AN/ This was my first ever attempt of writing a Harry potter fanfiction, and it took me literally months to write. So far there are thirty chapters written, but I'm stuck for the ending. Please bear with it, it may start off slow but gets more exciting once you meet my new character!
Disclaimer - Unfortunately I'm not a multi-millionaire named JKR…life sucks doesn't it?
Dedication - For Mabwenya, Archie and G!
Harry Potter and Firelight's Heir
~*~*~ Chapter one ~*~*~
The Midnight Message
The silver moonlight shone and glistened on the feathers of the large bird that was soaring through the cool midnight air. The vibrant red and orange plumage danced like flames in a fire, as the bird swooped over the rooftops of Surrey. Lower and lower it glided until it spotted its destination, a small house, its garden perfectly manicured garden with a company car gleaming in the driveway.
The great bird swooped even lower ready to relieve its burden.
Meanwhile Harry Potter was dreaming.
"Harry! Hurry up! You're late for your Potions exam! He's taking a point away for every second you're late!" said a voice.
In his dream, the boy turned around, seeing his best friends Hermione and Ron hand-in-hand, walking towards him. He was speaking to them but no sound was coming out and he could feel mounting panic at the thought of Snape's wrath.
Suddenly, before he could raise any sort of reaction to their words their faces began to change, becoming blurry and indistinct. After two or three seconds Harry realised they had changed into two people he knew only vaguely – his parents.
"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please I'll do anything!"
Harry could hear his mothers shrieks echoing around his ears and he tried desperately to block them out, but he couldn't stop the scene unfolding, couldn't stop himself hearing the voice he knew was coming next.
"Stand aside – stand aside girl," came that cold voice he'd dreaded, chilling him to the bone.
There was a whipcrack sound in his dream and he awoke with a start. Light from the street lamp outside shone through his small bedroom window and illuminated the face of the teenager, looking frantically around the shadowy corners of his room.
Harry was sweating and shaking horribly as he orientated himself in the dark, gripping his bedsheet with one hand as he fumbled for the clock and his glasses. It was 2.46 a.m.
He had been having nightmares all summer, not just about his parents now, but of Cedric and his death at the end of the Triwizard tournament at his last year of Hogwarts. Whenever Harry thought of Cedric his stomach lurched, and the feeling of guilt grew inside of him. It was his fault he died, he told Cedric to take the cup, he delivered him right into the hands of Voldemort.
What would have happened if he'd not shared the prize he found himself wondering before he could stop himself, what if Cedric really had just taken it, or the fake-Moody's plan hadn't worked and Viktor or Fluer had got there first. Without Harry's blood Voldemort could never have risen again, Cedric would still be alive, the wizarding world wouldn't be sitting on the brink of war without even knowing about it.
His thoughts were just turning to darker path when he heard a tapping at his bedroom window. He paused for a few seconds, unconsciously reaching for his wand as he wondered if he was hearing things before jumping to his feet, realising it was probably Hedwig returning from her hunting for the night. But when he caught sight of the bird perching precariously on his windowsill his jaw dropped open.
"Fawkes?" he breathed, fumbling to unlatch the window, pulling it open for the bird to get into his room.
Dumbledore's pet Phoenix flew into his room and landed on his bed. Harry sat down by the phoenix and started stroking it, the warm feel of the bird's feathers beneath his fingers and the glow that surrounded the bird put the nightmare straight out of Harry's mind. Harry felt oddly comforted, as if Fawkes presence was the second best thing to having Dumbledore there, telling him that there had been a mistake, Voldemort hadn't risen at all, he was wrong, they were all safe.
"What are you doing here Fawkes?" Harry murmured as he stroked the birds scarlet feathers.
As if in answer, Fawkes fixed him with an almost Dumbledore-like look and held out its leg. His eyes fell on a scroll with spidery purple writing on. Harry relieved Fawkes of his burden, and at once the phoenix gave a trill of a heart warming song, stretched out his wings and soared out the room. Harry watched the bird leave with sadness, and the room became cold and grey again, and he found he already missed the golden glow that Fawkes gave out, it was the first friendly face Harry had seen all holiday.
However, he turned his attention back to the scroll, studying it curiously before he pulled the red silk ribbon binding it together and unrolled the parchment, hoping desperately it was news from Dumbledore of his housing situation.
At the top of the page was a crest, which depicted a phoenix rising from fire underneath it, holding a scroll in it claws. On the scroll the words 'Lumen obscurum vinco' were written. In the very centre of the page was a small square the same size a muggle stamp. In the dim moonlight Harry could just make out a movement of colour inside it.
Frowning slightly, he pulled it towards him trying to make out what the picture was of. He held it closer to his face and drew it so near his nose was nearly touching it, hoping to catch sight of what was being lost in the gloom of the room.
However, when his nose did touch the picture he was pitched forward and he fell headfirst into the page.
*
Harry didn't even have time to curse himself for doing something so obviously foolish as he flew through a rush of roaring air, seeing nothing but his hair being whipped about his eyes. Then, as suddenly as he had begun his journey, he landed on a cold flagstone floor.
He tumbled forward and he glasses flew from his face smashing a small distance away with a sickening sound. He picked himself up, and whipped out his wand instantly, glaring around himself for any immediate danger. Through his blurred eyes he could make out a huge table, with a hundred seats around it inside a dank, stone lined chamber.
His first thought was that he was in a memory, as had happened when he had looked in Tom Riddles diary in his second year. Harry saw a chair to the left of him, and he seated himself at it, wondering who would want him to watch this meeting, and more importantly why. Harry squinted around the room witches and wizards were apparating all around him and seating themselves at the table. They all wore the same red robes with gold trim, with the crest of the phoenix on. At the far end of the table Harry had an impression of long silver hair, and knew at once that it was Dumbledore.
"Here you go Harry," said a familiar voice to the side of him, causing him to jump.
He whipped around, seeing an impression of white clothing and a brown blob for a head, pushing something into his hands. He recognised the sorry form of his glasses and shoved them onto his nose quickly, peering through the spider web of cracks to see Hermione looking at him with an anxious expression.
"Hermione?" he said in confusion, before forgoing the usual greeting and demanding in a low whisper, "What's going on?"
"I don't know I -" Hermione began, but a yelp cut her sentence short.
A tangled mass of robes and legs landed behind their chairs and they whipped around, wands drawn. A shock of ginger hair and maroon was enough to tell Harry it was Ron who had just landed, and he rushed forward to help him up.
"Harry, Hermione!" he said in surprise as they picked him up, "What's going on?"
"I don't know, I just got this scroll delivered to me…." began Hermione, twisting her hands in front of her anxiously.
"…and when you opened it a read it you were suddenly transported here?" guessed Harry.
"Yes," she said grimly.
"Yeah, me too!" Ron added, looking around the room looking pale and wary, "What do you reckons up?"
"At first I thought this was a memory, but Dumbledore looks like his present day self, I don't know what to…make...of...it," Harry said slowly, realising the room had gone very quiet, at least 100 witches and wizards had arrived and they were all looking at the three.
"Thank you for turning up so quickly my friends," said Dumbledore, as he stood up.
There was the noise of 100 people murmuring in assent, and greeting various friends across the table at this and the three shared significant looks. Harry was feeling less worried about what was happening now with the appearance of a smiling Dumbledore and was now feeling increasingly curious.
"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society of the most powerful witches and wizards of our time. This select community of 100 witches and wizards is centuries old and enlists the help of the most powerful to battle the forces of evil. As you know Voldemort rose again earlier this year, and now our camaraderie is needed more than ever. Last night, three good souls were taken from us, Claudius Clapser, Henry Barthez and Caerie Bell."
There was a sudden outcry of distress and gasps of horror at these words and Harry felt incredibly uncomfortable to these people sharing their grief over people he'd never seen or heard of before. Dumbledore nodded understandably and waved his hands for silence.
"They were murdered by two Death Eaters they had cornered in Rattery. But they fought bravely, and I ask you now to honour absent friends," said Dumbledore solemnly, picking up a goblet that had materialised on the table in front of him.
There was the sound of a hundred cups being picked up, a whisper throughout the room of 'absent friends' and the sound of silence as people drank. Harry shared at look with Ron and Hermione, who were watching the unfolding scene open-mouthed.
"Now, to business," said Dumbledore when everyone had sat back down, "now as you may or may not know, since the tragedy many names have been put forward to fill these places. And now before you, you see their replacements."
Harry gaped unceremoniously at this as the whispers filled the room again, as some people curiously debated over Dumbledore's words whilst other merely nodded stoically and waited for Dumbledore to continue. Harry however turned to Hermione who had a hand raised to her mouth, looking pale and shaken as Ron stared ahead at him at some fixed point unknown to anyone but him.
"It has come as a shock to them I can see, but to the rest of us, we know their worth and their power. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are a formidable trio, who have faced many a peril before this time. In their first year, they bypassed tests set by the best teachers Hogwarts have ever seen. Harry himself fought Voldemort that night and they managed to hold him off. In their second year they identified the creature that was attacking students, found out where it was living, who was controlling it, and destroyed it. In their third year they tracked down Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black, and managed to prove Sirius's innocence to us all, which you have seen in my Pensieve. And this year, I'm afraid Harry witnessed the rebirth of Voldemort," he said heavily.
Ron and Hermione had turned to Harry whose eyes were downcast. He had never told them what had happened in between transportation's using the Triwizard cup portkey. He had never told them – and they had never asked. Dumbledore looked down the table, past the assembled witches and wizards, and at Ron and Hermione, whose imaginations were doing overtime.
"Without your efforts, Voldemort would have returned to power four years ago, and without Harry's, Voldemort would have been at full strength these past 15 years."
Everyone in the hall were now faced at the three, they were all pale-faced but were smiling encouragingly. Harry looked around at Ron and Hermione, they looked like he felt – speechless. Ron's ears were pink. Hermione stared at them, "Powerful wizards and witches, us?" she whispered.
"Yes," said Dumbledore, Harry thought it amazing he had heard her, over the rumbling of the Order sitting around the magnificent table.
"Your names have been on this list ever since your fist year, we have followed your 'careers' closely," he said chuckling. Harry looked into Dumbledore's sparkling blue eyes, he always got the feeling that Dumbledore knew a lot more than Harry thought he let on.
"Now you three, it's nearly 4 a.m., when you return home, please do not speak of this to anyone other than who you see here, and even then in the strictest secrecy. We will inform you of tasks and the meetings. Now, you are welcome to stay and meet your new colleagues, I'm sure you'll recognise a few of them."
And as abruptly as it started the meeting was over. In the space of around five minutes they seemed to have been inducted into some kind of Defence Against the Dark Arts league and Harry head was swimming from the new information.
However, he didn't have to time to even think or discuss it with his two friends as everyone stood up at the end of Dumbledore's speech and hurried over to meet them. It was only at this time Harry looked at the people's faces that had been sitting around them, and when he saw who had been sitting two seats away he gasped.
"Sirius! Wha – What are you doing here?" Harry stammered.
"Do you think I'd miss this? Anyway I've been a member of the Order for about 18 years!" Sirius replied with a huge grin on his face, "on and off of course."
Harry was about to protest about the lack of precautions when Sirius cut in hastily.
"Don't worry Harry! No body knows about the Order, not even the Ministry, I'm safe, everyone knows I'm innocent here."
"Anyway, we wouldn't want a little thing like being accused of murder stop old Padfoot here from doing his job," another voice answered.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry gasped, "You're here as well?"
"It would seem so Harry," he said smiling.
Harry grinned at his Godfather and one of his dad's best friends, and scanned the room. He saw Ron surrounded by a group of redheaded people, their robes clashing horribly with their hair. Harry couldn't even register his shock at seeing that practically the whole Weasley family was in the Order, he was passed surprises at this time, but it seemed there was one more in store for him.
"What do you think Harry?" said a warm voice he recognised behind him.
Harry turned around and saw Dumbledore standing next to him, with his arm steering towards him a small witch with a shock of grey hidden beneath a large purple hat.
"Harry, I would like you to meet Arabella Figg, I believe you may know her already?" asked Dumbledore, eyes twinkling.
Harry glanced at the witch before realising who was looking at. It was mad old Mrs Figg who Harry always had to stay with when the Dursley's wanted to go somewhere and not have to worry about where to put him. Overwhelming memories of albums of cat photos, stale cakes and episodes of Countdown came back to him in a rush.
"Hello Harry," she said in a warm voice, quite unlike the one he was used to.
"Erm...Hello, Mrs Figg" said Harry his mind reeling, all those years he had known Mrs Figg he'd never guessed, never knew. He doubted if even eagle eyed Aunt Petunia had known. Dumbledore must have sensed this.
"Harry, Arabella has been looking out for you ever since I had left you in the Dursley's care. I always told you there were more than spells that protected you from Voldemort didn't I? She has been looking over you for me, I had a feeling your aunt and uncle would neglect your upbringing in some way. I feared that at these times Voldemort or his followers would take the opportunity to hurt you. Arabella is another part of your protection that has lasted these last 15 years," Dumbledore explained.
"Right," said Harry weakly, trying to figure out how you're supposed to react to finding out something like that.
"I have enjoyed looking after you Harry. I don't think even you realise how well protected you have been, and now I'm going to continue my job Dumbledore set me all those years ago," she said, a far-off look in her eyes that reminded him forcefully of the times she was about to begin another story about Mr Tibbles.
"How…?" began Harry.
"Arabella will be your new Defence against Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore chuckling quietly to himself.
"Yes," said Arabella, "I do hope I last longer than your other teachers."
"Wow…that's er," managed Harry, before taking a steadying breath and calming himself, "congratulations."
Mrs Figg smiled warmly and Dumbledore began a quiet conversation with her, before they began looking thoughtfully for someone in the crowd. Harry looked over to Ron who was now standing next to Hermione who was in deep conversation with a wizened old man. Ron had a rather fixed smile on his face, and seeing Harry, waved and hurried over. Harry grinned nervously at Ron who was looking rather worried.
"Professor Dumbledore," he said quietly, trying as much as possible to block Harry from the conversation, "I think you might have made a mistake, there's no way I can do any of the stuff your expecting. Hermione has the intelligence and Harry has the bravery, but…but I don't have really have anything…"
He looked nervously at Harry, who had seemed to take the hint and was in polite conversation with a small witch, looking intensely uncomfortable. Dumbledore looked down at Ron his face was sympathetic, and his eyes were warm.
"Ron," he said, barely audible, "Things are not always as they seem, you have extraordinary talents hidden inside of you, you just need to find the key to unlock them."
"But...I don't know...I cant -," stuttered Ron.
"I believe firmly that any student capable of magic is capable of anything," he told him so quietly, Ron wasn't sure he had said anything at all, because the next moment;
"Goodness Gracious," boomed Dumbledore looking at his pocket watch, Ron couldn't see any hands, just planets slowly revolving, though it must have made sense to Dumbledore.
"You must return before your absence is noticed," he told Harry and Hermione, ushering them over to the other side of the room, "Now to get home place your hand on this statues head and say the name of the place you want to go."
He had to shout the last part of his instructions of the sound of a hundred people apparating.
Harry said a slightly dazed goodbye to Mrs Figg then waved to Sirius and Lupin and walked over to the statue, which was of a magnificent phoenix, which seemed to be made entirely out of fire. Harry placed his hand in the warm golden fire of the birds head, and said '4 Privet Drive' carefully, he'd had bad experiences with floo powder, which he supposed this was a modified version of.
Harry was engulfed in golden flame and a feeling of extraordinary lightness seemed to spread throughout him as his feet left the floor, it was rather like eating a huge slab of chocolate after facing a Dementor, instant relief and calm. He watched the beautiful flickers of gold and red flash before his eyes, before he suddenly felt his feet return to the floor.
A sudden wave of coldness swept over him and he realised that he wasn't he wasn't back in his gloomy, dark bedroom in Privet Drive. But he was on the lawn, facing the road, he shivered but chuckled to himself. He enjoyed the ride using the phoenix, it wasn't nearly as bad as Floo Powder, but wasn't nearly as reliable.
Then he became aware of something in the air around him, something he that caused his smile to freeze on his face. He could smell burning and could hear the crackling of flames. He spun round and looked at the house, or what was left of it. A great bonfire stood where his Four Privet Drive had once been, consuming the rubble of the house.
"NO!" Harry screamed and ran forward but was pushed back by the heat which was blistering his skin.
He stumbled backwards in utter horror, slipping and sliding on the wet grass and wildly calling for help. He tripped backwards over a small stone in the rockerie and landed sprawled on the floor, face tilted up to the sky which was a kaleidoscope of colour through his cracked glasses and the ash and sparks from the pyre in front of him. It was then that he saw it.
Hovering above the devastation, hanging in the air like an evil cloud, was a colossal skull, made of emerald green stars and a snake protruding from its mouth.
The Dark Mark.
*
AN/
Also worth noting, I am going to repost the entire story - it's a year on since I wrote this and I thought I better get it updated in regards to my spelling, grammar and a few added scenes….Also, good publicity for the sequel to this one Harry Potter and the Gathering Storm