Prologue:
"Do you remember your promise to me, Arabella?" asked Professor Dumbledore gently.
Arabella Figg was trembling all over her body. But she stiffened up, took a deep breath, and nodded, resolved to her fate, "Yes. Anything. What do you want me to do?"
"I would trust you with my life. But for now, I need to entrust you with someone else's. I am going to have to ask you to be the Holder of the Eridius Charm. It is a very complicated spell... that only you could handle at this point. I am correct in assuming that you do not know how it works?"
"I've heard of it, but I don't know what it does."
"Ah, nor do the best of us. I myself picked it up on my literary travels to Scandinavia. It is similar in form to the Fidelius Charm, which I know you are familiar with-"
"Yes... that was the end of Lily and James... I still can't believe it, I saw them only a few hours ago... and now they're- gone," Arabella Figg seized up as she choked back a sob.
"And now you must do all you can to protect Harry, as you have promised me. I cannot do it myself, you know the reasons why. But you must listen. If you do this, you must understand."
"Sorry, Albus. I'm ready."
"As I said, this is similar to the Fidelius Charm. However, instead of one secret hidden inside a person, it is the protection of another. If I place this charm on you, it can never be taken away. The rest of your life will be centered on protecting Harry. This is a colossal sacrifice and I will understand if you refuse."
"No. I will keep my promise."
Dumbledore smiled for the first time that night, the familiar twinkle returning, if only for a moment, into those astonishingly clear blue eyes of his.
"I didn't expect any less of you. This is going to have to be done right away. Who knows what might happen to stall us, and that could be disastrous."
"But, Albus, You-Know-Who is gone, isn't he?"
"Yes, Voldemort is gone, for now. But don't forget all his supporters. This will be terrible news to them- and killing Harry will be the only thing they'll have in mind."
"But, won't we catch them? I mean, surely Azkaban, and the dementors..."
"We will never catch all of them. Some will be sent to Azkaban, of course, but many will stay free. It is inevitable. Come, Arabella. Now it is time. I am going to place you under this spell, but you will not remember anything- you will be stunned. Any conscious person would not be able to handle this. I shall return tomorrow morning to visit you."
"But where will you be?"
"I have previous engagements to attend to. I must see to it that Harry is delivered to his aunt and uncle, along with a letter I will provide. I also might stop at a few parties or feasts along the way," Dumbledore's tense smile relaxed, "It is, after all, a miracle that happened at Godric's Hollow. A miracle at the expense of two of the finest we had, and shall ever have, but a miracle that might end the madness. Harry Potter's miracle."
Arabella Figg didn't remember anything after that. But she did find herself in a new house, on Privet Drive, the following morning, in a bright bedroom, with an owl tapping on her window. At that moment, as she was getting up on her shaky legs to receive the owl's message, a shrill scream came piercing from across the street. Harry would be safe.
"Do you remember your promise to me, Arabella?" asked Professor Dumbledore gently.
Arabella Figg was trembling all over her body. But she stiffened up, took a deep breath, and nodded, resolved to her fate, "Yes. Anything. What do you want me to do?"
"I would trust you with my life. But for now, I need to entrust you with someone else's. I am going to have to ask you to be the Holder of the Eridius Charm. It is a very complicated spell... that only you could handle at this point. I am correct in assuming that you do not know how it works?"
"I've heard of it, but I don't know what it does."
"Ah, nor do the best of us. I myself picked it up on my literary travels to Scandinavia. It is similar in form to the Fidelius Charm, which I know you are familiar with-"
"Yes... that was the end of Lily and James... I still can't believe it, I saw them only a few hours ago... and now they're- gone," Arabella Figg seized up as she choked back a sob.
"And now you must do all you can to protect Harry, as you have promised me. I cannot do it myself, you know the reasons why. But you must listen. If you do this, you must understand."
"Sorry, Albus. I'm ready."
"As I said, this is similar to the Fidelius Charm. However, instead of one secret hidden inside a person, it is the protection of another. If I place this charm on you, it can never be taken away. The rest of your life will be centered on protecting Harry. This is a colossal sacrifice and I will understand if you refuse."
"No. I will keep my promise."
Dumbledore smiled for the first time that night, the familiar twinkle returning, if only for a moment, into those astonishingly clear blue eyes of his.
"I didn't expect any less of you. This is going to have to be done right away. Who knows what might happen to stall us, and that could be disastrous."
"But, Albus, You-Know-Who is gone, isn't he?"
"Yes, Voldemort is gone, for now. But don't forget all his supporters. This will be terrible news to them- and killing Harry will be the only thing they'll have in mind."
"But, won't we catch them? I mean, surely Azkaban, and the dementors..."
"We will never catch all of them. Some will be sent to Azkaban, of course, but many will stay free. It is inevitable. Come, Arabella. Now it is time. I am going to place you under this spell, but you will not remember anything- you will be stunned. Any conscious person would not be able to handle this. I shall return tomorrow morning to visit you."
"But where will you be?"
"I have previous engagements to attend to. I must see to it that Harry is delivered to his aunt and uncle, along with a letter I will provide. I also might stop at a few parties or feasts along the way," Dumbledore's tense smile relaxed, "It is, after all, a miracle that happened at Godric's Hollow. A miracle at the expense of two of the finest we had, and shall ever have, but a miracle that might end the madness. Harry Potter's miracle."
Arabella Figg didn't remember anything after that. But she did find herself in a new house, on Privet Drive, the following morning, in a bright bedroom, with an owl tapping on her window. At that moment, as she was getting up on her shaky legs to receive the owl's message, a shrill scream came piercing from across the street. Harry would be safe.