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SIYE Time:9:36 on 29th March 2024
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Harry Potter and the Secrets of the Chamber
By Gin110881

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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: 21608; Chapter Total: 1170
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it.




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When they got to Dumbledore's office, Harry was surprised by the sight presented to him. In a bay window that Harry had never seen in the office was a round table with three chairs loaded with everything you could want for breakfast.

"I'm glad you made it possible to keep me company at breakfast," said Dumbledore, gesturing towards the table. "Have a seat."

Harry gave Sirius a questioning look but then sat down at the table when Sirius answered with a shrug. Whatever Dumbledore was up to, he obviously wanted his visitors to be in a good mood before it probably got uncomfortable.

Harry's gaze was drawn to the view the bay windows offered that looked strangely familiar. His eyes wandered along the facade of the castle until they finally paused on the balcony where he usually met Ginny.

Confused, he looked over at Dumbledore. Had the headmaster watched them from here? What if he had, Harry thought. He couldn't care less. The rumbling of his stomach made Harry focus on the breakfast again.

After buttering a piece of toast, Harry filled his plate with baked beans, sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs while loosely following Sirius' conversation with the headmaster. Apparently, they hadn't found a way to destroy the Horcruxes yet. Dumbledore mentioned that basilisk venom could be used, but it was not that easy to get hold of the venom of this rare beast.

"Sirius, did you tell Professor Dumbledore about my suspicions as to why the Weasleys house was broken into?" asked Harry.

"Err…oh, no. I haven't." Sirius replied with an ashamed look. "I was so busy with the security measures at Grimmauld Place, I totally forgot about that."

"After the house on Grimmauld Place was apparently searched by the Malfoys for the Hufflepuff Cup ..." Harry began.

"Are you sure it was the Malfoys?" Dumbledore interrupted him.

"The wards were set up in a way that only allowed family members to enter the house," Sirius confirmed. "And since everyone else is in Azkaban, only the Malfoys remain because Andromeda certainly wasn't in the house."

"Who knows about the diary?" asked Harry. "And who gave it to Ginny?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at Harry. "We never found out who'd given her the diary, and very few know about it. You need to know that at that time, three students were found petrified. We never found out how that happened. According to the type of injury, they seemed to have had an encounter with a basilisk. But since the last basilisk in Britain was sighted and killed in 1386, we ruled that out as the cause."

"When I was at school, there were rumours of a secret crypt under the castle that was supposed to be home to a monster," Sirius interjected.

Dumbledore nodded. "I know these rumours, but apparently, they are just that - rumours. After we found a warning written on some walls in the castle that the Heir of Slytherin had opened the Chamber of Secrets, we searched the entire castle but couldn't find evidence that such a chamber existed. To spare Miss Weasley unnecessary suspicions, we didn't tell anyone further about the diary. Even if it was her, what we don't know for sure, it wasn't her fault because she had been possessed by Voldemort." Dumbledore paused as if gathering his thoughts. "As far as I know, other than those present, only Minerva, Severus and the Weasley family know what happened to Miss Weasley. The part about her possession is only known to the three of us."

"Snape?" Sirius asked, his expression hardening. "Either Snape told Malfoy that Ginny had the diary, or Malfoy knew it from the beginning, and then it was him who had slipped the diary on Ginny."

"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "Severus didn't give it away. I'm very sure of that. But the idea that Lucius is involved doesn't seem so far-fetched to me. Back then, Lucius was in a clinch with Arthur Weasley about Muggle Protection Laws. It would've helped Lucius a lot in his campaign if he had been able to discredit Arthur."

As much as Harry wanted to ask more questions about Ginny and the diary, it just didn't feel right. He was sure Ginny would tell him when she was ready. But he should tell her he suspected it was Malfoy who had ransacked her home and given her the diary, shouldn't he?

Harry was so deep in thought that he hadn't even noticed that Sirius and Dumbledore had changed the subject.

"I know this question had been bothering you for a long time, Harry," said Dumbledore, giving Harry a look he couldn't quite read.

"Err ... what question?" asked Harry perplexed.

"The question why Voldemort is after you," said the headmaster in a grave voice.

Harry's eyes widened. "You said you didn't know either."

"I said I wasn't sure, but to be honest, I just wanted you not to have to worry about it. There was still time for you to know," replied Dumbledore. Glancing briefly from Harry to Sirius and back, he continued. "I assume you already know the rumours that Voldemort is planning to take over the Ministry, and that's why I think the time has come for you to know."

"What is it?" Harry asked, not sure anymore if he really wanted to know.

"Before you were born, a prophecy was given, Harry, a prophecy about you and Voldemort ..." Dumbledore began.

"What?" Harry asked, horrified.

"Why did you never say anything about it, Albus?" Sirius asked, no less horrified.

"Oh, I did," Dumbledore tried to reassure them. "James and Lily knew about the prophecy. That's why they went into hiding."

"They would've told me about it," exclaimed Sirius.

"I've asked them to talk to anyone about it," replied Dumbledore. "I'd heard that Voldemort knew the first part of the prophecy, but not the second part. And we have to make sure he'll never get to know the whole prophecy. So you, Harry, have to go to the Ministry, to the Department of the Mysteries, and get this prophecy before Voldemort gets access to it."

"You know the prophecy, Albus?" That was more of a statement than a question from Sirius.

"Yes," the headmaster nodded.

"What is it saying?" asked Sirius.

"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 hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."


Harry turned pale. Did that mean what he dreaded?

"Not a word is said about Harry," Sirius stated, but Harry already knew the answer.

"You're right, Sirius. It could've been a different boy. But the Dark Lord marked Harry as his equal," Dumbledore said in a calm voice.

"Can we go home?" Harry asked, suddenly, giving Sirius a pleading look. He didn't feel like talking about this prophecy any further. He was afraid he would explode and destroy Dumbledore's office. All Harry wanted to do now was go home, lock himself in his room, and be alone.

**


"Harry, come down. Dinner is ready." Sirius knocked on his door the following evening. "You already missed breakfast and lunch."

"I'm not hungry," Harry called listlessly without lifting his head. He lay curled up on his bed and hugging his pillow and couldn't understand why in Merlin's name Sirius thought he should eat anything at all.

In the end, it was his fate to face one of the most terrifying wizards in the world and probably die in the process. So why eat something? He had just met his first friend, if he added Ron, there were even two, and then that ... No matter if he survived or not, his friends would be in danger, and maybe even die as long as Voldemort was hunting him. How was he ever going to face Ginny again when she was in danger if he was around?

The door opened a crack, and Sirius slipped into the room. "Harry, there's no point hiding here in your room. Let's talk. You've been sulking long enough."

"What should we talk about? You heard what Dumbledore said," Harry snorted.

"Yeah, I was there," Sirius replied. "And I can't remember he said your situation is hopeless. Of course, it will be hard. But hopeless. No. I haven't heard a word about that."

"That may be," Harry replied defiantly. "But still..."

The mattress next to Harry gave way as Sirius sat down next to him, placing his hand on Harry's arm. "You'll get all the help we can get."
"No," Harry replied. "That's the point. I can't let anyone get too close to me. It wouldn't be fair to put everyone in danger."

"And that's not a decision you can make," Sirius replied calmly.

"What do you mean?" Harry looked blankly at Sirius.

"Everyone can decide on their own who they want to be friends with," Sirius explained. "You can't decide for Ginny if she wants to be friends with you. Of course, you can refuse her friendship, but that would be impolite and extremely stupid."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, confused. "Of course, Ginny can decide for herself if she wants to be friends with me. But if she learns about the prophecy, it would be stupid of her to want to be my friend."

"You haven't asked her yet, and do you really think that poorly of her? Do you know her so well, or don't you know her at all?" Sirius asked gently. "What would you do if she told you that there was a prophecy about her...?"

"Of course, I'd help her, but ... humph." Harry turned around abruptly and groaned, "That's completely different. I don't want to talk about it now."

"And besides," Sirius continued undeterred. "Didn't you say yourself that Death Eaters broke into Ginny's house to find the diary? Prophecy or not, she's also in danger. Do you really want to reject her friendship and let her deal with it on her own?"

"No, of course not ..." Harry stuttered. "I don't know ... Why can't you just leave me alone in my bad mood? It's much more comfortable than thinking about all your questions."

"Yes, of course," Sirius replied. "But only after dinner."

"Okay, okay," Harry groaned, pulling himself up. "I got it."

"And if you choose to wake up in a good mood tomorrow morning," Sirius chuckled. "Or let's just say in a better mood, I would be happy with that already. Then I would consider changing the settings of the Floo connection to allow your friends to come over for your birthday in the afternoon."

"That's ..." Harry hesitated. "Let me think about it." Indeed, Harry thought, as much as he denied it, the thought of talking to Ginny about the mess felt like a glimmer of hope. And Sirius was right. In the end, it was Ginny's decision if she wanted to stay friends with him or not.

**


St ill a little sleepy, Ginny sat in the kitchen over her breakfast, listening to her mother and occasionally answering her with a nod or a yes, Mum.

The sound of footsteps in the living room made her look up. Amazed that someone came through the floo so early in the morning, she pulled her dressing gown a little closer together.

The day before, she had hoped Harry would show up to tell her what he found out about the Order meeting, but apparently, he had other things to do. That's why her eyebrows shot up, and she suddenly felt wide awake when Sirius Black stepped through the kitchen door.

"Good morning, Molly, Ginny," the man greeted with a broad smile. Glancing at Ginny, he said, "It's good to meet you right here, Ginny. I'm here to ask your mother if she can do without you and your brother this afternoon. It's Harry's birthday today, and I thought he'd be happy if some friends came over for tea."

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, and she had to swallow. Today was Harry's birthday. But she didn't have a present.

As if he'd read her thoughts, Sirius said, "You don't have to give him anything. Harry would be happy to have friends over. That doesn't happen very often...well, actually not at all until now."

"I'm so sorry," said Molly, wringing her hands. "I'm afraid Ron can't come. He's already gone to his brothers to help them with their mail-order business to earn a few Galleons."

"Oh, that's a shame," Sirius replied. "What about you, Ginny?"

"Who else is there for the birthday party?" Molly asked carefully.

"It's just a small party," Sirius replied. "Remus Lupin and the Tonks family. That's about it."

Molly nodded slowly to herself and gave Ginny a slightly hurt look. "I didn't even know Ginny and your Harry were friends, and I was quite surprised when she told me yesterday that they met months ago at Hogwarts."

"I can't tell you about everyone I met at Hogwarts, can I?" Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes. "The list would be pretty long, even for me."

"But Harry Potter?" Her mother gave her a doubtful look. "I didn't even know he was at Hogwarts."

"I've only known him as Harry for weeks," Ginny replied apologetically but decided not to mention the Marauder's map.

"And yet he asked his godfather if we could live here for a while," said Molly.

"That's what best friends do," Ginny said, shrugging. When her mother frowned, she quickly added, "His words, not mine."

Sirius laughed. "You can't imagine how happy Harry is to finally have a friend. I know it's my fault, but it wasn't easy for him to grow up without friends of his age. How is it, then? Can Harry count on your visit, Ginny?"

Ginny shot her mother a hopeful look.

"I would pick you up around 4 p.m.," Sirius said, giving Molly a charming smile.

"Alright." Her mother finally nodded. "But make sure to put on something decent when you're going to visit the boy."

"Of course, Mum," Ginny called, grabbing the hem of her dressing gown and showing it to her mother. "I certainly won't leave the house dressed like that."

"I was rather thinking of a nice dress, Ginevra," her mother gave her a challenging look.

Ginny groaned.

Chuckling at the mother-daughter exchange, Sirius said, "Then I'll be here as agreed to pick you up, Ginny. See you later, Molly, Ginny."

**



Ginny couldn't deny that she was a bit excited when she stepped out of the floo. Her heart was beating louder than it should. After all, she was just visiting a friend. Looking down at herself, she straightened the dress she'd put on when her mother had insisted.

She'd even insisted on checking Ginny's outfit one more time before Sirius had picked her up and told her where Harry lived.

Nervously, she held the small box in her hand with the present she made herself after the invitation that morning. It wasn't anything special, but she hadn't had another idea at such short notice.

She heard voices from a nearby room, and Sirius nodded to her to follow him. When she stepped through the door, the voices fell silent, and those present turned to her, smiling expectantly at her. Ginny blushed slightly and looked around for Harry for help but couldn't find him.

"Miss Weasley." A man she immediately recognized as Professor Lupin stood up. "I'm happy to meet you again."

"Hello, Professor," replied Ginny. "The pleasure is mine."

"Harry, your special guest just arrived," Sirius called.

"I'll be right there," answered a voice from the next room. "The tea is ready in a minute."

Pointing to those seated at the table, Sirius said. "While we are waiting for the birthday boy, I'd like to introduce you to the other guests. You already know Remus Lupin, my niece Nymphadora Tonks is sitting right next to him ..."

"Tonks will do just fine," interrupted the young woman with pink hair Ginny had already seen in Grimmauld Place, rolling her eyes.

"And then we have my aunt Andromeda and her husband, Ted," Sirius explained while Ginny returned their smiles.

"Hello, Ginny!"

Ginny turned and saw Harry come in with the tea.

"Hi," she replied, grinning. "As I can see, you take care of the well-being of your guests."

"Yes. Someone has to do that." Harry returned her grin. "I'm glad you were able to come."

"Come on, let me pour the tea, Harry," said the woman ... Andromeda, Ginny remembered… from the table and pulled out her wand. "Take the time to say hello to your friend."

"Thanks," Harry said, releasing the tea kettle.

"Thanks for inviting me. You saved me from a dull afternoon in Grimmauld Place," Ginny said.

Harry chuckled and said with a sarcastic undertone. "Seems to be my job to save the world."

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"I'll tell you later. I hope you can stay awhile," Harry said, giving her a hopeful look.

"Yeah. Mum said I have to be back by nine," Ginny replied, handing Harry the box with her present. "I brought you something. It's not much, but I only had a few hours," she said apologetically.

"Oh, Ginny. You didn't have to," Harry exclaimed in surprise. "Thank you. Thank you very much." He unwrapped the present and opened the box, giving Ginny an astonished look. "You made that yourself?"

"Yes. I didn't have time to buy something fancy." Ginny shrugged. "I wouldn't have known what you wanted either."

"I wanted you to come," Harry replied, taking the self-braided leather bracelet out of the box. "I like it very much."

"Let me help you to put it on," Ginny said, taking the bracelet from Harry's hands. "If it's too small, I can still change it."

Harry admired the present on his wrist. "It fits perfectly. Thank you very much, Ginny," he said with a big smile. "Come on, sit down. Sirius insisted that you sit next to me. He really seems to think we're both dating."

Ginny laughed to herself. Harry was really too cute. Although ... she watched him grab a biscuit ... she wouldn't mind dating him. But he was also a great friend. And she liked to be around him, Ginny noticed as he helped her to a scone and some clotted cream.

"I met your parents at the Order meeting last week, but how are your siblings doing, Ginny? "Remus Lupin looked at her from across the table.

"I have six older brothers," Ginny began. "I don't know which of my brothers you know. My eldest brother, Bill, works in Egypt but will soon be returning to England."

"I heard he wants to join the Order," Remus said.

"That may be," Ginny replied. "But my parents never talk to me about the Order. My brother Charlie works on a dragon reserve in Romania."

"Charlie Weasley," Tonks called. "I know him from Hogwarts. He was in my school year. I was in Hufflepuff, Charlie was in Gryffindor."
"Yes, he was," Ginny confirmed. "Percy works for the Ministry, in the Department of Transportation. He actually wanted to become Undersecretary for the Minister, but he didn't get the job. The Weasleys don't have as much influence as other families." Ginny shrugged.

"And what are the twins doing?" asked Remus. "I've heard something about mail order business. Is that really the two of them?"

"Yeah," Ginny chuckled. "Fred and George rented an old shed in Hogsmeade. You can mail order all sorts of fun products from there. They don't talk much about it, but I think it's going quite well. That's why my brother Ron couldn't come today. He's helping them occasionally to earn a few Galleons. "

"And you?" asked Harry.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "My mother won't let me out of the house. Not even to this shed of my brothers."

"Good." Harry nodded, and Ginny shot him a dark look. Why was Harry so pleased that she wasn't allowed to leave the house?

Harry glanced at her with a concerned look and said, "Later."

Ginny nodded, wondering what Harry wanted to tell her, and grabbed a piece of treacle tart. When she reached for the clotted cream, Professor Lupin hissed softly in a horrified tone, "Dora!"

Looking curiously over at the two of them, Ginny noticed Tonks' innocent look. She gave Harry a questioning glance, which he answered with a grin.

"He's doomed," Harry whispered. "She won't give up."

Ginny chuckled. Obviously, something was going on there that even Harry had noticed. A quick glance across the table confirmed that Andromeda Tonks was also watching her daughter openly with an amused smile.

"Do you want to see our Quidditch pitch?" Harry asked when Ginny had finished her piece of treacle tart.

"Yeah, I'd like to," Ginny replied, delighted to get some fresh air after the time she was locked in Grimmauld Place - and of course, hoping to talk to Harry alone.

"Yeah, just get some fresh air," Andromeda Tonks said. "We'll take care of the dishes." Suddenly, Ginny had the feeling the woman wasn't just watching her daughter, but also Harry and her.

"Wow, that's a real Quidditch pitch," Ginny exclaimed when they walked out of the backdoor. "We only have a small meadow with a goal post at the Burrow."

"Yes," Harry said in a sarcastic tone. "I have an entire playing field just for myself."

"I'd love to fly here with you," Ginny said, looking down at herself. "But it certainly won't work with the dress."

"You look fantastic in that dress," said Harry. "I wanted to say that earlier, but then Sirius would have given me those looks again."

Glancing at Harry, Ginny was sure he meant it honestly. As she looked into his emerald green eyes, she felt herself blush.

"I could give you some of my clothes if you wanted to fly," Harry suggested suddenly.

Ginny laughed. How could she? ... But Harry seemed to be serious.

"I would love it," said Ginny hesitantly. "But you wanted to tell me something. Let's talk first and fly afterwards." Ginny chuckled. "That's not my usual priority, but I really want to know."


Harry gave her a severe look. "Yes, that's better. I'm sorry I ..."

"No, no, Harry," Ginny exclaimed. "It's okay. I really want to fly with you later."

"I'm not sure if you still feel like it afterwards," said Harry, suddenly very thoughtful. "Where do we start? The order suspects that Voldemort wants to take over the Ministry of Magic very soon and many positions in the Ministry have already been taken by Death Eaters. Minister Fudge is only doing what Lucius Malfoy is telling him to do."

"Oh, that…I've heard it when my parents were talking quietly in the kitchen as they thought they were alone. Do you think they're right?"

"Yes. I'm afraid so," Harry replied with a concerned expression. "And it's getting worse. I have a suspicion as to why your home was raided. You called it the Burrow, right."

"Yes, we live in the Burrow, in Devon," Ginny replied with a sad smile. "I'd like to show it to you one day."

"I think it was Lucius Malfoy. He was looking for the diary," Harry said, running his hand through his hair.

Ginny looked at him in amazement. "Why do you think that?"

Harry grimaced. "The house at Grimmauld Place had also been searched, and it could only have been Malfoy," said Harry. "No one else can enter the house because of the wards. Malfoy was looking for previous possessions of Voldemort. That's why I think he was after the diary when he ransacked the Burrow."

Ginny shot Harry a horrified look. "But I don't have the damned diary anymore. Dumbledore has it."

"And who knows about it?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," Ginny admitted. "It was so long ago, and I was only 11 back then." Ginny thought about it. "Except for Dumbledore and McGonagall, nobody should know about it."

"I'll ... if you want, I'll tell you everything I know," Ginny said. "But not today, please."

Harry nodded. "Alright. But do you remember meeting Malfoy back then? He must have slipped the diary onto you at some point."

"Hmm ..." Ginny thought about it, and suddenly her eyes widened. "Yes. We were at Flourish & Blotts to buy my books. Lockhart was there then, who then became a DADA professor. Suddenly the Malfoys showed up, and my father had a fight with him."

"And that was before your first school year?"

Ginny nodded.

"That's it," Harry stated, strangely calm. "Malfoy. Again and again, Malfoy. He doesn't stand for anything good."

"I know his son from Hogwarts," said Ginny, barely able to hide her nausea. "Be glad you don't know him."

"And ...," Harry began but paused.

"What?" Ginny asked, concerned about Harry's pained expression.

"There's a prophecy ..." Harry said, looking at her worriedly. "I only found out about this a few days ago," he added quickly.

"What kind of prophecy?" Ginny asked, confused, frowning.

"It's about Voldemort and me," said Harry morosely, repeating the wording of the prophecy.

"That's ... wow," Ginny said, swallowing, unable to think. "As much as I hate this prophecy, there is also something positive about it," she said suddenly, not knowing where that came from.

"What?" Harry asked incredulously.

"It means you have a real chance of winning against Tom," Ginny said, even sounding a little confident. "If it wasn't a possibility, there wouldn't be a prophecy at all."

Harry laughed and couldn't stop for a while. "I never thought this damn prophecy would be good for me."

"No, really," Ginny said thoughtfully. "If you didn't have a chance, the prophecy would say ... Harry Potter will die at the hand of the Dark Lord ... But according to the prophecy, there is a good chance you will win. Not that I believe in prophecies, but..."

Harry laughed again, almost hysterically. "Ginny, you are a genius. Now even I think I could win. Let's go flying. We only have an hour until dinner."

"Yeah, good idea."

Harry stood up and gave Ginny a contemplative look. "I'll be right back. I think I still have the Quidditch uniform Sirius gave me for my thirteens birthday."

"Hey Potter, that was mean. I don't look like a thirteen-year-old anymore. I'll be fifteen next week," Ginny exclaimed indignantly, but couldn't suppress a laugh.

"Oh, good to know it's your birthday soon," Harry yelled, already on the way to the house. "You can keep the uniform then. It doesn't fit me anymore."

When Harry came back, handing her the Quidditch clothes, Ginny hesitated for a moment. Glancing briefly at Harry, she grinned and began to unbutton her dress. As Harry stared at her, she raised her eyebrows. "Turn around."

The Quidditch pants and t-shirt fitted her amazingly well and were even in the Gryffindor colours with the name Potter on the back of the shirt. As she sat down on the grass to change into Quidditch shoes, Ginny couldn't help laughing when she noticed Harry was still looking stiffly in the other way. "You can turn around again. And before I forget. You're invited to my birthday party. It's next Sunday, August 11th."

"Oh, then I have to find a present for you," Harry replied.

"No, you don't," Ginny replied, getting up again. "Those Quidditch clothes are more than enough." With a cheeky grin, she added, "You can bring your godfather with you if you want,"

Harry grinned. "I will ask him."

"And don't forget to put on a nice dress as I had to," said Ginny, giggling about Harry's dumbfounded look. "But now, let's finally go flying."
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