The adults were whispering again.
Ron Weasley sat beside Hermione and his siblings on the stairwell of number 12 Grimmauld Place, extendable ears hanging from the banister as they listened intently. He didn't need to know what they were whispering about.
Harriet Potter, his best friend, his sister, had been missing for three days now. She had vanished the evening of June 12th, leaving behind all her belongings. From previous eavesdropping sessions, Ron knew that the adults thought that she had been kidnapped. He wasn't so sure that was the case.
Despite Harri's best efforts to hide it, Ron knew that her home life was no hippogryff ride. He knew that they didn't feed her enough, that they gave her more chores than was possible to accomplish in a single day. He knew the probable reason why Harri would shy away from unexpected contact, why she was always wearing long sleeves.
He had been saying for years that something was wrong but every adult would give a strained smile and tell him it was for the "greater good", that Harri "had to stay with her family". Only, the Dursleys weren't Harri's family. He was. So no, Ron wouldn't be surprised if Harri had had enough. That when she saw the chance to leave her miserably relatives, she left as quickly as possible, even if it meant leaving everything just wished that she'd told him her plans; he couldn't help but worry.
"-new evidence as to where Harriet went," a hushed whisper said distortedly through the ear. "The Unspeakables have reported a higher amount of activity in the Death Chamber at the same exact time of Harriet's disappearance."
Ron's eyes squinted as he looked at Hermione. He had heard of Unspeakables before, but no one knew what they did. At least, that's what his dad claimed.
"And why is that of consequence?" came the unmistakeable drawl of Severus Snape. Greasy Git! Ginny mouthed.
"Because, Severus, the white sand that was found in Harriet's room was also found around the archway."
"And how, exactly will this help us find my goddaughter?" Sirius' clipped voice asked.
"Although you didn't pay attention in school, Black, you would think that after spending twelve years in Azkaban you'd start," Snape sneered.
"No one asked you, Snivillus."
"Gentlemen," Dumbledore's voice interrupted calmly.
"I believe that this information will help us, Sirius, as although no one knows the origins nor the exact use of the archway," Lupin started calmly. "It is widely believed to not only allow you to communicate with the dead, but also travel to different universes."
Ron reared his head back as he looked at Hermione, muttering a little too loudly, "Bloody hell!".
The ensuing silence was deafening.
"Dammit, Ron!" Fred scolded.
A thud could be heard from the other side of the door before it swung open roughly, revealing an irate face of Molly Weasley. "Fred! George! Ginny! Ron! Hermione! What have I said about eavesdropping?"
Ron knew, logically, that he should at least look sheepish but the only thing he could feel was rage. "We have a right to know! That's my best friend, our family you guys are talking about!"
"Ronald Weasley-" his mum started.
"NO! We deserve to know! We can help!"
"You are just a child!"
"A CHILD WHO HAS HELPED SAVE THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE AND HELPED SAVE GINNY FROM HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND HELPED SAVE AN ESCAPED CONVICT!"
"Ron's right, you know," George said quietly.
"Yeah," Fred and Ginny agreed.
"We want to help," Hermione stated softly as she put a calming hand on Ron's shoulders.
"I believe, Molly, that they have made a good argument." Eyes twinkling, Dumbledore stood by the doorway to the kitchen, giving them each a soft stare. "It would be more productive to give them the right information than have them go searching for it on their own. Who knows what trouble they could get in."
Ron's mum looked as if she was about to argue further but thought better of it. With a hefty sigh she exclaimed "Fine. You can listen in to what we have found but you are not do anything else. No looking for clues, no trying to find a way to get Harriet back, nothing. Understand?"
"Understood," the group murmured.
Harriet only managed to sleep for an hour before a sickly green flash of light made her awaken with a spectacular start. She found herself choking back a scream as she fumbled for her wand, only realising after she had it clenched in her hand that she was safe. Well, as safe as Harriet could ever be.
Forcing back a sob of equal parts frustration and exhaustion, Harriet stood on shaky legs and exited the guest room.
Lily and James were both in the living room, Lily curled up in an armchair reading, James sat on the floor in front of the coffee table with paperwork scattered messily about. Both Potters looked less than happy with pinched faces, making Harriet want to turn around and go straight back to bed. Before she could, however, Lily looked up and gave her a soft smile, gesturing to the unoccupied couch to sit.
"How are you feeling, dear? Would you like some tea?"
Harriet's smile was strained as she sat on the edge of the couch, shoulders hunched forward. "No thanks, I'm fine."
James looked up from his paperwork to give her a smile of his own before he slowly started gathering the paperwork into an untidy pile. As he went to set it under the coffee table, Lily's voice pierced the air. "James Potter! If you leave that paperwork anywhere but your drawer, I will hex you into next week!"
James answering smile was sheepish as he stood. "Sorry, love."
"That's what I thought."
James returned quickly afterwards sitting heavily down next to Harriet. His smile was gone, eyes crinkled together tensely. Harriet felt herself sit straighter, preparing for inevitable misfortune to befall her.
"I really hate having to ask this of you," James started. "But both Moody and the Unspeakables need some answers from you."
Harriet gulped, glancing down at her hands that were still trembling, despite her best efforts to stop them. Logically, Harriet knew the real reason she was staying with James and Lily Potter. It wasn't so they could act as her long lost parents. To care for her, to make her feel welcomed. It was to keep an eye on her, make sure she didn't get into any trouble. It was to ensure she could return home as soon as possible. It still hurt, even after knowing this.
"Erm, right. What do you wanna know?"
James sighed as he settled further into the couch. "We need to know as many differences as possible about your world and ours."
"O-Okay."
"So I'll ask you some questions and you'll give as much detail as possible, okay?"
Harriet took a deep, grounding breath. "Okay."
"So, your parents died when you were one? Why was Voldemort after them?"
She gave an assessing look towards James, trying to find any ulterior motives for wanting to know so much about her. She found none. But that didn't mean there weren't any.
"Well, my parents had defied him three times before… I suppose he wanted to make an example of them." A small bubble of guilt pooled at the bottom of her stomach that Harriet attempted harshly push away. It was better this way, no need for James and Lily to know she was the reason for her parents death.
As if knowing Harriet was only partially telling the truth, James raised an eyebrow staring deeply into her eyes. Harriet found herself shifting uncomfortably, averting her eyes towards her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
The silence stretched between them like gum.
"Okay," James said softly. "So, you grew up with Petunia?"
Lily gently set her book on the arm of the chair as she stared intently at them.
"Yes."
"And why didn't you live with Sirius and Remus. Sirius is your godfather, right?"
Harriet winced slightly. "Erm, well, Remus couldn't get guardianship over me with him being a werewolf and all…"
"And Sirius?" Lily prompted softly.
"Well, Sirius got framed for a murder he didn't commit. He went to Azkaban for twelve years."
A slow whoosh of air escaped James' mouth as he scrubbed his face roughly. "How was he framed?"
Despite knowing about Wormtail for over a year now, Harriet felt old, curling fury spread through her body. "Pettigrew," she spat out "Pretended to be murdered by him. He cut off his finger as evidence."
"Dammit!" James exclaimed, standing up abruptly to pace by the fireplace. "That- that rat!"
"Well," Harriet said hesitantly, "That is his animagus."
Lily chuckled tightly as James leaned heavily against the fireplace.
"Erm right. You mentioned that your defence professor set a troll on the school in your first year? I can't see Tilbult doing such a thing."
Harriet frowned, leaning forward slightly. "I don't know a Tilbult. My professor was Quirinous Quirrell."
Both Potters paused their musings to look at Harriet. "He was being possessed by Voldemort." She added as an explanation.
Simultaneously, James coughed a surprise "What?" as Lily covered her mouth in shock. Wincing, Harriet muttered "Probably shouldn't have mentioned that."
"I mean, nobody knew, of course. Dumbledore wouldn't have hired him if that were the case."
"Dumbledore?" Lily questioned.
"Well, yeah. Since he's the headmaster and all…"
James heavily collapsed back onto the couch, jostling Harriet slightly as the cushions moved. "Dumbledore's been dead for over six years now."
"What?" Harriet yelped.
"I suppose our two worlds have more differences than we originally thought."
Lily sighed before standing up. "I think it's safe to say that all three of us have been delivered some rather shocking news. How about we take a break and eat some lunch?"
Fortunately, James didn't get the chance to question her further. Soon after lunch, he was called into work to help find someone who had jinxed hundreds of teapots to spray boiling water at the muggles he had sold them to. Lily left an hour later after a frantic floo from Harry, promising Harriet hastily that either her or James would be home for dinner.
Harriet sighed with relief as she flopped carelessly down on the couch, feeling as though it was the first time she had relieved her tense muscles in months. She lazily scanned the room, looking for something to preoccupy her time with. Slowly, her eyes arrived at the bookshelf at the edge of the room. Again, Harriet felt an irresistible pull and before she could properly understand what she was doing, she was holding the small black book in her hand. Flicking feverishly between pages, Harriet stopped when she stumbled upon the place she had left off on.
To create a Horcrux, a wizard first has to deliberately commit murder. This act, said to be the most supreme act of evil, will result in the murderer metaphysically damaging their own soul. A wizard who wishes to create a Horcrux will then use that damage to their advantage by casting a spell which would sever the damaged portion of the soul and encase it in an object. If the maker is later killed, they will continue to exist in a non-corporeal form, although there are methods of regaining a physical body.
On the side of the main text, in the same curly, neat scrawl read:
Myrtle and the Basilisk
Tom Marvelo Riddle
I am Tremolo
Vrolomedt
Lomtorved
And finally:
I am Lord Voldemort
Instinctively, Harriet threw the book on the ground, rubbing her hands furiously on her shirt as if to rid herself of the very idea of him. A sob racked her body as it fought its way out of her mouth like a parasite, making Harriet clench her hands tightly.
Why why why would her par- NO, James and Lily have a diary from Tom Riddle? Why would they hide it if they weren't guilty? Nausea rolled her stomach as she stared at the offending book. She couldn't believe that she had believed them, that she had been tempted to tell them everything.
Quickly, so as not to lose courage, she grabbed the book before rushing to her room. She had to leave, she had to leave now. Every second she stayed was another second she- her friends- were in danger. Roughly, she forced the closet door open, finding a small bad filled with junk towards the back corner. Quickly dumping out the items, she shoved in the clothing Lily had lent her after promising to go shopping with her soon.
Her heart beat heavily in her ears, drowning her. She stumbled as she launched herself towards her door, thrusting it open before practically jumping down the stairs. She was so close to reaching the front door when she heard the last thing on earth she wanted to hear. The floo.
James (or James intruder) gracefully exited the fireplace, calmly brushing a fleck of soot off his robes before glancing at her casually. He looked away for a second before sharply looking back as he processed the dishevelled sight of her. He went to take a step forwards but stopped abruptly as Harriet took an even larger step back, pointing her wand directly at his chest.
There was no way she was going to make it to the door, not without Not-James stunning her. She'd have to fight.
A sense of deadly calm roared through her body, allowing Harriet to focus sharply on the situation at hand. James had slowly raised his hands above his head in (mock?) surrender, his face pinched with confusion.
"Harriet," he said lowly, carefully. "What are you doing?"
Harriet, still gasping for breath, hardened her stare, filling it with as much hatred as she could muster. "I-I know. There's no need to act all innocent."
Carefully, James stepped forward, making Harriet jab her wand towards him in warning. "I don't know what you think you know, kiddo, but I'm sure it's not right."
Harriet shook her head fiercely taking a step back towards the door. "I'm not stupid! I know you're working for Voldemort! I found his diary! You're helping him!"
"Harriet-"
"No! I should've known better than to believe I'd traveled alternate universes!" At this, she scoffed deprecatingly towards herself. "I-I don't know what Voldemort's plan is but he won't win! He won't!"
"Harriet!"
"Now," she said, her voice hardening from her slight hysterics to a battle hardened warrior. "Unless you want to get hurt, you're going to let me go. You're going to let me out this door and far far away. You won't follow me. You won't have someone else follow me. You'll let me leave and pretend that we never met in the first place."
"Harriet!" This time, Not-James' voice was harder, more commanding than she'd ever heard it be before. "Listen to me!"
"Fuck you," she exclaimed before wordlessly casting a stunner. James dodged quickly, too quickly, grabbing his wand. Before she could fire another spell however, a calm, forceful voice yelled "Accio Harriet's wand!" from behind her, leaving her defenceless.
Harriet turned around sharply, raising her fists as her last defence, to be greeted by not only Lily, but also Harry.
"What," Harry asked flatly, "is going on here?"