Chapter 9
Looking at James Potter, Albus Dumbledore sadly shook his head. As he tiredly leaned back in his chair, any twinkle in his usually bright blue eyes had disappeared. The feeling of having failed everyone who once had and who belonged now to the Order of the Phoenix was overwhelming. He knew that not a single plan – no matter how brilliant and well thought out it might be – would ever work.
It was too dangerous and just impossible to attack Voldemort's headquarters. He had also toyed with this thought. But he had always come to the same conclusion.
Voldemort had done everything in his power to ensure that no-one would succeed in conquering the Castle of Death. The fortress was surrounded by powerful wards which could not be destroyed just like that.
He didn't doubt that he would be able to take down the wards with the support of his Order, but for this you needed time. And exactly that was the difficulty. During an attack they would not have any time. Of course Voldemort and his followers would be alerted immediately by the wards and since each attacker would be a downright ideal target for the Death Eaters, the Dark Side would truly have an easy job in warding off any attack.
Knowing Tom Riddle, he had very probably charmed the wards in such a way that any spell could only get out but not in.
Tiredly, Albus closed his eyes. He knew that he had to convince the Order members and especially James Potter to abandon this lunatic plan. He felt, however, that he hadn't the strength anymore to fetch back his claim to leadership and put James in his place. And to try to persuade James with some arguments was a futile attempt, however valid they might be.
James was obsessed with the thought of rescuing his wife, whom he assumed was in Voldemort's headquarters. He would hardly attach any value to his words. For that he hated him too much. Albus sighed inaudibly. Perhaps he should have acted otherwise years ago when Lily Potter had disappeared. Perhaps he should have just pretended to believe James.
Then he would have gently broken to him that they could do nothing to help Lily and James would not have a reason to hate him today. But now it was too late.
He couldn't undo his behaviour at that time anymore, nor could he take back his words he had said.
The voices that grew ever louder caused him to open his eyes again, though he didn't pay any attention to the hot debate about the most promising strategy. His gaze wandered over the gathered witches and wizards and sorrow rose in him.
Involuntarily he remembered what everyone had been like when they had been his students and he had still taught them. The years disappeared and for a fleeting instant he saw them in front of him: carefree children who were laughingly running through the corridors.
Whatever had become of them? he wondered and looked over at James and Molly.
So much pain, he thought. How much everyone had suffered already. There wasn't one among them who hadn't lost a loved one.
He was powerless against the enormous wave of guilt that suddenly rushed over him. He should have prevented the war, should have protected the little children with their individual nature, their laughter, their dreams and innocence.
But he had failed. He hadn't been capable of saving Tom Riddle, who had been his student once as well, neither from himself nor from the darkness by which the young wizard had been so fascinated.
Nor had he succeeded in defeating the Dark Lord and thus ending this horrible, senseless war; a war that had cost and destroyed countless lives.
And now they also had to fear Tom Riddle's son! The hope that the young Lord could be drawn to their side, which had arisen in him since he had read Ginny's letter were definitely shattered after today's fight. It had been him, after all, who had captured most prisoners.
Albus thought of the sign the young Lord had cast in the sky and mused about its meaning.
Why had the young wizard chosen lilies and a lightning bold as his symbols of all things? It seemed strange to him. Actually, he had expected the young Lord would adopt the Dark Mark or at least something similar. But lilies?
Well, one thing was for sure. Today he would not solve the riddle anymore.
With a shake of his head Albus forced himself to think of the present situation. He let his eyes wander over the Order members who had been left to him and listened to their discussion. Hearing the hidden desperation and fear in their voices, he suddenly sat up. Grim determination appeared in his eyes.
They would not have a chance against Voldemort and his son. He had to stop them from attacking the castle. Yes, it was even his duty to forbid them this ridiculous plan which had not the slightest prospect of succeeding. He wouldn't leave the leadership to James without a fight and he wouldn't allow him to lead his Order into catastrophe.
Albus was on the verge of opening his mouth when there was a loud knock and the door was ripped open. To his great surprise it wasn't Severus, however, who entered, but two figures, enveloped in black cloaks. The faces of the two newcomers were hidden behind heavy hoods.
But the smaller of them suddenly dropped his hood and thus revealed a familiar face and a cascade of red hair.
"Mum!"
"Ginny!" Molly Weasley screamed and jumped from her seat.
While Ginny and her mother were in each other arms, the present wizards and witches were perplexedly gaping at them. Then, as they had finally registered who had just come through the door, five redheads stormed towards their little sister.
"Ginny!"
Bill lifted Ginny up and whirled her around. He just couldn't believe that he was holding his sister in his arms, after having thought that he would never see her again a short time ago.
"Bill! Let me down!" Ginny said with a laugh and a moment later she was nearly crushed to death by the twins.
"Ginny, my darling, are you alright? Do you need Poppy to check over you? Oh, Ginny, finally I have you back! But how on earth did you manage to escape?" Molly sobbed happily, looked at her daughter with beaming eyes and embraced her again.
"Mum, I am alright. Really," Ginny said and detached herself from her mother's arms.
"But I didn't manage to escape," she continued and turned around.
"Harry brought me."
For one long moment all seemed petrified. Then the majority of the Order members leaped to their feet more or less swiftly and pointed their wands at the motionless figure, whose presence they all had completely forgotten. With startled and unbelieving faces they regarded the stranger.
"What!" Bill exclaimed and pointed his wand also at Harry.
"No! He saved me! And he saved Dad's life! He wants to help us!" Ginny screamed at her brothers who slowly advanced at the wizard they believed had tortured their sister.
Molly stared at her daughter.
"Arthur is alive? Goodness thanks!"
"What? How?" the Weasley brothers stuttered with confused faces and obviously they no longer knew what to do.
"Help us? The son of the Dark Lord? Impossible!" some Order members muttered.
"I think first of all, we should let Miss Weasley calmly tell us everything that has occurred since her kidnapping. And if it is true that you helped Miss Weasley and saved Mr. Weasley's life you are welcome, too, Mr. Riddle," Albus' firm voice rang out, whereupon every noise immediately ceased.
Harry stepped inside and said,
"Thank you Dumbledore, but …"
"And if that is a trap, Albus? How did he even get through the wards? Shouldn't we have noticed something? What if Voldemort is currently standing outside?" James Potter shouted.
James had hardly finished speaking as Alastor Moody already strode to the window to gaze out. Other members nodded fearfully.
"He can't be in Hogwarts, can he?"
"And if he is? Then we are doomed!"
"Silence!" Albus ordered and looked at Ginny and Harry.
"The wards which surround Hogwarts haven't fallen, nor were they destroyed. Had that happened, I would have noticed it. But it is indeed curios. How did you come through the wards?"
But before Harry could have answered, James ran towards him and raised his wand.
"It is a trap, isn't it? The only sensible thing would be to curse you immediately!"
"James Potter! Sit down and…"
Albus stopped and looked puzzled at the scene in front of him.
As soon as he had pronounced the name of James Potter the heir of the Dark Lord had shrunk back so violently that his hood had dropped down and had exposed an ashen face and emerald green eyes.
The likeness between James and Riddle junior was bewildering. Albus looked from one to the other and could not believe it. In Hogsmeade he hadn't been able to pay more than a fleeting attention to the appearance of the young Lord, but now he studied him extensively and tried to reckon his age. A possible explanation flashed through his mind and he caught his breath.
James on the other hand didn't notice the likeness between the young wizard and himself. While the bright light of the magic candles fell directly on the face of the person opposite, he only saw the emerald green eyes of his disappeared wife. Spellbound he stared at those eyes and didn't even realize that he dropped his wand.
So many years he had prayed, wished and desperately hoped to see Lily's eyes again. To spot them in the face of a young wizard shocked him to the core, however. He opened his mouth and closed it again. He couldn't utter a word. But he had to know. He didn't believe for a second that it was a mere coincidence that this boy had the same eyes as his Lily.
"Who is your mother?" James Potter croaked out with some effort.
A moment it was quiet. Then a faint answer could be heard.
"Lily Potter."
"I knew it! I knew that Voldemort abducted her! But she is alive, isn't she?" James screamed and seized Harry's arms.
"She is alive, isn't she?"
"She…died when I was seven years old."
James staggered back.
"No. That cannot be," he murmured distraughtly and raised his arms in a beseeching gesture.
"Lily..."
But before his legs could give way under him, Sirius Black was at his side. He put an arm around James' shoulders and supported him.
"James..." he said helplessly and broke off.
Silently he led his friend to the next best chair and gently pushed him down on it. While Sirius left his arm where it was and tried to comfort him with his touch, James buried his face in his hands.
Never again. He would never again see his Lily. But was it really the truth? Couldn't the young wizard have lied?
The tiny hope which rose in him, died nearly immediately, however. Why should Lily's son lie? He didn't have the slightest reason for it. It was so clear what had happened. Voldemort, that bastard, had managed to abduct Lily. He had raped her and she had born him a son.
Oh, Lily, why of all people did it have to be you?
Why my Lily?
Thoughts struck him forcibly. But he fended them off. They were too terrible. He didn't want to imagine now what things the Dark Lord had done to Lily, didn't want to envision how she must have suffered.
He couldn't. The pain was just too great. To this very day his hope had kept him alive, but now he had nothing anymore; except the certainty that he had lost Lily forever. And this certainty would slowly kill him. He knew it.
If only he would have seen Lily again for one more time! If only he would have heard her silvery laugh for one more time! What wouldn't he have given for that. And now it was too late, he thought bitterly. Everything was too late.
James clenched his hands and gave a loud sob.
In the meantime Ginny looked at Harry and shivered slightly. His face was completely blank. Slowly she hated it to see him like that, so lifeless and cold. He stood there like a marble statue.
Worried she stepped towards him, reached for his hand and squeezed it. Looking in direction of her brothers and her mother who were watching Harry like a hawk and who didn't seem to be very delighted about their holding hands, she shook warningly her head and hoped that no-one of her family would try to attack Harry.
"Everything alright?" she whispered.
Harry returned her gaze and nodded. But nothing stirred in his face.
"Gin, which one of these people is Peter Pettigrew?" Harry suddenly breathed.
Ginny was so surprised at this question that she promptly murmured back,
"He is sitting next to the empty chair. On the left. The wizard with the blond hair."
Shortly afterwards she wondered why Harry had wanted to know this. She knew Pettigrew only by sight, but from her parents and brothers she knew that he didn't play an important part in the Order. So why should Harry be interested in him? She couldn't imagine any reason, though at the moment actually nothing made a sense to her.
She might have discovered that Harry's mother had been the disappeared wife of James Potter, but that still didn't answer her question of what had happened in his past. Had Lily Potter been kidnapped as well? Had she felt the same horrendous fear that she had felt just a few days ago?
Ginny didn't get round to pursue her thoughts further, however. James Potter jumped up from his chair and came towards them.
"What happened to Lily? How did she…Did she suffer much?"
His voice almost broke, but when Harry didn't immediately react he screamed at Harry,
"Answer me for God's sake! What happened to her?"
Ginny, who had sensed how Harry had frozen the first time James Potter had asked after Lily, felt anger rising in her. Before she realized what she was doing she shouted at James,
"How dare you to speak to him like that? You weren't the only one who lost someone and suffered. Harry lost his mother! And he was only seven years old then! Whatever happened has traumatized him enough, so don't press Harry so much!"
As Ginny became aware of the indignant glances, she reddened. She couldn't believe that she had just screamed at James Potter, who was not only a high-ranking Order member, but a very skilled Auror as well.
"Ginny! Apologize to Mr. Potter! At once!" Molly said and gave her daughter a severe look.
Glancing at James Potter remorsefully, who blinked at her with a rather nonplussed expression on his face, she did as she was told. She knew, after all, that Mr. Potter had loved his wife very much and to discover that she wasn't alive anymore must have been a shock for him.
While James was still struggling for words, Albus Dumbledore said,
"If we continue to scream at each other like this we won't make any headway at all. I think we all are curious about what has happened. Why don't we all sit down and try to shed some light on the matter?"
He looked from James to Harry and gestured to a chair. Harry nodded and together with Ginny went to the table.
James still remained standing rigidly for an instant. Then he returned also to the table.
As soon as everyone had taken a seat Albus began to speak,
"Perhaps it would be the best, Mr. Riddle, if you..."
Harry's cold voice interrupted him.
"No. Don't call me by this name. Just address me as 'Harry'."
Albus Dumbledore nodded slightly and eyed the young wizard searchingly. After a brief hesitation, he asked,
"Is Voldemort your father?"
Some wizards and witches exchanged uncomprehending glances. On others it slowly dawned why Albus had asked this question.
But Harry was silent and Ginny reached once more for his hand. Finally Harry answered quietly,
"No, he is not my father. As my mother was abducted, she was already pregnant."
With a jerk James Potter turned his head and looked enraged at the young wizard who was sitting obliquely opposite.
"What the devil are you trying to imply by that? Lily would never have betrayed me!"
Harry looked at him. Only now James realized that Harry's eyes were not those of his Lily, but instead were chilly, foreign eyes.
"She never did betray you. I am your son. My mother loved you very much, you know."
The last part Harry added in an almost soft voice, while simultaneously raising his hand.
