Author's Note
This year has seen me experience a bit of a health glitch (and yes that is a bit of an understatement *grins*) which has taken most of my time until recently. However - I'm seriously happy to be back at my keyboard at last. As always, extra-special thanks & love to Kirsti, and an extra-special "g'day" to Timbo, Holly and Chuck - heaps of hugs to all of you, you guys are the best. Janie xoxo
SORCERERS' NOOK
By JanieB
TWELFTH INTERLUDE
Exultation thrummed through her veins so fiercely she thought it might tear her apart. She was standing on a narrow strip of clearing that ran alongside a river, a river like no other she'd ever seen. It was darkly beautiful, and she could sense a vast, restrained power in its depths as it surged slowly past her.
Master! I have found you! The words reverberated triumphantly in her mind.
And I, you, Beloved Daughter.
The woman sank to the ground, overcome by the exquisite ecstasy that filled her at hearing those words.
I beg you Master, please tell me how you were able to return -
Daughter, you need not beg for the knowledge that is rightfully yours. You know, of course, of the destruction of my last chosen one, he whom you knew as Lord Voldemort. The bond between us was, without exception, stronger than I had known with any previous chosen one; he became an integral part of me and though it grieves me to acknowledge it, great as he was, yet still he was beset with arrogant pride and despite all he had, with greed; it was these flaws, these weaknesses, that eventually brought about his downfall.
Bonded as we were, his defeat almost annihilated me. A diminished remnant was all that remained of each of us, relegated to a rudimentary existence here, within the Dark Realm, and here we remained, nourished by the River of Shadows until we became strong enough to merge, though that merging altered us in ways that even I do not yet fully understand. Even now, I must return often to the River of Shadows in order to maintain myself and to ensure that my strength continues to increase. With your help, Daughter, the day that I will be able to walk this earth with my own feet will come sooner than I had hoped.
Ask what you will, Master, and I will gladly do it.
The woman felt another wave of ecstasy wash through her as the Dark One's voice again rang in her head.
You are my Beloved Daughter, the Chosen Once, my First Disciple. Do you pledge, without reserve, your life, and those of your minions, first and last, to my eternal service?
I do!
And so you shall sit in the place of honour, and you shall be seated on a throne as befits your station. If you speak, it shall be as though I have spoken, and none shall gainsay you.
With tears streaming down her face and suffused with rapture so potent it was almost agony to bear, Annice Nott drew herself to her feet, her arms extended in front of her, palms up, in supplication.
Thank you, Master! My life is yours to command.
Come, Daughter, we return to the Cave of the Lake.
Annice felt herself falling into darkness, yet she was not afraid; it was the same sensation she'd experienced when the Dark One had brought her to stand by the River of Shadows. Mere seconds passed, or so it seemed, then she felt herself rising from the lake, although no water touched her. She floated for a moment before her feet came to rest on the small island of smooth rock that sat in the centre of the lake. As her feet touched the flat, dark stone, she gasped, her gaze following seven shallow steps carved into the rock; they lead to a large square black stone dais, atop which sat an elaborately carved, ivory-coloured throne-like chair; whatever substance the chair was carved from emanated a ghostly glow, casting strange, unmoving shadows around the vast cavern.
Master? Her voice was a tremulous question.
For you, my Daughter. Be seated, and we shall talk some more.
Grasping the front of her robes with one hand, Annice lifted them clear of her feet as she walked up the stairs, her heart in her mouth. She turned when she reached the chair, but did not sit.
You honour me beyond anything I deserve, Master, she said humbly, her head bowed.
I do honour you, Daughter, but no less than you deserve, and you will continue to earn such honour through doing my bidding.
Annice sat then, her fingers tracing the strange carvings in the arms of the chair.
Tell me your bidding, Master, so that I can do it.
She felt a trickle of fear as the black waters of the lake suddenly roiled violently.
REVENGE!
That one word rang with such rage and frustration, such a depth of hatred and fury, she was afraid it would freeze her very bones. She sat silently, waiting.
The black waters settled once more into their unnatural stillness.
Revenge, my Daughter, for the defeat and near destruction of myself and my Chosen One!
And then she understood.
You seek revenge against Harry Potter, Master.
Yes, Daughter, came the pleased reply.
Annice smiled.
I was happy and proud to dedicate my life to the Dark Lord when I was a child. Then I chose to dedicate my life to learning all I could of the Dark Lord himself and doing whatever was necessary to achieve revenge for his destruction. Now I dedicate all the rest of my days to you, Master. Tell me what it is you wish me to do, and it will be done.
She closed her eyes, the smile still on her lips, and began to listen...
*
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
In which Hermione delivers an informative summary…
`Come on, let's go for a walk,' said Harry, clasping Hermione's hand in his. In silent accord, they turned away from the cottage, leaving the barely-there path trodden through the grass earlier, and made their way towards the stream. Beneath the old greying willow, its vast, spreading canopy creating a cool, dim leafy haven by the banks of the stream, and with his arm around Hermione's shoulders, Harry drew out his wand and conjured a cushioned bench for them to sit on. Once seated, his arm still around Hermione, Harry took her free hand in his and asked gently, `You're sure you're all right?'
Hermione smiled up at him reassuringly as she replied. `I was shocked by what was in that letter - and then looking up and seeing the expression on Neville's face caught me off-guard - but I'm fine now.'
Harry grinned, `So which was more disturbing - the letter or Neville's expression?'
Hermione returned the grin, recognising Harry's attempt at momentary lightness; then her expression became solemn as she answered, `The letter.'
Harry sighed and nodded, his expression mirroring Hermione's. `I think Robards is right, I think we should do what he says.'
`I do too, and I have an idea,' Hermione said, and told him her thoughts.
`Excellent idea, as always Miss Granger,' Harry told her when she'd finished. `So that's one thing settled; what about Neville?'
Hermione sighed. `I'm sure Neville would be mortified if I tried to talk to him about it - and I don't really want to do that, anyway; I truly believe it was an unintentional slip on his part. I think the best thing to do is to just pretend I didn't notice anything. What do you think?'
`Yeah, I think you're right - but he'd better make sure he doesn't make a habit of looking at you like that.'
Harry's tone of voice, while not severely harsh, was firmly uncompromising, and Hermione felt his grip on both her shoulder and her hand momentarily tighten as he gazed down at her.
Meeting his gaze, Hermione said softly, `If he could see the look on your face right now, I'm positive he'd never look at me like that again, accidentally or otherwise.'
`Good,' said Harry, his voice roughened by a swift, unexpected rush of desire. With a shaky sigh, Hermione released Harry's hand and lifted her fingers, brushing them across his lips, her eyes holding an unmistakeable invitation. Rendered speechless by a sudden surge of longing, Harry was only able to drop his head and cover Hermione's mouth with his, all other thoughts becoming inconsequential and melting away in the heat of their kiss...
*
When Harry and Hermione returned to the cottage about twenty minutes later, it was to find Toby had been at work once more: the dining table was gone and everyone was now seated in a comfortable array of armchairs set in a rough semi circle around the fireplace. All eyes had been focused on Dean as Harry and Hermione walked in, Dean's voice commanding everyone's attention as he read through the list drawn up by Toby. Hermione felt a momentary flicker of concern that perhaps they may have missed something, but at the sound of Harry closing the door, everyone realised they'd returned and Dean stopped speaking as all eyes turned to them.
`Oh good, you're back,' said Dean. `I only just started -' he gave the list a quick, indicative wave, `- and to be honest, Hermione, I think we're going to need your historical knowledge to make sense of this. Come and sit down,' he finished, indicating the two vacant armchairs to his left.
Hermione smiled and nodded at Dean as Verity's concerned voice came from above the fireplace, `Is everything all right?' She rather thought Hermione and Harry both looked a little flushed.
As he and Hermione took their seats - neither failing to notice that Neville had taken a seat on the other side of the group - Harry smiled as he nodded to Verity and Emrys, pulled his chair closer to Hermione's and said, `Fine, thanks. So, let's get back to Dean's list.'
`Let's hope there's something in here that will help,' said Dean. `I was just reading the list as Toby's written it; he literally copied what was written on each of those little bottles - luckily they're all numbered, which we assume means they're in chronological order. Some of the labels have dates, but most don't, just names.'
`How many are there?' asked Hermione.
Ginny, seated on Dean's other side, leant forward and said, `Seventy six - can you believe it? How on earth are we going to know which ones should be looked at?'
`And is it possible for all of us to look at them at the same time?' asked Esmerelda, sitting between Ginny and Neville.
`Harry? Do you know?' asked Hermione.
Harry shrugged. `I'm not sure,' he said, `but since Dumbledore and I were both able to look at Slughorn's memory, I guess it's possible for more than one person at a time to view them. I don't know if there's any limit - we'll just have to try it.'
`Does everyone want to look? Do we all need to look?' asked Esmerelda, sounding almost as though she was thinking aloud.
`Dean?' asked Ginny, `What do you think?'
Dean shrugged. `It doesn't worry me if everyone here wants to look. I mean,' he turned to look at Harry, `you don't get hurt or anything, do you?'
Harry shook his head. `No, it seems to you as though you're there, but you're not - you're just watching. You're not part of it; you don't affect it in any way. And the memory is exactly the same every time you look at it: it never changes. It's as though you're completely invisible.'
`Perhaps,' suggested Emrys, `you should decide which of those titles sounds more likely to give us information we need - sort of a shortlist if you will - and then just look at those.'
`Actually,' came Neville's diffident voice, `wouldn't it be best if just Harry, Hermione and Dean dealt with this? And perhaps it'd be even better if tonight they just decided which memories may be relevant - that shortlist - and then view them tomorrow morning after a good night's sleep?'
There was a thoughtful silence as everyone considered Neville's suggestion.
Emrys broke the silence, Verity nodding as Emrys murmured, `Waiting until tomorrow after a good night's sleep is a very sensible suggestion, Neville.'
Verity added, `Surely no harm would be done if you and Ginny wanted to look at the memories as well, Neville. I know I certainly would, if I could,' she finished longingly.
Dean looked at Ginny inquiringly. `Would you like to see, too?' he asked her quietly.
`I would, actually, if that's all right,' she replied.
Dean smiled at her then to Harry and Hermione. `So, the four of us, you agree?'
Harry and Hermione both agreed, then Harry leant forward and directed his question to Esmerelda and Neville. `Do either of you want to view them too? I mean there's really no reason why you shouldn't be included, too, if it's possible.'
Esmerelda smiled and shrugged. `Well, I don't really mind not joining in; I am curious, but then I'm happy to leave this - exploring - to you young ones and hear about it all later at Hogwarts.'
As Esmerelda spoke, Neville was trying desperately to decide whether he should include himself or not. He did want to view the memories with the others, although he couldn't help but feel a little awkward; despite the fact that Hermione appeared not to have noticed anything earlier, he wasn't very confident that she'd missed his expression - he actually thought it was almost impossible for her to have done so. He was also pretty certain he'd been the subject of some discussion during Harry and Hermione's walk. Still, he thought, if she did catch me out, at least she's being decent enough to spare me a lot of embarrassment by ignoring it. Perhaps I should...
`Neville?' Harry's voice broke into his thoughts and Neville shook his head as though to clear it.
`Well, I really would like to be included, if it's no trouble.'
Neville was sure he saw a momentary flash of something he couldn't put a name to in Harry's eyes, but then Harry's lopsided grin was in place and he was saying, `No trouble at all. So, the five of us, tomorrow morning, my flat, if that's okay?'
`What time?' asked Dean.
`Eight o'clock, if that's all right with everyone?' replied Harry.
After everyone assured him that the time was fine, Harry looked at Hermione as he continued, `Now that that's settled, you should know that we'll need to talk to you all about more than the memories and viewing them in the morning. Hermione and I discussed this during our walk -'
`Talk to us about what?' interrupted Dean with an inquisitive frown.
`Well,' said Hermione, `you know about the letter Harry received from the Head Auror, Gawain Robards; it contained some -'
`Unsettling news,' put in Verity.
Hermione nodded, `Yes, very unsettling news. That's what we need to talk to you about - that, and a few other things, too. And we need to put them all in some order so we can explain it at the meeting tomorrow night as well. So if we could get through this list as quickly as possible, Harry and I need to get home and start on the, erm...'
`Summary?' Harry supplied.
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.
`Summary, it is,' she agreed.
Ginny groaned. `I hate waiting to find out stuff!' she complained.
`I know exactly how you feel, Ginevra,' sniffed Verity.
`Then how about we distract ourselves with the shortlist of the memories?' said Dean, smiling at Ginny who rolled her eyes and returned his smile.
`Excellent suggestion, Dean,' said Verity briskly as she straightened in her chair and looked down at everyone with a reproving frown, although there was an amused twinkle in her eye, `so come on you lot, let's get on with it - we haven't got all night!'
Emrys rolled his eyes then, making everyone laugh before they settled down to their task.
*
Harry came fully awake with a reluctant groan the next morning; he'd first stirred to the feel of Hermione snuggled up to his back, soft and warm and inviting, but as she lifted her head to peer at the clock, what she saw had her exclaim loudly before leaping out of bed, pulling the duvet off him as she did so.
`Hermione! What's the hurry?' he complained, trying to drag the duvet back over himself.
`Harry! It's half past seven! Get up! Now! We've slept in!' The last few words came from the ensuite bathroom, followed by the sound of the shower being turned on.
Crookshanks wandered in as Harry, throwing back the retrieved duvet, got to his feet, stretching and yawning. Looking at Harry, he miaowed in what sounded like a greeting and a query about breakfast rolled into one.
Harry picked his glasses up from the bedside table and put them on, giving Crookshanks a disgruntled look. `We'll be lucky to be fed, you know,' he grumbled, `we're late, and you know what -' he jerked his head in the direction of the bathroom, `- she's like when she's late.'
Giving him a flat look that Harry was certain meant the ginger cat held him personally responsible for this untenable situation, Crookshanks turned and, with an annoyed flick of his tail, walked out of the room.
`I know just how you feel,' he murmured under his breath as he turned and waved his hand to set the pillows to plumping themselves and the duvet to shake itself out.
`Harry? You up?' The sound of Hermione's voice was accompanied by the click of the shower recess door opening and a cloud of steam billowing from the bathroom.
Harry grinned as, with a few large strides, he moved across the room and walked into the steamy ensuite. Hermione squealed as his hands found her and he pulled her to him.
`Harry!' she protested, struggling to keep the towel she'd wrapped around herself in place. `We're late!'
Bending to nuzzle the warm, moist skin of her neck, his hands finding her bare shoulders, Harry murmured, `I'm just saying good morning.'
Hermione moaned softly as she protested, `Harry, please - we can't -'
`"Please?" "We can't?"' His hands slid down her back, taking her towel with them before wrapping his arms around her. `Bit contradictory - sounds to me as if you can't make up your mind.'
Hermione squirmed, reaching up to grasp Harry's shoulders, pushing in an attempt to escape his embrace. She was no match for Harry's strength, however, and found herself pressed against him, very aware of the hardness of his bare chest, the feel of his arms around her and the heat of his lips as they continued their assault on the sensitive skin of her neck.
`Harry, please stop,' gasped Hermione, not sounding at all as though she meant it, her hands now holding tightly onto Harry's shoulder, her head falling back. Then suddenly the exquisite feel of Harry's lips on her skin was gone and he was grinning down at her, his green eyes aglow with equal amounts of desire and amusement.
`Right away, since you said "please"...' he told her.
Hermione was only able to glare at him for a moment before laughing.
`You rat!' she exclaimed, giving him a playful slap on the arm.
Harry kissed her then, long and hard, leaving her breathless. When he lifted his head and looked down at her, he said softly, `Whatever else happens, what do you think about you and I making tomorrow night a night for us? To do whatever we want?'
`Promise?' whispered Hermione.
`Promise,' replied Harry.
Reaching up, Hermione gave him a soft, lingering kiss. `It's a date then. Now, we'd better get moving!'
`And you'd better put something on quick-smart, or I won't be responsible for my actions,' Harry told her with a wicked grin, his eyes roaming hungrily over her.
`You just get in the shower quick-smart and I'll make something for breakfast,' Hermione told him with a grin, quickly picking up her towel and wrapping it around her. She paused in the doorway and smiled at him over her shoulder as her gaze swept him from top to bottom and back again. `And looks as though you'd better make that a cold shower,' she said with a mischievous grin, before darting away from Harry's playful grab for her.
Hermione dressed quickly, then made her way to the kitchen, smiling to herself as she set about making some tea and toast. Once the kettle was set to boil and the toast was cooking, she put some dry food and milk - which she warmed with her wand - in Crookshanks' bowls, giving him a quick pat as she said apologetically, `Sorry Crookshanks, but we're running late this morning.' Giving Hermione a patient, long suffering look, Crookshanks rose from his basket and stretched languorously before moving to eat his breakfast.
The kettle called out, `Boiling hot!' as Harry emerged from the hallway and Hermione dashed back to the kitchen.
`At least I was wrong about breakfast,' Harry told Crookshanks as he bent down to give him a good morning scratch behind the ears.
`What are you talking about?' asked a puzzled Hermione as she quickly buttered some toast.
`Oh, nothing,' said Harry as he joined her and began spreading some jam on the buttered toast.
They hadn't quite finished eating when the faint sound of footsteps and voices and reached them.
Harry waved his hand and the front door swung open, just as Dean appeared in the hallway outside, Ginny right behind him.
`Come in!' called Harry. `We're just finishing breakfast.'
As Dean and Ginny walked in, Neville came into view and followed them, everyone wishing each other good morning, Hermione asking if anyone wanted a cup of tea or toast.
`Thanks Hermione, but I had breakfast at the Burrow,' said Dean, rubbing his stomach with a smug grin.
`He's as bad as Ron,' laughed Ginny, `he ate enough for three! Mum loved it!'
`I'm right too, thanks, and I've already had a couple of cups of tea,' said Neville, laughing at the mock look of deep insult Dean was giving Ginny.
`I wouldn't mind some coffee, though,' said Dean.
`Actually, we'd better get started,' said Hermione, waving her wand to set the kitchen to tidying itself up and picking up a sheaf of parchment sheets from the bench, `so why don't we take our tea with us and make coffee at Harry's?'
They crossed the hall to Harry's flat, Ginny going to the kitchen to make coffee for herself and Dean. Harry took a moment to talk softly with Hedwig, back from her night's hunting, before she tucked her head under her wing to sleep. Hermione, Dean and Neville made themselves comfortable on the u-shaped lounge, Hermione in the middle, Neville on the left arm of the u, Dean on the right.
Once Harry was sitting with Hermione, and Ginny and Dean had their coffee, Dean called for Toby as arranged the previous evening, and the elf appeared with a prompt crack, carrying the box of crystal vials with the Pensieve sitting on top, both wrapped in the same dull, grey cloth. Dean jumped up quickly to help as he noticed the house-elf staggering under the weight of his burden.
`Thanks, Toby,' said Dean, lifting the Pensieve, `we'll put them on the coffee table.'
With a wide smile, Toby said, `Good morning, Master Dean! Toby is very happy to see you again.'
Dean grinned at the cheerful house-elf. `Thank you, Toby, I'm very happy to see you, too.'
Toby carefully unwrapped firstly the Pensieve and then the velvet box, releasing the tarnished silver clasp and opening the lid. The crystal vials within shimmered with the same bright light as they'd done previously.
`Well, that's all we need. Thanks, Toby,' said Dean, pulling a parchment from his pocket. `I'll call you again when we've finished so we can put these back.'
Toby said farewell to everyone before Disapparating, leaving Dean to resume his place beside Ginny, the shortlist of memories they'd worked on the previous night in his hand. Turning to Hermione, Dean said, `Now, Hermione, that summary of yours you told us about last night: you're ready to go?'
Harry smiled to himself at Dean's words; he and Hermione had stayed up for hours after arriving home the previous night - the reason why they'd slept in - making notes for just this moment.
`Before we start,' said Hermione, `we'll need you to sign a special security document which Gawain Robards included with his letter. The Minister has said that everyone who's attending the meeting at Hogwarts tonight is to sign this as a security measure; by doing so, we will all be magically prevented from revealing anything we talk about here this morning or at the meeting tonight, except to others who have signed the same document. Harry and I have already signed it and the Minister has requested we return it to him as soon as possible, so please read it, then sign it -' with a wave of her hand, Hermione indicated the quills and ink she'd earlier placed on the coffee table, `and then pass it back to me.'
Hermione passed the document to Neville, agreeing when he suggested he read it out to save time; he emitted a low whistle when he'd finished reading. `It seems to me that this is more about keeping the information safe, than anything else.'
`Spot on,' Dean agreed, then turned to look at Harry and Hermione who nodded in unison.
`It is,' said Harry, `but it's very necessary at the moment. There are things Hermione is going to tell you that are classified at the highest level by the Ministry, things that could prove dangerous to know. Unless we know that knowledge is secure, we can't afford to pass it on to you.'
Neville, Ginny and Dean all exchanged rather shocked glances.
`Dangerous to know? Seriously?' queried Ginny.
`Only if you fall into unscrupulous hands and they try to pry it out of you,' said Harry with a lopsided grin, endeavouring to lighten the moment.
`Oh,' said Ginny quietly. `But then if they can't get it out of us, what will happen?'
`We don't plan on ever finding that out,' said Hermione quietly, but firmly.
A solemn silence fell as Neville, Dean and Ginny signed the document in turn before it was handed back to Hermione, who smiled at them reassuringly as she sat up straight, reminding Harry of an eager young Hermione at Hogwarts, sitting at her desk.
`Now, so much has happened over the last few weeks and with nearly everyone finding out about all that's been happening from various sources and at different times, it would help to summarise the relevant events before we explore these memories. This really is a rehearsal for the meeting tonight at Hogwarts, and later I'll be adding a rundown on what we find in the memories today. Just for you three, I've made a copy of a letter I thought it best you read for yourselves, if you'd pass these along,' said Hermione, as she handed two rolled sheets of parchment to Harry (who kept one and passed the other to Neville) and then stretched across to hand two to Dean, for himself and Ginny. `Best not to read it just yet, I'll let you know when you should - it'll make more sense if you read it in context,' finished Hermione as she took some folded parchment from her pocket.
When Hermione fell silent, everyone wriggled about in their seats a little to make themselves as comfortable as possible, Ginny lifting her legs and curling them beneath her, Dean stretching his long legs out in front of him, as did Harry and Neville; Hermione unfolded her notes and began to speak once more.
Hermione's Summary
Even though we didn't learn of many of the events I'll be recounting in the order they actually happened, I've done my best to put them in chronological order, which I hope will make it easier to follow. And while some things may not seem relevant at first, everything I'll be telling you has a part, even if only a small one, in the overall story.
So, about three weeks ago now, Harry told me about an Auror named Cleaver who had been injured by a very old curse. The wizard who had cursed Cleaver was known to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and had been wanted since before Voldemort's return, but he'd always been too quick and clever to be caught. To the department's surprise, however, they captured him shortly after his attack on Cleaver, finding him drunk and disorientated. After asking me a week later if I'd heard of "the Dark One", Harry told me that during routine interrogation, this wizard told them the Dark One was "inside his head", making him do things against his will and had begged to be Obliviated; he also begged to be given enough whisky at night to make him drunk enough so he wouldn't suffer the nightmares he believed were a product of his contact with the Dark One's mind. I did have a vague memory of having seen or heard the name, "the Dark One", at some point since I'd been working for the department, and after hearing this, I decided to research the Dark One in earnest.
The same night Harry was telling me about this, Ginny was having a meeting over drinks with a work colleague of hers, Oscar Blakely - yes, the murdered wizard - and during this meeting, a friend of Blakely's spotted them and sat with them for a short while. Blakely introduced him as Malcolm Rafferty, although Ginny recognised him straight away; he was, in fact, Draco Malfoy, a wanted Death Eater. Before he left, Malfoy made a comment to the effect that disciples of the Dark One didn't associate with blood traitors - meaning Ginny, of course; here was yet another mention of the Dark One.
The next day, Harry showed me a letter that had been slipped in with a bundle of others he'd received from well-wishers. A copy of that letter is what I've given you, and although you all heard it read out at Hogwarts, I thought it would help if you could read it for yourselves now.
The Disciples of the Dark One are rejoicing for they have at last found the Enemy.
You, Harry Potter, are the Enemy.
You committed an unforgivable act: You vanquished the First Disciple of the Dark One, and in doing so, condemned the Dark One to the Abyss.
Through the devotion of his Disciples, the Dark One has been resurrected, and now retribution can be exacted from you.
We, the Disciples of the Dark One, inform you thus so that when firstly, those close to you die and at the last, you die, you will know at whose hand and why.
Retribution begins.
The rustle of parchment was only the only sound for a minute or two as everyone read the letter, murmuring to themselves quietly as they did so. This letter, as you know, continued Hermione, was the reason you all received that warning from us that you were in danger; it was also the reason for that first meeting at Hogwarts. As Neville, Dean and Ginny finished reading, they looked up at Hermione, their expressions grim, all three speaking at once; Hermione held up her hand to silence them. I know you'd like to talk about it now, but please let me finish, then we can discuss everything; there's a lot to get through. With resigned nods, they all sat back to continue listening.
The next morning, Harry and I came downstairs to Floo to the Ministry, I left first, and afterwards, Verity and Emrys spoke to Harry for the first time, asking him for his help in retrieving a book. We came to know in the course of the next few weeks that this book was in fact the Riley family's Book of Records, entrusted to Verity and Emrys's care by Dean's father, Alexander Riley, during the first war with Voldemort. Esmerelda had found the book hidden in her office and gave it to me; I took it to work and placed it in the department's Armarium for safekeeping. For those of you who don't know, an Armarium is a wizard safe in which you can securely store magical items.
Harry and I spent that day in the library searching for any references to the Dark One and his Disciples, but found very little aside from a mention of a Book of Records, believed to be in the possession of the Riley family, that apparently held first hand accounts of many Dark battles as well as significant information about the Dark One. It was also during that day you all received your letters of warning and an invitation to the meeting at Hogwarts, and I sent a memo to Magical Law Enforcement asking for information on Malfoy, his alter ego, Rafferty, and Oscar Blakely.
That afternoon, Harry left before me, as I wanted to stay and catch up on some of my work I'd neglected to do because of this research. When Harry arrived home, Esmerelda was waiting for him; she seemed rather upset and told Harry she needed to speak to him, asking him to come to her office. She left and it was then that the Leighs - Verity and Emrys - told him they'd spoken to Esmerelda and so they knew that she'd given the book to me. Before following Esmerelda to her office, Harry briefly explained to them that the book was being held in the Armarium and was quite safe. When he joined Esmerelda in her office, she told him the Leighs had earlier spoken to her for the first time; what had really distressed her though, was that they'd told her the book had originally been given to them by a wizard named Alexander Riley. It was then she told Harry that Alexander Riley had murdered her father and had disappeared afterwards, escaping conviction for his crime.
When I arrived home that evening, Emrys and Verity also spoke to me for the first time, telling me they wished the book to be returned to them, as it was their responsibility and had been taken without their permission; they also explained that the Dark Magic Esmerelda had sensed came from the records contained in the book, and that Dark Magic hadn't been used in its' creation.
The next day, Harry and I continued looking for books and parchments that contained references to the Dark One, but after finding yet another mention of Dean's book, we decided to remove it from the Armarium and take a look at it. However, before we could do so, I received an urgent memo saying that Neville was at the Ministry and needed to see me. On the way to Magical Research, Harry and I met up with Professor McGonagall and the Minister who, since they'd come to see us, joined us to go and see Neville. When we arrived at Magical Research, it was to find that someone was impersonating Neville - an unfortunate Muggle named Arthur Fuller, who collapsed and died shortly afterwards. We have no doubts that he was another victim of the Dark One, murdered because he'd failed to kill me.
The sound of quick, indrawn breaths punctuated Hermione's words and she glanced up momentarily in acknowledgement.
It was after this incident that Professor McGonagall strongly suggested we bring the meeting at Hogwarts forward a few days. Harry and I naturally agreed and we then went back to the library, both feeling that it was more important than ever that we find information on the Dark One. After I quickly retrieved the Book of Records from the Armarium, we read a chapter in it titled, "My Family", written by Alexander Riley, Dean's dad. It was an account of the last few months of his life as an Auror on the run from Voldemort and his Death Eaters; he'd left his family for the sole purpose of keeping them safe, certain the Death Eaters would come after him and leave them alone.
Alexander's last entry was made after Harry had defeated Voldemort, during that time before all the remaining Death Eaters were rounded up, while they were still killing and torturing innocent witches and wizards - and even Muggles - in revenge for Voldemort's destruction. Some Death Eaters had tracked Alexander down here at the Nook, and because he was tired of running and hiding, he decided to fight them. He fought valiantly, but he was outnumbered and as we all know, the Death Eaters allowed a Dementor who had accompanied them to perform the Kiss on him. The Death Eaters left Alexander for dead, not giving a thought to his house-elf, Toby, who took it upon himself to care for his beloved master, keeping him hidden in the cottage in Hewett's Field, here in Ambling Row. And as we now know, Verity and Emrys - Hermione smiled up at the elderly couple, noticing Verity surreptitiously wipe a tear from her cheek - who had befriended Alexander, helped Toby as much as they could in the years since, until Alexander's final death last week. Esmerelda now knows that Alexander was innocent and that her father, Hugo, was murdered by those same Death Eaters that killed Alexander.
That day I also received a reply to my memo from Magical Law Enforcement; it said that Draco Malfoy was still on the wanted wizards list, although his whereabouts were unknown and they knew nothing about a Malcolm Rafferty, nor did they have records for an Oscar Blakely, all of which we both thought was out of character for a department that is normally very thorough. As it turned out, they did know about Malfoy as Rafferty and about Blakely's acquaintance with him. It was just after the meeting at Hogwarts that Blakely was found dead. The department has pieced together what they think may possibly have happened, based on interviews with the people involved, although we'll probably never know for certain. Blakely worked with Ginny at Witch Weekly, and from the beginning, they never really got along. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the sound of Ginny's muted "hmmph!". They had, however, made a truce, if a rather shaky one; so it appears as though Blakely's final fight with Ginny was actually orchestrated by him, with the specific intention of getting her to quit her job. Now we can only speculate: since Blakely was involved with Malfoy, who we know to be one of the Dark One's Disciples, we believe it's safe to assume that Blakely had been ordered to either kill or kidnap Ginny as part of the Dark One's retribution against Harry. However, we believe he had second thoughts about committing murder, and that's why he engineered that fight; of course, what he didn't realise is that someone like the Dark One wouldn't accept as an excuse the mere fact that the intended victim had quit her job and wasn't as easily accessible. So Blakely was murdered, although we're still not sure by whom.
Of course, the other murder we know of is Colin's. Hermione hesitated; she still felt an awful bleak sadness when she thought of Colin and had no doubt it was the same for everyone else. It was supposed to be Ron that went to lunch that day - Ron that was supposed to die. But as fate would have it, Ron couldn't go and so Colin stood in for him. The Disciple that killed Colin had been ordered to kill Ron. We know this because that Disciple broke Colin's wand and wrapped it in a note, a note that stated plainly Ron had been the intended victim and that next time he would be.
As she paused once more, Hermione felt Harry's hand settle gently for a moment on her shoulder in silent understanding, and after giving him a grateful smile, she continued.
During our second look at the Book of Records the next day, Harry and I actually viewed two of the chapters, a rather intriguing method which Harry tells me is almost identical to viewing a memory in a Pensieve. From these viewings we learnt a number of things, namely that the Duke of Dorset, Edmar, was the first Chosen One in a long, continuing line that ended, if only temporarily, with Voldemort's downfall. What I can now also tell you is that Cynric, the wizard we saw murdered by Edmar, is the earliest known descendant of the Riley family - of Dean's family, and it was his memory we viewed. It was Cynric's brother, Oswyn, who created the Book of Records after his brother's death, with the help of Cynric's widow, Edlyn; a book that has revealed itself to be an invaluable historical source on many levels. But the only history we're interested in right now is that of the Dark One. Oswyn Riley made it his life's work to collect and record as much information as possible on Edmar and his master, the Dark One. Through the Book of Records, he charged his descendants with the responsibility of doing the same in respect to the Dark One and his Chosen Ones.
During one of these viewings, we also learnt of the Dark Realm, through which runs the Dead River, or the River of Shadows as it's also known. This river is connected to the lake within the cave, the cave to which Professor Dumbledore took Harry, believing one of Voldemort's Horcruxes was hidden there. This cave is where, today, the Dark One's disciples reside, where they commune, for the want of a better word, with their master. We have learnt more of what goes on inside that cave, what the Dark One's disciples do, through an exceptionally clever and outstandingly brave Auror who is actually working under cover as a disciple.
Hermione looked up, seeing, as she'd expected, three identical expressions of mingled surprise and intense interest.
What I'm about to tell you next is the main reason for the department requiring us all to sign that security document. It is imperative that this Auror's position and the information he passes on remains completely confidential; his life depends on it and so may ours.
During a meeting with Gawain Robards, an Auror, and two LEOs - Law Enforcement Officers - Harry and I were told about the Department using Malfoy as "guide", that his movements and contacts provided them with valuable information and even new sources. This was why he was still at large, despite the Department knowing of his whereabouts as well as his pseudonym. However, things changed the night the two LEOs followed Malfoy when he Disapparated to the cave entrance. Hermione looked up and smiled grimly at their sceptical expressions. I know, it's impossible to follow someone when they Disapparate, but the Department does have a way to do so - it's a closely guarded secret. They were only able to follow Malfoy to a certain point though, and weren't able to gain access to the actual cave itself. Nevertheless, his every movement to and from the cave was followed from that time onwards.
It was during this time that Auror D was working undercover on a case and often came across Malfoy. Malfoy made certain boastful claims which Auror D believed warranted further investigation and so he ingratiated himself with Malfoy. He found out about the cave and the disciples - of whom Malfoy was one - disciples who served a master greater than Voldemort, according to Malfoy. The Auror then managed to convince Malfoy to take him to the cave, Malfoy believing Auror D wanted to join the disciples. On his second trip to the cave with Malfoy, Auror D was taken before the First-Disciple-To-Be and was accepted as a Novice Disciple; unfortunately, he wasn't able to identify the First-Disciple-To-Be as he always wore a Cloak of Concealment.
A week after his acceptance as a Novice Disciple, Auror D managed to make a report in person to his Department Head and this is why Gawain Robards wrote to Harry yesterday. The main things Auror D told Robards were that Lucius Malfoy was the First-Disciple-To-Be, that both he and his son, Draco, had been murdered by the Dark One and that a witch named Annice Nott was now the First Disciple. We have no more details at this point, although we feel it's safe to assume that Annice Nott is related to the Death Eater who was present in the graveyard when Voldemort regained his body - in our fourth year at Hogwarts.
Hermione took a deep breath and smiled around at everyone.
That brings us up to date everyone. Her gaze moved to the Pensieve waiting on the coffee table. And now we can only hope that viewing these memories will give us enough information to destroy the Dark One...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note
Good news - the Thirteenth Interlude and Chapter Twenty Eight are almost "done and dusted" and will be up soon!
-->