The Third War by dumbledorefluertwins
Chapter Notes: Hmm... things start to get a little more dark in this chapter...
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“Settle down…I’m going to take the register.” Horace Slughorn was old. Anybody could see that. When asked how old they thought he was, however, many guessed around twenty years older than he actually was. This was due to the fact of how enormously fat he was.
His stomach had swelled immensely over the years; lack of exercise, and a love of crystallised pineapple and mead, had clearly taken its toll. Being fat had caused a series of health problems, which had given him even more wrinkles than a man his age should have.
His long moustache was now reduced to a few wisps of thin, grey hair, which was the only hair upon his head.
His voice, which had once boomed, was now hoarse, yet he was still loud enough for the entire class to hear.
He began with taking the register and when he reached Jamie’s name his face cracked into a wide smile. He looked over at Jamie and Lillian, who were sharing a table with Matt and Lottie. Slughorn then proceeded to spend a good ten minutes talking about what their father was like at Hogwarts, what their grandmother had been like, the war and more about their father.
The lesson was enjoyable and very different to their father’s tales of potions with Snape. It was filled with different smells and steam of various colours. Jamie seemed to grasp the subject quickly but Lillian…she did manage to make a potion, but nobody quite knew what it was.
Their next lesson was transfiguration with a young, blonde witch who smiled a lot and smelled faintly of lavender. She was called Professor Lansdowne and informed them that, although she was English, she had been taught magic at Beauxbatons to escape the war. On seeing her, Jamie went strangely deaf and starry eyed. All the boys in the class gave their apt attention, all the girls, however, looked back and forth between the teacher and the boys, glaring.
Although, Lillian had to admit that she was very kind.
During their morning break, Lillian and Jamie stood in a corner of the courtyard with Matt and Lottie, plotting tricks for the bet against Sabriel.
They soon admitted defeat. All of the tricks that they thought of just weren’t large enough. They stood there, pondering for a moment.
“We could sneak down to Hogsmead and ask Uncle George!” exclaimed Jamie brightly.
“How do you know Uncle George’ll be there?” asked Lillian. Jamie rolled his eyes and tut tutted as if a four-year-old would know that information.
“Uncle George always stays there at weekends and summer holidays to mind the shop “ Uncle Fred stays at the one in Diagon Alley,” said Jamie, knowledgeably.
***
Harry headed up to the owlrey three days later. He made his way to Hedwig, his feet making crunching noises as he stepped on the hundreds of mice skeletons that littered the floor. Hedwig was slower than she once was but was still as reliable and trusting as always. Harry leaned on the stone wall to quickly finish his letter.
Dear Ginny,
Things are good here “ all I have to do is patrol the corridors, dodge groups of giggling girls, check in lessons now and then, look out for Death Eaters and dodge girls. Just like being a student again really, apart from patrolling the corridors.
Lillian and Jamie have their first Defence lesson tomorrow and the defence teacher is Cho Chang. I know. I’m not too thrilled about it either. So far I’ve avoided her. She’s pretty popular with the boys anyhow.
Jamie seems very talented at Potions but Lillian…well, her Potion was purple. It was meant to be orange. No one dared try it, though it might have been entertaining if they had.
Write back soon!
Harry.
He attached the letter to Hedwig’s leg and watched her fly off into the distance. He continued to look out the window even when she’d gone…thinking.
“Leave him, please!” The boy was down on his knees in front of a scowling Bellatrix. She looked as if she was about to kill him before suddenly laughing.
“You’re joking! You want me to kill him quickly when we could have some fun?” The boy looked horrified.
“I do not want you to kill him at all! He won-”
“Harry?” Harry jumped and turned around to see Cho standing right behind him.
“Oh…Hi.” He looked at the floor with embarrassment, trying to think of something to say. “Er…are you well?” She smiled and nodded.
“Yes, You?”
“Fine.”
“Good…” There was a sort silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Embarrassing memories of Madame Puddifoots teashop and asking Cho to the ball swam to the front of Harry’s mind. He could feel his face going bright red. Cho looked as if she was experiencing the same problem.
“Harry, I’m so sorry for what happened after you killed Voldemort, you know, when the Death Eaters-”
“Well, I’d best go. I have to be in the Gryffindor common room and I promised this sixth year I’d help him with his Dementor essay.” Harry invented, wildly. Anything to keep him off that topic.
“Are you allowed to help them?” asked Cho, lifting an eyebrow wearily,
“Yes, as long as I don’t give them the answers directly.” This was actually true, even if his story wasn’t.
“Well, bye then.”
“Bye.” Harry headed to the Gryffindor tower as if Voldemort was right behind him.
***
Darren Clarkson left the Department of Mysteries at a fast sprint “ he had to get to Hogwarts. The information he’d just found out…if Death Eaters got hold of the password…it would be catastrophic. Everything that everyone had worked for during the last fifteen years would be lost.
He had to get to Hogwarts.
He Apparated to the station and raced through the gates that wide open and inviting. During the war these gates were always closed and the only way to get through them was if McGonagall or Dumbledore let you in, but now, people were allowing their security to become lax.
Fools!He thought venomously, They’ll die unless they’re prepared! He had the reason, the Death Eaters were becoming active. How could the unspeakables have been so stupid? They’d been doing all the hard work for the Death Eaters. All the Death Eaters had had to do was to wait for them to complete the research. And he had.
The Ministry had stupidly tried to keep it quiet “ there had already been six murders, but no one, except those high up in the Ministry, knew of them. Yes, there had been a leak and The Daily Prophet had published a story about it, but it didn’t matter. Nobody really took it seriously, it was just a bit off gossip.
They all felt too secure to fall for such “silly rumours” like that after Harry Potter had rid them of Voldemort. They wouldn’t feel secure for much longer unless he got to Hogwarts.
An awful stitch had formed in his side and, reluctantly, he slowed to a stop and bent double, clutching his body, panting. Unknown to him, a dark, hooded figure crept up behind him. The figure smirked and sent a jet of red light towards him. The figure laughed softly and dragged Darren into the Forbidden Forest.
Once in the darkness of the trees the figure pulled down its hood. The face showed a woman with dark eyes and pale skin. She shook her dark hair and looked up at Hogwarts, where her daughter was. She tore her gaze away; there was no time for such silly sentimental thoughts. Out of her pocket, she took a small glass phial filled with what seemed like water. She opened Darren’s mouth and tipped the phial slightly, so that just two drops of the expensive potion fell onto his tongue.
She swept her wand over him and his eyes flickered open.
“What is the password for the gateway?” she asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of parchment. It had several Latin words on it.
“Here,” he said his voice emotionless. “But you need a potion too.” She looked back at the parchment and, sure enough, there was a recipe on the back. She swore quietly; the potion needed to stew for several months. And one of the ingredients, which had to be added every three hours for three months, could only be found in this very forest.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said to herself. “I have what I need…” She looked back at Darren. He’d served his purpose, yet he wouldn’t remember anything when the potion wore off and with no evidence “ who was going to believe him? Bellatrix Lestrange never thought twice.
“ Avada Kedvra!
***
Ginny sat talking to Hermione when Sirius ran in, waving a roll of parchment and jumping up and down.
“It’s a letter from Dad! Letter from Dad! Dad! Letter!” He handed the parchment to Ginny, who opened it up and recognised Harry’s untidy writing. She read it through and scowled. Too angry to speak she handed it to a questioning Hermione, who read it through, her left eyebrow raised slightly.
“What?”
“Look; Cho Chang is teaching!” Hermione looked at her, confused.
“So?”
“So?! So?!” Ginny yelped, “What if he starts to like her again?! What if he leaves me for her?! What if-? What are you laughing at?!” Hermione was indeed, shaking up and down; hand over her mouth, with laughter.
“Ginny, Harry’s over her. Although it should be Harry we feel sorry for “ I bet it’s really awkward for him,” She ended happily.
“Besides, look at his letter “ I know. I’m not too thrilled about it either. Would he really say that if he wanted to get back with her?”
“Yes! It might be to throw me off the scent.”
“Ginny you need to trust Harry more. He loves you. But, if you want to keep an eye on him you could always talk to Madame Pomfrey and be her assistant. I’ll look after Sirius.” Ginny nodded.
“I’ll think about it… in fact no I won’t; I’ve been a housewife too long! I’ll send her an owl now!”
***
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
“Yes! Uncle Ron told me about it.”
“Are you sure Uncle George will be there?”
“Yes!”
“Are you-?”
“YES!” Jamie snapped at his sister.
“Sorry.” The pair climbed out of the trapdoor.
“Wow…” It was even better than they imagined. The whole shop seemed to be made out of sweets. Sherbet and toffee, vanilla and peppermint, chewy and hard boiled, sweet and sour, chocolates and sweets lined the colourful walls.
“Uncle Georges shop is just down the road…” said Jamie faintly. They could hear someone coming and, with difficulty, tore their eyes away from the sweets.
They made their way down the cobbled street looking for what used to be Zonko’s, before it ran out of business and became yet another branch of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Autumn leaves carpeted the street in varying shades of golden-brown. It was strangely quiet, even for this time of night, except for the few witches and wizards shuffling along to The Three Broomsticks for a late meal.
“Jamie, look,” Lillian said, pointing at a newspaper on a bench. Jamie picked it up and frowned at the front covers picture and headline. There was a picture of his father in the pet shop pulling Lillian and Sirius, with Jamie close behind. Jamie walked over to the light of a nearby lamp and the two read it together.
Harry Potter spotted in Diagon Alley!
The Chosen One was recently spotted in Diagon Alley with his three young children, two of which are to attend Hogwarts this year. Secretive as ever, Mr Potter fled the scene when the children were recognised “ but why? Mr Potter has always shown dislike to large crowds and journalists. Healer Warble claims he may know the answer.
“It’s probably has something to do with the awful things that happened after the final battle. When Bellatrix Lestrange decided to-”
Lillian threw the paper down in disgust. She didn’t want to read anymore.
“Can we go to the shop now?” She snapped at her brother, her breath making a column of steam in front of her. He nodded and they continued their walk through the cool darkness of night.
“Lily?” asked Jamie quietly.
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t you tell Lottie what happened to Dad?” There was a short, stony silence.
“She’ll find out herself, it’d be hard for her not to wouldn’t it? Matt’s probably already told her, come to think of it.”
“But why didn’t you tell her on the train?” Jamie was still quiet.
“I…I don’t like talking about it.” Jamie felt an angry flame jump up from inside him and sear his throat.
“But you don’t mind telling everybody about Voldemorts resurrection?”
“That’s different!”
“How? Dad was scared just as much! But you seem to like to tell every one that he was never scared and that he had a choice in the matter “ THAT HE WANTED TO FIGHT! HE DIDN’T! He never wanted any of that!
You seem to think it’s like those godforsaken fairy tales, where the brave prince slays dragons and ogres to get a princess, and then they all live happily ever after! But in those stories you know that good will triumph over evil because the villain is always stupid or vain or has some massive weakness! ”
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Lillian was crying again. She had always thought that she was tough “ that she never cried. Admittedly, she did take pain well, but when it came to words…
“I… I just… I don’t know… I know he didn’t want any of that and that is why I never exaggerate Voldemorts resurrection or Sirius’ death or the prophecy or Dumbledore’s death…and I certainly don’t exaggerate the Final Battle or… what happened after. I don’t know why I make bits up to make it seem more exciting, I just do. I like to pretend that I’m off with them, off searching for a Horcrux or battling Dementors. But I always tell the truth about the times when people died.”
“But you exaggerate all the other stories that Uncle Ron tells you.” Lillian smiled slightly.
“Yeah, but Uncle Ron exaggerates too. I can never get Dad to tell them but Uncle seems to enjoy all the attention. I think that’s where I get it from.”
“Will you promise not to exaggerate anymore? Lily, please?” Jamie asked. Lillian nodded.
“I promise.”
***
A cloaked figure made its way down the marble stairs into the Entrance Hall. It had just put its hand on the door when Tonks came bursting in, her wand raised.
“Easy, Tonks. It’s me.” Harry lowered his hood.
“Wotcher,” she said warily, “sorry Harry, but really, rather stupid to be walking around here with your hood up, isn’t it?” Harry smiled and muttered something about old habits dying hard.
“Where are you going this time of night anyway?” Harry hesitated, but decided he’d better tell her.
“I’m going to the cemetery where D-…where he’s buried. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I just need to collect my thoughts. I wanted to go at night because then I won’t be missed or followed by reporters.” Tonks nodded.
“Do what you have to do,” She said, “It might be easier if you use Floo though “ save the walk to Hogsmead, eh?” Harry nodded and took a pinch of the glistening powder that Tonks was holding out to him.
If only Harry had walked down and Apparated, if only he’d denied the offer of Floo powder, if only Tonks hadn’t of found him, a life might have been saved.