Harry sighed as he climbed up the stairs to Dumbledore's office. He found himself here at least once a week, discussing matters related to Voldemort, the war effort, and how his training was going. Harry felt he was making good progress, he had lessons with Sirius, Remus, and Professor Flitwick at least twice a week, usually three or four, alongside his normal education and training. He was thankful that Daphne had convinced him to not spread himself so thin, as he actually found himself performing better in his specific lessons than he had been prior, even if his performance in his regular classes had fallen slightly as a result. Harry was no longer the number two student in the Sphinx Club. Hermione continued to surpass him academically, and his new priorities allowed Daphne, Padma, Susan, Tracey, and Neville to surpass him as well. He still performed better than Parvati, Lavender, and Hannah, but Parvati and Lavender had never FOCUSED on their studies the same way everyone else did, still students of exceptional quality, and had they not been competing against Sphinx Club members would certainly be top of the pack, but just simply didn't treat academics as even among the top three most important things in their lives. Hannah was in a similar boat, although she seemed to simply struggle a bit more than the rest of them did. Lessons with Hannah usually needed to be taken a touch slower than the rest of them needed, but she was still a very good student. Left to her own devices, she would probably be an above average, but not exceptional. Harry was aware that that sometimes got to the girl, and when that happened, they made sure Neville paid her special attention. Few things could cheer Hannah up quite like Neville could, and that had been true the entire time they'd known each other.
Harry still occasionally felt frustration towards Neville in that regard. He KNEW his best guy friend was well and truly smitten with Hannah, and that Hannah had ALWAYS been in love with Neville, for longer than he'd even known her she'd felt that way. He did wish Neville would just take the leap and ask her out, but knew that HE wasn't really one to talk. Despite the fact that Harry did have six lovely girlfriends HE wasn't the one who put in the work to actually get them together. The girls took that initiative, and Harry only took the initiative on keeping them happy. It worked out well for them, but he could understand that Hannah was not as forward as Padma or Daphne. She was like Susan, who by her own admission had only managed to bring up the gumption to admit her feelings for Harry when the other girls had, and would have otherwise probably mooned over him for a number of years without something to give her that push. Hannah had no such push. Despite being surrounded by pretty and available girls on a regular basis, as had Hannah's crush for Neville not been such an open secret as it was, Lavender and Parvati had both mentioned that Neville might have caught their eye, Neville had no eyes for anyone but Hannah. It would be cute, if Neville wasn't equally as hopeless in confessing as Hannah was. Hannah was blind to anyone but Neville, Neville was blind to anyone but Hannah, and the lack of pressure on either end meant that without intervention they would simply never get together.
One would think with a semi-literal war going on, Harry would have better things to think about than the love lives of two of his friends. This is correct, but didn't stop Harry from doing it anyway. The purpose Harry fought for was to give his friends and families better, happier lives. That they could live free and happy without worry of what tomorrow would bring. Sirius and Remus had drilled in that such a desire was what fighting possible, the knowledge that in sacrifice, once would provide happiness for those they cared for. Harry wasn't a soldier, he likely would never be, but he continued fighting so that way his friends could exist with smiles on their faces, and not worry about the specter of Voldemort looming over them. To that end, dealing with Neville and Hannah's premarital marital problems was every bit as important on a personal level to Harry as vanquishing Voldemort was.
He turned his attention to the door in front of him as he finally made his way to it. Knocking twice, Harry opened the door to Dumbledore's office, where he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sirius, Remus, and Snape looking at him. "Ah, wonderful Harry, you've finally made it." Dumbledore said with a jovial smile, gesturing for Harry to take one of the empty seats in the room.
"Too good to show up on time, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked, his traditional sneer on his face as he did so. Harry ignored the jab for now. He had come as soon as he'd gotten the message about the meeting, but had been nearly as far from Dumbledore's office as you could be while still being in the castle when he had. Herbology with Professor Sprout had been his final class of the day.
"Now now Severus. No need for such talk." Dumbledore said, dismissing the Potions master. "Now, as this is a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, we should act in that capacity. As such, we are all equals in this room, and should treat each other as such."
Harry nodded, as did the others in the room, though Snape seemed particularly put off by the prospect. Dumbledore often did this during these meetings, he supposed maybe it was as much a ritual for him to step out of his role of everyone's boss as it was to have them not think of him as such in this instance. While Dumbledore did lead the Order of the Phoenix, it was constantly put forward that it was him only acting as a guiding hand, he lacked authority beyond his experience, the Order listened to him not because of organizational hierarchy, they listened to Dumbledore because he was someone worth listening to.
"With that, I would like to begin this meeting in earnest." Dumbledore started, before he produced a small piece of parchment, spreading it out upon his desk for everyone gathered to see. "During our last meeting, I mentioned that I had found a lead on a method to identify Horcruxes. Since then I have been able to confirm that the method I found does work. It was able to accurately deduce that an item is a Horcrux, and perhaps more usefully, that an item was once a Horcrux. Something that Sirius and I were able to make good use of."
Sirius took over from that point. "Yep, we figured it wasn't unlikely for ol' Bellatrix to store something in the family vault while I was locked out of it, given I'd been informally disowned. When we popped it open and looked through, we found something very interesting." Sirius said, passing the conversation back to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore produced a broken chalice from his desk, the golden cup bore an embossed badge image on it's face, although it was now battered and broken following an encounter with some object. It had somehow been quite thoroughly broken. "This was once the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. One of the four treasures left by the founders of Hogwarts. I believe we discussed the significance of the items once before in an order meeting." Dumbledore said, his thumb grazing over the badger image. "The ritual I performed did conclude that the cup had been made a Horcrux, which befouled the item so thoroughly it could not be cleansed, only destroyed. A truly sad turn of events. I will find a trustworthy metalworker to recreate the original, while it will not have the significance, a replica being made in memory of the original will do well to decorate the Hufflepuff common room. I digress however, we are not here for a discussion on historical artifacts."
"Quite. So you have determined that the cup, as well as the locket we found in Grimmauld place were Horcruxes, correct?" Snape asked, his tone neutral but interested.
"Indeed. Both items have been destroyed. Given Harry said that the Basilisk fang was enough to destroy the diary, I believed such would also be true for the other Horcruxes. The Sword of Gryffindor is a special blade, as it imbibes anything that may make it stronger. Young Harry's encounter with the basilisk in his second year imbued the blade with Basilisk venom, making it another suitable object for destroying these items." Dumbledore said, a soft smile on his face. "I was also able to find one more Horcrux." A ring was produced from beneath the desk as well, it's band shattered, and the gem that was once placed in the center removed. "This was once the signet ring of the Gaunt family, left behind in a hidden box in their old estate. I am thankful that I took Remus with me to acquire it, as had I not… I fear that I may have jeopardized our mission."
"I'm glad I was there too. There was some kind of… compulsion charm on the ring, Dumbledore made to put it on before I stopped him. With items like these, you truly need to check them over for curses before you attempt to wear them. We found a necrosis curse on the ring, anyone who had worn it would have had their hand wither to nothing and fall off… assuming it didn't pass to the rest of the body." Remus said, shaking his head and shivering at the thought. "We did deduce that it was the ring and not the inset stone that was the Horcrux though. We're hopeful we can recreate the ring to preserve it, as despite what their last scion did, the Gaunts were an old line, with many members worth remembering."
"Quite right. With that, we have uncovered, and destroyed, a total of four Horcruxes. Leaving the as of yet unfound Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw as our presumed fifth, I believe we would be looking at seven Horcruxes." Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "Severus, I believe we should openly discuss your theory for our sixth before we move on."
"If you trust it is wise… I shall allow you to provide the necessary context." Snape said, shifting slightly. His pose was… uncomfortable, he was certainly nervous about something, but whatever it was, Harry couldn't tell. He'd never seen the potions master in this state. Snape commanded control of the room, never second guessing himself, never compromising. He was the picture of confidence at every moment. And yet now… he reminded Harry much of himself getting on the train during his first trip to Hogwarts. A bundle of nerves and anxiety that wouldn't cease.
"Now, what I am about to say will shock you, but I want to preface this with one phrase. Despite what I am about to tell you, Severus has my full and complete trust. He made mistakes in his youth, and has paid quite dearly for them. He works towards redemption, and I hope you will listen to the full story before jumping to any conclusions." Dumbledore said, his gaze washing over Sirius, Remus, Harry, and McGonagall. After his pause, he took a breath before continuing. "During the first war, Severus was a Death Eater, a member of Voldemort's inner circle. As such, after Voldemort returned during the Third Task, Severus was called to service once more."
Harry felt his heart drop. He'd always suspected Snape was involved in some dark practices… but actively a Death Eater? Actively a part of the group that terrorized and killed so many people? Harry had never liked the man… but was that really who he was?
"Rotten Snivellus, I should have known!" Sirius said, trying to stand up out of the chair and rush over to Severus, likely trying to rip the man's throat out. Remus held him tightly in place, keeping him pinned to the chair.
"Wait Padfoot! Let the Headmaster finish! We'll kill him later if we have to but we have to listen now!" Remus said, the hurt clearly present in his voice. Harry could tell this information came as little surprise to Remus, but perhaps hearing it so plainly did still shake the man.
"Please, Sirius. Do be calm. While Severus has entered the service of Voldemort again, it is purely now in a capacity as a spy." Dumbledore said, trying to ease Sirius's nerves.
"How do you know he's not just spying on us for Voldemort?" Sirius spat, still trying to fight Remus to get out of his chair. "He could just be playing both sides for his own gain!"
"I am loyal to Dumbledore because Voldemort took from me the thing I cared about most in life." Snape said, locking eyes with Sirius. "You of all people should know. He took her away from you too."
The two dark haired men locked eyes, the tension in the room palpable as they held gazes. "No. Not after what you did. If that was true you wouldn't have done that. You wouldn't have hurt her like you did!" Sirius yelled, and Snape's face displayed another emotion Harry had never seen on the man. Remorse.
"I was young and foolish. Taken in by those who would abuse my talents for their own gain. I am all too aware of my sins, Black." Severus said, his head held low. "I've spent many nights recounting them over and over, drowning myself in the highest proof alcohol I could brew… which you can imagine is quite high." Snape clenched his fist. "There were times I attempted to end it. To end my pain and accept my due punishment in the great beyond. Dumbledore convinced me to keep living, if only in case Voldemort returned, that I may use my position to ensure his final demise."
Harry looked on in confusion at the pair. Who was this girl that meant so much to Sirius and Snape? Who could THESE two share that impacted them so much? "Who… was she?"
"Lily Evans… your mother." Sirius and Snape said simultaneously, sending Harry spiraling.
"My… mom?" Harry asked, shocked by the notion… he knew they KNEW his mother, they told him stories of them being together as friends occasionally, and he had seen Sirius and Remus in various photos that Andromeda and Remus had managed to hold onto over the years. Snape he'd also known was in the same year, so him knowing his mother was certainly within the realms of possibility. Harry knew everyone in his year, not well, but he did know all of them.
"She and I were childhood friends. We grew up together in Cokeworth, I was the one who discovered she had magic, since I was quite familiar with it from my mother." Snape said, his eyes unable to meet anyone else's. "She was my best friend. My only friend. We were ready to take on Hogwarts together, when we were separated. Me in Slytherin, her in Gryffindor. Doomed to be rivals. When your father set his sights on her… it stoked our rivalry. It was always about her."
Harry turned to look at his uncle, seeing the deep sadness in his eyes. "And you Sirius?"
"We all liked Lily. James and Snape were the worst by far but… she was hard to not feel things for." Sirius said, his tone remorseful. "I hid behind the casanova image, but I think I felt for her as strongly as James did. I just… wasn't going to get between them. James was my brother, he took me in when my own family abandoned me, if giving Lily up was what was needed, I did it. I'd do it again too, it gave me my godson, who I swore on my very life to keep safe, even if I did a piss poor job for a number of years."
"I believe for now it is best to put aside these old wounds. We cannot undo the past, but we can press on for a future. I do not expect you to forgive Severus, just as I do not expect Severus to ever forgive himself. For now, know that I have full faith that Severus acts for us, not against us." Dumbledore said, his voice slipping into the authoritarian headmaster tone it occasionally did when needing to control the high tensions of those around him. Harry mostly heard it in the context of rowdy students during meal announcements, but it seemed equally as effective on adults.
"Quite. Regardless, I have suspicions for what I believe the sixth Horcrux might be. Voldemort's familiar, Nagini, has… become far more than she was before." Snape said, a look of uncomfortable disgust on his face. "She was a large imposing serpent even during the first war, but now… she's a deadlier snake than anything I've seen before. Certainly no basilisk but… something sinister."
"Are you sure it's the same snake? I don't really know how long snakes usually live but… it seems unlikely for it to be the same if it changed so much." Harry asked.
Snape and Dumbledore shared a look for a moment, before Dumbledore sighed shifting in his chair. "No… it is very likely the same snake. Nagini is no ordinary snake, even one turned into a familiar. She is an unfortunate creature called a maledictus. Think of them as a sort of midpoint between an animagus and a lycanthrope. They can transform into a specific animal, in Nagini's case a snake, while otherwise being human. Whereas animagus receive this ability through study and ritual, maledictus are born with the ability innately, but it comes at a price. They cannot always control their transformations, and they are cursed to eventually be forced in their animal forms full-time until their deaths, which as magicals… can be centuries."
Harry thought about that for a moment, suddenly finding himself feeling quite bad for the creature. To be forced to live as a snake for your entire existence when you knew what being human was must be awful. "How do you know this Professor?" Harry asked, taking note of the explicit sadness on Dumbledore's face as he spoke about Nagini.
"I knew her when she was still a woman. She loved my nephew… had his condition not taken him from us at a young age… I believe she might have become my niece. I suspect I would have spent a good many years attempting to ward off her curse, had my nephew ever had the chance to ask." Dumbledore said, sighing. "Unfortunately after his death… she vanished, and I did not hear from her again until Severus mentioned her to me after his defection. She's fully serpent now… I find it hard to believe any remnant of the woman who loved my nephew remains. If it did, I find it difficult to believe she would have supported Voldemort, she fought alongside me against Grindelwald, after all." Dumbledore added, a pronounced sadness touching his eyes. Harry thought for a moment tears were about to escape them, but none came. Perhaps he'd cried his last over the woman she was before, or perhaps he was merely putting on a brave face. Harry had no way of knowing.
"Regardless of what she was, Nagini is larger and more deadly than she's ever been. I had a brief discussion with Crouch before you went for the prophecy about her, and he mentioned that the change had been recent. He posited some kind of familiar ritual that bound her to her master in a more profound way. I believe he was correct, if working under an incorrect assumption." Snape said, taking Harry's attention from Dumbledore for a moment.
"Well, it's as simple as killing her then, surely." Sirius said, his anger still hot, but tempered by both Dumbledore's words, and Remus's presence at his side.
"I believe such an action is easier said than done." McGonagall chimed in, speaking up for the first time in the conversation.
"Of that there is no doubt. I asked a few baseline questions of Voldemort following seeing her for the first time. He mentioned she is now a killing machine without parallel. An exaggeration I'm sure, but certainly not one to be taken likely. Despite her massive size, she's also incredibly fast. I watched her snatch a bird out of the air from a completely grounded position." Snape said, his tone returning more towards his neutral state, though his face showed aggravation.
"We will need to research ways we could possibly kill her then." Dumbledore said with an immense sadness in his voice. "Regardless of what she was, what she may be now is something which cannot exist in a world that Voldemort can be defeated in. I have suspicions that he death would render her body uninhabitable for a horcrux, even if she was not destroyed by basilisk venom or our sword. The horcrux ritual, based on what I've uncovered, seems to require that which contains it to be 'whole' for it to function. Functionally, we have not DESTROYED any of the items that horcruxes have been, just disrupted their shape. One could easily reforge the ring or the cup from their metals and be largely indistinguishable from the originals, but by breaking them the one time, we have removed the magic."
"Under the assumption that Nagini is the sixth horcrux, that would leave only the seventh, correct?" Harry asked, looking around the room. "Has anyone come up with any ideas on what the seventh could be?"
Dumbledore took a deep sigh, before shifting in his chair. "I do not believe that Voldemort intended to make seven horcruxes. I believe he meant to split his soul in seven pieces, one being the piece that controls his current body." Dumbledore started, a shaky hand reaching for a piece of candy on his desk. Harry had never seen such intense tremors in Dumbledore's hands before. Despite his age, Dumbledore was a man in tremendous control of his faculties. While the man appeared to be in his eighties, there was quite rarely the slowness of step or feebleness of body one would expect of a man his age. To see the man portray such a feeble state was haunting for Harry. "I do however… believe he did make a seventh unknowingly. I will need to use the detection spell to know for certain."
"So you think you know what it is then?" Harry asked, surprise in his voice. "Why didn't you mention it at the last meeting?"
"To put it simply Harry, I hoped I was wrong. I hoped that the signs I had seen were leading me astray, and that everything I observed was superstition and coincidence. Because my boy, I hoped and prayed that you were not the seventh horcrux." Dumbledore stated, and Harry felt the world fall out beneath him.
The final horcrux… was him? He was one of Voldemort's soul anchors? Harry wanted to throw up. To scream and rant and destroy everything around him. He wanted to cry and hide in his room. Flitting between anger and sadness and rage and despair, Harry couldn't even make sense of his own thoughts and feelings on the matter. Everything was wrong and terrible and he couldn't do a single thing.
"I guess just… cast the spell and see if it's true. If it is then… we'll see what happens next." Harry said, resigning himself. If he was a horcrux he had to die. It was simple in that way. He'd certainly demand the time to say goodbye to the girls, give them each a date that they'd remember, and let them know that he loved them and wanted them to move on from him.
Dumbledore raised his wand muttering an incantation as Harry felt a wave of magic wash over him. It tingled in ways Harry wasn't certain he'd ever felt before, especially in the area on his forehead his scar occupied, the lightning bolt shape having a distinctive feel.
"Well, my suspicions where correct, Harry, you were a horcrux." Dumbledore said, although his tone didn't have the sadness Harry would expect from a man telling him he was going to have to die.
"Are you so pleased you were right my death doesn't mean anything to you?" Harry asked numbly. He could hardly feel anything, he was hollow.
"You misunderstand me Harry. You WERE a horcrux. You are one no longer." Dumbledore said, a great happiness present in his voice.
Harry took a moment to process that. He… wasn't one anymore? He's fairly certain he wasn't dead, how would he no longer be a horcrux? "How?" He managed to squeak out.
"How indeed." Dumbledore wondered aloud. "I'd long suspected you had some connection to Voldemort as a result of your encounter on that Halloween, it seemed almost impossible for you not to."
"I remember my scar bothering me around Quirrell all of first year. At the time I hadn't thought anything of it, I just… assumed it was normal for it to feel that way sometimes. I hadn't noticed it was just around Quirrel until it got intense during the night he attempted to acquire the Philosopher's Stone." Harry said idly. "I guess that was it reacting to his presence. I don't remember it bothering me at all during the time in the graveyard or when we saw him at the ministry though."
"It seems likely that you managed to destroy the horcrux within yourself before the night in the graveyard then. When was the last time you can remember it bothering you?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling with academic curiosity.
"It would have been… the night in the Chamber. When I destroyed the diary." Harry said as his mind raced back. He was so overwhelmed, so concerned for his and Susan's safety that he hadn't really paid any attention.
"You were bitten by the basilisk then, were you not?" Dumbledore asked.
"Bitten isn't the right word. I just kind of had my arm jabbed by a fang while I was trying to stab it." Harry said, shivering as he remembered the burning pain that shot through him as the basilisk venom filled his bloodstream. "I'm honestly not sure how I survived that. I thought basilisk venom had no antidote, and even if it did, it would have been several minutes before I could have gotten any."
'You are correct in that basilisk venom has no antidote… but there is something that can counteract it's effects. Phoenix tears." Dumbledore said, lightly scratching Fawkes wings as he sat on his perch. "Flitwick informed me that the Sorting Hat had instructed Ms. Bones to allow Fawkes to cry into your wounds, which cured the venom within you. I think perhaps we may have misunderstood exactly what happened then."
"How so?" Sirius asked, his gaze locked on Harry. He'd been vaguely aware of the circumstances of that night in the Chamber, but this was his first time hearing the first hand account of what happened.
"I believe that Mr. Potter died that day. That the venom was not neutralized, just that he was brought back to life so soon after his death that his soul didn't have time to pass on." Dumbledore said. "Not much is known about phoenix tears and their restorative properties. It takes a very special individual for a phoenix to grant the use of their tears. I have cared for Fawkes for many years, and I do not believe he would cry for me."
Fawkes let out a trill, flying over to sit on Harry's shoulder, lightly preening his hair. "Hey now, Hedwig will get jealous if I have another bird doting over me." Harry said, chuckling a bit at Fawkes as the bird returned to his perch.
"I believe the venom made your body incompatible with sustaining the horcrux, just as it makes the physical objects incompatible with sustaining them." Dumbledore posited. "For now, we must thank our lucky stars that we do not need to consider what we may have had to do if you were still a horcrux. We can now focus our efforts on finding the final unaccounted for one."
"Do you have any leads on where Ravenclaw's Diadem may be?" Harry asked, happy to move on from the topic. He'd have to make sure to tell Sirius and Remus to never mention him having been a horcrux to the girls. Even once all this was over, that would be a piece of information that would only hurt them to know. It was many years past the point it mattered.
"Notably, I am well aware of the providence of the other items fro the Founders." Dumbledore said, as he produced a photo from his desk. "This is Hepzibah Smith. She was a good friend of mine, and before Voldemort, was the last person in possession of both Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket. She was the leading expert on the items of the founders, and used her vast wealth and influence to determine their locations and acquire them. She had an immense desire to have a collection of the four treasures of the founders, and had been in talks with the Hogwarts Board of Directors to 'purchase' the Sword of Gryffindor for private display, with the understanding that upon her death, ownership of all of the objects of the founders would revert back to the school. Unlike Voldemort, her interest in the items was in their historical value as opposed to their magical potential. She was a lovely woman with a deep appreciation for the history of Hogwarts and Magical Britain as a whole. There is an entire wing in the Museum of Magical History dedicated to her and her findings. All of this is to say, there is no one who knows more about these items who has been alive in my lifetime. In her search, she believes that the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw never left Hogwarts. She found no historical record that it ever left Hogwarts while not being worn by either Rowena or her daughter, and following both of their deaths, no one came forward with it in their possession. Various people have claimed to have possessed it over the years, but all of them were found to be fakes when put under scrutiny. As such, it must still be in the castle. It is unsurprising that a student as enterprising as Tom Riddle may have found it in his time."
"So we just have to look around the castle?" Harry asked. "That's not too bad. Although… it's been nearly a thousand years, shouldn't someone have found it by now?"
"Exactly my thoughts Harry. It should have been found more than a few times in the thousand years this school has been in active use." Dumbledore said, nodding. "As such, we must assume it is in some specifically secret location, one unknown to most of the population of the school for all these years. I do thankfully, know where it is not. A decade ago, several enterprising students found many hidden vaults within Hogwarts, and I have already searched those vaults thoroughly, and it was not found within them."
"Well, I can go check the Chamber of Secrets." Harry suggested. "If there's any place that Tom Riddle could have hid the diadem to never be discovered, that's surely the first place he'd think of."
"Pup's got a point. Remus and I will go with him and see if we can find anything." Sirius said, and Remus nodded in agreement.
"A good start. I'll have to think about other hidden locales. Unfortunately, Hogwarts is a massive place, and has a mind and will of her own. She is unlikely to relinquish her secrets, and we still have our other duties to attend to." Dumbledore said, stroking his long beard in deep thought.
"Well… what if I ask the Sphinx Club to help?" Harry asked, causing everyone's eyes to turn to him. "They're my dearest friends, and I know that they would never sell me out to Voldemort for anything. I don't want to put them in danger, but surely just looking around the school can't be that much of an issue, can it?"
"Harry is right… they do have the ability to search much more effectively than we can." Remus said, sighing. "They're also so loyal to Harry they'd literally die before giving up anything they knew. These are the same girls that when Harry even made the faintest suggestion of them breaking up with him for their own safety, threw marriage contracts at him." Remus chuckled a bit at that. "The others are loyal as well. Mr. Goyle was making fun of Harry in a class I was teaching earlier this year and I suspected Ms. Brown was about to turn him into a fine paste. Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Patil managed to calm her down, but it was clear they would have all tried it."
"I suppose there is nothing to it then. You can inform them of what we are looking for, but let them know they are to let no one else know. We cannot risk an information leak. If Voldemort were to find out about us searching for the Diadem, he'll at least suspect we may be on to him. We'll need to make a move on Nagini before our final battle, but she will almost certainly be our last one." Dumbledore spoke. "As of now Severus… I believe that may be your last act of espionage, once she is dead, Voldemort will surely know of your deception, as I struggle to imagine any of his other lieutenants could manage to kill her."
"With Bellatrix and Crouch Jr. imprisoned? I imagine not. Rookwood maybe, but he's also still in Azkaban." Snape said, sighing deeply. "I'll look into spells that seem likely to do it. I imagine Fiendfyre would suffice, but I struggle to imagine a spell less subtle than that one."