Under The Carpet

August 22nd, 1977

Marlene tried her best to steady her breathing as her eyes traveled over the first page. The document was a copy of Harry's birth certificate, followed by a note in tiny handwriting.

January 15th, 1976:

'Harry Ignotus Peverell, born July 31st, 1960, was first spotted at the Ministry of Magic in the company of Charlus Potter on December 26, 1975. The two were seen exiting an elevator into the atrium where they then headed to a fireplace. A Wizengamot session had been held in the Chambers a few minutes earlier. Yet no witnesses had been able to confirm Peverell entering the building earlier, neither through floo, nor the visitors' entrance.'

Marlene frowned as she realized just what she had stumbled over. This wasn't just Harry's file containing the progress he might have made during the internship. These were the Unspeakables' notes on Harry; most likely everything they had gathered on him so far.

'But why would Croaker leave something of such great importance unattended with her? Unless of course he wanted her to read it?'

There was only one way to find out. Marlene curiously flipped to the next page and continued reading.

January 25th, 1976:

Peverell headed to Gringotts after meeting Lord Potter and made inquiries for a birth certificate. A copy of the document is received by the department for family records on the same day. His identity has yet to be confirmed by our resources.

February 16th, 1976:

After spending the holidays with the Potters, Peverell attends Hogwarts as a fifth-year student for the new term. During his formal trial, he avoids the topic of his parents and claims his family had moved to Liechtenstein some centuries ago. Our investigations with the German Unspeakables lead to no records of anyone with the name Peverell living there in the last decades. He demonstrates his family magic and an in-depth understanding of sorcery beyond what any fifteen-year-old should be capable of, including spell redirection and advanced dark arts.

May 17th, 1976:

The Dark Mark on Lucius Malfoy's arm was confirmed to be identical to the one on Augustus Rookwood. Rookwood still refuses to cooperate. An in-depth investigation of his personal belongings showed that his robes had been cut with a curse, leading to his exposure as a spy on the 26th of December 1975. Unspeakable Croaker reports not having cast any charms himself.

First EDIT: Rookwood was exposed the very same day Peverell was first spotted in Britain after entering the lower floors of the Ministry via unexplainable means.

Second EDIT: On the same day Rookwood was exposed, the department experienced a code bravo red (active multi-dimensional rift). Reasons for said rift remain unexplained to this day.

Connection to Peverell?

Marlene's thoughts were spinning. So much of what she was reading was completely new to her, half of it didn't make any sense yet. All she knew was that she had to learn more. The pages were filled with further entries, the dates spread out by either a few days, weeks, and sometimes even months when nothing new was added. She roamed over them, reading a few that caught her eye.

July 16th, 1976:

Large payments into Peverell's Gringotts account were made. They matched in size a sum that had been withdrawn from a French vault with known links to the Flamels. Goblins refuse closer collaboration.

September 30th, 1976:

Department is unable to isolate Peverell's magical signature on tools that have been used to attack students at the Castle. Headmaster Dumbledore actively avoids talking about Peverell.

January 15th, 1977:

Attack on Bones Manor. Witnesses report having seen Peverell fight against Death Eaters on the Balcony. Markus McKinnon, brother of Peverell's courting partner Marlene McKinnon died during the attack. According to reports from different Aurors he was killed by the Dark Lord before Peverell managed to cut anyone else off from view and faced the attackers alone. Bartemius Crouch, Head of DMLE, mentions that Peverell will not be investigated despite holding off the attack via unknown means. Peverell is likely to be connected to the attackers, perhaps even on friendly or neutral terms with the Dark Lord. Investigation on the balcony reveals traces of dark magic, including fiendfyre. More information is needed to establish a relationship between the Dark Lord and Peverell.

Marlene snorted, feeling a bit of heat bubbling in her stomach. The Unspeakables were not wrong to suggest that there was a connection between Harry and Voldemort. How could there not be when the monster murdered her boyfriend's parents? However, to assume they were on neutral terms simply because they didn't kill one another was absurd.

April 15th, 1977:

Thomas Avery is found in Hogsmeade under the Dark Mark. Possible connection to Peverell since he is the only known person to have witnessed the conjuration of the Dark Mark. Death of Avery might have been used as a decoy for the attacks on students since it's strategically unlikely for the Dark Lord to kill his own recruits so early in his campaign. Peverell's involvement is not yet confirmed.

July 29th, 1977:

Peverell enters the Department carrying a ring with unknown properties. None of our sensors managed to pick them up. He claims it's a Lord's ring with enchantments placed on it by his family, yet the next closest sample we have of it is the same material the Veil has been made from. Peverell evidently holds back in discussions on magic theorems and magical properties, even purposefully underperforming in tasks that were given to him. Surprisingly, he has shown an understanding of the department's layout and memorized it incredibly quickly.

August 10th, 1977:

Attack on Lily Evans' parents on the day of Peverell's birthday. Shortly after, another wizard, Severus Snape, a former friend of Lily Evans and member of House Slytherin is killed by his muggle father. Not unlikely that Peverell killed him in retaliation for his friend. Further confirmation of a personal relationship between Harry and the Dark Lord.

'Well, they weren't wrong about that one.' She snorted. Finally Marlene stumbled over the last entry:

August 19th, 1977:

Analysis of Gringotts account has finally been successful after the goblins adhered to the treaty of 1912 and shared portfolio information on clients investing in the muggle world. Peverell has divested his investments over a total of 23 muggle companies, all of which experienced positive returns for his investing period, without a single outlier or underperforming company.

His investments in wizarding business have either doubled or even tripled in value, again without a single outlier. According to our silent inquiries, he made his first investment of 200 Galleons into Nimbus Broom Manufacturer on the day of his arrival in Britain, without even asking Mr. Nimbus to demonstrate his product.

Even she couldn't deny that this piece was indeed concerning. With a deep frown, Marlene's eyes dipped a tiny bit lower and she read the final conclusion that had been added most recently. Her heart began pounding wildly as she took in the barely dried ink, suggesting that this entry might have even been made today. It contained something like a summary with a final conclusion at the bottom:

1. Individual with an unverified background, appears out of nowhere on the very same day our sensors pick up a dimensional disturbance.

2. Knowledgeable and powerful far beyond his age, immediately pulled the interest of the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore on himself.

3. Investment decision-making is unlikely to be based on sheer luck, suggesting knowledge of the future performance of businesses.

- Harry Peverell's profile matches that of a potential time-traveler.

Until his motives are clarified, proceed with utmost caution!

"So, what do you think?"

Her head snapped back up in surprise. Twirling on the spot her wand shot into her palm while she dropped the file on the table with a low thud. Croaker stood in front of her; curiosity hovered in the depth of his gray eyes.

"I think it will make a very amusing surprise for Harry once you hand it to him as a farewell present in a week's time." Marlene replied calmly despite the tumult of emotions inside her: "Among everything I've seen in this department those entries have definitely been the most creative."

Croaker chuckled: "For the first time I must admit that you disappoint me, Ms. McKinnon, or perhaps you're just an even better actor than I thought and continue keeping his secrets? I can assure you that this folder and its entries are not a joke."

He took a few steps closer, making Marlene slide her wand a bit further down her sleeve: "Are you seriously telling me that you were unable to follow along the red thread throughout it? Every single entry points towards the same conclusion..."

'They did... But still...'

"You're ridiculous! A time traveler?!" Marlene snorted, trying to dismiss the idea: "Only a few days ago you showed me the entire British collection. None of them can go back any further than 12 hours!"

"Think a bit more critically, Ms. McKinnon." Croaker smiled: "Wizards and witches in the future will hardly suffer from the same constraints as we do now. We live in an area of exponential magical innovation. Who is to say that the time turners in a decade are as limited as those we currently have? Just think about the possibility of going back further in time than just half a day. Think about everything you'd be able to change... Are you seriously saying that you wouldn't be tempted?"

Marlene's thoughts were racing, making it almost impossible to focus on anything. The idea seemed completely lunatic and yet a tiny voice pushed her to find out more about it; to just go with the flow and keep Croaker talking: "Why did you leave Harry's folder with me on purpose? Why did you want me to read it?"

"It should be quite obvious, shouldn't it?" Croaker raised an eyebrow and continued walking towards her, pushing her back step by step: "For over a year now you've been the closest person to Peverell. Dumbledore is interested in him yet refuses to talk to us. The Dark Lord is also interested in him, but a bit more challenging to get in contact with. Whereas here you are, holding on to his secrets for him..."

"What do you want from me?" A shiver ran down Marlene's spine, her fingers curled around the wood in her palm, taking comfort in the familiarity of it: "And why are you so interested in Harry's secrets in the first place?"

"As Unspeakables, it is our duty to ensure a proper flow of time. We cannot have a time traveler running havoc in our society, changing things as he pleases without any regard to the well-being of the wizarding world as a whole." Croaker said. A fanatic gleam appeared in his eyes, making them sparkle in the faint light of the candles: "Terrible things happen to wizards who meddle with time, Ms. McKinnon. No one person should ever hold that much power, it cannot go well; you must realize that yourself…"

"You're crazy," Marlene whispered, shaking her head. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that she'll soon run into the wall: "And also delusional if you think even for a second that I will help you with any of this."

"I'm afraid we can't let you have much of a choice, my dear. We simply want-" Croaker's hand vanished within his robes and reappeared holding a small vial filled to the brim with clear white liquid: " -the truth. "

"Veritaserum..." Marlene clenched her jaw, eying the vial warily when her back finally encountered the cool stone of a wall: "Too bad I'm not feeling particularly thirsty right now."

"Do not make this more complicated than it has to be, Ms. McKinnon." Croaker grimaced: "We don't want to harm you; we simply need you to comply. We've all seen your potential over the last few weeks. A few words from me and my colleagues and you can start here once you've finished your NEWTs. Your dream is within reach if you simply cooperate with me."

"You're right, my dream is within reach." Marlene nodded slowly, taking a few deep breaths: "Let me contact him really quickly- " She slashed her wand forward, her mind flooded with memories.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Croaker flicked his own wand into his palm. "Oh no, girl, you won't!"

He fired a single stunner at Marlene. She batted back the bright red beam of light before talking to the ethereal Granian that flapped its wings gracefully.

"Find Harry- " Marlene yelled while redirecting a volley of spells, her back pressed against the wall behind her:

" -Tell him- "

Multicolored flashes of light splattered against the stones all around her. She felt the splinters slicing into her neck and arms, making her wince in pain.

" -Hall of Prophecies!" She barely managed to yell before dipping low to avoid the incoming blast of fire. Heat seared over her head, missing her by a few inches as she flicked her wand and sent the Patronus on its way.

"That was unnecessary... You shouldn't have done that, girl..." Croaker's expression was furious as he shrugged off his cloak, letting it pool to the floor and stepping out of it: "Now I'll just have to find a quicker way to loosen your tongue."

"You should worry about your own tongue once Harry is here." Marlene tossed her curls over one shoulder and threw up a shield a few feet in front of her.

"Ah, the ever-confident youth... Let us see how high we can fly- ". Croaker smirked. Curses slammed against her web of magic with deep bone-shattering gongs, leaving the shield rippling as they impacted in quick succession. " -before the sun melts the wax in our wings."

Her wand hummed in anticipation between her fingers while the adrenaline spiked through her. She twisted the wood around, bathing the high shelves of silvery orbs around her in warm light, as she showered the floor in golden sparkles.

"Don't worry, Sir, I promise to keep you entertained until he arrives."

Room of Death

"And you say there was an emergency?"

"Yes, although Croaker wasn't sure if it's genuine." Mercury replied: "Let's just see what Eclipse has played with and continue our work..."

"Fair enough…" Flashes of what happened last time he'd been in here danced through his thoughts.

With a grimace, Harry followed Mercury and Bishop down the dimly lit and rectangular room. The center of it was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet below them. They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheater, or a courtroom.

A raised stone dais stood proudly in the center of the lowered floor, and upon the dais stood the ancient stone archway the Unspeakable had been studying for centuries without getting any clues as to what it was. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had just been touched.

Their footsteps echoed loudly as he walked slowly toward the dais: "What have you done this time, Eclipse?" Bishop greeted the bald, old wizard Harry had encountered on a few occasions now.

"Nothing, I promise." The man shrugged, his eyes briefly dipping to Harry: "However it seems a bit more volatile, so I suggest you don't step too close.

"Has anything curious ever happened around it?" Harry asked.

"Some of my predecessors reported hearing faint whispers coming from within the veil." Eclipse replied: "However, we never managed to record anything. Nothing we've ever sent through came back to us. Even portkeys that have been calibrated to take off by themselves failed to return from the other side."

"What about organic matter?" Harry pondered, not having studied the veil during his time as an Unspeakable: "Has anyone ever stepped through?"

Eclipse and Bishop exchanged a quick glance: "Not voluntarily, no. Some reports suggest that this had been an execution site during the earliest days of the Wizengamot. The area surrounding the veil is saturated with magic we've yet to understand, but even a first-year could tell that it's not of the friendly kind. Croaker once assumed that each of the carvings in the stone stand for a soul that has been sent through..."

"It would explain why the whole thing is set up as an amphitheater..." Harry's eyes traveled over the many rows of benches. "Will Croaker be joining us? I remember him knowing quite a lot about the veil as well."

Mercury took a few seconds before answering: "Perhaps later; he's probably consulting some of his notes on the veil right now."

He nodded absently; his thoughts started drifting away as they had often over the last two days to a certain blonde. Harry knew that he and Marlene needed to come clean and that he had to reveal his biggest secret to her at some point soon, or risk losing her, perhaps even permanently.

'That cannot happen.' Harry reminded himself. But at the same time, he struggled to come up with a scenario in which he didn't sound bat-shit crazy when explaining it to her.

Still, today after work, he would talk to Marlene. It was a good opportunity since Lily was already off after doing a half-day to settle some financial affairs with Gringotts, now that her parents'will had been read.

The faint dim light from the torches all around the giant room was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of something bright white.

Harry instantly jumped up from where he was sitting on one of the many stone benches all the way to the bottom of the amphitheater. The ball of light traveled to him and spoke in the very voice he had missed more than anything else over the last few days.

"Harry - " Spellfire sounded from deep within the floating orb: " -Hall of Prophecies!"

'What?'

Harry barely had time to register what Marlene said when something red flashed towards him. The Elder Wand slid into his palm and batted the incoming spell aside.

"KEEP HIM HERE!"

Harry twisted on the spot and ducked underneath something deep purple that hissed over his head. He slashed his wand at a nearby bench, cracking the stone before banishing it towards Eclipse, who came charging down from the platform of the veil.

The bald man's eyes widened in terror. He hastily raised a silvery shield, yet the impact was so brutal that he was thrown backward. Harry watched him landing on the rough stone of the podium with a sickening crunch. He sprayed the dark veil with a spurt of crimson and dropped to the floor, blood dripping from a large wound on his forehead.

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

A massive explosion behind him thrust Harry forward and made his ears ring. Bishop and Mercury had taken up the pursuit. Now it also made sense to Harry while they had remained above him and closer to the exit. Both fired beams of bright magic at him. He felt the air heating up as they burst all around him, sizzling over his head and exploding against the surrounding benches.

He breathed in a cloud of tiny rubble and debris that had been agitated by the spell fire, grimacing as it filled his lungs and made him cough. With a roar, he swiped the smoke sideways, compressing it into solid, sharp matter that he sent rushing upwards towards his opponents.

The two Unspeakables cried in surprise and were forced to hide behind the benches when long spikes of black stone jetted up towards them at incredible speed.

"You're not getting out of here!" Bishop cried, leveling her wand at Harry over one of the benches she took cover behind.

A stream of sizzling fire poured down the stairs toward him, so bright it almost took his vision. Harry blinked away the white spots and adjusted his stance, meeting the force head-on and swallowing it in a surge of cold hatred. He poured his intent deep within the flames and ripped them from the Unspeakable's control, forcing them back towards their caster.

Bishop and Mercury fled sideways, eyes widened in terror at what they saw. The fire twisted and turned, took the shape of a giant Basilisk, and smashed, fangs flashed, into the very spot they had occupied mere seconds ago.

Harry forced the cursed inferno sideways and buried the flames underneath a cold layer of hatred. Taking three steps at a time he hurried up towards the exit. His eyes found Mercury lying motionless within the debris, her limbs angled unnaturally in different directions.

"Your- your secret is- is out, Peverell." Bishop slowly pushed himself to his feet on the other side. "Soon- soon there will be no more sand within your hourglass..."

"You know nothing." Coldness seized Harry's heart. He paused on the spot, glancing toward the man he had worked hours with during the past weeks. "And if you did, you wouldn't try to stop me."

"You can kill us, but they will hunt you until they find you. All of them." Bishop's cloak and robes were smoldering over his entire upper body. Blood dripped from his nose and a deep gash on his cheek: "You cannot sweep this underneath the carpet, Peverell."

"Perhaps you're right." Harry grimaced and thrust the Elder Wand upwards towards the high ceiling: "A simple carpet certainly won't do in this case."

He thrilled his magic deep into the ceiling, spreading it out and covering every stone, brick, and tile underneath a thick layer: "Luckily this department is one of the most prone for accidents."

When the first wave of exhaustion rippled through him, Harry tightened his hold like a fist and ripped his wand downwards, almost dropping to his knees from the effort.

The first large tiles started raining down, crashing against the veil and exploding onto the benches. Many more followed like a deathly hail, destabilizing the entire room and threatening to bury it altogether.

"By the way, that spell we worked on..." Stiffing a flash of pity, Harry shot one last glance at Bishop. The man stared up at the ceiling in shock, waiting for the inevitable brick: "From where I'm from, we called it the 'Taboo'. I'll make sure our work is finished..."

Disillusioning himself Harry hurried out and back into the familiar circular room. Even here he could feel the effects of his previous spell. It was like an earthquake that shook the foundation of the entire department.

Blonde curls and ice-blue eyes flashed in his mind, along with the knowledge of how far Croaker might be willing to go to learn his secrets. Harry's heart hammered against his ribcage while he wrenched open the door to the Hall of Prophecies.

He was immediately greeted by the sound of spellfire. Deep in the back of the church-like hall, bright flashes illuminated the high shelves, reflected by the countless orbs that rested on top of them. Harry sprinted down the hall, ignoring the burn in his lungs and the ache in his legs.

'Hold on, love!'

'I'm almost there!'

The noise grew louder the closer he got. It filled his heart with a strange sense of pride, for he realized that his girlfriend was going toe to toe against a fully trained Unspeakable like Croaker.

Harry took a sharp turn to the left and almost collided with a shelf that had been brought down in its entirety. He forced his way through the mess of splintered glass, with the occasional intact gray and blue orb, flicking away some wooden boards with a wave of his wand.

'There she was.'

Harry came to a sudden halt in the row his girlfriend and Croaker were dueling in and slashed his wand forward. His spell caught Croaker off guard and effortlessly tossed the Unspeakable sideways like a wet rag. He collided with the closest shelf, shaking it upon impact and almost threatening to spill its contents.

"Harry- " Marlene's eyes widened as they found him. She staggered forward only to drop to her knees, grimacing in pain.

"Marlene!" He rushed towards her.

Small cuts scattered her arms and legs. The fine silk of her blouse and skirt showed more resemblances to rags, clinging to her in torn patches and exposing some of the cuts underneath.

She clung to Harry's shoulder for support, her eyes never leaving the groaning form of Croaker, who tried to push himself back to his feet. Harry let a wave of magic ripple over the man, taking great satisfaction at forcing him back to his knees.

"You- you can't kill me, Peverell." Croaker chuckled, with a bloodied lip, glancing up at Marlene through swollen, bruised eyes: "Dumbledore, Voldemort, the Ministry, even the fucking ICW; they will all come hunting you if you kill me now..."

"You attacked her!" Harry flicked his wrist, making the man look back at him with a painful whimper: "You fucking dared to attack her!"

"Don't- don't kill him yet!" Marlene coughed, spattering her hand with bits of crimson: "Ac- Accio Veritaserum!"

A small vial flew from within the Unspeakable's robes. Harry snatched it out of the air, grimacing as his fingers curled around it: "You wanted to drug my girlfriend with truth potion? Only to get to me?!"

"Give it to him, Harry..." Marlene slowly sunk to the floor, leaning against the bottom of the shelf while still breathing heavily: "We- we have to find out, who else knows... Go through his mind..."

He turned to the blonde and their eyes met for only a split second. Still, it was enough to see her unease, mixed with the lingering traces of hurt he had seen over the last few days.

"You're right." Harry ignored the wand humming demandingly in his palm and reluctantly agreed.

"Three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear." Snape's words from so long ago rang through his ears as he forced the Unspeakables mouth open and poured three thick droplets into it. The effects should last at least a few minutes. Closing Croaker's mouth and nose he forced him to swallow them.

"Legilimens!"

Harry connected their thoughts, barely meeting any resistance, be it due to Croaker's physical exhaustion or the additional effect of the Veritaserum. He saw a flash of images, catching sight of himself, along with various notes in a labeled file, including reports of his investments and witness statements from various people. Finally, he stumbled over a meeting where today's plan was discussed.

Relief flooded through him as he pulled out and rubbed his temples: "It's just him, Bishop, Mercury, and Eclipse and I already took care of them" Harry avoided looking at Marlene, suppressing the stabs of anxiety and worry that build up within him: "He didn't tell any other colleagues or his superiors, not wanting the news to spread until it was confirmed."

"What should we do with him?" Marlene grimaced, holding her side: "We can't leave him like this."

Harry nodded grimly, eyes focused on Croaker, who was slowly coming back to consciousness: "I need to either obliviate or kill him."

"Give it your best shot, bastard!" Croaker spat to his feet: "I have created countless notes and prepared memories for my future self to remind me of what I discovered. It will take me less than a day to stumble over the first ones. You cannot win this, Peverell."

"Fine…" Harry's anger flared up, knowing the man was right: "The second option then..."

"We can't kill him." Marlene stopped him with a deep frown: "We need someone to explain this mess and whatever you did to his colleagues..."

"You're delusional if you think I'll help you cover this up." Croaker hissed in pain: "Even if my theory is right and you were one of us wherever you came from, I will not let some time traveler run around unsupervised. You cannot hide, Peverell. Soon or later we will get you." He flashed them a smirk: "You should know that horrible things- "

" -happen to wizards who meddle with time. Yes, I know." Harry finished for him with an eye roll: "In that case, I'm afraid you leave me with no other option. I will just have to Imperius you..."

Croaker snorted drily: "This department's standards must have dropped significantly if we ever hired someone like you in the future. Go ahead then, give me your best shot…"

"Harry, wait!"

"It's okay." He gestured to Marlene and turned back with a smirk.

"You think you're a smart one, don't you, Croaker?" Harry chuckled: "I know perfectly well that I cannot hold you under the curse forever. You will fight it the moment it has been placed on you and by tomorrow's time, your little replica of the Thief's Downfall will have it washed away completely."

Harry let his wand glide into his palm: "So here's what I'll have you do instead: I will have you go straight to your superior in the next few minutes and have you behave just as cranky and grim as you always do. You will apologize for the delay since you've been buried by a shelf and then you will take the blame for the little earthquake I caused in the room of the veil. I suppose I should thank you for faking that emergency, it will make the story all the more believable- "

"You- you bloody coward!" Croaker growled like a dog. "I will fucking- "

"Ah- ah, I wasn't finished yet." Harry silenced him with a flick of the Elder Wand. "After that, I could easily order you to kill yourself, but that would look suspicious, wouldn't it? So instead, I'll have you destroy the evidence you created against me, including your little back ups. Then you will come right back here to help clean up the shelves that fell due to said earthquake- "

"- and unfortunately you will suffer a little accident during the cleanup." Marlene continued for him. Her blue eyes sparkled with grim determination. She pointed to the nearby shelf, where one of the prophecy orbs was still glowing a faint blue: "Because of a tiny slip in attention, you will come in contact with this orb. Perhaps we will visit you in Saint Mungo's one day. Still, a full recovery is very unlikely..."

"Unlikely indeed," Harry smirked. He trailed the tip of his wand to Croaker's face, pointing it straight between a pair of eyes that stared at him with utmost loathing and hatred: "Goodbye Croaker."

"Imperio!"

Harry thrust his commands through the wood in his palm, saturating the Unspeakable's brain and consciousness with the order he'd been given. He only retreated when he was more than certain of his success and watched as the gray eyes turned slightly glassy before focusing back.

Croaker wordlessly stood up and headed towards the exit, limping ever so slightly. When he vanished behind a corner, Harry finally turned back to Marlene who regarded him warily. Her pink lips moved, forming the very words he had expected:

"Everything, Harry?"

He nodded slowly and pulled her up to her feet before taking the blonde in his arms and holding her steady right where she belonged:

"I will tell you everything." He promised, breathing in her scent. He felt a hot tear running down his own cheek where it dropped into her golden curls: "After today there will be no more secrets, love."