Whispers of Truth
Chapter 7: It Starts With A Whisper
The moment the beetle is freed from the bottle, it changed, growing and shaping into the familiar figure of Rita Seeker.
"Good evening Ms. Seeker" Harry said.
"Potter" Rita said, looking around the room at the other occupants.
"Would you like to sit somewhere more comfortable?" Harry asked, "the counter cannot be comfortable"
"I'm fine" Rita said, "what can I do for you?"
"A story, naturally" Harry smiled.
Rita's eyes narrowed, "You kidnapped me for a story?" her eyes sparkled, "very bold of you"
"I've been known to be so"
Severus snorted, while Hermione giggled.
"So what is this story about?" Rita asked, she couldn't hear anything while stuck in that blasted bottle.
"The Truth, about this world and it's heritage"
"Oh?"
Harry nodded, "Yes"
Sirius listened to the conversation, wondering why, out of all journalists, was Harry talking to Rita about this.
"However" Harry continued on, "before I go any further, I ask that you give me your word that you will not use your usual methods of writing"
"Readers love my usual methods"
"So you say, your word please"
Rita is silent, eyes looking over everyone as they waited for her to answer, finally her eyes locked with Harry's, "You have my word"
The corner of Harry's lips titled up.
Severus and Hermione glanced at each other.
~.~
When Rita left an hour later, Lucius 's back went rigid when Harry turned his attention to him, the Chosen came toward him until once again bare feet brushed against his shoes. Gently Harry took hold of his arm, and pulled up the sleeve. Green eyes stared at the Dark Mark on white skin, Lucius shivered -when fingers caressed. From his seat, Severus watched, remembering the feeling of those fingers ghosting his own mark and understanding what his friend was feeling and what he was going to feel at the events that are soon going to unfold.
"Chains, come in many forms" Harry said softly, fingers still caressing, he looked up at Lucius who was staring at him. Face curious and just a bit weary.
Beside them, Lady Malfoy watched the interaction.
Harry smiled, before wrapping his hand around the mark, covering it. Lucius gasped as he felt something warm travel from his arm and through his whole body, quickly followed by a sharp pain that had the man slumping forward and against Po—Harry. Back at his table, Severus watched as Harry lifted his other hand and ran fingers through Lucius's hair, the same why the Chosen had done for him when the child had broken his first chain. Seeing it from the outside, Severus saw how intimate it was. However, it wasn't the intimacy between lovers or of a master with a favored servant.
Severus wasn't sure how to describe it, it was so new yet so old. It was amazing to see, even more amazing that he had experienced it himself.
When Harry let's go, Lucius stayed there to compose himself before straightening and looking at his arm.
The mark was gone.
Lucius stared; it's been a long time since he's seen his skin unmarked.
"Glitonea" Harry said as he stepped away, "please escort Lord and Lady Malfoy, Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys and Viktor and show them to their rooms, her sisters will inform you of what is needed to be done and give you the required items" he then addressed the others, "I will see you all tomorrow evening"
Glitonea inclined her head before standing. Sirius also stood, and after a long hesitation went over to Harry, out the corner of his eyes he noticed Fenrir approaching Remus who looked torn between running and baring his teeth.
"Harry" he said when he finally stood before his Godson, and could he still call him that?
"Yes?"
"I—"
Harry waited, eyes locking with the man's, Sirius shivered at what he saw and averted his own. He cleared his eyes and tried again.
"Dumbledore has this organization, called the Order of the Phoenix, it's the same Order that fought against the Dark Lord when he first came to power. He called them together after what happened last year," this wasn't what he wanted to say, but it also felt important, "he had plans, one of them was for you to join us at the base, which was at my family home, during the summer."
"I am aware of this" Harry said with a slight tilt of the head, Sirius had a feeling the boy is aware of a lot of things.
"I told him that you would probably want to join, to fight. He told me that he wouldn't let you, said you were just a child, too young. Most of the members said the same"
Harry's lips curled up, "And yet, I'm old enough to play in a tournament that grantee great injury or even death, even without the Dark Lord's interference. I am old enough to fly on a broom while objects of high speed are aimed at me. I am old enough to go back in time, with no grantee that I won't disrupt the past, present and future"
Around them everyone listened.
"I am old enough, to go into a dangerous forest, a place that I was told to never go into. I am old enough it seem, to continually return to people, with my only defense against them forbidden by law. And who's abuse who have gone further were it not for their fear"
Sirius doesn't flinch, but it's a close thing, having everything this world and it's people have done wrong, him included, to his Godson said aloud. It's a wonder that they haven't created the next Dark Lord or that Harry had chosen the path of peace.
"It is an interesting" Harry said quietly, his expression thoughtful, "looking back at all the wrong, and remembering only the few good. That I chose the path of peace"
"That's because you are Harry" Hermione said, getting up from her seat and over to her friend, the Chosen stared when his hand was gently held by her's, "good, strong, gentle, Harry"
Harry's expression is blank, and he doesn't say anything, Sirius had a feeling that regardless of all the talk of peace, and unity. The Wizarding World was doomed.
~.~
When morning came, the world was still the same. As he headed for breakfast, Draco tried not think about why he felt a bit disappointed about that. When he entered the Great Hall, Crabbe and Goyle were already there eating, the Malfoy heir looked over at the Ravenclaw table but Luna wasn't there. At the Gryffindor table, the Weasley twins were pressed close to each other as they sometimes did and were eating acting as though last night hadn't happen. Gran—Hermione was feeding Hedwig some bacon while the youngest Weasley boy stuffed his face.
Harry was nowhere to be seen.
Draco made his way to his house table, when he sat down his eyes went up to the teacher's table, Severus was as usual, and didn't seemed bothered that Harry wasn't at the table or even in the Hall. However, what the young man did find interesting was that the Headmaster was staring at Hermione and Weasley, the elder wizard was doing it in a way that wasn't obvious or suspicious, but he was doing it all the same.
Blue eyes that normally sparkled looked cold and calculating.
It took some work, but Draco was able to get some of his breakfast down before it was time for the first lesson, which was Potions.
"And where is Mr. Potter?" Severus asked after he strolled in and took in his class filled with Slytherin and Gryffindor.
"Sick" Hermione told him.
Severus hummed before telling them what they were making today and pairing them off. Draco ended up being paired with Hermione, the two of them at the last working station in the back. Something felt off about the space, not bad, just off. "A spell" the Slytherin mused.
"You are acting odd" Hermione said quietly as she chopped, "Ron commented on it at breakfast"
"Can't be helped" Draco said as he diced, "not after last night"
Hermione hummed, "Try, we don't want any attention just yet"
Draco nodded, he glanced up at Severus who was walking down the aisles looking over everyone's work. Then he went back to his task.
"Do not over think it" Hermione said as she added the ingredients to the cauldron, "trust me, things will be easier if you just follow Harry's lead"
"Is that what you're doing?"
Hermione's lips twitched, "No, I am not, I have chosen my path, and I'm walking it, Harry sometimes joins me on that path and I sometimes join him on his, whatever that path is"
Draco's brows furrowed, and Hermione giggled, "Sorry, guess Harry's starting to rub off on me. What I meant to say was, even though Harry is basically giving the orders, it doesn't mean he won't take our opinions into consideration or dismiss our ideas. Harry's path is to guide"
"But, it didn't feel like that last night. I mean he took father's mark" the young Malfoy said lowering his voice, "I didn't think anyone could do that, and then there was the way father acted around him"
Hermione hummed, she had also noticed that, as had Severus and Fenrir, Ambrogio had also noticed; but didn't seem bothered by it. She will have to ask him about that, in the meantime, Draco was waiting for an answer.
"I guess you'll just have to trust your instincts"
The young Slytherin started the fire with a flick of his wand, the silence around him thoughtful.
"And where is Looney—I mean Lovegood?" he then asked.
"With the shadows"
~.~
He stood at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with carved serpents that rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. He moved forward, between the serpentine columns, footsteps that should have echoed loudly off the shadowy walls, were silent. Hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes following him, or it seemed that way, he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the place itself loomed into view; standing against the back wall.
He had to crane his beck to look up into the giant face above; it was ancient and monkeyish, with a long thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stone on the smooth floor.
"Godric did it as a joke"
Harry looked away from the statue to the man leaning against the nearest pillar, his green eyes glowing in the dim light. The man's hair was long, and pulled back into a ponytail, eyes a dark grey and intelligent. He was handsome, nothing at all like the statue.
"More of a prank war actually" the man continued on, pushing off the pillar and walking toward Harry, "did it all around the castle, could never figure out the counter-spell and now the whole Wizarding world thinks I look like that"
"I said I was sorry!"
The man rolled his eyes and both he and Harry turned to look at the man who spoke. Hair was thick and golden, and eyes an amber if hit in the right light. He too was handsome, and was currently pouting.
"Now, now boys"
The woman was beautiful, tall with long black hair and dark eyes, she looked intimidating; at least to others. Her accent was Scottish. Standing next to her was a round, plump woman with hair as red as fire and eyes as blue as the ocean, her smile was wide and kind.
"Behavior yourselves in front of our brother" the dark haired woman said.
"Hello my brothers and sisters" Harry smiled.
The Four Founding members of Hogwarts and her Four Houses smiled at Harry.
"What can we do for you brother?" asked Godric taking a step forward.
Harry looked around, eyes seeing all that was hidden, before looking back at his rival house's Founder, "What did you do with the Basilisk?" he asked Salazar.
Salazar shrugged, "It's somewhere around here, do you need the body for anything?"
"Just curious, I have a question for my siblings"
The Founding Members' expression turned knowing, and the corner of Harry's lips curled up, there is never a previous Chosen, there is just Chosen.
"And what question is that, little brother?" asked Helga
"Do you think they will be ready? Will this world be ready?" Harry asked looking back up at the statue.
"Man is unpredictable" Rowena said, she did not ask if he could see the question's Truth, the paths were many, "they can twist and bend what should have been, and turn it into what is"
"Take what they have done to this school" said Godric, "something that was supposed to be fun for the children, friendly rivalry between siblings has created distance with all. They've twisted my brother's opinions, and reasons and made him into a monster, and now the children in his House suffer for it."
"All the children suffer" Salazar sighed.
"Not all brother" said Helga, "there are some children who see, see the wrongness, and try to make the world right"
"But those are few, and their support even fewer sister" said Rowena
"That is a Truth" Harry said softly, eyes still on the statue, behind him his siblings continued to talk, voice as one.
"One of many"
"Man will never be ready"
"But Man is always changing"
"Whether they want to or not"
"Change is a Truth that is Past, Present, and Future"
"Change is a path that is all"
"It is a Truth"
"Will always be a Truth"
"And will remain a Truth"
"A constant Truth"
When he looked away from the statue, the Four were gone, voices a fading echoing. Harry turned back to the statue and saw Truth.
~.~
Professor Dolores was trying to bait Harry, and was obviously failing with the way the boy either ignored the taunt or just gave a slight curl of the lips and said "yes, professor". So she tried Hermione, but after the girl had given her a toothy grin the Professor had wisely left her alone, so that just left Ron. And she was very much successful.
"Detention Mr. Weasley" Professor Dolores said after Ron had raised his voice at her, his slowly raising temper finally exploding.
"But you—"
"Am the teacher and will not have my students raising their voices and disrespecting me in my classroom"
"And yet you can disrespect them and their family, however subtle your taunt may be"
Dolores looked at Harry, who stared back, she opened her mouth; no doubt to also give him detention. When Harry raised a daring brow, she closed her mouth with a snap, she didn't know why but something about the boy made her very nervous.
"Careful Mr. Potter" she then said stiffly before turning her attention to Ron, "detention for a week, starting tomorrow evening, my room at five o'clock"
Ron opened his mouth, no doubt to argue future but Hermione pulling him down into his seat stopped him.
"Now then," Professor Dolores said when she was sure there would be no more interruptions, "back the lesson"
Harry's eyes watched her until the bell ranged.
Ron gathered all his things, shoved them into his bag and left the room, after a nod from Harry; Hermione followed. When the last student left, Harry stood up from his desk, packed his things, picked up his bag and made his way over to Professor Dolores's desk where the woman was sitting.
"May I help you Mr. Potter?" she asked when she finally looked up.
"Not on this Path"
Dolores's brows furrowed, not understanding.
"You need to tread carefully Professor" the boy said, "or you'll behavior will lead you down to something dangerous"
Dolores's eyes narrowed, "Are you threatening me Mr. Potter?"
"Merely giving you a warning"
And he left the classroom.
~.~
Rite Seeker flipped through the pages of one of the many books that had been waiting for her when she had arrived at her home after her….meeting with Harry Potter. She tried not to think too hard on the who or how. Instead, after a quick check to make sure they were safe, she set to work.
"Interesting" she thought when she finally finished.
If what this book and the rest of them said were true, then this world had been lied too, that the laws and the whole Pure-blood statues were wrong on so many levels. And Harry Potter was trying to tell everyone.
Now came the next question: should she write it?
The story would be big, and she had the source, even if it came from Potter. However, this could make or break her if she ran it.
The journalist hummed as she weighed her pros, and cons, and when she came to a decision; her quill and parchment are up and waiting.
Somewhere in a castle, Harry smiled.
~.~
It was past midnight when Ron came stumbling into the Common Room, he hurried to his room, not seeing Harry sitting on the sofa by the fireplace. Harry for his part calmly closed the book he was reading, tucked it underneath his arm, stood and made his way up to his room. The room was dark, Seamus and Dean still asleep and unaware of their roommate sitting on his bed staring at his right hand.
"Ron" Harry said quietly.
Ron jumped and looked up at Harry who stood in the doorway.
"O-Oh Harry" he whispered, voice rough, "thought you were asleep"
"Had to finish the Potion essay" Harry lied, "how was detention?"
"Fine, she um...made me write lines"
"I see"
"Yeah" Ron cleared his throat nervously, "very dull, anyway I'm going to bed"
"Alright"
Harry moved away from the doorway and into the room, Ron must have thought that was the end of it because he looked surprised when Harry came and sat down next to him.
"Harry" he said when the other boy took hold of his right hand, voice nervous, confused and just a hint of warning.
Harry ignored him as he stared down at the back of his friend's hand, it was a raw red and when he gently caressed his thumb across, Ron flinched and pulled his hand away. When the young Weasley looked at his friend, mouth opened to tell him it was no big deal, his breath hitched.
Harry's face was closed off, but his eyes were dark, very cold, and very angry.
He had warned her.
I will explain the whole brother sister thing in later chapters.
I love the HP series, wouldn't be writing fanfic if I didn't. But there are some stuff in the books that got to me, the Dursleys is number one, the whole Tri-wizard tournament had me wondering "Who the hell thought this was okay for kids to play!?" In book 5 and 6, Harry obviously has or is finally developing PTSD, to which everyone was probably chalking up to puberty, the loss of his Godfather or something else entirely. I'm surprise the boy ain't go postal. Then there is Dolores, and don't get me started on Hogwarts's education system, the safety of the students, and the separate houses.
*Sigh* Fantasy and fiction, you have your good side and your bad.
In other news, History time!
Well it's not really history time as more of a touch up. Anyway, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin were the Founding members of Hogwarts. They were widely considered the most brilliant witches and wizards of their time, which was around the 10th century medieval era. They each created their own House using their last names and laid the foundations for the only Wizarding school in Britain.
According to the Wizarding history books, Salazar thought only pure-blooded children should be allowed into the school, which caused a great argument between him and Godric and Salazar left. Though not before creating the Chamber of Secrets.
In my opinion considering the way the Wizarding World is, I'm pretty sure there is more to it. But that is my opinion.
Next chapter: Harry is not happy, we learn why Harry is reluctant to have Ron join the fold, the four generals learn more about their fearless leader's abilities. We see Rita's mess up, and Albus is still planning, along with having some trust issues….so the usual
Review Please!
