Chapter 15

May 1989

It was a beautiful warm day as Harry, Caro and Draco flew through the air on their fast brooms. It had lasted over four months until they finally had managed to charm themselves invisible. Since they had come up with their plan they had been training. Harry had managed it first but after secret training hours the others had succeeded as well. While they were flying Harry and Draco enjoyed throwing a little ball to each other. In the meantime Caro tried to guess where her friends currently were. Since she had absolutely no desire to crash together with her friends, she attempted to fly highly above them. Fortunately they reached their destination without any accidents.

After they had got off their brooms they shrunk them and put them into their pockets. Then they carefully and holding hands – so as not to lose each other – set off to the place where the Daily Prophet was designed every day and where the newspaper had also its archives. After they had managed to avoid crashing together with a few oncoming people they stood shortly afterwards in front of a tall building. It was painted with a dark blue colour and made an imposing impression. About a dozen Death Eaters were standing in front of the large doors and were guarding the entrance.

"What do we do now?" Draco whispered.

"We've to wait until someone will go in or out, then we'll try to sneak in," Harry mumbled back.

A few minutes nothing happened and they stood closely by each other while staring attentively at the doors.

"There, the man is going inside!" Caro whispered excitedly.

Quickly they rushed to the entrance and slid carefully past the wizard. Then they entered the building. There they found themselves in a huge hall which shone in a bright light due to various large chandeliers.

"And now? Does anyone have an idea where we have to go?" Harry asked while looking curiously around.

"Over there is an information board. There should be written where the archives are," Caro said and pointed to a labelled board which was floating in the air.

After they had thoroughly studied the information board they knew the approximate way. They went a long curved staircase up until they reached the third floor, then they hurried several narrow corridors along, got four times lost and nearly crashed into a dozen of different people. But finally they managed to arrive at their destination.

"Goodness, I'm totally exhausted!"

"Draco, really. Stop making such a fuss. That wasn't so bad. I've thought that it would be a lot more difficult to get in here. But there aren't so many guards standing around here like I've expected. And we've found it, haven't we?" Caro replied.

"Be quiet! Or do you want getting caught?" Harry whispered with a nervous expression on his face while just wanting to open the door.

"The door is locked."

After he had looked around and had made sure that they were really alone in the corridor, he whispered,

"Alohomora!"

There was a soft click and the door opened. Quickly they darted inside. There they were faced with at least hundred bookshelves which reached from the ground to the ceiling and which contained countless thick large files.

"Well. We only need the year of 1981. That shouldn't be so difficult," Caro whispered, after a short stunned silence.

They went along the many rows until they finally found the right year. Since every file was labelled it had been rather easy to find the right one.

Harry, who could hardly wait, tried to fetch the heavy file down but Harry couldn't hold it and let go off it. He hadn't expected that it would be so heavy. As the file hit the ground with a loud thud they stood completely frozen for a moment. But it seemed so that no- one had heard them. They heaved a sigh of relief and bent down simultaneously to pick the file up. Promptly they crashed together.

"Ah, that was my head!"

"Mine, too, Draco!" Harry said a bit annoyed while running his hand over his forehead.

"I think we can charm us visible again. It should be safe here. I hardly believe that someone will come in here,"

Caro suggested who had knocked against a bookshelf.

After they had charmed themselves visible again they managed together to carry the bulky file to a little desk which was standing in a corner.

They bent forward and Harry began to leaf slowly though the sides of parchment.

"Harry, it did happen in October, didn't it? So why are you searching in March?" Caro asked impatiently.

Harry cast an annoyed glance at her and turned the pages to October. But there they didn't find anything that looked interesting in the slightest. Deeply disappointed he turned the page over. His eyes fell on a large picture and surprised and startled he held his breath. The picture showed two people who held a little baby in their arms. The raven- haired man he had never seen before but the woman next to him he recognized immediately. He had found his mother. The three friends bent their heads lower and read the tragic events which had happened on 31st October.1981 in Godric's Hollow.

"Harry, look! The man on the picture has the same untidy hair as you! He also looks like he has never combed his hair before," Draco exclaimed astonished.

Harry who was staring spellbound at the article and the pictures felt slightly dizzy. His feelings were in a chaotic turmoil. Was his name Harry Potter and not Harry Riddle? Were the Potters his real parents? And his father was not his father? Harry couldn't think straight anymore.

Caro laid gently a hand on his arm.

"Are you alright, Harry?" she asked worriedly while regarding his ashen face.

Harry was totally frozen. Without noticing he whispered nearly inaudible,

"They were my patents."

He knew that it had been naïve but deep down in his heart he had hoped that his mum was still alive. In his dreams he had longed to be hold by her arms while she tightly hugged him and softly sung to him. Now he realized how naïve it had been to believe this. It wasn't only that but now all things fitted together. Now he knew what had happened at that time. The Dark Lord had gone to Godric's Hollow and had killed his parents while he as a baby had witnessed the crime. Then the Dark Lord had taken him along and had brought him to Nell. Harry couldn't believe it. He felt sick and he was ice-cold. He felt dreadful. The terrible truth had shaken him and had hit him hard; the truth that his father had killed his real parents. Whatever he had hoped and thought before what had happened then, never he had imagined that the truth would look like that. But why hadn't the Dark Lord killed him as well?

"What?" Draco asked and thus interrupted Harry's thoughts.

In Draco's face utterly confusion was written.

"The Potters were Harry's parents! Really Draco! Don't you understand anything?" Caro replied sharply.

Draco's face showed now disbelief, bewilderment and shock.

"I'm friends with a Potter?"

"Yes obviously! Unless you want to betray him now! You're really a…"

It seemed so that Caro was so angry that she didn't know exactly how to call him, thus she confined herself to casting only a furious glance at him. Looking at Harry she said in a soft voice,

"Harry, we have to go! We've been away too long already. Come, Harry."

After saying this she resolutely took Harry's arm and charmed herself invisible. Harry, who looked rather battered, did it as well but without noticing it really. Then Caro led him out of the archives.

Draco followed them quickly. Luckily they managed to leave the building without any complications. The way back proceeded in depressed silence. While they were flying through the still warm air Draco was thinking.

Harry was his best friend and he liked him very much. But now he had discovered that his best friend was a Potter. As long as Draco could remember his parents had told him stories about their enemies, about Dumbledore, the Order and of course about the Potters; James and Lily Potter who had been worshipped as heroes for their bravery in the war, at least from all wizards who fought against the Dark Side. When they had been killed many had mourned. Since their death the Potters had become icons for the resistance. His father had drummed into his head that James Potter had been a traitor due to his decision to fight against the Dark Side. And now his best friend was a Potter? His parents had taught him to hate those. He shook his head. But Harry had been raised as a Riddle and not as a Potter. So Harry was still the heir of the Dark Lord and he still was Harry's friend, wasn't he?

After they had landed in the forest they carefully sneaked into the castle through the secret passage and returned to Harry's chambers.

As soon as they stepped into his room, they saw Nell, who awaited them with tea and little delicious looking sandwiches. Harry shut the door and turned himself visible again. Draco, who had gone immediately to an armchair and had just wanted to bite in his ham sandwich, suddenly realized that he still was invisible. So he quickly said the counter curse.

"You will swear that you won't tell a soul what we've discovered today."

Since Harry's voice had sounded so odd, Draco raised his head and nearly choked on his sandwich. Harry stood in front of the door and looked at them. His emerald eyes looked almost black. For an imperceptible moment Draco had the feeling to see this strange uncanny golden aura again which Draco had believed seeing two years ago.

"Of course, Harry. I won't tell anyone. I swear," Caro said immediately.

"I won't tell either, Harry. I swear it," Draco followed.

Harry nodded and went to the window, totally ignoring the delicious sandwiches.

Caro, who had just taken a sip from her hot tea, turned her head to the window, where Harry was standing.

"Harry, don't you want to eat something?"

"No." His tone was strangely flat.

Caro sighed and put her cup on the table, stood up and stepped to Harry.

"Harry, I'm so sorry. I can imagine what you feel right now, at least I think it. When my Dad was killed I believed as well that I would never be happy again. I felt so angry, so helpless and so unhappy and my mother seemed to be not affected in the slightest. It was the worst feeling I ever had and I will never forget it. Without you I wouldn't have got through this. You have to feel similar right now, don't you? Anyway what I wanted to say, Harry, is that whatever happens, we are there for you. We will always help you."

Harry turned around and for a short moment he stared at Caro. Then he began to sob and pulled his friend close to himself. Caro put her arms around Harry and held him tightly while Harry was crying silently. In the meantime Draco, who was staring somewhere thoughtfully, ate the sandwiches up.

After a while Harry let go off Caro and said,

"I'll go to Godric's Hollow."

"Godric's Hollow? But Harry, what do you only want there?

"I don't know, Caro. But I'll go there. "

The next morning Harry got out from his bed and felt totally tired and exhausted. He had hardly slept the previous night. Nearly the whole time he had tossed from one side to the other. He had thought only about his parents and the pictures he had seen in the Daily Prophet. In the middle of the night he had realized another thing.

His parents had fought against the Dark Lord. That meant that his parents belonged to the people he should hate, at least according to what his father had taught him or better said the murderer of his real parents or his adopted father? Harry sighed. He absolutely didn't know what to believe anymore, what was right and what wasn't. Over night his world had shattered into pieces. He felt so hurt, so angry.

When sitting listlessly in front of his breakfast he thought how he should now behave in presence of his father. How could he face him ever again? Had his real parents been right to fight against the Dark Lord or had his adoptive father been right to kill them? Should he hate his adoptive father now? Had he actually ever loved him?

Though the Dark Lord had been always cold and hard towards him, he had taught him so much, he had given him a home. What should he do now? His thoughts, his feelings were still in an utter turmoil. Everything was just too much. That was the only thing he knew for certain. Almost he wished that he had never found out the truth.

Suddenly he heard a beautiful singing. Harry lifted his head and saw Rainbow sitting on the window ledge. His phoenix had returned from wherever she had been.

Rainbow flew to him and landed on the table. Then she lifted her head and looked at him for a while,

"You're sad, Harry. Can I help you?" she asked singing.

"I don't think so, Rainbow. Perhaps you could sing something to me."

While Rainbow was singing, Harry felt a bit comforted. As she flew onto the armrest he began to stroke her feathers and slowly he couldn't keep his eyes open. Comforted and secured from the softly singing he finally fell asleep.

In the afternoon of the same day a birthday party was celebrated in Hogwarts. Jamie Black had his first birthday. Amazed the tiny brown haired boy sat in his highchair and looked with wide eyes at all the many people who had gathered around him. In front of him on the table a large chocolate cake was standing. While Jamie was trying unsuccessfully to reach with his little hands for the delicious looking cake, Albus Dumbledore, who had leaned back in his chair, was observing the events. Whoever would see this birthday party would never been able to imagine that a horrible war was raging outside of Hogwarts.

But in such happy moments you could easily forget this. He eyes wandered over the many guests, who talked lively with each other. In the meantime the Quidditch field had been occupied by the children. The old wizard laughed slightly as he saw how much fun they had. Suddenly he flinched but relaxed nearly in the same moment. Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley had nearly crashed into each other but had managed to avoid each other in the last second.

Albus' blue eyes wandered on and fell on Alison who was holding her daughter on her lap. The little girl, whose black curls were shining in the sun, had a certain undeniable resemblance to Severus Snape. Albus knew that it was nearly unbearable for Severus that he couldn't show himself with his daughter in the public. Only in the presence of those who knew that he was married to Alison could he hold his daughter in his arms. Otherwise it would have been too risky.

His activity as a spy was dangerous enough after all, there it wasn't necessary that Voldemort would find out about Lizzie and Alison and especially what his family meant to Severus. Albus sighed. He admired Severus deeply for being able to cope with this. But there wasn't another way. In times of war everything had to been done, what had to been done, if you wanted or not.

"Albus? Do you want a piece of cake? Albus?"

Albus turned around and saw his Deputy Headmistress.

"Excuse me, Minerva; I just didn't listen."

"I've asked you if you would want a piece of cake," Minerva repeated while casting a slightly irritating glance at him. After Albus had received his cake he began to watch Jamie who currently was unwrapping his many presents.