Harry Potter

and the

Veil of Memories

Author's Note: This is the sequel to my fanfiction Harry Potter and the New Alliance, for all the fans who wished for a sequel. I've had plans to write this story for a while, and I'm excited to finally get the chance to put fingers to keyboard and write this. It took a lot of determination to keep with The New Alliance and not jump ahead in the story. I thought for a while that all of this was going to make it in one volume, but I realized that the story was so dramatic that it would take at least two volumes to bring to the page. So, here is the second part of my Harry Potter fanfiction. While The New Alliance focused a lot on relationships, they are now established and I can move on towards the emotional aspect of my writing and focus on what makes the characters tick. In the tradition of its predecessor, The Veil of Memories will cycle through many of the characters, but will focus on Harry and Draco the most. If you haven't read The New Alliance, please do so. You won't have to read it to know what's going on, but it will give you a lot of background information on my versions of the characters. Now, I believe I've talked long enough, so without further ado, Harry Potter and the Veil of Memories.

superguy

Chapter One:

Lucid Nightmares

This chapter is for Jen. How blessed I am to know you.

It was a calm night. The moon hung lazily in the air amidst the surrounding clouds. Everything in the sky was bathed in a deep blue that added a touch of cold to the atmosphere. Passersby heading home from work noted the sky with fascination because of what they saw lingering in it. Specks of white and gray seemed to flutter against the light that was emanating from the moon. One man who was carrying a briefcase and newspaper remarked that they appeared to be bats. It was strange because bats had never been seen before in the area. But a woman who passed by him shook her head as she spoke on her cell phone.

It wasn't until the news that people realized that the specks they'd been seeing were in fact owls. The activity of them had increased within the passing of the week and now sightings were becoming more frequent. One or two had even been seen during the day. One Kindergarten student even told a teacher that she had seen a box in one of the bird's talons, but the teacher had brushed it off as a fantasy and suggested that the child write a story about it to read to the class.

Muggles in the surrounding area were none the less muddled by the activity of the birds, but the Wizards who walked the streets in "ordinary" clothing knew better. The Dark Lord had killed again. The Longbottoms, esteemed members of the Order of the Phoenix, had been maimed openly. This created a surge in owl post and many wizards even broke the rule and sent messages during the day – which had been forbidden by the Ministry of Magic.

On a quiet street lit comfortingly by street lamps, a Wizarding family sought refuge in their home. It seemed an ordinary house to most. The mailbox at the end of the drive, the fancy parlor windows with net curtains. But, the inhabitants of the house were anything but ordinary. They were the Potters.

Lilly Potter stood in the kitchen of her home, curtains drawn, with her want in hand. She had been slaving over her cooking, searching for something to occupy her mind. She had cycled through at least three of her mother's recipes, from cookies to snapping Welsh stew. That one had been much loved by her father. But, these attempts were in vain because she found herself still upset that her husband wasn't home.

James had volunteered to go and help with the recovery of the Longbottoms. This was something Lilly had advised - pleaded him not to take part in, but he had insisted. Behind his round spectacles, he gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll be home soon, hon. Don't you worry a thing. Cook something good for dinner."

And with that, he had left the house around twelve in the afternoon. It was now six in the evening.

Lilly sighed as she started pacing the kitchen, wand twisting in her fingers. She had magicked the mop so that it would clean up the flower she'd used on the gingerbread cookies. Those were James' favorite. Looking at them reminded her of him and she had to stop.

"Stop being stupid, Lilly," she muttered under her breath. Talking to herself seemed to soften the severity of the anxiety inside her stomach, and she took one of the gingerbread men off the tray and looked at it. "James is fine. He's with Dumbledore and nothing bad will happen when Dumbledore's around."

With that said, she bit into the head of the cookie, decapitating it. Chewing the soft dough, she had to smile. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Rarely did she get the spell for cooking the wonderful cookies just right. It seemed she had succeeded. Or she'd just lucked out with that one cookie.

Suddenly the sound of the front door floated down the hall and she found herself rushing to see who it was. What if it was someone bringing news -

But she saw the long jacket and hat and gave a cry of relief when James turned to meet her. She flung her arms around him and held him, overjoyed that he had made it home in one piece.

James seemed a bit surprised by her burst of affection and took a second before he returned the embrace.

"Hey - what's this for?" he asked with a grin as he stroked her fine red hair.

She nestled her cheek against his chest as she replied. "I was so worried you wouldn't make it home."

James chuckled. "Told you I would. Did you make me something good for dinner, then?"

He started following the scent of the cookies and grinned as he saw the tray with them stacked merrily on top. Taking one, he took a bite quickly and smiled.

"Not bad, I suppose," he muttered with some still in his cheek. Lilly gave him a mock frown.

"Not bad?" she said as she leaned against the counter.

"No…delicious, actually."

Lilly smiled as she started over to the stove. She used this only when she needed to - magic was much easier. The stew was in the old fashioned cast iron and the scent of the sweet and sour stew wafted into the air as she took it out, hurrying to the island in the middle of the kitchen to relieve her hands of the heat.

"Is that snapping Welsh stew?" James asked as he walked up behind her, circling his arms around her stomach from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Lilly nodded.

"Of course. Hope you're hungry. Slaved all day."

"I am hungry, actually. It's been a long day."

This brought up the subject of what he'd done while he was away.

Lilly started the conversation.

"How was…it?"

James backed off, leaning against the sink as he ate the rest of his cookie.

"A little disheartening, I think."

Lilly busied herself with taking bowls out of the cupboard. Placing them on the counter beside the pot with the stew, she brushed her hair out of her eyes. "That bad? Are the Longbottoms all right?"

James shrugged.

"Depends on you definition of all right."

"Are they alive?" she specified as she started dishing stew into the first bowl. The meats and vegetables floated in the brown broth and she could see James' reflection in it. He nodded.

"Yeah, they're alive. Whatever consolation that is to their family."

Finishing with the stew, Lilly turned to him and handed him the bowl.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"Not really," James said as he stared at the stew, circling his spoon through the thickness of it. "They've been sent to Saint Mungo's. They can't really do anything. Their memories were so badly erased that they're little more than shells…of their former selves."

Lilly had to blink away the tears in her eyes. She wanted to appear strong for James. After all, he probably cried a lot when he saw them. They were really close, the Longbottoms. And now they were gone.

"Was Remus there?"

James nodded as he swallowed some of the hot stew.

"Yeah. Felt really bad. Offered to go to the Longbottom's home and break the news. Their son's probably going to have a hard time. Neville…"

Lilly sighed as she too started eating the stew.

"I feel really awful, James…" she muttered into her bowl as she stared at it. "How are they going to cope?"

James shrugged. "Beats me. I'm just glad it's not us…if that doesn't sound too cynical."

Lilly was about to give James a hug when a cry was heard from upstairs.

Setting down her bowl, Lilly started towards the staircase.

"That's Harry. Probably had another nightmare."

James watched as his wife started up the stairs. He stood at the foot of them as he talked up to her.

"That what's been waking him up lately?"

Lilly's voice came from inside Harry's nursery.

"I think so. Can't think of anything else."

James shrugged. "Do infants even dream?"

Lilly appeared at the top of the stairs with the now cooing Harry in her arms. She stared down into his tiny face with warmth as she rocked him.

"Why wouldn't they?" she asked as she started down the stairs.

"I don't know," James replied as he finished his stew.

Lilly continued to talk to Harry in a motherly tone. "There, there, Harry. It's okay. Mummy's here. Mummy'll make those nasty monsters go away."

"Monsters now?"

Lilly smiled.

"Well, what else can it be?"

Suddenly a loud knock was heard from the front door. James stopped and motioned for Lilly to hush.

Quickly and with a mere whisper, he ushered her towards the stairs.

"Hurry, upstairs. Don't make any noise."

"But, James, wha -"

"Just do it," he said as she started up the stairs. "And stay quiet, whatever you hear."

When he was sure Lilly was safely tucked away upstairs, he started for the door. He never so much as touched the doorknob because just then the oak door was blasted into splinters and three cloaked wizards stepped into the front hall.

Lilly heard the sound of smashing coming from beneath her as she sat in the corner behind Harry's crib. James was yelling. Then she heard a voice that she didn't recognize and the sound of an explosion followed by a sickening thud.

Then everything went quiet.

Slowly, she got to her feet, hoping with all her might that Harry wouldn't begin to cry. He was nestled against her breast, hand in his mouth as he slept. She listened intently as she started for the door. But the sound of feet coming up the stairs froze her.

Before she could do anything, the doorknob to the nursery began to turn. The squeak of metal against metal rang in her ears as the door slowly creaked open.

When she saw who was behind the door, her breath was snatched from her lungs.

"Lillian," the snakelike voice of Lord Voldemort sneered as he stepped across the threshold towards her, wand out. Two men in cloaks and hoods stood in the hallway behind him, with wands also out.

In an instant of heroism, Lillian cried out.

"Please let my son go! He isn't nearly two and is no harm to you -"

But Voldemort muttered something under he breath and a jet of white air shot out of his wand, wrapping around her neck. She cried out as she clutched Harry to her chest, hearing him wail as they were dragged across the floor and out into the hallway.

"Wh - what are you doing?" Lilly managed to choke out as Volemort ushered them towards the stairs.

With a chuckle, the wizard replied. "I want you to see what has become of your husband before I kill you."

"NO!" she choked out as she was forced down the stairs.

She couldn't bear to see James dead. That would take away all of her strength and will power to live. But Voldemort was not merciful.

Every step she was forced to take down the stairs revealed more and more of the destruction that was done to her home. Pictures were shattered on the floor, which was covered in pieces of sheet rock and splintered wood. Glass was everywhere.

Then, as they turned the corner into the hallway, she saw him.

"JAMES!" she screamed as she saw his crumpled body. He was lying on the floor, blood coming from his mouth and nose as though he had been punched savagely in the gut. His hands tore against the floor, ripping up the carpet beneath his nails. His glasses were crushed beside him where Voldemort had stepped on them.

Voldemort ushered her forward and made her kneel before the man she had once loved.

"See what you have become?" he sneered. "You should have joined me when you had the chance. Oh, but don't cry. You'll soon be joining him."

Through the hot tears that were cascading down her cheeks, Lillian sobbed. "Please…please don't kill my son. He's all I have left. Don't kill Harry."

But Voldemort ripped the screaming boy from her arms and pressed the tip of his wand to her right temple. Then in one fowl instant, he muttered the curse that killed her.

Laughter rang through the hallway as her body fell limply to the floor beside that of her husband. All the while Harry screamed for his mother, reaching out for her but not finding.

Then, Voldemort turned the child towards him, holding him by the neck.

"Now, boy, it's your turn."

He pointed his wand at the child's forehead.

"Soon people will learn that there's no escape. I will rule everything or anyone in my way will perish as your family has."

With a grin, he set the child down on the floor between his dead parents. The boy saw his mother's hair and tried to crawl to her. But Voldemort chuckled.

"She's dead. And you are too."

Muttering the curse, he shot a line of green light at the boy. But something happened. The light hit the child's forehead and seemed to bounce back in an instant.

"WHA -" Voldemort cried out as the light hit him in the chest, blasting the air from his lungs as he crumpled to the floor.

The two Death Eaters who had followed him fled quickly as they watched their master fall helpless to the floor. A jet of white light seeped out of the back of the dark Lord and collected just below the light fixture of the hallway. It was Voldemort's soul, fleeing the scene of the crime. A mere child had taken him down, and his body was completely useless.

Harry was now left alone.

Mustering all of his strength, the infant crawled over to the open cupboard under the stairs and sat inside, hiding from the chaos that had made its home in his house until Hagrid the Giant would arrive.

In the Burrow on the fifth floor, Harry Potter awoke with a scream that pierced the night.