Severus narrowed his eyes as he stared at Potter from the back door. The boy was sitting on the ground with his back against the closest stage and staring at something he held in his lap. It was a variation of the same position Severus had found the boy in all over the house in the last few days and, every time, it had him suspicious. His suspicion had started three days earlier, the day the duelling competition had been announced. He'd noticed the stiff stance, the rolling neck, the hard stares, and the tremour up the spine after a hand disappeared into a pocket. Then, when he'd reconciled with the boy, he'd noticed something in the Gryffindor's hands, noticed the way Potter gazed at whatever it was, transfixed, and held it reverently.

Since then, he'd watched and noticed more, and he'd seen enough to convince him something was very wrong. Considering it was Potter, and the boy was already borderline suicidal and absolutely depressed, he found himself uncharacteristically concerned.

He'd seen the way Potter always reached for whatever had taken up a near permanent residence in his pocket as though needing to confirm it was still there. He saw the way Potter's fingers clenched around it if he had it out and someone got a touch too close. He saw the frequent rolling of the neck and shoulders as though something were sinking into him. He saw the undereye circles getting darker and darker. He saw the control Potter had been building over his magic crack as he duelled. He saw the green eyes grow hard and dull, but occasionally flash with...something, something that honestly terrified him because he knew that flash, only he knew it in red eyes.

And he'd seen how no one else seemed to notice a damn thing about their precious hero.

Something was wrong with Potter and, whatever it was, was pulling the boy to a place he wasn't sure he'd be able to reach if too late.

As he watched the Gryffindor shift and begin to get to his feet, he resolved to do something. He headed upstairs and hid around a corner, keeping the boy's room and the library in view, the only rooms Potter seemed to occupy anymore, and waited. He didn't have to wait long before he heard footsteps on the stairs and Potter came into view. He waited until Potter had turned towards his room before leaving his hiding place. He grabbed the back of the boy's neck roughly and drove him forward, shoving the door open and then slamming it behind them.

"What the hell is your problem?" Potter demanded, wrenching from his grasp.

"Give it to me," Severus ordered. He saw a spark of recognition before it was covered with outrage.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Potter lied, even as his hand slid down into his pocket.

"Do not lie to me. Give it here."

Potter glowered at him. "Sod off, Snape. You don't get to act like you are anything but my bloody professor."

"Too bad for you because that is not your choice," Severus retorted and stepped towards the boy. "Now. Give it to me or I will take it."

Potter set his jaw and glared at him, magic beginning to vibrate the air. "Try it."

Magic filled the room, charging the air and making things shake. He saw that flash in the green eyes and narrowed his own, determining what to do. Potter was challenging him, but it wasn't Potter. Something had a hold on the boy and it was whatever was hidden in his pocket.

"I don't want to hurt you, Potter."

Potter's eyes flashed again. "You sure about that?"

Severus' eyes narrowed more and then he was being flooded with memories of every explosive interaction between the two of them, reminding him of Potter's new Legilimency abilities. He saw their fights, his own hateful aggression and Potter's hateful attitude. He saw the insults and the glares and the near assaults, some becoming physical on his shameful end. As he watched himself throw Potter around his office and the jar shatter against the wall millimeters from the boy's head, he found himself growing hot with hate and anger, the emotions coming from nowhere. He was certain they weren't his, at least, not the near instant severity, but they overwhelmed him and prevented him from exploring.

Vision red, he surged forward. His hands wrapped around Potter's throat and pushed him back until the boy was being slammed into a wall, hard enough the bedside table shook and the lamp crashed to the floor. Magic whipped around them with increasing violence, splitting wood, cracking glass, and leaving a deep gash on Severus' cheek. Potter's hands came up and grasped his wrists, neither of them registering the hard metal pressed between Potter's palm and Severus' arm.

‘Yes...feed...'

The low, hissing voice drifted through his consuming rage and his vision clouded by anger cleared just slightly, enough to focus on Potter's green eyes again. This time, when their eyes met, Severus wasn't sure what happened. He found himself pulled into a black abyss, something thick slithering around him. He felt heavy, lost, like he was sinking, and then the voice ghosted around him again.

‘Yes...come to us...give in...come where you belong...'

Severus was suddenly pulled from the strange darkness and was back in Potter's room, hands still around the boy's throat and the boy's around his wrists. He felt an odd stinging in his left arm and looked at it with a frown before moving his eyes up to Potter's hand, feeling something hard pressing into his wrist. His eyes darted back to Potter, realizing with dawning horror what he was doing. He took one hand from the boy's throat and began pulling at his hand to find what was concealed there.

"Don't!" Potter growled.

"What is it?" Severus demanded.

"It's mine!"

"It is controlling you!"

"No, everyone else is! It wants me!"

Severus stopped tearing at Potter's fingers and stared into the blazing green eyes. "I want you."

The memory of holding Potter as he broke on the front steps played in his mind.

"I want you," he repeated, realizing the truth in the words.

"Liar!" Potter cried, trying to pull his hand away from Severus.

As Potter tried to move his hand, Severus twisted his own arm to grab Potter's and pried the fingers open. He snatched the strange item from the boy's grasp, and stared at it in growing dread as he felt his Mark burn and something slick slide over his skin.

‘Let him go...let him come to us...give him to us...'

"Give it back!"

Severus turned just in time for magic and Potter to crash into him, sending them to the floor. The necklace fell from Severus' hand, clattering across the floor. Potter scurried after it, fingers closing around the pendant just as Severus roughly rolled him onto his back. Potter fought against him as he pinned the boy, prying at the clenched fingers once again.

"Get off of me!" Potter raged.

"Give it to me!" Severus ordered.

"No! I belong with them! It's what I deserve!"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's what I am!"

"Potter, let go!" Severus said, growing alarmed when he saw blood begin to drip from the fist.

"Let me go! I have to! I have to go! I have to die!"

‘No!'

"Why? Why do you have to die?"

Potter stopped shouting, his voice falling to a near sob. "It's inside me. He's inside me. I'm one of them."

Severus turned from Potter's hand and gazed at the boy when the fight left the Gryffindor suddenly. He grew limp aside from his grip on the necklace and his face was filled with despair.

"Let me go," Potter pleaded. "It's inside me. I can't live with it, I won't. Just let them have me."

Severus frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm not letting you go. I'm not letting you die."

"You have to."

"Why?"

"I'm one of them."

Before Severus could respond, the magic tearing through the room stopped. He looked around, confused, before looking back at Potter.

"Let me go like everyone else."

"No," Severus said firmly.

"Let me go," Potter repeated.

When the air around them began to vibrate and blood began to run from Potter's eyes as they grew distant and he began to release bloodcurdling screams, Severus realized exactly what was happening. He cursed and cradled Potter's face, blood immediately running over his fingers, and stared into the black and bloody green eyes.

"You do not get to give up," he muttered. "Legilimens."

He was pulled into the boy's forest though it was nothing like he'd seen before in their Occlumency lessons. The green mist that normally tinged the boy's mind was thick and vibrant, covering everything. Clouded memories and magic were whipping around, threatening to down the mental trees, though the magic all went in the same direction, disappearing into a black area that periodically flashed green, sending the same flash through the mist. Voices filled the area, one he recognized as Potter and the other the voice he'd heard before.

That voice was floating on the mist, echoing, ‘You know what you are...you know where you belong...give in to us...'

The other voice, Potter's, was screaming brokenly as it repeated, "I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE! I'M DONE! I WANT IT TO END! JUST MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

Severus looked around, trying to find Potter through the mist and magic. He could feel the agony tearing at the boy, both emotional from the memories and necklace, and physical from Potter attacking himself with his own magic. He finally spotted a figure at the edge of the lake and hurried over, roughly grabbing the Gryffindor by the shoulders and spinning the boy around to face him. His eyes widened at the sight he found. Potter's normally sparkling green eyes were red and blood was pouring from them, staining his pale cheeks. Potter was literally tearing at himself, trying to destroy something or kill himself, but something was holding on, refusing to die without bringing Potter with it.

"Get out," Potter mumbled, trying to pull from Severus' grasp. "Get out."

"Stop this," Severus said, cupping the boy's face regardless of the blood. "You'll kill yourself."

"Good!" Potter shouted. "I want it to stop! Make it stop!"

‘No...join us...be what you are..."

"Let me help you," Severus said, almost pleading.

"Then let me die!" Potter yelled. "I can't be this!"

"Be what?"

"I'm a horcrux!" Potter cried and blood poured over Severus' thumbs, down to drip off his wrists. The boy's eyes fell shut. "I'm a horcrux. He...he's inside me. All this time, he's been a part of me."

Severus stared at the crumbling, bloody child in front of him in shock as the magic around them grew stronger, attacking Potter - no, attacking Voldemort and, by extension, Potter - more violently. As horrifying and unbelievable as Potter's apparent discovery was, it suddenly made all manner of things from the last five years make sense. It also made a surge of anger wash through him, but he pushed it aside. He could explore the discoveries and address the anger after he saved Potter from himself.

"Potter, we can deal with this, but this isn't the way."

The boy's eyes slid open, revealing the red irises again, irises, he realized, belonged to the horcrux, to Voldemort, as the soul fought to live. Despite the irises not being his own, the eyes were still broken and filled with despair.

"Then how? I have to die anyway. Let me choose," Potter begged. "I can't do it anymore. I can't...I can't fight anymore. It'll take me. I don't want to become like him."

"You won't and you can fight. Show me that Gryffindor bravery and strength you've used to disrupt my peace for five years."

Potter actually released a small, choked laugh. "I can't be alone anymore."

"You're not. Let me help you."

"Why?"

Severus spoke without thinking, without filtering, the words leaving his mouth pure honesty for the first time in decades. "Because I do believe you have managed to insert yourself solidly into my life and I have no wish to remove you any longer."

As he stared into the boy's eyes, he watched the red flicker, giving way to the proper green. The blood trailing down his cheeks became a trickle. The magic settled and the screaming voice quieted. The green mist began to thin.

He continued, holding the restored green eyes. "Fight for me, Harry. I'll be here with you. Fight with me."

After several long moments, the Gryffindor finally whispered, "Okay."

Giving the boy a small smile, Severus pulled out of the broken mind and returned to the bedroom in Grimmauld Place. Some things were the same: they were still on the floor, he was still on top of the boy, he was still holding the blood-soaked face, and the necklace was still in the boy's hand. Other things had changed: the magic destroying the room had stopped, the Gryffindor was no longer screaming and was now unconscious, and there was pounding and shouting outside the bedroom door.

Severus pulled his hands, now drenched in blood, away and looked to the hand that had been clenched around the necklace. The fingers had loosened and he pushed them back, pulling the pendant away to reveal a severely burned palm in the shape of the octagonal pendant. As he held it, his forearm stung. Frowning at the necklace, he shoved it in his pocket just as the bedroom door flew open behind him and multiple voices cried out.

"What in Merlin's name is going on in here?"

"Severus!"

"What the hell have you done?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Get off of him, you bastard!"

Severus found himself being yanked aggressively off the Gryffindor and pinned to the wall, Lupin's wand in his throat. He glowered at the wolf, but raised his bloody hands in surrender and watched the others. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Mrs. Weasley rushed into the room, and to the unconscious boy. The rest of the house's residents were crowded in the doorway, trying to get a view of what was happening. He was getting glares from the two youngest Weasleys, Granger, and Tonks while the remaining Weasleys, Delacour, Moody, and Kingsley were looking between him and the boy with worry and confusion.

He stared at Dumbledore stiffly as the old man rose and looked at him, eyes filled with disappointment.

"I trust you have an explanation, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"I do," Severus snapped. "Do you, Albus?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I just stopped the boy from killing himself because of something he discovered, something that I truly hope you did not know about."

"He's lying, Albus," Lupin growled. "You saw him on top of Harry. His hands are covered in Harry's blood!"

Severus snarled and shoved the man away. "Get the hell off me, you mangy beast."

"You son of a-"

Severus cut Lupin off, looking only at Dumbledore. "Tell me, Albus. Did you know the boy is a horcrux?"

A hush fell over the room and those in the hall. Severus kept his hard gaze on the headmaster, watching the stoicism cover all emotion.

"Come to my office, Severus," Dumbledore replied.

"Once I take care of the boy," Severus told him and Dumbledore inclined his head.

"Albus, you can't be serious!" Lupin protested.

"Severus is the only one with medical training to treat Harry," Dumbledore told the wolf.

"He's the one that hurt Harry!" Lupin shouted.

Severus rolled his eyes and sneered. "Shut up, Lupin. You have no idea what you're talking about, as usual."

"Look at what you did to him! You hate him so much to do this? He's a child!" Lupin yelled, pointing at the boy still on the floor.

"The only thing I did was protect him and notice anything was wrong with the boy in the first place. You're all too busy hating him or acting like he's perfectly well-adjusted despite everything he's been through and we've put on him because, yes, I agree, he is just a child!" Severus argued, his voice steadily rising.

"Don't you start acting like you care, Snape," Lupin ground out.

"Apparently I care a damn sight more than you," Severus snapped.

"Enough, Remus," Dumbledore interrupted. "Let us leave Severus to treat Harry. Come to my office when you are done, Severus."

Severus just nodded and pushed past Lupin to sweep over to the boy, McGonagall quickly stepping aside. He had to scowl at Mrs. Weasley to make her leave, Moody and McGonagall helping to herd everyone out of the room. He lifted the boy carefully and carried him over to the bed, finding Kingsley was still there.

"Is he alright?"

Severus summoned a cloth and dampened it, beginning to wipe away the blood coating the pale face. "I believe I stopped him from causing himself any permanent injury, but I cannot be sure."

There was no response, so he continued his treatment. He finished cleaning the blood before summoning a few potions to help with pain, sleep, and mental injury caused by magic, Burn Paste and bandages for the scorched hand, and Bruise Balm for the purple neck.

"A horcrux?" Kingsley questioned after the long silence. "Are you sure?"

"No, but it explains many things and it's what he said," Severus replied, nodding at the boy. "There must be some truth. He wouldn't just know about horcruxes, though I have no idea how he could have found out, where he learned of the cursed things at all."

"Not the important thing right now, Severus," Kingsley told him, walking into the room. "Find out if it's true. Find out if Dumbledore knew."

Severus looked up at the Auror, hesitant to leave the child despite his need for answers.

"I'll stay with him," Kingsley assured. "I'll send my Patronus if we need you. Go, find out what the bastard knows."

Surprised by Kingsley's apparent animosity towards the headmaster, something he hadn't seen from anyone in the house except Potter, Severus nodded. Kingsley repaired the desk chair that had been broken by Potter's magic and sat it next to the bed, settling into it. Severus gave the boy a long stare, fighting the strange impulse to brush back the messy hair or touch the cheek stained pink from the blood.

"He should remain asleep until dinner," Severus said unnecessarily.

Kingsley nodded. "Go."

Resisting the urge to touch the child in some way and swallowing thickly, Severus forced himself to leave. He headed downstairs only to find every Grimmauld occupant at the bottom, some glaring and some just worried.

"Don't worry, I saved your precious hero," he sneered. "Try to remember he's a boy though. That's who needs saving."

With a scowl at those glaring at him, he turned into the sitting room and Flooed to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was standing at the window, hands clasped behind his back, appearing so casual Severus had to scowl at the old man.

"How is Harry?"

Severus ignored the question. "Is it true? Is the boy a horcrux?"

There was a long pause and then Dumbledore turned, face grave.

"Yes. How did he find out?"

"How long have you known?" Severus ground out, still ignoring any of the man's questions.

Dumbledore sighed and returned to his desk, sitting down with his hands threaded on the desk. "I suspected after the Chamber of Secrets event and it was confirmed this past year."

"And when were you going to tell the boy?"

"When it was time."

"When it was time?" Severus raged. "And when was that going to be? When you wanted him to die?"

"I do not want him to die, but he is the key to Voldemort's destruction," Dumbledore said. "I was going to tell him when victory was assured."

"All this time. You've just been getting him ready to die," Severus said angrily. "Is this why you've wanted him isolated in his grief over Black and with knowledge of the prophecy? So he had no will to live? So he would happily die for you?"

"Of course not," Dumbledore protested.

"Well, you have managed just that," Severus snapped. "You have lost sight, Albus."

"I am trying to save us," Dumbledore argued.

"With a boy! He is a boy and you are condemning him to die!" Severus shouted.

"If there was any other way-"

"Have you looked?" Severus interrupted sharply.

Dumbledore gave him a tired look. "There is no other way."

Severus shook his head in denial. "I won't let him die. I won't let this be the only reason he matters."

Dumbledore's tired gaze turned piercing and curious. "Do you have another reason after all these years?"

Severus sneered again. "Turns out, I do, and my reason is going to keep him alive."

"Would you condemn us for him?"

"Unlike you, I'm willing to look for more than one answer," Severus said, "and I will find another answer, one that lets the boy live."

"Where did this sudden care come from?"

"From everyone else forgetting he is a damned child."

They stared at each other, trying to get more answers and trying to win the battle of wills.

"Now, anything else you have conveniently forgotten to mention?" Severus bit out.

There was a pause and a flash in the blue eyes that told Severus whatever response was coming was going to be a lie.

"No, nothing."

Severus narrowed his eyes, wishing he could use Legilimency on the old man. With a glare and a shake of his head, he returned to Grimmauld Place. He was glad no one was hovering at the stairs anymore and quickly hurried up to Black's old room. Kingsley was still there, reading a book as the boy slept, but looked up as Severus entered.

"It's true, isn't it?" Kingsley said, levitating his book to the fixed desk.

Severus looked tightly at the sleeping boy. "Yes."

"Poor kid," Kingsley muttered. "What do we do?"

"Find a way to remove it and keep him alive," Severus said. "Find the others."

Kingsley frowned. "Others?"

"I don't know how many or what they are, but there are others. Dumbledore's hiding them and Potter can connect with them. We destroy them, we kill the Dark Lord, and this entire nightmare ends."

"But we keep Harry alive."

Severus nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," Kingsley said. "Got some friends in Mysteries."

Severus looked at him. "Thank you."

"The kid deserves a real chance," Kingsley replied with a small smile. "Seems he could get it with you."

Kingsley left before Severus could respond, the bedroom door closing behind the Auror. Severus turned his gaze back to the boy and moved, sitting, not on the vacated chair, but on the edge of the bed. He watched the boy sleep for several minutes.

"How did we get here?" he murmured, picturing the last five years in contrast to the last four weeks. His eyes flicked to the boy's forehead, the scar visible through the messy hair. Impulsively, he reached out and brushed aside the dark hair. "I won't let you disappear. I'll let you be you. I'll let you be Harry."

He found he couldn't leave and he realized he didn't want to, so he stayed, watching the broken boy sleep and waiting to start putting him back together.