Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character, story element or plot item originally published in the Harry Potter books or movies that I may refer to in this story. I'm merely playing in the sandbox.

After Algernon had finished a brief explanation, Harry and Luna sat in shocked silence. Luna's heart ached as she realized what her uncle was saying in the description of what such a horrid thing was. "He has a piece of Voldemort in him."

"Voldemort has more of them."

Algernon nodded, then turned to Luna. "A very small one. It is a matter of division. We think that with the production of his others, he damaged his soul so that it would fragment and attach itself to certain magics." He paused, then looked back to Harry. "Your mother's protection was an old magic that we could somewhat identify, the reason we know that it faded. Horcruxes are a similar magic, so it would have been drawn to you."

Harry pulled his hand from Luna's. He looked to his feet and edged away from her. "There's nothing to be done. I'll go to the arch. At least there I can find Sirius. You can rescue Neville from Dumbledore's influence and train him."

"What? No!" Luna turned to her uncle. "Uncle Algie, don't you dare!"

The older man's hands went up, silencing them both. "I'm not Dumbledore. Harry, you don't have to die."

He shivered. "But He's part of me. Part of Riddle is in me."

Luna took his hand back, lacing her fingers through his, anchoring his hand this time. "No, he's not."

"We have developed several fool proof ways of removing these. There are two options we have that will work on a living Horcrux. It's happened before. This afternoon, if your doctor clears you after you eat and have another exam, we will go to the ritual room and free you from this."

Harry was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "How will this affect me?"

"No more connection. That we're sure of." The older man was hesitant before continuing. "Beyond that, we don't know. You may be magically weaker by a small amount. You may lose your ability to speak Parseltongue. You may forget the last few weeks, but we have Luna's and my memories to help you to remember pieces of it. There are a few other possibilities, but it just depends on the fragment and how the ritual goes."

Harry sagged in his chair. "How am I supposed to eat after hearing that?"

"With your mouth," Luna said, deadpan. She hated the hopeless look on his face, so reached for the Looney persona she'd used for so long.

Harry turned to her and she tried to keep an innocent look on her face, but she failed, giggling. Harry laughed, then hugged her. "I needed that. Thank you."

She smiled. "So, lunch?"

"Is it lunchtime?" Harry asked, stomach growling as if on cue. Luna poked him.

"Clearly part of you knows it is."

"We'll have something brought here. No glamour magic for 24 hours, according to the doctor." Without being called, a house elf appeared with a tray of sandwiches and crisps. Luna ate, Harry trying but seemingly stuck on the news he just got.

Luna decided to break the tension. "Did he tell you I have a kitten?"

Harry smiled. "Let me guess, black with green eyes."

She nodded. "I named her Whisper. How did you know?"

"You played with her more than the others."

"After you just kinda tossed her at me." Luna laughed. "Algie said you picked well."

Harry shrugged. "She just seemed right for you. I don't know how to explain it."

There was more small talk and soon, the food was gone. One of the formless Healers stood at the doorway, gray flat area for a face directed at Harry as it beckoned. Luna stood as Harry walked toward the door. "I'm going to be here for all of this. You're not alone."

"Thank you." Still, as he walked through the doorway, his head hung slightly.

"Algie?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

She paused, watching the empty doorway until she couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. "Is he going to die?"

"I won't lie, I don't like doing this so close to the other dangerous treatments we had to give him, but I can't deny him freedom from this." She looked at her Uncle's grim face and felt a touch of fear for her friend. Algernon just stepped up next to her and put an arm around her.

They were back in the room after an hour and Harry looked both scared and relieved. Luna had taken a seat to his right again, holding his hand. "The Healer says that you've come through with flying colors. All fragments of the three bindings are gone and there's no damage to your magic so far."

"Wait, three?"

Algernon looked up from the parchment in front of him in surprise. "Yes, no one told you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, the Healer said you were supposed to tell me. Said I might appreciate a face I could see." He furrowed his brow as he thought. "Who put three bindings on me?"

"One was your parents, we were able to confirm the similarity between it and your mother's protection, so it looks like you were a troublemaker even when you were an infant."

Luna saw Harry smile at that, and she couldn't help but join him, the mental image of him in a happy family a much nicer thought than what was to come. "The other two were of differing ages, one when you were approximately six or seven, it was difficult to tell from the remains of that one, and one during the summer between your first and second year, possibly from the time period right before you left school."

"Both were Dumbledore."

"There are signs of Obliviation in those two time periods, so yes, we can confirm that he did them. I can return the memories if you want."

Harry scowled and Luna just squeezed his hand gently. "You don't have to now if you don't want to. They can do it later."

"I'll hold off. Maybe when I know I won't kill the old man."

Algernon nodded. "Now, I want to present a plan for you. We'll do the ritual tonight at midnight. After that, if you agree, we'll take you separately back to the medical bay and we'll begin a more permanent method of concealing you."

"How permanent?"

He grinned. "Luna knows what I'm talking about. Permanent enough not to fade with a simple Finite." He straightened. "We want you to help us find and destroy the remaining pieces of Voldemort's soul. The Department of Mysteries will provide whatever assistance is needed, but we're almost certain that, due to the prophecy as given to you in that memory, you must be the one to destroy them."

Harry was quiet, so Luna asked what she was wondering. "And that would require disguises and cover stories."

"I think you should go back to Hogwarts."

"No."

Luna slid her chair closer to Harry. "Give him a chance. You won't be going as Harry Potter. Think about that."

She watched as he frowned, setting his face in a mask as he seemed to consider the idea, but she wasn't sure. Harry finally nodded. "Okay, let's hear it."

"No one knows that Luna calls me Uncle, so she'll go as my niece and you my godson. I won't tell you the rest of your cover, one of the tests we like to run on them require some level of secrecy on that until it's applied. The disguise will be embedded in a ring that only the other person can take off once it's put on."

Something about this nagged at Luna and she started to ask, but then shook her head. He wouldn't do anything insane; he loves me too much. "So, we go back and sneak out as necessary?"

"You guys will have plenty of time and, believe it or not, we have an agent there in place. This agent was one of the first to raise suspicions about Dumbledore to us, but never mind that. Standard procedures are that you won't find out who it is unless something goes wrong, or they figure it out."

Harry's head raised. "You won't even tell your own personnel?"

"Need to know. Sometimes this happens."

"That makes me trust it a little more, I admit." Harry looked to Luna. "What do you think?"

Luna chose to do something she'd trained all her life for, she lied to her best friend. "I'm all for it. I wanted to finish things anyway. I do have OWLs coming up."

Harry nodded. "How in depth is the back story going to go?"

"Between our work and the two of you having the ability in Occlumency that you do, not even Dumbledore himself will know."

Harry was still and finally said. "Let's do this. How do I prepare for the ritual?"

Algernon touched a rune on the table and the door opened, several people coming in, each with the same foggy quality as the others Luna had seen here. When the door shut, Luna turned to her uncle. "What about me? I'm not leaving."

He sighed. "I want to warn you about some of what you're going to see. I can promise it won't be pleasant, but if you know, it won't shock you as much."

She felt a slight chill run up her back, but she nodded. "Okay."

Harry was led into a large open chamber. His clothes had been taken back for a white robe, white pants and tunic underneath. The clothes were smooth and comfortable, but that was all he could say for the comfort of the experience. Several figures walked around the room and one approached him.

"Let's go over this one more time. The circle is drawn," the figure said, gesturing to a circle of salt. "Within is a special chalk drawn ritual circle. Touch neither as you enter. You will lay down on the slightly raised platform in the center and we will begin. You just close your eyes and try not to pay attention to the chanting that's going on around you."

"Will it disrupt things?"

"It can be a little eerie, so it might cause you to interfere with the ritual out of fear. We can provide a temporary deafening charm, if you'd like."

He shook his head. "Let's just get this going."

He'd not been allowed to eat or do anything other than resting since he was back in their care. The time was spent going over what he needed to know and answering the questions to make him feel somewhat safer, but it hadn't worked. He'd then been asked to sit in a stone chamber and meditate. He'd tried, but the idea that there was a piece of Voldemort in his head made that idea almost out of the question.

Finally, someone had brought him to where he stood now. Luna and Algernon stood across the room. He took a deep breath, walking over to them, keeping outside of the salt circle. "Hey."

"Hey." They kept their distance. He wasn't allowed to touch anyone after he began preparing for the ritual. They wanted to make sure there were as few outside magical interferences as possible. Luna seemed to want to step forward, but Algernon kept a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"You don't have to watch this," Harry kept his eyes on Luna. "I'm told it'll look frightening."

"I told you that I wasn't going to leave you alone. You've been alone too long. If anyone understands what that feels like, it's me."

He tried to smile. "It's okay to be nervous, Harry," Algernon said.

He nodded. "I'm trusting you guys, so…"

"Mr. Potter, it's time to get in place."

He nodded, smiling one more time at Luna, who wiped her eyes and grinned back at him. "You owe me lunch."

It had been a silly bet about familiars and their bonds with their witches and wizards, but he'd almost forgotten about it. The comment was random, but he shrugged, figuring that she didn't know what to say. "I'd say you owe me lunch. I was right about Whisper, remember?" He turned and walked into the circle, stepping carefully. He lay down on the circle. One of the figures spoke from the side.

"Move the crystal in place."

The stone was a method of time control for the room. The crystal was linked to another on the opposite side of the world, allowing them to generate the particular conditions of the time at the location of the other crystal. In this case, as it was a light ritual, they were able to perform it in the noonday sun on the opposite side of the earth. Harry thought that part was interesting and part of him wondered about joining the Unspeakables. He hadn't seen the incompetence he'd begun to associate with the general Ministry.

The room filled with sunlight and a metal arm lowered, placing a blue crystal cabochon on his forehead. He closed his eyes and tried to simply meditate. He heard the chant begin he didn't have to worry about paying attention to the words. The pressure built in his forehead, turning from simple pain to teeth gnashing at the spot. It seemed to reach throughout his body, consuming him. The Cruciatus was a mere candle to this feeling's burning starlight and he gasped slightly, fighting it back. He gripped the edge of the stone, fighting the urge to scream.

He gave in.