Harry Potter and the Sympathy of Souls

V) "I Walked With You"

PART TWO: DREAMS

"Nicolas Flamel!" Harry spoke into the two-way mirror.

"Good afternoon, Harry." Nicolas said pleasantly upon answering, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I think I found a horcrux." Harry told him bluntly.

This was obviously not what Nicolas was expecting. The look of shock on his face was quite gratifying, and made Harry grin.

"If I bring it to you, you'll be able to tell if it's a horcrux or not, right?" He asked, when it appeared that a reply from Nicolas wasn't forthcoming.

"Certainly." Nicolas said, sounding bemused "Bring it over so I can examine it. You must tell me, though, how you found it and what makes you think that it's a horcrux."

"I'll tell you when I come over." Harry replied. His dreams involving Voldemort felt like far too sensitive a subject to be discussed in a blasé fashion, via mirror.

"Very well." Nicolas replied, "Will you be coming now? I can meet you at Hogsmeade if I know what time to meet you there. That way you can avoid taking the Knight Bus like you did last time you came over."

"I have a Defense Against the Dark Arts right after lunch, and the teacher hates me. There's no way he'll let me get away with skipping."

"Does he? And do you deserve his hatred?"

"I do now," Harry blushed at the memory of being caught in Snape's pensieve, "but he hated me from the moment he met me. He had an old grudge against my dad or something."

Nicolas raised his eyebrows, looking incredulous. "Must be some grudge to carry over generations that way. No matter, you can come over tonight when everyone's sleeping. That way you won't be missed, and your chances of getting caught will be minimal."

It was a sensible suggestion, but Harry was reluctant to miss out on any sleep. What if Voldemort would search for him in his dreams, and wouldn't be able to find him because Harry would be awake at the Flamel's?

"I don't suppose that in between all the rare artifacts you've collected over the years there might be a Time-Turner?" He asked hopefully.

Nicolas snorted. "I already have all the time in the world, why in Merlin's name would I need any more of it?"

"Fair enough." Harry conceded, "In that case, I'll come by during dinner. Meet me at the Shrieking Shack at half past six." He sighed. "I'll have to tell my friends I'm going to meet Titus Travers or something, or they'll wonder where I've gone."

"Who is Titus Travers?" Nicolas asked, his eyebrows furrowing "and why can't you tell them the truth?"

"There's so much about all my relationship with you that involves secrets that aren't mine to tell, or that I literally can't talk about, like horcruxes. Lying about my interactions with you was just easier. And as for Titus Travers- that's what you claimed your name was when you told Voldemort that you were an assassin I hired to kill him. I had to tell the Order that I fired you once you failed to kill Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries, just to get them off my case, but my friends still think I'm in contact with you."

Nicolas sighed. "I understand now. Listen, Harry, I know that your relationship with your friends isn't my business, but if I could just give you some advice: lying drives wedges between people and is counterproductive to any friendship. Perenelle and I have often discussed the fact that the reason we lived for so much longer than most of the couples with Soulcruxes was twofold: The first was that we didn't have children, but the second was that we had no close friends. Losing a child is probably the most painful experience one can go through, and I thoroughly understand immortal couples who decided to let themselves die rather than outlive their children, but there were some couples, like Perenelle and I, who didn't have children, but nevertheless became depressed eventually and decided to pass on. Watching people you love die and leave you behind is extremely difficult.