Thank you to all of you who have reviewed so far. I appreciate it more than you can know. A special thanks to Olivia, who has offered to beta read my chapters before they're posted. I don't think that doing this will slow the updates at all, though it may mean I have to write faster. (author groans as she realizes her fingers may quite literally fall off if she tries to write any more every day) Anyway, there will be a little action in this chapter. Not a huge battle scene, but enough to tide you over until I'm ready to write it. Also, there will be comedy. I like to make people laugh, and when I laugh while writing it, that's either a sign that I'm losing my mind, or that some other people will find it funny. So, on with the story, and don't forget to both review and vote come August 15.
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Draco arrived at his house only moments before Harry, Hermione and Ron. And even in those instants that he had, he knew that no spell could save his house. But it wasn't the house that concerned him the most, though it would be a bit of an inconvenience to find another one that suited his needs. What really concerned him was the fact that there were Death Eaters still in his front yard. He was dodging a curse when the other three appeared.
Harry went to the left and Hermione went to the right. To his eternal surprise, Ron grabbed Draco and heaved him behind a tree. "Okay, Malfoy. We're used to doing this and you aren't, so listen up and do as we say, go home, or get killed. Got it?"
Draco hated admitting when he didn't know as much about something as someone else, but he was forced to. After all, he was nothing if not a self preservationist, and accepting their help was preserving his self. "Got it."
"Good. We split up and go at them from all different sides. This isn't easy, but we've been in much much worse. I want you to sneak around and come at them from the back. That way they don't see you, and they're all concentrated on us."
Draco nodded and took off, staying within the cover of the trees. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry facing Snape. That was a development he hadn't seen coming. Never had he expected Snape to be involved in something so typically menial.
Harry's wand was out, and he and his former teacher were circling one another. "You killed Dumbledore, Snape."
Snape lifted his skinny shoulders in a careless shrug. "That's Professor Snape to you, Potter." He grinned evilly. "It's time you learned a lesson about respecting your elders."
"I respect those that deserve it. You turned my parents and me over to Voldemort. You killed the most wonderful man in the world. You're helping Voldemort. We trusted you, Snape, and you betrayed everyone who tried to help you."
Snape laughed. "You never trusted me, Potter. And for good reason, I suppose. Though it always amazed me how I could fool the greatest wizard of all times and not three eleven year olds."
"Children see things in less shades than adults. You're either good, or you're evil. You fell solidly on the evil side." Harry bared his teeth. "I'm going to kill you. And I'm going to enjoy it."
"You're quite welcome to try. But when I take your body back to the Dark Lord, he's going to realize just who the most powerful wizard really is. Dumbledore and Harry Potter. The two people the world never thought could be destroyed. And they'll be killed by one man. What a reputation."
Harry forgot all about dueling protocol. He knew that Snape could hold his own if they played by the rules. It was when rules were cast aside, and the real fighting commenced that Harry had the advantage. He had all Hermione's spells that she had figured out. Including a new killing curse, and another version of the Cruciatus.
"Aletho!" Harry yelled, and like the sectum sempra curse, Snape's skin split and blood gushed. The older man's eyes widened and he lifted his wand.
"Crucio!"
Harry carelessly flicked his wand and deflected it. "That the best you got, Snape? Rhapsis!" Snape fell to the ground, suffering from Hermione's version of the Cruciatus. "I'm disappointed, Snape. All these years of you telling me what a failure I am, and now here we are, and you're the one losing. I'm amazed."
Snape struggled to his feet. "Avada Kedavra!"
"Patronum!" James yelled as soon as he solidified from Apparating. The stag leaped from his wand and devoured the curse. Snape's eyes widened and he started shaking.
"You're dead!"
"I am not." James countered, neatly stepping in front of his son, who was writhing on the ground. Though the curse hadn't killed him, it had left him in quite a bit of pain. "I was in a sleep chamber. Big difference there. I've been hearing disconcerting things, Severus." He paced, his wand never leaving Snape's face. "Things like you trying to kill my son, and killing Dumbledore. Things that make me very tempted to kill you. After all, a man has to protect those he loves. And the fact that you turned my wife and I over to Voldemort? Well, that's just the icing on the cake. You knew we were the only two who had a chance against him other that Dumbledore so you made damn sure no one could get to your master. I am not happy with this, Severus. And I've had seventeen years to stew on the matter."
"He'll kill you once I tell him you're back."
"He'll be welcome to try." James said, and Harry knew instantly that his father meant every word he had said. He pushed himself to get to his feet, wand clutched tightly in one fist.
Snape's wand shifted to point at Harry. At the same time, father and son shouted the killing curse as Snape took a breath to do the same to Harry. James yelled the traditional "Avad Kedavra!" while what sprang from Harry's lips was Hermione's version.
"Agnaphos Hagnela!"
In any case, Snape's body flew backward and slammed into the ground with a sickening crunch. It bucked once, as if in protest to death, and finally laid still. James grabbed Harry in a fierce hug. "I can't decide if I want to congratulate you and pat you on the back or knock some sense into that thick skull of yours. What were you thinking taking on Death Eaters like this?"
Harry met his father's gaze. "I've been doing this since I was eleven." He said levelly. "This is what I do."
"Not for long." James promised. "We'll end this Harry. We all deserve to have our own lives. Ones that aren't ruled by being scared that Voldemort is going to take over again."
"You say his name too?"
James' brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Most everyone refers to him as He Who Must Not Be Named."
James' reaction was basically the same as Harry's had been. "That's stupid. What are you doing?"
Harry had slipped from beneath his father's arm, and walked to Snape's body. It was as he had expected. Around his neck was a locket marked with a curly letter S. Slytherin's locket. A Horcrux. Harry felt power race through him as his hand closed over it.
"What is that?"
"A Horcrux. Or, at least, Dumbledore was sure that this is a Horcrux."
"That's good enough for me. How do we destroy it?"
Lily reached over and took the necklace from her son. Hermione immediately passed Ron, who was limping, to Draco, and pressed close to Lily. "Is that what I think it is?"
Lily nodded. "I think so. We have to destroy it."
Hermione took it and let it swing from her fingers. "Think the soul is in the chain too, or just in the locket?"
"We'd better be safe and destroy it all."
Harry reached for the locket. "I want to do it at Dumbledore's grave. It's fitting. He gave his life making sure this would be done."
"All right then. To Hogwarts we go?"
Harry nodded. "To Hogwarts."
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They arrived at Hogwarts later that afternoon. The grounds looked so different. There were Aurors patrolling constantly. Everyone had to undergo scans from Filch and the on duty teacher before they could enter the castle. All Floo's were blocked except for the one in Headmistress McGonagall's office. That was where the Flooed into. McGonagall went with them to Dumbledore's grave. Of course, they'd had to sit in her office and spend three hours explaining why Lily and James were back, how they were back and what exactly had transpired. The fact that Draco was helping the Order was also news.
"Albus was a good man." McGonagall said solemnly. "He'd be honored that you did this here. I know I am."
Harry took the locket and laid it on a rock. Using an old fashioned hammer he'd borrowed from Arthur's collection, he pounded the locket into dust. A breeze blew up, and swept the dust away, toward the lake. Harry would later think that Dumbledore had been responsible for that.
"Four down. Three to go."
Hermione laid a hand on Harry's arm. "We'll get them. We've come too far not to."
"Yeah. We have. And we will."
Lily reached for her husband's hand. "Oh, James. We've missed so much."
"We aren't missing anymore. We're here now and that's all that matters."
Lily nodded. "I suppose so. I don't like seeing our baby rushing off and doing these things."
"Neither do I, but we don't have a choice. He's been doing it since he found out he was a wizard. I'm glad Dumbledore looked after him."
"He did a good job. Is it wrong of me to wish that there had been another end for Severus? I mean, I know you and Sirius and Remus never liked him much, but I always saw something in him. Something that could have made him good."
"He made his choice, and we made ours. There's nothing that can be done about it now. We tried, Lily, once upon a time, and he turned us over to Voldemort. He chose his path."
"I see him in Draco."
"I did at first. I didn't trust him. But now, after watching him, I think he's a lot like what Severus would have been if he'd made the right choice. Always struggling with it more than he would have struggled with evil, and doing it only because of his heart. The boy's got a tough life ahead of him."
Lily laughed. "And great friends to help him through it."
"Think they even realize how close they are?" James looked at the four teenagers. Harry and Hermione had their arms around one another, and Ron and Harry were supporting Draco on either side. They were linked together through circumstances outside their control.
"I don't think they have a clue. But I think that's the way it will be for a while. They won't admit they're friends until this is over."
Harry looked back at his parents. "How did you know where we were? I forgot to ask."
"Ginny. She was supposed to go with you shopping, but when you guys Apparated, she came to get us instead of going with you. She figured that you could probably use our help more than hers."
Hermione chuckled as they all made their way back to the castle from Dumbledore's grave. "She's always had the most logical head on her shoulders."
Draco snorted. "No one is more logical than the incredibly intelligent Hermione Granger."
"Why did that sound like an insult? Anyway, that isn't the point. I was the one who didn't object when we went off to face an unknown number of Death Eaters. I've lost my thought processes when it comes to that. It never occurs to me to stop and formulate a plan." The shocked look on Hermione's face would give Draco something to laugh at for months to come. "I've lost it. Harry!" Her fingernails dug into his upper arm. "I've lost my ability to think rationally. I need to go to St. Mungo's or something. I've lost my mind."
"Hermione, you haven't lost your mind. You've just learned to trust your instincts without questioning them. It's a good thing. Trust me."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. "We should go back to our apartment tonight. With this attack, I don't want to put the Weasleys in any danger."
Draco was sulking about something. Ron noticed right away. "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm just debating on where I'm going to sleep tonight."
"With us." Hermione said immediately. "We'll just shuffle around sleeping arrangements a little and you can stay with us."
Draco felt a smile creeping up on his face. That would be fun. "Sounds good. Let's go."
Harry hugged his parents. "Floo us if anything happens, all right?"
James nodded. "Same goes, Harry. I don't want you doing anything like this without us."
Harry's nod was so much like his father's, Lily felt tears well up in her eyes. "I will. Oh, and I invited Lupin for dinner tomorrow night."
That made his parents grin. James barked a laugh. "The Marauders ride again."
Lily sighed. "Oh no, Harry, we'll never sleep again. They can laugh and drink and joke and talk for hours."
James looked at his wife. "This is going to be fun."
"No," Lily corrected, and Hermione was forced to agree, "This is going to be hell."
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