A/N: Please note Chapter 18 now contains a new chapter if you have not read it, please do. The 'cut scenes' are now posted in the relevant chapters.
: Some quotes, if you have seen it before it ain't mine.
-o0o-
"Oh luv, you here to see 'Tunia?" a blonde woman asked as Remus approached the flat. "It was terrible what happened the other night!"
Remus made an enquiring noise and smiled encouragingly.
"You won't find 'er 'ere. A big, bull of a man came round, he was yellin' and screamin'. There was a big flash of light, and a bang! It scared the livin' daylights outta me. I came down the next mornin' and saw the door off its hinges and everythin'. Old Jimmy from next door, fixed it up for 'er, but we've not seen 'er since. It's been worryin' me sick, her boy had been 'ere too."
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind you knowing that she and Dudley are safe and well."
"That's good ta know. I won't ask where they is, what I don't know I can't tell."
"Has the man been back?" Remus enquired, seeing the woman frown he added, "Petunia asked me to check the place was safe, so she can have her things packed up."
"Can't blame 'er, I wouldna feel safe myself. Not seen, hide nor hair of 'im since."
"Thank you," Remus smiled and took the key Petunia had given him out of his pocket.
"'Ere that won't 'elp ya. Jimmy had ta change the lock didn' 'e."
"Oh." Remus frowned.
The woman studied him intensely for a moment before seeming to make up her mind about something. "I'll let ya in, but I'm coming with ya, ta keep an eye on things for 'Tunia, ya see."
"Thank you, Mrs. …"
"Thompson," the woman nodded.
"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, I'll let Petunia know that she has you watching things for her." As annoying as it was, Remus could see that the woman would not allow him into the flat without supervision.
She shuffled forward, pulling a key from the pocket of her apron. Opening the door she followed him in. It looked like a storm had passed through the place, destroying everything in its path. The furniture no more than kindling scattered over the floor. Remus bent to pick up a photo, gentle brushing aside the broken glass. Vaguely he wished that the woman would leave so that he could fix it all with magic, but with a glance in her direction he determined that was not about to happen. He sighed as he moved to peer into the kitchen and then each of the bedrooms.
"I don't know if there is anything that can be save." He said.
Mrs. Thomson, sniffed, "The poor lass!"
"I'll arrange to have someone come and clean it up." Remus frowned wondering how they were going to arrange it. With the neighbours watching it would be impossible to have one of the elves come in. Perhaps Sam might have some contacts, he must do as he arranged the sale in the first place.
They moved back outside, and Mrs. Thomson carefully locked the door and tucked the key back into her apron.
"I'll let Petunia know you have the new key. Does she have your number?"
"She does," the woman confirmed with a nod. "You just tell 'Tunia, me an' the ladies from the book club'll have the place sorted in a jiffy. If there's anythin' worth savin' we'll find it."
"I will, thanks again Mrs Thompson."
He waved farewell, and walked through the gate, around the corner to the nearest place that was safe for apparition.
-o0o-
"I have need of you, Augusstuss," Tom Riddle said quietly, almost seductively, earning the Unspeakable a glare from Bellatrix Lestrange.
"As you wish, my Lord," the man nodded, ignoring his fellow Death Eater.
"Come, we have a long way to go tonight. We mussst move in sssecret."
Augustus rose from his place and moved to lift the small body from its chair. He ignored the glares and sneers and unlike many did not recoil with repulsion when he cradled the thing to his chest.
Two corridors later they had reached a spare room, out of sight of any watchers.
"Where are we going, my Lord?"
"I will ssshow you." A nigh on skeletal hand raised and the thumb was pressed to the man's forehead. A moment later they disappeared with a pop. Reappearing a moment later on a London street corner. "It isss gone," Riddle hissed. His sycophant glanced around and noting the muggle location, quickly disillusioned both of them.
"What were you looking for, My Lord?" Rookwood, hesitated to bring attention to himself, he did not ask if they were in the correct place.
"The place my mother wasss buried! The ritual I used to return to my true form isss no longer acceptable. But using the Gaunt side, the Sssslytherin side, I will be stronger."
"There is a spell, a small ritual …" Augustus reluctantly suggested, "that we could use to see if there was anything left?"
"Do it!" Voldemort demanded, eyes jewel bright.
"It needs blood, your blood," he hastened to add the last. "And I will need to set you down." His statement was met with silence, after a moment he took it to be acquiescence, and he conjured a small chair, which was also disillusioned to set the figure upon. Drawing some chalk from an internal pocket of his robes Augustus quickly sketched a few spiky shapes onto the pavement. "With your leave?" he held out his right hand a small athame, held in his left. The seated figure slowly reached out. Carefully grasping the index finger, Augustus began a low chant, neatly sliced the pad of the finger and let a few drops fall onto the runes. There was a small flash of light, that wiped the runes away leaving behind a circle of white. A quick spell healed the minuscule wound.
"Nothing!" Voldemort hissed.
"No, not nothing," Rookwood, corrected softly. "Down!"
"Does it not amount to the same thing? We cannot, simply remove layers of the street!"
"Yes, we can." The Unspeakable grinned.
He might not be able to tell anyone about the spells he discovered through his work, but that did not mean he could not perform them. Even so, he was restricted, the spells could not cast in front of a person who was not an Unspeakable. In a purely technical sense his Lord's soul currently being housed in a magical construct neatly stepped around the definition of a person, allowing him to use whichever spells he pleased. Using the circle as the basis he inscribed a half-dozen more runes onto the ground and then hastily lifted his Lord, banished the chair and moved away from the slowly forming hole, that was beginning to open at their feet.
"It is good to know my faith in you isss not misssplaced, my eldest and most favoured," Voldemort said.
-o0o-
How a sink hole opened up in the middle of a London street was something of a mystery to the muggles. All that was seen, when the CCTV footage from the nearby block of offices was reviewed, was a glitch in the footage, then a white circle formed on the ground, and odd shapes appeared around the perimeter of the circle before finally the whole area began to crumple away leaving a hole several meters deep with a large over hang, strangely the wall on the open side of the hole, was vaguely step shaped.
Further investigation of the crater lead to the discovery of various human remains imbedded in the ground, and the area was declared an investigation site. The issue was quickly resolved when the local historical society came forward with bookwork from the sadly underfunded Orphanage that had existed on the site prior to the office block being built. It seemed that over the years, a great many orphans had passed away from various illness as there was no funding for medical care. In one particularly bas year an outbreak of the 'pox' lead to nearly half of the inhabitants dying. As there was no means to arrange their burial anywhere else the poor souls were simply buried on the grounds of the orphanage.
While authorities felt that the multiple burials in the area, had been the cause of the sink hole, many were unsatisfied with the answer. In the end, it was felt that digging up all of the remains would achieve nothing, except disturbing the rest of the poor souls buried there, so the street was blocked off at either end and the area between turned into park.
-o0o-
Harry walked into the dorm expecting it to be empty, he had merely dashed up to grab a forgotten piece of homework that he needed to finish. Neville Longbottom was sat on the window ledge staring out over the Black Lake.
"You alright, Neville?" Harry paused in his mad dash to ask.
Neville jumped clearly startled and turned sharply towards the centre of the room, where Harry was standing, "Yeah, alright." he mumbled.
With a frown Harry, walked over to his friend, "That doesn't sound very convincing."
Strangely Neville ducked his head and twisted back towards the window, teeth biting his bottom lip.
"In third year," Neville started so softly Harry was not sure he had heard anything at all. The dark-haired boy put his parchment and books back on his bed and moved towards the window. "In third year, when the dementors were near … on the train …" he turned dull blue eyes on his friend, "you heard your mum … that night … didn't you?"
Harry could only nod.
"I heard my mum too. I didn't think it was real at first … I didn't want it to be real. Did you know mum and dad are out of St Mungo's?"
"Yeah, Sirius mentioned it. I think he wanted to visit them once they got settled but he didn't want to interrupt you getting to know them again. Holidays are so short … you know."
The blonde head nodded, "It was really great having them home, but I remembered what I saw with the dementors and …"
"You talked to them about it, and found out it was real." Harry whispered, joining his friend on the ledge.
"Yeah," Neville rested his chin on his knees. "Mum had been trying to get to the floo with me, while Dad held them off. They hit her in the back of the leg with a cutting spell, and she fell, landing on her wand. She kind of wrapped herself around me and shielded me from with her body." Neville held out a shaking hand, "They figured out that I had never been treated for exposure to the Cruciatus."
"Neville! You've been to see the healer now, haven't you?" Remembering that the pain and shakes he had suffered after the Triwizard tournament had not dissipated until he had seen Healer Addison.
"They … they don't trust the healers at St Mungo's now. They actually remember things that happened to them there. They never actually got treated for the Cruciatus either, they just kind of got dumped in that ward. I thought … maybe you …"
"Healer Addison," Harry burst out, "Sorry! The healer Seraphina found for me was Healer Addison. I can write to him and ask if he can see you, if you want? Or get Sirius to call him. He recommended the Mind Healer that Sirius sees as well."
"That … that would be great," Neville gave a small smile. "Did … ah … did you talk to them too?"
"The Mind Healer?"
"Yeah."
"No. I tried, but … I felt better talking to Addison. He's really … I don't know, he understands. I think it's a trust thing, he was one of the first adults I trusted."
"Do you think he …?"
"Maybe, we won't know until we ask." Harry pulled out his mirror and called Sirius to make the arrangements.
Fifteen minutes later the pair, grabbed their homework and headed to the common room.
-o0o-
Percival and Harry shared a glance as they took their seats in potions, this was the first opportunity that Harry would have to speak directly to Professor Slughorn about the memory. They had decided that taking the Gryffindor route was the way to go and they would stay behind after class to ask. They had also decided that it was best if Ron and Neville did not know the details about the task he had been given by Dumbledore. As they would not be able to help with it, there seemed no point terrifying them with the subject of Horcruxes.
"Settle down, settle down," Slughorn called for silence. "Quickly now there is lots of work to get through this afternoon. Golpalott's Third Law … who can tell me -? But of course, Miss Granger can!"
Hermione recited at top speed: 'Golpalott's Third Law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components."
Harry was glad that he and Percival had reviewed the relevant chapter before class, on advice from Severus, as he would not have had a clue what she was talking about, as it was Ron's eyes had glazed over.
"Precisely!" beamed Slughorn. "Ten points for Gryffindor! Now if we accept Golpalott's law as true …"
Harry quickly reached forward, took Ron's text and flipped it open to the relevant page, tapping the words that the Prince had written in the margin.
"… which means, of course, that assuming we have achieved the correct identification of the potion's ingredients by Scarpin's Revelaspell, our primary aim is not the relatively simple task of select antidotes to those ingredients in and of themselves, but to find that added component which will by an almost alchemical process, transform these disaparate elements-"
Ron's mouth had fallen open and he was now doodling in the textbook underneath the words that Severus had written.
"… and so," finished Slughorn, "I want each of you to come and take one of these phials from my desk. You are to create an antidote for the poison within it before the end of the lesson. Good luck, and don't forget your protective gloves!"
Hermione had left her stool and was halfway towards Slughorn's desk before half of the class had realised it was time to move. Percival, Harry and Ron were next in line for their flasks, but by the time they had returned to their desk, Hermione already had tipped the contents of her phial into her cauldron and was kindling a fire underneath it. She stopped as they walked by her and smiled at them condescendingly.
"Let's see what the Prince has to say," Ron peered down and frowned when he saw that what Severus had written was the exact same words Hermione had quoted. Glancing at the two to his left he saw that Harry and Percival were waving their wands over their cauldron, and he realised he was falling behind, so hastened to catch up.
Once he had heated his cauldron to what he felt was the correct temperature, the red-head whispered to his friend, "What was that spell again?"
"Scarpin's Revelaspell, Specialis Revelio! With a figure eight over the cauldron."
As Harry finished speaking, Slughorn approached and there was the sound of a plop as something entered the cauldron containing his antidote. The smell of bad eggs began to rise from it and Harry realised that his reputation as one of the best potion-makers in the class was crashing around his ears, because Ron had forgotten to place his anchor stone for the ward around the table.
"Sorry Harry," Ron muttered.
"All good, I have a backup plan."
As Harry moved to empty his cauldron, knowing he did not have time to start again, Hermione's expression could not have been any smugger. Harry used the time till the end of class, to write out the list of ingredients the spell had produced and cross reference them against the ingredients for various potions. In another column he listed the antidotes for those poisons with their list of ingredients and matched them in terms of which would cancel each other out. Looking at the lists, he was sure that lace lilies were the additional component required and hastily wrote that down with a brief sentence on its interaction with the other substances in the antidote. Satisfied he saw that Percival and Ron were just bottling their antidotes, so he grabbed his offering and followed them up to Slughorn's desk.
"Well my boys, how did we fare today?" Slughorn took the phial from Percival, and held it to the light, "A good first effort, Mr. Weasley but …"
"Sorry Sir, I was a bit distracted today, I'll make sure I review the lesson, and have Harry or Percival catch me up."
Slughorn frowned as he held Ron's flask to his nose, "That would be a very good idea, still not a bad effort, but only two out of the three antidotes are correct."
Nodding, Ron stepped sideways and moved back to collect his things.
"Mr Potter?"
"We forgot to put up the ward, so unfortunately a random piece of something made it into my cauldron. Therefore," Harry gave a cheeky grin, and placed a single shriveled, dried up, kidney shaped brown stone, on the desk in front of his teacher.
Slughorn looked down at it for a full ten seconds before he threw his head back and laughed. "You've got a nerve boy!" he boomed taking the bezoar and holding it up. "Oh, you're so like your mother … well, I can't fault you … a bezoar would certainly act like an antidote to all these potions."
"Sir, I think I also worked it out, but being interrupted half-way through I just ran out of time to remake it." He held out the piece of parchment containing his notes. "You see I find it easier if I figure out which components go together, then …"
Slughorn nodded as he read through Harry's parchment. "Very well-reasoned Mr. Potter, back to your desk to pack up now."
Harry could not help his small smile as he passed Hermione's desk and saw her sweaty-faced and sooty-nosed, looking livid. Her half-finished antidote, comprising of fifty-two ingredients including a chunk of her own hair, bubbled sluggishly in her cauldron and appeared to have eaten through the phial she had tried to pour it into.
His red-haired friend chuckled as he slid back into his seat. "Thought of that all by yourself, did you?"
"Nah." Harry allowed himself to grin, as he opened his mum's book to correct page and showed it to Ron.
A devilishly tricky process, just shove a bezoar down their throats and be done with it!
"Read it last night, when we were doing our pre-reading."
"You seemed to have understood it though, so can you just explain …"
"Sorry Ron," Harry glanced towards the Professor, then looked around and noted Hermione had also left. "I've got something to do, but I promise …"
"I can explain it to Ron while we wait for you," Percival offered.
He watched his friends leave, before he shouldered his bag and moved towards the professor's desk once again.
Slughorn looked up from his desk as Harry approached, "Come on, now Harry, it wouldn't do to be late to your next class," he said affably, as he snapped the clasps shut on his dragon leather briefcase.
"It's alright Sir, I have a free next. I was hoping I could talk to you about something."
"Certainly, my boy, whatever is the matter."
"I don't know, how to ask and it seems unmentionably rude to me. You know I have been having lessons with the Headmaster," Slughorn's face froze. "Well he asked me to do something, but …"
"Ah," Horace glance hurriedly around the room, noting the absence of figures in the portraits, he leaned forwards and whispered. "You take care around him Harry. Take care. He uses people, chews them up and spits them out, gets his fingers into them and never lets them go." The man's face had gone a pasty white and he had begun sweating. "Take care, do not …" his eyes flicked up as an old man stepped into the portrait at the very back of the classroom. "What is it you need to ask?"
"Um, I was wondering you see, I was shown a memory," Horace's face stilled, and his eyes dulled, "a memory that looked to have been…"
"I do not know what you are talking about Mr Potter," Slughorn's voice was as flat as the look in his eyes, he seemed almost robot like. "You had best get along."
Without another word or glance, he turned, grabbed his brief case and walked out of the room.
-o0o-
"It was quite odd," Harry said to Sirius via mirror. "The fact that he warned me away from Dumbledore and then the next minute it was like he was pretending he didn't know about the memory at all."
"How has he been since?"
"In class he's the same as before but every now and then I'll pass him in the corridor, and I am sure he's looking at me weird. Like he's worried about me or something, then the next moment the look is gone."
"Empty corridor?"
"Always," Harry agreed.
"Even the portraits?" Sirius asked.
Freezing, Harry considered it, could that be the reason for the dichotomous behaviour? "I never noticed but now that you mention it, that first day, I'm sure the portrait was empty when I approached him but the guy was back in it by the time I left."
"So you might need to try again," Sirius said. "Now speaking of behaving oddly, let me tell you about Remus and Marlene …"
-o0o-
Staring at the whiteboard that was to the left of the fireplace Remus groaned. The pattern, well if you could call it that was obvious. Each item that had been turned into a Horcrux had been personally significant to the man. Slytherin's locket was self-evident, as was Ravenclaw's diadem, the Gaunt ring and Nagini. The only one that did not fit was the diary. A plain ordinary diary. Perhaps it was a symbol of freedom, purchased with Hogwarts scholarship funds, perhaps it showed that he was better than the others in the orphanage, or had the chance of a better future. So it stood to reason that the last items, apart from Harry, was something of either Gryffindor's or Hufflepuff's or was otherwise significant to him.
Where they were hidden showed the same link, the Gaunt Shack, Hogwarts, the cave by the sea, the Malfoy's manor and Gringotts, not that they had managed to secure that one yet. Though the cave did not really fit either. It seemed incongruous with the thought that these were places that were special to him. Like the diary, it linked the items to his past, something he had gone out of his way to hide.
And then of course there was Harry, the Horcrux he did not mean to make, but undoubtedly knew about now. Remus scrubbed a hand across tired eyes, and through his hair. Realising in frustration that he could really go no further until they knew how many Horcruxes Riddle had made, the werewolf turned to the board on the opposite side of the fireplace.
It was in some ways a much more upsetting board. On it was listed the crimes of Albus Dumbledore, well the ones they had discovered so far. Most of it was so difficult to prove, like abandoning Harry on the doorstep of No 4 Privet Drive, or the probable Obliviation of Muggles to ensure that his pup's circumstances were never investigated. Some of it while showing the character of the man was not exactly illegal, like consorting with a teenaged Gellert Grindelwald. Not that he could prove that either having given his word to Bathilda that he would not share where he had learned that truth. About the only thing that they could prove was his use of fyre in the destruction of Little Hangleton.
That was certainly worth thinking about, perhaps a leaked report from the Department of Mysteries? But would it have any effect given how positively the general public viewed the man after the apparent destruction of Voldemort? Perhaps it would be better to save that until his reputation had subsided somewhat. But how could he make that happen?
There was a tap at the door, Remus waved his wand and dropped black covers over the front of both boards. Marlene rolled her eyes as she saw them slide into place.
"Not going well then?"
"I just don't know what to do next," Remus groaned.
She walked over and leaned against the back of the chair Remus was sitting in, sliding her hands down over his shoulders and onto his chest, "Take one small step in the direction you wish to travel and then another," she suggested, straightening and briefly rubbing his shoulders. "Until then perhaps, I could find some way to distract you?"
She pressed a kiss to his temple and sauntered back out of the room.
With a light chuckle Remus stood to follow.
-o0o-
Carefully sidling round the seventh year who had stopped in the middle of the corridor to re-read a page in their text, Harry shook his head with a smile, grateful that he was not yet preparing for his NEWTs. It appeared that the return from the Yule break had signalled an increasing in the level of stress they were all experiencing in preparations for their exams. He, Neville and Percival dodged around the next group of students, slowly making their way to the Great Hall.
A muffled thud from behind them had the trio turning in time to see a bushy head of hair, tumble over the top of the students they had just passed, knocking them all to the floor like so many bowling pins.
"What do you think you are doing?" Hermione hissed as she rose to her feet. "Not watching where you are going…"
"Just hold on a second!" A tall blonde Ravenclaw protested. "You ran into us! You should have been watching where you were going! You can't expect us to see you come up behind us!"
"I beg your pardon …" Hermione began to whistle through her teeth.
"I don't believe I shall." Sniffed the student.
"What?!" Hermione's voice rose higher.
"I don't believe I shall pardon you. You could have hurt someone hurtling through here like that."
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" The brunette screeched, causing the other girl to roll her eyes.
"Blah, blah, blah!" A redhead from the back of the group snickered.
In a moment of premonition, Harry dropped his wand into his hand. He was obviously not the only one because the moment the girl pointed her wand and began to scream, 'Bombarda …' at her opponent at point blank range, shields erupted from all sides, causing the spell to ricochet back on herself and she dropped to the ground.
"Ah … are any of you a Prefect?" Neville asked, the group shook their heads, looking at the bruised and battered body.
Percival, carefully reached out and checked for a pulse, "It's alright, she's got a heart beat."
Harry called forth his patronus and to the coo's of the audience sent it in search of Severus or McGonagall. Both teachers appeared a few minutes later with Albus Dumbledore only moments behind them.
"What has happened?" McGonagall asked in some shock at the state of the girl.
"Hermione tried to curse …" Neville stopped realising he did not know the Ravenclaw in question.
"Juliet," she supplied.
"And a couple of us," there was a snort from somewhere amongst the group of students, "cast a shield spell, which unfortunately …" he waved his hand at Hermione.
Albus Dumbledore, frowned, "I will have to take this to the board, this may mean expulsion." He shook his head in disappointment. "I do not know if I will be able to prevent it, but I shall try."
"Expulsion!" Juliet asked indignantly, "For them protecting me?"
He raised his hand to silence her, "You must understand how this looks, the heroine of the wizarding world, attacked in the place she should be safest."
"The heroine? What about me? She attacked me!"
"And the others as well," Dumbledore said sagely. If the Graves boy was expelled, then he would have the opportunity to get his pawn back in line.
"No!" McGonagall protested. "If this is an attack as you say Albus, then with the exception of Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Potter, they are all of age, therefore the DMLE must be called to investigate."
"In that case, can I use your floo, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Whatever for?"
"I'll need to contact Sirius and my lawyer, so I can give my statement to the DMLE."
"Do you think your lawyer will represent us as well, Harry?" Juliet asked.
"I am sure of it," he smirked. "He's really good, and I can almost guarantee he'll take it on as a class action."
"Now my boy, I don't think there is any need of that," Albus scoffed.
"First of all, Headmaster, don't call me that. And you have just threatened us with expulsion, as you said the other person involved …" There was a groan from somewhere near their feet, "Ah … should someone do like a diagnostic charm on her or something?"
"Mr Potter, you can surely not be such a dunderhead to think that I would have stood here, while you all conversed and done nothing. Miss Granger is merely bruised, and has only been pretending to be unconscious. However, to ease your soft sensibilities, I will ensure that she finds her way to Hospital wing for a complete check-up." Swishing his wand he levitated the girl, ignoring her surprised squeak and carried her away.
"Well if that is the case, then I think we can say four weeks detention for everyone and fifty points lost for each of you," the Headmaster said, internally seething at another spoilt plan. He would make sure they all had the most obnoxious detentions possible.
There was a chorus of protests.
"No, Albus," McGonagall growled. "While it should not have come to drawn wands in the halls you ca not fault students for protecting themselves, they will receive neither points loss nor detention."
"She is our Saviour, two weeks and 30 points from each."
"No!" the Gryffindor head of house snapped.
"One week and …" with a zip a spell flashed from McGonagall's wand, it was aimed to hit the Headmaster in the backside, but he moved his hand in an attempt to block it and it hit the Galleon sized circular black mark on the back of his hand. The man had to bite his tongue, to stop himself from swearing. "You cursed me Minerva," he growled.
She blinked at his tone, but faced him straightening and squaring her shoulders, "For goodness sake it was a stinging hex, don't be such a baby!"
"It hit my hand!" he complained.
"I was aiming for your backside!"
One of the students giggled.
"One detention then." The old man finally gave in.
"Fine," McGonagall nodded. "Off you go, before you miss breakfast." She chivvied the students away from the Headmaster.
"Will you be alright?" Harry whispered to his head of house as they approached the doors to the Great Hall. "He'll know."
"Somethings cannot be allowed to stand, Harry. Fortunately I have challenged his blatant bias before, so I believe that all will be well. Though perhaps you should send the memory to you lawyer just in case."
With a nod of acknowledgement Harry moved towards the Gryffindor table.
-o0o-
Barely having been held in the hospital wing for ten minutes Hermione stomped her way back through the corridors. She sneered at the Ravenclaw table and the group of studying seventh years. Their behavior could not go unpunished. Then there was Harry, Percival, and Neville. That the two dark-haired boys had acted the way they had was no surprise, but she had thought better of Neville. She had excused Harry too often, his lack of parental discipline often showed perhaps it was time that he received it.
Shaking her head she moved to sit, settling between the fourth and fifth years, who had sat in little clusters., and where happily chatting as they consumed their breakfasts. Without being too obvious she kept an eye on the sixth year and watched as an unknown owl approached her former friends.
She had to admit to herself that's what they were, her former friends. The connection not being strong enough to withstand her elevation above them. It was sad really, when Dumbledore had approached her, after discovering her name on the role of Muggleborns, she had been flattered and excited to know that she would be the best of them. She had always known that she was different, better, more. The Headmaster selecting her as his protege had only reaffirmed what she had already known. While it had been nice to feel like she had friends she had known it would not last, jealous was truly a curse and it looked like it had finally caught up with her.
Initially she had followed the Headmaster's plan, thinking it was the best way to achieve her goals, but more and more since she had killed Riddle she had come to realisation that the man was old, and his plans with regards to Harry were not working. Soon it would be time for her to step out from his shadows and take her right for place. Empress of the Wizarding world had a nice ring to it.
Exhaling slowly she actively released the tension that had built up in her shoulders. It would not do to think about it just yet, at the bare minimum she needed to graduate Hogwarts first. And as much as she knew she could pass her NEWTs, she would not be allowed to. Not only that her mentor had the terrible habit of seeming to know what she was thinking at times, and it would not do for him to be forewarned. Not to mention how he would punish her, if he discovered the true depth of her plans. But she could no longer see the point in trying to follow all of his convoluted plans. There was no way that she, short of using the Imperius of her making Harry Potter do what they wished him to, and did they really need him? After all she was now the Saviour and not that insipid boy. He was in actuality surplus to requirements. She was obviously the 'Power' that the Dark Lord did not know about, and so Harry had already completed his part of the prophecy and the rest was up to her. The only thing the boy could be used for was bait …
Well that was an interesting idea. Voldemort, she suppressed her shudder, was not focused on her, so how was she to arrange a confrontation? Sure she had eliminated his last body, but that would only make him wary of confronting her directly. However, as he had demonstrated time and again he had no qualms about attacking Harry. She tucked the thought away to examine later, and ignoring those about her turned back to her meal.
-o0o-
Percival narrowed his eyes observing the bushy-haired girl's smug expression, it could not mean anything good. He turned back to his boyfriend, who sat petting the owl that had delivered his mail.
"When's Imbolc?" Harry asked.
"Start of February."
"Oh," Harry frowned. "So I won't be able to go home then?"
"I shouldn't think so," Neville agreed, "Why what did you have planned?"
"We found some portraits at the manor, and I wanted to wake them. I thought, I would be able to go home for it, there's this little garden that would be just the spot."
"I can't think of anywhere here." Neville's face scrunched up in his concentration.
"What about the Chamber?" Ron suggested swallowing his mouthful grotesquely. "Slytherin seems the type to have some sort of ritual space, or maybe an exit to the forest. Bill always said that outside is the best place for them …"
"Not near the Thestrals," Luna had come up behind them, to say good morning before she left for class. "They would find it very disturbing."
"I'll keep that in mind," Harry nodded, thinking that Ron might have a point, he would have to see if Sev would come with him.
"What does Sam want?" Percival asked, pointing to the letter Harry still held in his hand.
"They found my mail, if you can believe it! All it took was getting permission for Gringotts's to apply a tracking charm to my last statement, then Dobby was able to follow it."
"You don't seem happy about it?"
"It was in this weird cave down on the coast somewhere, Dobby said it reeked of bad magic. Not only that but apparently a few of the letters had curses and such on them, so a lot of the others got damaged. Sam says he is having Dobby go through them, and he's done up a form letter of reply."
"Well, that's one less thing to worry about then."
Folding the piece of parchment he had just scrawled a note on, Harry wrapped it around a small phial and gave it to the owl, who took wing and left the hall.
"The memory for McGonagall," he explained at Percival's raised eyebrow.
"I had assumed that, I was more wondering at the fact that you have taken to carrying phials with unbreakable charms on them."
Harry shrugged.
"Snape will be so proud!" Ron said in mock enthusiasm. Even though his friend was joking, the thought of an adult being proud of him still made Harry blush a little.
"Come one we had better get to class if we don't want detention." Harry led the way out of the hall so the others could not see the secret smile on his face.
-o0o-
"Do you think we can do it here?" Harry asked Severus anxiously.
"If we are careful, you may need to make full use of your Cloak. You will need to collect some water, there is a well, down by the stone circle near the clock tower courtyard. Your mother and I discovered it in our fourth year. Walk over the bridge, and directly through the circle into the edge of the forest. The markings on the floor where we harvested the basilisk, reminded me at the time of a ritual circle, so I believe that will be the best place, as anywhere outside will be to exposed and the Headmaster will learn of it. The first step will be to give the chamber a thorough cleaning, we will have a small feast before we begin and set aside a portion as an offering. The ritual to awaken the portraits is simple enough, after lighting candles you will step into the circle wash the frame with the water from the well and ask Magic to bless the frame with the gift of new life."
"Dad said they will have all of his memories, right? I'll finally know my family."
A bitter-sweet smile crossed Severus' lips, "As long as enough time has been spent with them, and the correct spells were cast. Some portraits, only know a few phrases, others just a topic. It depends, how much time the subject spent with the portrait, and how much of their magic was imbued within."
"So, they might not have much at all then," Harry said glumly.
"Why do you say that?"
"The first one was from America, and the second just before he died. He probably did not spend much time with them."
"I do not want you to get your hopes up, but you might be surprised. If the one that Percival gave you was supposed to hang at the school or was made for a Potions conference, he might have spent a lot of time with it, though it might only be able to relay his potions knowledge and the other was in the house in which he died. It possibly absorbed the very last of his magic."
"So they might be able to tell me something."
"Yes, but don't forget you always have the Grimoire. Come let us see if the Chamber will be appropriate, then for the rest of your detention you can help me gather ingredients in the forest."
"Down near the Clock Tower Bridge."
"I do believe that the particular type of lace-wing moss that I am looking for may be found in that general vicinity yes."
-o0o-
Closing the book violently Hermione seethed. It appeared that for the first time the Hogwarts library had failed her. She could not find a single reference to Horcruxes anywhere. This combined with Harry's continued success in potions and Professor Slughorn's blatant denial that there was anything further to the memory that Albus had shown them, had left her in a foul mood.
"I've been right through the restricted section, and even Magic Most Evile barely mentions them," she muttered, earning her a concerned glance from the seventh year prefect that was supervising her. Hermione rolled her eyes, really you think they would have just given up on the farce of a punishment by now. "Obliviate," she haphazardly cast, not caring to be too careful with how many memories she was removing.
The next book she grabbed let out a ghostly wail as she opened it, so she slammed it shut before hastily shoving it in her bag. Fortunately, the prefect was still showing signs of confusion. Hermione smiled at her pleasantly.
"I'm done now, thanks."
The prefect nodded at her vaguely and waved her away, fortunately glancing the other way, not watching as Hermione departed.
-o0o-
The snow melted as February around the school as February arrived to be replaced by a cold dreary wetness. As they had walked into the chamber ready to start the ritual to enliven the portraits, the sconces burst into life and with a creaking groan, sections of the wall slid inwards to reveal cast iron braziers flickering with a warm light. The walls danced under a golden glow as the temperature rose.
"That certainly makes it look a little different." Percival glanced at the flickering shadows.
"If there were a couple of couches it would be positively homely," Harry chuckled.
"Yes indeed, the echoes that bounce of the ceiling and the room being as large again as the Great Hall does make it practically cosy," Severus snorted. "Now I am nearly certain I saw a circle around here somewhere." The Potions master led the way to the wall perpendicular to the statue.
"Mean he is a hundred percent certain and looked over his memories to check its exact location," Harry snorted.
"I did not!" Severus looked offended. "I remembered where it was!"
The two boys laughed at his expression, causing a slight twitch to one side of his lips.
"Here," he pointed to the shape formed by pale yellow flagstones in the sea of dark grey. "Place both portraits inside."
Harry removed the portraits from the pocket of his robes and returned them to their original sizes, then stepped into the centre of the circle.
There was the harsh grinding of stone on stone as several of the pale stones that made up the circle rose above the others until he was surrounded a miniature series of standing stones. The area contained within began to glow.
"Harry, the water," Severus prompted. Harry's head flicked to Percival who was carrying the small earthen ware jug and the pair hesitated turning to Severus for guidance. "Just try passing it over. Simple solutions are often the best."
Percival spun the jug so that the handle, engraved with budding vines, was facing Harry and stepped forwards through the gap between two of the stones. The moment it crossed the border the weight removed from his hand and with no outside assistance it drifted towards the centre, until it sat next to the two portraits that Harry had placed side by side on easels. Not even noticing when Severus had flicked the linen cloth into the circle Harry grabbed it and carefully dunked it in the jug, submerging it fully. Gentle squeezing out the excess moisture he began the chant as he wiped down the paintings. By the time he began the second verse, his voice was accompanied by the base and baritone of Severus and Percival.
The glow grew, causing the watchers on the outside of the circle to shut their eyes.
"Well I say, you must be a Potter! I would recognise that hair anywhere," a distinguished voice said loudly into the silence that followed the light subsiding.
-o0o-
Purplish-grey clouds hung over the castle and a constant fall of chilly rain made the lawns slippery and muddy. The upshot of this was that the sixth-years' first Apparition lessons, which was scheduled for a Saturday morning, on the field in front of Hagrid's hut took place in the Great Hall instead.
When Harry, and Neville arrived in the Hall (Ron had come down with Lavender) they found that the tables had disappeared. Rain was visible overhead as the ceiling reflected the ongoing thunderstorm that had hit half an hour earlier. Complete with flashes of lightning threw extra illumination over the faces of the Professors and a small wizard whom Harry took to be Apparition Instructor from the Ministry. He was oddly colourless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away. Harry wondered whether constantly disappearing and reappearing had somehow diminished his substance or whether this frail build was ideal for anyone wishing to vanish. In which case he himself ought to do quite well.
"Good morning," Said the Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of House had called for quiet. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition Instructor for the next twelve weeks." I hope to be able to -"
From somewhere towards the back Harry could hear Malfoy rudely muttering that the Instructor must be a half-breed, perhaps half-ghoul.
"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" barked Professor McGonagall.
Everyone looked around. Malfoy flushed a dull pink. That did not stop him the moment everyone's attention had returned to the front from bending his head towards Goyle to start muttering again, earning a furious glare from his own Head of House.
"- many of you may be ready to take you test," Twycross had continued as though there had been no interruption. "As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The Headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall to enable you to practise. May I emphasise that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall and that it would be unwise to try."
"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."
There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and order others out of their space. The Heads of House moved among the students marshalling them into position and breaking up arguments,
Glancing around Harry noticed his proximity to Hermione and moved quickly in the other direction, past Professor Flitwick who was making squeaky attempts to position a few overexcited Ravenclaws, who all wanted to be at the front, past Professor Sprout, who was chivvying the Hufflepuffs into a line, until finally he saw a space and he dodged around Ernie McMillan and found himself right behind Malfoy, who was now arguing with Crabbe.
"I've had to fix it from scratch, I don't know how much longer it's going to be, all right?" Malfoy shot at him. "It's taking longer than I thought."
Crabbe opened his mouth, but Malfoy appeared to second guess what he was going to say.
"Look, it's none of your business what I am doing, Crabbe, you and Goyle just do as you're told and keep a lookout!"
At that precise moment the four Heads of House unanimously shouted 'Quiet!' and silence fell again.
"Thank you," said Twycross. "Now then …"
He waved his wand. Old-fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of every student.
"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three Ds!" said Twycross. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation!"
"Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination," said Twycross. "In this case the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."
Everyone looked around furtively, to check that everyone else was staring into their hoop, then hastily did as they were told. Harry gazed at the circular patch of dusty floor enclosed by his hoop and tried to think of nothing else. This proved difficult as he kept puzzling over what Malfoy could possibly be doing that required lookouts, finally he decided to talk to Severus about it and put it from his mind.
"Step two," said Twycross, "focus your determination to occupy the visualised space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"
Harry glanced around surreptitiously. A little way to his left, Ernie McMillan was contemplating his hoop so hard that his face had turned pink; it looked as though he was straining to lay a Quaffle-sized egg. Harry bit back a laugh and hastily refocused his attention on his own hoop, imagining himself standing in the centre.
"Step three," called Twycross, "and only when I give the command … turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now … one-'
Harry did not think Apparating had felt like nothingness, but perhaps side-along was different. He ignored those around him who were panicking at being asked to Apparate so quickly, and tried to concentrate.
"-two-"
What did the three Ds stand for again?
"- three -"
Harry spun on the spot, lost his balance and nearly fell over. He was not the only one. The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; Neville was flat on his back; Ernie McMillan on the other hand, had done a kind of pirouetting leap into his hoop and looked momentarily thrilled, until he caught sight of Dean Thomas roaring with laughter at him.
"Never mind, never mind," said Twycross dryly, who apparently had not expected anything better. "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions …"
The second attempt was no better than the first. The third was just as bad. Not until the fourth did anything exciting happen. There was a horrible screech of pain and everybody looked around, to see Susan Bones of Hufflepuff wobbling in her hoop with her left leg still standing five feet away where she had started.
The Heads of House converged on her; there was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke, which cleared to reveal Susan sobbing, reunited with her leg but looking horrified. Harry was suddenly unsure if he wanted to succeed at Apparating or not.
"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts," said Wilkie Twycross dispassionately, "occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation … thus."
Twycross stepped forwards, turned gracefully on the spot with his arms outstretched, and vanished in a swirl of robes, reappearing at the back of the hall.
"Remember the three D's," he said, "and try again … one - two - three"
But an hour later Susan's splinching was still the most interesting thing that had happened. Twycross did not seem discouraged. Fastening his cloak at his neck, he merely said "Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation."
With that he waved his wand, vanishing the hoops, and walked out of the hall accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Excited chatter broke out at once, as the students began moving towards the door, keen to share their 'almost' successes.
"How did you do?" asked Ron, hurrying towards Harry. "I think I felt something the last time I tried - a kind of tingling in my feet."
Harry snapped his mouth shut as a nasal voice interrupted, "I expect your trainers are too small, Won-Won," A smirking Hermione said as she stalked past.
"I didn't feel much," Harry shrugged. "Certainly nothing like the times that I've been side-along, next time, I meant try focusing on that instead. I did hear Malfoy say something interesting though." He hurried them out of the hall and down the staircase that led to the Dungeons. "Come on I want to tell Severus."
They reached the Dungeons not long after Severus himself. Harry ducked around the tall man, pulling the Marauder's Map from out of the pocket of his robes.
Tapping it with his wand he said "I solemnly swear I am up to know good."
"What are we looking for," Ron asked, leaning over Harry's shoulder, searching the tiny, labelled black dot's that were moving around the detailed plan of the castle.
"Help me find Malfoy."
"There," Severus pointed, "oh how exciting he's in the Slytherin common room … with Parkinson, Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle. Now kindly explain this intrusion."
"I accidentally ended up near him during Apparition practise. He was arguing with Crabbe, I didn't hear it all but he's doing something that he needs Crabbe and Goyle on lookout for."
"I believe that this may be related to the task we know he has been given. Do not worry I am keeping an eye on him."
"Do you need me to …"
"No Harry. I understand it is tempting for you to follow curiosity but trust me," he sounded unusually solemn. Harry glanced up into Severus's eyes, and nodded.
"Alright."
"Thank you, Harry."
"But if I see anything else …"
"You will come and advise me or your ridiculous father." Severus said sternly.
"Ok."
"Just like that?" Ron asked curiously.
"Yeah." Harry grinned.
-o0o-
Petunia looked around at the little cottage, Remus and that lawyer had done well. They had arranged for her townhouse to be 'cleaned'. All the broken bits and pieces had been gathered up and removed from the building so they could get it cleaned. They had been taken to the new house where Remus had repaired the lot, not that she had seen it, having been caught up by Mrs. Thompson. The new place was not far away, close enough to the village that she could keep her job, and have Dudley home from school, whenever it was allowed.
It had been a team from Gringotts's who had warded the house this time, though she was warned, that they could not give it the full complement of wards as it would disappear entirely, so the protections would not stop Vernon, if he was particularly determined, from finding her, though it would 'encourage' him to leave if he come by.
Sighing, she wandered into the kitchen and stopped to stare at the basket on the table.
There was a bunch of flowers, another clear ball, and a small note that read 'Just In Case'. It was enough to make her knees go weak as the guilt dropped her into a chair. After all she had done, after all the vitriol she had spat. After facing her hate, it was these people, who protected her and kept her safe.
With a gentle finger she caressed the stem of a particularly vibrant orchid. Not just safe, they were trying to make sure she was … okay, content, perhaps happy. She did not deserve it. A droplet fell, crinkling the parchment as it was absorbed.
-o0o-