Harry Potter and the Curse of V'Ardian

Chapter 15

Of Christmas and Clues

Standard Disclaimers Apply

oOoOo

Ron and Hermione waved at Harry and boarded one of the thestral-drawn carriages. He waited until they had trundled past the lake and out of the gates before he walked back into the castle and headed back to Gryffindor tower. He changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt (to hide the scar) and hurried back down to the entrance hall.

"Ready to go, Harry?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, I guess," Harry replied, grinning slightly.

The two of them walked to the gates and Remus gripped his elbow.

"We're going to apparate from here," he said, and Harry nodded. "It's a bit uncomfortable, but don't struggle and you'll be fine."

Harry nodded again and a second later there was an odd whooshing sound and he felt as though he were getting sucked through a vacuum. His ears felt as though there was an enormous pressure pushing against them and his eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his head.

Then suddenly it was over and Harry felt firm ground beneath his feet. The air was distinctly warmer here and birds were singing in the trees. A quaint church stood at the far end of a long green lawn surrounded by a cool green grove of trees. Remus looked off to the side of the church, a strange, lopsided smile on his face as though he were remembering something funny that he had been nervous about doing. Good old Remus, Harry thought, always sticking to the rules.

Remus came out of his daze and gestured to Harry.

"This way," he said, and Harry followed him across the open expanse of grass. They passed the church and a thicket of trees and emerged onto a large open hillside, dotted with trees and littered with graves.

The graves of Lily and James Potter lay under a large old maple tree, the headstones white and clean. Harry walked slowly up to them and ran his fingers over his mother's name. A kind of grief swelled in his heart, but he dimly realised that this wasn't where he wanted to be. He would come back, some other time, and sit here for a while, just him and his parents, but right now he wanted to see the place where it had all happened.

"Remus?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Can you take me to Godric's Hollow? Please?"

Remus was silent and when Harry turned around he saw a sadness on his face.

"All right. Come here." Harry went back to his side and gripped Remus' elbow. Remus took a last look at the graves and they Disapparated.

oOoOo

Godric's Hollow was dark and gloomy, at least on this particular day. The sky was thick with clouds, threatening rain, and cold wind buffeted the two as they walked through the streets of the small town.

"I haven't been back here since that night," said Remus, gazing off into the distance. "I wish now that I had."

Harry wanted to ask why, but he thought Remus might not want to answer. Instead, thy walked side by side up a silent lane, sided by sweeping willow trees. The canopy of leaves formed a roof over the road and the wind whistled through the tunnel they made with unnatural ferocity. Their destination sat at the end of the lane.

Harry thought that at one time this estate must have been very beautiful, but now it was overgrown and wild. When they reached the end of the lane, Harry stopped. He could see the house from here, or at least the remnants of it and he was struck by a sudden remembrance of that night; the screams, the green lights, that high, cold, cruel laugh, and then, like a rumble of thunder, the big black motorbike that had belonged to Sirius.

Slowly, leaves crinkling underfoot, Harry advanced towards the house and saw that the ground around the rubble, was completely bare of growth for a distance of about twenty metres. One wall of the house was still towering in place, blackened and burnt, threatening to topple at any moment. Half of another slanted down to the ground, the bricks now lying disused on the ground.

And suddenly Harry was struck by other memories, ones he had not had before that were brought on by the sight of the house. He saw his mother standing in the kitchen, smiling; his father laughing at something she had said; and there was Harry himself, looking into what must have been a mirror, and Harry noticed with a start that he had no scar.

A faint memory of a scent seemed to linger in his nostrils, and the sweet sound of a lullaby. Yes, this was what he had come for. For remembrance, for a sense of closure, and for hope that one day he would finally be free of the blackness that he saw now.

He turned back to Remus and smiled.

"Thankyou, Remus."

Remus seemed to understand and nodded slightly, his eyes returning to the remains of the house. Harry understood then, that Remus must feel he pain even more than him. He found himself jealous that someone else could be sadder about his parents' deaths than Harry himself was, but he now realised that it must be possible, for Remus had known them far longer than him.

Such, thought Harry, was the reality of the world.

oOoOo

Christmas morning dawned bright and cold, snow falling lightly outside the window. In the time since the holidays had begun, Harry had kept to himself; most of the Gryffindors were gone, and he didn't feel like associating with anyone else. He saw Katherine occasionally but did not speak to her, still ashamed of what had happened between them. He knew he should speak to her, but still he avoided it, knowing there would be plenty of time for talking.

When Harry woke he saw the customary pile of presents sitting merrily at the end of his bed. With no one left in the dormitory to share the presents with, Harry set about opening them straight away. The first was from the Weasleys, a warm, fluffy jumper which Harry put on straight away, and a huge box of cakes and treats. Ron and Hermione's presents came wrapped together; a lengthy card telling him they were disappointed he had not accepted the invitation to come to the Burrow and that they were here if he needed to talk to him.

Ron had sent him a book on Quidditch techniques, Hermione a book on defensive and offensive spells. Finally Harry had reached the bottom of the pile and picked up the wrapping paper, only to see another gift. Harry frowned and picked it up. It was long and thin, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. A note was attached.

Lord V'Ardian,

I believe you will find this to be of use. It is half of the staff of the Immortals, though I am unaware of where the second half is. I ask that you reconsider a meeting between us.

Harry dropped the note on the bed and, hands shaking slightly in anticipation, retrieved the long package from the floor. He pulled the string loose and pushed back the brown paper to see a brilliant silver bar, inlaid with runes and symbols of all kinds. The top of the staff caved inwards slightly, a thin spike protruding from the centre of it. Harry wondered what the other half of it was.

With a start he noticed a designed wrought into the metal, just below the top of the staff. He ripped back his sleeve and compared the two of them.

They were not the same; extremely similar, but not the same. Harry now knew that the scar was connected with the vampires, but that didn't explain how he had given it to Malfoy.

Placing the staff carefully on the bed, Harry retrieved the book. He opened it to find a detailed picture of the staff, a small globe sitting atop it. Harry recognised it instantly. Scrambling off his bed, he rushed over to his trunk and threw the lid open. Digging to the bottom of the trunk he found the sphere of crystal that had been sent to him on his birthday.

When he slid the ball onto the top of the staff, the effect was instantaneous. They fit perfectly, seeming to meld together to form one. There was a flash of bright light; a release of magic so powerful it knocked Harry over. His hand seemed glued to the staff and the scar on his arm tingled unpleasantly. Harry felt as though his magic was flowing out of him and into the staff and back again. It was as if the staff were a physical part of him.

And suddenly it stopped.

"Wow," Harry murmured. The feel of the power had been amazing, and he craved more. He wondered what they staff was for and resolved to read more about it later. For the time being however, he felt good, and he wasn't going to waste it here in the tower. Pulling on some robes and a warm cloak, Harry hurried down to the entrance hall and outside into the swirling snow. The cold was invigorating and Harry suddenly felt like running. The feeling was childish though, and he resisted the urge.

He strolled down to the lake, where frost glittered at the edge of the water. The giant squid was nowhere to be seen and Harry thought it must be in the deeper water where it was warm. Pulling up the hood of his cloak to shield against the wind, Harry headed for the right side of the castle, intending to walk around it. It was so quiet and peaceful out here; if Harry stopped the only thing he could hear was the soft hush of snowflakes and the whisper of the win. With a small smile he rounded the back of the castle.

Students rarely came around here; Harry himself had never ventured here. There was nothing to see, really. A few mountains rose up in the distance, stark soldiers against the swirling white sky. A few seats lined the walls, beneath leafless brown trees.

A number of alcoves dipped in to the side of the castle and it was as Harry was passing one of these that he heard a noise. Turning to look into the darkened space, he saw exactly the person he least wanted to speak to. They stopped still, staring at each other, until Harry finally found his voice. As much as he wanted to turn away, the time had come to talk to her.

With a sigh, he made his way into the dry space and sat next to her, dropping his head into his hands. They sat in silence like that for a few minutes, both staring out at the churning whiteness.

"What do you want?" Katherine finally asked.

Harry shrugged.

"I was out walking; I wasn't looking for you. I just saw you and I thought…well, you deserve an explanation for what happened."

"Really, Harry," she said, looking at him icily, "you don't have to."

Harry gave a wry laugh.

"I don't want to, Katherine," he said, standing up in frustration, "but I have to tell someone. You have no idea what it's like for me; I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't concentrate on anything I'm supposed to be doing."

He turned to face her and saw that she had slipped a small vial of clear liquid from her pocket and was turning it slowly in her fingers. With a small murmur of what could have been either satisfaction or decision, she stood up and approached Harry, pulling the cap of with a small pop.

"Do you know what this is, Harry?" she asked, stopping in front of him.

"No," he replied, confused.

She laughed.

"Of course you wouldn't. You're terrible at Potions. I, on the other hand, am quite adept."

She tipped her head back and swallowed the small amount of liquid, her nose scrunched up in revulsion.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"I know what's wrong with you, Harry."

Harry sighed, muttering a half-hearted curse under his breath.

"Better you than anyone else, I guess," he murmured. "How did you find out?"

"There were a number of things. At first I was just curious about why my father acted the way he did in Potions when he looked at you. Most people wouldn't notice a thing, but I can read him like a book, and he looked troubled. So, I took a sip of the Glamour Potion and I saw the same thing my father did. You looked like you were wasting away, Harry," she said seriously. "You've been very stupid, you know. How long has it been? I saw you the other day, when you nearly lost control."

She paused and stared at him, but didn't hesitate any longer.

"The potion I just took, it will stop me from Turning, and you just need-"

"No way!" Harry interrupted. "No way in hell," he swore, holding up his hands in protest.

"You need it, Harry, don't lie to yourself. I don't know how long this has been going on, but you can't do this forever. Surely you must know that."

"I can't- I just- Katherine, it's disgusting!"

Harry objected, but he was weakening. The invitation was so tempting, so inviting, and he wanted it, so badly. He took a small step forward, his eyes drawn irresistibly to the smooth skin at the side of her neck.

"You need to hurry. The effects of the potion don't last long," Katherine urged, and it was all Harry needed. With a hint of trepidation he closed the gap between them and cupped her face with his hands. He slid his hand down to the base of her neck and she tipped her head to the side, her dark hair falling away to expose a pulsing vein.

His eyes fixed to the spot, Harry lowered his head as Katherine's eyes flew shut. She let out a small gasp as his fangs pierced her neck, but he didn't stop. The blood swelled out of the incisions and rolled, soft and warm, over his tongue. She gave a small moan as he began to suck, the liquid inviting and satisfying. Already he felt energised, as he hadn't in months.

But he had barely swallowed the first small mouth full when he heard foot steps, clumping quickly through the snow. He pulled back in alarm, the fangs shrinking thankfully quickly and turned to see who had interrupted them. Katherine stood in front of him, her hand still on his waist where it had come to rest as he fed.

The intruder came in the form of Tonks, who looked surprised at what she was seeing, though she hid it quickly. She gave a small smile and Harry was extremely glad he had heard her coming. He stepped hurriedly back from Katherine.

"Hi, Tonks."

"That's Professor Tonks," she said, her smile slightly fixed on her face.

"Er- right, sorry Professor," he replied, wondering when Tonks ever would have insisted on him calling her that.

"Students aren't supposed to be around here," she stated, looking pointedly at the two of them.

With a confused look at Tonks, Harry and Katherine passed around her and began walking.

"A word, Harry, if you don't mind," called Tonks, and Harry turned. Katherine kept walking without glancing back. Tonks beckoned to Harry and they sheltered again in the small alcove.

"Is she your girl friend, Harry?" she asked seriously, arms crossed over her chest.

"What! No, she's not!" Harry stammered, aware of what she must have thought she'd seen.

"Good, because I wouldn't like to see you getting too friendly with the Slytherins. I mean, I was one, but in my day I'm sure they were all a lot nicer. And you know Miss Winter is friends with Malfoy."

"Oh, right," Harry shrugged. With a nod from Tonks, Harry was left standing in the silent alcove by himself, wondering what exactly had just happened. He gazed out through the swirling snow towards the forest, and it was then that he remembered the place with the waterfall. He raised his wand and summoned his broom and soon he was zooming through the pelting snow, shivering slightly from the cold.

As he flew, he remembered standing so close to her, only moments before. He could still feel her soft skin on his lips, the tang of her blood lingering on his tongue. He knew it would drive him crazy if he couldn't get more.

Suddenly the ground opened up beneath him revealing a view of the pristine oasis in the middle of the forest. With a sudden leap of joy, which he couldn't really attribute to anything, Harry dove towards the water. As he dove through the air however, there seemed to be an invisible force pressing up against him and he found himself getting slower and slower. He pointed the nose of the broom deeper but it had no effect. With a grunt of effort he lunged forward but found he could go no lower.

He looked down in consternation at the scene below him and decided on a different approach. He flew as far as he could and found the edge of the magical barrier, coming to a stop on the ground beside it. He wondered how this place could have been here and no one had found it. Reaching out a hand he found the barrier and followed it around, hoping to find a way in.

The snow was slowing now, though it was still cold, and Harry huddled into his cloak as much as he could. He trudged blearily through the piled snow, one hand out to follow the barrier.

Eventually he reached a rock face, standing solid against the wind. He hurried into it, finding that the barrier ran along its length. Fed up with wind and snow, Harry stopped for a rest, but with a pleasant surprise he noticed that he did not need to go any farther. Running the entire length of the rock face were runes and symbols, some similar in shape to the one on Harry's arm. Stepping back to get a better look, he noticed what was obviously a doorway and hurried forward, excitement causing him to be a little foolish. Unfortunately, the 'doorway' in the rock was solid. With a thump he ran into the rock and stood back, scowling. The rock was flat and smooth, save for a hole at waist height that Harry thought must have fitted some kind of strangely shaped key.

With a nagging feeling of disappointment and thinking that there was something he should be remembering, he climbed back on his broom, deciding to come back when the weather was fairer.

oOoOo

The initial feeling of triumph and invincibility that Harry had felt after tasting blood for the first time quickly diminished to disgust that he had done such a thing and he felt slightly miffed that Katherine had allowed him to do so. The next time he saw her he told her so and she said it was his choice if he wanted to be a weakling. Feeling highly insulted, he told her that on no condition was she to tell anyone, and left her standing in the hall, her usual proud look firmly in place.

Before he knew it, Ron and Hermione were back and he spent some time with them, regaining some of the camaraderie they had lost over the last few months. In the last week of the holidays he found himself increasingly tired and sleeping a lot, but brushed it off and explaining to Ron and Hermione that he was catching up on some well-deserved sleep.

And with a final, violent thunderstorm and mysterious shower of shooting stars, school resumed once again.

oOoOo

A/N: Yes, this chapter was short, but important. The next chapter is my favourite. Thanks for those who reviewed; I hope you enjoy the next chapter- Wujjawoo

Chapter 16: Of History and Horror