See first chapter for disclaimer and summary.
Author: ShaeLynn Teelle
Polite constructive criticism is welcome; FLAMES WILL BE FED TO THE DRAGON IN MY BED.
Chapter 8-15 years old – Christmas
The package was delivered late, a raven carrying it. Only one window was open to the night sky and within it, a young man waited, eyes alighting as it saw the bird. The snowy owl half dozing in its cage by the bed only opened a single eye when the raven began to drink from the water bowl after the package was removed, though there should have been no bird or owl that could find them.
Harry's hand tore eagerly into the plain brown wrapper, ignoring the birds. He had been worried when nothing had shown before Christmas, Miina's usual time for sending his gifts, and had been slightly anxious all day. The first thing he saw when the box was opened was a letter and it was snatched from the box. The gift, whatever it was, was set to the side on the bed as Harry focused his attention on the letter.
Miina hadn't been sure where he would be as her father knew a bit more about the workings of the light and dark sides than he should. She had thought it might be more practical to send it the night of Christmas Day so it might go unnoticed and find him easier. He sighed and smiled as he set down the letter, glad that nothing dangerous had happened to delay her gift.
Harry reached out for the box, but found nothing where he had left it. He spun and saw Sirius standing on the other side of the bed with a leather band in his hand covered with runes and several stones. The box sat empty on the bed in front of him and he was watching Harry curiously.
"A late gift?" he asked mildly.
Before Sirius could say any more the door was pushed closed and imperturbable spells were placed everywhere with a silencing charm for good measure. Then Harry stared at his godfather with an intense expression on his face that had Sirius handing over the band without conscious thought.
"Where's your wand?" the older man asked quietly.
"Somewhere around here. If I tell you anything you have to swear that you will keep quiet on it. This isn't anything the rest of them need to know, yet. They'll find out eventually, but it's too soon."
Harry allowed his Slytherin tendencies to come out, knowing he would need all his cunning to keep the secrets he needed to keep. "This is my Christmas gift from a good friend, one I have known of for longer than either Hermione or Ron. Miina does not attend Hogwarts, but she does magic regardless under her father's tutelage. No one else here knows about her."
"What is her surname?" Sirius asked suspiciously.
"Daniels. Miina Daniels. Her family holds no ties to Voldemort since I have known them. Sirius, what you need to understand first is that I was not supposed to go into Gryffindor. That was not the hat's first choice. You, of all the adults I know, should be the very first to realize that a book cannot be read by the cover it shows alone. Any that take what they see at face value should be moved to the side for ones that understand."
"So the hat wanted you in Slytherin."
Harry tipped his head to the side, "Yes."
"Alright. You have my attention. What are you planning that does not involve Dumbledore?"
"Oh, it involves Dumbledore. Greatly." Harry took out his wand from beneath his pillow and cast one of the privacy spells that William had taught him at full strength. Only someone more powerful would be able to dismantle it and Harry would know the moment it began.
Then, they talked.
Several hours later, Sirius left the room with a smirk playing about his lips and headed towards the library. The rest of the house was still asleep except Harry when he tapped his wand against the wall just beyond the doorframe. Silently it gave way to reveal a narrow passage where one could not physically exist. He stepped in and the wall closed behind him.
Twenty minutes later the wall next to Madam Black's portrait shifted and air rushed out like an exhale, fluttering open the curtains that covered the portrait, but the woman made no sound on her canvas. Sirius stepped out with three black bound books in his arms, each with a locked strap keeping them closed.
He bowed once to the portrait of his mother as the wall again closed and made to pull the curtains shut.
"Those are not for you," the woman stated calmly, quietly.
"No. But he is worthy and in need. He will fix what Voldemort fouled."
"Regulas will be avenged."
"My brother will be redeemed in the future."
The portrait nodded once and allowed the curtains to be pulled closed. Sirius slipped up the stairs and back into the room he had not long left. The three books were placed carefully on the edge of the bed, spread out so their locks could be easily seen.
"How do they open?" Harry's voice was quiet, almost awed after what Sirius had told him the books contained.
"Touch them. It was passed down that only when someone was worthy of the knowledge within would they open. My brother may have been worthy, but he was killed before he could find out."
"Then let me not wait for the same fate," Harry said and laid one hand in the center of the closest book.
A soft click was heard in the room and the two grinned at each other with an underlying malevolence. Things were falling well into place. Now, it was only a matter of timing.
- 15 years old - Year End
Harry seethed inside. Dumbledore had played the last card Harry would allow. Before his sixth year was over, Dumbledore's life would be. He only had to decide on how. But there was another matter that had need to be looked into more urgently than Dumbledore's demise.
Bellatrix.
Her life became forfeit the second she raised her wand at Sirius. She just didn't know it yet. He could have cast a full Cruciatus on her, he had the power, the anger, and the hatred. But there would have been a witness.
He had sensed Dumbledore's presence from the warning stone he had added to the pendant that he never took off and held back his power just in time. Voldemort's possession had been extremely painful and if he'd been in a position to, Harry would have laughed at the old man's pathetic attempt at talking him out of it.
Voldemort had pulled back simply because it was too painful for him to remain any longer. Harry had sent all his memories of pain from his relatives to the Dark Lord at once and when he was pulling away, he left one last message for the man.
'Bellatrix is mine and she will pay by my hand alone.'
Now he was on his way to the owlry to send off a reminder that Voldemort was to have the former Black kept 'safe' until Noir could deal with her. And, much as it pained him to, he spared Snape's life. He knew that it was not Dumbledore's orders the man truly followed and helped to alleviate the suspicions he knew were on the man. He was still useful after all.
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