Chapter Sixteen: Purgatory
Harry glanced quickly at the note that had been handed to him as Draco passed where he sat for breakfast. It was damp since it had landed in Harry's scrambled eggs. Delicately, Harry unfolded the piece of parchment, trying not to destroy the message. Eventually, he achieved success.
'The weather will be nice on Friday. The best time to go outside will be an hour after Divination. Concerning your second request, my Aunt says you should take care of it yourself as she does not have time to trouble herself.
A Friend'
Harry snorted. 'Take care of it yourself.' He turned his eyes toward James as he ate at the head table. 'A whole lot of work, you are putting yourself through, Marvolo. Why? Isn't that the question of my life?' His eyes turned down the table landing on Snape. As he stared at the potion professor, he plan formed in his head.
"Dorian?" Harry said aloud.
Across the table, his brother looked up at him.
"I need you to do me a favor." Harry said quietly. "It involves breaking into Snape's stash of special ingredients."
"What do you want from it?" Dorian asked confused.
"Wizard's Bane. It is an herb that causes a wizard to lose their powers for a week's span. They also suffer from a high fever." Harry eyed his brother for a reaction, and was pleased to see none. "No remedy can remove the symptoms. The patient has to suffer out the symptoms, until the herb has left the system. That usually takes up to two weeks to happen. The best feature is it is undetectable by humans."
"Who are you going to use this herb on?" Dorian asked noncommittally.
'Like I would tell you.' Harry thought mordantly. "Snape."
"Snape is always a special case in my book." Dorian's attention turned to the greasy professor. "When do you need it?"
"This afternoon at the latest."
"How do plan on getting him to take it?"
Harry smiled as his eyes slightly moved to James Potter. "I have my ways."
"It should be easy enough to get."
"Thank you, Dorian." Harry said. 'You will be saving your father's life.'
"I will see you when I have the potion."
'One item out of the way.' Harry thought to himself after Dorian had left him. His heart quickened when he thought ahead to this Friday which was approaching faster then he had expected. Now it was only two days away. To his immense surprise, Dumbledore had made no further attempts at gaining entry into his thoughts. 'That could change. I have to be careful.+ He cannot see what I have planned.'
With that last thought, Harry rose to his feet and walked toward his next order of business. "Longbottom." He whispered when he came to stop behind the boy. He, however, did not turn to face Neville when he addressed him. Instead, he continued to stare at the Great Hall's doors. "I need to speak with you."
"Neville, don't." Hermione Granger, who was seated by Longbottom, was quick to protest when her friend began to rise from the table.
"I'll be fine."
Hermione frowned. "Be careful."
Harry walked out of the Hall with Neville close behind. Luckily, it did not prove difficult to find a corner that was secluded. After a few minutes of silence, Harry was certain that none of his guards had followed.
"You wanted to speak with me?" Neville slightly inclined his head in curiosity.
Harry did not meet his companion's eyes when he asked quietly. "How much is a life worth?"
Neville's mouth opened. "Wha… What are you talking about?" His hand slipped to his wand.
A smile crept onto Harry's face, though it was mirthless. "I have made your life hell, Neville, and you do not even know it."
"I don't follow you. I don't understand what you want."
"I want to know the value of life." Harry finally glanced at the baffled adolescent. "Did you love your parents, as much as I love my father?"
Neville mouth tightened. "I loved them dearly… your father took them away from me."
Harry laughed quietly. "He did not take them away, Neville. I did."
His mouth opened and closed but no words exited.
"You're speechless." Harry murmured quietly. "I have heard it said that you can not put a price on a life. But here I am attempting to do so."
"Why? Why care?"
Harry's green eyes returned to the stained glass window. "I love my father. I can not imagine being alone. Not only have I taken your parents' lives but I have also taken away your destiny, and given you my own in return. I have but one advice to give you, Neville. Do not become their poster boy. One person should not carry the responsibility of the world. It should be their task to unite and fight."
"They are afraid."
Harry snorted. "And we are not? Fear is not handicap. It is an excuse… their excuse. Leave them. Make them save their own skins."
"I can't do that."
"I figured that would be your answer." Harry leaned back into the stone wall. "You're far too noble for your own good, but I will not be the one to kill you, Neville… it would be like killing myself, because I could easily see our positions reversed."
Neville remained silent. "You asked before what the value of life was. I have your answer it is priceless. That is why I fight for them. Why do you fight, Harry?"
"For the love of a father, who might not love me, but I still love him." Harry grasped a chain that hung from his neck, and in one shift movement broke it. "This will not bring your parents back from the dead, but it might buy you time."
Dumbstruck, Neville took the Horcrux. "W-."
"Two reasons." Harry said quietly. "I made a subconscious promise when I was five, and secondly I want no debts to you. After this, we are even. You can try to kill my father, but you will go through me, unless my father wants you for himself."
"I understand." Neville turned to leave.
"Don't tell Dumbledore about the Horcrux. Keep it to yourself."
Neville's eyes narrowed. "Do you have something planned?"
"No," Harry lied. "I might be moving to Azkaban soon."
"I'm sorry."
"Do not pity me. I do not need it."
Once more Neville went to leave, before he paused. "Are they taking you to Azkaban on Friday?"
Harry's face drained of color. 'Can he possibly know?' "Why?"
"Dumbledore is going to be gone Friday. I think he might take you then."
"We will find out then." When Neville finally left him, Harry's face turned into one of rage. Angrily, he hit the wall with his fist. 'I will have to wait to kill the bastard. Luckily, I am very patient.'
That evening came fast, and Harry found himself just biding his time. In his robes, he toyed with the vial that Dorian had managed to filch from Snape. Without further delving into his plan to use the potion, Harry had taken it from his biological brother. The only thing he had said to his brother was a warning. In which, he told Dorian that he should stay away from him from now on. The younger boy had been taken aback, but had chosen to remain silent. His silence left Harry with a sense of foreboding that would not leave him. Now however, he had brushed it aside. Harry had more important factors to worry about, like waiting for the perfect moment when he could pour the Wizard's Bane into James's tea. So far the cup had yet to leave the Auror's hand. Harry stomach dropped suddenly when he noticed the fire in the hearth suddenly change to a familiar green. Only this time, the person on the other end did not exit the fire.
"Must be Lily." James said, as he left the table and his cup. "She was going to fire call this evening."
Harry smiled at the cup, and carefully removed the stopper from the bottle. Once he was certain that James was not looking he began to remove the vial from his robes. Then his heart stopped.
"James, is Harry there?" Lily said, from the fire.
"Yes, he's sitting at the table." James replied.
"I would like to see him."
James looked over his shoulder at Harry, and beckoned for him to come over. As soon has James's attention returned to Lily, Harry removed the potion, and he swiftly put three droplets into the tea.
"Do you want your tea?" Harry asked aloud.
"Bring it here." James answered.
'I love it when plans come together.' Harry would have smiled but that would give him away.
Lily smiled at him from the fire. "So how have you been doing?"
Harry felt briefly sad for the woman. She desperately wanted her oldest son back, and she could never have him. "Fine."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry watched as James swished his cup idly before taking a sip. The potion would take only minutes before it reacted with James's blood.
Lily's eyes looked trouble, as she peered out of the fire at Harry. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Harry's eyebrows rose. "Like what?"
"You look so-." Lily's voice cut off. "James!" She screamed as her husband fell to the ground.
Harry forced his eyes to open with surprise.
Lily, however, was not looking at him when she came out from the fire. Instead, her attention rested on James. She carefully rolled him onto his back, removing his glasses. Harry watched this before his gaze turned to the stain that covered the carpet. He was certain that James had received enough.
"Did he seem alright to you earlier?" Lily asked quickly.
"He was fine until just now."
Lily rose to her feet and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. "Madame Pomfrey's office." She shouted in to the green flames. "Poppy, James has collapsed I need your help."
Hogwarts' school nurse instantly entered the room by way of the hearth. "Let's see what is wrong." Her gaze landed on Harry. He saw the accusations in her eyes. As she checked James's vitals, Harry kept his expression void. The nurse already suspected him.
"It looks like Wizard Flu." The nurse finally proclaimed. Harry noticed the surprise in her eyes when she came to this conclusion. 'She wanted to believe I was trying to do him in.' Harry thought.
"What do we do, Poppy?" Lily's face was tightly drawn.
"I will take him with me, and pump him full of liquids." Pomfrey comfortingly continued. "And then you can take him home to get some much needed rest."
"What about Harry?" Lily asked quietly.
"Dumbledore will handle that, so don't worry."
Harry smiled. 'Do your worse, old man. I can kill any Auror that you hand me.'
"Don't fall behind." Pomfrey shouted over her shoulder to him, as she began to levitate James to the medical facilities. Doing as he was told, Harry followed the two women in silence.
As they laid the unconscious man on to the bed, Harry could not help but notice the irony. 'I have put you in a hospital twice for getting in the way.'
The door behind Harry opened, causing him to suddenly feel chilled. Turning his head, Harry came face to face with Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore looked briefly at James before returning his stony gaze back on Harry.
"What do we have here, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.
"A case of the Wizarding Flu, Albus."
"Harry, would you come with me."
The two women watched the silent showdown between the two men.
"Of course, Dumbledore." Harry said finally.
Once they out of the hearing range of Lily and Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore began his interrogation. His hands cupped under Harry's chin, forcing the youth to look up.
"Did you poison James, Harry?" Dumbledore asked evenly.
Harry felt a silent tug on his mind. "No."
"Why do you lie, Harry?"
"Test his blood."
There was a greater pull. Harry could no longer put up the walls required to stop the Headmaster. However, he did have one last resort. His mind went completely blank, showing no emotions.
"What are you hiding, Harry."
"Nothing! That is why I am able to face you." Harry said through clenched teeth. "I have not touched him."
Dumbledore frowned. "I am sorry. I have seemed to have misjudged you."
"Thank you for trusting me." Harry whispered snidely.
"I will get you another Auror as your personal guard. I was thinking that Sirius Black would make a good replacement."
"I detest Black." Harry said with a brief shrug.
"Would you prefer someone you don't know?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.
Harry nodded his head. "I hate the people I know here, so give me someone new to hate."
Dumbledore's face became downcast. "I wish you would allow me to help you."
Harry snorted. "I help myself now."
"If you ever need my help-."
"I will never need your help." Harry paused. "If I ever did, I would kill myself before I would ask for your help."
Dumbledore nodded his head. "I will have your new guard here by Thursday morning, until then you are not to leave Madame Pomfrey's or your mother's side. Do I make myself clear, Harry?"
"Perfectly transparent."
The headmaster shook his head as he walked to a destination that Harry could not guess. Feeling the eyes of the Aurors, Harry returned to the infirmary. His day of escape would be here to soon. His only regret was that Dumbledore was not going to be there to see it.