Secrets Revealed
"She is the most selfish person I have ever met!" Harry fumed, pacing the common room, in front of the fireplace. Three faces stared at him. "WHAT?" he exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air.
"Since when did you become so dramatic?" Ron mused with a slight scowl on his own face. He had become increasingly defensive with Harry whenever Ivy was mentioned. Ron's crush on Ivy seemed to escalate a few notches every time he saw her, which was at least three times a day at meals.
"You didn't hear her," Harry stated, choosing his words carefully. "You didn't have to sit there and listen to how she did everything for herself without any regard to me and what I was going through," Harry felt a twinge of guilt as he said those words, but he physically shrugged them off.
Hermione had been listening to everything that was going on. She had begun to get frustrated with both Harry and Ron. Harry was being unfair to Ivy, and Ron, well Ron was being Ron. Hermione was beginning to feel the pangs of jealousy, but was fighting them with all she had because she honestly liked Ivy. She was a great professor and from what Hermione could see, Ivy truly did care for Harry, regardless of the thickness of his skull.
"She was telling me about how hard it was for her and how much she had to help herself and blah blah blah," Harry brought his hand up, opening and closing his fingers and thumb, making it look like a duck's bill flapping. At this, Ginny raised her fingers to her temples and rubbed them hard, rolling her eyes in the process. Harry noted that Hermione and Ron's reactions were much the same as Ginny's.
"I'm telling you, she's just a selfish person who isn't thinking of anyone other than herself!"
Ron's face went red with furry but Hermione silenced him as she rose out of her chair. She stood in front of Harry and looked him straight in the eye.
"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is!" she said. She then spun on her heels and marched up the stairs to her room.
"What in bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked.
"She's calling you selfish," Ginny said with a dejected sigh.
"Me?" Harry squeaked.
"Yes! You!" Ron said as he stood and brushed past Harry, following Hermione's actions, storming up the boy's staircase.
"What is wrong with everyone?" Harry asked, bewildered at his friends' reactions.
"Harry, you're not being exactly fair to her," Ginny said.
"What are you talking about? I went to find her. I gave her a chance. Just like everyone told me to!"
"You aren't giving her a chance, Harry! Have you ever sat down and thought about what it might have been like for her? Did you actually read Sirius' letter, or just skim it?" Ginny knew Harry felt like he was alone. Especially when all of his friends seemed to be taking Ivy's side, but she couldn't help it. She had never seen Harry act this irrationally before and she didn't like it. She sighed.
"You know I." Ginny paused with what she was about to say and redirected her statement, "care about you, but please, Harry, think about what you are saying."
"You said you would support whatever decision I made about Ivy Evans. Weren't those your exact words?" Harry threw in her face. Ginny sucked in a breath and Harry visibly saw her temper rise at his use of her own words against her.
"Yes, I did say that! But I wasn't expecting you to act like an ass when I told you that!"
"An ass? I'm acting like an ass? What about Ivy? Or all of you for that matter?" Harry had crossed the line and he knew it, but he wasn't about to back down. His insides sank when Ginny addressed him, her voice a dead clam.
"When you can calm down and act like a civil person, when you can show some compassion for other people and what they must have gone through, and when you can show the people who care about you tiniest shred of respect, then I will talk to you."
With that said, the last of his close friend's left him alone in the common room.
***
Ivy found herself back in her room after teaching Remus a few words she knew he would never use. She closed the door behind her and sighed. It had felt good to forget about Harry for a while, but the minute she was back in her office, the feeling of dread enveloped her again.
"Am I ever going to get through to him?" she said out loud to no one as she set about to rearrange the magazines that Harry had disrupted on her coffee table. It was then that she remembered the letter she had received just before her confrontation with her nephew. As much as that event had upset her, she couldn't help but smile fondly at the letter as she picked it up and sank down on her couch. She ran her fingertips over her name on the envelope, seemingly savoring the moment. She knew whom it was from; there was no question in her mind. She had intentionally dropped the envelope upside down on her table, as not to upset Harry.
Carefully, as if the letter might disappear right in her hands, Ivy opened the letter. Smiling in spite of herself, she unfolded the parchment and read.
Ivy,
I am at a loss for words right now. I have been trying to come up with something adequate to write to you for almost a week now and here I am, still wondering what the point of this letter will be.
Formalities first, I suppose. How are you? I am sure you are finding things at Hogwarts trying to say the least. I wish I could be there for you to ease your transition. Even just to see you, talk to you, be with you. I have a feeling your nephew is going to be a handful for you, but I assure you that I am doing everything in my power to help you with him. He is just as headstrong as both of his parents were, but I doubt I have to tell you that. Please be patient with him. As I told him, you two deserve each other. He may not realize it now, but eventually he will.
With that said, I am so glad you are back. I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me that I can actually write to you. There are so many things I have to tell you, most of which I want to do in person, but this one just cannot wait. Thank you. Thank you for believing in me when no one else would. Even when Dumbledore had his doubts, you left our world kicking and screaming my innocence. I cannot thank you enough for your refusal to believe anything less than what you knew was the truth.
This is where I always loose myself, so here goes. I missed you. I still miss you. I want to see you, to know you are really there. Ivy, I can't express what I want to, no matter how hard I try. Expect more letters from me soon. I'm going to look for a way to see you. Know I'll be thinking of you.
Always,
Sirius
Ivy stared at the letter. She read it again and again until she had it memorized, and then read it once more. She tried to banish the thought of trying to go out and find Sirius before he could find her, telling herself to wait, the time would come when it was meant to be. She carried the letter into her bedroom and sat on her bed, thinking of Sirius. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking of the time when she would be able to see the only man she had ever loved, for the first time in fifteen years.
***
Harry ate breakfast alone the next morning, very conscious of the fact that Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were still not talking to him. To their credit, they had given him precious time to think, time he needed, but probably would not have had if they had been talking to him. He had thought long and hard about many things including Ivy, the letter from Sirius, and his blow up at his friends. He needed to apologize to them. He had been acting like an ass and he knew it.
He looked up at the head table and saw his aunt, fresh faced and glowing, sitting next to Professor Lupin. They were laughing and talking like old friends, which Harry had already surmised, they were. They would have known each other, just like Sirius had known Ivy. Harry tilted his head in wonder as he watched them. What he was finding out of place finally struck him as he absentmindedly reached for his glass of pumpkin juice. Ivy looked radiant. He had grown accustomed to her appearance by now, and it didn't hurt him to look at her as it had before, but this was something he had never seen from her before. Her eyes were bright and shining, not tired and bloodshot. The pale pinkness that often colored her cheeks had been replaced by a rosy even splash that continued all over her face. She was smiling and looked genuinely happy for the first time since he had met her.
Harry scowled. After their interaction the day before, he definitely was not expecting Ivy to show up looking like a goddess. Of course, he thought as he observed her laugh at something Professor Lupin had said, her friends hadn't forsaken her. Harry rolled his eyes, not willing to let himself like her yet, despite his thought process that maybe she wasn't as bad as she could have been. She was no Aunt Petunia after all.
Harry had thought about his other aunt, and what Ivy had told him about her lack of magical abilities. He smirked. It made perfect sense why Aunt Petunia was the way she was.
Abruptly, Harry was forced from his thoughts as he heard his name being called out.
"Potter!" he heard the unmistakable voice of Professor McGonagall shout out. He looked up at her with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, Professor. I was lost in thought."
"No matter. Professor Dumbledore wishes a word with you, Potter. Please follow me."
Harry was confused as he stood and gathered his things. "But, I have double Potions right now, Professor."
"You have been excused for today. Now, please hurry." Professor McGonagall was eying Harry cautiously in a way the unnerved him. He followed the professor to Dumbledore's office in silence, wondering what he had done now. Surely, Hermione had not told the Headmaster about his outburst in the common room. He didn't think that Hermione would betray him like that, no matter how upset she was at him, but it was the only thing he could think of.
His thoughts were confirmed when he entered the office to see Dumbledore and Ivy chatting in hushed voices. When had Ivy left the Great Hall?
"Harry," Dumbledore said, extending a hand toward an empty chair next to Ivy. "Please, take a seat."
Harry did as he was told, his eyes never leaving Dumbledore. His stomach was doing flip-flops while he waited for the professor to begin speaking. He noticed that Professor McGonagall was not with them, but he hadn't seen her leave.
"Harry, I have called you here today because there is a matter of great concern that you must be made aware of. I've just filled your aunt in on everything and she felt you needed to know about it. I agree with her."
Harry's eyes narrowed. Who was Ivy to be making decisions about his life? He saw Dumbledore looking at him expectantly.
"Okay," he said with what he hoped was an air of casualty.
"Harry, we have found out that Voldemort is very determined to find you. He needs you very much right now, for reasons that I, myself, am not privy to. Sirius told me by floo this morning that you are in grave danger and that you must either go into hiding yourself, or go under the Fidelius Charm."
Harry's insides dropped. Hiding? Fidelius Charm? His brain began to spin. Voldemort was always after him, that was nothing new, but if he was being forced to take such dire measures to protect himself, he must be in very grave danger.
"I feel that it would be best for you to not go into hiding, as you are still very much a student here and you have a right to an education as much as anyone else. But I also have the responsibility of keeping you safe."
Harry gauged Ivy's facial expression. It looked torn.
"Ron can be my secret keeper," he said emphatically. Dumbledore shook his head somberly.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but he can't be. A secret keeper must be a fully trained witch or wizard. I was hoping you would consider Ivy."
Harry sputtered. "No!"
Ivy looked down at her hands. Instantly, Harry felt a twinge of guilt. He almost apologized, but he didn't.
"Harry, Ivy is the most qualified person to be your secret keeper."
"Just because she's a blood relative?" Harry asked bitterly.
"No. Ivy would be the most qualified person to be anybody's secret keeper."
Dumbledore let these words sink in. Finally, Ivy turned to Harry.
"I am the person who translated the charm, Harry."
These words hit Harry like a ton of bricks. Ivy had been the one to find a way to keep his parents safe. He didn't know what to do with this new information, but his mind swirled around it.
"I wasn't able to be their secret keeper because I wasn't a fully trained witch," Ivy began, her voice laced with regret. "I wanted to, but it is a very complicated charm and it can go very wrong if it is not properly done."
"How did you." Harry trailed off.
"I was starting to dabble in Ancient Runes when I found out how much danger Lily and James were in. I just happened to come across the charm one day and was able to break the code. It was mostly a matter of chance and timing, really," Ivy shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal.
"It was written in one of the most ancient and difficult languages to translate," Dumbledore offered, smiling proudly at Ivy.
Harry sat in shock. He was in danger of a fate the same as his parents. And of all people, Ivy, was his best defense.
"Can I think about it?" he asked, thinking he would write to Sirius and ask him to be his secret keeper.
"Of course, Harry. How about we give you until tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Harry looked panicked. He would never be able to get in touch with Sirius in that short amount of time. Then it dawned on him. Floo. All he had to do was find out where Sirius was and use the fireplace to talk to him. "Tomorrow will be fine."
"We will all meet here after dinner then," Dumbledore finalized the plans. "You are free to go, Harry, if you don't have any more questions."
Harry shook his head no. He had plenty more questions; he just wasn't sure how to say them. Not to mention he wasn't sure he wanted to ask these questions in Ivy's presence.
Harry said a quick thank you to Dumbledore and left the office in a hurry. He had a lot of things to accomplish before tomorrow evening. Apologizing to his friends was the first thing on his list, as he needed their help. He also missed them and knew he had been wrong.
***
Harry paced the Common Room floor, waiting for Ginny, Hermione, and Ron to get back from class. He was going over his speech in his head for the hundredth time when the portrait hole opened and they climbed through, books carried under their arms. They all looked at him in surprise.
"Please, sit down? I need to apologize to you all," he said as he had prepared. They all took a seat and watched as Harry resumed his pacing.
"I'm so sorry. I know I have been a prat ever since Ivy showed up and you lot don't deserve to be treated that way. I'm not saying that I'm Ivy's best friend, but I do understand what you were all trying to tell me. I am very sorry for not listening to you," he paused, "and for being so selfish."
Harry looked at his friends, about to continue on with how much their opinions meant to him, and how much he valued them as people, but Ginny had other ideas. She rose from her chair and stood in front of him. For a fleeting second, he let himself think she was going to slap him, but her face softened and she reached up to caress his cheek. He leaned into her hand, savoring the touch and she smiled at him.
"I forgive you," she whispered simply and rose up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. He smiled as she kissed him and closed his eyes.
"Thank you," he breathed as she returned to her normal standing position.
After Ginny had forgiven him, he looked shamefacedly at Ron and Hermione. They needed no further apology either, and soon the four where talking animatedly about Harry's trip to Dumbledore's office.
"Harry, I don't like the sound of this," Ginny said, her face full of concern after he had explained that he was in some type of danger.
"Me either," he said as he looked into her troubled brown eyes. "But I have options, I guess."
Ginny crawled into Harry's lap and he put his arms around her. He hadn't even realized what it meant to have someone worry about him this much before. The feeling was a strange mixture of extreme happiness and guilt. He tightened his grip on Ginny and she leaned her body into his chest.
"What are your options, Harry?" Hermione asked, secretly taking notice of how much Ginny and Harry cared for each other.
"Well, I could go into hiding," he answered shortly. He felt Ginny tense in his arms and ran his hand reassuringly up and down her arm. "But I'm not going to do that. Dumbledore doesn't think it would be a good idea, and I don't really fancy it either. It would almost be like accepting defeat somehow."
"What else?" Ron asked quietly.
"Dumbledore suggested the Fidelius Charm. The one my parents were under."
"I'll be your secret keeper," said Ron fearlessly, with a somewhat sadistic look on his face. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"I already volunteered you," he stared, as Rom beamed, "but you have to be a fully trained wizard to do it."
"Bugger! Well, who are you going to ask then?"
"Dumbledore wants Ivy to do it," Harry began and gauged the reaction of his friends. Ginny smiled confidently, while Hermione's eyes glistened. Girls were so odd. Ron, however, regarded Harry carefully.
"Are you going to ask her?"
"I wanted to ask Sirius first," Harry began, choosing his words carefully so he made it sound like Ivy was a consideration.
"That's understandable, Harry. He is your godfather," Hermione began and Harry could almost read the "but" in her statement before she even said it. "But, I don't think he can do it."
"Why?" Harry challenged. Ginny threw him a look and he bowed his head. "Sorry." Hermione dismissed the comment with the wave of her hand and smiled.
"If I understand the Fidelius Charm correctly, you cannot be a secret keeper if you are on the receiving end of the curse. It's too risky that way. It's also quite possible that Sirius is already under the Fidelius Charm and if he is, it won't work without breaking the charm for himself."
Harry thought about this for a minute. He had no doubt in his mind that if Harry asked him, Sirius would give up his own protection for Harry's safety. He didn't like the idea of that at all. Resignedly, he sighed.
"Hermione, can you explain to me all of the details?" he asked.
After three hours of lecture from "Professor" Granger on the subject of the Fidelius Charm, Harry's mind began whirling once again. It took a great amount of knowledge to be a secret keeper. Essentially, it was also supposed to take a great amount of loyalty, though it seemed to have been flawed as to where that loyalty had to lie.
As they had listened to Hermione talk about the complex charm, Harry understood that it must have taken Ivy a great amount of energy to translate and understand the meaning of it. Harry mentioned that Ivy had been the one to officially translate and make the charm available, and Ron, Hermione and Ginny had all gasped.
"Talented witch, isn't she?" Ron had mused, a silly grin on his face. Hermione had not shared his grin.
***
Harry sat in the same seat he had been sitting in the day before. He nervously twisted his fingers around each other, consciously avoiding the gazes of the two adults in the room. Someone coughed and Harry was so deep in thought, it was a minute before he realized it was himself.
"Well, Harry," Dumbledore said casually, "have you made a decision?"
"Yes," he said, drawing up his courage and a deep breath, He turned to Ivy. "Will you be my secret keeper?"
A/N: Thanks to Riv for giving me the space and outlet to talk this idea out. I appreciate it! (Love and miss you very much, Liss)
"She is the most selfish person I have ever met!" Harry fumed, pacing the common room, in front of the fireplace. Three faces stared at him. "WHAT?" he exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air.
"Since when did you become so dramatic?" Ron mused with a slight scowl on his own face. He had become increasingly defensive with Harry whenever Ivy was mentioned. Ron's crush on Ivy seemed to escalate a few notches every time he saw her, which was at least three times a day at meals.
"You didn't hear her," Harry stated, choosing his words carefully. "You didn't have to sit there and listen to how she did everything for herself without any regard to me and what I was going through," Harry felt a twinge of guilt as he said those words, but he physically shrugged them off.
Hermione had been listening to everything that was going on. She had begun to get frustrated with both Harry and Ron. Harry was being unfair to Ivy, and Ron, well Ron was being Ron. Hermione was beginning to feel the pangs of jealousy, but was fighting them with all she had because she honestly liked Ivy. She was a great professor and from what Hermione could see, Ivy truly did care for Harry, regardless of the thickness of his skull.
"She was telling me about how hard it was for her and how much she had to help herself and blah blah blah," Harry brought his hand up, opening and closing his fingers and thumb, making it look like a duck's bill flapping. At this, Ginny raised her fingers to her temples and rubbed them hard, rolling her eyes in the process. Harry noted that Hermione and Ron's reactions were much the same as Ginny's.
"I'm telling you, she's just a selfish person who isn't thinking of anyone other than herself!"
Ron's face went red with furry but Hermione silenced him as she rose out of her chair. She stood in front of Harry and looked him straight in the eye.
"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is!" she said. She then spun on her heels and marched up the stairs to her room.
"What in bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked.
"She's calling you selfish," Ginny said with a dejected sigh.
"Me?" Harry squeaked.
"Yes! You!" Ron said as he stood and brushed past Harry, following Hermione's actions, storming up the boy's staircase.
"What is wrong with everyone?" Harry asked, bewildered at his friends' reactions.
"Harry, you're not being exactly fair to her," Ginny said.
"What are you talking about? I went to find her. I gave her a chance. Just like everyone told me to!"
"You aren't giving her a chance, Harry! Have you ever sat down and thought about what it might have been like for her? Did you actually read Sirius' letter, or just skim it?" Ginny knew Harry felt like he was alone. Especially when all of his friends seemed to be taking Ivy's side, but she couldn't help it. She had never seen Harry act this irrationally before and she didn't like it. She sighed.
"You know I." Ginny paused with what she was about to say and redirected her statement, "care about you, but please, Harry, think about what you are saying."
"You said you would support whatever decision I made about Ivy Evans. Weren't those your exact words?" Harry threw in her face. Ginny sucked in a breath and Harry visibly saw her temper rise at his use of her own words against her.
"Yes, I did say that! But I wasn't expecting you to act like an ass when I told you that!"
"An ass? I'm acting like an ass? What about Ivy? Or all of you for that matter?" Harry had crossed the line and he knew it, but he wasn't about to back down. His insides sank when Ginny addressed him, her voice a dead clam.
"When you can calm down and act like a civil person, when you can show some compassion for other people and what they must have gone through, and when you can show the people who care about you tiniest shred of respect, then I will talk to you."
With that said, the last of his close friend's left him alone in the common room.
***
Ivy found herself back in her room after teaching Remus a few words she knew he would never use. She closed the door behind her and sighed. It had felt good to forget about Harry for a while, but the minute she was back in her office, the feeling of dread enveloped her again.
"Am I ever going to get through to him?" she said out loud to no one as she set about to rearrange the magazines that Harry had disrupted on her coffee table. It was then that she remembered the letter she had received just before her confrontation with her nephew. As much as that event had upset her, she couldn't help but smile fondly at the letter as she picked it up and sank down on her couch. She ran her fingertips over her name on the envelope, seemingly savoring the moment. She knew whom it was from; there was no question in her mind. She had intentionally dropped the envelope upside down on her table, as not to upset Harry.
Carefully, as if the letter might disappear right in her hands, Ivy opened the letter. Smiling in spite of herself, she unfolded the parchment and read.
Ivy,
I am at a loss for words right now. I have been trying to come up with something adequate to write to you for almost a week now and here I am, still wondering what the point of this letter will be.
Formalities first, I suppose. How are you? I am sure you are finding things at Hogwarts trying to say the least. I wish I could be there for you to ease your transition. Even just to see you, talk to you, be with you. I have a feeling your nephew is going to be a handful for you, but I assure you that I am doing everything in my power to help you with him. He is just as headstrong as both of his parents were, but I doubt I have to tell you that. Please be patient with him. As I told him, you two deserve each other. He may not realize it now, but eventually he will.
With that said, I am so glad you are back. I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me that I can actually write to you. There are so many things I have to tell you, most of which I want to do in person, but this one just cannot wait. Thank you. Thank you for believing in me when no one else would. Even when Dumbledore had his doubts, you left our world kicking and screaming my innocence. I cannot thank you enough for your refusal to believe anything less than what you knew was the truth.
This is where I always loose myself, so here goes. I missed you. I still miss you. I want to see you, to know you are really there. Ivy, I can't express what I want to, no matter how hard I try. Expect more letters from me soon. I'm going to look for a way to see you. Know I'll be thinking of you.
Always,
Sirius
Ivy stared at the letter. She read it again and again until she had it memorized, and then read it once more. She tried to banish the thought of trying to go out and find Sirius before he could find her, telling herself to wait, the time would come when it was meant to be. She carried the letter into her bedroom and sat on her bed, thinking of Sirius. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking of the time when she would be able to see the only man she had ever loved, for the first time in fifteen years.
***
Harry ate breakfast alone the next morning, very conscious of the fact that Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were still not talking to him. To their credit, they had given him precious time to think, time he needed, but probably would not have had if they had been talking to him. He had thought long and hard about many things including Ivy, the letter from Sirius, and his blow up at his friends. He needed to apologize to them. He had been acting like an ass and he knew it.
He looked up at the head table and saw his aunt, fresh faced and glowing, sitting next to Professor Lupin. They were laughing and talking like old friends, which Harry had already surmised, they were. They would have known each other, just like Sirius had known Ivy. Harry tilted his head in wonder as he watched them. What he was finding out of place finally struck him as he absentmindedly reached for his glass of pumpkin juice. Ivy looked radiant. He had grown accustomed to her appearance by now, and it didn't hurt him to look at her as it had before, but this was something he had never seen from her before. Her eyes were bright and shining, not tired and bloodshot. The pale pinkness that often colored her cheeks had been replaced by a rosy even splash that continued all over her face. She was smiling and looked genuinely happy for the first time since he had met her.
Harry scowled. After their interaction the day before, he definitely was not expecting Ivy to show up looking like a goddess. Of course, he thought as he observed her laugh at something Professor Lupin had said, her friends hadn't forsaken her. Harry rolled his eyes, not willing to let himself like her yet, despite his thought process that maybe she wasn't as bad as she could have been. She was no Aunt Petunia after all.
Harry had thought about his other aunt, and what Ivy had told him about her lack of magical abilities. He smirked. It made perfect sense why Aunt Petunia was the way she was.
Abruptly, Harry was forced from his thoughts as he heard his name being called out.
"Potter!" he heard the unmistakable voice of Professor McGonagall shout out. He looked up at her with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, Professor. I was lost in thought."
"No matter. Professor Dumbledore wishes a word with you, Potter. Please follow me."
Harry was confused as he stood and gathered his things. "But, I have double Potions right now, Professor."
"You have been excused for today. Now, please hurry." Professor McGonagall was eying Harry cautiously in a way the unnerved him. He followed the professor to Dumbledore's office in silence, wondering what he had done now. Surely, Hermione had not told the Headmaster about his outburst in the common room. He didn't think that Hermione would betray him like that, no matter how upset she was at him, but it was the only thing he could think of.
His thoughts were confirmed when he entered the office to see Dumbledore and Ivy chatting in hushed voices. When had Ivy left the Great Hall?
"Harry," Dumbledore said, extending a hand toward an empty chair next to Ivy. "Please, take a seat."
Harry did as he was told, his eyes never leaving Dumbledore. His stomach was doing flip-flops while he waited for the professor to begin speaking. He noticed that Professor McGonagall was not with them, but he hadn't seen her leave.
"Harry, I have called you here today because there is a matter of great concern that you must be made aware of. I've just filled your aunt in on everything and she felt you needed to know about it. I agree with her."
Harry's eyes narrowed. Who was Ivy to be making decisions about his life? He saw Dumbledore looking at him expectantly.
"Okay," he said with what he hoped was an air of casualty.
"Harry, we have found out that Voldemort is very determined to find you. He needs you very much right now, for reasons that I, myself, am not privy to. Sirius told me by floo this morning that you are in grave danger and that you must either go into hiding yourself, or go under the Fidelius Charm."
Harry's insides dropped. Hiding? Fidelius Charm? His brain began to spin. Voldemort was always after him, that was nothing new, but if he was being forced to take such dire measures to protect himself, he must be in very grave danger.
"I feel that it would be best for you to not go into hiding, as you are still very much a student here and you have a right to an education as much as anyone else. But I also have the responsibility of keeping you safe."
Harry gauged Ivy's facial expression. It looked torn.
"Ron can be my secret keeper," he said emphatically. Dumbledore shook his head somberly.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but he can't be. A secret keeper must be a fully trained witch or wizard. I was hoping you would consider Ivy."
Harry sputtered. "No!"
Ivy looked down at her hands. Instantly, Harry felt a twinge of guilt. He almost apologized, but he didn't.
"Harry, Ivy is the most qualified person to be your secret keeper."
"Just because she's a blood relative?" Harry asked bitterly.
"No. Ivy would be the most qualified person to be anybody's secret keeper."
Dumbledore let these words sink in. Finally, Ivy turned to Harry.
"I am the person who translated the charm, Harry."
These words hit Harry like a ton of bricks. Ivy had been the one to find a way to keep his parents safe. He didn't know what to do with this new information, but his mind swirled around it.
"I wasn't able to be their secret keeper because I wasn't a fully trained witch," Ivy began, her voice laced with regret. "I wanted to, but it is a very complicated charm and it can go very wrong if it is not properly done."
"How did you." Harry trailed off.
"I was starting to dabble in Ancient Runes when I found out how much danger Lily and James were in. I just happened to come across the charm one day and was able to break the code. It was mostly a matter of chance and timing, really," Ivy shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal.
"It was written in one of the most ancient and difficult languages to translate," Dumbledore offered, smiling proudly at Ivy.
Harry sat in shock. He was in danger of a fate the same as his parents. And of all people, Ivy, was his best defense.
"Can I think about it?" he asked, thinking he would write to Sirius and ask him to be his secret keeper.
"Of course, Harry. How about we give you until tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Harry looked panicked. He would never be able to get in touch with Sirius in that short amount of time. Then it dawned on him. Floo. All he had to do was find out where Sirius was and use the fireplace to talk to him. "Tomorrow will be fine."
"We will all meet here after dinner then," Dumbledore finalized the plans. "You are free to go, Harry, if you don't have any more questions."
Harry shook his head no. He had plenty more questions; he just wasn't sure how to say them. Not to mention he wasn't sure he wanted to ask these questions in Ivy's presence.
Harry said a quick thank you to Dumbledore and left the office in a hurry. He had a lot of things to accomplish before tomorrow evening. Apologizing to his friends was the first thing on his list, as he needed their help. He also missed them and knew he had been wrong.
***
Harry paced the Common Room floor, waiting for Ginny, Hermione, and Ron to get back from class. He was going over his speech in his head for the hundredth time when the portrait hole opened and they climbed through, books carried under their arms. They all looked at him in surprise.
"Please, sit down? I need to apologize to you all," he said as he had prepared. They all took a seat and watched as Harry resumed his pacing.
"I'm so sorry. I know I have been a prat ever since Ivy showed up and you lot don't deserve to be treated that way. I'm not saying that I'm Ivy's best friend, but I do understand what you were all trying to tell me. I am very sorry for not listening to you," he paused, "and for being so selfish."
Harry looked at his friends, about to continue on with how much their opinions meant to him, and how much he valued them as people, but Ginny had other ideas. She rose from her chair and stood in front of him. For a fleeting second, he let himself think she was going to slap him, but her face softened and she reached up to caress his cheek. He leaned into her hand, savoring the touch and she smiled at him.
"I forgive you," she whispered simply and rose up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. He smiled as she kissed him and closed his eyes.
"Thank you," he breathed as she returned to her normal standing position.
After Ginny had forgiven him, he looked shamefacedly at Ron and Hermione. They needed no further apology either, and soon the four where talking animatedly about Harry's trip to Dumbledore's office.
"Harry, I don't like the sound of this," Ginny said, her face full of concern after he had explained that he was in some type of danger.
"Me either," he said as he looked into her troubled brown eyes. "But I have options, I guess."
Ginny crawled into Harry's lap and he put his arms around her. He hadn't even realized what it meant to have someone worry about him this much before. The feeling was a strange mixture of extreme happiness and guilt. He tightened his grip on Ginny and she leaned her body into his chest.
"What are your options, Harry?" Hermione asked, secretly taking notice of how much Ginny and Harry cared for each other.
"Well, I could go into hiding," he answered shortly. He felt Ginny tense in his arms and ran his hand reassuringly up and down her arm. "But I'm not going to do that. Dumbledore doesn't think it would be a good idea, and I don't really fancy it either. It would almost be like accepting defeat somehow."
"What else?" Ron asked quietly.
"Dumbledore suggested the Fidelius Charm. The one my parents were under."
"I'll be your secret keeper," said Ron fearlessly, with a somewhat sadistic look on his face. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"I already volunteered you," he stared, as Rom beamed, "but you have to be a fully trained wizard to do it."
"Bugger! Well, who are you going to ask then?"
"Dumbledore wants Ivy to do it," Harry began and gauged the reaction of his friends. Ginny smiled confidently, while Hermione's eyes glistened. Girls were so odd. Ron, however, regarded Harry carefully.
"Are you going to ask her?"
"I wanted to ask Sirius first," Harry began, choosing his words carefully so he made it sound like Ivy was a consideration.
"That's understandable, Harry. He is your godfather," Hermione began and Harry could almost read the "but" in her statement before she even said it. "But, I don't think he can do it."
"Why?" Harry challenged. Ginny threw him a look and he bowed his head. "Sorry." Hermione dismissed the comment with the wave of her hand and smiled.
"If I understand the Fidelius Charm correctly, you cannot be a secret keeper if you are on the receiving end of the curse. It's too risky that way. It's also quite possible that Sirius is already under the Fidelius Charm and if he is, it won't work without breaking the charm for himself."
Harry thought about this for a minute. He had no doubt in his mind that if Harry asked him, Sirius would give up his own protection for Harry's safety. He didn't like the idea of that at all. Resignedly, he sighed.
"Hermione, can you explain to me all of the details?" he asked.
After three hours of lecture from "Professor" Granger on the subject of the Fidelius Charm, Harry's mind began whirling once again. It took a great amount of knowledge to be a secret keeper. Essentially, it was also supposed to take a great amount of loyalty, though it seemed to have been flawed as to where that loyalty had to lie.
As they had listened to Hermione talk about the complex charm, Harry understood that it must have taken Ivy a great amount of energy to translate and understand the meaning of it. Harry mentioned that Ivy had been the one to officially translate and make the charm available, and Ron, Hermione and Ginny had all gasped.
"Talented witch, isn't she?" Ron had mused, a silly grin on his face. Hermione had not shared his grin.
***
Harry sat in the same seat he had been sitting in the day before. He nervously twisted his fingers around each other, consciously avoiding the gazes of the two adults in the room. Someone coughed and Harry was so deep in thought, it was a minute before he realized it was himself.
"Well, Harry," Dumbledore said casually, "have you made a decision?"
"Yes," he said, drawing up his courage and a deep breath, He turned to Ivy. "Will you be my secret keeper?"
A/N: Thanks to Riv for giving me the space and outlet to talk this idea out. I appreciate it! (Love and miss you very much, Liss)