Unexpected Things

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and property are owned by JK Rowling. The story contains spoiler for all Harry Potter books. This chapter is edited by Danyealle. Thanks for her help.


Unexpected Things

Chapter XVIIII

“The tale of Beedle the Bard?” Hermione asked, confused. “I’ve never heard of this.” She said, looking at the book in his hand. They were on the train on the journey back for London.


“Really?” Harry questioned. Wow! He never thought that, finally, there was something Hermione didn’t know.


Ron, however, looked incredulously at both of them. “You both never heard of that?” he asked, scandalized at the very thought. This must be the first time in history that Ron knew something before Hermione.


“No,” both Harry and Hermione answered simultaneously.


“But that is children tale!” he stated. “Everyone knows about it!” he said adamantly.


“Children tale?” Hermione said, puzzled.


“Yes!” Ron replied. “Mum used to read those to us before we went sleep.”


“Really?” Hermione said. Certainly, this new knowledge attracted her interest. “Well, Harry and I were muggle raised. We’re more used to a story like Cinderella, Rapunzel or Little Mermaid.”


“I agree with you,” Harry nodded.

“What is Rapunzel anyway?” Ron asked.


“It’s a story about a girl who was locked at the top of the castle and the prince had to climb it using her hair so he could set her free,” he explained as best as he could.


“Eeew!” Ron crunched his face in pain. “That must hurt a lot!”


“Hmm…I should start looking for information then,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “Most books at Hogwarts library don’t cover about wizarding world. That explains why we, as muggleborns never knew about such things.”


“Can we please back to the topic,” he asked, exasperated. If he didn’t interrupt her now, Hermione would talk about this new revelation for hours.


“Sorry Harry,” she said, flushing slightly.


“It’s about time,” Ron mumbled.


“Okay. Now, can we start to think about the reason as to why Dumbledore gave me this?” he asked.


“Maybe the book belonged to your parents,” Ron suggested, looking quite please with his idea. “And now he wants to return it to you.”


“Ron,” Hermione began, her tone indicated that she was talking to five years old. “If the book belonged to Harry’s parents, Professor Dumbledore would have returned it at our first year along with Harry’s invisibility cloak.”


“Oh,” Ron said, visibly deflated when his idea was rejected.


“Precisely,” Hermione said again.


“I think that, maybe, Dumbledore wants to tell me something,” Harry said.


“Tell you what?” Ron asked. “That you should read tale before you go to sleep?” he questioned, snickering.


Hermione snorted. “Please, don’t be ridiculous.”


He opened the book. A note fell out. “Hey! Look at this. ‘I’m quite fond of ‘Three Brothers.’” He read aloud. “What’s Three Brothers anyway?”


“That’s it! Dumbledore wants you to read the story!” Ron exclaimed.


Three of them exchanged look again.


“Well, I’ll read it then,” Hermione said then began reading the book.

Three Brothers told them about how three brothers who, traveling together, reached an impassable river. They made a magical bridge over the river. But, halfway across, they met the personification of Death who was angry for losing three potential victims. He pretended to be impressed by them and granted each a wish as a reward. The eldest brother asked for an unbeatable dueling wand. The middle brother asked for the ability to resurrect the dead. The youngest brother didn’t trust Death and asked for a way to stop Death from following him. Death gave him his cloak of invisibility. Afterwards, the brothers went their separate ways.

The eldest brother, bragging about his powerful wand, was robbed of it and murdered while he was asleep. The middle brother used his ability to bring back the woman he loved who died before he could marry her. However, she was not fully alive and was full of sorrow. He killed himself to join her in death. As for the youngest brother, Death never managed to find him as he stayed hidden under his cloak. Many years later, the brother removed his cloak and gave it to his son. Pleased with his achievements, he greeted Death as an old friend and chose to leave with him as an equal.

“So what do you think?” He asked after they finished listening to Hermione.

Ron shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s only a tale before sleep after all even though it would be fun if I have the unbeatable wand.”

Hermione shot him a sharp glare. “The oldest brother was killed because of it,” she said.

Ron rolled his eyes. “That is because that idiot went and announced it to the world that he had the wand, practically asking to be robbed. If I keep silent, who’d know that I possesed it?”

“Yeah right, because you’ll be able to keep a secret for more than five minutes.”’ Hermione sarcastically said.

He was about to stop their argument so that they could back to the topic when the train stopped. They had arrived at London. In the blur of activities, getting their trunks, searching their families in the station and hugging them when they were found, the conversation was forgotten.

XXXX

Weddings were a busy affair as Harry had discovered. Mrs. Weasley didn’t stop to bark orders after orders about what had to be done even with Dobby and Winky helping since the wedding was held at Grimmauld Place. The Weasley’s had offered their place but Remus felt that he shouldn’t accept their offer since he wasn’t a family so Harry bullied him into holding it at Grimmauld Place. It was a garden party, attended by only a close friends and family.

Ron had tried to evade Mrs. Weasley because she kept ordering him around to help. “But Mum,” he complained. “Harry already has Dobby and Winky to help.” That earned him screeches from both his mother and Hermione who was grumbling about poor treatment to house elves. If this was how Mrs. Weasley behaved around Remus’ wedding, Harry shuddered to think about what would happen with her own children’s.

“Harry,” someone called him.

“Remus.” The man’s face was troubled. Was there something wrong? “What’s it?” he asked.

Remus didn’t say a word for a few moments. “I want to go Godric Hollow,” he finally said, “to visit your parent’s graves…and Sirius…and I’m wondering if you want to come with me.”

Harry took a deep breath. Visiting his parents’ grave. He had never been there before. Speaking of it, he didn’t even know where they’re buried. He nodded shakily at Remus.

They apparated there. Harry looked around him with interest.

“For over a thousand years Godric Hollow has been home to notable wizards and witches, and has been most famous as the birthplace of Hogwarts founder Godric Gryffindor.” Remus explained to him. “And, later, it become more famous when Voldemort met his downfall here…” he said, trailing off.

At the center of the village square of Godric's Hollow was a war memorial that magically transforms into a monument to the Potter family when approached by witches or wizards unaccompanied by Muggles. Invisible to Muggles, the remains of Harry's old house are left at the end of the main street. They stood there for a moment, both deep in memories before they went to the graveyard.

He and Remus both put a flower on the tombs. A lily, for his mother. And, next to their parents graves was Sirius’. Since Sirius’ body disappeared into the veil, Professor Dumbledore only arranged funeral ceremony for him but now why was there Sirius’ tomb here?

“It’s empty,” Remus said, as if he could read Harry’s mind. “Right after Sirius’ name was cleared I suggested to Dumbledore to build his tomb here. He agreed,” he explained quietly. “James was like a brother for Sirius. Even after all of this time, I thought this is the best place for him.”

Harry stared at the tomb. It was made of white marble and on top of it there was a statue of dog. He looked down. On the part of where the epitaph usually was, there was a carving. Carving of trees and three animals running on the ground. A stag, a dog and a wolf. Below it there was words, By the courtesy of Marauders. Prongs, Padfoot and Moony. Mischief managed.

Harry choked back a sob. His father and his mother…and Sirius, who spend twelve years in Azkaban for the crimes he never committed. How many innocent souls were killed? How many lives that were ruined? Only because of one single mad man.

“We’re running in the forest,” Remus said softly. “Once a month…” Harry knew this story being told by Sirius. “We’re only teenagers at that time…a carefree teenagers...with the world at our feet. Didn’t care of anything.” He smiled fondly at the memory with eyes unseeing. “If I close my eyes it’s as if I could see them again. We’re so happy back at that time…”

He didn’t know for how long he and Remus both stood here. He was surprised when Remus gently shook him, telling him that they should go home now before they both froze to death in cold December winter.

He turned to his parents’ tomb for the last time before they apparated away and, for the first time, noticed the inscription on the grave. ‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death’. Weird. Why would they put words like that on there?

Author Note’s:

Hi everyone. First I want to say thanks to all of the reviewers especially you who give me reviews for each chapter.

This chapter is short because this is actually a part of chapter 19 but I cut it here and post the rest as chapter 20. So, since it’s already done I think I’ll post it tomorrow or Monday depended on how fast I finished typing it on my computer.

For the next the divorce news would reach everyone through Daily Prophet, Harry got the last Horcrux from Lucius and Malfoy would catch his father making out with Harry.