Promises

Harry was wide awake the next morning, way before the sun even rose. He was reading through a book which told him all about the use of wandless magic. Out of nowhere, he heard Gilderoy Lockhart begin talking to him again.

"Up this early, are we?"

"Yep. Couldn't sleep. Something about the facility just isn't comfortable to me."

"Really? After about ten years of it, I've gotten used to it. I know how you feel. It just didn't feel like home."

"I thought you couldn't remember anything," Harry said to him in a very puzzled tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nevermind. Just go back to sleep," Harry told him, rolling his eyes. "I guess he really can't remember anything," he thought to himself. "I wish Ginny was here with me."

"Mr. Potter, I've been informed of a break-in by some hooded wizards. We need to move you somewhere safe. We're pretty sure they've come after you," a nurse said, as she poked her head through the curtains.

"What!?" Harry was very frightened that something bad was going to happen, so he hopped out of his bed and quickly grabbed his wand from the table next to him. "I might be needing this, then," he said, throwing his cloak over his hospital clothing. He walked straight through the curtain surrounding him and followed the nurse out of the room.

The hallways were dark, only dimly lit by a few candles along the walls. The nurse had her wand lit, so there was a little bit of light guiding their path to the dungeons of the building. He was careful not to make too much noise while walking, so as not to give away his position. He heard voices coming from the hall behind him. They must've been from the hooded wizards who had broken in. The nurse grabbed him and pulled him into an open room.

"Mr. Potter, I need for you to make a run for it. I will try to hold them up for as long as I can, but I need you to get out of this building. Don't bother staying in the dungeons. You're well enough to go out on your own now. I suggest you go to your home and talk to your wife before leaving for anywhere. I'm sure they're not going to stop if you get away from them here," she told him. Harry nodded in understanding, and she walked back into the hallway. Harry followed suit, and went the opposite way of the voices. He ran down a flight of stairs, his cloak flowing behind him, and soon enough, he was on the ground floor, heading towards the doors. But there was a problem.. A fierce looking man in a cloak was guarding the door.

"I'm doomed..." Harry thought to himself as he crept closer to the fierce-looking man.

"Don't think you can hide yourself from me!" the man spoke out loud for the first time. Harry crept around the back of statue in the center of the room. "I can still see you trying to hide yourself behind that statue of Madame Moiraille."

"Who is this man?" he began to wonder to himself. "He seems to be very observant. He doesn't even look as if he's staring in my direction."

"I don't need to be looking at you. It's all in here," the man laughed, tapping his head with his abnormally long index finger. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Man, if I had a galleon for every time I heard that one, I'd have...well...a lot of galleons," Harry thought. "Why should I believe this man is telling the truth?"

"Why should you believe me? Well, take right now for instance. Would anyone else know you just thought to yourself 'Why should I believe him?' No, I do not think they would." Harry stepped out from behind the statue. He figured there really wasn't any use in hiding behind it anyway.

"Well, I have no use for that statue anymore." Harry reached inside his cloak and grasped his wand, ready to make a move at the right time. He had learned over the years when the opportune moment was, and he could tell this man wouldn't just let anyone slip a curse by him. Harry saw the man reach into the pocket in the inside of his cloak. He knew this man was reaching for his wand. When the wand was retrieved, Harry saw that it reminded him a lot of Ron's. It was a very old wand, and it looked like it had been through very rough times. "You don't want me to have to use this," Harry told the man, who took a few steps backwards.

"You expect me to be afraid of you?" The man laughed haughtily.

"Well, you do have to remember. I did take down the Dark Lord," Harry refreshed the man's memory.

"I know you did. I was there." The man pulled down his hood to reveal a scarred face. "Do you remember me? I was the one who tried to save my master's life. I was the one who was hit in the face with an Incendio Charm. My face was scorched, and I have been scarred ever since. Must I remind you of what I did to you afterwards?" His frown turned into an evil grin, revealing his yellow teeth.

"No. I think I remember perfectly." And he did remember. He had relived that moment so many times at night. He had been hit with the Cruciatus Curse, worse than ever before. Harry knew why it was worse; it was because the man really wanted to get revenge. The man laughed even more at this remark. Harry's state of shock was exciting this man. Harry could still not put a name to the face of this man he had scarred for life.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry heard a voice yell from behind him. Harry ducked just in time, and he watched as a green jolt of light hit the other man in the chest. Harry bolted out the doors and ran into the streets filled with muggles. He ran amongst the crowd, his back hunched over in an attempt to conceal himself from anyone who may be keeping a look out on the streets. All of a sudden, he heard the voice of the minister in his head again.

"And do you, Mr. Harry Potter, promise to take care of Miss Weasley through all of eternity, through good times and bad? Through illness and mourning, through recovery and rejoicing?" the voice repeated over and over again in his head. He didn't know why he kept replaying these lines in his head, but then an idea struck him.

"I have not been fulfilling these promises. I haven't been able to keep her safe. I haven't been able to protect her and take care of her these past few days," he thought to himself. He ran faster towards an alleyway where he would apparate to his home. As he approached the alley, he skidded to a halt and stealthily snuck into the damp alley. He warily looked around to make sure there weren't any muggles walking around. The last thing he needed at that moment was for some stupid muggle to catch him apparating and then telling the muggle police about it, though he doubted the police would take the muggle seriously. He concentrated on his home at Godric's Hollow and in mere moments, he was standing inside his kitchen.

"Harry!" Ginny yelled, running at him and wrapping her arms around her husband. "Why are you home so early?"

"Well, I was kind of attacked by some people. Uh...We should be getting out of here. I'm sure they'll be coming here to look for me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just follow me!" Harry shouted, though he didn't mean to say it too loudly. He walked into the living room and grabbed the pot of floo powder off of the fireplace.

"Where are we going?"

"To see Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? How come?" Ginny asked, her face contorted in utmost confusion.

"That doesn't matter, now come along!" he instructed her. "Hogwarts, Great Hall," he spoke as he threw a pinch of floo powder in the roaring fire and stepped into the emerald flames. Ginny did the same, following him through the floo network until they at last came to a halt inside the Great Hall.

It was empty of all students, they were far too busy in their classes at that time. It was just as Harry remembered; the ceiling still resembled the weather outside, which was now very cloudy and looking like rainfall was on its way. The house banners were still suspended over the long oak tables, and there was a mahogany table at the front of the hall for the staff of the school. Harry could hear the chatter of a few students as they were walking outside. Harry supposed they were sixth or seventh year students who did not have any classes at this time.

"C'mon. Let's get going. It's urgent that I speak with Dumbledore," Harry told her, walking towards the grand doors with haste. Ginny followed suit and before long, they had reached the stone gargoyles.

"The password! What is it?" Ginny inquired. She realized that Harry most likely did not know the password.

"Skiving Snackboxes," Harry spoke as he approached the gargoyles. They spread apart to reveal a beautiful golden staircase, leading to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore had remained Headmaster ever since they had left the school, and Harry knew there were many years to come at this school where Dumbledore would still be in charge. Dumbledore may have been old, but Harry knew there was still a lot of life left in him.

They quickened their pace as they walked up the stairs to the door that stood ajar at the top.

"Dumbledore! Are you in here?" Harry called out as he entered. A man in a pointed wizard's hat spun around in his chair to face Harry. "Dumbledore! Thank god you're here! I need to talk to you! Listen, there was an attack at the hospital. There were men there who were trying to kill me. And there was a man there who was killed. I knew him from some--"

"Rodolphus Lestrange..."