Disclaimer: All characters, concepts etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.
The
Secret Keeper
Chapter XVII
The glowing black bars of the enchanted cage burned remorselessly against Harry's pale skin as he struggled to catch even a fleeting glimpse of his parents, who were now standing at the opposite end of the cavern and embracing Sirius warmly. He felt weak and light-headed from the deadly poison and the loss of blood, but somehow had managed to grapple on to consciousness long enough to witness this beautiful, heart-rending moment. It was imperative that he remain awake and absorb as much detail about his parents' appearances as possible. One of the most painful aspects of his previous meeting with them had been that the memory had slipped away so quickly, leaving only a vague impression of feeling loved and protected. He had since longed for another opportunity to memorise every inch of their figures so that he would never again be chilled by the realisation that he had wasted such a rare and valuable gift. However, the more he tried to control the drooping of his eyelids and the sagging of his shoulders, the more difficult it became. He could feel the poison moving slowly through his body, increasing the aches left by the Cruciatus curse ten-fold. His strength was steadily ebbing away and he began to wonder if this would be the last thing he ever saw in life: the image of his parents granting Sirius the absolution he had so yearned for.
Shifting in frustration at being able only to discern their backs as the three figures huddled together in a friendly hug, Harry selfishly willed his parents to turn away from Sirius and notice him. He stared at them closely, hardly daring to blink lest the vision might come to an end. He leaned ever closer against the walls of his cubic prison until the hot poles left raw imprints against the sides of his face, so desperate was he to widen his field of view. Unfortunately, Lord Voldemort chose that exact moment to position Wormtail directly in front of him, concealing his parents almost entirely from his hungry gaze. Harry heard Arabella whimper sympathetically behind him and felt her hand on his shoulder drawing him gently but firmly away from the edge of the cell. Harry sighed in resignation and sat down, wincing at the immediate sharp pain in his back.
Wormtail's mismatched hands were fidgeting nervously behind his back, twitching at his loose grey robes. Evidently the prospect of a reunion with the Potters was making him very uncomfortable. Harry glanced up from his reclined position on the floor and noticed that the string binding the glass phial of antidote to Pettigrew's neck was dangling teasingly down his back within just a few feet of the cage, achingly close. Ron nodded glumly at his friend, as though privy to his thoughts. It was just too far away.
Harry could just make out the dim forms of Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce standing uncertainly near the silent crowd of Death Eaters. His parents were hidden a short distance to their left. If only he could see them…
Harry raised himself wearily as he saw Lord Voldemort approach his parents. The sound of his father's voice, so like his own, was unmistakable in the gloom.
"What is going on here, Voldemort? If you lay a finger on my son, I swear I'll-"
"What? I doubt you could do very much. Perhaps you haven't noticed but this room is filled with my loyal Death Eaters, who have sworn to protect me, with their lives if necessary. But fear not! I won't be laying a finger on Harry. I'll leave that to you and your pretty little wife."
"What do you want with us?" Lily's voice spoke boldly in the silence.
"Simple. I understand you have something of a gift for the ancient spells, and that you placed the Fidelius charm on your son to conceal the Penna Potissimus from me. All I ask is that you transfer the charm to a new Secret Keeper. I have the ideal subject for you."
"You know I'd never do that!" Lily demanded crossly.
"Yes, I suspected some degree of reluctance. That's why I made Harry drink Todis potion. Wormtail here has the antidote-"
Lily quickly became silent, but eyed her husband's old friend murderously. James, however, fixed Pettigrew with his warm gaze and smiled knowingly.
"Is that supposed to be a threat? As if Peter would obey you! Its ridiculous," James cried.
Pettigrew shifted noticeably backward, so that his legs emitted a noise like static electricity as they brushed against the black bars in front of Harry. James winked meaningfully at him and motioned at the phial tied around his neck.
"How wonderful to see you, Wormtail, my old friend," he began, "I should have known you'd be here with Sirius to protect Harry."
A stunned silence ensued, in which Voldemort sat back on his throne, smiling in satisfaction. James nodded vigorously from the phial to Harry's cage, apparently unaware of the tension mounting in the cavern, until finally he roared, "Now, Peter!" and whipped out his wand in readiness. Wormtail, however, did not rush to deliver the antidote to James' son, but darted aside, out of the range of the other man's wand. The Dark Lord's sneers echoed off the stone walls and presently they were joined by the half-hearted sniggers of his servants. James lowered his wand in confusion and turned questioningly to Sirius.
"He's not here with me, James," Sirius stated quietly and, carefully emphasising every syllable, added, "He betrayed you."
At these three simple words, an eerie silence descended upon
the room and the shadows on the floor seemed to lengthen. Harry remained frozen
in his hunched position, waiting for his father's reaction. I always assumed
he knew about Pettigrew when he died.
"Peter?… I always thought Remus, but, no, it never seemed right… I never believed, though, that…Peter!" James stuttered, with anger rising in his voice.
Wormtail darted behind his master's throne, and Harry saw his parents clearly. It was incredible. They looked so solid, not at all like the ghostly echoes who had helped him escape from the graveyard in Little Hangleton over a month ago. Lily and James Potter stood before him with all the richness, colour and texture of living beings, and Harry was impressed at the formidable figure of his father standing erect before Lord Voldemort and not betraying any hint of fear, if indeed it existed. James was standing perfectly still, apparently struggling to digest the latest revelation concerning his death.
Harry could understand his father's disbelief. It must have been agony for him to live in the knowledge that one of his friends was betraying him to the Dark Lord, but never knowing whom to blame. Had he been told that it was Remus Lupin who had led Voldemort to his home, he would probably have been just as stunned. He knew that his father must have been very close to his three friends. The way Sirius' face seemed to radiate with happiness whenever he was reminded of his mischievous schooldays with the marauders, or the memory of the warmth and gratitude in Remus Lupin's voice as he had retold the story of his friends becoming animagi to render his transformations less painful, was proof enough of that. Harry hoped that he would never have to suspect Ron or Hermione of such a terrible deed. It would be more than he could bear to think of them, or anyone he cared about, acting surreptitiously behind his back.
Lily Potter looked just as beautiful as in the photograph of her wedding, with dazzling emerald eyes and long red hair, but her gentle features were twisted with loathing and deep suspicion as she placed a restraining hand on her husband's arm, trying to calm his obvious growing rage. She gently took his wand and stowed it inside his robes for fear of his doing something that might provoke Lord Voldemort into hurting Harry.
She whispered soothingly in his ear, "James love, it's in the past. There are more important things to worry about now. Harry needs us-"
James was not listening.
"How could you, Peter? I was a good friend to you…" he demanded hotly.
"James, I-I-I don't care what you-you think! I was only being a-a-a loyal and d-dedicated servant of the Dark Lord."
"You're despicable!" James roared, reaching inside his robes.
There was a sudden commotion as the Death Eaters all drew their own wands and pointed them at Harry's father. James did not withdraw his wand, but remained perfectly still, staring at his former friend as if challenging him to a battle of wills. Wormtail, however, was unable to hold his gaze for very long, and quickly moved to place Harry's cage between them. James glared hatefully at him before looking down at the languid face of his son, who was now sitting with his back supported against Arabella.
"Harry! Are you alright?"
As James looked directly at him, Harry felt a curious warmth spread throughout his body, filling him with renewed strength. He gasped in surprise and sat upright, his eyes travelling down the length of his father's body and noticing everything from the smoothness of his skin to the slightness of his figure. An ideal Quidditch physique. His pupils moved upward again and his heart thumped in astonishment as he realised that his father was watching him expectantly, still waiting for an answer, and that he was smiling broadly.
"Harry?"
"Um, yes. I'm okay," Harry replied brokenly. Should I
call him "Dad," or James?
James Potter was watching him in fascination, taking in the familiar unruly black hair and the lightening bolt-shaped scar just visible beneath the fringe on his forehead. Harry seemed lost in a whirlwind of emotions. His eyes looked both exhausted and alert, as his mind struggled with the conflicting desires to lie down and blot out the pain or to stay awake and savour the chance to meet his parents before he died.
"It'll be alright, Harry. Your mother knows what she's doing… "
His eyes moved to Arabella.
"'Bella! You look kind of pretty in that cage, you know. Don't you agree, Sirius?"
"James!" Lily uttered warningly.
"This is hardly the time to play matchmaker, Prongs," Sirius grumbled, blushing.
"You're right, I suppose. Finite incantatem!"
The cage surrounding Arabella, Ron and Harry dissolved promptly. Voldemort made no effort to restore it, but when James and Lily began to approach their son, he pointed his wand menacingly at Harry.
"That's close enough! He'll be dead soon, so we need to come to an agreement quickly if you want to save him. Wormtail here, as you can see, is in possession of a certain glass phial containing the antidote to the Todis potion, a difficult concoction that only a potions master as experienced as Severus Snape could hope to brew."
James winced visibly at the mention of his old nemesis and glanced darkly at Sirius.
"Yes, Severus still serves me, although I sometimes have to question his sincerity. Now, if you want to give your son the antidote, you will agree to my demands. Lily Potter, you will transfer the charm to the Weasley boy, making him the Secret Keeper for the Penna Potissimus."
"Why? If you want the Penna, why not make yourself the Secret Keeper?" Lily asked innocently.
"And let you turn your wand on me? I don't think so! Now, do we have an agreement, or not?"
"How can I trust you? You're not exactly known for keeping your word-"
"I don't see that you have any choice but to trust me. However, I can see you have doubts concerning the extent of my power over you. Otherwise you would not presume to question me in this manner. Perhaps you need a little reminder. Crucio!"
Harry leapt up as his mother screamed and collapsed to the floor in pain. He tried to run to her, but it was no use. His legs refused to support his weight and the world began to spin around him. He fell heavily on his knees and gripped his back, waiting for the mist that was clouding his vision to clear, all the while cursing Voldemort under his breath. He felt Ron's grip on his arm, a useless gesture since there was no way he could stand up again with or without his friend's support, but it was comforting to know that, for once, he was not in this alone. Ron sank down beside him, apparently too contrite to say anything.
"It's not your fault, Ron. He made you do it," Harry stated simply.
"We've got to do something-"
"I can't do anything like this. Can you see my wand anywhere?"
"I think it's on the throne. Harry, could you use this Penna thing to get us out of here? It sounds pretty powerful…"
"Maybe, but I don't have it-"
"Well, where is it? You're supposed to know, if you're the Secret Keeper…"
"I know where it is, but I can't tell you. Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone, even you…"
"Is there any way you could get it? I mean, it's not somewhere on the opposite side of the world, is it?"
"No, it's here. That's all I can tell you."
"Well, look. What if we let You-Know-Who make me the Secret Keeper? When I know where it is, I can give it to you instead of him, and you can use it to get us out of here…"
"No, it wouldn't work. You'd be under the Imperius spell. You'd have to give it to him-"
"Then, what?!" Ron blurted out, "I've already stabbed you in the back. I don't want to be responsible for killing all the Muggles in the world too!"
"Just calm down, Ron! It's not over yet," Harry explained wearily, "I'm sure my Mum won't give in without a fight."
"Look, no offence or anything, Harry, but she's dead-"
"I don't think she is. She looks real enough. Last time it was different; they looked like ghosts, but now…"
"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't get your hopes up. You-Know-Who can't have brought her back to life; it's impossible."
"If she's not alive then why did she feel that curse?"
"I don't know-"
Ron stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed that Wormtail was standing behind Harry, eavesdropping on their conversation. Voldemort had risen from his throne and was speaking with Lily, James and Sirius. Harry looked around at Pettigrew. The pain in his back had lessened somewhat after his short rest, but he gazed hungrily at the small bottle hanging around the wizard's neck. Pettigrew seemed characteristically nervous. He glanced over at his master and back at Harry before speaking in a hushed tone, afraid of being heard.
"It's the fire," he stated simply.
"What about it?" Harry enquired gruffly.
"It's keeping them here. They're alive, but only while the fire is lit. He'll extinguish it when he gets what he wants."
"They're alive?" Harry asked, his eyes open in wonder.
"Harry, you can't believe a word he says," Ron reminded him quietly, "Remember who you're talking to here."
Wormtail ignored him and looked around while he continued to speak.
"They are alive, but it's only temporary. There's nothing you can do. They can't stay-"
"Wormtail! Come here!" a cold voice hissed, interrupting their conversation.
Pettigrew jumped in fright before hurrying to Lord Voldemort's side. Harry felt Ron's eyes watching his face, no doubt trying to discern the multitude of thoughts that were running through his head. His parents were alive. Really alive. This couldn't be temporary. He had to do something. He had to keep them here, and ensure that those blue flames never died out. He wouldn't give in while there was a chance of bringing his parents back to life. He would fight. Filled with sudden determination and hidden strength, Harry climbed to his feet, brushing away his friend's offer of support, and scanned the room for his wand. There! His golden-tinged wand was lying on the red upholstery of Voldemort's throne, along with three others. If only he could just walk over and take it! But no, he had to be careful not to draw attention to his wand lest Voldemort connect it with the Penna. This was just like Quidditch, Harry thought presently; classic diversionary tactics: feign disinterest in the snitch to prevent the opposing seeker from noticing it and then, suddenly, soar towards it, take it in your hand and fly over the wildly applauding crowd. He just had to be patient and bide his time, provided the poison in his system didn't kill him first…
***
Remus conjured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, looking gloomily around the old room. There was a time when he would have savoured every minute he spent in Godric's Hollow, the former home of Godric Gryffindor himself. It wasn't so much the opportunity of visiting the abode of the heroic founder of his Hogwarts house, as the invitation to spend time with James, Lily and Harry that had held so much appeal for him. This had always felt much more like home than his rundown cottage in the mountains, with its broken furniture and dusty floors. It was just nice to be surrounded by happy people, especially when they made you feel so welcome. He and Sirius had practically lived at Godric's Hollow during their years as aurors, rarely returning to their own houses. It had eventually reached the point that Lily had had two rooms set aside for them on a permanent basis, labelled, "Moony", and "Padfoot". He could still remember the night when James had shown them Lily's quaint artwork on their bedroom doors. How they had laughed… It was still there.
Peter had been a less frequent visitor to the house and,
looking back, Remus wondered if that was how they had drifted apart. Perhaps if
they had spent more time with him things might have been different. It had
always been that way, however: James and Sirius, he and Sirius, he and James,
and then Peter, who was nobody's friend in particular. He just seemed to tag
along. If it hadn't been for James admitting him to their clique, he probably
wouldn't have had any friends at Hogwarts at all. But then, James had always
had a soft spot for other people. He hated to see anyone being left out, such
was his generous nature. It had therefore been the most natural thing in the
world for him to befriend the short, chubby boy who always needed his teacher
to assign him a partner in Potions when none were forthcoming. Poor James.
Killed by his innate sense of goodness.
Remus supposed it had been the same with Mundungus Fletcher. He had been one of only four Slytherin members of the Order of the Phoenix and, as such, had been more or less ostracized by the other members, the vast majority of whom were Gryffindors. James had responded to his colleagues' coldness to the other man by befriending him and making a conscious effort to include him in their efforts to undermine the enemy. It wasn't long before there was a dramatic shift in peoples' attitudes toward the Slytherins, and Fletcher in particular, such was the degree of respect and esteem in which James was held.
It was incomprehensible then that a man so entirely selfless could have been betrayed by two of his closest friends and, although James was no longer alive to be hurt by this painful fact, it still made Remus furious. He couldn't bear to think that the kindness James had bestowed on the world had been for nothing. Nor could he understand the mentality that would accept such generosity and then betray its donor. This was something Remus had spent a lot of time trying to figure out since Lily and James had died, but with very limited success. He did not think it likely he would work it out now, while sipping coffee in the kitchen of Godric's Hollow, either.
Dumbledore had sent him to the house hours ago, telling him to wait in the living room, but it had been too chilly to stay in there any longer. Remus wondered what he was supposed to be waiting for, and why he wasn't making his way to Azkaban with the other members of the Order of the Phoenix to rescue Harry, Sirius and Arabella. Dumbledore could be cruelly mysterious at times, Remus thought distractedly, grinning in spite of himself. How long had it been, anyway? Automatically glancing up at the clock, Remus' mouth opened in shock and he leapt to his feet, for next to James' and Lily's names, instead of the usual, "deceased," that had remained frozen in place over the last fifteen years, were the words, "in mortal peril". Remus' mug dropped swiftly to the floor and smashed, the coffee seeping unchecked into the stone and staining it a deep brown. It was a full ten minutes before he regained his composure and returned to the living room to wait for Albus Dumbledore.
***
Lord Voldemort swung around as Harry approached his parents, looking surprisingly well for someone who had been cursed and poisoned to what should have been the verge of death. Voldemort extended his wand and snarled at the boy.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stand over there? Crucio!"
Harry had been expecting this, however, and quickly jumped aside, avoiding the curse, before sulkily moving back a few paces as instructed. At least now he was close enough to hear what was being said.
"Well, Potter? Will you transfer the charm, or not?"
"What's the point? The Fidelius Charm is keeping him alive. If I remove it, he could die before receiving the antidote, if you even fulfilled your part of the deal," Lily calmly pointed out.
"He will not live long. Severus has fully researched the Todis potion. The Fidelius Charm cannot block it indefinitely. I am perfectly willing to make Wormtail give him the antidote, however, which will save his life."
"Give it to him now, before I remove the charm, and I give you my word I will do as you ask," she offered.
"I know enough of your cunning to have more sense than to agree to that. I have waited long enough! What will it be?"
"I need a moment to consider. Will you allow me to speak to Harry before I decide?"
Voldemort eyed her suspiciously, but relented and walked over to his throne, taking the four wands in his hand. Harry watched him in terror, afraid that he might recognise the Penna incorporated in his own wand, and did not notice his mother calling him to her until Sirius took his arm and began to lead him over. Harry walked forward, but glanced back over his shoulder at the Dark Lord, who thankfully did not seem to have realised the awesome power within his grip. Sirius was speaking to him.
"…and this isn't so bad, really, Harry, because James and Lily are here, and there's nobody better to fight You-Know-Who. I'm sure Lily's thinking up a plan at this very moment…"
"Yeah... I just wish Ron didn't have to get caught up in all of this, and you and Arabella. I could kill him for coming after me when I told him not to. How on earth did you find me?"
"I figured you would have headed north…and then I found your watch so I knew you couldn't be far. Here it is."
Sirius handed him his battered old watch and smiled sadly at the Potters.
"Well, I'll leave you three alone."
"Thanks, Padfoot," James began, barely able to lift his eyes from his son, "I think Arabella could do with some comforting, you know!…"
"Geez, fifteen years later and you still won't let me forget that!" Sirius moaned as he walked away.
Harry watched after him, wondering what Sirius was referring to, and making a mental note to ask him about it later. He then turned to face his parents. It felt strange, actually seeing them close up, kind of like meeting his life-long heroes and realising that they were just human afterall. His mind seemed to have gone blank and he just stood in front of them, smiling awkwardly and feeling very small. All the questions he had ever had about them were wiped clean from his memory, from the origin of James' invisibility cloak to the reasons behind his becoming his particular species of animagus to asking pretty much anything about his mother. As curious as he was about their lives, he had always been equally desperate to tell them about himself, to ask if they were proud of him and to find out if he really was as similar to his father as everybody said he was. However, these long-considered issues no longer seemed important now that Lily and James Potter were standing before him in the flesh. Instead, he looked slowly from his mother to his father and just relished in the knowledge that, for that single precious moment, he was standing next to them.
Lily and James seemed to be having the same problems with their speech, and simply gazed at their son in wonder until finally the emotion became too much for Lily and she pulled her family into a tight hug. Harry found it difficult to control the watering in his eyes and the shaking in his limbs at this instant. He had no memory of ever having experienced an embrace quite like this, with his mother sobbing audibly into his hair and his father repeatedly rubbing his hand up and down his spine, trying to calm the incessant wracking of his shoulders as he vented fourteen years of repressed pain and sorrow. Harry no longer cared that at least four-dozen pairs of eyes were trained upon him. He let the hot tears flow readily down his cheeks and gripped onto his parents' bodies with all his might. Nothing else mattered. Between gasps he heard his voice, foreign and uninhibited, crying out to them, "Mum, Dad…" and at intervals was aware of his parents whispering near his ear, "We love you, Harry…We've missed you so much…" Harry felt like he would choke on the grief and happiness that was struggling to escape his body at these words, and he clung ever tighter to his mother and father, thirstily drinking in the affection that was emanating from their bodies.
Something was pulling them away from him. It began as a slight tension in his arms, gradually increasing as he held on with greater force, until he realised with a start that his parents were moving backwards, propelled against their will by a superior power. The magic ended and reality crashed brutally into Harry's consciousness. All around him the Death Eaters were laughing cruelly and pointing at him, while Voldemort was lazing in his enormous throne and watching him with a bemused expression.
"I said you could talk, now talk! Enough of this sentimental display!"
James and Lily ignored Voldemort and returned to Harry's side to discuss the dire situation.
"I'm going to agree to his terms, Harry. We can't risk anything happening to you," Lily stated clearly, not meeting her husband's eyes.
James said nothing, but watched Harry for his reaction.
"No, Mum, you can't do that! You heard what he said about the Penna. It would make him the most powerful wizard in the world!"
"He's right, Lily," James said, "We can't give the Penna to him."
Lily was silent for a moment. Presently she looked at Harry and he thought he saw a glimmer of triumph in her emerald eyes. She turned to her husband, while speaking to Harry.
"What time is it, Harry?" she asked, with the beginnings of a sly smile creeping over her mouth.
Harry gaped at her, uncomprehending, as he pulled up his sleeve to examine his damaged watch.
"It…doesn't…work…"
"Ah…" James muttered, "Clever…"
"What?" Harry stuttered.
Lily turned away from him and addressed Lord Voldemort.
"Very well, we agree, if you swear you will give Harry the antidote."
"I swear," Voldemort replied, his eyes glinting maliciously.
"Wait! I haven't agreed to this!" Harry shouted, but everyone just ignored him.
Harry looked wildly at his parents and his eyes opened wide in fear. Clearly they had some kind of plan in mind, but he had no idea what it was. He watched as James walked casually over to Sirius and spoke quietly to him, his lips barely moving. Sirius nodded in understanding and motioned for Harry to join him.
"You have your wand?" asked the Dark Lord.
"Yes," Lily replied.
Lily reached into her robes and took out her wand; the one that Harry had been told was excellent for Charm work. He hoped that Mr. Ollivander had been wrong in this affirmation, since if his mother was really planning to transfer the Fidelius Charm to Ron then Harry was certain he wouldn't have very long to live, nor indeed would the entire Muggle population of the world. He raised anxious eyes to Sirius, who simply looked blankly back at him. Damn. What are they going to do?
"Dad? What's going-"
"Shhh. Just trust your mother, Harry. She was always the smartest girl in school. I'm sure she knows what she's doing…"
"Don't you know what she's doing?"
"Um, I have an idea. What's your best subject in school, Harry?"
"I don't know, probably Defence Against the Dark Arts, or Quidditch, if that counts as a subject. Why? What's this got to do with anything?"
"Mine was transfiguration," James explained with a smile.
Without warning, James discretely took hold of Harry's wrist and turned him around so that they were concealed from Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
"Let me see that watch of yours," he whispered.
Harry dumbly extended his arm and lifted up the cuffs of his robes. James quickly held his wand tip to the face of the timepiece and his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Right…Morpho!"
Harry's eyes opened wide in astonishment as his watch began
to change form. The strap was shrinking and rising to the front of his wrist.
The blackness of the leather was disappearing to be replaced by a bright golden
colour, and the texture was changing. Harry could no longer feel the smooth,
warm leather against his skin; instead, something soft and downy was growing in
its wake. A feather! Harry barely had a moment to register his surprise
before his father pulled his sleeve back down over the golden feather to
conceal it. What is it for, though?
Presently Wormtail crossed the room and ordered Ron and Harry to follow him to the fire's edge. With a final glance back at his father, Harry walked slowly to stand opposite Ron, whose face was now almost completely devoid of colour, and they waited anxiously together in front of Lily. Harry desperately wanted to reassure him in some way, but was afraid of making the Dark Lord suspicious; besides, he still didn't know what was going to happen. Voldemort stood up from his throne and positioned himself nearby, leaving Harry's wand on the chair with the others.
"Do it now! Oh, and just in case you find yourself tempted to use that wand for any other purpose…"
Voldemort waved a long thin finger at Snape, who had just emerged from the crowd of Death Eaters, and who now aimed his wand at Sirius and Arabella in response to his master's command. Sirius scowled at him, partly to put on a good show and partly to express his dislike for the other wizard. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed his father move over to the other side of the cavern, where Cedric, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce had been standing silently, observing the strange events taking place around them.
As Lily took his wrist and pointed her wand at him, he saw
Voldemort rise in anticipation from his regal throne. A second later, Harry
felt a wand tip creep imperceptibly up the sleeve of his robes and touch the
edge of the feather hidden within. As her lips opened to speak the incantation,
Harry closed his eyes and steeled himself against what was about to happen. He
wondered if he would die instantly from the massive wound on his back that he
knew must be life-threatening considering his mother's reluctance to remove the
protections that had guarded his life since the day of his birth. Perhaps,
given the antidote, he might live long enough to die a less horrible death, Avada
kedavra, for example. He was pretty sure that there was no way Voldemort was
going to cure his poison, take the Penna and send him on his merry way back to
the Burrow. How could she agree to this? Either way I'm damned. Well, too
late now…
Lily was speaking in a foreign tongue, in which the only words he could recognise were, "Penna" and his own name. Harry supposed she was removing the charm from him and that he would probably start to become more aware of his wound soon and the poison working its way through his blood. However, surprisingly, there was no sensation. He still felt tired and sore, but by no means at death's door. This wasn't what he had expected. Surely if he was no longer the Secret Keeper for the Penna, the spell would no longer prolong his life in the face of a fatal wound. He felt Lily withdraw her wand and opened his eyes curiously to watch as she transferred it to Ron's heart, but not to his wrist, all the while speaking strange words that held little meaning to Harry. He heard Ron's name being mentioned, and again the Penna, but still he remained steady on his feet. Why am I not dying? Maybe Mum was wrong about that part.
Presently Harry's mother stopped speaking. Ron was staring at Harry's arm, his eyes wide with terror.
"Come over here, boy! Wormtail bring him at once!" Voldemort yelled.
As Ron was led up to the Dark Lord's throne, Harry swiftly turned to his mother and whispered as quietly as he could.
"Shouldn't I be dying now?"
"No. You're still the Secret Keeper for the Penna Potissimus."
"But then-I thought-What did you just do?"
"Ron is a Secret Keeper too, but not for the Penna Potissimus; for the Penna you're hiding up your sleeve, actually!"
Harry grinned as comprehension dawned on him.
"But Ron doesn't know. He'll think it's the real thing!"
"That's the idea. Make sure no one but Ron sees it, or it'll give everything away. You'd better pretend you're dying too-"
"Right…"
Harry quickly sat down on the ground and pretended to rub his back in pain. Lily knelt down beside him and took his hand. Harry wondered why she looked so upset. When she spoke, it was with a forced restraint that Harry found unsettling.
"While Voldemort's distracted with what he thinks is the Penna Potissimus, I'll use a summoning charm to get your wand. That is where you're hiding it, is it not?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"I was a Secret Keeper myself once, remember? However, I can't use it anymore, so I'll give it to you. You'll have to be quick. Use whatever curse you can think of on Voldemort. Sirius and James will be ready to grab the other wands and help you."
Harry nodded in understanding and tried to compose his mind against the challenges ahead.
"What about Priori Incantatem?"
"It will be the same as last time, but I think you'll find it easier with the Penna… Harry, if anything happens to your father and I, just remember that we love you, and that we live on inside you so we'll never truly be dead. You're everything I would have wanted in a son-"
Lily swallowed hard and wiped at the tears forming in her green eyes. Fear built up in the back of Harry's mind. Why was she crying?
"Mum, what…?"
"We can't stay," she sobbed.
"Y-Yes you can. We just have to keep that fire lit. Wormtail told me…"
"No… That's only a Sempiternos spell. Our being here is a temporary effect… You'll still have Sirius. It'll be okay, Harry."
"No…"
"I'm sorry, Harry…"
"You can't go…"
"You have to be strong-"
"Can't I g-go back with you, wherever…"
"No," Lily stated firmly as she got to her feet, "You have a lot to do with your life, Harry. Make us proud by living it."
Harry's eyes filled with tears and his mind went blank, as if he had simply taken in too much. He gazed blankly at his mother for what seemed an eternity until somebody suddenly grabbed him by the arm. It was Ron.
"Well? Can you see it, Weasley?" a soft voice called from the other side of the room.
"Yes", Ron's voice uttered calmly.
"Describe it!"
"It's a gold feather-"
"That's it! Bring it to me at once!"
As Ron retreated with the feather, Lily hissed under her breath at Harry.
"Now, Harry! Stand up!"
"Yes!" Voldemort cried, "Death Eaters! You will now have the honour of witnessing the greatest triumph in the history of Slytherin House. The Penna Potissimus is mine! I shall rule eternal-"
"Accio wand!" Lily yelled.
Harry's hand surged forward to snatch his golden wand as it soared through the air towards his mother. In that moment Voldemort finally realised his danger and his mistake. The glimmering feather fell softly to the floor as he reached into his robes for his wand, but it was too late.
Harry did not hesitate.
"Avada kedavra!"
A/N: Well, I hope that wasn't too bad J Please review and tell me what you think. Luckily, my horrible exams are behind me now so I'll be able to write much more quickly. Thank you Coqui, for your help and suggestions. As ever you are the Goddess of Grammar and Punctuation! Anyway, the following people were kind enough to review (Sorry for not replying to everyone in person but the list is getting a bit long now and I didn't want to make you wait any longer for this chapter. I read all your suggestions, though, an am very grateful that you took the time to review):
Belle M, someone2, Amanda Mancini, Giesbrecht, Coqui, Saria Barton, Nagh, Rede, Harry's Crush, Harry's Mum Lily (Can't wait for that sequel!), Rishi, Tia'RaHu, DolphinZ, SailorCelestial, PEZ, cocacola, ~Gryffindor Angel~, Adelina, ryuu kaze, PixyChick, Dunno, Julie (Oh, I feel terrible having to disappoint you because I love Sirius too and I want him to be happy, but I really don't think I can let James and Lily live. At least Sirius and Harry still have each other. I was very tempted to do what you asked, but I didn't want the ending to be too mushy. However, there is one compromise. Harry will know at the end of the story that it is possible for him to bring his parents back to life and this will stir him to declare war on Voldemort. All he needs is the Dark Lord's wand and then there will be nothing to stop him from bringing back James and Lily. I might even do a sequel based on this fact. Hmmm…), Nameless, stark-raving-loony.
Pleiades.
