Harry Potter and the Horcrux Quest

Prolog

Severus Snape looked impassively at the huddled form lying on the floor before him. The boy that he had given up everything for lay barely conscious after several minutes of enduring the Crucio spell cast by the sinister figure seated before him.

"And you," hissed the voice of Lord Voldemort, "you let yourself be maneuvered into a position where you have become much less useful to me."

"With all due respect, my lord, I believe my usefulness at Hogwarts and in the Order was at an end no matter who killed the old man. Very few of the rest of the Order trusted me. Without the old fool to vouch for me, I may have continued in some capacity, but not in one of trust. I would have been a tool, not a participant."

Voldemort looked at him closely. "You have thought about this before tonight."

"Indeed, my Lord, I have considered it most of the year."

Voldemort thought for a moment. "You should not have allowed sentiment to cloud your judgement and taken that vow. We may have been able to salvage you."

"We may have, but it would have been at the cost to your people. I could only have been trusted if I started providing very useful information to the Order, information that would have damaged your cause. Had the vow not been taken, my position could have been saved, but at a cost."

"Very well, I will not punish you. You did kill the old man. Now, give me your final report."

"With the old man's death, the school may close, but I doubt it. The Minister will want it kept open, or it will be a black mark against him. The order may be in disarray for a short amount of time, but there are several good leaders there who will take over. Attacks now will have a good chance of succeeding during the time of disorder, but with the heightened alert that the whole community will feel, it will be more likely for your Death Eaters to bring suspicion on themselves. We may want to stay quiet until the community goes back to huddling alone, where they are easy to target."

"And Potter?"

"He attacked me as I was bringing Malfoy," Snape nodded at the form on the floor, "out of the anti-Apparition wards. He was always just a passable student, given too much leeway by the other teachers due to his celebrity status. He chased me to the gates, and was unable to hit me with a single spell. I do not know exactly where he is, but the old man wanted him back with his relatives to put him under the blood protection again. If he is their hope, their 'chosen one'," Snape put all the sarcasm he could into the phrase, "then there is nothing that can stop you, my lord."

"And how did you get those wounds?"

"I was attacked by a hippogriff near the gates. I believe it was the half-giant's pet."

"They look painful."

"Extremely, my lord."

"Very well, take that," he pointed at Draco Malfoy, "and get some healing. We will not take any actions for a least a week. Although I hear there is a wedding coming up that some of my followers will want to attend."

Snape bowed, and left the thrown room with Draco floating ahead of him. The boy wasn't unconscious. He wondered how Draco felt to be in the Dark Lord's service now, considering how much he talked of supporting him over the past few years.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Howarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter slept under the influence of a Dreamless Sleep potion.

Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express

Harry Potter waited until the last possible moment to leave Hogwarts Castle. He felt he had timed it right - he didn't meet a single student in the corridors or on the stairs. He ignored Filch's scowl as he passed through the big oak doors of the castle, now repaired. Only one carriage waited down the steps. Harry patted the threstral as he walked past it, and climbed aboard. It started moving right away, passing some empty carriages on their way back. The ride down the hill, out the gates, and to the Hogsmeade train station passed in a blur.

At the station, Harry again felt lucky. He wasn't too late, and the nearly empty platform held few students. He got in the small queue of students getting on the train. He really didn't want to talk to anyone. His angry resolve at Professor Dumbledore's funeral had been seriously weakened during the following hour. He had told Ron and Hermione that he planned on hunting Voldemort's horcruxes, and then defeating Voldemort. Up until the funeral he had been in a numb daze. Afterwards, he was angered by his meeting with the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, and when Ron and Hermione joined him, he put his plan into words for the first time. His friends surprised him by telling him that they would join him in his quest. He didn't want that. He didn't want to be responsible for any more deaths. He'd lost too many people. To stop it, he would finish this war. After all the prophesy said he could.

But this last hour, after saying goodbye to Ron and Hermione, that "could" kept running through his head. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord." No guarantees. And as his anger cooled, doubts beset him. Now, a plan that seemed so clear just a short time ago was clouded with his insecurities.

As he prepared to climb aboard the Hogwarts Express for what he felt sure would be the last time, a voice stopped him.

"Ho, there, Harry!"

"Hi Hagrid," Harry answered, turning to see the enormous Care of Magical Creatures professor walking up to him.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" he asked.

"I haven't felt like I was very good company, lately, Hagrid. It wasn't just you, it was everyone. I just don't know what to say."

"Aye, I know what you mean. But Harry, friends are people you can be with, and you don't have to say anything. By the way, where's Hermione? Didn't see her get on the train."

"She flooed out with the Weasleys right after the funeral. She'll go home from there."

Hagrid nodded, and smiled a bit. "Those two finally getting along. About time. I hope Ron'll grow up enough to keep Hermione from hexing him into next week."

Harry smiled back. "Well, Hermione did some pretty childish things this last year, too. I hope their friendship can survive whatever they're turning it into."

Hagrid nodded again. The train whistle blew, and Hagrid gave Harry a quick hug, and lifted Harry's trunk on to the train, which started to move. Harry jumped on and waved at his first friend in the wizarding world.

"Harry, if you need anything - a ear to listen, a door to knock down, or a critter, don't hesitate to owl me! I'll be there in two shakes of a dragon's tail!"

"Thanks Hagrid!" Harry yelled as the train pulled away, "for everything!"

Harry waved as the train pulled out of the station. He kept looking back, at Hogwarts, and Hagrid, as long as they were in sight. He did see something he thought interesting before the station disappeared around a bend. Another large figure strode towards Hagrid. Harry recognized the huge form of Madam Maxime. Life went on.

Harry dragged his trunk down the isle looking for an empty compartment. A number contained whole families. He was wondering if he would find anything when he came to a compartment with just Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom in it. He decided that this would be the best he could get, and went inside.

"Hello Harry," Neville said.

"Hello, Neville, Luna," Harry answered.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said, dreamily. She looked out the window and watched the scenery going by.

"I want to thank you both for your help the other night. I'm sorry we didn't capture more of them, but I'm sure without your help the members of the Order and the teachers might have had some casualties." He paused, and croaked out, "More casualties."

Neville put his hand on Harry's shoulder. Luna reached from the facing seat and took his hand. After a moment Harry broke down. Luna moved beside him and pulled him in a hug. Neville kept patting his back. After a while, Harry got control of himself again, wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and apologized.

"There's nothing to apologize for," said Luna. "There's nothing wrong with crying for someone you've lost. I never really knew him, but he was always funny at the opening feasts. When he told us about the list of forbidden thing on Fitch's door, it was like he was telling us to use those things, not avoid them."

Neville chimed in, "And when he gave me points at the closing feast the first year! I've never gotten many points, except in Herbology, and that was the first time. And it was given by the headmaster himself!"

They were soon reminiscing about Dumbledore. Harry shared the most stories, but Luna and Neville seemed to have encountered the old headmaster in various funny, and not so humorous, situations. Harry's description of Dumbledore's meeting with the Dursley's had Luna almost falling off the seat in hysterics.

Before they knew it the pastry cart had come and gone, and evening was coming on. They were passing through more populous areas, as the train made it's way to London. And the stories seemed to peter out, and everyone became grave again.

"So now what, Harry?" asked Neville.

"I don't know. McGonagall is headmistress now. I guess the board will decide if the school re-opens next term."

"No, not just Hogwarts, but everything. You know that prophesy was about you, even if you never heard it. Vol-Vold--e--mort has tried to kill you a number of times. You were meeting with Dumbledore this year. What's it all about, Harry? How can I help?"

Luna nodded and looked at him with that disconcerting stare of hers, but there was nothing dreamy about it. "I believe in you Harry. I always have. I'll stand beside you, no matter what."

Harry was shocked that Neville had said Voldemort's name. Luna's re-iteration of her statement from his fifth year also moved him deeply. He thought briefly about whether to tell them, or not, weighing the pros and cons, and then stopped. He decided to go with his heart, and to hell with whether it was smart or not to bring them in. They put their lives on the line for him, literally. They deserved to know. But not here. He quickly opened his trunk, and got out a piece of parchment, and a quill, and wrote his address, twice. He gave one copy to each of them.

"This is my address. I'll be there until Bill Weasley's wedding. Take the Knight bus there any day after nine, when my uncle's not around. I'll tell you the whole story."

Luna and Neville put away the addresses with promises that they would come sometime the next week.

Soon after that the train pulled into the station. The friends said goodbye, and joined the crowd of students heading out. Harry noticed a number of aurors around. Some he recognized by sight, but none by name. He headed into the main terminal and soon saw his Uncle Vernon waiting for him.

"Well, come on boy. This is all very inconvenient. Why can't that train get in at a decent hour?"

Harry followed silently. The car ride was quiet, too. Harry couldn't help feeling that it was the calm before the storm.