A/N: This Chapter will move backwards.
Chapter-8
The Day Harry Turned Fifteen And Arthur Wished Him
Arthur Weasley slowly got up from his bed and moved towards the door to his room.
Though he had been unable to sleep for the past three nights and was extremely tired, Arthur felt it necessary to check on his children in the absence of his wife. Thankfully, all of them were asleep, except Ginny. Arthur kissed all of their foreheads just like Molly did and hugged poor Ginny as she fell down in his lap, unable to control her tears. It was nearly impossible but he kept a tight lid on his own emotions…he allowed himself that luxury only inside his own room, when he was alone.
He silently ate what Harry gave him and patiently waited for the owl carrying the morning newspaper to receive any news, good or bad.
Ruffling through the pages in a hurry he seldom found himself in, Arthur almost lost himself then and there when yet again, he found no mention of his wife inside those pages.
He remembered only when Sirius came downstairs and took Harry in a hug and clapped him on the back, "Happy Birthday Harry..."
Sighing at his own forgetfulness, Arthur got up and moved towards Harry. "I am sorry son...I forgot. Happy Birthday."
"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley. I understand...I myself had forgotten. After Mrs. Weasley..."
Arthur gave Harry a wobbly smile and returned to his newspaper, marvelling at what a great young lad Harry was...the boy's eyes had almost watered at the mere mention of Molly. He almost looked...guilty...but it was definitely not his fault that it was his birthday or that Molly was still missing.
Silly Noble Boy...
A little while later, Arthur was unable to understand the pang he felt when he read the headlines proclaiming Bellatrix Lestrange's death in Azkaban. But like everything else, he ignored it in search of Molly…
Sixty Hours Before Arthur Wished Harry
Molly Weasley was missing.
The members of Order of the Phoenix, and all the children, sat in the hall of 12 Grimmauld Place as they discussed their wild theories and tried to come up with what could have happened; while Albus Dumbledore, their leader and the most sensible of them all, stood in a corner with Severus Snape inside a bubble of silencing charm.
As soon as Arthur was home, he was apprised by Sirius and Remus of Molly's absence since morning. Surely, she'd return in a few hours from wherever she had gone, they had thought. When morning turned to noon and noon to evening, the children had begun to worry for their mother. Soon enough, Sirius had lost his patience and called Albus Dumbledore and a few others who could help.
It was now that almost everyone was gathered in the hall when Arthur was finding it difficult to keep himself together. Only one thing came to his mind and that was the recent resurrection of Voldemort and his growing insurgent activities. If Molly's disappearance had anything to do with the dark lord…
Arthur shuddered to even contemplate such a situation.
He saw Fred and George, looking at each other without a trace of humour in their eyes; and Ginny, his little daughter, as she cried heavily. Their mother never went anywhere without informing them. Nymphadora Tonks was trying to comfort her, along with Harry Potter.
Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones were murmuring among themselves, while Sirius Black was desperately trying to make a point in front of Remus Lupin. They were whispering to each other silently.
"Don't worry Ginny…Dumbledore will surely find Mrs. Weasley…" Arthur heard Harry saying as he consoled poor Ginny by rubbing her back.
Dumbledore, for his part, was taking his time with Severus. Arthur tried to get a hint of…of anything…from Snape's passive face but there was nothing at all except his usual sneer, which made him even more apprehensive than he already was…but why his Molly of all people?
Dumbledore dispersed the silent bubble after some long minutes and finally came back to address the patiently waiting room. "Everyone…please pay attention…" he called. "As I have determined from Severus, we can positively rule out any involvement of death eaters in the case of Molly's disappearance."
Arthur, along with everyone else, breathed a sigh of relief.
"However," continued Dumbledore, "this leads us to conclude that either Molly has left the house on her own volition…though we have no idea why…or someone amongst us is a traitor and that person is unknown to Severus…"
At once, pandemonium broke out as the headmaster's silent-up-until-then audience began shouting all at once.
"What…?"
"No way…"
"A traitor in our ranks…"
Everyone started pointing at each other, unable to get the concept down their throats. If indeed there was a traitor, how were they supposed to trust anyone in the Order with their lives and secrets in the first place. Order, in itself, was an illegal vigilante organization they were a part of. If someone were to out them as its members, their careers would be in jeopardy, along with their lives.
"I vote for Snape…" Sirius said suddenly, taking everyone's attention on himself effortlessly, just as Remus began massaging his temple. "How can we be sure that he isn't lying?"
Severus Snape, of course, was livid if his death glare was any indication to go by. "Your opinion is of no consequence, mutt."
"I second Sirius…" Harry interjected, frowning at the Potions master. "He calls himself a spy…that practically means being a traitor…what if he's spying on us…"
"Harry…please," said Dumbledore. "I trust Severus with my life."
"But he's a death eater," argued Fred, a cool anger in his eyes. "What stops him from selling us to you-know-who?"
"Mr. Weasley, as I said I trust-"
"Doesn't matter shit to us Dumbledore," snapped George on his twin's behalf.
"George..." Arthur shouted, shocked. "You have no right to talk back to Dumbledore like that."
"No Arthur," Dumbledore said, raising his hands up in a placating gesture. "Your children are worried about their mother…I do not take any offense."
Arthur had never seen Fred and George wearing anything but identical smiles on their faces. Even when faced with the hardest of times, when the Weasley household had hit rock bottom, the twins had never let their anger or sadness show. But for the first time, Arthur was seeing them scowl…at him no less. The fear of losing their mother had hit them hard.
"Nevertheless," butted Sirius, once again, "we cannot trust our lives on your trust alone Headmaster. Not again…"
Dumbledore looked at him with a genuinely hurt expression. It seemed that Lord Black had not forgotten his illegal incarceration as much as he'd like to let everyone believe…
"Very well," sighed Dumbledore, "I am afraid that the distrust on Severus should be cleared once and for all…"
Snape looked up and pursed his lips, glaring hatefully at the headmaster.
"Severus, only if you agree…" said Dumbledore.
Snape, though unhappy, nodded with a jerk of his head. He then proceeded to take out his wand and swore, "I, Severus Snape, swear on my magic that I am not in possession of any knowledge related to Molly Weasley's disappearance. So mote it be. Lumos."
Since Snape's wand lit, Sirius kept his mouth shut for once.
"Now," said Dumbledore, "when that's out of the way-"
"Wait, Headmaster," interrupted Snape, "It only seems just that if I have to prove my innocence then everybody does…"
"Ah," Harry said, standing up from his position. "To be perfectly honest with you Sir, we are not branded by a madman…unlike you."
"Keep your mouth shut, Potter" Severus spat, himself getting to his feet, as Remus once again rubbed his temples.
"Harry will speak as much as he likes, Snivellus. You are no one to tell my godson what to do…" said Sirius coolly.
"Enough!" thundered Dumbledore, "Sirius, we are indebted to you for letting us use your house…but your quarrel with Severus has gone too far. Please keep in mind that he is perhaps the most valuable asset on our side against Voldemort. And Severus, one oath is enough for the day. Instead of wasting valuable time, it would be better if we conduct a search for Molly…"
"I agree, Headmaster…" said Remus, quickly getting up from his seat. "I think we should begin with the Burrow…I mean, where the Burrow was…She was missing her home too much after what happened."
"Good idea, Remus," agreed Dumbledore. "You should go there and take Arthur with you. Also, meet any relatives she might visit…I'll ask Minerva to search in St. Mungos…it is something we would have to do…Severus, please do try and meet with Voldemort and apprise him of the situation, see if he gives away any reaction…and I'll myself go to Amelia…we will need more hands to conduct a proper search."
Dumbledore then looked at the younger Weasleys. "Children, don't worry and hope for the best. And Harry, in Molly's absence, can I impose upon you to take Kreacher's help and feed all your friends? Of late, he seems to be very cordial towards you."
Harry gave the old man a smile and nodded. "Of course, Headmaster. I really hope we find Mrs. Weasley."
"We will try our best, my boy. We will try our best."
Having little hope in his heart, Arthur looked towards Remus and moved towards the floo, wondering if he'll ever see his wife again.
Arthur entirely missed the satisfaction in Harry Potter's eyes and a slight smile on the corner of his lips.
Sixty-Eight Hours Before Arthur Wished Harry
Arthur Weasely rubbed his eyes and took a huge yawn. He was blissfully unaware of the fact that his life was about to change in its entirety from that day onwards. Taking his own sweet time to sit up, he picked up his wand from his bedside to cast a Tempus charm. Raising his eyebrows in alarm, he jumped up to his feet and ran towards the bathroom.
He was late for work, too late in fact to make a full day out of it.
Great. Another reason for Johnson to kick my butt.
Where was Molly? He asked himself in his hurry. His wife was the one who always woke him up, along with a cup of tea and a morning kiss, for as long as he could remember…what made her break routine? But he let that thought pass as he began his morning ablutions.
Downstairs, he found Harry preparing breakfast for everyone and took a seat. "Where's Molly, Harry?"
"Don't know, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, while pouring him a glass of juice. "I figured she was taking a rest today."
Arthur turned towards Ron, who was filling his mouth with Omelette and toast without a care in the world and shook his head. "Breakfast isn't running away, Ron."
Ron nodded his head and gulped forcefully. "It isn't always that Harry cooks, Dad. Did a great job too."
Arthur smiled. "Still, keep it slow. Now, where's your mother?"
Ron shrugged. "Dunno…maybe she went for shopping. Where's Ginny? Might know somethin'."
"Sleeping," said Harry from the kitchen counter. "I went to wake her up but she said she was up till late last night."
Arthur nodded and stood up, grabbing a handful of toast in his hands. "Harry, do tell Molly to floo me when she comes back from wherever she is."
"Sure, I will." said Harry.
Arthur then went to deal with Johnson, trusting his wife's capabilities to keep herself safe and whole. He forgot about Molly until he returned in the evening when Sirius called him, only to find a crowd full of somber faces.
Seventy Six Hours Before Arthur Wished Harry
Gringotts, though a bank catering to the needs of Wizards, was managed by a gold-loving breed of vicious creatures who were called Goblins. The bank and its tellers were creepy enough during daylight hours but at nighttime, they were no less frightening than the haunting stories of muggle fantasy books. The whispers of small insects and pests only added to the already creepy atmosphere.
But according to one Harry Potter, it was a plus that the bank remained open twenty-four-hours, for he had an escaped Azkaban convict moving alongside him under the imperius curse.
Harry really wasn't proud of the liberal use of unforgivables he was making, but he sure as hell knew that it was much better than an escape on the back of a blind dragon.
Getting to the nearest teller who had not given any indication of being surprised on seeing the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange, with the poster boy of Wizarding World no less, Harry mentally asked Bellatrix to ask for a visit to her vault.
"Do you have the keys, Ms. Lestrange?" the teller asked.
"No…my blood should suffice." Bellatrix replied on Harry's command.
The teller turned his head towards him and gave Harry a penetrating gaze. Harry willed himself to keep a passive expression. "Very Well…Griphook shall take you to your vault," he finally told Bellatrix, as Harry released an involuntary breathe.
Harry swallowed at seeing Griphook…the nasty goblin who had double crossed him and met his dead end not three years ago…according to his original timeline. By some twist of fate…he was again being taken to the same vault by the same goblin.
He really hoped to avoid causing any scene this time.
As Harry, Bellatrix and Griphook took their seats in the cart ride that lead to the inner chambers of the bank, the most secured vaults of Gringotts, Harry covertly pulled out his wand and trained it on Bellatrix's side…it was a necessary precaution in view of The Thief's Downfall – the magical waterfall which removed the effects of any spells, potions or curses in order to alert the goblins of any imposters – that they were sure to pass through…
Sure enough, as the cart zoomed through the waterfall, Bellatrix came back to her senses; but only for a second before Harry had reapplied the curse on her, though that one second was enough for the crazy bitch to give Harry a headache…she was fighting Harry's will…and it felt like a caged Bull was trying to get free…
But Harry did not relent.
It seemed that her mind had begun to grasp that she was no more within the reach of dementors, and there was an urgent need to regain her freedom, now when she had the chance. Harry was surprised when he felt her thin elbow connect with his ribs as he let out a grunt, but before the goblin could even turn to look at them, he snapped the iron bars of his unbreakable will on Bellatrix's feeble mind and she withdrew, as if burnt…
Griphook guided them through the dragon with the help of the clankers and Harry vowed to help the beast somehow in the future. Finally they were outside the large vault.
Griphook gave Bellatrix a dagger and asked her to put some of her blood on the doorway. On Harry's instruction, Bellatrix made a deep gash on her hand and touched the door. The goblin eyed the insane witch but kept quiet, as the door opened to reveal mounds of gold and silver, along with treasures amassed by the generations of Lestranges in their years of bigotry.
Harry had eyes only for one innocent looking cup.
He forced Bellatrix to enter the vault, undeterred by the Gemino and Flagrante curses, and reach out for the cup. As she touched an object, it would multiply itself and burn her skin wherever it touched. Harry felt her pain not once, but every time she burnt herself on the sea of objects he forced her to wade through, and a kind of dark happiness blossomed within himself. He had no idea that he hated the bitch that much before that night.
Bellatrix's blistered and bruised form took the cup from the top shelf with the help of a silver cane and slowly waddled back to him. He offered the small pouch, which he now kept with himself all the time, to her and she allowed the horcrux to fall in it.
Harry noticed the slight moisture in the bitch's eyes and knew that she was pleading. Pleading for her life. If he was a different Harry Potter, he wouldn't have hesitated to give her another chance…but that Harry Potter was long dead.
He hardened his eyes and ordered Bellatrix to move back inside the vault, and turned towards Griphook, who was eying both of them with scorn. It was probably clear to the goblin by now that what exactly was happening in front of his eyes, but Harry was encouraged by his silence.
"She will remain within…" said Harry.
Griphook's eyes widened and he bared his teeth, until Harry continued.
"…of course, you get this very special cup of Helga Hufflepuff when I am done with it."
Needless to say, the greed of the goblin won over the morality of his actions. Harry could see the lust in his eyes for the unique artefact.
Still, for the cause of plausible deniability, he made a statement from Bellatrix's mouth. "I will…stay here…in my vault. Please close the door," she said tonelessly.
Harry knew that Bellatrix's death would anyway become the front page news in a couple of days. She was supposed to die sooner or later and it really wasn't necessary to take her with him, only to worry about her later…
He told himself that she actually deserved much worse and he was infact doing her a favor…
Griphook did as he was told and moved to close the door. Harry saw the shrunken yet beautiful face of Bellatrix one last time and decided to release his curse just before she fully disappeared.
It would take him a long time to forget the sheer terror and rage he saw in those blue eyes, all but for a moment. Thus, Harry Potter left Gringotts…as Bellatrix Lestrange died a lonely and painful death by a couple of curses cast by her own wand…she screamed and her screams echoed until her flesh burned to dust, and only bones remained.
It would be a very long time before her skeleton would be found in the very same vault.
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