Scabbed Wings Chapter 6: Lies, Codfish and Violent Flames, a harry potter fanfic

Scabbed Wings

AN: Sorry for the wait. Wasn't so inspired. Apparently the last chapter sucked, but a huge thanks to my favourite people in the world: HP-Magic, rdprice29, snuffles007, Jeefus, ZanyMuggle, All Knowing One 412, slayerstoryguy, laladoink, andy-may, Parselmaster, Arica, Princess of Rivendell, Jayde Green, Alizee2, knuckz, IrishOreo, Shang Warrior Phoenix, XXRoseDawsonXX, neopyro, Honey P, Junky, SpiffySquee, jackhea, jbfritz.

Also, my dear sister Jackhea has a story up so check it out.

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN (ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES)

AND NORTHERN IRELAND MINISTRY OF MAGIC

THE NINETEENTH OF DECEMBER, NINETEEN-NINETY-SEVEN

VOLUNTARY TESTIMONIAL UNDER VERITASERUM

No. VER938

APPROVED FOR USE

The Nineteenth of December, Nineteen-Ninety-Six

ADMINISTERED BY

Tobias Smith

ATTESTANT

Harry James Potter

STATIONED AURORS

Michael Dawlish

Brice Proudfoot

WITNESSED

The Honourable Rufus Scrimgeour

Dolores Umbridge

Malfalda Hopkirk

Minerva McGonagall (guest)

Remus Lupin (guest)

LOCATION

London, England, Ministry of Magic Headquarters

Level One, Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Testimonials and Veritaserum Division

SUMMARY

HARRY JAMES POTTER questioned by TOBIAS SMITH on eleven (11) separate events witnessed around THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND during September of 1997 to December of 1997, which were believed to be DARK MAGICKS (atrum veneficus). Approval was passed for a full five (5) questions with three (3) possible revisions.

FIRST DRAFT OF QUESTIONS

(1) Are you now, or have you ever, used an Unforgivable Curse (Cruciatus, Imperius, Avada Kedavra)? If the answer is 'yes,' elaborate.

(2) Are you now, or have you ever, intentionally employed magic in such a way that would torture or kill a human (including, but not limited to, muggles, squibs. Not extending to sub or quasi-humans including, but not limited to, giants, vampires, werewolves)? If the answer is 'yes,' elaborate.

(3) Did you knowingly evade Ministry Of Magic officials between the months of September and December of 1997? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

(4) Have you been in contact with any current or former informants of the wizard known as Voldemort, formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

(5) Have you received any training or instruction from a wizard, witch or other being identified on the Official Ministry of Magic List of the Dangerous and Dark? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

FINAL DRAFT OF QUESTIONS

(1) Are you now, or have you ever, used an Unforgivable Curse (Cruciatus, Imperius, Avada Kedavra) successfully? If the answer is 'yes,' elaborate.

(3) Did you knowingly evade Ministry Of Magic officials between the months of September and December of 1997? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

(4) Have you been in contact with any current or former Death Eaters of the wizard known as Voldemort, formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

(5) Have you received any training or instruction from a wizard, witch or other being identified on the Official Ministry of Magic List of the Dangerous and Dark, with intentions to use said training or instruction in a harmful manner? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF VERITASERUM QUESTIONING

Recorded By: Alicia Spinnet

Time: 1000

Dosage: 3 Drops (approx. one hour based on age/height/weight)

Smith: Let's begin. We'll start first with a few simple questions just to verify your identity and to make sure the potion is working. What's your name?

Potter: Harold Potter

Smith: And, are you sound of mind and spirit?

Potter: Yes

Smith: And one more, will you be telling us the truth today?

Potter: Yes

Smith: Sorry, just my little joke. Everything seems in order, I'll begin the questioning. Are you now, or have you ever, used an Unforgivable Curse, which include the Cruciatus Curse, the Imperius Curse, and the Avada Kedavra Curse successfully? If the answer is 'yes,' then please elaborate.

Potter: No

Smith: Right, question number two. Are you now, or have you ever, intentionally employed magic in such a way that would torture or kill a human, including, but not limited to, muggles and squibs. Not extending to sub or quasi-humans including, but not limited to, giants, vampires and werewolves? If the answer is 'yes,' elaborate.

Potter: No

Smith: Did you knowingly evade Ministry Of Magic officials between the months of September and December of 1997? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

Potter: No

Smith: Have you been in contact with any current or former Death Eaters of the wizard known as Voldemort, formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

Potter: No

Smith: Have you received any training or instruction from a wizard, witch or other being identified on the Official Ministry of Magic List of the Dangerous and Dark, with intentions to use the training or instruction in a harmful manner? If the answer is 'yes,' please elaborate.

Potter: No

Smith: Well, I believe that wraps it up. A private room will be pr-

Umbridge: He's lying

McGonagall: How? He can't lie

Smith: I'm going to need sil-

Umbridge: I don't know how he's done it, but he's lying. We have other witnesses and proof of his guilt

McGonagall: Well there must be some mistake because he couldn't have lied

Smith: Silence, please

Umbridge: You know as well as I do, it is possible to lie or obtain immunity from the effects of Veritaserum

McGonagall: But a teenager couldn't do it-

Umbridge: Someone else could have brewed him an antidote

Smith: Please, everyone, silence is-

Hopkirk: I'm afraid, Dolores, I'm going to have to side with Minerva on this one. It's incredibly unlikely a teenager could fool it

Umbridge: I've got witnesses. I've got surveillance. This boy is a liar. Potter, do you have black hair?

Potter: -

Smith: Any answer on Potter's part must be stricken from the record and recognized as a diversion from the law on the part of Dolores Umbridge and not anyone else in the room. Unpermitted questioning of a non-dangerous wizard warrants a review by the-

Scrimgeour: No need for that.

Smith: Right, well. On this note, the testimonial is officially over. Mister Potter, a private room will be available for your use until the effects of the Veritaserum have dissipated, which will happen within the hour.

Harry glared coldly at Mundungus Fletcher from his high-backed arm chair, which he had conjured for himself an hour earlier. Dumbledore's old office looked oddly crowded and chaotic as Order members sat in a variety of different chairs. Fletcher had been avoiding Harry's gaze for the better part of that hour and seemed to be sinking further into one of Dumbledore's chairs with a thick cloud of smelly smoke from his pipe helping to obscure his face.

If anything, Harry's five month sabbatical had served to intensify his resentment towards Fletcher. And, now without Dumbledore around, he felt a compelling urge to become the one to keep the thief in line… at least when it came to Sirius's old possessions.

'…As for You-Know-Who himself,' McGonagall continued, clearly frustrated, 'we have no idea where he is. I had a report the other day he was seen swimming naked in the Irish Sea, but it turned out to be just a large codfish.'

'Does the Ministry know anything?' McGonagall addressed Arthur and Kingsley.

Harry was beginning to regret attending this meeting. They didn't know anything he wasn't already aware of, and Harry had little information he was comfortable with trading. Also, the constant reminders of muggle attacks he hadn't managed to avert had left him feeling more useless and depressed than usual.

'No, but they'll never admit it,' Arthur said.

'They sent out five aurors to investigate that damn codfish,' Kingsley added.

He had to see this fish, Harry thought to himself.

Most of the Order members continued speculating the coming weeks. Harry found it much more interesting to watch a smiling Tonks try to catch Lupin's eye by rapidly changing her hair colour, something Harry was pleased to see she was able to do again.

Dumbledore's portrait snorted a snore behind Harry as the conversation turned to the Veritaserum testimony Harry had taken that morning. It hadn't been an entirely horrid experience. It had been tense and seeing Umbridge again wasn't pleasant, but it was over quickly and had gone as well as could be expected.

'You got the full five questions then? I wonder how they managed that…' Hestia Jones asked Harry.

'Yeah, I can't imagine the reputation I must have at the Ministry,' Harry said.

The curiosity and caution the Order members had treated him earlier made him wonder momentarily if that reputation had spread. But McGonagall and Lupin had explained everything they knew and no one had yet pressed Harry for more details…though Moody's eye hadn't left him alone yet.

Hagrid was still away, most of the Weasleys, save for Arthur, couldn't make it either. Harry didn't mind too much, he was getting tired of hiding things from the people he loved.

'Didn't find anything to arrest you on?' Moody asked.

'Nope,' Harry said brightly, ignoring Moody's suspicious tone, 'Umbridge gave it a try though.'

'She tried to get in a sixth question,' Lupin said, 'Even Scrimgeour is getting tired of it.'

'Too loyal to Fudge, too stubborn to change,' Kingsley said.

'Did they test you for antidotes?' Moody said, unwilling to accept the verdict.

'Three times,' Harry said shortly.

He was getting tired of the suspicion- not that he didn't deserve it. He had ingested an antidote before taking the Veritaserum but after being tested for one, it was an antidote he had made months ago. It was because he made it months ago, before his potion-making skills had developed, that he had added too much armadillo bile and the results were that he could not say anything but lies. Luckily, no one noticed he was forced to lie that his name was 'Harold' though it was 'Harry' and Umbridge's question could not be used.

However … Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall would know he had the ability to lie. Whatever they thought about him, neither had said anything. Harry wished his Occlumency skills were in better shape at the castle so he could see exactly what it was and how careful he should be.

Really, Harry though with mild frustration, neither Snape nor Dumbledore had ever had any trouble with Occlumency or Legilimency at the school- why should he?

'Well,' McGonagall said, 'is there anything else?' she said. She didn't look at Harry.

No one said anything.

'Then Remus, Nymphadora, Alastor and myself will be supervising transporting students to Hogsmeade for the holidays,' McGonagall said.

'I don't think any of us should relax,' Moody said, 'this would be the perfect time for a huge attack; the Death Eaters know that and would exploit it.'

'On that note, Merry Christmas everyone,' Tonks said.

Conjured chairs popped into smelly-smoke filled air and slowly the tired group made their way out of Dumbledore's old office. Harry waited before moving to leave. Lupin was doing the same, talking to McGonagall. Tonks was hanging off his arm but didn't seem to be interested in whatever they were talking about and left after a few moments later.

The room had cleared and McGonagall had disappeared up one of the staircases. Harry and Lupin left at the same time.

Neither spoke for a moment.

'Solvo Sermo Serum?' Lupin said simply to Harry on the way down the staircase.

'Yes.'

'Too much armadillo bile?'

'Yes.'

'Common mistake.'

'Would the Order...'

'Care?' Lupin finished his sentence as they passed the gargoyle, 'I wouldn't worry. Everyone has secrets and no one in the Order wants you in jail.'

'Really? 'Cause Moody's pretty convincing,' Harry said, putting up his hood.

'Alastor's just being careful. He's been in bad shape lately.'

Harry sank into his hood as they passed a group of students, all of whom recognized him and stared anyway. One waved shyly. They came to a fork where Harry would have turned to go back to the suite, but he wanted to talk to him. Lupin seemed to pick up on this quiet anxiety and paused.

'Why don't we have a cup of tea?' Lupin said slowly, as though trying to decipher what Harry wanted exactly.

Harry nodded.

They walked down another hallway that was too lined with doors that Harry had never entered before. The teacher apartment they entered was much like the one Harry was living in, though it was warm, bright, looked to have been used more often and was lacking a draft.

Lupin flicked his wand and a kettle hopped across the carpet and hung itself from a beam over the already-glowing fire. Lupin retrieved some cups as Harry sat down on the edge of a pale blue sofa.

'What did you want to talk about?' Lupin asked, sitting down.

Harry hesitated. He didn't know what Lupin would think.

'…D-did you know Regulus Black?' Harry asked.

Lupin's eyebrows knotted, it was clearly the last thing he expected to be asked.

'Sirius's brother?'

Harry nodded.

'Yes, but not well. Voldemort killed him a few days after he left the Death Eaters. He was a talented wizard.'

'But what type of wizard was he?' Harry asked carefully.

Lupin looked at Harry curiously.

'Talented, definitely talented. He cared a lot about blood; most of his friends were relations. But he and Sirius never got along, and once Sirius left, Regulus was left alone with his mother,' Lupin said, retrieving the kettle from the fire as it began to whistle.

'Was he friends with Snape?' Harry asked as casually as possible.

'"Friends" might be a strong word. They were both Slytherins and later Death Eaters, but I don't believe they were actually friends.'

It just didn't make any sense…

'Where's all this coming from, Harry?'

'I saw a memory with Snape and Regulus in it. They were talking to an old man who knew about the Horcruxes,' Harry lied as Lupin poured tea.

Lupin looked at Harry.

'Are you sure it was genuine? Voldemort never told his Death Eaters the exact measures he used to obtain immortality and there were only two Order members who suspected he was using them.'

'Dumbledore,' Harry said.

'Yes, but that was more recently. During Voldemort's first war, a man named Caradoc Dearborn had thought of them. He tried to tell us but disappeared shortly after.'

'Caradoc Dearborn?' Harry asked, the name sounded familiar, 'the one in Moody's photo?' the memory wasn't clear but when Moody had shown him a photo of all the old Order members, he had definitely mentioned a man named Caradoc Dearborn.

'Disappeared six weeks after that picture was taken,' Lupin said reminiscing.

'Was he an old man?' Harry asked, clawing at every detail he had obtained from Regulus's memory.

'Yes,' Lupin said, 'you think it was Caradoc who informed Severus and Regulus about the Horcruxes?'

'I don't know…'

They were quiet again. Harry cooled his tea and stirred it with his wand.

'Your parents too,' Lupin said, 'they knew as much as that Voldemort was trying to find artifacts of Gryffindor and powerful objects.'

Though Harry was now sure it had been Caradoc he'd seen telling them about the Horcruxes, this, of course, intrigued him.

'My parents knew?'

'They eluded Voldemort three times trying to keep him from some old Gryffindor antiques. They were owned by the Potter family but had ended up scattered and your parents managed to collect all three known artifacts and return them to-'

Born to those who have thrice defied him…

'Godric's Hollow.'

Lupin nodded.

'A wand, a necklace and a bottle.'

'Misleadingly dull. They were important, powerful, everything Voldemort wanted.'

'Yeah…' Harry said, concentrating on his tea, 'Professor-'

'Not these days, "Remus" is fine.'

'Okay…it's just, Regu-' Harry changed his mind, 'the aurors don't know about the passage from the Shrieking Shack.'

'I had been monitoring it, but I will mention that to them later tonight.'

Harry's worry was choking him, pressing on his insides. He wanted to shout the truth the Lupin, to tell him Regulus was alive, well, and close-by. He wanted Lupin to reassure him they would make sure no one got near Ginny, for the Order to discuss her safety in the next meeting. The weight of the truth was like lead on his chest, asphyxiating him subtly and silently.

Lupin didn't look satisfied though, he knew there was more to the story.

'Well, I should go,' Harry said in a hurry, 'thanks for the tea.'

'Anytime, Harry, if you need anything…'

'Thanks, Professor.'

'Remus.'

'Right.'

In the coming days, Harry did reemerge from his dark apartment to eat with his friends. Most of the school had gone home for Christmas and it was much less intimidating to eat in the Great Hall with just the Weasleys, the teachers, and the Order. Hermione had returned home for Christmas Eve and Day but was planning to return from the break early. Ron's parents had sent a note they would be attending the Hogwarts dinner- as many of the other Order members were.

Harry kept an unusually close watch of Ginny during the break. He didn't want to let her out of his site and, while she didn't mind in the least, Lupin had noticed, as did Hermione before she left. But neither were overly surprised, it had never been a secret that Ginny was in danger, Ginny knew it herself.

He watched her while exhausting every resource he had to try and find Regulus, without leaving the castle or appearing to be doing so. He spoke with every portrait he knew and even some he didn't, he contacted everyone he could and even managed to tap into the floo network, even if it left him soot covered and dizzy for hours.

However, by Christmas Day, Harry had used the logic that Ginny would no longer be in danger if he found Regulus and he had concentrated all his energy on that. He doubted his former mentor would actually be the one to kill her, but he knew something. He knew who was planning to and how they'd do it.

On that faithful night, less than a week ago, Regulus had fled down a 7th floor corridor and disappeared. Harry had gone to the Gryffindor Girls' dorm to try and find Marauders' Map to use, but he was long gone. The sleeping Gryffindor Girls did not appreciate a frantic Harry Potter waking them up in the middle of the night to tear apart Hermione's bed. But quickly forgot their anger when they realized it was a frantic Harry Potter who had woken them up and any hope of finding Regulus on the grounds died as Harry spend precious minutes just trying to shake them off.

Harry had spent the morning of December twenty-fifth in the distant South Tower trying to convince Sir Cadogan to visit his other portrait in a Knockturn Alley. Eventually Harry ended up convincing a large Wolfhound to visit Cadogan and the knight promptly decided he would be safer in Knockturn Alley.

He managed to tear himself away from scanning every floor of Hogwarts with Marauder's Map (Hermione had hid it between her mattresses) just in time for Christmas lunch though. The back of his mind promised himself this would be a Good Bye Meal because he should leave before the night. It wasn't healthy to do nothing but hide and worry. Harry was starting to feel physically ill from it.

And, as Harry suspected, his stomach felt no better to see McGonagall in the place Dumbledore once sat on Christmas Day four years ago. Just over a dozen students, a handful of teachers and most of the Order of the Phoenix would not fill the hall so all the tables were pushed aside and everyone was sitting at the same groaning, food laden table they had used during Harry's third year.

A sixth year Slytherins, two Hufflepuffs, four Ravenclaws- including Cho Chang, and a sneak of Weasleys, Arthur, Molly, Fred, George, Ron and Bill, all sat with the teachers, Harry between Ron and Fred, as far from Cho as he could be. Unfortunately, in avoiding Cho, Harry had chosen a seat opposite Mad-Eye Moody and Sybil Trelawney.

The mood was tensely excited. Every time some one pulled a cracker someone else would jump a food in the air and spray the table with pumpkin juice and masticated food. Harry's mind was a thousand miles away, actually, more specifically 412 miles away in Godric's Hollow. He wished he knew if Regulus could still get into the property. No one had ever specified how fussy the wards were when it came to invites.

'Hey,' Ron said as Harry sat down, 'I haven't seen you all morning.'

Moody's eye swiveled in Harry's direction.

'I was reading,' Harry lied. He helped himself to potatoes, which were still quite warm though Harry had arrived late.

'I thought you could have been with Ginny,' Ron said, either not noticing or not caring about Harry's rather obvious lie. Ron began pulling a drumstick off the turkey.

Harry looked around. It was true she wasn't there. It was also true he hadn't seen her for a day or two. Harry's heart began to race and he shot up from his seat at the exact moment Ron won his battle with the bird and pulled off a drumstick rather untidily.

'Have you seen her?' Harry asked Ron in a rushed whisper.

'No, I-'

'Missing girl?' Moody growled, Harry had forgotten about him.

'Has anyone seen her lately?'

There was a chorus of 'no' and Harry could hear his own heart beating. He tore out of the Great Hall, aware Moody was somewhere behind him.

Calm down, Harry thought, she's probably just in the library. Probably just lost track of time. It's not your fault… but… you should have been watching her! Harry walked faster, calm down… try to sense her…

Harry found his way to his apartment, quickly finding it empty and reawakening his Map. He scanned the dungeons. The towers. The dorm. The library! The inconspicuous 'Ginny Weasley' dot was sitting in the back of the library.

Map still in hand, Harry ran to the library. He no longer had any idea at all where Moody or Ron or anyone was. He didn't even know he was at the library till he tore through the doors.

'Ginny!' Harry called.

Something is wrong, Harry thought, something has gone wrong.

Whether he was able to sense it again, or whether he saw the signs, he knew she was in danger… or recently had been.

He was right.

Moody rounded the doors into the library, running with his odd gate just as Harry saw a red haired figure lying motionless on the floor. Harry scooped her wilted body into his arms, as his eyes became very suddenly lined with crimson blood and every bookshelf in the library erupted into violent flames.

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