Chapter 20: Niemand vertrauenswürdig

It took several hours to get to Godric's Hollow. Uncle Tom had to do some convincing that Tom and Snape would only be gone for a while and that Harry was still in Severus's rooms sleeping, but they 'took-the-bait' as his Uncle had put it, and they left. They now stood on the front porch of Harry's lost childhood memories. Cold, snowy wind blew back Harry's already unruly hair and their cloaks floated lightly behind them.

"Well, shall we, before we freeze to death…" Snape was cut off by a jab in the ribs by Uncle Tom. He pointed to the youth in front of them. Harry was in a trance. The cold, biting wind was nothing compared to the stabbing pain in his gut. There was something about this house that just…hurt to look at. A sudden prang in the heart hit Harry, and hard.

"Harry…" came a voice from behind. Harry ignored it and placed his hand on the doorknob. It was locked.

He pulled out his wand, "Alohomora!" the door clicked and opened. A loud creak filled the dark, empty manor, and Harry pocketed his wand as he stepped through the door.

Cobwebs decorated the living area and the high ceiling. But, the house and everything in it looked as if nothing had been touched over these passed ten years…and Harry doubted that it was. Dust coated the house like paint.

Harry walked over to the fireplace and stood on the hearth grabbing something off the mantel that had caught his eye. It was a picture frame. Harry cleaned the glass off with his cloak and looked at the picture after adjusting his glasses. There, in the middle of the daylight, stood a beautiful red-haired woman with green eyes and a man with messy, jet-black hair. They stood there waving and in their arms was a baby.

"Do you know who those people are, Harry?" The boy shook his head. He had never seen them before, but in a way…they seem so familiar to him, "This is your mother and father, and that there's you.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember them, you were hardly a year old," Tom smiled, "but I'm afraid that we must be on our way. We don't have time for idle chitchat. We have a goal to accomplish here, but Harry…" Tom knelt in front of his disheveled nephew, "I promise that I'll bring you back right after the school year ends, all right? After all, you do own Godric's Hollow now, now don't you?"

Harry nodded but said nothing. He turned back to the picture once more before placing it back upon the hearth's mantel. The happy couple still waved on, and the baby in their hands played with his parents' hands. He turned to his uncle and Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. The panging in his chest hit him again, and the youth felt a cutting burn in the back of his eyes.

All of this time, he had hated his parents. He had hated them for leaving him. They had left him with the wretched being he had learned to call aunt and uncle. Harry shook his head lightly…it wasn't their fault, he knew now. He couldn't blame them any longer. It was Dumbledore's fault…and ever so slowly was he finding out why.

"Are you ready, my kin?" ask Tom once more.

"Aye, I am." Harry smiled lightly.

"Then, we're off," Severus clapped his hands, finally getting this show on the road, "Hopefully, you wouldn't mind if you led the way, would you?"

"Of course I wouldn't," Uncle Tom began walking through the living area, entering another room, "I know this house like the back of my hand. I was born here, after all."

They entered another, then another, descending down a flight of stairs, and down a long corridor. They entered a type of chamber, and Harry instantly recognized this room from his dream. And sure enough, just as in his dream, there was another door at the end of the room, which led to another descending flight of stairs. And at the end of those stairs was something Harry didn't expect to see.

Rather than the large metal door that he had seen so often at the end of his dreams, there was a small bookshelf of personal belongings. On the small three-foot shelf were photo albums of talking paintings of Harry and Tom's ancestors, and other old books.

"I knew it," came from Uncle Tom, "I never remembered there being and bloody door here…it was just a wall, and right behind this wall is nothing but the earth. I remember because one of my friends had dared me to blast the wall out after he convinced me that there was a dead body behind it, and I assure you that there is no body behind that wall. Mother almost killed me for that one. I had to replace that wall with my own two hands."

"I remember," Severus laughed, "and I rubbed it in your face every time I got the chance. You were so gullible back then."

"Yea…I know…" Uncle Tom grumbled, "In fact, Mother did all the rubbing in that I deserved and more. I wasn't able to sit down for weeks." He sighed.

Harry's eyes were wide as he stared at the wall, "This is it then…there's nothing?"

Tom shook his head solemnly, "Nothing at all, I promise you," Severus nodded in agreement, "Dumbledore fooled you into thinking that there really was some 'transfiguration device' down here and that those were really my mother's memories stored away in your head…though, I still can't believe that you believed everything that he said…"

"Yes!" Harry threw his arms up in annoyance, "Rub it in, why don't you! Everyone must make me feel stupider that I already am!"

"Sorry…" Uncle Tom smiled nervously.

Harry sighed and practically threw his back at the wall behind him and leaned against it, "Can we get out of here?"

No one said anything more and Uncle Tom placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and appirated to the front door, leaving from there just how they arrived.

Professor McGonagall's class was just as amusing as ever as Finnigan once again happens to blow up his quill as they were attempting to transfigure it.

"Mr. Finnigan, must you demolish everything in your possession?" Professor McGonagall asked the sooty boy, "You must get that wand checked before someone gets hurt."

Everyone was laughing by now, "And you all, do shut up!"

End of Chapter 20

Tja…What do you think of this chapter? I know that this is probably what NONE of you had expected, but I thought that this was a great twist, so I stuck with it. I never liked Dumbledore…that bleeding "twinkle" in his eyes gets on my last nerves and it makes me want to poke this shite out of it…geez! Anyway, thanks to all those whom have reviewed. I greatly appreciate it. THANX!