Chapter 3: Burning Rages & Dumb Questions
Harry stood in the bathroom, his shirt crumpled on the floor and his gaze fixed on the bathroom mirror. Normally he didn't particularly enjoy looking at himself. His body was riddled with tiny scars, permanent reminders of past punishments and incidents that were never treated properly under the Dursleys' roof. But now he found himself transfixed by his reflection — well, he was transfixed by the marking that Harry he discovered on his body.
With a shuddering breath, Harry used his index finger to trace the pattern on his chest. It was the shape of two hearts entwined and as he traced it, Harry let out a hiss of pain. The skin around it was sore and red, almost as if he had just gotten it recently, though he couldn't imagine when.
Harry had noticed a persistent throbbing where the print laid ever since he came to Grimmauld's Place — more specifically, whenever he was in Sirius' room and was thinking of his parents — but being so stressed about Kreacher's return, he had paid no attention to it. It had flared up even worse when arguing with Remus about what his dad would've wanted, but Harry had once again brushed it off. However, now that Kreacher had completed his task and Mundungus had given them the information they needed and been sent away, Harry found himself a moment of peace to discover the source of the throbbing and had found the print.
Harry jumped as someone rapped on the door. "What?" he called through the door as he bent down the receive his shirt.
"Harry, Remus is back!" Hermione replied, a lick of urgency in her voice. "He says it's an emergency!"
"Coming!"
Harry cursed under his breath as his glasses fell off his face and his arms got tangled in his shirt. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself but the mention of Remus had made his heart pound. Guilt and anger both bubbled up inside him. Harry knew he should apologize for calling him a coward but he was still angry at the werewolf for trying to leave behind his child. With an angry sigh, Harry pulled on his shirt and picked his glasses off the floor, using his shirt to clean them as he left the bathroom.
Down in the sitting room, Remus was pacing back and forth, wringing his hands together. Ron and Hermione sat next to each other on the couch, a bit too close for Harry's liking, watching Remus pace. It wasn't that Harry was upset about how close Ron and Hermione have been but it just didn't feel... right. I mean, they were in the middle of a war! They had to focus on finding horcruxes, not love. Not to mention seeing them like this only reminded Harry of his situation with Ginny.
"Hey, Remus," Harry said, stopping Remus in his tracks. The werewolf turned to face Harry, his eyes frantic and full of anxiety. Obviously something was bothering him and Harry decided that apologies could wait. "What's wrong?"
"Harry, I..." Remus trailed off. He let out a sigh before starting again. "I really don't know how to explain what happened. It's impossible and I'm pretty sure they're Death Eaters in disguise. I have them tied up in my house and I have no idea what to do with them!"
Harry stepped forward and placed a hand on Remus' thin shoulder, stopping the man's rambling. Ron and Hermione watched on from the sidelines, eyes wide and on alert at the mention of Death Eaters.
"Calm down, Moony," Harry said, please with himself as Remus visibly relaxed at the use of his nickname. "What Death Eaters?"
"After I left earlier today, I apparated to Godric's Hollow. I went to the graveyard—"
"Where my parents are?" Harry asked, heart pounding. He had wanted to visit Godric's Hollow for so long and that urge to go had only grown knowing that Bathilda Bagshots lived there.
"Yes. I always visit their graves when I need to think." Harry nodded. Had he'd been able to go, he probably would do the same thing. "But when I got there... Harry, their graves were destroyed." Hermione and Ron gasped bit Harry just furrowed his brow, a cold feeling settling in his chest.
"What?"
"Their graves were destroyed. Dirt was everywhere, the casket's lid was blown apart, and the casket itself was empty." The words were bitter as they came out of Remus's mouth.
"Empty? No bones or anything?" Now the cold feeling in Harry's chest was turning hot as numb disbelieve became burning anger. Still, he remained calm.
"When a wizard or witch dies, magic is used to conserve their bodies and runes are carved into the casket to repel animals and keep the casket in perfect condition. There should've been two perfectly preserved bodies but there was nothing."
"Death Eaters stole my parents bodies? They actually destroyed their graves and stole their bodies?" Somehow, Harry's wand found its way into his hand, the end of it glowing furiously. With no spell in his mind or on his tongue, Harry slashed through the air with his wand and the table in the sitting room exploded, leaving Hermione and Remus to scramble for their wands and throw up shields to protect themselves (and Ron) from flying debris.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, indignant.
"What!" he snapped, head pounding as he seethed. His chest burned but Harry couldn't tell if it was because of the mark that rested over his heart or just the furry building up. "A piece of scum broke into my parents' final resting place and stole their bodies: I swear to God if you tell me to calm down..." The rest of the sentence remained unfinished but the threat was still loud and clear.
"Mate, no one is telling you to calm down but killing us is not going to solve anything!" Ron said with red cheeks and a protective arm around Hermione. Seeing the gesture only made Harry's mood worse so he looked away, spinning to face Remus with his wand pointed at him.
"You said you had Death Eaters died up in your house. Are they the ones that took my parents?"
"I believe so but Harry—"
"Take me to them!"
"Wait, Harry, I'm not done—"
"Now!" This time a night table with a gas lamp on it exploded, causing Ron and Hermione to dive to the other end of the couch. Remus sighed and pinched his nose but his eyes gleamed with understanding.
"Fine. Let's go."
The small group made their way outside and crowded on the front step. Ron stumbled a bit, his shoulder going through the Fidelius barrier, and the two watching Death Eaters surged forward, eyes searching for what they knew was there but could not see.
"Careful, Ron," Hermione muttered, placing a stabilizing hand on the redhead's elbow. While inside the barrier they could not be heard but still Hermione whispered, not taking a chance. Ron nodded, his ears turning red.
"Everybody hold on." Harry latched onto Remus like a vice, not particularly caring about any discomfort he might be causing the man as his nails dug into Remus' arm. Everything was pounding and his chest was burning and oh, how angry he was! Whoever had done this was going to pay!
Then the square and the watching Death Eaters disappeared, replaced by a crushing blackness and the feeling that he was being pushed through a small tube. Harry stumbled as he appeared outside a small cottage, suddenly surrounded by trees in all directions.
"Where are we?" Ron asked, looking around. Harry pinched his nose and let out a huff. He was in no mood for stupid questions. They were at Remus' place, where the Death Eaters that stole his parents were being held. The particular location didn't exactly matter, now did it?
"Somewhere in Fairy Forest," Remus answered vaguely as he led them to the cottage
"Fairy Forest?" Hermione piped in. "Isn't that where all those muggles were attacked?" Harry winced. Who cared about attacks at a time like this? Why couldn't they just shut up!
"Muggles were attacked here?" Once again, Harry winced. Did Ron always ask dumb questions or was Harry just becoming more attuned to them?
"Yeah, by that witch for attempting to cut down the forest. Oh, what was her name?" Nobody cares, nobody cares, nobody cares!
"Winifred Whittle," Remus answered, much to Harry's vexation. "Such a shame, too. She's quite nice if you leave the fairies alone."
"Why would anyone care about fairies?" Ron asked. Harry let out an audible growl that went ignored. Why had they apparated so far from the cottage? It looked so close yet with this conversation, the distance seemed to have doubled.
"Why wouldn't they? Fairies are living beings too, with emotions and feelings just like any human!" Hermione said with the righteous tone she used every time she talked about Spew.
"Y'know, you and Winifred would get along, nicely," Remus said, almost as a side thought. "As long as you're willing to listen to her go on and on about Whiff."
"Whiff?"
"Witches' Holistic Institute for Friends of Fairies. Yes, Winifred is quite serious about protecting the fairies though I do believe there is only one other member of Whiff."
"In that case, Hermione and that fairy witch should get along swimmingly. They can talk all day about Whiff and Spew—"
"It's not Spew! It's—"
"Alohomora!" Harry shrieked, pointing his wand at the door of the cottage that they had finally made it to. The force of his spell was so strong that not only did the door unlock but it swung open, too, nearly taking the door off its hinges.
Harry stood in the doorway, panting, his anger at an all-time high. Didn't they realize how important this was? Yet instead they meaninglessly chatted on about Whiff and Spew and fairies and Winifred Whittle.
Who cared about those things when they was about to confront Death Eaters that disgraced his parents graves and stole their preserved bodies?
With a scowl on his face, Harry stormed into the cottage. Then he froze.
Hermione and Ron gave shouts of surprise and anger as they crashed into Harry's back before they too froze and fell silent. In front of them, bound to chairs and unconscious, were too dreadfully familiar adults. Harry had only seen pictures of them yet there was no doubt in his mind that the two in front of him were his parents.
Or, at least people disguised as his parents.
Harry spun around to face Remus and found him leaning against the closed door, his arms folded across his chest while he gazed at Harry with something Harry couldn't describe.
"Explain this," he growled, point his wand at the restrained pair. His voice was both strong and weak, like a seasoned soldier on the verge of a breakdown.
"I tried to tell you back in Grimmauld's Place. After I saw the destroyed graves I found these two hiding behind a tree. I stunned them, fixed the graves, and brought them here. I waited an hour but they still look like James and Lily so they're not using Polyjuice. I tried all the counter-spells I know but the disguises just won't slip away. That's why I came to you. I knew you would want to be here as I interrogated them but I also figured that I could find some Veritaserum in the house or get Kreacher to get some or maybe you guys would have some on you." At that, Harry and Ron looked towards Hermione expectantly.
Hermione took out her wand and beaded bag out of her cloak's pocket. She quickly opened the bag and with her wand she summoned a tiny vial of clear liquid along with a dropper. Then, without a word and a stunned expression on her face, she handed them to Remus.
"Okay, then. Here we go."
Remus pulled out his wand as he walked to the bound James and Lily lookalikes and with a swish of his wand, he woke them up.
A/N: I'm so surprised by the positive response this got so far! I do not own Fairy Forest, Winifred Whittle, Witches' Holistic Institute for Friends of Fairies, or anything related to Winifred's story. They belongs to the creators of Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World. Honestly, I'm not created enough to create a name like Witches' Holistic Institute for Friends of Fairies.
