Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Author's Chapter Notes:
So I know it’s been a ridiculously, inexcusably long time, and I’m sorry. I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say adulating really really sucks. I started writing this story when I was 18. I am now 25. I have had a lot of growing up to do in the last 6 years, and that unfortunately did not leave enough time for my true passion; writing. I lied, this is not the last chapter. There will be at least one more, and an epilogue, or I might combine the last chapter and the epilogue into one. I’m not sure yet. You’ve waited long enough, so without further ado…
Chapter 58: The Calm Before the Storm

The basement kitchen was teeming with Order members, the different groups congregated in corners, murmuring amongst themselves. They were discussing their roles in the upcoming battle, strategizing and preparing themselves. Since separating into groups, the Order was more organized, and as such, it was easier for the groups to be assigned their tasks. While some would be staying behind to prepare for injured members to be transported back, almost the entire Order would serve some part in the battle, including Ron, Hermione, and the twins. Ginny, of course, had been banned from being at the battle by her mother, though Molly was allowing her to help Madam Pomfrey turn the drawing room into a makeshift infirmary.

Upstairs, away from the bustle of noise in the basement kitchen, Harry, Draco, and Sirius were also plotting. The emotions in the room were tense, but not because of Sirius, who was sitting in an armchair, twirling a lethal looking syringe in his thankfully corporeal hands.

“I don’t want you out of my sight, Harry. Someone should be with you at all times, if only to be your back up!”

“We’ve discussed this already, Draco. Dad is going to be with me the whole time. I’m bound to be a huge target; I don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire,” Harry argued, feeling guilty. He wanted Draco to be with him as well, but he knew it was too dangerous. If he could, he’d make Draco stay at Grimmauld Place, but he knew Draco would never agree to it.

“I thought you were going to be under the cloak?”

“I am, but Dad isn’t, and that’s the point. He’s going to lure Voldemort to me so I can distract him, and Sirius is going to inject him with the potion.”

“But that doesn’t fit the prophecy, Harry. ‘Either must die at the hand of the other’. If it’s Sirius injecting him, then it’s not technically you killing him,” Draco points out, gripping Harry’s hand in his own. They were sitting on a sofa in the drawing room, trying to bring themselves to terms with what they were about to do.

“The prophecy was more like a guideline than anything. People take prophecy too seriously and follow it word for word, but it’s more about symbolism. No, Harry’s actual physical hand won’t be slaying Voldemort, but it is him leading the Order to this battle,” said Sirius, as he set the syringe down on the side table. “Harry will be protected above all others, I promise you that.”

“I don’t want that, either. I want everyone protected the same, but I’m going to be Voldemort’s main target. You’d only be in more danger with me. I don’t even want Dad using himself as bait, but I can’t convince him otherwise; trust me, I’ve tried.”

Draco sighed as he leaned against Harry, who held the blonde teen close. “I guess I don’t like the idea of any of this. Are you sure you’re ready, Harry?”

Harry laughed humourlessly and pressed a kiss to Draco’s forehead. “Hell no, but we can’t delay anymore. Voldemort isn’t patient. We have to act now.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than his father and stepfather were walking into the room. Severus had on his Death Eater robes, which caused Harry to blanch and Draco to draw back instinctively.

“Sorry, I should have warned you, but it was a last minute decision. Remus is positively apoplectic with me having no extra measure of protection, so he suggested I try to go as incognito as possible and simply try to blend in. I believe Lucius will be doing the same. Draco, I think you should glamour your hair; it’s the Malfoy calling card and bound to draw curses,” Severus suggested as he gripped the loathsome pewter mask in his hand. He would rather duel Voldemort naked, but Remus had absolutely insisted and seemed near full on panic. He had to do something to calm and appease his husband, and he reluctantly saw the usefulness.

Remus scowled as he brushed passed the Potions Master and stood beside his son, gripping Harry’s shoulder supportively. “I was not being unreasonable, as far as I am concerned. If you’re cloaked in some way, that’ll hopefully draw less attention to Harry’s position until he’s ready. We have to make sure it’s convincing, Severus.”

“I know, love. We will be; there’s no other choice. Harry, if I could have a word with you in private?”

Harry gripped Remus’ hand and offered him an understanding smile. “It’ll be ok, Moony, you’ll see. Sure thing, Dad,” Harry said as he followed him out of the drawing room. His father led him into the room his parents shared. He felt nervous, as if he were about to be admonished for something. There was a long list of the things he should be admonished for, he knew.

“Sit down, Harry,” Severus insisted as he sat in the desk chair and pointed Harry towards the edge of the bed. He seemed tense and antsy, and it worried Harry.

“Is everything all right?” Harry asked as he sank onto the side of the bed and pulled one of his legs up underneath him. He was already on the verge of a nervous wreck, and being around his father lately was always a tense affair. Since the…the incident, Harry had felt as though he had damaged his relationship with Snape, and it would never be the same again. The guilt ate at his insides like a violent acid. Harry shuddered as his father fixed him with an intense look.

“Harry…there are so many things I want to say to you, but I’m having a hard time finding the words. I know things have been very tense between us recently, and I could not bear to go into this battle with this hanging over us. I know this may not be the best time for a heart to heart, but – but I may not get another chance.”

Harry felt his heart start to pound and found his breathing was getting quite unsteady. “Please, don’t talk that way. I won’t – can’t think that way, Dad.”

“Just listen, please. I need to say this, please let me,” Severus insisted. He stood suddenly and joined Harry on the edge of the bed, wrapping an arm around the teen’s shoulders. He was shaking.

Harry took a deep breath and sank into his father’s side, soaking up his warmth and the feeling of home that came with it. “Ok, go on.”

“Never in a million years did I ever think I would have a child, let alone two. I loved your mother dearly, and I grudgingly respected your father after I had grown up a little bit, but I never imagined I would come to love you, Harry. I vowed to protect you before I’d ever set eyes on you. Maybe it was out of guilt for what had happened to Lily and James, or maybe it was out of a sense of duty to Albus, or a thirst for redemption. I think it was all of those things, and more.

“I fought it tooth and nail, made myself try to hate you and push you to the very edge. I protected you, fought for you, spied for you, and suffered for you. It was never for Albus, not really. I convinced myself it was simply my duty and loyalty to the man who had saved my life, a favour to Lily’s memory. It was not until I allowed myself to see you as just Harry and not an extension of James, as a boy who had lost everything, to no fault of his own, who only wanted to be a normal child, but was anything but. You have always been extraordinary, Harry, and as much as I know you despise your notoriety, it will always follow you. Not just because you’re The-Boy-Who-Lived; no, if you had been dealt a different hand in life, I think you’d still have found your way to the limelight. You were never meant to blend in. You’re humble, extremely intelligent, and so full of love and compassion for others; I couldn’t imagine you any other way.

You’re my son. You are everything to me. I cannot even put into words how very much I love you and care for you – my heart aches with it. I think I had loved you the entire time, I was just too bitter and broken to realize it. You healed me, Harry, you made me human again. I was only a shell of myself, this hollowed out husk of hate and anger and bitterness. Everything changed when you wormed your way into my heart, and I remembered that I did in fact have one.

I love Remus and Draco, and your sister though we have not yet met. But you, Harry, will always have a special place in my heart. You made me whole again, you gave me a reason to be a better man, to actually live instead of just survive. I could never find the right words to thank you, to explain how much you mean to me.

When I found you on that bathroom floor…my world ended. I felt my soul withering and dying with you. I was hollow once more, carved out viciously like a botched jack-o-lantern. I could never, ever describe the utter anguish I felt when I saw you like that. And then…then you were back, and I was so angry. You had taken the one thing that had brought me back to life away, tore my heart away from my body so completely, I felt as though I could never feel anything but anger and pain again. I wanted to strangle you and hug you and never let go. I screamed and cried, though mostly only in front of Remus. I raged and broke down over and over, so full of anger and guilt. Guilt that my son, my world, had felt as though death was the only answer, had felt that I could not be confided in. What kind of father was I to not know my son was so close to the edge? I hated myself, Harry, more than I ever had before. I was not there when you needed me, and I do not think I will ever fully heal from that.

I am still trying to figure out how to feel again, how to get rid of the anger and just learn to love again. I am so utterly terrified of losing you; I can barely breathe with the pain of it. I love you so much, Harry, and I want you to be absolutely sure of that before we go into this battle. No matter what has happened in the past, you are and always will be my heart, Son.”

Harry had begun crying silently early on in his father’s speech, and had dissolved into hiccupping sobs by the end. He buried his face in Severus’ robes and clung to the man tightly as he cried himself out. He had been so worried that the Potions Master would never really love him again. His heart ached as he let himself go completely, trusting his father entirely to put the pieces back together again.

S~S~S~S

It was a short while later that Harry and Severus emerged. Draco looked concerned when he saw Harry’s bloodshot eyes and weary expression, but Harry smiled and shook his head; he was ok. He had needed to have that talk with his father before the battle, and he was glad for it. He was also glad when Draco took out his wand and sent a mild healing spell at him to get rid of the puffiness and the sting of tears in his reddened eyes.

“It’s time; let’s meet in the basement so we can go over the plans with the rest of the Order once more,” said Severus as he coaxed his godson, Sirius, his husband, and son out of the drawing room.

Remus stopped at the top of the stairs and caught Severus’ around the waist, pulling him close as the others continued down unawares. “Did you say everything you needed to say?”

Severus allowed his arms to wrap around his husband, pulling him close into a tight embrace. How had he ever lived without this? Without love? “I’ll never be able to say everything I need to love, but that’s ok. I said what I could for now.”

Severus pulled away just enough to meet Remus’ eyes and felt his stomach flip. This might be the very last time he ever embraced the love of his life. “I love you, Remus. Please, please be careful. Stay out of the thick of it as much as you can, and don’t act the hero, you hear me?”

Remus smiled as he wove his fingers into the Potion Master’s long tresses and gently pulled the man forward, their lips barely brushing. “I love you too, so much. The same goes for you, alright? I can’t lose you; I can’t raise that baby alone, so don’t you dare do anything stupid. Promise?”

Severus nodded, his lips sliding against his husband’s as he gripped his hips tight, holding on for dear life. “I promise,” Severus said before pressing his lips fully to Remus’, earning an appreciative groan as he let his tongue explore the other man’s mouth briefly, but thoroughly.

After what felt like an eternity, but was only a minute at most, Remus pulled away and nudged Severus’ shoulder. “Come on, before they send a search party. We’ve got a megalomaniac to assassinate.”

S~S~S~S

The basement kitchen was quiet. All of the Order members had just left to get in position. Once the wards around the Little Hangleton graveyard were broken, the Order would be apparating in strategically. The strategy group had planned and re-planned, all with the help of Ron, whose exemplary chess skills made him a great asset to the staging of the battle. It wasn’t fool proof, but they would make it work.

Harry had half-expected people to encourage him to make some sort of final speech, to rally the troops like his pre-game pep talks for Quidditch matches, but there were no speeches, no bolstering of spirits or note-worthy words of encouragement. There was one final break down of the plan, a reminder that the oaths of the Order stayed true through life and death, and then an eerily silent dispersing of witches and wizards. It was as though everyone knew that nothing anyone could say would make the prospect of provoking Voldemort and his Death Eaters any less terrifying.

The only people left were Harry, Draco, Remus, Severus, Lucius, Hermione, Ron, and Sirius. Hermione was securing a satchel, which contained all of the Horcruxes, before handing it to Ron. They shared a look before moving towards Harry, who was staring vacantly at the wall, almost numb with anxiety.

“Hey, mate. This is finally it. After tonight, you won’t have to worry about old Snake Face ever again,” said Ron with an encouraging grin, causing Harry’s mouth to twitch into small grin as he accepted a hug from Hermione and a pat on the back from Ron.

“Everything will be alright, Harry; you’ll see. We’ve got this. Just remember to keep your head down until it’s time. Please, please don’t be a bloody hero; do you hear me Harry James Potter?” Hermione asked sternly, her lips pursed and her hand on her hip. Harry was instantly reminded of Molly Weasley, but smartly kept that to himself.

“Yeah, I hear you. I won’t. I just want to get this over with. Thank you guys for…everything. You’ve always been there for me, and I’m so glad to call you my best friends.”

Ron cleared his throat as Hermione’s eyes began to shine with tears. “Hey, none of this pre-emptive goodbye shite. We’ll see you after that nasty snake is dead, ok?”

Harry took a deep breath and gave a firm nod. His best friends would be going ahead with Lucius Malfoy to start the first phase and Harry worried more than anything that they would be the first to be targeted. He knew there was no way in hell he could ever convince them to sit this out, however. “Ok. I’ll see you guys back here.”

Hermione suddenly launched herself at Harry and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He could feel her petite frame shaking as she clung to him. “I love you,” she whispered into his ear, giving him one last firm squeeze before pulling away and wiping at her teary eyes.

“I love you too, Hermione. And you too, Ron. Be safe.”

It only took Ron a few seconds of awkward shuffling before he was grabbing Harry up into a bear hug, his gangly arms wrapping around the shorter teen, making him feel safe and loved. “Please come back in one piece. I couldn’t bear it if something happens to you, so you better be back, and you better be ok.”

Harry felt his throat tighten as he wrapped his arms around Ron and gave a shuddering laugh. “The same goes for you, mate. Watch over Hermione; keep her safe.”

“With my life if it comes down to it,” said Ron before pulling out of Harry’s embrace.

It was as though there was a line as Lucius was next to approach Harry. The Gryffindor was momentarily worried he was about to receive a hug from the Malfoy, but the man simply held out his hand, which Harry took instinctively into his own. “I wish you good luck, Mr. Potter. It is high time the Dark Lord’s reign of terror has been put to an end. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.”

Harry wasn’t quite sure what to say to the man, so he simply shook his hand and smiled, giving a firm nod of acknowledgement. The blonde smiled back at him, and a sense of understanding seemed to pass silently between them. The two sides of the war had come together to put it to an end, and Harry’s sense of everything coming full circle heightened.

“Weasley, Granger – it is time for us to make our leave.”

Draco stood suddenly from his seat at the table and grasped Lucius’ arm, startling the man. “Dad…be careful. I want to glamour your hair; I’m going to as well. We’ll stand out like beacons with our blonde hair. This way, we’ll blend in more.”

Lucius gave his son a searching look, but nodded his head in assent. “Very well, then. Do your worst.”

Draco pulled his wand and gave it a complicated wave, muttering a few words of Latin as he direct his wand at his father’s hair. The white-blonde locks faded into a silky black, reminiscent of Severus’ hair. Draco then repeated the charm on himself, which caused an amused chuckle from Lucius.

“Utterly ridiculous. We could be Snapes with these locks.”

Severus snorted as he flicked his own hair out of his face and crossed his arms across his chest. “You wish.”

Lucius just shook his head in bemusement. Without warning, he wrapped Draco in a tight hug and kissed the top of the teen’s head, which wasn’t very easy to do as the boy was nearly as tall as he was now. “I’ll see you soon where we agreed to meet, alright?”

“Yes, Father,” Draco rasped as he held his father close for a few more seconds before letting go.

Lucius gave a slight bow and brandished his arm dramatically in front of him. “After you, Miss Granger.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, but preceded Lucius out of the room, sending Harry one last worried glance before both Ron and Lucius followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Draco, his hair now as black as Harry’s, was standing motionless in front of Harry. Remus had stood as well, and the blonde knew it was their turn to get into position as well. He would be meeting up with his father at a pre-determined location in the graveyard. Though he had argued over and over that he wanted to be with Harry, he had realized it wasn’t feasible. But for the life of him, he could not get his feet to move.

“I can’t…Harry, I can’t leave you. Please, we can both fit under the cloak. I can protect you,” Draco whispered as Harry gripped his shoulders before pulling him into an embrace.

“We’ve talked about this…I don’t want to go into this without you either, but it would throw off the entire battle plan. I’ll have Dad protecting me. I’ll see you when we get back, I promise. We’ll both be back, ok?” Harry assured his boyfriend, most definitely not feeling so confident in his own words. He was utterly terrified to the point of numbness, but he would not let it show. He needed to be strong for Draco and the rest of his family.

Draco wrapped his arms so tightly around Harry the Gryffindor could barely breathe. Harry felt tears drip onto his neck and had to shield his own burning eyes. “You better be back. I swear to Merlin, you had better be back. I love you. I love you so much. Be careful, ok? Please be careful…”

“Draco, it’s time. We can’t delay,” Remus said quietly as he gripped one of each of the boys’ shoulders supportively. He knew exactly how they felt, and had to keep himself from clinging to Severus like Draco was clinging to Harry.

Harry began to pull away from Draco, who held tightly for a few more seconds before he moved away just far enough to catch Harry in a deep, passionate kiss that they normally would have preferred to share in private, but there was no time. When the former blonde pulled away, he smiled sadly at Harry and kissed his cheek. “When this is over, I think we should take a trip. Get away from it all.”

“I’d like that very much,” Harry agreed with a smile of his own. He pressed one more kiss to his boyfriend’s lips before they parted completely.

Next was Remus, who simply grabbed him into a tight hug, kissed the top of his head, and whispered, “You have been and always will be my little cub. I love you. If anything should happen, please take good care of your sister and father.”

Harry couldn’t allow himself to even think of that possibility, so he just nodded his head and hugged his stepfather back. “I will. I love you too, Remus.”

And in the same way one rips a plaster off quickly, Remus and Draco made their way out of the basement kitchen without looking back.

Harry felt raw and exposed, like someone had cut him open and then spread him out for the world to see. He hadn’t wanted to say goodbye to anyone, but every hug and kiss and ‘I love you’ felt like goodbye over and over again. He had thought he’d made peace with the fact that this war might kill him long ago, but after everything he had been through, he’d long since realized that he was not yet ready to shuffle off this mortal coil. He had too much to live for, too many people to love and things to achieve.

It all came down to this very moment. Harry felt as though his life had been this big production leading up to this final act, the crescendo of his childhood. All roads had led to this, and though they planned and discussed and planned some more, Harry didn’t feel ready.

“Dad? What if something goes wrong? What if everything we planned fails? I don’t…I don’t know if I can do this,” Harry rasped as he turned to look at his father, who had remained suspiciously quiet during all of the parting words from the rest of Harry’s friends and family.

“Then we will simply have to improvise. You will not be alone. If things do not go as planned, as things are wont to do, we will figure it out. I won’t let anything happen to you. I would die before I let a hair be harmed on your head,” Severus said fiercely as he pulled Harry to his side and held the boy close.

“That’s part of what I’m afraid of. I can’t lose you, Dad. Or Moony, or Draco, or anyone else. I can’t, I don’t have the strength to deal with anymore death or tragedy. I want this to be over.”

“It will be, very soon. Clear your mind and Occlude, Harry. You must stay focussed and push the panic away. You know how to do that. Do it for me, ok? You must stay focussed.”

Harry closed his eyes and let the baritone of his father’s voice pull him into a sort of trance. He breathed in a shuddering breath, and breathed out all of the worry, panic, fear, and sadness. He felt his father’s warm, secure arms around him, could sense Sirius’ protective presence as well. He was not alone. He could do this.

“It’s time.”

S~S~S~S

In hindsight, planning the battle to take place at night had been a mistake. The graveyard was silent and still; the crumbling headstones were beacons of despair and neglect. There was no grass to blanket the long dead; just dirt, dust and decay. One headstone stood out above the rest, more like a gothic statue than a resting place. This daunting vigil of Death lorded over the other graves, taking precedence and overshadowing the forgotten stones of the dead. The long, elegant scythe arched towards the ground, as if pointing the way to hell.

The wind whipped around savagely, kicking up dust and leaves into the air. The crumbling headstones of the decrepit cemetery looked as though they might blow over with the next gust of wind. The tall, ominous scion of Death stuck out like a sore thumb in the graveyard, lone in its height and somehow pristine condition. The scythe was held against the statue’s chest, as if in a mockery of protection.

With an infinitesimal pop, a figure appeared, wrapped in a black cloak with the hood obscuring the individual’s face. A few charms were performed, deactivating many wards and alarm charms that had been placed as booby traps all around the graveyard. With one final flick, the ward on the statue of Death was also removed, leaving it vulnerable and weakened, the stone already beginning to crack in places without the magic to hold it together.

Suddenly, two more figures appeared in the graveyard, both concealed in similar cloaks. The shortest of the three pulled something from within their cloak, setting it directly in front of Tom Riddle Senior’s extravagant grave marker. With a muttered charm, the item grew to ten times its original size, and revealed itself to be a fairly large cauldron.

“I think we should put them in the cauldron first, and then add the potion. That will decrease risk of splash-back and losing time in case of discovery,” a posh male voice said as he pulled out two decently sized flasks and set them beside the cauldron.

“Sounds fair enough, but how are we to fit that massive thing in the cauldron?” another figure asked while pointing at the statue before them.

“The whole thing doesn’t need to go in, Ron, only the scythe. That’s what Professor Dumbledore told Harry.”

The tallest figure gave a sharp gesture, cutting off any further remarks from the other two. “This is no time for a lover’s spat. Harry and Severus will be here in a matter of minutes to send the signal, and we need to be ready. Weasley, place all of the items in the cauldron, please. I’ll deal with the scythe,” Lucius snapped in a menacing whisper.

Ron grumbled as he opened the satchel Hermione had given him, containing all of the Horcruxes they had struggled to find – minus the ones that had already been destroyed and the scythe, of course. He moved forward and carefully began pulling items from within and setting them against the bottom of the enormous cauldron.

Lucius was standing in front of the garish headstone, feeling a slight chill as he remembered vividly the last time he had stood in this very graveyard. He had watched, gleefully, while his son’s lover had been taunted and tortured. Though he would never be Harry Potter’s number one fan, he felt ill at the idea of seeing the boy in the same situation now. He knew that once the signal was given and the Horcruxes destroyed, he’d be near the top of the main targets list once Death Eaters began showing up. If there was one thing Voldemort and his followers hated more than Mudbloods and Harry Potter, it was blood traitors.

After the smaller items were placed in the cauldron, Lucius used a spell – a fairly dark one – that turned the marble scythe into dust, which floated to the bottom of the cauldron. He felt the hair on the back of his next stand up as all of the sound in the graveyard seemed to cease all at once.

“Hurry, poor the potion in; there is no guarantee we disabled all of the wards and the Dark Lord may already know something is amiss,” Lucius instructed as he took a step back and began carefully scanning the area for any movement.

Hermione carefully unscrewed the flasks and tipped the first one into the large cauldron, her hand shaking as the first drops hissed and spit as they hit the Horcruxes inside. She had cast a protective spell around her hand to make sure none of the potion touched her skin. Just as she poured the last of the potion into the cauldron, there were two faint pops. She jumped up and had her wand trained on the figures in a split second, then realized it was Professor Snape and presumably Harry, though he must be under his invisibility cloak already, as she didn’t see a second figure, though she was positive she heard two sounds of apparition.

“You three should be gone by now. Go!” Severus hissed as his black eyes scanned every inch of the graveyard for movement. Disabling the wards had surely set some kind of alarm bells off, and he knew the Dark Lord had plots within plots and probably had some sort of back up wards in place. The most telling thing, however, would be the final destruction of all of the Horcruxes. Severus didn’t fully understand how it all worked, but he was sure that one’s split up soul being destroyed probably caused some sort of physical sensation that Voldemort was sure to have noticed.

“The last of the potion is in, looks like everything has dissolved properly. We’ll get in position. Good luck,” Hermione whispered as she grabbed hold of Ron’s held out hand and they both apparated to their pre-planned destination on the edge of where the wards used to be, ready to meet with Fred and George to start creating diversions and set traps to keep most of the battle away from Harry and Sirius.

Lucius did not wish Severus and Harry luck, he simply bowed his head and then disapparated to the previously arranged meeting spot he and Draco had agreed upon.

“Everyone should be in place by now, Harry. The potion looks like it’s dissolved everything now. Are you ready?” Severus asked what appeared to be thin air, but was actually Harry under the invisibility cloak.

Harry clutched the resurrection stone in his first, ready to call forth Sirius and get everything in place. If their crazy planned worked, Voldemort would be dead tonight, for good this time. “I don’t think I’ll ever really be ready, Dad, but yeah, let’s get this started.”

Severus gently clasped his shoulder and pulled the hood of the cloak back just enough to see his son’s face. “No matter what happens tonight, know that I am so incredibly proud of you, and I love you more than I could ever explain,” Severus whispered before placing a light kiss on Harry’s forehead.

Harry felt a burning behind his eyes, but blinked it back as he smiled up at his father. “I love you too, Dad. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” said Harry before wrapping his cloaked arms around the Potions professor for a tight but brief hug.

“Alright, let’s do this. Go ahead and let your shields down, slowly and gently. Let the defense you’ve built slowly slide away and then concentrate very hard on the headstone. Try to imagine you’re projecting what you see through to him. Show him what you see, show him why we’re here,” Severus coached as he slowly moved around Harry and towards Tom Riddle Senior’s headstone. He pulled his wand, trusting Harry was doing as instructed, and with a sharp flick of his wrist, the large marble statue of Death and the headstone below cracked right down the very center, sending up what sounded like a loud bolt of thunder.

Harry had closed his eyes while listening to his father’s voice, slowly letting his Occlumency shields down. As he felt his father move around him, he opened his eyes and concentrated on the headstone. He could feel a shiver of fear and anxiety run down his spine at the sound of the cracking headstone, and he held his breath as he waited for the inevitable.

Harry suddenly doubled over as he felt a sharp stabbing sensation in his scar, followed by a spike of unadulterated rage and loathing. It had worked; Voldemort knew, and now – now the end would begin.

Chapter End Notes:
Did you really expect anything other than a cliffhanger from me?? I will try my damndest to get the rest written and posted as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone who is still reading, and PLEASE review/comment and let me know you’re still around and interested, and what you think of this chapter! Thanks my lovelies!

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