Daughter of Dark Magic and Constant Danger Chapter 18: The Locket, a harry potter fanfic

Molly Weasley was standing on her tip toes on the top tier of a ladder she asked me to conjure so she could hang a ridiculously large maroon and gold banner over the kitchen table congratulating Hermione and Ron for being named Gryffindor Prefects. Why she had asked for a ladder was beyond me. She was standing on the ladder and waving her wand about, making sure that the banner was hung straight. I sat mildly amused in a kitchen chair with my arms crossed over my chest. Since being fired from the Ministry, I did a lot of sitting in the kitchen, much like Sirius. At that precise moment, Sirius was no where to be found, which meant he was probably hiding in his bedroom, sitting with Buckbeak the Hippogriff and wallowing in self pity.

The thought of Sirius' pain made me frown deeply. I took a small sip from my wine glass and closed my eyes to erase the depressing thoughts of my ex-boyfriend's melancholy. Harry had made a point a few weeks ago after his trail. Sirius was being selfish it seemed; he was so caught up on everyone leaving him in the next week that he forgot to take advantage of the time he did have with them. For someone who had been locked up for years, losing nearly thirteen years of his life to the dark cold chambers of Azkaban, you would think Sirius would be a little more grateful and enthusiastic of the time he had to spend with those that he loved like Harry and Carrigan.

"He's being worse then Gabriel ever was," said a faded female voice behind me. I turned in my chair to see Carrigan and Ginny arriving in the basement.

"I think he likes you," Ginny giggled. "Why else would he be so worried?"

Carrigan's eyes fell on me and her cheeks flushed red.

"Complaining about Benjamin?" I asked tentatively.

"Since we were attacked he's been an ass," Carrigan said with a nod as she crossed her arms over her chest. "He's been pressing me to work harder while training."

"I think he just likes her," Ginny said as she crossed the room to speak to her mother. Molly had climbed down the ladder and looked at Ginny with a thrilled smile. I looked back to Carrigan, ignoring the words Molly and Ginny were exchanging.

"I think he wants to make sure you don't pass out the next time you use your powers," I said with a smart smile. Carrigan rolled her eyes.

"I see he's gotten to you too," she said coldly. I frowned.

"Carrigan, he feels responsible for you," I shrugged. "He blames himself for not preparing you to be able to handle your powers."

"So he's pushing me harder to teach me a lesson so he feels better?"

"No, you misunderstood me. He's pushing you harder because he cares about you and doesn't want you to grow weak in a fight. What if your powers don't end the fight and there is still more to it? You can't very well pass out in the middle of a battle."

Carrigan's expression grew very cold as she stared at me with dark navy eyes. "I don't plan on being in any battles, Mother."

She pivoted and walked away towards Molly and Ginny. My heart fell at her words. Never had Carrigan addressed me as ' Mother.' I shook my head and picked up my wine glass, finishing it off as Molly asked the girls to go into the pantry and get out some potatoes for peeling. She came to me and set her wand down on the table.

"Thank you for the ladder," she said.

"Of course," I replied with a forced smile. I was still greatly bothered by Carrigan's comment, so as Molly continued to speak my mind and eyes wandered off to watch my daughter.

"I thought we'd have a bit of a party tonight instead of a sit down dinner," Molly said excited. "To celebrate Hermione and Ron's achievements and to send the children off to school."

"Good idea," I replied blankly before Molly moved away from the table.

Carrigan looked angry as she helped retrieve some dishes from the cabinets. She was whispering to Ginny quickly, who looked sympathetic. I frowned deeply. Perhaps I should speak to Benjamin.

As the two girls disappeared into the pantry my eyes returned to the overwhelming banner on the wall. I frowned deeply and pondered Dumbledore's decision. Surely, he had opted to give Ron the fifth year boy's prefect position because of the significant amount of stress that Harry was under because of Voldemort's return. Not that Ron wasn't deserving, I was just sure that almost everyone was expecting Harry to be made prefect. Harry was no doubt expecting it. My eyes drifted to the ceiling of the kitchen as if I could peer through the floor to the boy's bedroom where Harry was lying on his bed, staring at the board of the bunk above him, wondering why Dumbledore was neglecting him.

I knew, as I'm sure any adult would, that Dumbledore was not neglecting Harry purposely. He just understood what was going on in the world around us. Like myself, Harry obviously shared some kind of connection to Voldemort, though I was not sure what sort of connection that could be, Dumbledore appeared to have a few ideas. He seemed to think that being close to Harry may trigger emotions or thoughts from Voldemort that would make Voldemort aware of the connection. If Voldemort found out he was subconsciously connected to Harry Potter he would exploit such a connection to his advantage.

I sighed as I lifted the empty wine glass. Harry probably did not understand any of this and Dumbledore had asked me not to speak to Harry about such things unless he directly asked. I was starting to question Dumbledore's decisions regarding my godson. Of course, Dumbledore was human and would make mistakes, but I was not sure I could allow mistakes to occur when it came to Harry's care. I had promised Lily I would protect him and I had already failed, in my opinion, that promise in many ways. Besides, Dumbledore had a tendency to withhold personal information when he felt it was in the person's best interest. He had done that to me when I was younger.

I stood up from the table and disappeared from the kitchen before Molly could call for my help or Carrigan could glare at me more. The stairs up to the fourth floor squeaked awkwardly as I moved up them. I heard boys voices laughing and talking quickly as I passed the library and approached the forth door on the right of the hall. I knocked gently, causing all noise in the boy's room to stop.

"Oh, hi Cadence," Fred said awkwardly as he looked me over. I raised my eyebrows at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Where is Harry?"

"He and Ron aren't in here."

"Do you know where they are?" I asked with a touch of annoyance.

"Try their room," Fred shrugged.

I turned on my heel and moved back to the staircase to descend to the third floor. When I knocked on the bedroom door at the end of the hall, someone shallowly granted me entranced. I pushed the door opened and frowned as my eyes fell on Harry Potter lying on his back on his bunk, just as I predicted, and Ron Weasley lying on the bed (which was too small for him) over Harry's.

"Well aren't you two just the picture of happiness."

Harry didn't move on his bunk, but Ron sat up and looked at me with irritated brown eyes. He was flushed in the cheeks and ears, making me think that something must be upsetting him. I frowned, realizing that he probably did not want to be a prefect. That was probably why Fred and George seemed to be having a small party in their room. They were laughing and joking about Ron being a prefect like their older brothers.

"I didn't ask for this," Ron snipped with aggravation. I wasn't sure if his intense tone was directed at me, or indirectly towards Harry, who looked lease happy of the pair. Ron hopped off the bunk bed and headed towards me to make his leave. I took hold of his arm as he made to pass me.

"You should feel honored that Dumbledore sees enough maturity in you to handle the responsibilities of this position. If you are truly that unhappy with it perhaps you should speak to him, I'm sure he'll explain to you the many reason why he felt this would do both of you some good."

Ron frowned at my advice, but nodded his head to show he understood what I told him. I released his arm and he exited the room without another word. I watched him leave and when I turned back to the bunks, Harry was sitting up looking at me with hurt eyes.

"I'm not upset that Ron was made prefect," he said instantly.

"I didn't think you were," I replied.

"I just didn't expect it."

"No one expected it."

Harry looked down at his hands in his lap. I approached the bed slowly. "May I join you?"

He nodded and moved away from the center of the mattress to let me sit next to him. I took a seat, being sure to duck my head so I wouldn't knock it against the bunk above. I looked at Harry, who despite what he said, looked uncomfortable and disappointed about not being made prefect.

"Why," Harry hesitated before he continued with his question. He looked at me with unsure eyes, and I gave him a weak smile, hoping to urge him on. "Why, do you think Dumbledore made Ron prefect?"

"I do not think Ron was made prefect because you are incapable of the responsibility necessary for the position. Dumbledore takes many factors into consideration when deciding who will be prefect."

"Right," Harry said sounding a little frustrated. "Either way, it's not about the prefect position. I just don't get why he isn't around…he won't even look at me, Cadence. He didn't look at me once during the hearing. He won't tell me what's going on and he won't speak to me. If he tells me anything he passes it along through another adult in the Order."

"Harry," I said his name delicately as I debated how much I should tell him. I did not want to frighten Harry into thinking he was connected or controlled by my father, but those were the facts. "Dumbledore thinks there may be some sort of connection between you and Voldemort."

Harry looked at me with raised eyebrows, though he did not seem completely surprised by the suggestion of a connection between him and the Dark Lord. He didn't say anything, just patiently waited for me to continue.

"Because Voldemort loathes and even fears Dumbledore," I continued looking into Harry's green eyes. "He is afraid that spending too much time with you may trigger Voldemort to discover the connection."

"I don't understand," Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore will trigger what?"

"Sometimes, during the first war, when I would be speaking to Dumbledore I would suddenly be overcome with anger and hateful feelings towards him. Those feelings didn't make sense because I do not hate Dumbledore despite how much he can make me angry. Looking at Dumbledore sometimes triggers my father's emotions because he and I share two magical connections. I think Dumbledore believes you to share some sort of connection with Voldemort as well. He knows that at times my feelings can be altered because of my father's feelings. He may think that the same thing can happen to you."

Harry was frowning at me with discomfort and skepticism. "I share a connection with Voldemort?"

"It would explain how you have dreams about him, know his feelings when your scar hurts…it does make sense," I whispered very softly. "Just like Carrigan and I share a connection with him."

"I suppose, but it all seems a little farfetched," Harry insisted. "And if it is the truth, I would hate Dumbledore to keep something like that from me." He stood up from the bed and began to pace in front of me. "I just want to be kept in the loop, if anyone should know about Voldemort and what the Order is doing, it should be me, don't you agree?"

"I think there are some things you should know, yes," I nodded. "But Harry, you're still underage. You're still a young man who is not fully prepared for what waits outside the walls of Number Twelve and Hogwarts."

"I'm more prepared than half the members of the Order."

"There is something to be said for the experiences gained simply by age. I know you are very capable of protecting yourself, and Harry your job right now is to do that. Protect yourself and your friends. Stay up to date with what is happening beyond the walls that confine you, but do not pursue any action. It is not your job to fight yet."

"I don't think Voldemort will give me much of a choice."

"Of course not," I replied. "But there is a difference between defending yourself and seeking out a fight."

Harry nodded his head as he paused to look out the window in the bedroom. He crossed his arms over his chest before speaking.

"Thank you," was all he said.

"Dinner will be ready soon," I said standing up. I felt that my job was done. I had given Harry all the advice I could. "You should prepare yourself for the giant banner to congratulate Hermione and Ron."

"Do you think Mrs. Weasley would have made a banner for Hermione and I, if I were named prefect?"

"Yes," I lied flawlessly. Harry gave me a weak smile and nodded his head before moving past me.

"Do you know where Sirius is?"

"No doubt in his room with Buckbeak."

Harry did not reply. He nodded his head and turned back to the window with a sullen frown on his face. I made my leave from the room slowly, just in case Harry called me back for something. When he didn't, I shut the door tightly behind me and made my way down the hall towards the single bedroom that Benjamin was staying in. He had not being required to share his room with anyone, which was probably for the best since he was very much a loner.

I knocked gently on his door, which opened almost instantly.

"Hello Cadence," he said with surprise. He opened the door wider and motioned for me to come in. "Is there something I can do for you?"

I stepped into the room, which was neat and clean. I smiled slightly. Benjamin was a very clean person, which didn't surprise me, but he also had so few belongings that there wasn't much to get cleaned up. Molly had purchased his Hogwarts robes for him early that day, along with his school books and a trunk. Everything seemed to be packed in his trunk, because nothing was out in view.

"Are you already packed for school?"

"We're leaving tomorrow aren't we?" he replied. I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"I have a feeling you didn't come up here to see that I was packed," he said as he stood next to the bed with his arms folded behind his back. I bit my bottom lip and nodded.

"You are right."

"What is on your mind?"

"Carrigan seems to think you're still being too hard on her."

"She will always think that," he replied instantly. "She liked me better before she knew I was her Guardian, perhaps if we had not been attacked in the coffee shop, I would have been able to teach her more."

"Perhaps," I agreed. "She's still not interested in fighting."

"She simply does not want to seek out a fight."

"That is not like Carrigan," I said quickly. "Since she was four she has been begging Gabriel and I to train her, now she has accepted that it is something that needs to be done, but she does not want to do it."

"I don't know what will make her want to do it," Benjamin shrugged. "What made you want to do it?"

I frowned deeply. "I never wanted to. That's why I'm worried."

"You turned out fine."

I laughed at the backhanded compliment that was embedded in Benjamin's words. "Carrigan is more powerful, more dangerous, then I ever was. You know that. She needs to be more vigilant with her powers."

"She has improved since Gabriel was in the hospital," he whispered. "Like we've said, she's come out of her spell."

"Then what does she have against you?"

Benjamin didn't respond right away. He frowned and turned away from me, looking out the window of the bedroom, much like Harry did just a few moments before when I spoke to him.

"I think," Benjamin spoke slowly. "That she is reluctant to fully engage her skills in our training sessions because she fears us ending up like you and Gabriel."

"Really?" I questioned surprised.

"Before your doctor's appointment," Benjamin said as he turned back to me. "She was engaging more in training, but when she found out that you may be pregnant she began to pull back again. This entire summer has been a roller coaster for her training. She starts out strong, eager and high, then plummets to the point of regression, then picks up again…and now she's falling back. She's still having dreams of your death and she is not articulating her fears to me. She doesn't talk to me like she used to."

"Perhaps it is because she is young. She is immature and irresponsible."

I couldn't believe what I had just said. Of all the words that I would have used to describe Carrigan, never would I use 'immature' or 'irresponsible.' But Benjamin was right, something had changed over the summer. Carrigan had changed.

"Perhaps," Benjamin replied with a shrug. I could tell that he didn't buy it. He thought that something else was holding Carrigan back. "Perhaps she is right that going back to school will help her focus more."

I nodded with a weak smile. "Are you coming down for dinner?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I'll be done in a few minutes."

I left him alone in his room and quietly made my way back downstairs, where I was sure that dinner had started already. Not to my surprise, when I arrived in the basement kitchen, I saw the Weasley family, Carrigan, Hermione, Harry, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, and Gabriel gathered around the table, drinking, eating and conversing happily with each other.

"Yep, it's a boggart, Molly. Do you want me to get rid of it now?"

"Oh no, Alastor, thank you. I'll take care of it later," Molly replied as I walked by. I was heading straight for Gabriel, who was on the opposite side of the room speaking to Kingsley. Both men stopped exchanging words as I approached.

"Hello," I said brightly as I looked up at Gabriel. His satin blue eyes gazed at me with deep pleasure. He wrapped an arm around me and leaned forward, kissing my forehead.

"Hello, love," he said softly. His voice was deep, calm and smooth, causing my stomach to fill with butterflies and my skin to perk with desire.

"Really?" I questioned surprised.

"Perhaps it is because she is young. She is immature and irresponsible."

I nodded with a weak smile. "Are you coming down for dinner?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I'll be done in a few minutes."

"Yep, it's a boggart, Molly. Do you want me to get rid of it now?"

"Hello," I said brightly as I looked up at Gabriel. His satin blue eyes gazed at me with deep pleasure. He wrapped an arm around me and leaned forward, kissing my forehead.

"Hello, love," he said softly. His voice was deep, calm and smooth, causing my stomach to fill with butterflies and my skin to perk with desire.

"Hello, Cadence," Kingsley said with a bright white smile. "I'm sorry that you were sacked."

"It happens to the best of us," I replied with a shrug. "But it really is for the best, I will be more of an asset to the Order then I ever was to the Ministry."

"They don't know what they've lost," Kingsley said patting my shoulder.

"Thank you," I bowed my head to his flattering words.

"If you'll excuse me," he said to Gabriel and I before moving away. I turned to look up at Gabriel, who was holding a bottle of ale in his hand. He took a long swig before looking directly at me.

"What's the matter?"

"Have you made any headway on figuring out what Cepheus is?"

"Cadence, I just left work, I don't want to keep talking or thinking about it."

"Gabriel, this isn't just work, this is our lives we're talking about."

"No," he sighed, obviously perturbed. "We have not figured out what Scott was involved in."

I frowned. "Alright," I whispered.

"How is Harry holding up?" Gabriel asked motioning to the banner over our heads.

"He's fine," I replied. "He's more upset that Dumbledore is neglecting him. I told him about our theory—"

"Cadence," Gabriel said sharply with disapproval in his tone. I looked up at him crossly. The look he was giving me made me flash back to when we were younger and he scolded me for telling Sirius anything about our missions.

"He had a right to know," I replied in my own cross tone. "And Dumbledore said that if he asked I was free to tell him."

"When are you going to learn that it is not always in someone's best interest to know their weaknesses—"

"Is that what you believe?" I snapped. "Harry had every right to know that there is a possible connection between him and V—"

Gabriel took my arm and lead me across the kitchen to the stairs. He discretely looked over his shoulder to make sure he didn't draw attention to us leaving the kitchen. Once we were up the stairs, in the foyer, Gabriel spoke.

"Yes, Harry has a right to know, but there is a time and place for everything, Cadence," Gabriel was nearly yelling at me, which surprised me. He hadn't been this angry with me in ages. "Now he is going to return to school defeated because Dumbledore has been neglecting him, he wasn't made prefect, AND he has a connection to Voldemort. Do you know how on edge he is going to be?"

"It is not for you and Dumbledore to decide what is best for Harry when it comes to my father," I hissed. "Neither of you are his guardians! Sirius and I are! He has every right to know and the sooner he knows the better. You two won't hide things about his abilities from him like you did me!"

"This is not about you or your powers," Gabriel retorted. "You have to learn not to open your mouth whenever you feel like it."

I turned away from Gabriel and snatched my cloak off of the coat wrack.

"Where are you going?" he questioned as I yanked the cloak around me and buttoned it on. I glared straight at him as the floor boards began to shake under our feet. Gabriel gave me a harsh, scolding look again which made the rage inside of me rise even more.

"I'm taking a walk because I think it would be inappropriate to sock my husband!" I shouted. My energy got the best of me, when I yelled a vase in the sitting room shattered and the picture of Sirius' mother started to scream. Gabriel rolled his eyes and pulled his wand as I opened the front door, indifferent to the mess that I was leaving behind.

"You can try and sock me if you'd like!" he yelled to challenge me. "Take a damned knife with you!"

"I'm not an idiot!" I shouted back as I was half out the door. I slammed the door viciously behind me, shutting out the screams of all the portraits in Number Twelve. I stomped down the porch steps with my hands forcefully shoved into my pockets. As soon as I hit the sidewalk I Apparated with a loud crack!

I had no idea where I was going, I just wanted to get away from Grimmauld Place and Gabriel. My body was on fire and to my surprise I Apparated to an over-grown garden in the quiet country-side. I frowned deeply as I looked up at the house in front of the garden. Of all the places to Apparate, why would I come here.

I was staring up at the old mansion that had recently belonged (and probably still did) to Bartemius Crouch. The house looked aged and abandoned, which wasn't surprising considering Crouch's death only a few months back. I frowned as I stepped forward, twigs from the unkept garden catching under my feet and cracked loudly. I looked around to see if there were any near by neighboring houses that may allow for witnesses to see me on the abandoned property. There didn't appear to be any. I was completely surrounded by darkness. I moved forward, straight into the back of the house where Penelope Talon had led me to meet my father in May.

The house was dark and dusty inside. I coughed lightly as I kicked up dust while moving through the halls. It occurred to me, that if my father had been staying here at all over the last year, then it was possible this is where Penelope had been going all the times she disappeared while staying with me in the summer home. My stomach lurched at the thought of discovering Penelope's hide-out. Perhaps there was something that would help me figure out what Cepheus was.

As I treaded through the house looking into the various rooms my mind wandered to thoughts of Penelope. How she had betrayed me, how I was stupid enough to trust her because she saved my life once…because I felt like we had a connection; how she was responsible for torturing, experimenting and altering my niece's memory. I wondered if Penelope had been with my father from the start and if she was responsible for Haiden's kidnapping as much as the Jaspers were. But if she was, wouldn't have Gabriel known it since he was a forced to work for my father again?

I paused in a bedroom that looked as though a woman had slept in it. There was a bottle of perfume on the bedside table, a chest of woman's clothing, and a tube of ruby red lipstick on the dresser. I smiled slightly, the lipstick must have belonged to Penelope. This is where she stayed while she served my father.

I tore the room apart, looking through every drawer, the closet and even under the mattress. I took my knife and cut open the mattress, because if I was trying to hide something I might consider hiding it in the mattress. There was nothing. I walked across the floor boards, waiting for one of them to creak or wobble differently then the others. There had to be something in her room. Well, I hoped there would be. Honestly, I don't know what she would have kept that would lead me to Cepheus or what she was up to with my father.

I threw the contents of the nightstand drawer on the floor, mostly in frustration, and heaved a heavy sigh. I sat down on the destroyed bed and looked out at the room that I had just turned over looking for something that I wasn't sure even existed. As I peered off onto the bedroom floor, a glint of silver caught my eye in the opened drawer. I leaned forward, reaching into the drawer, and pulled out a shining heart shaped locket. I raised my eyebrows with curiosity as I opened it.

Two headshots stared up at me from inside the locket. I was surprised to see that the photos were the Muggle type; they didn't move. The dark face of a familiar looking man stared up at me with ice blue eyes on the left side of the locket, on the other side was the picture of an infant child. The baby boy was happy in the photon and ice blue eyes to match the picture opposite.

As I stared at the pictures, my heart plummeted into my stomach. Without a second thought I Apparated from the destroyed bedroom, the locket clenched firmly in my hands.