Chapter 8 - Preparation & Portraits
Hermione glanced at the clock for about the twentieth time since Harry had left and inwardly cursed - the hands seemed to be moving backwards such was the slowness with which the time was passing. She was worried sick and kept having to force images of a murdered Harry from penetrating her thoughts.
Ron had tried to keep her distracted by - well, by being Ron if she was honest with herself. He had bombarded her with questions about her new relationship with Harry and while she felt it was really none of his business, she was glad to have something to take her mind off the waiting.
'So you finally got together?' he had asked. 'I knew it was only a matter of time.'
She had smiled at him. 'Were we that obvious?'
'Not to each other, but certainly to everyone else. I mean, even I noticed!'
She had laughed at this before replying.
'Are you OK with this, Ron? It won't change anything between the three of us?'
'Only if you let it. You and Harry are still my best friends, regardless. Just give me a bit of notice before you decide to launch your tongues down each others throats - that's all I ask' he added with a smile.
Hermione smiled at the recollection. He really was a terrific friend she thought. And he seemed to have grown up an awful lot recently. Maybe sixth year hadn't been a complete disaster after all, she mused.
It was at this point that her thoughts were interrupted by a roaring from the fireplace and Harry stepped out, accompanied by Rufus. The vice like grip on her heart was suddenly released and with a cry of relief she launched herself forward and into his arms, oblivious to the broad smile from Rufus and the eye rolling from Ron.
'Oh thank Merlin your safe!' she breathed into his ear as he held her close. I have been so worried.' She pulled back a bit so as to see his face, searching for signs of trauma. She found none; instead she discovered a certain degree of confusion and excitement on his handsome features.
'I'm fine, Hermione, really' said Harry, slowly disentangling himself from her embrace. 'Come on, let's sit down. I have a lot to tell you,' he added, taking her hand and leading her to the sofa by the window. Once they were all seated, he looked at each of them in turn before launching into an account of his meeting with Snape.
He had only got as far as Snape's revelation that Dumbledore had asked him to kill him when he was interrupted by Ron.
'And you believe him?' he asked incredulously.
Harry looked at his friend, knowing exactly what he was thinking, for he had thought the same when he had first heard the explanation.
'Yes,' he answered simply.
Ron's mouth was open and Harry finally had an idea exactly where the word "agog" had come from. If anyone could be said to be agog with the news, it was Ron at that moment.
'Why?' his friend finally managed to ask.
'You weren't there when Snape killed him,' replied Harry. 'Dumbledore was pleading with him. I thought at the time that he was pleading for his life, but now that the thought has been put to me, I know that he was pleading with Snape to kill him. I mean, how likely is it anyway that Dumbledore would beg for mercy?' he asked rhetorically.
'It does all fit,' said Hermione. 'If he was dying anyway, then this would have been one final blow against Voldemort.' There was awe in her voice as she considered the sacrifice the Headmaster had made.
'Besides,' continued Harry, 'Snape then gave me some vital information that tends to suggest that he is on our side.'
He went on to reveal the information about the planned attacks. Rufus was particularly interested in this and began making some notes. However, when Harry reached the part about the Horcruxes, he turned to the old Auror.
'Minister,' he began, then shook his head. 'Rufus,' he corrected. 'Snape did tell me more information but it relates to what I have to do. I cannot tell you what that is yet, to my regret, but it does confirm that he is not working for Voldemort. Could you remove the threat of the death penalty for him and perhaps advise your Aurors to take him alive if they encounter him? And then would you mind leaving us for now so I can discuss this with Hermione and Ron? You can return and I will give you a full debriefing on what I can tell you later.'
Rufus considered this request. 'Are you sure you cannot tell me Harry? You are asking a lot of me on trust.'
'I know,' replied Harry, 'and I hate doing it. But I swore an oath to Dumbledore that I wouldn't reveal this information to anyone. Snape also knows about this so Dumbledore trusted him too. If you cannot act on my word alone, then can you at least accept the word of the Headmaster?'
Rufus eyed Harry for a long moment before replying. 'It shall be as you say, Harry. I will order the Auror's not to shoot to kill if they encounter Snape, although I may have to extend that order to include all Death Eaters. If Voldemort heard that we were making an exception for Snape then he might get suspicious. Are you really sure about this?'
Harry nodded.
'In that case I guess I will have to give the order. We will have to talk further about the attacks though, Harry.'
'I know, and thank you.'
'I'm doing this because you asked me to, Harry, not because of Albus. I think I am enough of a judge of a man's character to know when to trust his judgement. I trust yours. I will be in touch,' he added, before leaving for the fireplace and finally disappearing.
Harry turned to his friends, although that wasn't entirely accurate anymore. One friend, one lover, he thought, with a smile.
'I think I know where the other Horcruxes are,' he began. He had their attention immediately and told them of Snape's conviction that there was one at Hogwarts. He then told them of his thoughts on the Riddle grave.
'Brilliant,' said Hermione. She noticed Ron frowning at her words. 'Whatever else you may think of him, Ron, you cannot deny that Snape is an extremely talented and clever wizard. There are not many people alive that know of that potion, and even then, not all of them would even consider the need for all the ingredients to come from magical sources. Voldemort would have known, and so too would Snape. It all fits.'
Ron turned to Harry. 'This could be a trap you know. Are you willing to risk your life - and ours - on the word of Snape?'
'I know it could be a trap, Ron, but I don't think so. If it is a trap, it is a very elaborate one. Snape could have killed me tonight had he wished.' He did not notice Hermione's shudder at these words. 'So yes, I am willing to risk it. I believe him.'
Ron held his gaze for a moment before finally nodding acceptance.
'So what do we do now?' he asked.
'Research,' replied Hermione. 'I will look into this potion - if I can - and see if Snape is correct. Then we will need to decide when to visit the graveyard. And Hogwarts,' she added meaningfully.
'We will be going to Hogwarts tomorrow,' said Harry. He noticed the surprise on the faces of his friends. 'Not to search for a Horcrux. I want to speak to Dumbledore's portrait - it should be able to confirm whether or not Snape is telling the truth. Agreed?'
Harry looked at Ron straight in the eye. After a long moment his friend nodded his assent. He turned to Hermione who also nodded her agreement.
'Settled then,' said Harry.
***********
Friday 08th August 1997
Harry was nervous as he climbed the stairs to the Headmistress' office accompanied by Hermione and Ron. He had asked Sukey to arrange things with McGonagall to be sure that the portrait of Dumbledore was present when they visited and she had generously agreed to his request. Now as he neared the office, he was trying to work out exactly what to say and what to ask.
He was also aware of a growing sense of anger. The more he thought about what Snape had said the angrier he had become. He felt betrayed - as if Dumbledore had somehow cheated him by the manner of his death. Now as he rapped on the office door, he felt all the anger and frustration begin to surface.
'Good morning,' said Professor McGonagall as the three teens finally entered the office. 'Please, take a seat and I will get you some tea.'
'Thanks, Professor,' replied Hermione as they sat down. Harry glanced over to the portrait and noticed that it was empty. Minerva caught his glance.
'He will be here in a moment, Harry,' she said as she poured the tea. 'I was most emphatic in relating your request to speak to him and he assured me that he would be present.'
As if on cue, the portrait form of Albus Dumbledore entered his frame and smiled benevolently at his three 'guests'.
'Good morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione,' he said. 'It's very good to see you all looking so well.'
Ron and Hermione muttered suitable responses but Harry remained silent. He turned as Minerva began speaking.
'I will leave you now, as I presume that you will want to speak to Albus in private.' She made for the door, but was abruptly stopped.
'No,' said Harry, shocking the others in the room, including Dumbledore. 'Enough secrets. Albus may have had his reasons for not telling you some things, but I think that this is something you should hear. I have had my fill of not being told everything, so I will not ask you to do the same. Not anymore.'
Hermione and Ron looked at him in amazement as if they could not believe the decision he had just taken. Harry ignored them.
'Are you angry with me for some reason, Harry?' asked the portrait of Dumbledore.
Harry turned slowly to face his former headmaster.
'Why did you not tell me about Snape?' he snapped. 'Or about the little arrangement that the pair of you concocted?'
Dumbledore looked as if he had been struck. 'You spoke to Severus?' he finally managed to ask.
'Yes, I spoke to him. How else would I have known what really happened? You could have told me you were dying and that you had asked him to kill you. You had a whole year to tell me. Didn't you trust me?' Pain was evident in his voice as he asked this and he could hear a shocked exclamation come from Minerva, but focussed all his attention on the portrait in front of him.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and for a moment Harry thought he saw a flash of relief cross his face.
'Of course I trusted you, Harry; more than anyone else in my entire life. I was afraid. I am sorry, Harry.'
'Afraid?' scoffed Harry. 'Afraid of what? Didn't you tell me that death was but the next great adventure? Or was that a lie too?'
'I was not afraid of dying, Harry. I was afraid of telling you. I was afraid of your reaction as I thought it would distract you from what needed to be done. I knew that you would abandon the search in order to help me despite the fact that I could not be helped. I knew nothing could be done and had accepted this. I also knew that you would not accept it. I was going to tell you, but the attack on the school prevented this.'
Harry was silent for a moment. 'So why not tell me in the letter?' he finally asked.
'Because I had written the letter many months ago, before any of this happened. I did not have the opportunity to amend it.'
This revelation stopped Harry in his tracks. His anger had dissipated now, and instead he felt only sorrow for the man in whose image the portrait before him had been painted.
'I needed you,' he said quietly, his voice breaking slightly. 'You were like a father to me. I loved you like a father. Do you have any idea how betrayed I feel?'
This last question was asked almost as a plea, and Hermione struggled to contain her tears at the childlike hurt that was plain in Harry's voice. She noticed that Minerva was crying openly and that even Ron was looking somewhat misty eyed. They should not be listening to this - it was too private.
'I'm sorry, Harry. Truly sorry. Can you accept the apology of a foolish old man? A foolish old man who was only trying to do what was best? I was going to tell you everything before I died, but I was denied the chance. Events overtook us.'
Harry was silent for a moment before he finally nodded his head. He slumped down into a nearby armchair and held his head in his hands. The others in the room were silent, waiting for Harry to continue.
'I never could stay angry with you for long, could I?' he asked ruefully, his anger now spent.
'It is one of your great strengths, Harry, and why you will win in the end. You love unconditionally, even when those you love sometimes hurt you. Thank you, Harry, for forgiving me.'
Harry sat back in the chair. He looked at the portrait, but now had a glint of amusement in his eyes.
'Seeing as you seem to be in an informative mood for once, perhaps you can tell me why you left me this?' he asked as he held up the ring.
'You got it then? Good. To be honest, I don't know if it will be of any further use, but it is an extremely valuable magical artefact and I wanted to make sure that it ended up somewhere safe. Besides, I had the strangest feeling that it may yet prove to be useful and I learned a long time ago to trust my instincts.'
'Is it safe?' asked Harry. 'Snape told me it was the curse on this ring that did for you. Was he telling the truth?'
Albus nodded soberly. 'He was speaking the truth. In my haste, I forgot that the ring could be a dangerous object even without being a Horcrux. I managed - with the help of Severus - to slow down the effects of the curse but I could not reverse the effect. It was only a matter of time before it overpowered me. It is quite safe now, however. The curse has claimed its victim.'
Harry nodded, accepting the words of his Headmaster.
'How goes the hunt, Harry?' asked Albus.
'Not bad,' he replied. 'We managed to destroy the locket and we have a lead on the next Horcrux.' He did not bother explaining that the original locket was a fake. All Albus needed to know was that it had been destroyed - the details were not important now.
'A lead? What? Where?' The excitement in Dumbledore's voice was plain.
'The Riddle graveyard. Snape put us on to it. He said the spell Voldemort used to regain his body wouldn't have worked with his father's bones because his father was a Muggle. He reckons there is a good chance that they used a Horcrux to provide the magic. Seems a reasonable notion,' he added with a shrug.
Albus closed his eyes. 'Well done, Severus,' he said to himself. 'Well done indeed. How could I have missed that? How could I have possibly missed that?' He opened his eyes and smiled at Harry. 'It's just as well I died when I did, Harry; I was obviously going senile.'
Harry smiled in return and made to reply, but was interrupted by Minerva.
'I hate to intrude like this,' she began, 'but would someone mind terribly telling me what a Horcrux is, please?'
***********
Monday 11th August 1997
Three days had passed since Harry's meeting with Dumbledore's portrait and he was beginning to feel a little frustrated, and a little lonely. They had returned to The Briars after listening with amusement to Dumbledore explain everything to Professor McGonagall. Harry had watched with increasing awe as her lips had gotten thinner and thinner as Albus related everything that had been going on with Snape and the Horcruxes. At one point they had gotten so thin that Harry believed they would disappear from her face altogether. He was glad that it was not just him that Minerva's stern look was reserved for. After finally hearing all, she had turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
'So this is what you three have been up to? I should have known that it would be something like this. Riddle never did make things easy for anyone.' She had seemed to come to a decision. 'I will search the castle for you whilst you pursue this other lead. With a bit of luck, I may be able to come up with something that Albus may have missed.'
They could not immediately go to Little Hangleton, however, as they had decided to wait until Hermione had looked into the potion in order to confirm Snape's theory. Ron had taken the opportunity to go and visit his family over the weekend. Harry understood - had he been in a position to do so, he would have done the same. But as it was, he was still 'dead' and so could not risk being spotted hanging around the Burrow.
What had made things worse, however, was the fact that he hadn't seen Hermione either. He had hoped that Ron's absence would give them the opportunity to spend some time together and to develop their burgeoning relationship, but she had spent a lot of her time in the library that could be found in The Briars looking up information on the potion, and had then left him feeling a bit put out by her announcement on Saturday morning that she too was going to stay over each night at her parents house for a few days.
He couldn't blame her of course. They were her parents and she did not get to see them very often. But he couldn't help feeling a little resentment, nor could he repress the feeling that he had been abandoned by his two friends. His only company had been Sukey, so he had decided to try and use the time alone to practice his magic, knowing that he would need every trick in the book when the time came to face Voldemort. Unfortunately, his heart just wasn't in it. It was difficult to stay motivated when one was feeling so down.
He had been visited the day before by Rufus to go into greater detail about his meeting with Snape. Harry had been glad of the company, and had detained the older man for as long as possible. Rufus had seemingly sensed his predicament, for when he was just about to leave he had offered some words of sympathy to him.
'Harry, I know you are feeling a bit put out at the moment, but it's probably for the best that Ron and Hermione have gone home for a few days.'
'I know. It's only fair they get to see their families - they must be missing them.' He had been unable to keep some of the bitterness out of his tone. Rufus had looked faintly amused.
'Not just for that reason, Harry. It's important for your sake that they are noticed in our community. You are supposed to be dead, remember?'
'Of course I bloody well remember! People keep bloody well reminding me!'
Rufus had become serious for a moment. 'Harry, I know this is difficult for you, but you must consider how things look to those not in the know. Had Ron and Hermione been out of sight for much longer then our enemies would have noticed and questions would have been asked. It does not hurt our cause at all to have them think that they are merely getting on with their lives. Keep this in mind when you are beginning to feel down.'
Harry merely nodded meekly at these words, knowing that Rufus was correct.
'So what have you been doing with yourself?' Rufus asked.
'Not much. I have been trying to practice my magic, but it's hard to do it own your own.'
Rufus had nodded, and then smiled. 'Then we shall have to see if we can do something about that. We can't have you getting rusty - not when there is a madman to face!'
He hadn't said anything else on the matter, and Harry was still a little curious as to what he meant.
His thoughts were distracted when the fireplace suddenly roared into life and he quickly got to his feet to see who it was. To his delight, Hermione stepped out of the fire and her face lit up into a smile when she saw him. Harry's spirits were immediately lifted at the sight of her - he had forgotten just what her presence could do to him.
'Hi, Harry,' she said, rushing forward to embrace him. He held her tight, but something of his earlier mood must have been noticeable to her. She pulled back from him a little and looked into his eyes.
'Feeling unappreciated, sailor?' she asked.
Harry made to reply in the negative, but she cut him off.
'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I know that it couldn't have been easy for you. I was in two minds as to whether to go home or not, but I needed to see my parents. I might not get another chance,' she added quietly.
Harry suddenly felt rather selfish. This could not be easy for her and it wasn't her fault that she was forced to make such a decision. If anything, it was his fault. He put his arms around her again and held her tight.
'Never, ever, apologise for wanting to see your family,' he said. 'I understand - really. If I am honest, then yes, I was feeling a little unappreciated, but it doesn't matter. Not now. So long as you come back to me, I don't mind.' He relaxed his grip for a moment and - gently - he leaned down to kiss her. She responded in kind and it was some time before they parted, she finally resting her head on his chest. For the first time in three days, Harry felt complete. How was it he never realised until now exactly how much he needed her?
'Thank you, Harry,' she finally said. 'I knew you would understand.'
She led them over to 'their' sofa and they spent the next few minutes re-acquainting themselves with each other. Finally they broke apart in order to catch up.
'My parents are fine, although they are worried about me. I've never went into detail with them, but they know something is wrong. They would never let me return if they had any idea what was going on though.'
'Of course they suspect something,' replied Harry. 'They are your parents, and you must have got your brains from somewhere. It's only natural for them to worry.'
She made to reply, but once again, the fire roared into life and after a moment, Ron stepped out. He took one look at his two friends wrapped in each others arms and rolled his eyes.
'OK, party's over,' he said. 'I'm back now, so you will have to cut that sort of thing out. No doubt the two of you have been snogging all weekend. Well, I hope it's out of your system now - we have work to do and can't afford the distraction.'
Harry and Hermione made to correct him, but both stopped themselves. Why bother? They shared a look. Then they both burst out laughing.
Ron's look of confusion only made the situation funnier.
***********
Once Ron and Hermione had settled back in, the three friends returned to their usual spot in order to go over the events of the weekend.
'Well,' began Hermione, a copious pile of notes in front of her, 'I have been able to confirm that what Snape said about the potion is true, although it wasn't easy.' She looked at them both. 'The potion would not have worked using just the bones of his Muggle father - there must have been something else. It took me most of the weekend to discover that, but I eventually discovered a reference to it in Moste Potente Potions. Remember that one?'
'Yeah, I remember,' said Ron, with a grimace. 'We used that book in second year didn't we? When you turned into a cat?' he added, with a snigger.
'Yes, Ronald. When I turned into a cat,' replied Hermione with a sigh. 'Anyway, it does confirm what Snape says, so it will be worth paying a visit to the Riddle Manor.' She was looking at Harry as she said this, concern evident in her voice.
For his part, Harry didn't even notice. His mind was at that moment dwelling over two years in the past. The images of that night still had a tendency to rear up and catch him unawares, even after all this time. Instead of hearing Hermione's concerned tone, he heard the mocking tone of Voldemort informing him that he was about to die. He shook himself free from the memory and faced her.
'I will be Ok, don't worry. We just have to be very careful when we do this. It wouldn't surprise me if Voldemort has put some kind of protection on the place.'
'I was thinking that too,' she replied. 'We should practice our concealment charms, and how to detect traps before we go there. Do you think Rufus might be able to help us with that?'
'He could,' answered Ron, 'but we won't be needing him.'
'Why not? Have you suddenly become an expert on this kind of thing in the past three days? Did I miss something?' There was more than a hint of annoyance in Hermione's tone.
''No, Hermione, I haven't suddenly become an expert. But I know someone who is.' Ron was enjoying himself right now. It wasn't often he was privy to information that his friends lacked.
'Well?' asked Harry.
'Rufus contacted me last night. Said you had told him that practicing magic on your own was difficult. He's arranged for us to get some instruction from a couple of experts. They're coming on Wednesday.'
'Who?' asked Hermione. The excitement in her voice was palpable at the prospect of learning.
'James Walsh,' replied Ron, before looking at Harry with a smile. 'And Remus,' he added.
Harry smiled broadly in return. 'Remus!' he exclaimed. It would be so good to see his father's old friend right now, and he knew that there were not many people around who knew more about this sort of thing than Moony. He turned to Hermione, who had the same look of excitement on her face that he knew he was displaying.
'Excellent!'
***********
Wednesday 13th August 1997
'OK everyone, that's enough for now - take a breather for lunch,' shouted Remus, calling a halt to proceedings.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and was pleased when he looked at Ron and Hermione to see that they were both as knackered as he was. They had been practicing defensive spells all morning and Remus and James had been relentless in their drive to improve the spell work of the three friends. Harry was bruised and shaken as a result of some of the spells from Remus that he had failed to counter, and he reckoned right then that if Voldemort didn't kill him, there was a good chance that Remus might. He had been working one on one all morning with his father's old friend, whilst Hermione and Ron had been put through their paces by James. He had originally thought that he had gotten the rough deal as his friends were two on one, but he had quickly realised that James Walsh was a superb wizard after pausing for a moment to watch him in action. His appreciation of the ingenuity and skill of James had been cut short, however, when Remus had managed to squeeze a stunner through his defences.
'Stay alert, Harry!' Moony had exclaimed. 'Never allow yourself to be distracted - Voldemort will not be firing stunners at you.'
After that, Harry didn't have the time to see how his friends were getting on.
'Not bad, Harry,' said Remus, handing him a glass of pumpkin juice. 'You were quite rusty at first, but I noticed a marked improvement as the morning went on. You will need to practice every day to make sure you keep your edge.'
Harry looked at his former professor with fondness. He had been delighted to see him again when he had arrived this morning and could barely contain his emotions. On his arrival, Remus hadn't said a word at first; instead he had marched over to Harry and engulfed him in an embrace that nearly squeezed the life from him.
'You have no idea how good it is to see you,' he had said. 'When I thought you were dead I was lost. I felt worse than I did when I heard about your parents. Don't ever make me go through that again.'
Harry hadn't said anything to this - he had been overwhelmed with emotion at seeing him again and didn't trust himself to speak. Instead, he had contented himself with returning the embrace; hoping that Remus would understand. He was sure that he did.
'You OK, Harry?' asked Ron. 'I don't know about you, but if this keeps up, Voldemort will be able to nail us with a tickling charm. I'm knackered.'
'I know what you mean - I had no idea how out of practice I was. I haven't had a work out like that in ages.' Harry turned to Remus. 'Are we to be doing this all day?'
'Not all day,' replied Remus. 'We thought it would be best to put you through your paces in the morning, and concentrate on theory in the afternoon. I understand you want some help in detecting wards and traps, so I thought we could go over that after lunch.'
'Thank Merlin!' exclaimed Ron, the relief evident in his voice. 'I never thought I would be grateful to be doing theory lessons, but after that I reckon I would rather be in Divination. At least I never got my arse blasted in that class.'
Harry laughed, thinking back to simpler times when their biggest worry was inventing the future for Trelawney. Life seemed so much simpler then, although he knew he had no idea what a simple life actually was.
They returned to the main room, happy to see that Sukey already had lunch prepared for them. Even Hermione seemed pleased by this, her normal views on elf rights forgotten for the moment. Harry caught her eye and grinned, and she must have known what he was thinking for she stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed.
'So, Harry,' began Remus as they started to eat, 'care to tell us what you have been up to these past twelve days?' he asked, with a smile.
Harry smiled in return. 'You know I can't tell you that, Moony. Suffice to say, we haven't been idle.'
'Glad to hear it. I would hate to think that you were using the excuse of being dead to do nothing.' Remus became serious for a moment. 'James has told me of the imminent attack on Hogwarts and the Ministry, and of what Snape told you. Do you believe him?'
'I do,' replied Harry. 'I was there when Dumbledore was killed, and what Snape told me fits in with what happened. Besides, I spoke to Dumbledore's portrait and he confirmed what Snape said.'
'You still took a risk by agreeing to meet him. I would not have allowed that had I known,' replied Remus.
Harry tried not to look at Hermione when Remus said this, knowing that she agreed with him one hundred per cent.
'I suppose it was a risk, but it paid off. Besides, when I think back to the night of the attack, I realised that Snape could have killed me there and then if he wanted. He had me cold and could have done me in no problem. I was way out of my depth when I tried to take him on. I think that's what decided it for me.'
Remus nodded soberly. 'I'm glad you appreciate just how powerful he is, Harry. But remember, even Snape is just a squib compared to Voldemort. Dumbledore was the only one that was in his league, and the only man Voldemort feared.'
'Not true,' interjected Hermione. 'He fears Harry. Why else has he gone to so much trouble to kill him?'
Harry was gratified by the confidence she placed in him, but thought that such a statement could not go without comment.
'Hermione, I don't think that…'
'No, Harry!' she exclaimed. 'I will not have you talk yourself down. When are you finally going to realise that you are a great wizard?' She sounded quite angry as she said this. 'Voldemort has been after you since you were a child and you have escaped him on - what is it now? - four, no five; actually it's six! Six times he has tried to kill you in one guise or another and six times he has failed. He is attacking you for a reason, Harry, and it is because he fears you. And he is right to fear you!'
Harry was astonished by this outburst, but the others seemed quite amused. Hermione realised she had been raising her voice, and suddenly became quite coy. She reddened and looked at her plate.
'Hey,' he said, reaching for her hand, oblivious of the others. He waited until she looked up at him. 'Thank you. I'm glad you believe in me, but I couldn't have done any of that stuff without you. Please remember that.' They held each others gaze for a moment, alone at a crowded table, before Harry kissed her hand. Their moment was broken, however, as Remus interrupted with the worst stage cough in history.
'Ahem!'
Harry and Hermione turned to face him, both looking sheepish.
'When did this happen?' asked Remus with a smile.
'A few days ago,' replied Harry, deeply uncomfortable to be discussing this. He noticed both Ron and James suppress grins.
Remus' smile broadened. 'This is the best news I have had in a long time. I have been waiting for this for a while and I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen. Well done.' He looked at Hermione. 'James and Lily would have just loved you,' he said.
Hermione felt tears begin to prick in her eyes. That was quite possibly the nicest thing Remus could have said at that moment.
'Thank you,' she managed to whisper in return. 'That means a lot.'
Remus held her gaze. 'Don't mention it,' he said, before turning back to Harry. Time to get down to business again.
'You do realise,' he began, 'that your death has had serious repercussions in our world?'
Harry shook his head. 'No. Rufus hasn't said anything.'
Remus seemed surprised by this. 'Really? I'm surprised. He has been taking a lot of heat recently. He said nothing?'
Harry turned to James Walsh. 'Is this true?' he asked.
James looked uncomfortable for a moment. 'I'm afraid it is, Harry. Rufus has been putting out fires ever since you 'died'. Many blame him for not protecting you enough and it is taking all of his skill to hold onto office at the moment.'
'But that's not fair!' exclaimed Harry. 'Rufus couldn't have done any more for me recently.'
'I know, Harry' replied James, 'but that is the price that has to be paid sometimes. Don't you worry about it - Rufus knows the score. Sometimes you get the brickbats even when you don't deserve them. Usually when you don't deserve them,' he added bitterly.
Harry digested this information, feeling indignant at the injustice of it all. He vowed to repay Rufus for all his help and realised that this could only be done if he managed to destroy Voldemort. Yet another reason to defeat Riddle, he thought, his resolve growing.
'Hurry up everyone,' he said, pushing his plate away from him. 'We have a lot to get through, and the sooner we start the better.'
*********
Saturday 16th August 1997
Harry sat in his usual spot waiting for Ron and Hermione to emerge from their rooms. They were heading to Little Hangleton this morning in an attempt to establish if Snape was correct in his supposition about the Riddle grave. Lying on the table was the sword, his invisibility cloak, Dumbledore's journal and the ring. He didn't think the latter two items would be of much help, but he thought he should bring them anyway - the Headmaster thought that they would be of use and that was a good enough reason to take them.
He felt quite good about himself this morning, as the exertions of the previous three days had improved both his sharpness and his fitness. He had slept like a log the past few nights; dropping onto his bed exhausted after each gruelling session, and he knew that Ron and Hermione were feeling exactly the same. Their practice sessions had followed a similar pattern; with them concentrating on duelling in the morning, theory in the afternoon and then some more combat after dinner. Remus and James had really put them through their paces and he was feeling as good as he had ever done.
He had approached Remus yesterday and had asked for a break from training on Saturday. At first the older man had been very reluctant to grant them any time off, but when Harry explained that he had something he had to do, Remus had acquiesced without further comment. It occurred to Harry then that they were all trusting him a lot at the moment. Indeed, sometimes it felt like they were looking to him as some sort of leader, much as they had once looked to Dumbledore. When he had voiced this observation later that evening to Hermione when they were alone in her room together, he had been surprised by her reaction.
'Well of course they are looking to you to lead, Harry. You really can be quite thick sometimes, do you know that?' When she had noticed Harry's look of confusion, she had softened her tone before continuing. 'It's like this; everyone knows that you and Dumbledore were working on something in secret. Also, Remus told me that the last thing Dumbledore said to the Order members was to trust you and to help you with anything you asked. Don't you see? They all view you as Dumbledore's successor. He believed that you can destroy Riddle and that's good enough to convince everyone else to follow you.'
Harry had taken a moment to digest this new information. 'And you?' he'd finally asked her. 'Do you look to me to lead us?'
Her expression had softened at his question, but he did not realise it was because of how lonely he had sounded when asking it.
'Yes, Harry. I do. But not because of Dumbledore. I look to you to lead us because I love you and I know how great a person you are. I'd follow you anywhere.'
'But I don't want to be a leader. I just want to end this and then to try and lead a normal life.'
'I know, Harry' she had replied, drawing him into her arms, 'and that's what makes you so easy to follow. You don't want the responsibility, but you take it upon yourself anyway because you know someone has to. That makes you very special indeed.'
He still could not understand this explanation, but he figured that he did not need to. If people twice his age and experience wanted to view him as some sort of leader then that was up to them - there was nothing he could do about it, save carry on as before. If he thought about it too much, the responsibility threatened to overwhelm him, so he figured just to ignore it.
His reverie was disturbed by the sound of Ron and Hermione emerging from their rooms, both of them ready to go.
Hi, Harry,' said Hermione, coming over and giving him a soft kiss. 'Ready to go?'
'As ready as I'll ever be. I think I've remembered everything,' he added, indicating with a nod to the items on the table.
'Good,' she replied. She looked at him with concern, knowing what this was costing him. She recalled the discussion they'd had on the best time to go to the Manor.
'Saturday night then?' asked Ron.
'No, I don't think so,' replied Hermione. 'Why do we have to go at night? Wouldn't it be easier if we went in daylight?'
'Do you really think so?' asked Ron. 'I mean, isn't there a chance we will be seen if we try this in broad daylight?'
'There might be,' said Harry, 'but I think Hermione is right. The graveyard is outside of the village - we might not be noticed. Besides; if we are spotted at night it would be even more suspicious. I think we should go during the day.'
'Fair enough, glad that's settled,' said Ron, rising and leaving the table. 'I'm going for forty winks if you don't mind; we can practice later. I always feel better when I have a nap after a meal,' he added, before heading off to his room. Harry and Hermione shared a look and a smile.
'He's unbelievable,' said Harry. 'I don't think I have ever met anyone quite as lazy as he is.'
'I know,' Hermione said in return, but her smile was now forced, her eyes radiating concern. 'Will you be ok going to the graveyard, Harry?' she asked in a small voice. 'It's just that I know that's where…'
'…where Cedric died. Yeah, I know, Hermione,' Harry finished for her. He looked at her. 'I would rather not go if that's what you are asking, but I don't have a lot of choice. I've never had any choice in the matter,' he added bitterly.
Hermione sidled across to sit on Harry's knee and wrapped her arms around his neck. She planted a soft kiss on his lips. 'Oh, Harry,' she began, 'I know this must be so difficult for you, but you know that we will be with you, don't you?'
'Yeah, I know, Hermione, and it does mean a lot. Truly.' He paused for a moment, considering his next words. 'Is that why you suggested we go during the day? To make things easier for me?' he added.
She reddened and he had known that he had guessed correctly.
'Yes that's why I suggested it,' she said, defiantly. Her eyes flashed in challenge, as if she was expecting Harry to get mad. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her softly before whispering in her ear.
'Thanks.'
Now it was time to leave and Harry was not looking forward to it. They walked to the front door of the house, each aware of the novelty value of actually leaving the Briars by conventional means. Once outside Harry took a moment to enjoy the fresh air. It was a beautiful summer's day and he basked for a moment in the warmth of the sun.
'Rufus said that we have to go past that old mailbox at the end of the drive before we can Apparate,' said Ron, pointing to a rather dilapidated old box about 200 yards away. 'The wards protecting the house don't extend beyond that point.'
With a nod, Harry set off with his friends close behind. Hermione skipped forward and grabbed Harry's hand, giving it a quick squeeze as they made their way off the property. Once in the lane they halted and looked at each other.
'Ready, Harry?' asked Hermione as he took both her and Ron's arm in his hands before throwing his cloak over them in preparation for the Apparition. The concern was evident in her voice.
He looked at her gravely. 'Not really,' he replied, before pulling them off to their destination.