Death at Hogwarts - A Harry Potter fanfiction

Chapter Four

I soon found myself outside Dumbledore's office. Walking inside, I saw him fingering a ring on his right hand, which was blackened and shrivelled.

“A Horcrux, I see?” I said, walking in and sitting down.

He looked up and nodded.

“This ring cost me my hand, as you can see. There's no cure for it, and it worries me to think what lengths Voldemort has gone to to protect his Horcruxes.”

“He's been running from me for fifteen years now, Albus. Of course he wants to protect himself – he thinks he can make himself truly Immortal!”

“Is that even possible?”

“Yes, actually.” I admitted. “It's entirely possible for you mortals to make yourselves Immortal. Nicholas Flamel was a good example. The Philosopher's Stone made him Immortal to the point where he couldn't die at all, unless he was blown up or something. Voldemort is the second wizard I've known who has come close to achieving Immortality. Thanks to Harry being a Horcrux, neither of them can die.”

“Tell me one thing.” Albus said quietly, steepling his hands and gazing at me over the top of his half-moon glasses. “When Harry and Voldemort finally fight, and Harry dies, which he will have to, being a Horcrux, will his soul become whole, be fully his?”

“Yes.” I replied. “The protection Harry carries within his veins now runs through Voldemort's. However, there's a huge drawback, as you no doubt already know.”

“I have. . . guessed, yes.”

“The charm in them stops Harry from actually dying, making him, in a way, immortal. Voldemort cannot kill him now. Neither can live at all while the other survives. However, if I am correct, by this time, Harry will have the Elder Wand, as you have no doubt planned for.”

“Yes.” he said simply.

“Alright then. You can borrow it, just for a little longer, but as soon as Harry's done with it, I want it back. Got that?”

“Don't you need to just hold the Wand?”

I nodded and held my hand out for it, and it flew unbidden into my hands, and I felt the power coursing through me as my scythe appeared, and a copy of the Wand split off and merged into the scythe, which began to hum, whole once more, and a second copy of the Wand floated off back into Albus' hand, while I took the original and stashed it into my pocket.

“Will this wand work still?” he asked.

“Oh yes.” I replied. “It's an exact copy, perfect in every way. Once Harry has finished with it, it will return to me and become one with the real Wand once more, and then I can leave here.”

“But you intend to stay here until then?”

“Yes. I'll admit, I quite like being around you mortals, even if I have to maintain a human form to be among you. I do want to tell Harry, Ronald and Hermione who I am, but I do not want them. . . freaking out, I believe is the term.”

Albus chuckled as I got my tongue round the term. “Why don't you mortals just say what you mean?” I demanded. “It's maddening how you have so many words for a single meaning!”

He chuckled again, and I sensed someone at the bottom of the stairs and turned.

“I had better leave you now, Albus. Minerva McGonagall is here to see you.” I said, leaving and walking past McGonagall who smiled at me kindly. I returned the smile and hurried on.

I walked on, bumping into Luna once more, who was reading The Quibbler.

“Oh, hello.” she said, glancing up to smile at me.

“Hello Luna.” I said, smiling back at her. “Enjoying that?”

“Oh, yes, it's fascinating how many people don't know of the spell that turns your enemies ears into kumquats!” she said, her tone eager as she showed me the spell, which she explained was set in runes, and only those who could decipher the runes could use the spell.

“There's been a spelling error here. The spell reads gisadego, when it should read gisagedo.” I said.

“Oh! Now I finally know the spell!” Luna exclaimed. “I did wonder why it wasn't working, I thought maybe I was saying it wrong or something.”

“Oh no. Just try it next time someone annoys you, but remember you can turn their ears back by-”

“Saying the spell in reverse, yes. Odegasig.” she said, smiling.

“Honestly, you are really nice. Why is everyone so afraid of you?”

I smiled as she asked the question for the second time.

“Because no one living knows what comes after death. Everyone fears the unknown simply because they do not know. Your kind have always feared that which they do not know.”

“I don't.” she replied. “I think it's nice to have some mysteries in the world, after all, a world without mystery would be a boring one, and we need mystery to add excitement and happiness to our lives.”

I smiled at her words. She was one of the first humans I'd been able to chat with in centuries, and it was refreshing to have an intelligent conversation with one so young, but then again, as I was to find out, Luna Lovegood knew far more than she was letting on. . .she always had.