Chapter 5

Harry woke with a groggy groan.

"Ah." He heard a female voice. "We were wondering how long you'd sleep for."

He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a small field hospital. His room was closed off from the others with a heavy curtain, and he could feel privacy spells in the curtain that kept out unwanted visitors. He was in a small but comfy cot with a single stool next to it.

The mediwitch sat next to him and waved her wand at him. "Hope you had a good nap." She looked at a few numbers that appeared over his body. "Overall, you're in perfect health. You had a fractured rib, but that we took care of easily enough. You're remarkably sturdy, you know that?"

Harry grinned. "A little hard work goes a long way." He tried to sit up but couldn't, the energy required too great for him. He let out a groan and a wince.

The mediwitch tsked her tongue. "I can repair your body but not your endurance. You've got serious magic drain. You're running on a couple fairy sprinkles at this point."

"Ah." Not unexpected, he thought. "How long until I recover?"

She shrugged. "That depends on you. Nobody's figured out how to replenish magic without some weird ritual or other. You'll just need to rest and let it come back on its own."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Miss…"

She gave him a slight smile. "Anna. I'll let your mum know you're up." She stood and left through the curtain.

Jasmine burst through the curtains first a scant few minutes later. "Harry! You okay?" Her hair was wild and disheveled, and Harry thought he saw a few dried tear stains on her cheeks.

His chest tightened. "Yeah." He gave his sister a bright smile. "I'm fine. Just a bit spent is all. Turns out fighting a few Death Eaters will take it out of you."

Jasmine leapt across the room and wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug. "I...I was really worried, you know?"

She sounded so small. Like she was a little girl of nine again rather than fourteen. He returned the embrace. He ran his hand down her back comfortingly. "Hey. You know I'd never let those tossers beat me."

She chuckled but didn't let him go. "Yeah… I know."

"Besides," he said, "those three won't be bugging anyone for a while now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Bella and the rat are deaf now."

Jasmine laughed into his chest. It was like a sweet drug to him. "So how'd ya' do it?" She loosened her arms and leaned off him.

He smirked. "Sonorous and sensory charms."

Jasmine smiled like she did when she was appreciating an elaborate prank by the Weasley Twins. "Clever little bugger, ain't you?"

"I try." He looked over Jasmine's shoulder. "Hey, Mum. Sorry if I worried you."

Lily closed the curtain behind her and walked over to his bedside. "I always worry about my little boy," she said with a sad but loving smile. "I'm glad you're up."

He glanced at his sister, who was still holding him loosely. "I'd offer a hug, but Jas seems to wanna' keep them for herself at the moment."

Jasmine buried her face back into his chest. She said, her voice muffled, "You're my big brother, so I can take every hug if I wanna'." Harry could feel her smile.

"I imagine a couple girls would have something to say about that," Lily replied. She then leaned over and wrapped her arms around both of her children.

Harry closed his eyes, content for a moment. A strange warmth enriched his mind and body. A mother's love was that way. Harry rarely felt he was in danger, but it was moments like this one where he felt truly safe. No games, schemes, plots, or magic. Only the love of his sister and mother. The love of a family.

Lily reluctantly let go of them. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Exhausted." Jasmine finally peeled off of him next. "Another case of magic drain, it appears."

Lily's mouth tightened. She sighed tiredly. "Harry…" She hesitated to say more.

"Mum." His voice was firm. "I promised Dad I'd keep you both safe. And none of us are so long as they're still out there."

She dropped the subject. Lily knew by now that he wouldn't ever put his own safety above anyone else's. She told him, "You're so much like James."

He smiled. "Thanks, Mum. I love you too."

Lily leaned down and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You both are frustrating men, but you always try to keep everyone safe around you."

"That's true," Jasmine agreed. She stood up. "I'll go get the girls." She then left the room, the curtains whispering shut behind her.

That left Harry alone with Lily. Lily sat down on the stool. She then asked, "How did you know about the attack, Harry?"

"I guessed," he said. He couldn't tell her about his other self's memories. She'd have him committed. "I figured now would be the perfect opportunity because there's so many people, so now would be the best chance for them to cause as much damage as possible with minimal effort."

"Sirius told me you told him you expected something to happen." Lily sat straighter. "But I know you, Harry. You don't say something like that unless you know it's true."

Harry didn't reply. Let Mum think what she wants. It's easier than the real reason.

"You know Fudge will try to spin this," Lily added. "He'll say you're colluding, which is how you knew where to be."

"And he'll fall flat on his face," Daphne chimed in. She and Tonks came in together. "Fudge will lose the Prophet if he tries to defame the biggest celebrity in Britain like that. There's more money in Harry's image than Fudge could ever offer them."

"Girls," Lily greeted with a nod. She reached over and squeezed Harry's hand. "Maybe you're right, Daphne. I just worry. One day, when you're parents, you'll understand."

"Mum." She looked at him. "I promise I'll be fine."

"I know." She looked over them, her gaze lingering on Harry. At last, she stood up. "I'll leave you three alone and make sure no one disturbs you." She stared at Daphne and Tonks. "Don't let him out of your sight."

Tonks gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am. He won't be going anywhere. I'll turn him into a newt if he tries."

Lily smiled. "Thank you. I'll entrust him to the both of you for now." She gave Harry one last hug. "I love you, Harry."

"Love you too."

Lily then left the room and shut the curtains behind her. Tonks sat on the cot with Harry and Daphne took the stool.

"So," Tonks asked as she ran her hand through his hair, "how'd it go?"

"Well enough," he said. "I'd say I actually won this time."

"Good." Daphne nodded. "I assume you want to know how the attack went elsewhere?"

He grinned at her. "You always know just how to get me going, Daph."

She ignored the jape and reported: "Your Dark Marks threw everyone into chaos, but it mobilized the aurors fast. Sirius and Kingsley led squads and found the main strikeforce quickly enough. The Death Eaters fled before they could do any real damage. Overall, no deaths, Fudge has been embarrassed internationally, and the only injuries apparently were from the stampede. Your last Patronus found Amelia Bones, strangely enough. She dispatched a team to where you said but they haven't reported back yet. I'd say this was a rousing success, your current situation notwithstanding."

Tonks nodded. "Yep. And I think a little beetle or two is waiting for your statement."

Harry smirked. They'd discussed dealing with Rita Skeeter earlier in the summer. Daphne must have moved without telling me. He asked, "Skeeter's ours now?"

Daphne nodded this time. "She was very agreeable when I informed her that being an unregistered animagus carried a hefty sentence in Azkaban."

Harry loosed a small laugh. "Well that will make the year a little easier now." He pulled Tonks down on him with a happy squeal from her. "Merlin, do I love you girls."

"Damn straight you do," Tonks cooed.

Daphne coughed into her hand. "We can enjoy ourselves at a later time. For now, we need to get the narrative going before Fudge has a chance."

"You can handle that," Harry answered. "I trust you. Just write the words and I'll sign it." She immediately handed him a quill and a piece of paper she'd already prepared. "I see you're a step ahead—as usual." He signed it and she took the paper back from him.

"This was trivial," she said offhandedly. With a small spell, she duplicated the letter onto another slip of paper. The new paper then folded itself into a paper airplane and zoomed away to find their pocket reporter. "I'll hold on to the original." The sheet then folded over itself until it disappeared into thin air.

Tonks' hair grew to her shoulder and turned blue. "So what're we doing next?"

"For now, help me up. I'd rather not spend much more time in a hospital bed if I can avoid it."

Tonks climbed off him. She and Daphne then grabbed an arm and pulled him out of the cot. They let him rest his arms over their shoulders. The three of them walked out together.

Lily was speaking with the mediwitch who'd been taking care of Harry earlier. The mediwitch said something back and then left. Lily walked over. "I hope you three had a good talk."

"The best," Tonks said. "Harry here is ready to get out of here." She bounced him on her shoulder, jostling him a little.

"I understand. James always hated hospitals too. I'll take him home, girls. You should get home too. I'm sure your parents are anxious. Today has been exhausting for us all."

Tonks and Daphne handed him to her. "Be seeing ya', Harry," Tonks said.

Daphne added, "I'll come by tomorrow if I can. Mother will be...more difficult after today, no doubt."

Lily waved goodbye as Tonks and Daphne apparated away. She then asked him, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." He held onto her shoulder tight.

Lily then apparated them both away.

Harry sat back with a smile on his face that would've irked someone when they saw it. He hadn't even read the article itself, but he didn't think he needed to. The Prophet's front page title said it all. "POTTER PROTECTS THE PEOPLE!"

"Oh, Fudge is going to fume when he sees this." He knew Rita Skeeter was a skilled writer, but that title alone was something special.

It was the day after the attack on the World Cup. His magic had mostly returned by now, but his mother had insisted he take an easy day to recuperate. He didn't mind, so he agreed to do that. He'd received dozens of requests for interviews from just as many magazines. For now, though, he was content with putting out only what they gave Skeeter.

He took a sip from his can of muggle cola. The carbonation tickled his throat as he swallowed. A small part of him wished he could find the cola in a wizarding shop, but he knew he never would. Still, he enjoyed it all the same. Idly, he decided to gather a large supply and stuff it in his trunk for him to enjoy while at Hogwarts.

He was sitting on the penthouse patio. Normally, the wind this high up would be pretty fierce, but a simple ward made sure that all that hit him was a calm breeze. The day was of course cloudy, as was usually the case in London in his experience, but the weather was pleasant. He'd woken up early today so the sun was just beginning to rise. The red light glinted off the thousands of glass windows across the London skyline. It was always a beautiful sight to Harry. He wished more in magical Britain could see it the same way.

At last, he read Rita Skeeter's article. Though he usually despised her gossipy writing, he knew how good the reporter really was when she wanted to be. Rita Skeeter was one of the most well-respected magical journalists in the world, and her reputation was well-earned. She very easily explained in simple worlds to the reader about the attack, how the wards - set up under Fudge's supervision - had been breached, and how fast the response had been. Even Scrimgeour gave her a quote, though it was just "I can't comment on an open investigation". She even found out about the squad of aurors Amelia Bones had dispatched, though they apparently didn't find anyone there.

Most of all, she praised Harry. He read the paragraph about him over and over again.

And I can't forget the finest man. The man who acted before even a single auror thought to move. Harry Potter. I'm certain my readers already know the young Mister Potter, so I won't waste time explaining who he is. Harry Potter was the first to engage the Death Eaters. According to a statement his representative sent to me, Mister Potter defeated three of You-Know-Who's strongest Lieutenants and kept them from harming anyone, at great risk of grave injury. Mister Potter was injured in the battle - though his camp is keeping quiet as to how severely. However, I have recently found evidence that this is not, my dear readers, the first time Mister Potter has risked life and limb to keep people safe. I won't say more until I learn more about just what happened, but I will always inform my readers of the truth. One thing has become abundantly clear to this reporter though. Mister Potter is ready and willing to fight the greatest darkness to protect all of Britain!

Harry set the newspaper down, the picture of him demonstrating a spell to some younger students on the forefront. Daphne had picked a perfect picture. It demonstrated his competence and caring nature as well as showing how the younger generation looked up to him. The article itself served its purpose quite well. It elevated him while tearing down Fudge though while doing so with any obvious agenda. It was perfect. Skeeter, he knew, would prove to be a very valuable asset going forward.

He wanted to have a glass of firewhiskey to celebrate, but he knew Lily didn't keep any in the penthouse. He'd tried to stash some in his room, but it kept mysteriously disappearing.

The door behind him opened. Jasmine walked out with a mug of steaming coffee. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I rested plenty." He handed her the paper. "Care for a read. It's quite good."

She grabbed it and sat next to him. She read it and gave him a flat look. "Daphne?"

"Daphne," he confirmed. He took another swig of cola.

Jasmine sipped her coffee. She always liked her coffee just warm enough to barely burn her tongue. "So did the mail come yet?"

He shook his head. "Only the paper."

She tsked her tongue. She sipped her coffee again. "So how'd it feel to get 'em back yesterday?"

Harry grinned. "Awesome."

The siblings descended into a comfortable silence. There was no need to fill the air with noise. They knew each other well enough to have a completely silent conversation if needed. Now they just enjoyed each other's company and watched the sunrise.

A little while later the door opened and their mother came out to join them. "Harry," she called.

"Yeah?"

"Sirius asked to talk alone in the kitchen. Said it was about yesterday."

Jasmine pouted. "And here I was enjoying my alone time with Harry."

Lily gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Jas. But, considering what happened, Harry should talk with Uncle Sirius." She held the door open for him.

Harry groaned and got out of his chair, grabbing his cola as he stood. He gave Lily a brief hug and a 'Morning, Mum' as he walked by. He slid the door shut behind him and walked to the kitchen.

The kitchen was open with a steel sink sitting in a large granite-top island. The stove top was to the left of the sink and the dish washer to the right. The oven was off, but he expected Lily would turn it on soon enough. She'd gotten into baking to help pass the time while Harry and Jasmine were away at school, and she'd gotten quite good at it. They had a large chrome fridge tucked into the corner of the area with a dearth of grey-silver cabinets all around.

Sirius was sitting on top of the island, reading his copy of the Daily Prophet. He noticed Harry's approach and set the paper down. "Ah. There you are. It took a bit of convincing for Lily to even let me near you."

He hasn't slept. Harry noticed the dark bags under Sirius' eyes. He shrugged. "She's probably worried you'll try to drag me in front of Scrimgeour."

Sirius cracked a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Lucky for you," he hopped down, "I'm not here on auror business yet." He clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Order business, I'm afraid."

"Oh." Harry had wondered how soon Dumbledore would want to meet after the World Cup. This was faster than expected though. "Age certainly hasn't slowed him, has it?"

"Not really." Sirius gave him a hug. "You know, Lily's not the only one you will worry into an early grave. When I first heard the reports, I admit I was a little concerned. Just one of those three requires a full squad of aurors. For just a second, I didn't know if you'd come out in one piece. Yet, again, you proved me an old fool for even thinking it." The hug tightened. "James would… Well, I know he'd probably want a pint after last night." He pulled out of the hug but left a hand on his shoulder. "He'd be proud of you, Harry. So proud."

Harry smiled, the warmth in his chest expanding. He pulled Sirius back into the hug. "Thanks, Padfoot." He took the chance to swallow the lump that had suddenly conjured in his throat. The embrace ended. "Shall we then?"

Sirius shoot his head. "I can't go. Got too much going on at the Ministry. This isn't public yet, but the squad Amelia sent out did find some spare brooms at the site. Your intuition was right again. We're pretty sure that was where at least a few Death Eaters were portkeying to. I'm heading out to lead a team to canvas the area."

"Best of luck then," Harry said. "Did he say where he wanted to meet?"

"His office. He mentioned he needed to speak with you before the school year anyway, so now was as good a time as any." He eyed Harry suspiciously. "There something I should know, Mister Prefect?"

Harry shrugged and gave an infuriating smile. "Just pay attention and I'm sure it'll be in the news soon."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. He poked him in the chest. "You're lucky I need to be out of here five minutes ago." He then apparated away with a loud 'crack'.

Harry downed the rest of his cola and tossed it into the rubbish bin. He then walked to his room and changed into a pair of dark jeans and a nice shirt. While he didn't care much for appearances unless it was public, he didn't want to disrespect arguably the greatest wizard since Merlin. Luckily, Dumbledore wasn't insulted by Muggle culture. In fact, he was one of the few prominent wizards who enjoyed Muggle culture at all. He'd even asked Harry if he could borrow one or two Beatles vinyl records from him.

After dressing, Harry told his mother he was heading out. She didn't ask where he was going, only if he'd be back in time for lunch. He said he wasn't sure and apparated away.

Harry smelled the Hogwarts air first. It smelled...peaceful. The picturesque landscape never failed to steal his gaze. The green rolling hills, the dazzling river, and the shining Black Lake were always in his mind. None of it compared to the ancient and mystical Hogwarts castle though. The giant magic castle was as much a home as anywhere. It was the one place that he and Riddle had ever felt wanted and important in all lifetimes.

He closed his eyes and let the smell of Hogwarts' distinct aroma wash over him. It smelled like a mixture of the sea, forest, and what he imagined the scent of raw magic would be. The combined scent reminded him of his times as a younger student. A more innocent child. One not yet corrupted by the souls within him.

He opened his eyes and walked across the bridge. The stone columns passed him as he strode by. He could feel the extensive wards in the air around him, though they had been powered down to minor status so as to not leach the magic from the air during the school year. After a few minutes, he reached the large oaken door. He gripped the iron knocker and knocked twice. He stood and waited around five minutes before it opened.

Professor Minerva McGonagall stood imperiously behind the doorway. The aged Deputy Headmistress was wearing her traditional dark robe and witch's hat. Her face maintained its usual stern demeanor, but it softened ever so slightly when she saw it was him.

"Mister Potter," she greeted. "Congratulations are in order. You earned it."

"Thank you, Professor." He gave her a bow of his head to show his gratitude. He then smiled at her. "I'm sure you had it hard to keep the other candidates from taking my spot."

"Hmph." She let a small smirk show for the barest of moments. "Surprisingly, not at all." She turned and said, "The Headmaster is waiting for you in his office. Be sure you close the door behind you."

"Yes, ma'am." He closed the door after he walked through. It echoed with a loud 'clank' in the hall.

"I believe you know the way well enough." Her heels resounded through the vacant hallway. "The password is now 'Butterscotch'. Be proud, Mister Potter. Only the Head Boy and Head Girl will know the password as a student." Another crooked smile. "Granted, you met with him enough last year you essentially already were. Good day. I'll see you when school starts."

"Same to you," he said.

He turned and walked to the gargoyle statue in the Headmaster's Tower. It took him around ten minutes. On the way, he saw a few curious ghosts that he said 'Hi' to. None of them approached him. A few had scampered away in a panic. Only the house ghosts were brave enough to get near him now after he'd scared away the Dementors last year. Nearly-Headless Nick had told him it was because they'd never seen such a powerful Patronus before. Some feared it could even force them to move on to the other side, and Harry couldn't blame them. Jasmine had joked it was as bright as the light at the end of the tunnel.

She hadn't been entirely wrong.

Harry walked up to the gargoyle statue and gave the password. The statue leapt out of the way, revealing the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office. He climbed the steps at a brisk pace. It only took a little over a minute for him to get to the door to Dumbledore's office.

He didn't even have to knock. Dumbledore called out, "Enter," and he did.

The door made no sound, opening the gateway into Albus Dumbledore's personal domain. Harry entered the familiar area and closed the door. The dozens of portraits of former Headmasters went silent at his entry, all of them looking at him now. The many whirring instruments Harry now knew were simple tools designed to help make people feel safe in the room when meeting with Dumbledore. They did nothing special on their own. The most important resource in the room, in Harry's opinion, was the Pensieve. Dumbledore saved his most important information there. Books, conversations, and important events were all in there. Dumbledore had destroyed most of the dangerous information he'd gathered, but he saved the knowledge itself in his Pensieve.

Ingenious, really, Harry thought. Most people just use a Pensieve to relive good memories. No one thinks to store information alone there. And his protective spell over almost everything in it is his own invention, guaranteeing no one can access it without his permission.

Dumbledore greeted him with a smile. "Lemon drop?" He picked one out of the bowl on his desk.

Harry gave a half-smile. "Not today." He took the seat across from the aged Headmaster. "I need to cut down on my sweets according to Tonks. Have to set a good example for my younger students."

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled. "Indeed. But I've always had a weak spot for these." He tossed the candy into his mouth. "I have also found it helps a person to occasionally indulge, as never relaxing is in some ways worse than always relaxing."

"Well you don't have to worry about me on that." Dumbledore had seen some of his methods of unwinding, though it left some students embarrassed and many of his staff frustrated.

"That is true. Minerva was slightly conflicted about your selection, but, as no evidence has ever come to light about your involvement in certain events, there was no opposition." Dumbledore then changed the subject. "But let's move on to the reason I asked you hear so early today." Humor left him. "The attack at the World Cup. It happened, as you said it would."

"Not precisely," Harry said. "I was off on a few things."

"You were right it happened at all. That alone is...impressive foresight, Harry." He leaned forward and crossed his hands in front of his face. Harry noticed the twinkle was gone now. "Let us dispense with the niceties and be direct with each other. How did you know?"

Harry thought about how best to answer that question. He knew full well lying was pointless. Dumbledore was too experienced for anyone to effectively lie to him. He'd recognize the lie before his lips even moved. No. He needed to be careful. He'd been thinking all summer about how this conversation would go. While Dumbledore was a master Legilimens, he rarely needed to exercise that skill to get what he wanted. Not even Daphne had figured out how to trick Dumbledore. In the end, he decided to wing it. Most of his greatest moments had been 'moments of inspiration', as Tonks had called it.

He spoke freely but deliberately. "You no doubt have had your suspicions about what happened the night Dad died. What happened to the piece of Tom's soul he'd readied for the Horcrux ritual that night? How did I 'survive' the killing curse?" Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "Questions I have pondered for some time now. The latter, not even my research has given a satisfactory answer. The former, I believed it had taken root in your body. However, none of the tests I performed showed you to be a Horcrux. You have answers, I presume?"

He nodded. "Yes and no. I have memories of what happened after I 'died' that night, though I don't know if they were hallucinations or not."

Dumbledore interrupted him. "I would be curious to hear about them either way. You are the only person to ever successfully return from the other side, I believe."

"I'm not sure I crossed over in the first place, Professor." Harry knew Dumbledore would want more, but he started talking again before he could be asked. "Tom's soul shard did enter my body. Funny thing about souls. They're quite territorial." He grinned.

"I imagine so." Dumbledore equaled his grin but made no move to interrupt further.

"So Tom's soul and mine duked it out for supremacy. And I guess you could say mine won."

Dumbledore hummed curiously. "Soul magic is very undefined." He was now talking like the professor he'd been long ago. "No one has successfully cast true soul magic in all of history. At least, no one has recorded it if it ever was. The only piece of defined soul magic I have ever seen is the Horcrux ritual, and you know how complex that is. To my knowledge, there has never been a successful human Horcrux, though Herpo tried. This is most likely because of the souls clashing in the host's body.

"If what you've told me is true though then it seems possible to...merge—for lack of a better word—two souls together. This is...unsettling as it is riveting, Harry. You are, if you've spoken truly, the first person with two souls co-existing in a single host ever. This changes more than you know." His eyes lit up with a new twinkle. "I've been researching something that has never existed before. Harry, would you—" He cut himself off, ducking his head abashedly.

Harry held up his hand to placate him. "I'm happy to help, Professor. Trust me, I've done my fair share of research on my own. I'm more than happy to compare notes."

Dumbledore's face lit up in quite possibly the largest smile had ever seen on the man in any life. "I look forward to working with you then. This is, quite literally, a whole new branch of magic to explore. It might even become a whole new curriculum here! Oh! I simply must speak to the ghosts about arranging a teacher."

"Let's hold off on that." Harry's words brought him up short. "I would rather the details of my most intimate part not be shared with the world, and I'm not comfortable running the experiments necessary to test our hypotheses."

Dumbledore sagged in his seat. "Ah. Forgive me, Harry. I forgot myself for a moment. Yes. You are right. I'm still looking forward to working with you though."

Harry nodded. "As am I. Tom will return soon enough." Everything seemed to go still once he'd said it. All of the instruments went quiet. The headmaster portraits were actively shushing each other.

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment. "How certain are you?"

"As certain as you are."

A pregnant pause descended upon the room. Now that Harry focused, he truly didn't hear anything else in the room. Everything had stopped. There was no point to try setting anyone at ease anymore. It was just a waste of magic now.

Dumbledore leaned forward. "You likely know Tom better than anyone if my guess is right."

Not 'likely'. I do know him better than anyone. I have his memories, after all.

Dumbledore continued, tapping his fingers together in front of his face. "I've spent many years researching Tom, Harry. More than you would believe. I've been trying to find his Horcruxes. Yet it appears all I needed to do was ask you." There was a slight smile there now. "At my age, every minute matters."

Harry held out a hand to stop him. "I do know where and what they are, but gathering them won't be easy. Tom protected them very, and I do mean very, well."

Dumbledore nodded once. "Not surprising. Tom is nothing if not competent."

"It's why I haven't gone after them myself yet," Harry admitted. "It's one thing to know where they are and what to look for. But there's an automatic transportation spell that activates if any Horcruxes are moved or damaged. All the other ones will just portkey to where Tom's main soul shard is. It's actually a marvelous bit of spellwork if it weren't attached to something so foul."

"So moving on just one is useless," Dumbledore concluded. "Tom will just re-hide the ones you don't destroy. And likely in an even more secure location next time."

"Yep." Harry smiled. "And just so you know, the easiest Horcrux to steal is deep in Gringotts in the Lestrange vault."

Dumbledore laughed. It wasn't more than a single small chortle, but it was the first time Harry remembered ever seeing him genuinely laugh before. Not in his current memories, Tom's, or even his other self's had they seen more than a humored smile. A genuine laugh was rare. It was a nice laugh, he had to admit. A slight hint of his age was there, but it felt like one from a man who truly enjoyed bringing joy to people. A part of Harry wished he'd gotten to know the younger Albus Dumbledore before Grindelwald had come around.

"Well," Dumbledore said good-naturedly. "Good to know Tom took my lessons on being thorough seriously at least." He shook his head. "Then I take it that it's not worth moving on the Horcruxes just yet."

Harry shook his head. "Not unless we want to tip Tom off that we already know. We lose our advantage if we can't take them all out at the exact same second."

"Which would be nearly impossible." Dumbledore thought for a moment. He admitted with a wince, "I confess. I just had a rather unpleasant thought that could take care of that issue. But it would require—"

"Us to know where Tom is," Harry finished for him. "I've had the same thought. It's the best way to take them all out at the same time so Tom can't just find another place to hide them."

"But even that would require tremendous effort and coordination." Dumbledore thought for a few seconds. "It would require one of the two of us to seek out and destroy one of the Horcruxes. The other would have to lead an all-out assault on Tom's stronghold. I imagine no one other than we two would be able to dismantle the protections Tom placed around his Horcruxes, and that one of us would probably be thoroughly exhausted if not dead if I know Tom half as well as I think I do."

"You'd be right," Harry said. "Tom developed the protections himself. I could teach someone how to dismantle it, but it would probably kill them anyway. Very few people have the magical reserve to constantly cast four different disarming spells on the mixtures of curses and defense wards." He paused and added, "That's not an exaggeration by the way. It genuinely would require spellweaving beyond even most masters."

"And I believe you," Dumbledore said, inclining his head. "We can forestall this discussion further, I think. We have the entire school year to find a way around Tom's spells. No need to rush yet." The instruments in the room started buzzing again and the twinkle returned to his eyes. "Besides, your compatriot should be arriving momentarily."

The Head Girl, he guessed as to his meaning. I already know who it is though. There was only one logical choice.

Dumbledore's eyes glazed over for a second. "And there she is now." He called out, "You may enter!"

The door opened and in strode Daphne Greengrass with Severus Snape trailing behind her. Daphne maintained her imperious, icy air as she entered. Severus Snape was the same tall man with lengthy black hair and his black robe. Snape didn't say anything to either of the room's current occupants upon entering.

Daphne greeted everyone. "Headmaster." A beat passed. "Harry."

"Miss Greengrass." Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Thank you, Severus. You may leave."

Snape nodded his head and left, the door closing on its own behind him.

Daphne took the seat next to Harry. She gave him a side glance but otherwise said nothing to him.

"Now then." Dumbledore leaned forward. "It's time to inform you both as to your duties as Head Boy and Head Girl."