Unhappy Endings

131: A Small Betrayal From Both Sides

"Why?"

"Kreacher has been serving two masters for some months now."

"What?" Harry looked from you to the headmaster as you slowly nodded and spoke.

"When Sirius told him to 'get out', Kreacher thought he literally meant out of the house. So, he went to my next closest relatives; the Malfoys." You knew this part but hadn't thought it was what lead to the current events. "Obviously, they questioned him. Sirius had long ago forbidden him from giving up important secrets. But Sirius must have had neglected to mention his relationship with you as a secret. They knew how important you were to each other. And they shared that with You-Know-Who. He knew that making you believe he had Sirius in the Department of Mysteries would force you there."

"Wait, where was Sirius when I tried to contact him?" Harry asked.

"Kreacher had injured Buckbeak to distract him in case you tried to contact Headquarters." You admitted. "I didn't know it was him until just a moment ago."

"Sirius was tending to the wounds when you called." Dumbledore confirmed.

Harry sneered. Not in an understanding mood in the least, he spit out more venomous words. "And Hermione said we should be nice to Kreacher!"

"She was quite right, Harry. Kreacher is what wizards have made him. He is to be pitied, not hated." You added.

"Sirius hated him."

"He didn't hate Kreacher himself. Kreacher was a reminder to Sirius of the home he had always hated." You further explained, although you knew that very little would move the boy. "I empathize with him. If you had to live with a reminded of a horrible time in your life, wouldn't you hate it too?"

"Yeah, he really hated that place. And you kept him locked up in there!" Harry wheeled around to point an accusing finger at the headmaster.

"I was trying to save his life!" Dumbledore burst out with emotion and buried his head in his hands. Harry was dumbfounded. After a few moments of silence, however, the Headmaster looked back up. "It is time to tell you what I should have five years ago. No doubt, you have wondered why it was that I sent you to your aunt and uncle and not to a wizarding family? I did it for your protection. You were in mole danger than anyone realized. Voldemort was defeated, but his servants were everywhere. I also knew that Voldemort would return one day. I played to his weakness. There is an ancient magic which Voldemort has always underestimated... This magic is what your mother gave you when she died. That protection would only work, however, if you were cared for by a blood relative. Your aunt, Petunia."

"She never loved me." Harry spat. "She knows nothing of magic anyway."

"She doesn't need to know." You looked deep in his eyes. "My mother is also familiar with this type of magic and taught me and my sister. You can only set it when you are at your most powerful. It depends on no one else but the caster. Your aunt didn't need to do anything but accept you into her house."

"And she took you in, however grudgingly. As long as you can call your Aunt's house your home, you are protected." Harry looked away, realizing what this meant. "And now we come to the moment of terrible truth, the moment I have dreaded for fifteen years. The moment when I must lay another burden atop your already straining shoulders... Do you remember your first year here? When you lay in the hospital wing fresh from your confrontation with Voldemort?" Harry nodded. "Do you remember what you asked me that night?"