Fawkes arrived in the little village of Burton at the home of Sirius Black in a flash. He lived in a modest but tasteful cottage. Carefully, he lowered Harry down. He softly trilled outside the front door. His sharp hearing heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Andromeda Tonks walking up the path. He tilted his head in greeting her as she smiled gently. Her eyes were full of sorrow as she looked at Harry.
'Hello, Fawkes,' she said softly. Stroking one of his feathers. He trilled back. He had always liked her since her Hogwarts days. Andromeda realised immediately that Dumbledore had obviously skipped this encounter. After reading through the Prophet several times she couldn't say she blamed him. She looked at Harry, who stared back curiously.
'Hello Harry,' she smiled at him. Harry cautiously smiled back. The front door hadn't opened yet. She would have thought Sirius would have been pacing back and forth in the garden by now. She knocked on it. Nothing. Glancing at Fawkes she pushed the handle down and pushed the door open.
'Sirius?' she called softly. She thought she heard some rustling in the living room. Picking up Harry in his travelling cot she walked into the hall as Fawkes flew in. With tentative steps, she slowly walked into the room. She was not looking forward to this. She normally had a way with words, always certain about where she stood, but this was beyond awkward. Andromeda didn't know what to say to him. Her eyes noticed the curtains first, swaying slightly in the breeze. She looked onto the sofa where Sirius was sat looking catatonic. His eyes staring forward not looking.
'Oh,' Andromeda made an audible sound. Her mind quickly put it together. Amelia or someone from the Ministry must have informed him of Hayley being in a coma due to the actions of Pettigrew and Voldemort. In a calmer environment, Sirius had possibly put two and two together and actually came out with four.
'Sirius, Fawkes has bought over Harry,' she said quietly. Sirius showed a flicker of interest and looked towards the basket. He gave a tiny nod. He then resumed looking back into space.
Andromeda frowned, 'Sirius. Don't you want to say hello?'
Nothing. No response. No acknowledgement of her words, 'Sirius?' Andromeda was getting nervous. She looked towards Fawkes who looked back at her anxiously. She looked at Harry. She couldn't leave him here with Sirius while he was in this mood.
'Um, I think it may be wise for me to take Harry back to mine for the time being. When you're ready to deal with him properly, you can pick him up. How does that sound?'
Sirius looked at her with empty, dark eyes. He tilted his head in acknowledgement and then turned away.
Andromeda had a deep sinking feeling in her stomach as she left with Harry and Fawkes. She had known Sirius for most of her life. He had been annoying, funny, angry and wild in equal measures, but there had always been life in his eyes.
Today, for the first time, his eyes were dead.
They left the house quietly. Even though Andromeda only lived on the other side of Burton, Fawkes flashed them both over. It was best to avoid questions from curious neighbours. It was a mix of magic and Muggle residents here. Some pretence was required from the Wizards and Witches to maintain the illusion of being normal to avoid prying questions. She took Harry inside to the kitchen where she took him out of his cot and gave him a little hug. He responded with glee. His face breaking into a big smile.
Her eyes welled up now. He was a sweet kid. She looked him over. The lightning bolt scar on his forehead was very distinctive, 'Hi Harry,' she said.
'Hi,' he said shyly. He was barely even a toddler. Andromeda gave him a bit of fuss.
'Don't you worry, kid. You'll be safe here. Your Godfather will be around soon. He's just heard some bad news.'
Fawkes perched on the side. Ted wandered in and stopped immediately.
'I wasn't expecting you back so soon. How did it go?'
He looked with concern at Harry and impressed at Fawkes who preened.
'It didn't really go anywhere. Sirius is not himself. He didn't do anything. He barely acknowledged Harry. It was so unlike him. He just stared into space. Didn't speak. I think I would have preferred a slanging match, to be honest.'
Ted sighed, 'I can see why you bought Harry here. Not wise to leave a toddler with someone in that state. Dumbledore put his head in the floo while you were gone. He is going to see us later on tonight after he has seen Rita.'
'Good,' Andromeda sighed, 'I told Sirius when he felt better to get Harry from here. I haven't got a clue how long that will be. Maybe a day or longer. We can use Nymphadora's old baby room for Harry for now. We still have all her baby stuff too.'
That was the cue for Nymphadora to come into the room. She knocked on the table as she got distracted by the baby Harry.
'Who is that?' she asked with interest.
'This is baby Harry,' Ted said. Nymphadora's mouth went in a round O.
'The Harry? Harry Potter?' she asked in shock.
'Yes, dear. We're going to be seeing a lot of him around here for a while. He's meant to be staying at your Uncle Sirius's house but um, he has a few problems he is dealing with right now. Harry is going to stay in your old room.'
The small girl grinned, 'Brilliant.'
'Keep it quiet for now, Nymphadora,' her father warned her, 'We need to set protections up. There are some bad people about who want to hurt him.'
Nymphadora nodded immediately. Even though young, she was aware of the danger of war. Her parents had done their best, but they couldn't hide everything from her.
She looked at Harry as her hair turned from pink to bright blue. Harry looked astonished at this. Then the little boy gurgled happily.
'Oh, he is sooo cute,' she said happily.
Ted and Andromeda smiled at each other. Andromeda had many thoughts going through her head. She hadn't actually spoken to Sirius. Time will tell what he was actually thinking. It could really be anything. He had endured the most bonkers week of his life. He could well be thinking Iris was the next Dark Lady. That Hayley willingly sacrificed herself to bring back Voldemort. Or he may actually be contemplating the truth. His whole week had been one long nightmare. Andromeda mused. The truth would actually be more heartbreaking for him than the nightmare. He had actually thrown away his family.
Ernie McNair had finished his duties. All the Death Eater suspects and prisoners in custody had been fed and watered. It was all up in the air. Some had been bought back from Azkaban in light of the new developments. He had made a mental note of each of them. Lucius Malfoy was currently wallowing in the depths of despair. He was curled up in the corner of his cell with his eyes closed tight. News of Voldemort's resurrection, loss of magic and his Half-blood status had shaken him to his core. His wife was going to be so enraged with him for following a Half-blood. As well as being a cruel man, Lucius was also a smart man. The implications of Tom being made to drink Veritaserum were obvious to him immediately. He was looking at a very, very long extended stay in Azkaban for his crimes against humanity.
In the next cell along Bellatrix LeStrange was also dazed and confused.
'Half-blood filth' she kept muttering over and over.
Peter Pettigrew was still in his enclosed glass cage with a dozen protective charms over him. He too was muttering softly, 'I'm number one, I'm number one...' over and over.
Barty Crouch Junior just looked petulant. Other lesser-known Death Eaters were also locked in. They each seemed bewildered. Voldemort had lost his magic. Could all the wonderful shenanigans truly be over? They had been on the verge of complete domination of the British wizarding world. They had been so close.
They were being interviewed periodically for reports for the trial of one Tom Marvolo Riddle.
'No comment. Imperius charm,' they all kept chanting these absurd words to the irritation of their interviewers. They were following orders they had been given for this scenario. However, they knew they were all assured of a bed in Azkaban if Tom sealed their doom at his trial.
Amelia wanted to make sure she had as much as she could to use against them. She already had plenty of watertight evidence against each of them. She needed them to be charged with all their crimes. Bellatrix especially needed to be behind bars till her death. Frank and Alice were the tip of the iceberg where she was concerned. Tom would give her everything she needed to put his gang in Azkaban for a combined millennium of jail time. Pettigrew hadn't as yet been fed to the Dementors. Amelia had been concerned that an Auror may get wand happy. She needed Peter alive to confirm his despicable deeds.
Everything was hanging by a thread for Riddle's side. Ernie was under no illusion about Voldemort. He was smart and had suspected Tom's pseudonym was a blag from the start. Every Pureblood he knew made a point of rambling inane details about their lineage every other hour. He also knew that Voldemort was the most brilliant Dark wizard since Grindelwald.
Ernie wasn't that fussy about blood status. Not like a lot of the others. It was simply about Light and Dark to him. The balance was vital in the Wizarding World. They went together like fish and chips. Tom was someone he could learn much from.
Ernie knew what he needed to do. He casually finished his shift under the suspicious looks of several Aurors. He was clean as a whistle though. They couldn't pin any crime on him. That had been very important to Voldemort. He needed a few Witches and Wizards working for the Ministry who didn't have any dirt on them for situations like this. He was one of several in the Ministry. They were the Dark Lord's eyes and ears. He was proud to be the one asked to take the message.
He took his normal route home. He was a young man, barely twenty-one. He lived by himself. He poured a cup of tea and took a few sips and settled himself. The message he was about to pass would change everything. With a deep breath, he stepped over to the floo.
With a pinch of powder, he put his head into the flames, 'Malfoy Manor,' he said crisply.
A moment later the mesmerising yet drawn face of Narcissa came over.
'McNair?' was said in a polite tone but with caution.
'Mrs Malfoy. I have a very important message for you. Can I come through? he asked.
He received a nod in return.
A moment later he was standing in the intimidating living room.
He looked at her, 'I assume you have read the Daily Prophet?'
Narcissa nodded cautiously.
'For the first time, Rita Skeeter has written an article that is both accurate and true. It truly feels like it could be the end times. We both know everything is in shambles and the reasons why,' he stated simply.
She pursed her lips and gestured to him to continue. He looked around and lowered his voice.
'The Dark Lord specifically asked for you to be given this message.'
Narcissa's eyes widened as she leaned closer to him.
'He emphasised three words. Bloody, quill and paper. Do you know what that means?' Ernie asked her in a low voice.
Narcissa's lips had turned up into a beaming smile, making her glow. If Ernie hadn't known otherwise he would have thought her to be an Angel.
'I do.'
Ernie nodded to her to encourage her to continue.
'It means my husband is going to be home much sooner than I thought,' Narcissa said brightly, 'Wait there. I won't be long.'
Half an hour later, Ernie was sitting at home with a blood quill and a blank diary. The name Tom Marvolo Riddle was written on the front. He cast both a Disillusionment and Reducio charm on it and popped it in his trouser pocket for the morning. Narcissa had told him under threat of death not to write one word in it. Tomorrow, Tom would have his request honoured. Ernie felt a tremble of excitement. He had become so used to the excitement and adrenaline of Death Eaters lunacy. He couldn't imagine a world without Voldemort. It would be so dull.
The young sociopath went to sleep dreaming peacefully of anarchy and devastation.
It was getting very late when Dumbledore exited the Pensieve after viewing Rita's memories. He sat in his armchair and gazed at the dying embers of the fire. He pondered the last two days.
Hayley had not been on the side of the dark. A toddler could have seen that. Her hatred and anger towards Pettigrew were written all over her face. Her fear for Iris was tantamount. Tom had certainly expected the ritual to work completely. His shock that his magic had gone was also clear. What else had Tom miscalculated? If he had done what Dumbledore suspected and created multiple Horcruxes then no one on the planet would know. There would be no one to ask. Nothing would be written anywhere. Tom was well and truly in the unknown. They were all in the dark.
Dumbledore had taken the time to inspect the locket earlier. Whatever it had housed had been completely drained. There were no magical traces on it at all.
Hayley must have absorbed the Dark magic from the Horcrux. It had not turned her Dark though. She had not morphed into Riddle. Had not been possessed by him or his spirit. The same thing that prevented Greta from dying until Hayley was born could have protected her from that. Her blood that Tom had drunk had somehow decimated his magic. Tom was the common denominator.
Tom must have created at least one Horcrux before Hayley was born for this to be possible. Tom had butchered his soul to anchor him to Earth permanently. It was against the laws of nature. Against God, even against the Devil. His mind wandered to the conversation he had with Gareth earlier that day.
'Hayley visited her in her dream. She could not have known her mother was in a coma. She said Hayley hugged her. That Greta was there with the Angels. She said Hayley called Sirius a git. Hayley told her that she would be sleeping for a long time, but she would be back,' Gareth had told him this in a bewildered state.
It was the part about Sirius being a git that more than anything convinced Dumbledore. He believed Iris. Young children could say strange things sometimes, but that sentence was too real to be faked.
He decided to go to bed. He had not been surprised that Sirius was reacting the way he was. His week had been a circus. His temper and pride had taken over and won. When sanity resumed he had been forced to face the consequences. They were not pretty. Andromeda, Ted and himself had raised protections and wards over their home and Burton that evening. Dumbledore had been impressed with the strength of them.
When he had mentioned this Andromeda had suggested that Lily's ancestors could have blood connections to the Black and Potter lines too. It was common for squibs to be banished into the Muggle world, only for the magic to resurface in later generations. Dumbledore had nodded thoughtfully at this. It made sense. A lot of families were connected in the Wizarding World. He had given each of the family tiny Portkeys in the shape of a phoenix to be worn at the end of a silver chain around their neck in case of attack. All they had to do was hold it tight and shout Hogwarts. They would be taken straight to his office. He left two for Sirius and Harry with Andromeda with a heavy heart.
'I don't feel ready to speak to him about this,' he had told them simply, 'I don't know if I ever will,' he meant that honestly. For all his intelligence and experience even Dumbledore didn't have any idea how to speak to Sirius. There was nothing to say to make it right. No way to change anything. And Dumbledore didn't have any sympathy to offer. As for accusing Iris of being a 'Death Eater's bastard!' he had shaken his head, 'So vulgar.'
He prepared himself for bed, 'I'll need my sleep,' he thought to himself, 'An interview with Tom Marvolo Riddle himself tomorrow looms.'
Amelia had offered him time with the Dark Lord earlier that day.
'See what you can find out,' she had asked him. 'Most of the Aurors are either terrified of being in a confined space with him or they seem a bit too excited. I would dearly love to know for certain which team each of them plays for. Moody and Kingsley won't be firing on all cylinders for a while or I'd ask them. Overdose of the draft of the living death means they are going to be in recovery for a few more days.'
Dumbledore lay down and closed his eyes. His dreams that night were muddled. Flashes of the green killing curse and a lightning bolt. He was in the wilderness, night had fallen and he could see the forests and mountains for miles. It was incredibly vivid. He felt he could smell the trees and flowers. Dumbledore knew this was a dream, but this felt important. He walked for some time till he came to Slytherin's locket, swaying by itself in the air.
He heard screaming. He looked up and to his horror, saw Baby Iris being dangled off a cliff, trapped in the teeth of an enormous lion that she was using her tiny fists to try and force open its mouth. She was hanging onto the open mouth of a huge hissing snake that baby Harry was trying to blind. Flashes of white gold shot through the air.
In the dream, he felt himself being watched but he couldn't see by what. He sensed the presence was benevolent though. He heard in his dream, crystal clear, a soothing voice of a woman. He did not have the slightest recognition of whose voice this was.
'Dumbledore,' the voice said in a singsong tone, 'He will have power, the Dark Lord knows not.'
He looked wide-eyed up at Iris. He saw her little fist pound that lion so hard on the nose it yelped. With that image burnt into his mind, Dumbledore woke up, refreshed and his heart pounding.