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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: 169584; Chapter Total: 1408 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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Kingsley's house was cozier than Harry expected. Maybe it was the man's no-nonsense demeanor when talking through a challenging case at work or his laser-like focus when hunting for horcruxes that gave the impression that his home would be more spartan. Then again, Harry thought, perhaps his presuppositions about the Auror's house were colored by the way things had ended the last time they'd seen each other. The home seemed much more inviting because of the warmth of Kingsley's wife, Nicole. She exuded kindness and hospitality as she asked Harry a multitude of questions about his life, none of which involved his scar, parents, or the work he'd done alongside her husband. Harry found himself smiling much more than he'd expected, especially after she made a few jokes at Kingsley and Sirius' expense. Nicole had been sorted into Ravenclaw and Harry thought her career as a Healer for St. Mungo's lived up to the house's reputation for intelligence. She'd been the first witch in her family and was in the year between Kingsley and Sirius. Harry laughed along with her when she reenacted her mother's over-the-top reaction to an owl crashing into their unsuspecting breakfast. When Harry brought up the fact that she probably knew his parents, she smiled warmly as she recalled to him a few stories. She recounted a series of ridiculous pranks James had helped pull during her fifth year between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw quidditch teams, which were far and away the best two during her time at school. She also told of a Potions trip for upper-level students with a professor named Slughorn on which she'd spent a good deal of time getting to know Lily. Though Harry often felt uncomfortable when strangers sprung stories about his parents upon him out of the blue, Nicole's fond recollections were different. With pride and a twinge of sadness, Kingsley and Nicole shared about their children. Jasmine had graduated the same year as Percy and Oliver Wood, following in her father's footsteps as a Prefect and later Head Girl. She was now working with a potioneer in Spain on experimental brews. Tessa had been their second daughter, who had died at only six. Harry vividly remembered the look of despair on Kingsley after the ring horcrux conjured a terrible approximation of the girl while they were searching the Gaunt shack. Her bright smile shone in a photo of the family that hung over the mantle, and Harry wondered whether he might have gotten to know her at Hogwarts if she hadn't contracted Dragon Pox. Conversation swirled around a myriad of memories and topics, but Harry noticed that everyone was avoiding talk regarding the circumstances from the previous meeting. After dinner, all four of them moved to the sitting room and Harry and Sirius found themselves each with a filled glass and a comfortable place to sit. "Kingsley, do you think you can take care of these two on your own?" asked Nicole, more than a little sassiness playing in her voice. "Jerina said not to worry if we wanted to reschedule for when we can both make it." "No, no… I can handle these two for a little while without you. Try to get an idea about her new man, though." "Of course! Sirius, it's always a pleasure. Harry, it was lovely to meet you!" Nicole kissed the top of her husband's bald head before waving goodbye to the three of them and disappearing into the floo, leaving Harry, Sirius, and Kingsley sitting quietly together. After a few long moments, Kingsley poured some amber liquid into his glass before speaking. "So. How're things back at Grimmauld?" "About as you might expect," answered Sirius, sipping his drink. "Remus was all torn up after you left. Spent half the night emptying a bottle with him, and he was still missing by the time I woke up the next day. The damn lycanthropy lets him hold his liquor better than you'd think." Kingsley nodded. He didn't look especially happy about what was being relayed to him, but neither appeared sorry about it, either. He simply sat and listened. "We talked with Minerva some before she left. It seemed best to hold off on any more hunting, at least for now. Not much in the way of leads and everything all up in the air. Figured we'd wait until we've got a better idea of what's next." "What about Albus?" Kingsley's deep voice was flat, emotionless. Sirius sighed. "We don't know. He was gone that morning, too. Minerva reached out yesterday and said she hasn't seen him up at Hogwarts since." Kingsley murmured something under his breath, but it was too low for Harry to catch it. The Auror took a sip of his drink, frowning all the while. His eyes eventually fell on Harry, who struggled to find something meaningful to contribute to the conversation. "I've got half a mind to apologize for losing my temper in front of you, Harry." Kingsley let out a long breath. "But there's another part of me that's not really sorry about it at all. It wasn't my intention to make you feel like I was abandoning you. I just couldn't be there right then." "Don't worry about it," replied Harry quickly. "I didn't really understand at the time, but Sirius talked me through why it's a big deal and why you'd be so angry about it. I was already feeling weird about the Imperius, but then afterward…" "If you ever end up with the Aurors, it'll make even more sense. There are plenty of people in the department who'd think nothing of using magic to root around in other people's business. More folks in the ministry who think that way than I can say." Kingsley looked as though a simmering frustration was again right beneath the surface. "It's one thing to hold fast against a tide of people who don't understand why we can't cross those lines. When people who know better choose to disregard those morals, that's something completely different." Harry nodded, looking to Sirius to avoid the burning intensity of Kingsley's gaze. His godfather looked pained as he swirled his drink slowly. "You're not wrong," began Sirius cautiously. "I'm with you about what happened and bloody furious with Dumbledore over it. But I think the blame lies far more with him than it does Remus." Kingsley didn't look especially convinced. "He's a grown man, Sirius, and chose to go along with Albus' plan. I'm not feeling all that inclined to give him a pass." "True, but you know as well as we do that Dumbledore can be pretty damn convincing. He got us all to sign off on using the Imperius, and that's no small feat." The Auror frowned without arguing the point, so Sirius continued. "I'm not trying to absolve Moony here, but I think some context is important. Think about what Dumbledore has done for him over the years, then imagine holding up against that kind of pressure. "Albus let him come to Hogwarts when nobody else would've dreamed of it. Put up with him getting into way more trouble than most students because he fell in with James and me. Helped him find multiple jobs over the years and hired the man to teach. When Rem's worst fears came true and he forgot to take his potion, rampaging across the grounds and endangering everyone, Dumbledore stuck by him and would've kept him on staff. There's nobody in the world Moony believes he owes more than Dumbledore." As Sirius spoke, Kingsley winced slightly at the truth of what he was saying. In Harry's mind, he could easily understand why Remus would not have pushed back on Dumbledore's plan. In fact, he could hardly believe the man had disputed the headmaster's retelling of the events. "Which makes it all the more suspect that Albus would formulate a plan that only brought Remus," sighed Kingsley angrily. "The only potential check on him was the one of our number most indebted to him and the least likely to push back on his changes…" "It's not an excuse, but maybe some of your frustration with Remus might be worth shifting over to Albus." Kingsley swore, more to himself than anything, before finishing his drink. "I'll give you that one. Whatever anger I'm feeling toward him ought to be aimed inward anyway; I can't believe I let myself go along with the damned plan." "Not really any of our finest moments," agreed Sirius with a shrug. "But we can learn from it and avoid that kind of mistake in the future." "The mistake of trusting Dumbledore?" asked Kingsley incredulously. "Don't worry. I'm well past making that mistake ever again." "He was wrong, no doubt about it," acknowledged Sirius. "But he's still the most powerful person we've got on our side, both in terms of magical prowess and when it comes to influence. It's pretty clear he'll stop at nothing to defeat Voldemort." "Exactly. The most powerful person we know can't be reigned in and is dead set on completing this mission. A singular focus like that is dangerous. Who's to say he won't be willing to cross more moral lines? And if he deems an immoral action worth the cost, what are the chances we even find out about it? He proved himself willing to lie to our faces that night." Harry hadn't said much since the conversation turned to Dumbledore, but he almost piped up to defend the headmaster. He stopped short after Kingsley invoked the man's dishonesty, which disquieted Harry more than he cared to let on. Over the days since the Gringotts incursion, he had found himself wondering whether Dumbledore hadn't lied about anything else. "He's powerful and persuasive and always believes he's right, which is a combination that invites trouble." Unbidden, Harry's mind flashed to Voldemort, who could certainly be described as such. He shook his head to remove the idea, reminding himself of Dumbledore's tireless fight to oppose Voldemort and what he stood for. Sirius released a long, frustrated sigh. "So what's the play now?" "I know how important the work was. Is. But I've built my career, my life, around a set of principles. Things I won't go back on. Lines Dumbledore is too willing to cross." Kingsley stared at the dying embers of the fire as they smoldered, the light reflecting in his dark eyes. He sighed heavily. "I'll keep an ear to the ground for leads about horcruxes. And if I get a report that makes sense to pass along, I'll get in touch with you or Minerva." He hesitated for a moment but then gave a slight nod. "Or Remus." A sinking feeling arose in Harry as Kingsley's implications became clear. Sirius winced but didn't argue. "What happens when we need your help?" "Feel free to ask. I don't get in the way of the Memory Modification crew, even if that's not the kind of job I could do. I just do what I can from my position to try to make our world a bit better and hope there are good folks in that department doing the same. But that doesn't mean I'll come running at the drop of a hat. "For what it's worth, I enjoyed working alongside you." He looked from Sirius to Harry. "Both of you. I'll be sorry to miss out on watching you pick all this up so quickly. When you're deciding what comes after Hogwarts, come chat with me if you like. The Aurors could always use someone like you, especially in times like these." Sirius drained his glass. "I'll keep you informed about anything of note. Think you can keep my cousin out of trouble?" It wasn't the full, deep laugh Harry had heard from Kingsley multiple times over the previous year, but the Auror did give a small chuckle. "Not likely, but I'll do my best." "I would've liked to see you try out that Fiendfyre. It's a shame that you never got the chance to test it out on one of those damn things." "Yeah, it's not a skill I anticipate having an occasion to use. Maybe it's for the best." To Harry, it felt as though both men were dancing around the goodbye and the end of their official partnership that would entail. He hadn't spoken for a long time and didn't really think this was the right moment to bring up what was on his mind, but Harry couldn't see much hope of having another chance to ask. "How'd you decide what your ethical lines are?" he blurted out. "I was talking through everything with Ginny, or as much as I can, because Bill and Fleur got fired. We got into a big argument about what the group's been doing because the goblins recognized Dumbledore's Imperius. We got it sorted out alright, I guess, but then we talked for a long time about what kind of things we were okay with doing in this war and what we didn't feel right about. But neither of us has been in a war like this, so I've been wondering what the two of you thought. Y'know, since you've been in something like this before…" Both men stared at Harry appraisingly for a few moments while a smirk began to show from beneath the stubble on Sirius's face, who raised an eyebrow at Kingsley and shrugged slightly. "King's much more of a thinker than I am. I'm more the type to fly by the seat of my pants until something comes along that I'm not comfortable with." Kingsley chuckled at Sirius before leaning forward and met Harry's eyes. "For me, ethical lines are all tied to treating others like people. The moment I act as if someone is a means to an end instead of their own person is the moment I've gone astray. "That's a big part of why I can't stomach the Unforgivables. That kind of power is too easy to misuse. How do you decide what's so important that it warrants forcing yourself into their mind to make it happen? What's the line for when it's okay to torture someone for information? How bad does someone have to be to make it fine to execute them? Maybe you've got an answer that works for you, personally, but finding a reasonable solution that fits everyone is impossible. What you think might necessitate an Imperius won't rise to that level for others. Maybe there's a scenario in which Sirius would be alright with using the Cruciatus, but it wouldn't rise to that standard for you. "I don't mind using strong spellwork to defend others; I've put more than my fair share of wizards and witches flat on their backs and used a variety of curses and jinxes to do it. I'd say I'm pretty damn good at it." At this, Sirius let out a laugh and agreed heartily. "But I try to do my job in a way that I'd want it done if it was someone innocent on the other end of my wand. "If I were accused of something horrendous, I'd want a chance to defend myself in court instead of having someone determine that I was too dangerous to take alive. Actually, I'll do you one better: if Nicole or Jasmine were suspected of anything bad, there's no world in which I'd allow someone to use a Cruciatus or an Imperius to bring them in. Same with friends and folks I'm close to. Even if they were legal, I wouldn't put up with any of those being used on Sirius, Remus, or you." "I hate Lucius Malfoy," Kingsley stated flatly, his stare burning with fury. "For all the same reasons you know and quite a few more. Even so, he's still a person and I don't get to stop treating others like people just because it feels like he doesn't deserve it." "So, you wouldn't kill him? Even if he was attacking other people?" asked Harry, trying to understand the Auror's reasoning. "I wouldn't cast a curse meant to kill him," corrected Kingsley. "And I wouldn't cast a curse to force myself into his mind or torture him. I'd still fight like hell to stop him, which I can do without using any of those spells as a crutch." "That's all well and good for an Auror, but there's a difference between doing your job and fighting a war," interjected Sirius. "Sure, there are differences," acknowledged Kingsley with a nod. "But even if they're not the same, a lot of the same principles apply. In both of their best cases, it's the use of force to defend people from being hurt. The trick is to find ways to defend effectively without compromising your morals." The conflict in Harry's chest raged. As much as what Kingsley said made sense, there were still questions left unanswered. Despite the knot in his stomach, Harry broached the subject he'd been diligently avoiding for months. "What about Voldemort?" Harry's voice was quiet and shook a little as he spoke. "The prophecy says that he's going to kill me unless I get him first." "I won't pretend that I know what it feels like to have that prophecy hanging over your head, so please take everything I say with a grain of salt," began Kingsley, his deep voice earnest. "I'm not one to put much stock in prophecies. Yes, there's definitely something to them, but it's not exactly the most reliable branch of magic out there. The Department of Mysteries studies them because they're not nearly as straightforward as some folks might have you think. "The prophecy has definitely helped set things in motion, but we don't yet know all of the implications. 'And either must die at the hand of the other' could have more meanings than the one Dumbledore assumes. It may mean you've got to cast the killing curse at Voldemort to end this war, but there may be more to it." Despite Harry's previous certainty about what the prophecy meant, he listened intently for any shred of hope that things could work out differently. "Maybe the prophecy isn't literal, and your work hunting down and destroying horcruxes is enough to count as Voldemort dying at your hand. It could refer to the rogue memory being the impetus for us to understand what he's done and make him mortal again. The prophecy could even mean something completely different that we don't fully understand yet. "But I feel confident in saying it doesn't mean you have to be okay with using Unforgivables, just because a prophecy says you're destined to kill Voldemort. And even though I'm against using them under any circumstances doesn't mean that's the only way to see it. If it somehow comes down to you against him and you come out victorious after casting a killing curse, I'll still be damn glad to see the war end. I'm just saying that things aren't always as cut and dry as they seem." With a small nod, Harry tried to assimilate Kingsley's thoughts. It was much more than he knew how to deal with, but there was at least a faint hope that maybe there was something else that could be done to end the war. Sirius and Kingsley said their goodbyes and the Auror shook Harry's hand firmly, pulling him into a quick hug. "You're a good man, Harry," he whispered quietly. "Keep asking good questions. You're on the right track." ~RLM~ The summer holidays progressed along at a steady clip for Harry, who found that his time away from school was slipping through his fingers faster than he thought reasonable. His days often brimmed with activities, leading the time to pass more and more quickly. He both eagerly anticipated the coming term and dreaded some of the coming changes. The Christmas gift from Sirius to Harry, Ginny, and Ron turned into quite the memory. The four of them thoroughly enjoyed the match between the Holyhead Harpies and the Chudley Cannons, despite the rather one-sided score. Being down by nearly two hundred points did not prevent Ron from loudly cheering for his team every time they did anything that Harry thought could be generously described as competent. Ginny's attention was focused on the Holyhead chaser corps, one of whom she said was rumored to be considering retirement within the next few seasons. She gripped Harry's hand tightly as the Chasers maneuvered across the pitch in various formations, outflying their opponents seemingly at every turn. A bedraggled and morose Remus had returned a few days after the full moon. He had apparently spent some time living among one of the werewolf packs with which he'd spent the most time. The camp had been rough and the man looked more than a little haggard when he arrived back at the front step of Grimmauld Place. He'd gotten an earful from Sirius and from Tonks about staying in touch, even when he needed some space. Harry's admonition not to scare him by running off in the future made Remus' shoulders sag under the weight of the concern he'd heaped on those who loved him best. Despite everything, Sirius was eventually able to mostly get it through Remus' thick head that they wanted him to "stay here at home" even if he felt compelled to run. He lacked a good deal of the chipperness he'd exuded for the first part of the summer, but he was present and trying, which Harry figured counted for something. Though OWL results had not yet been sent out to the students, Harry was already salivating and the thought of a year without certain classes. History of Magic and Astronomy topped his personal list of classes he would not miss in the slightest, just as he'd felt after dropping Divination the previous year. Herbology hadn't been his forte, by any means, but he did enjoy being out of the castle regularly and liked Professor Sprout a good deal more than several other professors. The same could be said about his time with Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures. Neither seemed especially likely to aid him in his future endeavors, which meant both had ended up on the chopping block. The workload from classes like Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and hopefully Potions would be likely to keep him extraordinarily busy, even without accounting for Advanced Defense and his role with the Defense Club. If Harry's OWLs came back too low for him to continue with one of the courses he was planning on (and he only really had doubts about Potions), he felt fairly certain he would continue on with Care of Magical Creatures, if only because he could barely stomach the thought of disappointing Hagrid. Despite the wait for his exam results, Harry was not without regular correspondence via owl. Following his letter to Hermione about Viktor, she had begun writing more frequently. Harry still didn't feel especially confident that he was any good at whatever it was he was doing, but Hermione's lengthy replies seemed to be a good sign. She had been more open about the difficulty of spending time back in the muggle world, especially as the magical world grew more and more central to her identity. Grieving Viktor among people who didn't understand and could never truly understand had been hard for Hermione, and she'd spent a good portion of the previous summer feeling isolated and alone. Some of those feelings diminished while back at Hogwarts, but she still felt awfully disconnected, especially now while back home for the holidays. Despite his will to find a way to help, Harry had little idea of how to fix things. The best he could come up with was to continue replying to her letters. Ginny and Tonks agreed that this was a good option, and both Ginny and Ron decided to reach out with their own letters. July brought an update from Cedric, who was happy to begin his new role as a Healer's apprentice. He would spend the next three years shadowing others at St. Mungo's, which seemed to be exhilarating for the Hufflepuff. He expressed hope that the Defense Club would be even better in the coming year and that their new Defense professor would be more helpful than Umbridge. He also asked that Harry and the others look out for Cho, especially since she was apparently quite upset about their recent breakup. Cedric didn't include much explanation, but Harry got the distinct feeling she had not been the one to end things. Late one afternoon, Harry, Ginny, and Ron were flying lazily through the stifling summer heat. What had begun as practice for Ron defending the makeshift hoop against Ginny and Harry's attempts to slot a beat-up quaffle past him had turned into a leisurely flight beneath the shade of the nearby trees. The three talked amiably as puffy white clouds slowly crossed the sky, though almost none of them were kind enough to provide any respite from the sweltering sun. Mrs. Weasley's voice carried across the garden as she called for them to return to the house. None of the three grumbled too much at the request, especially considering how nice a quick shower would feel. Ginny leaped onto Harry as they made their way to the Burrow, letting loose a fake retching sound when the back of his shirt was drenched in sweat. Still, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on with her knees as Harry dutifully carried her along. He refused Ron's sarcastic request for a turn. "Dear heavens, you lot look as if you've fallen headlong into the pond!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, almost disapprovingly. "I've half a mind to hold onto these letters for you until you've gotten cleaned up!" "Letters?" asked Ginny eagerly. "What kind of letters?" "Letters from Hogwarts," she replied tauntingly as she produced two envelopes from the front of her apron. Her two youngest children grew wide-eyed. "Oh, go on and open them! I'm just as curious as the two of you are." Ginny and Ron swooped forward and began to open their letters with Molly and Harry watching in anticipation. Ron got a rather nasty papercut in the process, which slowed him down enough for Ginny to check hers first. Her eyes raked across the paper, though Harry noticed her stealthily slip her fingers into the envelope while it was obscured by the letter. "Not too shabby, Mum! Pretty decent marks across the board, other than Defense, and that's just because Umbridge was such a rubbish professor." She handed the parchment to her mother, who looked it over with pride. "Ginny, you did so well! Top marks in Transfiguration and Charms is something to celebrate, and Care of Magical Creatures, too! Quite well in most everything else. That horrible woman may have given you terrible marks, but Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall both assured us that…" Harry had been certain that his girlfriend would excel in her classes, so he felt no surprise that she did well in everything except Umbridge's class. His attention shifted to Ron, who was holding his letter with his left hand while trying to staunch the cut on his thumb against his pants. "How'd you do, mate?" he asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. "Well, better than expected," he said with a smile. "Have a look!" Harry moved next to his friend and began to read. Ronald Bilius Weasley has achieved: Astronomy - P Care of Magical Creatures - E Charms - E Defense Against the Dark Arts - O Divination - P Herbology - A History of Magic - D Potions -E Transfiguration - E With a low whistle, Harry lightly jabbed Ron with his elbow. "Six OWLs? What a haul! And you were worried about whether you'd get four!" Mrs. Weasley finished hugging Ginny and turned to check on Ron, who handed her the parchment without a word. She stared at it for a moment, making small noises of confusion as she read. "Oh, Ron! This is fantastic! Six OWLs… And the first Outstanding in Defense out of the whole family?!" She pulled Ron into a hug that threatened to break him in half. Though her son was a good deal taller than her, Harry saw her lift him until only his tiptoes touched the ground. It took a few minutes of excited chatter before Harry was able to floo back to Grimmauld Place. Before he left, he learned that Ginny had not been selected as a Prefect, but that she didn't seem too frustrated by the decision. The letdown of not achieving an O in Potions didn't dampen Ron's spirits at all, and he looked almost as happy to be rid of the class and Snape with it as he was about the O he did earn. When Harry stumbled through the floo into Grimmauld Place, Sirius was waiting for him with an envelope in his hand and a smirk on his face. "Figured you'd be fairly interested in your results, so I opened it for you," remarked Sirius nonchalantly, keeping the obviously unopened letter just out of reach as Harry grabbed and lunged for it. "Turns out you got 'Troll' on everything except for History of Magic. Looks like your only option is to follow in Bathilda Bagshot's footsteps as a historian!" Harry wrestled Sirius' arm down, but not before his godfather had stuffed the letter down the back of his own shirt and caught it as it fell near his waist with his other hand. Sirius was cackling like mad as his godson struggled against him with a frustrated grin plastered on his face. Suddenly, an idea occurred to Harry as Sirius tried to keep him at arm's length away. "Kreacher!" The house-elf popped into the sitting room almost instantly. "Get me my letter, please!" The ancient servant cocked his head to the side in confusion, but snapped his spindly fingers, and was holding the letter aloft before Sirius even realized what had happened. Harry pushed away from his godfather, sending them in opposite directions as Kreacher held the letter up toward Harry. "Accio letter!" cried Sirius in desperation, but the envelope remained firmly in Kreacher's hand. The elf looked at his master with incredulity as he easily passed the letter to Harry. "Damn elf magic! It's a dirty trick to call for backup like that, kid!" Harry snickered as he opened the envelope, even while Sirius walked closer and perched on the back of a couch to await the results of Harry's OWLs. He unfolded the parchment and read the neat writing. Harry James Potter has achieved: Astronomy - P Care of Magical Creatures - E Charms - O Defense Against the Dark Arts - O Herbology - E History of Magic - T Potions - O Transfiguration - O "Six OWLs and four Os! And I scraped an O in Potions!" He passed the letter to Sirius, who looked at it with disbelief. "Just when I thought you might be taking more after James, you go and pull something like this. Your mum managed an O in Potions, too, but that was with old Slughorn. He thought she hung the moon, so you doing this with Snivellus as a professor might be even more impressive. They'd both be really proud of how hard you worked. I know I am." |
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