WARNING! THIS FIC CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR H.B.P.!

The Nature of Horcruxes

Chapter 1

Harry had not expected it; he hadn't even thought of it as a possibility, in fact. After the disappointment he'd suffered after Sirius's death concerning the subject, he entertained no hope that Dumbledore might return to the world of the living in any form other than that of a portrait. It was understandable, then, to say he was completely shocked when the morning after Dumbledore's funeral, the silvery form of the deceased Headmaster showed up in the bathroom while Harry was brushing his teeth.

"It was a lovely service, wasn't it?" Harry's mouth fell open, and frothy toothpaste dribbled unattractively down his chin. He stumbled back from the sink, his toothbrush clattering to the floor as he stared in wide-eyed shock at the ghost of Albus Dumbledore.

"Shumbleore!" He had meant, of course, to say the Headmaster's name. Instead, his exclamation was distorted by a mouth full of toothpaste that sprayed everywhere.

Dumbledore smiled pleasantly at him, his eyes still twinkling merrily.

"I know I haven't given you any advanced warning, but do you think you could fit another one of our lessons into your schedule this morning? I am not yet done with your instruction, you see. There is much more still for you to know."

Harry continued to gape, unable to recover from his shock. His smile even merrier, Dumbledore raised a ghostly wand and flicked it. The toothpaste dissolved and a gentle, invisible force nudged Harry's mouth closed.

"You…you can do magic!" Harry said dumbly. Dumbledore crossed his legs, sitting perched on the toilet seat as if it were the most natural place in the world to be sitting.

"Weak magic only – nothing impressive any more, I'm afraid. It was an unexpected surprise for me as well. I suppose it has something to do with where I bound it."

"It?" Harry asked, half-fearful to hear the rest of the explanation.

"Ah, you see Harry, it…" he paused, then sighed, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "It is a long story, better retold somewhere more appropriate than the loo, I think." Dumbfounded, but slowly filling with a immense relief and joy to see the old man again, Harry numbly left the bathroom, staring at Dumbledore over his shoulder the entire time. "You need not fear, Harry. I won't disappear. I am tied to the mortal plane, as I hoped I would be."

Growing more confused, and more elated, with each passing second, Harry sat on the edge of his bed.

"Err…should I ward the door?" He asked, pulling his wand out.

"Yes, please. Though I'm capable of magic, it is trying on my essence."

Harry performed the requested silencing and locking spells, then settled back a bit with a slow grin blossoming on his face.

"I thought you were gone for good. I thought…I thought I'd never see you again, like with Sirius…"

Dumbledore smiled understandingly, his head nodding gently.

"Yes, typically that's how death goes. I don't know if you've heard, but I'm known by a few to be…unconventional."

The two shared bright smiles. After a second, Harry's fell slightly.

"I never expected you to become a ghost, sir. You were always saying death was the next big adventure."

"It is, Harry, but I'm not a ghost, and I'm not quite dead yet."

"Err...I didn't know there was another option," Harry admitted confusedly. Dumbledore chuckled, folding his hands serenely over his long beard.

"Are you sure you cannot think of one? Generally thought of as an unpleasant sort of existence, but you've had much experience with it."

Harry's brow scrunched in thought. If Dumbledore wasn't alive, and he wasn't dead…then what could he be?

"Something in-between life and death? Something…like Voldemort before he gained his body back!" Harry said excitedly after puzzling it out in his head. His expression, however, quickly turned to one of worry. "Sir, how are you doing this? You didn't…surely not a Horcrux!"

"In principle, yes, but with significant differences. I'm afraid I can no longer show you memories. For this lesson, I will simply have to describe past events to the best of my ability." He looked away from Harry for a moment, as if he were delving into a pensieve in his mind, looking for the right silvery thread. "It all began with my suspicions about the Horcruxes and Voldemort many years ago…"

Dumbledore tapped his nose in a thoughtful way, and then tilted his head slowly to the side.

"Balance, Harry, is an important force in our world. Take, for example, yourself and Riddle. For every negative force in the world, there is a positive one. My theory about the way Horcruxes worked was based on this very simple idea. If there was a way to make a Horcrux by evil means, then one should be able to make one by positive actions as well."

"You mean by not killing someone?" Harry clarified. Dumbledore smiled.

"Generally that could be interpreted as something positive." Harry blushed, then resolved not to interrupt again. Dumbledore cleared his throat, then continued.

"Just as Voldemort had experimented with killing to fuel the spell, I experimented with saving lives. Luckily, my work with the Order allowed me ample opportunities should I wish to try creating a Horcrux in such a fashion. I saved many people, but somehow I knew I had not rescued the right life – my work so far was simply not powerful enough. Just as Voldemort sought to kill you to make the Horcrux more effective, I searched for the salvation that was powerful enough to fuel my own Horcrux. It came nearly seventeen years ago, in the form of one Severus Snape."

Forgetting his resolution, Harry instantly growled, "He's a filthy traitor!" There was no trace of a smile when Dumbledore replied.

"He is one of the few people I trust implicitly – with my life, as it so happens. You see, Harry, what is tying me to this world, what is allowing me to aid you as I am, is the fact that the part of my soul I left on earth is bound in a wand. Severus's wand, to be specific."

Harry was horrified.

"Your soul is in Snape's wand? Are you crazy!"

"I don't believe so, but it does run in the family, you know. Dear, dear Abberforth…"

"But…but…Snape?" Harry trailed off uncertainly, obviously hoping Dumbledore would explain why someone so apparently worthy of trust had just murdered the one doing the trusting. He was eager for the Headmaster to talk his way out of that one.

"Harry, the very fact that I am here speaking with you is proof of Severus's loyalty. He knew a bit of my soul might be in his wand. If he were serving Voldemort, he would have promptly destroyed it properly the second I died in order to eliminate me completely. Instead, he has kept the wand safe and intact, so I have returned to the mortal plane with the added bonus of being able to do simple spells – the result of my essence being channeled trough a wand, I'd wager."

"If you're in the wand…then how are you here?" Harry was feeling more and more confused by the second. He desperately hoped that he wasn't just imagining it all.

"I am not a genie, Harry. Voldemort floated about inside Quirrel's turban, if you recall, though his soul was bound to one of the founder's items. His essence was much weaker than mine, possibly because he ripped his soul so many times. Since I only made one Horcrux, my form is considerably more solid, which is why you first mistook me for a ghost."

"So let me get this straight. When you realized how Voldemort was making Horcruxes, you decided to make one yourself, only by saving a life instead of destroying it. You saved Snape – how exactly was his life more valuable than that of the others you saved?"

"Ah, a good question. What was so special about Severus? I wondered the exact same thing for many years – no doubt Voldemort wondered the same thing about you. Why would saving Severus make the Horcrux more powerful? It wasn't until I gained a better understanding of your prophecy that I realized why Severus's life was so compatible with the Horcrux spell. Severus, like you, has a special purpose to his life…a prophesy of his own. You are destined to defeat the most evil wizard of all time. Severus, too, has an important role to play in the grand scheme of things. By saving his life, I changed the future. Why that makes the Horcrux more powerful, I have no idea. In fact, I didn't even know if the spell would work or not. I could not test it until my body was killed. There is much about Horcruxes that is not known."

"What is Snape supposed to do for the world?" Harry asked.

"I haven't the foggiest idea. I've never heard his prophecy, as it isn't located in the Department of Mysteries, and even if it were I would not be able to activate it as it doesn't involve me. Perhaps the prophecy hasn't even been told yet."

"This is quite a bit to take in," Harry commented tiredly. His head hurt from trying to understand it all.

"Yes, well, there is more."

Harry laughed helplessly.

"Of course there is. There's always more. You'd be loosing your touch if there wasn't more." Dumbledore smiled at him, a brow lifted in amusement at his dramatics.

"Severus knew what I was attempting. He knew that I had used saving his life to fuel my Horcrux spell. He knew I had chosen his wand as my Horcrux. However, Severus did not agree with any of it. I believe Hagrid told you about an argument between the two of us that he overheard, did he not?" Harry nodded guiltily. "Severus was being very vocal about his dislike of my scheme. You see, Harry, I knew the potion that protected the locket would poison me. To Voldemort, who would use a disposable Death Eater if he wished to retrieve the locket, that was a small obstacle. For me, it was a different matter. I would not sacrifice anyone's life for that cause except my own. Severus believed he could find an antidote. In fact, he worked on one tirelessly this past year. I wished to drink the potion, retrieve the locket, and rely on my Horcrux to bring my essence back in a form that could not be as easily destroyed as flesh and bone. Severus didn't think the Horcrux would work if fueled by anything other than the taking of a life, and so believed that finding the antidote to the poison was the only way of keeping me around and acquiring the locket."

"So when you begged him right before you died, you weren't begging him to spare you…"

"I was begging him to kill me. I had faith in my spell even if he did not. Thankfully, he followed my wishes and everything worked out splendidly."

Harry spluttered at that.

"Splendidly? I would hardly call this splendid! The locket that caused all this mess in the first place isn't even genuine! Hogwarts is closing down, Snape and Malfoy have disappeared, and you're stuck inside Snape's wand. How is any of that splendid?"

"What do you mean, the locket isn't genuine?" Dumbledore asked, suddenly very serious. Harry pulled it out of his pocket, along with the note from the mysterious R.A.B. who had left it. Dumbledore peered through ghostly spectacles at the note Harry held up for him to read.

To the Dark Lord

I know I will be dead long before you read this

but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.

I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.

I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,

You will be mortal once more.

R.A.B.

"Most intriguing!" Dumbledore said after finishing. "This person, whoever he was, knew that the potion was a poison. He drank it knowing he would die, but that he would have enough time to destroy the Horcrux. A noble deed – a very noble deed! Unfortunately, he obviously didn't know that more than one Horcrux existed. I do wonder how he found out about the potion. I only knew because Severus learned of it from Voldemort himself."

"You think this R.A.B. bloke might be an ex-Death Eater like Snape?" If Dumbledore noticed Harry had changed his opinion on Severus, he didn't comment on it.

"It's very possible. This was unexpected. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing if R.A.B. was successful in destroying the Horcrux or not."

"Professor Dumbledore, I've been thinking about the initials. The only person that comes to mind is…Regulus Black. Sirius's younger brother was a Death Eater, right? And Sirius told me that Voldemort killed him, but he didn't seem to know the details of the murder. Sirius said Regulus was panicked about what Voldemort wanted him to do and tried to leave the Death Eaters, and that's what got him killed. If he wanted to back out, maybe he disliked Voldemort enough to get in a parting shot."

Dumbledore was so pleased by Harry's deduction, his essence was practically glowing.

"You thought of that all on your own, Harry? I'm very impressed you remembered all that."

Blushing, Harry modestly replied, "I've had awhile to think about it. Kept my mind off…other things." Dumbledore nodded in understanding, then stood up and began to pace.

"I had not finished telling you why this situation is so optimal. You see, it had always worried me that Severus may have been suspected as a spy. Worried for his safety, I had to order him to do more and more convincing tasks to ease Voldemort's mind. His position in the Death Eater ranks was above value. Everything the Order did was because of his information. Without Severus, there wouldn't have been an Order of the Pheonix. I downplayed his vital role to the others, so that they would not realize the fragility of our group. If we lost Severus, we lost everything. I had no other sources."

Harry mulled that over for a few moments, finally starting to understand what had been going on in Dumbledore's head the past few years. Every choice, no matter how strange or seemingly mistaken, was well thought out – flawlessly so, even.

"Do you think that was Snape's prophecy? To help the Order exist?"

"I've considered it. He certainly played a crucial role. It could be anything, even a single word or action – the smallest stone can cause giant ripples, you know."

"I…I'm sorry I doubted you, Professor." Dumbledore looked shocked at Harry's heartfelt admission.

"Sorry, my dear boy? Whatever for? Though I may seem irritated by it at times, I would be more worried if you did not doubt me."

"I don't understand," Harry replied honestly.

"Let's look at Bellatrix Lestrange. That is an example of a woman who never doubts her superior. She follows Voldemort blindly, without thinking, because that is the easy way. It feels nice to be under Imperious, doesn't it, Harry? Why is that? Because you don't have to think. You don't have to make decisions or face consequences. Making a person behave that way is unforgivable, Harry – ranked equally with murder and torture. Bellatrix lives as if she were under Imperious. Never stop questioning, Harry. I have watched as your mind sharpened at Hogwarts. You are learning to play the game with the best of them. I am not a God. I make mistakes. If no one questions me, who will catch them? This is yet another reason I keep Severus around. He is amazingly talented at catching my mistakes. Sometimes I think he just enjoys ruining my fun."

Harry smiled, feeling much better about everything and so very relieved that things had taken a turn for the better when it had, just moments before, seemed so grim.

"But…Snape questioned you about the Horcrux. He thought you were making a mistake then. Why didn't you listen to him?"

"Because Severus makes mistakes as well. I had to make a decision. I had to be prepared to face the consequences. I was right, and everything is going according to plan."

"It was your plan for Draco and Snape to run off into the sunset together?" Harry was surprised at his own words. He hadn't sounded accusing or questioning, but jealous. It was such a bizarre way to react, he instantly went into denial. Dumbledore, though he raised a questioning eyebrow, was polite enough not to pry.

"Yes, I had hoped he would save Draco. As you saw, he is not his father, and is a far cry from Bellatrix Lestrange. He, like Severus, has the potential to walk a better path. Severus, having been in the same situation as Draco, will be the only one Draco would possibly listen to, if there is any hope for him."

"But why did Snape run, if he was innocent?" Harry pressed.

"If I'd just murdered someone as influential as myself, I would have made a run for it, too. Who would have vouched for his innocence? You? You knew only a fraction of the story. The others knew even less. I have kept many secrets in this war. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't. The question of Severus's true allegiance has been an example of when it doesn't. Ideally, everyone would have thought without a doubt that he was on Voldemort's side with the lone exception of me. I could not be so indifferent about his fate, though. I could not let everyone know how, or why, I had such confidence in him, but I wanted selected individuals to know that I did trust him. I had hoped that would have been enough to give him a chance to at least explain himself should I die and no longer be able to vouch for him. Apparently, that wouldn't have been the case."

"Do you know where Snape has gone?" Harry asked, partly to change the subject. He didn't like thinking about how grossly he had misjudged Snape's character, and how unfairly he had treated him as a result.

"I have my suspicions. He has a home that only the Death Eaters and myself know of, and then his parent's estate which is listed as his residence as far as the ministry is concerned. No doubt they will seize the house considering recent events. He would not go there, but he might be at his other residence. Killing me has not only freed me from my aging body, but has also proved his loyalty without a doubt to Voldemort. His position is nearly ironclad now. You see, Harry, everything has worked out just fine."

Dumbledore smiled in what he probably thought was a comforting way, but Harry's thoughts were obsessed with the thought of Draco and Snape living in hiding together, and he didn't have the foggiest idea why it made his stomach clench so angrily.

"I suppose everything has worked out alright. At the very least, Mrs. Weasley and Fleur are getting along better now," Harry slowly admitted.

Dumbledore smiled mischievously.

"Would you believe me if I said I planned that as well?"

Harry shook his head and smiled. "No – not even you're that good. Unless, of course, you've been spending time with Professor Trelawney and she's got you predicting the future by scrying into your lemon drop jar."

Dumbledore's expression became wistful.

"Oh, my kingdom for a lemon drop! How I will miss eating sweets. I'm afraid this might very well be my greatest sacrifice yet for the cause of good."

Harry agreed it was quite the sacrifice, but certainly not because of lemon drops. Not for the first time, Harry found himself overwhelmed by how much he respected the old wizard.

There was no question about it. He was definitely Dumbledore's man through and through.

A/N: I finished reading Half Blood Prince this morning and thought I'd never write another Harry/Sev fic again. How on earth could I possibly reconcile the snarky, honorable Severus of the past with this new, evil Severus that would kill Albus Dumbledore? And what was with Severus vowing to protect Draco? Hello! He's supposed to protect Harry! Duh. (I know you Sev/Draco shippers are having a field day with that one.) But then I just kept thinking that Dumbledore trusted Severus. That lead to the start of this fic, which will act as a sequel to book six. I thought up that whole bit about Regulus Black on my own, and I'm really proud of that bit of sleuthing. Besides, Harry seemed to do Hermione's job in the new book, figuring everything out on his own, so I thought it suited this new aspect of his character to let him connect the initials with Sirius's dead brother. Lastly, a completely unrelated comment:

Remus be with Tonks? evil grin Only if she'll turn into Sirius for him…