Harry and Sirius left Dumbledore's office without speaking. Even though it was barely ten in the evening, Harry felt a combination of drained and exhausted, and looking at his godfather, he could tell that Sirius felt the same. He followed the older man through the fireplace and into Grimmauld Place without the usual dizziness-or, perhaps, he was too tired and preoccupied to care.
"I was going to suggest a mug of hot chocolate before bed, but why don't we hold off on that until tomorrow morning?" Sirius suggested as they headed into the sitting room.
Harry nodded, then reddened. "I didn't bring a toothbrush, or my pajamas."
"You left a few pairs here, and I have a spare toothbrush," Sirius reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Still up for sleeping with your old godfather?"
Harry smiled. "Of course, and you're not at all old."
Ten minutes later, they were both in bed, and Harry lay contentedly under the covers with Sirius's arms wrapped around him. His head lay comfortably on his godfather's shoulders, and sleep came within minutes.
Perhaps because of the difficult first week, the strange lesson from the previous evening, or simply the safety he felt of being back with Sirius, Harry slept in the next day, rising after nine in the morning.
Sirius had awoken before him, and as was usually the case when this occurred, he had an arm around Harry and another hand free as he read a book. When he rose and stretched, Sirius gave him his usual look of affection and gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"Good morning, pup. Sleep well?"
Harry nodded, even though, in the aftermath of the events from the previous night, he'd forgotten to clear his mind. Not that it had mattered, this time. His sleep had been without any dreams that he could recall.
He sat up, stretching a bit as he spoke. "What about you?" Then, before Sirius could answer, he added, "How long have you been up?"
Sirius smiled. "I slept fairly well, and I rose an hour before you."
"Sorry."
"No need to apologize. From what you've told me about the week you had, you needed the extra rest," Sirius answered, still smiling. "Ready for breakfast?"
"Definitely. I'm starving," Harry said.
A quarter of an hour later, over scrambled eggs and the promised hot chocolate, Sirius broached the topic of the previous night's lesson.
Harry wondered if it could even be called that. Not that it hadn't been illuminating, but it had hardly been a "lesson" in the sense that Hogwarts lessons were. Even the DA had been more traditional as far as lessons went than what he and Sirius had been through.
"Harry," Sirius began, "do you remember the book of wizard fairy tales I gave you over the summer holidays?"
"'The tale of Beetle the Bard'? Yeah, I read them all...in July, I think. Shortly after we moved here," Harry recalled.
Sirius wordlessly summoned the book from Harry's room, and opened it to the chapter about the three brothers. "According to the tale, the three brothers were on a journey across a river, and by passing it without drowning, they managed to escape Death. Death pretended to reward them by asking them what they desired, and two of the brothers ended up being cursed by that they were given. Do you recall what the items were?"
"The elder wand, the resurrection stone, and the cloak of invisibility," Harry answered immediately, as that part had lodged itself in his brain.
"Very good." Sirius summoned a quill and parchment, then drew the symbol of the hallow on top of it. "Does this look familiar?"
Harry thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, it was on the ring in the memory Dumbledore showed us last night."
"Excellent. As you pointed out to Dumbledore last night, it was the same ring that he was wearing on his withered hand," Sirius noted, proudly.
Harry nodded again, feeling a bit like a marionette, despite the praise from Sirius. "D-d'you think the ring caused it?"
"Not the ring in and of itself, or not until what it become." Sirius took a deep breath. "Based on Dumbledore's hand, and the diary that you destroyed in your second year, I believe that they are-or were-horcruxes."
"Horcruxes? What are those?" Harry asked.
Sirius took a bite of eggs, and Harry did the same. He had only half finished his breakfast, and he was still rather hungry.
"It's not exactly the type of conversation that civilized people have over breakfast," Sirius noted, "but horcruxes aren't a conversation most civilized people have."
"It's not a wizard profanity, is it?" Harry asked.
Sirius laughed. "It's a curse, but of the wizarding kind. A hex, but beyond a regular hex. You see, a horcrux occurs when you take a piece of a person's soul and put it into an object, or animal, or other person. Those who have made horcruxes generally choose objects."
A million questions swarmed through Harry's mind. "A piece of a person's soul?" he echoed. "How can you break off your soul into pieces?"
"It's a piece of very dark magic, so dark that they don't even teach it at Durmstrang," Sirius explained. "I grew up learning about it, because while my parents found it distasteful to divide up their soul, they had no issues with others doing so, especially if it was done in a way that rid the world of muggle borns or anyone they deemed lower than a pure blooded wizard."
"The way it was done?" Harry repeated.
Sirius sighed. "I'm not explaining myself very well. The way someone makes a horcrux involves murder, not just killing in self defense, and there are steps between that and the piece of your soul being lodged in the object that would sicken you. Especially at breakfast," he added, and gave Harry a playful poke. "The diary was one of them, I'm certain of it. The ring that Dumbledore was wearing was one, before he destroyed it. And, I am sure, the necklace worn by Merope was one, because it was the locket that we couldn't open when we were cleaning the house the summer before last. You remember?" At Harry's nod, Sirius continued, "Given that seven is the most powerful number in the wizarding world, it's likely that Voldemort wanted to make three more."
"Three? Not four?" Harry asked.
"The last one would be the remaining part of his soul in his body," Sirius explained. "So, just three. Now, from what you've told me about Nagini, I believe that she is one. Yes, being a parseltongue means you can talk to and control snakes, but he wouldn't keep a single snake at his beck and call unless he had a personal interest in her. I am almost certain that she's the fourth horcrux."
Harry's mind was spinning. "Any bets on the last two?"
"The cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff, and the royal diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw," Sirius answered, almost immediately.
"You've thought a lot about this," Harry noted.
"I was up an hour before you." Sirius chuckled. "But I'd been thinking that Voldemort had done something like this ever since you told us that he said he had done more to make himself immortal than anyone else. Then, there was the diary. But the ring in the memory and the locket sealed it, for me." He reached out and took Harry's hand. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you, pup. Last night, we were both exhausted. I told you this morning."
"No, I believe you," Harry answered. "I can't believe that you figured it all out, though. Even if the locket is a horcrux, how do you know about the cup and the diadem?"
"I don't know with complete certainty," Sirius admitted. "But it makes sense, doesn't it? He would have used something from each house that he could have gotten his filthy hands on. Thank Merlin, nothing from Gryffindor, but he certainly managed from the others."
"And two from Slytherin," Harry noted. "So, Sirius, what if Voldemort managed to get multiple things from one house, instead?"
Sirius frowned. "That's a fair point. I'll do some research, see what other relics of the Hogwarts founders are still around."
"I mean," Harry added, trying to make light of it, "I don't reckon that Voldemort would say no to a shoe that belonged to one of them, you know?"
Sirius chortled. "I suppose not!"
Harry scraped his plate for the last of the eggs, thinking everything over in his head. Sirius did the same-or at least, he ate the last of his eggs.
"You think Dumbledore's going to show me more memories during our lessons together?" Harry wondered.
"Yes. It could help, especially with making sure we have the right horcruxes," Sirius answered. "Although, we'd still have to find out where they were."
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's dad, had the diary. Maybe he gave the others to Death Eaters?" Harry suggested.
"Possibly." Sirius frowned. "I'd bet that Bellatrix and her husband have one, then. But they likely don't know what it is. Voldemort wouldn't have told them about the power behind the objects, just what they were."
"Pretty smart of him, considering my mum's dying for me and the curse nearly blowing him apart wasn't something he had expected," Harry noted.
"Hmm." Sirius gave this some thought. "I suppose he didn't want them in the bank or hidden, but placed with people he could trust. Or thought he could trust. Bet that if he ever found out about the diary, Lucius Malfoy went through some real pain."
Harry couldn't feel too bad for him. The man was a Death Eater, had given the diary to Ginny on purpose, and nearly got Sirius killed.
He was beginning to realize how much work lay ahead of him. Not only would he somehow have to defeat Voldemort, although that might not be for another decade, he also had to locate and destroy three horcruxes, including a giant snake.
Yes, he could speak parseltongue, but he didn't think for a moment that he could simply tell Nagini to kill herself, and that would be it.
"Harry? You're looking pale."
Sirius had come around to Harry's side, and had an arm around his shoulder.
"I knew I'd have to kill Voldemort, sometime, but not this," he admitted.
Sirius sighed. "We never really discussed the meeting in Dumbledore's office, pup. Come with me, into the sitting room."
Nodding, Harry rose, and let Sirius guide him to the couch. He sat cross-legged, and Sirius kept an arm around his shoulder. Instinctively, he leaned back into his godfather.
"I'll be blunt, pup. The only reason the prophecy matters is because Voldemort thinks it does. He heard the first part, and chose you. He might have marked you as his equal and the only one who can destroy him, but I claim bullocks on that," Sirius began. "The Order is full of people who would like nothing more than his death. When the time comes, the right time, I'm sure you'll fight with us, and you might even land the killing punch, but you will not go up against Voldemort by yourself." Sirius took a deep breath. "Not again, anyway. How many times have you already faced him and lived? Four, right?"
"Being a baby doesn't count," Harry protested, weakly.
"The wizarding world begs to differ," Sirius retorted, but without any malice. "Now, I won't lie and say that you'll never face him again, because we both know that's not true. There are some, like Molly Weasley, who would like nothing more than to wrap you up in blankets and keep you from knowing anything and from doing anything that could possibly cause you harm. While I appreciate the sentiment, we both know that you're not made that way. Partly because you come from the two most stubborn people I know, and partly because Voldemort..."
"Will seek me out?" Harry finished.
"Yes. He could have used anyone's blood and come to power a lot sooner. He chose yours, even though he seemed to think it meant rigging the Triwizard Tournament so that you would win." Sirius snorted. "He's one for dramatics."
Harry had to laugh at this. "Just a bit."
"As for the horcruxes, don't worry about them for now. I'll do what I can to find out more about them, and if we're right and dear cousin Bella has one in her possession, I can probably find it-and without breaking into Gringotts," Sirius added. At Harry's look of amazement, he explained, "I am a Black, and she's a prisoner. The goblins will give me access to it, and I can take whatever I need from it at any time. That's not to say it will be as easy as reaching in and scooping up the cup or the diadim in a money bag, but I'll have help."
"How? We're not supposed to tell anyone," Harry reminded him.
Sirius grinned. "You're not supposed to, pup. Dumbledore never swore me to secrecy. This is the kind of thing that a fellow marauder would be able to help me with."
"You mean Remus?"
Sirius ruffled Harry's hair. "Well, I certainly don't mean Wormtail!"
Harry made a face. "What should I tell Ron and Hermione?"
"Tell them about the lesson, and that I have an idea that I want to test out. If the locket is a horcrux, I'll have proof soon enough. If it's not, well, perhaps I was wrong, and we'll have to go at the speed Dumbledore wants us to," Sirius answered. "I should know within a week. Do you know if you'll be meeting with the headmaster before then?"
"I only got word of our last meeting on Monday. I don't know if they're going to be every Saturday night, and besides, you heard him. He just sort of dismissed us when I asked about his hand. Nothing about seeing us next Saturday," Harry pointed out.
Sirius sighed. "Well, that's far more inconvenient for you, being in your fourth year, but I expect that Dumbledore isn't putting us off, exactly. You'll let me know as soon as you hear word from him?"
"I thought we'd talk before then?" Harry asked.
Sirius ruffled his hair from across the table. "Certainly, but I meant you'll tell me as soon as you know more."
"Oh, right." Harry looked relieved. "Yeah, you'll know the evening that I do, I promise."
"So," Sirius smiled, "when are you hosting Quidditch tryouts?"
"Next Saturday morning," Harry answered. "Figured that would give everyone enough time to decide if they want to try out, and get in a bit of practice."
He was glad that he had decided to wait, what with the first week of classes and all. Besides, when he'd been a first year, they hadn't had flying lessons until their second week, and if Oliver Wood had hosted tryouts during the first week, he would have never made it onto the team.
Not that Harry expected much from first year students, but if someone was good enough, he would let them on the team.
"How many are interested so far?" Sirius wondered.
"Over a dozen. Katie Bell thinks I should try people out for all of the positions, except Seeker, because there could always be someone better than those who are on the team," Harry confided. "I don't know. What do you think about that?"
"You're worried that Ron wouldn't make the cut."
It wasn't a question.
Harry nodded. "I missed the last match, because of...well, that's what Hagrid introduced us to his half-giant half brother. What I know is that we won, then, and Ron made a ton of saves. Also, Ginny and Hermione think that Ron's gotten better than he was when he first played."
"If Katie Bell wants to prove herself by trying out again, let her. That being said, it's as much as an unwritten law that unless you get kicked off the team, you're on until you quit or finish school. Angelina and Oliver Wood didn't hold tryouts for people already on the team, or did they?" Sirius asked.
Harry shook his head. "No, they didn't."
"Then, there you go. Now, as Ginny wants to play Chaser, you should have her try out. See how well she plays. Also, something your dad did while captain was have an entire reserve team," Sirius suggested. "You could do that."
Harry nodded, considering. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Good to have a bunch of backup players in case someone on the first team can't play. Thanks."
"Harry?" Sirius asked, rather hopefully.
"Yeah?" Harry said, getting the odd sense that, at the moment, he was the parent and Sirius was the teenager.
"Could I watch the tryouts?"
Harry considered this. He really wanted Sirius to be able to see him at captain, and get any feedback he had about his fellow students, but he also knew that having your guardian there wasn't the best way to earn respect from your classmates.
"How about you watch as Padfoot?"
"Deal."
Author's note:
Next up...Quidditch tryouts, and Ron and Hermione and brought into the loop about horcruxes.
Did I mention how much I enjoy reading your comments on my chapters? :)
