Harry Potter and the Return to Godric's Hollow by Erin10.
Spoiler Warning: - This fiction contains spoilers from HPB. If you haven't read HBP, don't read my fic! It won't make sense and I don't want to spoil HBP for anyone! Consider yourself warned! I won't be held responsible if you read this and then complain that I spoilt the book for you!
Disclaimer: - Everything belongs to J.K Rowling! I own nothing! This is written purely for my own enjoyment, and after the last book my sanity depends on it!
Special Thanks to molly Arthur Weasley for beta reading my story! Thank you!
Chapter Seven: - The Heir Returns.
Harry awoke to an unpleasant sensation of being watched, as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled warningly. He could feel Ginny using his chest as a pillow, and he could feel her breathing evenly. He cracked one eye open and observed that it was Ron Weasley who was watching him intently. He closed his eye again hoping against hope that Ron had not seen him stir awake, but it was no good.
"Morning Harry. We seem to have had a visitor in the night, why didn't you wake me and Hermione to join your party?" Ron's voice was clipped. He wasn't very happy that his sister had tagged along. Harry winced internally.
"It wasn't much of a party." Harry admitted feeling as though he had somehow betrayed his best friend by not turning his sister away, and the other half of him (which he would never admit in a million years) felt that Ron could stuff it as long as Ginny never moved from his arms.
"No? Well you two sure look comfortable cuddled up together like that." Ron said angrily, "How long have you planed this? What was all that rubbish you sprouted about leaving her for her own good?" He questioned barely louder than an angry whisper.
"It wasn't planned. I had a right earful from Ginny yesterday, she wasn't happy with me for leaving without speaking to her." Harry admitted sheepishly and hoping that Ron would cool down and leave them alone.
"Well now she's said what she had to say to you she can leave." Ron said firmly, "Or I'll be the one that mum blames, it won't be you or her because you can do no wrong in my mum's eyes, it'll be my entire fault, you just see if it isn't."
"You're a right hypocrite at times Ron." Ginny was awake, but Harry had no idea how long she had been listening. "What about the times I've taken the blame and punishment from mum for something you've done? I never even squealed and told mum when you used Charlie's wand and burned down the kitchen did I? I took the blame for all the good it did me, I was grounded for three months and she still never lets me live that incident down, so you can consider this repayment in full."
She had sat up from Harry in her tirade and he could see that her eyes were burning, as her resolve hardened.
"It's going to be dangerous Ginny." Ron moaned slightly looking conflicted by his brotherly duties and her offer.
"You're being a hypocrite again! Have you been possessed by evil for a whole year? Did you know that the Dark Arts even taste fowl? I remembered everything about my first year and those things he made me do and believe me when I say that none of it was sweetness and light, it was downright disturbing! I went with you to the Ministry and held my own, it was you and Hermione who were injured, I escaped with only a broken ankle, and I held my own in the siege of Hogwarts! Need I continue or is that enough proof that I deserve and am capable of being here?"
Ron shook his head and looked away, Harry thought that he was embarrassed; he could see a faint trace of a blush on his cheeks. "Fine, Hermione's made breakfast in the kitchen."
"How dare you wander off with only a note to inform us of your decision! You're only a child; you have no right to make a decision like that without my consent and I don't give it to you! I never believed you'd do something so utterly stupid Ginevra Weasley, and those three letting you! You should be going to Hogwarts where you belong! You got twelve Owls, and eight of those were outstanding and you're just chucking it all away! I didn't raise you to be like this Ginevra Molly Weasley, and Fred and George have just informed me that you and Harry have been dating for the past several months and no one bothered to inform me about that development! It's bad enough that Ron and Hermione are off gallivanting around with no adult chaperone, but for you to leave as well! You're father will be the talk of the Ministry! I hope you're proud of yourself, because when you get back, and you're to come home right now, then I'm sending you to a convent! Do you hear me? Ronald Weasley you bring her home immediately, you should never have allowed her to follow you in the first place, so don't think you're off the hook either, leading your little sister astray! Come home, now!"
"She's never happy." Ron said watching the red envelope tear itself into pieces and igniting into cinders leaving no trace. "Either you don't leave a note telling her where you're going and she goes mental or you do leave her a note and she goes ballistic anyway. You can't win." He seemed happier now that he had consumed three rashes of bacon, 2 eggs and some toast. Ginny sat staring moodily at where the remains of the Howler had been, her breakfast, which had hardly been touched, sat in front of her, she pushed it away and leaned back into her seat.
"Anyway, how are we going to disguise ourselves?" Ron asked looking around the table. Hermione smiled slightly at Ron's attempt to diffuse an uncomfortable silence which made Harry scowl but made Ginny smile.
"I liked the idea of you having long hair." Ginny said softly to Harry whilst imagining running her fingers through it, "No one would see through it because everyone knows that you're about as naive as a five year old when it comes to old Wizarding traditions." She saw the darkening expression of his face and spoke quickly to placate him, "… not that that's your fault or anything, because you had to grow up with those awful Muggles you were deprived of a lot of common knowledge that Ron and I take for granted."
"I'm not having long hair." Harry said stubbornly making Ginny scowl again.
"Oh for Merlin's sake! No one's saying that you should dye your hair bottle blond and prance around like a Malfoy reject Harry! We're only saying that we think that your hair would look good grown out a bit; perhaps get some of the unruliness under control! It would stop you looking so much like your dad; because everyone and I mean everyone, knows that you are practically a carbon copy of James Potter only with…"
"My mothers eyes." Harry snapped feeling vulnerable that she had spotted why he was against the idea of long hair in a matter of moments.
"Don't you dare interrupt me again Harry!" Her liquid fire chocolate eyes flashed dangerously, "We talked about this last year down by the lake and I know you hate being constantly compared with him and never your mother, and growing your hair out is a sure way of stopping all of that so why are you protesting against this so much?"
That stumped him, he didn't know why really, only that he hated the sound of it, and he didn't want to be linked to his father anymore after he had seen the memory of him in the pensive, she was right. He looked up at her and watched her eyes flash triumphantly. This was not going to be a pleasant experience.
Four strangers strolled up the main street of Godric's Hollow in the glorious sunshine, one tall and lanky boy with sandy brown hair, freckles and blue eyes, his arm was snaked around a smaller woman with brown eyes and straight blond hair which framed her face. Another couple walked behind them close together and holding hands, one who was only a little shorter than the first man, with black straight hair, which hung a little way passed his shoulders. The tips of his hair curled slightly into his face, and you could see hues of deep bloody red reflecting from his hair when the sunlight caught it. His eyes were a brilliant emerald green colour; no glasses adorned his face. The last woman was petite in stature, with curly dark brown hair, which hung in soft tendrils around her face.
"You'll have to remember to thank Hermione for knowing the correct way to correct your eye sight." Ginny told Harry softly squeezing his hand. "Even if it only lasts for a month, it's better than nothing." He smiled slightly in reply. "You know, you look much more like your mother like that. From the pictures you've shown me anyway. It's strange don't you think, that a small thing like letting your hair grow and ditching your glasses would change your appearance as drastically as it has." She murmured. "You can tell you have her cheekbones, long eyelashes and the same full lips now."
"I have your approval then?" He asked laughing slightly.
"You will when you find the time to buy a new wardrobe of clothes Harry. Your aunt gave you the worst clothing possible. Even mine fits better, perhaps I could see if I can charm them to fit you?" She asked wistfully.
"We're nearly there. From what the Professor said, it's just down the road." Hermione and Ron stopped to tell them suddenly, Harry tensed, and Ginny wrapped her arm around his waist in a comforting gesture as Ron and Hermione walked on. She looked into his eyes.
"It's only natural to feel apprehensive Harry, I know I would, but you have to remember that you're not alone okay? We're with you on this, and we care about you." She brushed some hair from his face and kissed him softly; she drew back and squeezed him, feeling some of his tension ebb away.
"I love you." It was the first time that she had openly admitted it in front of him and he found himself smiling. "I love you too." It was only after he had said the words, that he realised that he had never before uttered those particular words to anyone, and while people had shown him that they cared about him, no one had ever said those words to him. Like the Phoenix song, she had just given him hope.
A wreckage of destruction met their eyes and Harry had to wonder why none of the Muggles had complained about the blot of devastation marring the countryside. You could see that the place would once have been a beautiful home, a loving home that had been annihilated by Voldermort.
Anger pounded through his veins, he had once been happy here with his parents. Voldermort had denied him of his childhood when he cast the first killing curse, condemning him to ten long years of neglect and depression. Unbridled passion for revenge swept over him, he wanted Voldermort's blood for this, and one way or another he would have it.
His gaze swept over the ruins of the building, the outline of the building was still plainly visible. In its glory days it would have been a large two-story cottage. The second floor had collapsed when the ceiling had fallen through, that in itself was suspicious, as there was no fire damage evident for them to see.
"It's strange, don't you think that the ceiling would have fallen through, when there was absolutely no reason for it?" Harry murmured to his friends, whilst bending down to inspect the rubble.
"Yes Harry but you… well you have to remember that nothing about this situation is normal. I mean, you shouldn't have survived the killing curse, and I… I don't understand why you weren't crushed when the roof caved in." Hermione looked at him knowing that he hated that he was the-boy-who-lived.
"Albus believed that it was because of Lily's sacrifice, that the protections managed to not only deflect the killing curse but that it also protected you when the house collapsed. I say protections here because your mother and father put quite a few around you, old enchantments and the like. Lily even managed to invent a few of her own protections, brilliant with charms Lily was." A voice spoke from behind them and Harry turned to see Remus Lupin looking at him solemnly.
"There was also something else that wasn't commonly known, Sirius told me last year. Your father was researching into the possibility of deflecting and defeating the Unforgivable Curses Harry. He was always fascinated by the idea, your mother was helping him too, and it could be that he finally managed it. Sirius and I looked for the files they kept on their progress; we couldn't find them anywhere. Your parents must have hidden them away somewhere."
Hermione looked fascinated but Harry bowed his head slightly, he just had more questions with no answers, and no leads of where to get the information.
"Didn't… Didn't they have a job?" Harry asked finally, a question which he would be given a concrete answer instead of more and more question which was making his head pound with the familiar feeling of an on coming headache. Could his Aunt and Uncle have been right in their assertion of the fact that his parents were unemployed layabouts? It was an irrational fear, which flooded over him making him feel more than a little uneasy.
"Has no one ever told you that?" He looked at him pityingly for a slight second, Harry shook his head and he continued. "Your mother was training to become a healer for St Mungo's. She was revelling in it and breezing through the course, she liked the challenge of identifying the problems and then solving them. Nothing's clear-cut with magical injuries you know, it takes a lot of intellect to be able to identify the problem and then to rectify it. Your father didn't really need to work, James' family was very wealthy and he was undecided about what he wanted to do in life. Your father wanted to become an unspeakable, but that department doesn't really like to employ married people with families' dependent on them, in case anything goes wrong. Nobody actually knows besides that one fact what the department does, except that it's related to the Department of Mysteries. In fact if your father was hired to that profession then I'm sure he wouldn't have told anyone, they value secrecy in that Department."
"Oh." Harry murmured taking a while to pull himself together. Relief had flooded him when Remus had uttered those magic words, and now knowing that his parents weren't bone idle, unemployed or scroungers laid some of his most carefully guarded fears to rest.
"I don't mean to be rude…" Hermione began looking hesitantly at her old Professor, "..but what brings you here Professor?"
"Arthur Weasley wanted me to come by and see if Ginny had arrived safely. He didn't even seem surprised that you had left Ginny, unlike your mother, and I forgot to mention this before you left but your family graveyard is a little way behind the ruins Harry, all you have to do is follow the footpath. I also, like requested have told no one about your whereabouts." He smiled sadly at Harry, "I'll leave you to get on with whatever it is that you're planning, I have a feeling that its something only you can do, I only want you to remember one thing. Just remember that if you need help, the order, and I, we are all here for you should you need anything or have any questions. Stay safe." He smiled again and walked away leaving the quartet alone again.
Looking at the graves of his parents, and their parents before them, Harry felt decidedly odd. Detached from the world as he knew it, and feeling humbled into thinking about his own mortality. He knew that he could very well die in his quest, something they all knew, anyone of them had the potential to die, and he wondered morbidly if he might be laying beside them sooner rather than later. The graves were surprisingly well kept.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice floated to him sounding hesitantly gentle, he turned to see her biting her nails. "Harry, there's something you should see." She pointed to a grave that stood near his parents' graves; it looked newer than the rest. As he read the tomb tears clouded his eyes.
In memoriam of Sirius Black (An honorary Potter)
Trusted friend, Loved Godfather and Celebrated Brother.
May you finally Rest In Peace.
Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32
A gentle hand wrapped itself around his waist and he found himself burying into the embrace. He sniffed and spoke to them softly, "I think he would have liked that."
"Did you see the carvings in the marble Harry?" He nodded, gripping her tighter. On each of his parents' stones and his godfather's you could see an emerald Lily creeping its way around the stone edge with a werewolf, a stag and a gigantic grim. Thankfully no rat adorned them. He turned and looked at each of them again, his mother's grave had fresh flowers adorning it, he wondered, puzzled who would have done that.
He knelt beside his mother's grave and ran his hand over it, curiously enough as soon as he had touched the stone all of the carvings had stopped moving. He heard Hermione gasp. He saw the carving of the Lily emerge until it hung out of the smooth stone. He tried to pry it out without any luck.
"I've read about this." Hermione told them kneeling beside Harry, "It's an old archaic form for leaving the families heir information about their inheritance! The last known person to use such a device was Dumbledore's father in 1847 when Dumbledore was born, it was a device used by the wealthy pure-blooded communities."
She met Harry's gaze head on. "The only way to retrieve whatever your mother has left for you is to give payment in kind. Your blood willingly given, that way it will determine that you are of her blood and that way no one else can impersonate you or force you to draw your inheritance."
Harry though about it for a moment.
"Anyone got a knife?"
End of Ch7
Thanks to: - Jenbunny, Us to Squibs, rdprice29, missy mee, Bill Hargridsson!
Special thanks to: - molly Arthur Weasley for (hopefully) agreeing to beta read my fic!
As always please Review! Let me know what you liked, what you disliked (constructive criticism only), whatever you want to say really it's nice hearing from you all.
Erin10 +