harry potter the greatest power

8/7/2019 Harry Potter The Greatest Power

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The Greatest Powerby WriterLadySummary:

A sixth-year fic begun pre-HBP, this fic begins where Order of the Phoenixleft off. AsHarry lies in his bed in Privet Drive, guilt-ridden and devastated, Voldemort finds an

"easy in" to the young wizard's mind. How will Harry withstand the attacks, and as hisrole in the war becomes clearer and more vital, will he rely on the strength of his friendsas he seeks a way to vanquish the Dark Lord forever?

Categories:Harry PotterCharacters: Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Albus Dumbledore,Arabella Figg, Arthur Weasley, Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, Bill Weasley, DracoMalfoy, Dudley Dursley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter,Hermione Granger, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lucius Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, MinervaMcGonagall, Molly Weasley, Mundungus 'Dung' Fletcher, Narcissa Malfoy nee Black,Neville Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks, Percy Weasley, Peter Pettigrew, Remus

Lupin, Ron Weasley, Rubeus Hagrid, Severus SnapeArchive Challenge: NoneClassification: General Fan FictionCrossoverClasses: NoneGenres: DramaWarnings: Character Death, Mild Language, Mild ViolenceChallenges:Series: NoneChapters: 31 Completed: No Word count: 142573 Read: 2111 Published:02/13/2011 Updated: 04/01/2011

Story Notes:

This is a reposting of a story written long ago and under a different penname. I ammaking some minor revisions to it, and will be posting it as I get those revisionscompleted.

This story is a work fanfiction based off of characters and settings created by J.K.Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

1.Chapter 1: In the Night by WriterLady

2.Chapter 2: Reflections by WriterLady

3.Chapter 3: Almost Nothing Left by WriterLady

4.Chapter 4: In Excellent Care by WriterLady

5.Chapter 5: Off the Radarby WriterLady

6.Chapter 6: Assigning Blame by WriterLady


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7.Chapter7: Protection Gone Astray by WriterLady

8.Chapter 8: Coming Back by WriterLady

9.Chapter 9: Learning the Truth by WriterLady

10.Chapter 10: Occlumency Again by WriterLady

11.Chapter 11: A Birthday In the House by WriterLady

12.Chapter 12: Under Siege by WriterLady

13.Chapter 13: O.W.L.s by WriterLady

14.Chapter 14: The Journey Home by WriterLady

15.C

hapter 15: Draco'sC

hoice by WriterLady

16.Chapter 16: The Sorting Hat's New Song by WriterLady

17.Chapter 17: A Surprise Attack by WriterLady

18.Chapter 18: Tempers Fly by WriterLady

19.Chapter 19: A Child No More by WriterLady

20.Chapter 20: The First Mark by WriterLady

21.Chapter 21: Old Fires, New Flames by WriterLady

22.Chapter 22: Trials, Triumphs, and Training by WriterLady

23.Chapter 23: Defense and the D.A. by WriterLady

24.Chapter 24: Truth and Consequences by WriterLady

25.Chapter 25: Giant Mistakes by WriterLady

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hapter 26: Progress All Around by WriterLady

27.Chapter 27: Reward to the Faithful by WriterLady

28.Chapter 28: Christmas at the Burrow by WriterLady

29.Chapter 29: Half of One by WriterLady


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30.Chapter 30: Learning to Live Again by WriterLady

31.Chapter 31: Draco's Christmas by WriterLady


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Chapter 1: In the Night by WriterLady

Author's Notes:

"Potter!" Vernon Dursley snarled through the closed door to Harry's bedroom atNumber Four, Privet Drive. "Boy! Get up!"

Harry did not need a wake-up call; though it was just after dawn, he had been upfor hours. He was sitting, still in his oversized pajamas, watching the beginningsof the sunrise over the horizon of Little Whinging. Sleep had not come easily tohim since his return to his aunt and uncle's house three days before; in fact, ithad come hardly at all.

"Boy!" Uncle Vernon insisted. Harry sighed wearily and crossed the smallbedroom to open his door.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon?"

"Have you written your letter yet?"

Harry could not register what exactly his uncle was on about so early in themorning. He stared at his uncle uncomprehendingly. "My...letter?"

"Don't play stupid with me, boy. It is time for you to write to those freaky friendsof yours so they don't come barging into my home!"

At this, Harry remembered the warning given to Vernon by the members of theOrder at King's Cross Station. They had said if they did not hear from Harry forthree days in a row, they would be coming to check on him. Uncle Vernon hadbeen repulsed by the entire lot of them, and (although he would never admit it)completely intimidated by Mad-Eye Moody. Harry knew that the last thing hisUncle wanted was for any of them to be seen by his "normal" neighbors on PrivetDrive, and had been lectured all the way back from the train station on whatexactly would happen to him if any of the "freaks" came to call.

"No, Uncle Vernon. I haven't written to them yet."

Vernon reached into the pocket of his plaid bathrobe and thrust a black ink penand a pad of Grunnings memo notes into Harry's hand. "Get to it, boy. I want toread that letter before you send it, and mind you, do not even think of implying tothem that we have been anything less than satisfactory. Keep in mind that we arethe ones who have kept you your entire life, and you should be grateful."

Harry stared at the memo pad in his hands, suppressing a mirthless chuckle atthe thought of Mr. Weasley's amazement at the laser-printed Grunnings logo on


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the top of each small sheet. "Yes, Uncle Vernon."

"I have to dress for work. I want that letter finished by the time you come down tobreakfast, and you had better hope it is written to my satisfaction." With a final,purple-faced glare at his nephew, Vernon turned away and stalked back down the

hall to his bedroom.

Harry sat down at the small desk in front of his window, set the notepad aside,and pulled a roll of parchment and a quill from the top drawer. He thought for amoment before he began to write; he had his own reasons for not wantingvisitors from the Wizarding world.

Dear Professor Moody, Professor Lupin, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley,

Things are fine so far. The house has remained calm, which is good. As Hermioneand Ron will know, we were set quite a lot of homework for the holidays and I

have started work on it.

Please tell Hermione and all of the Weasleys I said hello, and I hope their holidayhas started off well.

Harry

Harry read carefully over the short letter several times. Finally convinced thatthere was nothing in it that would alarm anyone, he set it aside on his desk, gothis clothes and a towel, and headed for the shower. Another day had begun.

Uncle Vernon read Harry's note as he sipped his morning coffee, and thenhanded it to Aunt Petunia, who immediately pursed her lips and held it gingerly,as if the very parchment Harry had written on might be contagious. Harry did notlook at either one of them. Instead, he concentrated on rearranging the smallportion of scrambled eggs on his plate so that it would look as though he hadeaten some, not that any of the Dursleys would notice or care.

"Fine. Go upstairs immediately and give this letter to that bird to deliver, and ithad better be fast about it, too," Uncle Vernon stated, pushing the parchmentback at Harry and disappearing behind his newspaper.

Grateful for the opportunity to leave the glaringly clean kitchen, Harry took theparchment back up to his room. Waking Hedwig gently, he tied the note to her legand asked her to take it to headquarters, where he knew that at least one personin the Order of the Phoenix would be there to receive it.

His duty done for the day, Harry lay on his back on this bed and stared at the


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small crack on the ceiling in his bedroom, trying desperately to keep his thoughtsoff of the Department of Mysteries and the devastating hole in his life whereSirius had been. He focused on the beginning of the crack and began countingbackwards from one thousand, moving his focus slightly along with each passingnumber. This was the only way he had found that he could stop his thoughts from

spinning out of control and consuming him, the only way he had found to keephimself sane.

If Ron or Hermione could have seen Harry, they would have been quite alarmed.The truth about Harry's stay with the Dursleys was quite different than what hehad implied in his letter. Yes, things were calm, but they were anything but "fine."Citing the episode with the dementors the previous summer, Uncle Vernon hadconfined Harry to his room, save only to take care of his hygienic needs and formeals, so that no one or nothing could find him. Petunia had told him that Harrywas safe, and therefore so were the rest of them as long as he was inside thehouse, and Harry was no longer allowed to leave. Period.

Harry had only left his room on a few occasions since his arrival, the weight ofhis depression so complete that it often rendered him unable to move. He had noappetite, and in only three days he had lost enough weight for his baggy jeans tobecome even baggier. He rarely slept, and there were dark circles underneath hiseyes. Anyone looking at Harry Potter would never have guessed that he was onlyfifteen years old. The despair in his green eyes made it apparent that he had beenthrough more in his short life than most adults would ever have to go through. Hewas near his breaking point. He knew it, but he could just not find it in himself tocare.

* * *

Remus Lupin sat at the long table in the kitchen of Number 12, Grimmauld Place,carefully perusing the Daily Prophet for any sign of Voldemort's whereabouts.Not, he reflected, because the idiots who ran the paper would actually knowwhere Voldemort was building his stronghold, but because one of Voldemort'sgreatest powers lay in the subtle and insidious way that he injected hispoisonous presence into the world. Many of his machinations would beimperceptible to someone who did not know what they were looking for.

Hearing a soft tapping at the door, he crossed the room and opened it to find asnowy owl with a small roll or parchment tied to its leg. The owl floated gracefullydown to land on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

"Hello, Hedwig," Remus said softly, taking the letter from her and offering her alink of the sausage he had made that morning. "Are you taking good care ofHarry?"

Hedwig hooted through her mouthful of sausage in what seemed to Remus to be


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a sad sort of way then flew out the kitchen door towards the window throughwhich she had entered the house.

After quickly reading Harry's note, Remus sighed heavily, his pale faceregistering even greater sadness. He knew Harry was not fine. How could he be?

Remus was possibly the one person in the world who could understand howprofoundly Harry was feeling the loss of Sirius, and far from reassuring him,Harry's short, impersonal letter made him worry even more about the boy. If onlythey could bring him back here, among people who cared for him. ButDumbledore insisted that Harry's safety was his most important concern, and thatHarry could not leave Privet Drive until after his sixteenth birthday.

The kitchen door opened and Molly Weasley entered the kitchen in her flowereddressing gown.

"Morning, Molly," he greeted her. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh, fine, just fine, although I could hear Fred and George getting up tosomething in their room until late last night. I am not sure if I dare ask them whatthey're on about this time." She turned to flash him a weary smile and noticed thesmall bit of parchment in his hands. "Remus, have you got a letter from Harry? Ishe quite all right?"

Remus wordlessly handed her the note and her smile faded as she read it. "Thatpoor child," she whispered. "He should not be alone at a time like this! Maybe if Italk to Dumbledore again..." She trailed off, knowing that talking to Dumbledorewould not change Harry's present situation.

"Now, Molly, Harry has said nothing to indicate that he is being mistreated."

Molly frowned. "Do you really think he would tell us? I'm going to send Arthur tocheck on him straightaway." She made for the kitchen door, her thoughts of a cupof tea forgotten.

"I don't think that would make things much better for Harry right now." Catchingthe worried creases on Molly's forehead, he added, "I am sure he would tell us ifthey were mistreating him. I know he wants to be here with us as much as wewant him here."

"Have you written to him, Remus?"

"Yes," Remus sighed. "I wrote to him on his second day back. Aside from this, Ihave not heard from him."

"Ron and Ginny have both sent him owls, too. I'm sure Hermione has as well. Noone has heard a word. Honestly, Remus, must he really stay there? Can't we keep


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him safe here, with us, where there are people to talk to, to care for him?"

"Dumbledore has insisted that Privet Drive is the only safe place for him rightnow, Molly. If nothing else, we have to trust him on that."

The expression on Molly Weasley's face indicated that she did not have so muchfaith in the Headmaster when it came to Harry's well-being. Even as she fumedover the injustice of Harry's situation, her eyes testified to her immense sadnessand worry over the boy she considered one of her own.

* * *

At one in the morning on Privet Drive, the dark-haired boy in the smallestbedroom thrashed around on his bed, his threadbare sheets entangled aroundhis body and soaked in cold sweat. "No, no!" he moaned. "No, it's not me, it'snot..."

The ghostly figure of a sixteen-years-younger Sybill Trelawney gleamed on thesurface of the Pensieve in Dumbledore's office... "and either must die at the handof the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the powerto vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

I have to kill him. I have to.

"Yes, Harry. It's you. It's always been you." Sirius Black appeared beside the chairwhere Harry was sitting. "That's why I died. That's why your parents died. It'salways been you."

"No! It's not me!" He looked at the pale face of his Godfather.

"It's you, Harry, and more people are going to die because of it. I died because ofit. I died because of you."

Harry watched, horrified, as a stone archway with a tattered veil appeared behindSirius. Sirius doubled over as he had in the Department of Mysteries and slowly,gracefully fell through the veil. "It's you, Harry...it's you..."

"No!" Harry shouted as he sat bolt upright in bed. "Sirius!"

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Chapter 2: Reflections by WriterLady

Uncle Vernon burst into Harry's room with Aunt Petunia following closely behind.Both wore the heavy expressions of those who had been jolted out of a soundand dreamless sleep. Uncle Vernon violently slapped at the light switch until the

room was flooded in brightness.

"What the devil is going on in here, boy? Have you any idea what time it is?" heshouted. "I will not have my family being woken up at all hours of the night!"

Harry did not reply. Still gripped in the terror of his nightmare, he only sat in hisbed, his eyes staring blankly in front of him, shaking and sweating. Aunt Petunianoticed his state. For an instant, it seemed as though she was about to go to him,maybe even comfort him. Just in time, however, she got hold of herself and thedisapproving scowl she reserved just for Harry set into her face. She crossed herarms over her chest and listened as Vernon continued to rant at their nephew.

"Some people in this household work for a living, Potter. If you want me tocontinue putting food on the table and clothes on your ungrateful body, you'd dowell to let me get a good night's sleep. And your window is open! What did I tellyou about that, boy! I don't want the neighbors to know one bit aboutyour...unnaturalness. You're to keep that window closed, hear? Andfurthermore..."

Another door opened down the hall and Harry's cousin Dudley wandered sleepilyinto the fray. Although Harry's scream had not woken him, his father's shoutingwas loud enough to make the windows rattle. Even through the sleepy haze in his

eyes, Dudley realized what was going on and grinned stupidly at Harry. Dudleyloved to hear his father telling Harry off.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon," said Harry quietly, trying to keep the tremors from hisvoice. He didn't have the strength or the will to fight with his uncle, and he wantedthe Order to have no excuse to try to come to his aid. "It won't happen again."

"You are bloody well right it won't happen again, boy!" Uncle Vernon shouted, hisface turning a darker purple as his temper rose. "I don't care what you have to doto stop that blasted screaming, but I won't be woken in the middle of the nightagain! Screaming like a bloody baby! Are all wiz-"

"Vernon!" Aunt Petunia hissed. "The window!"

Vernon stopped in the middle of his words. No one in the room could believe thathe had almost said "wizard," a word as forbidden in the Dursley household as thenastiest swear word imaginable.


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Without another word, Vernon strode across the room and slammed the windowshut. He paused and turned to face Harry, opening his mouth furiously as if hewere about to start shouting again. Instead, he pulled back his hand and knockedHarry in the side of his head so hard that Harry almost fell off the other side of hissmall bed. Without another word, he turned his back on Harry, stormed past

Petunia and Dudley and stomped back to his own bedroom. Now that the showwas over, Dudley smiled dumbly at Harry before going back to his own room.

Aunt Petunia stole one last furious glance at her nephew and was surprised tosee that, although the boy had not made another sound, a single tear trickledfrom his left eye and down his cheek. She left the room without another word,closing the door softly behind her.

* * *

Harry finally got out of his bed after his relatives had left the room, brushing the

tears from his face. Aunt Petunia probably thought he was crying becauseVernon had hit him, but the truth was that the nightmare from which he had justawoken had, after the initial shock, left him with a large lump in his throat and apain in his chest that made him feel that his heart was about to burst. He screwedup his face, fighting the despair that wanted so badly to come to the surface.

It's my fault. Sirius died because of me.

Harry knew from the core of his being that it was true. If Harry had not gone to theDepartment of Mysteries that night, Sirius would never have died. If Harry had notbeen there, his parents would never have died. How many more would there be?

Not for the first time, Harry wished that he was not the Boy-Who-Lived. Since hisfirst year at Hogwarts, he had often wished the trials and the celebrity of hisstatus would simply go away. Tonight, he did not wish for that. Tonight, hewished that he had died with his parents. He could no longer bear the pain of hisown existence.

Against his will, more tears of despair trickled from his green eyes down hisflushed and sweaty cheeks. He swiped them away, feeling stifling hot in theairless room. Listening to make sure he didn't hear his relatives in the hallwayoutside his bedroom, Harry went over to open the window once again. He knewhe did not have to worry about any more nightmares tonight, for tonight therewould be no more sleep.

...for neither can live while the other survives...

Upon reaching his window he saw in the glass, instead of his own reflection,another face, a horribly familiar face. A face that was more snake-like thanhuman, a face with evil, red eyes and narrow holes where the nose should have


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been. Lord Voldemort was staring through Harry's second-floor window, his facetwisted in a sick grin.

"I see you, Harry Potter. It's only a matter of time. You are ready to die, I can see itin your thoughts. I eagerly await the pleasure..."

The face disappeared.

Harry's scar exploded with pain and he dropped to his knees, clutching hisforehead. He was going to be sick. His body, weakened by lack of food and rest,shaking and pale as a ghost, finally gave in, and Harry fell, unconscious, the restof the way to the floor.

* * *

Molly finished her note to Harry and tied it to Errol's leg, opening the drawing

room window to let him into the dark night to take the message to Privet Drive.For years, she had known what it felt like to worry about Harry as well as the restof her children, but she could not remember a time when she had been moreworried about any of them than she was about Harry right now. What the poordear must be going through...she did not like to think of him alone with thoserelatives of his when he was obviously in such a fragile state.

Would they care for him, make sure he ate, make sure he slept? Would they beensuring that he got out in the sun? Molly highly doubted it, and she knew thatthey would not make themselves available to talk to Harry if he needed help, notthat Harry would ask them anyway. She wanted him away from them. She wanted

him here, where he belonged, with her and the rest of her family, and with Remus,the last of his father's friends.

No matter what Remus said, Molly had made up her mind that if Harry did notanswer her owl directly and did not give a more detailed account of what his lifewas like this summer, she and Arthur both would be visiting Privet Drive in thenear future. Dumbledore be damned. No one messed with Molly's children.

"Mum?" Molly's youngest child and only daughter entered the room behind her.Molly turned to face her, hoping that her worry was not too plain on her face.

"Yes, Ginny?"

"Is Errol taking a letter to Harry?" Ginny Weasley was extremely observant, andshe had seen her mother fretting over the letter earlier in the evening.

"Just a quick note, dear, to let him know we are here if he needs us." Molly triedhard not to convey her worry to her children; they were worried enough withoutadding her own fears to their burden.


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"He's been there for almost five days now, and we've not heard anything from himexcept that short note on the third day. I'm worried, Mum. Harry has an owl. Whyisn't he answering our letters?"

Molly went to her daughter and hugged her tight, answering through the embrace.

"Harry's grieving right now, Ginny. He's lost the closest thing he has ever had toa father. I imagine he is not writing because he just doesn't know what to say."

"Why, Mum? Why can't Harry be here? He needs us, and we need..." she trailedoff, blushing slightly.

Molly broke apart from her daughter and studied her face intently. "Ginny,dear...is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Ginny sighed, lowering her eyes to avoid her mother's gaze. "No, Mum. I'm justworried, thats all. Ron is, too. Even Fred and George are worried."

"I know...I know, Ginny. But Professor Dumbledore has said that Privet Drive isthe only place in which Harry can be safe right now. It's only a few weeks more,dear, until his birthday."

"Is Harry coming on his birthday?"

"That is what we have been planning. I have an idea. Why don't you, Ron, Fredand George put your heads together and plan a little party for Harry's birthdaywhen he arrives? I am sure he would like that. "

"Mum, that's brilliant!" Ginny said happily. "Of course we'll plan a party for him!Will you make food, and a cake? He's never had a real birthday cake before. Canwe invite some of our other friends to come, too?"

Molly smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm, and she ruffled Ginny's red hairaffectionately as she answered, "I would be delighted to make a birthday cake forHarry, dear, but I'm afraid the party will have to be confined to members of theOrder, our family, and Hermione. We simply can't have too many people comingto headquarters. It wouldn't be safe."

Ginny was actually glad of this. If she invited others, she would have to invite her

boyfriend, Dean Thomas, and that could prove to be awkward...but why, shewondered? It was not like she had a crush on Harry anymore.

* * *

Harry woke to the bright summer sun streaming through his bedroom windowand was puzzled at first as to how he had ended up sleeping on the floor and howhe had ended up sleeping so long. The clock on his bedside table said that it was


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nearly noon! Why hadn't his aunt woken him to help with the breakfast? Eventhough he was mainly confined to his room, he was never allowed to have a lie-in.

Harry's scar gave a familiar twinge. As he reached up to rub it, the events of theprevious night came back to him in a rush. Harry jumped to his feet, grabbing his

wand from his bedside table and moving more quickly than he had since he hadcome back to Privet Drive. The house was quiet...too quiet.

Pulling on the same baggy jeans he had worn the day before and a revoltingvomit-green t-shirt, Harry crept out of his room and down the stairs. He nearlycollapsed with relief when he heard water running in the kitchen and the familiarcanned laughter coming from the television set in the lounge. He hid his wandunder his shirt and continued to the kitchen, finding that the brief exertion hadrendered him quite tired again.

Aunt Petunia was scrubbing the kitchen, peering as usual through the windows

to spy on the neighbors as she did so. Harry entered the room quietly and sat atthe kitchen table, resting his aching head in his hands.

"We had breakfast hours ago," Aunt Petunia snapped. "Vernon decided that ifyou are not courteous enough to come down on your own, you simply will noteat. You will have to wait for lunch."

Harry did not reply; he was not hungry anyway. His mind kept straying to thevision of Voldemort looking through the window into his bedroom. Harry knewnow that Voldemort could not actually have been there; he must have been usinglegilimency to enter Harry's mind. Still, the memory was another thing to add to

his list of items that were disturbing his peace of mind this summer. How hadVoldemort gotten into his mind while he was on Privet Drive, though? That hadnever happened before.

"You are ready to die. I can see it in your thoughts. I eagerly await the pleasure..."

Although he had been afraid the night before, Harry could no longer even musterthe will to worry anymore.

"Harry," Aunt Petunia said abruptly. Harry turned his head quickly to find his auntlooking at him intently, almost worriedly. He realized that this was one of the few

times she had ever addressed him by his first name.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia?"

"What were you dreaming about last night?"

Harry was startled enough to come briefly out of his stupor. "I was dreamingabout..." He could not tell her about the Prophecy. "I was dreaming about


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Sirius...about how he...how he died." Harry answered, trying not to choke on thewords as the lump in his throat formed anew.

For some reason, he saw definite signs of relief flooding his aunt's narrow face."Sirius," she snapped, sounding much more like her old self. "Your Godfather is

dead, then." This was said without a trace of emotion, nor any question as towhat had happened to him.

"Yes," Harry looked down. He did not want to talk about Sirius right now. Thatwas one of the reasons he was avoiding communication with the Order.

"So the dream did not concern the man who killed your parents."

"Not directly, no."

"So we are still safe here."

"As far as I know." Harry, of course, was not about to tell Aunt Petunia that hehad seen the face of the Dark Lord in his window the night before.

"Fine. Go back upstairs and make yourself presentable before lunch." Withoutanother glance, Aunt Petunia turned her back on Harry and resumed scrubbingthe kitchen sink.

When Harry got upstairs to his room, the first thing he noticed was a bedraggled-looking owl perched precariously on his windowsill with a scroll of parchmenttied to his leg. Harry dragged his feet as he approached the window,

remembering all too clearly what had happened the night before. In addition tothat, he was not looking forward to reading another letter from the Weasleys. Hehad received a letter each from Ron and Ginny and had not answered them yet.He knew they were probably angry with him, but he just couldn't bring himself towrite to them.

Harry raised the window to let Errol come in. The owl immediately flew over to hisbed and flopped down, falling onto his back. Harry untied the scroll and wassurprised to see the gently flowing handwriting of Mrs. Weasley. She had neversent him an owl before.

Harry, dear,

How are you doing so far this summer? We are all a bit worried about you. Yousent only that short note yesterday, and that did not give us much information togo on.

Are the Dursleys treating you well, dear? Have you been eating properly? Andsleeping? I know this must be a very hard time for you, and I know the pain you


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must be feeling at the loss of Sirius. We are here for you. We care for you. Eventhough we are not able to be together just yet, it won't be long.

Please send us an owl as soon as you can and let us know how you are doing.

We miss you and we will have you out of there as soon as we can.

Molly Weasley

Harry sat down on his bed next to Errol and closed his eyes. He could almosthear Mrs. Weasley's mothering voice coming through the parchment, and he didnot want to. Because of him, her son and her daughter had been injured at theDepartment of Mysteries. Because of him they could have died.

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventhmonth dies...

Because of him, her entire family, herself included, was in even greater dangerthan the others in the Order. But she didn't know that, of course. Dumbledore hadpromised that Harry would not have to tell others about the prophecy until he wasready...and he would never be ready, he thought.

It's you, Harry. It's always been you.

It's you, and more people are going to die because of it. I died because of it. I diedbecause of you.

Harry knew that Mrs. Weasley would feel differently about him if she knew. Hewas not her son, after all, and even though she had said last year that he was "asgood as," Harry knew that it wasn't the same. If Ron or Ginny had died...if they diddie because of him, Mrs. Weasley would never forgive him. Harry would neverforgive himself.

He knew he had to send Errol back with a reply or members of the Order wouldshow up on Uncle Vernon's doorstep even though it had not been three days. Heknew he could not bear to look at any of them directly, so he crossed to his deskand took out a piece of parchment.

Dear Mrs. Weasley,

Thank you for your letter and your concern, but I promise you I am fine. AuntPetunia is feeding me well, and I have gotten enough rest.

Harry cringed. He had never lied to any of the Weasleys. But this time, he knew hehad to.


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I am spending as much time out-of-doors as I can. This summer is not as hot aslast summer, and it has been pleasant in Little Whinging. Taking long walks helpsme to sort out my thoughts, as it always has.

Is there any news that I should know about? Tell Ron and Ginny that I will write to

them soon and not to worry.

Harry

Harry looked at the parchment critically. His handwriting looked odd; he had beenhaving trouble stopping his hands from shaking as he wrote. Almost everythingin it was a bald-faced lie, but he would not let the Order come here. He would notput any of them in more danger because of him. A summer at the Dursleys was asmall price to pay for the safety of his friends.

Harry rolled and sealed the parchment with shaky hands, tied it to Errol's leg, and

sent him out the window and back to the Burrow...or were they at headquarters?Never mind, Errol would know where to find them.

Harry flopped onto his bed, and again focused on the crack on the ceiling andbegan to count backwards. Instead of calming him as it usually did, each time hecounted back, another one of his friends' faces flashed in his mind, their eyesopen and blank, like Cedric's had been in the graveyard.

999, dead Ron.

998, dead Hermione.

997, dead Ginny.

996, dead twins.

995, dead Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

994, dead Lupin...

Harry began to shake uncontrollably. He never heard his aunt's shrill call thatlunch was on the table, or later, that he had better come downstairs if he wanted

dinner. Harry didn't sleep, but neither did he move from his bed for the rest of theday.

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Chapter 3: Almost Nothing Left by WriterLady

Chapter 3: Almost Nothing Left

After two days had passed without Harry leaving his room on Privet Drive anymore than bare necessity required, Aunt Petunia began shoving food through thecat flap in Harry's bedroom door. She supposed that his friends had beensending him food, but she did not want Harry to complain that he had not beenfed. Her suspicions were confirmed when she reached back through the cat flapto retrieve the trays and found that besides some small portions that lookedsuspiciously as if they had been eaten by something with a beak, the food wasuntouched. That horrible boy! If all he was going to do was sit in his room andbrood, the least he could do was tell her he did not plan to eat the food sheprovided. But he did not, and fearing that the freaks would come if she did notkeep giving him the food, she put a small meal through the cat flap three times aday.

On the other side of the door, Harry was growing weaker by the hour. It was notthat he had decided not to eat. He wasn't trying to hurt himself; his head throbbedso badly that eating only made him retch. He could not stomach even a fewspoonfuls of broth or a sip of the tepid tap water that Aunt Petunia provided. Inthe back of his mind was an incessant voice, high-pitched and evil, remindinghim that all the deaths so far had been his fault and that surrender was his onlyoption. The voice also replayed his parents' last moments, and at those timesHarry would fall to his knees with his hands over his ears and stifle a scream.

Besides reminding Harry to send his note to the Order on the sixth day of thesummer, the Dursleys seemed satisfied that Harry was at last staying out of sight,and they no longer attempted to communicate with him at all. Life on Privet Drivecontinued as usual outside of Harry's doors, not that he noticed. He was tortured,plagued by the voice during his waking hours and vivid nightmares when heslept. His state of mind had gone from bad to worse, and sleep had becomealmost nonexistent. Harry had taken to tying a t-shirt around his mouth before hefell asleep so that the Dursleys would not be awoken by his screams. Themakeshift gag worked, but it did not make for a very comfortable sleep for Harry.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh

month dies..."

During the first two days spent in his room, the thoughts of the prophecy had himpacing back and forth, wearing a path into the carpet. By the third day, however,he had no more energy for pacing; it was all he could do to get up to use thefacilities, and he only did so when he was certain that none of the Dursleys wouldsee him.


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On the fourth day in his bedroom, the eighth day of his summer holiday, Harry nolonger had the strength to get out of his bed at all. Since he was unable to eat ordrink, using the facilities was no longer a problem. Several owls had comethrough his window and dropped letters on his bed, but he did not open them; infact, he did not even realize that they were there. On close observation, one

would notice that he was becoming skeletally thin, his mouth dry and parchedfrom lack of drink, his eyelids sewn together with mucus.

Aunt Petunia peeked into the room once after it had occurred to her that Harrymight be sneaking out through his window. She did not look closely at hernephew, who was wrapped completely in his blankets to stave off the cold hecontinually felt. His trembling had become so slight from lack of energy that shedid not even notice, nor did it occur to her that she should check on his well-being. She was simply happy that he was not roaming the house or theneighborhood, his weirdness flowing out of him like an aura.

By the ninth day of the summer vacation, Petunia and Vernon Dursley forgot toremind him to send a note to the Order.

* * *

At Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place a meeting was being held. It was not anofficial meeting of the Order, although all of the adults at the table were members;it was a meeting to discuss Harry Potter and his situation on Privet Drive.

"We haven't heard from him yet today. Albus, I am worried. His last letter wasbarely a sentence long, and all he said was that he was fine. Please." MollyWeasley looked entreatingly at the old Headmaster across the table.

"Molly, Harry is extremely vulnerable to attack right now, both physically and viaLegilimency. I fear that Voldemort will find him anywhere but where the bloodprotection lies. We must be cautious, for if Petunia Dursley negates the bloodcontract, Harry will lose his last safe harbor," Professor Dumbledore answered,but no one at the table missed the worry in his eyes or the fact that the usualtwinkle was conspicuously absent.

"Surely, though," Lupin answered, "checking on him once would do no harm."

"We've got to go!" Tonks spoke up. "Molly's right; something is off about thiswhole thing."

Charlie, Bill, and the Weasley twins said nothing, which testified that they were asworried about Harry as everyone else.


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"I do not believe that having us barge into Number Four would do anything toimprove his situation with his aunt and uncle," Dumbledore said gently, his heartaching at the fact that he had sent the boy to be on his own after everything thathad happened. If there had been any other choice, he would not have done it. "Iam quite certain we will hear from Harry before the day is out."

"No!" Molly interjected, and everyone at the table could see that she was workingherself into a state. "No, Albus! We have to go! Can't you see, don't youunderstand how fragile Harry is right now? He needs to be with his friends."

Fred suddenly spoke up. "Mum's right. If you aren't going to do anything aboutthis, Professor, George and I will go ourselves."

"Fred and George," Mr. Weasley said tiredly. "You are adults now and membersof the Order. You no longer have the freedom of breaking rules. Think of whatcould happen! Harry's uncle could throw him out, and the blood protection would

no longer be in effect at all. The consequences of hasty action could bedisastrous."

"Dad's right, guys. We have to find a way to agree about what we are going to do,and we have to have a plan," Bill said. "However, I agree that something needs tobe done. We can't just leave him there, and if we don't hear from him today, I haveto assume that things are not going well."

"Please," Lupin muttered, and everyone was surprised to see the stoic man's facebeginning to well with emotion. "Please, Albus. Let someone go." Remus knewthat if Harry was suffering Siriuss loss as much as he was, leaving him alone as

they had was not only dangerous, but cruel.

It was this uncharacteristic plea that finally broke Dumbledore's resolve, and herelented. "We will wait two more days. Remember, we have had someone on dutysince the beginning of the summer, and nothing untoward seems to havehappened. If we have not heard from Harry, Remus will go to check in on him. Theadvance guard will accompany him in case of any problems, but Remus alone willgo into the Dursley's home. I do not want to alarm his uncle into taking drasticaction."

Molly heaved a sigh of relief and buried her face in her hands. The mother insideof her worried that Harry was in trouble. She hated waiting even two moreminutes, much less two more days, but she knew that Dumbledore had hisreasons. At least he had consented to let someone go. No Death Eaters had beenspotted on Privet Drive; it was Harry's emotional state she was worried about, theloss and the guilt that she knew he would be feeling. She only hoped he wouldspeak to Remus.

* * *


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On the other side of the kitchen door, Ron and Ginny exchanged looks of reliefthat mirrored their mother's. They had each written to Harry several times, andhad heard nothing from him since the start of the holiday. In her worry, Mrs.

Weasley had forgotten to cast an Imperturbable charm on the kitchen door, andthey had heard every word that had been said in the kitchen.

"Oh, Ron," Ginny whispered. "I hope he's okay." She hated to think of him allalone, so far away, with those people.

"Me too, sis," Ron replied, his voice almost breaking.

* * *

Remus Lupin dusted himself off as he stepped from the fireplace in Mrs. Figg'shome. He did not want to Apparate onto Privet Drive, for Dumbledore had insistedthat this be done as quietly as possible.

Remus could hardly wait for Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, andAlastor Moody to follow him out of Mrs. Figg's house and onto Wisteria Walk. Thetenth and eleventh day of the summer had passed with no word from Harry, andeveryone, Dumbledore included, was growing increasingly worried.

All of them were dressed in the closest items they had to Muggle clothing, not

wanting to call too much attention to themselves. When they reached PrivetDrive, the advance guard waited in the play park for a signal from Remus, whocontinued walking up to the door to Number Four.

Vernon Dursley opened the door, his face going immediately purple at the sightof Lupin in his faded and torn Muggle trousers and mismatched oxford shirt.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled.

"I fancied a word with Harry," Lupin answered pleasantly. "Could you call him,please?"

Vernon puffed out his chest. "I thought I made it clear to you lot that I don't wantyou in my home. The boy is fine. I've seen to it that he remembered to write toyou, so I ask again: what are you doing here? Leave immediately!"

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you, Mr. Dursley, but we did have not heard fromHarry in almost a week. I will not be leaving until I have spoken with him. It will


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only take a moment." Lupin's tone was mild, but even Vernon could see thewarning glint in his eye.

"Haven't heard..." Vernon spluttered. "I told him to write you. He must have justforgotten, or maybe the bloody bird got lost."

"Where is Harry, Mr. Dursley?" Lupin asked, his voice growing harder.

"He's in his room sulking," Vernon answered. "Been there for days. We've beengiving him food, mind you. It's his choice to stay in his room."

"He hasn't been out of his bedroom for days? Have you seen him at all?"

"No. And we're all the better for it."

"Mr. Dursley, if you do not call Harry downstairs this instant I will personally go

up to get him, and rest assured that I will not be quiet about it." Lupin's tone greweven harder, and there was a note of panic in it now.

"Fine," Vernon scowled at Lupin before turning to shout up the stairs, "Potter!There is someone here to see you."

Lupin watched the stairs expectantly, but when Harry did not appear his heartpounded in trepidation. Where was he?

"Potter!Come down at ONCE!"

Harry did not appear. Just as Molly had suspected, something was very, verywrong.

Lupin took a moment to turn and shoot a signal out of his wand and down thestreet, and Vernon cowered as though the man had just hexed him. "Listen here,you....you...I will not have..." Vernon struggled to overcome his fear and his facegrew to an even darker shade of purple.

Lupin pushed past him and ran up the stairs to Harry's room. He tried the door; itwas locked. He pounded furiously. "Harry! Harry! Are you in there? It's me,Remus. Let me in, Harry."

When there was no answer, Lupin raised his wand. "Alohomora!" When the lockclicked and he swung the door open, he saw Harry stretched out on his bed.

He crossed to him swiftly, and what color he had in his face drained completely."Oh, no," he whispered.


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Tonks, Kingsley, Dedalus, and Moody pounded up the stairs, oblivious toVernon's outraged shouting. They stopped short when they came up behindRemus and saw Harry on the bed.

He was unconscious, a filthy t-shirt binding his mouth, a yellow-tinged bruise on

the side of his face. He had no color, and his eyes and cheeks were so sunkenthat but for the slight rise and fall of his chest, they might have thought he wasdead. Tonks turned, and in an uncharacteristic show of despair, buried her face inKingsley Shacklebolt's chest. She couldn't stand to look.

Remus bent down over Harry, gently removing the gag from his mouth. "Harry,"he whispered. "Harry?" He shook his shoulder slightly, and was startled that hecould feel the ridge of Harry's collarbone easily through his shirt.

There was no response. Behind the group, Aunt Petunia entered the room. Sheopened her mouth to deliver a scathing comment to the weirdoes in her house,

but was stopped short when she saw her nephew. For once, she was speechless.

Alastor Moody found his voice first. "Dursley!" he shouted. "Vernon Dursley!"

Vernon came into the room, but could not see Harry through the mass of bodiesnow surrounding him.

"Dursley," Moody growled in his most dangerous voice. "What in the bloody hellis the meaning of this? What have you done to him?" Moody pointed his wand atDursley, shaking in an effort to control his rage.

"I've done nothing to the boy. He's been in his room! We didn't lock the door, hejust wanted to stay. Has he left?" he stammered, his eyes never leaving Moody'swand. Petunia shook her head silently, and her husband was shocked to see hereyes filled with tears. He looked over the head of the shortest wizard, DedalusDiggle, and saw Harry on the bed. "I didn't...we didn't..." He started to back awayfrom Moody.

"I thought..." Petunia whispered. "I thought that redheaded woman was sendinghim food and that's why he wasn't eating what I gave him. She has been sendingfood with that owl for years. I didn't know...I didn't know..." she whimperedslightly. She had no love for the boy, but she would have had to be less than

human not to be shocked by what had happened to him. "I just thought he wassulking because he didn't want to come here. "

Kingsley Shacklebolt patted Tonks awkwardly on the back as he surveyed theroom. Lupin was now kneeling next to Harry's bed, trying to rouse him. Moodystood stock still with his wand pointed at Vernon Dursley, and Dedalus Digglewas searching for any clue as to what had been happening. Had someonemanaged to get into the room? Everyone who had been duty had said that no one


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unusual had entered or left the house, and Vernon and Petunia had kept to anormal routine. Since they couldn't see past the curtained windows of NumberFour, however, no one had realized that Harry had stopped moving about thehouse.

"Right," Kingsley said in his deep voice. He pulled Tonks away from him. "Tonks,I need you to find Madam Pomfrey, as quickly as you can. Apparate toHogsmeade and get up to the school, as I believe she is still there. Send her toheadquarters."

Tonks nodded and with a soft "pop", disapparated.

"Moody, take the Dursleys outside the room and try to find out what hashappened here."

Moody gestured at Petunia and Vernon with his wand, and the three moved out

into the hall.

"Dedalus, find Dumbledore. We are going to need him. Use Arabella Figg's flooand check at the school, and at the Hog's Head, as I believe he had planned tovisit his brother today. After you have found him, both of you go back toheadquarters."

Another soft "pop" and Dedalus was gone.

"Remus," Kingsley began, but the man beside Harry's bed did not look up."Remus."

"What happened, Kingsley? How did this happen?" Remus' whisper waspleading, almost desperate, and Kingsley noticed that he was shaking badly andhad tears in his eyes.

"I don't know, Remus. We need to get Harry back to headquarters, though. It isobvious that he cannot stay here. Why don't you stay with him and pack histhings. We need to get him to Arabella's without being seen."

Remus nodded. "Harry has an invisibility cloak. It is large enough to cover usboth on the way."

"I need to go back to headquarters, Remus, and warn Molly. She'll want to keepthe children out of the room when we bring Harry through the floo. Can youmanage?"

No longer trusting his voice, Remus nodded. Kingsley disapparated.


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Alone in the room with Harry, who was still unconscious despite all of Remus'sefforts to wake him, Remus gingerly touched the boy's cheek. He hadn't realizedhow much Harry meant to him until that night in the Department of Mysterieswhen he had to hold him back from running through the veil after Sirius, but heknew now that losing Harry would be more than he could bear.

Knowing that he had very little time, Remus began bustling around Harry's room,enchanting everything that looked like it belonged to him to fly into Harry'sschool trunk at the foot of the bed. He noticed for the first time that there wereseveral scrolls of parchment littering the floor next to Harry's bed, and herecognized one of them as his own. He had sent it two mornings ago! Had Harrybeen in this state for that long?

Assured that everything was in the trunk, Remus called Hedwig into her cage andshut her in for the journey. He rummaged through Harry's messily-packed trunkuntil he found the invisibility cloak and put it in his pocket. He went to the door

and looked out. Moody was still talking to Vernon and Petunia, but he hadlowered his wand.

"Alastor?"

Moody turned to look at Remus.

"When you are done here, will you please take Harry's things to headquarters?"

Moody nodded. "Is the boy going to be all right?"

Remus nearly choked on the words. "I don't know, Alastor. From the looks ofthings, he's been like this for at least two days. A lump formed in Remus' throat,making it hard to speak. Given that Harry was the last link to the closest friendshe had ever known, and considering a rather important item in Siriuss will, heknew that losing Harry after everything else that had happened would be morethan he could bear.

Crossing back to the bed, Remus picked Harry up, astonished at how light theboy had become. This was not the same athletic teenager who had fought to bereleased at the Ministry only weeks ago. Remus felt as though he were carryingeither someone very young or extremely old, but not a vital fifteen-year-old boy.

Without a word or a glance at the Dursleys, Remus carried Harry gently down thestairs, carefully covering both of them with the invisibility cloak before walkingout of the house.

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Chapter 4: In Excellent Care by WriterLady

Chapter 4: In Excellent Care

Molly, Arthur, Ron, and Ginny Weasley sat silently around the kitchen table atNumber Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Every few minutes, someone would try to starta conversation, but they were all so consumed with wondering what washappening in Little Whinging that any other topic of discussion soon fizzled out.

"Mum?" Ron asked. "Do you think Harry will tell Professor Lupin what's beenbothering him? He doesn't like to tell anyone anything that's bothering him."

"I don't know, dear. Professor Dumbledore sent Remus because he was alsoclose to Sirius, so maybe he knows a bit about what Harry is going through."

"He has to talk to someone!" Ginny exclaimed. "He won't even send any owls! Hecan't deal with this all by himself."

"I know, dear. If he will talk to anyone, I think he will talk to Remus."

No one else spoke for a few minutes.

"Mum? You don't think anything has happenedto Harry, do you?" Ron asked."Even last summer, after everything that happened in that graveyard, he talkedtous!"

It was Arthur who answered. "The Order has been keeping a watch on PrivetDrive since Harry's return. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened there exceptthat Harry has not been seen outside of the house."

"But Mum, didn't he tell you in his letter that he had been outside walking?"Ginny asked.

"Yes, dear, that is what he said, but I think he was trying to make me believe thathe was all right. He doesn't want us to know how he is feeling right now."

"Bloody git," Ron said, the merest trace of a grin flickering across his face. "He

thinks he's responsible for everything that happens to everybody, but when itcomes to him, he doesn't want our help."

"Are they going to bring Harry back with them?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"I don't think so," Molly answered. "Professor Dumbledore just wanted Remus tocheck up on Harry. The blood protection is still essential, and as long as Harry isin that house, he is safe. You all know how important that is."


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Ron and Ginny exchanged a glance. Their mother didn't know that they hadlistened in on the meeting two days before, but because they had they knew thatshe wanted Harry to come to Grimmauld Place as much as they did.

"Ron, Ginny," Arthur began. "It has been a very long day. Why don't the two of

you go up to bed and you can talk to Remus in the morning. I know he will tell ushow Harry is."

One glance at Ron and Ginny's faces and he knew his suggestion was no good.He sighed. "Well, then. How about a cup of tea while we wait?"

Mrs. Weasley got up and went to the kettle in the grate. She removed it to fill itwith water and was just about to put it back on the trivet when the fireplaceerupted in bright green flames and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped into the kitchen.

Ron and Ginny gasped. Kingsley was part of the Advance Guard! If he was

coming back without the others, it could not be good news. They both started tospeak at once, but Mrs. Weasley snapped at them to be quiet.

"Molly, Arthur," he said. "I need to talk to the both of you. Perhaps it would bebest if Ron and Ginny left the room for a moment."

"Mr. Shacklebolt, has Harry been attacked?" Ron asked the question that he knewwas on Ginny's mind as well.

"Ron! Ginny! Upstairs and to bed with both of you. We will talk in the morning."

"No, Ron, Harry has not been attacked. I just need to talk to your parents for amoment. Order business."

Ron and Ginny were about to protest; even though they were relieved that Harryhad not been attacked, they knew that something was not right. One look intotheir mother's stern face, and they knew it was no good. They just hoped that shewould forget to charm the door again.

No such luck. A few seconds after they had closed the door behind them, Ginnythrew her slipper at it, and it bounced back through the air without ever makingcontact. She swore.

* * *

"What is it, Kingsley? What's happened?" Mrs. Weasleys face had gone pale, andshe had to sit down.

"Harry, as we knew, was still at the Dursleys house. We would have known if hehad left, or if anyone had found him." Kingsley stopped. He knew he didn't have


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long to tell this story before Remus arrived with Harry, but he was not lookingforward to Molly's reaction to Harry's condition.

"Yes, we know," Arthur interrupted, feeling almost as anxious as his wife. "Goon."

"When Remus talked to Vernon Dursley, he found out that none of the Dursleyshad seen Harry for a few days. Dursley said he was sulking in his room andwouldn't come out, and complained that Petunia had had to bring his meals tohim up there.

"When Vernon called Harry, Harry did not come. Remus went up to his room,and..." he trailed off, but Molly could see no sign of emotion on his face.

"And what, Kingsley? What?" Molly demanded. She felt as if the world had goneinto slow motion, and a terrible fear gripped her heart. She knew something

terrible had happened, but since he said there had been no attack, she didn'tknow what could have.

"Molly," Kingsley looked down at her and she saw a hint of sadness in his dark,stoic eyes. Arthur took her hand and nodded for Kingsley to continue. "When wefound Harry, he was unconscious in his bed. His face was bruised, and someonehad tied an old t-shirt around his mouth like a gag."

Arthur felt Molly begin to tremble and he leaned over to put his arms around her.

"Harry looked as though he hadn't had anything to eat or drink in days, maybe

even a week. We could not rouse him, no matter what we tried to do. From thelooks of his bedroom, he had been in that state for at least two days. The lettersyou all had written were unopened on his bed and on the floor. The owls musthave dropped them off and then left."

"You...couldn't rouse him..." Molly whispered.

"He is still alive, Molly, but he is in a very serious condition," Kingsley saidgravely, answering the question she couldn't bear to ask.

"How...why?"

"We are not sure what happened. Moody is questioning the Dursleys right now,but they say that they have been giving him food three times daily even thoughhe refused to come down for meals, and that they do not know why he wasgagged or bruised."

Molly stood up on the spot, but she was so distraught that Arthur had to supporther. "Where is he?" she demanded. "Where is he? I want him here. I want him


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brought here. Do you hear me, Kingsley Shacklebolt? I want him right here, rightnow!" Her voice rose to an almost hysterical level.

"Shh...Molly, don't," Arthur coaxed.

"No! No, Arthur! Look what's happened to him! You call this safe? I want himhere, Kingsley. I don't care what Dumbledore says. You bring him to me!"

Kingsley held up his hand and spoke in his most calming voice. "Molly, he is onhis way. Remus is taking him to Figg's house and will floo with him here as soonas he can. I sent Tonks to find Poppy Pomfrey and Dedalus to find Albus. I expectthem at any time."

At that very moment, the fire burned green again and the Hogwarts school nurseemerged from the flames. She looked around and said brusquely, "Where is he?Potter?"

"He is not here yet, Poppy," Kingsley answered. "We are expecting him shortly."

"He is not coming by floo?" The matron looked horrified.

"It is the quickest way to get him here, and his injuries are not of the traumaticnature. Remus Lupin has him; it will be all right."

Madam Pomfrey huffed her displeasure. From the sound of things, Potterbelonged in St. Mungo's this time, but she knew as well as anybody that he wasfar too vulnerable there. She would have to do what she could here.

Tonks emerged from the fireplace next. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and Mollyimmediately went to her. "Tonks, what is it?"

"It's...oh, Molly...you should have seen him." Tonks burst into tears, which wasvery unlike her. She couldn't speak anymore through her sobs, and Molly huggedher, now more worried than ever.

They all turned as the fireplace burned green again, and this time Lupin emerged,carrying Harry as effortlessly as if he were a baby. Molly gasped at Harry'sappearance. Whatever she had been expecting, it was not this...he looked as

though he was about to die.

Madam Pomfrey hurried over to them. As she looked at Harry's face, pulling uphis eyelids to see his eyes, her heart felt as though it had dropped into herstomach. She had been the nurse at Hogwarts for a long time, and she had seenalmost every kind of injury one could imagine, but she had never seen anythingthat disturbed her as greatly as this.


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"We don't know yet," Molly whispered through the tears that were now flowingdown her face.

"But...but...I thought you said they would take care of him!" Fred interjectedangrily. "How can he not have eaten? Were those people starving him?"

"We don't know, but we don't think so. We think that Harry chose not to eat, orcouldn't eat for some other reason. It doesn't look as though he has had water,either." Arthur answered.

"Those...those..." George sputtered angrily, not being able to find a word badenough for the Dursleys. "How could they just let him get that sick? How comethey didn't contact us, or take him to hospital, or ... orsomething."

"We don't have those answers, George." Arthur did not tell his children about thegag, or about the bruise. They had enough to deal with as it was.

"Where is he?" Ginny asked softly.

"He's here," Arthur answered. "Remus took him up to Siriuss old room. MadamPomfrey is with him right now."

Before they could demand to see him or ask how he had gotten to Siriuss roomwithout their knowledge, they all heard a soft popping noise and AlbusDumbledore appeared on the other side of the kitchen.

"Where is he?" he asked without preamble.

"In Siriuss old bedroom on the second floor," Molly answered. "Madam Pomfreyis with him."

Without another word, Dumbledore strode out of the room.

"Mum, I need to see him," Ginny whispered. Everyone at the table looked at her.Why had she said "I" and not "we"?

"You may see him after Madam Pomfrey is finished working," Arthur answered."If she says it is all right to do so."

Ginny nodded and began to cry.

* * *

Upstairs, Remus shook off the invisibility cloak and lay the still-unconsciousHarry gingerly atop the coverlet of Siriuss bed, then found a blanket and coveredhim. Madam Pomfrey all but pushed him out of the way as soon as he had done


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that, and he crossed to the other side of the room, sat down weakly in anarmchair and watched her silently, more afraid than he had been since the day hehad learned that Lily and James Potter were in direct danger from LordVoldemort.

Madam Pomfrey took out her wand and touched it softly to Harry's throat,muttering an incantation that Remus could not hear. She waited a moment andthen sighed. She rummaged in her bag and took out several different vials.

"I need a fire, Lupin," she said without looking at him. "Quickly. We've no time tolose."

Remus crossed to the grate and quickly lit the fire with his wand. Madam Pomfreytook out a very small cauldron, poured the contents of two of the vials into it andtook it to the fire, placing it in a pair of tongs and holding it over the flames until itbegan to steam. She hurried back over to Harry.

"Hold him up," she ordered. Remus moved quickly to the bed and sat down nextto Harry, pulling the lifeless body into a sitting position and supporting the boysweight in his arms. Madam Pomfrey put the steaming cauldron as close to Harry'sface as it could get without burning him and waited for him to inhale some of thelight purple steam.

Some of the color returned to Harry's face, but he did not stir. "That should havebrought him around enough so that he will swallow involuntarily the potions Ineed him to take."

Remus nodded.

"The first thing to do is to get some water into him," Madam Pomfrey said. "He isquite dehydrated, so much so that I am astounded that he is still alive."

Remus started at the harsh statement but lay Harry gently down again, went tothe washroom, and filled an old-fashioned goblet full of cool water. He returned itto Madam Pomfrey, who asked him to hold Harry up again. Instead of putting thegoblet to his cracked and swollen lips, she took a teaspoon out of her bag andbegan to slowly trickle the water into his mouth. When she had gotten three orfour spoonfuls into Harry, she began administering the potions she had taken out

of her bag. Through it all, Harry remained limp in Remuss arms. When she hadfinally finished doing what she needed to do, Madam Pomfrey nodded to Remus,who lay Harry back down just as Dumbledore entered the room.

* * *

Down in the cellar kitchen, Molly held Ginny close as she cried. Fred had taken topacing up and down the length of the kitchen, running his hands through his hair,


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and Ron sat at his place at the table, staring into space. George sat across fromhim, his face buried in his hands, and Arthur took Molly's usual spot of mindingthe teakettle.

When the kitchen door opened, they turned as one and stared as Remus Lupin

walked into the room and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs.

"He will recover," Remus said quietly, and then covered his face with his shakinghands.

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Chapter 5: Off the Radar by WriterLady

Chapter 5: Off the Radar

Somewhere off the coast of Italy, a man sat on a large stone chair, which sat on a

raised dais in the center of a large, medieval-looking room. Around him were nofewer than twenty men and women, indistinguishable from one another in theirflowing black robes and masks. All of them were on their knees with their headsbowed, waiting for their instructions.

"Have we found the boy yet?" Voldemort demanded in his inhuman, hissingvoice.

A cool voice answered him from under the mask closest to the throne. "No, MyLord. He is no longer with his aunt and uncle, but we have been unable to locatehim."

"How has this happened, Lucius? You, among others, were supposed to bekeeping watch on the boy. How did he get away from you?" The Dark Lord's voicewas menacing and low.

"The werewolf came to the door of his home, and after talking with the boy'suncle for a moment, shot a signal from his wand. Four of the others went into thehouse, but we did not see any of them leave. They must have Disapparated."

"Potter cannot Disapparate."

"I know, My Lord. I cannot explain it, but I will personallysee that he is found,"Malfoy answered, trying to appease his master.

"See that you do, Lucius. As you know, I have found a way to get past the wardsprotecting Harry Potter while he is with his relatives. We may not have been ableto physically get close to him while he remained in the house, but I was able tofocus on his mind, on his thoughts...even speak to him."

"A feat only you could have managed, My Lord," simpered Bellatrix Lestrangefrom his other side.

"Since the day prior to Potter's departure from that house, I have not been able tofocus on the boy. I have searched, but it has been in vain. He seems to havevanished so completely that he has simply ceased to exist."

"I will ask my contact at the Ministry, My Lord," Lucius said swiftly, correctlysensing Voldemort's frustration and growing wrath.


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Voldemort's voice was at its most dangerous. "I...want...him...found.Immediately!" At these words, the Death Eaters rose as one and began leavingthe chamber, keeping their heads lowered.

* * *

From the time of Harry's arrival at Number Twelve, Grimmauld place, one personnever left his side. Remus Lupin pulled Sirius's old armchair to the side of thebed and stayed with Harry around the clock, dozing on and off but never leavingthe room. Madam Pomfrey had been by to see him twice daily, and left Remuswith strengthening and hydrating potions to be spooned down the boy's throathourly. She was certain that Harry would make a complete recovery with time, butRemus privately thought Harry hardly looked any better than when he had arrivedtwo days before. He was just as limp, just as unresponsive. There was a slight

pink tinge to his cheeks from the strengthening potion, but he remained as gauntas before.

Molly Weasley spent almost as much time with Harry as Remus did, although shehad to leave the room often to reassure Ron and Ginny. The first time Ginny hadentered the room and seen Harry, her face had gone white and she had to behelped out of the room by Fred and George. She hadn't come back. Ron wasbeing very quiet, preferring to spend his time alone in his own bedroom when hewas not sitting with Harry. Arthur was not able to help much because he hadtaken on Molly's duties for the Order as well as his own, and he still had to go towork at the Ministry every day.

Molly and Remus both held his hands and talked to him, coaxing him to comeback to them, telling him that he was with his family now. When the others cameinto the room, they encouraged them to do the same, but it was hard. Fred andGeorge tried to make jokes, but couldn't ever seem to get to the punch line. Rontried to talk about Quidditch, but found that having a one-sided conversationabout it was not nearly as good as the enthusiastic arguments over the sport thathe and Harry were known for. For the most part, Molly, Remus, and Harry wereleft alone.

"Harry," Remus whispered late on the third night after Molly had gone to bed. "Iwant you to listen to me, wherever you are. I know you can hear me."

He took a deep breath. "Harry, what happened to Sirius was not your fault. I knowthat you think it was, but you were tricked into going to the Department ofMysteries by Voldemort because he knew you would do anything to save yourGodfather. You went there with courage and loyalty to Sirius. He went for you forthe same reasons. That's what love is and what friendship is."


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Tears filled Remus's eyes and spilled down his cheeks as he squeezed Harry'shand, glad that no one else was there to notice his weakness. "Sirius made thechoice, Harry. He knew the risks, and he took them gladly. And in the end,Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. She killed him, Harry, not you. She is the onlyperson on whom the blame can be placed."

Harry gave no response, but lay as still as he had been since his arrival.

"There is something else you need to know. Sirius was your legal guardian in themagical world. As your Godfather, you were his responsibility. He could not havelived with himself if he had not gone to you when you needed him.

"In his will, Sirius passed the torch of guardianship over to me. And Harry, I'mglad he did. You can come to me if you ever need anything. I know I am not Siriusor your father, but I am your friend, and I care about you more than you couldguess. Right now, though, I need you to come back to me. Please, Harry. Please

come back and let me help you. I can't lose you, too."

* * *

Someone was speaking to him, but he couldn't understand what they weresaying. Who was there? Harry tried to open his eyes, but couldn't...his eyelidswere too heavy to lift.

Where was he? It was too dark to know. He dimly heard someone poundingfuriously on a door somewhere, but it was not the same person who wasspeaking to him. His mind was blank, no images there for once.

He was too tired to think of it now.

* * *

"How is he, Remus?" Dumbledore, who had been visiting daily, asked.

Remus sighed tiredly. "About the same. His eyes have started moving a bitbehind the lids, but he hasn't opened them."

Dumbledore bent over the boy on the bed, mopping Harry's brow with a cool

cloth. As usual, his eyes stopped on the scar on Harry's forehead, and hetouched it, wondering at the power it seemed to hold. Just a scar...but one of themost powerful magical connections Dumbledore had ever known. He wonderedwhat it had to do with Harry's condition. He knew there was something more tothis.

"Harry?" he whispered. "It is time to come back to us."


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* * *

"Harry, it is time to come back to us."

He knew that voice...Dumbledore...Dumbledore wanted him to come back? From

where? Harry was right here, just sleeping. So peaceful just to sleep.

"Open your eyes, Harry."

The voice was becoming clearer, and Harry could see a bright light through hisstill-closed eyelids. He felt comfortable, and warm...and safe. Safe. His eyesfluttered.

"That's right, Harry." Dumbledore.

"Come on, Harry. You can do it." Another voice. Professor Lupin? What was he

doing on Privet Drive?

"That's right, Potter. Come back to us. I have missed our little chats ." Anothervoice, a high-pitched, inhuman voice, the "s" sound trailing like a snake's hiss. "Ihave been searching for you. I want to show you something."

An image unfolded like a curtain opening behind Harry's eyes. Voldemort sat on athrone in the middle of a large room. The group of Death Eaters surrounding theDark Lord parted as Harry looked on, and Voldemort focused his piercing, redeyes on Harry.

"Your Godfather will not be the last to die, Potter..."

* * *

Remus and Dumbledore stared intently at Harry as his eyes fluttered and almostopened.

"That's right, Harry," Dumbledore said softly.

"C

ome on, Harry. You can do it," Remus coaxed.

Harry's pale face relaxed and it seemed for a moment that he might even smile abit. Remus took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

Suddenly, Harry's entire body tensed, and his grip on Remus's hand would havebeen painful if he were not still so weak. "No," he moaned, his voice rough andcracked. "No more...my fault...because of me..."


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Remus stared at Harry, alarmed and bewildered. Dumbledore, however, knewexactly what was happening. He leaned over Harry and began to gently shakehim.

"Harry!" he said firmly, the softness in his voice gone. "Harry, it is Professor

Dumbledore. You must wake up. Wake up, Harry!"

Harry's eyes flew open. He gasped and sat bolt upright in bed, but the suddenmovement made him dizzy and he swayed. Remus leaned in quickly and caughthim before he flopped back down. Harry looked wildly around. Where was he?This certainly was not his small bedroom on Privet Drive.

Remus shoved his usual reticence aside and placed his arm behind Harry'sshoulders, holding him up. Both of them were trembling, Remus with relief, Harryin abject terror.

"It's all right, Harry," Remus said softly.

For the first time, Harry seemed to recognize his former professor's voice."Pr...Professor Lupin?"

"Yes, Harry, it is me. Professor Dumbledore is here as well. We've been waitingfor you to wake up." Remus released his hold on the boy, carefully placing somefat pillows behind his back.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked blankly. He could not figure out what washappening.

"Yes, Harry, I am here."

Harry's hoarse whisper became more panicked. "Professor...Voldemort...agigantic room...where am I?"

Dumbledore gently touched Harry's shoulder. "You are at Headquarters, Harry.You have been here for over three days. This was Sirius's bedroom."

"Sirius!" Harry tried to sit up straight again.

Lupin gently pushed Harry back onto his pillows. "Before we do any more talking,Harry, there are some potions you need to take." He got up and selected threevials out of many from the top of a heavy oak chest in the corner of the room.

Harry looked at the vials suspiciously. "What are those for?" he questioned.


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"One is a strengthening potion," Lupin answered, holding up the smallest of thevials. "Another is a hydrating potion, and the last is a nutritive potion. You were inpretty bad shape when we got you, Harry. These will help you recover."

Harry nodded. He was already starting to feel sleepy again, and as his mind

cleared he felt he would rather sleep than talk to his professors and answer thequestions he knew they would ask. He took all three potions without anotherword and lay back on his pillows, closing his eyes. After only a few moments, thegentle rise and fall of his chest became regular, and Harry was deep in a calmsleep.

* * *

Molly Weasley entered the dreary cellar kitchen with the idea of making a cup of

soothing chamomile tea for Ginny, and was very surprised to see AlbusDumbledore sitting calmly in one of the chairs at the table, sipping a cup ofsteaming tea himself. The hour was very late, and Dumbledore spent what time hewas able to spare at Harry's bedside. She looked at him with baited breath.

"He is awake," he said simply, a bit of the old twinkle back in his eyes. Sheclapped her hands to her mouth. "I should say he was awake. He has gone tosleep now, but the sleep is natural. Harry is back among us."

Tears filled Molly's eyes. No matter what Poppy Pomfrey had said, she would notbelieve that Harry would recover until she saw it with her own eyes. As long as

she lived, she would never be able to erase the memory of Harry in RemusLupin's arms, looking one step away from death.

"Has he told you what happened?" she whispered. She had so many fears forHarry...had he done this to himself? Had his relatives abused him? Or...was itsomething else?

"Not yet, but I have some suspicions. Let us see what he says tomorrow. We needto take this one step at a time, of course."

"Of course," Molly echoed. "May I see him?"

"Certainly. You will find Remus still with him. He will not be persuaded to leavethe room."

Molly nodded at Dumbledore and turned from the room, Ginny's tea forgotten asshe rushed as quietly as possible upstairs.


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She knocked softly on the door and heard Remus's soft answer. She entered tofind Remus sitting, as usual, in the armchair he had moved next to the bed,holding Harry's hand. Molly hadn't realized until that very moment that Lupincared for Harry almost like a son, just as she did. The tears of mixed relief andsadness trickling down his face were testimony to that. Of course, she reasoned,

Harry was the last connection to the best friends Remus had loved so much...butmore than that, they had all come to love Harry for who he was, rather than whohis parents were.

She crossed softly to the other side of the bed and took Harry's other hand. Howmany hours in the past three days had she and Remus sat together like this, eachof them holding one of Harry's hands? But this time was different. This time theyknew he was going to be all right. Molly smiled, and for the first time in daysRemus smiled back. Harry was recovering. Of course there were other worries,but for now that was enough.

* * *

Almost a half an hour went by, and Molly still hadn't returned to Ginny's room.What's taking her so long?Ginny thought. Suddenly she was terrified. Somethinghad happened with Harry. She knew it - it's the only reason her mother wouldhave left to get her a cup of tea and not come back. Just as she was about to gofind her mum, Ron walked into the room followed by the twins.

"You can't sleep either?" Fred asked.

"No," Ginny replied. "And Mum's been here with me, but she left half an hour agoto make me some tea and she hasn't come back yet."

Ron looked worriedly at his siblings. "I saw Dumbledore leaving Harry's room awhile ago, but I couldn't see his face. Do you reckon they would have told us ifsomething happened?"

All four of the Weasley children groaned in unison. Their mother was famous forher strict insistence on keeping her kids on a strictly need-to-know basis when itcame to things like this.

Ginny had just made up her mind to go to Harry's room herself when Molly cameinto the room, a steaming cup of tea in her hand and tears running down her face.

Ginny's heart dropped into her chest, and she sat down on the bed. Fred, George,and Ron all joined her, all touching each other in some way as if they gatheredstrength in their togetherness. The Weasley brood may bicker, but it could neverbe said that they didn't stick together when times were hard.


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Molly set the cup of tea on Ginny's nightstand and knelt in front of them, puttingher eyes at their level just like she had when they were small.

"Harry woke up," she said softly. "He is going to be fine."

Ron's face broke into a grin that closely mirrored the ones on Fred's andGeorge's faces. Ginny, however, burst into almost hysterical tears.

"What in the bloody hell are you crying for?" Ron asked his sister, utterlyconfused.

"I'm...I'm just..." she could hardly get the words out. "I'm so...so...happy!"

Ron gaped at her. "Ginny, when did you become such a girl?" Ginny turned tohim and socked him playfully in the arm, smiling through her tears.

"That's more like it," Ron said. "I've got to send an owl to Hermione! I swore Iwould as soon as he woke up. She had to stay with her parents this summer, butshe's worried herself half sick." He left the room with a grin, nearly skipping in hisrelief.

Ginny looked at Fred and George. "When did he write to Hermione? She and Iwrite back and forth often, but she never mentioned that she was writing to Ron,too. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I wonder why they kept it a secret."

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Chapter 6: Assigning Blame by WriterLady

Chapter 6: Assigning Blame

When Harry next opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was sunlight pouringthrough an open window to his right. He blinked, adjusting his eyes to thebrightness, and looked around. A fire crackled in the grate, even though it wasJuly, and next to the grate was the dresser he had noticed the night before. It wasreally a large piece of furniture, carved ornately in every space that would allowfor carving. Each of its six wooden drawers was decorated with engravedscrollwork so elaborate that it almost seemed to be trying to convey a message toHarry, though he knew that couldnt be true. On the top of the massive chest satthe myriad vials of potions Madam Pomfrey had left for him to take at regularintervals. As Harry gazed at them had he ever had to take so many before, evenwith his frequent visits to the hospital wing? he wondered just how ill he hadreally been.

A comfortable-looking, well-worn leather armchair sat empty beside Harry's bed.No one was in the room with him. Although Harry did not realize it, this was thefirst time Remus Lupin had left his side in four days, and he had done so only onDumbledore's insistence that they talk for a moment out of Harry's range ofhearing.

So this was Siriuss room, Harry thought. He had never been inside it before. Lastsummer, he hadn't given it much thought, but now he felt a twinge of guilt that hedidn't really even know where or how his godfather had lived.

At the thought of Sirius, Harry felt the familiar lump rise into his chest, and hestared out the second-floor window at the hot, blue sky that was tainted onlyslightly by the smog that sometimes surrounded London on hot days.

"It's you, Harry, and more people are going to die because of it. I died because ofit. I died because of you."

"Your godfather won't be the last to die..."

Don't think about that, Harry ordered himself fiercely. It was a nightmare, that's

all. A nightmare. He spoke almost inaudibly, but his words seemed to echoaround the large room.

"Oh, but was it, Potter? Was it just a nightmare?" The cold voice that Harry hadheard in the back of his mind while he was at the Dursley's had returned. "I

suppose you think your precious godfather is going to walk through the door anymoment, do you? Was that all just a nightmare, too? He is dead, Potter, and hedid not have to die. If only he had not chosen to stand in the way of my


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plans...and your destiny..." The voice laughed, a high, cruel laugh, and Harry'sscar burned as if it had been branded. Harry put his hands over his ears to blockout the voice and doubled over where he sat, trying as hard as he could not tovomit. The attack had ended, but the pain not yet abated.

* * *

It had taken strong insistence on Dumbledore's part to convince Remus to leaveHarry's bedside even for a moment, but Dumbledore did not want Harry to hearwhat he was about to tell the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Ron,Ginny, and the twins were still asleep, having slept peacefully through the nightfor the first time this summer, and their mother was letting them have a rare lie-in.Molly herself was down getting tea for Albus and Remus and had said that assoon as she was finished with that, she would sit with Harry until Remus came

back.

Remus settled down in a dusty wing chair in the drawing room and looked atDumbledore, who sat opposite him with an inscrutable look on his face, gazing athim over his half-moon glasses.

"What's this about, Albus?" Remus asked finally. "What could be more importantthan being with Harry when he wakes up?"

Dumbledore sighed and began, "You know that in his will, Sirius passedguardianship of Harry over to you."

Remus gestured impatiently for Dumbledore to proceed to something he did notknow.

"When you signed it, you entered a binding magical contract to keep the boy inyour care until he turns seventeen, which will be in a little over one year. "

"Yes, Albus. I took it on gladly, as you well know."

"Of course, Harry's circumstances are a little different with the necessity that hego back to Privet Drive for a time each summer."

Lupin cursed, and then looked apologetically at Dumbledore. "I'm sorry, Albus.It's just that when I think of those people..."

"And I am sorry to be, shall we say, avoiding the 'real' issue, Remus,"Dumbledore said. "You see, I made a promise to Harry at the end of term never totell a soul what I am about to tell you. I am about to break that promise, and youknow that the breaking of a promise is not something to be taken lightly. Harry is


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already feeling rather mistrustful of me right now, and when he finds out that Ihave told you...well..."

The younger man's attitude changed instantly from annoyance at having to leaveHarry's side to intense concern. He had never known Albus Dumbledore to break

a promise, and to break one he had made to Harry...now, of all times, when Harryneeded to be able to trust the adults around him the most...whatever this wasabout, Remus knew it was important.

"When Harry wakes, he will need to talk to someone, and I strongly suspect thatsomeone will be you, Remus."

Lupin nodded. He had already decided that his primary goal over the next fewweeks woul

harry potter the greatest power

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