Yes, I am still alive, I promise. I just have been working the job from hell. The only reason I have the time to post this is I had to get my wisdom teeth out so now I'm posting this with my face swollen up like I'm a chipmunk hiding acorns. With any luck though, I have a lead on a better job (with A/C! and chairs!) and that'll give me more time in the future. Anyway, enjoy!
On Harry's birthday, Edward awoke to the dark-haired wizard making sound in his sleep as he whispered "Gregorovich" as if his life depended on it. Ed quickly realized that Harry had crept into Voldemort's thoughts again and, as he shook Harry to wake him up before he roused Ron from his sleep, he wondered if it had been such a good idea to introduce Harry to Legilimency as Harry seemed to enter the Dark Lord's thoughts more easily. Of course, it could be that this had nothing to do with Harry's Occlumency and Legilimency training and rather it was due to his being a Horcrux. In that case, there was little he could do to stop his friend's forays into Voldemort's mind...
Unfortunately, Edward didn't get a chance to talk to Harry about it alone as Ron had been disturbed by Harry's voice as well. The latter, once fully awake, had asked Ron and Ed if they knew a Gregorovich, specifying that Voldemort was looking for him. The two grimaced together in sympathy: it never felt good to be the target of the Dark Lord.
When Ron and Ed tried to find out more, Harry confessed his ignorance but according to him, Voldemort was abroad because the mountainous landscape he had seen did not correspond to Great Britain. Moreover, according to Ed, Gregorovich sounded Germanic or even Slavic. According to Harry, he had a distant connection to Quidditch but Ron, the specialist in the matter, only knew one person with a rather similar name but it was not him.
But in the meantime, it was Harry's birthday and Harry did cast his first spell as a legal adult, pulling his glasses to him with a simple accio. Edward warned him with a smirk that in his presence he should only be using wandless silent magic or else he would receive a stinging curse and an eternal Langlock. After all, Harry had to practice. Ed was doing it mostly for his own good...
The man took him at his word and began to do silent magic without his wand, coloring the Chudley Cannons' (who pouted on their posters) orange robes neon blue. Ron advised him with a mocking laugh to pull his fly up by hand before offering him his present, begging him not to open it in front of his mother. It was a book, the kind of gift that usually came from Hermione. Ron explained to him what it really was:
"This isn't your average book. It's pure gold: Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches. Explains everything you need to know about girls. Fred and George gave me a copy in fifth year so that I could date a girl before the end of sixth year. These two bastards even threatened to turn me into a eunuch if I didn't follow this advice. Well, at least thanks to this book, I no longer have the emotional range of a teaspoon like Hermione told me. On the other hand, it is forbidden to apply the advice in this book to anyone other than Ginny or I will make your manhood disappear!" Ron threatened seriously.
"Were you talking about us?" Hermione, who had just entered Ron's room with Ginny, asked with a suspicious look.
"Only good things, Hermione!" Ron defended himself, quickly hiding the book Harry was holding out of the girl's reach.
"We came to see if you were awake and I came to give you your birthday present, just in case you ran into a Veela on your way." Ginny said, tenderly kissing him on the mouth.
Harry responded to the kiss with all his might while blushing, wishing that this intimate moment could have been shared only between the two of them and not with Ron, Hermione and Edward as witnesses. But luckily neither of them was laughing and they smiled contentedly: after all, they were members of the Circle and only they knew what their relationship was between the two of them. Harry had the impression that champagne bubbles were floating all around him and realized that it was an illusion Edward had conjured for a more romantic vibe.
Ron and Hermione, by mutual agreement, nudged Edward and urged him to go eat until the two lovers had finished their discussion.
Harry couldn't help but let out a soft sigh as he thought it might be the last he would share with Ginny. He whispered in her ear, with infinite sadness:
"Ginny… I have Voldemort after me and there's a good chance I won't escape. So why did you choose me? You know our relationship may not have a future." He whispered softly, gently pulling away from the one he loved.
"Love has its reasons, no logic needed. Even if our love seems hopeless to you, I could never want anyone other than you, Harry." Ginny said, staring at him with her hazel eyes.
"If I die," Harry began, "promise me you'll move on with your life. It's the best thing you could do, to me. Even if it makes me unhappy to imagine you married to a faceless tall, dark, and handsome stranger…" he tried to joke halfheartedly.
"Don't talk like you're going to die, Harry. I can only promise you one thing, Harry: our love will be stronger than death and I will love you all my life. I would never regret those moments spent with you, do you hear me? These are the moments that make life worth living. If by misfortune you were to die, I will continue my life loving you because I know that is what you would like but never ask me again to give up my love for you, nor to regret having known you! Understood? Now, kiss me."
"Yes…" Harry whispered, kissing her again, putting all his passion, all his soul into it. He felt like he was pouring his life into her and vice versa. He received the greatest gift from her: a reason to live but also a reason to die. For her, he was ready to give his life. So slowly they surrendered to their overflowing love and this time they were not disturbed.
An hour later, they went down to the kitchen under the vaguely suspicious gaze of Mrs. Weasley, who lit up when she wished Harry a happy birthday. She gave him her present which turned out to be a watch. Mrs Weasley explained to him that it was traditional to give a pocket watch to a wizard who had reached his majority. The watch had belonged to her brother Fabian Prewett who had died fighting Voldemort with his twin brother Gideon and Harry embraced his mother by adoption knowing the priceless gift she was giving him and seeking to fit all the love he felt for the Weasley family into that embrace.
Harry received many gifts that day: a Sneakoscope from Hermione, an enchanted razor from Bill and Fleur, chocolates from the Delacours, a huge box of Fred and George's latest "serious" items that might come in handy for hiding, various paralyzing poisons taken from a Venomous Tentacula by Neville, and a charm woven by Luna. From Edward he received a priceless present: the blond had enchanted a crystal-shaped pendant to inform him second by second of Ginny's condition in case she was ill or in danger of death. He admitted that Ginny wore its equivalent aimed at him and that he had given her it for her future birthday. However, Harry didn't blame him.
That evening, Harry received other gifts from the other guests including a Mokehide purse from Hagrid who told him he could hide whatever he wanted in it and only its rightful owner could recover it. From the grateful looks he was giving Edward and Hermione, they had helped him enchant the gift. They also received a visit from Lupin and Tonks- the latter looked radiant and the former seemed a little unhappy. But Harry didn't understand the reason.
Soon, discussions began on both sides of the table on which sat a cake in the shape of a giant Snitch, especially between Hagrid and Charlie. He and Bill had (for once) groomed hair thanks to their mother's loving care and menacing wand. Charlie notably told Hagrid that his Norwegian Ridgeback- now called Norberta- was a girl, recognizable by her viciousness. All the boys abstained, very cautiously, from any comments after this remark. Conversations grew tense as Mr. Weasley was slow to return from work and Mrs. Weasley glanced more and more frequently at her magic clock in an attempt to determine her husband's state of health.
Eventually, a weasel-shaped Patronus informed them that Mr. Weasley would be accompanied by Rufus Scrimgeour, forcing the Lupins to Apparate out of sight of the Minister.
Soon Harry saw the Minister of Magic appear: the latter looked much older and gaunt than when they last met. The war had taken a toll on the former Auror and the attempted coup he nearly fell victim to must have rekindled his paranoia. Scrimgeour announced that he wanted to meet with Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Edward Elric, and Harry Potter for private reasons. The young wizards agreed, on the sole condition that they were not separated. The Minister decided not to open hostilities and ended up announcing the purpose of his visit: the reading of Albus Dumbledore's will. Apparently, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, after his death, left something to each of them, which greatly surprised them.
It was Harry who raised an essential point by asking why the will is being read only now, more than a month after Dumbledore's death, but it was Hermione who answered:
"It's obvious, isn't it? They wanted to examine whatever he's left us. You had no right to do that!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I had every right," said Scrimgeour dismissively. "The Decree for Justifiable Confiscation gives the Ministry the power to confiscate the contents of a will-"
According to Edward, the Minister would have done better not to venture into the judicial field because Hermione was particularly well versed in magical law:
"The law was created to stop wizards passing on Dark artefacts, and the Ministry is supposed to have powerful evidence that the deceased's possessions are illegal before seizing them! Are you telling me that you thought Dumbledore was trying to pass us something cursed?"
"Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?"
"Who knows? There are several old, corrupt laws that I hope to change but in the meantime I'm just a witch hoping that I can do some good in the world." Hermione said sententiously, as if scolding the minister himself.
Ron stifled a burst of laughter and, taking Hermione's hand, smirked at the Minister while his girlfriend put on an angelic expression.
"I guess you haven't found anything bad now that the thirty-one day deadline has expired. Perhaps you could move on to reading the will itself?" Hermione said a little harshly.
"I couldn't put something as important as this will in the hands of unreliable people. Since you want to know the truth at all costs, I'll say that there has recently been a coup attempt against my government, led by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. A man I had personally chosen!" Scrimgeour said, his face pale.
"If you mean Pius Thicknesse, he was under the Imperius." Edward said bluntly.
"I know. But that means that my Ministry is made up half of traitors and half of people too weak or too cowardly to resist Him except for a few, far too rare, exceptions. You wanted the truth, Mr. Potter, Mr. Elric, and here it is: I'm not giving myself more than a week to live and I'm not giving much longer than that before the Ministry falls into His hands. It was my duty to do everything in my power to find a way to delay this deadline even if for that I had to circumvent some laws." Scrimgeour said.
"Even if in doing this you were taking the risk that Harry might not have access to any information or legacies that might help bring down Voldemort?" Hermione asked.
"That's what I thought: you really are the Chosen One, aren't you? The one destined to bring down the He Who Must Not Be Named? It's a sad day to learn that the fate of all of us rests in the hands of a boy who has barely come of age."
"What I find particularly unfair is that the entire wizarding population remains there, stupidly waiting for a savior to come and rescue them without worrying about trying to help even a little!" Edward exclaimed.
"The duty of a government is to protect its people, not the other way around, Mr. Elric." said the Minister.
"I still think that there should be an equivalent exchange between a government and its people: the people must be ready to fight for their freedom and their rights if they want to deserve them. A population which renounces its freedoms in order to benefit from illusory security deserves neither freedom nor security!" Edward said in a tone full of passion.
"You are still full of ideals. It's all to your credit, Mr. Elric, but one day you will discover that reality is not like that: in the end, it is up to a minority of people to do the dirty work so that the majority can enjoy their rights and a peaceful life." Scrimgeour said before turning to Ron: "Would you say you were close to Dumbledore?"
"Maybe it was he who felt close to me, at least enough to put me in his will." Ron said, carefully weighing his words and glancing frequently at Hermione to make sure he wasn't talking himself into trouble.
"Professor Dumbledore made exceptionally few personal bequests. The vast majority of his possessions- his private library, his magical instruments, and other personal effects- were left to Hogwarts. Why do you think you were singled out?"
"No idea. Maybe I would know more if you end up telling me what he left me." Ron replied, a little flustered by this conversation that wouldn't seem to end.
Scrimgeour ended up opening the will and reading the part about Ron aloud:
"'To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it.'" Then he added, giving the object that strongly resembled a lighter to the young wizard: "That is a valuable object. It may even be unique. Certainly it is of Dumbledore's own design. Why would he have left you an item so rare?"
Ron nodded and looked serious as he said:
"Perhaps to remind myself that even in the midst of the darkest darkness, I can find light to guide me. This is typically the kind of phrase he would say to me. I don't see any other use for it. And you? You must have been dissecting it for hours, maybe you know more than I do…"
Scrimgeour scowled as he stared at Ron with narrowed eyes for a few moments before turning back to Dumbledore's will:
"'To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive.'"
Hermione seemed very moved when she received the venerable book which seemed to have been read over and over again: its leather cover was worn, stained and peeling off in places. The title was written in runes and a tear fell from Hermione's eyes on the title engraved in the binding.
"Why do you think Dumbledore gave you this particular book, Miss Granger, besides the fact that you seem to like reading? Did you ever discuss codes, or any means of passing secret messages?"
"No, never. And honestly, I haven't the faintest idea why he bequeathed this particular book to me. The runes, once understood, are not difficult to decipher and if the Ministry hasn't found any hidden codes in this book in thirty-one days, I doubt that I will."
Hermione stifled a sob and Ron hugged her as Scrimgeour continued to read the will:
"'To Edward Elric, I leave a simple letter and my most sincere apologies.'"
"I'll accept them." Edward said, reaching out to receive the sealed letter. He could deduce from the envelope, which was intact, that the Ministry had not succeeded in opening or even reading the contents of the letter. He just slipped it into his pocket without opening it in front of the Minister, rejoicing at the latter's crestfallen expression.
"What was Dumbledore talking about regarding the apologies he owed you?" Scrimgeour finally asked when it became apparent that Edward wasn't going to say anything more.
"One day Professor Dumbledore wanted to know if I was trustworthy and he put me through a test which turned out to be extremely painful. I'll pass on giving you the details. Still, Dumbledore must have wanted to ask my forgiveness, even if I'll admit that I would have preferred that he apologized to me in person and not by will." Edward said, shrugging his shoulders.
"What kind of did he-" Scrimgeour began.
"The kind that turned out to be positive otherwise I wouldn't be in his will. And if you absolutely want to know if I am trustworthy, then remember that I am the author of the letter denouncing Pius Thicknesse as being under the Imperius." Edward said dryly.
"'To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill.' Why did Dumbledore leave you this Snitch?" Scrimgeour asked, pulling the little golden ball from his bag.
"No idea. Personally, I find the words a bit empty and hollow as well. Guess it's a symbol… Do you think it's something else?"
"I'm asking the questions," said Scrimgeour. "I notice that your birthday cake is in the shape of a Snitch. Why is that?"
"Oh, it can't be a reference to the fact Harry's a great Seeker, that's way too obvious. There must be a secret message from Dumbledore hidden in the icing!" Hermione quipped.
"Maybe not in the cake, but a Snitch would be a very good hiding place for a small object. You know why, I'm sure?"
Neither Ron, nor Ed, nor Harry knew it, but to their surprise, Hermione- the one least interested in the sport- knew the answer. Her habit of giving the right answers was so ingrained in her that she answered without thinking:
"Because Snitches have flesh memories."
"What?!" Ron and Harry exclaimed, not expecting this.
"Correct. A Snitch is not touched by bare skin before it is released, not even by the maker, who wears gloves. It carries an enchantment by which it can identify the first human to lay hands upon it, in case of a disputed capture. This Snitch will remember your touch, Potter. It occurs to me that Dumbledore, who had prodigious magical skill, whatever his other faults, might have enchanted this Snitch so that it will open only for you."
Harry felt his heart race. Scrimgeour was undoubtedly right but he ignored one thing: the peculiar way Harry had caught that particular Snitch. So he grabbed the Snitch without too much hesitation, praying that Dumbledore had taken that into account. He was reassured to see that he had got it right, although Ron and Hermione seemed a little disappointed to see nothing spectacular appearing.
"That's all, then, is it?" Hermione asked, ready to tear herself away from the couch so as not to be under the golden and suspicious gaze of the Minister of Magic.
"No. Dumbledore also had bequeathed you the sword of Godric Gryffindor but that sword was not Dumbledore's to give away. It is an object of great historical significance that belongs to Hogwarts." said Scrimgeour.
"And if I happened to need it?" Harry asked in a whisper, staring with sparkling green eyes meeting the minister's amber eyes.
"Why? Was it because Dumbledore believed that only the sword of Godric Gryffindor could defeat the Heir of Slytherin? Did he wish to give you that sword because he believed, as do many, that you are the one destined to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"Interesting theory. Unfortunately, it appears Ministry employees are more busy dismantling Snitches and Deluminators and concealing large-scale escapes from the public rather than attempting to defeat Voldemort with a sword." Harry said coldly.
Scrimgeour, at that moment, got angry:
"Even if I wanted to give it to you, and believe me, I've considered it, I couldn't. The sword belongs de facto and de jure to Hogwarts and must be found through a test of courage and I would be hard pressed to do so. What do you think, Potter? That I'm wasting my time having fun? I didn't want to hide the escape of the Death Eaters, do you take me for a fool? Even if that would increase fear in wizarding homes, at least they would be aware of the threat hanging over them. But my hands are tied: if I resign, it will be a Death Eater or someone under their control who will take the reins of power and if I stay, I will end up being the victim of a coup. In any case, I do not think I will see the end of August. My only hope was to find a secret weapon that would allow me to put an end to You-Know-Who in Dumbledore's legacy, but this last lead got me nowhere. I, the Minister of Magic- the man supposed to protect the wizarding population- I must rely on a boy barely of age to ensure the survival of the wizarding world. So show me some respect, Potter."
"Excuse me. It seems to me that we both got carried away." Harry said calmly as he slowly released the magical power he had barely contained at the Minister's speech. The magic wave passed through Scrimgeour who widened his golden eyes and whispered:
"If you are as powerful as He is, then maybe all is not lost. I will leave you now. Messrs. Potter, Elric, Weasley, Miss Granger, good evening."
With Scrimgeour gone, the atmosphere became more cheerful and friendly again. All the guests were passing the three items left by Dumbledore to each other. Luna and Neville were also at the party by now and were just as intrigued as Harry by Dumbledore's strange gifts. The two young wizards had obtained permission to attend the birthday party and the wedding and would sleep one in the attic and the other in Ginny's room. Of course, the sidelong glances they all threw at each other indicated that they would not be staying in their respective "rooms", but that they would hasten to join Harry, Ron, Hermione, Edward and Ginny in Ron's cramped little room.
It was very late and the wedding was due to start tomorrow morning. So there was a hasty chorus of "Happy Birthday" and much gulping of cake before going to bed.
Soon all of the Circle were gathered in a circle around Dumbledore's four legacies, objects they gazed at with fascination. They began by examining the deluminator. All the light in the room became a golden ball which absorbed into the strange instrument and plunged the Circle into total darkness. Hermione looked puzzled and wondered what use this item could have in their future quest. Ron didn't know and he thought, like his girlfriend, that Dumbledore could still have left them some hints before his death, especially knowing that he had planned it.
Then they moved on to the Snitch. Harry smiled bringing the little golden ball to his lips saying he hadn't wanted to try this in front of the Minister. He had indeed understood that the Snitch must have the tactile memory of his lips and not of his hands as Scrimgeour had envisioned. An inscription appeared on the Snitch which said "I open at the close."
Harry's insides froze and he had to use all of his Occlumency to let nothing show on his face other than amazement and incomprehension. Especially in front of Ginny. He knew what the Snitch was talking about, the close of his life, when he would have to die to destroy the Horcrux. Glancing at Edward, he realized that the latter had come to the same conclusions but he didn't say anything, for which Harry was hopelessly grateful to him.
Then they broached the subject of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Neville, Luna and Ron explained together what they were all about: they were simply children's tales that wizards were told when they were little, even though Luna said loud and clear that each of them was largely telling the truth. They then decided to reveal to the rest of the Circle what the Horcruxes were.
"Overall, these are items that keep Voldemort from dying by retaining a piece of his soul." Hermione explained after receiving the approving look from the members of the Circle familiar with the Horcruxes. They received horrified exclamations (rightfully so) from Neville, Ginny and Luna. Even the latter, who often seemed dreamy, seemed shaken by this revelation and she said in a calm voice:
"So that's what you used to talk to Dumbledore about some nights."
"Sorry I didn't tell you about this before." Harry apologized, a little embarrassed by his lack of trust in his friends.
"It's fine," Neville said calmly. "If we ever found ourselves face to face with You Know Who, it's better that we prioritized obscuring our thoughts- otherwise, it could be bad for the course of the war."
"About the war, how will it go? You told us a month ago that you all weren't going to come back to Hogwarts- Ron, Edward, Hermione and you. So I guess it's to research those Horcruxes, right?" Ginny asked.
"That's right. That was the mission entrusted to us by Dumbledore." Harry replied, exchanging an apologetic look with Ginny.
"I see. In this case, the task for us who remain at Hogwarts will be to seize the sword of Gryffindor so that you can destroy these objects," declared Neville firmly. "And if ever the school should fall against You Know Who, we will organize the resistance against the forces of Evil by reforming the Defense classes and hiding those who wish to fight against Him."
"It could be dangerous." Hermione said, bringing her hand to her mouth.
"We are ready to accept the consequences." Ginny said firmly, giving Harry a flaming look that dared him to stop her.
"It is our future that we are defending." Luna said simply in a strangely realistic tone.
"And your envelope, Ed, what's in it?" Ron asked as Edward unsealed the parchment envelope and scanned the letter with a furrowed brow. The alchemist took a deep breath before confessing in a whisper:
"Damn… I too am the subject of a prophecy and until now I only knew part of it. Well, this letter contains the other two parts."
"Oh, Edward, why didn't you tell us!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Is it because you didn't trust us?" Ginny asked.
"I only told Harry. And it's not because I didn't trust you… It's probably because deep down, I prefer not to believe in prophecies. In my opinion, the only thing they do is take away free will." Edward said definitively.
"Don't worry about your free will. I am convinced that if you realize your prophecy, it is because you will have chosen to." Harry reassured him even though Edward didn't seem convinced.
"Yeah, but, what is she saying?" Ron asked anxiously.
"If you want to know so badly, here's the text," Edward growled, getting fed up with stares eager to know how screwed he was. So he read the entire prophecy:
As the last day of the century passed away, he was born shining with the light of day.
A child sacrificed to seize an infinite power,
Sought by the forces of darkness every hour,
To see him sink forever,
Into an oblivion to return never,
His coming could bring about the end as well as the survival of this world.
But if this sacrifice, alone in his soul and conscience,
Refuses the risks wherever they may lie,
Then all will see the world sink into violence,
And magic itself will wither and die.
Sent from the Gate, in Truth's service he, to this enigma, you already have the key.
To live you must die,
To protect you must offer thy,
But for those whom you love to survive,
To forget yourself you must strive.
"Ok. I see, that's a really enigmatic prophecy. I understand you don't want to believe it." Hermione said in a learned tone. "It doesn't mean anything in some parts. How could you have been born at the end of the century? Or be sent by a gate?"
"I guess only those who are concerned can understand it. And I don't think Edward here has the right to tell us about it for reasons that are his own." Harry said definitively.
"Thank you." Edward replied.
"Uh, I think we'd better go to bed," Ron said quietly. "I don't know about you, but if Mum murdered us because we didn't wake up in time for the wedding, it would put a damper on the whole thing." And he turned off the light.
Translator's note: if you were wondering, the parts that sound different are probably the parts that are direct quotes from the book. I actually went through translating them first, then realized it sounded familiar, so I quick [Yo-ho-ho-ho!] a copy and found it was the same.
As for the prophecy, we finally got the full version… And it fucking rhymes. It wasn't very clear in the original bits that there was a rhyming scheme, because French is just Like That, but there's definitely a rhyme scheme in the full thing so I had to rewrite the whole thing so it rhymed in English too, which was a nightmare and a half. See if you can tell where I gave up lol. I've tried to go back through to try to fix all previous references to this version, but if you find one let me know.