'...but then we were rudely interrupted by Severus Snape!”'

'What?'

'Yes, there was a commotion outside the door and it flew open, and there was that rather uncouth barman standing with Snape, who was waffling about having come the wrong way up the stairs, although I’m afraid that I myself rather thought he had been apprehended eavesdropping on my interview with Dumbledore—you see, he himself was seeking a job at the time, and no doubt hoped to pick up tips! Well, after that, you know, Dumbledore seemed much more disposed to give me a job, and I could not help thinking, Harry, that it was because he appreciated the stark contrast between my own unassuming manners and quiet talent, compared to the pushing, thrusting young man who was prepared to listen at keyholes—Harry, dear?'

She looked back over her shoulder, having only just realized that Harry was no longer with her; he had stopped walking and they were now ten feet from each other.

'Harry?' she repeated uncertainly.

Perhaps his face had gone white to make her look so concerned and frightened. Harry was standing stock-still as waves of shock crashed over him, wave after wave, obliterating everything except the information that had been kept from him for so long...

It was Snape who had overheard the prophecy. It was Snape who had carried the news of the prophecy to Voldemort. Snape and Peter Pettigrew together had sent Voldemort hunting after Lily and James and their son...

Nothing else mattered to Harry just now.

'Harry?' said Professor Trelawney again. 'Harry—I thought we were going to see the headmaster together?'

'You stay here,' said Harry through numb lips.

'But dear...I was going to tell him how I was assaulted in the Room of—'

'You stay here!' Harry repeated angrily.

She looked alarmed as he ran past her, around the corner into Dumbledore’s corridor, where the lone gargoyle stood sentry. Harry shouted the password at the gargoyle and ran up the moving spiral staircase three steps at a time. He did not knock upon Dumbledore’s door, he hammered; and the calm voice answered,

'Enter' after Harry had already flung himself into the room.

Fawkes the phoenix looked around, his bright black eyes gleaming with reflected gold from the sunset beyond the windows. Dumbledore was standing at the window looking out at the grounds, a long, black traveling cloak in his arms along with his midnight-blue handbag.

'Well, Harry, I promised that you could come with me.'

For a moment or two, Harry did not understand; the conversation with Trelawney had driven everything else out of his head and his brain seemed to be moving very slowly.

'Come...with you..?'

'Only if you wish it, of course.'

'If I...'

And then Harry remembered why he had been eager to come to Dumbledore’s office in the first place.

'You’ve found one? You’ve found a Horcrux?'

'I believe so.'

Rage and resentment fought shock and excitement: For several moments, Harry could not speak.

'It is natural to be afraid,' said Dumbledore.

'I’m not scared!' said Harry at once, and it was perfectly true; fear was one emotion he was not feeling at all at this moment. 'Which Horcrux is it? Where is it?'

'I am not sure which it is—though I think we can rule out the snake—but I believe it to be hidden in a cave on the coast many miles from here, a cave I have been trying to locate for a very long time: the cave in which Tom Riddle once terrorized two children from his orphanage on their annual trip; you remember?'

'Yes,' said Harry. 'How is it protected?'

'I do not know; I have suspicions that may be entirely wrong.' Dumbledore hesitated, then said, 'Harry, I promised you that you could come with me, and I stand by that promise, but it would be very wrong of me not to warn you that this will be exceedingly dangerous.'

'I’m coming,' said Harry, almost before Dumbledore had finished speaking. Boiling with anger at Snape, his desire to do something desperate and risky had increased tenfold in the last few minutes. This seemed to show on Harry’s face, for Dumbledore moved away from the window and looked more closely at Harry, a slight crease between his silver eyebrows.

'What has happened to you?'

'Nothing,' lied Harry promptly.

'What has upset you?'

'I’m not upset.'

'Harry, you were never a good Occlumens—'

The word was the spark that ignited Harry’s fury.

'Snape!' he said, very loudly, and Fawkes gave a soft squawk behind them. 'Snape’s what’s happened! He told Voldemort about the prophecy, it was him, he listened outside the door, Trelawney told me!'

Dumbledore’s expression did not change, but Harry thought his face whitened under the bloody tinge cast by the setting sun. For a long moment, Dumbledore said nothing.

'When did you find out about this?' he asked at last.

'Just now!' said Harry, who was refraining from yelling with enormous difficulty. And then, suddenly, he could not stop himself. ‘AND YOU LET HIM TEACH HERE AND HE TOLD VOLDEMORT TO GO AFTER MY MUM AND DAD! I THOUGHT HE WAS ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SIRIUS' DEATH, BUT HES THE REASON THREE OUT OF FOUR OF MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!’

Breathing hard as though he was fighting, Harry turned away from Dumbledore, who still had not moved a muscle, and paced up and down the study, rubbing his knuckles in his hand and exercising every last bit of restraint to prevent himself knocking things over. He wanted to rage and storm at Dumbledore, but he also wanted to go with him to try and destroy the Horcrux; he wanted to tell him that he was a foolish old man for trusting Snape, but he was terrified that Dumbledore would not take him along unless he mastered his anger...

'Harry,' said Dumbledore quietly. 'Please listen to me.'

It was as difficult to stop his relentless pacing as to refrain from shouting. Harry paused, biting his lip, and looked into Dumbledore’s lined face.

'Professor Snape made a terrible—'

'Don’t tell me it was a mistake, sir, he was listening at the door!'

'Please let me finish,' Dumbledore waited until Harry had nodded curtly, then went on. 'Professor Snape made a terrible mistake. He was still in Lord Voldemort’s employ on the night he heard the first half of Professor Trelawney’s prophecy. Naturally, he hastened to tell his master what he had heard, for it concerned his master most deeply. But he did not know—he had no possible way of knowing—which boy Voldemort would hunt from then onward, or that the parents he would destroy in his murderous quest were people that Professor Snape knew, that they were your mother and father—'

Harry let out a yell of mirthless laughter.

'He hated my dad like he hated Sirius! Haven’t you noticed, Professor, how the people Snape hates tend to end up dead?'

'You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he realized how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry. I believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason that he returned—'

'But he’s a very good Occlumens, isn’t he, sir?' said Harry, whose voice was shaking with the effort of keeping it steady. 'And isn’t Voldemort convinced that Snape’s on his side, even now? Professor...how can you be sure Snape’s on our side?'

Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to make up his mind about something. At last he said, 'I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely.'

Harry breathed deeply for a few moments in an effort to steady himself. It did not work.

'Well, I don’t!' he said, as loudly as before. 'He’s up to something with Draco Malfoy right now, right under your nose, and you still—'

'We have discussed this, Harry,' said Dumbledore, and now he sounded stern again. 'I have told you my views.'

'You’re leaving the school tonight, and I’ll bet you haven’t even considered that Snape and Malfoy might decide to—'

'To what?' asked Dumbledore, his eyebrows raised. 'What is it that you suspect them of doing, precisely?'

'I...they’re up to something!' said Harry, and his hands curled into fists as he said it. 'Professor Trelawney was just in the Room of Requirement, trying to hide her sherry bottles, and she heard Malfoy whooping, celebrating! He’s trying to mend something dangerous from Borgin and Burkes in there and if you ask me, he’s fixed it at last and you’re about to just walk out of school without—'

'Enough,' said Dumbledore. He said it quite calmly, and yet Harry fell silent at once; he knew that he had finally crossed some invisible line. 'Do you think that I have once left the school unprotected during my absences this year? I have not. Tonight, when I leave, there will again be additional protection in place. Please do not suggest that I do not take the safety of my students seriously, Harry.'

'I didn’t—' mumbled Harry, a little abashed, but Dumbledore cut across him.

'I do not wish to discuss the matter any further.'

Harry bit back his retort, scared that he had gone too far, that he had ruined his chance of accompanying Dumbledore, but Dumbledore went on, 'Do you wish to come with me tonight?'

'Yes,' said Harry at once.

'Very well, then: Listen.' Dumbledore drew himself up to his full height. 'I take you with me on one condition: that you obey any command I might give you at once, and without question.'

'Of course.'

'Be sure to understand me, Harry. I mean that you must follow even such orders as "run," "hide," or "go back." Do I have your word?'

'I—yes, of course.

'If I tell you to hide, you will do so?'

'Yes.'

'If I tell you to flee, you will obey?'

'Yes.'

'If I tell you to leave me and save yourself, you will do as I tell you?'

'I—'

'Harry?'

They looked at each other for a moment.

'Yes, sir.'

'Very good. Then I wish you to go and fetch your Invisibility Cloak and meet me in the entrance hall in ten minutes’ time.' Dumbledore turned back to look out of the fiery window; the sun was now a ruby red glare along the horizon. Harry walked quickly from the office and down the spiral staircase. His mind was oddly clear all of a sudden. He knew what to do.

Theodore, Allison, Tracey, and Terence were sitting together in the common room when he came back.

'Oh, you're back, we thought you had left,' said Theodore.

'Harry? What's the matter?' asked Tracey, she looked concerned.

'I’m fine,' said Harry shortly, racing past them. He dashed up the stairs and into his dormitory, where he flung open his trunk and pulled out the Marauder’s Map. Then he sped back down the stairs and into the common room, skidding to a halt where his friends sat, looking stunned.

'I’ve got to be quick,' Harry panted. 'Dumbledore thinks I’m getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen...'

Quickly he told them where he was going and why. He did not pause either for any of their questions or gasps of horror; they could work out the finer details for themselves later.

'...so you see what this means?' Harry finished at a gallop. 'Dumbledore won’t be here tonight, so Malfoy’s going to have another clear shot at whatever he’s up to. No, listen to me!' he hissed angrily, as both Theodore and Tracey showed every sign of interrupting. 'I know it was Malfoy celebrating in the Room of Requirement. Here—' He shoved the Marauder’s Map into Theodore’s hands. 'You’ve got to watch him and you’ve got to watch Snape too. Use anyone else who you can rustle up from the D.A., Allison, those contact scrap paper will still work, right? Dumbledore says he’s put extra protection in the school, but if Snape’s involved, he’ll know what Dumbledore’s protection is, and how to avoid it—but he won’t be expecting you lot to be on the watch, will he?'

‘Harry—‘ began Allison, her eyes huge with worry.

‘I haven’t got time for a debate,’ said Harry quickly. ‘Allison, I need you to go get the Felix Felicis. Share it between four of you, Canini, and if there is any left give it to as many D.A. members as possible. Theo, find Cani, but first write Tonks everything I have told you, she should be close by and if things go bad tonight it’s her job to help. I’d better go, Dumbledore’s waiting—‘

‘But Harry, what if you need extra luck?’ asked Terence.

‘Oh Harry, don’t go, I have a terrible feeling about tonight,’ said Tracey in a chocked voice.

‘I’ll be fine, I’ll be with Dumbledore,’ said Harry. ‘I want to know you lot are okay…’

Allison quickly took his hand in her and forced him to look in her eyes, ‘Everything you asked will be done.’

‘Thank you,’ he whispered.

‘Harry…be safe.’

‘I will,’ and instead of a peck on the cheek they quickly shared an actual kiss. Harry then pulled away.

‘I’ll-I’ll see you all later…’

And he was off, hurrying back through the enchanted wall and up toward the Entrance Hall.

Dumbledore was waiting beside the oaken front doors. He turned as Harry came skidding out from the stone steps, panting hard, a searing stitch in his side.

‘I would like you to wear your cloak, please,’ said Dumbledore, and he waited until Harry had thrown it on before saying, ‘Very good. Shall we go?’

Dumbledore set off at once down the stone steps, his own traveling cloak barely stirring in the still summer air. Harry hurried alongside him under the Invisibility Cloak, still panting and sweating rather a lot.

‘But what will people think when they see you leaving, Professor?’ Harry asked, his mind on Malfoy and Snape.

‘That I am off into Hogsmeade for a drink,’ said Dumbledore lightly. ‘I sometimes offer Rosmerta my custom, or else visit the Hog’s Head…or I appear to. It is as good a way as any of disguising one’s true destination.’

They made their way down the drive in the gathering twilight. The air was full of the smells of warm grass, lake water, and wood smoke from Hagrid’s cabin. It was difficult to believe that they were heading for anything dangerous or frightening.

‘Professor,’ said Harry quietly, as the gates at the bottom of the drive came into view, ‘will we be Apparating?’

‘Yes,’ said Dumbledore. ‘You can Apparate now, I believe?’

‘Yes,’ said Harry, ‘but I haven’t got a license.’

He felt it best to be honest; what if he spoiled everything by

turning up a hundred miles from where he was supposed to go?

‘No matter,’ said Dumbledore, ‘I can assist you again.’

They turned out of the gates into the twilit, deserted lane to Hogsmeade. Darkness descended fast as they walked, and by the time they reached the High Street night was falling in earnest. Lights twinkled from windows over shops and as they neared the Three Broomsticks they heard raucous shouting.

‘—and stay out!” shouted Madam Rosmerta, forcibly ejecting a grubby-looking wizard. ‘Oh, hello, Albus…You’re out late…would you like a bottle of mead?’

‘Good evening, Rosmerta, good evening…forgive me, I’m off to the Hog’s Head…No offense, but I feel like a quieter atmosphere tonight…’

A minute later they turned the corner into the side street where the Hog’s Head’s sign creaked a little, though there was no breeze. In contrast to the Three Broomsticks, the pub appeared to be completely empty.

‘It will not be necessary for us to enter,’ muttered Dumbledore, glancing around. ‘As long as nobody sees us go…now place your hand upon my arm, Harry. There is no need to grip too hard, I am merely guiding you. On the count of three…One…two…three…’

Harry turned. At once, there was that horrible sensation that he was being squeezed through a thick rubber tube; he could not draw breath, every part of him was being compressed almost past endurance and then, just when he thought he must suffocate, the invisible bands seemed to burst open, and he was standing in cool darkness, breathing in lungfuls of fresh, salty air.

Loved it!

I'm quitting Fandom for a while, but please don't remove me from the tagging list, I will be reading the future chapters later! :)

Thanks for reading. I’m sorry to see you leave, but I might be taking a break from publishing chapters anyway as no one seems to be reading them. I’ll finish this book and then likely not start publishing the next one until sometime into the new year.