Chapter 2, Welcome back.
**************#12 Grimmauld place***********************
Harry stepped into the parlor of his Godfather's house. During Sirius' time the decorations had included things like house-elf heads, disturbing sculptures and other artifacts most associated with Dark Wizards and their like. There were no longer cabinets full of devices to attack the wielder, and decanters of blood. The door handles had been changed from snakeheads to little Owls, They look like Hedwig Harry observed silently, feeling slightly amused. There were several high-backed, overstuffed chairs and some long couches, from the looks of them; Dumbledore must have had a hand in the refurnishing. When last Harry had been here the furniture had been old, dusty and not terribly comfortable, the new appointments looked quite good to Harry. The tapestry of the House of Black was also gone, in its place was a portrait of Sirius, which turned and winked at Harry. Harry gave it a half smile and hurriedly turned away from it. As he turned he caught the eye of a tall fire-headed man Harry's age. Who broke out into a huge grin and ran over to Harry, and gave him a brotherly hug.
"Harry, damn you look good, I've missed you mate." Ron exclaimed still grinning.
Before Harry could even respond he heard an ecstatic "HARRY", and he was knocked backwards a step, the only thing he could see was a mass of wavy, brown hair. "Hermione," Harry muttered returning her hug, feeling oddly comfortable with her arms around him. Both of them missed a quick flash of...something that passed across Ron's face. Harry pushed her back and held Hermione for a second at arms length so he could look at her instead of just her hair. She looked...good, was the best way to describe it though Harry did not know why he would use that term, she had been one of his best friends for almost 6 years and he had seen her made up, to a much greater degree than she was today, today she just had on some khaki shorts and a pink t-shirt, but he felt a sudden flush that he forced down. She's just my best friend isn't she? Her hair was still wavy but now seemed to be more or less under control, it now fell more or less evenly over her shoulders to about halfway down her back.
Chocolate brown eyes came up and met his green ones a little too quickly; "Harry how have you been, I mean that we tried to get Dumbledore to let you come here right off, or let us go see you or something. I mean you had to stay with those awful people for a whole month, I wanted to get you away..." She seemed almost flustered as she stammered out a greeting of sorts.
Harry cut her off before she really got going. "I'm fine Hermione, I'm just glad to see you two, though because it's you two I will admit that I...have reservations about coming back here." With that identical flashes of sadness crossed both Harry and Hermione's eyes they of everyone had been closest to Sirius. "Umm how are you feeling Mione...Ron?"
"Oh I'm fine mate, they used a targeted memory charm on me to block out the brain's memories, and there are no scars anymore." Ron replied cheerfully.
"I'm ok Harry, the spell that Dolohov cast was only about half power since he was silenced. It's my fault Harry if I hadn't screwed up and just stunned him instead of getting fancy and silencing him, I wouldn't have gotten hit and I'd been there to help you later." She replied with a twinge of guilt as she flashed back to her perceived mistakes.
"No Mione it was my fault, if I'd just listened to you..." Harry replied, guilt coloring his voice.
Hermione shook her head, and noticing that Ron had wandered over to get a drink from the sideboard, "Harry drop it, we're both guilty, let's talk later ok?" She whispered to him. He just nodded silently. Just as Harry backed off, Hedwig fluttered in the open door, someone must have let her out of her cage. Hedwig landed on Hermione's shoulder and gave a soft HOOT. "Hey girl how have you been." Hermione said happily as she petted the snowy owl.
Damn I wish I had a camera, they're soo cute...wait what is with me today, Must be the stress. Harry thought to himself. "So what are we doing today?" Harry asked to the room.
"I hope you have time to talk with me." Came from the doorway. Albus Dumbledore had as usual arrived without a sound.
Harry nodded at him; "lets do it now if it's convenient?" Though he really didn't want to.
Dumbledore agreed instantly and led him to a second floor bedroom with another right across the hall. Harry recognized the room from his previous stay as Sirius'. The room was greatly changed though; the room was now decorated in the Gryffindor colors of red and gold. There was now a large four-poster bed much like his at school, but at least twice the size. There was a golden hanger for Hedwig's cage and a comfortable, for a bird anyway, series of perches at various heights sitting next to the window along with an overstuffed couch. The windows were now sparkling, much unlike their previously grungy condition. Harry's stuff was already put neatly in drawers with his trunk setting in the corner and all of his books on a bookshelf next to it. Harry turned to look at Dumbledore, who said. "We thought that you'd want Sirius's old room." To which Harry just nodded, he was slightly stunned at the room, it was light years beyond his poor room at the Durselys, and yet he was only staying here a month wasn't he? Dumbledore pointed at the bed as he sat down on the couch facing. Harry settled down on the edge of the bed as Dumbledore waved his wand at the door and muttered, "imperta" The door closed and locked and a brief flash lit up the walls and the door. Harry recognized an imperturable charm when he saw one. "Harry," Dumbledore began, "I'm sure that you will relate this conversation to Hermione and Ron, however I felt that it should be your decision as to what to tell them."
"Everything...unless it would hurt them." Harry responded instantly.
"To which is the crux of our problem; Harry. Last year I made decisions based on my fear for you, and now we are paying for them."
"But I..." Harry started but was interrupted once again.
"Harry, you are going to say that it's your fault your friends were hurt, that they would not have been there it weren't for your stupidity. It is those thoughts that make you better than our enemies, do you think Riddle is concerned about the Death Eaters that you and your friends helped capture, beyond their absence hindering his plans, no. Harry, your friends were there because they trusted you."
"Yeah see where that got them." Harry snapped acrimoniously.
"Harry, your friends, followed you because they trusted that the cause was just and that you would do your best for them, no more, no less." Dumbledore looked distant with his response almost as if he too were remembering sad memories, ignoring totally Harry's retort of a minute before.
"I obviously didn't do good enough Hermione was hurt...I thought she was dead, and Ron and Ginny and Neville were hurt also." Harry replied with tears in his eyes.
"Harry, I have been were you are now, I have lead my friends into battle against the same darkness we are fighting now and some of them did not return, others did but fell in other ways such as your parents. I am determined to prevent that happening to anyone else, which is one of the reasons that I tried to keep my distance from you, and for that I am sorry. But in the end, both you and I are not all-powerful, and we will fail at times, we have to try to be ready for that, but as you are a good person at heart, you never will be. I'm afraid I know I'm not." Dumbledore finished grimly. "Anyway, Harry I'm sure that we will talk of this again, but there are other matters you should know about. As I stated in my missive to you, I will tell you what you wish to know, unless I have promised others to not tell you or for some other very overriding reason, I promise you that that reason will not be because I do not trust you, I do, more than almost anyone else."
"Anyone else?" Harry asked.
"Well there is Fawkes" Dumbledore replied to brief laughter then went on with a purpose. "Harry I do not know what Voldemort is up to right now, we know his general purpose, but not specifics, know that while the Ministry was a trap for you, the actions of yourself and your friends made it a defeat for Riddle."
"You and the others had to save us." Harry replied quietly.
"Yes, but you had already defeated his purpose, and you made Voldemort come out into the open after you. You kept the prophesy from him, and at least for a while have imprisoned his top lackeys in Azkaban. Yes, I will admit that you were not ready for him, nor were your friends totally ready for the Death Eaters that they faced. The fault for that is entirely on my shoulders. If I had taken steps, you would not have had to instruct yourselves, even so you did more than any DADA teacher in your last 5 years at Hogwarts to further your education in this area."
"Remus was good" Harry objected flashing back to his third year.
"He was, but there were other factors involved that year, weren't there?" Dumbledore asked with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway as to correct these faults, first I am taking over teaching the DADA classes, and I assure you that my NEWT class will be...challenging, even for you and your friends Harry, a fact that I'm sure will please Miss Granger to no end." This statement told Harry that Dumbledore did indeed know his students well, Harry and Minerva McGonagall, were probably the only other people who realized that Hermione's smart act wasn't an act, while every one knew she was a genius, many including Ron, thought that she flaunted it to show off. The real answer was twofold, she used her knowledge to help her self worth, she still didn't necessarily have confidence in herself, and second she really enjoyed sharing knowledge, she was a fine teacher and loved it when her friends learned too, which was possibly a source of the never ending skirmishes with Ron.
Mione I'd rather have you at my side than anyone, maybe even Dumbledore himself. Again the source and the deeper thought behind the thought confused and scared him a little.
"Second," Dumbledore went on, "Starting in the next few days, you will begin advanced combat training with myself and Alastor and then later with others. As we go on, your friends will join you for parts, though possibly not all, I do not know yet. The underage restrictions on you and your friends have been removed while you are here at the Manor or under instruction, in effect it is as if you at school already." Harry just nodded at this; he had been half expecting it since the letter from Dumbledore. "Harry there are a couple of more items. As I'm sure Miss Granger told you," Dumbledore said with a barely repressed smile, "I rescinded your Quiddich ban the moment I found some Hogwarts letterhead." His manner then cooled a little, and he dropped his eyes, "Harry tomorrow, we have an appointment."
"We" Harry asked, with a lump in his stomach
"Yes Harry, we have to go the reading of Sirius's will"
******************Harry's Room*************************
(A/N this part of the chapter seems to go well with "when I'm gone" by Three Doors Down)
3am
Harry, was tossing and turning in his sleep, He had listened to Dumbledore try to explain that it wasn't his fault but he still woke up with images of Hermione and Sirius, dead or dying. Finally he gave up on trying to sleep, lit a soft lamp, much to Hedwig's disgust, and started reading the Quiddich strategy book that Hermione had given him for his birthday. Almost as if the act were a summoning charm, Harry heard a soft knock on his door, "come in."
Hermione walked in, she was in her pajamas, a pair of plaid, flannel, sleep pants and a short t-shirt, and Harry's stomach gave a brief flop. It was obvious, from the condition of her hair if nothing else that she too had tried to sleep and failed, Harry was afraid that he was the reason. She walked over to the bed where he was reading and plopped down on it, sitting cross-legged facing him.
"Hey Harry" Damn he's in poor shape I hate those people, it's obvious he's been having nightmares since Sirius and Ron or I...haven't been there for him "Like the book?" She asked softly.
"Yeah"
"You're not up because you want to read."
"Yes I'...." Harry ran his hand through his already messy black hair, it was a nervous habit he had acquired over years of stress, looking up he caught a pair of chocolate eyes, "no" damn I can't lie to her, never could really, Ron yeah no problem, but not her.
He never could lie to me, "Tell me."
"It's Sirius, I see him dying every time I close my eyes, then, I..." he broke off, doggedly not meeting her eyes, he can't stand to tell the rest, however the choice is soon taken away from him.
"Harry?" She asked resolutely, her tone not booking an evasion.
"It's you, the nightmares always end with you falling to Dolohov's curse, and your laying there. That day, I froze, I have faced Voldemort face to face, and herds of Death Eaters, but when you were laying there, I just couldn't think I couldn't do anything, I was so scared, and it keeps coming back, dammit." Harry softly growled and broke into tears.
Hermione on the other hand, felt her stomach do a flip. She gathered him into her arms and held him against her shoulder as he cried. He couldn't function when he thought I was hurt? "It's ok Harry," she cooed softly rocking him back and forth. It's probably about time he let it out, I'm sure it was probably worth more than his life was worth to breakdown at the Dursleys, damn them, and damn Dumbledore for making him go to that hellhole. At that point Remus who had heard something, he was a werewolf after all, peeked in the cracked door. He caught Hermione's eye and with a quick headshake from her, he nodded and silently closed the door all the way.
Harry finally stopped crying but he didn't pull away, "there's more," he said quietly. He didn't want to say this to anyone, especially not to her, but at the same time he did. "I know the prophecy, Mione. I have to become a killer or die myself, there's no other way."
"What" she replied softly though she had heard the first time. Can't the universe just leave him alone for one damn minute?
"Dumbledore knew it, he was the one that had made the recording, he heard it one night while interviewing a divination professor, why do you think Trelwany has a job? Its not because she's a good teacher, hell, Mione you knew that in 3rd year. It's to keep her from Voldemort." Harry said with a grim smile, his thoughts flashing back to memories of viewing Dumbledore's Pensive a little over a month ago.
"What does it say?" Though she already knew somehow.
"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches... Born to those
who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...And the Dark Lord
will mark him as his equal, But he will have power that the Dark Lord knows not....
And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other
survives...The one with the power to vanquish that Dark Lord will be born
As the seventh month dies....I've heard Trelwany give that prophecy every night since I heard it in
Dumbledore's office when we got back. I can't do it, Mione, I can't become like them, I'd lose my soul,
I'd loose you and Ron and the rest of the Weasleys, and I don't think I could live if I lost all of you in
defeating him." Harry replied softly tears once again streaming down his cheeks. "Hermione can you do me a
favor?"
"Anything"
"Can you go with me to the reading of Sirius's will tomorrow, please I..."
"Sure" Harry nestled back into her shoulder and she continued rocking him softly back and forth until he finally fell to sleep against her. Great, I don't want to move and wake him up, not now. She gently eased him down, all the while retaining contact, and held him while he slept, until almost dawn when she finally slipped out to her room across the hall.
******************Ministry of Magic**************************
August 1, 2004
9am
Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Remus climbed out of another of the Ministry's SUVs. Instead of the visitor's entrance, they now entered though a secret underground combination parking garage and stable. Various cars, trucks and SUVs were parked next to stalls containing winged horses, and hippogriffs and other magical steeds. Over to one side where a bicycle rack would be in a muggle parking garage, a rack for brooms was mounted on the wall.
The quartet entered the atrium from a side door, but since they are not there for a disciplinary hearing this time, no one had to submit their wands for inspection. There were still signs of rebuilding in the atrium from the battle a little over a month ago. The original statue of a witch, wizard, goblin, house-elf and centaur was gone, replaced with a simple golden plinth from which water cascaded out the tip. Unlike Harry and Hermione's last visit, there were plenty of people around and nary a Death Eater in sight. However it was not only Harry who had dark memories of this place, as they entered the atrium, Hermione grabbed Harry's arm tightly and they stayed like that until they reached the lifts. "Our meeting's on the 5th floor Harry" Dumbledore said as he led them to the lift. They exited on the fifth floor and proceed to a conference room at the end. Hermione toke a seat close to Harry, close but not quite touching.
Dumbledore saw this and then caught Lupin's attention. Someday you two. Dumbledore thought with a mixture of hope and more than a little humor, Lupin for his part just gave a tiny shrug.
A blond-thirty-something witch came in and handed Dumbledore a file folder. "Thank you Andrea." He said and turned to Harry. "Harry, as I am once again Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I will read the will, ok?" Harry just nodded, however under the table his hand found Hermione's, she grabbed it for mutual support. "Harry, after Sirius escaped from Azkaban and you two saved him, he contacted me and had his will changed. At one time a portion would have gone to Bellatrix and Narcissa, his will before he went to Azkaban had not been changed since he was your age. I will just read the disbursements. First, Sirius wills a sum of 100,000 galleons to Hogwarts to set up a scholarship for wizards from muggle homes, with the comment that he probably owes it to the school somehow or another." Dumbledore rolled his eyes for a second at the comment and Harry cracked a small smile thinking of the chaos the original Marauders caused. Lupin for his part just looked pleased. "For Remus Lupin, my dear friend, and if you are reading this the last of the true Marauders I leave the sum of 100,000 galleons, that should keep you in flea collars for a while."
"You too mate." Remus muttered.
Dumbledore continued, "To The Order of the Phoenix, I leave the sum of 500,000 galleons to destroy the blight on the world that is Tom Riddle and his followers. These funds will have been transferred on my death to a separate vault at Gringorts. The control of these funds are to reside in the hands of Albus Dumbledore, or in the case of his death or incapacitation in the hands of my godson Harry Potter." Harry and Hermione's eyes got big at the last, actually they had been growing steadily through the will reading but they still hadn't heard it all. "For the friends of my Godson, and the people who helped ensure my freedom, I leave the sum of 10,000 galleons each to Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. These funds are not to be awarded until their graduation or expulsion from Hogwarts, and Hermione if you are here, don't tell Ron." Hermione's jaw dropped at the comment and she stared at Dumbledore. "Hermione I just witnessed his will at the time, I have no idea how he knew you would be here. I'm glad I could say that with a straight face. "Finally, I Sirius Black, leave the balance of my estate to my godson Harry Potter including the remainder of the Black monies and properties, the Grimmauld Place manor and my motorbike and car, with the proviso that the Order be allowed to continue to use the manor as their headquarters."
Harry looked stunned, the funds for Hermione and Ron had been shocking enough especially the comment about her being here, but the last was entirely too much. Harry looked Dumbledore in the eye and just sat there.
"Harry" Dumbledore said quietly, "minus the other disbursements, the Black fortune is around 10,000,000 galleons at least, actually that's just what's in cash assets, the real assets including investments and properties is much, much more and it grows at a decent clip every year."
"HUH!" Exclaimed Harry, his face growing heated. Then more calmly after a deep breath, "Professor, Remus, could I talk to Hermione in private for a second."
"Yes Harry, but be quick, we need to return to Grimmauld place soon." Dumbledore replied, as he got up and with a nod to Lupin, the two elder wizards left the room, and quietly shut the door,
Harry nodded to the departed Dumbledore, talking Hermione's hands in his; he looked her square in the face. "Mione, I needed to ask you a favor in private."
"Yes Harry"
"Don't tell Ron, some things I can't hide, from him such as Grimmauld Place, after all he's living there, and I know Sirius didn't want Ron to know about his gift until he graduated, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him about the money, he gets weird about that stuff."
"Sure Harry." Ron can just get over it, it's not your fault, after all like you wanted your parents and then Sirius to die, I wish that he'd think about just what you paid for that fortune buried under Diagon Alley.