Title: Harry Potter and the Tribe of Five
Author: Otori
Author email:
Category: action/adventure/romance
Keywords: Tribe, Harry, Ginny, secrets,
Spoilers: All canon books along with Quidditch Through The Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Harry's sixth year where Harry finds what it is like to really truly fight back against Voldemort's forces, but will he learn enough in time to fight Voldemort himself?
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Anything else that you recognize belongs to Lian Hearn.

II

The summer progressed slowly for Harry, but it also seemed to flash by, from the second day that Ginny had arrived Harry began telling her everything that he could remember in his lifetime, and it never felt better to do so.

Throughout the weeks that flew by Harry had kept Dobby busy going in between Privet Drive and Diagon Alley, along with Grimmauld Place so that Harry was kept in the loop of the goings on in the Order, which he 'dutifully' relayed to Ginny.

He'd grown quite fond of the younger girl, they grew comfortable in each others presence and they seemed to be able to talk about anything and everything, and yet, they were able to sit in perfectly comfortable silence.

Ginny grew from a person that he hardly knew, to a person that he considered his greatest confident, he told her everything that Dumbledore told him, if I can hear it then she can definitely hear it. Well, that was not entirely true as there was one thing that he had never been able to bring up in conversation with her.

He hadn't told her of the prophecy, and he would, but it seemed that every time that he steered their conversation towards talking of the outside world, as they'd come to call it, she would abruptly change the topic all together.

This had frustrated Harry a lot, and finally over dinner on the eve of his birthday, Harry finally cornered Ginny to make sure she would hear him out.

"I've been meaning to say something Ginny, for a while now and I know you've avoided it, but I really want to tell-"

"Harry stop!" She interrupted him, "I had to watch you tell the lowest points in your life to me before Harry, and I'm still trying to get over what you told me then."

"Ginny, I really need to tell you – someone – anyone, this. Can I tell you please, it's possibly the biggest thing in my life at the moment, and it's really playing with my head." He reached over the table and grabbed her hand that was resting beside her plate, the other hand of hers was busily playing with a lock of hair that fell beside her face, something which Harry had noticed she did when she was nervous.

"Okay." She gripped his hand tightly with both of hers, biting her bottom lip. He took a deep steadying breath and he told her of the prophecy, how it was all up to him to beat the darkest man and most powerful that the world had ever seen. She looked at him with wide eyes, glittering with unshed tears.

"But that's... that's ridiculous!" she exclaimed her face red, "Dumbledore or someone like that should have to do it." She breathed deeply and sighed; "You've done so much already for us, it just seems unfair that you have to do more than you already have... is Professor Dumbledore sure that it's about you?" A hopeful expression on her face.

"The prophecy said that someone born at the end of July would have a power that The Dark Lord knows not, but the parents also had to have 'defied' Him three times already, it cam down to me and... someone else, but Voldemort chose me." He said as he lifted the hair that fell over his forehead that covered his scar, Ginny's expression fell. The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, until Harry stood up from the table.

"I'm going to have a shower." He muttered as he left walked towards the bathroom in the tent. He closed the door behind him, and took in the sight of the bathroom for the umpteenth time and shook his head thinking that the wizarding world would never cease to surprise him.

The bathroom, while small was shining as though light itself was emitting from the brass taps in the sink and shower, along with the thick red floor mat that sat regally in the middle of the bathroom, there was a toilet in the far corner which was Harry's first stop.

He had a rather cool shower that seemed to freshen him in the summer heat and, while he was toweling himself dry after the shower he looked in the mirror of his slightly changed appearance, well he had hardly changed at all it's just his hair had grown longer, after years of being the same messy length, it had suddenly grown longer, not by much but he was still surprised.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and poked his head into the kitchen, luckily Ginny had already gone to bed, and he quickly dashed into his own room outside the tent which only stood up to his mid rift.

He jumped under the covers and put his wet hair on the pillow. Closing his eyes to a hopefully dream free sleep.

Harry was awoken midway through the usual dream that he had, the usual pain that he experienced, and shook his head to shake the surprised look on Sirius' face as he fell backwards through the veil. He looked over to the window when he heard the noise that had woken him.

A number of owls were perched on his window sill all seemingly patient bar a very proud looking eagle owl that was pecking at the glass every so often, Harry quickly got up and let the owls in, the impatient owl dropped, almost threw, the letter into Harry's bedroom and took off into the early morning sky.

The other owl's flew in the room, he counted four more with a Hogwarts owl among them, and a little more 'politely' dropped their letters and in some cases packages onto his bed and flew out of the room, Harry looked in shock at the pile that was now on his bed.

But the one thing that had his attention was the letter that the eagle owl had brought him, he picked it up off the floor and turned it over in his hands, it was addressed to him but the ink was blood red and simply read.

Harry Potter

He looked at the wax seal on the back of the envelope carefully this time, it was a bird with its wings spread that wrapped around the circular seal, he the letter's and the couple of packages from off his bed and carried them into the tent and use the table to keep everything organized.

He dumped everything on the table as quietly as he could and went to the bench to light the candles, to give him some light. He sat down at the table in front of the few letters and packages he had brought with him and opened the one that came from the strange owl.

Harry Potter,

You must send word to your headmaster that keeping the knowledge of your heritage from you will no longer be acceptable, and should he continue in such a manner we will forcibly claim you.

Do not be alarmed, I am among your friends, and I have your best interest in mind, however your headmaster has been, "stunting your growth" as he roughly put it I believe.

You will learn of your heritage and of your rightful inheritance, and I shall come to unlock what is truly yours tomorrow.

It is customary to send gifts on one's birth celebration, so I send with this letter your parents wed bands, I believe they were sent to us by your headmaster.

You have until tomorrow to have your headmaster inform you of what you should have already been told, if by this time tomorrow you have not been told, whether it be that he has chosen not to, then I will take you away.

I have danced to his tune long enough.

Aota

As soon as Harry finished the letter he grabbed the envelope and turned it upside down above the table and two rings fell out with a chink onto the table. He picked them both up and looked at them in his palm, fingering them lightly, he picked the closest one up and inspected it closely, and it had an inscription, which read;

My Heart, from James

He picked up the other and inspected it for similar markings, the other was inscribed;

My Heart, from Lily

He choked back sobs that threatened to break the quiet air around him, he held his parents rings in his hands, they were the most tangible link to his parents, except for the photos that Hagrid had given him, but these were much better he decided. He'd have to get Dobby to go and get something to keep them in, or on.

Dobby! He had to get word to Dumbledore.

"Dobby!" He hissed into the darkness.

"Yes... Harry Potter sir." Came the reply, though not anywhere near as enthusiastic as usual, he figured it was very early hour that Harry had called upon him. He handed the elf the letter that the Aota person had sent him.

"Take this to Professor Dumbledore as soon as you can, wake him up if you have to." He ordered the house elf.

"Yessir..." Slurred the elf before popping, and Harry wasn't sure, but he almost thought that it was slower than normal. Maybe the early hour was playing on him as well.

He put both the rings on the side of the table and stared at them reverently, he slowly tore his eyes away from them and reached for another letter from the pile and opened it, it was another letter from Hermione.

Happy Birthday Harry,

I hope you and Ginny are getting on well enough with each other, I hope that neither of you have tried to kill the other yet, I know I could hardly spend that much time in such close quarters with another person.

I have spoken to Ron this summer only twice, and, I'm worried about him, I don't understand why he's doing this Harry, I know he's had troubles with your fame before, but I think everything has just bubbled to the surface and erupted out all at once, I'm really sorry he's doing this to you Harry.

Your birthday present is with a different owl, but it should arrive with this letter, I hope you enjoy it, I know I would have if I shared your love of Quidditch.

With Love,

Hermione

Harry looked around the table for the package that would most likely be from Hermione, it was under one of the bigger parcels, it was about the size of a book, but it wasn't solid like a book was, he tore the wrapping from the book to be shocked by what he saw.

It was a Quidditch magazine, and the front cover said that it was the first issue, and in celebration of this the magazine featured all of the final series in the last British Cup, which all the club teams played for, it was a great present.

He looked at the table, there were two letter's left, which by closer inspection were his owl results and Ginny's Hogwarts letter. He opened the next package, which was a box of Hagrid's rock cakes, with a small note attached;

Harry,

Happy Birthday, hope you enjoy the cakes, I tried a new recipe and if they burn don't worry, that's just the Fire Whiskey.

Hagrid and Grawp

Harry laughed quietly to himself, Hagrid is the only adult that would ever let him have anything like this, but it wouldn't matter, the rock cakes were most likely just that, rocks. The next, and last, parcel was from his parents other friend Remus Lupin, it was a lot smaller than Hagrid's, he opened it and his eyes widened, it was a Snitch, still in it's box, Harry placed it slowly back onto the table, the horrible memory of what he saw in Snape's pensieve coming back to haunt him.

"Harry Potter Sir!" Said a much perkier Dobby from his elbow, causing Harry to jump, and almost fall off his chair.

"What!?" He snapped at the House elf.

"P... Professor Dumbledore is coming to Harry Potter's house. He is to be getting here at morning tea." Said the scared looking elf, and before Harry could reply Dobby popped, presumably to make breakfast, hopefully, Harry was hungry and Ginny would be up soon anyway.

He looked at the clock on the wall; it said that it was well into the morning, well a lot later than when Harry usually woke up. He turned back to his last package and opened it, it had another small card like the ones on Hagrid's present and read simply;

Happy Birthday Harry

Love,

Remus

This confused Harry, usually he didn't send any sort of present to him, but his curiosity eventually got the better of him and he tore the paper from the box in front of him and when he saw the front cover of the book almost laughed out loud but he was too emotionally drained from the rest of the morning to feel much excitement, though a small smile spread across his face.

Hogwarts A History

A book that had served his friend Hermione well over the years in a round about way, a book that he would never get around to reading, while it would be something that he would value.

He thought back to the time he had spent at Grimmauld place over the Christmas break and how happy both Lupin and Sirius looked, how happy everyone looked, and especially how happy Harry had felt, at the moment though he felt as though a Dementor was but a step away. The horrible dreading feeling of what Dumbledore had conveniently forgotten to tell him about who he really was.

Harry breathed in the smell of the frying bacon that Dobby had going on the stove and he watched the house elf working expertly as he snapped his fingers and the bacon flipped themselves in the air and landed back on the pan with and a renewed crackling sound began.

Ginny came out of her room and sat down at the table opposite Harry, and as she looked over the table a realization spread across her face.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" She said jumping up and running around the table to give him an enthusiastic hug.

"Thanks Ginny, sleep well?" He asked her as she moved back to her own sidde of the table.

"Same as usual," she sighed, and Harry saw her tear stained cheeks, "how about you?"

"I was until the mail arrived," he said gesturing to the pile on the table, "this came for you as well." He said handing her the letter the Hogwarts owl had brought her.

"Thanks, did you get yours as well?"

"Yes, I haven't opened it yet, I'm terrified that I've got Troll for everything." He said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh come off it Harry, you wouldn't get Trollfor everything." She said lightening his mood, slightly.

He picked up the envelope and opened it, his hands slightly shaking from nervousness of him failing the O.W.L's, he pulled out the two pieces of parchment and unfolded the first one.

Mr. Potter,

Your results for you O.W.L's taken last month have been graded, all results are recorded as your score for each exam, however due to the disturbance during your Astronomy exam your marks have been increased, however the increase may not have carried your mark into a higher band.

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations (Overall Mark)

Theory: Exceeds Expectations

Practical: Acceptable

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding (Overall Mark)

Theory: Outstanding

Practical: Exceeds Expactations

Charms: Outstanding (Overall Mark)

Theory: Outstanding

Practical: Outstanding

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding Bonus O.W.L (Overall Mark)

Theory: Outstanding

Practical: Outstanding

Divination: Poor (Overall Mark)

Theory: Poor

Practical: Poor

Herbology: Exceeds Expectations (Overall Mark)

Theory: Acceptable

Practical: Exceeds Expectations

History of Magic: Acceptable (Overall Mark)

Theory: Acceptable

Practical: N/A

Potions: Outstanding (Overall Mark)

Theory: Exceeds Expectations

Practical: Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration: Outstanding (Overall Mark)

Theory: Outstanding

Practical: Outstanding

You have received nine O.W.L's out of a possible twelve, placing you ninth in your year and among the highest percentile in you year group, according to our standard record you will be able to study any subject you wish with the exception(s) of the following:

Divination

Subject choices will be made on Friday the sixth after subject seminars from members of the Ministry Educational Department, these will cover the content of each subject.

Sincerely yours,

Griselda Marchbanks

"Wow, I didn't think I'd do this well!" He exclaimed to no one particular, although there was no one else around except for Ginny for him to talk to.

"How'd you go?"

"Nine, and she said that overall I came ninth!"

"Can I've a look?" He nodded and passed her the piece of parchment, while she was looking over it Harry took the time to clear the table a bit he pocketed his parents rings and put the Rock cakes on top of the counter along with Hogwarts A History.

"Dumbledore's coming at about ten." He said turning back to face her.

"Why?" She asked, an expression of concern fall across her face.

"Apparently, there was a bit more that he never told, he lied to me again." He nodded to the other piece of parchment on the table, she picked it up and read it.

"What do you think they mean by claim you?"

"Kidnap me I suppose," he sat down to the meal that Dobby placed on the table at his usual spot, "they sound pretty serious about it all." He sighed, they sat in a comfortable silence until they finished their meal until Ginny finally spoke up.

"So did they send your parents wedding rings?" Harry nodded. "Can I have a look?" He pulled the two rings from his pocket and handed them to her across the table, his hand lightly brushing hers, a jolt of warmth spreading through his tired body.

She poked the rings around her hand and held each of them close to her eye for inspection and sighed.

"I wish I knew them Harry, they seemed like such great people, Sirius was always talking about them last summer." She sighed and handed the rings back to Harry who pocketed them again, Harry nodded in agreement, his body numb, no one except for his parents friends ever spoke about them to him.

"I do too, I do too," he murmured, "will you stay in here when Dumbledore comes?"

"Unless you don't want me to." She replied.

"'Course I do." Harry said, he got up wordlessly and went into the bathroom to take a shower. He sat down under the shower head letting the water fall over him relaxing under the cool water, he mulled over the exciting morning that he had had, angry at Dumbledore again at leaving a part of what made up Harry out of their oh so 'truthful' conversation.

He kept the rings with him, he had taken them out of his trouser pockets and kept them with him under the shower continually looking at them, he slipped his mothers on his left ring finger and his fathers on top of his mothers on the same finger, he hoped they would both come off.

He turned the water off and toweled himself dry leaving the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist he stopped in surprise when he saw Professor Dumbledore and Ginny sitting at the table with Dobby dutifully pouring tea into cups on the table.

"Hello Harry."

"Sir." He muttered and kept walking towards his room to get a change of clothes, throwing on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt that Dobby had bought for him in Diagon Alley's Muggle All Sort's, taking a deep steadying breath he entered back into the tent ready for anything that Dumbledore may have to say to him, he entered the room and noticed that Ginny was missing and her bedroom door was shut.

"Sit down Harry," Said Dumbledore gesturing to the chair opposite him, Harry bit his tongue to stop himself from reminding Dumbledore that he was the guest, not Harry. "First I must ask you to forgive me Harry."

"For what?"

"For never telling you about the Tribe," Harry said nothing and Dumbledore took this as a sign to continue, "I never meant to do this on purpose Harry, it was such a busy time and an old man can be quite forgetful."

Harry nodded, but offered no acceptance and motioned for Dumbledore to continue, giving him a stern stare. Dumbledore's expression changed and he looked more like a Professor than he had a minute ago, all high and mighty again, Harry thought bitterly.

"The Tribe is one of the most ancient and knowledgeable men of all time, they have become but legends in our time. The Tribe were eventually Japanese men, they were there long before the country, or people for that matter, existed. it is said that they walked the earth with the Gods, they traveled from place to place, learning all their knowledge from the Gods, soon with all this knowledge they became almost like the Gods they learnt from." He paused, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before continuing his story, which Harry was starting to listen to despite his dislike for his Headmaster.

"The Tribe were very dangerous men, having studied for millennia upon millennia they perfected a type of blood magic, that tied their knowledge to their soul, their blood which the passed on to their sons and daughters for generations to come, and only the combination of all five bloodlines eventually turning to one would bring the knowledge of the Tribe, back to earth." Dumbledore sigh heavily and shook his head, seemingly ordering his thoughts before continuing, Harry was very confused, it seems that this was not something that this Aota wanted him to know.

"The knowledge is not known, it is something that they kept to themselves when man walked the earth with them, long gone were the Gods who had entrusted the earth to the Tribe. The key to this combination was only passed along to the firstborn of each of the descendants of the Tribe." Harry opened his mouth about to interrupt the old man, but Dumbledore held his hand up to silence him.

"Think of the possibility Harry, that over time how far apart these people would have drifted, in fact, it is inconceivable how anyone could ever unlock the knowledge being the intricate plan of the Tribe to keep their knowledge off the earth. But, eventually in Japan, more than seven thousand generations after the Tribe had conceived their children and committed Hari Kiri, suicide, two people had a baby, whose parents were first born of the bloodline, and whose parents were the first born in the blood line."

"Professor, what-" Harry began rudely, but Dumbledore cut him off sharply a fire briefly entering his eyes, quieting Harry for good.

"I'm almost there Harry, show patience for a change and I will eventually get to the point." He sighed again and continued. "One baby, which had combined four of bloodlines born, by some sick twist of luck, the baby was kidnapped from it's cot, and brought here to England, this was about the time that the Sun never set on Britain, this child, while nameless to us, met with a man who took her in, the two eventually became lovers and bore many children, the man bore the name Evans." Harry's eyes widened when he heard his mothers maiden name.

"Yes, though the fifth bloodline was still elusive, however, Lily met your father, James Potter, who was heir to the greatest Wizarding bloodline; he was also heir to the Tribe bloodline, they met and bore a child, a child of all five bloodlines, Harry, that prophecy is no coincidence, you are the one person who can unlock the knowledge of the Tribe." Dumbledore had finished talking and folded his hands in his lap and waited for Harry to speak.

Harry thought this over in his head, it seemed impossible to him, that five separate bloodlines having a one stage been so dispersed join again, why the does it have to be me, he thought angrily, it is impossible the whole world has gone crazy, but suddenly he remembered the prophecy.

"But the prophecy says I have a power the Dark Lord knows not, that sounds like something that Voldemort would know." A small part of Harry hoped that if Voldemort know of this, then it wasn't really him that had to kill Voldemort. That small part of Harry died when he saw a small smile spread across the old mans face.

"No body knows what the knowledge is, but power is often not measured in strength alone, I believe that the knowledge has a key to defeating Voldemort." Dumbledore now sounded almost apologetic.

"Why don't I have this knowledge then?" Harry sighed.

"Before the Tribe departed, they entrusted a man with a scroll, the scroll contained a list of ingredients to a potion that would stimulate the knowledge to escape into your mind, this man was a Keeper and he passed this on to each of his son, who in turn did the same, and so on. But the Keeper's started to experiment with the aged men and women who had inherited a single line of the Tribe, many died. It was lucky that they keepers had enough sense to try this after the men and women had born their first child."

"So all I have to do is drink the potion that this, Aota will give me and then I'll have this knowledge?" He asked.

"Yes, I have no idea how the actual process works, but I will look after you Harry, I promise you that from now on I will be there for you." Dumbledore smiled hopefully at Harry, who eventually smiled back, the anger at the old man for his past failings was still there, but he knew he would need his help sooner or later.

"I will be too, Harry." Said Ginny from her door, both Harry and Dumbledore jumped and the Headmaster was quickly on his feet.

"What did you hear?!" Dumbledore demanded the fire returning to his eyes; Harry saw fear flash past her eyes before a look of defiance replaced it.

"All of it, and I'm glad I did!" Ginny was almost shouting.

"I'm disappointed in you Ms. Weasley." Said the old man, he sounded sad.

"I'm even more disappointed in you Sir!" She came and stood beside where Harry sat her hand falling on his shoulder protectively, he sat glued to his chair fascinated more than anything else he was feeling in this exchange. "This should have been the very first thing that you told Harry did you ever stop to think that there was a person, behind the prophecy?" She demanded of the Headmaster.

"I did, that is why I chose not to tell Harry of this for as long as I could because he needed to live, Harry needed to understand that there was more to life than being... I do not know what he will become," Dumbledore sat, and motioned for Ginny to do the same, "I do apologize Ms. Weasley, I know that at your age and in similar circumstances, I would have done the same thing, and I have a feeling that you, Harry, would have told her once I had left." Would he have? Eventually of course, but it was something he would have liked to have thought over a bit himself. He nodded reassuringly at Ginny.

"I must be going, you two should pack, I feel that Harry you have fortified your bond with your Aunt sufficiently for the next year, you will both leave for Grimmauld Place tonight, where we will be joined by the rest of the Weasley's on Sunday." Dumbledore rubbed his hands together and smiled warmly at them both before disapparating away.

"Thanks Ginny for saying that, it means a real lot you know." He said smiling gratefully at her.

"No problem Harry, I'm sorry for eaves-"

"Don't be." He cut her off. "I'm going to go pack so we can get to-"

"What?" Asked Ginny when he saw his expression, then it seemed to Harry that she knew exactly what.

Grimmauld Place.

"It'll be alright Harry, I know he wouldn't want you to be there anymore than he did when he was there."

"Oh, I'm sure he doesn't." Harry replied coldly.

"But it is your house now isn't it? So he wants you to go back to it." Harry realized she meant Sirius, and he saw the truth in her words, but he was never worried about that.

"I was talking about Ron." He said, carefully saying his friends name.

"Oh."