Chapters 181-190

A Trapped Soul

‘What?!’ Harry asked. ‘Dobby, do you mean to say that Professor Dumbledore’s soul is lying over there underneath the Resurrection Stone?’

Dobby cocked his head. ‘That what it is? Wizards came and put it on him. Since then Professor Dumbledore Sir has not been able to move.’

‘Who did this?’ Severus asked, joining the conversation for the first time. ‘Who were those wizards?’

Dobby’s ears flapped nervously as he bowed to the Potions Master. ‘That toad woman it was, Professor Snape, sir. And two others.’ He ducked his head. ‘Bad wizards,’ the elf whispered. ‘They has swords and curvy knives. And silver pipes and one of them gots bells like …’ He looked fearfully at Severus. ‘Dobby does not know them.’

‘Umbridge!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘But she’s dead! Her death should have broken the curse.’

‘Unless she did not cast it or it was set up not to depend on an individual’s power,’ Severus said. His black gaze was fixed on the Resurrection Stone.

Harry followed his gaze. It was hard to believe that a soul was trapped under the stone. It was harder to believe that it was Professor Dumbledore who lay there. He didn’t know what to think. And he felt…odd. Choked, somehow.

Harry glanced at Severus. How much worse must it be for him? To stand next to the soul of a friend he had to kill?

Snape looked horrible. His lips were white, pressed tightly together. A tiny blue vein pulsed at his temple. Harry remembered this tell-tale sign of Snape about to lose control. He winced at a memory of how he’d almost enjoyed goading Snape until he had…well, snapped.

‘Sir?’ Harry asked carefully. ‘Are there Necromancers among the Death Eaters?’

Severus didn’t look at him. When he spoke, his voice sounded very much like Harry felt: choked. ‘No. No. Of course Voldemort would have loved to have a Raiser in his pocket. But there was only I, the Binder, whom he never quite trusted. And Quirrell—and Quirrell never was a Death Eater as such, merely unfortunate. Though fortunate enough in his timely death.’ Snape shuddered. It was obvious that he had to force himself to face Harry. When he did, his eyes had a glazed look.

‘Before we came here,’ Severus said softly, ‘I had a strange suspicion concerning all that has happened. But if Umbridge was here—’ He shook his head. ‘If Umbridge was here, with them…It just doesn’t make sense. I must be missing something.’ He blinked, as if he had to struggle to really see Harry. ‘I suppose it is possible that Necromancers have joined that elusive new organization formed by those renegade Death Eaters.’

Harry nodded. ‘Umbridge definitely had the personality to fancy herself the new Dark Lady. She had access to all kinds of resources at the Ministry. And we have no idea who joined that new organization. Or how many. They are too damn good at hiding.’

He took a step. A sharp tug at his wrist and a muffled oath reminded him that he was still tied to Severus and that he couldn’t just start pacing. ‘Damn,’ he muttered. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘If you think it will help, I’d be willing to join you in pacing.’

Harry rubbed the scar on his forehead. ‘Probably not.’ He sighed. ‘Is there really no way of discovering the nature of this curse and how to break it?’

‘Professor Dumbledore Sir says that stones is being used to store magical energy that is being leeched off from somewhere else—someones else,’ Dobby piped up. ‘Professor Dumbledore Sir says that the magic is not being used,’ he added. His ears flattened against his skull. ‘Professor Dumbledore Sir says that the curse will eventually become unstable and collapse,’ Dobby whispered. ‘And then…and then…bad things will happen…bad, bad things…’ He dropped on his knees, hid his face in his hands and proceeded to rock back and forth. ‘Oh, oh, oh!’ he moaned. ‘Oh, oh, oh!’ He appeared to be literally scared out of his wits.

‘Dobby, STOP THAT!’ Harry shouted. He reached for the elf at the same moment as Snape did. For a second they stared at each other. Then Harry picked the distraught elf up and hugged him close. He’d never done this while elf was alive. Holding him for the second time, now, here, made him regret that even more. Finally Dobby stopped sniffling and Harry released him.

‘You said that Professor Dumbledore can’t move,’ Harry asked. ‘If that’s the case, how can youtalk to him?’

Dobby blinked at Harry and shook his head a little. ‘Harry Potter is not knowing much about souls, is he? I is not needing to speak in order to talk to Professor Dumbledore Sir. We is dead. We don’t need words anymore.’

‘What kind of bad things will happen?’ Harry pressed.

Dobby only moaned.

‘What do you think will happen, when the halves of the Resurrection Stone reach the limit of their capacity?’ Snape asked impatiently.

‘They might…umm…explode?’

‘Excellent exercise of logical reasoning,’ Severus snapped. ‘Indeed, they will explode. Along with everything around them. And I mean everything.’

Harry gulped. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I can promise you that a big bang on both sides of the Veil will do nothing for the continued existence of an orderly space-time continuum.’ Snape turned to Dobby. ‘How can the curse be broken? How much time do we have to break it?’

‘Professor Dumbledore Sir says that you have to bring the other half of the Stone and put it together again,’ Dobby replied.

‘And that will break the curse? So there will be no explosion and Professor Dumbledore will be able to move again?’ Harry asked hopefully.

Dobby’s ears drooped even lower, until their pointy tips touched his bony little shoulders. ‘No, Harry Potter. I is so very sorry. But Professor Dumbledore Sir says it doesn’t work quite like that.’