Swept From the Past

Chapter 2: Back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place

In the afternoon, when Hedwig came back, she was holding a letter from Lupin:

"Dear Harry,

I know what happened yesterday in Privet Drive. I hope you haven't been too shocked. Don't worry, it won't happen again. Everything is under control. I'm sure you have many questions to ask, but we'll speak about it soon.

Take care, Remus Lupin."

Harry was a little irritated by the message. It was like the previous year. No one told him anything. He knew it was dangerous to give explanations by letters, but it was so frustrating! It was encouraging to know that the Order was aware he had been attacked, but still! What had happened? Who had fought the vampires? Harry was about to write something to Ron, when he heard Aunt Petunia call for him. When he went downstairs, she held out the phone receiver to him.

"What?" he asked, too surprised by this gesture to believe it. He was not allowed to call people on the phone, and he was not allowed to receive phone calls either.

"Telephone," Aunt Petunia retorted sharply, her thin lips thinner than ever.

Harry took the receiver and didn't reply immediately. He was so puzzled. Aunt Petunia left the room. "Er..." he just said, "Hello... er..."

"Harry!" said the voice of Hermione.

"Hermione?" he asked. "How... why...?" he stuttered, mixing his thoughts and his words.

"I came back to England early," she responded quickly. "Listen, Harry, I don't have much time to speak to you, but you must know that Lupin will come on Tuesday to bring you to the station. Be ready by eight o'clock!"

"How will we go there?" asked Harry.

"Sorry, Harry, but I can't tell you now... Are you all right? I've heard what happened..."

"So, what happened?" Harry replied coldly. "I really would like to know, because I haven't understood a lot of things since yesterday... Not since the beginning of the holidays... Not since the end of my fifth year, come to think of it..."

"Harry! All that happened... is something I can't speak about with you on the phone... I'm sorry, Harry, but I'll have to hang up now. Don't contact anyone from now on, except if it's very important..."

"But Hermione!"

"Goodbye Harry, see you soon..." Hermione said before hanging up.

"Herm--" continued Harry to the empty receiver. That had been more than frustrating! Harry furiously slammed the receiver on the phone and went to his bedroom, grumbling under his breath and cursing everyone for hiding the truth from him again.

***

Two days later, Lupin rang the doorbell of Number Four, Privet Drive at eight o'clock. He heard a dog bark madly inside the house and the voice of Vernon Dursley, who loudly barked "SHUT UP!!!," then muttered a few insults. Since the transformation had happened, Aunt Marge wasn't at all like her old self. She was just an awful, little, fat bulldog who kept barking all the time and relieved herself on Aunt Petunia's floor. Uncle Vernon had had quite enough of hearing her night and day, but he couldn't do anything else except keep her inside the house. He couldn't risk letting her out, because she could escape; and she was, after all, his sister, even if she was now this horrible, noisy, dirty thing that had peed on Aunt Petunia pink slippers.

Uncle Vernon opened the door. He stared at Lupin, who was dressed like a perfect Muggle. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue shirt that fitted him well.

"Good morning, Mister Dursley. Remus Lupin," he said politely, holding his hand to shake Dursley's hand. Uncle Vernon didn't make any move and snorted. He remembered that this man was one of the freaks that had threatened him at the station last June. Being courteous was totally out of the question.

"Er..." Lupin continued awkwardly, "is Harry ready?"

"POTTER!" yelled Dursley, who didn't move from the door and turned his head to the stairs behind him. He obviously had no intention of letting this stranger inside his house.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," replied the half-muffled voice of Harry. He soon appeared on the top of the stairs, carrying a heavy suitcase.

"May I help you, Harry?" asked Lupin, stepping forward and bumping into the menacing form of Uncle Vernon.

"That will do," replied Harry, aware that Uncle Vernon wouldn't allow Lupin to come in. "I have to pick up many things and take Hedwig's cage." He ran quickly along the stairs, anxious to leave the Dursleys and return to Hogwarts. He had had quite enough of his summer holidays, even if they had been better than the previous years.

"Ok," he said, when all his luggage was piled near the main door, "I'm ready!"

He was about to exit, when Uncle Vernon violently held his arm. "Just a minute, boy! What will we do with Marge?"

"Marge?" asked Lupin, raising an eyebrow.

"The dog..." Harry replied. "It's Aunt Marge..."

"Not so loud!" exclaimed Uncle Vernon, alarmed. He glanced around to check if anyone had heard Harry's words.

"The dog is your aunt?" whispered Lupin, throwing Harry a reproachful stare.

"I didn't do anything!" Harry replied quickly.

The phone rang at that very moment. Uncle Vernon looked at the phone, then at Lupin, wondering what he should do. Should he answer the phone and risk letting this freak enter? Or should he let it ring? As if he had understood Mr. Dursley's problem, Lupin spoke: "Don't worry, I won't come in. I just want Harry to gather his things."

Uncle Vernon considered the proposal and finally chose to answer the phone, not taking his eyes off of Lupin.

"Yes?" he said, taking the receiver. Then, he didn't pay attention to Lupin anymore, distracted by the mysterious person on the other end of the line. "Yes... Yes... Yes..." After several seconds, he hung up, blinked at Harry, his face white.

"He says that he'll bring Marge back to her normal state after you leave..."

"Who says that?" asked Harry and Lupin at the same time.

"B... Big Brother..." stuttered Uncle Vernon.

"Big Brother?" repeated Lupin, amazed. "Who is Big Brother?"

Now it was Harry's time to be dumbfounded. Even Lupin did not know who this person was! He didn't know about Aunt Marge being a dog or who had done it! They would have many things to discuss during the trip.

Uncle Vernon looked around, feeling ill at ease, then suddenly said: "Leave now! I don't want any trouble! I've done what he said!" Then, he pushed Harry, put all his luggage outside and shut the door behind him. Harry heard the noise of the bolt. Uncle Vernon had locked his house.

"Well..." said Lupin, scratching his head. "Your uncle seems to like you..."

"Yeah, I'm his favourite nephew," Harry replied ironically, taking Hedwig's cage, while Lupin carried his suitcase. The thought of the children Aunt Marge and Ripper could have suddenly crossed his mind, and he couldn't prevent himself from grinning.

"What's up, Harry?"

"Nothing... I thought of the baby bulldogs Aunt Marge could have with her dog Ripper." During their little walk, Harry told Lupin about the funny message Uncle Vernon had received.

"That's strange," said Lupin after several minutes. "Very strange..."

"So, you don't know who Big Brother is?" asked Harry.

"I'm afraid I don't," replied Lupin, lost in thought.

"And about--" Harry tried to say, but he was interrupted by Lupin.

"We can't speak about that here. Later, Harry," he continued, walking faster. After ten minutes, he stopped and took a little alley on the left. Then, he stopped again in front of a tree and picked up a glass bottle lying on the ground. "A Portkey," he said, before checking his watch. "Ready, Harry?" Harry went close and put his hand on the bottle. "Three... two... one..."

Like the first time he had taken a Portkey, Harry felt the disagreeable sensation of being snatched up by a coloured whirlwind. It was all the more unpleasant that he was carrying many suitcases and Hedwig's cage. She had fortunately not come back to the Dursleys, so it was easier to travel this way. Harry would find her back at Hogwarts.

BANG! He landed brutally on the floor. Hedwig's cage had cushioned his fall. Lupin himself was not feeling very well.

"Where are we?" asked Harry, looking around. He was in a dark, empty room, dimly lit.

"That I can't tell you Harry," replied Lupin.

"Why?" asked Harry, angrily.

"Because I don't know," responded Lupin. "Apparently, Dumbledore didn't think that I needed to know," he retorted with a smile. "See, Harry, you're not the only one who wonders what's going on. Now," he added, inspecting the room and locating a big fireplace, "Floo powder...", said Lupin, showing Harry a teacup full of something green, "you go first, Harry!"

The boy threw a pinch of glittering powder into the flames.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place..."

"Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place!" exclaimed Harry, stepping into the fireplace with his luggage. He vanished into the emerald flames. Several seconds later, Lupin appeared in the hall of Grimmauld Place with Harry's last big suitcase.

"Now, Harry..." said Lupin, "we'll be able to chat a little."

***

"What happened that night?" asked Harry, sitting in the kitchen, a glass of orange-juice in his hands. Nothing had changed in Grimmauld Place. Everything was still like it was before, even the screaming portrait of Mrs. Black, who was hidden under the patched curtains. There was just one thing missing, his Godfather. Harry swallowed his tears at the thought of him and focused on Lupin's presence to hide his pain.

"Well..." said Lupin, "I must confess I don't know much more about that than you do," he apologised. "All that I really know is that Voldemort has convinced the vampires to join him. He wanted them to enter the Dursley's house and kill everyone... except you, of course. He wanted you alive to face him one last time."

"But..." interrupted Harry, "a vampire can't enter a house unless--"

"...he has been invited, yes, Harry..." continued Lupin. "That part I haven't understood yet either. Why would he send creatures that can't enter the house? So, you must tell me exactly what happened that day."

"From the beginning?"

"Yes."

Harry explained all that had happened, from the breakfast prepared by Aunt Petunia to the dog-part, which he had already told Lupin, then the attack of the vampires.

"Hmmm..." Lupin said finally, considering everything, with a blank stare. "You tell me that the vampire tried to convince you that it was Marge?"

"It seemed so..."

"And your Aunt Marge came to visit the same day? Well, there's something wrong somewhere..."

Lupin appeared deep in thought.

"Harry!" he exclaimed after a few seconds, "What would have happened if it had been your Aunt Marge behind the door?"

"I don't know, maybe Aunt Petunia would have invi..." Harry's eyes widened. "... Invited her to enter..." he finally added in a whisper.

"Exactly!" said Lupin. "But it didn't work because she was already in the house... These two events are related. It can't be pure chance!"

"Yes, but what does this mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe your Aunt Marge was supposed to be transformed into a vampire?"

Harry smirked. Seeing Aunt Marge in her human form was still ugly, but like a vampire?

"Brrr," he said. "Next time I cross a Boggart, I know what form it will take!"

Lupin laughed hard. "It seems you've been spoiled by the Dursley family!"

"Yeah! This year was almost all right, but I think I have to thank Big Brother... Do you think he had something to do with the presence of Marge in the house that day?"

"It's a possibility. I don't believe in coincidences. After all, vampires can't be killed with magic. You would have been completely lost in front of them, if they had been able to come in."

"Do you think Big Brother is someone I know? Mad-Eye Moody, for example?"

"Alastor?" asked Lupin, lost in thought. "Let's see... changing your aunt into a bulldog and menacing the Dursleys? Protecting you from a terrible danger? Yes, I guess it could be him. I haven't seen him at the meetings for a long time, that's true... Anyway, Harry, you must be careful. Maybe it's someone who wants you to believe he is your friend. You can't be sure of that. Remember Crouch in fourth year!"

"Yeah, he even transformed Malfoy into a ferret as a punishment once..."

"And yet, he was the most loyal servant of Voldemort..."

"In that case... do you think that that man... Big Brother... could be Voldemort himself?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Well... It's a possibility. It can also be a Death Eater..."

"Pettigrew?" Harry suggested.

"Maybe..." Lupin replied. "And as for the fight against the vampires, Dumbledore has refused to give me information. All that I know is that it wasn't an attack from the Order. There was a meeting that night. When I heard you had been attacked, I reported it directly to Dumbledore, but he replied you were perfectly safe at the Dursley's.

"Maybe Dumbledore has a special guard?" tried Harry.

"I doubt it, but why not..." responded Lupin.

"Maybe people from the Ministry?" replied Harry.

"I think it's the wiser answer," said Lupin. "Oh, Harry!" he suddenly exclaimed, "look at the clock! It's almost half past eleven! We must go to the station now or you'll miss your train!"

***

Twenty minutes later, they faced the wall that led to platform nine and three-quarters. Harry glanced all around before getting through the barrier with his luggage. No Muggle should see him vanishing. Lupin followed him a few seconds later, relieved that everything had gone well. Dumbledore had told him that he and Harry would be closely watched by the members of the Order, but Lupin couldn't prevent himself from worrying. After all, he had lost Sirius last year because of something stupid. That tragic event could have been avoided. When he had raised concerns about the Hogwarts Express, Dumbledore had assured him that everyone would be safe. "Don't worry, Remus," he had said, "the students can't be better protected than they are going to be." Lupin hoped it would be true.

Harry had gone a few steps, when he heard someone calling him.

"Harry! Hey, Harry!" It was Ron's voice. He was waiting in front of the train, his prefect's badge shining on his robes.

"Ron!" exclaimed Harry, happy to see his friend. "Hi mate! Where is Ginny?" he asked, surprised not to see Ron with his sister.

"Still with Mum," replied Ron. "Before leaving home, she spilled her glass of pumpkin juice on her robes. Since we were late, Mum decided Ginny should go and clean herself in the station's bathroom. Oh... Hermione's coming!" he said, looking away and locating Hermione, followed by her parents.

"Hi Harry! Hi Ron!" Hermione said enthusiastically.

"Hi Herm'," replied Ron.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," added Harry.

"Where is Lupin?" Harry asked suddenly, when he realised that Lupin had gone.

"He's out there," replied Ron, with a little movement of his head. Lupin was talking to Mr. Weasley a few steps away.

"Have you seen the others? Neville? Luna?" Harry demanded after Hermione's parents had left to join Ron's father and Lupin. "Since you're going to travel in the prefect carriage, I have to find them first. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a compartment full of Slytherins."

Ron and Hermione exchanged amused looks.

"Harry," said Hermione, "you'll be happy... this year, we'll be able to be in your compartment."

"Really?" replied Harry. His face lit up. "Did Dumbledore allow you to...?"

"In fact," responded Hermione, "it has nothing to do with Dumbledore... The prefect's carriage is reserved this year."

"Why?" asked Harry.

"I wish I knew," retorted Hermione. "They informed me by owl."

"Me too!" added Ron. "I checked too, but the compartment was locked."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. Ron was not supposed to rummage in the compartments.

"But this is better!" Ron added quickly, catching Hermione's stare. "We'll make the trip together, Harry!"

"By the way, where are the others?" asked Hermione.

"Ginny is in the bathroom with Mum, and Luna is already in the compartment with Neville," replied Ron. "You won't believe it, but Snape will take the train too! The greasy bastard was on the platform when we arrived. Luna says that there are special measures to protect the train while it goes to Hogwarts. You know... with You-Know-Who's return, no one's safe..."

"Snape's here?" Harry asked. "God, I hope he won't stay in our compartment! The Occlumency lessons were bad enough last year!" The prospect of seeing Snape before arriving at Hogwarts was not very pleasant.

"Yeah," Ron replied, "and this year will be harsh enough without it! If he gives me one more detention, I'll kill him!"

At the mention of the word killing, Harry felt an awful feeling emerging inside of him. He had not talked to Ron, or anyone else, about the prophecy. He felt guilty for keeping this secret from his friends. The thought of himself as a murderer terrified him. "Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..." That was it. He had two choices: live or die. Die as an innocent or live as a murderer. Even if Voldemort had tortured and killed many people, even if he deserved to die, Harry didn't want to be responsible for that. But he was the only one able to do it, the boy chosen by Voldemort to be his equal, the person linked to the Dark Lord with his scar, the one marked by him. The Boy Who Lived. Now, he was about to become The Boy Who Had Lived and yet Died, or The Boy Who Killed.

"The Dark Lord will mark him as an equal..." Since the beginning of the holidays, Harry had thought very often of this part of the prophecy. What would happen if he found the strength and the courage to kill Voldemort, if he succeeded? Wouldn't he take the risk to become the equal of Voldemort, another Dark Lord? And he had been possessed once by him. What if Voldemort entered his body and made him act at his place? What if the prophecy had another interpretation?

"Are you ok Harry?" asked Hermione, who had seen the changes in Harry's features and interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes!" the boy replied immediately, lying. "It's just the thought of Snape that makes me sick!"

"Harry, Hermione!" exclaimed Ginny, who had come back to the platform with her mother.

"Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley said, clasping him in a suffocating embrace.

"Er... Molly..." said Mr. Weasley, smiling, "maybe you should let Harry get some air now..."

"Oh, sorry, Harry!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, releasing him gently. "I've heard about what happened. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, I'm fine," replied the boy.

"I hope you were not too frightened..." Mrs. Weasley retorted. "I really don't know what Dumbledore was thinking!"

"Molly," said Mr. Weasley, "Dumbledore knows perfectly well what is good for Harry. Believe me!"

Mrs. Weasley threw him an unconvinced look, but she didn't say anything.

"Well, it's almost time," said Lupin, looking at his watch. "You should go, now..."

Mrs. Weasley started to sniffle.

"Molly," said Mr. Weasley, "they're just going to Hogwarts, like every year..."

"I know," she replied, "but I can't help doing this... Oh, come on!" she said, successively embracing Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"Getting old makes Mum get more sensitive," Ron said teasingly, before escaping quickly.

"Ron Weasley!" exclaimed his mother, half-furious, half-moved.

"Well, I think I should go too," said Ginny, kissing her parents one last time, while Hermione was saying goodbye to hers.

"Goodbye Harry," said Lupin. He put his hand gently on Harry's shoulder. "Let me know if anything goes wrong. And tell Dumbledore if... you know, anything happens...if you have any kind of weird dream..."

"Goodbye," Harry replied, before leaving and waving to everyone. Then he entered the train. The clock in the station chimed eleven o'clock, and the Hogwarts Express began to move. Harry's sixth year was about to start.

***