A/N: Well, if you're even remotely interested where I've been, it's been at home recuperating. And it has not been going well to say the least. The second operation did not have the success of the first it seems. The hand hurts worse, and it shouldn't be. It is stiff and poorly coordinated, and it shouldn't be. And it is hard to use it, and it shouldn't be. Plus, I have a new keyboard, which should make typing easier, and it ain't. In short, nothing went as planned.
'Nough about that. On to other stuff.
OK. It's short, it's sweet, it's to the point. That pretty well describes this chapter. Its whole existence is somewhat new as it is. This chapter was not part of the original story, but I felt I needed something to sort of smooth over the whole transition of what is coming. So, consider this chapter fair warning of what is to come.
And as always,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Relations as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.
Chapter Eleven A: Because It Was Necessary
The next several days at the castle were anything but pleasant from Arabella's point of view. Between trying to keep an eye on Harry and wondering what Voldemort was up to, she hardly had a moment of thought that wasn't occupied by one or the other. Harry was fairly easy to keep an eye on. Seemingly as thrown by the turn of events as she was, he never stray far from her presence, seeming to take comfort in the familiarity of having her close at hand.
Voldemort was a completely different story. All she was left with of the man was to wonder what he was up to. Since the day he had come to their room, she had only seen him once. And that had been such an unexpected passing she couldn't even think of how to react before he was gone.
The encounter had taken place just outside of the entrance to Dumbledore's office. She had been only passing by, following behind Harry as they walked down the corridor when Voldemort had appeared from a side corridor, cutting directly across her path as he headed for the entrance to the Headmaster's office. He had looked as stunned as she was at the chance encounter. For a brief moment, Arabella had thought it was Sirius. But had it been him, she likely would have been grabbed up in an enthusiastic hug and kissed senseless, regardless of the teenage audience just a few feet down the hall. But instead she was given only a muttered acknowledgement before the man slipped past her and disappeared up the staircase at a quick pace. She stood listening to the ascending footsteps, hearing the door open and close quickly just as Harry came back to join her.
"What did Voldemort want?" Harry ask.
"It certainly wasn't to say 'Hello'." she answered, glancing up the stairs, slightly irritated that if he was going to take the time to speak at all, it could have at least been to say something intelligible.
Harry followed her stare. "It didn't sound like he even knocked." Harry commented. "Do you think he's in Dumbledore's office alone?"
"I doubt it. No one can get in unless Dumbledore wants them there."
Harry took one last look up the stairs before Arabella directed him back down the corridor. "It's probably a meeting, Harry." she stated.
Harry hesitated. "But what if it isn't? What if he's up there...causing trouble?" was the best description Harry could give to his fears.
Arabella gave him a patient smile. "The most mischief Voldemort could cause right now would be to throw a dungbomb in the girls toilet. And somehow I don't see him going to the trouble."
"But we can't be sure. We know what he's capable of."
"And I know what Orion is capable of as well, and he has the whole castle warded. Voldemort couldn't cast a malicious spell if he wanted to while the wards are in place."
Harry didn't look totally convinced, but allowed Arabella to guide him off on down the corridor.
Arabella stopped off at the library, telling Harry she needed to look up some spell books before they returned to their rooms.
As he followed Arabella about the rows of shelves, he looked down one corridor to notice Orion sitting at a table. Glancing at Arabella, who was absorbed in the book she had just taken off the shelve, Harry walked slowly down the short corridor to the table where the Unspeakable sat. He hadn't seen the man in days and had wondered if he was even still in the castle. And since Arabella didn't seem to have any more idea of what Voldemort was up to than he did, Harry thought his soon-to-be uncle might be a good source of information.
Harry carefully seated himself in the chair next to Orion, cautiously waiting to see what sort of reception he got.
But the man hardly seemed to notice he was even there. With his face nearly buried in a book, he only glanced aside to make a few notes on a piece of parchment before his finger continued to skim the pages.
Harry slowly leaned over to try to get a glimpse of what the book was about.
"Something I can do for you, Harry?" Orion ask, never once looking up.
Harry jumped back slightly. "I...I just wondered what you were doing." he tried to respond in a voice that didn't sound like he had been caught doing something wrong.
"Research." came the brief reply.
"About what?" If the man was trying to find answers, maybe the questions had something to do with what Voldemort had done to Sirius.
"Nothing that concerns you." Orion answered.
Although there was no malice or sharpness in the answer, Harry knew the subject was just as effectively closed.
Harry pulled back slightly in the chair again, wondering if there was some other way to get any information out of the man.
"If you must sit there, at least be useful." Orion instructed, pointing to the section of books to his left. "Go and get me the first book on the third shelve there, fourth row of books, closest to the end near us. Called 'Spells Through The Ages' by Walter Manton."
Harry glanced up at the sign over the door leading to the area Orion directed him to. "But that's the Restricted section." Harry pointed out.
The Unspeakable looked up for the first time. "Yes?"
"I'm a student. I can't go in there without permission."
"And you have it. So off you go."
Harry shrugged to himself as he got to his feet. Surely the permission of an Unspeakable was good enough. Harry quickly headed down the row of books but stopped when he heard a page flip over. Curious about who else would be in the Restricted section, Harry carefully peered around the corner of the book shelf.
His first instinct was to run. Followed closely by his second, third, and fourth, all suggesting running as the best course of action as he pulled quickly back. But as he turned around, he stumbled straight into the bookshelf behind him.
The shelf teetered precariously, but stayed upright, with only a few books falling to the floor. But they were enough to capture the attention of the creature down the adjoining corridor.
Seated on the floor, paging through the book in his lap like any well engrossed three year old, Bo looked up at the unexpected noise. A loud trill of excitement came from under the black hood as the pile of material seemed to practically materialize to an upright position and head straight for Harry.
Deciding in mere seconds that Orion would have to get his own book, Harry turned and headed at full speed out of the Restricted Section, every instinct honed on finding his godmother as fast as possible.
Harry went charging past Orion without a word. The Unspeakable seemed to take no notice of the teenager's departure, but without glance or a word, reached out behind him just as the tower of black robes shot past. Managing to grab a handful of material, Orion yanked the boggart to an abrupt halt.
Meanwhile, Harry came to an equally abrupt stop next to his godmother, who glanced down at him as he panted for breath.
"I thought you were with Orion." she commented. "Where did you go?"
"I was!" Harry defended quickly. "But he wanted me to go look for a book for him in the Restricted Section, but that boggart was there, and he came after me, and..."
"Orion sent you into the Restricted Section?" Arabella stated firmly. Grabbing Harry's shoulder, she marched him in front of her back to where Orion was sitting. "We'll just have a word about that."
Harry was less than pleased that, one, they were going back to where the boggart had been, and two, Arabella seemed more concern about where he had been than in what had almost happened to him.
As they approached the table, Harry slowed down to study the sight before him. Orion was still seated at the table, but he now had his hand gripped around the robes of the boggart, who, on seeing Harry, began to tug against the hold.
Orion yanked back on the robes. "Down, boy." he instructed calmly.
Bo not only didn't stop struggling to get free, he started to try harder to break Orion's grip.
Just as he seemed near his goal, Orion suddenly pushed the book he was studying to the side, in line with the boggart.
"Bo! Look! A book!" Orion announced with all the enthusiasm of someone throwing a stick to a dog.
The effect was very similar.
Not only did the boggart stop struggling, but he instantly descended on the book and within seconds was once again seated in the floor with the book in his lap, happily flipping pages.
Harry noted that Arabella surveyed the whole scene with less than a quirked eyebrow.
"How can you even bring him in here?" she asked the man still seated at the table.
"Harry?" the Unspeakable inquired innocently? "I didn't. You did."
"Bo!" Arabella stipulated.
Orion simply smiled up at them. "It's full of books!" he explained. "You know how Bo just loves books."
"He likes to turn pages." Arabella commented as Bo, as if on cue, happily flipped one over.
"And how can you let him in the Restricted Section? Which also goes for my godson."
"Bo likes the Restricted Section." Orion replied mildly. "And Harry was on a task for me. I didn't give he free rein to wander about."
"I would appreciate you doing your own tasks." Arabella replied.
Before Orion could answer Harry looked up at his godmother. "You know about Bo?" he ask.
Arabella turned her attention to him. "Everyone knows about the Blacks pet boggart, Harry." she replied with a small smile. "Although with Orion, the emphasis seems on the word 'pet'."
"He's extremely well behaved." Orion defended.
"Fine." Arabella retorted. "Maybe he could serve as mascot for one of the houses."
"Probably Slytherin." Harry all but mumbled, his gaze never leaving the pile of black robes seated on the floor.
"Why do you say that?" A sharp voice caused Harry to look up.
Harry found himself staring into the hard, cold gaze of Orion.
"He just seems...suited to them." he fumbled for the right words, wondering what he had said that upset the Unspeakable.
"Bo would most definitely not go to Slytherin." Orion replied, his voice tainted with a barely disguised anger.
Before Harry could begin to figure out what he had said wrong, Arabella grabbed him by the shoulder and led him away. "Come on," she stated, "it's almost time for lunch."
Once in the hallway, Harry turned to his godmother. "What did I say wrong?" he ask.
"Don't you know?" Arabella asked, then quickly amended her statement. "No. Of course you won't"
"Know what?"
Arabella kept walking. "When Orion first came to Hogwarts, he was originally almost sorted into Slytherin."
"He was a Slytherin?" Harry was astonished at the news.
"Almost." Arabella corrected. "His father, Talon Black, who was at the time was a very powerful and very well respected Auror, demanded his son be resorted. Insisting the hat had made a mistake. It was the first and only time to date any student has ever been resorted. But when it was done, the hat resorted him into Gryffindor."
"But..." Harry reasoned slowly, "...that would mean the Sorting Hat had made a mistake. But I thought it never did."
"It doesn't." Arabella confirmed. "But how can you argue that point when the hat resorted him into a different house? Had the hat sent him to Slytherin again, no one would have thought twice about it. But it didn't. It resorted him into a different house. And Gryffindor at that." Arabella sighed softly. "After that things were never easy for Orion. Neither house seemed to want anything to do with him. The Slytherins were openly hostile to him and the Gryffindors treated him with polite caution. He was basically abandoned by both houses and left to fend for himself.
While he was at Hogwarts, Orion never felt he belonged. He was never given the chance to. Mostly he spent his time here trying to carve out his own personal nitch. An effort that often led to fights. Ones he at first lost, and later started to win, until the other students began to avoid him, not out of mistrust, but out of fear. Orion became what you might refer to as a 'hard case', and he laid most the blame for his battles on Slytherins doorstep. If you wanted something done to a Slytherin, and you had the guts to ask, Orion was the person to go to. He would do anything to irritate the Slytherins. And usually just for fun. Few students dared even approach him. I think after a while even the teachers became cautious of him.
But when he graduated he eventually ended up with the Unspeakables, where that nitch he carved out for himself seemed to fit perfectly."
Harry didn't say anything in response, but opted instead to follow his godmother in silence, mulling over the new information.
The following day Harry found himself called to the Headmaster's office along with Arabella. Once there Harry quickly noted that the people present composed most of the same list as those that were there when he had first arrived at the castle. Noting again quickly the one person absent was Sirius. Or in this case, Voldemort.
"Do come in, Harry, Arabella." Dumbledore said, indicating the two chairs in front of his desk for them to sit in.
"Is Voldemort coming?" Harry ask curiously.
Dumbledore shook his head. "This meeting is to discuss the situation we find ourselves in regarding Voldemort." The Headmaster replied. "Orion has been researching the spell Voldemort used to effect his take over of Sirius' body. And I wanted all of you to hear what he had to say."
Given the floor, Orion pulled a piece of parchment out of the pocket of the shirt he wore as he began to speak. "The spell in and of itself isn't really that complicated. I was actually surprised how easy it was to find. However, the spell as it was originally set up did not do what Voldemort used it for. So the spell had to be altered. As we know, no one can best Voldemort for tampering with spells. He can twist them about until they are hardly recognizable anymore. But this time I think he may have beat himself at his own game."
Arabella looked up suddenly. "Is there something wrong with the spell? Something that may hurt Sirius in the end?"
Orion shook his head. "For the moment I believe what Voldemort has told us is true concerning Sirius. He's perfectly safe. But that is where I think what he has told us ends as far as the truth is concerned. Or at least the truth as he knows it."
"Meaning?" Arabella ask past a slight frown.
"I don't think even Voldemort knows what his manipulations to this spell could eventually lead to. The spell was never intended to be used the way Voldemort has used it. Therefore, it has faults in it. Weaknesses that he isn't entirely aware of."
"For instance?"
"I don't believe Voldemort is the personality in control of the body at present."
"Then who is? It's not Sirius."
"No. The personality currently in control, while predominantly Voldemort, is really more of a combination of the two personalities."
"Well, that make sense." Arabella replied. "I mean, currently he's almost...likable." she paused as she looked for the right word.
"That's understandable." Orion replied. "And for better or worse, depending on how you look at it, it's likely to only get worse."
"Worse how?"
"Voldemort's personality is being influenced currently by Sirius. Whether or not Sirius is actively doing it I can't say. But he's serving to...temper Voldemort's otherwise, shall we say..., volatile characteristics. Think of him this way. Think of the person Tom Riddle use to be. He had a great deal of charm and could talk his way into or out of almost anything. That charm and charisma was what he used to get so many people to follow him. To believe in his ideals and embrace his cause. This personality...this person you are seeing now, is the man Tom Riddle would have become had he not become Lord Voldemort."
Arabella thought about what Orion had said for a moment. "But...isn't that a good thing?" she ask finally. "I mean, Tom Riddle we can likely reason with. He's not just one brick short of being a full blown raving lunatic."
"He's still Voldemort, Arabella." Orion explained. "He still harbors those thoughts and ideals. He's still just as cunning. Just as capable of evil. Just as brutal as he ever was."
"So what's the difference?"
Orion gave her a mirthless smile. "He's just nicer about it now."
"So basically," she stated, "what we're dealing with is simply a 'nicer version' of the same person?"
"What we have is a workable personality." Orion replied. "It's not good or bad completely. I would still most definitely not turn my back on him, but I would suspect he'll think about it longer before he decides to knife me in it if I did."
"So you're saying we should what? Trust him?"
"Hardly. Voldemort may be an easier pill to swallow right now, but the aftertaste is still the same. He still has his own agenda here. I'm only suggesting that things may not be as bad as we originally thought in dealing with him. As you said. Currently he's almost...'likable'." he added in the same tone Arabella had used for the word.
"But that's not all there is too it, is there?"
Orion paused, then shook his head. "No. There's more. At the moment the personality seems stable. But due to the manipulation of the spell, I believe we'll find that's only a temporary situation. Pressed in the wrong manner, the personalities could gain or lose ground."
"Pressed in what wrong manner?"
"Each personality has a focus. For Voldemort, it's what it has always been. Survival at all costs. The man has fought his whole life to simply survive and preserve his way of life. He's a fighter. And should the personalities feel threatened, that is the one that will gain ground the fastest.
Sirius was always more laid back. Very little ruffled him unless his friends or family were threatened. But he rarely acted overtly. He would think things out before taking action.
Based on this, we have to be careful how we act with Voldemort. If we treat him with hostility, that's exactly what we'll get in return. Because that's the need in him we will be feeding into. The more tempered we are around him, the better the chance we preserve Sirius' personality over Voldemort's. Because in the end, whichever is the strongest is the one that will dominate."
"So you're suggesting we be 'nice' to him?"
"I'm suggesting that whenever you have to interact with him, you remember that part of what makes up the person you are talking to is my brother. Talk to him like you would to Sirius and that's the personality that will answer you. It's still Voldemort on the surface. But Sirius is lurking just beneath. Looking for any opportunity to weaken Voldemort's hold."
"Is it possible, if we keep trying to reach Sirius, he could break this spell?"
Orion shook his head. "Only Voldemort can end the spell. All we can do is try and manipulate it to Sirius' advantage to give him the best possibility of being in control of the emotions and thoughts of the body."
"So, treat him like we would treat Sirius." Arabella mulled over the thought.
"Treat him without hostility." Orion corrected. "You'll get what you give with him, Arabella. All of you." Orion glanced around to each of the rooms occupants in turn. "If we can preserve Sirius' personality as the dominant one, mores the better. But we can't separate him from Voldemort entirely. So the more tolerant we are to him, the better it will be for us in the end."
"And what is the end, Mr. Black?" Dumbledore ask.
Orion turned back to the old wizard. "I'm not sure what Voldemort's ultimate goal is. We have no idea why he wants this wizard in the North removed so badly. The man is some threat to him. If by power alone, I could understand Voldemort's wanting to stop him. But there's more to it than that. Voldemort says the man kills anyone who gets in his way. Wizards, witches, and muggles alike. What he doesn't seem to know anymore than we do is 'why'. What does the man want? If he were just out to cause havoc, he's being pretty systematic about it. If he just wanted territory, he has that. If he wanted followers, he has them. But the man makes no statements, issues no warnings, no ultimatums. Whoever he is, he's absolutely sure of his goals and their outcome. So much so he feels no need to bother communicating with the rest of the wizarding community about them. And that, above anything else, worries me."
"Why?" Harry spoke up.
Orion turned his attention to him. "Because that isn't just confidence, Harry." the Unspeakable pointed out. "That's self-assurance without doubt. The man knows what he wants and he has absolutely no doubt he will get it. The problem we have is, we don't what that thing is, so we have no way of protecting it."
"So our best bet to beat him..." Arabella started.
But Orion finished the sentence for her. "...is Voldemort."
Q&A
Family Life
Steel-Pheonix:
In that case, Dear, all women need one. Could help out the male population of the planet though.
Family Relations
MasterLupin:
hmm... So if he is going to bring it to himself then maybe Voldermort and Dumbledore are playing right into his hands. After all this person is probably a brilaint stratagist. Is it Grindelwald the wizard the Dumbledore defeated in 1945?
I wouldn't say that Dumbledore and Voldemort are playing into the wizard's hands exactly. But that meeting is a way off yet. The wizard himself acts mostly through agents, as you will see in later chapters. Rarely does he involve himself in the mundane happenings around him. However, the fact he does operate so completely through others is a large part of who and what he is. It is also a large part of who he is ultimately after.
No, Dear. Not Grindelwald. Nice guess though.
Silverfox:
Aha! Finally got the idea to log in before trying to convince that chapter 13 does exist and behold ... Suppose now one has to have an account to read the fics ... at least if you want to read the whole thing. ... Wait a minute, if Harry is the secret keeper and doesn't even know, he can't tell anybody, but unless the secret keeper tells them nobody can find the 'secret'. So how do the anonymous dark wizard's own people find him? And how and when was Harry turned into a secret keeper? I suppose the easiest answer would be when he was a baby, but he was protected by a secret keeper himself until Voldemort killed his parents and supposedly also protected at the Dursleys, so the only times somebody could have gotten at him would be before the Potters went into hiding (at that time, why choose that particular baby? Few people knew he was special then.) or right after Voldemort's attack (very little time to act in, since Hagrid would probably have noticed somebody performing a spell/ritual on the baby while he was in his care).
You have to have an account to read fics? That's a bit...strange.
Dear, you lost even me with that question. And it really isn't that complicated, truth be told, but it is ingeniously set up. So, lets take it one step at a time.
Yes, Harry is the wizard's secret-keeper. The fact he was able to use an unknowing baby for that role simply attests to his power. Which is largely in part why Voldemort is cautioning everyone to be concerned about the man. He is powerful. And that was fifteen years ago.
Harry, not knowing he is the secret-keeper, can't tell anybody, since how many of us remember things from the time we were a baby. It's not that Harry doesn't know. It's that he doesn't remember. Big difference. The man who thought this out thought it out very carefully. He knew you couldn't have a secret-keeper who didn't know they were one. But he did realize you could have a secret-keeper who simply doesn't remember being one.
The wizard's people find him because he wants them to. My understanding of a secret-keeper was that the spell only kept one person from finding you, and anyone associated with that person who might reveal your location to them. The spell in itself was sort of vague to me, but that's how I interpreted it.
Yes, the spell was placed on Harry when he was a baby. And it was done before they went into hiding.
Why choose Harry? Although few people knew he was special and he hadn't gained notoriety yet by defeating Voldemort, Harry was still Gryffindor's heir. That made him potentially a very powerful wizard. The wizard in the North was aware of this fact.
In the last part, you are seriously underestimating this wizard's abilities. Voldemort has good reason to fear him. The only thing capable of beating this wizard will be to outsmart him.
Part Two
Didn't you say something about making Voldemort likeable? Well, I liked him marginally better last chapter, I'm afraid. ... Don't worry about one single person calling Katlin a Mary Sue. There are people who seem to define Mary Sue as any original female character. (I once had a reviewer protest against me turning a story into slash, because I let Draco say he was going to talk to his girlfriend. That had me puzzled for a while ...)
Yes, Dear. We are embarking on the long journey of making Voldemort a likable character. So many people have tried it with Draco, after all.
That has me currently puzzled.
hug-me:
Thank you, Dear. Sirius does appear from time to time, but I did warn early on he is not in this story much.
Sorry for the long period between updates.
Skahducky:
Wow, I haven't been able to read this for a long time. I was so eager to see what happened next that I didn't even go back after Chapter 10 to re-read the beginning like you said I should. I'll go back to do that eventually, though.
That was a crazy plot twist, though. Voldemort arranged things so Sirius would attack him so that he could take Sirius' body? When did he start making this plan and when did he start carrying it out? I really need to go back to Family Life and re-read that whole scene again. I really like how you arrange things so that something that didn't seem too important when first read turns out to have a major effect on the entire story. Anyway, the last few chapters were all great. Please update soon!
Good heavens! It's been so long since I've done reviews, I almost forgot how to spell your name!
You'll get a bit more out of it re-reading the first three chapters, Dear. But it's mostly for entertainments sake. Just giving you a different perspective of things now that you know what was actually going on.
Voldemort is no fool, and he orchestrated a great deal of the events in the last chapters of the previous story. Good old Voldy!
My stories are never simple. That's good and bad. But I do try to warn readers that I never put in anything I don't mean to. Even if something looks utterly out of place, if it's still canon, chances are darned good I meant for it to be there.
Glad you like it so far, Dear, and sorry for the delay.
All reviews are as of 12/11/2005.
And remember:
Only in America do Drive-up tellers have instructions in Braille.