Chapter Eight
Harry woke up on Christmas day and found Ron was already awake and dressed.
"Harry we have to go down to the common room."
"Why?"
"Dunno but Sirius left a note for us on the door saying to meet him and Professor Lupin down there."
Harry pulled on some clothes and followed Ron down the stairs.
"Happy Christmas." Sirius and Professor Lupin said. They were sitting in armchairs by the fire.
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked
"Don't know, probably still in bed." Was the reply they got from Sirius, he had no sooner said it than Hermione entered the common room. "Now down to the more fun proceedings, the presents."
The five of them spent the next hour or so unwrapping presents. Hermione had given Harry a book on Quidditch, Ron had bought him a set of Chudley Cannons Chocolate Frog Cards (special edition) and also a chocolate frog card he had found a few days ago.
"Thanks Ron." Said Harry laughing.
"What is it?" Said Sirius
"A chocolate frog card."
"Yeah so?"
"A Harry Potter card."
"Oh, what does it say?" Said Sirius bemusedly
"Harry Potter is most famous for his defeat of the Dark Lord in 1981 at the age of one. Because he was orphaned during the same attack Harry grew up with his only remaining family who were muggles. Harry was Triwizard champion and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry was the youngest House Quidditch player in over a century when he was picked in his first year to play Seeker for the Gryffindor team." Harry finished reading.
"See Harry you're really famous now." Ron said grinning. Harry turned the card over and saw it was the picture they had used when he had first been picked for the Triwizard tournament when he had been in the Daily Prophet.
Harry finished unwrapping his last few presents when Sirius took something from behind the chair, it was wrapped up at was long and thin. Harry took it and unwrapped it. A shinning broomstick fell onto the floor emblazoned with the words Lightening Bolt.
"Sirius you already bought me a broom."
"Well I'll take it back if you don't want it."
"Of course he wants it he's not stupid." Said Ron
Harry handed the broom over for Ron to admire because he saw the last card on the floor was addressed to him. Harry picked up the card, he didn't recognise the writing on it, it was slanted and sharp.
He opened the card and went deathly pale. Sirius looked up at Harry and walked over to him removing the card from his hand. He read to himself.
"To Harry Happy Christmas Love Your Grandfather"
"That sick minded bastard!" Sirius said out loud, fuming.
"Sirius what's wrong?" Hermione asked looking worried, Sirius ignored her and spoke to Harry.
"Harry that's it we're telling Dumbledore."
"Telling Dumbledore what?" Said Ron
"Do we have to tell him?" Harry said still deathly pale.
"Tell him what?" Asked Lupin.
"Yes, are you coming or not Harry?" Asked Sirius
"Fine." Harry followed him out of the common room.
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked Professor Lupin, he shrugged.
Sirius strode the corridor still clutching the card in his hand.
"Sirius, you're still in human form, someone might see you." Harry said.
"What, oh yeah." Sirius transformed and ran down the corridors to Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry ended up sprinting to keep up with him. They reached the gargoyle that guarded the moving staircase to the Headmaster's office. Sirius resumed his normal form.
"Liquorice Wand" he said and the gargoyle sprung back to reveal the staircase. When they reached the top Sirius knocked at the door and waited for an answer.
Dumbledore opened the door of the office.
"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" He said smiling good- naturedly at them.
"This came for Harry." Sirius said holding up the card, Dumbledore looked at Sirius strangely.
"Well it is normal for people to get Christmas cards during the festive season." Dumbledore said.
"Not like this, can we come in?" Sirius asked
"Why of course." Dumbledore motioned for the two of them to come in. "Now Mr Black what is bothering you?"
"Well you see." Sirius explained everything to Dumbledore. Harry didn't say a word during this time. Sirius ended by giving the card to Dumbledore who read it before ripping it up into tiny pieces.
"That would explain to me why Voldemort wished to kill you in the first place Harry." Dumbledore said smiling at Harry.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked puzzled.
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half moon glasses.
"It is time" he said, "for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything. Your mother Harry, your mother was in fact a direct descendant of Godric Gryffindor himself. I just thought Voldemort wanted the heir of Gryffindor dead. Now things are far clearer. It seems Harry you are the union of two age-old enemies. " Harry sat there stunned before he remembered something from the beginning of term.
"Professor, at the beginning of term Professor Trelawny made a prediction, a real one I mean. She said something about enemies uniting and then dying and then about the one left being powerful when the flame sacrifices itself. Do you think it's about me?"
"Very likely, but did you know that's the third real prediction she's made? I think another pay rise is in order. Now Harry are you okay over all of this?" Dumbledore asked looking worriedly at Harry. Harry nodded.
"I think so sir."
"Well maybe you too should go back to your common room I'm sure the others will be waiting."
Harry and Sirius left the room not saying anything to each other.
"Are we going to tell them?" Harry asked at last breaking the silence.
"Why worry them. Tell them later, it's Christmas after all."
That night Harry lay in bed thinking over what Professor Trelawny had said. When the flame sacrifices itself. What Harry wanted to know was who or what the flame was. Deciding it would all fit into place eventually Harry fell asleep.
Harry woke up on Christmas day and found Ron was already awake and dressed.
"Harry we have to go down to the common room."
"Why?"
"Dunno but Sirius left a note for us on the door saying to meet him and Professor Lupin down there."
Harry pulled on some clothes and followed Ron down the stairs.
"Happy Christmas." Sirius and Professor Lupin said. They were sitting in armchairs by the fire.
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked
"Don't know, probably still in bed." Was the reply they got from Sirius, he had no sooner said it than Hermione entered the common room. "Now down to the more fun proceedings, the presents."
The five of them spent the next hour or so unwrapping presents. Hermione had given Harry a book on Quidditch, Ron had bought him a set of Chudley Cannons Chocolate Frog Cards (special edition) and also a chocolate frog card he had found a few days ago.
"Thanks Ron." Said Harry laughing.
"What is it?" Said Sirius
"A chocolate frog card."
"Yeah so?"
"A Harry Potter card."
"Oh, what does it say?" Said Sirius bemusedly
"Harry Potter is most famous for his defeat of the Dark Lord in 1981 at the age of one. Because he was orphaned during the same attack Harry grew up with his only remaining family who were muggles. Harry was Triwizard champion and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry was the youngest House Quidditch player in over a century when he was picked in his first year to play Seeker for the Gryffindor team." Harry finished reading.
"See Harry you're really famous now." Ron said grinning. Harry turned the card over and saw it was the picture they had used when he had first been picked for the Triwizard tournament when he had been in the Daily Prophet.
Harry finished unwrapping his last few presents when Sirius took something from behind the chair, it was wrapped up at was long and thin. Harry took it and unwrapped it. A shinning broomstick fell onto the floor emblazoned with the words Lightening Bolt.
"Sirius you already bought me a broom."
"Well I'll take it back if you don't want it."
"Of course he wants it he's not stupid." Said Ron
Harry handed the broom over for Ron to admire because he saw the last card on the floor was addressed to him. Harry picked up the card, he didn't recognise the writing on it, it was slanted and sharp.
He opened the card and went deathly pale. Sirius looked up at Harry and walked over to him removing the card from his hand. He read to himself.
"To Harry Happy Christmas Love Your Grandfather"
"That sick minded bastard!" Sirius said out loud, fuming.
"Sirius what's wrong?" Hermione asked looking worried, Sirius ignored her and spoke to Harry.
"Harry that's it we're telling Dumbledore."
"Telling Dumbledore what?" Said Ron
"Do we have to tell him?" Harry said still deathly pale.
"Tell him what?" Asked Lupin.
"Yes, are you coming or not Harry?" Asked Sirius
"Fine." Harry followed him out of the common room.
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked Professor Lupin, he shrugged.
Sirius strode the corridor still clutching the card in his hand.
"Sirius, you're still in human form, someone might see you." Harry said.
"What, oh yeah." Sirius transformed and ran down the corridors to Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry ended up sprinting to keep up with him. They reached the gargoyle that guarded the moving staircase to the Headmaster's office. Sirius resumed his normal form.
"Liquorice Wand" he said and the gargoyle sprung back to reveal the staircase. When they reached the top Sirius knocked at the door and waited for an answer.
Dumbledore opened the door of the office.
"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" He said smiling good- naturedly at them.
"This came for Harry." Sirius said holding up the card, Dumbledore looked at Sirius strangely.
"Well it is normal for people to get Christmas cards during the festive season." Dumbledore said.
"Not like this, can we come in?" Sirius asked
"Why of course." Dumbledore motioned for the two of them to come in. "Now Mr Black what is bothering you?"
"Well you see." Sirius explained everything to Dumbledore. Harry didn't say a word during this time. Sirius ended by giving the card to Dumbledore who read it before ripping it up into tiny pieces.
"That would explain to me why Voldemort wished to kill you in the first place Harry." Dumbledore said smiling at Harry.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked puzzled.
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half moon glasses.
"It is time" he said, "for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything. Your mother Harry, your mother was in fact a direct descendant of Godric Gryffindor himself. I just thought Voldemort wanted the heir of Gryffindor dead. Now things are far clearer. It seems Harry you are the union of two age-old enemies. " Harry sat there stunned before he remembered something from the beginning of term.
"Professor, at the beginning of term Professor Trelawny made a prediction, a real one I mean. She said something about enemies uniting and then dying and then about the one left being powerful when the flame sacrifices itself. Do you think it's about me?"
"Very likely, but did you know that's the third real prediction she's made? I think another pay rise is in order. Now Harry are you okay over all of this?" Dumbledore asked looking worriedly at Harry. Harry nodded.
"I think so sir."
"Well maybe you too should go back to your common room I'm sure the others will be waiting."
Harry and Sirius left the room not saying anything to each other.
"Are we going to tell them?" Harry asked at last breaking the silence.
"Why worry them. Tell them later, it's Christmas after all."
That night Harry lay in bed thinking over what Professor Trelawny had said. When the flame sacrifices itself. What Harry wanted to know was who or what the flame was. Deciding it would all fit into place eventually Harry fell asleep.
