Harry Potter and the Forgotten Secrets

Chapter 9 ~ Harry’s Heartache

Harry’s POV

I looked at my watch. It was four in the morning. Nobody would be at the ministry for an hour. I pulled my cloak out of my trunk and walked outside as carefully as I could. Once I was a decent distance from the house, I wrapped my invisibility cloak around me and apparated to the Ministry of Magic.

I knew the library was on the fourth floor. Once there I pulled out my wand and pointed it at the door. Nothing happened. “Stubborn one, eh? Alohomora.” The door quietly slid open and I walked inside. Thankfully, each section of books was labeled. I went to the section marked “School Records” and began looking for Durmstrang. I grabbed about ten of them, just to be safe. I made sure I locked the library door before apparating back to the Burrow. 5:15. I would have just enough time to get back to the room before Mrs. Weasley called us for a 5:30 breakfast.

The morning seemed to go by slowly. I was thankful the majority of the house emptied after lunch. I had the Durmstrang books hidden below my cloak in front of the fire. Now to find a way to get Lara out of the house. At the moment we were sharing Mr. Weasley’s lounge chair and Ron was staring into the flames. Hermione was at her computer dealing with our homework.

“Lara, dear,” Mrs. Weasley said, coming into the room with her cloak and Mr. Weasley’s car keys in hand. “Would you accompany me at the store? We’re completely out of food again.”

Lara smiled at me and I kissed her forehead. “Of course,” she said. Nice timing, Mrs. Weasley.

“Good, we won’t be long,” Mrs. Weasley said and they both left.

As soon as I knew the car had left I sat on the floor and began reading through Durmstrang’s records. Two hours went by and I still hadn’t found anything. I had a feeling I was getting close though. I barely noticed when Hermione got up from her computer.

“Finished,” she said proudly. “All of our week’s worth of lessons have been sent to our professors.” She sat on the couch next to Ron.

“Good,” he said with a sigh. “Now maybe we can have a small break.” Ron was reading the newest Daily Prophet to see if there was anything on Voldemort. I saw him throw it on the end table out of the corner of my eye. “Nothing today, Harry.”

I gave him a small smile, my concentration on the records. “Good, glad to hear it.”

I saw Hermione trying to see what I was reading. “What is that, Harry?” she asked.

Well, I might as well tell her. “It’s some records from Durmstrang,” I said, turning the page. “I’m trying to find Lara’s records.”

“Why?” Ron and Hermione asked together. Okay, that was getting a bit disturbing the way they thought alike.

“Because I have to know why my fiancé won’t tell me her last name.” I flipped the page again.

Ron chuckled. “Maybe she’s Riddle’s or Malfoy’s heir,” he mused. That would be my worst nightmare. Hermione punched Ron on the shoulder. “Ow!”

“Be nice.”

I rolled my eyes and flipped the page again. My eyes widened as I laid my eyes on Lara’s name. “Here it is!” I quickly sat up to get better light on the page. I read the name three times to myself. Lara Mary Black, daughter of Virginia and Sirius Black. What? “Lara Mary Black…” I trailed off. I couldn’t even finish my sentence.

“Black?” Hermione asked. I nodded. “Are you sure?” I nodded again. No, Hermione, I’m lying.

I looked back down to the book. “The year fits.” I flipped to the back of the book. What’s this? A first name index? L…La…Lara…the only one. “And the first name index says she’s the only Lara.”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing,” Ron said.

“Neither did I,” I said. I felt the blood leave y face. I hadn’t felt this much pain since Sirius died. Or since I found out the truth about my parents. How could she do this to me? Didn’t she realize this changed our future? How could I marry her if she can’t tell me who her parents were? This girl was my life, and she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. I slammed the book shut and set it on the fire ledge with the other books. “How…why…how could she…” I didn’t get a chance to verbalize my frustrated thoughts as the door opened. Lara and Mrs. Weasley had just come home.

“What a mad house. Muggles everywhere.” I sat quietly as Ron and Hermione went to help them.

I couldn’t get that line in the book out of my head…Lara Mary Black, daughter of Virginia and Sirius Black. Virginia Black? Sirius was married? Now all of a sudden I didn’t even know who my godfather was. Why were there so many secrets? And why would Dumbledore keep them from me? My thoughts were interrupted when Ron came back and sat on the couch.

“Hermione and Lara went to talk,” he said, sounding a bit cautious. I didn’t move, and I didn’t say anything. “Harry?”

I shook my head slightly and looked up at Ron. “Where’d they go?”

“Out on the porch, but I don’t think we should interrupt. Let Hermione talk to her first.” I leapt up. I was not going to stand for this.

“Bloody hell, Ron! This is my fiancé, my fiancé who lied to me! What in bloody hell makes you think I’m just going to let her get away with this!” Ron looked at me like he had seen a ghost. I had put a little fear into my best friend, but I didn’t care. I looked at the open kitchen door. It was now or never.

I stopped just before the door where they could see me…I was waiting for a good time to enter. “He what?” Lara was saying.

“Is Sirius your dad?”

I hear Lara sniffle. “I wasn’t allowed to tell you. I wanted to so much…” I heard another sniff, but whether it came from Lara I didn’t know. “You have to believe me that I wanted to tell you.” This was my chance.

“Then why didn’t you?” I asked. Ron shrugged his shoulders and gave Hermione an apologetic look and made his way to her. She gave him a small smile, wiping her cheeks.

Lara turned and took my hand. “Oh, Harry…I wanted to. Mum made me promise that I wouldn’t…as well as Dumbledore.”

I gave Lara a disappointed and hurt look. “Lara, I don’t even know who you really are. How did you expect me to know who I was marrying if you didn’t tell me who you were?” I paused, waiting for some kind of response, but she didn’t answer. “So, you’re really Sirius’s daughter?” She nodded.

“I didn’t know him. Mum told me of him of course, but he was in Azkaban all my life…and then…” she trailed off. I swallowed hard. Suddenly it hit me that she didn’t know her father, and I had. Even though it was only a short time, I still knew him. Way to go, Harry. “What was my father like, Harry?” I shook my head at her in disbelief. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a deep hug, allowing her to cry into my shoulder.

“Lara…” I couldn’t seem to find the right words. She let out a deep sigh as we were suddenly left alone on the porch.

“I’m so sorry, Harry.” It was all she seemed to be able to say. I felt so guilty about all this, but questions still played in my mind.

I stroked her hair and brought her chin up to look into her eyes. A tear ran down her cheek and I wiped it away. “I don’t want anymore crying, Lara Black.” She closed her eyes, a small smile of relief displaying on her beautiful face. “I forgive you for not telling me about Sirius.” I leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. My whole world was right here. I may not have my parents, or Sirius, and even though I had so many questions about all of this, my life was perfect just the way it was. When she was in my arms nothing else mattered. “I love you, Lara.”

“I love you, too.” We spent the next 20 minutes holding each other silently. I knew she was thinking about Sirius, and I was too. Suddenly, we both had something more in common. But my next step in this whole mess was to pay a little surprise reunion to Hogwarts. And right before the Christmas holiday too.