his palm, Severus saw that he was holding the Resurrection Stone.
"I'll give you a private moment to reacquaint with your best friend. You can tell her of your new adventures earlier than you realized." said Dumbledore with a smile. "Just turn it in your hand three times."
The Headmaster summoned Fawkes to follow him, and using the Elder Wand, he Vanished the portraits temporarily to fully provide Severus with the necessary solitude for what he was about to do.
Severus gawked at the Resurrection Stone. He was going to see the original love of his life again. He wasn't sure if it was even a good idea to call her from the dead. Did she know what he was about to do at this moment? Would she want to see him again so soon?
"I hope you do, Lils…I want to know if I'm doing things right so far." he whispered.
Severus did as bid and turned the Stone three times in his hand. He felt a light breeze, and then looked up.
There standing before him, not a ghost, but certainly not solid, was Lily Evans Potter. The Lily of old. His original love.
"Lily." he murmured apologetically.
Lily had a broad grin on her face.
"I'm so glad this version of Albus gave you the Stone." she said happily. "If it wasn't for Ariana's hint to him, I might never have been given this chance to help you."
"Help me?" Severus was puzzled. "What with? What have I done wrong this time round? What did I miss?"
Lily smiled a little less.
"You're doing a wonderful job so far, Sev." she said. "Oh, but how I've missed you. I sometimes wish you could have stayed, but that would be selfish as it would only have made you remain unhappy. The only thing you need to improve with, is forgiving James and Sirius."
Severus knew what Lily meant. He was still having trouble letting go of the past.
"It's difficult, Lily." said Severus sadly. "I can't stand to look at them, let alone befriend them."
"You befriended Remus, in the end." said Lily encouragingly.
"He never openly attacked me." said Severus. "And I still hate the old Lupin. But I feel I could make this version a better man."
"And Peter too." said Lily.
"I still hate him and this version." retorted Severus. "I'm only acting the role with him, so he doesn't make the same mistakes as his predecessor. If anything, I'm trying to protect this world's incarnation of you."
"But nevertheless, you are doing it. You are friends with Remus, you're helping the Marauder you should hate most of all for getting me killed. And half a year ago, you saved the two Marauders who hurt you the most. Surely, you can find a way to let go, and be friends with those two at least." said Lily.
"It's hard."
"I know it is, Sev." said Lily softly. "But I am scared. If you don't let the past go, you could lose everything you've worked for. You could lose this new me to this James. History could repeat itself, and I don't want that to happen. I want something more for you than that."
"And you think befriending Potter and Black will ensure I have a better life?" asked Severus sceptically.
"It couldn't hurt your chances." assured Lily. "If you and James are good friends, I doubt he'll want to win this new Lily from you. He owes you that much now."
Severus doubted that either version of James Potter had that sense of morality, but he knew he had to humour his best friend. After all, Quincey and Lily were already worried about his lack of ability to let go of his hate and were growing suspicious as well. He had to end his feud properly if he had any hope of dampening the suspicion.
"Lily." he said. "I have a question."
"Yes, Sev?"
"One day, in the future, if I ever got together with this new you…do you think I should tell her?"
"The truth about you?"
"Yes."
"I really don't know, Sev. If she is the best friend I have seen her to be, I like to think she would understand. Maybe you will have a better idea of it, when the time comes." replied Lily thoughtfully.
"I suppose so." said Severus. "Well, I imagine you'll want to be getting back to your…husband. So, I'll um-"
Severus was immediately regretting both his pronunciation of 'husband' as it sounded so disdainful, and also his having to let his best friend go. Even though he did have a new Lily in his life, he still missed the old one. She was still his best friend. The new Lily was hopefully going to be his soulmate more than his friend. Time would tell. But before he could consider letting go of the Stone, Lily piped up in a panic.
"Sev, wait! That's not all I wanted to help with!"
She sounded so desperate that Severus nearly dropped the Stone in surprise.
"What is it, Lils?"
"I have been dead for thirty-three years now, and I have been watching over you and Harry for all that time." explained Lily. "And by watching over you, I know a fair few things about those Horcruxes of Voldemort's, the same ones you're looking for now with Albus."
Realization struck Severus once again that evening.
"You know where the Horcruxes are?" he croaked excitedly.
"Some of them." replied Lily. "And I am not certain if the others have been made yet."
"Where? Tell me, Lily! Please!" exclaimed Severus.
"Well, you and Albus have the ring so far. You were right about the diary Harry destroyed." continued Lily. "Voldemort made it and after a while, he gave it to the Malfoy family, likely after Lucius Malfoy became a more loyal and powerful member of the Death Eaters. For all I know, Voldemort has it on his person at the moment. He will hopefully give it to Malfoy in a few years' time. Then there is the locket of Salazar Slytherin."
Severus showed great interest.
"I don't know where that is yet, but I do know when it will reach its eventual location. It will appear not long before the death of Regulus Black."
"How do you know?" asked Severus.
"Voldemort got Regulus to give him his family house elf, Kreacher to help deposit the locket Horcrux into this cave by the sea. It isn't far from the orphanage that he used to live in before Dumbledore met him to tell him about Hogwarts. After Kreacher nearly died in this mission, Regulus saw how evil Voldemort really was and died retrieving the locket and gave it to Kreacher to destroy. Eventually, it ended up in Harry's hands, and on the night you sent him the Gryffindor sword, the locket was destroyed by his friend, Ron."
Severus listened closely. "Any others?"
"Yes. Voldemort had an item from two other founders of Hogwarts each: Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's lost diadem."
"What? But that's been missing since the days of Rowena Ravenclaw herself! How the hell did Voldemort get his hands on it?"
Lily chuckled at his awe over her revelation.
"Well, I know he got the cup from some descendant of Hufflepuff, Hepzibah Smith, as well as the locket. He killed her and framed her house elf, Hokey for it. He took those items and made them into Horcruxes." she said.
"Where did he put the cup?" asked Severus.
"He eventually gave it to another trusted member of the Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange." went on Lily. "She stored it in her vault."
"So that's why your son broke into Gringotts before coming back to Hogwarts." said Severus sensibly.
"Got it in one." replied Lily. "I believe he gave it to her not long before he went after Harry, James and I."
"So, I need to wait for both the cup and the diary." sighed Severus. "What about the diadem?"
"Well, Voldemort found it in Albania after getting close to Helena Ravenclaw, daughter of Rowena. She stole it and hid it there before she died. Anyway, Voldemort hid it in Hogwarts on the day he tried to get a teaching post from Dumbledore." continued Lily.
"I knew there would be a Horcrux here, it was Voldemort's first true home!" exclaimed Severus triumphantly. "That'll be one in the eye for Dumbledore. Where is it, Lils?"
"In the Room of Requirement. You need only ask the Room for a place to hide something. You'll find it there. Might take a bit of searching though."
"Brilliant!" grinned Severus. "That'll be the diadem and the ring in the bag! Any more?"
"Not at the moment." said Lily. "Nagini the snake doesn't exist yet, and the part of Voldemort's soul within Harry is obviously not there yet, if at all either. So you have one Horcrux with you now, another can easily be found in the Room of Requirement…but you will have to be patient to get at the cup, the locket and the diary."
Severus was a lot happier. He now knew all five of the Horcruxes, and two were obtainable, one already so. But he still didn't know how to destroy them, and he might have to wait for at least ten years to track and destroy them all.
As if on cue, Lily added: "As for destroying these objects, only two known methods seem to work. A Horcrux must be damaged beyond repair. You have figured out one way, and that's by administering Basilisk venom. But as the only Basilisk around is alive and inaccessible, you might have to rule that out."
"What's the other way?" asked Severus keenly.
"Fiendfyre." said Lily gravely.
Severus shuddered. "That's a very powerful piece of Dark magic, Lily." he replied. "And it's immensely difficult to control."
"I know." said Lily grimly.
"But it's the only open option we have, right?" asked Severus.
"Yes. Though I think you should leave that to Dumbledore."
Severus agreed.
"Thank you, Lily. So much." he whispered endearingly.
"I wanted to help you." smiled Lily. "And I still intend to. I'll keep an eye on the Lestranges, Malfoys and Blacks of this world. When I see Voldemort give them a Horcrux, I'll let you know. So how about you ask Dumbledore if you can keep hold of the Stone, and then check on me, say, once every three months, and I'll be able to tell you whether or not you can begin to trace a Horcrux."
Severus smiled. He wouldn't just be doing this to try and defeat the Voldemort of this new universe for good, but he would also be able to stay in touch with his friend.
"Sounds like a plan, Lils." he said with a genuinely broad smile.
Lily was smiling too.
"I guess I shall see you in three months' time." said Severus cheerily.
"Yep." smiled Lily. "Oh, and don't just thank me, Sev. It was thanks to Ariana hinting to her brother through the Stone that I could help, that you were able to access me tonight. I'm hoping she and I will be good friends. She'd certainly be better company than Sirius." she added rolling her eyes.
Severus was pleased by that.
"See you soon, Sev." said Lily affectionately.
"See you soon, Lils." replied Severus happily.
And with that, Severus dropped the Stone back onto Dumbledore's desk.
After taking in all the information and the sight of Lily again, Severus had two things spring to mind. One was that Lily sounded exasperated when she mentioned Sirius. That suggested to Severus that she might not be as close to him in Heaven as he had first anticipated, and that perked him up no end. The second thing was that Lily mentioned Dumbledore was inspired to let Severus use the Stone.
The eleven-year-old boy rolled his eyes, slightly frustrated.
Of course, Dumbledore had a motive beyond the repentant goodness of his heart. There was bound to be a catch.
"But at least this time…it was a nice catch." murmured Severus to himself. "And a bloody helpful one at that."
(Here's Chapter 23! Hope you like this double billed update this week! And I hope you like this chapter too! Chapter 24 will hopefully be up next week! Please review, and feel free to point out any mistakes I might have made! Thanks for reading!)