A/N: Over 100 reviews! You guys are awesome! There have been some wonderful reviews and I will try and comment on your reviews very soon. I'd also like to thank those of you who have given me some honest critiques especially on grammar and paragraph organization. This is my first attempt at writing a story and I'm always thankful for you guys pointing out where I need to sharpen up. I plan on re-editing the first three chapters since that is where most of my problems are. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy Chapter 8.
Chapter 8
June 2, 8:00 p.m., Voldemort's Lair:
"What news do you bring me Severus of Harry Potter?" asked a weakened Lord Voldemort from his private chambers.
"My Lord..." A kneeling Severus began. "It appears that there has been an attack of the Potter boy's place of residence. It was completely destroyed by fiendfyre. It is also suspected that all occupants were killed My Lord."
An evil grin cracked through the normally emotionless face of the Dark Lord. "That confirms my own suspicions of the boy's fate."
"My Lord?"
"Last evening I felt an intense burst of pain through the connection I have with the insolent brat, and then nothing. I must admit that the pain was quite overwhelming which has left me in my current physical state. What's more important is that I have not been able to reestablish the link. This can only mean that the boy is finally dead. I regret that it was not I who dealt the killing blow but what's done is done."
"Yes My Lord."
"Do we know who cast the spell that destroyed the boy?"
"Unfortunately My Lord, the identity of the perpetrator is as of yet unknown."
"And what of The Order do they have any leads."
"They are of the belief that it was the work of Death Eaters My Lord. The order member who was on duty at the residence has disappeared. However whoever cast the spell was a very powerful witch or wizard."
"Oh…and what makes you believe that?"
"They were able to localize the spell just to the one home."
"Impressive indeed. Was this order member a powerful wizard?"
Severus gave a small snort of derision. "No My Lord, he is a two bit thief and a drunk. He is a mediocre wizard at best and nowhere near capable of even casting the spell."
"A mystery then Severus? Well whoever he or she is we owe them a debt of gratitude."
"Should I try and find the person in question my lord?"
"No. Potter is dead and that's all that matters. So how did Dumbledore and his order take the news?"
"The Order is in a state of shock at the moment. Without their supposed Savior some may lose their desire to fight against us. Still there are those who will continue to blindly follow the old fool."
Voldemort nodded in agreement. "Severus we must continue to keep the Order off balance and broken. I want you to write a letter to the Prophet that states that 'the same fate that came to Harry Potter awaits all who oppose The Dark Lord.' This will sow the seeds of uncertainty and keep the magical public in fear of reprisals should they speak out against us."
"It will be done My Lord."
"Good. Now, have you brought the restorative potions I ordered you to bring?"
"Of course My Lord."
"Once I regain my strength we will move forward with our plans. Until then go back to Dumbledore until I call for you again."
"I live to serve My Lord." Snape then stood and bowed as he walked backwards three steps then turned and walked out of his Lord's presence.
June 2, 10:15 p.m. Hogwarts Headmaster's Office:
Severus Snape had barely set foot back in Hogwarts when he received a patronus message from Dumbledore asking him to come up to the headmaster's office. Snape grimaced as he turned and headed for the question and answer session he was sure the headmaster wanted.
Slipping by the gargoyle sentinel and trudging up the spiral staircase, Snape pondered not for the first time the hell his life had become, the one thing he thought would be a bright spot in his otherwise insufferable existence was the death of the only child of his school tormentor and rival.
So why did he feel …nothing. He felt neither joy or sadness, nor remorse or satisfaction. Had he finally reached the point where he felt absolutely nothing for anything or anyone? He was a black hole where emotion of any kind was swallowed up and obliterated to the vacuum of space.
Snape wondered what the purpose of living was if he could not feel. A life without emotions, is that any life at all. Hate was all that had sustained him for many years. Hate of everything Potter. It consumed him it gave him a reason to get up every morning; just the thought of being able to put a Potter in their place was almost orgasmic. But now with the last of the Potters dead his focus for the last fifteen years was gone.
Snape had nothing left to hate, and therefore had nothing left at all. He knew his existence now only revolved around the good graces of Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. And when he was no longer useful to either of them he would be tossed aside or in the Dark Lords case most likely killed.
"Ah Severus my boy, come in come in." Spoke Dumbledore as Severus Snape entered the cluttered office.
"You wished to see me headmaster?"
"Yes Severus, please have a seat." Dumbledore grabbed a lemon drop from the candy bowl on his desk and popped it into his mouth. "Care for one?" He asked the now seated potions master.
"Thank you but no Headmaster?"
Dumbledore smiled and sat back in his chair his blue eyes twinkling and staring unblinkingly at the sallow faced man.
"Very well Severus. So what do you have to report?"
"It is as we had feared. The Dark Lord has indeed lost the connection with Potter. Our reason to believe that the Potter brat is dead seems to be collaborated."
"Now, Now Severus it's not wise to speak ill of the dead. Does he know who killed him?"
"No, he is as perplexed about that as we are. But he has planned to take credit anyway. His hope is that it will destroy the morale of the people and give them reason not to oppose him."
"Then we must give them a reason to rally against him. What we need is another Savior." Albus stated stroking his long white beard.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Another Savior Headmaster?"
"Indeed." Said the calculating headmaster. "We need someone that the people will rally to. Harry was not the only boy that could have been the one the prophecy spoke of."
Snape was staring at the headmaster in quiet disbelief. "And who is this other child?"
"Neville Longbottom." Albus simply replied.
"Longbottom? Have you lost your mind Headmaster? The boy is barely beyond the skills of a squib!
"I think you will find that his confidence has increased over this last year, thanks in part to Harry's unsanctioned defense group."
"You would be sending the boy to his death Albus. He does not have the skill or Potter's damnable luck to be anything more than fodder to be trampled over."
"His skills Severus are not what are important. Psychological warfare is a powerful tool in any war. Voldemort uses this tactic to great success. We need a rallying banner and a martyr for the cause. We need something that will call the people to action, and inspire them to raise their wands against this threat. Neville is from a Pureblood family and could rally other purebloods who are sitting on the fence."
"So you are willing to sacrifice another boy in HOPES that it will inspire others to fight. You arrogant bastard! And when he fails I suppose we just find another!" Snape hissed.
"I will do what is necessary for the Greater Good Severus. Sometimes sacrifices must be made."
"Then you will do it without me Headmaster before I become just another sacrifice on your chessboard of the greater good." Snape spat.
"I'm afraid that will not do Severus. I still have need of your services and you will comply. If not willingly there are other ways to assure your loyalty and cooperation."
"And what is it you think you can do to me that I have not already suffered at the hands of the Dark Lord? I am not some schoolboy you can bully around Albus. I will no longer be a part of your…"
"Obliviate!"
A glassy eyed Severus Snape returned to his dungeon office with a new set of modified memories and a powerful loyalty potion flowing through his veins. "Much to do much to do, we must get Longbottom ready for his destiny. It is for the greater good after all." Severus Snape hummed.
June 4th 10:00 a.m. Black Manor:
The Boy-Who-Lived Murdered!
By Rita Skeeter
It is the sad duty of this reporter to report to you my faithful readers that Harry Potter; The Savior of the Wizarding World was struck down in the prime of his life shortly after arriving at his home on June 1st 1996 at about 9:00 p.m. local time.
Information discovered by yours truly has learned that the boy hero was living with the muggle sister of the late Lady Lily Potter one Petunia Dursley who resided with her husband and only son in Surrey. According to an anonymous letter that was received at the news desk of The Daily Prophet, the Dursley home was attacked by You-Know-Who and his band of dark wizards and witches known as Death Eaters. It is believed that the Dark Lord himself cast one of the most destructive dark curses just below the level of the unforgivables. The Fiendfyre Curse.
This dastardly curse when cast creates a living fire that consumes everything within its path. Once cast the fire is unquenchable and must burn itself out, only the most powerful of transfiguration masters can alter the composition of Fiendfyre into something more benign otherwise there is no other magical or muggle means to extinguish the raging fire until it accomplishes it's casters wish.
According to sources, witness saw the Boy-Who-Lived enter the house with his muggle relatives just prior to the attack. But this begs the question, why was the Potter Heir Apparent living in a muggle neighborhood and not at his family's ancestral home? Which is reknown to have wards second only to those of Gringotts Bank itself?
It has been speculated that this attack was in retaliation for the defeat of You-Know-Who and twelve of his followers by Harry Potter and five of Potter's closest friends at The Ministry for Magic. (For more on the battle at the Ministry for Magic turn to page 6) As was reported by this paper some few weeks ago, Harry Potter led his group of friends in a battle for their lives as none other than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was discovered to have returned from the dead and had engaged the group in battle.
Several escaped Death Eaters were re-captured and a few surprising arrests as well such as long time Fudge support Lucius Malfoy. There has been no word or comment on Lord Malfoy's arrest from Minister Fudge. We at the Prophet also call for an investigation into the Fudge/Malfoy relationship and the alleged links to the Dark Lord. How much did Fudge really know of the Dark Lords return? Is he in cahoots with the Death Eaters? These and other questions beg us to consider if we are in good hands under the current administration.
We at the Prophet demand that an investigation of the death of the young hero be commenced immediately and those responsible are brought to justice.(For a biography of the Boy Hero turn to page 4)
The Boy Who's Luck Ran Out:
By Horace Tabor
While we at the Prophet mourn with the rest of the Wizarding World over the loss of Harry Potter this reporter has found the truth behind the myth and legend of the Boy-Who-Lived. In an exclusive interview with Ronald B. Weasley who was one of the 'Ministry Six' and best friend of the now deceased hero we learn surprising details into the life of Harry Potter. The following is an edited transcript of my interview with the ginger haired wizard.
"Well you see Harry new nothing of magic or our world until I took him under my wing starting in first year. He was complete rubbish at most everything so I helped him out where I could of course. If it weren't for me helping the poor bloke he would have been kicked out of Hogwarts his first year."
"So you are saying that he struggled with learning magic?"
"Oh yeah, complete rubbish. I kind of felt sorry for him, he couldn't even ride a broom before I gave him some private lessons."
"We had heard that he actually had quite the aptitude for magic, and he is well known for his prowess on a broom. He did win the Tri-Wizard Cup and was being scouted by many of the top professional Quidditch teams. Are you saying that all those accomplishments are a result of your tutelage?"
"My what?"
"Your tutoring and training."
"Oh, yeah yeah. I helped Harry with pretty much everything. I'm just not the kind to want all the glory you know. I let Harry have the spotlight. He would have been killed in the Tri-Wizard Tournament if I hadn't you know taught him and stuff. I'm unbeaten at chess you know and it was my strategies that helped him win".
"What about the fight at the Ministry for Magic. I understood that he led you and your friends in a fight against the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who."
"Well I wouldn't say led, I mean I made up the plan and everything that got us through and it was my knowledge of tactics that held off the Death Eaters until back-up arrived."
"But what of Harry's fight against the Dark Lord, he did do that on his own."
"Well, he lost didn't he? I mean, if it weren't for Dumbledore, Harry would have snuffed it right there and then."
"So was there anything special about the Boy-Who-Lived?"
"No, not really, he was pretty average if not a little below average in power and spell knowledge. I mean, I've had to save his life several times over the last five years. If I had been there when his home was attacked I'm pretty sure I could have saved him again. But I guess his luck ran out." (More of the Weasley interview can be found on page 9)
"There you have it readers, the real Boy-Who-Lived was more the Boy-Who-Got-Lucky. Next week I interview the…"
A fuming Harry crumpled the paper in his hands. "THAT ARROGANT SON OF A BIT…who the hell does he thinks he is…I'll show him below average the next time I see that prat!" Harry stormed around the room as thin bolts of electricity crackling around his body shattered glass and scorched wood.
"Harry, Harry! Love calm down!" Bella ignored the bolts of accidental magic and pulled Harry into a firm embrace and kissed him hard on the lips to get his attention.
"Harry you need to calm down before you set the manor on fire!" Harry shocked by the sudden kiss, halted his tirade. He looked into the violet eyes of his Bella. He never got tired of thinking about the lovely witch and her declaration of love for him she had always been able to calm him and this was no exception.
"I'm sorry love" he whispered. He pulled her closer to him and buried his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled the wonderful scent that was uniquely her and immediately the anger and tension ebbed away.
"Well, that was interesting" Narcissa chuckled nervously. "Alright there Harry?" she asked.
"Yeah, sorry about that Cissy. That was just a bit unexpected. I can't believe he said all that. Some friend he turned out to be."
"Well, there are a few other things mentioned in the paper that you may not like." A hesitant Narcissa stated.
Harry's head lifted off Bella shoulder and he glared at the tall blond witch. "What else does it say Cissy?" A thin lipped Harry growled out.
Bella squeezed his hands and brought his focus back to her. "Whatever it is Harry you will remain calm okay?"
Harry started to object but Bella pushed him down on a chair and quickly sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Calm…" she said as she kissed him lightly on the lips. "Calm…" she kissed him once again. "Calm…" she said seductively as she gave him another kiss but this one was much deeper and slower. She felt his heartbeat begin to calm and slow and his little general begin to rise. She pulled slowly back from the kiss giving him her best sultry smile.
"Okay I'm calmed but now I'm totally aroused." Harry pouted.
"Do you two need a room or should I just throw some cold water on you." Narcissa smirked giving the pair an exasperated look.
"Sorry Cissy. So what else does that rag of a paper say?" sighed a frustrated Harry.
"Are you two going to behave?"
"Behaving is so overrated. But we'll behave...for now." Pouted an amused Bella.
Narcissa gave an exaggerated sigh and continued. "Well, it seems that Mrs. Weasley is making a play for the Potter fortune."
"What do you mean she is making a play for my family fortune?" Harry asked with an edge in his voice. Bella gave his hand a gentle squeeze and he calmed.
"Well, the article states that you were betrothed to Ginerva Molly Weasley by a marriage contract signed by Arthur Weasley and Albus Dumbledore acting as your magical guardian. The goblins are quoted as saying that Mrs. Weasley has argued that since her daughter was your betrothed that she should inherit House Potter. "
"WHAT! I never agreed to such a thing!" Yelled an outraged Harry
"Marriage contracts have been a part of our culture for centuries Harry. Mostly among the Noble houses as away to create political allies and strengthen their standing in the Wizengamot. " Narcissa replied.
"But how does she plan to get my House? I never married Ginny so wouldn't that mean the contract was voided?"
"Not necessarily, there have been incidences where the betrothed inherited from her expired fiancée. Though this has never happened to a House that has Ancient and Noble Status."
"Why is that?" Harry asked
"The Noble Houses had passed through many laws through the Wizengamot to protect themselves from hostile takeovers from rival families. Anciently you could claim another house in a few different ways. The first was by conquest; if the Lord of one house defeated the Lord of another House in mutual combat then the victor would claim all properties and titles of the defeated lord. He would then take the wife of the defeated Lord as a second wife and thus cement his claim as Lord of that house which then became a sept of the conquering House."
"Whoa! Does that still happen?"
"No, that policy was done away with in the 17th Century. Many great Houses fell to extinction because of power hungry lords who wanted to expand their domains and treasuries. House Black had taken over no less than twenty minor houses before the law was rescinded. Even House Potter benefitted from the ancient law. I believe they were responsible for at least 30 or more minor and major Houses being assimilated into House Potter."
Harry sat stunned not sure how to respond to the knowledge that the Potters were responsible for destroying other wizarding houses.
"Don't think poorly of your family love. It was a different time and warfare was common, if you did not show strength you were seen as weak which made your house a target." Bella soothingly told him.
"I guess I understand, it's just a little overwhelming." Bella gave him a small smile and kissed him tenderly.
"To continue; the second way to take over another House was by forfeit. If you were financially indebted to another House and could not repay that debt when it was called due all your properties would be sold off to repay it. However if the debt was greater than all your assets combined then everything would then be turned over to the other House. This included not only land, but also titles and political seats the chattel would become indentured servants and could also be sold off as slaves if the Lord so wanted."
"Tell me that one has been over turned as well." Harry stated.
"Not entirely. You can no longer sell people into slavery, but those members of the indebted family become wards of that House and are subject to the will of their new Lord." Bella said.
"Hmm…okay so what is the next way?"
"The third way is through marriage and blood lines." Narcissa continued
"Okay, I think I'm a bit more familiar with this type." Harry commented.
"Right, well you know of the traditional way of when a woman marries a Lord of a Nobel house a blood ritual takes place. The wife now literally carries within her veins the blood of that House. Now if her husband dies without a male heir and she remarries into another House her new husband can claim lordship over her house. If she never remarries but had daughters by her husband then the first born male of the daughters would inherit the lordship over the House."
"Okay. I understand all of that. But it still doesn't explain why Molly thinks that Ginny would inherit my House." Harry asked still perplexed.
"There have been a few precedence's were a House was given to the 'widowed fiancée' when the House would have become extinct otherwise. But in every case that I've heard of the betrothed would have had to of been of that bloodline however distant. The House Blood however small in the person would be recognized by the family magic and then permitted to become Head of House or Lady of the House."
"Are the Weasleys related to me somehow?
"I don't know Harry." Narcissa sighed. "We would need to get to the Potter family vault and look at the family genealogy list, or have the goblins look at their copy."
"Well I think a visit to Gringotts is our number one priority then. And while were in Diagon alley I need to look at getting a new wand." Harry said scratching his head and trying to process everything he had just heard.
"I think some new cloths as well love." Bella said while nuzzling Harry's nose with her own.
"I still need to contact Andi about your situation Bella. Hopefully she'll be willing to hear us out." Narcissa said hoping the oldest Black sister would give them a chance.
Narcissa made her way to the kitchen to make a few floo calls. Bella snuggled in to Harry and closed her eyes. Within a few minutes Bella's breathing slowed and deepened as she fell asleep in Harry's lap.
Harry's mind continued to spin as he held Bella in his arms. He felt a headache coming on and groaned as he let his head rest against the back of the chair. In less than a week his whole life had turned upside down. From being nearly beaten to death, to seeing Sirius in the afterlife if that was what it was, to finding love with an amazing woman and undergoing some dramatic physical and magical changes.
To top it off everyone believed him dead, his so called best friend basically was calling him a mediocre wizard who was more lucky than skilled. And now the mother figure in his life was conspiring to take his fortune in some twisted marriage contract scam.
Yep, besides Bella everything else seemed completely fubar'd. Harry wondered with great trepidation what the next few days would bring.
A/N: Not a lot of action in this chapter, but I think some good information was given. The next chapter will see a visit to Gringotts were more revelations lay in store for Bella and Harry. Thanks to all of you who took time out of your busy lives to read my little story. As always please read and review!
A/N2: Bonus points to whoever figures out what movie I got the name Horace Tabor from.