Vater

Harry was sleeping soundly while Ron and Hermione watched over him.

"Damn good of Snape to actually help him," Ron said.

"He's his father, Ron," Hermione said quietly, "I mean, you can't expect him to develop paternal feelings all of a sudden, especially after hating him all these years, but he wouldn't just let Harry die, would he? He's always kept a look-out for Harry, right from the First Year."

"I wonder if Dumbledore made him take an Unbreakable Vow to protect Harry?"

"It is possible, Ron, but..."

She stopped, glancing at Harry, who was stirring.

"Harry?"

"Mmph?"

"Go back to sleep. We'll wake you up for dinner."

Harry turned over and returned to sleep. Ron and Hermione fell silent.

"I'm worried about him...it's not fair that he has to take so much," Ron said after some time.

"So am I, Ron, so am I."

Hermione sent a note to Snape telling him that Harry was ok. She put a charm on it so that only he could open it. If anyone else tried to, it would burn to ashes after stinging that person.

Harry had fully recovered by the time they finished dinner.

"We ought to destroy the thing," he said cheerfully, wiping his mouth.

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"We'll have to bring him out of that," Harry said.

"How?" Hermione asked.

Harry smiled and picked up the Cup.

"Hello, Riddle," he hissed in Parseltongue, "why don't you come out and meet us?"

A shadowy image of the handsome young man who had visited Hepizah floated out of the Cup. He glanced around confusedly.

"Who called me out?" he hissed.

"I did," said Harry.

"Who're you?"

"Harry Potter."

"How did you come across this Cup?"

"We removed it from Borgin and Burkes."

"Why?"

"To destroy it, of course."

"But why?"

"To make Voldemort mortal."

A look of fear crossed the man's face. Then he smirked.

"You wouldn't know how to do that," he said confidently.

"Of course I do. I know how you made this Horcrux; I know how you got it from Hepizah. I saw it. Why do you think I brought you out of the Cup?"

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione.

"Pick me up from the table in ten minutes," he said, and Disapparated with the Cup.

Harry appeared in the room where he'd taken the Cup from. The Dementors swarmed in. he threw the Cup towards them and sealed the Cup, so that Riddle couldn't go back into it. Harry backed into the wall and filled his mind with the happiest memories he could muster, trying to push out his parents' voices, the image of Sirius' face as he fell through the veil and Dumbledore pleading with Snape...he couldn't summon Prongs; it would drive the Dementors away...and he needed the Dementors to suck Riddle's soul...

The Dementors, however, seemed interested in both of them. Half were closing in on Riddle, who was screaming desperately, while the other half were approaching him. Harry held them away as long as he could, filling his mind with thoughts about Ron and Hermione, but when they got too close, he began to lose those thoughts to Dumbledore's pleas...

Almost automatically, his body reacted. He turned into a phoenix. The Dementors backed off, and attacked Riddle. Harry watched grimly as they sucked the fragment of Voldemort's soul, leaving nothing but air behind. There was a sharp sound and the Cup cracked right down the middle. Still hungry, the Dementors turned to him.

Even as a phoenix, Harry's worst memories were beginning to catch up with him. He quickly changed back and released his Patronus. The stag flickered weakly and seemed on the point of vanishing altogether, when a silver otter and a silver horse joined it. The stag grew sharp and strong as Harry's heart warmed to the fact that Ron and Hermione had appeared on either side of him, wands aloft. They flashed him a reassuring look. Harry quickly Summoned the cracked Cup and nodded at them. They Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

"Phew," said Harry, throwing himself on the couch.

"How'd you manage it?" Ron asked.

Harry explained.

"You should have told us before, Harry," Hermione admonished him gently, "your Patronus was about to die when we arrived; we could have avoided that."

"No," Harry replied, "it wouldn't have made sense for all three of us to be there while it was destroyed. I couldn't release the Patronus until they'd taken Riddle - and we'd all have collapsed by the time they did that...and they'd probably have attacked us first if we were more in number..."

Hermione nodded unhappily and said, "I know that, Harry, but we could have waited outside the room like I did in the morning, and gone in as soon as you needed us. We could have avoided the extra strain on your part."

Harry lowered his eyes. He hadn't thought of that. He changed the subject quickly.

"How'd you manage to find me a cure?" he asked curiously. Hermione hesitated, but told him everything.

"Snape actually told you the cure?" Harry asked incredulously.

Hermione nodded.

"Dumbledore still trusts him, you know," Ron remarked.

Harry's eyes flashed with anger.

"He might, Ron, I don't. If it had been me, I'd have died rather than kill Dumbledore. I will never forgive him that. Never."

"Harry..." Hermione began, sending him a reproachful look.

"No, Hermione. I realize that I owe Snape a life-debt, and I will repay it at any cost, but I will never forgive him or like him."

"He's your father, Harry," Ron said quietly.

"I have not and will never accept his patrimony!" Harry shouted. Then a bitter smile stole across his features as he said, "And I doubt if he'll ever want me as his son, anyway. No need to worry about that."