Harry Potter and the Forbidden Passage

Chapter 3: Return to Grimmauld Place

"I thought you weren't allowed to make unauthorized portkeys," Harry said as he picked himself up off the kitchen floor, still reeling from the effects of his least favorite type of wizarding transportation.

"Well, it's not unauthorized," Remus answered. "The Ministry has to work with the Order now that they know Voldemort is back. Fudge has been under a lot of scrutiny lately for his statements last year. There has even been talk of electing a new Minister," Remus said as he flicked his wand at the trunk and cage and levitated them up the stairs as he and Harry walked behind.

Harry looked around as they walked through the large house. "Something's changed," he said curiously. Then he realized the house elf heads were gone. "What did you do with them?" Harry asked nodding towards the empty wall.

"Buried them properly of course."

"I'll bet Kreacher was furious. Where is he anyways?" Harry said with a glower, looking around and expecting to see the traitorous elf lurking about some corner.

"Kreacher is gone, Harry."

"What do you mean gone?"

"He's gone. He left when there were no more Blacks left to serve. We don't know where he went, but Dumbledore suspects he's gone to Bellatrix. You remember how he treasured that photograph of her."

"Aren't you worried he'll reveal things about the Order?"

"Even if he did, with Dumbledore as secret keeper, no one could find this place. Although, to be safe, everyone is using portkeys to transport in and out of this house. Dumbledore obliviated Kreacher's memories, and cursed him after he learned of Kreacher's betrayal. If Kreacher speaks even a single word about anyone or anything in this house, he will be petrified."

They had reached the hallway of portraits, only there were no portraits, not a single one. And in the place where Mrs. Black's portrait had been, there was a new brick wall.

"Ahh…yes, you won't be seeing Mrs. Black again either. In a fit of rage last April, Sirius decided to build that wall over the portrait," Lupin explained. "Here we are, Harry." They had stopped outside a room that Harry had never seen before.

"But this isn't the room I stayed in last year," Harry said as Lupin opened the door.

"I thought you might like your own room now. This was Sirius's room, I hope you don't mind."

They walked into a surprisingly bright room. The bottom half of the wall had wooden panels with elaborate Venetian designs of inlaid veneer while the top half of the wall was painted red with gold trim. There was no doubt that the occupant of this room had lived in Gryffindor. In the middle of the room there was a dark mahogany four poster bed with red velvet drapes. It reminded Harry very much of his Gryffindor dormitory. Most of the far wall was taken up by three tall diamond-paned windows. There was a large bureau on the left side of the bed and a small table on the right. Against the opposite wall stood a full-length mirror and a large wardrobe. To the side of the wardrobe were, oddly, two sets of bronze hands sticking out of the wall.

"What are those?" Harry asked with apprehension.

"They're not real, just a joke. Sirius always liked weird things like this, anything to make us laugh. Here, open your trunk and I'll show you what they're for."

Harry did as requested and Lupin pulled out the Firebolt. He handed the broom to the open hands, which immediately grabbed it, much to Harry's surprise. "See, broomstick holders."

"Weird," Harry muttered. Lupin laughed.

Harry turned around and saw several photographs hanging on the wall next to the door. He stepped closer to inspect them.

The first photograph showed three teenage boys laughing and smiling in a familiar stone corridor. Harry recognized the fifteen-year-old faces of his father, Sirius, and Remus. He could also see why they were so amused when the boys moved aside long enough for Harry to see the background. Behind them stood the statue of the one-eyed witch- they had just returned from Honeydukes.

The next photograph was larger and showed a very handsome, twenty something Sirius looking down with adoration at an newborn baby cradled in his arms.

"That's you, Harry," Remus said fondly. "James had just named him godfather. I could almost swear that Sirius was more excited by your birth than your father."

Harry's heart gave a little lurch as he once again realized how much he had lost in Sirius. He quickly turned to the last picture and stared in shock as he realized what he was seeing.

It was a picture of his parent's wedding, but unlike any he had seen before. This wasn't just a picture of his parents, this was the entire wedding party. His parents stood in the middle holding hands and occasionally looking lovingly at each other. On either side of them was an older couple. The man on his father's right was wearing glasses and had thick dark hair, just like Harry's, while the slender woman next to him tried to smooth down James's unkempt hair. The woman to Lily's left had red hair that was just beginning to turn gray and the man next to her had Harry's bright green eyes. These were his grandparents, people he had never seen before except in the Mirror of Erised. And beside Lily's parents stood his Aunt Petunia, looking much younger and prettier but very unhappy. She continuously glared at her sister while her parents beamed at Lily with obvious love and pride. On James's side, Harry saw Sirius and Remus with a burnt out hole beside them in the shape of a person. That must have been Peter Pettigrew, Harry thought with disgust.

"Why didn't anyone ever show me this?" Harry asked with a touch of anger in his voice. Here all along had been a picture of his family - the grandparents he had never known and no one had bothered to tell him about it.

"I don't know Harry, maybe Sirius thought it might upset you. I doesn't matter anymore, it's yours now," Lupin answered. "And much more may be yours tomorrow," Lupin muttered.

"What?" Harry said turning to Lupin. "What does that mean?"

"That is the reason I had to bring you here tonight. Harry, tomorrow morning, we have been summoned to go to the Ministry for the reading of Sirius's will."

"He had a will?"

"All of the members of the Order have a will. They know their lives are in danger, that any of us could die at any time. Not that I have anything to give mind you."

"But why are they reading it so long after-"

"Well we couldn't exactly prove his death, could we? The Ministry didn't even want to acknowledge his innocence. Dumbledore finally convinced them of both last week."

A thought occurred to Harry, "Did my parents have a will? They were in the Order."

"No," Lupin said quietly, "They were so young, Harry, they didn't plan to die. They had already crossed paths with Voldemort several times and survived. I suppose James always thought of himself as rather invincible, but then don't we all at that age? It didn't matter though, naturally all that they had went to you. Of course, the house was gone, but I'm not sure if anything within it was left. Dumbledore immediately took charge of you after their deaths, he would have kept in trust any property that was left to you." Well that explained how Dumbledore had acquired his father's invisibility cloak. But was there anything else? Was Dumbledore still keeping items of his parents?

"Do you know what's in the will?" Harry asked absently, still thinking about his parent's lost possessions.

"No, I only know that you and I are supposed to be there at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning to find out. It's getting late, why don't you get settled here and meet me downstairs for dinner soon."

A short time later, they were sitting down to a feast for two in the humungous dining room. The table was filled with all sorts of wonderful food, it was almost better than a Hogwarts feast.

"Wow, Remus, this food is really good," Harry said as he drained a tall glass of pumpkin juice.

"It is good, isn't it? Yes, the food has gotten much better here this summer," Lupin said with a small grin.

Harry thought this would be a good time to squeeze in the question that had been nagging him for several hours."So what did you talk to the Dursleys about?" Harry said quickly in a casual voice hoping to catch Lupin off guard.

"I think you'd better go to bed now Harry. We have an early day tomorrow."

"Are you ever going to tell me?"

"No," Lupin answered calmly, "So you might as well stop asking."

Harry scowled but asked the other question that had bothered him,"Where is everyone?"

"Now that the Ministry knows Voldemort is back, things have been quite busy. Voldemort's not hiding like he did last year and activity has been picking up. Not too many have been lingering at Headquarters anymore."

"But what about the Weasleys? I thought they'd be here?"

"Staying at the Burrow, but they're coming by the end of the summer." Harry's heart sank and he had to struggle to hide his disappointment. He was really hoping to see his friends, to have someone to distract him from his grief and nightmares - but now he was surrounded by reminders of Sirius. He was living in his dead godfather's home, his only company was a man just as grief stricken as him, and tomorrow he would be hearing the last will and testament of Sirius Black. Suddenly the Dursleys' house wasn't looking all that bad in comparison.

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Next Chapter: The Last Will and Testament of Sirius Black