Chapter 60
BATTLE OF HOGWARTS – SECOND WIZARDING WORLD OF OUR TIME BEGINS!
Exclusively, the Daily Prophet can reveal the events that took place yesterday evening at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Last night, a major Death Eater Attack struck the castle. The school was overrun by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named supporters, leaving doubt of the schools fate and whether it will reopen next year.
Hogwarts Castle is known for being near impenetrable leading to questions being asked about how the Death Eaters got inside. Rumours tell us that both Draco Malfoy, son of the convicted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, and Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School for over a decade, could have aided the Death Eaters in the attack.
Though the casualty rates have not yet been confirmed sources tell us it is possible that some students may have been harmed. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the School, was forced out and managed to take many students with him as he tried to evacuate the grounds. His actions were both brave and heroic; no doubt saving many lives that otherwise would have been lost. The whereabouts of the Headmaster is currently unknown but it is believed he may have been reunited with his sister and brother....
"Well at least they got one thing right." Albus muttered to himself as he sat in the newly drawn comfy armchair which had just been place by Aberforth's chair in their sister's room. Battered and bruised, he had returned to Grimmauld Place where he had been pulled into the warmest embrace he thought he had ever had off Aberforth, who had been delighted and relieved to see that he was still alive. He was grateful for that.
"We're together indeed. And that is the main thing."
But it didn't feel like it.
"I lost Hogwarts brother mine..."
Aberforth looked at his brother. For the first time ever, before him he saw not the arrogant little git who had wanted nothing more than to be brilliant and to leave him and Ariana as soon as he could, but an old man and one who knew he had made mistakes in his life. And he was miserable about it. His brother knew why of course. He would see himself as a failure.
"You did all you could. None of us are young forever Albus, not even you. You got yourself and others out. No one could have asked for more."
But yes they could have. Albus was sure that he could have done more. He could have chosen a different route for himself to take entirely. He should have gone to Severus and he should have asked him to do what Draco could not if the worst came. That would have been preferable to this.
But in the end he had not been able to do it. Maybe it had had something to do with his 'hero complex' as he knew his brother would call it. Or maybe it had been to do with the fact he had chosen to end Harry's Potters life when he had sent him after the Horcrux's. If he was the last Horcrux himself...
He had been less callous about his own life he noted. He had come to the decision that he had had to go on, so that one day he would be able to explain his choices to his dear sister, and hope that she might find it in her heart to forgive him for sending the father of her baby to his death. He had betrayed her for the last time and when she came back to him, he would once again be a better brother he had said to himself.
Yet as he sat at her side, ice cold and bloodied from the battle still, it made little sense to him. His own choices made very little sense to him indeed.
It was then that he began to sob.
-
"Oh come here, thank god!" Harry Potter, still disturbed by the events of the night before was sure that the only way he was going to get any peace that day was, as ever, to hold his baby in his arms. He was right.
Having placed Alice in Molly's care without much of an explanation as to why the night before, Harry and Sirius had returned to the Burrow. Hermione, Ron and Ginny had also been pulled out of school, Hermione through a desire to be with her friends and Ron and Ginny by their parents after the Death Eater attack. Now, as they stood in the kitchen, they all watched as Molly reunited the rather emotional father and child.
"Dada." Said Alice as she put her arms lovingly about her father's neck and Harry clung to her as if there was never going to be another chance too.
"Oh, my sweetheart."
In the times, that they were living in there was never the guarantee that someone was going to live to the next day.
"Pop!" she said seeing that Sirius was behind him. The girl's term of endearment for him caused the emotional godfather to throw his arms about his family. The three stood there for quite some time and the Weasley's left the room, sensing the need that they had for a little privacy, which was practically unheard of at the Burrow.
Even as he held her close though, Harry knew that he had not yet borne his longest separation from Alice and he knew they were going to be separated. He had to go after the Horcruxs. He was going to have no choice but to leave her.
"Sirius – Snape – Death Eater... all along." They had both tried in vain to put the faith that Dumbledore had in him to the Head of Slytherin House. But for the two passionate Gryffindor's, now they saw the reason that he was a Slytherin at all was reason not to trust him enough.
"I know he was. We both sound have stuck to our first instincts about him."
Alice, picking up on their emotion, herself begun to cry. Her daddy was sad and she didn't know why.
Hogwarts, the safest place in the world was now in the hands of the Death Eaters. The first place where Sirius and Harry had truly found a home was now crawling with the people who wanted to hurt them. Their enemies.
And it hurt. It hurt them both.
Destroying Tom Riddle for good was the only way he was ever going to find any peace. That summer Harry knew was going to be the last time he had free with his friends and family for a while.
Before the end of it though, they had more than one engagement to attend. For the time being the Horcruxs were going to wait. They had to prepare themselves for what was to come.
The first thing that Sirius and Harry were taking Alice to that summer was the wedding Remus Lupin to Sirius' kid cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, a committed member of the Order of the Phoenix. Having been friends since there Hogwarts day it was only fit and right hat Sirius should be there for Remus. Once again, just as he had for James Potter all those years before hand, Sirius stood as best man. His godson thought this was a fitting title for his beloved godfather – The best man.
He was to Harry the very best.
A part of Harry could not help but mourn at the wedding though as he stood with his child in his arms. She had got so big. And as ever, all paths of thoughts, all the emotions he felt lead back to Ariana. Would he and her mother have married yet if they had been able to? She had been such an old fashioned girl and he loved her enough to have married her there and then had they been able to.... they had a child together... Harry didn't even have to wonder, of course they would have married.
The thought of spending all the days of his life with her gave Harry a feeling of such indescribable pleasure.
Mrs Ariana Potter. One day, he promised himself, one day.
He watched as they two of them cut the cake together. He saw as they shared their first dance as Mr and Mrs Lupin. He could see the way that Nymphadora was looking at Remus as if there was a whole other more beautiful universe within him. There was such adoration in her eyes. Ari had looked at him like that once.
Once upon a time it seemed. Had it all been a dream? Maybe he was going to wake up in the cupboard under the stairs soon.
"Are you ok?" Sirius asked when they returned to the Burrow that night. He had seen his godson watching the two of them with jealousy and he had no doubt as to what had been going on in his mind.
"It's hard." Harry said not stopping as he lifting his daughter, now changed from her party dress into her baby grow. Both father and daughter wanted nothing more than to go to bed. Lifting the bottle of milk he had picked up on their way through the kitchen, he settled her in to his cradling embrace, wanting to avoid the conversation they were about to have. It was not as if they had not spoken about Alice's mother every month for the past eighteen. But nothing changed. Nothing ever changed, so what was the point? "Come on sweetie," he said as he kissed his child's forehead. Sirius was filled with admiration for his godson. He was such a good dad.
"You know, for what it is worth, I think you two would have been even more in love than Remus and Dora by now..."
"Sirius." Harry cut him sort. "I know you are trying to comfort me but it is really not working," he informed his godfather. He knew he had said it with the best of intentions but it wasn't helping.
That evening, Harry dreamt of Ariana in a wedding dress, holding Alice by the hand. They were walking towards him. Just as he was about to take them both in his arms, they vanished.
-
"Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear Alice,
Happy birthday to you!"
The sound of singing resounded through the Burrow. The Dumbledore brothers, the newlywed Lupins, the Weasley's, Sirius and Hermione had gathered in the kitchen. It was official. Alice Lily was an entire year old.
Her eyes stayed focused on the cake on the table that had a little girl swinging back and forth on it, entertaining the girl no end. Her hair was in bunches thanks to her godmother and Ginny, and she had a new red dress on. It was Gryffindor red. In a few months she was going to be a toddler – it was too soon to say goodbye to her all too short baby hood in her father's opinion.
Harry eyed the younger Dumbledore brother with suspicion. He had hardly been near him since his visit to Grimmauld Place at Christmas time, and though his godfather and his friends had begged him to tell them what had happened between the two of them repeatedly, he had not and he was not going to.
It felt private.
As for Alice, who was just about walking by herself by now, she had no fear of her two uncles who had never been anything but doting and affectionate towards her. Aberforth had not been cut out his niece's life by Harry, who felt an annoyance him still. How dare he suggest he turn his back on everything he had had with Ari? Where on earth did he even begin to do that? He couldn't... he just couldn't.
"I can't believe she is so big already," said Ginny to Harry as she brought him over a butterbeer.
"I know, is doesn't seem yesterday that she was born, does it? – Thanks," he said as he took the drink.
Ginny shook her head.
"You're a wonderful father to her you know that, don't you?" she offered him.
"Thank you Ginny," he replied with a sincere smile.
"Well we all see it. And she adores you. Right little daddy's girl."
"Yeah she is. I'm dreading her getting any bigger."
"Well her first boyfriend is in trouble when she brings him home, that is all I am going to say." he said causing Ginny to giggle.
"Well," she said as they watched the little girl pick up her toy doll and drag it about by its leg. "I don't think that is going to be something you have to worry about any time soon."
"No neither do I. I have enough other stuff to worry over."
Ally, perhaps the only person in the room who remained unaware of the danger she and her family were facing, toddled over to her two uncles and insisted that Albus take her into his lap. Settling down, she leaned in against him, showing him her dolly all the while. His hand run gently through her fine dark locks. She was truly, the most wonderful girl.
But it was not only her he had to see that day. It was also her father.
"Congratulation and many happy returns child." He muttered in her ear. She looked up at him with her twinkling eyes. Oh yes, this was his niece without a doubt.
Passing her over to Aberforth once he had held her for a while, he walked over to Harry.
"Albus how are you?"said Harry. He had been eager to talk to his mentor. After a year of working together in such close proximately, there was an easy relationship between them two of them.
"I am better for seeing that you and my little niece are so well." He said honestly. Harry gave him a smile.
Albus had never seemed so old though. He had bags under his eyes and he seemed to be more than a little unsteady.
"Harry, I cannot help you much more. You know that already don't you my dear boy?" he asked.
Harry nodded. He had known what the last year had been about even if he had not said it to himself in such a clear way. Albus had been preparing both of them to hand over the charge of searching for the Horcruxs.
"Yes I do, and thank you. You have done more than enough already." He said. He had always had a real admiration for him but he did not think it had ever grown so much as it had over the past year.
Albus nodded. "I just have one last thing to pass on to you though. And gifts for Miss Granger and Mr Weasley as well. But I think if would rather like to pass yours on to you first." He said as he reached into his pocket. "It is the snitch you caught at your very first Quidditch game."
Harry knew what this was going to be at once. A riddle. He had not given him this for no reason. Yet it did hold sentimental value for him and as he shut his hand about the tiny gold ball for the second time he felt warmth pulsated through him.
"Thank you."
Harry had not expected his voice to be so thick with emotion, or for his eyes to be burning. He did not think he was going to be seeing the aging headmaster much now. The two embraced warmly. It was a strange sort of goodbye for the two of them. Perhaps not forever, but for now.
"I am going to come back for her, I promise." He whispered in the elder mans ear. "She still could return."
When they eventually drew apart Harry had a determined glint in his eye.
He was going to do this. He had to do this.
Albus shed a tear. In all his life he had never felt so riddled with guilt.
-
"Mrs Weasley, can I talk to you?"
"Of course, Harry dear, come and sit down."
Molly Weasley had been as much a mother to him as ever that summer. Ever since he and Sirius had been there she had been checking he was warm enough and he was eating enough. Part of Harry got the feeling that her fuss was a source of great irritation for Sirius, who thought it was his job exclusively to look after Harry. But as for his godson, her behaviour towards him had helped him cement an idea in his head. When he had thought about it, it had been so obvious. But he still was not sure she was going to accept.
It was two nights before the second wedding of the summer, between the first born son of the Weasley's and Harry rival in the Tri Wizard Tournament, Fleur Delacour. He was once again into minds over the wedding. While it was going to be a relief to see two of his friends so happy, it was also going to be hard to look at what he might have had.
"It's just in a few weeks me, Sirius, Hermione and Ron are going to go and look for the Horcruxs." He knew she had been told everything and she understood, but she still looked horror struck. A friend, a child, and two people she looked on as her children were going to going into immense danger where she could not help them. "Mrs Weasley, I can't take Ally with me," he said using his daughter nickname. "With the headmaster and Aberforth so concerned with putting Ari first, I – well, I can't think where she would get better care than with you. I know it isn't fair of me to ask you, but can you look after Alice? Just till me and Sirius get back? I don't know when thart is going to be."
In response to his request, Molly simply threw her arms about him and burst into tears. He assumed that was a yes.
As night fell that evening, Harry climbed up the staircase. He felt better knowing that his little daughter had such a secure home for the remaindered of the war. He would trust Molly Weasley with his life, and thus he trusted her with his child.
Going into the room he had been sharing with her since they had got there, he observed the sleeping form of the mini Ariana. Sirius had put her down that night an hour before hand. But he felt he had to be with her.
Kneeling by her crib he put his hand in, and subconsciously the little girl held on to his finger tightly, putting into her lips and drawling all over it. He even loved her drawl. With his other hand, he rubbed soothing circles on her back to ensure she was in the deepest and most peaceful sleep she could be. It hurt his heart to think that the two of them were soon to be so far away from one another. There had barely been a day in her first twelve months when he had not seen her. He couldn't remember the last time he had missed a day with her. It was going to torture him when they were apart, when he didn't know what she had been doing. He did not know what 'firsts' he was going to miss. All he wanted to do was hold her tight and never let go. He had never hated Voldemort so much in his life. He had robbed him of his parents and now he was robbing him of time he could spend with his precious child.
"Alice." he whispered. There were some things he had to say to her. But he didn't want her to interrupt him. In any case, she was so small he knew she was not going to understand. But still, they had to be said.
"I know it is going to make you sad, but in as few weeks dad and pop are going to have to go away for a little while. I don't know how long 'a little while' is going to be. You see, honey, there is a bad man and he is hurting a lot of people. So daddy has to go and sort him out so he can't ever hurt you and your mummy. While daddy is gone you are going to stay here with Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur. But then, one day daddy will come home to you, and so will your pop. And then... well you never know baby...maybe mummy will come with us. I think we're due a miracle, don't you?"
An: If this chapter read awkwardly, I am really sorry. It was a tricky chapter to write in that, I felt I had to get a lot in, but it was all little bits of information. Whereas some chapters are easy to write, some are hard, and I must admit to struggling here which is annoying as I build to the climax. I really want to enjoy writing the remaining chapters so it's bugging me.
Please review anyhow!
Not long to go now!