*“The evil one!”* gasped the Hissy, rearing in horrified fear.

On hearing the loud, sharp hiss, Severus spun around, white-faced and terrified, to gaze into the Basilisk’s beautiful, green eyes.

Images assaulted Severus' brain: a medieval wizard pouring a golden liquid onto a child’s forehead which, like Harry’s, bore a lightning shaped scar, the binding ceremony, repeated countless times with various wizards and witches, a cruel-eyed boy casting the imperius curse on the furious and desperate basilisk, a small, scruffy diary, around which evil hung in a grey-orange cloud and, finally, Harry’s scar, glowing the same grey-orange, which bled into the shade of the cruel-eyed boy, leaving Harry’s forehead clean.

*“Horcrux!”* The basilisk cried in horror. *“The evil one’s Horcrux!”*

*“What!”* Severus gasped. He felt giddy, nauseous and faint. Understanding Parseltongue was one thing too many.

*“The scar was a horcrux.”* the basilisk insisted. His beautiful green eyes fell upon Harry *“The child breathes but he is going into shock.”*

*“The infirmary, Severus.”* Salazar cried *“Behind the first statue: touch it’s snout and you will enter the Room of Requirement. Ask for the infirmary. Go!”*

oOoOo

“Poppy!” Severus cried, bursting into Madam Pomfrey’s office through a door which materialised and disappeared in the second it took for the Potions Master to leap into the room.

“Severus!” the Mediwitch cried, her hand flying to her chest “Oh, no! Harry!”

“He’s going into shock! There was a Horcrux, a horcrux in his scar!”

Poppy pushed the trembling man into a chair: her medical training at St Mungos had taught her two things 1. act first and ask questions later and 2. don’t waste time prying a child out of their parent’s arms.

After casting a quick diagnostic, Poppy, summoned a potion, which she spelled into Harry’s stomach and cast rennervate.

With a soft whimper, Harry blinked open his eyes “Dad… I feel funny.”

Severus, his dark eyes wild, swallowed convulsively “Is he out of danger?”

Galen snaked out of Poppy’s wand and gently coiled around Harry. He turned to Severus and hissed *“His body is complete, his mind is complete but his soul has been torn asunder… yet one hundred percent of it remains.”* he finished in a puzzled voice.

*“The basilisk spoke of Horcruxes?”* Severus said absently, shifting Harry so the tired child’s head could rest more comfortably on his shoulder.

Galen’s smoky tongue rolled out of his mouth in shock *“Horcrux!*”

“I… I didn’t know you could speak Parseltongue, Severus!” Poppy stammered.

“I can’t! I mean I couldn’t…” Severus sighed, clutching Harry tightly “Please, Poppy, could you floo Albus? We have much to discuss.”

oOoOo

As Harry slept in the Hospital Wing, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfey convened in the Mediwitch’s Office.

“Salazar Slytherin suggested that I allow Harry to complete the bonding ceremony with his Basilisk” Severus explained wretchedly “The benefits were innumerable. The basilisk, Hissy, will protect Harry whilst he is within Hogwarts; apparently basilisks have such acute hearing he is privy to everything that happens within these walls and… well Slytherin gave him direct access to the you-know-what.”

Poppy’s face paled but Dumbledore merely looked puzzled “The ‘you know what’, dear boy?”

“The Room of Requirement!” Severus frowned at the Headmaster’s bemused expression “On the seventh floor, Albus! The room which can alter its shape, furnish itself with any object in Hogwarts and…”

“Open into any part of the castle!” Poppy murmured, aghast. “A basilisk roaming the school, amongst the children for Asclepius knows how long!”

“And I always thought he used the pipes…” Albus said, looking rather shell shocked.

“The basilisk has a doorway to this room in his Chamber, if Harry needed him, he can be at his side within seconds. Harry, we all know what enemies he faces. Even at school he is not safe... the bludger for example. The basilisk is powerful enough to defend him and will know, immediately, if he is in need.”

Dumbledore’s eyes widened comically “Indeed, dear boy. Well, well…” he murmured, stroking his beard.

“Sweet Asclepius, Severus! This... this thing has killed before! Little Myrtle Henderson! It’s not safe!”

“That is the second reason for the binding, Poppy” Severus said firmly “Harry’s magic would safeguard the basilisk from the Dark… from Voldemort’s enchantments. Fifty or so years ago, Voldemort imperiused Hissy, forcing him to submit to his will and kill for him.”

“Wha… The Heir was Voldemort!” Poppy gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

“Indeed” Albus nodded sadly “I suspected as much. Tom Riddle, as he was then known.”

“Salazar explained that he was absent during the first and only opening of the Chamber by Riddle, which was when Myrtle died.” Severus explained “All the basilisk could tell him was a vague description of a strong, dark-haired boy, so, when Salazar saw Hagrid accused of the crime…”

“He did not realise that we had expelled the wrong boy” Albus said heavily. “I suppose that he recognised his heir when he learnt that Voldemort was a parselmouth.”

“Yes” Severus agreed “This is why the binding ceremony was essential; if the basilisk is Harry’s familiar, Voldemort will never be able to control him again.”

Albus nodded and Severus continued “Finally, Hissy’s venom would grant Harry immunity from most poisons.” The Potions Master sighed “I do not find blood magic the most salubrious of disciplines but, here, it seemed the latter of two evils.”

“There is nothing wrong, per se, with blood magic, Severus” Albus asked gently, a smidgen of hurt in his voice. “But why did you not come to me for advice?”

Severus looked up, a rueful expression on his face “I knew that you would dissuade me. You… you were a Head of Year during the 1940’s, you helped carry Myrtle’s corpse from the bathroom…”

Albus nodded “Yes, Severus. I accept I would have been somewhat concerned about taking young Harry into the basilisk’s lair. The creature was friendly, however?”

“Yes” the Potions Master sighed “Hissy’s behaviour was gentle and unthreatening; he reassured Harry and my son seemed totally at ease with him. Indeed, the ceremony proceeded uneventfully until Harry drank the binding potion.”

“Whence he screamed and fainted, I understand?”

“Yes” Severus whispered “His face… Harry went as pale as death, his scar split open and a shadow, a human shaped shadow spilled out. For a moment I…” he stopped, his voice choked with emotion.

Albus put a wrinkled hand on Severus’s trembling shoulder “Of course, my boy. Such a fear is natural. However, it was unfounded. Harry is safe.”

Severus swallowed and looked up, his eyes unusually bright “The basilisk hissed loudly and I turned around, thinking it intended to strike. I looked into his eyes and I saw another child, with a scar like Harry’s, being treated with the same potion. There was also a book, it has a grey-orange halo and, in the basilisk’s eyes, Harry’s scar had that same aura. The basilisk called it a horcrux.”

“A horcrux” Albus whispered, his face turning ashen.

"I can only imagine he didn’t recognise whatever it is before because, previously, Hissy had his eyes shut." Severus said solemnly "The shadow… the basilisk said it was Voldemort!”

Albus swallowed and raised a shaky hand to his beard “My dear boy… The shadow was a shard of Voldemort’s soul. Harry was a horcrux!”

“You know of these things, Albus?” Severus demanded.

“Indeed, indeed. If a mage splits their soul, it can only be done by murder” Albus rambled “Then they can enclose that shard of soul in an object, a horcrux. This means that, if the mage dies, their soul will be bound to the earth, therefore making resurrection possible.”

“Voldemort bound his life to Harry’s” Severus cried, his eyes wild.

“Hush, Severus. The piece of Voldemort’s soul has been killed” Albus replied, excitedly “You saw it’s passing; basilisk venom is one of the few sure ways in which a horcrux can be destroyed. The binding potion, to which Harry was immune, severed the connection between his soul and Voldemorts!”

Severus slumped forward, cupping his face in his hands.

“Galen, my familiar told me as such” whispered Poppy, her voice choked with emotion. She held out a sheet of parchment “Harry’s body and mind are complete, it says, but his soul is torn yet he’s retained 100% of it. It made no sense to me…”

“Until we came to comprehend that Harry had, in fact, one hundred and fifty percent of a soul. All of his and half of Voldemort’s” Dumbledore said, his voice swelling with relief.

“But what of the diary” Severus said, sitting up “The diary was also a horcrux.”

Albus quirked a white eyebrow, his face suddenly serious “You think that the diary was also Voldemort’s?”

“The basilisk appeared to believe so.”

“Splitting one’s soul, Severus, it is a highly dangerous business. It renders the soul unstable. No wizard has ever been fool enough to make more than one, multiple horcruxes would render the wizard wholly insane.”

“And Voldemort was known for his rationality!” Severus snapped, his eyes rimmed with red.

“It has been a long day for you, my boy” Albus said kindly “I think you should get some rest. Serendipitously, we have avoided a great evil, yet it’s passing makes the evil no less terrifying. You are exhausted and overwrought."

"Headmaster, I fear..."

"To bed, Severus; Poppy will make you up one beside Harry's. Life, I find, always looks better in the morning.”