Chapter 13: Settling an Old Score
Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled under the invisibility cloak and debated what to do next. The front door was shut and locked most likely with enchantments capable of resisting a simple unlocking spell. They also did not fancy the idea of ringing the doorbell and announcing themselves. They could not even be sure that this was Lord Voldemort's house at all.
Suddenly, a cloaked Wizard apparated six paces away from them. He was holding what appeared to be a child in his arms. He approached the front door.
"That's Sam!" whispered Harry, urgently. The Wizard rang the doorbell. "Let's sneak behind him, under the Invisibility Cloak, when the door opens. Be quiet!"
The liveried servant greeted the Wizard, and formally opened the door. He held it wide open, paused, and then closed it with a flourish. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just made it indoors. They huddled in the entryway, watching Sam and the cloaked Wizard ascend the stairs. Then they crept carefully up the stairs and slipped into the parlor behind the Wizard and Sam.
Frodo waited. He briefly thought about putting on the Ring and trying to escape; but then realized that out of the locket, the Ring would be vulnerable, even on his finger. Perhaps then all Voldemort would have to do would be to shout, "Accio, Ring," and it would be all over. He also suspected that there might be Dementors about. And he supposed they, wraith-like, would be attracted to the Ring.
Presently, Frodo heard voices on the landing. A sneering, grating voice that was eerily familiar. A higher-pitched voice. Footsteps proceeded up the stairs. Voldemort released Frodo's arm.
"Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried, running in and hugging Frodo. "You're here! Mr. Snape told me you would be. I'll admit I wasn't too happy to see him at first, even at Azkaban, but he's been true to his word. Shows you can't always tell a person from first impressions, right Mr. Frodo?"
"Sam," said Frodo sadly. "I'm afraid you were right about Snape initially. He has delivered you from the frying pan directly into the fire!" Sam was aghast.
Frodo looked up and saw Snape approach and kneel down before Lord Voldemort. But Voldemort caught his hand and brought him up. He embraced Snape and kissed him on both cheeks.
"Well done, well done!" Voldemort cried, looking at the two Hobbits. "Severus, you and Lucius are to be commended for a superb night's work." He put his hand on Snape's shoulder and said, "It is so good to have you back, Severus. I thought you had left me forever."
"You knew I would return, Lord," said Snape, his eyes downcast. "You knew I could not stay away."
Voldemort turned to the Hobbits. "Frodo, give me the Ring!" he said, sternly.
"No!" cried Frodo.
Voldemort pointed his wand at Sam. "Sam, unfortunately for you, your friend Frodo leaves me no choice. It's unpleasant, but there is no lasting damage. Crucio!" he cried. The curse hit Sam full in the face, and he fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Voldemort let him flop about for several seconds, then released him. Voldemort addressed Frodo again. "Frodo, I don't want to have to do that again. Please give me the Ring."
Frodo, weeping, said, "No, no, never!"
Harry, watching from beneath the Invisibility Cloak could stand this no longer. He leaped up, pointed his wand at Lord Voldemort and cried, "Stupefy!" As he did so, he inadvertently pulled the Cloak off of Ron and Hermione. Harry's spell hit Lord Voldemort's shoulder, paralyzed his left arm, and knocked him down.
But Lord Voldemort whirled about as he fell, and with a masterful sweep of his wand, cried, "Immobilis! Expelliarmus!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione were rooted to the ground, and their wands flew into Voldemort's outstretched hand. He dropped their wands on the floor, but still held his own wand aloft and ready.
Thus sprawled on the ground, Voldemort stared at the three teenagers in incredulous and indignant amazement. He was grimacing in pain; one leg seemed to be twisted under him unnaturally.
"Master!" cried Snape. He ran over and tapped Voldemort's left arm with his wand and got it moving again. "Let me help you," said Snape, soothingly, as he tried to pick Voldemort up.
"Ah! No!" cried Voldemort, as he grabbed his right knee. Snape crouched before him and tried to magically repair the small ligaments that had been torn.
"Cruciate ligaments. Cruciate for excruciating," hissed Voldemort, arching his back in discomfort. "You should study the healing arts more, Severus," he said, waving Snape aside. Voldemort tapped his own knee with his wand. "That will do for now," he said, wincing slightly as Snape helped him to his feet. Snape then picked up off the floor and pocketed the three students' wands.
Voldemort turned to face Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Fury flickered across Voldemort's eyes. Then, abruptly, he recovered himself. He took a deep breath. He smiled coldly.
"Why, how nice of you to drop by, Master Harry Potter. I've missed you since I saw you last. And I see you've brought some friends. How kind." He extended his hand to Hermione. "May I have the pleasure of your acquaintance? My name is Voldemort." Hermione recoiled from him, as far as she could with her feet stuck to the ground. Voldemort picked up her hand and kissed it. She snatched it away. "Dear me," he said. "We shall have to teach you better manners than that. And," he paused, gazing at her, "I think you will find me a very, very good teacher."
He turned to Ron. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he murmured, extending his hand.
"I'm Ron," he said, furiously. He grabbed Voldemort's hand and squeezed it hard. Voldemort squeezed back. Ron winced as Voldemort snapped every bone in his hand, but did not cry out.
"What a nice party," said Voldemort, acidly. "I presume you're all here to see the fun, so I sha'n't leave you in suspense any longer."
Voldemort turned and cried, "Frodo, give me the Ring! No? Crucio!" Sam again writhed and screamed. Frodo curled up in a ball, rocked back and forth, wept bitterly, pulled at his hair, but would not give up the Ring. After what seemed like an eternity, Voldemort released Sam. Glad of the reprieve, he lay panting on the ground.
Lord Voldemort walked over to Frodo and glowered down at him. His eyes flashed menacingly with barely contained rage. And then, to Frodo's abject horror, Lord Voldemort's grey eyes slowly turned a livid, fiery red. His nose flattened and his nostrils became serpent-like slits. His skin turned ghastly white. This was the terrible true face of Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, most powerful Black Sorcerer on earth. The room darkened, and an evil light fell upon the Dark Lord's face. He seemed to grow in stature then, as a giant towering over the small, cowering Hobbit.
In a voice that thundered through Frodo's body, Lord Voldemort commanded, "I have no more patience, Frodo. No more. Give me the Ring!"
Frodo, terrified, covered his eyes and threw himself down upon the floor. He clutched the locket and shrieked, "No! No! I won't let you!"
Lord Voldemort pointed his wand at Sam. "Avada Kevadra!" he cried. The killing curse streamed from the wand; but at the last moment, Lord Voldemort precisely shifted his aim. The curse changed direction and hit Harry, squarely in the chest. There was a rushing sound and a flash of green light. Harry Potter fell, dead.
Chapter 14: The Lord of the Ring
Frodo remained on the ground, with his hands still covering his eyes. He had heard the blast, and had expected to die. He heard screaming. He began to tremble uncontrollably. Then he felt the touch of a gentle hand, stroking his hair. He looked up, slowly. The first thing he saw was Harry, crumpled on the ground, his green eyes half-open. Hermione was shrieking and wailing. Ron was in utter shock, staring at Harry. Sam was rocking back and forth on the floor, his eyes wild.
Frodo turned around to see who was touching him. It was Lord Voldemort, once more fair, his eyes the color of ice. He gazed kindly at Frodo, and spoke to him in soothing tones. "I am sorry about Harry," said Voldemort. "But I was settling an old score. He has tried to kill me on a number of occasions. Even tonight, as you saw, he attacked me first and injured me." Voldemort's voice softened further. "Frodo, if you'll give the Ring to Sam, I promise not to torture or kill him, or either of your remaining young friends."
Frodo could not think clearly anymore. He was willing to do almost anything to stop more torture and death. He hesitated just a moment, then held the locket up to Sam. Sam took it from his hand. Just as the locket left his fingers Frodo realized what would happen. "No, Sam!" he cried. He tried to take back the locket, but Voldemort pushed him away.
"Immobilis!" Snape's curse hit his feet. Frodo was stuck to the floor.
Voldemort laid his wand on Frodo's face. "Crucio!" he cried. Now Frodo began to writhe and scream in agony.
"No!" sobbed Sam. "Stop it! Stop it now!"
Voldemort lifted his wand. "You want me to stop? Open the locket. Give me the Ring."
"No, Sam, don't," gasped Frodo.
But watching his master be tortured was too much for Sam to bear. He could not resist. He opened the locket. The Ring shone within.
With trembling, ecstatic hands, Lord Volemort took the Ring. He held it in his hands and marveled at it. "The Ring, the One Ring, the Ring of power," he gasped.
He touched his wand to his hand. "Incendio," he whispered. Immediately a magical flame kindled in his palm. In the midst of the flames, the Ring at once began to glow. Elvish letters shone red about it. The Ring itself then glowed entirely red and began to change shape.
And then, before Lord Voldemort's shocked and incredulous eyes, the Ring melted. "Ah!" he cried, his hand burned not by the magical flames, but by the molten gold. He turned his hand, and what was left of the Ring dripped onto the ground. All stared at it, thunderstruck.
"What! What is this!" cried Voldemort, gripping his maimed hand.
"My Lord," said Snape quietly. "The Rings of power all faded at the end of the Third Age. It may be that this Ring faded also. Sauron does not exist today. Also, no Ruling Ring has ever been transported thousands of years through time. There was no way to predict what would happen."
Voldemort was silent for a long moment. Then his face twitched into a kind of wry smile. He even chuckled a few times, shaking his head. Then abruptly, Voldemort seemed to notice Ron and Hermione staring at him. Voldemort's expression darkened and kindled to fury again. He turned back towards Frodo and said, "Well, you seem to have outlived your usefulness."
"Lord, perhaps we..." started Snape.
"Silence!" snapped Lord Voldemort. He pointed his wand at Frodo's heart .
"Avada Kavadra," he intoned in a low voice.
The curse streamed out from Voldemort's wand and hit Frodo in the chest. It scattered and rays of the curse ricocheted out diffusely in many directions. One ray hit Lord Voldemort, and brought him down. For Frodo still had on his Mithril mail shirt. Mithril, that ancient metal, delved by Dwarves, wrought and enchanted by Elves, stops not only Orc arrows and evil Wizards' knives, it also repels killing curses.
Severus Snape was still standing, however. With a look of grim resolution, he slowly raised his wand and pointed it at the fallen figure of Lord Voldemort.
Then the doorbell rang.
Snape hesitated, looking over at the students and the Hobbits. "There is no time!" he exclaimed in frustration. He turned from Voldemort and waved his wand at the feet of Ron, Hermione, and Frodo. "Mobilis!" cried Snape. They could walk again. Snape then sprang over to Ron and Hermione and, to their complete astonishment, gave them back their wands. "Do you still have my Port-Key?" he asked. They nodded.
He turned to Frodo, "Do you know where it is? Did he show it to you? The Mirror!"
"Yes," said Frodo. "But..."
"I have no time to explain." Speaking very quickly, Snape went on, "You two, take the Hobbits out the back way. Frodo will guide you to the Mirror. Take it, the ewer and yourselves back to Hogwarts using the Port- Key. Use the Invisibility Cloak. I'll need to use Harry's wand for a moment, but you must take it before you go." Snape was panting now, out of breath.
"But what about Harry's body!" cried Hermione.
"No! It will slow you down. I'll take it back to Hogwarts myself," snapped Snape.
They could hear voices in the entryway.
"I'm going to do something now, and then everyone needs to leave immediately. Don't forget Harry's wand," said Snape, looking anxiously towards the door. "Oh! I almost forgot. Frodo, take this!" He produced a small package and held it outstretched in one hand. In his other hand, Snape took up Harry's wand and turned it on himself. "Stupefy!" he cried. The curse shot out from the tip of the wand and hit Snape, hard, in the chest. He fell.
Hermione, Ron, Frodo and Sam stared at the unconscious figure of Severus Snape in total amazement. The sound of footsteps on the stairs jolted them out of their shock. Frodo grabbed the package. Hermione pulled Harry's wand from Snape's limp hands, then grabbed the Invisibility Cloak. She had just gotten everyone underneath when the door opened.
Lucius Malfoy entered. "What on earth!" he cried. "Master!" Malfoy ran to Lord Voldemort's side. Hobbits and students crept out, and down the stairs. Frodo and Sam, still suffering the effects of the Cruciatus curse, couldn't make it any farther than the back door, and had to be carried.
Frodo led them down the stone steps into the grassy dell where the Mirror of Galadriel lay. "This is it," he said.
Ron, cradling his injured hand, said, "Should we do this? Should we trust him? Should we bring this thing? It could be a trap, some other kind of Port-Key, maybe send us straight to You-Know-Who's dungeons."
"We should bring it," said Frodo, hoarsely. "This mirror is Elven-work. It is not evil." All clasped hands, and held between them the ewer and the basin. Hermione grasped the fountain pen. They came to rest at the front gate of Hogwarts.
Chapter 15: Three Wizards
"Enervate!" a familiar voice hissed. Severus Snape opened his eyes. Lord Voldemort was sitting in front of him. He was holding his head and drinking the last of the sweet wine. Lucius Malfoy had his wand pointed at Snape.
"What happened?" said Snape, drawing himself up slowly. "Oh! Ah!" he groaned. He rubbed his head, too. "Lord Voldemort was killing one of the hobbits, and..."
"And what?" sneered Malfoy. "We'd all really like to know. I came in here ten minutes ago, found you both out cold. What happened, Snape? Did you curse his Lordship and take the Ring?"
"Come, now, Lucius," said Voldemort wearily, with a wave of his hand. "Suppose he had cursed me and taken the Ring. I would be dead, and so would you, Lucius. No, I had the Ring in my hands. Set it on fire. Saw the Elvish script. It was the One. And then, Lucius, it melted. Yes, the One Ring melted." He took another sip of wine. "Guess Sauron's old Black Magic isn't what its cracked up to be, eh Severus. But you know, I could have sworn that Ring had some power left. I could feel it, as I was torturing that wretched Hobbit. Some powerful force, egging me on. But...perhaps not."
Voldemort threw his glass down in frustration. It shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Snape pointed his wand at the shards, and they magically reassembled. "Thank you, Severus," said Voldemort, as Snape waved the glass over to the sideboard. "No, Lucius, I hit the Hobbit with a killing curse, but I was tired; and I forgot about his Mithril shirt. The backlash threw me down."
"Your curse rebounded? You weren't injured?" asked Snape.
Malfoy and Voldemort looked at him quizzically. "Ah, yes," said Voldemort, finally. "I forget sometimes what you have and haven't been told, Severus. But there's no harm, I believe, in revealing this to you. I've taken precautions against being injured or killed by my own curses. What those precautions are I think I will keep a secret for the moment. All you need to know, dear Severus, is that it would take far more than ordinary magic to kill me now."
"As I suspected," thought Snape. He nodded but said nothing.
"Speaking of rebounding curses, one good thing did come out of this," said Voldemort, brightly. "I finished things with Harry Potter." He looked at Harry's lifeless body and smiled. His expression changed as he turned towards Snape. "Which reminds me-where in hell did he and those teen-agers come from, anyway, Snape?"
"My Lord," said Snape, carefully. "I believe that he may have overheard my conversation with Lucius. I had given Harry a detention this morning. He should have reported for it at four o'clock, but the business with Fudge and the Dementors taking the Hobbits evidently put it out of his head. Put it out of my head, too, actually. It would have been helpful if you had warned me about that ahead of time, Lucius."
"As you know, we are only just starting to trust you again, Snape," sneered Malfoy. "We thought it unwise for you to know the whole plan."
"Harry then remembered his detention and came down to my office at eight o'clock or thereabouts. I saw the firelight change, and told him to go. He may have listened at the door. His friend, that Granger girl, is insufferably bright, and perhaps deduced the existence of a Port-Key to your house, Lord. Armed with an invisibility cloak, they were able to slip in unnoticed."
"So what are you going to do about these children? They will accuse you, no doubt. You're no use to us as a spy if you're in Azkaban." said Voldemort.
Snape stood up quickly and shook out his robes. "Albus Dumbledore is the only person they would trust to tell. And he is still in London. A memory charm would do the trick. I'll bring Harry's body back and leave it in the forest; his death will be a mystery. I should leave immediately."
"Not quite immediately," said Voldemort, rising and wincing a bit as he put weight on his right leg. "I think you have an hour or so to spare yet." He gazed fondly at Snape. "Oh, Severus, my old friend. How I want to believe you. But, for the sake of neatness, I need to check a few things. Give me your wand."
"Lord?" said Snape.
"Give it to me." Snape reluctantly handed his wand to Voldemort. Pointing the wand back at Snape, Voldemort said, "Prior Incanto." The wand shot out a weak Immobilis spell. "You froze the Hobbit's feet with that, I think," said Voldemort.
"Yes, Lord," answered Snape, reversing the spell and turning to go.
"One more thing." Voldemort blocked his way. "Take off your outer robes. I want to search them."
"What...what are you looking for?" asked Snape.
"I don't know; something. Are you hiding anything from me?" asked Voldemort. A dangerous red flicker had come into his eyes.
"No, Lord, I..."
"Then take them off." Snape did so. Voldemort searched them, then tossed them aside. He walked up to Snape and laid his wand on Snape's chest. "You can leave us now, Lucius."
Chapter 16: The Lamentations of Severus Snape
Painfully, slowly, Hermione, Ron, Frodo, and Sam passed through the Hogwarts gate and up the great lawn. They went to the infirmary and woke the nurse, Madame Pomfrey. She repaired Ron's broken hand, and gave them all magical chocolate, the kind that warms, heals, and cheers. They could not speak to her of what had happened. As their shock faded, grief overcame them; they embraced one another and wept. Realizing she could do no more for them, Madame Pomfrey withdrew.
Her arms about him, her tears falling into his hair, Hermione said to Frodo, "At least there is one good thing that has come out of all this. The Ring is gone. It melted in Lord Voldemort's evil fire. You are freed from your Quest. You can go home-or stay."
Frodo hugged her tightly in reply, and wept. He still felt a weight upon his chest; but he supposed it was his grief that pulled him down.
Several hours later, having narrowly survived Lord Voldemort's search and interrogation, Severus Snape began a long and weary journey. In moonless darkness, he passed through the Hogwarts gate and up the great lawn, bearing in his arms a heavy burden: the body of Harry Potter. Snape could have cast a spell to make it feather-light. Or he could have used the Mobilis Corpus spell to make it walk on its own. But somehow the aching in his arms and back, and the great effort of every step distracted Snape from the fury in his heart.
He got as far as the front steps; and then great fatigue overcame him and he had to sit down. He still held Harry in his arms. His dark eyes hollow with exhaustion, Snape stared for a long while into the bleak night.
"Harry," Snape said aloud. "How very like your father you are...you were. Neither of you considered yourselves mere mortals. I remember how your father used to strut about in school, considering himself a cut above us all." His lips curled into a sneer. "And when he left Hogwarts, that vain, foolish boy thought that a hero on the Quiddich field could be a hero in the real world."
"You, Harry," Snape continued, grimly, "you repeated his mistakes." Snape's sharp features twisted in anger. "Over and over again I told the Headmaster that the latitude he gave you only encouraged you to take further risks. Gave you a swelled head, made you think you were invulnerable! Well, I was right. I was right all along. I always knew it would come to this!" Snape gave a great sigh, and then bowed his head. "You did too, I suppose."
Hollow-eyed, Snape looked down at the lifeless boy in his arms. "I hated James, it is true. Hated him for his arrogance and his folly. Hated the senseless way in which he died, and the anguish it caused so many people. I did try...." Snape closed his eyes. "I did try to warn him. But it was not enough. In the end, I could not repay my debt to him...."
He sat there for a moment, eyes shut, still clutching Harry's body in his arms. Then, in an anguished whisper, he muttered, "I am so very sorry, Harry. I could not protect you. I would not have survived a duel with Lord Voldemort. And everyone would have been killed in the crossfire."
Snape broke off and remained still. He opened his eyes and stared into the gloom, his mind crowded with thoughts and memories. Then, lifting Harry's body, he struggled to his feet again. He gazed at Harry's face and said, "I did not choose my burdens, Harry. But I bear them as best I can." And Severus Snape carried inside the body of Harry Potter.
Snape went to the infirmary. As he walked inside, he was greeted with cries of astonishment and grief. And some of reproach. He ignored them. He laid Harry's body down gently on one of the beds, and went to rouse Madame Pomfrey. Perhaps he had some vain hope that Harry could still be saved. The nurse ran to his bedside, and applied many powerful reviving charms, but to no avail. Harry was quite dead.
"Madame Pomfrey, thank you for your efforts. I must ask you to leave us, now," sighed Snape, as he collapsed into a chair beside Harry's bed. "I must also ask you not to raise the alarm or tell anyone about this, for now." She assented and left. Snape turned to face Frodo, Sam, Hermione and Ron. They stared at one another for a long time.
Ron broke the silence. "Traitor," he said. "You brought Sam to be tortured. You got Harry killed. You almost got us all killed. You delivered the Ring into You-Know-Who's hands!"
"If he wanted us all dead, why did he give us back our wands?" observed Hermione. "Besides, the Ring melted."
"You are both partially right," said Snape. "I brought Sam to the Dark Lord's house, but only to get to Frodo, and rescue them both. Voldemort would have gotten the Ring, and it would have melted. I have known the Dark Lord for many years. I know his mind and his sense of humor. His ego would have been fed by the thought that his own magical fire was powerful enough to melt Sauron's Ring. He would have been amused by the look on Frodo's face when the Ring melted. It would not have been at all difficult to persuade him to let the Hobbits go. He has no need of them, and they present no threat. Despite his reputation, he only kills when he has a reason, usually.
"But then the three of you showed up, in his house, under his nose. Harry actually hit him with a curse and injured him. He was infuriated and embarrassed. Imagine! The Dark Lord Voldemort, surprised and ambushed in his own house by three teenagers. At that point, he became angry, dangerous, and unpredictable. Your actions were brave but misguided." Hermione began again to weep. Ron put his arm around her.
"Why did you turn Harry's wand on yourself?" asked Sam.
"To maintain my credibility as a spy. I pretended to have been knocked out by a small fraction of the same blast that felled Voldemort."
"I have a question," asked Frodo. "How did you know the Ring would melt?"
"Ah," said Snape. "Look at the package I gave you."
"The package?" said Frodo. "I had forgotten about it." From his tunic pocket, Frodo withdrew a small package, bound up in brown paper and string. He unwrapped it slowly, and drew out a shining silver locket. He opened the locket. The Ring, the true Ring, the One Ring glittered within. Frodo at once felt its power and weight. He shut the locket abruptly. "Then the other ring was..."
"A decoy," said Snape, smiling grimly. "We've learned a thing or two since the Third Age. At that time, Sauron believed that Aragorn of Arathorn had the Ring, and did not suspect that a couple of Hobbits would be trying to destroy it. This time, Lord Voldemort knew that Hobbits had the ring, and that we would most definitely be trying to destroy it or send it back. You two were very vulnerable targets. So we switched rings without telling you; we feared you would not give up the Ring willingly."
"But," said Sam, "We saw the Elvish letters glow."
"It was a very good decoy. Professor Dumbledore stayed up all Friday night making it after you went to bed. Not only did it glow Elvish runes when heated, it also would have turned you invisible had you put it on. We did not think Lord Voldemort would be fooled by any old ring."
"When did you exchange the lockets?" asked Frodo.
"After you fell off the broomstick Saturday morning," Snape replied. "I had planned to switch them while you were sleeping, but your fall provided a perfect opportunity. The Ring was seeking a new owner, I suppose. It got one, temporarily."
Frodo looked at Snape. "Then you have borne the Ring."
"For a little while," Snape answered quietly.
Frodo sat and held the locket for a while in his hands, lost in thought. Then he said, "This means I have to go back. I have to finish the Quest."
"Oh, Frodo," said Snape, gently. "Yes. Yes, you do." Hermione began again to weep. Snape looked down at the foot of Frodo's bed and saw the silver ewer and basin. "I see that you have the Mirror here. Dumbledore will likely send you back tonight."
Snape rose. "I told Lord Voldemort that I would use a memory charm on you all to erase what happened last night. I will not do that. I will trust you to speak to no one about this except Professor Dumbledore. Harry's death must remain a mystery. There are spies everywhere; a careless word from any of you could be carried back to Lord Voldemort." He turned to go.
"What would you have done if Frodo had been killed?" Ron asked.
"He was not killed, so let us not think about that," said Snape, as he closed the infirmary door. But as he walked towards his rooms, the answer to Ron's question floated in his mind: "I would have borne my Burden and followed my path."
Chapter 17: Torn in Two
Albus Dumbledore returned from London the following afternoon. That evening, he met in his office with Frodo and Sam. They talked for a long while about the events of the previous night.
"Poor Mr. Harry," said Sam. "When that awful Dark Lord started torturing me, he leapt up and tried to save me. It was a rash move, but a brave one."
"Yes, poor Harry. He was brave and good. I shall grieve for him long. It was his doom to be killed by the Dark Lord, though he escaped that fate many times," said Dumbledore, sadly.
"Before Sam and Severus showed up, Lord Voldemort tried to do something to me," said Frodo. "Something very bad. It was torture, though an almost pleasant kind of torture, in a-in a horrible sort of way. I can't describe it." He shuddered at the memory.
"I was afraid of that," said Dumbledore. "Seduction is Lord Voldemort's specialty. Once caught in that kind of snare, few ever escape his clutches. In fact, only one that I know of."
"Who?" asked Frodo.
"Severus Snape," answered Dumbledore. "Lord Voldemort offered him everything he could ever have wanted. Things more seductive than power, glory, or fortune, though he offered these, too. But Severus recognized the evil. He found the strength to turn away; he found some humility, some basic goodness deep within. The life Severus chose instead, here at Hogwarts, is painful for him in many ways. I do not know, but I suppose he thinks, often, about what he gave up.
"To turn away from, and reject Lord Voldemort is vastly more difficult than never becoming associated with him in the first place. It is an addiction of sorts. But Severus is like you, Frodo. He bears his burdens and follows his path; often imperfectly, but as well as he can. That is why I appointed him Ringbearer, for a little while. He did not want the Ring, but he accepted it.
"I will be sending you back as soon as the moon sets. You have time to make some final goodbyes," said Dumbledore.
Just then the door opened. Severus Snape walked in, looking ill and greatly fatigued. The Hobbits started to speak to him, but he waved them off.
"Later," he said. "Make your good-byes. I'll be there to see you off."
Snape lowered himself into a chair and watched the Hobbits leave.
"Severus," said Dumbledore. "You know that there was nothing you could have done to save Harry."
Snape closed his eyes and nodded, imperceptibly.
Dumbledore went on, "Harry should not have been there. He sought his doom. A fight with Lord Voldemort would have been disastrous. And then Voldemort would have had the Ring."
"The Ring," Snape said, quietly. He began to shiver.
"I felt it, Albus. From the moment I took the Ring, I felt it call me. I felt it search for me. I felt the presence of an Eye, the presence of Sauron himself. Yet it was not ugly. It was beautiful. It promised me...it promised me..." Snape stopped speaking and looked down. Then he said, "It promised me the same thing that Lord Voldemort did. And still does."
In a quiet, halting voice he continued, "To have both the Ring and Voldemort at the same time calling me...to have no resistance left, and yet no choice but to resist...it is too much." He had a forlorn, faraway gaze in his eyes. His voice became quieter still. "I am torn in two and utterly bereft. They are both gone to me now. I turned from one and gave the other away. I can never have them back." Here Severus Snape broke off. He could say no more.
Dumbledore had no words of comfort. He put his hand on Snape's shoulder.
Almost imperceptibly, Snape shook his head. Dumbledore hesitated; then drew his hand back.
Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, at that moment stirred and rustled its feathers. It hopped off of its perch and into Snape's lap. Its intelligent eyes filled with tears. It put its head against Snape's face and wept.
"Phoenix tears are said to cure all wounds," thought Dumbledore. "This one too, I hope."
Chapter 18: Time's Arrow
Sam and Frodo said their good-byes. Sam spent his last hour down in the kitchens with the House-elves. They had fed him well and frequently, Hobbit-fashion. Hagrid joined Sam there.
Frodo spent his time with Hermione. She accepted his fate, although it was a terrible grief to her to lose two friends within the same day. Frodo sang her an old song:
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet.
Though friends may weep that I must go,
I hope one day our paths may meet,
Beyond the earth and stars that glow.
The moon set. They walked hand and hand down the lawn to the Hogwarts Gate. Sam, Ron, Snape, and Dumbledore were waiting for them. Frodo took the Ring out of the locket and set it again on its silver chain. He gave the locket to Dumbledore. "I believe I should enter my world again the way I left it," said Frodo.
Snape approached and stooped before Frodo and Sam. He put his hands on their shoulders. "Farewell Sam. Farewell Ring-bearer. I have borne what you bear. But your road is longer and much harder than mine. May it take you finally home and then West." Snape's eyes traveled to the Ring; but, with a great effort, he rose and turned away.
"The Mirror of Galadriel is prepared. Are you ready?" asked Dumbledore.
"Yes," said Frodo.
"Yes," said Sam.
Dumbledore gazed into the mirror. The stars reflected in it, then went out. Mists covered the surface, then cleared. Dumbledore saw a jagged, barren, hilly landscape, and commanded a date: February 29, 3019 of the Third Age of Middle Earth. He touched his wand to the water and uttered the words "Incanto Tempus." A great mist rose up just beyond the Hogwarts Gate. The two Hobbits joined hands, walked outside the Gate, and vanished, never to be seen again in this age.
Dumbledore returned his attention to the Mirror. He commanded it to show a different scene, at a different time. He looked at the wood of Lothlorien in the Fourth Age. The Elves had been gone for many years. Arwen lay quiet in her green grave. But the Mirror of Galadriel had remained behind, forgotten, never to be used again until the time of Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore put his wand into the water, pointed it at the Mirror in the Mirror and said, "
As Albus Dumbledore drew out his wand, the Mirror itself vanished. And then the arrow of that timeline stopped. Everything collapsed.
"Let's go to Hogsmeade!" said Ron.
"What, tonight?" asked Hermione.
"Why not? We haven't been allowed to go since You-Know-Who turned up again. I'm getting stir-crazy. Harry's got his Marauder's Map and his Invisibility Cloak. Why not sneak out? A fun Friday night at the pub, what do you say, Harry?"
Harry smiled. He had been feeling a bit restless lately, too. The school year so far had been like waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was tired of being careful. "Why not!" he said. "Let's go."
Suddenly all three of them stopped talking. A powerful and strange sensation caught and washed over them. Everything around them seemed to shimmer, collapse, and reform. They recovered, feeling as if they had woken up from a beautiful yet bittersweet dream, although they could not recall any part of it. Hermione found herself crying, but did not know why.
Harry said, "What was that?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads.
Wiping away her tears, Hermione said, "Harry, I know I'm being a pain, but I think you should be careful. I don't think Hogsmeade is such a good idea tonight."
"You're probably right," said Harry.
"Voice of reason," grinned Ron.
"Well, master, we're in a fix and no mistake," said Sam Gamgee. He stood despondently with hunched shoulders beside Frodo, and peered out with puckered eyes into the gloom of the hills of Emyn Muil.
So begins Book 4 of The Two Towers...
And ends Harry and Frodo