Chapter 20
The first half of the journey back to the Hospital Wing was uneventful but as he climbed the stairs that led to the upper corridor where the entrance to the Hospital Wing was located, he suddenly felt dizzy. The inside of his head felt like it was spinning. The corridor, the portraits, the wall. He saw them spinning around him faster and faster. The vertigo caught him all of a sudden and he ended up losing his balance.
It was a long way down the stairs.
But he didn't fall all the way down. He managed to grab hold of the railing just in time before gravity did its dirty work.
Lucky him.
Breathing heavily, he slowly sat down. It was like he was stuck in a metaphoric tornado where everything around him continued spinning. With his hands still holding firmly onto the railing, he closed his eyes, urging himself to calm down and hoping that the night's dinner wouldn't make its reappearance. His brain felt like it took a tumble off a cliff and had yet to reach the ground.
It took a while but the vertigo dissipated eventually. His breathing slowed in response and he finally could open his eyes.
He found himself just a few steps away from the top of the stairs. Looking down from where he sat, he was sure he would have his neck broken if he really had fallen. Hogwarts stairs were known to be quite steep. His fall would be swift.
The entrance to the Hospital Wing was just at the end of the corridor. But at that point given his conditions, the distance felt too far.
Reflecting on everything that happened that day, he started to wonder if his plan would all come to fruition. That one battle with Barty alone already took a heavy toll on him. Sure he won, but the price he paid for it was quite high. He had no idea if his conditions would continue to deteriorate. Would he be fully recover he didn't know. For all he knew, he could be running out of time. Things would get worse as his plan progressed.
His plan.
It was placed on the back burner way before Fleur arrived at Hogwarts. The destruction of the diadem remained the only meaningful progress he achieved so far. His strong desire to see her caused him to drop nearly everything. Instead of acting like an Auror as he should be, hell-bent on getting the job done, he turned into a lovesick loser whom the girl would probably ignore.
At this point, Voldemort remained idle because he had no choice. He had to wait. On the other hand, options favored Harry. Like Voldemort, he too had to wait. Unlike Voldemort, he could make haste.
Perhaps he should make haste. Perhaps he should drop everything, Fleur included, and return to his plan. Perhaps that was the better option given his current circumstances. He could storm the Riddle Mansion right away, take out Voldemort when he was still in his most vulnerable state, and later on turn his attention to the rest of the Horcruxes. Wormtail wouldn't stand a chance against him. That traitor wasn't a fighter anyway. He would have time, he knew this. As demonstrated, Voldemort needed time to recover. He needed time to regain a corporeal existence. Harry on the other hand won't be needing time as much.
But the problem is…
Harry took out the list containing the Horcruxes and peered into it. Horcrux number seven remained the main obstacle for him to enact his plan the way he preferred.
"I need something," he muttered. "I need a backup."
Things nearly went south for him that day. Barty wasn't even an A-lister in Voldemort's hierach. He was just a minion. Voldemort would look up to him as he saw fit. He would dispose of Barty as he saw fit. And yet that duel still hurt Harry. A duel with a fully revived Voldemort could get even worse.
Unfortunately, he had no choice but to let Voldemort fully revive.
He once again looked up the stairs. A potential backup plan could be lurking inside the Hospital Wing.
The Hospital Wing, moments later…
He pushed open the door and let himself in. Thankfully nothing bad happened on the final leg of the journey. He could walk just as fine.
He made a mental note to thank Dumbledore for allowing him to apparate within the castle even though he didn't use it on his way back to the Hospital Wing. While he was not looking forward to walking all the way from the Gryffindor Tower and having to circumnavigate Filch, Mrs. Norris, and Snape who would undoubtedly be patrolling the castle corridor at this time of the night looking for rule breakers, he was more concerned about his state of wellbeing.
Thankfully he didn't meet any of them.
"MR. POTTER!"
Harry froze in his place. He saw Madam Pomfrey come marching towards him. She stopped exactly in front of him and glared at him.
"Sorry."
That was all he could think of.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack this afternoon, Potter! I would appreciate it if you refrain from doing it again. If it was me, I'd chain you to the hospital bed for the whole year. You're lucky that the headmaster had your back. Come! He's waiting."
He followed Madam Pomfrey into the Emergency Ward where Moody was kept.
Once inside, he saw Professor Dumbledore was already there. He was holding a silver goblet in his hand and perched on his left shoulder comfortably was Fawkes.
"Professor?"
Professor Dumbledore gestured for Harry to approach him. Once Harry arrived in front of him, the headmaster handed him the goblet.
"Here, Harry. Drink this," said Dumbledore.
Harry took the goblet and drank it whole. Immediately just as the clear liquid touched his throat, warmth flowed all over his body. All the residual pain and discomfort promptly disappeared. He felt like all the organs inside his body being revitalized. Gone has the haziness and his mind became sharper and clearer than before.
"Phoenix tears?" he guessed.
"Pure spring water mixed with a few drops of phoenix tears," answered Dumbledore, gesturing towards Fawkes who crooned softly on his shoulder. "You know your medicine, Harry."
"I should. Phoenix tears saved my life many times before," he said, referring to his days as an Auror. "Death is the only thing it couldn't conquer."
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. Everything except death."
At that point, Harry's eye landed on the still-unconscious Alastair Moody.
"How's Professor Moody, sir?" he asked.
Professor Dumbledore turned to look at Moody. "He will survive. Barty kept him under his control, making him weak so that he could harvest his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion."
From where he stood, Harry could see various parts of Moody's hair being cut erratically.
"I admire Barty's dedication," he said.
"Yes, he managed to fool everyone," agreed Dumbledore. "Including me."
Harry stared at Dumbledore. "You mean to tell me that you didn't see it coming?"
Dumbledore smiled. "It's just one of my weaknesses, Harry. Of course what happened today will change a lot of things."
Harry nodded. He turned back to gaze at Moody. "Do you think he will agree?"
"To become a teacher after everything that happened to him? We shall see," he spoke. "But I would have hoped that he would not rescind the agreement made when I offered him the job."
"It will be difficult. It will be some time before he can teach, that is if he ever agrees. I assume you have a backup plan?" said Harry.
Dumbledore sighed at this. He slowly shook his head. "I could not think of one at this moment, Harry." He then smiled at Harry. "I've achieved what I thought to be impossible. I am now running out of candidates."
Harry smiled back. He did have an idea, however. It was something he concocted whilst on his way to the Hospital Wing.
"If I may?" he began.
"Go on."
"I'm sure you remember Horace Slughorn."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Horace? You knew him?"
"Not as much as you but enough for me to dislike him. No, not that kind of dislike, Professor." Harry hastily added when he saw the look on Dumbledore's face. "This is different. I know what kind of person he is. He is charming. I just didn't like the way he brought himself about. But anyway, I am suggesting that you bring him out of retirement. Have him teach Potion. Let Snape take over Defense Against the Dark Arts. Let Alastor Moody go. He could serve other purposes. I say he would be better off being an Auror than a teacher. He could help with the securities around here."
There was a pause.
"That is an intriguing suggestion," said Dumbledore moments later. "But first, we'll hear what Alastor has to say."
"Of course. I would suggest Remus but since his cover had been blown off, he's no longer an option."
"Yes, he would have been a great asset to the school. You didn't think that Alastor could teach?"
"Barty is a surprisingly good teacher. As for Alastor, while he might be a mentor for someone I know, teaching a bunch of teenagers may not suit him," said Harry.
Dumbledore nodded at this. "Very well. I will consider your proposal. You are full of surprises, Harry."
"I hope the surprises don't raise any suspicion," said Harry.
"No. No suspicion. Just confirmation."
"That I am what you thought to be? I don't expect things like this to go over your head, Professor. I do expect that very few would know about my true nature. For my own sake," Harry said in a firm tone.
"You have my word. Very few."
Madam Pomfrey had gone into her office and probably to her living quarters as it was getting very late. Harry and Professor Dumbledore meanwhile were on their way to the Headmaster's Office. Despite the fact that both of them were able to apparate anywhere within the castle, Dumbledore decided to walk to his office. Harry had no problem with that. Along the way, they talked. Harry asked him about Barty. Dumbledore told him Barty was now hidden, safely within the trunk that once was the real Moody's prison.
"That trunk shall be his temporary home until we find a more viable solution. He will of course return to Azkaban where he will serve the remainder of his time there. That will be the least of his problems," said Dumbledore. "But you already know that, don't you?"
Of course, Harry knew. As an Auror, he knew what would become of Barty. There would be another trial pertaining to his breaking out of Azkaban, kidnapping, drugging, and unlawful imprisonment of Alastair Moody. And that not including what he did to his own father who was also a top Ministry official. If convicted, they will perform the Dementor Kiss on him before throwing him back into his cell. He would face the worst fate ever to be bestowed on a human being. But he knew that he wouldn't care for what would happen to the escaped convicted. Barty was a Death Eater and to become a Death Eater, taking someone's life was one of the preconditions. That alone was more than enough for Barty to receive whatever was coming for him. Mr. Crouch won't be spared either. The Ministry will find out what he did. He too will face judgment for hiding a convicted felon, unauthorized use of substance, and the usage of the Unforgiven Curse. He foresaw how the Crouch Family scandal will rock Magical Britain in months to come. The Ministry would have quite a field day once the public gets a whiff of it. Rita Skeeter would be the happiest. She would write and write until her Quick-Quote quill begged for its life. The House of Crouch's name would forever be tainted.
That wasn't the only topic the two of them discussed. Despite his proposal, Harry pointed out how Snape's reassignment and Slughorn's appointment might surprise everyone. Dumbledore told him he expected nothing less.
"I still hope Alastor would agree," he said. "That will save us a lot of trouble."
The Headmaster's Office was just like what he used to remember. A vast number of portraits of past headmasters, all of them evidently sleeping, hanging on the wall. There were many spindly tables with intricate silvery instruments on top of them. Far at the corner of the office, he saw the stone Pensieve, resting on top of an old wooden table. The Sorting Hat could be found resting high on top of a shelf.
Fawkes flew over to its perch from Dumbledore's shoulder and comfortably sat on it.
Dumbledore walked around the headmaster's desk and sat on his chair. He gestured to Harry to sit down.
Harry obliged.
There was a moment of silence. Dumbledore leaned against the back of his chair. His eyes were closed and he was massaging his temple. It appeared that he was plunging into a deep thought. That act however did not last long. The headmaster opened up his eyes and put down his hand. He began to address Harry.
"We both have questions," he said to Harry. "But I feel it would be prudent to let you start first."
Harry nodded. "When was the first time you realized that Tom Riddle wasn't dead?"
"Right after he killed your parents," answered Dumbledore. "But it wasn't a realization. More like a suspicion. I don't have any proof that Tom survived at that time but I was sure that given his ambition, he would find a way to cheat death. The residual magic left behind after your parents were murdered seemed to support my case."
"Residual?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. Residual. And there was a lot of it, hanging within the room you slept in like a thick fog. A wizard's magic dies with him, Harry. Tom's magic however lived on. And curiously enough, so did your mother's magic."
Harry was taken aback. "You mean to say that she was still alive at that time?"
But Dumbledore shook his head. "Your mother's dead, Harry. Just like your father. But her magic lived on. In you. I recognized it the moment I looked at you which is why I decided to place you under the care of your relatives. And for that, I am truly sorry."
But Harry waived Dumbledore's apology. "That's okay, Professor. I know exactly why you left me there. I did wish for a different kind of living arrangement, however. Or at least having someone check on me every now and then to see if I was treated right. I wasn't asking much. I don't care if they couldn't love me. I just want them to see me as a human being. Aunt Marge was right. I would be better off being left at the orphanage. I might still not be loved, but I'll probably be a lot happier. Plus there is a good chance I would still be kept well hidden. Who would have guessed the great Harry Potter would live in a grim, square, nearly dilapidated building somewhere in downtown London?"
Harry noticed with no small amount of satisfaction the embarrassment and guilt that crept into Dumbledore's expression but he did not care.
"I am sorry, Harry. If there is anything I could do to make up for it I-"
Harry held up his hand. "It already happened, Professor. I turn out great despite all the hardship. You have good intentions, I know. But you might want to take a deep look into the execution part. Anyway, I was going off the rail here so let's get back to it. What happened next?" asked Harry.
Gathering himself, Dumbledore replied, "I went back to your parents' house in Godric Hollow. The Ministry personnel were already there. They could not sense it but I knew that Tom's magic was still present and I suspected that it would linger in that house for years to come. So I advised Minister Millicent Bagnold to make your parents' house out of bounds to anyone based on the reason that dark magic had been performed in there. He agreed immediately. He did ask where you were kept. I told him that you are safe but I refused to disclose to him your whereabouts, much to his displeasure I admit. As you would have known, many things happened after that. The cleansing. The purge. Sirius Black went to prison for a crime he did not commit. I spent the next eleven years tracking Tom or whatever was left of him. I got nothing but the suspicion remained and it grew stronger as time passed by. It was only during your first year at Hogwarts that my suspicion turned into realization," explained Dumbledore.
"The event regarding the Mirror of Erised," stated Harry. 'And Professor Quirrell."
Dumbledore nodded. "Exactly."
"How long have you been suspecting Professor Quirrell?"
"I didn't at the beginning," said Dumbledore. "You do remember vault no.713, the vault in which the Sorcerer's Stone was initially kept?" he asked to which Harry nodded. "It was only after my contact at Gringotts described the perpetrator who tried to break into the vault and steal the stone that I began to suspect him. I put Professor Snape to the task and ordered him to spy on Professor Quirrell. Thanks to you, my suspicion was proven right. It was after that event that my search began in earnest. I know something is tying him to this world. Something is preventing him from dying. I began to trace Tom's footsteps after he left Hogwarts. His diary inevitably becomes the first clue."
"Do you still keep it?" asked Harry.
"Yes."
Dumbledore pulled open one of his desk drawers and took the diary out. He placed it in front of Harry who eyed it with no small amount of distaste.
"I suspected that the diary isn't merely an innocent notebook," stated Dumbledore. "And it's not just a mere memory of Tom Riddle that once resided in it."
"You're right. It's not," said Harry.
Dumbledore's eyebrows raised. "There are more that you could tell me."
"Indeed, sir."
Harry took the folded black cloth from his jacket and placed it on top of the desk beside the diary. He carefully unfolded it and laid the content bare for Dumbledore to see.
It took Dumbledore by surprise. The old headmaster reached out towards the Ravenclaw Diadem. He carefully took it and began examining it. He immediately noticed that the bright blue jewel embedded within the circle was damaged. There was a hole that burrowed right through it.
Dumbledore looked up at Harry. "Harry?"
Harry looked back at Dumbledore calmly. "That's right, Professor. The thing you have in your hand is the Ravenclaw Diadem. The diadem and the diary both shared the same thing." He then leaned towards Dumbledore.
"How much do you know about Horcrux?"
Of course, Dumbledore knew about the Horcrux. How could he not? As a matter of fact, every Hogwarts teacher would know about it. Horace Slughorn was solid proof despite him being only a Potion Master. Horcrux making did not have anything to do with magical chemistry after all.
What Harry really wanted to know was the progress of Dumbledore's investigation pertaining to Voldemort's survival. How much Dumbledore currently knew? He had a hunch, however, that the headmaster at this point might not know much. Back in his old timeline, it appeared that Dumbledore's progress only accelerated after the events that happened at the end of his fourth year. Cedric's death. Voldemort's rebirth. Harry's purported connection with the Dark Lord. The Battle at the Ministry for Magic. Those events seemed to provide Dumbledore with something that aided his progress in unveiling Voldemort's secret to immortality. It culminated in Harry's sixth year when Dumbledore tasked him to obtain a secret Professor Slughorn had been keeping for a really long time. That, as Harry would learn later on, was the final clue Dumbledore required in order to ensure that Voldemort could be killed permanently.
Harry wanted to know in what way those events helped Dumbledore in his quest. Sure those events would make Dumbledore realize the dire situation the world was in, making him speed up everything. But what important was what Dumbledore learnt from the events and all his travels. Dumbledore never really told him except those related to his past. Unfortunately, though, he knew that it would be impossible for him to obtain that information. In this timeline, Dumbledore had yet to experience those events and given what he planned to do, the headmaster may never will.
Dumbledore put down the diadem. He stared at Harry with a darkened expression. His blue eyes lost their twinkle.
"Horcrux, Harry?"
Harry calmly nodded. "I know all about horcruxes sir, and I know you know about it too. But what I need to know is what you have learned all these past years from the moment my parents were murdered until today. I know you didn't just sit around, twiddling your thumb, waiting for things to happen. So can you tell me anything at all?"
"Like I told you before, not much," Dumbledore replied. "But the diary gave me an idea of what and where to look."
"You were already suspecting he was using Horcrux but somehow you're not sure," stated Harry.
Dumbledore nodded. "Precisely. One cannot make an assumption based just on one, single information. I know I needed more. I need to know that the Horcrux isn't just the only way for one to tie his soul to this world. And if he did, would that be only one?"
Harry's eyebrows cocked at this. "There are other ways?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. As far as anyone knows. Or at least, as far as the book could tell me."
Dumbledore then got up and walked towards small stairs that led to what Harry assumed to be Dumbledore's living quarters and shelves of books. He climbed the stairs and headed towards one of the bookshelves. His thin fingers ran through the back of the many books until they stopped at one particular black leather-bound book. He pulled the book out and returned to his desk. He carefully placed the dusty old book on his desk. The book's title, written in white silver, was plain for Harry to see.
"Secrets of the Darkest Art," said Dumbledore. "The foulest, most wretched book I had the displeasure of reading in my entire life. It was once kept in the Restriction Section of the library. I came to know about it in the early months of my appointment here as the Transfiguration teacher. I tried to have the book initially thrown out but with no success. I even tried reasoning with Headmaster Brutus Scrimgeur, Phineas Black, and later on, Armando Dippet, but none of them listened. They said that as an educational institution, knowledge should be made available to everyone who wants to seek it and as a teacher, I should not interfere with it. It was only after my appointment as the Principal of Hogwarts that I managed to take the book out of the library permanently. But then it was already too late. Do you know who borrowed this book often?"
"Tom Riddle," Harry answered. "And he managed to learn as much as he could from it."
Dumbledore nodded grimly. "The fear that he would have learned everything from the book for whatever devious purposes he had in his mind hangs over my head for many, many years. It's not always being the case, Harry. I usually do not fear those who want to seek knowledge. What I truly fear is what they are going to do with it."
Harry nodded in understanding. He also like Dumbledore, was aware of the danger that the book presented. Back in the old timeline after the war, he had forgotten all about the book until one day, he found it resting in one of the bookshelves that lined up the walls of Hermione's office while visiting her. He took the book out and against Hermione's protest, destroyed it right in front of her. The book might not be the only source of information regarding immortality. But for now, he could only do what he can.
"I'm surprised that you decided to keep it," he said to Dumbledore. "I thought you already have it destroyed given the risk it posed."
"That was the plan," said Dumbledore. "But something tells me that further down the road, I might need it. So I kept it and hid it from plain sight until such time when its service was no longer required. It shall be destroyed by then. That is my promise. Given what you showed me, I think I'm proven right."
Harry nodded. "I think it's safe to say that making Horcruxes was the only way he used to become immortal, professor."
"I hope so."
"So the diary gave you the idea to track Tom Riddle's journey after he left Hogwarts," said Harry after a few moments of silence. "You believe that the diary wasn't the last of it."
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. The incident within the Chamber of Secrets seemed to reinforce that belief. You see, the diary projected an image of him when he was still a student. The Tom Riddle that you saw when you confronted Professor Quirell was the older version of him. I became aware at that time while the two are not the same, they are completely related to one another. I played around with the idea that he did make a horcrux but unfortunately, I cannot be sure because I have no proof. There are ways for one to store his or her own memory and that memory can sometimes act like a Horcrux."
"Except that a mere memory won't be able to take over a person's mind. A mere memory cannot think for itself," said Harry. "That diary was alive."
"Yes, it was. And that Harry, was when I made the first mistake," said Dumbledore apologetically. "For my failure to see the obvious and for reluctant to admit that he had gone too far."
Harry nodded in understanding. "We all make mistakes, Professor. For as long as we live, we will continue making it. But enough of your stories. Now it's time for you to listen to mine."
"Very well. Proceed, Harry."
"You probably know by now that I am not who everyone thinks I am," began Harry. "This information that I am going to share, I got it from you. The future you. Voldemort likes to collect trinkets, old and powerful magical objects to be precise. He likes it more if the said object is related to something or somebody significant like the Four Founders of Hogwarts. He was turning them all into Horcruxes and later hid them in various locations inaccessible to anyone else but him. The only exception was the diary. The diary was the first Horcrux he made after committing his first murder. Myrtle Warren was his first victim. He gave the diary to Lucius Malfoy for safekeeping. I'm not sure why he would be so trusty of the Malfoys but we all know what happened then. I, however, don't have any knowledge of when he turned the Ravenclaw Diadem into a horcrux but given the location where I found it, it is possible that he created it when he was still a student. That means another murder was committed while he was still here. I am guessing that the Riddle family was his second victim."
"The Ravenclaw Diadem had been sought by many for hundreds of years. Do you know how he found it?" asked Dumbledore.
Harry nodded. "He befriended the Grey Lady, Lady Helena Ravenclaw, while he was a student here and tricked her into revealing the location of the diadem which in this case, was hidden somewhere within a forest in Albania. Tom traveled there during the summer holiday probably, retrieved the diadem, and turned it into a Horcrux. He later hid it inside the Room of Requirement."
"In which you later found and destroyed it," added Dumbledore.
"Yes," said Harry. "Tom was probably banking on the fact that not many students knew the existence of the Come and Go Room. As I observed that night, it seemed that many teachers were not aware of the room as well, making the room a perfect place to hide things. The scream you and everyone else heard that night came from the part of his soul that was hidden inside the jewel of the diadem."
"And the explosions?"
"One of them came from a vanishing cabinet," answered Harry. "One apparently exists inside the Come and Go Room. I'm not sure how it got there but I destroyed it. Just in case."
"I assume that its pair exists somewhere outside the castle," said Dumbledore impressively. "You destroyed it to close a potential loophole pertaining to the school's security."
"That is correct, Professor. Its pair can be found at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley so you understand why I did that. Anyway, going back to the Horcrux matters…"
Harry took out the list he kept inside his jacket and handed it over to Dumbledore. He had carefully erased the seventh Horcrux from the list while sitting on the stairs earlier that night. "Here is the list of the known horcruxes he made."
Dumbledore unfolded the list and began reading it. He later looked up and said, "Six horcruxes?"
Harry hesitated momentarily before he answered, "As of now. The future you provided me the list."
Dumbledore stared at Harry for a few moments before he went back to the list. "Two had been taken care of," he muttered. "Four horcruxes left that need to be destroyed. Are you certain that this is an exhaustive list?"
"We'll work with whatever it is we got at the moment, Sir," Harry instead replied. "This is better than nothing."
Dumbledore nodded. "Very well." Returning to the list, he continued, "The Hufflepuff Cup, Slytherin's Locket, and The Ring. So he did go for the gloriest of the glory but the Ring? Care to enlighten me on the nature of this particular Horcrux, Harry?"
"Of course, sir," said Harry. "It is a ring once owned by a man named Marvolo Gaunt."
"Gaunt?" wondered Dumbledore aloud. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"You should be familiar with it, sir. The House of Gaunt was a direct
descendant of the House of Slytherin and Peverell. It was one of the Old Families. The Gaunt's male lineage, however, ended with the death of Marvolo's son, Morfin Gaunt who until his eventual demise, never got married. Morfin though had a sister named Merope. Merope against the wish of her father, eloped with the son of a wealthy muggle named Thomas Riddle."
"And she gave birth to Voldemort," finished Dumbledore.
"Yes. A lot of things happened after that. His mother died while giving birth and Tom ended up in a derelict orphanage where you found him," said Harry. "The ring passed out of all knowledge after Marvolo died but the real story is, that it was passed on to Morphin. Years later, Tom relieved it off him. Morphin died in Azkaban for a crime he never committed. Voldemort framed him for the murder of Tom Riddle Sr."
Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you for telling me this, Harry. So now it's just the case of finding the Horcruxes and destroying it. I see that you already have the tool effective enough to get the job done." He gestured towards the basilisk fang.
"And I already know the location of most of the Horcruxes. The Slytherin Locket can be found at Sirius's ancestral home. The Ring is located at Gaunt's cottage, that is if no one else found it already. I doubt that as Tom will definitely put extra protection around it. The Hufflepuff Cup though can be a little bit tricky though."
Dumbledore's eyebrows cocked. "Tricky? In what way?"
"Well, Tom gave the cup to Bellatrix Lestrange for safekeeping. The problem is at this point and due to the fact that she's currently in Azkaban, we don't know if the cup had indeed already been moved to Gringotts. If we're lucky, it could still be found at her mansion. If not, we just have to devise a way to break into the wizarding bank. We can't just ask Bellatrix or even the Gringotts to open up the Lestrange vault, can we?"
Dumbledore paused for a moment. "You seem sure that the cup is inside Bellatrix's vault in Gringotts."
"Because that's where the last time I saw it," Harry replied, much to Dumbledore's astonishment. "We managed to recover it. We destroyed it. It wasn't easy. Half of the Gringotts building was destroyed. We also let out a dragon in the process. But we did it."
Dumbledore stared at Harry. He was lost for words.
"So anyway," Harry continued. "That would be the least of our problems. I don't fancy breaking into Gringotts for the second time to be honest. I hope the cup is still in her home at this time. Right now I need you to take a look at the sixth Horcrux."
Dumbledore's eyes went through the list once again.
"Nagini?"
Harry nodded. "Unbelievable, isn't it? But that's what he did. He turned his snake into a Horcrux. A very peculiar choice I might add. One would think he would choose a more durable container to store his precious soul. Doesn't mean that his pet is easily accessible I'm afraid."
Dumbledore leaned against the back of his chair. "How many died, Harry?"
"You mean in the war? Plenty. Sirius. Snape. Remus. Fred. Colin Creevey. A lot of students who chose to stand their ground. You. Nearly half of the Order of the Phoenix," said Harry.
He was aware that he did not mention Cedric Diggory but something told him not to.
Dumbledore nodded. "Then we shall act accordingly. What is your next move?"
"I'm going to meet Sirius during the upcoming Hogsmeade visit. I'm planning to bring food and some stuff, just to make his living conditions at his hiding place a little bit better. At the same time, I'm going to try to strike a deal with him. I have a feeling he will be reluctant to go back to London, especially to his old home. I don't want to force him but unfortunately, his involvement in this matter is crucial. It cannot be done without him," explained Harry.
"Indeed. Only a Black would be allowed to enter Grimmauld Place. Sirius will allow us in," agreed Dumbledore. "Perhaps we could put someone on the lookout just to make sure that it would be safe for him to return. Given his current status, his home will be heavily watched by the Ministry."
"I thought something like that. May I suggest Remus?"
"Yes, I think we could use Remus," said Dumbledore. "We could also have several people from the Order as well to be on the lookout. I will try to come up with something. In the meantime, I will attend to the other two Horcruxes. Do you know the location of the Gaunt's cottage?"
Harry paused at this question. He remembered what happened to Dumbledore the last time he found the Ring. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go alone, Professor. It did not end well the last time for you. I shall attend that Horcrux personally."
"That is very noble of you Harry, but this burden should not be yours alone to bear. You have friends and allies. A little help could go a long way after all."
Harry could sense the headmaster's eagerness to join him in his hunt for the Horcruxes. He wondered if there was a way to convey to the headmaster that he merely needed him as a backup, not as the so-called partner in crime.
In the end, however, he could not find one. He sighed. "Very well, Professor. But we'll do it my way. That is my condition. I will meet Sirius and we'll devise a plan. Once everything is set, we'll gather at Grimmauld Place preferably right after the First Task. We shall decide where to go from there. You could help with the Cup though. You could try and search the Lestrange Manor. See if the Cup is still there. If not, I guess its bank robbery all over again."
Dumbledore agreed.
They continued to talk. Harry asked about Madame Maxime. Dumbledore told him that the Beauxbaton headmistress was livid when she heard what Barty did in his class that day. He also mentioned Madame Maxime being unusually concerned about Harry. Professor Karkaroff unsurprisingly was far more forgiving. Both he and Dumbledore managed to talk her out of her plan to file a complaint to the Ministry. Dumbledore also mentioned to him that Barty never made a request to teach the Unforgiven Curses to the students, leading Harry to think of what would happen to him if he did not manage to throw the Imperius Curse off.
"Did they know?" asked Harry. "About Barty?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No, she did not nor did Professor Karkaroff. Both of them are still under the impression that they were dealing with the real Alastor Moody."
Harry nodded. "Then I can't stress enough the importance of keeping them uninformed."
"I am thinking along the same line as well. Don't worry about them, Harry. Just leave the matter to me."
"If I can make a suggestion, you might want to relax a little bit around Snape."
That did take the headmaster by surprise. "May I enquire as to why?"
Harry smiled. "He's a member of the Order too, isn't he? You trust him, Professor. Therefore I will trust him. Bring him in. I have a feeling that in time, we're going to need his help. I leave it to you on how much you're planning to share with him."
Dumbledore upon hearing what Harry said smiled widely. "Thank you for having such confidence in him, Harry. I have to admit it's hard to convince other members of the Order to trust him. They only accepted him because I told them so. It will mean a lot to him."
Harry just continued to smile. "I don't know if this will change the dynamic between me and him," he said. "It probably won't but there's one thing I do know. He will never betray my mother."
Dumbledore continued to smile. His eyes glinted with happiness. And sadness. Both emotions seemed to mix inside of him. The turmoil that Harry saw within the old man almost made him swear that Dumbledore was on the verge of crying.
The conversation continued until the clock suddenly chimed. Dumbledore looked up. "It's already two hours past midnight. It's best that you return to your dormitory."
"So I don't have to stay inside the Hospital Wing tonight?"
"No, you don't have to. I have a feeling that it is important for you to keep up the façade. We don't want Miss Granger or any of your friends asking too many questions, do we? I shall explain to Madame Pomfrey tomorrow," said Dumbledore.
Harry nodded.
They both stood up.
"Good night, Professor."
Harry was about to turn to leave when Dumbledore called to him. "Harry?"
He turned to look.
From one of his desk's drawers, Dumbledore took out a small beaded bag, not unlike the one Hermione used to carry around when she, Harry, and Ron were hunting for Horcruxes. He then took out his wand - Harry's heart flipped when he saw the wand - and conjured two sleeping bags. He put both sleeping bags into the beaded bag and handed over the bag to Harry.
Harry took the bag.
"Those sleeping bags are for Sirius and for Remus too if he decides to join Sirius. You can get as much food as you can from the kitchen. You have my permission. And Harry." This time, Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle like they always were. "I forgot to reapply the no-apparating restriction to you."
"Oh, of course, sir."
Harry immediately stood ready, waiting for Dumbledore to reapply the restriction.
But Dumbledore did nothing. The old man just continued to smile. "Good night, Harry."
"But sir, the restriction!"
"Yes, I told you that I forgot," said Dumbledore. "And for as long as you're here, I shall keep on forgetting."
Harry upon realizing what Dumbledore meant just stood there in surprise. "Sir?"
"That shall be our little secret, Harry. Good night."
Harry nodded. "Good night. And thank you, Professor."
Feeling elated, he opened the door but before he walked out, he remembered something. He immediately stopped and turned back. "That wand you're using," he said. "It's the Elder Wand, isn't it?"
Once again, Harry took Dumbledore by surprise. "I figure you met my wand before?" he asked.
Met? He was the final owner of that wand but that was at another time. And he wasn't about to tell Dumbledore.
"It doesn't matter," said Harry, calmly. "I know it is one of the Deathly Hallows. Keep it secret. Keep it safe. Voldemort will want it if he knows about it. That is my advice."
With that, he closed the door and headed towards the moving staircase, now revolving downwards. Along the way, he thought about the conversation he had with Dumbledore. He realized he did not tell the headmaster the full story regarding the Horcruxes.
No one shall know that he is one.
Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked around and after making sure no one else was there to watch, he spun on the spot and vanished into thin air.
The very next morning…
The bedside alarm clock went off.
A hand shot out from behind the bed curtain and tapped the clock silence.
His eyes fluttered open. He groggily woke up and slowly sat on his bed. He was still undeniably, extremely sleepy. What he would give for another hour or two of sleep. Unfortunately for him, he had classes that morning. The upside? TGIF.
He pulled open his bedside curtain and got off his bed. The rest of his dorm mates were still sleeping it seemed. Through the misty window, soft morning sunshine peered over the horizon, basking him in its warm afterglow. For the first time that week, no cloud was visible in the sky. The weather that day was promising.
It was time to once again put on the mask he had been wearing ever since he got back. It was time to once again keep up the façade.
He grabbed his towel and headed towards the bathroom for his morning ritual.
He got out of the shower fifteen minutes later, properly clean. By that time, the rest of his dorm mates had already woken up.
"Mornin', Harry," greeted Ron as he stretched on his own bed and yawned. "Sleep well?"
"Like a baby," replied Harry as he began donning his uniform after he finished drying off. "Hurry up, Ron. Breakfast and the joy of having to go through two hours of History of Magic await us."
Ron's face immediately lighted up. "Excellent! Food and another two hours of extra sleep! Don't go without me, Harry!"
Harry just shook his head and chuckled as he watched Ron grabbed his own towel and sprinted towards the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later and properly dressed, Harry and the rest of his dorm mates walked down the stairs towards the common room. Hermione was already waiting for them.
"Good morning, Hermione," greeted Harry as he arrived in front of her.
"Morning," she gave Harry a simple reply. She did not even look at him. Apparently, she was still unhappy with the way Harry treated her yesterday.
Ron mouthed 'You asked for it' to Harry and nodded towards Hermione who was looking sulky.
Harry just rolled his eyes. He turned towards Hermione and said, "You can be mad at me for as long as you want but know that I'm doing this for your own good. Now let's get some breakfast. We'll visit the Hospital Wing right after that."
Without another word, both Ron and Hermione followed Harry out of the common room and towards the Great Hall.
Great Hall, a few minutes later…
Breakfast that morning was the usual affair. The group arrived quite early that morning.
Ron piled everything within his arm reaches into his plate and began eating. Hermione quietly ate her toast. Seamus rested his head on the table and was snoring two seconds later. Dean meanwhile was chatting animatedly with Ginny. The twins together with Lee Jordan once again huddled together at the far end of the table.
Harry, while munching on the sausages, looked over towards the High Table. Once again there was no 'Moody'. For some reason, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore were absent too.
Students began arriving at the Great Hall in droves. The Durmstrang students arrived fifteen minutes into breakfast and after exchanging morning greetings with the Gryffindors, began eating. The Beauxbaton students together with their headmistress entered the Great Hall after Durmstrang. Fleur and her friends as usual made their way towards the Ravenclaw table. Madame Maxime however, instead of making her way towards the High Table, made a detour towards the Gryffindor table and stopped right in front of Harry.
"'Ow are you zhis morning, Monsieur Potter?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Madame Maxime. Thank you for asking," replied Harry.
"Did you do what I told you last night?"
"Yes, madam."
"Good. Because I don't want to 'ave to bring zhis matter to your 'eadmaster once again. What Professor Moody did to you was uncalled for," said Madame Maxime.
"I thank you for your concern Madame, but I assure you that no damage was done," said Harry politely. "Professor Moody can be a bit overzealous at times but no harm was done."
Madame Maxime nodded satisfactorily. "I am 'appy to 'ear zhat. My students send zheir regards to you. Zhey wish you well. Good day to you, Monsieur Potter."
But before she left, Professor McGonagall arrived. She was carrying a small box in her hand. She greeted Madame Maxime.
"I was just talking to Mr. 'Arry Potter 'ere," said Madame Maxime to Professor McGonagall. "I am glad zhat 'e iz well."
"And I thank you for your concern for the welfare of my students," said Professor McGonagall, smiling. "It is very much appreciated."
Madame Maxime smiled and nodded. She gave Harry one last glance before she made her way towards the High Table.
Professor McGonagall turned towards Harry. She looked at him proudly and smiled widely. "Miss Johnson informed me this morning," she said. "I heartily approve. Congratulations, Mr. Potter. You are now the new Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
She then, in front of all members of Gryffindor and Durmstrang, presented the small box she was holding to Harry. Inside the box was a captain badge.
There were loud cheers and whooping and the rest of the Gryffindors, together with the Durmstrang students stood and gave Harry a standing ovation as they celebrated the formal inauguration of the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain. Viktor himself gave Harry a pat on his back and congratulated him on his new appointment. Hermione who seemed to have forgotten that she was angry with Harry beamed at him.
"Harry! You didn't tell me!" she exclaimed.
When the noise finally died down, Professor McGonagall spoke, "Oliver Wood became the captain when he was in his fourth year. He was one of the best captains Gryffindor ever had. I am sure that you will do just as well as him, if not better. Congratulations once again. Miss Johnson will brief you later regarding the captain's duty and some of the benefits you are bound to receive."
She then shook hands with Harry and later left for the High Table.
Cedric Diggory, Roger Davies, and a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws students came over to the Gryffindor Table to congratulate him.
"Just like Oliver!" beamed Cedric.
"Did you know that he was the youngest in his batch to become the captain? During his reign, Gryffindor only lost to Slytherin. The rest of us never had the chance," said Roger.
Cedric and Roger asked if the Gryffindor team had found Oliver's replacement. Harry told them he was heavily considering accepting the offer from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
"Tell your keeper that there'll be tryouts," he said to both captains. "I'll keep you posted on when will it happen."
Both captains nodded and expressed their hope that their keeper would be the one chosen to join the Gryffindor team.
Harry sat back down after they left, holding the gleaming captain's badge in his hand. He passed it over to Seamus who wanted to have a close look at it. He then looked towards the Ravenclaw table, wondering what Fleur's reaction would be. Instead, he saw Roger, this time taking a seat beside Fleur, trying to strike up a conversation with the veela.
Roger was very bold. No other boys dared to sit beside Fleur inside the Great Hall before. He was the first. Most of them contended with sending flowers, letters, and gifts to her, or simply stared at her in adoration. None of them dared to meet or talk to her face to face. At least as far as Harry knew.
Harry watched as the two conversed. Roger was very much flirting with Fleur at the same time.
He shrugged. He reminded himself that at this point, Fleur did not belong to him. She was free to talk to any boys she deemed worthy. And why not? She was very pretty. Her beauty was beyond compare. Men would not stop chasing her. He had seen scenes like these thousands of times already, both in the past and in the present. Blind jealousy was now underneath him.
He pulled his eyes away from them. After all, given the events that happened within these couple of days, his feelings for Fleur may no longer be his main priority.
Someone suddenly tapped his shoulder. It was Ron.
"We need to bring Hermione to the Hospital Wing, Harry," reminded Ron.
"Oh yeah, I forgot," said Harry as he stood up. "Come on, Hermione."
Hermione reluctantly got off her seat.
"Harry!" Ginny suddenly called out to him. She held out his badge to him. "Congratulations, Harry," she said, smiling widely at him. "I know you'll do great. I'll be cheering for you."
Harry returned the smile. He accepted the badge from her and did not fail to notice that Ginny somehow deliberately brushed her fingers against his. But that wasn't all she did. She went on and hugged him!
"Thank you, Ginny," said Harry, feeling a bit awkward since the hug happened right in front of Ginny's current boyfriend, Dean.
"Where are you three going?" asked Dean once Ginny released Harry and sat down beside him. He seemed to be completely oblivious to what just happened. Poor Dean. "Class won't be starting for another half an hour."
"We're going to the Hospital Wing. Hermione has not been feeling well lately," explained Harry. "I'll see you guys in class."
"Owh, okay. See you then."
Without looking back, Harry walked out of the Great Hall and towards the Hospital Wing. Little did he realize that someone from the Ravenclaw table saw the exchange between him and Ginny before he left the Great Hall.
And she did not like it one bit. The golden spoon she was holding bent because of it.
"My sister has a huge crush on you, did you know that?" said Ron as they walked towards the Hospital Wing. "I'm worried for her. She's too young."
"She'll be fine, Ron," said Harry. "I don't think she's into me anyway. She's dating Dean, remember? I wouldn't worry. Dean is a good guy. He'll treat her well. He will take good care of her."
"You have a crush on ChoChang, Harry," stated Hermione deadpanned. "You never stop looking at her whenever she's in the vicinity."
"That was ages ago, Hermione. She'll be just that. A crush. Nothing more."
"You mean to say that you're not planning on getting serious with her?" asked Hermione, her eyebrows rose. "I mean, she's single. And I think she likes you too. She talks a lot about you from what I heard."
"I don't plan to pursue a romance with anyone, Hermione," said Harry. "Maybe after Hogwarts, I don't know, but definitely not now. I don't feel like dating anyone. I have different priorities right now. Maybe after school and if everything goes well, I'll find that someone. Who knows?"
Hermione did not say another word after that.
"Speaking of meeting someone, how's your meeting with Dumbledore?" asked Ron.
Hermione's interest was caught by this. "You met Dumbledore, Harry? When?"
Harry who knew early on the question would inevitably surface was prepared for it.
"Last night," he replied. "After the meeting at the common room. I wanted to bring you to the Hospital Wing last night but you were already asleep."
"Well, what else can I do last night? You told me to go to sleep, remember?" interjected Hermione. "But enough of that. What Dumbledore wants with you?"
"Nothing. He just wanted to talk about Moody."
"I suspect it has something to do with the Imperius Curse he performed on us," said Hermione. "I don't believe he got permission to do that, to be honest."
Harry glanced at Hermione. After a quick consideration, he decided to allow Hermione a little bit of what he and Dumbledore discussed the night before.
"You're right. Dumbledore never gave him any permission. As a matter of fact, he never asks for it," said Harry.
"I knew it!" Hermione exclaimed. "So what now? What is Dumbledore going to do? Would he still be allowed to teach?"
"Dumbledore is considering options," Harry replied. "I guess we'll see what will happen."
They arrived at the Hospital Wing a few minutes later.
"You're early," said Madam Pomfrey, who was doing her usual morning round within the ward. "Alright, what is it this time, Mr. Potter?"
"Good morning, Madam Pomfrey. It's not me this time but Hermione," said Harry. "I think she's suffering from the side effect of the Imperius Curse. You heard the story."
"Really? Well she's not the only one," said Madam Pomfrey. She walked over towards Hermione and by using a small flashlight, she peered into her eyes.
"I would expect that to happen," said Harry.
"Of course you would. Luckily I already have the antidote prepared for such an occasion. And you're right. She indeed suffers from the side effect of an overzealously thrown Imperius Curse. Very well then. Have a seat, Miss Granger. I'll go get the antidote."
Hermione did as instructed.
Madam Pomfrey returned. She was carrying a vial of purplish liquid. She then began administering the antidote to Hermione.
And all the while the nurse was doing her job, Harry looked around. He saw the door to the Emergency Ward was shut. A sign saying 'No Entry' was placed right in front of it.
"There you go," Madam Pomfrey said suddenly.
Harry tore his eyes away from the Emergency Ward.
"It will take a while before the antidote begins to work," continued Madam Pomfrey. "But I think you will have no problem attending your classes today. Well, off you go."
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," said Hermione. She appeared relieved, knowing that she won't be missing any class that day.
The trio then made their exit and headed towards the History of Magic classroom.
As always, Ron will pile his book high and use it as a pillow every time the History of Magic lesson begins. And he was not the only one to do that. Harry and Hermione were the only ones so far who managed to go through the two hours of agony without a single nod.
Charm class fared the same. As before, Harry managed to accomplish every spell the teacher taught that day, much to Professor Flitwick's delight.
The Gryffindors would be attending Potion right after lunch with the Slytherin. As before, they would wait outside the classroom for Professor Snape to let them in. The door opened two minutes before the class officially started. Professor Snape stood at the threshold.
"Get inside, all of you," he drawled. "Except you, Potter."
The rest of the students went in. Hermione and Ron however stayed. Their eyes darted between Snape and Harry.
"What did I just tell you?" said Professor Snape sternly to the two. "Get inside or there'll be a month's worth of detention waiting for you."
"You guys go on," said Harry to his best friends. "I'll be fine."
Both Hermione and Ron nodded to Harry and immediately, they went inside the class.
Professor Snape then closed the door behind them. After placing the Silencing Charm onto the door, much to Harry's surprise, he turned towards Harry. "You'll be glad to know that the impostor has been moved to a much safer location," he said.
"Oh, that's good. Where is he now?"
"The castle dungeon."
"I see."
Harry of course knew that Hogwarts contained many dungeons. The Slytherin common room wasn't the only one.
"And no one else knows about this?" he added.
"No one," answered Snape. "Except the obvious."
"Will you show me where he is kept?"
"Perhaps."
Harry nodded. "Thank you, Professor. So can I go in now?"
"Not today."
Harry stared at Professor Snape in puzzlement.
Professor Snape pulled out a vial of clear liquid from his cloak and handed it over to Harry. "Take this and keep it with you at all times. The liquid in that vial will temporarily halt internal and external injuries no matter how bad they are. It shall give you ample time until you manage to secure help. I have also prepared a cauldron full of that potion just in case you need to replenish it. You can come at any time. You don't have to attend my class today. You are to go back to your dormitory and take some rest."
"But I will miss the lesson," protested Harry. Not that he really needed it.
"We will simply be revising previous lessons for today so you won't be missing anything. Now go. Professor Dumbledore gives you his permission to call in his phoenix whenever the need arises. And if you want to see where Barty is being kept, come see me tomorrow."
Well, that was unexpected.
Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir. I will." He then turned around and left for the Gryffindor common room.
He was in the midst of doing his homework when his classmates returned.
All of them gathered around him when they saw him.
"What happened, Harry?"
"Why Snape won't let you in?"
"What does that jerk want with you?"
Questions kept coming in that Harry, feeling that he needed to put a stop to that raised his hand. The others immediately went silent.
"Nothing happened," he told them. "You guys remember what happened to me yesterday. Snape gave me time off and told me to get some rest. That's all."
That took them by surprise.
"Seriously, Harry?" asked Seamus. "Snape really did that?"
"Yes, Seamus. He did that."
Hermione took a seat beside him. "That's unusual for him to do that,
Harry. But why?"
"No idea," said Harry. "Maybe Dumbledore told him to do that, I don't know."
"Well, at least you're in one piece," said Ron. "Snape didn't give you detention and you're not in trouble. That is good enough for me."
"So how's Potion?" asked Harry as he was curious to know if Snape really meant what he said.
Ron put his bag onto the floor and took the seat beside Hermione. He let out a long sigh before he spoke, "Stressful as usual."
"Did you guys learn anything new?"
"Nah. We were just doing some revisions which as you know is a first. We didn't even have to prepare a potion. Snape threw us questions and he expected us to correctly answer all of them. You know what it feels like. For the two whole freaking hours! The only person who enjoyed that was Hermione," exclaimed Ron, rolling his eyes at her.
He then glared at Hermione as if the girl did something very offensive to him.
Harry could picture it. So Snape was telling the truth.
They continued to chat for the rest of the afternoon.
Dinnertime finally came. After a shower and a change of clothes, the trio headed towards the Great Hall.
Someone called out to him just as they were about to enter the Great Hall.
"'Arry! Do you 'ave a minute?"
A/n: Well my government backtracked on their plan to ban VPNs so that's good news for me. This website is still blacklisted though. So anyway, here's the new chapter. Enjoy.