HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
I own nothing. Harry Potter and co. belongs to She-Who-Must-be-Worshipped, J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 1: Expected Conversation
Harry Potter had once again found himself in the Department of Mysteries. He was running through doors after doors, knowing which one he needed to go. When he had reached the oval room of doors, he opened the one in front of him and saw the room of time, as he now called it. This is the room filled with different items concerning time and leads to the room of prophecies. But Harry didn't want to go there and he had no business there anyway, so he closed the door again and marked it with his wand. The room started spinning and then after a few moments, it stopped. The marked door is now on the third on his right. So he opened the door in front of him and found what he had been looking for. Standing on a dais in the middle of to what looked like a big amphitheater room is the Veil.
And standing in front of it is Sirius Black.
"Hello Harry."
"Sirius...." Harry murmured, a slight tremble on his voice. He stepped slowly to the descending stairs one by one, his unblinking eyes never leaving Sirius', lest he might disappear if he blinked even once. Once Harry finally reached the front of the dais and Sirius is within ten feet of him, Sirius slowly stepped back closer to the veil.
"What the.... Sirius?"
"Come for me Harry," Sirius said as he finally stepped through the veil. "Come and help me...."
"Sirius! No! Sirius!" Harry shouted as he tried to reach Sirius in time but his feet seem to be not working properly. He watched helplessly as Sirius finally disappears into the veil. The only thing Harry can see in the veil now is a figure of a man in what looked like to be a prison.
"We'll be waiting for you," said the figure but the odd thing was, it wasn't Sirius' voice.
Harry awoke to the glaring light of the sun in his open window. He slowly reached for his glasses on the bedside table and stretched his legs and arms. A week had already passed since the incident at the King's Cross Station and Uncle Vernon, taking the threat of Mad-Eye Moody by heart, had started treating Harry like he has some kind of a transmittable incurable disease. He would immediately leave the room as soon as Harry step foot in it with a slight grump. It also seems he had warned Aunt Petunia and Dudley for they had taken on completely ignoring him. Of course, sometimes he gets a glare here and there, but that was fine with Harry as long as they don't forget to leave him his food in the table, which they had been doing three times a day for a week now.
Harry had finally gotten up on his bed and started rummaging through his trunk to look for clean suitable clothes. When he had found one, he grabbed his towel and walked through the showers to take a bath. After he finished, he went downstairs to grab a toast and went outside.
Judging from the position of the sun in the sky, Harry guessed that it was already noon. Due to the threat no one dares to wake him up now so Harry is given the opportunity to sleep till whenever he likes. He started to walk towards the park, his now daily hangout. He wasn't allowed by Dumbledore to stray too far away, though he had no plans on doing so and the park is just near Privet Drive.
When he reached the park it was totally empty, which is the way he preferred it. This was the first time in his week here that the park is empty. For the past week, Dudley and his stupid gang were always here doing something.... well.... stupid. Dudley must be in some back alley with his gang beating up ten year olds, Harry thought. He didn't ponder much on it though as he sat down at the remaining swing that hasn't taste Dudley's breaking skills.
But now, alone and nothing to entertain him, Harry's thoughts finally came back to Sirius. He vehemently believes that Sirius' death is his fault. Of course he doesn't blame himself alone. There were other partakers that brought Sirius to his demise. There was, of course, Severus Snape who hadn't taught Harry proper occlumency. If he had done so, nothing of this would have had happen. Then there was that vile house-elf Kreacher who had betrayed Sirius and the Order to Narcissa Malfoy, wife of the Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. And then there was of course Albus Dumbledore, who had kept many things to Harry. If he had only confided or informed Harry, he wouldn't be totally clueless of what is going on, he would have been better prepared. And the biggest part of the blame, he believes, lies in him. There were many things that he thought he could have done differently. If he had only taken the occlumency more seriously, if he had only used the mirror Sirius had given him, if he had only listen to Hermione, if he only had done one of those things, Sirius would still be alive.
But now, Sirius is truly gone. And Harry is left alone blaming everyone, blaming destiny, but most of all, blaming himself. Harry had never felt so alone in his life and did the only thing left for him to do. He cried. For the first time in his life, Harry Potter cried like the lost child that he is. Not once had he shed tears of sorrow. Not even in the dark small space of his cupboard. Not even when Dudley and his gang had beaten him up over and over again. But Harry couldn't take it any longer. It was too much, he could only hold as much. So he cried. He didn't even care anymore if the Order members assigned to look after him are here and watching.
It was after a few minutes that Harry stopped crying. He wipes his eyes with the sleeves of Dudley's handover shirt and realized he wasn't alone anymore in the park. He felt that there was someone standing behind him fifteen feet away. Slowly, Harry reaches downwards as if to arrange his shoelaces. When he came up, his wand is already on his right hand, away from the person behind him as not to be seen. After five minutes more, Harry heard the soft, slow footsteps heading towards him. Harry tensed. What if it was a Death Eater? Where are the order members who are supposed to be guarding me?
"There is no need to be tensed Harry," a tired voice said.
Harry felt slightly relieved when he heard the voice. He was slightly relieved it wasn't a Death Eater but he was slightly dreading the expected conversation that was bound to take place.
"Professor Lupin?" asked Harry as he faced the person behind him.
"Remus, Harry, just call me Remus. I'm not your professor anymore, remember?" said a tired-looking Lupin as he repaired the swing besides Harry with a wave of his wand and sat.
"You hate me right now, don't you?" mumbled Harry.
Remus, understanding what Harry said, looked at him sharply. "You shouldn't blame yourself Harry. It isn't you fault."
"But it is! Sirius.... Sirius died because of me! Because I.... Because I was stupid enough to fall for Voldemort's trap!" Harry could feel the guilt and sorrow overwhelming him. It was his fault that his father and godfather died, both best friends of the man seating beside him.
"No, listen to me Harry. Nothing of these is your fault. Sirius came to the Department of Mysteries to help you, he didn't have to but he still did. It was his choice, not yours, not anyone else. Sirius died in a battle while protecting you. It is the way he wanted to die, I can assure you that. So do not steal his glory away from him Harry. Blaming yourself for his death is like condemning Sirius for his way of life. You can grieve just like the rest of us but stop blaming yourself. I don't blame you and nobody does. Not even Sirius, you can trust me on that. I know how he thinks. It isn't your fault or anyone else for that matter," admonished Lupin in an even tone.
If it were coming from somebody else, Harry just might scream and rant that they just didn't understand, that bad things just keep on happening to him and not to them. That it wasn't fair. But this was Remus. He had suffered as much as Harry, if not more. Fairness had abandoned Lupin ever since a werewolf bit him when he was still a child. So he just kept quiet and thought all the things Remus had just said through. Lupin's open admission of him and Sirius not blaming Harry was very cathartic. It didn't relinquish the grief but it did lessen the guilt. Harry smiled his first smile since arriving here in Privet Drive.
"Thank you Profe.... err.... Remus."
"You're welcome."
"So.... What's the Order been up to?" Harry asked then added, "If it's okay for you to tell me."
Lupin casts an invisible bubble charm around them so that nobody can hear what they were saying before answering Harry, "Dumbledore said that your mind now is better protected from Voldemort after his failed possession of you last time. He now wouldn't be able to see through your mind or send false images. And that means you are safe to be told of any information the Order has, for we know you wouldn't reveal it willingly."
"Really?" Harry asked, thrilled of what he may learned. Finally! I'm not going to be kept in the dark anymore!
"Really," Lupin smiled. "Okay, so first, Grimmauld Place is no longer the Orders' Headquarters due to Sirius death."
"I don't understand. Why?" Harry asked confusedly.
"Sorry. I sometimes forgot that you didn't know much about the wizarding world."
"Don't remind me," Harry pouted but smiled when he heard Remus laugh, finally looking his age. When Harry saw him earlier, he looked like to be in his mid-forties but now he looked like ten years younger. He supposed that this talk had helped Remus like it had helped him.
"Yes, well. When a wizard dies, Harry, the goblins would hold all of his assets, be it in gold or properties. After two weeks, the last will and testament would be presented and the assets would finally be open to the beneficiaries. But when no body is presented, the goblins would wait until two months then present the will." Lupin explained, going on in his professor mode.
"I see. So Grimmauld Place is now locked down? But wait. How would the goblins know if a wizard died?"
"Through their accounts, Harry. The accounts of wizards are bound to its owners. It's goblin magic. Only few knows the intricacies of goblin magic and unfortunately, I'm not one of them so I wouldn't be able to explain it to you in detail. So is there anything else you want to ask?"
"Yes," Harry answered apprehensively. "What about Voldemort? What is he doing now?"
"Nothing as of yet. Dumbledore reckons that Voldemort is still weak after the failed possession. But we're sure the war is going to get more ugly before the term even starts."
Harry gulped. The war is going to start soon and Harry was supposed to be the one to finish Voldemort. But how could I? Harry thought, Voldemort is supposed to be the greatest Dark Lord of this time and I'm just a barely sixteen-year-old wizard. How could a barely sixteen year-old wizard stop the greatest Dark Lord of all times? He even barely survived his last encounter! He knows he is no match for the Dark Lord and he was not stupid enough to think otherwise. Books couldn't get him far enough as he had learned during the Triwizard Tournament a couple of years ago. He couldn't even practiced magic because of the underage wizard restrictions. Then it came to him. Dumbledore. So as much Harry hated to admit it, his survival, his chance to defeat the Dark Lord lies within Professor Dumbledore. He would have to ask the Headmaster to help him, to make him powerful enough to stand up to Voldemort. Who better to teach him than the one the Dark Lord feared, right? Harry decided that this summer, he would spend his time reading books, going through all theories and whatnots. Then when he finally returns to Hogwarts, he would begin his real training. He would have to become really powerful because it all depends on him, nobody can kill Voldemort but him. The prophecy says so. Harry's train of thought stopped cold as he ponders about the possible ramifications of the prophecy. Does that mean nobody can kill me but Voldemort himself? Not even me? Harry thought. Harry was distracted from his thoughts by Remus.
"Any more questions Harry?"
"Uhm.... My friends?"
Lupin smiled, "They're fine Harry. The Weasleys are on vacation in Romania right now, visiting Charlie again no doubt. The Grangers are safe in their homes. All of them are quite worried about you, you know. You haven't answered any of their letters. The Weasleys almost didn't leave if not for Professor Dumbledore's.... err.... persuasiveness."
"I'm sorry. I'll write to them later tonight. I was.... You know.... Kinda out of sorts this week.... Err.... These previous weeks...."
Lupin just smiled to Harry's stammering, "Make sure you do. Well, I better go now Harry. Still got a meeting to attend to." Remus stood up and removed the bubble charm with a wave of his wand. He briefly hugged Harry and was about to apparate when he faced Harry again with an unnatural glint in the eye and mischievous smile, "Oh, and by the way Harry, the Grangers are going to move to Little Whinging the day after tomorrow." And he popped out with a loud Crack!
Harry was left in the park with his mouth wide open due to surprise that changed immediately to a wide smile.