I want to apologize to everyone for the longer than usual wait time for this update. I had planned on having it updated far sooner than now. However,…I am not the type of person who handles death very well. And I had the misfortune of losing both one of my uncles and one of my grandpas in the short span of a week between each other on top of having both of their memorial services in the same weekend. And it hit really hard since both of them were so supportive of both my writing and my art, so I just haven't had the spark in me recently to wait to do either of those things because they're not there in my corner to offer their support. However, I also know that they wouldn't want me to give either of the things that make me me up and I don't want to let any of my awesome and loyal readers down by abandoning the story. So, after a little time I've finally managed to finish the next chapter. It's a little jumpy in parts but I have had something planned for a short time now and recent chapters have been building up to that point. So, I wanted to go ahead and get it into the story since I felt like now was a good spot for it.

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"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." – C. S. Lewis

Chapter 26

Figuring Out What's Calling Me

"Listening to this riddle, I would have to guess maybe you'll have to dive into the lake to retrieve something that is taken from you? However, I can't imagine what it would be." Daphne stated, flipping the page of the book she had lying open on the table. Blaise released a low groan as he banged his head against the table, bored.

"But it says an hour long you'll have to look. So, Harry has an hour to search but how is he supposed to do that?" Draco added, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. Theo and Harry shared a look, both of them seeming to share the same thought.

"Forget holding my breath underwater for an hour. I'm not the strongest swimmer, Draco, and add the fact that the next task is in February. It's going to be freezing cold!" Harry stated, reaching up to jerk his fingers through his hair in frustration. Daphne quickly reached out to grab his hands, attempting to give him a small form of comfort. He looked at her for a moment before looking around at the three males standing around the table. Each of them wore the same look, one that gave him a feeling of hope and comfort that they would help him figure out just what he needed to do.

"Well, we know that you need to swim to find what is taken and we know you'll have an hour to do it. So why don't you, Blaise and Draco go to the pool in the manor and start working on your swimming while Theo and I stay in here and see what we can come up with to help your breath underwater for an hour." Daphne suggested softly, her voice soft but firm. He managed to nod before following his twin and their friend out of the library. The house elves provided them each with a pair of swimming trunks.

Narcissa stepped through the floo into the family parlor, glancing around in search of her eldest and his friends. A frown appeared on her face for a moment when she didn't see any of them, lying her outer robe across the back of one of the chairs.

"Tipsy." She called, walking through the silent hallways, glancing in each room as she passed in search of her son. The house elf popped into view, bowing to her mistress.

"Yes ma'am?" the magical creature squeaked.

"Do you know where either of my sons or their friends seem to have disappeared off to? I thought they would be in the parlor, but it was empty." She questioned, looking down at the elf.

"Master Draco be in the pool with Friend Zabini and Master Hadrian. Heir Greengrass and Heir Nott be in the library." The elf quickly responded. She popped out of view when Narcissa waved her hand as a clear sign of dismissal. She stood there for a moment before venturing through the manor towards the indoor pool, surprised that Draco would decide to swim even though the water was magically heated to always be a comfortable temperature.

Harry panted as he broke the surface, grabbing the pool edge as he attempted to catch his breath. Draco and Theo were both swimming near him, both prepared to help if it was needed. Harry growled in frustration, slapping his hand against the water. They had been at it for several hours and he hadn't seemed to make much progress. Every time he started to lose his breath, or he caught the water ripples wrong he seemed to panic.

"You did better that time. You managed to swim from the edge of the pool to about the middle. That's a little progress." Draco stated, attempting to cheer his twin up. Blaise glanced between the two brothers, thinking about how much his best friend had changed since the beginning of the school year. He thought back to their first night at Hogwarts during their first year. Draco had ranted for several hours after they had gotten settled into their dorms about Harry ignoring his attempt at friendship.

"I can't even swim the length of the pool. How am I going to swim merlin knows how deep into the Black Lake? I won't even be able to help myself let alone find whatever it is I'm supposed to save." Harry ranted. He pulled himself out of the water to sit on the edge of the pool. He pulled his knees against his knees, watching as brother and Blaise swim towards him.

"You're not going to perfect it in a day Harry. You just have to practice. And once we get back to Hogwarts, we can figure out a way for you to keep practicing. You will be fine during the Tournament." Draco attempted to reassure. Narcissa walked over to them, making her presence known to the three boys.

"You should listen to Draco, Harry. You aren't in this alone and since you don't have to attend lessons at Hogwarts you have more time to practice." Narcissa stated, attempting to give him some reassurance. He glanced at her for a moment before he managed to nod, taking a deep breath to regain control of his frustration. He knew they were right; he knew that the Slytherins, his friends and his family, had his back. They weren't using him like the Gryffindors had, they truly wanted him to trust them even though he struggled.

"I…I'm trying. I want to believe you all but…until I have proof than it's hard." Harry muttered, looking back down at the water. He kicked his feet, lightly splashing the water as Draco and Blaise grabbed the edge of the pool. Draco pulled himself out of the water, sitting next to his brother.

"And we'll give you the proof you need." He promised, reaching out to pull him into a side hug. Blaise teased the two boys, making a gagging sound at the show of affection. Narcissa couldn't help smiling, rolling her eyes as both of sons turned on their friend, shoving him back into the pool. She watched them for a moment longer before walking back into the manor, intending to search for her husband.

Daphne was silent as she flipped through one of the many books stacked on the table in the Malfoy manor library. She wore an annoyed expression as she continued to search for different ways to help Harry during the second task and while she'd managed to find some spells, there weren't many that she had faith he would be able to master in the time frame they currently had.

"Have you had much luck yet?" Theo questioned, dropping another stack of books on the table.

"Nothing that he could master in just a few weeks." She muttered without looking away from the book she was currently flipping through. Theo sat back in his chair with a sigh, attempting to think of a solution that wouldn't involve Harry having to learn a spell.

"What about a plant? Maybe we could ask Longbottom when we get back to Hogwarts?" he suddenly suggested. He knew that the Gryffindor always seemed to have a knack for Herbology, and it would be faster to ask him than attempting to sort through so many different books. If they were lucky, he'd know something that wouldn't be too hard for them to get.

"Why don't we take a break from this for now and join Harry, Draco and Blaise in the pool? If we're lucky Blaise hasn't been drowned yet." Theo joked, knowing how easy it was for their friend to put his foot in his mouth. Daphen couldn't help the laugh that escaped before she closed the book, following him out of the library. They knew that the house elves would put everything back into its intended spot.

"Blaise! I swear to Merlin!" Draco's voice echoed as the duo walked through the doorway. Harry still sat on the edge of the pool as Blaise dived back underwater to escape Draco. The Malfoy heir sputtered as stood at the edge of the pool, startled from being drenched out of nowhere. Harry couldn't help laughing as his twin dived back into the water, nearly landing on top of the other laughing teen.

"Do I want to ask what is going on here?" Daphne questioned as she sat beside him.

"Blaise apparently thought it would be a good idea to splash Draco while his back was turned." Harry explained. He couldn't help relaxing as he watched Theo join the two others in the pool, glancing at Daphne when she leaned against them.

"You don't want to join in on their fun?" he questioned; confusion clear in his voice.

"Nah, I think I'll sit here with you until you decide to get back in the water." She stated, offering a shrug.

Lucius glanced away from the paperwork he was working on when there was a soft knock on the door leading into his office. Narcissa pushed the door open just enough to step inside, walking over to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She figured he'd been hiding out in his office 'working' since he'd returned from the ministry since they'd told Harry it would just be Draco, him and their friends at the manor.

"Is something bothering you?" she questioned, glancing at the parchment he had been reading.

"Dumbledore. He's once again attempting to push through more restrictions on the wizarding holidays to make the Muggleborns coming into our world feel more welcome." he muttered; the annoyance clear in his voice. Dumbledore had been trying for several years to 'bridge the gaps between their worlds' so sure that the muggles would accept them without any issues, but thankfully other than the ones in his pocket, none had voted to pass it before. He wasn't too worried this time since learning the truth the meddlesome old man had lost control of the Potter and Black votes, but it did still bother him how much he was trying to push it.

"You would think he wouldn't be pushing something like this when he's in as much hot water as he currently is. I know the board has received several complaints about Harry being forced into the tournament when he underage and not even classed as a student at Hogwarts." Lucius continued, sighing as he placed the papers back into their assigned folder. He always attempted to keep his paperwork sorted and organized since he had to handle work for the Hogwarts Board of Governors, the Wizengamot along with everything to do with his lordship.

"Have you talked to Harry today?" she questioned softly, knowing neither of them had spent much time together since the ball. Lucius absently bit the inside of his lip, thinking about how he had been attempting to give his youngest some space, knowing that what he had found out at the Yule ball had probably caused further trust issues. He hadn't planned on Harry finding out about Marvolo the way he had, however, now he wasn't sure how to bring the subject back up. Narcissa couldn't help the frown that crossed her face when he finally shook his head, continuing to sort through the papers spread across his desk. She knew he'd wanted to attempt to spend time with Harry but before because of the charms placed on their youngest, it always seemed to end in some form of disagreement and caused an even bigger rift between them.

"Everything will work out darling, I promise." Narcissa offered softly, moving to stand at her husband's side. He offered her a small, sad smile as she squeezed his shoulders for a moment, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Remember Marvolo and Severus are supposed to be joining us for dinner tonight to let us know how everything went at Gringotts." She reminded him before walking across the office towards the door. She pulled it open, stopping when she caught sight of Harry standing awkwardly in the hallway, clearly having been debating on whether to knock or not.

"Go ahead." She whispered softly, offering him a smile before she continued down the hall, leaving the door open enough to allow Harry entrance. He stood in the doorway for several moments before finally entering the office without a sound. Lucius continued reading over the papers littering his desk.

"Do…you have some time to help me go over more of the Potter Estates?" Harry finally questioned, startling Lucius. His father looked up; surprise written on his face.

"If this is a bad time…" Harry quickly attempted to backtrack, taking a step backwards as if he was going to attempt to flee.

"No, no. Now is perfectly fine. Have a seat. Do you remember where I had you leave your files?" Lucius quickly objected. He watched as Harry only nodded, walking over to one of the many bookshelves situated in the office. Father/son duo fell into a familiar act of lessons, questions and answers.

Draco leaned against the wall outside the office, his arms crossed but a content smile on his face as he listened. He'd suggested Harry try to talk to their father, hoping it would help his twin relax some since it had felt like an endless amount of tension since the ball between them. It still shocked him to learn the Dark Lord was his father's godfather, but he couldn't help worrying about his own godfather. Severus had grown more and more distant since they'd learned Harry was his missing twin, barely spending any time with his chosen family. He bowed his head, releasing a breath before he continued through the hallways towards the family sitting room.

"Hey, Draco, we'll see you on the train. My mother wants Theo and I back at the manor before dinner." Blaise stated, standing up from the couch he'd been lying across. He stretched for a moment as Theo glanced up from the book he had been reading. He couldn't help glancing out the window to see the sun was just starting to set, letting them know how late it had gotten.

"I should probably return home too. My mother and father don't normally like me to be out very long after dark." Daphne sighed, adjusting her robes as she stood.

"Please let Harry know I'll see him back at Hogwarts. And that we'll figure out what he needs for the next task." She added, giving her friend a slight smile before following Theo and Blaise thru the floo.

Potter Manor

"I'm home." Harry called as he stumbled out of the floo. He managed to regain his balance after a moment, attempting to dust the soot from his robes. Izzy popped into the room, a smile on her face as she looked up at her young master.

"Dinner be ready soon. Master Moony and Padfoot are in library." She stated before popping out again. Harry couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. Since they'd decided to stay in Potter Manor Izzy had seemed far happier, seeming like her magic was constantly bubbling. He walked out of the family receiving room, heading in the direction of the library. He faltered for a moment when he felt a faint trace of magic, startling him.

"Hello?" he called, placing his hand against the hallway wall, glancing around in confusion. He couldn't see anything that seemed out of the ordinary, but he couldn't explain the feeling.

"Is someone there?" he questioned, walking further down the empty hallway. He gasped in surprise, stumbling backwards when the candles along one of the walls leading towards an unexplored section of the manor suddenly seemed to flicker to life, casting a faint glow over the paintings. He glanced around for a moment before slowly taking a few steps further, holding his breath, hoping he wasn't doing something Draco would consider reckless.

"Sirius? Remus?" he whispered, barely raising his voice loud enough to possibly be heard.

"Harry? Izzy told us you were back. Where are you?" Sirius' voice suddenly yelled further down the hallway behind him. He jerked around, breathing fast upon realizing his godfathers were still in the library and not trying to play some type of prank on him. Faint magic once again seemed to brush against his skin, causing him to flinch back again.

"Pup? What are you doing down here?" Sirius questioned, walking into view. He frowned at the terrified expression on his godson's face.

"Can you feel that?" Harry muttered, looking back down the hallway again. Sirius reached out to grab his arm when he took a step forward, worried that something was wrong.

"Harry, are you feeling alright? Did something happen while you were at Malfoy Manor?" he demanded. While he trusted his cousin to keep Harry safe, he still had some issues with trusting Lucius. He understood he wouldn't do anything to intentionally harm Harry, but he didn't always see Dark magic as dangerous. Izzy popped into view, glancing between the two of them with a concerned expression on her face.

"Master Harry?" she questioned when he didn't give either of them any form of response. He continued staring down the hallway, feeling like the magic he was feeling was trying to pull him in that direction.

"There's something down there Padfoot." Harry finally muttered, pulling away from his godfather. Wizard and house elf exchanged a worried look before watching him venture further down the abandoned hallway. Harry carefully reached his hand out, running his fingers along the wall, attempting to figure out just where the feeling was attempting to lead him.

"What do you want me to find?" he whispered under his breath, looking at the flickering candles.

"What's going on?" Remus questioned, walking up to stand next to his best friend.

"Is everything alright with Harry? Izzy said he made it back alright, but I expected to find him with both of you in the library still working on ideas for the next task of the tournament?" Tonks questioned, glancing at the teenager. Harry glanced at the three adults over his shoulder for a moment before placing his hand on one of the door handles, carefully twisting it. Sirius jerked forward when the candles light the hallway suddenly flickered out all at once as if blown out by an unfelt gust of wind.

The only light in the room was cast from the large floor to ceiling windows that took up almost an entire wall, the curtains open just enough to allow in faint sunlight. Harry slowly stepped further into the room, glancing around in confusion. Nothing in the room seemed to grab his attention, leaving him wondering just what had been calling to him.

"Pup, what has gotten into you?" Sirius demanded, appearing in the doorway. Harry didn't acknowledge him for a moment, continuing to look around the room. A faint reflection of light in the far corner of the room caught his attention, something hidden behind a black curtain. Sirius and Remus shared another look, neither understanding just what was going on. Harry continued to ignore them, carefully grabbing the velvety fabric, the magic feeling like a spark against his fingertips. All three wizards stared wide eyed at the frozen portraits that had been stored behind the curtain. Lily and James sat together in one frame while another frame held an older version of the man from the pictures he'd found in the photo album, all three of them seeming to be asleep.

"Regulus." Sirius whispered as he stepped forward, placing his hand on his godson's shoulder, staring at the portraits of his brother and two of his best friends.

"I don't understand. How did we not know these were here?" Remus questioned, looking down at Izzy as she popped to his side. She frowned as she looked at the three paintings, seeming just as surprised as them about what Harry had discovered. She could feel the tingle of magic over the corner, magic that until entering the room she hadn't felt around the house before.

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