DISCLAIMER:- HP belongs to J.K.R. This is a work of fanfiction.
AN:- Thnx 4 all your reviews and favorites. Updates might take a little longer now. My semester exams have begun. Rest assured, I will complete this story no matter what!
CH 9:- Found Missing!
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was a Legend. There weren't many who could choose to describe themselves as anyone from a list of being an inventor, scholar, fighter, politician and headmaster of the world's most popular wizarding school. A person who belongs to an old generation, who controls the law and order in the present generations, and who moulds the future generations into who they would inevitably become. But most of all, he was a manipulator.
Granted, he always has the society's 'greater good' in his heart but he often forgets that the ones who are great tend to make greater mistakes. After being regarded as the legend described above and aiding and guiding a long line of people, who considered him a hero, through his knowledge and, sometimes shrewd, intelligence, he somehow got the notion of being the ultimate authority. That, he knows everything and can have no demerits.
A person who knows everything, being the absolute entity, he always took decisions for the welfare of the larger part of the community. The basis being the needs of many versus the needs of one. He termed this theory as 'the greater good' theory, the secret of his power.
Thus, when he heard of the prophecy that would decide the fate of his, that is the society's, greatest nemesis, he quickly decided that he would guide the prophecy's child to his destiny, through whatever means necessary. He needed the boy under his control. Absolute control. For that, he needed the boy orphaned (Severus and Peter took care of it), broken (Well, Lily had those nasty muggle relatives, they would do fine…fine, indeed!) and entirely depended on him (Harry, my boy!). He knew that Harry Potter must die for the end of Tom Riddle from the very beginning.
And die he must, but not just once, everyday, every second of his life. Why, the one who regrets his life won't have any problem sacrificing himself for the greater good. Simple, yet brilliant.
Although, Albus had become quite fond of the boy since his last five years in Hogwarts, he KNEW that there was no other way. He sighed wearily and began thinking about his next plan of action. Tough decisions…
Albus had already taken the ring from The Gaunt House which sheltered one of Riddle's soul pieces. Although, the soul piece was destroyed now, it didn't go without a fight, poisoning Albus, and giving him a time line. Albus knew he only had a year left to put all his plans into action, so that young Harry can eventually face what he must.
Albus's thoughts turned to the stone in the ring. He had lost all hope of finding this final hallow many years ago but as fate would have it, he was the only one now to touch, feel and experience the power of all three deathly hallows. It was a shame, Harry had the third, otherwise he would have been The Master of Death.
Albus's eyes widened when the realization dawned. Was it only a title? Or, could it save Albus if he only had the cloak now. Perhaps, he could ask young Harry for the cloak and test it…Perhaps…
But before he could give any more attention to this line of thought, the Headmaster's fireplace suddenly activated and Alastor Moody's voice shouted, "Albus! Albus! Are you there?"
The urgency in Mad-Eye's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he quickly ran towards the fireplace.
"What is it, Alastor?"
"Albus, the boy, he's not home."
"What do you mean?" asked Albus. "I asked him specifically, not to wander anywhere out of the house this summer. Look in the neighborhood, he couldn't be far."
"Albus, I mean he's not home from the morning. I took my shift of potterwatch this morning from Tonks but my magical eye could not find him anywhere in the house. Tonks didn't know anything. So, we searched the entire place but could not find him. We then waited for him in the house, but as of now, he isn't here."
With each word Moody spoke, Albus felt an unwelcome weight settle on himself. If the boy somehow reached Gringotts…
"Alastor, did you find any magical residue around the place."
"Nothing, Albus."
"And his belongings?"
"Gone"
Albus cursed under his breath. He had no idea where Harry could go.
"I'll send Mundungus to wait there. You and Tonks come to the headquarters. We need an emergency meeting of the Order."
A week had passed since Harry and Bella's impromptu nuptials and they had yet to leave their bedroom for anything except their morning rituals everyday.
Harry was enjoying his domestic honeymoon very much and for the first time in years, had absolutely no care in the world. Bella too was relishing in Harry's attention and had no hurry to let it go anytime soon.
She enjoyed the fact that Harry didn't fuck. He made love. It didn't mean that there was no passion involved or that he was slack. But it meant that he gave her as much as he took. Infact, he always thought of her pleasure first. He tried new things with her but stopped when she asked. He never forced her to do anything she was uncomfortable with.
He massaged her when she was tired and hugged her when she sometimes cried when she remembered some unfortunate memories. The best thing she liked about her Harry, he always held her when they slept.
When she asked him about it, he said that she relieved him of his nightmares, that he had not experienced a single nightmare all week. Bella was glad that he thought so, but she knew it was true as much for her nightmares, as it was for him.
They talked about everything. It didn't matter how significant or insignificant the topic was, was it fun or serious or was it embarrassing. They shared anything and everything which they could think of.
Harry told her of his home life, his relatives, the abuse, the beatings, the word 'freak', Harry hunting, his chores, accidental magic incidents, his school, the owls, letters, Hagrid, his sorting (Bella thought it would have been interesting to see the reaction to a Slytherin Harry Potter), Ron, Hermione, troll, Quidditch, unicorn, stone, Dumbledore, chamber, basilisk (60 feet!), diary, Fawkes, Remus, Sirius, Pettigrew, Dementors, Prongs, Tournament, The Horntail, Fleur, Krum, Cedric, Tom's revival, Dementors again, The farce hearing, Umbridge and the Prophecy. He stopped after that but Bellatrix knew why. He immediately saw through her and kissed her chastely. "It wasn't your fault." He said.
It would take some time to believe it but Bella knew he wouldn't stop until she did.
By the end, Bella had a long list of people to hunt down but Harry again saw through her and made her promise that she wouldn't do it alone, he would go with her. Bella nodded happily.
Bella too told him about her life. Her parents, Cygnus and Druella, Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion, her sisters, rebellious Andromeda and proper Narcissa, her favorite cousin Sirius and grumpy Regulus. She told him about the beliefs instilled in her from birth and her wish that she could have been as strong as Siri and Andy. Meeting the Senior Potters once in a ball and their friendly conversation, meeting James Potter and Lily Evans in school, meeting Rodolphus Lestrange and ignoring his cheap moves. The contract her parents signed without her agreement and how she was ordered to live with the Lestranges when she came home after her fifth year. Her first night with Rodolphus and Rabastan sharing her and how her mouth was shut when she tried to object and told that it was a common practice among purebloods and their right. Meeting Riddle. She stopped after that, since Harry already knew from then onwards.
Harry too had a long list of people to hunt, starting with the Lestrange brothers.
They cried together and laughed together in all the right places. They kissed and hugged and made love all day all night, until all the energy escaped, and slept holding each other tightly.
"Master, Master, wake up. Mistress Bella." Harry and Bella groggily woke up when they heard the panicky voice of the elf.
"What happened, Kreacher?" Bella asked, yawning.
"The old beard is holding a meeting, Mistress. They know Master is not where he is supposed to be."
Harry instantly woke up and asked the elf, "Have you put the listening charms, Kreacher." The elf nodded. "Good. Activate them. Let us hear what the old goat has to say."
The elf did as he was told and hustling and bustling could now be heard in the room. Bella put her head on Harry's shoulder while Harry shifted to a comfortable position to wait for the entertainment to begin.
They didn't have to wait long. Soon, Dumbledore's voice started the meeting.
"Settle down, settle down. I now call this emergency meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to session."
"I have received a grave news from Alastor. Harry is missing from his home-"
"WHAT?" yelled someone in a particularly loud voice, which caused both Harry and Bella to wince. It was Mrs. Weasley.
"She's a banshee." Bella commented and Harry acquiesced.
"Calm down, Molly."
"But how is he missing. He is a child. If he gets lost-"
Bella began laughing madly while Harry's face reddened. He had always respected Mrs. Weasley but she was too 'molly'coddling for her own good. He gave Bella a look and she quieted but she couldn't keep the smirk off her face.
"We'll find him, Molly. Don't worry." Dumbledore said patiently. "Now, anybody has any ideas, where can he go?"
"Must have ran off, Albus…the dark lord tends to scare his victims." Severus Snape's slow voice drawled.
Harry didn't react but Bella gave a growl. Snape would pay, sooner or later.
"Harry isn't someone to run, you bat. He has fought Voldemort and won several times now, more than you could dream of." This was Nym-Tonks. Harry didn't think she would defend him with this vigor but she did.
"She's your neice." Harry whispered in Bella's ears.
"She's yours now, too." She grinned.
Oops, he had forgotten. Wait a minute…Tonks is his niece now, hmmm….
"Why, you good for nothing Auror, you dare-"
"Queit" Dumbledore yelled. "We are here to discuss something, not fight among ourselves. Is there something else?"
"What does his relatives say?" asked Remus Lupin.
"Umm…" Answer that you old man, Harry thought. "They were not there when he left." Dumbledore tried to, again, tell everyone a half-truth but Tonks beat him to it.
"They are on a vacation to China. Harry was alone there."
"What?" this was from several voices around the room.
"You left"
"little Harrykins"
"alone"
"in a depressed state"
"when he should have"
"his friends with him"
"we are not impressed"
"headmaster."
This was the Weasley twins and Harry was glad that he could trust them, even in his absence. They were the only ones who could stand up to the headmaster like this.
"Fred! George!" yelled Mrs. Weasely again. "Apologize this instant."
"She really is a Banshee" Bella repeated and Harry again acquiesced.
"We won't, Mom"
"The Headmaster"
"is at fault"
"here and he knows"
"it but won't except"
"and thus we are out of"
"this organization"
"until Harry is found"
"well and healthy."
After a few moments, the sound of a door shutting was heard. Harry was gobsmacked. The twins left the Order for him! He never thought they were THIS loyal to him.
"They must think of you very highly, if they defied Dumbledore for you like this." Bella said from behind him. He simply nodded.
For a few minutes, nobody spoke but then Dumbledore again began.
"I assure you all that I have best interests of Harry in my heart. He must remain in the protection of blood wards for his safety. We have to find him as soon as we can and take measures to prevent him from leaving again."
Remus and Tonks tried to object but were soon opposed by the majority and were quieted down.
"Kingsley and Nymphadora, you are Aurors. See if you can find him. Moody, Hestia, you keep an eye near Gringotts. He must not be allowed to enter the bank."
"Why, Albus?" asked McGonagall this time.
"I am afraid reading Sirius's will can have bad effects on him psychologically, Minerva. He might not recover from it."
"That old bastard!" Harry shouted. "The nerve…"
Bella rubbed his shoulders soothingly and tried to calm him down.
"Don't worry, Harry. He won't find you and you know the will already."
Harry nodded and relaxed under Bella's comforting soft hands.
"All of you, keep your eyes open and contact me immediately if you find anything concerning Harry. Alas! Harry must be found at all costs if we want to win this war. Meeting dismissed."
There was the noise of hustling and bustling again and Bella asked Kreacher to deactivate the charms. The elf popped out without another word.
Bella put hands on both of Harry's cheeks and turned him towards her. She then kissed him softly on the lips and promised, "Don't worry, my love. They won't find you. And when they do, you will be ready to face them, with me on your side. I think its time to start your training."
Harry nodded somberly and then grinned.
"Later, Bella, we don't have any hurry. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. Let them search for me a bit. I want to have the old man in a twist. For now, let us…"
And with that, Harry laid Bella on her back and started giving her soft kisses all over her body. Old man can wait for the eternity, for all he cared. He won't let him disturb his much deserved honeymoon.
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