A/N: D'OH! Someone (thank you, alix33) pointed out a major gaff in the last chapter during the pregnancy scare scene, where Harry said there was no one he would want to start a family with. I have since changed that (here and at either portkey or ff.net, depending on wherever you're reading this at the moment) error and the corrected version is now the only version.
If I had to guess there's less than ten chapters left in this particular part of the trilogy, and then we'll move into "The Heir of LeFey", the second part of this series.
Just as an aside, I modeled the physical description of Lazarus after "Nicodemus" from The Secret of NIMH…the movie not the book.
Chapter 26: Biding Time
Sunlight slowly filtered in through Colin Creevey's shut eyelids. Acting on instinct alone, they slowly opened in response to this new intruder, and he blinked several times as the light nearly blinded him. He was disoriented for a moment, not sure where he was, but a lingering pain in the back of his head coupled with a burning sensation on his arm brought a rush of images into his mind.
He remembered running through the forest, shouting voices, unspeakable pain & cold piercing eyes that faded from a violet to a blue and back again with growing intensity. The flood of memories came at him like a vicious onslaught, and his psyche was overwhelmed. He let out a high-pitched wail of fear as he fully came back into consciousness, completely unaware of his surroundings.
He heard several steps from beyond a closed door, only to jump in fear when the doorway swung open. After a few moments he recognized the figures that stood in the doorway. He first saw, what at least appeared to be anyway, Harry Potter standing at the edge of the room. At the same time though, it didn't look like Harry at all. The figure had no glasses, had longer hair, and was generally better put together and taller than he had remembered from just a few weeks ago.
Next to him stood Hermione Granger, equally changed in terms of musculature and height. Both of them looked to be two or three years older than when Colin had last saw them. Still, he recognized them enough to confirm to himself at least that it was them. This was a fact compounded by the third figure in the doorway.
Ginny Weasley had always attracted Colin's fancy. Not only was she attractive, but she was about the only person in their year who didn't treat him as a tag-along to whatever else was going on. Yet seeing her now brought a mix of emotions to the forefront. Despite whatever other emotions there might be however, relief was chief among them.
"Where am I?" Colin finally asked, having gained control of his breathing for the moment.
"You're at the Burrow…" Ginny responded, walking closer to him and sitting down next to him on the bed. "You came stumbling in beaten half to death last night. How are you feeling? Are you hurt?" Colin did a mental check of himself, and hung his head in sadness.
"I suppose," he whispered, as the full force of his loss began to sink in. Tears began to well up in his eyes, and Ginny leaned forward and gave him a deep embrace, allowing him to cry on her shoulder. In the entryway to the room, Harry & Hermione intertwined their fingers, Hermione leaning her head onto Harry's shoulder and Harry silently wiping away her unshed tears.
They all stood this way for several moments while the gravity of the situation slowly passed over them. Finally Colin got his emotions under control, and backed away from Ginny, smiling at her in gratitude and fighting back more choked sobs. Harry took the time to move forward and sit down across from the bed, Hermione standing right behind him. Colin turned and looked at them, reading the unsaid question on the tips of their minds.
"I don't remember much of what happened," he confessed slowly, as he tried to recount what had happened the night before. "Dad had just gotten home from work. I…I was setting the table for dinner…I think. Dennis was helping mum…in any event we heard a loud explosion in the backyard, and there were five or six men who attacked us. Dad…dad tried to fight them off. He actually got one with one of his hunting rifles. I don't think he died though. I-I tried to fight them off, using what you taught me Harry but…I wasn't quick enough…I…" Colin leaned forward again, cradling himself as the tears threatened to overtake him once again. Harry placed a hand on his shoulder causing Colin to stare right up at him.
"Listen to me…this is not your fault Colin. You didn't kill your parents, or your brother, or anyone else. The Death Eaters did it." Colin let out a shudder and slowly nodded his head. He glanced down at his arm, hate and anger filling his face as he saw the mark carved into his arm. "Does that hurt?" Harry asked, pulling his arm forward.
"A little," Colin said blankly, his voice not wavering from emotion. Harry pulled out his wand and waved it over, trying to heal away the worst of the scarring. The mark faded away, but did not disappear completely. Still, it was only somewhat visible, much in the same way that Harry's own scar had diminished in light of events. "Thanks," Colin replied as he flexed his arm once Harry was finished. He got a far away look in his eyes, and he slowly walked over towards the window, staring outside and ignoring everyone else in the room. Sorrow mingled with anger as his emotions began to swirl around in his head. "I'm going to kill them," he growled under his breath. "I'm going to hunt them down and kill them all." Harry appeared to be momentarily taken back by this, having never really seen Colin this angry before. Even with his parents and brother dead, a small part of his mind told him that Colin couldn't be pushed to such bold statements of action.
Then again, he told himself, death could push a person to do practically anything. He vaguely recounted his first attempt to cast an unforgivable in the wake of his godfather's death and more recently using dark curses against death eaters and Caliban in response to the deaths of those close to the ones he loved.
"Maybe we should get some breakfast," Ginny said, causing everyone to nod in a solemn fashion. Ginny was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with all the talk of death and such, her own mother's death still very near to the surface. They all stood up and marched down the stairs to discuss things more at length over breakfast.
/ - / - / - /
Jeremy Lovegood was at a slight loss for words as he walked into Lazarus' office. What had happened last night when he had spoken with his daughter upon returning to his home was a bit of a quandary that he hadn't quite gotten over yet. He had expected her to report on whatever it was Potter was doing at the Burrow, and more importantly where he was staying at the time. Much to his frustration, she wouldn't budge, merely saying that she would be joining them wherever it was they were going for a day or so.
He was beginning to feel both frightened and excited from this independent streak in his daughter. He was excited because it was, for the first time in several generations, the beginnings of a chance for his family to break free of the oath that they had taken so many years ago. It frightened him because he didn't want his daughter to be the one to anger Lazarus. Though Jeremy was uncertain as to what powers the old man possessed fully, he had no doubt after learning of Lazarus' true origins that he was likely one of if not the most powerful wizard alive in the whole of Britain. Furthermore, he himself was duty bound by unbreakable oath to help Lazarus fulfill his ultimate goal: the complete execution of the prophecy of Merlin, by any means necessary.
He found said elder currently examining one of the many texts that lined the walls of his office, his yellow eyes darting this way and that as he scanned the ancient tome for whatever it was that he needed. Upon hearing Jeremy enter, Lazarus lifted his eyes from his book and smiled a toothless grin at his friend and counterpart.
"You're here rather late Jeremy," Lazarus noted, glancing up at the clock on the wall, "Or have I stayed too late? One can never tell with time." He set aside the book, ignoring it as it flew up to the top shelf on the wall and organized itself neatly into its pre-determined slot, and regarded Jeremy. "I trust you've had a chat with your daughter?" Jeremy internally winced at Lazarus' foresight into such matters.
"Yes," he mechanically replied, sitting down across from Lazarus and running a hand through his hair, "And I must say she was far less forthcoming with information than you would have liked."
Lazarus arched an eyebrow, and pulled a small flask out of his robes, taking a swig of the golden medicine before motioning for Jeremy to elaborate. "All she would say is that Harry was safe wherever he was, and that she was going to wherever it was he was staying in order to better train herself for the war to come." Lazarus stroked his chin, leaning back in his chair as he did so.
"And you didn't extract the information as I've instructed you to in the past," he matter of factly asked. Jeremy's face darkened considerably.
"I won't use legilimency on my own daughter, unbreakable vow or no. I refuse to cross that line." Lazarus smirked and raised his hands in defense.
"Now now, I was just rhetorically asking Jeremy. There's no need for you to get offended." Lazarus leaned forward a bit, clasping his hands in his lap and looking down at the floor. "Selene has become bonded with the young boy and his friends, that much is certain. Still, her loyalty is something we can use to our advantage." He stood up and walked towards the globe in the corner of the room, viewing a few of the lights that twinkled madly at various points all across its surface.
"What information do you have from our operative inside the Order?" Jeremy asked eager to change the subject.
"He spoke with Malcolm yesterday," Lazarus replied, moving back towards his desk. "Things are moving towards a final confrontation far more quickly than I would like. Not all the plans are in line for everything to move forward." He briefly contemplated the fireplace, before turning back towards Jeremy, "It is conceivable that we may have to swallow our pride and assist those that we have spurned in the past."
"You can't be serious," Jeremy yelled, outraged as he stared at his mentor.
"It is an unfortunate sacrifice we must make for the sake of the prophecy unfolding as it should."
"Did you ever stop to think that the reason the prophecy even exists is because you've kept its memory alive? It would have been lost to the ages years ago, and without it things may have turned out completely different!"
Lazarus looked a bit affronted, and glared straight at Jeremy. "You and I both know the consequences of what will happen to our world if the heir of Merlin never emerges. The Prophecy is very clear on this matter, if nothing else. The time of our world and the muggle world merging is drawing nearer every day Jeremy. With the progress that muggle technology and science is making, it is merely a matter of time before the statute of secrecy is broken." Lazarus allowed his magic to flow out of him unabated for a moment, causing the effect of Jeremy cowering back to the corner like a small mouse. "If we left things to Dumbledore, then our world would be left to its own devices. It's not like any type of merger could even touch him with the measures he has taken. And if left to Voldemort than the muggle world, and eventually ours, would be consumed by never-ending death and destruction. The only way to ensure a peaceful transition is for the heir of Merlin to come forward." He finished his long speech, taking a deep breath and another shot from his flask, allowing his magic to draw downwards from the imposing visage he had cast just moments ago. Jeremy shook himself clear and stood up, breathing deeply in relief.
"Of course you are right," he replied, "But in your attempts to ensure the Prophecy's fulfillment, do not allow yourself to become that which you stand against, as Voldemort and Dumbledore have."
"That is not a threat," Lazarus replied, sitting back down in his chair, "We will wait, then, until we receive another report from our operative in the Order. Then we shall decide what the next best course of action is."
/ - / - / - /
The silence was palpable at the Weasley breakfast table, as the assembled group slowly picked at their food, none of them feeling particularly hungry at the moment. Arthur glanced around the table, seeing the seriousness and somber looks on everyone's face, and offered as much of a chipper smile as he could.
"Molly always used to sing songs at the breakfast table when you two were younger," he reminisced, drawing everyone out of their stupor to stare at him. He got a far away look in his eyes as he stared against the wall, not really looking at anything. "She had a beautiful voice, kind of what I'd expect a siren to sound like." He laughed, glancing back down at his plate, allowing the memories to sit awash over the room.
"She would want us to remember these things," Ron said quietly, tossing his fork down onto his plate. "She would want us to remember the good times we had with her." Harry nodded his head, and felt Hermione's hand grip his strongly. He could almost feel a bit of grief ebbing away from her own parent's loss, though time had gone by from the incident.
Colin frowned as he leaned forward, no real show of emotion on his face as he looked down at the table and meekly joined in on the conversation. "It's hard to remember anything about my parents right now…or anything that's ever happened to me for that matter. It's all like one big blur right now." He paused and Harry regarded him for a moment.
"You'll be able to move on," Hermione said to all of them, "It's hard and it will take time, but things will get better. I promise you."
Ginny finally looked up from her plate and stared at Harry, "Whatever you guys want to do as far as the war is concerned, we'll support you. But the man who killed our mother…he's ours." Harry stared right back at Ginny, a frown pulling at his face.
"Don't think that killing someone is as simple as just pointing your wand as saying Avada Kedavra." Colin shuddered at the words, the memory still fresh in his mind. "It takes true hatred to cast that spell," Harry continued, "And it rips away a part of you, no matter how justified you are in killing someone…whether it's for revenge or for whatever other reason." Arthur cleared his throat, drawing Harry away from the beginnings of a tirade.
"Unforgivables should not be used lightly by anyone," he firmly stated. There was silence around the room as his words were taken to heart. They were interrupted by a loud rushing sound, and they all quickly went into the living room, wands drawn, their fears alleviated when they saw Neville emerging from the fireplace.
"Sorry to drop in on you," he sheepishly replied, dusting himself off from the trip. "Gran says it'd be good for me to go on this training exercise, especially since it'll only be a day as far as she's concerned. I didn't tell her about the time spell." Harry nodded.
"Glad to hear it Neville," he said, giving the wizard a firm pat on the back. There was another sound and the group turned to see Luna walking out of the emerald flames. She turned and looked at all of them, a few tears still apparent on the sides of her cheeks.
"Everything alright Luna?" Ron asked, moving a few feet towards her. Luna turned and regarded him for a second before shaking her head in response.
"No…father was just a little less than happy about me going to stay with you, even if it was only for a day." She wiped away her cheek and shrugged off everyone's concerned looks. "I'm fine, really." Harry noticed a small glow emitting from the pendant on her neck, and raised his hand towards it.
"What's that," he asked. Luna looked down at the pendant and arched an eyebrow.
"It's something that belonged to my mother. But it's never done that before, except for last night. Must be the Curly-Haired Vorthats in the air acting up again." Luna looked back up at everyone just staring at her and smiled. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's get to this house of yours Harry." Harry shook himself out of his stupor.
"Right then." He glanced around the room and found a small piece of parchment and wrote out the address of Potter Manor on it for everyone to see. "Pass that around and be sure to memorize it. You won't be able to see the house unless you do." Once the paper had been passed around the group a few times, it was handed back to Harry who promptly burned it. There was a quick visual check to make sure that the visitors had brought along an array of trunks and traveling bags, save for Colin who would have some of Harry's things magically shrunk down to fit him. Harry glanced around a bit more, settling on a poker next to the fire place as a proper object. He whipped out us wand and muttered, "Portus," under his breath, causing the poker to glow a bright blue and shake violently for a couple of seconds before falling still. "Grab hold of this, and be sure to keep that address in your mind." The group did as they were told; a few seconds later they all disappeared in a swirl of brilliant color and light.
Arthur Weasley sat staring at his now empty house, and gave a sad smile to no one in particular.
/ - / - / - /
The group was thoroughly impressed with Potter Manor, having been given a short tour by Harry & Hermione. They had been told they would all be sleeping on the third and second floors, since the house had more than enough space to accommodate them. They all had been shocked by the portrait of Harry's parents hanging high in the dining room, which for some reason brought a smile to Harry's face.
Once they had been settled in, they were all summoned to a central room in the basement. It hadn't taken Harry & Hermione as long to re-energize the runes and re-calibrate the temporal fields this time around, both due to having done it before and their increased experience having been through the time warp before. Everyone gathered together, assembling in a circle as Hermione directed them, Ginny between Colin & Neville on one side and Ron & Luna on the other. Harry & Hermione stood in the center.
"Once we do this, you'll be stuck here for 18 months," Harry explained one final time. "If any of you want to back out, this is your last chance."
"I've been with you two this far mate," Ron said with a small smile on his face, "You're barmy if you think I'm going to back out now."
"We owe you our lives Harry," Ginny added with a small tear out of the corner of her eye, "We're going to help you finish this."
"You both saw something in me that I didn't even see myself," Neville replied, "The least I can do is help you win this."
"It's fate," Luna whispered, causing Ron to look at her slightly before she caught herself. "I can't let the Austrian Warbles take over the magical world. So I'm in." Ron filed away the slip-up for later use.
"I have nothing else to live for," Colin said reflectively. He got a resolved look on his face as he nodded his head towards Harry.
"Alright then." Harry turned to Hermione, who smiled at him lovingly. They each took the others hand. "Raise your wands into the sky and repeat the incantation we taught you earlier. Everyone did as they were told.
"Tardus Tempus Duodeviginti Mensis!"
A/N: I was initially going to leave them in the time warp for six months, but this allows me for more character building development time, as I think I finally have a way of resolving some of the issues I've had trouble picturing in my own mind.
Arthur & Percy have their little moment in the next chapter, but we'll mostly deal with training for the particulars.