Harry Potter and the Scrolls of Merlin

by Lee Scoresby

Harry is back at his 6th year at Hogwarts. What will happen when he looses somone close and discovers somthing new about his struggle with Voldemort. Only the Scrolls of Merlin can give him the answers. HarryGinny.

2. A New Order Member

Chapter 2: A New Order Member

Harry was aroused from his thoughts by a knock on his door.

"Time for supper mate." said Ron through the door.

Harry waited till he heard Ron's footsteps die away before lifting himself from his bed and slowly walking downstairs. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to face his friends but he couldn't pass up one of Mrs.Weasley's homemade suppers.

As he entered the kitchen he noticed that everyone seemed tense and slipping him glances every time they thought that he wasn't looking. In attendance where Mr. and Mrs.Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and Bill. Charlie apparently was still in Romania.

After a warm welcome from the Weasleys and a bear hug from Mrs.Weasley supper began. Conversation was dull if not non-existent. Mrs.Weasley seemed to have said something to them earlier because every time Fred or George looked like they wanted to ask Harry something she gave them a stern look and they quickly closed their mouths.

After about 30 minutes Harry pushed his plate away. Everyone else was still in the middle of his or her dinners.

"Eat up Harry, you've got some weight to get back" said Mrs.Weasley.

"I'm not hungry," said Harry.

"Blimey, what's wrong with you Harry," said Ron, "I eat all I can get my hand on and I can't even remember the last time I was hungry!"

Mrs.Weasley shot Ron a look but returned her gaze to Harry and opened her mouth but it was not her that spoke.

"You need to eat Harry," said Ginny matter of factly, "you've got to be strong for what lies ahead."

Mrs.Weasley rounded on her daughter and was about to say something when Harry said, "I suppose you're right." Her expression then softened and she instead smiled at Ginny.

The rest of the meal passed uneventfully until its completion. Mrs.Weasley shooed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny upstairs since an order meeting was to be held. Fred and George couldn't resist sticking their tongue out at the four younger children as they had now been admitted into the order.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" grumbled Ron, "With Fred and George in the order we've got no extendable ears to listen in on the meetings."

"Ron, we're not supposed to know what's going on in those meetings anyways" said Hermione.

"I know but I don't see why we shouldn't"

"Really Ron, sometimes I wonder about you."

Sensing an impending row Harry quickly changed topic.

"Who do you suppose will be defense teacher this year?" he blurted.

"I've been wondering that myself Harry," said Hermione, "I'm sure that after the last six years their list of willing candidates is running thin."

"You can say that again!" said Ron, "You'd have to pay me double the salary to take that position!"

Harry nodded in agreement.

"What's been going on in the Wizarding world since two weeks ago? I didn't get the prophet this summer." asked Harry.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny exchanged a glance.

"It hasn't been pretty Harry," said Ginny, "You know how you-know-who likes to-"

"Hold on Ginny" said Harry, "Do I know this 'you-know-who' guy? He sounds familiar somehow. Does he have any other names?"

Harry knew perfectly well Ginny was talking about Voldemort but he wanted his friends to be able to say his real name.

"Well you know how, how, how he-who-must-not-be-named likes to-" started Ginny.

"VOLDEMORT!" shouted Harry.

When Ginny did nothing he yelled again, louder this time.

"SAY VOLDEMORT!" yelled Harry but Ginny still did not speak, in fact she was looking absolutely petrified, "SAY IT!"

Harry was standing now advancing slowly on Ginny. Hermione was looking at Harry with frightened eyes; Ron was to but nudged his sister as if to say 'do it'.

"SAY VOLDEMORT!" shouted Harry, "FEAR OF A NAME IS FEAR OF THE THING ITSELF! NOW SAY IT!"

Hermione straightened at Harry's words since it had been her who had said that 'to live in fear of a name is to increase the fear of the thing itself'. She was one of the few who talked about Voldemort with his real name. Or his self-given name actually. But she quickly returned her focus to the situation at hand.

Ginny opened her mouth and started to speak, "H-H-Harry I…" said Ginny trailing off into silence.

Harry seemed to have regained his composure now and was looking at Ginny with and oddly sad expression on his face. "I'm disappointed in you Ginny." he said after a minute, "I thought you where stronger than that." And with that he turned and walked out of the room that Hermione and Ginny share and back to his and Ron's.

As soon as he had closed the door Ginny broke down and started crying. Hermione rushed over to her and hugged her.

"Don't worry about it Ginny. Harry gets a little worked up sometimes. You didn't do anything wrong"

But for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that Hermione was wrong. She wasn't brave enough to stand up to her fears when confronted with them. She was weak. She had wanted desperately to say 'Voldemort' a few seconds ago but she had not. She wished she could be more like Harry. Harry wasn't afraid of anything.

Finally she stood and walked out the door. And left Hermione and Ron staring after her. Hermione wondering what she planned to do and Ron muttering something about how Harry was off his rocker.

Harry sat on his bed in thinking for the third time that day. Why wouldn't people understand? Voldemort wasn't unstoppable. He was just a normal person who underwent a magical transformation. Why didn't people call Dumbledore 'you-know-who'? He was just as powerful as Voldemort.

At that same moment Ginny was standing outside his door composing herself for what she was about to do. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Harry?"

"What do you want?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

When there was no response she opened the door and stepped into Harry and Ron's room. Harry was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. Ginny went and sat down beside him.

"Harry, I'm sorry," said Ginny simply.

"Sorry for what?" asked Harry.

"Sorry that I let you down," replied Ginny downcast, "I wish that I could be more like you sometimes."

Harry grumbled something inaudible.

"What?" asked Ginny.

"Nothing, I was just talking to myself."

"I have a feeling you weren't"

"Well, you know how last year at the Department- oh, what am I saying, you don't need to know!"

"Harry we're here to help you," said Ginny flatly, "Don't try to shy away from us. You're bound to us whether you like it or not."

At this statement Harry sat up beside Ginny.

"Ginny?" said Harry.

"Yes Harry?"

"I meant to tell you earlier but thanks for giving me some time to think earlier."

"No problem Harry, I know how those two can be sometimes." she smiled at him.

Harry just couldn't take the guilt he felt anymore after she smiled. He started crying for the second time that day. Ginny was surprised at this but hugged him tightly all the same. Before Harry had cut his tears short in front of his friends but now for some reason he didn't seem to care. He let it all out.

"I'm sorry Ginny, I didn't mean to yell," he said in between gasps, "I know you guys are only trying to help it's just sometimes I loose sight of that."

"It's alright now Harry, nothing to worry about. Why don't you get some rest?"

Slowly she lay Harry down on his bed and lay his covers on him. He closed his eyes. Satisfied Ginny got up and left and was about to leave when she heard Harry's voice.

"Ginny?" he said.

"Yes Harry?"

"I forgive you for not saying his name."

"Thank you Harry" she smiled and closed the door. She wouldn't tell anyone but she was very relieved that Harry had forgiven her. She wasn't quite sure why but she needed Harry to view her as a strong individual. She wasn't sure whether she had something to prove to herself or to someone else but it made her feel proud to have Harry's forgiveness and she vowed that the next time she saw him that she would say Voldemort to him.

Harry fell asleep not long after Ginny left him. He never heard Ron come in and fall asleep in his own bed.

The next morning Harry awoke bright and early seeing as he had gone to bed at eight thirty. It was not a surprise to him that Ron was still sprawled about in his bed making Zs. He decided that now that he was up he might as well get dressed and head downstairs and start cleaning up this dump.

He walked downstairs and the kitchen clock showed that it was 7 o' clock. He was sure nobody would be up for awhile. He knew he would be too hungry by the time everyone else got up so he decided to make himself some breakfast. Just as he was about to start he heard a tapping on the back door. He grabbed his wand with lightning quick seekers reflexes and started cautiously towards the door.

He approached the corner to the door and slowly stuck his head around the corner. He laughed. It was only an owl come to deliver the daily prophet. His nerves seemed to be on edge lately. He opened the door and the owl dropped the paper in Harry's hand. Harry found a bag beside the door filled with wizard coins and reached inside and flipped one to the owl who had delivered his paper. The owl caught it deftly then hooted in thanks and flapped out the door once more.

Harry shut and locked the door and went into the living area. He abandoned his plan for breakfast and decided to read the paper instead. There wasn't too much of interest. Apparently there had been only one attack by the death eaters in the last couple of weeks. The paper claimed that they had been recouping after their loss at the Department of Mysteries.

The only large attack had been on a small muggle town about 40 kilometers outside of Little Whining. The only alarming thing about the attack was that at least 30 people where dead and 89 more where injured. But it didn't end there. The muggle government was suspicious of the attack and suspected some type of terrorism and where investigation the means that the 'terrorists' had used to kill so many with an 'odd green stream of light' according to one muggle.

Someone clearing their throat interrupted Harry from his thoughts. He whirled around half expecting to see his old professor Dolores Umbridge. He was quite relieved to see Ginny instead. She had an uncanny ability to produce an amazingly accurate Umbridge 'Hem Hem'.

"I wasn't expecting to see anyone up this early," said Harry.

"Nor was I," replied Ginny equally.

"Sit down," said Harry indicating a chair opposite him, "I've read the paper this morning so I'm all caught up in what Voldemort has been doing."

Ginny looked grave, "You haven't heard all that he's been up to. Some things don't appear in newspapers."

"Like what?" asked Harry gulping.

"Like his attempted assassination on Dawlish," said Ginny, "It's been kept all hushed up. Dumbledore thinks that if Fudge is ever thrown out that Dawlish is a popular alternative amongst the others in the Ministry and being an order member Voldemort wouldn't like him being the Minister of Magic should Fudge be removed."

Harry stood up and walked to the chair Ginny was occupying and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Ginny," he said, "I'm proud of you." Ginny blushed slightly at the praise. She'd been preparing herself to say Voldemort in front of him all night and she was delighted at the praise that Harry had given her. He gave her shoulder a squeeze, "Now I'm going to see about some breakfast. You hungry?"

Ginny nodded, got up and followed Harry into the kitchen.

"That was a very nice of the two of you to make breakfast for the rest of us," said Mrs.Weasley after she finished her breakfast, courtesy of Harry and Ginny, "I have to admit it was nice not to have to cook for a change."

"Oh, it was nothing Mrs.Weasley," said Harry, "We where up and about so we decided to do something productive."

"Well I'm glad you did. Now since there is nothing else really that you are able to do, why don't the four of you work on your homework this morning and in the afternoon you can continue cleaning up this place." Said Mrs.Weasley.

Everyone gave a good-natured groan before trudging upstairs to do his or her homework. With the exception of Hermione who darted to the stairs and took them in leaps of three.

"Nutty, that one," commented Ron, "I wish I could be that enthusiastic about my homework. Then I'd never have to worry about deadlines."

"You really wish that you where that enthusiastic about homework?" asked Ginny.

"Well, no, not really," said Ron, "Just wanted to make a point."

The four entered Ron and Harry's room and set up some desks so that they could all be facing one another and started doing their homework. Two feet of parchment later Harry had had enough.

"If I write anymore then my wand hand's going to fall off," said Harry, "And then who'd beat …" Harry stopped as he realized what he'd been about to say. He quickly changed topics, "What's that you're working on Hermione?"

But Hermione didn't answer him. He noticed that Ron and Ginny where also giving him a funny look.

"What?" he asked.

"You where saying Harry." Said Hermione.

"Nothing," said Harry a little too quickly, "I was just mumbling on about stuff. Hey Ron, is your arm alright after that brain attacked it?"

"Oh ya," said Ron looking down at his arm, "It's fine. But there's something strange happening since it attacked me though."

"What?" asked Harry, glad that he had sidestepped that bullet.

"How about this," said Ron very business like, "We all tell you one of our secrets and you tell us what you where about to say." Ron folded his arms and sat back in his chair looking very smug indeed. Hermione shot him an approving look but then quickly returned her attention to Harry."

"Look guys, it's not that simple, this is something big!" said Harry pleadingly.

"How about this then," said Hermione, "Ron will tell you about the brains, I'll tell you about, um, what could I tell him?"

"You could tell him which boy you like," said Ron blushing slightly.

"No, that will never do," said Hermione briskly, "Hmm, I know! I'll tell him about his family." Harry coulnd't know what Hermione knew about his family that he didn't but he decided that that one might be worth finding out.

"I don't have much to tell but I could tell you something that would make you laugh every time you think about it."

"Fine," said Harry, "But you must promise that what I say doesn't leave this room and you all have to go first."

"Sure," said Hermione, "I'll start"

"Hold that thought," said Harry. And he got up and went for the door. Hermione thought that he was going to make a dash for it but instead reached down and picked up a pair of extendable ears.

"HELLO! ANYBODY HOME! NICE DAY FOR SPYING ON OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS ISN'T IT?" shouted Harry into the ears then gave them a tug and pulled the rest of the ears into the room. The scurry of feet on the stairs could be heard shortly after.

"Continue," he said simply.

"Well, last year I spent a few hours reading about your family Harry" said Hermione, "What I found was rather interesting. One of your distant grandfathers. I can't remember exactly how many 'great's are attached to that but anyways one of them, Hephestieus Regliez, was a headmaster of Hogwarts. I found that his mother's maiden name was Merlin. When I traced the father's lineage back I found that his great-great-great-great-grandmother's maiden name was Gryffindor. Needless to say she was a descendant of Godric himself."

"Wow," said Harry, "So, I'm Merlin and Gryffindor's heir?"

"Well," said Hermione hesitantly, "You aren't Merlin's most direct descendant."

"Who is?" asked Harry, "Do I know of him?"

"Not only do you know of him. You know him. It's professor Snape."

"What?" exclaimed Ron, "That git is the heir of Merlin? Does he even know?"

"I'm not sure but I know that you should refer to him as professor Snape not 'that git'."

"Oh, come on Hermione, everyone was thinking it, I'm just the only one who said it."

"Why don't you tell us about the brains now Ron?" asked Harry sensing another impending row.

"Oh ya sure, well what happened was after I recovered I realized that I knew things that I didn't know before. Somehow I knew everything about the 15 uses of unicorn hair. I never knew that before and somehow I was able to write a whole 4 feet of parchment about it today. It's like the brains knowledge passed into me. Although I don't know anything about how to act in real life or anything like that. All I've got is knowledge so my ability to perform spells remains the same," said Ron, "I can imagine it will come in handy come exam time!"

Hermione looked appalled while Ginny and Harry looked at Ron enviously.

"Well that's not so bad then is it mate?" Harry said this more as a statement than a question.

"Nope, not bad at all."

"Okay, your turn Ginny." Said Hermione.

"Alright here goes. I kissed Dean," she said simply.

"You WHAT?" asked Ron fuming, "THE NEXT TIME I SEE THAT SCUMBAG I'LL GIVE HIM A PIECE OF MY MIND AND MY FIST AND IF YOU THINK THAT I'LL-"

"RON!" shouted Ginny and then she started giggling, "I was only kidding, I never even went out with him. I just said it to see your reaction."

As much as he tried to stop it Harry burst out laughing. Hermione tried to hide her smile behind her hand but it was quite apparent. Even Ron saw the humor behind the joke and joined in the laughter.

"Okay Harry, now you tell us what you where about to say," said Hermione, immediately the laughter stopped.

"Fine, this is it. You know the prophecy we got at the Department of Mysteries right?" started Harry, everyone nodded and he continued on, "It was destroyed. But the thing I found out is that it was only a recording of the prophecy, not the prophecy itself. There were only two people present when the prophecy was said for the first time. Those two people where one of Voldemort's spies and Dumbledore and so Dumbledore told me."

"So then Dumbledore and Voldemort already know what the prophecy says? And who was the person who recited the prophecy for the first time?" asked Hermione hurriedly.

"Well Dumbledore knew the entire thing but Voldemort's spy only heard the beginning. And the person who said it was Sybil Trelawny."

"That old coot, she's been prediction that you will die tomorrow for almost three years! How can you trust what she said is true?" asked Ron unbelievingly.

"Sometimes seers will start reciting a prophecy without even knowing what they're doing and they have an ethereal voice as they say it and they won't even remember a word of it once they're done," Harry got up, "Well time for lunch I should say."

"Harry," said Ginny gently, "You still haven't told us what the prophecy."

"Oh," said Harry nervously, "right you are. Well it wasn't dreadfully interesting so I'll sum it up. It said some stuff about me and some other stuff about Voldemort and some stuff about both of us." Harry saw that everyone was still waiting for him to say what the prophecy really said. "Alright, alright! Here's exactly what it said. I've memorized it from thinking about it so often. It goes like this: 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies … ' "

They where all silent. Ginny and Hermione looked at Harry in horror as Ron counted to seven on his fingers mouthing the months as he went then as he reached the seventh he looked up at Harry with a look of dumb terror on his face.

"What I was going to say was that if I wrote anymore my wand hand would fall off. Then who would beat Voldemort? Well I'm still hungry so I'm heading down for some lunch."

And with that Harry rushed out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen and he left his three friends staring at the door which he had left just moments earlier.

"That was big." Managed Ron.

Lunch was relatively quiet considering that there where nine people present. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny where thinking about the prophecy, Fred and George seemed to be hatching a plan of some sort and Bill and Mrs. and Mr.Weasley ate their lunch in silence.

After lunch was over Mrs.Weasley assigned the four friends to clean up another room in the house. Harry wasn't excited about spending time with his friends to whom he'd just told the prophecy.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" asked Hermione once they were in the room they were assigned to clean.

"Because I thought you would overreact!" said Harry tiredly, "Looks like I was correct in my assumption!"

"Really Harry, there's no reason why you shouldn't have told us. We're your friends and we'll stick by you 'till the bitter end even if it means becoming a murderer." Said Ginny comfortingly. Both Ron and Hermione nodded their heads in agreement.

"Even if I wind up dead?"

There was an awkward silence that followed until Ron decided to say something to cut the tension.

"Sure mate! If I know you you'll give it all you've got and poor you-know-who, er, V, Vol, Volde, Voldemor, Voldemort," he let out a breath as he finally said Voldemort, "a run for his money. You can win this thing Harry."

Harry let Ron's words sink in before speaking. He realized then that he had some of the best friends one could hope for.

"Thanks guys, I should have known that you'd all be there for me but I didn't want to tell you for another reason too. Voldemort will probably want to get to anyone who knows the contents of the prophecy, that's you guys. I just don't want you guys getting hurt because of me."

"Don't worry we love you too much to let you live your life in loneliness." Ginny said blushing as she said it. Harry seemed too deep in thought to notice though, "We'll always stand by you Harry, don't worry about that."

"Don't worry about it at all Harry. What will come will come but for now why not have a little fun, live for the moment." Added Hermione.

"I'll try my best and sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to yell like that." Said Harry.

"No harm done," said Ron reassuringly, "We're one chair short now but I'm sure we'll manage.

After the four had finished cleaning out the room Harry and Ron went off to play a few games of wizard chess while Ginny and Hermione had some 'girl talk'.

"I just don't get it," said Ron in bewilderment, "Why do they need to have these 'girl talks all the time?"

"I don't know I guess it's kind of the same thing as 'bloke time' but to be honest with you I'm not entirely sure. All they do is talk, at least we play wizard chess or something of the sort."

"Well mate, I've said it before and I'll say it again. As long as I live I'll never understand girls."

Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Ginny as she strode into the room.

"You wouldn't get it. It's a bloke thing." Said Ron.

"Your move," Harry said to Ron. He could sense the Weasley temper getting ready to flare.

"Check mate" proclaimed Ron proudly.

"I don't think I've beaten you in at least 50 consecutive matches," said Harry exasperated, "I don't know why I didn't give up long ago."

"Because someday when I'm half-asleep and you get a few breaks you might just manage to come close to beating me."

"I could help you next time you play," volunteered Ginny, "chess playing runs in our family and I'm nearly as good as Ron. Perhaps together we could beat that brother of mine."

"Sounds like a plan," said Harry grinning. He extended his hand and Ginny took it. He liked the feel of her hand in his. After a minute he let go but found that his hand was still being held by Ginny's.

He looked up at her then down at his hand. She seemed to be in a trance of some sort but then she shook her head and was out of it.

"Oh, sorry," she said blushing furiously.

"No that's fine," said Harry, "I-"

He was spared having to think up something to say by a loud thump on the window. The four adolescents rushed to the window to see what had made the sound and saw an owl lying on the ground outside. They rushed quickly down the stairs and Ron went out to retrieve the owl. It didn't look to seriously injured. Except for the fact that it's left wing seemed to be bent oddly.

"What was that?" asked Mrs.Weasley coming down the hall from the kitchen, "Oh dear!" she said after she saw the hurt owl in Ron's hands, "bring it into the kitchen and we'll see if we can fix him up."

Ron followed his mother into the kitchen where he gently laid the owl on the table. The bird hopped over to the edge of the table and looked down at the floor then at Ron. Then back at the floor then Ron again.

"I think it wants you to put it on the floor Ron." Said Hermione.

Ron reached forward and carefully put the owl on the floor. No sooner had he done it than the owl quickly changed into a human who turned out to be the auror Dawlish.

"Dawlish!" said Mrs.Weasley, "I didn't know that you where an animagus."

"You never asked," said the auror with a grin. He started to walk but stopped wincing, "You think you could do something about this arm?"

"Oh, most certainly Dawlish be back in a minute," said Mrs.Weasley rushed off to get her first aid kit.

"Now Harry," said Dawlish, "My animagus form isn't an owl for nothing, I've brought you a letter from Dumbledore himself."

"But Dumbledore was here yesterday. Why didn't he just tell me then?"

"He said you'd had enough to fill your brain with the other day and also something had just come up and he had no way of knowing yesterday."

"Well I've said my bit," said Dawlish, "Could I borrow your bed Harry, my arms are awfully sore."

"Sure," said Harry laughing, "I'll tell Mrs.Weasley where you've gone to."

Dawlish nodded his thanks and started walking up the stairs to Harry and Ron's room.

"Go on, open it," urged Hermione.

Harry looked the letter over before breaking the Hogwarts seal on the back of the letter and pulling out its contents. Inside he found three pieces of parchment with Dumbledore's writing on it, one with the information about the money transfer from Sirius's account to his own. The third item was a small wallet. Harry looked at this first.

Inside he found a compartment for coins that looked like it was larger than it should be but if they could fit a house in a tent they could certainly handle this. But that wasn't the only remarkable thing inside the wallet was there was some cards in it. The first was his Wizard identification card. It had his name, place of birth, parents, date of birth, his wizard number and many other things as well with his picture smiling up at him in the top left corner.

The second card startled him a bit, it was an apparation license. He supposed that the ministry had finally gotten wind of the prophecy and decided that him learning to apparate would be a good idea. But the third card surprised Harry the most.

"Oh, my," he head Hermione say from behind him while Ron said something along the lines of 'Blimey'. Ginny remained silent.