Harry Potter and the Keys of Light

Chapter Three: "Flowered Stationary and a Snitch"

Harry had only just dropped off when a house elf by the name of Dunkle came and woke him.

"Master Dumbledore is waiting for you, sir," squeaked the little elf. "He asks Mister Potter to please hurry." Harry put on his robes and followed the elf to the living room. The Headmaster was indeed waiting for him, as Dunkle had said, but so was Lupin.

"Hi, Harry," he said, "Are you ready to go?"

"Are you coming with us?"

"It'll just be you and me," Lupin said. "Professor Dumbledore has business he must attend to."

"Oh," Harry said. Silently, he wondered whether the Headmaster was angry with him for what he had said earlier. Still, he was with Lupin, and he didn't care if Dumbledore was upset over Snape. "Let's go then."

They stopped first at Gringotts. There, Lupin deposited money into Harry's vault. It had been Sirius's, he explained, saved for Harry when his parents first suspected they were in danger. Harry also went to his vault and filled his moneybag with galleons, sickles and knuts. He was amazed at the increased stacks of gold and silver in the vault, having never though of Sirius as wealthy enough to have saved that much for him. But then, he realized, he had received a Firebolt from his godfather. Silently, Harry thought about Sirius while Lupin did something for Dumbledore. Harry liked Lupin quite a lot, but it was no replacement for his godfather, as Sirius was no replacement for his father.

"Galleon for your thoughts?" Lupin was standing before him now.

"It's nothing," Harry said, collecting himself. "Where are we going next?"

"Well, I believe we need to stop at Madame Malkins', and then to Flourish and Blotts. You'll need to get some books for your studies this summer."

""What studies?" Harry asked as they walked back to Diagon Alley.

"Well, mostly in Defense, but in most of your subjects, especially Potions. You've got talent Harry, we all know that, but it's about time you learned to use it."

"I'm on summer break and I have to do schoolwork?"

"It isn't so bad. Besides, once we're at the castle, you'll have the other professors to help you. And, I was actually wondering if you could help me."

"With what?"

"Well, I need to know what students were taught under you last year and how far along they are. I'll need to catch up the other students, and, though I haven't cleared it with Dumbledore--"

"You'll be back at Hogwarts this term then?" Harry asked excitedly.

"What? Oh, yes, I will. Anyway, I think it may be a good idea to continue your...er...club. Everyone will need what skills they can get. And apparently, we have a very talented group at Hogwarts. After all, it was only six students that fought last year, and did a good job of it." Harry smiled; he too had been proud of the progress of the DA, and was glad to hear recognition for it. He wouldn't tell Lupin, though, that he had planned to continue the DA even if the Headmaster told him not to.

Madame Malkins' was not very busy that afternoon. The busiest season of the year was closer to the start of term, when all Hogwarts students went to purchase their new robes. Harry chose several robes he liked, in varying colors, and a new set of dark green dress robes--Lupin hinted that he might need them, but wouldn't tell why.

Flourish and Blotts was nearly empty, save a middle-aged witch searching through the Magical Plants section ("I just know there is some way to get rid of those Puffapods.") and a balding wizard looking suspiciously at them over the top of a book entitled How to Tell if Perfect Strangers are Going to Curse You. Lupin went to talk to the clerk, leaving Harry to examine the shelves in the Magical History section.

There was an entire series of encyclopedias on Goblin revolutions, books on the creation of the Ministry of Magic (both approved and unapproved by the Ministry itself) and a set of volumes called A Brief History of European Magical Societies by Insipidia Dreary, each three thousand pages long. The most interesting titles were found in the section on Wizard Legend. Harry looked through several books, What Muggle Myths Were Stolen from Magical Lore, Legendary Beasts That Once Lived, The Reality of Legends and Why You Aren't Hallucinating, and What You Need to Know From Magical Myth and Why You Shouldn't Believe It, before picking up a small red leather volume. The title, Lost for Centuries: Magical Tools and Weapons by Gretchen Talizmann, was embossed on the front in gold. Harry opened the book to the center, where he found a familiar picture looking at him. It was a drawing of the Philosopher's Stone.

"Where were this when I needed it," Harry muttered to himself. He turned the page to see a drawing of three objects, a sword, an amulet and what appeared to be a large silver shield. The page opposite it read,

The Keys of Light

Created in the early eighth century, the Keys of Light have been subject of more legendary tales than any other magical object known. The Keys consist of the bejeweled Lion sword, the amulet of Sight, and the Arms of Power. By the most reliable account, the Lion Sword was wielded by Godric Gryffindor in the battle of Traens Grove. The sword is said to have come to him as a gift from a mer-queen. The sword was originally called Excalibur, the ancient merrish word for Lion and the name by which Gryffindor was also known.

"Shall we go?" Harry started at Lupin's voice.

"Hang on," he said, taking the book to the counter. Lupin waited for him while the clerk had to search for the price of the book. "I am almost certain we haven't ever carried this book," he said apologetically. In exasperation, the clerk finally pulled a book of similar size off the shelf behind him and charged Harry ten sickles.

"What book did you get?" Lupin asked later, as they sat down outside Fortescue's Ice Cream shop.

"Just something on myths that looked interesting. What did you get?"

"Oh, advanced Defense against the Dark Arts, Potions and Charms and, this I especially want you to read, a book on Magical Medicine. You, my dear boy, tend to frequently injure yourself, and it would be helpful to know some of the basics." He pulled the book from the bag and handed it to Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said. "This might be a good thing to teach in Defense, Professor."

"That's why I want you reading it. Between you and Miss Granger, you be able to teach all of the advanced students while I catch up the rest in Defense."

"Professor," Harry said, taking another sip of his shake, "do you think, if I kept up my...tutoring, that Dumbledore would let me run it the way I want? I mean, give me a little more room to do things."

"I don't know, Harry. We'll have to discuss that when we present the idea to him." Harry nodded. "Well, I think is almost everything. We'll have to stop at the apothecary to refill some of your supplies. At school, you'll have most ingredients available, but some of the basic ingredients you will have to bring."

They finished eating and went to the Apothecary before stopping to visit Fred and George. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was by far the most crowded shop in all of Diagon Alley, filled with students buying amusements for the summer. Fred was at the front of the shop, helping customers.

"Harry! Lupin! How are you?" he asked, walking over to them.

"We're fine," Harry said. "It looks like business is going well."

"It's been great. People just can't seem to get enough. We keep getting howler's though, but, it is the price one has to pay for success," he said in a victimized way. Then, smiling, he added, "Besides, we're just glad we don't have be the ones getting told off for it."

"Where's George?" Lupin asked.

"Oh, he's in the testing room at the moment. We're developing a new kind of toffee that will make whoever eats it sing everything they want to say, but for some reason after a minute they all end up singing the Spice Girls."

"I didn't know the Spice Girls were popular in the wizarding world," Harry said.

"They're really witches, you see, who decided to cross over into Muggle music. After a while, though, they came back. They said Muggles were bizarre and dressed strangely, and they had to pretend to break up to get rid of their fans," Fred explained. Harry shrugged, and they walked to a door behind the counter.

Beyond the door was a hallway with glass windows into the rooms lining it. There were wizards in each of the rooms, each with some deformity or problem. One man was being levitating off the ground as his pair of enormous ears flapped. A moment later, though, his ears had shrunk and he had fallen back to the floor.

"It only lasts a few seconds," Fred said as they passed. "The problem is trying to get control so that the ear put you back on the ground before you fall."

At the end of the hall was a door labeled MANAGEMENT. As they opened it, Harry caught the words "If you wanna be my lover." George was sitting at a large desk, a stopwatch in one hand, quill in the other. Seeing the door open, he put a little blue pill into his mouth and swallowed.

"I only sang the chorus that time," George said.

"Great!"

"I think we've almost got it. Anyway, how are you Harry? Professor Lupin?"

"Well, George, well," Lupin said. "We were just doing some shopping and thought we'd drop by."

"The shop looks great George," Harry said.

"Well, thank you mate."

"Hey!" Fred exclaimed, "We're going home tomorrow, do you want to come with us?"

"Well, I--"

"It's time for us to go," Lupin interrupted, checking his watch. They said their goodbyes and, after wishing the twins luck on their newest project and promising to visit soon, left the shop. "I'm sorry we had to cut that short, Harry, but we have to get you back to the flat. There will be a meeting tonight, and I think Dumbledore wants you there."

They hurried quickly back to the Leaky Cauldron and up the stairs to the flat. Dunkle was awaiting them and took the bags to Harry's room.

"Master Dumbledore will be back here soon, sirs," he said, "He asks that you wait for him here Mister Lupin and that Mister Potter wait in his room until Dunkle comes to fetch him." Harry left Lupin in the living room, therefore, and followed the elf to his room.

After putting his books on the shelf, Harry sat on the bed, unsure what to do. He felt irritated then, at having to follow orders without any reason.

"Wait here, don't go there," he muttered to himself. He looked around for something to do, wondering how long he would be left waiting. He saw the trunk, but thought better of it; he would open it tonight when he could be alone. Hedwig had not yet returned from her deliveries, and Ravenclaw was missing from her frame. Sighing, Harry went to the shelf and pulled out Lost for Centuries.

The sword was left at Hogwarts School upon Gryffindor's death, were it remained undisturbed for centuries In the later half of the twentieth century, however, an attempt was made to steal the sword from the school. The sword and its scabbard were hidden, though many believe it still lies within the school. The Lion Sword is said to endow its owner with heightened physical strength and the metal is practically indestructible.

The second Key is the Amulet of Sight. The medallion itself is engraved with runes that reveal themselves only to one chosen to guard the Keys; it is believed that the runes translate to the spell that will activate the Keys. At the center of the medallion is a blue opal, the mark of its creator Rowena Ravenclaw.

Harry looked up at Ravenclaw's frame, but she was still missing from it. He decided to see if she was wearing it the next time she appeared.

The amulet serves to enhance the power of Seers and allow those without the Gift to look into the future to a limited extent. Ravenclaw wore the amulet until her death, and its whereabouts are to this day unknown.

The final Key is the Arms of Power. The shield was forged of the same metal as the Lion Sword, endowed with powers of magical protection. The four charges on the shield are the lion, badger, raven and serpent--the basis for the coat of arms used for Hogwarts School--set against argent, or silver. The Arms was created by Helga Hufflepuff and stood in the great hall of Hogwarts School as protection against attack during the Great Schism in the eighth century. It was lost in the Battle of 765, during the sacking of Hogwarts and has never yet been found.

The Keys of Light, when brought together, endow their Guardian with unknown magic power. Legend tells a variety of gifs bestowed by the Keys, the most common of which include the ability to travel through time, control over natural magic and magical creatures, and near immortality. There are no known occurrences of the activation of the Keys of Light, but myth states that the Founders of Hogwarts School used them to defeat Salazar Slytherin in 778 A.D.

Harry closed the book, amusing himself with the thought of writing to Gretchen Talizmann and informing her that he had used the Lion Sword in his second year against a basilisk. That would definitely be a story for the Quibbler, he thought. The story itself was interesting, much more than anything Professor Binns had told. Harry wondered why they hadn't every studied the war between the Founders.

A knock on the door brought Harry's attention to Dunkle, standing in the doorway looking at him.

"Master is ready for you, sir."

Overall, there were twenty witches and wizards assembled in Dumbledore's living room; Harry saw Moody, Tonks and Lupin, as well as Kingsley Shacklebolt, a witch Harry remembered was named Emmeline Vance, Professor McGonagall, and Mrs. Weasley. The meeting hadn't yet started, and most of people present were standing in groups talking. Mrs. Weasley, eyeing Harry, motioned for him to join her on the sofa, and then hugged him.

"How are you feeling, dear?"

"Tired, Mrs. Weasley. But I'm okay."

"That's good. We were all so worried about you, even though you were with Dumbledore. But--oh, it looks like we're getting started. Just sit quietly until someone asks you something."

"What am I supposed to say?" Harry asked, but Mrs. Weasley did not answer him; Dumbledore had entered the room, causing all to silence themselves, and everyone found a place to sit. The Professor conjured a chair, facing the assembly, and began,

"As many of you know, an attack occurred today of some importance. In brief, the Muggle family that Harry"--he gestured toward Harry--"had been living with was murdered." An outbreak of murmuring began, and Harry felt the eyes of many of the company on him. After a moment, Dumbledore quieted them again and said, "Furthermore, the attack was most obviously performed by one of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters, though, on direct order, we cannot be sure. The question we must ask ourselves, however, why this happened."

"It seems a bit obvious," said a dark haired wizard in blue robes, "He wanted Harry as far from the protection set in place for him as possible."

"Don't be stupid," growled Moody. "The Dark Lord knows that Harry would just be placed in the care of one of us--more guarded than he was before. He isn't going to make it harder for himself to kill the boy."

"Precisely," Dumbledore said. "So, what motive was there?"

"What if he was just trying to distract us?" Everyone turned to Harry, who felt himself go red, but continued, "I mean, it's big news, isn't it?" Dumbledore looked at Harry with approval.

"What would He need a distraction for then?" asked the witch named Emmeline Vance. "That would mean he already has some new scheme. We haven't had any time to prepare for his next move."

"More than likely, that is what he wants," Lupin said. "To catch us off guard."

"We will have to wait until we receive more information. Until then, I believe we should here the account of what happened on the Ministry front. Ms. Vance?" Emmeline Vance stood and cleared her throat.

"At approximately 9:40 this morning, magic detectors sounded at the ministry, alerting us of some serious magic in the area of Little Whinging. Aurors were dispatched to investigate, and returned with reports of a magic attack on three Muggles, namely, Vernon, Petunia and Dudley Dursley, legal guardians of Harry J. Potter. A large crowd of Muggles witnessed the incident, and the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad was dispatched to remove traces of magic from the scene and alter the memories of the bystanders. An investigation was begun by 11:37, revealing traces of the Explosivus Curse. This was recorded and all Ministry units were called back. Further investigation will not occur until tomorrow afternoon."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Have we finished our own investigation?'

"Not yet sir," Lupin said. "We've accounted for the whereabouts of all our known Death Eaters, excepting Avery and Goyle." Dumbledore nodded and opened his mouth to speak when Arthur Weasley appeared in the middle of the room, breathing heavily.

"Azkaban," he said, "Dementors swarmed the prison and released the prisoners. All ministry officials killed."

"How long?" Dumbledore asked.

"Within the hour."

"Kingsley, Ignatius"--the dark haired wizard in the blue robes stepped forward--"get back to the Ministry and find out what you can. Remus, Arthur, prepare watch for Malfoy Manor; more than likely, they will assemble there. The rest of you, find out what you must, and activate the emergency wards." In a moment, all the wizards in the room were gone, leaving Harry and Dumbledore alone.

"I guess we know what they needed a distraction for," Harry said.

"Harry, if I leave, will you promise to remain here?'

"Of course."

"Goodnight then." With a pop, the Headmaster was gone. Dunkle entered the room carrying a tray of lemonade and biscuits.

"Is the company gone?" he asked disappointedly. "They missed Dunkle's good refreshmentses."

"I'll have some, Dunkle," Harry said, accepting a glass. The elf smiled and went back to the kitchen. Harry took his lemonade and went back to his room.

The sun was setting, casting the room with an orange glow. Ravenclaw was still missing, but Hedwig was sitting atop her cage, waiting to be fed. Harry got an owl treat out of his drawer and put her in her cage. Then, he closed the door and sat down before the black trunk. He took a deep breath and pushed the lid open.

The lid of the trunk was lined with photographs--Harry saw many of the photos showed his parents together, a picture of his father in his scarlet Quidditch robes, and some of his father, Sirius and Lupin. One picture was not moving, however. It was a faded photo of a family; the parents sat on the steps of a large house, smiling at the two girls playing beneath them. One of the girls had red hair, and the other blonde. Harry unpinned it from the lid and turned it over. It read, "Me and Petunia, '70."

A stack of book lay in the left corner, an old bear and a pile of envelopes tied together with a white ribbon. There was also a black jewelry box, with a white lily on the top. Harry opened it and saw a variety of rings and necklaces of varying stones. He closed the box and put it back on top of the pile. It didn't sit right, though, and fell against the bear. Harry reached to straighten the doll when he noticed that it was holding an envelope in its hand. Curious, Harry pulled the envelope from the bear's grasp, and, looking at the front of it, gasped aloud.

It was addressed to Harry Potter. Nervously, Harry turned the envelope over and tore open the seal. His hands were shaking--had his mother written this? Surely; what would it say? He closed his eyes and moment before pulling the parchment from the envelope.

The parchment had a flowered band around the edges--lilies.

Harry-

If you are reading this, son, then your father and I have been killed. In truth, we are expecting it any day now; we fear that a spy has leaked our location to the Dark Lord (if you do not know who this is, ask your godfather.) I am writing this letter to you so that you may know the truth about many parts of our history that you may never know.

Firstly, we want you to know that we were aware of a prophecy concerning you and the Dark Lord before you were born. It is, in fact, part of the reason why we wanted to have a child. Do not misunderstand me, Harry, I love you more than anything and am only grateful to have enjoyed my family for this long, but a war is no environment for a baby. You are a special boy Harry, with powers you may never be aware of--but I will tell you of that later.

I suppose I should tell you a little of your grandparents, as they have all died by this time. Your father's parents, Thomas and Constance Potter were from a respectable pureblood line. They were good people, and donated constantly to St. Mungo's and Hogwarts, always the first to help anyone. My own parents, Charles and Rose Evans were both Muggles, but several generations previously my mother's family were wizards. My father died of a heart attack before I was married, and my mother shortly after that. The Potters died in a fight against the Dark Lord, buying your father and I time to escape. If you visit the town hall of Godric's Hollow, you will find a plaque engraved in their memory. I wish you could have known your grandparents Harry, but I know they were very proud of you and loved you very much.

It is a very dangerous life your father and I lead, Harry. Our work for the Order of the Phoenix has forced us currently into hiding, and the information that we have is vital to the defeat of the Dark Lord. (If you do not know about the Order, ask your godfather.) Unfortunately, this is why I must write this letter to you--there is a very real possibility of our death and your father and I wanted you to know that we did not leave you alone without a good reason. If, by some miracle, we live to raise you, you would have been told this all by now.

I suppose you are wondering why I left this in the care of my sister, Petunia. If she has not changed her opinions, she and her husband are very much against the world we live in. I instructed her to see that this trunk reach you, should I die, in hopes that you might reconcile her. I love her, though we have had our differences, and I know that, in her heart, she will do this for me. I think they have a son your age, Harry, and I hope that you and your cousin are good friends.

As I mentioned earlier, you are a very special child, Harry. You are destined to fight a great battle with the Dark Lord. It is a great responsibility, I know, and I have long wished that it were some other that had to do this. There is, in fact, another boy, but we know it is you. You see Harry, you come from a long line of brave fighters--the Potters were never a noble family, but they were known for their great skill with magic and their valor. A Potter has fought in almost all the great battles in wizard history; in my family, our wizard line follows back to the Celts and the Faerie folk. Dumbledore tries to comfort us with doubt, but I fear there is little hope. There is strong magic in your veins Harry, the greatest of which is love. Your father and I love you Harry, and we only pray that you never have to read this letter.

The only thing I have left to say is that inside this trunk, you will find several things of your father's and mine--things we left so that you might know us. Most importantly, there is a ring in the black jewelry box that I want you to have. Of your fathers, look in the bottom of the trunk.

If you are reading this Harry, I can only tell you that we love you and that, even if we are dead, we will be with you always.

Your mother,

Lily R. Potter

Harry closed his eyes a moment; tears ran down his cheeks, chilling the skin as air passed over the moist flesh. Harry forced himself to remember the night his mother died, to remember her voice so that it was as if she were speaking to him. With a shaking hand, he wiped his eyes and read the letter again. It was dated three weeks before their death. He folded it and placed it back inside the envelope, setting it on the floor beside the trunk. After a moment, he reached for the jewelry box. Inside, as his mother had said, was a single ring; it was silver, with a blue stone in the center, surrounded by two rubies. Looking at it, Harry saw that there was an inscription on the inside.

My Lily, my beautiful flower, my wife.

It was his mother's engagement ring, he realized. Harry put it back into the box and began pulling things out of the trunk. He found several photo albums, himself as a baby, of the people he assumed to be his grandparents--his grandfather had the same untidy black hair--of his father, Sirius, Remus and Pettigrew as students; there was a blanket, neatly folded near the bottom, patched in places, but still in good condition. It was scarlet and gold with a lion embroidered in the bottom left corner. Beneath this, Harry found another case made of dark red velvet. He looked it over for the way to open it and found a slip of parchment attached to the bottom with spell-o-tape. It read, "To Harry, from your father."

"This is what mum wrote about," he said to himself. There was a seam running around the middle of the box, which Harry pulled at with his fingers, prying the top off. Inside was a small golden sphere, sitting on a gold plate, no wider that Harry's palm--it was a Snitch. Harry felt himself smile a moment; he remembered the image of his father tossing the snitch by the lake...but then he recalled the rest of Snape's memory and was brought back to the trunk. He put all the albums, the bear, the jewelry box, the letter and the Snitch back into the trunk. Harry closed the lid of the trunk and lay down on his bed, wrapping his mother's blanket tightly around him.