Regulus' Secret

Harry groaned as he opened his eyes. The room was dark, but he could see the barest hint of sunlight peeking from behind the thick curtains. Feeling a warm presence next to him, he turned his head slightly, only to gaze into the face of the sleeping form of his little brother, who was attached to his body like a human octopus, with an arm and leg tightly holding him in place. He smiled faintly. Memories of the previous night flooded Harry's mind and he started analysing what he had discovered.

The house-elf, which Voldemort thought had been dragged under the Inferi-filled lake, was alive. That was how Regulus had known about it – the elf, Kreacher, had escaped and told his master about the locket. Regulus, realising what Voldemort really was for actually making a Horcrux, decided to steal the Horcrux himself and – what? How did Regulus die? Where was the locket?

He tried to get up but his head was pounding. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. He snuggled closer to his brother, letting the rhythmic beating of Dylan's heart to help him concentrate on finding his centre. Within minutes, the cool magic of Occlumency began soothing Harry's mind as the thoughts which were in disarray soon became organised. An hour later, he was back to normal, his magic contained. A hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips; the wonders of mind magic! It was probably the best branch of magic there was.

After untangling himself from his brother's arms, he pushed the blankets away and shook the boy awake, playfully ruffling his hair, eliciting a reaction.

"Fuck off, arsehole," Dylan groaned into his pillow, his eyes still shut. "I'm trying to sleep. Go drown yourself in a lava river."

Harry snickered to himself. One of the highlights of his day was trying to wake his brother up every morning, which always proved to be entertaining. Dylan hated being woken up and always cursed his brother every time he tried.

Walking to the bathroom attached to the room, he frowned when he saw the dust and dirt covered all over. Exhaling in irritation and wondering what the resident house-elf at the townhouse was doing, Harry spent the next five minutes cleaning, with invisible spells flying from the tip of his wand as he flicked and waved it in practised movements. Once the bathroom was spotless, he stood under the shower, letting the enchantments activate. Sure enough, the hot water began raining down on him within seconds and Harry placed his hands on the smooth granite wall, head lowered, letting the water reduce the pain in his muscles. Twenty minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom and rolled his eyes when he saw that Dylan was still asleep. And, it looked like the covers were not pooled at the foot of the bed like they were when he had woken up, but were once again covering the sleeping teen.

"Honestly, must I do this for the rest of my life?" Harry muttered to himself, rolling his eyes at the sight before him. "Dylan, wake up," he said loudly, yanking the blankets away and gently smacking the nude boy's bare buttocks.

Dylan made a sound of obvious annoyance. "Get lost, dickhead. Go bother Daphne and leave me alone," he whispered sleepily as he turned to rest on his back, legs spread lazily, a pillow covering his face. Within seconds, he was breathing deeply, having gone back to sleep.

Harry couldn't help but snort in amusement. He wasn't out of options yet. Clearing his throat, he announced loudly, "Dylan, I have a triple chocolate cheesecake and I'm about to finish the last piece!"

"You wouldn't!" the Lestrange scion cried loudly as he got up with a start, throwing the pillow across the room. He looked around and found that there was no cheesecake waiting for him. Instead, he found his annoying older brother standing before him, still naked and wet from the shower, arms crossed over his chest, smirking at him.

"Good morning," he said triumphantly.

"You are evil!" Dylan spat angrily as he got off the bed and headed towards the bathroom, muttering curses under his breath.

Chuckling in amusement, Harry cast a drying charm on himself while one of the Black house-elves popped in to place fresh clothes for him and his brother. He picked up the mirror which he had summoned and contacted Sirius. After assuring his godfather that he was fine, convincing Sirius to not leave his work behind to check on him, he made a mirror call to Daphne as well. Once both brothers were dressed, they walked down the stairs, with Harry stealing a quick glance at every room he could find to see if there were any clues as to where the locket was. He knew that Sirius had already searched this house, but seeing Kreacher last night made him think that he was missing something.

"Come on, let's get some breakfast," Dylan suggested. "All that drama last night has made me hungry."

"You mean with the members of the Order? Are you crazy?" asked Harry, his tone slightly incredulous. "After how I accused them last night, I doubt they would want anything to do with us."

"And you suddenly care because?"

Harry's lips twitched in amusement as he put an arm around his Dylan's shoulders. "I've trained you well, little brother."

"If there is no food, we can always go back home. By the way, are you searching for something?"

"Yes, the locket."

Dylan opened his mouth to say something but decided to wait for an explanation later. Tilting his head slightly, he remembered the mirror call he had last night. "You have to call Daphne after breakfast," he said softly. "She was really worried last night. The only thing that stopped her from coming here herself was the Fidelius Charm."

"I already did," said Harry as they entered the kitchen. The conversation in the room stopped as they sat down opposite to Fred and George. There were not too many people at this time as many had already left for work.

"How're the joke products coming along?" whispered Dylan.

Fred and George grinned. "Really good," said Fred. "We have invented something called Extendable Ears; it's really handy if there are standard silencing charms around because this can crack through them to spy on conversations. That's what we did for the initial meetings until Mum caught us. She was spitting mad that day."

"Cool!" exclaimed Dylan, impressed. "What have they been talking about?"

"Not really sure," said George with a shrug. "It was about patrol duty, recruitment, werewolves, Death Eater attacks and future attacks; it was kind of boring then, but the meetings now are heavily warded."

"Patrol duty?" asked Harry sharply. "Any idea what that is about?"

"No, not really. They're quite insistent on keeping it a secret. They don't reveal a thing to us."

"Hello, Harry dear," said Mrs Weasley, smiling at him as though the whole incident last night had not happened at all. "What would you two like for breakfast? Eggs? Kippers? Toast?"

"Whatever is left over is fine for us, Mrs Weasley," said Harry cordially. He was curiously watching her prepare food and so was Dylan. Pots and pans were flying everywhere, eggs broke themselves and vegetables chopped themselves too.

"Never seen anyone cook before?" asked Remus as he entered the kitchen.

"Not really. I've had house-elves prepare my food since I was seven years old," said Harry as the plate of food levitated itself in front of him. "I thought I had to cook for myself when I first arrived like how I did at the Dursleys; needless to say my elves barred me from the kitchens after that incident."

Hermione sniffed at the mention of house-elves but did not say anything. Harry thanked Mrs Weasley as the two of them ate their fill. It was quite delicious.

"Any progress with the werewolves?" asked Harry quietly. "Things have been unusually quiet with them lately. I assume Voldemort has contacted Greyback and he is mobilising an army before launching an attack?"

Remus choked on his food as he spluttered and even Mrs Weasley dropped her pot with a gasp. It crashed on the floor while the teenagers perked up at any news regarding the war.

"How do you know that?" demanded Remus. This was information that the Order had kept classified; how in Merlin's name did Harry know about something which took Remus nearly a month to find out?

Harry quirked an eyebrow as he said, "I observe, Remus, nothing more. I've read the papers and my parents' journals from the last war and I know that Greyback was involved, so it stands to reason that he would ally with Voldemort this time too."

"Harry, look at this," said Dylan, frowning heavily as he read the Magical Daily. "There have been three more Dementor attacks in Nottingham over the past two days. It's like they're specifically targeting that area. It's less than twenty kilometres from the castle! Do you think he's sending Dementors to have you kissed?"

"No," replied Harry, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the newspaper. "Voldemort will not have me kissed by a Dementor. This is either random or someone specifically wants me dead, but it is not Voldemort."

"How do you know that?" asked Remus.

"It's not in Voldemort's nature to attack through proxies for someone who hurt his pride," he said quietly. "Even if we meet again, he'll give me a chance to fight and he would want to do it himself. If he sends Death Eaters, he would do it to capture me, but let me tell you now that not one of them will fire a Killing Curse at me. No, this is the work of someone else."

Remus frowned at Harry, not sure what to say; how could Harry possibly understand Voldemort's mindset?

"Wait, the archives in the Ministry of Magic contain the location of Potter Castle, don't they?" asked Dylan slowly. "What if it is someone who knows that sent the Dementors to kill you?"

"That makes no sense, Dylan. Why would someone who is not Voldemort or his Death Eaters suddenly want to kill me? I'm already high on the list as far as the resident Dark Lord is concerned; no one else would have to lift a finger!"

"I'm not sure, but maybe this is an attempt to lure you away from the protection of the castle," said Dylan quietly. "They know that seizing Potter Castle would be suicide, so they're trying to draw you out by attacking Muggles nearby, hoping that you would save them."

Harry looked at the paper again –

THREE MORE MUGGLES KISSED BY DEMENTORS IN NOTTINGHAM!

'No,' thought Harry. 'Voldemort knows that I hate Muggles as much as he does. He knows that attacking Muggles wouldn't make me come to him. This is not Voldemort's game. Who is responsible for this?'

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Harry entered the drawing room of the house, looking for the locket as well as that house-elf. Kreacher had not answered his call all day and he was quickly getting annoyed. The Weasleys and Hermione were fighting the doxies using some sort of – spray.

'How Muggle,' thought Harry, frowning at them.

"Why don't you just stun the doxies and vanish them?" asked Dylan curiously.

"That's what I said," muttered Fred.

"Now, now, you are all still not responsible enough to use magic outside school," said Mrs Weasley briskly. "More spraying, less talking!"

"We're seventeen!" said George indignantly, but before his mother could reply, there was a sound from below.

CRASH!

"Mundungus!" screamed Mrs Weasley angrily as he walked downstairs. "I told you repeatedly not to bring your stolen cauldrons in here!"

"Besides, we're not allowed to use magic outside school," said Hermione after a pause. "The Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery prohibits an underage witch or wizard from performing magic."

"What?" Dylan exclaimed in shock, turning to face his brother. "But Harry, I've always used magic during the summer!"

"You were in a magical house, Dylan," Harry replied as he examined the tapestry of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. "The Trace cannot be detected in magical houses, especially those which are as heavily warded as Potter Castle or Black Manor; there is too much magic in the air. That law was implemented to ensure that there were no breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy. It is meant to keep children in Muggle areas from using magic."

"What?" shrieked Hermione indignantly. "You all can perform magic during the summer?"

"I never knew that!" said Ron in surprise.

Fred and George were looking anywhere else; they knew of the loophole and had exploited it numerous times. They had used magic to create their joke products during the summers, after all.

"This is another way for the Ministry to keep the Muggle-borns from being welcome in the magical world, isn't it?" said Hermione angrily. "This is another attempt to increase the bias against Muggle-borns! How is it that purebloods can use magic while we can't? I should be able to practice magic and show it to my parents -"

"That is precisely the reason it was enacted," said Harry, turning around to look at her. "I'm sorry to contradict you, Granger, but the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery was recommended by the International Confederation of Wizards in 1823 and then adopted by every magical government in the world. It is not some shady plot by the British Ministry of Magic to keep the Muggle-borns weak. The law exists solely to protect the International Statute of Secrecy. It is done because the I.C.W. felt that children and teenagers under the age of seventeen would not be able to comprehend the magnitude of maintaining secrecy. If someone in your neighbourhood were to find you doing magic, can you imagine the repercussions? Magical governments hand out strict punishments to such offenders and to reduce the punishment against children, this law was enacted. If you were to perform magic in front of Muggles like you say after you turn seventeen, the consequences would be severe. Why do you think Voldemort and his Death Eaters are such a threat?"

"This law is also applicable to purebloods if they live in a Muggle populated neighbourhood. If you go outside this house, the law applies to you, but inside, where no Muggle can see you, it is not, because this is a purely magical household. This has nothing to do with blood as you say; it is done only for the protection of witches and wizards."

Hermione was left spluttering in disbelief while Fred and George began stunning and vanishing the doxies in the room before their mother could come back. Ron was clueless about the whole thing so he was simply looking around. Ginny looked curious as she paid attention to the conversation.

"Harry, your grandparents' names are here," said Dylan, pointing to the family tree. Sure enough, there was a name Dorea which connected to Charlus Potter. A line below them showed James, but there was a burn mark on the tapestry.

"Why has your father's name been blasted away?" asked Dylan curiously.

"Walburga thought it was a shame that the pureblood scion of one of the oldest families in the country had married a Muggle-born and that such a blood-traitor should not be on the family tree of the House of Black," commented Harry, tracing his fingers over the name. "She blasted her own son from the tree when he ran away, even if it was to the house of her own cousin, so it is hardly surprising that she blasted my father's name too. Besides, this is just a copy; the original family tree can be seen at Black Castle."

"Bellatrix Black," muttered Dylan, as it connected to Rodolphus Lestrange.

"You won't find your father's name here," said Harry quietly. "This tree only shows members of the Black family and their spouses and children; that's why I'm not here as well. Rabastan did not marry into the Black family."

Suddenly, Harry stopped talking as he turned towards the door which had opened marginally.

"– what would she say to old Kreacher, oh the shame of it, Mudbloods and werewolves and traitors and thieves, poor old Kreacher, what can he do ..."

"Hello, Kreacher," said Harry very loudly, closing the door with a snap. The house-elf froze in his tracks, stopped muttering, and then gave a very pronounced and very unconvincing start of surprise.

"Master Harry," bowed the elf, his face nearly touching the ground. "– nasty half-blood he is too, managed to convince Kreacher's mistress of his blood-status by feeding her lies, but Kreacher knows; Kreacher knows the truth that filthy Master's godson is nothing but scum; a disgrace to the House of Black that he was once the heir ..."

"Where have you been, Kreacher? I have been calling for you all day. We need to talk."

"Kreacher was cleaning," said the elf as he removed an old rag.

"A likely story," Harry said sarcastically, his eye twitching in annoyance. "The House of Black is getting blacker every day; it's filthy! Come with me."

"Master Harry likes to joke," Kreacher muttered under his breath. "– filthy half-blood thinks he can order Kreacher about, what would mistress say?"

Hermione was glaring heatedly at the door from where Harry, Dylan and Kreacher had disappeared. She didn't care what nonsense he had spouted. As far as she was concerned, there was no one who supported the pureblood agenda than one Harry Potter. What was worse was that he always managed to make it sound like it had nothing to do with blood-purity at all!

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"What can Kreacher do for Master?" croaked the elf.

"You can start by telling me everything you know about the locket of Salazar Slytherin; the locket which Regulus stole from Voldemort; the locket which was in the cave where Voldemort made you drink that potion," said Harry, observing the elf's reaction.

Kreacher's eyes widened as he began thrashing about to punish himself. "No! Kreacher failed in his orders! Kreacher failed to obey Master Regulus!"

"Kreacher, stop!" Harry shouted, shocked by the elf's reaction; with a flick of his wand, he bound the elf so that he wouldn't hurt himself. "Now, tell me exactly what happened to Regulus. First, how did you escape the Inferi?"

Not having a choice, Kreacher revealed everything; how he had escaped from the cave, how Regulus had been worried, to taking Regulus to the cave, to Regulus drinking the potion himself and sacrificing his life and finally, ordering Kreacher to destroy the locket by any means necessary.

Harry was astounded by Regulus' bravery and self-sacrifice, not to mention the elf's loyalty to his master. "It looks like the House of Black produced more than one brave son," he whispered, humbled by Regulus' actions. "May Mother Magic bless your soul to find purpose again, Uncle Regulus."

"Kreacher, do you have the locket with you?" When the elf nodded hesitantly, he said, "Good, bring it here. I'll destroy it right in front of you so that you can confirm it yourself."

"Master can destroy the locket?" asked Kreacher looking hopeful. He disappeared with a crack and came back with a large golden locket with emeralds encrusted on the front in a serpentine shape. Harry levitated the locket to the ground and cast several protection charms around himself and the Horcrux.

"Dylan, step back," Harry ordered. Pointing his wand at the locket, he hissed, "Open!"

The locket opened in metallic click and dark, handsome eyes looked up at Harry. "I have seen your heart, and it is mine."

"Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light flew from the tip of Harry's wand and impacted the locket, making it scream and wail. After it was done, he scanned it.

"It's destroyed," Harry declared, a dark smirk forming on his lips. "That was the last of it and it has been destroyed."

"Uncle Sirius would be happy," Dylan smiled brightly. "He's been searching for it for a long time, hasn't he? It's finally done."

"Yes," the older boy agreed. He turned to the sobbing elf and the emerald green orbs softened. He was quite pissed off that the locket had been right here the whole time without them knowing about it. Had they destroyed it before, Voldemort would never have risen again, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at the elf. Kreacher had at least kept the locket safe; Merlin knows what could have happened had the locket been stolen. The consequences would have been too dire to contemplate.

"You did well, Kreacher. If Uncle Regulus were alive, I'm sure he would be very proud of you. His final wish has been fulfilled."

The aged elf couldn't help himself as he burst into tears again. Harry and Dylan quietly left the room, giving the house-elf his privacy.

The last Horcrux was destroyed; Voldemort was mortal.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"Harry, my boy," said Dumbledore as he sat down at the dining table, along with the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Headmaster," Harry greeted him impassively. He frowned slightly when he saw the shrivelled, blackened hand of Dumbledore. "Are you alright, sir? Maybe you should get that hand looked at."

"Alas, there is nothing I can do," the headmaster said heavily. "Not to worry though, I'm perfectly fine. Now, I was told you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes. I have contacted my former professors at Hogwarts and they have all agreed to take me as an apprentice, but all of them with the exception of Master Slughorn said that I should talk to you first. As you recall when I first brought up the subject of the accelerated program to you, I had expressed my desire to finish my Master's degree in several subjects. I know that you do not want me out of Hogwarts yet, so this is a win-win situation for both of us."

A witch or wizard had several options open to them after graduating from school. Most of them chose to start their career early, choosing to join their family businesses, seek employment in establishments or governments, or in other cases, pursue higher education. The next step after school was the Master's degree; this could be done through apprenticeship under a qualified Master, or by joining a university and gain the degree through classroom teaching, or through research, which was the most prestigious of the lot but also the most difficult.

The International Committee for Aspiring Masters, which was affiliated to the I.C.W., took part in awarding the degree after they had submitted their research papers or after they had completed their apprenticeship.

The next level after the Master's degree was that of the Sorcerer level. This consisted of an in-depth study of the subject under consideration and it always included research projects. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Slughorn were all Sorcerers in their respective fields and were well-known internationally for their research papers.

The highest level of credit was that of the Grand Sorcerer. This required several years, or even decades of study and research and was awarded to anyone who made a breakthrough in any of the various fields of magic. Albus Dumbledore had been awarded this title for his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, but he also held the title of Sorcerer for Transfiguration and Alchemy as well. Harry, being the ambitious boy that he was, was quite ready to begin his apprenticeship three years in advance as he had completed his N.E.W.T.s.

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "And which subjects do you want to pursue?" he asked.

"Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Charms, Potions and Transfiguration," said Harry briskly. "I have already written to Professors Vector, Babbling, Flitwick, Slughorn and McGonagall and they have all agreed to take me as their apprentice."

"What about Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"No, I wish to do a research project and earn the degree on my own in that field. There is nothing I will learn more than I already have from the teachers at school. So, what do you say?"

"Alright, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. As a teacher, he couldn't in good conscience deny such an opportunity to a boy as talented as Harry. He also hoped that it would help the students of Hogwarts, considering the new Defence teacher they were to have this year. "If that is what you want, I will allow you to stay at Hogwarts as an apprentice to all these professors. You will be assigned your own quarters like any other apprentice and you may have to teach the lower years if your mentor asks you to."

Harry blinked in surprise as a hint of an amused smile formed on his lips. "I'm disappointed in you, Professor. I expected more of a fight. I was so looking forward to blackmailing you again, but you took that pleasure away from me."

Dumbledore chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement as the people around them gasped.

"You blackmailed Professor Dumbledore?" asked Remus, his voice clearly displaying the anger he felt within.

"I did, but I managed to get into the accelerated program without his help so it wasn't strictly needed," Harry shrugged casually. "If Mum and Dad had not taken me to Madam Marchbanks, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore and I would have come to blows."

"Oh, I'm sure you're exaggerating, my boy," Dumbledore waved it off, but he was a touch peeved that he still did not know how the boy knew of Severus' involvement in the prophecy. It continued to irk him.

"There is another matter I wish to discuss with you," said Dumbledore. "I was wondering if you would like to join the Order of the Phoenix as a member."

There was deathly silence in the room when Molly Weasley shrieked. "What? Albus, you can't be serious! He's just a boy! He shouldn't be made to fight in the war, he's just fifteen years old! This is madness!"

"She's right, Albus," Remus frowned. "Harry is still very young and we can't expect him to fight in the war. I agree that he's talented, but he just won't be able to understand the risks and dangers associated with it. James, Lily, Sirius and I were twenty-three when we joined the Order the last time and James and Sirius were fully qualified Aurors back then, with Lily working in the Department of Mysteries. We can't expect a fifteen-year-old boy to fight for us."

"There is also the issue of security," said Moody gruffly. It was clear that he did not trust Dylan Lestrange one bit.

Harry looked ahead and met the grey eyes of his adoptive father, seeking permission. He and Sirius had definitely not expected this offer from Dumbledore, but Amelia had judged the aged headmaster's actions correctly. Both of them had given him the choice to decide for himself and he had finally arrived at the answer. Sirius discreetly nodded to his son, telling him to answer the question.

"Thank you for your offer, Professor Dumbledore, but the answer is no," said Harry quietly, surprising many. Everyone thought that Harry would fight tooth and nail to join the Order. "I do not want to join the Order because, for one thing, we are bound to clash on our policies. You and I have a very different outlook on how the war should proceed and our methods would clash, so no, I cannot join your side."

"Your side?" said Emmeline Vance incredulously. "Don't you mean our side?"

"No, I meant your side, meaning Dumbledore's side," clarified Harry. "I do not fight to save the British magical world from the oppressive evil that is Voldemort. Every side has a story and I am not blind to the faults of the 'light', as people call it. I will fight, but it's for me, my parents, the girl I love, and for my brothers Dylan and Rigel, and if that means I need to cripple Voldemort's forces, then so be it. You would not agree with my methods, so while I will work with you, I will not serve under your command."

"Have you truly gone so dark, Harry?" asked Dumbledore, looking old and weary.

Harry's eye twitched in annoyance; he did not bother dignifying that question with a response. He had answered the same question before. He was never light to begin with, so how could he go dark? As far as he was concerned, he followed the will of Magic, nothing more. Classification of light and dark was a human invention and that was not how magic in its natural state existed.

"Would you actually kill the Death Eaters if you are fighting them?" asked Dedalus Diggle, his voice trembling slightly.

"If I hadn't been nearly tortured to death by Bellatrix and Rodolphus, then yes, I would have killed every single one of them there including Voldemort himself if I could," said Harry without batting an eye. "You would see it as slaughter, I would see it as ending a war before it started. I did not ask them to kidnap me, nor did I start the war. It was their fault for being marked by Voldemort in the first place and I will not be blamed for defending myself and my family."

"You are just a child!" said Molly Weasley furiously. "You shouldn't be speaking like this! I don't know what you have learnt during your childhood, but this is no way to speak to the headmaster! He is a wise man and you should listen to him!"

"What I learnt during my childhood?" Harry repeated as his face darkened. "I learnt that there would be nobody around to help me in case I was in danger. I learnt that people only look out for their own interests. I learnt that everyone has a secret agenda if they are helping me. I learnt that if I do not stand on my own two feet, others would crush me. Granted, some of my views changed after Mum and Dad took me in, loving me as their own son; Daphne and Dylan changing my views some more, but I will never forget what I learnt back then. I have been living alone in a fortified castle tutored by ghosts and portraits since I was seven years old, Mrs Weasley. I never had anyone to tell me that I should enjoy my childhood. I spent every day since my seventh's birthday constantly studying and practising magic; there is a reason I was a Ravenclaw and there is a reason I qualified with an Outstanding in all my seven N.E.W.T.s with extra credit at the age of fourteen."

"As for me not being able to understand the risks and dangers, I have faced a seventy-foot long basilisk at the age of twelve, Remus. I willingly went into the Chamber of Secrets alone, knowing that I might not make it out of there alive. I was tortured under the Cruciatus Curse by Voldemort, Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Dear Aunt Bella used my body as a knife sharpener. Rodolphus whipped me fifty times and I still managed to duel Voldemort and escape under his nose. I understand that I'm only fifteen years old; you're right, I've never experienced war for me to know what it's like. You all have survived the last war but point out to me one person in this room who has gone through as much as I have before the age of fifteen. I may not openly tell people of my achievements or pain, but don't mistake me for a weakling. I have never had a childhood to be considered a child at all. I have seen and experienced quite a few horrible things in my life, some of which you can't even digest."

'I have personally seen the atrocities committed by Voldemort. None of you can even comprehend what I have seen in his memories. None of you can begin to imagine the torture I underwent at the graveyard. None of you …'

There was utter silence in the room. Moody's eye was swirling in its socket as he considered training the boy as an Auror. Dumbledore looked thoughtful, not really worried about the other things Harry had said. He was now quite curious about the memory of the graveyard. There was something in that memory which Harry did not want him to see; he was now sure of it. What was it? Maybe he should ask Severus to ask Lucius Malfoy or someone else to provide the memory.

"May I leave, Father?" asked Harry formally. Remus flinched slightly at the term but the teenager ignored it.

"Of course, Harry," said Sirius quietly, his face stony, but eyes glistening with tears. His precious little boy had suffered so much in his life and there was nothing he could do to help him get over the pain.

Back upstairs, the teens were listening to what was going on using the Extendable Ear. Hermione had been mentally ranting about how it was unfair that Potter was able to get an apprenticeship, but she was slack-jawed like everyone else when they heard him speak. The silence was broken when Dylan took out his mirror.

"Daphne Greengrass!"

The mirror shimmered and Daphne's beautiful face appeared. "Hey Dylan," she greeted him with a happy smile. "I wasn't expecting your call for another hour. What's up?"

"Daph, can you sneak out and come to the castle tonight?" asked Dylan urgently, as he spotted Harry climbing up the stairs. "Harry needs you."

"I was already planning on coming, but I'll be there soon," said Daphne as she cut off communication.

"Ready to go?" asked Harry, his eyes a shade of blackish-green. Dylan knew immediately that Harry's emotions were not yet fully under control.

"Yes," he replied.

Bidding everyone a good night, they stepped out of the front door of the house and Portkeyed to the entrance hall of Potter Castle, just as the Floo flared and Daphne walked out of the fireplace, following Harry to the master bedroom.

Dylan sighed as he made his way to his room on the second floor, collapsing on the large four-poster bed. His mirror vibrated and he saw the concerned face of Astoria Greengrass looking back at him.

He smiled fondly. "How is that you know exactly when I need you, Tori?"

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"Crucio!"

Lucius Malfoy screamed in pain once more, twitching on the floor as he tried to get up. His entire body was burning and he couldn't help but let out a whimper.

"Pathetic," spat Voldemort. "Harry Potter underwent torture which was infinitely worse than yours and yet he stood up with defiance and duelled me to the death. Again, why did you disobey me and use that diary for your own means? Didn't I tell you, Lucius, that the diary was extremely valuable? Why did you not protect it with your life like I had asked you to? I have gone through the text of Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act; it was useless and poorly written! You destroyed my diary because Weasley raided your house? Was your ego the only thing you could think of?"

"M-My Lord, i-it was P-Potter who d-destroyed –"

"Silence!" hissed Voldemort, making Lucius flinch. "The boy only destroyed the diary because it was a threat to his life. Had you kept it safe as I had expected from you, it would never have reached Harry's hands for him to destroy it in the first place!"

"You have failed me again, Lucius," said Voldemort coldly. "Your failures have increased steadily year after year and they have been growing worse. First you abandon me after my defeat in 1991; then you surrender to the whims of Sirius Black, unable to stop him from becoming the Minister of Magic, thus making it much harder for us to take control of the Ministry; then you let Amelia Bones of all people marry Sirius Black and actually have a child with him and thus lose control of the Black estate forever; then you let Dylan Lestrange slip under your fingers and be influenced by Harry Potter and Sirius Black while he should have been raised under our ideology instead, and now you let your ego destroy my diary! It's time you realise, Lucius, that I do not appreciate so many blunders! Severus, bring Draco Malfoy before me. I have a task for him."

"M-My Lord, please," begged Lucius desperately. "Not my son! I'll do anything!"

"Maybe this will give you more incentive to not let me down, Lucius," hissed Voldemort. "I have a task for Draco. He is to find a way to kill Albus Dumbledore as soon as possible. If he fails, I shall kill you, your wife and your son!"

Severus Snape melted into the shadows.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"What are you thinking about?" asked Daphne softly as she ran her fingers up and down Harry's abs as they recovered from their post-coital bliss.

"I was thinking about Dumbledore's blackened hand." He had recognised it instantly. How could he not? He had been the one to cast the curse in the first place.

"And?"

"He's going after Voldemort's Horcruxes."

"How do you know that?" asked Daphne curiously.

"One of the Horcruxes was a ring. It had a nasty, deadly curse on it. My dad and I went to place a duplicate while we destroyed the original, remember? To ensure everything was perfect, I actually placed the same curse on the fake ring in case Voldemort comes to investigate. It turns out that Dumbledore did go there and fell for the trap. He's dying."

"What?"

"Yes, he's dying," said Harry, a smirk tugging on his lips. "There is no counter-curse and I'm pretty sure his right arm is already dead. It's only a matter of time before the curse reaches his heart. I'm not sure how long he has because I thought the curse would kill instantly, but then again, this is Albus Dumbledore. He is an extremely powerful wizard and wouldn't go down without a fight, though I'm curious as to how a wizard of his calibre managed to be fooled by it. There is no way can he survive it, though. His days are numbered."

"Wouldn't Voldemort get more confident if Dumbledore dies?" asked Daphne worriedly.

"I'm hoping that I can kill Voldemort before that happens," muttered Harry quietly. "All his Horcruxes have been destroyed; he's mortal, but doesn't know it yet."

Daphne looked at the troubled expression on her fiancé's face. Smiling slightly, she cupped his face, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"I know that you feel that you are not strong enough to defeat him," she whispered. "But please don't lose hope, Harry. Not when we're this close. Yes, you need to train harder and I promise you that I will be there every step of the way. If you need me to get up at four in the morning to train in the Room of Requirement, I'll do it. You're not alone, Harry. Whatever happens, you'll always have me by your side."

Harry's eyes grew misty as he struggled to regain control of his emotions. His hand found hers as they intertwined their fingers together. They simply stared into each other's eyes as Harry smiled slightly. "What would I ever do without you, Daphne?"

"You'll never have to find out," she replied, kissing him lovingly. Trailing kisses along the side of her face, Harry pulled her closer to his chest, breathing in the sweet scent of his fiancée as he went to sleep.