Trinity

Chapter 8

Once down in the training room, Harry pulled the crates out of his pocket and Remus enlarged them. The two of them stared at them for a moment then Harry walked over to the first of the crates. Remus joined him and the werewolf used his wand open the crate. The two men then kneeled down beside the crates and Harry reached into it and removed the slightly singed blanket that was on top.

Underneath the blanket was a collection of odd and ends that had been thrown higgledy piggledy into the crate. Harry slowly pulled them out one by one. The crate contained mostly household goods, mugs, plates, cutlery and other assorted bits and pieces. At the bottom of the crate there were a collection of baby paraphernalia. Harry picked up a small bowl with snitches swirling on it and eyed it for a long moment.

"James bought that," Remus said softly from over his shoulder. "It was part of a whole Quidditch-themed set of bowls, cups, plates and so on."

Harry gave a small huff of sad laughter and started putting things back into the crate. "This one must have come from the kitchen," he said in an odd tone of voice. He wasn't sure how he was meant to be feeling right now, going through things that his parents had once owned, things he'd once used.

Remus nodded and helped him repack the crate. They turned to the next one and Remus again opened it. There was another blanket placed on top and Harry removed that. Right underneath was a collection of photos. They were still in frames and in some cases the remnants of frames. Harry picked the topmost one up and saw that it was a photograph of his parents from their wedding. They both looked so young and were waving happily and occasionally turning to each other and kissing. Harry carefully removed the photo from its shattered frame and placed it beside him.

He picked up the next photo and saw his parents again. This time they were in a park somewhere and were dancing with each other, endlessly whirling around in the photo.

"I took that one," Remus said in a slightly choked voice. "We were out celebrating. They'd just found out Lily was pregnant."

Harry swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat but did not say anything. He removed this photo from the broken frame and placed it with the other. One by one they went through the photos. There were many of them in the crate; most were undamaged, the frames and glass having taken the brunt of the impact. Remus knew when and where most of them had been taken. At the bottom of the crate was a collection of photos in a ragged box. The box was slightly squashed but it seemed to have been somehow protected from the general destruction of the house. Harry pulled the box out and opened it. He pulled the photos out and found that the box contained an enormous collection of baby photos. There were photos from when he was just a few days old to ones taken probably only a few weeks before that night in October.

Harry flipped through the photos and smiled sadly. There were pictures of him on his own, with his parents both together and individually, Sirius, Remus, Peter and even a few of him with Minerva McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore. At the bottom of the pile was an envelope and Harry opened it curiously. He pulled the photos inside out and started laughing with delight. Remus looked over his shoulder and gave an amused groan before joining in the laughter. The photos showed Harry with Padfoot; the big, black dog licking the baby Harry enthusiastically as Harry screamed with laughter, Harry sitting on the dog's back, Harry asleep curled up against the dog's belly. There were photos of Harry with Wormtail; the little rat sitting on a laughing Harry's shoulders and head. And finally there were photos of Harry with Prongs, sitting on the stag's back and looked utterly delighted.

"I'd forgotten about those," Remus said with a fond smile. "Lily and I took them. I'm not sure who you loved more, Sirius or Padfoot."

"I wished I remembered it," Harry said softly.

"You were too young, I suppose," Remus replied. "You were always amazed and delighted when Sirius or Peter or James became their animagus form. You thought it was the best thing you'd ever seen."

Harry smiled and very carefully picked up all of the photos. He stood and carried them over to the table at the side of the room and placed them there. He then returned to find Remus had opened the third crate and removed the blanket on top. This crate was full of clothing and Harry carefully pulled out a few items.

"This looks like James and Lily's clothes," Remus said after a minute. "They must have gone through the rooms and just taken anything still intact."

Harry nodded and let the clothes fall back into the crate. They turned to the fourth crate and when Remus opened it and removed the blanket, they found several slightly battered stuffed animals sitting on top. Harry pulled out the animals and smiled. There was a stuffed black dog, a stuffed grey wolf, a stuffed deer and small stuffed rat.

"Gee, I wonder why I had these," he said dryly.

Remus chuckled. "You have no idea how hard it was to find the deer and the rat. Those four were Sirius and my present to you when you were born."

Harry gave a small laugh and placed the stuffed animals to one side. The rest of the crate was full of baby clothes and paraphernalia as well as other small toys. Once they'd emptied the crate, Harry kept the three of the four stuffed animals aside then put everything else back with Remus' help. He then took the stuffed dog, deer and wolf over and put them with the photos. When he came back, Remus was standing next to the last open crate.

"How are you doing?" he asked with concern.

"Okay, I think," Harry replied, his voice just a tiny bit shaky. "It's weird going through all of this."

Remus nodded and they turned to the last crate. Harry pulled the blanket off the top and they saw that there seemed to be a real mishmash of items in this crate. Sitting on top were a number of dented and tarnished Quidditch trophies. Remus and Harry pulled them out and looked them over.

"Dad was a Chaser?" Harry asked as he read the words on the trophy in his hand.

Remus nodded. "Yeah, a good one too. Sirius played Beater up until Sixth Year as well."

"Why did he stop?" Harry asked as he pulled another trophy out.

Remus hesitated for a moment. "He was banned from playing after the...incident at the Shrieking Shack."

"Oh," Harry replied.

Underneath the trophies were a number of medals, small statues and knick-knacks.

"These look like some of your grandparents' things," Remus said. "I remember seeing a lot of this stuff at their house during various summer holidays."

Harry nodded as they kept emptying the crate. "If there was a proto-Horcrux at Godric's Hollow, it's probably in here then," he observed.

"Probably," Remus agreed. "They would have thought it belonged with these things. Do you have any idea what it might be?"

Harry shook his head. "Not really. I've speculated it might be something of Godric Gryffindor's but that's only a guess."

"Why?"

Harry shrugged as he lifted out a small statue of a lion. "The Headmaster thought that the only relic of Gryffindor's to survive this long was the sword but when I compared the lists I got from Bill and Minerva, there were three artefacts that were missing and unaccounted for. Everything else had a date and small description of how it was lost or destroyed. These three were just listed as missing."

"What were they?" Remus asked as he admired a small carving of a lily.

"There was a shield which I assume is a match for the sword."

"That'd be a bit big, I think," Remus said.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's the least likely option. There was a bracelet. A solid gold thing about an inch wide with lions carved on it. And the third was a gold goblet also with lions carved on it. One of those old style types with a hinged lid on it."

"Which is it more likely to be?" Remus asked.

Harry paused. "I'm not sure. I guess the goblet seems the most obvious choice."

"Uhuh," Remus said in a very odd tone of voice. "Maybe something like this?"

Harry looked over to see Remus holding a dented gold goblet with the lid hanging off the damaged hinge. The goblet was beautiful despite its damaged state, the lions carved in rampant form with vines winding around them. Remus offered the goblet to Harry and he took it, yelping as he felt the magic that seemed to run through the object.

"Wow," he said with fascination. "It's got a lot of magic in it."

Remus nodded. "Yes, that's what drew me to it. So I guess we can say that's the proto-Horcrux."

"Yeah," Harry said eying the goblet pensively. "I can see why they threw it in with the rest of Mum and Dad's stuff. It's clearly magical but there's nothing...Dark that I can sense in it."

Remus gestured to Harry for the goblet then pulled his wand out and tried a few spells. "No, there's nothing appreciably Dark about it. Maybe it doesn't become Dark until it's...used."

"I guess that makes sense," Harry replied slowly. "Bill said that the containment spells that could be used were probably ones he knew. He said there were only a limited number of kinds and that none of them were Dark magic."

"What did the Headmaster know about them?" Remus asked as he placed the goblet to one side and helped Harry pack everything back into the crate.

"Hermione's still deciphering his notes," Harry replied. "His writing's a bit cramped and hurried and hard to read. From what Hermione's worked out so far, he had the same thoughts we had; that the Horcrux had to be prepared before being used."

"Did he know how a Horcrux is actually created?" Remus asked and he knocked the lid of the crate back on.

"We haven't got that far in," Harry said. He looked down at the crates for a moment then said, "Dobby!"

The little house elf appeared looking slightly flustered. "Yes, Harry Potter sir?"

"Is everything alright, Dobby?" Harry asked.

Dobby's eyes widened for a moment then he nodded vigorously. "Oh yes, Harry Potter sir. Everything is just fine."

"Okay," Harry said slowly, suddenly realising that there was undoubtedly something being organised for his birthday and the little house elf had probably been in the middle of something. "Um, could you please take these crates up and store them somewhere safe?"

"Certainly!" Dobby said then he and the crates disappeared with a pop.

"I think they're up to something upstairs," Harry said with a small smile.

Remus chuckled and picked up the goblet. "I'd be disappointed if they weren't. So where to now?"

"The library," Harry said decisively as he gathered up the photos and the stuffed animals. "I'll join you after I put these into my room." He paused and grinned. "Maybe we should make a lot of noise as we walk up the stairs. I'd hate to spoil their fun."

Remus laughed and the two of them walked through the potions laboratory and thumped loudly up the stairs. They thumped down the corridor and studiously ignored the shuffling and admonitions coming from the living room. Harry left Remus at the door to the library and headed upstairs. He placed the photos on his desk and lined the stuffed dog, deer and wolf up on one of the bedside tables. He smiled down at them for a moment then gave a snort of laughter before turning and heading back down to the library. He paused at the top of the stairs then went back into his room and grabbed the pair of socks holding the locket Horcrux. He was careful to thump his way down the stairs and along the corridor before standing in the doorway.

"I think I'm going to spend the rest of the day in the library. I sure hope someone remembers to send some lunch in for Remus and I," he announced loudly to the world in general then he walked into the library and closed the door.

"Well, I'm sure they'll all be glad to hear that and I'm sure they'll remember to feed us," Remus laughed from where he was sitting and reading over Hermione's notes, the goblet sitting in front of him.

Harry walked over and pulled the locket out of the socks and placed it next to goblet. Then he picked up the goblet, flinching a little from the slight shock. He put the goblet down and picked up the locket, tossing it up and down in his hand for a moment before putting it back on the table.

"I wonder why the goblet has that...magical charge to it and the locket doesn't?" he wondered out loud.

"Maybe because the locket is a Horcrux but the goblet isn't," Remus suggested as he twitched the parchment containing the Headmaster's notes towards him.

Harry stared at the goblet and the locket broodingly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Remus looked up at him with concern in his eyes. "Maybe we should leave this for another day," he offered tentatively.

"Why?" Harry said in surprise.

"Because I think I'm going to get in trouble if you end up brooding your way into a bad mood on your birthday," Remus replied with a hit of humour.

Harry gave a small burst of a laugh then his eyes darkened. "It's just..." He picked up the locket. "The Headmaster died because of this damn thing and it wasn't even the real one."

Remus leaned back in his chair. "No, he didn't. Harry, the Headmaster died because Snape killed him. What I don't understand is why he didn't realise it was a fake."

Harry stiffened. "Didn't I tell you?"

Remus cocked his head to one side. "No, you didn't and none of us really wanted to press you for too many details about that night."

Harry sat down with a thump in a chair opposite Remus. "I told you about the cave and the lake, didn't I?"

Remus nodded. "Yes and the Inferi and the pedestal with the basin and potion."

Harry swallowed as he turned the locket over and over in his hand. "The locket was in the bowl and through the potion it looked like the real thing. The Headmaster couldn't touch the potion so he couldn't just reach in and take the locket. He determined that the potion had to be drunk."

"That was dangerous," Remus observed, more to prompt Harry than anything else.

Harry nodded, his eyes distant and his hands still turning the locket over and over. "I offered to drink it but he wouldn't let me and I'd promised to obey his orders. He made me promise that if he was incapable of drinking the potion I was to make him drink, even if that meant pouring it down his throat." Harry choked a bit and Remus waited patiently until he continued. "At first it seemed alright then he became...frightened. The potion did something that made him frightened beyond belief. But I kept making him drink it. I kept pouring that potion down his throat. I'd promised. So I did it. Even when he asked me to kill him, I still made him drink."

Remus stood silently and came round to Harry's side of the table. He plucked the locket out of the young man's hands and took them in own, crouching down beside the chair Harry was sitting on.

"When...when it was over, he passed out," Harry said, his voice soft and filled with remember horror. "I thought he was dead for a moment. I used Rennervate. He woke and asked for water. I tried filling the goblet but it wouldn't fill, it just kept emptying. I think Voldemort planned it that way. I had to fill it from the lake. I knew I shouldn't, Dumbledore had said it would wake the Inferi but I had to help him. The Inferi woke and I forgot that fire would affect them. I can't even remember what spells I used. Just when I thought I was dead, the Headmaster used a spell that raised fire. He looked terrible but he was standing. He grabbed the locket and we got out of there. He was so tired and seemed so weak. And I was so afraid." He paused and said softly," Neither of us thought to look at the locket. Then when we got back to Hogsmeade, we saw the Dark Mark and...well, you know the rest."

Remus nodded wordlessly then he stood and pulled Harry to him, wrapping him in a warm hug. Harry stiffened for a moment then his arms slipped around the older man and he relaxed into the warm body. He buried his face into Remus' robes and slowly, slowly, started to sob. He felt the older man rubbing his back soothingly and there were soft nonsense words being said and he let himself sob out his fear, his helplessness and his grief.

How long they stood like he didn't know but finally the tears slowed and stopped. He didn't move from the shelter of Remus' arms though, feeling safe for the first time in a long time. Finally Remus moved them over to the couch in the corner and they finally pulled apart in order to sit down. Remus then pulled him close again and Harry was happy to lean into the older man's comfort.

"You did a very brave thing," Remus said in a voice barely above a whisper. "And you did the right thing."

"How can you say that?" Harry asked in a dreary tone though he did not move. "The Headmaster died and it was a fake!"

"But neither of you knew that at the time," Remus insisted. "The Horcrux had to be found and destroyed and neither of you knew that it had been substituted. The only person who knew that was dead. And the Headmaster's death had nothing to do with the two of you getting that locket. That was Snape's fault and do not lay the blame anywhere other than with that man." He paused. "Though I suppose you can give some of the blame to Draco Malfoy."

Harry was silent for a long time. "You're not going back to Greyback," he said flatly.

"Thank you," Remus said quietly. "I wasn't of much use anyway. The werewolves that are drawn to Greyback don't want to hear what I have to say."

There was silence again.

"I asked Fred and George to come up with some kind of werewolf repellent that children could easily use or wear," he said suddenly. "Greyback goes after children and I know he killed the little brother of a couple of girls at school. Have they spoken to you at all? I said you might be willing to help them though I told them if they hurt you they'd have to answer to me...and to Tonks."

"Yes, they mentioned that project to me," Remus replied, willing to maintain the quiet, almost pensive air that surrounded them. "I'll be happy to help and it was a good idea. They were very concerned about not hurting me. I'd wondered why."

Harry frowned, though Remus couldn't see it. He did hear it in the young man's voice though. "Why wouldn't they be concerned?" he said with quiet indignation. "They like you, you know that don't you?"

Remus gave a small huff of laughter. "I know that. It's just that they were excessively concerned. I just wondered what had put the wind up them. I thought perhaps it was Molly."

Harry snorted then he said with a faint hint of humour, "I should tell them who Mr Moony is."

"So that's where you got the Marauders Map from," Remus said with a laugh.

"Yeah. They gave it to me in Third Year," Harry replied, feeling his mood start to lift with the light conversation. "I didn't have permission to go into Hogsmeade and they felt I shouldn't miss that. So they gave me the Map and showed me how to use it."

"Even though you were under the impression at that time that there was a mass murderer after you?" Remus said with amused disbelief. "I was right to take it away from you."

Harry smiled and gave a small laugh. "Well, I didn't think Sirius was going to come after me in the middle of Hogsmeade." He gave another laugh. "You know, thinking back on that, I should have got suspicious that you seemed to know what the Map was. I guess I was just so thrown off balance by seeing Pettigrew's name on it then getting caught by Snape. And then getting half-yelled at by you."

"Well, I had hoped to distract you," Remus admitted. "I know that I gave a bit too much away at that point. I had Snape at me for days after that."

Harry snorted. "I'll bet you did," he said darkly then he paused. "Why did you forget to take your potion that night?"

Remus was silent for a time. "After Snape brought it in, I went to check the Map. I actually had the damn goblet in my hand when I saw the three of you leave Hagrid's hut. Then I saw Peter's name and coming straight at you was Sirius. I don't remember what I did with the goblet. I think I just dropped it." He sighed. "You have no idea how many times I have wished I could go back and change that. All I needed to do was swallow the damn potion before I left. I still would have...transformed when we came out of the tunnel but I would have had my own mind." He sighed again. "You know I still don't know what I was more upset about; losing Peter or hurting Sirius. Other than putting you all at risk, of course."

Harry nodded and they fell silent again.

"Thank you for this," Harry said quietly after several minutes.

"That's okay," Remus replied. "I'm just glad I can help. I know you have to be strong out there, be the leader but you can always come to me if you need a shoulder to cry on, someone to lean on or just a sympathetic ear."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said with a smile. They'd had a long talk after Remus had returned from Hogwarts and he was glad that Tonks had pushed them into it. "Good thing Tonks told me what you wanted," he said, voicing that thought. "Otherwise we'd still be dancing around each other probably."

"Yes, she did the right thing," Remus replied, a fond note in his voice.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Harry asked after a short silence. "Taking the lead in this way?"

"Of course," Remus said, sounding a little confused. "Who else could? I mean, yes, Moody, Arthur and perhaps Bill or Aberforth could have taken the leadership but I don't think they could hold everyone together they way you'll be able to. Like it or not, you are the Boy-Who-Lived. People will listen to you." He paused. "You're not having doubts, are you?"

Harry snorted. "I always have doubts, Remus. I don't think I've ever been completely sure about anything. I just put on a good front because that's what everyone seems to expect of me."

"Well, I don't," Remus said firmly. "You can let out your fears and doubts with me. I'm not sure I'll always have the answers but I will always help."

"Thanks, Remus," Harry said quietly. "That does help." He paused. "I guess the problem is that I've got a goal but no real plan."

"How do you mean?" Remus asked.

"I know what I have to do," Harry said firmly. "I have to find and destroy all of the Horcruxes if I'm going to destroy Voldemort but the problem is I don't know where the Horcruxes are." He gave a frustrated sigh. "I know what they are; Nagini, Hufflepuff's cup, something of Ravenclaw's. But where are they?"

Remus thought about this for a while. "How did the Headmaster know where the locket was being held?"

"He suspected the cave that Tom Riddle took those other children from the orphanage into and did Merlin only knows what to them was the hiding place," Harry said thoughtfully. "He said he been trying to locate it for a while." He paused and frowned. "It keeps coming back to me. Professor Dumbledore showed me those memories for a reason. I know one reason but think there was another."

"What were the reason?" Remus asked curiously.

"Part of it was to give me an idea of what Voldemort was like when he was younger," Harry explained. "To get a feel for him and to show me that...I'm nothing like him. And that even though he's forced me into this role that I'm not helpless. I don't have to believe the prophecy, Remus. But because Voldemort believes it, I have to act like I do as well. But I have to do it on my terms. If I don't, I'm going to die. Professor Dumbledore helped me work it out. It's the difference between being dragged into an arena to face a battle to the death and walking in under your own steam with your head held high. It's still a battle to the death but you're..."

"No longer a victim," Remus said with understanding. "You're making your own choices and because you're making your own choices, you're better prepared. You're not caught lamenting and off guard."

"Exactly!" Harry said firmly.

"So what was the other reason?" Remus asked.

"I think it was also to give me hints about where the Horcruxes might be," Harry replied slowly. "Do you think Professor Dumbledore knew he was going to die?"

"I don't think he knew it," Remus said. "But I think he was aware it was a possibility. You and the Headmaster are right on top of the list of people Voldemort wants dead. Maybe he was just taking care of as many possibilities as he could."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Harry said thoughtfully. "Anyway, I think maybe the hiding places might be somewhere in those memories I saw."

"Where are you going to start?" Remus asked.

"I...think I'm going to start at the beginning," Harry replied. "I don't know what I'll find or even if there is anything to find but it's...somewhere to start. The Gaunts' house in Little Hangleton. Where Merope Gaunt, Tom Riddle's mother, lived."

"It's as good a place as any to start," Remus said with a nod. "When?"

"Soon," Harry said. "Before school starts again. I'm not sure if Ron, Hermione and I will really be ready but I don't think we have the luxury of time anymore."

"Well, you know you can call on the Order for help," Remus said firmly.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said with a smile. "But I think this might be a good test for the Trinity. It's probably time we made ourselves known to Voldemort."

Remus chuckled. "I don't think Voldemort knows what he's stirred up."

Harry's reply was interrupted by the arrival of Dobby with lunch. Harry thanked the little house elf and the two of them levered themselves off the couch and sat down to eat. Once they had finished, they turned their attention and new-found resolve back to the Headmaster's notes.