Harry Potter and the Curse of the Gypsy

Author's Note: I know this story is a tad cliché in some places, I hope you can forgive me. It's taken a long time to get to this point but things are going to seriously speed up after this, starting after my Christmas chapter. This fan fiction is most likely going to end at thirty chapters, so I've got about two-thirds of it done. Hope you've like it so far!

Disclaimer: If Harry Potter was mine I'd be rich. I'm not rich.

Chapter Twenty

"Me?" Harry felt lead drop into his stomach as he stared at Dumbledore in disbelief.

"Yes, Harry. I suspected it when I discovered that Voldemort planned to kill you and your father. It was confirmed when you defeated him, Harry, but by then it was too late...I never told your father, but I thought that he was in fact the one who would defeat Voldemort...never had I been more wrong."

"But...but how can I be the heir of Gryffindor?" Harry said, looking at Dumbledore suspiciously. "I mean...wouldn't I be stronger if I were?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry, you think as if you are nothing. Do not underestimate yourself. I know of no other student your age who could perform the Patronus charm, and you're marks are quite high...but that does not determine who you are. You are a brave and noble young man, perhaps the bravest I have ever known." He said simply. Harry looked at him in awe.

"Are you trying to say...that I need to defeat Voldemort?" He gulped. Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, Harry. It is your choice what you do, and I do not wish to see you near Voldemort. Things will come as they will come...but it is my duty to prepare you for what that may be."

"I just don't understand." Harry said, still in shock. "I mean, wouldn't I know it if I were his heir? Wouldn't I have...had a clue or something?"

"Harry, there are two things which above all others confirm what I know about you." Dumbledore said. "Your wand and the sword which you pulled from the Sorting Hat."

"My...my wand?" Harry stammered. "You mean, how it's connected to Voldemort's wand?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Harry. Fawkes has been here since before this school was founded...he provided the feathers for the wands of the original founders of this school, and until sixty years ago when Tom Riddle came he had never given another feather for another wand. And when he did, something extraordinary happened...he gave twin feathers, identical in every way, shape, and form...not a variation even in color. There was not a flaw to tell the two apart."

"That makes me sound more like his heir." Harry said miserably.

"I understand it would feel that way. But Godric Gryffindor was not Salazar Slytherin's enemy when first this school was founded. In fact, they were as brothers." Dumbledore stood and walked to the far corner of the room. He picked up the sword Harry had pulled from the hat and, as if on second thought, also picked up a dusty old tome with the Hogwarts seal on the cover. He returned to his desk and laid both items before Harry.

"This sword belonged to Godric Gryffindor...to date, it is the only of the founders sword's which has been found. It came to you because you needed it, Harry. It knew who it belonged to...Gryffindor made sure of that." Dumbledore smiled at Harry's stunned expression and opened the book.

Harry leaned closer when Dumbledore pushed the book towards Harry. Leaning forward, he saw a portrait of a stone door that seemed to open into the ground. "What's this?" he asked, seeing the names of the founders on the front.

"This is where the founders were laid to rest, Harry. It is said to be located somewhere on the Hogwarts grounds, though it has never been found. The only one who is not there is Salazar Slytherin, who as you know fled. But his sword is there." Dumbledore pulled the book back and looked at the page. "You know, of course, that Slytherin's disagreement with the others led him to leave this school...you know the reason of his disagreement."

"Yes." Harry said. "Because he didn't think that any wizard but a pure- blood should be allowed in the school."

"Exactly." Dumbledore answered. "But you see, the man who had been his brother, though not by blood..."

"You mean Gryffindor?"

"Yes. Godric Gryffindor could not find it within him to agree with Slytherin, because he himself had fallen in love with a muggle. Some nasty fights, that situation caused."

"You mean...you mean Gryffindor married a non-magic person?"

Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "Quite beautiful, they say she was, Helen of Troy."

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Harry walked down to Hagrid's cabin, his legs feeling like they were made of lead. He knocked slowly on Hagrid's door...he answered slowly, peering out suspiciously before he saw that it was just Harry. "Come in, come in." he muttered quickly, pulling Harry into the cabin by his collar.

Harry stumbled in, spying Remus sitting at the table, Sirius across from him. They appeared to be attempting a large piece of toffee that Hagrid had no doubt made---it explained why their jaws were stuck together and why they were having such a hard time speaking.

"Here yeh go." Hagrid said, slamming two tankards of Firewhisky down in front of them. Harry looked at the drinks guiltily as Remus and Sirius quickly downed them, unsticking their jaws.

Sirius stood and walked over, slapping Harry on the back. "Are you doing okay?" he said. Harry quickly nodded. "Good to hear." He replied, though he said it doubtfully, looking at the expression on Harry's face which Harry realized must no doubt still contain grave shock.

"Are you enjoying Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Remus asked.

"Yeah...it's all right. Shield charms, and all that. They aren't so hard, really, once you get the hang of them."

"I don't remember those being easy." Sirius made a face. "Tricky things, they are. I accidentally turned Remus to stone once when I tried to put a shield on him."

"Yes...of course, you didn't do the job completely and my head was completely normal. I don't know how you managed to get me back without McGonagall's help."

Sirius grinned. "Just lucky, I guess."

"I hear you finally got a new History of Magic professor. How is he doing?"

"She." Harry corrected. "And actually, it's not such a boring class anymore. She knows a lot about legend and myth, and teaches us plenty of that, as well as some of the regular things."

"That's good to hear...Binns was always a dead bore."

"Yeah...even after he was dead." Harry grinned and Sirius and Remus snorted at his joke. Hagrid didn't notice...he was busy looking out the window at the Chimera, who was in the process of roasting almost an entire lamb with his fiery breath.

"Care of Magical Creatures never boring, is it?" Remus said, winking at Hagrid. Harry shook his head.

"Not really. It's quite exciting, and really the Chimera isn't too bad if you don't mind singed hair. She doesn't appear to want to bite my head off, which is a good sign."

"And your friend Draco?"

Harry grinned. "She's still trying to make up her mind."

"I hear you had an incident in Divination this morning." Remus said. Harry felt himself go red.

"Nothing really," he mumbled, "I just dozed a bit. I ran because Trelawney makes me so uncomfortable, predicting my death all the time."

"Oh, so you're her victim?" Sirius said, glancing down at him. "I remember in our years it was Remus...it made her quite happy every time he disappeared. I think she always gave us extra homework when he came back and she found he hadn't died yet."

Harry chuckled despite himself as he saw the supportive look on Remus' face. "Yeah, I know." He replied. "Except here, I don't usually almost die until the end of the year, so she generally doesn't have time to give us extra." He grinned back.

They talked for awhile about Harry's various classes, until finally came the subject he had forgotten about. Hearing Sirius mention it filled him anew with dread. "About Christmas, Harry..."

"Stop." Harry said miserably. "I know what you're going to say." He muttered.

"What?" Sirius said in surprise.

"I know I'm being sent back to Privet Drive." He said, shaking his head. Sirius and Remus looked at him in astonishment.

"Of course not." Sirius said suddenly, in what Harry thought was a defensive tone. He glanced up quickly. "Unless you want to, of course..." he said in a moment.

"Why would I want to?" Harry snorted. "Those people are awful."

"Then it's settled." Sirius grinned. "You coming with us, to stay..."

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"In the Shrieking Shack?" Ron stared at Harry. A sausage fell forgotten from his fork and plopped down onto the table. Harry nodded as he chewed on a large piece of bread. Swallowing, he grinned.

"Of course. It's the best place for me...nobody goes near there, if people hear noises, they'll think it was just ghosts, and it connects right back to Hogwarts if we need to go there in a hurry."

Ron sighed. "That's great, Harry. I was worried for a moment that you'd have to go to Privet Drive. Course, you're always welcome at my Uncle's house, but he's a dead bore, though I dare say you'd like my mum's sister, she's incredible."

"Yeah, well I'm just glad I don't have to spend any time with Dudley." Harry shook his head. "My aunt and uncle wrote, his girlfriend Moira is spending the holidays with them, because her mum and dad are vacationing in the Bahamas."

Ron made a face. "Can't believe that...thing...actually got a girl."

"You'd believe it if you ever saw her." Harry said. "She's a right pig..."

"Not talking about me, are you Harry?" Ron and Harry glanced up as Cory came over. She sat down beside them, grinning.

"Sure." He said, shrugging. "Look how fat you are."

"God, will you two get a room already?" Ron said in exasperation. Cory winked at him.

"Only if you and Hermione get one as well."

"What?! I never..."

Cory winked at Harry as Ron started sputtering. "That shut him up for a moment." She snorted. "So why don't you give me a kiss while he recovers his senses?"

Harry smiled and gave her a soft kiss. She was smiling brightly when he pulled away.

"Are you two ever going to stop doing that?" Hermione said disgustedly. "I mean, people are watching."

Cory sighed and glanced over. "Hermione, do you have to ruin my fun? I'm trying to seduce Harry, if you don't mind."

Harry, who had just taken a drink of pumpkin juice, spat it out all over the table and looked quickly at Cory, who gave him an innocent look. "Come on, darling." She said. "I'm just teasing you."

"Yeah...all right." He shook his head. "I can't believe it, you're going to drive me crazy one of these days."

She smiled. "I can't wait." After a while the rest headed back to the Gryffindor common room. Harry, who hadn't yet had time to think about what Dumbledore had told him that morning, decided to go to his room.

'How can I be the heir of Gryffindor?' he thought, looking at the ceiling. 'I'm not the type of person who had that type of legacy.

'But you are.' A small voice said in his head. 'Don't you realize that? You're whole life you've been lead into this...it's in your blood Harry. It's who you are.'

But as he sat there, something came to him that he remembered Dumbledore saying...it's our choices that make us who we are. 'Whatever I choose.' He thought. 'It's going to matter. I will never choose to go to Voldemort's side...not after my parents did what they did for me.'

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'It's beginning.' Voldemort said simply, angrily. 'He knows. The girl did not even have to tell him.'

'I'm sorry...what was I supposed to do?' Isabelle said in indignation. 'I can't keep Dumbledore from telling the boy his secrets...I couldn't prevent this.'

'You should have found a way to bring him to me when you had the chance!' he said angrily. 'It was foolish of you, stupid woman, to try and use a muggle weapon against him. Do you not know what he is? What he can do?'

'I said I am sorry.' The woman hissed. 'But it is not my fault. Potter is practically invincible! It doesn't help that wherever he goes, he's protected by them! Everywhere he goes, they watch...Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, even that convict, Sirius Black...'

'Sirius Black?' Voldemort's voice went softer. 'He...he is escaped from Azkaban, is he not?'

'Yes...put there because it was believed he supported you, my lord...as if that could ever be.' She said coldly.

'Fudge...Fudge would like Black would he not?' Voldemort said icily.

'Yes, he would.'

Voldemort began laughing. 'Then perhaps we may dent Harry Potter's invincible shield by removing part of it...unless, of course...somebody dares to take his place?'

Isabelle smiled, her eyes like ice. 'Yes...I see. And perhaps...perhaps Fudge would not be hesitant to take my brother as well.'

'Severus Snape will deeply regret his betrayal.' Voldemort sneered. 'Yes, perhaps they shall both be of use to me...Severus Snape had better be thankful for the year, otherwise...otherwise he would be dead now, even as we speak.'

Harry woke, screaming. The scar was burning painfully...it hadn't hurt this bad since last year, when Voldemort had come so near to him. Now, it felt like fire, and like ice...quickly he went to the bedside table and wrote everything that he remembered from the dream...there was no way he was going to forget this dream.

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Hiya! How did you like my little legend/story about the founder's up there at the beginning? I thought it was cute...and if you want to see something funny, and see why I chose Helen of Troy, then start looking at your research...Helen of Troy married Menelaus in legend, and there was the whole thing with Paris, but I am going to describe how it was all made up later to disguise the truth...and it doesn't exactly fit with the timeline, but that's okay, they are wizards, maybe Gryffindor knew of a way to retrieve her out of time!

Hee-hee...but the really funny thing that made me really want to get Helen was this...the daughter she had with Menelaus in legend is, appropriately, named HERMIONE! Tee-hee...well, there, that's it for the history legend. I hope you like this chapter, it gave me some difficulty but I got it worked out, and this is nothing like my first draft of this chapter.