Picking Up the Pieces Chapter Twenty-One The First and Final Four
--
"Where's the fire?"
Neither Harry nor Hermione could formulate a reply.
Ron looked between them, flustered and happy to see them.
"Y-You're alive." Hermione stammered, struck dumb for once in her life.
Before Ron could say anything, Miss Weston came tearing around the corner.
She almost looked comical- wild gray hair, eyes gleaming with malice, old lungs struggling for breath.
"I want to talk to him. Alone." She said, pointing her thin finger at Harry.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione.
"You two get out of here." He said, lowering his voice.
"No way." Ron shook his head.
Hermione looked between them.
"Harry, we can't just leave you here."
"Guys, I can handle Voldemort- I can handle her"
Harry pointed out.
"But what if-"
"Take Ron back to the hotel. All I want right now is to know you two are safe." Harry said, his voice implying that there would be no more discussion of this.
Hermione looked torn between staying with Harry and keeping Ron safe now that she finally had him back.
Harry looked right at her, sensing the fact that she was wavering.
"Go." He said.
And with a small nod, Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and they disapparated.
Harry turned to face Miss Weston.
"All right. I'm listening." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Marvelous." She said, with a yellow-toothed smile.
--
"Draco."
Draco stared out the window.
"You're acting like a child."
"Fck off." Draco muttered.
Severus raised his eyebrows.
"Pardon me?"
Draco repeated the sentiment.
Narcissa looked up at Snape.
"It's useless, Severus." She said quietly.
Snape ignored her.
"Draco, the Dark Lord would like to speak with you."
Draco looked over at him at last.
"About what?"
"Because of your sulking and apparently Miss Parkinson's ineptitude, Mr. Weasley has escaped."
Draco's eyes widened.
"No way."
"Yes. The Dark Lord is not very pleased."
"How'd he get out?"
"No one is sure."
"Wow. Who would've thought- Weasel pulls a fast one on us."
"Indeed. Will you come with me?"
Draco shook his head, his gray eyes dark.
"You want me to go accept orders from the man who just murdered my father?"
Narcissa looked at Severus again, and he met her eyes for the briefest instant.
"Things are never quite that simple, Draco." She said quietly.
"What's complicated about it?
He...killed...my...father. The end."
"There are things you don't understand."
"What things?" Draco looked between them, confused.
"Just go, Draco. This isn't the time." Snape put his hand on his shoulder, pushing him towards the doorway.
--
Lupin recoiled in shock from her kiss, feeling as though she was drifting farther and farther away from him with each breath.
"W-What..." He muttered weakly, feeling as though his heart was beating with much effort.
"I'll take care of you. You're not going to die.
Help's coming." She choked out, her bloodied hand
pushing the hair off his forehead.
His blood.
He felt so tired. Sirius really was gone. It had all been a lie. Tonks was all right. So many thoughts were rushing through his already weary brain that he wanted to just close his eyes and never wake up.
"No one's coming, are they?" He whispered, his head against the tree.
He didn't even hear her respond. He didn't hear anything.
So this is what it felt like to die.
He'd been waiting for it far too long.
--
"What are you asking?"
"You and Snape will guard something very precious to me. I trust him. And I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself at last."
"Guarding something? Haven't I shown you that's not really my forte?" Draco smirked.
"Nevertheless, I think you most suited to this job.
There's many things I still think you need to discover
about yourself, Draco. And Severus is the best one to
show you these things. You'll see."
"That's it? Just go hang out with my professor for a few days?"
"Yes. That is all I ask of you."
"Fine." Draco turned to leave.
"Aren't you angry with me, Mr. Malfoy?" Voldemort said his name in a strangely mocking tone.
Draco clenched his hands into fists, but didn't turn around.
"Not at all...Master."
Voldemort smiled.
"Very well."
--
Hermione and Ron appeared in the hotel room, hitting the floor hard.
"Nice landing." Ron grinned, getting to his feet and extending his hand to her.
"Shut up, like you could do side-apparition-" Hermione smiled back, taking his hand.
He pulled her to her feet, and before Hermione could speak, he kissed her.
Hermione leaned into him, as his arms encircled her,
drawing them as close as possible.
It was a long moment before the kiss ended, and when it did, they stepped apart and just looked at each other, grinning like a pair of idiots.
"S-Sorry. Just thrilled to be alive." Ron shrugged,
his cheeks and ears bright red.
"You shouldn't be sorry for that." Hermione said,
flushed.
They stood there awkwardly for a few moments, like they had just gone on their first date.
"So...you finally think it's time for us?" Ron asked.
Hermione laughed.
"I think it's been time for us for awhile."
"For once...I completely and totally agree with you."
--
Narcissa walked into Snape's room as he was packing.
He looked up at her, but didn't say anything. After a moment, he continued packing.
"So you're leaving with Draco?" She said, leaning against the door.
"Yes." He said shortly.
"He won't tell me what you're doing."
"Neither will I."
"Severus-"
"You made it perfectly clear that we are mere acquaintences the last time we spoke. I'm respecting that agreement." He said testily, closing his trunk.
"Look...the way I acted was completely out of line.
I'm sorry- I was confused, I had just lost my husband,
I was angry at a lot of things...but not at you. That
was wrong of me to take it out on you, and I didn't
mean what I said about...about you and me."
"You don't have to do this, Narcissa."
She sighed, crossing to him.
"Yes, I do. I'm sorry, Severus. Please know that." She was standing close to him, her hands on his chest.
He shook her off.
"Apology accepted. Tell Draco I'm ready."
"Don't leave like this." She said quietly.
"Stop it." He said, so quietly she could barely hear him.
"What?"
"You know what."
"Talk to me, Severus!" She grabbed his arm.
"STOP IT!"
She stepped away, shocked. He hardly ever raised his voice.
Furious, he got right in her face.
"Stop fcking around with me! I'm so tired of you always keeping me waiting, always keeping me holding on to something I can NEVER have! You have been a plague on my life since I was a teenager, and I can't take this anymore! You were right. This...us...it's done. We were never anything, and we'll never be anything. Draco's the one good thing to ever come out of this sick, twisted little story. I'm finished with you...with this."
Narcissa opened her mouth to speak.
"Don't." He shook his head, shoving past her.
-
Harry looked at the withered old woman.
"To fully appreciate this story...I have to show you."
"Fine." Harry shrugged.
He wasn't afraid of her. She didn't look powerful enough to levitate a napkin, much less kill him.
Muttering under her breath, she grabbed his hand.
Harry felt like a great rush of wind had passed
through him, his skin nearly blowing off his bones.
Just as soon as this rather unpleasant sensation hit
him, it was over.
He was in the past.
Much like in the Pensieve, he seemed to exist completely separate from everyone around him.
It was a dinner party. Four people sat around the table in a room Harry had never seen before. The high ceilings and walls bore no windows, and the only decoration were vast stone pillars in the four corners of the room and a tapestry bearing the likenesses of those seated at the small stone table.
A handsome, friendly-looking man sat at the head of the table. He had sandy brown hair and sparkling blue eyes.
"To Hogwarts!" He said, raising his glass.
"Hogwarts!" The three other echoed.
There were two other women and one other man- a
round-cheeked witch with curly blond hair, a witch
with striking features and jet black hair wrapped in
black layers, and a man Harry would not have crossed-
his dark eyes were not reached by the forced smile on
his face.
"The Founders." Harry said to himself.
"Very good." He heard Emma's mocking voice from somewhere far away.
"Helga, this meal was just lovely." The man who had to be Godric Gryffindor said, finishing his wine.
"Thank you." She giggled, doing a little mock bow.
"The first feast at our school." The dark-haired
woman, who Harry was figuring for Rowena Ravenclaw,
said in a throaty, disarmingly strong voice.
"Slytherin, you've hardly said two words the whole night. What's troubling you, old friend?" Godric asked the man at the other end of the table.
"Just overcome with excitement." Salazer said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Godric rolled his eyes.
"Get this man some spirits- he's ruining our little party!" He said, shaking his head.
"Salazer, this is a happy occasion! Smile!" Helga poured him more wine.
Salazer knocked over the glass with his hand, standing up.
"I can't stand this wretched place already. Please, do excuse me." He said, stalking off.
Godric, Helga, and Rowena shared a look.
"I'll talk to him." Rowena said, tossing her long hair over one shoulder.
"He never listens to any of us."
"It's useless." Helga chimed in.
Rowena walked after him, and Harry followed.
"Salazer. Stop." She finally caught up to him after several flights of stairs.
They were now in the Entry Hall of Hogwarts- it was unnerving to see it completely new and bare. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, eerie shafts of light providing the only illumination.
Salazer turned to look at her.
"Those two will only run this place into the ground.
Their ideals of goodness and equality will bring all
manner of wizarding rejects and mudbloods into this
school. It should be for the best-- not the vermin
they're thinking of recruiting."
"You know I agree. But you're behaving like a child."
"I cannot stay silent and let them ruin everything I've worked for!" Salazer shouted.
"If we stay silent, we can still sort out the best for our houses. The most intelligent, the most cunning will be under our control. That's all that really matters. And if the time should ever come that we need to overthrow the other houses- we'll be perfectly capable with our students behind us. But we must stay silent. Until the time is right."
Salazer looked at her for a long moment.
"I don't know if I can do that."
"I'll help you." She said, her hand on his face.
Harry blinked with surprise. Were they...?
No. Surely not. Someone would have known.
Salazer took her other hand.
"You're not wearing it."
"You know I can't. Mutiny has to be a surprise, or it's not effective. If they were to know of our marriage-"
Harry nearly choked.
"They would suspect you coming over to my way of thinking."
"Exactly."
"Fine. It will be our little secret."
"Although that might prove more difficult in the coming months." She said, her hand instinctively going to her well-hidden stomach.
He looked at her, speechless for a moment.
"You're...you're going to have a child?"
"Our child." She said smiling.
"How long have you known?"
"Just a few weeks. I'll do everything I can to hide it, and find some reason to leave when the time comes."
"I don't want this."
"You don't want this baby?" Her eyes narrowed,
obviously hurt.
"No, it's not that- I just don't want to have to sneak away to see my own child."
"It's the only way."
"For now."
"You can't kill them. Y ou and I both know they are far too powerful."
"He's NOT powerful! He's WEAK! Tainted by goodness,
naive to the very thought of evil. There's none in
him, so he refuses to think of it as a threat. And
she's a simpering idiot. I could kill them without
expending any effort at all."
"That's not the answer."
"Then tell me what is!"
She looked at her hands, shaking her head.
"I don't know."
She raised her hand to his face again, this time wearing a gold wedding band.
"Just trust me. We wait."
"I do trust you. But I won't wait forever to make this place this place realize its potential."
"I know. I'll help you."
He kissed her then, and their figures began to blur.
Harry was suddenly back with Emma Weston.
"And thus...a son was born five months later. Nicholas Gaunt. They changed his name to avoid questions, but he was the true descendant of the greatest pureblood line. And the line continued..."
"Until Voldemort." Harry said.
"Yes, my dear. So you see- my ancestors wanted you dead. I must continue on the family tradition."
"You couldn't kill me."
"You don't think so?"
"You'd probably break a hip." Harry shrugged.
She got to her feet, advancing toward him.
"Her wedding ring is a Horcrux, isn't it?"
He could tell by her face that he was right.
"How do you know about Horcruxes?"
"I've got smart friends."
"Where's the ring?" She said, grabbing his collar.
"No clue."
"WHERE IS IT?"
Harry shoved her off, ripping out his wand and pointing it at her.
"You know about the Horcruxes don't you?"
She said nothing, slowly drawing her wand. He easily hit it away, kicking it to the corner.
"Dumbledore destroyed the ring. The Slytherin locket was destroyed by Regulus Black. Tom Riddle's diary was destroyed by yours truly. That leaves three more horcruxes. Tell me what they are."
She cowered on the ground.
"TELL ME!" He said, the wand tip at her neck.
"THE RING! You're right about the ring. And-and the cup of Hufflepuff. And I don't know the third!"
"Don't you dare lie to me!" He said, pushing harder.
"I don't KNOW!" She cried, looking so pathetic that he relented.
"Fine. Where's Hufflepuff's cup?"
"Legend says deep within Hogwarts. Possibly in the room from the memory."
"Where's that room?"
"Underground. I know no one who knows the way to access it."
"I can think of someone who might. Thank you, Miss Weston." Harry got to his feet, walking out the front door into the darkening summer night.
--
A/N- I smell a showdown at dear old Hogwarts coming
up...and what is that last Horcrux? Harry better
figure it out quick, and he has a happily reunited Ron
and Hermione to help him out next chapter. Plus- has
Lupin gone up to the deluxe apartment in the sky? What
will Narcissa do without Snape to emotionally torture?
And who does Harry know who knows the way into
Hogwarts most sacred chamber? All to come, dear
readers...