CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: BEHIND THE VEIL
Weeks passed and Harry awoke nearly everyday with Sirius on his mind. This morning had been no exception. It was weird. It's not like Harry never thought about him. He missed him everyday, but this felt different. At first, he thought it'd been brought on as a result of everything he'd learned from Jillian. But he couldn't shake this weird feeling.
He stole a few moments between classes and extra lessons and went to his dormitory. As he'd hoped, it was empty. He dumped the contents of his trunk on the floor until he found what he wanted, the two-way mirror Sirius had given him.
It was still broken after Harry had thrown it into the trunk following Sirius's death. He'd never attempted to repair it; but he wanted to try it now.
"Reparo," he thought to himself, and the tiny pieces regrouped before him and he was holding an intact mirror.
He looked at it and saw only his own reflection. He didn't want to give into the false hope that the mirror would some how work this time. Harry turned it over and was about to put it away when he noticed something on the back of it.
It was some sort of symbol, a rune of some kind. It looked oddly familiar. Harry was trying to remember where he'd seen it. And then it occurred to him. He went to his bedside table and revealed Dumbledore's Pensieve. Sure enough, the same symbol was etched into the side of the basin, along with several others; but this one was the largest.
Something was still tugging at his brain. He kept going back to Dumbledore's funeral, but he was drawing a blank. Maybe it was time to use his birthday gift.
This time, Harry pulled his wand and placed it against his temple, pulling out a silvery thread of the memory he needed to look at. He dropped the silvery substance into the basin and swirled it around, leaning forward and reviewing his own memory. It was a little creepy.
He saw himself seated next to Ginny, Hermione and Ron. He waited for the little man in black to stop speaking and then he paid very close attention to the memory. He saw what he was looking for. In the white smoke that filled the air from the flames that sprung up around Dumbledore's body, Harry saw several shapes. They were the same shapes that made up the rune on the Pensieve and on the back of the two-way mirror. What could it possibly mean?
Harry put the Pensieve away, sent everything flying back into his trunk and ran downstairs with the mirror in his pocket. He spotted Hermione just before she reached the entrance to the Great Hall and he shouted to her. She looked up and saw him on the staircase, beckoning her towards him. She had to push against the crowd of students to reach him.
"Can you come upstairs, please?" he asked.
"Of course," she said and walked back with him to the common room and upstairs to his dormitory.
He pulled out the Pensieve once more and asked, "Do you know what that symbol is?"
"It's a rune," she said.
"I'd already worked that much out," he replied. "Do you know what it means?"
"It could mean a number of things," she said. "Why do you ask?"
"Because this isn't the only place I've seen it," he explained. He showed her the memory from Dumbledore's funeral and the markings on the back of Sirius's mirror.
"Those still aren't the only places you've seen it," she said.
Harry looked at her.
"It's in the Department of Mysteries –on that archway with the veil," she said hesitantly, not wanting to upset him.
Harry raised an eyebrow at her.
"It was across the top of the archway," she said. "I remember it because you were so transfixed by it, I was trying to figure out what had your attention."
Harry had heard voices behind the veil. At the time, he thought he'd been the only one. Later, he'd learned Luna had heard them, too. Of course, he and Luna could also see Thestrals, so who knew what was going on.
"You said the symbol could mean a number of things," he said.
"Well, yes," she said, sitting cross-legged on his bed. "That rune is made up of three parts."
Harry looked at it and saw a triangle, a circle and a straight line.
"Each of those by themselves means something," she explained, "and depending on the origin of the rune, even those individual elements may vary."
Harry frowned.
"But these are fairly basic across the civilizations from which they may have originated," she said.
"How so?" asked Harry, sitting beside her.
"Well, the triangle obviously symbolizes three," she said. "Three is actually a very fascinating number. We know Voldemort thinks seven is the most magically significant number, but there have been entire cultures built around the perceived power of three."
Listening to her, Harry wished he'd dropped Divinations and taken Ancient Runes, instead.
"And what do Muggles believe a circle represents?" Hermione asked, quizzing him. "Think about a wedding ring."
"Infinity," said Harry. "A circle has no beginning and no end. It's unbreakable."
"Exactly," said Hermione. "Much of mathematics stems from the same theories that form the basis for runes."
"And the straight line means one, then?" reasoned Harry.
"You've got it," she said. "But strung together, it could be interpreted any number of ways."
Harry could see that.
"Thanks, Hermione," he said.
"Anytime," she replied. "Are you coming down for lunch?"
"No, you go ahead," he said. "I want to check something out."
"And don't forget you are supposed to talk to Flitwick tomorrow," said Hermione.
"Right," he said.
Harry had finally gotten a few minutes with Dumbledore's portrait, and learned that Rowena Ravenclaw had owned a set of goblin made armor, gifted to her from Godric Gryffindor, himself. Much of it had passed down to her descendants over the years. They were hoping Flitwick could point them towards their locations.
For now though, Harry had one other thing he really wanted to do.
His Patronus sprang from his wand tip and disappeared through the tower window. He put the Pensieve back once more, scribbled a note to Ron, and grabbed his Cloak. Harry went downstairs to find Firenze to tell him that he needed to skip their lesson for the day, and then made his way back upstairs to the third floor corridor to wait in the shadows.
In less than five minutes, the passageway on the One-Eyed Witch parted and out stepped Kingsley.
"Hi, Kingsley," said Harry as he came forward.
"Come here," said Kingsley, retreating back into the tunnel and waiting for Harry to join him.
Harry did, and closed the passageway above them, while Kingsley lit the tunnel. It appeared the Order had added wall lanterns along the path.
"Your message said you wanted to go to the Ministry," said Kingsley.
"Yes," said Harry. "I need to get into the Department of Mysteries."
He didn't ask Harry why, only, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," said Harry.
"All right, let's go," he said and led the way back through the tunnel and into the cellar at Honeydukes.
The twins were there to greet him.
"Hi, Fred. Hi, George," said Harry.
"Hey, Harry," they said as Kingsley set his own Patronus loose.
"We'll wait here until Tonks signals back," Kingsley informed them.
"Harry," said Fred, "When you come back, you'll find a box at the bottom of the tunnel. It's packed with something we've been working on."
"We thought it might be useful to you," chimed in George. "There's a note explaining what it is, along with the password to reveal the tunnel door on this end. It'll burn up as soon as you've read it, so don't forget to fill in Ron and the others."
"Got it. Thanks," he said as he saw Tonks's Patronus hovering near Kingsley.
Harry put on his Cloak, stood beside Kingsley and the two disappeared together.
To Harry's dismay, he found they'd Apparated directly into Rufus Scrimgeour's office and the Minister was waiting for them. Harry pulled his Cloak and looked at the Minister.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," said the Minster.
"Hello, Minister," said Harry politely.
"We thought it best to have you Apparate in here. We did not want to draw any extra attention to your presence. I know how much you would hate that," he said, failing to hide the bite in his voice.
"That was considerate of you," said Harry, trying not to choke on the words.
"Might I ask why you need access to one of the most guarded areas within the Ministry?" he said through a forced smile.
"You can ask, but I cannot tell you," said Harry, unblinking.
Whatever the Minister was about to say was interrupted by a blur of pink that sauntered through the previously closed, but apparently unlocked door, saying, "Minister, I need…"
Harry found himself face to face with Delores Umbridge. He felt Kingsley shift beside him. She'd lost her train of thought as she stared at Harry.
"You!" she said and Harry gave a phony laugh.
"Yeah, me," he replied. "I guess I really shouldn't be surprised to see you here, after all. It's not like there's reason for you to be locked away."
Her eyes widened and the Minister looked from her to Harry.
"Oh, wait," said Harry in feigned amazement, "there are one or two, aren't there?"
"What are you talking about, Potter?" demanded Scrimgeour.
"Nothing!" shrilled Umbridge, coloring so fast her complexion clashed horribly with her pink ensemble. "He's still a nasty little liar."
"No, no," said Harry, shaking his head and making a fist with his right hand, until the faded scars from her barbaric detentions stood out clearly on the back of his hand. "I'm not allowed to tell lies, remember?"
Umbridge's eyes narrowed and she looked ready to charge at Harry.
"She didn't tell you what a wonderfully loyal Ministry employee she is?" asked Harry of the Minister. "Well, you should be proud of her. She was so determined to show the world what complete nutters Dumbledore and I were, that she went so far as to arrange a Dementor attack on me and my cousin in Little Whinging; and then – oh yeah, she was in the midst of casting the Cruciatus Curse at me when someone distracted her."
"I did no such things!" she shrieked, and her wand arm moved.
"Go ahead and try it," said Harry quietly.
"Shacklebolt?" said Scrimgeour.
"Eyewitness accounts match Potter's story," said Kingsley. "And even if they didn't, I'd still believe him."
Scrimgeour stared at Delores until she quaked in her shoes.
"Hand me your wand, Delores," he said, and she did so.
"Go wait for me in your office, now," he demanded. "Do not leave the premises."
Umbridge retreated from the room, her whimpering echoing down the hall.
"I will deal with Delores, Potter," said Scrimgeour. "I did not know of any of these things. You or Dumbledore could have told me last year."
"Yeah, well, given our previous experiences with the Ministry, we really didn't see the point," said Harry plainly. "I suppose Fudge is still hanging around somewhere, too."
Scrimgeour grimaced and Harry had his answer. He'd also succeeded in pissing off the Minister, who suddenly roared like the lion he resembled.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, POTTER?" yelled the Minister, and Kingsley made to move in front of Harry, but Harry shook his head.
"I — am — exactly — who—you—think—I — am," he said very slowly and very clearly, each word dropping like a stone.
Harry could feel Kingsley looking at him, but he refused to take his eyes off Scrimgeour. The time for playing games had ended.
Scrimgeour was staring at Harry, watching his eyes, searching for the scar that maligned his forehead, and any other omen he thought might suddenly be present on his person.
"I knew it," he nearly growled. "And you and Dumbledore kept blowing me off and acting as if you had no idea what I was talking about. Do you have any idea how much you could have helped us? You still could, you know?"
That was it. Now it was Harry's turn to blow up.
"WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO, MINISTER? WHAT DO YOU THINK DUMBLEDORE HAD BEEN DOING ALL ALONG?"
Scrimgeour was momentarily too stunned to react, and Harry felt Kingsley's iron clad grip on his shoulder.
"Calm down," he whispered in his ear.
The lights in Scrimgeour's office were flickering.
"I don't know how else to explain this," said Harry, trying to regain his composure. "This isn't about me. It isn't about Dumbledore. And it isn't about you and the Ministry's image."
Harry took a deep breath.
"It's about Voldemort and his quest for ultimate power. He could murder me tomorrow and it still won't stop him from destroying life as you know it. We are all running out of time. I need answers to something very important, and I don't think I can get them anywhere else other than the Department of Mysteries."
Scrimgeour hadn't said another word.
"Now, you can deny me access if you want, but it won't make things any better for you. In fact, I'm pretty sure it'll make things worse, and a whole lot faster."
Scrimgeour ran his hands through his thick mane of hair, his yellow eyes still glowing with anger and who knew what else.
He finally looked up at Kingsley, who simply nodded at him.
"Fine," Scrimgeour said. "But you need to leave your wand in my office, Potter. Only Ministry personnel can be armed in here."
Harry handed it over without hesitation and Scrimgeour locked it, along with Umbridge's wand, in a desk drawer.
"Come with me, now," he said.
Scrimgeour led the way from his office with Harry in the middle, and Kingsley at his back. A few people saw them, but no one said a word or stopped them.
They'd just entered the long hall that led straight to the Department of Mysteries, when someone called out to them.
"Good afternoon, Minister," said a man whom Harry recognized as one of the Order who'd escorted Hermione back from her parents' home at Christmas. He was apparently an Auror, as well.
"Do you need something, Davis?" asked the Minister.
"No, not me," he said. "I just saw Kingsley and Potter with you and thought I'd see if there was anything I could do to help," he said.
"We're fine," said Kingsley. "Aren't you supposed to be headed to Hogsmeade when you finish up here?"
"Oh, yeah, I'll get there. Don't worry."
Kingsley nudged Harry to keep moving and they resumed their pace. They hadn't gone far when Davis yelled, "Hey, I bet I could help save you some time if you just tell me what Potter is looking for. An extra pair of eyes couldn't hurt."
Everything seemed to slow down to a snail's pace as a memory rang in Harry's head like a bell.
"I need you to understand we have discussed this in depth and no member of the Order will ever again ask you to divulge that information, not ever."
Harry dropped directly to the floor and belly crawled less than a yard to a very heavy looking table set against one side of the hall. With a wave of his hand, the table flipped over on its side and Harry came up, crouched behind it.
Kinsley had dropped into a squat, his own wand at the ready. He disarmed Davis just as Harry stood up and with an empty hand, sent the man crashing hard against the wall, where he slid slowly down to the floor.
Kingsley was standing over him in two strides. He lifted him bodily and pinned him against the wall by his throat.
"Who are you?" asked Kingsley in a voice Harry had never heard before.
Scrimgeour had watched it all and not moved an inch. He'd been nearest to the man whom Harry and Kingsley just attacked. He looked at Harry, who was stepping over the overturned table, and then at Kingsley, who seemed to be choking the life from a fellow Auror.
"Shacklebolt!" yelled Scrimgeour.
"Who is he?" asked Harry.
"I don't know," said Kingsley.
"You mean he might be…" said Scrimgeour, finally catching on. "We need Veritaserum."
"No, we don't," said Kingsley, tightening his grip around the man's throat and lifting him higher along the wall. He was hanging him without a rope.
"Who are you?" Kingsley practically hissed.
The man's eyes were bulging from his head and he was starting to turn purple. But with what surely looked like his last breath, gurgled out, "I'm a proud servant of the Dark Lord."
Kingsley finally pulled him from the wall and flung him across the width of the hall until he crashed into the opposite side. A bottle rolled from his pocket and Scrimgeour picked it up.
"It's Polyjuice Potion," said Scrimgeour.
"So the real Davis is still alive, then?" asked Harry.
"For now," said Kingsley. "They won't do anything else to him until this one fails to check in."
"Can you get to him?"
"No," said Kingsley and he was so angry, he walked to the overturned table and kicked it, sending it sliding further down the hall.
"I don't know how or when that piece of trash got in," said Kingsley. "But we need to find out."
"What can I do for either of you?" asked Scrimgeour.
He'd definitely seen what Harry had done, but he hadn't commented.
"You can start by not saying anything about what you saw here, Minister," said Kingsley. "I cannot stress how important this is."
"I will not," he said, still looking at Harry as if he were a completely different species. "You have my word. Anything else?"
"Yes, I need to see the Auror schedule going back to January," said Kingsley.
"That's not a problem," he said.
"Harry," said Kingsley, "get your wand."
The Minister did not object.
Harry turned his right palm up and his wand appeared in an instant.
"Good," said Kingsley. "Now put your Cloak on and go do whatever you need to. Meet me back here in fifteen minutes. Understand?"
"Got it," he said, throwing on his Cloak and sprinting down the corridor. He could hear other people coming to investigate the source of the commotion.
Harry walked slowly past the stationed guards. They never even sensed him. He found himself standing in the circular room of doors. Two years ago, it had been a guessing game, but not this time.
He stood in the center of the room, with his eyes closed, concentrating. And in his head, the second door from his immediate left stood out in relief. He opened his eyes and walked right up to it, pushed against it and walked into the room that still showed up in his nightmares.
He only had fifteen minutes and couldn't afford to get weighted down in his own thoughts and emotions. Harry pushed everything to the back of his mind and moved purposely forward, stepping down the inclined stone benches one at a time until he was on the dais and looking up at the veiled archway.
Just like that night nearly two years ago, the veil seemed to be blowing. Yet there was nothing else stirring in the room, not even the hair on the back of Harry's neck. He closed his eyes and again, he heard muffled voices.
Okay, so he hadn't been hallucinating. Harry sat down in front of the archway. A part of him very much wanted to stick his hand through it to determine what was behind it. But a bigger part of him knew that would be most unwise.
Harry pulled the two-way mirror from his pocket and used his sleeve to wipe the glass. Peering at it again, he saw only his face.
He took a deep breath and said out loud, "Sirius."
He waited, holding his breath; but this time, the mirror filled with misty smoke and as it cleared, Harry found himself looking into the smiling face of his godfather. He thought his heart would actually burst.
"Sirius!" he said again, not wanting to believe what he was seeing.
"Hello, Harry," said Sirius. "It's about time you showed up. I thought I was going to have to drop a rock on your head or something to get your attention."
Harry smiled, still unconvinced he wasn't dreaming.
"You've been trying to reach me?" asked Harry. "But I tried the mirror once before and it didn't work."
"The mirror will only work in here," said Sirius. "And probably only because I physically passed through that veil. But yes, I've been trying to nudge you to come here. I thought I was pretty close to succeeding on Christmas when you were trying out the motorcycle."
"That was real? I thought I'd imagined your voice in my head," said Harry.
"No, it was me," replied Sirius.
"I didn't know," said Harry.
"I know you didn't," said Sirius, his eyes roaming over every inch of Harry's face. "At first, I couldn't get through your grief. And when that finally lessened, something else seemed to block me just when I thought you might sense me."
Harry's smile crumpled and he said softly, "My guilt."
"What in the world are you feeling guilty about?" asked Sirius. "You didn't kill anybody, did you?"
Harry did not answer and Sirius closed his eyes as he realized what Harry meant.
"Please tell me you have not been blaming yourself for what happened to me," said Sirius.
Harry nodded.
"Oh, Harry," said Sirius. "How could you possibly think anything so ridiculous?"
"You and the Order were only here because…"started Harry.
"Cut the crap," said Sirius, startling Harry. "Did you curse me?"
"Of course not," said Harry.
"Did you push me through the veil?"
"NO."
"Well then, I really don't see the point of this conversation. You and I could have been sitting in Diagon Alley eating ice cream and Bellatrix or anyone else could have jumped out and attacked us. We might have escaped. We might not have. You should know better than anyone by now that life is unpredictable."
Harry stared at Sirius, but then he finally let out a breath and laughed.
"You are unbelievable," said Harry. "Do you know that?"
"A few people might have mentioned it now and again," he said.
"Speaking of…" said Harry, "were you ever going to get around to telling me about Jillian?"
Sirius's eyes lit from within at the mention of her name.
"She's magnificent, isn't she?" he said.
"She's pretty cool," agreed Harry. "Have you reached out to her, as well?"
Sirius shook his head.
"You discovering the truth about us and talking with her is probably what finally allowed me to reach you. I can sense Jillian when she's thinking about me; but no, I haven't reached out to her."
"Why not?" asked Harry.
Sirius looked pained for a moment.
"Because it would only hurt her more in the long run," he said. "Jillian lived a marginal existence for over a decade. All she did was work. She never opened herself up to anyone else. She had her immediate family and her career, but that was it."
"Are you saying she never dated anyone else?" inquired Harry, finding that impossible to believe.
"No, she did," replied Sirius. "But she never let anyone else into her heart. That's no way to live. She needs to move on. She's still young and beautiful and she deserves to have some real happiness."
"You two should have had your second chance," said Harry.
"It's one of my biggest regrets," said Sirius. "Mind you, I don't have very many, but they are enormous."
"Still, she might like the chance to talk to you, at least once more," said Harry.
"No," said Sirius. "You cannot bring her here. She's like a dog with a bone, stubborn as hell."
"Sounds like someone else I know," said Harry jokingly and was rewarded by Sirius's bark-like laughter.
"Really, Harry," continued Sirius, "I will not linger here forever."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, not really wanting to hear this.
"I haven't completely moved on," said Sirius. "But when I do, the mirror will no longer work for us, even in here."
"Where exactly are you?" asked Harry.
"I'm in a bit of what you might call limbo," said Sirius. "This archway is a physical representation of what truly separates the dimensions. Outside of here, the barrier is normally impenetrable. However, there are times when the fabric is thinner, like when there is massive loss of life. All those souls passing through are like pebbles being thrown in a lake. The reverse is also true, like when loved ones gather to remember the ones they lost."
Harry looked away, not liking where he knew this was leading.
"Harry," he heard Sirius say. "Look at me."
"I chose to stay here," continued Sirius. "It's not a bad spot, really. It beats the hell out of Azkaban. But it is not permanent."
"So why didn't you go on, then?" asked Harry.
"Because I needed to keep an eye on my godson," said Sirius. "I take my duties very seriously. I'm not going anywhere until this is finished, one way or the other."
"Are Mum and Dad with you? What about Dumbledore?"
"No. They are already on the other side," explained Sirius. "They cannot come back through; but I can touch the edges of each world, and have talked with them just like I'm talking with you now."
"Really?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Sirius, smiling again. "They've been watching you, too. I can't even begin to tell you everything they feel for you. They are insanely proud of you. We all are."
Harry smiled lightly and swallowed back the lump in his throat.
"Now then, since you are here, that must mean you made the connection to the rune," said Sirius.
"Yeah, otherwise I'd still be at Hogwarts thinking I was going mad," answered Harry. "Hermione is the one who remembered it was also carved on the archway. As soon as she said it, I knew I needed to come here."
"Good work," said Sirius.
Harry told him everything he and Hermione had discussed regarding the symbol and Sirius's eyes sparkled.
"Do you know what it means?" asked Harry.
"I have a theory," said Sirius.
"Can you fill me in," said Harry, looking at his watch. "I've got to get back to Kingsley soon."
"I believe the symbol is about you," he said simply.
"Me?"
"Yes, you," said Sirius simply. "Long before the prophecy and Voldemort ever existed, that symbol was carved atop that archway. That archway is probably as old as time itself. I feel your history, our history, was in the making eons ago."
Harry thought Sirius was sounding a lot like Firenze, but he did not interrupt.
"Your life has been shaped by events of three," reasoned Sirius, focusing on the triangle. "Three events have forever changed your life. Name them for me."
"My parents' murders, Dumbledore's murder, and yours," said Harry quietly.
"Yes, and there is another set of three. Think about the prophecy."
"It said the one with the power to destroy him would be born to parents who had thrice defied him."
"Very good," said Sirius. "Yet, there is one more set and you are part of it."
Harry paused, but finally said, "Me, Hermione and Ron."
"Yes," replied his godfather. "I've not seen friends like you since James and me. You have other friends and people who love you, but you three are a unit unto yourselves and it is powerful."
"So, three sets of three," said Harry.
Sirius nodded.
"And the circle links all of it, all of us, together. It is endless and unbreakable, and not even death can bend it," said Sirius. "But at the center of it all, stands you. You are the one."
Harry let out a slow and anxious breath.
"But you are not alone. Even if you are standing on the edge of a precipice thousands of miles away, we are all always with you. Everything that has happened is a part of you. It is the very core of what makes you so remarkably you. You are the link to the past, the present and whatever future awaits us."
Harry was silent, letting Sirius's words wash over him.
"I've got to go," he said and looked directly into Sirius's eyes. "But I don't want to say goodbye to you."
"It's never goodbye."
"I don't think I ever got the chance to actually say this to you," said Harry. "I love you, Sirius."
"I know," said Sirius. "And I, you, so very much."
"Tell Mum and Dad and Dumbledore…"
"They know. I will. Go," he said and vanished from the mirror in a swirl of smoke.
Harry found Kingsley pacing in the same spot along the corridor where he'd nearly strangled the Death Eater to death.
"I'm here, Kingsley," said Harry from beneath his Cloak.
"Good," he replied. "Are you all set?"
"Yes."
"Keep your Cloak on and follow me back to Scrimgeour's office."
The Minister was standing by the fireplace when Kingsley entered with a still cloaked Harry. He waved his wand and the door locked behind them.
"We've got one stop to make," said Kingsley, "so just hold on to me and do not remove your Cloak when we arrive."
"Good luck, Mr. Potter," said Scrimgeour as he watched Kingsley and an invisible Harry vanish before his eyes.
Harry was mildly surprised to see that he was standing behind the bar at the Hogs Head. He was even more surprised by the number of Order who were there: Aberforth, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Jillian, Bill and DeSousa were all assembled, apparently waiting for Kingsley to arrive.
"I was in the middle of something important, Aberforth," said Kingsley. "Would a few more minutes have mattered?"
"Yeah, they would have," said Aberforth. "Come on out."
A cloaked and hooded figure emerged from a side passageway that must have led to the upstairs room and stood in the center of the room. The man removed his hood and chaos erupted.
Almost everyone of the Order had wands pointed directly at the man's chest. He had not moved a muscle.
"Stand down!" yelled Aberforth.
"Not likely," said Lupin. "This is the man who was seen near the Burrow. He was also seen at the fair grounds where Harry and the others were."
The man raised his face and Harry saw eyes so gold they looked unreal.
"He's a Death Eater," said Bill.
"He's not who you think he is," said Aberforth.
"What are you talking about, old man?" asked DeSousa.
Aberforth went to stand in front of the man and said, "Show them."
The man raised his hands very slowly to prove that he was unarmed. Seconds later, a second round of chaos erupted. A completely different man stood before them.
"No!" said Tonks.
"Hello, cousin," replied the man. "Turns out you weren't the only Metamorphmagus in the family."
"It can't be," said Lupin, shaking his head slowly from side to side.
"Hello, Remus," he said. "It's been a very long time."
"Regulus Black," said Lupin, still in disbelief.
The man turned and Harry saw the Black family genes in his face and eyes. He looked a lot like Sirius. He had dark hair and the same fathomless gray eyes.
Without thinking, Harry went to stand beside Jillian and threw off his Cloak. She looked like she'd been spooked and Harry could see her left hand shaking at her side. Fortunately, the others were too distracted by Harry's appearance to really notice. Moody and Tonks were the only two who weren't surprised.
Lupin, still reeling from the shock of Regulus, could only look from Harry to Kingsley.
"I knew, Lupin," said Moody. "I'll explain it later."
Lupin nodded and turned his attention back to Regulus Black. Kingsley, however, was watching Jillian and Harry, one eyebrow arched in question.
"I know," Harry said in his mind, hoping he'd gotten into Kingsley's.
Kingsley gave him one discreet nod and returned his attention to the surprise of the day.
"You are supposed to be dead," said Tonks.
"Nice to see you too, Nymph," said Regulus.
Tonks looked stunned. No one but her family had called her that, and not since she was a little girl.
"How is this possible?" asked Lupin.
"Albus and I arranged for his death," said Aberforth. "He's been living as someone else ever since."
"Who else knew?" asked Lupin.
"No one," said Aberforth. "And it would have stayed that way had he not insisted on coming back."
"How long have you been back?" demanded Moody.
"I came back after I learned Sirius died," he said.
"Why?" asked Tonks, voicing the question everyone wanted answered.
"Because I thought I could help," he said. "I only wish I had tried sooner."
"You've infiltrated the Death Eaters," said Lupin, more a statement than a question.
"Yes," replied Regulus.
"So that day you were spotted in Ottery St. Catchpole…" began Lupin.
"I let myself get spotted," answered Regulus. "I'd read the old Prophet stories about the boy killed the night the Dark Lord returned and I recognized his father from the pictures. I hoped it was enough to warn you."
"It was," said Moody. "Or rather it worried us enough to move Potter."
"Good," said Regulus. "The Dark Lord was desperate to find out where you had him hidden."
"I saw you in Surrey," said Jillian, her voice level, even though Harry could feel the tension coming off her in waves.
"I'm glad," he said. "I didn't know who was who, but I figured the Order would be somewhere close by."
"Why haven't you come forward before now?" asked Kingsley.
"Because I am rarely alone, anymore," he said simply. "Slipping away has become increasingly more difficult."
"How have you been able to fool Voldemort?" asked Harry from beside Jillian.
Regulus turned to look directly at Harry, his eyes invariably zeroing in on Harry's scar, and Harry knocked at his mind.
"Thank you for your help with the locket," projected Harry, knowing he was taking a huge risk. But his gut was telling him to chance it.
Regulus's eyes widened slightly, but he did not flinch.
"I guess you are as brave as they say you are. Most grown men won't even speak his name," commented Regulus aloud; but privately, he sent another response to Harry.
"You do know! I am relieved. I went back to the cave months ago and found the fake one gone. I'd hoped it ended up in the right hands. You must know though, I did not finish what I started. You should…"
"Would you mind answering my question?" asked Harry, and then interrupted Regulus's other comment.
"It's been taken care of."
A small grin formed at Regulus's mouth.
"Dumbledore has taught you well," he projected with a nod to Harry before answering the original question.
"To the Dark Lord and the others, I am Adrian Baldwin, recent recruit and eager to prove my worth," he said. "Regulus Black ceased to exist years ago, so no one is looking for him. With the right mix of truths and lies, they see what they want to see. It is one of the finer points of Occlumency and Legilimency. I have had to master them in order to stay alive all these years."
"I take it you didn't come here for a reunion," said DeSousa.
"No. I don't know exactly what he is planning, but you need to be on guard. Something huge is going to happen, soon," he said.
He'd just confirmed that Harry's increased anxieties weren't a result of his overactive imagination.
"Can you find out?" asked Moody.
"Probably not in time to warn you," said Regulus. "When I failed to determine Potter's whereabouts, the Dark Lord was rather disappointed."
"You were demoted in rank, then?" inquired DeSousa.
"Yes."
"How do we know you aren't setting us up?" asked Kingsley. "Sorry, but we've had a recent run of bad luck with that sort of thing."
"Because I say so," said Aberforth. "And so would Albus if he were here."
"He said the same thing about Snape, if you recall," said Tonks.
"Severus is as insufferable as he ever was," said Regulus, "There is no question that he holds full favor with the Dark Lord. But other than that, I cannot tell you anything. He is a closed book."
"We know everything we need to know about that traitor," said Moody.
"I just can't believe you've been in hiding all these years," said Tonks. "It seems impossible."
"It isn't," said Aberforth and he turned to look at Harry.
"I could do the same for you, Potter," he said. "It's not too late."
"It may be worth considering," said Regulus, "before it really is."
Harry shook his head.
"It's been too late for over seventeen years," said Harry.
"It's easier than you might think," said Aberforth.
"Maybe," said Harry, "but that doesn't make it right, not for me, anyway."
Aberforth gave a fleeting grin and said, "Albus thought the world of you. He said you had more nerve than ten grown wizards and a heart as big as an ocean. I'm glad to see he wasn't wrong."
"I have to go," said Regulus. "I don't know when or if I can get back to you."
"Watch yourself," said Aberforth.
And before their eyes, he turned back into Adrian Baldwin, covered himself in cloak and hood and walked towards the door, the lock sliding for him and reengaging once he'd cleared the doorway.
"Harry," said Lupin, "I want you to go back with Jillian and Tonks. The rest of us need to talk with Aberforth."
"All right," he said, donning his Cloak once more and waiting for the signal that it was clear to return to the cellar in Honeydukes.
They were there in moments and Tonks took the lead into the tunnel.
"Are you okay?" Harry whispered to Jillian before they descended.
"I will be," she said. "I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him. I appreciate you caring, but please don't blow you cover like that, again. I think you just gave Lupin a few more gray hairs."
"Clear," called Tonks, and they climbed down to join her.
Harry picked up the package the twins had left for him and the three of them made the underground trip back to Hogwarts, knowing they'd have to await whatever was coming next.