Chapter 7: The Heirs
"I can't believe zis!" Fleur fumed. "At my wedding!"
"It was obviously important." Bill rubbed his wife's arm soothingly. "He only had this one chance to convey a message, we should be thankful that we gave him this opportunity."
"What do you think it means?" Ron whispered to his four friends (including Luna).
"I dunno, 'trust the heir'?" Harry repeated. "He can't be talking about the heir to Slytherin, that'd be Voldemort." he chewed on his thumb. "What other heirs do we know?"
"It doesn't have to be an heir to a Hogwarts house, you know." Hermione spoke up. "For all we know he could've told us to trust the heir to some fortune or the heir to a will." she shrugged.
"Don't you think he would've been a little more specific? I mean what other kind of heir would he have assumed that we would understand?" Ron pointed out.
"He was trying to say something before we could hear him. Maybe he didn't realize that we couldn't hear him." Hermione pointed out.
"Oh, I don't know. I think that Dumbledore would've thought of that." Luna spoke up. "I think he was purposefully vague. And he didn't say 'trust the heir,' he said 'trust the heirs.' Plural."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"That's what I heard." Hermione replied. "You don't think that he wants us to go and find all the heirs to all of the houses, do you?" she asked.
"Jumping on the House Heir bandwagon, are you?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well Luna and Harry do have a point. I mean Dumbledore must've known that he wouldn't be able to say much and the only heirs that we're familiar with are the house heirs. I think that he wants us to find the other ones."
"Can't be easy, tracking down bloodlines from hundreds of years ago." Ron said thoughtfully.
"I don't think we should worry about it too much." Luna replied. "I think that they'll come to us. They're a part of this too, after all. All we have to do is watch for them. I want punch." and with that she floated off towards the refreshment stand.
"Odd one, that." Ron commented.
"She's always odd." Hermione replied. "But she isn't often wrong."
"Nirgles." Ron pointed out dryly.
Hermione glared at him.
"Hello there!" Hagrid sidled up. "I missed all the festivities, but I was able to make it to the reception. How was it?"
"Dumbledore showed up." Harry said flatly.
"So I've heard." A troubled look crossed Hagrid's face. "The Heirs, eh?"
"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Harry asked, searching his friend's eyes. He could always tell if Hagrid knew more then he was telling.
"Well, I'll tell you this: I know that the Gryffindor bloodline still exists. Some people say that Dumbledore was the last of it, but no one really knows for sure. It was a long time ago, wasn't it?"
"Dumbledore was the Heir of Gryffindor?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide.
"Now I ain't saying anything for sure. Nobody really knows. It was just a rumor. I asked Dumbledore about it once, he just gave me an odd look, like he did, and offered me a sniggit." he sniffed. "I sure do miss his sniggits." and with that Hagrid walked away, dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief.
"But Dumbledore didn't have any children, did he?" Ron asked thoughtfully. "I mean with him gone and all, and his brother locked up, who else could be the heir?"
"I dunno." Harry shook his head.
"Oh look at the kiddies." Jack grinned, walking up, a drink in her hand, obviously a little tipsy. "Not on with the dancing, huh?" she looked out at the dance floor, which was currently occupied by Shaklebolt apparently trying to show Moody the electric slide, but the old wizard wasn't having any of it.
"No." Ron said, embarrassed. "I--I don't dance."
"Pity." she looked at Hermione and winked, Hermione turned pink. "So, what do you make of all of this heir crap?"
"Don't know, we were just talking about it." Ron told her eagerly. "Best we can figure it's Dumbledore's kid, since he's the heir of Gryffindor."
"Is he." Jack raised an eyebrow. "So "The Search For the Missing Heirs," sounds like a plot to a bad TV show." she shook her head. "Good luck with that, try not to step on any booby traps. It never goes well. And don't pick up the monkey statue without finding something to replace it with. And watch the boulder, alright?" and with that she walked off. "Remmy!" She grinned.
"Honestly, getting so drunk at a reception." Hermione clicked her tongue.
"Oh will you lay off of her? All you've done since you've met her is nag at her. I'm starting to think that you're jealous." Ron looked at her with a twinkle in his eye.
"Jealous? Of what? Her--her--her body? Her talent? Her--anything? Ha!" she crossed her arms.
Harry looked across the room, seeing Ginny standing with Luna, she looked away as quickly as Harry's eyes fell on her. "Go and ask her to dance." Ron urged him.
"Ron." Harry said, his voice taking on Charley's warning tone.
"What, come on, you don't need to keep punishing yourself." Ron pointed out.
"Don't." Harry told him.
"What, you going to keep yourself miserable? What good'll that do. It just means you'll be mighty annoyed when you face You-Know-Who, it isn't going to help any."
"Ron!" Harry barked. "Whatever, sorry, I'm leaving." he turned and marched out of the Reception Hall, which happened to be a tent much like the one they'd used at the Tri Wizard's Tournament. Mr. Weasley had splurged and rented it for the day, having received a raise at the Ministry.
Harry shoved his hands into his pockets. There was just too much going on right now. He wished that he could at least pretend, for one day, that he was just a normal teenage boy going back for his last year of school. That his greatest worry was grades and his future. He wished he wasn't afraid—all the time. He wished that he didn't jump at shadows and pull his wand at stray cats.
In his entire life this was the first time, the only time that Harry wished that he was just a normal boy. A muggle boy. Not a wizard. Not the Boy who lived…and not the only man for the job.
The tent sat in the middle of the field that the wedding had taken place in. Harry stalked off towards the trees, only to see a shadow race out of sight. "Hey!" he called, running after it at top speed.
The shadow was a lot faster then him, but Harry was determined. He chased it through the dark woods, it seemed like whoever it was was trying their best to keep out of the light. Who could it be?
Suddenly, without warning, Harry felt his foot hitch beneath him. With a cry of pain he went down, bashing his head against a root. His vision went white and then black.
The next thing he felt were small, cool hands on his face. There was a sharp burst of pain as he felt his foot being pulled free of whatever it was trapped under, and then there was a soothing feeling running up his leg. "Ugg…" he mumbled, opening his eyes slowly.
There was a woman kneeling next to him, she didn't realize that he was awake. What was she doing? She had her mouth on his calf! She was--was she--biting him? "Hey!" he yelled, pulling his leg away sharply, there was the feeling of tearing flesh and he winced, but ignored it and scooted back. "What the hell are you doing? Who are you?"
The woman looked up at him, her eyes were large and black, no pupils, her skin pale white, he could see blue veins beneath the surface, her lips were pulled back against her teeth, exposing vampyric canines, blood dripping down her chin in a most unattractive way. She wore a heavy, black cape, strands of long, dark hair falling in her eyes.
"I mean you no harm." The woman told him, Harry believed her. "When I bite you it releases a narcotic substance natural to my kind. I have no magic and so could not mend your ankle that way. All I could do was temporarily relieve the pain."
"Oh." Harry said dumbly, forcing himself to look away from those hypnotizing eyes. "No, what?" he started to look back up at her, but remembered what he'd heard about vampires in class: if you looked into their eyes they could mess with your perceptions. "Who are you?" Harry'd been plagued by shadows the entire Summer, for a moment a crazy thought occurred to him…maybe he hadn't been paranoid. Maybe he was being watched. "Why have you been following me? Do you work for Voldemort?"
"I do not work for He who you Name. I work for no one. I am merely satisfying a debt." the woman told him.
Harry, still not looking at her, asked, "whose debt?"
"Sirius Black." there was a rustling sound.
Harry's eyes snapped up when he heard his Godfather's name, but the woman was gone. She wasn't running, she wasn't flying, she was justgone. "Sirius…" Harry repeated. Did he believe her? He didn't know.
III
He made it back to the tent after walking around in circles through the forest for what seemed like forever. He knew he looked like a mess, his robes were dirty and torn and he was limping. He was fairly certain that, at the moment, there was more dirt on his face then face.
"Harry, what happened? Where were you?" Hermione rushed to him as soon as he entered. Ginny even came over, a worried look on her face, breaking her tradition of ignoring him.
"I fell." Harry said flatly.
"Into what, a mud pit?" Ron asked. "Jeeze, Harry, you look like you just ran a mile into a stone wall." he shook his head. "Better get cleaned up before mum sees you. She'll throw a fit." he looked over to where his mother was sitting and talking to Fleur and Bill. "Speaking of fits--Fleur can't seem to stop complaining about Dumbledore showing up--like it wasn't important." he rolled his eyes.
"I know a good cleaning charm." Hermione piped up. "Outside, all of you." she shooed them out of the nice, clean surroundings which Harry was currently tracking mud all over. "Essperimento." she flicked her wand at Harry, instantly the dirt was swept off of him, but his robes were still torn. "Now why don't you tell us what really happened." She put her hands on her hips.
Harry sighed, pausing before deciding that it was better to tell them everything. He explained about the shadow he'd been seeing all year and about the woman he'd met.
"A debt?" Ron asked, his eyes alight with intrigue. "To Sirius?"
"Yea, don't know exactly what she meant." Harry admitted. "And then she just sorta disappeared."
Hermione was chewing her lower lip, looking at Harry's leg. The bite mark was gone but there were slight teeth depressions. "And the pain was gone?" she asked. "Once she bit you?"
"Yea." Harry told her.
"She's a vampire. Definitely a vampire. It explains why she was able to hide so long and move so fast when you were running after her." she took a step towards Harry, examining him. "Do you feel any different? Any burning sensation? How are your eyes?"
"Fine." Harry took a step back uncomfortably. "I'm fine, I don't think she was trying to hurt me."
"I very much doubt that her intentions were entirely pure, Harry, she is after all, a basely evil creature." Hermione told him.
"I wonder if she and Sirius knew each other." Ginny murmured. "Maybe they were lovers." she smiled wistfully.
"What Sirius has done is his own business, Ginny, I don't really think it's our place to guess…" Hermione started.
"Not our place?" Ron exclaimed. "She's been following Harry around all year to "satisfy a debt," I think that it is our business, or at least it's Harry's." he turned back to his friend. "So, was she hot?"
"Honestly, Ronald, Harry just got bitten by a vampire and all you can ask is if she was hot?" Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Grow up." she turned back to Harry. "I really think that we should tell someone, maybe McGonnigall, this woman could've done something to you while you were passed out…" Ron gave a start, laughing heartily. "Oh, Ron, you know what I meant…" she blushed furiously. "I just mean…"
"No." Harry said sharply. "I don't want to tell anyone. I'm fine. I don't need any help."
Hermione looked at him scrutinizing. "Alright, but I'm going to keep an eye on you. You tell me if you feel anything strange. Even if it's good, okay?"
"Deal." Harry nodded shortly.
They walked back into the tent. Ron leaned over Harry's shoulder. "Was she hot?" he whispered.
III
After the wedding things seemed to calm down a little. Ron suggested that it was just not having the added stress of Fleur around, which Hermione readily agreed to. They made progress with recleaning the Black House, a chore which Harry usually made make him have to separate from Ron and Hermione ("to get it done faster" he'd tell them). He just couldn't stand listening to them go on and on about useless things and bicker over spilt milk. They were like an old married couple. An old married couple who didn't realize that there was a war on.
He was cleaning a particularly messy spot by the umbrella stand when the door opened, nearly knocking into him. Harry looked up, blinking the dust out of his eyes, which he was fairly certain that he hadn't gotten all out when he saw who was standing looking down at him. "Percy?" Harry asked.
"Uh, hello, Harry." Percy said awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock you over." he wiped some of the dust off of Harry's shoulder. "It's very good to see you again."
"You git." Ron's voice came. Percy turned around to look at his younger brother, surprised. "What're you trying to do, kiss his arse now that you people know he was right all along?" he accused. "That's sick. You think you can march in here and have everything okay?"
"Oy, Percy McWeaslekins." Jack bounded down the stairs, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "How's it hanging, needle nose?"
Percy, blushing, edged away from her. "Just fine--I guess." he said, not quite sure what she'd meant. "And you?"
"You two know each other?" Hermione asked, looking between them.
"Oh, yea, the Weasel and I go way back. Lost touch, but now we're reunited. I think I might cry." she winked at them heartily. It was obvious that she'd had a drink or two already and it was only noon. She had a beer in her right hand, which looked nearly empty.
"We've met briefly when Professor Dumbledore reawakened her." Percy explained. "Is mum about?" he asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
"No, she's out. And a good thing too. She'd have your nose for just showing up unannounced. How did you find this place anyway? I didn't think they invited traitors." Ron demanded.
"Ronald…" Percy began.
"No, look, you trashed Harry for years and now you're just expecting us to welcome you with open arms? Uh uh, no way." Ron crossed his arms.
"I am very sorry." Percy looked down at Harry. "I honestly thought that you were lying, Harry. The Minister…"
"Fudge was a bloody poof!" Ron exclaimed. "He wouldn't know his arse from his elbow!"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "Let him explain." she looked over at Percy with a slightly less accusing eye. The only one who wasn't staring at him in some sort of accusation was Jack, who'd sat down at the bottom step to watch the fireworks. She sipped her beer and looked between them.
"I've spoken with Headmistress McGonagall and expressed my deepest regrets as to my mistakes of the past few years. She's allowed me to come and help you. Not that I will fight, I'm no good at that, but now you have eyes and ears in the Ministry…"
"After Fudge you're hardly anything in the Ministry. You were hardly anything in the Ministry when Fudge was about!" Ron accused.
"That's true, and I know that Kingsley Shacklebolt has been keeping an eye on things, but I bring a unique perspective to the table--"
"What idiocy?" Ron interrupted him.
"Ron." Harry said quietly. "Let him finish."
Percy looked down at the teenager. "I really am quite sorry for what happened." he said quietly. "Will you forgive me?" he held out a hand.
Harry looked down at it for a long time before making a decision and shaking it without a word. The implication was obvious: he believed him, but he didn't forgive him.
"Aw, warm family reunion." Jack said with a grin. "If I'd have known the room was going to be so icy I would've brought down my tequila and made marguerites."
"What's that?" Hermione asked, looking down at what Percy held in his hand.
"Oh, it's your school notices." Percy held them out. "Minerva gave them to me personally, as she is otherwise occupied and didn't want to draw attention to the Black house by sending owls to it." he explained. The three teenagers all took their envelopes silently. "Ah, very good then." Percy said awkwardly. "I'll be off then--tell mum I stopped by."
"I'll tell her." Ron replied quietly, turning and walking into the kitchen to read his supply list without saying goodbye. Harry nodded shortly at the older boy and followed his friend. Hermione walked up to him, smiling thinly. "I can see why you did what you did, and I understand the motivation. However, I don't think that it was worth turning on your family." she told him. "But for what it's worth--I forgive you." and she turned to follow Harry and Ron.
"That went smooth." Jack commented, looking up at the tall redhead. "At least they didn't jinx you silly. I would've."
"Yes, that's very reassuring." Percy commented off-handedly. "I was hoping you'd do me a favor." he looked down at her.
"Oh?" Jack raised her eyebrows. "For the last time, Weaslekins, I won't sleep with you." she said dramatically.
Percy turned pink again. "Oh, no, I didn't mean--"
"I'm
joking." Jack said, chuckling.
"Oh, yes, well." Percy shuffled his feet. "I've got--something for Fleur and Bill--since I couldn't make it to the wedding. I was hoping that you would give it to them the next time you saw them. I was going to leave it with my mother, but I don't trust Ron not to destroy it." he pulled a small, black lacquered box out of his pocket. "They're protection charms. I made them myself. I'm quite good with charms. I was hoping that I could give it to them in person but I had work and I couldn't get away--"
"You're lying." Jack took the box. "You didn't have work. You were too much of a coward to show up. Likely you knew most everyone was out now so you could show up almost completely unnoticed." she pulled open the box, looking at the two matching silver pendants sitting in the tissue paper. "Besides, you were there for part of it." she looked up at him sideways.
"What?" Percy asked, startled.
"You were wearing a black cloak, I saw you standing over on the far side of the clearing. You ducked before everyone went into circle mode to call the ancestors. I assume you were debating whether or not you wanted to be seen and decided against it. Good choice. While Bill would've appreciated you being there it would've caused a ruckus and it was his wedding day. They didn't need that." she slipped the box into her pocket.
Percy looked at her curiously. "You're really quite brighter then I thought you were." he told her frankly.
"I get that a lot." she replied with a grin. "Now scoot before everyone comes back. It's just me, Moody, Remus and the kiddies right now."
"Thank you." Percy nodded shortly. "I appreciate this."
"No problem." Jack shrugged.
Percy turned to leave, but paused. "You--looked--different. At the wedding." he said slowly, his face scarlet, not daring to look at her.
"Was that a compliment?" Jack asked, raising her eyebrows. "I think I might die of shock." She mimicked an American southern drawl.
Percy clenched his jaw. "No, never mind, forget it." and he ducked out the door.
Jack chuckled, walking back up the stairs.
