It's My Life
It did not take long for Harry and Severus to get everything out of Salazar's room in the chamber of secrets, then Salazar told Harry and the others how to exit from there they were to get back to the school. There was a silver key in a box under Salazar's bed beneath the stone floor; it was a portkey right into the Slytherin common room. Thank Merlin everyone was in their beds because of Severus's rules. And Harry had said that everyone with them needed to be quiet. The group got out of the common room quickly and entered the hallway where it would be safe to talk.
"Alright, now…It's almost 11:00 pm, I think it's time for students to go off to bed." Minerva stated.
"B-But headmistress, we're on a mission!" Ron whined.
"Does not excuse the curfew I already extended." Minerva said.
"Minerva, really…It's not even a school night. Can't we afford to let the students join us on an adventure? It is crucial to the fate of the world?" Harry tried.
"Mr. Potter…" Minerva warned.
"At least I'm asking permission, Headmistress. You know that if I were still a student and this was happening…There'd be a quiet group of kids wandering the halls under an invisibility cloak behind your back." Harry shrugged.
"Oh, fine…" Minerva agreed.
"Your lead then, Professor Potter," Hermione smiled.
"Luna's lead. Where can I find Helena?" Harry asked his friend.
"This way." Luna smiled. Luna led the group of people silently through the corridors down some darkened path. "Now, she's very shy, Harry…"
"I got it, thank you, Luna…" Harry nodded as he walked forward until he saw the ghost of the young woman.
"Luna, who have you brought with you?" Helena asked.
"A friend. I believe you can help him in his quest," Luna greeted.
The ghostly woman got closer to Harry, inspecting him almost. "You seek my mother's diadem…"
"Yes," Harry nodded.
"Luna is kind, unlike so many others. But she was wrong, I cannot help you…" Helena said and tried to fly off.
Harry chased her. "Helena, wait, please?" He tried as the woman stopped to face him. "I want to destroy it." Helena stared at Harry closely, now coming closer to where he stood. "That's what you want, isn't it? For it to be destroyed?"
"Another said the same many years ago. A strange boy with a strange name…" Helena informed.
Harry nodded to her. "Yes, Tom Riddle."
"But he lied." Helena continued.
"He's lied to many people…" Harry agreed. "Lied, hurt, and killed people."
Helena flew close, angrily. "I know what he's done! I know who he is! He defiled it with dark magic!" The woman yelled.
"Helena…I know. I know all that too. I've lived it, I've survived his cruelty…" Harry began, walking towards her. "I promise you, I can destroy it once and for all. I have destroyed the others he defiled, with everyone here as my witnesses to it. You can trust me. Helena, destroying these will allow him to be beaten. Killed. Unable to ever come back again. Please? I'm begging you. Tell me where your mother's diadem is. You know he hid it, and you know where…Tell me. Help me, please?" He asked gently.
Helena finally turned and faced Harry again. "Strange, you remind me of him a bit." Helena said and while others were surprised, Harry never flinched or tried to deny it. "It's here, in the castle." Helena revealed. "In the place where everything is hidden," She added. "If you have to ask, you'll never know. But if you know, you need only ask."
"The hell does that mean?" Ron remarked.
It took Harry a moment, but he looked to Helena and nodded assuringly. "Thank you." Harry turned from her lightly and faced the others. "We're going to the seventh floor."
"That's not what she said…" Hermione mentioned.
"Yes, she did. In the room where everything is hidden. If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask…What is the only room in the school that appears when someone is in need of it?" He asked. The others drew a blank. "Guys, seriously? We used it all last year to build the army…The room of requirement."
. . .
Harry didn't waste time, if the diadem was this close to them, why wait. Harry did tell the others they could go to bed if they wanted, but he was tracking this thing down tonight. Of course, everyone was with him for the long haul, so they all moved onto the seventh floor. As Harry walked past it, the door appeared to him and they all went inside. Unlike before when it would appear as an empty room with mirrors for the army meetings; this time it was a room filled with things inside it.
"It's like a massive junk drawer, only in a room…" Hermione commented.
"Junk drawer?" Gregory asked.
"Random one drawer in everyone's house that people toss things in and forget about. But find later on by accident. This room is like that…" Luna said. "Filled with random things."
"There's the mirror of Erised." Harry pointed out, walking towards it. "I found this in my first year over the Christmas holiday…I used to sit in front of it for hours because I could see my parents in it, always standing on either side of me."
"I had seen myself as Head Boy, holding the Quidditch cup when Harry dragged me out of bed to see it. He'd been trying to show me his parents, but I never saw it." Ron mentioned.
"Because it was not your heart's desire, Ron. Yours was to succeed like your brothers have…You ended up a prefect last year, and this year. You're on the quidditch team too." Harry told him.
"Erised, unusual name…" Pansy commented.
"It's desire spelled backwards. Mirror of Erised, or Desire. It shows nothing more or less than the deepest desires of your heart…" Harry informed. "I always used to see my parents. Dumbledore had never minded me getting out of bed to use it to see them, but did warn me not to dwell on the past because people have wasted away in front of it, wanting what they couldn't have."
"What do you see now, since your parents are back." Draco inquired.
Harry looked in the mirror, but only saw himself. "Me," Harry replied. "Just me standing here with all of you."
"Well, the only interpretation I have for that is that there's nothing Harry desires because he has everything and everyone he could ever want right now. In some saying, that means his life is complete. Or he is complete." Severus offered.
Harry looked at the mirror more closely as he felt Draco intertwine their fingers together. Harry saw Draco's figure appear beside him in the mirror, but they were dressed in ceremonial robes and between them was a young child with dark golden brown or blond hair and its eyes were a mix of green and gray. Why would he see this image? Is…This what he desired? A family with Draco? Harry knew the mirror only showed desires, it wasn't as if it was showing him a possible future. Harry's thoughts were pulled from what he was looking at when he heard whispers and looked around quickly.
"What is it, Harry?" Lily asked.
"Parseltongue, I hear it…" Harry tried to follow the sound. "I think it's the horcrux talking to me, or rather, Voldemort's soul."
"It talks to you?" Draco questioned.
"Not to me, but in general, only I hear it because it's Parseltongue…I can also feel it here." Harry said. "I should be able to track it…" He started following the sounds he heard, wanting to find this blasted thing and be done with it. One less to worry about. Harry moved quietly and eventually hit a place where it was the loudest, and he began to look around until he saw a silver tiara with an eagle at the top and blue gems. "This is it…" Harry informed as he picked the object up carefully.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione…I love you, dearly, my friend, but use that brain of yours. It's a damn tiara with Ravenclaw colors and an eagle on it. I'm pretty confident!" Harry remarked. "Plus, it's radiating the same energy the ring had."
"Then we've found it…" Sirius beamed.
"Now, I'm destroying it." Harry set the object down as he pulled the Basilisk fang from earlier in the chamber as he knelt down and brought the fang back with his right arm. "Back up in case it bursts out again." The others took some steps back as Harry readied himself to aim and then he slammed the fang down, causing a large burst of smoke out with three heads all yelling out. Harry watched as they faded to nothing and left the cracked tiara on the floor. Harry went over to pick it up. "Three to go." He remarked as he placed the fang and diadem away in his bag.
"Necklace, possibly that cup, and Nagini." Severus nodded.
"Nagini will be last, and probably up to one of you while I lure Voldy away from her." Harry stated. "And we'll need to figure out how to get Bellatrix's item, if it's indeed the cup or something else. I could always sneak back into Malfoy Manor, nab it while they're out terrorizing people."
"Absolutely not." James and Severus said at the same time.
"I know how to get around their wards!" Peter offered.
"Done then." Harry agreed.
"Harry, no!" Severus remarked. "You promised me you wouldn't risk your life again."
"Do you have an alternative plan, Dad?" Harry asked. "You can't go back as a spy or you break your vow to me. Plus, Voldemort knows you weren't loyal to him. Same with Narcissa and Lucius. He pointed it out when I was there. Ever since the trial." He added. "Apparently, he had someone or several, feeding him information and you know that Lucius, Narcissa, and yourself, and myself were up there under Veritaserum. Your dark marks were gone, I admitted to being adopted, living with you…Voldemort knew you weren't loyal to him…" Harry informed.
"That's why he tortured you as much as he did. I don't even think he would have let you live next time summoning you and that's why I got worked up. Because I knew it was a matter of time." Harry stated. "Now, we don't have a choice with these horcruxes, Dad…Eventually, getting back into Malfoy Manor will be necessary to get that item Bellatrix has. You don't have to worry, I fought my way out once against all his death eaters and him. The worst injury I got was the dagger to my stomach. Now that I know those are in Bellatrix's arsenal, I know to be careful next time."
"But Harry, you don't even have your cloak this time…" Severus sighed.
"But we have Polyjuice potion, and I can change into Peter and use the rat form to get around the manor. Remember that they think Peter is dead, so a random rat running around won't look suspicious." Harry informed.
"Yeah, and you have a giant snake that will be hunting because they're nocturnal!" Sirius argued. "I'm with both your fathers, this isn't safe, Harry."
"I am only going to say it one time…" Harry paused. "There is no peace. There is no safe. There is only fight and try to survive by being careful. At the same time, risks are necessary. We've been over this before and it has not changed." He added. "This is war." The reality of that word set in heavily. "We are at war, in every sense of the sides; it is light versus dark. I'm not backing down over a little risk. I understand it's dangerous. I understand my life is on the line…"
"But it has been since that damn prophecy was made. I've had a target on my back since before I was born. In war, there are always casualties, and sacrifices must be made. I am sick and tired of this war, I want it over and I'm doing whatever it takes to see that through." There was a pause. "I want my life back. It has never been mine, thanks to Dumbledore, and even with that bastard gone, it's still not mine because of Voldemort.
"I want my life back, I'm sick of fighting. I never got to be a kid, never got to enjoy growing up. Hell, it's one of the reasons I just went for my NEWTs. There was no point staying a child because I've never been one. I might have been underage, but I wasn't a child. I had to grow up to survive, I had no choice. I still don't because I'm tied to that prophecy. Voldemort has to be destroyed and I'm the one that has to do it." The teen reminded them.
This happened often, as of late. Harry would go on a rant at the smallest mentions of how things were and he would argue his point so that no one could fight him on it. It was sad, but true. Harry was the main player in this war as the one prophesied to destroy the dark lord. Harry had no choice, he had to fight, so he was doing everything to stop the war. Even if it meant risking his life. Harry was right, this was war. Sometimes, to win, you have to risk it all and there was already a risk Harry didn't come out alive. That had not yet been mentioned to the Potter's or Sirius because it would not be an easy thing to swallow. But right now, Harry just seemed like he was done and putting his foot down.
"Now, this is going to come off extremely arrogant and asshole-like, but it's the truth…If you are not going to fight with me, then sit back down and stay out of my way. It's always been between me and Voldemort, for the last fifteen years. He started it, I'm ending it." Harry informed. "This won't be my life until I don't have to look over my shoulder for when the next move will be made…When I can stop living in fear. When I can stop fighting. That's when it's my life. If no one minds, it is late…You've all gotten to see the chamber, and another horcrux was destroyed. Great, successful night. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning, love you, goodnight."
And without another word, Harry walked by them and exited the room of requirement, then started for the stairs to get to his classroom on the third floor. The rest were left in the room to stare at one another.
"I'll go talk to him." Draco stated.
"You will not wander the halls alone, it is after curfew, Mr. Malfoy." Minerva informed. "I believe Harry would like some time alone."
"I take it all this is a standard teenager attitude?" James remarked.
"No, James…" Remus shook his head. "It's stress. Yes, Harry might be sixteen, almost seventeen, actually…But just like he said, he never got to be a kid. The Dursley's only ever used him as someone to beat on and do their housework, and here, while there was some fun…Harry's always been looking over his shoulder for Voldemort." The werewolf explained.
"The closer the final battle gets, the more stressed he gets." Narcissa frowned.
"He's gotten like this a few times. Just gets so serious, goes on a rant about the matter and walks off." Ron mumbled.
"It's not stress, it's fear." Severus informed. "Harry is scared. Not for the battle because knows he has the power to defeat Voldemort, but for anyone else he could lose. Now granted, yes, Sirius is back. His parents are back. Peter is back. Molly's brothers, Neville's parents and Luna's mom. But…The fact is, all of them, except Mrs. Lovegood, were taken because of Voldemort." Severus informed. "Now…There's more fear in losing everyone again, or even, more than before."
"But Severus…Him purposely risking his life to go to the base to find an object containing a piece of the dark lord's soul?" Lily stated.
"Unfortunately, despite the argument I put up…I can't stop him if that's what he chooses to do. I can't stop him. You two can't stop him. Remus and Sirius can't stop him. No one can stop him…Because he's an adult now." Severus told the Potter's. "Yes, I made him promise on his word not to risk his life again, but that was because when he got captured by death eaters at the train station when the Christmas holiday started…He went willingly, as a prisoner."
"He had every chance to get away and port-key home with the others…But he didn't. He went on purpose to get information. I told him not to do something like that again. That's what I made him promise, not to try and spy again. This wouldn't be spying, it's a recon mission to get that object." Severus informed.
"You think he's still scared because of what happened before everyone came back, Severus?" Minerva inquired.
"What happened?" James questioned.
"We didn't want to reveal this to you because it involved losing Harry…But there's a very high chance that no matter what we do, Harry dies to end of the battle." Remus sighed.
"WHAT?!" Lily, James, and Sirius yelled.
"Listen…The prophecy I overheard and gave to Voldemort, I never heard the whole thing. Just a piece of it. The entire thing is that the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him. Born as the seventh month dies. And the dark lord shall mark him as his equal and he shall have a power the dark lord knows not. For neither can live while the other survives." Severus revealed.
"Harry realized months ago that he very well may have to die to see the prophecy fulfilled. We don't know what the power is, but we have a theory it might only get activated at the end. Something that involves self-sacrifice to take Voldemort from this world with himself." Severus paused a moment. "We don't know if it will happen, or if we're interpreting the prophecy wrong. Harry has promised that he will not attempt the sacrifice until we know there is absolutely nothing else we can do."
Lily teared up as James held her. "We can't lose him…"
"From the sounds of it, love…We may not have a choice in this one." James sighed.
"I think it's best to call this a night. It's nearly midnight, the children need to get to bed and Harry is clearly not in a good mood." Minerva sighed. "Come along, students." She said.
"I will see to it that the others get back to the manor." Severus assured.
With that, Minerva took Hermione, Ron, and Neville off to the Gryffindor tower. Filius took Luna. The rest went with Severus to the dungeons. There was nothing left for them to do, and the night had been successful; the diadem was destroyed. This meant there were just three more to go. A necklace, an item Bellatrix had, which they believed was Helga Hufflepuff's cup, and then Nagini. It was almost over, as Harry said. It was time to end this.