Bonds of Affection

Half an hour, two Apparitions, one Floo trip, and one firecall later, everyone was gathered in the Headmaster\'s office. Albus and Minerva occupied the large wooden desk together, and Severus, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat across from them. For a minute or so, they all eyed each other suspiciously, and finally Ron broke the silence:



“We found the curses Voldemort had used on the Marvolo Gaunt\'s ring. You won\'t die.”



The expression on the Headmaster\'s face changed from benign to slightly distraught.



“You just couldn\'t leave it alone, could you?” he asked with just a note of despair in his voice. “You realize, this complicates things considerably.”



Minerva darted a venomous look at Albus. “Don\'t tell me that you are this eager to die!” she hissed at him in an almost feline manner. “And don\'t tell me that being with me is so intolerable to you, that you would rather die of Voldemort\'s curses, than....”



“I am saying no such thing,” Albus said peacefully. “I am just saying that ... it complicates matters, that is all.”



“Look,” Harry cut them off abruptly. “Maybe we can help you troubleshoot your marriage problems later... after you tell me what happened? I obviously did not drink Voldemort\'s enslavement potion. What did I drink?”



Albus looked at him in amusement. “What you drank, Harry, was a scented, but neutral potion base, used as a solvent. It has no effect on human physiology, or mind, whatsoever. I had refilled the beaker with it once I had .. disposed of Voldemort\'s potion.”



Next to Severus, Harry was blushing deeply; but Severus ignored his discomfort for the time being; as a new suspicion was beginning to form in his mind, and he felt a knot in his stomach again.



“Albus – how did you dispose of it?” Severus asked in a very quiet voice, looking at him with a sudden dread. “It had a tracking spell on it. It couldn\'t just be flushed down the toilet, or used to water Mandrake plants. It had to be drank. By a person. By a human being. It\'s not possible to fool the tracking spell...”



Albus returned his gaze without wavering. “As you said, Severus... someone had to drink it. But surely you must know that there was no way I would let anyone under my care drink something that Voldemort had sent.”



“You drank it yourself,” Severus whispered defeatedly. “Albus – are you bloody insane? How could you!”



“It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time,” Albus said serenely. “I\'ve lived long enough to have heard rumors of Termination Ingredients. I had suspected the potion may have included something along those lines... and given that my life was already forfeit, it seemed .. reasonable.”



“Alright,” Severus asked. “How did you fool the visual surveillance spell on the potion? The spell activates when it\'s about to be consumed, and it cuts through Polyjuice, or any superficial disguises...”



“It does, doesn\'t it,” Albus said dryly. “In theory, however, there is one way to fool such a spell. Transfiguration. Do you see anyone in this room who is skilled in Transfiguration?”



Severus glanced at Minerva McGonagall, a transfiguration Professor of several decades, and a registered Animagus. She gave him a brief unhappy smile.



“You are both absolutely and utterly insane,” Severus uttered finally. “You had transfigured yourselves into duplicates of Harry and me to trick Voldemort\'s visual surveillance spell, and... had the greatest wizard alive drink Voldemort\'s enslavement potion? I don\'t even have the words for you.”



“A word of thanks to Albus would be most appropriate,” Minerva said dryly. “But that said, as much as it pains me to see Albus in this .. predicament, I must say I agree – better him, than Harry.”



Severus shook his head, and glanced at Albus guiltily. “Well... yet another mystery solved. Minerva is the one who had placed the Fidelius Charm on everything, making you the Secret Keeper of your own bond... and she is then your... partner in this?”



“I believe the word you are looking for is Mistress,” Albus said with a twinkle in his eye. “Yes, Severus. And next time, when you notice an aged, homosexual wizard develop an unlikely relationship with a woman fifty years his junior, perhaps you will become suspicious... but I will not hold my breath.”



Severus chuckled unhappily. “So.. after you drank the potion, you replaced it with the neutral solution... why?”



“So that nobody would notice it was gone, until I had a chance to speak with you and Harry again,” Albus said reasonably. “Of course, by the time I was ready to speak to you, you two had already broken into my office and drank it. And as much as it pained me to conceal the truth from you, I decided that it was the golden opportunity, so to speak. With neither of you knowing the truth, and with the information being protected by Fidelius charm, there was no chance of Voldemort finding out his plan had failed.”



“And now?” Severus asked with dread. “The war is over... and ... you ...”



“Well,” Albus mused. “There really is nothing to worry about. Given that I am past the age of seventeen, this particular Termination Ingredient does me no harm whatsoever. And as for the rest...” the aged headmaster shrugged nonchalantly. “I admit, I could think of more dignified ways to spend the rest of my life... but none that would be so... exciting.”



Severus smiled again, eying his mentor with remorse and gratitude. Albus did what he had done best – step in and rescue people from themselves... and this time, he had succeeded. At a dire cost to himself, but he had.



“Thank you,” Severus said in a barely audible voice. “For everything. A million times, thank you.”



Albus nodded to him with a peaceful smile. “Well then,” the Headmaster mused. “Looks like we can all go and live happily-ever-after.”



“Almost,” Harry said quietly.



“What do you mean, Harry?” Albus asked, watching him with concern.



“What I mean,” Harry said calmly, “is that I\'m still a Horcrux. We\'ve destroyed Voldemort\'s corporeal form, and Nagini, but for as long as I am alive, he can return. In order to assure his final defeat, I still have to die.”



A long silence followed, with Albus regarding Harry thoughtfully.



“Harry... do you trust me?” Albus asked finally.



Harry glanced at him in surprise. “More than ever. Why do you even ask?”



“I am going to say something that will seem very counter-intuitive to you, but something that I am absolutely certain of,” Albus said softly. “Please listen, without interrupting, and try to understand. Okay?”



Harry nodded mutely.



“I\'ve lived long enough to know that evil can never be destroyed – only contained. If it\'s not Voldemort – it will be someone else. I assure you that we will be watchful and vigilant. As soon as someone makes a move to bring Voldemort back, the Order will intercept them. But we will not condone an innocent life being taken deliberately in order to ward off evil. Light does not operate this way.”



Harry stared at him in astonishment. “So what... you expect me to just ... what? Go on living, while knowing that I am Voldemort\'s Horcrux? Knowing that there\'s something evil and dark inside me, something that could destroy everyone I love?”



Albus nodded. “Granted, it\'s not the easiest way to live, Harry,” he said softly. “But ... many good people have darkness within them that would astound and terrify the rest. Severus can attest to that, I am sure.”



A small hopeful smile appeared on Harry\'s lips and lingered.



Severus reached out for Harry\'s hand and took it in his. He stroked Harry\'s palm with his thumb, eliciting a slight tremor from the young body.



“Come on, Harry” Severus said softly. “I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we\'d rather take our chances with Voldemort again, than give up on you. You\'d feel the same way if it was me, or Ron, or Hermione who was a Horcrux.”



“I guess,” Harry admitted sheepishly. “Still.. it\'s rather scary.”



“Life usually is,” Albus said peacefully. “But the terrors of life can be easily overcome – if you stay in the light, and don\'t wander off into the shadows for too long.”





To Be Continued....