"Thank you for coming." Albus address the order members that had arrived for the meeting, "I… I have… some… very bad news."
Everyone knew there had been a disturbance at the ministry that evening but only those few who had gone knew what was coming. Arthur knew and he held onto his wife's hand tightly.
"Six students were tricked by Voldemort into leaving the school." he took a deep breath, "They believed that Sirius was being held captive at the ministry by Voldemort. Why they didn't seek help from a teacher first is anyone's guess."
"Who went?" Molly asked even though she was already sure of whom at least part of them were.
"Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Grainger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood." He stopped unable to continue for a moment.
"How many were hurt?" she was already crying silent tears.
"Sirius was part of the rescue team and Bellatrix killed him. Actually that's not quite true." Albus sighed, "They were in the Death chamber and the spell she hit him with forced him through the veil."
Remus sobbed and everyone looked at him with great sorrow. However Albus regained their attention quickly.
"Harry was beside him when it happened. He followed." Albus whispered but everyone heard.
"What?" Molly was sure she misunderstood, "Followed where?"
"Through the veil." Albus put his head in his hands, "Harry is dead."
"What of the others?" Filius asked when no one else could.
"I remember several of them were quite injured." Tonks looked slightly confused, "Neville had a broken nose and Ginny broke her ankle. However when Harry… they all screamed and then turned on each death eater in the room. They all used very powerful stunners. All five hit one person at a time and it threw that person against the wall. Every single one of the death eaters died of a snapped neck. Then they moved together into a group hug and cried about his death and… glowed. Then they just stopped and ran out the door. Ginny didn't look like she was having any trouble with her ankle."
"Where did they go? Are they all right?" Molly asked her husband who only shrugged.
"I followed them. They beat me to the atrium and when I arrived they left on a portkey." Albus sighed, "I wasn't able to track them because Voldemort chose that moment to arrive."
"Where did they get a port key?" Arthur's voiced was strangled, "If we know where they got it we may be able to find them."
"I think they made it." Albus threw up his hands, "Ronald wasn't wearing a shirt and they were all holding some cloth."
"Ron was wearing a shirt in the battle." Tonks confirmed.
"But they're too young to be able to make portkeys." Kingsley finally spoke, "It doesn't make sense."
"They are all too young. Too young to fight death eaters, too young to be able to slip out of school unnoticed, too young to enter the Department of Mysteries, too young to send such strong stunners and far too young to die." Remus choked out, "They are too young."
"What is known about the veil?" Filius asked.
"It's the doorway to death." Albus muttered, "It's a one way ticket."
"Ok let's say they made a portkey, where would they go?" Kingsley asked changing the subject to something they could affect.
"My first thought was the burrow." Arthur said, "I went and got Molly and they weren't there."
"I thought they would come here, but no one has seen them." Minerva added.
"I checked Hermione's house and Luna's they weren't at either place." Tonks confirmed.
"I called Augusta and she hasn't seen them." Albus finished.
"Wait a minute." Kingsley said thoughtfully, "Didn't Neville's wand get broken?"
"Yes I have it here." Remus pulled two pieces from his pocket.
"Then where did he get another wand?" Kingsley asked, "Because when the five of them sent those stunners he was holding a wand."
No one had an answer so Albus changed the subject, "Poppy is Delores in any shape to talk yet?"
"She's a bit high strung but not overly traumatized." Poppy declared, "You better hurry if you want to talk to her because I've had about all I can take. I'm sending her to St. Mungo's as soon as possible."
"Why do you want to talk to her?" Molly asked.
"I'm hoping if we can find out how they left the school we will find where they are hiding." Albus stood and left his office with Poppy. The rest stayed and waited for his return.
***The next morning at the Potter home in Wales ***
"Breakfast was delicious Tabitha." Hermione complemented.
"Thank you missy." the elf smiled pleasantly, "They are waiting for you in the library again."
"So these are the hooligans that trashed my department." a new man in the portrait with Jameson and Athena growled, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Can we get Harry and Sirius out?" Ron asked.
"You trashed my department and want a favor?" the man they realized was Rupert asked, "I could have you all thrown into Azkaban for the damage you did."
"To be honest we didn't cause all the damage." Ron stated, "But I'd gladly go to Azkaban if you can save Harry."
"Gryffindor." Rupert announced, "And the rest?"
"All Gryffindor except Luna." Neville pointed to the blond girl, "However she's extremely brave for a Ravenclaw and more than a bit reckless to be hanging out with us rash Gryffs."
"Thank you Neville that's very sweet of you." Luna smiled serenely.
Rupert leaned his head back and laughed at the girl, "Son you need to keep that girl close. She's a winner."
"Yes Sir." Neville grinned shyly and looked at the ground.
"Now what's this about our Grandson running into the veil?" he asked.
Hermione went through the end portion of the story and then looked pleadingly at the portrait, "Can you save Harry and Sirius?"
"I can't." he said and the group immediately looked despondent, "But you can."
"What do we have to do?" Ginny perked up.
"This evening when they've been inside for twenty four hours you may activate the runes on the doorway and bring them back." he said, "It has to be exactly twenty four hours. Do you know what time he fell through?"
"Seven fifty four and twenty eight seconds." Luna stated simply, when the others looked curious she shrugged, "Harry told me. I think he knew we could get him out and that's why he sent us to Sir Rupert."
"Time is different in that place." Rupert warned, "He will have had time to meet a lot of people before you get to him. It's very likely he won't be exactly the same person."
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked fearfully.
"Some come back sadder than when they went in, others are happier." Rupers shrugged, "Everyone is changed to some degree, some more than others. Seeing the other side will change you."
"As long as he doesn't come back dark and evil we can handle anything else." Ron stated.
"Ok, here is what you need to do. First the other four of you need to get your things ready to go. It will be easier to contain if only one of you knows what to do." Rupert waited until they left then began giving instructions and Hermione wrote everything down, "Remember exactly twenty four hours. Will you be returning here?"
"I think we should." she said, "He needs to see his home."
"We'll wait up for you then." Athena smiled as they left to begin their trip to the ministry.
The Prophet the elf had brought them had not said anything about five missing students that morning nor was there anything about Harry's death. It was covered with Voldemort being back and Fudge getting sacked. The group left the house confident they wouldn't be caught. Walking to a nearby road they hailed the Knight Bus. Climbing on they asked to be let off at the visitor's entrance to the ministry. They paid the fare and soon found themselves in London. They all squeezed into the phone box and Ron reached to dial the number.
"Wait." Hermione said, "I think we need to give false names or something."
"I don't think telling lies at the ministry is a good idea." Neville grimaced.
They moved carefully through the ministry and into the Department of Mysteries. In the room with the spinning door Hermione asked for the death veil and the door opened directly into the room. They still had about ten minutes before they needed to have the runes activated so they stood guard at the doors while Hermione inspected the veil. When it was close to time she followed Rupert's steps and waited to touch the last rune until Luna said to go. The door lit up and she stepped away and the rest turned towards the doorway with their wands drawn. After a few seconds two bodies fell through the door and onto the floor just before the door's lights went out.
"That was harder than going in." one voice groaned.
"What do you expect?" the other said, "They told us it would be painful."
"I didn't think it would be that painful." he groaned again.
"All your nerves just woke up." the second one said again, "It's kind of like being crucioed."
"Harry?" Ginny's voice wavered.
"Thanks for getting us." The second voice said as he rolled over on his back. Harry grinned up at his friends, "That was quite an adventure."
"Speak for yourself." Sirius groaned.
"Do you have a portkey?"Harry looked to Luna.
"No we figured we would make one in the lobby again." she shrugged.
"No need. Last time I wanted you to hide your ability to make it." he stretched, "We can leave whenever you're ready, but I'd say the sooner the better. Unspeakables are on their way."
"Touch Sirius and I'll make him a portkey." Luna suggested, "That way he doesn't need to get up."
"Thank you." he groaned, "I'm getting too old for this stuff."
The group disappeared before the first unspeakable entered the room. Albus arrived during the investigation and pull the highest ranking person to the side to get a report.
"What happened, more death eaters?"
"No Sir." the person replied, "Five people entered the ministry thirty minutes ago. Nothing of note about that except when the magic pulsed in this room we noted five persons here. After a second short pulse of magic two more persons were noted and then they all left on a portkey."
"Where did the two come from?" Albus asked.
"We think they came from the door."
"But… can that happen?" he asked.
"There was a study done in the fourteen hundreds. They suspected with a specific rune set activated the last person in could come back out." the person replied, "Nothing was noted as having been proven."
"Who were the five people?" Albus asked.
"The names given were Weasley, Granger, Weasley, Longbottom and Lovegood." the person answered, "Almost the same group from last night."
"You think that three fifth year students and two four years just released two people from the door?" Albus was shocked.
"No I'm saying nothing of the kind." the person replied, "I'm delivering the facts and letting you make up your own mind. Yesterday you asked us not to report two people going into the veil. Are you going to request the same thing today?"
"Yes." Albus replied and turned to go.
Back at the House of Potter in Wales the group landed in a heap in the hallway. Tabitha was waiting for them with several potions for Harry and Sirius.
"Sirius you need to obliviate me." Hermione instructed as she banished the paper in her hand, "Just the last six hours please."
"Why?" he asked as he pulled his wand.
"I don't want to know the combination to open that door. They'll know it was us and I don't want to tell anyone." she explained.
"Good enough." Sirius quickly wiped out her most recent memories.
She stood there for a moment before she blinked, "Harry! How did you guys get out?"
She hugged Harry for all she was worth before turning on Sirius and doing the same. Neville gave her a quick rundown of what had happened. She had taken the notes and activated the door so her memories had to be erased and the rest of them knew nothing. Then since they were safe to celebrate, the whole group shared a round of hugs as they moved to the library. They were all talking excitedly when they entered the room.
"Good to see you all made it." Rupert called down from the portrait the three Potters where still in, "You didn't wreck it again did you?"
"Of course not." Ron replied, "In and out quiet as a mouse."
"Thank you Rupert." Sirius said, "You are looking spiffy this evening. I'm Sirius Black."
"James' friend." Rupert claimed, "I remember you. James locked you in the cupboard with that girl. What was her name?"
"Don't remind me of that." Sirius grumbled, "Marlene gave me a black eye and it wasn't even my fault."
Rupert roared with laughter along with Jameson. Athena smacked each of them on the back of the head, "Quit laughing at his expense or I'll be telling tales on the both of you."
"Hello Grandmother." Harry smiled, "Grandfathers."
"First names Harry." Athena instructed him, "Every portrait here is Grandmother or Grandfather."
"Yes Athena." Harry replied with a smirk, "Thank you for your help Rupert."
"Any time, I live to serve family." Rupert grinned.
"Do you mean that?" Harry asked.
"Certainly." he nodded.
"Great, what can you tell me about horcruxes?"
"What?" the group of teens asked.
"A horcrux is a piece of soul kept in a container." Rupert explained, "It's considered dark magic because the first step is murder or some other kind of horrible act that rips the soul. Why do you ask?"
"When I made it into the other side, two souls had passed not one." Harry explained, "Me and a piece of Voldemort. They think that when he attacked me the magical backlash broke a piece of his soul off and it landed on me. Now in order for that to happen he had to have already broken it apart before. They said that two eighths of Voldemort has passed over and I have to send over the rest."
"Do you know how the other part got over?" Rupert asked scratching his chin.
"Yes, I did it." Harry smiled, "It was not my intent but I'm happy about it anyway." Harry took a few moments to explain about his second year. He did it with one arm wrapped around Ginny to give her comfort.
"You poor dear." Athena gasped when he was finished, "Ginny have you fully recovered from that?"
"Yes, I was physically recovered quite quickly." she whispered, "Mentally it took quite a bit longer. But the nightmares now are few and far between."
"Harry we are very proud of you." Jameson applauded from his portrait, "We had heard part of it from your friends. But your added detail makes it so much more harrowing."
"He always gets the harrowing parts." Neville snickered, "But that's why he's the hero and we're just the sidekicks."
"You are not sidekicks." Harry grumbled at them.
"Here is your wand back." Neville handed it over, "I don't know how I ended up with it."
"I gave it to you." Harry grinned, "It's a bit complicated to explain the dynamics of the next world so I'll skip it."
"What are you going to do about the other horcurxes?" Rupert brought the subject back around, "You'll need to know what and where they are."
"Is there a better way than the tooth of a basilisk?" he asked.
"It's the safest seeing as the basilisk is already dead." Rupert offered, "However, the sword you used to kill the snake would be a good second if you knew where it was."
"Why the sword?" Harry asked.
"It's Goblin made." Rupert said like it explained everything.
The teens and Sirius still looked dumbfounded so Athena explained, "Anything that doesn't destroy a goblin blade combines with it and makes it stronger."
"They should know that." Rupert huffed.
"They have had Binns as a history professor." she explained, "All he ever teaches is goblin and giant wars."
"Jameson I thought you were getting rid of him." Rupert turned on the other man.
"Don't blame me." he said, "I already told Athena I was commissioned before the ruling was made on his teaching. I don't know what happened."
"Those poor children are missing out on all the important history lessons." Athena huffed where she sat on the sofa, "I had to explain to them why house elves are our helpers and bond with us."
"Do you have any idea where any of the horcurxes are?" Rupert ignored Athena's pout.
"There was one in Grimmauld place, my family's house." Sirius said, "My brother sent it there when he died trying to stop Voldemort. He didn't know the man made more. Anyway we cleaned the house out last year so I'm afraid it's gone."
"Maybe Kreacher kept it." Ginny offered, "He horded a lot of things we tried to throw away. Call him and ask."
"Can't hurt." Sirius called his elf and a short time later they had the third known horcrux, but no way to destroy it.
"We need to get into the school." Harry sighed, "We need to get that sword or another tooth."
"Any reason we can't bring Professor Dumbledore in on this?" Hermione asked.
"Sirius did anyone know about this place?" Harry turned from Hermione's question.
"I knew the Potter estate existed but not where it was." he shrugged, "James wasn't allowed to change the wards so Dumbledore suggested a place that Poppy could enter in case of an emergency.
"Did Dumbledore know where it was?" he asked.
"No only James knew. He could only tell his blood children. Lily couldn't even be told where it is other than Wales." Sirius stated, "It's a very special system set up hundreds of years ago. No one knows who set up the wards or how to put them back if they're disrupted. If James had been hurt no one could have come to help him."
"So how is Luna able to make a portkey?" Ron asked.
"I don't know." Sirius replied.
"Maybe we're related." Luna offered, "I don't know much about my mother's side of the family."
"Plausible, I wish I would have thought to ask about that while we were there." Harry sighed, "Can't have everything I guess. Ok let's bring Dumbledore in."
"Just curious mind you, but why were you hesitant?" Neville asked.
"I just wanted to know if he had other options for my safety. The Dursleys treated me terribly." Harry shrugged, "Hermione would you write him a letter and ask him to meet Luna in Hogsmeade outside Honeydukes. He needs to come alone."
"Wait, can Remus come too?" Sirius asked. When Harry paused he pushed out his lip and made puppy dog eyes.
"Oh for heaven's sake bring Moony so I don't have to see that look again." Harry shuddered dramatically.
"How are we sending it?" Neville asked, "I've not seen any owls."
"Tabitha." Harry called. When the elf appeared he gave her instructions, "Please take the letter when Hermione is done and drop it on the Headmaster's desk at Hogwarts. Please don't let him see you if you can help it and come back when he reads it. Hermione have the meeting for ten minutes from the time he reads the letter. Tell him we'll know when he opens it. Don't mention Sirius and I."
"What if Moony isn't there?" Luna asked.
"We can bring him later." Harry said, "Dumbledore won't be staying."
Hermione handed off the letter and the elf popped away. She came back almost immediately.
"They were having a meeting and I dropped the letter from the ceiling." Tabitha explained, "He read it and told another man to come with him and he headed for the floo. I can pop to the store and grab both men and pop right back."
"Ok do that." Harry said, "That's safer for everyone. And if it's not Remus with him you can just take him back."
They waited for almost ten minutes before sending the elf. Two quick pops and Albus and Remus were standing in the middle of the library. With wands in their faces they raised their hands slowly.
