Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Harry Potter and the Zyorious Scepter
Chapter 4
The Death Eater flew back to his master's hiding place in a small cottage long forgotten somewhere deep in the wilderness. He transformed back into his human form when he flew into the cottage's small window. Lord Voldemort sat in a chair facing the fire place which had a bright fire dancing in it. He felt afraid to address his master due to the failure of his assignment.
"What news do you bring me Sanford?" Voldemort asked in an inhuman whisper.
Just hearing his master's voice caused a chill to go up his spine.
"My Lord, Violet Black did not have the Scepter..." Sanford said, barely able to keep the fear out of his voice.
Voldemort was completely silent. This caused the fear to grow in Sanford. Suddenly Voldemort laughed mirthlessly. Sanford knew that his failure would not be forgiven.
"The Zyorious Scepter is essential to mending my broken powers to what they used to be so I must attain it at all costs. I do not tolerate failure. This is the last time you will fail me Sanford."
Voldemort turned his face to Sanford and Sanford felt the blood draining from his face.
"No master! Give me one more chance! I won't fail you again!" Sanford said, begging for mercy.
Voldemort looked at him with icy cold eyes.
"No one fails me twice." Voldemort said.
Voldemort raised his wand. Sanford kept backing up until he felt his back touch the wall.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled.
A green bolt of light shot from the wand and stuck Sanford.
*
Harry tossed and turned in his sleep.
"NOOO!!!" he yelled loudly, jerking awake, clutching his burning scar.
Harry sat on the side of the bed, rubbing his scar, trying to make the pain go away. In a few seconds the pain went away, but the fear stayed. Suddenly Hermione burst in. She had a concerned look on her face.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, "I heard you scream from my room."
In the moonlight, Hermione saw the fear reflecting in Harry's emerald green eyes as he got up from the bed.
"I had a dream. About Voldemort." Harry said, forgetting the name taboo in his state of fright.
Hermione shuddered visibly when she heard the name.
"He was talking to one of his Death Eaters. Voldemort asked the Death Eater for something called the Zyorious Scepter. He said it would mend his powers. The Death Eater said the girl he tried to take it from did not have it. Voldemort then got angry and killed him. The same way he killed my parents. The way he tried to kill me..." Harry said, his voice quivering slightly, "I woke up and my scar was burning."
Then they were both silent. Neither knew what to do. They looked at each other. It pained Hermione to see Harry so afraid. Before she even realized what she was doing, she took a step forward and pulled Harry close. When what she was doing actually hit her, she expected Harry to pull away or at least complain, but he did neither. Instead, he collapsed into her embrace and put his head on her shoulder. Hermione held Harry until he stopped shaking. When Harry finally regained his composure, they reluctantly pulled away from each other. They looked at each other again and they both felt their faces go red.
"Well...umm...I think we'd better write a letter to Sirius about this. He would definitely want to know because when your scar hurts like this, there's probably going to be some trouble..." said Hermione.
"Yes, you're right." said Harry.
Harry fished in his trunk for his ink, quill, and a sheet of parchment.
*
The next afternoon, Sirius Black sat in the cottage he shared with Remus Lupin, thinking of a new strategy to catch the particularly dangerous Death Eater Dumbledore had sent them after named Sanford. Sanford was very dangerous because he was a powerful wizard with deep ties to the Dark Arts and great influence in the Ministry of Magic. The information Sirius and Remus had gathered about Sanford led Sirius to believe that Sanford might not only be serving Voldemort, but be in his inner circle and be serving him directly. Sirius's thoughts took his eyes to the window where he saw a white bird flying toward the cottage. Since there were no white birds in the region that he knew it had to be Hedwig. He opened the window and let the owl in.
"Hello, Hedwig! How are you?" Sirius said, giving Hedwig a strong pat on the head.
As Sirius removed the letter from Hedwig's legs, Remus walked in.
"A letter from Harry?" Remus inquired without a greeting.
"Yes." replied Sirius as he opened the letter.
Dear Sirius,
I'm glad to hear everything is well with you and Moony, but I wrote you because I had to tell you something important. I had another dream about Voldemort. He was talking to one of his Death Eaters. The Death Eater told Voldemort that he could not obtain the Zyorious Scepter from someone named Violet Black. Then Voldemort killed him and I woke up with my scar burning. I wrote to you because I knew that this was something that you would want to know and I was hoping that you may know what is happening. But anyway, I hope I am not bothering you too much. Say hi to Moony for me!
Harry
Remus saw Sirius's eyes go wide and his mouth drop open.
"What is it? What's happened? Is Harry hurt?" Remus asked, his voice filled with concern.
"No, Harry is fine, but he had another dream about Voldemort. It's too late to catch our man." said Sirius.
"Why?" asked Remus now curious instead of concerned.
"Because he is dead. Voldemort killed him. But our suspicions have been right all along. Sanford was serving Voldemort directly. And I also know now what Voldemort is after. It is the Zyorious Scepter." Sirius replied.
"Woah! Did Harry tell you all of this?" Remus asked, now completely surprised.
"Yes." Sirius replied, "But Harry must have made a mistake..."
"Why?" Remus inquired.
"Because the Zyorious Scepter has been in my family for years and since I was thrown into Azkaban, my mother, father, and younger brother moved to the U.S. It's been so many years, so the only person that could have it is...Dalon." replied Sirius.
"But your brother is a Muggle! What could he be doing with it?" said Remus.
"That's what I have to find out." replied Sirius.
*
Dalon Black sat in his and Sara's bedroom looking at his old family album. He had called in sick at his Muggle job. So alone he sat looking at his parents and his brother waving at him. Sometimes the sadness of having lost his older brother really got to him. He had always known Sirius was innocent, no matter what anyone had said. But by now the Dementors of Azkaban must have gotten to him. It tore at him inside thinking that Sirius might now be only a shell of what he used to be. The only thing that gave Dalon hope was what he learned from his daughter. He learned that Voldemort had finally fallen because of a child named Harry Potter.
Could this Harry Potter possibly be related to Sirius's old friend James Potter? Maybe even be his son? Dalon thought, But then again there were a lot of Potters in England...
These thoughts often crossed his mind after he learned this fact. Lost in thought, it took him a while to realize that something was rapping against the bedroom window. He looked up and saw a large black raven outside! In broad daylight! He rushed and opened the window to stop the bird from attracting any attention from the neighbors. As soon as he opened the window, the raven swooped in and landed on the bed.
It's been so many years... Dalon thought, spotting the letter tied to its leg.
He slowly unwrapped the letter and then watched the raven fly off into the sky. When he could no longer see it, he opened the letter. There was only one person who could have sent him this letter, but he dared not hope lest it was not.
Dear Dalon,
I do not know what to write to you since it has been at least 16 years since I have talked to you last. There is much we must speak about, but not in this letter. I must see you in person. I will be at your house at 12 o' clock midnight sharp tonight.
Sirius
Dalon read the letter again and again not believing his eyes.
Sirius is okay! I can't believe this...just hearing from him after all these years... Dalon thought.
After re-reading the letter one more time, Dalon folded the letter up and put it in his pocket.
*
That night, when he was sure Sarah was asleep, Dalon slipped out of bed and waited for Sirius in his living room. He watched the clock strike midnight.
Where is he? Dalon thought.
Suddenly a voice cut through the still air.
"Hey toad legs! Are you just going to sit there or are you going to come over here and greet me?"
Dalon smiled, turned, and asked, "Do you still have to call me that, Sirius?"
Dalon walked over to Sirius and the two brothers embraced.
"Yes of course! I'll never forget the summer after my first year at Hogwarts. You were really getting on my nerves and so I tried to turn you into a toad." said Sirius.
"Hah! But it didn't quite work, did it?" said Dalon.
"No, I could only get your legs. Man, did I get an earful from mum and dad about that one..." Sirius smirked, remembering the past.
"How did you do it, Sirius? How did you escape from Azkaban?" Dalon asked, looking at his brother in awe.
"I just held on the thought that I was innocent...that was the only thing that kept me sane for all those years...I waited for a good opportunity to escape, and when I found it, I transformed into my dog form and got out of that place." Sirius replied.
"Even if mum and dad listened to the Ministry of Magic about you working for Voldemort, I never believed it for a minute. I always knew you were innocent." said Dalon.
"I only wish I could have told mum and dad that myself..." Sirius said, sadly.
Sirius then paused, looked around the room, and said, "Wow...I've been gone so long, even my little brother has grown up..."
Sirius walked over to the mantle and picked up a Muggle picture of Dalon and his family.
"Your wife and daughter?" Sirius guessed.
"Yes. My wife Sarah and our daughter Violet." said Dalon.
Violet! Wasn't that the girl Harry mentioned? She is the one with the Scepter? thought Sirius.
"Dalon, do you still have the Zyorious Scepter?" asked Sirius.
"Yes. Follow me." Dalon replied.
Dalon led Sirius to a corner of the room and reached behind the bookcase. He pulled out the Scepter. Sirius took it from him and examined it.
"I have reason to believe your daughter is in danger." said Sirius in a serious tone.
"Why?" Dalon asked, shocked.
"Because Voldemort is after her and the Zyorious Scepter." Sirius replied.
"Voldemort?!? But how? Why?" Dalon asked, everything coming as a shock.
"Harry told me. Harry Potter." said Sirius.
"Wait a second. You know Harry Potter?!?" Dalon asked, now confusion mixing with his shocks, "And how would he know Violet?!?"
"I think I have a lot of explaining to do..." said Sirius, "Yes, I do know Harry Potter. He is my godson."
Suddenly the implication of the statement hit Dalon.
"He's the son of James and Lily Potter, isn't he? I suspected it all along. But that means...the Potters are dead! Lily and James were some of the nicest people I knew! They didn't deserve to die like that!!" said Dalon, "But at least Harry survived..."
"Yes, I know. But as you must have heard, the encounter left a scar on his forehead. But this is unlike any other scar. The scar enables Harry to get visions of Voldemort in his dreams when Voldemort is feeling particularly murderous. Voldemort has already sent a person to retrieve the Scepter. That person tried to get it from Violet, but they failed and fled back to Voldemort. Voldemort then killed him for failing. Voldemort will stop at nothing to get the Scepter. By now he must have figured out that it is you that has the Scepter, not Violet. But he will come back for Violet - and then in turn, the Scepter." said Sirius.
"Is Violet alright?!?" Dalon asked, frantically.
"I don't know. All I know is what Harry told me in his letter." Sirius replied.
"But Sirius, what should I do? I can't protect her here! And I have a lot of explaining to do to my wife!" said Dalon.
At that moment they heard someone come into the room and they froze.
"Honey, why are you up - ?" she started sleepily, but quickly snapped awake seeing the stranger in her living room, "Wait! Who is this?!?"
"Umm...he's my brother...Sirius..." Dalon said quietly.
"Since when do you have a brother?!?" Sarah asked, totally confused.
"Sarah, I'll explain everything to you, but not now." said Dalon, "Violet is in danger!"
"What?!?" Sarah asked, even more confused.
Dalon turned to Sirius.
"What are we going to do? There is no way we can protect her." said Dalon.
"There is one way you can. Let me take her to Hogwarts. I will explain the whole deal to Headmaster Dumbledore. The Scepter and Violet will be safest with him." Sirius said.
Dalon and Sarah took in the information silently. Finally Sarah spoke.
"I always knew there were things you kept from me about your past. I knew the minute Violet started to make her milk and cookies float around." Sarah smiled as she remembered, but then the smile left her face as she began to speak again, "And I think you had good reason. But now that the truth has come out, you have to make me understand. Dalon, I have always known you to be a good and honest man. I trust you. If you trust this man, so do I. But once Violet is safe, I want to hear again about your past, and this time leave nothing out."
Dalon looked at Sarah and spoke, "We must leave first thing in the morning. We will get Violet then."
"I will wait for you here. I shall apparate her and the Scepter to Diagon Alley and then we will figure out what to do from there. I will lend you my bird to send her the message ahead of time before you go to pick her up so she will be ready." said Sirius, "I cannot stay here much longer. Every minute I spend with you puts you in more danger. I will be back again in the morning."
With that, Sirius apparated out of the room.
"I hope Violet will be okay..." said Sarah.
"She will be. Sirius will take care of her." said Dalon.
The Death Eater flew back to his master's hiding place in a small cottage long forgotten somewhere deep in the wilderness. He transformed back into his human form when he flew into the cottage's small window. Lord Voldemort sat in a chair facing the fire place which had a bright fire dancing in it. He felt afraid to address his master due to the failure of his assignment.
"What news do you bring me Sanford?" Voldemort asked in an inhuman whisper.
Just hearing his master's voice caused a chill to go up his spine.
"My Lord, Violet Black did not have the Scepter..." Sanford said, barely able to keep the fear out of his voice.
Voldemort was completely silent. This caused the fear to grow in Sanford. Suddenly Voldemort laughed mirthlessly. Sanford knew that his failure would not be forgiven.
"The Zyorious Scepter is essential to mending my broken powers to what they used to be so I must attain it at all costs. I do not tolerate failure. This is the last time you will fail me Sanford."
Voldemort turned his face to Sanford and Sanford felt the blood draining from his face.
"No master! Give me one more chance! I won't fail you again!" Sanford said, begging for mercy.
Voldemort looked at him with icy cold eyes.
"No one fails me twice." Voldemort said.
Voldemort raised his wand. Sanford kept backing up until he felt his back touch the wall.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled.
A green bolt of light shot from the wand and stuck Sanford.
*
Harry tossed and turned in his sleep.
"NOOO!!!" he yelled loudly, jerking awake, clutching his burning scar.
Harry sat on the side of the bed, rubbing his scar, trying to make the pain go away. In a few seconds the pain went away, but the fear stayed. Suddenly Hermione burst in. She had a concerned look on her face.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, "I heard you scream from my room."
In the moonlight, Hermione saw the fear reflecting in Harry's emerald green eyes as he got up from the bed.
"I had a dream. About Voldemort." Harry said, forgetting the name taboo in his state of fright.
Hermione shuddered visibly when she heard the name.
"He was talking to one of his Death Eaters. Voldemort asked the Death Eater for something called the Zyorious Scepter. He said it would mend his powers. The Death Eater said the girl he tried to take it from did not have it. Voldemort then got angry and killed him. The same way he killed my parents. The way he tried to kill me..." Harry said, his voice quivering slightly, "I woke up and my scar was burning."
Then they were both silent. Neither knew what to do. They looked at each other. It pained Hermione to see Harry so afraid. Before she even realized what she was doing, she took a step forward and pulled Harry close. When what she was doing actually hit her, she expected Harry to pull away or at least complain, but he did neither. Instead, he collapsed into her embrace and put his head on her shoulder. Hermione held Harry until he stopped shaking. When Harry finally regained his composure, they reluctantly pulled away from each other. They looked at each other again and they both felt their faces go red.
"Well...umm...I think we'd better write a letter to Sirius about this. He would definitely want to know because when your scar hurts like this, there's probably going to be some trouble..." said Hermione.
"Yes, you're right." said Harry.
Harry fished in his trunk for his ink, quill, and a sheet of parchment.
*
The next afternoon, Sirius Black sat in the cottage he shared with Remus Lupin, thinking of a new strategy to catch the particularly dangerous Death Eater Dumbledore had sent them after named Sanford. Sanford was very dangerous because he was a powerful wizard with deep ties to the Dark Arts and great influence in the Ministry of Magic. The information Sirius and Remus had gathered about Sanford led Sirius to believe that Sanford might not only be serving Voldemort, but be in his inner circle and be serving him directly. Sirius's thoughts took his eyes to the window where he saw a white bird flying toward the cottage. Since there were no white birds in the region that he knew it had to be Hedwig. He opened the window and let the owl in.
"Hello, Hedwig! How are you?" Sirius said, giving Hedwig a strong pat on the head.
As Sirius removed the letter from Hedwig's legs, Remus walked in.
"A letter from Harry?" Remus inquired without a greeting.
"Yes." replied Sirius as he opened the letter.
Dear Sirius,
I'm glad to hear everything is well with you and Moony, but I wrote you because I had to tell you something important. I had another dream about Voldemort. He was talking to one of his Death Eaters. The Death Eater told Voldemort that he could not obtain the Zyorious Scepter from someone named Violet Black. Then Voldemort killed him and I woke up with my scar burning. I wrote to you because I knew that this was something that you would want to know and I was hoping that you may know what is happening. But anyway, I hope I am not bothering you too much. Say hi to Moony for me!
Harry
Remus saw Sirius's eyes go wide and his mouth drop open.
"What is it? What's happened? Is Harry hurt?" Remus asked, his voice filled with concern.
"No, Harry is fine, but he had another dream about Voldemort. It's too late to catch our man." said Sirius.
"Why?" asked Remus now curious instead of concerned.
"Because he is dead. Voldemort killed him. But our suspicions have been right all along. Sanford was serving Voldemort directly. And I also know now what Voldemort is after. It is the Zyorious Scepter." Sirius replied.
"Woah! Did Harry tell you all of this?" Remus asked, now completely surprised.
"Yes." Sirius replied, "But Harry must have made a mistake..."
"Why?" Remus inquired.
"Because the Zyorious Scepter has been in my family for years and since I was thrown into Azkaban, my mother, father, and younger brother moved to the U.S. It's been so many years, so the only person that could have it is...Dalon." replied Sirius.
"But your brother is a Muggle! What could he be doing with it?" said Remus.
"That's what I have to find out." replied Sirius.
*
Dalon Black sat in his and Sara's bedroom looking at his old family album. He had called in sick at his Muggle job. So alone he sat looking at his parents and his brother waving at him. Sometimes the sadness of having lost his older brother really got to him. He had always known Sirius was innocent, no matter what anyone had said. But by now the Dementors of Azkaban must have gotten to him. It tore at him inside thinking that Sirius might now be only a shell of what he used to be. The only thing that gave Dalon hope was what he learned from his daughter. He learned that Voldemort had finally fallen because of a child named Harry Potter.
Could this Harry Potter possibly be related to Sirius's old friend James Potter? Maybe even be his son? Dalon thought, But then again there were a lot of Potters in England...
These thoughts often crossed his mind after he learned this fact. Lost in thought, it took him a while to realize that something was rapping against the bedroom window. He looked up and saw a large black raven outside! In broad daylight! He rushed and opened the window to stop the bird from attracting any attention from the neighbors. As soon as he opened the window, the raven swooped in and landed on the bed.
It's been so many years... Dalon thought, spotting the letter tied to its leg.
He slowly unwrapped the letter and then watched the raven fly off into the sky. When he could no longer see it, he opened the letter. There was only one person who could have sent him this letter, but he dared not hope lest it was not.
Dear Dalon,
I do not know what to write to you since it has been at least 16 years since I have talked to you last. There is much we must speak about, but not in this letter. I must see you in person. I will be at your house at 12 o' clock midnight sharp tonight.
Sirius
Dalon read the letter again and again not believing his eyes.
Sirius is okay! I can't believe this...just hearing from him after all these years... Dalon thought.
After re-reading the letter one more time, Dalon folded the letter up and put it in his pocket.
*
That night, when he was sure Sarah was asleep, Dalon slipped out of bed and waited for Sirius in his living room. He watched the clock strike midnight.
Where is he? Dalon thought.
Suddenly a voice cut through the still air.
"Hey toad legs! Are you just going to sit there or are you going to come over here and greet me?"
Dalon smiled, turned, and asked, "Do you still have to call me that, Sirius?"
Dalon walked over to Sirius and the two brothers embraced.
"Yes of course! I'll never forget the summer after my first year at Hogwarts. You were really getting on my nerves and so I tried to turn you into a toad." said Sirius.
"Hah! But it didn't quite work, did it?" said Dalon.
"No, I could only get your legs. Man, did I get an earful from mum and dad about that one..." Sirius smirked, remembering the past.
"How did you do it, Sirius? How did you escape from Azkaban?" Dalon asked, looking at his brother in awe.
"I just held on the thought that I was innocent...that was the only thing that kept me sane for all those years...I waited for a good opportunity to escape, and when I found it, I transformed into my dog form and got out of that place." Sirius replied.
"Even if mum and dad listened to the Ministry of Magic about you working for Voldemort, I never believed it for a minute. I always knew you were innocent." said Dalon.
"I only wish I could have told mum and dad that myself..." Sirius said, sadly.
Sirius then paused, looked around the room, and said, "Wow...I've been gone so long, even my little brother has grown up..."
Sirius walked over to the mantle and picked up a Muggle picture of Dalon and his family.
"Your wife and daughter?" Sirius guessed.
"Yes. My wife Sarah and our daughter Violet." said Dalon.
Violet! Wasn't that the girl Harry mentioned? She is the one with the Scepter? thought Sirius.
"Dalon, do you still have the Zyorious Scepter?" asked Sirius.
"Yes. Follow me." Dalon replied.
Dalon led Sirius to a corner of the room and reached behind the bookcase. He pulled out the Scepter. Sirius took it from him and examined it.
"I have reason to believe your daughter is in danger." said Sirius in a serious tone.
"Why?" Dalon asked, shocked.
"Because Voldemort is after her and the Zyorious Scepter." Sirius replied.
"Voldemort?!? But how? Why?" Dalon asked, everything coming as a shock.
"Harry told me. Harry Potter." said Sirius.
"Wait a second. You know Harry Potter?!?" Dalon asked, now confusion mixing with his shocks, "And how would he know Violet?!?"
"I think I have a lot of explaining to do..." said Sirius, "Yes, I do know Harry Potter. He is my godson."
Suddenly the implication of the statement hit Dalon.
"He's the son of James and Lily Potter, isn't he? I suspected it all along. But that means...the Potters are dead! Lily and James were some of the nicest people I knew! They didn't deserve to die like that!!" said Dalon, "But at least Harry survived..."
"Yes, I know. But as you must have heard, the encounter left a scar on his forehead. But this is unlike any other scar. The scar enables Harry to get visions of Voldemort in his dreams when Voldemort is feeling particularly murderous. Voldemort has already sent a person to retrieve the Scepter. That person tried to get it from Violet, but they failed and fled back to Voldemort. Voldemort then killed him for failing. Voldemort will stop at nothing to get the Scepter. By now he must have figured out that it is you that has the Scepter, not Violet. But he will come back for Violet - and then in turn, the Scepter." said Sirius.
"Is Violet alright?!?" Dalon asked, frantically.
"I don't know. All I know is what Harry told me in his letter." Sirius replied.
"But Sirius, what should I do? I can't protect her here! And I have a lot of explaining to do to my wife!" said Dalon.
At that moment they heard someone come into the room and they froze.
"Honey, why are you up - ?" she started sleepily, but quickly snapped awake seeing the stranger in her living room, "Wait! Who is this?!?"
"Umm...he's my brother...Sirius..." Dalon said quietly.
"Since when do you have a brother?!?" Sarah asked, totally confused.
"Sarah, I'll explain everything to you, but not now." said Dalon, "Violet is in danger!"
"What?!?" Sarah asked, even more confused.
Dalon turned to Sirius.
"What are we going to do? There is no way we can protect her." said Dalon.
"There is one way you can. Let me take her to Hogwarts. I will explain the whole deal to Headmaster Dumbledore. The Scepter and Violet will be safest with him." Sirius said.
Dalon and Sarah took in the information silently. Finally Sarah spoke.
"I always knew there were things you kept from me about your past. I knew the minute Violet started to make her milk and cookies float around." Sarah smiled as she remembered, but then the smile left her face as she began to speak again, "And I think you had good reason. But now that the truth has come out, you have to make me understand. Dalon, I have always known you to be a good and honest man. I trust you. If you trust this man, so do I. But once Violet is safe, I want to hear again about your past, and this time leave nothing out."
Dalon looked at Sarah and spoke, "We must leave first thing in the morning. We will get Violet then."
"I will wait for you here. I shall apparate her and the Scepter to Diagon Alley and then we will figure out what to do from there. I will lend you my bird to send her the message ahead of time before you go to pick her up so she will be ready." said Sirius, "I cannot stay here much longer. Every minute I spend with you puts you in more danger. I will be back again in the morning."
With that, Sirius apparated out of the room.
"I hope Violet will be okay..." said Sarah.
"She will be. Sirius will take care of her." said Dalon.
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