Hey everyone!
Next chapter's up! Oh, and it won't be just Dumbledore reading the page, mind you, he will also take action regarding what he reads and I will get a little Lea action in on this chapter as well – mostly because I really love writing about the guy. So there will be plenty of content this chapter and I hope you like it.
Enjoy,
Venquine1990
Chapter 08
The Auror And Shopping
27th of January 1996
Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts
Dumbledore's POV
To say that I am worried about the current state of affairs would be to say that the debacle between Gryffindor and Slytherin is but a playground squabble. Both Harry and Sirius have gone missing and while part of me hopes that this is done by magic itself to help the two, do I worry for the fact no one knows how they went missing.
Both of them just disappeared from their beds during the night and other than a very strange reading of Light and Dark magic that has somehow been combined into one and used as some form of magical transportation, do we have absolutely no leads as the other end of the transportation leads into nothingness.
Still, I know that my worries for the two are nothing compared to how worried Remus, Mss. Granger, Misters Weasley and – quite unexpectedly – Mr. Longbottom are as Mss. Granger has even been excused by Poppy not to return to classes until Mr. Potter has returned as the girl seems just too concerned to remain focused.
I know, naturally, that this is also aggravating to the girl as she must have hoped to calm her nerves temporarily with what she loves and trusts in, yet it seems as if the Weasley siblings have taken it upon themselves to share their worries with her as a sign that she is not the only one and to help her steel her nerves.
Feeling very proud of how these four have found each other, can I not help but wonder why Mr. Longbottom hasn't sought out the same comradery with the four Weasleys as Mss. Granger. However it seems as if Mr. Longbottom is a little more confident in my wish for Mr. Potter's disappearance to be a good sign for his fellow Griffin.
Others, however, seem to have taken the young lad's disappearance completely different and it pains and angers me to think how some of Mr. Potter's year mates are even secretly celebrating the lad having left in mysterious ways, secretly because when Mss. Granger found an open party, she went berserk on the party-goers.
Shaking my head at the students that were actually taken to Madam Pomfrey for several bruises and even a few calming draughts as Mss. Granger had shouted at them like a banshee, had I silently praised the young woman for her loyalty, while ordering Minerva to turn a blind eye to the girl's actions and her victims.
My Gryffindor Head of House had been only too happy to do so and while she had visited her wounded lions, had she shown them no mercy herself either and had she told them that their behavior was a disgrace to the House of the Loyal and the Brave and that she would take points if she caught them at this behavior a second time.
Then suddenly does a note – that seems to be a clipping from a book – appear before me, the magic of it shocking me in its intensity and power and I quickly swish my wand over the paper to make certain I don't get harmed, before taking the page as it floats in front of me above my desk and straighten my glasses as I read.
Reading the few paragraphs, do I feel shock entering me just at the very first as I read the word Dursley and instantly I know this is some kind of page from a story about Mr. Potter's youth. Deciding that this must be part of the reason as to why Mr. Potter vanished, do I store this new knowledge in the back of my mind as I read on.
Then I read the words very strange strangers and I feel worry enter my heart as this part of the book seems to be about Mr. Potter's youth before he came to Hogwarts and I think: "Could it be that my protections weren't waterproof after all?" And while this is not the first time I wondered this, do I still continue to read.
I read of the strangers Harry apparently met and worry enters my heart as their behavior clearly indicates that these people are indeed magical and then I halt at the description of the last as I recognize it before reading what he did that day and my heart stops as I realize that Kingsley met Harry and never spoke of it.
At this I lie the paper down on my desk in shock, before my common-sense rears up and I grab it again, rushing to my collection of ancient tomes and hiding the page in one of the stories about Ancient Families and how they lived in comparison to Muggle families during the time of Medieval fights and conquests.
Knowing that the page will be safe there, do I decide that – at long last – I need to check up on how Mr. Potter grew up and whether or not Kingsley ever told anyone else about his meeting with the young lad, not to mention how he even came to know of his living residence in the first place as that is the most worrisome of all.
Taking the string that I have around my neck that has only a single crystallized tear drop hanging down from it, do I clasp my hand around the drop and whisper the password to activate it before making certain I call my Ministerial spy to Headquarters, already knowing that the man is still faking to look for Sirius.
Then I turn to my trusted Phoenix and while hoping that the experienced Auror will think of using a similar way to get to Headquarters undetected, do I nod at the bird. The avian spreads its mighty wings, flies from its perch and then activates its Flame Transport Ability as it soars above me, my hands grasping its talons as it does.
Arriving at Headquarters is the first person I see not Molly as I had expected – and slightly hoped for – but Remus, who has refused to do any more Order missions until he knows his friend is safe, something only Severus had scoffed at, but that the rest of us had understood, seeing the danger Sirius faces outside these walls.
The man senses my arrival as he paces in front of the fireplace of the kitchen and instantly asks: "Any news?" But I shake my head and say: "Only news that doesn't revolve around our missing member, I'm afraid." The man sighs and mutters: "At least Kingsley confirmed he's not in the Holding cells or Azkaban for that matter."
And while this is indeed a relief for the both of us, do I know that Remus will continue to worry until he either receives a missive from Sirius himself or until some outsider starts blabbing about the man and what could have happened to him, something that made me order all of my members to keep their ears sharp all the time.
Minerva and Hagrid had promised me to keep a clear ear open on the Hogwarts grapevine and I had nodded at this and had told them I would order the portraits to report to my office were they to receive any news whatsoever. I had then send a letter to the students involved with the Order and had given them the same orders.
Molly had not been happy that I had ordered her kids around or that I had – as she called it – let them get involved, yet I had told her that they were already involved as they stayed at Headquarters during breaks and because both Harry and Sirius were missing and even Molly was not able to dismiss the bond between the two.
Then Kingsley arrives, entering from the front door and saying: "I used Muggle transport. I think I saw Malfoy look at me suspiciously when I left my boot, but when he saw me use the Visitor's Entrance, did he leave me be. He probably thinks I'm on some fake mission to keep the Aurors off of Sirius' trail."
And Remus softly mutters: "Wherever he is." And we both nod in worry before Kingsley says: "I made sure to get a good walk through the entire ministry while getting my lunch. Not a single department knows that Sirius is outside Headquarters. I think it's safe to say the Ministry has nothing to do with his disappearance."
And while this does relieve some of my worries, do I still silently wish that Severus was being summoned by Voldemort as he is the other valid option of where Sirius could have disappeared to, especially because everyone in the Order knows that – while here – Kreacher is more loyal to Narcissa than Sirius.
This worries me, even if I have yet to voice these worries to my fellow members, mostly because I don't want to burden the worries of my only Werewolf member even more and while I had silently summoned Kreacher once the meeting was over, had the Elf been under Truth Oath and told me he had nothing to do with this.
This, while making the chances of Voldemort having caught the man smaller, has not brought me any closer as to where my missing member is and while I know that I should worry for Harry as much as Sirius, do I try to gather courage and confidence from the fact that they both went missing on the exact same night once again.
I then mentally shake my head and ask: "Remus, is your room available?" And the man waves me away, once again pacing in front of the fire place, while he had temporarily stopped at Kingsley's entrance and I lead the Auror up the several staircases and up to the werewolf's room where I instantly get down to business.
"Kingsley, just a few minutes before I called you, did I receive a page from a book that describes Harry's life. However, it took me only a few simple paragraphs to realize that this was not one of those books that publishers send out into the world to – as they say – float along on Harry's fame, this was the real deal."
This worries the man and he asks: "You know I met him when he was eight." I nod and the man sighs, sitting down on Remus' bed as he says: "Albus, it was just a coincidence. I was honeymoon shopping for my wife and you know how much she loves Muggle stuff, so I went to an Antique Boutique that Arthur recommended me.
I was in that boutique and was examining some old furniture that apparently came from some large world war or something when I gazed through the window and saw him entering the super market on the other side of the street. In the time it took him to go shopping, did I push him out of my mind and bought my gift.
I hadn't expected to run into him again, but while leaving the shop, did my wife call me and tell me she was out of eggs as we had a bad year with our chickens. I decided to buy some myself, but when I walked to the supermarket, did he and his aunt leave. I just – I had to see if he was the real deal, so I approached him."
At this I feel ever so relieved to hear how this event occurred and I ask: "And you never spoke with anyone about this meeting?" And Kingsley shakes his head and says: "Only with Remus and my wife and only after they both swore an oath not to speak of this to anyone else. I am the only one magically able to do so."
This makes me smile at the man and I sigh in relief as I say: "Thank you for informing me, Kingsley. The problem is that you are not the only one who Harry met and I worry for how the others that I read about found out about his address." This makes Kingsley turn grim and he says: "I'll take that as my new mission then."
And I nod before the man leaves and mutters: "Need to do something when I'm not pretending to find some lunatic mass murderer after all." And while I can't help the chuckle that escapes me at hearing this, do the words not quall my worries over how Harry's hidden living residence have become known to the two other people I read about.
At the same time
Mysterious Tower
Lea's POV
I'm not sure what has been happening to the little angel and the other three I picked up from their locations on Destiny's Orders, but I do feel glad that Destiny gave me permission to reassure the others that worried over their locations as Kairi had instantly alarmed Master Yen Sid after realizing her friends were missing.
The girl had been confused and shocked to hear that I had been given orders by Destiny herself, yet she had also been amused and relieved and had even gone so far as to say: "Might actually get those two together for once!" Shocking me as none of us had expected for Riku and Sora to have an eye on each other. I myself had definitely known that there wasn't anything romantic between Sora and Kairi or Kairi and Riku, but I never thought of the two lads as together.
The girl herself had been exasperated by seeing our shock and had told us all about the signs she had been picking up on since their reunion in the World that Never Was, the reunion itself having been the biggest clue of all, coming from Sora's side as he had cried his heart out at realizing he had finally found Riku again. She had also emphasized on how Riku just thought it all great fun to protect Sora from danger, but worried for her every time she got threatened.
In the end, after hearing about all the hints the girl had picked up on, had I felt kind of stupid for not seeing them myself and Yen Sid had agreed with Kairi that their need to bond could very well be the whole reason why they had been taken – that is, until I told them all that Destiny had told me about all four of my targets.
Both Kairi and Yen Sid as well as Donald, Goofy and Mickey are shocked deeply as they hear of how Destiny developed, what she knew of Xehanort and how even she wished to end him. Their unhappiness at how she did it is obvious, yet like myself, do the five of them acknowledge that the plan did indeed work.
"So now Sora is with his father, younger brother and he can get together with Riku? Is that it?" Kairi asks and I nod, before suddenly the room around as turns as white as my own did when Destiny first called onto me and while my companions shout and scream in shock, do I only raise an eyebrow as to why this would happen.
"Lea, I know of your feelings and so do those in my Room. Expand on that. I will give you the tools required and send you to where you can fulfill this mission, but you must follow your own instincts and what you have learned of your precious cargo as you brought him to my Room." The voice of Destiny then sounds.
This shocks and intrigues me and I ask: "How exactly did that little dreamer find out about me?" And Destiny answers: "His line has existed for as long as it has thanks to myself and my sister Amore." And this tells me everything I have to know, my heart soaring and beating in pure joy as it means I am meant for the little flame. The possibility of this has been something that I have greatly enjoyed fantasizing about ever since coming back from my mission.
Then the Light disappears again, but instead of being in the Master's Tower, are we suddenly in Radiant Garden and while I feel some kind of group of items filling one of my pockets, do I look around and realize that – for some reason – Destiny has send the five of us to the Shopping District of my home world.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Donald then angrily asks and I decided to take a gander at what tools Destiny provided me with, feeling confused and intrigued as I pull several bags of money out of my pocket, before looking up and straight into the front window of the most popular clothing store of Radiant Garden.
Raising an eyebrow in amused interest, do I say: "It seems we need to go shopping for my little partner.""Shopping? For what?" Goofy then asks and I motion for the clothing store as I say: "It seems my little partner needs a new wardrobe and we're ordered to get him one. Wonder why, though." I mutter softly at the end.
But as I do, do I suddenly see something before my mind's eye and my eyes widen as I see my little mate wearing either robes that I can tell are part of a mandatory uniform or baggy clothes that would sooner fit a Large Body Heartless, but that my precious little flame seems to have resigned himself to wearing nonetheless.
Feeling enraged that anyone would force my little flame to hide his body like that, do I again hear Destiny whisper within my ear as she says: "There is one other thing you must know, Lea. In order for everyone to believe what your flame believed, did his parents glamour his looks to make certain no one would guess his true parentage."
This both angers me as no parent should be forced to do something like that and intrigues me as I wonder how my little mate will look once the glamours have dropped and then I decide to take action. I turn to my fellow shoppers and ask: "Did Destiny provide you with a vision of how my little flame looks, guys?"
All four of them nod and I nod back, throwing each of them a bag and say: "Then let's go shopping." And the five of us head in, Donald apparently heading for the equipment and protective gear, Goofy wandering over to the accessories, Mickey walking over to the protective jewelry and Kairi going off to find a sales clerk.
I smile at how – even without discussing game plans – the four of them actually divide the necessary jobs of getting my mate a new wardrobe flawlessly and then I decide to follow Destiny's orders and to just follow my instincts, browsing through the racks of cloths and imagining with each piece how it will look on my precious.
And with each piece that I find, do images and fantasies of us doing something together, growing closer together and having fun together enter my mind. I also keep in mind how his father looks and try to envision him with looks that resemble his father a little more, allowing me for even more incredible options and I quickly share this description with the others.
Then suddenly, do I pass something that catches my eye right as I pass it and when I look at it more closely, does a large smile grow to adorn my face as – while the outfit is stationed on a mannequin – I can already imagine how amazing the outfit will look on Harry – and how happy he will be when I present it to him.
Okay, another Cliffie!
Yes, I hate them too, but I they will come up from time to time. Now for the changes. There really weren't all that many, which is surprising seeing as how Lea was in this chapter, but the situation itself just didn't call for it. I could have expended the chapter or worked on a little summary of what Lea did before he was called to the tower, but I didn't think that'd be all that interesting.
Also, I know that in the last chapter it was assumed that Hagrid was the one to have told Kingsley, but the whole Don't Get Hagrid Drunk Or He'll Spill Your Secrets plot was just so outdone and overused I couldn't do it. I might for one of the other people that met Harry when he was young, but I'll try not to.
Okay, enjoy,
Venquine1990
