Scabbed Wings
Harry felt Ginny stir and pressed his finger to her lips before she could say anything. She looked at him silently confused. They were still lying in Ginny's hospital bed, but before the morning sun had started to stream in and the Mme Pomfrey did an early check on the beds, he had covered them in his invisibility cloak.
He did not regret staying. Harry didn't feel any unhappiness in remaining as he felt Ginny on him; he did, however, realize the exact implications of his actions that morning as he hid with her and listened to the conversations being carried out around them.
'Did anyone check the Gryffindor tower yet?' ask Professor Slughorn.
'Yes, the brother and Miss Granger aren't in on this one,' said Professor McGonagall, Harry had been listening to them search for him and Ginny for more then an hour and she seemed sincerely disappointed but her voice had a slight edge of worry to it.
'This is absurd. Completely ridiculous,' said Mme Pomfrey, 'my patients are not supposed to disappear in the middle of the night, 'Mister Potter was not well last night and shouldn't be wandering.'
'The aurors in Hogsmeade are keeping a lookout but are certain no one could have came in and got them,' McGonagall said, 'and I've got some house elves on it too.'
'Well this is just fantastic,' said a wizard Harry didn't recognize, 'we finally manage to rope him in and he disappears in the middle of the night.'
'"Rope him in" might be a strong term. The way I heard it, he came up here on his own then overexerted himself and passed out. We had very little to do with Harry Potter's short stay here,' said Slughorn.
'Which reminds me,' said the wizard Harry didn't recognize, 'do we have any idea exactly how he did that yet?'
McGonagall shook her head.
'Never in all my training have I seen anything like that,' said Mme Pomfrey, 'shouldn't have been possible.'
'Well, if we find him we can ask him,' said McGonagall, 'well there's not much we can do just standing here. I'll go owl the Ministry and tell them we've officially lost Harry and a student so they shouldn't bother showing up to talk to him.'
The teachers left, Mme Pomfrey remained for a moment checking the other students, then left, muttering something. Ginny sat straight up, letting the cloak fall off her shoulders. Harry watched her carefully for a moment before sitting up too, in an act of defeat. It was twice in a space of 12 hours she had managed to defeat him.
'Harry,' she looked directly at him with her sad brown eyes, 'what's going on… please tell me.'
He wished she didn't ask that. He glanced away.
'Harry…what are you so ashamed of? You haven't done anything wrong…' she said softly, erroneously.
'…I-I,' Harry looked around at the sleeping students, 'not here. Let's just go some where- some where else,' he said meeting her gaze once again, 'I just don't want anyone to see me.'
'Hagrid's? The Common Room?' Ginny asked, tucking her messy hair behind her ear and staring at him confused.
The mention of "Hagrid" struck a chord with Harry. He felt even worse then he usually did, and that was saying something. He had no idea how Hagrid was and Harry knew he should have been there, especially after the year Hagrid had had: not signing up for Care of Magical Creatures, Aragog dieing, Dumbledore dieing, his house burning down…
'I don't know if I can face Hagrid,' Harry responded.
'He's away; I think his house is empty.'
Harry nodded. They left the hospital wing and Harry disappeared back under the invisibility cloak. Ginny didn't, but avoided crowded hallways anyway. Though, from what they did hear, the school was buzzing. It wasn't tight and anxious, as Harry would expect after the attack, but oddly triumphant and elated as they spoke about Harry's return. They apparently did not yet know he was once again missing.
There was one horrible moment when Harry passed a group of 3rd years, one of whom muttered: 'I just feel so much safer and even Mom isn't as protective as usual. It's just like having Dumbledore back in the castle to protect us.'
Harry nearly fell over after hearing that. They shouldn't compare him to Dumbledore, ever. It was terrible, bizarre and felt immoral. He could have so easily left Ginny as she walked, her not being able to see him, but he didn't. The bond that forced him to stay terrified him because he knew it was wrong to love Ginny.
Thankfully enough, no one stopped them on the way across the grounds; the December snow had fallen overnight and covered the ground and discouraged students leaving their warm, cosy common rooms. And Hagrid's cabin (now sporting new-looking beams and a repaired ceiling) was completely empty. They let themselves in and Harry drew the curtains while Ginny sat down at the table.
He was pleased to see everything burnt had been repaired or replaced. Harry had been torturing himself with the thought of Hagrid sitting alone, soot covered in the ruins of his house grieving Dumbledore. He looked around, examining the cabin and searching for anyone who could be eavesdropping before his eyes rested on Ginny.
She looked scared.
She should, thought Harry, you shouldn't be allowed to be alone with her…nothing good can come of it.
'…I'm sorry…' Harry said, sitting down on Hagrid's bed at the other side of the cabin.
'But Harry, why?' Ginny said, 'what have you done? I...I don't know what you're so guilty about. You've saved so many people, just yesterday you saved students and townspeople and order mem-'
'Stop,' Harry interrupted her, 'don't say that…'
She got up and walked over to where he sat on Hagrid's bed, she sat down beside him. She stared at his profile but Harry couldn't bring himself to look at her.
Only a moment before the door opened, Harry realized someone was coming. He cursed mentally for his slow reflexes, he had to do better, he couldn't let his guard down.
It was Remus Lupin who entered, tailed by Ron and Hermione. Harry froze, Hermione didn't, she ran across the cabin and flung her arms around Harry. He considered pushing her away for a moment, but couldn't do that either, he relaxed and hugged her back.
Ron and Lupin strode over.
'Harry…you…' Ron said lamely.
Hermione let him go. Harry looked from her, to Ron, to Lupin.
'Dobby saw you, came and told me,' Lupin said, 'these two happened to be over at the time.' Harry didn't bother ask why Lupin was nearby, it didn't matter.
'I thought you were going to take us with you,' Ron said smiling. He was the only one smiling though.
'I thought it would be better like this, it's my problem, and no one else should have to deal with it anyway,' Harry said, more to Lupin then to Ron.
'How're you doing it?' Ron asked, 'I mean, we all knew you were powerful, but some of the stuff I've heard seems impossible.'
'I think we'd all like to know that,' said Lupin, looking sombre.
Harry was silent. It was one of those inexplicable moments where the only question in his head was "what if" and he wondered, as he often did, if any of this would be happening, if he would be this miserable, if he had never met Regulus Black.
'Regulus Black was a Death Eater and killed by Voldemort a long time ago,' Harry said keeping his wand steady and trained on the impostor.
'Not quite killed, very close though,' he turned back to the books, 'is Dumbledore with you? I could really use some help with this.'
'With what?' Harry asked.
'Horcruxes, say,' he turned to face Harry, 'you'd probably do just fine. Do you know anything about Horcruxes?'
'Wait! You said it was you who got the locket! Where is it?'
'Didn't Dumbledore tell you all this? I would have thought if he was taking you along…oh well, never mind. The locket is probably safe-'
'Where? What do you mean "probably,"' Harry asked the impostor.
He turned away from Harry, 'Well…it's out of my possession. I didn't account my brother hiding the house from me-'
'The locket is at Grimmauld Place?' Harry asked.
'I assume, unless my dear brother has moved it. I haven't been able to get in lately.'
'Where is it there?'
'I left it in a cabinet, I believe. You don't know where it is, do you? Wait- I suppose you aren't the secret keeper anyway. Oh well…when Dumbledore gets here…'
Harry combed his memory. There was a locket there when they were cleaning out the cabinet. He remembered it! The locket no one could open… He couldn't remember the markings on it but holding it in his hand was so vivid…it had to be.
He felt his heart sink. Dumbledore was so close to it all along… they didn't need to leave that night… he didn't need to die…
'Dumbledore is dead, tell me who you are,' Harry ordered.
The man froze. Harry could tell he had stopped flipping through the books and slowly turned around, his face looking more like Sirius's then ever.
'…Dead? It can't be…'
'Sirius is too, tell me who you are.'
'Sirius…no…'
'Who are you?' Harry said, beginning to get frustrated with the man who had apparently been living under a rock for the past few years.
'How…how did this happen?'
'Tell me who you are and I'll tell you,' Harry said.
'Regulus Alphard Black. I was a Death Eater and Voldemort nearly killed me but…'
'But what?'
'But I managed to escape. Severus Snape helped me…I was nearly completely stripped of my powers in the process though-'
Harry gritted his teeth at the mention of Snape, 'Where have you been for the past 17 years? Has Snape been helping you then too?'
'I-I couldn't do magic, I was too weak. I don't remember what happened…I remember Snape taking me somewhere…then waking up two years ago when I felt the Dark Mark burn…I don't know what happened before that. I thought at first Voldemort's power was absolute then I heard what had happened to him when you were a baby and realized he must have come back. I thought he had only one Horcruxe and I had destroyed it…but I think there were more. That's what I've been doing for the past two years. How did they die? Dumbledore and Sirius.'
'Dumbledore thought there must be six Horcruxes also. He went to destroy the locket and was weakened while trying to get it and was killed by Snape after that.'
'No…'
'Sirius died fighting Death Eaters at the ministry.'
'Who…who killed him?'
'Bellatrix Lestrange,' Harry didn't know why he was telling him all this. He looked so much like Sirius; he couldn't help but trust him.
'Bella…she- she wouldn't.'
Harry didn't reply. Personally, he thought Bella was without a conscience and this man, Regulus it seemed, was wasting his energy trying to sympathize or understand her. Same with Snape. Anyone being helped by Snape couldn't be a decent person.
'Everything's changed…everything…my brother…he…You'll have to help me,' said Regulus finally, 'you can lower your wand too. I can't do anything. I don't ever bother carry a wand anymore,' he started laughing mirthlessly at this, 'funny. After all the careful breeding and pure blooded nonsense, I end up like a squib or muggle.'
'Yeah, just hilarious,' Harry said sarcastically, not lowering his wand, 'what do you mean "help you?" I don't help Death Eaters.'
'I was a Death Eater. I want to destroy Voldemort as much as you do. We're on the same side. We need each other.'
'I don't need you,' but even as Harry was saying it, he wasn't sure. He trusted the man because he trusted Sirius and regretted not showing it to him more.
'You don't know everything I've learnt during these years and I can't do the magic needed to destroy Voldemort. We need each other.'
'I know what the other Horc-'
'The cup? I've already got that too. I've got the cup and locket. I heard rumour of a book or diary that I'm trying to find now. I also believe there's a ring that I haven't been able to find. There are two more after that, which I have been researching.'
'Don't bother searching for the diary; I destroyed that a long time ago. Dumbledore destroyed the ring last year.'
Regulus stopped going through the bookshelves.
'Are you sure? That would leave only two more.'
'I'm sure.'
He smiled widely for the first time. 'The order isn't completely useless after all.'
'I don't need you help.'
'You'll see it soon enough.'
Bellatrix Lestrange was an ugly woman. Physically, she had inherited Black family genes that guaranteed her height, hair and elegant face, which even Azkaban didn't manage to completely destroy. However, she was still a repulsive, sadistic witch- a plus in the Death Eater world.
At this moment, however, she was just an ugly woman trying to get a good night's sleep so she would be rested and ready for whatever the Dark Lord had planned for her morning. She was staying at her old home, after, of course, throwing the new owners out, and she was quite angry at them for changing the décor of her bedroom. She supposed if she had kept them alive a few well directed 'crucios' would help them understand the pain she felt trying to sleep while staring at pale pink walls.
She turned over in bed and began to stare out the window. The leaves on the trees had all but fallen off as October ravaged the branches. Better like this. She reminded herself, trees were much prettier when they looked like they were nearly dead. Still, she suppressed a shiver; cold weather always reminded her of Azkaban.
The clock chimed somewhere nearby. She shut her eyes. There was a noise. She opened her eyes. Somewhere downstairs, someone had entered her house. It couldn't be Rodolphus; he was out on assignment for the rest of the week. Voldemort wouldn't come to her, he'd simply summon her, no other Death Eater would bother sneaking in through the ground floor, she had a fireplace connected to all of there's through a secure floo network right in her bedroom.
She got out of bed and retrieved her wand from her night stand. Bella crept from the bedroom and down the hall completely naked, her bare feet soft on the wood floor avoiding the creaky areas.
Bella paused at the bottom of the stairs; she heard voices coming from the other side of the doorway and focused her energy on listening to their fuzzy conversation.
'Where are we?'
'I told you I had a surprise for you,' said an excited voice that Bella vaguely recognized but couldn't place.
'What is it?'
'I thought this would be a good way to test out everything you've learned and see if the Cruxes worked,' said the voice Bella recognized, she readied her wand and had curses on her lips.
'What do you mean?'
'This is the house of my dear cousin; I thought we'd have some fun.'
'Bellatrix? What? We can't, Regulus.'
'No,' Bella whispered. It was Regulus's voice but he was dead, she'd seen him die.
'Don't you want revenge?' said Regulus.
'But-'
'Don't you hate her?'
'I-'
'Don't you trust me?' Regulus asked his companion.
There was a pause.
'Yes, I trust you.'
'Perfect, let's find her, you sensing anything?'
'I don't know, I-'
'Harry! Concentrate! Seriously, if you can't do this, Voldemort will eat you alive, believe me, I know.'
Harry, Bella wondered, he couldn't mean 'Harry Potter'…could he?
There was a pause.
'She's heard us,' said Harry's voice, 'she's listening to us.'
'Bella,' Regulus said in a singsong voice, 'come out, come out…you're dear cousin is here to see you…to say hello.'
Bella could have laughed. He sounded crazier then she was. Crazier then any of the Azkaban Death Eaters, loyal Death Eaters, were. And he'd brought Potter? How much better could this get? Regulus was a decent wizard but had gone completely insane (if he even was a wizard, he had to be a ghost or something) and Potter was still a kid. A very valuable kid.
'Belle, come on, don't hide, I just want to say hello,' Regulus said.
Bella thought for a moment, she couldn't kill the kid, or ruin him too badly. She would have to choose what to do very carefully.
'Regulus, I don't want to-'
'Crucio,' Bella said rounding the corner, she saw the jet of red light leave her wand and hit Harry, but he didn't fall, he didn't flinch, 'crucio!' she tried again, and failed once more, Harry blocking it, 'CRUCIO!'
'Harry!' Regulus yelled, whom Bella clearly saw was solid and live.
'Cru-'
Harry destroyed the curse before it left her wand. Her wand leapt from her hand and flew into his. Regulus could barely stand up, he was laughing so hard.
'Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella, couldn't even put on some damn clothes?' Regulus laughed.
Bella was now feeling slightly anxious. She was disarmed and they could tell she wasn't hiding an extra wand anywhere. Potter put her want in his back pocket and his hand was steady though his face was unsure.
'Come on Harry, what have I taught you?' Regulus said, beginning to get angry, 'has all this been for nothing? Do you not remember what she did to Sirius?'
'Get out!' Bella yelled, 'both of you! Get out now! Get out now or you'll be sorry!'
'Right, Bella, we're shaking,' Regulus said, 'Harry, do it now.'
'This feels wr-' Harry began.
'Don't you want to destroy Voldemort?'
'Yes.'
'Then you must start by destroying her! Do you trust me?'
'Yes.'
Bella subtly opened a drawer behind her while listening to them. She felt around, she knew there was a knife somewhere; she felt the blade under her finger. She pulled the knife out and flung it as hard as she could at Potter.
Potter raised his wand and swung it before the knife hit him, the knife turned in midair and flew towards her, sinking straight into her chest. Bella's last breath never left her body and slowly she fell to the ground.
Blood erupted in great spurts from the wound. Bella tried to lift her hand but it flopped aimlessly and then finally rested.
Bella's eyes had closed, but if they been open, she would have seen Harry's face turn paper white and Regulus laugh even harder. She would have seen Regulus pick her up by her throat and stare into her lifeless eyes while Harry dropped his wand in disgust.
Had Bella still been able to know her surroundings, she would have heard Regulus say: 'Killed her already? I thought we'd have some fun with her first. Oh well, she'll still be interesting dead.'
And at that moment, she would have seen Harry run as far and as fast as he could before apparating away.
She would have seen the moment Harry realized his companion of the last few months, who had taught him and trained him and gave him a gift beyond comprehension, was, in fact, not his Godfather and the trust he felt for him was never earned.
If Bella wasn't lying dead on the floor at his feet, she would have seen the look in Harry's emerald eyes when he became truly terrified and registered seeing the revulsion he usually reserved for Voldemort in himself.
AN: Argh! Finished! Darker then usual, I know, but the genre is angst and it is only going to get angstier. Just so you know I'm not copping out on telling where Regulus was for the last few years, it's coming soon.
Ginny05- I know there's more to the story on the Snape issue, but I'm not completely sure yet. Thanks for the review.
Jena Rink – Thanks for reviewing! I love the RAB theory but JKR might be trying to throw us off, weirder things have happened:)
fernnu- I'm not very happy about Ririus's Nurder either:)
Shang Warrior Phoenix – Thanks for reviewing. I promise, an excuse for Regulus jumping out of a plot hole is coming soon.
reimanr06- Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you don't think my HPGW is too repulsive.
Lara1786- Thanks, although I didn't do too much romance or explaining in this chapter. They'll be a proper explanation and some HPGW in the next one.
Pink-Charmed-One- LOL, YOU MIGHT NOT BE TYPING FROM AN ASYLUM BUT I AM! THANKS!
RonniekinzLuvr- Thanks for reviewing. I started planning this about 10 minutes after finishing, that book was so great I couldn't stand the thought of another 2 years without Harry so I got started on this.
zanbato – I'm not sure if RAB is actually Regulus Black but it's a popular theory. I gave him the middle name Alphard because (if I recall correctly) that's their uncle, the one who left Sirius some money and was removed from the family tree.
kîan – Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter.
HP-Magic- Thanks! I'll definitely be trying to put everyone in. I love the NTRL storyline (surprising because I never really cared about them separately) so I might try to add some of that later.
Ta1nted- There's a reason Harry's getting so powerful but you'll have to wait one or two more chapters for that. Thanks for reviewing.
Jaina Sanri- Thanks!
Honey P- Thank you.
ray1- Thank you. HPGW is starting to grow on me, I didn't used to like it much either.
Mystical Music- I like Ginny, but I agree with you about many other HBP stories right now. I like the idea of Harry going out on his own. Thanks for reviewing.
SpiffySquee- Thank you. I hope this chapter was ok even if there wasn't much HPGW.
GCNFGCHICK02- Thanks for reviewing. Regulus seems so perfect for RAB but weirder things have happened, maybe it will end up being Rupert "Axebanger" Brookstanton.
ForgottenDreamsUnshedTears- Lol. I don't mind yaoi or slash either but there won't be much in this story (I think…)
HeatherGranger13- Thank you.
hphotshot5- Thank you. I hope you liked this chapter.
A Phantom Moon- Thank you. I ended up picking mine up at midnight too. I hope you liked this chapter.
xenizo- It will stay HPGW and I promise I will explain about Regulus soon. Thanks for reviewing!
Remmy Wolf- I'm angry at Snape too…he'll show up soon. Thank you for reviewing.
shadowdragonblade- Thanks. I hope you liked this one.
snuffles007- Thank you. I'm doing a lot with Regulus Black because I think this theory is really interesting. I hope you liked this chapter.
spike blade- Thanks!
Danuschka- Thanks, it will definitely get clarified properly.
chyp- Thanks!
Mr. Set- Yep, here he isn't quite dead. Thanks for reviewing!
la mort- There will be A LOT of Ron and Hermione in the next chapter. I'm glad you like (and can understand) this story. I hope you liked this chapter.
Eagle-Eyes- Thank you. I'm writing this to help ease my own addiction though, lol.
Aurora – Thank you for reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter.
gryffindorgal805- Thank
you for R/Ring. I know it's pretty confusing and seriously
disjointed because I'm jumping around the time line. I hope it alls sharts making sense soon.
EosRaven- I got mine on the 16th too but I was so unhappy that it would be another two years till book 7 I got started on this right away. I corrected the Regelus to Regulus in the previous chapter too. Thanks for reviewing!
Athelas- Thank you, and I agree with you about Snape.
Camron – LOL, thank you so much. Hopefully I won't stop writing it because I'm really enjoying it right now.
goddessa39- Thanks for reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter too. Godric's Hallow will be coming in handy soon. Regulus…well…he's not a nice guy, lol.
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