|
Harry Potter and the Alchemist’s Apprentice | ||||||
|
Category: Post-HBP Characters:Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks, Other, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Humor, Romance, Tragedy Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Extreme Language, Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: R Reviews: 48 Summary: As Dumbledore's funeral brings about a new era in Harry's life, how will he cope with the grief of his beloved headmaster, the break up with the love of his life, and the hardships that the Dark Lord has set up. But with all this, hope still shimmers as an old friend of Dumbledore returns to guide Harry through his crucible. Hitcount: Story Total: 37568; Chapter Total: 3181 Author's Notes: I was rereading my previous chapters and am so surprised you guys still read ahead and wait for me to update. The chapters are too short...I hope to start to remedy that....well read and review please and enjoy |
Previous Next |
|
||||
|
The week since Harry’s arrival had been mostly uneventful. Molly Weasley, the matriarch of the Burrow, was quite persistent in keeping the teenagers apart in hopes that if they weren’t together to scheme, then they wouldn’t be able to leave. So she showered them with chore after chore from sunrise to sunset, only giving them a rest for lunch or dinner. She couldn’t have them running off doing something reckless and misguided, thinking that it was their responsibility to get rid of You-Know-Who. They were just children for Merlin’s sake! Harry, that poor boy, had witnessed much more than anyone should ever witness, but he didn’t know the true perils of war as she had. Her entire family, the Prewetts, was torn apart in the First War. Her two younger brothers had joined the Order of the Phoenix and were great wizards but they unfortunately were both killed by Death Eaters in a raid. She didn’t want her own children to go through the same pain and suffering that she had; the horrors of losing a sibling was unbearable. Besides keeping Ron, Hermione, and Harry apart, she needed to keep an eye on her daughter as well. Molly noticed that Ron had finally found his Gryffindor courage, and was beginning to be nicer towards the bushy haired witch. She was quite happy of course, as she had always had a soft spot for the girl but what made her truly delighted was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had finally noticed her own little baby girl. Nothing else could make her happier. They loved each other. The secret glances and “accidental” physical contact that seemed to be going on quite frequently only confirmed her suspicions. But as happy and proud as she was, she was still a mother and couldn’t allow the two couples to run off unsupervised for long. So she made it her personal mission to keep them preoccupied by assigning them huge amounts of work. Bill’s wedding was coming up, so the house needed to be in tip-top shape for the coming onslaught of guests. Fleur’s immediate family would be arriving soon from France, and the Weasley family wasn’t exactly tiny either. Bill had sent Percy an invitation but there was yet to be a response from him. As Molly Weasley walked from the kitchen to the living room she saw four burnt out teenagers laying on the floor, all with their eyes closed in deep sleep. What made her truly smile was seeing Ginny’s head resting on Harry’s chest as his arm wrapped protectively around her and Hermione and Ron holding hands. “So young,” she mumbled to herself as a soft smile graced her face as she turned around to leave them to rest. The day of the wedding finally arrived and the Weasley household was even more chaotic than normal. The Delacours had arrived a day before and Molly and Arthur took it upon themselves to entertain their French guests, which finally left Harry and the gang to themselves. Their rest from work didn’t last too long though as the wedding was the following day. ****Day of the Wedding**** The Burrow had become crowded due to the huge influx of residents now occupying it, which forced Ron to share his room with Harry, Charlie, and Bill. As all the others finally got dressed and headed down towards the ceremony, it left just Ron and Harry alone to get dressed. “Do you think it’s safe for Ginny to come with us when we go off to find the Horcruxes?” asked Harry as he fixed his emerald tie in front of the mirror as Ron was putting on his shoes. A bit shocked, Ron looked up at the question as he stopped tying his shoe. “Didn’t we discuss this, mate? I know you want to protect her, but either way no one is really safe anymore are they? Besides it would be better if she was with us. That way you can keep an eye on her and make sure that she truly is safe. Plus, with four of us, it makes things better especially if we run into a spot of trouble. ” Harry still didn’t seem convinced but he did have to agree with Ron. Having her with them, near him in specific did ease some of the anxious feelings he’d be having if he left her behind. “Ginny can take care of herself, mate. Trust me! Growing up in a house with six brothers, two of which are as devious as the twins, you have to learn how to handle yourself,” said Ron as he still saw uncertainty in Harry’s face. “I guess you’re right,” replied Harry a bit reluctantly as he examined his image in the mirror, still not completely satisfied with how he looked. He wanted to make an impression on the rest of Ginny’s family. “Oh will you relax! You look fine! I’m sure Ginny’s mouth is going to drop when she sees you!” exclaimed Ron as he came up behind Harry, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You’re the Chosen One for Merlin’s sake, Harry! You could go out in nothing but your knickers and no one would say a bloody word. Besides…we look good,” said Ron with confidence he never seemed to have as he examined himself in the mirror as well. With that, Ron and Harry left the room and went downstairs where they waited for Ginny and Hermione. The longer they waited the more agitated Ron grew, pacing back and forth as Harry leaned against the opposite wall with an amused look on his face as he watched his friend grumble and mumble. “What the bloody hell is taking them so long to get ready!?” exclaimed Ron, finally stopping to look at Harry with a frustrated look while Harry just shrugged in response. Harry didn’t mind waiting; it gave him time to think things over and plan ahead on their adventure. “You can’t rush perfection, Ronald,” huffed Hermione from the top of the stairs, clad in a frilly purple dress that clung to her in all the right places. Her hair was done up with tiny white flowers and there were a few loose curls around her face. At the sight of Hermione, Ron’s expression lit up in a look of utter amazement as he saw the only girl he ever truly cared about. “Close your mouth mate. You might start catching flies,” said Harry with a smile as he walked over and put a hand on Ron’s shoulder. He had to admit though, Hermione had out done herself. She was always attractive but today she seemed to have grown up so much more, and truth be told, she looked quite good. As Harry was about to open his mouth to continue making fun of Ron, his breath caught in his chest. There, on the top of the staircase, stood the angel that seemed to have taken his heart, and now his breath. Ginny Weasley was simply gorgeous. She was wearing a golden dress with her hair coming down in soft waves, framing her face beautifully. She was spellbinding and Harry had to wonder what caused Fate to smile down on him and give him this beautiful girl to love. Harry was flat out staring, and even Ron had to acknowledge that his baby sister did look quite stunning. “See Ginny, I told you that dress would have this effect on him,” said Hermione as she poked Harry in the ribs. “You…you look absolutely amazing, Gin!” stuttered Harry as Ginny descended down the stairs and stood in front of him. At the compliment, she smiled and seemed to look even more radiant then before. “You really think so, Harry? You look quite dashing yourself,” she whispered in his ear as she placed a gentle kiss on his lips, causing Harry to blush. “You really know how to make a guy feel good huh, Gin?” asked Harry as he wrapped his arm around her waist, relishing in the feeling of physical contact. “Just you, Mr. Potter, just you,” she said with a sly smile and a wink. “Well, if you two love birds are done, I believe we should get a move on,” said Ron as he wrapped Hermione in his arms and pulled her close. “Mom is going to flip if we’re not there to help with the seating arrangements. She made me promise to sit Aunt Muriel near the back so she doesn’t insult the other guests…although that might be asking too much,” he said with a grimace causing Ginny to chuckle. The two couples walked towards the back of the Burrow. Once near the entrance of where the ceremony was being held, Ron and Ginny had to excuse themselves as they were a part of the wedding. This left Harry and Hermione walking around looking at the weird and crazy assortment of guests that had turned up. All the Weasleys were there except for Percy. He sent a letter apologizing that he wouldn’t be able to make it but sent a present to compensate for his absence. Along with the Weasleys, The Order members were all there, along with Luna, Neville and his grandmother, a few Hogwarts professors, and a few people Bill knew from both work and school. There were a lot of abnormal guests to say the least that were in attendance but the two guests that stuck out the most to Harry were two elderly men that stood near the back. He and Hermione were talking to Tonks and Remus when Harry had first felt their presence. He felt like someone was staring at his back, which caused the hairs on the back of his head to rise. As he continued to talking with Remus, Harry nonchalantly put his hand in his pocket and held his wand tightly as he slowly turned to the side. In his periphery, he saw two elderly gentlemen blatantly staring right at him, not even trying to hide their gazes. They both were wearing dark grey clocks, which seemed to shimmer in the light. One was shorter by a good foot than his companion but seemed to be amused as he was staring at Harry while the other had a stern, calculating look that reminded Harry of Professor McGonagall. “Hey, do you guys have any idea who those two guys are?” asked Harry with a nod of his head towards their direction. Hermione was the first to answer although she didn’t seem too positive herself. “Two of Fleur’s guests I’m guessing,” she said hesitantly. “They must have heard from someone that the great Harry Potter was here,” added Hermione as an afterthought making both Tonks and Remus laugh. “Relax Harry,” Tonks said after her laughter died down. “You have nothing to worry about. The entire Order is here, not to mention the countless wards that Arthur and Bill put up for this day. If they meant any harm, the wards would have been set off awhile ago.” “Sorry. I seem to be getting like Mad-Eye,” Harry said through a strained smile, though he didn’t let go of his wand. Regardless of what Tonks said, people who meant harm always found a way to get through wards no matter who made them thought Harry as he remembered the night the greatest light wizard in history died. “Besides, you never know…they might be into men!” she said with an evil gleam in her eyes, dodging behind Remus as Harry took a swipe at her. The wedding soon began and it was quite beautiful. Bill looked pleasantly happy and healthy even with the scars that now graced his once handsome face. He smiled whenever he looked at Fleur and she seemed to be doing the same thing. Fleur looked even more stunning than usual, which was quite an amazing feat considering the fact that she was part Veela. After Bill and Fleur were pronounced husband and wife, they embraced and kissed to the delight of the guests. Of course, the scene would be incomplete without Fred and George letting off a few fireworks, which signaled the beginning of the after party. Harry and his friends seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a lot as they teased each other and just basked in one another’s presence. Fred and George were taking a deep pleasure in ridiculing Harry’s love for their little ickle sister, as well as Ron’s crush on Hermione. Tonks and Remus joined the two trouble makers and pointed out how Harry and Ginny looked so much like James and Lily. Harry tried to ignore them and found himself having fun, dancing countless times with Ginny, Hermione, and Fleur’s little sister, Gabriell who, Harry noticed, had grown quite well. Ron had even been convinced by Harry and the twins to dance with Hermione, causing her to blush almost as much as Ron. As the night grew later and later, and the guests drank more and more, there were countless people stumbling and laughing. The twins especially were being even more raucous than usual in their drunken stupor. They stumbled around everywhere letting off fireworks whenever possible and causing Mrs. Weasley to chase them around. Harry and his friends stood standing at the edge of the party looking on with pure amusement as the twins’ antics continued to grow out of control. “What a night!” exclaimed Harry as he turned Ginny to face him. Looking down in her chocolate brown eyes, Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulled her closer and smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. It was a soft gentle kiss, one that made Harry’s heart flutter. But the once chaste kiss turned into a passionate one quickly as the heat of the moment enveloped both teens, making their need for each other grow with each second. Finally breaking apart, Harry placed his forehead against hers and smiled, feeling utter bliss. “The company is pretty good too.” “Oh, is that so Mr. Potter?” asked Ginny in a purr as she kissed him back, basking in his presence. “Hey!” screamed Ron causing both Ginny and Harry to slowly break apart, rolling their eyes at his typical behavior. “I love you mate, but I don’t want to see my baby sister doing that in front of me.” His statement caused the group to smile but as Harry was going to respond to Ron, the hair on the back of his neck rose again. He slowly turned his head to the left and saw the two elderly men approaching with the same expressions plastered on their faces. The happy, elated mood that he was just feeling quickly disappeared as he frowned at the two guests getting closer. He reached into his pocket and pulled his wand out, moving Ginny behind him as he stiffened in preparation. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all followed Harry’s lead, taking out their wands, not wanting to be caught unprepared. The smaller man laughed out loud at the sight that he was witnessing and clapped his hand in joy. “Look Aldric! They seem to be quite a cautious group of youngsters!” exclaimed the man in a gravelly voice. The taller one, or Aldric as he was called, just raised his eyes and gave a small smile at the scene in front of him. Harry noticed the man did not seem intimidating but he was still not going to risk anything. This mysterious man was about Ginny’s height but seemed to give off a larger than life persona. His hair was white like Dumbledore’s, while his eyes resembled that of Mr. Ollivander, grey spheres that seemed to be able to look at you, look through you, and look at your soul all at once. It unnerved Harry to say the least, but he was not going to relax his stance till he heard some answers. Aldric, the other man that accompanied him was Harry’s height but had the stature of one of the twins, with broad shoulders and muscles that seemed to be hidden under his grey robes. He also seemed older as well but not like the smaller man. He had grey hair, but his pale eyes were a watery green. “Can we help you?” asked Harry in a quiet voice as he stuck out his free hand, getting ready to call forth his elementals if it came to it. He didn’t know these two wizards but they seemed to put him on edge. “It is a pleasure to finally meet the one who rescued my stone from the Dark Lord. It’s hard to believe you were only eleven at the time. Truly extraordinary for one so young. Dumbledore always did speak highly of you though so I would expect nothing else. I never did have the opportunity to truly thank you, Mr. Potter,” stated the small man with his hand outstretched and a small smile gracing his lips. The three teenagers were in shock. If this man was implying what they thought he was implying, then he was none other than the legendary Nicolas Flamel. Harry slowly turned to view his friends’ expressions, each of which he noticed held something completely different. Ginny had heard the story about Harry and her brother’s adventures in their first year but still couldn’t quite grasp the story. Ron’s face was a mix of awe and disbelief as his mouth hung open but his wand was still in his hand ready for action. And finally, there was Hermione. Her face was a mix of emotions ranging from awe, disbelief, calculation, and finally setting on fear. Surprisingly, it was Hermione that was the first to speak. “That’s impossible!” she forced out. “Nicolas Flamel is dead. He died shortly after Harry destroyed the Sorcerer’s Stone. I’m positive; I searched it up in our third year.” Harry nodded at her turned back to face the man. If Hermione was anything, she was thorough. If she said Flamel was dead then he believed her. “You really shouldn’t be wandering out and about at your age telling such lies, especially if you’re a senile old man,” said Harry with his wand still pointed at the two men, trying to formulate a plan on how best to strike. Aldric’s eyes flashed at the insult. The next thing the four kids knew was seeing Harry on his back with a wand being pushing into his throat. “I’d show some respect, boy,” seethed Aldric. “You may be the only one to have survived the killing curse form that fool Riddle, but don’t be arrogant and forget your place in front of one of the greatest men to ever live.” Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all stood around Harry in shock at the speed and strength that Aldric had taken Harry down. They didn’t even see him move. “Aldric!” said Flamel in a stern voice, “That’s enough. Dumbledore had explained to us that they wouldn’t trust us right away. Get off the boy and let us explain ourselves.” As Aldric removed himself from Harry, Nicolas continued. “I truly must apologize. We did not think our actions through. I am Nicolas Flamel, the famed creator of the Sorcerer’s Stone. After your first year when you destroyed the stone, I went into hiding. I knew the Dark Lord might try and acquire the knowledge that I held, so in order to protect it, I faked my own death. No one questioned it. It was very possible considering the fact I am a very, very old man. No one knew I was actually alive besides Albus, and Aldric here of course. But as I laid waiting for death to take me, Albus contacted me, explaining to me the predicament you will soon be in. Albus knew a day would come when he would no longer be around to assist you, Mr. Potter. As per his request, I would then take you on as my Apprentice.” Harry’s head was reeling. No way could this be true. Even if it was he couldn’t just be his Apprentice. He had to find the Horcruxes. They were a crucial part in the plan to bring down Voldemort. If they didn’t hunt them down and destroy them, then no matter how long he trained for, he wouldn’t be able to fully get rid of the monster. “Say I were to believe…” said Harry hesitantly, “how do I know I can trust you? I don’t know if you really are who you say you are. You can’t expect me to just believe you flat out.” As Harry was talking, Aldric gave a sneer that would have rivaled even Snape’s. Harry, though choose to ignore him and kept talking. “Besides I have things I must do. Things that only I can do because only I know about. I can’t just abandon my mission to come train with you! I don’t even know if you really are Nicolas Flamel!” “Hm…I think I know a way that can ease your mind, Mr. Potter,” said Flamel with a smile on his face and a twinkle that resembled the late headmaster. “The last obstacle that kept the Dark Lord and that sorry excuse of a professor from getting my stone was one of Albus’s tricks. It was the Mirror of Erised. You, Mr. Potter saw your family you so desperately wanted to meet or have. Although now if you were to look at it….” He left the sentence unfinished as he turned to Ginny and gave her a wink causing her to blush to her roots. “And as for your mission,” Flamel paused and took out his wand, making a wide circular motion around their heads which created a giant opaque sphere to form before he continued. “The Horcruxes can wait. Yes, I know about them. Albus seemed to feel that someone with a little more experience about dark magic should be informed about your adventure in order to assist you if need be.” The four kids started at him in shock. He not only knew about the Horcruxes, but he would be assisting them. Besides that, Harry would be his apprentice. Harry still held a hesitant look to him as he digested all this information. Upon seeing the look, Flamel continued. “Trust magic, Harry. I know you feel me and the purity of my intentions for very few can feel magic, but you can Mr. Potter. Trust what you feel,” Said the old wizard in a soft voice as he stretched out his hands. As Harry closed his eyes, he felt the weight of the magic that was residing behind the two men. They seemed to be holding their magic back and restraining it, letting only a small minute amount seep through so that Harry can witness the purity of it. “I am Nicolas Flamel, Harry.” said Nicolas into Harry’s mind, causing Harry to open his eyes in wonder. “How did I do this, you’re wondering? Well I believe it’s a sort of Legilimency, where one forces his thoughts into another’s mind. I believe that is what the Dark Lord did to you back in your fifth year.” The knowledge of the incident in his fifth year when Voldemort tricked Harry was confidential. “How did he know about that?” thought Harry as he stared at this man with newfound respect and awe. “Your Occulmency isn’t as good as you think it is, my dear boy,” said Nicolas into Harrry’s mind with that ever persistent smile on his face. “But no worries, Aldric and I will fix that up right away.” “I’m sorry, Mr. Flamel,” said Harry out loud, with his hand outstretched to shake Flamel’s hand. “I meant no disrespect. It’s hard to trust people, that’s all.” “Not to worry about it my dear boy,” Flamel said waving his hand away as if to dismiss the notion. “No harm, no foul. But we must be going Mr. Potter. The sooner we start on your training, the faster this war will come to an end. I dare say it has dragged on long enough and too many on our side have died.” His truthful statement caused the group of teenagers to cast sad looks at one another, all thinking of their old headmaster and Sirius. “When are we leaving?” asked Ron with an excited face as he stowed away his wand. “You three,” Aldric said, pointing at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, “Aren’t going anywhere. We came only for Potter. His training must begin immediately and without distractions,” he stopped and pointed at Ginny, “and you will be the biggest distraction of all,” he said, causing Ginny to blush. Harry looking shocked and angry. “I won’t leave my friends. They come or I won’t go.” “This really isn’t a negotiable matter, Mr. Potter. We can’t bring them. It will disrupt the magic that is in place now around where we are going to be staying. Your friends will be safe. I have personally added my own wards to the Burrow, making this place maybe even safer than Hogwarts,” stated Nicolas with a sad look in his eyes. “I really am sorry, but this is final. Say your goodbyes and we will be on our way.” Harry looked as if he was going to argue more but was stopped before he could. “Go Harry. This is your destiny,” said Hermione with a sad smile. “Sure, we’d want to go but this is bigger than us. It’s not every day you become an apprentice to the greatest Alchemist,” she added with a chuckle although tears beginning to form. “Go on mate. We’ll do what we can here. Probably research every book in the world for those bloody Horcruxes. We’ll be ready when you are,” said Ron as both him and Hermione rushed over and embraced Harry in a tight hug. After they finally broke from their embrace, Harry finally turned to the one that meant the most to him. Ginny was standing quietly with a determined look in her eyes. As he wrapped his arms around her, she placed her hands on his chest. “Be careful Harry,” she whispered as she gave him a kiss. “I always am, Gin.” he replied as he bent down and caught her lips in his. There they stood, kissing each other passionately, ignoring Ron’s protests and Nicolas’s chuckling and muttering about reminding him about Perrenelle. Aldric seemed to show enough decency to turn his back to them, giving them the privacy they needed. When the young couple finally broke apart they just stared into each other’s eyes. “I love you.” Ginny said with tears now rolling down her cheeks. “I love you too,” Harry replied as he wiped the tears with his thumb. “Always…” she whispered. “…and Forever.” And with that, Harry turned around without another look back, not sure if he could handle the look in Ginny’s eyes. He didn’t want to leave her, but this was important. If he could become stronger, then he needed to leave. He walked towards Nicolas Flamel with a determined look as the old man looked him over with a satisfied smile. He outstretched his hand, indicating Harry to touch it. Once he did, they both disappeared leaving behind Aldric. The man looked at the remaining three and gave them a small, reassuring smile. “We are sorry, but he must go alone. Don’t worry little one, we will take care of him for you and bring him back in once piece,” and with that, he too disappeared leaving behind three worried teenagers. “You better,” whispered Ginny as she stood staring at the spot that Aldric had once occupied. As if she couldn’t hold it in anymore, the dam of emotion broke, and out came Ginny’s tears falling down her face and towards the Earth. |
| Reviews 48 |
Previous Next
|
