The Third Option
Chapter 6: Mr. and Mrs. Black
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, plot I do however...
Thanks to all of my reviewers, your excellent.
**********************************************************************************************************
Ginny walked down the hall, unsure of what to think. There was no lead in France, it was Spain, not France, Harry knew that, what the hell is wrong with him? In fact, where the hell had he taken them?
Harry, for his part, knew exactly what he was doing, almost exactly. He knew Hermione would be looking for them the first chance she got, god how he knew it. He was almost terrified, nothing really scared him anymore, except for that look Hermione got in her eye when she was determined. He had witnessed full force what she was capable of and that was scary, despite that nothing really scared him,except Ginny. Ginny definitely was scary.
So what the hell was he doing here with her? What would Ron do to him? And the other Weasley brothers, they were also definitely scary. Absolutely terrifying. Other than those things, was he scared of anything else? No he was Harry Potter. Harry Potter, haha, that always got a chuckle out of him, Famous Harry Potter. Haha.
"Reservations sir?" A man at the counter asked in his most polite English.
This snapped both Harry and Ginny out of their reverie. Ginny glanced at Harry, this was his plan, not hers, she was going to let him lead, almost. Harry had such a blank look in his eyes, how that man survived anything in the world was beyond her. She quickly snapped her wand and nudged Harry in the shoulder. Luckily, he wasn't a complete moron.
" Reservations, yes, for a Mr. and Mrs. Black."
"Hmmm...Hmm..." This idiot was taking forever with the computer list... "Yes, we have a Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Black. Your in room, 45A. Here are your keys, how long will you be staying with us?"
"We're not sure yet, are we darling?' Ginny hoped Harry could act, otherwise this was going to get difficult.
"No, is that a problem sir?"
"OH not problem at all, breakfast is served 6:30 to 9:00 and the list of dinner times are in the room, if you choose to eat here."
"Thank you much!" Ginny chirruped before Harry could interject.
She had to give him a little credit, he wasn't as bad as he seemed he would be at acting.
"Um.. I hate to be rude, but where is your luggage?" The man from behind the counter looked unsure and suspicious.
It seemed Harry was completely ready for this. " They are being delivered later, you know customs, have to check everything."
"Of course."
"Come along lovely." Harry spoke before the man could ask anymore questions, leading Ginny to the elevator.
Elevator, Ginny was getting slightly panicked. She wasn't afraid of Muggle things, but why use them all of the time? Stairs were wonderful. "Harry, I think I'll take the stairs."
"Oh, are you scared of elevators?" Harry wrapped his arms around her before he could stop himself, "Is my little, darling wife scared?"
"No, and don't touch me you loser!" Ginny screamed shrilly as she began to count to 100, trying to calm down.
The elevator beeped and let them off at the third floor. The third floor what was this thing with three's Ginny wondered.
As they walked down to their room, Ginny realized that they would have to make up another bed, how would they explain that to the maid? What were they going to do?
Harry was already ahead of Ginny, " Here's the game plan, we cannot magic a new bed, it would be too suspicious, we'll have to share it, sorry. The second thing is we'll have to..."
"What is this? I thought you promised not to wear that hideous thing?" Ginny was outraged, that ugly thing. When did he have time to grab it?
"Now Ginny, this is my lucky case jacket, I never leave the office on a case without it." He was pleading.
"Fine, she snapped, the remembered something. "Harry, we're staying for a week, like we said in the office, that's when everyone expects us back."
"Oh, your right, well call down.." He turned his back to her and was doing something strange with his wand.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
"Fixing to get our suitcases delivered from customs." He replied with a devilish grin as he moved to reveal two large, green suitcases.
"Oh and where are mine?"
"Yours," what was she talking about harry wondered? "Ginny, there's two here, one for each of us."
"No, I'm sorry, but I never travel with one suitcase, I need two, its what I need."
"Oh, um.. no problem."
"Don't think I'm crazy, but any self respecting women will not travel without enough clothing to last twice as long as she is gone."
"Ginny, I wasn't judging you, but what would we do to require you with all of the clothes?"
"No Comment."
"Tell it to the peanut gallery."
"You would be the expert in that department, Mr. Witch Weekly."
"I thought our alias's were Mr. and Mrs. Black."
"Don't play coy, you know that you've been in every one of their issues since you turned 14, doesn't that bother you, doesn't it affect you at all? Does anything for that matter? You act like nothing has ever happened and everything's turned out just the way it was supposed to."
"There are worse things than being in the paper..." Harry said in a brooding sort of way.
"I know Harry, I lived through them as well, I've lost people close to me too."
"But you still have your family, all of that was taken away from me before I could even talk, do you really think you know what that feels like, what kind of pain that causes? NO ONE KNOWS, no one knows what I dream about at night, no one knows what happened, what really happened, and maybe it's better that way, you know, maybe that way I can just fade away, and all of this living legend bullshit will go away."
"Harry, I know what happened, I was there, I understand." Ginny was starting to get frightened by him, she'd never seem him become so unnerved, even at the funerals.
"No Ginny you don't, you can't,.."
"HARRY JAMES! How dare you tell me what I can and what I can't comprehend. I WAS THERE, I SAW WHAT YOU DID! YOU DON'T NEED TO KEEP HIDING BEHIND THE LIES!"
"YES, YOU WERE THERE, but you have none of the guilt to carry, you didn't kill him, you didn't see that look in his eyes, that way he reached for me. You didn't feel my anger, my hatred, was pain. And I don't want you to. I saved you, and now you can live a happy life, I saved you so you could go and be something wonderful like you deserve, not become an auror, that was my job, to keep the world safe for you. I saved the world, not you me, not for the millions of innocent people, I saved it for you! And now, now, I have to live with what I did and the reasons I did it. The guilt, that I didn't give a shit about all the people, all I cared about at the time was you. Whether that was completely wrong I don't know. You just keep coming back, and I can't let you get hurt. Not by me, not by anyone."
Harry had his back to her now, but she knew he was crying. Slowly, so slowly she didn't even realize she was doing it, she went to him and put her arms around him from behind. She said nothing, it was one of those situations that needed no words, just time. Here in front of her was a man that had to grow up and mature way before his time. He, at such a young age, too young of an age, was given the responsibility and destiny of all of mankind, to do with what he pleased. To protect, to save, to love. She stood there, holding him until he was finished, then it came again.
"Ginny, why do you think I was chosen? What do I have that nobody else does?"
"Harry, you were chosen for your heart. There's no question about it. Your not the nicest man in the world, nor the smartest. But a wizards power doesn't come from from politeness, it comes from how he feels his emotions. Voldemort was evil, and always felt that with such force that he could do any evil. Dumbledore, he's too kind, he's like the shepherd of wizard kind. Takes care of us all. He can do anything. You Harry, you feel everything through your heart. Everything you've gone through, heartships, adversity, pain, helplessness, disappointment' I believe you went through it all to prepare you for something. That something was saving the world."
" I didn't want to save the world right then, all I wanted to save was you, then I did, but now I still don't know why.
Dumbledore told me, when I was in fifth year, that I possess something that is locked in a room in the department of mysteries. It is at once, more wonderful and terrible than death, and is stronger than forces of nature. He said it was my heart that saved us all at the ministry. But Dumbledore didn't realize how stupid I am. Why is it that I always feel responsible for the world, that what happens is my fault. That I have to save everybody?"
"You don't Harry, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."
Harry laughed "That's a lie. I didn't want to lose my parents, but I did. I didn't want to lose Sirius. BUT I DID! AND THAT'S ALL MY FAULT. HE DIED BECAUSE OF ME! Harry whispered the next part, " And everyone thinks I'm some big hero for it. I may have saved you all that night somehow, but the man I wanted to save the most, I failed. That's why I had to save you. We became close, close friends, and I came to confide in you, and because we became close, he came after you. AND it was all my fault, my fault! I saved you so you could live the life so many other people couldn't."
Ginny caught herself crying now. "Harry, you saved me, but you can't have going off to live some fairy tale life. Our lives are not fairy tales. Their Shakespearean tragedies if anything. We cannot win maybe, but then again, we can survive. We all survived. We all have to move on. You can't stay trapped in the guilt, that you don't deserve. You always have given all you can for other people, no give yourself the same courtesy and enjoy your life."
" But ever since I was born, people all have called me the tragic little hero.."
"Then don't be the tragic little hero anymore Harry, be happy. Be alive."
Harry sat on the corner of the bed, rubbing his eyes, " your right, I know your right, but I can't help but feel there's something left for me to do before I can. Something I need to finish."
Ginny grew pale, "he's not alive anymore is he?"
"No, he's gone for good, but that doesn't mean nobody else is going to try to be like him. What will I do then, in 20 years when someone else up and decided to be like him. What will I do then?"
"Harry that won't be your problem"
"Fine, so what are we going to do about these robbers, the Reco's is it?"
"I believe so, Harry are you sure your done, if you wanna keep talking..."
"I'm fine Gin, here's what we need to do."
The rest of the night was uneventful spent discussing what had happened related to the case and what they should do,except for when their luggage miraculously turned up in the middle of the night, packed with everything they needed for tomorrow. Ginny and Harry agreed to spilt the bed, however uncomfortable it made them, they split it.
"Harry... Harry.... It's time to get up." Ginny voice woke him up. Gin's voice, impossible, why would she be waking him up?
"Harry, get up! HARRY!" Ginny bellowed.
"What, what, what Gin?"
"It's 9:30, I think it's a good time to get this show on the road, don't you agree?" She was dressed, and ready for something. He, Harry was not ready, sleep sounded good, which he rolled over and did.
A pillow came out of nowhere a smacked him square in the face.
"Ginny," Harry rolled over and sat on her as he proceeded to smack her with the pillow, repeatedly, in a joking manner, over exaggerating every motion, just to tease her. She screamed, in a hysterically laughing sort of way, unsure of what was going on.
Suddenly, their faces were inches apart. She wanted, now, to kiss him. Harry knew that if he kissed her, well, "I should take a shower, get ready, we're going out."
He rolled off the bed reluctantly, and walked into the bathroom, calmly. He started the shower, and proceeded to wash his face with cold water, what in the hell did he almost do?
Ginny sat up and just spaced out, lost in the weird thoughts that definitely were not supposed to be about Harry.
Later, when they went out, they finally spoke, " So where are we going Mr. Black?"
"Well Mrs. Black, we must pay a visit to a dear old friend, I hope everything's going well for him."
"Who is it?"
"You'll see," Harry said as they climbed into a taxi, "You'll remember him well. I sure do."
" It is somebody from school?" Ginny inquired.
"In a matter of speaking, yes."
"Who do we know around here who is from school..." Ginny we drawing a blank.
"Malfoy, Harry is it Malfory, cause I have nothing to say to him."
"Neither do I, but we know this man, very well."
The taxi stopped and they were let out in front of a very beautiful Spanish town house. The decorative bars on the windows, the beautifully embellished front door. Who did she know who could live in such luxury? Surely it wasn't anyone Spanish. They all didn't decorate the outsides of their houses like this, they focused more on the inside.
Harry led her up the stairs to the door and knocked. A tall manservant opened the door, "Oh, come on in."
They were led into a beautifully simple room. It was decorated in very simple taste. A tall, pale, prematurely aged face glanced up at them in a very welcome smile.
It was Remus Lupin.
"Why, its about time you two." Remus said in a matter of fact way.
"Hi Remus," Harry shook his hand and Ginny gave him a hug.
"So this is where you disappeared to, not a bad place Remus. What have you been up to?"
"Well Ginny, that's why your here."
Harry spoke up next, " Remus, tell me where they are."
"Harry I don't know, we lost the account in Monaco. However, there are rumors of them staying in Ireland. "Are you two talking about Youknow, I mean Voldemort?" The tremor in her voice was obvious.
"No Ginny, not him, McNair. He's been trying to restart the Darklords following. That's why he had organized this group called the Reco's. Voldemort is gone, I can assure you that, but McNair is dangerous, and we need to track him down. When Voldemort left, McNair was left with nothing. So Remus, where was he staying?"
Harry and Ginny remained and exchanged stories and talked with Remus for the rest of the morning. He seemed reluctant to let them leave but none-the-less, Remus gave them the address.
"This is the place of his cousin? You have got to be kidding me." Ginny was staring in disbelief.
"Yea, answered Harry, just as shocked, " I suppose we gotta go in."
"You first Harry."
The house was, well if you called it a house, it was a shack. A big shack, a big blue and pink, American Hippy leftover of a shack. Harry was sure that the smoke coming out of the windows was not a fire.
He cautiously knocked, the door fell down. "Hello?"
"Come on in, but fix that blasted door first. Its always falling down." A high pitched voice answered.
They did as told and stepped into the oddest house every in creation. Ginny, who was raised with wizards, was used to the eccentric, the bizarre and the downright ass-backwards. This, this was mad-crazy.
Every inch of the house was covered with tacky knick-knacks, odd colored streamers, and mixed matched furniture. Even plants were growing inside the house, a variety of them, and you can only guess which ones were the favorites. Stacks of newspapers were all over, stacked in such a manner that it made a path through the house. They followed it through the house until they came to clearing on which a strange little old man sat cross-legged, smoking and looking completely blissful.
"How may I help you?"
"We would like to ask you some questions. Is that okay with you?"Harry looked uncomfortable.
"Why me, ask Bananhahaa, he'll let us know how okay it is."
"BANANHAHAAA, BANANHAAHAA, WHAT IS FOOSEBALL!?!?!"
Ginny mouthed weirdo to Harry and Harry instinctively moved closer to her.
"YES! YES! YES!"
"We can ask you some questions?" Ginny looked excited, even though she didn't really understand how this man could help them.
"No, I just saved hundreds on my car insurance bills!, I will now ask if I can answer some asking from yours..."
The mans eyes were crossing. Shit , he was not up to a cross-word puzzle, let alone a questioning.
"What is it that you think you should have know?" Harry was forcibly reminded of the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. He made a metal note not to eat any bread here.
"We are wondering if you know anyone by the last name McNair?" Harry barely breathed, suddenly chickens came charging through the room.
"YES!"
Ginny got excited, "you do know him?"
"YES, the chickens are coming, that means that the rain is here."
They watched as the man proceeded to change into an aquasuit and waddle out of the house.
"YES YES YES!" the man was clearly mad and Ginny was refusing to hear any more of it.
"Let's go Harry, I can't take any more of this." She made to leave but he reached out and stopped her.
"Let's follow him, and see what he does."
"The man is bonkers.."
"So is Dumbledore."
"Fine, we'll follow him."
They crept out of the house, following the newspaper path. The man was sitting in the middle of his immaculately groomed backyard. It was impeccable, royalty couldn't ask for more.
He sat there, standing out clearly, quietly.
"Maybe we should go Ginny." Harry suggested.
Then, out of no where the man spoke in a voice that wasn't his own. Dark, Deep and powerful.
"You want to know about The Reco's?"
Ginny paused for a moment, "Why yes we are, do you know anything about them?"
The man started laughing hysterically. It reminded Harry of something."Why yes I do, I founded that organization."
It was Harry who found his voice next,"Do you mind if we ask you a few more questions, pertaining to them?"
"Go for it, if you know what to ask."
"How are you connected the them now?"
"I was a safehouse from the dropping off point to England. They hid out here while waiting for the green light to go back."
"Back where?"
"Back to the continent."
"Which continent?"
"Africa, but they don't go there anymore, they were busted up years ago by Voldemort. Now they stay here for the hell of it. I think."
"You think or you know?" Ginny was getting impatient.
"I think I know." He offered with a grin that was suggestive.
Ginny was fuming now, "I don't care what you think, I want to know what you absolutely know." She now had him in a headlock.
"GINNY, get off of him, jeezim!" Harry pulled her off and offered and apologetic smile to the old man.
"What a women you got, its good to see a strong couple, not one ruling another, you'll be happy together."
Before Ginny could stop herself, she blurted out, "We're not together."
The old man just smiled and said, "Sure your not."
"Listen you two, I'll tell you this much, everything is not what it seems. A certain gilded one is not as insane as he seems."
"Do you mean Gilderoy Lockhart?"
"I might."
"Who are you really, old man?" Ginny couldn't help herself, she had to know.
"Me? I am Archibald, Archibald Rico Riddle."
Harry was shocked, "Riddle, are you related to Tom Riddle?
"The same, was my younger brother, back before he disappeared and came back as some weird curse-happy mad-man. What a shame on my family's memory he is."
After that weird display the man went back to his ramblings and proceeded to light random parts of the news paper surrounding his house on fire. Laughing like a maniac.
All Ginny could say was oh and they went back to the hotel.
"Harry, are you sure that man is who he said he was?"
"Yes Gin, I am."
"But he's mad."
"And Voldemort wasn't?"
"True, but what will we do know?"
"Well, what can we do, we have to follow the clues, let's go back to England and find out what old Professor Lockhart's been up to."
Please review, this chapter was kind of werid to write, it will help things run smoother... Upcoming, after Gilderoy's interview,the final battle, all that happened. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and please, don't be afraid to review.
Chapter 6: Mr. and Mrs. Black
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, plot I do however...
Thanks to all of my reviewers, your excellent.
**********************************************************************************************************
Ginny walked down the hall, unsure of what to think. There was no lead in France, it was Spain, not France, Harry knew that, what the hell is wrong with him? In fact, where the hell had he taken them?
Harry, for his part, knew exactly what he was doing, almost exactly. He knew Hermione would be looking for them the first chance she got, god how he knew it. He was almost terrified, nothing really scared him anymore, except for that look Hermione got in her eye when she was determined. He had witnessed full force what she was capable of and that was scary, despite that nothing really scared him,except Ginny. Ginny definitely was scary.
So what the hell was he doing here with her? What would Ron do to him? And the other Weasley brothers, they were also definitely scary. Absolutely terrifying. Other than those things, was he scared of anything else? No he was Harry Potter. Harry Potter, haha, that always got a chuckle out of him, Famous Harry Potter. Haha.
"Reservations sir?" A man at the counter asked in his most polite English.
This snapped both Harry and Ginny out of their reverie. Ginny glanced at Harry, this was his plan, not hers, she was going to let him lead, almost. Harry had such a blank look in his eyes, how that man survived anything in the world was beyond her. She quickly snapped her wand and nudged Harry in the shoulder. Luckily, he wasn't a complete moron.
" Reservations, yes, for a Mr. and Mrs. Black."
"Hmmm...Hmm..." This idiot was taking forever with the computer list... "Yes, we have a Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Black. Your in room, 45A. Here are your keys, how long will you be staying with us?"
"We're not sure yet, are we darling?' Ginny hoped Harry could act, otherwise this was going to get difficult.
"No, is that a problem sir?"
"OH not problem at all, breakfast is served 6:30 to 9:00 and the list of dinner times are in the room, if you choose to eat here."
"Thank you much!" Ginny chirruped before Harry could interject.
She had to give him a little credit, he wasn't as bad as he seemed he would be at acting.
"Um.. I hate to be rude, but where is your luggage?" The man from behind the counter looked unsure and suspicious.
It seemed Harry was completely ready for this. " They are being delivered later, you know customs, have to check everything."
"Of course."
"Come along lovely." Harry spoke before the man could ask anymore questions, leading Ginny to the elevator.
Elevator, Ginny was getting slightly panicked. She wasn't afraid of Muggle things, but why use them all of the time? Stairs were wonderful. "Harry, I think I'll take the stairs."
"Oh, are you scared of elevators?" Harry wrapped his arms around her before he could stop himself, "Is my little, darling wife scared?"
"No, and don't touch me you loser!" Ginny screamed shrilly as she began to count to 100, trying to calm down.
The elevator beeped and let them off at the third floor. The third floor what was this thing with three's Ginny wondered.
As they walked down to their room, Ginny realized that they would have to make up another bed, how would they explain that to the maid? What were they going to do?
Harry was already ahead of Ginny, " Here's the game plan, we cannot magic a new bed, it would be too suspicious, we'll have to share it, sorry. The second thing is we'll have to..."
"What is this? I thought you promised not to wear that hideous thing?" Ginny was outraged, that ugly thing. When did he have time to grab it?
"Now Ginny, this is my lucky case jacket, I never leave the office on a case without it." He was pleading.
"Fine, she snapped, the remembered something. "Harry, we're staying for a week, like we said in the office, that's when everyone expects us back."
"Oh, your right, well call down.." He turned his back to her and was doing something strange with his wand.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
"Fixing to get our suitcases delivered from customs." He replied with a devilish grin as he moved to reveal two large, green suitcases.
"Oh and where are mine?"
"Yours," what was she talking about harry wondered? "Ginny, there's two here, one for each of us."
"No, I'm sorry, but I never travel with one suitcase, I need two, its what I need."
"Oh, um.. no problem."
"Don't think I'm crazy, but any self respecting women will not travel without enough clothing to last twice as long as she is gone."
"Ginny, I wasn't judging you, but what would we do to require you with all of the clothes?"
"No Comment."
"Tell it to the peanut gallery."
"You would be the expert in that department, Mr. Witch Weekly."
"I thought our alias's were Mr. and Mrs. Black."
"Don't play coy, you know that you've been in every one of their issues since you turned 14, doesn't that bother you, doesn't it affect you at all? Does anything for that matter? You act like nothing has ever happened and everything's turned out just the way it was supposed to."
"There are worse things than being in the paper..." Harry said in a brooding sort of way.
"I know Harry, I lived through them as well, I've lost people close to me too."
"But you still have your family, all of that was taken away from me before I could even talk, do you really think you know what that feels like, what kind of pain that causes? NO ONE KNOWS, no one knows what I dream about at night, no one knows what happened, what really happened, and maybe it's better that way, you know, maybe that way I can just fade away, and all of this living legend bullshit will go away."
"Harry, I know what happened, I was there, I understand." Ginny was starting to get frightened by him, she'd never seem him become so unnerved, even at the funerals.
"No Ginny you don't, you can't,.."
"HARRY JAMES! How dare you tell me what I can and what I can't comprehend. I WAS THERE, I SAW WHAT YOU DID! YOU DON'T NEED TO KEEP HIDING BEHIND THE LIES!"
"YES, YOU WERE THERE, but you have none of the guilt to carry, you didn't kill him, you didn't see that look in his eyes, that way he reached for me. You didn't feel my anger, my hatred, was pain. And I don't want you to. I saved you, and now you can live a happy life, I saved you so you could go and be something wonderful like you deserve, not become an auror, that was my job, to keep the world safe for you. I saved the world, not you me, not for the millions of innocent people, I saved it for you! And now, now, I have to live with what I did and the reasons I did it. The guilt, that I didn't give a shit about all the people, all I cared about at the time was you. Whether that was completely wrong I don't know. You just keep coming back, and I can't let you get hurt. Not by me, not by anyone."
Harry had his back to her now, but she knew he was crying. Slowly, so slowly she didn't even realize she was doing it, she went to him and put her arms around him from behind. She said nothing, it was one of those situations that needed no words, just time. Here in front of her was a man that had to grow up and mature way before his time. He, at such a young age, too young of an age, was given the responsibility and destiny of all of mankind, to do with what he pleased. To protect, to save, to love. She stood there, holding him until he was finished, then it came again.
"Ginny, why do you think I was chosen? What do I have that nobody else does?"
"Harry, you were chosen for your heart. There's no question about it. Your not the nicest man in the world, nor the smartest. But a wizards power doesn't come from from politeness, it comes from how he feels his emotions. Voldemort was evil, and always felt that with such force that he could do any evil. Dumbledore, he's too kind, he's like the shepherd of wizard kind. Takes care of us all. He can do anything. You Harry, you feel everything through your heart. Everything you've gone through, heartships, adversity, pain, helplessness, disappointment' I believe you went through it all to prepare you for something. That something was saving the world."
" I didn't want to save the world right then, all I wanted to save was you, then I did, but now I still don't know why.
Dumbledore told me, when I was in fifth year, that I possess something that is locked in a room in the department of mysteries. It is at once, more wonderful and terrible than death, and is stronger than forces of nature. He said it was my heart that saved us all at the ministry. But Dumbledore didn't realize how stupid I am. Why is it that I always feel responsible for the world, that what happens is my fault. That I have to save everybody?"
"You don't Harry, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."
Harry laughed "That's a lie. I didn't want to lose my parents, but I did. I didn't want to lose Sirius. BUT I DID! AND THAT'S ALL MY FAULT. HE DIED BECAUSE OF ME! Harry whispered the next part, " And everyone thinks I'm some big hero for it. I may have saved you all that night somehow, but the man I wanted to save the most, I failed. That's why I had to save you. We became close, close friends, and I came to confide in you, and because we became close, he came after you. AND it was all my fault, my fault! I saved you so you could live the life so many other people couldn't."
Ginny caught herself crying now. "Harry, you saved me, but you can't have going off to live some fairy tale life. Our lives are not fairy tales. Their Shakespearean tragedies if anything. We cannot win maybe, but then again, we can survive. We all survived. We all have to move on. You can't stay trapped in the guilt, that you don't deserve. You always have given all you can for other people, no give yourself the same courtesy and enjoy your life."
" But ever since I was born, people all have called me the tragic little hero.."
"Then don't be the tragic little hero anymore Harry, be happy. Be alive."
Harry sat on the corner of the bed, rubbing his eyes, " your right, I know your right, but I can't help but feel there's something left for me to do before I can. Something I need to finish."
Ginny grew pale, "he's not alive anymore is he?"
"No, he's gone for good, but that doesn't mean nobody else is going to try to be like him. What will I do then, in 20 years when someone else up and decided to be like him. What will I do then?"
"Harry that won't be your problem"
"Fine, so what are we going to do about these robbers, the Reco's is it?"
"I believe so, Harry are you sure your done, if you wanna keep talking..."
"I'm fine Gin, here's what we need to do."
The rest of the night was uneventful spent discussing what had happened related to the case and what they should do,except for when their luggage miraculously turned up in the middle of the night, packed with everything they needed for tomorrow. Ginny and Harry agreed to spilt the bed, however uncomfortable it made them, they split it.
"Harry... Harry.... It's time to get up." Ginny voice woke him up. Gin's voice, impossible, why would she be waking him up?
"Harry, get up! HARRY!" Ginny bellowed.
"What, what, what Gin?"
"It's 9:30, I think it's a good time to get this show on the road, don't you agree?" She was dressed, and ready for something. He, Harry was not ready, sleep sounded good, which he rolled over and did.
A pillow came out of nowhere a smacked him square in the face.
"Ginny," Harry rolled over and sat on her as he proceeded to smack her with the pillow, repeatedly, in a joking manner, over exaggerating every motion, just to tease her. She screamed, in a hysterically laughing sort of way, unsure of what was going on.
Suddenly, their faces were inches apart. She wanted, now, to kiss him. Harry knew that if he kissed her, well, "I should take a shower, get ready, we're going out."
He rolled off the bed reluctantly, and walked into the bathroom, calmly. He started the shower, and proceeded to wash his face with cold water, what in the hell did he almost do?
Ginny sat up and just spaced out, lost in the weird thoughts that definitely were not supposed to be about Harry.
Later, when they went out, they finally spoke, " So where are we going Mr. Black?"
"Well Mrs. Black, we must pay a visit to a dear old friend, I hope everything's going well for him."
"Who is it?"
"You'll see," Harry said as they climbed into a taxi, "You'll remember him well. I sure do."
" It is somebody from school?" Ginny inquired.
"In a matter of speaking, yes."
"Who do we know around here who is from school..." Ginny we drawing a blank.
"Malfoy, Harry is it Malfory, cause I have nothing to say to him."
"Neither do I, but we know this man, very well."
The taxi stopped and they were let out in front of a very beautiful Spanish town house. The decorative bars on the windows, the beautifully embellished front door. Who did she know who could live in such luxury? Surely it wasn't anyone Spanish. They all didn't decorate the outsides of their houses like this, they focused more on the inside.
Harry led her up the stairs to the door and knocked. A tall manservant opened the door, "Oh, come on in."
They were led into a beautifully simple room. It was decorated in very simple taste. A tall, pale, prematurely aged face glanced up at them in a very welcome smile.
It was Remus Lupin.
"Why, its about time you two." Remus said in a matter of fact way.
"Hi Remus," Harry shook his hand and Ginny gave him a hug.
"So this is where you disappeared to, not a bad place Remus. What have you been up to?"
"Well Ginny, that's why your here."
Harry spoke up next, " Remus, tell me where they are."
"Harry I don't know, we lost the account in Monaco. However, there are rumors of them staying in Ireland. "Are you two talking about Youknow, I mean Voldemort?" The tremor in her voice was obvious.
"No Ginny, not him, McNair. He's been trying to restart the Darklords following. That's why he had organized this group called the Reco's. Voldemort is gone, I can assure you that, but McNair is dangerous, and we need to track him down. When Voldemort left, McNair was left with nothing. So Remus, where was he staying?"
Harry and Ginny remained and exchanged stories and talked with Remus for the rest of the morning. He seemed reluctant to let them leave but none-the-less, Remus gave them the address.
"This is the place of his cousin? You have got to be kidding me." Ginny was staring in disbelief.
"Yea, answered Harry, just as shocked, " I suppose we gotta go in."
"You first Harry."
The house was, well if you called it a house, it was a shack. A big shack, a big blue and pink, American Hippy leftover of a shack. Harry was sure that the smoke coming out of the windows was not a fire.
He cautiously knocked, the door fell down. "Hello?"
"Come on in, but fix that blasted door first. Its always falling down." A high pitched voice answered.
They did as told and stepped into the oddest house every in creation. Ginny, who was raised with wizards, was used to the eccentric, the bizarre and the downright ass-backwards. This, this was mad-crazy.
Every inch of the house was covered with tacky knick-knacks, odd colored streamers, and mixed matched furniture. Even plants were growing inside the house, a variety of them, and you can only guess which ones were the favorites. Stacks of newspapers were all over, stacked in such a manner that it made a path through the house. They followed it through the house until they came to clearing on which a strange little old man sat cross-legged, smoking and looking completely blissful.
"How may I help you?"
"We would like to ask you some questions. Is that okay with you?"Harry looked uncomfortable.
"Why me, ask Bananhahaa, he'll let us know how okay it is."
"BANANHAHAAA, BANANHAAHAA, WHAT IS FOOSEBALL!?!?!"
Ginny mouthed weirdo to Harry and Harry instinctively moved closer to her.
"YES! YES! YES!"
"We can ask you some questions?" Ginny looked excited, even though she didn't really understand how this man could help them.
"No, I just saved hundreds on my car insurance bills!, I will now ask if I can answer some asking from yours..."
The mans eyes were crossing. Shit , he was not up to a cross-word puzzle, let alone a questioning.
"What is it that you think you should have know?" Harry was forcibly reminded of the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. He made a metal note not to eat any bread here.
"We are wondering if you know anyone by the last name McNair?" Harry barely breathed, suddenly chickens came charging through the room.
"YES!"
Ginny got excited, "you do know him?"
"YES, the chickens are coming, that means that the rain is here."
They watched as the man proceeded to change into an aquasuit and waddle out of the house.
"YES YES YES!" the man was clearly mad and Ginny was refusing to hear any more of it.
"Let's go Harry, I can't take any more of this." She made to leave but he reached out and stopped her.
"Let's follow him, and see what he does."
"The man is bonkers.."
"So is Dumbledore."
"Fine, we'll follow him."
They crept out of the house, following the newspaper path. The man was sitting in the middle of his immaculately groomed backyard. It was impeccable, royalty couldn't ask for more.
He sat there, standing out clearly, quietly.
"Maybe we should go Ginny." Harry suggested.
Then, out of no where the man spoke in a voice that wasn't his own. Dark, Deep and powerful.
"You want to know about The Reco's?"
Ginny paused for a moment, "Why yes we are, do you know anything about them?"
The man started laughing hysterically. It reminded Harry of something."Why yes I do, I founded that organization."
It was Harry who found his voice next,"Do you mind if we ask you a few more questions, pertaining to them?"
"Go for it, if you know what to ask."
"How are you connected the them now?"
"I was a safehouse from the dropping off point to England. They hid out here while waiting for the green light to go back."
"Back where?"
"Back to the continent."
"Which continent?"
"Africa, but they don't go there anymore, they were busted up years ago by Voldemort. Now they stay here for the hell of it. I think."
"You think or you know?" Ginny was getting impatient.
"I think I know." He offered with a grin that was suggestive.
Ginny was fuming now, "I don't care what you think, I want to know what you absolutely know." She now had him in a headlock.
"GINNY, get off of him, jeezim!" Harry pulled her off and offered and apologetic smile to the old man.
"What a women you got, its good to see a strong couple, not one ruling another, you'll be happy together."
Before Ginny could stop herself, she blurted out, "We're not together."
The old man just smiled and said, "Sure your not."
"Listen you two, I'll tell you this much, everything is not what it seems. A certain gilded one is not as insane as he seems."
"Do you mean Gilderoy Lockhart?"
"I might."
"Who are you really, old man?" Ginny couldn't help herself, she had to know.
"Me? I am Archibald, Archibald Rico Riddle."
Harry was shocked, "Riddle, are you related to Tom Riddle?
"The same, was my younger brother, back before he disappeared and came back as some weird curse-happy mad-man. What a shame on my family's memory he is."
After that weird display the man went back to his ramblings and proceeded to light random parts of the news paper surrounding his house on fire. Laughing like a maniac.
All Ginny could say was oh and they went back to the hotel.
"Harry, are you sure that man is who he said he was?"
"Yes Gin, I am."
"But he's mad."
"And Voldemort wasn't?"
"True, but what will we do know?"
"Well, what can we do, we have to follow the clues, let's go back to England and find out what old Professor Lockhart's been up to."
Please review, this chapter was kind of werid to write, it will help things run smoother... Upcoming, after Gilderoy's interview,the final battle, all that happened. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and please, don't be afraid to review.