Dumbledore took the cracked ring and held it in his palm, studying it closely.
His gaze lingered on the empty setting where the gem once was and on the blackened, destructive scorch mark that cut through the gold. His fingers brushed lightly over the rough surface of the ring.
Suddenly, as though struck by a thought that was both absurd and amusing, Dumbledore let out a soft laugh, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"Well, well..." he shook his head, the laughter tinged with relief and a trace of self-mockery. "So it was you all along... And here I was thinking I'd made a mistake in my judgment of Tom, spent so long worrying, retracing every step, trying to find where I'd gone wrong..."
He looked up, his blue eyes resting on Snape. "You, boy... you never fail to surprise me."
"Don't worry, Severus," he added after a pause, his tone softening. "I've already 'died' once. It wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience."
As he spoke, Dumbledore suddenly froze. A realization struck him like lightning, if the ring was in Snape's possession, and both the Elder Wand and the Invisibility Cloak as well...
"You..." The word escaped him before he caught himself. He shut his mouth quickly, swallowing what he was about to say.
At that moment, Grindelwald, who had been silently observing, leaned lazily against the armrest of the sofa and finished the sentence Dumbledore had left hanging.
"So, Severus," his grey eyes glinted with amusement, "you now hold all three Deathly Hallows in your hands, don't you?"
"Yes," Snape replied calmly, shrugging. "I've completed the unfinished business of two old men."
Without hesitation, he reached into the inner pocket of his robes and took out the cold black gemstone, then the Elder Wand and the Invisibility Cloak with the hollow mark at its center. He also placed a small parchment-wrapped bundle on the table.
"Here," he said flatly.
"The Elder Wand, the Cloak, and the Resurrection Stone. All here. I've tested them together. There's no special 'power to conquer death.' No Death appearing to greet its master, no invincibility. It seems the fairy tale meant to entertain children fooled quite a few grown wizards instead. People will always believe what they want to believe."
Grindelwald gave Snape a long, searching look before standing. He walked to the center table and carefully arranged the three Hallows side by side on the polished wood. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall instinctively rose and joined him, gathering around the table.
Grindelwald's fingers moved slowly over each relic, feeling every curve and edge. From time to time he lifted the Elder Wand, tapped it lightly, murmuring a few obscure syllables under his breath, trying to sense something.
His brow furrowed. His expression turned serious, focused.
But after a short while, his movements stilled. The curiosity faded from his face, replaced by detached comprehension.
Without a word, he gathered the three Hallows, picked them up, and walked back to Snape. Holding them out, he handed them over again.
Dumbledore watched as Snape accepted them and tucked them back into his robe. His blue eyes glimmered as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only sighed softly and sat back down with Grindelwald.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Snape turned his gaze toward Professor McGonagall again, clearly not having forgotten the earlier topic.
Under his steady look, McGonagall took a deep breath and began to explain. "Elphinstone Urquart. He was my superior many years ago when I worked at the Ministry of Magic."
"He's a senior officer in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, an honest man who despises Dark Magic..." She hesitated slightly, a faint flush coloring her cheeks, her voice dropping a little.
"He... is also a very good friend. I give you my word, Severus. His information is absolutely trustworthy."
Seeing McGonagall's rare display of embarrassment and unease, and hearing the warmth and protectiveness in her tone when she spoke of Urquart, Snape quickly deduced that their relationship was not as simple as "old friends" or "former colleagues."
He came to his conclusion swiftly: the source was reliable.
So he nodded and turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor, since the intelligence is credible, we shouldn't ignore the situation at the Department of Mysteries. I believe we can start planning an infiltration."
Dumbledore clasped his fingers together, deep in thought. After a moment, he said, "Very well. This matter is of utmost importance. I'll go to the Ministry myself to investigate-"
"You mustn't." Snape interrupted firmly.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Professor, Tom knows your magical signature and methods too well," Snape said. "If you appear in the Ministry, he'll sense it almost immediately.
"Our ultimate goal isn't merely to locate and destroy the last Horcrux, it's to create an opportunity to draw Voldemort and his inner circle into the open and destroy them completely.
"If you act personally, Tom will never engage you head-on.
"If that happens, even if you manage to seize the Horcrux, you'll only alert him. He'll realize the safety of his soul fragments is compromised and start checking every other hiding place, perhaps even take drastic, unpredictable measures."
Snape's tone grew grave. "In my opinion, a Dark Lord who realizes his immortality has failed, who's lost his reason and all restraint, that is the most dangerous kind of monster.
"We have to prevent that. This operation must be precise. It must end everything in one strike."
Dumbledore regarded him seriously. "What do you suggest?"
"I'll go," Snape replied, picking up the small parchment bundle from the table. "And I'll use this."
He unfolded the parchment, revealing a First-Class Order of Merlin medal. "This is the illegal Portkey you made for me before, the one keyed to the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts."
Seeing the medal, Dumbledore blinked, then smiled faintly, remembering the little device he had once made to help Snape infiltrate Malfoy Manor.
"I can make you two more," Dumbledore offered. "Different destinations, different triggers."
"No need. One's enough," Snape said, shaking his head. "My destination is Hogwarts, that's perfect."
He began outlining his plan. "I'll infiltrate the Department of Mysteries and search for the Horcrux.
"If I find it, or if things go wrong, I'll activate the Portkey and return to Hogwarts immediately. Once I have the Horcrux, I'll make sure Tom learns my destination is Hogwarts."
He looked at the three of them. "Meanwhile, you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Mr. Grindelwald, will secretly lead everyone back to Hogwarts and set an ambush there.
"Because Apparition is blocked within the castle, we might be able to trap Voldemort and his Death Eaters completely once they pursue me inside.
"Even if I fail to find the Horcrux, we've been drifting long enough. It's time to go home."
Before Dumbledore could comment on this bold, risky plan, Grindelwald spoke up first, his voice full of approval.
"Excellent. My brilliant student as always! I've been thinking the same thing, why are we the ones hiding like rats? Logical, daring, and careful. Go."
Dumbledore gave Grindelwald a reproachful look, as if to chastise him for his recklessness.
But Grindelwald only met his gaze with a smirk. "What are you glaring at, old man? Severus doesn't even need a broom to fly anymore. You think, with the Elder Wand in hand, his combat ability is that far beneath yours? It's infiltration and escape, not a duel."
"All right, all right," Snape said quickly, breaking the tension. "I'll make all the necessary preparations, I'm not going to gamble with my life. Of course, if any of you have special enchantments or protective artifacts to lend, I won't refuse..."
Seeing that Dumbledore and McGonagall still wore hesitant expressions, weighing the risks, Snape didn't press further. Instead, he reached out and rang the small silver bell on the tea table.
The clear chime echoed through the cabin.
The three others looked puzzled, unsure why he was summoning a house-elf now. Snape gave no explanation, simply waited.
After about half a minute, a gentle knock sounded on the door.
With permission granted, a wrinkled house-elf wearing a neatly folded tea towel stepped inside, bowing deeply.
"Good evening, Kreacher," Snape said. "Find Crouch and Abbott, have them summon all sixth- and seventh-year students immediately. Then notify Moody, Fenwick, Vance, the Longbottoms, the Prewett brothers, every core member of the Order of the Phoenix. Bring them all here.
"There are many to contact, so take a few other elves to help you. Be quick."
Kreacher's large eyes blinked as he croaked in his gravelly voice, "Yes, Master Snape, Kreacher will go at once!"
He bowed again and swiftly left, closing the door behind him.
When the wooden door clicked shut, Snape turned to the still-bewildered Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Professors," he said quietly, "we will act. Even if you hadn't awakened, we were already preparing to.
"Hogwarts belongs to you, yes, but it also belongs to us. We can't hide on this ship forever."
Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a long look. There was something in Snape's voice, a firm resolve, the weight of responsibility.
They didn't argue further. Both gave small, solemn nods of assent.
Not long after, footsteps and murmurs filled the corridor.
Students and Order members poured into the captain's cabin, their familiar faces crowding the small room.
It was far too cramped to seat everyone. Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Grindelwald all stood.
Snape raised his wand and, using a charm he'd learned from Dumbledore, made the sofas, tables, and armchairs vanish, clearing the floor.
When the room was filled nearly to bursting, Snape stepped forward, took a deep breath, and raised his voice.
"We're preparing to fight Voldemort. We're going home, to Hogwarts!"
For one stunned heartbeat, there was silence.
Then came the roar, "Yes!" "We'll crush the Death Eaters!"
The brief burst of cheering soon faded into expectant quiet as everyone looked toward Snape, Dumbledore, and the others for instructions.
"Professor Dumbledore hasn't been awake for long," Snape continued with a faint smile, "so he may not yet be familiar with some of the new capabilities we've developed. Tomorrow, training at the artillery range in Wales continues as usual.
"The Professor will be joining us, so I expect everyone to give him a proper demonstration of our progress, especially how well we've learned to combine magic and Muggle weaponry."
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd, amused at the thought of showing their revered Headmaster the destructive might of rocket launchers, machine guns, and mortars.
Snape went on, his tone was brisk and focused.
"Tomorrow, I'll personally meet with the Muggle Prime Minister and his Cabinet Secretary. I'll request permission to take a stock of firearms, light artillery, and ammunition with us when we leave the range. With those, plus what we can duplicate with the Gemino Charm, we'll have more than enough to fight."
"The operation begins the day after tomorrow," he said, turning to Moody. "Moody, you'll be in overall command.
"First and fourth squads, seal off the Forbidden Forest to block any escape through the woods. Fifth squad, hold the Black Lake shoreline. No one gets out that way.
"Third squad, take the Astronomy Tower at once. Establish heavy fire positions there. Second squad, lock down the main gates. Cut off the enemy's primary retreat."
"Understood," Moody grunted, thumping his cane.
"As for Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Grindelwald," Snape added, "they'll act as the reserve force, supporting where needed." Then, softening his voice, he added, "And... if possible, avoid aiming for the head or torso."
He raised his tone again. "Everyone, we're going home!"
"Home!" the crowd roared back, their morale blazing high.
As chatter filled the room and squads began confirming details, Snape dismissed them, instructing everyone to rest and be ready for the next day's training.
As people began filing out, Pandora and Lily lingered, glancing back at Snape with worry written all over their faces. They said nothing, but their hesitation was obvious.
"Pandora, Lily, wait a moment," Snape called.
The two turned immediately and hurried over.
"Severus, you-"
Before they could speak, Snape held out his hand. Resting in his palm was a small vial filled with shimmering golden liquid. He lowered his voice. "Take it. Felix Felicis. Before the battle starts, take a sip, and share a bit with Abbott and Barty. If there's any left, divide it among the others."
Both girls stared at the precious potion but shook their heads in unison.
"You take it," Lily said firmly. "You're the one who'll need it."
"If Moody's handling command," Pandora added, "then what about you? Don't think we don't know, you'll be in danger too."
Snape met their unwavering eyes, silent for a moment, then shook his head slowly.
"I don't need it," he said quietly, tilting the vial so the golden liquid shimmered inside. "True luck comes from careful planning. And I've planned enough."
"Take it," he insisted, pressing the vial into Pandora's hand. "That's an order. Don't make me worry..."