Harry Potter and the Curse of the Gypsy

Author's Note: Yeah! The end is near...only five more chapters to go after this one. I hope you've liked this story as much as I have...I will just be glad to get it done though, I am bogged down with stories and I am about to start a new story on fictionpress.net. If you like this story, you should really check out Tobias Dragonheart with the penname Megx.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. That sucks, doesn't it?

Twenty-Nine

"Harry, wake up." A voice said nervously. Slowly Harry felt his eyelids slid open. Cory was staring down at him, her eyes shining with tears. "Are you all right?" she asked quickly.

"I'm...fine. But you were..." he paused when he saw the glint of scarlet feathers from above. "Fawkes." He said simply. Cory nodded in understanding. She helped him to his feet and stood beside him. Harry saw that she now held the silver sword in her hands and, to his amazement, he saw an even stranger sight. Neville was standing over Isabelle Black, his face distorted in disgust, the sword of Hufflepuff pointed down at her. She was sprawled on the ground, looking up and around at the four teenagers above her.

"Cory..." she whispered. "Please don't do this to me...I am your mother."

Cory stared at her a long moment. "You are no mother of mine." She finally said, very quietly. "Harry, get your sword." She said.

Harry knelt and retrieved the sword from the ground, watching Cory closely in case she did something. The moment he did, he felt a sharp feeling go up his arm and through him, straight into his heart. But it wasn't like pain...it was pain and so much more. It was intensity magnified my a thousand, and filled with a power such as Harry had never felt. He looked up and saw the others sharing the same astonished looks. A faint golden glow covered them all, while the rest of the room--including Isabelle--lay still shadowed in darkness.

It faded and they were left as before. Cory took a deep shuddering breath.

"All right then." Harry muttered. "Does anybody know a binding charm so she doesn't...try anything?" he asked.

Cho nodded. "I can do it." she said softly. She raised her wand and silver cords shot out, tying themselves around Isabelle's hands and feet. She then performed Wingardium Leviosa. Neville shivered and, in a move that completely contradicted his nature, pulled the strip of fabric from her pocket and shoved it into her mouth to muffle her screaming and angry shouts.

"Let's go." Harry said. "Do you know how to get out of here? I assume you've been here before." He asked Cory.

She flinched at the harsh and accusing tone of his voice. "Sure." She muttered. "I know." Trembling, she led them out into the stony maze. They moved quickly, at a near run. When they reached the door Cory stepped aside. Harry exited first, followed by Cho with Isabelle. Cory gave the woman a sad look before turning her head aside. Neville passed Cory with a shiver--he could not even bring himself to look at her.

They all looked up when they heard the footsteps coming near. The tall gray-haired man walked over quickly, followed by the cloaked figure, who had in his hands a silvery cage with a scrambling thing inside. He froze when he saw Neville, who stared up at the man with a scared expression. And then, without warning, Neville cried out and fell into the man's arms.

Harry watched awkwardly as father and son embraced for the first time, feeling the first pang of pure jealousy he had ever felt concerning Neville Longbottom. When they pulled away, both of them had tears shining in their eyes.

"Come on." Frank said hoarsely. "We have to get out of here." He chuckled softly when he saw Isabelle. "I'll take care of her." He said to Cho. She pulled her wand and Isabelle sunk quickly to the ground, colliding sharply with the grass before Frank pulled out his own wand and she rose back into the air. He then looked at Cory. "Thank you." He said simply. Cory turned white and looked at the ground wordlessly. He then turned to Harry.

"I have you to thank most of all." He said after a long moment. "I know your name, I know what you did...but I can ever express to you my thanks for being Neville's friend and protector." Harry had nothing to say, but Frank didn't wait for an answer. He turned sharply to the cloaked man. "Do you have him?" he said quickly. The man gave a sharp nod and clutched the cage tighter to him. "Let's go."

They began walking. Harry fell back with Cho and Cory after a moment--Neville was walking beside his father, and though they did not speak the cautious hand that Frank laid on his son's shoulder was words enough to tell them this wasn't a moment to disturb.

"So...you weren't really the..." Harry started, pausing when he looked over at Cory.

"Spy?" she finished slowly. "I won't lie to you anymore Harry." She said in haltingly cautious tones. "I was the spy--I worked for Isabelle, and for Voldemort, because...because she told me what I was and I wanted the power." She choked on the last word and bowed her head. "But then...when I met Sirius and...and you I realized that...that it doesn't matter as much as I had thought."

"Sirius." Harry froze. "If Isabelle is your mother, then that means...Sirius...and Snape, too?"

Cory gave him a slow nod and, despite himself, he laughed softly. She replied with a small smile, as if apologetic.

"Great. I was dating the granddaughter of a murderer and the niece of...a greaseball."

"I understand if you feel that way." Cory said. "I know what Voldemort is, you know." Harry shook his head, immediately regretting what he had said.

"I didn't mean it that way." He said. "I don't...I can't judge you on what you're related to." He said. "I mean, that's been proven before, right? Hagrid's half-giant, and those muggles I'm related to..."

"Do you mean it?" she said, her eyes shining slightly.

"I...I think I do." He replied. "But it can't be like it was, not right now. We have to start all over again."

Cory smiled. "Yeah. I think...that's only right. No more lies." She turned suddenly and gave him her hand. "Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Corinne Black."

"Hello, Corinne." He replied, realizing this was the name he had seen on the Marauder's Map. "I really like your music. You're a great singer."

"Thanks." She replied. "But I'm not a singer anymore. I think I'm just going to see if the headmaster will let me back into Hogwarts, then I'll see what happens." Harry opened his mouth to reply but they were interrupted when they heard a loud shout from nearby.

A figure had just emerged from the woods and Frank had been blasted back several feet. He got shakily to his feet but in that time Isabelle had dropped, and the figure had knelt over her to undo her bindings.

She rose slowly, anger gleaming in eyes Harry now saw to be the same silver as her daughter's. "Thank you, Lucius." She replied slowly. "Good help is...hard to find." She said, looking darkly at Cory. "Do they realize where you are?" she said as she took the wand he handed her. Harry felt disgust rise in the pit of his stomach as Lucius Malfoy stepped into view.

"They are still trying to run the last of them out of Hogsmeade. Mostly young kids who just left Hogwarts, trying to prove to the Dark Lord that they are on his side. Marcus Flint has gotten into quite a scrape, he'd better hope somebody gets him out of it." he said in his icy voice. He leered at Harry. "Well, well." He said. "What have we here?" he murmured.

"The four got the swords." Isabelle hissed. She raised her wand and suddenly all of their wands flew into her outreached hand. She smiled darkly. "But we have our chance here, don't we? It's perfect, I must say."

"Please, don't!" Cory cried, taking a step forward.

"I will not harm you." Isabelle said with a dark smile that was both beautiful and deadly. "If you come over here to my side right now and renounce the fool Albus Dumbledore."

Cory looked at her a long moment and stepped back to Harry's side. "I've made that mistake once and when I would have questioned you I was given without regret to the Dementors. No, I will not renounce what I know is right." She shuddered. "Even if that means my death."

Harry saw her knuckles clutch over the hilt of the sword that she still carried. He held his own high in front of him, knowing that now it was the only protection he had. To his side Cho did the same, and Neville shivered as he took a step backward and stood beside Cory. With a jolt Harry realized that the figure they stood in now was the same as the arrangement of the founders in the crypt.

Isabelle narrowed her eyes. "So you plan to go out fighting?" she hissed. She turned to Frank. "So you see?" she hissed. "Your beloved son is a fool. They are all fools." Then she looked at the cloaked man. "And you...you are truly a traitor. I will see to it that you are killed when the Dark Lord comes to claim the last threads of this world...if I have not killed you first."

"Shut up!" Harry shouted. Isabelle turned with a dark glare.

"What, do you plan to make another miraculous save, Potter?" Malfoy spat. "I do not think that you have luck on your side this time. I think your luck has run out."

"Harry doesn't need luck!" came a voice from behind. "Not as long as he has us." Isabelle turned and glared at the man who had just run up--Remus Lupin. A great black dog--Sirius--was growling at his side.

"You!" Isabelle shouted. She took a hard step back--Harry felt Cory's slight recoil and remembered suddenly the aversion that werewolves and gypsies had for one another. Her eyes narrowed and she slowly stepped back, bumping into Frank Longbottom, who grabbed her arms and pulled her around. Angrily she pulled her wand out, aiming for the four students. "I'll do it now!" she shouted. "Avada Kedavra!"

The green light issued from her wand and jetted forth to where the four of them stood. But then a very strange thing happened. The light didn't exactly stop...but it wasn't traveling towards them very quickly either. Instead, it was slowly rolling through the air like a wave of water over the lake. Everybody stared in amazement. With a jolt, Harry told himself to move, but at that moment Lucius Malfoy performed a freezing charm and none of them were able to move--nobody could move to pull them out of the way or they would themselves be touched by the curse.

With a loud growl, Sirius ran over. "No!" Harry shouted as he realized what he was planning to do. He leapt in front of Harry just as the green light flowed close--Harry felt his stomach churn when the light touched his fur. And then, for unknown reasons, he ripped the black stone from his throat and held it out in front of him.

"Aspperitisome!"

He cried out as the earth sunk beneath his feet. He thought wildly that there had been an earthquake before he realized the real reason that feeling had overwhelmed him--he was actually sinking into the ground, as if it had suddenly become quicksand. Sirius had transformed back to man and was sinking beside him, but his face was pale and he wasn't moving--Harry closed his eyes, feeling his mind cry out in pain at what had happened.

He saw too that the figures of Remus, Frank, and the cloaked man had also sunk into the ground. He took a deep breath as the ground came to his nose and he went the final few inches into the earth.

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Every inch of his body was aching. Harry rose shakily, looking in confusion around the room. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, the earth that had swallowed him, but he had been sure he was about to drown. The strange thing was, he certainly didn't feel like he had drowned--in fact, he felt like he had fallen fifty feet from his broom--a feeling which, to Harry, wasn't uncommon.

He groaned and reached out blindly for the side table, finding his glasses and slipping them on. The fuzzy room slid into focus. He saw that several more beds were filled--next to him was Neville, across from him were Cho and Cory. But there were many others. He slowly rose and walked over, choking when he saw that the bed in the corner was occupied by none other than his godfather.

So sure he had been that Sirius had died, he compelled himself not to run as he crossed quickly to his side and sat beside him. "He's all right." Said a soft voice as a hand touched his shoulder. He turned and saw Figg standing over him, smiling.

"You...you weren't the spy." Harry said dully, thinking of nothing else to say.

"No, I wasn't, though with the chaos and confusion Isabelle spread, I can see certainly how you would have felt that way." Figg sighed and took a seat next to him. "Harry, I have already spoken to Frank and...and the other. They have told me everything that happened." Her eyes twinkled a moment. "Did you really perform Aspperitisome?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes...something like that, but I don't know what it is."

"The oldest and strongest of defense charms." She replied. "But it has been almost forgotten except by the gypsies."

"But...but how did it keep Avada Kedavra from hurting me?" Harry asked.

Figg frowned. "That is the odd thing. I have no idea. The spell harnesses nature and gives you the best defense you can have--rather than shielding you from the situation, it takes you away from it. But usually it is not powerful enough to stop the Curse of Death. I heard how it was slowed, and my only guess about that is with the rising of the power of the Order of the Phoenix, you were able to somehow pull together your combined strengths--any other curse might never have even punctured that barrier."

"So...we really are the heirs?" Harry asked, voicing a doubt he had had since the beginning.

"You couldn't have done what you did otherwise. But one thing...I am curious as to how you got your hands on that gypsy stone? The spell can only be performed with such a stone."

"Cory gave it to me." Harry replied. "For Christmas."

Figg smiled. "I must say, she is a very intelligent girl. She made some bad choices, but such things must be forgiven in these circumstances. Knowing what she is, though, that will be a hard hurdle for her to face." Figg sighed and pulled a familiar card from her pocket. "I knew it, of course, I tried to tell you. I knew if I said it directly, you wouldn't understand." She handed the card to Harry and he saw it was the Tarot from Divination.

"I see it now." Harry said dully. He hadn't noticed before, because he had been so intent on Cory he hadn't seen the entire picture. He as king, garbed in robes of scarlet and gold, Cory as queen in green and silver. And standing at either side a woman in blue robes, obviously a mage, and beside Harry was a strong figure in yellow.

"I did not put Cho or Neville's faces, because I didn't know they were the other two." She said quietly. "I did not think it mattered, Harry. I meant it as a warning. I did not know how to tell anybody that I suspected Corinne--Cory--to be Voldemort's heir. Your friend understood the moment she saw that card, of course." She sighed.

"Ron and Hermione? They're all right?"

"Yes, very much so. You've been here for two days, and they haven't left your side when they could help it. Unfortunately, when you left the forest the way you did you sent your group to the great hall--which wouldn't have been bad if you had been closer to the ground. You fell quite a few feet." Harry turned red and saw the twinkle in Figg's eyes.

"But...everybody is all right, aren't they?" Harry asked.

"Thankfully, yes." She motioned to the beds on the opposite wall. Remus was lying in one, snoring lightly, and in the other was Frank Longbottom. But the thing that made Harry jump was when he realized who was in the third bed...Cornelius Fudge!

Figg followed his gaze and made a derisive noise. "Yes, also a spy for Voldemort. I believe he has been helping him for many years now. Says he has realized the error of his ways...as if I believe that." She sighed. "But that doesn't matter. For now he does appear to want to help us...he retrieved Corinne from Azkaban. Frank was hidden in Fudge's townhouse--it appears that his 'death' was really just a ruse. He and his wife have been kept under Imperius all these years...a disgusting thought."

"So...they're both okay?" Harry said. "Neville's parents?"

"His mother arrived yesterday. Professor Dumbledore has been remedying her for any of the lasting effects of the curse. She was here talking to Frank and her son just yesterday. In fact, you are the only one who had not yet awoken."

"Really?" Harry frowned. "But..."

Figg smiled. "It is four o'clock in the morning Harry. I do not think you wish to go to sleep now, though. Shall I send you some breakfast?" Harry nodded. Figg walked away and he turned back to Sirius. He was still sitting there when he heard a crash from nearby. He got up and scrambled over.

"I am most sorry, sir!" a high voice was squeaking. "Dobby was hurrying, and lost the tray!" Dobby the house-elf was wringing his hands and looking in terror at Harry. Then, without warning, he turned and began banging his head on the pole of an empty bed. "Bad Dobby!" he said shrilly. "Bad Dobby!"

"Stop it!" Harry hissed. "Stop it, Dobby!" He said as he pulled the house-elf away.

Dobby shook his head. "I should not have been hurrying." He said happily. "Dobby has never before dropped a tray, ever. But..." he glanced around quickly, crooking a finger to beckon Harry closer.

"But what Dobby?" he whispered as he leaned in.

Dobby cupped a hand over his mouth and stood on tiptoes to reach Harry's ear. "Winky has started realizing that us house-elves is needing paying for our work, sir. She sees her Crouch was an evil man, how he hurts Harry Potter. And..." he looked around before giggling nervously, "she says she likes Dobby. Winky likes Dobby sir! Winky likes Dobby!" it ended with a shout and Harry sighed when he heard the bed nearby stir. Cory sat up groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"What's going on?" she hissed. She saw the house-elf and rolled her eyes. "Oh great, one of them."

Harry started to tell her to go back to sleep, but it didn't matter because the rest of the room was waking too--except for Remus, who Harry remembered had always been a deep sleeper. When Sirius peered around the curtain he grinned and got quickly to his feet, moving over to Harry.

"Hello!" Harry said cheerfully.

"Good to see you awake, Harry." Sirius said quickly. He glanced over at Cory. "You too." He smiled.

"Morning, Uncle Sirius." She said, frowning. "At least I think it's morning."

Harry glanced down at his watch. "It's five-fifteen." He said. "I've been up earlier for Quidditch practice."

"Harry!" Neville yawned as he stood. "There you are!"

"Of course he is." Cho said. "I, for one, would never forgive a fellow seeker if he couldn't take a fall like that." She grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." He said. Dobby squeaked.

"I shall get the house-elves and have them bring up more breakfast." He said as he left in a hurry.

"Good, I'm hungry." Harry glanced up at Frank, who was scratching his head. He smiled at Harry. "I guess I have to thank you yet again, Harry." He said quietly.

"I couldn't have done it without Neville and the girls." Harry said. "Literally, as Figg tells me."

"The girls?" Cory scoffed. "If you start referring to us that way, I'll have to cuff you."

"Truly the way the Order was broken up a thousand years ago." Everybody turned suddenly when they heard the new voice. Dumbledore was standing at the door, smiling. "I see you have all arisen for an early morning breakfast without me. That is fine, I guess. But somebody may want to wake Remus before Sirius turns his hair green again."

"That was only the one time." Sirius replied, giving Harry a sly wink. Neville glanced nervously at Sirius with a shake--he had a feeling that he might not be exactly convinced of his innocence.

But it was at that moment that Harry turned. Fudge was standing there, looking more gray and frazzled than Harry had ever seen him. It dawned on Harry that this had been the man in the cloak. "I am sorry." He said quietly. He said nothing else.

The morning passed quickly, and nothing pleased Harry more than when Ron and Hermione shot into the room, laughing loudly, earning disapproving looks for the umpteenth time from Madam Pomfrey. They greeted Cory coldly, though they showed respect for what she had done. But they ignored Fudge completely, which was no surprise.

It wasn't until nine that the group parted. Neville left with his father to go meet his mother for the first time, Ron and Hermione regretfully left for their classes, Cho smiled and departed for the Ravenclaw common room, and Harry was left behind with Cory, Fudge, Sirius and Remus.

Dumbledore sighed and nodded his head. "I suppose we must acknowledge the last member of this party at this time, Cornelius." He said wearily. Fudge paled slightly and nodded.

"I can never tell you how sorry I am for what I did." He said quietly. He looked nervously at Sirius, who was watching him grimly.

The story was quickly unraveled. Fudge had been working for Voldemort those many years ago. To his shock, he was told that it had been Isabelle that planned the events leading to his parents' death--how, after Donovan's death, she had gone not to Azkaban but to Fudge's manor, and how Cory had stayed there until she was needed.

It was revealed that Isabelle had cast the spell to kill the thirteen in the street--a fact that should have been obvious, as Peter Pettigrew had never been good at spells. How Fudge had covered it up and protected her these many years...and how when Cory had stopped obeying her rules, he had forced her to leave the school.

"That's why I confessed." Cory sighed. "I had the mark, and there was no other way. And I couldn't let...another of my family go to Azkaban." She smiled softly. "Even if my other uncle is Snape."

"A thought that haunts me." Said Sirius, earning a disapproving look from Dumbledore. "Just kidding." He murmured.

Dumbledore nodded and rose to his feet. "I suppose I will leave you now." He said. "You have O.W.L.S. tomorrow, if I am correct." He chuckled at the horrified look on Harry's face. "You see, I can joke as well." He said slyly. "Just because I'm old doesn't mean I've lost my sense of humor--you remember that, Sirius."

And with that he walked out of the door.

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Harry was sitting in Dumbledore's office, looking at the swords in the case near Dumbledore's desk. He still remembered the weight of the sword in his grasp...he still remembered that night.

He was waiting...he didn't know for what. After a moment he heard movement on the stair outside and turned. Dumbledore stepped in and smiled. "Ah...Harry." he said quickly. He sat down and Harry glanced over again as Sirius walked in, his long hair tied at the back of his neck. He walked over and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Hello, Professor." He said.

"Hello, Harry. How were your O.W.L.S.?" he asked. Harry bit his lip.

"I think I did okay." He said. "In most of my classes." He added, thinking darkly of Snape's pleased expression when he noticed Harry struggling over the correct sequence to be used in a Coldness draught.

"Good." Dumbledore smiled. "Of course, I'm sure you're wondering why I have you here."

Harry nodded, keeping his eyes focused on the cheerful blue sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes.

"Well, the thing is, I have a bit of a gift for you." He said. He opened a drawer in his desk and rifled around for a moment. "Ah, here." He said. He extracted a roll of parchment with a gold ribbon tied around it and handed it to Harry.

"What's this?" Harry said cautiously.

"My release papers." Sirius grinned. "It appears that Fudge is quite recalcitrant for what he did, and for losing Peter Pettigrew once again in the woods." Harry jolted, remembering the cage that Fudge had been carrying, and that the cage had been left behind when they left the woods. "Of course, he realized that we need as much aid as possible, so it wouldn't do for me to be on the most wanted list--especially with you living right under my roof."

"What?" Harry said, standing quickly.

"It's true, Harry." Dumbledore said quietly. And then, with a great laugh, Harry threw his arms around Sirius and sunk into the deep feeling that he knew would permeate him for all the years of his life...a feeling of hope and love.

A feeling of home.

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Yay! YAY! YAY! I can't believe it, Sirius is finally free! Cory is innocent! YAY! Okay, let me calm down...(yay)...there we go. So, what do you think? There is still one more chapter to go, it will be a combo going home and epilogue to the story. It should be up at the same time I post this, so if it doesn't show up right away look at it in a few minutes. Okay, and then tell me what you think, because I've worked really hard on this even though it is my first fanfic and I am desperate as heck. Well, I'll be around.

PLEASE REVIEW ME!