3. Bella's Little Gift.
On the other side of the divide, in the normal wizarding world, there was little to celebrate, for on the last day of July the attacks began. It was no coincidence that this was Harry's birthday, Voldemort well knew the date. The Second War was timed to start on the day Harry came of age.
The Death Eaters were under instruction to start small and so they did. At first it was just property that was destroyed, isolated houses made ideal targets. Wizards returned home from work to find their houses reduced to rubble, possessions gone, and the Dark Mark floating above the wreckage.
So far there had been no injuries, and no deaths, there was a reason for this. The survivors ran to friends and family, and spread the news that Voldemort had started his march. After a few days the injuries began, nothing fatal, but all distressing. It was clear that before long deaths would follow. The terror had returned.
The members of The Order of the Phoenix, and those Aurors that could be spared, were kept busy chasing after Voldemort's followers, but they were always too late. There was no way of predicting where the next attack would happen.
Albus Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt were in the ministry offices in London, with them was Amelia Bones, who had taken the position of joint Minister along with Dumbledore. She was very worried.
"What do we do?" she looked to the others for help and assurances, "Our resources are limited, we have barely enough Aurors to guard the main wizarding areas, let alone every house in the land."
"That's not all" added Kingsley "There are still wizards in the ministry who think that Fudge's old methods, you know, sit tight and do nothing, is the way to go. There are some who would go further than that and actively support Voldemort."
Amelia flinched at the name, but not much.
Dumbledore sighed, "Ignorance and fear can make people act in strange ways Kingsley, as well you know. Some cannot see that life under Voldemort would be one of slavery, they just fear the consequences of resisting."
"It is not just fear, there is greed as well" said Kingsley, with distaste.
"Ahh yes, where would we be without greed, but no one will profit from his coming, that is certain." Dumbledore bowed his head, and shook it, imagining the outcome. Then he straightened "No… there is no point in totally demoralising ourselves, we must devise a strategy to beat him. Attacking him on his home ground would be difficult, and costly in lives. I doubt he would even stay to fight when we attacked, even if we could find him in the first place…" Dumbledore creased his brow in thought, considering the alternatives. "We could try and draw him out with bait, I would gladly put myself up as that bait…"
"No, absolutely not"… "Not the time for silly heroics", he was shouted down by the others.
"Alright...alright," he accepted their objections. "Then the only other way I can see, is to gather information so that we can predict a target that he will hit. Catch him red handed so to speak."
"Spies, Albus? That will never work, Voldemort sees through them in an instant. We would lose more people that way, for no benefit" said Amelia.
Dumbledore smiled, "Ordinarily I would agree with you."
"What are you cooking up Albus?" Shacklebolt knew Dumbledore of old, "You have a plan don't you?"
"A plan, no, a hope, yes. A hope that a group of young people who shouldn't be mixed up in all of this can pull off the impossible." He looked at Kingsley and Amelia over the top of his half moon glasses. "Just a hope."
……………………………..
Everyone staying at the cottage was in blissful ignorance of the activities happening on the other side of the divide. They continued with their work, and for a change all were making progress. Ron, Luna, Ginny and Neville had reached the stage where there wasn't a cabbage in the whole of Avalon that felt safe.
The two girls were by far the fastest of the four, but both boys produced much stronger shields. This was brought home when Ron, who was not the most nimble on his feet, tripped as he was whirling his enhanced shield around his head. Bristol Stockland propelled his lanky frame out of the way as the edge of Ron's shield passed through the spot where he had been standing. The edge of the shield then continued through the stone pillar he had been leaning against, to send the top three feet crashing to the ground.
With the four of them in a tight group their individual shields flashed and spun around them, at such speed, that they seemed to merge into one. Forming a barrier that was nigh on impenetrable, and would be instantly fatal to anyone daft enough to get within the reach of the blood red edges of the shields. Both Montis and Bristol were convinced, that in another ten days, they would have taken the four as far as they could. The rest would be down to them, and lots of practice.
Harry had not been learning much from the old papers and scrolls in the library of the Merlect Lady Niniane, but now he had joined forces with Hermione in studying the crystal pyramid, and there they were making progress.
Hermione had originally tried examining it on her own. Although the crystal would now let her in, the little points of light, which she had mistaken for stars, spun about her with such intensity, that it made her feel dizzy. She could not concentrate on anything else. So linking her mind with Harry they had tried again.
It was a very comfortable feeling, Harry thought, the more they linked the more comfortable it became. Hermione was doing all the work, all he had to do was relax and follow her in to the crystal. They were mentally standing in the middle of the pyramid holding hands, the lights flashing past leaving trails of gold behind them.
'It's no good, they're not slowing at all' thought Hermione.
'Have you tried to stop them?' asked Harry as he let go of Hermione's hand and reached out to touch one.
'No I didn't think it was …Oh look!'
As Harry stood there alone all the lights were attracted to him. They settled on his arms, on his shoulders, then all over him, until it appeared he was wearing robes of shimmering gold. It was a very strange sensation, the lights were warm, and Hermione had been right, they were talking; he could hear the whispers too.
As they enveloped him he began to feel something else. It was almost like the way he felt when he was wrapped in Hermione's arms, but not as intense. He felt safe, and comfortable, it was the place he always wanted to be. He felt happy. Could he feel love?
He could see that Hermione was clear of the lights, and he thought to her. 'What can you see Hermione? look around, quick, while you have a chance.'
'I don't understand, the inside of the pyramid is round.' Then she became very excited. 'No wait, it's not the pyramid, I'm seeing something else here, it's a globe, an enormous glass globe. The lights are being held in a glass globe, and I can see something outside, it's not the garden, there are stone walls. It's a room! The lights are held in a glass ball in a room with stone walls. But why? And where?'
It wasn't much, but it was a start. As Hermione took Harry's hand again the lights left him and resumed their frantic dance. They withdrew their minds from the crystal and the cottage garden reappeared around them.
"At least we have some information to go on, but I'm not sure what good it will do" said Hermione.
"There's something else Hermione, I think they are alive."
"Who's alive Harry?"
"The lights, I could feel them, I know it sounds silly but they gave me this feeling of being loved."
"You are loved Harry, don't you remember I love you." She slipped her arms around him and drew him to her.
"Of course I remember, and I love you too," he became very thoughtful, "but why should the lights love me?"
……………………………
They reported their findings to Solomon Aegis later that day, he considered the information for a while, and then announced that he would need to talk to Professor Dumbledore.
"I'll come back and see you in the morning. I think we may be getting somewhere" he said. He waved goodbye to Natalie and David Granger and disappeared through the front door. Harry could see him as he made his way up the street, he was nearly running.
The following morning Solomon was back on the doorstep of The Refuge. He found all the members of the Tyr finishing breakfast, and giving his greetings to them all, he sat next to Harry.
"Right you two, I've spoken to the Headmaster," he told them, "and we both think that you are onto something, but you can't take it any further here. You need to go to London."
Harry gave him a dubious look. "Where?" was all he said.
"Umm…Well at the moment, I am afraid that the safest place for you will be, Grimmauld Place." He said, expecting resistance.
"No" said Harry with a hint of finality.
Solomon gave Hermione a pleading glance. "Harry I know it will be hard for you, but you mustn't hang on to your demons. You will have to face them all eventually, you know that" he said.
Hermione slipped her arm through Harry's "It will be hard for me too Harry, but we can do it together, I'll be with you."
Harry looked up from the tablecloth he had been so diligently studying. It was no good Solomon trying it on, he wasn't going back there, no way. He turned to Hermione to tell her just that, but the words died before he could say them, she had that look in her eyes, it really wasn't fair. His resolve faded, it was impossible for him to disappoint her.
"Ohh… OK then" he sighed. "But I'm not spending weeks cleaning the place again" he added, just to make a point.
Solomon was relieved, he'd thought it would be far more difficult to persuade Harry to return to Sirius' old home, but then he hadn't counted upon the strength of Hermione's help. He smiled to himself, he knew that Harry had lost one of the biggest battles in his life, to his bushy haired partner in crime. Solomon was very grateful that this was so..
Harry and Hermione packed a few things in readiness for their trip to London, being alone and together was becoming a bit of a habit. The other four were staying on to finish their training, then Neville and Ginny were off to Neville's parents, and Ron and Luna were heading back to the Burrow. Before they went their separate ways they agreed to meet again before the end of the holidays.
"We'll have to wait and see where that will be" said Harry. "Solomon is being rather cagy about security. We may have to meet at Grimmauld Place."
They found out why security was an issue when Solomon returned to travel with Harry and Hermione to London. He told them that the Death Eaters were active again, and that although incidents had only been happening since the start of the month, they were getting worse, and the Ministry was apprehensive as to where the axe would fall next.
……………………………….
Wilhelmina Thrubwell was a kind and loving person. She had a round pink face, and was one of those ladies who, when going out, would have had a liking for large flouncy hats and feather boas. She sat in the comfortable parlour drinking tea with her oldest friend. The pair of them had been at school together, and throughout the long years since then, they had both worked hard to realise their dream.
Forty years ago they finally managed it; they had bought the old house from Woolton Butleigh at a very reasonable price and had converted it into the only wizard orphanage in England. There had never been many children who had needed it's shelter, wizards tended to have large extended families, and so many orphans could be looked after that way, but there were always the needy few.
At the moment there were twelve of them, ranging in age from six to eleven. Wilhelmina, Willi to her friends, and Auntie Will to the children, was very proud of her eldest; he had just had his letter, and would be off to Hogwarts in September.
"Well Poppy, do we get a clean bill of health this month?"
Poppy Pomfrey smiled "You ask me that every month Willi, have I ever said no? Of course everything is fine."
"How did you find Austin Henry?" Willi asked, "He is so excited about going to Hogwarts. Did he ask you about his hero?"
"Oh yes. He always wants to know the latest gossip on Harry Potter, and I was able to tell him something that very few people know. I think he took that as a great privilege." She leaned forward, and lowered her voice as if she was telling something very secret. "You see, I spoke to Albus the other day and he told me that he has made Harry Head Boy and his friend Hermione Granger is to be Head Girl."
"That poor boy, it's about time he had something nice happen to him, it was such a shame that Harry was not allowed to come here. Staying with those muggles." She shuddered at the thought of it. "Still, from what you have told me he seems to have turned out alright, but perhaps a little accident prone?"
Poppy laughed "Yes Harry and his friends do spend rather a lot of time with me, not since his father's time have I had so much to do."
There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" sang out Willi.
A sandy haired boy entered the room, he was light of frame, and not very tall, but he had a name which made up for all that. This was Austin Henry. Austin Henry Durston Dibble, orphaned as a baby, he had lived his whole life in Broadwoodwidger Orphanage.
He knew in his own mind that Auntie Will relied on him, he was the eldest, and it was up to him to sort out any problems that he knew she wouldn't cope with.
"Auntie Will we have a flood in the basement, it's not too bad, but it will need mopping up. Is it OK if I take a couple of the others down there, and get on with it?"
"Thank-you Austin Henry" Willi beamed at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
The boy smiled back and left, closing the door behind him.
"Well Willi I really must be going. I am so proud of this place, and the way you are keeping it up together." Poppy Pomfrey said, putting her tea cup down and standing.
"Really Poppy, we both know that if it wasn't for you, and that Headmaster of yours this place couldn't afford to stay open."
Poppy giggled like a little girl "Get away with you Willi, I'll see you next month, but if you need me just call."
With a CRACK Madam Pomfrey apparated away.
Austin Henry, with two of the older children, Norman and Rebecca, set off to the basement to deal with the flood. As he reached the steps a girl of about five or six came up to him.
"A.H. can't I come with you? You promised to read to me today, and you haven't" she pouted.
"Sorry Sophie, but there's a lot of water down in the basement, and we've got to dry it out. I'll read to you at bedtime, how's that" he said trying to strike a deal.
"You promise?" The pout was fading.
"Yes, I promise." He sounded very sincere.
"OK" she smiled and skipped off into the morning room.
The three children descended the steps into the dark cellar. There was about two inches of water sloshing about, but it wouldn't take long. Austin Henry knew that it was the drain that became blocked, and if he cleared this then most of the water would flow down it, and they could easily brush the rest away. They set to their work, the sound of the water gurgling down the drain, and the noise of the sweeping brushes was all they could hear.
The first explosion blew the main doors off their hinges. The sound of running feet and the cry of "Avada Kedavra" rang in the hall. There were screams now, and the killing curse was used again. Then there was an adult cry, one filled with loss, and pain.
"Nooo…Not the children, please!"
Then "Crucio" , the screaming intensified.
Down in the cellar three children were terrified. They could hear the ghastly sounds from above. The screams, initially so intense, began to diminish, and eventually a deathly silence descended on the old house. Austin Henry signalled to the other two to keep quiet. Rebecca did as she was told, but Norman was panicking. With an "I'm not staying here" he pushed past Austin Henry and climbed the steps.
They heard him running to the back door. He must have only been halfway down the corridor when, "Bombarda". The explosion shook the old house to its foundations, and debris fell in through the cellar door.
Rebecca and Austin Henry could hear someone crunching through the rubble, and some weak crying from somewhere near the back door. It was a woman's voice they next heard, and the words sounded as if they were being thrown away "Avada Kedavra", the crying stopped. Silence again for a few seconds, then faintly from outside the house the two children heard the cry of 'MORSMORDRE' then the faint crack of someone apparating away.
When all had been quiet for a few minutes Austin Henry and Rebecca climbed out of the cellar. The girl screamed, and started to weep, the boy drew in his breath at the scene before them. The passageway was a mess, bits of wood and plaster strewn over the floor and in the corner was Norman. His body all twisted and bloody, he stared at the ceiling with dead sightless eyes. Austin Henry took Rebecca's hand and led her away from him, to the main staircase, where on the first step, there was a clear patch amongst the rubble.
"Sit there Becca help will be here soon, I must check on the others." Austin Henry sounded far more confident than he felt. He walked along the hall towards the main downstairs' rooms.
He found Auntie Will lying on the floor in her parlour, he hardly dared to look at her face, she must have been in so much pain when she finally died. Austin Henry picked up her favourite shawl from where it lay, it was the one he remembered her wearing the most, and covered her face with it. He knelt beside her for a moment trying to hold back his tears, then patting her on the shoulder he went in search of the others.
He found all the children in the morning room scattered here and there, like so much litter. Some may have been trying to escape, caught out in the open, some were attempting to hide, cowering in corners or behind the large overstuffed comfortable furniture. They were all dead, there was no blood and there were no marks on the bodies, but they were just as dead as Norman and Auntie Will.
Austin Henry walked in a daze to the window, huddled beneath it was Sophie. Her blond curly hair was covering her face. Austin Henry knelt beside her, and brushed it away, he could see that her eyes were wide open and lifeless. He gently lifted her up and cradled her body in his lap, he had promised and he always kept his promises, reaching across her he picked up her book and began to read.
"Once upon a time there was a great wizard. He was the one who saved us all, and his name was Harry Potter……….."
………………………………….
The Aurors, who entered the orphanage, couldn't believe their eyes; the damage to the building was so severe. As they mounted the outside steps to the main hall, all they could see was a terrified girl, sitting on the bottom step of the broad sweeping staircase. The girl was in deep shock, and could give them no information as to what had happened. As the wizards stood around in the quiet that had fallen, they could hear a young voice. It was a boy's voice, and he sounded as if he was reading out aloud.
They followed the sound of that steady, calm, voice, and it led them into the horror of the morning room. Eight bodies, all young children, obviously victims of the killing curse. Then there, under the window, a sight that would stay with them for the rest of their lives, the young lad holding the body of a little girl with curly golden hair reading to her as if she was just asleep.
Nymphadora Tonks sat on the floor next to Austin Henry; there were tears in her eyes.
"It's OK if you want to stop now." She said quietly.
"No, not yet, I promised to read her a bedtime story, I must finish it." The boy replied.
And so he did, and when he had finished Tonks took him up in her arms, and carried him from that place. As they passed out through what was left of the front door, Austin Henry put his arms around Tonks' neck, and burying his head in her pink hair he started to cry.