A/N: Sorry for the almost 4 month delay in this chapter, but dealing with the holiday season, my local team in the Super Bowl, and a partial rewrite of this chapter… I took some time in completing it. And now here is the latest installment of my fanfic. Enjoy and please comment
Disclaimer: All the characters, places, objects, etc. from books 1-6 (and maybe some stuff before them) belong solely to J.K. Rowling.
The rest of the stuff in this story is out of my own mind and any resemblance to anything in book 7 when it comes out is purely coincidental.
Summery: With what lies ahead of Harry, he gathers as much help as he can to aide in his quest to defeat Voldemort. Will Harry succeed? Will love come into his life?
Chapter 15
Harry awoke before his alarm the next morning. Partially due to Ron's snoring, but also due to Harry's unending curiosity to know what it was that Dumbledore wanted to tell him. He quietly got up and dressed, then headed downstairs where he was met by the smell of fried eggs and bacon emitting from the kitchen. There he found Mrs. Weasley busy making breakfast.
"Ah, good morning Harry," she greeted him. "I hope you slept alright."
"As well as I could," Harry yawned in reply, "I've been thinking about what Dumbledore wants to talk to me about throughout the night."
"I'm sure that it'll be nothing to worry about dear, Now here you go." She handed him a plate of eggs and bacon.
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley."
She turned and looked directly at him, "Harry, as I told you last night, if you're going to be marrying my daughter it's my wish that you call me Molly or mum. With six boys in this family, there'll be enough 'Mrs. Weasleys' as it is."
Harry smiled back at her, "Alright Molly."
"But one Mrs. Potter is fine," chuckled Ginny as she walked into the room.
"Ginny, why are you up so early?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"After all the excitement yesterday, I've only had a brief hour of sleep before waking up and then going back to sleep just to wake up again."
"I see."
"And I've also recently discovered that Hermione tends to mumble in her sleep." Harry snorted a bit, trying not to have pumpkin juice shoot out of his nostrils after Ginny's comment. Ginny then smiled towards Harry. "Since I was awake, I decided to come down and say goodbye to Harry before he heads out."
"Thanks," Harry responded, "but I'm only going to be gone for a couple hours, tops."
"I know. But for me, it's a couple hours too many."
Mrs. Weasley sighed pleasantly as she watched Harry and Ginny with each other. "Ah, young love," she smiled at them. "Is there anything you would like since you're up Ginny?"
"Just some toast will be fine mum."
The sun had just risen over the horizon as Harry finished his breakfast and prepared to leave. Ginny set down her toast and followed Harry to the kitchen door with Mrs. Weasley.
"Now Harry, Hagrid will be waiting at the Three Broomsticks to take you up to Hogwarts. So be sure and meet up with him once you've apparated," Mrs. Weasley informed him.
"I will Mrs. We… Molly," he quickly corrected himself. She smiled back at him.
"We'll see you at the meeting," Ginny told him. She then embraced him and whispered in his ear, "And be careful." As they broke apart, Harry looked at Ginny the slightest nod that she smiled back at. He then walked over by the Weasley's broom shed where he waved goodbye to Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, turned on the spot where he stood, and moments later was standing outside the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.
"Oi!" came a booming voice from behind Harry. He quickly turned around and saw the wild tangled hair, moleskin coat, and pink umbrella that belonged to one individual
"Hi Hagrid," Harry beamed at the half-giant.
"Yeh gave me a right good start Harry. I forgot Molly told me yeh could apparate now," confessed Hagrid. "How 'ave yeh been? The muggles treatin' yeh alright?"
"I've been good. And things seem to have leveled out between me and the Dursleys. My Aunt Petunia actually admitted to me that she missed my mum and if something happened to me, it would be like loosing her all over again."
Hagrid looked down at Harry, a little startled. "Well I'll be. She did did she?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, I guess you can' judge a book by its cover, eh?"
"I guess not," agreed Harry.
"Well… come on then. Mus'n't keep people waitin'."
Harry and Hagrid began to leave Hogsmeade and head up to the school so Harry could meet with Dumbledore. The journey started out quiet, but the silence was quickly broken by Hagrid.
"So, I hear tha' you, Ron, Hermione, an' Ginny are gonna be takin' yeh N.E.W.T.s in a few weeks," uttered Hagrid.
"Yeah," Harry replied, "have you been told why?"
"From wha' Professor McGonagall has said, yeh an' Hermione are gonna be teachin' this year with Ron an' Ginny helping' yeh out. I always knew yeh lot would be great at wha'ever you did."
Harry smiled up at him, "Thanks Hagrid. How's Grawp doing?"
"Oh, he's been gettin' along very well. He can actually speak in complete sentences… well almos' complete. Ah, 'ere we are." They were now standing at the front gates to Hogwarts. Hagrid took Harry past the gates and up to the double oak front doors that lead into the school's Entrance Hall.
"Ah, there you are Mr. Potter," greeted Professor McGonagall as she walked out of the Great Hall. "Thank you for your help Hagrid."
"It was no trouble at all Professor McGonagall," he replied, "I'll be seeing yeh later then?"
McGonagall nodded in response. Hagrid smiled, turned, and headed back out the doors, onto the grounds.
"Come along now. This shouldn't take too long," McGonagall informed Harry. He then followed her up to her office where Dumbledore was awaiting them.
"Good morning Harry, it's nice to see you again," he greeted them as they entered.
"You to Albus," Harry replied.
"Ah, getting used to the use of my first name, excellent. Have a seat Harry and we'll see if we can't get this finished quickly."
Harry took a seat in front of the desk as McGonagall sat down behind it. "What is it you wanted me here for?"
"First, I wanted to find out if you, by chance, have managed to destroy the locket that we came across before my passing."
Harry looked uneasily at Dumbledore. "Well," he started out, "I wish I could have."
"Could have?"
"Well… you see Albus… someone beat us to it. Finding the locket that is."
"Oh, I see." Dumbledore stroked his long, silver beard well pondering this information. Harry then explained to both Dumbledore and McGonagall about the note inside the locket and the ideas he, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had considered.
"Hmm… R.A.B.? Any ideas Minerva?"
"None Albus," she responded, "I can't think of any individual who would have dared to turn there back on Voldemort while he was in power."
"Very true. We must also assume, however, that this R.A.B. did not manage to dispose of the actual locket."
"We thought that too," Harry added, "but now we're back to square one with its location."
"Well," Dumbledore sighed as he fixed Harry with his blue eyes, "I am fully trusting you Harry that you will both discover and destroy the locket, as well as the other remaining horcruxes. However, I must ask you not to dwell on the horcruxes at this moment. It is most pertinent that you, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny get through with your exams. Remember that you need to pass your N.E.W.T.s to gain access to this school without question."
Dumbledore was right and Harry knew it. They would need the access that the staff had to the school. Now in there late teens, only one of them could use the invisibility cloak at a time. Time turners where out of the question sine they had destroyed them while in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic at the end of Harry's fifth year, fourteen months ago.
"I understand," Harry told Dumbledore. Then something came to him. "But sir, Albus… why did you have me come alone? The others already know all of this and would agree about the exams too."
"That, was all a matter of security," McGonagall informed him, "we didn't want to have you all out in the open."
"And," Dumbledore chimed in, "there is something else that we wish for you to do Harry." Taking his N.E.W.T.s, becoming a teacher, seeking out and destroying Voldermort's horcruxes… Harry already had a full plate ahead of him, what else could Dumbledore want of him. He didn't have to wait long to find out. "This year, you are to work with Alastor and learn the Unforgivable Curses."
Harry sat there with his jaw open and a blank look on his face. Of all the things Dumbledore could have said, this was nowhere close to being the last thing that Harry thought he'd hear. The Unforgivable Curses… the Cruciatus Curse, the Imperius Curse, the Killing Curse. And one, in particular, had influenced Harry's life on several different occasions. Most notably on the Halloween following his first birthday when his parents were murdered.
"The… Un-unforgiv… b-but, to use them…," Harry stammered.
"Could earn one a life scentence in Azkaban," Dumbledore finished. "Yes that is true. However, with the current circumstances within our world, there are certain leniencies that are observed."
Harry found himself at a loss for words and merely nodded his head.
"Harry," Dumbledore went on, "I must ask that you not divulge what we have discussed here to anyone, except for Ron, Hermione, and Ginny of course. I will now leave you and Minerva to go off to the meeting of the Order and will see you when you return for your N.E.W.T.s in a few weeks."
As he got up and headed out of the office, his head was suddenly buzzing with thought. Would he be able to actually perform the Unforgivable Curses? Was it possible for him to use them with any effect at all? Could he actually cause pain and death upon another living being? Before he knew it, he had followed McGonagall out of the castle, onto the grounds, and was now approaching the front gates.
Seeing as how we are ahead of schedule, we'll apparate to the Burrow and head off to headquarters from there," she told Harry. "And don't worry Potter, you'll do fine with what has been set before you."
Harry nodded his acknowledgement as they passed through the front gates and down towards Hogsmeade. They journeyed in silence the rest of the way to where they were going to apparate from, in front of the Three Broomsticks. And with two quick pops, they were at the Burrow.
Someone screeched as Harry and McGonagall appeared. Looking around for the source of the sound, Harry noticed Hermione laying on the ground trying to catch her breath.
"Harry, Professor," she stammered, "you scared me half to death."
"Our apologies Miss Granger," McGonagall said.
"Here," Harry said as he bent down and held out his hand, "let me help you up." Hermione grabbed a hold of his hand and was lifted up.
"Thanks," she uttered as she dusted herself off.
McGonagall stepped by them. "I'll meet you two inside," she told them, "I could go for a cup of tea at the moment."
After watching McGonagall head off towards the kitchen door, Harry turned back to Hermione and asked, "Where's Ron?" He had half expected to see him right at her side.
"Oh, well he accidentally stepped on Crookshanks's tail. And in response, Crookshanks attacked Ron's leg. He did get cut up pretty bad, but Mrs. Weas… I mean Molly."
"Nice to know I'm not the only one correcting myself on that," Harry jested.
Hermione sniggered a little and went on, "Well she patched him up quickly, but he hasn't shut up about it and is acting like a little kid who's skinned his knee. Trying to milk as much sympathy as he can, and then some."
"And you're not the only one who wanted to get away from that," grumbled Ginny as she joined Harry and Hermione, "we should get some of Hagrid's treacle fudge to cement his jaw shut."
The three of them laughed at Ginny's comment about Ron. "We weren't expecting to see you back before the meeting," Ginny continued as she hugged Harry.
"It didn't take too long to go over everything," Harry replied, apprehension tightening in his chest.
"What was it that you…," Hermione began before Harry cut her off.
"It'd probably be better to continue this conversation inside."
Ginny groaned slightly, "Alright, I'll go back in there. But if he starts whining and complaining again, I won't hesitate to jinx him on the spot."
The three of them returned inside where Mrs. Weasley informed them that they would all be leaving for the meeting in an hour's time. Heading upstairs, they ran into Ron, who had been looking around to see where Hermione and Ginny had gone.
"Where did you two scatter off to?" Ron inquired.
"We'll discuss that later," Ginny replied, although Harry thought that discussion to be unlikely, "come on, Harry's got something to say."
Without any further questioning, Ron followed the others upstairs to Ginny's room. As Harry closed the door after entering, Ginny sat down on her bed, and Ron and Hermione sat on the opposite bed that Hermione had been using. Harry then turned and sat next to Ginny. He took a deep breath and began to tell them how Dumbledore and McGonagall wanted him to learn the Unforgivable Curses from Moody during the school year.
"Well Harry, with what we're planning, it would be a good idea to know how to perform the Avada Kadavra," Hermione pointed out.
"Yeah, I know," Harry told her in a somewhat small voice, and in the back of his mind thought, 'That's not going to make what I have to do any easier.'
The four teens later assembled in the living room after Mrs. Weasley had called them downstairs to go to the meeting. "We'll be apparating there," McGonagall informed them, "Alastor has already gone ahead and scouted the nearby area to be sure of no interference by muggles or other individuals."
After being sure of their destination everyone apparated off, in Ginny's case she side-apparated with Harry, to number twelve Grimmauld Place. Once inside, while avoiding the concealed portrait of Mrs. Black, they all proceeded down to the kitchen in the basement. With Kreacher now stationed in the Hogwarts kitchen at Harry's orders, the house seemed just as unkempt and dilapidated as it had when Harry had first visited it in the summer before his fifth year.
Ron almost knocked Tonks over as he bolted into the kitchen after noticing a rather sizeable spider resting in its web above the doorway.
"Big baby," Harry heard Hermione mutter quietly as they gathered around the table with the rest of the remaining member of the Order of the Phoenix.
McGonagall stood and addressed the group, "Now that we're all here, let's get down to business. First off, now that they are of age, I suggest that we bring Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger all officially into the Order."
"Here, here," Lupin cheered.
"Hem, hem," Mr. Weasley coughed as he stood up, "I'd like to mention that due to the present circumstances, that Molly and I would like for Ginny to be a part of the Order as well as our new daughter-in-law, Fleur."
"The more the merrier," Tonks replied.
"I agree with that," chimed in Hestia Jones, the black-haired witch who was a part of the Advance Guard that helped Harry escape the Dursleys' house two years ago.
"Alright then, you are all welcomed into the Order of the Phoenix," McGonagall proclaimed.
"What about your parents Fleur?" Lupin asked.
"I am sure zat zey vill be very villing to 'elp out vith ze order," she answered.
"Very good Miss, er, Mrs. Weasley," Professor McGonagall quickly caught herself.
Ginny elbowed Harry in the ribs and whispered in his ear, "Isn't that the barkeeper from the Hog's Head?"
Harry looked across the table, and sure enough, sitting between McGonagall and Moody was the tall, thin, grumpy-looking old man from the pub in Hogsmeade. But something about him seemed strangely familiar to Harry as it had when he had seen him in his pub when he, Ron, and Hermione and been starting to form the D.A. He then responded to Ginny, "It is. In wonder why he's here?"
"Excuse me Minerva," interrupted Sturgis Podmore, "but might I ask as to why he is here?" He pointed down the table from where he was sitting towards the barkeeper, who glared back to Sturgis.
"If you must know Podmore," the barkeeper grumbled, "I am here due to family concerns. Other than that, I was quite comfortable at my post in Hogsmeade."
"A post where a Hogwarts student was nearly killed," Podmore barked down the table.
"At least I wasn't captured and imprisoned at my post," the barkeeper shouted back. At this moment, both men jumped to their feet and were preparing to have at it. And they just may have if there hadn't been a wall of man in between them that was Hagrid.
"Sit down yeh ruddy pillocks," Hagrid asserted himself.
The verbal war continued on until Kingsley Shaklebolt stood up and bellowed, "WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" There was silence throughout the room as Kingsley continued, "Now if everyone will take a seat and relax, things can be explained, peacefully."
Everyone sat back down quietly. Sturgis and the barkeeper continued to shot dirty looks at one another.
"Now if we can all proceed in a civilized manner, I'll explain why Aberforth is here," said a slightly ruffled Professor McGonagall.
The realization came quickly to Harry. The barman was the same individual from the picture that Moody had shown him two years ago of the original Order. "Dumbledore's brother," he muttered under his breath. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all turned their heads towards Harry as they heard what he had said.
"Are you sure?" Hermione quietly asked.
"Yes. Moody showed me a picture of the original members of the Order a couple years ago. I didn't even realize it was him until McGonagall said his name," Harry whispered back to them.
"Hem, hem," McGonagall interjected, "something you'd like to add Mr. Potter?" Everyone in the room was now looking over at the four teens who had been having their own conversation in the middle of the meeting.
"Sorry Professor," Harry apologized sheepishly, "we got a bit preoccupied over something."
"I'm sure it's nothing we need to concern ourselves with for now Minerva," Mrs. Weasley quickly chimed in.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione gave her somewhat puzzled looks in response, but Harry thought that she might have been thinking that they had been whispering about the weddings that were coming up that only Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys presently knew of.
"Very well Molly," McGonagall noted, "now as I was saying, we've been doing some scouting on Voldemort and his Death Eaters. We're just waiting to hear back from those we have out there. I would also like to ask that all of you keep your eyes open for people who may seem to be slipping to Voldemort's side. We'll have another meeting later this month. Until then, everyone should stay in touch with each other. And remain safe."
With the meeting now finished, many milled around and conversed with each other around the room, Sturgis and Aberforth kept their distance from each other. "You lot about ready to go back?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Actually,. I'd like to take a look around. Just to see if Mundungus left anything that wasn't nailed down," Harry replied.
Mr. Weasley smiled. "Alright, Molly and I will meet you four back at home. Don't be too long though."
As Mr. Weasley walked off to chat with Lupin, Ron turned to Harry and inquired, "Care to tell us why we're all staying to look around?" Hermione slugged him in the shoulder. "Just curious," he added.
"I'll explain in a moment," Harry responded, "come on." The four of them headed out of the kitchen, upstairs, and into the drawing room on the first floor.
"Ugh," exclaimed Ginny upon entering the room, "this place is disgusting.
"Well it has been two years since we cleaned it up," mentioned Hermione, "but I wouldn't doubt it if these curtains are infested with doxies again."
Harry started glancing around the room, but with a rather disappointed look on his face. "Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked when she saw his expression.
He sighed deeply before replying, "In all honesty, I was hoping for some possible sign of Sirius. It's still hard to believe he's gone."
Ginny walked over and hugged Harry. "We all miss him Harry, and we'll never forget him either," she told him in a comforting voice.
"I know, it just seems that all anyone would have to do to find him is look behind a curtain." As he glanced across the room towards the curtained window, something caught his eye. Something that he had never thought he would discover. "It can't be," he said.
"What is it?"
"I know who he is."
"What are you talking about?" Ron questioned.
"R.A.B."
"Who?" Hermione asked.
Harry slowly walked across the room towards the wall. The wall on which was the tapestry that dawned the name 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black', and he pointed to a single name on that tapestry as he said, "Regulus Arcturus Black."
"Of course. He was a Death Eater who turned against Voldemort." Hermione's expression deadened slightly. "We know who, but we still have no idea where the locket could be."
"Or maybe we do," Ginny stated. "Remember two years ago when we were cleaning up this place?"
"Yeah, so?" Ron responded.
"Think about it. Inside that one cabinet was…"
"A locket," Harry finished.
"Oh no," cried Hermione, "but we threw out everything that was in there."
For a brief moment, all four of them had panicked looks upon their faces. They were once again back to square one on the lockets location after that little glimmer of hope. But then Harry thought of an idea. "Maybe we did… and maybe we didn't," he noted. And then, Harry called out, "Kreacher!"
Instantaneously, the old house elf appeared in the drawing room looking just as ragged as ever. "Master called Kreacher?" he inquired as he glared up at Harry.
Harry got straight to his point. "Kreacher, two years ago, did you happen to come across a heavy locket that was once in this room?"
Kreacher appeared to deeply contemplate his answer while continually scowling towards Harry and the others. Then, a sinister-looking grin spread across the house elf's face. The sight of this made Harry a little uneasy. "Kreacher did come to find a rather cumbersome locket once," Kreacher croaked, "'tis something that master had thrown out that belongs to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."
"And what became of that cumbersome locket?"
The sound that emitted from the house elf, Harry found much more disturbing than its grin. Much more. The elf let the most sickly, sinister laugh as he grunted, "Kreacher returned the locket to its true and rightful owner. Ms. Bellatrix Lestrange."
All color in the faces of the teens vanished when they heard this. If Bellatrix received it, then there was a very definite possibility that Voldemort had it now. And if he did, would think to recover the remaining horcruxes and find new ways to protect them? The look on Harry's face began to change towards anger at the house elf, which Hermione quickly picked up on.
"Harry, no!" she cried as she lunged forward and grabbed Harry's balled-up fist.
Harry turned to her and growled, "Hermione! This is hardly the time for elf rights!"
"Harry listen to me for minute," she pleaded while pulling him back towards Ron and Ginny.
Reluctantly, Harry allowed himself to be pulled back from Kreacher. "Ok, so why am I not knocking him on his bloody arse?" he inquired of Hermione.
"Look, we may not know if he gave the locket to Bellatrix or not. He's lied before. But we do know that Kreacher did get in contact with her."
"So," interjected Ron. Hermione briefly shot him a look.
"Honestly Ron," Ginny asserted, "if Kreacher was in contact with Bellatrix, then he knows where she is. But that was almost two years ago Hermione," she turned and addressed Hermione.
"I know, but it's all that we've got to go on right now," she admitted.
Harry sighed, "She's right." He thought to himself for a minute. "We're going to need to plan something out. Kreacher, where was it that you met Bellatrix Lestrange two years ago?"
The grin on the house elf's face reverted back to its normal glower. "Kreacher and Ms. Bellatrix Lestrange met in Knockturn Alley, outside of the business known as Borgin and Burkes, Where Kreacher presented Ms. Bellatrix Lestrange with her locket and informed her of 'Master' Sirius's whereabouts."
Hermione wasn't fast enough. It was at this time that Harry kicked Kreacher clear across the drawing room. "DON'T EVER SPEAK OF SIRIUS IN THAT TONE!" Harry bellowed at the house elf who was now laying in a heap next to the corner desk. "As a matter of fact, Kreacher I forbid you to ever speak of Sirius Black in a negative way!"
"Harry, please calm down. You're scaring all of us," Ginny plead with him.
Harry turned to face her, breathing heavily with signs of fury blazing from his eyes. However, once he saw the fear that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were showing towards him, he closed his eyes and turned away before calmly saying, "I-I'm sorry you guys. I… I don't know what came over me."
"You loved Sirius Harry," Hermione responded, "we all did."
"You were just protecting his honor," Ron added.
Kreacher began to stir and groaned as he arose from the drawing room floor. Blood trickled down the side of his face from a cut above his eye where his head had hit the desk. His arm also bore a bruise where Harry's foot had connected with it. There was a look of pure hatred on the elf's face as he looked directly at Harry. "Kreacher will do as… he's told," Kreacher sneered.
"Good," Harry went on calmer than he had been, "now go back to Hogwarts and tell no person or thing about what was talked about here."
"Yes… Master," Kreacher growled sarcastically. There was a pop, and the house elf was gone.
"We should get going," Ginny admitted, a hint of fear still in her voice, "before mum starts worrying. We can get a plan together from there." Everyone agreed with this and proceeded back downstairs and out the front door where they apparated off to the Burrow.
"I was wondering how long you lot were going to take," Mrs. Weasley greeted them as they returned.
"Well it's not that small of a house mum," admitted Ginny whose voice was now normal once again.
"Very true. So did that cretin Mundungus leave anything?"
"Just the larger stuff apparently," remarked Harry, "and the stuff Mrs. Black permanently stuck to the walls."
"Mum," Ron interjected, "was that Dumbledore's brother at the meeting today?"
"Yes dear," she replied, "Aberforth has been tending to the Hog's Head since the end of the last war. Although he and Albus had their differences, they were still very caring about each other. Now, I want you to go upstairs and get with your studying. Your N.E.W.T.s aren't going to complete themselves."
"Sure mum," Ginny told her.
Mrs. Weasley smiled at them, "Don't worry so much. I know that you'll all do just fine. I'll call you when dinner's ready."
Please let me know what you think and leave me a little review, I crave reviews and read all of them. Again thanks for the reviews i have received. And I will update this a soon as I finish the next chapter (and hopefully it will not take as long as this one did).