A distinctive sound of shattering glass drew his attention from his work.
"Crucio," he heard from the office; the word was followed by screams of pain.
"Easy, you fool. You don't want to kill him. He just needs to be taught his place."
The potion began to boil over, and an extra measure of sliced caterpillar fell into the pot unnoticed as he cautiously walked toward the Professor's private office.
"I'll do as I like to this worthless Muggle-loving filth. After his betrayals, I'd be in my right to end his miserable life if I chose."
"We still need his eyes and ears. That Mudblood wench I've been forced to shag since we arrived is worthless for information," a dull voice replied.
"You bastard, you leave them…"
A loud thud and the sounds of a struggle from the office pulled Ben away from his work. Purple smoke flowed from the cauldron; he'd forgotten to add leech juice, spoiling the potion. Knowing there were more important things afoot than a spoiled potion, the young student spoke an extinguishing spell and moved the cauldron to the table.
"Professor Malfoy?" he hesitantly called out as he approached the door.
A muffled groan and the dull thud of something being struck was his only reply.
"You fool, there's someone out there. I warned you to check the classroom."
"You finish with this pile of dung, and I'll deal with the intruder. It's probably just a worthless student."
Ben froze in his tracks as a muffled moan came from the room. He wanted to run, but one of the voices was familiar. He turned take stock of his position: the classroom door was too far away and closed. And in the dungeons, no one would hear his scream for help.
Another loud thump and groan sounded. 'Is someone being beaten?' he wondered.
Ben wasn't allowed the luxury of thinking of a way out, as the door burst open and a tall man covered in a black cloak stood before the boy. Ben looked up and saw a white mask under the cloak as a wand slid from the man's belt.
"Potter, run!" he heard from the office. A glint of steel and another thud silenced the warning. A man in the office turned to look at him; he too wore a white mask, but his long blond hair was clearly visible.
Ben drew a breath when a sharp biting pain tore through his young body the instant a word met his ears.
"Crucio." He felt his body boil in pain. He fell to the floor; star bursts of light numbed his vision. He lay there quivering uncontrollably; all sound blurred as he tried to fight this strange sensation.
The quivering slowed and stopped, but he remained on the floor, tears filling his eyes from the torture spell. He started to lift his head from the floor, but a sharp snap and searing pain through his chin and cheek left him on the floor.
"So, we have yet another Potter playing at being a hero. Malfoy, would you bring that worthless trash here so he can witness this Potter's destruction?"
Now he remembered! It was the same voice he'd heard years before when he lost his way on his father's Firebolt.
Ben's body felt as if he had been dropped from a tall building, and every muscle ached. A sharp, metallic taste in his mouth told him there was blood from somewhere. He tried to swallow a breath, but felt something foreign in his mouth.
"Tell me boy, how long have you been spying?" that voice ordered.
He laid still and opened his mouth to speak but only managed to retch bloody bile. He realized where the blood was from as his tongue flopped in his mouth. Footsteps from the office grew louder as he heard the other man quickly approach.
"This little fool knows too much, Malfoy," Ben heard as he opened his eyes to see the same tall man standing over him, wand pointing down his chest. The white mask seemed to snare a laugh of pain and death as Ben quivered on the floor.
"Avada…"
"Wait, Severus, I have a better idea - a message to that meddling father of his. Hold his left arm steady."
Ben tried to fight, as the man standing over him lowered his wand and kicked the boy's arm out from under his body and stood on the young boy's hand. The crunching of bone sent new waves of pain through his arm as the heel of that man's boot ground into the back of his hand. A dagger flashed in front of his eyes as he felt the blade cut into his arm, and then the sleeve of his shirt was roughly torn away.
Ben laid there as blood from his tongue ran down his chin. He waited for the next painful act, and his mind raced to think what they would do. Sever his arm? He thought he'd heard one man say something like "server."
His wait was brief as he felt his arm burn, and he smelled singed flesh. When he tried to fight with his free hand, it was pinned down as well. The burning continued slowly. He was afraid to look, expecting to find his arm burned to a stump. The new pain was far more then the young boy had ever experienced, and he began to lose consciousness when a glass jar exploded as it struck one of his assailants, shattering the white mask he wore. Shards of the mask and glass cut into the man's face, leaving the fading image of a thin hooked nose dripping blood burned into his mind.
"Ben! Benjamin, wake up," he heard as he felt his body shake again.
The distinctive taste of blood had faded, and his arm felt cool. He was too afraid to open his eyes; his body was stiff and sore from the punishment he'd endured. He thought he must have been hurt quite badly, as he could no longer feel the hard, cold stone floor.
"Ben, can you hear me? It's Mum. Can you tell us what happened?"
He managed a moan, but he quickly held his breath, fearing being struck again. His chest hitched with the stifled sobs, as he remembered the beating.
"Ben, you must tell us, what happened," he heard a man's say. It must be a trick because it sounded just like his father's voice.
He felt a cool, moist cloth dab his forehead and discovered he was able to move his arm now. Mustering what little courage he could, he opened his eyes. He found he was looking up to the same honey brown eyes he'd watched as a he drifted to sleep when he was a baby.
"Mum?" he squeaked.
"Yes. Your father and sister are here, too. Arty found you in the Potions lab. Can you tell us what happened?"
"My… arm," he began, realizing he could speak, although his speech was a bit slurred.
"You nearly bit your tongue through. I've dealt with it and your arm," she said. His free hand crossed his body to find his left arm still attached but heavily bandaged.
"Your hand was crushed, as if a boulder sat on it," Annie said, trying to be calm and soothing.
"Hand, the man, foot…"
Hermione nodded. "Someone did this to you. Do you remember anything? Did you see who it was?"
"The severer, tried to cut off my arm, and then he tried to burn it off," he said as he managed to see the bundled limb.
"Who is this 'severer'? Can you describe him?" Harry began only to be shushed by his wife and daughter.
"He had a funny nose, and Professor Malfoy was there, but he looked strange, old," he said as he tried to remember.
"Professor Malfoy has disappeared, and his office showed signs that he's been up to mischief," Harry added.
"Harry, you can interrogate your son later. He needs to rest and recover. Whoever did this to him obviously has no respect for life. If you need to do something, then go find that bastard," Hermione hissed at Harry.
"Dad, it was that same man I heard in the cottage, when we took your broom."
"Are you certain?"
Ben nodded. "I can't forget his voice; it was like fingernails on a chalk board."
Ben watched his father as he thought for a moment. A look of horrific enlightenment flashed across Harry's face, and he leaned over to Hermione and hurriedly whispered in her ear.
"Are you certain? I thought that wouldn't be possible," she said.
"I need to find Ron; he may have some notes from past investigations that might help."
"And don't forget to tell him about your meeting with Firenze . I'm certain he'll need to know about that. I'll stay with Ben; he is still a bit weak," Hermione said as he stood.
Harry grabbed his ever-present rucksack and cloak and vanished through the heavy oak doors of the infirmary. Ben looked up from his bed to see his mother's worried smile as he heard a final word of affection from his father to his mother.
"Mummy, I'm scared," Ben finally said as his father left.
"Easy, darling, you need some rest. You've been through an ordeal. We'll be here, so don't worry," Hermione cooed to her son.
"One of us will be here, so don't worry, ok?" Annie added.
A light knock on the door announced Arty's desire to share this moment, "Ben? I came as soon as my class was dismissed. They brought in another professor to finish the year. My dad's gone missing."
"Arty, I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione commented before Ben had a chance to realize Arty's meaning. The young girl sat at his side, and he thought she seemed more concerned for him then her own father.
"Thanks, but Mum says I'll be fine," Ben said to her, smiling for the first time since his attack. Ben's attention was drawn away by his sister's whisper to their mother and the two of them leaving the hospital wing.
Annie's insistence and her obvious distraught appearance convinced Hermione to leave her son's bedside, but the reasons were still unclear.
"Do you think Arty's dad is involved in any of this? Ben did say he heard his name. I'm concerned for her sake."
"It's difficult to tell without knowing what actually happened; he was a good and trusted friend at one time."
"I do hope he's not involved. You do know that Arty's told me she fancies Ben, and she's been as close as a sister."
"Arty's mother has mentioned that to me as well, and I must admit they do look good together, even at thirteen."
Both mother and daughter nodded. The implied match of the two youngest members of the extended family combined with Annie and Jerry finally growing closer helped repair the damage of unspoken and erroneous assumptions.
"Mum, there's something more. I'm worried because of the things that have been happening. Last night I dreamt about a man who acted as if he knew you and Dad, and he said he knew both of your parents. He also said he knew why I was put in that house," Annie blurted out as soon as they found an isolated room.
Hermione thought for a minute. "Describe him; it may be important."
"He was tall and fairly handsome, about Arthur's age. He made me feel different - like I was important to him."
"We never told you, but your dad and grandmum were seers. It's quite possible you have that gift, too. I never believed it until the images your father had all came true. I suspect he may be someone we all knew, a professor maybe." The quiver of recognition and denial came through to Annie.
"Mum," she said while trying to find a solution to her dilemma, "what can happen if an oath is broken?"
"Oath? What form of oath? There are many types, such as those between casual friends. Did you and Jerry promise each other something?"
"Mother, no. I mean Jerry means a lot to me, and I think… well, he's special. No, I mean a magical oath."
"Explain what happened, and I may be able to help," Hermione said softly, offering compassion and understanding.
"What would happen if I broke such a magical oath even if others already knew about it?" Annie sat and stared at her mother, obviously struggling with her blood oath but needing guidance.
"It would depend greatly on the precise wording," Hermione replied.
Annie's look of frustration lingered, as she tried to remember the exact wording. In a flash it dawned on her. "Mum, come on, and hurry," she exclaimed as she tugged her mother's arm. The two witches left the small chamber as Annie led them both to the dungeons.
"Where are we off to - your dormitory room?"
"No, mother, I can't say yet. Just please follow me, and don't ask me why." Her stoke of brilliance inspired her to take the chance, as she continued leading her mother down to the dungeons. At the end of the steps, the stone columns to the left led to Slytherin House; the corridor to the right led to the Potions classrooms. Annie turned to the right and continued to the door of the classroom. The Auror standing at the door stopped them from entering with a raised hand.
"Entry is not allowed during the investigations. I have my orders," he said looking at Annie.
"Excuse me, my husband is inside, and our daughter needs to see him," Hermione said in a commanding tone. She gave Annie's hand a squeeze to let her know to remain quiet.
"There's no one inside except Senior Auror Weasley and Auror Potter, but neither mentioned expecting a visit," he replied.
"Mum, I really need Daddy; can he and Uncle Ron meet us here?" Annie pleaded.
The guard's eyes widened, as Hermione continued, "My husband is Harry Potter, and I'm certain any regulations you believe you have to follow can be bent this time."
"Mrs. Potter? Hermione Potter?" he stammered out.
"The same. I take it you do know who I am. Now may we see Harry?"
"I'm really not allowed to let you in, but Senior Auror Weasley is the authority in charge, I could ask if…"
"You do that, and be quick about it," she snapped. The guard slipped between the doors, leaving the way unguarded. The pair followed silently behind the Auror seconds later.
The first thing Annie noticed was the spilled cauldron on the table nearest the door. The ingredients that had not been added still sat on the table. A dark red spot on the stone floor lay directly if front of them; a trail of blood left a line from the office door to the door they just entered.
"Hermione, Annie?" they heard moments after entering the classroom.
"Daddy, I needed to talk to you, both of you. Can we use the office? It's important."
" Williams, I'll be in the office with my wife and daughter, Ron, care to join us?"
Annie grabbed Harry's arm and whispered, "Dad, I can't tell him, please?"
He looked in her pleading eyes and nodded. Ron had quickly joined them, but Harry pulled him aside for a brief but confidential chat. After a moment, Ron also nodded. "I'll brief you afterwards," he said just loud enough for Williams to hear.
Harry ushered his family into the Potion Professor's office, it was one of the few places in the school that he still dreaded. That was a lifetime ago. This wasn't the same office; it wasn't occupied by the same man.
"Now, what's so terribly important to interru…"
"Dad, wait," she held up a hand to stop his questions, and pointed her wand to the door and sealed the chamber with a single word.
"Please, help me; I have no idea what to do. Firenze told me to tell the one person I trust the most, and yesterday that would have been just you, Dad, but Mum and I have a better understanding. It was my fault. There was a misunderstanding that I'm glad we worked out."
"Annie, this is all fine and wonderful, but I suspect there's something else troubling you," Harry said.
Annie nodded. "Yes, I don't think there's anyone I trust more then the both of you." She looked around the room nervously and sat them on a bench. She pulled a small stool and sat facing them.
"So what is this about?" Harry asked.
"Mum, Dad, I had given my word on something. I made a blood oath. I have to tell you - Firenze told me that I have to tell someone."
"I see," said Hermione. That's why you were interested in the subject earlier.".
"You see, I was told I can't tell anyone outside this room, and since you are not outside the room, technically I'm not breaking the oath. I think my exact words were that I would 'Not talk of this outside this room.' So if I tell you inside this room, then the oath is maintained."
"You're clever, just like your mum, to twist things to your benefit," Harry said as Hermione gave him a patented death stare.
"So, what happened that was so important to have to make a vow of that nature? And who could have talked you into such a thing?" Hermione asked.
"Professor Malfoy. He said things were going badly; I have no idea what he meant. I can only guess that what happened to Ben is part of it."
"So what does he want you to do? I know your mum told you about his father's role in the dark times," Harry said.
"He wants me to get Aunt Ginny and Arty away to someplace safe. He thinks they may be in danger. He looked extremely worried. He said he 'regretted' Arty. I don't know what he meant. He did mention that Dad helped him and Aunt Ginny get together. I never really thought about them together before. He seemed quite upset over what happened between them."
"What happened to them occurred just a few days after you were born at Albus's funeral. Draco and Ginny were the two happiest people we knew outside of your Uncle Ron and Aunt Luna. Something happened in those months that changed him and split them apart. Draco would never talk to anyone about it. Even Ginny still has no idea why he left," Harry said.
"I do know that Ginny asked for a divorce several times, but he refused. Draco did leave them financially secure, and he remained in the dungeons at Hogwarts since then. He even refused to be there for Arty's birth," Hermione added.
"Then why is he so secretive about keeping them safe?" Annie asked.
"I wish he had come to us. Now he's the main suspect in your brother's attack. As for Ginny, I sent an owl to her brothers to stay with her. Fred and George should have gotten there by now," Harry said.
"Arty is safe here at the school," Hermione added.
"As safe as Ben was?" Annie asked.
"Security has been tightened since that attack, so this shouldn't happen again. He mentioned two names of people I had thought to be long dead. The past has taught me not to completely trust what you believe is true, but to believe in truth," Harry said as he stood.
"So that's it?" Annie asked slightly surprised. "I had the scare of my life when Professor Malfoy had me swear that oath, Ben is hurt, and there's nothing else to be done?"
"Did anything else happen that might shed some light on this?"
"Nothing I can think, although his arm bothered him. He kept rubbing it as if there were a rash. And I noticed a strange tattoo on his arm," Annie said, trying to find some rational reason for this.
"Tattoo? What was it?" Harry asked. .
"I think it was a moving snake."
"A black snake moving in a skull?" Harry asked.
She nodded, "I thought it was unusual. I only noticed part of it. I didn't see a skull. But the snake was moving on his arm."
"It is the Dark Mark," Hermione added. "It was the mark Voldemort gave to his followers. The mark was forced on Draco by his father."
"Mum? Last night you mentioned Professor Malfoy's father and what he did. Then you are convinced that he was involved in Ben's attack."
"We need to hear his side before any judgment is made. His disappearance doesn't help his case," Harry added as Hermione also now stood. Together they began to walk toward the door with Hermione pausing and reaching a hand to her daughter.
Annie sighed as she stood and took her mother's hand, and the three Potters left the office of the Hogwart's Potions Master.
"You both go tend to Ben; he's quite shaken and needs family support. I have to brief Ron on these developments," Harry instructed outside the Potions master's office. Hermione nodded her acceptance.
"Dad, you can't tell anyone the thing I told you," Annie protested.
"You've upheld your end; you don't have to worry. I think Draco intended to leave that clause open. He knows how clever you are," Hermione said, holding Annie's shoulder.
"We don't have that restriction, but you still can't tell anyone, and I wouldn't let anyone else know. Hermione, I'll meet you in McGonagall's office in one hour." Harry then turned to his daughter. "You need to be careful and not talk about any of this to anyone, especially the incident in the Forest yesterday."
"Can I talk it over with Jerry? He was there."
"I think under the circumstances that might not be a good idea. You never know who is listening," Hermione answered while Harry nodded his agreement.
Harry watched as mother and daughter left the Potions classroom together and smiled as Annie causally held her mother's hand.
"Well that's a bloody miracle. How'd you pull that off?" a familiar voice asked from behind him.
"It's all Annie's doing, Ron. She took Hermione aside and worked out their issues. Hermione won't tell me what they discussed. She said that as a man I wouldn't understand. So I let it go."
"It is good to seem them like this," Ron replied. After a brief pause, he continued. "How's the boy? I haven't had the chance to see him yet."
"He'll be fine - he just needs some bed rest. We'll keep his arm bandaged so he won't see it. Hermione's been looking for a counter curse to remove it." Harry knew more of scars then anyone; his forehead and arm still bothered him, even though he knew they were now imaginary pains.
"When can we question him? The trail is getting colder by the moment. I understand this involved Professor Dumbledore's murder."
"Ron, there's nothing else you can get from Ben, and as his father, I forbid it, at least for now." Harry held up a hand to stop the protest he expected. "There may be some details we've overlooked in that initial investigation; it has been suggested we reevaluate the artifacts we discovered."
"Suggested by whom?"
"That's a long story, and I intended to look into it. Ben's attack has prompted me to reconsider the urgency of the matter and the possibility that we were given false information at the time."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Harry?"
"Do you still have access to all the items and evidence from the initial investigation?"
"Of course; it's still an open case."
"Then there's nothing left for us to learn here. Come on," Harry said as he quickly turned and sprinted for the door. Without a word, Ron followed on his heels to the Apparation point at the school's front gate.
The pair reappeared in the alley next to the Ministry and entered the building. The buzz of activity in the atrium continued, and people were oblivious to two Aurors passing through to the lifts. They arrived at the second level quickly and rounded the corner to their desks.
"I'll retrieve the boxes from storage, Harry. Check to see if there's any new information posted," Ron said as he passed the desks and disappeared through a door.
Harry sat at down at the desk he'd used since becoming an Auror. A wizard picture of Hermione waving sat next to a picture of Annie and Ben flying together on their brooms. Stacks of documents from past cases littered his work area, but he was careful not to let them block the family pictures.
His wait was brief as Ron hurried back with several large crates, each labeled 'Dumbledore Homicide - unsolved.'
"Oi, Harry, lend a hand with these," he called to his friend and subordinate.
"So, what's all this?" Harry asked as he grabbed the top crate.
"That one is from our meeting with Firenze . I put all our notes in each crate. Those two have all the notes and samples we took at the scene," Ron replied as he put the two larger crates on his desk.
Harry looked into the box he'd placed on his own desk first. "This should be quicker. I would like to review those boxes in detail." He pulled out a matched set of notepads, one with his distinctive scrawl and the other equally sloppy scribble of Ron. A small plastic bag contained the still stained glasses and the note.
"According to this," Harry said as he read his notes, "we arrived at Firenze 's classroom less then four hours after the murder. I never realized that so little time had elapsed that day."
"You did have more important things on your mind," Ron said with a grin.
"When did these end up here? I left them at home," Harry said as he picked up a jar and child's toy horn.
"Hermione brought them to me shortly after Ben was born; she felt they would be safer in the Ministry away from little hands. She relabeled the jar, but it's remained sealed," Ron replied as he set aside his crates.
"Well, looks as if the slugs should have been let go, they've all died. There's something else inside. What do you make of it?" Harry asked as he held the outer jar.
"It's some silvery liquid. I think we should remove it for further examination," Ron commanded.
"That may not he the smart choice; it may be harmful," Harry warned.
"I doubt Firenze would have deliberately kept something harmful in his office, and didn't you say it was Dumbledore that left this clue?"
Without waiting for a reply, Ron opened the outer container and carefully removed the smaller jar. The silvery fluid seemed to be continuously swirling inside the vial. Ron was about to pry the stopper out when a cry from Harry stopped him.
"Wait!" Harry called, as he looked in the larger container. "There's a message, where that jar sat. Part of the parchment seems to have been eaten by the slugs. All I can read is 'It's a special m… Use a Pe... AD.'"
"'Use a Pe' doesn't make any sense. What's a 'Pe'?" Ron asked.
Harry took the jar from his old friend and looked through the thick fluid. Something seemed oddly familiar; he held it to the light and scratched his head as he tried to remember where he had seen something like this.
Ron flipped the piece of parchment over several times and set it on the desk. With a fluid motion of a skilled wizard, he drew his wand and pointed it to the scrap.
"Repairo!" he commanded.
Nothing.
"Renovo!" he said, tapping the parchment three times.
Still nothing.
Harry shook his head, "Those bits are long gone, Ron. Nothing can bring them back. I'll let Hermione examine it tonight; maybe she'll have an idea. There's nothing much in here, so let's have a look at those two boxes," Harry said as he set the silvery vial down.
"Hermione had a go at these already; the log has her checking that one box out several days after the funeral. This other was still being examined by the WCIS team," Ron said as he reviewed the logs. They both began the tedious task of the re-examination of the evidence before them.
"Did the Wizard Criminal Investigation Squad report anything unusual?" Harry asked.
Ron shook his head. "No, there was just a collection of books - some from the scene and some from a chamber in the house. They didn't list anything extraordinary except some unusual inscriptions. One was charmed and encoded. They never did figure out the code; it was one more forgotten bit."
Harry continued his investigation of the various containers; each had an individual bit of parchment attached with a distinctive and neat handwriting. The hours that passed seemed to be unnoticed. He smiled occasionally at seeing Hermione's handwriting on the notes, as if she were standing next to him guiding his search. He scanned the reports from each team member that investigated the scene and the death report for Simmons.
"So the reports were inconclusive?" Harry asked after reading the documents.
"Completely. It's as if all evidence of those involved vanished. There's not a single living wizard that could be traced to that cavern," Ron replied.
"So, Hermione's actually seen all these books? She's never mentioned them before."
"No, they weren't available when she was reviewing the other items. That was about the time Annie had the stomach flu and couldn't keep anything down, remember?"
"Right, she was only a week old, and she scared us silly that week. Not even Hermione could figure out what was wrong. I think we should have her look through them now once Ben's out of the hospital."
Harry started looking through the titles; many of the books were well over a hundred years old. The first was a typical student's textbook, Advanced Potions for Second Level NEWTS with the initials H.S. and date of 1919. A second potions book had the name E Prince and date of 1949 written inside the front cover.
"Strange these all seem to be Potions textbooks from different eras. And this is listed as Property of the Knights of Walpurgis. I've never heard of that group," Harry commented as he continued to sift through the stack of books.
"We never found any connection to a real organization. I assumed it was like your father's Marauders when they were in school - some small group of students that formed a club of sorts," Ron said as he read the reports of the initial investigation, hoping he had missed something.
Harry picked up a book that was older than the others. It was a rare collector's item - an old leather-bound tome with the words Chinese Alchemy. The last inscription he read drained his face of colour. He handed The Autobiography of Hesper Starkey to Ron.
"Read the inscription," Harry ordered.
"LM to my son for his outstanding achievements. Does it mean something to you?" Ron asked.
"Lucius Malfoy. You said ' a single living wizard that could be traced,' so how about a dead one? Or one that we assume was dead. Remember Pettigrew?" Harry asked, hoping to stir Ron's mind.
"Bugger it, Harry. Do you think Draco faked his father's death?" Ron asked when he realized the error.
Harry thought and shook his head. "No, he was quite dead that day, but Hermione and I did encounter him in other realities where he was very much alive."
"You don't suspect he managed to find his way here?" Ron asked.
"It's possible. Ben said his assailant looked like Draco, but older," Harry said.
Ron thought about the details, and shook his head. "No, Ben also said he had a metal arm. It may be Pettigrew; his hair would be quite grey by now."
"It has to be Malfoy from one of the alternate worlds. We fought him in the second, and he lost an arm. Ginny hit him when he tried to strangle her son," Harry said, remembering his battle in the Ministry.
"Good for her. You don't happen to remember which arm?"
"Right, I believe. I'm certain he's acquired a replacement," Harry said.
Ron blew a lungful of air through his lips and ran his hands through his hair. "Then we need to work out where he's gone off to and what he's doing here."
Harry set back to his task and began examining the remaining books in the crate while Ron read the list out loud.
"It appears that several items came from Grimmauld Place - some china and alarge golden ring with the Black family crest are listed . Some was from the Head's office at Hogwarts. A sword and hat are included as candidates, but of what?"
"I'm more interested in those items listed as destroyed - a diary?"
"I don't think it could be Riddle's diary from the Chamber in our second year, do you?"
"It's possible. What I find most interesting is many of the items rejected are organic. I think we can scratch off any other biological item from the list; bones, eyes, shrunken heads can all be eliminated."
"I believe the key to this list is in that vial. We need to determine what to do with it," said Ron.
"Then I suggest we pack this kit and get Hermione's keen insight. I'll put the books back into the crate while you bundle the items we need to take."
Harry started to put the books back into the crate when he noticed a couple they hadn't reviewed. Curious at the find, he picked them up and read the titles. They were more Potions texts, except for the last; it had a second smaller book inside.
"Strange, Harry, we never noticed that one before," Ron commented as Harry opened the black leather book.
Inside it was a handwritten journal written in a familiar hand. "Bloody hell," Harry exclaimed, "it's in Parseltongue."
"I never knew it was a written language," Ron exclaimed as he rushed around the table to inspect the new find.
"Only a few people can read this. It's as if it waited for me to find it," Harry muttered.
"Well, go on and read it," Ron nudged.
Harry opened the book and turned to the first page. As he scanned through it, his face drained of colour. He flipped through the next few pages reading quickly and stopped. He closed the book and looked at his hand shake. He fell back into the chair he had pushed aside to examine the crates and closed his eyes.
"So, what's the book about," Ron asked.
Harry sat with the book on his lap and shook his head. "Ron, you have to forget you ever saw this. I can't really explain what it is, not yet anyway. But if my suspicions are correct, we may be looking at something far worse then Voldemort. I have to get this home and let Hermione verify it. She knows a bit more about this then I do."
"Brilliant, maybe she can figure out what all this means," Ron said.
Harry nervously put the book and vial of silvery liquid in his rucksack. "I can't let you come along. Go to the school and keep an eye on the kids. There may be someone lurking there looking for this." He patted the bag and stood to leave. He scanned the table's contents and added the list to the collection in his pack.
"Harry, can you at least tell me what you suspect?"
He shook his head and whispered, "No." Harry quickly left the office, leaving Ron to finish storing the evidence back into the cupboard.