Harry Potter & The True Power

Chapter 13 : Himalayan Excursion

Rita Skeeter had found out that Harry was at the Gringotts. He had been there since the morning. She had heard the rumors of Sirius Black's death. Also that he was Harry's Godfather. Truly, a Drunk Mund (ungus Fletcher) was a real source of information. Since her return, when she had found out that you-know-who was really back, she turned back to the reporter she had once been. But celebritism had taken a toll on her. Add to that, she always had a point of view. That's what most readers wanted anyway.

As soon as she saw Harry come out into the lobby, she rushed to meet him. He had to know about the present status of V..Volde..shit ..Voldemort. She was damned if she was going to continue to fear the evil excuse of a wizard.

However, she was not alone, she saw two men rush towards him as well. Before both of them could approach him, First, they saw the snow white Owl that belonged to Harry Potter. After a brief joust with him, the most famous phoenix of The Great Britain & Scotland, Fawkes appeared out of nowhere and in a moment, all three of them disappeared in a flash of fire. Disappointed, she returned to the daily prophet to turn in her articles.

The two training aurors, who had just seen Harry Potter, were a nervous bunch. They knew that Mad-Eye wanted to be informed as soon as they saw him. And Harry had a very slippery reputation. It was rumored that he had slipped out of you-know-who's hand five times now. In addition to the event when he got the scar. Then there was the rumor of the academy he had started at Hogwarts, and the appearance or alleged appearance of you-know-who in the ministry.

So as soon as they saw him, they immediately sent the pre-arranged signal to Mad-Eye. However in front of their eyes before they could say a thing, he disappeared with Professor Dumbledore's Phoenix.

Harry had never traveled by this method of phoenix travel before. He with Ron & Ginny had been picked by Fawkes just after the chamber of secrets tournament. But nothing had felt like this. It was as if he was passing through a void, albeit a comforting one. Then, without much further ado, they came out of this and he saw himself hanging about in the air, with snow covered peaks all around. Harry didn't know it then, but this was just one of his many visits to the Himalayas, the home of the phoenixes.

Hedwig was flying with them now. She looked cold. Harry was somehow still enveloped in a warm bubble. Within a few minutes, they reached what could have been called a palatial nest. It was made of natural fibers and interwoven like the birds does it but that is as far as its similarity to a nest went. It was a huge planned city. He felt more than saw that it was changing. He was to learn later that it was made of high magic and changed to whatever was needed by its dweller.

As they settled down, Harry looked at Fawkes strangely. When he had accepted Fawkes invitation to get away from "the Skeeter woman" and most probably two minders set by ministry (he assumed they had gotten the emancipation papers and fudge was trying to do something), he had thought that they would be going to Hogwarts, not here in some high mountain range filled with magic. That was another thing Harry noticed. The entire place was soaked with magic. Hogwarts magic looked an infant in front of him. He would just have to see what happens.

He had taken not more than a few steps when he saw many other phoenixes come out from various places and appear in front o him. Unlike Fawkes, not all of them were Red & Gold, there were many more colors like blue & purple involved. And then what Harry saw, brought him very close to fainting. Had it not been the severe bumps of seeming impossibilities happening to him in the last two days, strengthened his system, he surely would have. He saw a mirror image of Merlin as an older man, walk up to him. He was glowing in a faint multicolored halo. Then he looked down and saw the ring on his fingers, and looked faintly impressed. "Good" he said, "I see the Queen has fulfilled her duty." Pausing for a bit, he continued, "Hello Harry, as I am sure by now that you know, I am your grandfather, many times over, that is."

Harry was totally and utterly shocked. He had just come here after being with a magical image that had been his ancestor. He had been led to believe that he had died over 3000 years ago and now Fawkes had brought him to this place, and here was a man who looked exactly like him, albeit a lot more powerful.

Albus Dumbledore had just come in to the aurors headquarters. Mad-Eye had flooed him and at the moment they had just completed the report of events at Gringotts. Albus was now pacing to & fro, wearing down the carpet. He had been amazed at the inclusion of Fawkes in the whole scenario. Fawkes had been doing his disappearing act since the last two days. The same amount of time since the first magical wave had rendered him unconscious. Things were starting to look ominous.

Even now, as he attempted to call upon the link with his familiar, he could not contact him.

Alastor was looking at him very curiously. The importance of Potter in this war was becoming more and more certain. Albus had never been this rattled. Even during the first war, several deaths of light families never pushed him out of control. More than anything, he liked to be in control. Now, he was beyond control at the non-availability of a young person who had gone with his own familiar phoenix. Phoenixes were known as the Purest of light creature equaled only by the unicorns.

Alastor was getting an itch. He now had to get at the bottom of this.

The burrow was quiet, except for one voice that was worth more than all else combined. Something you don't see this when even a few of them are present. Today, the whole Weasley contingent except Percy was there. Both Bill & Charlie had come back after the fiasco at Diagon Alley. Molly had just woken out of the sedation charm.

"What the Hell were you thinking of? Don't you have any responsibility? My God I thought you were growing up. But have I ever been mistaken? And after that you let a stupid Medi-Witch sedate me without my permission. Merlin she is going to get an earful from me." Molly went in the same rave for a few more minutes until Arthur finally put an arm around her shoulders. Stopping in mid sentence, she buried her face in his shoulders and cried. She was very-very worried about Harry.

She loved him like a son, more than as a friend of Ron. Ever since he had saved Ginny's life in his second year, she had more or less adopted him in her heart. Ron did behave like an idiot every year while he was home during the holidays. She had heard from Ginny that Ron was being an even bigger idiot in school during their fourth year. But Harry, bless his heart, seemed to have forgiven him. She loved that boy as if he was her own.

At the Riddle Manor, the senior healer had made all the preparations for the spell. He had already checked the potion. Everything was fine. Snape, Lestrange as well as Pettigrew were all there waiting for the clock strike 8. At that time, the potion was to be given to the dark lord and exactly four hours later, when the clock strikes 12, the spell was to be casted. Everything was fine except one of the junior healers he had sent to Knockturn Alley had not returned. It was not usual.

However, he did not deign to inform the three from the core group of the same. Things were volatile as it is. He did not want a death on his head. Though he was an ousted healer, he was a healer none-the-less.

Rita had used another version of her enchanted quills. This article was a genuine article, written as she liked to write and not something she was used to writing. When she had arrived in the world of reporting, nobody read her articles. She was an unknown at that moment. Once, under the influence of fire-whiskey, she had written pretty damaging towards a known socialite. The only reason she wasn't sued was because she had the proof of being correct.

She had received a promotion and a raise after that. Strung on the high she got from being a celebrity that she lost her way. She became what she hated most. And when Hermione had encased her in for a year in a museum, at first she had been mad. Not for being incarcerated, but for being caught. She had a lot of time on her hands to think, of reflection. She had thought of the most horrible night of her life and from there, she started to see the life from a new perspective. The only good thing from her loosing her way was that she had become a celebrity in her own right.

She had come out a changed person. Daily prophet had hired her again. Her charms had not lost their sheen.

Now, she had written both her articles. She had prepared both her articles and waited till the last moment. She did not want anyone blackballing her. She maybe out of a job tomorrow, but she would have atoned for some of the damage she had incurred during her binge.

Harry was now sitting on a comfortable chair which had appeared especially for him. What he had learnt was amazing. Merlin is the king of all Phoenixes with Fawkes being their ambassador to the Wizarding world. Little did he know that these were just the appetizers. He never knew the real importance of the magical wave of his caliber and so many other things.

Right now, he was waiting for Merlin. They just had a brief meeting with the congress of phoenixes, nothing special; just an introductory meeting.

In a few moments, he felt a presence. He turned to find Merlin standing just behind him, gazing at the stars.

"Beautiful things, these stars. One can make them into any thing if one is imaginative enough. Just like magic" Harry had an odd feeling that Merlin meant a lot more than just what he had said. He nodded, half understanding, half believing.

"I understand that this must be very odd for you. You must have spent some time with the image I had kept in that vault, and now, you get to know the real thing. But I assure you, I was once him. So we know each other some, just pretend that I have amnesia and you are trying to tell me about yourself, my grandson." There was an odd ethereal feeling. He felt he could trust him. Not even an hour or so ago, he had. Now the shape had just changed. The person was the same, barring a few thousand years. Ah the life he led.

So he began, and over the period of next two hours, he poured out his life in front of his grandfather. And he listened, letting him go through the emotions. If there were any queries, he kept them to himself. When he found out about lily, he was astonished. Just like his counterpart.

Harry was tired. Though his soul had rested and played, his body had been at a go since very early morning. And he hadn't slept much the night before. Any before he knew it, he dozed off, on the chair. With a wave of a hand, Merlin transformed the chair into a bed. Magically, the verandah turned into a room.

Merlin smiled, seeing his grandson sleep. It felt like he had slept after a long time. Odd but true, for the first time he remembered, he was sleeping with his family. Merlin closed his eyes, reappearing in front of a very old image of his. It was as if seeing yourself when you were young, only far better. It was like a meeting of very old friends after a long time. And like old friends, they talked thru the night.

It was nearly 12 in the morning. Snape was standing near the bed of the dark lord with Bella, Pettigrew and the Healer. As the clock struck 12, Healer muttered the spell and the whole body of the dark lord was enveloped in a black glow. It glowed for a couple of seconds and then they saw a wisp of smoke enter the body. Soon, the glow receded back in the body and the healer sighed in relief. The spell had to be timed properly

In a few moments after the light around the dark lord vanished, he spelled another charm to see the vital statistics. Everything was fine. All four of them now waited for their master to come back to the land of the living.

Next morning was a day of huge excitement. On the front page of the Daily profit was the photo of Albus Dumbledore being cut down to size by a very angry goblin. As it was a magical photo, it showed a receding Dumbledore with an angry and snarling face. It was, a Kodak moment. With some accurate commentary, the article went something like,

"The True Face of Professor Dumbledore" by Rita Skeeter.

It would have been an ordinary day like all the days at Gringotts. All of us go there to take care of our finances and to safe keep things of most important to us. Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, Order of Merlin First Class, and Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot had gone to the Gringotts, it seems, to find somebody he had lost. The person he wished to find was none-other than the hero of our Wizarding world, the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter.

Mr. Potter, it seemed had some business and had left instructions not to be disturbed. When asked about him repeatedly, in deference to the position he holds in the Wizarding world, he was informed that the young Mr. Potter had been fine.

However, choosing not to believe the most honest guardians of the Wizarding economy, Albus Dumbledore showed his true face and character. He showed us a side of him seldom someone sees, the side which comes out only when someone doesn't do as he asks of them. So, when the goblins respected our rights and the rights of Mr. Potter to a safe and secure visit at the bank, the professor lost all control.

In a tone unbecoming a civilized wizard, in front of all, he chose to snarl at the Senior Goblin in-charge, and I quote "I want to see Harry Potter standing here in front of me right this minute."

The Goblins are responsible for our safety and for keeping our affairs discreet. Does the headmaster believe he has the right to countermand our decisions regarding our privacy and the way we conduct our business? Does the headmaster believe himself to be the master of our lives?

Or is this the true face of the headmaster? Have we been fooled by the mask he puts on? Is he the kind eyed benevolent leader of the light or is he just a polite version of you-know-who? Lets' ask us the question, who is the real Dumbledore?

After that was a request to all the readers as to their own impression of the truth or if they had ever had an encounter with the Headmaster, when he was being less than honest! There was also a pensieve memory of the incident available for viewing at the offices of the daily Prophet.

This article had created a mass hysteria of public opinion. The last line had been a stroke of genius. It was a known fact that pensieve memories can not be faked. Since the morning, people had been flocking to the offices and were waiting in line.

Then she hit the jackpot, Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge was coming to see the memory.

Albus Dumbledore was again loosing control. Things had been rapidly spinning out of control. Albus had been realizing his impotency in the face of fates. He did not like it. He did not like it for one moment. All his efforts at guiding the Wizarding world to a peaceful time, was not coming out as he planned. He needed to get back the initiative. Otherwise, the whole Wizarding world would fall into the darkness as he feared nearly fifteen years ago.

At the riddle manor, everybody was oblivious. For security reasons, all communications had been suspended and all travel rationed. Nobody knew what had happened outside. The entire inner circle was waiting for the dark lord to wake up. He did not disappoint. At exactly 8:23 am, he woke up, opened his eyes and saw his inner circle surrounding him.

And then his eyes laid on Snape and turned cold, sending shivers up his spine.

Slowly, he got up. He looked around and saw Snape, Bella, Peter and a healer whose name he forgot looking at him eagerly. The last few days had been hell. The magical wave that had hit him had changed something. After the fateful night fifteen years ago, he had felt incomplete. Like some part of his power was lost somewhere and now it had returned. But some thing else had changed. And he needed to find out.

"Every body leave!" the dark lord said in a very crispy and chilled voice. There was a new power in him, the power which he had during his previous reign, maybe even more. The dark lord Voldemort, heir of the slytherin, was back.

Authors Notes:

I would like to thank everybody who has helped me thru their reviews and suggestions thru the first part of my story. No, I am not going to start one under a new title, I just mean to say that the ground work from where my story will now proceed to the second stage is now set. All the characters are in the right places.

Additionally, I would like to thank my very first reviewer warra, and many more who have joined me in this journey.

Shadowed Rains, Lady-Slytherin-Warrior, athenakitty, YinMiltato, Imill123, niklophiliac, Inemene, White Merlin, Dumbldore, Wavefunction, Edengrave, Honor Harrington1982, Goddess Selene, Ladylime464, KeiIkari, Inemene, Kikilaughter, James and many more who have read and not reviewed.

I know that I haven't answered any of your questions as yet. But from now on, I would try to. Frankly, this is my fanfic and I am not very conversant with the etiquettes for the same. Also, the story's base was already in my mind when I started. And as you have seen, a single change might have had a cascade effect.

But now, I will have some lee way. I have already prepared a broad outline of what I want this story to do. If any of you have any suggestions, please feel free to convey them. Till now, I have updated nearly daily. That was pretty much because everything was in my mind and I had to get it out and I had some free time.

Now it might become a bit more normal, say once every 2-3 days. Lets see.

I am still looking for a beta as Shadowed rains continually reminds me, I do leave out a few. My only excuse is that I right in a straight run. I do spell check and all, but still, sometimes, your eyes slide off what you did wrong.

Hence the offer is open to you all who think it would help.

gt.