Chapter ten
'You're right, you and Voldemort have the same ancestors,' Arthur sat on one of the sofas, 'Hermione and Ron are right Harry, between the family connections, the soul connection, the blood connection and bond, that's the reason you felt it so strongly. If Voldemort had any family still living, they could have felt what you did, but using your blood actually doubled that bond. Think of it this way, the twins have a special bond because they shared a womb. They feel each other, they know what the other is thinking, and they know when one is hurt. You and Voldemort have that type of bond because of the family connection, along with sharing his soul for so long and the fact he was reborn using your blood, families blood that also had the love protection your mother gave you. So if he had a relative out there, they would feel something, just not as strong as you do.'
'Answer this mate, after Kingsley, McGonagall, Flitwick and Hermione tried all types of severing charms on you to break that connection, you told Kingsley to use the cruciatus curse, why?' Ron asked.
'I just felt that if good magic couldn't break the bond, then dark magic might. The dark magic holding me was cancelled out the moment the dark magic connected with it. It's like with magnets, you can't get them near each other because there basically the same, they cancel each other out, it was the same with this,' Harry leant against the fireplace staring at Gryffindor's name, 'I think you're right, he's not there, it's just the fact so much of him and me were connected and for so long, the dark magic wanted to hold onto something familiar.'
'Was it hurting you at all because all we saw was you struggling to get out of the bonds?' Charlie asked.
'No, I never felt any pain, it was tight, that's all, but I felt the dark magic.'
'Then it was just the fact that piece of dark magic that is still in that area felt something familiar and connected with it, and made it latch on to you.'
'Okay, so I don't think he has any soul out there anymore, but it does mean I have dark magic inside me.'
'Maybe not Harry, it could just be the fact that he used your blood to give himself life and the fact that you did share souls for a while. That is what I suspect the Unspeakable will find tomorrow.'
'Let's hope your right Mr. Weasley,' Harry looked back at the brick fireplace, 'While we're here, this house, Godric Gryffindor's house, people have been trying to find it for hundreds of years, then add the fact that because of what happened to my parents here, it's a curiosity, people still visit. Maybe I should see about opening it up to the public, but using strong enchantments to keep his and some of my parent's belongings safe. Sort of like in the hall of prophecy, only someone that has a name on one of those orbs can remove it, those types of enchantments.'
'You could Harry, that is something that you should talk over with Minerva and Kingsley.'
'I might, but I know one thing, hang on,' Harry ran up the stairs with everyone watching him.
'What is he up to?' Charlie asked.
'You're guess is as good as ours Charlie. We might have known him longer, but you're sharing a bed with him.' Ron said.
'We share more than a bed, the rug in front of the fireplace gets used a lot,' Charlie chuckled as Harry ran back downstairs.
'Remind me never to floo directly into your place,' Hermione said.
'No, owl first or you might see our two naked backsides.' Charlie said but smiled at Harry who was smiling, 'Now what are you up to Potter?'
Harry chuckled then sat beside Mrs. Weasley, took her hand then placed something in it, the others all saw Molly's eyes widen then tears started to fall.
'Oh Harry, are you sure?' Molly asked as she stared at what Harry had placed in her hand.
'Absolutely, you were my mother for years Mrs. Weasley, you've got grandkids now, you're going to have more with the size of your family, all this will be put to good use.'
'Harry, what did you give Molly?' Arthur asked.
Harry looked at Molly who answered, 'He gave me all his baby furniture, except the mattress.'
'Harry mate, are you sure about this?'
'Positive Ron, it helps you're parents and since they did practically raise me it's what I want to do and something I can do. It'll just sit here otherwise and if I do open this place up to the public, I'm enough of a curiosity for people, I don't want them gawking at my baby bed knowing what happened.'
'We have a room set up for Victoire to sleep in, we cleaned up all the old baby stuff that was down in the shed. Ginny was the last to use it, but all the kids used that cot. Fleur is pregnant again and I have a feeling we're about to hear from one of the others, so a second set of furniture will come in handy,' Arthur said.
'Then I know this stuff will be put to good use. I might go to the post office and send an owl to Minerva, see if we can meet up and discuss this.'
'You can use Alifrey to send your letter Harry,' Molly said smiling at him, she placed all the shrunken furniture into her pocket than hugged him, 'Thank you, maybe one day your children will sleep in your old cot.'
'Okay, that's going a bit far, I'm not ready to be a parent. Spending time with Teddy will be great, but me a father,' Harry shuddered.
'You'll make a great father Harry, a very protective one,' Hermione smirked.
'Yeah, I wouldn't mind you knocking me up Potter, but you're right, not yet, maybe in a few years,' Charlie said.
'Okay, too much serious talk here.'
'Oh Harry, one day,' Hermione shook her head in amusement.
'Maybe,' Harry shrugged, 'Right now I'm having too much fun.'
'Which we understand, you never had a childhood either with those relatives of yours or at Hogwarts. All you ever had was danger and abuse, so enjoy your time while you can. Now how about we head back to the Burrow for lunch and more wedding plans?' Arthur said.
The group nodded, then all headed out of the house. Harry resealed it, then walked slowly through Godric's Hollow until they came to a dark alleyway, where Hermione and Ron apparated the Grangers, Molly and Arthur left, then Harry looked at Charlie before they apparated away. But they had seen the difference in Harry, he didn't look scared or vulnerable, so hopefully what they worked out and talked about and the unspeakable will give him the last bit of reassurance he needs.
Harry was again sitting at the table in the Burrow's kitchen with Charlie next to him. Hermione and Ron opposite even though Ron was supposed to be at work, he wanted to be here for Harry to see what the unspeakable said. Arthur, Molly, Jean and Herbert were also sitting at the table still going over wedding plans. When they heard a knock at the door, Arthur got up and let Kingsley, Minerva and an elderly man inside.
'Everyone, this is Elijah Carter, Elijah, this is Arthur and Molly Weasley, Jean and Herbert Granger, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Charlie Weasley and of course Harry Potter.' everyone shook hands with the unspeakable, 'Harry, he did a thorough test on that area, there is only residual effects of the dark magic from the killing curse.'
Harry slumped feeling relieved, 'Okay, so what happened to me then?'
'If you allow me to perform a few tests on you Mr. Potter, I will be able to explain why that happened,' Elijah said.
'It's Harry and I should explain something else. Kingsley did you tell Elijah about the soul?'
'Yes, I knew he needed to know but he is also bound by magic of being an unspeakable that he cannot speak of it.'
'Thanks, okay, apart from having his soul or a piece of soul inside me for almost seventeen years, when he returned, when I was fourteen he used my blood as part of the dark spell to bring him back,' Harry pulled up his sleeve, 'That's where Pettigrew sliced my arm open to get my blood, but there's more.'
'Can I see your arm Harry?' Elijah asked.
'Sure,' Harry kept his arm out and watched as the old man first stared at it then moved his wand over the long ragged looking scar until he faded, 'Oh god, it's practically gone, thanks.'
'You're welcome, now go on.'
'Okay, my ancestors, one of them was Ignotus Peverell, Voldemort's ancestor was Cadmus Peverell, the older brother to Ignotus, there was a middle brother, I don't remember his name.'
'So you and Voldemort were connected through family blood, the soul and your blood when he returned. That actually explains a lot already. The soul or horcrux is the most dangerous and disturbing of all dark magic. He split his soul seven times, one of those was in you. Add the fact that he had your blood, literally your blood will make you feel any dark magic he was involved in more than any other. You seemed to feel dark magic, but you would not be affected by it unless it was done by Voldemort. The affect you felt in the great hall was one of the worst you will feel, the other is falling unconscious, anywhere up to three days. Now since the killing curse is very dark magic it's not as dark as a horcrux, which is why you were bound and did not pass out.'
'Sometimes his anger would make me pass out, but not for that long, usually just a few minutes.'
'So you felt what he felt, did you feel that in your scar?'
'Yes, a white hot pain would shoot through my head.'
'Yes, as that is where the horcrux was created that is where you would feel the pain. Now the minister explained that you allowed him to use the killing curse on you the night he died, do you have another lightning shaped scar?'
Harry nodded, then undid his shirt, 'It's opposite and larger.'
'Yes, I expected that because the first was when the soul entered you, this one was when it left you. Have you ever had pain in that scar?'
'No, never.'
'That is your proof right there Harry, if he had even the slightest piece of soul out there somewhere, you would feel it in either scar, probably your head though. But let me tell you this, we examined his body thoroughly and over a whole year. We performed many tests on him and the horcruxes, even the snake. We knew by our results that there was one small piece of his soul not accounted for, you. After the minister explained what happened I went over my results again, the six horcruxes we have in the department of mysteries and you make up his whole soul, he had none left. Once I do a couple of simple test on you I can show you that the small piece that had been inside you was what was missing from him, the last piece.'
'Okay, that makes me feel better knowing he can't return again. So what I saw, that was just what was left of his body but with no soul?'
'Saw, can you explain what you mean by that?'
'When he used the killing curse that night, in the forbidden forest, we were both knocked out. But I went somewhere, I saw him, what was left of him. I didn't know that at first, but Dumbledore told me, he'd been waiting for me to explain things.'
'Describe what he looked like?'
'Small, um about the size of a two year old, a lot smaller than Teddy who's four. Um, disfigured, red, he had no skin, it was just bones, tendons and muscles, all that and he was groaning in pain.'
'Yes, that is what he would look like, but a child, and that surprises me.'
'Why?' Harry asked.
'The age he looked was the age when he first lost his humanity, not his soul, but his ability to love, his ability to care about anything apart from himself.'
'See, I don't get why he turned out like that. He had a much better childhood than I did. He was looked after and fed at the orphanage, I was hit, mistreated and starved. So why can he turn out like that even with the way he was raised?'
'The evil that every single person has in them is born in there, some naturally has more than others. He was born pure evil Harry, but at the age of two, or around two, something pushed that to the surface. We will never know what triggered it to come out, but it was there just waiting for some action to set it off. Maybe it was something to do with his birth parents, maybe someone that worked at the orphanage mentioned his mother's name. Anything can set these types of feelings off. If I saw him as a child I would be able to say with certainty what it was that brought out his dark side.'
'So everyone has some dark in them, it could be something small that no one would think twice about. Like the night of the fighting, I used two unforgivables, one to get me into Gringotts to get a horcrux, and that was only the imperius curse. The other was the cruciatus curse because a death eater spat at Minerva McGonagall.'
'Yes, that is probably the worst you will ever do, but you might never use those types of curses again, that was the heat of war. Have you ever used banned or dark curses before?'
'Once, I tried to use the cruciatus curse when I was fifteen, on Bellatrix Lestrange, she never felt everything she should have.' Harry started twisting his hands in a nervous gesture, something everyone noticed.
