Chapter 11
It took Harry several days to come to terms with his old wand. He really felt like he had lost his best ally in the fight against Voldemort. He had lost more than a tool pr a weapon; he had lost a part of himself. After all, he was still convinced that his wand had acted on its own to counteract Lucius Malfoy's wand used by the Dark Mage. He still had no explanation for it, and Edward had not yet managed to discover any answers about this strange phenomenon despite his extensive reading at night in the tent during his shifts.
Meanwhile, during his few days of misery, Harry had not been idle- which was impossible with someone like Edward as a friend. Edward insisted that since Harry was now wandless, he had to master wandless magic at all costs. The element of surprise could be vital if he were ever to meet Voldemort again, but it was an extremely difficult art and although Harry had started training towards the end of last year, he still had difficulty performing some spells, especially silently, as Ed had wanted. But Ed insisted that he practice as much as possible and in the end Harry had to give in, especially since when he practiced he didn't think about the loss of his wand.
Even so, everyone could see that Harry's mood was terrible, even if no one remarked on it for fear of making it worse. It wasn't just his broken wand that Harry was concerned about, it was the fact that they were still at a standstill in the search for the Horcruxes and the sword of Gryffindor. On top of that, unfortunately, Voldemort seemed to had found Gregorovitch's thief and it wouldn't be long before he found the Elder Wand itself. Harry felt like yelling at someone but he couldn't possibly take it out on his friends so he kicked an old stump, which did him more harm than good. Harry finally sighed and sat down on the old piece of wood, cursing Edward's best.
He wondered what wild goose chase Dumbledore had set him on. They had all been searching tirelessly for any clue that might lead them to the Horcruxes to no avail and they had gone on a quest for the Gryffindor sword and had not found it either. In Harry's mind, it was as if Voldemort had already won and that was anything but a comforting thought.
For a moment, Harry wondered if he should give up everything: this hopeless quest, Dumbledore's lies and unspoken words and all of his schemes in order to flee England to some far-off land, some exotic country where no one would know 'The Boy Who Lived'... But the young boy quickly pushed the thought out of his head, he would not be a coward. If there was one thing he had remembered from his time at the cemetery, at the memorial and at the ruins of his home, it was the reality of his parents' sacrifice. He would never dare dishonor their courage and self-sacrifice.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Hermione. She looked apprehensive because, after all, she didn't know if her spell was responsible for Harry's wand. But according to Edward, it could have been any of them: there had been so many spells, so much crashing in the room, not to mention their rough landing after teleporting, that it was rather a miracle that they had all escaped (mostly) unscathed. It was, at the very least, clear that Hermione still felt guilty and approached while holding a large, brand new book. It was a first edition of Albus Dumbledore's Life and Lies, ironically autographed by Rita Skeeter.
Harry opened the book and almost immediately came across a picture of a young Albus Dumbledore and his cheerful companion. It was indeed the thief that had stolen The Elder Wand. The caption on the photo stated that it was- "Albus Dumbledore, shortly after his mother's death, with his friend Gellert Grindelwald," Edward, who had come up behind them, read with raised eyebrows before frowning. Harry repeated in an almost tone-deaf voice, "Grindelwald?" and Hermione looked as if she couldn't believe her eyes and repeated the shameful name as well. Since the pictures were part of the appendix, they had to go back to understand and soon they came to the referenced chapter entitled: "The Greater Good" and began to read.
Apparently, Dumbledore's mother had died on his eighteenth birthday, when he was full of glory and awards and was about to go on a world tour with Elphias Doge. The death of his mother had forced Dumbledore to take care of his brother and sister, although according to Skeeter, his task was essentially to keep his little sister locked up. It was at this time that Bathilda Bagshot's little nephew, Gellert Grindelwald, arrived in Godric's Hollow after being chased out of Durmstrang. There, he became friends with Albus Dumbledore, with whom he seemed to share a great intelligence, which they immediately put in common. What followed was less cheerful.
It turned out that in a letter to his friend, Albus expressed his fundamentally anti-muggle ideas, saying that wizards should rule over non-magics for their own good. Dumbledore seemed more moderate when he said that a power given to them gave them the right to rule but also responsibilities towards the governed. He also said that they should use force only when necessary, but no more. This was quite horrifying.
The book went on to imply that it was Arianna's mysterious death that triggered Dumbledore to come to his senses. Rita also mentioned a fight between the two brothers on the day of the funeral in which Aberforth broke his older brother's nose. The rest was pure insinuation on the part of the journalist who was only asking accusatory questions without providing answers.
After reading the chapter, Hermione closed the book, trying to moderate the book by arguing that it was, after all, a book written by Skeeter. But Harry told her that she too had read Dumbledore's letter. In Hermione's eyes, this was the most horrible thing. After all, For the Greater Good had officially become Grindelwald's slogan, and he had used it to justify his atrocities. He had even had it carved into the walls of Nurmengard, the prison the dark wizard of the 1940s had built to imprison his opponents.
The young witch added that it was awful to think that Dumbledore's ideas could have helped Grindelwald gain power. But she argued that they had only known each other for a few months, during which time they were both very young... Seeing Harry's angry face and Edward's scowling face, she knew she shouldn't have used that argument, because her friend got on his high horse almost immediately:
"I knew you would say that. But being young is no excuse! Look at us! Here we are risking our lives to fight the forces of evil while he spent his days plotting their takeover of Muggles!"
"I don't excuse what Dumbledore wrote. All this nonsense about the right to rule is the same as Magic is Power. But Harry, you have to understand that his mother had just died, he was stuck all alone in his house..." Tried to explain Hermione.
"No, he had his brother and sister, his sister Crackle-" Harry replied before being cut off by an adgitated Hermione.
"The Dumbledore we know would never, ever, allow-"
"ENOUGH! Both of you!" Edward exclaimed, not wanting to see this argument drag on. He took a deep breath and took the time to order his thoughts before continuing on in an emphatic tone, "I'm not going to take sides with either of you, but I would like to make a few points. First, about youth: yes, youth does not excuse everything, especially in the grand scheme of things. Also, what Harry said is true: at eighteen, you are at an age where you have to take responsibility. Young Dumbledore believed that it was by subjugating the Muggles and taking power, the letter seems to tell us."
Edward took a deep breath before resuming, "But you forget one thing, Harry: no one stays young for very long, and we change over the course of our lives. Dumbledore, whether you like it or not, has changed in his lifetime. As I understand it, he devoted the rest of his life to fighting the forces of evil, eventually stopped Grindelwald, fought for the protection of Muggles and Muggle-born wizards, did everything he could to stop You-Know-Who, and died trying to stop him. You can't judge someone based on just one period of their life, you have to look at them as a whole. And the truth is this: Dumbledore was a man who tried to do what he thought was right, but sometimes went astray along the way. And when I say the truth... Let's not forget that this is a Skeeter book and even we don't know the whole truth about Dumbledore."
"That's just the problem, Edward!" Harry shouted, "He didn't trust me! He expected everything from me, he made me risk my life without giving me anything in return regarding his life!"
"But did you even ask him, Harry?" Edward asked ruthlessly, "Did you even care about him as a person other than through a fudge card?"
"Why- yes! I mean... I asked him what he saw in a mirror that showed all the desires and I'm sure he lied to me with his answer!" Harry exclaimed, thinking that, except for that night, he hadn't really been interested in Dumbledore's past, thinking he already knew everything. How stupid he had been! As if an ordinary chocolate frog card could sum up the life of a man as full of secrets as Dumbledore.
"Harry," Hermione whispered, "I'm sure he loved you very much... we know he did."
"I don't think so" Harry said flatly, "What kind of loving person would let a child face death from the age of eleven? What kind of man would leave a baby on a doorstep like a bottle of milk, knowing that it would never be loved? What kind of person would lie to a child for years on end? No, Hermione, I don't think he loved me," He finished in a dull tone.
Edward and Hermione said nothing because there was nothing more to say after such a bitter diatribe. Together they went back into the tent, Edward taking the first watch.
The next day, as the snow fell heavily, they left, this time for the Forest of Dean, where the weather was drier, though still cold. As Ron was about to take out the tent pegs, he exclaimed, slapping his forehead, "We're so dumb! Why don't we just ask Snape where that damn sword is through Phineas Nigellus?"
"We've been over this, Ron. And we don't know if Nigellus won't tell the Carrow siblings. If he tells the wrong person, Snape's whole Death Eater cover is in danger of being exposed and Merlin knows that wouldn't help our case," Hermione explained.
"And yet... one of the portraits had once said that it was their duty to serve the current Headmaster of Hogwarts... If they are loyal to the office, then maybe we have nothing to fear," Harry pointed out with a thoughtful look.
"Either way," Edward grumbled, "it's not like we have a choice. We don't have much to rely on anymore. And Snape has always helped us so far by following Dumbledore's bloody plans to the letter, even to his death."
The young witch sighed but still took out the former Slytherin Headmaster's picture, except this time she didn't put a black bandage over Phineas' sharp, piercing eyes. The latter noticed immediately and asked, in a condescending tone, "Have you by any chance changed your mind about trusting my humble self?"
Ron muttered under his breath a series of colorful insults before asking, "Do you communicate with the Carrows?
"Certainly not. Even though I was a former Slytherin and the Carrows, despite their pitiful flaws, were still spread throughout the largest house at Hogwarts, I am still attached to the Headmaster's department and the Headmaster has forbidden me to communicate anything to them," answered the former Black.
"That's reassuring," commented Harry, who then asked, "Phineas. We have it on good authority that the sword dropped off at Gringotts is a fake and we need the real thing, at any cost. Does Snape- I mean Professor Snape, know where it is?"
Professor Black momentarily stepped out of his painting and the four friends were certain he was consulting Snape on the answer. When he reappeared, Phineas, full of sass, said, "Better than anyone, Potter, you should know that the sword only appears to people in dire need of it."
"But it does!" Harry exclaimed in a desperate tone. Then deciding to go for broke, he said, "Look, we're in the Forest of Dean. This is the only information you'll get from us!"
Immediately afterwards, Professor Black came out of his painting and this time did not reappear. They waited expectantly, wondering if the sword would miraculously appear in the middle of the circle he formed, but nothing happened. With a sigh, Ron, Hermione and Edward went to bed while Harry stood first watch, practicing his wandless magic as Edward had instructed.
It must have been midnight when a silvery glow appeared that Harry recognized immediately as a Patronus. He squinted and squealed when he realized that the Patronus looked exactly like the one he had now. It was that of a silver doe, as bright as the moon with a beautiful head and long eyelashes. Harry concentrated with all his might on his magical heart and another silver doe appeared next to the first one, except that this one had another mission.
The young wizard followed Professor Snape's doe Patronus: he was now convinced it was his: it explained everything: his intervention just after Harry and his friends had begged for help, Snape's confused look when he realized Harry's Patronus had taken on the new form of a doe, not to mention that inexplicable feeling of familiarity. So Harry followed his teacher's deer while his own Patronus went to the caster to say a simple "thank you" for the help. Through the trees, the young wizard followed the moonlight, hopeful that he would soon find what he was looking for. He soon came to a frozen pond and there, glistening in the icy water, he saw the Gryffindor sword with its silver glint and glittering rubies. Harry remembered Scrimgeour's words about the sword on his seventeenth birthday. "The sword belongs to Hogwarts and must be found through a test of courage and I would be hard pressed to do so," Phineas Nigellus had made clear. The sword only appeared through the Sorting Hat for those who had an immense need for it. Which meant he was going to have to get wet to get it. Harry shivered in anticipation: the temperature of the small lake couldn't be more than two degrees and Harry really only knew how to swim in gill. The young boy hoped with all his heart that he wouldn't drown or die of hypothermia.
Hurrying to get his task done as quickly as possible and inwardly (and unfairly) cursing Snape for not finding an easier task, Harry stripped down out of sweater after sweater until he was in nothing but his shorts. The cold outside was already biting and it would only get worse once he was in the water. So, without taking the time to think and especially to hesitate, he entered the pond, agitated by violent tremors that caused ripples on the surface of the pond.
Then, after having gathered all his courage, he dived into the icy water to recover the sword. He groped around in the freezing depths until he found the sword and managed to pull it out of the water, but just as he was reaching for it, the hand of a strangler, which had apparently chosen this pond in the woods as its lair, grabbed Harry's foot and pulled him under. The young man had no time to catch his breath, he was hypotensive, and on top of that, hydrocution was doing its work on Harry's lean body. He felt like he was reliving the nightmare of The Lake of The Inferi and he was now too weak to do anything... He was going to die alone, in the night, when he had only just found the Gryffindor sword.
"Drop it, you beast!" It was Ron's voice that he seemed to hear and he managed, painfully, to open his eyes. He saw his first friend who had grabbed the sword to slice the arms of the ugly little creature and succeeded. Immediately afterwards, he dived in his turn to hoist his friend out of the water while insulting him for not having warned them of his escapade.
He had been so frightened to see Harry running through the woods in pursuit of a silver shape that he had rushed after his friend, but he had gotten lost and only found him when he heard the sound of splashing. He had arrived just in time to prevent Harry from drowning by cutting off the arms of the strangler who had tried to strangle his friend. The boy was out of breath from running after Harry and freezing from the water in the pond. Finally, they managed to look at each other and Ron said hesitantly, "Well... do we destroy it?
"Yes, but you are the one who's going to do it. You're the one who saved my life, and the sword only works when it's absolutely necessary. So, I'll open the Horcrux and you'll stick the sword in it," Said Harry, who had at least learned from Dumbledore the importance of certain forms of magic and the incalculable power of certain acts.
"I hope I can do it... The night You-Know-Who almost got us at Bathilda's, Hermione swore she could feel it trying to get out of the bag to rejoin Him," Ron whispered. With a reluctant yet satisfied look on his face, Ron removed the locket from the beaded bag he was wearing today and winced as the horrible object began to flap about on its own, as if trying to escape the fateful fate that was in store for it. Ron said, "Well! I'm glad Edward convinced us not to take turns wearing it. This thing is beyond unhealthy."
"Well... Here we go. Get ready for anything!" Harry said before hissing, "Open up!"
The locket opened and immediately a form sprang out of it like an evil ghost. It began to speak in a hissing, insidious voice to Ron, who held the sword brandished above him like a knight of old. Its scathing voice seemed to echo around the two, malice coursing in its words, "Do you really think you can kill me? You, a mere subordinate, always in someone else's shadow..."
"Ron, don't listen to him! You are a member of the Circle, an equal. What he says is only lies, its not true," Harry said in a calm, unhurried voice.
"I hit the nail on the head, didn't I? I feel the shame in you, the youngest of the family, always overshadowed by the older ones who claim to be superior to you... Join me and you'll never feel that way again... You'll be respected, adored, even!" Affirmed the tempting voice.
"I'd rather have real friends than all the adulation from people like you!" Ron shouted in a scornful tone before bringing the sword down on the Horcrux as hard as he could. There was a metallic clang, followed by a loud scream, and then nothing but Ron and Harry looked at each other, smiling painfully. The young redhead muttered, still holding the sword, "In the name of Merlin's holy breeches, if I had known it was so hard to be a hero..."
"It's always harder than you think, but I know that Edward and Hermione, as well as myself, consider you a true hero," Harry let out a small, slightly strained chuckle," Edward would probably say something philosophical like there are different kinds of heroism but, personally, I think you're doing pretty good! You're definitely worthy of wielding the Gryffindor sword."
"Thanks, Harry." Ron replied before adding, "Hermione and Edward are going to kill us for destroying the Horcrux without us, aren't they?"
"It's going to be a hell of a time to be heroic while telling them..." said Harry with a smile.
And, arm in arm, the two boys returned to the tent where they had to face the wrath of Edward and Hermione, furious that their friends had left in the middle of the night, especially, in the case of Ron, by forgetting his wand. The two best friends had to endure a lecture from the two young men who blamed them for leaving without warning and especially for destroying the Horcrux without showing them.
When Hermione learned that Ron had left without his wand, she yelled at him even louder, but she eventually calmed down, even though Edward still ranted for a long time. He really wanted to see how the Horcrux burned to study it. But at least there was one less to destroy, which was a consolation in itself.
A few days later, they were in the tent, staring at the melting snow outside. Harry studied the marauder's map to try to catch a glimpse of Ginny, though most of the time he only saw her near the seventh floor, where the Room of Requirement was located, or in the second floor bathroom, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Clearly, the resistance to Voldemort's power within Hogwarts itself was perfectly organized. Yet today, Harry was worried: Ginny was in the infirmary and he hoped with all his heart that the Carrows had not touched her.
But deep down, he sensed that it was more because of her pregnancy than anything else. Hermione and Edward were both reading thick, complicated research papers while Ron was playing with the Deluminator bequeathed to him by Dumbledore. The redhead glanced at the map to try and spot Ginny while wondering aloud what was happening to her. Then the illuminator glowed and to the group's surprise, they saw Ron's sister in it talking with Madam Pomfrey. Neither of them seemed to be aware of their presence, but they could see them in almost every detail. Ginny looked radiant as she was being checked and she touched her belly with a protective, fiercely maternal air that made her look like Molly Weasley at her best.
Next to Harry, Ron looked flabbergasted and was finally beginning to understand something. The discussion that followed with Ginny and Madam Pomfresh only confirmed his suspicions:
"I hope you're still keeping a low profile, Miss Weasley. At this point, receiving the Doloris curse could be fatal to your child. For that matter, it would be at any time during a pregnancy. How anyone could dare to cast this kind of curse on children, I cannot imagine."
"I'm not making a fuss, Madam Pomfrey." Ginny recoiled with a falsely righteous look on her face.
"As if I didn't know about your involvement in the actions against the Carrows over the past five months...Mind you, I can only encourage you to do so, but you must know that if you get caught, the price will be your child's life. And Merlin knows you must love her and her father for wanting to keep her in these troubled times," Declared the nurse with a tone that made it clear she wasn't being done to.
"She? So my baby is a little girl?" Ginny exclaimed, wild with joy.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure you're carrying a little girl inside you, Miss Weasley. According to my magical scans, she looks healthy for a baby at the six-month stage of pregnancy and so do you. In fact, if I may say so, you look great. However, I have to ask if you have made your parents aware of the fact that you are pregnant, as you are a minor."
"Yeah... Like I could have hidden my condition from my own mother... You know her, she has an unerring nose for determining that something is wrong..." Ginny muttered as she seemed to recall a bad memory.
"How did she take it?" Madam Pomfrey asked gently and compassionately.
"She's having a hard time realizing that she's going to be a grandmother and that it won't be Bill and Fleur as the first parents in the big Weasley siblings. On the other hand, I had to reveal the father's name to her otherwise she would have imagined the worst, especially since the school is under Death Eater rule," Ginny replied very honestly.
"And I suppose she understands and isn't mad at Harry? After all, she's always considered him her seventh son..." Said the nurse softly.
Ginny's silence was an eloquent response. Madam Pomfrey reassured the young girl by saying:
"Don't worry, I am bound by my oath as a Medicomagus which forbids me to divulge the secrets of my patients unless there is a danger to their health in the case of a minor. However, I confess to being surprised, no rumor from the Hogwarts gossip mill had revealed that you and Mr. Potter were dating."
"That's because we preferred to keep it hidden, for safety. I suppose you can imagine what unscrupulous Death Eaters would be willing to do to capture Harry, especially if it were revealed that the Chosen One had a lover," Confided Ginny, with a hint of derision as she pointed out that Chosen One moniker she had always thought was an exaggeration. She seemed relieved to be able to confide in an adult other than her mother.
"Apparently you made a wise decision. No doubt the Death Eaters would have come after you or your family if they knew of your deep connection to Harry. To tell you the truth, I think it's a miracle that Ronald Weasley is nailed to the bed with the splatter, otherwise the You-Know-Who's minions would have used young Ron as bait to lure our mutual friend out of hiding. But it also means you'll have to be extra vigilant, especially when you come to see me as you did tonight."
"I promise you that, Madam Pomfrey." Ginny swore solemnly.
"And you'll have to disguise your condition well. The Carrows may not be lights on detection, but the...Professor Snape is particularly perceptive in this area."
Ginny acted as if she shared the nurse's distaste for the so-called professor/snape and nodded. She really was a great actress because Madam Pomfrey had no idea about Snape's true allegiance.
"I know and I'm disguising my pregnancy as best I can. But the one who was really good with the glamours was Luna and she applied them to me daily. The problem is that she hasn't come home from work. I'm afraid something bad has happened to her..."
"Something certainly happened, but in any case, she got away with it. Here's a copy of yesterday's Quibbler. The headlines announce that the paper is now going underground alongside Potterville after an attempt to pressure the editor. Obviously, Luna Lovegood has managed to escape the Death Eaters and I can only congratulate myself on that," Murmured the nurse with a smile.
"I'm so relieved... But you wouldn't want to get caught with that paper, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny replied to her in the same tone.
"I'll admit it was just passed when the...Director dropped by unannounced but I think I was able to hide it in time."
"Above all, keep your confidence, Madam Pomfrey. I've got to get out of here. Thank you for the advice and the news."
"You now have three months to figure out the little one's name," Smiled Mrs. Pomfrey.
"I think I've already found it. Since we are in a time when truth is a value that is less and less in vogue in this world, I will try to give it some zest. One day I asked Edward about the name of his owl. He told me that he named her Aletheia because it means Truth. And Harry has always been committed to truth. So I think it's a perfect name for our child. Aletheia," Ginny stated with her head held high.
"I think it will suit her perfectly..." Said Mrs. Pomfrey.
At that moment, the glow of the deluminator faded and the faces of Ginny and the nurse disappeared into the darkness. A few seconds later, Edward and Hermione were trying to stop Ron from rushing Harry. The redhead had managed to control himself throughout his little sister's conversation with Mrs. Pomfrey, but now he couldn't hold back. He roared, "What have you done to my little sister?!"
"Come on Ron, you clearly know what they did," Hermione declared in an exasperated tone. "And from what I understand, it was at Ginny's instigation, not Harry's, and they had consented to it, mutually, both of them. That's what I tried to reveal to you gently, Ron but unfortunately, sometimes you didn't understand when I tried to tell you subtly."
"Because besides you both knew and you didn't tell me?!"
"We were afraid of your reaction and rightly so," Edward stated.
"I was okay with them dating, even in secret, but I never consented to that! She was underage, she wasn't even sixteen!" Ron exclaimed.
"But she's mature, Ron, and it wasn't your decision to make for her, even if you are her brother. You think I don't know how badly I screwed up? I know that I'm at great risk of dying against You-Know-Who and if that happens, it would be like giving up on her a second time with my daughter in charge! I feel bad enough for leaving her in the middle of that Death Eater's lair... I'm dying of fear for her and the worst part is knowing that it's all my fault!" Harry exclaimed.
"Technically, you and Ginny share fifty/fifty responsibility. And I suspect that your girlfriend wasn't entirely innocent in this case by faking a birth control spell. I've looked in every book imaginable and the spell you described just doesn't exist. She wanted that child, Harry, Ron, whether you wanted it or not was not important to her. There's no point in feeling sorry for the milk that's been spilled, it's been spilled," affirmed Edward.
"It's true, Aletheia is already on her way to life and our duty is to prepare for her coming so that when she comes into the world, it will be in a world with more freedom, justice and truth," added Hermione in a vehement tone.
"I'm going to be an uncle... It feels so strange... And my best friend has practically become my brother-in-law." Ron stammered as he squeezed Hermione's hand.
"I never meant to get Ginny in trouble, Ron. It was just a moment of pure madness on my part. I was feeling down in the dumps and she wanted to get me out of there... I apologize." Said Harry, bowing his head.
"This child is the fruit of you and Ginny's love... I would never blame her for anything. I just hope my sister is okay..." Ron murmured with a flushed face.
"Me too, Ron. Me too," Harry replied in the same solemn tone.
And the four young people hugged each other for comfort in the middle of a cold winter's evening, knowing that somewhere, a new life would be born in a few months.