For anyone who has not read Part One, and is intending to read Part Two, it will help if you do, but it is not essential (I think). As with Part One, so find the same with Part Two. The characters and universe created by J.K.Rowling are hers alone. As imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I hope this story can be taken in that way. Some of the additional characters are mine, and who knows, some of them and the geographical locations, may even be real.
Solomon.
a/n All reviews gratefully received, they help to keep me focused.
4. A Very Little Wizard
Harry and Hermione stepped out of the mist into the hallway of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was a very different hallway to the one Harry remembered, brightly lit and freshly decorated; the clutter was gone, as were the screams from the curtained portrait of Sirius' mother. In fact the curtains and portrait were gone as well.
Harry's glasses had misted up as usual and that was why he nearly fell over the small creature standing in the hallway.
"Oh sorry, didn't see you, err…who's there?"
"Harry Potter sir and Miss Hermione, Professor Solomon too," said Dobby bowing low. "Welcomes to your home."
"Dobby! What are you doing here?" shouted Harry.
"Dobby is here to look after you, like last year, but here, not at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore said I is to be here, so here I am." Dobby replied. "This way Sirs and Miss."
Dobby led them into the kitchen which looked much as before, but now very clean and tidy. Mrs Weasley had always tried to keep the place neat, but the old House Elf Kreacher had undone all her efforts once she was gone. Now Kreacher was gone, working for the only people he considered his family, the Malfoys.
Hermione was puzzling over something "Professor, sorry, Solomon how did we manage to demist into the hall, shouldn't the wards have kept us out? We've always had to arrive outside and ask the house to appear before."
"Demist Hermione?"
"Ah, Harry's name for using the nimbus limen." she said quietly.
"Demisting…hah!... never thought of that. Well, when Harry activated the doorway he had to place his destination firmly in his mind and I imagine that the hall was where he wanted to be, Right Harry?"
"Err…yes I suppose it was."
"But the wards" insisted Hermione.
"Oh wards have absolutely no effect on the doorway," Solomon could see that Hermione was not satisfied with that answer. "It's very simple, wards affect things in this world, stopping spells, apparation, that sort of thing, but the doorway isn't in this world, at least not much of it, so no effect, see?"
Harry could sense that an intellectual discussion was in the offing, so he excused himself and set off on a tour of the house. Apart from the change in decoration which made the whole place appear much roomier and removed the depressing presence Harry had always felt it had, the house was much as he remembered it.
There was a large room on the same level as the kitchen which had now been arranged to hold meetings. One flight of stairs up, there was a sitting room to one side of the stairway and a dining room to the other. On the floors above were the bedrooms and a bathroom, and then at the top of the house the attic, where Buckbeak had lived.
Harry was peering into one of the bedrooms when a hand descended on his shoulder and nearly scared him out of a year's growth.
"Agh!" he screamed.
"Sorry Harry, it's only me, I didn't mean to frighten you." Hermione said, worried she might have done him some permanent damage.
"It's OK" he said trying to catch his breath "Wandering around in a world of my own up here, didn't expect you, I thought you'd be hours with Solomon discussing the finer points of demisting."
She laughed "No, when you get him going he can be very precise with his explanations. I've got a feeling he's much smarter than we think."
"I always thought he was smart".
"Yes, but he plays the country boy bit a lot. I think it's a cover. I think he could give Dumbledore a run for his money."
"You know what Hermione?"
"What?"
"Sometimes you think too much, but I still love you." 'Here' Harry's mental kiss had its usual effect and effectively ended the conversation.
…………………………………
By that evening Harry and Hermione had discovered how useful Grimmauld Place had become. Members of the Order of the Phoenix were in and out of the front door leaving messages and having hurried meetings. What was strange to the two students was that despite this activity there were never more than three members in the house at anyone time. It only dawned on them later that this was to minimise casualties should the house come under attack.
"Well that makes me feel really safe," said Harry sarcastically.
"We would be OK, just give me a cuddle and my necklace will protect us both" announced Hermione "It's done it before."
"Yeh, good idea, shall we practice now."
"Oh Harry, you're incorrigible."
"Am I?"
"Yes"
"Hermione?"
"Yes Harry"
"What does incorrigible mean?"
A silvery giggle and soft pair of lips against his was the only answer he got to that question.
……………………………….
The following day Solomon took them to Diagon Alley and they made their way as inconspicuously as possible to Gringotts Bank. Harry produced his letters and his scar as proof of identity and was shown into the presence of the Goblin in charge of legal affairs.
"My name is Grippipe" said the rather tall, well, tall for a goblin, long fingered legal representative. He spoke quickly, his words clipped. "Welcome Mr Potter, we can deal with both these matters today, although there was representation on behalf of a Narcissa Malfoy we have decided not to uphold her claim, because we don't like her."
"Is that all it takes?" said Hermione "Doesn't seem very fair."
"Hermione!" Harry was flabbergasted.
"Sorry Harry, had a SPEW type reaction there for a moment".
"No Miss, you are correct" said the Goblin "It probably isn't fair, but we really don't like her err…. quite a lot."
Grippipe shuffled some papers on his desk, then continued. "Your parents left you their house in Godrics Hollow and the contents of their vault. Some of the money from that vault has already been transferred to your own."
"This was done at the time of their passing, and I understand you have been drawing on it for some time now." Harry nodded, "Here is the key, if you would just sign here… Thank-you… As to the will of Sirius Black, you have been left two properties. One here in London and the Black Estate which is situated in the north of England close to the west coast. This is a mansion which I understand is in some state of disrepair. There is a large area of woods and the estate also has a small stretch of coastline which belongs to it. Additionally you have been left the contents of Mr Black's personal vault."
Again a key was handed over, and Harry signed for it. Harry looked at Hermione who kept giving him little smiles of encouragement. He reached over and took her hand, gave it a squeeze, then turned to the Goblin.
"I would like to arrange that Hermione and I equally share everything I have; and she is to have it all if anything happens to me."
"No Harry, you can't" cried Hermione "and nothing is going to happen to you, please don't say that."
He turned from her expression of anguish to the goblin, "Can you do that?" he asked firmly.
"Certainly Mr Potter, consider it done, would you like to view your vaults now?"
The visit to the vaults was rather subdued. Lily and James' vault held a considerable sum of money and some boxes were stacked in the corner, but Harry didn't linger.
"All in good time" was all he said.
By the time they reached Sirius' vault Hermione was clinging to his arm. As the door creaked open they could see that there was not much money but considerably more in the way of boxes and cartons piled against the walls.
"Clearing this lot could take some time Harry" said Hermione "Leave it till later as well?"
"Yeh, can't face this all yet," then his eye was caught by an envelope weighed down with a few galleons, he bent down and picked it up. It was addressed to him and the writing on the front was Sirius'.
"Now or later Harry" Hermione's grip tightened.
"Now"
In the dim light of the escorting goblin's lamp they put their heads together and read.
Dear Harry,
If you are reading this then something messy has probably happened to me. I obviously don't know how or why, but if my end has helped you in any way then I am glad. I don't know how much time we have had together and I may not have got round to telling you this, but know that from the first moment we met in the shrieking shack I recognised you for what you are, for what you could only be, Lily and James' son. They are both there inside of you, they were very special people and you are the combination of the best of them. Had you been my own son I could not have been more proud of you, you will succeed Harry, of that I have no doubt.
I owe you and Hermione my life for what you did that first day (I hope you have come to your senses about that girl, don't you dare let her get away), my only regret is that Peter escaped. Make sure he gets what's coming to him Harry; his betrayal is something I can never forgive.
So for saving me and for being who you are I leave this lot to you. Some of the stuff in the vault is from the Black family and most of that should be left to gather even more dust. There are one or two things I rescued from Godrics Hollow, personal items mainly things I picked up after Hagrid had left with you. They are in the box with the red lid.
Harry cast an eye over the stacks of boxes, there towards the front was the box. About twelve inches square and about half that deep.
I also looked after Lily and James, they are still in the Hollow with everything that meant so much to them except for you. Visit them sometime and give them my love.
I know that parting like this seems so final but I have a feeling that we will meet again somehow. Give my love to Hermione (I would like to think she is reading this with you) and to Ron as well.
My love to you Harry
Your Godfather, Sirius.
Harry sighed and felt Hermione touch his arm in reassurance. He lifted his gaze from the letter to her face and she gave him a sad little smile.
"I'm OK, it's just rather sad that Sirius was so well prepared for all this to happen" said Harry, his own grief evident in his voice.
"You know how he was Harry, so depressed at times, he probably thought that with the Ministry after him and Voldemort and the Death Eaters around again then someone was bound to get him eventually. He was very aware of what was happening, even more aware than I would have given him credit for."
"What do you mean by that?" Harry was a little sterner than he meant to be.
In testament to their relationship Hermione didn't wince at Harry's tone, but gave him a reproachful look.
"He could see what was happening between the two of us before it really became clear to us." She fixed him with a Hermione Granger stare. "Unusual for a man."
"Oh yeah I see what you mean, sorry." Harry was suitably abashed. He turned to the Goblin standing discreetly in the doorway of the vault. "We'll take just the one box for the moment." Harry reached forward and picked up the box with the red lid.
The ride back up to Grippipe's office was silent, Harry concentrated on not losing the box, Hermione concentrated on Harry.
Harry arranged with Grippipe to have all the contents of the two vaults transferred to his own and in turn the goblin produced a duplicate key to Harry's vault. Harry pressed this key into Hermione's hand despite her protests.
"What's mine is yours" he said to her, "You've had my heart for ages, the money is nothing compared to that."
They left the Goblin's office and met Solomon who had waited for them in the entrance hall. They returned to Grimmauld Place in the knowledge that Harry's inheritance concealed no surprises, nasty or otherwise. They were wrong on both accounts.
…………………………………
Solomon had disappeared again, he seemed to be spending a lot of time whizzing around visiting Hogwarts, and surprisingly The Burrow. What he was up to neither Harry or Hermione had any idea, and anyway they had a more pressing problem, the box with the red lid.
They had been sitting in the kitchen staring at that very box.
"Well, it's not going to open itself" said Harry, so he took a deep breath and flipped off the lid.
It was a very ordinary cardboard box and inside were some very ordinary things. A few photographs in frames, one with a cracked glass, all a bit dusty, two wooden ornaments, one of a dove the other a stag, a small stuffed toy in the likeness of a snowy owl and at the bottom of the box a blue leather bound book with two words engraved into it's cover in gold lettering, Lily Potter.
Harry stared at the items now spread on the table in front of him, he was very aware of Hermione next to him with her arm around his waist, and he was very aware of the tightness in his throat and the cloudiness of his eyes. The images in the photographs smiled and waved, unaware of what was to happen to the people they represented.
There was one picture he knew well. His mother and father holding a very small Harry, he had a copy of that one in the album Hagrid had given him in his first year. The wooden stag, it was obvious what that was for, Prongs. He could only assume that the dove was for his mother, it seemed the logical choice.
He picked up the book with a shaky hand, looked at the front and back without opening it, and then held it out for Hermione to take.
"Here, you look, I don't think I can."
"No Harry, let's look at it togeth...err" But as Hermione's hand closed on the book, to her astonishment, it emitted red and gold sparks and Hermione's hair rippled in a non-existent magical breeze.
"What on earth was that?" Harry said, in surprise.
"I don't know Harry, but I could feel the spell right up my arm." With a little trepidation Hermione placed the book back on the table and opened the front cover.
Inside was an envelope, Hermione lifted it out and stared at the name written on it.
"It's not possible" she gasped. She held the envelope so that Harry could read it, and there clearly written in what he knew instinctively was his mother's hand was 'Hermione Granger'.
Harry had rarely seen his girlfriend at a loss for not only words, but action. She stared at the envelope as if it was something so strange that it should not exist.
"Open it Hermione" it wasn't a command, it wasn't a question, it was just a suggestion, but it jerked Hermione out of her state of shock.
"Err… OK then." And so she did.
The parchment inside was as fresh as the day it was folded away. It wasn't stiffened and the ink on it hadn't faded. In the same clear flowing hand was written
My Dearest Hermione
Do not be surprised that I know who you are. Books and cleverness has been the cornerstone in both our lives.
That you are reading this letter means you have made a heart bound commitment to Harry, and for that you have my undying gratitude.
As I write on this Halloween evening Harry is asleep upstairs, his mind is calm and free of troubles. I am sure that is not the case for him now, his problems will have increased over the intervening years, but now at least he has you to share some of the burden.
I have a feeling that James and I will not be able to be with Harry, in the normal way, as he grows up, but if we can we will still watch over him. You see I know what Harry has to do. Albus has never told me, but call it mother's intuition, I know that Harry is the one destined to face Voldemort.
You Hermione are becoming aware of the part you have to play if Harry is to succeed in this task. At the time when he seems at his most vulnerable, when it appears that all is lost, then you will pass the power to him. In the final act you will all be together, for only that togetherness will allow you to win.
There is one thing that Harry must do alone. You will not want to let him go, every bit of you will cry out wanting to be with him, but if you are with him then he will fail. Harry must draw the enemy out. Only if Voldemort thinks Harry is weak and alone will he fight him himself, and Harry must lead him to you and the place of final conflict.
Hermione I love my little boy more than life itself and because you are reading this letter I know that you do as well, and that gives Harry his chance.
If all that I foresee is true I know that any protection I can give Harry will only last until he comes of age, I hope it will be enough. After that my dear it is up to you, your love and support will protect him as well as I can. There will only be one chance to destroy Voldemort and I fear that to truly overcome this evil sacrifices must be made. We must all be prepared to make them.
Kiss my little boy for me. Love him for yourself I know you will find happiness together.
My love to you Hermione
To Harry my love as always will be with you wherever you may be, even in the Blackest Palaces.
Lily Potter.
There was silence in the kitchen, Hermione turned to Harry who was staring woodenly at the letter. She leaned forward and kissed him.
"That's for your Mum" her voice was full of emotion "And this is for me" she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Harry responded with an embrace of his own, he buried his face in those soft brown curls and wept silent tears for the love of his mother and for the love of the girl in his arms.
They were still sitting wrapped in each other's arms when they heard a commotion in the hallway. There was the sound of someone going into the meeting room, then the sound of Dobby's voice.
"Mr Harry Potter and Miss Hermione are in the kitchen Miss…" another quiet voice must have asked a question… "Yes, they is quite alone."
The kitchen door opened and a pink haired head peered round it's edge, a familiar face spied the two occupants of the room.
"Wotcher Harry, Hermione," Tonks' jovial greeting seemed a bit forced, "Not disturbing anything, am I?"
The pair slowly disentangled themselves "Hi Tonks, no not really, just been reading some letters, sorted out my stuff from Gringotts today" said Harry. "It's all been a little difficult, what's on your mind?"
Tonks' happy façade crumbled, something was clearly upsetting her.
"Sorry you two, you don't need my problems as well, but there is something I need to tell you. It's just so sad." She sighed "You'd think that after all this time I should be used to dealing with disasters, but some things are just so much harder to deal with."
"For goodness sake Tonks, what has happened?" Hermione's voice was filled with concern.
So Tonks sat down between them and told Harry and Hermione the events at Broadwoodwidger Orphanage. By the time she had finished both were trying to comfort her, and the tears rolled freely down her face.
"It was the saddest thing I have ever seen" she managed between sobs "The little girl was dead, you could see that, but he read to her as if she was just going to sleep. He wouldn't stop until he'd finished the story, then he kissed her goodnight and let me take him away." She drew a ragged breath. "The poor lad's been in St. Mungo's for four days, the healers say there is nothing wrong with him but he hasn't said a word, just sits and stares at nothing. He hasn't even slept." Tonks looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione. "So I brought him here."
"Here Tonks? Why here?" said Harry.
"Two reasons Harry. He needs somewhere safe to recover, St Mungo's wasn't doing him any good, and this" Tonks held out a much read book. It was a child's book, the bold colours and the cartoon figures on the cover proclaimed that. The title was written in large letters 'Harry Potter and the Witch's Cauldron.'
"I don't understand, where did this come from, and why is it about me?" said Harry, his confusion was obvious.
"Didn't you know Harry, but ever since you got rid of Voldemort when you were a baby there have been stories written about your adventures. Most of them are pretty fanciful but the children's books sell particularly well. Like this one."
Harry was dumbstruck "But…but…"
Hermione giggled "Do you remember I said that your story would make a good book, and I was right." Harry gave her a dirty look.
"The thing is Harry" said Tonks "Is that this is the book Austin Henry was reading to the little girl."
"Austin Henry?" inquired Hermione.
"Austin Henry Durston Dibble" chanted Tonks with a sad smile. "A big name for a very small wizard. We know all about him from the records at the orphanage, we also discovered that Poppy Pomfrey was a co-owner."
"She wasn't there was she? Is she OK?" the questions tumbled out.
"Yes Harry, she's fine but she had only just left the house before it was attacked. She is with Dumbledore at the moment, that she is distressed is a bit of an understatement. She gave us what information she could."
Tonks could see the concern in both the faces before her, and that gave her the courage to ask the question she had really come to Grimmauld Place to ask. "Look, what I wanted to ask was seeing as Austin Henry is due to go to Hogwarts next month, I wondered if you as Heads of the School would talk to him, see if you can get him to open up, sort of your first job in the posts?"
"Of course, we'll try won't we Harry?"
"If you think we can help him, then yes, we'll try."
Tonks looked very relieved "Thanks, you two are treasures; he's in the meeting room."
They left Tonks in the kitchen trying to make a cup of tea without breaking anything. As they crossed the hall Dobby's voice could be heard again.
"No Miss that's alright you sit, Dobby will make tea, then he doesn't have to clear up the broken cups"
Harry and Hermione smiled at each other at the exchange in the kitchen then turned their attention to the closed door in front of them. Harry took a deep breath and opened it, then grasping Hermione's hand drew her into the room with him.
The boy sitting in the chair by the empty fireplace didn't move. He looked exhausted, his face was pale and drawn, his eyes were red and he struggled to keep them open. Harry felt Hermione's grip on his hand increase and a quiet "Oh" escaped her lips.
A silence descended, Harry decided on direct action.
"Hi, you must be Austin Henry" his joviality was as forced as Tonks' had been, "I've heard all about you, my name's Harry Potter by the way."
The boy moved for the first time since they had seen him, he looked up and stared at Harry in total disbelief. Without taking his eyes off Harry he stood and walked over to the pair standing side by side. He stopped in front of Harry and raising his hand brushed Harry's hair to one side, revealing the lightening shaped scar on his forehead. He then prodded Harry in the chest with a finger.
"You are real, you are really here."
"Yes, I'm real" said Harry.
Austin Henry looked accusingly at Harry "Why didn't you come and save us, everyone died; only Becca and I escaped. THAT AWFUL WOMAN KILLED THEM ALL" he shouted.
Harry was devastated, "I'm so sorry but I didn't know what was happening. Tonks, the lady with the pink hair, told us about it a few minutes ago. If I had known and if they would have let me, I would have come," he looked to Hermione, "We both would have come."
Austin Henry began to cry, the great sobs racked his small frame. Hermione understood that even if he had cried before this was really the first time his emotions were free. She knelt down and wrapped the young boy in a protective embrace. Harry watched his girlfriend comforting Austin Henry and fought hard to control the lump that had risen in his throat. He knew that he couldn't show any weakness, the boy needed him to be strong, but by Merlin it was hard.
Eventually they gathered him up and led him to the comfortable sitting room upstairs. He sat between them, sipping an enormous cup of hot chocolate that Dobby had brought up. He was still very tired, but as so often shown by the young, his changed circumstances were supplying him with energy he should not have had. Now that he had started to talk, it was impossible for him to stop. He studied Hermione.
"You're Hermione Granger, I've heard all about you from Madam Pomfrey. Your Harry's best friend and …" he suddenly became quite shy "you are Harry's girlfriend as well, and now your Head Girl. You and his other friend Ron Weasley have been involved in all Harry's real adventures. Odd though, you don't get mentioned in the books about Harry, but I liked the real tales best. Madam Pomfrey used to tell me as much as she could each time she came to see us and then I would tell them to Sophie. She was only six you know, but she really loved those stories, and now my home is gone and Sophie is gone too…" His words tailed off and he became lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly he asked Harry. "Why did that lady blow up our home? Why did she kill everyone?"
Harry didn't answer, he had just realised what Austin Henry had said, so he asked a question of his own. "You said it was a lady, are you sure? It wasn't a man?"
"No I am sure, I heard her cast several spells. Spells I'd never heard before, Krucio, Avadkadva and Bombada, something like those anyway. Then when she went outside, she said another long word, can't remember it, but it started with an M."
"Morsmordre" said Hermione in a dead voice.
"Yes, that's it, only she sounded as if she enjoyed it."
"Bellatrix Lestrange" said Harry "Couldn't have been anyone else. Right up her street this one, everyone weak and defenceless. She makes me sick."
The question came again "But why us?"
Hermione took the young boy's hand "I would guess to make an example that all other wizards would notice. Lestrange works for Voldemort and he wants everyone to be afraid of him.
There was a fierce expression on Austin Henry's face. "Well I'm not frightened, he made me very sad, but now I am angry," he turned to Harry "You're going to stop him aren't you Harry?"
The look of determination in the boy's face was mirrored by the young woman with the amazingly wonderful brown eyes. Harry stared into those eyes and felt his confidence grow as he did so. Without looking away he said "We're working on it Austin Henry, we're working on it." Then when he did look down, he could see that exhaustion had finally won, and Austin Henry was fast asleep.
Harry carried him upstairs to one of the bedrooms and they tucked him in to bed. Then, just so that they would be there when he awoke, Harry and Hermione cuddled up on the other bed in the room and eventually drifted off into sleep themselves.