Hallowed
Chapter Three: A Vision, A Proposal, and A Problem
Harry found that he couldn't really sleep that night. Lying on Sirius' bed, he stroked Hedwig and thought of everything that had happened. After he and Albus Dumbledore had found the fake horcrux and the headmaster had been killed and honored on the grounds of Hogwarts, Harry had returned to the Dursleys' and had had to explain to them that they would need to go into hiding. When they had finally agreed, he had actually seemed to make peace with his cousin, who had gone so far as to shake his hand. Even his aunt, Petunia, had seemed to want to say something to him before she had walked out the door with Emmeline Vance, but in the end, she hadn't. After that, they had moved him to the burrow, there had been a beautiful wedding, and Harry realized that there was someone else that had been there throughout his life; even if he didn't really know it. That seemed like ages ago, though.
For now, he was sitting here and wondering just where this journey for the horcruxes would lead him. They hadn't found the real locket, and there were still three more after that. Hufflepuff's goblet was one, and the snake, Nagini; Harry was sure of this due to the closeness of Voldemort to her. The last one, he wasn't sure of. It was more than likely something significant to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, but that wasn't much to go on. Deciding on something before he attempted to go to sleep, Harry got up from the bed and used his wand to clear away the dust and cobwebs around the room. With a final flick of his wand, he lit the candles in the chandelier above and in the bracket on the wall. That seemed to improve the room's outlook greatly. Finally pulling on some pajamas from his rucksack, Harry dropped back onto the bed and pulled out his mother's letter to Sirius. He read it once more before finally closing his eyes to sleep.
He could see a thin white hand stretching out and pointing an accusing finger; the man before him was thin, ragged, and his silver eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. The voice that spoke was filled with a fury that was barely contained. "You said it would work; that using another's wand would allow me to do it! You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!"
"N-no!" The cracked and raspy voice of Garrick Ollivander was only slightly muffled by the angry hissing from the great snake around Voldemort's shoulders. "I… I thought it would work-"
"You wish to protect Harry Potter… You would lie to me to save him?"
"That is all I know! Without the twin cores…" The old man was flustered and confused as to why it had happened. "I cannot explain-"
"Lucius' wand was destroyed by the boy's!" Angry to the point of exploding, Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Ollivander. "I cannot use my own against him! I need no more excuses, Ollivander; you will give me what I seek. Crucio!"
The man's frail body twisted and writhed beneath him, and Voldemort's high-pitched laughter echoed. He held his wand steady until the man was clawing at the air in an attempt to stop the pain. Only when his words became utter nonsense did the dark lord lift his wand.
"Now, you will tell me, Ollivander… I seek a powerful wand; one that will destroy Harry Potter and all those who stand to defend him."
"I do not know…"
"Then you will tell me of those who do!" With another jab of his wand, Voldemort cast the cruciatus curse again and watched its effect. Lifting it a short while later, he spoke in a deathly quiet voice. "Who would know better than yourself, Ollivander?"
"G-Gregorovich…"
Harry was awakened by the sound of Hedwig hooting softly beside him. Sitting up, he felt the bedcovers pull at him; clearly, he had been moving a bit in his sleep. He felt something sharp sticking his nose, and when he raised his hand, he felt the bridge of his glasses' jagged point where it had broken. Blinking, he realized that one of the lenses had been cracked as well. Harry took them off and collected his wand from the nightstand. He held the two halves of his glasses in his palm and pointed his wand at them. Within seconds, the bridge had mended and the lense was smooth and no longer cracked.
Standing up carefully, Harry stretched and looked around the room; it was late morning or early afternoon. Still keeping the sheer curtains pulled, it gave the bedroom a milky glow. He eyed the watch Mrs. Weasley had given him and saw that it was a quarter past one in the afternoon. As he opened the door, he heard voices from the landing, and they seemed to be getting closer. This was confirmed when Hermione came into view.
"Harry, good you're up." Entering the room, she nodded at his attempt to clear away the dust, old candle wax, and general unkemptness. When she returned her attention to him, Harry saw a question in her eyes and waited for it. "I thought of getting a Daily Prophet as well as some food for our stay here. Do you mind if I use the invisibility cloak?"
"Not at all. I think it's still in your bag."
"Right, just making sure. Oh, and Mad-Eye's gone. He left first thing this morning. He left a note saying that there are watchers around the house."
"Watchers…" Harry went to his bedroom window and barely pulled back the sheer curtains. Sure enough, there were two hooded figures standing out around the square. Thankfully, their attention was directed elsewhere. "Wonder how they know we're here."
"They probably don't." Hermione had joined him in peering out the window. "Snape probably told them to look in this area, but they wouldn't find the house, even if he told them about it."
"Looks like now is as good a time as ever. Where's Ron?"
"Down in the drawing room. He's got an old wizarding wireless and is tuning it; trying to hear news."
"Right. Tell him I'll be down in a minute." Seeing Hermione nod as she left, Harry didn't mention what he had seen. He knew her reaction; it would be her telling him not to let Voldemort in. It was dangerous for im to be able to see into his mind, and she was right. Harry had to admit though, that what he saw was illuminating. Voldemort was after something; a wand that would not be destroyed by Harry's. The name Gregorovich seemed very familiar, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before.
Quickly changing into the clothing he had worn the night previous, Harry laced up his trainers and was prepared to leave when he decided on something. Pulling out the parchment from the mokeskin, Harry wrote down a single statement and didn't wait for a reply before placing it back.
"Voldemort has Ollivander."
Heading down the stairs, Harry looked for signs of Kreacher's return; the elf was nowhere to be found, so it seemed he was still locating Mundungus. He found Ron in the drawing room. The wizarding wireless was perched on a spindly table and Ron was prodding it with his wand. When there were voices heard, he stopped and listened closely, but the voice was rattling off names of the dead that neither he nor Harry knew. When Ron looked up, he saw he wasn't alone.
"Harry, finally up, are you?"
"Yeah."
"Sleep well?"
"Not really." Sitting down on the couch beside Ron, Harry considered telling him what he had seen. Ron was more likely to find it interesting and useful. "Saw something last night."
"You mean…" Ron lowered his voice as if afraid the portraits would overhear and object. "You mean you saw what he was doing again?"
"Yeah. He's got Ollivander." And Harry explained all that he had seen during the night. "Ollivander said a name, Gregorovich. That's all I know."
"Gregorovich…" Ron looked in thought for a moment. "Sure he didn't say 'Gorgovich", one of the players for the Cannons?"
"No. Pretty sure he said Gregorovich." Harry kept combing his thoughts; trying to remember where he had heard the name. He could have sworn he had heard Mr. Ollivander say it once before, but when…
"Don't think he's another dark wizard, do you?"
"Don't think so; I've never heard his name in conversation about the dark arts. Swear I've heard it before though…"
"Reckon Mad-Eye would have known?" Ron kept the wireless on, even as the names had already been called. "Wonder where he was headed."
"I guess the Order had a few other safe houses set up. Could have gone to one of them. Then again, he might have gone off to get more information on the ministry takeover."
"That's just mad, Harry." This seemed to be something Ron was ready and waiting to discuss. "I mean how is it that all these witches and wizards that are supposed to be on our side just stand aside when death eaters come knocking?"
"Dunno. I wonder how they got Scrimgeour." Harry hadn't had a reason to like the most recent minister, but Rufus Scrimgeour would have been the least likely to fold due to his being head of the auror office at one point. If it had been Fudge, then it was understandable. That man would have been so flustered he would have surrendered within seconds.
"Wonder what that means for Hogwarts."
"Well…" Harry thought back to his written conversation with McGonagall the previous night. "I know one thing. They've got a new headmaster."
"Figured McGonagall would take over after Dumbledore." Ron said this with a slightly uplifted expression. "Run a decent school, she can."
"It's not her." He didn't know how Ron would take his knowing what was happening, but Harry had a backup reason for knowing if he asked. "Snape's headmaster now."
"Snape!" Ron deadpanned. "Who'd let that greasy git be headmaster?"
"A death eater controlled ministry, maybe."
"Hold on, how do you know he's headmaster? McGonagall couldn't have known at the wedding. Ministry was still ours-"
"Moody told me while you two were upstairs." The answer rolled off his tongue like it was the truth. "Must have found out something while he was here." Harry wasn't quite ready to tell them about the twin scrolls of parchment just yet. He knew Ron and Hermione would both have loads of questions, and he had a few of his own, but that didn't matter at the moment. There would be time to find answers after they had gotten the original locket and had made headway in finding the other horcruxes.
"Blimey, man's got connections, doesn't he?" Harry was prepared to answer, when they heard Moody's voice ring out in the hall again.
"Severus Snape?"
"Must be Hermione coming back, but that'd be too quick." Ron pulled his wand from his belt; Harry meanwhile, had already gotten up and was standing at the door looking out into the hall. The rush of wind sent dust flying, and the ghostly figure of Albus Dumbledore rose to meet the newcomer.
"It was not I who killed you, Albus."
"Is that Lupin?" Ron asked in a low voice, but Harry had headed out the door and rounded the corner; pointing his wand at the cloaked newcomer.
"Identify yourself." He said it in a firm tone that brokered no argument. The figure straightened up and raised its hands in a surrendering manner.
"I am Remus Lupin, or Moony of the four Marauders. I taught you how to produce a patronus in your third year, Harry; it is a stag, like your father's animagus form. Near the full moon, Severus Snape had you studying werewolves in the hope that one of you would identify me as one."
"It's him." Harry lowered his wand and extended his hand, which Remus shook. "It's good to see you, Remus."
"Good to know that you two got away from the wedding well enough." Remus shrugged off his long traveling cloak and hung it on the wall near the troll-legged umbrella stand. "Wait, where's Hermione? I assumed she was with you."
"She used the cloak to get a Prophet and some supplies." Harry said as they headed down to the kitchen. "Figured we needed to keep up with the ministry takeover and all."
"A good thing too." Remus pulled a copy of the Evening Prophet from his shabby charcoal robes and smoothed it out on the table before sitting down. "Pius Thicknesse is the replacement for Scrimgeour from what I understand. I don't really have a take on him yet, but If he was placed there by the dark lord… well, you know what that means."
"Seeing as Scrimgeour was killed by death eaters and all, I'd say that's a good guess." Harry thought of Kingsley's warning at the wedding. Something hit him, though. "Hang on. Remus, where's Tonks?"
"She's safe at her mother's."
"Thought she'd be with you, or at least close by." Ron voiced this while Harry nodded.
"It was safer for her to be there rather than with me." Remus looked slightly uncomfortable, but he elaborated. "She… She's pregnant."
"Excellent!" Ron shook Remus' hand, closely followed by Harry.
"Congratulations." He did notice that Remus wasn't too thrilled about it, or didn't seem so. "Something bothering you about that?"
"Well, the whole thing is bothering me." Lupin had to admit this with a slight frown. "She's thrilled, and I am for her, but… He could be like me. That is one thing I would never wish on a child."
"There's a chance he won't though, right?" Harry assumed there was a chance that the boy wouldn't be a werewolf; there had to be.
"There is a chance…" Lupin leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. "I just don't know, though. There isn't enough known about this condition to say."
"So, what are you doing here?" Ron, who was ready to change the subject to benefit Lupin, went on. "Doing work for the Order?"
"Well," Grateful for the change, Remus thought for a second before answering. "I was actually wondering if I might join you." At Harry and Ron's curious looks, he continued. "I need to be doing something useful. It was hard but good work trying to sway werewolves to our side back before You Know Who took over. Now I'm afraid, it is no good. He's recruited Greyback and promised him free reign over those he captures. Harry, you've met him; you know what he's like."
"What about Tonks, Remus?" Harry felt something odd coming over him as he questioned this. "Are you just going to put yourself in harm's way, act on impulse, and do something foolish while she is at home with her mother?"
"I'm not making this choice lightly, Harry." Remus' tone hardened slightly while still carrying traces of hope. "I'm doing this for her and our son. I can be of use to you in whatever you're set out to do-"
"I think" Harry felt a definite anger rising within him, and he paid no mind to the voice of Moody calling out "Severus Snape?" again. "I think, Remus, that you're not ready to face this. You're afraid of what your son's future holds." Before Remus could continue, Harry spoke again. "I think that you're ready to go off and do something reckless like Sirius did and you're not going to consider what might happen if you get killed."
"Harry-"
"Don't." Harry snapped at Ron, who had given him a flabbergasted look. "Don't defend him, Ron. He's being a coward-"
"Don't call me a coward." Remus' voice had turned cold as he glared at Harry. "Don't ever call me a-"
"That's what you are acting like." Harry cut him off; barely noticing Hermione re-entering the kitchen. The two men had stood and were facing each other over the table. "You're ready to run off and do something stupid and leave your son, Remus. Don't forget, I know what it's like not having a real Mum and Dad around."
"Lily and James didn't do something foolish!" Remus bellowed. "They died to protect you!"
"Yeah, and that isn't what you're running off to do!" Harry slammed his fist on the table to make a point. "You're just scared of facing something that you think is a mistake! I've got news for you, Remus: If you go off on your own and do something stupid and you get killed, he'll never forgive you for it."
"He isn't you-"
"You're damn right he isn't!" Harry, whose temper had flared, glared daggers at Remus. "He won't be forced to live with relatives who thought he was no better than the dirt they walked on. He won't be stuck wishing there was some way he could just see his parents and ask them why they did what they did. Go home, Remus; where your real responsibilities lie. I don't need you here."
Without a word, Remus turned on his heel and marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs. They could hear the front door slam and a muffled crack from where he disapparated. This left Harry to turn his back on the others in the room to stare at the fire. He had said many things he may regret later, but all of them were meant for Remus to hear. He knew Lily and James Potter had died for him and he was infinitely grateful for their sacrifice, but Harry could find no reason for Remus to be leaving his wife and son for this.
"Harry…" Hermione's uncertain tone finally cut through the hot fury that was still buzzing in his head. "Harry, are you alright? That couldn't have been easy."
"No." It was an answer to both of her questions. He was still angry with Remus' suggestion and motives, and he was angry with himself for losing his temper in such a way. "Sorry you two had to hear that." Turning to face them again, he saw the pair exchange looks. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Did you find anything, Hermione?"
"I did." Removing a common grocery sack, Hermione emptied it on the table. There were a few cartons of butterbeer, large jugs of pumpkin juice, and a box of teabags and sugar. As for food, Harry saw a few loaves of bread, ham, turkey, cheese, and chips. It would do while they were here. She also held a rolled up copy of the day's Prophet. "Harry, you won't believe who is headmaster now-"
"I know. Snape." Harry looked over the store contents and a thought occurred to him. "Hang on." H moved up the stairs and into Sirius' room. Looking through his rucksack, he found what he was looking for. It was a brass teapot he had found in Diagon Alley back when he had gone shopping there last with the Weasleys. The pot was self-working. All he had to do was tap it with his wand and it would brew a large kettle of tea. It had come in handy some this summer while he was at the Dursleys'. Bringing it along now, he assumed they wouldn't always be able to have something to drink on hand. It was luck that Hermione had gotten the teabags and sugar. Bringing it downstairs, he placed it on the kitchen table for everyday use, which Hermione was thankful for.
"Oh, I was hoping you brought that!" Opening the kettle, she pointed her wand at it. "Aguamenti." With the kettle filled, she placed two teabags into it and a lump of sugar. Harry then closed the kettle and tapped it with his wand. Immediately, it started to warm up. When that was done, Hermione began making sandwiches for the three of them. As she did this, she spoke again. "How did you know?"
"Moody told me last night while you and Ron were upstairs." Harry looked over the Prophet's column but stopped dead when he saw the large picture under the headlines. "Hermione… Did you notice who was on the front page?"
"No. I only had time to skim the column before I saw someone looking at the moving photographs." At Ron's laugh, she clarified. "Muggle store. They would have… panicked if they saw a newspaper's images move. Do you want this toasted, you two?"
"Sure." Both said this as they poured over the paper. It wasn't hard to see why Harry had asked Hermione about the front page. On it, they saw the new Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse, a death eater known as Yaxley, and to the Minister's left, a very toad-like woman with pink robes.
"Dolores Jane Umbridge to head the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office and chair the Muggle-Born Registration Committee." Harry read with contempt. "Honestly, I think Christmas just came early for her."
"No kidding." Ron was glaring at the woman who was smiling broadly up from the cover of the Prophet. "Woman's got more power now. Good thing they didn't send her back to Hogwarts, though."
"Yeah." Harry thought of their astronomy O.W.L. during fifth year. "I think she'd have another go at McGonagall, Trelawney, Hagrid, and Ferenze."
"I think Ferenze would scare her out of her nickers." Ron said this with a grin. "You saw what happened when I drummed my fingers against the bedside table in the hospital wing."
"Do you honestly think she could have taken another attack like that?" Hermione had finished with the sandwiches and brought them to the table along with mugs for the now finished tea. "McGonagall, I mean. I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to Professor Sprout after we got back from the ministry. They both agreed she was lucky."
"Four stunners-"
"Five, had Umbridge been fast enough." Harry added.
"Yeah. Not exactly young, is she?" Ron started on his sandwich and looked to Hermione with gratitude. "Thanks loads, Hermione."
"Anytime." Hermione offered him a smile and started eating her own after pouring up the tea. "No, she isn't."
"Too bad it wasn't a proper duel." Harry said as he took a sip of tea. "Heard Madam Pomfrey say something about even giving Dumbledore a run for his money had Umbridge attacked in broad daylight." This brought Harry back to the answer to Moody's security question. He had seen his head of house angry, but had never faced her unbridled fury. It was something he hoped to never do. Still, would she have done it? Harry had to admit he would have liked to have seen her duel Umbridge properly. The toad wouldn't have stood a chance.
"So, any word from Kreacher?" Hermione's question was met with a shake of the head from Harry. "I wonder where Mundungus disapparated to after seeing him that night…"
"Dunno." Ron finished a corner of his sandwich and took a long gulp of tea. "Reckon I might have considered it if I saw him coming at me like that, though. Do you really think he has the locket, Harry?"
"I can only hope so."
For the next day and a half, Harry, Ron and Hermione spent he time together in an attempt to ward off the tension. They all knew that it was only a matter of time before Voldemort realized that all of his horcruxes were in danger, but Harry hoped that wouldn't be until it was too late to protect them. As his luck ran, that usually meant that it wouldn't happen, and he would begin to check on the pieces of his soul he had left behind. Thankfully, this topic could be pushed from Harry's mind by means of Ron and Hermione's distractions: Ron had left a chess set in their old bedroom, and he would play on occasion. Hermione also insisted that they keep sharp on their spells, so they would spend maybe an hour or two reading over past copies of The Standard Book of Spells: Grades 1-7. Hermione had thought ahead and bought the last volume in the series before meeting the Weasleys at the Burrow early in the summer.
"I remember when you used to practically sleep with that book." Ron commented as he saw Hermione putting Hogwarts: A History aside. "Quoted it in our first year when we walked into the Great Hall for the first time."
"It was an interesting read." Hermione said with a hint of nostalgia. "And for your information Ronald, I did not sleep with it."
"Bet she did." Ron muttered under his breath while Harry grinned.
"I heard that." The glare Hermione shot Ron was ruined by her mouth twitching into a grin. "Actually, I was looking for that book on horcruxes that I borrowed from Dumbledore's study. If we're going to find them we need to know how to destroy them. I highly doubt standard spells will work."
"Good that you have that book." Ron went sorting through the pile of books on the sofa they were sitting on to help in finding it. "Not this old black one, is it?"
"Yes." Carefully turning the pages after Ron had handed it over, Hermione's eyes scanned the pages carefully. A few times, she made a face at what she was reading. When she found what she was looking for, she frowned. "This is a problem."
"Let me guess, we need a basilisk fang to destroy them." Harry offered with a slight sarcastic air. He knew that the fang had destroyed Riddle's diary in second year, so the venom must be a good means of getting rid of the remaining horcruxes.
"Actually, you're close." Hermione's expression changed from frustrated to one of understanding. "Of course! Harry, you're brilliant!"
"What?" Both he and Ron had looked up at Hermione's words. "I was being sarcastic."
"No, I've just remembered something from Hogwarts: A History! The sword of Gryffindor; you used it to kill the basilisk."
"Right…"
"It's goblin-made! Rust and dirt have no effect on it. That's what makes those sorts of things very valuable. Goblin-made objects only take in that which makes them stronger." At Ron's look of confusion, Hermione finally explained. "You stabbed the basilisk to kill it, so the sword was impregnated with basilisk venom. That must be why Dumbledore left it to you, Harry."
"That's brilliant Hermione, but there's one problem;" Harry remembered what Scrimgeour said during the evening of his birthday. "The sword is gone from Dumbledore's office. No one knows where it is."
"I know, but at least now we know why he left it." Scanning the page again, Hermione went on. "Fiend fire can destroy them, but you have to be an idiot to try and control it."
"Fiend fire…" Harry had read that term somewhere. "Hang on. I read a bit about that while I was looking in the restricted section for Flamel."
"Then you were looking in the wrong section." Hermione couldn't suppress a smile as she said this. "I'm not sure what else there is to go on. The sword or basilisk fangs would be ideal, but it would take work to get those."
"If nothing else, we could collect the horcruxes we know of and then destroy them later when we have the means." Ron suggested, and Harry nodded. "Only way I can see it working, seeing as we don't have the sword or a basilisk skull to pull teeth."
Hermione had just opened her mouth to reply when there was a crack from down below. Harry and Ron joined her at the door and drew their wands. Edging down the stairs, there were sounds of a struggle, and Harry heard the unmistakable protests of Mundungus Fletcher. He quickened his pace and darted down the stairs that led to the kitchen; when he rounded the corner, he was greeted by a man with wild ginger hair and a moldy looking overcoat. Flanking him were two house elves; Kreacher was pulling on Dung's left and-
"Dobby!"
A/N: So, there are three chapters so far. I'll be posting the next few in a few days. Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
