Chapter 6 – Reflections

Harry knelt at the edge of his trunk and looked at the contents. An ink stained diary, the broken diadem, a melted mass of gold that once was a cup, a tarnished old ring and a perfectly intact locket. Voldemort's five Horcruxes, four sat destroyed in the bottom of Harry's school trunk. Those four didn't matter and in the end neither did the locket. Harry still needed to destroy it but when Quirrell destroyed the corporal mass that was Voldemort; he sent his spirit back into the world with one remaining Horcrux. Harry knew that Voldemort must be weak, extremely weak, but still alive.

He sighed heavily, wrapped the items in his invisibility cloak then packed his belongings on top of it. With that task complete he quietly left the room, finding Ron in the common room before heading down to the leaving feast. They sat with Fred, George and Hermione, but Hermione was decidedly silent. The one time Harry made eye contact with her she looked away. He shrugged his shoulders and mourned again for what he seemed to be losing in Hermione.

The only plan he'd made before returning to this time was his best effort to destroy Voldemort, and while he did realize that he could change many things, for some reason he never dreamt he would change Hermione. The worst he thought of this new timeline was the possibility of losing Ginny to another lover; he'd never considered that he might change Hermione irrevocably. But moreover, he never realized how prideful she could be. Her newest upset was a combination of two issues. The first was that Harry had snuck out of Gryffindor Tower. She even went as far as suggesting that it served him right for tripping and falling down the stairs since he shouldn't have been out of bed to begin with, and getting out of bed to simply wonder the corridors (he later told Ron that he was looking for the Mirror of Erised again) was no reason at all to cost Gryffindor House points.

The subsequent event of Professor Quirrell attacking him also fell by her wayside. Ron, Fred and George were practically up in arms at her flaccid reaction but Harry told them it wasn't worth being upset about.

His second offense against Hermione seemed to be his marks on their final exams. She did excellent but Harry did better. It was a trend Hermione could not respect since Harry made no efforts to achieve those marks.

She did not sit in the compartment with Harry, Ron, Fred and George, there was only a quick wave goodbye at King's Cross. His parting with the Weasley's went much better. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley walked Harry out to his aunt and uncle and made the invitation to spend the month of August at the Burrow. The Dursleys accepted though Harry knew it was not out of pleasantness that they did so. The Dursleys were clearly afraid of the scene that they perceived unfolding around them; a family of wizards stood around them smiling. It made Harry laugh recalling the incident on the drive back to Surrey.

Vernon was three shades west of purple, the vein throbbing wildly on his forehead as he stole glance at Harry through the rearview mirror.

"Enjoyed that did you?"

"I thought the Weasley's were quite nice to you," all things considered, Harry thought in addition. All things considered were that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley believed the Dursleys abused Harry frequently.

Harry spent the first several days alone in his room just thinking about how time might unfold now. Things were uncertain but he tried to anticipate some of Voldemort's next moves. He reviewed the series of events that occurred in his second and third year to predict the next move Voldemort might make. Harry did not know what Voldemort did during his second and third school years. What he did know is that Sirius's escape from Azkaban set Pettigrew running for protection from Voldemort. It was Pettigrew that nursed Voldemort during that time. It was also after Pettigrew went back to Voldemort that a Muggle was murdered and Nagini became a Horcrux. Sometime before that Voldemort found Nagini in Albania. From all of that Harry deduced that Voldemort was likely already in Albania. Going to Albania seemed a bit farfetched for him, but perhaps not for someone else.

Regardless of the closeness the two seemed to share, Severus Snape did not look pleased to find Harry on his doorstep four days into summer holiday.

"Potter," he nearly sneered at him.

"Potter again?" Harry asked with a cocked head.

"I shouldn't be surprised."

"No, you shouldn't." Snape finally opened the door and let Harry in. "My apologies, I should have sent Hedwig first."

"The choice of refusing a visit is customary."

Harry should have been offended but instead he laughed at this comment.

"I'm happy to amuse you, now what is it that you want?"

"There are actually two things I'd like to ask of you," he said watching Snape's reaction. Since there was no reaction Harry continued, "I want you to go to Albania and find Voldemort."

Snape winced at the name then turned away. He stepped to his mantel and appeared to survey the books above the fireplace.

"You know there are times that you remind me of Dumbledore."

Harry couldn't rebut that statement at all. In so many ways he had turned into Albus Dumbledore, and in equally as many ways he had become Severus Snape. The man Harry was began at Hogwarts with those two men.

After a long silence Snape finally spoke. "You said two things, what is the second?"

"I'm going to break Sirius out of Azkaban. I'd like you to help me."

Snape's body gave one brief shake and though he made no sound, Harry knew perfectly well that that was Snape's laugh.

"You don't want much do you, Potter?" he didn't give Harry a chance to answer before continuing. "Why would we break Black out of prison? Wouldn't it be better to prove he's innocent?"

"Yes, but could we do that before the next school year?" he wondered.

"Why not?" Snape finally turned and faced Harry again. "Why couldn't I reach out to Lupin?"

"Really?" Harry asked in amazement and with confusion. "Exactly what would you say to him? You have no reason to believe Pettigrew still alive aside from me telling you."

He rubbed his chin in thought, considering this point. "I know he's a werewolf."

"Yes, and you only know that Madam Pomfrey escorted him to the Whomping Willow each month. How could you account for asking if his friends were Animagus and tie that all into Pettigrew?"

"I do know that Black and your father helped him in some way."

"Why would you ask after so many years?" Harry wondered. "And why on earth would you care?"

Those questions silenced Snape but he appeared to think about this solution.

"When are you going to the Weasleys?"

"August."

"Can you 'see' the rat change?"

"I suppose I could arrange that," Harry conceded.

"What harm a month to wait?" Snape suggested. "The best way to get Black out of Azkaban is to have Pettigrew found as the traitor. I will rely upon you to make that happen when you arrive at the Weasley home for the holiday.

"Now, about Albania," he said shifting thoughts without letting Harry comment on the capture of Pettigrew. "You don't know if the Dark Lord is there yet."

"No, but it wouldn't hurt to look, would it?"

"I suppose not but what if he is there and I find him? He will think I've come for him, not to capture him and destroy him. He will expect help and I will have to give it to him in order to keep cover. Wouldn't it be more prudent to wait for him to surface again?"

"You want me to wait three years?" Harry found this request to be unfathomable. "Severus…"

"I will go to Albania," he said. "And if I find him what should I do with him?"

"Get him back into some form of something again so I can kill him."

"He did not succeed at procuring the Philosopher's Stone; I do not know what course of action he will propose next."

"Where is the stone now?" Harry never thought to ask before this moment.

"With Dumbledore still I believe."

"That should keep it safe enough for the time being."

Harry and Snape kept in correspondence with each other during his travels and when Harry left for the Burrow Snape still hadn't found Voldemort. Their letters were cryptic but even so Harry wasn't really surprised. Voldemort, in his weakened state, would probably need time to travel. He'd need to feed on whatever innocent creature he could to gain strength. In hindsight, Harry realized one of his best courses of inquiry was Hagrid. He could have asked about magical creatures, leading into unicorns. Hagrid would have been most forthcoming if any unicorns were still being harmed.

Kreacher kept close to Harry and Dobby came around for a few visits through the summer. He was anxious for Harry to take him away, and Harry really wanted to but arranging a time to see Wormtail was his first priority. He was more than happy to leave Surrey and enjoy his stay at the Burrow. The tone for the visit was quickly established within days.

Harry chased Ron down the stairs, the empty bucket still rattling around on top of his head as he gave chase. His pyjamas were soaked clear through and his feet slid ever so slightly with each step. Ron's malicious laugh trailed behind him taunting Harry.

Mrs. Weasley looked up at the noise that was obviously more than one child thundering down the stairs towards the kitchen. The laughter and colorful blend of threats and foul words were heard next.

"Harry James Potter, don't you use that language," she scolded (having already taken to using Harry's full name) before she could even see the boys. Ron was the first to jump off of the stairs and did so with a very large smile on his face. He plopped right down into a chair at the table.

"What have you done now, Ronald?" she asked but did not need to wait for his answer as Harry launched off the bottom stair, bucket still on his head and soaking wet. She stuck her arm out to prevent Harry from running any further. "I will deal with him. You go and get dried off."

Harry just grunted as Mrs. Weasley removed the bucket from his head and gave him a gentle nudge back up the stairs. When she looked back at Ron it was clear that he'd prefer whatever retribution Harry sought over his mother's punishment.

"Mum, I was just having a laugh," he explained quickly.

"It's eight in the morning, Ron; dare I ask how Harry was woken this morning?"

At that question Ron turned red and his cheeks puffed up as he tried to hold in his laughter, but the image of Harry flailing in bed as the water drenched him was just too priceless.

"I see," his mother said with a nodded. "I think your brothers have rubbed off on you far too much."

"What was that, Mum?" Fred asked as he descended the stairs with his twin and they took a seat on the opposite side of the table as Ron.

"Well, it seems that you two have taught your brother a prank or two," she told them. "And I prefer not to live in a house that is about to come down around me just so you three can have a laugh."

"You've got it all wrong, Mum," George said helping himself to toast. "Harry might be soaking wet…"

"Good job on that by the way," Fred congratulated Ron quickly.

"But he's the one we have to watch out for," George finished.

"Didn't we tell you that he and Ron turned us red and gold?" Fred asked his mother.

"Or about the time they charmed our clothing to sing terribly embarrassing phrases whenever we spoke?" Fred added.

"They what?" Mrs. Weasley said while looking at Ron.

"Indeed, it seems there are two sets of Weasley twins in this house."

Ron and Fred both laughed at George's comments and the look on their mother's face. It was a mixture of horror, shock and amusement. Clearly she was thinking that Fred and George had met their matches and also feared if her home would survive the next month. At least none of them could do magic.

"Well be that as it may, I do not need the house demolished nor do I want to hear explosions coming from either of your rooms. Is that clear?"

"Yes Mum," they all told her.

"As for you, Ronald, you will de-gnome the garden as soon as you're through with your breakfast."

Harry sloshed up the stairs towards the loo only to run into Ginny as she exited. They both blushed furiously as they stood to the side to allow the other to pass. When Harry looked back over his shoulder for another look at Ginny she too was looking at him. He gave her a little smile and she returned it.

"Ginny?" he asked in a gentle voice. She didn't answer him but didn't look away from either. "Stay away from the cream puffs tonight."

Her smile grew larger then she nodded. "Thanks Harry."

After delivering his warning to Ginny, Harry was finally able to go into the bathroom and clean up. When he came down for breakfast he saw Ron hurling garden gnomes over the fence. During breakfast he was informed by Mrs. Weasley not to help Ron because that was his punishment. Harry had always enjoyed a good de-gnoming and actually found it therapeutic but he obeyed Mrs. Weasley and went outside to find something else to do while Ron completed his chore.

He was walking along the dirt path that led to the orchard when he saw Ginny sitting under a tree with a book. He slowly changed his course and had a seat next to her. She said nothing to him but she blushed furiously, red blotches on her cheeks and the sides of her neck.

"What do you do for fun, Ginny?" he asked.

"Um," she mumbled as she bit into her lower lip obviously contemplating what she should say. "Well, it's been pretty boring since Ron went to Hogwarts."

"But we're all home now and you're still by yourself."

Ginny just shrugged as she looked up to the sky. "Well Percy doesn't want to be bothered and Fred and George have always had each other then you came to stay with Ron…"

"I'm sorry, Ginny," he apologized realizing how his visit to the house may have put her out.

"I'm not," she said rather quickly causing her blush to rush out to her ears. "I mean I don't mind."

Harry looked back towards the house just in time to see a gnome go sailing over the garden fence. "I've got a great idea," he whispered wickedly. "You in?"

Ginny looked from his face to the place where his eyes had fallen. There were several gnomes staggering to one area in the field. "Yeah," she whispered back to him

Harry and Ginny snuck over to the edge of the fence and motioned at the gnomes. They were suspicious at first but eventually went to the two kids. Harry dug a little hole under the fence and started pushing each gnome through. Ginny too dug a hole and helped the little creatures back into the yard. Their efforts yielded immediate results.

"Bugger," Ron cursed. "What a waste of time. The little plonkers are already coming back."

"I heard the Ronald Weasley!" his mother shouted from the kitchen. "And if they're coming back you're not doing it right!"

Harry and Ginny both stifled their laughter as they waited for another batch of gnomes to go sailing over the fence. This cycle was repeated a few times before Ron finally came over to the fence to shove dirt into the little tunnels. Ginny and Harry pressed against the fence and held still while he did this so he wouldn't see them and amazingly, he didn't.

After a couple more tunnels to help the gnomes Harry grew tired of their game and grabbed Ginny's hand to pull her away. When their flesh touched Harry felt a surge of power race through him starting from where he held her hand. Harry took a deep breath at almost the same instance as Ginny and they stared directly into each other's eyes.

"Harry?" Ginny asked as she looked deep into his green eyes.

"Ginny," he whispered back to her, catching a glimpse of his wife in the young girl's eyes. "Sweetheart?"

Ginny looked like she was going to do or say something but she flushed once more then pulled her hand out of his. Before he could do or say anything else, a familiar little rat crept through one of the tunnels they had created.

Perfect, Harry thought. He concentrated on transforming Pettigrew and suddenly the rat rose into a man.

Ginny screamed. Harry popped up to his feet in a frenzy, pooled energy around him and encased Pettigrew.

"MUM!" Ginny screamed over and over, Harry now yelling with her. It felt like it had gone on forever before Mrs. Weasley was next to them.

"What—" but she didn't need to ask the question. She immediately held her wand on the strange man. "Who is this?"

"He just turned into…"

"Scabbers," Ginny said hysterically over Harry. "It's Scabbers!"

"How did he do that?" Harry continued. "He just crawled out of there," he pointed at the ground, "and then suddenly…"

"Mum! It's Scabbers!"

They continued to talk over each other.

"Stop!" Mrs. Weasley instructed; they were both instantly silent. "Ginny, you first."

"It's Scabbers, he ran out under the fence then turned into this man," her voice was softer but no less hysterical.

Mrs. Weasley's alarm grew in her eyes and she pulled her wand from her apron. She only had it point at the strange man when she asked Harry to speak.

"It's like Ginny said, he was a rat then he was a man."

By this time everyone who was in the house was now outside of it. Percy cleared his throat and helpfully offered, "An Animagus Mother."

"Percy, floo your father and have him come home immediately with an Auror," she instructed without moving her eyes or her wand from Wormtail. "The rest of you, go inside, straightaway."

No one argued with her tone, they all obeyed without question and all entered Ginny's room without question. Her room had the best view of the garden and they wanted to see everything that was going on. In the time it took them to get upstairs to Ginny's room Mr. Weasley and a stranger (who Harry recognized as Kingsley Shacklebolt) were in the yard with Mrs. Weasley and Percy.

"That must be an Auror," George remarked looking Kingsley over.

"He doesn't look happy," Ginny said in a frightened voice.

"Well, whoever that man is," Fred waved his head at the still frozen Wormtail (though it did appear that he was speaking now); "he'll prefer the Auror over mum."

"She's going to spare on him," his twin continued. "Look at her face."

And they all did. Mrs. Weasley was turning redder and redder as she listened to whatever was being said amongst the adults. Harry saw the telltale Patronus slink out of Kingsley's wand and was not shocked at all to see Albus Dumbledore appear on the lawn a minute later.

The chatter amongst the five children stopped and Ron's brief statement, "Blimey," seemed to fully sum up what everyone was feeling.

Ginny slowed cracked her window open, allowing voices to drift in. The five children pressed their ears to the slim opening in the windowsill; Ginny at the very bottom and Fred at the top. Their heads formed a perfect line upwards.

"Pettigrew… Potter… friends…betrayed… murderer."

"What is Dumbledore talking about?" Ron strained to hear from his position just above Harry's head. "Did he just say murderer? Murderer?" Ron asked in a small voice. "We had a murderer living in our house?"

"Mum's going to spare," Fred commented.

Clarification wasn't slow in delivery as Mrs. Weasley put in her two cents, shouting so loudly all of the children could hear her. "How dare you? You lived with my children! Let them care for you and all of this time you were the one who caused Harry to be orphaned!"

Ron, Fred, George and Ginny all looked at Harry.

"Do you have any idea the life you caused for him?"

Harry's face flushed with anger. His true feelings for Peter Pettigrew rose to the surface and his rage could barely be contained. He thought he'd prepared himself for this, Merlin knew how many times he'd run over the scene in his head; since he was thirteen, since he'd known the truth of Peter Pettigrew. He thought that he would manage to stay calm. But hearing Mrs. Weasley lay into him stirred his anger, he wanted to say a thing or two too.

The room grew intensely hot and a wind picked up. Before any of the others could react they were all transported into the garden, even Ginny's bedroom window made the journey with them. It fell to the ground shattering on impact and removing the barrier between Harry and Pettigrew. He ran for the man only to be swept up by Mr. Weasley.

"You killed my parents!" he shouted from Mr. Weasley's arms. "You're the reason they're dead!"

"We have him now, Harry," Dumbledore told him quietly. "He will get the justice he deserves."

"You've no idea," Pettigrew stuttered from the ground. "You've no idea the powers the Dark Lord possess."

"That's enough," Shacklebolt said. "We'll get him to the Ministry, Professor," he told Dumbledore. "And I will see to the release of Sirius Black immediately."

"Thank you, Auror Shacklebolt," Dumbledore replied evenly. "I shall journey to Azkaban to be with Sirius to explain this to him. Arthur?" he asked looking at Mr. Weasley still holding Harry. "Perhaps you will do your best to fill in the gaps for Harry, and I shall send along a little help. You remember Remus Lupin, don't you?"

"Yes Professor," he nodded as he held Harry just a bit tighter.

With that agreed upon, Dumbledore and Shacklebolt Apparated away with their prisoner.