Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Wooouuuh! This story has more than 100 reviews! Yayyy! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I really, really appreciate the effort! Keep it up, my lovely reviewers, favouriters and followers :D
Chapter 11: Saturday, 3rd of April 1997, Part One: Of Quests and Dangers.
To say that I was dissatisfied with the results of my first solo expedition out of the wards for years was to put it mildly.
I had wanted to find a solution to my problem by pouring over books for hours and had minded myself for staying there until I found the answer.
Finding the right timing to leave the village without being discovered had also been difficult, not to mention that I hated to miss meetings about 'the objects' because I always learned something new about the Dark Lord in them (although it was often buried under mountains of scandals and gossips) and that, last time, Moody had mentioned that he had found conclusive evidence for the location of one of the objects. It was difficult for me to miss that meeting to go bury myself in books, but I had thought then that it would be a productive use of my time.
Instead, I had ended up, of all things, with a disproportionate amount of information about Hufflepuffs throughout the ages and the tongue of one of them buried in my mouth. I had also discovered that, to the rest of the world, I was 'obviously gay'... and that it was socially acceptable to shove your tongue down the throat of a virtual stranger just because he seemed to share your sexual orientation.
Well, let's just say that it wasn't the revelations I had in mind when I planned to go there in the first place. Let's also say that I resolved never to go back there again during the week, when Cedric told me he would be working.
So when my library card heated up a few days ago, indicating that it was ready for usage, I had begun to ponder when I should return to minimise the possibilities of 1) stumbling on the tongue-enthusiastic librarian, 2) having my absence discovered by the rest of the Rebels, 3) not having enough time to find my solution in one go and 4) cracking down and going to humiliate myself in front of the Dark Lord at the Victory Day procession.
I had therefore concluded that I should go on the 3rd of April, when the library would assuredly be as empty as possible and when the Rebels had planned to go retrieve the mysterious object. What those objects were, nobody but Moody knew, but he apparently thought it would be a dangerous mission, since he had delegated our three best fighters...and Neville to go pick it up. Why Neville, again, I had no idea. Maybe he hoped the spineless boy would distract the enemies long enough to allow the rest of them to flee, or that he would activate all the traps by himself, leaving the others free to complete the job. No, okay, that was mean and Neville didn't deserve that. But I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the other teen. Wasn't I the one with the extensive training? Shouldn't I be the one to accompany the others, logically? Anyway, they had asked to borrow my Invisibility Cloak, for Neville. I didn't dare to refuse and have the boy's death on my conscience should something happen, so I lent it to them.
Sirius was in charge of the expedition and that was one of the reasons why I had chosen today, of all days, to go to a library. If I had stayed at the camp waiting for them, I would have just paced around growing more and more nervous for nothing. At least now, I'd be doing something productive.
.
So, this morning, I got up early and had a silent breakfast with Sirius. He seemed on edge and nervous about his expedition and kept shooting me knowing and disapproving glances when he thought I wasn't looking. He thought that I would return to the procession again this year and I didn't say anything to convince him otherwise. It was a good cover, after all. I finished my breakfast quickly and told him I was going to go train and meditate to strengthen my shields today. I got up and stopped just before I left the house, looking at him worriedly.
I hesitated.
He smiled a bit and said: "Go, Harry. Have fun. I'll be there when you come back.
-Yeah, hum, you too, have fun at whatever you're doing. We'll have dinner together tonight and catch up, right?
-Sure thing, Prongslet," he said with a wink and a good-natured smile.
"Right. Have a good day, then" I gave him a small smile and went out.
When I apparated at Edinburgh's magical market, I noticed that big screens had been put up. It was a new technology, a derivative from the two-way mirrors, which allowed two people to communicate with each other. It was called "the Window" and it allowed multiple "windows" to show what was happening at a certain place where their "event captor" was. It was apparently a magical advancement brought by a Muggleborn who was scandalised that the Wizarding World didn't have cameras and televisions.
Later today, this technology would be used to make sure that everybody who wanted to hear the Dark Lord's speech would be able to go to their nearest "window spot" and listen to it.
It didn't beat being there in person, in my humble opinion.
I went up to the library and opened the door cautiously. Short of Disillusioning myself, which would have tripped the security wards, I couldn't do anything but to go straight in there and hope for the thrice-accursed librarian to not be there. I'd sooner throw my body in the path of a castrating curse before I let myself be chased away by an embarrassing misunderstanding. I owed as much to my Gryffindor heritage.
I took a breath and stepped inside. A girl was standing at the registration counter. I showed her my library card, throwing a cursory glance the rest of the building to make sure the devil wasn't working on shelving some books.
"You're looking for Cedric, right?" asked the girl. My head swivelled back to her.
"What?" I asked, incredulous.
"Oh, you just looked like you were looking for someone and a lot of girls and of guys like...you know, like you, they come to see him work here." My insides froze. I hoped she wasn't talking about what I thought she was.
" A lot of Hufflepuffs, you mean?" I asked, to get her a nice way out of this conversation. Just what type of guy is this Cedric anyway? Does he go around offering his 'favours' to all his 'nice visitors' like he did for me?
She let out a little nervous laugh.
"Ah, yes, sorry, hum. So you know him, then?" she asked, not getting the hint.
"I don't want to start a discussion about him; I just want to go read." By now, I was quite annoyed by her insistence on not dropping the subject.
"Ah yes, sorry, sir. Oh, now I remember. He told me that if someone of your description was to come by, to present his sincere excuses for what happened...
-Right. I'll go now. Good day." I said curtly, not wanting to think about the event for a second more.
"Good day!" I heard her call at my back while I was resolutely walking toward the Charms section.
So...untraceable communication methods, here we come.
OoOoO
Sirius Black knew of his godson's unhealthy crush on the Dark Lord. It was too obvious not to notice. And it worried him deeply. But the one lesson he learnt in his thirteen or so years of parenting was that the more you forbid a child to do something, the more said child will do it, or will yearn for it. And if his years with Harry hadn't taught him that enough, he had his own life to take as an example of that philosophy. So, instead of forbidding Harry to go to the procession, like it itched him to do, he simply remained silent, hoping that at the right moment, Harry would remember who brought him up and who took care of him the best he could and would make the right decisions for his life.
However, he didn't have much more time to ponder the question, because the current happenings in his own life drew him away from his reflections. His team and him were standing in front of a dilapidated shack with a decomposed snake on its door.
Emmeline was working on the wards with Hestia, Kingsley was scanning the perimeter and casting illusion charms to hide them from anyone looking in their direction and Neville...well. Neville was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, probably scared shitless. Why Moody wanted them to take the kid, he didn't know. Harry would have contributed to the mission ten times more than Neville, but, for reasons incomprehensible to everyone but him, Moody didn't want Harry closely or remotely implicated in the "epic search for mysterious objects" as Sirius had dubbed this strange quest.
He looked at the shack again. This hovel was supposed to be where the Gaunts, proud descendants of Salazar Slytherin himself, had lived for generations. Grimmauld Place didn't look so bad in comparison. My mother is probably rolling in her grave right now...
Kingsley nodded once, indicating that their backs were covered. Sirius made a sign of his hand meaning "follow me" and moved up to the door.
At his approach, the dead snake came back to life and sprung on him.
He dodged it and it fell to the ground, hissing. Sirius flicked his wand and the snake burned to ashes. He exhaled. First trap, it meant that this ruin was still active and that there would be more of those inside.
He looked around; his team was fine. He turned back to the entrance and magically blasted it off its hinges. If there was a team of Inferi on the other side, he'd see it before it was too late. The door noisily fell on the ground.
Inside, everything was quiet. He cast a magical scan and it came back negative; nothing alive was in there.
He took a sphere out of his pocket, lit it with an overpowered Lumos and threw it inside the shack. It exploded in a bright flash, illuminating every corner. The particle infused with the spell would keep the shadows away for about half-an-hour. His wand would be free now that he didn't have to hold a Lumos and it will allow him to focus on more important spells.
He scanned the room, but the light revealed nothing new. Could the place really be abandoned? The snake could have been only the product of residual dark magic. He sent another probe in to check for dark curses. It came back negative. Maybe Moody was wrong and there was nothing here.
He stayed alert and waved his left hand twice to make his team back him up. He stepped on the threshold, holding his wand up, ready for anything. Nothing happened.
He advanced inside the shack.
The minute he was in, he felt constricting wards activate. Shit! He thought, adrenaline pumping in his vein and a shield spell at the edge of his lips.
Nothing moved, but he could see a faint barrier on the entrance. His magical sight wasn't as strong as when he was younger (he had neglected to practise it after he ran away from the Black home) and he cursed himself for not training this ability. Harry was far more proficient than him in this. He would probably be able to see all the layers of the wards at this moment and be able to analyse them.
His limited training, however, let him know that this was a blood ward. That was bad. With blood as pure and as dark as the Slytherin lineage, the wards were practically indestructible.
Shit, shit, shit! At least I'm the only one trapped in here.
He could faintly hear his team sending counter-wards spells at the door and the front façade but he knew that they would be useless. The only way to get out of there for him was to be let out by someone of the blood lineage or to find the flask of blood that anchored the wards to the house.
He cast another diagnostic charm around. It came back negative. He exhaled slowly to calm himself and started his search. If he found the blood vial before the 'mysterious object', he'd smash it to the ground and get the fuck out of there as soon as possible. Moody be damned.
If there was one thing he learnt as a Black, it was that you never try to fight Blood Magic of a family older than yours, because you'll lose. Unequivocally.
He started to sweat in nervousness. Suddenly, he spotted a painting on the wall that looked out of place. Would it be that easy? Thank you, Lily, for showing me those Muggle detective movies! He hurried to it. And nearly got sliced up by tripping a trap rigged with cutting hexes.
He fell back, his shield surrounding him. The hexes converged on him, turning back to him when he dodged them.
What the heck is this spell! I need something to block them or this will be the end of the great Black Rebel and I can't do that to the ladies, hehe.
He laughed nervously under his breath as he swirled away from the 'possessed' spells again. He spotted the kitchen table and summoned it in the path of the curse.
The table exploded, sending him in one of the walls. He put his strongest shield up and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. He sat there for a few seconds, nothing happening, before he opened his eyes and saw that the spells had disappeared, the table thoroughly shattered on the ground.
He let out a sigh of deep relief and wiped his forehead with his forearm, catching his breath and looking around.
Everything was calm again. The place looked ever more dilapidated now, with the damage caused by the cutting spells. Or whatever they were.
He took a second to evaluate the situation. If there was a trap in front of the portrait, it probably meant that he was in the right path.
He got up slowly, and stepped closer to the painting. An ugly woman was portrayed, a snake around her neck. Luckily for him, the portrait was inactive, so the 'lady' didn't react at his approach.
He cast all the detection charms that he knew on it and picked up an abnormal concentration of dark magic behind it but nothing on it directly. Bingo, as Lily always said.
He used his wand to unglue the ugly thing off the wall and to throw it aside. Behind it was a small compartment. In it, a ring sat on a plinth. Sirius bent his neck closer to the ring to examine it. He saw a small carving on the stone atop of it. He drew back quickly, inhaling sharply in surprise.
No, no, it can't be! The symbol of the Deathly Hallows! My brother's favourite story! It's real!
Regulus had always said he would be the one to reunited the Hallows and become the Master of Death. Sirius had always laughed at him for believing in a fairy tale but his mother had encouraged the folly. Now he knew why. They were real...
This was the Resurrection Stone...Sirius thought of everybody he lost in the war. A thought struck him like lightning. James, Lily, Albus, even little Nymphadora! He could have them back! Harry could finally get to know his parents in person!
Sirius imagined Harry's delighted smile when he'd see his parents for the first time.
He'd run toward them and engulf his mother in a tight hug, crying softly while his father would rub his back soothingly, telling him he was proud of him. And then Harry would turn to Sirius and thank him for giving him his parents back. That it was the best gift in the entire universe and that he loved him so much.
Sirius would also have his best friend and his mentor back. He'd no longer be living aimlessly, one day at a time without knowing if he was doing the right thing with his life.
He could even have his brother back. His stupid little brother who got himself mixed up with the wrong crowd but still managed to see the error of his way before his end. And he'd give the Stone to Regulus, saying he had kept it safe for him.
While he was thinking, his hand had drifted closer to the ring, nearly touching it. Sirius looked at it greedily. This was the answer to all his problems. He'd see all of them again. They'd know what to do.
His hand closed around the ring, caressing it briefly, admiring how smooth the metal was before he slipped it on his finger.
OoOoO
I sat back in my seat, rotating my head to get rid of the kinks in my neck. I looked at my notes, satisfied with my work.
I only have to test my theories before I can use it. At long last, I'll be able to help the Aurors and protect the population.
I was gathering the sheets of paper spread around on my table when I heard a great clamour outside. The Dark Lord must have just finished his speech.
Oh well, see if I care. It's not a big deal; I bet he did another speech about how everything is fine in the world and how he's so proud of his sheep mob.
I packed my stuff and exited the Library.
Outside, people were deep in discussion about what they just heard. Something was wrong. I frowned and walked in the crowd, trying to get an idea of what the speech was about.
"...turn into an all-out civil war?"
"About time He decided to fight back against the Rebels. This situation has been allowed to go on for too long. I'll tell you, if it was me..."
"But are they really that dangerous?"
"...in Diagon Alley two years ago. Those people are just vandals. They broke everything they saw and stole everything of value they could reach..."
"Have you seen the Dark Lord though?"
"Yeah, I know, at some point, he just stopped in the middle of a sentence, it was weird. It was as if he was hesitating..."
"...just switched the subject of his speech in the middle of it..."
"...fore he started his speech, he looked like he was searching for someone in the crowd..."
"...left quite quickly after his speech though. He's never in such a hurry usually..."
I had listened for only about a minute and already my mind was racing. The Dark Lord decided to fight back against the Rebels?
It should be great news, since that's what I had planned as well, but I was worried about the people I knew. I didn't want anyone to die, I just wanted the Rebels to lower their wands and start living again. From what I'd heard about Voldemort's tactics in the war, he wasn't the type to spare his enemies in the battlefield, unless he had a good reason for it.
My gut twisted in guilt and indecision.
What should I do? Should I really leak the location of their raids if that could get them killed?
Something I heard suddenly came back to me. The Dark Lord left the stage in a hurry. What if he decided to settle the problem right there and then?
Shit! Sirius' mission! It was today! He must have discovered they were going for his objects! Shit! Sirius!
I ran away from the marketplace and returned to my village as fast as I could.
Ouhh, cliffie. What's going to happen?
You'll see in part 2!
Thank you in advance for reviewing! Just a few words are enough to make me smile for ages. Don't hesitate! :)