The Years of Riddle

Chapter Sixty-Four | The Burrow, August 1, 1997

**I haven't fully edited this, just wanted to get it up because I won't have the chance for a while. If you see a typo or whatever...sorry, it'll be fixed soon. Anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter Sixty-Four

The Burrow, August 1st 1997

         In the many years Silas had been visiting the Burrow, he had never seen it so clean or so busy. Even when there had been seven children running about, sometimes Silas and Inesa's own five added to the mix, it had not been this hectic. The Lacroix's had arrived early to help, and each Lacroix child had a job. Estelle was Bill's best woman, so she and Charlie were busy getting him ready. Anthea and Orson were in charge of directing the band, and Ivy and Magnus were to be ushers with the twins, Harry and Ron.

Inesa was in charge of Molly, for the most part. Molly had rushed off to talk to the band though, and Merlin had been called to assists Estelle with Bill, and so Silas was left with little William Periculum. The toddler was not a fan of his dress robes, and continually pulled at them, pouting up at his grandfather.

"I know Will," Silas sighed, fixing them. "I don't like dress robes much either."

"Whose this?"

Silas looked up to see Harry, holding what he knew to by polyjuice potion. "My grandson, William. After Bill, he's the godfather."

"Right, Estelle is 'the best woman', right?" Harry waved at Will, who was watching him carefully.

"Yes. They've been best friends since birth, you know, just a few weeks apart." Silas chuckled. "They were a handful, that's for sure."

Harry hesitated for a moment, eyes still on Will, who was playing with his boutonnière. "I wanted to say thanks," he said quietly. "For the presents."

"The journal should come in handy," Silas referred to the small, leather bound journal; he had a duplicate, and whatever Harry wrote in it would appear in Silas', and they could corresponded. "Only you can see what is written, and if you would like Ron and Hermione to be added it is as simple as writing their full names in the cover, as I have written yours. I thought it could be useful while you are on your search this year."

Harry gaped at him, shocked. "How'd you know we're –?"

"I was Dumbledore's right hand, Harry, remember? Besides...I never assumed you would return to school with Dumbledore gone."

"You know about the horcuxes then?" asked Harry, glancing about to see if anyone was near.

"I do." He nodded, and fixed Will's boutonnière. "And I am sorry Dumbledore took you to the cave – it was too much. I am...so sorry it turned out that way. I should have stopped him, if I'd only known when he was going to do it."

Harry stared at his shoes. "It's okay."

"It's really not." Silas' anger at Dumbledore flooded him once more. "One day Harry, we can discuss Dumbledore, today is not a good time, but...one day. It wasn't right of Dumbledore to inflict it on you."

"I could handle it." Said Harry hotly, looking rather offended. "I did handle it."

Silas relaxed himself a little, and spoke gently. "I'm not saying you couldn't, just that it wasn't fair – simply because you could handle it doesn't make it okay."

Harry fell silent for a moment, once more staring at his shoes. "You talk to me like a parent." He said finally, a little sheepishly. "Or – or a grandparent – not that you're old!" he said hurriedly, embarrassed. "Just...the stories you wrote, about my parents. I really appreciate them."