Chapter Two: "The Evil Letter, The Clue Of The Key, and a Riddle"

"Mrs. Weasley? What are you doing up so late?" Harry asked. He looked at his watch. It was half past midnight. Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the table in front of the glowing fire, drinking tea. She smiled.

"I could ask you the same question." Harry smiled back, and sat down. "Tea dear?"
"Yes please. Do you think they are alright?" He asked quizzically, more hopeful for the answer he wanted to hear then sure of it.

"I’m sure they are just fine. Now, guess what." She said, brightening up a bit.

"Hedwig came back last night, right after you went to bed. I could tell she wanted to see you. So I told her that as soon as you woke up, she cold come in and see you." Harry smiled. He had had Hedwig for almost two months, ever since his birthday party. Suddenly, Apollo came in, carrying a letter, to Harry.

"Thanks Apollo." The large bird sat on Harry’s shoulder. James’ shoulder was where he belonged though. James and Apollo were like one person, Apollo knew exactly where James wanted him to take a letter, before getting orders, and if it was important, and things like that. Besides Sirius, Apollo was James’ best friend. Harry opened the letter. It was in blue ink, and had the Hogwarts seal, like it was from the school. He read out-loud to Mrs. Weasley:

"Dear Harry,

Harry smiled. His parents knew him very well. Mrs. Weasley almost laughed.

"Well, now that you know that they are alright, please, let’s go and get some sleep." Mrs. Weasley said, as Harry drained his teacup. Harry fell back asleep very quickly.

"I think I’ve got it." Said Lily. The other people in the room looked up from the many piles of books around them. " ‘The Silver Blade’ is a very powerful book. It has many spells, but all but a few have been outdated, or reinvented. But there is one spell, apparently, there is a sword, concealed in the book, and the only way to get it out is to say the spell inside the book. But, the hitch is, you need the key. Well, when my mum bought the stupid thing there was no key. Obviously, it must have been lost somehow, somewhere. The key is called ‘the Hilt of the Sword.’ Obviously, it has that on it somewhere, its name, I mean. But, the thing is, I don’t know where the key was when she bought the damn thing." James looked at the book she had found the answer in.

"Honey, this is a book of myths. You have no way of knowing if it is true."

"Ah, but James, they had a picture. But, the page is gone. If we could find the picture, we could know for sure—"

"But, there is no way of knowing where it is, who has it, or why, by the time we figure it out, we might as well have already lost—"

"Lost what exactly? So, Voldemort is a few steps ahead of us, all we have to do—"

"—Is go on a wild goose chase for something we’ll never find, if we do that—"

"We’ll at least have tried—"

"—To bring our side down. It makes no sense whatsoever to do that!" They had started shouting at each other.

Sirius nudged Remus. "Were they always like that?"

"Only when it came to them being stubborn and bull headed, yes."

"At least they are finishing each others’ sentences." Sirius sniggered. They looked on at the Lily/James fight.

"Will you please be quiet for one moment so that I can finish one sentence?" James bellowed.

"Why should I? Like Remus and Sirius pointed out, we’re finishing each other’s sentences anyway." Lily giggled. James burst out laughing at something that wasn’t that funny, only because they were both so stressed out and tired. Lily held on to James’ sleeve so she wouldn’t fall over laughing.

"Did you just, say—?"

"—That we can’t stop finishing each—"

"—Other’s—"

"—Sentences?" they said the last word together, and laughed even harder. Lily stopped laughing long enough to look around. Everyone was staring at them. Dumbledore was beaming, Sirius and Remus were still sniggering, and everyone else was having a well, long deserved laugh.

"Okay. Back to business, James, why don’t we just try this? Try to find the key. It might work." James nodded. "Then, if we can’t, we’ll go back to you way. But so far, this is our biggest lead." So, they looked up the key, and everything they could. They worked past noon on their project. Dumbledore thanked everyone he didn’t need, meaning everyone but James, Remus, Sirius, and Lily, and sent them on their way. At seven, Dumbledore said that the best they could do was go home and get some sleep. Lily, and James, wanting to get back to Harry, found another clue about the key, which kept them in that library until midnight, before they could go. After saying goodbye to Dumbledore, Remus and Sirius went to their houses, and Lily and James Disapparated to the inn, where Mr. And Mrs. Weasley were talking.

"Oh, Lily! James! We were so worried, how are you?" Lily smiled weakly. She and James were knee high in mud, hair a mess, clothes wrinkled and frayed, faces pale and starving, but they still smiled to be back..

"We’re fine." Mrs. Weasley looked sadly at the exhausted pair, and Lily added, "a bit tired, sore, and feeling quite old, but fine." Arthur pulled up to chairs, and helped James into one and Lily into the other.

"I’m surprised you could Apparate." He said, handed them steaming cups of tea.

"Oh, Molly, Arthur, where’s Harry?" James asked. Lily nodded hopefully also.

"He’s asleep, dears. Get some rest now, and he’ll be up in the morning." Mrs. Weasley said quietly.

"MUM!!! DAD!!!" A very excited voice shouted from behind. Harry, with Apollo on his shoulder, came running into his parents’ arms. Then, something funny happened. Apollo, who hadn’t left Harry’s side since his parents left, hopped onto James’ shoulder instead. James laughed when Apollo squawked. He seemed to be listening to the bird.

"As I understand it, he has not let you out of his sight since we left?" Harry nodded. "He, apparently, was protecting you, and wasn’t going to stop until he was killed, or you were returned safely to us."

"He always was loyal, the best of pets." Lily said happily. "And you, what are you doing up so late?" Harry shrugged. "Well, let’s all get some sleep, it’s been a long two days." And so, the Potters, and the Weasleys went to bed.

The next day, Lily and James sat Harry down, and talked to him about the Silver Blade. Harry thought for a minute.

"Well, if the book is the blade, and the key is the hilt, obviously, put them together, add a little magic spell and you got yourself a powerful sword." Said Harry.

"Yes, very powerful indeed. So powerful, it can kill the person who draws it, if they are not ‘of noble blood’." Said James.

"But, you see Harry, we are going to need all of the help we can get. Alright?" Lily asked smiled. Harry’s eyes lit up.

"You mean…? I get to help this time??" James nodded. Harry was grinning from ear to ear when he told Ron. Ron was happy for some adventure also. Lily handed him a piece of paper.

"This has the name of the lady we bought the book from, and the name, and everything, incase you forget. Your dad is going to do some more work on our house with Remus and Sirius, while I do more research. I’ll be here if you need me."

"Okay. Bye Mum, bye Dad." He said, running out of the door.

"Oh, and Harry, NO SWEARING!!" she called. He pretended not to hear, and kept going. Lily turned to her husband. "One of these days, he’ll be over his head. You know how he gets, he’d insult the queen to get his point across, so sarcastic when he wants to be."

"Well, let’s just hope it’s not today." Said James grimly. Lily smiled weakly.

"Where too?" Ron asked Harry, on that bright sunny August morning. Harry sighed.

"Well, mum bought the book from an old lady down the road, so, why don’t we ask her about it first." They headed down the cobblestone streets, avoiding hags and vicars as they went. They reached a musty old store called, "Lucy’s Tea Shop" that sold antiques. Harry opened the door and a bell chimed. He almost coughed because of the dust.

Suddenly, a mad looking old lady bustled up, she was short, and fat and wore a long, very old fashioned gown, and a dirty apron. Her eyes seemed to see everything, and her hair was white, her skin wrinkled.

"Yes?" she asked. Her voice was croaky and old. Harry smiled weakly.

"Yes…um…er…hello, there. We are looking for information on a book, that my mother bought before she went to school, with her mother, so, my grandmother, and well, we were wondering if you had a key—"

"You aren’t with Malfoy, are ye?" She croaked, leading them around the shop, to the back room, where there was a table and five old chairs. They sat down.

"Why, no, no, my name is Harry Potter, and this is my good friend, Ron Weasley. We—"

"Good, ‘cause I hate the Malfoys, comin’ in here, acting all high and mighty, never saw such a coward in all my life, askin’ about a key to a book not even theirs! Why’d they want it? Don’t ask me, not my business. But if you ask me, I think that he is just plain evil, and evil is what evil is, ya know, never can trust a Malfoy—" the lady said very fast. She began to pour some tea.

"Yes, well, anyway, it is my mother’s book, and she needs the key, so could we buy—"

"I won’t take a penny from such a nice couple o’ little boys, ‘specially when the thing they is trying to buy is already theirs, but don’t ask me, it’s not my business, but, on the other hand, if you ask me, you shoulda taken it when ya bought the damn book, but don’t ask me, it’s not my business. Unlike that Malfoy, he jus’ comes bargin’ in here like the king o’ France, well, there is no tellin’ what a Malfoy’ll do to a poor innocent soul—"

"Yes, well, anyway, do you have the key?" Harry said testily.

"Key, key? What key?" Harry was getting annoyed. Ron almost laughed, but didn’t.

"The key to the book my grandmother bought my mother before—"

"—She went to Hogwarts’ I know I know ya’ tol’ me already. And no, I don’t got it, ‘cause on Tuesday I sold it."

"To who?"

"The man that owns the wand shop…what’s his name, Ollivander. He was havin’ a big sale o’ junk, and I sold him my big key collection for six sickles. Can ya believe it? Six sickles! He was outta ‘is mind he was." The lady continued, but Harry and Ron got up and left, not without a "thanks, ‘bye" from both boys, before Ron burst into laughter, and Harry pulled him down the street. They burst through the door to Mr. Ollivander’s shop. It was filled with junk, like the lady said, Mr. Ollivander wasn’t told about the book, just that they lost a key, and they thought he might have it.

"Well, Mr. Potter, this is that mad old lady’s key collection. Feel free to take what ever you like there are much to many." He said, leading the boys to four boxes of keys. They were not shoe boxes, they were television boxes.

"How exactly are we supposed to find this stupid thing?" Ron said, sitting down in front of a box.

"My mum said something about having it’s name on it, so look for one with an engraving on it." They turned the boxes over, and looked through all of the keys.

"Here’s one." Ron said, holding up small, rounded key.

"Oh yeah, Ron, they named the key, ‘made in Japan’." Harry said sarcastically. Ron sniggered. They kept searching. And hour later, after two big boxes, Ron stopped.

"Here’s another one." Ron said holding up a very elaborately engraved key. It was big, and silver. Harry read the inscription.

"It’s Latin for "the Hilt of the Sword". We got it! Let’s go." They didn’t bother to put the other hundreds of keys back, and they ran down the streets, again, to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Mum! Mum! We got it! We found the key!" Ron and Harry burst into the room, but Lily wasn’t there. A pile of books, and papers were strewn across the floor. Lily’s reading glasses gleamed in the sunlight. Harry ran to find his mom. He had a feeling, that something was very, very wrong. Ron read through some of the papers.

"Harry…you’d better take a look at this." He said, a piece of brown parchment in his hand. Harry came into the room, and knelt down beside Ron. He read it out loud.

"Dear Mr. Harry potter,

Harry dropped the paper, and looked at some of his mom’s notes. There was a ripped piece of paper, out of a book on the floor. He read it, it was a riddle.

"Nobility is bravery, bravery is loyalty, loyalty brings power, power brings nobility, if the wise seek the wiser yet, they will meet their end, yet if the wise do not, nobility is their only friend. A miracle is a ray of light, if you seek a miracle, the light becomes the night, but if you cause your own, it becomes bright." Harry froze. What? He knew that to draw the sword he needed nobility, but he wasn’t a noble, he had to be brave, and he would never ever betray his family and friends, so, if he did that, he would have power, and nobility, but he wasn’t a noble. It didn’t make any sense at all to Harry. And, he supposed he was a bit wise, he knew things about magic and stuff not many wizards knew, after studying late at night with his mother, learning Latin and Greek, he thought he was okay, as far as being wise went. But, what did "see the wiser" mean? Maybe to go to an adult before completing what he had to do, get his parents back? He voiced all of this to Ron.

"So, Harry, that means, you can’t go to my parents, or Hagrid, or anyone, I guess, or "you will meet your end". And, if you do this yourself, I guess you, have ‘nobility’."

"But, I’m not a noble."

"Maybe nobility means something more then the title, Harry." Ron said wisely.

"And this miracle part, it says that it is a "ray of light". I guess I might be encountered by one, or the chance for one, but, I can’t go after it, or it will disappear. But, if I make my own miracle, I guess, the real one will happen."

"So basically, you get to go in there, with a wand you don’t know how to use, and a riddle we can barely understand. Oh, right, and your talent, reading Latin and Greek. Wow, the odds really are on our side, now aren’t they?" Ron said sarcastically. Harry sighed. He read the paper over and over, to remember it, so did Ron. He went upstairs, Ron close behind, to his parents’ room. He got out his dad’s old trunk. As soon as he did, Apollo came swooshing down, on his shoulder, with a note. Harry took it, and put it in his pocket. He opened the trunk, and grabbed a few things, that he put into a small pack on his back. He handed the note to Ron, telling him to read it.

"Dear Harry, we need your help, Voldemort has captured all of us, we don’t know what to do, we have no wands, in cages, just barely got enough time to send Apollo. Please help us, bring cloak, try to get to Dumbledore, tell Weasleys, please, we love you Harry, but I can’t get to your mother. Stay calm. Remember the spells we were teaching you, do the best you can. Dad."

The note was written in blood on a piece of his mother’s long white shawl she always wore. Harry put the note back in his pocket.

"Ron?"

"Yep?"

"Get my dad’s broomstick, bring it here, please." Ron got it, and Harry tried his, best to make it smaller. It worked. It was the size of a toothpick. He charmed it, with his mother’s favorite charm, to make it big on touch. In to the bag it went, and they were off.

They got the letter from Voldemort, and Harry tapped it with his wand twice. They said the words together, and the paper burst into black flames. They felt themselves swirling, like a whirlwind, and then hit the cold, stone floor, hard. Harry felt around his neck to make sure the key was still there. Ron groaned. He didn’t feel perfectly stable either, but he pulled Ron to his feet, and got out the flashlight, and his father’s silvery invisibility cloak. They hid under it, while three Death Eaters past the corner they were in.

"Let’s go." Harry whispered. The rooms and halls were made out of hard, cold stone, and the place was lit dimly. Ron close behind, Harry tried to find his way through the dark passageways and entrances, with out being seen by the many Death Eaters, walking around the place. Suddenly, Harry and Ron dropped out of nowhere, down a slide, down farther, until they reached a very large room. As soon as Harry and Ron stood up, Harry turned the flashlight off, because the room was lit. He looked around, it was made of stone also, but it was polished, and black, not gray.

"Harry!" His father’s voice called to him. He whirled around. In each corner of the room there was a cage. And in it, was a member of his family. He ran toward his Dad’s, and Ron tried Remus’, because he was closest.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"I’m fine son, did Apollo here, bring you my note?" the bird chirped happily on Harry’s shoulder. Harry ran to see the rest off his family, saying, "We’ll get you out of there, don’t worry." As he held his mother’s hand through the bars, a voice, a voice he had never heard before, cold, and high, laughed. He turned around. A man in flowing gray robes was standing near the now caged, and silent Ron. Harry to the cage, to untie his friend, but as he reached it, it flew up into the air.

"Not so fast, young Potter. I see you came. I was hoping you would." More laughter, and Harry stood tall. He looked back into those cold, red eyes and said.

"Of course I came. Why wouldn’t I? Now, let my family go. Now. Or else." The Dark Lord laughed more. Harry could see why, I mean, he was demanding his family back from the most evil man on earth, with powers much greater then his own. Plus, the odds weren’t exactly on his side, as Ron so kindly, pointed out.

"Well, well, well, the youngest Potter speaks up. ‘Or else’? Or else what? You’ll wave your little wand, and I’ll be dead? That, my boy, is not going to happen." Harry was so angry by then, he had flames in his eyes. He then said something very, very brave, and extremely stupid.

"Shut up you annoying scumb bag. Who do you think you are? You can’t just start kidnapping people and killing people because you ‘want to’. What kind of psychopathic loser are you?" Total silence. Lily sunk to the floor, all hope lost.

"What did you say?" Voldemort hissed. Harry glanced very quickly up at Ron, he was almost done getting through the ropes. Harry had a feeling that he would need to distract Voldemort for a while, staying alive, and keeping his family safe was what he needed to do. Ron could help there. He took a deep breath.

"You heard me, you stupid git. Your head is so inflated by your enormous ego, I’m surprised you can stand up. You are nothing but a fowl, sick, disgusting piece of filth. But, the biggest question is, where did you go wrong, Voldemort? Where? Did the doctor drop you on your sick head, or was it the disappointment of learning at Hogwarts that you couldn’t get a date if you paid for one? Maybe Salazar Slytherin passed on the wacko gene to you. Who knows? Why don’t you tell me?" Voldemort screamed in rage. He rose his wand, and Harry dived for a dear life. A shot of green light missed him by millimeters. He needed something to defend himself, where was his wand? He looked up. It was in Voldemort’s fingertips. He needed help, anything. He dived again, hitting the floor hard, landing across the room.

"Harry! Catch!" Ron said, throwing Harry’s knapsack across the room to him. He caught it. Voldemort was walking closer to him…. He needed something to defend himself. He found a toothpick, no, not a toothpick, a broom. He touched it, and in his hands, was his father’s racing broom. He mounted very quickly, and whizzed past Voldemort. He landed near his mother’s cage.

"Mum." He whispered. He mother was crying silently. She looked up.

"Whatever you do, don’t give him the key. If he gets it, he’ll take over."

"But he’ll kill us all, Mum. What do I do?"

"Did you read the riddle that I found—"
"The nobility one?"

Lily nodded. He remembered. Suddenly, he felt pain, and a lot of it, rushing to his head. Voldemort was standing over him, his wand in the air. Harry couldn’t breath. "It’s a mixed curse," he thought to himself. "More pain means suffocating." The pain stopped.

"Give me the key, and you can all go home." Voldemort said. Harry looked at Sirius, his head was bleeding, then Remus, who looked like he had passed out, his father’s strong face pale, and hurting, from seeing his son suffer, his mother’s crying eyes, and wet cheeks. He looked at Ron, who stared back, blankly. Harry nodded.

"Alright." He said, in a low tone. "But on one condition."

"What now?"

"You let them go first."

"I’m no fool—"

"Really? Because by the way you’re acting it seems so."

"I let them go, you give me the key, you stay here."

Harry nodded.

"NO!" Remus, (revived) Sirius, Lily, James and Ron all yelled at once. Thoughts and memories ran through Harry’s mind all at once. He had been very brave, fighting Voldemort, not giving in, and loyal, refusing to let him kill his family, now, he had the power, to let his family live, so, he was being noble. It was a miracle that his family was getting to live, but if he took it, Voldemort would kill them anyway…but if he found another way…. They would have the chance.

"No. No, wait, that won’t work…" he muttered. "I want to be able to talk to my family, alone." He looked up at the Dark Lord. If Harry could ask them, for the advice he had always been able to get before…if he could speak to them, tell them he had figured out parts of that stupid riddle….

"You may speak to one of them, and only one." Remus knew spells he could use to defend himself nobody else knew, Ron had the equipment, his mother knew all the information he would need about the book, and the key, his father could think of a plan, and Sirius could tell him how to kill Voldemort. Who would he choose? He looked around at his family. Remus was out cold. Sirius winced in pain, his face dripping in blood, his shirt tied around his head to stop the blood, his mother still crying, scared, and afraid for him. His dad, still leaning up against the back of his sell, strong face finally beaten, by the sad truth that there was almost no hope now that Voldemort could get the key. He chose…His father.

"Dad. Dad, I choose my dad." He said.

"Very well." Voldemort said, and the door to the heavy cage was opened. His dad ran forward, Apollo still on his shoulder. He pulled Harry into a big bear hug.

"Dad, what do I do?" his dad sighed.

"We aren’t leaving you here. The only way to get you alive, is to get the sword from the book, and kill Voldemort with it."

"But, dad, he had the book, and I can get it out if I want, but, I can’t get the book from him." His dad sighed again. He put his hands on Harry’s shoulders.

"Well, to get the sword, you have to give him a key." Harry stared down at his feet, then into his dad’s eyes.

"But…but, I can’t give him the key, I have to keep it—" James smiled softly.

"I said a key, not the key. Here, take this." He handed Harry what looked like, a copy of the hilt. "Apollo will help you, stay brave, and strong, and don’t give up. I love you." He said, giving Harry a hug.

"I love you to dad." Apollo hopped from James’ shoulder, to Harry’s. James went back to his cage, and sat down. The door closed. Voldemort stood ten feet away from Harry, holding the book.

"Well?"

"Well what? Oh, you wanted to tell me something, okay, was it how in school you got voted ‘Most Impatient Jackass’?" Harry said sarcastically. "Now, let them go. All of them, now." Harry said, tossing Voldemort a key. The cages stayed closed. Harry had a feeling that that would happen.

"I’m not an idiot boy, now, I’m going to cast this spell, and draw the sword, and kill you all." The Dark Lord laughed menacingly.

"Yeah, but why? Why get us all here? Why, didn’t you kill all of us, as soon as I came here, then taken the key?"

Voldemort laughed an icy laugh. "Because, you fool, your family, is one of the most powerful there is! I don’t want the Potters making trouble, along with the werewolf and dog. I didn’t kill you at first for curiosity’s sake. What would you do? What would you say? Malfoy has told me of your whole family’s arrogance, Potter. I wanted to know what you are like. How far would your bravery take you? Now I know, and now you die."

Harry was ready. It would be a miracle, but they had to get out of there. He took a running jump while Voldemort stood laughing, grabbed the book out of his hands. But the key was no longer tied around his neck. It had fallen off!! Harry grasped it, as Voldemort approached, and threw it as hard as he could in the other direction. Apollo swooped down and caught it, and flew again towards James’ cage. James stuck the key in the cage lock, the power of the key melted it with a lot of stench and hissing, and james flew the door open, and freed the rest of the people.

Harry, meanwhile, was trying to heave the heavy book into his lap. Voldemort was coming closer.

"Hey, Harry!!" Sirius called. Harry looked up, and the caught the key. He stuck it into the lock on the book, and wrenched it open.

"C’mon, where are you? C’mon…c’mon…." Harry said, flipping through the pages. "The Spell of the Sword," he read. It was in Latin. He read it out loud. Nothing happened. "Mum! It isn’t working!" Lily, who was helping James and Remus and Sirius fistfight Voldemort to keep him off of Harry, yelled back, "translate it!" Harry was shocked. Translate a whole spell by himself? He tried.

"Bring the light,

Bring the way,

Bring the power,

Off the day,

Bring the brave,

To meet the strong,

Bring the noble,

Bring the free,

I call you out,

Silver Sword,

I call to you,

Come to me!" Harry shouted. The book was gone, the key also, and in his hands, was a long, beautiful, silver sword. He swung it once. Light, real sunlight, filled the room, Harry saw everything, and everyone he loved. His parents, Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys, Quidditch, magic, everything. He heard Voldemort scream. Good was filling the world, well, that room at least, and he couldn’t take it. Good mixed in a completely evil place, made the walls crumble, the place was falling apart. Harry saw Voldemort crushed by one of the falling pillars. He took the sword and ran to one of the walls for shelter.

Marble falling everywhere, how was he to get out? Where were his parents? Then he saw them, all of the, huddled along one of the far walls, that wasn’t crumbling yet. Harry felt something fall on-top of him, and he lost sight, lost hearing, he couldn’t think, he put a hand to his fore head, blood. He swayed on the spot, and heard a final scream from his mother, as he passed out.