Destination Unknown

Chapter 19

February 14^th, 2020

"Do I look ok?" Cory asked his brother.

"Yeah," said Harry, not even noticing his brother's appearance properly.

"Sure?"

This time, Harry did look properly. Cory was dressed to go out - in a very smart new robe. And he was wearing perfume and hair gel. He did look good.

"Off to meet someone?"

Cory nodded.

"Who?"

"Sylvia. We're going to Hogsmeade," Cory blushed.

"What for?"

"A date."

"You're dating Sylvia?"

Cory nodded and flushed further. Harry smirked.

"Good," he said, "now, did you get her a gift?"

Cory shook his head worriedly. Harry gave a long-suffering sigh.

"My dear brother, take her to the best gift shop in the village and get her to choose her gift. Use your oratory skills to convince her that you wanted her to choose for herself because you weren't too sure of what she'd like."

Cory nodded nervously.

"And take this," Harry held out a box of sweets. He blinked at it and the chocolates reshaped themselves into little heart-shapes and so did the box. A silver wrapping with a red ribbon appeared.

"Give it to her - and make sure you say something about uniting Slytherin and Gryffindor colours, ok?"

Cory nodded again.

"Where'd you learn all this?" he asked Harry.

"Dad," said Harry simply. Harry had developed a crush on a pretty Ravenclaw in his fifth year. His courting had been an unmitigated disaster. Later on, he had sought counsel from his father. Since then, there had been no looking back. He had taken the Ravenclaw (Selena Smith) on a date again and it had been an unprecedented success, thanks to his father's coaching. Now it was Selena who begged him to take her out on a date every now and then.

Cory gave his brother a small smile and left. Harry sighed. It had been evident to him since last year that Sylvia and Cory liked each other. But both of them were too nervous to admit that. He was glad that they were finally going out together.

Harry leaned back on his bed and picked up a book. He wondered why he had refused to take Selena out when she'd asked him to. He had known that it would be the end of their relationship, but he had just let it go. And he didn't even regret it.

Suddenly hungry, Harry decided to visit the kitchen. And he wanted to meet Dobby again, too.

"Master Harry! Dobby is very happy to see you!"

"I am very happy to see you, too, Dobby."

"Dobby is glad that Master Harry has learnt the truth."

Harry started. How did Dobby know? He voiced his question.

"Dobby was accepted as Master Harry's House-elf before he became you. Dobby linked to you."

"But Mum..."

"No one knows but Harry Potter and Dobby. Harry Potter instructed Dobby to stay at Hogwarts after he is gone."

Harry nodded absently, images flying through his head.

"Master Harry had better sit down," said Dobby, pushing a chair towards him. Harry sat down and accepted the tea and éclairs that Dobby offered.

"Thanks, Dobby. Thanks for everything."

The elf's eyes leaked abundantly.

"Master Harry as great as ever...as good as ever...Dobby afraid that Old Young Master may be bad influence..."

"Dad's different from Grandfather, Dobby."

Dobby nodded violently.

"Dobby, did...er, my former self say anything to you in the event I learnt the truth?"

"Master said he would know when the time came."

"I think the time has come, Dobby. Would you like to join me after I graduate? I'll be moving out of Malfoy Manor..."

The tiny elf hugged Harry's knees and sobbed.

"Dobby will serve Master Harry! Dobby will!" he cried happily.

"Do any of the other elves know about me, Dobby?"

"No, Master Harry. Dobby tell no one."

"Thank you, Dobby. I'll visit you again soon."

Harry left the kitchen.

Deciding that his day would be better spent in the air, he took up his broom and flew out of the dorm window. As he flew out to the Quidditch pitch, he saw a lonely figure flying. Noticing the style, he understood that it could be only one person - his sister. He flew to her.

"Hey, sis," he called. Ace flew around in a semi-circle to face him.

"Oh hi, Harry. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Hogsmeade?"

"Nah...didn't feel like going."

"Anything wrong?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Nah...tell you what, Cory finally went out with Sylvia."

"He did? Cool! I didn't think they had it in them!"

"Apparently they did."

"Good for them."

"Yeah."

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, sis. Why'd you ask?"

"You've been acting strange since Christmas."

"I told you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but we all still love you. What does it matter? You're still you and we love you for that."

Harry smiled gratefully at her.

"I know, sis, I know. I've just been thinking a bit. I love you all, too. More than you can imagine."

Ace nodded and flew straight into his arms. The mid-air hug meant a lot to them. They remembered it for the rest of their lives.

When they pulled apart, Harry asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"You think too much for your age."

"Girls are more mature than boys. Just because you didn't think about anything at the age of thirteen does not mean that I won't, either."

"Pardon me, my lady," said Harry and bowed mockingly.

Ace acknowledged the bow with a royal nod of her pretty head. Harry laughed.

"What were you thinking about, my lady?"

"Well," Ace began, suddenly blushing, "I - well, I received forty Valentine's Day greetings..."

Harry chuckled, "Quite natural."

"But three of them are my friends!"

"Ralph, Adrian and Jules, too?"

Ace nodded shyly.

"And two of my rivals - your House guys."

"Well, if they profess their love for you, they're hardly rivals anymore," said Harry wisely.

"Your friend Zabini, too!"

Harry nearly fell off his broom.

"WHAT?" he shouted. Ace smirked.

"You heard me," she said sweetly, "and it's getting late - we ought to return to our rooms...Cory will be back by now - why don't you go and ask him about his date?"

She flew away before he could respond.

Harry walked back to his dorm in the dungeons. Putting his broom in his trunk, he went to Cory's 'Head Boy' room. He found it locked. He knocked.

"Go away!" came Cory's voice. He sounded very upset.

"Alohomora," whispered Harry and entered the room, locking it behind him. He warded it with a 'Silencio'.

Cory looked up at him with tear stained eyes.

"They're dead...I killed them, Harry...I killed them!" he cried hysterically.

Harry stood undecided for a moment, not sure what his brother was saying. He then sat down next to his brother and asked gently, "Care to explain?"

"The Riddles...there was this house...the three Riddles sitting for dinner...and I killed them..."

Harry suddenly understood.

"Cory - it was just a vision..."

Cory shook his head.

"You don't understand, Harry. I was there. I killed them. I saw my face in the mirror..."

"Did your reflection have red eyes?"

Cory looked shocked. "How did you know that?"

"Then it wasn't you," said Harry simply.

"Who was it, then?" Cory challenged.

"Lord Voldemort."

Cory fainted.