Chapter 36: The Burning Truth

October 5th, 1976

"Please state your full name and date of birth for the record."

'Okay...' Either they simply took their job very seriously, or they were playing some elaborate prank on him. Harry decided to just go along with it.

"Harry Ignotus Peverell, born July 31st, 1960."

He sat in an abandoned classroom somewhere on the fourth floor. The Aurors had finally reached the sixth-year Gryffindors and today was Harry's turn.

"Very well, Mr. Peverell. Let us begin." The young blond man finished scribbling on some parchment and looked up at Harry. 

A very familiar pair of blue eyes regarded him curiously. The blue in them was perhaps a tad warmer, as was the blond of his short hair a shade darker.

"Ask away, Matth-, excuse me, Auror - McKinnon...?" The corner of his lip barely tugged upwards. 'Might as well have some fun with them.'

"Actually, Marcus here is still a cadet." His opposite gestured for another young man next to him, who looked almost like his twin: "Yet he has proven himself capable and Senior Auror Moody matched him with me for your interview. Since this is a professional setting, you will be addressing him as Auror Cadet McKinnon and may refer to me as Auror McKinnon."

"I see..." Harry grinned: "How may I be of service then, Auror McKinnon and Auror Cadet McKinnon?"

Matthew McKinnon, his girlfriend's oldest brother, who was sitting in front of Harry shuffled through a stack of parchment: "We received various reports stating that you have been among the first students to come in contact with the victim after she was found, Mr. Peverell. We'd like you to give us your perspective on the night. Please start with where you were from 9:00 - 10:00 pm the night of September 20th?"

Harry sighed and playfully bit his lip acting like he was thinking hard: "Due to a disciplinary misunderstanding with the Defense Professor, I found myself in the headmaster's office, in the company of the headmaster, the Heads of House, and Professor Bletchley. I left the office shortly before 10 pm."

"And where did you go from there?" The blonde paused his scribbling: "How come you didn't return to Gryffindor tower immediately?"

"I felt quite famished after going to such lengths to prove my innocence in this disciplinary misunderstanding I mentioned." The ghost of a smile washed over Harry's face: "Therefore I headed down to the kitchen for some refreshments and a late-night snack."

"Are you aware that one might consider that a break of curfew?"

By now Harry struggled to determine whether they were having him on or actually conducting a proper investigation. He was leaning towards the latter. 'I best take this a bit more seriously then.'

"My curfew was extended for the night by my Head of House." Harry shrugged: "She did not explicitly ask me to return straight to my dorm, therefore I decided that a small detour was reasonable."

The brother's exchanged a quick glance: "Very well, please continue."

"On my way down the main staircase, I ran into the headmaster, who carried Ms. Miller in his arms," Harry explained. "He was accompanied by two Prefects, Mr. Montgomery, and your sis- excuse me - Ms. McKinnon." His lip twitched.

He waited a few seconds, watching their reaction: "I escorted them back up to the hospital wing, where we parted ways."

"Have you had any previous encounters with the victim?"

"Besides seeing her in the common room we shared, no." Harry shook his head: "I don't think I have ever spoken to her at all."

"Very well." The Auror flipped a sheet of parchment: "Mr. Peverell, we have a small problem that we need you to elaborate on."

'Pretty sure that's not a joke anymore?' He raised an eyebrow: "I am listening?"

"The Unspeakables were easily able to pinpoint the headmaster's and Ms. McKinnon's magical signature on the nails that have been used to torture the victim. However, the entire department failed to trace them back to your signature. Magically speaking you never came in contact with the nails, despite the three reports mentioning that you carried them up to the hospital wing with a levitation charm."

'That was surprising and a bit troublesome indeed.' Harry's thoughts were racing: "I assume they were also unable to decipher the signature of whoever enchanted them in the first place. Does this coincidence turn me into the prime suspect?"

"No, it does not." Matthew shook his head after exchanging another glance with his brother: "Luckily for you, your well-documented company in the headmaster's office covers the time period during which the victim was impaled, by the nails. However, for security reasons, we'd still like to know why and especially how you masked your signature that night? You will agree with us that it does look quite suspicious..."

Harry forced a neutral mask back on his face: "It was not a conscious move by me. My family has always been rather reticent and cautious about its secrets. I will share that masking my magical signature is part of my Family Magic. I'm afraid I can't give you anything more."

"Such a skill is unheard of." Marcus spoke up for the first time and shifted in his seat: "And I'm not even sure if it's legal."

"The perseverance of my entire family was unheard of during the last few centuries until my return to Britain last year, Auror Cadet McKinnon." Harry shrugged: "Mother Magic hardly cares about what we consider legal or not. It's part of me, no matter whether you and your superiors like it or not."

"Very well, Mr. Peverell." Matthew turned another page in his hand: "At last we'd like to know more about your relationship with Ms. McKinnon."

"Exc - Excuse me?" Harry chuckled: "I don't see what this has to do with your investigation."

"But it has, Mr. Peverell." Marcus nodded a bit too vehemently: "Continue, please, and briefly explain your relationship and especially your intentions with her."

"Okay, I'm pretty sure you guys are having me on now." Harry let out a slight chuckle, finding the situation more amusing than intimidating: "When I came here, I was not prepared for the protective older brother speeches yet."

'He had faced Voldemort multiple times. Concerned older brothers of his girlfriend were nothing compared to that.'

"We'd appreciate it if you could take this interrogation a bit more seriously, Mr. Peverell." Matthew regarded him with a stern expression: "The Auror Department doesn't take kindly to people wasting its time."

"Okay..." Harry stiffened a chuckle: "Let's see, my relationship to your sis- I mean Ms. McKinnon, excuse me, please." 

He grinned at the two young men in front of him: "Well, like the rest of the castle will tell you, we are boyfriend and girlfriend. Though you guys should know that already, I've been over to your family's Manor plenty of times during the summer..."

"Please refrain from using any more informalities, Mr. Peverell. You may continue addressing us as Auror and Auror Cadet McKinnon. Also, we asked you about your intentions with her?" Matthew challenged with narrowed eyes.

Suddenly the door was pushed open behind him and bright light flooded the dimly lit abandoned classroom: "Alright, brothers of mine, that's enough. I would like my boyfriend back. It's time for you to look for a different student to play detective with!"

Harry spun around in his chair, laughing loudly when he spotted a tall blonde girl striding towards the middle of the room. Her eyes sparkled with annoyance while she glared at the two men opposite Harry.

"Marlene, you can't just bust in here, this is an official Auror investigation." Matthew stood from his chair, hiding a grin behind his fist.

"By Circe's flat butt, your investigation ended five minutes ago already." She snatched Harry's hand and literally pulled him out of his chair: "Come, Harry, ignore those two buffoons."

"You- You've been listening in on us?" Marcus stuttered in a mixture between impressed and irritated.

"Of course I did, my dear brother, you don't think I'd let my boyfriend walk in here by himself with you." She flared her nostrils.

"I think I did rather fine actually." Harry chuckled, eying the two brothers.

"Yeah, honestly you did better than most of the other kids, Harry." Marcus shrugged: "I swear that one Hufflepuff almost wet himself."

"Oh, so now it's Harry again?" Marlene snorted.

"Well, the first part of it did sound like an actual interrogation at least," Harry admitted with a shrug.

"I don't care!" Marlene grimaced and pointed her finger threateningly at the two boys: "You can tell your superiors that Harry had nothing to do with it and you can also tell father and mother that he's been behaving like a perfect gentleman and there is no need for them to worry. I know it was one of them who put you up to this."

"A few students mentioned that you guys are often seen displaying your affections in public." Marcus spoke up: "We got to know Harry and don't mind too much, but father isn't going to like it, dear sister. You're supposed to be in a strategic courting agreement, not dating like some muggle teenagers who can't keep their hands off each other."

"Oh, sorry that I actually like the person I'm courting, how very unpureblood-like of me." Marlene mocked and rolled her eyes: "I'm really tempted to snog Harry right here, right now, in front of you two and there will be nothing you can do about it."

"Please don't." Harry chuckled nervously. He might favor his chances, even against the two Aurors, however, the ramifications won't be pleasant. 'Even Marlene's kisses weren't worth that much trouble.'

"Yeah, we don't really need to see that." Matthew winced while Marcus imitated a gagging sound: "Harry, you're good to go, just make sure to bring a few floors between yourselves and us before you start anything. Also, don't forget her birthday next month; I did once and my left bullock still hurts from the stinging hex."

"As it should!" Marlene smiled in satisfaction and led him out of the room by the hand. Just before she closed the door with significantly more force than necessary, they heard Marcus yell after them:

"And keep those hands above your clothes!"

Marlene brought some distance between herself and her brothers, tugging Harry along with her: "I love them very dearly, but I don't want them to give you a hard time just for dating me."

Harry laughed: "They're just very protective of you. If I had younger siblings, especially a sister, I'd probably be very similar."

"Do you think you would've had siblings? If it wasn't for - you know -." Marlene bit her bottom, then shook her head: "I'm sorry that is such a stupid thing to ask. I mean- How could you possibly know?"

Harry pulled her closer by the waist and tilted her head up to press a kiss on her lips: "No, I understand. To be honest, I think I probably would've had a few siblings. My family was nearly extinct, with my father being the last of his name after his parents died. I think he might have liked the idea to see our numbers grow again."

Marlene snorted in amusement: "Well, as you know, it takes two to tango, Harry. Of course, I did not know your mother, but most pureblood women prefer to have two at most three children. 'One heir and one to spare as they say.'"

"Uhm." His stomach plunged and he felt his own face fall. Come to think of it, they had never actually talked about the blood status of his parents. Marlene had probably always assumed that he was a pureblood due to his legendary surname.

"Harry, did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not that..." Harry took a deep breath: "...It's just, now that you mentioned it, I should probably come clean with something."

'It was the right thing to do.' Anything but lying about his parent's ancestry would be a dishonor to their memory and sacrifice, no matter whether they're alive in this timeline or not.

Marlene's large blue eyes scanned his, shifting between his left and right. Harry could tell almost the exact moment the realization struck her: "You're not a pureblood are you, Harry?"

"No, I'm not." He shook his head apologetically: "My father was a pureblood, the last of his name as I told you. However, he fell in love and married a muggle-born. 

"Perhaps I should have told you earlier, but I don't think you'd have given me the time of the day." The grip of his hands on her waist tightened ever so slightly and his fingers twitched. 

He waited for her reaction, desperate to find out whether she actually changed her views over the last eight months or still held bigoted beliefs. 'There was no way she would resent him for his blood status after everything they've been through, was there?'

Ice blue eyes turned slightly watery. A faint blush, one that spoke of embarrassment and remorse, crept up on her pale cheeks. She dropped her head, not meeting his eyes: "I'm so sorry, Harry. How can you even look at me?"

"Wait- What?" Harry cupped her face and turned it back up. "What do you mean?"

Her breath hitched: "I treated some of your friends like they're worth less than me just because of their blood status. I even flew from sitting with you at the Three Broomsticks that one time, just because of the company you kept."

'You did.' Harry cringed at the memory: "It was all about the context though... You had a bigger goal, like convincing your parents back then. I don't blame you for that incident."

"But you should blame me." Marlene shook her head, making golden curls flung from one side to the other.

Unshed tears threatening to spill from her large eyes: "I must have occasionally let some inappropriate remarks slip. I bet I even commented on your friends, like Lily Evans, while all this time, your own mother, a woman you adore for her bravery and sacrifice was a muggle-born as well. I feel so ashamed right now, Harry."

He gently took her back in his arms: "You didn't know for all this time because I chose not to tell anyone besides the Potters about it. You were raised in a pureblood household and culture, Marlene. Those beliefs and opinions have been put into your mouth before you even visited Hogwarts. I don't hold it against you that it takes some time to realize when you're wrong and grow as a person."

"I still feel so terribly, Harry" Her fingernails curled into his robes while she clung to him like a lifeline, not letting him step away from her: "Do you really forgive me then?"

"I do..." Harry stroked her soft long hair and pressed another kiss to her forehead: "I just hope this doesn't change things between us."

"No!" She shook her head so vehemently that Harry thought she might crack her own neck: "You're the most remarkable person I've ever met and I've watched you achieve wonderful feats during the last few months I've been with you. I couldn't care less about your blood status."

She paused briefly and pulled back slightly so Harry could see the sincerity in her puffy eyes. Standing there in his arms, was the most captivating girl, inside and out, that Harry had ever met. Knowing that she fully accepted him and with one less secret between them, Harry couldn't help but beam down at her like the love-sick fool he was.

She bid her bottom lip while her fingers crept up his neck and into his hair, sending goosebumps down his spine: "I need you, Harry... So much that it almost frightens me. I couldn't even begin to imagine what my school year or even my time after Hogwarts might look like without you."

Her face grew closer while she gulped heavily, swallowing whatever lump must have formed in her throat. He felt Marlene's hot breath on his jaw. Her pink lips parted one last time, forming words Harry had desired to hear from her ever since he expressed them himself: 

"I think I love you, Harry Peverell."

October 19th, 1976

"I already assumed you have forgotten all about me, my descendant."

"Now that is rather unlikely." Harry snorted: "I've just been busy with other stuff."

Black ink twisted on pale parchment: "I hope you're talking about identifying the student who smuggled the soul fragment into the school and is responsible for the attacks, not that pretty blonde girl of yours."

"Well, both, actually." Harry grinned and positioned the heavy tome over on its regular spot, conjuring a wooden table right in the middle of Chamber of Secrets.

"There has not been another attack has there?"

"No, I assume Tom is laying low for a while, at least while the Aurors are still snooping around and Dumbledore watches the moves of every single one of his students." Harry reasoned.

"We should continue your training then. I don't expect you to sacrifice all your precious time with the girl, but we both know that you need to become stronger soon."

"You're right."

The ink twisted into black serpents, slipping from one corner of the page to the other: "You have less than two years left at this school and we can only estimate how soon this Dark Lord will present himself to the public. You must be ready for when the time comes."

"Thanks for the reminder." Harry rolled his eyes: "But I do feel ready to finally try Fiendfyre today. However, before that, we need to investigate something I was only recently made aware of."

"And what might that be?"

Harry placed the thin pale Elder Wand on the desk next to the tome and pulled a second piece of wood from within his robes: "I asked the Room of Hidden Things to show me any wands that have been hidden inside it."

"I hope the need for a secondary wand does not stem from having damaged the gift of your ancestors?!" The tome hissed threateningly.

"You know, you always jump to the worst conclusion, Aurelius." Harry chuckled: "And no, I simply tried a few wands until I found one that performed somewhat well for me. Dragon heartstring and ebony, roughly 12 inches. I just need to test a few things with it..."

"Stop speaking in riddles and spit it out already, Harry."

"So impatient..." Harry smirked: "One would think after a millennium by yourself you'd have..."

"Finish that sentence and I won't offer you any more of my help." Aurelius bust shifted angrily.

"While I heavily doubt that, since I am your only chance at seeing the rebirth of your House, I shall stop teasing you." Harry twirled the newfound wand between his fingers: "During my interview with the Aurors, they mentioned that they were unable to detect my magical signature on an item I clearly came in contact with. In fact, I even cast a levitation charm on it for a few minutes, yet none of their analyses could prove it."

"How did you explain yourself?"

"I told them that masking my magical signature was part of my Family Magic." Harry chuckled.

"Well, you're not exactly wrong and I can finally tell why you searched for an extra wand now. It will be interesting to see the result of this experiment." The burst nodded ever so slightly: "You should go ahead with it."

Harry took a deep breath and leveled the dragon heartstring wand at the Death Stick on the table: 

"Priori Incantatem!"

'Nothing happened.'

Harry tightened his grip and pushed a bit more magic through the wood, feeling the way it grew warmer in his palm:

"Priori Incantatem!"

"I take it nothing is revealed?"

"You're right." Harry nodded absently. No ghostly ethereal replicas of his last spells swirled through the air.

"I cast a dozen minor jinxes and charms with the Elder Wand a few minutes ago, yet the Curse Reversal Effect doesn't show anything." Harry scratched his neck.

"And if even you as the owner of the wand can't force it to reveal its last spells, then no one else shall be able to." Aurelius hummed: "I wonder, perhaps it's a result of the blood you sacrificed for a stronger bond with your wand. In any case, it's an added bonus."

"Yet one that will make the Unspeakables curious and perhaps set them on me." Harry frowned: "The Auror who interviewed me was right. Such a skill is unheard of and I wouldn't be surprised if it was illegal as well."

"You won't be able to change it unless you intend on using a different wand for the rest of your life. I don't think I need to mention how foolish that would be."

"You're right of course." Harry shrugged and snatched the Elder Wand back from the table, enjoying the pleasant rush of power that spread through his fingers: "Time for some extraordinary magic. I'm ready to tame the demon's fire."

Aurelius chuckled: "We will find out soon enough if you actually are, but first you need to get a deeper understanding of the spell."

"What else is there to it?" Harry inquired curiously.

"A lot, Harry. Fiendfyre is unlike any spell you have cast before. It's rather easy to conjure, in fact, the average witch or wizard will likely be able to do so. Nevertheless, it takes enormous willpower and an assertive intent to tame it."

"I knew that one already." Harry chuckled drily: "I watched it being conjured by a pureblood my age. His family was likely so inbred that he was close to a squib. He died after being unable to put it out."

"The same fate could happen to you, should you fail to wrestle your control over it." Aurelius lectured him: "It's in the flames' nature to turn on everyone and everything, no matter if master or foe. Strictly speaking, they're not meant to be subdued, yet wizards and witches of great caliber have managed to do so."

"You've used them before?"

"Against an overwhelming number of opponents and as a last reserve it can be an incredibly handy spell." The burst shrugged its shoulders.

"How exactly do you conjure and control it?" Harry grimaced, picturing the blazing beasts that swallowed the random clutter decades of students had left behind in the Room of Requirements, leaving nothing but ash.

"Picture a spectrum." Black ink thinned out into a smooth line across the double-page: "On the far right end you have the Patronus charm, powered by positive emotions or memories if you wish to do so."

"Towards the spectrum's center, you have my family's creation, the Carnifex. It's a derivative of Fiendfyre, yet it captures many of the aspects a Patronus does, for example, its corporeal shape. To conjure it requires nothing but intent and strength, no matter whether it's directed at, protecting yourself or the utter destruction of something else. It simply requires power, Harry."

"Then the far left of the spectrum..." Harry trailed off.

"... resembles Fiendfyre. The cursed flames are perhaps the most destructive spell known to mankind. I already explained that power is not that important for its conjuration, the spell is able to maintain and feed itself just fine. However, great power is undoubtedly needed to establish your control over the flames and force them to act as you intend."

"I assume, the intent still has to be one of utter destruction then?" Harry murmured.

"You're right." The line shifted back into the burst of Aurelius and he nodded: "You have to visualize something whatever you wish to eradicate more than anything else. Your desire for destruction must be so strong that it manifests into an avatar and takes physical form."

"And since fire and heat are the elements most associated with destruction, this avatar takes the form of flames." Harry nodded his understanding: "I want to give it a try."

"You know the incantation, Harry. Unleash your hatred and wrath, yet do so in a manner that allows you to control it. Never lose control!"

'He knew the incantation.' Harry shut the tome and carried it over to the statue to store it safely in its mouth. He stepped into the middle of the chamber and tried to relax his limbs, which were almost cramped from the anticipation.

Destruction... Hatred... Wrath...

These words echoed through his head in a never-ending loop of whispers as he closed his eyes.

There was one person he associated those words with more than anyone else. Pale skin, flat nostrils, and crimson eyes, burning red like charcoals, swirled through his mind. 

Voldemort, who took his family from him.

Voldemort, who was responsible for the many years of abusive childhood he suffered.

Voldemort, who took the lives of so many of the people he had grown to care for.

And he intended to do it all over again...

'But not if I stop you.'

His heart hammered against his ribs. Heat surged through him and spread into every cell of his body. Harry slashed his wand in a wide vertical arc and opened his mouth unleashing a primal roar:

"FIENDFYRE!"

He tore his eyes open to watch a bright red flame burst from the tip of the Elder Wand. It twisted and turned like a hungry creature, edging closer to him until he felt the unbearable heat so tight that it almost singed his skin. Harry sensed the demon's fire battling against the control he held over it, trying to rid itself of the entity that dared to cage the untamable.

'Control it!'

Harry tightened his grip around the Elder Wand. With a sharp stab towards the far end of the corner, he forced the flames backward, away from him. Time stood still as the fierce battle of wills was fought. The wand in his palm trembled wildly. Regardless, after what felt like an eternity, the cursed flames seemed to surrender to his will and burst in the opposite direction instead, away from Harry.

'I am in control...'

'I am your master!'

Through squinted eyes, he watched in awe as the head of a giant snake curved from within the fire's depths, its blazing fangs as long and thick as a Basilisk. A bright red chimera joined the King of Serpents, followed by what Harry assumed was a dragon. Yet all the creatures were trumped by an enormous skeleton-like horse, which batted its wings and threw his head back, beak gaping apart in a silent screech.

Sweat was pouring from his every pour. The heat in the Chamber became unbearable. The cursed creatures left a path of utter destruction, melting the stone tiles on the floor of the Chamber, scorching deep marks into the pillars and walls, twisting as high as the ceiling.

'Just a bit longer!'

Harry felt himself slowly tiring out. The spell was taxing and if he did not end it soon, the creatures from hell might try anew to revolt against their caster. Already Harry felt them edge closer back in his direction, almost as if they could sense his weakness.

'No!'

'Opposite intent!' Harry whispered the words continuously: 'Something I never wish to destroy.'

Long, golden curls parted like liquid honey, revealing blue eyes and soft pink lips. They shot him a delicate smile and repeatedly moved in the same pattern, over and over again...

"I love you, Harry Peverell."

Her voice reverberated through his head and with every ounce of power he slashed his wand horizontally, evaporating the ravishing flames in angry whispers and hisses.

Harry gasped for breath and dropped to his knees on the tiles. The usually cold stones were warm to the touch. The exhaustion ripples over him like a wave, his body and magic felt almost completely drained. He shuddered thinking about what might have happened had he held the spell for another half a minute.

With great effort he forced himself back up to his feet, stumbling over to the statue of Salazar Slytherin, where he left the tome.

"Good, you're still alive then." Aurelius greeted him way too cheerfully: "How long did you hold it?"

"Half a minute perhaps, I don't know." Harry still struggled to fill his lungs. It was almost like the air was deprived of any oxygen left in it: "I held it until I felt my control shrink."

"An almost foolish risk, yet, doing so will make it easier to conjure the next time." The tome hummed: "During the height of my power I might have been able to hold my control over the flames for a little over a minute. With a little training, you could become a very powerful wizard, Harry."

"I need to become stronger." Harry leaned against the wall and conjured himself a cup of water, gulping down the content in quick swallows.

"Strength comes with time and experience, Harry. At least it does so naturally." The Tome reminded him: "Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, and Tom Riddle, the three most powerful wizards of your time were all far from their prime during their teenage years."

"I don't have enough time." Harry said, shaking his head while he wiped the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his robes.

"There are other ways to increase your power, but you know as well as I do that they require sacrifices." Aurelius whispered: "Only recently you told me about a way for you to heal and recover faster than what should be humanly possible."

"A ritual then." Harry nodded grimly: "Tell me what I need to do."