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Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley Genres: General Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 28 Summary: This is my version of Book Seven. It picks up where Book Six left off, and follows Harry and his friends through their trials and tribulations. Everyone know that Harry has to defeat Voldemort, but does he have to do it alone, without love? All of your favorite characters are here. This story follows canon closely. H/G, R/Hr, and other pairings are included. Hitcount: Story Total: 86974; Chapter Total: 4765 Author's Notes: Author’s Note: J.K. Rowling created the world in which I work. Everything Harry is hers alone. |
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Harry stared at the open locket in the palm of his hand. Dobby, having finally realized that Mundungus was no longer alive, cowered beside Harry. “Bloody Hell!” Ron exclaimed, staring at the body in the middle of the sitting room. “What are we supposed to do with that?” Ginny asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust at Mundungus’ body. “I have a suggestion,” Hermione piped up, timidly. Her voice was shaking and she didn’t appear to be feeling like herself. “Maybe, that is, if you agree, could we move the body somewhere else?” “Should we?” Harry asked her slowly, his mind running on overdrive. “We didn’t kill him, could we be held responsible? What would the Ministry do to us?” “I think it might be the best thing,” Hermione mumbled. “Wait, maybe we should contact someone from the Order.” “Hermione,” Ron practically shouted, shaking her gently. “Hermione, you need to concentrate. We need to figure out what to do.” “We can’t contact the Order or the Ministry,” Ginny announced. “They would find out about both the locket and our new powers.” “We can’t risk that,” Harry announced grimly, “we don’t know what would come of it.” “Harry Potter,” Dobby piped up shyly, not interrupting the discussion taking place two feet above his head. “Harry Potter,” he bellowed. Harry looked down in surprise, having missed Dobby’s first address, and saw Dobby’s face filled with fear. Dobby turned abruptly and tried to run headlong into the end of the sofa. Harry caught him by the back of his tea cozy and yanked him to a sitting position on the floor. “He can’t hurt himself from this position.” “Harry Potter, there is a place where we could leave it,” Dobby squeaked, immensely relieved that Harry had stopped him from hitting the leg of the sofa. “A place where it can’t be found.” “Where would that be, Dobby?” Hermione asked kindly. “Dobby cannot say,” Dobby responded, quaking with fear, knowing that he could not tell anyone the secret location. “What good does it do us then,” Ron scoffed. “Dobby, can you take the body there?” Hermione tried again, still sounding very compassionate. Dobby nodded boldly. “Yes,” he replied confidently. “Dobby will take it there.” “Thank you, Dobby,” Harry said gratefully, extending his hand to help Dobby off the floor. Dobby would not allow Harry to help him up; instead he snapped his fingers and disappeared. When Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny turned, the body was gone. Hermione began to cry, while Ron tried to comfort her awkwardly. He was not sorry that Mundungus was gone. Mundungus had hurt Harry and caused his Mum a lot of grief. “Why is she so upset? She didn’t even know him. All he ever did was tell stories and smell up the room.” Harry walked over to Hermione and gently pried her out of Ron’s grip. He pulled her close and held her tightly. He was feeling the same grief that she was and had no idea how to explain his emotional state. Ginny and Ron walked over to where Harry stood, holding Hermione in a bear hug. Ginny approached them first, a smile barely formed on her lips. She threw her arms around Harry and placed her hands on Hermione’s arms. Ron stepped to the other side of his girlfriend and embraced her tightly. His arms overlapped Ginny’s and provided Hermione and Harry with the comfort they so desperately needed. The simple act of touching helped to pull Harry and Hermione out of their despair. After some time, Hermione looked up at Harry and a smile began to form. Harry saw the beginnings of her smile and felt his heart lift. “Everything will be fine. We will make it through this.” Dobby reappeared with news of the disposal. “All is done,” Dobby reported. “No one will find it.” Harry thanked him and released him to return to his duties. Dobby left, appreciative for the chance to escape the sadness that lingered in the room. Once things had returned to normal, as normal as they could now be, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny made their way across the room to examine the destroyed Horcrux. The Horcrux, having been dispossessed by Lord Voldemort’s evil, gleamed as if it were new. “It’s beautiful,” Ginny breathed. “Could I have it?” She seemed enthralled by the locket, as if she were experiencing nirvana. “Ginny, I don’t think that is a good idea,” Harry told her grudgingly. “Can I at least try it on?” she asked, disappointment dripping from every word. “I don’t see why not,” Hermione told Harry loudly, for Ginny’s benefit. “It might be helpful,” she whispered, in her know-it-all tone. “Are you nutters?” Ron hissed at Hermione, his face inches from hers. “That thing had Vold…Tom’s soul in it.” “Had, Ron, it HAD the soul in it,” Hermione turned and shouted in his ear. Ron rubbed his ear gingerly, wishing he hadn’t provoked Hermione’s wrath. “Fine,” he grumbled. “He’s right, Hermione.” Harry turned to look directly into Ginny’s eyes. “It’s not safe.” “Harry,” Hermione began quietly. “There is nothing left in that locket but hateful memories, ones that need to be dispelled.” Harry saw the wisdom in Hermione’s words. He thought back to the first thing Hermione had said. “Maybe it will be helpful. Anything to help her forget the nightmare she lived through because of me.” “Sure, Ginny. You can try it on,” Harry confirmed reluctantly. He gingerly tipped his hand so the locket slid from his palm smoothly into Ginny’s upturned hand. Before she had the chance to unhook the clasp, Hermione grabbed her arm to stop her. “Ginny, wait,” she instructed. “Let me take the amulet off first.” Hermione removed the sticking charm and pulled the cord gently from her neck. Hermione beckoned Harry over and removed his amulet in the same manner. She indicated that he should secure the locket around Ginny’s neck. “Why don’t you help her, Harry?” she advised. Harry took the locket from Ginny. She spun around so that her back was to him and lifted her hair to bare her neck. Harry reached his arm around her shoulder to settle the heavy locket onto her chest. He fumbled with the clasp for a few awkward seconds before securing the ends together. His task done, he leaned forward to plant a tender kiss on the nape of her neck. Ginny closed her eyes at the soft touch of Harry’s lips. The love she felt overwhelmed her senses. She reached up to cover Harry’s hand with her own and the horrible memories came flooding back. She felt every sensation throughout her body. It was as if she was lying on the cold, stone floor of the Chamber of Secrets, again. The memories were so strong that her body grew rigid and clammy. She saw herself, unconscious on the floor, in the Chamber. She heard Tom’s muffled voice, echoing from another time. She heard Harry’s voice responding in an equally distant tone. She watched in horror as the events that plagued her dreams unfolded before her eyes. She was completely helpless to stop the terrifying scene that was playing as Harry fought for both his life and hers. There was a distinct rustle, one that was not muffled by time. She was startled to find that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were surrounding her in a protective arc. Harry stood to her right, Hermione to the left and they clasped their hands in hers. Ron stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. She no longer felt alone. Her courage returned, stronger than before, and she willed the images from her mind. She forcibly replaced them with the happiest memories she could muster. Too quickly, the moments with Harry, Ron, and Hermione flashed in her memory. The few memories she had of the four of them together were not strong enough to push out the evil. She fought harder to bring memories of her Mum and Dad, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and even Percy to the surface. Slowly, the happy memories pushed the vision of Harry’s lying on the stone dying from the Basilisk fang from her mind. She cautiously opened her eyes, half expecting Hermione to be next to her holding her hand. Time had stood still while Ginny had healed her heart. Harry’s lips were mere inches from her neck. Ron and Hermione were halfway across the room. Hermione was still struggling to perform the counter charm to remove the Eagle from Ron’s neck. Her difficulty was owed, in large part, to the fact that she had tickled him during her first attempt at removing the amulet. Ginny felt her body warm and fill with certain lightness. She whirled around, catching Harry by surprise, and threw her arms around his neck. She was levitating a few inches off the ground. She planted a playful kiss on Harry’s nose and grinned widely at him. She let go of his neck and hit the floor. She dashed over to Ron and Hermione, heedless of the furniture throughout the room, and knocked them both over in her haste to hug them both. “I told you it might be helpful,” Hermione said smugly, wincing at Ron’s elbow buried in her gut. Harry sprinted across the room, unsuccessfully dodging an end table, before throwing himself onto the pile of bodies. After what seemed like an hour of joking and laughing, they decided it was time to go to bed. Harry and Ron carried the duffel bags as they headed up the stairs. While trudging up the stairs, Hermione suggested that they camp out in the drawing room on the second level. Harry was curious about Hermione’s room choice. “Any particular reason?” he asked. “It’s the room we worked on the most with Mrs. Weasley,” Hermione explained. “Since Dobby and Kreacher haven’t managed to make it beyond the sitting room, it’s the most logical choice.” Her logic was dead on and Harry nodded in agreement. Ginny also nodded, and Ron gave Hermione thumbs up. “It is settled,” Harry thought. “The drawing room it is,” he proclaimed to the group. They were part of the way up the stairs when Dobby appeared. Harry noticed that the ‘pop’ was considerably softer than usual. “Harry Potter,” Dobby whispered loudly. “Harry Potter must not wake Mrs. Black!” “Merlin,” Harry blurted out as quietly as possible. “I had forgotten about that awful woman. Thank you Dobby.” Harry paused, in the middle of his next step, a look of intense concentration clouding his brilliant green eyes. “I’ve got an idea,” he declared confidently. “You guys go ahead, I’ll be up soon.” He watched as Hermione and Ron continued up the stairs, tiptoeing like mice. Ginny and Dobby had remained behind. “Harry Potter,” Dobby began hesitantly, “Kreacher is gone.” “Gone?” Harry questioned. “How could he leave? I requested that he work on the Manor.” “Kreacher is dead,” Dobby corrected. “How?” Ginny asked with no discernable trace of sadness. “Kreacher betrayed Master,” Dobby snarled, the disgust evident in his voice. “I’m sorry,” Harry stammered, unsure of how to deal with Dobby’s anger. “It sounds like Kreacher tried to kill me.” Then, to Dobby, “Will you need help getting the Manor ready?” “Dobby needs no help,” Dobby exclaimed fervently. Dobby, his head slightly bowed and wringing his hands, “Winky could leave Hogwarts,” he suggested helpfully. “Go get her,” Harry insisted, knowing that Dobby would be lonely in the big house by himself. Dobby disappeared with a much louder ‘pop’ than before. Harry cringed, fearing that Mrs. Black would be disturbed before he could get to the portrait. Caught unaware, Harry was yanked forward as Ginny tugged fiercely on his sleeves. She pulled him close and whispered suggestively in his ear. Harry blushed crimson and shook his head at her boldness. “I can’t right now,” he mumbled regretfully, torn between duty and pleasure. “I will be up soon though.” She hesitated for a moment. One hand rested on his chest; the fingers of the other curled in his unruly hair. She kissed him passionately, giving him a taste of everything he would be missing every moment he delayed. Without warning, she pulled away and sashayed up the remaining stairs. She paused after four steps to shake her hips at Harry. Harry stood motionless; his eyes glued to Ginny’s body as she strutted down the hall. She was very aware of his eyes as they followed every move she made. He waited until she had vanished into the drawing room before he shook his head vigorously. He needed to clear the images of Ginny, naked beside him, before he could complete his next task. “Do I really want to talk to Mrs. Black? Maybe I should chuck it and spend some quality time with Ginny.” He shook his head one final time to clear the thoughts before climbing the finals steps to the second level. He tread lightly, waiting until the last moment possible for the confrontation he was about to face. He held his wand at the ready, preparing for anything Mrs. Black might try. “Muffliato,” Harry muttered as he approached the portrait in the hallway. “There’s no reason for everyone and her brother to hear me bargaining with her for a bit of peace,” he said, thinking of Ginny. He was shocked to see that all of the other portraits were missing. “Apparently Dobby has gone beyond the sitting room, Hermione,” he mused. He conjured a comfortable, velvety soft chair, which he placed directly in front of the portrait. He waved his wand and the curtains that covered the portrait separated. Harry hastily stowed his wand out of sight, not intending to provoke Mrs. Black any more than necessary. Mrs. Black opened her eyes reluctantly. She took in the sight before her and drew a deep breath, preparing for her usual rant. “Filth! Scum!” she screeched. She was abruptly silenced as Harry drew his wand again and flicked it in her direction. “Silencio,” he commanded. Harry was shocked when Mrs. Black fell silent. Her mouth continued to open and close, her lips forming words that Harry could not comprehend. “It has got to because of the bond. Ginny has been exhibiting some extreme displays of power; maybe I have grown more powerful too. I wonder if Ron and Hermione are noticing their powers are stronger too.” After several tense moments, Mrs. Black finally closed her mouth. She stared fixedly at a point over Harry’s head, her lips pursed in irritation. “Mrs. Black," Harry exclaimed. She began to scream again. She came dangerously close to foaming at the mouth as her face contorted grotesquely in anger. Her tirade soon ceased just as abruptly as it had begun. Harry tried one more time to be civil. “Mrs. Black,” he repeated. She merely glared at him, as if daring him to try to address her as his equal. “Mrs. Black, I need to discuss some arrangements with you,” Harry emphasized his desire for a two sided conversation. “I will remove the spell if you will agree to attempt a civil conversation. If we can’t come to an arrangement, I will be forced to take matters into my own hands.” He finished ominously, leaving no doubt of his intentions. “She will cooperate or I will destroy that bloody portrait.” Harry was genuinely surprised when Mrs. Black nodded sedately at his request. He flicked his wand again and removed the silencing spell. “What do you want?” she asked harshly. “I need to discuss the living arrangements for the Black Family Manor,” he explained. “After Sirius died, I inherited the Manor. I know you are unhappy about this. I also know that you were incredibly displeased with the presence of the Order. I am here to come to a compromise. The first thing I can offer you is the absence of the Order. They will no longer be using the Manor for Order business.” He stopped, waiting for a response. “What do you intend to do with the Manor now that you have got those filthy half-breeds out?” she asked in an amicable voice. Had he not heard her words, Harry would have thought she was asking about the weather. ”I intend to completely renovate the Manor. I am determined to follow Sirius’ wishes. He wanted the Manor restored to its former glory.” He paused, trying to avoid offending Mrs. Black. “According to Sirius’ will, the Manor was to be used as a residence. My residence...” Harry’s voice trailed off and his fingers twitched on his wand in anticipation of her response. “He was always so loyal,” she complained. “His loyalty was incredibly misplaced. It was too bad. It is too bad that his loyalty lay with the wrong side. He could have been so powerful. Had it not been for Dumbledore, he could have restored the Black Family Name.” “I think that we can come to an agreement that will benefit us both; and, quite possibly, restore the Black Family Name,” he offered. “What do you have in mind?” she dropped all pretenses and oozed with curiosity. “There is someone in the Ministry, someone high up, who owes me a few favors.” Harry smirked at the thought of the look on Rufus Scrimgeour’s face when he suggested the changes. Harry was positive that Scrimgeour would be amenable to the changes in the Ministry. Harry was very aware that the Minister was still holding onto a small shred of hope that he would be the new ‘poster child’ for the Ministry. “The Ministry is lacking…well they are lacking a great deal. What is most pertinent to our discussion is their lack of a Historical Department. They are badly in need of witches and wizards to accurately present our history. I plan to propose to the Minister, with your cooperation, the idea of a historical division within the Ministry. The division would be headed by a living member of the Ministry, but would be staffed by portraits. There are many portraits, not unlike yourself, who would have invaluable knowledge to provide.” Harry hated himself for groveling before the woman who had made Sirius’ life so miserable. He glanced down at his feet before continuing. “Your portrait will be moved to a secure location, with the other portraits I mentioned. You will be able to share your wealth of knowledge of the wizarding world with others.” Harry ended his speech with flattery, hoping that it would convince her to see the compromise in a positive light. “Is this what you’ve come to? Working in conjunction with a half-blood, Father would turn over in his grave. If I don’t accept his offer, he’ll surely find a way to destroy me.” Her eyes turned to the scar on Harry’s forehead; “Make the deal,” she announced regally. Harry felt a great wave of relief wash over him. “Thank you, Mrs. Black. I’ll compose the letter now to get the process started.” He conjured a piece of parchment and quill. With Mrs. Black’s help, he wrote an undeniably convincing letter to the Minister. Once finished, Harry addressed the letter. Minister of Magic Ministry of Magic Private Inbox Personal and Confidential He held it in the palm of his hand. He blinked once, deep in concentration, and it vanished with a flash. “That was wicked!” Harry assured Mrs. Black that an Official from the Ministry would be by in the next couple of days to move her portrait. “Please remove the permanent sticking charm before they arrive,” he reminded her sternly. Harry and Mrs. Black said their good-byes. Her tone was quite formal, but her demeanor bordered on polite. Harry smiled in astonishment. While Sirius would not be any more proud of his methods than Harry himself was, Harry knew that Sirius would be happy with the end result. The Black Family Manor would, in a few days, be forever rid of that awful portrait. Harry eagerly jogged down the hallway; his task completed successfully, his mind only on Ginny. He stopped short at the door to the drawing room. Dobby and Winky were standing just outside of the doorway. Harry nodded at Dobby. He noticed that Winky was bowing her head in shame. Harry was monumentally confused. “If she doesn’t want to be here, why did she come? I’d better act like I know what’s going on. I wonder if I should say something. Probably.” “Welcome to the Black Family Manor,” he formally declared. He saw Dobby hide his smile from Winky. Harry caught the smile, and remembered the discussion in the kitchens at Hogwarts many years ago. “No, Winky, you will not be paid to work here,” Harry assured her. Harry was instantly glad that he had understood the sign from Dobby. Winky lifted her head and her worried look subsided slightly. “Master, I serve the House of Black?” Winky asked solemnly. Harry had no idea what type of response he was suppose to give. He glanced at Dobby out of the corner of his eye again, seeking guidance. Dobby nodded, but the motion was so discrete that his nose only lifted a fraction of an inch. The signal came across loud and clear to Harry. He felt a rush of gratitude for Dobby. “Winky, the House of Black accepts you,” he declared. “Master,” she replied squeakily. “and House Elf,” Harry answered. The formality made him want to laugh. He was glad that Hermione wasn’t here to witness this, she would be furious. “bonded for eternity,” Winky and Harry intoned together. Winky’s tattered and dirty clothes were replaced with a clean outfit. Her new outfit bore the Black Family crest. Winky looked up to Harry with relief on her small face. Their mission completed Dobby and Winky bowed deeply, and disappeared. Harry opened the door to the drawing room, expecting to find two comfortable but small beds. He figured that his friends would be playing a game of Exploding Snap on the floor of the room. “Boy was I wrong.” Hermione had turned the drawing room into a teenager’s dream fort. She had conjured two giant beds, large enough to hold several grown men. The floor of the room, what could be seen in between all of the furniture, was littered with every wizarding game known. There were several tables scattered across the room, covered with books and comics. He was surprised to see that it was Hermione, not Ginny, who was involved in a heated game of Exploding Snap. Harry was grateful to Ginny for keeping their questions at bay, when they all but ignored his entrance. Ginny, who was sprawled out on the bed reading one of Ron’s old comics, looked up and smiled at him sweetly. “What did I do to deserve such a magnificent lady?” Harry realized the comic books came from the floor in Ron’s bedroom at the Burrow. If Mr. Weasley hadn’t been a pureblooded wizard, Harry might have thought that the comics had been written about him. The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle just sounded like it fit with Mr. Weasleys obsession with everything Muggle. Harry sunk onto the bed next to Ginny. The exhaustion hit him like the Knight Bus. He curled up on top of the blankets, beyond caring that he was still in his clothes. Ginny set her comic down onto one of the many oak tables and rolled over to where Harry lay. She gently removed his glasses and set them on the nightstand next to the bed. She curled up against his chest, he pulled her close, and they fell into a deep slumber. Her hair, spread out on the pillow surrounding both her head and Harry’s, flamed brighter than the fieriness of the setting sun. Ron and Hermione continued to play their game of Exploding Snap, quietly, for a short time before they too felt the exhaustion creep up on them. They crawled into the empty bed and curled up together, much like Harry and Ginny. Their day had been emotionally harrowing. Harry had not had the opportunity to tell them about Kreacher, but Ginny had spread the news while Harry dealt with Mrs. Black. Between the death of Mundungus earlier and the news of the execution of Kreacher, everyone was emotionally drained. The night passed quickly. The four slept peacefully; there was no evil to disturb their dreams. Ginny stirred in the morning light, rubbing against Harry as she stretched her limbs. Harry, slowly leaving the realm of sleep, enjoyed the sensational movements Ginny was making. All of a sudden, Harry became fully awake, alert and aware of his surroundings. He rolled away from Ginny, onto his stomach to hide his arousal. He didn’t want Ginny to be aware of his predicament. While she might be comfortable teasing him about certain sexual situations, he was not yet ready to introduce her to his ‘early morning problem’. Harry got out of bed carefully, keeping his back to both beds. He grabbed some clean clothes from the duffel bag for himself. The he turned his head to make sure he was in the clear and saw that Ron was also awake. As Ron caught his eye, Harry knew that he was suffering from the same dilemma. Harry also grabbed Ron some clean clothes and headed toward the hall. Ron gingerly escaped from Hermione’s grasp and, after closing the door, joined Harry in the hallway. The trekked to the bathrooms that had been temporarily restored; both too embarrassed to discuss the circumstances. After Harry and Ron had left the room and the door had swung shut, Ginny and Hermione burst into giggles. Ginny smirked at Harry’s effort to hide his condition. “I can’t believe he thinks I didn’t notice.” By the time that Harry and Ron had emerged from their separate bathrooms, clean and dressed again, the ladies were up and about. Ginny had packed all of their remaining belongings into the duffel bags while Hermione had vanished the many pieces of furniture she had conjured the night before. “I’m bloody hungry,” Ron proclaimed as he entered the room. In response, Hermione and Ginny just made a mad dash to the bathroom. Ron and Harry sat on the floor, since Hermione had vanished all of the chairs, and they were too lazy to conjure more. They were discussing the return trip to the Burrow that afternoon. A short while later, the ladies reemerged looking pretty and smelling wonderfully. Hermione had a stern look on her face as she saw Harry and Ron sitting on the floor. “I’ll bet she wants to go back to the Burrow already,” Ron grumbled to himself. Hermione opened her mouth, but never got the chance to say anything. Dobby and Winky appeared with several trays of food for breakfast. Dobby disappeared, but Winky looked appalled that her Master was sitting on the floor. She snapped her fingers and a proper kitchen table; complete with four chairs, appeared out of thin air. She disappeared as well and the foursome sat down to breakfast. When the plates were empty, and even Ron was full, Dobby reappeared to remove the dishes. “Good luck, Harry Potter,” Dobby squeaked. “Thank you, Dobby,” Harry replied. “Breakfast was excellent. We will be back in a while to check on the progress. Please find me if you need anything.” Harry noticed that Dobby had a worried look on his face and Harry was quick to assure him that the sitting room was perfect. “Everything is wonderful so far,” he confirmed. “There’s just one thing. We want the Manor to be light and comfortable. We don’t want anything dark or stuffy.” Harry tried his best to gently explain what they wanted without offending Dobby. “I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but the last thing we need is to come home to a place that looks like the Slytherin Common Room.” Dobby nodded his head fiercely. “Dobby understands, Harry Potter.” Then he disappeared. I want to show you guys something before we leave for the Burrow,” Harry announced enthusiastically. He picked up the duffel bags, one in each hand, and blinked his eyes. They disappeared. Ron and Ginny stared in amazement. Hermione just nodded her head in approval. There was a distinct note of pride in her voice when she spoke. “Well done, Harry. I’m not surprised that you were the first to master that particular spell. Although, I do have to admit that I am impressed with your use of a nonverbal version of the spell. What really is amazing is that you were wandless!” Hermione felt a hint of envy that Harry could perform the spell nonverbally without his wand. Harry looked as shocked as Ginny and Ron at Hermione’s announcement. “Where did you send them?” Hermione asked. “I sent them to the garden shed. I figured it was closer than the paddock,” Harry replied, grinning. “How did you do it?” Hermione asked “I have no clue,” Harry responded. “I was concentrating on the duffel bags, I blinked to clear my eyes, and they were gone.” “How do you know where they ended up?” she queried. “You sound positive that they ended up where you wanted them to.” “I just have this feeling. I know that they will be there,” Harry assured her. “Now might be a good time to tell you that I also sent a letter to the Minister’s inbox yesterday.” Hermione just gaped at him. He opened her mouth to ask another question, when she was interrupted. Ron, who looked completely clueless, raised his hand. “What are the two of you jabbering about? What spell did Harry learn?” he asked curiously. The placement charm,” Hermione replied, sounding a bit like Professor McGonagall. “The placement charm is used to remotely position an object. It is similar to using ‘locomotor’, but you can move things over long distances and it allows for accurate placement of the object. I can’t do it yet. I’m hoping that Harry will be able to explain the process to me, the book I am reading is a bit, uh, unclear.” Hermione sounded more like Ron than herself. She even sounded shocked at her revelation. “Will you show me how you do it, Hermione?” Harry asked. “I don’t even know the incantation. I just do it by instinct.” Rather than upsetting Hermione, this seemed to cheer her up. “I might not have mastered the spell yet, but I know the incantation,” she thought smugly. “Devinvictum,” she told Harry. “The incantation is Day-vin-vick-tum.” Hermione sounded it out so that Harry would not conjure something by accident. She could imagine how horrible it must have been for Wizard Baruffio to have a buffalo on his chest. “The last thing I need is for Harry to be squished by some giant bug.” Harry conjured a pair of socks. One sock was violently orange and had ‘CC’ emblazoned in gold near the toe. The other sock was maroon and gold striped, just like their Gryffindor Quidditch robes. “This ought to be a fitting present for Dobby for helping us out with the Manor, right?” he asked Ron. Ron agreed wholeheartedly. Ginny and Hermione both agreed that it was a nice gesture. “Where should I put these?” Harry mused. “Where will Dobby be guaranteed to find them?” “Harry, you should put them in the library,” Ginny offered. “I heard Dobby telling Winky that was the next room they were going to renovate.” “Right.” Harry nodded in agreement. “The library it is.” “Here you go, Hermione.” Harry chuckled softly as he handed Hermione the socks. “Let’s see what you can do.” Hermione took the socks from Harry and help them in her palm. She concentrated on the library and raised her wand. “Devinvictum,” she cried out, her voice panicked. Hermione stared in wonderment at her empty palm. “I did it,” she exclaimed in bewilderment. “Sort of.” Ron’s voice was muffled and he was gagging. Hermione turned to look and was appalled to see that Ron had the Chudley Cannon sock stuffed in his mouth, while Ginny had the Gryffindor sock hanging from her left ear. Harry did his best not to laugh as he tried to convince Hermione to try again. “Accio socks,” Harry called. Both of the socks zoomed into his outstretched hand, giving Ron a chance to take a deep breath and spit out the fuzzy yarn bits. He handed the socks back to Hermione. “Try again,” he urged. Hermione took the socks reluctantly. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Ron. The second to last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself in front of him. “I have managed to do both with one spell.” She closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might, using the advice that the Ministry wizard had offered when they were learning to Apparate. “I am determined to send these socks to the correct destination. Forget deliberation, I don’t have time.” “Devinvictum,” she called out, more confidently this time. She opened her eyes and saw an empty palm again, but was more wary than excited. Harry flashed to the library to check on the socks. He was back in the same instant and began to clap. Hermione had been afraid to look up, until she heard the applause coming from Harry, Ron, and Ginny. “I did it,” she squealed With that, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione left for the garden shed at the Burrow. Ron played the decoy and left the garden shed first, hoping to distract anyone who was outside the house. When the coast was clear, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione emerged from the shed. Hermione left first, walking quickly toward the house. Harry pulled Ginny into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply before sending her on the path to the front door. He followed closely behind her, aware of the tension in the air. The last time they had approached the front door, Mrs. Weasley had greeted them with open arms. Everyone was wondering how she would greet them this time. “Will she even want me back?” Ginny wondered sadly. Harry tapped into her fears and held her hand tightly as they drew closer to the door. The door sung open and Mrs. Weasley charged out, her arms open wide. She was most concerned with Ginny, holding her for a full three minutes before turning to Ron. She hugged Ron tightly, then Harry, then Hermione. Then she hugged them all together. Twice. Mrs. Weasley led the way into the kitchen, offering to fix them something to eat. Harry declined her offer saying that he was not particularly hungry. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione sat down at the kitchen table because Mrs. Weasley had already started frying a pan of bacon. Bacon sandwiches were both Ginny and Hermione’s favorite, so they stayed a while to have something to eat. “I’ll eat anything,” Ron thought, “except corned beef sandwiches.” Ron and Harry left the kitchen and marched up the stairs to Ron’s bedroom. They met Mr. Weasley on the landing next to Ginny’s room. “Boys,” he started, “I think it’s time we had a chat.” Harry looked at Ron with concern. Mr. Weasley rarely meddled in their affairs; it was usually Mrs. Weasley who pried into their lives. “Sure, Mr. Weasley,” Harry replied. “What did you want to talk about?” “Let’s go to Ron’s room,” Mr. Weasley suggested, “and call me Arthur, Harry.” They entered Ron’s bedroom, a strange sense of dread filling Harry, and Mr. Weasley closed the door. “Mr. W…Arthur,” Harry stammered. “What did you need to talk to us about?” “I need to talk to you about something very serious,” Mr. Weasley intoned. “I want you to understand the importance of this talk.” Harry felt the sweat beading up under his arms and along his hairline. “Did we do something wrong?” he breathed. “No, Harry, you and Ron did nothing wrong. Molly wanted me to…I wanted to sit down and talk with you about the dangers of…” Mr. Weasley trailed off. Harry, whose worry was not appeased in the slightest by Mr. Weasley’s statement, nearly broke into a fit of hysterical giggles when Ron bellowed like an injured lion. “You want to talk to us about sex,” Ron accused. “You let Mum talk you into this, didn’t you? Do you really think that we are having sex? We were gone for one bloody night.” Ron fell silent and Harry thought that he was done, but that had only been Ron getting warmed up. “He does sound remarkably like his Mum.” Ron was on a roll, and nothing Mr. Weasley could say was going to keep him from telling his Dad what he thought of his lack of trust. “You and Mum have some ridiculous notion that there is no way that we could have spent the night together without having sex. I’ll bet you have some torrid love scene all cooked up. Did you picture Harry and Ginny sharing one bed and Hermione and I sharing another? We did, and we SLEPT. Did you picture that it would start with an innocent game of exploding snap and then we would end up in some tawdry situation, cavorting around naked? Do you really think that I would allow Harry to touch Ginny in front of me? We’re best mates, but I don’t even like seeing him snog my little sister. Do you really think I would let him sh…sh…shag her? Ugh.” Ron lost his steam at the thought of Harry shagging his baby sister. Mr. Weasley, who deeply regretted buying into his wife’s paranoia, was more than slightly amused at Ron’s rant. “I do believe that was exactly what Molly had in mind.” He chuckled at Ron’s accuracy before trying to control himself to finish the lecture. “Well, boys,” he chortled, trying to sound stern and failing miserably. “I’m glad that you have decided to be responsible. I will be telling your mother that we have nothing to worry about.” He Disapparated and Ron and Harry burst into maniacal laughter. “Can you believe that he thought…” Harry babbled. “he thought we were…” Ron cackled. “with Ginny…” Harry sputtered. “and Hermione…” Ron sobbed. They both were panting from laughing so hard when the thought hit them. “Sex with Hermione,” Ron thought. “Sex with Ginny,” Harry thought. They both wondered if they would ever be ready. Then their thoughts turned to their girlfriends, their bonded partners. “I wonder if they’re ready.” Harry and Ron pondered simultaneously. While Ron had been roaring at Mr. Weasley, Hermione had been roaring at Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley seemed satisfied with Hermione and Ginny’s account of their time at Grimmauld Place. Hermione and Ginny met Harry and Ron on the stairs. It was all they could do to keep from rolling down the stairs. To keep from upsetting their real and surrogate parents, the foursome headed out to the paddock to play some Quidditch. When they got to the makeshift pitch, they discovered that Professor Lupin was already there. He was chatting with Bill, Charlie, and Tonks. They all waved heartily when they saw them approaching. “Happy to be home?” Charlie inquired innocently. “Good to see everyone?” Bill snickered “I heard that Molly and Arthur were looking for you,” Tonks told them, completely unaware of what had transpired. “Oh, they found us,” Ginny fumed. “Which one of you set us up for that ‘talk’?” “Uh, that would be Charlie,” Bill indicated Charlie at the same time Charlie pointed to Bill. “Bill gave her the idea.” “Hermione, Ron, and Harry just laughed at their terror. Harry found it especially funny since he had not grown up in a family with siblings. “Two grown men, afraid of their baby sister’s temper.” Ginny calmed down at Harry’s thought and joined in the merriment. “Professor Lupin, what are you doing here?” Harry asked when the commotion had died down. “Tonks and I are here to meet with Bill and Charlie,” he divulged, answering Harry’s question and then pressing on. “Harry, when you have a moment, I would like to talk to you.” For some reason, Bill and Charlie found this hysterical. Tonks and Remus, who were not privy to the prior happenings in the house, were completely lost. Tonks looked like she had been hit with a Confundus Charm. Remus shrugged at the eldest Weasleys and continued on as if nothing had happened. “I was wondering if I might meet with you before the start of term. There were some things that Dumbledore and I were discussing before his death that I think you might be very interested in. Ron, you might be interested in joining the discussion too.” This last statement sent Bill and Charlie to the ground, howling with laughter. Tonks looked worried as tears streamed down their faces. Even Ron and Hermione had joined in the laughter. The only people who weren’t laughing were Ginny, Harry, Remus and Tonks. Tonks had no idea what was happening, nor did Remus. Ginny didn’t find the circumstances funny in the slightest. Harry, on the other hand, was trying to have a conversation with Professor Lupin. “Of course, Professor,” Harry replied over the combined mirth of Bill, Charlie, Ron and Hermione. “I would be honored to help you carry on a task that began with Dumbledore. We will be gone for a few days, but I will contact you when we return. Will we be able to talk then?” “Certainly, Harry,” Professor Lupin remarked easily. “When you get back will be just fine. Do you know where you are going?” “Yes. Everything will be fine. You don’t need to worry about us. We’re capable of taking care of each other,” he assured. He didn’t want his favorite Professor to worry about them too. The laughter died. Professor Lupin stared into the air behind Harry. Harry was startled when he turned to see Ginny levitating several feet off the ground. She was turning a color of red that Harry could not describe. He was afraid that she would float off into the atmosphere. She opened her mouth and Harry prepared for a sound that would make a howler sound like a whisper. “IT’S NOT FUNNY. WE’RE NOT HAVING SEX.” Ginny’s voice exploded from deep within her chest. Miles away, at the nearest Muggle house, the windows rattled from the force of her voice. Thankfully, the Muggle who lives there is stone deaf, and assumed that a particularly nasty gust of wind had rattled his windowpanes. Her piece said, Ginny floated back to the ground. Hermione watched in amazement as Ginny waved her wand at Professor Lupin and Tonks. She mumbled something under her breath before waving her wand at Bill and Charlie too. “Don’t worry,” Ginny gasped, her voice a mere whisper of its normal volume, “they won’t remember my little flying problem.” Harry, who was petrified that their secret would be revealed too soon, saw the humor in Ginny’s statement. She had compared her temper to being a werewolf. “Someone might think that Professor Lupin had a deranged rabbit, and they might also think that I have a disobedient broom. " “In your dreams,” Harry sent to Ginny clearly. “You need to work on your temper.” After everything had calmed down considerably, the group decided to play a modified game of Quidditch before retiring for the night. Hours later, sweaty and beat, they trudged back to the house. Tonks and Professor Lupin had left earlier, begging off, saying they were too old to keep going at that pace. Although Harry was too tired and sore to eat, Mrs. Weasley insisted that everyone sit down for a spot of supper. Everyone gathered in the kitchen for a quick meal before taking the stairs straight up to the bedrooms to rest. Molly and Arthur heard the kids return from the paddock. They put out the magical fire to avoid Ashwinders, and Apparated to their bedroom. Later on, while they were lying in bed, Molly and Arthur compared notes on the ‘chats’. They wondered if the kids hadn’t prepared an answer since Hermione and Ron had said precisely the same things. They had not used the same words, as it would have been strange for Hermione to refer to Harry as her ‘best mate’ and Ginny as her ‘little sister’. Hermione had instead talked about Harry being her ‘older brother’ and Ginny being her ‘closest friend’. Still, the points remained the same, and Molly was concerned. Arthur, however, decided that it must be a coincidence, as the ‘chats’ had been unannounced and held in separate rooms. He convinced Molly that it would not be possible for them to have planned their responses. He had one last thought as he drifted off to sleep that night. “It would be possible if they had…” He had fallen asleep before he could complete the thought. |
| Reviews 28 |
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