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Harry Potter and the Ritual of Love's Memory | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 259 Summary: After the horcrux hunt implodes leaving most of those Harry loves dead, he starts a new life with a few fellow survivors far away from wizarding Britain. But the discovery of an ancient ritual that promises to send a single memory back in time sparks hope that maybe things can change. Dark ending to DH followed by a tweaked retelling of GoF through DH. Harry/Ginny. Friday updates. Original Timeline Voldemort's Victory - Chapter 1-5 (Feel free to skip if you don't like major character deaths) Tenochtitlán - Chapter 6-9 New Timeline Harry's 4th Year - Chapter 10-28 Harry's 5th Year - Chapter 29-68 Harry's 6th Year - Chapter 69-Current Hitcount: Story Total: 169485; Chapter Total: 1445 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: I wrote a Harry Potter short story for the Summer at the Burrow challenge. "The Mystery in the Attic," follows Harry as he discovers something odd happening in the Burrow over the summer after OotP. All five chapters are live here on SIYE, while other sites have to wait for chapters 2-5, so feel free to check it all out! |
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With frustration rising in his stomach, Harry flung the copy of the Daily Prophet into the bin. Tom, who had just taken their lunch order, watched Harry trudge back to the table with a pained expression. Harry should have known better, but Ginny was in the loo so he had decided to read the front page of a Prophet that had been left at the table next to theirs. After a gut-wrenching account of a family that had been beset with dementors and a column chronicling the rash of giant attacks to the south, he decided he couldn't take any more terrible news. The problem wasn't that the ministry was often ineffective, although that certainly didn't help. Despite Madam Bones' best efforts, the Ministry of Magic had grown largely impotent during the long years of relative peace. Bureaucracy slowed down any semblance of progress, which in turn led to breakdowns. The Aurors were spread dangerously thin, but the other departments were woefully unused to dealing with such large-scale challenges. What weighed heaviest on Harry's mind was that so much rested on his shoulders. The war would continue to escalate until Voldemort could be defeated, but that couldn't happen until all of the horcruxes had been destroyed. Even then, if the prophecy was to be believed, the fight would fall to him against Voldemort. Harry felt that he had advanced in dueling considerably over the past year, but he knew his prowess paled in comparison to the enemy he was fated to oppose. A soft hand glided along Harry's shoulder. Ginny maintained connection with him as she sat, her hand running down his arm until she had clasped his hand. "Overthinking again, or did you just miss me terribly over the last two minutes?" Harry allowed himself a sad smile at his girlfriend. "Why can't it be both?" She rolled her eyes but squeezed his hand encouragingly. "What's on your mind, then? Maybe I can help." "Just stuff about this damn war," Harry replied heavily. "Dementor attacks are on the rise. I read about a family of five who got attacked. The oldest daughter was able to make it through the floo in time, but…" He trailed off, unwilling to burden Ginny with the details of the attack. The survivor was only nine years old and now faced an uncertain life without the support of her family. She was only one of the untold number of people whose lives had been irrevocably changed by the war that was only beginning. Ginny's grip on his hand tightened as if she were holding on for dear life. If Harry had looked, he would have seen his fingers begin to color from the pressure. "It's not like there's much I can do about it right now, but it's killing me to see this thing just keep growing and spiraling out of control." He sighed deeply and blinked a few times as his emotions welled up inside him. Her hand still holding onto his, Ginny nodded without saying anything. The two sat at their table quietly, hands intertwined, until Tom arrived with their lunch. "Can I getcha anything else?" he asked quietly, noticing their forlorn looks. Ginny shook her head. "No, thanks. This all smells delicious." He nodded and turned to leave, taking three steps back toward the bar before returning. "This may not be my place t' say, but here it is anyway. You'll hafta forgive an ol' barkeep," he began, pulling at a dishtowel protruding from his pocket. "I know it's hard livin' through times like these, and I sure won't judge anyone fer losin' hope on occasion. But we've been through this kinda thing before, and I'll warrant we can make it through again. It's fine t' mourn the losses, but don't forget t' live along the way." He gave them a small smile before walking back to clean glasses behind the bar. The meal was still rather subdued, but both of the teens made an effort to not dwell on the war that was outside of their control. Harry thanked Tom for the meal as he picked up the sandwich they'd ordered for takeaway. "If you're not feeling up to it, it's not a big deal to just head home," insisted Ginny as they left the Leaky Cauldron and strode down Diagon Alley. "They'd understand if we came by to visit some other time." "No, I think I'd rather swing by since we're already here. Goodness knows I could use a laugh. Plus, I hate to think what Ron would do to me if I forgot to drop this off." He shook the bag containing a sizable sandwich. It took little effort to pick out the twins' shop as they made their way down the bustling street. Emblazoned in garish letters and flashing lights, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was impossible to miss. The shop was quite crowded when Harry and Ginny arrived. Before they could get down a single aisle overflowing with joke products, the jovial voice of George carried over the cacophony of customers. "Oi! If it isn't my wayward little sister and the object of her affection!" He squeezed past a gaggle of kids entranced by a display set of extendable ears before throwing his arms over Harry and Ginny's shoulders. "Welcome to the shop! Take a look around, we've got some absolutely fantastic products that are sure to breed delight!" Though the nagging thought of the girl who'd lost her family to dementors never fully left the back of his mind, Harry did his best to enjoy his time exploring the shop. George was right; he and Fred had created some incredible products that were destined for Filch's list of banned items. Unsure of exactly which classes he'd be taking the next term, Harry grabbed two boxes of Skivving Snackboxes, which now featured new flavors that promised violent sneezing and instant rashes. He hoped whoever taught Defense this year would make such tactics unnecessary, but one could never be overly cautious. A tiny fluffball called a Pygmy Puff stole Ginny's heart, and Harry was more than happy to foot the bill for Arnold, whose small chirps of joy as it perched on her shoulder indicated that he was every bit as happy with Ginny as she was with her new pet. When Harry brought an armful of products to the front to pay, he smiled to see Ron behind the counter with Padma sitting on a table next to him, chatting amiably. "Hello, valued customers," said Ron blankly. "Is this all for today?" Harry laughed and laid the paper bag containing the sandwich from the Leaky Cauldron on the counter. "That's what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed brightly, stowing the bag on a shelf behind him. He started ringing up the total. "Good thing you get the 'Friends and Family' discount, otherwise this'd set you back a bit!" "Not sure why you'd want to spend time with my brother, but he should be slightly more pleasant to be around once he's fed." Ron made a face and a rude gesture at Ginny as she hopped up to sit next to Padma, but in the process lost track of his place while counting up Harry's items and had to start over. Ginny rolled her eyes before turning back to Padma. "Other than dealing with that one, how's your summer going?" "Very well, so far. We usually spend the summer traveling to visit family in India, but this is the first time in years we've stayed put. My parents decided to stick around to support Parvati while she's doing her internship at St. Mungo's. I was pretty frustrated to miss out on a summer in India, but staying close to Ron is a nice silver lining." Despite his scribbling while adding up the total for Harry, Ron still managed a smile while saying, "Damn right!" "What kind of stuff is Parvati doing at the hospital?" asked Harry as he leaned on the counter where Ron was counting. "She's mostly shadowing some of the Healers on their rounds. She's seen some pretty terrible stuff, but I think it's just got her more resolved to go through with it." Padma smiled to herself. "She keeps talking about helping out in the children's wing. She's really good with kids, and she's been sneaking over to play with them during her breaks." The spark of hopefulness in Harry glowed a little brighter as he paid Ron and got his change. He and Ginny said goodbye to her brother and Padma before climbing the stairs to Fred and George's flat, where they used the floo to head back to the Burrow. Harry's pockets and his spirits were both a little lighter than they'd been before they'd entered the shop. He thought, not for the first time, that an investment into the twins' joke shop was paying off. ~RLM~ Kingsley's brow rested in his large hand as he shook his head. "We've got no way to know what kind of enchantments are protecting the vaults, especially the high-security vaults. How do we know that there isn't something that will prevent us from entering with the intent to destroy? There've been more than a few families in blood feuds through the years. The goblins might have built-in protections to keep a wizard from sneaking into his enemy's vault and casting Fiendfyre to burn everything." Harry watched Dumbledore nod wearily. The discussion had lasted more than an hour already, and there was no sign of it concluding anytime soon. None of the alternate plans that had been suggested seemed as plausible as the Gringotts heist. Though Kingsley remained the most staunch opponent to secretly destroying a horcrux within Gringotts, McGonagall, and Remus had both raised reasonable points as well. Sirius seemed to think the potential gains outweighed the risk, while Harry couldn't help feeling out of his depth as the adults debated. "That is a fair consideration," acknowledged Dumbledore. "It is another reason why I would willingly volunteer to undertake the expedition alone. If such enchantments exist and I were to be captured, trading whatever years I have remaining for another destroyed horcrux would seem a reasonable exchange to me." "You're the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," noted Remus dryly. "It won't be hard to connect the dots between you and the entire wizarding world, even if you were to go alone." "True, but that would give those institutions the opportunity to cut ties with me. Perhaps, if I were to be apprehended by the goblins, they might consider my demotion from those positions part of whatever punishment they might assign." The headmaster smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Instead of one hundred years of hard labor, they might deign to reduce the sentence to merely fifty." "Do you think they'd try to confiscate everything from the Dumbledore family vault?" asked Sirius. "Perhaps, though that would be no great loss for me. My most treasured possessions are not locked away in a vault, and what gold once rested there has mostly passed into the Hogwarts coffers." "We've already talked about always searching for horcruxes at least in pairs, so I'd be opposed to sending you on a solo mission," countered Remus. "If we end up deciding to take the risk, I'd be willing to come along. Worst case scenario would still leave us four of you able to continue the fight and would keep our connections to the Ministry and Hogwarts." "I believe Sirius' idea to utilize Kreacher's ability to apparate directly into the Black vault requires that he accompany anyone using that means to enter," noted McGonagall, glancing at Sirius for confirmation. When he nodded, she looked back at Remus. "The risk of sending both of you may be too great. Given the possibility of the plan going awry, I would prefer not to send Mr. Potter's legal guardian and the man who would step into that role under adverse circumstances." The unease in Harry's stomach grew substantially. He hated the thought of losing Sirius and bristled anytime the subject came up. Harry had been glad to have Remus included on the adoption paperwork as Sirius' choice to be the next up should anything happen, with the Weasleys listed as a backup. Still, the idea of losing either was enough to sour his disposition. "We need Sirius in order to get into the Black vault, but that doesn't mean he has to come with us while we search. If Albus and I apparate with him and Kreacher, they can hold tight while we check out the other vaults. We'd get the benefit of Sirius getting us close without risking the freedom and safety of so many of our group." As Harry anticipated, Sirius was not pleased with the suggestion. He spent several minutes vehemently arguing the point, but the consensus of the others won out in the end. Though Harry hadn't offered any thoughts of his own, he was quietly relieved that Sirius wouldn't be risking another imprisonment or worse. His godfather scowled in frustration and crossed his arms angrily once the decision was official. Remus ignored the frustration on his best friend's face and looked to Dumbledore and Kingsley. "I don't suppose we have a detailed map of the vaults. It'd be helpful to have a better idea of where our targets are before we head down there." "The Auror office has next to nothing about the inner workings of Gringotts," supplied Kingsley. "There's a long list of open files and missing persons from through the years, but nothing that'd be helpful to us. I don't think anything like that exists across the whole Ministry." Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Unfortunately, I tend to agree with that assessment. The goblins have guarded their secrets diligently." "And not without good reason," added McGonagall thoughtfully. "Perhaps reconnaissance is in order." "We could take Harry down to the Potter vault and then yours," suggested Remus. "I figure both of them would be down in the same general vicinity as the others we're targeting." Kingsley didn't look especially pleased but shrugged in agreement. "The Malfoy, Lestrange, and Avery vaults, sure. I don't know that Dolohov's family holdings would warrant placement that deep, but setting eyes on the three most likely vaults would be beneficial." "What do you say, Harry?" asked Remus, the eyes of the group falling on Harry for the first time in quite a while. "You ready for a little field trip?" ~RLM~ The rush of stale, musty air past Harry's face was an indication that the minecart's previous plunge downward had brought them significantly further into the depths of the cavernous bank. He held onto the side of the cart with one hand, using the other to help his glasses maintain their precarious perch upon his nose as the track swerved unexpectedly in the dark. Sirius was making a game of the rough ride to the most protected vaults, putting his hands up into the air during steep descents and letting out excited whoops when a sudden dip made Harry's stomach feel as though it was trying to escape the ride through his throat. Remus, on the other hand, looked queasy in the flickering light of Griphook's lantern as he clutched to the sides of the cart for dear life. "We are nearly to the Black vault!" shouted the goblin over the squealing of metal brakes slowing the cart. "We will pass under the Thief's Downfall, then it will be only another minute!" Griphook covered the lantern so that the rush of water wouldn't extinguish the flame as they rode through the waterfall. Harry was completely soaked and water filled the bottom of the cart up to his ankles as the cart sped back up. Even though holes in the bottom of the cart drained the water fairly quickly, he still was shivering by the time they came to a stop outside a large entryway. Before Harry had fully steadied himself after the ride, Griphook had already exited and begun lighting a series of torches suspended on the walls. Sirius used a charm to dry Harry before doing the same to himself, while Remus took deep breaths and tried to regain some of the color that had drained from his face. As the room grew brighter, Harry noticed something that caused him to descend into laughter. The sound echoed through the caverns as Sirius cast a drying charm on Remus then turned back to smile at Harry with an eyebrow raised inquisitively. "You think it's funny that Moony can't handle a cart ride?" asked Sirius playfully. "He hasn't spent as much time diving on brooms as you have and he's almost too old to be trusted on something like this, but that doesn't mean you have to mock him to his face…" Harry shook his head as the laughs nearly doubled him over. "I'm not laughing at Remus!" Sirius squinted at the teen and cocked his head to the side, very much like a dog trying to understand an unfamiliar instruction. Harry only snorted and averted his eyes. Remus was still leaning on the side of the cart when Sirius looked at him and shrugged. He let out a sputter of laughter, causing more consternation for Sirius. "What?" he asked, his face halfway between laughing with his friends and frustration at not knowing the joke. "What's so funny?" Still chuckling to himself, Harry produced the communication mirror from his pocket. He'd taken to carrying it with him at all times after the mess at the ministry. Sirius snatched it from his hand and looked into it as Harry spoke. "Remember how Griphook told us the Thief's Downfall washed away any magical concealment?" He snickered again as Sirius' face registered his shock. "Looks like those Doxies that got you while we were searching the classrooms left you a little parting gift!" Both of Sirius' eyebrows and a sizable streak of his long hair were no longer jet black like normal. Instead, they were as white as newly fallen snow. Sirius let out a long growl of frustration, which plunged Harry and Remus into another fit of laughter. "Did it stay like that since we visited Harry or have you been coloring your hair for months?" Remus had to wipe tears of laughter from his eyes as Harry leaned on him for support. Sirius responded with a rude gesture for each of them and shook his head as he followed Griphook toward the vault. The goblin was holding some sort of metal instruments that Harry didn't recognize. "Stay behind me when we approach the next room," he quietly instructed. "It will expect pain when it hears the clankers, and that will allow us to approach the door to the Black vault." "Is the Potter vault in the next room, too?" asked Harry cautiously, his eyes darting to Remus while Griphook crept forward with the clankers. "Or is the Black vault the only one the dragon guards?" "The Potter vault is just beyond off of an adjoining room," whispered Griphook, irritation in his voice. "The dragon protects all of the deepest vaults, but newer additions were excavated later and shoot off from the main chamber." Sirius nodded. "Most of what's in your vault comes from your grandad's company. He was a well-respected potioneer and ended up creating Sleekeasy's Hair Potion. From what I understand, he made quite a bit off of it. Not that your family didn't have gold before, of course…" Remus cut in. "But it's not like the Potters had spent generations amassing the kind of power and wealth that families like the Blacks, Malfoys, or Lestranges built." Harry knew he was supposed to say something next, but the sound of loud breathing in the next room and the growing warmth of the cavern proved rather distracting. With a start, he recalled the gist of his next line. "Wait, are there only three vaults in the next room?" Griphook halted at the front of their group and shushed them angrily. "Remain silent until we enter the vault, unless you foolishly wish to experience dragonfire burns!" They stealthily moved forward until they turned a corner. The corridor opened up into a huge cavern dotted with stalactites and stalagmites, three gaping holes leading into darkness, and nearly twenty doors that Harry thought looked strong enough to withstand an assault from a troll. But more than anything else, his eyes were drawn to the enormous dragon chained to the floor in the middle of the great room. Its great eyes were milky white as it stared unseeingly in their direction and its nostrils flared with each snuffling breath it took. The dreadful quiet was broken by the loud clanging of Griphook striking a metal hammer onto the instrument he held. The cacophony produced an immediate effect on the dragon, which recoiled from the noise as if it had been electrocuted. It scrambled back more quickly than Harry expected it to move, until the chains on its legs pulled tight, allowing it to retreat no further. "Now!" cried Griphook, swiftly moving into the cavernous room while still banging on his metal instruments. They scampered across the room to a door with the words Toujours Pur emblazoned over it. Sirius outran the goblin and reached the door first, placing his hand on the stone. It became translucent almost immediately and had disappeared completely by the time the other three arrived. They all rushed inside before the door reappeared. The next half hour was spent wandering the Black family vault. Sirius pointed out various trinkets and heirlooms, especially noting which ones were likely to be cursed. The mountains of glittering gold and shining silver made Harry slightly uncomfortable, but he did his best to remain focused on gathering information without arousing suspicion. "Griphook, can I ask a question?" The goblin looked bored as he stood near the door by the entrance to the vault. He nodded as Harry approached. "I'm a bit worried about when we go to the Potter vault after this." Griphook gave him a long-suffering look and smiled grimly. "I assure you, Harry Potter, that I am perfectly capable of shepherding you past the dragon safely, a task I have performed countless times for other clients." "It's not the dragon I'm worried about," replied Harry quietly. He did his best to sound legitimately nervous. "Sirius mentioned that some of the vaults down here belong to the Malfoys and the Lestranges. I don't know how closely you follow conflicts between wizards, but it's no secret that members of both families are among Voldemort's Death Eaters. What would happen if Lucius Malfoy or Bellatrix Lestrange came to visit their vault while I was down here?" "Running into another client while visiting a vault is exceptionally rare," said Griphook, his voice placating but reasoned. "Almost all of our clients have a family house-elf apparate them directly into their vault to avoid the cart ride, the Thief's Downfall, and facing the dragon." Harry grimaced slightly. "That almost makes me more nervous. What if someone tipped off Voldemort that I had walked into the main Gringotts building? Could he send a whole swarm of Death Eaters into vaults down here to ambush me?" The goblin didn't betray much emotion, but his eyes widened slightly as he considered the scenario. "I don't mean to create trouble," added Harry hastily. "It's just that a Death Eater tricked me into taking a portkey that brought me to Voldemort last year, and then I got kidnapped by Death Eaters recently. I'm trying to think through any possible ways they might try again, and hearing that two Death Eaters have easy access to these caverns puts me on guard." "I suggest using an elf for future visits to Gringotts," the goblin said, frowning. "Okay, but how would I get to the Potter vault?" "Do you not own a house-elf?" Harry shook his head, imagining how different this conversation would have been had Hermione been around for it. "No, and I doubt I'll ever have one. I've got a friend of sorts who's a house-elf, so owning one would be… I dunno. Weird, I guess." "Harry Potter, friend of house-elfs." Griphook grunted in amusement. "Will wonders never cease?" "Kreacher is the Black family's house-elf. Could I ask him to bring me directly into the Potter vault?" "The magic of house-elfs is strictly bound to their family; they are not permitted to access any other vaults. Otherwise, greedy wizards would use a house-elf to pilfer as they please." Harry nodded to himself. "That makes sense. I suppose I can ask Kreacher to bring me here and risk walking to my own vault from here. At least any Death Eaters who are on the lookout wouldn't see me entering the main Gringotts entrance…" The goblin did not look particularly sympathetic, though his expression seemed to Harry to be less hostile than he had been earlier. From further within the vault, the two adults returned to the entrance where Griphook and Harry were talking. Remus was arguing about something while Sirius rolled his eyes. Harry noticed Sirius sneakily swish his wand behind his back, which caused a small sack of gold galleons to levitate quietly from a pile and stealthily stow itself weightlessly in the pocket of Remus' cloak. Griphook sounded the clankers before the door was open and the dragon gave them a wide berth as they hurried along the outer edge of the cavernous room. The corridor that Griphook led them down was slightly damp as they trudged downward until it opened into a smaller cavern. Harry spied a half dozen doors leading to various vaults, but the goblin headed directly to one positioned on the left side of the room. Harry looked to Griphook for confirmation before placing his hand on the door. A few moments later, all four were inside with the door shut behind them. Though Sirius had brought him to the vault over the holidays, which was when Harry found a pendant of his Mum's that he had given to Ginny for Christmas, there was still a great deal left to sort through and explore. He began gathering enough money to last him the rest of the summer and the next term as Sirius took Remus to show him something further in. As Harry scooped coins into a bag, his eyes drifted to the goblin standing nearby. He sinched up the bag of coins before approaching Griphook again. "There are vaults in the main chamber controlled by Death Eaters. Do you know if there are any I should be wary of in the room we just passed through?" An almost-predatory smile formed on Griphook's face. "Details such as those are not cheaply divulged by a goblin of Gringotts." His eyes darted to the sack of coins hanging from Harry's hand, then back up to meet the boy's gaze. The goblin's brow twitched upward. Harry hadn't been keeping track of exactly how much he'd stowed in the bag, but he had thought it enough to cover purchasing multiple presents, possibly for Ginny's summer birthday and Christmas gifts at the end of the term. There were quite a few galleons in the sack, and almost as many silver sickles. He took a deep breath as he proffered the bag to Griphook, whose smile only grew wider as he nimbly took it from Harry's grasp. "Seven," intoned Griphook quietly, his face impassive. "Seven of the vaults in the main chamber are controlled by families among the Death Eaters. In this room, only two." The sharp intake of breath from Harry wasn't acting. He looked at Griphook nervously. "Which ones?" whispered Harry, barely audible. "The vault opposite this one belongs to the Montague family," he answered, the heavy bag of coins drooping through the gaps between the goblin's fingers. "The Dolohovs control the vault to your right." "Thank you, Griphook," replied Harry, turning to fill a new bag with spending money. "Knowing that helps a lot." |
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