Harry Potter and the Black Grimoire

CHAPTER TEN - GRYFFINDOR

Harry made his way back to Dumbledore's office and gave the password to the stone gargoyle. It moved aside for him to pass through. Harry went up the staircase to find Sirius and Dumbledore already waiting for him.

"It wasn't easy!" Harry replied.

They all had a good laugh, which helped to break the ice.

"So, what am I then?" Harry asked, straight out.

"Don't waste any time, do you Harry?" asked Sirius with a smile.

"Well what would you do if you had just been told you were in an ancient secret order dedicated to eradicating dark magic and were just about to be told a secret that would no doubt change your life considering nobody would tell you until they thought you were ready?"

Harry stopped for a breath.

"Ok, I'm done now."

"Good point Harry!" Dumbledore exclaimed, chuckling.

"Well then, I guess we should tell him," Sirius said.

"I guess we should then," added Dumbledore.

"You want to do it then?"

"No, you're his godfather--"

"Can you just tell me already?!" Harry yelled anxiously.

"Ok, ok. Sorry Harry. We just had to though. Ok then, do you remember, Harry, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened in your second year?"

"Of, course Professor."

"Yes, I'm sure you would. Well, you remember how it was opened by the Heir of Slytherin then. It could only be opened by the true descendent of Salazar Slytherin. Nobody else."

"So what does this have to do with me?"

There was a long pause while Sirius looked like he was trying to find the perfect words.

"Because you, Harry, are the true heir of Godric Gryffindor himself," Sirius said.

Harry was floored. He was the heir of Gryffindor? He was completely shocked. When they were going to tell him something, he had no idea it would have been this huge.

"The only descendent, Harry. Gryffindor blood has always run in the Potter family, Harry. After your father died, you were the only one left with that blood in your veins."

"Did you never wonder, Harry, how you pulled Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat? As I said, only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat. And did you think it was a coincidence that you and your parents lived in a place called Godric's Hollow before they died? These aren't mere coincidences Harry. I am quite surprised you haven't figured it out before now."

Harry was still speechless, but it all made a lot more sense now. Why had he been so stupid? It was simple actually. It all made perfect sense. His family was descended from Gryffindor, Voldemort was descended from Slytherin. That must have been why he had tried to kill his family. He decided to voice his questions.

"So," Harry started, "Is that why Voldemort killed my parents and why he tried to kill me?"

"Well, Harry, yes and no. Voldemort did have a grudge against your family, but that's not exactly why he did what he did," Sirius said.

"No, Harry. He felt threatened by your family. You see, we now know that, before their deaths, your parents were working for the Ministry as Unspeakables."

"What were they working on?"

"We are now most certain that they were working on counters for the Unforgivable Curses. This, as you can imagine, would make Voldemort and his followers very nervous."

"Yes. Can you imagine what would have become of Voldemort and the Death Eaters if everybody knew how to counter their curses? There would be no more dark wizards! The Killing Curse would have been useless! Crucio would have been a joke! And Voldemort was well aware of the fact that Imperio was becoming easier and easier to throw off."

"I can do it," Harry stated.

"Exactly Harry. Voldemort was scared to death that Lily and James would find a way to block the curses. He found out from one of his informants in the Ministry. He had many at the time. He decided to take care of them himself to ensure that nothing went wrong. He usually didn't do much of the actual killing, you see. Mostly the Death Eaters did the handy work and Voldemort gave the orders. But, figured with Lily and James out of the way, he would be free to reign."

"Where do I fit in to all of this?"

"You, Harry, were Voldemort's last roadblock to total domination. You see, Voldemort, as well as many others, knew about a certain prophecy. A prophecy made by Slytherin himself. It is a well-known fact that Salazar was adept at many forms of Divination. He was always making predictions and prophecies, most of which came true. He made one, however, that interested Voldemort greatly. Slytherin prophesized that his true heir, who would become a great Dark Wizard, would meet his downfall in another true heir. He believed you were that true heir. So by making that fateful stop in Godric's hollow some fourteen years ago, he thought he would be killing two birds with one stone. Little did he know, young Harry Potter had a surprise in store for him."

Harry sat in silence, his mouth agape, trying to take in everything that was being thrown at him. All these secrets, all these things he had never bothered to ask, were all being thrown at him. It was like waking up from amnesia and realizing who you truly are. He was Gryffindor's heir.

Dumbledore spoke first.

"That, Harry, is a very good question. You see, before Salazar Slytherin died, it was said that he wrote down everything he had ever learned about the Dark Arts in a book. A single book filled with the darkest secrets and the foulest of magic. This single book, if possessed by the right wizard, would lead to almighty power. The magic it contains is some of the oldest and most powerful magic that exists. Most of the subjects it contains are not even practiced anymore. Most of the rites and rituals and incantations have been lost in time. But that book, that book contains it all."

"If that book ever came into the hands of Voldemort, we would all be calling him the Dark Lord, Harry."

Harry was still dumbfounded. He didn't even think that something like this existed. A book that could spell eternal enslavement for all if in Voldemort's hands? But were they sure if it even existed?

"This is where you come in, Harry. When the founder's built Hogwarts, they also built a secret chamber. Not like another Chamber of Secrets Harry, since I know that's what you're thinking, but it was more of an office for them. The chamber contained four rooms, each one being the personal office of one of the four founders. Now, each office was sealed with a protection spell, but that protection spell has long since gone obsolete. We can get into those offices. What we can't get into is the chamber itself. The offices were only sealed by the witch or wizard they belonged to. The chamber, however, was sealed by all of them."

"With a protection spell that powerful, having been cast by all four of the founders, we cannot penetrate it," Sirius continued. "There is a way though. The founders made it so that only they and anyone of their blood could open it. This means that you, Harry, can open the chamber."

"And you think the book is in Slytherin's office?"

"Exactly, Harry."

"But how do you know that the book even exists? I mean, no one has ever even seen it right?"

"Good question, Harry. We are pretty sure that the book did in fact exist. Whether it is there or not, we aren't exactly sure. But, what we do know is that Voldemort is looking for it. And he thinks it is here. So we think that it is better for you to enter the chamber and see if it is, rather than Voldemort enter the chamber and claim the book if it does exist."

"How do you know all of this?" Harry asked.

"That, Harry, you will find out soon enough."

Harry continued to sit in silence, mulling over everything in his head. He still had so many questions that he wanted to ask.

"So, my parents were trying to find counters for the Unforgivable Curses. Is this why I was able to survive Avada Kedavra? Did they maybe use something on me before they died that would protect me?"

"That's very possible Harry. Even if they did though, it wouldn't have been needed. The protection your mother gave you did its job well enough," Dumbledore replied.

"That is why Voldemort was working so hard to gain immortality, Harry. He knew that your parents could have placed a spell on you from their work that would protect your life. He wanted to be prepared in case that happened. He didn't think about another protection though, which was what got him: your mother's love," Sirius added.

It was all making more and more since to Harry now. The more and more he thought about it, everything that he had ever wondered about was falling into place. The giant jigsaw puzzle that was his past was finally coming together. He began to accept it all, but it still didn't make him feel any better.

"What is this for then?" he asked, holding out the golden key.

"How does it know who is destined?"

"By telling whether you are worthy or not. It can tell if the witch or wizard that is wearing it is completely dedicated to the eradication of dark magic," said Sirius.

"Also, the key is a kind of Dark Magic Detector. The crystal encrusted in the gold works as a warning sensor. If it glows red, it means there is dark magic nearby and you should heed caution. If it glows green, it means that you are close to another member. By clasping it in your hand and thinking about any of the other members, you can have direct contact with them. It will also provide light for you in darkness. It is a very useful magical tool."

"I can imagine," Harry said, in awe of the magical artifact that he possessed.

Harry had only one more question to ask. And it was an important one for him.

"What about -"

"Mrs. Granger and Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked, finishing his sentence.

Harry simply smiled in reply.

"Harry, I myself have no objections to you telling them. The facts about your past are yours to decide what to do with; just as I can decide whether or not to tell you I was terrified of teddy bears when I was a lad. As for the other things..." Dumbledore said, trailing off.

He stopped for a moment, no doubt trying to find the right words.

"Harry, it is my opinion that Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Granger are in fact, already involved in this. They have helped you in your past struggles against evil and they undoubtedly will in the future. I also know you wouldn't be able to deal with this without their help. This is why I do not personally mind them knowing everything. There is one thing I must ask of you though."

"Name it," Harry said, a great bit happier.

"I ask you that, before telling them anything about the Order and Voldemort and his plans and so forth, make them try on the chain."

Harry nodded in complete understanding.

"If it does not go as you wish, which I'm sure it will, then come to me and we will think about setting up a personal meeting between them."

"Done," Harry said, smiling a little.

It was now that Dumbledore stood up, signaling the end of the meeting.

It took Harry a little bit of strength to get up from his seat, almost as though everything he had learned that night was now weighted on his shoulders. He had learned so much in those few hours that they spent talking and he knew it would take awhile for him to accept all of it.

Harry smiled back weakly, now starting to feel his confidence come back. Dumbledore shook his hand before Sirius gave him a great, fatherly hug.

"I'll see you in class, Harry. Now go and talk to Ron and Hermione. Don't go to bed with all of this in your head. If you can't help it though," he added with an enthusiastic grin, " I can always whip you up a contentfullness potion!"

"Better watch it Professor Black, you could start to become Snape!"

"Never!"

They all laughed at the joke, but Harry couldn't help but feel anything else but good feelings toward Professor Snape at the moment. He had never felt anything towards that man except for utter loathing, but now that he knew everything that was going on, it was different. After all, Snape was a member of the Order of Light. You couldn't be a member without being a good wizard. Maybe Snape wasn't such a bad person after all, Harry thought.

"Now I suggest you go back to your common room, Mr. Potter. I trust you have a lot of talking to do tonight and you still have to get up for classes tomorrow!" Dumbledore said. "Also Harry, please do not mention anything to Madeline and make sure Ron doesn't either. I know she is a good friend of your now, but I want to leave it up to her mother to tell her. We will meet soon so that I can give you the details on the chamber and the Order meetings."

"I give you my word," promised Harry.

Harry turned to leave the room now and made his way to the door. He saw Fawkes in the corner though and stopped. That reminded him.

"Professor Dumbledore, what do you think about me learning to become an Animagus?"

Professor Dumbledore lit up.

"I think it would be a wonderful idea! We can talk to Professor McGonagall about it tomorrow."

Harry smiled and turned to leave the room, feeling much happier than he was only an hour ago.

He went down the stairs and out into the dark hallways. It was already well past the time when nobody was allowed in the hallways. He was hoping he didn't run into Filch. He thought it might be fun though to see Filch run to Professor Dumbledore and tell him he had found Harry out of bed after dark. That would surely put him in his place.

Harry got back to the common room without incident though and found it to be dark and empty. Except for someone sitting in a chair in front of the fire.

"You're back Harry! How did it go?" Hermione whispered as he walked over to her.

He was happy to see that he had waited up for him. Ron was no doubt in bed, tired out from Maddie. Or, he thought, in bed tiring out Maddie. Either way, he was happy to have Hermione to talk to now.

"It was ok Mione," Harry said, sitting down next to her.

"So what did they have to talk to you about?" she asked.

"I think I can tell you, but first you have to put this on," he replied, taking off his chain.

"You'll know in a minute," he replied.

Then he launched into the whole story. He told her everything. Everything about what he had been told earlier and about how Sirius and Dumbledore had kept him in suspense. He told her everything about his parents and about his past. He filled her in completely on the Order of Light, the founders and their secret chamber and of course, Voldemort.

Hermione took the whole story perfectly. She laughed at the right times, cringed at the right times and gasped at the right moments. Harry thought she would be the perfect person to tell scary stories to.

Hermione must have sensed this, because when he was finished, she grabbed his hands and spoke to him reassuringly.

"It's going to be ok, Harry. Everybody knows how good of a person you are and we all know how great a wizard you are. You've handled things before and you've always come out on top. Hell, you dueled the Dark Lord and came out unscathed! You can take on anything you put your mind to. I know that. We all know that."

Hermione's words always had a great affect on him and this was no exception. He grabbed her and embraced her in a tight hug, letting go of his worries all over her shoulder. He had never had another person in his life who was always there for him, whenever he needed anything. There was always Ron, but Hermione was different. He could talk to Hermione about anything. Anything at all. He was happy beyond words to have her in his life and he knew that he would always love her for that.

When Harry finally let go of Hermione and wiped his tears on his arm, he saw that Hermione was crying as well.

"That's what I'm here for Harry. And I always will be."

It was at that moment that Harry fully realized the stillness of the empty common room around them. They were completely alone in front of the roaring fire. It seemed like she realized it at the same moment he did.

"I love you Hermione."

"I love you too, Harry Potter."

They closed their eyes once more and locked their lips together. Getting the hang of breathing, they went at it for several minutes before Hermione began to lower Harry and her into a laying position. She moved backwards, which caused Harry to be leaning on top of her. They held each other's hands tightly as they continued their oral exploration. Harry couldn't get over how sweetly Hermione's mouth tasted. It was intoxicating and he lost himself in her aura.

Hermione was also in heaven. She knew from the moment that she met him that they were destined to be together, but had kept it secret these past years. Now she was finally able to live out her dream, an experience that she had envisioned in her head so many times before. Her dreams though, were nothing compared to the real thing and she wished it never had to stop.

Harry moved his kisses away from her mouth now and began to kiss down her chin and jawbone. He kissed her on the nape of the neck and moved up towards her ear, which he nibbled on lightly. He blew softly into her ear as her kissed it. He felt her shudder and moan quietly.

"Whoa, Harry, we gotta stop," she said, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "I love you to death and want nothing more than this right now, but I don't know if I'm ready to go any farther yet."

Harry respected her decision to stop and was happy that she had chosen to stop then. He wasn't sure if he was ready either, although he didn't know if he could've even stopped himself if she hadn't said anything.

He looked down at the beautiful girl beneath him and smiled warmly at her. She smiled back at him and kissed him deeply on the mouth again before sitting up.

They straightened themselves up and fixed their hair before talking again.

"You know this changes everything, Hermione."

"I do Harry. I definitely think we should tell Ron before we make any commitments though."

Harry agreed with her, but decided to tease her a bit to see what she would say.

"And what if he has a problem with it?" he asked.

"Well, then he'll just have to get over it now won't he?" she replied, smiling back at him.

Harry put his hands on her cheeks and pulled her into one last kiss before they both got up.

"I'll see you in the morning, love," he said, taking her hands in his.

"And I you," she replied.

Hermione kissed him once more on the lips before she opened the door and went into her dorm.

Harry turned around and did a few quick twirls before making his way downstairs. He slowly walked to his room with a large smile on his face, almost in a daze. He was in awe of what just happened. He had just made out with the girl that he had always loved and knew he would love forever. He had thought about this everyday since their near miss and was astonished and relieved that something had finally been done about it.

As he went into the fifth-year boys' room and laid down on his four-poster, he could still smell the sweet scent of Hermione's perfume and the shampoo in her hair; he could hear her sighs of contentment and taste the delicious flavor of her mouth. He fell asleep that night without a care in the world. All of his worries had left his mind and he slept peacefully all night, visions of Hermione in his head. He knew this was better than any potion anyone could make for him any day.