The Death of a Soul

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Chapter Three

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Harry stood in front of Dumbledore's desk unable to blink. He examined the older wizard’s face trying to find a shred of playfulness there. But there was none. It was frozen with complete seriousness, and a tinge of sympathy. Albus cleared his throat, and Harry batted his eyes rapidly to clear his thoughts.

“Harry? Did you hear me?”

Shaking his head in order to think properly, Harry nodded as his expression turned to confusion. His face slowly relaxed, and a small smile crept in.

“I don’t want to insult you, sir, but you’re terrible at jokes. I think I like Fred’s better when he said I’d be Snape’s sex…”

“I’m not joking, Harry,” he interrupted. “I know this comes as a complete shock to all of us, but Severus has made…”

‘Severus? Since when has Dumbledore ever used Snape’s given name in my presence before? Maybe he had, but never when he was speaking directly at me,’ Harry wondered silently.

“Harry,” Dumbledore said sharply. “Are you not listening?”

“Sorry, sir. It’s just that you said ‘Severus’ and I was wondering why.”

Albus took a long deep breath. “Yes, I am aware of that, Harry. You will find a lot of things will change now that Severus has made his Life-Debt known.”

Harry’s eyes widened slightly as he realised that this was not a prank, and this was real. Very real.

“Maybe you just heard him wrong. Maybe he meant…”

“Harry,” Albus interrupted him again. “When a Life-Debt is submitted, it must be done in writing, along with the stipulations that go along with it. That way there are no doubts of the demands that are made. ”

“Demands,” Harry said flatly.

Dumbledore nodded. “Yes, Harry. Demands.”

A long agonising silence came between them, both studying each other carefully. Their stare was not even broken in the slightest when the large heavy doors were opened, and a dark figure came forward and stood beside Harry.

“Albus,” Professor Snape acknowledged. He turned to Harry. “Mr Potter.”

Harry’s teeth clenched as that low voice filled his body with a rage that he hadn’t felt in years. His fingers dug into the palms of his hands, and his arms trembled, wanting desperately to strangle the man next to him.

“I trust you told him?” Severus asked directly to Dumbledore.

The older wizard barely nodded.

“Excellent. Then if you have the papers ready, we can summon Minerva so she can be the other witness. I think this coming weekend would be enough time to…” He paused, arching an eyebrow at the unmoving Dumbledore. “Is there a problem?”

Albus glanced between Severus and a furious-looking Harry Potter.

“Perhaps it would be best to discuss this in private with him first,” Dumbledore said, motioning to the shaking boy.

“What is there to discuss? I presume you have already explained…”

“How about discussing in which manner you will die,” Harry spat, finally looking at his hated teacher.

“Ah, yes. Of course. I should’ve known you’d behave in this manner. So like you, Potter,” he drawled.

Ignoring his smug retort, Harry turned back to Albus. “I won’t do it,” he proclaimed firmly.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice in this, Harry,” Dumbledore sighed.

“There is no way I will consent to this!”

“I’m sorry, Harry, but this does not require your agreement. The Life-Debt is bound by law to the one...”

“And I am the only one who has control of it, Harry.”

“Shut up!” Harry yelled at Snape. “And don’t you ever call me Harry again!”

“Harry,” Albus warned.

“NO! I refuse! I’d rather die than have to marry him!”

“And that’s precisely what will happen if you refuse,” Severus smirked.

Harry glared at him, and in return, Snape glared back in amusement. He had won. Dumbledore watched the two defiant men stare each other down for a moment before intervening.

“I will give you two gentlemen the opportunity to discuss this in private,” he announced, breaking Harry’s eye contact with Snape.

Harry said nothing as Dumbledore retreated to another room. He felt a pair of dark eyes piercing right through him, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t do it.

“Don’t be a fool, Potter. For once in your life, act mature enough to accept your responsibilities.”

Harry remained silent.

“For Merlin’s sake, it isn’t as bad as you're making it out to be.”

Still no response.

Severus sighed in defeat. In a softer voice he said, “Nothing will change, Harry. You will still be able to do anything you want, say anything you want, live however you want, and have everything you want. The only thing that will change is that you and I…”

“I want nothing more than to see you dead! And I told you never to call me Harry again!”

“Are you not listening, boy?” Snape said, raising his voice.

“That’s right! ‘Boy’! Not a man, but a ‘boy’. You will be marrying a boy!”

“That was only a metaphor, not something to be taken literally.”

“Ha! But I am a boy! I’m only seventeen for crying out loud!”

Severus remained calm. “An adult by wizarding standards.”

Harry pursed his lips tightly, and an angry frown appeared. Snape opened his mouth to speak again, but Harry stopped him.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

Severus quirked his eyebrow questioningly.

“I honestly have no idea what you are referring to.”

“You made them send Ginny away!”

A certain dawning of comprehension crossed Snape’s face. “Ah, yes. Miss Weasley,” he said softly. “I regret that I didn’t have a say of how it was to be handled. I also did not know the extent of your relationship with her.”

“Liar! You knew! You knew we were together and you knew it was serious!”

Severus took in a deep breath. “I only thought it was merely…”

“Well, it wasn’t! We were going to get married, you bastard!” Harry screamed at the top of his lungs. “And you had to ruin it, didn’t you? Couldn’t stand the idea that The Boy-Who-Lived was happy, could you? You just had to make my life miserable again!”

“Making you miserable has never been my objective, Mr Potter.”

“Stop lying! All you have ever done was lie to me!”

Snape began to growl. “Listen here, Potter. This is the Life-Debt I have chosen, and you will abide by it. End of discussion.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “Never.”


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Albus Dumbledore quietly entered back in his office, and took his place behind the large desk.

“Has there been an agreement?”

“Yes,” both wizards said at the same time.

Severus furrowed his eyebrows at Harry. It couldn’t be this easy, could it?

“Very well. I will have the appropriate paperwork arranged, and will send for you both when it’s ready.”

Harry raised his head high, and threw back his shoulders. “I chose death,” he said flatly.

“What?” Snape spouted at him, although he wasn’t really surprised.

“Harry,” Albus started slowly. “Death is not an option. If you refuse, and I strongly recommend that you don’t, the consequences will be a lifetime sentence in Azkaban,” he said grimly.

The look on the young Gryffindor’s face showed his internal struggle, and Severus watched him contentedly. He knew Harry was imprudent, but Snape also knew he wasn’t stupid. Soon heat was beginning to radiate from Potter, filling the room with his frustration. After a long moment of silence, and his eyes fixed solely on Dumbledore's, Harry finally nodded.

“Well, it seems I have no choice then,” he said flatly.

Albus exhaled in relief. “A wise decision, Harry.”

“You will call me when everything is prepared, sir?”

“Of course, Harry.”

“Good,” he said before turning to the door. “Oh, and Professor?” he asked, stopping briefly.

“Yes?”

“Will you also have a power of attorney paperwork set up for my things with Miss Hermione Granger’s name on it?”

Harry didn’t wait for an answer, and continued walking away.

“That won’t be necessary, Potter. You may keep all of your belongings,” said Severus.

Harry paused and looked over his shoulder with an evil smirk. “That’s funny. Last time I heard, you weren’t allowed to bring anything with you to Azkaban.”

He snorted as he heard screaming behind him, and he closed the heavy door.


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Harry walked briskly back to the Gryffindor common room as if Voldemort himself was at his heels. His mind was such in a whirlwind of anger that he was surprised he didn’t hex anyone that he had passed in the halls. He commanded the fat lady to open with the day’s password, “Victory,” and then started to march up to the seventh year dorm rooms when two voices rang out as one.

“Harry? Are you all right?” Fred and George said together.

Harry whipped his head around to their direction. “What are you two still doing here?” he snapped.

The redheads blinked simultaneously then Fred replied, “McGonagall wants us to stay a few more days to tutor a few more third year students.”

“Harry, what’s going on?” George asked defensively, not liking the Golden boy’s rude behaviour.

“Why don’t you ask your father?” he sneered, and then stalked up to his room.

Harry jerked open the door and, with amazing strength he had from his anger, he threw his trunk onto his bed with ease. He yanked the top open, and began tossing his things into it. The whole time he was doing this, he grumbled to himself, and cursed like he had never done before.

How dare they. It wasn’t enough to be The Boy Who Lived, was it? Or the saviour of the Wizarding World. Harry was even deceived by those closest to him to be used as a pawn to kill Voldemort. All of Harry’s life had been planned out before he was even born. Then came the unwanted notoriety, fame, and the leniencies that went with it. He never asked for all of this. He didn’t want it. Everything had rested on his young shoulders, and he didn’t even have a say so in it. He made not one decision that had involved his entire life. And now this.

For once in Harry’s seventeen years, he finally thought he had control. Voldemort was defeated once more, although he was still alive, and Harry had found someone who truly made him happy. Someone that loved him just as he was, Harry James Potter, and not the famous boy by name alone. But now Ginny Weasley had been taken away from him, and another demand was made for him. Taken away? No, ripped away was more like it.

All Harry had ever wanted was freedom. Not from responsibilities, but to choose. And now he had lost even that. No more choices. He always did everything they had asked of him, and now they wanted more. More decisions had been made regarding his life. Why couldn’t they find someone else? Why always him? And now he was forced to get married! To a man for crying out loud! And not just a man, but Snape. Snape of all people! Snape who had tortured Harry for years, and humiliated him every chance he could get.

No! He wouldn’t do it! For once, no one was going to tell him what to do. He had finally made a choice of his own, and this was it. His choice. Besides, Harry had nothing to live for anyway. Not now.

His mind was so filled with rage, that he barely heard the door behind him fly open.

“Harry! What’s going on?” Hermione blurted out.

“Yeah, mate. What are you doing?” Ron asked with the same confusion in his voice. “And what the hell did you say to Fred and George?”

“You're supposed to be in lessons,” Harry said in a detached voice, not even bothering to turn around.

“Professor McGonagall released us so we could come and talk to you,” Hermione explained. “So please tell us, Harry. What’s going on? Why are you packing?”

Harry still was throwing things into his chest, ignoring his friends’ obvious concern. “I’ll explain everything when I return from Professor Dumbledore’s office.”

“No! Tell us now,” Ron barked as he walked around Harry’s bed so he could face him.

Harry raised his head long enough to glare at the redhead. “I said I’ll tell you later,” he said evenly.

His friend’s eyes widened at that, and parted his lips to respond, but he stopped when a terrified looking Neville Longbottom came rushing into the room.


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