Chapter 11
Thanks to Madam Pomfrey's potion, he got a full night's sleep... and much, much more.
There was no Voldemort this time. No Frank the caretaker. No Peter Pettigrew. No Barty Crouch Jr. No Riddle Senior's mansion. No Nagini and no flashes of green light. Instead, he was treated to a full-course dinner. And that dinner was his memory from the day he was born until the day he returned to Hogwarts. It was a 92-years worth of memory, no more and no less.
So here he was, standing alone and looking out the window. It was early in the morning. The others had yet awoken. They would be soon. For now, they were still enjoying what Dreamland had to offer. The dark sky was slowly getting brighter. Streams of the yellow and purple cast along the horizon. The school ground was covered with thick, morning mist. He couldn't hear the sound the Dark Forest made during the night however, the castle's thick walls ensured that.
They said life flashes before your eyes as you tether on the edge of a cliff that separates between life and death. They said you'll know your place in the afterlife - should you believe in one - by the mere vision alone. He wondered if he was nearing death. A true death. And that whatever it was that happened to him from the moment of his return until that morning, and probably beyond was a precursor to that. A sign. A sign that indicated his end was near.
The vision he saw in his sleep was crystal clear. It was like watching a movie inside a theatre with him being the only patron sitting at the best seat available. The vision also unearthed something he never knew he had. The memory of the first few years of his life. He remembered very little of those:-
He only got to enjoy his time with his parents a little over a year after his birth. Even within that one year, many things happened. He saw his father lying unconscious on the floor as his mother gave birth to him. He saw Sirius. He saw Lupin. He saw Pettigrew. He saw the Longbottom. And many others. They were all rejoicing. Sirius bought him a toy broomstick once he learned how to walk, much to his mother's chagrin. Hagrid came to visit the Potters once in Godric Hollow. The gentle giant nearly crushed his infant self when he tried to hug him. It was a happy time. But then, chaos erupted. There were flashes of green light. He saw in full detail how Voldemort dispatched his father. He saw his mother pleading with Voldemort. He killed her in the end. Voldemort then pointed his wand to his chest and muttered the familiar incantation. A flash of green light erupted from the end of his wand. As expected, his body absorbed the Killing Curse. But something else happened after that. Flashes of green light mixed with yellow and blue suddenly erupted from his body. It hit Voldemort with full force. A look of terror formed on Voldemort's face as his body began to glow brightly until suddenly, his body exploded. The resultant explosion tore the roof above his room wide open. The smoke from the aftermath began to swirl. It formed a face not unlike Voldemort and with a blood-curdling scream, the face flew out through the gaping hole that was once the roof and into the darkness.
He sat in his cot, staring at the lifeless body of his mother. Lily lay motionless on the floor, her face facing him. Her eyes were open. A trail of tears ran down her face as if she was begging forgiveness from him for not being able to do more.
Noises began building up on the outside of the house. Neighbors began to gather. They must have heard, maybe seen what had happened. He then heard footsteps coming up to the first floor. He thought it was the neighbors.
It wasn't. It was Severus Snape.
Snape ground to a halt at the door.
"NO!"
Snape's body swayed. He quickly grabbed the door's frame and leaned against it.
"No," moaned Snape as he saw Lily's lifeless body lying on the floor beside the cot. Tears fell down his cheeks. He went down on his knees and crawled to Lily's body. His tears continued to fall as he gently stroked her face. He then gently pulled her into his embrace and continued to weep.
Snape heard little noises coming from the cot. He looked up and saw Harry. The little boy was sitting in his cot, watching him. After several moments of consideration, Snape slowly placed Lily's body back on the floor. He stood up and reached for Harry. He stared at the toddler as he held him. His eyebrows cocked.
"You have your mother's eyes," he whispered.
All of a sudden, a noise coming from below woke him up. Someone was coming. Snape quickly placed Harry back into his cot and apparated.
Someone was indeed coming. It was Sirius Black.
Sirius stopped just short of the door. He went speechless the moment he saw the carnage. He saw Lily lying lifeless on the floor. He looked up and saw the roof had gone. He then saw Harry sitting in his cot. He then immediately grabbed the toddler.
"It's going to be okay, Harry. It's going to be all right," he whispered to him as he held the boy close to him.
Sirius looked down toward Lily. His expression of sorrow suddenly turned into rage.
"Pettigrew," he whispered.
Swiftly, Sirius departed with Harry in his arms. He went down the stairs and into the kitchen. He then barged out and into the backyard where Hagrid was waiting for him beside his motorcycle.
"Sirius! What 'appened?! James? Lily? Harry?" Hagrid asked breathlessly.
Sirius handed Harry over to Hagrid. The gentle giant gingerly took Harry.
"They're dead. The dark lord did what he came for," said Sirius coldly as he took out his wand.
Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.
"Get a hold of yourself, Hagrid. There will be time to grieve. Here, take my bike," said Sirius, handing over the keys to his bike to Hagrid. "Get Harry to a safer place. Get him to Dumbledore right away. I have a score to settle. Don't wait for me."
With that, Sirius promptly apparated.
But before Hagrid could do what he was being told, a phoenix-shaped Patronus appeared to him. The Patronus told him to go into hiding and to bring young Harry with him.
"Keep him hidden, Hagrid. Keep him safe. Wait for my signal," the voice of Dumbledore instructed him.
The scene spun. The older Harry saw Hagrid carrying the younger him on Sirius's bike. Through the cloud, they flew as fast as they could until they reached a castle so familiar. But the castle wasn't their destination. Hagrid turned the bike as they approached the castle ground and headed towards the Dark Forest. He and Harry landed deep within the forest where they took refuge for the next couple of days. They weren't alone, however. The Centaur guarded them, keeping them safe. They also helped Hagrid feed Harry whenever he was hungry.
Dumbledore's Patronus reappeared late on the second day of their hiding and this time Dumbledore instructed Hagrid to bring Harry to Surrey.
"Wait until nightfall. I have placed a beacon only you can see. Look for it. Professor McGonagall and I shall wait for you there."
The scene spun again. Harry watched as Dumbledore placed his younger self at the Dursley doorstep. He watched as the headmaster placed a letter, no doubt addressed to Aunt Petunia, inside his basket. He watched as Uncle Vernon jumped the moment he opened the door the next morning. He watched as both his uncle and aunt got into an intense argument. Uncle Vernon steadfastly wanted to dump the younger Harry at the orphanage. Aunt Petunia, holding Dumbledore's letter in her hand, steadfastly refused. Aunt Petunia won in the end and thus began young Harry's life under the care of the Dursleys.
Harry watched how the Dursleys treated him during his early years. This was the part that he never remembered. Instead of milk, the Dursley fed him plain water or day-old tea in a used baby bottle. He would eat the cheapest, and sometimes already expired cereal. The only time he experienced good food was when Dudley couldn't finish his meal which wasn't always the case. Dudley usually finished his food and Aunt Petunia made sure that her son only eats the best. That was the reason why his growth stunted. He was shorter and smaller than everyone within his age due to malnutrition. Dudley also got a room of his own. There was an extra room available within the house but the Dursley never bothered to give the room to Harry. Instead, he had to sleep in a box, tucked to the farthest, most obscured corner of the kitchen. His bedding merely consisted of whatever Dumbledore provided when he sent him to stay with the Dursley.
And then there was the beating. Uncle Vernon would waste no time beating him even for the slightest mistake. Vernon never held back. Vernon would even beat him when Dudley was the one responsible. He would beat Harry when he was in a bad mood. And he would even keep on beating Harry when he cried during the beating. It was at that point that Harry learned not to utter a single word or cry during the beating no matter how painful it was.
The cruelty didn't end with the Dursley. Aunt Marge joined the party as well. Ironically, she was taken by Harry's cuteness the first time she saw him but after Uncle Vernon told her of Harry's background, she changed. Like Uncle Vernon, her cruelty knows no bounds and she had been pushing Uncle Vernon to dump Harry at an orphanage at every chance she got.
Every night Harry would creep out of his box and walk toward the living room. There he sat on the floor, facing one of the walls decorated with a multitude of pictures of the Dursley family. He would try to find the picture of his parents but they were nowhere to be found. He missed them. He missed them so much that he would imagine them by replacing every smiling face within those pictures with the face of his parents and him. Red, glowing marks could be seen on parts of his body where Uncle Vernon's belt touched. The pain lingered for days.
And every night his tears fell. He wondered what he did to deserve such cruel treatment.
And as they said, the rest is history.
The vision kept on going until the end and that was when he woke up. He rubbed his eyes. He blinked a few times. They were wet.
Harry slowly pushed himself up and sat on his bed. He pushed his bed curtains a little and peeked. The windows to the dormitory were moistened by the early morning dew formed during the night. He put on his glasses and walked towards the window.
The memory...
He now remembered everything. Everything from the day he was born until... until he was thrown back in time.
His memories. Most of it was painful. Losing something or someone had become part of his legacy. Nevertheless, for the first time ever since his return to Hogwarts, he reacquired his sense of direction. He regained his knowledge of what happened in 1994. He knew now what he needed to do. But that wasn't all.
Fleur Isabelle Delacour.
The girl who appeared once in his dream. That was her. She was the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. It was even said that her beauty was unmatched even among her kind in a thousand years. He had no idea the extent of the truth. Maybe she was. Maybe she wasn't. All that he knew was that she was his friend. His fellow warrior. His companion. And eventually his wife. Their road to happily ever after was a rocky one but they took it with stride. In the face of many challenges, their love for each other prevailed. She was loyal to him as much as he was loyal to her. And he would get to see her in a few weeks' time.
But for now, Fleur would have to wait for he had much more pressing matters in need of his attention.
Harry glanced at Hedwig. She was still fast asleep. He decided not to wake her up. He knew she needed the rest. There were many more owls available at the Owlery. He would use them.
He turned around and made his way to the bathroom. After a few splashes of water onto his face, he returned to his bed and began putting on a pair of a clean shirt and a trouser. Once done, he made his way down towards the still vacant common room. Upon arriving at his study table, he took out a new parchment and a quill from his school bag. With the help of the illumination provided by the fireplace, he began to write:-
Dear Padfoot,
It's good to hear from you again. I hope you'll continue to be safe. Just keep your head down and don't try anything risky. It's not worth being thrown back into that hell hole once again.
Don't worry about the scar. It didn't hurt as much as before. Dumbledore would be busy with the preparation for the Triwizard Tournament. You probably know it by now. I prefer not to add the scar to
the list of things he needs to worry about but I promise I'll see him once the chance comes.
Anyway, I really want to see you. There are things that we need to discuss. As you know, letters won't be safe so I prefer to see you in person. I want to suggest that we meet during the Hogsmeade outing slated this coming November on the 21st. but given the tournament would already be well on its way at that time, the village would be inundated with a lot of people. I don't doubt your ability to hide but still, it won't be safe. Oh, before I forget, I'm in possession of 'the map'. I think you know. I also know all the secret passages. The tournament will begin sometime next month. Hope these clues will help you with the planning.
That's all for now. Write back once you get the chance and stay safe.
Harry.
Harry gave the letter he wrote one final reading before putting it inside the envelope. Remembering that he could be caught for strolling the corridor this early morning, he went back to his dormitory and silently retrieved both his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder Map. In all honesty, he did forget that he owned the two most valuable items in the world. He only remembered that he possessed them when he was rummaging the trunk last night for Hedwig's treat. After throwing the cloak over his head, he climbed into the portrait hole and out into the corridor beyond.
"Who's that?" the Fat Lady, jolted from her sleep, asked. She looked around but she saw no one. The corridor was empty. Or rather looked empty.
Once Harry was out of earshot of the Fat Lady, he took out the map. Under the cover of his cloak, he tapped the map with his wand and pronounced, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." An elaborate map of Hogwarts immediately appeared on the once-blank piece of parchment. He began to trace the map and once satisfied that the passage to the Owlery was clear, he tapped the map once again and said, "Mischief manage." After pocketing the map, he set off towards the Owlery.
It took him only a few minutes to arrive at the top of the castle's West Tower where the Owlery was located. From one of the glassless windows adorning the Owlery's wall, he could see the glimmer of sunlight rising from the horizon. Dawn had arrived. Harry took off his Invisibility Cloak and began to look around. The morning was cold and drafty. Harry shivered and cursed himself for not wearing a sweater.
Harry saw Pigwidgeon, nestling on the topmost branch of the Owlery's perch. He considered using him at first before deciding that it would be too risky. Ron's little owl was too noisy and hyperactive for its own good. Besides, he had yet to ask for Ron's permission. He knew Ron would not mind but it would be impolite for him not to notify his best friend beforehand.
Few of the school's owls had already awakened from their slumber. He approached one of them. The brownish owl, upon sensing an upcoming mission designated for him, straightened up importantly and stuck out one of its legs. Harry tied the letter to its leg and said, "Find him. You know what to do."
The owl gave Harry a reassuring hoot. He stood back and watched as the owl spread out its wing and flew out the window and into the dark, cold, and misty morning that lies beyond.
Peeves was the only obstacle he met on his way back to the Gryffindor Tower. The residence poltergeist was singing his way merrily into one of the vacant classrooms. The poltergeist didn't see him. His Invisibility Cloak concealed him effectively. He let the ghost float past him before continuing his journey. He could not believe his luck the moment he arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Two Gryffindor prefects were just coming out of the portrait hole. They were just starting their morning patrol. None of them saw him.
Harry took the chance and quietly slipped into the portrait hole just as the portrait began to close. He ran up to his dormitory and was relieved to see that the rest of his dorm mates, and more importantly Hedwig, were still sleeping. The bird would throw quite a fit if she knew what Harry had done.
After storing the map and cloak back in his trunk, Harry took his towel that hung nearby and stepped into the bathroom. He threw his bird poop-smelled clothing into the laundry bin and took his morning shower.
The rest of his dorm mates had awakened when he stepped out of the bathroom.
"Mornin'," said Ron as he yawned widely. He then looked sleepily at Harry. "You're up early."
"Yeap. Like always. We have Double Transfiguration this morning, Ron. Come on. I want to get to the Great Hall early. I'm hungry," said Harry as he began to don his uniform.
Ron's eyes lighted up the moment he heard the word 'Great Hall'. "Breakfast!"
He immediately took his towel and walked straight into the bathroom.
Harry chuckled and shook his head. Nothing can separate Ron from his food. He realized that fact during their attempt to find and destroy Voldemort's hocruxes. The lack of food and various creature comforts caused Ron to abandon him and Hermione. Harry was truly disappointed with him at that time. Ron eventually returned to them but whatever trust and respect Harry had for him went up in smoke. It was from that moment on Harry realized that he could not truly rely on the Weasley's youngest male. Of course, he still maintained the friendship he had with Ron. The Weasley clan had done a lot for him. He will never forget their deeds.
Lucky for him this time around, both Hermione and Ron will no longer be a factor. He already decided while on his way back to the Gryffindor Tower that they would not be a part of his team this time.
Harry and his roommates arrived at the Great Hall fifteen minutes later. It was still early. Aside from a few students, the hall was largely empty. Even the teachers' table was still vacant. But the sausages, bacon strips, eggs both fried and boiled, various fruit jams, butter, and toasts had already been served. Harry and Ron wasted no time in finding their usual spot, piling up on everything, and began eating.
"Good morning," greeted Hermione when she arrived about ten minutes later. "Hungry? You both are early today. You wouldn't even bother to wait for me," she said as she sat down and began to apply a liberal amount of butter to her toast.
"Yeah, sorry about that," said Ron as he shoved a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.
"Understandable."
They had a silent breakfast that day. The twins arrived ten minutes after Hermione. Soon, the noise within the Great Hall began to build up as everyone, both the students and the teachers arrived for their breakfast.
Harry looked toward the teacher's table. He saw no Moody there. It had always been like that since the impostor arrived at Hogwarts. Moody or rather Barty Jr. never showed up during breakfast. He figured that having to impersonate someone both mentally and physically took its toll in some way. Barty Crouch Jr. was probably inside his quarters right this very instance in his original form.
He silently wondered what Alastor Moody flavored Polyjuice Potion tasted like. He ended up shuddering.
Harry's hand twitched a little when the thought of exposing Barty Jr. came to him. Oh, how he would love going to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom and exposing Barty Crouch Jr. in front of everyone. Oh, how he wished he could see the white eyes of Barty, just like what he saw from every dark wizard who begged for mercy before he killed them.
But he knew he had to be patient. He already knew what Barty was planning. He needed to allow Barty and to some extent, Voldemort, to bask in their illusion of glory for the time being before he gave them a dose of hard reality.
The hard part would be whether he would be able to control himself tomorrow. He hoped that Barty Jr. wouldn't be stupid enough to try to do things that would trigger his Auror instinct. Right now, the Auror in him was screaming for blood. He had a hard time pushing that instinct down. One wrong move and Barty will be dead within five minutes into class. He hoped it would not come to that.
At least not yet anyway. The Angel of Death would have to wait.
Transfiguration Class...
"Welcome back!" announced Professor McGonagall. Her eyes glinted behind her square spectacles.
Harry observed a cage full of hedgehogs placed on top of her table. He could already guess what they were going to do that day.
"I see that each one of you manages to return to Hogwarts. Congratulations. What I could not congratulate however are your last year's final results. Only one of you *McGonagall nodded at Hermione* managed to get an O. As you are probably not aware, you are now entering one of the most important phases in your magical education. I do not need to remind you that your Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations are drawing closer and-."
"But professor, we will only be having our O.W.L. late next year!" said Dean Thomas indignantly.
"I know that, but believe me you will need all the practice and study you can get! You only have about a little more than a year to prepare. As to date, only Miss Granger manages to perform all the practical aspects of this class correctly within a few tries," stated Professor McGonagall, glancing at Hermione proudly.
Hermione, who had turned rather pink tried not to look too pleased with herself.
"And as you all know, the Triwizard Tournament will be held in a few weeks," continued McGonagall. "Both visiting schools will send their best students to compete-."
"Professor," said Padma Patil, raising her hand. "Don't you mean student?"
"No, Miss Patil. I said, students. As Professor Dumbledore specifically explained to you during the Welcoming Feast, an impartial judge will select those who are worthy enough to compete which would mean that both Durmstrang and Beauxbaton will send more than one candidate," explained McGonagall. "And as such, I am keen to see that none of you would dare to reveal to the delegates anything that would undermine this school's reputation. I am not looking forward to seeing them going back to their school telling everyone that Hogwarts students could not perform even a simple Switching Spell," said Professor McGonagall.
She then took out her wand and gave it a flick. The once-blank chalkboard was immediately filled with writings.
"This semester we shall concentrate on the Switching Spells," she announced, pointing with her wand towards the chalkboard. "-followed by Cross-Species Switching on the next semester. I expect that you would still remember the method and the incantation since you had learned the spell during your first year. But given it has been a while since the last time you used it, we shall do some revisions. On my table is a cage full of hedgehogs. You shall attempt to transform your hedgehog into a pincushion and back. You will at the same time test the pincushion with a pin, just like what you did during your first year. You may begin, now!"
Feet shuffled as everyone went to retrieve their hedgehog from the cage and soon after, muttered incantations began to fill up the room.
McGonagall gave her nod of approval to Harry and Hermione who managed to transform their hedgehogs into perfect pincushions and back within a single try. Ron managed within four tries. Dean Thomas's pincushion squealed and tried to roll away from him when he approached it with a sharp pin. Seamus's pincushion oozed a lot of blood and 'died' when he poked it with a pin.
At the end of the class, only Harry and Hermione managed to pass all the practical aspects of the Switching Spell perfectly. However, due to the class's overall dismal performance, McGonagall gave them homework on Switching Spells, due within a week.
Hogwarts library...
They had a free period before lunch so the trio decided to spend the time at the library. Once they found their usual spot, like always, Hermione would spend the first few minutes finding the book she wanted to read. Unusually though this time around, she brought back Hogwarts, A History.
"Don't you have this book back at the dormitory that you read over and over, Hermione?" asked Ron.
"Yes, I do. I just remembered something. I need some confirmation," replied Hermione as she began to peruse that book. "Now shut up. I'm trying to concentrate."
Deciding that it would be wise not to bother Hermione with her reading, Ron turned towards Harry. "And since when did you become so good in Transfiguration, Harry?"
"Shhh!" Hermione said sharply. "Keep your voice down, Ron. This is the library. I'm not going to have Madam Pince throw us out before I finish."
"Sorry," apologized Ron. "So Harry," he repeated his question in a much lower voice. "How come you became so good in Transfiguration?"
Harry gave Ron a perplexed look. "It's a first-year spell, Ron. We learned it like three years ago."
"Well yeah, but it still took me four tries before I could nail it perfectly."
"And you did better than most back there," stated Harry. "Remember what happened to Seamus and Dean's pincushions? You did well. I don't have any secrets, Ron. I'll share them with you if I have one."
That of course was a lie.
"But what about Potion?"
"As I told you and everyone else, I was lucky. I just followed whatever Snape wrote on the board, that's all. It would help if you stopped overthinking, Ron," said Harry as he returned to his book.
Ron went quiet but from the look on his face, Harry could see that Ron was still not satisfied with his reply. But at least he managed to shut down that ginger albeit temporarily. Given his experience with Ron, he knew this wouldn't be the last time Ron tried to get something out of him.
Ron and his jealousy problem.
At the same time, Harry admitted he was facing an issue. His knowledge and his skill. Both were a bit too much for an ordinary fourth-year student to possess. It would be too obvious for everyone to see. Ron and Hermione noticed. Others will too. The only way to remedy such an issue would be to lower his standard to that of a fourth-year student. Harry knew it would be impossible for him to do that. He may have the body of a fourteen-year-old boy, but his magic was that of a 92-year-old man. His own magic intertwined tightly with him, both physically and mentally, up to the point that he did not really have to utter the incantation. A mere thought was just enough to get what he wanted. There were incidents during his time as an Auror where his magic acted on its own accord, both defending him and helping him to destroy his enemy. Setting or lowering his own magical standard may not be within his control.
But Ron and Hermione knew nothing about that. They also did not realize that the person who currently sitting with them was not the Harry they had known for three years. He silently wondered how much longer he would be able to pretend.
"I can't believe it!"
Hermione's voice woke him from his musing. "What? What is it, Hermione?"
"There's none of it! Not even a reference to them!" she said angrily as she continuously flipped the pages over and over again.
"What's them?" asked Ron.
"House-elves! House-elves in Hogwarts! There's nothing about it in here!"
Ron and Harry glanced at each other. They both knew they needed to put a stop to it. Hermione would rant about the house elves on and on if left unchecked.
"Urm, can we go to lunch now?" asked Harry who suddenly got an idea.
"Is it time already?" asked Hermione as she checked her watch. "Oh. It is. Oh, well."
Feeling a little bit relieved, Harry helped Hermione put away the book she took and the trio made their way toward the Great Hall.
The potential house elves crisis abated for now.
History of Magic was the only class they had that afternoon and thankfully, it lasted for only an hour. Once again as before and as it had always been for the past three years, they were treated with a flat and boring monologue on the Goblin War, produced by none other than Professor Cuthbert Binn, Hogwarts' only ghost teacher. It did have an upside though. An insomniac would love the soothing lullaby of Professor Binn's voice. He was the perfect cure. Ron, who never had any problem sleeping, dozed off to Dreamland two minutes into his lecture. It was not for nothing when virtually all students referred to Professor Binn's class as The Class of the Undead.
Strangely enough, Harry managed to keep himself awake throughout that one hour of pure mental agony. Not once did he feel sleepy. Perhaps the mental training he received had something to do with it. He was able to listen to Professor Binn's lecture to its fullest. All the while, he began to wonder if magical history really only centered around goblins. It was the only thing Professor Binn talked about for the last three years and probably way before that. He suddenly had this wild idea of confronting Professor Binn and telling him that he was already dead and that it was time for him to move on. Or crossover, whatever that means.
Or perhaps not. Hogwarts may not have the budget to employ another living teacher after all and Professor Binn most likely worked for free.
It was not that Harry really cared for magical histories after all. It only introduced more difficulties for him, especially after the war. After Voldemort fell, Harry's name was forever engraved in books, art, and monuments. He became an instant celebrity. A hero. His every action was carefully scrutinized. Fleur pointed out that fact to him once. He disregarded it, claiming that he had his own life to live. But of course that did not make his life any easier. His marriage to the French beauty drew a lot of opposition from the British magical community. The Daily Prophet was the most vocal critic of them all. The tabloid vehemently pointed out that Harry should have married a Briton, not an outsider, and they speculated that the marriage wouldn't last. They also accused Fleur of being an opportunist, that she only wanted him for his fame.
He felt sorry for Fleur. Despite the stoic appearance she always wore, he knew that she was hurt deep inside. He voiced his concern three weeks after their wedding. She dismissed it. Instead, she walked up to her newly wedded husband and buried him in her warm embrace. To his ear, she softly whispered, "I 'ave made my choice, 'Arry. I already know what I'm going to face. I don't regret it. Do me a favor. Prove zhem wrong."
And that was what he did. For more than seventy years, he continuously proved them wrong. Their marriage lasted and they both remained loyal to each other.
The weather that afternoon was clear and bright. The sky was blue with very few hints of clouds. It was not every day one could experience weather this good on the British Isles.
That afternoon Harry found himself strolling alone along the corridors of Hogwarts. He purposely didn't bring Ron and Hermione with him. Ron was taking an afternoon nap and Hermione was nowhere to be found when he left the Common Room. He visited the Astronomy Tower where he used to hide when he was at his lowest. He visited the entrance of the secret passage that would lead him to Honeyduke. No one else knew about the passage except him, the twins, and maybe Sirius Black. He visited the seventh-floor corridor where the Room of Requirement was situated. He even considered visiting the school's kitchen. He ultimately decided against it. He didn't want to bother the house elves.
Leaning against the one of balconies that littered the castle, Harry could see the Quidditch pitch from afar. He mostly had good memories with the pitch, only a few bad ones. He helped Gryffindor win the Inter-House Quidditch Cup in his third year. It was in the same year that he fell hundreds of feet in the air when he was attacked by the Dementors. He survived that fall. And a little bit nearer to the castle was Hagrid's cabin.
Much had changed since the Battle of Hogwarts. The castle suffered severe damage during the battle. Rebuilding the castle took years despite the wizard builders' prowess. A lot of planning had to be done. A lot of protections and wards had to be reinstated. Dumbledore added quite a few protection of his own design during his reign. There was no knowing whether or not Snape dismantled any of it when he took over the job from McGonagall. General consensus stated that he did as that would be what Voldemort would want.
Throughout his seventh year, Harry and everyone else had to eat under the sky while the Great Hall was being rebuilt. The school board of governors sets up tents on the school grounds for that purpose. Some classes were reshuffled while the classrooms were rebuilt. Luckily the dormitories of all the Houses were unscathed.
There were a few positives, however. The castle gained better plumbing and much-improved bathrooms. It has better heating too.
Harry stared at Hagrid's hut. It had been a while since the last time he met the gentle half-giant and later, Harry found himself walking down the castle ground toward his cabin.
He knocked on the door. His knock was replied with the barking of a dog. He turned to look and saw a familiar-looking boarhound running toward him. He smiled.
"Fang."
The huge dog greeted him by placing his front paws on his shoulder. It tried to lick his face.
Harry laughed. He knelt and began to rub behind the dog's ears. "Missed me, Fang. Alright, that's enough. Where's Hagrid?"
Fang simply barked and beckoned Harry to follow him.
Harry obliged and followed the dog. Just around the corner of the cabin, he saw Hagrid who was standing near the pumpkin patch. Hagrid saw him.
"Heiya Harry! Didn't know it was yeh."
"Hey Hagrid," greeted Harry. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Just watching these damn skrewts," grumbled Hagrid.
Indeed, in front of Hagrid, several skrewts were crawling around and giving out minor explosions every now and then as they banged at each other. Harry took a few steps back when the smell of rotten fish invaded his nostrils.
"So what's the problem?" he asked, scrunching his nose as the awful smell invaded his senses.
"Huh? No. No problem. Just tryin' ter figure out what this damn thing likes ter eat," said Hagrid, scratching his head.
Harry raised his eyebrows. Just like before, Hagrid never fully figured out any strange animals that he brought to class. He just brought them in. "Haven't you figured that out when you first got the skrewt, Hagrid?"
"Well, I asked but the men know nothing either. They said the skrewts just grow," explained Hagrid.
"That's weird."
"Yeah, that's weird alright," agreed Hagrid. Suddenly he paused. He had just realized Harry was alone. "Where's Ron and Hermione?" he asked.
"They're at the castle, Hagrid," answered Harry. "Ron was taking a nap and I have no idea where Hermione went."
"Oh, This is a little bit odd. I mean I 'ave always seen yeh three, yeh know?"
"Two. Once. Remember Aragog?"
Hagrid chuckled at this. "Yeah, I remember."
Harry shook his head. "Don't worry Hagrid. We're fine. It's just that I didn't feel like asking them to come along this time," he explained.
"Oh," said Hagrid. "Well, better ter let them come along next time. They probably worried about yeh. Anyway, since yeh here, a nice cuppa tea won't go wrong, eh?"
Harry smiled."Nope. Nothing would go wrong with a cup of tea."
Except perhaps Hagrid's rock cakes.
Tea with Hagrid went well. The half-giant regaled him on what he did during the summer break which basically was not that much.
That was not what Harry wanted to hear actually. The fact was, he missed the gentle half-giant. Hagrid truly cared for him back then. He cried when Dumbledore left him at the Dursleys' doorstep. He volunteered to accompany Harry to Diagon Alley when Harry got his letter. He went all the way, asking all of his parent's friends for any pictures they had that contained James and Lily Potter. Hagrid once again cried when he thought Harry was dead during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Those memories made him realize that Sirius was not the only godfather he had. Hagrid never declared himself as such, but he was as good as one. Those tears, it was not because he was the Chosen One. But it was because Hagrid truly cared and loved him.
Dusk finally came and Harry found himself walking back to the castle. But just as he arrived at the main stairs that led to the Entrance Hall, he saw Hermione standing at the top of the stairs. Her hands were placed at her hip in an uncannily Molly Weasley manner.
This can't be good, he thought.
"Harry James Potter, where have you been?!" asked Hermione furiously. "We have been looking all over for you!"
"I went to see Hagrid," answered Harry as he walked up the stairs. "Where's Ron?"
"He went to look for you at the Astronomy Tower. He'll come back soon. But Harry, why didn't you tell us that you're planning to visit Hagrid? We could have come with you."
"Ron was taking a nap and you were nowhere to be found so I decided to go alone."
Hermione sighed. "I was at the library but I didn't stay for long. When I got back, you were already gone. I woke Ron up and we waited for you but you never appeared. We got worried you know, especially after everything that happened."
"You need to stop worrying about me, Hermione. I'll be fine. I was bored so I decided to take a stroll. Didn't plan to go see Hagrid at first. It just happened."
"Alright. Better wait for Ron. He'll be here anytime soon. Oh, here he comes."
Hermione pointed towards the corridor leading to the Astronomy Tower. They both saw Ron walking briskly towards them. Harry could see that he was sweating profusely.
"Harry," said Ron, his hands on his knees. He was panting heavily. "Where have you been? We... we were looking all over the place for you."
Harry smirked. "Found anyone at the Astronomy Tower, Ron?"
Ron gulped a huge amount of air before he replied, "I saw the Bloody Baron. Who knows what he was doing up there? Where have you been, mate?"
"He went to see Hagrid," blurted Hermione.
Ron's eyes went wide. "Hagrid?!" he exclaimed. "Why the bloody hell you didn't tell us? That's not cool, Harry. We went all over the castle looking for you."
"Yeah, I know. I know," said Harry sheepishly. He certainly felt guilty for making his two best friends worried and ended up launching a search and rescue mission throughout the castle just to find him. "I'm sorry for making both of you worried. I'll make up to you guys, alright?"
"Well, you can simply waive off the omnicular you bought me at the World Cup."
"Omnicular?"
Harry cranked his brain hard as he tried to remember the event at the World Cup. Then he remembered that he bought the quite expensive omniculars for Hermione and Ron before the tournament began. Ron thought he paid Harry using the leprechaun gold coins. Those coins however vanished a few hours after that. Ron became so disappointed and embarrassed when Hagrid told him about it.
Harry chuckled. "Alright, fine. That omnicular is yours, free of charge. But that shall be your Christmas present for this year."
"Well, that's not fair."
Harry just laughed.
The trio went inside the Great Hall to have their dinner. Strangely enough, this time around Hermione ate her dinner at very high speed. Both Harry and Ron stared at her in surprise.
"Urm Hermione? Are you trying to make yourself sick?" asked Ron.
"No," said Hermione with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts. "I just want to get to the library."
"What?! Library?!" said Ron in disbelief. "At this hour?!"
She just shrugged and continued to shovel down her food as fast as she could. She then leaped to her feet and said, "Well, Harry is safe and I got loads to do. I'll see you two back in the common room."
Harry and Ron simply watched as she departed from the Great Hall at high speed.
Harry and Ron headed towards their dormitory after dinner. After taking their shower, the two boys went down to the common room, whipped out their books and parchments, and began doing their homework. They were on their second homework when Hermione walked into the common room.
"Hello," she greeted them. "I'm exhausted," she said as she crashed onto the chair beside Ron.
"What exactly you were doing at the library?" asked Ron.
"Nothing."
"You can't get exhausted by doing nothing," stated Ron.
"Alright, fine. I was just doing a little bit of research, Ron," said Hermione. "It's nothing big."
"About what?"
Hermione shook her head. "Sorry. Can't tell. You'll know soon enough."
"Oh come on, Hermione!"
"No!"
"But-"
And so the bickering began.
Harry of course knew what Hermione was doing at the library but still, it was amusing to watch them bicker. Ah, the two lovebirds. Little did they know that they would someday get married and have many kids. Even now, he could see the romantic and sexual tension that began to develop between them. He wondered what their response would be if he divulged the future. Ron would probably gawk at him with his mouth hanging wide open. Hermione in turn would probably drag him by his hair towards the hospital wing. Nah, it would be better to keep the future away from them and let things happen by themselves.
He could of course play a little part in it. The Yule Ball slated this Christmas could present a nice start for a closer relationship between Hermione and Ron.
As for him, he had no idea what the future holds. At least not yet anyway. It will be weeks before he gets to see Fleur. Last time, unforeseen circumstances shaped his and Fleur's destiny. This time around, destiny could have a very different plan for them.
That night he slept. He was holding a piece of parchment in his hand and that parchment read:-
Whatever it takes:-
1. Tom Riddle's Diary
2. Gaunt's Ring
3. Slytherin's Locket
4. Hufflepuff's Cup
5. Ravenclaw's Diadem
6. Nagini
7. ME
Defense against the Dark Art classroom the very next day...
"You can put those away," he growled, stomping over to his desk, and sat down. "The books. You won't need them."
Harry suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
They returned the books to their bags. Ron for one looked thoroughly excited.
Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names. His eyes lingered on Harry a bit longer when he declared his attendance.
"Right then," he said, putting away the register after the last person declared themselves present. Brandishing a piece of letter, he continued, "I received a letter from Professor Lupin regarding this class. Seems to me that you have a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark Creatures. You've covered boggarts, red caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, kappas and, oh this is ironic, werewolves. Unfortunately, this also means that you're way behind in dealing with curses. So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with the Dark-"
"What? Aren't you staying?" Ron suddenly blurted out.
'Moody's' magical eye spun around to stare at Ron. Ron looked extremely apprehensive. But after a moment, 'Moody' smiled. Ron looked relieved to see that.
"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago. Yeah, I'm staying for just a year. Only one year as a special favor to Dumbledore and then go back to my quiet retirement."
Harry nearly snorted when he heard that. Retirement. Yeah right, he thought. He knew full well that there was no such thing as a retirement package under Voldemort's employment benefit.
"So! Straight into it!" continued Moody, placing Lupin's letter on his desk. "Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I am to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. You are not supposed to know what an illegal curse looks like until you reach the sixth year. A load of bollocks I would say. Luckily, Dumbledore seems to think that you have the nerves and that you can cope. I agree with him. I say, the sooner you know what you're up against the better. A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you won't tell what he is about to do. He's not going to be nice and polite to you. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. And the most important thing will be CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
Everyone in the class except Harry jumped on their seat.
"Now, do any of you know which curses are the most heavily punished by the wizarding law?" asked Moody.
Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron.
"My dad told me one," said Ron. "It is called the Imperius Curse, or-, or something."
"Yes, yes, your father would have known that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of trouble years ago. Perhaps you should see why."
Moody took a glass jar from his desk drawer. In it were three huge spiders. Harry could see Ron squirming beside him. He knew Ron hated spiders.
Moody reached into the jar, took out one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that all of the students could see it. He then pointed his wand toward the spider and muttered, "Imperio!"
The spider immediately leaped out of Moody's hand and began to do all sorts of tricks Moody commanded it to do. At one point, the whole class - again with the exception of Harry and Moody - laughed watching the spider rise to its hind feet and do a tap dance.
"Think it's funny, do you?" Moody growled. "Would you like it if I did it to you?"
The laughter subsided almost instantly.
"Total and absolute obedience," said Moody as he returned the spider to the glass jar. "And the scariest part is, you won't even know that it happened to you. Years back, at the end of the last Wizarding War, many witches and wizards claimed to be under the control of the Dark Lord. Some job for the Ministry trying to sort between those who were telling the truth and the liars. Now! Another illegal curse. Quickly! Anyone?"
Hermione's hand flew into the air again, and so did Neville.
"You, son," said 'Moody', pointing towards Neville. "Another curse. What is it?"
"There's one. The-, the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small and distant voice.
"Your name's Longbottom?" asked Moody, reaching for the register and began checking on it.
Neville nervously nodded.
Moody made no further inquiries. He put away the register and took out a second spider from the jar. He pointed his wand toward the spider and muttered, "Engorgio!"
The spider swelled, reaching a size larger than a tarantula. Ron instinctively pushed his chair backward and as far away as possible from his desk.
'Moody' raised his wand again, pointed it towards the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"
At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body. It rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it but if the spider had voices, its scream would be much scarier than anything anyone had heard.
"Please! Stop it!" said Hermione shrilly. "Can't you see what it's doing to him? Please stop!"
'Moody' immediately pointed his wand away from the spider. The spider went calm although it still twitched from time to time. "Pain," said Moody. "You won't need a screwdriver or a knife if you know how to perform the curse. Do it long enough and the damage to the victim will be permanent." He once again raised his wand and muttered, "Reducio!"
The spider returned to its original size and was put back into the jar.
Harry glanced at Neville. The boy's knuckles were white as he clenched the desk in front of him. His eyes were wide and horrified. He was the main reason why Hermione pleaded with Moody to stop.
'One final curse," said Moody as he looked at each and every student. "Anyone?"
No one raised their hand this time. Except for Hermione.
"Yes?" said 'Moody', looking at her.
"Av-... Avada Kedavra," Hermione half-whispered.
"Ah yes," said 'Moody', another smiled twisting his already lopsided mouth. "The last and the worst."
He proceeded to pull out the third spider from the jar. The spider, as if it was sensing what 'Moody' was about to do, immediately leaped off his hand and ran scampering across the desk. 'Moody' immediately pointed his wand towards the spider and shouted "Avada Kedavra!"
There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast and invisible thing rose and flew through the air. The unfortunate spider rolled over and moved no more.
There were muted cries and Ron threw himself backward and nearly fell off his chair as he frantically tried to get away from the doomed spider.
Moody swept the spider off the desk and onto the floor. "The Unforgivable Curses. That's what they are called. Not nice. Unpleasant and especially for the Killing Curse, there are no countercurses. Not even a way to block 'em," said 'Moody' calmly. "All of which will get you a one-way trip to Azkaban. There's only one known person in history who survives the Killing Curse and he is in this room, sitting in front of me."
Harry met Moody's gaze calmly.
Yes. He survived it. Not once but twice. And he lived to tell the tale.
Moody gave them homework at the end of the lesson, due Thursday next week. He also indicated that he might test them later using the Imperius Curse, to see what it felt like and how they can cope with it and he might teach them how to throw it off.
"Come on! Hurry up!" said Hermione tensely as the trio made their way toward the Great Hall.
"To where?" asked Ron. "If you're going to the bloody library again count me out."
"Not the library," said Hermione irritably, nodding towards the far end of the corridor. "Neville."
And indeed there was Neville, standing alone and staring at the wall with the same horrified eyes he wore when Moody demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.
"Neville?" Hermione said gently the moment she arrived beside him.
Neville spun around. "Oh hello." His voice was higher than usual. "Interesting lesson wasn't it? I wonder what's for lunch. I'm-, I'm starving. Aren't you?"
"Neville, are you alright?" asked Hermione.
"Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," said Neville with the same high voice. "Very interesting lunch, I-, I mean lesson. So what's for breakfast?"
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Neville? What-?"
Odd clunking noises echoed against the wall behind them. They turned around, only to see Moody come limping at them. The four of them watched silently as Moody approached Neville.
"It's alright, sonny," said Moody in a much gentler voice, his hand placed on the boy's shoulder. "Why don't you come up to my office? We'll have a cup of tea, you and me."
Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of having tea with Moody. He neither moved nor spoke.
'Moody's' magical eye turned upon Harry. "You alright, Potter?" he asked.
"I'm fine, sir," said Harry.
Moody nodded. "It is harsh, I know. But you got to know. There won't be any point in pretending. Well, come on, laddie. I want to show you some books you may find interesting."
Neville looked pleadingly at the trio as Moody steered him away. The trio said nothing so Neville had no choice but to let Moody take him away.
Harry knew what Moody was planning to do. Neville would be safe. He won't be hurt.
As for Harry, he survived Moody's class without incurring any incidents. He however wondered if Moody saw that he was holding his wand tightly in his pocket throughout his class.
"What was that about?" asked Ron as the trio continued their way toward the Great Hall.
"I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive.
"Probably something to do with his parents," Harry suddenly blurted out.
"What?" said Hermione in surprise. "Why? What's wrong with his parents, Harry?"
"All I know is that he is living with his grandmother," said Ron. "I thought they were dead."
"Not exactly."
"Harry, what do you mean?" asked Hermione curiously.
Harry was about to reply when he suddenly found himself distracted.
They had just arrived at the Entrance Hall and up ahead, a large group of students congregated. A large sign had been erected at the top of the marble staircase. The trio could not get near because there were so many people blocking their way so Ron, being the tallest of the three, read the sign for them:-
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
THE DELEGATION FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 1994. ALL LESSONS SHALL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY.
STUDENTS ARE TO RETURN THEIR BOOKS AND BAGS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.
YOURS IN SERVICE,
PROFESSOR MINERVA MCGONAGALL,
DEPUTY HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Ron. "We have Potions on Friday afternoon. We get to leave Snape's class early."
Ernie Macmillan came up to them, emerging from the crowd. His eyes were gleaming. "This is cool. I wonder if Cedric already knows this. Think I'll go and tell him." He then sped off towards Hufflepuff Common Room.
"Cedric?" asked Ron.
"Diggory," said Harry. "Remember the bloke that went to the World Cup with us? I think he's qualified. He's already in his seventh year. He'll probably put up his name for the tournament."
"I know who he is but that idiot becoming the Hogwarts champion?" said Ron incredulously as they made their way into the Great Hall.
"He's not an idiot, Ron," reprimanded Hermione. "You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor once at Quidditch. I heard he's a really good student and a prefect too." She spoke as if this settled the matter.
"You only like him because he is handsome," said Ron scathingly.
Hermione turned to face Ron, her hands on her hips once again in an uncanny resemblance to Molly Weasley. "Excuse me! I don't like people just because they're handsome!"
Ron gave out a false cough which oddly sounded like "Lockhart!"
The lunch was a usual affair, if you did not count the Triwizard Tournament into the equation. Everyone was excited. Now everyone was talking about the tournament.
As before, Hermione ate at high speed.
"To the library again, Hermione?" asked Ron who was watching her.
"Can't help it. Got loads to do," said Hermione as she finished off her meal. "See you boys in the common room."
She then heaved her school bag around her shoulder and sped off towards the library.
Ron shook his head. To Harry he said, "Last year it was the time turner, and now this. Is she trying to achieve a higher mark than an O in all subjects? That's the bloody highest score we can get!"
Harry said nothing. He thought for sure that whatever Hermione was working on, it wouldn't be good for both of them.
That night...
In the dark of the night and under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak, Harry walked along the deserted corridor towards the girl's bathroom on the first floor, home of Moaning Myrtle.
He set out once everyone had fallen asleep and had confirmed via the Marauder's Map that Moody was inside his quarters. It would be dangerous for him if Moody was prowling the corridor. That magical eye of his could see through his Invisibility Cloak.
He reached the girl's bathroom entrance a few minutes later and upon entering, he saw Myrtle sitting at her usual spot at the end of the toilet row. He took off his Invisibility Cloak and pocketed it.
"Hello Myrtle," greeted Harry.
Myrtle who sinking deep into her thoughts looked up and gave out a gasp when she saw Harry.
"Harry," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She once again gasped when she noticed Harry standing close to the sink that marked the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. "You're not going back there, are you?"
Harry turned to look at the sink. "As a matter of fact, I am going back down there," he said.
"Isn't once would be enough? You already killed the basilisk, remember? You nearly got killed in there," said Myrtle as she flew down and floated in front of him.
"I need to extract something from down there," he said, still staring at the sink. Turning to look at Myrtle, he said, "It is important."
"So important that you were willing to risk your life for it?"
Harry smiled. "There's only one dead snake down there, Myrtle. There's nothing else in there that can hurt me. Anyway, this has to be done. Do me a favor, will you? Don't alert anyone."
Myrtle crossed her hand to her chest. "I might just tell someone. Anyway, what's in it for me?"
Harry's face turned serious. "I'm going to kill the one who's responsible for your murder, Myrtle. Would that be good enough?"
"The basilisk killed me. You've already avenged my death, Harry," said Myrtle.
"The basilisk is just a tool. The one that's wielding the tool is still at large. It is he who I'm after."
Myrtle noticed the change in Harry's expression. "You're not bluffing, are you?"
Harry shook his head. "I'm not. There's something I need that's only available from within the chamber. Some kind of weapon. It's a start but it will help to ensure that Voldemort won't return after I'm done with him. Now, do I have your word?"
Myrtle went silent.
Harry could see that she was thinking hard.
It took a while before Myrtle finally spoke, "I don't have any friends during my time here and it was all because I'm a shy muggle-born. But like everyone else, I do have hope and dreams. My death took away everything from me and now." She paused for a moment as her eyes wandered around. "I'm stuck in this awful place for eternity." She then turned back towards Harry. "Do what you must, Harry. You have my word. I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you, Myrtle," said Harry.
He turned to look towards the sink. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine that a snake was in front of him. Slowly he opened his eyes and said, "Open."
It had been years since the last time he spoke Parseltongue. He lost that one unique ability when the Horcrux inside of him was destroyed. Not that he missed it actually. In fact, he was thankful that the one thing that linked him to Voldemort no longer existed. But now he had returned to a body that contained a piece of Voldemort's soul. He knew he had regained that ability.
So instead of words, a hissing sound escaped from his mouth, and as expected, the sink began to move. It split itself in the middle and began to move in the opposite direction. In its place, there was a large hole, big enough for a person to get into.
Myrtle called out to him as he slid one foot into the hole. "Harry?"
"What is it, Myrtle?"
"Be safe."
Harry smiled. "I will."
And with that, Harry took the plunge and disappeared into the hole.
Once again he felt the sensation of rushing through a huge dark slide that went down for miles. Every now and then he could see pipes branching off into all sorts of directions but none of it was as large as the one he was in.
Harry continued to slide down for a few minutes further until the pipe began to level out. He knew he was reaching the end of the pipe. He readied himself and immediately leaped out of the pipe once he reached the opening and landed cleanly on his feet.
He took his wand and muttered, "Lumos."
With the help from the illumination provided by his wand, Harry began to walk through the dark and forbidding tunnel until he reached a section where the tunnel partially caved in. The shredded snakeskin was still there. It was where Lockhart tried to erase his and Ron's memories. His spell backfired of course, thanks to Ron's broken wand. The resulting explosion did considerable damage to the tunnel.
Lucky for him, a part of the section had been cleared, thus allowing him access to the other side of the rubbles. He walked through that part and continued his way until he reached the final bend where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was located.
A familiar-looking circular door with the carving of the two serpents stood in front of him.
It might be tricked of the light but Harry could swear that the serpents' eyes were blinking at him. He cleared his throat and muttered, "Open." Once again a faint hissing sound came out of his mouth.
The serpents responded by slithering along the groove that was carved at the edge of the door and into a small hole. There was a loud groan as the door began to open. A gush of air came out from the other side and from where he stood, he could see the innards of the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry stepped into the chamber.
The chamber looked just the way it was. Towering carved serpent stone pillars rose to the high ceiling that was lost in the darkness. An eerie greenish glow filled up the place and a stone pathway split the pool of water right in the middle of the chamber.
And at the end of the path stood a giant face. And right in front of the face lay the remains of the giant basilisk.
Harry walked towards the basilisk's corpse and knelt in front of it. It was surprising to see how fast such a large creature decomposed. Now the only thing was its skeletal remains.
He found what he was looking for. The basilisk's fangs.
He approached it carefully. He knew that the fangs were still full of venom. One scratch on his skin by those fangs would be enough to send him straight to the underworld. He conjured a black cloth and spread it onto the floor. Slowly and carefully, he reached out to one of the fangs and began to pull.
The fang won't budge. No matter how hard he tried, it refused to dislodge from the skull.
Sweat rolled down his face. He stopped to take a breather.
"It won't move. Not even an inch," he whispered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. But as he brought down his hand, he realized the reason why.
He saw his small and skinny arm. He had a strong, muscular body as an adult but now he was in the body of his teenage self. Years of living with the abusive Dursley dealt a heavy blow to his physical being. He grew up skinny, short, and rather weak. There was practically very little muscle on his body. Even the excellent food at Hogwarts did little to fix that. But at least he was no longer malnourished. Things only improved once he enrolled in the Auror Academy. With the guidance of his instructors, he managed to build up his body under strict regimes of exercise and diet.
But for now, he had to make do with his skinny, 14-year-old body.
Harry shook his head. There was no chance that he would be able to detach the fang from the skull using physical force. He had to use magic. And use magic he did.
Using his wand as a blowtorch, he began to cut the fang off the skull. This time it took him only seconds to dislodge the fang. The dislodged fang fell onto the floor with a loud clang.
"Should have thought that before using my own hand," he muttered. He then carefully took the fang and wrapped it in the black cloth he had conjured earlier.
Harry faced a dilemma when he arrived back at the bottom of the pipe. He totally did not know how to get back up to the upper level of the castle. He got help once from Fawkes. He doubted he could get the bird to help him this time around. Besides, Dumbledore would know. He could not climb through the pipe either. Its wall was far too slippery to provide any sufficient grip for his hands.
But he was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It came with a few perks of its own. He held privy to the information regarding all the wards and protections in all government buildings. Hogwarts would be one of them. It so happened that he also knew how to install and remove all of them.
Harry took out his wand. He closed his eyes and began to scan for all the wards and enchantments Hogwarts had in place.
Back in the old timeline after the war, the ministry saw fit to retrofit the castle with more protection mechanisms than ever before. War had not yet happened within this timeline, but Harry was taken by surprise by the level of security Dumbledore put in place. The amount could rival even the strongest military fortress.
It had its own weakness though and right now one of its weaknesses would be Harry. But he did not intend to lift up all of them. Just one.
With his eyes still closed, he slowly waved his wand from left to right and began to mutter several incantations. The air surrounding him shimmered and began to warm up. It went that way until Harry felt the invisible block lifted. He had successfully lifted the Anti-Apparition ward.
Harry pocketed his wand. He then apparated.
"Ooh, so we can apparate inside Hogwarts now?" asked Myrtle the moment Harry blinked into existence right within the girl's bathroom.
Harry did not answer. Instead, he took out his wand. But this time, he waved it from right to left. Once again with his eyes closed, he muttered the incantations. Myrtle looked stunned as the air within the girl's bathroom shimmered and glowed in soft light. The glow then slowly dissipated a few moments later. The Anti-Apparition ward had been reinstalled.
Harry opened up his eyes. He turned towards Myrtle and smirked. "No, we can't. I'll see you later, Myrtle."
He threw his Invisibility Cloak over him and immediately headed out towards the corridor, leaving Myrtle dumbfounded.
His next destination was the Room of Requirement.
Room of Requirement, a few minutes later...
He still remembered where the room was located. It was on the seventh floor of the castle's west wing. To an untrained eye and to those who did not know, the left wall of the corridor would look featureless. But for those who knew, the Room was a treasure worth seeking.
Harry stopped in the middle of the corridor. He then paced three times in front of the room's entrance and visualized the thing he was seeking and its location. Sure enough, a wooden door began to take form on the once-blank wall. He immediately opened the door and stepped into the room.
The room looked just like the way he remembered during the Battle of Hogwarts. It was cluttered with items people threw away throughout the ages.
Harry began to sift through the clutter. He needed to find the cabinet. And sure enough, after a few minutes of searching later, he found the cabinet. And on top of it laid the item he was seeking.
The Ravenclaw's Diadem.
He took out his wand and flicked it. The diadem flew towards him and he caught it expertly. He then turned his gaze back to the cabinet.
He knew what that thing was. It was the Vanishing Cabinet, the very same cabinet Malfoy used to smuggle the Death Eaters during his sixth year and his action resulted in the death of Albus Dumbledore. He once again raised his wand.
The curse that hit the cabinet was so powerful that the cabinet exploded violently, sending wooden shrapnel all across the room. He immediately erected an invisible barrier that protected him from the flying shrapnel.
"Sorry Malfoy," he whispered as the smoke and dust settled. "It's better this way."
Harry then turned his attention toward the diadem he held in his hands. He can feel it vibrating. Slowly he placed it on the floor. Kneeling, he then unwrapped the basilisk fang and held it over the diadem.
Voldemort's soul within the diadem must have sensed its impending doom. The diadem began to chitter loudly.
Harry raised the fang high over his head and with all the strength he could muster, he plunged the pointy end of the fang into the jewel of the diadem. The diadem's jewel cracked and Harry stood back as he watched a thick black smoke oozing out of it, taking the form of Voldemort's face. It let out a loud wail before it perished into non-existent in a huge explosion. Harry immediately anchored his feet to the floor and once again erected a strong barrier to protect himself from the shock of the explosion.
It took some time before the dust began to settle and when it settled, Harry saw all the centuries-old items were pushed against the wall by the force of the shock wave. The immediate area surrounding the diadem became completely empty. The spot where the diadem once was had blackened.
Pieces of the diadem littered all over the floor. Harry quickly gathered all the surviving pieces and placed the still-smoking items into the black cloth together with the basilisk's fang. Feeling satisfied that one mission was accomplished, he made his way toward the exit.
Two Horcruxes had been taken care of. The Ravenclaw Diadem and Tom Riddle's diary which had been destroyed two years ago. There would be five more to go.
But just as he exited the Room of Requirement, he found someone.
And that someone was waiting for him.
To be continued...
A/n : To the guest reviewer dated 4th. April, I would like to say a big thank you for the constructive criticisms. At least there are some things within the story that you like. I however am at a loss on why some people decide to waste their time on stories they don't like.
That long rant won't be the last. It is my way of voicing my expectations. Writers do have expectations. It's just that many chose not to voice it. In my case, all I ask is some peace and freedom to write the story in any way I want. Criticism is welcome but as you said, it has to be constructive. Complaining about characters one hated or how they acted isn't helping. Each of us sees the characters differently.
I appreciate all the fans of my work which is why I return to this story. I hope I can finish it this time. The plot had been laid out from end to end. It's just a matter of putting them in a proper manner.
So to everyone, happy reading. Hope you enjoy this chapter. And as always, please accept a heartful thank you for your support.