Celestial Guidance
by Flying Pixie
Disclaimer: All the Harry Potter characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I am not making any money doing this (unfortunately) and am doing it for the sole purpose of having fun and improving my writing. The plot and the characters you do not recognize belong to me! The quote is by Helen Keller, a remarkable woman.
A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to my beta TwistedFlames for her patience and for helping me get this chapter out on time! To my most loyal fans, I present the sixteenth chapter. Enjoy! I'm really sorry that it took so long to get out, but I went on vacation earlier than I had planned. In a few days I will be leaving for France and Germany, which unfortunately means that the next chapter won't be out until after school starts.
Warning: one part of this chapter might be a bit violent for children. While it is nothing compared to other things I've seen on this site, those who dislike violence can consider themselves forewarned.
Mind speech is done in Italics! So are general thoughts, but that is mind speech, in a sense!
Winged Nightmares
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
Helen Keller
In the previous chapter…
"Harry Potter, Defender of the Light, Protector of the Defenceless and Liberator from the Dark, you are worthy."
With a flash, Harry was jolted away from the bright light. He took a few steps forward before the white flashes around his eyes from the sudden change in light disappeared. He realized that he was back in the kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, with Order members seated in a circular fashion around the room, just as he had expected.
What Harry had not been expecting was the shocked expression that everyone around him bore. Merlin, what did I do this time?
Dumbledore looked on with nothing less than pure amazement as Harry stepped out of the arch seconds after he had gone through. A blinding white light emanated from the arch, forcing Dumbledore, along with many others in the room, to shield his eyes. How is this possible?
Dumbledore looked on with nothing less than pure amazement as Harry stepped out of the arch seconds after he had gone through. A blinding white light emanated from the arch, forcing Dumbledore, along with many others in the room, to shield his eyes. ?
Dumbledore had created the arch to determine the worthiness of joining members. Though everyone's experiences inside the Cella Idoneus varied, the principle behind the magical chamber remained the same throughout. The shorter the amount of time spent in the chamber, the more willing one was to help the Order's cause.
The record for the longest time spent inside the chamber was held by Mundungus, who Dumbledore knew had only joined because of the safety he was provided by being a member. Never before, however, had anyone emerged seconds after having entered. It was simply unheard of…
Another facet that made the Cella Idoneus efficient was its second test, one testing the contribution that the person could provide. The brighter the light of the arch was once they had exited, the higher the commitment. A few colors were often blended into the light if the person had specific qualities that made them more or less efficient, these colors usually based on any special abilities in certain areas of magic that the person possessed.
Harry's light was simply astounding: a solid white light was rare, and Dumbledore hypothesized that, in Harry's case, it foreshadowed that he would dominate many areas of magic. It was obvious to the aging Head of the Order that Harry would either defeat Voldemort or die having greatly weakened him…
The two facts coupled together gave Dumbledore much to think about, and he knew that he would not get much rest that night. His mind rapidly turned over the facts in his mind, trying to discern at which point the small, sheltered, eleven year-old boy he had welcomed into Hogwarts six years earlier had become the young man he obviously was today.
Turning his troubled thoughts back to the meeting at hand, he realized that everyone was staring up at him, waiting for him to continue with the ceremony.
"I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as head of the Order of the Phoenix, hereby proclaim that Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter have passed through the Cella Idoneus and have been proven worthy to join our ranks. Everyone in this room has born witness to this event.
"Despite the unusual circumstances in which these four chi – young adults find themselves, they have surpassed all expectations and have proven that they are willing to give of themselves to become a Phoenix."
As Dumbledore spoke, not a whisper could be heard throughout the room. Everyone was listening to his words with avid attention, hoping for a few words of insight into what had just come to pass. Dumbledore sighed internally. If only I knew…
Harry walked over to his friends, all three of whom wore the confused faces he was certain he was sporting. Harry was unable to discern the reason behind the stares and the gasps of amazement directed towards him. His headmaster looked deep in thought, as did a few others in the room.
The voices that remained in his head, not all of them speaking English, became frantic. Harry focused on making them disappear, and succeeded; only hearing mentions of how fast he had been through before they were gone entirely. As Dumbledore began to speak, Harry pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind for further contemplation.
Dumbledore beckoned he and the others forward, until they were lined up before him. With a wave of his hand, the arch leading into the Cella Idoneus disappeared. Dumbledore began chanting in Latin. Hermione whispered in Harry's ear that the Creed of the Phoenix would bind them to the pacts they were to make. As the chanting became louder, his voice was quickly joined by six others who knew the Creed.
The seven voices rose and fell as one. Harry could see and feel the magic pulsating around the chanters and around he and his friends. He relaxed, allowing the strong, yet strangely calming, magic to flow safely through him. Beside him, he could feel his friends doing the same.
Suddenly, the chanting died out. Dumbledore took a step towards the initiates of the Order. Though the rest was merely tradition now, it was still looked upon with importance by many of the older members.
"Do you swear to abide by the rules of the Order of the Phoenix, as lain down in the Charter of the Light?"
"We do," the four of them intoned.
Harry had been given the Charter of the Light the night before, and the four of them had read it thoroughly that morning after their discussion. The Charter outlined what was to be expected, primarily stressing the importance of protecting the innocent from danger and fighting against injustices.
Dumbledore continued, "Do you swear to strive to commit yourselves to your fullest to the cause of the Order, never putting selfish needs before the needs of others?"
"We do," the four repeated.
The questions went on for several minutes more, outlining the duties and responsibilities of a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
When Dumbledore finished the questions, he placed his hands before him, palms facing upwards. A warm red light glowed above them. Similar lights began to glow around the necks of the four new members, each wearing smiles of relief and happiness.
Dumbledore explained that each member of the Order had a symbol of a phoenix rising out of fire on the base of their necks to demonstrate their loyalty. It could disappear and re-appear at the conscious will of the bearer, and could not be detected but by the most powerful of spells.
Members could be summoned through their marks; a light tingling that would start on the mark and eventually be felt through the entire body. However, it was only used during the direst of situations. If need be, only certain members could be called.
The four inductees shared looks, fully realizing what they had signed up for. None of them, however, were willing to back down. They were ready to take on their new responsibilities.
After a few general comments to the members about vague plans for the future, everyone was dismissed. Harry's head still felt as though it was detached from the rest of his body, giving him a rather dizzying sensation. He walked with his friends to his room, each lost in their own thoughts.
Once there, they looked at each other's symbols, catching their first glimpses at what their marks must resemble. Just as Dumbledore had described, the insignia depicted a phoenix rising out of a fire. The fire itself moved and swayed as though it was real. Each had a different color flame. Hermione was the one to discover the link between the color the Cella Idoneus had shone and the color of their flame.
Supper that evening was a special affair, for many of the high-ranking guests had remained. Mrs. Weasley, despite the short notice, had prepared an exceptional buffet. People milled around the room, conversations varying in each cluster. Discussions were held as to the current state of affairs in the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort's growing power, and the mysterious disappearance of the Blood Raven Crystal.
Harry listened with rapt attention to the different conversations around the room, trying to put all of the incoming information to heart. He also learned much about those in the Inner Circle, and by the end of the meal Harry felt as though he knew enough information to have a general character sketch of each person.
It surprised Harry how much he had changed in the past five days. Everything he did seemed to reflect on the Prophecy. He was analyzing people in situations where he normally would have been off talking to his friends. Harry understood that, if he was to make any impactin the Order, he had to understand its most prominent members.
Ever since he had begun training with his Celestial Council, he had begun to believe that he had a chance, albeit a small one, to defeat Voldemort. Both he and the Dark Lord were in similar boats, and it seemed to Harry that it could come down to whomever learned to master their growing powers first.
When he caught Hermione's eye, she gave him a questioning glance at his odd behaviour. He simply shrugged it off, and she let it go for the moment.
The rest of the evening passed by in relative peace, and Harry went to bed peacefully, happy that he was one step closer to defeating Voldemort. Joining the Order represented a big leap forward in being able to influence decisions made, and find out more information about Voldemort. He went to sleep at ease, a large smile plastered on his face.
Harry awoke to the wonderful smell of bacon and eggs. He practically jumped out of bed, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. He walked into the kitchen and found everyone already seated, Ron apparently already on his second plate of helpings. He served himself, and sat amongst Hermione and the Weasleys.
Once breakfast was over, Dumbledore signalled for Harry to follow him. Shrugging, Harry told Ron and Hermione that he would meet up with them later. He followed the wizening man up two flights of Grimmauld Place before they stopped before a tall, wooden door.
Dumbledore opened the door, Harry close behind. The room was a small office, presumably Dumbledore's. Sunlight streamed through the lone window at the back wall of the room. Dumbledore took a seat behind the mahogany desk, leaving Harry no choice but to stand or to sit in front of his Headmaster.
He chose the latter option, sinking into the plush leather seat and wondering what this impromptu meeting was about. Perhaps he would have the chance to discuss his new powers…
After offering him a Lemon Drop, as per usual, Dumbledore rested his chin on steepled his fingers and appeared lost in thought for a few moments. His eyes were grave, not a sparkle to be found, as he began to speak.
"I apologize my dear boy, for I realize that I caused you much hurt last year. I separated myself from you when I should have been there to give you support and guidance, for fear of what Voldemort could do through you. I apologize for waiting so long to give you the message of the prophecy, and for keeping many secrets from you over the years. I am but a human, and have made a good many mistakes over the years.
"You have a heavy burden to bear, and I hope that you can rely on your friends and those closest to you to help shoulder the weight. It is during the hard times that we must count on our loved ones the most, for the true ones will be there through thick and thin."
As he spoke those last words, his eyes began to twinkle merrily once more, as though he knew something that others did not. Harry was stunned at his Headmaster's words, not having expected such an apology from the older man. He smiled, to show him that he understood.
"Apology accepted, Professor Dumbledore. You are forgiven, so long as you promise to keep me informed of everything relevant about Voldemort. I do not want to be kept in the dark again, nor do I want my decisions to be made for me," Harry stated. He could forgive his Headmaster for everything that had been done, but that did not mean that he would forget what had happened.
"Very rightly stated, my dear boy. Now, on that very note, your joining the Order has certainly been an unexpected change of events, and has brought up the question of where you will be staying for the remainder of your summer. I am open to your opinions," Dumbledore looked down on a surprised Harry, who, from his stunned expression, had obviously not expected such a turn-around in such a short period of time.
Harry paused, wondering what to answer. All of his training equipment remained at the Dursley's, and without it he was unable to follow through with much of the training that was required of him. With Dumbledore's help, Harry was sure that he would be able to move the equipment to Grimmauld Place, where he could be with his friends and Sirius.
Harry knew that it would involve explaining to Dumbledore the unique events that had led up to his receiving of the extra rooms at the Dursley's. He was sure, however, that Dumbledore would both be supportive and understanding. Making his decision, he turned his thoughts back to the present and to a patiently waiting Dumbledore.
Harry explained all that had occurred since his arrival at his relatives, allowing Dumbledore to intervene and ask pertinent questions. Dumbledore quickly agreed that his training must continue. He would help facilitate the moving of allHarry's extra equipment to a secure location in Grimmauld Place, that nonebut Dumbledore and Sirius knew of.
With a growing feeling of curiosity, Harry thought he saw a look of understanding cross Dumbledore's face. Had he already guessed what Harry had to tell him?
With the question of where he was to stay during the summer answered, Harry remained several minutes for idle talk before departing to find his friends, leaving behind a contemplative Dumbledore.
The bearded man sat solemnly, eyebrows creased together in thought. Had anyone been present, they would instantly have noticed that he looked gravely older, as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Suddenly, the look passed, and a smile replaced it. This is an unexpected change of events…Merlin, my old friend, what have you been up to? Yes, this is an unexpected change.
A harsh wind passed over the rugged landscape; masked figures stood row by row, trying to hide their shivers. Voldemort stood at the head of the Death Eater formation, quietly studying them. Every few seconds a Death Eater or two would arrive, Apparating into position in response to the burning on their forearms. All stood at the ready, awaiting their Master's orders.
When no more arrived for more than a minute, Voldemort began to speak. His voice grated, like fingernails on a dragon's scales. His snake-like face had grown more unsightly since they had last seen him; more gnat and gnarled. His sharp red eyes scanned the crowd, making everyone nervous. Voldemort could sense his servants' fear, he could taste it, and he revelled in the feeling. Fear was his most powerful ally. It would help build his army, and it would help destroy his enemies'.
"My fellow Death Eaters. I have revived the ultimate creature from the fiery depths of Hell. Stronger, louder, and more ferocious than any before it, no words can possibly do it justice. Pennatus is my newest winged nightmare from Hell."
As if on cue, a large winged beast rose from the ground. The monster spanned a total of fifteen feet from head to tip of tail. Its entire body, save for the wings, was made of long, black scales, darker than the night itself, making it almost impossible to spot. The wings were of sharp feathers, just as dark. Four long legs extended from the scaly body, ending with large, sharp claws.
Many of the gathered Death Eaters shied away in shock. The beast, beating its wings, soared into the air. It turned around and swooped down towards them, sharp red eyes glowing. The pennatus dove back up before hitting the ground, and flew beside Voldemort, who alone had not moved.
"This, my friends, is one of our newest weapons. It has the power to lock any enemy with its eyes, keeping them immobilized in their fear."
The Death Eaters clapped and cheered at the sound of the demons potential, though most were still frightened of the towering beast. If it turned on one of them…
Voldemort laughed, a cruel, heartless laugh that could make even the bravest of wizards shudder with fear. He lavished in the potential of his new beast. I will bring Hogwarts down if it is the last thing I do… This time, it is Dumbledore and Potter who will pay.
Harry lay awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling. As per usual, he was staying up late the day before his birthday, the Council having given him the night off as one of his 'birthday presents'. He was surprised by how much easier it had been to train, now that he was with his friends again.
Over the weeks, Harry had developed a routine that worked perfectly for him: he would wake up in the morning, an hour before everyone else was up, and practice all that he had learnt the night before. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with his friends. At night, two hours before hitting the sack, he would train again. It left him free to have fun with his friends over the summer, and at the same time allowed him to train as much as was needed.
Harry was grateful that he had told Dumbledore about Merlin and his Council. The very next day, all of his training gear had been moved to an unknown floor of the house. It was a magical level located between the second and third floors of the house that was only accessible if one knew the correct passwords and went through the correct door. If you simply went through the door without saying anything, then you would find yourself in the second-floor bathroom.
When his watch showed him that it was officially twelve in the morning, July 31st, he wished himself a happy birthday and sprung out of bed. Not wanting to waste the precious hours of the morning, and too energized to fall asleep (after all, he had not spent the night training) he decided that a bit of early-morning training would be just the thing.
Harry tiptoed past Ron's snoring form and left the room. He alternated each night between sleeping with Sirius and Remus and sleeping with Ron. Harry spent the next four 'pleasantly exhausting' hours slaving away on his floor.
After doing a few initial warm-ups, he began working the Martial Arts that Nedra had begun teaching him. He worked through the Katas, or forms, that she had taught him. These forms were compilations of blocks and attacks used against imaginary opponents.
Nedra had explained, after hitting Harry on the head with a wooden board when he exclaimed that they were pointless and that he needed to learn how to actually fight, that the Katas would be an integral part of his training and would serve to develop balance, fitness, focus, spirit, strength and a deeper understanding of the application of techniques in real-life situations.
Harry always began any serious training session with his forms, as he found that they relaxed him, and served as his meditation. As time passed, he worked through them with more and more intensity, causing him to break out into a sweat. When he had finished, he began to work through all the kicks, punches and blocks in his repertoire, doing every move several times before going on to the next. It was Nedra's belief that when a move was done one thousand times it was fully understood, and when done ten thousand times after that it would be mastered.
After taking a short ten-minute break, Harry moved on to his magical training, reviewing everything that he had learned the week before. Once done, he worked at discovering his animagus form, the only facet of his training that had not gone as planned. Despite all of his best efforts, he still did not know what animal he was supposed to become.
Ryder, in his calm way, simply smiled and told Harry patiently that it would happen when least expected, and that the best he could do was to continue his meditation. "You want it too badly," Ryder had said a few days earlier. "The exercise is meant to empty your mind of all feeling and let your magic flow through you."
Harry did not understand the wisdom behind emptying his mind while still searching for something, but refused to give up.
Once he had completed his exercises, Harry took a soothing hot shower and returned to his room, where Ron still had not awoken. He took out The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi, and began to read. Kael, who had begun to teach him Battle Tactics, had given him many books to read on the subject, of which this was one. Written in 1643 by an undefeated samurai, Kael had explained that the text would be insightful in the various areas of conflict.
When he heard Ron stirring beside him, as though he was about to wake, Harry quickly put the book away. He jumped out of bed, took his pillow and threw it at Ron to finish waking him. Harry ran out of the room, successfully avoiding the pillow thrown at him in retaliation. He ran down the stairs and entered the kitchen.
Harry greeted Mrs. Weasley warmly, who was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The smell alone was enough to make his stomach grumble. He began to pull plates out of one of the cabinets, when Mrs. Weasley stopped him.
"Happy birthday Harry. Don't worry about setting the table dear," she said, giving him a loving kisson the forehead before returning to her work. Harry was blushing so hard that he was thankful that she was looking away. Nonetheless, he was smiling, happy to have a mother-like figure in his life.
Harry took a seat at the table, happy to take the time to relax. Seconds later, Ron's loud steps could be heard. He entered the kitchen with a quick greeting to his mother and a glareat Harry, who simply grinned in return.
"Happy birthday mate, but did you really have to throw that pillow at me?" Ron asked, yawning. Harry gave him a look as if to say 'What pillow?'
Ron took a seat beside Harry, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to eat and go back to sleep. A glare from his mother, however, soon had him setting the table. Harry grinned back as Ron glared.
The rest of the household walked in a few minutes later, wishing Harry a happy birthday. Feeling energized and ravenous after all of his exercise, Harry ate three helpings of a beaming Mrs. Weasley's eggs.
Harry spent the rest of his morning playing Exploding Snap with Ron and Hermione, and losing brilliantly to Ron at chess. He felt carefree, happy that he was able to relax with his friends despite all of the pressures of the Prophecy.
Suddenly, Ginny burst into the room, grinning from ear to ear.
"What is it?" Ron asked his sister impatiently as he moved his horse to eat Harry's queen. "Checkmate Harry," he added. Everyone turned their attention to Ginny.
"You wouldn't believe, but Mum managed to convince Professor Dumbledore to let us take Harry to the Faerie Works tonight, since it's his birthday!"
Hermione squealed delightedly at the news, and even Ron cracked a smile. Harry did not know exactly what Faerie Works were, but felt unfamiliar warmth spread through him at the thought of Mrs. Weasley puttting in an extra effort for his birthday.
Noticing Harry's confusion, Hermione explained, "The closest Muggle equivalent to Faerie Works would have to be fireworks. Several faerie clans band together a few times a year to host a festival, at the very end of which they put on an amazing display. I've never seen them, of course, but the faerie's movements in the sky are legendary."
Ginny nodded. "I only had the chance to see them once, when I was little, but from what I can remember they were amazing!"
Harry grinned. The Dursleys had always taken Dudley to the fireworks and left Harry behind, so he had only ever seen fireworks on television. He was excited at the prospect of going to the wizarding equivalent. He knew that there would probably be a few hidden Aurors watching over their every move, but frankly could not care. This was going to be his best birthday yet!
Ginny was ecstatic. She could practically feel the magic in the air as she stepped onto the festival grounds with her family. Sirius had been forced to stay at home, due to the fact that it would simply not do to have a dead, escaped convict walking around, and Remus would be out because of the full moon that night. Ginny looked over at Harry, who was grinning like a child on his first broomstick ride. She felt happy for him; happy that he was able to enjoy himself despite all that he had been through.
Ginny breathed in the fresh night air. She felt giddy just being away from Grimmauld Place for the first time in weeks. She walked next to Hermione, with Harry and Ron close by. The twins, who had decided to join them, had already walked off to talk to the head faeries, presumably to make a business deal. Ginny's parents trailed a bit behind, holding hands and sharing short kisses when they thought no one was looking.
Ginny did not know where to look. Everywhere she turned there were more brightly lit attractions to be seen. They passed by various rides, candy booths and games, no one knowing where to start. Her parents had given them each a few Sickles and Knuts before leaving.
They finally decided to start on the attraction known as 'A Muggle's Madness'. Ginny was the last to step into the magical simulator (with her parents waiting outside). She took a seat beside Hermione, taking the time to look around. Thirty seats filled the small, metallic room. Ginny knew from past experience that, when the ride started, they would all be put under a hypnotic spell of some sort. Faeries were not known to possess great amounts of power. They did, however, have strong magic in the area of illusionary spells. She grinned at Hermione, who smiled back.
A tiny, hovering faerie at the front of the room announced that the ride was about to begin in a high, squeaky voice. She reminded everyone not to panic when they were put under the spell. Ginny closed her eyes and relaxed, waiting for the spell to take over her senses. Abruptly, she felt herself detach from the room. She felt void and numb, as though she was floating in space.
Slowly, Ginny began to feel her senses returning to her one by one. However, when her sight came back to her, she was no longer in the metallic attraction. She found herself in front of a small house with neatly trimmed hedges in front, and small flowerpots hanging from the roof above a small porch.
She quickly discovered that the house belonged to a Muggle man by the name of Charles. All Ginny had to do was stand (for her seat had vanished) and watch the scene unfold before her eyes. It was obvious that magic was afoot, but the man simply refused to admit it. Ginny roared with laughter at the man's denial of the magic blatantly there. By the end, he had decided to call the local psychiatrist after his house had simply vanished into thin air. Though Ginny by no means supported wizards who made sport of Muggles, it was delightfully funny to see what lengths a Muggle would go to avoid all thoughts of magic.
She left the ride smiling. Hermione looked amused, and Ron was howling with laughter. Harry was smiling more than Ginny had ever seen him do. Ginny looked sideways at him. Harry noticed her look and smiled genuinely back at her. Ginny felt her cheeks betray her by blushing, which only served to make him chuckle softly. She smirked back at him, her eyes telling him that he would pay for that. He only smiled, as if to say 'Bring it on!'.
Harry couldn't believe how much fun he was having. The four of them were later joined by Fred and George, who refused to speak of their dealings with the faeries. They went on a few other magical simulators and several breath-taking rides. His favourite had been one where he had sat on a broom-like seat and was sent whipping through caves, soaring over oceans, and sent plummeting straight down the side of a steep mountain. Hermione seemed a bit worse for wear, her face taking on a slightly-green hue.However, shewas smiling none-the-less when it was over (perhaps because it was, finally, over).
In all the excitement, Harry had lost control of his magic and a flood of other people's thoughts began pouring into his mind. Within seconds, however, he had gained control once more, without anyone being the wiser. He whispered a silent thanks to Nalani and Mandara, who had taken the time to show him how to block other thoughts from entering his mind.
After spending three hours walking around the festival, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley announced that the Faerie Works would begin shortly and it would be best for them to get good seats.
Just as they had finished settling down, the show began. Faeries wove intricate dances in the sky, dancing to the beat of an unknown rhythm. Groups of blue-lighted faeries made a big sphere in the sky, as yellow-lighted faeries flew in a line around it, giving Harry the image of Saturn surrounded by its rings.
Red-lighted faeries made arcs like the leaves of a Weeping-Willow in the sky, as green lights soared straight up. Harry was amazed by the fact that the faeries never executed the same move more than twice, making for a breath-taking show.
At the very end of the spectacle, much to the sounds of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's groans, the sky lit with a message of 'Happy Birthday Hrary', each of the letters formed by a group of faeries. Fred and George laughed and poked each other in the ribs when the words flashed in the sky. Harry smiled to himself, as much for the mistake in the spelling of his name as for the thought behind the message. The twins winked at him, and he smiled back. He had no inkling of how they had managed to pull that off.
All through the walk back to the portkey they had to take, the twins were being yelled at by Mrs. Weasley. It was obvious, however, that she was more proud of them for doing something that had made Harry smile than angry at having shown the wizards in the crowd that a 'Hrary' was present, which might have put him in danger.
Harry went to bed late that night with a smile plastered on his face. He felt like the luckiest person on the planet.
Voldemort Apparated to the edge of Gateshead, a town in the northern region of England inhabited by both Muggles and wizards. He stood on top of a tall hill, overlooking the town. Night was just beginning to fall, and most families were sitting down to eat.
Death Eaters Apparated behind him in order of rank. Voldemort had just come back from raiding Azkaban. The Dementors had returned under his control in mere seconds when they saw what he had to offer. Having freed his loyal servants from prison, he had decided to show Dumbledore and the Potter boy exactly who they were dealing with…
"Malfoy, Lestrange," he called out when his followers had all gathered.
The two stepped forward, quivering with fear. Voldemort smiled, taking strength from their fear and weakness.
"You failed me at the Department of Mysteries. Do not fail me again," Voldemort laughed cruelly, watching them squirm. He pointed a long, bony finger towards Gateshead. "You two will lead the attack. I want half the town dead. Leave a few tortured ones sane enough to tell the Order what happened. Do not forget to leave some for the Dementors. They are anxious for a feeding."
Malfoy and Lestrange bowed low to their master before ordering the rest of the Death Eaters into small groups. The Dementors hovered at the edge of the group. Voldemort chanted under his breath, calling his tribe of Pennati to him. They rose slowly from the ground, twenty in all.
Flapping their wings, the Pennati flew overhead. Already, Voldemort could hear the screams of the villagers as they heard the large beasts roar. Motioning to Malfoy and Lestrange, he ordered the attack to begin.
The Pennati rocketed down, their wings turning to fire. They swooped over the village, alighting several of the houses and grabbing several villagers with their claws. Their sharp, red eyes ablaze, they stopped anyone from running away with one look, locking everyone in their fear.
Muggles screamed and ran for their lives as the Death Eaters Apparated from house to house. The killing, the torturing, and the looting: Voldemort revelled in it all. The Dementors fed on many souls, forcing their unlucky victims into their worst memories before turning them into soul-less bodies.
Voldemort could see several of the braver wizards attempting to put on a fight. Their shaking hands held their wands out as they tried to put out the fires on their blazing homes and attempted to stop the onslaught. It was no use: the wizards were greatly outnumbered and out-powered by his army.
Voldemort walked calmly down the hill and towards the town. He levitated a nearby arm, lying a few feet away from a bloody corpse. Using the blood, he left Potter a message on the side of a house that was sure to get his attention.
Walking around the town, Voldemort cast the Cruciatus Curse on small children as their parents watched helplessly, unable to make their children stop screaming. He then proceeded to kill each member of the family one by one, savouring in the kills and making the deaths as bloody as possible. The other family members could do nothing but watch the horrid scene and await their own demise.
The killings went on into the early hours of the morning. The Death Eaters Dispparated, leaving behind them the corpses of loved ones, as wailing family members tried to piece together what had happened. Most of the fires had already died down, leaving the blackened shells of homes after having destroyed their interiors.
"The town was ravaged, Albus. Children and adults alike were murdered. Not one bloody wizard had the sense to contact the Aurors," Moody barked, shaking his head. "No one can doubt that he has come back now."
Harry surveyed the small town. Not one section of the small, once quaint town had been spared. He noticed that Dumbledore was looking down at him, to see how he was taking it. Though Harry had refused to be left out of the search party after he had had a vision of what Voldemort was planning and had warned the Order, part of him simply wished to have remained asleep, dozing under the covers instead of looking at the destruction caused by his worst enemy.
The other part understood that he had to learn more about Voldemort: learn how he attacked, and try to find a pattern to his madness. Kael had already told him to start trying to find as much information about the present-day Voldemort as possible. He would later be shown more information concerning Voldemort's attacking patterns from sixteen years back.
Dumbledore, Moody, Harry and Remus walked through the remains of the once thriving town. Aurors ran back and forth, rescuing the few survivors (Muggle and wizard alike) and sending them to Healers for much-needed medical attention. The four passed by two Obliviating tents before walking into one of the make-shift tents that had been set up as a healing post, hoping to find more information about the attack from those who lived to tell the tale.
Dumbledore walked over to a tall wizardat the far side of the tent, who looked fine save for a cast around his arm and several cuts and scrapes along his face, some deeper than others. What Harry could not help but stare at, however, was the look of terror imprinted on the man's face. His face was tear-stained, and it was apparent that he had lost someone close to him.
Moody, Remus and Harry drew closer as Dumbledore drew the story out of the man. They heard of the terrible winged creatures that froze you with a single glare, of the Dementors floating free and draining people of their souls and of the swarming Death Eaters who tortured and killed without mercy.
With the utmost terror in his voice, the man spoke of 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. It took all of Dumbledore's patience and calm, soothing words to coax the man into speaking of the red-eyed monster.
Dumbledore thanked the man when he was finished, promising him that they would try their hardest to kill the demon who had done this to his family, to his town, and to the only life he had ever known.
Outwardly, Harry appeared cool and collected. Inside, however, he was seething with rage. Voldemort had torn apart these people's lives without a second thought, hoping only to gain power and instil fear in the people's hearts. He made a promise to himself that he would bring down the monster, even if it was the last thing he did.
They walked out of the tent, all beginning to feel the effects of the war that was looming over them. They went from house to house, helping the Aurors with their immense task.
Returning from one of the healing tents, Harry spied a small boy, not even five years-old, sitting alone in the middle of the street as men marched back and forth around him. The boy was crying, kicking his feet and displacing the ashes around him.
Harry walked purposefully up to the tiny child, lifting him up and cradling him. The boy stopped bawling and looked with large, shiny eyes into Harry's own. He quieted down in the comfort and safety of Harry's arms, which the boy seemed to trust implicitly.
Almost subconsciously, Harry sent a small amount of soothing magic towards the boy, hoping to make him fall asleep. It worked like a charm. Harry hugged the boy even tighter in his arms, feeling a connection to the boy. After all, Harry too had lost his parents at a young age.
Harry walked over to where the others had stopped, waiting for him. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes, which had completely disappeared before, now came back slightly at the sight.
"I hope to find his parents, if they're still alive," Harry told the group.
Like clockwork, screaming was heard behind the party. They turned to see a woman struggling against the grasp of an Auror. Finally, she broke free. Sobbing, she turned around in circles.
"Anthony," she cried forcefully. "ANTHONY. WHERE ARE YOU?"
Suddenly, the woman spied Harry with her child in his hands. She limped over to him, and Harry handed the child to her, sensing that she was the mother. She kissed Anthony several times before checking him over to make sure that he was still all right.
The woman, who later introduced herself as Martha, thanked Harry profusely for saving her baby. He tried dissuading the woman, explaining that all he had done was pick the child from the ground, but she refused to believe it.
Harry walked away, following Dumbledore and the others and leaving the still crying mother alone with her precious baby (though Harry suspected that the tears were those of love and gratitude rather than sadness). He was happy that that child still had his mother, but knew that entire families had been wiped out that day. In some cases, only orphaned children remained.
Abruptly, Remus tried to stop him from advancing; having obviously seen something around the next corner that he did not want Harry to see. Not knowing what could be worse than having seen abandoned children and dead people, Harry fought the werewolf's tight grip.
Thanks to his strength training, Harry finally broke free. Before turning the corner, he heard Dumbledore whisper something akin to, "Voldemort understands nothing about love. He is just trying to use –"
Harry turned to corner. On the wall of a house, Harry read a message addressed to him that made his blood turn cold. The blood still oozing from the words, it read:
Potter, it is your fault that there are so many dead. You could have stopped these deaths by simply turning yourself over to me rather than fighting the inevitable. These deaths will haunt you to the grave.
A/N: Hey guys! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I know that it was out late but I really worked hard on it! I would love feedback from you guys: am I improving? Is there a difference in my writing? Am I getting worse? Is the story getting interesting or is it getting boring? Was the chapter a good length… And so on and so forth! You're opinions matter so much to me! This is for you guys! Even a one-liner review makes a difference! Next chapter out as soon as possible!
BTW: I'm going to World Youth Day in Germany! Is anyone here going as well?
Wasn't the HPB amazing! I have so many ideas about what will happen in the next one!
Now on to the Review Responses:
Lourdes: Thank you for the touching words! I try my best!
Dr. Gero: Hey Nick! You haven't e-mailed in a while. Well, in my opinion a trance is not dependant on how long it takes to get in but what happens while you're in (really far away from your consciousness so that you can focus on important things). Who knows! I will try to find a better word. Yes, those were the Fates that Harry met. And no, you will not be seeing what the others saw… True about adding too much too fast! I'll know for next time if I ever do something like this again. The problem is I never had all my ideas sorted out before beginning, which means that when I do have ideas I try to put them soon so I don't forget! Hopefully that will change soon! About the Patton guy, I didn't mean to use an important person's name! I was simply going through a bunch of sites on the U.S. military and his name popped up. Thus, while I was thinking of a name my subconscious chose that one (I swear). So, when I had realized it, the name stuck. Thanks for your review!
TwistedFlames: Thanks for the review! And thanks for helping me with this chapter!
MonkeyLover: Thank you for reviewing all of the chapters as you read them! I loved your input for every one!
DancingPandaa: Thanks for the review! I agree with you on the training (I got that from many people). You will not be seeing that again!
Rdk-Kamikaze: Thank you so much! Your review really touched me!
For everyone else that reviewed: my sincerest thank you! I love you all! Cheesecake for everyone! And chocolate-chip cookies (nut-free) for people you don't like the cake! Enjoy!