Harry ambled down the stairs for breakfast, Baneofallrodents curled around his waist. She refused to leave him alone since his kidnapping. He wasn't going to object. She had likely saved his life.
Mimsy had cooked pancakes for breakfast, and Harry tucked in. There were loads left, and he realised he must have beaten Sirius to the table, an unusual set of circumstances. There was a slam of a door, and Harry grinned. He hoped into the pantry, pulling the door shut behind him. He'd wait until Sirius was sitting down, then jump out and surprise him.
"Please, take a seat," Sirius said, and Harry froze. "Coffee, tea, anyone?"
"I'll have tea, milk, two sugars," Dumbledore said.
"Black coffee," Snape snapped.
"Coffee for me as well, thank you Sirius," McGonagall said. Harry debated his options. Jump out, or listen to them?
"So, Severus, what's your report?" The decision had been made for him. How could Harry resist such an enticing invitation to eavesdrop?
"The Dark Lord called me two days ago. Both Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr were dead."
"Crouch Jr?" McGonagall exclaimed.
"The Dark Lord did not see fit to elucidate me on the means of his survival and escape of Azkaban, and it is currently irrelevant," Snape drawled. "I believe Potter's snake poisoned them both, and the Dark Lord too. However, Nagini's venom was used in the Regeneration Potion, so he has a small immunity to poisons, which is why his body has not entirely deteriorated. He believes Pettigrew screwed up the ritual, and the fumes from the potion killed him and Crouch. Obviously, I have not disabused him of that notion. I have been providing him with various potions, but none of them should counter the venom, and so he will remain weak. He has called no one else to him, but Lucius is getting suspicious as the Mark has darkened."
"Serves the wanker right," Sirius growled. "Teach him to kidnap my godson."
Harry grinned. Go Sirius!
"So, Albus, are you finally going to tell us your ideas on the remaining horcruxes?" McGonagall said. Harry frowned. What on earth was a horcrux? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.
"Now Minerva, it is essential that Harry be the one to find these items, even if we must guide him down that path."
"DING!" Sirius shouted. "Ding-a-ling-ding."
"Unfortunately, I agree with Black. Hunting down pieces of the Dark Lord's soul is no job for a child," Snape interjected. Harry bit his lip to keep himself from shouting out in agreement. Dumbledore was completely barmy! He hadn't even realised it was possible to lose pieces of his soul.
"Don't you dare try to feed us some cock and bull about a prophecy," Sirius snarled. "Tell us, or I'll feed you truth potion myself."
There was a long pause in which Harry could imagine Dumbledore's outraged look. He almost hoped they did feed him veritaserum.
"And I'd help him," Snape said, and Harry grinned.
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. The new wards have detected the presence of a horcrux with in the school."
"And you didn't think to tell us!" McGonagall screeched. "You've finally lost it!"
"We'll collect that later. Continue," Sirius said.
"I believe them to be items from Voldemort's past, stored in places of great importance to him. Most likely three; the book, a locket that once belonged to his mother, and a ring that belonged to his grandfather. The book was given to his most trusted follower, Abraxus Malfoy, passed onto his son, Lucius. One item is evidently stored in the first place he called home, and one item stored somewhere relevant to his history. Perhaps the town his parents grew up in..."
"You're a bloody fool, Albus Dumbledore, keeping this to yourself," McGonagall growled. "Let's go get them." There was a scraping of chairs, and the four of them left the room. Harry waited until he heard them all leave, and he sneaked out of the cupboard.
Soul pieces, a prophecy, and an interfering old man. Harry had some research to do.
-----------------
Severus eyed the locket, sitting proudly on a podium in what the elves called the Come and Go Room. They'd had to enlist their help, unable to find the specific part of the castle the wards indicated.
"Do the honours, Snape?" Black said. Severus sneered.
"I think, perhaps, we should examine it before attempting to destroy it," Albus said.
"Avada kedavara," Severus growled, already fed up with Albus' nonsense.
"Oh!" Albus said. The locket screamed, black smoke exploding from it, filling the room, before tearing itself apart, throwing them all to the ground in the process.
"Severus! I am most disappointed – ouch!" Albus said. Minerva had flicked her wand, and hit him with a stinging hex.
"You shut your big gob else it gets you into some more trouble you obnoxious arrogant senile fool!" she spat, her Scottish accent more pronounced than usual. Severus raised a brow, quietly impressed.
Black grinned. "Nice work," he said. Severus sneered.
"Always," he retorted, but his disdain didn't diminish Black's cheer.
"Two down, one to go!" Black remarked gleefully. "Come on then, let's go explore his parents' digs."
Severus rolled his eyes but followed Black out the room, Minerva and Albus hot on their heels.
It took very little time to exit the school and apparate to Little Hangleton, and Severus realised with horror that he recognised the area. He disillusioned himself immediately.
"Albus! The Dark Lord inhabits the Manor across from here!" he growled. Black and Minerva moved closer and they hid themselves in the shade of an oak tree.
"Ah, yes, I suspected as much," Albus said, eyes twinkling merrily. Severus cancelled the disillusionment charm so as to glare at Albus properly.
"And you didn't think to warn us!" Black hissed, and Minerva had a similarly incredulous look upon her face. Severus took several deep breaths to gain control of his emotions.
"Well, it's not as if we're going to be knocking on his front door," Albus replied.
"Near enough," Severus muttered. "Just lead us to the bloody horcrux." Why did their only source of knowledge have to be an insufferable, delusional old man?
They followed Albus up a winding dirt path that lead away from the village. It was over grown and had obviously not been used in some time. Eventually they came across a small, rundown shack. Severus fancied he could feel the malevolent aura of the horcrux even from outside. There was a dead snake nailed to the doorframe, and as Albus stepped toward over some unseen barrier it came to life.
With a flick of his wand Albus dispatched it before it could do more than hiss, even the bones disintegrating to ash.
"Both of you wait outside," Severus instructed. He cast several detection spells, but the only ward he could find was the one that activated the snake. He followed Albus into the shack.
Mould covered the walls, and the furniture was in rotten disarray. Albus had his wand raised in silent detection spells, and he eventually pointed to an unassuming piece of floor. With a jerk of his wand the floorboard was ripped up, and there sat a steel box. Severus levitated it out of the hole and began slowly breaking down the curses that it was covered with. Finally, he got the container open.
"Ariana!" Albus cried, and fell to his knees, scrabbling at the box. Severus reacted instinctively, summoning the horcrux toward him and banishing Albus away from it.
"You cannot have it!" Albus growled, and lightning crackled toward him from the end of Albus' wand. Severus threw himself to the side. He crashed into the shack wall, breaking through the rotten wood.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Severus cried. He got to his feet and threw up the most powerful shield he knew, barely deflecting the next curse that came his way. Black and Minerva were at his side in an instant. Albus staggered out of the shack, wand raised. Another curse lanced toward them, but fizzled out halfway. Albus was staring at his wand in horror. He threw it away from himself, and his questionable sanity seemed to have restored itself.
"My apologies. It seems I am unusually susceptible to compulsion of that kind," Albus said quietly. Severus took a moment to get this breath back before casting several containment charms upon the steel box.
"Of what kind, exactly?" Black questioned suspiciously. Albus' shoulders sagged. With a wave of his wand the shack was restored to its previous state.
"Perhaps I should inform you after it's destruction?" Severus huffed, but didn't disagree. "Although... I don't suppose you'll allow me to examine it?" Severus narrowed his eyes.
"I think, perhaps, you ought to leave, Headmaster, as you seem to be unable to fully resist this object's charms," Minerva said.
Albus nodded sharply, and with one last glance at the box Severus was clutching to his chest, he disapparated.
Severus placed the box on the dirt, and in one instant, removed all the containment charms and opened it up. In the middle sat an ugly ring, with a gold band and a large brown stone set into it.
Grey smoke poured out of the stone, slowly forming a body.
"Oh Sev, don't you want to see me again?" Lily asked as her features formed. "All you have to do is put on the ring." Severus stared at the beautiful features of his one true friend, the only woman he had ever loved, and the mother whose child he was protecting. Surely it was only right that Severus saw her every day? Black made a choking noise and staggered forward, and the inhuman apparition twisted in on itself and reformed.
"Padfoot! So good to see you old chap. Can't stay for long, but you'll always be able to see me if you just put on the ring," James Potter remarked cheerfully. "Don't you think Harry would like to see his parents?" Severus shook himself, and narrowed his eyes at his hated enemy. Black was sobbing, and he lurched toward the ring even as Minerva attempted to hold him back.
How dare the Dark Lord use their losses against them.
"Avada kedavra!" Severus snarled. Green light lanced toward the ring and the apparition screamed. Black smoke boiled out of the ring, reaching toward them before wailing as it converged into on itself and exploded.
The ground where the horcrux had laid was brown and barren. At the very centre was the stone that had been set into the ring, and it twinkled at them eerily. Severus didn't dare pick it up, but it levitated it into the air and blasted it away from them. It flew into the foliage behind the shack, and Severus turned his back on it.
Black was a sobbing mess, and Severus wasn't far behind him.
"Let us reconvene in 24 hours," Severus said stiffly, and he disapparated back to the castle, in desperate need for a glass of whiskey and a good night's sleep.