Harry Potter and the Secrets Revealed

Chapter Four
Just Another Day

Hermione and Ron went looking for Harry after he ran off from breakfast. They looked everywhere for him, including in the hospital wing and the Quidditch pitch but he was nowhere to found. After finally losing all her patience Hermione suggested they check the Marauders Map, and to their great surprise he wasn't anywhere on Hogwarts grounds.

It was getting late that night and Hermione and Ron were just about to go to Dumbledore and express their concerns when Harry came through the portrait hole. He looked tired and weak as he slowly and carefully made his way to his normal spot in front of the fireplace. He had been sitting for a few minutes without speaking to his friends before Ron thought it best to say something.

"So?"

"So, what?" replied Harry without looking at them.

"So where were you? And don't give us that 'I was with Dumbledore' or 'I had to go to the Hospital Wing' crap because we looked Harry and we know you weren't on school grounds," responded Ron. It was clear from the tone of his voice that he wanted answers and was prepared to stay up all night for them.

"You're right I wasn't on school grounds," said Harry, "but I can't tell you what I was doing." That clearly wasn't the answer that Ron was looking for.

"Why not?"

"Because I promised Dumbledo..."

"Oh, for Pete's sake Harry! Lately that's all you seem to be telling us! Is there anything that you haven't promised Dumbledore not to tell us?"

"If there was don't, you think I would have told you!" shouted Harry. Ron looked taken back by his outburst.

"Harry we're only asking because we get worried about you," Hermione said softly.

"I know." Harry sighed. "I really wish I could tell you, but it's not my choice to make." With that said Harry went up to his dormitory and went to sleep.

The next day classes started again. The week went in its usual routine with Snape making Potions miserable, Binns boring every student to tears, and Defense Against the Dark arts being the Gryfindors favorite class.
As the weekend came around the seventh years were groaning about the amount of homework that they had. Even Hermione seemed to think that it was a bit too much. Of course their accumulating amount of homework was due to the fact that they would be taking their NEWTs at the end of the year.

Everyone was talking jovially after dinner on Friday night while they walked back to their respective common rooms. That is everyone except Ron and Hermione, for once again Harry had disappeared and they were worried about him. As they thought back, the last time they had seen him was when he had walked out of the potions classroom. He had headed towards his dormitory to put his school things away. Normally they would have accompanied him, but Snape had held Harry back and they were already heading towards the Great Hall by the time Snape let him out.
Harry didn't appear at dinner. So once again his two best friends were wondering where he was. They once again took out Harry's' map to see if he was on school grounds. And it didn't surprise the two when he wasn't anywhere on the map.

***
Meanwhile in the Riddle House, Voldemort was pondering the news he had just been given. He sat in silence staring into the roaring orange fire for a long time. He thought back to the conversation he had just had.

It was nearing sunset and the sky was beginning to turn a brilliant combination of red and orange. To any normal person they would have had their breath taken away by the beauty of it. Lord Voldemort didn't even give it a second thought. He had been too busy planning his next move when he was broken from his revere by the trembling of one of his Death Eaters, Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail.

"What is the meaning of disturbing me Wormtail?" asked Voldemort cruelly.

"P...p...p...please master, I only come because I...I...I..." Peter stumbled.

"Because you what?"

"Because I believe that Zachary isn't trustworthy," he said quickly.

"CRUCIO!" Peter screamed in agony until his master took off the curse.

"Wormtail you already know that he has proven himself to us. Why should I believe you?"

"Because there is no trace of him anywhere, I've looked. No one seems to know him."

"All the better, that way no one will suspect him. Now get out of my sight!" Peter hurriedly scrambled away, leaving Voldemort alone.

The Dark Lord had been thinking about the conversation since then. He didn't believe that Wormtail's worries were for a legitimate reason, but he couldn't also say for certain that Zachary was still on his side.
Dumbledore seemed to have a habit of turning his members over to the light side. That decision always ended in those certain individuals' deaths, of course, but Zachary didn't seem the type to turn easily. He would have to find a way to test Zachary and his faithfulness, and the Dark Lord knew just the test.

***
While Ron and Hermione were pondering over where Harry had gone to, Harry himself was speaking with the order. They were still lodged at Grimmauld Place with Sirius' permission. Harry was telling the order about a rather disturbing dream that he had had.

"So you're saying that You-Know-Who killed a muggleborn witch's parents but not her?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes," was Harry's reply.

"And she is somehow a part of his grand design?" Tonks asked.

"Apparently."

"Dumbledore we can't let that monster get a hold of that girl," said Remus. "God only knows what will happen if he succeeds."

"We should have her come to Hogwarts," was the immediate reply.

"Wait, how can we be sure that bringing her here isn't exactly what Voldemort wants us to do?" asked Sirius.

"As you all know, I have a spy among Voldemort's ranks. He has told me that he planned to use the girl to kill Harry." Dumbledore said. "But the way he was going to use her was that she would be trained then sent out as a form of mercenary. I believe if we manage to bring her to Hogwarts before she fully understands what's going on then Voldemort will not be able to use her," Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with Dumbledore's idea.

"Okay, so how are we going to get her here?" asked Sirius.

"I believe it is time for me to get in touch with an old friend," replied Dumbledore getting up signaling the end of the meeting.