The Battle Standard
by Jardyn39
Chapter 6 - Message Revealed
Harry walked into the kitchen the next morning to find Mrs Longbottom and Kreacher sat at the table.
"Morning," said Harry, yawning widely and bumping into the back of an empty chair. He generally used the chairs to guide him over to the stove rather than look too carefully where he was going first thing in the mornings.
Harry had been surprised to find himself quite sleepy after his elder self had gone.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and asked sleepily, "Anyone else?"
"No, thank you," said Mrs Longbottom crisply, and Harry realised instantly that either she didn't approve of sleepiness in the mornings or something else didn't meet with her approval.
Harry made an effort to open his eyes properly and came back over to the breakfast table and sat down next to Kreacher.
"I'd like to thank you for your hospitality, Harry."
"Not at all, Mrs Longbottom. You're welcome any time. How are you feeling now?"
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. I had a note from Minerva McGonagall this morning. She has kindly invited me to stay at Hogwarts as a guest. It will be a few days before the house is properly repaired."
"That's nice of her. Neville will be pleased."
"Indeed. I must admit I'm looking forward to visiting too. It has been many years since I've been up there."
"Um, Mrs Longbottom? Is anything wrong?" asked Harry tentatively.
Mrs Longbottom took a sharp intake of breath and for the briefest moments Harry was tempted to just run for it.
"This is your house, Harry. It is not for me to criticise."
"Er," said Harry.
"I know I must seem old and out of touch with modern ways," she continued imperiously, "but I cannot say I approve of some of your domestic arrangements."
Harry felt his face redden as his thoughts immediately turned to Hermione upstairs.
"Well," blustered Harry.
"Once you start down the slippery slope, Harry, you'll find it very difficult to get back up to respectability."
"Actually, I quite like," began Harry before catching himself.
"House elves should not be encouraged to sit at the meal table."
"What?" said Harry, now quite confused.
"Kreacher didn't want to sit next to the old bag," interrupted the elf. "Master ordered Kreacher to sit at the table during meals."
"Well, really!"
"Hang on!" said Harry with a raised voice. "Kreacher, you will not call Mrs Longbottom an old bag. Please apologise to her now."
Harry could hear Kreacher kicking his chair like an angry child before he mumbled, "Kreacher is sorry he can't call Mrs Longbottom an old bag again."
Harry rolled his eyes and then said firmly, "I'm sorry for the name calling, Mrs Longbottom, but that's as far as my apology extends.
"Kreacher has suffered enough at the hands of wizards and witches who thought nothing of mistreating him. I mistreated him too, unfortunately, but I have made it clear that while I am his Master, Kreacher will no longer be treated like a slave. As far as I'm concerned he's family and as such will be extended every courtesy. I know we've got a long way to go, but that doesn't mean it won't be worthwhile in the long term."
Mrs Longbottom stared for a long moment into Harry's fiercely determined eyes.
"I see," she said finally. "Of course, this house elf's emancipation doesn't quite extend to freedom, though, does it?"
Kreacher jumped down off his chair and began stamping his bare feet onto the hard stone floor.
"That is a private matter between Kreacher and me," said Harry coldly. "It is a family matter. Kreacher, don't hurt yourself."
Kreacher stopped in mid-stomp and almost fell over.
"You do realise that the Ministry can intervene in extreme cases, don't you?"
"You might like to remember that it was Kreacher who showed initiative and brought you a Healer when you needed one."
"I did not require the services of a Healer. Of course, that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate your efforts."
"Kreacher's efforts. You have him to thank, not me."
Mrs Longbottom looked down at Kreacher and he immediately shrank away as if fearful that she would actually condescend to thank him.
"The Neville already made Kreacher listen," he said quickly.
At Neville's insistence, Harry had coaxed Kreacher out of his den so that Neville could thank him properly before he left.
"All I would say is that the Ministry will intervene if it feels there is evidence that you are not adopting an appropriately responsible level of control."
Harry drew a deep breath to calm himself just as Hermione breezed into the room.
"Morning!" she said brightly. "How are you feeling, Mrs Longbottom?" she asked after pecking Harry on his cheek. If she noticed any tension in the room she didn't show it.
*
"Oh, calm down, Harry," said Hermione dismissively. "You need to make allowances. If it hadn't been Kreacher it would have been something else. I had a lecture on how I should tie my hair up before she left."
Harry slumped down on the settee next to Hermione.
"I am glad she's finally gone, though."
"She was only here for a few hours, Harry."
"I'm still glad."
"Me too," agreed Hermione quietly. "What?" she asked seeing the smile grow on Harry's face.
"I just thought. What if she finds out Ginny has been going around calling herself Mrs Longbottom?"
Hermione snorted with laughter.
"Hermione, where do you think Torvais might be?"
"Well, it doesn't sound like it is in Norfolk."
"Why not?"
"Harry, Norfolk is practically flat. You said there were hills in your vision."
"Yes, there were. Are you sure about Norfolk being flat?"
"Harry, most of the land was reclaimed from the sea years ago."
"Oh. What about Cumbria then?"
"Quite hilly, I believe."
"Could we find it there, then?"
"We can but try," said Hermione, folding her book. She lent across and kissed him tenderly.
"What was that for?"
"I'm afraid I was eavesdropping outside the kitchen earlier this morning. I was very touched by what you said about Kreacher, Harry."
"Don't worry. I'll have changed my mind after he's finished the laundry. You know he attached three extra sleeves to each of my shirts last week? I mean, why not at least an even number that I could tie out of the way?"
"It shows he cares, that's all."
"I wonder what he'll be caring enough to do this time?"
"Well, from the clothes line in the kitchen, I'd say ten foot wide collars, actually."
Hermione got half-way to her feet and then froze.
"Good grief!" she exclaimed.
"What is it, Hermione?"
"I've just realised something," she said with a laugh.
"What?"
Still chuckling, she held her wand up and said, "Accio cloak!"
A short moment later the travelling cloak Harry had brought back flew through the open door and into Hermione's outstretched arms. The cloak was immediately followed by Kreacher who had obviously chased the cloak all the way from the basement laundry basket.
"Sorry, Kreacher," said Hermione as soon as she realised what she'd done.
Kreacher managed to extend her a dark look before dramatically collapsing down onto the carpet in front of them both.
Harry rose, concerned about the house elf but soon realised that although he was breathing heavily he was also doing a healthy amount of whispered cursing.
"I just wanted to show Harry something," explained Hermione contritely. "Here, you can see as well," she added hopefully, laying out the cloak on the carpet for them all to see.
Kreacher made a bit of a meal of heroically dragging himself over to the hem of the cloak.
"Look at the Gryffindor motif," said Hermione.
"Um," said Harry, wondering what he was supposed to be looking at.
"I thought this was just a stylised lion," said Hermione, now beaming at them both.
Harry looked over to Kreacher who was now kneeling and taking an interest almost despite himself. Kreacher looked back at him and shrugged.
"Miss Hermione must be seeing things, Master."
Hermione laughed and said, "Well, yes! I obviously am! Look again at the lion's forelegs. They are depicted more like arms, though, aren't they?"
"Sure, but most Gryffindor flags are like that."
"Oh, no. They're not like these. The other thing to notice is the belt. Gryffindor lions don't have belts like that, do they?"
"True," said Harry, tilting his head sideways.
The belt had a rather strange buckle arrangement. Indeed, it hardly looked like a buckle at all.
"Does that look like a buckle to you?"
"No, it isn't a buckle," Hermione said at once. "Those aren't shadows behind the forearms, either."
Harry frowned and said, "I still don't get it."
"Shirt sleeves, Harry! The lion is wearing a shirt with extra sleeves. Look," she said, pointing as she spoke. "Two of the sleeves and hanging down loose and two are ties together around the front. They must be Kreacher's sleeves!"
Harry grinned seeing it at last.
"It looks like I may actually manage to persuade you to at least give me an even number of shirt sleeves, Kreacher."
"Master can but hope," said the elf. "What is that?" he asked pointing down at the motif.
Harry's face fell.
It was another sleeve only half hidden, making an odd number.
*
Harry pulled his hand away from the Kemmynadow book, feeling the book resisting breaking the magical link that enabled the volume to push the knowledge of dark magic into him. He closed the two halves and watched as the book instantly sealed itself shut.
He sat in silence for a few minutes, contemplating the spells he had looked up.
Eventually, he looked around the circular room. The seven fireplaces surrounding the Room of Requirement were cold and empty. He nearly always put out the fires when he didn't wish to be disturbed here.
The room was now a lot more cluttered since they first began to use it as the central repository of all their knowledge of the hunt for the Horcruxes. Hermione's research books now numbered hundreds but the Room generally only provided a few dozen at a time depending upon her needs.
On the shelf opposite him, the black marble base that belonged to Ravenclaw glistened in the lantern-light. He wondered if the Golden Rowena statuette was still unhappy with her fake replacement.
They hadn't attempted to destroy the Horcrux they suspected was inside yet. Hermione was particularly nervous about what might happen if they tried, mindful of the injury Dumbledore suffered. Harry had agreed that while Horcruxes remained missing, they might as well continue to research how to destroy them.
By now, Harry was becoming increasingly uncomfortable that their search had become interrupted.
He still hadn't made his way to Godric's Hollow and visit his parents' grave.
Harry sighed deeply and resolved to visit Godric's Hollow as soon as he was able. If nothing else, he realised, it might inspire them as to where to search next.
Harry got up and returned the Kemmynadow book to its place on one of the heavy shelves. He was about to turn and Floo back to Grimmauld Place, when he realised that Dumbledore's standard spell book was slightly out of place.
He reached up and was about to push it back half an inch or so further onto the shelf when the heavy book slid outwards towards his fingers.
Accepting the invitation, Harry pulled the book down off the shelf and took it over to the table in the middle of the room.
Harry sat and stroked his fingers fondly over the cover. He hadn't used this book very much at all since Dumbledore had bequeathed it to him. Indeed, it was Hermione who preferred to use it since she did not approve at all of the Dark Magic the Kemmynadow was steeped in.
Harry, though, found the Standard spell book a little heavy going. Unlike the Kemmynadow, he couldn't learn the spells just by resting an open palm on the pages.
He opened the book, remembering that when Fred and George had handed him the book he had seen a dedication at the beginning. Unfortunately it was blank when he looked a second time.
The parchment on the inside of the front cover was completely blank as before.
Harry smiled sadly to himself, remembering his much missed Headmaster before absently placing his hand on the pages.
Instantly, writing began to appear on the open pages, penned in Dumbledore's distinctive handwriting.
"Harry,
"This message is charmed to reveal itself when you have learnt a little beyond the school syllabus. I have no way of knowing if you taught yourself using the Kemmynadow or some other means, but hopefully my confidence that you will find balance will be justified.
"My wish is that you should now seek out Alastor Moody and ask for his help. I instructed him to wait until you approached him. He has knowledge and skills that I believe will help you."
Harry frowned a little upon reading this.
"Alastor may not be your first choice as a tutor. I suspect you regard him as a little too old and someone who has never shown you much support."
Harry found himself nodding to himself. The genuine Moody had been knocked out quickly at the Department of Mysteries fight and Moody's comments that Harry had overheard at St Mungos had hardly endeared him to Harry.
"To be entirely candid," continued the writing, "Alastor was not my first choice to impart this knowledge. I originally charged Ollivander with this duty, but I am no longer confident that he will fulfil his promise. Indeed, I am a little concerned what he will do with regard to you.
"I digress. When Moody is satisfied you have advanced sufficiently, you are to revisit Godric's Hollow. I'm sure you have been there before now, but I believe you will be receptive to a new perspective once you are prepared.
"Later today I will deliver this book into the care and trust of Fred and George Weasley. As for you, Harry, touch this page with your wand to permanently destroy these words. The book will remain intact."
The note was signed, "Yours, truly, Albus Dumbledore."
Harry drew out his wand but hesitated for a moment, re-reading the note one last time.
*
"What is it, Harry?" asked Hermione the moment he stepped out of the fireplace.
"Nothing," he said quickly, but decided he ought to say something more when he caught her narrowed eyes.
"I read another message from Dumbledore, that's all."
"Really? Where did you get it from? Do you have it?"
"It was inside the cover of his spell-book, Hermione. The message said to destroy it afterwards."
"You destroyed the book?" asked Hermione in alarm. "Oh, but Harry, I haven't finished learning all the spells yet!"
Harry smiled and said, "I only destroyed the note, Hermione. The book is fine."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief before Harry guided her over to the table where Ron was already seated.
"Come on, I'll tell you about it while we have some tea."
*
It had taken them some time to agree on a plan to rescue Pansy from Miss Alice. They had decided early on that they shouldn't involve anyone else to make sure news of their plans wouldn't leak out. After several days, Harry and Hermione finally presented their proposals to Ron.
"Maybe I'm missing something here," said an exasperated sounding Ron, "but what is the good of knowing where she's being kept if the only way in is through an area guarded twenty-four hours a day. Even if we were able to Apparate in and disable them all, that's only the first chamber and there are wards preventing Apparition from then onwards."
"No, Ron," said Hermione patiently, "that first chamber is the only entrance Wizards can use."
"So, what am I then?"
"Ron," Harry interjected before their argument got out of hand, "Hermione means we are going to use one of the Muggle entrances. The problem isn't really how we get in, so much as how we get safely out again afterwards. The chamber we Apparated into is just part of the London underground bunker. I'm sure of it."
"No," interrupted Ron. "That bunker was on the other side of the River."
"The entrance we used before was on the other side of the Thames but the tunnels stretch for miles," added Hermione.
"Yes," agreed Harry. "Kingsley told me once that their most secure cells are ones under water because a lot of wizard have trouble performing advanced magic in the vicinity of a large volume of water. It dampens the magic, or something. I'm sure the cell block is under the river."
"Yes, and if the prisoners are kept disoriented," said Hermione, "it's probably very difficult for them to think about Disapparating because they'd be afraid of Apparating under the surface and drowning in the fast currents."
Ron shook his head doubtfully.
"That wouldn't keep them. There has to be something more."
"Yes, but remember how clever Miss Alice is. She told me she once captured two wizards from the Ministry of Magic. That's how she met Dumbledore. She said he wasn't fooled for a moment, but the two wizards she caught were completely taken in by the trick."
"How did she do it?"
"She didn't say."
"Great," said Ron dryly. "Well, somehow we'll have to get through the Muggle security checkpoints. I suppose you expect me to train you so you'll both pass off as Muggles, don't you? Good job I paid attention in my Muggle Studies classes!"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other before they both burst into laughter and nodded.
*
Harry finished counting to ten and said as calmly as he could, "Ron, we can't go until you are quiet. What's the point of having an invisibility cloak if you are going to give us away by muttering the whole time?"
"Who's muttering?" muttered Ron bitterly. "Would it have killed you to tell me we were going to Portkey there?"
"Ron, please," pleaded Hermione.
"I've wasted days revising about eklectric switches and all sorts."
"No, Ron, you barely did a thing. Even so, you'll need to be alert. This is a Muggle installation and the more you remember the better."
"Yeah, well your instructions pretty much covered everything, didn't they, Hermione?" replied Ron bitterly before adding in a high pitched imitation of Hermione saying, "Don't touch anything, Ron!"
Harry heard a faint sizzling sound followed by a yelp of pain from Ron.
Harry rolled his eyes and whispered, "Portus!"
The electric blue glow momentarily lit up the entire room despite Harry still being under his invisibility cloak. Both Ron and Hermione immediately became quiet.
"Um, Harry? If you are still here we promise to be quiet," said Ron. "Harry?"
Harry lifted his cloak so they could see him.
"I'll hold you to that promise," he said unsmiling and offering the Portkey pencil for them both to touch.