Monday, November 2nd, 1994
Albus Dumbledore stared at the front page of the Daily Prophet and frowned. For the second day in a row, the Daily Prophet had nothing about the Triwizard Tournament or Lord and Lady Potter's mysterious arrival at Hogwarts.
He was sure Rita Skeeter had attended the events over the weekend – in her Animagus form, since she wasn't present in person during the past two evenings' events. He expected she would have been eager to get the news about not only the Triwizard Tournament, the Champions, and Harry Potter's name coming out of the Goblet, but also the arrival of Lord and Lady Potter into yesterday's edition of the Prophet, but there was nothing about it!
And once again, in today's edition of the Prophet there was nothing about the events that had taken place over the weekend at Hogwarts! There was nothing about Barty Crouch, Junior being revealed as alive, and having been captured after impersonating Alastor Moody. Nothing about Bartemius Crouch, Senior being arrested.
What is the Daily Prophet waiting for? Albus mused, Usually they would be chomping at the bit to get the news out! Especially with how many copies they would have sold over the past couple of days! So why the delay? I can understand them making a big deal out of everything that has happened, but surely they would have published something already!
There was also the fact that Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge had not contacted Albus at all since Halloween night. Albus had expected Cornelius to write to him and demand a meeting – either through the Floo Network, or in person at the Ministry – so that Albus could explain just what was happening at Hogwarts. And yet, that hadn't happened either!
Amelia did say last night that the Ministry wasn't making any moves just yet when it came to the two time-travelers, Albus mused, Which is quite odd. I expected Fudge, Dolores Umbridge, and Lucius Malfoy to be up in arms, demanding that I explain what is going on in my castle!
Albus sighed, rubbing wrinkles in his forehead. He could feel a headache coming on, the latest of several ever since Saturday night. If the Minister of Magic had confronted him, demanding to ask him what was going on, Albus wasn't sure exactly what he could tell him. Because Albus knew he didn't have all the answers!
Lord and Lady Potter are keeping information from me, Albus said, Information that they are likely giving out to people like Minerva McGonagall, Amelia Bones, and even their younger selves, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger! And now that Sirius Black is in the castle, they're probably giving information to him too!
He thought that the worst thing that could have happened last night was Lord Potter becoming the Fourth Champion instead of his younger self. That fiasco had completely ruined his plans. He had hoped to compel the Goblet of Fire into choosing the younger Harry, just like Barty Crouch, Junior did.
Unfortunately, he learned a very disturbing truth last night. The Elder Wand was not working properly for him anymore. He did not feel as powerful as he used to feel with it. He knew exactly when he had lost the true power of the Elder Wand: when Lord and Lady Potter fell through the portal. Lord Potter confirmed it himself that he was the Master of Death in the future. He was the true owner of the Elder Wand. Therefore, the Elder Wand refused to work correctly for Albus. Right now, the Elder Wand was barely more powerful than his old wand, and that was because it had a more powerful wood, and core than his old wand. The wand was also attuned to him, in various ways, because he had used it for so long. Still, there was a very big, noticeable difference from the power it used to have in his hand.
Suffice it to say, Albus had realized that the Elder Wand had prevented him from Compelling the Goblet of Fire to choose younger Harry. He couldn't use another wand. His old wand had been destroyed many years ago, while he had tried to accomplish the skill of dual-wand casting. His old wand was too weak to control during dual-wand casting and the wood had basically shattered in his hand. Removing the wand's splinters from his hand had been a very painful process (one he couldn't do with magic, because the splinters were enchanted pieces of wood), and because he didn't want it publicly known that one of his wands had been destroyed after he tried to do dual-casting, Albus had done the healing process himself. He never got another spare wand, just in case the same thing happened.
Therefore, Lord Potter was the Fourth Champion, because the Goblet of Fire had chosen him. Now Albus couldn't forcefully remove Lord and Lady Potter from Hogwarts, and it was likely that even Cornelius Fudge wouldn't condone Lord and Lady Potter to come under harm from any influence outside the Triwizard Tournament.
The Ministry of Magic probably wouldn't do anything to Lord and Lady Potter until the Triwizard Tournament was over, now that Lord Potter was the Champion! Cornelius would probably fear that if an Auror or Unspeakable tried to arrest Lord and Lady Potter for interfering with time (was that even an actual law? Albus didn't know!), that the Goblet of Fire would punish him – Cornelius – for being responsible for it! Which was probably why Albus hadn't heard from the Minister of Magic yet, now that he thought about it.
However, Lord Potter becoming the Fourth Champion instead of young Harry wasn't Albus' only reason for his constant headaches.
Sirius Black… just the latest headache for Albus Dumbledore. Albus had barely gotten two words in last night after Black's arrival, and his demand for Sanctuary. Demands that Albus didn't want to give into! But because Black had asked for Sanctuary in public – not in private as Albus would have preferred – then Allbus had no choice but to accept Sanctuary. He couldn't deny the man his request, especially in front of not only Lord and Lady Potter, their younger selves, and Amelia Bones, but all of his students and staff! Albus had a reputation to maintain and protect! He needed to act like the Leader of the Light, who gave out second, third and fourth chances, like he was serving cake! If he hadn't given Sanctuary to Sirius – well, he didn't want to think how Lord and Lady Potter, their younger selves, and Amelia Bones would have reacted to that. He knew Lord and Lady Potter would likely refuse to give him anymore information regarding the future if that happened, and he couldn't afford that.
After he had given Sanctuary to Sirius, Albus had basically lost control of the goings-on in the Great Hall last night. Before he knew it, not only were Black and Amelia gone from the Great Hall, but so were Lord and Lady Potter, along with their younger selves, and Minerva McGonagall!
The next time Albus had seen Amelia and Minerva, he still didn't reign in any control from that meeting either! Amelia had informed Albus that she expected Sirius would have a trial – the trial he'd been waiting for since November of '81 – by the following weekend. The way she glared at him as she said that, Albus was quite sure she knew about his involvement in Black's imprisonment without a trial.
Then she had asked him to sign the Official Writ of Sanctuary for Sirius Black, so that she could take it to the Minister of Magic. For the second time in one evening, Albus was forced to do something he didn't want to, because he didn't want to look bad in front of Amelia, and had signed the parchment she had given him. Now Sirius had protection inside Hogwarts until his trial, and Albus couldn't do anything about it!
Amelia had also hinted that she might return to the castle before the end of the week, but she never gave him a reason why! It was infuriating that people were keeping secrets from him!
(The fact that he was usually the one who kept secrets from people – and therefore was acting like the biggest hypocrite with such thoughts – had not once crossed his mind.)
And then there was Minerva. Minerva told Albus that she had decided that Mr. Potter and Miss Granger would remain in Lord and Lady's Private Quarters for the foreseeable future. When Albus had asked why, Minerva explained that Mr. Potter and Miss Granger were getting information and details about the future from Lord and Lady Potter. Details that Minerva assumed that Albus didn't want to get out into the public, before he could learn about them!
Albus, of course, had to agree with that. So he had accepted Minerva's idea.
Of course, what he hadn't said to Minerva, because Amelia was with her at the time, was that he was angry that Lord and Lady Potter were giving other people – especially Mr. Potter and Miss Granger – information about the future, all willy-nilly, without Albus' approval! It wasn't fair! His pawn, Harry Potter, was probably learning crucial information about the future – possibly even about Voldemort or even him, Albus Dumbledore! Information Albus didn't want Harry to know! For instance, the Prophecy! Albus was sure Lord Potter knew about the Prophecy. He didn't want Harry to know about that yet! He wasn't ready for Harry to learn that information! Especially since Voldemort was only a Homunculus at the moment (Albus, of course, having gotten that information from Barty Crouch, Junior), and not in an actual body!
I'm going to have to use Legilimency on Harry and Miss Granger, Albus mused, and find out what Lord and Lady Potter have been telling them. I'm sure they'll be in the Great Hall for breakfast. They do have classes today, after all. Unfortunately, I couldn't get such information from Minerva or Amelia, because both of them are well-trained in Occlumency. Fortunately, Harry and Miss Granger have never been able to tell when I use Legilimency on them, so they won't be able to tell their older selves about me using it on them. So I'll be able to find out what Lord and Lady Potter have been revealing, without either pair knowing that I've done so!
With those plans in mind, Albus stood up, and headed out of his office, and toward the Grand Staircase. He needed to eat breakfast, after all, if only to give him more strength to use Legilimency on Harry and Hermione.
Monday, November 2nd, 1994 ("Harry" = Young Harry; "Hermione" = Young Hermione).
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were in the Great Hall, sitting together at the Gryffindor Table and eating breakfast. They were doing their best to ignore the stares at them, not just from their housemates at their own table, but also the other students around the Hall.
Hermione said they're only staring at us, Harry mused, because they're wondering what Lord and Lady Potter told us about the future. Imagine if my name came out of the Goblet of Fire. They'd be staring at me for a whole different reason, and I imagine staring wouldn't be the only thing they'd be doing.
Suddenly, Harry's thoughts were interrupted, as Ron Weasley sat down across the table from him and Hermione.
"Finally found you, mate!" Ron said to Harry, "Why didn't you sleep in our dormitory last night?"
Harry swallowed what he was eating, and cleared his throat. "Professor McGonagall has given Hermione and I permission to remain in Lord and Lady Potter's Private Quarters for a while."
"Why?!" Ron asked, "You're not one of the Triwizard Tournament Champions, why do you get to sleep in Private Quarters?"
"Professor McGonagall doesn't want us being hounded by students," Hermione said, "asking us about details from the future that Lord and Lady Potter might have told us."
"I can understand that," Neville said; he was sitting on the other side of Hermione, so he was able to listen in on their conversation easily. "Yesterday, during breakfast, Professor McGonagall did tell us that we're not to bother Lord and Lady Potter about questions concerning the future."
"Yeah, but she said nothing about asking you two about what Lord and Lady Potter said!" Ron said, "So tell us, mate! What did you learn from Lord Potter? I'm sure he's already taught you a couple cool spells he learned in the future!"
"Didn't you hear a word Hermione just said?" Harry asked, "We're not supposed to talk about what Lord and Lady Potter has told us."
"Yeah, but I'm your best mate!" Ron said, "If my future self dropped out of a Portal, and told me all kinds of stuff about the future, I'd tell you what he told me!"
"Would you?" Hermione asked, "Would you tell us? If your older self told you that Harry and I were married in the future, would you tell us that? Or would you tell us that Professor McGonagall, or Dumbledore, or whoever, told you that you couldn't tell us details about the future?"
Ron frowned, then glared at Hermione. Harry knew Ron was about to yell at Hermione, so he decided he needed to say something to convince Ron. So he decided to tell Ron a white-lie.
"We can't tell anyone about what Lord and Lady Potter told us, Ron," Harry said, "I mean, we literally can't tell you."
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Ron demanded.
Hermione glanced side-eyed at Harry, then smirked as she realized what he was trying to imply.
"Harry's right," Hermione said, "Lord and Lady Potter put a Charm on us that they learned from the future – a variation of the Fidelius Charm. Instead of a Secret being placed on a building, they figured out how to place it on information. We had to vow not to say anything that they told us, and if we did, we'd lose our magic."
"Or maybe even die," Harry said, "Would you want to be the reason your 'best mates' died, Ron?"
"What, you mean they made you take an Unbreakable Vow with them?!" Ron demanded.
"Not an Unbreakable Vow, Ron," Hermione said, "But it was similar. Professor McGonagall said it was a variation of it, after Lord and Lady Potter explained it to her. She was there when it happened, and gave us permission to have the Charms placed on us."
We're going to have to talk to Professor McGonagall, and Lord and Lady Potter about this, Harry mused, So they can know the story that we've come up with, so Ron can't demand that we give him information.
"Well, that's not bloody fair!" Ron complained, "Did Professor Dumbledore agree to that?"
"Does Professor McGonagall do anything that Professor Dumbledore doesn't want her to do?" Hermione asked.
Ron huffed and started digging into his breakfast.
"Are you sure you're still their best mate, Ron?" Neville asked.
Ron glared at Neville, and said something Harry couldn't discern because Ron's mouth was full of food.
"Swallow your food, Ronald!" Hermione growled.
Ron glared at Hermione, then swallowed. "What's that supposed to mean, Longbottom?!"
"You wanted to yell at Harry yesterday morning, didn't you?" Neville asked, "When you thought he put his name in the Goblet of Fire."
Even though Harry and Hermione knew that – because Lord Potter had told them – they still glared at Ron.
"Is that the truth, Ron?" Harry asked, "You thought I put my name in the Goblet of Fire?"
"He tore down the curtains around your bed, Harry," Seamus Finnegan said, "Cause he wanted to wake you up and yell at you for putting your name in the Goblet of Fire. I watched him do it!"
"Shut up, you bloody leprechaun!" Ron growled at Seamus, then turned to Neville, "And you too, you damn Squib! That's none of your damn business!"
Unfortunately for Ron, Professor McGonagall had decided to approach their part of the Gryffindor Table, when she saw what appeared to be an argument between Ron, and Harry and Hermione. She had realized that Ron might be trying to get information from them that Lord and Lady Potter told them.
"Ronald Weasley, how dare you say such a thing!" McGonagall growled, "And to fellow Gryffindors! Twenty points from Gryffindor, and three nights of detention with me! Starting tonight! Be in my classroom at seven-o-clock tonight!"
"But I eat dinner at seven!" Ron complained.
"Dinner goes from five o' clock to eight, as you perfectly know already, Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall said, "You can eat dinner before you come to detention, and you better not be late, or it will be a week of detentions!"
Ron pouted and returned to eating his breakfast.
"Come with me please, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "I would like to speak to you for a few minutes and then you can return to your breakfast."
Harry and Hermione nodded, stood up, then followed Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall. She led them over to a corner of the Entrance Hall, then erected a Privacy Bubble around them.
"I'm sorry I hadn't interrupted that discussion earlier, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "I could tell that Mr. Weasley was trying to get information out of you that Lord and Lady Potter told you."
"It is so hard having to talk to him without wanting to yell at him, Professor," Harry said, "I want to tell him that I know that he and his mother set me up before we got on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. That the first thing he ever said to me was a lie."
McGonagall gave him a rare smile. "Madam Bones has plans to come back to Hogwarts sometime over the next few days to bring Ron and Ginny to the Ministry, to interview them about that very thing – along with other things. If you are near Ron when Madam Bones comes to collect him and his sister, then I give you permission to tell him right before he leaves the castle with Madam Bones."
"So we just have to deal with him for a couple more days?" Harry asked.
"I believe Madam Bones will be arresting Molly Weasley sometime today for the Statute of Secrecy Breach, among other things," McGonagall said. "If Madam Bones hasn't come to collect Ron and Ginny by Wednesday at the latest, I'd be surprised."
"Okay," Harry said.
"Um, Professor?" Hermione said, "We – er – might have told Ron – and whoever was listening to us – a bit of a white-lie."
"Oh?" McGonagall asked, raising her eyebrow.
"We told Ron that we couldn't tell him anything Lord and Lady Potter told us," Hermione said, "Because they placed a variation of the Fidelius Charm on us – to keep us from talking about anything they told us. Ron seems to think it is a variation of the Unbreakable Vow."
"And we also told him that you were witness to it, and gave us permission to do it," Harry said.
Professor McGonagall looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione. Then she nodded approvingly.
"Now that you mention it," McGonagall said, "I suppose we could have come up with a better way for the students to believe that they couldn't get any information from the two of you. Thank you for telling me. I support this little fib of yours, and I'm sure Lord and Lady Potter will too."
"Ron asked us if Professor Dumbledore agreed to the whole Charm thing," Harry said.
McGonagall huffed. "I'll speak to Mr. Weasley this evening. I will let him know that I back up everything you told him. Your little 'white-lie' – as you say – should keep him from pestering you too much until then."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, and Harry nodded.
"You're welcome," McGonagall said, "Very well then, you may return to your breakfast."
Professor McGonagall followed Harry and Hermione as they headed back to their spots at the Gryffindor Table. Professor McGonagall walked up to the lectern near the Head Table, and shot three fireworks into the air. Everyone sitting in the Hall looked up at her.
"I believe I told you yesterday morning that you aren't to pester Lord and Lady about information regarding the future," McGonagall said, "I would also like to add – and I should have said this yesterday – you are not to pester Mr. Potter and Miss Granger for information that Lord and Lady Potter told them either! If they inform me that any of you have tried to interrogate them about such information, the culprits will lose points and be given detention! Prefects and Head Students, please make sure that any student who is not currently in the Great Hall at this moment in time knows about my announcement. Thank you."
She gave the students one last look, then turned and walked around the table, and back to her own chair.
Harry and Hermione returned to their meals, ignoring the glares coming from Ron, and the stare coming from other students.
A couple minutes later, Albus Dumbledore walked into the Great Hall. When Harry noticed that Hermione was not eating, he looked at her. She was looking over at the Headmaster, so he did too. Instead of walking toward the Head Table, as he usually did, Dumbledore was just standing there in between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Tables, and looking around at the students. Then, as Dumbledore noticed Harry looking his way, the Headmaster looked straight into Harry's eyes. Then, a split-second later, Dumbledore grabbed head with both hands, then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed into a dead faint.
Monday, November 2nd, 1994 ("Harry" = Lord Potter; "Hermione" = Lady Potter) – A few minutes earlier
Lord Harry Potter and his wife stepped out of their bedroom, and found Sirius sitting at the table, dining on breakfast. He smiled when he saw the two time-travelers.
"Good morning, Sirius," Harry said, "Have our Doppelgangers already left to start their day?"
Sirius barked out a laugh. "Doppelgangers! Great term for them! To answer your question, yes. They left about half-an-hour ago to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, Minerva's house-elf Sasha told me to tell you to call for her when you wanted your own breakfast. So what do I call you two when your 'Doppelgangers' aren't in the room? Can I call you 'Harry' and 'Hermione'? Because before too long referring to you two as Lord and Lady Potter all the time is going to get tiresome."
"Yes, Sirius," Harry said, as he and Hermione sat down at the table, "you can call us by our first names when our 'Doppelgangers' aren't involved in the same conversation, or in the room with us."
"Good to know!" Sirius said.
Harry summoned Sasha, and before too long, he and Hermione had their meals in front of them, and were beginning to eat as Sasha vanished.
"Alright, Sirius," Harry said, "We need to have an important conversation."
Sirius smiled mischievously. "How important?"
"Very important," Harry said, "I'm not going to use puns and variations of your name in conversation with you, Sirius. Remus told me how much you like using puns of your name in conversation."
"That traitor!" Sirius mock-growled, "See if I catch baby bunnies for him next time we go on a Full Moon Run!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt Remus has ever asked you to catch bunnies for him, especially babies."
"Maybe not yet, but he might in the future!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Speaking of the future," Harry pressed on, "We need to talk about something that happened in the future. Something that we need your help with now, here in the present."
"Alright," Sirius said.
"What do you know about Horcruxes?" Harry asked.
"The darkest, most evil form of magic in the world," Sirius said, then narrowed his eyes, "Wait. What do you know about Horcruxes, kid?! Who told you about them?!"
"Voldemort made several Horcruxes over the years, Sirius," Harry said.
"Merlin's balls!" Sirius swore, "That bloody bugger made Horcruxes?! No wonder we couldn't kill him during the war! How many did he make?"
"Seven," Harry said; Sirius swore again, and Harry continued, "One has already been destroyed in the present. It was destroyed in June of '93. There are six left. The last one was created with the death of Bertha Jorkins. Voldemort turned his serpent, Nagini, into a Horcrux."
"The one that attacked Arthur?" Sirius asked.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Obviously you destroyed them all before you defeated Voldemort in the future," Sirius said, "So you know where they are. So… where are they?"
"Do not tell him about the Horcrux in your younger self, Harry," Hermione said, "We can tell him about that later. We need him to concentrate, so he can get the Locket for us. He'd panic if we told him about your younger self."
Harry agreed with his wife. "One is here at Hogwarts. Do you know what the Room of Requirement is?"
"Never heard of it," Sirius said.
"Didn't think so," Harry said, "It isn't on the Marauder's Map, so I didn't think you guys had discovered it. The room is located just down the corridor outside these Quarters. It is across the corridor from the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy. It is basically just like these Quarters. You ask the Room to create something – a bedroom, a sitting room, a bathroom –"
"A broom closet!" Sirius exclaimed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sirius, it could create a broom closet!"
Sirius barked a laugh. "Ha! Remus thought I was mad when I told him there was an extra broom closet in the Seventh Floor! This Room created the broom closet I came across, didn't it?"
"Yes, Sirius," Harry said, "And I don't need any details about why you needed that broom closet. Anyway, Voldemort hid a Horcrux in a version of the Room, known as the Lost and Found Room. A Diadem. We're going to visit the Room and retrieve the Horcrux when we leave here. We'll take it to Gringotts. There's another Horcrux located in Bellatrix's vault in Gringotts. She put it there for Voldemort, though she probably doesn't know exactly what it is. Voldemort wouldn't tell anyone about his deepest, darkest secret, so he probably told Bella the item was important, but not any specifics about it."
"Bella was obsessed – slavish, more like – when it came to Voldemort," Sirius said, sighing, "She'd do anything for him. If he asked her to do something, she'd do it. Even if he didn't tell her specifically what he wanted her to guard for him. Hell, if he asked her to give him a baby, from her own womb, she'd do that too!"
Harry grimaced. "Yeah, well, thank goodness that never happened!"
"Not something I'd like to think about while we're having breakfast," Hermione muttered "Horcruxes are bad enough to discuss while eating!"
"Bellatrix wasn't the only one who helped Voldemort hide a Horcrux, Sirius," Harry said, looking at Sirius, "He wanted your brother to help him."
Sirius snarled. "Of course Regulus would have helped him!"
"Not exactly, Sirius," Harry said, frowning, "Voldemort asked Regulus for Kreacher's help. Regulus commanded Kreacher to help Voldemort, but told him to return home when he was finished. When Kreacher finished the task, he was badly injured, but he was able to use Elf Teleportation to get back to Regulus. Voldemort had made Kreacher drink a Draught of Despair during the task. Kreacher could have died, had Regulus not nursed him back to health."
Sirius closed his eyes. His hard expression he had while listening to Harry's story was now faltering.
"Then Regulus asked him what Voldemort wanted him to do," Harry continued, "And that is when Regulus told him about Voldemort hiding a locket in a cave. Now, this is only a theory, but at some point, Regulus must have realized that Voldemort had made Horcruxes, and that is what the locket in the cave was. So Regulus ordered Kreacher to take him to the cave. This time, it was Regulus who drank the Draught of Despair. Regulus had made a fake locket to bring to the cave, and had written a note on it, a message to Voldemort, basically saying that he had found out about Voldemort's horcruxes. He put it in the fake locket. Regulus ordered Kreacher to go home with the real locket. The last thing Kreacher saw of his master was a group of Inferi coming out of the lake in the cave, and dragging Regulus under."
Sirius was now holding his face in his hands, and his body was shaking.
"Oh, Reg!" Sirius cried, his voice muffled behind his hands, "Why didn't you tell me?! I would have helped you!"
"Sirius," Harry said, "Sirius!"
Sirius wiped away his tears, sniffled, and looked at Harry.
"Do you remember when we were doing all that cleaning at Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked, "In one room, there was a snuff box that made us sleepy, a grandfather clock that shot bolts at us. There was also a locket there. That was the locket Horcrux, Sirius."
"Oh, bugger," Sirius muttered. "What happened to it?"
"Kreacher took it before the rubbish was binned," Harry said, "He's been trying to destroy it – trying to complete Regulus' last orders – for years now. It's why he placed all those defenses and traps and pests in the house, Sirius. He was trying to protect the locket, before he could figure out how to destroy it. But he never could destroy it. Because he wasn't a Parselmouth. Only a Parselmouth could open the locket, and destroy it from the inside."
Sirius nodded. "And you're telling me this because –"
"- because we need you to call for Kreacher, Sirius," Harry said, "We need him to give us the locket. I'm going to bring it to Gringotts. They can destroy it. Besides, bringing the two Horcruxes – the locket and the diadem. – to Gringotts will make it easier for Keeper Ragnok to believe us when we tell him about the Horcrux at the bank."
Sirius nodded again, this time looking resigned. "Alright. Let me finish my breakfast first. I need to deal with him on a full stomach."
"That's fine with us," Harry said, and Hermione nodded, "There's plenty of time. We don't need to leave for Gringotts for a couple hours or so, and it won't take very long to retrieve the Diadem from the Room of Requirement."
Even though Sirius had finished breakfast ten minutes later, he had waited another twenty minutes – until Harry and Hermione had also eaten the last of their meals – before he got up the nerve to call Kreacher.
"Kreacher!" Sirius called, "Come to me, now!"
Harry had expected that Kreacher would try to resist at first, and was therefore surprised when he appeared moments after Sirius had called for him. Kreacher glared at Sirius, then at Harry and Hermione when he saw them nearby, then back at Sirius.
"The blood-traitor brat calls for Kreacher," Kreacher muttered, "Mistress will be so disappointed, so angry, that Kreacher has allowed himself to be summoned by the bad Master. What does the blood-traitor Master want with Kreacher?"
Sirius inhaled and exhaled as he glared at Kreacher. Then he looked at Harry, who nodded, encouragingly. Sirius exhaled again, and his face softened from a glare to a neutral expression.
"Your 'bad Master', Kreacher," Sirius said, "wants to help you finish the last quest that Regulus gave you."
Kreacher's glare darkened. "What does the bad master know about the quest that Regulus gave Kreacher?! How does the bad master know?! Nobody but Kreacher knows! Kreacher has guarded the secret for years! Kreacher has tried to destroy –"
"It doesn't matter how I know, Kreacher!" Sirius exclaimed, "Bring me the locket, Kreacher! We will destroy it!"
"It is impossible to destroy the locket!" Kreacher snarled, "Kreacher has tried, tried everything and Kreacher could not do it!"
"The Goblins can destroy the locket, Kreacher," Harry said, "We are going to take the locket to Gringotts today so the Goblins can destroy it."
Kreacher glared at Harry, then looked back at Sirius. "Is the boy speaking the truth?"
"He is," Sirius said, "Now bring me the locket!"
"And if you have a lead-lined box, please put the locket inside it so it doesn't influence us," Harry said.
"Do what he says!" Sirius ordered.
Kreacher glanced back and forth between Sirius and Harry, then bowed and vanished. A few moments later, Kreacher returned holding a lead-lined box.
"Set it on the table, Kreacher!" Sirius ordered.
Kreacher did as asked. Harry gingerly opened the box, and winced when he saw the unfortunately familiar locket inside the box. He immediately closed the box.
"It's in there," Harry said.
"Kreacher brought the locket and box just as bad Master asked," Kreacher muttered, "Why does the boy sound so suspicious?"
"You can't blame him, Kreacher, given your reluctance to bring us the locket," Sirius said.
"Kreacher brings the locket, because the bad master and the boy says they can destroy the locket," Kreacher said.
"We will bring it to Gringotts in a couple hours, Kreacher," Harry said, "I promise it will be destroyed today. If we can bring it back to you to show you the bad magic inside it has been destroyed, then we will."
"In the meantime, Kreacher," Sirius said, "I order you to clean Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It is filthy and infested with pests! I order you to make it look proper like a home of a member of the Black family should! Have it done before Christmas! Clean the kitchen, the main dining room, the main sitting room, and my bedroom before you begin with the rest of the place!"
"Kreacher will obey the bad master," Kreacher muttered, "As long as the bad master keeps promise to destroy the locket!"
"Yes, we'll keep our promise!" Sirius said, exasperatedly, "Now go!"
Kreacher glared at Sirius, then at the lead-lined box where the locket was, and vanished. Sirius exhaled deeply, and relaxed in his chair.
"I really hate that beast," Sirius muttered.
"He got better after the locket was destroyed, Sirius," Hermione said, "Yes, he might have been horrible to you when you were a child, and a teenager, but the locket only made his attitude worse ever since it came into his life. He couldn't destroy it and it influenced him. Harry, Ron and I were affected in the same way by the locket while we tried to figure out how to destroy it too."
Sirius frowned. "Maybe you're right, Hermione. But Kreacher and I will never see eye-to-eye, so don't try to continue your noble, but unwanted quest, to get Kreacher and I to be friendly to each other. Please. The history between him and I is too deeply enveloped for it to change."
Hermione frowned. "Alright, Sirius. I promise."
Harry sighed and relaxed back in his chair as he stared at the lead-lined box. Suddenly a thought came to his mind.
"I'll be right back," Harry said.
He stood up, walked back into his and Hermione's bedroom, and took some writing material from the desk, then returned back to the dining table.
"I just realized," Harry said, as Hermione and Sirius looked at him questioningly, "I think I should write to Keeper Ragnok and warn him that we're going to be bringing in a couple of dangerous artifacts. I just don't know if I should go into specifics and tell him in a letter that the artifacts are Horcruxes."
"Just mention dangerous artifacts," Sirius advised, "Keeper Ragnok might not know you specifically, yet, but as you probably know, he and his forefathers have known your ancestors for many generations. He'll trust that, as a Potter, you'll know what you're doing, and he won't ask questions until you meet with him personally."
"Alright," Harry said.
For the second time in two days, Harry wrote a letter to Keeper Ragnok. When he was finished he called for Dobby, who appeared near him.
"Take this letter to Keeper Ragnok," Harry said, "Then see if you can find a lead-lined box in the Potter Family Vault that is big enough to fit a diadem inside. There should be a few such boxes in the Vault. Bring the box, and whatever message Keeper Ragnok gives you – written or verbal – and return to me."
"Dobby will do so, Lord Potter!" Dobby said.
The house-elf vanished. Sirius smiled as he looked at the spot where Dobby vanished.
"That elf was the one who brought me food while I was living in the cave, right?" he asked, and Harry nodded, "I like him. Good elf. He could definitely teach Kreacher some manners."
Harry laughed. "Dobby and Kreacher did not get along very well in our future. Their – er – personalities clashed."
"That's one way to say it," Hermione said, with a snort.
Sirius chuckled. "I suppose it would take a very kind soul to understand and get along with Kreacher."
Hermione gave Sirius a soft smile, as if she realized he might have been talking about her.
Dobby returned a few minutes later. He set the lead-lined box on the table, and handed a scroll to Harry.
"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said, "This box will work perfectly. Hey, Dobby, wait a moment. How's Winky?"
Dobby's ears drooped. "Winky's not doing so well, Lady Potter. She heard that her old Master and his son were arrested, and she blames herself for it."
Harry looked at Hermione, who frowned.
"We'll visit the kitchens sometime soon and talk to her," Harry said, and Hermione smiled and nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Dobby, you're excused."
Dobby bowed and vanished.
"You think we should try to hire Winky on as part of the Potter Family Elves?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Harry said, "She needs a new family."
Hermione smiled and nodded. Harry unrolled the scroll and read through it.
"Keeper Ragnok said he understood my wariness of being too specific about what the artifacts are," Harry said, "He said that Rocktooth will meet us outside the doors of Gringotts when we arrive, so that the Security Goblins won't stop us from bringing the artifacts into the bank."
"Good," Hermione said.
"Can I use some of that parchment?" Sirius asked.
Harry nodded and pushed the writing material over to Sirius. Sirius wrote down a quick letter, then handed it over to Harry.
"If Keeper Ragnok is wary about opening Bellatrix's Vault," Sirius said, "Give him this letter. I told him that as soon as I officially become Lord Black, I intend to disown Bellatrix. That will give me ownership of the Vault. As such, I'd have permission to open the Vault. Maybe the letter will make Keeper Ragnok decide to open the Vault today, to look for the Horcrux, instead of in the near future."
"Thanks, Sirius," Harry said, "I hope he'll accept that. If he does, then three more Horcruxes should be destroyed by the end of the day."
Harry, Hermione and Sirius moved onto lighter topics. The topic of Horcruxes, even though one of them was sitting on the table in front of them, went forgotten for the moment.
Monday, November 2nd, 1994
Albus Dumbledore groaned as he blinked his eyes open and looked around. He found that he was in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, and was laying in one of the beds. Poppy Pomfrey was standing over him.
"Albus, thank goodness!" Poppy said, "I had assumed the worst!"
"Poppy?" Albus murmured, "What happened? Why am I in the Hospital Wing?"
"You collapsed in the Great Hall, Albus!" Poppy said, "You were walking toward the Head Table, and then you stopped and looked around the Hall. And then after a few moments, you suddenly grabbed your head with both hands, and collapsed and fainted, right there in the middle of the Great Hall! Luckily I was there having breakfast and I was able to get to you quickly!"
Albus grimaced. He remembered that, yes. He had tried to act as if he was just looking around at the students, before he looked over at Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who were sitting at the Gryffindor table. He had then tried to use Legilimency on Harry to try to find out what Lord Potter had told him. Then all of a sudden, he had felt a great pain in his head, and had blacked out.
It was then he realized… somehow, Harry Potter had blocked his Legilimency, and defended himself against it! Whatever defense he used, it had made Albus black out! How the hell did that happen? Harry Potter was not an Occlumens, Natural or taught!
"Yes, I remember now," Albus muttered, "I've been having terrible headaches over the past couple of days."
"And I assume you tried to self-medicate, instead of coming straight to me?" Poppy asked, looking quite annoyed.
"I'm afraid so," Albus said, wincing.
"Well, that was a mistake and now you're paying for it, Albus Dumbledore!" Poppy said, "You will remain here as my patient until I tell you otherwise! If you're lucky, I might let you out tomorrow morning!"
"Poppy, I'm a busy man!" Albus argued, "Just give me some Potions, and release me!"
"Absolutely not!" Poppy growled, "What if you collapse again and nobody is there to see it? What if it happens in the middle of an empty corridor? You are not leaving until I say so! Now relax, remain in bed, and I will come back with Potions and your breakfast! If you even try to get out of bed, I will use a Sticking Charm to make you stay! Maybe even a Permanent one, Albus, don't test me!"
Albus groaned and nodded. "I am your willing patient, Poppy."
"Good!" Poppy exclaimed.
She huffed, turned around and bustled across the room. Albus huffed in annoyance as he stared forward into nothing.
How could Harry have blocked my Legilimency?! Albus wondered, He's never been able to do that before! Unless… did Lord Potter do something to make him immune to Legilimency? Did he give him something, or put some kind of Charm on him?
Then something occurred to Albus, something he hadn't thought of.
Of course! Albus realized, Lord Potter must have access to Potter Manor, and his Family Vaults in the future! And if he had access to his family Manor, then he might have found the Potter Family Grimoire! Maybe he found something to guard against Legilimency in the Grimoire, and he taught Harry about it! And maybe Miss Granger too! Damn it!
Albus groaned, feeling his headache worsen. He laid back against the pillow, closing his eyes. He had no idea what to do next. Everything seemed to be working against him, ever since Lord and Lady Potter had fallen through the Portal, and now that Lord Potter was the Fourth Champion he couldn't do anything about them!
For the first time, in a very long time, Albus Dumbledore felt lost.