A/N Good Evening, I want to apologise and explain my absence to anyone who has been following this story and waiting for an update.
Late last year I had this chapter virtually finished when I became the victim of an arson attack on my house. I lost virtually everything that was on the ground floor of my house, which included my pc.
Since then I have been living at my parents while waiting for my house to be repaired and I have been unable to find the time or mind set to write until recently.
I hope you understand why I've been absent, but you still have my apologies for not updating the story sooner.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter AceBiscuit
Chapter 31
"Ginny!" Exclaimed Hermione "It's his cloak"
"Cloak?" Asked Ginny
"While we were away we discovered that Harry is descended from one of the Peverell brothers. The youngest one to be precise. The one who asked death for a way to leave safely and was given deaths own invisibility cloak"
"That's all a nursery tale surely?" Asked Charlie
"The bit about death meeting the three brothers is almost certainly made up. But there were three brothers and the deathly hallows were real" explained Hermione
"Yeah and Harry has been in possession of all three at some point" added Ginny
Ginny paused for a moment while thinking about their options.
"ok I'm going to this Castleton with Charlie and Kingsley. Hermione, George I want you to get back in that library and start researching the Peverell family"
"Why would the Black family have books on the Peverells?" asked George
"I don't expect them to have a book specifically on the Peverells, but the Blacks were obsessed with blood purity. Mrs Black was in particular. So I would be surprised if there wasn't something in that library about them" answered Ginny
George nodded his understanding, Hermione however stood up and went over to the plates of sandwiches. Waving her wand in a complex pattern she transfigured the plates into tin foil which wrapped itself around the sandwiches. Then she transfigured two cups into Muggle travel mugs and poured a drink of tea into both of them. Turning around she handed them to Ginny and Charlie.
"For Ron and Percy"
Accepting the packages Ginny simply nodded to Hermione before turning to Kingsley.
"Lets go"
Kingsley pulled out an old ink pot from his pocket and held it out for Ginny and Charlie. Once activated she felt the familiar pull behind her navel as the port key transported her. When they arrived Ginny stumbled at first having landed on some uneven ground. Thankfully Kingsley caught her arm and didn't let go until she had found her balance. Looking around Ginny immediately saw that she wasn't stood in a town as she had expected. They were stood in a car park outside of a town. A sign next to where they were stood read "Speedwell Cavern".
"Speedwell Cavern?" read Ginny "I thought we were going to a town called Castleton"
"We are. Unfortunately Castleton is a relatively small village and we couldn't find anywhere within the village to set up a temporary apparition point without drawing unwanted attention from the muggles. Speedwell Cavern is a local tourist attraction that is closed at the moment so we are using their car park as an apparition point and driving into the village" answered Kingsley.
As Kingsley finished speaking a plain black car turned up and stopped in front of them. They got in quickly and the driver pulled away immediately pulled away without speaking. As they drove down the road towards the town, Ginny looked out of the car window across the fields and saw the ruins of a small castle on the top of a hill nearby.
"Peveril Castle I presume?" asked Ginny pointing out of the window.
"Yes" answered Kingsley "I've sent a team up there to check it out and got a team researching it and the Peverells at the ministry"
"Do we have any idea why Delamere and her husband chose to move to this area?" asked Charlie
"The official version that is on record is that they came here on holiday, fell in love with the area and decided to immigrate here. We have no idea if that story is true though. We are assuming everything is a lie at the moment" answered Kingsley.
"I wouldn't be surprised to find out that was the honest truth" commented Ginny
"What makes you say that?" asked Charlie
"She said she was doing all of this so she could get her husband back and I believe her. So if she was happy before he died it would be understandable that they would move to an area they both liked"
As they entered the village Ginny noticed that the buildings were all made of a rough cut grey stone. The road leading into the town turned out to be the main road and high street in the town. In the town centre they turned right and immediately found themselves on a residential street. All of the houses were made from the same grey stone and built to the same design. Each house had a small door and window on the ground floor and two small windows on the first floor. Outside each house had a small garden at the front of the house, which typically consisted of a path leading to the door and a strip of grass either side of the path.
The car stopped outside of one house and Ginny saw a well kept house and garden before getting out of the car. Kingsley opened a gate leading to the house and stepped aside to let Ginny and Charlie through. As she stepped through the gate the appearance of the house suddenly changed. Gone was the well kept house and garden. In front of her was an a house that was showing signs of needing some repair and a garden that was overgrown.
"We think Delamere is using a ward that is popular in America. From the outside it changes your perception of the house. It takes what's there and makes it look nice"
"Judging by the look of the house is guess that particular ward is a newer addition" commented Charlie
"What makes you say that" asked Ginny
"If you look closely, the house doesn't seem to be in that bad of condition. It needs cleaning and painting, rather than structural work. I'd guess that Delameres obsession has caused her to neglect the house but she doesn't want the neighbours asking questions. So she has put the image changing ward up".
Nodding her understanding Ginny took a closer a look at the house and garden and realised she had missed seeing two Aurors stood at the door and Ron and Percy stood in a corner of the garden. Walking over to them the first thing she saw was a look of barely controlled rage on Ron's face. Turning to Percy she noticed he was holding two wands and looking worried.
Whilst handing them the sandwiches and drinks she asked,
"I thought you two would have been inside helping"
"Auror Robards thought it best that the investigation was conducted by Aurors and not family members" replied Percy quickly. Glancing quickly at Ron he continued "there was a disagreement"
Realising that the second wand Percy was holding was probably Ron's allowed Ginny to put two and two together and figure out what had happened.
"Percy, Ron for the moment I think it maybe best if you stay out here" said Kingsley. Percy nodded his agreement a little too enthusiastically "Ginny, Charlie you two come with me"
Walking up to the front door Kingsley approached the two Aurors that were standing guard at the door.
"Evening gentlemen, I am assuming you have been given orders to keep out anyone who isn't an Auror?"
"Yes sir" replied one of the Aurors
"I am going inside gentlemen and taking these two in with me. I assure you I will be taking full responsibility for them and won't allow any reprimand to fall back on either of you"
"Yes sir, thank you sir" replied the same Auror before stepping aside.
Stepping inside the house revealed a short hallway with two doors and a set of stairs leading off it. Kingsley stepped through the first door into what turned out to be the living room. Ginny followed him with Charlie behind her. The living room was fairly small with a small three piece suite squeezed in with the focal point being the fireplace. With Charlie having pointing it out to her outside, Ginny quickly picked up on the early signs of neglect in the living room. The mantle place and shelves were all covered in a layer of dust. The coffee table was covered in abandoned mugs and had ring marks from old drinks on the table. The two chairs were covered in used clothes and other dumped items. The settee was the only thing that was relatively clear and appeared to be in regular use. The only thing on it was a blanket, bundled to one side as if someone had been sleeping on the settee. Walking slowly around the room was an Auror who was waving him wand in a complex pattern.
"Have you found anything in here?" asked Kingsley
"No minister. The only magical item I can find in here is the picture on mantle piece. I'm just completing a second sweep of the room to be sure"
With the Aurors answer Ginny turned and took a closer look at the picture. It was a picture of Delamere and a tall man with a square face and dark hair, presumably her husband. They were holding each other and smiling deeply at each other. You could hardly tell it was a wizard photo as they hardly moved, both of them completely focused on the other. Turning away from the picture Ginny saw Charlie stood, seemingly frozen to the spot staring at the picture.
"Charlie?" called out Ginny cautiously "Are you ok? This can't be easy for you."
Charlie replied while still focusing on the picture "I'm fine. I just want to get Harry back" at which point he stormed out of the living room.
Ginny quickly followed her brother "Charlie if this is getting to you, no one will think any less of you if you want to step outside. I'll be fine with Kingsley"
Charlie took a deep breath before replying "I think I need to do this or I may always end up wondering if what we had was real or not"
At that point Kingsley stepped out of the living room, he didn't say anything about Charlie's sudden departure from the living room and led them down the hallway to the next door. A quick look revealed a kitchen that was in need of a clean. The early stages of neglect were on show in here as well. The sink and counters were pilled high with dirty pots and pans and the bin was overflowing with rubbish.
Moving on quickly they headed for the stairs. At the top of the stairs they found themselves on a small landing with three doors leading off it. One door was open and revealed a bathroom. The other two doors were mostly closed but we're open enough to let the sound of voices travel through. Suddenly one of the doors opened and Head Auror Robards stepped through it.
"Minister I must protest. It really isn't appropriate for members of the victim's family to be involved in the investigation and search of the premises. I've already had to have Mr Weasley removed from the premises, when he became aggressive towards my Aurors for not working fast enough, when they were simply following procedure"
"I understand your concerns and I will be speaking to Mr Weasley personally about his behaviour. However I believe it will be beneficial to the investigation to have these two onsite. They have first hand experience of the case and maybe able to offer insights that our Aurors can't" replied Kingsley
Robards did not look happy with Kingsleys statement but didn't argue. "Ok but if they stay they must do as my Aurors ask and not touch anything without checking with an Auror first"
"A reasonable request" replied Kingsley turning to Ginny and Charlie he said "Ill leave you with Auror Robards for the moment while I go and speak with your brother"
As Kingsley went downstairs Ginny and Charlie turned to Robards.
"Look I'm sorry of I'm coming across as excessively harsh but I've seen cases fail because the wrong people were involved at the wrong time" said Robards before either of them had a chance to speak.
"We understand your position" replied Ginny "how do you want to proceed"
"The room behind me is an office that probably holds the information we need to get Mr Potter back. However my team can't be disturbed just yet. You may want to take a look at the bedroom while you're waiting"
Desperate to move forwards, Ginny found herself getting frustrated at not being allowed into the office first. Not wanting to be kicked out of the house she made herself stay calm and nodded her agreement.
Following Robards into the bedroom they found themselves in a relatively small double bedroom. Along one wall was a double bed with a small bedside cabinet squeezed in down either side of the bed. On the opposite wall were two double wardrobes with a single chest of drawers between them. One thing that struck Ginny was that this room was neat and tidy but covered in a layer of dust as if it hadn't been used for some time. Working together on one of the wardrobes was two Aurors.
"Found something gentlemen?" asked Robards
"Yes sir" answered one of the Aurors "we performed our initial sweep and as expected found a number of concealment charms. The first two were in the bedside cabinets and were typical household concealment charms being used to hide jewellery and keepsakes. The wardrobe on the right was full of men's clothing and had a similar household concealment charm hiding a box file full of typical household paperwork. However this wardrobe, which is full of women's clothes, has a much stronger concealment charm on it. We are just trying to undo the charm so we can see what it is hiding"
As the first Auror finished speaking the second Auror who had kept his focus on the wardrobe finished waving his wand with a flourish before declaring "I've got it"
Stepping to one side so the first Auror could join him, they stood for a few moments taking a look at the inside of the wardrobe.
"Can you see anything different?" asked the first Auror
"Yes that box wasn't there before" answered the second
"Check for traps before picking it up" instructed Robards
Both Aurors quickly waved there wands once more before they both confirmed there was no more magic in the wardrobe. They passed the box to Robards who placed it in the bed before opening it. Inside was a large pile of paper, the top sheet of which was covered in handwriting.
Having pulled the paper out of the box and skimmed through a few pages, Robards turned to Ginny and Charlie and declared,
"It appears to be a manuscript for a wizard's book that has been written on Muggle paper rather than parchment"
"What's the title?" Asked Ginny though she suspected she could guess the answer
"Magical Bonds and There Manipulation by John Mehr" answered Robards
"What is a manuscript written by the kidnapper's husband doing in her wardrobe under extra security?" asked one of the Aurors
"I think I maybe able to make an educated guess" said Ginny "Auror Robards do we know what John Mehr does from?"
"Dragon pox. At home. If the report is accurate. Why is that suddenly important?"
"This room unlike the rest of the house is neat and tidy. But it is covered in a layer of dust as if it hasn't been used for some time. Meanwhile downstairs there is evidence of someone sleeping on the settee. I'm guessing that Delameres husband died in this room and she hasn't been able to face sleeping in here since his death"
"Ok that explains the blanket and dust but what about this manuscript?" interrupted Robards
"The manuscript would have important to her husband as it lead to his book being published. So she would have wanted to keep it somewhere safe. Admittedly this is another guess but I think she was unable to go into her husband's wardrobe after his death, not wanting to change anything, so she secured it in her wardrobe"
"If what you say is true how does it help is get Mr Potter back?" asked one of the Aurors
"It doesn't in the practical sense. But it does help us to get a good insight into her mind-set" answered Robards "which is always a useful thing to have. Excellent deductive reasoning Miss Weasley. May I ask what your plans after Hogwarts are?"
"To play quidditch professionally"
"Ever consider becoming and Auror?"
"No. It's not something I would want to make a career of"
"Shame with a mind like yours" concluded Robards before turning to the two Aurors "I want you two to go through this room again. Double check everything. Start with that file of paperwork. Make sure we haven't missed anything"
"Yes sir" chorused the two Aurors
"The Aurors in the other room should have finished their sweep by now. Let's head through and see what they have found"
Moving across the landing they followed Robards into the office room. The immediate view of the office was decidedly odd. The wall opposite the door had a window in it with a desk situated below the window. The desk was piled high with sheets of parchment and paper to the point of overflowing onto the floor. On the two walls on either side and on the wall behind the door were three huge sheets of parchment. Each one the width and height of the available space, filling the walls. Each sheet of parchment was covered in tiny writing and short lines that were indecipherable at distance.
"What on Merlin's name has she been up to in here?" wondered Charlie out loud.
"They are family trees" explained one of the Aurors
Walking up to the nearest one Ginny saw that he was right. All of the writing was names of different people, all of the lines were the family connections. At the top of the sheet the family name was mostly Peverell. Slowly working her way down the sheet Ginny noticed that over time the spelling of the family name changed and included Peveril, Peverel, Peverell and Peverelle among a few others. Eventually as she went down the page the family name of Peverell disappeared completely and was replaced with other family names. At the bottom the last three generations all had their names crossed out.
"Excuse me miss, but I think what you are looking for is over here"
Ginny turned to find one of the Aurors pointing at the bottom of another family tree.
Ginny walked over and quickly scanned the sheet from top to bottom and saw the same change in family names as on the first sheet but with different names at the bottom. Once again at the bottom the last three generations all had their names crossed out except for one which was circled "Harry James Potter"
Ginny suddenly realised there was one name that Delamere had mentioned that she hadn't seen on either of the family trees she had looked at. She went over to the third family tree and went straight to the bottom of the sheet. Just like the other two the last three generations were crossed out except for one which had been circled and crossed out. Underneath a mess of red ink Ginny could make out the name "Tom Marvolo Riddle"
"Miss Weasley I'm getting the impression you are able to make sense of these family trees" said Robards
"Yes I can, but first can I ask who has seen these?"
"Just the five of us currently in this room. Why?"
"The contents of this room need to be kept a secret. May I with all due respect ask you swear your two men here to secrecy?"
Robards paused before answering, clearly not expecting that request.
"Sir if I may. We realised this information may prove to be sensitive but couldn't figure out how. We don't mind being sworn to secrecy" said on of the Aurors
"Ok Miss Weasley you can have your secrecy, but I would appreciate an explanation" before magically swearing the two Aurors to secrecy.
"Thank you. These family trees prove two things about Harry. Neither of which should be allowed to become public knowledge. I take it you have heard the nursery tale of the deathly hallows?"
The three Aurors all nodded their heads.
"The nursery tale is based on a true story. There were three brothers and these family trees prove he is a descendant of the youngest brother"
"Merlin!" exclaimed one of the Aurors "If that came out every wand carrying nut job would be after him thinking he's got the deathly hallows and is the master of death"
"Precisely" said Ginny choosing not to add that Harry had been in possession of all three hallows.
"And the second thing they prove?" asked Robards
"That Harry is related, albeit distantly, to Voldemort"
"Excuse me" exclaimed Robards clearly shocked
Ginny pointed to the third family tree she had inspected.
"Not many people know that Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvollo Riddle"
"No wonder you wanted that kept secret" commented the same Auror as before.
"Delamere said to me that Harry put himself in this current situation by killing Voldemort. According to these family trees, up until his defeat Harry and Voldemort were the only living descendants of the three Peverell brothers. With Voldemort gone Harry is the only one left"
"So Delamere believes she needs a direct descendant of the Peverell brothers for some reason" said Charlie
"As we are in an area that used to be known as the Honour of Peverel and have Peveril Castle overlooking the town. My guess would be that there is an ancient blood ward or spell somewhere protecting whatever Delamere wants access to" said Robards thinking out loud.
At that moment the door to the room opened and Kingsley stepped in.
"The team that was sent up to the castle has just reported in. They can't get into the castle. Every door and gate way has been magically sealed. Have you found anything her?"
Having first closed the door Ginny brought Kingsley up to speed on everything they had learnt so far.
"It seems to me that we need to maximise our presence at the castle" said Robards
"Maybe" commented Ginny while looking at the pile of paperwork on the desk.
"Maybe!" exclaimed Robards "We know why she took Mr Potter and we know where she took him. There's no maybe about it"
"We are missing something" insisted Ginny "If she only needed Harry to open a blood ward, why kidnap him? Why not ask for Harry's help?"
"Because he may have said no" answered Robards
"If you knew Harry you would know he wouldn't be able to say no to helping someone. It's not in his nature" answered Kingsley
"Ok but does Delamere know that?" retorted Robards
"I suggest we split up" countered Ginny "I want to stay here and go through that paperwork. The rest of you can go up to the castle and try to get in"
"You shouldn't stay here on your own Ginny. Charlie Percy and Ron can stay here. Robards and his Aurors can go to the castle and I will act as go between reporting progress between the two teams" countered Kingsley.
At that everyone nodded their agreement and got to work.
a/n The idea of Voldemort being related to Harry is one that has been introduced by JK Rowling. I've just tried to use it in a way I haven't seen anyone else use it.
Please rate and review thankyou