A/N: Thank you so much for all the love! Enjoy!
FireFight41: To me Dumbledore is not evil, just manipulative and entitled. He feels like he knows what's best for everyone without considering that there might be an alternative method with lesser collateral damage. Also thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Also your english is just fine :)
Dumbledore was back at the site of the Gaunt Cottage. He was sure there was a Horcrux hidden there. He had come back to look for it. He was determined to find a way around the flower of life seal. Tom Riddle was no longer a child. Dumbledore had not seen some of the spells Voldemort had cast since the time he'd battled Grindelwald. He had gotten a little blood from Tom during the battle but he wasn't sure if that little blood would even work, Dark magic after all had a way of being gory for no reason. He stood there pondering the seal and suddenly something magical happened. The entire seal began to glow.
—
It had been a beautiful day at the Henge but suddenly the sky had gone dark and torrential rain began to pour down on the crowds. Some people shrieked and ran for cover, others who came prepared for the inevitable surprise showers, pulled out their jackets and umbrellas and began to leave. It took about 20 minutes for the henge to clear. It took 30 minutes for the misuse of magic wizard on call to get an Auror to accompany them and arrive. Lupin was arrested on spot and taken to the ministry pending trial. Once he was taken, the Black shaggy dog in the bushes transformed into a man and Sirius apparated back to Grimmauld Place.
Moments later Snape and Sirius reappeared carrying Hermione. Snape took Hermione into the henge and Sirius stood guard. Snape pricked her finger and dropped the blood on the ritual table stone. He then chanted some verses and just like it had for Bill, a large purple helix formed around her and lifted her off the ground! Snape stepped back and watched impassively as Sirius watched worried that Hermione would not wake up. Suddenly one strand of the purple helix turned emerald green and the other turned gold!
Snape's eyes went wide with shock and Sirius stopped breathing for a moment. Hermione's eyes opened in a snap and her irises were glowing green. The two helix strands that revolved around her floating body were pulsing with an energy. The black veins began to seep back into the wound. The word MUDBLOOD glowed deeply and then lighted to look like an old wounded scar. Hermione drew in a breath and returned to a lucid state. As she looked around her, the beautiful glowing helix as it set her down. The pain that she remembered was gone, instead she was feeling light and happy as if a thousand people were hugging her at the same time. She noticed that her helix looked like it was made of strong bloodlines, no squibs at all. She smiled and tried to touch the helix but her hadn't just went through it. She looked at the supposed Snape watching her closely and Sirius who was now smiling at her.
"What do I do?" She asked
"You let it in…" Sirius said
"How?"
"Just accept it…" Sirius said
"Like in my mind?"
"In your heart…" he said touching his
Hermione took in a deep breath and let herself feel the magic. It felt happy and light and sad and angry all at the same time. As she took a deep breath in the Helix got absorbed into her. Her eyes sparkled green one last time. She blinked and it was dark again….
Snape walked up to her and held her wounded arm and rand a finger across the scar "Any pain?"
"No Professor, I feel fine… actually I feel… better than fine…"
"Yes well… I suppose my work here is done…" Snape gave a brief nod to Sirius and apparated away.
Sirius hugged Hermione "You gave us quite a scare…"
Hermione smiled into his shirt and held on tight a single tear fell from her eye…
—
Dumbledore was shocked… It was not possible! Tom riddle Jr. was the only living heir… he was sure of it! How could there be another! The gaunt's were the last remaining relatives. There was only one of them left and if memory served, he died in a cell in Azkaban! The mere existence of this person threw his entire plan out of order! He needed to find them and see if they were going be an enemy or an ally. The problem was, he didn't know where to start….
—
Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania had the last remaining giant colonies. While Hagrid and Madame Maxime were visiting them for the order, Voldemort had sent his own death eater Walden McNair to forge an alliance. Maxime and Hagrid never stood a chance being halfbreeds but McNair told them that the dark lord offered them wands. Everyone knew Giants loved to use magic even if they didn't know how. Voldemort's offer was far more enticing and the Dark Lord was pleased as he took the report.
"Raid Ollivander's, but bring him to me alive… I have some questions of my own for him…" Voldemort said as they walked the halls of the opulent old McNair Manor hiding in plain sight around the muggles.
"Very well my lord… What about Gregorovitch?"
"I will speak to him myself… "
—
While a confused and anxious Dumbledore pondered over his problems in his study at Hogwarts, the elves were getting ready to welcome the students for the next year. In the quiet that hung over castle, the clicking of Professor McGonagalls sensible shoes reverberated through the halls. She made her way towards the Ravenclaw dormitories. In a passage near it, she found the Gery lady in her chains… clanking about eerily near the windows
"Helena…" Ms McGonagall said softly
"Minerva… Is it that time already?" The Grey Lady asked giving the deputy headmistress a smile
It was common knowledge that sometimes, McGonagall spoke to the Ghosts to help discover what was going on in the castle or to plan something fun to welcome the new first years in their own houses
"Not yet… we have a couple more weeks to go… I was hoping actually… if I could speak with you about something a bit more personal…"
"Oh… If it's about the Baron, I doubt I'll be of much help…"
"Oh no worries there, Snape knows how to handle him…" McGonagall said smiling "I was hoping to pick your brain for any memories you might have… of an older student…"
The Grey Lady just looked confused
"As I'm sure you are aware, the one they call Voldemort has returned… We know he was once Tom Riddle and went to school here… "
The Grey Lady's eyes went wide and she began to float away
"Helena! Please wait…"
"I do not wish to discuss tom riddle minerva…"
"I don't know what he did to hurt you, but if you don't help us now, he will hurt many many more people… it could be worse than the last time he came to power…"
The Grey Lady said nothing and began to float away
"Helena Ravenclaw! You will stop running away and face me!"
The Grey Lady turned taking her most fierce from she shrieked "I'm not a foolish Gryffindor!" And then floated away through a rather thick wall and into the grounds where McGonagall couldn't follow her….
McGonagall sighed… she had not meant to lose it, but the news of the attack on Hermione and the plight of young Malfoy and Zabini from Snape had left her feeling helpless and useless. She was only human after all. As she sighed and turned to leave the heavy clanking of chains had her look at the floating figure of the Baron
"Good evening Minerva…" He said deeply
"Baron.." McGonagall greeted curtly walking away
"He was the only one who befriended us…" He said stopping McGonagall in her tracks "The riddle boy… he was the only one who talked to the ghosts, made time for us… awfully curious about death and what happens after…"
McGonagall looked at the Baron thoughtfully and asked "… and what did you tell him?"
"The truth… we don't know, because we chose to stay back…"
"And?"
"That's it… I considered telling him about the veil, but then he was a young boy… a bright young boy… I thought I'd wait and see if he ever found out about it…"
"Did he?"
"No… After a while, he did get awfully obsessed with Helena though…"
"How so?"
"He'd make more time for her, make her laugh, things like that…I think it was about the Diadem though… I warned Helena, most of them just want to know where she hid it before I found her…"
"The Diadem of Ravencalw?" McGonagall asked suddenly surprised. She knew the myths about it, but she also knew that a lot of myths were based in reality.
"The very same…" Th Baron said
"Do you reckon she might have told him?"
"I don't know… but if there was anyone she'd tell, it'd be that boy… " He said
The Grey Lady floated past on the grounds and the Baron followed her leaving McGonagall to her thoughts
—
Harry had not heard from anyone all day. It was rather odd, Hermione ensured they spoke over the mirror at least once a day, if not more. His scar had been throbbing all day, but nothing out of the ordinary, no spikes or visions. He had tried practicing Occlumency for a bit. He had read the prophet. He had even taken a walk but something was just not sitting right. He'd called out in the mirror a couple of times but no-one had answered. Hermione had mentioned she was thinking of visiting Luna, he tried to tell himself that, that's all it was, they had gone to Luna's and lost track of time. For some reason, he didn't believe it himself.
It was quite late at night when he heard his name being called out form the mirror. He dove onto the bed snatching it up
"'Mione! Where have you been all day?" He asked
"Well… a lot happened today…. It's been pretty crazy…" Hermione started and then told him how they were taken from Luna's home and how Luna and her father were currently at the burrow. She couldn't bring herself to talk about the torture, but she told Harry that Bellatrix hurt her and Snape helped her claim her familial magic and it helped save her life.
"Familial magic? What's that? How did you?" Harry asked amazed
"It was…." Hermione sighed wistfully "… magical! I mean Bill had shown it to me once but this was something else?"
"Bill had shown you? When? Why didn't he show me too? And what's familial magic?" Harry asked
"Err… " Hermione didn't know how to tell Harry that she'd been off exploring the secrets of the Magical world while he was battling Voldemort. She hadn't told him then because of all the excitement besides she wasn't even sure she understood it well enough herself to explain it to anyone..
Sirius popped in like lifesaver "Mione who're you…. Harry!" He said peeking into the mirror. Hermione handed it off to him "Thank you… and while I'm the last person to implement rules, you've had a bit of a day so why don't you turn in for the night and I will regale Harry with the tales of your bravery! By the way! Lupin is on his way home, Mad Eye himself posted his bail and brought him out before they could ship him off to god knows where…"
"Oh thank goodness I was feeling really guilty.."
"You have no reason to…" Sirius said patting her head affectionately "Now say good night Harry"
"G'night harry! I promise I'll tell you more tomorrow!" Hermione said.
Sirius walked out chatting up Harry. She turned the lights out and closed her eyes succumbing to the exhaustion of the day…
—
It was Lupin who found her screaming bloody murder and thrashing in her sleep in the middle of the night. He held her as she cried and made her some tea. He then got her a vial of dreamless sleep potion and put her to bed once again. Hermione would not wake till late evening the next day to find out that Harry had finally arrived.
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