Companions of the White Warlock

Smoke Year VII - Companions of the White Warlock Chapter III Monday, June 30, 1997

Russell came for Harry at 8:30 in the morning. They apparated together to Godric's Hollow. While Harry could not legally apparate by himself, Russell told him that he could in the presence of a licenced adult over 21, both of which Russell of course was.

Harry did not know what to expect of their destination. He knew that the house or cottage at Godric's Hollow had been at least partially destroyed back in 1981. He had no idea if it had been leveled, repaired, or replaced.

What he said first was, "It's beautiful here."

They were mostly surrounded by woods. Steep hills rose around three sides of the Hollow, and extended almost a mile to the east. A small stream flowed past them. "The village is about three quarters of a mile down stream," Russell said. "Come on, everyone is around back."

To call the building in front of them a 'cottage' showed typical Victorian understatement. This building had a strong foundation showing there was a cellar, three floors, and attics.

"The old Potter manor house, which was the third one on this site and which dated back to the 1500s, was destroyed back in 1916, in an attack from Grindelwald's allies," Russell said. "Your grandfather decided to start over, and built this in the early 1920s, although the architecture is more typical of about forty years earlier."

They circled around back. "Does anyone live here now?" Harry asked.

"No. There was a trust that was set up for you, and this is part of the trust. You've had access to the money vault, but there should be a family vault as well, plus what you got from Black. Oh, by the way, there is an elf that lives here."

"I own another elf?" Harry asked, wondering if Hermione would remember S.P.E.W.

"I'm afraid so. I was told her name is Sandy." They finished going around the house, where they found Remus, Tonks, Hagrid, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna.

"Could you call for Sandy?" Russell requested. "Direct your voice towards the house."

"Sandy?" Harry called. "Could you come here, please?"

An elf, wearing just a very long muffler wrapped all around her, appeared.

"Mister Harry has finally returned!" the elf squeaked in the highest voice any of them had ever heard. "Sandy is so very happy to see Mister Harry! Sandy has kept the House of Potter waiting for him." She frowned. "Mister Harry. . . ."

"Yes, Sandy?"

"Sandy hates to say but must say that Sandy is owed back wages. . . ."

Hermione crowed in happiness.

"Back wages?"

"Sandy is a full employ of the House of Potter, but Sandy is free. Madam Lily arranged it."

"I see. How much are you owed?"

"Sandy is not certain. Sandy is to be paid a Galleon a week."

"Was there any money left in the house?" Russell asked.

"That is Mister Harry's money now, not Sandy's!" Sandy firmly explained, offended.

"How much is there?" Harry asked.

"Sandy is not certain. Sandy is bad with numbers over a hundred."

"She must be owed almost thousand Galleons," Hermione pointed out.

"What day are you to be paid?" Luna asked.

"Mondays," Sandy said. "Today is pay day!"

Harry reached for his money pouch and took out ten Galleons. "I owe you many many more, Sandy, but here is today's pay and some of your back pay. I hope this doesn't mean you're leaving."

"No!" Sandy answered, horrified. "Sandy told Mister Harry that Sandy is pledged to the House of Potter. Sandy would only leave if there is a bad wizard, and Mister Harry could never be bad to Sandy!"

"I would hope not," Harry said.

"I believe you owe her . . . 755 Galleons, give or take a Galleon or two," Luna put in.

"we'll check how much is left before we leave," Russell said. "Right now, we need to find out if there is a Horcrux here, or if the item that Voldemort intended to use as one is here. It might be simple to find out, it might be very complex. We might have to use your memories, Harry, as well as Remus', Hagrid's, and Sandy's." He turned to Sandy. "Were there any items present immediately after the death of Harry's parents which were not here before?"

Sandy nodded. "Yes, sir. Would sir like to see them?"

"Yes, please," Russell said.

"Mister Harry?"

"Yes, please bring them."

Sandy popped away and popped back three seconds later. She handed Harry two items: an empty silver-and-white gold knife sheath with a yellow gold 'G' on it, and a small potions bottle.

"Lay them on the ground," Russell said. "Miss Granger, why don't you try those revealing charms I taught you."

"Alright. . . ." Hermione said nervously.

"Try the bottle first. It's the less likely of the two."

Hermione did as instructed. She seemed disappointed by the results over the bottle, and confused by the sheath. "I would have thought, if it were a Horcrux, it would have a stronger signal," Hermione said.

"Why don't you try, Miss Lovegood."

Luna looked at least as nervous as Hermione, which was a little out of character for her, but she tried as well. "I agree it feels like we were told a Horcrux would, but it doesn't seem that strong."

"Let me see," Russell said. Just under a minute later, he said, "Interesting. It's part of a Horcrux. The knife must have been in it when the Horcrux was created." He turned to Harry. "I'm afraid I will have to at least draw out some very painful memories, Harry. I am really sorry."

"My parents' murders, you mean," Harry said.

"I"m afraid so."

"Can he access memories that old, when he was that young?" Remus objected.

"No, he can't," Russell said. "I can, however. It also means that you'll remember them; they will no longer be beyond your reach."

"What do I have to do?" Harry said simply. "Do you have a Pensieve?"

"I would only need a Pensieve if we wanted to study the memory," Russell said. He leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, "Is there anyone you don't want seeing this? Only you and I need to."

Harry shook his head. "It's fine."

"Does anyone not want to see this?" Russell asked the group. "We will need some people to stand lookout."

"I'll keep me eye out," Hagrid said.

"So will I," Tonks added.

"Sandy is not allowed to leave to help Mister Harry until he is seventeen," Sandy said. "Mister Harry is here, though, so Sandy will protect."

"So will I, Harry."

"Are you sure, Neville? I did meet your parents, after all."

"Fair is fair you mean?" Neville asked with a wry smile. "No. No, I don't need to see it."

"Neither do I," Ginny said. "I don't want to see that monster."

"Do you want us with you?" Ron asked.

"It's really up to you," Harry said. "It's going to be hard to see, but we all know what happened." He turned to Remus. "But, if you could bear it. . . ."

"I'll come," Remus said. He would not let Harry down, no matter how painful the memories might be to see.

"Come over to the shade of the house," Russell said. "Dumbledore charmed the actual house, so that none may enter until Harry does, and he can't until he's at least of age. And that charm still seems to be intact, despite Dumbledore's death."

"That figures," Harry grumbled.

"Stand facing me, Harry," Russell said. He placed his left hand on Harry's right shoulder, and Harry did the same to Professor Russell. "Remus, Miss Lovegood, a hand on either side of Harry's neck. Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, the same on mine."

"Everyone ready? Harry, I understand you heard your mother scream when you are too near a dementor, is that right?"

"Yes. . . ."

"Think of that scream, Harry. When I have us in the memory, you can all let go."

To everyone else, it was if they were in a silver fog. When Russell had found when he wanted to start, he set the memory into motion. The mists quickly cleared. "You may all let go now. We are in Harry's memory."

They were in a bright, sunny room, although the approaching dusk was throwing long shadows. "I've started the memory a little early, Harry," Russell said.

It was the nursery. Baby Harry was in a crib. There were many little brooms, each less than an inch long, flying in a pattern above Harry's head next to the wall. A little Snitch was flying in and out and around them.

"It looks like you're already following the Snitch," Ron said, smiling.

"You were an adorable baby," Hermione said, frowning at Ron.

"Really?" Harry said, doubtfully. He looked at Luna.

"Most of us are programmed to think most babies are cute, I think," Luna said. "You seem nicer than most. Of course, I haven't seen all that many. . . ."

"Look who's awake," came a voice from the door.

"Mum. . . ."

Russell and Remus brought the others to the far side of the room, leaving Harry a clear view of his mother.

"She really was beautiful," Harry said in awe.

"She was," Remus agreed.

"James!" Lily called. "Come along!"

"Dada!" Baby Harry called.

"I'm coming!" called a familiar voice. "Is our little man hungry?"

"'Ungry, Dada!" little Harry called, and then he laughed. A few seconds later, James Potter came in, with a tray magiced in front of him. It had a bowl and two small plastic cups.

"Kiddy plastic sippy cups?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Petunia sent them," Remus answered.

"That's a shock," Harry muttered.

The group watched the Potters feed their baby, play with him, talk with him, listen to him babble in his limited vocabulary, and then take him out of the nursery to give him a bath. All together, it was a pleasant 90 minutes. "Thank you," Harry said to Russell as he watched his parents put him to bed.

"It won't make up for the horror," Russell said, "but I thought you deserved to see this."

"How long. . . ?" Ron asked.

"Less than three minutes, I'm afraid." Sure enough, just a few moments later, they heard the sound of a small explosion. "That was the front door being blown in," Russell said.

Lily rushed into the room and grabbed the drowsing Harry, who started crying.

"Lily," they heard James call, "take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off. . . ."

Lily was looking around in a panic. They heard another door being blown open, and they heard Voldemort laugh over what Harry now realized was his father's voice, casting hexes.

"It's no good, Potter," Voldemort said. "Expelliarmus!"

"You bastard!" James shouted, while Lily was muttering, "Why can't I apparate!"

"Do it!" Voldemort commanded.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Wormtail," Remus growled.

"I wondered if it might have been Snape," Harry said, breathing heavily.

"I had thought he would have done it himself," Russell said.

The door of the nursery was kicked open. Voldemort loomed in the doorway, and Lily huddled in the corner. Harry noticed that he looked a tad less inhuman than he did now.

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please -- I'll do anything!"

"Stand aside! Stand aside, girl!" Hermione held on firmly to both Ron and Harry, while Luna clutched Harry's other arm.

"Never!" Lily said. "I'd die for him first!"

"Then you will if you do not stand aside!"

Lily raised her wand, and Voldemort shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" Lily slumped to the floor.

Voldemort kicked her body aside. He picked up the screaming baby Harry and tossed him two feet to the crib. "So, you are the one who is supposed to destroy me, brat?" He snorted. "It hardly seems worth it. Your Mudblood mother, your ineffective father, would have made better sacrifices. Still, I might as well do what I came to do, just in case you have potential."

He pulled a long, narrow knife in its sheath from his robes and placed it next to Harry. After muttering a few phrases directed at the knife, Voldemort shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

The sickly green light flashed out of Voldemort's wand and struck the baby on his chest, and it bounced back. With an inhuman scream, Voldemort's body melted into nothingness except for some ash. A yellowish-green mist stood in its place for a second, and then it split into two pieces, with a portion of it flashing towards the knife, while the rest was hurdled through the wall, leaving a huge smoking hole.

The first potion had flashed through baby Harry's forehead and then into the knife. Harry and the knife itself were flung against the side of the crib next to the wall, while the sheath spun off under a chair.

Pettigrew burst into the room, looking terrified. He looked at the screaming child, to the pile of rags and ashes that had been his Master, and then to Lily's body. He bit his lip, and then grabbed Voldemort's smoking wand, glanced at Harry, grabbed the knife, and left on the run.

"Can we go now?" Hermione pleaded, tears running down her cheeks.

"Not yet," Russell said.

They waited. And waited.

"Where was Sandy, I wonder," Harry asked.

"Petrified, most likely by Voldemort," Russell answered.

"How much longer do we wait?" Ron asked, looking worriedly at Harry, who was looking anywhere but at his mother's body.

"We have to wait until Hagrid shows up," Russell said.

"By the way, I recognized the knife," Harry said. "Pettigrew used it to cut off his hand and to cut me." He sighed. "That was Gryffindor's, wasn't it?"

"I'm afraid so," Russell agreed. "Ah . . . the next player.

They heard steps running up the stairs. To most of their surprise, it was Snape. "Damn!" Snape said, looking at Lily's body. "Why did it have to be you?" He glanced around, and his eyes went wide at the sight of Voldemort's ashes and clothes. "Impossible!" At that point, baby Harry started to cry again, mostly for his mother. Snape leaned over and waved his wand over Harry's head. The lightening cut from the incident glowed green for a moment. "Impossible!" Snape said again.

"I wish we could read his mind in a memory," Russell said, as Snape stood thinking for nearly a minute. Then Snape's hand went into his pocket, and he withdrew two vials and a small empty potion bottle. He mixed small amounts of potions from the vials into the bottle, and then added it to a sippy cup. Snape helped Harry drink the potion. It quieted Harry down.

"What were those?" Harry asked.

"In those amounts, a very mild sedative and a bit of strengthening potion," Russell answered.

"Snape helped me?"

At that moment, they heard arguing voices. Snape left Harry with the sippy cup and disapparated. A moment later, Hagrid came in through the hole in the wall. Sirius came in a moment later through the door, just as Hagrid had picked the drowsing Harry up.

"James is dead," Sirius said.

"Aye, so is Lily," Hagrid replied, tears in his eyes.

Sirius bit his lip, thinking. "What are you doing with Harry?" he finally asked.

"Taking 'im to Dumbledore," Hagrid answered.

"Alright, fine. I'm off after the bastard, then."

Russell pulled them out of the memory, and they were back near the Potter house, in the same position as when they had entered the memory. Although well over two hours of memory had passed, time does pass slightly faster in a Pensieve. Still, after 90 minutes in one position, everyone's bodies were stiff.

"No problems?" Remus asked Tonks.

"No," she replied.

"Harry," Hagrid said, "I am sorry I couldn't 'ave done more tha' night."

"It's alright, Hagrid," Harry said sadly. "I just wish Sirius had stopped and explained instead of going off after Pettigrew. Everything would have turned out at least a bit better."

"Sirius knew that, of course," Remus said. "It was his greatest regret."

"we all have a lot of them," Harry said. "What next?"

"You destroy the partial Horcrux," Russell said. "Break the 'G' and split the sheath. Voldemort didn't have time to put any additional hexes on it."

Harry thought about it, and then simply picked up two rocks. One strong 'wack' did the job, and the soul fragment dissipated. "Half done," Harry muttered. He looked at Russell. "Anything else, Prof?"

Russell used his eyes to point to Sandy. "Oh, yes!" Harry said, picking up the hint. "Sandy, is the money in the house easily moved?"

"Yes, Mister Harry. Shall Sandy fetch?"

"Yes, please. And bring a large, strong sack or box."

Sandy popped away and back in less than three minutes. The large chest was the size of Harry's trunk. Harry opened it (after Hermione, Luna, and Russell had tested it), and the group was shocked to see that it was two thirds filled with Galleons, and the rest with Muggle money. "Could you bring me another sack," Harry asked in a startled voice.

Harry counted out the Galleons for Sandy's back pay, and a year in advance as well. He also took fifty Galleons and the Muggle money -- mostly British, but Irish, French, Italian, Spanish, Germany, Belgium, Dutch, and American as well. "Does anyone need Muggle money?" Harry asked. No one saw the need, but, as Tonks said, "We'll know where to go if we need some in a hurry."

"Well," Russell said, "we've done well here today. Let's get everyone back."