Disclaimer: J

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything (or maybe the all-powerful and all-knowing Warner Bros. Corporation does. I bow down before thee, Oh Mighty Ones and beg leave to borrow Your registered trademark.)

The Secret Keeper VI

A Darker Shade of Green

Harry seemed impatient as he waited for everyone to leave the room. He gazed after them with keen eyes as though willing them to speed up as they left. Dumbledore suspected that Harry half-wanted Sirius to stay, but decided it would be best if he spoke to Harry alone. That way Harry would be able to decide later if he really wanted anyone to know the truth about his beginnings. Dumbledore surveyed him closely from across the small room, noticing the changes that four long years had wrought in him. He seemed nervous and a little intimidated, sitting alone under the intense gaze of his headmaster, and Dumbledore was surprised to see him blush slightly as he got up from the floor to sit in a more dignified position on the couch. He so wants me to view him as an adult. He's really quite oblivious of the respect people have for him, just like his father. Harry had come along way from the small skinny boy who had worried about having been sorted into the wrong house. And as he had grown, so had he increased in likeness to his father. Harry now resembled a slightly world-weary but intelligent and good-natured James Potter. His hair was as black and untidy as ever, but his eyes were a darker shade of green than Dumbledore recalled from his first encounter with the young Harry Potter. He had been through hell and back, but emerged triumphant, and Dumbledore felt a certain pride in knowing that he had helped shape the man that Harry was fast becoming. Dumbledore was unsure if this was the right time to tell Harry about his parents. He had intended to wait until he came of age at sixteen, but the rebirth of Voldemort had changed all his well-made plans. Harry needed to know the truth now as his life depended on it. Dumbledore sat up straight in his chair and faced the younger wizard.

Sitting alone under Dumbledore's intense gaze was always intimidating, and this time Harry felt it more than ever. Dumbledore was staring at him intently and Harry once again had the feeling that Dumbledore's eyes could see beyond physical appearances. Harry waited for the headmaster to come out of his reverie, which seemed to take an eternity until Dumbledore finally sat upright and began to speak.

"Well, Harry. This isn't how I envisaged this moment. I had planned to answer all your questions in my office at Hogwarts when you came of age, but unfortunately the circumstances have changed. I'm not sure if you're really ready to hear the full truth, but I know you are brave and will accept what I have to tell you, though perhaps not all at once."

Dumbledore took out his wand and performed a silencing charm on the room, so that nobody outside would be able to hear. Once again, he looked closely at Harry.

"What do you know of your parents?"

Harry was taken aback by this question, expecting Dumbledore to simply explain everything in his calm, melodic voice.

"I just know what they look like, really, from the photographs I have. My Dad looked like me, except for his blue eyes. He was good at quidditch. He liked performing pranks on people when he was at school. He hated Professor Snape. He was an Animagus and an auror. Emm…I don't know much else about him, I guess. My Mum had red hair and green eyes…"

Harry struggled to remember anything else he may have heard about his mother and was startled to realise that there was nothing. People often compared him to his father, but rarely mentioned his mother. It was a little unsettling to have such strong feelings for someone he didn't really know. He could read between the lines and say that she was brave for dying to try and save him, but beyond that he had nothing definite to help him understand what she was really like when she was alive.

"You don't know a great deal about Lily, and there's a reason for that. To most people she was a fairly typical witch and mother, however she was exceptionally talented where charms were concerned. People naturally knew more about James, because of his fame on the Quidditch pitch and his pranks. Lily was quieter and so it is generally assumed that there was more to know about James than her, but that isn't entirely true. You may find this hard to believe, but Lily was directly descended from Godric Gryffindor himself-"

"'But that's impossible. Her parents were muggles. Aunt Petunia-"

"…is a squib, Harry, who couldn't accept being so different from the rest of her family. Her parents were not muggles, though you may have been led to believe that. Death Eaters killed the Evans when Lily was fifteen. Petunia was, let me see, yes, eighteen at the time and had left home years ago to marry Vernon Dursley. Both Lily and Petunia are descended from a long line of Gryffindors, however, due to her inability to perform magic, Voldemort never regarded Petunia as a threat and so left her quite alone. Lily, however, was a threat. She was a very powerful witch in her own right, but quite apart from this, Voldemort was frightened of her because of what she had inherited when she came of age. It was her birthright as the only magical heir of Gryffindor to inherit some of his possessions, which had been passed down from heir to heir over the centuries. Among these was the Penna Potissimus. Do you know what that is?"

Harry shook his head, feeling quite stupid.

"The Penna Potissimus is quite simply a phoenix feather, however wizards view it with the same reverence that the muggles bear for the Ark of the Covenant. It is the primal feather that was laid down by Fawkes when he was first born, incidentally the same year as the founding of Hogwarts. The Penna holds immense power, power that Voldemort would very much like to control. It is vital that this power remain in the hands of Gryffindor's true heir, you, Harry, as before he died, Godric Gryffindor stored a good deal of his own power and spirit within it. And when I say that the Penna should remain in your hands I mean exactly that. You are the only one who knows where it is, for now."

"No, I don't. I've never even heard of it-"

Dumbledore laughed, his eyes twinkling in merriment.

"I have always known you would react like that. You should really stop doubting yourself, Harry!"

Now Harry was very confused. Perhaps there had been some terrible mistake.

"But I'm telling you-I really haven't a clue where it is…"

"I would suggest you find it, then, as it is very valuable."

"'But how-"

"Alright, allow me to explain. Lily's parents were killed because her mother was the heir of Gryffindor and therefore the keeper of the Penna. Voldemort tried to take it from her by force, but she resisted and was killed, having never revealed to him the location of the Penna. She could not have revealed it even if she had wanted to, because she simply didn't know where it was. You see, when Lily was born, her mother, Sarah Evans, decided to employ a very effective method for guarding the Penna that had been employed by Gryffindors for generations, the Fidelius Charm. Sarah hid the Penna in a safe place and performed the Charm, making Lily her Secret Keeper. Only Lily knew where the Penna was when Voldemort attacked the Evans, but she didn't know that she knew, if you understand me. It was a brilliant plan, and so Lily performed the same charm when her own child was born. You were her Secret Keeper, Harry, and only you know where the Penna is."

Harry was dumbstruck. What was he supposed to do, just think about where it could be and see if the answer just popped into his head? This was ridiculous. I really don't know where it is. What can I say to him?

"I know this is quite a lot to take in, Harry. Don't expect the answer to come to you at once, it may take awhile. I am worried however, that your resistance to Malfoy's curse will give Voldemort some clues as to how the Penna is being guarded. The only reason you were able to resist it was because it was inspired by an unlawful desire to find the Penna. The Fidelius Charm is designed to protect the Secret Keeper from revealing their secret. Had you been killed, Voldemort's way to the Penna would have been cleared. If he has worked this out for himself, he may step up his attempts to capture you. That is why I wish you to remain here for now. The Burrow is safe, and will be guarded constantly. Do not leave it under any circumstances! If you think you know where the Penna is let me know, but do not tell me where it is and do not leave here to retrieve it! Remember, Harry, that you must keep this to yourself. The power of the Penna can only be wielded by the true heir of Gryffindor. Anyone else who tries to bend it to their will will sink into darkness and pure evil."

Harry swallowed hard trying to take in every word that Dumbledore had spoken. He felt as if he should say something but didn't know where to begin. He had to get his thoughts in order.

"I shall leave you to your thoughts now, Harry. Perhaps this will help-"

Dumbledore waved his wand over a small area of the floor. A silvery light protruded from it and gradually began to take on a form. Harry kneeled on the floor and watched in amazement as the shape of a pensieve appeared before his eyes, the silvery light from which it was formed dimming to give it the appearance of a solid wooden dish.

"Whenever you wish to add a thought, bring your wand to your head while you think it, then place your wand in the liquid like so-"

Harry grinned as an image of his Patronus galloped across the dish, hitting three black-cloaked figures and sending Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle toppling to the ground. Dumbledore smiled and stood up.

"Good luck, Harry. If you need anything else, write to me."

"Thanks, Professor.."

Harry heard a pop and looked up from his pensieve, but Dumbledore had already disapparated.

***

Harry looked up in surprise as Sirius knocked timidly on the living-room door and opened it slowly. Sirius absorbed the image of his godson kneeling on the floor next to a pensieve, a glazed look in his eyes and immediately turned to leave, thinking that Harry wanted to be alone.

"It's alright You can come in if you want…"

Sirius entered the room and squatted down on the floor next to Harry, unsure what to say.

"You've been in here awhile… Dumbledore give you that?" Stupid question, Black, of course he did.

Harry just nodded.

"I never really understood why anyone would need one until now."

"Do you want talk about it?"

"No, not yet… I just need to think, but thanks."

"Well, I'm available if you change your mind. In the meantime, how does chicken curry sound?"

Harry laughed in surprise.

"Sounds great. I'll be in in a minute,"

Sirius patted his shoulder and got up to leave. Alone again, Harry looked down into the silvery depths of the Pensieve. There was something hypnotic about watching the liquid swirl around the basin, defying gravity. Harry was still gazing down at it transfixed, when his scar suddenly erupted in agony. Harry gripped his head in his shaking hands and tried desperately not to scream out in pain as he rocked back and forth in anguish. The room swam around him and as he tried to stand up, the floor seemed to be at the wrong height. He fell heavily onto to the floor and blacked out.

***

"Crucio!"

A black-clad Draco Malfoy watched in horror as his father squirmed in agony on the stone floor before his Lord's throne.

"You lied to Me, Malfoy! He resisted the curse. Potter is still alive, I sense him constantly. He is as strong as he ever was, if not stronger. This is your last chance to share in My glory, Malfoy. The next time you fail Me will be the last."

"Yes, m-my Lord. I apologise for my incompetence…"

"If I am right that Potter is the Secret Keeper, he will be difficult to kill. You are to find out where this "Burrow" is and examine its defences. If we cannot kill him, we will make use of him. Now, go! Get out of My sight!"

Lucius Malfoy stood up weakly and dragged his agonized body from Voldemort's chamber. He did not glance at his son as he left.

"Come here, young Draco!"

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Soon you shall come of age and have the honour of entering My service. When that time comes I shall have specific duties for you to perform. If you perform them well, you shall replace your father as My Chief Lieutenant. A glorious future awaits you. Remember that the next time you see Potter!"

"Yes, my Lord."

***

"Harry! Dinner! Geez, what happened?"

Ron entered the living room to find Harry staggering to his feet, his hand unconsciously searching his scar.

"Was your scar hurting?"

"Yeah, but its gone now. Come on, I'm starving."

"Maybe you should tell Sirius, or Dumbledore."

"No need to worry them. That's the first time it's happened in ages. 'Probably just a false alarm."

Ron looked at his friend doubtfully as they entered the kitchen. It was never a false alarm, even Harry knew that. I'll owl Hermione. She'll know what to do.

The two boys halted however, at the shocked expressions on everyone's faces. Mr. Weasley was crouched on the floor by the fire, a dazed expression on his face, Ginny was sitting at the table sobbing against George's shoulder and Sirius was trying to comfort a distraught Mrs. Weasley.

"What's happened?" Ron asked nervously.

"It's Percy, dear", his mother whimpered, "He's dead."

A/N: Haha, another cliffie! I have to stop doing this. Okay, as usual, if you read, please review. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter V, I really appreciate your taking the time to give me some feedback, as I'm not writing this according to any plan. I'm sort of making it up as I go long, which isn't a great idea, I must admit. At least I seem to have finally discovered my plot-it should help! Anyway, part seven will probably be up midweek. Please, review!

Pleiades