A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 12 ~ At the Ready

Hermione waited a week and a half before contacting Harry with her magic mirror, figuring the wizard needed a little time. She might have given it more time if not for the fact that her hand had been forced and opportunity was presenting itself.

Minerva had to go to an annual two-day symposium attended by all Headmasters and Headmistresses, where they exchanged notes, talked about advances in handling students and learned new techniques for running their schools. Defense was the theme of the meeting this time. So her office would be empty for one night. She would return the evening of the second day. Harry could take advantage of her absence to find out where the Horcrux was.

Hermione had done some heavy thinking. The Horcrux had to be an item that had been in the office at least since nineteen forty-five, when Tom left Hogwarts. He was probably about sixteen when he asked Slughorn about the Horcruxes. He had already killed because according to Harry he wore Marvolo’s ring which he took from his uncle when he and Slughorn had that conversation. And Dumbledore didn’t become Headmaster until nineteen-fifty-five, ten years after Voldemort left the school, so the Horcrux had to be something that was in the office when Headmaster Armando Dippet was in place.

There were two items that Hermione knew were in the Headmaster’s office then. The Sword of Gryffindor and the Sorting Hat. She wondered about the sword. It had been in the presence of the memory of Tom Riddle without a negative effect. According to what she had learned, if a Horcrux came in contact with an individual whose soul was held, it would cause great pain. But Tom Riddle had not been a true human being. He was a memory that was trying to be reborn as a flesh and blood person using Ginny Weasley’s life force to form a solid body.

But Tom had been quite dismissive when the sword appeared for Harry, taunting him about Albus Dumbledore sending a bird and an old hat to help him. He would have been more concerned about it if the sword held a soul fragment, but then again, he might have made the sword a Horcrux after the diary, so his memory self would have no recollection of it.

Could it possibly be the Sorting Hat? It had been kept in the Headmaster’s office for the longest time. But the hat was sentient. Wouldn’t it have told it had been used in such a manner? Yes, unless Tom Riddle cast some type of obliviate spell on it. Could you obliviate a magical item? Maybe a Confundus charm. It worked on the Goblet of Fire in their fourth year.

Then Hermione thought about other items that were in the office. The portraits. The portraits went back over 400 years. He could have placed a fragment in one of them.

Hermione was sure the Horcrux could be located and began to think how it could be destroyed. Dear gods, if it was the Sorting Hat…how would students be sorted? Marvolo’s ring cracked when Dumbledore released the fragment. Would Harry have to destroy the hat to release it? That would be horrible. It would throw Hogwarts into chaos. Maybe they could wait until after the Sorting, but it would be so much harder to move undetected through the castle then. Filch would be much more on point, and the Headmistress would be in her office…sleeping in her rooms. It would be much more risky, and if caught…they would be facing Azkaban for certain.

Of course, she could let Harry do it and stay safely away, but that thought never crossed Hermione’s mind. She wouldn’t let him do this alone. Besides, he might need her.

Hermione sighed and pulled out her two-way mirror and summoned Harry.

Harry’s face appeared in the mirror, more haggard and unwashed looking than it was when she went to visit him. His hair was matted.

“Hermione,” he rasped.

It sounded as if Harry hadn’t used his voice at all in the past week and a half. The truth was, he hadn’t. When he recovered and remembered how he had tried to attack Hermione, his guilt all but paralyzed him. Dobby was having hell getting him to eat, and he still didn’t go out to search for Horcruxes. He believed he had lost Hermione as a friend, and this added to his misery. Of course he blamed Snape for that too.

“You’re taking away everyone I love you bastard,” he swore, then fell silent.

“Harry, you look awful,” Hermione whispered, her heart going out to the wizard.

“I’m…I’m sorry, Hermione,” the wizard said, his green eyes full of despair.

“I know you are, Harry. Hate is eating you up. You have to let Snape go for now. Dumbledore wouldn’t like you to be focusing on him when it is so important that you destroy the Horcruxes. You have to get your priorities straight Harry. You have to summon up your Gryffindor values. Right now…you are acting more Slytherin than Gryffindor,” Hermione said, hoping to snap Harry out of his funk with her comparison.

“The hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, Hermione,” Harry said darkly.

“But you were put in Gryffindor. It wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t have the qualities of a Gryffindor as well, Harry. That is your true house. That is who you are,” she replied, “besides you have a reason to forget about Snape…I think…I think I have located a Horcrux here at Hogwarts.”

Harry’s eyes brightened immediately.

“You think you have?” he asked her, more animated now.

“Actually, I’m sure I have. But I need you to clean up and tend to yourself first…then I will come and give you the details…”

Hermione’s voice hesitated for a moment, then she continued, “I won’t have my necklace with me, Harry. I don’t think I will wear it in your presence ever again. You can’t control yourself.”

Harry’s face fell. Whether it was from shame or from the knowledge he wouldn’t have a chance to get Snape’s stone, Hermione couldn’t tell. But she knew she was right about leaving the necklace hidden when she met with him.

“All right, Hermione,” he said.

A glass of water suddenly appeared in front of his face and he took it, drinking thirstily. Dobby must have given it to him.

“I’ll contact you when I’m presentable,” he said.

“And have Dobby cut your hair,” Hermione chided as she looked at the tangles.

“Right,” Harry said, then faded out of the mirror.

Hermione sighed again, then put the mirror away, charming it not to work if found. It wouldn’t do if it were found out Harry was still about. The Prophet would love to have “Harry Potter Living in Godric’s Hollow” plastered across its front page.


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Severus finished bottling the last of the Polyjuice potion. He counted the bottles. He had sixty in all, plus extra for experimentation. He gave a nasty smile as he picked up the gallon jug, exited his lab, walked down the hall and into the throne room. Now for the fun part.

Voldemort was sitting on his throne, looking quite bored when the Potions Master entered. Peter Pettigrew was standing beside the throne, ready to give service as needed. The Dark Lord’s red eyes lit up when he saw Severus, who stopped in front of him and bowed low.

“Ah, what news, Severus?” Voldemort asked him, eyeing the glass jug.

“The Polyjuice potion is prepared my Lord and I have collected a number of hairs from Nagini’s room. I wish to test the transformations first,” he said to the wizard, who looked interested.

“Test? Test how, Severus?” the Dark Lord replied.

Severus’ eyes flicked to Peter, who paled significantly.

“I would like Peter to take small sips of the potion after I add different hairs. The transformation will only last a minute or two, long enough for me to see if it is suitable,” the Potions Master said.

“No! No. I won’t be used like a lab niffler!” Peter spat at him.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the rotund little wizard.

“You will be used any way I say you will be used, Wormtail,” Voldemort said, pulling out his wand and conjuring a table, several large glasses and a very small glass.

Severus took some labeling tape out of his pocket and placed it on the table, as well as a small funnel and several tiny glass bottles which he resized with his wand. Then he took out a folded parchment, placed it on the table and opened it. Inside were a number of hairs of varying lengths and colors.

Voldemort sat on the edge of his throne. This was going to be very entertaining.

“Get over there, Wormtail,” he hissed at the animagus.

Peter slouched over to the table and stood beside it, looking very unhappy. Severus was a bastard, a big snarky bastard who deserved to be strung up by his balls.

Smiling grimly, Severus poured a proper dosage of Polyjuice potion into one of the large glasses, then dropped in a long brown hair. All watched as the potion bubbled and turned a nasty, muddy color. Severus poured a bit into the smaller glass and offered it to Peter.

“Drink up,” he said with an evil smirk.

Peter’s eyes shifted towards Voldemort, who wore an “obey him” look and was tapping his wand on the arm of the throne as if anxious to use it. Peter swallowed, picked up the potion and looked at it. Severus had only poured about a shot of it.

Peter tossed it down and made a horrible face. Polyjuice potion tasted terrible. He put the glass down and immediately his flesh began to bubble. Severus had made some adjustments to the potion over the years so it worked faster, but didn’t last longer. Too much Polyjuice potion could be fatal. So whereas a small dose would result in a shorter transformation…a larger one could result in death.

Severus and Voldemort watched as Peter turned into a lovely brunette muggle with long, brown hair. The transformed wizard wore a white midriff blouse that showed a pierced belly button and jeans that looked painted on. She appeared to be about twenty-five.

“Well, this is a vast improvement,” Voldemort said, flicking out his tongue at Peter who gave him a petulant look, tossing his hair back cheekily.

“She’s too pretty and would attract unwanted attention,” Severus observed, “I need someone plainer.”

Voldemort raised his eyebrows at him.

“Severus, usually my Death Eaters choose lovely women for the revels,” the Dark Lord said to the Potions Master.

“I’ve seen a few rather plain women taken as well,” Severus replied, “I will have to keep trying until I find several that don’t stand out. Since I can’t identify the hairs and can only use one hair per potion, I am going to have to keep testing the potion on Peter. I need at least four changes of potion when I go out in search of Potter.”

“Well save the other potions. I can find uses for them as well,” Voldemort said, eyeing Peter as he transformed back into his fat, unattractive self.

Severus poured the rest of the potion into a bottle, corked it, applied some tape, then wrote on the tape with his wand, “Very Attractive Brunette, 25.” He put it aside and scourgified the glass. He added more Polyjuice potion and another hair, offering it to Peter again.

Peter had to go through twenty-three transformations before Severus found six suitable disguises. Two of them were rather dumpy witches, one blonde, one brunette most likely taken for revenge’s sake, another was a very skinny, plain muggle with mousy brown hair, her straight lines offering no sex appeal whatsoever. The other three were also very plain looking muggles. Every other potion created beautiful curvaceous disguises.

“I would never have suspected there were such trolls among my victims,” Voldemort said as Severus labeled the last bottle, his nose wrinkled in disgust, “I guess my Death Eaters will fuck anything.”

Severus looked at him as he gathered the six bottles together.

“Not to correct you my Lord, but those…po…poorly put together women could have been used for torture only, the wizard said, correcting himself mid-sentence. He had been about to say "poor women." That wouldn't have been good.

Voldemort nodded as Peter turned back to his regular form.

The Dark Lord looked at Peter thoughtfully as the wizard felt himself all over and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Am I finished?” he asked Severus with an edge to his voice. Severus looked at him, his eyes glinting.

“For now,” he said darkly, ”but undoubtedly, I am going to need your cooperation again after these potions are used up.”

Peter scowled.

“I don’t see why you can’t use the pretty ones. You can do things to make them unattractive,” he argued.

“I only have an hour’s transformation time, you idiot. I’m not going to spend twenty minutes of it trying to look less attractive,” Severus shot back at him.

The Dark Lord chuckled evilly, causing both wizards to look at him. Voldemort’s eyes rested on Peter for several moments, then he addressed Severus, not taking his eyes off his servant.

“Up to this point, it was quite boring here when I’m not plotting…however Severus, you have shown me I can have other more pleasant physical diversion using your rejected Polyjuice potions,” the wizard said.

Peter went pearly white…white as a ghost as his Lord and Master eyed him.

“Master,” he began, pleading.

“Shut up, Wormtail. At least you will serve in a more pleasing capacity. To be honest, sometimes I hate having you hanging about, bowing and groveling. Now when you bow…I’ll be able to take advantage of it,” Voldemort hissed at him.

Both of Peter’s hands clapped over his fat ass reflexively.

Severus was absolutely delighted. The Dark Lord was going to use the potion to turn Peter into various women and fuck him. Oh, dear gods…if only he could laugh. But Voldemort was perverse. If the Potions Master laughed out loud at Peter’s predicament, he could find himself on the other end of that snake-like cock as well. Oh no. Not Severus. Just the thought of it made his buttocks clench together tightly.

It was easy not to smile after that thought. The Potions Master gathered up the six bottles of Polyjuice potion he needed, leaving the other seventeen bottles for Lord Voldemort and Peter, who scowled at him blackly.

“When do you plan to go out into the public, Severus?” the Dark Lord asked him.

”Tomorrow my Lord. Since we do not know where Harry Potter is, I will have to find someone who might,” he said. He didn’t want to tell the Dark Lord who he would be searching for in case the despot decided he wanted to take them and question them himself. It would undoubtedly end in death. There had been enough death.

“You will be frequenting Knockturn Alley for informants I expect?” the Dark Lord asked him curiously.

“I am not sure yet, my Lord,” Severus lied, dropping his Occlumency walls just in case, “I will give you a full report when I return.”

Voldemort’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He liked to know what was going on…but Severus was too valuable to punish.

“Very well, Severus. I hope you find out something useful,” he said, a note of warning in his high-pitched voice.

“I will do my best, my Lord,” Severus replied with a bow.

Voldemort waved him off, and Severus exited the throne room. Peter also tried to beat a sneaky retreat, but the Dark Lord saw him tiptoeing off.

“Wormtail, get back over here,” the red-eyed wizard snarled.

Peter turned and walked back toward the throne as if he were approaching the gallows.

Voldemort smiled nastily, his lipless mouth stretching across his scaly face. Peter could see the snake-like writhing beneath his robes…in the loin area. Shit.

“Now, locate that bottle marked redhead, green eyes,” Voldemort hissed, rising from his throne and walking down the small dais, unbuttoning his robes.

Peter mechanically walked to the table, read the labels on the bottles and selected the one the wizard requested. He could feel Voldemort standing close behind him.

“Drink, Wormtail,” the despot purred.

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A/N: Anyone feeling sorry for Wormtail? Lol. Smart Hermione…narrowing down the possibilities of what could be the Horcrux. And Snape out in public as an unattractive witch or muggle. Now, who do you suppose he wants to find? . Well, thanks for reading.