Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and its various publishers own Harry Potter. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Notes to reviewers are at the end of the story. I am very interested in what people have to say. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read and review!
Chapter 19
Return to Myrddin's Den
The last day of November brought a snowstorm, blanketing the castle and grounds in white. After the excitement of Halloween, life at Hogwarts had settled into a familiar routine. Hufflepuff surprised everyone, including themselves, by beating Ravenclaw with a 120-point lead, putting Gryffindor in second place for the Quidditch Cup. Neville Longbottom spent a week in the infirmary after saving Robbie Johnson from a rampaging Man-Eating Snapdragon after Robbie accidentally left the greenhouse door open. Otherwise, the month of November had been relatively calm.
Even caring for the captured dragons, while exciting in the beginning, had settled into a routine. The Dragon Masters insisted that the creatures needed to be cared for at Hogwarts until the injured dragon improved. Then they would be transported to a dragon reserve in the Hebrides. Until they could leave, the advanced Magical Creatures students were enlisted to help care for them. Hagrid thought it was a wonderful opportunity.
Naturally Harry often had the job of helping to control the dragons so the other handlers could get close enough to do their work. Everyone had seen the dragon bow to Harry on Halloween night.
The head of the Dragon Master team was an older wizard with long gray hair and a face wrinkled from a lifetime of outdoor living named Darin MacFusty. When they first met, he'd advised Harry to think about Dragon taming as a career.
Today, Harry and he were checking the wards that had been set around the paddock, making sure there were no gaps. The dragon enclosure was almost a mile across so their task took most of the afternoon.
One of the dragons followed their progress. Behind them, the dragon stretched out her batlike wings, but didn't fly. The black scales covering her body stood out starkly against the backdrop of the white field of snow. Her purple eyes watched Harry steadily as he worked alongside old Mr. MacFusty.
With the two of them working, they finished early. As they walked toward the exit, the older wizard explained, "Of course, a dragon ordinarily needs a great deal more space to maneuver. We'll just keep these two confined until the leg on that one heals. Keeping them stunned is only a temporary solution. There's no such thing as taming a dragon although I have to say, you and your necklace come close."
Harry cringed at the word necklace. "It's a torque, sir…an ancient Celtic torque."
"Suit yourself," Darin said with a face that said he didn't believe it. "Anyway, I've never heard of anyone being able to tame a dragon — except maybe Merlin. He was said to be the master of all beasts. Even the legendary Irish Dragon Riders were said to use potions and stunners."
Ignoring the Merlin comment, Harry said, "I've never heard of anyone actually riding a dragon." Harry knew there was a lot to learn about the magical world, but he was puzzled why no one ever mentioned dragon riding. Surely Charlie would have told him.
"The Irish Dragon Riders are just a story…a myth. I've never known of anyone really riding one, especially a Hebridean Black." The two of them looked back over their shoulder at the beast. Her scales were rough and a row of razor sharp ridges covered her spine.
The uninjured female dragon still hadn't taken her eyes off of Harry. The ground shook as she followed the two men. Her lumbering gait was not nearly as graceful as her wings spread in flight.
Harry asked, "Has she been stunned today?" He was a little nervous that the huge beast never took her eyes off him.
"What are you worried about? I told you, I've never seen a dragon follow someone around…" MacFusty shook his head and laughed robustly. "For sure…she's been stunned or I wouldn't be in the paddock…and she's been given a couple of Potions, one to keep the fire out and another to keep her calm. Her brother doesn't move much with that broken leg, but she seems to want to keep us company. I think she'll stay calm, but… all right…maybe we should watch her more carefully. It's not smart to turn your back on such a wild beast."
As he made this last comment, they reached the end of the enclosure. Harry looked into the dragon's eyes. He sort of felt sorry for her. This wasn't the life she was meant to lead, caged and too messed up on potions to breathe fire. "What brought the dragons to Hogwarts, Sir?" Harry asked.
"Ah…that's the real mystery. Most of these beauties stay in the reserve -- plenty of deer and no one to get in their way. Maybe…Oh, never mind. I really have no clue why these two showed up here." The older man looked at Harry carefully.
"Could someone have brought them here?" Harry persisted.
Clearing his throat, MacFusty said, "Could be a trained Dragon Handler brought them here…These two are pretty young, not fully grown, so that would make it easier…But why would anyone bother?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders and walked through the gate. As the gate shut behind him, he heard a roar. Turning around, he saw the dragon lift her wings in flight. She dipped her head toward the ground briefly then gracefully turned away. Moving her great black wings in a smooth rhythm she flew toward the other end of the paddock. Harry watched in awe then said goodbye to Mr. MacFusty again.
Forgetting all about the dragons as he walked back to the castle, Harry was just glad he'd finished early. It was Friday. If he hurried, he could spend some time doing homework in the library before his fencing lesson. He knew Ginny was already there.
Arriving slightly out of breath, he spotted Ginny right away. She was bent over a book with her shining red hair completely hiding her face. Harry's heart was beating faster at the sight. She hadn't noticed him yet. He made himself invisible and walked stealthily up to the table. Someone had left the chair pulled out just enough for him to sit down across from her without making a sound.
Ginny's brow furrowed in thought. She lifted her head and looked around. Then asked, "Where are you, Harry?"
His grinning face appeared across from her as he removed the Disillusionment Charm. "How did you know I was here?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she answered, giving him a small smile. "A girl has to have some secrets."
"Fair enough," he answered, looking around. They were alone near the restricted section of the library, blocked by bookshelves. He reached across the table and took both her hands in his, giving her a look that made her feel very grown up and beautiful. He turned her hands over and examined them.
"I thought you'd given up Divination," Ginny said, smiling.
"Shh…I'm only pretending to read your palms so I can hold your hands…I've missed you today."
Her answer was a soft giggle. Harry thought it was amazing how Ginny's giggle sounded so perfect when other girl's giggling just annoyed him. Little moments like this sustained him all day. Here was his chance to be with her.
Hermione came crashing into the library, causing a stir by asking students if they'd seen Harry Potter. Madam Pince gasped when she saw who was making the disturbance. It didn't take Hermione long to find Ginny and Harry sitting at a table, quietly doing their homework. "I found something!" she announced — still too excited to whisper.
"What is it?" Harry asked, curious about what might get Hermione so worked up.
Ginny set aside the small white lily in her hand and gave her full attention to Hermione who sat down with a satisfied sigh and dropped the ancient book she was carrying onto the table with a loud thud.
Flipping carefully through the crumbly parchment pages, Hermione leaned forward conspiratorially. Then she said, "Listen to this… 'Historians have discounted the story that Merlin escaped Niniane's trap assisted by a young wizard who was powerful and pure of heart. This story claimed that a young local named Owain broke the sealed chamber by blasting a hole in solid rock thus freeing a grateful Merlin. The venerable wizard left his prison and lived the rest of his days in the wilds of Scotland where he lived in an enchanted forest — never to be seen again.'" She stopped reading to see their reaction.
Ginny asked, "What does that prove, Hermione? If it's a story that no one believes."
"Don't you see? It fits the information in Harry's Torch book. And it may explain a Potter connection to the Merlin story."
Harry looked thoughtful. "I thought we decided that most people believed Merlin was imprisoned in air instead of a cave. Isn't that why we decided not to go back to that cave and investigate the possibility of trapping Death Eaters there?"
"Well…there are lots of reasons why we decided not to try to trap Death Eaters." Hermione had been relieved when she persuaded Ron to abandon the idea of returning to the cave where Lupin had been found.
"If this Owain was Harry's ancestor, wouldn't that make his name Owain Potter? Doesn't really roll off the tongue, does it?" Ginny smiled at the thought.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "This could be an important piece of the puzzle. It has all the elements. A cave in Wales? A forest in Scotland?" She couldn't believe they didn't see the connection. "If we go back to the theory that the cave you were in last summer is, in fact, the cave where Merlin was trapped. And we have a map which shows the location of an enchanted forest in Scotland…"
Harry was skeptical. "We've found those elements in all the stories. This is Britain. There are old castles and fairy tales everywhere…full of enchanted caves and forests. And isn't it too convenient that Merlin was never seen again after he supposedly was released to live in this Scottish forest? I mean, there would be no way to prove a story like that."
"Nothing is certain. This is a working theory." She bit her lip while she thought for a moment. "Maybe the Potter ancestor was the young wizard who helped Merlin. If he never had children of his own, then you can't be descended from Merlin…but you could be descended from someone who knew him — who would be connected to that cave. This covers some of the same particulars as your book. Of course it is really difficult to say anything for sure."
Harry nodded. "Maybe it is time to go back to Wales and investigate that cave further."
Both girls looked at him sharply. Before they could protest, Harry held up a hand, and said, "Not to figure out how to trap Death Eaters…just to get a better look around."
Hermione looked relieved and looked back at the pages of the book. Ginny never took her eyes off Harry's face as he continued to explain. "Think about it…that cave definitely has something to do with the Potter box. There is a picture of the area carved on the lid. I need to find out all I can…especially now that I know what the torque can do. The cave…it seems like the place to start. Maybe there's something else there."
Harry would have liked to have a better look around last summer. He'd day dreamed about exploring the cave further and finding other treasures stored there. Now that he knew the torque necklace was a powerful magical object, he wanted to find out all he could about the other items in the box.
Of course, the reality was that the cave seemed pretty picked over when he was there looking for Lupin. He could see clearly that there was nothing in the smaller chamber where Lupin had been trapped, but the larger outer chamber had several large ceramic jars. But those that weren't broken had probably been picked through long ago. It's not like there was a lock on the front door.
Seeing the dreamy look in Harry's eye, Hermione said, "No way are you going back there! We've been over this before! Didn't you say that Death Eaters were moving in as you and the Aurors were moving out with Lupin? How can you even think that it might be a good idea to go back?"
He knew she was right. She usually was. It was just a place that captured his imagination. He told her so. "I'd forgotten that someone was coming as we were leaving. Anyway, I never said they were Death Eaters. It was probably just someone carrying a torch."
Ginny had listened carefully to their conversation. "We could go tomorrow. It's Saturday. Everyone will think we're practicing Quidditch or working in the library. No one will know. You can cover for us, Hermione."
Seeing that they were all gaping at her open-mouthed, Ginny continued, "Harry's old enough to do whatever he wants. No one except the people in the Order knew he was ever in that cave. Why would Death Eaters stay there? We can be back by dinner without anyone knowing…If it might help, we should try." Ginny never liked giving up. It was one of the things that Harry really liked about her.
"Gin's right, you know. I could be back by dinner. You could cover for me." Harry had felt the power increase over the summer. Now he knew how the torque protection worked. He couldn't completely explain why, but he was feeling more confident than he ever had in his life. He wasn't afraid of the cave. Seeing Hermione's look of dismay, he said, "I can make myself invisible while I explore. I won't take any unnecessary risks."
"I'll go with you," said Ginny. "I can wear your cloak."
Hermione shook her head. "Neither of you are thinking straight. It's just stupid to take risks like this."
Harry thought, 'She's determined to keep me safe at all costs, just like Dumbledore.' He tried to control the anger he felt rising up within him. It was just this kind of coddling that kept the truth from him last year. He couldn't stand being handled and manipulated.
From the look on his face and the crackle in the air, Hermione knew Harry wasn't persuaded so she played the guilt card. "Harry, think of all the sacrifices people have made to keep you safe. You can't take the chance that you'll be walking into a Death Eater trap." She could tell that her words had hurt him. She knew the guilt he felt over all the people he had lost: his family, Cedric, Sirius.
There was a loud snap in the air as Harry ran his hands through his hair, and looked away. After a full minute of silence, he looked back, first at Ginny and then at Hermione. He sighed and said, "I can't live my life that way, Hermione. People didn't make those sacrifices so I could cower somewhere safe for all of my days." His eyes were bright as he explained how he felt. "Everyone's life involves taking risks. The world is not a safe place. Any number of things could hurt us, even here at Hogwarts."
Both girls knew he was telling them something he deeply felt. "Harry, I…" Hermione began. She looked down, avoiding his eyes. She was sorry that she'd tried to guilt him in to doing what she wanted.
Ginny looked straight at him with a gentle smile and said, "It's all right. You won't take any unnecessary risks." She trusted him. She believed in him. He smiled back at her.
"Thanks, Ginny." He looked down at his hands, and said gently, "I'd feel better about it if you'd stay here and help cover for me. I don't want to lead you into danger. If something happened because of me…."
Her eyes flashed dangerously. "I don't take orders from anyone, Harry. So you're saying that it's all right for you to take risks, but not for me…that you don't you trust me to take care of myself." Her chin went up in defiance.
Admiring the way her cheeks flushed when she was angry, Harry just stared at her for a moment as though he was thinking it over. Then he said quietly, "Please, Ginny." If they'd been alone, he might have said a lot more.
Hermione was sorry she'd brought up the cave. "I still don't think either of you should go. There may be nothing there. Oh…I shouldn't have said anything. At least tell Dumbledore your plan. Maybe he could send Aurors with you. Or Fawkes could be there. How are you even going to get there without Fawkes or a Portkey?" She thought she'd found the flaw in their plan.
Harry looked at his friend, reminding himself that she was only trying to help. "Hermione. I know how to make a Portkey. Remember...I taught you how to make one. And I know how to Apparate. I've been training in anything that will help keep me safe from another kidnapping attempt. If you had an evil wizard trying to kill you, you'd learn these things, too. In fact, both of you should learn how to Apparate as soon as possible. It may save your life someday."
"Making an unauthorized Portkey is still illegal. So is Apparating without a license. What are you thinking? Some people at the Ministry of Magic would still like a reason to lock you up." Hermione was shocked that he could be so casual about violating wizarding laws.
He held up his hand showing her the faint scar that read - I will not tell lies. "I have a permanent reminder of what the Ministry thinks of me, Hermione. Again, I'm not going to live my life by their rules. If I do, I might not make it to my next birthday. And I intend to make it to many birthdays to come."
Although Cornelius Fudge had decided to publicly acknowledge that Harry and Dumbledore were telling the truth about Voldemort's return, Harry didn't trust him. After all, Fudge was the one who sent Umbridge to Hogwarts the year before. And he still hadn't publicly acknowledged Sirius' innocence. Pettigrew's trial had been held in secret for "National Security" reasons and Fudge still refused to acknowledge that Wormtail had confessed to all of Sirius' crimes.
Seeing that Hermione was unconvinced, he said, "Have a little faith in me. I'm not reckless."
Ginny stretched across the table and covered one of his hands with both of hers. "And you should have a little faith in me, Harry." She was looking at him, trustingly, believing that he would come around.
Harry nodded his understanding. It seemed so clear while they were sitting here in the safety of the school library. She was a strong person in her own right. He couldn't wrap her in a safety just for his own piece of mind. She'd end up resenting him in the same way that he'd resented Dumbledore during his fifth year.
"Ron will kill you if you take Ginny into danger. After the attack on the Burrow last summer, you promised to keep her safe." Hermione wished Ron were here right now.
Without taking his eyes of Ginny, Harry said, "I'll keep my promise. She can wear my Invisibility Cloak and hold the Portkey in her pocket." He squeezed her hand gently.
Ginny smiled broadly. He really did understand that she wasn't the stay at home type. He was taking her with him.
"What about Dumbledore? Will you please tell him?" Hermione asked.
"He'd just say no," Harry said, shaking his head. Dumbledore hadn't told him anything in a month. Even Lupin had become more secretive, only telling him vague stories about the Order. If they weren't going to trust Harry with their business, then he wasn't going to trust them with his.
Ginny said, "We won't be gone long, maybe an hour. Won't you help us, Hermione?"
"We'll need your help, Hermione," Harry said.
With both of them pleading, she couldn't say no. "Only if Ron agrees." She was sure Ron would be more persuasive. "Let's meet in your dorm after dinner and discuss it."
"All right. We'll talk to Ron about it first." Harry secretly hoped that Ron would stop Ginny from going. Despite his head knowing he shouldn't tell her what to do, in his heart he would still like her safe. Looking at the clock against the wall, Harry excused himself to go to fencing.
Ron had been working on a Potions project all afternoon. As he joined Hermione and Harry in the Great Hall for dinner, he smelled like cabbage. "What is that incredible smell?" Harry asked.
Ron groaned and said, "Ernie MacMillan and I were working on our Memory Potion. I think the fire underneath was too high and it boiled when it was supposed to simmer. Anyway, it smelled foul."
"You smell like my grandmother's boiled dinner," said Seamus, laughing.
"Maybe I should've showered." Ron was looking sheepish. He hadn't realized the smell was so strong.
"You remind me of Mrs. Figg's house, but without the cat hair." Harry clapped Ron on the back and continued, "Food first, Ron. You don't want to shower on an empty stomach." He pushed the steak and kidney pie toward his friend. He wanted him in a good mood when he told him of his plan. "If you have time after dinner, could you meet me in our dorm? Ginny and Hermione are coming, too. We want to ask you about something." He tried to sound casual about his request.
"Arggus Icn mbbeshlldd shrr fsst." Ron replied, food spitting from the corners of his mouth.
Harry nodded and made a face. "Yeah…I guess you should shower first."
"Why do you have to talk with your mouth full?" Hermione said, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I couldn't wait to see your pretty face. I missed you all afternoon." He wasn't sure if sweet-talking her would work since he smelled of cabbage.
She began to blush and said, "We'll talk…after you shower."
Harry left before they could get started. Ron's idea of flirting wasn't always Harry's idea of fun.
Watching Harry's retreating back, Ron leaned close to Hermione and whispered, "This must be it! Finally, Harry's going to ask me if he can start dating my sister. And it's about time, too. They're always together." He grinned broadly.
Hermione wrinkled her nose, but didn't pull away. "Ron, that's not it. They have something very different to discuss with you…and I should warn you that you may not like it."
Not liking the sound of that, Ron said, "If you know what it is, why not tell me?"
"Not in the Great Hall, Ron. Someone might hear us and it wouldn't do for this to get out." Hermione looked around suspiciously.
"Fine! I just want to know…I mean…she's my sister! I'm supposed to look out for her." Hermione just shrugged so Ron insisted on packing up some dinner and hurrying upstairs. Too many worst case scenarios were playing through his mind for him to wait patiently.
In the end, Ron was so relieved that the subject of their secret meeting was planning an adventure that he readily agreed. But he did insist that Ginny stay behind and help Hermione cover their absence. He would accompany Harry instead.
While she wasn't happy about it, Ginny finally agreed. Ron threatened to owl home if she insisted on going with Harry. She realized that the boys would be safer if they could contact someone at Hogwarts in case of trouble.
Ron and Harry planned to explore the cave for one hour. Add in the travel time, they might be gone for about two. They didn't really know what to expect, but they hoped they'd thought of everything.
At Hermione's insistence, Harry had brought the sword he'd found in the cave, transfigured into a cloak pin. She thought it might be useful.
Dressed in warm clothes and carrying supplies in their rucksacks, the two boys headed out in silence. No one was in the hall near the statue of the one-eyed witch. Uttering "Dissendium!" they slid down into the tunnel and walked silently until they were almost to Honeydukes.
Each boy grabbed one end of the chocolate bar wrapper. Harry placed the Disillusionment Spell on both of them, then activated the Portkey. They arrived without incident in a clearing near the cave.
The plan was simple. They would investigate the main cavern and the room where Lupin had been trapped. Harry had insisted that Ron keep the Portkey in his pocket and bring the Invisibility Cloak. Ron was so tall, his feet always showed beneath the cloak, but he would only need it if they ran into trouble. They didn't expect to see anyone.
The oncoming winter had robbed the hills of their greenery, but the area was beautiful. On the ground were the remnants of an old snowstorm that hadn't quite melted away. This was actually a stroke of luck. The field of snow was untouched. There were no human footprints anywhere.
They had agreed ahead of time to speak as little as possible. Ron followed Harry's footprints in the snow. Silently, they moved toward the cave. Two birds flew out of the bush as they approached the entrance. Wondering if that had any significance, Harry took off the Disillusionment Charms so they could see each other. Then he motioned to Ron to follow him through the brush. They passed the old stone statue and basin full of debris. Pulling aside bare branches, they entered the cave.
As before, the torches lit up as they walked into the main cavern. The light from the torches seemed to warm them and a sweet smell drifted through the air. The stone box in the middle of the room was closed and Harry wondered if it had closed when he left last summer.
He moved to the far wall where there were several large ceramic jars. Lifting one of them high he overturned it. Nothing but dirt fell out. Whatever the jar had once held, it was empty now. Shrugging, he repeated this with all of the jars. Nothing happened.
Ron was looking around the walls of the cave. He pointed to one of the torches to the left of the entrance. It was odd. While all the other torches gave off a yellow glow, this torch burned white. Picking it up out of its sconce, Ron examined it closely. Except for the color, it seemed to be the same as the others.
Harry walked over to his friend. He reached for the torch. As he took it in his hand, the wall behind Ron disappeared revealing an arched entryway into a dark passage. He pointed at it. "Look at that!" Harry said excitedly.
Turning around to face where Harry was pointing, Ron shrugged. "I don't see anything. What are you on about?" he asked.
"Stop kidding around. It's right behind you." Harry walked through the archway to show him, but Ron didn't follow. Turning around, Ron was looking genuinely surprised and maybe a little panicked. It looked like the torches in the main room had gone out. He called to him, but Ron didn't answer. Like a mime, Ron held his hands against an invisible wall and mouthed the word, "Harry!"
Harry walked back through the archway, carrying the torch. The room lit up again. "We don't have time to play games, Ron. Just hold my arm and follow me through. If you really can't see it, I'll guide you through."
"I tried to follow, but the cave wall just swallowed you up. I couldn't get through. And the torches went out." Ron seemed worried. They tried again with the same result. Now they weren't sure what to do. They discussed their options briefly. This could be some kind of trap, but it didn't seem like it since Harry could walk back and forth. With less than an hour left, they needed to make a decision.
Harry finally said, "I'll go on alone and explore the next room. Maybe you should put on the Invisibility Cloak while you wait…in case you need to defend yourself. And…maybe you should sit down so the cloak covers all of you."
Ron reluctantly agreed. He remembered that there were no footprints outside in the snow, which meant no one, had been around here in days. It seemed likely that they were alone in the cave.
Moving through the archway with the white torch again, Harry took the time to look around. The dark passageway led to a beautiful room. The torchlight showed walls glistening with gold as though the whole room was covered with a spray of glitter. He set the white torch into an empty sconce. A harp and a flute lay on a table. A raised platform was covered with rugs and animal skins like it was some sort of bed.
Another table in the corner had scrolls strewn across it. Harry made straight for these. After all, he was really here hoping to find information. Picking one up, he began to read.
Suddenly a strong woman's voice said, "Who's there? How dare you go through those things!"
The teenager turned to see the ethereal figure of a beautiful woman. In life she'd had long red hair and wore a very revealing green silk gown. What harm could a ghost do?
As he turned to face her, she zoomed close to his face. Inches away, she said, "How is this possible? I'm amazed to see you. How have you managed this wizardry? You look so young."
He looked at his feet trying to avoid the raw emotion in her ghostly eyes. "I'm not sure what you mean, ma'am. Do I know you?" With that red hair maybe she was some distant relative of his mother's. She didn't look at all familiar.
She didn't speak. She just remained hovering close. Her eyes still searched his face, making him very uncomfortable.
Harry moved away from her and said, "I walked right into the cave. I didn't know anyone was here. Sorry to disturb. I'll just be going now." He started to set the scroll down where he found it. "Here are your things just as they were."
"But these are your things…" the ghost protested.
"My things! Why…?" Harry was confused. This ghost obviously thought she recognized him. Maybe someone who looked like him had used this room.
"Of course, they are your things, my darling. What's happened to you? Is it something to do with this?" She touched his scar.
Harry was shocked at the cold touch of her ghostly finger. It was so odd, having this beautiful ghost stroking him like a long lost lover. Finally he found his voice and asked, rather loudly, "Who are you?"
She smiled for first time and spoke. "I'm Niniane, the Lady of the Lake."
Harry answered, "Let's begin again. I'm Harry…Harry Potter. I'm sorry to disturb your cave, Niniane. Why would you think these are my things?"
"Oh…I thought you were someone else. I thought you were…Well, it doesn't matter. I can see now that I was wrong. Your eyes are green, not blue. This chamber belonged to a friend of mine. Anyway, he's long since passed on. I mistook you for him. I thought he was returning at last. Please take whatever you want, these things have been unused for a very long time. They mean nothing to me."
Thinking that she sure liked to talk, Harry asked, "How long have you been here by yourself? Do you ever have visitors?"
"No one has walked through the archway into this room in over one thousand years."
"Such a long time to be alone. Even for a ghost," Harry said, sympathetically. That explained why she was so talkative. "So I'm your first visitor?"
"I didn't say that. The locals sometimes come into the outer room, but they're mostly Muggles. Just last month a wizard was here."
"A wizard?" Harry prompted her.
"He was a either wizard or some kind of demon. His eyes burned red in his snakelike face. He asked me questions and threatened to cast a spell on me if I wouldn't answer. As if his magic could harm me now." She laughed eerily.
"Did he say why he was here?" Harry asked, forcing himself to stay calm. Obviously Voldemort had been in the cave, but that had been a month ago.
She stopped laughing. "He was searching for something, but he didn't say what. Perhaps he was just searching because this was Myrddin's cave. Because of his threats, I told him nothing and slipped back into this chamber. He's not the first. Others have come searching for the secrets to the ancient craft of Myrddin."
"Is that why you're here?" Harry asked. He was torn between thinking he and Ron should leave quickly and wanting more information from Niniane. He may never have another opportunity.
"I came here looking for someone, but he was gone." She seemed so sad.
"So you actually knew Myrddin? He was a friend of yours?"
She hesitated. Looking at Harry almost guiltily, she said, "You were a better friend though, weren't you."
Pitying this poor, lonely ghost, Harry said softly, "I'm not who you think I am. Remember…green eyes, not blue. And I never knew Myrddin. I've only been to this cave twice."
She came close and touched his face again, studying every feature and said, "Of course…you're alive. No one lives for thousands of years. I should have realized…But how did you get in here? Oh…what does it matter."
Harry looked at her sharply and asked, "So this person I look like, was he a relative of Myrddin…or maybe your relative?" Here was his chance to find out the whole truth. If only the ghost of Niniane could think straight for long enough to tell her story.
Looking surprised, she said, "Why do you keep asking about Myrddin? Myrddin had no family. They say his father was a demon. His mother was the only daughter of an old king. She never married. After Myrddin grew up and the old king died, she went to live in a convent. No…Myrddin had no family."
"But you knew him. What was he like?" Harry asked.
"He was a meddling old fool. Powerful, but old and wizened," she said, looking distraught.
"Is it true that he taught you everything that he knew?"
She answered sharply, "No! But he taught me enough, before he turned on me. I locked him away. He was going to…interfere in my life. I couldn't let that happen." She looked sad and pathetic. "Now I have no power and I'm the one who is locked away." She let out a wail that would put Moaning Myrtle to shame.
Realizing that his time was running out if Ron and he were going to sneak back unnoticed, Harry said, "I'll visit again…sometime." He'd never seen anyone look so sorrowful. "Would it be all right if I took these scrolls? I'd like to read them, but I have to go. I'll try to return soon…but today I have no more time."
She said, "Time…means nothing to me." Then she stretched out face down on the raised platform.
Working quickly, Harry shrunk the scrolls and put them all in his rucksack. The ghost did not respond to his goodbye. Taking the white torch, he went back through the archway to find Ron. Briefly explaining that Voldemort had been in the cave, the two of them retraced their steps to Hogwarts, reaching the one-eyed witch in record time.
As they were about to go through the statue, Ginny called Harry with the mirror. "Snape's in the hallway. They've been looking all over the school for you, Harry. Apparently Professor Lupin came to visit you. He's waiting in Dumbledore's office."
In the background, he could hear Hermione say, "The important thing is not to panic."
Looking at Ron, Harry said, "Hermione says we shouldn't panic, but they're searching the school for us."
Ginny said, "I told McGonagall that I thought you and Ron went out for a run."
Grateful for Ginny's quick thinking, Harry asked, "Can't you get Snape to follow you somewhere? Keep the mirror on so we can hear you. That way, we'll know when it's safe to appear. We'll say we've been out running."
Turning to Ron, Harry said, "We better look the part." They transfigured their robes into running clothes.
They could hear Ginny and Hermione talking to Snape who was suspicious that the girls obviously wanted him to leave the corridor. Then Ginny began to cry about her poor brother probably laying out by the lake somewhere with a twisted ankle and only Harry to help him. What could Snape do, except follow the girls down the staircase?
The boys hurried up to Gryffindor where Neville informed them that Dumbledore was looking for Harry. Ron left to shower. Harry changed into real running clothes and left for Dumbledore's office. First, he took a moment to lock the miniature scrolls into his wooden box. It didn't feel right to leave them sitting around the dormitory.
Harry was relieved to see Remus Lupin. It had been at least a week since they'd spoken. Judging from his reception in Dumbledore's office, everyone else in the room was relieved to see Harry. The room seemed quite full with McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore and Lupin all waiting when he arrived.
Dumbledore looked straight at Harry and asked, "Where have you been? We've been searching the castle for an hour."
Throwing up the mental blocks necessary to keep the Headmaster out of his mind, Harry answered, "Ron and I went for a run. Turned out to be more of a walk and a chance to talk about stuff…Sorry to worry everyone." He heard someone, he thought it was McGonagall, release a breath slowly as though relieved to hear his simple explanation. Dumbledore just nodded.
Smiling at Remus Lupin, Harry said, "What about you? What brings you here?" gratefully drinking the cup of tea that Snape handed him.
"Do I need a reason to visit you?" Remus asked.
When he noticed Snape was looking at him rather smugly, Harry asked, "What is it, Professor? Something on your mind?" Harry half hoped to provoke Snape into one of his rude rants in front of the more reasonable adults in the room.
Snape sneered at him and said, "I've just noticed your gold necklace, Potter. What's next, earrings?"
Ignoring the intent to insult him, Harry said, "Oh this…" He touched the gold band and it reappeared in his hand as the original Celtic torque. "Maybe this will help you recognize it, Professor. It's a family heirloom." Harry changed it back to the thin gold band and put it back around his neck under his tee shirt.
Snape sat back in his chair and looked Harry up and down, taking in the trackies and trainers. He tried a different tack, "Where were you really, Potter? I didn't see you coming in from the lake."
"I really like to walk around the lake…sir," answered Harry, shrugging and sipping his tea. Then he turned to Lupin and asked, "What really brought you here?" He noticed the dark circles around Remus' eyes. "Is it your health? Or perhaps something to do with the Order?"
Casting his eyes toward the carpet, Remus answered by speaking to Dumbledore. "It's no use. Harry should know everything that's going on. We have to trust each other."
Professor Dumbledore said, "I've already told Harry everything there is to know about this subject. He knows we think there is someone giving away information about the Order. We aren't any closer to discovering who it is than we were a month ago."
Harry remembered Dumbledore telling him about the mole within the Order. That was before the Lethifold attack on Halloween night. "You think it's someone at Hogwarts…because of the attack on Halloween?" Almost involuntarily, he looked at Snape, thinking that maybe Snape was trying to gain Voldemort's trust by feeding him vital information. His mind cast around for other likely scenarios.
Dumbledore said, "It isn't Professor Snape. Or anyone else in this room — at least I'm certain that no one in this room would willingly give information away."
Catching on, Harry asked, "So you think that Voldemort might be reading my mind? That's what you were worried about last year. You think you can't trust me." Harry remembered being shut out of everything while he struggled with his Occlumency lessons.
Dumbledore asked, "Do you feel any sign of Voldemort's presence in your mind, Harry? If you no longer have nightmares or visions and your scar doesn't burn, I can't see how it could be your connection. Anyway the attack on Halloween night did not come from Voldemort. He could simply have summoned Professor Snape."
"If the Lethifold attack was meant for Severus," said Lupin.
"What's that supposed to mean? You think a Lethifold just made it into the dungeon by accident?" asked Harry, looking around at the unhappy faces of his professors.
Professor McGonagall said, "I think your guardian is suggesting that the Lethifold could have been put in the dungeon with another target in mind."
"Oh…" said Harry.
"You were the only other person in the Potions classroom, Harry. And we know you're a prime target for Death Eaters." Lupin looked worried. It suddenly occurred to him that Snape could have planted the Lethifold himself in an attempt to attack Harry.
Lupin shook off that wild thought as Harry answered, "That thing can't have been after me. No one could have known I'd even be there. I was supposed to be at my fencing lesson, but Rhys left early."
Dumbledore settled the discussion. "Assuming Professor Snape was the target, it seems likely that the motive was revenge. Perhaps some Death Eater found out that he has been playing a double role. If they believed that he betrayed them, they might want to attack. Voldemort's angry reaction, which we know about because of you, Harry, must mean that Professor Snape's duplicity has been discovered. His life is on the line now more than ever." Dumbledore watched Harry's reaction.
Harry just looked lost in thought. He finished his tea and set the cup down on the nearest table. "Could a student have let in a Lethifold, Professor?" His tongue felt thick.
"They would have had to alter the wards against Magical Creature intrusions," Dumbledore answered.
Harry was feeling drowsy and fuzzy headed. "What if they were told what to do by someone older and more skillful. Would a student be able to take down those wards?" Harry didn't want to suspect anyone he actually knew. The members of the Order seemed so committed to the fight against Voldemort, he couldn't believe any of them would be a traitor. There must be another explanation.
It was Dumbledore who answered again. "You could, Harry. But most students have no knowledge of complex wards, nor the power to disarm them. In any case, now is the time to be especially careful whom we trust. Whoever did this, they will show their hand soon enough." The headmaster's voice seemed to be coming from far away.
Harry's eyes glazed over. Dumbledore became concerned. He waved his hand in front of Harry's face. Looking at Harry's empty teacup, then back at Snape, he asked, "What did you give him, Severus?"
Snape shrugged and said with a sneer, "Nothing illegal…But now we can ask him whatever we want and he won't be able to deceive us."
"What are you talking about?" Lupin asked, sounding distressed.
Snape looked unrepentant. "Legilimency doesn't work on Harry any longer. He's hiding something. Of that I'm sure."
McGonagall said, "I can't believe you would do such a thing. He's just a boy, a growing boy." She was disgusted at the very idea that Snape had slipped Harry something in his tea.
Watching as Lupin and Dumbledore waved hands in front of Harry's glazed over expression, Snape said, "It's nothing lethal." He produced a wrapper from the pocket of his robes. His voice was dripping with sarcasm as he waved it in the air. "It's called Talking Truth Taffy, available for a mere seventeen knuts from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Let's not waste time. The effects don't last long."
Harry listened to their discussion feeling as though he was wrapped in a warm, soft blanket. Through the fog he heard Snape ask, "Where did you go this afternoon, Harry?"
He didn't want to answer, but he found himself replying, "I went for a walk with Ron."
"Where did you go on your walk?"
Again, he tried to stop himself from answering, but in spite of himself, he said, "Almost to Honeydukes…"
Remus said angrily, "There, see…are you happy, now? You've given him a truth drug only to find out that he and his friend snuck out to buy some candy. What's in this Truth Taffy?"
Snape handed Remus the bright wrapper that read, "Guaranteed Safe." Then he turned to Harry and asked, "Did you let a Lethifold loose in the dungeon on Halloween night, Potter?"
Harry whispered, "N…no…" Then his head fell back and his eyes closed. He began to snore.
Dumbledore stepped in between Snape and Harry. "Now stop this…it's not right. Severus. I'm disappointed in you. Harry may not like you, but he would never set a Lethifold on you. Where would he even get such an animal?"
"Harry was the last student in the Potions classroom before I was attacked…And he was…friendlier than he usually is. He's certainly the only student with the ability to take down the wards. It's all very suspicious." Snape sneered at Lupin.
Lupin was furious. "You're a bitter old man Snivellus, holding a grudge against a boy who never did you any harm. He saved your life that night. He and Albus pulled that Lethifold off your face, or you'd be dead right now. And this is how you pay him back. You're pathetic." Remus lifted Harry into his arms and said, "I'm taking him to Poppy. This interrogation is over. Severus…you had no right."
That ended their discussion of the traitor in their midst. Remus met Hermione and Ginny at the bottom of the stairs. The girls accompanied him to the infirmary, shocked that Snape would give Harry a truth drug.
Madam Pomfrey was just as shocked as everyone else to find that Harry was under the influence. Lupin described the scene in Dumbledore's office and thought the girls seemed oddly relieved when they found out that Harry and Ron had walked almost to Honeydukes.
After a firecall to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Madam Pomfrey announced that there was no antidote or counter potion. It seemed that one of the side effects was extreme drowsiness, but since the potion was only supposed to last for one hour, Harry could sleep it off in the infirmary and wake up by dinnertime. Unhappy as they were at this thought, his friends and guardian agreed to stay with him the whole time so no one could sneak in and talk to him in his vulnerable condition. They pulled up chairs around Harry's bed as he slept.
Settling in, Ginny decided to draw a picture of Harry while he slept. He was lying on his back in his rumpled running clothes. His untidy black hair fell back off his forehead showing his lightning bolt shaped scar. He looked younger in his sleep, but at least he was holding still while she drew.
"Do you have any bluebell petals?" Luna asked. "Powdered would do."
Ginny jumped at the sound, making a mark across her drawing. As she magically erased the mark, she looked up at her friend. She hadn't even noticed that Luna and Neville had joined them.
Ron asked, "Why do you need some bluebells, Luna?"
Luna seemed not to notice him for a moment as she looked at her fingernails. "I thought we could wake up Harry with some. It works on my pet goat every time."
Ron thought he might regret it, but he had to ask. "Why does your goat need help waking up? And how do you feed it bluebell petals in its sleep?"
Luna laughed. "You're so funny, Ronald. Who would feed bluebells to a goat? They'd be awake for weeks. Hahaha… You don't feed the petals to the goat, you spread them over her. And she only needs help waking up when she's been eating gooseberry fungus, otherwise she's a totally normal goat."
Neville seemed fascinated by her every word. "You must know everything about goats, Luna."
Hermione rolled her eyes while Ron squinted with his. "What's that on your lip, Neville? Ginny, hand him a tissue."
Neville turned red, "I…uh…I have a…" Ever since Seamus had shown up in September with a beard and a girlfriend, Neville had been trying to emulate him. Lately, he'd thought, maybe if he grew out his facial hair.
"Ron…" Hermione scolded him using his name and shook her head.
Ron protested, "What? I was just making conversation."
Luna didn't seem to follow what they were saying. She asked, "So do any of you have know where we could get some bluebells this time of year?"
"Thank you, Luna, but I don't think we need a goat remedy for Harry. He'll wake up on his own." Hermione was trying to be patient and polite, but inside she was amazed at just how clueless the Ravenclaw girl could be.
Neville answered. "We heard that Harry was unable to wake up from some potion he took. We just wanted to be sure that he was all right." Luna nodded.
"He should be waking up sometime soon." Hermione said with a smile. It was nice to see Harry's friends gather round. Pulling chairs close around Harry's bed, they settled in to wait.
Remus spent the time plotting what he would do to Snape when he had the chance. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, that he failed to notice the way Harry's friends were signaling each other. Hermione finally stood up and asked Ginny to run an errand to the library with her. Luna and Neville excused themselves as well, leaving Remus and Ron alone.
Ron broke the silence first, "I've been thinking about giving Harry some Truth Taffy for months. Glad I didn't now that I see he's allergic or something…Fred and George never mentioned that some people fell into a deep sleep when taking their product. I reckon' they should take this one off the market 'til they've run some more tests."
"Do you have some on you, Ron? Maybe we could offer old Snivellus some tea…" Remus wasn't about to just let this pass. Snape would pay.
"Professor!" Ron was shocked and pleased that Remus would speak so casually about Snape in front of him. He smiled and said, "We'll find some way…"
"You probably should finish that sentence here, Ron. After all, he's still your Potions Master."
"A boy can dream…" Ron muttered.
Remus looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, "Why would you want Harry to take Truth Taffy? Do you think he keeps things from you…secrets or something? I thought you were close."
Ron looked guilty for a moment, unsure whether to tell Remus about his suspicions that Harry was secretly carrying a torch for his sister. "I…uh…I'm not sure…I mean…Harry's a good mate. I don't think he'd want me to say."
Remus realized that he had put Ron on the spot. "Of course, you're too loyal to tell me. I was just thinking out loud." He thought back to his own friends at this age. No one outside their circle would ever be able to drag information out of any one of them. Or so he'd thought at the time.
Watching Remus' expression grow sad, Ron said cheerfully, "I'm sure Harry would tell you anything you want to know. He trusts you, Professor." He smiled at the older wizard.
Remus smiled back and said, "Mmm…I'm sure you're right." Then he looked carefully at Ron and asked, "Do you trust me enough to tell me where you really went today? I mean, why would you go to Honeydukes?"
Ron shrugged and looked down at his hands. "We never really intended to go there. Harry doesn't go in much for sweets since he's been training with this fencing instructor. We were just talking and lost track of the time. Sorry if you were worried. Why did you want to see Harry today?"
"It's just been a while. Then when he was missing, all the Professors helped search. Naturally everyone was worried…You do know that the Death Eaters haven't given up the hope of kidnapping him."
"Why do they want his blood?" Ron asked as though it was common knowledge.
"Who told you that?" Remus shook his head. Harry and Ron should be thinking about eating sweets and chasing girls, not worrying about Death Eaters out for blood.
Dumbledore appeared at their side and asked Remus to join him in his office, presumably to make sure that Harry's guardian wasn't plotting revenge against Professor Snape.
Left alone with a sleeping Harry, Ron wondered if he should wake his friend and ask him questions of his own. It was tempting, but in his heart, Ron knew the answers to those questions. More than anything, he wanted to be sure that no harm came to Harry while he was under the influence of this truth drug. He settled into reading his Quidditch magazine.
Ginny joined him. "Has he been asleep this whole time?" she asked, taking off her cloak. She made herself comfortable on the other side of the bed.
"Yes. I guess it's a side effect."
At the sound of their voices, Harry's eyes fluttered. He was struggling to reach through the fog in his mind to Ginny and Ron. He wanted to be with them, but it was too difficult. He tried to speak. It only sounded like sleepy murmuring to the others in the room.
Ron asked, "Do you want me to stay? I don't know if you should be alone with Harry. I mean…unchaperoned." Ron made a 'tsking' noise and shook his head. He could see no harm in teasing his sister.
"Shut it, Ron. Madam Pomfrey is right over there in her office. And Harry's sound asleep. I'm just going work on my sketchbook. Go back to Gryffindor and tell Hermione not to be late. She said she'd take over the watch after dinner." Of course she had no intention of leaving until Harry finally woke up.
Once alone, Ginny took Harry's hand and said, "Don't worry, Harry. Nothing's going to happen to you tonight. Not while we're here." He couldn't rouse himself to speak, but he squeezed her hand.
To Be Continued…
Notes to reviewers: Thanks! Your reviews are important to me.
Mediwitch: You must be a real Mediwitch. Thanks for the information. I promise not to try the caffeine thing on my sister although I've been threatening to for years. Thanks for writing!
Lily: Thanks for reviewing! I'll try to be faster.
cintishortstop: The dragon will be a part of the story later on. Thanks for writing!
Random Freak: Thanks! I'll try to hurry.
Nightwing 509: The items in the box are helping Harry to discover his heritage. Since his family is dead, I think that would be important to him. Thanks for writing!
Zijnehoogheid: I am so grateful to you for catching that. I did the same thing to poor Hedwig earlier in the story, but I caught it before I posted that time. Thanks!
Iluvatar: You are so consistent! Thanks for reviewing!
Lourdes: Things start progressing more quickly after Christmas. That's Christmas in the story. Thanks for reviewing!
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: Thanks for writing!
squirrel-bladder4: Thanks for reviewing!
athenakitty: The torque is itself a band of gold. Ron and Hermione's lips are sealed. Maybe someone could give Harry a holster for Christmas.
ValarPrincess: Thanks for reviewing. You are very kind. Like you, I can't wait for book six.
Ghost Magic: Thanks for your review! I will try.
Gryphonmistress: Nice image of Viking Harry! I thought long and hard about that Parselmouth thing, but since it's definitely not canon, I decided against it. Tempting, though it was. Thanks for your review!
Ziny: Thanks for all your nice comments!
GinnyPotter88: Thanks for your review! Harry and Ginny do make a good couple.
suze: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Butler: I like your suggestion of restraining Ron and taking his wand first. They really don't realize that Ron wants them to get together. Thanks for reviewing!
shotgunn: Thanks for all your nice comments! Of course I loved the new movie! I hope they keep this cast together for all of the movies. The time theme was well done. First the man reading A Brief History of Time in the Leaky Caldron, then the clocks chiming and those great shots of Harry looking out through the giant clock. Very nice!
hp4ashley: It started with that kiss after the Quidditch match. Then Harry and Ginny hid their growing relationship because they think Ron wouldn't be happy. Of course the reader knows that's not true. Thanks for reviewing!
Deathzealot: Thanks for writing!
Wicked Teaspoon27: Thanks for all your comments. You're very kind. Ron and Hermione are wasting their time matchmaking. The dragons will be back. Thanks for reviewing!
SilverWarrior: Tonks and Remus are in the background, but I agree with you. Remus deserves someone nice to cheer him up. Thanks for writing!
Angie: Thanks for your comments. Harry is afraid to tell Ron and Ginny's not thrilled at the prospect either. Thanks for reviewing!
Ignorant: If you're an Arsenal fan, then you must be very happy. They had a phenomenal year. Weren't they undefeated? That has to be some sort of record. Of course, who was that team that won the F.A. cup? Thanks for writing!
dishant: Twice a week? I'll try. Thanks for reviewing!
hpz26: Thanks! I like dragons, too.
A/N: Want to tell me what you think? Please review!