Author's Note:
I received a string of bad reviews this weekend from an anonymous "guest" who spelt 90% of the words in their reviews wrong and told me how much my story sucks, how much I suck, how the story is shit and my sex scenes are tacky, how every choice Sirius makes concerning his fortune is stupid, and that my OC Zee is useless and that I am destroying my own story (up to chapter 105 by the way). They went on to say that hey can't believe their reading this "stupid shit" and that Ginny deserved to be raped worse by the bone, how much her character sucks and continued to leave such negative reviews. I must say, it wasn't exactly nice to read. I get it, not everyone has to like this story, to each their own. I just don't understand why someone would keep reading if they hate it so much? Or feel the need to leave these kinds of reviews.
But, on the bright side — thanks for boosting my review count! ;)
Anyway, to those of you whom I love for your reviews, let's answer them!
Reviews and Comments: To scrappy8: Thank you! To Nightwing2013: Monopoly with two people is so fun! Yes, it's more fun with more people, but with two it's still great! To Wolf's scream: Molly was just distracted, the way mums get, where they're only half listening and when she finally realized what was going on, she was a bit surprised. Kind of like when Fred and George were telling her that Ron was a prefect and she was only mildly paying attention until she zeroed in what they were saying. To ValGrey02: I'm glad that you're enjoying Harry being a big brother and aww, long awaited Remadora, thank you! To STARLEO: Thank you, I'm glad you loved it. To alix33: Ha, Rolf wasn't a stalker lol. To alondrizdiaz: I don't plan on writing another story anytime soon, but we'll see. To shivani: Thank you! I'm glad I'm back to weekly postings as well. Glad you liked the chapter. To pix25: Who doesn't love a dragon onesie? To tim2604: The dominatrix name for Audrey, I just couldn't resist lol. Mr Gray, well you will soon find out.
To Dianne: I would also love to see an artwork of Harry holding the twins, one on each shoulder, with his panicked and nervous face. I do think Greg and Pansy have some good potential indeed. No hints on Theo's HEA, and yes, I google a certain name I'm going for or something I want or like the sound of. To Steelcode: Thank you! We can never have too much cuteness. To WinkingSkeever: I'm back to updating weekly, what more do you want? LOL. To ANewRanger: Thank you! I'd be honoured if you reread it! To Chintan: Glad I left you with some questions and what side will Snape choose, hmm… To Andrew4815: I did break down the chapters into titles on my tumblr (pinned post) to help find what you're looking for. I have my own chapter summaries and sort of timeline accumulated, but I find the chapter titles help break it down quite a bit. To speedsONEandONLY: You're right, it will definitely make Harry an excellent father. I like to think that they do fall asleep connected. To Tiegdalewills15: I'm doing okay (outside of my day of negative reviews), but thank you for caring!
To PadfootSimp: Harry's not THAT dumb LOL. To AQuickRead91: Thank you and yes, so small and delicate. I have made easter eggs myself, yes. To Arcanis: Zee embarrassing Harry is a very Sirius situation, I agree. As to the onesies, as stated in the previous chapter, Mina got an owl, a unicorn, and an augury and Leo a lion, a dragon, and a bear. To Prewishjay13: Ginny will see the twins and Harry with them, yes. To bam461: Thank you so much! To miniandminie: Thank you for saying the different character dynamics and relationships I create are magical! To futurefangirl: It is like a long TV show, isn't it? LOL. Thanks for catching up! To briana_t: Pansy and Goyle are growing closer, yes. And no, I won't tell you if Fred will live or not. To Leapyearbaby29: Thank you!
To Gellert99: Thanks for coming to my rescue with the negative reviews, you made them stop! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: You should definitely love Charlie. To nothatchhavi: Welcome back! And yes, that is totally so Remus' influence of Harry's embarrassment over the breastfeeding, I agree. To Bumlewis: The Weasleys are delightful, aren't they? And ha, more Pansy and Greg feels, you're welcome LOL. To Seriously Sam: Yes, their monopoly games are epic! I love how excited you get over Pansy and Greg!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT:
Zee was grateful to have Harry home for the holiday. She loved watching him interact with Mina and Leo, the way he held them and wanted to help as much as he could. He helped change their nappies and cringed in horror when he saw the poopy result the second time he did; she laughed. It was heartwarming, homey, and truly wonderful to have him there.
They worked into a rhythm where she would breastfeed them and then Harry would burp them, snuggling them into his arms. He wasn't as afraid to hold them both at the same time anymore, though he still gave her a nervous glance when it involved walking around with them both in his arms.
The first night of the holiday, Zee woke to the sound of Mina crying, but by the time she made it into the nursery, she found Harry holding her at the window. Zee tied her robe closed and leaned against the door of the nursery to just watch him. He held her carefully against his shoulder, turned so that she could look out into the night. He was talking nonsense to her.
"See, Mina? Dark. When it's dark outside, we're supposed to be sleeping. Your Mama needs to sleep. Between you and Leo, she's tired, and I have to be at school, so I can't take care of her like Uncle Sirius would want me to. See, Leo's sleeping. How come you're awake? Huh? You don't have another natural disaster in that nappy do you, because let me tell you, the one I saw earlier was more than enough for me."
Mina cooed at him and he kissed her cheek.
"Okay, we'll go for a little walk downstairs and then back to sleep, deal?"
Zee felt like her heart was going to burst. When he turned and saw her, he only grinned sheepishly.
"I was awake anyway, so I figured I'd get her. Go back to bed, we're okay."
Zee walked into the nursery instead and tugged him down to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Harry."
Harry's expression was puzzled. "I love you, too."
She checked on Leo and found him sleeping soundly before she went back to bed. She managed to sleep another two hours before she was woken again for feeding time and Harry was there to help. In fact, the entire week, he never missed a moment. He was up with her for every cry, every feeding, every sound they may have made. Mina and Leo usually slept ten hours every night, only waking once or twice, but Harry was there anyway. No matter how often she told him that he didn't need to get up with her, he did. Zee thought her heart would burst with happiness.
Of course, when it came to breastfeeding, he still acted incredibly awkward. Trying to pass her a child without looking, despite the privacy bubble she'd cast, and whenever he'd speak to her, he would intentionally not look at her. It amused and infuriated her at the same time.
But she loved having him home.
They spent the week playing with the twins. Harry spoke to them and made them laugh. He found a plush Snitch that floated three centimetres above the ground and the wings made light dance on the walls. Mina and Leo were both fascinated. They tried to reach it with their flailing arms, kicking their little legs and giggling. Zee thought it was the best sound in the world.
The third day of the holiday, Ginny came by and she and Harry each played with the babies, urging Zee to take some me time. She'd enjoyed a long bubble bath and gave herself a pedicure, feeling like a new woman. She fed Mina and Leo as Ginny told her all about the Weasleys meeting Percy's new girlfriend.
Misha and Sorcha came over for dinner and Harry gave Zee her birthday present two weeks early since he was home with them now. He'd booked her an appointment with her hair witch and booked a massage for that Friday. Zee had thought she was going to cry in gratitude.
Sorcha happily took over watching the twins while Harry and Misha went outside to duel and Zee went for her appointments. She had ten centimetres cut off her hair, making it halfway to her back again and not the unruly mess of curls that it had become. She even splurged on herself and got her nails done. The massage had been heavenly and she was pretty sure that she'd floated back home.
She greeted Mina and Leo with kisses before she thanked Harry immensely for her gift. Zee was finally starting to feel more and more like herself. She had lost almost all of the baby weight and had started taking Mummy Yoga classes in Devon. She found it soothing and it gave her the exercise she needed while interacting with new mums. Harry laughed when she told him about it.
Ginny found it intriguing and told her that Fleur did yoga as well. Zee explained how it helped her and helped her stay fit since she didn't do as much as she did before when she was working. She forced herself to do sit-ups every morning and leg stretches starting with her toes that felt surprisingly amazing. Zee had finally been able to put her turquoise turtle belly button ring back into place and she was really starting to feel like herself again. With the hair cut, she felt great.
The more time she spent with Harry, Mina, and Leo, the more she felt like her little family was coming together. She was even starting to feel sad that he was returning to school tomorrow, but that night they were going to the Burrow for dinner and she felt herself looking forward to it.
Harry nudged her as she put Leo in his basket carrier. "Too bad we can't ride one of the motorbikes over again."
Zee chuckled. "Leo and Mina are not motorbike portable, I'm afraid."
He grinned. "I know. But you did dress them in their little leather jackets today."
Zee beamed down at them. She had dressed them in the black leather jackets that Tonks had bought them. Mina was in black jeans and a white onesie that said 'Born First' with an arrow pointed up and Leo was dressed the same, but his white onesie said 'Show Off' with an arrow pointing left. Colt and Flo had bought them matching cowboy boots. Leo's were brown with bright blue on them and Mina's were bright pink. They both wore matching black caps.
She had promised herself that she wouldn't be one of those mums, but she hadn't been able to resist dressing them up for their first dinner party.
"Tonks bought the jackets before they were born and they finally fit in them," Zee told him. "Grandma and Grandpa bought the boots and hats in Georgia and the onesies came from the agents at work. I think they look perfect! And I brought the lion and the owl for them to change into later."
Harry grinned. "Aydin will probably be in a dragon onesie, Ginny says that Charlie's been dressing her in a different coloured one every day."
"Good," Zee said. "We'll have to get a picture of the three of them together in their magical creature onesies. Oh, it will be so sweet!" At Harry's look, she grinned. "Okay, okay, let's go!"
Harry watched as she put the bag across her body and picked up a baby basket in each hand. "You're going to have mad biceps from lifting those two."
Zee laughed. "Merlin, I hope so!"
Harry took Leo from her as they stepped into the fireplace. Zee put a protective bubble around the basket and Harry grabbed a handful of Floo powder and vanished in the green flames. Zee followed him with Mina a moment later.
Ginny was there to greet them immediately, making a beeline for the baby in Harry's basket and scooping him up into her arms.
"Hi, Leo!"
Zee held Mina for only a moment before Molly took her and everyone greeted them cheerfully. It was only a few more minutes before Zee was comfortably seated on the sofa, both of her babies being held by others. When Ginny handed Leo back to Zee, Harry took the opportunity to grab her hand and sneak her around into the kitchen to kiss her.
"Missed you."
Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to kiss him again. "I missed you, too."
Harry slid his hands into her hair as his lips met hers, deepening the kiss. Ginny pressed herself against him and he momentarily forgot that he was standing in the middle of the Burrow's kitchen. Her hands slid over his back, cupping his bum just as the sound of Ron's voice interrupted them.
"Ugh," Ron said as he rounded the corner. "No one wants to see that!"
"Close your eyes then," Ginny said, intentionally kissing Harry again.
Harry grinned against her mouth. "Troublemaker."
Her brown eyes twinkled at him as Ron made vomiting sounds behind them.
Charlie came down the stairs with Aydin in his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Potter! Please refrain from sticking your tongue down my sister's throat before Ron gets sick on the kitchen floor."
The back of Harry's neck flushed and Ginny stared defiantly at her brother.
"I'll have you know, Charlie Weasley, that it was my tongue down his throat."
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Not making it any better, Jitterbug."
Theo chuckled from the doorway of the living room. "But definitely more entertaining."
"Hi, Theo," Harry said, his arm still around Ginny's waist.
"Harry, adorable siblings you have back there," Theo said.
"Thanks."
"Love the leather jackets."
"Those were from Tonks," Harry told him.
"Of course they were," Charlie said, passing Aydin off to Ginny as he ushered them all into the living room where the family resided.
Ginny kissed Aydin before she passed her niece over to her father in his armchair when he held his arms out for her. Charlie moved to take a seat next to Bill on the chesterfield. Fleur sat on Bill's left with Zee on the other sofa with Mrs Weasley, Mina, Leo, George, and Angelina. Theo sat on the floor near the fireplace, his legs stretched out in front of Mr Weasley's chair. Harry sat on the floor, back resting against the arm of the chair that Ron was sitting in and Ginny made herself comfortable between his legs, resting back against his chest.
Percy came in with a brunette and Ginny turned her head to whisper to Harry.
"That's Audrey Mayfair. She's rather lovely."
Theo scooted closer to them. "I do rather like her. She's feisty. I think she's good for him. But then again, anyone who gives a good spanking ought to be admired."
Ginny snorted as Audrey greeted Mr and Mrs Weasley warmly before introducing herself to Zee and cooing over the babies. Harry offered her a polite hello when Percy introduced him.
"Lovely to meet you all," she said.
Percy smiled when she sat on the floor next to him near the fireplace as Mrs Weasley conjured cushions for them and Fred rushed into the room.
"No need to panic! I've arrived!"
"Is that the new way that you're announcing yourself then?" George asked. "Because frankly just showing up on time is appreciated as well."
Ron snorted. "He did the same last week when he showed up late."
"Not my fault I was late," Fred said. "I was chatting up this bird."
"Good on you," Charlie exclaimed. "Who is she?"
Fred grinned. "Beautiful. Anyway, I was distracted, hence the lateness."
"Good distraction though," Charlie said.
Fred turned to Percy and Audrey. "Percy! Audrey! It's nice to see you again. Glad to see that you're fully clothed this time."
"Piss off," Percy muttered.
"Percival!" Mrs Weasley scolded. "Zee, I'm sorry. My family is usually better behaved."
"Are we?" Fred asked, curiously.
Mrs Weasley cuffed him on the side of his head before she kissed his cheek. "Brat."
George rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Now that everyone has arrived, there's something that I want to share with everyone."
Mrs Weasley's eyes immediately moved to her son. "George?"
George smiled down at Angelina as he spoke. "Angelina and I have decided to move in together."
Mrs Weasley's eyebrow rose. "Move in together?"
"Yes," George said.
Angelina took George's hand in hers. "We practically live together now and it's just not sensible for us to have two places. We love each other and we want to live together, make a home together."
Mrs Weasley's eyes immediately went to Angelina's ring finger.
"No, Mum," George said. "I didn't propose."
"And why not?" Mrs Weasley demanded. "You just said that you want to make a home together."
Angelina chuckled. "We're not ready for that. I love him, Mrs Weasley. I know I want to spend my life with him, but we're not ready for that step yet. We're not in a rush. I'm still only just starting my career and he's busy with the joke shop. We just want to spend more time together."
George shook his head. "Exactly and we do want to live together. Just us."
"As if I'm such an inconvenience," Fred interrupted.
"Just a minor annoyance," Angelina said as Fred feigned shock and horror in the background.
"We found a house just ten minutes away from Diagon Alley," George announced, ignoring his twin's dramatics.
"Which means that I'm going to have a foxy bachelor pad," Fred said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "It's going to be brilliant! I'm thinking red walls, disco balls, and maybe one of those big throne chairs with a bear rug."
"Oh, Merlin," Percy groaned. "George, you can't leave him alone!"
Angelina grinned. "Don't worry. I expect that he'll be at our new house just as often as his own flat."
Bill laughed. "That explains the bird. Fred will finally have a place to call his own to bring one. No pesky roommates to be bothered by."
"Bothered? Why would I be bothered? George and Angelina sh… er, play chess all the time."
"Can we please stop using the chess analogy? You're ruining my favourite game!" Ron complained.
"Or perhaps making it better," Theo teased.
"Chess?" Zee asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
Mr Weasley shook his head. "Sometimes I have no idea what is going on."
"I wish that was the case," Percy muttered. "Audrey, I'm sorry to subject you to my family."
"Why?" Audrey asked. "I think they're brilliant!"
"Thank you, Audrey," Fred said. "Now, as I was saying, I will have a brand new bachelor pad to bring guests. I'm thinking a life-size mirror to hang over my bed. Guests will love it!"
"He means birds," Bill said.
"Women," Fleur corrected, loudly. "We are not birds, William."
"Ooooh, looks like William isn't playing any chess tonight!" George teased.
"Unless, William takes after Percy," Fred added.
"And the queen spanks the king," George continued.
"I'm not listening!" Ron declared as he plugged his ears with his fingers.
"Grow up, Ron!" Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"The chess analogy could be fun," Theo added. "Ever thought of asking Hermione if she wanted to play naked chess?"
Ron looked mildly intrigued making Harry snort.
"Anyway," Zee said, loudly. "I agree with Fleur. Women are not birds."
Fred scoffed at this. "Women then, either way, I will have the flat to myself!"
"Which was the important part of the announcement, obviously," George said. "Not the fact that Ang and I are moving in together."
"If this is what you want, George, we're happy for you," Arthur exclaimed. "Molly and I are proud to welcome Angelina to this family in any capacity you see fit. We love having you here."
Angelina beamed at George before she kissed his cheek. "I do love him quite a lot."
"That's because I'm absolutely irresistible," George assured her.
Fred rolled his eyes. "That's an exaggeration and the wrong twin."
Angelina stuck her tongue out at Fred in response.
Ginny turned to Harry as Mr and Mrs Weasley began to ask more questions about the place George and Angelina had put a down payment on.
"Meet me upstairs in five minutes."
Then she was getting up and disappearing into the kitchen.
Harry tried to pay attention as Charlie and Bill spoke to Percy and Theo about the Defence Department, filling Zee in on what the new changes were. Charlie spoke about the dragons and what he had been doing along with the other dragonologists to assist. Audrey chimed in about Scrimgeour's contributions. Ron and Fred were bickering over something to do with the joke shop. Fleur was holding Leo, Angelina had Mina, and George had Aydin. Harry waited a beat before he slowly crept from the room and headed upstairs, wondering where exactly Ginny wanted him to go.
He was wondering if he should sneak into the bathroom when a hand grabbed him just as he reached the landing to the first floor and he was promptly yanked away from the stairs, into the room on his right. He saw a general view of wooden walls with painted vines, a hanging candelabra and a bed with a green blanket in the corner by the window where a desk sat before Ginny's lips met his.
Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, walking her back to the wall and pinning her against it. His hands travelled up her back and into that glorious red hair of hers as his mouth hungrily met hers. She clicked the door closed behind them before her arms linked around his neck, fingers slipping into his hair. She tasted like strawberries, those soft lips that he loved so much, teasing his.
Harry lost himself in her. Long, deep kisses that left both of them breathless and yet made neither one of them want to stop. They could have been kissing for hours or mere moments, Harry wasn't sure and he didn't care, all he knew was that it was moments like this that made him feel more alive than ever. His hips pressed against her, his erection pressing into her stomach and Ginny's mouth trailed along his jaw before she nipped at his earlobe, sucking it into her mouth.
Harry let his hands slide around and up to cup a firm breast in his hand. Her floral scent was all around him and when she whispered near his ear, his breath hitched.
"I want you in my mouth."
Harry hardened even more. "Merlin, your whole family is downstairs, Gin!"
Her eyes twinkled at him. "Guess you'll have to be quiet then."
His breath hitched when her hand slid down to cup him through his jeans. "Ginny…"
When she unzipped his jeans, he made no effort to push her away. Instead he only stared at her, watching her small hand slip into his jeans and then into his boxers. When her fingers stroked him, he let out a soft whimper. Then she was kneeling before him, hands freeing him from the confines of his clothes and her mouth was wrapping around him.
He groaned, his head falling back as her tongue glided along his shaft, circling his tip in slow concentric circles designed to drive him mad. Her mouth engulfed him again and his hand slid down to stroke her hair as those brown eyes met his. When she changed the angle, taking more of him into her mouth, he bit his lip to stop himself from grunting in pleasure.
Ginny sucked him slowly, savouring him. Watching the way those soft lips moved over him was enough to drive him mad with desire for her.
"Ginny… fuck, I can't… I'm not going to last much longer."
The sound of the stairs creaking made Harry freeze, one hand in Ginny's hair, the other on the wall behind her for support. Ginny made no effort to stop and instead began to bob her head faster. He bit back a groan.
"Are you two being naughty in there?" Theo's teasing voice rang out from the other side of the door.
Ginny's mouth left Harry's cock, tongue twirling over the head, before she spoke. "Two minutes, Theo."
"You owe me, chick," he said as Ginny's mouth wrapped around Harry's cock again.
Harry wanted to tell her to stop. He wanted to tell her that Theo being outside wasn't exactly helpful, but her mouth was moving again and Merlin, it felt too bloody incredible. He tossed his head back as her mouth worked its magic once more. When her hands moved to play with his balls, he grunted and thought two minutes was much too generous on her part.
"Mmm," Harry moaned.
Ginny tugged lightly on his balls, mouth wrapping around them for a long tortuous suck before she took his length back into her mouth. Harry panted and when those brown eyes met his, he lost it. Ginny held on as he finished, swallowing every drop, holding him in her mouth until he caught his breath. Then she gently licked him clean. She slid her hands up his chest over his shirt as she stood and pressed a kiss to the pulse in his neck.
"I told you that I missed you."
Harry cupped her cheek, capturing her lips for a long kiss. "I love you."
Ginny smiled up at him. "Come on. We better get back downstairs before someone other than Theo notices we're missing."
Harry fixed his jeans and when they opened her bedroom door, Theo was smirking at them.
"So, what were we doing up here?"
"Finding these," Ginny said as she pulled out the little basket of soaps and lotions from behind her bedroom door. "Mum and I made them special for Mina and Leo. They're all natural and good for the babies. Charlie uses them for Aydin."
"Uh-huh," Theo said. "And before I came into the room?"
The back of Harry's neck flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about. We were looking for the gift."
Theo's grin widened as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Fruit baskets, Harry. So many fruit baskets."
"Come on, let's bring these down to Zee," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand in hers.
Theo tilted his head to look at Harry's behind. "I think someone already went down."
Ginny's face flushed as she elbowed Theo. "Shut it, you!"
Harry draped an arm around Ginny's shoulders as they headed downstairs, kissing the top of her head. Sometimes he really wasn't sure what to make of Theodore Nott, but he was grateful that of all the people who had come upstairs to find them, it was Theo and not one of her brothers.
Yes, he was definitely grateful for that.
~ ASC ~
Returning to Hogwarts the next day made Harry feel a little sad to be leaving Zee and the twins, but also anxious to get back to school. Returning meant that he classes to attend, Apparition lessons, Defence Club, and most importantly, Quidditch. The return to school meant that he had one week left to prepare his Quidditch team for their next match against Slytherin. He knew that they would win. If he was honest, losing wasn't even an option. The Slytherin team was brand new.
The entire team had to be reformed due to the loss of the students after the winter holiday which meant that with such a new team, Harry was assuming that they could crush them. He definitely hoped so. He worked his team hard to get ready for the match, not having any idea on how the new Slytherin team was going to play. Slytherin had been forced to forfeit the first game back in January due to their lack of a team and this time if they won, they would get to move on to play Hufflepuff, but if they lost to Gryffindor, they would be out of the running for the rest of the school year.
Either way Gryffindor would be moving on.
And Harry was determined to get that Cup for McGonagall another year running. He started off his first practice with a good workout that left everyone tired but feeling good. It was on his way back to the common room that evening that he ran into Neville coming up from the greenhouses.
"Hey, Neville."
"Hi, Harry," Neville said, wiping his hands on the cloth he had tucked into the back of his jeans. "Practice good?"
"Great. We're going to slaughter Slytherin on Saturday!"
"They might surprise you."
Harry gave his friend a look that made him chuckle.
"Or not. What do I know? Hey, I think Hannah is going to make some celebratory fairy cakes for us. We talked about it before the break, her making some to celebrate Gryffindor's win."
"Really?" Harry asked, intrigued. "Her fairy cakes were incredible. I definitely won't say no to that!"
Neville smiled. "I'll talk to her about it again tomorrow and see if she's still interested."
"Thanks." Harry said, his eyes on his friend. "How are things going with you two?"
Neville's cheeks flushed. "Good. Really good, I think. I like her a lot, Harry. She's beautiful and talented and so sweet. I wish that she had more confidence in herself, but Kevin was an arse."
Harry nodded. "Yes, he was. I'm sure that you'll help her get there."
He grinned. "I hope so. I want to help her see that her dream of opening a bakery isn't a stupid idea, but a great one. She loves baking! It makes her happy even just talking about it. It's one of the reasons why I suggested she bake for the party. I thought if people knew how talented she was, they could request stuff and she can even charge them."
"I'd definitely pay," Harry said. "Her fairy cakes were melt-in-your-mouth good."
"Yeah," Neville agreed. "And she does stuff like that a lot. She made an apricot crumble cake for Mandy and Anthony's anniversary like it was nothing. I told her I didn't even know what that was."
Harry wasn't sure he knew what an apricot crumble cake was either, but he agreed with his friend, it certainly sounded incredible. "Don't worry, the raves that she's going to be getting from our victory fairy cakes will help boost her confidence."
Neville chuckled. "Good. Where's Ginny? You two usually walk back from the pitch attached together?"
"Oh, haha," Harry said, moving his Firebolt to his shoulder. "Theo and Colin came and took her away, claimed it was important. So, I have no idea."
"That sounds like it could be dangerous," Neville admitted.
Harry shrugged. "I feel like it's safer for me not to know. Theo always seems to be plotting something, I swear."
"He's very intelligent," Neville said. "You should hear the way he speaks in the Wizengamot sometimes. He really does have some great insight. When are you going to come claim your seat?"
Harry grimaced. "Godric, I hope not anytime soon."
Neville picked soil out from under his fingernails as he spoke. "You'd be an asset, Harry. I mean, if Dumbledore thinks having me and Theo there is good, you would be even better."
Harry wasn't sure he agreed with that. He knew that eventually he would claim his seat and sit on the Wizengamot council like Sirius had and like his father and grandfather had done before him, but right now he just felt like he already had too much going on. Between his lessons with Dumbledore, school, the Order of the Phoenix, and Operation KSB all assisting him in coming face to face with Voldemort, trying to wrap his mind around politics just seemed like too much to put on his plate.
"One day, sure, Nev, but right now… I can't imagine. I have to focus on what's coming and working with Dumbledore about Voldemort. I can't be adding politics to it all."
Neville said the password, letting them into Gryffindor Tower before he spoke. "I get that, but sometimes I think you forget that you won't be doing it all alone."
Harry followed his friend upstairs to their dorm with a sigh. He did know that, but he also knew that in the end he would be alone. Voldemort would make sure of it. When the darkest wizard of all time wanted you dead, there was just no escaping that. It tended to make it a little harder to make a decision on what to do next.
He put his broom and kit away before heading back down into the common room where he found Seamus and Dean playing Exploding Snap. Dean was losing spectacularly and seemed to be a good sport about it as Seamus cheered every time he won another round. Harry joined in, laughing at how truly bad Dean seemed to be at the game.
By the time Ginny came over to join them, Seamus protested when she promptly defeated all of them in under five minutes and Harry thought it was moments like these that he treasured most.
Ginny kissed him, lingering on his lips and ignoring the wolf whistle Seamus let out. "Goodnight, Harry."
He watched the sway of her hips as she went upstairs to bed and when he looked back at Dean and Seamus, they were smirking at him. Harry rubbed a hand over his heart. He wasn't alone and Ginny's touch reminded him of that more and more every day.
~ ASC ~
Crouch kept his eyes on Edward Gray who trailed behind him and urged him to get in the lead as they moved across the rocky shore leading to Fingal's Cave. Gray was nineteen and had been introduced to them by Marcus Belby only a few weeks ago. He had attended the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and met Belby at a party in Paris the summer before. Belby dragged him along to meet Lord Voldemort only a few weeks ago and Gray had happily taken the Dark Mark at Belby's invitation.
Gray's parents had been killed by Aurors in the first war and he had been forced to move to France to live with his aunt. He blamed the British Ministry of Magic for his parents death and thought that Voldemort was the one to help him get revenge. His parents had been staunch Voldemort supporters in the first war and when they had refused to surrender, Aurors had been forced to fight them. Unfortunately, Della and Edgar Gray had been killed in the fight. Voldemort had been proud to bring another Gray back into the fold and welcomed him with open arms when he gave him the Dark Mark.
Crouch urged Gray forward as Voldemort followed behind them. He still wasn't sure why the Dark Lord had wanted to bring someone so green along on this mission. When Crouch had been picked, he had practically danced in glee to have been chosen by the Dark Lord himself, but when young Edward Gray had been chosen as well, Crouch felt as if he were being tricked. Why would the Dark Lord want him? Edward Gray hadn't proven himself the way that Crouch had. Edward Gray hadn't done anything to deserve to come along on this adventure. Edward Gray had only just taken the Dark Mark.
Yet he was here.
Crouch continued to glare at the young man's back as they entered inside the cave and the breathtaking sight before him made him momentarily forget his resentment. The cave had been created thousands of years ago when the Giant War had taken place. Everyone knew the story.
The Scottish giant, Benandonner, shouted abuse and threats over the North Atlantic Ocean. Fionn mac Cumhaill, tired of hearing the threats, decided that he would teach Benandonner a lesson. Fionn built the Causeway with rocks from Antrim to complete a pathway over the North Channel to pick a fight with the giant. The legend claimed that he ripped apart chunks of the Antrim coast, throwing them into the sea, and forming a rock path so that his feet wouldn't get wet (as everyone knew that giants hated to get their feet wet). When he arrived on the coast of Scotland, he discovered that Benandonner was both larger and stronger than him. Benandonner was the largest, strongest, and meanest giant of his time and when Fionn saw him in the flesh, he realized that he couldn't pick a fight and win. So, he turned tail and ran back home, losing his boot in his retreat which eventually turned to stone and marked his path on the causeway.
When he returned home to Fort-of-Allen in County Kildare, his wife Oonagh decided that they needed a plan to explain away his cowardice. She wrapped him in a sheet and pretended that he was their baby. When Benandonner arrived looking for Mac Cumhaill, Oonagh told him he was out hunting and welcomed him into their home for some food. Oonagh baked him her husband's favourite food and left the iron griddle inside the bread, breaking Benandonner's front teeth. Then she introduced their baby to the giant and Benandonner became scared. If Mac Cumhaill's baby was the size of a house, how big was his father? Terrified, he fled back to Scotland and destroyed the Causeway that Fionn built so that he couldn't follow.
Fingal's Cave was where it was rumoured Benandonner stayed and kept guard in case the Irish giant ever decided to return, but after he destroyed the causeway, the cave became a refuge. Now it was a beautiful area where the giants still held power but no longer lived, hidden away in the depths so that Muggles didn't see them. The cave led down into a hidden cavern under the sea where the giants could travel on dry land to get to the mountains without being seen by the Muggles. The cave was so intricately designed that unless someone knew where the passages were, they could never find them unless they had giant's blood.
Crouch stopped behind Gray as he stared down at the rushing water, his eyes wide. The water spread through the cave like a river over the hexagonal rocks, hitting them fast and hard as ocean spray whipped up over them.
"Do giants really live down there?"
"No," Crouch said. "It's a pathway where they travel. They can't risk living in Fingal's Cave anymore. There's too many Muggles about."
"Giants have power in their strength," Voldemort said. "They have their own ways of staying hidden. Fingal's Cave is one of the ways that they get around. Do you think that they would still be around if Muggles saw them? This cave holds secrets even from the giants who built it. Go to the right."
Crouch led them through the path, stopping at the wall at the end. He watched as Voldemort tapped his wand over it and the stone cracked and parted. He ignored the blood smeared across the rock. Goyle had bled all over the damn place the last time they'd been here. The idiot had gone the wrong way and gotten his arm caught in a crevice as Rabastan opened the rocks. But his blood had done the trick. It was rumoured that Goyle's great-great-great-grandfather had been a giant and even the diluted blood had been enough to give them access to the room. Crouch thought it also explained why Goyle was so dumb when it came to his wand. He was much better with brute strength and considering the seventeen-year-old had biceps the size of a man's head, the strength was greatly appreciated.
As the walls began to crack and rumble under Voldemort's wand, Crouch watched as Gray grabbed the walls for support, eyes wide as if terrified the rocks would cave in around them. Voldemort gestured with his wand and urged Gray through the opening. Inside was a cave of wonders. Jewels and gold glittered everywhere from rubies the size of his fist to shining emeralds hanging from the rocks. Diamonds glinted in the walls and the place was full of jewellery, crowns, and necklaces from over the centuries. Golden frames, crystal chandeliers, antique clocks made with diamonds… everything sparkled around them.
"Wow," Gray murmured in amazement. "Does this all belong to the giants?"
Voldemort pursed his lips. "Not anymore. Bart, where's the diadem?"
"It's here, my Lord," Crouch said, pulling the small antique trunk that housed the tiara.
Voldemort pointed and Crouch carried the trunk across the coin filled path and placed it on the rock pedestal standing in the centre of the room. Once it was in place, he used his wand to create a protective crystal bubble around it. Voldemort waited for him to back away before he raised his own wand.
Crouch watched in amazement as all of the jewels rose up, swirling around them like a storm and glinting in the wandlight. The sound of the gold dancing and clanging together as they whipped around the room almost sounded like music. They watched as the jewels glinted in the light, falling into place as if they were staged to make a path straight to the chest. Once they finally landed and the clanging and fluttering stopped, Voldemort lowered his wand.
His red eyes moved around the room before he waved his wand again and red lines appeared on the rocks all around the cave. The lines wielded and twirled together forming runes as if making an indiscernible pattern among the symbols and vanished into the stone. He tapped his wand once more and the crystal bubble that Crouch had built illuminated sharply, causing everything to rumble once more. It seemed to be what Voldemort was looking for because he turned to them.
"Gray, pick up one of the jewels from the ground."
Gray looked unsure before he nodded and reached down to pick up a gold pendant with a large diamond in the centre. The moment he touched the gold, it was like the entire cave became alive. The walls began to shake and rattle and the pendant in his hand grew so hot, it literally melted, searing to his skin. Gray screamed in pain and Voldemort's lips curved.
"It's done. We can go now, Bart."
Gray was still crying in pain and when he attempted to move towards them, every bit of jewels he touched or stepped on turned into lava under his touch, melting and scalding him as rocks fell from the ceiling. As the first rocks began to crumble down, skeletons began to emerge from the walls, rotting skin hanging from their bones as they flanked him. For dead men, they moved with alarming speed, crowding around Gray as the jewels melted into him. The last thing Crouch heard as the rock sealed behind them was Edward Gray's anguished screams as he was burned alive and eaten by the dead men.
"My Lord? Will the room be destroyed now? What of the diadem that you worked so hard to find?"
"I can still enter anytime that I wish. The jewels, the gold, the diadem... they're all mine and they're all available to me the moment that I enter, but anyone else who tries to steal from me will be punished."
"And Gray? What did he do?"
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed. "His parents were loyal followers of mine once upon a time, but their death was at the hands of the Aurors. He was on a revenge mission, not truly loyal to me, but only to himself. A sacrifice was needed, Bart, and Gray was the perfect opportunity, nothing more. He will now spend his eternal life as a guard over my treasure proving his loyalty once and for all. Now, no more questions, if you ever have need of the diadem for my sake, you know where it is kept. But if you ever attempt to get it without my consent, you will be forced to be sacrificed the way that Gray was. Come along, we have work to do."
Crouch followed him out of Fingal's Cave, wondering what exactly was so special about that diadem because he had a feeling that the Dark Lord wasn't giving him all of the answers. To hide the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw in such a place made Crouch wonder exactly what other kind of powers it could be hiding. But he had no desire to attempt to get it now that he knew what kind of traps were truly holding it in place. He remembered how the Dark Lord had warned Draco Malfoy not to touch it with his bare hands and ever since Crouch had kept the diadem safe over the months, he had never attempted it. He pushed his thoughts aside as he stood on the shore overlooking the North Channel.
"What's our next plan, my Lord?"
"The plan? Ah, Bart, we have a few things to get done starting with letting the Ministry of Magic know that we're in business," Voldemort said, his eyes on the sea. "Get some Death Eaters together. I want you to start causing havoc in the Muggle world."
"Havoc, my Lord?"
Voldemort's red eyes gleamed. "Yes, havoc. Go, have fun, and show those disgusting Muggles why we're better than they are."
Crouch couldn't suppress his gleeful shout at the news. He had a few things in mind that he thought would be fun. He just had to get some of his fellow Death Eaters together first.
~ ASC ~
Neville asked Harry how to get into the kitchens before he went, but he still felt guilty when he snuck inside after tickling the fruit. He had never been one to sneak into the kitchens for a late night snack, even though he knew that Harry, Ginny, Theo, and Ron did it fairly often. But he knew Hannah was in here tonight and he wanted to watch her work.
He found her in the middle of the baking area, a crisp white apron tied around her blue jeans and black blouse. Her hair was pinned up off her neck, a few loose strands at the base of her neck. He leaned against the doorjamb to just watch her. The house elves were working around her, leaving her to her area to bake as they prepared dinner for the castle.
Hannah's brow was furrowed in concentration as she began to line up the ingredients on the counter. She grabbed some utensils from the hanging rack behind her before she spotted him.
"Neville! You scared me!"
Neville smiled, his hands tucking into the pockets of his own jeans. "Sorry, I couldn't resist coming to watch you work."
"It's hardly exciting," she said.
Neville moved to stand next to her. "Looks like fun to me. Can I help?"
Hannah's raised an eyebrow. "You want to help me bake victory fairy cakes for Gryffindor?"
"Well, it was my idea," he said, his lips curving. "Come on, put me to work."
Hannah bit her bottom lip. "My mum says that the kitchen is no place for a man."
Neville rocked back on his heels. "Well, if my Gran ever heard me say that the kitchen was a place only for a woman, she'd slap me upside the head until my ears were ringing."
Hannah's lips curved. "Okay, but it has to be done just right."
"I live to serve you," he said. "Now, what am I doing first?"
"We need to whisk this to start," Hannah said, pushing the bowl towards him.
"Brilliant," Neville said. "I keep a little spade in my pocket." When her eyes widened, he grinned, silently laughing at his own joke. "Oh, is that not what the stirring device is called in the kitchen? What do you call those then?"
"This is a whisk," Hannah said, passing it to him. "Not a spade."
"You whisk with a whisk? That's not very creative of them," he teased.
"Don't you shovel with a shovel?" Hannah shot back, her eyes sparkling.
Neville grinned. "Clever, but you're right. See, I'll be brilliant at this! Terminology is very simplistic in both gardening and baking. I can definitely help."
Hannah gestured towards the whisk, her lips twitching. "All right. So, first off, you'll whisk the ingredients with the whisk."
Neville leaned in and pecked her cheek before he pretended to examine the whisk with great trepidation. "Ah, yes! I think I could probably work one of these, it looks like a mini-rake of some sort. Put me to work, woman!" He rolled up his sleeves and waited to see what was next.
Hannah tried not to laugh. "It does not look like a mini rake."
Neville grinned. "Well kind of, if we folded the prongs down into the handle."
Hannah pushed the two bowls in front of him. "Well, use your mini kitchen rake as you see fit then."
"I will," he told her. "So, what kind of fairy cakes are we baking?"
"I was thinking that I would make three different kinds of fairy cakes to give variety. I was going to start with chocolate as everyone loves chocolate and I have a simple recipe for delicious and moist chocolate fairy cakes. One bowl is going to be used for our dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients, okay?"
He watched her wave her wand and ingredients began to measure themselves. He wrinkled his nose at the assortment of measuring cups sitting around their bowls.
"We want to mix the ingredients together as we go to help give them the right texture. In this first bowl we're going to add the flour, the cocoa powder, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. You can use the wooden spoon for that, you do know what a spoon is right?"
Neville's lips twitched. "I think so. That's the mini shovel, right?"
Hannah chuckled. "Yes, so take your mini shovel and mix those up. Slowly, you don't want to go too fast and waste any ingredients. Perfect, just like that." When he finished, she moved the second bowl in front of him and began to add in eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract."
"What about that?" Neville asked, pointing to the cup of thick buttermilk in the corner.
"We're not quite ready for that yet. First, you need to pour in half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, nice and slow. Good," Hannah said. "Now, we can use some of that buttermilk, but only half. Perfect. Mix it all together with your spoon just enough to combine it. We don't want to over-mix it."
"Is over-mixing bad?"
"You can taste the difference," she said, simply.
Neville wondered if that was true as he watched her mix it carefully and slowly to show him and he followed her instructions, his eyes on the chocolatey batter. "Now what?"
"Now," Hannah instructed, levitating the wooden board across the room to show him where she had the little fairy cake pans full of liners lined up in Gryffindor colours. "We're going to pour the batter into each liner. It's important that we only fill them halfway. When you bake, everything rises and if you overfill the liner it will spill over the sides or sink. Sinking fairy cakes are not fun."
Together they filled forty-eight liners with the concoction and Hannah nodded in approval.
"Now, we'll place them in the oven with a baking charm for just under twenty minutes while we work on the next flavour: Lemon."
Neville licked his lips and watched her get to work. It wasn't long before the lemon fairy cakes were baking and she started to make red velvet ones. By the time the fairy cakes were cooling, they were making frosting. He watched in amazement as she waved the spatula over each cake like an artist. His own attempt in comparison looked like a small child had stomped on it.
Hannah giggled. "It's all about the movement in the wrist, like this."
He watched her again frost a perfect cake and when he tried, he ended up with a splotch of frosting on the table next to him. When she giggled again, he scooped it up with his finger and put it on her nose.
Hannah's eyes widened in surprise before her own finger dug into the chocolate and spread it on his cheek. It took no time at all before both of them were spotted in frosting. Hannah was laughing as he chased her around the kitchen, his fingers full of frosting. The house-elves were busy chasing after them, mopping up the frosting that they left in their wake, but neither of them noticed. Neville cornered her against the counter by the cupboard and leaned in to steal a kiss.
"You taste like chocolate," he whispered.
Hannah's hands slipped up his chest, spreading frosting as she went, but neither of them noticed as her lips met his. They lost themselves in long, slow kisses that left both of them breathless and it was only when the charm rang to signify that the fairy cakes were done, did Neville pull away, licking frosting off his lips.
"I think I rather like baking."
Hannah's cheeks flushed as she fumbled to wipe her hands on her apron. "We have to um… the cakes."
Neville watched her hurry off to get the red velvet cakes out and he grinned. Yeah, he definitely liked baking.
~ ASC ~
Remus sat across from Dumbledore, his eyes carefully blank as he examined the old man. Dumbledore had called him forth, asking to talk to him about the Horcrux operation, and Remus had to admit that he was incredibly curious. They knew that the last one was in Voldemort's pet snake and they knew that getting to her was going to be a challenge, but lately it seemed like it was a challenge that they needed to set a date on.
The last week had seen a series of ongoing attacks throughout all of Britain. Dementors taking over suburbs, werewolf attacks at random, vampires feeding, and of course, destruction. The London Eye had been blown to bits as it moved up above the crowd, killing the ten Muggles inside of it and injuring fifty people below. The Tower Bridge had collapsed, killing another fifty Muggles with over a hundred injured. Westminster Abbey was reported to be cut off from the public due to terrorist actions. SCO19 had been sent in, only for the entire police unit to vanish into thin air. The government was finding it more and more difficult to explain away the situations. The news was littered with domestic terrorism, wild animal attacks (must have been a breakout from the London Zoo), and unusual weather patterns (global warming). The Ministry had been working almost round the clock to try to keep things under wraps, but then they had their own problems to deal with.
People were disappearing and the public was starting to panic. Missing persons were being filed constantly and the biggest problem with this was that only ten percent of the reports were real. Panic was starting to set in and people were reporting missing family members and friends only to find that they had stopped at the market on their way home and turned up an hour later. Determining the real missing from the panicked overprotective family members and friends was a chore in itself that was keeping the officers of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement very busy.
Then of course, there were the population surveys. Ministry employees were taking down personal information claiming that it was for Ministry statistics for population density surveys (which were done every two years), but it wasn't. The witches and wizards doing the surveys were not from the Ministry of Magic and yet the reports were still arriving at the Ministry. Not just a regular report, but a blood status report. When someone was found to have Muggle blood or so-called tainted blood, that data was sent through to the Ministry of Magic.
The first letter arrived at the Administration Registration Department two weeks ago and when opened, it had listed a family tree. Each member, who wasn't a pureblood or half-blood, had blood smeared over their name. At first it was thought to be a strange joke, until the photos fell out. Photos of witches and wizards being executed for their "blood status crime." The first a witch, tortured to death with the Cruciatus, another wizard burned alive, another with every bone crushed, another eaten alive by werewolves…
And it wasn't just photos.
The film roll was placed on a reel and the word 'Testimonium' was written on the silver wheel. When one tapped their wand over the reel and said the word, the wheel turned causing the photos to be seen as a film, projected onto the walls of the room with surround sound, and allowing one to witness the gruesome death of the witch or wizard in agonizing detail. Some of them took hours.
And then the message arrived at the Ministry.
"Those who are not worthy to wield the magic they did not earn will be sentenced to death, much like the way the Muggles once sentenced the unworthy. Only the pure will survive."
A young vampire came to deliver it, setting himself on fire the moment he revealed the message and burning to dust on the floor of the atrium in moments. Pandemonium had broken out in the Ministry as DMLE officers responded along with members of the DRCMC to figure out what had happened. The photos had been taken by the DMLE for further investigation as the Vampire Confederacy was informed of the message.
The photos were tested for charm work and authenticity, but the bodies were soon discovered proving them true. Officers were now on high alert to contact families that the Ministry considered to be high risk. This included many of the higher officials. Madam Bones had twenty-four hour protection, as did her family. The public was being warned not to participate in any surveys without direct proof that the ones doing the surveys were from the Ministry of Magic. But despite the terror and the horror inflicted, no one had actually seen Voldemort.
There were sightings of course, false alarms and finger pointing from panicked individuals, but no one definitively had any proof. No one had actually seen Death Eaters walking around and committing these crimes. It was all heresy and that alone caused even more panic to erupt within the communities.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked you here, Remus."
"It crossed my mind," Remus admitted. "Has there been any more news on Professor Dragomir?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing that I've been made aware of. Bulgarian officials are convinced that he's left the country which we can only hope that he left of his own accord. Severus says that Voldemort is still looking for him. Did you have a chance to view his research?"
"I did," Remus told him. "There's some truly dark stuff in there."
"And then some," Dumbledore agreed. "I studied some of it in my youth. Not Dragomir's research, but the background in which he studied. Grindelwald was very interested in the history of dark magic. We spent time going over it together and… I was interested in the academia of it, he had other intentions."
"It seems like Dragomir is also an academic," Remus said. "He's gone into the history of some of the darkest wizards to ever have lived, what their big curses were of the time and how they made their name known. Many of the so-called spells and curses that were claimed to have been debunked he's looked into. He spent a lot of time proving that some legends are in fact just legends and that some of the stuff that has been debunked shouldn't have been."
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "He's a rather brilliant wizard. I've heard him lecture before and he has a way of teaching such dark history with insight that is unparalleled. He says there's darkness and there's Darkness and it's knowing what shade of black one can come back from once they've entered it. There are curses and hexes and spells that ancient warlocks and witches invented that did terrible things once upon a time and now they can be easily defeated with shield charms and the right kind of protection. Of course, there are still some, such as the Unforgivables, which cannot be."
Remus nodded. "And the stuff he researched on taking magic? What do you think he wants that for? Do you believe it's really possible? Can he remove the magic from those he considers to be impure?"
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "I think the idea has crossed his mind. Durmstrang is cooperating with the Bulgarian Ministry and the International Confederation of Wizards has informed all countries to keep an eye out for him. We have to hope he knows where to go to keep safe. In the meantime, I wanted to discuss with you another plan."
"The snake?"
"No," Dumbledore said carefully. "Destroying the final Horcrux will be a challenge and as easy as it would be to take out the snake, we cannot do it until the final battle. We cannot risk letting Voldemort see our hand. He still has no idea that we know what he has done. Severus informs me that he's embarking on a mission to place the diadem somewhere safe."
"He hasn't realized that it's a fake?" Remus asked, incredulously. "How is that even possible?"
"No, but from what I understand, he has not examined it nor touched it himself. He is so sure that it is the real thing that he's left it in the care of his Death Eaters while he found a place to hide it. Or he may be afraid to examine it too closely. I don't know for sure, but touching a part of one's soul might be painful when it's out of one's body. It could be that he doesn't wish to risk it. I don't know, but he has found a place to hide it."
"Do you know where?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "It seems that he plans to lock it away in Fingal's Cave."
Remus' eyebrow rose. "Here in Scotland? What's significant about that cave to him?"
"That is what I would like to find out," Dumbledore told him. "The cave where he put the locket we know that he visited as a child, tortured his housemates there. The ring was stored in the shack where his family once lived, the Cup hidden in a Gringott's vault, the diadem originally hidden in Hogwarts… he has his reasons for these spots. I still believe he never meant for Hogwarts to house the diadem forever and Fingal's Cave was ultimately his destination, but I want to know why."
Remus frowned. "And you think that I can find out?"
"The cave resides on the edge of a wolf community. I know it gets touchy as Echo is the alpha of the Northwestern region of England and Ireland, but Volk holds power in most of Scotland."
Remus nodded. "Yes and Volk has come to our side for most things, but he's still very hesitant about trusting the Ministry. Fingal's Cave is technically in Volk's territory."
Dumbledore tapped his fingers on his desk. "I need you to speak with him. To see if there's been any unusual activity in the area. I want to know why it interests him. For a man who looks down upon others, I can't see why he would want the giants outside of the strength they bring to his army."
"Is it possible to sap giant strength the way that one siphons power?"
"Yes, but if he took the strength from the giants, they would rise up against him; even without their strength, they are powerful beings in size alone. He's too wise to risk that."
Remus leaned forward in his seat. "I'll contact Adrian when I leave here. He has a better repertoire with Volk than I do. I'd like him to come along."
"Perhaps bring your Auror along as well. She may have some insight you will miss."
Remus nodded. "I'll let you know how it goes. And Dragomir?"
"If I hear anything else, I will let you know. Harry hasn't heard back from the Papakonstantinous?"
"No, not since Althea wrote of her concerns. Does Snape know anything else on Dragomir?"
"No. He's heard nothing else. And as to the talk about Fingal's Cave, he doesn't know when it will happen, only that young Mr Goyle was injured while on the first attempt to enter the cave."
Remus frowned. "He was injured?"
"I don't know the details," Dumbledore said. "All Severus knows is that it was only supposed to be a short mission and ended up taking them almost a month. Goyle was injured and they considered it a success. He doesn't know how long that means before they head out there with the diadem."
"Fingal's Cave… I heard that the giants built passageways under the ground. Moved the earth to build tunnels right under the sea so that they can travel without getting wet. The legends claim that the tunnels even go as far as the Spanish coast."
Dumbledore nodded. "It's how they travel in large numbers until they can get up into the mountains. Their tunnels are infamous, but only those with giant blood can access them. Staffa is rumoured to be where the Gurg keeps his treasures. Giants are collectors and the more magical an item, the more it intrigues them. Voldemort is offering them something outside of more freedom to roam and my guess is a magical item of some sort, something to make them want to follow him."
"If he's using their cave, doesn't that mean that the Gurg has already agreed to follow him?"
"Yes, and no," Dumbledore said. "Legend says that there are passages and rooms in Fingal's Cave that appear and disappear at different times of the year; parts that remain underwater for decades and then remerge years later to be rediscovered. Pirates hid treasure in there for centuries and were never able to find it again. I think the Isle of Staffa holds some other sort of significance for Voldemort that we haven't put together yet. More than just a place to hold treasures and to be a travelling spot for the giants. It used to be a giant village at one time."
Remus agreed with him on that. There had to be more. "Do you think he found the treasure? The mythical one kept by the giants?"
"I don't know," Dumbledore admitted. "But if he did, that means he has infinite wealth at his fingertips which gives him an even bigger advantage than he already has. Talk to Adrian and see what you can learn from Volk. I want to know why he's spending time in Staffa."
"I'll see what I can find out."
"Thank you," Dumbledore told him. "I'll be giving Harry the GWCS coin this evening at our lesson as well. I think it's time that he holds onto it."
Remus frowned. "By giving him that coin you're making him more than a soldier, Albus. You're giving him part of the command, if not the command over the operation."
"Do you think that I'm wrong to do so? It will be him in the end, whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not. It will be him facing off with Voldemort. Tom won't have it any other way."
Remus knew that the old man was right, but the father in him desperately wanted to shield his son from this. "I know. And if he has the coin, it will mean he has backup. That's what's important that he knows he won't be alone, no matter what happens."
Dumbledore nodded, twirling his long beard between his fingers. "Exactly. Let me know what the packs find out."
When Remus closed the door behind him, he let his mind wander back to the Isle of Staffa and he wondered again what it was about the mythical cave that held an interest for Voldemort, but he was definitely interested in finding out.
End Author's Notes:
I love the mythology of Fingal's Cave and thought I would add my own spin on it. I like the idea of giants hoarding treasure and living on the Isle of Staffa before it became too inconspicuous for them to do so with the Muggles. Plus, the legend of Finn McCool is always fun!
Thanks to Sam for idea bouncing!
(Latin) Testimonium = witness
Thanks for reading and please review!