Snape leaves, presumably to obtain the ingredients for the potion. Harry continues on with his training and has an unexpected run in with the new Minister of Magic and something is revealed about the Diaries.
A/N: I own nothing this is all J.K.R.'s, what a brilliant mind she has.
Chapter Nine- Diaries from the Past…
Harry stopped on a corner to catch his breath as he nervously looked over his shoulder for the umpteenth time. Bloody hell Harry, get a grip, if there really were Death Eaters following you, they would have tried to kill you by now, wouldn't they? Harry told himself this in his head for the fifth time that morning. The sun was just starting to show itself over Muggle London as Harry started to jog slowly back the way he came. Harry had already run twice of what he was supposed to run that morning, and he still had a long run back. But he had already missed several days of training and he was trying to catch himself up. Besides, being out in the fresh morning air was very invigorating, and it lifted his spirits in a way being at Grimmauld Place, even with his friends there, never could.
With Hermione and the twins now at Grimmauld Place, it had been practically impossible to get out of the house, let alone find a moment to sit and read any of the Diaries. He had slipped away under his invisibility cloak a couple of times to continue his reading, mostly in the peace of the Black Family Library, but every time he found himself alone, one of his friends would find him, invisibility cloak or not. Harry had managed to read through the entire Potions book, and though he found it interesting, in truth he had been glad to be finished with it. Fawkes had managed to bring him two more Diaries, one while he was oddly sitting alone in the Parlor, and the second, while he was in the bathroom. It appeared that Fawkes was getting just as frustrated with finding a time when Harry was alone as Harry was with trying to find alone time.
Harry had thought that with the arrival of Hermione, Fred, and George that he would gain some allies against the adults that appeared to truly believe that he was practicing Dark Magic. Order members were constantly at Grimmauld Place, 'keeping an eye on him.' Honestly, the Order of the Phoenix had been created to help fight against Voldemort, not baby sit a near sixteen year-old boy.
After Ron and Ginny had told Hermione about Harry leaving the house and about him possibly learning Dark Magic, which Harry had denied multiple times. Hermione had started to be even more watchful then Snape or the Order had been. She had somehow convinced the twins, Ron and Ginny to join her.
Though Harry still loathed the man, he had to thank him. Amazingly Snape seemed to side with Harry, though he didn't do anything to convince the others that he wasn't practicing Dark Magic. Snape had left early that morning again for the fourth time. Harry hoped that he was leaving in search of the ingredients Harry would need for the Potion. So far, with each day that he had left and returned, he came back without the ingredients.
Harry was becoming anxious, he had no idea where Snape had gone that morning because Snape Apparated the moment he stepped foot on the sidewalk in front of Grimmauld Place. Why he didn't just Apparate from inside the house, as he normally did, Harry couldn't guess, but it allowed him to slip out of the house under his invisibility cloak for the first time in days. Hopefully, no one would be the wiser about his sudden disappearance, everyone had been asleep anyways. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to get back in yet, but he'd figure that out when he got back. He was just happy to be outside again.
Harry ran his fingers through his sweat-drenched hair and looked up to a sign swaying in the early morning breeze, just as he was passing a ratty looking tavern. Harry's eyes widened as he realized where he was, and he cursed himself for not remembering to run on the other side of the street. The Leaky Cauldron loomed over him and Harry swore as the door opened and several very business like Wizards walked out, right into his path. Harry immediately made sure his hair was covering his scar by flattening his fringe against his sweaty forehead. He kept his head low as he tried to pass. Hopefully with his lack of glasses, that oddly no one at Grimmauld place seemed to question, they wouldn't recognize him. The men, at first, didn't take any notice of him, probably because with the exception of his wand poking out of his side pocket of his running sweats, he looked very much like a Muggle. After all, of them had passed, one of them stopped and grabbed his arm and spun him around. Even his lengthening sweat induced hair couldn't hide his scar as the breeze blew his bangs off of his forehead.
"Merlin's sake Potter, what are you doing here?" Harry didn't recognize the tall light haired Wizard who had latched onto him and was suddenly pushing him into the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry tried to get free by walking away, as if he didn't know what the man was talking about, "Potter? Who's that? Really, don't know what you're talking about," but Harry found himself shoved into a chair.
"Stay there," The man said forcefully. "Lyndira, if you would, please Floo Albus Dumbledore."
A dark haired, skinny witch walked around from behind him to the fireplace without even asking 'why'.
"I shall join you later gentlemen, I have to have a little chat with young Mr. Potter," the Wizard called to the men who were starting to file back in through the door. The Wizards immediately nodded and turned back around and left the tavern. They all gave Harry curious stares as they disappeared.
Harry made to stand up but was immediately pushed back down. "Please, Sir, he doesn't know I'm here. If you would just let me go…"
"I think not Potter," The Wizard cut him off abruptly but held his hand up to the witch that was just about to throw a hand full of Floo Powder into the fireplace, "one moment Lyndira."
"What were you thinking, Harry?" The Wizard asked abruptly.
"I…"
"Apparently you were not, never mind that. Why are you away from Grimmauld Place? And where are your guard?" The man said very quietly, as not to be over heard by the people that were now starting to stare at them.
Harry noticed Tom the bar keep starting to walk in their direction, but the witch got in his way. Harry looked up to the man's eyes. "I'm sorry Sir, but that's none of your business," Harry said very softly, but with a hint of anger in his voice. "And how do you know about Grimmauld Place?"
"It certainly is my business, boy, Voldemort's Death Eaters could be anywhere, and you could have gotten you're self…"
"Killed?" Harry couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him, and he clamped his hand over his mouth. Damn Voldemort and his emotions, Harry thought.
"You think its funny Potter?" The Wizard asked with not a hint of anger in his voice, but possibly amusement?
"Y-No! Who are you anyways?" Harry asked more loudly then he should have and looked at the man with annoyance. If it hadn't been for him, he wouldn't have been caught.
"Luminous Friedens, Minister of Magic," the man held out his hand to him but Harry just stared at it.
Harry had to catch himself from letting his mouth hang open too long. "How, what happened to Fudge?"
"Unfortunately, he proved very inept for the job, went quite mad, actually. We just appointed Minister Friedens just a few days ago," the witch, Lyndira, said as she gave Harry a smile. "It's been in the Prophet. Don't you read it?"
Harry didn't return the smile, he just looked blankly at her for a moment, before Luminous interrupted, with the clearing of his throat. Harry looked back to him. "As for Grimmauld Place, I have been there for countless Order meeting."
"Oh, you're part of Dumbledore's Order," Harry said quietly and then grumbled, "No doubt you side with the rest of the adults trying to control my life," Harry was beginning to resent the Order of the Phoenix.
"About the Dark Magic?" Luminous raised his light eyebrow and there appeared to be a mischievous twinkle in the man's blue eyes.
"Yeah, the Dark Magic," Harry said slowly looking at the man with a mixture of annoyance and skepticism.
Luminous just smiled at Harry, grabbed him by the collar, and pulling him up from his chair, pushed him towards the back of the tavern, and out into the familiar alley behind the Leaky Cauldron, with Lyndira following. Oddly enough the tavern had been quite empty and only a few eyes followed them out. Luminous took out his wand and tapped at the stones.
"You Mr. Potter don't know what Dark Magic is, and neither does Albus if he's convinced that the magic you seem to be getting so adept at is Dark," Luminous pushed Harry into Diagon Alley and towards the closest building from the back of the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry had no choice but to go where the man moved him. "Magic? How would you know the magic I use isn't dark?"
"Harry, Harry, had I been any other Order Member you'd be facing Albus Dumbledore as we speak, but I'm not. I'll tell you how I know the magic you are learning isn't dark, but first we must be someplace where we won't be over heard." Luminous put his hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him through a small wood door and up a steep set of stairs. They rounded a corner and went down a dark narrow hallway with Lyndira still on their heels. Harry was starting to get slightly nervous until they moved through a doorway and out into a large brightly sun lit room that had a huge window overlooking Diagon Alley.
The view was breathtaking, but Harry was too anxious for answers and he turned on the new Minister with an impatient scowl. "Well?"
"Scowls don't become you Mr. Potter, sit down," Luminous said with a smile.
Harry looked around the room, which was empty and raised an eyebrow at the man. "Where, there aren't any chairs?"
Luminous looked around. "Right, right, used to having Albus here, sorry about that. He always seems to want his own chair so I figured, why bother with furniture at all." He waved his wand and conjured three very comfortable looking high backed armchairs and took a seat in one, as he motioned for Harry to sit in the one across from him. Lyndira took the third chair and smiled at Harry with a very mischievous grin.
"Are you going to tell me why you think the magic I'm practicing isn't dark?" Harry asked again with his arms crossed over his chest.
Luminous leaned forward in his chair. "Because, I'm the reason you're learning it."
Harry stood up very abruptly. "What? You're the one sending me Merlin's Diaries?" Harry's mouth nearly hung open as he realized that he was able to say anything about the Diaries.
"Right in one Harry, brilliant idea of me, wasn't it, sending Fawkes? But they're not just Merlin's Diaries they're mine. Now sit down so I can tell you how I came across the Diaries and why I chose to give them to you."
Harry did as he was instructed, but throughout the entire explanation, which took well into an hour, Harry remained on the edge of his seat, listening to every word intently. Harry learned that Luminous had found the diaries when he was nineteen, behind a hidden wall, deep down below his castle home in a chamber that not even his grandparents knew existed. When he had ventured down into the chamber he had come across a wood podium in front of a large iron door and on the podium there was a piece of blank parchment. Luminous had picked it up to see if there was anything on the other side when words started to appear, it was a simple phrase in Latin that he new well, as it had been written across the entry way to his home. 'Sino Omnis Quidnam Requiro Scientia, Lucrum Potestas.' 'Allow All Who Seek Knowledge, Gain Power.' After he had read the words, the door had disappeared to reveal the small library of books. Inside there was another letter from four of his ancestors. The letter explained that the books and this letter would only be readable to one who needed the books but had no intension of using them for evil purposes. It was like the letter and books could read his intensions in his mind like he read the letter. Luminous had discovered through the letter that the books had belonged to only four of his ancestors prior to him, as each had signed the letter before returning the books to the hidden vault, and one of those ancestors had been Merlin himself.
"As only those that were meant to read the diaries could see the writing in them, my last ancestor decided to seal the room and charmed it to only open the next time someone who was worthy to read the books came along. Imagine my surprise and delight that I was the next of my family to be able to use the diaries, and use them I did. I had just started my Auror training and the spells I learned from the books had been my leg up, as I had been quite far behind the others, and had barely gotten into the program to begin with. When I had learned about the prophecy from Dumbledore, I decided that you'd probably need the knowledge more then I, and I figured it was time to pass the diaries on. I've already learned all I can from them. But it takes a very powerful Wizard to use all of that knowledge as it was meant to be used. Harry I think that you're a powerful Wizard, or with a bit of training could definitely be one. As you can most certainly read the diaries you are meant to have them," Luminous was beaming at Harry's shocked face.
Harry didn't know what to say, the fact that he had read the diaries was proof enough that Luminous was telling him the truth. It was hard to imagine that the books in someway had been meant for him, but he was certainly grateful that they were. Without the knowledge that he gained from the books he knew that he would never stand a chance against Voldemort.
Because after a few minutes of silence, Harry still didn't know what to say, he simply said in a small voice, "Thanks."
Luminous chucked and leaned forward and tousled up Harry's already messy hair. "No problem kid. I know that you've already taken in a lot of information today, but there is something else to the diaries that I think you should know and may find interesting. Not all of the books have aloud me to read them. In fact three that I have sent to you have remained blank to me."
"But I've read all of the ones that you've sent me, what's that mean Sir? How is it that I can read them and you can't?" Harry asked.
"I'm not quiet sure yet. I'll have to look into your family background a bit more, and we'll have to see how far you get in the books before you can't read them anymore. However, I can tell you this; the last one of my ancestors that was able to read all of the diaries, was a direct descendant of Merlin, and the only one in my family," Luminous explained.
"Are you saying that I could be a direct descendant of Merlin?" Harry looked at Luminous quizzically. Wasn't it enough that he was destined to be the one to defeat Voldemort?
"I'm saying that it's possible," Luminous looked at his watch as he said this and then stood up abruptly. "My goodness, look at the time, I apologize Harry, I've kept you here entirely too long, people will be noticing you gone by now."
Harry stood up and shrugged. "Well if I'm already missed, I might as well get some shopping done before I leave Diagon Alley."
"Absolutely not, you should not be away from Grimmauld Place as it is," Lyndira objected.
Harry threw his arms up in the air in frustration and annoyance and began to loudly rant. "Great another adult in my life, who thinks they know what's best for me. Really, you call me a powerful Wizard, tell me I could be a descendent of Merlin, don't you think that I can take care of myself? I mean I've been running and doing my other training exercises at Privet Drive without so much a peep from Voldemort, why doesn't anyone think I can do the same at Grimmauld Place, I mean it's not really like anyone knows I'm there…"
"Harry," Luminous interjected but Harry didn't notice, he was now mumbling his rant.
"I'm probably just as powerful, if not more so then half the order… so what if the magic is different then there's, and they think it's dark… so what if Voldemort's trying to control me… so what if…"
"Harry if I have to curse you," Harry's head snapped up at Luminous' words and looked wide eyed to where he pointed at a growing blue orb that was floating just to the right of Harry. "Rather not have my flat blown up, thank you very much."
Harry refocused his concentration and the orb dissipated. "Sorry, tend to do that when I get assaulted with emotions. I am working on that, though."
"I see now why Dumbledore thinks you're using Dark Magic. That lovely blue orb is very destructive," Luminous got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Fun though, if you can learn to control it. I had a blast blowing up pieces of stone when I learned it. I am surprised that you show such control over it though. I was never able to hold the magic very long with out it shooting out to find the nearest thing to destroy. Blew up half of Lyndira's bedroom once, she never did forgive me for destroying her dolls."
Lyndira just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "May I remind you brother that you still owe me for the cost of the dolls, a little over a hundred Galleons."
"What? The last time they were only fifty."
"That was ten years ago Luminous, I believe you owe me interest now as well," Lyndira smiled and then laughed at the dismayed look on her brother's face. Harry couldn't help but laugh as well.
"All right, fine, I'll go to Gringotts right now and transfer the galleons into your account." Luminous turned on his heal and vanished all of the chairs as he did. Lyndira jumped up just in time and Harry steadied himself as he had been leaning on the back of one at the time. "Come Harry, if you're going to go shopping, you'll need to be visiting you vault," Luminous said with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face as he passed him to the door.
Harry looked wide-eyed at the Wizard until the man turned back around. "You're going to let me go shopping?"
"Certainly, but only because it is your birthday and I know for a fact that Molly Weasley is planning a party for you. It's supposed to be a surprise, but why not surprise her and come back with a whole new wardrobe," Luminous looked up to Harry's hair and frowned, "and maybe a hair cut."
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter and I hope you like the new Minister, I hadn't initially planned on making a new minister but Luminous and Lyndira Friedens kind of popped into my head one night, and there they were. That and I needed to reveal where the Diaries were coming from eventually and Luminous seemed the perfect person.