In Every Darkness
Chapter Seventy: Talking
21.10.1996
Harry lay for a moment awake in his bed, then stood up, ready to face the new day. He wondered why he hadn't thought of asking after this before: all he'd known was that Marge was trying to take something meant for him, but never had he wondered what it was. He cursed himself now for being so stupid.
Since it was still early in the morning, Harry left the Gryffindor tower and headed to the Room of Requirement to train – he had been training harder than ever recently, as after being in a coma for two weeks his body had lost quite a bit of its fitness.
He was intent on making up for this in the two remaining months before Christmas, and so far felt that he was doing fairly well. This morning he was able to continue with his vigorous training for longer than he'd thought he'd be able to.
Having a shower in the obliging Room of Requirement, Harry headed downstairs and found that he was still one of the first people to enter the Great Hall.
Harry wished he had a time-turner. He wanted it to be afternoon, which was when he would talk to both Tatsu and Dumbledore.
The day seemed to swim slowly by. So slowly. It almost felt as though nothing interesting could happen until he'd spoken with both Dumbledore and Tatsu.
At lunch time, to pass the time, Harry and Lily slipped away, going to Moaning Myrtles bathroom to begin work on the Love Me Not potion, which Harry had told her about earlier that day.
Lily knew the potion, it was one that they'd learned in Durmstrang, which Harry was quite glad of – this way they both knew what was going on.
After what seemed like weeks, the classes for the day where over and Harry was walking towards the Room of Requirement to meet up with Tatsu Kendo.
He walked through the door, and jumped backwards immediately as a fist flew straight at his face. Harry dropped, twisting to the side and kicking out, purely by reflex.
"Good," Tatsu nodded. "Come in and tell me what happened."
Well used to his guardian by now, Harry walked inside and sat down, watching Tatsu warily as he explained what had been going on lately, and finally telling him of Malfoy's attack.
Tatsu looked at him and smiled suddenly. "So, your talent has finally manifested itself. Now I can begin your training," he said.
"So it was Modification!" Harry cried triumphantly. "I thought it was!"
Tatsu smiled slightly. "It was indeed. Now that that is decided, we will have to find a time to put aside for your lessons in this subject. But Dumbledore wished to speak with me, and with you, so we will go there first."
Harry nodded eagerly. The other thing that he wanted to do today! Harry and Tatsu walked side by side through the school until they reached Dumbledore's office.
Just as they arrived, the door opened and a figure swept out. Neither Harry nor Tatsu could make out who the person was, but if they had been visiting Dumbledore, it must have been alright.
Harry and Tatsu slipped easily through the door and hurried up the moving staircase. Soon enough they were emerging into Dumbledore's office.
The headmaster was sitting behind his large desk, blue eyes dancing happily. "Harry, Tatsu!" he greeted cheerfully. Both of his visitors nodded.
"Now, Tatsu, I wanted to ask you about the holidays for this year. What's going to happen with Harry on them?"
"He may as well stay here," Tatsu replied coolly. "It is safer for both of us, I think. I will come to the school and stay in a room somewhere, and teach Harry what I can. I think the same can easily be said of the rest of the holidays."
Dumbledore slightly. "Yes, I think that should work the best," he agreed. "And in the event of an attack during the holidays, when all of the students will be evacuated to the Ministry?"
"Send him to my place," Tatsu replied. "He'll be safer there than anywhere else."
Harry let the adults talk about him, feeling a little bit annoyed that they weren't including him in the discussion, but sure that he would be informed as to what was going on when the time came.
"Now Harry, I'm sure you are wondering what's going on here," Dumbledore said a few minutes later, and Harry nodded eagerly.
"Tatsu and I have been speaking together quite often in regard to your safety, and quickly came to the conclusion that neither of us trust the Ministry with your life."
Harry nodded. "I don't trust them either," he replied.
"You would not be aware of it, yet, but the Ministry is organising evacuation points in every large Magical centre, Hogwarts being one of them.
"The evacuatees will be taken to special chambers in the Ministry and be watched over by Aurors," Dumbledore explained.
"But who knows which Aurors are trustworthy," Harry agreed. "I wouldn't want to end up there if the Aurors had been replaced by Death Eaters."
"Exactly. A ministry official will be coming to the school fairly soon to explain the new measures and set up an alarm system. If you ever hear the alarm go off, go straight to the nearest fire-place and Floo to Tatsu's house. You'll be safest there, I should think," Dumbledore told Harry.
Harry nodded. "I understand, Sir," he said. Yes, he understood, but that didn't mean that he liked what he understood. He hated always having to have special arrangements.
"That was the main thing that I wished to speak with you about," Dumbledore said. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me about? I don't speak with you as often as I should."
"There is, actually," Harry said, green eyes steely. "What was it that Marge tried to take from me? The thing that mum left with Petunia?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I knew you would ask me this eventually," he remarked. "But I cannot tell you."
Anger flashed in Harry's eyes and he opened his mouth to speak. Dumbledore held up a hand, silencing Harry quickly. "I cannot tell you, because I do not know myself. But I can show you."
Harry, only moments before feeling angry and a little depressed, was suddenly filled with elation.
"But not yet," his spirits fell again. "How does Monday sound to you?" Again, they rose, and Harry gave an internal smile at the way the Headmaster was making his emotions change and change back so quickly.
"Monday sounds fine," Harry replied, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice.
"Good. Meet me here, with Tatsu, on Monday morning – the password is Canary Cream."
Harry chocked back a laugh at that. He hadn't known just how aware Dumbledore had been of the Weasley Twins and their joke ideas. "I thought it only proper," Dumbledore smiled. "After all, there is another tribute to them left by our Professor Flitwick."
Harry smiled again, nodding. "Well Albus, I'd love to stay and chat, but me and Harry here have some work to do." Harry knew by the look on Tatsu's face that he wasn't going to be having a good time doing this.
"Of course. I wouldn't want to keep you. After what happened to Mr. Malfoy the other day, I think that Mr. Potter should be getting as much training in his talent as is possible," Dumbledore replied.
"We won't be able to make much of a start until Christmas," Tatsu mused. "Harry has his school work for Hogwarts to consider as well."
"Whatever works best for you and Harry," Dumbledore replied, smiling. "I will see you on Monday, if not before," he dismissed them.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this?" Harry asked Tatsu.
"Because you know what I'm like as a teacher?" Tatsu asked, smiling cheekily.
"Yes. Diving straight off the deep end and then teaching your student how to swim," Harry replied darkly.
Tatsu laughed. "Exactly!" he said. "Ooh, this is going to be fun."
"Uh-oh," Harry muttered.
"But I'm not going to begin your training as a Modifier just yet," Tatsu added. "For the next few days I'm going to make sure that you've gotten into shape properly!"
"Double uh-oh," Harry replied.
"So come on, let's get back to the Room of Requirement and have a little spar – see how you're going," Tatsu said with a grin.
"Ok," Harry sighed, and followed his guardian with a resigned look on his face.
Severus watched the potion he was making carefully. It was a very delicate stage and required perfect timing, if the potion was to succeed.
He had spoken to the Dark Lord of this, and had been excused from all Death Eater meetings called.
Severus was not so sure that this was a great thing, as he would be unable to find out what was going on with Voldemorts plans. But, of course, Lupin could always slip away and try to find out more.
Thinking of that, he wondered where the annoying deceased werewolf had gone too – he hadn't said anything for almost an hour now.
Severus tried to tell himself that the peace was a blessing, but he knew it was a lie. Over the months since Lupin had died, and return, with his mind trapped in the dream catcher, he had become so used to the mental conversations that they held that without them he felt strangely … Empty.
Severus had not desired contact with other people, nor the simple joy of a conversation with one, for many years now. It was surprising how quickly he'd become used to it again.
He shrugged slightly and continued staring at the potion. The lethal brew was changing colour slowly from a medium-green to a deep black.
He knew the exact colour that it would be when he had to add the next ingredient. And he knew that if he was more than three seconds late or early in adding it …
He was dead.
Suddenly his eyes blurred. Snape swore, he should have taken another anti-sleep potion. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he hissed in fear – the potion had changed colour.
Swiftly, he pushed chopped mandrake root into the potion and counted slowly to ten. He sagged in relief when, after this count, the potion faded to a grey colour.
He gave a faint smile and turned his back on the hated potion, lying down on the hard bed that took up most of the space in his room and closing his eyes to get some much needed sleep.
In the realm of the dead, Sirius paced around a 'room'. Things in this place were faded, everything from the ground to the occupants. It seemed to be a shadowed form of the Living world.
"Sirius?" a soft, far away voice spoke, and he turned his head. There, sitting on a faded couch, faded red hair falling around her faded form, was Lily Potter.
"Yes Lily?" Sirius asked.
"Tell me about my son?"
"He is brave, would risk his life for any of his friends without a thought, but dislikes his fame. He is drawn to danger, and always ends up getting even more famous out of it," Sirius replied.
"He looks a lot like James, but he has your eyes, and I can see you in him, as could anyone who'd known you well.
"He has defied Voldemort more times than anyone else alive – save Dumbledore. First, the night that you died, then in his first year, again in his second, though that was Tom Riddle, and yet again in his forth. I have told you about all of those."
"Tell me again?" she pleaded.
Sirius smiled gently at his best friends wife. He knew how much Lily loved the son she would never see, save in death. How terrified she was of meeting him, because it would mean that he, like the rest of her loved ones, no longer resided in the Realm of the Living.
He was happy to oblige her with what little he knew of his godson. It wasn't until he got here that he'd realised just how little that was. Most of what he knew was second hand from Dumbledore, Remus, the Daily Prophet, or the other Order of the Phoenix members.
He, James and Lily spent much of the time that Sirius was in the Realm of the Dead discussing Harry, his life, his friends, his achievements …
"I wish Remus would spend more time here with us," Lily muttered. Remus had known her son too. He'd been able to speak about Harry to her, showing a different side to the boy.
"Your wish is my command, fair Lady Lily," a soft voice spoke from the doorway, and both Lily and Sirius spun around to see Remus and James standing in the 'doorway'.
***
Hmm. Next chapter I'll tell you what's happening with Harry's inheritance. I thought I'd put in something of the Realms of the Dead, since I hadn't mentioned them before. Chapter IS a little short, but hopefully the next one will be longer.
Thanks to:
Solar, maxx77, Butler, AthenaKitty, shdurrani, Evil Anti-Patriotic Elf Named Cin, MikiBaby, Omagic, Dumbledave, dnd4ever, Tamsy, TuxedoMac, jbfritz, solar, Anna L. Black, hermionegreen, Penny, Stix-the-Rebel, Nicoletta, TexasJeanette, ER, Wynjara, LonelySpirit, Jaded Angel8, Romm, Kurbani, gizachick, Nasser Himura, PhoenixPadfoot89, Elvira, misty43, Lord of Darkness13, Mike Potter 2002, gaul1, Vampire*BloodSuicide, Songbreeze Swifteye, dweem-angel, FullSailNate, Flame of Shadow, PhoenixTearsp322, eloisamuggle.
Evil Anti-Patriotic Elf Named Cin and all Titles which do apply,
We are sad to hear that Our friend is forced to suffer in the prison known as School. We hope that thou art not too badly off. We are not looking forward to School this year more than any other, as it is Our 'OWL' year …
We hope that the Dwarves may now get their sleep, having found out what happens next … We look forward to hearing thy views on this chapter!
Sincerely,
WolfMoon,
Lady Death,
Queen of Tenebralia,
Goddess of Darkness and Evilness.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!
~WolfMoon~