A new story from me. There will likely be 16 chapters, 8 of which are already written. I hope the head start of 8 chapters is enough to meet my goal of posting one chapter a week.
My thanks go to all the people on The Ginnys Lovers Discord for their continued encouragement to reach my daily writing goals.
I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it.
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Harry Potter and the Secrets of the Chamber | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Albus Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Minerva McGonagall, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: G Reviews: 73 Summary: Raised by his godfather Sirius Black in seclusion, Harry Potter finds new friends after the return of the Dark Lord, and together they seek ways to overcome the rising darkness. Hitcount: Story Total: 21786; Chapter Total: 2216 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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The evening of October 31, 1981 A merciless wind and a chilly drizzle had risen after the disguised children with their bags filled with sweets had finished their rounds through the neighbourhood in the approaching dusk. The pitch-black darkness of the last October night was only disrupted by the shine of some street lamps giving the unfriendly place an almost ghostly appearance. In this weather, you wouldn't expect to see someone out on the street when suddenly the howling of the wind was drowned out by a rapidly approaching roar of an engine that died out as suddenly as it had emerged. As if out of nowhere, a motorcycle with a sidecar materialized next to a garden gate that could barely be seen in the light of a lantern. The driver, who was wearing leather clothes and an old-fashioned helmet with goggles, shot a sour look up at the sky, uttering some swear words. He then pushed up his goggles and looked about searchingly. When he could see nothing unusual, he got off the vehicle and eyed the ajar garden gate suspiciously. Hesitantly, he pushed open the gate and hurried down the path, following the lighted windows in the darkness. The man paused for a moment, cursing even louder when he noticed that the tingly feeling of moving past a Fidelius Charm was missing. Damn, he thought, worried, something was wrong here. James hadn't answered his Patronus, nor had he responded to his second Patronus. Concerned, the man, Sirius Black, had left his house to see if something had happened to the Potters. And since the Fidelius Charm was obviously inactive, his concern seemed to be justified. Before entering the house, the man halted again, unsure whether he should call for reinforcements first. But there was no time to wait, he decided. If the Fidelius charm was gone, something must have happened to Lily because she was the one who had performed the charm. He decided to send a Patronus to Albus Dumbledore - just as a precaution. As soon as his silver Patronus dog had disappeared into the darkness, Sirius ran to the front door. A sense of foreboding took hold of him when he saw the wide-opened door hanging ajar on their hinges, squeaking softly in the wind. Sirius pushed the remains of the door open, hurried into the lobby, and froze. At the bottom of the stairs to the upper floor, James Potter lay, his lifeless eyes set on the ceiling. It took a moment before Sirius dared to breathe again. With the new oxygen, his brain began to work again. What had happened? How could ... Peter! Peter had rarely been around in the past few weeks. Why ... Lily! ... HARRY!!! Suddenly, Sirius heard his godson crying from the upper floor. Without a second thought, Sirius hurried up the stairs, hoping to catch the attacker red-handed - no matter if it was Voldemort himself or whoever else. He rushed to the end of the hallway, pushed the door to Harry's nursery open and gasped. In the middle of the room, Lily lay in almost the same position as James. Her lifeless eyes fixed on the ceiling - and next to her, Harry was standing in his cot. His eyes set on his mum, the little boy was screaming, unimpressed by the bleeding wound on his forehead. Sirius scooted to the cot and took the boy in his arms, who immediately clung to him, sobbing loudly. "Unca Siri!" Restlessly pacing the room, Sirius trying to comfort his godson. What had happened? Whoever had been here, where did they go? Just disappeared again? And how did they get in here? Peter! Who else? That bastard. He was the secret keeper. He must've betrayed his friends. Sirius was just about to put Harry back in his cot to track the traitor down - how could that bastard - when he looked Harry in the eye and saw his pleading look. Harry. No. Harry needed him now. Peter could wait until later. He had to get Harry to safety. Maybe there was still some Death Eaters around. Picking Harry up again, Sirius grabbed one of the blankets and wrapped it around his godson to protect him from the freezing weather. Throwing a last glance around to see if he had forgotten anything, he left the room. Just as he was hurrying down the stairs, the front door opened, and Albus Dumbledore stepped in with his wand raised, followed by Hagrid. When he recognized Sirius, Dumbledore lowered his wand. "What happened?" "Lily and James are dead," Sirius replied. "It looks like they didn't have a chance to put up a fight, so it was probably Voldemort himself. I don't know where he's gone." "How did that happen?" asked Dumbledore. "Did you…" "Peter," Sirius pressed out. "That bastard betrayed his friends." Dumbledore gave him a puzzled look. "What has Peter got to do with it?" "Peter was their secret keeper, not me," Sirius replied. At Dumbledore's surprised look, he elaborated, "We've switched. James thought it would be too obvious if I was their secret keeper. Nobody would've guessed that we would make Peter the secret-keeper. Not even you, as your surprised look proves." Dumbledore watched Sirius with a doubtful expression - as if he didn't believe what Sirius was telling him. "We have to take Harry to his relatives," Dumbledore finally replied. "Why?" Sirius blurted out. "Harry is my godson. He's coming to me." "Harry is safest with Lily's sister," replied Dumbledore. "The blood tie will protect him there. It's the best protection Harry can get." "What?" Sirius shouted. "Petunia hates magic. She's more likely to personally strangle Harry before she takes him in. Harry is anything but safe with her." "Sirius…" "No, Albus. If you like it or not, I'm Harry's godfather, and the boy comes with me." Sirius gave Dumbledore a challenging look. "You've got enough to do with finding Peter before he reveals any more Order secrets to Voldemort." "Sirius, let Hagrid take Harry to the Dursley's. It's the best for the boy. You can go find Peter. Ask a few Order members to help you to find him before he can cause even more harm." "No, Albus. Harry is my godson, and he'll stay with me. You, on the other hand, are the leader of the Order and therefore responsible for its safety," Sirius said, walking down the remaining steps to pass Dumbledore and Hagrid. Before leaving the house, he turned briefly. "I'll be in touch with you as soon as Harry is safe and well looked after. So don't expect to hear from me within the next week." A couple of weeks later Albus Dumbledore was sitting in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, brooding over the silver instruments he'd set up, hoping for Sirius to see reason and agree that Harry Potter had to live with his aunt. The instruments would help him to monitor Harry's wellbeing and the strength of the blood protection around his aunt's house. However, he hadn't heard from the boy and Sirius Black in two weeks, and he was concerned that the blood protection soon would be weakened since the boy was not living with his aunt. The flare of the fireplace tore Dumbledore out of his thoughts. Glancing up, he was relieved to see Sirius Black's head in the flames. "Good evening, Albus," the man greeted. "Sirius." Dumbledore greeted his visitor. "It's good to see you. I was already worried." "Did you find Peter?" Sirius asked, eyebrows raised. "No, he's ..." Dumbledore sighed. "He disappeared without a trace." "Did anyone even look for him?" asked Sirius. "I got the impression that the whole world is celebrating the death of Voldemort, and nobody is wasting a single thought on how Harry is doing." "Moody and Frank Longbottom had been looking for Peter," Dumbledore explained. "At least, until Frank and his wife were attacked." "I heard about it," Sirius replied. "And I can't help the feeling that Peter is behind this attack, too. I just hope Frank and Alice will be better soon." "The healers have little hope. Their mental injuries are too severe. They don't react to anyone, not even their own son," the headmaster said. Giving Sirius a concerned look, he changed the topic. "We need to keep Harry safe, and the safest place for him is with his aunt. It's too dangerous for him. Voldemort is after him." "Voldemort is dead," Sirius replied. "No, he's not. I'm very sure of that," Dumbledore said. Sirius frowned. "Sounds like you have no doubts." "I can't prove it, but I'm sure," replied Dumbledore. "I always knew that he had something planned to keep him alive. Unfortunately, I don't know what it could be." "Yes. The bastard is full of surprises," Sirius confirmed. "I've always wondered why he was so persistent after James and Lily. They aren't the only ones fighting him. Why them?" Sirius hesitates a moment before continuing. "And why do you think he's after Harry now. He's still a bloody kid. There must be something else behind it. Albus, why was Voldemort after the Potters? Are you not telling me something?" Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully before responding hesitantly, "Nobody really knows. Voldemort doesn't talk to anyone about his plans." "If Voldemort is still somewhere out there, Harry stays with me. I will take extra security measures. Not even you will be able to find him. Then he should be safe from Voldemort too. James and Lily are buried in Godric's Hollow, in case you want to visit them. According to their last will, I'm Harry's legal guardian. The relevant papers have been issued. We'll keep in touch. I have to go back to Harry now. He'll soon be hungry. Bye, Albus. I'll get back to you. " With a concerned face, Dumbledore nodded as Sirius' head disappeared from the fireplace and the fire flattened out. He could only hope that the boy was really safe. Otherwise, the wizarding world would be doomed as soon as Voldemort was back. Almost 10 years later "Harry, you've got mail," Sirius called, opening the window to let the two owls in. "Who's the letter from? I never get mail," Harry muttered, surprised. Sirius untied the letter from the large barn owl's leg and handed it to Harry, grinning. "There's always a first time." With a big smile on his face, Harry read his letter. Dear Mr Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy headmistress Harry's smile faded as he glanced over at Sirius who was reading his letter with a concerned look. "What's the matter, Sirius?" "That sounds like trouble," the man replied. "It seems that Lucius Malfoy is claiming Bellatrix Lestrange's vault on behalf of his wife, Narcissa. You remember who these two are?" "Yes, they are your cousins. And Aunt Andromeda's sisters." "Exactly," Sirius confirmed, staring at the letter as if it was a spider. "And I absolutely have to prevent Cousin Bella's possessions from being transferred to the Malfoys. As the only living male descendant of Pollux Black, the chances are good that her vault will fall to me. Fortunately, I found out about it in time. According to the law, a Gringotts vault must be claimed by another family member if the owner has been in Azkaban for more than 10 years. Otherwise, the goblins can claim their vaults for themselves. I have to file my own request, and I need to make sure Malfoy's request is declined. Enough about that. What was your letter about?" Sirius asked with a big smile. "It's my Hogwarts letter," beamed Harry. "I'm invited to go to Hogwarts in September." "What great news." Sirius laughed and patted Harry on the shoulder. "My boy will soon be a real Hogwarts student. Then it's time for me to teach you how to play pranks without being caught." Sirius took the letter from Harry and skimmed it. "Let's answer the letter immediately. We still have to clarify a few details with the headmaster. To do so, we have to make an appointment with headmaster Dumbledore and go to Hogwarts. I doubt he knows where to find you." Sirius chuckled. "But first of all, we're going to celebrate your birthday tomorrow. Uncle Remus has prepared a nice surprise for you." T aking one last look in the mirror, Harry stroked his hair again in an unsuccessful attempt to flatten it. Frowning at his mirror image, he gave up, adjusted his glasses and reached for his summer robe. "You don't need that," Sirius said as he glanced into Harry's room to see if his godson was ready. "It's warm enough. And Dumbledore won't care that you wear Muggle clothes." With a chuckle, he added. "The old man will be happy to see you again after 10 years." With a shrug, Harry dropped the robe again. He was glad that it was finally time to leave. Sirius had told him so many adventurous stories about Hogwarts, and now he'd finally see the castle with his own eyes. Taking two steps at a time, Harry hurried down the stairs, shouting, "I'm ready." "Okay. Let's go then," Sirius replied. "Will Dumbledore even recognize you," Harry asked, eyeing his godfather closely. His short haircut and well-groomed full beard made him look totally different than Harry had seen him in earlier pictures. "I doubt it," Sirius replied, grinning. "Last week in Diagon Alley, he walked past me without even giving me a glance." Harry had to laugh. "How do we get to Hogwarts anyway? We don't have permission to Floo into Hogwarts." "We're going to Apparate." "Oh." Harry grimaced. He didn't particularly like Apparition. Fortunately, it was always over very quickly. "Hagrid will be waiting for us at the gate," Sirius explained. "It's the summer holiday, there won't be any students around. That's fine with me. It's better no one knows beforehand that you're going to attend Hogwarts and what you look like." "Let's go then," Harry replied. As a little boy, Harry had always been sad that Sirius had insisted that he mustn't be seen by anyone. Of course, he knew that an evil wizard was lurking out there in the world who had killed his parents and wanted to hurt him too. But the idea had always been a bit abstract to him. But just recently, on his eleventh birthday, Sirius had explained him the whole story in more detail, and had answered all of his questions. In the end, Harry was glad that no one except Sirius, Uncle Remus and Aunt Andromeda's family knew what he looked like and that he had that terrible scar on his forehead that looked like he had been struck by lightning. Harry followed Sirius through the back door to Apparition point, where Sirius took his arm, and they both disappeared with a soft pop noise. Seconds later, Harry blinked his eyes and looked at a large iron gate that was closed and half-hid a huge castle in the distance. A tall man with long curly hair and an enormous beard was standing on the other side of the gate, waving at them. "Ah, Sirius. There you are. I almost didn't recognize you. If Dumbledore hadn't said you were coming…" the man chuckled, shaking his head. "With your new look, you look so grown up and all. Quite the opposite of the troublemaker you used to be." "Troublemaker?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Hagrid, Hagrid. It seems to me you're getting old and mistaking me for someone else." Hagrid replied with a booming laugh. "And you must be Harry. How good to see you again. Last time I saw you, you still were a wee baby." Still laughing, the man opened the gate that squealed on its hinges as if trying to resist being opened. "I assume Dumbledore is waiting for us in the headmaster's office," Sirius said as they stepped through the entrance. "He does. Dumbledore is glad to meet both of you, especially Harry, of course. Dumbledore, he's a good man. He's always very concerned about our Harry here." The half-giant beamed at Harry. Up close, Hogwarts looked even more majestic than from a distance, Harry noticed as they were approaching the castle. At first, he had problems following Hagrid's pace, but after Sirius laughed, pointing it out to him, the man tried to slow down a bit. Reaching the castle, Hagrid opened the large entrance door and waved them in. "Sirius, you know the way to the Head Master's office, don't you? I have another job for Dumbledore to do. Wants me to deliver a message to the centaurs. It's not safe in the Forbidden Forest." With a look at Harry, he added, "Students better stay away from the forest, Harry. Never forget this." With a big smile, Hagrid waved goodbye, and Sirius led Harry into the lobby. "Over there is the Great Hall," Sirius explained, pointing to a large door. "This is where the students take their meals. Occasionally there is a ball there, at least when I was still here." Harry took a quick glance into the hall and was impressed by the ceiling, which showed the same blue sky and sunshine as the sky outside. "During the school year, the rows of tables are decorated in the colours of the four houses," explained Sirius. "We have to go this way now." Sirius gestured towards a staircase that moved as soon as they stepped on it. Sirius laughed. "You have to get used to it. The stairs move so that you can get to the different floors. It can be a bit confusing at the beginning, but you learn it very quickly." After changing the stairs twice more, they found themselves in front of a gargoyle, blocking the way to a moving stairway. "Butterscotch" exclaimed Sirius, and the gargoyle gave way. "Come in, Sirius," a voice called after Sirius knocked on the heavy oak door. Following Sirius into the room, Harry looked about and froze. Behind a large desk sat an old man with long white hair and an equally white beard, watching the newcomers through his crescent-shaped glasses. This had to be Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts, Harry thought. "Sirius. Harry. I am glad to see you safe and sound and even more to see you at Hogwarts, "Dumbledore said in a solemn voice. Pointing to the chairs in front of his desk, he added, "Have a seat. How about a lemon drop?" Sirius declined with thanks, and while Harry would've liked to get one, he silently shook his head and blushed slightly as he felt the older man's gaze fixed on him. "It's been a long time since I got to see you, Harry," said the headmaster with a quick glance at Sirius. "I'm happy to meet you too, Mr Dumbledore," Harry replied, smiling reverently at the older man. "Soon, you're going to be attending our school, so we'll see each other more often," replied Dumbledore, studying Harry closely. "I'm looking forward to going to Hogwarts," Harry said, glancing briefly at Sirius, who nodded at him encouragingly. A melodious chirp made Harry sit up and take notice. As his head snapped around, he met the gaze of a large, golden bird in a half-open cage near the window. This had to be a phoenix, Harry thought, remembering him of such a bird in one of the books in the library at home. Somehow Harry got the impression the bird was communicating with Dumbledore. Glancing briefly at the door, the headmaster said, frowning, "We're getting a visitor. I wasn't really expecting anyone this morning." There was a knock on the door, and a strange-looking man in brown robes and a purple turban with a scarf of the same colour entered. "I'm…err, I'm sorry," the man stuttered, looking around, his gaze fixed on Harry for a brief moment before turning to Dumbledore. "I hope you don't mind, Albus. I'm a bit early. We had an appointment for the afternoon and thought I better come a bit earlier. It can't hurt." He shot Sirius an appraising look and went on, "I'm Quirinus Quirrell, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. To whom do I have the honour of speaking?" Sirius gave Harry a concerned look, then eyed the newcomer carefully. "My name is Black," he finally replied reluctantly, gesturing with his hand at Dumbledore. "We are here to register my son for the new school year." "The young man must be important when he gets a face-to-face appointment with the headmaster," noted Quirrell as his eyes pierced Harry. "Quirinus, it would be nice if you'd come back in half an hour," interjected Dumbledore in a grave voice. "Of course, of course," Quirrell replied hurriedly, taking a step back towards the door, when a muffled, almost inaudible voice hissed, "This is Potter, you fool. Kill him. On the spot." Startled, Harry turned to the man the voice had somehow come out of. With an embarrassed smile, the man stared irresolutely at Harry, then took a step towards him as a stab of pain shot through Harry's head. His face contorted in pain, Harry pressed his hands on his forehead. The man grabbed Harry's arm and began pulling him to the door, but the moment he touched Harry, he began to scream as if the touch caused agonising pain. Harry tried to free himself from the man's grip, but the pain in his head got worse and worse ... and the room slowly faded into nothing. |
| Reviews 73 |
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