I'm back. I know it's been a long time since I last posted but I write so slowly in English (and the narrative parts always give me a bit of trouble). I will finish this story don't worry.
5 – Lux Tenebris
Harry put down his trunk heavily in Milton End's living room.
"Good evening Enid," he said to the painting.
"Good evening Harry," she replied. "How was your first year?"
The boy put Nyx's cage on the table and opened it to let the owl fly out for the night. He then sat into an armchair facing Enid.
"I have so much to tell you," he added.
Harry began to relate everything that happened during his first year. He punctuated the story with great gestures, demonstrations of magic and reading notes he had taken on many topics. At dusk, he stopped to light the candles and then took out some dinner he had bought in London.
"I'm protected by my mother's blood," he explained then. "But from what I've read, this protection is only possible as long as I stay at my aunt's house. And I don't want to depend on her for that and I'd like this protection to be permanent."
"I can teach you to anchor this protection to another place, like this house," offered Enid. "Have you found a way to link your wand to the charms protecting the house?"
"Yes, I have."
"All right, you'll start with that, and once you've linked your wand, you'll add the new enchantment based on your mother's blood protection."
"How am I going to do that?"
"You'll need your aunt's blood. The instructions are in the Claustra sanguinis chapter."
"Okay, but I wondered if it was possible to strengthen the protection in me."
"I don't know how to do that, but it must be possible, you'll have to experiment a little, perhaps by modifying Vis in sanguine."
Books were scattered in the living room. Harry had taken them out as Enid gave some explanation. Now it was pitch dark. It was way too late to return to the Dursleys' and Harry wanted to enjoy his last moments of freedom. His aunt would certainly not have forgiven him for bewitching Vernon and his summer would be hellish. Harry blew the candles with a simple wave of his wand, laid down on the couch and drifted into sleep.
The next morning Harry went out into the garden, called Nyx and handed her the letter he had just written.
"Bring that letter to Edward Whitley," explained Harry. "I don't know where he lives but you'll find him in Knockturn Alley."
Nyx hooted in understanding and took off. Harry went back into the house and opened his notebook. He had spent many evenings in the Hogwarts library trying to figure out how he could change the charms that protected the house. He had found out what he was looking for and had listed all the spells he needed to cast in seventeen steps and eighty-six wand movements.
Harry swabbed his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. He had followed every instruction to the letter. It was time to check his work. He left the garden and closed the gate behind him. He then put his wand tip on the lock and with a click, the gate opened.
Harry spent the remaining of the day thinking of a strategy that would allow him to get his aunt's blood without her knowing it. Then he listed all the needed potions and went out to pick some ingredients. He heard a hoot and Nyx came to rest on his shoulder. Harry unfastened the piece of parchment attached to her talon and unrolled it. The vampire's response was short.
Tonight, the Laughing Ghoul.
E. W.
Harry walked down Knockturn Alley, Midnight by his side. The Laughing Ghoul was a busy tavern, even more so at this time. Harry could already hear the bursts of voices escaping through the open door. A heavily drunk man came out, staggered, narrowly avoided Harry and slumped on a nearby wall, swearing unintelligibly. The tavern was noisy, dark and smoky. Harry came in, stopped, and slowly scanned the room. Silence fell suddenly as the customers suspiciously glared at the boy and his inferus. Some murmurs arose. Harry's eyes fell on the vampire. Edward was seated alone, at a table which occupied a little alcove lit by a single candle. The boy went to the counter.
"A butterbeer and a cup of blood for my guest," he asked the innkeeper, putting some coins on the counter.
"Right away," replied the man with a nod.
The customers had lost interest in Harry and had resumed their conversations. The boy turned away and joined the vampire. Midnight jumped into the pocket of his cloak and Harry sat in front of the vampire.
"Good evening Edward," he greeted him.
"Necromancer," replied the vampire with a nod. "I didn't expect your letter. Why did you want to meet me?"
"I wanted some information on someone," said Harry.
The innkeeper came up to their table and they went silent. He put their drinks on the table and went away.
"On who?" asked Edward when the man had gone far enough.
"Severus Snape," replied Harry.
The vampire eyed his interlocutor thoughtfully.
"Why do you care about him?" asked the vampire.
"I have my reasons," eluded Harry.
"He's a dark wizard, Death Eater and Potion Master. He currently teaches at Hogwarts. He was Master Stutton's apprentice, his lab was a little further down the Alley. I saw Snape on a regular basis at that time. He often came to the Laughing Ghoul, mostly with other Death Eaters. Avery and Mulciber were with him most of the time, but sometimes Malfoy joined them. Snape then got a job at Hogwarts, surely on the Dark Lord's orders. He had to keep an eye on Dumbledore after all. After the fall of You-Know-Who, he was sent to Azkaban until Dumbledore testified on his behalf and had him cleared."
"What? But why would Dumbledore have him cleared if he was a Death Eater?"
"Dumbledore claimed that he switched sides and became his spy."
"And you believe that?"
"I don't know, Snape's always been particularly hard to read."
"But that'd mean that he was able to deceive Voldemort."
"You say the Dark Lord's name?" asked Edward, surprise etched on his face.
"Yes," replied Harry defiantly.
He was expecting an extra remark, but the vampire merely eyed him in silence and took a sip of blood.
"Did you fight for him?" asked Harry finally.
"No," answered Edward. "But some days I wonder if I shouldn't have joined him."
"Why?"
"He would have given me a wand."
For a moment Harry had forgotten that the Ministry had forbidden vampires to use a wand.
"Will you fight for him if he comes back?" asked the boy.
"I should ask you the same question," replied Edward with a slight smile.
"No, I'll kill him," murmured Harry, only for the vampire to hear.
Edward froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. Some customers turned around and looked their way. The vampire's laugh stopped as quickly as it had appeared and he glanced at the nearby tables.
"Finish your butterbeer," he added, swallowing the contents of his cup in one long sip. "This isn't a place to have this kind of conversation."
Edward stood up and walked calmly towards the door. Harry followed him with his eyes until the vampire stepped outside. Then he drank the remaining of his pint and got up. He found the vampire outside, leaning against the front of a closed shop, arms crossed over his chest. The boy stopped for a moment. Was it safe to follow Edward to a more isolated place? The vampire's thirst could be quenched for the moment, but he was still a dangerous creature. However, their conversation was not over and Harry wanted to hear what Edward had to say that could not be said in the tavern. He took a deep breath and approached Edward. The vampire straightened up and took a step forward.
"Come on," simply said the vampire.
Harry wanted to ask where they were going but he did not have time. Edward grabbed him by the arm and Knockturn Alley spun around them. Harry felt sucked in and the air was thrown out of his lungs as he felt the butterbeer stir dangerously in his stomach. Then, a second later the uncomfortable feeling of asphyxia stopped. Edward's hand released his grip and Harry staggered. The boy nearly fell, but he barely managed to stay on his feet. The gust of iodized wind that lashed his face made him gather his wits quickly. Harry grabbed his wand and pointed it at the vampire. Edward took a step back and showed him his open hands as a peace offering.
"You have nothing to fear, Necromancer. I just brought us to a place where we could talk freely," explained Edward. "You can put your wand away."
Harry then took the time to study his surroundings. The sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, but there was still enough light to distinguish the landscape and his interlocutor. The ground beneath his feet was sandy and he turned towards the steady sound of the waves. The sea reflected the sky tinged with pink and orange, and the wind laden with sea spray made his cloak beat. Fortunately, the charm on his hood was strong enough to hold it in place. Edward sat at the top of the dune facing the open sea. Harry was still thinking about what had just happened and a question had just come to his mind. The boy put his wand aside and sat down.
"Can you get a wand despite the law?" asked Harry.
"No wandmaker will ever sell me a wand," explained Edward. "And those who would, would ask for a far too high price for their silence."
"Is there another way?"
"Maybe, but even for a vampire, Azkaban isn't a nice place."
"Mmh ..."
"And I don't need a wand to Apparate," explained Edward with a smile.
"You didn't answer my question," said Harry. "Will you fight for Voldemort if he comes back?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Firstly, because I may have the next Dark Lord in front of me," replied the vampire.
"And secondly?" asked Harry.
"I know things about him. I remember him when he was young before he became known to everyone as Lord Voldemort."
"What do you mean? What kind of things?"
"This piece of information is worth more than a cup of blood."
"Okay, coming back to our first topic, what did Snape do after he was released from Azkaban?"
"He went back to Hogwarts as if nothing had happened. He still visits Knockturn Alley, however, I see him less often at the Laughing Ghoul where he still meets with Avery and Mulciber."
"Do you think Snape is still loyal to Voldemort?"
"I don't know, I'd say he became a Death Eater for the social rise it could provide when the Dark Lord would gain power. After all, Snape is a half-blood. And then he found out a way to save his skin and escape Azkaban by entering Dumbledore's service. It is always more interesting to be on the winners' side after all. Maybe he'll follow you if you're convincing enough."
Harry thought for a moment about what he had just learned. If he had wanted to have this conversation with Edward it was to know if he should keep an eye on Snape at Hogwarts and whether he should expect an attack from him. But Edward seemed more interested in telling him that there would be a way to recruit him if he ever wanted to become the next Dark Lord.
"And he could have tricked Dumbledore?" asked Harry.
"I don't know," replied Edward. "But let me give you some advice. Beware of Dumbledore and his allies. He's done a lot to keep Necromancers outlawed."
"I know."
Harry knew full well that Dumbledore would be the one he should kill once he killed Voldemort. But for the moment he could not do anything and he could not tell Edward anything about his plans for the future. He did not know if he could trust the vampire, but Edward could give him information if only he knew what to offer in return. However, Harry had one last question he wished to ask.
"What do you know about Quirinus Quirrell?" he asked.
"I only know what was written about him in the paper," said Edward.
"In the paper?"
"The Daily Prophet published an article about him just after he died. The Defence Against the Dark Arts position has made another victim. However the cause of death wasn't mentioned."
"I don't want to know how he died. I wanted to know if he was a Dark wizard or a Death Eater."
"No, he was neither."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, of course, people talked after he died but no one knew him in the Alley."
Harry thought about it for a moment. Suddenly one of the vampire's sentences came to his mind.
"What did you mean by "the Defence Against the Dark Arts position has made another victim"?" he asked.
"I think the job's cursed," explained Edward.
"Cursed?"
"Yes, and I'm not the only one to think so. It's been a long time since any of the professors stayed on for more than a year. Most of the time they leave on their own will but sometimes they disappear or they die."
"Has it always been like this?"
"Oh, no, back in my days the job wasn't cursed. I'd say that it's been thirty years or so. Every year there's the same ad in the Daily Prophet to recruit a new teacher."
Harry remained silent. He had hoped to get some useful information on Quirrell but this lead did not seem to be going anywhere.
"What's your price for the information you have on Voldemort?" asked the boy.
The vampire remained a moment silent, his eyes on the horizon.
"I need a potion," he finally said. "It was classified as Necromancy by the Ministry and its brewing is forbidden."
"And you can't brew it yourself?" asked Harry.
"No, unfortunately, this potion contains an ingredient I can't get."
"What's the name of this potion?"
"Lux tenebris, and I want a whole cauldron."
"And if I give you this potion you'll tell me Voldemort's secrets."
"Yes, I will."
"I'll write to you when the potion's ready."
Harry did not know this potion and for the moment he could not remember if the instructions were in one of Milton End's books. But he would find a way to brew it.
Harry found the instructions for Lux Tenebris in a little book that was titled Treatise on the Use of Necromancy in the Making of Remedies. He swept the pages quickly. The potion was complex and it needed a whole month of brewing. It was intended to allow vampires to withstand the sunlight and it needed the addition of the brewer's blood. He looked through the list of ingredients and his eyes caught the one Edward could not get: the light of the sun caught at its height.
"Enid, how do you do to put sunlight into a potion?" asked Harry, turning his head towards the portrait.
"With a solar concentrator," she replied. "There's one in the cupboard. It's the glass device on the bottom shelf."
Harry walked to the cupboard and took out the solar concentrator. It was a large glass lens to which was connected a glass bulb.
"And how does it work ?" he asked.
"You point the lens towards the sun and the light is focused into the bulb," explained Enid. "Then you unscrew the bulb and pour its contents into the potion. But you only have a few minutes to do it before the light dissipates."
Harry headed towards Privet Drive the next day at noon. He had left his trunk in Milton End and had just taken some clothes in his backpack. He pushed the front door and entered the living room. The Dursleys were all sitting there watching television.
"I'm back," he said.
Uncle Vernon grunted as Aunt Petunia turned her head towards her nephew and stared at him. Harry turned around and headed upstairs towards his room. A few moments later, his aunt appeared in the doorway.
"Where's the rest of your stuff?" she snapped at him.
"I didn't bring it," replied Harry simply.
"That's for the better. Now listen to me. Don't you dare use your magic on us, is it understood?"
"And what would you do otherwise?"
"Otherwise, you can pack your bags for good."
"You know it won't be a punishment for me?"
"You'd end up homeless."
Harry shrugged.
"You should be a little more grateful," continued Aunt Petunia.
"You know, I've learned a lot since last year," replied Harry. "Now I know how to make you forget. When I'll use magic on you, I'll make sure you won't remember it."
Aunt Petunia froze, livid and watched her nephew, terror etched on her face.
"Lunch is ready," she added in a trembling voice. "From now on, you no longer have to make us breakfast."
Harry watched her turn around and leave the room. Actually, this summer might be bearable.
Harry was lying on his bed watching the ceiling. His summer was going well so far. His uncle and aunt ignored him and did not give him any more housework or gardening to do. They did not ask him any questions when Harry was spending his days out of the house.
Harry had come up with a plan to get Petunia's blood and it was time to put it into action. Uncle Vernon was at his office and Dudley was at Piers' which meant Harry was alone with Aunt Petunia for the afternoon. She had tea every day at the same time. Harry had been at the grocery store and had bought the same tea his aunt usually drank. Then he had soaked the leaves in a potent sleeping draught and put the new tea box in the kitchen cupboard. This last step had not been easy since his aunt had banished him from the kitchen.
He looked at his watch and stood up. He grabbed his backpack and silently walked down the stairs, then stopped in the living room and watched his aunt. She was sitting in an armchair, a magazine open on her knees. She took a sip of her tea and put her cup back on the coffee table. Harry headed towards the living room window and closed the curtains. Better not to be seen by the neighbours. Petunia noticed him then. She sat up and opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her eyes fixed on Harry gradually closed and she slouched limply on the armchair. Once Harry was sure Aunt Petunia was unconscious, he approached her.
He emptied his backpack and placed his dagger, a few empty vials and three bottles of potions on the coffee table. He crouched down and grabbed her arm. He lifted her sleeve up to her elbow and took the dagger. Harry made an incision and collected the blood into several empty vials. When he had collected enough blood, he took the vial of dittany tincture and put a few drops in the wound. A thin black smoke came out of the wound and after a few seconds, the wound stitched itself without leaving any traces. Harry then grabbed a vial of blood replenishing potion (it had been the most difficult and longest potion to brew of the lot) and emptied it in his aunt's half-open mouth. He took the teacup from the coffee table and emptied it into the sink before exchanging the tea boxes. At last, he took the third vial which contained an amnesia potion. He had found the instructions in his first-year Potions textbook. He glanced at his watch and dropped a few drops in his aunt's mouth. He only needed to erase the last fifteen minutes. He gathered his stuff and put it back in his backpack. Finally, he opened the curtains and left the house.
Once in Milton End's house, he greeted Enid and took the vials of blood out of his bag. He would only need one for the ritual he was about to perform. The other vials were for the experiments he wanted to conduct. Harry crouched in the entrance and started drawing runes with his aunt's blood. He went out into the garden and walked along the wall chanting the incantation.
"Cum sanguine matris domum protego," he repeated, making sweeping movements with his wand.
When he came back to his starting point along the wall, a bright dome appeared, encompassing the house and the garden. The dome shone a few moments before becoming invisible.
Harry had left 4 Privet Drive at sunrise. He wanted to have time to complete the first stages of Lux Tenebris before the sun reached its heights. He arrived at Milton End, entered the house, greeted Enid and settled in the laboratory. He prepared the ingredients and then pointed his wand at the window.
"Fenestram occulto," he said.
The window shrank until it completely disappears and was replaced by a wall. Now the only light in the room was the one scattered by the candles. Indeed, the potion had to be brewed sheltered from the sunlight. After several hours of work, Harry stirred the potion one last time, put out the fire under the cauldron and put a lid on it. He took the solar concentrator he had covered with a piece of dark linen and went out into the garden. The sky was clear and the weather was perfect for what Harry had to do. The boy glanced at his watch. It was still early. Harry sat down and waited when he heard Nyx's hoot. The owl dropped a letter on the boy's lap and went to perch on a nearby tree. Harry immediately recognized Hermione's handwriting. He read the letter and could not help but smile. Hermione had just returned from her trip to Italy with her parents and she would visit him the next day.
Harry glanced at his watch again and slipped the letter into his pocket. It was time. He got up, removed the linen that covered the lens and held the concentrator under the sun. The light gradually drifted from the lens to the bulb and when it was filled, Harry quickly returned to the lab. He lit the fire under the cauldron, lifted the lid, unscrewed the light bulb and poured the light into his potion. It illuminated the room with a golden glow, and Harry stirred it eight times clockwise before grabbing the dagger and slicing his forearm. Blood ran into the cauldron and the potion instantly changed colour and turned bright red. Harry stirred it five times clockwise and seven more times anticlockwise until it turned back to a golden colour. He put the lid back on. Now he had to wait one whole week before adding his blood to the preparation a second time.
The next morning Harry was waiting for Hermione on Oak Lane where they had agreed to meet. There was a crack and the Knight Bus appeared in the street. Hermione got out of the bus and waved to Harry with a big smile. The Knight Bus disappeared with another loud crack.
"Is it here?" she asked in a voice loud enough to cover the noise of cars passing on the expressway.
"No," replied Harry. "We'll have to walk for a bit."
Once in Milton End, they stopped in front of the gate and Harry pulled out his wand. The boy brought it to the lock when Hermione stopped him.
"Don't!" She shouted. "Harry, we can't do magic outside of Hogwarts."
"Don't worry," he replied with a smile. "I won't be casting any spell. I just want the rune on the lock to recognize my wand."
He illustrated his last sentence by placing the end of his wand on the lock. There was a click and the gate opened. He motioned for Hermione to enter, followed her and closed the gate behind them.
"Now we can do magic," he added.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Positive, the protective enchantments are too powerful, the Ministry can't detect us in here."
They walked silently towards the front door and Harry guided Hermione into the living room.
"There we are," he announced. "Let me introduce you to Enid Akenham. Enid, this is Hermione Granger."
"Good morning, madam," replied the girl.
"Hello Hermione," said the painting. "Please call me Enid. Harry told me a lot about you, I heard you are a very good student. I must confess that I am delighted to be able to teach you my Art."
Hermione blushed and glanced at Harry.
"I can't wait to start," she replied. "And I can't believe Necromancy is prohibited in Hogwarts. It's such an interesting subject."
At that moment her eyes fell on Midnight, curled up in an armchair.
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Is it an inferus?"
"Yes, it is," replied Harry. "I called it Midnight."
"Harry, that's impressive. You have to teach me how to do it," she said to Enid as the cat sat up, stretched and meowed.
"It's not difficult," replied the portrait. "All you need to do is follow the instructions in the book."
"Harry, are you making it do that?" asked Hermione as Midnight rubbed her leg.
"Right now I just want him to behave like a cat, but I can also give him orders and make him do all kind of things. There is even an extra ritual that allows you to see through its eyes, but the spell is quite complex and I have trouble maintaining the connection for a long time."
"Could you show me the book?" asked Hermione.
"Sure, it's in the lab," said Harry. "At first it's easier with a small animal. I can send Midnight if you want."
"I think I'd like something that can fly," said Hermione.
It did not take long for Midnight to come back with its prey in its mouth and now Hermione watched with a satisfied smile the common raven getting back on its feet. The inferus spread its wings and took off, forcing Harry and Hermione to duck. The bird grazed the ceiling of the laboratory and perched on the edge of a cauldron.
"That's wicked," she exclaimed. "I would love to try this ritual that allows you to see through its eyes: Per oculos carnis morticinae. I can't wait to see the world from the sky."
"You can see the world from the sky when you're on a broom, you know?" asked Harry, frowning.
"You know very well that I don't like being on a broom," she said. "But there I have nothing to fear since my feet won't be leaving the ground."
Hermione turned a few pages from Secrets of the Darkest Art and grabbed the dagger. The beginning of the ritual was not difficult. She used her blood to draw a rune on the raven's head and another on each of her eyelids. She chanted the incantation and the runes illuminated briefly before disappearing. Hermione pointed her wand at the raven.
"Per inferum video," she said.
Keeping the connection was difficult and Harry and Hermione practised the spell together. Then Hermione explored all the books that crowded the shelves in the lab as well as in the living room. After lunch, they each made their selection of books and settled in the armchairs.
"Tell me, Harry," said Hermione finally. "Did you make any progress in your research to find out how Voldemort isn't totally dead?"
"I found a ritual called Animæ ligare," replied Harry, lifting his nose from his book. "It allows you to link your soul to another one. If you ever die, your soul doesn't go beyond the veil but clings to that person. Voldemort would have linked his soul to one of his Death Eaters and when his body died, his soul went to possess the Death Eater."
"It's an interesting theory, but I found something else."
"What's that ?"
"It's called a Horcrux. The ritual consists of splitting one's soul into several parts and anchoring one part into an object or a person."
Harry closed his book and came to read over Hermione's shoulder. She opened her notebook and started taking notes on the subject.
"I hope that what Edward knows about Voldemort will help us sort out our theories," said Harry finally.
"Do you need some help with the potion?" asked Hermione.
"No, I've just got to add my blood again next week."
"By the way, next week's your birthday. Do you have any plan?"
Harry frowned. His summer had been particularly busy and his birthday had been his last concern. Especially since he had never had anyone to celebrate with.
"I'll bring you a cake," added Hermione as she noticed the boy's uncertainty.
"A cake? Do you want to come for my birthday?" asked Harry surprised.
"Yes, unless you don't want me to..." she answered softly.
"No! I mean yes! You can come," he replied hastily.
"Okay, I'll come then."
"But, are your parents okay with you coming here?"
"Oh yes, don't worry. You know, they work a lot and I spend most of my days alone at home reading during the holidays anyway. Besides they keep telling me that I should go out more often to meet people my age. And by the way, they want to meet you, I thought we could go together in Diagon Alley when we get our Hogwarts book list.
"Sure."
Harry was lying on his bed, his head resting on his crossed hands, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He could not get rid of the smile on his lips as he thought back to the day's events. As agreed Hermione had visited him for his birthday. They had shared the cake she had brought and she had given him a duelling textbook. They had practised some new techniques and had spent the rest of the afternoon chilling under the sun in Milton End's garden.
Hermione had been the only person to wish him a happy birthday, and even the only person to write to him all summer long. But Harry was not complaining, no one had ever wished him his birthday before. He stood up, opened the closet, and pulled out one of Dudley's old comic book. He settled on his bed and began to read.
Pop
Harry startled. He was now facing a house-elf. The creature stared for a moment at him with his large, globular eyes, then bowed and his pointed nose almost touched the floor.
"Harry Potter?" squeaked the elf. "Dobby dreamed of meeting Harry Potter for so long. It's such a great honour."
"Er..." hesitated Harry. "What are you doing here? Why did your master send you?"
"The master doesn't know Dobby's here, Harry Potter," squeaked the elf, shuddering. "Dobby will have to punish himself severely for coming to see you."
"You should go back to your master then."
"But Dobby must warn Harry Potter."
"What do you need to warn me about?"
"It's difficult..." began the elf. "Dobby came to protect Harry Potter. Harry Potter mustn't return to Hogwarts."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Harry, suddenly getting up from the bed.
The elf startled and stepped back.
"If Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, he'll be in some mortal danger," added Dobby.
"I've been in some mortal danger last year already and I survived," retorted the boy.
"But this will be terrible."
"More terrible than confronting Voldemort?"
"Don't say his name," moaned the elf, putting his hands on his ears.
"I had to fight Voldemort a second time a few months ago," explained Harry.
"But it will be horrible, and Harry Potter mustn't be at Hogwarts when these things happen."
"What's going to happen?"
"Dobby can't speak..." moaned the elf, starting to sob.
"Hush," cut off Harry. "You don't want the Muggles to hear you, don't you?"
"Harry Potter must promise Dobby he won't go back to Hogwarts."
"I won't promise anything to you, and if you can't talk about what's going on then get back to your master and leave me alone."
Harry sat back down on the bed and resumed his reading. He waited a few minutes before lifting his eyes from his comic book. The elf still had not moved. The boy's attention went back to his reading. After several minutes, Harry snapped the comic book close.
"You know you can't stay here forever," said Harry. "Your master will eventually notice you're gone and you'll have to explain yourself. You're a house-elf you've got to serve your master. If he didn't send you to me, you've got nothing to do here."
The elf froze and an expression of terror crossed his face.
"No," asserted the elf, pulling himself together. "Harry Potter must promise Dobby that he won't go back to Hogwarts."
"I won't change my mind," sighed Harry.
"But why does Harry Potter want to go back to Hogwarts?"
"Why? Because this house isn't home, and it will never be. The only place I feel at home is Hogwarts, I've got friends there."
"Friends who don't write to Harry Potter?"
"How…?"
At that moment, Dobby pulled out a bundle of letters from the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry instantly recognized Terry's handwriting on one of them. Then he thought about it. How could the elf get his mail when he had been able to receive Hermione's letters? The answer came to him then. Dobby only intercepted the letters that were delivered to Privet Drive, he could not intercept those arriving at Milton End's house. His secret was not compromised, it was a relief. The elf had to remain ignorant which meant Harry could not use Midnight to retrieve his letters. Well...or he could use Midnight to get rid of Dobby forever.
Harry's summer had started so nicely, but now things were getting out of hand. The boy sighed. Maybe if he totally ignored the elf, things would go back to normal. He reopened his comic book. After a few minutes, there was a pop and Dobby was gone, carrying with him the bundle of letters.
The next morning Harry got up early and had a quick breakfast He did not want to take the risk of being followed and it was at that moment that he fully appreciated the idea he had to always carry his invisibility cloak in his backpack. He left the house, invisible, before his uncle and his aunt got up. Once outside, he observed his surroundings. Was Dobby hiding somewhere to intercept every owl that came near the house? Harry headed towards Lower Woodside without seeing the elf. He only took off his cloak once he had reached his destination and the gate was firmly closed behind him. He rushed into the house and hastened to tell Enid about his meeting with Dobby.
"It's very strange, indeed," commented Enid. "House Elves don't behave like that usually."
"For a moment, I thought it could just be a joke from someone at Hogwarts," he suggested. "But it seemed a little big. If only I had found a way to make him tell me what was going on at Hogwarts."
"It wouldn't have worked if he had this information from his master. The magic that binds the elves to their masters is too powerful and it prevents them from revealing the secrets of the family they serve."
"What should I do then?"
"Nothing."
"But ...", replied Harry indignantly.
"I assure you there's nothing to do for now," explained the portrait. "You can't take the risk of using magic outside this house and the elf must keep ignoring this place. As long as it remains this way, you have the advantage."
"All right," conceded Harry. "And I'll keep using the cloak to come here, it's the sensible thing to do. I need to write to Hermione to tell her."
Hermione kept on visiting Harry during the summer. Surprisingly, his letter from Hogwarts had not been intercepted by the elf and a few days later he had met Hermione and her parents on Diagon Alley. They had met Terry at Mrs Guipure's and Harry had to explain to him why he could not answer his letters.
Now, Harry poured the contents of his cauldron into several vials. The brewing of Lux tenebris was complete and the potion had turned a dark red colour that emitted a faint glow. The boy sealed the bottles and put them in his cloak pocket along with Midnight and left for London.
Edward was waiting for Harry in front of the same storefront and nodded to him. The boy was about to greet him when his eyes caught the two wizards who were heading towards the Laughing Ghoul. He recognized Snape immediately. However, Harry did not know the wizard who was walking beside him. Snape glanced at the boy and the vampire before disappearing into the tavern.
"We can't have this conversation in the tavern," Harry told him.
"No, we can't," said Edward, giving Harry his arm.
Harry took a deep breath and grabbed the vampire's arm. Knockturn Alley swirled around them and Harry felt sucked in. He caught his breath as his feet anchored firmly in the sand beneath them. Edward had just brought them to the same place as last time. However, this time he guided Harry on the narrow path that snaked between two dunes.
"Who was the wizard with Snape?" asked Harry.
"Mulciber," replied Edward. "Let's say he enjoys using the Imperius, and he found a way to stay out of Azkaban."
"Mmh..."
"But don't worry, you're not his type. He prefers young girls."
The path stopped and they arrived on the beach. They settled on the rocks and Harry took out a jar in which he had enclosed a blue ball flame to give them some light.
"Show me the potion first," demanded Edward.
Harry took out a bottle from his pocket and handed it to the vampire. Edward seized it and carefully examined its contents. He gave a satisfied nod and put the bottle in his pocket. He did the same with the other bottles that Harry gave him.
"Now tell me everything you know about Voldemort," demanded Harry.
"What do you want me to begin with?" asked Edward. "By our first meeting? his real name, or maybe you want to know what made me think twice before joining him?"
"Start with the beginning."
"I met Tom in 1945," began Edward.
"Tom?"
"Tom Riddle."
"Riddle?"
"Yes, and as you just realized, this isn't a wizarding name."
"But, wasn't Voldemort a Pureblood?"
"You understand why he chose to call himself Voldemort and wanted to keep his real name a secret. At that time I was making a living from a bit of smuggling. It was the end of the war and trading with the continent had become easier again. Some countries have much more permissive laws regarding the trade of dark magic items. I was mainly dealing with Borgin and Burke. And it turned out that that year they'd just hired Tom. He'd just left Hogwarts and he had an interested in historical magical items. He was very charismatic and very attractive. He knew it and used it to conclude his deals. And then one day he disappeared.
"Disappeared?"
"Actually, he went abroad. This happened just after he failed to retrieve certain objects. Or at least that's what Borgin thinks."
"But ?"
"Borgin had sent Tom to the old Hepziba Smith, whom he thought had many valuable objects that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. Mrs Smith was her last direct descendant. Finally, Tom informed Borgin that Mrs Smith had refused to sell him these items. A few days later, Tom disappeared as the old witch was found dead at her home. An accident according to the Daily Prophet. After that Tom stayed out of the country for ten years. I got wind of his travels in Europe by my contacts on the continent. He called himself Voldemort already. Then he returned to Britain and gathered his Death Eaters. He was unrecognizable and no one then made the connection between him and Tom, the boy he was before."
"But you were able to recognize him?"
"I'm a vampire, I immediately recognized him although he was not entirely human anymore."
"What do you mean by not entirely human anymore?"
"It's hard to explain, I could feel some part of his humanity was missing. He wasn't a vampire or another creature, I'm sure of that. I could already feel it when I met him in 1945 but this time it was stronger, and above all, it was visible from everyone else."
"And what happened after that ?"
"After that, he started recruiting politically influential wizards and witches, his Death Eaters' ranks grew and then he went on with his terror policy to bend those who resisted him. As far as I was concerned, I got a job in Romania in 1969. The Dark Lord sent emissaries to the continent to recruit werewolves and vampires. This job was an opportunity I couldn't miss, so I stayed in Romania for the time being. However, in 1980 my contract wasn't renewed and I had to come back to the UK. A vampire named Stein approached me to ask me to join the Dark Lord. I didn't. And then You-Know-Who was defeated by a one-year-old baby named Harry Potter."
Harry was busy putting his clothes together and tucking them into his backpack. He was expected for lunch at the Granger's and he had to go to Milton End first so he could get his trunk and Nyx before taking the Knight Bus to London. Hermione's parents had invited Harry to spend the last two days of the holidays at home when they met him on Diagon Alley.
Harry closed his bag when he heard a pop and saw Dobby appearing in the centre of the room. Harry thought he would never see the elf again when he did not come back to find him in August. The boy let out a sigh. Dobby did not come to him at the right time.
"Dobby came back to see Harry Potter," he said, bowing.
"What do you want now?" demanded Harry tiredly.
"Harry Potter must promise not to return to Hogwarts."
"I won't promise anything," replied Harry, sitting down on his bed. "How long are you planning to stay today?"
"But it's important that Harry Potter stays away from Hogwarts, the danger will be terrible."
"You've already told me this. You just have to tell me what's going on. And so you know, the only real danger is the unknown. Tell me what's meant to happen."
"There ... There's a plot ..."
And on this last word the elf burst into tears. He grabbed the bedside lamp and slammed it violently and repeatedly on his head. Then Harry heard footsteps coming from the hallway and the door was burst opened. Aunt Petunia squealed when she saw the elf. Dobby froze, dropped the lamp and disappeared with a pop.
"Harry!" yelled his aunt. "How dare you bring such monster under my roof?"
"I didn't bring him here," he replied. "He just appeared in my room."
"You are the one I want to see disappear," she roared.
"I will. See you next summer."
It was half-past ten when Harry and the Grangers arrived at the entrance to platform 9 ¾. They stopped on the side and let a group pass and disappear through the barrier.
"It was nice to meet you, Harry," said Mrs. Granger with a smile.
"Thank you for having me," he replied. "Goodbye Mrs Granger, Mr Granger."
"Bye, Harry."
Harry waited for Hermione to say goodbye to her parents and then pushed his trolley towards the barrier. He glanced behind his shoulder and saw that Hermione had stopped to wave one last time at her parents. He looked again in front of him ... and with a deafening crash, the trolley violently hit the barrier.