Year 2

CHAPTER 15: The Diary

A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry it took extra long. Anyway, here's the first chapter of Harry's second year, though most of it happens during first year, as you would find out. I'm not sure how you guys would respond to this chapter but I'm really proud of it. It's one of the shortest I've written. Well, without further ado...

6 Months Earlier, Ministry of Magic, Level 8 (Atrium)

Bright green flames erupted in one of the hundreds of fireplaces on the left-hand side of the long hallway before a tall figure stepped out of it.

Albus Dumbledore casually waived his hand over his robes as his eyes roamed the mostly empty hallway.

The soot that had clung to his burgundy robes was instantly vanished, making them look fresh and clean.

He turned to his left and strode forward with powerful strides.

"Prof. Dumbledore, sir!" exclaimed a man walking in the opposite direction.

Dumbledore's face lit up the instant his eyes landed on him, and a huge smile came over his face. He stopped walking and waited on the spot as he watched the man make his way towards him.

He appeared to be in his 30s, tall and wiry in frame with sandy blonde hair that fell over his forehead. He was dressed formally in a white shirt tucked underneath grey trousers. His look was completed by brown boots and a chestnut-coloured corduroy coat.

He bowed his head in respect once he reached him. "So good to see you, Sir" he said with a beaming smile.

Dumbledore's smile faltered for a second as he noticed the long scar that ran diagonally across his left cheek, before he greeted him with a warm smile.

"Oh, such a delight it is to see you as well, my friend. Refresh my memory, how long has it been since we last met?" asked Dumbledore.

"11 months, 4 days" The man lifted his right hand and looked at his watch. "Aaaand... 5 hours ago...If I'm not mistaken" He added with a chuckle.

"You never are." chuckled Dumbledore as he noticed two smaller scars on his forehead, just above his right eye. Just because of their texture and colour, he could tell they were much older than the one on his cheek. "It's funny we should meet today because just this morning, I was looking at the trophy case in my office, as one does" both men chuckled before Dumbledore continued. "And guess what caught my attention" He raised an eyebrow in question.

Dumbledore watched him with amusement shining in his eyes as he eagerly waited for his response. A small frown came over the younger man's face as he knitted his eyebrows together in contemplation and tilted his head back. Seconds trickled by before he shook his head and looked up at Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid I got no clue, sir" he said. Dumbledore could tell from his expressions that he was really curious to know the answer.

"1977 Interschool academic championship" Dumbledore watched with fondness as a small blush came over his cheeks.

"Oh that..." he let out an embarrassed laugh, averting the older man's gaze as he waited for his face to return to its normal colour. "That was mostly Lily" he added.

"Oh, don't be daft" Dumbledore chastised lightly. "Everyone knows we would've lost if it weren't for you coming up with that brilliant answer to that ridiculous equation at the last minute. So, don't tell me it was all Lily when even she herself said that you were more gifted than her in Arithmancy"

His cheeks flushed again but this time he didn't avert his gaze. "I'm sure she was just being nice"

Dumbledore shook his head as a sigh escaped his lips. "You are far too noble for your own good..." Dumbledore could sense that he wasn't comfortable with this line of topic, as he watched him scuffle his shoe on the ornate marble floor. A nervous tick he noticed when he first laid eyes on him all those years ago at the sorting ceremony.

"So, tell me, what are you doing after hours at the ministry?" asked Dumbledore, quickly changing the subject.

"Oh...I had a court meeting" he said looking down.

A sad smile graced Dumbledore's lips before he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Was it-" Dumbledore stopped when he nodded his head.

"Yeah, same old thing...I don't think he's ever going to stop till he's certain I'm absolutely broke" He let out a bitter laugh. "Which isn't far"

"I still can't fathom why you are still living there!" Dumbledore said exasperatedly.

"And go where... Huh...it's not like I have the funds to move or find another place with the same or less rent" He let out a tired sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

Both men stood in silence as an old woman walked by them. "You know there is always more than one way to tackle a situation, and in this case, I would advise you to rethink your approach." said Dumbledore evasively.

"I'm not going to confront him physically" He said shaking his head. "That would only make people more firm in their believes that I am nothing but a monster...Plus, they confiscated my wand a few months prior so I can't do anything even if I wanted to."

Dumbledore's eyes turned wide behind his half-moon glasses. "What?" he gasped.

"Yeah" he nodded his head. "You know they had been warning me about it during every court meeting. Guess they finally lost their patience." He shrugged his shoulders. "They gave me the same two options...either I keep living as a free man, in that case I won't have my wand as I am enough threat to society or, I become a patient at the International Research Facility in Russia where they would examine me and do all sorts of experiments to rid me off this disease 'as they put it'." He laughed bitterly as he made quotation marks with his hands.

Dumbledore was speechless, which was a rare sight in itself. He was about to open his mouth when the man continued.

"Not only would I be in debt for the rest of my life if they somehow miraculously come up with a cure, which is completely impossible as we both know but, I am never letting anyone lay one hand on my body" he finished resolutely.

"And before you say Wolfsbane" he cut Dumbledore once again as he was about to speak. "We both know I can't afford it. I mean no one can. It's just a scam. They knew that people like me could never afford it...the only reason it even exists is so Fudge could gain everyone's sympathy during the previous elections. It was a big part of his campaign wasn't it...that they had finally come up with a potion that would make life thousand times better for people suffering from lycanthropy." He widened his arms dramatically. "I don't see my life getting any better. All lies" He scoffed.

"I am telling you again that it wasn't Prof. Hubert's fault, Remus" said Dumbledore as Remus shook his head angrily.

"How could you defend him! He's the one who made it. He knew that no one could ever afford it. So, if he's such a saint, how come he's doing nothing." He leaned his face closer. "Face it professor, he didn't care about anyone or anything except the bags of gold Filch promised him" he sneered before adding. "He could've given the ingredients to make it." emphasized Remus desperately.

"You know my belief regarding that. I still believe he was forced into an unbreakable vow" muttered Dumbledore in a deep voice.

Remus scoffed as he shook his head. "And you call me noble"

A lingering silence enveloped them as they both stared at random spots in the hallway.

"He is a spitten image of James" Remus whirled his head in Dumbledore's direction. Shock evident on his face. "Except his eyes, they are his-"

"mother's" added Remus. A small smile graced his lips, making the lines under his eyes more prominent. "I've seen him too, remember." Dumbledore nodded his head in response. Remus's gaze shifted slightly as he stared past Dumbledore's shoulder. His smile was replaced by a blank expression and his eyes seemed empty, devoid of any emotion as he added. "Though a long time ago" he whispered, but loud enough for it to reach Dumbledore's ears.

"He would love to get to know you"

"Have-Have you told him...about me" asked Remus.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm never going to do that. That responsibility lies solely on you" he said while peering at him over his glasses.

There was a small pause during which Remus looked down for a few seconds before he looked Dumbledore in the eyes. "I don't think I have the strength for that" he said in a choked whisper. His eyes were shining as he exhaled a ragged breath.

Dumbledore laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Of course, you do. You're a marauder are you not" Dumbledore whispered conspiratorially as he brought his face close to his.

Remus's lips tugged upwards before he slowly nodded his head.

"I better get going" Remus said after a beat, indicating to the left with his thumb.

"Alright" Dumbledore played with the ring on his finger before he spoke with his eyes downcast. "Do you need-"

"No"

Dumbledore didn't finish his sentence as he looked at his face that didn't betray the emotion he was communicating nonverbally. "Never, as I've told you every time and the answer won't change next time, so I suggest you stop asking the same question because it gets boring after a while"

Dumbledore released a tired sigh. "Tell me, was it a pre-requisite for the person to be inherently stubborn before they could become a marauder."

A small chuckle escaped Remus's lips before he answered. "No...we didn't believe in setting pre-requisites."

A wry smile graced Dumbledore's face as he stared him down.

"Until next time" Remus said as he walked backwards before turning around.

"We're going to figure this out, Remus" Remus lifted his hand in acknowledgement before he stepped into the fireplace and vanished into flames.

Dumbledore stared at the bright green flames until they died down before he headed in the opposite direction.

The hallway separated into two paths as he reached the Fountain of magical brethren, that featured golden statues of a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. Water poured from all five statues into the pool of water below.

Dumbledore turned left without paying a single glance at the fountain. It was always the worst part of his trip to the ministry whenever he had to walk across the monument. He deeply appreciated the craftsmanship that it took to build the statue, but he absolutely despised what it represented.

The statues of the goblin, centaur, and house-elf were displayed in a manner that showed their inferiority to the wizardkind.

He continued though a narrow corridor before he reached a circular hall that had 20 lifts lined together, standing behind wrought iron grills.

"Excuse me, how did you get in! You can't be here at this hour. The ministry is clo-" The old man's eyes turned wide as Dumbledore turned around to face him. "I'm extremely sorry, headmaster. Please forgive me" he apologized, bowing low.

"No need for the, Orford. I would be troubled if you hadn't voiced your concern" he offered him a comforting smile, that put Orford at ease.

"Thank you, Sir, here let me help you" said Orford before he walked towards Dumbledore with the support of his cane.

"Oh, you don't need to. I'll be fine by myself"

"I would be honoured, Sir. It's not often I get to meet people of your stature, though there aren't many" he added, which brought a chuckle out of Dumbledore.

Orford opened the grill before he motioned for Dumbledore to step inside, which he did, before stepping inside himself. "What floor would it be, Sir?" he asked.

"One" responded Dumbledore, as he stood with his hands clasped at the front.
"Oh, must be an important meeting then" He pressed the button before holding onto his cane with both hands.

The lift moved backwards for a few seconds before it shot upwards. "You could say that" answered Dumbledore. "How are things at home, Orford?" asked Dumbledore conversationally.

"Life goes on, Sir" Dumbledore could tell he wanted to say more so he waited patiently. "I haven't seen my wife and son for more than thirty years...I don't even know if she's alive, or if...if my son still remembers my name" his voice cracked at the end.

Dumbledore watched as he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his uniform. "Would you like to?" Dumbledore asked in his deep baritone.

Uncapable of forming any sentence at the moment, Orford simply nodded his head. Orford turned his head when he heard a snapping sound. He saw a small piece of paper drop lazily on to Dumbledore's awaiting hand.

"Don't be late" said Dumbledore as he handed him the paper.

Orford furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he tore his attention from staring at Dumbledore to the small piece of chit in his hand. It was blank. He turned it over and saw an address scribbled on it.

The Lion's Den, A week from now, 5.00 pm.

Orford looked up at Dumbledore in confusion.

"I give you my word that your wife and son will be there." Orford's eyes turned wide in shock. He opened and shut his mouth multiple times but couldn't form a single word.

Dumbledore gave him a warm smile as tears gathered behind Orford's eyes. His lower lip was trembling, and his entire body was shaking. Afraid he might drop to the ground with the way his cane was shaking, Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder as the lift came to a stop before a bell chime went off.

He guided Orford, who still seemed shaken by what had just happened, to a nearby bench in the hall as they walked out. Orford's knee couldn't stop shaking as he took a seat. He looked up at Dumbledore and took a ragged breath before words finally escaped his mouth.

"What if-what if they don't want to see me?" he choked out as tears ran down his face.

"They will" Dumbledore said giving him a small smile. "Family always forgives" He added. "That's why we always go back to them when we're at our lowest...because we know they will accept us no matter what. But I shouldn't need to tell you that, old friend. You have lived a long life"

Orford nodded his head as he smiled through his tears before a terrified expression came over his face. "My daughter...she wouldn't allow it" fear laced his words and he looked heartbroken as he bowed his head in grief.

"Allow?" Orford lifted his head as Dumbledore continued. "Times might be changing but I believe it's still children who ask, not parents." his eyebrow was raised as he finished.

Orford stared at him for a few seconds before slowly nodding his head.

"Good" smiled Dumbledore.

"I can never repay you," said Orford, his voice full of gratification.

"And you never would" Dumbledore patted his shoulder twice before he walked down the hallway.

He walked through several corridors before stopping in front of a glass door.

Office of Minister of Magic was written in big gold letters on it.

He knocked twice and waited.

"God Albus, how many times-, you don't need to knock, get in!" came a frustrated voice from the inside.

Dumbledore's lips twitched at the corner as he opened the door and stepped inside. The door closed behind him as he surveyed the room before him.

Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was sitting behind his desk. He had a sour expression on his face as he looked at him. There were 4 other people in the room, 3 of whom were sitting.

"Arthur" Dumbledore greeted the man who was standing.

A huge smile came over Arthur's face. "Prof. Dumbledore Sir!" he exclaimed happily as Dumbledore walked over to him and shook his hand. "How are you?"

"Very well, thank you Arthur. How's Molly?"

"She's doing fine, sir."

"You must invite me the next time she makes those chocolate puddings. Absolute delicious they were"

Arthur's expression turned almost giddy as he answered. "You're more than welcome to drop anytime, Sir. Infact, I'll tell her right away when I get home"

"Please, do let us know when you've set the date for your little tea party. It's not like we've anywhere else to be" came a sarcastic reply.

The smile left Dumbledor's face as he turned around to face the recipient of the voice. "Lucius" he said in a tired voice as he conjured a chair before motioning Arhtur to take a seat as he sat on the only other available chair.

"Albus" said Lucius, giving him a sweet smile before his expression turned serious again.

"Madam Bones" Dumbledore bowed his head in respect to the woman with blonde hair that were tied in a bun sitting to his left.

"Headmaster" she offered him a small smile as she reciprocated his greeting.

"Dolores" Dumbledore turned his attention to the other woman in the room.

"Albus" she chirped coolly, not even looking at him.

"Corenelius" Dumbledore addressed him with a hidden smile.

"Yes, yes. Now that everyone's been greeted, shall we move on to the procedure at hand" he said with a scowl on his face.

"No need to" Everyone sharply turned their heads in Dumbledore's direction. A look of surprise came on all their faces. Dumbledore made them wait for another few seconds before he continued. "I've recently been made aware of this proposition. So, without wasting any further time, I would tell you all my answer...I am on Arthur's side."

"What a surprise" muttered Lucius, but Dumbledore paid him no attention and continued.

"You know my position on this Corenlius. I've been an avid advocate of the Muggle Protection Act for many years now. I am astounded when we do everything in our power to hide ourselves from the muggle world yet, we sit idly and do nothing to protect the very objects that have been bewitched, or tampered, or merlin forbid have been part of dark magic.

Countless stories, Cornelius, countless. Pick up any copy of the Daily Prophet and you would find a piece about 'Aurors erasing memories of muggles because of a bewitched item.'" He took a long sigh.

"I don't need to tell you why this is even more important now. Killing muggles with objects, that have been tampered with dark magic, which no one would give another thought about has been the prime focus of the death eaters since his fall."

Dumbledore's eyes briefly flicked toward Lucius who narrowed his eyes into slits and leaned forward in his chair.

"I still don't understand what they gain by doing that" said Fudge, as he leaned his head on his hands.

"They are terrorists, Cornelius. Their reason is far beyond our understanding. They want to create havoc."

"Yeah, but they don't have a plan, Albus. They don't have a leader. They don't have him" insisted Fudge.

"That's what makes them more dangerous. They're unhinged. Fearless. They were scared before. Not of us. Of him" Dumbledore leaned forward on his elbows as he continued. "But their goal hasn't changed. It was and always has been war against the muggle world. We were just a hurdle in the way. Nothing more, nothing only difference is that it's just on a much smaller scale now." He paused for a moment as he twiddled with the ring on his finger. "We wouldn't be honouring the memory of those who gave their lives so we could live in peace by waiting for the spark to ignite the fire."

Fudge took his hat off and scratched his head. "Fine" he sighed. He looked up at Arthur who was practically jumping of his seat with excitement. "You have 1-year Mr. Weasley. I'm passing the Muggle Protection Act with the hope that you could do some good with it."

"Absolutely minister" Arthur frantically nodded his head.

"Very well then" Fudge picked up the quill sitting on his desk before he signed at the bottom of the paper that was placed before him. He reached out to Arthur who took the paper from his hand.

"Thank you so much, minister" He said with a beaming smile.

Fudge gave him a fake smile before he leaned back in his chair and released a loud yawn. "Boy, I'm knackered"

"You've earned yourself a good night's rest, my friend. You did something good today" Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you Albus, you know how much it means to me to hear that you approve of my work" Fudge muttered sarcastically, which made Dumbledore chuckle as he stood up.

Lucius's chair scratched the floor as he stood up with a huge scowl on his face before he stomped towards the door. Everyone stared at his back as he yanked the door open with brutal force before walking out.

Dumbledore turned back around towards Fudge with a smirk on his face. "I think my work here is done" He bowed at Fudge and Madam Bones before turning towards Arthur. "Shall we, Arthur?"

Arthur stared at him in confusion before realization dawned on him. "Of course, Sir"

"Oh and Dolores" He waited till she looked up at him. "I think it would be wise if you take your father back home. He seemed a little shaken" Dolores's eyes turned wide as Dumbledore turned around and walked out of the room.

"I must say you were brilliant, sir" said Arthur as they walked out of the lift. "Thank you so much"

"You did all the hard work, my friend. I simply tied the bow" Dumbledore winked at him as they walked past the fountain and towards the fire chambers.

"Oh, I almost forgot. How's Ron doing, sir? Molly's hardly slept since he's left." A downcast look came over his face as he continued. "Cries herself to sleep most of the nights, she does. I must confess that I have shed my fair share of tears as well" He chuckled.

Dumbledore faced him as they stopped next to a fireplace. He gave him a warming smile. "Tell Molly she has nothing to worry about. Ron's doing just fine. He's a good student. A little eccentric maybe" Arthur chuckled as his eyes started to water. "He's made friends that would last him the remainder of his life, of that I'm certain."

"I'm glad" Arthur sniffed, as he wiped at his eyes. "Boys?"

"Boy and a girl" smirked Dumbledore.

"Girl!" Arthur whispered loudly. A look of shock on his face as his lips curved into a huge smile. "I'm shocked. He used to say that he hated girls, would never be friends with one."

"I'm fairly sure he's quite fond of this one" chuckled Dumbledore as he stepped inside the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. "Take care, Arthur."

"Take care, Sir"

Dumbledore offered him one last smile before he disappeared in flames.

…...

1 month Earlier, Malfoy Manor

"Oh, there's my baby" Narcissa sprang up from the sofa as Draco came sprinting towards her. She walked a few paces before opening her arms wide. Not a moment later Draco leapt into her waiting arms and embraced his mother with all his might.

"Mum!" He shouted happily.

"Oh look, you made me cry" she laughed, as few tears ran down her face. She kissed the top of his head before hugging him tightly to her. "So glad, you're back home"

The sound of another set of footsteps made her look up and her smile broadened as she looked into the blue eyes of her husband who was carrying Draco's duelling club trophy in his hand.

But she didn't even look at it as her smile faltered slightly as she kept staring at her husband, who was giving her a small smile of his own, but she could tell just by looking at him that something was not right. "What?" she mouthed.

"Later" he mouthed back.

She nodded back as Draco pulled away from her. "Mum, I won the duelling competition"

"Oh my god!" she pretended to look shock, and did a pretty good job of it as well, as Draco seemed to believe her. "Really?"

Draco bobbed his head up and down. "Dad, show it to her" he shouted.

"Show what?" asked Lucius, in faux innocence.

"Daaaad!" he whined, sending his parents into a fit of giggles.

…...

Narcissa closed the door to their chamber before she turned around and faced her husband, who was in the middle of removing his shoes. "Alright then. Spit it out"

He stopped his movement and released a tired sigh. Narcissa knelt in front of him as she reached him and started removing his other shoe. "What's bothering you, sweetheart?" her voice was laced with concern. "You know I don't like seeing you get worried. It makes me anxious. Now come on, tell me" She laid a gentle hand on his leg.

Lucius gave her a small smile before his face hardened. "I ran into Arthur Weasley today, at King's cross. His entire clan was there."

"You were nice right?" she asked skeptically.

"I tried to be"

"Good. We don't need him snooping around our house" she got up and sat beside him.

"About that..." He slowly turned his head in her direction to see her staring at him with wide eyes. "Yeah"

"Oh no..." she whispered. "But why...I mean-"

"I may or may not have insulted him...or his family...or his lineage" He cringed when she slapped her forehead and shook her head.

"Why am I not surprised?" she said to herself.

"I'm sorry darling" he put an arm around her shoulder.

"I know you are. I could practically see it the moment you walked in"

"You know me to well" chuckled Lucius, thanking his lucky stars that he got off way to easily.

"Let him come" he raised an eyebrow as she continued. "I mean we don't have anything to hide. I just simply didn't want to read about any of our more precious belongings in the daily prophet. But what could you do..." she sighed.

"True. Also, I went to knockturn alley today"

Narcissa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she looked at him. "You know... if we could sell or even drop some stuff in one of the shops for a brief moment of time. I even offered them a handsome amount. But they all rejected. Said the ministry's been making daily checks...examines all their stuff with this new spell that can track the previous owner of the object"

"Yeah, but we don't have anything to hide right? Lucius?" Her tone grew wary as Lucius kept staring at the wall. "Honey?"
"Yes, darling?" he asked, snapping out of his daze.

"I asked, we don't need to worry about anything, right?"

He gave her a small smile and cupped her cheek. "Of course, not darling. You never need to worry about anything. That responsibility lies on me. You simply do what you do best."

"And what is that I may ask?" she smirked at him.

"Well of course, spend all my money. I thought it was obvious" A shocked gasp escaped her lips as she looked at him in disbelief.

"What you-" Lucius put his arms up in surrender as she started punching his shoulder.

…...

Lucius opened the door to his study and walked inside. He walked around his desk and sat on the leather chair. He waived his wand in a circular motion and muttered an incantation.

A small circular piece of his desk protruded out at the front. He pressed the button before a clanking sound was heard. He turned around and stared at the painting above his head. It was of his family.

Draco, a little younger than now, was sitting on a chair, while he and Narcissa stood on either side of him. Both had one hand on their son's shoulder. The painting opened to the side, revealing a black box made of steel.

Lucius got up and walked over to it. He opened the box and took out an old looking diary. The cover was black with slight shades of green.

He kept staring at it until a voice broke through his thoughts.

"Are you sure this is wise?"

He looked over his shoulder at the frame that hung on the opposite wall. An old man with grey hair, and features similar to Lucius sat inside the frame. "I have no other choice, father"

"You always have a choice. I remember the day you brought that thing inside this house. I could smell its scent from miles away. In all the time it's been sitting inside that box, I haven't been able to figure out what it is, and I believe neither have you"

Lucius turned back to stare at the diary.

"It doesn't matter. He gave it to me. Said it would usher a new chapter for our people"

"Did you ever wonder why he gave it to you?"

Lucius nodded his head. "More times than I care to admit"

"And?"

"He gave it to me the day I saved his life. I can still remember Potter's spell flying towards him." He scoffed before continuing. "I still can't believe he used the unforgivable. I believe the people on his side were more shocked than us. Especially his wife. Her face was ashen. Like she couldn't believe her eyes."

"That doesn't answer my question." said his father.

Lucius took a deep breath before he turned around to face him. "I don't know what you want me to say, father. He made a joking remark that doesn't seem so funny now."

"Go on"

Lucius waited a beat before answering. "He said 'In the unlikely event of my death, take this diary to Hogwarts.' And when I asked him what would I do with it, he said 'well to right on it of course.' But he simply said it as a joke and we had a laugh about it so I didn't give it another thought until-"

"Until he passed away" Lucius stared into the eyes of his father and nodded.

"There hasn't been a day I haven't thought about it."

"Then why now?"

"Isn't it obvious. If the ministry finds out about this?" Lucius shook his head. "I would be lucky if all they do is send me to Azkaban and I won't be able to fight me way out of this like I did before."

"Maybe they won't know what it is?"

"You don't understand, father. The department of mysteries is behind all this investigation. Weasley's simply a pawn. They are not the kind of people you should take lightly. Believe me, I know from experience."

"You don't need to tell me that. They're the reason I'm sitting inside a painting and not spending time with my grandson."

A sad smile came over Lucius's lips. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more"

His father waived his hand dismissively before he responded. "You did everything you could. Anyway, about this, have you thought of anything?"

Lucius looked back at the diary and nodded his head. "I have...DOBBY!"

A/N: So guys, what did you think. Post your comments and let me know. Till next time, take care.