Unseen and Unheard From
Written by Flashfire Freak
Beta: DarkerThanYin
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe.
Chapter Three – In Loving Memory
Picking up a copy of The Daily Prophet, Sirius sees the headline, 'Black Cleared of Potter Deaths', and smiles. Arriving at the table where Sirius is seated, Remus spots the smile on Sirius's face, and asks, "What has you in such a good mood?"
Sirius slides the Daily Prophet across the table to Remus, who promptly sees the headline and smiles as well.
"Congratulations are in order then." states Remus, using his wand to summon a bottle of Firewhiskey and a couple of glasses to the table. As Remus pours Firewhiskey into both glasses Kreacher pops into the dining room and croaks, "Master Sirius. With my time caring for the young Potter, I've detected Dark Magic in young Potter's scar. I've only ever felt this dark of magic before when Master Regulus gave me a locket of the Dark Lord's" before popping out of the dining room.
Looking at each other with confused looks on their faces, Sirius and Remus jump to their feet and storm up the nearby stairwell to Harry's room.
"Kreacher, where is the locket Regulus gave you?" asks Sirius.
Kreacher pops out of the room and returns a few moments later. "Master, here is the locket" says Kreacher handing over the locket.
Sirius looks over the locket and Remus turns to Kreacher and asks, "What did Regulus say about the locket, if anything?"
Stiffening up at Remus asking a question, Kreacher relaxes a few moments later and mutters, "Something about immortality."
Sirius stops as if frozen solid and slowly turns to Remus and stares. "Sirius, what is it?" asks Remus.
"If I'm not mistaken, Voldemort created a horcrux to prolong his life. I was forced to read some of the dark magic books in the Black family library years ago, and I remember a horcrux being a method to grant oneself immortality." states Sirius.
With a shocked look on his face, Remus asks incredulously, "There is actually a way to become immortal?"
Attempting to stifle a grimace and failing, Sirius nods his head and adds, "But to make a horcrux one must break their soul into pieces. It's been done with a single horcrux before, but if what Kreacher says is true, then Voldemort has made two, or possibly more."
"Then certainly there must be a way to destroy a horcrux…isn't there?" asks Remus slowly.
Exhaling loudly, Sirius says softly, "The book I read never mentioned how to kill/destroy a horcrux, so I'm not certain."
Remus proceeds to pace in a line near the door for a few minutes before saying out to no one in particular, "I doubt St. Mungo's has any knowledge of horcruxes, so that would leave…the Department of Mysteries."
"Do you think we should get the ministry involved in this? I'd rather not have anyone know about Harry's whereabouts, other than Director Bones." states Sirius.
"Sirius, we have to do something about Harry, and perhaps she knows someone in the Department of Mysteries that she personally trusts. They, the people who work in the department, are often called Unspeakables as they can't communicate with people outside of the department on what they are working on." says Remus with a hint of urgency in his voice.
Sighing, Sirius says, "I'll send her an owl requesting an urgent meeting then."
Sirius and Remus exit the room baby Harry is in and proceed back to the dining room where Sirius writes a letter to Director Bones with Remus checking the letter over before being tied to one of the legs of one Black family owl.
*a few days later*
Sirius and Remus sit down to breakfast when the owl that Sirius used to send Director Bones a letter, swoops down and drops a letter off at Sirius's place. Grabbing the letter and ripping the envelope off, Sirius scans the letter, smiles, and then passes it over to Remus.
After reading it, Remus also smiles and he and Sirius both consume their breakfast at break neck speed as they have a meeting with Director Bones in her office in approximately thirty minutes.
*in Director Bones's office*
As Sirius and Remus slip into seats, Director Bones erects some privacy wards and says, "So Mr. Black, you requested a private conversation, and asked me to not say a thing to anyone else. How may I help you?"
Sharing a few looks with Remus, Sirius clears his throat and begins, "We were wondering if you knew anyone personally in the Department of Mysteries."
With a quizzical look on her face, Director Bones looks at Sirius and Remus a few times until Remus says, "We have a reason to communicate with someone that you trust in the Department of Mysteries. It is of the upmost importance to us."
Looking between Sirius and Remus a few more times and neither saying anything, Director Bones grabs a pinch of floo powder and makes a floo call. A few minutes later black robed figure exits the floo and lowers his hood.
"Director Bones, you requested an urgent meeting, and do I assume correctly that these two gentlemen are at the root of that?" asks the gray haired wizard.
"Yes, we are. We were wondering if you know anything regarding the destruction of horcruxes, Mr…." begins Remus.
"My name is Saul Croaker. Everyone simply calls me 'Croaker'. And to your question, I am curious how you came about a horcrux." replies Croaker.
Clearing his throat, Sirius says, "We actually have in our possession two horcruxes that we believe belong to Voldemort."
Croaker's eyes open wide and he says, "We must gather in my office. Follow me."
Croaker leaves the office followed by Sirius, Remus, and then Director Bones. A few minutes later they arrive at the Department of Mysteries and through a door cleverly disguised as a section of wall. "Welcome to my office. Now, please hand me the horcruxes." states Croaker.
Sirius nods, clearly nervous, and says, "Kreacher, come here."
Kreacher pops into the office and asks, "How may Kreacher assist Master Sirius?"
"Kreacher, please fetch the locket Regulus gave you and Harry." commands Sirius quietly.
A few moments later Kreacher reappears with the locket and with Harry, and gives Remus the locket and Sirius baby Harry before popping away.
"Croaker, my brother found out that Voldemort had a horcrux and died to retrieve so Voldemort wouldn't have immortality. Kreacher told us a few days ago that he detected dark magic in Harry's forehead like the dark magic he detected in the locket that Regulus gave him shortly before dying. We want to remove the horcrux in Harry's head without killing him obviously. The locket should best be destroyed, but we don't know anything."
Croaker looks over the locket briefly and then looks at Harry and asks quietly, "I assume the horcrux you speak of is in the lightning bolt scar?"
At Sirius's nod, Croaker waves his wand over the locket and Harry then says, "I'm not certain how to put it, but I don't have a solid idea on how to safely destroy the locket, however I do have an idea regarding baby Harry here. Deep in the department there is a room we call the Love Chamber. If we associate love/light with a Patronus Charm and hatred/darkness with a horcrux, then perhaps the two of you casting a Patronus Charm using the most powerful and happy memory you two have of James, Lily, and even baby Harry might destroy the horcrux inside his head without any damage being dealt to Harry. This process would need to be done in the Love Chamber of course, but I say we do that as soon as possible."
"Then let's not waste any time and get to it." states Sirius with a hint of steel in his voice.
Croaker leads the party out of the office and to the Love Chamber. "Remember you two, happy thoughts of the Potters'." says Croaker as Sirius, Remus, and Harry enter into the chamber. As the door shuts behind them, a crib appears in the middle of the floor, and Remus places Harry into it.
Stepping back from the crib, Sirius and Remus close their eyes and go through their memories and Sirius opens his eyes to see Remus opening his just about the same time. With a nod, they both shout at the same time, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A shaggy black dog and a transformed werewolf explode from their wands and the corporeal beings circle the crib, face each other, and then run through the crib, carrying what could be considered a large ink blot, which promptly causes a loud wailing sound but nothing more.
Picking up Harry, Sirius exits first followed by Remus into the chamber where Director Bones and Croaker stand.
"Is it over?" asks Croaker.
Sirius nods wearily and calls out, "Kreacher."
A few moments later a popping sound is heard and Kreacher asks, "What can Kreacher do for master?"
"Kreacher, is the dark magic you felt in Harry's head gone?" asks Sirius.
Kreacher waves his hand over Harry's body and smiles, replying, "Yes master, it is."
"Kreacher, take Harry home and put him back in his crib. Prepare any potions to help him recover if needed. Thank you." says Sirius wearily.
Kreacher pops away with Harry, and Croaker asks, "Now that that is finished, I'd like to discuss a few more things before you leave. This includes you, Director."
The four re-enter Croaker's office and sit down and Croaker asks, "Now that we've removed the horcrux from Harry we can turn to this next horcrux. I'd like to keep it here at the Ministry to discover how to destroy a horcrux if we run into any more."
"I'll defer my judgment to Remus, he was the prefect at Hogwarts, not I." says Sirius.
Remus rolls his eyes and says, "Feel free to keep it here."
"Good. And one last thing, I'd like to have Harry see a doctor weekly for the next few months to make certain that he is healthy and not having any side effects from the ritual. Let's all meet here in a week to have Harry evaluated. Dismissed."
Director Bones, Sirius, and Remus leave Croaker's office and head to the atrium. "Thanks for the help, Director." says Sirius.
"No problem. I'll see you both in a week." replies Director Bones.
Author note: I asked for and received permission to use the general idea of using the room of love or Love Chamber according to the Harry Potter Wiki, to remove the horcrux from Robst's fanfiction, Banking on Her. With that in mind, I used a different method for the removal of the horcrux in Harry than what Robst used. To clarify, the use of the room for removal of horcruxes is Robst's idea and not mine. I only made my own ritual to release the horcrux from Harry's head.
Thank you all for reading and reviewing.