DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, then it isn't mine. I just play with the characters. Sadly my bank account does not show any influx from my works.
AUTHOR NOTE: I was bad and left it with a bit of a cliffhanger. I have been properly chastised. Many thanks to my Pandas who I couldn't do this without. Thanks for all the support and encouragement! Now on with the show! Please note that the history of their years at Hogwarts has been condensed. We know what happened, who needs all the extra details again?
The Valkyrie
Chapter 17: Down the Rabbit Hole
Clint rubbed the back of his neck in obvious embarassment. He listened as Helen, no Hermione explained. A pensieve, used to store or view memories. And apparently there was no fear of drowning. Well ok then.
"We told you mostly about our first year at Hogwarts. Now we will view our second year. These are both mine and Harry's memories. Nothing you see can hurt you. It's already happened. Ok? Now just put your face in the pensieve. Harry and I will both go with you to help direct you. Ok?"
Nat and Clint both nodded. Then a quick shake of his head and he did as he had been instructed. At first it felt a bit like dreaming of falling. His stomach swooshed and his instinct was to jerk himself awake. He wondered if this is how Alice had felt when she fell down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland. He found himself standing outside an ordinary looking house with the number 4 as the address. Nat, Harry and Hermione were beside him.
"This is Privet Drive. The home of my Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley." Harry said staring disgustedly at the house.
Hermione grasped his hand in comfort. "It's ok Harry. It's over now remember?"
Harry nodded and led the group through a gate and into the back garden. A small boy dressed in overly large clothes was working in a flower bed. The backdoor opened and a rather rotund man appeared, yelling for the boy..
The boy stood up, hiked the pants back somewhere close to his waist line and wiped his hands on his shirt. As he turned to go inside, they caught sight of the brilliant green eyes and knew this was a young Harry. Clint guessed he was close to 9 or 10 in age.
"How old were you?"
"This was just after my 12th birthday." Harry answered.
Clint raised his eyebrows. He wouldn't have guessed that. They followed young Harry into the house where his uncle was already in the midst of talking to him.
"This is a very important dinner. The Mason's are extremely important. So there will be none of your freakishness do you understand? Tonight you will…"
"I will be up in my room, making no noise and pretending I don't exist," Harry finished.
Vernon narrowed his eyes then nodded before walking off. Harry walked into the kitchen, filled with delicious smells, a large roast with all the trimmings sat on the table. A skinny, long faced woman stood at the counter decorating the oddest looking dessert Clint had ever seen. She looked at Harry before pointing to a plate near the sink. .
"There's your dinner. Best take it up to your room. And remember the rules."
"Yes Aunt Petunia. No noise. No freaky things. I don't exist," he said, picking up the plate.
He sighed as he carried it up the stairs to a small room. A portion of the room was full of broken odds and ends. The other side of the room was kept clean. But it didn't look like a child's room. An owl hung in a cage near the window. Harry went to the bed, sat the plate on the nightstand and tore off some of the pitiful excuse for a sandwich. If one could even call it a sandwich. He fed the portion to the owl. Then there was a popping sound and a small creature with bat-like ears appeared.
"That's Dobby. A house elf," Hermione explained.
They watched as the elf warned him not to return to Hogwarts. When he refused, and asked who he worked for, the elf became agitated and began to punish itself.
It bashed it's head with a lamp, shut his fingers in a door, kept shutting the bedroom door on it's head. Finally it left the room with
Harry scrambling after. He caught up with elf just as it was levitating the dessert off the counter and across the room. Dobby turned around, looked at Harry and snapped his fingers. The dessert fell, right on top of the Masons, and Dobby disappeared, leaving Harry standing there looking shocked.
They watched in anger as bars were placed on Harry's window. The boy worked sun up to sun down. Each night he was locked in his room. The meals he was given were not enough for a growing boy. He went to bed hungry most nights. It made them angry to see how the young boy was treated.
Then one night he awoke to someone calling his name. He went to the window. There outside the window were three red headed boys, in a flying car. An actual flying car. They watched as they attached a chain to the bars and daringly rescued Harry just as his Uncle broke the bedroom door in. They flew off as quick as a wink.
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Natasha made careful mental notes of situations with the Dursleys. One day she would like to pay them a little visit. Have a not so very pleasant visit with them.
They watched in fascination as the events of 2nd year continued to unfold. The barrier being closed off, the frenzied flying car trip to Hogwarts, the whomping willow. Nat felt a certain understanding when he was the only one who could hear the voices in the castle walls. After her experiences in the Red Room, she sometimes hears whispers of her training when she's on missions. She was thankful to have Clint to ground her, like Hermione seemed to do for Harry. She couldn't help but think they had that in common.
The so called flamboyant Defense professor caused them to snicker when young Hermione's crush was evident. They watched as a cat, students, even a ghost were petrified. Through it all there were the voices only Harry could hear. The whispers followed him. Calling him the Heir of Slytherin. Nat had to admit after they explained the parseltongue bit during the dueling she could understand why people would say it.
Then Hermione herself was petrified, after she discovered the secret to the chamber of secrets. Nat almost lost it when the Basilisk made its appearance. She couldn't imagine having to face that thing. She figured a lot of it was sheer luck, but Harry surviving, slaying the monster, saving the girl, freeing the little elf...it was incredible.
They proceeded to watch each year's events. The images swirling past them. Third year started with an aunt who blew up like a balloon, the infamous Sirius Black (whose name Nat thought sounded familiar), the time turner, a rat in their midst. Dementors, a werewolf, and the rescue of Sirius and Buckbeak.
Fourth year brought with it the Quidditch World Cup, Death Eaters, a deadly tournament, a polyjuiced professor, a Bulgarian bon bon, the vicious Rita Skeeter and a scary rise of the Dark Lord.
Nat had to wonder how they had survived thus far. Fifth year brought Dementors attacking in the muggle world, Harry's court trial, the horrid monstrosity in pink, secret defense clubs, the reformation of The Order of the Phoenix. Then there was the terrifying fight at the Ministry, resulting in a dead godfather, and fortunate Hermione, who had a brush with death after the purple flame slashed into her. She had returned hiding the battle scars. Both Clint and Nat knew it was the mental scars that affected her worse. The haunted look in her eyes had grown after the incident.
If the previous year had been bad, Sixth year was worse. Learning about the Dark Lord's origins, horcruxes, and ferrety Death Eater who snuck others in the castle- resulting in the death of the Headmaster. But nothing prepared them for the next year.
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"Before we watch this next bit, I think we need a small break. It's just a very difficult year." Hermione explained.
Harry and Fleur held her hands. Bill placed his hands on her shoulders in support.
Watching things happen in a pensieve was a bit disconcerting. It was hard not to react to things sometimes. Clint knew he had flinched several times. Both he and Nat had physically jumped at the sight of the Basilisk. His stomach had rolled when he saw Voldemort return. He had the urge to throw himself into the fight at the ministry. And he knew Natasha's fists had clenched when the werewolf ravaged Bills face and turned his attention to Harry. If they had reacted this much already, and the other needed a moment to collect themselves before the next year started he could only imagine how terrible things were going to be.
He watched Fleur retreat to the kitchen and return with several vials. She handed one each to Harry and Hermione before placing a few more on the table. Clint looked questioningly at the vials.
"Simple calming drought. It is used to help the drinker to calm down and remain calm. They will both need it for this next bit. Fleur and I have only heard bits and pieces of this story. This will be the first time for us to see it," Bill explained.
After a few moments to collect themselves the two gestured to the pensieve. The swooshing, stomach flipping feeling returned before the flashing colors formed a picture. Once again he found himself standing in front of Privet Drive. A teenaged Harry was watching as his Aunt. Uncle and cousin pulled out of the drive, the vehicle loaded with belongings.
They entered the living room to find a group assembled. Some of the faces he was able to recognize now. The Weasley twins. Ron, Bill and Fleur, the crazy-eyed Moody, and werewolf Lupin. There were others he was not familiar with. A tall bald man, whose name he was told was Kingsley Shacklebolt-and he would become the Minister. There was also a fidgety man that Clint had.a bad feeling about. He eyed the man with disgust. He seemed too much like the sort who didn't do anything to help others.
Though they had seen polyjuice before. It was shocking to suddenly see seven Harry Potter's standing before them. When they began to change their clothes to match, he caught Nat running an eye over the closest Harry's chest. She then slyly looked at the grown Harry, as if comparing the younger teen with the man he had become. Clint cleared his throat in an attempt to refocus Nat's attention. It worked and no one else had noticed the slight blush on her cheeks. If he hadn't known her as well as he did, Clint probably would have missed it himself.
It was an odd feeling to be watching from Hermione's point of view as she flew behind Kingsley. Being high up never bothered him. Clint felt most comfortable there. He thought how flying really would be beneficial for their line of work. Suddenly the Death Eaters appeared and Voldemort himself showed up, flying unaided. He gapped at the sight. How was that possible? The colored flashes of light flew all around as spells were flung. Hermione sent out several red "stunners" but wasn't lucky enough for one to hit. One of the other Harry's was grazed by a spell that cut his ear off. Clint had a minute of panic until he remembered that the real Harry wasn't on a broom.
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Watching the spells being fired at all the Harrys made Natasha feel ill. Especially when one injured whoever was on the back of Lupin's broom. She knew rationally it wasn't her Harry, but she couldn't help the panic. Wait- did she just call him her Harry? What was that all about? The bright green light she knew to be a killing curse headed straight at the real Harry. Her eyes widened as it hit Harry's beautiful white owl. Harry's face when she fell was awful. It rivaled the devastated look he had when his godfather had been killed. She breathed a sigh of relief when almost all the Harrys showed up at the Weasley home. The missing Harry was revealed to be the short, disheveled looking man Fletcher something. He had bailed mid flight, causing Moody to be killed.
Mrs Weasley herded everyone around the next few days as the Burrow (odd name for a house she thought) was prepared for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Natasha had seen the looks passing between the young Weasley girl and Harry, and she vaguely saw the similarities. Perhaps Harry had a thing for redheads? She hoped whatever was happening between her and Harry wasn't a rebound thing. She reminded herself to be cautious.
The wedding was incredibly moving. It was easy to see the love between Bill and Fleur. Nat briefly wondered if she would ever be so lucky. A glance at Hermione's face gave her a moment of sisterly solidarity. It could only be described as longing. She knew Helen, or Hermione she supposed, wasn't seeing anyone. She must be lonely, so far from her family. Nat vowed to be a better friend to her.
It was easy to see that Hermione had been prepared when the bright colored animal (a lynx? She didn't get a clear look) brought the message of the imminent arrival of danger. Hermione had quickly found Harry and the youngest Wesley boy- what was his name again? He seemed a bit like a crap friend so she hadn't bothered to remember his name Don, Rob, Ron! That was it!
The scene blurred as they were whisked away several times-the scenes changing. Finally the trio headed to the old place that had been used for headquarters. The screaming portrait really rattled her teeth with the shrill cries. She would have gladly taken her knife to it if she could. Finding out that the Fletcher guy, whose name was appropriately Dung had stolen the horcrux infuriated her. She didn't want them to have to return to the Ministry after having narrowly escaped the last time.
Nat held her breath as she watched them polyjuice into the ministry workers and find the missing locket. The quick thinking of Hermione had yet again saved them as she had blinked them first one place, then another to shake off the man who had grabbed them. Ron's resulting injury looked horrible. She cringed when the potion made it smoke but was amazed at how quickly he had been healed. Handy little potion..
Watching the Weasel leave Harry and Hermione cemented Nat's dislike for the boy. Who abandoned their team when things got rough? What kind of person did that? Watching Harry and Hermione still continue on showed her just how resilient they were. They just kept soldiering on, determined to bring down the despot that was hell bent on ruling the wizarding world.
Godric's Hollow was an experience she wasn't sure she wanted to repeat. The emotionally wrought duo had a tough time. Watching the snake erupt from the old woman made her gag, and it was something she wouldn't ever forget. The broken wand was a worry, she wasn't sure something like that could be fixed. Even with magic. She felt helpless as she watched the two teens lose so much. Each loss hit them harder and harder. With food so scarce, the two lost weight they couldn't afford. Hermione she had noticed had been slipping her portions to the boys occasionally. Not that the redhead had noticed. Harry had caught on and made her promise to stop. She needed to eat too.
One of the only good things about the return of the Weasel (for that's what she was adamantly calling him now) had been a good thing for a moment. He had arrived in time to save Harry from the frozen water. Really she was going to have to watch him in the future, he was rather quick to rush into dangerous things. She wished Harry would have let Hermione have her wand back though. She would have liked to see what she did to the red head. The other good thing was that the sword Harry had retrieved from the frozen water was able to destroy the locket.
Harry had been raging at the world when he said Voldemort's name, something that had brought bad guys-snatchers, right to them. Racing through the woods, Hermione had hit Harry with something that caused his face to swell. Blurring scenes switched to show large gates with the trio held firmly in the snatchers grasps. Nat could feel the tension in the four magicals with them.
Hermione had turned her face away, buried it in Harry's shoulder as tears welled in his eyes. Bill and Fleur had curled around the pair. Whatever was behind those gates was BAD news.
