The sounds of someone stumbling from a room … a door bursting open … a cackle of high-pitched laughter…

"Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off ------"

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside you silly girl … stand aside now."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead …Not Harry! Please … have mercy … have mercy…”

“The attempted killing of a child tore apart Voldemort’s unstable soul. It was not just power that was transferred into Harry that night; he holds a piece of the Dark Lord’s soul in him.”

Remus sighed heavily. “That’s what a Horcrux is, an object holding a piece of someone else’s soul?”

Albus nodded.

“And Harry is a Horcrux?” another nod.

“I thought an inanimate object was needed to create a Horcrux.” Severus asked. Albus turned to look at him.

“Using a living being as a Horcrux is risky since it can easily lose its integrity, but that doesn’t make it impossible.”

“But Voldemort never intended to make Harry a Horcrux, he wanted to kill him. So how did it happen?” Remus inquired.

“Tom Riddle had every intention of making a Horcrux that night; objective was there. When the curse rebounded on him his soul was still split. How exactly that piece found its way into Harry, well we can only guess.”

“Why are you so sure Albus? How do you even know that the Dark Lord created a Horcrux?” Severus asked charily.

Albus looked straight at him. “The diary.”

Understanding dawned on Severus, while Remus continued to look confused. “What diary?”

“Tom Riddle’s diary. Three years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was re-opened. A representation of a sixteen year old Tom Riddle was preserved in a diary that possessed young Ginny Weasley and caused her to open the chamber and release the Basilisk resting within.” He paused for a moment. “It was a piece of Riddle’s soul that had been conserved, not a memory. Harry plunged a fang from the Basilisk into the diary, successfully destroying it.”

Remus seemed skeptical still. “And that meant the diary was a Horcrux?”

“It wasn’t just because the fang destroyed it, although that was a big indication. Horcruxes can only be destroyed a handful of ways. Harry had a lot of luck on his side that night.” Albus’ face darkened as he reminisced on how bad things could have gone.

Noticing the headmaster thoughts were straying from the topic, Severus pulled him back. “Then what was it that told you it was a Horcrux?”

Albus’ train of thought snapped back quickly. “Ginny Weasley.”

Severus looked befuddled. “The Dark Lord possessed the girl; he possessed Quirrell the year before.”

“A sixteen year old Dark Lord. Ms. Weasley was not controlled by the same thing as Quirrell who was a host. A host for a vicious parasite. Ms. Weasley was not. She was being controlled by something else entirely.”

“A piece of You-Know-Who’s soul.” Remus finally lost the confused look on his face. “Fine, but why are you so sure that Harry’s a Horcrux?”

“Because I am.”

Severus saw the look of disbelief that Remus currently wore and spoke up quickly before the wolf said something he’d regret. “I was under the impression a person could create only one Horcrux. Why would you believe there was another besides the diary?”

“I’ve been…researching. There are no accounts of more than one Horcrux being created, but neither are there any of a Horcrux being a living being. Tom Riddle was obsessed with immortality, thirsty for power. I do not believe he would have stopped at one.”

“Dealing with our current situation based on a hunch, Albus, it doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s based on facts, Severus!” Albus’ voice went up a notch. “I’ve been studying this, gathering information for 3 years. It is more than just the conjecture of an old man.” He sighed tiredly.

Remus had fallen silent a while ago, the disbelief gone. Worry now stretched over his features. In fact his whole stature conveyed it.

Severus mulled over the new information. Potter was a Horcrux. A piece of the Dark Lord’s soul had somehow found a way into him and was currently controlling the boy. He let his mind wander a bit as he paced slowly. Remus was watching him, but Severus ignored him. The boy was a Horcrux. The savior of the Wizarding World. The fact that he was being manipulated by that fragment did not bode well. But—

“Albus, it doesn’t make sense. A Horcrux can control, it can manipulate. Potter is not being manipulated, he’s being possessed.” Severus stopped his pacing. Remus glanced from him to the headmaster.

“That night at the ministry, Voldemort possessed Harry. I believe that at that time, he recognized the piece of his soul. Having never intended to turn his worst enemy into a protector of his soul, it undoubtedly took him by surprise. He didn’t believe it.”

“That doesn’t explain—“ Albus held up a hand, stopping Severus from continuing.

“Once he realized that he had to decide between leaving his worst enemy alive or self-preservation, Voldemort chose to protect his immortality.”

“That’s why he took Harry? He was afraid someone would kill him?” Remus didn’t understand. The only one who wanted to kill Harry was the maniac himself, who did he think he was protecting him from?

“Having only found out himself, I doubt Voldemort felt threatened. I think he was more curious. He wanted to trigger the Horcrux.” Albus looked at Severus as he continued explaining. “I think he intended to use the Horcrux to bend Harry’s will to match his own. By activating it, the Horcrux accumulated more power and took control.” He finished, looking grim.

It still didn’t sit right with Severus. “If the Dark Lord felt threatened, surely the last thing he would want is to let the boy go. He would have never let Potter out of his sight, forget letting us know that he’s a Horcrux.”

“He wouldn’t have let his followers know that Harry was a liability to him. He’s been brainwashing them for almost fifteen years that they needed to get rid of Harry. As for rescuing Harry, luck was with us in that.”

“And as for tipping us off? What is his reasoning for that?” Remus asked.

“It’s not deliberate.”

Remus and Severus exchanged a questioning glance. Albus, noticing their befuddlement, continued quickly.

“Voldemort is capable of controlling this Horcrux, but the fragment can unilaterally exert control as well. For almost fourteen years, this piece of soul has been separated from its origin and stuck somewhere else. It’s been living off Harry, become a part of him. Unknowingly, Voldemort gave it the extra boost it needed.”

“Needed for what?”

Albus looked at Remus, eyes lacking their signature sparkle. “Two souls cannot live in one body.”

Remus felt the colour drain from his face. “You can’t let that…that thing take over Harry’s body.”

“We don’t intend to.”

Remus started. He had forgotten Lailie was there.

“What is your plan?” Severus asked.

“Right now, the Horcrux is feeding off Harry. By binding his powers, it has one less resource.”

“Then it’ll just continue feeding off his life force!” Remus exclaimed.

“By cutting off at least one energy source, it will marginally weaken the Horcrux and allow us to make our move.”

“What is our move?” Severus asked skeptically.

“Neutralize the Horcrux and remove it.”

“You’re only cutting off Potter’s power. The Horcrux is still feeding off his life force, that doesn’t neutralize it unless…” Severus’ eyes narrowed as he glanced between Albus and Lailie. “You’re cutting off his life force as well?! You’re planning to kill the boy!”

“What?!” Remus jumped up, enraged.

“No! No. That’s not it!” Lailie exclaimed, hoping to calm him down. Remus stood there, fists clenched. “Well, not exactly…”

“Let me see if I got this straight.” Remus said as he paced in front of Harry’s bed. “You want the Horcrux to take the place of Harry’s soul and once it has complete control over his body, you want to kill him?”

“Destroy the Horcrux, not kill Harry.”

Remus shook his head. This plan didn’t sit well with him at all. “You’re killing him.”

Lailie glanced at the headmaster for encouragement. “Once we destroy it, Harry can take over his own body again. His soul will return to its rightful place.”

“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the best we could come up with on such short notice.” Albus said.

Remus sighed and looked at Severus. “Do you agree with this?”

Severus studied Remus for a minute. He looked completely worn down. His forehead was wrinkled, crows’ feet stretching from the corner of his eyes; his face the mask of worry.

“Does it matter?”

“Does what matter?”

“Whether I do or do not agree will not change anything.” Severus clasped his arms behind his back and stood up straighter. “This is the only theory we have, the only solution.”

“What if it’s wrong?”

“Then it’s wrong and we come up with a new one.”

Remus sat down frustrated. Severus was right. Regardless of what either of them thought something needed to be done. He wasn’t being asked to consent, he was just being informed. He found himself slowly nodding. “Fine.”

Albus gave him a worn smile and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Do not worry so much.”

“I can’t help it.”

“It will turn out alright.” Albus gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He turned back to face Lailie.

“Let’s begin.”