Hello everyone! Please read the part about Fidelius Charm carefully. It will clarify something that happened in the last chapter and something which will happen in future. Thank you!:)
Chapter Twelve –
Daily Prophet Special Edition
Page 1
YOU-KNOW-WHO FINALLY DEFEATED!
Citizens of Britain – REJOICE! The Dark Lord is no more. Yes, I know this is unbelievable, but it is nothing but the truth. You-Know-Who has been defeated at long last; and we are now free of his reign of terror. But who do we need to thank for our freedom? The Ministry of Magic? The Aurors? The Unspeakables? Or the Leader of the Light, Albus Dumbledore, himself? Sorry, but none of them are remotely responsible. Our saviour comes in the most unexpected form of HARRY POTTER!
Harry James Potter is the heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, born in July 31st of this year. Sources say that the Potters had decided to keep the birth of their son a secret in order to keep him safe from You-Know-Who's clutches. The same sources say that this was the reason behind the Potters' sudden disappearance. They had gone into hiding under the Fidelius Charm. Why You-Know-Who wanted Heir Potter dead is unknown at the moment but You-Know-Who attacked Potters' Cottage yesterday night intending to kill him. Yes, my fellow citizens… this means that the Potters were betrayed by their Secret Keeper. The identity of the Secret Keeper is unknown for now. Lord James Potter, fortunately, was absent at the time of You-Know-Who's attack. But with great sorrow I do hereby inform you that Lady Potter, who was there with her son, became the last victim of You-Know-Who.
At approximately 7:49 p.m. yesterday, the Potters' Cottage in Godric's Hollow became the centre of a large blast, reason unknown. "There was a large booming noise, and then a huge chuck of concrete came smashing in through my window," says Mrs. Goldsmaker who lives in Grub Cottage adjacent to the Potters' Cottage.
Though Lord Potter was unavailable for comments, Albus Dumbledore has confirmed that our saviour is alive and healthy. As per his speculations, You-Know-Who used the Unforgivable Killing Curse on Harry Potter, a curse which has no counter known. But miraculously, the curse hit our saviour and rebounded back to You-Know-Who, killing him instantly. The curse appears to have left a visible mark on our saviour – a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt upon his forehead.
Head of Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour was available for commenting. When asked whether You-Know-Who is indeed dead, he answers, "Yes, there is no doubt of it. His body has disintegrated into ash and is beyond recognition, but we did find his wand and the last spell cast was the Killing Curse. More details will be released later on."
The Head Auror also cautions the general populace of Britain saying, "A large number of Death Eaters have already been captured and are being prosecuted. But a few of them still remain at large. I ask all of you to remain alert and notify the Aurors if you see anything or anyone suspicious."
And so, no more fear fellow citizens; no more panic. Our saviour has saved us all from our greatest nightmare. I hereby moniker him as – THE BOY WHO LIVED!
This story will be covered in details throughout the week. Don't miss our special editions.
[To know more about Fidelius Charm turn to Page 06; Section -The Spells We Use.
To know more about Lady Potter'sdeath turn to Page 02; Section - Bad Tidings.
To know more about Death Eaters and how to identify them turn to Page 15; Section – Counsel of the Wise.]
Other Highlights–
Tragic death of Lord and Lady Bones! Heiress Bones saved because of her Aunt. (Page 02; Section - Bad Tidings.)
Lord Longbottom… Murdered? (Page 02; Section - Bad Tidings.)
… … …
Thousands of witches and wizards all over Britain gasped as they read the news. Some of them screamed it aloud for all their loved ones to hear, while some broke down into tears. Some laughed in joy and started celebrating… And some could finally grieve in peace for the ones they had lost.
But there were also a few curious souls who turned to Page 6…
… … …
Page 6
~The Spells We Use~
Fidelius Charm
One of the most ancient spells known; this is also one of the most difficult ones to master. Only a handful of witches and wizards alive are known practitioners of this spell; Albus Dumbledore being one of them.
This spell seals a secret inside a person's very soul. (In this case the secret was the Potters' location.) The one in whom the secret is contained becomes the Secret Keeper. No truth serums, no Legilimency and no spell can extract the secret. If a Secret Keeper dies with the secret inside him/her, then all other people who know the secret become the new Secret Keepers.
But the Secret Keeper can also willingly transfer the secret to another; and the one to whom the secret is transferred to, becomes the new Secret Keeper.
This is the reason that many families do not prefer this spell. The level of trust required for this is immense.
It is said that a Keeper who betrays the secret entrusted to him/her to another, is cursed by Magick herself. Though the veracity of the statement has never been proven and so is thought to be a myth.
[To know more about Albus Dumbledore turn to Page 17; Section - Important Figures.
To know more about Truth Serums turn to Page 04; Section - Potions World.
To know more about Legilimency turn to Page 06; Section - The Spells We Use.]
xXxXxXxXx
Malfoy Manor…
It was early morning when Narcissa tiredly made her way down to the parlour. Asking Dobby to get her a strong cup of tea, she dropped down into the settee with a groan.
Draco had not calmed down until after midnight and only then had his Veela fire receded, allowing her to approach him. After he had fallen into a fitful sleep, Narcissa had been unable to let him go. For a long time, she had simply stood in the nursery holding Draco close to her heart and breathing in his scent.
The chime of the grandfather clock made Narcissa glance at it and she wondered why Lucius was not back yet. He had been absent for the whole night and she had no knowledge about his whereabouts. The only thing preventing her from rushing to the Auror Office was Lucius' hurried missive in the night stating that he was all right and would return later on.
Torn by her worry for both the father and son, she had barely slept the whole night.
With an inelegant yawn, she picked up the morning newspaper. Her eyes fell on the headlines and… she froze.
Narcissa sat shell-shocked for a long moment, gaping at the newspaper.
Eventually, she blinked her shock away and then devoured the article as fast as she could.
She finished reading it with disbelief and hope warring within her. Could this be possible? Had the Dark Lord really been defeated? Were they truly… free?
Just then the tingle of the wards alerted her of Lucius' arrival and she rushed out of the room to greet him, several questions set at the tip of her tongue. But all of those questions fled her mind as her eyes fell upon the small bundle held securely in Lucius' arms.
"Lucius," she asked, "is that…?"
Lucius looked at her solemnly and nodded. "Harry Potter, the one who vanquished the Dark Lord… for now."
Narcissa looked up sharply, not missing the additional 'for now'; and her heart sank.
"For now…?" she asked in a small voice.
Lucius sighed wearily and then glanced at the sleeping child in his arms. "Yes Narcissa, I am afraid so."
Saying this he gently handed over the child to her and added, "Take care of him. I'll have to leave again but will return shortly with Severus, Lord Potter and Black, Dumbledore and Remus Lupin. You will have your explanation then."
Narcissa could only nod her acceptance and hold Harry closer to her.
Lucius almost made it to the door when a sudden question from Narcissa halted him in his tracks.
"Lucius… is Lady Potter dead?"
"Yes," he replied without turning back and then left.
xXxXxXxXx
"… Lord Potter, I can understand your emotional condition but we need to know how your barely three-month old son managed to kill one of the most powerful wizards of all time," Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour repeated in a hard voice.
James simply kept on staring unseeingly at the wall in front of him.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and fixed a hard look upon the current Head Auror, saying, "Auror Scrimgeour, I have been telling you repeatedly that no one knows what actually took place. But I have put forward my assumption and you have rejected…"
Scrimgeour scoffed, cutting him off midway. "You wish me to believe that because Lady Potter died to protect her son, the Killing Curse rebounded upon the caster?"
Sirius growled at Scrimgeour warningly. But Rufus Scrimgeour was like a dog with a bone and would not let go. Disregarding Sirius' warning, he went on, "Lord Potter, I wan…"
"Enough."
The word, laced with power and authority, rang in the large and spacious office room designated to the Head Auror.
"You have asked enough," Severus stated, promptly rising up to his feet, "and no further questions of yours will be answered."
Turning towards James he commanded in a harsh, unyielding voice, "Get up, Potter. We are leaving."
Sirius immediately jumped up to his feet and took a stand beside Severus, while Remus silently flanked his other side.
In any other situation, the sight of Sirius lending support to Severus would have been almost comical; but now it only brought forward a warm feeling… hope.
It was hope which lit up Dumbledore's eyes as he saw the three men standing together, protecting James. Perhaps, all was not lost…
… … …
Scrimgeour glared at Severus and snarled, "Who do you think you are? I am the Head Auror here and I will decide when Lord Potter can go."
Severus raised a brow and replied in an icy voice, "I see. Then perhaps a new Head Auror needs to be recruited."
"An excellent suggestion, Severus," Lucius' smooth drawl made all of them turn around to watch him enter along with the Minister of Magic, Madam Millicent Bagnold.
Madam Bagnold shot Scrimgeour a withering look and turned contritely towards James, "Lord Potter, I apologize on behalf of Auror Scrimgeour for this. You are free to go. And please accept my sincere condolences on your loss. As for your son, he is a national hero and will be treated with the reverence he deserves."
Scrimgeour tried to object but received another cutting glance from Madam Bagnold; clearly ordering him to remain silent.
James got up to his feet and with a nod directed at Madam Bagnold, left.
With one last glance at Scrimgeour, which promised death should he dare harm Harry or James, Severus followed everyone else out.
… … …
Scrimgeour could contain himself no longer and burst out, "But Madam, Snape and Malfoy are certified Death Eaters. And Potter and Dumbledore are hiding vital information from us…"
"Auror Scrimgeour," Bagnold interrupted, "Lord Malfoy and Lord Prince have been working for Light in more ways than one. And do not forget that the people you are talking about are powerful beyond words. They can tear apart the Ministry with their combined might and wealth. Do not repeat the same mistake again. Is that clear Auror?"
"Yes Madam," Scrimgeour bit out, all but vibrating with rage.
xXxXxXxXx
Narcissa watched Lucius depart and then looked at the beautiful baby in her arms sorrowfully… her heart grieving for the mother who was no more; for the baby who would never know his mother; for the husband who had lost his wife.
And she also grieved for the man who had inadvertently become a brother she never had had before… Severus Snape.
Blinking her tears away, she gently pressed a kiss to the Harry's forehead and whispered, "You will never lack for a mother, little one… that I promise. Now, let's get you settled."
With those words, she cemented the strange connection which seemed to exist between her and the baby.
Narcissa carried Harry to the nursery where her son was asleep and then gently laid him beside Draco; before calling for Dobby.
"You be wanting something Mistress?" Dobby asked, bowing.
"Yes Dobby, I need another crib to be placed beside Draco's and tell Dotty to prepare a bottle of milk for Harry," she ordered.
Dobby smiled ecstatically, "Oooh, another little master. I do it right away, Mistress."
Narcissa smiled and dismissed Dobby.
Though Draco's crib had more than enough space for both of the boys, Draco was extremely possessive of all his things. He had thrown a complete fit the few times she had tried to educate him on the joys of sharing.
And when it came to his crib… Draco considered it his territory and did not like anyone else encroaching upon it.
Even now, she had only dared place Harry beside him because he was asleep.
… … …
The sudden soft babbling of Draco came floating into Narcissa's ears, making her turn towards the crib.
Her mouth fell open in surprise as she watched Draco, who was wide awake now, wrap an arm around Harry's small frame and pull him closer.
Harry instinctively accepted Draco's embrace and turned towards him; a little fist creeping out of the blankets and attaching itself to Draco's nightshirt tightly.
All the while, Draco grinned; his face glowing with peace and happiness.
Narcissa gawked at the sight in front of her till Dobby arrived with another crib.
"Mistress, where I be putting it?"
With great difficulty, Narcissa closed her mouth and looked away from her son who had fallen asleep once again while cuddling… definitely cuddling… with Harry.
"I do not think that it will be required any longer."
xXxXxXxXx
"NO…," Peter screamed as he threw aside the Daily Prophet in rage. The Dark Lord had been defeated and all the Death Eaters were being captured. But that was not the reason behind his outburst.
He had nothing to fear about being prosecuted for being a Death Eater as the Dark Lord had deemed him to be more useful without the Dark Mark on his wrist. There was nothing which could prove his guilt and deceit.
No, the reason behind his outburst was Harry Potter… the bloody brat who would not die!
At least the mudblood is dead; he thought vehemently and then calmed himself down. The major thorn in his path was gone.
James was a free man now. He might grieve for a few days for Lily but Peter would be there to comfort him.
Peter sighed wistfully; shivering at the thought of James in his arms. Humming happily, he then got up to get ready for going out in search of his love.
… … …
Peter flooed to the Leaky Cauldron from his home. Dusting the soot off himself, he made his way to the Diagon Alley. The place was extremely crowded; people were milling about with huge smiles pasted on their faces. They were busy celebrating, toasting, laughing…
Peter crashed into a hard body. Looking up, he saw several wizards wearing Auror robes standing in front of him. One of them, the one he had crashed into, caught him by his cloak and said, "Mr. Pettigrew, you are to accompany us to the Auror Office."
Peter blinked in shock and then sputtered, "But… wha…"
The Auror simply yanked him forward and said, "You are hereby being detained to be questioned for the kidnapping of Lord and Heir Longbottom and the death of Lord Longbottom."
Peter started struggling at once and squeaked out in a terrified voice, "You have no proof. How dare you detain me without any proof?"
The Auror smiled a humourless smile and informed him, "We do have proof Mr. Pettigrew. Lord Longbottom's body was deposited yesterday near the Longbottom Estate along with Heir Longbottom. A passing witch saw the whole thing and gave us the description of the man she had seen depositing the body."
Peter's face lost every bit of colour and turned white as a ghost. He started crying pitifully and shrieked, "She's lying… lying! Let me go…"
But unfortunately for him, the Auror turned a deaf ear to all his pleadings.
xXxXxXxXx
Little Harry was having pleasant dreams; but all of a sudden they started changing into something dark. He frowned when in his dreams he saw the stick like thing being pointed at him; and then whimpered in distress as his body braced itself for the phantom pain.
His mark started pulsing soothingly; and a small, soft hand landed upon his cheek… gently petting it.
Harry sighed in bliss as his soul recognised the other… connected by Fate and Lily's sacrifice.
Feelings of safety, love and comfort enveloped him, chasing his nightmares away. Contentedly, Harry slipped into a deep sleep…
This marks the beginning of Harry and Draco! Hope you all liked it. Please review!:)
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Guest reviewer O and Halle- Thank you so much for your sweet reviews.:)