Unofficial Portkey Archive

CHAPTER TWO

The Fidelius Charm

Harry woke suddenly. He was sweating, the side of his face aching. He remembered his dream, and it took him a few moments to remember where he was.

Taking in his surroundings, he noticed he was still on the Hogwarts Express. Looking out the window, and he saw fields and pastures passing along the train. He must have been sleeping for over two hours, his face aching because he had fallen asleep against the wall of the compartment. They were still outside London, but it was not far away.

He looked at Hedwig, and saw she was awake, looking at the window eagerly. Harry opened her cage, and she jumped on his arm. He opened he window, she gave an affectionate nip on his hand and flew out happily. Harry closed the window, stopping the momentary breeze that filled the compartment, and sat back down.

The dream sent shivers up his spine. Was he seeing the future? He knew it wasn't the present, because it was still day, and was surely day at The Burrow. Harry was overcome with worry for Ron and his family. He forgot about his isolation, and the Fidelius Charm. He had to tell Ron what he saw. He stood up, stumbling slightly. He was still half asleep, and it took him a few seconds before he had his bearings. He took the charms off, slid the latch, and opened the door.

The hallway was empty. Harry figured most people were settled down in the compartments, talking to their friends about their plans for summer. He figured Ron would be patrolling the train, since he was a prefect, or would have settled into a compartment with Hermione and some other people. He decided to move towards the back of the train to start his search. As he walked, students did the usual pointing as he passed. When he reached the end of the 4th car, he ran into someone backing out of a compartment.

Harry fell backwards, seeing a bushel of brown hair fall in the other direction. When he landed on the floor, he found it was Hermione who ran into him. She was coming out of a compartment, and had not seen him there.

`Oh, I'm sorry Harry. Students in that compartment' she pointed to the one she had just exited, `were playing Blaster Caps. I had to stop them before someone won, because it would have blown up half the train. Took me over ten minutes, because they kept trying to tell me they weren't doing anything, when it's clearly obvious they were. Anyways, what are you up to?' Harry had gotten up, and helped her onto her feet. The students in the compartment where giggling away. Harry had no idea what Blaster Caps was, but could tell they were playing it. They had numerous blast marks on their robes and faces, but were still smiling. He looked at Hermione again, and noticed her scowl at the students.

Hermione, much like Harry, had grown older in the past year. She was looking more like a woman now. She was shorter than Harry, but at the moment, looked very tall and livid. Her bushy brown hair was almost electrified by her anger for the students in the compartment, who were still giggling at them. She grabbed the latch, and closed the door of the compartment rather forcefully. She then looked back at Harry, and gave a smile telling him it was alright to speak.

`I was trying to find Ron, do you know where he is?' Harry asked. He felt he had to tell Ron about his dream before he forgot about it.

`He's probably in the prefect car. He takes the front of the train, so he can get back there quickly. He doesn't like patrolling too much. The Heads told us we had to stay in the prefect car the whole ride to keep up rotations. That's why we didn't go looking for you' informed Hermione, as she started up the train again, Harry following.

As they walked, a large splattering sound came from the compartment with the students playing Blaster Caps. Hermione smiled, and explained. `I put a charm on the caps. Once someone plays one, instead of exploding, it would cover them all with Feterworm Slime. It's not dangerous, but smells terrible. That will teach them for trying to play it more.' She smiled wider, and continued up the train, proud at her victory.

As they moved into the next car, Harry remembered what Professor McGonagall said about asking the secret keeper. He knew he had to tell Ron about his dream, but asking Hermione needed to be done before the train got to Kings Cross. As they came closer to Harry's compartment, he decided it would be best to ask her inside.

`Hermione? Can I talk to you for a moment?' he asked quietly, as he opened the door to the compartment, and waited for her response. She took one last look up the aisle, nodded, and entered the compartment. Harry followed through, closed the door, and performed the locking charms like before, and the Silencing Spell. He sat down in the same seat, and noticed Hermione sat down in the same place as Professor McGonagall.

`What's going on Harry?' she asked shakily. She looked a little worried, but it could be expected. Most of the events of the past weeks put people at ill-ease. Harry noticed most people had worried expressions on their faces these days.

`I talked to Professor McGonagall, and we agreed I would go to Grimmauld Place after my birthday.' She nodded, and he continued.

`She told me that the Fidelius Charm needs to be recast on the house, and it's being done after I get off the train today. Professor Flitwick is going to do it, along with me and my secret keeper.' Harry took a deep breath, and plunged forward. `And . . . and I want you to be my secret keeper for Grimmauld Place' he finished, looking for her reaction.

Hermione seemed shocked at the question, and shifted in her seat. Harry imagined this is how he looked to Professor McGonagall earlier. Hermione recovered herself quickly, and looked at Harry.

`Are you sure Harry? I mean, it would be fascinating to learn how the charm works. I've read about them, but are you sure you want me to be your secret keeper? Wouldn't you want someone older, or more experienced?' she said. She looked more concerned now than before he talked, but was keeping her eyes on Harry.

`I talked it over with McGonagall. She said I need someone smart and clever, who can learn how the charm is done, and is someone who knows me and I trust. You're the top in our year, and I know you're very clever,` she blushed and looked at the floor for a second, but then looked back.

`I knew you would enjoy learning a new charm, and would be good at doing it, since you're really good at charms work. Finally, you know me better than almost anyone else, and I trust you' affirmed Harry. He looked at her for a reaction, and was surprised to see she was on the verge of crying. Harry wondered if he had said something wrong, and moved to the edge of his seat to apologize. He was shown otherwise when Hermione, in one rather quick motion, moved across the compartment, and gave Harry an immense hug.

Harry sat wondering if that was a yes, but decided to return the hug in the mean time, hoping she would say something. She retreated back to her seat, and wiped her eyes.

`Oh Harry, of course I'll be your secret keeper! I'm so glad you trust me with such a thing. I just wanted to make sure you were sure. I promise I won't let you down!' she expressed joyfully, giving a small sniff. She leaned over again, this time Harry knowing what to do, and they shared another hug. They separated, and she smiled back to Harry.

`So when and where is Professor Flitwick meeting us?' she asked, while she wiped her eyes again.

Harry just realized he forgot open the envelope that Professor McGonagall handed to him. He took it out of his pocket, opened it, and took out a piece of parchment.

The handwriting was small, and scrolled, however Harry could read it clearly.

From Kings Cross, go west on Euston Road to Argyle Street.
Go south on Argyle Street to Number 35.
The Princess Hotel, Room 21
Meet me at 3:17pm with your secret keeper. We will Apperate to Grimmauld from there.

Professor Flitwick

He handed the letter to Hermione, who read it over. She looked up at Harry, and handed back the letter.

`What will I tell my parents? And how are you going to get away from your Aunt and Uncle? I can't imagine they'll like that they have to wait for you.' She looked concerned, more so for Harry than herself. Harry felt the same way. Being able to get away from his aunt and uncle would be a difficult feat. Harry could tell she was thinking hard, noticing that she was biting her lower lip, something he had never really noticed before.

`We could tell them we need to get something for a summer project. I can tell my parents that I need to go with you, because . . . because we're doing the project together. I'm sure they will understand, but . . . I don't think that will work for your Aunt and Uncle' she said fretfully.

Harry had to tell his Uncle to take his things home, but not him. He knew if he told them it was for school, they would not let him go. He had to think of something that his Uncle would force him to let Harry go. To allow him no choice but to let him go, or make the alternative worse … then in dawned on him.

`I can tell them Hagrid's coming to see me at Privet Drive, unless I see him now by myself. They're terrified of him' he said with a smile. He was sure this would result in Uncle Vernon saying he could go, since Hagrid would draw too much attention from the neighbors, due to his immense size. Plus, last time the Dursley's saw Hagrid, he had put a tail on Dudley. The impact from that still scared the Dursley's, and Harry knew they would not be looking for a repeat of it.

`That sounds like it will make sense' she agreed, with a returning smile. `What question will we ask Professor Flitwick? We need a question only he will know the answer too.' She stared out the window now, and Harry glanced at the floor.

Harry didn't know Professor Flitwick that well, only as a Professor. He was trying to think of something, when Hermione suddenly opened her eyes wide, and looked at Harry beamily.

`I know a question! We talked about something yesterday that only he would know about. I can ask him about that. It should be enough' she said, looking gratified that she thought of a question to ask. Harry nodded, still not knowing a question to ask, and Hermione gave a quick glance to her watch.

`OK. Well, I'll go back on my rounds. I'll meet you on the platform after we get in,' she said, as she stood up, and was looking to go.

`No, we can't' stated Harry. He remembered Professor McGonagall telling him to keep things secret, and meeting up with Hermione on the platform and leaving King's Cross with her would be too obvious. Hermione turned around, and looked at Harry curiously.

`You can't tell anyone where you're going, or who with, OK? Not even Ron. I'll meet you outside the station. We have to say goodbye to each other and everything so no one suspects anything, alright?' said Harry. He hoped she would understand the secrecy needed, and was confirmed by a nod from her. She made her way towards the exit, but stopped before the door, and turned back to Harry.

`By the way, why were you looking for Ron?' she inquired.

`It's nothing. If you see him, can you tell him I just wanted to talk to him quickly?' She nodded, then unlocked the charms, opened the door, and left. Harry looked at his watch, and noticed it was 2:33pm. The train was less than 30 min away from London.

He looked down, and realized he had not changed yet. He knew he should, since Platform 9 3/4 was approaching soon, however he felt security knowing he was still wearing his Hogwarts robes. He now understood that changing into muggle clothes this time would be different. Times before, he discarded his robes much like rapping paper on Christmas morning. This time however, he felt he was taking off a part of his being.

He was so used to wearing his black school robes, that the thought of never wearing them again made him feel an emptiness in his chest. Much to his dismay, he went ahead, and solemnly changed into muggle clothes, carefully folding up his robes into his trunk, and placing them so they would not get wrinkled. Once this was done, he took the small bit of time left to think out how he would tell Uncle Vernon about going to supposedly see Hagrid, and before he knew it, the train was pulling into Platform 9 3/4.

He was upset that he had not seen Ron before the train reached London, but Hermione had said the prefects had to stay on rotations. He still wanted to tell Ron about the dream as quickly as possible, but he was now on a time constraint. He looked again at his watch, and it showed 2:58pm. He had less than twenty minutes to get to the Princess Hotel. He quickly picked up his trunk the empty cage, moved along the busy and congested aisle, and off the train.

Once he got on the platform, he saw Hedwig glide towards him. She perched herself on his shoulder, and gave a pleasant hoot. He put his trunk down, opened her cage, and she moved onto the perch inside. Harry then picked up his trunk, put it and Hedwig's cage on a trolley, and moved towards the barrier back to the muggle world.

He ended up going through with Dean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor in the same year. Harry took one last look at Platform 9 3/4, and the Hogwarts Express, and stepped through the barrier.

Once on the other side, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley giving her daughter Ginny a hug. Mr. Weasley was also there, and so was Ron's brother Charlie. Mr. Weasley was wearing a straw hat, a plaid working shirt with a tie, and ragged overalls that made him looked like a farmer. Charlie was a little more believable, wearing a simple blue t-shirt and brown cargo pants. He gave Harry a handshake, as did Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a hug much like the one for Ginny, and a few moments later, final let go. Ginny continued looking at Harry, a slightly dejected expression on her face.

`Are you alright dear? Keep in touch with us every week, alright. I talked to Professor McGonagall at . . . the funeral. Did she talk to you on the train?' she asked hurriedly. She looked rather worried, and seemed to be thinner than usual in Harry's eyes.

`Yeah, we talked about it. It's all settled' replied Harry. He put a final sounding note to the sentence, since he noticed the clock the station wall was now reading 3:05pm. He had less that fifteen minutes to meet Professor Flitwick. He looked over at the gateway to the Platform, and saw Ron and Hermione approaching. Harry said goodbye to the Weasley's, giving a short wave to Ginny, and turned quickly towards his best friends.

Ron had also grown over the past year. He was taller than Harry, and had the Weasley trade mark fire-red hair. He was lanky, skinny, and had many freckles, in true Weasley style. He looked tired at the moment, and seemed to be dragging his trunk and cage, which housed a very excited and fast moving blur, which was his owl Pigwigeon. Harry approached them quickly, and stopped their approach to Ron's family.

`I don't have a lot of time. I have to get going quickly. I'll owl you both later today when I get home to let you know what's going on, alright?' He tried not to sound rushed, but Ron knew better. He gave Harry a quizzical look, but nodded none the less. He then looked around, as if trying to find someone.

`Where's your guard? You'd think after what happened, half the Order would be here' said Ron, looking back at Harry in wonderment. Harry knew no Order members were there, and if they were, they would be disguised. He imagined that Professor McGonagall told them to leave Harry alone, so he could do the Fidelius Charm as quietly as possible.

Harry gave Ron a good quick handshake, and Hermione gave Harry a hug. Ron looked away quickly while they hugged, and headed towards his family. Harry backed away from the hug, and whispered in Hermione's ear. `We have to be quick. We have less than fifteen minutes to get to the Princess Hotel.'

Hermione looked up at Harry, nodded, and started off towards her parents. She turned around, and waved at Harry. `I'll be waiting for your owl, OK Harry?' Harry nodded, and started off towards the end of the station, passing by the Weasley's.

`I'll talk to you later Harry!' Ron shouted, as Harry walked towards his Uncle, who was standing next to the door at the far end of the station. Harry turned, smiled, and continued on. Ron seemed to be asking his parents why Harry was so quick to leave, but Harry was glad to hear Mrs. Weasley telling him it was Harry's business.

As Harry approached his Uncle, who seemed his usual grumpy self, Harry noticed he looked to be in a hurry, tapping his hand on the wall next to him. Harry stopped in front of him, and quickly went over what he had to say about Hagrid. Uncle Vernon, however, thought Harry was wasting time.

`What do you think you are doing! Get this rubbish into the car. Quickly!' he said, somewhat pushing Harry out of the station, and towards the car. He saw his horse-faced aunt, Petunia, sitting in the front seat. Dudley, his ever expanding cousin however, was not in the back. Harry thought for a moment that maybe the car was too small for him, but decided not to push his luck by asking. He put his trunk and Hedwig in the back, and closed the door, not entering the car himself. His Uncle looked up at him, as he was just entering the car, and looked annoyed.

`What are you doing boy! Get in this car, now!' he ranted, looking more enraged by the second. Harry was getting frustrated, considering he had not even said a word, but felt it was time to tell his story about Hagrid, and get away to meet Professor Flitwick. He moved over to his Uncle's side of the car, and crouched down next to the driver side window. His uncle's face seemed to be going a bright shade of magenta, and was not looking pleased.

`I need to go and see someone. You remember Hagrid, the man who got me for my first year. He wanted me to come and see him, just down on Argyle Street. He said I could either go there now and meet him, or he would come later to Privet Drive.' Harry waited a second to let this sink in with his uncle, and continued. `I figured it would be best if I went and saw him now by myself, so he doesn't get mad again like last time. You don't have to bring me over there, I can walk. I just need you to take my things back home. I can get home myself. I'll be back by tonight.'

Uncle Vernon seemed to be absorbing all the information, and gave a weird look to the dashboard of his car. His Aunt was looked outraged that Harry had asked such a thing, however Harry knew his Uncle would not like the idea of Hagrid coming to Privet Drive, after the incident 6 years ago.

Vernon closed his eyes, and screwed up his face, obviously trying to think of a way out of the situation. Harry tried hard not to smile, knowing that his Uncle would not be able to find his way out of it. At last, Uncle Vernon looked up from the dash, opened his eyes, and looked forward. He had a look of defeat on his face, which caused Harry to work even harder to suppress his grin.

`You can go and see that beast of a man, Hagrid is it? Know that if he comes even near Privet Drive,' he was now looking at Harry, wagging a big sausage like finger at him, `I will have him locked up in a prison, and you along with him for a long time. Got it!'

He looked livid, knowing Harry was getting what he wanted, but that was Harry's plan in the first place. He gave his uncle a nod, and hurried away from the car before they could take back anything. Harry wore a big grin on his face knowing he had only been with his Uncle for five minutes, and already won a battle.

Harry went back to the doors of the station, and looked around for Hermione. He glanced down the side, and saw her sitting on a bench close to the end of the station wearing simple dark blue pants and a red shirt. She was holding a small handbag, and was sitting looking at the traffic on the nearby street. Harry approached, looking back to see his Aunt and Uncle leaving from the station. His Aunt seemed to be going red in frustration, and Harry could tell she was complaining very loudly to Vernon about how Harry had gotten off. Harry kept smiling.

`Ready to get going?' he asked Hermione. She turned around, only now noticing Harry was there. She stood up quickly, nodded.

`What are you so happy about?' she asked. Harry told her about his uncle, and they shared a good laugh.

`What are the directions again?' She looked around the street, making sure no one they knew could see them. Harry pulled out the letter, and read it again.

They started walking towards the nearest corner store to ask for directions. They found they had to go West on Euston Road, which ran in front of King's Cross, then south on Argyle Street to get to the Princess Hotel. Harry continually checked his watch as they walked, rather quickly. Hermione kept quiet during the time, seeing that Harry was too concerned with being late for Professor Flitwick. As Harry's watch passed 3:14pm, they found the entrance to the Hotel.

It was a white building, with an iron rod fence, nestled in a row of house-like dwellings. They entered through the gate in the fence, and made their way towards the door quickly. A white sign above the doorway read "The Princess Hotel," with a silver tiara underneath the title. They reached the large white door, and entered.

They found an old man at the front counter. He had very little grey hair, and large spectacles, pushed too close to his eyes. The inside of the building was coloured tan yellow, and seemed to be old, but nice none the less. The front counter the old man was sitting behind was black, with an old black marble countertop. They asked the man were room 21 was, but he seemed to have a hearing problem. Harry had to almost yell at the man to get a response.

`No need to yell, I can hear yeh' the man said gruffly. He took the sheet he was writing on, and shuffled it into a paper tray. He took off his glasses, showing small, beady brown eyes, and looked up at Harry and Hermione. He took a few seconds to size up them up, and Harry noticed his eyes wondered on his scar.

`Room 21 . . . yes, down the hall, last door on the right' he said, pointing down the hallway next to the office. They said thank you, and headed down the red carpeted hall quickly. Harry looked at his watch again, Hermione leaning over to see as well. It showed it was 3:16pm. When they reached the room, marked by a brass 21, Harry gave the door a knock.

`Who is there' came a small voice from inside. Harry looked at Hermione, and answered back.

`It's me, Harry.' He didn't want to give his last name, incase the person on the other side was working for Voldemort. Only after thinking this did he realize that it would not matter if he said his last name, since they all knew how he looked anyways. The small voice inside began to talk again.

`I have a question for you. What was my obstacle for the Philosopher's Stone?' the small voice asked. Harry had to stop Hermione from answering, because he knew he would have to answer it. He thought about it hard. He remembered the night he, Ron, and Hermione went after the Stone. Fluffy was Hagrid's obstacle, the Mirror was Dumbledore's, the potions were Snape's, the chess set was McGonagall's, the Devil's Snare was Sprout's, so the flying keys had to be Flitwick's.

`Your obstacle involved flying keys in a large room. The door into the next chamber was locked, and the only way of opening it was the catch the old silver coloured key that fit the lock. You provided brooms for people to fly and catch it' said Harry.

He wanted to make sure he was accurate enough for Flitwick. He hoped it was enough, and was starting to worry when the small voice was not heard for a few seconds. Then, after what Harry felt was an eternity, the voice came back.

`That is correct Mr. Potter. The key that fit the lock was silver coloured, and brooms were put in the room to help catch it. Do you have a question for me?' The voice still sounded small, however it had a more positive light to it. Harry turned to Hermione, and she came close to his ear, and whispered her question.

`Ask what spell he told me about the night of Dumbledore's funeral.' She leaned away, gave Harry a smile, and looked back at the door. Harry cleared his throat, and asked the question, making sure to switch the "me" in the question to Hermione. The voice was again silent for a moment, then responded.

`Yes . . . yes, I remember. She was asking about a charm that could slow down a person or object, in order to either escape or react easier. The charm is called the Momentum Charm. Its incantation is Arresto Momentum. She tried it out on some pincushions that I threw up in the air in my office, and seemed to grasp it quite quickly. She is very gifted in charms.' The voice finished, and Harry looked at Hermione for whether that was the right answer. She smiled, and nodded, showing Professor Flitwick had answered the question properly, and both waited to see what happened next.

Harry heard the door unlock, and open slowly. Professor Flitwick move around the doorway, and beckoned them in.

`Oh, so you have chosen Miss Granger! Very good! I'm sure she will be a great secret keeper' he squeaked. He was looking from Harry, to Hermione. Hermione blushed not unlike how she did on the train, and looked around the room. Harry noticed there were 2 bags on the ground next to the bed in the room. They were both open, with clothes hanging out of them. The clothes were obviously too big for Professor Flitwick, and he explained.

`This is not my room. Someone of my size and attire would attract too many questions. I simply Apparated here, and waited for you. Glad to see you were exactly on time. Now' he said, moving over between Harry and Hermione, who now were looking at Professor Flitwick as he moved.

`We should leave here as soon as possible, to perform the charm. It takes several minutes to perform, but once it is done, you must both go to your homes with haste. No need to waste time these days.' He reached up, and grabbed Harry and Hermione's wrists with surprising strength.

`We will be Apparating to Grimmauld Place. Members of the Order are ready to come if we need them. Just send up red sparks, and at least ten of them will be there in an instant. I will be guiding you both to Grimmauld' he finished. He looked from Harry to Hermione, but Hermione looked confused.

`But Professor, I can Apparate myself.' Professor Flitwick quickly put up his hand to reply to her.

`Yes yes, I know Miss Granger, however this is a very serious matter we are embarking upon. It is imperative that we stay together. I know you can Apparate yourself, however I am taking no chances, as I am sure Mr. Potter wants as well' he said, looking at Harry for reassurance. Before Harry could say anything however, Hermione looked down at Professor Flitwick, and responded.

`I'm sorry Professor. You're right, it's best not to take chances. We'll stick together.' She lowered he arm, and Professor Flitwick grabbed hold of her wrist. He looked up at the both of them again.

`OK, focus now. Grimmauld Place, the front lawn, in front of the doorway.' He held on tightly to Harry's wrist. Harry was surprised how tough a grip Flitwick had, but continued to focus on the front lawn of Grimmauld Place. `On the count of 3' Flitwick said.

`One . . . two . . . three!'

Harry felt the expected funneling of Apparating. The blackness was wiping by him very quickly. A queasy feeling in his stomach began as he continued to be squeezed on all sides. He could feel Professor Flitwick next to him, moving quite calmly compared to how he was.

Just as his queasy stomach felt it was about to upturn, his feet hit solid ground, and he fell over onto the parched grass. He looked up, and found Hermione had also fallen over, and Professor Flitwick was looking around them. Harry looked, and saw that they had reached Grimmauld Place.

`Sorry about that you two. I'm not too bad side Apparating with one person, but two I'm still working on. Not to worry, we've reached our destination' said Professor Flitwick, motioning towards the spot where Grimmaul would be.

Harry got up, helping Hermione in the process, and they looked at the area around them. The street looked very deserted, with the same old and ill-kept buildings. The weather in this part of London was different, and more overcast than at King's Cross. As he turned to where Grimmauld Place was, he saw it was not there. This was normal for the building, since it was unplottable. He, Hermione, and Professor Flitwick moved farther into the lawn, and the door magically appeared.

`It will still appear for us, since we already knew the secret. In order to recast the Fidelius Charm, the house must be temporarily made plotable. There is no need to worry' as he saw a look of foreboding on Harry's face, `the house will remain safe for the brief time it is plotable. I need you, Mr. Potter, to stand on the right side of me.'

Harry moved to Professor's Flitwick's right side. Flitwick smiled, and turned to Hermione. `Now, Miss Granger, you go on my left side,' and she moved. Professor Flitwick swished his wand, and Twelve Grimmauld Place appeared in front of them.

`Now, Mr. Potter, you need a number for the house. You cannot use Number Twelve again, however might I suggest a fractional number, much like Platform 9 3/4. Do not make the fraction too large though, otherwise the house might be too far to the right.' Harry felt Flitwick sounded like one of those businessmen that came to the door at Privet Drive. Harry's uncle always called those types of people "timewasters and beggars".

`How about Twelve and One Third, easy enough to remember, right?' He looked at Hermione for reassurance, and both she and the Professor nodded. He looked at the house, and moved forward.

`All right, we have to rename the house before the Fidelius Charm can be done. You must be the one to do it though Mr. Potter. You must first un-name the house, using the incantation `Inrenomenos,' followed by the old name of the house. Then, to rename it, use `Nomenos,' followed by the new name. Understood?' asked Flitwick. Harry nodded, repeating the incantation over and over again in his head, and moved towards the house, raising his wand.

`Inrenomenos, Twelve Grimmauld Place' he said nervously. His wand spewed an orange mist, which circled the house, and returned to his wand. He looked at Professor Flitwick to see if that should happen, and was pleased to see him nodding, and giving Harry notice to continue.

`Nomenos, Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place!' he said, this time with more vigor. Another orange mist came out of Harry's wand, circled the house, and returned to his wand. He stepped back from the house, and turned to Hermione and Professor Flitwick, who were pleased with his completion of the charm.

`Well done Mr. Potter. Now we are ready to perform the Fidelius Charm, but first, I must tell you what to say. I will ask what is being put into trust, and you must answer Number Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place. I will ask who puts this in trust, and you will answer `I, Harry Potter, owner of Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place'. I will ask you who you put this trust with, and you will reply with Miss Granger's name. Understand?' to which Harry nodded.

`Excellent, now Miss Granger, I will then ask if you will accept this secret in trust, and you will agree. You must both then hold hands above our wands, and Mr. Potter will say: I trust you with this secret, you and no other. Miss Granger, you will reply: I shall keep this secret in your trust. And it will be completed.' He looked at each of them, and they nodded, although Harry felt a little hesitant, trying to remember all the lines he had to say. The look on Hermione's face made him think she felt the same. Flitwick seemed not to notice.

`Alright Mr. Potter, Miss Granger. I will begin the charm. Focus on the house, and the importance of its secrecy. Just answer the questions as I say them. Now, you both must take out your wands, and point them towards mine.' He took out his wand, and pointed it at the house. Harry and Hermione both took out their wands, and pointed them at the tip of Professor Flitwick's. Flitwick took a deep breath, and with his squeaky voice, announced the incantation confidently.

`Carpio Occulto Fidelius!'

From Professor Flitwick's wand, and bright white glow came, connected to Harry and Hermione's wands, then surrounded Grimmauld Place in a white haze. Once the entire house was surrounded, Professor Flitwick smiled at Harry and Hermione, and continued on.

`What is being put into trust?' Flitwick asked calmly, looking at Harry. He responded loudly, making sure to pronounce each word as fluently as possible.

`Number Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place.' He looked at the haze around the house, and noticed it turned a dark grey, like fog. Professor Flitwick carried on.

`Who is putting this in trust?'

Harry replied, again looking at the house. `I, Harry Potter, owner of Number Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place.' The haze now turned a lighter shade of grey, close now to the colour clouds are, as it continued to swirl around the house, quicker after each question.

`To whom do you put this trust with?' Flitwick asked. Harry cleared his throat again, and responded.

`I put my trust with Hermione Granger.' At this, the grey haze turned to bright silver. Harry's part of the charm was almost over, now it was Hermione's turn. Harry now noticed that his wand, and the others as well, were vibrating quite a bit. Not nearly as much as in his 4th year, when his wand and Voldemort's connected, but still a little. Professor Flitwick now turned to Hermione.

`To whom accepts this trust?' Harry looked at Hermione, who drawed herself up to full height, and answered.

`I, Hermione Granger, accept this trust.' The haze now turned bright cyan, and started to swarm around the three of them, and the house. Professor Flitwick was smiling, motioned them to put their hands over the wands. Harry slowly put his left hand over the wands, as did Hermione.

They locked hands, and the cyan haze around them condensed to form a single, long string of intense blue, which Professor Flitwick wrapped part of around their enclosed hands. The strand felt cool on Harry's hand, closing in tight to his skin, binding his hand with Hermione's. Harry cleared his throat slightly, again making sure his words where clear.

`I trust you with this secret, you and no other.' Flitwick wound another blue strand around their hands again, and Hermione responded.

`I shall keep this secret in your trust.' One more strand was wrapped around. The three strands stayed momentarily, then turned blinding white, and dissolved into their skin quickly, as the haze around the house evaporated.

Professor Flitwick slowly lowered his wand, and fell over stiff as a board. Harry and Hermione stood, hands still locked, looking at each other. They quickly unlocked their hands, and rushed to help Professor Flitwick up. He opened his eyes, and sat up slowly.

`Hello Miss Granger, Mr. Potter. Where am I?' Flitwick asked, sounding groggy. He looked from Harry to Hermione, with a very confused look.

`You are on Grimmauld Road Professor' Hermione answered. He looked up the street, and his expression turned to one of understanding. He stood up, and walked towards where Grimmauld Place stood.

`Strange' he said, walking to the left and the right, `Number Twelve isn't here anymore, I cannot see the house. Do you know what's happened? What are we doing here?' He looked very confused now, almost worried. Hermione was the first to speak.

`Professor, what's the last thing you remember?' she asked. Flitwick looked upwards, which Harry understood as the Professor thinking hard. He started to pace to and fro across the lawn, then came to a halt about five feet in front of Harry and Hermione.

`The last thing I remember, is coming here with you two. We Apperated, but I can not remember why we came here. Do you know? There isn't anything wrong with the Order, is there?' He still looked to them for answers, and seemed desperate to understand the situation. This time, Harry was the first to speak.

`We came here, because we needed to give you something.' Professor Flitwick was not the only one giving Harry an odd look. Harry went ahead, and took out a piece of parchment out of his pocket, and gave it to Hermione. She seemed to suddenly understand what Harry meant, and took out a small travel quill from her pocket, and wrote a quick sentence. She then folded the parchment, and gave it to Harry.

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place.

Harry nodded his head, and gave the paper to Professor Flitwick. He looked at the parchment, and his eye's opened wide when he finished reading for the second time. Hermione quickly asked for the parchment back, and continued to burned it with her wand. Professor Flitwick now turned, and looked at Grimmauld Place again.

`No wonder I couldn't find it. You two must have renamed and replotted it. Very well done, both of you!' He turned back to the house, and waited at the door, Harry and Hermione following.

When they reached the door, both Hermione and Professor Flitwick looked at Harry expectedly, but Harry did not know what for. Hermione seemed to know what he was thinking, and answered his unasked question.

`Harry, you have to open the locks. You're the owner now. Only people you say are allowed to open the locks can.' She pointed to the locks on the door that had no key holes. Harry took it that he needed to open the locks with his wand, so he went ahead, and moved his wand to the locks. They gave a few clicks and snaps, and the door opened. They entered the empty house, and closed the door behind them, making sure to stay quiet as to not wake up Sirius' Mother.

They all proceeded to the kitchen, and sat down. The kitchen was still relatively clean, however dust had settled on every surface. Harry wiped off the dust on the nearest chair, and sat down. Hermione, seeing how only one window existed in the room, making it quite dark even during daytime, lit the candle on the table, and sat down opposite Harry. She gave a quick look to Flitwick, who was checking around the sink, and checked her watch.

`You know Harry, we can't be long. How do you plan on telling the other members of the Order?' she asked. Professor Flitwick was getting a glass of water. It seemed the memory charm that was cast on him caused him to feel rather thirsty.

Harry put no thought of how could he tell the other members of the Order. Going around to each one of them would take time, and the chances of being seen would be high. The best way would probably be to tell them all at once. So were could they hold a meeting, where Hermione and Harry could attend, and it be big enough to hold a fair number of the Order?

`We could tell everyone at The Burrow. Order members know where it is. I just don't know when or how you and I will get there.' He looked to Hermione for help. She seemed to be thinking as well, again biting her bottom lip in the process.

`Well, how about at the wedding?' she said, looking over at Professor Flitwick who was draining his second glass of water. Harry thought about it, and it made sense, since a lot of Order members would be there anyways. It would be easy to slip a note to someone, as a lot of people would be there, and it would be hard to notice.

Since Hermione would be the secret keeper, she would just go around, and tell the members. Harry wondered if this was too late though, considering it was over two weeks away, and asked Professor Flitwick what he thought.

`Well, I think it would be ok to wait a couple of weeks. The Order is meeting in different places at the moment anyways, to throw off Death Eaters. It sounds like telling Order members at the wedding makes the most sense.' He drained his cup, and placed it in the sink, and turned back to Hermione and Harry.

`Well, I think we should be going now. I'll bring you back to your homes. Come, let's go' he said, and started towards the door. Hermione put out the small candle on the table, and followed behind Harry, with Professor Flitwick in the lead. He opened the door, and held it open for Harry and Hermione. When Flitwick closed the door, it vanished into the ground, and he turned back to the two students.

`I believe we shall bring Miss Granger home first. Since you know the way' he looked at her, `you will guide me and Mr. Potter.' He motioned them to grab hold of each other's wrists, and they did. `On the count of three. One . . . two . . . three!' and with a crack, the three of them left Twelve and One Third Grimmauld Place.

Spell / Name meanings -
Feterworm - L. feteo: to have a bad odor / stink, worm: worm (Feterworm = stink worm)
Arresto Momentum - Is from the PA movie (Dumbledore uses it)
Nomenos - L. nomen: name
Inrenomenos - L. in: not/never, re: again, nomenos: name (Inrenomenos = never name again)
Carpio - L. carpo: to hold on to
Occulto - L. occulte: in secret
Fidelius - L. fidelis: faithful, true, loyal
(Carpio Occulto Fidelius = To hold on to, in secret, faitfully)

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