Chapter 14
Bad Tidings
The flashing images against the blank walls flickered then disappeared. Tom Riddle slowly let out a breath of air that he had been holding. He turned to Harry, who was still beaming at the reunion with his mentor, despite having had to watch the brutal scene of torture again of a man who was no longer amongst the living. Riddle then levelled his gaze at Remus and Sirius. His expression was blank, but they both squirmed under the scrutiny.
"He's fine." Sirius finally broke. "Harry's fine. He's been through a lot, a lot more than most people twice his age, but he's proved himself to be strong."
The teenager frowned slightly as the man spoke as if Harry wasn't in the room. Before he could comment, Riddle quietly replied, "Seeing a man tortured for information is not something a fifteen year old boy should see. Ever."
"There was other lives at stake!" Harry bristled in indignation. "Tonks said that when the raids were taking place, half the places were already cleared out and the others were in the process of doing so. Any delay would have meant they would have escaped!"
"And how much more could have been done, if you had taken Pettigrew elsewhere and thoroughly checked him for spells before you began the questioning?" Riddle asked softly, his eyes still on Sirius. "There are reasons for the procedures you must take when you question suspects, you should have known this as an Auror. You should not have allowed yourself to be swayed by Lucius, his grief clouds his judgement. And I realise seeing the girl taken would have worried you, for others like her that are undoubtedly out there, but think of what we could have learned if Pettigrew was still alive to be questioned once more..."
Sirius lowered his head, looking thoroughly chastised. Even Harry felt embarrassed and guilty for willing Sirius into the questioning there and then. He couldn't deny that part of him wanted Pettigrew questioned immediately so that he could be there to hear whatever the vile man had to say.
"I'm sorry." three voices mumbled.
"What's done is done, I suppose." Riddle sighed. "Now that you have this recording, what did you intend to do with it?"
"Lucius Malfoy… using his contacts we were going to spread the information to people who can chip away at his power. When we convince enough of them, we will then take action to apprehend him." Sirius answered quickly. "Not really the quickest solution, but we agreed we need to be careful. Ignoring the fact that it may not be believed at all, having it spread too quickly will only cause chaos."
"The vacuum of his sudden removal will indeed cause trouble. I suppose having someone like Lucius will aid us here." despite the words, the Professor didn't look entirely content with the plan.
They remained silent, reluctant to speak when the former Headmaster looked so deep in thought. Sirius cleared his throat, "Is it true you were in America?"
Riddle nodded absently, "Tracking down a lead. There were rumours of Grindelwald's involvement in the troubles there in the twenties..."
"The Great Fire of New York?" Remus asked with some surprise.
"Yes… Nothing was ever proven, of course. The Magical Congress preferred to sweep the whole incident under the rug and forget about it. My understanding of it is, it was not as thoroughly investigated as it should have been." Riddle shook his head.
"I suppose if they had to burn a city, killing countless Muggles in the process, in order to uphold the Statute of Secrecy, they would have wanted to forget it as soon as possible." Sirius muttered.
Harry gasped. Even with his very basic knowledge of history, he knew about the great fire that had engulfed the city of New York in the early part of the twentieth century. "It wasn't caused by Muggles then? Not an accident?"
"Definitely not, it was an action sanctioned by the Congress and the President at the time. Even to this day they remain tight lipped about it, isolating themselves from the rest of the wizarding world in the process." Riddle said, suddenly looking exhausted. "Now that I know the truth, I can say I have some understanding of why they chose to do so..."
"What was it?" Remus whispered.
"Something appeared in the city. Something that was seen by far too many people to be remedied by Obliviators." Professor Riddle closed his eyes. "It was… an Obscurial."
The reaction from Sirius and Remus was one of absolute shock. Harry on the other hand, like in so many situations like these, was completely confused. "What's an Obscurial?"
"Something that has not been seen for a very long time..." Professor Riddle said gravely. "An Obscurial is… a child. A young witch or a wizard that has been forced to hide their magical nature from the non-magical world. To repress it in order to protect themselves from persecution, abuse and even death. They hide it by essentially ripping the magic away from themselves, creating an Obscurus. This manifestation, one born from pain and suffering, is… destructive, and far more dangerous than you can imagine."
The words 'child' and 'abuse' refused to leave his mind and suddenly he realised why. Remus and Sirius let out a gasp as they came to the same conclusion, "The Zeugen, the kidnappings… The children and the torture… Are you saying…?"
"Yes." Riddle opened his eyes and stared at them in turn. "They are creating weapons."
"Impossible… Impossible..." Remus breathed, shaking his head in dismay. "There is hardly any information on Obscuri, but everything points to one thing. They cannot be controlled..."
Riddle chuckled humourlessly, "I think the fact that Europe isn't a wasteland proves otherwise. If even a single one escaped these… experiments Grindelwald's people are conducting, we would know about it. No, I think they have long passed the point of experimenting, I think they have already succeeded and these weapons already exist out there."
"The bottles..." Harry muttered suddenly.
Riddle made a grimace and nodded. "The Nullificare Charm, you are already familiar with. The Affirmare… is one I also believe you have seen? It is the one Gideon Prewett has had to use since the day of his brother's death. Then there is one more, one that was created much later, although Albus Dumbledore still claims credit for it. One that is shrouded in far more mystery than its two brothers, one that the Department of Mysteries refuse to even give a name to. But one that is by far the most powerful, even allowing Squibs to overcome their disabilities and harness magic."
Harry suddenly felt sick. He had touched one of those and felt… powerful. Even after so long he remembered how it felt, that rush of restless energy, one that made him feel as if he could do anything in the world. The knowledge of how it was created removed any and all thoughts of ever wanting to hold it in his hands again. He closed his eyes and said hoarsely, "There's one in Hogwarts..."
"Yes… Mr. Filch the caretaker..." Riddle said, his voice heavy with worry.
"Do you think it's dangerous?" Remus asked sharply. "Are the students in danger?"
"If what we suspect is true, it is one of the most dangerous things to have ever been allowed within the grounds of Hogwarts." Riddle looked pained. "The only consolation is that in all the years Mr. Filch has had possession of it, there has never even been a hint of trouble concerning it. And while I hope that this will continue to be the case, I think it prudent that we get word of it to Minerva, so that she can keep an eye on it and be prepared should the worst come to pass."
"We haven't been able to get in contact with her for a while." Sirius said shakily. "After they increased security… We've tried everything we could think of that wouldn't compromise her position."
"Have you considered going to one of the Headmasters' portraits?" Riddle asked.
Sirius frowned, "Yes, of course. But their counterparts are all located in very public places, like the Ministry or St. Mungo's. Security in those places are almost as tight as Hogwarts and to actually send a message without being seen..."
Riddle stared at him, looking slightly disappointed. "Even after all this time… Tell me Sirius, who were the last two Headmasters before me?"
"Er..." Sirius looked uncertain, "Dippet was before you, I think?"
"And before him?" Riddle raised an eyebrow.
Sirius scrunched his face in thought. Eventually Remus rolled his eyes and answered for him, "Black. Phineas Nigellus Black."
"Oh." Sirius said quietly.
"Yes. A Slytherin Headmaster happened to slip your mind, I dare say?" Riddle said with a look of mild irritation.
"No… um… I..." Sirius stuttered.
Remus shot his friend an annoyed look as well, "You know of some place that hangs his portrait?"
"Yes." Sirius eventually muttered quietly. "In my defence, it's not a place I like to think of. Ever."
"Where is it?" Harry asked.
Sirius heaved out a great sigh. "It's the house I grew up in. Grimmauld Place. Home, not so sweet, home..."
"This place is horrible." Harry coughed. The mere act of walking was kicking up a dust storm.
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Sirius remarked sarcastically. He had been acting moody ever since he realised he would have to return to number twelve Grimmauld Place.
"If you hate the place so much, why didn't you get rid of it? Sell it or something?" Harry asked with a sleeve over his mouth.
"Doesn't belong to me." Sirius replied sullenly, "At least… it didn't used to… Not really sure now… Although I guess the fact that the house hasn't kicked us out or collapsed on top of us means it doesn't see me as an enemy… The property went to my brother when my mother finally kicked the bucket."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Harry said.
"Don't be. A truly nasty, horrible piece of work she was." Sirius snorted. "Couldn't you tell by all the lovely things she shouted at us when we came in?"
"What? There was no one-" Harry stumbled and coughed again. "Y..you mean that… portrait?"
"And I can positively say that the painting is pleasant compared to actually being with her in person." Sirius shuddered.
Harry continued to followed Sirius, who was following Professor Riddle, up the stairs. "What happened to your brother?"
"Died." Sirius said simply. But the hate on his face from talking about his mother had vanished, melting into sadness. "Damned idiot… should have been more careful..."
They reached the landing to find Professor Riddle waiting for them, a look of sorrow on his face. "I am sorry Sirius."
"Not your fault." Sirius said curtly. "He's not the only one to have died in the war against Grindelwald. And Dumbledore apparently..."
Riddle looked like he had more he wanted to say, but he shook his head and turned. They remained silent as they continued to make their way up the building, until they were finally in a room, looking as dusty and disused as the rest of the house.
There was a single portrait hanging on the wall, one that Harry vaguely recognised from the Headmaster's office. If he had to give a title to the painting, with the clever looking wizard leaning on his hands, he would call it 'Utmost Boredom'. As they approached, the wizard shuffled and raised his head. "Finally. I know you were, unfortunately, sorted into Gryffindor, but I still expected you to have enough brain cells to arriv- Ah. Professor Riddle. I find it disappointing, but utterly believable, that my great-great-grandson didn't even consider my portrait here."
"Hello Phineas. It has been a while." Riddle greeted as Sirius seethed quietly behind him. "How are things in the castle?"
"I'm sure you don't want my opinion on the matter." Phineas replied in a bored tone. "Professor McGonagall describes the situation as… 'deplorable'."
Riddle's eyes narrowed, "What has happened?"
"They sent in someone from the Ministry. Her name is… Bit- no… Hag? No, that's not it either… Ah… Umbridge..." the portrait smirked.
Listening to the former Headmaster speak of what Hogwarts was like now, Harry was glad he wasn't there, but he felt extremely sorry about what his friends were suffering through.
"It seems she already has a lot on her plate." Riddle sighed. "Phineas, tell her Harry is safe, as is Sirius, Remus and I. Also, and this is very important Phineas, she needs to keep an eye on Mr. Flich and the Charm that he has that allows him to use magic. Do not provoke him, or give any indication that you consider the object dangerous. I do not believe Filch knows what he carries, but I think the object itself may have some basic form of sentience. Tell her… tell her that we suspect the creation of it at one point involved an Obscurus."
Phineas' eyes widened. "Surely not."
"We suspect." Riddle repeated. "Go now. And send her my love."
"Yes. Yes. I shall." Phineas muttered distractedly as he disappeared out of the edges of the painting.
"How do you prepare for the possibility of something like that being unleashed in the school?" Harry asked worriedly.
"By raising wards to cut off powerful dark magic from spreading too quickly from one part of the school to another. Hopefully it will buy her enough time to get the students to safety. I also suspect she'll have one or two house elves follow Mr. Filch's every move." Harry didn't think this sounded like enough, and from the Riddle's expression, he could tell that the Professor was thinking along similar lines. "She is more than capable, I am sure she will have half a dozen other ideas she will implement as well."
"Has your wife ever heard of the saying, not to stun the messenger?" Phineas was scowling as he stepped back in front of them. He paused, looking as if he had a bad taste in his mouth, "She also… sends her love."
Sirius smirked, "She took the news better than I imagined she would."
"Oh no. She is furious. Also appalled, disgusted and said several other things I shall now lower myself to repeat, that such a thing exists." Phineas sniffed. "She expects you have a plan to get it away from the students as soon as possible?"
"We are working on it." Riddle reassured the portrait.
"I certainly hope so. All the other Headmasters are in an uproar about it." Phineas remarked.
"Has she said anything else?" Riddle asked.
"Be safe. And she sends word to the Potter boy. She hopes you are keeping up with your studies." Phineas turned his painted eyes to Harry, who pursed his lips. The portrait of the former Headmaster snorted, "I suppose that answers that."
"How do you feel about a change of scenery?" Riddle asked.
"A change of scenery? And what, not spend any more time staring at the barren husk of what used to be the home of one of the greates- Hey!" Sirius savagely pulled the portrait off the walls, his expression a savage glee at the indignant tone of his painted ancestor. "Watch it! Be careful not to damage the frame! You ought to know that it was made-"
They left the building much quicker than they had entered it, not wanting to stay there any more than necessary. They didn't return to the safehouse they had been staying in, back in France. The flat was barely large enough to accommodate three people and a house elf, having another person stay would just make it uncomfortable for everyone. There was also the fact that events were now unfolding back home, in Britain, and they wanted to be in a place where they could leap into action quickly.
A few hours ago, Harry had taken an illegally made Portkey and arrived dizzily, only to be greeted by a sign that told him, "Danger. Unexploded military debris. Do not leave the carriageway."
He followed Professor Riddle, who completely ignored the sign without hesitation, and turned away from the road and started trudging through the overgrown grass. They were in a tiny little place, not even a place you could really call a village, with about a dozen or so buildings in total. There wasn't a single person in sight and most of the buildings just had an empty hole where the doors and windows should have been. They soon reached a house that looked completely identical to most of the other dilapidated buildings. Harry stepped through the doorless hole, following Riddle and Remus, with some trepidation. The inside was just as bad, it was empty of any furniture and the walls were grey where they weren't coated with murky grime. He inhaled a lungful of dust and immediately clapped his hand over his mouth and nose, Harry was sure a sneeze wouldn't bring the whole place crashing down, but he wasn't willing to bet his life on it.
The Professor and Remus were waiting for Harry and Sirius at the end of a corridor that seemed to be a dead end. "Harry, Sirius, follow my finger, look where I'm pointing at."
And so they did and were surprised, Harry much more than Sirius was, when a door suddenly appeared on the wall. Or perhaps the door had always been there, but they hadn't noticed until the Professor pointed it out.
They entered the door to find a room that reminded Harry quite strongly of Hagrid's little place on the school grounds. It was cosy and quickly warmed when the Professor lit a fire in the fireplace. Although it was quite obvious no one had inhabited the place in quite some time, Harry couldn't help but like the place. It was the sort of place Harry wouldn't entirely mind being holed up in, if he had to go into hiding.
This is the place that they returned to after they left twelve Grimmauld Place. Even in the brief hour or so, the place showed remarkable improvement. When Dobby had arrived, he looked about eagerly at all the dust and breathed in the musty air with a slight look of pleasure before throwing himself at the job that no one had asked him to do. Harry called to Dobby with the intention of offering to help, but the look on the house elf's face made him falter and he ended up just watching quietly before going to visit Sirius' childhood home.
Remus hadn't returned yet. He had gone back to chase some leads that had come about while going through Pettigrew's belongings. It wasn't much and they really didn't think anything would come of it, but they didn't have the luxury of leaving any stones unturned at this point.
Sirius threw the currently empty frame onto a table and wandered off to find the kitchen, muttering about needing a drink. Riddle sat down on an armchair staring blankly into the fire. Even though he wasn't actually doing anything, Harry still had the impression that the man was very busy in his mind, with a thousand thoughts going through his head. Harry cleared his throat, "Professor Riddle?"
"Yes?" he turned to Harry with an apologetic look, "Sorry. Lost in my thoughts. What it is Harry?"
Harry had already filled the Headmaster in on most of what had happened while he was away. With Remus and Sirius' return, watching Pettigrew's confession and the need to send a warning to Professor McGonagall, certain things remained unsaid. It wasn't as if he was trying to hide it, or was still under the influence of a hex that prevented him from speaking about it, but he just wasn't exactly sure when to fit in the part that the invisibility cloak that Corinne had given him was one that once belonged to his father. At first he had wanted to wait until the others returned so that the Professor could actually see the cloak for himself, but the Professor immediately asked to see the recording, which led to quickly packing everything so that they could return to Britain. It had been a very busy few hours.
"The cloak I mentioned..." Harry began slowly, "The one that Corinne, or whoever it was, gave to me..."
Riddle nodded. Harry stood up and wandered over to his bag, pulling out the object that Remus had returned to him in the chaos of preparing to return to Britain. He held it out in front of the Professor wordlessly, who took it with a slight frown.
He examined it, curious and confused, but Harry could tell that the Professor didn't recognise it. Of course he wouldn't have seen it as often as Sirius or Remus did. Professor Riddle finally looked up at Harry questioningly so Harry cleared his throat, trying to speak.
"That was James' cloak, the one we thought was destroyed." Sirius said with ease as he walked in the room levitating a tray in front of him. "Tea?"
"Are you sure?" Riddle asked sharply.
"Yes. I've seen plenty of invisibility cloaks in my work as an Auror, but I've yet to see anything like that one. I never appreciated it at the time, but there really is nothing like it..." Sirius said. He handed over a warm mug to Harry. "Remus is positive as well."
"And this was given to you, by the person disguised as Corinne?" Riddle looked as confused as they had been when this revelation was made. Sirius nodded and also told him a little more about the hexed box and the spell that made Harry want to flaunt the cloak in front of Dumbledore. Harry kept quiet until Sirius finished.
"Cloak, Stone, three brothers." Riddle turned quickly, immediately recognising Harry's words. "Professor, do you know the Tale of the Three Brothers?"
"I… am aware of the story, yes..." he definitely looked unsure of where Harry was going with this. A quick glance at Sirius showed him looking embarrassed for Harry.
He briefly regretted not waiting for Remus to return, but ploughed on regardless, pointing at the cloak Riddle was holding, "The Cloak of Invisibility, that's why they attacked my parents. And your own family, the ring that they were looking for could have been the Resurrection Stone. They just need the wand to bring Grindelwald back from the..."
Harry trailed off when he saw the Professor's expression, it made Harry feel like a five year old and a very foolish one at that. But like the good educator that he was, he kept his voice gentle, "Harry… I will not deny that in every myth or legend, there is at least a grain of truth within it, look at Hogwarts' own Chamber of Secrets, but power over Death? It is something many dream of and desire, but that is all that can ever be."
"But… you said Grindelwald would return..." Harry sounded betrayed.
"I did and I still think he will, but not from death. I do not believe he is truly gone." Riddle sighed, "There are ways, through very dark means, that one can cling on to life beyond what a person could normally endure. To come back from that is not an impossibility."
"Then why take my dad's cloak? And the ring from your grandfather?" Harry asked sullenly.
"I don't know about the ring but as Sirius has said, the cloak is powerful, more so than others like it. That is reason enough for one to desire it." Riddle said. "And who knows, perhaps this cloak and the ring and even this fabled wand that exists out there somewhere, were the inspiration behind the story. Even if this is the case, the true power would lie with the wizard or the witch that had created these magical artefacts. The whole idea of 'Death' in the story probably came about as a way of describing how powerful these brothers were, if there were indeed three brothers at all."
What the Professor was saying was extremely logical. Harry had gotten carried away with the fanciful idea, he remembered that even Remus was quick to say that he didn't completely believe the story, only that it may be a clue as to what Dumbledore was up to. "But… there's still a possibility that Dumbledore is after them right? If it's power he's after..."
Riddle nodded, his expression genuine, "I suppose so. There have always been tales throughout history of powerful wands in the hands of warmongers and rings are often the subjects of wonderful enchantments or deadly curses."
"And cloaks?" Harry asked as he took back the object from the Professor's hands.
"It doesn't come up that often, I'll admit." Riddle chuckled.
"Remus?" Sirius asked suddenly. He was holding up the mirror and was staring into it. Harry heard the werewolf's voice but didn't catch the words. Sirius nodded and turned to the Professor, "Remus is with Lucius Malfoy. He is requesting a meeting with you."
"Tell Remus he can bring Lucius here." Riddle said simply.
Sirius relayed the Professor's words through the mirror. They all sat quietly, sipping tea and deep in thought. It wasn't long before Remus entered the room, followed by Lucius.
"Tom Riddle." Lucius said in a tone that was actually respectful and inclined his head in a small bow. "It is good to see you back."
"Hello Lucius." Professor Riddle greeted as he stood, a slight smile on his face. "My deepest condolences. I was sorry to hear about your wife. How is Draco? I hear he hasn't returned to Hogwarts?"
Lucius' expression tightened as he took the seat that was offered, "No. He refused to return and I did not push him as I was concerned for his safety. No disrespect to your wife, but the Ministry, and therefore Dumbledore, have gained too much of an influence there. Draco still grieves and will undoubtedly continue to do so, until the killer is caught."
Riddle nodded sadly. His eyes never left Lucius', "As do you."
"As do I." Lucius agreed with a grimace. "But I am not here to talk about that."
"You said it would take some time to move the plan into action." Sirius frowned. "Has something happened?"
"Kendra Dumbledore died earlier today." Lucius said.
Riddle took in a sharp breath and closed his eyes. "Last I heard she was recovering. Slowly but… What happened?"
"You are correct, I am unaware of the exact details but I had heard talk of how she regained consciousness for a brief time." Lucius shook his head. "When Healers came to check on her a few hours later, they found her dead. I have not been able to find out if they discovered the cause."
"Is it possible she was killed?" Remus asked quietly.
Lucius stared at Riddle for a moment, "There are some whispers that suggest a former Headmaster of Hogwarts has returned to Britain to finish her off."
Riddle quelled the outrage from three people by simply raising his hand. "I swear, I had nothing to do with it. I only stepped onto British soil a few hours ago when we came here together."
"Do you think… it's possible that her own father killed her?" Harry voiced the horrific thought that had crossed his mind. Right now there was little that Harry thought the old wizard would be incapable of doing in order to further his agenda. "His daughter dying would gain him support and sympathy..."
Remus' face went grey, "Would he truly go that far?"
Riddle didn't answer. "I suppose this will have an impact on the plans, Lucius?"
"I imagine it will." Lucius replied wearily as he slumped in his chair. "Potter's insight is correct, the masses will be disinclined to believe anything bad of Dumbledore during his time of loss. Those I were planning on approaching, they may still believe or they may not, but I know several will not want to risk openly acting against Dumbledore at this time. Some may even try to turn me in to gain influence with the... man of the hour."
"So what? That's it?" Sirius asked bitterly. "The confession is worthless?"
"Albus Dumbledore is a clever old man. If his hand was involved in the death of his own daughter, it truly was a stroke of genius." Lucius glanced up at the horrified looks coming his way. He ignored most of them, then caught Riddle's expression, "Completely disgusting and monstrous, of course. Not something anyone with a shred of decency would even consider."
"So… What are our options?" Remus asked with a note of defeat.
"I suppose we could just… show it everywhere and hope for the best?" Sirius suggested, although it didn't sound as if he was being serious. "It might get people talking… Maybe start an investigation?"
Riddle shook his head, "Even in the best case scenario where we are believed and Albus Dumbledore is apprehended, if knowledge of his actions spread… it will be utter chaos. With the situation as frayed as it already is, the European Ministry will immediately collapse, the various nations will throw blame at each other, unable to trust as to whether their neighbours were in on Dumbledore's plans. While this all happens, if Grind- or rather, Dumbledore's Witnesses take this chance to attack... there will be devastation on a scale never seen before."
"We need to… remove him quietly." there was no doubt to what Lucius Malfoy was suggesting. "It will be easier than the alternative and we do not have the luxury of time. Like he did so after the incident with Potter and his relatives last year, he will use this to act quickly and efficiently. The longer we wait doing nothing, he will gain more power and influence, almost up to a level at the height of the wars against Grindelwald's fanatics. It is far from the ideal solution, but it is the only choice we have."
Several expressions turned to distaste, but no one offered a response. Riddle gave a level stare at his former student, "No, we need him alive. He already has his servants enacting his plans, we need to know what they are doing if we are to stop them."
"Capture Dumbledore alive?" Sirius muttered, "We'd sooner defeat a dragon barehanded..."
"Even with the few I could convince to fight against him, we would be hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched..." Lucius sighed. "With all due respect Riddle, I do not think even you would have a chance against him."
Riddle chuckled lightly, "No… I am not afraid to admit that he terrifies me. You are all correct, we are few and outclassed… We need to convince someone… someone who would have enough sway with certain branches of government, of Dumbledore's betrayal. Not only gaining us more manpower to confront him, but to also dismantle the plans he has already enacted while keeping the public largely in the dark."
"Might as well wish for Dumbledore to snap his own wand, overdose on Veritaserum and do a private little song and dance in front of the Wizengamot..." Sirius let out an unamused snort.
"And I thought you said the confession from Pettigrew wasn't enough?" Harry asked with a frown.
"It will not be enough." Riddle agreed. "We will need more concrete proof if this plan is to work. Getting something directly from Albus Dumbledore's lips will be impossible, but there may be something in his home. It will be a risky venture, but, as Lucius has said, we are running out of time and lack other options. As unfortunate as the death of Kendra is, her funeral will likely be a time when the place will be almost empty."
"Tonks." Sirius said suddenly. "She was offered a place within the Order. She could be our way in."
"As talented as young Nymphadora is, her skills will not be enough to penetrate the magic that would undoubtedly be placed to keep Dumbledore's secrets hidden." Riddle sighed.
"There is no one else. I would unlikely to be welcome to Dumbledore's home any more than the three wanted criminals currently in this room." Lucius said as he glanced at Sirius, Remus and Riddle in turn. "Strangers will be turned away just as quickly and the few guards that remain will likely check for magical disguises. Unless you are suggesting..."
Lucius' eyes slowly turned to Harry. The boy nodded with a determined look, "If you need me to do anything, Professor Riddle, I'm up for it..."
"I'm sure you are Harry, but the same problem remains. We need someone skilled in magic as well as being familiar with Dumbledore's. I am thinking of..." Riddle paused, then he offered his suggestion.
"Are you mad! You-" Sirius gaped and shook his head.
"With my greatest respect, I feel that Black's question needs repeating." Lucius said, struggling to keep his calm. "It is not going to work."
Remus raised his voice over the other two, "Headmaster, I am sure you haven't come up with this idea lightly."
"No. I have kept a close watch for several years, trying to divine this person's loyalties. It will not be easy, especially at this time, but I do believe we have a chance of convincing this person to help us. It is not without risk, but if we succeed we will have someone who could move the Ministry into action and do so discreetly. Perhaps even separate Albus from the Order when the time comes to confront him." Riddle nodded firmly.
"My argument still stands." Lucius said tiredly. "There is no one who could approach-"
"I can." Harry cut him off. "I can do it."
Sirius scowled, "Absolutely not! It's far too dangerous. Don't tell me you're seriously considering this, Riddle?"
Harry didn't flinch away from Riddle's scrutinising gaze. "I'm the only one who will be able to get close enough without being cursed before knocking on the door. I trust your judgement, Professor Riddle, and if you think this will work, then I want to help. I think the words will be more believable coming from me as well..."
"We will take all the precautions we can." Riddle said finally, "And I think it is time to bring Nymphadora into this. I am not letting you walk in there alone, Harry."
They arrived in the middle of nowhere, where a solitary cottage stood. It was atop a small hill with sprawling countryside in all directions. It almost felt like they had travelled to a different country, or at least a different time, as far as their eyes could see, there were no other signs of human settlement.
Tonks was still pale from all that she had learnt a few days ago. They would have liked nothing more than give her some time to get her head around the whole situation, but Kendra's funeral was happening tomorrow. They didn't have any more time to wait. Harry gave her hand, which he was still holding onto after Apparating, a little reassuring squeeze. Tonks turned to him in surprise then returned a tiny smile. "I guess you were right."
"About what?" Harry asked as they let go of each other.
"About it being better for my health if I didn't know all this..." Tonks muttered.
"Oh." Harry said, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry."
Tonks shook her head, "No need to apologise. It's horrible, but… it somehow makes sense. And there's definitely no use in burying my head in the sand."
Harry gave her an encouraging smile. "Ready then?"
Tonks looked behind them, trying to make out where the others were currently hiding some distance apart. It was too far for everyone's comfort, but it was the closest they could risk without alerting the inhabitant of the cottage. She turned to Harry. "Portkey?"
Harry took out the strange little pendant that the Professor had transfigured and showed it to her, "Ready and waiting to whisk me away as soon as I say h- Ah, I shouldn't say it, should I?"
Tonks let out a small laugh and then they started walked towards the cottage. They weren't expecting a face full of curses as they approached the little building, but still the two people both gave a little sigh of relief when they reached the door unscathed. Harry licked his lips, took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.
They waited nervously and eventually they heard the shuffling of feet inside. The door creaked slightly as it slowly opened. Dumbledore stood in the doorway, staring at them. He looked far older compared to the last time Harry had seen him, his wrinkles more pronounced, his long beard somehow greyer. But it was the eyes, the hollow, grief stricken look that aged him more than anything physical could.
Harry's heart thundered with apprehension and a little bit of fear. He swallowed nervously and slowly opened his mouth, "Hello Professor Dumbledore. It's been a while. May we come inside? We need to talk… about your brother."
