my inheritance (g.w x o.c)

chapter twenty-two: the two sacrifices

"But what must he do?"

"That is between Harry and me. Now listen closely, Severus. There will come a time when Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake."

"For Nagini?" Snape looked astonished.

"Precisely. If there comes a time when Lord Voldemort stops sending that snake forth to do his bidding, but keeps it safe beside him under magical protection, then, I think, it will be safe to tell Harry."

"Tell him what?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I held my breath as if I was going to miss something. I could've swore Dumbledore looked right at me.

"Tell him that on the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily cast her own life between them as a shield, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole, and latched itself onto the only living soul left in that collapsed building." I held in my gasp. No. No, it couldn't be. "Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry, and it is that which gives him the power of speech with snakes, and a connection with Lord Voldemort's mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to and protected by Harry, Lord Voldemort cannot die."

"So the boy ... the boy must die?" asked Snape quite calmly.

"And Voldemort himself must do it, Severus. That is essential." Silence filled the air. Snape stood up, a mix of hurt and anger on his face.

"I thought ... all those years ... that we were protecting him for her. For Lily."

Dumbledore shut his eyes as if the thought pained him. "We have protected him because it has been essential to teach him, to raise him, to let him try his strength. Meanwhile, the connection between them grows ever stronger, a parasitic growth. Sometimes I have thought he suspects it himself. If I know him, he will have arranged matters so that when he does set out to meet his death, it will truly mean the end of Voldemort."

"You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?" Snape gasped.

"Don't be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you watched die?"

Way too many just with me.

"Lately, only those whom I could not save," he explained before pointing at him. "You have used me."

"Meaning?"

"I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter—"

"But this is touching, Severus," Dumbledore acknowledged with a nod. "Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?"

"For him?" Snape yelled, pulling out his wand. I truly thought he was about to kill him. A million thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to think of what I would do. All thoughts left as he spoke, "Expecto Patronum!"

From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe. She landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Why did he need to produce a patronus? What good is that going to do right now? Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded, he turned back to Snape.

"After all this time? Hers?" That was Lily's patronus? He really loved her that much.

"Always," Snape nodded. For a moment, they were silent.

"This is not all for nothing, Severus."

"Seems that way."

"He will set the way for someone else if he is unable to end Voldemort on his own. And you and I both know who that is."

"He's already done too much to her." Her? Who else is going to kill Voldemort?

"And he's nowhere near done. You must know that."

"Of course I do," he snapped. He seemed angrier than he was with Harry, yet more fearful. "But I'm doing what I can."

"You've done more than enough. More than Elias could've ever hoped for." Who's Elias? He paused. "She is more than capable because of what you've taught her."

"It has to be her?"

"If it's not Harry, then yes. They are our only hopes."

"No one in the Order will ever believe her. If I have to kill you, everything I've said about her will be thrown out. She'll be shut down just like I will be."

"Let me take care of that."

"They won't trust who you trust either," he pointed out. "You trust me, but in a couple months, that won't matter either."

"I said, I will take care of it, Severus."

"What makes you so sure they'll let her in at all? She's been forced to do things beyond their wildest imaginations." Me?

"I won't be the only one convincing them." He knew.

"Who else would be on her side besides me?"

"Never underestimate the power and purity of young love," Dumbledore nodded, looking directly at me. How the hell does he know?

"Young love? Are you referring to her and the Weasley boy?"

"That too will reveal itself in due time. For now, you should probably get going. I have dinner with your protégée, and I'm sure she'll be arriving any minute." I took a deep breath, trying to get my emotions under control before I knocked. The door flew open, and I looked up at Snape. I tried to keep my face emotionless, but I had a feeling I failed. He looked away, passing me and going down the stairs. "Well, come in, Ms. Prince."