Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter Ninety-Six

Gaunt House

"So, now are you going to tell me why I had to come home for half the holiday," Harry asked Sirius the next morning after sleeping in for a good portion of it.

"Always the curious one, ah Pup," Sirius chuckled.

"Pretty much yeah," Harry smiled back waiting for the answer to his question.

"Dumbledore had something he wanted to check out, but he feared leaving the castle while you were still there," Sirius answered, his smile turning to a grimace as he said this.

"You don't think I'm safe in the castle without Dumbledore there?" Harry asked shocked.

"Harry, you're name was put in the goblet by someone … someone that is likely still inside the castle," Sirius reminded him. "That means there is someone there, and we don't know who, that has some kind of plot, and we don't know what it is. None of us liked those facts."

"So I get babied again," Harry sighed, sitting at the table moping. "Are you going to come back to school this year as Snuffles again? You know, so I'd be safe."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at Harry, "Don't take that tone with me Harry, you're safety is more important than you being mopey."

"Thanks Padfoot, that makes me feel so special," Harry made a face at him, before he sighed. "I'm sorry … I just don't like being coddled all the time."

"Harry, if I was really coddling you, you would truly be unhappy," Sirius barked out laughing. "Though I have to admit that I wouldn't have minded going back to Hogwarts as Snuffles to keep my eye on you, my boss is hardly going to let me do that after I let the rat get away."

"That wasn't your fault," Harry came to defended him immediately. "The Dementors …"

"Let's not talk about that," Sirius said grimacing, he still felt sore about this subject, knowing that he should have done more but at the same time the Dementors had proven to be the worst idea of all time to have at that school.

"Where's Remus?" Harry said realizing only in this silence his other guardian wasn't there.

"Off with Dumbledore doing a top secret mission," Sirius answered bitterly. "Apparently I was the more suitable caretaker for you despite the fact that I'm a train Auror."

Harry snorted at Sirius's annoyance.

"You just think about that the next time you whine about being baby sat," Sirius huffed.

"I will," Harry laughed out right this time and Sirius couldn't help laughing too.

"I suppose I'm a bit mopey, too, about being left behind," Sirius sighed.

O

When Remus and Dumbledore Apparated into the woods Remus felt a strange aura of dark energy in the air. Ever since he was turned into a werewolf his instincts had been sharper and Remus could tell that something was wrong here. He didn't know how Dumbledore could sense this, but Remus could tell by the expression of the old Headmaster that he could feel it too.

"Do you think he's here?" Remus asked, they had their wands out already just in case but after a second Dumbledore shook his head.

"Not here … nor is he at the Riddle house anymore," Dumbledore answered. "I didn't think he would be, not since he killed that poor Muggle this summer. He has no desire to be where his parents had once lived. However, it is still dangerous here …"

"I know … I can feel it," Remus said, barely able to restrain himself from shuddering. "Besides, there's an eerie lack of sounds of life in these woods …"

"Is there," Dumbledore said looking around and listening for a few seconds before turning back to Remus, "I believe you're right. It seems, however, that we can't show as much caution as the animals have chosen to have of this place … shall we."

Remus nodded at Dumbledore and the old Headmaster started leading the way through the woods. With every step Remus's nerves became tenser and his sense of foreboding grew but he forced himself to keep walking behind Dumbledore. When they had paused he wasn't surprised that Dumbledore started muttering things in a hush whisper he couldn't quite make out, but felt as if Dumbledore was saying a curse or counter curse. Remus could tell that it was no longer just his instincts telling him that they shouldn't continued, but a spell to repel someone from moving on. He also could tell that it wasn't just the standard repelling charm, since Dumbledore would have dealt with that in seconds. This was where he knew that whatever Dumbledore could sense was far beyond Remus's own abilities, for he had no idea what protections might be in front of them but Dumbledore was already moving on, having disarmed whatever it was.

Remus didn't utter a word as he watched Dumbledore work. It was almost as intriguing as the time he had seen the Headmaster duel in the first war. He felt a little useless in that moment, knowing that a wizard as powerful as Dumbledore hardly needed someone to tag along with him on any mission. Especially, one where they were just walking through the woods to find a house. Granted, it was a woods filled with dark magic and the house was sure to have even darker curses on it, but still. How much help could Remus really offer here?

As that thought went through his head he felt another sense of foreboding, and he wasn't entirely sure if he was thinking for himself or if something was making him think that way. So he thrust that thought out of his mind, it didn't matter if he did nothing but walk next to Dumbledore, looking like an idiot. Five minutes later Remus again started wondering if he really needed to be there, the question coming to him so gradually, that he didn't realize it until he paused a second in following Dumbledore.

"Remus?" Dumbledore said turning back to look at him. "You need to follow me very carefully …"

"Sir … I want to leave," Remus said and when Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at him he shook his head, "no, I don't mean I actually want to go. I just feel … something doesn't want me here."

"I see," Dumbledore said frowning, it was clear that Dumbledore didn't have that feeling at all. "I wonder why you are being affected like this and I am not."

"I'm not as strong as you are, sir," Remus answered immediately.

Dumbledore smiled at him warmly, "I think you'll find that we all have our weakness and strengths, Remus. The fact that the charms are trying to make you leave might suggest that it is your strength that we'll need. Keep that in mind please as we continue onward … it may help us."

"Yes sir," Remus nodded, his determination back, or at least for that moment, but he was sure his resolve would be tested again as they moved on.

"Also keep in mind, Remus, that if you do not follow close to the path that we have come in by, there are curses all around us," Dumbledore added gravely as he turned back to the path he was directing them on.

Remus did keep that in mind, but it didn't stop him from being effected again by the desire to leave, not in fear but because of an overwhelming sense that he would be useless. Indeed every step he took he felt more useless and even telling himself that he couldn't leave … that Dumbledore might truly need him at some point didn't make a difference to the feeling. However, his mantra was enough to keep him going forward and that was all he could hope for at this point.

Finally the house came into sight, looking at it made Remus feel even more inadequate so instead he stared at Dumbledore's back which allowed him to keep moving. That was why he was surprised when Dumbledore suddenly stopped and Remus looked up to see that they were standing at the door. It was all he could do not to turn from the house and walk away. This time he felt a distinct sense of fear as he looked at the old house, his instincts of wrongness surging forward but he willed himself to stay where he was.

Dumbledore looked at him sadly at this point, and Remus could read his doubts about bring him along. Or was that just his mind playing tricks with him again, another way for him to long to leave this dark house. Dumbledore grimaced before turning back to the door, pacing in front of it as he tried to figure the right words to say to open it. As Dumbledore did this, Remus went into himself, trying to master the fear and his inadequate feelings once again.

In truth he had been fighting against these feelings all of his life, always feeling that he would never amount to much because of what he had been turned into as a boy. But he had become so much more than he had ever imaged back when he had first learned that he would be accept to Hogwarts. True, he was forbidden to work most jobs in the magical community, but that said nothing about his own power and knowledge. That had nothing to do with him. He had also thought that he would never know what it was like to raise a child, but he had done well with Harry's upbringing. Watching the boy turn into a confident young man (though he was still young to be a man the struggles Harry's had been through had made him one before his time), filled Remus with a great sense of pride because of his hand in that.

Remus opened his eyes just as Dumbledore opened the door. Remus was able to move with easy now. He had not let his fears as a child stop him from becoming who he was now and he would not let whatever curse Voldemort had cast stop him either. He was here to help Dumbledore if need be and that was what he was going to do.

With this thought in his head he was able to realize that something was wrong as soon as they stepped into the house. Dumbledore, who had been cautious throughout their trip, was suddenly moving reckless through the house, as if he believed there were no other enchantments guarding the place. That might have been true, Remus reckon, but from everything else that Voldemort had thrown into his protection, that didn't seem likely.

"Sir …" Remus started to say, still following the Headmaster, though a little more cautiously.

"It's safe, Remus," Dumbledore said in response, his voice sounded normal and yet it sent a chill down Remus's spine all the same. The sharp instincts that he had were telling him that something wasn't right.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked, moving closer still as Dumbledore knelt to the ground examining something on the floor … the Headmaster was mumbling again and yet even that had Remus's nerves on ends.

"There is a trace of magic here … shush," Dumbledore paused in his mumbling to answer him, before starting over again.

Remus moved closer, still watching warily as the floorboard lifted into the air to reveal a hiding place with something in it. Another piece of wood seemed to be moving upwards with a ring lying on it, and then Remus heard Dumbledore gasped.

"The stone …" the Headmaster's voice was entranced, but Remus hardly noticed this as he looked at the ring.

All of his fear and foreboding left him as he looked at it and he now felt a longing to pick up the ring, to examine it. This had to be what they were looking for … They had to pick it up and take it from this place …

He watched Dumbledore's hand reach for the ring and he felt a flash of anger that he wouldn't be the one to handle the ring.

"Stop!" Remus yelled, and Dumbledore's hand paused where it was for a second but that didn't last long. Remus wasn't angry anymore though, he knew this wasn't right … he knew his desires weren't his own … and he knew that if Dumbledore touch the ring it would not be good. He pointed his wand at the ring and it shot into the air just as Dumbledore was about to grasp it. The ring clattered to the floor a few feet away, but Remus didn't see where as Dumbledore turned to him, with angry tears in the old man's eyes. Remus felt a fear that had nothing to do with the house as Dumbledore glared at him. He was about to be cursed, Remus knew it in the way that Dumbledore glared and he would have no defense. He didn't hide his fear as he looked directly in Dumbledore's eye …

"Veneficus arca archa!" he said and Remus flinched but Dumbledore's wand was pointed at the ring encasing it in a thick metal box. Dumbledore didn't speak for several minutes as he looked down at the box the ring was in. Remus could see that Dumbledore still longed to get the ring. Remus's own longing for the ring was slowly fading but he didn't dare move either.

"It seems that it was very good that you came today, Remus," Dumbledore said in a soft, almost whispered, voice. Remus knew that the Headmaster was going through more than he could understand. "My strength has been proven to be useless against the threat that lies in the curse on this house."

"What …?" Remus started to ask but he didn't know how to finish his question.

"We need to leave … please pick up the box Remus, I assure you it will not hurt you," Dumbledore said. Remus felt a twinge of fear that Dumbledore might be lying to him.

Was this Dumbledore's way to get rid of Remus to get to the ring inside the box? But as he thought it he knew these weren't his thoughts … he could sense the wrongness in the words and he knew that this was the same as his earlier longing to leave Dumbledore behind. He walked over to the box and picked it up.

"Do not open the box … the ring is still rather dangerous and will tempt anyone who looks upon it," Dumbledore warned. "And I fear that if I see it again I will not be able to stop myself …" his expression turned unbearably grave as Remus nodded his head. He held the box tightly in his hand, making sure it would not open as they left the house.