Chapter 77: A New Beginning
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 77: A New Beginning
They flew for over an hour.
Harry clung to the broomstick, his arms wrapped around Bellatrix Lestrange's waist, the wind whipping past his face.
He watched as the world below became a blur of dark fields and scattered lights, the distant glow of villages and towns slowly giving way to vast, empty wilderness.
The landscape changed beneath him...the cultivated fields of the south were replaced by rolling hills, then by dense forests, and finally by jagged mountains that rose like dark teeth against the sky.
His eyes drifted to the figures on either side of him. Draco and Crabbe were also on flying brooms nearby, being guided by other members of the Knights.
Their faces looked pale white, and Harry could see the exhaustion drawn on their faces. But they were alive...they had made it out, and that was all that mattered to him.
He didn't know what the future had in store for him, but it couldn't be worse than what he had already gone through...or at least, he could hope.
Harry's mind swirled with countless questions.
He thought of the intense battle between the old Headmaster and Tom Riddle.
He thought of Dumbledore's death. The Knights of Walpurgis attacking Hogwarts. Everything had happened so fast, and he hadn't had time to process any of it.
"Where are we going?" he shouted over the wind.
Bellatrix turned her head slightly, her voice carrying back to him. "We're almost there. Just a few more minutes."
Harry nodded, his grip tightening on her robes.
Bellatrix didn't lie to him. A few minutes later, they began to descend.
The brooms angled downward, cutting through the cold mountain air towards a small, wooden cabin nestled in a clearing in the middle of a dense forest.
It looked ordinary...almost too ordinary. Just a simple, rustic cabin that could have belonged to any Muggle woodsman.
The other members of the Order landed around the cabin, their cloaks billowing as they dismounted.
Bellatrix touched down gently and helped Harry off the broom.
"Come inside, dear," she said, her voice sounding extremely urgent. "We have to hurry."
Harry frowned, looking around at the dark forest. "Why? We've already escaped. We flew for an hour. Who's going to find us here?" He didn't understand the reason for her urgency. Not yet.
Bellatrix didn't answer. She just grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the cabin door.
Harry was rushed inside, and as he crossed the threshold, he felt something strange...a tingling sensation, like walking through a thin, invisible membrane. It passed over his skin and then vanished.
Bellatrix must have noticed the changes in his expression. "Did you feel that?" She asked him.
Harry nodded. "What was it?"
"Looks like you have some hidden talents," Bellatrix said, smiling. "Most people can't feel the magic around them." She pointed back at the door. " What you felt was a magical ward," she paused. "A potent one. It prevents this place from being found. But it won't last long." She glanced at one of the other members, who was removing his hood. "Right?"
"We can only hope that much," the man said as he pulled back his hood, revealing a pale, aristocratic face with long, white-blonde hair.
Draco's eyes went wide. "Father?!"
Lucius Malfoy nodded, his expression serious. "I know you have many questions, but we can leave the explanations for later, Draco. Right now, there is something we need to take care of." He walked towards Harry, his wand already in his hand. "I estimate we only have around ten minutes before they find this location."
Harry tensed, his hand moving instinctively towards his wand. "What... what are you doing?"
"Father, what is this about?" Draco demanded, stepping forward. "Why are you looking at Harry like that?"
Lucius didn't take his eyes off Harry. "There is something we need to remove before we move further with this. Or we will never be safe."
Bellatrix frowned. "Lucius... you're scaring the kid. Explain properly."
Lucius sighed, lowering his wand slightly. "Right. Sorry." He reached out and brushed Harry's hair aside, revealing the scar on his forehead. "What we need to remove is here."
Harry blinked. "My scar? I've had it since I was-"
"It's more than just a scar, Harry," Lucius interrupted, his voice firm. "There is a very powerful tracking charm locked in here. And I suspect it's not the only thing he left."
"He..." Harry's eyes widened. "You mean-"
"Yes, Harry." Bellatrix stepped forward, her voice gentle. "That scar was given to you by Dumbledore. He used some dark sorcery on you as a baby, before leaving you with the Muggle family. Or at least, that is what we can presume, based on the evidence we found."
Harry shook his head slowly. Memories started to resurface. Memories of all those times Dumbledore inquired about his scar.
'Does it bother you?'
'Are you having any strange dreams?'
There was also that time...the day he killed his family. Dumbledore seemed concerned about something, and then...he checked his forehead with his wand.
'Dumbledore reached out and touched his forehead, his fingers tracing the lightning bolt scar. His eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Ah," he murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Still intact. Perfect."'
'How did I not realize this sooner?... Of course he would be tracking me somehow. He would have some reassurance.' Harry glanced at Lucius.
"But... how do you know about this?" They weren't around to see all the signs he had missed.
"Because of Tom," Bellatrix said. "Much like you, Harry...Tom is also very sensitive to that kind of magic. He noticed it during your first meeting with him. But we were already suspicious that Dumbledore would have placed some spell on you, in case he needed to locate you, and thanks to Tom, we knew where to look."
"But Dumbledore is dead," Harry said. "I mean...is this still necessary?. Wouldn't the spell fade out with it-"
"Shhh." Lucius held up a hand. "I need you to be quiet now. And don't move. This is a very delicate process. This thing is dangerously close to your brain. One wrong move and you will become a vegetable."
Harry flinched, his heart racing.
Bellatrix approached and took his hand gently. "Lucius is our most renowned expert on removing curses and countering the dark arts. You are in good hands. Now try to relax and let him work."
Harry glanced at Draco and Crabbe, who exchanged worried looks but remained silent. He took a deep breath and nodded.
Lucius raised his wand, his eyes fixed on the scar.
For the next six minutes, he worked without stopping, moving his wand in intricate patterns while chanting spells in languages Harry had never heard before.
Then, suddenly, Harry felt a sharp pain in his head and screamed.
Bellatrix held him tightly, whispering in his ear. "It's alright, Harry. Everything is going to be okay."
"Here it is!" Lucius exclaimed. "The curse is flaring up!. What a nasty thing that is."
Black smoke began to pour from the scar, swirling in the air like a living thing. Lucius continued to chant, his wand moving faster.
"Bring me the container!" he shouted.
Another member of the Order hurried forward, carrying a ceramic jar with a lid. Lucius directed the black smoke into the jar, his wand guiding it like a shepherd herding sheep.
Once all the smoke was inside, he yelled, "Close it!"
The lid was slammed shut, and Harry felt the pain disappear, leaving him panting and weak.
"It's over," Bellatrix said softly. "You did so well, Harry."
Harry slumped forward, his body trembling. He touched his forehead, and for the first time, he felt nothing. No strange warmth, no lingering presence. Just smooth skin.
"Did it work?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Lucius nodded, tucking the jar under his arm. "The tracking charm is gone. And whatever else he placed in there...it's been removed. You are free of him."
Harry let out a shaky breath. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Lucius said. "The real battle is still ahead. But for now, you are safe."
Once the affair was over, Bellatrix smiled. "There is someone who had been waiting to meet you again."
One of the doors of the cabin opened, and a small, wrinkled house-elf walked out. It was Dibble.
"Dibble!" Harry exclaimed, pushing himself upright.
Dibble shuffled forward, his large eyes glistening. "Dibble did not want to interrupt Master Harry during this important moment."
"It's fine now," Harry said. "Lucius got rid of the curse."
Dibble nodded, a small smile on his face. "Dibble is glad. Dibble has been waiting for this day."
"What do we do with this?" another member asked, holding up the jar containing the cursed smoke.
Lucius waved a dismissive hand. "Leave it here. We no longer need this cabin anyway. They can track it down for all we care."
"Now we have to leave," Bellatrix said. "We'll be safe at the main headquarters for the time being." She turned to Harry. "But I believe you have somewhere else to go."
Harry frowned. "Somewhere else? I don't... I don't have a home anymore."
"You do!. Master Harry will always have a home."Dibble stepped forward. "Dibble wants to take Master Harry there."
Harry blinked. "Home? But..." The Dursleys were gone...the Potters were gone as well. What home did he have left?.
"He is talking about the Ancestral Potter Castle," Lucius said, his voice carrying a note of reverence. "We cannot accompany you there. Only you and Dibble will be able to enter without activating the defences. The castle has been sealed for years, waiting for a true Potter to return."
Harry stared at him, his mind reeling. "I... I have a castle?"
"It has been waiting for you, Harry," Bellatrix said gently. "Go with Dibble. We'll see you soon."
Harry looked at Draco and Crabbe, his throat tight. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Draco nodded, his expression serious. "We'll be fine, Harry. Don't worry about us."
"Yeah," Crabbe added. "We'll see you soon."
Dibble grabbed Harry's hand, his small fingers surprisingly warm. "Is Master Harry ready?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I guess I am." He glanced back at his friends one last time. "Did my family really have a castle?"
Dibble simply smiled.
Then he pulled, and Harry felt the world twist around him.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was standing in the middle of a massive garden.
Harry's breath caught in his throat.
The garden was enormous, stretching out in all directions with manicured hedges, towering fountains, and flowers that seemed to glow with their own light.
The air was filled with the scent of roses and honeysuckle, and the sound of birdsong echoed through the trees.
And at the centre of it all, rising against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, was the Ancestral Potter Castle.
It was magnificent.
The castle was built of pale grey stone, its walls covered in climbing ivy and ancient vines.
Towers rose high into the air, their spires crowned with flags bearing the Potter crest, a stag draped in a cloak, rearing against a field of stars.
The windows were tall and arched, and a massive oak door stood at the centre of the main entrance, carved with scenes of magical creatures and ancient battles.
The castle was not cold or forbidding like Hogwarts. It was warm and inviting, as if it had been waiting for him. As if it had known he would come.
"Welcome home, Master Harry," Dibble said, his voice trembling with emotion.
Harry stared at the castle in awe. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt something he had thought lost forever.
He was home.
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