How wrong he had been.

Harry didn’t know when, but the pain had forced him into unconsciousness at some point and when he came to, he was in absolute agony.

It took a moment or two for the pain to register, but once it did, it was overwhelming. He couldn’t even scream. His whole body felt like it was being ripped apart. Muscle being torn from bone, skin being separated, ligaments aching…it was all so intense. And he was so hot. Something cool was being pressed into his burning skin and Harry moaned.

“Harry, can you hear me?”

He moaned again. Someone besides him cursed. “He’s getting worse, Poppy.”

Hands were touching him, activating pain sensors in his skin. He tried to move away from them. The hands were removed and another cold cloth was placed under his neck.

“I don’t know what to do. His fever isn’t coming down.”

“There has to be something, Poppy. Is it from the potion?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never used it before.” Her voice sounded panicked.

Harry felt his stomach twist. His face must have turned green because the next thing he knew he was being rolled over onto his side as he heaved. Having had nothing in his stomach, nothing came out but his body rebelled violently. Somehow Harry’s hands found their way around his middle and he held tightly as the dry heaves jostled his aching body. Tears leaked from the corner of his eyes.

It seemed like it would never end, but it did and Harry felt a hand rubbing circles on his back. He was drifting again.

“I’m calling Severus.”

.

“Thank god you’re here.”

Severus emerged from the emerald flames and strode forward into the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey moved towards him. “What is it?”

“Harry. Something’s wrong. He became warm a few minutes after we administered the potion, but the fever spiked and I can’t get it to come back down.” Poppy wrung her hands nervously.

“How high is it?”

“We managed to bring it down to 102, but it’s getting higher.”

Severus moved towards the bed where Remus sat, continuously patting the boy’s flushed skin with a cool cloth. He didn’t need to touch Harry to see that Poppy was right. Not only was his skin flushed, but it was covered in with a sheen of sweat. The heat radiated off his body.

Harry’s shirt had been opened so that the cloth had access to more skin and Severus could see his torso slick with sweat and water. His chest rose and fell quickly and Severus placed a hand over Harry’s heart, feeling the whole ribcage vibrate with the force of its contractions. He placed two fingers against the boy’s neck; his pulse was racing.

At Severus’ touch, Harry turned his head to the side, moaning slightly.

“It hurts.” Remus spoke from his place on the bed next to Severus. “When you touch him, it hurts him.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Severus pulled open one of Harry’s eyelids. Red was visible around the edges of his bloodshot eyes. “The potion is working.”

“What about the fever, Severus?” He turned to look at Poppy. “Potions won’t work on him now that his powers are bound.”

“The fever is unusual, but it’s not uncommon. Keep him cool, sponge him. If the fever reaches 104, summon me. Right now, I’d say we have more to worry about Albus not being here when the Horcrux takes over.”

“I thought he explained to you what needs to be done when that happens…”

“I don’t know about you, Lupin, but I don’t fancy having a pseudo-Voldemort to deal with on my own.”

“I would think you’d be perfectly fine." Remus shot back roughly. "He’s your master after all.” Poppy gasped. Severus narrowed his eyes and glared.

“I—I—“ Remus floundered for something to say.

“I’ll chalk that up to the Horcrux’s influence on you and pretend I didn’t hear that, wolf.” His tone was icy. Twirling on his heel, robes fluttering around him, Severus headed to the fireplace.

Stepping into the flames once more, he heard Remus ask “What does he mean? Horcrux’s influence?”

.

That damned mutt. I could really use that drink right about now.

Severus slammed open the office doors and strode in, closing them violently behind him. Stepping further into the room, a figure slumped over the desk came into view. It took Severus a second to recognize the shock of dazzling white hair but when he did, he rushed forward.

“Albus!”

“Severus.” His voice was no louder than a whisper. He leaned heavily on the desk and held a hand out for Severus when he approached. Severus grabbed the hand and immediately let go when Albus cried out in pain.

“What is it? What’s happened?” Severus caught a glimpse of metal on the desk. The golden ring lay shattered on the blotter. He looked at Albus’ arm and saw the blackened mass. He pointed his wand at it and the remnants glowed a deadly red. He had been right-- the ring was cursed. He glanced at the mottled flesh again. He didn’t—

“Albus, tell me you didn’t…Albus!”

The old man began to droop to the floor, all energy spent.

“Please, Severus.” Albus’ breath came in quick pants. His face was scrunched in pain, the skin around his mouth white.

Shit! Severus grabbed him under the arms, hoisting him up and practically carrying him to the chair. Albus’ eyes were closed and Severus cursed again while feeling for a pulse. It was there but was weak and thready. He stood quickly, already thinking what to do. “I’ll be back. Hold on, Albus.”

Just hold on…

.

It took Severus two minutes to find the potion in his cabinet. He grabbed the vial, knocking over several others in his haste, and ran back to the fireplace. Once back in the Headmasters office, Severus hurried over to Albus. He sagged sideways in the thronelike chair behind the desk, semiconscious. Severus conjured a goblet, pouring the contents of the vial into it and held it to his mouth.

“Drink it, Albus. Come on, drink it!”

Dumbledore’s right hand dangled over the side of the chair, blackened and burned. Severus began to mutter under his breath and pointing his wand at the wrist of the hand, using his other to continue pouring the goblet full of thick golden potion down Dumbledore’s throat.

“Come on, old man…”

After a moment or two, Albus’ eyelids fluttered and opened.

“Why,” said Severus, without preamble, “why did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realized that. Why even touch it?”

Dumbledore grimaced. “I…was a fool. Sorely tempted…”

“Tempted by what?” Upon receiving no answer, Severus continued with his furious chastisement. “It’s a miracle you managed to return here! That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power, to contain it is all we can hope for; I have trapped the curse in one hand for the time being—“

Dumbledore raised his blackened, useless hand, and examined it with the expression of one being shown an interesting curio.

“You have done very well, Severus. How long do you think I have?”

Dumbledore’s tone was conversational; he might have been asking for a weather forecast.

Hesitating a moment, Severus furrowed his eyebrows at the old man. “I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually; it is the sort of curse that strengthens over time.”

Dumbledore smiled. The news that he had less than a year to live seemed a matter of little or no concern to him.

“I am fortunate, extremely fortunate, that I have you, Severus.”

“If I had only come a little earlier, I might have been able to do more, buy you more time.”

Severus glanced at the broken ring and the sword that lay on the floor besides the desk. “Did you think that breaking the ring would break the curse?”

“Something like that…I was delirious, no doubt…” said Albus. With an effort he straightened himself in his chair. “Well, really, this makes matters much more straightforward.” Severus looked at him, perplexed. “I refer to the situation we are now dealing with.”

“With Potter?”

Albus nodded. “The soul in a Horcrux is not like a regular soul. If I were to run you through with a sword, your soul would not be harmed. If a Horcrux is destroyed, the soul which resides in it is destroyed as well. In order to destroy the piece of Voldemort’s soul,” he looked at Severus gravely, “Harry must die. At this very moment, the piece of soul is taking over Harry’s body, suppressing the boy’s soul. Two souls cannot inhabit one body, and when Voldemort’s has taken over completely, Harry will be forced out. At that point, before Harry’s soul is out, we will remove Voldemort’s soul and place it in a different vessel.”

“That’s all well and good, Albus, but you can’t just remove someone’s soul. Otherwise we would not be in this predicament.”

“You cannot remove a soul, but, as you’ve learned, two can be combined for a short period of time at least.”