Puzzles / Making the Pieces Fit

Harry couldn't stop thinking of the images he had seen when he looked at Hermione's diary. Every night he dreamt of it and every day he drew a picture of it, trying to see the name on its cover. He knew he knew it. There was an OM then the name went fuzzy and it ended in a LE it was the first letter and everything in the middle that he just couldn't be sure of. The first name could be Tom, but with the way wizarding names were, he couldn't say it was right without and doubt.

He hadn't been able to discuss it with his Dad, Father or Uncle for the last week since they were all busy working on Mom's surprise in their spare time. So he was really hoping everything had gone as well as it looked they were, at least the way it looked on stage.

Morning came quicker then Harry would have liked, he had spent most of the night tossing and turning and when he wasn't being woken by a dream he was by the sound of Ron talking in his sleep. He stumbled down to breakfast with his eyes half-open, to find Tingler and Chime putting out food.

Rea and Luna were already down and eating and being way too cheerful for his liking. "Any idea when Mom and Dad will be home?"

Before Rea could answer Tingler did. "Master Harry's parents are already home. Chime and I delivered your parents in their new bed to the Master suite as your Father had instructed earlier this morning."

Rea looked puzzled, "Tingler are you sure that Daddy wanted you and Chime to move the Bed here with them still in it?"

"Master Sirius say that Tingler and Chime where to deliver the bed to the master suit first thing in the morning. He did not specify whether he and the Mistress should be in or out of the bed. Since they were still asleep Chime felt it best to not walk them so we delivered the bed with them still asleep."

Harry and Rea began to snicker while Luna thought it sounded very romantic. Tingler looked very pleased with herself and popped out of the kitchen. Harry Looked at Rea then darted for the lift. They both reached the door of their parents' room about the same time with the twins coming out of their room rubbing their eyes and asking what all the noise was about. They slowly opened the door to the large room to see the grand bed their Father had made. Both girls ood at how beautiful it was and the twins thought it was wicked. Harry was happy to see that Dad had incorporated some of his ideas into the design.

A Hand came out and parted the thick velvet drapes and the children could hear muffled talk and the ruffling of sheets and clothing. Then the drapes opened on both sides of the great bed. Momma was clad in a white lace robe and nightdress and Daddy was in his Green velvet robe "remind me to have words with our house elves later." Sirius then smiled and waved the children in.

Cassie opened her arms to the girls as they jumped in on either side of her. Sirius moved over and Harry climbed in next to Rea, Then Sir and JM climbed over the footboard to sit at the bottom of the bed.

"This is such a cool bed Daddy, where did you get it. The twins were looking at all the carvings and how very large the bed was. "You could sleep an entire army in here."

"To start with it's not quite that large, and as far as where I got it from, I didn't, I made it as a special gift for your Mom." Sirius looked over at Cassie who had two girls snuggling against her. She smiled and mouthed the words (I Love You). He replied with a wink.

"So can we sleep here with you every night Daddy?" Sir had scooched in under the down comforter at the foot of the bed.

"Ah, no." The boys both looked hurt. "Look you're both almost 6 and it time you spent your nights in your own beds. I made this bed for your Mom and me and no-one else. "

"What about the new baby," Rea asked.

"The new baby will only be in the bed when I'm feeding her or him and when I need to get them to sleep otherwise he, or she will be in the crib and once out of the nursery in their own bed in their own room." Cassie kissed Rea on top of her head.

"There are two new rules, and you will ALL follow them," Sirius looked sternly at all of his children.

Harry jokingly jumped to his knees, and saluted. "Sir yes Sir."

Sirius roughed Harry's hair, "you have been hanging around your, Father and Uncle too much."

Harry leaned forward and whispered in his Dad's ear, "I need to talk to you about something important later." Sirius nodded.

"Now the first new rule is, you are all to knock before entering this room, is that clear." A joint yes Sir was the response. "The second rule is if the drapes on the bed are closed and your Mom and I don't ask what you want, unless it's a real emergency you are to turn right around and leave and whatever it is that you need can either wait or be dealt with when we get up. Do you all understand the rules?"

"Yes Daddy" was the group reply.

"Great now we love you all, even Luna, but Mommy and I are still very tired, so out and we will talk with you all later."

Slowly the children all climbed out of the large feather bed and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Sitting in front of his small fireplace in his little cottage Harry waited for his Dad, Uncle, and father to arrive. It was nice to have his Dad now being part of the afternoon talks since he, Dad, remembered his other life and could help with putting the bits and pieces Harry was remembering together.

"So what is it that is so important that you wanted to wake your Mom and I this morning," Sirius asked as he shook of the rain and took the towel Harry handed him.

"I thought I would wait till everyone was here, but if you are in a hurry."

Sirius walked over to Harry and hugged him. "Harry we will wait if that is what you wish. I had just gotten the impression that you really needed to talk as soon as possible by your manor this morning."

"Sorry, we're late that rain is really coming down and making flying dangerous." Remus hung his and James coats on the coat rake. "Is the tea on or do I need to start it."

Harry looked at the kitchen, "Oh sorry I was just thinking about what I need to talk with the three of you about."

Remus headed into the kitchen to start the tea. "Well go on."

James stoked the fire to help them all dry off. "What is so engrossing that you forgot the tea?"

Harry took his chair and started to tell the group about the diary and what had happened along with the images he had seen and the name he couldn't make out.

Sirius sat back in his chair. "I know what diary your talking about Harry and I'll be honest, it's one of the incidents that happened in your other life that I really didn't want to discuss, but clearly we need to." Remus set the tea tray on the table in front of the Fire as Sirius started into the story, as Harry had originally relayed it to him.

How Lucas Malfoy had slipped the diary of Thomas Marvolo Riddle into Ginny Weasley's cauldron in what was her first year, Harry's Second. How the diary had contained a part of Riddle in its pages and it was that part that had driven Ginny to do some very bad things that had endangered the entire school. That Riddle was the young Voldemort. Who had back in the forties framed Hagrid for his own crime of releasing Slytherin's monster on the school that had killed a girl.

Sirius stopped he knew he needed to finish, but he also could see in Harry's face that more memories were flashing back as he spoke. "Harry, son are you sure you want me to keep going. If this is getting painful for you I would rather stop and we can finish tomorrow or the next day."

"It's alright Dad I need to get all of the pieces. Then maybe it will all make sense."

"Alright,"

James moved his chair next to Harry's then nodded to Sirius to assure him that he had the boy if need be.

That Riddle had taken over Ginny's mind and had her release the beast which was a great Basilisk that was over a thousand years old. The beast had managed to petrify but not kill over a half dozen students on it rampages one of which was Collin another being Hermione." Sirius stopped and took a long drink of his tea, making sure Harry was still handling the flood of information and memories. He then went on, How when Riddle thought he was strong enough he had Ginny go down to Slytherin's hidden chamber where he was absorbing her life force and magic to remake himself. How Harry and Ron had gone down into the chamber after them to try and save Ginny, and Harry had with the help of Fawkes Dumbledore's phoenix, killed the beast and saved Ginny, nearly at the cost of Harry's own life. That he had destroyed the diary and Riddle by stabbing the diary with a fang from the basilisk that had pierced Harry's arm and finally that if Fawkes had not cried on the wound Harry would have died.

Harry's left hand had gone to cover a spot on his right forearm and was rubbing it. "The question Dad, now is, where is the diary?"

Sirius and Remus both now were thinking.

"Didn't Arthur Weasley alone with a group of Aurors go through Malfoy Manor after Lucas was put to death?" Remus mused out loud.

"That would mean if they did find a diary in the raid that it would be in the locked holding room for the misuse of Muggle artifacts," Sirius replied.

Harry was up and pacing. "We need to get it and the other Horcruxes and destroy them."

The Harry who was talking wasn't the ten-year-old boy, it was the man he had once been. Then as quickly as he had come forward he was gone again leaving the younger Harry shaking and weak.

Sirius scooped Harry up in his arms and carried him over to the daybed. He looked at James and Remus. "Get ahold of Cassie's Dad. If anyone knows what a Horcruxes is he will and he may know how to find the others since Harry said there were more.

Arturius's response was to have the trio and Harry meet him in the main lobby of the Ministry the next day. "I have been waiting for this day,"

James and Sirius both looked at him with apprizing eyes. "What do you mean, you have been waiting for this day."

"Sirius you know that each member of our family line is born with a gift, something handed down from the original Merlin. Cassian has the ability to see the auras of those she is treating which helps her in her treatment of patients. My gift is to perceive ripples and disruptions in the time stream, when your's and Harry's souls skipped backward in the time stream you caused a great wave of disruptions. Much of what had been was erased, or overridden. So the future that was was gone and from the point the two of you settled back into the flow of time everything was being written anew. Those things though that had occurred before the time you're stepped in stayed the same mostly.

Prior to Harry's birth a prophecy was made that only Harry and those who were there when it was made can or will know. Dumbledore was there when it was made and it was because of his interpolation of that prophecy that he was willing to sacrifice Lily and James as well as many others including you Sirius, your life, your marriage and the lives of the children that would be born to you and Cassian. Every person who is or has lived in the Manor has had their lives made better because Harry chose to bring you back with him.

Where he could not make the immediate changes, like saving Frank and Alice and keeping Harry himself from being sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle on Lily's side of the family. But now Harry is coming to the time when in that old timeline he was having to face and deal with the Dark Lord everyone thought had been killed. It is now time that he needs to hear the prophecy so he may take on his destiny. But unlike the first time, this time he has the three of you to help him, and there is one other.

Harry looked at his Grandfather and smiled. "Dobby told me that I had given to him all my memories from that other life. They were his to hold until I needed them. Is Dobby my one other.

"Yes Harry Dobby the free house-elf is your one other. In that life and this Dobby has been you're loyal and loving friend."

Harry's head throbbed as an image of a small headstone became crystal clear in his mind and upon it was written Here lies Dobby a Free Elf and friend to Harry Potter.

Harry stopped walking and feel to his knees sobbing. "He died for me, he died saving me."

Sirius dropped down next to his son, "Harry this time will be different. This time I will not die and neither will he. Don't you see son this time, the choice you made to come back has saved us all and we will now save you from having to face all that pain and heartache.

Harry looked at Sirius, and in those green eyes Sirius could see both the boy and the man trying hard to reconcile who he was now with who he had been. What the man could give the boy was knowledge, but what the boy could give the man was the hope and love, both things the man he had not known at the age of ten. This Harry was living not merely surviving.

It was the man that made the decision. He would leave his younger self with only the knowledge he needed, the what's, where's, and how's. The memories of all the pain he had endured, the losses, the fears, all those things that had, even after he had won, kept him from truly enjoying life he would take away as he finished melding with his younger self.

Yes, Harry would know what to do and how to do it. He would know what to avoid and what to embrace, and the first thing he would embrace was his Dad, who was still living with the pain he had gone through.

Harry's eyes softened and his voice returned to that of his ten-year-old self. "I know what the prophecy is, and it no longer applies to me, or to anyone for that matter. I have a life that I enjoy living. Voldemort what is left of him out there can't hurt me. Tingler and Chime saw to that when they got rid of the part of Voldemort that tried to latch on to me."

"All those little pieces of himself that he has tried to hide so that he would not die. I know where they are or were. Better thing is I know what he hid them in and how to release them all so that he will finally be released from here and go on to whatever awaits him" Harry stood up and brushed off his pants, "And Dad older me wanted me to give you this." Harry wrapped his arms around his Dad and hugged him. Then he went to his Father, and his Uncle and hugged them both as well. "He said to tell you, I never wanted any of you to die for me. That is why I choose to come back and make everything right. And now with your Help, not your deaths we can."

"Papa, we need to get to the diary and get rid of the piece of Riddle that is in it."

Arturius nodded and led the way down to the area where the Unspeakables worked "The head of magical research has had it in a containment field for the last eight years. Even though they have known how to get rid of it since the prophecy stated that you had to be the one to do it no-one has wanted to touch it."

Placing his hand on the door, it swung open to reveal several witches and wizards in hooded black robes who stopped whatever they were doing as soon as the door opened. Then one member of the group came over to Arturius. "Lord Merlin we were not expecting you."

Arturius stepped aside to reveal Harry.

"Ahh, I see and the others are here as his bodyguards. Very well I will inform number one." Quickly he turned and headed through a section of the wall.

In less than a minute the sound of running feet could be heard and the wall opened once more. The wizard that entered throwback his hood.

"Uncle Alfie, Harry yelled and ran to the elder man. Alfie wasn't Harry's uncle by blood, but Harry had grown up knowing him as his uncle. In reality he was Neville's great uncle but that hadn't mattered to the children or Alfie.

"I was wondering when you would be here. Are you ready to get rid of that abomination?"

"Ready and able with a little help. It's not the only one though shouldn't we get them all before we get rid of any so that none can be moved before we get them."

"Well Harry that depends on how you choose to get rid of them. "Alfie was looking at Harry with a quizzical look on his face. "So if given a choice of ways to ways to eliminate a Horcrux since you are here in the department of mysteries how would you do it?"

Harry looked very thoughtful then after a few minutes a smile came to his face. "Can I just chuck it through the veil?"

Alfie gleefully leaped into the air, "Steller Harry. One day you will make a remarkable unspeakable."

"Come along, Alfie led the way through the unseen doors to where the diary was being held. He handed Harry a set of tongs to pick the diary up with. Once Harry had the diary between the pinchers of the tongs they headed down another hall and through another unseen door that lead them into the room of the arch. "Now if my calculations are right and our magic runs true it will not matter the number of horcruxes. The power of the veil held between the lentals of the arch should draw the soul fragments to it ." Alfie was more talking to himself than to anyone else. "If you are ready Harry toss it through."

"But what about the others."

"Not to worry, go ahead and give it a good hard throw."

Harry looked at his Fathers and Uncle than at Grandfather, all nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath to calm himself then let it fly.

As the book past through the veil the image of a woman appeared and caught it. Sirius had come up to stand next to Harry and saw what Harry saw, but it was clear to the two of them no-one else did, just as none of the others heard Her.

"Thank you, Harry. Grandfather was right, he told me you would know how best to bring Tom over to where he should be. Now though I would suggest that you and Sirius move away from the Arch."

Susan opened the book and the piece of Riddle that was in it took on the image of a 16-year-old boy. Sirius and Harry moved off the stone floor the arch sat on down to the ditch that surrounded it. Seeing them moving off the others all followed suit.

The sound of someone screaming filled the chamber as a white formless mist passed through the arch. The Boy next to Susan became a young man in his late teens early twenties. A few minutes later another formless mist past between the lentals and the young man now looked to be in his thirties, about ten minute after that another entered the arch and the man became younger looking to be in his mid-twenties.

Harry was counting. "That leaves only one more piece and whatever is left of Riddle himself."

Arturius raised his staff and placed a shield around the group of them. "I may just be airing on the side of safety, but if any part of Voldemort is going to put up resistance it will be the main part of his soul. And he may try and grab onto someone to try and stay here, so to keep from My Daughter trying to kill me, I think this shield is the best option."

"Papa," Harry was looking a bit confused now. " Why would Mom try to kill you."

"Because Harry if any of you get hurt in any way by Voldemort she will blame me for not protecting you."

Oh Harry responded then I think I should help. Harry raised his hand and made a sweeping motion and outside the shield the Merlin had erected appeared a secondary set of defenses. A rune circle, a ward shield, and finally a mirror shield.

The group under the new layered protections all looked as if they were floored by what ten-year-old Harry had just done. It was Sirius who then inquired as to where Harry had learned such an elaborate protection

"From another timeline, another you, Mom, and Uncle Moonie." for the briefest of seconds an image can to Sirius of him standing in the manor in Wales in front of a fire with Cassie and then it was gone. Harry smiled at him and then hugged him. We are the result of not two but of 3 different timelines. Sirius nodded, he had known this since Candlemas that first year when he decided to put all his energy into becoming the best Husband and Father he could be.

With that fresh on his mind Sirius turned to Alfie to inquire with him about the new baby Cassie was carrying. "Alfie while we are stuck here I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question for me."

Alfie nodded, "If I can."

"Stellar, what if any effect would it have on a child if they were to be conserved at the point that magical fire was released."

"An interesting question, and to be honest I'm not fully sure. After we are free of this duty I will need to do some reading and get back to you with an answer."

Arturius cleared his throat. " I can answer your question with two examples. One being the first Merlin, the other being your Wife. Now why do you ask?"

Sirius just held up his hand with all five fingers extended.

"Really," Arturius responded, "And you thought you had your hand full with this one, He ruffled Harry's hair, and Rea." Around them, the room started to shake. "Best we shielf this till later something is on its way in."

It took nearly half an hour but when the two last parts of Voldemort showed up in the chamber They had already joined and were more visible and coherent than any of the others, more ghostly than just a mist. The mists of the vail reached out toward the Spector wrapping tendrils around its arms and legs. He screamed and fought and reached for those within the shield. His eyes first set upon James, anger etched on its horrid face. Then on Sirius and finally on Harry.

The anger now changed to a look of confusion. A hand reached toward Harry, Sirius's Arms protectively wrapped around the boy once more angering the Spector, Anger that gave what had been Voldemort strength. The hand pushed on the shield and small cracks began to form. The Merlin slammed his staff into the ground enforcing the second shield inside the first.

That was when Susan reached the end of her patients From out of the arch she walked. The others within the shield could now see her and hear her. "It is time Tom."

He turned on her, "I will not go, you cannot make me." His hands wrapped around her neck, and he tightened them. A battle of wills was being fought in front of the arch and it looked as if Voldemort might just win as his other self tried to come out to join him.

A loud clap of thunder and what looked to be a tier in the fabric of reality appeared in midair and through it came a White Horse. On its back the black hooded figure with his scythe road down on the Wraith that had once been one of the more powerful wizards in the world. It was all over in less than the blink one of an eye, one slash with his scythe. The specter then collapsed into a mist, Voldemort was gone and Susan now took Grandfather's hand and mounted behind him. Death's horse, Binky turned around and with one great leap was back throw the tier which closed behind them.

Everyone but Harry and Sirius were busy watching Death, Binky, and Susan. Sirius and Harry were watching the Riddle that had been just inside the arch. As the scythe slashed through the wraith and it crumbed to mist so did the Riddle in the arch and then they were all blown away by the blast of air that fanned out over the chamber when the riff closed.

"I don't understand Dad. If he had gone willingly he could have been reborn. Now he is just gone forever and no-one will remember him as anything other than a crazy wizard who caused nothing but pain."

As they left the chamber behind in the arch one pained face appeared. It features more gaunt and hollower then they had been the day he had willingly walked with his head held high into the arch. Its mouth releasing two words, I'm Sorry, and with that, it crumbled to dust and was swept away with the swirling of the mists.