The Servant

Fawkes deposited Harry on the floor in a blinding flash of light. Harry blinked, and looked around the room. His attention was drawn to a portrait in front of him, and his heart beat fast as he looked up into the twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore. 'There are more ways than one to leave an imprint of one's self behind,' Harry recalled, exhaling rapidly.

Before he could compose himself enough to speak, he heard a cold voice behind him.

'Potter,' it sneered.

Harry whirled around to find a wand pointed at his head. He was instantly disarmed with a lazy 'Expelliarmus'. Fury rose in his heart as he faced the man who had killed Albus Dumbledore. Harry lunged at him, but was thrown backwards by a surprisingly forceful Jelly Legs Jinx.

A strange expression crossed Snape's face before it smoothed into the usual blank mask. 'Caught unaware?' he mocked. 'I certainly never expected to have the famous Harry Potter at my feet, unarmed,' he said.

Harry struggled to his feet and wobbled his way towards Snape, who avoided him easily. Summoning two chairs, Snape sat down.

'Sit,' he told Harry, who ignored him, stumbling forward on shaky legs.

'I told you to sit, Mr. Potter,' Snape said silkily, using a nonverbal spell to glue Harry to his seat. Harry staggered in a valiant attempt to walk with a chair stuck to his rear. Snape sighed, and spelled Harry's feet to the ground.

'Why play at childish hexes when you've already used Unforgivables?' Harry spat out. 'Lost your nerve?'

'I am here to make you a proposition, Mr. Potter,' Snape began.

'Do you honestly think I would agree to whatever it is you want?' Harry interrupted in disbelief. 'You can't expect me to believe you aren't Voldemort's most favoured servant. You betrayed Dumbledore! The man who took you in and protected you. You killed him, you sniveling coward!' Harry seethed.

The older wizard's eyes narrowed. 'Langlock!' With that, Harry was rendered speechless. They glared at each other venomously. 'I am not here to discuss ethics,' he answered curtly. 'I am here to make you an offer. One that you might need,' he said mockingly, 'in order to fulfill your heroic duties.' Harry shot him a filthy look as he listened in forced silence as Snape continued.

'You know next to nothing about the Dark Lord's Horcruxes. You do not know where to find them. Even if you did stumble across one, you would not know how to destroy it. I do.' This time, the sneer on Snape's face surpassed the many that had flitted across it earlier. 'This is my proposal: I will assist you in locating the Horcruxes. You will trust me and refrain from killing me until we reach the final Horcrux.'

Harry was both shocked and suspicious. Snape not only knew about the Horcruxes but was offering to help destroy them.

His tongue disengaged from the roof of his mouth as Snape flicked his wand. 'Why would a murderous Death Eater help me destroy Voldemort's soul? Why should I trust you? How do I know that this isn't a trap - that you aren't going to kill me or take me to Voldemort?' he shot back.

'My reasons are none of your concern, Potter. Rest assured that if I had planned on killing you, you would be dead by now,' said Snape calmly. 'And if I had wanted to present you to the Dark Lord, you would now be standing in front of him. I would have Stunned and bound you instead of jinxing you politely.' His dark eyes glittered. 'However, I have no doubt that you will be face to face with my master when you reach the final Horcrux. As for trust...' he shrugged.

Thoughts whirled through Harry's head. He did not believe the fugitive Potions master. He would more likely lead Harry into a trap. Still, what the bastard said was true: Harry hadn't an inkling of how to proceed with what he had dubbed Operation Horcrux, and this was the only lead he had. He caught sight of Dumbledore's portrait, who was listening to every word.

'Sir?' he asked the portrait. Snape retreated to the other end of the room to give him some semblance of privacy: out of earshot but still within sight. 'Professor Dumbledore, is this the help you wrote about?' Harry whispered urgently. The portrait nodded silently.

'But Sir... Snape... he murdered you!' Harry stuttered.

Dumbledore's face was serious as he nodded again.

'You can't expect me to trust him!' cried Harry in disbelief. 'You're here... why don't you just tell me what to do? I don't need his help!'

Dumbledore's eyes seemed to plead as he gesticulated silently. Harry couldn't make out what he was trying to say. He was getting frustrated when a thought struck him.

'Can't you speak?' he asked, afraid of the answer.

Dumbledore shook his head.

'Must I?' Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded for the third time.

Harry was in two minds. He didn't trust Snape one bit, but Dumbledore seemed insistent on this. Making up his mind at last, he glanced at Snape and found that he was watching him from the other side of the room with an inscrutable expression. Harry nodded stiffly.