|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Author: kaiserzacc Story: To the Gates of Hell Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: WIP Reviews: 11 Words: 21,192
~Death’s unavoidable; let’s have a drink. ~ Seneca the Elder, Controversiae, II, 6, 3 Harry awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. He turned over, willing himself to go back to sleep. After a few minutes he realized that there was another sound in the room. Someone else was snoring. He frowned, trying to think who else could be snoring in his room. He slowly opened his eyes and immediately noticed that his room was also much too bright. He fumbled around on his night stand and found his glasses. Everything came into sharp focus as he slid them on. He immediately recognized the room. He was in the sterile white environment of the school hospital wing. Confused, Harry tried to recall what had happened. He remembered taking a shower at the Dursleys' and stumbling in the hallway, but no more. He frowned and looked for the source of the snoring. Ginny was asleep in the chair next to him, her head resting on the bed. What was Ginny doing here? The frown deepened while he pondered this. Do you really care why she is there, Potter? The voice in his head sounded suspiciously like Sirius. He looked again at Ginny sleeping. She really is very pretty isn’t she, Harry? He was now positive that the voice, while belonging to his subconscious, was that of his godfather. She’s Ron’s sister, he answered the voice. So? She is still pretty, intelligent, funny and stubborn. And she is a red head. Ok, so I will grant you that. She is pretty, funny, intelligent, and stubborn, and that she is a red head, although I don’t know what that has to do with anything. Besides she is still Ron’s sister. And I think that she is dating Dean Thomas. Oh…so you are thinking about dating her? Hmmm…that is interesting. What? You were talking about dating her…weren’t you? No, all I said was that she was pretty. As for the red head bit, Potter men always fall for red heads. How do you know that? Who besides my mum was a red head? I am your subconscious and I remember things that you don’t. I remember a conversation between Sirius and your mum. He said that your grandmother was a red head, too. So there. It still doesn’t matter; I couldn’t put her in that kind of danger. It would kill me to if she was to get hurt or even die because of me…and if she were my girlfriend she would be a target. Are you saying that she isn’t already a target? She was at the ministry with you, wasn’t she? Besides isn’t that her choice? Ginny began to stir as Harry was losing the argument with himself. She started and fell out of her chair when she saw him gazing intently at her. She recovered quickly, stood up, and stared at him with every ounce of her mother that she could muster. “Harry James Potter.” His eyebrows shot up and his mouth opened slightly in surprise at his full name. “Harry James Potter, don’t you ever do that again…if you do I’ll…I’ll…kill you myself.” Tears began flowing down her face as she launched herself at his chest and sobbed into his pajama top. “Ginny? Umm…I…umm.” Having the girl he had just been arguing with himself about draped on his chest was making it difficult to concentrate. He put his hand on her back and rubbed it lightly in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. “Ginny, I’m sorry I was watching you while you were sleeping and I’m sorry I startled you. I just…” “Is that what you think this about?” She stood up suddenly and poked him in the ribs, hard. “Look at what you did to yourself.” She was no longer crying and her face was getting red. The Weasley trademark temper was making its entrance. Suddenly she reached out and grabbed his shirt on either side of the buttons and ripped it open, sending buttons flying across the room. “Look. At. What. You. Did.” She punctuated each word by jabbing her finger at a different exposed rib and his collar bone. Harry looked down at where she had poked him and saw his exposed ribcage. He arched an eyebrow at her and said, “This is all because I lost a little weight?” Her face turned more red, “No, Potter,” she spat his name like it were a curse, “this is because Ron and I found you, Harry James Potter, unconscious in your hall. All because you, Harry James Potter, haven’t eaten for two bloody weeks. That’s what this is all about.” She punctuated the last sentence with another jab into his ribs. Harry leaned his head back and pushed his glassed up on to his forehead. He rubbed his eyes roughly and allowed his glasses to fall back to his nose. He began to pick at his fingernails. Without looking up he said quietly, “I’m sorry that you found me Ginny.” She sat down heavily and looked like she was going to be sick. “You really do want to die?” she whispered. Harry just shrugged. Before either of them could respond, Madam Pomfrey came through the doors and walked over to them. “Oh good, you’re awake. Drink this. All of it please.” Harry knew from experience that the nurse would just become more insistent if he did not follow her instructions, so he just drank the potion and handed the empty bottle back to her. “Right, well I want you to take one of these every day in the morning before breakfast.” She turned to Ginny who was still staring at Harry like he had grown a third head. “Miss Weasley, you will ensure that he takes them?” While phrased as a question, it was a demand. Ginny nodded. “Very well, you are free to go.” Madam Pomfrey walked back to her office and closed the door. Ginny turned and grabbed a rucksack that was sitting on the floor under her chair. She threw it on the bed and walked away. “Get dressed, we’re leaving.” Harry found a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, socks, boxers, and his trainers in the bag. As soon as Ginny was out of sight, he pulled off the hospital pajamas and put his clothes on. He slung the bag over his shoulder and walked to the doors. As he neared them he heard hushed whispering on the other side. He slowed and recognized the voices as belonging to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. “Ginny, I just can’t believe that he meant it that way. Harry wouldn’t …” Ron’s voice whispered. “I’m telling you the way he said it…I just don’t know. I think he might have meant it.” Ginny sounded on the verge of tears. “Look we’ll talk to him, ok?” Hermione’s voice didn’t reflect confidence. Harry opened the door with a sigh and walked through. As he turned, he caught a flash of brown hair out of the corner of his eye before something knocked him to the cold stone floor. He looked over and saw Hermione with her arms wrapped around his waist lying next to him. She was crying. “Umm…Hermione?” He laid his head back and put his hand on her head, smoothing back her hair. He looked up and saw Ron looking at him sadly. Harry reached out his hand and Ron helped him and Hermione off of the floor. Hermione was still crying and holding him around his waist. He put his arms around her. “Look guys…I know what you thought I was doing with not eating…but I just wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t trying to bloody kill myself.” He said this in a quiet voice. Ginny whipped around and glared at him but he cut her off before she could make a sound. “I know what I said…or really didn’t say in there. I didn’t mean that I wanted to kill myself,” he sighed, “You asked if I wanted to die…and yeah…sometimes I think that it would be a whole lot easier. But I don’t think that I could actually do it.” There were tears rolling down Ginny’s face now. She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, too. Harry smiled for what seemed like the first time since Sirius had been killed. Ron smiled too. “Wow, mate, so that’s how you get all of the girls. Just starve yourself and they come flocking.” Ginny and Hermione let go and looked at each other, smiling. They turned back to Harry and kissed him on his cheeks. They linked arms with him and started walking down the hall. Hermione turned and called over her shoulder at Ron, “Guess you’ll never know then, Ron.” Ron’s face burned red and he started after them, muttering under his breath. As they neared the stone gargoyles guarding Professor Dumbledore’s office Harry abruptly stopped. “Where are we going?” he asked Hermione. “We are going to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Why?” She looked puzzled. “Well see…I uh…kind of…trashed his office the last time I was there. And I …well, let's just say I’m not really very happy with him at the moment.” A dark look crossed his face as he remembered the prophecy. Ginny grabbed his arm and pulled him up to the entrance. “Come on, it’ll be fine. Sugar Quill,” she said, and the gargoyles stepped out of the way revealing the moving staircase. When they had reached the top she knocked on the door and immediately heard the voice of the headmaster call out, “Come in.” She opened the door and stepped in to the office pulling Harry behind her. Despite the fact that he was a good six inches taller than her and even though he still outweighed her by a good two stone, he still couldn’t seem to stop her pulling him around. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk watching the spectacle of little five foot four inch Ginny Weasley pulling Harry Potter, one of the most powerful students he had ever seen, around by his elbow. He might have even laughed if the boy didn’t look so gaunt. Behind them Ron and Hermione walked into the room looking around the room at his remaining possessions. He smiled. “Harry, it is good to see you up and walking again. I trust you are feeling better.” Harry just nodded. “Good; well then, if you will all touch the quill I will activate the portkey.” He had produced a long peacock feather quill and held it out to them. “Hold on professor, where are we going?” Harry asked looking apprehensive. “Ah yes, I apologize, Harry, I was under the impression that you had been told.” Two Weasleys and one Granger blushed simultaneously. “No matter, Harry, you, Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, and Miss Granger will be spending the remainder of the holidays at Grimmauld Place.” Everyone tensed for the explosion from Harry. It didn’t happen. They all looked at Harry who was simply nodding. “What?” he said. “As long as I don’t have to go back to the Dursleys' I don’t care. The Burrow probably isn’t safe with me there and there really isn’t anywhere else for me to go. I appreciate that you lot are going to be there with me.” Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all just stared at him. “Unless, you don’t want to be there with me?” He looked nervous. “You do want to be there, right? I mean you don’t have to you know.” He looked down and started picking at his calluses. Hermione was the first one to break the stupor. “Of course we want to come with you. We just expected…I don’t know…you to react more to going back there, that’s all.” “Well, I can’t say that I’m happy to be going back there but…really, you guys don’t have to come with me. You should be outside…and…I don’t know…happy.” It was Ron’s turn to answer. “Come on, Harry, we’re your mates. Did you think we’d just leave you like that? Besides Gin and I would be doing chores all summer. We really should be thanking you.” Harry snorted and reached for the quill. As soon as the others touched it they felt the familiar sensation of being tugged by their navel. ~*~*~*~ Harry came to rest on the cold stone floor of the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. Ginny and Hermione were standing above him giggling. Of the four he was the only one to have landed on his backside. He just shook his head and got up. Harry had always had problems with balance when Flooing or using Portkeys; he was used to it. Looking around more carefully, he noticed that the kitchen was considerably cleaner than the last time he had been there. In fact, it looked as though it had been scrubbed from floor to ceiling. They wandered up the stairs from the kitchen to the entry hall and Ginny remarked that the troll leg umbrella stand had been removed and the hall looked lighter. The dark, dirty wallpaper had been removed, revealing the walls underneath. They moved to the sitting room and immediately noticed that it had also been extensively cleaned. New drapes adorned the windows and the Black Family tapestry had been removed. The walls had also been stripped of the horrid wallpaper and awaited new covering. The furniture had been removed and the rugs were rolled up at one side of the room leaving a beautiful hardwood floor that had recently been waxed and buffed. The room and indeed the entire house seemed noticeably lighter and no longer seemed so oppressive. They moved from room to room, amazed at the vast improvements that had been made. The biggest physical difference was that the portrait of Mrs. Black and the house elves’ heads no longer seemed to reside in the house. The only exception was the library. It looked as though all of the miscellaneous books in the house had been piled in stacks on the floor. The four teens quickly glanced through the stacks and realized immediately noticed that they contained many dark texts and ancient manuscripts. None of the four had been in the library before and were amazed at the thousands of books that lined the shelves. Hermione seemed to be in another world as she started pulling various books off of the shelves, intent on attaining any and all knowledge that the library held, and it took a combined effort by Ron and Harry with assurances that the books would still be there later before they were able to physically drag her away. Ron and Harry started to escort Hermione down the stairs to the first floor with a giggling Ginny close behind, when they heard voices and a crashing sound coming from the kitchen. Immediately Harry pulled Hermione behind him and pulled his wand. A hundred thoughts immediately went through his mind but only one prevailed. The house is under attack and I must protect Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Nothing will hurt them. As these thoughts went through his mind a look of calm settled on his face. But when he turned to look at his friends they all took a step back. His eyes were as hard as diamonds and they could feel the unmitigated power flowing from him. He turned back and quietly crept down the stairs to the entrance hall and peered down into the kitchen. The voices continued in low tones but he couldn’t see who was talking. The intruders seemed to be in the pantry which was around the corner from him. Harry crouched down holding his wand tight and dove through the open door twisting in mid-air to face where his adversaries should be. As he hit the floor he rolled and came into another crouch. At that same moment one of the attackers swore and dove back into the kitchen scrambling to find cover. Harry immediately jumped up and yelled, “STUPEFY” at the attacker who hadn’t dived for cover. Harry moved and crouched down again as he heard the rough thump of a body hitting the floor. The other attacker jumped up and sent a stunning spell toward him, but Harry was too quick. He dove and flattened himself on the ground and shouted, “IMPEDIMENTA,” aiming at the feet of his opponent. The attacker swore again and fell. Harry quickly stood and said, “STUPEFY,” stunning the remaining attacker. He quickly scanned the room to make sure there were no more threats before moving around the kitchen table to disarm his would be attackers. Harry knelt quickly and retrieved the wand. As he started to stand he glanced over at his attacker and fell backwards. He was staring at the bubblegum-pink hair of Nymphadora Tonks. He got up frowning and went to the pantry where the other attacker was lying unconscious. He looked into the face of the only remaining marauder, Remus Lupin. Grabbing his wand, he went back to the kitchen and saw his three friends staring at him and at the unconscious form of Tonks lying on the ground. He turned away and muttered, “ Mobilicorpus,” pointing his wand at the unconscious form of Lupin. The unconscious form rose up and floated to where Harry was standing. Harry let Lupin down next to Tonks and said, “Ennervate.” The former professor came to, looked at Harry standing above him, and smiled. “Hello, Harry. Guess no one told you we would be here,” he glanced at the other teens who were still staring at Harry. “Can I have my wand back, Harry?” Harry chewed on his lower lip for a minute. “Why was my father’s nickname Prongs?” Remus smiled, “Because his animagus form was a stag.” Harry silently handed the man his wand. He turned to Tonks and revived her. “Blimey Harry,” she said as she saw him standing over her. “You’re getting as paranoid as Mad-Eye.” She grinned and reached her hand out for her wand. Harry stepped back. “Change something so I know it’s you.” She cocked her eyebrow at him then grinned mischievously. She closed her eyes and screwed her face up in concentration. At first nothing happened but then Harry heard a snapping sound and saw her breasts growing. They went from about a c-cup to much larger. “Damn, broke my bra,” she said quietly, then looked back up at Harry who was blushing furiously. “Is that better, Harry?” she asked innocently. Harry handed her wand back to her and whispered, “They were better the other way.” It was Tonks’ turn to blush. Harry turned to see Lupin laughing silently. Harry grinned. “So, what are you two doing here?” he asked as he carefully avoided watching Tonks remove her broken bra. “Well, Harry, you didn’t really think that Molly would allow the four of you to stay here the whole summer without any supervision. Did you?” Harry noticed that he looked older that the last time he had seen his father’s old friend. He realized that Sirius’ death had probably hit him hard, too. Harry’s face darkened at the thought of his godfather. “No, I suppose not. So, are you and Tonks our minders all summer?” he asked in a hopeful voice. “Well, yeah, Tonks will be here all summer. I will be here except for full moons,” Lupin smiled. Harry looked around and noticed that Tonks had ushered the others out of the room. “How are you, Harry?” Harry started to answer that he was fine but instead tears started welling in his eyes. “I’m…I... I really miss him,” he finally said quietly. Tears went unheeded down his cheeks. Lupin pulled him into a rough hug and whispered, “Me too, Harry, me too.” They stood like that for a while, grieving together until Harry calmed down. “Harry, I need you to sit down for a minute. There are some things that we need to talk about and they won’t get any easier, so it may as well be now.” Harry nodded and sat down. Remus went to a cupboard and got two glasses. He moved to another cupboard and pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey. He poured generous amounts in each glass and handed one to Harry. “Have you ever had Firewhiskey, Harry?” Harry shook his head. “Well, I think it is appropriate for Sirius to be the subject of your first toast. He told your dad that he was going to be the one to introduce you to Firewhiskey. Your mother was…shall we say, displeased when your father agreed. Anyway...to Sirius.” He raised his glass. Harry thought for a second. Raised his glass and said, “To fallen Marauders.” Remus nodded as a tear slipped down his face and they both emptied their glasses. Harry coughed a little and smiled. “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Lupin smiled back and retrieved the bottle, pouring more in their glasses. The smile faded. “Harry, Sirius made me responsible for carrying out his will.” Harry looked down at his glass and took a sip. He nodded. “I need to go over it with you, Harry, because you are one of the primary beneficiaries,” Harry sighed and swallowed the remainder of his glass. He nodded as he reached for the bottle, filling the glass half-way. Remus cocked an eyebrow and smiled slightly. He pulled Sirius’ will from inside his robes and set it on the table. “I haven’t been able to open it yet,” he said as he downed the contents of his own glass and pulled the bottle back to himself. Harry watched him match the amount in his own glass and nodded. “I think that we can get through this together.” Harry nodded again. “Right.” Remus broke the seal on the will and opened the parchment. I, Sirius Black, in the presence of Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore, do hereby declare that I am of sound mind and body and am acting of my own free will under no duress or fear of coercion. I hereby declare that this is my last will and testament. I ask that in the event of my death my best friend and the only remaining Marauder serve as the executor of my estate. Remus, my last wishes are these: To my godson, Harry Potter, I leave the following: 25% of the contents of the Black Family Vault. If he is not of age, then on his 17th birthday he is to receive the deed to 12 Grimmauld Place, London. Also I would like for Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin to share ownership of the property south of Marseille, France. Also, if he is not yet seventeen, I request that Mr. Remus Lupin be appointed as his guardian. (Remus, Harry needs you.)(Harry, Remus needs you, too.) To my friend, Remus Lupin, I leave the following: 20% of the contents of the Black Family Vault. Also I leave Remus the house, outbuildings, and the 300 acres of land near Campbelltown, Scotland. (I know that you have always liked the place, Remus.) Once again I would like for Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin to share equal ownership of the 200 acre property 10 miles south of Marseille, France. (Remus, if you do accept guardianship of Harry, I think that it is time that he knows about his parents’ wills.) To Nymphadora Tonks I leave the following: 20% of the Black Family Vault. Also I leave Nymphadora (I hope you are able to hear this, Tonks) my home in Cardiff, Wales. Seriously though, thank you, Tonks you were there when I needed you. The remainder of the Vault contents should be dispersed as followed: 10% - Arthur and Molly Weasley 5% - Miss Hermione Granger 5% - Miss Ginny Weasley 5% - Mr. Ronald Weasley I would like for the remaining 10% to be set aside for a trust fund called The Marauder’s Memorial Trust to be used to help victims of this blasted war. I ask that the fund be administered by Mr. Remus Lupin and Mr. Harry Potter. Use it well, guys. In the master bedroom at Grimmauld Place there is a safe, (Mooney you know how to open it) I wish for the contents to be given to Fred and George Weasley. Please respect these last wishes. Sirius Black Albus Dumbledore - Witness There was a letter folded in with the will. Remus opened it and read aloud: Remus and Harry, I hope that neither of you blame yourselves for my death. Hopefully I died fighting; you both know that is how I should go, just like James. If by some miracle I died trying to save either of you, please know, this is how I wanted to die. No matter what happened I will never blame you, so please don’t blame yourselves. Please support each other as I know that you will both take my passing rather hard. Split a bottle of Firewhiskey and remember me once in a while, but please, please move on. Harry, I knew about the prophecy. Dumbledore told me after the Tri-wizard Tournament. If he hasn’t told you yet, ASK HIM. It is of the utmost importance. I think that you should also tell Remus, Ron, and Hermione; maybe Ginny, too. You know that (or maybe you don’t) the Potter men are doomed to fall for red heads. Your grandmother was a redhead too. Don’t fight it. I know that you have a tendency to push people that you care about away from you to try and protect them. Instead of pushing them away, help them train to protect themselves. You will need them. Remus, you were always the intellect of the Marauders. Help Harry train. He needs all the help that he can get. Harry, your father and mother were both extremely powerful, but you are something else. Learn to harness and use that power; Remus can help. Trust Dumbledore, he always has your best interests at heart. Most of all, be your own man, trust yourself and follow your heart. You have a good heart and it will rarely lead you wrong. Even when you make mistakes, you must learn to move on and forgive yourself. Once again I love you both and will wait for you on the other side with James and Lily. Good Bye. Sirius Remus and Harry both reached for their glasses and both took a healthy drink. They sat and looked at each other, neither wanting to be the one to speak first. Finally Harry broke the silence. He looked at the table and started speaking slowly, gradually the speed increased as the dam broke. “After Voldemort disappeared from the ministry, Professor Dumbledore made a Portkey that took me back to his office. I was exhausted and he told me that he would be along shortly. I tried to leave the office but the door wouldn’t open. When he got there I was…was really angry at him and I broke a lot of the things in his office. He didn’t even move. I tried to leave again and he said that even though I was mad at him I was not nearly as mad as I should be. Then he told me that he made the mistake of caring too much about whether I was happy and that was why he didn’t tell me about the prophecy when I first faced Voldemort when I was eleven.” Tears were streaming down his face again and the words were rushing out of his mouth. Harry couldn’t have stopped now even if he had wanted to. “And he didn’t tell me again when I faced Tom Riddle’s diary and the Basilisk when I was 12. He said I was too happy and he didn’t want to ruin it when I saved Sirius and survived the Dementors when I was 13. He said that he should have told me after Voldemort kidnapped me and Cedric from the Tri-wizard Tournament and I returned after having dueled with Voldemort and watched Cedric die, but he didn’t. So this year when I started having visions of what Voldemort was doing, he sent me to study occlumency with Snape even though he knew that Snape hates me and hated my dad. Then he showed me the prophecy in his pensieve.” Harry took a big drink and sighed. “It said; the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not…and either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches.” Remus’ face was pale as he contemplated what the young man had just told him. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally Remus drank the rest of his drink and stood up. He went over and hugged Harry. “Harry, you know that everyone is here for you. I am here for you. I will do whatever it takes to help you. And I will be there when you face him. I may not be able to kill him, but I sure as hell can watch your back and teach you everything I know. Harry, you have a gift,” Lupin kneeled in front of Harry. “Your gift is that people -- even if they don’t know you -- love you. You have something inside you that makes people believe in you. Do you know that something like half of the Aurors working for the ministry would follow you into battle without ever having spoken to you? Ask Tonks sometime. Dumbledore may be the leader of our forces right now, but it’s you that they are fighting for.” “But why? Why would they do that? I don’t know how to beat Voldemort. I’m nothing special.” “Harry, it’s because you have the courage to face things like you have and yet still go on. That gives people something to look up to and it gives them someone to trust in. And that is special. Most people would run away screaming if they saw Voldemort coming, not you. You would pull your wand and die trying to defend someone that you hadn’t even met.” “Hermione calls it a saving people thing. It got Sirius killed and almost killed Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna.” “I am not going to say that people won’t die, but if someone does die, it’s not your fault. They chose to go with you and give their life to help you kill that wanker. I will help you make sure that their sacrifice doesn’t go to waste. If someone dies, don’t blame yourself, blame whoever killed them, and blame Voldemort.” Harry drained the rest of his glass. “I guess I will try and work on that. Thanks, Mooney. I think I would like it if you were my guardian.” “Thanks, Harry, that means a lot to me. We will need to go to Gringotts in the next few days and sign some papers. I’ll let them know and we can review your parents’ wills while we are there if that’s ok with you.” Harry nodded. “Now let’s go find Ron and the girls. Oh, and Harry, let’s not mention the drinking. We wouldn’t want anything to get back to Molly.” Mooney muttered a few words and Harry felt himself sober up. Feeling a small weight lifted off their shoulders, the two went in search of Ron, Tonks, Hermione and Ginny.
|