A Friend in Need: Chapter 38 (Patreon)

A/N: I've got the rest of this story figured out in my head, so between some of my shorter stories and oneshots, I'm hoping to finish this fairly soon. Expect less smut than usual as we near the end. If there's pairings you want to see, let me know in the comments. Once this is done, I'll go back to working on Thrown Back, The Hero They Needed, and my other longer stories. At least, that's the plan. I can't thank all of you for sticking around while I'm been dealing with fatigue and writer's block.

Chapter 38

Harry felt an odd sort of fuzzy detachment as he looked down at the broken body of Albus Dumbledore lying at the base of the Astronomy Tower. Tears of anger and sorrow pooled in his eyes as the Aurors rushed in. Hermione and Dora appeared on either side of him and finally pulled him gently away from the railing.

“Are you okay?” Hermione asked.

Harry nodded woodenly.

“Dawlish, mark of the crime scene!” Amelia barked. “Minerva, I want all the students in their dorms, and I need a head count to make sure no one’s missing. Lock everything down until we search the castle. Harry, come with me.”

Harry didn’t move. The words just wouldn’t register in his mind. Hermione and Dora shared a concerned look, took him by the arms, and led him from the tower. Everything was a blur as he let them guide him through the halls packed with Aurors running, rushing, and shouting. Eventually, they reached McGonagall’s office. The girls ushered Harry inside and guided him to a chair.

“Now then, what-”

Amelia was interrupted by the door opening. McGonagall stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“I thought you’d be with your students,” Amelia said pointedly.

“I asked Aurora to take over my duties,” McGonagall said, drawing her wand and conjuring a chair. “With Albus gone, I’m acting Headmistress. I need to know what happened if I’m going to protect this school.”

The hard edge to Amelia’s gaze softened, and she nodded before turning back to Harry.

“Harry, what happened?” she asked.

He sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his face while trying to gather his thoughts.

“Dumbledore and I left the castle to look for a way to finish Voldemort,” he said vaguely. “When we got back, the Death Eaters were already inside the castle.”

“Do you know how they got in?” Amelia asked eagerly.

“Malfoy,” Harry growled. “He found a broken Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement and repaired it. The other one is at Borgin and Burke’s. He let them in.”

Amelia and McGonagall paled, and Hermione gripped his hand tightly.

“Tonks, take your squad and Dawlish’s and go find that cabinet,” Amelia ordered. “I want that room under constant guard until it’s found.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dora said.

She placed a kiss on Harry’s cheek before climbing to her feet and rushing from the room.

“What happened once the Death Eaters arrived?” Amelia asked.

“Snape was already there waiting for us,” Harry said, the words tumbling from his mouth. “Dumbledore told me to hide under my cloak. I don’t know why. Malfoy, Greyback, and Bellatrix came up the stairs and held him at wand point. They wanted Malfoy to kill Professor Dumbledore, but he couldn’t do it. It was Snape. Snape killed him. Dumbledore begged him, and he killed him in cold blood.”

McGonagall brought a shaking hand up to cover her mouth.

“What happened to Greyback. How did he die?” Amelia asked.

“I killed him,” Harry said, unable to stop the confession. “I was aiming for Snape, but he moved.”

“The Killing Curse?”

Harry nodded, unable to meet Amelia’s eyes.

“Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“Hermione, take Harry back to your dorm,” Amelia said. “Stay there until we give the all clear. If you need me for anything, contact me on your necklace.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hermione replied.

Grabbing Harry by the arm, she pulled him up and led him from the room.

~

Amelia sighed as the door clicked closed, and she wiped her hand over her face.

“This is a nightmare,” she said, adjusting her monocle. “I want this closed school until we can secure it. That means we will vet all staff and students. Full background checks, including looking for the Dark Mark. If a student is marked, no matter the reason, they cannot be allowed in Hogwarts.”

“I can agree with that,” McGonagall nodded. “I argued for that many times, but Albus…”

“I’m not giving you a choice in the matter,” Amelia said. “How soon can you schedule final exams?”

“I think it would be best to cancel them,” McGonagall replied. “For the OWL and NEWT students, we can hold them as soon as the examiners can arrive, but I think it would be best to postpone them until summer.”

“Agreed,” Amelia nodded. “We’ll send everyone home in two days. I’ll have the Wizarding Examination Authority contact you and finalize the details. For now, I need to go check on my Aurors. Is there anything else we need to discuss?”

“What about Harry?” McGonagall asked worriedly. “Will he be facing any legal trouble because of Greyback?”

“No,” Amelia said firmly. “He didn’t say how he killed him, but I strongly suspect the Killing Curse, and frankly, I don’t care. He was well within his rights to defend himself and this school.”

McGonagall visibly sagged in relief.

~

The next day was a chaotic mess. Before students even left their dorms, Aurors were waiting outside to check each and every one of them for the Dark Mark. By the time Harry and Hermione made it to breakfast, rumors swirled that two Slytherin students had been hauled away in cuffs, but no one could say who it was.

They were just about to return to their dorm when Dora stopped by to get something to eat, and Hermione asked her about it.

“Crabbe and Goyle are being questioned,” she said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs and toast. “The Aurors searched the Slytherin dorms and found Polyjuice in their trunks. Not technically illegal, but with everything going on, we want to know what they plan to use it for.”

“Urgh, I’d rather not know, thanks,” Ron said disgustedly.

Dora paused with her fork halfway to her mouth, wrinkled her nose cutely, and kicked him under the table.

“Ow.”

“Don’t put those thoughts in my head while I’m eating,” she hissed.

“Have you found the cabinet yet?” Hermione asked.

“No,” Dora grumbled. “I tried summoning it, but it didn’t work. We’re searching the Room of Hidden Things right now. At least we know what it looks like now. The Aurors that raided Borgin and Burke’s last night owled us a picture a couple of hours ago. Speaking of, I should get back to the search. The sooner we find this thing, the sooner I can get some sleep.”

Turning to Harry, she cupped his cheek, turned his head, and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips.

“I love you.”

Harry managed a small smile.

“Love you, too,” he said softly.

She gave him another peck on the lips before getting to her feet and leaving the Great Hall.

“We should go finish packing,” Hermione said.

Nodding, Harry stood. She took him by the hand and led him back to their dorm.

It was late in the afternoon when Dora stumbled into their private room and shrugged off her cloak. Harry paused in packing the last of his clothes, and Hermione looked up from the stack of books she was trying to cram into her overstuffed trunk.

“Did you find it?” she asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Dora sighed, running a hand through her dull brown hair. “You’re not going to believe this. It was just a few feet away from where we found the Horcrux. We walked right past the damn thing and never noticed it.”

“You’re kidding!” Harry exclaimed.

“We had no way of knowing what it was, or what Malfoy was going to use it for,” Hermione reminded them.

Harry knew she was right, but he still felt a burst of frustrated anger. Grabbing a handful of clothes, he stuffed them into his trunk with little care. As he tried to push his cloak deeper, he felt something hard under his hand. Even as he reached his hand inside, he knew what he would find. He pulled out the Locket and frowned.

“Harry?” Hermione asked worriedly.

“Is that what you and Dumbledore were after?” Dora asked.

Harry held the thick, gaudy locket in front of his face where it spun slowly on its chain and nodded.

“Well, one more down, one to go,” she smiled.

“It’s fake,” Harry said.

“What?”

“How can you tell?” Hermione asked.

“Remember the Diadem?” Harry asked. “That thing just felt evil, but this? There’s nothing. Dammit!”

He hurled the locket at the wall. It bounced off as he sat heavily on the floor against the wall.

“All that… Dumbledore’s death... It was all for nothing.”

Bringing his knees up, he leaned forward and dropped his face into his hands. Dora sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders while Hermione bent down to pick up the Locket.

It didn’t look any worse for wear, and when she ran her thumb over the clasp, it popped open easily. Inside sat a folded piece of paper, which he withdrew and carefully unfolded.

“Harry.”

“What?” he asked despondently, reluctantly raising his head.

“There’s a note,” Hermione said, holding it up.

“What’s it say?” Dora asked.

“I know I will be long dead by the time you read this, but I want you to know I discovered your secret. I have stolen your Horcrux, and I intend to destroy it as soon as I am able. I face death, hoping that one day, you will be mortal once more. Signed, R.A.B.”

“R.A.B.?” Dora asked.

“It looks like initials,” Hermione said, handing her the note. “Does that mean anything to you?”

Dora shook her head as her eyes skimmed the note.

“Looks like we have a new mystery to solve,” she said after a moment. “But we can worry about this tomorrow. I need to sleep.”

Standing up, she hauled Harry to his feet and helped him get ready for bed.

~

The next morning, the students were escorted from the school to the train under heavy Auror guard. Harry paused in the doorway, took one last look at Hogwarts, and then climbed inside. He quickly made his way to the very back, ignoring the stares and whispers as his classmates propagated rapidly growing and evolving rumors.

It wasn’t until he took his seat that he realized Daphne, Astoria, Gabrielle, and Susan had followed them.

“Alright, Potter?” Daphne asked, helping her sister stow her trunk in the overhead luggage rack.

Harry shrugged.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Susan asked.

Sighing, he leaned forward and gave them the same story he’d given Amelia. Even as he spoke, he began to wonder if keeping all the details to himself was a good idea. Amelia had earned his trust, and having the Ministry’s resources at his disposal in the hunt for the Horcruxes would be a massive help. Then again, it was also an enormous risk. Voldemort would be after her, and if he managed to capture her and read her mind, they could lose everything.

When he finished his story, he turned and stared out the window, lost in thought.

They arrived in London hours later. A large crowd greeted them as they got off the train. The Weasleys, the inhabitants of Fort Potter, and even Sirius were there. Before Harry could do more than wave, Fleur rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He inhaled her flowery scent and closed his eyes as he held her tight.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you, too.”

Pulling back, she claimed his lips in a demanding kiss. When she pulled back, her eyes held his with a promising sparkle before she turned and kissed Dora and Hermione as well. The rest of the girls dispersed to greet their parents, while Fleur held his arm possessively. Sirius gave him a one-armed hug with a grin and waggled his eyebrows. Harry rolled his eyes.

“Where’s Hestia?” he asked.

“At work,” Sirius shrugged. “Probably still at Hogwarts.”

Harry nodded.

“You alright?” Sirius asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Harry shrugged. “I think I’m just still in shock, you know? I can’t believe he’s really gone.”

Fleur squeezed his hand and caressed his bicep comfortingly.

“I know,” Sirius said, patting his shoulder. “But we’ll get through this, I promise.”

Harry nodded and Sirius smiled.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

Gathering the trunks, the large group made their way outside the station and through the streets of Muggle London towards the Leaky Cauldron. It wasn’t until they were halfway there that Harry realized almost a dozen plain-clothed Aurors were accompanying them. When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Amelia led them out the back door, giving Tom the briefest of nods.

“We’ll Apparate in pairs,” she said. “Tonks, would you side-along Susan?”

“Sure,” Dora replied.

Guiding Susan into the enclosed alley, Dora took her by the arm and Disapparate with a pop.

“Eva, you and Astoria next… Sirius, you take Daphne… Alright, Harry, you go with June.”

Fleur pouted and reluctantly released Harry’s hand so he could take June by the arm and Apparate to Fort Potter. They arrived in the shed with a pop, and June stumbled slightly with a look of discomfort.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” she muttered.

“It gets better after a few dozen times,” Harry said, guiding her toward the door.

They’d just exited the shed when Hermione and Robert Apparated in behind them. Robert looked only mildly less sick than his wife.

“The Floo can’t possibly be worse than that,” he grumbled.

“You should try Portkeys,” Harry said. “It feels like being spun around inside a washing machine that’s fallen off a cliff.”

“Lovely,” Robert muttered.

Helping Hermione with her trunk, Harry led the way into the house. Oddly, he felt like a guest in his own home. He’d spent so little time there compared to some of his guests that he almost felt like an intruder. It wasn’t until he placed his and Hermione’s trunks in his bedroom that he felt any semblance of being home.

By the time he returned to the living room, everyone else had arrived. They were all so talkative and boisterous that he felt like leaving again. Pausing in the doorway, he leaned against the wall and just watched everyone move around. He thought he’d gone unnoticed until Iffy fluttered over and landed on his shoulder. Walking along his collarbone, she hugged his chin and kissed his cheek.

“I missed you, too,” he smiled.

Iffy beamed and took off back toward the living room.

“Dinner’s ready!” Andromeda called from the kitchen.

Harry sighed. As much as he wanted to be alone, if he didn’t show, his girlfriends wouldn’t waste any time hunting him down. Reluctantly, he walked toward the kitchen.

Hours later, he sat on his bed. He’d just finished telling Fleur about what had happened at Hogwarts, and they all sat in silence for a long moment.

“Do you zink zis R.A.B. destroyed ze ‘Orcrux?” Fleur asked.

“I don’t know,” Harry said. “Even if we figure out who it is, if they’re dead, we might never know for sure.”

“Let’s take it one problem at a time,” Dora said, rubbing his back soothingly. “We need to figure out who is first. While we’re working on that, we need to try to find Hufflepuff’s goblet. Did Dumbledore have any leads?”

Harry shook his head.

“Not since Voldemort took it from Hepzibah Smith.”

“Do you think it would help if we went through Dumbledore’s memories?” Hermione asked. “You said he had hundreds of them. Maybe he knew more and never got a chance to tell you?”

“Maybe,” Harry shrugged. “But to see them, we’d have to tell McGonagall why we want to see them, and I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“It might be a risk we have to take,” Dora said.

“We could try just asking ‘er to see zem, non?” Fleur suggested.

“It’s worth a try,” Hermione said.

Harry sighed and nodded, “I’ll owl her tomorrow.”

“Zen we ‘ave a plan,” Fleur smiled.

She grabbed Harry’s arm and tugged until he was lying down beside her.

“Come to bed, mon amour. I ‘ave missed sleeping next to you.”

Harry slipped behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Dora turned out the lights and then crawled into bed next to Hermione. It was a long time before Harry drifted into a fitful sleep.