Hey everyone,
So instead of Sora, I am going to give a bit of this chapter to Ron, who is going to make a discovery not unlike the one he made about Hagrid a few chapters ago. It is actually another something that REALLY makes me hate the OotP book, even more than I hate the movie and I hate the movie for showing Sirius' death the way they did.
You bastards,

Venquine1990


Chapter 43
Maps And Secrets

14th of August 1995
Potter Place, England
Ron's POV

I don't know why, but as Lupin walks away with Kingsley, James and Sirius, there is something about him that really makes me feel angry and upset, even if the man hasn't done anything at all to cause this. "You okay, Ron?" Sora asks and I mutter: "I don't know why, but Lupin is – pissing me off – for no reason at all."
The others all look at me confused and Riku says: "Maybe he pulled a lowlife stunt like Hagrid did. You know, in the book. Maybe that's what's got you so upset with him." I nod at the silver-haired boy, agreeing that what he says could be a possibility and think: "What could Lupin, in the book, do that would piss me off?"
And as I enter the house, do I think of everything I know of the man. "He's a Marauder, he's a great teacher, he taught Harry the Patronus charm, he's a werewolf, he took and gave Harry back the –." And instantly it hits me like a Reducto curse in the chest, causing me to stand still and for my eyes to grow almost wider than their sockets.

"You figured it out?" Hermione asks and I nod as I say: "The Map." The others look confused, but I say: "The Marauders Map. It's supposed to show everyone at Hogwarts at all times. But Sirius had to tell us that we were being watched by Dung and that probably didn't just happen at Hogsmeade, but at Hogwarts too."
And the twins are the first to catch on as they turn angry and chorus: "So how is it Harry didn't know about this until Sirius told him? How is it he didn't see anyone on the Map following him when he went to check on the Room for the first time?" And I growl: "Because Lupin, who knows the Map inside-out, altered it."

Yet then suddenly Sora takes off at a run, tears shining in the air behind him and we all look at this shocked as Riku says: "I'll go check up on him." And he dashes off after his mate. "You don't think Sora's angry over Lupin altering the Map, do you?" Hermione asks, but I shake my head and say: "It doesn't seem like him.
I think – I think the revelation I made – made him make a revelation of his own. One that seems to really bother him." Hermione nods and while we both obviously wonder what that could be, does Mrs. Longbottom step up and say that she will take over as Hostess until Sora and her grandson return and she leads us inside.

In the meantime
On the Grounds
Sora's POV

"THAT NO-GOOD, UNBELIEVABLE, INEXCUSABLE, UNFORGIVABLE BASTARD!" This and other curses aimed at Albus Dumbledore and his Order of the Bleeding Bastards are going through my head as I am now tracing my brother's footsteps, running across the edge of our land and just wanting to get away from it all.
Especially the house itself as the knowledge that Dumbledore is inside is like a stab to the back and I just know I can't go back inside until I have run all of this anger out of my system. Only then do I suddenly realize that I am not running on my own and I look behind me. Riku is right there behind me, looking worried and concerned.
I slow my pace down, but don't stop running and he catches up as he asks: "What happened? Why'd you run off like that, Sora?" I grimace and mutter: "He knew. In the book, at the point where we are. Dumbledore – or book-Dumbledore – knew. He knew, Riku. HE KNEW AND HE DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!"

Yet Riku doesn't seem able to catch on and I tear up again as I say: "The Map, the guard. They're supposed to be there to keep Harry safe, right? SO WHY AREN'T THEY KEEPING HIM SAFE FROM UMBRIDGE AND HER BLOODY QUILLS? Why are they spying on him, but not doing their actual FREAKING JOB!"
Riku falters in his running, obviously feeling horrified with the realization of what I'm telling him and I turn my head away as I say: "I want to believe that they didn't know. That she's keeping them out of her office in some way or that Dumbledore doesn't want them following him in there for risk of her finding out about them.
But then what's the point of them being there, if SHE is practically the MAIN reason he needs guards? WHY HAVE GUARDS WHEN YOU DON'T WANT THEM GUARDING THEIR TARGET AT THE ONE POINT HE IS MOST AT RISK!?" And at this I am suddenly tackled, causing me to fall on my front.

I turn around on my back, but Riku moves with me and actually grabs my arms, holding them above my head. This shocks me and Riku says: "Sora, stop it! You can't let this beat you. Fight it, Sora." And only then do I notice it. While Riku has his hands on top of mine, is there something going through my hair, something dangerous.
I realize what it is and turn inward, focusing on the anger in my heart and replacing it with the great amounts of love I feel for Riku and my family. And the movement in my hair vanishes, making my wild hair lie down again and I hear Riku sigh in relief. "How – how did that happen?" I ask, shocked that I had Darkness on my form.
"Think about it, Sora. What is going on in the other Universe right now? What is your – younger self going through right now?" Riku asks, looking me intensely in the eye, as if he is trying to see even more evidence through my eyes that I have repelled the Darkness and I gasp as I whisper: "The Organization. It's manipulating him."

Riku nods and says: "And because they are making him susceptible to Darkness, are you susceptible to it right now as well. So from now on, Sora, if you make another realization like this, don't dwell on it, but act on it. Fix it, so that the darkness it excludes can't affect you." I nod at him and whisper: "Sorry I worried you."
But Riku softly pecks my lips and whispers: "You had every right to be angry and normally, this wouldn't be happening. We just need to be more careful from now on, at least for the next couple of days to weeks. It'll probably be over before we go to Hogwarts though." I nod and say: "Let's go report to Dumbledore."
And with the love of my life pulling me up and then pulls me close against his form as he whispers: "Leave your darkness with me, Sora. You just be my Brilliant Light as always." And while I once more love the fact that he has accepted the Darkness within him, do we return to the house that is now my new home.

In the house
Albus' POV

Hagrid is obviously very shocked and confused at the surroundings he came back to, but I don't feel like informing him just yet as I feel very hurt and betrayed over the fact that Hagrid never told me the full story about an event that brought Harry great hardship. And the fact that Hagrid even made things worse doesn't help.
"After all, he didn't dare to speak up and make things right for the son of his late friends, but he had no trouble joining in wrongful actions. No, I can't let Hagrid believe he did right that night, not anymore. Forget that he kept things a secret from me, joining in on Minerva doing wrong and hurting Harry is worse."

I think to myself as I take Hagrid to the dungeon of the Manor and over to the same room as where Percival gave us his report on Molly and Ginerva. Here I sigh as I know that this conversation won't be any better than that one. I turn to Hagrid and the man instantly notices that I am not happy with him as he asks:
"Is something wrong, sir?""As you know, Hagrid, we just read of you telling future Harry and his friends about your adventure with the giants, though this story does not include Lea or any of the other new people and beings you saw when you arrived here. This story features a future where many truths were kept from us, Hagrid.

One of them being that Molly is actually a – not a Dark Witch or even a Death Eater, but someone even worse than them, even worse than Pettigrew." The man looks at me shocked and I sigh as I say: "Molly, Hagrid, is responsible for a crime worse than murder. She saved James Potter, only hold his captive for years without telling a soul."
The man actually stumbles through his own legs at this and asks: "Wait, Harry – he – he – he was never – never –?" I shake my head and say: "No, he was never an orphan, Hagrid, but not just because James was never dead. Apparently Sirius is a Veela and James has been his mate for years. They just never told anyone."
"Why not?" Hagrid asks and I answer: "Because of Sirius' mother, Hagrid. The hold she had over all of the Black line as well as a lot of the Magical World and the way she played a part in the war made them afraid of what would happen to either of them if she found out. They just didn't think they'd have a foot to stand on.
And seeing how much Sirius already hated the ways his mother tried to lead his life, he just didn't want to risk that happening to the relationship and future he wanted to have with James, so they never told anyone – other than Lily. And what is more is that – Harry isn't an only child, apparently he has an older brother."

And this seems to cheer the man up a little, yet I decide that now is the best moment to get to the core of the issue. "However, while Sora is truly a one of a child young man, has young Ronald told him something that will make it a lot harder for you to get him to be as loyal to you as Harry has been all these years, I assure you."
The man looks shocked and confused and I frown at him as I say: "Apparently, when Harry was in his First and you told me everything you did wrong in regards to Fluffy, Norbert and the Stone, you didn't tell me everything you did wrong. You even kept one very important fact from not just me, but Minerva, especially when it mattered.
Didn't you, Hagrid?" The man seems to realize what I am talking about as he is rubbing the back of his neck and the bits of his face that are seen through his bruises and bushy hair and beard are red with shame. I frown at the man and say: "I don't even mind the fact that you kept your involvement in all it a secret, Hagrid.

That is not what bothers me. What bothers me – is that you went along with Minerva, even though you knew it wasn't Harry who was in the wrong, who was responsible. That was you, Hagrid, and the fact that you went along with a punishment you knew wasn't right. That is what bothers me about all this, about what you did.
Ronald has been keeping this fact, the fact that you never spoke up when Minerva gave off that crazy excuse for the point loss, and trust me I will speak to her about that, secret from Harry, because he knows it might make Harry hate going to Hogwarts, seeing you were the first person to ever be nice to him and his first friend.
You mean more to that young Potter boy, Hagrid, than you seem to have realized in all these years. And I think it's high time you actually do start realizing that. That you start appreciating the gem you were given when that broken young man put his trust in you and started defending you, even when you didn't deserve it.
Let me make this as clear as I can for you, Hagrid. The boy who risked his life and hide to clear your name of what happened 50 years ago – is the same one you sent out to hunt down a u-ni-corn kil-ler not even a year earlier. And he doesn't even hold that against you, because of his undying, faithful loyalty to you.

And while I know that you have that same sense of loyalty to me, Hagrid, do I think it's time you start expanding on the list of people you do that for. Am I understood?" By now Hagrid looks so filled with shame, he looks about my actual height as he has shrunk down with his cringing quite a lot and he mutters: "Yes – yes sir."
I nod at him, only to feel curious when suddenly a knock is at the door. "Come in." I say and Sora and Riku come in. And the look on their faces makes me know this just can't be good. "Professor, we made a new discovery – about something that wasn't written in the book, but did happen in that alternate future."
Riku tells me and Sora says: "And it really isn't pretty – nor does it make the Order look any better than you did when you wanted dad back at London." I grimace at this, having truly seen that Sirius really is better off here as the man has improved in health and strength more in the last few days than he did all summer.

"What is it, boys?" I gently ask them, trying to ignore how Hagrid is obviously holding back from scolding the two and Sora asks: "Remember how, in the chapter about Educational Degree #24, dad told Harry about Dung being there with them at the meeting? Surely it wasn't just Dung and surely that wasn't just at Hogsmeade."
And Riku goes on from where his partner left off as he asks: "But if it wasn't, and if Harry was using the Map not even a chapter later, then how come the story didn't mention that? Surely Harry would be searching the Map for potential guards before going to the Room, just to make sure they really weren't being followed or tracked.
So how come the story didn't mention any of this? Unless –." And while the two don't say it, do I realize where they are going and sigh as I say: "Unless I, in my infinite wisdom, thought it a bad idea again for Harry to know he was being kept safe. Goodness Merlin, boys, do you know what this means?" The two nod, but I ask:
"Do you really? Because it implicates a lot more than I think you two realize. It doesn't just mean that I enchanted – or had someone, probably Remus, enchant – the Map to keep them secret, I also had to either myself or let that person break into your brother's dorm and trunk, just to get to that Map and get that enchantment on it.

And that would mean that I am – or that the future me is – letting full-grown adults into the dorms of fifteen year old boys. Ugh, I can only hope that those I put of Harry Guard Duty actually have the common decency not to go that far." Yet at this Sora and Riku share a look and the way they do doesn't bode well.
"We can think of one person, who is part of the Harry Guard Duty, who will probably see a benefit in this that he won't be able to refuse. Especially seeing – the very first chapter." And these three words make me groan and mumble: "Please get Augusta. I rather tell her myself than have her realize this on her own." And the two boys nod.

"Sir." Hagrid wants to try, but I say: "No Hagrid. Like many others, I am one of Molly's victims. I am suffering from what Alastor deduced to be a Heartstamp Spell. And seeing how heartless and immoral she is, I can easily see her influence me to be the same. And no, Hagrid, I am not strong enough to resist that spell.
That spell is the whole reason Andromeda Tonks is here. She is the only one able to both see and cure us of this spell and she has already diagnosed all of us – Harry, Sirius, Arthur, his kids, Hermione and myself – with this spell. She has also already healed both young Hermione and Harry of it and I will probably get my chance soon too."
I then turn to Sora and Riku, who are still here, and sigh as I say: "Until then, we can trust no one, Hagrid. No one, but those sent to us by Master Yen Sid. As they come from a place where Molly was never able to put this spell on them. Their minds, hearts and bodies are clean and their morals and common sense are still intact.
They are the ones we must trust and listen to, Hagrid, if we want to win this war as soon as possible." The man looks at me, shocked and baffled at the fact that I am admitting to a weakness this strong in front of him and Sora says: "I don't think Aunt Andy is going to have a hard time curing you, sir." Making me smile at him gratefully.


I hope so, Sora.
Yeah, writing about the whole thing with Hagrid made me realize this. Hagrid not just kept his mouth shut, he JOINED IN on Minerva being in the wrong and endangered Harry to boot. HELP! Never let Sirius know this! He'll rip Hagrid to shred for putting his precious baby boy in such a dangerous position, for sure!
Next chapter: Sirius and the others return and everyone decides that they should continue reading. However, while this will be the chapter where I will finally wake Harry up, is it also going to be a chapter that will make everyone, his parents especially, wish he had stayed asleep just that little bit longer, another chapter or so.
Whooooo boy,

Venquine1990