Vater

Ron and Hermione left Harry in McGonagall's office and went to Snape's library, which McGonagall opened for them, to look up Horcruxes and how to destroy them. McGonagall talked to Harry for a while, but soon left him with Dumbledore's portrait.

"Hello, Harry," said Dumbledore.

"Good evening, sir," Harry replied, his eyes threatening to water.

"How have you been?"

"Fine, sir."

"Minerva tells me you are planning to become Animagi. Good idea...Ms Granger's, I take it?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, Harry, what have you been up to?"

Harry told him everything they had done so far, except about his parents' letters. Dumbledore nodded approvingly.

"Brilliant, Harry. Ask the hat, will you?"

Harry went to the stand where the Sorting Hat was kept and put it on his head. The familiar voice spoke in his head yet again, answering his thoughts.

"You again! What is it now? Oh...so you want to know about Ravenclaw, eh? Quite the fair dame, she was...and the cleverest of them all...her possessions? Well, she had this little copper raven brooch with sapphire eyes. No, I don't know where it is. It should be somewhere in the Prince family; they were descendants of Ravenclaw. You know, I should have put you in Slytherin. You would have been great already...Gryffindor has dulled your ambition. Tom Riddle? Yes, of course I remember him. Brains enough for Ravenclaw, and such ambition! Salazar himself wasn't that ambitious! Severus Snape? Yes, the diminutive little boy with over-whelming ambition - very clever, too. You were quite similar when you came."

Harry took off the hat and returned to Dumbledore, relaying the information.

"Yes...I do believe Eileen had something like that...you're right, Harry; there is quite a chance that the brooch is a Horcrux and that it is with Severus."

Harry fought back the feeling of hatred that rose within him at the mention of that name.

"Is something wrong, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, sir."

"You're upset."

Staring at his shoes, Harry told him about the letter. The chamber fell silent.

"Don't be too harsh on him, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "He is not a bad man."

"How can you say that? He KILLED you!"

"Only because he had to. There was no other choice, Harry."

"He killed you with Avada Kedavra. If he didn't really want to kill you, the curse would not have worked!"

"Severus is too adept at killing to let such a little thing hamper him. He hated me when he killed me, Harry, for I was asking him to do something which he didn't want to do."

"What did you ask him to do?"

"Kill me."

"NO!"

"Yes, Harry. Severus killed me because I asked him to."

"You died...you left the school...you left everyone...you left ME!" Harry was shaking madly. He couldn't believe it.

"It was necessary, Harry. I was the most expendable."

"NO! Did you ever stop to think how much I needed you? Still need you?"

"Harry..." Dumbledore sighed.

Tears were falling unheeded now.

"Everyone I love dies. Everyone who tries to protect me dies. Dad...Mum...Sirius...then you...you the last and the greatest of my protectors! You died...for some cavalier reason! You left me ALONE!"

"Harry...there was no other way. Believe me, had there been any other alternative, I would have taken that. Severus will protect you when the time comes. You have to trust-"

"AND YOU ASK ME TO TRUST YOUR MURDERER! HE'S A DEATH EATER! HE KILLED YOU! HE AS GOOD AS KILLED SIRIUS! HE MADE MY LIFE HELL! AND YOU STILL ASK ME TO TRUST HIM?"

"He's your father, Harry - surely that makes it easier?"

"Easier?" Harry laughed bitterly. "Do you know what my initial reaction was? I wanted to bleed to death - I was wanted to throw out all of the dirty blood that runs in my veins! I HATE HIM! I ALWAYS WILL!"

"Harry, calm down."

Harry turned away. He couldn't bear to look at Dumbledore's portrait anymore.

"Harry...please..." Dumbledore pleaded.

At the sound of those words, so similar to Dumbledore's last words, Harry's heart plummeted. He ran out of the room, Dumbledore's portrait calling him back in vain.

Harry ran blindly, not noticing where his feet were taking him. He ran until he could run no more and collapsed against the wall, burying his head in his arms.

When he finally wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up, he noticed where he was. He was in the Astronomy Tower, where Dumbledore had met his death, while he stood immobilized...

Harry sat down on the edge and swung his legs over. It was from here that Dumbledore's body had fallen...Harry wondered what would happen if he fell. Would there be another prophecy? Who would defeat Voldemort if he died? Should he just let go?

No, he couldn't do that. He would either kill Voldemort or die trying. He owed that much to his parents...to Sirius...to Dumbledore.

His parents...Snape...his father...

"No!" Harry said loudly, his voice echoing in the winds, "James Potter is my dad and will always be my dad."

Feeling a lot better, he went to Ron and Hermione, who were waiting for him in Snape's rooms.

They looked up, but the excitement in their faces faded as soon as they saw him, to be replaced with worry.

"What happened, mate? You look like death warmed over," Ron said anxiously.

Harry told them. Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth and Ron said, "Hell!" Harry felt much better after telling them; he couldn't even begin to think how glad he was to have them to speak to about everything.

"He told Snape to kill him?" Ron blurted out, his face pale.

Harry nodded dully.

They sat silently for some time. Then Hermione put her hand on Harry's arm.

"We found out a bit about Horcruxes...looks like they can only be destroyed by the Killing curse, Harry - a Killing curse not powered by hate, but by love."

"How is that possible?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged.

"First we have to remove the other charms around the thing. This is the last stage."

"Oh."

"Perhaps an Avada Kedavra without hate means that we use it not because we want to kill the person we're cursing, but because we love someone and have to get rid of this person because of that," Ron said thoughtfully.

"You may be right, Ron," Hermione said. Harry could almost see her brain working furiously.

"Should we try it?" Harry asked, taking out the locket.

"No, no, not now," Hermione said hastily. "We have to meet McGonagall in fifteen minutes. The potions are ready; we can reveal our forms. Then she will teach us how to transform."