Why does real life take up so much time? I have had this chapter mostly ready for a while, just haven't had time to post it. Thank you for all your nice reviews. And here you are, hope you enjoy.
Mina
12. NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
New Years Eve came early to the Potter household.
Harry had Rose bundled up warmly as they stood ,outside in the deep snow, watching the sparks his wand made when he waved it around. Rose was transfixed by the different colours and it warmed Harry's heart to hear her squeals of laughter, every time he shot of sparks. Harry had invited Remus over but he had other plans already. Order stuff, Harry guessed.
The twins had invited them over for a small party they were holding but Harry had declined in favour of this more personal party for two. Besides, bringing Rose to a party the twins had already dubbed, the party of the century, didn't seem like a good idea.
Once Rose was snug in her bed holding kitty the cat, Harry made it downstairs for the comfy chair by the fire. He tried to envision what next year would bring but it was hard to think further than next week.
He really wasn't looking forwards to starting his studies again, he'd gotten rather relaxed during the holiday but as Angelina had promised to return for the fourth of January, he didn't have much of a choice.
When the clock started inching closer to midnight, Harry made it up to Rose's room where he gave his little girl his new years kiss. He fell asleep soon after, promising to continue putting Rose first.
Harry opened the front door on the fourth and invited Angelina in with a smile. Rose on the other hand frowned and put her bottom lip out.
"Hi Harry, hi Rose." She greeted, pulling of her hat.
"Hi, did you have a good holiday?" Harry asked, walking into the kitchen with Angelina following.
"Yes it was great but I'm so ready for real life again. There is only so much of your parents you can handle…er and my cousins came over as well, so loads of kids around." Angelina bit her lip behind his back whilst he got the tea ready. Rose had left two sticky handprints on the back of his jumper, without his knowledge.
"Rose had a good night so she should be fun, although I think she's gotten more clingy, I can hardly leave the room at the moment without her protesting." Harry said, handing her a cup and sitting down with Rose on his lap.
"They go through stages according to my aunt, you just have to be calm when you leave and then happy whenever you return." Angelina said after taking a sip of her tea.
"So what are you studying today? I heard that Fred and George are coming by later." She added, watching as Harry allowed Rose to taste a teaspoon of his tea. They both smiled when the baby opened her mouth for more.
"I'm going to have a look at everything. I know that I need to buy some more potion ingredients for Wednesday but I might do that tomorrow." Harry said smiling at Rose who tried to worm her way out of his lap and onto the floor.
"Fred and George might come over for lunch, they wanted to talk about the PA and what we are doing but it depends on how busy the shop is." He added.
"Oh I love Fridays here! You're a really good teacher Harry, I've learnt more from you than from any of our teachers at school." Angelina said with a broad smile. Harry blushed and stood up from the table at her praise.
"Er, well I should probably get started." He mumbled, eyeing as Rose scooted towards him on her backside.
"She's started moving around more by the way, as you can see. She's almost crawling too, she pushes herself forwards with her back legs when she's on her stomach." Harry said making Angelina smile down at Rose who had her arms out for Harry.
"Dada's going to be in the other room sunshine, you can play with Angelina." Harry said softly, grimacing when Rose started sniffling. Angelina picked Rose up and smiled at him.
"Go on, we'll be fine." She said, stroking the pouting Rose on her head. Rose eyed her mutinously and reached for Harry with pleading eyes.
She let out a howl as soon as Harry made it out of the kitchen and he fought the urge to go back. She'd be fine, he told himself as he entered the study.
He pulled down the transfigurations book and took a deep fortifying breath. The question was, would he?
Harry could hear when Fred and George appeared, hours later, as Rose let out a squeal of delight.
He shook his head and put the charms book away. He made it over to the kitchen to see Fred making funny faces at a madly giggling Rose.
"Here's the little school boy, finish all your homework?" George teased at the sight of Harry in the doorway.
"Dada!" Rose called out, at the sight of him, before bursting into tears. Harry sighed and took her from a perplexed looking Fred.
"Er, she was fine a moment ago." Fred said, watching as the crying turned to giggles without warning.
"Ok, what is that about?" He asked, eying the baby confused.
"She's been really clingy since we got back from your house. This is the new Rose." Harry said, shaking his head as she gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
"So what's for lunch? I'm starving, mums cooking spoiled me for anything Fred makes and I won't even mention my own culinary skills." George said, rubbing his stomach eagerly.
"I got us some pizzas, we just need to take them out of the stay-fresh'n-warm boxes." Harry said, smiling when George whooped at the dinner choice.
During dinner, the twins filled Harry in on the last order meeting, where Dumbledore had asked them to convince Harry to come for a chat. Harry promised to give it some thought.
It did feel odd, to not talk to the headmaster who'd been a big part of his life for the past years.
Yes he was still angry with the man on several subjects, but he also considered the man as somewhat of a grandfather. Besides everyone made mistakes, he included.
Maybe it was time they had a chat and really talked. The twins left after promising to be on time on Friday, for their PA meeting, shortly followed by Angelina who was going home.
Harry received a letter from Ron later in the evening, which left him feeling somewhat confused.
Ron was accusing him of dating Hermione and was demanding to know how long it had been going on.
Harry, who had no recollection of dating Hermione was relieved to receive a letter from Hermione, explaining, that Ron was being a prat and that the other boy had misunderstood a comment she'd made to Ginny.
Harry shook his head at the mess Ron was getting himself into. If Ron liked Hermione, he should just tell her and stop dating Lavender.
"Your uncle can be really slow sometimes Rose." Harry mumbled, carefully carrying her to her cot as she'd fallen asleep in his arms.
He decided to not respond to the letters just yet, but leave them for tomorrow.
Walking downstairs again, he entered the study and sat down in front of the desk. It was littered with his schoolbooks and notes and he pushed all of it to the side carefully.
He pulled out a clean sheet of paper and grabbed a pen. It might be useful to think about what he and the headmaster might talk about. He wanted to know what the man was doing about Voldemort. The twins only knew so much, as they mainly helped the Order with different custom made objects from the shop.
After writing down some thoughts on the paper he glanced at the bookshelf.
Sometimes in the evening he'd sit down and look at the Marauders map, just to feel as if he was part of Hogwarts again, if only for a moment. He knew all of the places where Ron took Lavender. He knew that Hermione had taken to visiting the library even more often that before.
He wondered what the headmaster was doing at the moment, had he received word from the twins already that Harry was considering a meeting?
He spotted Dumbledore up in his office as usual. Hw also spotted Snape's name, making its way down towards the dungeons.
Draco Malfoy's name caught his eye and he wondered what the boy was doing in Myrtles bathroom.
The longer he thought about it, the more his mind started making things up.
Did Malfoy know what was hidden in the bathroom? That the drains led down to the Chamber of Secret? Had he been told by his father to find it? What if he did find it? What would he do? He must have a reason.
Why else would anyone, least of all Malfoy enter Myrtles bathroom, otherwise?
He would have to check and make sure that the entrance was safe, before meeting with Dumbledore, just to make certain. It might be that the other boy just wanted to be alone and had discovered the bathrooms unique power, in keeping people away.
Either way, Harry penned a short note for Dumbledore, asking for a date and time for them to meet. He'd just make sure to be there earlier so that he could do a check beforehand.
Perhaps he'd have a go at talking some sense into Ron whilst he was there. It would be nice to be able to invite both of his friends over at the same time.
The next day Harry flooed from the house, to the sound of Rose madly giggling in the living room.
He needed to do some shopping and asking Fred to come over and help Angelina, had been a stroke of genius. He appeared at Gringotts a moment later, grateful for his disguise, courtesy of the twins. He brushed some of his now blond hair to the side and left the bank with sure steps.
Heading towards the apothecary, he marvelled at the sales advertised in the shop windows.
The Quidditch shop had a seventy percent sale going on, and with Ron's birthday coming up soon-ish, Harry thought he might just pop in for a quick look.
He entered the apothecary a while later carrying Ron's present, feeling pleased with what he'd gotten. He nodded at the man behind the desk and started collecting items from his list.
Fifteen minutes later he exited the shop in high spirit, pleased with how smoothly his visit to Diagon alley was progressing.
A sudden flash of white caught his eye and he followed Mrs Malfoy with his eyes as she strode towards Knockturn alley, with purposeful steps. She looked paler than the last time he saw her, if that was possible.
He wondered if she was heading for Borgin and Burkes again and felt a bit cross with himself as he'd forgotten to mention it to Mr Weasley during Christmas. Acting on a whim, he decided to follow her again and see where they ended up. He shrunk his bags quickly and followed at a safe distance.
She did indeed enter the dingy shop a few minutes later and Harry waited a moment before pulling the door open and stepping in after her.
"…takes time if it is to be done correctly. I would not like to be accused of not delivering to the high standard that is expected of me." A mans voice said, from further inside the shop.
Harry glanced at the man and Mrs Malfoy, they were standing next to the same cabinet as last time. Mrs Malfoy sent him a hard stare before ignoring him completely. Mr Borgin straightened and made it over to where Harry was standing, with a small amount of relief on his face. Clearly, Mrs Malfoy's presence rattled the man somewhat.
"How may I be of assistance today, sir?" He asked, eyeing Harry shrewdly, no doubt trying to see if he was a customer of value or not.
"I am just looking around for the moment, I shall ask for assistance should I need it, thank you." Harry said shortly, turning away from the man.
He pretended to find a pair of golden scissors interesting and the shopkeeper returned to Mrs Malfoy.
Harry slowly perused the shop, whilst trying to not appear as if he was listen in on their conversation.
"You were tasked with repairing the cabinet so that it functions as it should. I do not need it to be brought back to its former glory, I just need it to work!" Mrs Malfoy hissed, making Mr Borgin twist his hands nervously.
"I shall endeavour to spend more time on the cabinet Madam. Magic such as this takes time however, if one wishes for it to be done correctly." Borgin said, glancing up at the sound of the door opening.
Harry, who was observing Mr Borgin from the corner of his eye, glanced towards the door too, at the pained expression that appeared on the mans face.
He nearly brought his wand out, at the sight of Bellatrix Lestrange entering, but managed to hold himself in check. Bellatrix glanced at him disinterestedly and made her way over to her sister.
"Come on Cissy, or we'll be late!" She urged, eyeing Mrs Malfoy impatiently, as the woman gave the cabinet a loving caress. They exited the shop together hurriedly and Harry went back to eyeing the objects on show, waiting for Borgin to come over.
"That box will curse any who hold it, but its true owner, with a slow painful death. At fifty-seven Galleons it's a real bargain." Mr Borgin said, having crept up behind Harry.
"I'm actually looking for something else entirely. I had heard a rumour of a special object and was referred to come here." Harry said carefully.
Mr Borgin perked up, at the mention of someone having referred a customer to his shop.
"I have many wondrous things here, I am sure I could find what you search for sir." He said, eyeing Harry hungrily.
"The object I seek to find is a locket, with an ornate S engraved on the front. It also has two small emeralds inlayed into the…" Harry said, trailing off at the furious hiss that escaped Mr Borgin's lips. The man spit on the floor and stalked towards his counter angrily.
"I take it you are not in possession of the locket I seek?" Harry asked, knowing very well where the locket was. He followed Mr Borgin to the counter and eyed the angry man, hoping he would learn something about the locket. It was a risk, bringing the locket up in conversation, but he was willing to take a chance.
"I was! But it was stolen from me years ago. I saw it again just a short while ago in the hands of a no-good peddler, but he vanished and I can't find him! Or the locket!" Borgin sneered. Harry thought that, peddler, was a kind description of Mundungus.
Harry nodded knowingly, making the man eye him with narrowed eyes.
"I had heard that the object was in the hands of an unprofessional street-seller but decided there was still a value of visiting you." He said quickly, making Borgin calm down somewhat.
"It is a true treasure that locket. It used to belong to Salazar Slytherin himself you know." Borgin said with a dreamy sigh, eyeing Harry sadly.
"The value is great as you can imagine. I was to buy the locket back from the customer I sold it to originally, but it was stolen!" Borgin said, spitting on the floor again. Harry made a mental note to clean his boots before going home.
"Mudbloods and halflings! Never hire the dirty creatures if you know what's good for you! I hired a boy, a halfblood, thought he would understand the sacrifice I was making for him but he went and stole from right under my nose. That ungrateful little runt!" Borgin sneered, looking lost in his memories.
"He stole the locket from you? Did you catch him?" Harry asked, wanting the man to continue. Any information he got about the locket could have a value.
"He had a way with the customers, making them tell him of all their treasures. Only reason I hired him was that pretty-boy face of his." Borgin said, as if Harry hadn't spoken.
"It was too much of a temptation I guess, my fault really for sending him to the Smith woman. Filthy rich she was, with too many treasures for one." Borgin muttered, Harry nodded as if he knew of the lady.
"What happened to her?" He asked, hoping it was the right question to ask.
"The boy killed her of course! As if the elf could have done it, ludicrous. No, he stole the locket and more. Left me with her entire family wanting blood." Borgin shook his head tiredly.
"Did you ever find him?" Harry asked.
"The Riddle boy? No he was long gone, didn't hear from him again. Probably knew I'd kill him if I ever caught sight of him again. I hope he lives in fear for the rest of his life." Borgin said menacingly, turning his back on Harry, who'd gone cold.
"She kept secrets from me old Mrs Smith. She had another item of value, well everything she owned was of value really, but this was another beauty." Mr Borgin said, turning back to Harry holding a thick leather bound book.
"Look at it, isn't it beautiful? Can you imagine loosing that and the locket? I was furious, still am whenever I think of it" He said.
Harry eyed the picture of a small cup, engraved with a badger, with a sinking heart.
"I could have had objects from two of the Hogwarts founders. Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup." Borgin said, smiling at the look on Harrys face. No doubt imagining it to be wonder. Harry was feeling a shiver of foreboding however.
"I can see that you are a man of tastes, I have many other treasures too." Mr Borgin said, closing his book carefully. Not aware of the turmoil his words had caused Harry.
The locket belonging to Slytherin and now a cup that belonged to Hufflepuff.
Riddle, who Harry thought had to be Tom Riddle, never did anything without thought. If the locket had been cursed by Voldemort, then the cup had to be too. Harry had to find it before someone else did.
The door opened behind Harry and Borgin straightened up.
"Thank you, for your time, I will no doubt be back soon." Harry said, feeling the need to escape and gather his thoughts. Borgin nodded looking disappointed and made it over to the new customer that had entered.
Harry hurriedly made his way home, head full of thoughts. How was he supposed to find the cup? He doubted that Mundungus would help him after the last time they'd met.
And what was it about that Cabinet that Mrs Malfoy kept visiting? Was it housing the bones of a beloved relative or something, what with the way she kept stroking it?
Two weeks later Harry left the house, with Fred babysitting a very excited Rose, on his own this time. He doubted that Fred would manage to get Rose to sleep and felt very grateful that tomorrow was a Saturday. They were at the moment seated on the floor, surrounded by all of her toys which had come alive with the help of Fred's wand.
Harry apparated to the edge of Hogsmead and quickly walked towards Honeydukes, he slipped the cloak on before entering and silently slipped down the stairs to the cellar.
He really hoped that Voldemort didn't know of the secret passageways or how easy it was to enter the castle unannounced, it was rather scary when he thought about it. Perhaps he should mention his worries to Dumbledore, even if it ruined his chances of sneaking in.
He checked the map before stepping out from behind the statue and spotted Tonks not far away. He smiled at the thought of her finding out that he'd sneaked past her.
Making his way towards the girls bathroom, he managed to avoid the few people that were walking in the halls and couldn't help but feel a bit superior as he sneaked about them invisible.
The bathroom was empty as he'd hoped and he quickly checked the tap for interference. He placed a charm on the sink leading to the chamber, feeling happier knowing that it would alert him if anyone tried to enter.
He spotted several empty bottles of butterbeer littering the floor and wondered if Malfoy was the one responsible.
He quickly left for his meeting with Dumbledore, after removed the cloak and strode through the halls as if he owned them.
"Potter?" Someone asked as he hurried past a group of fourth years.
"That was Potter! I saw him." Someone said loudly, as he disappeared round the corner. He couldn't help but smile, it was good to be back in the halls and not have to hide.
"Hi Tonks!" He called, after whispering the password to the gargoyle as she came hurrying towards him.
"Saw you earlier upstairs, I would have said hello but you looked busy." He teased, making her scowl.
"You used that cloak, didn't you?" She asked, growling when he nodded cheerfully. His smile grew larger if possible at the sight of Snape swooping down the hall towards them.
"Hi Professor Snape! Lovely evening isn't it? Well I shall be off then, nice to see you both." Harry said, giving them a wave before slipping through and climbing the stairs.
The door stood open and Dumbledore eyed him solemnly from behind the desk.
"Harry, my dear boy. Come in, please." He said, motioning for Harry to sit. Harry closed the door before giving Fawkes a nod and seating himself in the chair offered.
"Hello sir, how are you?" He asked, eyeing the headmaster who looked weaker than last time they met.
"Better now that you are here my boy, I am ever so grateful that you could meet with me." Dumbledore said, making Harry feel a little guilty. He pushed it away and thought of his list.
"I believe that you wanted to talk about Voldemort." Harry said, getting right to the point.
Dumbledore nodded slowly and eyed him sadly.
"We have lost much time already, There was so much I wanted you to learn this year. I will try and be as clear as I can so that you may learn as much as possible in the short time we have." He said, making Harry nod.
He wondered if there was something happening, as he hinted at them running out of time.
"Is Voldemort planning something?" Harry asked, making Dumbledore sigh.
"I am sure of it Harry. Now then, I want you to learn more about who Voldemort is and was. You know of course that his real name is Tom Riddle." Dumbledore said, making Harry nod.
"You may not know that I was the one who introduced him to the wizarding world, many years ago." Dumbledore continued, watching as Harry blinked.
Dumbledore rubbed his face with his healthy hand before continuing.
"Yes, I was the one who brought young Mr Riddle his Hogwarts letter." He said, nodding at Harry who had opened his mouth.
"Did you know? I mean, could you tell what he was…that he was going to…" Harry trailed off, lost for words.
"That he was going to end up as he did? No, I don't think I did. I was slightly alarmed at what I found, but not to the degree that I thought him capable of the evils he has done." Dumbledore said slowly. Harry wondered if the headmaster would have taken any actions if he had known.
"Harry I want you to come on a journey with me, a journey to the past." Dumbledore said, motioning for the pensive standing close to them. Harry sighed and mentally prepared himself for whatever horrors he was about to witness, before nodding once.
He was soon encapsulated in darkness before a bright light blinded him.
So, what is the verdict? The whole Mr Borgin's bit was supposed to have been earlier but the story kind of took its own path before the Christmas bit. So I have had a hard time jigsaw-ing the story back together again so that it follows my original plan. Naughty story! Hope you like. Many thanks, Mina.
