Harry Potter and the Forgotten Oracle

A/N: Hey all! Here is the next chapter, which I have to admit is probably my favourite!! I was going to divide this chapter into two, but I couldn’t find a way to do it properly, so I thought I would leave it longer, more for you guys anyway! Once again, thanks to my great beta Rach, she’s awesome as usual, please remember to review, so I know what you think! Without further ado I give you….

Chapter Three: The Cicatrix.

The following day at the Burrow passed rapidly as the wedding of Bill and Fleur loomed closer and closer. Indeed it was impossible to catch Mrs Weasley at more than a glance, with her figure becoming blurred as she zoomed around the house, leaving a scent of strong wood polish and Dr Ziglebot’s Cobweb Catcher behind her.  The morning before the wedding Harry, Ron and Hermione could be seen outside in the garden. Harry and Ron were lining numerous mismatched chairs from the shed across the lawn and Hermione was following them with her wand and transfiguring all white so they looked somewhat the same.

'You know the furniture in my room could do with some work. I reckon you could do it for me Hermione, yeah? Actually you could have in orange and black, just like-‘

‘Don’t by stupid Ron’ Hermione snapped ‘The chairs will not stay like this. Object transformations like this wont be permanent. You need to be really skilled to make them stay like this permanently, McGonagall could do it probably, and I know that it would have been quite simple for Dumble…’ she trailed off looking guiltily at Harry. Harry just smiled, ‘Your right, he would have had us all sitting in Chintz armchairs!’ Harry said thinking back to his Ministry hearing almost two years ago.  He dumped the last of the chairs, onto the lawn and turned to the others, who were bickering about the detail on one of the chairs that Hermione had just changed to white. ‘Hey guys…Ron! Hermione!' Harry said in a feeble attempt to disperse the argument, 'Let go inside and get a drink.'

They walked inside and there at the table sat both Fred and George, both wearing their green dragon-skin coats.

‘Harry mate, how have you been?’ asked George as Fred took a drink from the cup in front of him. 

‘Hope mother has not got you doing too much work.' 'Work that we should be doing, has she?' Fred added as they both grinned as once more Mrs Weasley flashed across the kitchen and into the living room.

‘How is the shop going?’ Harry asked as Ron placed a drink in front of him.

‘Swimmingly’ said George as he stretched his arms.

‘Mind you the joke items aren’t selling as much anymore’ added Fred

‘Everyone seems to want the defence mechanisms, guess that it should be expected in times like this’ quipped George ‘So if you could pop off and finish you-know-who once and for all, Chosen One, we can get our knack back and make some real items for the store’ he said grinning, but faltered as Hermione glared at him, and Ron seemed to jump involuntarily. Fred looking from Hermione to Harry and then back to Hermione starting to open his mouth, but the next moment Mrs Weasley whizzed back into the room and stopped, took a deep breath and looked at all of them. Harry was sure that she was about to ask them why they were not doing any work, but then she leant against the bench and sighed deeply. ‘Well I think all the cleaning is done now’ she said breathlessly. She obviously had no intention to speak about the events of last night.  ‘The food is prepared, the flowers and ready, I think we are finished’ she said almost hysterically before whipping out a tea-towel and wiping vigorously along the frame of the window. ‘Oh your father and Bill are home!’ she said happily and seconds later the door opened and Mr Weasley followed by Bill walked in.

‘Hi everyone, Harry, Hermione’ Bill said as he walked into the room and kissed his mother on the cheek. Harry noticed that the scarring on his face was still very pronounced and seemed not to have healed at all. Mr Weasley meanwhile looked as though he had a rough morning; the bags under his eyes seemed much darker than Harry had seen them before.

Mrs Weasley began fussing around the table setting it ready for everyone to have lunch.

'Now everyone' Mrs Weasley said as a steak and kidney pie soared over Harry’s head. ‘The Delacours are arriving tomorrow morning and I want everyone on their best behaviour that includes you two.' Mrs Weasley said directing the last comment towards Fred and George.

'Now mum when have we ever not been on our best behaviour?' retorted Fred and George. Mrs Weasley opened her mouth but was distracted by a sudden bang in the fireplace. They all spun around to stare at the dark blue flames which were rising up into the chimney, then as quickly as they had appeared they were extinguished and there lay what was clearly a small, ominous black cauldron.

Ron began to move towards the cauldron, but was stopped when Mr Weasley called out, ‘Ron stop now, move back…quickly now.’ Harry was alarmed to see that his voice sounded frightened and more so that he, Mrs Weasley and Bill had all pointed their wands at the small cauldron.

A tense silence followed for what Harry thought was an eternity before Mr Weasley slowly edged around the table and looked into the cauldron. Suddenly he yelled ‘devoco revilio’ and with a hiss the potion released a burst of pure white smoke which rose innocently out of the cauldron. Seeming more confident now, he flicked his wand and the cauldron rose slowly and fell with a light thud onto the table. The eight of them all peered over the edge into the cauldron. It was a dark magenta colour and frothed thickly with white and grey bubbles; however the smell was harsh and reminded Harry of a heavy diesel the Dursley’s kept in their garden shed. Harry pulled his head away, like everyone else except Hermione, whose was murmuring silently, her face screwed up as though trying to recall something from one of her textbooks.

‘What is it?’ asked Ron quietly looking around at everyone.

‘I have no idea, the colour of it seems familiar but I just can’t think of it at the moment’ Mr Weasley said agitated.

‘Hermione’ said Harry softly, looking at her as she looked at the fumes which were rising in narrow spirals. ‘Hermione, do you know what it is’. Hermione’s eyes snapped from the potion to Harry quickly, she looked almost frightened as she spoke, attempting to avoid everyone’s eyes.

‘It’s…well I think it is, I mean the distinct colour, the bi-coloured froth, the spirals, that smell, it has to be, but it is almost impossible.'

‘Hermione dear’ said Mrs Weasley sharply, who had again raised her wand to the cauldron ‘What is it?’

‘I think it might be a Cic...A cicatrix!’ she said quickly. Mr Weasley looked at Hermione and closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

‘A what?’ said Ron

‘A who?’ Fred said

‘A when?’ George asked

‘A Cicatrix.’ said Mr Weasley, realisation dawning on his face. He rose his wand and seconds later a thick book down the staircase from somewhere on the second floor and landed with a heavy thump on the table. He flicked it open and quickly and cleared his throat and began to read aloud both quickly and excitedly.

‘Of the most sacred and diverse ingrediented potions that exist, none is more time consuming and erroneous than that of the Cicatrix. The Cicatrix is an extraordinarily powerful restorative and healing draught which can cure serious and permanent wounds almost instantly.  Its draws on several hundred ingredients, the majority of which are rare and invaluable. Furthermore, the exact instructions of the concoction have been lost over the centuries and remain shrouded in mystery. What is known of the Cicatrix however is its vibrant magenta skin and curious bi-coloured bubbles, an attribute common in very few potions of extreme magical power. Similarly, the black and blue bi-coloured froth of the mystical Nabomino water…’

An astonished silence filled the room, in which they all looked from the potion to each other and then back to the book again.

‘Well the question is who is it for?’ Mrs Weasley said, looking from the potion longingly and then to Bill. All of the sudden there was a smack at the window and outside an eagle owl was hovering. Bill got up quickly and opened the window. The owl swooped into the room, dropped the letter next to the cauldron and then sped out the window and quickly off into the distance. Mr Weasley quickly picked up the letter. 'It is for you Bill.'

Bill ripped the letter open and threw the envelope to the table; Harry caught note of the pointed scrawl of William Weasley across the centre of the envelope.

‘It’s for me…The potion is for me’ said Bill quietly, 'I have to use all of it and it could get rid of my…of this’ he said quickly pointing at his face.

‘Oh Bill, that’s wonderful’ Mrs Weasley squeaked getting up hurriedly and giving him a hug.

'Does is say who it is from?' Harry asked inquisitively.

Harry looked over at Hermione who was obviously thinking the same thing.

‘Do you think we can use this?’ Harry said slowly. Mrs Weasley look at Harry was a puzzled bemusement on her face. Harry could also feel both Ron and Mr Weasley’s eyes on him. ‘I mean we don’t know where this comes from, and it is obviously an expensive and difficult potion to make. How do we know that it's safe?' Mrs Weasley opened her mouth to retort but Hermione interrupted quickly.

‘Harry is right. This potion uses so many ingredients, one mistake could be fatal. I don’t know if it a risk worth taking, the day before the wedding.’ She said looking almost apologetically at Mrs Weasley who looked at though she had been slapped.

‘I understand what both of you are saying, but I think it is safe.’ Said Mr Weasley slowly ‘The charm I used on it should have recognised any corruptions which were not visible. Its one that I have had to use quite frequently at the Ministry these days. This book, as well as what Hermione said describes the Cicatrix perfectly. If it was not produced properly it would have not been accurate. I think it is safe, but Bill this is a decision that you need to make on your own. No one can make this decision but you’ He finished, looking sternly at Bill. Bill at first said nothing, but then slowly he took his wand out from his robes and levitated the potion and without a word he walked out of the room, with the potion at his side and the letter in his hand. Mrs Weasley looked after her son, and then back to the rest of them. Oblivious as to what to do next, she absently picked up a plunger and walked out the back door.

‘Something is not right’ Hermione whispered as she, Harry and Ron moved up the stairs towards the bedrooms several minutes later ‘I don’t trust that potion, the day before the wedding’

‘We could get the house-elf to taste it- How about Kreacher?’ Harry said recklessly

‘Harry!’ Hermione shrieked an outraged look on her face ‘what happens if it is poison?’

‘But it was made perfectly, they have to be trying to help Bill’ Ron said simply.

‘Who is they? Someone who can make a potion, which is one of the most difficult in the world, and they don’t want to claim it, don’t want to tell anyone they made it? It just doesn’t add up Ron’ Hermione said biting her lip as they climbed the last few steps.

***

Harry awoke the next day to the small ream of sunlight which snuck in between two blinds hanging awkwardly in Ron’s room. He sat up in his bed trying to find his glasses. Ron was still fast asleep, his obnoxious snores snuffling any chance Harry had of falling back to sleep. Looking across to Ron’s desk he saw his dress robes hanging from the chair and only then did he realise what day it was. A tame excitement filled him as he got out of bed and threw a pillow at Ron. Just then the door bounced open and Hermione walked in briskly.

‘Morning Harry, Ron out of bed now, your mother wants you both downstairs now. The Delacours will be here soon- all of them’ she said tight-lipped, her eyebrows raised. She gave the both of them one last look and shut the door briskly, just as Ron toppled out of bed, cursing as he hit the ground.

Minutes later Harry and Ron entered the kitchen and saw that it was nothing less than chaotic. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Fred, George, Charlie and Ruby were all rushing around the kitchen, Crookshanks jumping from the table to the bench and then to one of the chairs. Socks were flying across the room, plates and spoons weaving in and out between them and different voices yelling and shrieking about something they could not find, or something that was not finished. Harry saw Ruby scampering across the floor, plates stacked in her arms so high that she could barely see. Harry had just joined in the confusion when he ran straight into a Weasley he was not expecting.

‘Harry’ Ginny said breathlessly ‘ah how are you?’

‘Ah I-I’m good Ginny, you look…amazing’ he said blushing. She did indeed, she now had her bridesmaid dress on, it was a faint gold and her hair was tied up into a regal knot on the back of her head.’

‘Thanks’ she said looking away ‘I…erm, I need to find my shoes Harry, I have to go. Sorry’ and with that she darted out of the room. Harry was about to call after her, but before he could, he heard another voice yell, far louder than the commotion that was ensuing.

‘MUM, DAD! LOOK AT ME!’ Bill yelled from the doorway. Mrs Weasley only turned momentarily as she pulled open a draw

‘You look lovely Bill, put on your dress robes, quickly now, the guest's portkey will here any second’ and she continued to fish through the draw. Moments later, ever so slowly she rose and turned to face Bill, a metal spatula in her hand.

‘BILL, YOUR FACE! LOOK AT YOU’ she squealed rushing over to him.

‘The Cicatrix’ gasped Mr Weasley and he rushed over to Mrs Weasley’s side. Bill’s scars had completely cleared and he was beaming. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, Ron too was beaming but Hermione held a curious look on her face.

‘What is it?’ Harry hissed under the sobs of Mrs Weasley. Hermione led him out onto the lawn with Ron following as they weaved in between the white chairs for the wedding.

‘I just think it is strange that someone would send Bill such an exceptionally complex potion and not say who it came from, it doesn’t add up. There just has to be something, something just can't be right!'

‘Hermione’ Ron said impatiently ‘we have been through this; there is nothing wrong with the potion. If someone had spiked it, it would not have worked and judging by the fact that I can hear still mum shrieking, I think it has done the trick' he said finally crossing his arms, as another howl from Mrs Weasley filled the air. Hermione opened her mouth to retort but there was a sudden whooshing noise, then from somewhere to the side of the house came a ringing wail.

‘I’m here! Where are you all? Ronnie?’ Ron’s eyes grew wide and he looked at the both of them.

‘Oh Merlin, its Great Auntie Daphne! Inside quick!’

***

The sun began to fade behind the distant hills leaving the sky a raw pink. The wedding had gone off without a hitch, and now the reception had begun. Real fairies floated in between the small tables which had replaced all of the white chairs. Fleur had been ecstatic when she had seen Bill’s face and had sobbed almost hysterically throughout the ceremony and nearly strangled one of the doves she had insisted on having in the ceremony. Many familiar faces had come to the wedding. There were numerous people from the Order such as Moody, Professor McGonagall, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, and Remus Lupin accompanied by Tonks. There were also other witches and wizards whom Ron told Harry had been at school with Bill. Harry also vaguely recognised some girls from Beaubaxtons who had visited Hogwarts during the Triwizard tournament. Harry had met most of the Ron’s relatives all of whom had looked at his scar with failed subtly. There were also numerous people who were apparently from both the Ministry and Gringotts as well several goblins. It was at that moment when Harry was speaking to Ron’s grandfather’s brother Donald, who was attempting to bring up the subject of Harry being the Chosen One, that there was a screech and a glassed was dropped. Harry turned around to see Mrs Weasley who was beaming at someone apparently hugging Bill. As Harry stared at the stranger, who also had red hair; he realised with complete shock who it was.

‘Glad you came, Perce’ said Bill cheerily, which betrayed a hint of stiffness. Molly ran to embrace her son and slowly the chatter rose again.

‘What’s he doing here?’ Ron jeered standing on tiptoe and craning his neck to get another look.

‘Well he was invited Ron’ Hermione said simply. ‘Maybe this means that he is not angry with your Mum and Dad any more. I am sure that he is probably going to apologise’ she said happily as several fairies flew past.

‘Oh no he’s coming over this way!’ Ron said and began to dash onto the dance floor.

‘Ron!’ Hermione yelled and chased after him. Harry chuckling as they darted through the crowd, turned to get a drink but as he did he saw Ginny heading his way.

For the second time today he came face to face once more with Ginny.

‘Hi Harry’ she said smiling nervously.

‘Hi Ginny…erm would you like a drink’

‘Actually, can we go onto the dance floor…I mean if you want, Zacharious Smith is here and he keeps trying to make eye contact with me. He’s really annoying you know’

‘No kidding’ Harry said under his voice ‘What’s he doing here anyway?’

‘His mum has been working with Dad since his promotion, and his father works at Gringotts with Bill too. Oh can we go please Harry, he is coming this way.’ She said looking behind her once more.

‘Yeah okay’ he said as Ginny led him onto the dance floor. They danced in silence for a while, both determinedly not looking at each other. However, when it seemed there was nowhere else to stare but at each other, she looked up at him.

‘You know Harry, ever since Dumbledore’s funeral, I have been thinking about what you said to me. I know now that you are trying to look after me and I think that’s sweet. But I…I think you were wrong Harry’ Harry looked down at her; his eyebrows raised and was met with a look of steely determination.

‘I was wrong?’ he said shocked. She nodded, looking at him deeply.

‘The thing is Harry, I don’t care that you are a marked man, I don’t care that you could put me into danger. Harry, danger is all around us now; there is nothing we can do about it anymore. I just-’

‘Ginny, you don’t understand, if you are with me, Voldemort will come after you, not maybe, not perhaps, he will. He will hunt you down. Death Eaters Ginny! After you around the clock, I can never put a burden like that on you.’

‘Harry, look at my family, there is going to be death eaters after us anyway. Ron and Hermione have been with you for six years and they were never-’

‘They have been injured Ginny, seriously. Every year we have been in the hospital wing! Don’t you see, there is no way I can avoid this danger anymore, but I can protect you Ginny and that’s something and besides Ron and Hermione, well …you know, they’re different.’ Harry mumbled realising that was the wrong thing to say as soon as he had said it.

‘They’re different?’ she said coldly. She then took a breath and began to speak very slowly, anger radiating from every word 'I am sorry Harry, I just though that what happened with us last term meant something, but obviously it had no impact on you at all. I thought that I wasn’t just Ron’s little sister anymore, but I was me, G-Ginny. Clearly I was mistaken; I guess there is nothing left to say between us. See you round Harry’ she said blinking back tears. And with that she turned on her heel and ran away from him.

Harry gave chase straight away ‘Ginny!’ he yelled chasing after her. He grabbed her by the wrist and swung her round.

‘Ginny you meant…you do mean everything to me. This is exactly why we can't be together. I would rather you safe, then risking your neck for me’

‘You said it yourself, in these dark times, what could be more important then having someone to care about and someone who cares about you, Harry. Let me be there with you, to help you, to save you from it. We should be together Harry.’ Harry looked into her eyes; there was a determination, but also a desperation that he had not seen before, a look that told him that she needed him, like he needed someone too. As the music swam around him, as the fairies fluttered through the garden and the scent of the flowers blossomed in the air, he could now feel her breath, sense her face getting closer, he closed his eyes but in that perfect moment, a moment which seemed all too rare in the dark times that continued to swallow him, there was a blood curdling scream. Harry looked around, as had everybody else. A pretty woman with curly brown hair was crouched on the ground beside a man who was choking, his arms flying around him, struggling to breathe, his eyes wide with horror. The woman continued to scream, and Harry was bumped as someone tall and skinny with blond hair dashed past him.

‘Dad!’ the boy roared. Harry realised immediately that it was Zacharious Smith. A few people were now trying to give the man water, but every time one of the glasses got near the man’s mouth it shattered, the water going everywhere. The man was still gasping and the woman who was obviously Zacharious’ mother was screaming hysterically, and had grabbed hold of him and was shaking him desperately. Zacharious was now throwing water at his father recklessly, merely drenching his clothes. The man choked stiffly and as he drew some strained breaths he raised a shaking hand and pointed it hurriedly across the crowd of scared faces. First at Mr Weasley, then at Fred and then at Ron, but continued shaking his head, he gulped desperately his eyes darting again through the crowd wildly as though searching for something. Then slowly his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his hand fell to his side. Mrs Smith began moaning on her husband’s chest, and Zacharious stood up, looking around panicking, before pushing several people aside and running through the crowd and out of sight. A quiet amount of chatter started, and before long there were yells and desperate calls as people tried to find family members. Mrs Weasley and Bill had starting ushering people out of the garden and others were gathering there things and leaving on the spot. Kingsley Shacklebolt had now dashed over with a few other dark cloaked men and hunched over Mr Smith conversing quickly in hushed tones. Both Lupin and McGonagall were ushering Mrs Smith kindly over to a table, where she was met by other Aurors and Ministry officials, with glum looks on their faces. Percy was know comforting his mother who was sobbing and Fred and George had gone to look for Zacharious. A small elderly man whom Harry had not noticed earlier wearing a knitted cardigan over his dress robes was now moving slowly to a table which Mr Smith had fallen from.

‘Molly dear, were they sitting here?’ he asked softly, as he peered into one of the goblets. Molly who raised her head from her hands nodded silently before delving back into her hands, Percy rubbing her back and soothing her softly. The old man shook his head sadly and pointed his wand at the goblet ‘devoco revilio’ he said quietly, and immediately a burst of black smoke issued out of the goblet.

‘Oh dear’ said the man shaking his head again and took a seat next to the goblet, the black smoke now fading.

‘Poisoned, the poor men, on such a peaceful occasion, what a sad night’ Harry thought the man was indeed about to cry himself but then he sighed deeply and stood up once more. He swayed momentarily and then started to walk slowly to the garden gate. ‘Well I best get down to the ministry, let them know what has happened’.

‘Are you alright Hickory, would you like a hand?’ Mr Weasley said as he walked toward the old man.

‘Oh no I’m fine Arthur, just forgot my walking stick, tend to be doing that a lot these days’ he chuckled waving Mr Weasley off. He edged a bit further down the garden path and then disappeared with a crack.

Once the St Mungo deliverers had come and taken both Mr Smith’s body as well as Mrs Smith away, the Weasley family moved back into the warm confines of the Burrow. Bill and Fleur left quickly to begin their honeymoon to Atlantis, after Mr Weasley insisted that there was nothing that they could do. Fred and George decided to stay the night and help there mother and father. Ginny had been making eye contact with Harry since the poisoning, but Harry with more pressuring issues on his mind, and a real need to talk to Hermione and Ron about the events. Making sure that Mrs Weasley’s back was turned, Harry ushered both Ron and Hermione out the back door and into the garden. They crossed a fence at the back of the yard and began heading out into the tall and wild shrubbery. Once they were sure that they were well away from anyone listening, Hermione found a tipped trunk and sat down on it. Ron did likewise on a large rock and Harry, leaning against a tree turned towards them.

‘I don’t understand how this could have happened? Everyone there today was invited guests, who would do such a thing?’ Hermione said her brow furrowed.

‘I don’t know, but first the cicatrix, and now this. All these things can’t be a coincidence can they? It is just too much’ Harry said pacing back and forth.

‘Maybe, he just had too much to drink.’ Fred said, ‘that Odgen’s Firewhisky is really strong, maybe it was just that?’ Ron said dully, kicking at small stones near his feet.

‘Ron that man died, and they used a revelation charm, it was poison. I can’t believe that there was someone around us who would use that. Ron it has to be one of Bill’s friends or…or maybe your family.’ She said in a low voice looking at him cautiously.

‘Don’t be mental!’ Ron snapped, ‘why would my family want to kill someone who Bill knows. Why would anyone in my family want to kill anyone in the first place Hermione?’

‘Maybe it was not meant for him’ Harry said quietly. Both Hermione and Ron looked at him.

‘What do you mean’ Ron said slowly.

‘You don’t think it was meant for you Harry?’ Hermione said breathlessly.

‘I dunno, but it’s not like Mr Smith is an Auror or part of the Order. I don’t understand why they would want to do him in, maybe it was aimed for me, we all know that there is definitely someone out their waiting for me’ Harry said darkly.

‘I don’t think so Harry’ Hermione said shaking her head. ‘I mean think about it, it was poison put in a goblet, which could really have been drunk by anyone. It does seem an imprecise way of killing someone in particular. I don’t think it was meant for you or for anyone in particular, I think it was done for the purpose of killing someone, anyone’ she said desperately.

‘Well that doesn’t explain who-’

‘Shhh’ Harry said whipping around. He was sure that he had heard bushes nearby shaking, and someone was running towards them. Harry instinctively moved in front of Hermione and as he drew his wand out, he heard a small whimper from Hermione behind him and felt her hand brush against his. Suddenly through the bushes there was a strangled yell and a tall, pale blonde boy burst through the trees. Zacharious Smith stopped when he saw them, and then with a yelp and a look behind him he started to run towards them, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. Somewhere from the right of them however, there was a hoarse whisper and a deep blue line of flame erupted out of a lush fern engulfing Zacharious completely, for a second he seemed to glow against the pale moon, and then the next second he collapsed, rolling on to his front, his eyes wide open dull reflecting the stars above.

A/N: hehe a nice cliffy to finish off! Next chapter out by Wednesday!!! HH.