Chapter 7

Harry knocked on his Mother's door and waited impatiently for her to answer. When the door opened, a dark-haired man with piercing grey eyes smiled at him.

"Dad?" Harry said surprised.

Sirius grinned. "How are you son?"

Harry hugged his Father and allowed himself to be pulled into the room.

Lilith looked up from where she reclined on the couch. "Harry?" she said seeing the expression on his face. "What's going on?"

Sitting down with his Mother, Harry quickly explained about his dream.

Sirius frowned. "I thought Wormtail was still in Azkaban."

"He should've been," Lilith said. Her eyes glowed Orange. A tall dark-haired woman with cold red eyes appeared in the room.

"Mistress," Bellatrix said bowing low before her.

"Bella," Lilith said. "I have a job for you."

"Anything," Bellatrix said. "I live to serve you."

"Go to Azkaban and see if Wormtail is still imprisoned there."

Bellatrix became a stream of mist that flowed through the window. In a few moments, she was back.

"He is gone," she informed Lilith.

Lilith frowned. "How?"

Bellatrix flinched at her expression. "It appears that all the wards were stripped from the sell. He changed into a rat and simply walked out of his sell."

Lilith sighed. "We need to see Dumbledore."

**HPS**

Dumbledore's office door swung open without either one of the three touching it. Dumbledore looked up from behind his desk.

"Ah," he said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

"We have a problem," Lilith said.

"We do?" Dumbledore asked arching an eyebrow.

"Voldemort is still alive," Sirius said bluntly.

Dumbledore looked at the Black heir in surprise. "Really?" He said. "What gives you that impression?"

"Cut the crap," Harry said. "We both know you are aware that he is still alive."

"Do I?" Dumbledore asked.

"You've been watching for signs of his return for years," Lilith growled. "Please Albus, if he returns, we're going to be in a war with him again if we don't stop him."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "My sources say he was in Albania," he said solemnly. He glanced at Harry sharply. "What did you see?"

"Wormtail is free and directly aiding Voldemort. I don't know if Voldemort is mobile or not, but he used… something to torture him."

"Something?" Dumbledore asked.

"It was a scaly lizard thing."

"That would imply that he has a body," Dumbledore said.

"I don't know. If it was, he didn't use magic."

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "That is odd. Voldemort never passed up the opportunity to use magic on his enemies or his followers for that matter. Are you sure it was him?"

"Yes," Harry said. "I recognized his voice."

Dumbledore blinked. "You recognized his voice, but you were a newborn when Voldemort tried to kill you."

Harry shrugged. "Still remember him."

Dumbledore frowned. "Of course, you do," he said stiffly.

He looked back at Lilith. "Well, we can't do anything about whatever it was. Are we sure that Wormtail actually escaped?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes," she said. "I've had one of my people check his sell."

"I was not aware that you had a person inside Azkaban."

Lilith said nothing. She merely stared at Dumbledore impassively.

Dumbledore nodded as if she'd spoken. "I'll look into it and let you know what I find."

"Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, Harry, Lilith, and Sirius left Dumbledore's office.

**HPS**

"Why didn't you bring this to my attention earlier Albus!" Cornelius Fudge, Minister of magic exclaimed angrily. "We've had an Old One living amongst us for over a decade and you never warned me?"

"She never did anything," Dumbledore said. "I'd hoped she'd left forever. Besides, we have no way of stopping her."

"She's not human Dumbledore," Fudge bellowed. Calming slightly, he sat down in the large comfortable chair behind his desk and drew his wand.

With a wave, a bottle of brandy and two glasses appeared on the desk between them. Pouring himself a generous measure, Fudge fixed Dumbledore with a stern gaze.

"Explain from the beginning please," Fudge said.

Dumbledore took a deep breath. "The first thing you must understand is that I was very young and stupid."

Dumbledore quickly explained about how he'd been trying to contact the dead for knowledge. He told Fudge how the attempt had gone horribly wrong and summoned Lilith instead. He omitted Grindelwald's involvement. Admitting to his relationship with the dark wizard was not something he was willing to do.

"So, this is all your fault?" Fudge snapped.

Dumbledore's eyes blazed. "I've had enough of being lectured like an errant schoolboy. Yes, I have admitted my mistakes, but someone who has taken bribes to pass certain laws has no right to Judge me."

"I think my sins are a lot less damaging than yours," Fudge said smugly.

Dumbledore drew his wand. "I don't think you remember who you're dealing with, Cornelius." He pointed his wand at Fudge's face.

Fudge paled. "Now see here Dumbledore," he said shakily. "Maybe I was a bit hasty in judging you."

"Obliviate," Dumbledore said. Fudge's eyes went glassy for several moments. Dumbledore quickly removed their conversation from Fudge's mind.

"Dumbledore," Fudge said. "What did you need to see me about?"

"It's about the Potter boy," Dumbledore said. "I have reason to believe his Mother isn't human,"

"Go on," Fudge said.

**HPS**

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, sucking on a lemon drop. He did feel bad about modifying Fudge's memory, but he'd tried to be honest. Since Fudge proved unwilling to cooperate with him, he'd had no choice.

"It's for the greater good," he whispered. "The destruction of Lilith and her child is for the best."

He glanced reflexively at Fawkes's perch. It was times like this he wished the phoenix hadn't abandoned him, but he would do what needed to be done with or without Fawkes.

Not for the first time, he wondered what if he was wrong? What if Lilith could unite the Wizarding world, but that was impossible wasn't it? Lilith wasn't anywhere close to being human. She'd been summoned from a place that was outside of their reality. She had to be stopped no matter what it took.

**HPS**

"Do you trust him?" Sirius asked as they entered their room.

Lilith snorted. "What do you think? I'm sure he knows something that he's not telling us, but that's par for the course, isn't it?"

"Dumbledore did always keep his cards close to the vest," Sirius said. "I think I'll stick around here, just in case."

Lilith smiled softly at him. "I would really like that. I haven't seen you in a while. I missed you."

Sirius slipped an arm around her. "Missed you to, Love, but someone had to make sure the Inn was running smoothly."

"I know," Lilith said. "Who is running it in our absence?"

"The managers are taking turns," Sirius said. "We could always send Bella to run it. I'm sure she'd do fine."

"No," Lilith said firmly. "That bitch would kill everyone just for the fun of it. She is good for following tasks if you tell her exactly what you want, but she doesn't do well with thinking for herself."

Lilith glanced at Harry, who sat on the end of the couch, staring off into space. "What's wrong, love?"

"He's planning to kill me you know?"

"Who?" Sirius asked leaning forward.

"Dumbledore," Harry said.

Lilith frowned. "Did you read his mind?"

"No, it's just a feeling I've got. He wants me dead. You too I think."

"We already knew that," Lilith said.

"DO you ever wish we could just go back home and leave all of this behind?"

"He would find us," Lilith said gently. "That's one of the reasons I wanted us to stay here. "It's better if we take care of this now. It'll solve a whole lot of issues in the long run."

"What are we going to do about Voldemort?"

"For now, nothing. Even if he has a corporeal form, he is obviously very weak. Right now, Dumbledore and the minister are the bigger threat."

Sirius glanced at the clock. "It's late," he said. "Harry you have class tomorrow, you need to get some sleep."

Harry nodded. "Not much of a chance of that happening."

Lilith stood. "Allow me to give you a lift back to your dorm." She snapped her fingers.

**HPS**

Harry grunted as he landed flat on his back on his four-poster bed. He glared up at the ceiling. "Thanks Mum," he mumbled.

Lilith's musical laughter floated through his mind. Rolling over, Harry stared around the dorm, listening to the snores and heavy breathing of his roommates. He knew what his Mother was planning and that he was an integral part of it, but he wondered if doing this was the right thing.

As sleep began to overtake him, he resolved to watch those around him. Perhaps some of them were worth saving.

**HPS**

Bellatrix landed cat-like on the cliff overlooking the ocean. Distantly, she could hear the laughter and squeals of children at play. She ignored the sounds and strode off down the beach. The gateway her mistress opened would not remain stable for long. If it hadn't been for the vail at the ministry, such a gateway would have been impossible.

She stopped as a young man with red hair and golden eyes appeared in front of her. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Harry Potter, son of Lilith Le Fay?" Bellatrix asked.

"What do you want?" the man asked.

"Where is your wife?" Bellatrix asked.

Ginny Potter appeared in front of her. "Here," she said. "Now what do you want with us?"

Bellatrix's teeth lengthened into fangs. "My mistress wants you as her children. For that reason, I shall not kill you."

**HPS**

The next few weeks crawled by for Harry. He wondered why the teachers were teaching them glorified parlor tricks. Who would ever want to turn a hedgehog into a pincushion anyway? The only bright spot in his boredom was Daphne. She'd become his closest friend. She didn't seem to be jealous of how easy he performed magic and she seemed genuinely interested in learning wandless magic.

Harry was surprised and delighted to see how fast she picked up on the supposedly rare and forgotten talent. She had already mastered first year coursework and was making a decent start on second year spells."

"It's still hard not to think the word," she told him one day. "I keep wanting to make the wand movement with my hand instead of just focusing on what I want."

Harry smiled at her. "You'll get it. I don't know how you organized your mind so well, but whatever it was really seems to have helped you a lot."

"Occlumency," Daphne said.

"Bless you," Harry said.

"It's a type of mind exercise," Daphne explained. "It helps protect your mind. I've been studying it since I was a kid."

"Protecting your mind?" Harry said thoughtfully. "Do you think you could help me learn it?"

"You don't already know Occlumency?" Daphne asked surprised.

Harry shrugged. "Mum taught me everything she knew about magic and yes, mind magic was a part of that, but the organizing of one's mind seems like it'd be useful."

"Your Mum never taught you to organize your mind? How do you protect it?"

"She taught me how to create mental defenses. They're walls that surround my thoughts and memories, but I never learned to organize my thoughts, just to make sure my walls were up at all times."

"I can help you," Daphne said. "It'll be nice to teach you something you don't know."

"Thanks?" Harry said.

Daphne nodded absently before glancing out the window. She watched the sun sinking below the horizon. "Are you nervous?" she asked suddenly.

"About?" Harry asked.

"The task tomorrow."

"Not really," Harry said.

"But you don't know what it is?" Daphne said. "You know the other champions are aware of the task. Why don't you try and find out what it is?"

"Because magical contracts are dangerous. We're supposed to go in the task without any knowledge of the event."

"So, you think you could be penalized for knowing what the task is? Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"It's a tournament that tests your skills. It would be logical to believe that there was something in the Goblets construction to prevent cheating."

Daphne shook her head. "I doubt it. According to the records of passed tournaments, cheating is a well acknowledged fact of these things. If there was a punishment for cheating, don't you think they would've found it by now."

"Perhaps," Harry said, "but how many people have died in this tournament?"

Daphne blinked. "You mean…"

"Death for dishonesty," Harry explained. "That would be an adequate punishment when the goblet was created."

Daphne leaned back in her chair. "SO, not going to try and find out what the first task is about then."

"No," Harry said.

"Be careful," Daphne said leaning forward suddenly. "I kind of like having a best friend."

"Don't worry," Harry said. "I have no intention of dying."

**HPS**

"Are you ready?" Lilith asked.

Harry gazed out at the large tent he could see standing at the edge of the grounds. He was careful to keep his senses dampened down so as not to find out anything about the task. "As ready as I'll ever be," he murmured. He shot his Mother a sharp look. "If I die, I'm going to haunt you."

Lilith smiled. "If you die, I'll just bring you back."

"You can do that?"

"If I get to you before your soul departs."

"McGonagall strode up to Harry and Lilith. "Potter," she said sternly. "It's time."

Harry followed McGonagall to the entrance of the tent. "Good luck," McGonagall said squeezing his shoulder.

Harry entered the tent, immediately spotting the other three champions standing around looking nervous. None of the three acknowledged his existence, so he leaned against the back wall and stared straight ahead.

Ludo Bagman came bouncing in a few moments later, looking positively ecstatic. "Well," he crowed. "This is going to be fun isn't it? Right then, I reckon it's time to tell you all what we'll be doing eh?"

When no one answered, he walked to the front of the tent, pulling a silken bag from his pocket. "Now," he began. "Your mission is to capture the golden egg. When you reach into the bag, you will receive a copy of the creature you will be facing. Any questions?"

No one said a word."

"Err, right." Bagman said. "Ladies first."

"Fleur Delacour stepped up to Bagman, and with a slightly trembling hand, reached into the bag. She drew out a model of a dragon. The creature had smooth gleaming green scales and a short snout, packed with gleaming white teeth.

Fleur showed no surprise. She simply walked back to her previous spot.

"Mr. Krum, you next."

Victor Krum strode up and drew a long serpentine dragon from the bag. "Again, he showed no surprise.

"Mr. Diggory," Bagman said.

"Diggory walked up, looking like he was going to be sick. He drew another dragon from the bag, gulped, and went back to stand against the wall.

"Mr. Potter," Bagman said. Harry drew a dragon from the bag. His dragon appeared to be covered in spikes. As he looked at it, the dragon gazed back at him, snarling viciously.

"Now you know what you'll be facing," Bagman said. "I wish you all the best of luck. When I call your name, please come out into the enclosure."

Harry ignored the murmur of the other champions as they spoke to each other. He waited for Bagman to call out the name of the first contestant.

At last, Fleur's name was called. She left the tent her head held high.

The next few moments were torture for the remaining champions. There were gasps, screams, and yells of surprise. Bagman finally announced that she'd gotten her egg. Next was Krum, and the situation repeated itself.

Cedric left after Krum got his egg leaving Harry alone. Harry waited to see what would happen next.

"Great Scott," Bagman yelled. "That was a close one. Oh, he's running. Is he trying to escape?"

The crowd cheered when Cedric got his egg. "Well done boy," Bagman yelled. "Now, why don't you go and get those burns looked at."

"Harry Potter," Bagman yelled. "You're next."

Harry exited the tent not feeling his feet hit the ground. He felt as though he were floating towards the arena he could see in the distance.

**HPS**

"As he entered the arena, the air shimmered. The large dragon faded away, replaced by a large lion with a human head and a scorpion's tale.

The human head was a man's face with a short reddish gold beard. The lion's main in place of hair was the same color as his beard. His green vertically slit eyes glowed faintly in the sunlight.

"Manticore?" Harry murmured.

"The beast smiled, revealing sharp pointed teeth. "Yes," it rumbled, in a voice like a purring lion. "I was promised a meal and I will have one."

"Really?" Harry asked. "Who promised you this meal?"

'I will not tell," the manticore said, its tale flicking back and forth. "Time to die little human."

The manticore took a step forward and froze. "what?" he ground out his muscles straining to move against the invisible force that bound him.

"Walk away," Harry said. "I do not wish to harm you. "I merely wish to retrieve the egg you guard."

"I will devour your bones and rend your flesh little mortal."

Harry sighed. He walked right up to the manticore and touched the top of his head. There was no puff of smoke no flash of light. Between one breath and the next, the manticore turned to stone. Harry calmly kicked the statue, shattering it into dust.

The silence of the crowd was eerie. Harry couldn't even hear any breathing. He calmly retrieved the egg and tucked it under his arm. He turned to face the silent crowd.

"Well," Bagman said. "Err, Harry Potter has retrieved his egg."

'Judges," he said. "Can you please show him his scores?"

Dumbledore raised his wand. A long golden ribbon shot from the tip. It twisted into the number nine.

Maxime also shot up a nine.

Bagman shot a ten into the air.

Lastly, Karkaroff raised his wand and shot a zero into the air.

"Karkaroff," Bagman said sharply. "The boy got passed a manticore."

"He wasn't supposed to kill it," Karkaroff snapped.

"It was a manticore," Maxime said. "It was supposed to be a dragon. There was nothing in the rules that stated the animal had to be left alive. I would've killed the manticore if I'd had to face it."

"The manticore is a noble creature," Karkaroff said.

"It is also very dangerous," Dumbledore said. "I personally would've been forced to kill it if I'd come across it."

Karkaroff jumped as Harry appeared right in front of him. "You want justice for an animal that would've happily slain me." "What about the justice for that girl you murdered. Katherine was her name wasn't it?" he growled. "You know her parents are still searching for the man that murdered their daughter and did those awful things to her corpse. I'm sure they'd love to know where you are."

"What?" Karkaroff spluttered.

Harry touched Karkaroff's forehead. The man screamed, falling to the ground and writhing in agony. Smiling to himself, Harry turned to leave only to stop as he saw the auror's surrounding him.

A plump little man wearing a bowler hat stepped up to him. "Harry Potter," he said. "You are under arrest for attacking a guest of Britain."