ꜱᴇʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ | ᴛᴏᴍɪᴏɴᴇ

Whispers from the Past, ch. 6

CHAPTER SIX

"What happened to you at the Battle of Hogwarts?" Harmony asked Snape.

Since all of the seats were taken, Snape remained standing beside Harry's chair while he spoke. He started his story with when he left with Voldemort and broke into the Ministry of Magic to use the Vanishing cabinet. All the while, he had been updated about the Order of the Phoenix's progression with getting rid of all Voldemort's Horcruxes.

"You remember the Dark Lord's pet, Nagini, don't you?" he asked Harmony.

"The snake?" Harmony asked, frowning. "I remember he had one, but I never saw it. He kept it away."

"Yes, he made sure she was put away for safety measures. Dumbledore had warned me earlier to keep a lookout for Nagini, and later we," he beckoned to the group, "found out she was one of his Horcruxes. The Dark Lord brought Nagini with us to Hogwarts, but he was…distracted, and she was lost amid the skirmish. Neville Longbottom took care of her."

"After that, Voldemort was mortal again," Harry continued. "Of course, that was after I died."

Harmony's eyes bulged at this information.

"A part of Voldemort's soul was within me and the only way to get rid of it was for me to die," Harry explained. "His soul had been in me all this time, ever since my mother died for me."

Snape's expression darkened at the mention of Lily.

Harmony shook her head in awe. "I never knew Horcruxes could reside within a human being." She absorbed this new information eagerly.

"But it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" Harry told her, and for a moment it was as though they were back in past when the three of them shared every bit of research with each other. "The sudden change in emotions, the dreams he sent me…"

Harmony nodded and they lapsed into awkward silence. It became so unbearable that she finally straightened her back and looked every single person in the eye. "Look at me," she said. "Am I going around gathering Death Eaters that have escaped Hogwarts? Can you imagine me plotting some evil demise in place of Lord Voldemort? I am telling you I am the girl you knew a year ago."

"No. You've changed from that girl we knew, Hermione," Ron said. She turned and looked at him. His eyes looked sad beneath his red bangs. When their eyes met, he mustered a lopsided smile but it fell a second later.

"He's right," Tonks said. "You've grown wiser, I think. But who wouldn't after spending the time you did around that much evil?"

"Yes, weren't you ever hurt?" Ginny asked. "Were you ever put under an Unforgivable curse? That would have frightened me the most."

Harmony shook her head and almost smiled to herself. "No," she said, "not once."

"Well, you're incredibly lucky," Lupin replied and there were murmurs of approval.

"Hm," Moody growled, "since you're not off collaborating with Death Eaters, then what do you plan on doing?"

Harmony looked around at everyone, "I was hoping maybe you all could help me."

"You mean hide you from the Ministry."

"I, well-"

"Actually, that was the reason why I came," Snape said, stepping forward.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You don't possibly think you can stay here," he replied, looking down his hook nose at her. Most people frowned at Snape, but others—like Molly Weasley—nodded.