Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Twelve - Visiting Progenitors
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―==(oIo)==―
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After being cooped up in the Black Townhouse for more than a week, Harry decided it was time for him to take Luna out on a date.
While teaching the other four the 'new' way of using magic took up a fair bit of time, he told them he'd basically taught them everything they needed to know and that it was now up to them all, individually, to improve using it themselves through constant practice. He did remain on hand, though, to offer the occasional suggestion when they seemed to hit a roadblock or two.
Since then he'd hit the books in the Black library reading everything he could he thought might be useful. And it wasn't just combat spells.
After teaching Harry how to 'goblin' salute and recognise a goblin saluting him, Sirius also learned Harry had no idea how to act as a proper wizarding Lord. So, Harry had to hit the books about that, too.
"It would take years to get a full wand-grip on everything you should know to be a Lord," explained Sirius. "So, we're going to first focus on everything you need to know, especially what you need to know right now."
That led to Harry practically spending a great deal of his day and evening studying books and, whenever he came across something he needed clarifications for, asking Sirius. Even Luna both learned a lot she needed to learn as being the future Lady of a House while also helping Harry learn what he needed to learn.
However, some of the things she handed him to read seemed a little odd, but he knew it was because she'd Seen something and knew he'd need that information before he'd otherwise learn it.
When he approached Sirius about somewhere he could take Luna for a date, his godfather grinned and immediately replied, "The Occluded Moon, if you're looking for a restaurant-type evening date. Otherwise, for daytime, I'd say just a picnic in the muggle world."
When he approached Luna, she beamed a wide smile back before her expression settled and she said, "First, I'd like to take you to visit both your parents' and my mother's graves. After that, we'll see."
Surprised, he was a moment and about to say something before she added, "I know you've never visited your parent's graves before, Love. I think, you taking me to visit them so you can introduce me to them, plus me taking you to visit my mother's with the same intent, should be a good start to the day.
"After that, we can find a place to have a picnic and call Dobby to bring us a picnic basket and blanket.
It took him only a moment to see the wisdom of what she suggested and reply, "That is a wonderful idea, Luna. How about we go tomorrow?"
She happily smiled back and replied, "It's a date."
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―==(oIo)==―
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"So, decided on a place for your date, yet?" asked Sirius.
"Well," said Harry. "First, tomorrow morning I'm taking Luna to visit my parents' graves in Godric's Hollow. Then she's taking me to visit her mother's grave in... well, I don't even know where it is. Then we're going to find a spot... Luna assures me she knows of one on her property... where we're going to have a picnic.
"Once there, we'll call Dobby to bring us a picnic basket and blanket. I don't know how long we're going to be, but we'll be back well before dinner."
"That sounds..." began Sirius. "Actually, have you ever been to your parents' graves?"
"No," he sighed. "The Dursleys were never interested and Dumbledore kept such a tight leash on me I knew even asking to go see them would be refused."
Sirius sadly nodded and said, "I'd offer to come along, but I think this is something the two of you should do together without me there. Is that alright with you?"
"Yes, of course," Harry replied in a voice that showed his surprise he thought his godfather thought he'd be upset with it.
"Good," said Sirius. "I really should visit them again, but it was too dangerous for quite some time. I did only a couple of weeks before you turned up."
Harry thought about that before what his godfather was telling him dawned on him. "You visited them on Hallowe'en, didn't you."
It wasn't a question.
Sirius sighed and replied, "The day after, actually; All Hallows' Day."
Harry softly smiled back and said, "It's okay. And, thank you for visiting them."
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―==(oIo)==―
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The next morning, after eating breakfast and trying to read a book while he waited for the time he and Luna planned to head out, Harry finally set it aside with a sigh of combined frustration and disappointment in himself.
From her own book, Luna looked up and smiled. "Nervous?"
Harry was a few moments before he nodded. "I'm taking a girl to meet my parents, before then taking said girl to go meet her mother."
With a knowing smile she said, "Actually, as they are spirits, all three of our deceased parents know about us. This is more for us than for them."
A little shocked, Harry asked, "Y-you mean they've seen us..." and made a gesture that he thought indicated engaging in sexual intercourse.
She laughed and said, "You can ask it, Harry. You want to know if they have seen us having sex?"
When he sheepishly nodded she, still smiling, said, "I do not believe so, no. I believe they have some awareness of what is happening back here on the mortal plane, but it's not like they're standing there, watching us.
"That's why we go to their graves. It's the place where their current... existence... can more closely touch our own. There, I believe, they will be more aware of us and that we are trying to communicate with them."
He nodded, somewhat relieved his parents, especially his mother and... far more importantly... her mother, had not watched them having sex. If his father had watched them having sex, though... they'd be having words.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Finally it was time to go, though Luna had been adamant that Harry dress for combat for the day.
"Why?" he asked.
"Until the current unpleasantness is dealt with, you need to be ready to defend yourself," she explained. "As you're with me, you should also be defending me if I get into trouble."
He frowned back a little and said, "Luna; I don't know if you know it or not, but you're now a great deal faster and far more capable than you were a couple weeks ago. And, a couple weeks ago, I didn't consider you a slouch with a wand.
"I doubt you'd have any problems dealing with another attacker unless it was Riddle himself or someone getting in a cheap shot from behind. I think even Bellatrix LeStrange, when she lived, would be unable to stand up to you now.
"As for multiple attackers... do we need to take you back down to the duelling room and watch you tear apart the four training mannequins again?"
She smiled and said, "It's nice of you to say so, Love. However, you're still supposed to stand ready to defend me against all threats."
He gave a snort of amusement and said, "Fair enough." And went and got dressed.
When she joined him soon after he entered their room, she smiled as she saw him about to don his muggle combat boots. "Try the dragon-hide boots on, Love. You haven't worn them yet."
Without a word, but with a slight shrug, he put on the Welsh Green boots that went so well with his dark green robes he'd already donned.
Once he stood and started to move about in them, he realised just how comfortable they were.
"Very nice," Luna sultrily said.
He turned to her with a grin and cheekily said, "And I bet the clothes look nice, too."
She giggled. "You look like the proper lord, Love," she grinned. "I heartily approve."
As he affixed his wand holster to his forearm and, as usual, over the upper part of the kara kesh and gave himself a last check over in the dresser's mirror in the corner, which didn't comment as Luna now refused to have ones that talked back to her in the room, she said, "Carry that Zat-gun thing, too."
Harry didn't even ask why. He walked over to his bed side table, slid the bottom draw open and pulled the Zat'nik'tel out. Then holstered it on his left hip in the snap draw holster he fashioned for it, just under his robes. He treated the Zat' as a right-handed weapon he could draw and hold, when needed, in the left.
Before he even had a chance to ask, she said, "Just in case."
Luna had dressed before Harry headed up to change and was dressed in a similar style witches upmarket casual robe that, with the flick of a button at the collar, released a magical 'zip' down the middle of the front to drop open into a rudimentary witch's unarmoured combat robe. Underneath she wore slacks and a blouse that couldn't be seen until the front 'zip' was released.
The first time he saw it, Harry commented he'd seen nothing like it before.
"It's a new product line brought out by Malkin's a couple years ago. It was a design concept she first made for combat troops everyone expected the Ministry to create once it was apparent Riddle truly was back. However, she couldn't get Director Scrimgeour to accept the concept even for his aurors. So, she decided to market the idea for civilian wear. Hammer wouldn't accept it either, once she became Director.
"It's proven quite popular with those witches and wizards who are not so prone to running away and hiding if Death Eaters show up."
Looking it over more carefully, he said, "I guess it would." Looking up at her face, he asked, "How come you didn't recommend something like this for me when we were in Malkin's?"
"Because the fully closed front style doesn't suit you, Love," she replied. "You move like a predator all the time when you're out and about, so it's pointless for you to hide it. Besides, the added cost of the feature would be wasted on you because, as soon as there was a risk, you'd open it so you were ready if need be. And that would be almost every time we stepped out into public."
He thought about that for a few moments before he shrugged and said, "Yeah, I would."
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―==(oIo)==―
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To get to Godric's Hollow wasn't going to be the drama Harry thought it would be. Sirius explained how there was a pub in the Hollow that had a back-room floo connection.
"The floo address is the name of the pub, The Griffon's Claw," he instructed. "There's no password, as it's a popular haunt."
"No problems with Tommy's boys and girls?" asked Harry.
"None so far," replied Sirius. "They've attacked residences in the town, but never a business unless there's a residence above it. And then only at night."
Harry nodded, sighed and said, "Well... wish us luck."
Sirius just smirked and said, "Luck. However, I cannot see Luna being rejected by either of your parents if they were of a mind to let you know one way or another."
Harry gave a nod and, after Luna gave Sirius a kiss to his cheek, they were off.
As promised, they stepped out of the floo in a back-room of the pub. And they, after first checking out the street through the windows, quickly made their way outside.
Luna immediately took his left elbow and indicated the right direction. "This way," she quietly said.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Obviously having been there before, Luna led Harry directly to both the cemetery and then to the graves.
Harry stopped about five foot shy of the foot of them and looked the dual grave over. According to the dual-cut headstone, his father was on his left and his mother on his right.
However, he found the epitaph quite wrong.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death
"Why is that their epitaph?" he asked. He didn't even realise he'd asked it out loud until Luna, who was currently kneeling next to his mother's grave and was busy using her wand to clear away weeds and the like from around them, replied.
"Dumbledore chose it," she replied, not even pausing. "However, that's not what they wanted."
Quietly and frowning, he asked, "Do you know what they did?"
"The Potter family motto; Per Quiescis Mobilitatis Dignitatem - Nobility through Quiet Dignity," she replied, still working. "Together with the Evans family motto; Semper Fortis - Always Steadfast."
With something in his mind he drew his wand, aiming it at the headstone. Then he pictured what he wanted, gathered his energy and will and, with intent, cast.
While the details of his parents remained on the stone, the epitaph was vanished and replaced. In its place were two lines:
In noble and quiet dignity, we remain steadfast.
Per Quiescis Mobilitatis Dignitatem - Semper Fortis
Harry lowered his wand and looked at his handiwork. After a few moments he gave it a nod and said, "Better."
Luna paused in her work, looked at it, gave it a moment and firmly said, "Much better." Then she headed around the back of the headstone and approached the twin graves from next to his father's grave.
Again, Harry raised his wand and pointed at the headstone. "I, Hardwin James Potter, rightful Head of the House of Potter, call on Magic most Just, to provide me the power to ensure that no magics cast upon this headstone will be able to change the details on this headstone." Then he again gathered his firm intent and will... and cast.
A bolt of pure white magic flew from the tip of his wand and hit the centre of the stone. It glowed gold for a few moments before the glow faded away.
Lowering his wand again, he stated, "If Dumbledore sees that and tries to change it, I hope I've given it enough power he cannot accomplish it; nor will anyone else be able to."
Luna sat back on her haunches for a bit from where she was kneeling next to James's grave and stared off into the distance for a few moments. Then her face slowly adopted a wide smile before she looked back at him. She quietly said, "It worked."
Pleased, Harry finally came forward and knelt next to Luna, over his father's grave.
He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders and said, "Mum?.. Dad?.. I've heard you've already met her, but I thought it was the right thing to do to bring my Luna here to let you know... Well... she's consented to be my girlfriend."
With a smile, Luna twisted slightly and kissed him on the nearest cheek.
"The thing is, Mum and Dad, once I've gotten Riddle out of the way... Well... I intend to ask her to marry me. So, this lovely young lady kneeling beside me is very likely to be the next Lady Peverell-Potter.
"I hope that meets with your approval."
As the two knelt there with Harry's arm around Luna's shoulders - her head in the crook of his shoulder and her nearest hand resting on his nearest thigh - they both felt what felt like a warm and gentle embrace.
Harry gave a gasp of shock while Luna slightly twitched in surprise.
It was a few moments after the feeling left again before Luna quietly said, "They approve!"
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―==(oIo)==―
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From the Godric's Hollow Cemetery, the two returned to The Griffon's Claw to floo to Luna's place in Ottery St. Catchpole.
They'd just passed through the main part of the pub and were heading for the back room, after handing over a couple of sickles for the use of floo powder, to use the floo and didn't notice the person sitting at the back of the pub gawk at them in shock.
As they walked into the hallway leading to the back-room, that person quickly cast a Disillusionment charm on themselves and a Sound-masking charm on their feet before rising and hurrying after them.
He arrived there to find the Peverell Lord alone. Clearly the girl, who he realised was the Lovegood chit, had already left.
Standing in the hallway and out of sight in case Peverell was able to see through Disillusionment charms, he carefully listened.
He was rewarded when, only a couple moments later, he heard Peverell activate the floo and call out 'The Rookery'.
He gave it only a couple of seconds before peeking into the room and finding it empty.
He quickly hurried back to his seat, dropped his charms and waited only a few moments before rising again and hurrying out of the pub. Then he only went far enough to be outside the permanent anti-apparation jinx before he apparated away.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Harry was surprised to learn that the Lovegood private cemetery was located on the Lovegood property back within a grove of trees. More surprising was how far back from the house it was.
"Just how big is your property, Luna?" he asked, as they walked from the house to the grove; a house that was oddly shaped like a giant rook piece from chess.
"Quite large," she replied. "It's quite a ways from boundary to boundary."
She stopped and pointed off to the north east and said, "Over that rise is the Weasley's property. They're actually our next door neighbours."
"How far to their house?" he asked.
"About a mile," she shrugged.
"That's... quite a fair bit of land," he said. "And how close is your house to the boundaries?"
"The one between the Burrow and us is about three quarters of a mile from here. The one out the front is about a quarter mile. The one out the back, which is the direction we're heading, is about two miles. And the one to our left is about a mile and a half," she replied. "Of the four corners, our house is closest to the south-eastern one."
"The wards must be huge!" he said.
"Well, the wards are in three layers," she explained. "There's a muggle notice-me-not over the entire property. Then, there's a set of wards that surround just the yard around the house. And the final set is on the house, itself. I can proudly say I was a major contributor to the middle and inner-most layer of wards."
"Oh! And there's also a set of wards on the Lovegood family plot; which is where, of course, we're heading now."
As she spoke and they continued to walk, Harry nodded along.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Riddle was standing at a table on the floor before his throne that contained maps, lists of strategies and the like, while talking to two of his Inner Circle; when a Death Eater hurried in and threw himself onto his knees on the floor before him.
"Master!" gasped the wizard. "I bring news!"
Riddle frowned down at him and said, "Unless it's news concerning the Peverell lord, I'm not currently interested."
"That's just it, Master; it is!"
From where he was turning away, Riddle snapped back to stare at the kneeling wizard and growled, "Tell me!"
The Death Eater quickly related what he had seen at The Griffon's Claw in Godric's Hollow, together with the floo address Peverell had called before stepping into the flames.
"The Rookery?" Riddle demanded for clarification.
"Yes, Master," the Death Eater was quick to reply.
"The Rookery is the home of the blood traitor Lovegoods," offered Malfoy. Turning to the Death Eater, he said, "Describe the young woman who was with Peverell."
Once he did, Malfoy turned to Riddle and said, "That sounds like the Lovegood bint, alright, My Lord."
Frowning in thought, Riddle was a moment looking down at the Death Eater who'd reported before he said, "You have done very well. You will be rewarded. Go back to whatever it was you were doing before you spotted Peverell and... Lovegood."
The kneeling Death Eater was quick to nod, rise and hurry from the room.
Turning back to one of the other Death Eaters present, Riddle said, "Summon the Circle."
As the indicated Death Eater gave a short bow and hurried from the room, Riddle then turned back to Malfoy. "I want you and... take two of the juniors and go 'knock' on the wards of this... Rookery.
"Make sure both know no harm is to befall Peverell. Also, since he is clearly with the Lovegood chit at the moment, make sure no harm befalls her, either. Even if he first refuses, no harm is to befall either of them. If harm befalls either, severe punishment awaits you and them both."
Turning back to the table, Riddle quickly wrote a short sentence on a slip of parchment and handed it to the blonde ponce.
"The Secret," he said. "Make sure he reads it before you bring him."
Then he picked up the quill he'd been using and cast the portkey charm on it. "Portus!"
After it finished glowing blue he handed it to Malfoy and said, "That will bring him, you and the other two to the entrance hall. The activation is a tap of your wand to it with your magical signature."
After first accepting the slip of parchment, then the quill portkey, Malfoy gave a bow and said, "As you command, My Lord." Then spun and quickly hurried from the room.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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Harry and Luna were just in the process of heading back to her house after visiting her mother's grave, she'd promised him a tour, when she suddenly stopped and looked off into the distance. Harry immediately recognised it as something of her Seer ability kicking in.
Suddenly she frowned and said, "Harry, we have to hurry back to the house. I'll explain everything when we get there." Then she suddenly took off at a run.
Harry was well past fit enough to run to both catch her and keep up with her. However, while he could both run and ask questions at the same time, he knew Luna's fitness wasn't up to his. So, he held his tongue in order to urge her on and just advised her on how to run quickly without exhausting herself in the process.
When they made it to the back door and inside, Luna was gasping for breath and looked ready to collapse. Though the distance between where they were and the house was not more than about a half mile, while it did not do much to him but leaving him breathing a little heavy, he knew Luna had used all her immediate energy to cover the distance as fast as she could.
"Stay standing, Luna," he warned her. "Slowly walk around a bit. Dawdling, if you need to. Deep, filling breaths."
With only a nod back, she did exactly that for about fifteen seconds until she recovered some of her breathing.
Finally, though still breathing a little heavily, she said, "We're about to be... visited... by some Death Eaters..."
Harry was instantly on alert and drew his wand.
"Lucius Malfoy... and two... others," she explained. "They're... not here... to attack us. Malfoy... has a message... to give you."
Frowning in confusion, Harry was a moment before he asked, "How do they know I'm― Wait! At The Griffon's Claw. Someone followed us in and heard either of us call the floo destination."
"Yes," she huffed, still slowly walking. "Tom Riddle has sent... Malfoy to give you... an invitation to meet... with him."
"To meet?" asked a now thoroughly confused Harry.
"He wants to meet... Lord Peverell," she clarified.
Surprised, Harry was a moment in deep thought before he asked, "Should I go?"
Luna smirked back and, still breathing heavily, replied, "Yes; you should. This is both a nexus in time... and a serendipitous event. I did not See this coming... It can be used to... hasten things.
"This is what you need to do..."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
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Luna had only just finished briefing Harry on what was about to happen and what he could do to use it when she suddenly stiffened, startled. And looked away for a moment.
"They're here," she said and focused back on Harry. "Malfoy has politely used the Ward Knock charm."
Harry nodded and said, "I guess I should go out and see what they want."
"I'll watch from the window," she said. "Give me the signal if it's all okay."
He nodded and then took Luna into his arms for a hug. The signal was a 'V for victory' gesture out of sight of Malfoy and whoever was with him.
They'd stood that way for a long few seconds before Luna suddenly stiffened again.
Pulling back, she said, "He just knocked again. A little more firmly, this time."
With a sigh he said, "Impatient bastard... Wish me luck?"
"You don't need it," she returned. "However, if it makes you feel better..." Then she leaned in and quickly kissed him.
After a moment he was able to return it.
Then he backed off, braced himself up and firmly stated, "Time to do this!"
Walking over to the front door he opened it and walked out.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Standing only an approximate hundred feet away from him and on the other side of a low gate, he saw Malfoy and two other Death Eaters just standing there; with Malfoy in the lead and the other two standing back about five feet and forming a triangle with him.
With a snort at how easy he'd be able to take them out with how close they were standing to one another Harry pulled the door shut, stepped down off the half dozen steps of the small front uncovered porch and walked towards them.
After seeing him and bracing themselves up a bit, the three Death Eaters simply waited for him to approach.
'It's not as if they can do anything else, really,' thought Harry, walking up the path towards them. 'The wards would fry them if they tried to enter; and they have to know that, considering their previous attempts to get in.'
The last time the Death Eaters had attacked the Lovegood property they lost almost half a dozen of their number in the attempt - and still didn't get in.
Stopping well inside the wards, but close enough to be heard if they raised their voices just a little, Harry said, "Well, well. Mister Malfoy and... friends. To what do I owe this unexpected... honour?"
Knowing he'd just been politely insulted, Malfoy slightly stiffened for the moment, but held his tongue. Only the bare slight beetling of the brow and quiver of the corner of his lip of a supressed sneer gave away his anger.
Once he took a moment to get it under control, he said, "I come at the urging of my Lord. He invites you to attend him, so he may discuss matters with you he believes would be of importance to you both."
Harry just slightly smirked back and said, "That does not sound like his usual modus operandi. Evidence reflects he is more the type to just... take what he wants."
Again that flicker and pause. "He believes you can be a welcome ally in his grievance with Albus Dumbledore."
Harry let a very slight expression of surprise pass across his face before quickly suppressing it. Luna told him this was the likely reason for the visit; so his surprise was not at what Malfoy had told him, but at how accurate she'd Seen the situation.
After a moment he gave a slow nod and said, "Very well. If my safety is assured and I will be able to freely leave once our... discussion... has ended, then perhaps a time and place for such a meeting could be arranged."
Harry saw as all three slightly relaxed and could see, from the two at the back, that they were relieved by his answer.
"The dark lord w- asks that you attend him now," said Malfoy. There was a momentarily delay before he offered, "He... is eager to see an.. agreement quickly be forged between you. He grows tired of the threat that is Albus Dumbledore."
'Not used to having to negotiate... are you, Malfoy?' thought Harry. 'You were all set to try and order me to attend, using Riddle's authority as your own.'
Appearing to give it thought so he didn't appear eager, Harry looked away for a moment with a look of concentration on his face.
After a long few seconds, where he could tell the two minions with Malfoy were beginning to get a little 'antsy', he turned back. "Very well, Mister Malfoy..."
Again with the relief.
"I believe I shall accompany you," he carefully said. "However... I shall not be harmed... or insulted... in any form and shall be allowed to freely leave once I consider my business with your Lord is complete."
Malfoy was quick to accept. "Of course, Lord Peverell."
As Harry began walking the few steps to take him beyond the wards, he allowed his off-hand to be hidden by his robes from the three before him and gave a downward-pointing Victory signal behind his back. That was the signal for Luna that all was as it should be.
He was careful to watch the three, looking for any sign of deception, as he crossed the wards; most importantly, Malfoy.
With a slight smile, Malfoy carefully withdrew a slip of parchment and a quill from his off-hand inside breast pocket of his robes. Then, after switching the quill to his right hand for the moment, he held the parchment slip up so Harry could read it.
"Where we are going is under a Fidelius," he explained. "You need to read this to be aware of the Secret which protects it."
Harry looked to the slip and saw:
The Dark Lord's headquarters is located at Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire
As soon as he looked up, Malfoy quickly slid the slip back into the same off-hand inside robe breast pocket, before then switching the quill to his off-hand and offering it.
"A portkey," he explained. "Higgs! Dedworth! Time to leave."
As the other two came up on each side of Malfoy and reached out to each place a finger on the quill, Malfoy drew his wand.
Harry took a half pace back and looked ready to draw his wand when Malfoy quickly said, "No!... Lord Peverell."
When Harry hesitated, he explained, "My apologies. I need to tap the portkey with my wand. It's keyed to my magical signature."
Harry paused a moment, gave a firm nod and, in a low voice, said, "Be aware. I do not take kindly to people drawing their wands on me. I take it as a grave insult."
"Again, my apologies," said Malfoy, clearly relieved Harry hadn't drawn his own wand.
Harry gave a single nod back, relaxed and stepped forward to place a finger on the quill. He used his right hand as he didn't want to draw attention to the kara kesh on his left, even if it was somewhat hidden under a Disillusionment charm.
Malfoy, more carefully this time, raised his wand and tapped the quill.
They were gone in the swirl of the activated portkey.
Luna, from where she was watching through the window right next to the front door, gave a sigh of relief and headed for the floo. She knew, once she got back to Grimmauld Place and told Sirius what had happened, there would be a lot of yelling coming her way.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As expected, the portkey deposited them in Malfoy Manor. Harry of course, never having been there before, had no idea what the rightful Seat of the House of Black looked like, so looked around a bit.
His immediate impression was there was a lot of white green-veined marble with black marble highlights. Then there was also the subtle serpent motif throughout.
Of course, he only got that through his secondary scanning. He was more focused on who he could see that was a threat. There was only one person in the room, an entry hall, waiting for them - Draco Malfoy.
'Still with the overuse of hair gel, Ferret?' he thought. 'I would've thought you'd have grown out of that, by now.'
The young man the boy had grown into was still quite skinny, but now had a sort of wiry build to him.
"Father," said Ferret, with a slight bow. And, subtly gesturing to a set of closed double doors set into the right-hand wall as you would step in through the main doors of the manor and which were behind him, added, "The Dark Lord has gathered the Inner Circle and awaits in his audience room."
'Audience room?' thought Harry. 'He really does see himself as Emperor, doesn't he?'
Malfoy the younger continued, "Only the Inner Circle is to remain in the manor while the dark lord receives his guest."
"Very well," said Malfoy senior, before he turned to Harry. He gestured to the doors and said, "This way, Lord Peverell. Higgs, Dedworth, leave."
Harry gave a single nod and followed the elder Malfoy the dozen feet to the doors.
As Malfoy then reached out with both hands to open them, he hesitated and quietly said, "I shall announce you, Lord Peverell."
After hearing the double pop of departing apparations from the two minions that accompanied Malfoy to and from Luna's place, Harry softly returned, "As is proper."
Over his shoulder, Malfoy gave a single nod and again reached forward with both hands. He opened both doors, simultaneously. Then stepped through one pace with his head bowed.
"My Lord," he deferentially called, "I bring an honoured guest. I present, Lord Hardwin Peverell of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell." Then he quickly stepped to the side with his head bowed and almost subtly gestured Harry inside.
Harry firmly thought to himself, 'Let's do this.' And walked through the doors, passing a slightly bowing Malfoy.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Standing on the dais before his throne, already aware 'Peverell' had arrived via portkey, Riddle was striking his best 'I am a powerful pure-blood lord and you should fear me' pose.
As soon as the doors, together, swung open and Malfoy took the pace through to announce Peverell, he thought, 'Now that is how you announce someone.' He would have to remember to reward the man later for his pomp and circumstance. He hoped it would have the Peverell lord in a better state of mind for him.
When Peverell stepped through, he saw the young man's eyes immediately scan the entire room before finally coming to a halt staring at his own.
He then saw the subtle nod as the man then walked forward, allowing his eyes to look about while also clearly 'taking his measure' as he'd once heard it called. Lucius followed him closer while Draco re-closed the doors and took up a position within the room and near the doors.
As Peverell came forward, Riddle gave a slight gesture. And his most loyal minions backed well out of the way, almost to the side walls, giving the Peverell lord plenty of room.
He watched as Peverell surreptitiously watched them move and develop a very slight smirk for just a moment.
'It amuses him,' he thought. 'But, why did his gaze linger just slightly on Severus? Do they know one another; or does he know of him?'
Unsurprisingly, Peverell stopped about twenty five feet short of him. "Am I correct in assuming you are the one known as Lord Voldemort?" the young man softly asked.
Harry heard a stifled hiss coming from one of the minions to his right. Lucius, moving to a position near the wall to Peverell's right, almost stuttered in his smooth stride as he walked.
Riddle, however, gave a slight smirk and replied, "Indeed. Welcome, Lord Peverell. I feel I have waited many weeks to finally meet you."
"I thank you for the invitation," he returned.
While giving the appearance of casually walking back to what was clearly his throne, Riddle said, "And I thank you for accepting it."
Nonchalantly, Riddle then sat upon it and said, "I trust my good friend, Lucius, was respectful in offering it?"
"He was," he replied with a slight nod.
'No offer of a chair?' he thought. 'Thank you, for that; though you probably did it to try and intimate you're the more powerful between us. Being on my feet means I can more quickly move.'
Riddle gave his own slight nod back after a quick glance to his left to Malfoy. "I asked you to join me because I believe we have a mutual enemy - Albus Dumbledore."
Harry gave a slight snort of amusement and wryly replied, "I do not so much consider that half-blood, self-aggrandising, hubris-riddled, geriatric, white-whiskered, old fairy an enemy as much as I find him a significant annoyance." And scowled.
Riddle burst out in laughter.
"He does seem rather upset with you, though," said Riddle.
Harry gave another snort and said, "Because he both does not know who I am and because I do not praise before the mighty pedestal on which stands the so-called great Albus Dumbledore.
"Because I do not, he has immediately labelled me as dark."
"Are you?" Riddle immediately pressed.
"I do not see a distinction between light and dark," he replied. "There is just... magic.
"As such, him labeling me as dark is like water off a duck's back. It does not cause me any concern. Especially, when it comes from an old fraud like Albus Dumbledore."
Riddle sat back and smirked. "Figured him out, have you?"
With a slight huff, he replied, "It wasn't a difficult exercise for one who knows how to analyse a situation; for one who knows how to properly research and actually does it."
"And how did you figure it out?" asked Riddle.
Well, he wasn't going to tell him about Luna and her gift.
"Everybody knows... and you'll pardon me if I sneer at that phrase... everybody knows Bathilda Bagshot is an old family friend of the Dumbledores. Throughout Dumbledore's teen years they lived near one another in Godric's Hollow. Before that, the Dumbledores lived in Mold on the Wold.
"Bathilda Bagshot is also the author of almost every book on recent wizarding British history. For your information, if you didn't already know, she is also the maternal aunt of one Gellert Grindelwald."
That earned him a few gasps from the minions around the walls and a cocked eyebrow from Riddle.
"As such, it was not much of an effort on my part to quickly figure out that Bathilda Bagshot... as a dear friend of Albus Dumbledore... would not have written her books that showed Dumbledore in a, shall we say, poor light.
"For instance, Bagshot has not included in her books that Dumbledore is a homosexual. She has also not written that Albus Dumbledore and her nephew, Gellert, were... quite close... while Grindelwald was staying at her place in the 1910s after being kicked out of Durmstrang.
"While having to look after his little sister, Ariana, while forced to stay at Godric's Hollow because his mother had passed, old Albie and Gellert struck up a friendship. Between them, they came up with a slogan, 'Für das Allgemeinwohl'; it's German, Grindelwald's adopted mother tongue, for 'For the Greater Good'."
Again, the gasps. Riddle went from being quite amused to almost staring at Harry in his intensity.
Harry thought, 'Did none of them know of what I spoke the first time Dumbledore accosted me after I got back? The idiots didn't do their homework.'
"Aberforth, Dumbledore's younger brother, finally had enough of the pair of them and what he feared Grindelwald was turning his big brother into... and initiated a duel between he and Grindelwald. A duel, which old Albus jumped into.
"During the duel, Ariana was killed and Grindelwald fled.
"Aberforth believes it was his brother who killed his sister; if not by his own wand, then by bringing Grindelwald into their home at the time. And since that time the two brothers have been estranged, with Aberforth the aggressor of that.
"It's one of the main reasons Dumbledore... Albus, that is... is constantly pleading with people to forgive. He's subconsciously, I'm sure, hoping that's what his brother will do with regards to him.
"Immediately on Ariana's death, Grindelwald fled back to Europe.
"Less than ten years later he had formed his Knights of Walpurgis. Less than five years after that, the ICW declared him a dark lord."
Harry had begun walking back and forth, as he gave his talk. Then, at each 'end' he began to start rapidly spinning about 180 degrees. He wanted Riddle and his minions used to him giving sudden movements and not being alarmed by them.
Slowly, but surely, he was setting things up the way he wanted them. He would slowly pace from one side to the other with measured steps, then quickly spin on his heel and slowly pace back the other way. Every now and then he would spin to face Riddle, looking at the man, to emphasis a point, before then continuing the turn to return to pacing.
"Now," he said, quickly spinning again, "By then, Dumbledore had his phoenix familiar. As you'd know, a phoenix can flash anyone to anywhere in the world in a few moments."
Harry spun to face; Riddle nodded.
Starting to slow pace again, Harry continued. "That means that Dumbledore, with the phoenix's help, could have flashed directly to Grindelwald at any time. Dumbledore already intimately knew Grindelwald. And a phoenix knows what its companion knows."
Spin about.
"At any time, Dumbledore could have had Fawkes flash him directly into Grindelwald's presence and immediately dealt with him. However, he did not do that."
Spin to face.
"Why not?
Spin to continue.
"Dumbledore waited another thirty years before he finally went after Grindelwald. Why?
Spin to face.
"It is my belief that Dumbledore is a coward."
Spin to continue walking. "Knowing the man as well as he did he knew he could not take on Grindelwald and be assured of a win. He waited until Grindelwald was on the run in nineteen forty-five with the allied forces of the ICW hunting him down."
Spin about.
"Dumbledore waited until his old lover was tired... physically exhausted, magically exhausted and emotionally wrung out... before he finally had Fawkes flash him to the man's location."
Spin about.
"While Grindelwald was suffering hardship for weeks, Dumbledore sat in his ivory tower at Hogwarts as Deputy Headmaster, being waited on hand and foot by the house elves... and just waited."
"Finally, Dumbledore got off his arse and made his move."
Spin to face.
"It is my belief that the so-called massive battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is nothing but a lie. It is a lie that was written up and made history by Bathilda Bagshot as a favour for her Godric's Hollow neighbours, the Dumbledores."
Turn and continue to walk.
"Instead, I believe it was more like Dumbledore suddenly appearing behind Grindelwald in a flash of phoenix flame and..."
Spin to face.
"... Shooting the man in the back before he could even turn and raise his wand."
Continue to walk.
Harry knew he had his audience completely shocked. But he wanted them not just shocked, he wanted them to be in a mental state of mind where they would be too slow to react when he made his move.
"From that lie, Dumbledore capitalised," he continued. "From that lie, Dumbledore was soon awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class. The Order of Merlin gave him a seat on the Wizengamot. And, within thirty years, he used his... celebrity... to become the Chief Warlock."
Spin about.
"Near simultaneous with that, he used his celebrity to also become wizarding Britain's ambassador to the ICW, before then... finally... becoming Supreme Mugwump."
Spin about.
"Grindelwald and Dumbledore planned to take over the world... For the Greater Good. Grindelwald tried it through violent means. Dumbledore pretty much accomplished it through deceit, manipulations, guile, obliviations, compulsions and the like."
Spin to face.
"And it's all based off a lie!"
Continue to walk.
"That leads us to what has recently happened. Dumbledore and his Order of the Burnt Turkey tried to ambush me in front of Gringotts. He failed in his first attempt.
"The second time two days later? Well... Having had enough of the old fool, I engineered the situation where I cut his bloody arm off."
Spin to face.
"And, how did he react? He flat-out panicked!"
Continue to walk.
"Albus Dumbledore... supposed Leader of the Light... supposed defeater of Gellert Grindelwald in glorious battle... supposed next coming of Merlin... panicked. And, what did he do? He immediately turned to so-called dark magic. He cast Fiendfyre!"
Spin to face.
"Does that sound like a supposed Leader of the Light to you?"
As, on his last spin about, Harry saw where each and every Death Eater stood in the room. He had their positions all 'mapped' in his mind.
He continue to walk to organise the right spot for what he wanted to do next.
When Voldemort, with a massive frown on his face, looked down in clear deep thought, Harry also heard murmuring coming from the minions behind him. That meant they were talking to one another and not paying him total attention, as they should.
Harry readied his move.
"Albus Dumbledore is a manipulative, lying fraud. What he most definitely is not... is―" With his right side towards Riddle, he raised his left hand to his hip. A gesture he'd already made a couple of times already. However, this time he released his disillusioned, already-activated Zat'nik'tel from its holster as he turned back to Riddle. "― Leader of the―"
Raising it he fired from the hip as he infused his body with magical energy to speed it up as he snapped out, "―Light!"
The white bolt of electrical energy, travelling far faster than a cast, sped from Zat' to Riddle.
Trapped in his throne and not being able to dive out of the way, Riddle only had time to reach for his wand before the bolt of energy struck him centre of mass.
As it did, Harry was already dropping the Zat' to the floor and cocking his left elbow in; as he reached across with his right hand and drew his wand from his sleeve.
With it free and in his hand, he pulled it back as he re-extended his left hand and activated the kara kesh.
A fraction of a second later he was already into an anti-clockwise spin and casting. Not mucking about he was swishing his wand side-to-side and casting, at hip height, the Ribbon Cutting curse.
Bright pink, the curse flashed out from his wand tip in wide horizontal swathes. 'Saw! Saw! Saw! Saw! Saw! Saw!' So fast, was he casting, it was like a pink strobe light.
With his kara kesh shield leading the way, only two death eaters managed to get casts back at him before he completed his spin. And both of them would have been to his right if he hadn't spun. The shield of the kara kesh absorbed both curses before they reached him.
Back to facing Riddle, he saw the man was still unconscious and spun for a second time, looking to see who survived his cutting curses. None were still on their feet.
Harry blinked and hesitated just a bare moment in shock. He did not expect it to be that easy.
Surprised and knowing Riddle was no longer truly human and might just be able to come around from the effects of a Zat' strike before he would otherwise expect, Harry spun to face him again.
Not wanting to dwell on the situation, he raised his wand and took careful aim at Riddle's head.
'Stab!'
The Piercing curse leapt from his wand and flew true; right between Riddle's eyebrows and slightly above - or, where his eyebrows would be if he had any.
Riddle's, now body from its slight lean to the left, gave one quick start of unconscious shock as a one inch wide hole appeared in the middle of his brow. And the blood splatter on the seat back of the throne behind his head showed it to have gone right through.
He was dead.
A moment later, a black mist rose out of the body and, within, a face began to form; Riddle's.
The face fully formed and screamed at him. "Who are you!? That should have been impossible! You are not Neville Longbottom!"
Harry grinned back and lightly chuckled. "Neville Longbottom was never the one prophecised to kill you, Tom."
As the wraith floated there slightly above the body, Harry continued, "Remember the line, 'And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives'?
"It means one must be dead and kill the other before they can be alive again. How else does it make sense?"
With a wide grin on his face as the wraith looked at him in angry shock, Harry raised his wand hand and, still with the wand in his hand, held up his hair fringe on the right of his forehead. With the hair out of the way the faint scar stood out, light on darkened skin. "I'm Harry Potter, you stupid prick. Someone they declared dead over three years ago."
The pseudo-eyes of the wraith opened wide with the pseudo-mouth gaping open. It was a long moment before the face then developed an expression of supreme fury.
With a scream of anger, it surged towards Harry.
Harry, knowing what Riddle would try next from when he'd killed Quirrell, activated his kara kesh once more in a shield before himself.
Riddle struck it, causing it to flare, and was flung back in clear agony.
"Not this time, Tom," said Harry, smirking at the recovering wraith. "I learned from the time you possessed Quirrell."
Harry saw the wraith 'glance' to his right.
Snapping his kara kesh active again and spinning, Harry was just in time to catch the attack strike upon him of a gi-normous green and black snake, fangs bared. 'Nagini!' he immediately realised.
The snake again struck the shield and rebounded. Then, before it could reposition for another attack, Harry blew its head off with a blasting curse from close range.
"Noooooo...!" Tom screamed in anguish as a black mist rose from the snake and, with an echoing scream, slammed into the main one.
Harry spun back, expecting another direct attack by the wraith. Instead, he witnessed it start to break up before it, with Riddle's scream echoing as if into the distance, faded away.
"Hunh!" he harrumphed. 'The snake was the last Horcrux. Good to know.'
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
With Riddle now dead for good - and after first picking up his dropped Zat'nik'tel, deactivating it and re-holstering it - Harry started to walk around the room, anti-clockwise. He started with Riddle's body, summoning off it his wand. Then went from body to body summoning wands, portkeys and the like. As he moved to each he also checked to see if they were alive. Unsurprisingly, seeing as he caught them all flat-footed without, in many cases, even their wand in their hand let alone an active shield in place, they were all clearly dead. A ribbon cutting curse cast laterally at hip height that isn't shielded against tends to... well... 'mourners' could, in many occasions, use two caskets for each body if they wanted.
The portkeys, he left in the middle of the floor; the wands, for about half of them he first cast an offensive combat curse through roughly where he'd stood from where the body lay. And dropped them all into his off-hand front trouser pocket.
He was able, on that pass around the 'circle' of bodies, to confirm that both male Malfoys and Severus Snape were dead. Snape was one of the Death Eaters who'd managed to get a cast off back at him. The other was the one who cursed Hermione with a silent cutter back in the DoM - Dolohov. However, neither Malfoy stood a chance. Neither even managed to draw a wand before they were hit by at least one ribbon cutter. He had the younger Malfoy 'manage' to get a cast off back at him.
There were also a couple who weren't dead, irrespective that they'd been effectively cut in half. Knowing they didn't have long to live anyway, he used one of the other wands to silently stun them. They'd bleed out quickly enough, soon enough.
He was about to go and explore the rest of the manor to see what he could find when he remembered something important; two things important, actually. He went over to Lucius Malfoy's body where it lay flat on its back on the floor, reached into the body's inner breast pocket and found the slip of parchment with the Secret to the Fidelius charm on the manor written upon it.
He had to put up with the stink of opened bowels permeating the room, but he'd smelled much worse in the past. And eviscerated, if not completely cut in half, bodies no longer concerned him all that much. He'd seen far worse.
With the slip of parchment with the written down Secret in his hand he went over and stood on Riddle's dais and raised his wand, pointing straight up.
"I, Lord Harry James Potter and known as Lord Hardwin Peverell of the Houses of Potter and Peverell, as Heir Black of the House of Black hereby claim this property and all it contains as spoils of war for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Prædātum! Prædātum! As I say, I so claim, so must it be!"
There was a great flash of white coloured magic that surged from his wand tip. It radiated outwards in a wave of light, before then reaching the walls and passing through them.
A long moment later, as if to prove his claim, he felt the wards of the property connect with his magic. 'Damn, it worked!' he thought. 'Gods bless you, Luna Selene Lovegood!'
Thinking of her, he realised he needed to let her know that he was alright and Riddle was dealt with.
In a clear voice he asked out loud, "Can I have an ex-Malfoy house elf, please?"
With a pop, one appeared. "New Master?" it fearfully asked.
Harry could see it was in just as poor a state as Dobby had been in when he'd first 'rescued' him at the end of his second year.
"Hello, little one," he kindly said. "Please be assured I will not punish you. I need to know if there is anyone else in this manor, or on the grounds, at this time and who is also still alive."
The elf looked around in awe for a moment before it turned back and replied, "There be ex-Mistress up in her... suites... on the second floor. She be... un-con-shus. Ex-Master did beats her.
"Then there be 'prisinees' in basement cells. Theys be safe, but theys be unwell."
As Harry became angry he realised his anger must have been reflected in his expression. The little elf began to cower.
Getting his anger under control through sheer will, not using his Occlumency, Harry was a moment before he felt he had sufficiently suppressed it. Then he turned to the elf and said, "Sorry. I did not mean for you to think I was angry at you. I'm not; I'm angry at there being prisoners here. Now, what's your name?"
"Tippy, Master," the elf, Tippy, replied.
"Are there other elves that were Malfoy and are now mine?"
"Yes, Master."
When the elf didn't extrapolate on that, Harry realised it was obviously conditioned to not do so.
"What are their names?" he asked.
"They be Slappy, Hoggy aaand... Dobby," replied the elf.
Confused at being informed the Malfoys had another house elf named Dobby, it was a long moment before Harry realised what had happened. Tippy was reporting Dobby because Dobby met the requirements of the question, even though he'd been Harry's elf for over six years.
"Excluding Dobby, where are they?" he asked.
"Slappy be attending Mistress... ex-Mistress. And Hoggy be working out in the gardens," the elf immediately replied.
Thinking about what he needed to do, he also thought about what he needed to do first. 'First, the wards,' he thought.
Looking to the elf he said, "I need to take proper control of the wards. Where do I need to go and what do I need to do to accomplish that?"
"Master must follow me to the office," said the elf.
"Then, lead me, please," said Harry. He thought, 'Secure the premises, then deal with the prisoners.'
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ