Centerfold

Having major internet crisis at home. Not working correctly, at all. It is indeed a stinky situation. So, here\'s a short chapter (I know, but at least it\'s something.).

Chapter 7

\"What do you mean, Weasley? The Dark Lord is dead. He has been for nearly four years. You were there, and so were myself, Potter, Granger and Dumbledore, not to mention Voldemort\'s Death Eaters, all of the Aurors and the members of the Order. We all saw Potter defeat him.\"

Ron glanced at Hermione. She shook her head.

\"You didn\'t tell him, \'Mione? Even when you knew he would have to be told?\"

\"There hasn\'t been time! I\'ve been getting class ready for the students, having meetings with you, then Dumbledore, and I just-\"

She stopped when she saw the look of cold fury on Snape\'s face.

\"So, Granger, you need me to help you and you figured you would butter me up? Show me a little skin and watch me fall at your feet, ready to do your bidding?\"

Hermione gasped.

\"No, Severus! It was nothing like that! I just didn\'t know how to tell you, what to say! If you only-\"

\"Stop making excuses and just tell me what\'s going on, so I can leave your presence.\"

Snape\'s scorn hit Hermione like a slap in the face. She knew whe should have told him, but when she had seen him again, all of her buried feelings had come to the surface. Ron must have realized that Hermione was too upset to continue, so he decided to speak up.

\"Snape, Hermione should have told you the situation, however, once I tell you, you\'ll realize how difficult it is to dredge up our past like this.\"

\"Oh, get on with it, already! I have had it with the mysterious bit. Now, tell me what is going on!\"

Snape was roaring at Ron by this point. Ron was not, however, as easily intimidated by Severus as he had been in his school days. Still, he realized the urgency of the situation.

\"In the last few months of our seventh year, Harry had found all but one of Voldemort\'s horcruxes. You remember? By the time the final battle was here, and we all realized that you had not, in fact, killed Professor Dumbledore, when we realized that he was safe behind the veil until that last moment, all thoughts of finding that last horcrux had fled our minds. Our only thoughts were to stay alive, so we could protect Harry until he defeated Voldemort. When Harry destroyed him, no one remembered that the last horcrux was still out there, the last vestige of Voldemort\'s soul. Harry became drawn, depressed, as if now that his greatest enemy were gone, he had no purpose. At least that\'s what we thought was happening. Oh, he still spoke to us, did things with us, kept the lines of friendship open, but he was not the same.\"

Here, Ron took a deep breath. It was as if he were steeling himself for what he was about to say. Hermione remained silent, staring at her hands clenched in her lap. Severus started to feel a bit nervous.

\"A few months ago, Harry returned from a trip. This trip lasted a little over two and a half years. He was going to China to \"continue some research,\" as he put it. It was only to last a few months. Instead it was nearly three years...and the professor he was to be assisting told us he never arrived. We -Hermione, myself, my family, Dumbledore- had no word from Harry the whole time he was gone. We don\'t know where he went, but we do think we know why he left, what he was researching. It has come to our attention that it is information about the last horcrux that drove Harry to disappear for those two and a half years. The resurgence of a person, or persons, intent upon continuing Voldemort\'s plans by attacking Aurors and the ministry so shortly after Harry\'s return is disturbing and alarming, and it has led us to one conclusion.\"

Ron\'s eyes closed briefly and Hermione took a shaking breath. Severus knew what Ron was about to say. It was so unbelievable, so fantastical...but exactly something the Dark Lord would have done.

\"After Voldemort failed to kill Harry with the Avada Kedavra curse, he decided to do something far more heinous. Lily\'s love may have saved Harry from death, but it could not prevent Voldemort from imparting a shred of his soul into Harry, making him the last horcrux.\"