Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or concepts in these stories

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or concepts in these stories. They belong to the excellent J.K Rowling, who hopefully won't sue.

The Secret Keeper XI

Sirius and Remus waited patiently in Dumbledore's comfortable office, both deep in thought and neither saying a word. A day had passed, and despite frantic searching of the countryside surrounding the Burrow, there was still no clue as to the whereabouts of Ron Weasley. Both Remus and Sirius had stayed up late into the night, combing the fields with other concerned witches and wizards, but to no avail. So far, no one had voiced the thought that had occurred to all of them: that Ron had gone off in search of Wormtail, desperate to avenge his brother's death. Instead, everyone was operating on the assumption that he had either been kidnapped, although this seemed unlikely, or that he had simply run away, so deep was his grief for Percy. It was a distressing situation for all connected with the Weasley family, especially coming so soon after the loss of another cherished son. It had, of course, been noticed, that some of Ron's possessions were missing, along with Harry Potter's infamous invisibility cloak, suggesting that his disappearance had been well planned and of his own volition. Unfortunately, however, he seemed to have left on broomstick, and therefore left no footprints that could be followed. And so Sirius and Remus had come to Dumbledore, hoping that the old wizard might have some suggestions.

The two wizards snapped out of their reverie as the headmaster entered, looking tired and strained. Dumbledore sat down slowly at his desk and simply stared into space, saying nothing for quite a while. Presently however, he acknowledged their presence with a polite smile and motioned for Remus to speak.

"We're sorry to bother you, Albus. Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all, Remus. I've just come from a meeting with Minister Fudge, and it has given me a lot to think about, but pray tell me how you are getting on. I take it there is still no sign of Mr. Weasley?"

"No, we're getting worried. He's been gone a long time, at least since yesterday morning, if Harry's correct in his reckoning. And on a broomstick…Well, he could be a hundred miles away by now."

Dumbledore quietly considered Remus' words, before turning to Sirius.

"What is Harry's opinion about Mr. Weasley's disappearance?"

"Harry? He hasn't really said anything, but I'm sure he suspects Ron has gone after Peter. Why else would he need James' cloak?"

"Why indeed. This is a very grave situation, and I don't believe Mr. Weasley would pursue Pettigrew unless he thought he had some chance of defeating him. I hope, Sirius, that you confined your lessons on the use of the Killing Curse to Harry-"

Sirius suddenly paled. That thought had not occurred to him. Only Harry was there, I'm sure of it. Nevertheless, the spectre of doubt hovered in his mind. But what if he overheard? I never performed a silencing charm. Oh, god, what was I thinking? Noticing the confusion and disbelief crossing Sirius' pale face, Remus quickly interjected.

"Sirius, he would have found a way to learn it whether you taught Harry or not. You mustn't blame yourself. What's important now is that we find him, before he has a chance to use it, that is if he even can use it. It's a difficult curse, the most difficult in fact, and I doubt he's ready for it yet. Don't worry, we'll find him before he does any damage."

Sirius merely nodded, a wounded expression on his face. He couldn't believe it. Why didn't I listen to them? I never should have taught Harry that curse. If anything happens to him, it'll be my fault. I've got to do something…Dumbledore seemed to be reading his mind.

"Remus is right, Sirius, we have to find him quickly. Now I suggest you leave immediately and speak to Harry or Miss Granger, as they understand Mr. Weasley better than any of us. Remus, I'd like you to stay awhile. There's a matter we need to discuss."

Sirius quickly left the office, the disappointed expression on Dumbledore's face bearing into his skull as he closed the door behind him. As he descended the spiral staircase he recalled the last time he had entered the headmaster's office. It had been after the Triwizard Tournament, when Harry had returned from his near-fatal duel with Lord Voldemort. Even then, he had been at fault, not having been there to protect his godson when it mattered most. Harry could have been killed thanks to his neglect. This time, however, it was much worse. He had not only endangered James' son, but his friend also. How could Harry ever forgive him, if anything happened to Ron? It would be more than he could bear for Harry to hate him. Sirius inwardly rebuked himself for his failures as a godfather, and as he left Hogwarts he decided he would never put himself before Harry again.

As the large black dog trampled across the Hogwarts grounds, Albus Dumbledore turned from the window to face Lupin.

"He seems to be taking his duties as a godfather very much to heart. James chose well in selecting him for the job… Well, Remus, have you discovered anything about the evidence poor Percy was to share with us?"

"I'm afraid not, but it occurred to me that it may be worth checking his office. He spent far more time there than he ever did at home, so it's not unlikely that whatever we're looking for will be there, assuming Fudge hasn't searched it himself yet."

"It's certainly worth a try, Remus. The sooner Fudge is relieved of his position, the better. Hagrid has been making excellent progress with the giants, but despite the recent increase in Death Eater activity, Fudge refuses to accept their help. He really shouldn't be in such a powerful position-"

"'But who could replace him? You would have my complete support, of course, Albus, if you wanted the position."

"No, Remus, but thank you all the same. My place is here, but I'm sure I can think of several people who would be suitable. We shall see…In the meantime, perhaps you and Sirius will have a discrete look in Percy's office and let me know what you find. However, try not to draw attention to yourselves or Fudge may become suspicious and decide to search the office himself. "

Remus nodded in agreement and was about to leave when something occurred to him.

"Oh, Albus, I nearly forgot. Harry told me something very strange yesterday. He said he saw Godric's Hollow in the Pensieve you gave him. How can he possibly remember it, if he was so young?"

Dumbledore looked at him sharply, "I don't know, Remus, but we may find out soon."

Remus could tell that Dumbledore knew more than he was implying, but was wise enough not to press the matter any further. He reflected, with a wry grin, on how strange it was that even as a grown man, he always felt like an unruly pupil when sitting in Dumbledore's office, no matter how polite or respectful the headmaster was. Dumbledore seemed to naturally exude authority and command obedience, so much so that Remus could not foresee a day when he would be able to look upon the older wizard as an equal. It was easy to understand why it was said that Dumbledore was the only man You-Know-Who was afraid of.

Remus got up from his seat and was just beginning to straighten his robes when Minerva McGonagall came bursting into the room, followed closely by Filch. She seemed out of breath, but very excited about something.

"Professor, I came as quickly as I could. Severus Snape's office has been broken into"

"'Not the first time either, sir", Filch interjected, "and I can tell you who it was. Peeves-"

"Please calm down. Now Minerva, what happened exactly?"

"There was an intruder in Snape's office. Peeves reported it, so I think it highly unlikely that he had anything to do with it", McGonagall glared at Filch and continued, "However, it must have happened as recently as this morning, since the house elves cleaned it then and did not report a theft."

"Does anything seem to be missing?"

"I can't tell. It's a real mess down there, papers everywhere…"

"'Quite a mystery, then…I'd better have a look. Are you coming, Remus?"

***

Harry was crouched in the gnarled trunk of an ancient oak tree in the Weasley's back garden, with "Advanced Curses for Aurors" propped open on his lap. It was yet another bright summer's day, but he barely noticed, so intense was the dark insensibility that had engulfed him with the disappearance of his best friend. He felt vaguely hurt that Ron had decided to run away without telling him. Almost immediately, however, Harry admonished himself for having such a stupid thought. You don't tell someone if you're going to run away. You just do it. It still hurt, however, that for once, Ron had excluded him from his activities. Even Hermione had seemed astonished at his actions. We never saw this coming. I wonder where he is now

Harry shifted uncomfortably in the woody hollow, as if his fidgeting would somehow remove the despair that had settled on him. It was no use, however. He either felt angry and upset, or he felt nothing. There was no happy medium. He briefly asked himself whether it had always been like this. Had there always been some nagging threat hanging over him, preventing him from extracting any happiness from life? He knew this wasn't so. His life as a muggle had been painful, but not even the neglect and disrespect of his relatives could rival the sorrow that seemed to dominate his miserable existence as a wizard. He tried to comfort himself by remembering all the terrible unforeseen events that had led up to his present grief. Geez, it's just been one thing after another this year. First the Triwizard Tournament, then Cedric, then Voldemort, then Privet Drive, then Arabella Figg, then Percy, and then all that rubbish about my being the heir of Gryffindor…and now Ron. Maybe this has just been a really weird year, and it'll get better from now on…Harry hoped, rather than believed, this to be true.

As he raised his moist eyes from the blurry pages of the book, he felt the warmth cascading down through the leafy canopy above him. Once again, the image of Godric's Hollow flitted into his mind, it's beautiful stonework nestled snugly in a forest clearing. Harry allowed his imagination to drift away to the dreamy woodland of his former home. It seemed so fresh in his mind now, the image growing clearer and sharper all the time. The idyll was shattered by the pleading sobs of his mother, begging for the life of her baby. Harry saw his father fall at the entrance to the wooden room, and the intense ruby glare of the red eyes that advanced upon him and his mother. Harry shook his head slowly, trying to dispel the painful image. It seemed so much worse, now that he could see his parents' final moments, rather than simply hear them. The twin red orbs refused to dissipate however, as Harry clung on to them with a morbid fascination. Will I really be the one to kill him?

Harry knew, however, that if he wanted to kill Voldemort, it would take more than Avada Kedavra. I have to get Sirius to show me how to adapt it, to make it stronger, but who knows when he'll be back? If only I could remember the words Malfoy used to make the Cruciatus Curse more powerful…Crucio solinfinitus? No, that wasn't it. Crucio solfinitum? No, not quite. Damn, what was it? Maybe if I just try the curse it'll come to me. Harry pointed his wand at a small rosebush, and looked around to make sure that no one was watching. He carefully tried to recreate the feeling of deep fury that he had experienced before performing the curse with Sirius the day before. This time, he used the memory of his parents' death to power the incantation.

"Avada kedavra!"

It worked. There was a bright flash of green light and suddenly the rosebush was completely black and withered, it's leaves rotten. Again, Harry felt entirely numb. He got up carefully to survey the damage, not even noticing as he pricked his fingers on the sharp thorns. Without thinking, Harry pointed his wand at the next rosebush and cursed it. He continued from one plant to the next, as if in a trance, until there were none left. Only then did he realise the destruction he had caused, and for no good reason. He had killed indiscriminately, and with a cold indifference that shocked him.

He sat down on the grass, too drained and appalled to move or think, surrounded by the dead, black rosebushes. After awhile, he became aware of his own shivering and he crept silently over to the warm oak tree to sit in its gnarled branches. He looked downward, trying not to see the devastation he had left in the garden. No wonder people were so quick to believe I was the heir of Slytherin…I'm no better than Voldemort. Two people have died because of me, not counting my parents, and now Ron too. Why me? Am I so important?

***

Sirius arrived back in the kitchen of the Burrow to find Mrs. Weasley comforting a distressed Ginny. She quickly nodded in the direction of the garden, and Sirius went out. This is terrible. I've got to find him soon…He quickly scanned the garden, but there was no sign of Harry. Thinking that Mrs. Weasley had made a mistake, he turned to go back inside, when he suddenly realised that there was something different about the garden. Indeed, the roses at the end of the lawn were completely black, as if there had been a fire or some kind of dreadful pestilence. Feeling an inexplicable sense of dread building up in his stomach, Sirius walked cautiously down to the roses. What on earth- A sharp hiss of breath behind him made him draw his wand and spin around-it was only Harry, however. Sirius lowered his wand and exhaled slowly in relief.

"Oh, Harry! What on earth happened here?"

His godson was sitting at the base of an oak tree, looking pale and tired. He did not respond at once, so Sirius bent down to sit next to him. He noticed the book on the ground next to him and his wand lying discarded near the dead bushes.

"Is everything okay, Harry?"

Harry responded in a quiet voice but did not meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry-I-I- just kept cursing them-"

"You did this? Why?"

Harry opened his mouth to explain but no sound emerged. He stopped to regain his composure while Sirius waited patiently, and tried again, but he knew that he couldn't speak for fear of crying in front of Sirius. He swallowed hard, feeling very uncomfortable, and suddenly wishing that he could be back in his bedroom at Privet Drive, where he would be ignored and could express his sorrow in private. Sirius seemed to understand, however, and he gripped his shoulder, while allowing him to turn away to hide his tears.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I've made a mess of things as usual. I never should have taught you that curse. I got carried away…I'm just so impatient to get my life back together, and I can't do anything until Wormtail is caught, but this is my responsibility. I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you. Dumbledore warned me, but I didn't listen-"

"This isn't your fault. I'm just, well, I can't understand why all this is happening to me. I wish I'd never been told I was a wizard."

"Harry, you can't mean that! You're a great wizard. One day you'll be as great as Dumbledore, I'm sure of it. I know you have a lot on your shoulders since we expect so much of you, being your father's son", here Sirius smiled warmly at him, "But you're more than able to rise above our expectations. You and Dumbledore are probably the only two wizards who can ever hope to defeat Voldemort. You've done it before. Our faith in you isn't misplaced, Harry".

"'But it is! I'm nothing special, really, just lucky. The only reason I'm so good at using the Unforgiveable Curses is because I have some of Voldemort's powers. Other than that, I'm pretty average…I used to just laugh at people for having all these crazy ideas about me, but its not funny anymore. First Cedric, then Percy and now Ron have died because of me-"

"Ron isn't dead, and Cedric and Percy did not die because of you. They died because of Voldemort. You're probably the only one who can protect the rest of us from him, Harry. It's a gift. We're very lucky to have you, you know…"

Harry silenced at these words. Sirius was right. He had never looked at it like that before. However difficult and dangerous his life was, he had to look at the bigger picture. People really did depend on him. There were more feelings to consider than his own.

Sirius looked down and saw the grim acceptance dawning on Harry's face.

"Right then. Now that I've got that into your thick skull, there's work to be done. We have to find Ron as soon as possible. Where do you think he would go?"

"He'd try to find Wormtail, I think, but I don't see how he'd know where to go. I certainly wouldn't…I'd probably ask someone who did know-"

"Like who?"

"Dumbledore, you, Remus…or Snape? That's it! I bet he's gone to Hogwarts to try to find out where Snape is-"

"Brilliant, Harry! We'd better owl Dumbledore immediately and tell him to be on the lookout. I just hope we're not too late…"

A/N: Right, only four or five more chapters to go. Hopefully I'll get them up before next Friday, as I'm going on holiday for a week (poor me!), but if not, well, I'll have to keep you in suspense, that is, if anyone it still reading this. Is anyone still reading this? I've noticed a serious decline in reviews recently-only six or seven for the last chapter. They have all been positive, thankfully, but I'd love to hear from more of you. I'm getting loads of hits, and author alerts, but no reviews. It's very sad. So please, make an effort to review. If you do, I'll be more inclined to write quicker…J

Thank you very much to those of you who did review, especially, Rede, PEZ and Sailorcelestial. I don't think any of you have failed me yet. I dedicate this chapter to you! As for your comments:

Rede:I'm really glad you liked it. I'll try to come up with a good ending. I have made a plan for the last five chapters, but I may alter it a little.

PEZ: Yes, poor Ron. He's definitely on the brink of doing something terrible, but I may save him yet. The idea for the connection between Voldie and Harry came to me by accident. I was so desperate to include something a little bit dark and dramatic in that chapter that I was more or less thinking "Hmm…What scary thing can I let Voldie do now?" I think it makes sense as Dumbledore himself said that Harry and Voldemort were connected by the curse that had failed. You're right about Sirius-he is going a bit overboard, but in the next few chapters he'll have a chance to prove himself as a great wizard and a dedicated godfather.

Sailorcelestial: I think Ron will be able to master Avada Kedavra, though it may take awhile. It would probably be better if he didn't, though…Harry is certainly quite adept at using the Killing Curse, but it will take something extra to kill Voldemort, I think. His skill with using it may come from the fact that some of Voldemort's powers transferred to him in his youth, hence his ability to speak Parseltongue. I mentioned in the last chapter that Avada Kedavra was first developed by Salazar Slytherin, so this may explain how he can kill at such a young age. Also, this is Harry Potter, we're talking about, and he can do anything! As for Snape, I don't regard him as an evil character. He can do the right thing without being made likeable, however. I apologise if I've made him too much of a goody-two-shoes. I may include some Snape-Sirius angst in a later chapter to compensate for it.

Also thanks to:

Harry's Crush: Now now, Sirius is not a figure of fun…I've let my keyboard run away with itself! He's actually a big, scary, intimidating wizard who just happens to transform into a cute, cuddly little doggy-woggy called Snuffles every now and then. The next few chapters are going to be quite trying for him, so I'm sure he'll redeem himself and stop being so silly and frivolous. Anyway, thank you and please keep reading and reviewing!

The Inflammable Gohan Hugger: Actually I prefer a bacardi and orange, but Heinekin is good. What this has to do with my fic, I don't know!

Emma: Wow, you really sound like you like Harry Potter! Well, my life depends on him too. It's a miserable existence, I can tell you, getting in from a hard day in college and having to run to my computer and read a dozen stories…and then I have to keep writing too. Book five is too far away, but at least fanfiction keeps the characters fresh in our minds. Anyway, sorry for rambling. Please keep reading and reviewing…

CL: Okay, will do. Thanks for reviewing.

Pleiades