(A/N: Dear friends, I'd like to thank you for leaving your reviews, I really appreciated your kind support. Also this time, I wish to thank my wonderful BETA reader IronChefOr, who did a great job in editing the chapters. Now, I hope you'll enjoy chapter 6 and will let me know what you think about it.)
Chapter 6. THE VEIL OF TIME AND SPACE
Harry and Hermione ran upstairs as quickly as possible and reached the boys' bedroom. Panting to catch their breath, they opened the door and entered. When they saw Ron, their eyes widened in surprise. He was kneeling in front of the roaring fireplace; his head was completely engulfed in the fire. It was clear that he was talking to someone with Floo powder.
Hermione moved toward Ron deeply annoyed and strongly shook him by his shoulders until his head reappeared from the flames.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" he shouted furiously.
"We have something extremely important to tell you. Come on, say goodbye to Luna and close the fire," ordered Hermione, frowning at him. Ron stared at her from head to toe, noticing just then that her hair and clothes were completely soaked by the rain.
"All right," replied Ron unenthusiastically as he turned again to immerse his head in the fire.
Harry moved closer to the fireplace, watching his friend with a certain uneasiness. Even though he had used this unusual method of communication in the past, he still wasn't entirely used to it yet.
After a few minutes, Ron again emerged from the fire and stood up. "Luna says goodbye. She also says that it's boring there without me and I told her that I'm sorry but…"
"RON? Tell us about your problems with Luna later. We've something else to worry about now." Hermione cut him off, rolling her eyes.
"Hagrid just arrived." Harry explained, nervously. "Mark has been set free, but Erudio doesn't want me to know about it."
"There we go, then! That confirms my suspicions." exclaimed Ron.
"What suspicions?" asked Hermione.
"I never liked that old warlock. I'm sure he's hiding something."
"Wait a minute boys. We shouldn't jump to any hasty conclusions. Erudio just probably wanted to protect Harry and keep him from doing something foolish."
"Such as?" asked Harry, annoyed. It seemed that, once again, someone else was making an important decision in his life without asking him first.
"Well, like, for example, rushing off to wherever Mark is hiding and becoming an easy target for Death Eaters." suggested Hermione.
KNOCK, KNOCK.
Just then, someone knocked and the three friends abruptly turned to the door. Harry opened it immediately and found his friend Hagrid there, with a large smile on his huge bearded face.
"Surprise! Happy birthday, Harry You don' know `ow happy I am ter see yeh again." The half-giant entered the room with a slight amount of difficulty, then hugged Harry in a bone-crunching embrace. "O' course, I'm happy ter see yeh others as well. Bu' what have yeh done with yehr clothes? Yeh're wet like li'l dragons that've jus' come outta their eggs." added Hagrid, as soon as he had released his catch.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other uncertainly. Hagrid seemed so enthusiastic to be there with them that they didn't know how they were going to change the subject to Mark Evans.
Suddenly, the crash of a thunder shook the windows, making them jump.
"I've brough' with me a bunch o' presents fer yeh, Harry. Yeh'll see wha' yeh're goin' ter get this year. After all, yeh don't turn seventeen every day, do yeh?" Hagrid leaned outside the door and dragged inside a huge dusty sack made of cloth, patched in several places. Then, he stared at the three, who were standing in front of him in silence. "An' so? Wha's goin' on `ere? Cat got yehr tongue? You don' even make me a place ter sit somewhere?"
Harry snapped back to attention. "Here, Hagrid, come over here." He took out his wand, pointed it at one of the small armchairs in front of the fire and cast the charm "ENGORGIO!" The armchair grew immediately, reaching the right size for Hagrid, who got seated comfortably and started searching inside the huge sack.
"Le's see... this is from Molly, an' should be a wonderful birthday cake." Hagrid took out a nice round package, tied up with a red ribbon and gave it to Harry. "This one's from Fred an' George. Those two pranksters said tha' yeh should open it jus' when yeh'll be absolutely alone." Hagrid noted, handing Harry a thin, rectangular package, covered with multicolored paper.
"H-Hagrid?" started Harry, uncertainly, doing his best to find the right words.
"This one's from Lupin an' this other'n's from me." continued Hagrid, piling packets in Harry's arms, not removing his big nose from the sack.
"Hagrid, I'm sorry, but there is something… can you stop for a moment, please?" shouted Harry; he angrily set his presents on the nearby bed.
The half-giant raised his head in surprise and stared at the boy with his mouth open.
"I know that Mark's been set free." said Harry very quickly, looking directly into his huge friend's eyes.
"B-bu' how do yeh know tha'?" asked Hagrid, stuttering.
"I heard you a half hour ago, while you were talking to Erudio."
"Oh!" exclaimed Hagrid, not adding anything else.
"It happened last night, didn't it? The Order's finally found where Voldemort's hiding? How's Mark? Has anyone been hurt?"
"Hey, hey, stop fer a momen', Harry. I'm sorry but I can' tell yeh anything... well, I wish I could, but I can't."
"Did Magnus Erudio ask you this? He doesn't want me to know, does he?" Harry asked, his fists tightening with rising anger.
Hagrid lowered his gaze and nervously started playing with his long beard in evident difficulty. It was obvious that one part of him wanted to tell him everything, but another part kept telling himself to shut up. Finally, he raised his gaze sadly and spoke in a whisper. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
"Fine! I know now what I have to do." exclaimed Harry furiously, rushing out of the room.
"Harry? Where are you going?" Hermione ran after him and grabbed his arm. "Please, try to calm down."
"I just want to clear up a few things, that's all." replied Harry, freeing himself with a sharp tug.
"Harry? HARRY, no!" Hermione kept calling him, but to no avail. He was already running down the stairs two at a time.
Shortly, Harry found himself walking through all the rooms on the ground floor. In his heart, fear and resentment were growing more and more. How dare decide for me. Who does he think he is? Harry kept asking himself.
Harry reached the antechamber of Erudio's office, pointed his wand at the door and cast the spell "ALOHOMORA" With a loud CLICK, the lock opened and the door moved. The room was deserted. Without thinking, Harry rushed inside, pointed his wand at the office door. This time however, the lock opened without requiring a spell.
Slightly surprised, the young wizard waited a few seconds before going inside. He then slowly moved forward through the dark corridor. At the end of it, he could see a wedge of light; the second door also was already open.
Getting closer, Harry heard the continuous ticking of many clocks. With his wand ready, he reached the second door and opened it cautiously.
Erudio's office looked completely different from the last time he was there. Hundreds of clocks of every shape and age were hanging on the walls, denoting the passage of time with their annoying ticking. The piles of books stacked up to the ceiling were gone and now the floor was free of them too. It was now possible to see the warlock sitting at his huge desk on the other side of the room under the small window, against which the rain was incessantly beating.
As the sky was covered by dark clouds, the room was lit only by a few wall torches and two ancient silver chandeliers placed on the desk.
"Come forward, Mr. Potter. I was waiting for you." Erudio's voice was calm and deep, apparently without emotion.
Harry remained at the door, staring at him suspiciously. How did he know that I was coming? he wondered.
"Use your intuition to find the answer to your question." exclaimed Erudio, raising his voice, almost annoyed. "You should be able to do it by now."
What the hell is he talking about? Harry asked himself, slightly intimidated by his attitude. Who was Magnus Erudio really? A wizard with a formidable intuition and thousands of secrets. An expert in Legilimency. But what else?
Forgetting what had brought him there in the first place, Harry moved forward with slow steps, drawn to the warlock like a moth to light.
Erudio was sitting there, his head up and eyes fixed into space, wrapped in a dark cloak. On his head was his usual odd hat of the same color. The warlock spoke, barely moving his lips. "I'm ready to listen to you."
"Why don't you just read my mind, like you usually do?" started Harry, challenging him. "You're an expert in Legilimency, aren't you? So, get in! My mind's an open book to you."
"Only if you give me the chance." exclaimed Erudio readily. "If you don't want someone else to read your thoughts, you just need to make it impossible. You should know very well how to do that."
"Yeah, I know. With Occlumency," replied Harry sarcastically.
"Exactly. As you can see, to protect yourself, you just need to use weapons you already possess."
A few minutes of silence passed, noted only by the ticking of the clock and the rain tapping at the window.
"You don't just use Legilimency, do you? There's something else…" said Harry, even more curious about Erudio's words.
"You tell me, Mr. Potter."
Harry thought for a moment, recalling all the times Erudio's attitude had surprised him. It was as if the warlock was able to read other peoples' thoughts at distance, even managing to anticipate their moves. Suddenly, Harry understood.
"You're... you're a Seer!" exclaimed the boy with a trembling voice.
"Good guess, Mr. Potter." confirmed Erudio, smiling satisfied. "We have many things in common. With the willpower of our own minds, we can communicate with others, even escape the confines of normal human awareness. We can even control the elements." With those words, the warlock raised his right arm in direction of the window and suddenly, the rain stopped. The clouds began to break up and the sun again shone in the sky.
Harry couldn't believe his eyes and kept staring at the window with his mouth open.
"But there is a specific thing we are even better at. We can break through the veil of time and space and see beyond the here and now." added Erudio. With a movement of his hands, a shining crystal ball appeared in the middle of his desk. "I could, for example, tell you what is happening right now on a street corner in Sydney, Australia. Or I could tell you what happened there yesterday, or what will happen there tomorrow."
Harry stared at the crystal ball with disappointment and moved a few steps backwards.
"This is a rare gift and we don't need to fear using it." Erudio exhorted him. "Sometimes, knowing how our future turns out may prevent us from making unforgivable mistakes in the present."
"We write our future day by day." Harry contradicted him with strength, using Hermione's words. "It depends on the choices we're making now."
"What you are saying is wise and gives you honor." agreed Erudio, nodding. "But I'll tell you this. The wizard who is able to perceive the future and is moved by positive ideals has the obligation to use this power. Pay attention, it isn't a right, but a duty."
Harry didn't fully understand the meaning of those words. Did it meant that looking into the future was going to be a duty for him? Would someone force him to do it, against his will? But who was going to force him? Magnus Erudio? Or maybe Dumbledore? Or even Voldemort?
"I dare say that you've never tried seriously." Erudio's affirmation interrupted Harry's thoughts. "Why not try it right now? Aren't you curious to know what is written in your tomorrow? Or in your friends' tomorrows?"
Suddenly, the image of Mark Evans burst into Harry's mind; the pressing desire to know how he was pushed him to speak. "Mark! I need to know how he is."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Mr. Potter." Erudio warned him, deeply upset.
Not paying attention to his words, Harry moved closer to the desk and stared at his reflection in the crystal ball. He then closed his eyes and tried to move every thought out of his mind, except for the thought of Mark Evans. With his mind, he forced himself to focus on Mark's face, his long red hair, his large, deep green eyes, and his smile.
Mark, where are you now? I need to talk to you. At his silent calling, a whirlwind of emotions invaded Harry's heart. There was one, however, that prevailed, the strongest at that time. Grief, deep and intense, able to tear apart body and soul, a pain born of betrayal.
Harry opened his eyes, shocked, and panted heavily to regain his breath. What he saw in front of him however didn't make him feel any better. Reflected in the crystal ball, Mark Evans was suffering. He was lying on a bed, his face emaciated and gouged by deep scars. His hair was dirty and ruffled, his arms stretched out begging for help and forgiveness.
"Mark!" shouted Harry desperately. In that moment, the image in the crystal ball disappeared in a cloud of white fog. "I must reach him." said Harry firmly.
"Are you sure that is what you really want?" asked Erudio enigmatically.
"Mark is suffering. He needs me," insisted Harry.
"Do what you believe is right, then." exclaimed Erudio, unmoved. "But hear my warning. What Mark will reveal is going to upset you deeply."
"I don't care. I have to go."
The warlock closed his eyes and didn't reply. Harry took this gesture as an assent, turned his back to him and went to the door. He had just set his hand on the handle when Erudio spoke a last time.
"Albus Dumbledore has already arranged your transfer for tonight. One of the wizards from the Order of the Phoenix will come to take you. I believe that we won't see each other when you return."
Harry nodded without turning to look at him, then opened the door and exited the room.
***O***
The young wizard went through halls and corridors, not paying attention to where he was going. His mind was crowded with thousands of thoughts and worries, still shocked by the vision he just had. He knew that he needed to see Mark as soon as possible, before the worst could happen.
Like a robot, he mindlessly walked to the main stairway and ran upstairs. He needed to tell Ron and Hermione and needed organize his departure and…
"Harry Potter, sir?"
A squeaking voice captured Harry's attention right as he reached the second floor. Someone was calling him from the first floor; he turned to search in the dark behind him.
"Harry Potter?" Little Wizzy was peeping out from a corner, staring at him with his huge green eyes.
Harry descended the stairs and reached the house elf, looking at him puzzled.
"I need to talk to you, Harry Potter sir." whispered Wizzy, with a certain insistence. "But not here in the corridor. Please, come with me to somewhere that's better."
Without further explanation, the elf turned and walked along the dark corridor. After a moment of uncertainty, Harry decided to follow him. They both entered one of the rooms and the young wizard magically sealed the door.
"LUMOS!" At Harry's command, his wand lit up revealing an ancient, dusty bedroom with its furniture covered by old, worn-out bed sheets. "What do you want to tell me? I haven't got much time." Harry exhorted the elf, brightening up his little face.
"I did it," affirmed Wizzy in a whisper, looking around warily.
"You did what?"
"That piece of parchment. I set it in Harry Potter's bedroom."
"Go on." Harry exhorted again. Wizzy's confession only confirmed his suspicions, but now Harry needed to know more.
"I've been serving my master for many years, just like my father and grandfather did before me. But I'm worried about what is happening now!" explained Wizzy, rubbing his hands nervously and lowering his gaze to the floor. Harry knew very well that it wasn't a simple thing for a house elf to reveal his master's secrets.
"Well, I shouldn't say this, but… I know how important you are, Harry Potter. My cousin Dobby has often told me about it."
Everything suddenly became clearer to Harry. Wizzy and Dobby were related; this also explained their incredible resemblance.
"A few months ago, my master went on a trip, remaining away for many days. He has never done such a thing before." Wizzy went on, speaking with great difficulty. "When he came back, I found that piece of parchment in the folds of his cloak."
"Do you maybe know where he went?" asked Harry, even more curious.
Suddenly, Wizzy grabbed a small bronze statue from a nearby table and hit his head with it.
"Wizzy, no! Please don't." Harry managed to snatch the statue away from his hands before the elf could continue.
"I'm extremely sorry, Harry Potter, but it's not permitted for a house elf to say such private things. I had to punish myself."
"All right, but now stop it."
Wizzy lowered his gaze, mortified. "I greatly appreciate your generosity, Harry Potter."
"Please, go on with your story."
"Unfortunately, I don't know my master's destination, but there is something that scares me a lot. After this trip, my master always talks about Harry Potter and… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
A few minutes of silence passed by, during which Harry kept staring at the elf, thinking over what he had just told him. When the young wizard was able to gather his thoughts, he tried to ask a more specific question. "D-do you maybe… do you maybe remember what you master usually says?"
Wizzy shook his head sadly. "When I enter his rooms, my master suddenly stops talking."
"But why do you think…"
"He's changed." Wizzy cut him off. "My master has always been good to me and to the other house elves. My master has always considered us as his most trusted friends. But now, he treats us with sternness, as if we were his enemies. He doesn't trust us anymore."
Harry sighed deeply, and tried to make sense of Wizzy's words. "In short, you think that Voldemort has done something bad to your master?"
Hearing the name, Wizzy closed his eyes and covered his ears with the hands. "I don't know. I just want that my master comes back as he was before and that he doesn't talk about things I fear."
"Yes, but what can I do?" asked Harry, spreading his arms out, clueless.
The house elf raised his huge green eyes which were filled with mystery. "Harry Potter needs to stay on guard."
***O***
"So, you believe that Magnus Erudio is acting under the Imperius Curse?" Hermione's question gave voice to all the doubts that were crowding Harry's mind in that moment.
After the short conversation with Wizzy, Harry ran to his room where Ron and Hermione were waiting for him. Hagrid wasn't there; he had gone back to Hogwarts, fearing he had revealed too much about Mark Evans.
Harry quickly changed his clothes, which were still wet from the rain, and had prepared a small bag for his trip.
The three friends were now sitting cross-legged on the floor, making different guesses to explain what had just happened. Harry told them about his meeting with Erudio, that the warlock was a Seer, and that he had exhorted Harry to use his foresight power to read the future.
Regarding what Wizzy had told him, at least one important thing was clear. That piece of parchment, the same that had caused Harry to have that worrying vision, came from the mysterious place where Magnus Erudio had visited. If the warlock's behavior had really changed since then, it meant that someone or something had caused this change in him.
"If you want my opinion, the Imperius Curse is the key," pointed out Ron. "Things must've gone like this: Erudio leaves for a trip, but a group of Death Eaters attacks him and under torture, he reveals that Harry is going to spend a good part of the summer here. Knowing this, the Death Eaters cast the Imperius Curse on Erudio, so that the warlock is going to follow their orders faithfully. What do you think?"
"I say that theory doesn't stand up." Hermione contradicted him. "Our arrival at Hermitage Castle was planned right after Harry's accident at Privet Drive. Before that, nobody had ever mentioned our transfer here. Besides, how did the Death Eaters know that Erudio was going on a trip? Lupin told us that he has always been a secluded wizard, far away from the rest of the world for several years."
"Well… Erudio is a Seer, and he could have known in advance that we were going to come, even much earlier than Dumbledore."
"Since he's a Seer, he could have also seen in advance that the Death Eaters were going to attack him, don't you think?"
"Yeah… maybe you're right." finished Ron, resigned.
"Wait a minute!" Harry cut them off. "Wizzy was extremely worried. He seems to think there is a clear bond between Magnus Erudio's behavior, Voldemort, and me. If Erudio is really under the Imperius Curse, then I think you should come with me."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other for a moment. In their eyes, there was a heavy veil of anxiety.
"It's better if we stay here." affirmed Hermione. "Erudio could become suspicious, seeing all three of us leaving. And also, if we stay here, we'll be able to check on his movements."
"CHECK HIS MOVEMENTS?" shouted Ron. "We're talking about our lives here. Or do you think that we're playing spies?"
"Oh, Ron, why can't you understand? If Erudio really is on Voldemort's side, then it's important that Harry tells Dumbledore about this. In the meantime, we need to remain here and be sure that nothing strange happens." she ended, firmly.
"Hermione, I don't think that…" Harry was going to express his doubts, but Hermione cut him off.
"Listen to me, Harry. The wisest thing for you to do now is to reach Mark, while we remain here. Then, you can speak with Dumbledore about our suspicions and he'll tell you what to do. Don't worry about us. I'm sure Erudio won't risk doing something bad and being uncovered."
Despite Hermione's explanation, Harry still wasn't feeling sure. "Then, swear to me that you'll be careful. If you notice anything odd, you'll disapparate away from this place. Immediately!"
Hermione smiled sweetly. She reached out her hand and squeezed Harry's. "I promise. Don't worry, we'll be careful."
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