Albus Dumbledore was worried, very worried in fact. The expected
alert from the wards that a portkey had been used within the grounds
had reached him minutes ago and yet, there was no sign of a
winning champion on the designated point of arrival. He had known
for some time that he was assured a Hogwarts victory as both
champions from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had been rescued
from the maze 15 minutes ago. His pride in his champions had since
turned to fear for their safety as neither could be accounted for and
the cup had clearly been taken. His usual calm demeanour began to
waver and the eternal twinkle in his eyes had dimmed considerably.
He turned to look at the other judges and saw looks of confusion
reflected back at him. Upon seeing the look the headmaster adorned
they too knew that something was gravely amiss. He looked towards
the perimeter of the maze where he knew Moody would be patrolling
but could see no sign of him. He stiffened suddenly an even deeper
sense of fear creeping up his spine and settling into his very core.
Moody. It was Moody who had placed the cup at the centre of the
maze. The previous school year suddenly flashed in front of his eyes
and his heart almost stopped in his chest. Moody was late to the
feast, he was never late. Moody had avoided his company as much
as possible this year and he and Moody had been friends for
decades. It was Moody who had investigated Harrys' name being put
in the cup in the first place and came up with nothing. The Moody
Dumbledore knew would not have stopped looking until he found
something. Snape had been adamant that suspicious ingredients
had been going missing from his stores. Boomslang skin, lacewing
flies… He was suddenly aware at how foolish he had been and now
his laxity may have cost the lives of two of his students. He had
simply put Moody's behaviour down to his eccentricity and his desire
for privacy in his later years.
He stood suddenly and signalled to Professor McGonagall. She
approached looking confused and then equally worried when she
saw the expression on Dumbledore's' face.
"Minerva, where is Alastor?" he asked as calmly as possible.
"He took Mr Krum to the medical tent when he was brought out of
the maze" she replied unaware of the seriousness of the situation.
Before she could question him Dumbledore was already moving
quickly towards the tent so she followed him wanting to know what
had clearly flustered the usually calm headmaster. When he reached
the tent there was no sign of Moody and Madame Pomfrey was
treating Fleur Delacour for a variety of cuts and bruises she had
received in the maze. Before he could utter a word to the strict nurse
cut him off.
"Albus, it appears that Mr Krum has been placed under the
imperious curse and is very confused, he has no memory of being in
the maze" she finished clearly concerned for the young Bulgarian.
Dumbledore looked towards Krum and could clearly see the tell-tale
glazed look in his eyes. He strode towards him waving his wand in
an intricate pattern muttering under his breath. He found more than
what he had expected. He had indeed been placed under the
imperious curse but his memory had also been wiped.
"Poppy where did Alastor go when he left the tent" he asked the
Matron with a hint of urgency in his voice.
She looked at Dumbledore confused but shook herself from her
momentary lapse to reply. "He said he was going back to the maze
to wait for the other champions, Albus, what is going on?" she asked
with her hands on her hips, back to her usual no-nonsense self.
"Please Poppy, remain here and tend to your patients" he retorted
quickly and left the tent before either woman could question him
further. Pomfrey and McGonagall shared a knowing look before the
latter left to follow.
Dumbledore started to make his way towards the castle now having
a very clear idea on what had happened. He had been duped and
now two of his students and friends life hung in the balance. He
knew the real Alastor had to be close by he would be needed for the
vital ingredient to pull of such a plan. He quickened his pace the fear
within him giving way to a cold fury, a fury he hadn't felt in decades.
His eyes darkened and narrowed behind his half-moon spectacles
and he could feel his magic react to his emotional state, it was
boiling under the surface and leaking around him; his anger was
palpable.
McGonagall could feel the anger radiating off him and quickly rushed
to catch up to her long-time friend now knowing that something was
very wrong indeed. Before she could ask, Dumbledore spoke in a
dangerously low voice.
"Fetch Severus, tell him to get some veritaserum and bring him to
Moody's' office" he instructed the transfiguration Professor firmly.
She stopped dead in her tracks at the unfamiliar tone of his voice.
This was no longer the docile, lemon drop eating, strange humoured
headmaster everyone had become accustomed to. This was the
man that had saved the wizarding world from Grindelwald all those
years ago. The man that all would be Dark Lords had feared since.
She shivered at the fury she could sense but quickly rushed away to
carry out his request.
Dumbledore made his way to the fourth floor, his wand gripped
tightly in anticipation for the coming confrontation. He reached the
door and steeled himself before taking a deep breath. He could hear
muffled voices beyond the heavy door and before he could
comprehend his own actions he had already given his wand a sharp
flick sending a blasting curse at the obstacle before him.
The door exploded inwards, splintering into thousands of tiny pieces.
When the smoke and haze had cleared he entered the room seeing
Moody clearly unconscious on the floor next to his open trunk in the
corner of the office. He quickly bound the unconscious form and
stuck him to the wall with a simple sticking charm.
He heard a faint cough coming from the open trunk and made his
way over. Looking down into the depths he could see a very thin and
dishevelled Alastor Moody, minus one eye and one leg.
"The bastards got the jump on me Albus, Crouch, Pettigrew and
some weird baby thing" he said clearly disorientated after his ordeal.
"Crouch"? Dumbledore asked, "Barty Crouch"? He asked surprised.
"Junior, Albus, that's the shit up there with you now with my eye and
damned leg" Moody growled, clearly angry.
"Minerva and Severus are on their way here now Alastor, we will
have you out in a moment" Dumbledore replied, relieved that his
friend was at least alive although a little worse for wear.
He turned to look at the imposter only to be met with the sight of a
man he thought dead for many years. The leg and eye belonging to
Moody had fallen to the floor as the man had taken his natural form,
the form of Bartemius Crouch Junior. He looked considerably older;
his sandy brown hair streaked generously with grey and the lines
and wrinkles in the face and around the eyes told a story of an
exceedingly difficult time in Azkaban.
He was roused from his thoughts by a sharp intake of breath coming
from the doorway behind him. Turning, he saw the looks of surprise
on the face of the usually stoic Snape and McGonagall.
"Is that…" McGonagall began only to be interrupted by Dumbledore.
"Yes, I'm afraid it is" he cut in. "Minerva, Alastor is in the trunk and in
need of medical attention, please help him to Madame Pomfrey,
Myself and Severus will handle this" he finished waving his hand
towards the trunk without taking his eyes of the incapacitated man
bound to the wall.
McGonagall pursed her lips and went about her task knowing that it
was not the time to protest or question the headmaster further. She
fetched the discarded eye and leg from the floor and levitated the
real Moody from the trunk. She exited with the still grumbling ex
auror leaving Dumbledore and Snape alone with the prisoner.
Snape moved to stand next to Dumbledore, rolling up his left sleeve
as he did so, revealing a very prominent tattoo on his forearm which
Dumbledore looked at and sighed deeply rubbing his eyes beneath
his spectacles.
"Does this mean what I think it means"? The potions professor asked
with an air of apprehension in his voice.
It was clear that although he was trying his best to remain calm he
was more than a little nervous knowing what would be asked of him.
"I fear it is my boy" Dumbledore replied, looking every year he had
lived and equally saddened. "Young Harry and Cedric are yet to
return from the maze and the portkey warning alerted me to the cup
being claimed close to an hour ago now".
"And you think that the Dark Lord may have them"? Snape asked no
longer seeming nervous but slightly bitter at the mention of the Potter
boys name.
Dumbeldore sighed again with slight exasperation knowing that his
potions master had no lost love for Harry. "Based on his past history
at this school it would seem that it is a fair assumption to make" He
replied, keeping his frustration towards Snape and his views on
Harry to a minimum.
Snape curled his lip in a sign of distaste. "Ahh yes, the boys history
at school, which you insist in not sharing Albus, not even with the
staff here" Snape retorted in a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
"They are not my stories to tell Severus as I have said time and time
again" Dumbledore said irritably, having had this argument several
times with several members of staff. "Suffice to say, Harry is a very
remarkable and gifted young man and if you could see beyond your
petty differences with his relatives you may see it yourself. Despite
what you think Harry seeks neither fame nor glory for his feats but I
daresay if he did he would be much more revered and reviled in our
world than he ever has been. All he wants is to be normal Severus
and yet society will never allow that" he finished sadly. "However
now is not the time to discuss Mr Potter and his many achievements,
please administer the veritaserum to our guest so we may see what
we can learn from him".
Snape knew a closed discussion when he heard one but it did not
stop him feeling agitated towards the headmaster and his aloofness
when it came to Potter.
He stepped forward and angled the vial of potion to allow 3 drops to
fall into the already open mouth of Crouch JR. He stepped back
drawing his wand from his sleeve and with a muttered " Ennervate",
the unconscious man began to stir, his eyelashes fluttering open to
reveal his glazed blue eyes showing that the potion had taken affect.
Without hesitation Dumbledore stepped forward and began his
questioning.
"What is your name" He asked calmly, not displaying the worry he
felt.
"Bartemius Crouch Jr" came the monotonous reply.
"Where are Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory" Dumbledore asked his
voice now laced with a small amount of urgency.
"If the portkey worked as intended they would have been taken to
Riddle Manor in Little Hangelton" he replied with a cruel smile.
Dumbledore was truly shaken now. "Severus, get any and all
information you can from him then send for Amelia Bones directly
and tell her to bring only aurors she trust implicitly. I will return as
soon as I can" he finished calling out for his phoenix familiar.
With a final look of disgust towards Crouch Jr, he disappeared in a
flash of fire leaving behind a confused potions master, annoyed that
the headmaster had departed before he could open his mouth to
speak. Snape scowled at the space where Dumbledore had only
seconds ago been standing but turned to further question the only
remaining man in the room. He knew that tonight was going to be a
long night.
(BREAK)
Harry Potter was not in a good place. He was on his knees clutching
the smoking remains of his phoenix feather wand; he knew his time
was coming to an end.
He had taken his parents instruction and tried to run for the cup that
would return him back to the safety of the castle and away from this
hellish nightmare. It was not to be however. His leg bitten by the
acromantula had given out mere feet away from the trophy and as
he raised his wand to summon it to him, it was struck by an errant
spell. All that remained was a smouldering slither of wood with a
bright red feather protruding from the end still smoking from its
destruction which he clung to regardless of its now useless state.
He was exhausted, breathing heavily and quite severely injured. He
looked at the colder growing corpse of Cedric with an unfathomable
amount of sorrow.
He replayed his parents' words throughout his mind. Hearing the
love they had for him in their own words had given him his final burst
of energy to make his escape but alas, it was not enough to
overcome the physical trauma he had sustained. The bite, the
several torture curses, the exhausting duel with Voldemort and the
blood loss from the dagger wound given to him by Pettigrew had
concluded in him finding himself in this position.
Now he knew that all he had left to do was face his inevitable death
and he would be damned if he died on his knees cowering at the feet
of the man who had murdered his parents. Tom Riddle, the man who
had mercilessly taken the life of both his mother and father was
stood only a few dozen yards away. The reason he had been raised
by the Dursleys, the reason he had had a miserable existence the
reason he found himself how and where he was now.
He would not die on his knees, he would look the bastard straight in
the eye the same way his father had and defy him to the last second
just as his mother had.
There was nothing left to take from Harry Potter except his dignity
and there was no way he was giving up anything else to the
murdering bastard who had already taken everything he held in his
heart away from him.
He was suddenly filled with a rage he had never thought possible, it
coursed through his very veins like molten lava. How dare this
bastard trap him and trick him the way he had and only try to duel
him when he was already wounded? He realised something in that
moment.
Tom Riddle was nothing but an opportunist; he really was a slytherin
through and through. The Death Eaters in front of him mistook his
shaking for fear but could not see the emerald fire that danced
dangerously in the young mans' eyes. They were very much taken
aback when they heard him chuckling and saw him stand on shaky
legs to face the Dark Lord despite the fact he was unarmed.
His leg was quivering violently under his weight but he knew this was
his defining moment. He would make sure that Tom Riddle would
never forget that the last Potter stood before him in his final moment,
as defiant as his Mother before him and as fearless as his Father.
He laughed again when he saw both, the look of confusion and
grudging respect on the face of Riddle. He spat out the blood that
had formed in his mouth and returned to staring his adversary in the
face just waiting for the end that he knew was to come.
Voldemort looked upon the boy in front of him amazed that he had
the ability and the fortitude to face him the way that he was. He could
not help but respect the final stand that Potter was making. In this
moment he saw the man that he would become and he felt a shiver
make its way up his spine at the thought of that coming to pass.
He knew one day that Potter could have been his downfall and he
knew that he had been fortunate in his plan to bring him here and
end it now before he could become a real threat.
Knowing now that there was no way for the boy to escape he
allowed his wand to hang loosely at his side before addressing his
foe.
"I'm impressed Potter" He said casually. "You have finally shown me
why you have been considered my biggest threat all these years, I
see the anger in your eyes, the desire for vengeance, you would
have been quite the rival had you lived that long" He finished.
The Death Eaters around him looked confused. Did the Dark Lord
just praise a half-blood and a child? Did he just claim that this boy
was his biggest threat? They believed that Potter had gotten lucky
thirteen years ago and that it was he had been nothing more than a
setback in the Dark Lord's plans. They could not see the potential
that Potter had. As far as they knew he was not a remarkable wizard
and was not overtly talented.
Lucius Malfoy in particular was very confused. He had had his son
watch Potter from day one and by all accounts Potter was mediocre
at best. Had his son missed something? Or had he simply let his
jealousy cloud his judgement of the young man stood in front of him?
He looked into Potters' eyes and saw the fire that burned within
them. A bright emerald fire that he would not forget resided there and
it made him feel uneasy. He swallowed back his unease with an
audible gulp and looked back at his master to see the grudging
respect etched on his face. There was something about Potter that
he was wary of and Lucius Malfoy detested being wary.
"I offered you the chance to stand by my side in your first year at
Hogwarts Harry, do you remember? Of course you do. You foolishly
turned down my offer, but I stand by what I said, you would have
been great, together we could have been great" he finished ignoring
his followers around him. "But Lord Voldemort only offers his hand
once Harry, you refused and now you die a pointless death for
nothing" He spat in anger.
Before he could raise his wand the young man dared to laugh at him
again and Voldemort thought for a second that he had simply gone
insane.
Harry found himself amused by the speech. He wasn't sure if he had
lost his mind all he knew was that he was no longer scared. In fact
he was now looking forward to it all being over. There would be no
more pain and no more fear. He would finally be reunited with his
parents, which he had always desired more than anything else.
He had dreamed that he could bring them back and they could live
happily together as they should have been able to but he had long
since given up on that dream of folly and childish wishes and had
resigned himself to the fact he would have to wait until his end
before he could see them again.
He knew his luck would eventually run out but he did not expect his
time would come to a close so soon. But now he accepted it had and
the prospect of being with his family had made him quite impatient
for it all to finally be over.
He gave a final laugh before looking at Riddle critically one final time.
The anger he felt was pulsing through him but he composed himself,
he would show no more weakness.
"You're right Tom I did refuse you then and would now" Harry stated
with satisfaction at the anger he could see in Voldemorts' eyes at the
casual use of his given name. "You're a coward Riddle, attacking
people in the dead of night, torturing harmless innocent wizards,
witches and muggles. I would rather die a thousand times than join
you, I doubt you have had an honest fight in your life" He spat his
anger showing in his voice. "Yeah you'll kill me but there will always
be people who will stand against you and one day you will be where
I stand now and I hope that who is holding that wand shows you the
same kind of mercy you have shown in your life" He spat again
favouring his injured leg. "Fuck you Tom Riddle" He finished spitting
blood at Voldemorts' feet wearing a cruel smile.
Voldemort was shocked but the shock quickly turned to anger.
"All who stand against me will fall just like your foolish parents and
now you" he screamed in rage. He levelled his wand at Harry the tip
already glowing an eerie green. " Avada Kedavra" he shouted with
all the hatred he could muster.
But before he even began his incantation a thick, opaque black fog
had rolled in and surrounded him and his Death Eaters. He knew his
aim was true and that from this distance there was no way he could
have missed with his spell but he was furious that he would not see
Potter fall.
A gentle single popping sound permeated the silence followed
quickly by another. He furiously waved his wand dispelling the fog to
find the spot where Potter had stood was now empty. All that
remained was the no longer smoking remains of his destroyed wand.
He knew his spell had hit and he knew that Potter could not apparate
through the wards around the graveyard. He was confused and
furious. Someone had taken the corpse he planned on parading
through the streets of the wizarding world to show that he could not
be stopped, not even by Harry Potter.
He took some comfort in knowing that Potter was finally dead but he
wanted that corpse. He screamed again in rage sweeping his wand
and levelling the remaining tombstones in the graveyard.
Someone would pay for this travesty.
(BREAK)
He watched through his steel grey eyes from the edge of the
graveyard. He knew that this day would come but he had not
expected it so quickly.
He knew that Voldemort had not truly been killed thirteen years ago
and had used that time to learn as much as he could about the man.
It had been difficult, according to the wizarding world he had died not
long after the fall of the Dark Lord but in reality, he had spent the last
thirteen years preparing for his inevitable return.
He had learnt many months ago from the muggle newspapers about
the disappearance of Frank Bryce, the Riddles' gardener and vowed
to keep vigil on the property from then on. He had the property
watched continuously through his elves but had learnt very little. He
was aware that wards had been placed around the property, simple
wards only; muggle repelling, anti-apparition and basic notice-me-not
charms but no people had been seen entering or leaving the
property until tonight.
His elves had alerted him to what was happening and he quickly
made his way here. He saw the other boy bought along with Potter
murdered needlessly in cold blood and knew if he didn't act then
Potter would follow shortly.
He watched in anger and sadness as Potter was bound to the
tombstone and had his blood stolen to be used in that disgusting
potion by the fat rat looking man. He watched in a mixture of awe
and horror as Voldemort rose from the cauldron and equal fury as he
tortured an unarmed and defenceless Potter.
He witnessed Potter stand against him even though it was a helpless
situation and the odds were against him. He watched their brother
wands connect and felt a sense of pride fill him as Potter bested the
Dark Lord. He watched the shades emerge from the wand although
he could not hear what they were saying he could see the
determination appear in the boys' eyes.
He saw Potter fall and his heart filled with dread. He heard Potter
laugh and thought as the Death Eaters did they he had finally
snapped and lost his mind.
He saw Potter stand and look at the Dark Lord defiantly and saw an
all too familiar look in his eyes, a look he hadn't seen in many, many
years.
He could not be prouder of the boy in that moment; he swelled with
joy at the memories that that look had awoken within him. He would
have attempted to save the boy because of his own history but now
he was determined. He could see the potential in him the same
potential he had himself witnessed all those years ago.
Upon seeing that look he knew the boy was the best hope of
someone ending the Dark Lord once and for all. He tore at the antiapparition
wards furiously knowing he had to work quickly and
precisely to pull his plan off.
As he tore through the wards he could see the green glow at the tip
of the Dark Lords wand and quickly twirled his wand in a figure eight
motion followed by a sharp jab towards Riddle and his followers
creating a thick black from the end of his wand.
When he was sure he would not be seen he apparated behind the
boy only to see him hit full on in the face by the killing curse. He
caught him as he fell backwards seeing an inky black substance
pouring from the infamous lightning bolt scar followed by an earsplitting
screech that made him recoil in nausea at the reek of the
darkness he could feel.
The black inky mass dissipated quickly and he checked for a pulse
not expecting to find one present.
Shockingly it was there, very faint, but there. He disapparated home
with haste knowing he needed to be quick to save the boys' life.
(BREAK)
Albus Dumbledore arrived in the graveyard in a flash of fire, wand in
hand ready, only to hear the tell-tale cracks of several people
disapparating before he could catch his bearings.
He looked upon the scene of destruction with his keen eyes trying to
discern what had happened. It was clear that quite the fight had
taken place and he held on to the small glimmer of hope that his
students had managed to hold off Voldemort long enough to escape.
The feeling was short lived however as he spotted the lifeless body
of Cedric Diggory only a few feet to his left and the triwizard cup
discarded next to him.
A sad silent tear escaped him as he mourned the needless loss of a
fine young man. He composed himself quickly knowing that Cedric
could no longer be helped but there was still hope for Harry.
He approached the enormous cauldron and peered inside. He
frowned at the unknown potion but could sense a few of the
ingredients; flesh, blood and bone. He felt queasy knowing that
nothing good could be born from such a concoction.
He abandoned his musings in search of any sign of Harry and was
caught short when he came upon the broken remains of his wand.
He picked it up in a shaking hand feeling the warmth of his familiar
radiating from it.
Fawkes trilled sadly at the destruction of a wand he had helped
create and trilled again in an even more melancholy manner at the
thought of the loss of the wands owner.
Dumbledore sighed wiping away the tears that he was unaware had
formed in his eyes again and fired off a patronus to Severus asking
him to send Amelia Bones to the graveyard as soon as possible.
He continued with his investigation of the area piecing together what
had happened. He felt the expected presence of Tom Riddle being
very familiar of the types of spells he used. He felt the all too familiar
presence of his more prolific followers having come across them
many times during the last war. He found the ward lines and ran a
diagnostic charm to see what types of wards had been created.
He frowned at the results. He ran the check again to be sure he was
seeing the outcome for what it really was.
There was no denying it. There were signs of an anti-apparition ward
but the ward had been broken by a very skilled wizard.
The presence was somewhat familiar to Dumbledore but he could
not place it, the wizard had concealed himself very well.
He checked the graveyard again for any other sign of the wizard and
was again surprised and confused to find a sudden sharper
presence of the individuals signature where he had found the
remains of Harrys' wand. The sudden presence led him to believe
that whomever it was had apparated directly where Harry had stood
and away again.
He knew that he would learn little else from here and could only
hope that this person was an ally and had managed to help Harry
escape.
He knew that it was important to find Harry if he was alive there were
things he needed to know and he just hoped that he would be
forgiven for withholding so much from the boy. If Harry had not
managed to survive then Dumbledore knew that the coming years
would be very dark indeed. Without their beacon of hope and saviour
the wizarding world will crumble to dust without much resistance and
Tom Riddle would exert his will upon them all.
"Do you think it's possible he escaped?" He asked his still trilling
familiar.
Fawkes paused and cocked his head to the side, his black beady
eyes focused on his long-time friend. He screeched a long hopeful
note eliciting a deep feeling of hope within the headmaster who
simply stroked the birds' plumage and smiled gently his eyes
regaining some of their usual twinkle.
"You're right my friend, we have to have faith in Harry, he has
certainly overcome the odds enough times now for me not to count
him out" He finished feeling a little more calm knowing that there was
still some hope that the boy was ok.
He knew that if Harry had been captured and taken away by Tom
that he would soon be made aware of it. Tom would be compelled to
boast and would feel no need to hide in the shadows with the death
of Harry.
He knew not many would truly stand against him if Harry fell to his
wand. He was sure that Harry had not yet been killed as he could
still feel the presence of the blood wards he had erected at Privet
Drive and if he were to die the wards would fall immediately.
He would alert Amelia to his disappearance and hope that a
combined effort could find Harry alive and well.
He was broken from his thoughts but the arrival of the head of the
DMLE and two of her aurors. They hadn't always seen eye to eye
but Dumbledore knew she was honourable if nothing else. She
herself had lost most of her family during the last war and he knew
he could have a powerful ally in Madame Bones.
"What the hell is going on Dumbledore?" She asked impatiently.
"The school is in uproar wondering what is happening and the press
is having a field day shouting about you and your incompetence".
She faltered seeing the grim look in the eyes of the chief warlock and
faltered further still at the site of the body of Cedric Diggory.
Dumbledore sighed again, a sad sigh. He explained everything that
had happened to the director and her two aurors who simply gaped
at what they were being told.
When he was finished Amelia looked simply dumbfounded and
overwhelmed by all she had heard.
"Fudge will never believe it" She managed to stammer out after
composing herself for several moments. "He won't believe until he
sees it for himself and with Lucius Malfoy pulling his strings he will
simply ignore everything". "What the hell can we do Albus? What do
we tell the Diggorys' and what about Potter?" She asked firing the
questions quickly not waiting for a reply.
"We tell them the truth Amelia, that's all we can do and hope that
people see the truth for what it is, and Harry is very resourceful,
believe me there is very little in this world that would cause our
young Mr Potter real trouble" He chuckled in fondness at the
memories of Harry and his perchance for finding himself in situations
and coming out on top over and over again.
Before she could scold him for his inappropriate laughter he raised a
placating hand.
"Mr Potter is a very capable wizard I will not divulge the unknown
specifics but suffice to say he has done things that most would deem
impossible. He mastered the Patronus charm at 13 years old and
drove off all 100 dementors that Cornelius had deemed fit to guard
Hogwarts after Sirius Black escaped" Dumbledore said satisfied at
the look of awe on the faces of the aurors and the head of the
DMLE.
"That's impossible, no one can drive any more than a few Dementors
at a time" The young female auror retorted disbelievingly.
"My dear Nymphadora I can assure you that it is in fact possible as
young Harry himself did it and had he not he and his godfather would
have suffered a most unfortunate fate" Dumbledore replied amused
at the young metamorphs constant changing hair colour.
"Why would Potter save Black? He betrayed the boys' parents to the
Dark Lord" Amelia asked confused more so than she had ever been.
The young female auror was paying rapt attention, she was very
interested in hearing Dumbledore's' answer to that question, very
interested indeed.
"As chief warlock of the wizengamot I cannot influence your
investigation but I daresay that you will find the most peculiar
magical presence of a wizard thought murdered by Mr Black some
thirteen years ago in this very graveyard" He said, not elaborating
further.
Amelia blinked taken aback at that statement. "Pettigrew? You're
telling me Pettigrew is alive and in league with the Dark Lord?" She
asked suspiciously, not sure if she could believe what she was
hearing.
"It is not my place to say and you know that I cannot officially take
part in any investigation, however, I'm sure if you take a look into the
official documents you will find some very interesting reading or
more accurately lack of reading" he finished putting as much
emphasis on his hint as possible. "Anyway you are here now to do
your job and I must speak to the Diggorys' and inform them of what
has happened" He finished reverting back to his mournful
demeanour. "And I believe that when you are finished here I have a
most interesting man you will want to take into custody, he is pivotal
to what has occurred this evening" he finished flashing away in
flames again back to Hogwarts.
Amelia simply shook her head and tried to digest what she had been
told and what she had learned. There was much to do and it was just
the beginning.
She had no reason to doubt Dumbledore, he was not one for
scaremongering, if anything he had played down the seriousness of
the situation.
She knew that her life would become very hectic and very busy but
she would not allow anyone else she cared about to die at the Dark
Lord's hand.
She had work to do and lots of it.
Nymphadora Tonks was deep in thought. She had always believed
that her cousin had turned traitor against his best friend and now she
had just learnt that there was a chance that it wasn't true.
She had much to think on and much to do.
She would take Dumbledore's' advice and look into the matter
starting with this graveyard and then she would speak to her Mother.
If anyone knew the kind of man Sirius Black was it would be her. She
set to work with a lot of information whirling through her mind
determined to find the truth.
(BREAK)
Harry Potter found himself in a very strange place, strange because
there was nothing but a translucent grey mist.
Although the mist was fairly thin there was nothing else to be seen
but he felt that he was certainly not alone.
There were voices, many voices that seemed to come from nowhere
whispering to him but none were discernible except for the
occasional word that he could hear if he focused enough.
He walked forward lost in thought, some of the voices fading to
nothingness as others became clearer.
He thought back to his final moments and felt a sense of pride at
how he had carried himself and had goaded Riddle into anger. He
was surprised that his life did not flash before his eyes as the green
light of the killing curse hurtled towards him. Instead he became
acutely aware of everything around him in the moment; the smell of
his own blood and perspiration, the gentle breeze of the June
evening that gently caressed his damp skin but above all else he felt
the serenity knowing that all of his heartache and pain would soon
be over.
Yes, there were people he would miss but now he would get to be
with those who he had had for only the briefest amount of time when
he was a baby.
He walked forward quickening his pace at the thought of seeing his
parents again only to be stopped in his tracks by a gentle voice that
easily drowned out the other surrounding murmurs.
"Please stop Harry, listen to what we have to say and then you can
make any choice you want to. I promise that we won't try to change
your mind once you have heard us out" The familiar voice said in a
somewhat pleading tone.
Harry was shocked. He knew that voice but had only heard it in his
darkest moments pleading for his life to be saved and hers to be
taken instead courtesy of his worst nightmares and his run ins with
the dementors. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat
before replying.
"Mum? Is that you" He asked not able to hide his excitement at
hearing his Mothers' voice for the first time not in his nightmares.
"Yes, it's me Harry" The voice of Lily Potter answered full of enough
emotion for Harry to know she was chocking back her tears. "Please
stay where you are, if you come any closer then there is no going
back" She finished clearly saddened at the situation her son had
found himself in.
"No going back?" Harry asked confused. "But I'm dead aren't I?
There is no going back from death" He stated matter-of-factly.
"You are both dead and alive Harry, you are currently in limbo, the
space between both worlds and from here you can go back the way
you came or keep walking forwards and move on to the other side"
the voice of Lily Potter explained.
At that explanation Harry moved to take another step forward but
was once again stopped by the voice of his mother.
"Wait Harry please" Her voice pleaded again. "Let me explain" She
finished.
When she saw that her son had stopped again she took a deep
breath and began speaking once again.
"Your soul was tainted by an essence of Voldemort from when he
attempted to kill you as a baby and when the curse hit you it
removed the taint from you. So in effect the killing curse took a life of
some form as intended but, you do not have to give up yours. I am
not allowed to say any more than that as we are not allowed to
interfere with anything from the other side. If I said anymore I would
be cast out from this place and we would never be able to see each
other again" She said in obvious frustration. "You have the chance to
go back" She continued "you can try to stop Voldemort and save
your friends and all those you care about or you can walk forward
and pass on, it is your choice" she finished with a sigh.
Harry knew there was much more to it than what he was being told.
"What happens if I decide to walk forward and pass on?" He asked
in a calm voice that did not reflect his turbulent emotions.
The voice hesitated before sighing. "All I can say it that there will be
very dark times on the other side, there a very few who will stand
against Voldemort and those few will likely fall" the voice replied.
"Like it or not Harry these people look to you as a beacon of hope
and without you there will be reluctance to fight".
"But I'm just me, I'm just a boy" he replied frustrated.
"No Harry, you are not just a boy. What you did and how you faced
death in the graveyard is what separates you from everyone else.
You fought back and even when you knew the end was coming you
did not beg or plead for your life as almost all others would. You
accepted your fate and showed Voldemort something he had never
seen; unwavering bravery in the face of death. The only person who
he fears is you Harry. He could not kill you as a baby and now he
believes he has succeeded. How do you think he will react knowing
you had again survived his attempt at killing you? It will give
everyone hope that he can be stopped and I'm sorry Harry but you
are that hope as much as you don't want it to be" she explained
sadly to her son.
Harry was confused and frustrated.
"Why does it have to be me? Why can't someone else do it just for
once? I am ready to die, I want to die, I want it all to be over. How
can you ask me to go back now after everything I've had to deal
with? Every time things go wrong everyone turn their backs on me
then its left to me to deal with it all and then it starts all over again"
He finished breathless from his outburst, his eyes welling with tears.
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"I've had enough, I just want it to all be over, so why should I go back
and help them only for them to hail me as a hero when it's
convenient for them and then be shunned all over again when it's all
over? He asked in anger again.
Before the voice of his mother could reply another voice was heard
above the whispers.
"Because that is who you are Harry" A deep masculine voice
answered. "You don't see yourself as a hero but you simply do what
is right. You don't do it for the adoration and approval of others and
you don't do it for the fame and glory, you do it because you can,
because you know that it is the right thing to do. You are different to
the others, you have the courage to fight the fight that they can't and
you have the potential to succeed. If worst comes to worst then he
will kill you again and you will find yourself back here but we both
know that if you step forward now you will never find peace here
knowing that you could have been that difference. You are a Potter.
We stand against tyranny, we fight the battles that others can't
because that's who we are and that's what we do and always have.
You can't change who you are Harry; you can't fight what is in your
blood. Who do you know that can stand and face Voldemort the way
you have and end him? I saw that look in your eyes as you faced
him at the end, you wanted to kill him and had you had a wand you
would have done everything you could to do it. He killed your parents
and condemned you the life that you have had to live, are you really
going to let that go and let him do that to countless others? I think
not" the voice finished its speech.
Harry stood stock still absorbing the words that had been spoken to
him.
In reality he was clinging to a final strand of hope that he wouldn't
have to go back but he had unknowingly already resigned himself to
it.
"What about Dumbledore?" He asked partly out of desperation. "He
is the only one who Voldemort is afraid" He stated.
"Dumbledore is a very old man Harry and he has fought his fight, this
is a fight for a younger man. Voldemort does not fear Dumbledore he
has simply struggled to defeat him in the past but those times are
behind him now. Dumbledore could still hold his own against him but
he does not have it in him to finish him magically or morally, he has
his reasons but they are his to tell you but Dumbledore will not take a
mans' life, no matter how necessary it is the masculine voice replied.
It was then that Harry knew he had to go back. As much as he
wanted to walk forward and be done with it all he knew the voice was
right. He would not find peace on the other side if he left the others
to a horrible fate that he could prevent. He rubbed his eyes in
frustration and released a long drawn out breath.
"Who are you?" He asked into the empty vastness. "And how do I
get out of the graveyard? As soon as I wake up there surely he will
just kill me again?" He questioned the male voice.
The voice chuckled at the questions.
"I'm sure you will know who I am soon enough Harry and you are no
longer in the graveyard, you were saved and taken away as soon as
the curse hit you, I'm sure right now there is a very worried man
watching over you" The voice chuckled again.
Harry couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the voice. He chose
instead to address his mother.
"Mum, what do you think I should do?" He asked.
"You already know what you have to do" She replied her voice full of
emotion, knowing that he was going to be leaving again.
Harry simply nodded and swallowed back another lump. He turned
to leave and walk back the way he came when the male voice spoke
again.
"Remember Harry, fighting for others is all well and good and the
right thing to do but never lose sight of your own reasons. You do
what you have to to survive and protect those who can't protect
themselves. War is war Harry, when someone is trying to kill you or
those you care about there can be no hesitation you do whatever is
necessary to make sure you and those who stand by your side make
it through even if that means taking a life. You will regret losing
someone you care about more than you ever will taking the life of
someone who will not hesitate to take yours. Know your enemy
Harry, know what you are against and know your blood and what it is
you fight for. Fight fire with fire, it's the only way you and those you
care about will make it through this alive" the voice finished no
longer chuckling with amusement.
I will" Harry simply stated now aware of how different things would
be. "I will" He whispered to himself before stepping again towards
where he came from.
(BREAK)
Harry woke taking in his surroundings. He was in a dark room
decorated mostly in ornate oak furniture. There were various
paintings on the wall and a thick chocolate rug on the heavy wooden
floor in front of a crackling fire that was surrounded with a simple
stone placing. He tried to move but found himself quite stiff and his
joints protested against his attempts.
The stiffness of his joints aside he felt much better than he had
expected. He felt that he was breathing easier than he ever had and
that a huge burden had been lifted from him, he felt light and knew
that it must be from the taint of Voldemort being removed from him.
He turned his head to take in the rest of the room only to be faced
with a pair of sharp, penetrating steel grey eyes that betrayed no
emotion.
The man sat beside him in a simple armchair was old, not as old as
Dumbledore but fairly advanced in his years nonetheless. He had
the look of a man who had seen and been a part of much in his life.
He was not heavily scarred nor did he show any wounds but the
eyes told the story of a truly hardened man a man who had faced
and overcome much adversity in his time.
Harry swallowed nervously and attempted to moisten his dry mouth
in an effort to talk through the nervousness he was feeling.
"So you finally decided to wake up Mr Potter" The man stated simply
in a neutral voice. "It is about time".
Harry swallowed again at the mans' casual tone. "Who are you?" he
managed to ask. "How long was I out?"
The man looked at Harry with a penetrating stare that seemed to see
straight into his soul.
"You have been unconscious for 3 days" The man stated. "And as for
who I am, my name is Arcturus Orion Black, your great uncle on you
fathers side and I believe we have much to discuss and much more
to do" he said gravely