AN: Here it is—the second update this week! Unfortunately, the next one won't be until after Easter.
The good news, though, is that I'm nearly done with the final chapter, so there should be some quick updates in about four weeks.
"He did what?" Ron asked, horrified.
Graham turned pale and stared at Harry. "Did I - Did I hear that right? We have two Voldemorts now? How is that even possible?"
"Dumbledore suspected it," Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What sense does that make?" Colin asked, baffled.
Harry, realising Graham and Colin hadn't been around for their earlier discussion, explained, "The young Tom Riddle—the one who still wants to become Lord Voldemort—doesn't know how many Horcruxes he created later in life. The only person who knows that is..."
"Voldemort himself," Graham finished flatly. He shook his head. "But that's madness—to create a second version of yourself."
Harry glanced towards the door as the other residents of the house trickled in. They had clearly only caught the last part of the conversation, and when Hermione asked what was going on, Ron quickly filled them in.
"He hasn't risen yet," Harry clarified. "According to Dumbledore, he's just a wraith—a disembodied spirit. He would need some ritual to return to full strength."
Suddenly Ginny appeared beside Harry, giving him an encouraging smile.
"But Dumbledore doesn't believe that will happen," Harry concluded.
"How can he be so sure?" Hermione pressed, frowning.
"Because Voldemort doesn't trust anyone—least of all himself," Harry replied. "They both might crave immortality, but each would see the other version of himself as a threat. All Tom wants is information. Once he has it, he won't need the old Voldemort anymore."
"I'd better inform Dumbledore," Tonks said, before hurrying out of the room.
When she returned a while later, she passed the message to Phineas, "Dumbledore wants you to go back to your post and observe what happens next. If they discuss the Horcruxes Voldemort created, you're to inform him immediately. He needs to know what they are—and where they're hidden."
**HG**
The next few weeks passed relatively uneventful, apart from the Apparition exams, which all three candidates passed. Even though Colin had to retake his, he was pleased and proud to have passed his first magical exam.
Phineas paid them two brief visits, reporting that young Tom Riddle was strutting around Malfoy Manor, ordering everyone around—including the older Malfoys—and lording over a group of about ten young men who were apparently being trained as Death Eaters. He was particularly harsh and impatient with them, subjecting some to repeated applications of the Cruciatus Curse, as Phineas explained with evident disgust.
The wraith of the elder Voldemort, however, had not been seen again.
One Tuesday afternoon after class, Harry and Ginny had an hour's break before Dumbledore expected them for their next lesson. They were sitting in the kitchen, having tea with Emily, Graham, and Colin, who was demonstrating how his camera worked.
"Unfortunately, I forgot my development equipment at home," he said with a sigh. "Perhaps I can ask Dora or Mrs Potter to take me to see my parents." He looked up, curiosity spread over his face. "Is it actually allowed for me to take photos of you with my camera when you're doing magic? Or would that be a breach of the Statute of Secrecy?"
Ginny snorted and shrugged. "Is that even monitored in England nowadays?" She glanced at Harry. "You can ask Dumbledore later." She giggled. "Though I doubt that's a question he's ever had to deal with before."
Harry's face lit up. "That reminds me. Hermione asked me to meet her in the library before we go to see Dumbledore. I'll be right back."
Harry climbed the stairs to the ground floor and made his way to the library, where Hermione more or less lived when she wasn't sleeping. Well, if he was being honest, she had been spending a lot more time with the rest of them lately, joining in and having fun together. He pushed the door open, which was usually left ajar. "Hey, Hermione, you asked me—" Harry froze, his eyes widened as he fought back a laugh. "Oh—sorry..."
Ron and Hermione jumped apart. While Ron shot him a sheepish glance, Hermione hurriedly buttoned up her blouse.
"I'm really sorry," Harry repeated, suppressing a grin. "You wanted to meet me before we went to see Dumbledore, and... well, Ron said he was going to take a shower."
"It's fine," Hermione replied, waving him off. She was blushing—a rare sight—but she was also laughing heartily. "I suppose I should have locked the door properly."
"I guess Ron distracted you," Harry said, smirking. He gave Ron a pointed look and snorted. "So, that's why this door is always closed when Ron takes a shower."
"Sirius' room is always occupied," Ron replied casually.
Harry got the hint and dropped the subject. Instead, he asked, "You wanted me to ask Dumbledore something, Hermione?"
"Yes. Please ask him what spell he used to conceal the missing pages from the book," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "I just can't find them, and I might have better luck if I know what spell was used."
"I will," said Harry. "And again, I'm really sorry. Just carry on..." He groaned as he realised what he'd just said, and added quickly, "Or…come down to the kitchen. Colin's explaining how his camera works."
**HG**
Dumbledore greeted them and immediately sent them into their first duel.
"Ginny, do you have the Phoenix feather wand?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Excellent." Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "If you're duelling together with Harry, you should always use it. Otherwise, use your own. Now, begin."
They practised the full repertoire they had learned so far. Both had improved significantly in the last few weeks, and the fact that they were evenly matched had certainly helped—but it was also exhausting. After several rounds, Dumbledore called for a break. Breathing heavily, they stood at a table and sipped the tea Diara had served.
Ginny grinned contentedly at Harry, and he immediately returned it. They loved these duels and had even started giving each other advice on how to improve, or praising each other for particularly spectacular moves. Ginny was especially impressed by how Harry no longer held back, though it had taken a short, heated exchange after their first few duels to convince him to stop being noble. She remembered that moment fondly—especially the evening that followed.
"Next, I want you to practise magic together with the Twin Wands," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "Diara has already set up granite blocks for you to play with."
A sharp beep sounded from somewhere in the background. Dumbledore's expression darkened as he turned towards Donny, who had just appeared.
"A stranger has entered the Potter house, Headmaster," the house-elf announced.
"I see," Dumbledore murmured. "I think we'll end the lesson here. You two should return to Grimmauld Place."
"But we want to know what's going on," Harry protested. "Is this about that greasy git, Snape?"
"We'll know soon enough," Dumbledore said. "Lily, Tonks, and whoever is available will investigate."
"But isn't that dangerous?" Harry asked, worried.
"Don't worry," Dumbledore assured him. "They'll Apparate to a spot far enough from the property. They're only there to observe, not intervene." He fixed them with a piercing gaze. "I trust you both have your Portkeys."
"Yeah," said Harry. Ginny simply nodded.
"You are to activate them immediately if anything happens. Understood?" Dumbledore's voice left no room for argument.
"Yeah," Harry muttered, glancing at Ginny. She answered with a wry smile.
Each second dragged as they held their breath, waiting to hear what was going on. The unbearable silence was shattered when the door burst open and Lily rushed inside.
"Albus, they're on their way," she cried, breathless. "Severus and a few other Death Eaters are inside our house, and there's a squad outside yours, apparently waiting for orders." She turned to Harry and Ginny. "Take your Portkeys. Now!"
Harry shot Ginny a questioning look, which she returned with a sombre expression. They had no choice. "What about you?" he asked his mother.
"You all need to go," Dumbledore said calmly, holding his wand firmly in his hand. "I'm staying. I will not give him the satisfaction of running away."
"But we're supposed to run away?" Harry asked, anger rising in his voice.
"That is different," Dumbledore replied. "You still have much to prepare for."
"And who's going to help us when you are no longer here?" Ginny demanded incredulously.
"You will manage," Dumbledore said, unfazed. "You are an impressive duo, and you have your friends to help you. Never forget that. Now go. You too, Lily."
Harry rolled his eyes but reluctantly reached for the Portkey around his neck, glancing at Ginny, who gave a hesitant nod.
Harry activated the Portkey—and waited. Then he frowned, exchanging a confused look with Ginny. Nothing happened.
His mother stared at her own Portkey in disbelief.
"Someone has set up anti-Portkey wards," said Dumbledore in a grave voice.
"That's why they were waiting outside," Lily murmured. "So the wards would activate when they attacked."
"Then we'll have to Apparate," Harry said tensely and tried—without success.
"They wouldn't have set anti-Portkey wards without also setting anti-Apparition wards," Dumbledore pointed out. "Donny and Diara will have to get you out."
Before he could summon the house-elves, however, the door to the garden burst apart, sending debris and dust flying through the air.
As the dust settled, half a dozen wizards in black robes and strange white masks stormed into the room and began to fire spells wildly.
Dumbledore reacted instantly and erected a shimmering shield to protect them.
After a split second of indecision, Harry nodded towards the granite blocks. Ginny understood at once and Apparated there for cover. At least Apparating inside the house still worked. Harry followed her.
"Mum, come on!" he called.
Donny and Diara ran over and pulled Dumbledore into cover before conjuring more stone barriers. While Dumbledore held his shield charm, the house-elves launched their own attack. Summoning knives from the kitchen, they hurled them at the intruders. Caught off guard, three of the attackers went down as the knives penetrated their shields. Groaning in pain, they rolled on the floor, bleeding heavily.
Harry and Ginny took down two more with a series of Stunners, but the last attacker managed to escape through the hole in the wall where the door had once been.
"Those must have been the wannabe Death Eaters he's been recruiting these past few weeks," Lily called, glancing around anxiously. "Is anyone hurt?"
"We're fine," Harry called back.
Dumbledore gave quiet instructions, and the two house-elves bound the injured attackers before moving them out of the way.
"They'll be back with reinforcements," Dumbledore warned. "You need to leave now. Diara and Donny will take you to Grimmauld Place."
The two house elves exchanged uneasy glances.
"It is Diara and Donny's job to protect the Headmaster," Donny pointed out.
"Diara, Donny..." Dumbledore began, but was cut off by the next attack.
More Death Eaters flooded in, advancing behind a wide protective shield.
"The Death Eaters from our house must have arrived," Lily cried, seeking cover behind a granite block.
Violent explosions shattered several of the boulders as powerful Reductor Curses tore through them. It was apparent that more experienced Death Eaters had joined the assault.
Ginny responded with her own Reductor Curse, sending rubble down onto the attackers.
Harry spotted a boy about his age with jet-black hair, standing behind several protective shields, watching the battle with an air of detached curiosity. He wasn't wearing a mask—and something about him made him stand out amongst the horde of attackers. His face was pale and unnervingly smooth, his dark eyes cold and calculating, as if he were assessing the scene rather than taking part in it. There was an unsettling stillness about him, as though he found the chaos before him entirely beneath him.
Then, with a jolt, Harry realised who he was.
He cast a quick glance at Ginny, who met his eyes and nodded. She had seen him too.
It had to be Voldemort - or rather, the young Tom Riddle.
Ginny raised her wand and cast a Bombarda Maxima at the attackers, forcing some to stumble as their shields flickered and collapsed.
Harry seized the opening. "Stupefy! Stupefy! Reducto!"
Riddle raised his own shield effortlessly, arching an eyebrow in annoyance. Harry was just about to retreat behind his granite block when Riddle attacked.
"Reducto maxima!"
The granite shattered instantly, leaving Harry exposed. He barely had time to move before the next spell hit.
"Diffindo!"
A sharp, searing pain slashed across his chest. Blood seeped through the fabric of his T-shirt, staining it in slow, widening streaks.
"Stupefy! Reducto"! Ginny cried, panicked as she launched her own counterattack to divert Riddle's attention from Harry.
With a flick of his wand, Riddle deflected her attacks effortlessly, almost disdainfully. Then, abruptly he turned away.
Confused, Ginny hesitated, following his gaze—he was looking at Dumbledore.
Her eyes snapped back as a spell shot past her, barely missing.
The greasy-haired wizard she'd first seen outside Harry's house sneered at her before turning his attention back to Harry, who was rolled up on the floor, clutching his chest.
"Severus!" Lily screamed, leaping from her cover. 'I told you to leave my children alone!'
Snape turned to her, his sneer deepening.
But Ginny's attention had already shifted.
"Dumbledore. Give me back my wand!" demanded the black-haired boy—Tom Riddle.
Dumbledore exchanged a brief, meaningful glance with his house-elves before facing him.
"Your wand, Tom?" he asked with an infuriatingly calm smile. "It's been snapped—as one does with the wand of a defeated opponent."
Silence fell. Every eye in the room turned to them
"Defeated?" Riddle scoffed. "And yet, here I am again, old fool. Today, we'll see who the real winner is."
Ginny had no time to react before someone seized her arm. A sharp tug, the pull of Apparition, and the next thing she knew, she was landing hard on the kitchen floor of Grimmauld Place.
Moments later, Donny appeared beside her—hauling Harry with him.
"Headmaster insists Master Harry and Mistress Ginny are safe," Diara explained.
"And my mum?" Harry gasped, horrified. "She's still there."
"Diara and Donny will do everything they can," Diara promised, before the house-elves disappeared again.
Kreacher and Dobby hurried out of their cubbyhole. Kreacher conjured a blanket, which they laid on the floor before carefully lifting Harry onto it. Dobby set to work tending the wand-length gash while Kreacher hurried off to fetch various potions.
"Kreacher, tell the others to come down, especially my mum," Ginny called after him.
Kreacher paused, tapping his foot impatiently. "Mum Weasley is at the Burrow," he explained. "Kreacher must get potion to help Master Harry, Mistress Ginny."
Ginny nodded, and Kreacher hurried away. She knelt beside Harry, taking his hand. It took her a moment to realise that it was her hand that was shaking, not his. He was pale but managed a weak smile.
"It'll be okay," he murmured.
"That was supposed to be my line," Ginny muttered, watching Dobby dab the wound, working to staunch the bleeding. Sure enough, the flow slowed just as heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell, announcing the arrival of some of the Grimmauld Place residents.
Before Graham and Colin burst into the room, Kreacher reappeared with a pop and placed several potion vials on the kitchen table.
"What happened," Emily demanded, pushing past Graham and Colin before dropping to her knees beside Ginny. "Harry—oh, damn, you're bleeding." She looked around. "Where's Mum?"
"Still with Dumbledore," said Ginny, grimacing. "She was just about to warn us that Death Eaters were on their way when they broke into his house. We fought them off at first, but when Tom Riddle arrived with reinforcements, we had no chance. Dumbledore ordered Donny and Diara to get us out." Ginny scanned the room. "They were supposed to bring your mum here too."
"Riddle was really there?" Graham asked, frowning. "Did he mark Harry?"
Ginny gasped. "Merlin—yes, it was him." She turned to Harry with a worried look. "Do you really think he marked you?"
Harry offered her a strained smile. "I doubt he knew who I was, but knowing my luck, it counts." His expression darkened. "Where's Mum? Someone should check on Dumbledore..."
Kreacher handed Dobby a vial, and the elf carefully dripped its contents over the wound, which slowly began to close.
"Dobby is sorry. It's a magical cut—Master Harry will keep the scar," the house elf said, fidgeting.
"It's fine, Dobby," Harry assured him. "If only you had something for the pain."
"Oh, of course," Dobby said, helping Harry to sit up a little as Kreacher administered two different potions—a Blood-Replenishing and a Pain-Relieving Potion.
"Master Harry must be careful for the next hours so that the wound does not reopen," Dobby warned.
"My mum is still at the Burrow?" asked Ginny worriedly.
"Yes, along with Tonks, Ron and Hermione," Emily confirmed.
"We should check on them and call them back," Harry insisted. "The Death Eaters were at our house too. Mum saw them."
"You're right," Ginny agreed grimly. "We don't think they've targeted the Burrow yet, but better safe than sorry."
"Kreacher can call Mum Weasley now," the house-elf offered.
"And Dobby will check on Headmaster Dumbledore," the other elf said.
"But be careful," Emily urged them. "And come back as soon as possible."
With two almost silent pops, the house-elves disappeared, and with another pop, Dobby was back just a few moments later. He fidgeted, his ears twitching with excitement, but his expression didn't bode well.
"Death Eaters have left," Dobby explained, barely understandable in his agitated state. "Headmaster Dumbledore dead."
"What?" Ginny exclaimed, horrified. She looked around, her face pale. "We have to go there."
The room fell silent. Emily's breath caught in her throat as the weight of Dumbledore's death settled over them. Ron's hand clenched into a fist, his face flushed with anger and disbelief.
Harry squared his jaw. "We have to be careful," he warned, his voice steady despite the shock running through him. "Do you all have your Portkeys?"
When everyone nodded immediately, Harry's eyes narrowed. "Check it! I want to make sure you really have them. And Dobby, please see if the anti-Portkey wards have been removed."
"As Master Harry wishes," Dobby replied and disappeared.
"Anti-Portkey wards?" asked Colin, astonished.
"Yes, we couldn't Apparate out or use our Portkey," Harry explained. "That's why Donny and Diara had to bring us here."
Dobby returned and confirmed that there were no more wards preventing their escape. Everyone began to jostle for the back exit to Apparate to Dumbledore's house when Ginny spoke, "Dobby, wait until the first of us get there, then Apparate with Harry."
"Ginny!" Harry complained. "I'm mildly injured and not disabled. I can Apparate myself."
"Master Harry should listen to Mistress Ginny," said Dobby, giving Harry a pointed look.
"Fine," Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. "But we're not waiting until we're the last ones. I want to know how my mother is."
Dobby held out his hand to Harry, and as soon as he took it, he found himself on Dumbledore's property, staring at the huge hole in the wall where the entrance door to their school rooms had once been.
Ginny, Emily and Graham were already there and joined them, eyeing the damage suspiciously while the others gradually arrived, their wands at the ready. Ron, Hermione, Molly and Tonks, along with Kreacher, had not Apparated to Grimmauld Place but had come here instead.
Tonks stepped a little closer to the house and cast a Homenum Revelio!
She frowned. "There's no one alive in the house."
"Mum!" Emily screamed, giving Harry a horrified look. "You said Mum was here."
"Let's go in and find out what happened," Tonks suggested. "Molly, Ron, Hermione—you stay here and keep an eye out. They could come back at any moment."
Harry took Ginny's hand and pulled her through the hole in the wall right behind Tonks, Emily with Graham at his other side.
The former drawing room was in chaos. The tables and chairs lay smashed, the granite blocks they had recently trained with were scattered across the room, crushed into pieces.
Dumbledore sat in his armchair, his head lolled to the side but otherwise looking unharmed. Next to the armchair, Donny lay still, his eyes blank—he had given his life to protect his long-time headmaster. Diara lay beneath a broken piece of granite, her left leg trembling.
"She's still alive," announced Tonks, calling out, "Kreacher, Dobby! Can you take care of her?"
The two house elves rushed over instantly and carried the injured Diara away, presumably to Grimmauld Place.
Tonks eyed Dumbledore more closely. "He looks unhurt. It was probably an Avada Kedavra," she guessed and turned to Harry. "Where was your mum the last time you saw her?"
Harry gestured towards the far side of the room, his stomach twisting. "Back there. She was taking cover with us behind the granite blocks." He led the way with Ginny, Tonks following close behind, but there was no sign of his mother.
They searched for any trace of her, but there was none.
"Look at this," Ginny suddenly called out as she bent down to pick something up. With a stony face, she held out her hand. Harry looked at the object in her palm, and let out a shuddering breath.
His mother's wand.