A/N: Guess who's back....Yeah, I'm back! Back again!
Anyway....
First, I want to thank you all for being patient! I'm sorry again for delayed updates! *rolls eyes* For some reason, I just haven't been in the "Secrets" writing mood (slap me)...but I'm back!
Hope you enjoy this chapter. I have to warn you that it's more about Harry rather than H/Hr...but don't worry...more H/Hr is definitely on its way!
Let's Find Your Memories
After Snape had administered the potion, he woke Bellatrix. Harry waited, and then Snape asked the first question.
"What is Dark Lord's plan?"
Harry stood entirely still, listening for Bellatrix's answer.
She didn't.
Snape asked her again, in a dark, threatening tone through gritted teeth. "What. Is. The. Dark. Lord's. Plan?
Still no answer.
Harry kept watching. Bellatriix looked as if she was trying to restrain herself from speaking.
The next thing Harry saw was Snape leaning, threateningly into Bellatrix's face, then he heard Snape's voice echoing throughout the dungeon. "TELL ME BELLA! TELL ME WHAT HE'S PLANNING TO DO TO POTTER!"
"I don't know!" Bellatirx roared. "I don't know his plan! He never..."
"What?" Snape snapped.
Bellatrix's head was hung in apparent shame. "He...he never told me!"
Harry's mouth hung wide open.
"Do not play games with me Bella." Snape said in a warning tone, and backing away from her.
Harry watched as Bellatrix's head rose. She glared at Snape and gave him an evil grin. "You gave me Veritaserum, Severus." she said. "I know you did. I can still taste it. How could I possibly be lying to you?"
"You're telling me," Snape said as his lip began to curl, "that you, who have been Voldemort's most loyal servant for years, do not know what his plan is?"
Bellatrix did all that she could to fight it, yet still answered truthfully. "No," she said, her voice barely audible. Harry leaned in closer to hear better, but as he did, the large oak door creaked. He jumped back quickly when he saw Snape and Bellatrix turn towards it. Harry dashed around the corner to hide as Snape strode towards the door and slammed it shut.
"Well that's just great!" Harry muttered to himself as he flung himself against the stone wall. "The people who're trying to kill me don't even know why the hell they're doing it!"
He stood there in silence, thinking for a minute, running his hands through his hair, trying to concentrate on what he really wanted to figure out at the moment. How the hell can I have a sister? Harry pulled himself away from the wall and left the dungeons to find Liz.
After making his way up numerous flights of stairs, Harry found himself on the ground floor. He walked around a bit, being sure to stay out of sight from anyone who might be looking for him again.
"Where the hell did I leave my invisibility cloak?" Harry muttered to himself as he walked down a corridor. He couldn't remember where he'd left it. The last time he remembered having it was before Hermione was taken. Flinging his hands in the air, Harry got his cloak back the easy way. "Accio invisibility cloak," Harry said quietly, yet determinedly. Soon enough, his invisibility cloak zoomed straight into his hands.
Harry smiled proudly and threw it on and walked under the invisibility cloak to find Liz. He and Hermione had worked day and night on that spell during fourth year. Harry thought about Hermione. It was all his fault that she now lay in the hospital wing...bruised and battered both mentally, and physically. Yet, Harry couldn't help but be angry with her still. He hated the feelings of sympathy, guilt and anger pulling on his heart all at the same time. It made him want to...
Suddenly, a creaking nose came out of nowhere. He had just barely noticed where he was.
Liz had just stepped out of the Room of Requirement. To Harry's amazement, the minute she stepped out, she seemed to turn her gaze directly at him.
"Harry?" she whispered into the air.
Harry stood still, and quiet under the cloak.
"Harry?" Liz said again.
Harry decided, it was now or never.
"Is that what you really look like?" Harry said, still under the cloak.
"Harry?" Liz questioned again. "Harry, where are you?"
Harry walked closer to her, and removed the cloak. "Is that what you really look like?" Harry repeated.
Liz jumped back.
"Is it?" Harry demanded.
"Yes," said Liz.
"So, what - why...argh...never mind!" Harry said, walking away. He couldn't do it. Talking to her, facing her, it was too much. He must have been crazy to think that it would be easy.
"Harry, wait!" Liz called after him. "We really need to talk!" Harry turned to her to say something, but rolled his eyes instead, and started walking away.
"Harry, I know how you feel!" Liz said desperately.
Harry whipped around. "Don't say that!" he said angrily. "Don't even think for a moment that you understand how I feel. Even with your...what was it called? Ep - Epathetic powers!"
"Empathic," Liz corrected.
"Whatever!" Harry bellowed.
"Harry, all I can say is that I'm sorry it had to be this way," said Liz.
"Look, I don't want to talk about this now!" Harry said. "I need...I just need some time to think." It was a lie of course. Harry had done all the thinking he needed. He simply could not talk to her right now.
"Alright Harry," Liz said. "I just want us to talk soon."
Harry frowned and walked away from her. As he walked, he heard the creaking noise of the door to the Room of Requirement again. Liz had gone back inside. Harry walked back down the corridor from which he had just come. He was so angry...with everyone. What did he need a sister for now anyway? Just then, something Hagrid had said once rang through his head: "Family, whatever yeh say, blood's important."
Harry stopped and turned around.
This time, it really was now or never.
He walked slowly over to the polished door to the Room of Requirement, and put his had on the brass knob. He took a deep breath and turned it.
As he entered, he saw that the room was flickering with light from a roaring fire at the end of the room, where Liz was sitting in a large chair. With her head propped up against her hand, and her arm leaning on the arm of the chair, she seemed to be in deep thought. She mustn't have heard Harry come in.
Harry approached her slowly. He needed this conversation to go as smoothly as possible. He just wanted answers. He finally neared her, and sat down in the chair opposite her.
"Alright," Harry said, as Liz looked up at him questioningly. "Talk."
"Where do you want me to start?" Liz said.
"I dunno," Harry said. "How'd you start with Hermione and Ron?"
"That was diff - "
"Just start from the beginning," Harry said, trying to control his temper. Just let things go smoothly. He told himself.
"Just start when - when he..."
"Killed our parents?" Liz said gingerly.
Harry nodded. This was going to be harder than he thought - when their parents were killed.
"Well, we were all getting ready for bed," Liz said, starting the story similar to the way she had done with Hermione and Ron. "Mum was taking you upstairs when he walked into our house. He just walked right in." It seemed to Harry, that Liz was having a hard time speaking. Her voice had begun to crack the instant she said `Mum'.
"Dad yelled for her to take you upstairs; he was holding me when Voldemort used the Avada Kedavra curse on him. Dad really had shielded me, and we fell to the floor. I hit my head. I suppose he thought it hit me too, because as soon as he hit dad, he went straight upstairs. I went unconscious after that."
As Liz continued on with the same story she had told Hermione and Ron, she noticed Harry was seemingly uneasy talking about the whole situation. It was of course, expected that he would, but she didn't want to frighten him away.
************half an hour later************
"So, why exactly did everyone go through all the trouble to keep the truth hidden from me? From you?" Harry asked.
He had become slightly more comfortable speaking with Liz, but not too much.
"Well, for safety reasons," Liz explained. "It was totally wrong on so many levels, but they still had our best interests at heart. If I didn't exist, no one came looking for me...especially Voldemort to get to you. If I didn't exist to you...you didn't come looking for me. You stayed out of the wizarding world, and out of harms way. If you didn't exist, to me anyway, after I thought you'd been killed, I wouldn't go trying to contact you. If I had, Voldemort would have found out somehow..."
"Well, a lot of good that secret has done," Harry said bitterly. "Voldemort found me anyway."
"Yes, but at least you lived to face him once again," Liz said.
"Yeah, again, and again, and again, and again!" Harry said angrily, getting to his feet. "When is it going to end? When are the people I care about going to stop getting hurt...or - or killed?!"
"I don't know Harry," Liz said.
Harry rolled his eyes and sat back down.
"Did - did you know Sirius?"
"Yes," Liz said quietly. "but he thought I was dead the entire time he was in Azkaban."
Harry merely looked down at his feet and said nothing.
"I finally met him a little while after you did. After you and Hermione saved him...he looked so old."
"So, you - you knew him for nearly the same amount of time I did?" Harry finally said.
"Just about," said Liz. "Well, except those first few years before...."
A few moments passed before Liz started to fumble with her necklace.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked.
"I'll show you," Liz said. She unfastened the hook of her necklace, and wrapped the chain around her wrist, then held it out to Harry. "Touch the orb," she said.
"What?" Harry asked, looking questioningly at the object.
"Just touch the orb."
"What is it?"
Liz lowered her hand slowly, and calmly said, "This, Harry, is when we lived. Touch the orb." She raised her hand once more, and held the orb out for Harry to touch.
Harry slowly reached out and put a finger on the tiny sapphire pendant.
Instantly, Harry's body felt like it was flying. Then, his feet felt like they were back on solid ground again. He was now in a house...a house that felt somewhat...familiar.
"Where are we?" Harry asked, turning toward Liz, who was right beside him. They were standing in a kitchen.
"Just wait," Liz said quietly.
Harry was about to say something when...
"Mum?" he whispered.
Lily Potter had just entered the kitchen.
"Is that...is that really?" Harry stammered.
"That's her Harry," Liz said. "That's Mum."
She was opening a jar of what seemed to be baby food. She was so beautiful. "James!" she called out. "It's time to stop playing with Harry, he needs to eat dinner!"
Harry watched her closely. He saw that she was shaking her head, smiling. "James..." she said, smiling affectionately. Harry peeled his eyes away from his mother just for a second to look astonishingly at Liz. "What - how - how did this - "
"Harry, sit down." Liz said, scooting out two chairs from under the kitchen table.
Harry took a seat, looking back at his mother.
"Harry," Liz began, just as their father walked in holding a little bundle in his arms.
Harry nearly fell out of his chair. "Dad?"
Harry stood from his chair and walked over to the both of them. He stood between them, and when James spoke, Harry jumped back in surprise.
"You have to let me play longer with him, Lil," he said. "He's going to grow up fast...look at Liz."
"Whadabou' me?" said little Liz, skipping into the kitchen.
"We were just saying what a big girl you're getting to be," Lily said.
Harry almost fell over again.
When Lily took the bundle from James, revealing a "little Harry"...Harry did fall over.
This was too much.
Liz got up to help Harry. "Are you alright?" Liz asked, helping Harry to his feet.
"Uh...yeah..." Harry managed. "I just...it's Dad...and - and Mum."
"Yes," Liz said.
"What is this?" Harry finally asked. "What - how did this all happen? Where are we?"
"Come, sit down again," Liz said, guiding Harry back to the table. Harry sat down, and looked back at...his family.
"Harry..." Liz said, trying to draw his attention toward her. "Harry!" she said a bit louder.
"Wha?" Harry said, peeling his eyes away from the...the four Potter's.
"Harry, I'm going to tell you what this all is. How it all works."
Harry looked at her attentively. "Okay," he said.
"Alright," Liz began. "This," she said, waving her arms around at the room and the four Potter's. "This is the past."
"So, we're looking into a pensieve?" Harry asked.
"No, not a pensieve," Liz explained. "Not exactly. Yes, we are in a memory, but from my necklace." She held out the necklace for Harry to observe.
"What?" asked Harry. Perplexed, and desperate for answers, he took the necklace.
Liz let him study it for a moment, and then explained the necklace's use, how it worked, and how it came to be a Potter secret. "You have one too," she had told him. "And so did Mum and Dad."
"Come with me," Liz said nearly ten minutes later. The family had just gone into the living room. Harry stood from the kitchen table and walked with Liz into the next room. "Look there," said Liz, pointing at little Harry, who was now playing with a stuffed dragon on the floor. "Look on your middle finger Harry - look at the ring."
Harry looked at her and then back at himself. He slowly walked over to take a look at one of his baby fingers. When he did, he saw a small ring on his middle finger, just as Liz had said.
He turned around quickly to look at Liz, who was now holding up a tiny ring between her thumb and forefinger.
"Is that..." Harry said, trailing off.
"Your memories Harry...of Mum and Dad," Liz said, as she walked towards him.
Harry looked at the ring and then turned to look at his parents. They were sitting on the sofa, little Liz falling asleep in between them, watching little Harry play with his toy.
Harry noticed the necklace around Liz's neck, and the rings on his parents' fingers.
Liz was right next to him now. "Here," she said, placing the ring in his hand. "This is your life with them."
Harry could feel the tears coming. He wasn't done being furious with everyone, especially Liz at the moment, but all he wanted to do now was hug...his big sister.
Hagrid's words about family had hit him hard, and it was Hermione's voice inside his head that brought him to reason. Liz was family...no matter what.
"Do you want to try it?" asked Liz.
Harry broke out of his idle state and stared at Liz.
"What?" he asked.
"I said, do you want to try it on?" Liz said. "We need to resize it though."
"I can?" Harry asked. "I mean, it'll work? How?"
Liz took out her wand, and pointed it at the ring. "Engorgio." she muttered, and the ring was resized.
"Just think of Mum and Dad's faces. I know you can't remember the memories now, but subconsciously they're all in there." Liz said, pointing at the ring.
"I just think of them?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Liz said, holding out her hand to Harry's. "Go ahead, put it on."
Harry stared at the ring for a moment...the red of the ruby was gleaming. All he had to do was think of his parents...
"C'mon Harry," Liz said. "Let's find your memories of Mum and Dad."
Harry thought of their smiling faces. He'd seen them all the time in his dreams. He put the ring on, and grabbed Liz's hand.
In an instant, they were transported somewhere outside.
"Where are we?" Harry asked, turning to Liz.
"This is your memory...you tell me."
"I don't know."
"Mmm...I know where we are." Liz said, smiling. They were standing in the middle of a lush green field, under a lone tree. More trees, were lined down the middle of the field, bringing with them a small dirt path. The day was beautiful, the sky was blue - full of fluffy white clouds. The smell of fragrant flowers was all around them. It seemed so real.
"I don't see anyone. Where are...where are Mum and Dad?" Harry asked.
"Hang on," Liz said. "Any minute now...."
Just then, from the path behind the trees, emerged a little Liz. Behind her came James, who was holding a large picnic basket, and Lily, who was holding Harry - apparently cooing at him.
"This is my memory?" Harry asked, turning to Liz.
She nodded. "I have one just like it, but it's mainly just me over there," she said, pointing at her younger self far off in the field, "playing with the ladybugs."
Harry looked over to the little girl playing in the field to see that indeed, she was chasing ladybugs. Harry laughed.
Soon, James, Lily and Little Harry were standing right beside Harry and Liz. James had set down the basket and pulled out a small blanket from it. He laid it down on the grass in the shade of the tree. "Engorgio," he muttered, after pulling out his wand and pointing it at the blanket. The blanket grew to a size that would allow the whole family to sit on it.
Harry watched as Lily set Little Harry down on the blanket, he immediately rolled over onto his back and cooed. He watched as his father and mother sat down. Lily sat down close to James and leaned her back against his chest. James wrapped his arms around her, and they watched Little Harry try and defeat the sleep that was overtaking him. Little Liz had wandered over to the blanket, her hair full of little ladybugs. "Look Mummy! Look Daddy!" she said.
Harry, watching the sight before him, noticed Liz was standing against the large tree smiling. He hoped that one day he and Hermione would have a family...just like this.
Just then, everything went black, and they were back in the Room of Requirement.
"Wha - What happened?" Harry asked, frantically looking around for his family.
"The memory ended," Liz said calmly. "Don't worry, you have many more. Up to their deaths, your entire life with Mum and Dad is recorded in that ring."
Harry looked at the ring that encompassed his finger. "Thanks," he said simply.
"You're welcome."
Harry and Liz shared an awkward moment. Then Harry spoke. "Liz, you need to tell me what you're doing here now...why you disguised yourself as Professor Bright - how did you get to all of your lessons? And why...why did you never tried to contact me before this."
Harry sat down on a sofa that the room had provided. Liz sat down next to him.
"First of all Harry," Liz began. "You have to know that for ten years, I had written at least a hundred letters to you explaining everything. But, living with Minerva McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore...I really had no chance of ever sending them to you. And even if I did...Voldemort would have found out somehow, and you would have been in even more danger than you already were."
"Second..." Liz took a deep breath. "I had a Vision."
"A what?" Harry asked.
"A Vison. I'm a Seer...and to be honest Harry...I think you've got the same gift, you just haven't embraced it."
Harry just stared at her.
"Anyway, I had a Vision of you and - and Voldemort...."
"And?" Harry urged.
"Well, it was the end. It was what seemed to be the final battle between the two of you."
"And?" Harry said, yet again.
"And, I don't know." Liz said, standing up and throwing her arms in the air, clearly frustrated. "All I see is you and Voldemort pointing your wands at each other, and then this great big flash of green light."
"So, that means..."
"I don't know what it means Harry." Liz said. "But the only time I remember seeing a green light like that is when - when Voldemort murdered Mum and Dad."
Harry sat on the sofa, silent.
"That's why I came out of hiding Harry," said Liz. "That's why I disguised myself as Professor Bright and Liz Halsey." Liz explained to him about using the time turner to get to all of her lessons.
"Alright," Harry said slowly. "I understand you becoming Professor Bright...you've taught us some pretty useful stuff this year, and I understand that you were watching over us, but why Liz Halsey?"
"Simple," Liz said. "I wanted to get to know you better."
"Oh," Harry said. "So, those are the only reasons why you came out of hiding?"
"Well, no...actually there is one more reason, but I can't tell you that."
"More secrets?" Harry muttered.
"Yes, and this is one I must keep."
"Why?" Harry asked irritably.
"You know that saying, `All good things come to those who wait'?" Liz asked.
"Yeah," said Harry.
"Well sometimes, greater things come to those who wait just a little bit longer."
A/N: Okay...so, I wrote Harry a little OOC in this chapter...I don't really have anything to go on about how he'd react to something like this...seeing his parents as "ghosts" is one thing...but memories are different. I hope you all liked it anyway!
Please leave me some of your thoughts! I love hearing them!
Sara
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