Boys on the Radio

Chapter Twenty One

And I wait staring at the northern star

I'm afraid it won't lead me anywhere

He's so cold, he will ruin the world tonight ..

It was nearly Valentine's Day at Hogwarts and the recovery process from the tragedies was on its way - Though, of course, a full recovery would never happen. Upon return for the Winter Term, therapists and psychological experts on trauma that had studied wizarding wars, specifically on Voldemort's former reign, had come to Hogwarts to offer support to the distraught students who had suffered. Harry and Draco had had no real interest in joining, but Ginny and Hermione both forced them too. Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Harry all ended up having therapy sessions of their own, slowly discussing all their feelings and trauma they had suffered. They were all rather surprised on how easy it was to open up.

The moment entering therapy, the therapist was required to perform the Vow of Secrecy, which reminded Harry of Secret-Keepers. The Vow of Secrecy, however, was simply about the person who had the vow placed on them. The Vow stated if the secrets told during the therapy sessions were revealed by the therapist, the therapist would die. It seemed horribly severe to Harry when he had first heard it - But according to Ron, wizards and witches choosing to go into the field already knew the terms and conditions of their career.

But on this day before Valentine's Day, Martha Smith, their therapist, decided that all of them should participate in a group therapy session.

It was just as intense as Harry anticipated - Every single one of them had cried by the end of it. Hermione, when she revealed to them all how she had been tortured. Ron when revealing of being beaten and then watching his love being tortured. Harry could barely speak when he revealed the guilt he felt of the death of Cho and Seamus. Draco nearly had to leave the room when speaking of his father. Ginny spoke about waiting during the siege, in fear of death.

The only topic not discussed was the night Harry and Ginny slept together - A topic Harry or Ginny had chosen to take to their graves. When Martha Smith let them out, Harry was sure it might have been for the last time.

Harry knew he'd never be in therapy for years - He was very conscious of what had happened to him, and in that respect, he could heal faster. Harry knew no denial. But Harry knew he had to go on. He had to defeat Voldemort.

That very night, Harry was sitting on the top the North Tower, lying down, in a pensive state, hand in hand with Draco, who was watching him. Harry knew he could put it off no longer - It was time to conquer Voldemort. But he needed to have his armor - And for that, he needed Dumbledore. And possibly Jill - Anyone who could offer him any knowledge left behind that he needed to acquire to conquer the Dark Lord. Sirius was back in the country, away from hiding, safe in a home operated by the Fidelius Charm (Secret-Keeper being Dumbledore) and had agreed to meet Harry very willingly, as he hadn't seen Harry properly in months. As much as he wanted to see Sirius, he needed information. No matter what, no one would stop him.

Harry Potter would avenge Lord Voldemort - At any costs.

****

"Harry, I've been awaiting this moment for many months - And I knew it would arrive very soon," said Dumbledore.

Harry was sitting in Dumbledore's creative and wonderful office, smiling at Fawkes, as he became comfortable. Jill was seated on his right, and Sirius on his left. Sirius and Harry had spent all of Valentine's Day together in Hogsmeade, Sirius mainly under the cloak. Draco had been upset, but he understood. Harry had promised to make up for it in the evening. Harry told Sirius quite a bit, but he held back more - He never told anything to him about his true relationship with Sirius, his pride would not allow it. But he told Siriius about the siege, about Blaze Zabini's death and being trapped in the dungeons, about the depths of Harry's despairs ...

But there was no more time for sympathy. There was only time for knowledge.

"You were waiting, Professor?" asked Harry, baffled by the thought that Dumbledore would simply wait for Harry to come around.

"Of course," said Dumbledore, twinkling at him. "If you were not prepared for you journey, you would have have been prepared to conquer it."

Harry nodded. "Professor, please tell me everything - The truth, only the truth - What will make me destroy Voldemort."

****

Luca Samanza whispered her last incantation as she held her baby in her arms - Knowing she would past shortly. She could not have more than an hour, she knew it. The delivery had no complications - Yet she was dying. But she had to look into her child's eyes ... He had his father's eyes, his father's beautiful looks. But his father ... who had abandoned her upon learning she was a witch, and went as far as attempting to kill her. He left her with child and a broken heart. She had abandoned her family who had never allowed her to ever see a muggle, disowning her upon learning she was seeing the muggle, Tom Riddle.

Luca concentrated all her energy, every last bit of will in her, and continued whispering the incantation. Her son would not feel this pain ever ... Never. Her son would be protected.

"Luca," spoke a voice. Luca finished the incantation, now perhaps moments from death, and looked up. It was a wizard she had known very well: Solen Dorse, The Minister of Magic himself, watching her. Had the Ministry already sensed the magic she placed on her son? It was true, perhaps none other had done what she had just done ... sacrificing everything ....

"Minister Dorse?" said Luca, in a very small voice.

"What were you doing to your son, Luca?" asked Dorse.

"What do you speak of?" retorted Luca.

"Ms. Samanza, do not insult my intelligence. The Ministry has picked up traces of Dark Magic so high from you moments ago.I came myself. What have you done?" asked Dorse.

"There is no dark magic," lied Luca. "It is this."

The Stone Orphanage Nurse came in, with a look of terror on her face. "Ma'am, I must ask you say your goodbyes ... Please ... There is nothing more I can do. The child needs to be cared for immediately."

"My son," said Luca, smiling for the last time.

"I am a friend," said Dorse.

The nurse had not seen him enter, but she did not appear to care. Luca gave her son to the nurse, losing almost all her energy in giving her baby to the nurse. "Care for him, please. Let me alone now with Dorse, please. I must tell him something ... before ... before .."

It would be over in minutes. "Ma'am ..."

"Go!" Luca said in a hoarse voice, and she did. "Minister, it is my ring. My father has cursed me with it."

Under her breath, Luca whispered one last incantation. She cursed the ring that traced her back to Salazar Slytherin himself.

"Oh my," said Dorse, examining it. It now glowed red.

"It is killing me," lied Luca. "Do not take my son, I command this. I do not want him to know of my past, not now. I want him raisied here ... innocent of the wizarding world for now ... and its horrors ..Do not take him to my family ..."

Luca remembered it all ... Her depression at Hogwarts because of her hateful family ... Watching her family torture muggles... Losing Tom, her only love...The dementors giving her father the Dementor's kiss, finally ... Never having had a mother ... Her brother and sister's cruetly ...

"Tell the nurse to come back, please," said Luca, surprised of her energy.

:I must remove the ring in time!" said Dorse.

"There is no time ... Bring her here ..." said Luca, her eyes were slowly shutting ... She could feel her body slowing down .. slowly ...

The nurse came back in, panicked. "I don't understand - The delivery was fine - It is as though she has lost the will to live!" said the nuse, in obvious guilt to Dorse.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Luca Samanza spoke her final words.

****

"How was this memory obtained?" asked Harry, amazed at what he had seen in the pensieve.

"Have you not ever wondered why Voldemort did not die?" asked Dumbledore, very quietly.

Sirius and Jill looked at Harry, also seemingly baffled by the question. Harry had never thought to ask it ...

"The killing curse rebounded upon Voldemort, don't you think ti should have killed him?" asked Dumbledore, surveying Harry closely.

"In the cemetary, Voldemort said he took steps to stop mortal death," said Harry.

"He did. But he could never had done this if it had not been for his mother," said Dumbledore. "His mother is at so much fault for Lord Voldemort as he is today. Heartbroken and unloved, she performed the most horrible curse on her own son: She took away his ability to love. And with this, she killed herself. She had been dealt a life of torture, and she truly believed, I think, that she was helping her son."

"That's horrible!" said Jill, her hands covering her mouth.

"How could the bitch do that to her own son!?" Sirius said, outraged.

"She felt love corrupted all," said Dumbledore. "At the house of Samanza, I found the last traces of Luca in the house that has been abandoned for many years - Her diary."

Harry was awed. "What was in it?"

"No one had ever loved her. Her family was abusive, her only love was Tom, and her family hated her more for that. Luca tried to love all, and it destroyed her life. At school, she was treated as though vermin because of her family's reputation for the torture of muggles."

"That's terrible," said Harry. "But to do that to your own son is stil horrible."

"And Voldemort could not bare to die because he was so afraid," said Jill. "And he was always a sociopath, only wanting to spread more terror."

"Tom Riddle may have very well turned out the same," said Dumbledore intellectually. "Though she took away his power to love, she did not increase his will to hate necesarrily. His hatred for muggles came from his horrible father. No one had ever loved him - The ultimate countercurse."

"No one?" asked Sirius.

"Not in time. Perhaps many of his Death Eaters do, but it is much too late. And that is why I state, it is in the power of the individual. Tom Riddle still chose his fate. The moment someone loved him, the incantation could have been lifted, if only slight, but he was full of hate - He chose to wreck havoc."

Harry didn't completely understand this; he still completely felt it was Luca's fault.

"What steps did he take?" asked Harry quietly.

"Tom sought out a method of eternity - The Stone of Light. A legendary stone in the pyramids of Egypt that would grant eternity. In school, he was obsessed. He sought it out. The legend said to obtain the Stone of Light, one must have no family left, no trace before him or her, and if necesarry, eliminate their own families."

"So that's what Bill and the others were talking about!" exclaimed Harry. "He killed his aunt and uncle and all of his father's family!"

"Yes," said Dumbledore.

Sirius and Jil were in awe. Jill spoke first to Harry. "Your mother was a true Gryffindor. In the battle against Voldemort, she volunteered to become a spy. For months she relayed information to us. I told you this before, but I feel I must remind you. Lily blamed herself entirely. When Voldemort proclaimed to take you, immediately James and her went into hiding. James killed one of his most loyal followers - Draco's uncle, Arieus Malfoy, and that was the end of it."

"Draco never told me of that," Harry said, in shock.

"Draco never knew him," Dumbledore explained.

It was Sirius who spoke next. "Their marriage was secret, completely. When Voldemort realized Lily was a spy through Wormtail, he was livid to find out they were married. James had avidly fought against Voldemort. Voldemort then declared he'd take her child," he explained.

"Voldemort said my mum didn't have to die," said Harry. His eyes were burning, he looked at the ground.

"Voldemort doesn't understand love, Harry. He was to kill you, kill your father, and take back his servant," said Sirius. "And your mother died to save you. Voldemort could never, ever understand something that complicated, yet so simple."

There was a long quiet in the room.

"So the Stone of Light - Can he be defeated?" asked Jill, sounding very scared.

"No spell, no curse, nothing can prevent a human from dying. The Stone of Light does offer protection against the killing curse once, just once. Your mother saved you the first time - Now you must finish what your mother started," finished Dumbledore.

****

"No matter what, Harry, we're coming with you!" said Hermione very firmly once Harry had explained everything.

Harry agreed. They were going to stand by him no matter what - How could he protest?

"Yeah, mate - We'll fight. And if even we don't win, we'll take as many Death Eaters down as we can," said Ron passionately.

"Dumbledore doesn't feel I'm ready yet," said Harry angrily. "But people are dying!"

"Harry, he wants you to keep training hard! At the right time, you'll be able to conquer and destroy Voldemort! The aurors can keep the situation as in control as possible now but Harry, Dumbledore knows how risky this is. But he knows in the end, it's going to be you, but he wants you to be ready!" said Hermione, as though there was nothing more important than Harry understanding this.

Harry didn't respond. "I'll wait - Until the end of this year, but that's it. I'm going to fight after that, no matter what."

****

Draco took in all the information that Harry had received. And then Harry got to what he said would be a difficult part -- His father had killed Draco's uncle. Harry was shocked at Draco's indifference.

"They're not my family, Harry," said Draco.

Harry shrugged. "I'm glad you're not upset."

The two of them sat by the lake. Draco was rolling a joint. It was eleven, and they had only just met for Valentines' Day. Harry had decided he was all right with smoking pot as long as it was done in moderation. He didn't fancy his boyfriend being a pothead. Neither of them had smoked since Christmas.

"Maybe we shouldn't get high," said Draco suddenly.

Harry's eyes widened. "Draco Malfoy? Not wanting to get high? Wow ..."

"I'd like to enjoy this moment," said Draco. Draco put his arm around Harry and they both lied onto the grass. "This is a war. We've escaped death quite well, Harry, but we have to appreciate these moments."

"Yeah, I know," said Harry. "It's just so easy for me to live in the moment."

"I worry," said Draco. "Quite a bit. Everything could just end in a moment."

Harry grabbed Draco's hand and squeezed it. "I love you."

"I know you do."

It was a long time before the two of them left.

****