Portkey A/N: If those who haven't read ahead didn't hate Dumbledore before, you probably will after this chapter.
A/N: I don't know if I've taken the time to properly thank all of you for reviewing my story. The response that I have gotten has been overwhelming to me...so thank you for choosing to enter my own little corner of the fanfiction universe. I won't waste your time overly blabbing, there's a lot to get to so....onward!
Chapter 15: Reunions and Confusion
Harry watched with fascination as the slumbering figures in the painting before him slowly came to life. The man was first. He was nearly an exact duplicate of Harry, save for the shorter hair and glasses. The older man blinked his eyes for a few moments, having been laying on the couch, before turning back at the two people staring with mouths wide open at him. He furrowed his brow a moment, before realization seemed to set in. Smiling, he called out to the other side of the parlor room in which the painting was set.
"Lily...Lily wake up!" A rather attractive red-headed woman stirred from the armchair that was seated in the background of the painting. She yawned for a moment, before opening the most brilliant green eyes Harry had ever seen. Once she recognized what was going on, she literally jumped out of her seat.
"Harry!" she exclaimed, somehow recognizing her son from the timespan of nearly a decade and a half. The couple both joined together in the foreground, standing as close as they could to the canvas surface, and to their son.
Harry's eyes were misting over quite rapidly. Never in a million years did he ever think that he would see his parents outside of the few silent photographs he had in his album. But here they were, straight in front of him. Maybe not flesh and blood, but it was as close as he had ever felt to them. Hesitantly he pressed a shaking hand onto the canvas, trying to feel anything but paint on its surface. If he tried hard enough, he thought he almost could. For her part, Hermione merely stood back, watching the scene, tears of joy and sorrow intermixing in her eyes.
The two figures in the painting each had tears in their own animated eyes. "Hello son," James said with a quivering voice, "It's....it's been a long time." Harry simply nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"You look so much like your father," Lily noted, similar emotions running rampant over her face. She took a moment to clear her eyes, before she added, "My baby boy is all grown up." Harry instantly felt a bit of red hit his cheeks, an emotion he was not quite used to. All the same, it gave him a deep warm feeling.
"There's...so much I want to say to you," he said, trying to find the right words. He had often dreamt about what he would say to his parents if he ever got the chance to meet them, even if it was for just five minutes and never again. Now that he had come to it, the words weren't coming to him. He turned to Hermione, looking for some show of support, or rather looking for help on the matter. "Um....mum, dad. This....is Hermione Granger," he brokenly said, leading Hermione to in front of the portrait. A moment later he added with a blush, "She's my...um....girlfriend." He was no good at this.
Hermione joined him in blushing, and the two painted figures smiled with another round of tears dripping from their faces. "It's nice to meet you Hermione," Lily said politely, all the while James simply smirked.
"I see you take after your old man with the ladies Harry," he joked, causing Lily to slightly elbow him in the gut. He overplayed the gesture, and acted as if he were mortally wounded, bringing levity to the situation, and a smile to everyone's face. After a slight round of laughing, James looked around, glancing about the view of the portrait as if he were looking for someone. Lily ignored him, and presented the first question on her mind.
"How are you dear," she asked her son, a small hint of worry in her voice. "I mean....how are you doing all things considered?" She laughed and sobbed at the same time as tears broke out of her eyes and James placed an arm over her shoulders. "Listen to me I've turned into a sodding hosepipe," she quirked, earning a smile and a kiss on the head from James.
"It's understandable love," he explained, "It's been so long." He turned to Harry and Hermione. "It's been a long time since we awoke. This portrait was painted just after you were born, and memories were placed into the enchantments here until...well you know." Harry grimly nodded. James seemed to be confused for a moment before he asked, "What year is it anyway?"
"It's June 1996," Hermione offered, rather mechanically.
"1996....almost 15 years...Merlin's beard." James eyes went wide as if he were deducing a puzzle, something that Lily seemed to already figure out.
"Harry, we don't mean to be rude but...." she paused a moment, considering her words and her suspicions, "Why didn't Sirius bring you to visit us sooner? I'm sure he'd told you all about Potter Manor when you were younger." Harry's joy quite suddenly vanished, leaving a slight scowl on his face. "Son," Lily asked, worry more evident in her voice.
"Sirius didn't raise me," he finally said, his voice quivering with frustration and grief, "Aunt Petunia did." James' eyes went wide at this as he nearly did a double-take.
"Petunia?! Petunia Dursley!" he exclaimed, filled with shock, when he calmed himself down, he apologetically added, "Harry I am so sorry you had to live with her and....that oaf she called a husband."
"Now James," Lily said a bit too Hermione-like for Harry's comfort zone, "They aren't all bad. Sure they're a bit....inflexible, but they aren't exactly monsters." She turned to Harry, who had a grimace on his face. "Harry?"
"They may not be," he finally responded, "Or at least might not have been. But....certain people saw that they didn't....treat me....well...." he choked on the words, hanging his head slightly in shame. Lily saw this, and nearly fell to her knees crying.
"Oh Harry," she gasped with exasperation, "I....I had no idea that...." she couldn't get the words out of her mouth. James just stood there unblinking, still trying to grasp one last element.
"But....how could Sirius let you stay with them?" he asked, certainly befuddled by his best friend's lack of appearance in front of him. Surely he would have shown Harry where Potter Manor was. Or for that matter he would have visited them himself. Harry tried to answer, but the grief was coming to the forefront, shutting down his answer. Hermione stepped in, tears streaking down her own face slightly.
"He didn't really have a choice in the matter Mr. Potter," she politely explained. "After what happened 15 years ago he confronted Peter Pettigrew," James immediately scowled at the name, "But Peter faked blowing himself up. Sirius was charged with the murder of Peter and betraying your location to Voldemort. He spent 12 years in Azkaban before he escaped" James and Lily's eyes went wide at this, but James still had a befuddled look on his face.
"But....Dumbledore shouldn't have allowed that! He knew Wormtail was the Secret Keeper....he should've...."
"HE WHAT!" The roar came from Harry, who had quickly wiped the worry from his eyes and replaced them with burning fury. "He knew?! That old wanker knew Wormtail was the Secret Keeper all along!" Harry gritted his teeth, despite his mother's chidings for such language. There was a bit of a flicker in the light of the torches, and James and Lily looked around as if the whole house, or at least their painted domicile was shaking. Several cries of surprise came from the other portraits in the room, and some of the occupants went running for whatever cover they could find. Hermione snapped her head towards Harry and could see the cold fire of rage burning behind his green eyes, their gaze boring into the stone wall in front of him.
"Harry, calm down," Hermione quickly commanded, patting him gently on the head. "Harry you have to calm down now," Harry closed his eyes, his fists clenched as he tried to calm himself through deep, meditative breaths. After several seconds he finally opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"Perhaps you should start at the beginning son," James said, sitting down next to his wife on the drawn couch. Harry nodded and he and Hermione conjured a pair of chair on which to sit.
"Right, the beginning is as good a place to start as anything...."
/ - / - / - /
To his credit, Ginny thought the moment they entered the kitchen, Ron was staying in complete control of his emotions. If what he was saying was true, then Ron should tear Dumbledore limb from bloody limb upon seeing him. She wasn't so sure, her experience with the diary had taught her not to take anything for granted. But she wanted to give her brother the benefit of the doubt.
"Please, sit down," Dumbledore asked, and the two of them robotically obeyed the command. They sat across from the aged wizard, regarding his demeanor. He had the same omnipresent smile on his face, and his eyes were twinkling like mad as he stared at both Ron and Ginny. For the slightest of moments a frown came over his face, but it passed as quickly as it came. Ginny did notice though.
"Is something wrong Professor," she innocently asked, channeling her twin brothers at that moment. Dumbledore seemed to recollect his thoughts and he muddled around in his robes for something.
"I'm afraid there is," he said with a resigned smile, as he pulled out a small sack. "Lemon drop?" The Weasleys shook their heads. Dumbledore shrugged and tossed one into his mouth. After several seconds he continued.
"You're very observant Ms. Weasley. I'm afraid I have bad news concerning your friends Harry and Hermione," he paused a moment to gage their reactions. Ron maintained a steady pulse, but Ginny was a bit worried on her face. Perhaps another look would be in order. Silently his eyes began twinkling again as he looked at young Ronald Weasley, gently probing his mind with legilimency while the young man stood oblivious. After several moments he internally frowned at confirming his initial probe's suspicions. The problem was worse than he thought....far worse.
"What happened to them," Ginny finally asked, her eyes going wide, interrupting Dumbledore's probe. "Are they...."
"I don't know," he answered, turning his gaze towards Ginny. He used the same technique on her, finding that she knew the basics of what her brother knew, and that she was putting up a bit of a worrisome front for Harry, this was even more disconcerting, for Dumbledore's own personal quest. He ended his probe and continued, "Harry's whereabouts are still unknown, but we would know if Voldemort had killed him. However, it would appear that you all have been betrayed." He paused a moment, he wasn't sure how well this was going to go over...but maybe....yes that could do quite nicely. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that Miss Granger was the brightest witch of her age after all.
"Evidence has come to light," he continued, "That your friend Miss Granger is in league with Voldemort. I believe she is a Death Eater." The reaction was almost instantaneous. Ginny kept up her facade, but Ron couldn't stand it. He scoffed at the headmaster, and stood up in anger.
"Hermione a Death Eater?!" he screamed, "That's the biggest load of tripe I've ever heard!"
"Ronald Weasley!" his mother yelled at him, growing red in the face, "Mind your manners!"
"I'm not going to sit here while he calls one of my best friends a Death Eater!" He was realizing quickly that if things continued that his confidence would be betrayed. With that, he calmed himself down enough to storm out of the kitchen. There was silence before Ginny stood up.
"I'll go after him," she politely said, and her mother shooed her off. When she was gone Molly sat down across from Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry," she said with a whispered sigh, "It must just be too much to take for them." In truth she had some of her own doubts about the older man's sanity, but she wouldn't express those in front of him right now.
"It's perfectly understandable," Dumbledore stated somewhat grimly. He made to ponder a moment before he asked, "Has Ronald been acting out of sorts recently? Prone to anger? A bit defensive of Hermione?" Molly thought back a bit. He had been acting out of sorts, but she assumed that it was out of worry for his friends. "I thought as much," Dumbledore said with a frown.
"What?" Molly asked immediately, "What is it?"
"I'm afraid Miss Granger might have Ronald under the imperious curse." Molly went wide and she held her hands in fear. "Rest assured he is in no position to be harmed or to be taken advantage of however. With aurors on the hunt for Miss Granger, she will be brought to swift justice soon. And then the curse can be broken." Molly was in full protective mode, and she worriedly glanced at the clock on the wall. Ron's hand wasn't at mortal peril, so things had to be going right.
"All the same," Dumbledore continued, "It would probably do not to let him outside too much, and to keep him and his sister out in the dark on Order affairs even moreso than usual. And screen his mail regularly, just in case he receives instructions from Miss Granger that way." Molly simply nodded, her eyes not leaving the clock. "I'll see myself out."
Dumbledore pulled another lemon drop out of his robe. It would only be a stop-gap measure, but it would help things along. More troublesome was what Ronald knew of the protections he had placed on Harry, and by proxy what Harry knew. If two plus two did indeed equal four in this case, Dumbledore had a long way to go before re-establishing a status quo, or at least something as close to it as he could get.
/ - / - / - /
All things considered, Remus Lupin told himself, life was one big pathetic fallacy.
It was currently raining outside his small cottage in the hillsides of Wales. The cottage was a rather small thing. It was merely a living room, a small kitchen which led into a smaller parlor/dining room, a downstairs bathroom and a very small study area. The second floor was equally small, with the master bedroom and bath and a small guestroom across the hall from the master. Remus was currently seated in the small study area, trying his best to read over procedure for the Wizengamot. He had a good idea where Harry might be, and planned on visiting him soon enough.
He had few books on the subject of parliamentary procedure, but had procured as many as he could find from his limited selection. Most of his study area was taken up by older and used books that were barely held together by a combination of sticking charms and spell-o-tape. Some were even held together by that greatest of muggle inventions, duct tape. Remus took a quick look around the area and sighed. It wasn't much, but it was all that he could afford, given the anti-werewolf legislation passed by Umbridge and her pureblood voting block in recent years. He only hoped things would get better soon.
He noted the silence of the room, and it practically brought tears to his eyes. He was the last one...again....he had come to realize. He had lost all of his friends once before, and just when he had found Sirius again, he was gone once more, this time for good. It practically broke his heart. Sniffing, he took a look at the photograph that hung over his desk. It was of his graduation day at Hogwarts. His younger self was standing off to the side, smiling shyly at the camera, but being jostled into the main group by Sirius. The traitor was on the other side, and in the middle was a young James and Lily, taking turns posing for the camera. Things were so much more carefree back then, even with the looming shadow of Voldemort hanging over the horizon. This was the only photo he had left of those days, most of the rest had been destroyed in a fire that had consumed his family home just outside Sussex in the Time of Burnings. Several homes had been destroyed that summer, not just his. The Weasley's ancestral home for one, had been a noted casualty of the spree of fires.
He let out a deep sigh and reached over for the bottle of Ogden's that was seated on the edge of the desk. Taking a deep swig of it, only to find it frustratingly empty, he half-drunkenly tossed it aside against the wall, taking some measure in the sound of it shattering into a thousand pieces against the wall. Loneliness was his constant companion at times like this, and as much as he was trying to throw himself into working on behalf of Harry and Hermione, he still couldn't shake off the fact that right now, he'd give almost anything just to have one last conversation with Sirius.
He shook his head out of a small stupor and resumed leafing through a small pamphlet when he heard a knock on the door. His eyes immediately lifted away from the parchment and glanced down the hall to the old wooden door barely hanging in its frame. He carefully pulled out his wand and headed for the door. After another somewhat hesitant knock he kept his wand at the ready and slowly opened the door.
It was the last person he expected to see there. There on his front step, soaked in the rain, her hair drenched in a cliche fashion, was Tonks. Remus nearly did a double take as he stared at the young woman before him, the wolf within frantically scanning the horizon for any sign of the Order members who might have followed her there to try and drag him back kicking and screaming.
"They're not there," she said with a sigh, her eyes going to the ground slightly, "I never told anyone where you went." She stifled a small sob and tried to smile as best she could.
"'Dora, I," Remus was uncertain what words to use. He cleared his throat, suddenly finding it very dry. Finally, after licking his lips in a nervous twitch, he asked, "What are you doing?" Tonks let a few tears slip by as she walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Doing what is right...." she closed her eyes as the distance between them shrank slowly, "Instead of what is easy...." She trailed off, as the two of them embraced and kissed each other, standing in close proximity for several minutes in each other's company. Remus Lupin thought to himself that life being a pathetic fallacy wasn't so bad after all.
/ - / - / - /
All things considered, it was a good day for Luna Lovegood. Her father was currently hunting for the elusive Web-Footed Cornwallies that had been plaguing the fjords of Finland for quite some time, and would make for a great exclusive story for the next issue of The Quibbler. She had offered to go with him, but he had insisted that she stay behind to protect the house from....something or other.
Luna was currently passing the time reading ahead in her books and jotting down some notes for her O.W.L.'s to come the following year. As she did so she idly twirled a necklace that she kept with her at all times. It was a small, silver brooch with the crest of an eagle etched into the metal studded around the outside with five small emeralds. It had belonged to her mother, Esmeralda, and was the only thing that Luna had left to be reminded of her, at least in the physical sense.
She sighed and put down her quill, staring off into space for a moment. Her face was a mask of unperturbed calm, but across her mind worry for her newfound friends. Like so many she had no idea what had happened to Harry or Hermione, just what the papers had said and what Ginny had told her when she came to visit. Having never really had true friends for the better part of her life, she was genuinely worried for what might have happened to them, though she suspected that they were fine.
The clock in the main room gently sounded the lunchtime hour, and Luna closed her book and snugly tucked her brooch beneath her shirt. She was about to go into the kitchen to make something to eat when she heard the telltale soft pop of an apparating visitor into her sitting room. It didn't worry her so much, her house was under the Fidelus charm (her father was rather paranoid) and anyone who would apparate directly into the sitting room was likely one of father's friends. Sighing, she walked into the sitting room. "Father isn't here right now," she announced to the unidentified visitor. "He won't be back for some time."
"I do not wish to speak to Jeremy today," the visitor reply, his raspy whisper of a voice immediately drawing Luna's wide-eyed gaze, "I came to speak to you...Selene." Luna shook her head as she saw the man in front of her. He was clad in black and silver robes, a hood covering most of his face, though a wrinkled chin and a few errant whiskers stood out. His eyes were a glowing yellow in the midday light, and he offered a toothless smile that made Luna cringe everytime she saw it.
"Lazarus," she said with surprise in her voice, "I wasn't expecting you."
"Rarely do people expect me," the elder man replied, hobbling his way to a small chair. He let himself down with an audible groan, and took several deep breaths as he closed his eyes for a second.
"Why are you here," Luna matter of factly asked, as she moved a footstool to the end of the chair. Lazarus responded by placing one foot on the offered support, and a slight chuckle.
"I came to see if you have been anymore successful in determining the whereabouts of Mr. Potter. Our agents have been everywhere, but I must admit we have been rather distracted since your stunts in the Department last month." Lazarus shook his hand at Luna. "You were very naughty Selene. You should have known better than to lead Harry into such a situation."
"What was I supposed to do?" Luna asked, shrugging her shoulders. "He was determined to go."
"I suppose. In the end it was necessary...it's funny how fate both directs us and is directed itself by the choices that we make." Lazarus paused, but before he could continue Luna rolled her eyes.
"Not another speech on the intricacies of fate and prophecy please," she seemed to plead, offering him a cup from a conjured pot of tea. "I heard it all when you inducted me into the Department of Mysteries as a junior operative."
"Of course you did," Lazarus said, pulling his hood down and taking the offered cup. His face was as wrinkled as the bony hands that reached out to take the tea, covered in spare patches of white hairs and liver spots. Taking a sip, he thought for a moment, his yellowed eyes twinkling madly as he tried to remember something. Shrugging it off, he leaned forward and continued. "You have proven a valuable resource, and this relationship has been mutually beneficial. I hope that with our further training and your continued support, we can make you a full fledged Unspeakable by the time you graduate Hogwarts. Just like your mother was. Just like your father is." He took another sip of tea, "But until then I must ask you to keep your eyes open and your ears pressed to the ground. I fear that Albus has set things in motion that have been foretold for centuries now, and we must be ready to make sure that they don't unravel in the process. Young Mr. Potter, and his friend young Miss Granger, will likely find themselves in the center of a firestorm. The bits and pieces of the prophecy are coming to light, and as they do, you must be ready to aid them anyway you can."
Luna simply nodded. Such was the fate of all her family, as it had been for centuries, and would continue to be for the centuries to come.
/ - / - / - /
Harry finished his tale, leaving James and Lily speechless. Both of them had tears in their eyes, having grieved over the loss of friends, the anguish of Harry's life, and the betrayal of Albus Dumbledore. Several moments of silence passed before Hermione chose to make her voice heard for the first time of the tale.
"That is why we are here," she clearly stated with resolve, "To train ourselves to defeat Voldemort once and for all." Lily looked at her with sparkling green eyes, the same ones Harry had often gazed upon her with, and smiled.
"We'll help anyway we can dear," she said wearily. James merely nodded his head in agreement. "We can't do much beyond give you advice, maybe tell you things that might come in handy."
"You can be there," Harry said with a smile dotting his own face. "All my life I've dreamed and prayed for a family...for parents who could say how much they loved me. No one actually said that they loved me and truly meant it until Sirius did in third year, and since then only Hermione...." he paused and grasped her hand, squeezing it for support. "Even if you're not here in the flesh, I still want you to be a part of my life, even as you are."
James smiled proudly at his son. "Harry, I'm sorry we were taken from you. It isn't fair what you were prophesized to do. But we gave our lives to protect you. And though it would appear that some tried to make that sacrifice in vain," his eyes steeled with resolve, "We'll make sure that their efforts are dealt with too."
Several more moments of silence passed, before Harry and Hermione stood up, each eager to visit later with Harry's parents as soon as they had something to eat. As they disembarked from the portrait hall, Hermione glanced back at Harry and saw him staring down at where his parent's photo was. She couldn't help but feel that she was intruding on a very private moment, though she silently wished, silently prayed, and silently hoped that she could find a new family with Harry's newly discovered one.
A/N: James and Lily will simply provide a sounding board at times for Harry and Hermione should they ever have personal problems. There's also another plot point that will involve them later, but they will not come back from the dead....just exist as wizarding portraits.
Caliban/Draco will probably dominate the action for the next few chapters, as Draco attempts to sort out the various complexities of his origins: Caliban will also have a nice father/son reunion with Dumbledore, so maybe you can see more of what makes him tick.