AN: People have asked if they can use a particular idea from this story. The answer is YES! because these are not my ideas. I have taken ideas from all the stories I've read. I believe there is no such thing as an original idea—it's the way you put them together that makes the story original. It's as some of you have said—the multi-dimensional trunk idea is cliché, yet I love reading all those stories. Also, some are wondering why there hasn't been a confrontation with Dumbledore. Well, it's-a-comin', but you'll have to wait for it. These Griffindors are using a little Slytherin strategy right now. They need Dumbledore's knowledge, and extracting knowledge from Dumbledore is like trying to get blood out of a stone. So, there's a little quid pro quo going on right now. I hope that answered some of your questions. Thank you for all your reviews and for all your questions and comments. Tamara
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Chapter 11
At midnight, Voldemort's Death Eaters were gathered around him in the Throne Room of the old manor. Unknown to them, they were being observed by five people sitting in an invisible trunk on the fireplace mantle.
Voldemort paced the room, inside the circle of Death Eaters. "Severus, step forward," he ordered.
Snape stepped out of the circle and knelt before the Dark Lord. "Yes, my lord?"
"It appears that you have been misinformed, Severus. I've had my loyal servants watching the mud-blood's house all day. Imagine my surprise when they reported that neither she nor her parents were in hiding." He paced around the kneeling potions master. "What do you have to say for yourself, Severus?"
"I can only offer my apologies, my Lord. Dumbledore told the Order that they were in hiding, and I reported the information to you."
"Crucio!" Voldemort snapped, and Snape fell to the floor, his body jerking in a painful seizure. After about 30 seconds, Voldemort stopped the curse.
"Get up!" he ordered. "And next time you bring me information, verify that it's correct!"
"Yes, my Lord," Snape said, struggling to his feet and rejoining the rest of the Death Eaters in the circle.
"Where's Wormtail?"
The Death Eaters looked at each other, but none answered.
"Severus?"
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Where is Wormtail?"
"My Lord, I haven't seen Wormtail since I reported to you here last night after the Order meeting."
Voldemort approached him threateningly. "You haven't seen him at all?"
"No, my Lord."
"I instructed him to go to your house and keep you company."
"My Lord, he never arrived."
"Crucio!" And Snape received another 30 seconds of pain.
When it was over, Voldemort turned to the other Death Eaters. "Go to the mud-blood's house. Kill the girl and her parents, and then destroy the house. Severus, you will remain here with me."
"Yes, my Lord."
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"Hermione!" Harry said, in a panic. "They're going to kill Hermione!"
"What's the address?" Charley asked, clicking on the map.
Albus gave him the address, and they arrived in the Granger's living room. Harry was transported out of the trunk. "Hermione! Mr. and Mrs. Granger! You have to come with me. Your house is about to be attacked by Death Eaters. We can transport you to a safe place."
Without hesitation, the Grangers agreed, and Charles transported them into the trunk's lounge. In the control room, Charles moved the trunk to the roof of the Granger's house and placed an invisible shield around the property. "Nothing can pass through that," he said, as they watched the Death Eaters apparate around the Granger home. "They won't even be able to walk onto the property."
They watched as Death Eaters dropped to the ground to avoid their own curses as they bounced off the invisible shield. Those who ran into the shield were thrown back into the street.
Charles hit a button on the panel and a wave of red light struck the majority of the Death Eaters, rendering them unconscious. The few who escaped the spell immediately disapparated. "I think we have enough room for a few guests," he said, pressing another button on the panel, which caused the Death Eaters to disappear.
He turned to the other occupants of the control room. "I'll take us back to Voldemort's hideout if the rest of you will see to our newest guests," Charles said.
On the 8th level of the trunk, 21 Death Eaters were piled on top of each other inside the scanning room. It took Albus, Sirius, Remus, and Harry almost an hour to get them all stripped, scanned, and placed in cells.
In the lounge, the Grangers, in pajamas and robes, sat in front of the fire sipping tea and nibbling biscuits, waiting for Harry to return. At last, Harry, Albus, and Remus joined them.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, throwing her arms around him in a hug worthy of Mrs. Weasley. "How did you know?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Granger," Albus said, smiling apologetically. "But we can't divulge that information. Order business, you know. But I'm happy to tell you that your house was not damaged in any way. The Death Eaters were unable to do any harm, so after a good night's rest, we will return you in the morning."
She nodded and sat back down with her parents. "Headmaster, these are my parents. Mum, Dad, this is Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Remus Lupin, and of course you know Harry."
"Are you sure it's safe for us to go back?" Mr. Granger asked.
"Yes, we've improved our spy network. There will be no attacks without our knowing about it first. And we are making preparations for your safety. Everything will be ready in the morning."
"Thank you, Headmaster," Mrs. Granger said.
"Think nothing of it. Harry, perhaps you should show the Grangers to their rooms. I'm sure they're exhausted after all the excitement they've had tonight."
The Grangers followed Harry to the 6th level, where he showed them their rooms.
"Harry, where are we?" Hermione asked, as he opened the door to her room.
"It's . . . just a safehouse," he said.
"But why are you here?"
"Um I'm living here now."
Hermione frowned. "Why did Dumbledore move you from your relatives?"
"He didn't, Hermione, but--Look, I've discovered that I have a grandfather, and I'm living here with him. Nobody knows about it, so please don't say anything to anyone else. All right?"
"Does Ron know?" she asked.
He shook his head. "It's only been a few days, so I really haven't had time to let anyone know. Please let me tell Ron and his family, though. I want to do it in person."
"All right," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for saving us, Harry. Good night."
"Night, Mione."
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In Little Hangleton, 7 terrified Death Eaters reported their failure to the Dark Lord. After a round of crucios for everyone, Voldemort sat on his throne and wondered what kind of protection Dumbledore had placed on the muggle house. He had never heard of a shield that could not only resist every spell, but could attack as well.
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The next morning, Sirius had breakfast in the control room, taking an early shift while the rest of the household ate theirs in the dining room. Harry introduced his grandfather to the Grangers, and they discussed the events of the night before.
"Before we send you back home," Charles told them, "If you will each provide one hair from your head, I'll make you each a transport key. Therefore, if you're in trouble, just say or think the words 'safe haven' and, as long as you wear the key around your neck, it will transport you to a place of safety."
"Is that like a portkey, Mr. Potter?" Hermione asked.
"Not exactly. With a portkey, you travel through space, which can sometimes be quite uncomfortable. With a transport key, you disappear from one place and appear at another. There's no discomfort at all."
"I've never read anything about transport keys," Hermione said. "Why doesn't the Wizarding world use them more often?"
Charles smiled. "Because they don't know about them, Hermione. I invented them."
After the Grangers left, Charles went into the control room and duplicated the Room of Requirement. "We're going to need a place where people can transport in emergency situations," he explained. "But not know they're in a trunk."
Albus took a turn in the Control Room while Harry and his guardians went to prepare the new Room of Requirement. "From now on, when we make a transport key, we'll make it to access this level only," he said. "That is what I did for the Grangers."
They changed the new Room of Requirement into a replica of Potter Island, without the house. Just inside the edge of the forest, they placed dozens of Wizarding tents among the trees. The area was large enough that none were close together, providing each tent with a bit of privacy. This left the cove, the majority of the woods, and the beach free for wandering. In the center of the cove, they placed a lake. Around the lake, the cove was turned into a lush garden with fragrant plants and flowers. Cobblestone paths and arbor-covered swings and benches provided places to walk and sit in the garden. In one area, he placed a park for children, which contained several swings, a slide, a large sandbox, a Jungle Jim, and a merry-go-round. Satisfied with his work, he had another idea. In the center of the lake, he placed an island, which held a carousel. Unicorns, dragons, winged horses, griffins, hippogriffs, phoenixes, and other magical creatures pranced around the circle to lively calliope music. Paddleboats floated at the edge of the lake, ready to take passengers of all ages to the carousel.
"I wonder, Uncle Charley," Sirius said. "If when the danger is past, we'll be able to make everyone go home."
Charley laughed and set up a large tent in another area of the woods. "This can be the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix," he said. " We'll make transport keys for members of the Order and their families."
"We'll also need them for the DA," Harry said. "Especially the ones who went to the ministry with me. I'm sure Voldemort knows about them by now. They can transport here, and we can train." Harry set up another large tent for his DA members.
"We'll need to rescue Severus soon," Remus said. "Voldemort doesn't trust him anymore. I think his days as a spy are over."
Charles agreed. "We should put a potions lab in one of the tents for him. The Dark Mark doesn't respond to Voldemort's summons inside the trunk."
"Is that why my scar hasn't hurt this summer?" Harry asked. "Because Voldemort can't reach me while I'm here?"
"Exactly. The walls of the trunk protect you from any outside influences."
Harry picked out a tent that the family would use, and Charles added a hidden door that would lead directly to the control room. The tent had four bedrooms, a large lounge, and a kitchen-dining area. There were only 2 bathrooms, so Remus and Sirius would share one and Charles and Harry the other. They dubbed it The Marauder's Tent, making Charley and Harry official Marauders.
Harry spent much of the rest of the day at the pool with Sirius while Remus took a turn in the control room. Albus and Charles sat in the library discussing their ideas about Voldemort's attempt to become immortal.
Charles poured Albus a brandy, and then took his own glass and settled in a chair by the fireplace. "When Jamey was in his 6th year at Hogwarts, Anna was working on a project with Horace Slughorn. He came to our house in Wiltshire one weekend, and after dinner, Anna went to bed early with a headache. Horace had brought a couple of bottles of brandy he wanted me to try, and we sat in the lounge discussing Voldemort. We'd both had a bit much to drink, but Horace was absolutely pissed." He laughed, remembering the incident.
"And then he told me something that made my blood run cold," he said, shivering at the recollection.
Albus leaned forward in his seat. "What was it, Charley?"
"He said that when Tom Riddle was at Hogwarts, he asked him about horcruxes. From their conversation, Horace got the impression that he intended to make 6 of them, splitting his soul into 7 pieces. I asked Horace why the number 7. He said that Tom liked the number 7 because it was magical. So, I began researching horcruxes—how to make them and how to destroy them. Albus, I think this is the method that Tom used to become immortal. I think that he would have died when the killing curse rebounded off Harry and hit him if he had not split his soul apart. However, I have no idea what items he used to house his soul pieces, nor where he could have hidden them. Should we find them, though, I do know how to destroy them."
Albus released a heavy sigh. "Charley, I have no idea how to destroy a horcrux. However, I may be able to shed some light on possible relics and where they might be hidden. Over the years, I have collected the memories of people who have had to deal with Tom. I have discovered that Tom likes to use items that are special to him or that have something to do with the Hogwart's founders. I've come to the conclusion that Tom has hidden these horcruxes at sites that mean something to him—the orphanage where he grew up, for example—the homes of his mother and father—perhaps even Hogwarts. In his second year, Harry unknowingly destroyed one of the horcruxes when he rescued little Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets."
"Oh, my," Charley said. "Was he injured?"
"Not by the horcrux. He had a bit of a run-in with a basilisk, though, which caused a bit of injury before he finally killed it with Godric Griffindor's sword."
Charles scowled at Dumbledore whose eyes were twinkling with amusement. "A basilisk," he repeated drolly. "You're telling me that my grandson slew a basilisk when he was 12—with Griffindor's sword, no less."
Albus couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice. "That's what I'm telling you, Charley."
"Bloody hell," he said, and then finished off the entire snifter of brandy in one gulp.