Orpheus' Legacy

Horcrux Hunting is Better With You

Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't speak. He couldn't hear. He was idly aware of Snape saying something, but he couldn't make out what. He saw Draco run towards him, felt the weight of his hands on his shoulders, but he couldn't understand anything.

He wanted to cry. Or sleep and never wake up. Or break down or rip his hair out or do anything but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything but stand there.

The plan had been to stop Voldemort from reaching power again, to prevent him ever coming back. They'd had the upper hand. They knew what was coming, why did Moody-Crouch take his blood? In the 'good old days', Voldemort had wanted Harry to be there for his rebirth, he'd wanted to kill him in front of his followers. So why was it different now? Was he still meant to be taken to the Graveyard?

He must be, otherwise why else would he have been entered into the Tournament again? Or maybe this time Voldemort didn't care if Harry was killed for show, maybe he just wanted him gone and the Tournament was the fastest way?

But how could that make sense? Harry had changed things, certainly, but he hadn't changed anything much in regards to Moody-Crouch and the general plan surrounding his discovery. So why would Moody-Crouch's plan change?

This, more than anything, put them at a disadvantage. They needed to figure out what Moody-Crouch's new plan was and fast. The Second Task wasn't far away, and it would certainly be easy to murder Harry when he was down at the bottom of the lake. Worse still, if the plan wasn't to kill Harry prematurely, and was something else entirely but Voldemort was still resurrected early, then he would get Nagini back and killing her would be equally as difficult as it had been the first time around.

More than anything, they needed a plan.

Harry shook his head, pulling his train of thought back into the present and trying his best to piece together what Draco and Snape were saying to him.

"-ll be okay, Harry. We won't let them hurt you. I won't let them hurt you."

Aw, Harry thought, that was sweet of him. Harry liked when Draco was protective. Though it was a shame he had absolutely no idea what Draco had just said aside from the end of his sentence. Still, he appreciated it nonetheless.

"Sorry. I'm back, I just lost myself for a second." Harry said, Draco frowned at him. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I know what we need," Harry started.

"We're all ears, Potter." Snape said sarcastically. Draco nodded encouragingly, looking slightly as if he expected Harry to pass out cold right in front of him.

"First thing, we need to figure out Crouch's plan. Snape you can deal with that; you're a teacher, you'll find a way to explain it, Draco and I can't- we would be easily punished if we were found rooting around in his Office or something. We need to figure out if he's still in possession of the blood, and if not, whether he's planning to take me to the Graveyard or if now he wants to kill me early."

Snape narrowed his inky black eyes, "Very well."
Harry nodded at him.

"Second thing, Draco and I are going to destroy Ravenclaw's diadem. I think destroying as many Horcruxes as possible before either Dumbledore or Voldemort realise what we've been doing is essential. Dumbledore will find out eventually I'm sure, but until then, we should do as many as we can. Luckily for us, the diadem is somewhere we can easily access."

Harry looked between Draco and Snape, Draco was wearing an expression of wary determination. Snape looked suspicious.

"And how, Potter, are you planning to destroy the diadem? As much as you may deem yourself invincible, you cannot conceivably waltz into Dumbledore's Office and steal Gryffindor's sword yourself." Snape said icily.