[HP] Live free or die #24 (Patreon)

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Chapter #24: Secrets, part I.

Harry and Draco were awed, they had been watching Dumbledore’s memories for hours, and they should probably stop and head back home, but the thing they were watching was too interesting, this was even better than muggle movies, as they were witnessing everything in real time.

“Well, it’s been fun to watch the defeat of Grindelwald, but…I’m not sure if this could serve you to defeat the dark lord,” Malfoy said with a raised brow.

“Come on, don’t think too much about what we can use, it's better if you think more about the academic element of this experience…I’m sure Hermione is going to lose her mind when I tell her about this!” Harry said happily.

“Granger? Haven’t seen her since we graduated,” Malfoy couldn’t help but point out.

“Don’t worry about it, I know you and your friends would be too happy about her being dead, but she’s safe and sound, finishing her training as an unspeakable, her training is going to end soon, and I’m sure she’s going to join us without hesitation!” Harry told him, and the blonde just rolled his eyes.

It seems like no matter how much time they’d spent together, Harry wasn’t going to trust him at a hundred percent, and the Malfoy heir didn’t know how to feel about it.

Even though it was true that his house members treated Granger like crap, it was part of their charm, or at least Malfoy believed it was.

“Well, we’ve been watching memories that took place a long time ago, it’s time we look at something more recent!” Harry said as he grabbed a memory from the year Dumbledore died.

“Well, let’s go ahead then,” Malfoy told him, and soon they buried their faces in the pensieve.

Soon their surroundings were turning into an interesting scene, it was an office, and judging by all the portraits, it was a place Harry had gone through a few times, Draco had been there too, but thanks to his father’s influence, he didn’t suffer any penalty after being summoned there, he just got a slap on the wrist and an apology for the misunderstandings, yes, those were good days for the blonde.

“That's McGonagall's office, look at all the portraits of the previous headmasters and headmistresses!” Harry pointed out.

Soon, someone appeared behind the desk, it was an old, bearded wizard, and surprisingly, he looked at Harry and Draco with an amused expression.

“What the…I thought memories couldn’t interact with us…Do you think he knows...?” Draco was about to question Harry.

But then someone walked past them through their bodies, the experience was amusing and confusing at the same time.

“What the…?” Harry realized that the look wasn’t directed at them but at the person who passed through them.

“Albus, did you summon me?” Asked the other person, and Harry easily managed to recognize his voice.

“Ah, James…I’m glad you came, please take a seat there are some important things we need to discuss, I don’t have lemon sherbets, but I got some muggle chocolates, they are called "Milky Way" and they’re really good,” the old wizard said with a grandfatherly smile.

“Dad!” Harry said, completely shocked at the image of the younger version of his father.

Even though James was wearing glasses, his muscles and the sleeveless shirt he was wearing made him look imposing.

They could almost be confused as clones if it weren’t for the different colors of their eyes. Draco shushed Harry as they saw how James gave Dumbledore an angry look.

“Albus…We don’t have time for this, we received some concerning information, it seems like you-know-who has met with his troops…He’s planning to do something tonight!” James wasn’t amused.

He even slammed his hands on the old wizard’s desk, Albus, on the other hand, didn’t change his expression, but he couldn’t keep his happy expression for too long as he suddenly started whimpering in pain.

“Fuck…I’m sorry, Albus, are you alright? I can—” James stopped in his tracks.

Both Harry and Draco gasped at the sight as they saw the old wizard crash into his chair as he revealed something horrible, one of his arms was completely black.

“What the…” Harry couldn’t believe it.

“It’s a curse…A lot of pureblood wizards put those curses on their heirlooms to punish burglars,” Draco told the emerald-eyed wizard, and Harry nodded.

Harry quickly understood what was going on, it seemed like the old wizard had been cursed, but now it begs the question…What did he try to steal to get cursed?

“I know James…You and the order always grunt because I'm correct most of the time, but this time…I hate being right,” Albus said with a serious tone. “Yes…He’s planning to take over the country…And there’s nothing we can do, and there's not so much I can do, as my time is getting close,” Albus said with a sad tone.

“…Fuck,” James could only say in a defeated tone.

“Don’t look at me like that, James…We both knew it was going to eventually happen, but at least we gained something important…We managed to know he made horcruxes, seven…At least I managed to destroy one, and even if that got me cursed, I have no regrets,” the old wizard’s words caused Draco to gasp.

Harry, on the other hand, just looked at the blonde with confusion.

“Horcruxes?” Asked the emerald-eyed wizard.

“Soul anchors…The darkest magic that a person can even cast, it requires too much power and a determined mind to avoid losing your body, and in some cases, instead of putting a piece of your soul on an object, you become the object...Or at least that's what the legends say,” Draco’s eyes were wide.

Harry couldn’t help but gulp at the realization, now it makes sense why the dark lord didn’t even look human anymore.

“And you’re telling me he made seven? So that’s why he’s immortal…I suspected it for too long, seeing how he always wants to have his snake close to him!” Draco was on the verge of despair.

“Wait…There’s more!” Harry tried to stop Draco from going insane.

“James…You’ve been my only apprentice, and you have made me proud…You’re strong, and I’m sure it’s either you or one of your descendants who’s going to defeat him,” Albus' tone was soft but desperate.

“I still don’t know why you have so much faith in me…I’m nothing special, I mean, I’m just James…Just James,” Harry’s father said with a defeated expression.

Harry could only chuckle he had used that phrase countless times, and now he felt that if there was any doubt James Potter wasn’t his father, then this cleared everything up.

“You’re a descendant of one of the three brothers…The ones who possessed the Deathly Hallows…I gave you the resurrection stone after I destroyed one of his horcruxes, you have the invisibility cloak, and now I want you to have the elder wand,” Dumbledore suddenly handed James the famous wand he used to destroy Grindelwald.

Harry gasped, that's his father's secret wand, knowing he got it from Dumbledore just made it more awesome.

“Master…I…Thank you, but…Don’t you need this more than me?” James was a bit confused by the sudden gift.

“James…I don’t think I’m going to last for too long in this world, that’s why I want to ask you for a favor, as you know, your invisibility cloak can’t be summoned or detected…I’m going to face you-know-who soon, and I want you to listen to everything he’s going to tell me, I’m sure he’s going to brag about his horcruxes, I want you with me at my home, and then I want you to avoid anyone but your family from being allowed to enter there,” the old wizard explained.

Now everything made sense, Dumbledore wasn’t killed, he sacrificed himself for the cause.