Firstly, can a say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Annual Trinket Awards. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you.
Right, while I’m full of warm, fuzzy feelings, let’s get onto the next chapter! The Horcrux hunt begins. I have to say that the end scene with Dumbledore was something I’d been itching to write for a while and was one of my main starting points when I decided to write HP&TBE (the others being the chapters set in Japan and another yet to come). I‘ll leave you to speculate what impact this scene will have on the rest of the story.
Big thanks as always to MinistryMalcontent for his beta work (sorry to have bamboozled you with my sentence construction!). My success in the awards was largely down to his help and advice. Also thanks to Mistress_Lrigtar for pointing out my formatting problems were the results of my (non) use of HTML. As soon as Mrs Brennus has given me a crash course in its use then future chapters will feature the exciting use of italics and underlining! Whoopee!
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Harry Potter and the Butterfly Effect | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Rape, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence/Physical Abuse Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 733 Summary: Minor events can have repercussions far beyond their size and importance. When one of these minor events occurs to a ten year-old Harry Potter he finds his world turned upside-down and it starts him down a very different path than the one he expected to follow. Hitcount: Story Total: 199422; Chapter Total: 7824 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Chapter 12 — Under a Hunter’s Moon Tuesday, 8 July 1996 “Seven!” Sirius cried. “There are seven of these bloody things that we need to find and destroy?” Harry, Sirius, Remus and Professor Dumbledore were all sat round the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place. At Harry’s insistence, Dumbledore had just explained to the others about the existence of the Horcruxes and the need to destroy them all before Voldemort could be killed. The news had not been well received. “Six, actually,” Dumbledore corrected. “Remember, Voldemort must retain one part of his soul in his current form. Harry has already kindly destroyed one of the Horcruxes for us in the form of the diary, and I believe another may have already been eliminated as well. So, this leaves four to collect and destroy.” “I obviously know about the diary,” Harry said, “but what was the other one you think was destroyed?” “After your battle in the graveyard with Voldemort, I spent some time reviewing my memories of the event,” Dumbledore explained. “I became somewhat intrigued by the amount of control Voldemort had over his pet snake, Nagini. Even with his affinity with snakes, this did not seem normal. I took the liberty of examining the snake’s corpse and discovered that the body had been home to two souls. It was not difficult to deduce from this that Nagini was a Horcrux.” “A living creature?” questioned Remus. “Is that even possible?” “It’s quite possible, if not entirely desirable,” Dumbledore explained. “For one thing, Voldemort couldn’t place any extra defences on Nagini. The diary attempted to protect itself from destruction, and I suspect the other Horcruxes will be no different. In addition, a living creature will have it’s own needs and desires which might not always be in Voldemort’s best interests. Finally, as was demonstrated, a living creature is easier to destroy than a protected, inanimate Horcrux is likely to be.” “You mentioned you had some ideas what forms the other Horcruxes could take and where to find them?” Remus asked the Professor. “Indeed, careful study of Voldemort’s past has revealed something of a pattern regarding these things,” Dumbledore explained. “Firstly, he only uses items which are important to him or are considered worthy of housing his soul. Likewise, I suspect the locations he hides them in also have significance to him. The diary is a fine example. It proved that he was the heir of Salazar Slytherin and was initially given to the first and most trusted of his Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy.” “That’s something I don’t understand,” interrupted Harry. “Why did Malfoy give the diary to Ginny Weasley? Surely he should have kept it under lock and key at all times?” “Ah, I believe dear Lucius let his ambition get in the way of his common sense. Admittedly, at that point Malfoy had no way of knowing that Voldemort would return. He had been missing for years, after all. Thinking his master would not be coming back to claim the diary, he decided to use it as a weapon. I doubt he knew what the actual purpose of the diary was, or he wouldn’t have dared part with it.” “But why did Malfoy attack an eleven year old girl?” Harry persisted. “I’m afraid young Ginevra Weasley was just a means to an end,” Dumbledore explained. “Malfoy’s true target was her father, Arthur Weasley. At that time Arthur was trying to get some important legislation passed which would have afforded much greater protection to Muggles and sterner sentences for witches and wizards caught abusing them. Malfoy strongly objected to the amendment and set out to discredit Mr Weasley. He had already bribed various Ministry officials to view Arthur’s work with disdain and planted several malicious rumours about him. When he refused to back down, Lucius slipped the diary to the man’s young daughter, and when the dust settled used the incident as proof of Arthur’s incompetence. The plan worked too. Arthur was sacked and the legislation never reached the Wizengamot for consideration.” “Shame,” said Sirius. “Arthur and Molly Weasley seem like good people. I’ve only ever met their oldest boy, Bill, but he seemed a good chap, too. The Malfoys really are scum.” “Quite,” Dumbledore said, but without quite the same conviction. “But to return to the point, I have a number of ideas regarding potential Horcruxes and their location. I suggest we compile a list and then start investigating them as carefully as we can. It is vital Voldemort receives no warning as to what we are up to. Indeed, gentlemen, I feel we all need to give a magical oath that this information will not be passed to anyone else.” All three wizards looked uncomfortable at the idea, but realised the importance of what they were doing. One by one, the three joined Dumbledore in pulling out their wands and swearing an oath of secrecy. “Excellent,” Dumbledore said approvingly. “Let’s start work on this list, then.” Dumbledore pulled out a roll of parchment and grabbed a quill. After half an hour of suggestions, ideas and arguments, the list was completed. Dumbledore looked at the parchment thoughtfully. “Well, that certainly is enough to be keeping us busy for the moment,” he mused. “Of course, some of these locations are a lot more likely than others. I think the first place to try is the house of Marvolo Gaunt at Little Hangleton. I assume you have no objections to returning to the area, Harry?” Harry shivered as he remembered the graveyard at the town and the events that occurred there. “As long as we don’t need to visit the graveyard unless absolutely necessary, then no problem,” he replied. “Good show, Harry,” Dumbledore said, still pondering the list. “I do have to say, I strongly doubt that your suggestion that there’s a Horcrux at Hogwarts will turn out to be correct. I just don’t think Voldemort would risk placing one right under my nose.” “I think that’s exactly what he’d do,” Harry argued. “He’d think it a wonderful joke. Plus Hogwarts was one of the most important places in his whole life. By our thinking, it almost has to be a hiding place for one.” “Hmm, I most certainly have never encountered anything that might resemble a Horcrux at Hogwarts, and I know every inch of the place,” Dumbledore disagreed. “You didn’t know about the Chamber of Secrets until Ginny Weasley opened it,” Harry countered. “What makes you so sure there isn’t another place like it, hidden away somewhere?” “It’s always possible,” Dumbledore acknowledged. “But I think there are a number of other locations we should try first. If they yield nothing, we can always organise a thorough search of the school.” “That makes sense,” Harry agreed. “Well, if that’s all agreed, I think we should visit Little Hangleton tonight. The moon will be bright but not yet full, so Remus shouldn’t encounter any difficulties.” Dumbledore gestured at Lupin who bowed his head in acknowledgement. “We’ll meet here at eleven-thirty and then make our way to the house. Hopefully, we will avoid being seen by any Muggles by going at that hour. “Great,” said Sirius. “We should be at the place by midnight. The perfect time to visit a haunted house!” HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Albus Dumbledore entered his office and gratefully sat down. After years of planning and preparation, things were finally coming together. Of course, they still had a long way to go, and any number of things could still go wrong. His chief worry was Harry. Fate had decreed that Albus had far less influence in the boy’s upbringing than he would have liked. Yes, Harry was now superbly trained, but that could be a double-edged sword. He was far too independent, and the fact Albus was unable to perform Legilimency on him was a worry. Albus was also concerned about Harry’s behaviour when confronting Horace Slughorn. If the boy turned dark they were doomed. Dumbledore pondered the matter for a while. While he might not regard Sirius Black as the most reliable of guardians for Harry, he was almost certainly the right choice at this point. It was highly unlikely Harry would turn evil with warm-hearted Sirius watching over him. Remus Lupin would also act as a steadying influence, and the presence of Nymphadora Tonks about the place wouldn’t hurt either. No, Harry’s actions were understandable, bearing in mind where he had just spent his last year. Sirius would blunt the boy’s ruthlessness and anger. Twisting in his seat slightly, Dumbledore’s eyes fell onto the wizard chess set he kept on a side table. He reached over and removed a couple of pieces from both the black and white sides. The removal of Nagini and Pettigrew from Voldemort’s forces had been an amazing stroke of luck. The death of the Flamels, while unfortunate, was for the best in the long run. Dumbledore would never have placed Harry with the couple if he had been aware of the animosity they had built up towards him. It was vital Harry trusted him, so the Flamels’ removal from the board was a necessity. Viewing the re-arranged board, Dumbledore smiled in grim satisfaction. The pieces were all in place now. The game could begin. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP As he looked up into the sky, Harry cursed the brightness of the moon. Although only three-quarters full, it shone brightly enough to illuminate the whole landscape. As the four wizards were currently walking across a large field, devoid of cover, Harry felt extremely noticeable. Following the meeting at Grimmauld Place, Harry had attempted to get a few hours’ sleep in preparation for tonight’s activities. He had, unfortunately, failed miserably, partly due to the oppressive atmosphere in the house, but also because of his own doubts about his actions in dealing with Horace Slughorn. In his mind, he defended the violent threats he had made to the man, but his heart had misgivings at the speed his anger had risen. He decided he would just have to try to be more restrained if he was put in a similar situation again. Taking a deep breath he forced his attention back onto tonight’s task. To be sure of not triggering any alarms, they had Apparated a good mile away from the Gaunt house. They had followed a small country lane for about half a mile before striking out across country. Harry fretted that any casual observer would be able to see them clearly in the moonlight in such an empty space. Dumbledore had ruled out casting Disillusionment charms this close to the house for fear of setting off any magical detectors. Thankfully, they reached the cover of a tree line without apparent detection. They then scrambled down an embankment and found themselves on a narrow path. This, Dumbledore assured them, led to the house. They paused every few yards to cast magical detection spells. These spells used so little magic they were virtually undetectable themselves and should give the group warning of any traps or alarms ahead. Harry was surprised they had not encountered any yet, and this made him start to doubt if the house held anything of value to them. Eventually, they reached the house, if that was what it could be called. The property was more accurately described as a run-down, wooden shack. It appeared structurally sound, if completely neglected. The windows at the front were broken, and there were holes in the roof. Home, sweet home, thought Harry. Dumbledore moved to the front door and cast a more complicated series of detection spells. He gathered the others around him so he could speak quietly. “There are a number of alarm and protection spells on the house, but nothing more than any normal wizard's house might have. Of course, this may just be a ploy so the property does not appear anything unusual,” he explained. “We shall disable the spells and see what awaits us inside. Remus, would you tackle the alarm spell while I deal with the protection spell, if you would?” The two wizards moved forward and started casting the dispelling charms required while Harry and Sirius kept watch. After a short while, Harry heard Dumbledore cast an Alohomora spell then the front door swung open. The four wizards furtively entered the shack. Harry looked round to a scene of utter devastation. As bad as the house had looked from the outside, it was much worse inside. Many of the floorboards were missing, making movement perilous. By the light of their combined Lumos spells, Harry could see bits of broken furniture and rubbish strewn everywhere. The wallpaper hung off in ragged, damp strips revealing rotting plaster. There was a smell in the air as if several large animals had died in the house some time ago. Dumbledore and Remus again began casting detection spells. This time Harry joined them. He was particularly looked for any traps of a runic nature, their respective roles in checking the place having been worked out beforehand. He cast several spells and was immediately rewarded with several blue glowing lights appearing in a number of spots around the shack. Several orange and red spots also appeared as a result of Dumbledore's and Remus’s spells. The house was a death-trap. “Well, that’s probably an indication that something’s here,” Remus said quietly. “Indeed,” Dumbledore confirmed. “The most heavily warded area appears to be in that far corner. Remus, would you help me start removing the traps in that direction. Sirius, if you could work to the area to the right and, Harry, to the left.” Harry immediately began removing the simpler traps before starting to dismantle the runic ones. Although he was highly skilled in Ancient Runes -- it was one of his favourite subjects -- one particular trap caused him a lot of problems. It contained a counter-curse designed to trip up anyone attempting to deactivate the trap. He’d been lucky to notice the curse and dreaded to think what would have happened if he’d set it off. After some effort, he succeeded in disabling the trap and cleared his side of the room. Looking up he saw Sirius had already finished clearing his space, while Remus and Dumbledore were approaching the corner of the room. “There’s definitely something here,” Dumbledore announced. He and Remus paused to confer quietly between themselves as how best to proceed. After a short while, Dumbledore started to cast an incantation Harry was unfamiliar with. The whole corner of the room glowed a sickly yellow colour for a second before the light faded. “That’s got it,” Remus exclaimed in triumph. Dumbledore merely smiled at him before he started to pull up several of the rotting floorboards. He then reached down and removed a small box from the gap. Placing the box on the floor, he cast several more detection spells on it before looking up. “I believe this is what we came for, gentlemen,” he declared. He then slowly reached down and opened the box. The tension in the room was unbearable and Harry shuffled forward to get a better view. Dumbledore reached into the box and withdrew a gold ring with a large black stone mounted on it. The old professor gazed at the ring in wonder. “Is it a Horcrux, Professor?” Remus asked, but was ignored. Instead, Dumbledore stood up and began to put the ring on his finger. “NO!” Sirius yelled. “Stop him, Remus!” Remus lunged forward but it was clear he would never make it in time. Without thinking, Harry aimed his wand. “Stupefy!” Harry shouted and a bright red bolt of light hit Dumbledore, knocking him off his feet. The ring dropped from his limp fingers and rolled on the floor. “Don’t touch it!” Sirius warned, before pointing his wand at Dumbledore. “Rennervate.” Dumbledore immediately sat up and looked around groggily. He looked surprise to see both Harry and Sirius pointing their wands at him, before a look of understanding appeared on his face. He raised his hands in contrition. “I’m alright, gentlemen,” he assured them. “I just rather stupidly fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book. An attraction charm... largely undetectable and completely lethal. I dread to think what would have happened to me if I had actually put that ring on my finger.” “I’ll just levitate the ring back into the box, shall I?” asked Remus. “I think that would be for the best,” Dumbledore agreed. “I will need to study the ring for a while before attempting to destroy it. Well, we’ve got what we came for. I suggest we leave now. I’ll recast the exterior protection spells so to the casual observer the house will look untouched. Hopefully, Voldemort will have no reason to come here to investigate further.” The other three wizards agreed enthusiastically. Soon they had exited the small house and were making their way back up the lane. Dumbledore tucked the small box away, deep into his robes. He carefully hid the feelings of joy and anticipation that were bubbling inside him. Although he said nothing to the others, they had found much more than just a Horcrux. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Sat behind his large, wooden desk, Albus Dumbledore trembled with excitement. He had finally done it. On top of his desk lay three items. The first was his wand. Albus had carefully hidden the fact that the wand he carried was the legendary Elder Wand: the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny. It had been his since he defeated Grindelwald back in the forties, and he had kept that fact a secret for all these years. The second item was an invisibility cloak. It had once belonged to James Potter, but Albus had borrowed it from the man to examine shortly before he was killed. Having no real use for an invisibility cloak, Albus had kept it with the idea of passing it onto Harry when the boy was old enough. Fate had determined that he never had the right moment to pass it to him, a fact which Albus was now immensely grateful for. The final item was a small, black stone which had a jagged crack running down it’s centre. On the stone was a symbol: a white line intersecting a circle with a triangle within, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. The stone had been hidden within Gaunt’s ring which now lay to the side, destroyed by a fang of the Basilisk Harry had killed years before. How had Voldemort not known it was there? How many years had Dumbledore been searching for them? When he and Gellert Grindelwald had been making their mad plans together, the Hallows had been at the centre of their schemes. Dumbledore had long ago abandoned the idea of bringing them together, but here they now were. He was now truly the master of death. During those long years of fruitless searching, there was always one thing that he had yearned to do if he succeeding in finding the Resurrection Stone. Now, finally, he could make good the errors of his youth. With shaking hands, Dumbledore reached out and picked up the stone. He closed his eyes and turned the stone over in his hand three times. He heard the slight rustle of someone’s clothing, and he knew he had been successful. Dumbledore opened his eyes and saw a teenage girl with long, sleek brown hair. She wore a plain blue dress with yellow flowers embroidered on it. Albus nearly cried at the sight of her. “Ariana,” he croaked. “Oh, my sister! How I’ve yearned to see you again.” “Albus,” she replied coolly. “Why do you disturb my sleep?” Albus sighed. So, she was still angry with him. With surprise he noted that Ariana was showing more sanity and control than she ever did in life. “I…I wanted, no, needed to tell you how sorry I am,” Albus said, looking the girl in the eyes. “I don’t know if it was my curse that killed you or not; it doesn’t matter. It was my fault for bringing Gellert into our home. I’m so, so sorry, my sweet sister. Can you forgive me?” “You brought me back to tell me this?” Ariana asked, her voice unreadable. “Yes, yes!” cried Albus. “And to see you again. I’ve missed you so much.” “Do you not think that Aberforth also missed me?” she asked. “Why have you not asked him here to see me also?” Albus blinked. He had not thought about his wayward brother in some time and most certainly would not share the secret of the Hallows with him. “I could not, Ariana,” he explained. “Ancient magic brought you back to me, and the secret of the Deathly Hallows is too important to share with anyone.” For the first time a smile appeared on Ariana’s face, but it was a bitter smile, laced with regret. “So once again you have taken it upon yourself to decide what secrets can be shared and which must be kept to yourself? Who appointed you as guardian of all knowledge, brother?” she asked. Albus stood and looked at her sternly. “Much has changed since you departed this world, Ariana,” he explained. “I have defeated one dark lord and I am in the course of defeating another. If I have to keep a few secrets to make that happen, then I make no apology. Sometimes we must consider what is in the best interests of the masses.” “Oh, you mean what you must do ‘for the greater good?’ I believe that was the phrase you and that disgusting man you called your lover came up with,” Ariana spat. “As for defeating dark lords — you helped create one, and you did nothing to stop the creation of the other. Only when millions are dead and countless lives are ruined do you act. And how do you act? Bravely? With courage and conviction? No, you manipulate others, sacrificing lives where you feel appropriate.” Albus stared at his sister. He could feel his temper rising. Why could the stupid girl not see the truth? He didn’t want to do those things. He hated having to control other people’s lives. But, simply, it was the only way to get the job done. “Ariana,” he began, “Clearly you do not understand…” “No!” Ariana cried. “It is you who do not understand. Do you still think me some poor little girl, her mind broken by unthinking cruelty? The dead watch, my brother, and we see all. You think that you control people because that is the only way they will do what is necessary, but you are wrong! You control them because you do not trust them! You think that only the great Albus Dumbledore has the wisdom and knowledge to decide what is right! You have not been right since you graduated from Hogwarts!” “Shut up! SHUT UP!” Albus yelled. “What do you know! Have you any idea what I’ve been through?” “I see all, Albus!” She cried. “I see your petty manipulations and plots. I see you ruining good people’s lives ‘for the greater good’! I am ashamed to call you my brother. Do I forgive you? No, NEVER!” “Silence!” Albus roared. In his rage he lashed out and threw the Resurrection Stone clutched in his hand directly at the girl. As soon as the stone left his grasp the image of his sister vanished. The stone flew through the air and hit the far wall with a crack. It fell back to the floor in two pieces. Dumbledore fell to his knees, his eyes locked on the broken stone. For a brief moment he had united the Death Hallows, and now, in a fit of anger, he had destroyed one of them. The Hallows were sundered, never to be united again. Ariana’s words stung his heart, and tears began to run down his cheek. He had just wanted to say he was sorry, that was all. For the first time in his adult life, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, cried like a baby. |
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