The Unexpected Truth
Previously ….
"Shall we begin?" Dumbledore asked, the hall filled with eager Yes's and one No by Harry. "Alright then…. The Girl Who Lived"
"Well I wonder who that could be" Fred grinned, Harry rolled her eyes.
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
"One sentence in and I'm already bored to tears" James drawled Sirius nodded in agreement.
They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.
Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.
"What's a drill?" Draco asked looking confused.
"It's a-"
"No Harry, don't! Malfoy if you want to know about muggle things then ask all your muggleborn friends. I'm sure they would be delighted to tell you" Mione snapped at the blonde
"Why you little-" Draco snarled
"Mudblood? Go on say it.." She cut him off
"Hermione don't call yourself that" Ron gaped at her.
"Why not? That's what I am, there's no trying to hide it. Just because I'm a mudblood it doesn't change who I am as a person, I've had many names. Brainiac, nerd, bookworm, frizzy haired freak, mudblood; none of these change who I am. Infact they are getting old and it bores me really. Find something that will actually offend me." She told them calmly. All muggleborn's were looking at her with respect filled eyes
"Very well said Miss Granger" Dumbledore smiled, Hermione smiled at her headteacher
He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.
"Attractive" George snorted
Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.
Harry snorted at this, "any boy would be better than Dudley"
"I'm sure that's an over exaggeration sweetheart" Lily said to her "Tuney would never raise a child that badly" Fred and George burst into a fit of laughter at this.
"Aunt Tuney isn't the problem…" Harry told her mother who frowned.
The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.
Lily frowned, James notice his girlfriends change of mood, "it's not your fault Lil, don't worry about it princess" Lily nodded
The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small daughter, too, but they had never even seen her. This girl was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.
"Well maybe they didn't want to have their child mixing with a kid like yours!" Oliver snapped, already disliking the family
When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.
"why what's happening?" Peter asked, everyone shrugged.
Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
"lovely" Hermione rolled her eyes
None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.
At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.
It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.
"But cats don't read maps!" Zambini said snickering, Minerva paled realising what day it was.
"Not unless your Professor McGonagall" Hermione told him
"Is it really you Minnie?" James asked his old teacher
"I guess you will have to find out" she replied weakly, the Marauders looked at her strange but shrugged it off
For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.
But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.
"that's not strange!" Draco drawled rolling his eyes.
"It is to muggles Malfoy, oh but you should know that shouldn't you?" Hermione snapped.
Just as they were about to start the reading there was another bright light and a body fell out of it.
"What the fuck!" The voice shouted. The boy turned around, Harry and Ginny paled recognising the face. Tom Riddle.
"Mr Riddle, how nice of you to join us" Dumbledore said hiding his shock
"Dumbledore, you look… Old. Where am I? Or better yet. When am I?"
"Always so smart. You are in the future, about 50 years"
"Really?" Riddle raised his eyebrow "why?"
"To read about the life of one of our current students" Dumbledore explained
"Isn't that invasion of their privacy?"
"Miss Potter has given her consent"
"Hardly" Harry snorted hiding herself in Sirius's fur again. Tom turned to look at the girl and raised his eyebrow. "Seems like your doing it weather she likes it or not. Why am I here?"
"You will have to sit down and find out" Dumbledore said turning back to the book. Tom rolled his eyes and went to sit at the Slytherin table.
Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by.
"How are they weirdo's for wearing what they feel comfortable in?" Lily snapped
They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!
"Oh god, the nerve! How dare he wear green, any colour but green. WHY GREEN!" Sirius broke down in fake tears, James wrapped his arms around his friend. Harry broke down I giggles. Sirius' head snapped up.
"this is not funny young lady! This is a serious crisis!" He scolded pointing his finger at her making her giggle even more.
"Siriusly?" Lupin groaned at her pun while Harry laughed into Snuffles fur.
"Really Harry? I thought we got rid of that years ago"
"Nope" she smiled up at her uncle "sorry" snuffles made a laughter like noise before licking the side of Harry's face.
But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something...
yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.
"One track mind him" Oliver whispered, Hermione giggled hearing him making him wink in her direction
Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swoop ing past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.
"He sounds nice" Hermione rolled her eyes "Makes me want to be his best friend" Oliver grinned at her
"Someone's picked up a Sense of humour since I left it seems" Hermione licked her tongue out at him making him laugh.
He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk
"WHAT!" Harry and the twins yelled in shock
"He has-" Fred started
"To be ill." George finished
"Yes that has to be it" Harry agreed "That or the world is ending!"
"holy fuck! Run for your life's. Hide your kids, hide your wife. Hide your kids, hide your wife." Fred and George ran around in circles.
across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.
The twins stopped dead and looked around "oh….."
" The world is safe guys, you don't have to hide anyone"Hermione laughed
He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.
"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their daughter, Harriet"
Mr. Dursley stopped dead.
"I wish" Harry murmured making those who heard her look at her in worry.
Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.
He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.
"Yes it is" James drawled
He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a daughter called Harriet. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his niece was called Harriet.
"he didn't know your name?" Lily said dangerously
He'd never even seen the girl. It might have been Harper. Or Hatty.
"Those are disgusting names, I would never call you that" Lily told Harry, who smiled at her mother. "But then again you don't like Harriet either do you?" She said sadly
"It's not that, it's just to girly for me. I like the nicknames I get with it though" she explained to her mother
"What nicknames are they?" James asked curiously
"Well Harry obviously"
" Haz" Fred and George said together
"Ry" Angela told him
"Riot" Hermione smirked
"Siren" Luna said dreamily
"Why Siren?" Sirius raised his eyebrow along with Tom
"Well look at her. The legend about sirens is that they lure sailors to their watery death, well Harry lures guys in with her beauty and then leaves them drowning in the sorrow of their broken heart" George explained dramatically
"He's over exaggerating" Harry said
"No he's not" said most of the Gryffindors and some odd people from other tables.
"Why am I letting you out of the house?" James whispered
There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that... but all the same, those people in cloaks...
He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.
"Sorry," he grunted,
"I am actually shocked he knows that word" Hermione muttered bitterly
as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"
"What!" Yelled the Marauders and Tom. Harry lost all colour in her face realising what day it was. It was the day hell started. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked down.
"Why has everyone gone quiet? You should be happy" James grinned, then he caught sight of his daughter and his smile drops "keep reading" he whispered, getting a bad feeling.
And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.
Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.
"How can you not approve of your imagination?" Hermione asked in disbelief
"Always leave it to Uncle Vernon to make the impossible, possible" Harry whispered still looking down
As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.
"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.
" Minnie" Lily grinned at her old professor
"They have corrupted you Lily" Minerva groaned, Lily smiled apologetically and shrugged her shoulders
Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.
Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").
"Charming child" Mrs Weasley sniffed
Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:
"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin.
"He has to be a wizard" Remus spoke up
"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"
"Well, Ted," said the weatherman,
"Is that dad?" Tonks asked Dumbledore "he was a newscaster for a while"
"Indeed Miss Tonks, that was your Father" at this Ted and Andromeda's head snapped up to look at the young woman in front of them then at the four year old in Andromeda's arms.
"I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."
Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...
"Bloody hell, he's connecting the dots!" Regulus said shocked
Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"
As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.
"No," she said sharply. "Why?"
"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."
"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.
"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd."
"Her crowd? What's that suppose to mean?" Bellatrix snapped
"My sister is a stuck up bitch when she wants to be Bella, and her husband can be worse. You just have to get use to it" Lily explained
"Don't talk about Aunt Tuney like that!" Harry snapped at her mother who looked shocked "it was Uncle Vernon that talked shit about you, not her!"
"Sweetheart, I didn't mean to offend you. I have grown up with Tuney she was nice once upon a time but then she got shallow"
"Stop it" Harry growled, narrowing her eyes at the red head. Lily looked lost but nodded.
Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their daughter - she'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't she?"
"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.
"What's her name again? Harper, isn't it?"
"Harriet. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."
"No it isn't, it's a lovely name" Luna said frowning
"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."
He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there.
It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. Was he imagining things?
"I thought you didn't approve of your imagination?" Hermione snapped, getting fed up with this man.
Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.
The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them...
"You just jinxed it you moron" Cissa rolled her eyes
"Narcissa!" Andromeda gasped, Narcissa just shrugged.
How very wrong he was.
"See"
"Shut up Cissa" Andromeda rolled her eyes
Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.
"fucking hell Minnie" James gaped, Sirius whistled in amazement
"That's what I call persistence"
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.
"someone's in trouble" the twins sang merrily
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.
The hall cheered at the announcement of their favourite headmaster. Tom sat still looking bored but would occasionally look at Harry, why was she so important? She must be part of his future if he was called to this ridiculous reading.
Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.
"Of course I knew, I just didn't care" Dumbledore sighed happily making the teachers roll their eyes and the students laugh
"Yes Dumbles!" The twins cheered
He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."
He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.
"That. Is. Awesome!" James and Sirius yelled
"Where can we get one?" The twins asked eagerly
"It's one on my own creations Mr's Weasley, Mr Potter, Mr Black" Dumbledore chuckled when the boys deflated
He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."
He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.
"You haven't changed much have you Minerva?" Tom smirked at his old schoolmate
"I have actually Tom. I wear my hair up now" McGonagall smirked back. Tom started laughing. The people in the hall were looking at the pair curiously, Harry and Hermione looked at each other and laughed.
"Minnie's pulled!" They yelled together making the hall erupted laughter. Tom looked at the pair in shock. McGonagall blushed but gave the two a stern glare, Hermione and Harry winked at her in reply
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.
"My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."
"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.
"No one asked you too" Lucius said to the older women, who gave him her usual stern glare.
"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."
Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.
"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently.
"You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."
"That's mean, Diggley wiggley is a lovely person!" The twins screamed in fake despair
"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."
"11 years?" Lily gasped weakly
"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."
She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day YouKnow-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"
"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"
"A what?" Asked most of the pureblood's
"A what?"
"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"
"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."
Everyone in the hall flinched. Tom looked pleased when he saw the reaction his name caused these people. He did, however, notice that Harry didn't react at all. In fact she rolled her eyes and looked annoyed. This girl intrigued him.
"For gods sake. What is flinching going to do? Fear the name-"
"Only increase's the fear of the thing itself" the DA cut her off with eye rolls
"If you know that then why are you still scared of the bloody name? The name can't hurt you!" Harry snapped angrily. A minute later she started smiling smugly.
Yes this girl was definitely intriguing Tom
Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore,
Harry flinched, the people around her looked at her worriedly but she ignored them
who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice.
"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.
"That's different, you know who is scared of you" Sirius said. Tom snorted at this.
"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."
Heads turned to look at Sirius who looked very scared, Harry giggled at his face. Hearing the giggle Sirius looked up and mocked glared at his friends daughter
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore (Harry flinched) calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have." "Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."
"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."
"TMI."the twins screamed covering their ears looking quite ill. "Too much information Dumbledore. Too. Much. Information."
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore (Harry flinched) and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"
"What did stop him?" James asked looking around at the quiet room.
"You will find out soon " Lupin told his old friend sadly
It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore (Harry flinched) with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore (Harry Flinched) told her it was true. Dumbledore(Harry flinched), however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.
"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "
The hall silenced and Harry sat with with her head down silent tears rolling down her face. The people from the past, excluding Tom, paled.
"They die?" Sirius croaked looking at his friends.
"No" Bella whispered looking quite broken "No I won't let that happen!" Everyone apart the people from the past looked at the usually sadistic woman in shock. Narcissa was clutching to Lucius sobbing while said man was looking in pain, Andromeda let the tears roll slowly down her face. The marauders generation crowded around the two they called their friend and had a group hug.
"What's going on?" Ron asked confused, the Gryffindors looked at him with exasperation.
"Ron! Do you not know when to keep your mouth shut?" Hermione snapped
"What?"
"Harry's upset, she has her friends to comfort her. James and Lily are upset, they need comforting. They are obviously friends, open your eyes Ronald. Maybe their deaths are what tipped them over the edge to become death eaters. We don't know how close they were in school. Remus and Padfoot probably never told us because it was too upsetting for them, they lost all their friends in one night."
"Oh" Ron said looking at the group who were now looking at the two. Lily separated herself from the group and walked towards her future daughter who was once again snuggled into snuffles side.
"Harriet?" She whispered softly, the girl in question looked up. The people who saw her expression gasped. Her cheeks were wet with tears but that's not what got them. Her eyes, although rimmed red, they were void of all emotion. A girl who probably didn't even remember the time that was spent with her parents was so effected by their deaths.
"Oh sweetheart" Lily gasped and wrapped her arms around Harry, only to have her arms shrugged off. "Honey?" Harry silently stood up and walked to the bathroom. Tom was looking at her curiously. The hall was dead silent, why would the golden girl react like that when her mother hugged her?
"Should we just carry on until Harry get back sir?" Hermione said trying to distract everyone whilst looking towards the bathroom worriedly "she has already lived through it once, she doesn't need to live through it again" Dumbledore nodded and started the reading again.
Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..." Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.
"I didn't know you cared that much professor" James chuckled weakly trying to defuse the sad tension.
"I will always care for my students Mr Potter" was the reply he got.
Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's daughter, Harriet. But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little girl. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harriet Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.
Dumbledore nodded glumly.
"What!" Tom growled shocked. Dumbledore looked at Tom warningly.
"He tried to kill my daughter!" Lily whispered dangerously while james was muttering dark words under his breath,glaring at the floor.
"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little girl? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harriet survive?"
"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."
"I bet you knew" Tom mumbled
Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch.
It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"
"I've come to bring Harriet to her aunt and uncle. They're the only family she has left now."
" you can't, she won't love her like she need to be loved" Lily choked out
"It was for the best" Dumbledore replied "besides I left her a letter to explain the situation, she was loved and cared for just like their son"
"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor
McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harriet Potter come and live here!"
"That's disgusting, hasn't that woman heard of discipline?" Madam Pomfrey sniffed
"It's the best place for her," said Dumbledore firmly. "Her aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to her when she's older. I've written them a letter."
"Like everything can be explained in a letter" Tom snorted and rolled his eyes.
"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand her! She'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harriet Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harriet - every child in our world will know her name!"
" madness!"Sirius whispered in awe
"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any girl's head. Famous before she can walk and talk! Famous for something she won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off she'll be, growing up away from all that until she's ready to take it?"
"You've got a point but why can't she go with Peter, Remus or I? Surly that would be easier, we could have raised her in the muggle world" Sirius asked
"I never thought I would be saying this but Sirius is right. James would never have not made one of these idiots her godfather so why not let her stay with them" Lily asked
"I had my reasons, they will all be explained and if they aren't I will tell you after we have finished all books"
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the girl getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harriet underneath it.
"you better not be" Lily growled at the headmaster who actually looked scared for his life, making many people chuckle
"Hagrid's bringing her."
"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"
"I would trust Hagrid with my life" Hermione said "just don't tell him your secrets, they can be easily let slip with alcohol… Or a rare creature" she winked up to the half giant who blushed
I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.
"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"
McGonagall looked at the giant who was looking down at the table with a hurt expression.
"I'm sorry Hagrid, I wasn't in the right state of mind."
A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.
"isn't that mine?" Sirius asked confused
If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.
"that's actually a really good explanation of Hagrid" Luna giggled
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."
"told you it was mine"
"No one said it wasn't you moron!" Cissa snapped
"No problems, were there?"
"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got her out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. She fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."
"Awww" all the females cooed
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over her forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.
"Is that where she defeated You-Know-Who?" James asked looking up at Dumbledore, who nodded at his ex pupil.
"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall. "Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever." "Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"
"Couldn't you? We all know how much she hates it. It's a constant reminder of how she lost her parents" Lupin said
"I'm afraid I can't Mr Lupin" Dumbledore said solemnly
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.
"Really?" The twins asked smirking up at the headmaster who's eyes were twinkling wildly and nodded.
Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."
Dumbledore took Harrietin his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. "Could I - could I say good-bye to her, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harriet and gave her what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.
Snuffles and Sirius looked mildly offended at that statement
"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"
"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harriet off ter live with Muggles -"
Lily and James smiled sadly up at the giant. "It's okay Hagrid, you don't have to be upset over our deaths, I bet we went down fighting "
"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harriet gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harriet's blankets,
"You left my daughter on the doorstep!" Lily growled glaring up at Dumbledore who couldn't look the fiery redhead in the eye
and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.
"Bloody hell! I didn't think it was possible. That twinkle is always there" Lucius gaped
"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."
"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."
Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. "I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.
"attractive" Harry said walking back into the room. "You will be pulling all the guys like that Minnie" everyone looked at the obviously still upset girl, her face was pale and blank. Her emerald green eyes stood out more with being rimmed red. Hermione walked up to embrace her friend only to be shrugged off.
"Are you okay Haz?" She whispered, the girl in question nodded and sat down on the floor avoiding touching all people.
" I'm fine. Always am. Always will be. Don't have to be worried about me. Little old Harriet Potter, the golden girl, the girl who lived. I can look after myself" Harry said blankly looking at her friend
Umbridge looked at the girl with disdain "attention seeking as usual Miss Potter?" Only to be looked at blankly by the raven haired beauty.. After a while Umbridge became uncomfortable and looked away.
Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.
"Good luck, Harriet," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.
A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harriet Potter rolled over inside her blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside her and she slept on, not knowing she was special, not knowing she was famous, not knowing she would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that she would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by her cousin Dudley... She couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harriet Potter - the girl who lived!"
The hall was silent. Whispers erupted in the room. 'Harriet Potter lived with horrid muggles' was the main topic of conversation. People glanced at the girl who was sitting quietly staring blankly at the wall. Tom silently observed the quite girl who was avoiding glances her way. What a curious girl.
"Should we move on to the next chapter?" Dumbledore asked, the hall eagerly nodded wanting to know more about Harry's home life. "Okay who will read next."
"I will Albus" Minerva said levitating the book towards her. "The Vanishing Glass…"
Tell me what you think. READ AND REVIEW!
GoldenHairedProngslet
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