Harry Potter and the Secrets from the Past

Chapter 16. THE GRAVEYARD

...

You've never seen a man crying,

Open your eyes, then

Because now you're going to see him.

If you've never seen a man crying,

Look at me...

Look at me...

...

"Anna" by Lucio Battisti

That afternoon ended with Friday's usual two hours of Potions: Harry tried his best at resisting Snape's provocations until the bell finally rang. He was the first one to exit the classroom, happy about the Christmas holidays which were going to start that day.

The three friends headed to the Great Hall for dinner and took a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Neville! I just found out that you are going to spend your holidays with Seamus," Ron said enthusiastically.

"Yes, for a change! My grandmother wants me to deepen good friendships... and you? Are you going to stay at school this year?"

"Me? No, I'm going home, and Harry is coming with me."

Harry was really looking forward to spending his Christmas holidays at the Burrow and finally enjoying himself with Ron and his brothers. Hermione was going to go back home to stay with her parents, even though Harry hoped that she'd change her mind at the last minute, deciding to join them.

That evening, everybody was busy packing their things, but Harry, Ron and Hermione wanted to pay a visit to Hagrid before to go to sleep. Wishing not to attrack too much attention, they crammed under Harry's invisibility cloack and tiptoed out from the half deserted common room. Soon they found themselves out in the grounds, walking on the fresh snow.

Hagrid's hut was lit up, and from the chimney-pipe, grey smoke was coming out. As soon as they arrived in front of the door, Harry knocked twice, and Fang immediately started to bark.

"I'm coming... I'm coming! Be quiet Fang... oh it's you guys." Hagrid said, staring over their heads, and opened the door letting them in. Once inside, Harry took his cloak off and Hagrid quickly closed the curtains.

"Hi, Hagrid, we came to wish you a Merry Christmas," Hermione said with a large smile. Harry was busy keeping Fang from licking his face.

"Yes... Merry Christmas, Hagrid."

"Thank you guys! But you know, you shouldn't have come at this time of the night. It's not safe. Anyway, since you are here, we can have a cup of tea together before you go back."

While Hagrid was pouring the tea in three huge blue cups, Harry, Ron and Hermione took a seat in the large armchairs.

"What are you going to do during your holidays?" Harry asked, while waiting his tea to cool.

"Oh, nothing in particular, just the usual things for Dumbledore... Oh, no! I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have said that." Hagrid replied, awkwardly.

"Are you going to do something for the Order?" Hermione asked curiously, but Hagrid quickly denied it.

"Oh, not at all! I can't tell you, and I won't, because it's ..."

KNOCK... KNOCK...

Hagrid was cut off by someone knocking at his door, and he looked at his friends worriedly.

"Quick! Get under the cloak!"

Harry wrapped his cloak around himself and Hermione and then Ron turned around the table, joining them. The three friends stepped backwards, until they reached the farthest corner of the room.

Hagrid took away the cups from the table, and opened the door, looking astonished by who he saw standing there: Mark Evans was smiling at him, with his head and cloak completely covered with snow, which in the meantime had started to fall down.

"What the hell are doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Hagrid, but I just need to talk to you for a moment."

Hagrid glared at him reluctantly, but then decided to let him in and closed the door, throwing a worried look to the place where Harry was hiding under the cloak, squeezed like a sandwich between Ron and Hermione.

"We mus talk about Harry Potter."

Again Hagrid looked to the corner where Harry was standing, and the boy started to listen carefully to every word.

"It's not the right time, Mark. Why don't you come back tomorrow morning..."

"No, Hagrid, tomorrow morning I won't be here, that's why I have to talk to you now."

Harry noticed that Hagrid was nervously playing with his beard. Mark Evans started to speak, while slowly pacing the room.

"The young Potter boy is really smart; I realized it this morning during my class. I spoke to him about the Veil of Death and he seemed really interested to the subject."

"What have you done? You shouldn't have done such a thing, Mark! As soon as Dumbledore finds out, he'll be really furious with you."

"What do you fear so much, Hagrid? Maybe that the boy will go back to the Department of Mysteries? And what if he does that? It would only be his right, trying to communicate with his godfather... please, don't tell me that you haven't thought about that before! Harry surely is a SEER, just like his mother Lily was!"

Hermione jumped in surprise, and Harry grabbed her arm, fearing that she was going to scream.

"How can you say something like that? Listen to me, Mark! You won't get closer to Harry again, do you understand me? And if tomorrow morning you're really going to leave, well... try not to come back again! I don't understand the reason why Dumbledore had called you; I really don't understand it...."

"Hagrid, you are his friend, you have spent much more time with Harry than I have, and he's going to believe you. Please, you must tell him about their grave. You must tell him where Lily and James are buried, because it is the only way that Harry will be able to go on and face the future. This is the right time to let him know all the truth."

"STOP IT, MARK! Now leave my house! I'm not going to hear another word from you."

Mark looked very sorry about Hagrid's attitude, and slowly headed to the door.

"All right, then. I'm leaving, and maybe we won't see each other again, but please, think about what I've just told you, Hagrid."

Mark Evans exited and Hagrid slammed the door behind him.

Immediately, Harry took off the cloak and reached Hagrid in front of the door: he was completely furious with him.

"You knew that! You knew that my mother was a Seer, and you didn't tell me anything!"

"Listen to me Harry... there are things that..."

But Harry didn't want to listen anymore, and started to shout at him. Ron and Hermione watched the scene, looking deeply shocked.

"The exact same thing happened with Sirius! You knew that he was my godfather, but you didn't tell me anything!" Harry shouted angrily.

"Please, calm down... let me explain..."

"I'm not a child anymore, there is no need to hide such a thing from me! He was talking about my parents' grave. You know where it is, right?"

But Hagrid didn't answer, and lowered his gaze to the ground, twisting his beard.

"YOU MUST TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE BURIED, IT'S MY RIGHT TO KNOW!"

Harry had completely lost his temper, and was staring at Hagrid directly in his eyes, with his fists raised, panting heavily.

Hermione grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down, but he moved away with a sharp tug.

He was determined to know exactly what he had just asked, and Hagrid knew that. He raised his gaze to the boy, and spoke slowly.

"They are buried right here, at Hogwarts. There is a little graveyard just at the west end of the grounds. Dumbledore gave the order to place them there, after they... they..."

"Harry, NO!"

Hermione shouted at him, but it was too late: Harry had just rushed outsite the hut and was heading to the other side of the grounds, without caring about the thick snow which was now falling down.

Hermione and Ron immediately tried to reach him, and Hagrid took his fur cloak and followed them out in the snow.

Harry was walking and walking, covering his eyes with his arms, protecting himself from the cold wind which was now violently blowing; he didn't care that his feet were sinking in the deep snow at every step, or that he wasn't able to see anything in front of him, or that his trousers were completely wet to the knees. Now his teeth were chattering and his body was freezing.

His friends were desperately following him, but Harry was already far ahead of them.

He walked along the Quidditch pitch and went on; it took him about half an hour to get there, but finally he started to see a little stony mausoleum at a distance.

The snowstorm had reached his maximum, and Harry's strength was abandoning him, even if he was stubbornly going on. Behind the mausoleum, there was a little hill, and behind it, finally, he saw the little graveyard, half hidden and full of snow. Harry was surprised that he'd never noticed it before.

He slowly reached the graves, intensely staring at each one of them, but they were difficult to read, since they were written in ancient runes.

The boy remained still for several minutes, with his head covered with fresh snow, his eyebrows frozed, and his lips quivering in the intense cold. Hermione reached him, and stood by his side, panting heavily after the run.

Harry turned to her, and saw that her cheeks were red and her teeth were chattering.

"Names are written in ancient runes. Are you maybe able to read them?" Harry asked, looking ovewhelmed by his desperation, and Hermione nodded in silence; she came closer to the first grave and took away the snow with her hands, gently brushing the ancient stony inscriptions with her fingers.

"Here says... that this is the grave of Madame Rowena Ravenclaw."

Then Hermione came closer to the next one, which it was engraved with a big Gryffin.

"Here rests Godric Gryffindor... Harry! These are the graves of the Hogwarts founders!"

They looked at each other puzzled, then without losing more time, Harry started to run from grave to grave, checking all of them thoroughly.

"We have to find them, Hermione. We have to find them!" He said determinedly.

Hermione started to check each grave too, taking away the snow. Then, she stopped abruptly, and stared deeply at one of them, brushing the ancient runes with her fingers.

"Harry! Harry, come here, quick!"

Hermione called him almost whispering, and he reached her immediately. As soon as Harry was at her side, he stared at the grave in front of him. Then Hermione read with trembling voice.

"Here rest Lily and James Potter, who have bravely resisted evil. May their sacrifice be an example for all the coming generations."

The girl stopped, raising a hand to her mouth, desperately trying to keep herself from crying, while Harry was still silently staring at the grave. Then he slowly came closer and stretched his arm to touch the ancient inscriptions on the cold stone.

Suddenly, a warm tear crossed his face: almost without realizing it, he fell on his knees, softly caressing the grave with his hand; all his sadness and his frustration burst into a long and silent sob.

He was almost aware of the storm raging above him, and of the snow, which was now falling down even more heavily; Hermione was sobbing like a little girl, with her hands on her mouth, and her cheeks crossed by tears. At a short distance from them, Hagrid and Ron were standing motionless, staring at the touching scene: both were crying at the desperation of their friend.

Harry wasn't able to think rationally anymore, his mind was blocked: he wished to remain there forever, and he didn't care about anything or anyone, he just wanted his life to end in that very moment...

He stayed like that for a long time, on his knees, with his head down, careless about what was happening around him and about the time which was passing by inevitably.

At a certain point he felt Hermione's hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move or turned to her. Then the girl bent down by his side, put her arm around his neck and hugging him strongly, hiding her face in his shoulder: Harry was now realizing how she was closer to him in that moment. Without taking off his eyes from his parents' grave, he held the girl tightly in his arms; both remained like that for several minutes, trying to comfort each other.

Then Hermione slowly stood up, and he finally turned to face the girl: her eyes were red and swollen after her long cry. Harry was feeling completely empty, unable to oppose any resistance, and when signalled to him to follow her, he obeyed in silence.

They reached Ron and Hagrid, who were waiting for them. Immediately Hagrid put his heavy fur cloak on Harry's shoulders; he raised his head and looked at him intensely in the eyes. His anger had completely gone, leaving desperation in its place.

Now he just needed the comfort and help of his closest friends to overcome this last emotional event.

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