Chapter 13: The Heir of Gryffindor

GODRIC'S HOLLOW

'This... this is where my parents lived?' asked Harry, staring at the dark road.

'No, Harry,' said Sirius. 'This is where we hid them, so in a way yes. Just down the road is the house, where Voldemort...'

They walked slowly, down the road. In better light, perhaps it would look like a beautiful meadow with tall grass and a flowing river, but still it looked disserted... empty and still.

Harry could see no houses of any sort at this point, but it seemed the road stretched longer.

Fog enveloped the deeper fields, and the light of the moon shone off the misty cloud, silver.

The stars filled the entire sky with specks of light for miles.

It seemed the fog had crept to the road at one point, for he was now amidst a thin fog. The light from Sirius' and Dumbledore's wand shone bright. Ahead of them, a large shape could be seen, but unable to be made out from his vantage point. The seconds past and the shape came into view... it was that of a house, but in many broken pieces. There was foundation, and spires sticking up here and there, and a chimney half-broken. The house was of brick, for many bricks lay here and there broken and not broken. Glass and debris littered the whole area.

'May I go closer?' he asked.

And so he did, he stepped over the foundation and kicked a few bricks.

'Why is all this still here?' he asked over his shoulder.

'It was the sight of a historic event,' said Dumbledore. 'We wished for it to be untouched and disserted, for perhaps one day we may need to come back to it, and you may need to come back to it.'

Dumbledore left Sirius' side and walked over to Harry. He summoned to follow, and they went some twenty feet to the left to the far corner, where there was one spot that had neither brick nor glass on it, just bare floor. Pointing to the spot, Dumbledore said, 'This is where Hagrid found you that night, fourteen years to this day. You slept, silent.'

There seemed to be no sign of anything personal lying around, no books or pictures. Dumbledore motioned for Sirius to come over, and they both sat upon a slab of concrete raised a bit from the ground. Harry sat next to them.

'Harry, I believe that I once told you that, in time, you would understand everything... do you recall?' said Dumbledore.

'Yes, back in my first year I think...'

'Well, I will tell you... almost all, for some things must remain untold for now... untold for future years. I feel you are ready, ready to learn much about what happened that night, and about your past and your parents past and what not. However, I do not know all, and perhaps Sirius can fill in the blanks for me... Perhaps your not ready for all, or for what I will tell you, but seeing how the days are getting darker, you must know...'

'The day was October 31st, as you know,' continued Dumbledore. 'We, the Order of the Pheonix we liked to call ourselves... we had more than the group we have today... We had Arabella Figg, myself, Sirius and of course Remus Lupin... but we also had Lilly and James Potter and countless others... Voldemort, while he was on the rise and had many supporters, wanted to rid the Order, for we alone could be the only ones who could take him down. He made it his priority to rid as many as he could. That may explain your parents death, Harry, but that is not the only reason he did that to them. It is hard for me to explain things to you, and withhold information in the process...'

'Just tell me, don't hold anything back.'

'I am sorry, I cannot do that. Something's are too shocking, some are too long to explain.

Your mother, Lilly, was an Evans... and if you were to look back upon your family tree, the names would change, of course, as marriages and what not cloud them. Evans was of course her maiden name... back many years, the first Evans to show up was your great, great, great grandfather Harold Evans. Perhaps another great on that, I do not know, for I don't have the information in front of me. Anyhow, Harold, no doubt you were named after him, married a woman of great power and riches. Her name was Emma Gryffindor.'

There was silence.

'What do you mean?' asked Harry at length.

'I mean that your mother was a relative of Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor was a very rich wizard, and thus is why your parents had so much money left to you, Harry... I am sure you have questions now, so I will allow you to ask before we continue.'

'Um... I don't know what to say...'

'I will continue... there is a reason why you have no other family left... that is because Voldemort has ruthlessly killed them all, I am sorry to say... for he is the Heir of Slytherin, a relative of him.

There is much to the story of Slytherin and Gryffindor. Voldemort needs all of Gryffindor's relatives out of the way before he can truly rise to ultimate power, for that reason even I yet know. For you, Harry, are the Heir to Gryffindor's wealth and power... it is you that Voldemort seeks to do away with at last, in order to rise to full power.'

'So, if I stay alive,' said Harry, 'than he can't rise to power?'

'No, I am afraid he can still rise to power, and be very powerful indeed... but he needs you out of his way to be even more powerful, or so I believe. I do not know, perhaps he just doesn't want any Gryffindor alive... but there is some reason, and I hope to find out what that is, the reason why he has so desired for them to be killed.

Now, I must tell you of your Cousin... he too has Evans blood in him, seeing his mother was your mothers sister...'

'Right! Why is he not Heir?' asked Harry.

For the first time, Dumbledore smiled, and chuckled.

'Dudley Dursley? Heir to Gryffindor! I think not Harry! He is but a squib, he will never learn magic...'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, there are ways that a squib could learn something, but it is highly unlikely that your cousin Dudley will ever do anything magic aside from making the food on his plate disappear.'

'Then, why was he taken away? Why is he taking that test?'

'Oh, he wasn't really taken for that test, Harry. There is no such test, and there is no department of overage wizards. This is where the story is anew to you...

We had to take your cousin to a safe place because Voldemort is after him.'

'Why? Why would he come after Dudley?'

'Because Dudley is a squib, he has magic in him... in his blood... as does your Aunt, but it is Dudley who came after, of course. Dudley has more of it in his system, so to speak, than your Aunt... it is not known why. We had to take him away, for if Voldemort finds him, he will take his blood in concoct a sort of potion with it, and curses within would be broken, curses you will find out some other time. He is at a safe place.'

'Why not just leave him at Privet Drive? If magic was protecting me, why not him?'

'Well, when you are gone from there, so is the protection. It will not protect any other... I assume Arabella told you that.'

'Where is she now?'

'Ah, she is on duty for the Order... she is gathering spy information of sorts, and always looking for Peter Pettigew, we seek him strongly.'

'What does Crookshanks have to do with it all?'

'Ah, yes... Crookshanks is a wise cat, he knows a lot. But I wish not to speak of Crookshanks' true idenity.'

'So, is he an Animagus?'

'Perhaps, perhaps not... I do not wish to discuss that with you, for it is his wishes. But do tell Miss Granger that if he disappears, not to worry for he will always come back. You will learn of Crookshanks another time. Any other questions?'

'Why did Fudge fire you?'

'I do not know... but I am afraid that Voldemort got to him somehow... the Ministry will be very unreliable, and Harry... do promise me this... If Fudge ever comes looking for you... Fly! Get as far as possible away from him. Wear the invisibility cloak, and go to Hagrid's perhaps.'

'Alright...'

'I wish to speak now, Albus,' said Sirius.

'Certainly.'

'Harry, do you remember the map?'

'Yes! The Marauder's Map... where is it?'

'Remus has it... he has had much good use from it. Anyway, that is all.'

'We should be getting you back to the castle...'

'Dumbledore... how did I aparate out of the castle? I thought that was impossible,' said Harry.

'Ah, well, not in the dungeons believe it or not. We made it that way, a secret escape plan of sorts. But you cannot aparate back inside, anywhere, which is why you should find yourself inside the Forbidden Forrest. But do not worry, Severus will be there waiting for you. We will meet again, Harry... perhaps next Hogsmeade weekend.'

Before Harry could say anything he found himself inside the Forbidden Forrest.

'There you are! I have been waiting here for a very long time.'

It was Professor Snape, Harry followed him back to the castle. Harry wished to go straight to bed, but he found himself in the great hall, where the Halloween party was taking place.

'Where have you been?' said Hermione.

'I'll explain to you both some other time, let's not talk about it.'

The shock of seeing the house his parents died in was now taking effect.

'Master!'

'What is it Wormtail?'

Back in the darkness, of a cave unknown.

'We have five hundred death eaters willing to battle Master!'

'Good! We just now need the Dementers and Giants, and we can start. Have you sent someone to rouse the Giants, I hope?'

'Yes, I did. He has been worthy. Master, where is the other boy?'

'Potter's cousin is at the center, I know... it is a bit risky to invade, however that can wait until all else takes place. We shall go now, Wormtail... Come! It is time for negotiation. If all goes as planned, in a week we will begin our invasion...'

said the hissing voice, and came a laughter.

Dark days were now here.