Harry Potter: Love's Second Chance

Harry and Hermione launched into exactly what happened after the kiss, the meeting with the Goddess of Love, the revelations about their friends who had betrayed them, and about Dumbledore. How they were given a choice to come back and try to fix what went wrong.

"Even my original meeting with the Weasleys was staged," Harry said as they ended the explanation.

"So this Miranda is a Goddess? That's a bit farfetched isn't it? Are you sure you didn't just have a shared dream? Or maybe someone pranked you with polyjuice or something?"

"Want me to tell you everything we learned in our sixth year?" Hermione asked. "Potions with Professor Slughorn was much better than Professor Snape, but..."

"Slughorn? How do you know about him? He was my potions Professor."

"I know. He remembered my mother," Harry replied.

"We knew him because in the last timeline," Hermione added. "Snape became the Defense Professor and Dumbledore brought Slughorn back to teach Potions."

"Besides, how you do think we knew about Regulus and Kreacher?" Harry asked with his voice rising, "How do I know about the prophecy? Or that you put me in you will?"

"Okay, say I believe you, and, as crazy as it sounds, I'm actually starting too, why can't we tell Dumbledore?"

"You know I have, had...well, have again, a connection with Voldemort right? The reason I knew about Mr. Weasley?" When Sirius nodded, Harry continued. "Did Dumbledore ever explain exactly what it was? I am presuming not, since no one knew about those things," Harry nodded at the locket, "when he died."

"Dumbledore died?" Sirius asked incredulously. He remembered them mentioning it earlier, but he hadn't really believed them at the time.

"Yeah, end of next year," Harry said. "No one knew it, but he was dying anyway. This summer, he ended being cursed and only had a year left. He set it up so Snape would kill him to better his position with Voldemort," He then turned to Hermione, "You know, that's something else on Dumbledore's shoulders. Since everyone believed Voldemort was able to kill Dumbledore, it demoralized those who were fighting against him," Harry's eyes were flashing in anger now. "How many people lost their lives because they gave up the will to fight?"

Hermione put her hand on Harry's to calm him down. "It's not going to happen that way this time," She said. She then continued the explanation to Sirius. "We're still realizing all the mistakes Dumbledore made. I hope you can see that we need more than Professor Dumbledore deciding what is best."

"Yeah, I can see that," Sirius replied. "Harry, what were you going to say about the connection you have? And what does it have to do with that locket?"

"Have any idea what a Horcrux is?" Harry asked his godfather.

Sirius eyes hardened, "Is that what Voldemort did? And that," He nodded at the locket, "is it?"

"Yes, that is a Horcrux, but he made far more than just that one; he made six of them, or actually seven but the last was by accident and he never realized it," Hermione explained.

"Seven?" Sirius whispered.

"Yes, seven and so far only one has been destroyed."

"The seventh one," Harry said and tapping his scar, "Is here."

At the look of horror on Sirius's face, Harry explained further. "When Voldemort tried to kill me all those years ago, a piece of his soul broke off and lodged in me. That is the link we share. How did I get rid of it in the future? Voldemort killed me again. Dumbledore's grand plan had me walk out and take a killing curse, voluntarily, without knowing there was a chance I would live. I thought I was going out to die, Sirius," Tears had come back to Harry's eyes as he remembered the walk into the Forbidden Forest. Hermione's arms reached around him and he heard, "Not this time, Harry. You will not leave me, and I will not leave you."

"Basically, Dumbledore's plan consisted of three teenagers wandering around a countryside looking for horcruxes, with no clue where they were. If we found them all, I was to go get myself killed by Voldemort on purpose," Harry took a breath to calm down and then continued. "Did he even bother to tell me that part of it? Of course not. He left that bit of information with Snape. Only by pure luck was I able to get that knowledge from Snape as he was dying. Even then he left out the part about I had a chance to live through it. Last night...last night I stood in front of Voldemort and let him KILL ME without raising my wand because that was what DUMBLEDORE said I had to do."

The horror had returned to Sirius' face.

"Again, I hope you understand why Dumbledore cannot know what we have to say? We know where all of the Horcruxes are and we will eventually figure out how to get them destroyed, but it will not be his way."

"Yeah I...I can see why," Sirius replied in a shaky voice. "So...what about the locket? How do we destroy it?"

"Harry," Hermione said, "I have an idea that might work," She turned to Sirius, "Will Dumbledore be here anytime soon?"

"He stops by every few days. Why?" Sirius asked.

"You can tell him that you asked Kreacher about Regulus, and give him the story he just told you. Then give Dumbledore the locket," Hermione explained. "See if he mentions to you what it is. If nothing else, he'll destroy it for us."

"He can't without my help to open it," Harry said.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"This is Salazar Slytherin's locket," Harry explained. "It'll only open to a parseltongue command."

"Will he realize what it is and how it opens?"

"He'll recognize it immediately. He has the memory of a House-elf who served the lady Riddle stole it from. Hez...something or another Smith."

"How do you know all of that?" Sirius asked, but then held up his hands. "Never mind. Obviously a lot has happened. So, will Dumbledore ask for your help?"

"He might try to trick me in helping him, but he's desperate for those Horcruxes, so he'll definitely come to me."

"If, or I should say, when he does," Hermione said. "It will be a good time to force him to tell you about the Horcruxes."

"That's true."

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