A/N: I am back with this story! I have had a sudden bout of inspiration, and this story will continue. Many events will be altered, but it will follow the general storyline of Horcruxes, the Half Blood Prince, what Malfoy is up to, Ron and Lavender's relationship and other things. I'm honestly trying to get Hagrid's dialect correct and keep everyone in character as best as possible. Right now the month would be around October, after Katie was cursed by the necklace. Remember, my first Harry Potter story, don't judge too harshly, and please enjoy the feature presentation…
Spending Monday afternoon sitting in Divination was not usually a fun experience for Ron and Harry, but sixth year was turning out to be a bit fun. Firenze was a different kind of teacher, the most obvious thing being that he was a centaur. Kicked out of his herd for accepting humans, he was granted this job by Professor Dumbledore.
Ron was concentration on star patterns when Harry nudged him in the ribs.
"Ouch, what?" Ron said.
"Firenze lived in the forest four years ago, right?" Harry said, hoping Ron would pick up the hint.
"Yeah, and the year before and probably many years before that." Ron said, turning back to the stars.
"And he probably knows the forest just as well as Hagrid or even more." Harry pressed, trying to make himself sound obvious.
The bell rang and the class began filing out, but Harry held Ron behind.
"What are you on about?" Ron asked.
"Honestly, Ron?" Harry asked.
"Wha- oh. Oh, you want to ask him about the kid." Ron said, "See you later!"
Harry threw out an arm to prevent the redhead from leaving. "We want to ask him. We're doing it for Hermione."
"Why? When's Hermione ever done anything fo-" His face settled into an annoyed expression, "Never mind." He said.
"You might be interested to know that I can hear you." Firenze said.
"Sorry Professor, I just had a question." Harry said.
Firenze nodded for him to continue.
"Have you seen anything strange in the forest before?"
"Are you talking about a specific time?"
"About four years ago, I heard about a legend that there was a kid lost in the forest. He wasn't Hogwarts age, but he was a muggle."
"We centaurs do not usually care for the whims of humans in our forest," Firenze said, "But I did hear someone muttering something about bones. It was about a year ago and that person was escorted to the Hospital Wing."
"Who was it?" Ron asked.
"Let me guess," Harry said, "Pink, short, and resembled a toad?"
"Yes, it was Dolores Umbridge." Firenze said.
"And we're done with this." Ron said. "Come on, there's no way old toadface would tell us anything even if she was still here."
They hurried and left the classroom for Transfiguration.
"She might not, but maybe Dumbledore can." Harry said. "I have a meeting with him tonight, I can ask him if there was a missing student from his first year list."
"What?" Ron asked.
"Hermione told me that Dumbledore has a book of young witches and wizards and a name appears every time someone magical is born. If he was eight and that was four years ago, then he must be twelve now." Harry said, excitement flooding his brain.
"Hold it." Ron said as Hermione joined them. "Even if this is possible, how can you think he's a wizard? He could be a muggle."
"Impossible." Hermione said. "He couldn't have found the forest if he was a muggle, there's all sorts of enchantments even in the forest. Anyway, the forest is dangerous enough and he couldn't have possibly survived without the aid of magic."
"Alright, but we've been in there." Ron said. "Harry and I were in there four years ago. How come we didn't hear or see him or hear any screams?" He smirked, waiting for her to get out of that one.
"Simple, you were heading off to fight a giant spider. If anyone was still alive, they probably were too far from you and you guys were making a bunch of noise with the car. And besides, if the parents were already dead and the boy heard anything, he probably was too scared to call out or maybe he was sleeping considering how late it was. And don't even ask about the car. The odds of them finding it and driving it out are slim. They could already have been dead by now and the boy had probably been taught not to touch things that aren't his. He was eight, try thinking from his perspective. Furthermore, he probably didn't even know he had magic because his parents were muggles and they probably didn't know. Even if he came across the car, he'd be too afraid because one, the car doesn't have a driver; and two, he doesn't have much common sense so he'd just stay put."
Ron's jaw dropped. Hermione turned and walked ahead of them with a satisfied smile.
Harry chuckled, "Well mate, you did want an answer." He said.
"Shove off, Harry." Ron said. "Anyway, didn't you hear what Hagrid said? Leave this to the professionals."
"Don't you know by now that we're the professionals?" Harry said in Hermione's scolding tone.
"Yes, mum." Ron said.
"Last lesson of the day." Harry said. "Then we get to investigate. We leave the library stuff to Hermione and you and I question people."
"I have a question." Professor McGonagall's voice rang out. "Why is it that you two have not entered my classroom yet?"
They realized that they were standing in the doorway and everyone else had piled in.
"Sorry, Professor" The boys apologized.
"Sit down, please."
When the lesson was over, Hermione pulled Harry and Ron aside to talk about the legend of the child in the Forbidden Forest.
"I'm not setting foot in the forest." Ron said defiantly.
"You don't have to." Hermione said. "At least not yet. I want you to hang out at Hagrid's hut more often. See if anything looks different. I bet if he's eating something, it could be from Hagrid's garden. Just last week I heard him mention to Dumbledore that some vegetables have disappeared."
"I'll bet that's the kid." Harry said.
"Right." Hermione said. "I need to research more about the forest and see if it could ever be possible that muggles came here. I'll also need someone to ask Luna where her dad heard that story."
"I can help." Ginny said from behind them. "I heard 'Luna' and 'need to ask'. Can I be part of whatever you're doing?"
"No." Ron snapped. "This is a private meeting, go away."
"How rude." Ginny said. "And if this is a private meeting, why are you doing it where anyone can eavesdrop?"
"None of your bu-"
"She can help." Hermione said. "She and Luna can do some researching."
"What's it about?"
"Remember that story Tonks told us about?" Hermione said.
"That family found in the forest?"
"Yes, I have reason to believe that the boy still lives and if we had names that would be great."
"Ron, you have Wrackspurts floating near your head." Luna's voice came from a nearby corridor. She took off her Spectrespecs and smiled. "Hello, friends."
"Where'd your dad find that article?" Ginny asked before Ron could retort.
"Article?" Luna asked, "Do you mean the one about the Snorkacks?"
"No, the one about the boy in the forest."
"Oh, that one. I'm not really sure."
"Do you know if there were any names?"
"I do remember seeing something in a muggle newspaper about a family gone missing around here. It was dated four years ago and I think the last name was Everett…" She pondered for a moment, then her misty eyes grew wide, "Now I remember, it was Helen and Jason Everett and their son was eight years old."
"Do you remember his name?" Ginny asked.
"I think it was Alexander." Luna said. "I could ask Dad."
"Okay, but first we have to research the last name." Hermione said. "Ginny and I will search the library. Luna, you can go up to the Owlery with Ron and send a letter to your dad. Ask Hagrid to accompany you. Harry, no matter what happens in the meeting, remember to ask Dumbledore about the Everett family."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Hermione smiled. After dinner, Ron and Luna headed downstairs with Hagrid while Hermione, Ginny and Harry proceeded upstairs together. Harry departed from the girls once they had reached the third floor. The girls then headed to the fourth floor.
Ron and Luna had asked Hagrid right after dinner if he could go with them to send a letter. Luna said it was important that she send it to her dad straightaway. Hagrid agreed and led them to the Owlery. Once Luna had sent her letter, the three of them walked back to the castle, chatting.
"Hey Hagrid," Ron said, "I meant to ask you, have you been missing any vegetables lately?"
"Come ter think about it, for the pas' few years me garden's been robbed." Hagrid said, "'Course they never take a lot, jus' a little. I always suspect creatures in the fores' and don't pay mind to it."
"Have you ever suspected Nargles?" Luna asked.
"What have they stolen?" Ron asked, before Hagrid could respond.
"Far as I can tell, jus' vegetables 'n fruit."
"Oh." Ron said. "Has Grawp ever found anything unusual?"
"Now, if this is 'bout that kid, he prob'ly had sense ter avoid Grawp." Hagrid said, "Ron, would all o' this be on that kid?"
"Well, yes." Ron admitted.
"I gotta stop yeh now." Hagrid said. "The fores' is dangerous, take it from me, you'd be best avoiding that place."
"Believe me, I know." Ron said, shaking the image of giant spiders out of his head.
"But if we could-"
"Nope," Hagrid said, cutting across Luna, "Yer meddlin' again, an' I told yeh many times, you ought not meddle in these things. 'Specially since there's more security, yeh stay away from the forest, and tha' means your friends too."
"Something for Hermione to chew on." Ron said to Luna once they had waved goodbye to Hagrid and headed upstairs. "Security's tightened harder than McGonagall's hair."
Luna giggled, "You're funny sometimes, you know that?"
Ron shrugged. "See you tomorrow." He said once Luna had departed for Ravenclaw Tower.
WHILE RON AND LUNA WERE IN THE OWLERY…
Hermione and Ginny had set off to the library. They searched the castle for the history on enchantments that had been placed on Hogwarts over the years.
"Well, there have obviously been improvements of medieval spells through the years." Ginny remarked.
"Yes, but we're looking for protective enchantments over a vast area of forested land." Hermione said. "If the Forbidden Forest is enchanted, then the boy's magic must not have been detected because of the many other magical creatures that live there, plus the enchantments put upon it."
Ginny nodded absently, "Can we take a break?"
"You can, I'm still reading." Hermione said.
"Excuse me, but the library is now closed." Madam Pince said, approaching the girls. "You may check out some of these books if you like."
"Yes please." Hermione said.
Ginny waited until Hermione had finished checking out and they both emerged from the library with five books each.
"All of these are going to help?" Ginny asked.
"Well, some have tidbits of information." Hermione said. "Hogwarts: A History will still be needed."
"Right." Ginny muttered. "Because it's not enough already."
"Relax, we'll find what we're looking for."
"Why couldn't we wait for Harry?"
"He's got other things on his plate."
"Alright."
MEANWHILE IN DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE…
"Professor, I have to ask you something." Harry said when he first entered.
"Evening, Harry." Dumbledore said serenely. "I believe you witnessed Katie's incident?"
"Yes, how is she?" Harry asked, remembering what had only occurred a week ago.
"She was extremely lucky to have survived due to the fact that she only touched the cursed necklace with a small amount of skin due to a hole in her glove. If it had been more or if she had worn it, she might have died."
Thoughts of his teammate and friend drove the original question out of Harry's brain; so Dumbledore proceeded to explain how Merope Gaunt, weak and desperate, sold the locket of Slytherin and died at an orphanage soon after she gave birth.
He then showed Harry the memory of the first meeting with young Tom Riddle. They discussed points of interest such as the fact that Riddle was a Parsletongue, he hated his first name, and that he liked collecting objects that belonged to others and that he showed no remorse for hurting others.
Harry was so absorbed in thought that he almost forgot about Hermione's request.
"Unless you wish to recollect the original question you had, it is time for bed." Dumbledore said softly.
"Oh yeah, I had to ask you something."
"Anything, dear boy, anything."
"Is there a record of a wizard with the surname 'Everett'?"
Dumbledore pondered this. "I shall have to check. Is this a project or a mere whim."
"A search for a legend. He disappeared four years ago in the Forbidden Forest."
"Ah yes, I have heard of this legend." He stood up and walked over to his bookcases in search of something. "There you are." He said, pulling out a rather large book.
He opened it to reveal hundreds of names in small handwriting on each page.
Harry's eyes widened.
"It is rather amazing what you can do with magic, right?" Dumbledore said, smiling. Then he turned to the book and muttered a few words.
"You said Everett, correct?" the headmaster asked.
"Yes, sir." Harry said.
"Everett." Dumbledore said to the book.
Immediately, the book started flipping until it came to stop.
Harry peered at the book and found his name under the year 1991 and all the other first years that were there. Below that was 1992 and Ginny's, Luna's, and Colin Creevey's names were under it with their classmates too. The names were different colors. His name, along with Ginny and Colin, were shining with a red glow while Luna had a blue glow. Malfoy's name was glowing green and Ernie Macmillan's name was glowing yellow.
There were other colors too. Hermione's name was written in black ink and so was Colin's. Harry thought that it was to help the teachers determine who was muggle born so they can explain magic in person.
"Purple and black are for students who haven't yet started Hogwarts." He pointed out a student named Stephen dated 1999. "They are children, but the book predicts when they will come to Hogwarts. Purple determines if the child is Half-Blood or Pureblood, and black helps us identify muggle borns who need help. In the case of Tom Riddle, his was black and purple because he was half blood, but knew nothing about magic. Yours was the same. If the child unfortunately dies before coming, the book will have their name in black ink with a white glow."
But another color caught his eye. It was a name, written in black ink amongst different colors, yet it did not glow. It was dated 1993, the name: Alexander Everett.
"The book has not identified him as dead." Dumbledore said. "Rather intriguing, don't you think?"
"Can you look for relations?"
"I can most certainly try." The headmaster pointed his wand at the book and it began to flip backwards. "How can this be?" he asked himself.
Harry scooted closer to see the name it landed on
"Marlene McKinnon?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore waved his wand and the book showed a family tree. McKinnon had a younger half brother by the name of Jason who had married a girl named Helen. After the murder of his family, Jason had changed his last name and went into hiding with his wife and had a baby they called Alexander.
"Was Jason muggle born?" Harry asked.
"A Squib, I think." Dumbledore said. "It is my guess that he had no magical powers himself, but his son did. It is very late now, Harry. Go on to bed."
"Alright," Harry said. "Goodnight."
He rushed to the common room, eager to tell Ron and Hermione about the lesson.
First, he told them and Ginny what the book had said about the Everett family. Then after Ginny went on to bed, he described the lesson with Dumbledore.
"Scary to think about, You Know Who as a child." Ron had remarked.
"I think we should look for him tomorrow after lessons." Hermione said.
"What?!" Ron yelped.
"She means Alexander." Harry said.
"Oh, I knew that." Ron said, his ears turning pink.
"Tomorrow after lessons." Harry agreed.
"Yeah, but I'm not going in that bloody forest." Ron said defiantly.