The Servant

Harry was exhausted. The encounter with the last Dark Creature had drained him. If not for Snape's crash course in Dark curses and antijinxes that first night, I would be dead by now, Harry acknowledged silently. He recalled the many dangerous magical obstacles they had had to get through to reach the Horcruxes, realizing that he would never have made it through if not for Snape's help. The odourless fumes from the poison marshes would have killed him painlessly, if Snape had not warned him to use a Bubblehead Charm. The Venus Flying traps would have been an agonizing end. While resembling the carnivorous plant he had seen in pictures in his primary school, these were far larger, more mobile and did not prey merely on insects.

Despite the intensive reading he had done over the summer, he was woefully ignorant.

I don't know why he's bothering to help, but I'm glad he is. Thinking back, he wondered at the information about soul-shattering spells that he had coaxed out of Snape. Had he realised Harry was pumping him for information on how to destroy a Horcrux? Harry continued to speculate as to why Voldemort allowed his most favoured Death Eater to do this.

Harry didn't know what to make of Snape. He had since realised that the older man had grieved at having to kill his mentor. The surly man had guided him safely through to this point, providing the help Dumbledore had promised. Harry surmised that it was an apology of sorts to Dumbledore - a last contribution to the Light before handing Harry over to the Dark Lord.

***

They climbed steadily through the never-ending jungle. At last, they came up short as the unseen path led them to a dead end. Solid rock stretched up above their heads at a sheer angle. Harry's heart sank. He started to speak, but the older man waved him aside impatiently, taking out his wand and a small vial.

Taking aim, Snape incanted a spell, and threw the vial at the rock. The vial soared through the air, guided by the spell, and shattered against the rock.

Nothing happened.

'I think you need a more corrosive potion to melt solid rock,' said Harry dryly, as they stared up at the rocky cliff.

Snape ignored him.

Gradually, the surrounding rock began to glow faintly in the moonlight. An entrance appeared high above their heads, where the vial had shattered. Harry gaped in amazement.

Snape just sniffed. Turning, he bent forward and began searching the jungle floor. After a while he stopped and took out his wand.

'Stand there,' he told Harry imperiously, indicating a tree in the distance.

Harry took a few steps back reluctantly, then stopped as Snape paid no heed to him. He watched as Snape cautiously approached a massive creeper that he hadn't spotted before. He wondered a little at that, straining his eyes, and realized that it was wreathed in what seemed to be dense shadow. The shadows moved as the plant stirred, then seemed to sit up. It quivered, and sent large, snaking tendrils towards Snape. He swiftly Stunned the plant with a hex Harry did not recognize. It shimmered for an instant before slumping to the ground. A Dark spell for a Dark plant, thought Harry, as he watched Snape crouch down over the unconscious plant. Harry squinted to see what was happening. When Snape straightened back up, he seemed to clutch something in his hands. Harry blinked as the man vanished.

'Snape?' he called out in alarm, rushing forwards.