oooOOOoooOOOooo Chapter 15
The day of classes passed quickly. Harry would never understand why they held the first task on a school night but it was what it was. At least today was Friday and most students had a light day.
Ron's rather lackluster apology to Harry and Emma the next morning during breakfast was completely forgettable. Everyone could tell he didn't mean it. Most of the school was too busy snickering at the image of Ron's red arse to really listen to him anyway.
When classes ended, Harry and Hermione met Gabrielle and everyone else met for their extra lessons. It was a grueling schedule but Harry could already tell his skills were improving. His class work was coming easier and his homework took less time to research. The only class that never seemed to get any better was potions.
As the students were preparing to leave for dinner, Remus pulled Harry aside.
"Harry, I think we need to go see about the special room Myrtle told us about after dinner," said the man.
Harry slumped and growled, "The horcrux."
Remus nodded. "That's my assumption as well. We need to get to it before anyone else does. The Weasley twins won't wait long before they investigate. Someone could get hurt."
Harry sighed but nodded. He knew Remus was right. The lure of a room that could become anything you wanted was too great for the tricksters to pass up for long.
"Good. Come back here after you eat and we'll go," said Remus, patting the boy's back.
Harry smiled wanly and turned to walk with everyone down to dinner.
The meal was quickly eaten, even if Harry's appetite was slightly stymied by the venomous looks Ron, Draco, and Snape were giving him. Harry tried to ignore them all. Snape made it hard. He kept making loud, snide remarks about how the nobility was going to the dogs. Harry honestly didn't care. If he didn't want to keep Voldemort from claiming the line, he would have let it founder.
They finally finished eating and went back to Harry's room. Harry was surprised to find Madam Bones waiting for them with Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley.
"Hello," Harry said, uncertainly.
"Potter, or should I say Lord Slytherin?" asked Madam Bones. Harry grimaced but everyone could see the lordship ring on his finger.
"Just call me Harry, yeah?" he asked. Tonks laughed and Moody smirked but Kingsley and Madam Bones were unmoved. They just planned to do as Harry asked.
"Very well, Harry," said Madam Bones.
"What are you lot doing here?" asked Harry, inquisitively.
"They're here to help us find the horcrux," said Remus. Harry looked at them all grimly.
"Right," he said. Harry went over to cuddle the babies for a few moments. Then, he sighed and headed out for the death defying adventure of the week.
The aurors, Bill, Remus, Padfoot, the girls, and Harry walked out of Harry's rooms and towards the entrance to Gryffindor tower.
Ron didn't notice the new adults but he did see Harry walking out of his rooms. He was so angry at the humiliation he'd suffered that he decided to shoot Harry with a spell right in the back.
He was so angry, he wasn't even smart about what spell he chose. A diffindo seemed like a reasonable spell to the angry boy. Unfortunately, the aurors following Harry out of the entrance to his rooms didn't agree.
Kingsley shot a shield up around Harry's unprotected back. The spell ricocheted off of the shield and stuck the wooden Gryffindor shield above the fireplace. It cracked the shield in two. The bottom half fell off and smacked Ron in the head, hard. He screamed as he fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his head.
Madam Bones cast a spell to stop the bleeding and bind the boy in magical ropes. When Ron saw who'd helped him and had him trussed up now, his face went pale.
"It wasn't my fault!" he yelled. "He started it!"
Moody stomped out of the hole, anger on every line of his face. "Not from where I was standing. You attacked a person in the back, unprovoked," spat the auror.
Madam Bones turned to Tonks. "Get Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore."
Tonks nodded angrily and hurried from the room, shooting vicious looks at Ron as she went. Gabrielle and Hermione rushed over to Harry, who was crouching with his wand in hand.
"Are you alright?" asked Hermione, checking Harry over for injuries.
"What happened?" asked a panicking Gabrielle. Everyone in the room was staring and whispering. No one saw what happened, except the aurors.
"I don't know," said Harry. He didn't see any danger, so he stood up. He stared at Ron, who was still babbling about what Harry had done to start the fight.
"He did! He started it! He embarrassed me in front of the whole school! He took pictures of my bum without my permission and passed them around the whole school! He got me in trouble with my parents and with McGonagall! He ditched me and replaced me with a couple of bints and brats!" shouted Ron.
Bill stomped forward. "I'm his guardian. What did the little shite do this time?"
The aurors looked grim. Madam Bones answered. "He cast a diffindo at someone's back, unprovoked."
"He did provoke me! He's been provoking me all year! He's a liar and a braggart! You can't believe him!" said Ron, angrily.
"I didn't even see you," said Harry, shaking his head.
"He could have killed Potter, is what he could have done. That was an overpowered spell. It cut that four inch thick wooden shield right in half. It would have at least paralyzed him," said Moody. He had no sympathy for the whinger on the floor.
Bill's face turned red with anger. "You've gone too far this time," spat Bill.
McGonagall and Dumbledore came into the room, grave looks on their faces. McGonagall looked at the trussed up Ron on the floor and shook her head. Dumbledore just looked tired and sad. He knew this would mean real trouble.
"Mr. Weasley. Do you care to explain yourself?" asked Dumbledore.
"It's his fault! He's always treated me like dirt! Like he's better than me, just because someone killed his parents. Thinks he's better than everyone because he's famous for some shite he did as a baby even though he ended up with money and fame because of it! Then, he embarrassed me in front of the entire school. His best mate! Everyone saw my pants! My parents are mad at me and my dad spanked me! Everyone saw the proof, too! I couldn't even lie about it," Ron said, screeching his vitriol for everyone to hear.
No one felt sorry for him. Everyone in Gryffindor knew Harry hated his fame. He never lorded it over anyone even though he could have. If anything, Ron acted better than everyone else because of his connection to Harry's fame. Harry just avoided most people and stuck to himself.
"You did that to yourself, Ron. You pushed a woman holding a baby. The baby could have been seriously hurt. Dad was right to tan your hide! You deserved every smack!" said Bill, his rage about to cause him to say something he would regret. He took several deep breaths to calm down.
"We were the ones who showed your red arse to the whole school," said Fred.
"You deserved worse than that. You got off lucky," said George. They couldn't believe one of their siblings could be more of a waste of space than Percy.
Ron's face turned red in anger. He opened his mouth to spew more shite but McGonagall silenced him.
"What happened here?" she asked the aurors. Madam Bones filled her in.
"He shot an overpowered diffindo at Harry's back. Auror Shacklebolt got a shield up in time. I took the offender into custody," she said, succinctly. "Harry just walked through the room. He didn't even look at the Weasley boy."
Dumbledore was watching Ron. He kept trying to yell, despite being silenced. None of what he was saying looked like an apology. Dumbledore sighed.
"What happens now?" the elderly man asked.
Madam Bones turned to Harry. "It's up to you, Harry. Would you like to press charges?"
Harry watched Ron's face turn purple with his silenced shouts. He glanced at Bill.
Bill looked supportive. "Whatever you want to do, Harry. I'll back your play."
It honestly softened Harry's heart. He knew the Weasleys would all be heartbroken if one of their own ended up in Azkaban, even if he did deserve it.
Harry shook his head. "No. I don't want that kind of punishment for him but I do hope he'll be adequately punished," Harry said, looking at Dumbledore and McGonagall. "He's out of control."
McGonagall snorted. "Too right. It'll be detention every weekend for the rest of the year and a six foot essay on the legal ramifications of casting a spell that causes serious injury in an unprovoked attack."
Ron's mouth fell open in shock at the unfairness.
Dumbledore shook his head. "That won't be sufficient. A death could have occurred. No, that'll be 500 points from Gryffindor. Gryffindor is disqualified from the House Cup this year. You'll be working with Mr. Filch every free period for the rest of the year. I would demand a public apology but that didn't seem to get the message across this morning."
Dumbledore stared at Ron in disappointment. Ron refused to make eye contact.
"You're on probation, Mr. Weasley. One more serious infraction and you'll be expelled," said Dumbledore.
Ron's face paled and he looked like he'd be sick any moment.
"Further," said Madam Bones. "You'll be receiving an official warning from the DMLE. If you have one more serious infraction, I won't care if the victim wants to press charges or not. I'll see you before the Wizengamot."
Ron gave Harry a look of such hate. If looks could kill, Harry would be a dead man standing. The adults all shook their heads. This boy just didn't get it.
"I'd watch your back, Potter. You've got a real enemy in that one," said Moody. He wanted to spit on the codger. He saw kids just like this during Voldemort's rise. They all ended up as death eaters. He wouldn't be surprised if this one came to the same bad end.
"For tonight, you're coming with me," said McGonagall. "I'll be changing the password to Gryffindor tower. You won't be allowed back in until I allow it. You'll be spending your very limited free time in the quarters adjacent to my own for the foreseeable future. I'm going to keep a very close eye on you."
Madam Bones turned to Dumbledore. "If it's alright, I'd like to place an auror on sight for the rest of the tournament. We'll see where we stand after that."
"I'll allow it," said a weary Dumbledore. He turned his gaze away from Ron and looked at Harry.
"Tonks, you're on assignment. You'll report to Moody every morning and evening. I expect you to keep an eye on things here," said Madam Bones.
"Will do, Captain," said Tonks. She was secretly elated by the turn of events. If Harry was alright with it, she'd stay with him. It would mean she'd get to see Remus almost every day!
Bill turned away from his brother. He was too sickened by the boy to keep looking at him.
McGonagall didn't bother to set the boy free. It was obvious from looking at him that he would do something rash if given the chance. She floated him out of the room. Dumbledore patted Harry's shoulder and followed. Bill looked torn. He needed to tell his parents but wasn't sure if he should go now or stay the course to help hunt the horcrux. He was honestly the person most equipped to handle the horrid things.
Harry noticed his dilemma. He sighed and said, "Come with us, Bill. Your parents can wait a little longer. Ron's not going to be a danger to anyone else tonight."
"They'll want to pull him out of school right away," said Bill, uncertainly.
Harry shook his head. "They can do what they think is right but it doesn't need to be done right now."
"Come with us, Weasley. We might need a cursebreaker," said Moody. "That little bastard isn't going anywhere tonight."
Bill shook his head but agreed. The group walked out of the portrait hole, much more alert this time.
They followed McGonagall and Dumbledore to the stairs then went left when they went right. McGonagall was lecturing the boy the entire way. They didn't notice a curious Draco Malfoy watching the spectacle from the entrance to the sixth floor boys' bathroom. Draco decided to follow the more interesting sight of Weasley, McGonagall, and Dumbledore walking down the stairs. The boy didn't want anything to do with Mad-Eye Moody.
Harry led the way down the seventh floor corridor towards the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy. When he arrived, he stopped and looked uncertainly at the blank wall.
"What now?" asked Madam Bones.
"I just need to walk back and forth, I guess," said the unsure boy. The aurors looked at him like he was nuts. Remus nodded encouragingly.
"Go on, Harry," the man said. Harry looked like he didn't know if this would work but he followed the instructions Myrtle gave him. He walked back and forth three times down the hallway, thinking of the Room of Lost Things. A doorway suddenly appeared. Harry stopped and stared at it.
"Let us go first," said Madam Bones. "Shacklebolt, you've got the rear. Tonks, stick by Harry. Moody, you're with me."
The aurors moved to do as they were commanded. Madam Bones and Moody moved into the room with their wands drawn. They fanned out, checking the room for anything dangerous, there was both too little and too much to find.
"Clear," said Madam Bones. Moody relaxed but didn't put down his wand. "You can come in now."
The others all moved into the enormous room. It was easily the size of a quidditch pitch with literal piles of junk filling the entire place.
"How will we find it here?" asked a dismayed Harry.
Bill smirked at the treasure trove before him. "This is all abandoned stuff?"
"It is," agreed Madam Bones.
"Noted," said Bill. He took out his wand and cast a complicated looking spell. The spell shot off in a dozen directions at once.
"There's dark arts stuff everywhere with a light gleaming," he said, staring at the 23 points of light sparkling in the room.
Remus looked at the points, grimly. "That's a lot of dark arts for a school."
"Doesn't surprise me," snorted Moody. "This room's as old as the school. Every light and dark bugger in the United Kingdom has passed through here."
"Should we split up?" asked Kingsley. Madam Bones sighed but shook her head.
"No. It's too dangerous. Let's just try to make this quick," she said, not expecting it would happen. "Get that trunk over there. Anything that's not a horcrux gets investigated," she said. The group started walking towards the first item.
It took almost two hours of investigation before they found the blasted thing. It was the 19th item they had looked at. Everything else was in the trunk waiting to go back to the DMLE.
"This is it!" said Bill. Moody stamped forward and looked at the tarnished diadem sitting on top of an ugly bust of Wendell the Weird. His looks lived up to his name.
"This cabinet. I've seen it before or at least one just like it." Shacklebolt stepped forward and examined it.
"It's the match to the vanishing cabinet we saw in Borgin & Burkes," said Tonks.
"Want to bet old Borgin knew where the brother could be found?" asked a suspicious Moody. Moody and Shacklebolt had a little talk with Borgin. Burke died during the end of Voldemort's first rise to power. He was found to be a death eater, posthumously.
Borgin swore he didn't know anything about Voldemort. No one believed him. He said he didn't remember anyone named Tom Riddle working for him. He hired many recent Hogwarts graduates. The most they got out of him was that some teenager had stolen a few valuable items but he didn't remember who it was. A very likely story. The cheap bastard never let anyone take anything out of his store without payment or his say-so. The wards would hex your fingers right off if you tried.
"We'll take it with us and check it out," said Madam Bones. "Let's deal with the horcrux first."
Everyone turned to the diadem sitting on the bust. "Is that it?" asked Tonks.
Bill cast a few spells. "It is. Harry, do you have the basilisk venom I asked you to bring?"
Harry carefully pulled a vial out of his robe pocket. He handed the stoppered vial to Bill.
"That was in your pocket when Weasley sent that spell at you?" asked Moody, sharply.
Harry nodded and shrugged.
"If it had been hit by that spell, everyone in the room could have died from inhaling the vapor in the air," said the grim auror. Harry just shook his head.
"Thank the gods for the Potter luck, eh?" asked Tonks. Everyone agreed, even if they didn't say it.
Bill tapped the bust with his wand. It quickly morphed into a giant urn.
"These things often fight back when they're being destroyed. Everyone, take cover," said Bill, seriously.
The aurors cast some spells to create physical barriers. They cast some extra shield charms and waited for everyone to get behind it. Bill dropped some of the basilisk venom on the diadem and hurried to take cover himself. The diadem started spinning and rose up out of the urn, screeching horribly. A woman with dark hair and eyes appeared standing under the diadem.
"Helena!" she shrieked. The Gray Lady suddenly appeared, staring in shock at the screaming lady.
"Mother!" cried the ghost, silvery tears pouring from her eyes. The Bloody Baron rushed in from between the stacks.
"Rowena!" cried the man. The woman shrieked and attacked the bloody ghost. He screamed but nothing could stop her. She tore him to shreds of dark gray light. The pieces of him shriveled and fell to the floor, turning to wispy gray smoke that quickly dissipated away.
The screeching slowed to a stop, as did the spinning of the woman. The diadem floated up into the air and exploded in a shocking display of white, silver, and gray light. A great blue gem spun in the air and flew over to land in front of Harry. The woman looked at him.
"It contains enough power to grant more knowledge. Ask and ye shall receive," said the woman. She started to fade to a soft, misty white. "The taint that perverted my memories is gone. I will fade from this world."
"Come, Helena. You are avenged. Don't make me leave again without you," said Rowena.
The ghostly Gray Lady started to sob. "I can't. I stole from you, mother."
"I sent your murderer to find you, my daughter. I meant you no harm. Let us forgive one another and find peace," implored the lady who was fading fast. "Come child. Before it's too late." She held her ephemeral hand out to her daughter. Her only child.
The Gray Lady, Helena Ravenclaw, looked at the people in the room, then rushed forward and took her mother's hand. Both women gasped and faded into white light that mixed with the glow of the lanterns in the room until nothing of the women remained to be seen.
Everyone stood still in the eerie silence. Nothing else happened. The aurors let the shields fade away, just like the soft gray of the women faded to white then onto nothing.
Harry looked down at the blue gem. Bill hurried forward and cast upon it. "The horcrux is gone. It's been cleansed."
Harry looked at Bill, unsure of what to do.
"Go on, pick it up. It's not dangerous," encouraged Bill. Harry glanced at Hermione and Gabrielle. They both looked at him with concern.
Harry took a deep breath and bent to pick up the stone. The only knowledge he wanted was of what the remaining horcruxes were and how many remained. Harry wanted to be free.
As soon as Harry picked up the stone, it started to glow. Harry gasped as the energy thrummed through his body. An image came into his mind in vibrant color and warped sound.
A snake hissed. It opened its mouth and a woman stepped out. "Help me. Set me free," she said in parseltongue. Harry saw a blade chop off her head. When her head fell away, her empty neck morphed into a golden cup. A badger chittered on the front, spewing venom all around until the cup melted and crumpled into the shape of a golden locket with a snake glittering in the wet, green jewel on its face.
A snake hissed open, and the locket popped open, a glittering sword that Harry recognized pierced the locket. Harry saw the hand pull back the Sword of Gryffindor. It was held by himself, his scar pulsing red on his forehead. It cracked open and an evil man stepped out. He hissed in rage but again the blade flashed out. In a moment, nothing of the dark taint remained. Harry saw himself, standing with the sword, Hermione on one side with the scales of justice, Gabrielle on the other, shrieking victory over the dark. The three of them kissed and joyful red surrounded them, erasing the dark taint.
Harry gasped and dropped the gem. The glow stopped. It took Harry a moment to catch his breath. He bent over and held his knees, trying to overcome the dizzy, woozy feeling.
"Are you okay, mon ami?" asked a concerned Gabrielle.
"Just breath, Harry," said Hermione, carefully rubbing his back.
Harry finally got his breathing under control and stood.
"What did you see?" asked Madam Bones, urgently.
Harry shook his head and described the strange apparitions he saw. The more he thought, the more details that filled in.
The snake stood in a graveyard, hissing between the markers. The cup was sitting on a pile of gold and silver. The locket glittered in a dim house, a display case open with the locket sitting inside. He saw in his mind's eye the image of himself and the girls. He kept that vision to himself.
They all listened intently. Remus, Shacklebolt, and Tonks took careful notes. Everyone else just listened to the tale intently.
"There's three remaining, other than you," said Remus, quietly. They all looked to stare at Harry.
"I guess I can call the Sword of Gryffindor again?" Harry offered, unsettled. The sword instantly appeared in his hand. He almost dropped it, the move was so unexpected. He gripped the blade's handle and turned to look at everyone else.
"Seems so, lad," said Moody, a crooked grin on his face.
They all listened one more time to the details Harry was able to provide. Padfoot whinged. Remus and Harry glanced at him and understood. Sirius knew something about these items or where they were hidden.
As the aurors walked them back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry couldn't help but wonder what Sirius knew.