Chapter Ten: To Forgive is Divine
"There you are, Harry!" Hermione shouted.
Snape yelled, "Of all the stupid stunts…you imbecilic cretin, I demand you get down here this instant!"
"No," Harry said shaking his head as well, "No, you need to come up here and look at this. It looks like Riddle had himself a bit of a hide-a-way up here. There's plenty up here that you need to examine yourself. Even I'm not crazy enough to go rooting through the books that are up here without you making sure they're safe! Here, Snape, take my broom, Ron can bring Hermione up on his." Harry held out his broom for Snape to Accio, and then went back to the room to wait.
Snape landed first and stormed into the room, looking every bit the evil, great bat Harry and Ron had accused him of being many times during school. "For your safety, Potter, you better hope this is worth the risk you took. Now, where is this great discovery you had to go and risk your life to find?"
Harry was in shock over the fierce snarl Snape used. It upset Harry slightly, he had thought they were past that kind of hate.
Harry glared at Snape as he pointed towards the nook. "There are quite a few books over there beyond the chair in the inglenook next to the fireplace. They don't look old enough to have belonged to Slytherin, so I figured this could very easily have been a stash left behind by Riddle."
"But, Harry, why would Voldemort leave behind anything? Wouldn't he want to keep it with him to keep it out of the hands of others at the very least?" Hermione asked, as she came closer.
"Riddle would not have cared about leaving anything down here, as far as he was concerned, it is all protected. He knew he was the only one with the ability to get down here." Snape said giving Harry a glance. He then continued, "These look to be mostly beginner's books on the Dark Arts. This looks to be what he started to study while he was at school. I have scanned them all, and none of them have protections on them. This small red one on the very bottom has something dark about it though. It is nothing that would hurt a person if they picked it up and read it, but other than that I cannot ascertain what exactly is dark about it. I suggest we pack up everything here, and use this as a place to start down the path of understanding Voldemort's madness." Snape said, as he conjured a few boxes to put the boxes in.
Harry nodded in agreement and grabbed a box. He'd grab as many books as he could, but he'd leave the unknown dark book for Snape to deal with.
It didn't take long to crate up all the books. Snape took extra care with the little red book. He conjured a special box just big enough for the book to fit into, and added quiet a few different protections to it to keep everything on the outside of the box safe.
After everyone was back in the main chamber, Harry, Ron, and Hermione started walking towards the exit. Harry had just started to ask Snape a question when he realized that Snape wasn't with them. Looking back, he saw Snape looking between Slytherin's office and the carcass of the basilisk. It was apparent even to Ron that the man didn't want to leave. Harry rolled his eyes and walked back over to Snape.
"You do know that we can come back at any time now. McGonagall will let you into the school whenever you have the time." Harry said.
"Yes, and we still need to come back to talk about Slytherin's wife, as well as all that Rowena Ravenclaw had seen about Voldemort." Hermione added.
"Yes, yes, very well then. Let us leave." Snape said giving in. Looking at the teens, Snape noticed that Ron looked to be far off. "Mr. Weasley, what is it? What has gotten that brain of yours working overtime?"
"I was just thinking of how we got out of here last time, and was wondering if anyone had seen Fawkes lately." Ron replied.
This puzzled Snape, "What do you mean, lately? What happened to him after…" Snape paused giving a very pained look, "well after Albus passed on?"
"You mean you…well, I guess you wouldn't have known would you?" Harry said, "Fawkes sang, it seemed as if he was sharing his grief with everyone that could hear his song. Once he was done he just disappeared, I doubt he'll ever show up at Hogwarts ever again." Harry's voice carried a certainty no one, not even Snape, felt he could question.
"So, just how are we going to get back up that pipe then?" asked Hermione, trying not to show how repulsed she was at the thought of going back up that nasty thing.
Harry was lost in thought for a bit then looked up to Snape, "This was Slytherin's office, right?" At Snape's nod Harry continued, "Well then, he had to have had a different way to get in and out of the Chamber. I can see him building a specific way for his pet to get in and out, but he'd need a way for himself as well, so let's go ask him." Harry then took off to the room with the portrait in it.
Salazar looked startled when Harry burst back into his room, but he recovered quickly. "Back so soon, young man? Well, what do you want? I do not have all day, so speak, if you would." Slytherin sneered.
Vaguely Harry wondered if all Slytherin's were taught that sneer when they were sorted into that house. He'd have to ask Snape, well, maybe not. Harry didn't have a death wish after all. Harry explained his thoughts to Slytherin and then asked, "So, was I right?"
"I am impressed young man, very impressed indeed, that a Gryffindor can actually think." He continued as Harry rolled his eyes, "Yes, you are correct. The entrance you have found is actually what used to be how my pet got out to be fed. I changed the wards right before I left the castle so that he could no longer open the chamber door himself. It would do no good to have a rumor about a great monster that my heir would use to exact revenge against the nasty Mudbloods, if said monster could get out when ever he wanted, now would there? Now, as for the main entrance, there is a door at the very back of this room that will take you to my old chambers, and as with every other door down here it requires a Parselmouth to open it." Slytherin finished explaining as Snape, Ron, and Hermione came into the room.
"Thank you, sir, I can't wait to talk with you some more. I'm sure Hermione will have hundreds of questions all written out for you the next time we visit. Ready to go?" Harry asked looking towards his friends, "I know I am."
They quickly made their way to the back of the room to stand in front of a very ornately carved wooden door. Harry hissed a quiet open and stood back as the door swung open to reveal a steep staircase. Harry took the lead and carefully made his way up after a muttered Lumos lit the way. Sooner than expected, Harry found himself at the end of the staircase looking at a twin to the door they had passed through below, he opened the door with another quietly hissed open. Stepping through found Harry standing in a sitting room, and then he turned to look dumbfounded at Snape when he cursed.
"Merlin, Rowena, and Salazar…wait, not Salazar! It is all his fault that I have had the main entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in my sitting room for the past fifteen years, and never knew about it!" Snape glared at the teens when they laughed, and then walked over to another door and disappeared.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and quietly asked, "Do you think he'll be back soon? I really would rather not hang around in Snape's rooms, and I'm sure he'd rather us not be here."
"For once, you are correct, Potter. I do not want the three of you in here for any longer than necessary. But, we might as well gather anything we shall need at the house while we are here." Snape handed each teen a box and gave instructions on what to gather. In a little more than an hour Snape was happy with what they had gathered and instructed them what they could and could not shrink. Once everything that could be was safely shrunk and pocketed, Snape cast a spell for the rest to float behind him. He then motioned towards the door, and they quickly made their way back towards the Headmistress' office.
*~~*~~*
It took them no time at all to make it to the Headmistress' office. There was no one in the hallways to slow them down, and for once the staircases were acting nicely, moving them in the direction of the shortest path. The guardian gargoyle was opened, so there was no need to stand there guessing the password. Snape knocked once on the door and they were called into the office right away.
"Good to see that the four of you survived your visit." McGonagall said as she passed around a tray filled with tea and biscuits. "There are two things of importance I need to speak to you about, Harry. I received word from the Governors saying they are worried about Death Eaters getting back onto school grounds. I had assured them that we had taken care of the way that Mr. Malfoy allowed them access," Snape looked up in shock at that, but McGonagall nor any of the teens noticed as she continued on, "but, there seems to be worry that V…Vol…Voldemort could also use the Chamber of Secrets as an entrance as well. I assured them I would take advantage of your next visit to see if there was anything you could do to seal the Chamber therefore taking care of their fears."
Harry looked over to Snape, silently asking how much information to divulge.
Seeing Harry falter a bit, Snape answered. "We still need to be able to access the Chamber, Minerva, but we have also found the real entrance to the Chamber. It seems what Tom Riddle found was Slytherin's pet door." Snape said with a sarcastic inflection on the words pet door and an accompanying smirk. He then went on to explain about most of what they had discovered, leaving out any mention of their mission and Horcruxes. "I know you understand that we can not explain why we still need access to the Chamber, as well as the school, but Slytherin's portrait was very convincing that Riddle never found his workroom. I also have a way for us to enter and exit the school without having to worry about being seen. Well, I do as long as you did not destroy the cabinet that Draco used. You see, I did not want Amycus or his sister getting any ideas about trying to surpass me in My Lord's eyes, so I got the information from Draco, then Obliviated him, so I am safe. That cabinet is already residing in my old rooms, I was hoping to take the other and set it up at the house, so we can access the school without the students or teachers being the wiser."
Minerva smiled at Harry as she said, "Now, Mr. Potter, are you not glad we did not destroy the cabinet. I have the other one right here. You see, Severus, Mr. Potter found it in the school storage room and demanded that I do something to make sure it was safe. I must say, I am very proud, not long ago he would have taken things into his own hands and destroyed the cabinet. Mr. Potter has matured greatly these past months. I am sure your parents would be very proud of you." Minerva said with a small, sly smile directed towards Severus, before turning a beaming smile towards Harry and his friends. After handing Severus the shrunken cabinet, Minerva turned back to Harry. "Now, Mr. Potter, do you think you can seal up the known entrance to the Chamber?"
"Maybe we should talk to Slytherin's portrait to see if he knows of a way to permanently close off that entrance, if he doesn't then the only thing I can think of is to collapse the pipe that leads down there." Harry replied with a small shrug. "Although, Slytherin didn't mention an entrance from the outside to the Chamber, I guess we should ask that as well." Harry looked over to Snape for confirmation.
"Having the pipe collapsed might be the best way to assure the Governors that the school is safe." Hermione said. "From what we've experienced of them in the past, I doubt they will believe Harry, or the portrait."
"I do not want anyone outside of this room to know about the portrait. I am sure there are many people who would demand it be taken from Slytherin's room and studied since it is the only known portrait of Salazar Slytherin in existence. Therefore losing us a valuable tool, not to mention a portrait this important to the school should stay in the school!" Snape added.
Minerva was nodding her head, "Yes, I agree. For now, no one else should know about the portrait. As for the ideas for sealing the Chamber, I highly doubt the Governors would feel safe with just Harry's word that the entrance is sealed. I believe that the best course of action to take would be to collapse the entire tunnel leading from the girl's bathroom to the entrance, especially since a better entrance has been found. The Governors do not need to find out about that, and this should look like a drastic enough measure taken for the safety of the school in the Governor's eyes." Minerva sighed before she continued, "Now, that is taken care of, there is one more thing we need to discuss Harry. Your cousin is fully healed, physically at least. Your aunt, on the other hand, is still in serious condition. Poppy said that Mrs. Dursley is very lucky to be sane. Her injuries prove that she was held under Cruciatus for quite a long time." Minerva looked over to Severus to see his reaction. There was no emotion on his face, but his eyes were stormy with anger. Looking back to Harry, Minerva continued, "You need to go talk with your cousin to see where he wants to stay. I am afraid neither of them will be able to return to their home for quiet a while. It is just not safe enough."
"Tough luck, mate! After what we've seen this summer, I'm sure you're not going to have any luck convincing them to stay in the magical world." Ron said, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"We'll be right there with you, Harry. No matter if its insane wizards or nasty relatives, we're here to help you." Hermione added as she got up and hugged Harry.
Harry smiled before he said, "Thank you, guys. I'm not sure what I'd do without you. Let's go get this over with…Oh wait! Professor McGonagall, I've been meaning to ask you about two House-Elves that you have employed here. As you know, Dobby has been supplying us with food all summer long. He also told me that Winky is still not doing very well on her own. I was wondering if it would be possible for us to see if she'd be happier working with me. Dobby would also like to work for me as well, although I'm not sure my health can handle having him around all the time."
This caused Ron and Hermione to snort, which in turn caused McGonagall to give a questioning look. Harry explained what happened his second year, and how Dobby's help constantly landed him in either trouble or in the Hospital Wing.
McGonagall looked shocked as she asked, "You are sure you want that particular House-Elf working for you, even after all that?" At Harry's nod, she sighed and said, "First, you need to talk with Winky and Dobby to make sure that is truly what they want. If they agree, then I have no problem with you taking on the two Elves. Now, let us get you down to the Hospital Wing to figure out what to do with your family."
*~~*~~*
Harry paused as he entered the Hospital Wing, he couldn't believe the scene in front of him. Dudley was sitting at his mother's side, her hand in his, as he cried over her too still form. Harry had seen Dudley cry numerous times over the years trying to get Harry in trouble, but this was the first time Harry ever remembered seeing his cousin show any genuine emotion for another person.
Not wanting to intrude, Harry looked around for Madam Pomfrey. Seeing only her open office door, Harry quietly made his way over to it, after he had motioned for Ron and Hermione to stay put. He was extremely grateful that Snape and McGonagall had stayed in her office to discuss Order business. Snape, not being able to attend meetings, had missed quite a bit. Snape had also said that he would look over the sword and award to see if anything was amiss with them.
Poking his head inside the door, Harry knocked softly after seeing Madam Pomfrey writing in a file on her desk.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I have been expecting you. Well, don't just stand there young man, come in and take a seat. Let me finish up with this file and we will be able to discuss your aunt's condition and treatment options for your cousin." Pomfrey finished up quickly, shutting the file she looked up at Harry.
"Wait, Professor McGonagall said that Dudley was fine. What kind of treatments does he need?" Harry said looking even more puzzled.
"I have healed all the damage from the curses he sustained during the attack, but he has been dangerously overweight most of his life. Now, while there is evidence that Mr. Dursley has been involved in an exercise regimen that has increased his muscle mass and reduced his fat mass, the damage that was already done will take years to reverse. That is all physical though, what worries me at the moment is his mental health. It seems he was deeply affected by the Dementor attack from two years ago. Add the trauma from this attack, as well as having to deal with magic daily when he suffers an uncommonly high aversion to it, and you come out with a serious need for counseling. Unfortunately, the Order does not have a member who can help. With him being a member of your family, we dare not contact St. Mungo's. It wouldn't be safe enough for him to visit.
"Why would Dudley need treatment from the Dementor attack? I've been having run-ins with Dementors ever since my third year here, and apart from needing chocolate afterwards, I'm fine." Harry asked looking even more puzzled than he did before the conversation started.
"As you saw during your third year, everyone was affected by the Dementors differently, you were affected more than your friends because of your past experiences. I suspect Mr. Dursley's past experiences, as well as him being a Muggle played a part in him being affected to an even greater degree. You being a wizard has helped you with that, our magic protects us to a small degree everyday." Madam Pomfrey explained.
"Well, what do you suggest? Professor McGonagall has already said he can't go home. You've seen how he reacts to magic, so it won't do anyone any good for him to stay here." Harry said trying not to let his past feelings about Dudley get in the way of doing the right thing.
"Actually, I think it might do him a world of good to stay here. It will show him that not all magic is as bad he's been lead to believe. I doubt he'll want to leave his mother's side, and she won't be leaving here any time soon. Mrs. Dursley's recovery is going slowly." Pomfrey explained.
"How is Aunt Petunia? What happened to her? Will she be ok?" Harry asked, feeling slightly guilty. It was, after all, because of him that she was attacked, her son injured, and her husband dead. What made him feel worse was he hadn't even taken the time to even think about her or Dudley since the attack.
"She's been awake enough for me to determine that she is still sane. She's lucky your group showed up when it did, she couldn't have withstood much more. Unfortunately, I've had to use purely muggle methods with her. Potions and healing charms can help Muggles, but only a little. For the most part they have to heal on their own. She'll eventually need what Muggles call physical therapy. Her nerves took the brunt of the damage. But as long as she sticks with it and listens to me, she should make a full recovery." Pomfrey said, sounding very confidant.
"Well, that's good. Let's hope she can push aside whatever it is that makes her feel the way she does about magic and let you and everyone else help her heal." Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat before he said, "I guess I should go out there and talk to Dudley and let him know what's going on. Oh, how much does he know? What has he been told?" Harry asked, for once thinking before getting himself into a nasty situation.
"The only thing that he doesn't know is that he and his mother need to stay here. Minerva and I agreed that it was best for us to wait until you were here before we told him that." Pomfrey answered.
Harry had to smirk at that. "That was awfully Slytherin of Professor McGonagall and yourself. Are you sure you aren't a Slytherin?" Harry asked half jokingly, he'd always wanted to know the matron's house affiliation. Merlin knew he had spent enough time in the woman's care to have time to wonder.
"Ah, come now Mr. Potter, you don't really think I'll tell now after all these years, do you?" She replied with a smirk that could rival a Malfoy's.
He smiled as he got up to leave, then shot over his shoulder, "I'll find out eventually. You can't keep it a secret forever! Ron, Hermione, and I found out about the Sorcerer's Stone, this is child's play for us." With a chuckle he left to speak with Dudley.
Harry quickly sobered up as he left the office. He was not looking forward to this conversation. Gathering his Gryffindor courage around him, Harry strode over to Dudley. He tried to keep a confidant air about him, the last thing he needed was for Dudley to start picking on him here.
"Hello, Dudley, how are you feeling?"