The Seventh Horcrux

"A man who is "of sound mind" is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and key."

Paul Valéry, Mauvaises pensées et autres, 1942

Minerva's office was already crowded by the time the three friends entered. Everyone from the night before was there, and more members of the Order had been called in as well. As they found their seats, Hermione looked around the room, automatically cataloging everyone who was present. Ron's parents were there, along with Fred and George, and they stood in one corner of the room chatting with Bill. Kingsley and Tonks were sitting on the sofa with Remus and talking in hushed tones. There was also a black haired witch that Hermione didn't recognize, but Harry soon identified her as Hestia Jones. She appeared to be flirting with Hagrid, and Hagrid didn't seem to mind. Albus and Minerva both sat behind the Headmistress' desk, and Hermione was a little relieved to see that they each had their own chair for this meeting. Perhaps she wouldn't need that anti-blushing charm after all.

Eventually, the room quieted and the Weasleys found their seats. Before Albus called the meeting to order, a Patronus sprang from the wall and loped towards the Headmistress' desk. Initially, Hermione mistook it for a kind of cat, so smoothly and gracefully did it cross the room. When it sprang onto the desk, she realized the sparkling silver creature was a fox. The silvery creature crossed the desk, placed it's forefeet against Albus' chest, and proceeded to give the former Headmaster a piece of its mind. Hermione could not understand a word of what the Patronus said. Though they did make audible sounds, there was some charm about a Patronus that kept its messages unintelligible to all except for whom the message was intended.

Albus listened to the sharp tempered creature patiently, nodding his head from time to time. He seemed completely unperturbed by the fact that the fox's nose was only inches from his own.

"Well, of course the boy should be here...that goes without saying," Albus said calmly, and then paused as the small creature appeared to go into another verbal rampage. "She says the Floo is out of the question? Not to worry, not to worry, I have something here that will do quite nicely."

Rummaging through the top drawer of the desk, Albus muttered, "Have you moved every blasted thing, woman?"

"It might help," Minerva began dryly, "if you would tell me what it is that you are looking for."

"It's a small globe," Albus explained, still sorting through the drawer. "It looks like it's snowing on the pyramids if you shake it a bit. It's a Muggle thing."

"Oh, that bit of nonsense," Minerva huffed. Rising, she went to a nearby filing cabinet and retrieved the globe. "You're dead lucky that I didn't throw it in the bin."

"Lucky, my girl," Albus said, laughing, "but not quite dead, as it turns out!"

Blushing, Minerva handed him the globe and hastily took her seat.

"There you go," Albus said, handing the globe to the Patronus. "Just give it to him, he knows what to do with it. Even Poppy can't argue with that."

Taking the globe gingerly in its mouth, the fox jumped off of the desk and disappeared back through the wall.

"Arthur," Albus called, gesturing to the red haired wizard, "will you pull that stuffed chair a little closer to the fire? And fetch that lap blanket from the back of the sofa."

As Arthur cheerfully complied, Severus Snape and Poppy suddenly appeared in the empty space in front of the desk. As Severus stumbled, Poppy deftly caught him and steadied him until he found his balance.

Reaching forward, Severus set the globe gently onto the desk. "Thank you, Albus." Though his voice was low, it seemed to echo in the now silent room.

"There's a nice chair for you just there," Albus said, gesturing eagerly to the chair Arthur had set near the fire. "I think even Poppy can find no fault with it," he finished with a grin.

"He shouldn't be out of bed!" Poppy snapped as she helped Severus over to the chair. She then tucked the blanket snuggly around his legs as if she feared he would take a sudden chill despite the small fire and the fact that it was high summer. Though Severus rolled his eyes at her fussing, he withstood it with a stoic patience. Hermione could imagine Severus facing Lord Voldemort himself with the same expression on his face.

"Believe me, Poppy," Albus said gently, "I'm not about to let anything happen to the lad. However, he deserves to be at this meeting more than anyone, and I'm not about to deny him that. Try not to fret, my dear. I'll see that he's delivered safely back to the infirmary as soon as we've finished."

With a disdainful huff, Poppy turned on her heel and swept from the room. Her exit seemed to bring the occupants back to life, and the room suddenly filled with soft conversation once again. Arthur and Molly Weasley both greeted Severus warmly, and he returned their greetings with polite nods. Reaching over to Severus' chair from his nearby seat on the sofa, Remus put a hand on Severus' shoulder and gave it a warm squeeze. Though Severus brushed the hand away and gave Remus a slight scowl, it was clear that his heart wasn't in it. In fact, though Severus had obviously fought with Poppy about attending the meeting, Hermione noticed that he seemed very uncomfortable being there. He sat quietly and met no one's eye, not even her own. Well, it was hardly surprising. Most of the people present had hated Severus bitterly until Albus had returned to life. Hermione could not imagine how she herself would feel if she was in a similar situation.

When Albus called the meeting to order, Hermione dragged her eyes away from Severus and tried her best to stop worrying about him.

"I've called you here today," Albus began, once the room had quieted, "because we have several important matters to discuss. I know that the fact that I'm alive and well has been a shock to all of you--a pleasant shock I trust," he added, waggling his eyebrows and peering at them over the top of his glasses. A snicker crept around the room, followed by some scattered applause, and when his audience was again quiet, Albus continued. "Spread the word of my revival amongst the remainder of the Order, but make sure you are not overheard. The longer Tom is unaware of my return, the better off we all shall be."

Much nodding followed this advice, and Hestia Jones once again leaned over to whisper to Hagrid. Hermione couldn't hear what the dark haired witch had said, but from the way Hagrid chuckled it must have been something amusing. Once again, Albus waited patiently for the room to calm itself and then he spoke again.

"For now, I intend to remain here in the office, with Minerva's kind consent," he added, smiling fondly at the witch sitting at his side. "These rooms are more protected than any vault at Gringott's, so the secret of my sudden return should be safe enough. However, there is someone else here that requires a safe haven, and I'd like to get that sorted as soon as possible. Severus, I am assuming that you would not prefer to stay here with Minerva and myself?"

"Absolutely not," Severus said softly but firmly, and then muttered something rather caustic about aging lovebirds.

"Well, my boy, you know that we'd love to have you here with us, but there is something to be said for not hiding all of our eggs in one basket." Looking at each person present in turn, Albus continued. "I'm sure that someone here would be happy to offer you a safe haven until we are prepared to confront Voldemort."

The silence in the room was deafening for a moment, until Hagrid broke it with his cheerful voice. "Well, Professor Dumbledore, sir, Sev'rus is welcome ta stay wi' me. I know the hut's a bit small, but the's room enough and I'd like the company and tha's a fact."

Hermione could see the sudden scowl that pinched Hestia Jones' face. What was wrong with that woman? What did she have against Severus? Severus himself seemed uncomfortable with the whole conversation, though he didn't protest the idea of staying at Hagrid's hut. Fidgety and quiet, he spent most of the time staring at the blanket over his lap while he picked at the fabric with nervous fingers.

"Rubeus, that's very kind," Albus began, "but I'm afraid that it won't do. Your hut is in an area of the grounds that is hard to ward. I'm afraid that it simply won't be safe enough for Severus."

At this statement, both Hagrid and Severus looked disappointed but Hestia Jones looked suddenly cheerful. Hermione was beginning to truly dislike that woman.

When Arthur Weasley stepped forward to speak, Albus hushed him with a gesture. "No, Arthur. I know that you and Molly would do all in your power to keep Severus safe, but with your ties to the Ministry, it simply isn't prudent. All we would need is one Ministry official to arrive unannounced, and the cat would be out of the bag."

Again the room burst into conversation, but not one of the witches and wizards spoke up with a suggestion or offer of help. Worried, Hermione looked at Severus and noticed that his fidgeting had increased. No longer staring at the blanket, his eyes had begun to stray to various inanimate objects in the room, much as they had when he'd been mad. This simply could not be allowed to continue.

"Harry," she whispered urgently, "you have to do something!" When Harry started with surprise and blinked at her, Hermione realized that he hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation. Indicating Severus with her eyes, she repeated, "do something!"

For a moment, Harry gazed around the room with a puzzled look that scrunched up his features. When he sorted out what was being discussed, he frowned suddenly, and got to his feet to address the room.

"Excuse me," he began, and repeated it loudly when the room didn't immediately quiet. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand why we are wasting our time discussing this. Severus already has a place to live...he lives with us. My house is safe enough. I don't see any reason why we can't continue on as we have been."

This statement brought a dead silence to the room. Though he still didn't lift his eyes, Severus' fidgeting had ceased abruptly. The silence was broken by the overly sweet voice of Hestia Jones as she stood up to speak.

"Albus," she began, in a voice that made Hermione grate her teeth, "surely you don't intend to leave this man alone with these innocent children? Why, there's no telling what sort of..."

"Ms. Jones," Harry interrupted firmly, giving the witch such a hard stare that she dropped back into her chair, "forgive me for saying so, but I fail to see how my living arrangements are any of your business." Turning to look at Severus, Harry continued in a much lighter tone of voice. "After all, Severus, we've managed not to kill each other so far. It should be loads easier now that you aren't absolutely barking."

Oddly enough, Severus seemed puzzled by Harry's offer. Perhaps now that Albus was returned and Severus was no longer mad, he'd assumed that all bets were off. Lifting his head, he met Harry's eyes and Harry gave him a firm nod. When Severus then looked to Hermione and Ron, they nodded as well.

"That's a fine idea, Harry," Albus said, giving Harry a fond smile. "Is that all right with you, Severus?"

"It is," Severus said simply. Turning a fierce look towards Hestia Jones, he added snidely, "I suppose that I shall simply have to do my level best to curb my psychopathic tendencies around the helpless children."

That caused Hermione and Ron to grin and Harry to laugh out loud. "Not to worry, Severus," Harry said, still smiling. "You just let us know when you are feeling particularly psychotic, and we'll give you some space."

Though Severus went back to studying the blanket over his lap, Hermione could see his lips twitch slightly in amusement. His fidgeting had completely stopped, and he looked calm again. True, he still looked exhausted and uncomfortable, but Hermione could now stop fretting about him and return her attention to the meeting.

"Now that that is sorted," Albus said, his expression getting more serious, "I believe it's time for us to discuss the last two Horcruxes. Let's start with Nagini. A living Horcrux is easy enough to destroy, which is why they are not recommended for such things. Kill Nagini and the soul reverts to Tom. I find myself feeling a bit sorry for the snake, but there is nothing to be done about it. Unless, Hermione, your research has turned up anything useful?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Hermione replied with a sigh. "The spell Bill used is good only for inanimate objects. Unless Severus has come across something in his research..."

As her voice trailed off, Severus spoke. "No. The spell I used on the tower requires the cooperation of the other participant. It would not work on an animal."

"So be it," Albus said. "Nagini must die. Any plans for how to accomplish this?"

"It's already set up," Remus said. "My contact with the Death Eaters has a plan in place. He's been in charge of feeding Nagini, and he has a special meal all ready for her as soon as we give him the go-ahead. The timing is important. Once he kills Nagini he won't be able to stay undercover. It would be best to wait until immediately before we plan to move against Voldemort."

"I'll leave it in your capable hands, Remus," Albus said, obviously pleased. "We should be able to give your contact time enough before we plan to strike."

Once again, Hestia chimed in with unwanted advice. "Is this wise, Albus? All it would take for You Know Who to rise again is one Horcrux to go undestroyed. Do we know that this contact of Lupin's will do as he promises?"

As if with one voice, Bill, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Severus, and Remus all said, "Yes!"

"Then it's settled," Albus said firmly, dismissing Hestia's protests with a wave of his hand. "If six stalwart members of this Order believe it to be true, then that's good enough for me."

"What about the last Horcrux, Albus?" Harry asked curiously. "We've been looking for it for months, but we haven't discovered hide nor hair of it."

"I know you tried, Harry, and I should have told you about the final Horcrux long ago," Albus said. Pausing, he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes for a moment. Glasses back in place, he gave Harry his full attention and continued. "I meant to tell you about it last year, but there was so very much to tell you and so little time. Then the Death Eaters forced our hand up on the tower and I realized that time had suddenly run out. Before I explain further, I'd like Kingsley to tell you all a little about what it takes to make a Horcrux. I know that school is not in session, but it will help you understand what happened if you know more about the process of making a Horcrux. Kingsley, if you please?"

Rising from his seat next to Remus on the sofa, Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped up to Albus' desk and turned to address the room. "A Horcrux is a devilishly hard thing to make, and not only because you have to do some horrific act in order to split your soul. There are amazing preparations that a wizard has to make before he even gets to that dreadful act. First, he must make and ingest three very complex potions. Then he must also do three complicated charms. Before the event, he must go through a long and involved ritual that purifies his body. It is only after all of these preparations are completed that he chooses an object and does the evil deed. After the deed is done, he takes the energy that results and infuses the object with it."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Albus said as Shacklebolt resumed his seat. "Clear and concise, as per usual. Now then, it's important that you all know what was involved to understand how the seventh Horcrux came about. My studies on the matter have made it very clear to me that when Tom Riddle went to Godric's Hollow in order to kill the Potters, he had done all of the complicated things he needed to do in order to create a Horcrux. Knowing Tom, the destruction of the Potters would have played right into his sense of pageantry. So, on that dark night when Harry's parents were killed, a Horcrux was created."

"But, Albus," Harry interrupted, "I've been all over what's left of that house with a fine tooth comb. It made sense to me as well, that Voldemort would use my parents' death to create the last Horcrux, but we haven't found anything!"

"I'm afraid, Harry, that you were looking a little too far afield." When Harry looked like he had more to say, Albus held up a hand to quiet him. "A little more patience, my boy. We are almost at the crux of the matter--if you will pardon an old man for that dreadful pun. If you will remember, Kingsley explained that the wizard who wishes to make a Horcrux must be there to channel the energy after the wicked deed has been done. But Voldemort was destroyed when he tried to kill you, Harry. The preparations had all been made, the energy was summoned, but there was no wizard there to direct it. When Hagrid arrived to whisk you off to safety that night, Harry, he found something else as well." Reaching down behind the desk, Albus lifted up a long object and placed it on the desk.

Harry recognized it easily enough. "Gryffindor's sword," he said softly.

"Yes, indeed," Albus acknowledged. "It went missing during one of Tom's mysterious visits to Hogwarts. I suspected him of the theft, but I couldn't prove that the boy had it in his possession."

"But we've had it tested," Harry said, puzzled. "It is not a Horcrux!"

"No, my boy, I'm afraid that it is not. Tom died when he tried to kill you. He was not alive to direct the energy raised by the death of your parents and trap it in the sword that he had chosen. That energy attached itself to the nearest thing to Tom Riddle at the moment of his death."

"And what was that?" Harry asked.

When Albus Dumbledore paused, reluctant to continue, Hermione decided to tell Harry what she had figured out so many weeks ago. Taking one of his hands in both of her own and squeezing it tightly, she said, "It's you, Harry. Or, to be more specific, it's your scar."

The room went deathly quiet again as Harry stared at Hermione in shock.