"This is great, you guys. Thanks. Really." Harry said, smiling at the outside of the bedroom door.
"We know full well how a rampaging Molly Weasley can be." Said Sirius, patting Harry on the back. "Works just like the guardians at Hogwarts do - you give it a password and no one can enter without it. Anyone who knows the password can gain entrance, of course, so be careful of who you say it around."
"Oh, I've already thought up a password." Harry said. He turned towards the door, which had been fully replaced by a new door bearing an Ouroboros (at Harry's request), switched to Parseltongue, and let loose a long-sounding sentence.
"What'd you say?" Asked Tonks.
"I'd rather not repeat what I said in English." Harry said darkly.
"Was it that bad?" Asked Lupin.
"If I were to say most of that in English, I'd probably get ejected from Hogwarts." Harry said. "...I just hope Ginny isn't capable of understanding it."
"She seemed to be fairly capable of speaking and hearing it when you pulled your prank." Said Lupin.
"True, but this is... uh... colorful. And I highly doubt Riddle went about teaching her the finer points of swearing in Parseltongue." Harry explained.
"Which brings about the point of how you expect me to get in there if you aren't around." Said Tonks, prodding Harry in the arm.
"Where the hell will I be that I can't come up, say the password, and let you in?" Asked Harry, eyebrow raised.
"...I guess that's true. Okay, game on. Let's see how tomorrow morning goes." Said Tonks.
"Yeah. This should be interesting." Harry said. "Goodnight, Sirius, Moony. Thanks again for the help."
"Oh, we had a blast." Sirius said. "We've got another bet going on the outcome of this, you know."
"I want to hear all the details after the fact, then." Harry said, chuckling.
"It will be our pleasure." Lupin said, already looking smug, as though he knew he was going to win.
Harry turned towards the door and hissed out the password. The door popped open and he and Tonks entered, waving to Sirius and Lupin as they headed back up the hallway. Closing the door behind him, Harry leaned back against it. "Ahh, we've finally got a bit of privacy."
Tonks grinned. "A lesser girl would surely suggest less than proper things that could happen in such a situation!"
"I'm quite glad you're not a lesser girl, then." Harry said, kissing Tonks as he passed by her. "Our routine for the night going to be as it has been?"
"You can stop asking if I'd like to go in first, you know." Tonks said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I prefer going in last. That way I can come out, change, and go right to sleep."
"Just making sure." Harry said, heading towards the bathroom. "Hey Boris, you holding up okay? You feeling hungry yet?"
"I'll be feeling it tomorrow, most likely. Somewhere around evening, if I were to guess. By the way, I hear what you used for the password. I've heard drunken sailors curse less than that." Boris replied.
"Yes, well, most drunken sailors haven't run afoul of Molly bloody Weasley, either." Harry said. "She could sober a hobo up at twenty paces with a glare."
"Hobos make their own booze." Tonks said, flopping back in bed and crossing her arms behind her head.
"How would you know if hobos make their own booze?" Asked Harry.
"Mundungus." Tonks replied dryly.
"Damn. Good point. Okay, I'm going on in." Harry said, shaking his head as he walked into the bathroom.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry panted heavily, pressing himself up against a wall. The sound of footsteps paused, then took off down the hallway. Harry waited until he couldn't hear it anymore before he dared to move again. When he did, he took the only other path possible - one that led into a room filled to the brim with small orbs that looked vaguely of crystal balls. There was a strange sensation in this room that he couldn't quite pin down.
He wasn't even sure where he was, really. All he knew was that he was being pursued and he couldn't let them catch up to him. He didn't even know who was chasing him, just that they were the purest of evils he had felt in a long time.
Feeling unnerved as he walked through the rows and rows of glass-like orbs, as though he was being watched, Harry took a moment to collect himself. He had been running for what felt like ages. His lungs were burning for rest. His legs felt that they might fall off at any given moment. And all for what? He didn't even know what he was doing here - wherever 'here' was.
A faint voice filled the air, causing him to freeze. He glanced around one of the rows of orbs back in the direction he had come from. But no, that wasn't right - the voice wasn't coming from out there. It was coming from...
Harry listened closely as he started walking again. The voice was so faint, it was hard to tell just where it was coming from. Thankfully, though, his pursuers never returned. It gave him enough time to search the room and find the sound of the voice. It was actually coming from one of the orbs on a table. It looked no different than any of the other orbs, really. It was clear, perfectly round, and held up by a small, three-pronged device.
But as Harry plucked the orb from the device it was in and brought it up closer to his eyes so as to better see it in the darkness, he could make out something within the orb. He was only barely able to discern what it was before the voice, so faint and distant for all this time, boomed through the area in a cry loud enough to shatter orbs and rattle their shelves.
"HELP ME!"
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry jack-knifed, rolling to one side and falling out of bed. He heard his wand rattling on the night stand by the bed and, a moment later, heard it jump into the air. It fell to the ground halfway across the room as he righted himself and sat up, his breathing erratic. His eyes, quite wide at this point, darted back and forth, trying to tell where in the hell he was. The world was dark and, due to the lack of glasses on his face, quite blurry.
"Harry...?" Came Tonks' quiet voice from the bed. She had crawled over to the edge and was looking down at him. "It's okay - you're in Sirius' house. It was just a bad dream. You're safe..."
"I'm... I'm safe..." Harry repeated, his voice quiet. "I'm safe. I'm safe..."
Tonks tugged the covers back and slipped down to the floor next to Harry, offering him his glasses. "Yeah, you're safe. Nothing bad in this house except for Molly Weasley, love."
Harry blinked quickly a few times before clamping his eyes shut and drawing in a long, deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he looked much better. He smiled wearily at Tonks, taking his glasses from her and sliding them onto his face. "Sorry, Nymmy..."
Tonks wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"It... yeah, it was strange." Harry said. "I was... being chased by someone. A lot of people, actually. Dunno who. I... I managed to evade them and found myself drawn towards this room full of glass orbs. ...There was this really quiet voice that was calling out. I followed it and found it was coming from one of the orbs. Looked alright on the table... but when I picked it up, I... I saw that damned blue gemstone rotating really faintly in the center. And then that voice - the one from the old man - screamed 'help me' loud enough to break the orbs and shake the area... it was just... I wasn't expecting it... I'm okay, Nymmy..."
"Breathe, Harry." Tonks whispered.
Harry closed his eyes again, taking another deep breath. "Sorry. Damn it, I really hope this Occlumency crap can help me with my weird dreams, too..."
"It should." Hissed Boris softly. "It will take awhile, but it should."
Harry nodded slowly, sighing as he slumped against Tonks. "Did I scream when I woke up?"
"Nope. You just jerked up, twisted, and fell out of bed. You okay?" Asked Tonks.
"Only thing bruised is my ego." Harry muttered.
"I've seen worse." Tonks said, smiling.
"Sadly enough, yes." Harry said, shaking his head. "What time is it?"
"Um... looks like it's either four-thirty or five-thirty. Can't see the clock that well..." Tonks said, straining her eyes to try and make out the time on the rather small clock above the door to the hall.
"Damn. Too early to get up, then." Harry said.
"We can if you want. I don't mind." Tonks said, offering Harry a hug. "Think some reading will help clear your head?"
"I... yeah, it might." Harry said. "At the very least, let's get back up on the bed."
"Told you the floor was cold." Tonks said, letting go of Harry and standing back up. "You gonna be able to untangle yourself from the blankets?"
"My nerves are shot, but if I can't extract myself from a couple blankets, I might as well just go dancing up to Voldemort and kick him in the bits." Harry said, scowling as he pulled the blankets from around his body. Once freed, he stood up and put them back on the bed.
"'Boy Who Lives Fells Dark Lord Via Kick to Crotch.'" Tonks said, imagining what the headline of the Daily Prophet might read. "...Sorry, I just can't picture that."
"Neither can I." Harry said, sitting back on the bed. "Urg...stupid gem. The hell does it want me to do? I have no idea where it's located, if it even exists at all."
Tonks crawled back onto the bed, moving back to her spot next to Harry and leaning against the headboard. "Dunno. Maybe you should ask Dumbledore. He'd probably know about obscure stuff like that."
"Yeah, maybe." Harry said, reaching over to the stack of books next to the bed and grabbing one. "My eyes are burning already. Dunno how long I'll be able to keep awake."
"Why not just go back to sleep then?" Asked Tonks.
"I've had enough sleeping for one night." Harry muttered, flipping open the book to the page he had left off earlier that night. "You, on the other hand, have no obligations to remain awake with me. You should try sleeping until breakfast, Nymmy."
"Nah. I'll be alright. If not, I'll drag you up here and we can curl up for a nap together." Tonks said, scooting closer to lean against Harry.
"Yeah, I have a feeling I may end up needing one today." Harry said. "Actually, I may just hole up in here all day. I also have a feeling I'm not going to be in any kind of mood to deal with the old gorgon today."
Tonks slid down slightly to rest her head on Harry's shoulder. "If we're holing up, we should bring in food and make at least one run to collect our friends. Make a day of it or something."
Harry grinned. "Oh, I dunno. I think spending the day with just you would be nice."
"I do believe I like the way you think. Okay, scratch my idea. We're skipping a day!" Tonks declared.
"Been awhile since I did that." Harry said. He scowled at the book, closed it, and set it back on top of the pile, leaning against Tonks. "The only trouble is that this house is pretty boring."
"This is true." Tonks agreed. "So what can we spend the day doing?"
"I'd suggest making a second List just for things we could pull on Molly Weasley, but I'm pretty sure the twins and Ginny wouldn't like us very much for it." Harry said.
"And Ron?" Asked Tonks.
"Ron is a colossal tit no matter what happens, so he can go jump out a window." Harry said through a yawn. "...Hey, Nymmy, you don't suppose Dobby could come and spirit us over to Hogwarts for the day, do you?"
"I'm not sure." Tonks said. "I mean, I dunno quite how house elves work, but I doubt he could find us unless he was told about the house."
"True. Well, we can try it, just to check." Harry said. "...Crap, I don't think my body's going to let me stay up until dawn."
"Wanna try getting some more sleep, then?" Asked Tonks.
"Might as well." Harry said, sliding down under the covers.
Tonks followed his lead, rolling onto her left side and curling back up against him. "Mmm, that's better. I have my pillow back now!"
"Oi, who're you calling a pillow?" Harry asked, kissing Tonks' forehead.
"Who do you think I'm calling a pillow?"
"Ah well. I suppose I can't complain. Having a beautiful girl resting against me isn't exactly the worst thing I could think of." Harry said, chuckling. "Very well, your pillow I shall be. But if you try making any jokes on the matter, I'm gonna duct tape YOU to the ceiling."
"Oh, you're no fun at all. I had one ready to go, too!" Tonks said, pouting.
"Clearly I have bested you in a test of wits, milady. The only option available is to flee into the world of dreams." Harry said.
"If you don't drop the goofy, pompous accent, I'm gonna roll you out of bed again!" Tonks said, laughing.
"Aww. Okay, okay, I'll stop being so silly. Let's try and get some rest, yeah?"
"Sounds good to me. Night, Harry." Tonks murmured, nestling her nose up against his neck.
"Sweet dreams, Nymmy." Harry whispered.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"He is coming. He is coming, you must help me!"
Harry stared around him. He was in a black void. The old voice he had grown to despise was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Blowing out a sigh through his nose, Harry finally asked, "Who the hell are you?! I can't help you if I don't know who you are or where you are!"
"I am... it is cold." Came the voice. "Let me show you..."
And, slowly, Harry suddenly had solid ground to stand on. Sadly, it wasn't much brighter than it had been when he was floating in the empty void. "This doesn't tell me a lot, you know."
"I am sorry." Came the voice, sounding tired. "But I cannot move..."
"Look, where in this room are you?" Asked Harry, walking around. The room wasn't very big. It was longer than it was wide. It looked to have six rooms branching off, three on either side. In the center of the room was a pedestal. The architecture was...eerie, to put it mildly. Sharp corners and jagged edges were everywhere.
"I am in front of you." Sighed the voice.
Harry blinked, staring forward. He then tilted his head down. On the pedestal was a small, blue gemstone almost thoroughly caked with dust and grime. "So are you the gemstone or what?"
"Yes. And no." Said the voice. "My name... I cannot recall. I have been here for so long, being force-fed to stay alive..."
"You have no recollection of being brought here? And... how does a gemstone eat, anyway?" Asked Harry.
"I do not consume food as you do. Rather... but no, I don't want to think about it. It hurts to think about it." Whispered the voice.
"So you aren't sure who you are or where, exactly, you're located. I ask again how you expect me to help you on such little information." Harry said, crossing his arms.
"I am sorry. But I fear when I remember it will be too late." Said the voice. "He will have found me by then..."
"He? He who?" Asked Harry.
"What was left behind." Came another voice from behind Harry.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
When Tonks awakened later that day, it was to find Harry missing. She was about to call out to him to see if he was in the bathroom, but the door to it was open. Pouting, she tugged the covers off and slipped out of bed. After changing into more suitable clothing for prowling the house, Tonks left the bedroom. She was thankful that exiting the room wasn't going to be an issue.
Figuring it was the best place to look, Tonks headed downstairs and towards the library. Sure enough, Harry was inside. He had about two dozen books spread out on the couch and was flipping through the pages of the one in his hands at an alarming rate. When he reached its end, he slammed it closed, carelessly tossed it to the side, and grabbed another from one of the stacks.
Hermione was also in the room, though she was doing no reading of her own. Rather, she was absorbed in watching Harry scour the pile of books. Noticing Tonks, she waved at her.
"Harry? Oi, what're you doing?" Tonks asked, stepping into the room.
"It's no good." Hermione said. "He's tuned the outside world out. I've been trying to get his attention for about half an hour. I gave up eventually. Dunno what he's searching for in those books. They have nothing to do with one another."
"Any idea how long he's been down here?" Asked Tonks.
"He was here when I arrived." Said Hermione, sighing. "And he was already engrossed in whatever work he's doing."
"Wonder if it has anything to do with his nightmare." Tonks said, kneeling next to the chair Hermione was in.
"He had a nightmare last night?"
"He usually has a few a week." Tonks said. "Anyway, he looked really spooked for awhile. I got him calmed and we got back into bed. I drifted back off fairly easily. Dunno if he did or not."
The two sat, making small talk for awhile, and watched Harry continue his furious searching of the books. Solieyu eventually wandered in, along with Ginny. The girls explained the situation to the new arrivals, who took up watching Harry as well. After nearly an hour of nonstop searching, Harry slammed shut the final book in his stack and chucked it to the side. He stared down at the coffee table in front of him for a moment, eyes glazed over.
"Dammit!" He roared, pulling a fist back and hitting the back of the couch. "It can't be that damned obscure, can it?!"
"Can WHAT?" Asked Tonks.
Harry glanced up, sighing slowly. "A gemstone with a soul attached to it!"
"I think I've missed something here." Ginny said.
"Oh, did that stupid blue gem show back up after we went back to sleep?" Asked Tonks. "What did it want this time?"
"It was more coherent than it ever has been, if this whole ridiculous mess has some kind of basis in reality." Harry explained. "It's being held somewhere against its wishes, is being kept alive against its will, and believes Voldemort will be coming to claim it soon."
"What? Why?" Asked Hermione.
"Couldn't tell you." Harry said. "The old man - I'm just guessing here, since it sounded like one - seemed to be pretty messed up in the head. He didn't know his name, where exactly he was, and so on. I don't know what the hell's going on. The infected part of my core spoke to me a little as I spoke to the gemstone, but it didn't know any specifics."
"So you've been doing what, exactly?" Asked Solieyu. "Scanning any books on gems or trapping souls you could run across?"
"Something like that." Harry said. "Trying to see if any of these books has a picture of the place the old guy showed me. Was all black and pointy. I'm wanting to say everything was metallic, but it was honestly hard to tell."
"So what do you plan to do next?" Asked Ginny.
"I dunno. I may run this by Dumbledore, see what he thinks on the matter. There has to be a reason for this." Harry said, running a hand back through his messier-than-normal hair.
"Did I hear my name?" Came a voice from the doorway.
Harry blinked as he looked up, seeing Dumbledore standing there with a faint smile on his face. "...Man, you have good timing."
"So it would seem. In addition to you wanting to speak with me, I have need to speak with you. In addition to the prize money, there was something else you were to get from winning the tournament. I did not want to present it in front of the Diggorys, as it was quite the emotional time. But I wish to give it to you before you return to Hogwarts." Dumbledore explained.
"What is it?" Harry asked, getting to his feet.
"I would prefer this matter to, ah... remain between the two of us, if that is alright." Said Dumbledore, a twinkle in his eyes. "I have no doubt, of course, that there is the chance you may repeat what I say to your friends once I have left."
"So why not just cut out the middle man?" Asked Harry, smirking slightly.
The twinkle faded from the headmaster's eyes for a moment. "Because, I am afraid, there is much to discuss about this object. We may be speaking on the matter well into the day."
"This is something important, isn't it?"
"It is, Harry. And while I pray the object in question will never have to be used, the return of Lord Voldemort makes me think otherwise." Dumbledore said, his voice taking a grave turn.
Harry nodded slowly. As he walked towards the door, he glanced over his shoulder. "Right, then. I'll see you lot in a bit, alright?"
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Dumbledore led Harry to one of the house's many small, den-like rooms. Two chairs were set up near the fireplace, facing one another. It looked as though Dumbledore had set things up before coming to collect him. Dumbledore sat down in one of the chairs with an almost inaudible sigh, as though he wanted anything but to tell Harry what he was about to say. Harry sat across from him and, for awhile, neither spoke.
"A long time ago," Dumbledore began, staring into the crackling flames of the fireplace. "There were three friends, close enough that they may as well have been brothers. Their true names have been lost to the aether. During their time, Dark wizards were rampant and there was very little way to fight back. And, like what is happening now, a leader for them eventually arose. He sought power. He wanted to be feared. He wanted to spread death and confusion across the country.
"When word spread of his growing power, the three men knew they had to try and fight him. They lived in a peaceful town and wanted it to remain that way. The men weren't terribly powerful, really, but they weren't just going to lie down and be taken over by the growing evil. One of the men was an alchemist and served the town brewing potions and tending to the unwell. Another was a stonemason and practically built half the town on his own. The third was a jewelcrafter and was, by far, the wealthiest of the three men. One night, the three got together and spoke of how they could possibly fight such strong Dark magic when they were middle-aged men with no formal combat training.
"It was a question that bothered the three for many a night. Eventually, it was the stonemason who came up with the idea. They would craft a gauntlet - something simple that could be worn - that would amplify the wearer's power should he or she channel it through the device. This, of course, brought up the subject of how they would even create such an object. Surely, something as powerful as the stonemason suggested would be nearly impossible to create.
"The stonemason spent a few days working on the construction and, in the end, did find a
solution. He would make the thing out of the purest gold he could find. The jewelcrafter
would cut a pair of gems that could be magically enchanted and embedded into the gauntlet.
The alchemist would create a Philosopher's Stone, also to be embedded within it.
"Of course, the other men wondered how two gems, a golden gauntlet, and a Philosopher's
Stone could possibly make anything of use. The stonemason explained things step by step to
them. First, they would fuse the gauntlet with the Philosopher's Stone. As you well know,
Harry, they have the ability to produce an Elixir that can make the owner live forever. But the other men asked how an embedded Stone would work, as it needs to produce a drinkable
liquid for the owner to keep his live lengthened.
"The first grim part of the stonemason's plan was revealed then. The gauntlet would fuse with its wearer permanently. The Philosopher's Stone embedded into it would be enchanted to create a slow, constant stream of elixir that would flow directly into the wearer's body. The idea was that if the elixir constantly pumped into the wearer's body, the wearer would live forever and would be able to fight any evil that dared to threaten the lands. The other men were frightened by a concept, as it was indeed a questionable method to use. Making a Philosopher's Stone is no easy feat, and no one had ever tried doing something such as the stonemason suggested. Nonetheless, the two men asked their friend to continue, asking how the two gemstones would work.
"The plan did not get any less grim from that point on, unfortunately. One of the gems would be used to power the gauntlet up and serve as a conduit between the gauntlet's strength and the wizard's. However, this meant that the gemstone had to be capable of some form of thought to be able to help redirect and release the immense power the gauntlet would be able to generate. The stonemason, therefore, said that the first of the gems would need to hold a human's soul within it.
"The second gemstone would be a sort of 'on switch' for the gauntlet. It would also serve to dissipate any unwanted surges of power. In effect, it was a magical black hole. If the gauntlet threatened the user's life due to a high, unstable concentration of magic, the second gem would activate and lower the potential danger. Naturally, one of the men asked how the gauntlet could kill the user if the Philosopher's Stone would be pumping elixir directly into the body. The answer was quite simple - the elixir merely makes it so that you cannot die naturally. Getting hit by, say, the Killing Curse would still be all it would take to end your life.
"The jewelcrafter and the alchemist were hesitant. They would need to sacrifice many lives to forge the gauntlet. Human souls are used in the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, Harry. It is not a well-known fact. Most think the Stone can simply be created, but such is not the case. The jewelcrafter also would need a soul to stick into one of the two gemstones. This would, however, be quite a different task than the one the alchemist faced. The soul had to be given willingly so that it might retain some form of consciousness after removal in order to work the gauntlet.
"It took many months - months in which the growing evil had spread dangerously close to their village. On the day the three were to meet to forge the gauntlet, however, only the stonemason arrived. Thinking his friends had abandoned their plan, he went to their houses. In the alchemist's workshop, the stonemason found a note alongside a shining, red crystal. It said that he could not bear the thought of the horrible deeds he had done to create the thing and that he would join the other souls within it. Deeply saddened, the stonemason took the Philosopher's Stone and went to seek the jewelcrafter.
"His house was also empty. But, as he had at the alchemist's, the stonemason found a note. It said that he and the alchemist had made a pact - they would help forge the components to the gauntlet, but neither could live with the decidedly evil method they had to use. He had crafted the two gemstones to perfection - one green, one blue. And, at the end of his note to the stonemason, he said that his own soul would power the blue gem. He would serve as the conduit between gauntlet and wearer.
"Horribly depressed that he had pushed his friends to such a degree, the stonemason nonetheless took the two gems and returned to his own house. He made a promise to himself - that he would ensure his friends' sacrifices wouldn't be in vain. He would wear the gauntlet himself, despite the high danger in the final step of the process. We know very little of what followed, but the stonemason was found dead within a few days, the gauntlet still attached to his arm. The townsmen tried to remove it, but found themselves unable to. It was only after the stonemason's body had rotted and was little more than a skeleton that they were able to remove the device.
"After much research, the scholars of the town determined what had happened. The forging process destroyed his magical core and the backlash from the power overtook the power regulating gem, shut down the conduit gem, and burned the man alive from the inside out. Not wishing this fate on anyone else, the scholars broke the gauntlet and its components apart again. Four men left the village on that day, each heading in a different direction with a piece of the gauntlet."
Here, Dumbledore paused before getting up and walking to a darkened corner of the room, where he picked up a metal box. Walking back and sitting down, the headmaster opened it up. Inside was an ancient-looking gauntlet made of stone. It was cracked and chipped in many placed and looked to have seen better days. There were three circular grooves along the back of it, sitting in a row.
"...I don't like where this is going." Harry said, staring at the gauntlet wearily. "You just told me a disturbingly long story and now you're showing me a gauntlet. You don't want me to try creating something like they did, do you?"
"Heavens no." Said Dumbledore, holding the box out to Harry, who cautiously took it. "While this is the gauntlet from the story, we have no way of even knowing how to restore it to its former glory. In addition to the three objects needed to forge it, we would need to know the last, critical step of the process. No records were ever found of how the stonemason activated the objects and fused his right arm with the gauntlet. I will, however, let you in on a secret. The Triwizard Tournament was held to find someone worthy enough to take ownership of this gauntlet. It has been in the possession of the Wizengamot for many centuries now, and it was suggested it be brought to light again. After what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, this idea was only strengthened.
"Voldemort's Death Eaters had been quiet ever since you defeated him as a baby, Harry. But their emergence led many to fear what has now come to pass - that Lord Voldemort himself would soon find a way to return. The Tournament was to test one's wits and power. I will not lie to you, Harry - the council believed that trying to reforge the gauntlet might be a necessity one day. But I believe that Tom Riddle is still mortal, no matter what has happened in the past."
"So why give it to me at all?" Asked Harry, picking up the gauntlet and sliding it onto his right hand. It was heavy and completely inflexible. Sliding it back off, he set it gently back into its box, looking back up at Dumbledore.
"Because, Harry, Voldemort fears you. You have stopped him on numerous occasions and have even managed to escape from a direct encounter where all of his remaining Death Eaters had converged. Should the need to ever reforge this device take place, I have no doubt you would succeed where the stonemason once failed. I also have no doubt that there is another way to defeat Voldemort. The Order has been busy watching Voldemort's movements and studying his potential weaknesses. Unfortunately, we have not come to any conclusions on the latter subject as of yet." Said Dumbledore.
"The only problem," Harry said, turning to stare at the fireplace, "Is that I own two of the four parts of this thing... and I think I've had contact with a third."
Dumbledore's brow creased. "What do you mean?"
"Back in my first year at Hogwarts, when I was fighting Quirrell... I fell to the ground. A bit of the Philosopher's Stone chipped off of the main block. I've kept it at the bottom of my trunk as a memento of sorts. And... lately - for a while now, in fact - I've had dreams where a spinning, blue gem would appear and beg for help. Just last night, I had an encounter that left me shaken. After I went back to sleep, I had a more coherent one. We were in a black room and the gemstone was sitting on a pedestal under a small pile of dust and debris. The voice was that of an old man. He said he didn't know who he was or where he was, but he wanted help. ...I think Voldemort is after him. It. Whatever..." Harry explained.
"...This does not bode well, then." Dumbledore said, looking concerned. "If the thing calling to you is the conduit gem, then it may know you were to soon get the gauntlet. It may wish to rejoin the thing and become 'whole' once more..."
"The Stone, one of the gems, and the gauntlet itself..." Harry murmured. "...But didn't you say the gauntlet was made of gold?"
"I did. We have not been able to work out this, either. But this is, without a doubt, the gauntlet from the legend." Said the headmaster.
"Perhaps..." Harry began, staring down at the gauntlet again, "Perhaps the conduit gem knows evil is coming again and wants to help."
"Perhaps." Agreed Dumbledore. "But we do not know of the effects time has had on it, if any. A soul trapped within a gemstone for a countless amount of time... there is no way of knowing if the soul within has become tarnished or simply become insane. That it is coming to you and asking for help is a bad omen, no matter the intent. Worse, I personally know where the other gemstone is located."
"What?" Harry hissed. "...Damn. That means that, if we really had to..."
"The gauntlet could, indeed, be reforged." Dumbledore finished. "May we pray that such an event will never have to take place."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: PLOT.
You know how Harry keeps saying stuff and then it keeps HAPPENING? Heh heh heh.
I won't say one way or another what I plan to do, but the title of book 7 IS The Gauntlet of the Magi, after all. And yes, I've thought up what is needed to forge the gauntlet. Can any of you guess what could be used? Think back to all I've had Harry run across over the past four books. Anyone who figures it out before book 7 begins gets a cookie!
The reforging will happen at the start of book 7 - I'm not having Harry go battling before he's ready. This book will not be about finding the conduit gemstone, either. That is what book 6 is for. Book 6 will center around a colossal raid on the place the gem is located.
Book 5 is about preparations. About Harry maturing and forcing himself to grow stronger. About Harry's growing desire to protect those around him as a war rages on. A war he finds himself unable to go and join. There will be many changes to come in Order Reassembled. The Pit will get a new resident and Harry will be taught Occlumency, amongst other things. In addition, the tone may grow decidedly darker. Book 6 isn't going to be an easy thing to write. There's a series of three chapters - the only three I have ideas written up for - that will be especially difficult to write.
I'll warn you all now - there will be death. And more than one before I'm done with this project. I won't spoil who's going to go, but I think you've all noticed what I added to this chapter. Until next time, dear readers.