July 31st, 1998

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! You would have been eighteen today. It seems strange that with everything we shared in our time together that we never had a chance to celebrate either of our birthdays together. Sometimes when I forget that you are gone, I’ll find myself thinking that I need to go shopping and find the perfect gift for you. I had some good ideas before everything happened; I knew you would probably need some things for your new home after leaving Hogwarts, but I was waiting to see what kind of place you were living in.

You’ve been gone a month now and, despite what people have been reassuring me, the pain is not decreasing; I miss you so much. It feels like a piece of me is missing, and I know that I won’t be able to find it again.

Surprisingly, I am still not feeling any effects from the Soul Bond being severed. Hermione’s research hasn’t turned up anything to explain it, as by this time, in every recorded case, the surviving member of the couple was close to death. Ironically, during her research on that problem, she found a spell that she is sure could be used to defeat Tom. Unfortunately, only you and I together can perform it. Great! Now when she finally finds it, you’re gone and we can’t do it.

Before she could finish her entry, she heard a knock on the door of the room she shared with Hermione. “Come in,” she said and her mum opened the door enough to peek in.

“Ginny, you need to come down. We are going to have company this morning, so get dressed quickly and come to the sitting room.”

Ginny was puzzled as her door closed. Company? she thought. Who could be visiting us? What about the Fidelius? She quickly pulled on a jumper and jeans, brushed her hair, and stopped in the loo before going downstairs. In the sitting room, she saw the rest of the family, including Ron and Hermione, who should have been at work, and a man she had never seen, with Harry’s trunk, his Firebolt resting on top of it.

Her father said, “Ginny, this is Mr Smythe, a worker in the legal department of the Ministry. He’s a good chap; I know him from my years at the Ministry, but we don’t want to put him in danger for doing his job. He has agreed to be Obliviated after his business here is concluded.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr Smythe,” said Ginny, hesitantly reaching out her hand to the man.

“And nice to meet you, too, Miss Weasley. I just wish it was under happier circumstances.”

Ginny was puzzled even more and her mum, noticing the confusion on her face, sat down on the sofa next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Ginny, Mr Smythe works with the Ministry Department of Wills and Inheritances. He is here to read Harry’s will.”

Ginny’s heart stopped for a moment. She hadn’t even thought about Harry leaving a will; they had never talked about something like that. Her eyes started to moisten and her mum put her arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Ginny; we’re here to help you get through this.”

“But Harry died a month ago. Why did it take so long for you to give the will to us?” asked Ginny.

“Isn’t it obvious?” said Hermione, before Mr Smythe could answer. “They wanted to search through what Harry left. You had no right to do that, Mr Smythe!” she said, in an angry, trembling voice.

“Now, now, Hermione,” said Mr Weasley. “No reason to attack Mr Smythe. He is only the messenger; he didn’t hold up Harry’s will himself. That was the Ministry’s doing.”

“Yes, Miss Granger,” said Mr Smythe, in a very calming voice. “You are correct that the Ministry was searching through Mr Potter’s belongings, such as they are. Unfortunately, the Decree for Justifiable Confiscation does give the Ministry the right to do just that.”

“That law was created to stop wizards passing on Dark artefacts,” said Hermione, “and the Ministry is supposed to have powerful evidence that the deceased’s possessions are illegal before seizing them! Are you telling me that you thought Harry was trying to pass on something cursed?”

“I didn’t think anything of the sort, Miss Granger, but I was ordered to let high level Ministry employees to inspect Mr Potter’s trunk, so I had to comply. I assure you that I was present for all the examinations as an advocate for Mr Potter and Miss Weasley and, despite all of their efforts, they didn’t find anything.”

Good thing I grabbed Harry’s Invisibility Cloak the night he died when I nicked his Weasley jumper, thought Ginny. She lowered her head and covered her mouth to hide her smile at beating the Ministry at their own game.

“I also insisted that Mr Potter’s possessions be passed on today, as the law only allows the Ministry to delay the reading of a will for thirty-one days,” continued Mr Smythe. “I am sorry that this has occurred to you, Miss Weasley, but the Ministry was within its rights. Let’s proceed, shall we?” He pulled out a parchment and started reading.

“I, Harry James Potter, being of sound mind and of the age of majority, declare that this is my last will and testament, written this date, June 26th, 1998. I hereby leave all of my earthly belongings, including all of the holdings of the Potter Family vault in Gringotts, all properties owned by the Potter Family, and Hedwig, to Ginevra Molly Weasley. Had I lived longer, all of it would have been hers after our wedding anyway, so it seems appropriate that she receive it now that I am gone.

Ginny, you are my life, my sun, my moon, my star. You are my Briar Rose, a beautiful flower surrounded by thorns; thank you for letting me past your defences to see your inner beauty. After my adoptive parents died, I thought everything was over, but you brought me back to life with your smile, your kiss. Always remember my final words to you.

Harry James Potter

Ginny bent over with her face in her hands, her entire body shaking. Her mum patted her on the back, trying to comfort her. She barely heard Mr Smythe say, “As you can see, I’ve brought Mr Potter’s trunk. And here is the key to the Potter Family vault,” giving it to Mr Weasley. “In the vault, you can find a list of the other holdings of the Potter Family. I am sorry for your loss, Miss Weasley. I will take my leave now.” Mr Weasley left with him to Side-Apparate him back to the Ministry.

Ginny asked through her hands, “Is he gone?”

“Yes, dear, he left. Now, now, honey, it will be alright,” said her mum.

Ginny lifted her head with tears streaming down her face, but with a huge smile instead of the sad appearance everyone expected. She jumped up and started hugging everyone and dancing around the room, shocking her family. Everyone looked at each other, shrugging and not understanding what had possessed Ginny to act like this.

Hermione extricated herself from Ginny’s hug and asked, “Are you alright, Ginny? Maybe you better lie down.”

“She’s finally gone mental,” muttered Ron.

“No, I’m not mental, Ron. Don’t you see; the will was a message to me. Harry’s not dead! He’s just asleep!”

“Now, now, dear. You’re just overwrought. I know you don’t want to admit this, but he’s gone, really gone. We all need to accept this and move on with our lives,” said her mum.

“No, don’t you see; the will is a message to me.” She turned to her best friend, the will in hand. “Hermione, you look at it. Don’t you see it?” she pleaded.

Hermione read the parchment closely. “I’m sorry, Ginny, but it’s seems to be fairly clear; it’s just a will.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Hermione, you’re supposed to be the smartest witch of our generation. Think! You, too, Ron. First, Harry wouldn’t have left everything to me if he knew that I was going to die in a month. That wouldn’t make any sense. Now, think about the other clues he left. Remember the movies we watched on our Easter holiday?”

“Yeah,” said Ron slowly. “But what does that have to do with Harry’s will?”

“Remember Sleeping Beauty? What was the name of the princess?”

Hermione quickly answered, “Aurora.” She paused as she thought, but then, as if a light bulb turned on, her eyes darting over the parchment. She said, “No, wait, she was called ‘Briar Rose’ when she went into hiding.” She paused again, studying every word of the will closely, her lips moving very slightly as she puzzled out the hidden meaning.

After a few minutes, she raised her head, a huge smile on it. “Ginny, I think you’re right! This is a message!”

“I’m still not following,” said Ron.

Hermione responded, “Ron, remember in Sleeping Beauty , the princess was pricked by the spindle and slept as if she was dead for years. It took the kiss of her true love to revive her. That’s what Harry’s saying in the will. See, here, he calls Ginny his Briar Rose, which to us seems odd, because Harry never called her that. Briar Rose was the name the princess used when she was in hiding; that must mean that Harry is in hiding. Then, he writes about Ginny bringing him back to life with her kiss. It all fits! Ginny, it says to remember his final words. What does he mean?”

“When he came to me in the forest, he sent a message to me through our Bond about trusting him and trusting my feelings.”

“He told us to trust your feelings too,” added Ron.

Ginny reached out and put her hand on Hermione’s arm. “Remember what I said the two times I touched him after he died? Right after he was hit with the curse and when I touched his hand at the funeral? I felt that he was still there, just far away. Everyone told me that it was just my grief and my imagination, but it must have been real. He’s really alive! Somehow, he must have had a plan to survive the Killing Curse again, putting himself into a death-like state. This explains why I can still feel a glimmer of him through our connection, and why I am not feeling any side effects of the his dying. We have to go to him and revive him!”

“How are we going to do that?” asked Ron, still not following fully.

“With a kiss, of course! Let’s see, we need to go to Godric’s Hollow and go to the cemetery so we can dig up his coffin,” she said frantically, her head darting back and forth with plans. “Hermione, do you know if there are any spells or charms to prevent us from getting in? Ron, go get Harry’s Invisibility Cloak in my room; I am guessing he should stay in hiding after we resurrect him. We can keep him hidden under it once he’s awake. Have I forgotten anything?”

“Wait one second!” said Mrs Weasley, who had been trying to follow the rapid fire discussion patiently, but finally stepped in. She pointed her finger at the three teens. “If you think that I am going to let the three of you go to Godric’s Hollow and exhume Harry’s body based on some hints that you say are in this will, you are sadly mistaken. First, it’s not safe for you to be out with the Ministry under You-Know-Who. Second, how can you possibly infer from those sentences that Harry is still alive? Ginny, I know that you miss him terribly, we all do, but I think you are letting your imagination and your wishes colour your thinking.”

“Mum, it all makes sense,” Ginny pleaded. “You know that Hermione is puzzled because I feel fine and my magic seems intact despite Harry dying. In every other case, the survivor of the Soul Bonding deteriorates almost immediately upon the death of his or her partner. As to the clues in the will, trust me, Harry never called me his ‘Briar Rose’; he may have some pet names for me, but that definitely is not one of them. I am sure he knew that the Ministry would be reviewing his will, and didn’t want them to catch on. And in the next sentence, he practically spells it out for us, especially since we saw a movie in which this exact thing occurred.”

Mr Weasley walked in at that moment after returning Mr Smythe to the Ministry. “A movie? A Muggle movie? What movie did you see?”

“That’s not important, Arthur,” said Molly. “What is important is that Ginny thinks that Harry is still alive and wants to break into his coffin and kiss his dead body to bring him back to life!”

“What?” he said, the shock clear on his face. “What makes you think he is alive, Ginny?”

Ginny went through all the clues, but Mr Weasley was as sceptical as his wife.

Hermione said, “Arthur and Molly, I know this sounds farfetched, but I agree with Ginny; it does fit and I think it’s at least worth exploring. What harm can it do to at least try?”

“Well, besides the obvious desecration of a grave, it’s not safe, like I said earlier,” responded Mrs Weasley, her hands on her hips.

“It’s not like we can’t defend ourselves. Ron and Hermione received two of the top three grades in Defence this past year and both earned ‘O’s on their N.E.W.T.s. And they have been through several battles this past year with Death Eaters,” argued Ginny.

“And you, Ginny, can’t do any magic as you are not of age yet,” said Mr Weasley. “I know you can defend yourself, but we don’t need the Ministry using a citation for performing underage magic as justification for taking you from us.”

Ginny grabbed her father’s hands and pleaded, tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. “Please, Daddy! I know that Harry’s still alive.”

Arthur considered her request for a moment. He sighed and patted her hands. “Alright, Firefly.” Before his wife could start ranting, he stopped her with a look and raised an open palm to her. “I know, Molly, it’s not safe.” He turned back to the teens. “I would feel better if some members of the Order accompanied you three. I have heard rumours that the Ministry is guarding Godric’s Hollow as a likely site for enemies of You-Know-Who to make protests or other statements. They also don’t want the Potters’ graves to be turned into an inspiration for martyrdom for rebels against the government. I am not sure I like the idea, but I understand why you want to try. We can use Disillusionment Charms on everyone, get in and out quickly, and hopefully your hunch is correct.”

“Oh, thank you, Daddy,” said Ginny as she hugged him. “I just know that I am right. When can we go?”

“While going to a cemetery at night doesn’t thrill me, I think waiting until after dark would be best. Less chance of us being seen. I’ll contact the others to make sure they can come also.”

That evening, everyone gathered in the front room of the house in preparation for their mission and Mr Weasley reviewed their plan. “Everyone understand what we need to do? Remus, Sirius, Tonks, and I will surround the cemetery, watching for anything suspicious and providing protection if necessary. The three of you will go inside, pull out Harry’s coffin, let Ginny kiss him, and then we will get out of there as quickly as possible.” He turned to his daughter and looked at her intensely. “Ginny, if it doesn’t work, you have to accept it and leave with the rest of us. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand, Daddy,” Ginny murmured, nodding her head.

Arthur turned back to the group. “Everyone has one of Hermione’s DA coins that we can use to signal each other if anything goes awry. If you feel yours heat up, just Apparate out of there instantly; don’t ask any questions. Tonight is not the night for a battle. Ready, everyone?” Each member of the team nodded and they walked outside.

Remus, Sirius, and Tonks all Apparated to the graveyard first to scout the area. While they were waiting, Arthur pulled Ron and Hermione aside. “You two, make sure to get Ginny out of there if she’s wrong and Harry isn’t alive,” he whispered. “I don’t know how she will respond if her hopes are dashed again.”

Ron and Hermione nodded in understanding, just moments before the coins of the four who had stayed behind heated up, signalling that it was safe for them to come. Mr Weasley and the three teens then Apparated to the entrance of the cemetery. Mr Weasley gave Ginny a quick squeeze around the shoulders and then assumed his position in front of the entrance to watch for Death Eaters.

Hermione pointed her wand at the hinges of the gate and uttered a quiet “ Lubricus ” so that they could open the gate without any creaking. Ron pulled on the handle, they all slipped in, and Ron closed it again without a sound. They walked quickly toward the Potter family gravesite, guided by the shining marble of two tombstones.

When they arrived, Hermione swept her wand around, muttering quietly, raising wards that made the area invisible and preventing their detection. They then cancelled the Disillusionment Charms on the three of them. Responding to Hermione’s nod, Ron then pointed his wand at Harry’s grave and said, “Cavo quadratus,” digging a rectangular hole around the coffin and then used Locomotor coffin to raise it and place it on the ground next to the pile of dirt. Ginny went over to the coffin, took a deep breath, and, with Ron’s help, broke the seal, and lifted the lid.

All three let out a sigh of relief when Harry’s body looked just as it had at the funeral and showed no sign of decay, giving them further hope that they had interpreted Harry’s will correctly. Ginny took another deep breath and said, “I guess I know what I need to do.” She leaned over and placed her lips on his. His lips were cold, but otherwise felt normal to her. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to happen as she could not see any reaction. Resignedly, as she began to pull back, she felt a twitch in Harry’s lips. Emboldened, she kissed a little harder, and she began to feel Harry’s lips start to move and return her kiss. His lips began to warm, she heard him take a deep breath, followed by a moan. Before she knew it, she felt a hand run through her hair. She felt a warmth travel through her body, a peace that she hadn’t realized she felt in his presence until he was gone this past month.

“Harry! You are alive!” she heard Hermione scream behind her, causing her to start to stand up, but Harry’s hand pulled her back to him and they began kissing again. After just a moment, Hermione and Ron were at their side and they had to stop. Ginny stood up and Harry sat upright before she was pushed out of the way by Hermione engulfed him in a hug.

“Hermione, please, I can hardly breathe,” gasped Harry. She let go and apologized under her breath.

“You didn’t look like you were having any problems breathing when you were snogging my sister, mate. Welcome back, Harry,” said Ron with a grin, as he pulled him into a hug as well, slapping him on the back.

After Ron released him, Harry swung his legs up to the edge of the coffin and Ron helped him out. Hermione admonished, “Not too fast, now; don’t want you to pass out on us.” All three of them had tears streaming down their faces in joy that he was back. Harry did wobble a little as he stood up, but Ron prevented him from falling. He then went over to Ginny again and gave her a proper hug and kiss.

“I have missed you so much; it was like a part of me was gone,” Ginny whispered in between sobs.

“Harry, I hate to interrupt this reunion, but we need to get you out of here. Then we can continue this at home,” said Hermione.

“There are a lot of people who want to see you, and to hear your explanation as to how and why you did what you did,” said Ron. “Here is your cloak. Put it on before we leave.” Using his wand, Ron put the lid back on the coffin, replaced it in the hole in the ground, and covered it with the dirt, leaving no evidence they had been there.

Hermione pulled out her DA coin, tapped it, sending the message to the guards outside, “Success!” Harry, pulling his cloak on, leaving just a disembodied head visible, asked, “To the Burrow, then?”

Ginny hooked her arm through his and said, “No. We are living at Grimmauld Place under the Fidelius Charm with the rest of the Order. Hermione is the Secret Keeper. I’ll Side-Apparate you; we don’t want to take any chances in case your strength is not back yet.” And with three small pops, they disappeared.

They reappeared in a deserted city square, and Ginny said, “Here we are.” Harry could see a row of dirty buildings, some seemingly abandoned as there were broken windows and rubbish on the stoops. In the one that was inhabited, he could see a family watching television through the window, obviously a Muggle residence, and was confused. The other three started to cross the street, leaving Harry staring at them.

Hermione looked back, noticing that Harry wasn’t following them, and said, “Oh, right. Sorry about that,” and handed Harry a small piece of parchment. On the parchment, in fine, elegant handwriting, he read, “ The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London. ” Harry looked at the houses in front of him, noticing number 11 and number 13, but no number 12. “There is no number 12,” he said, befuddled.

“Think about what you just read,” said Hermione. Harry did as he was told, and, suddenly, the two houses separated, revealing another house between the two. Ron and Hermione walked up the steps that led to a large door with a snake head knocker and opened the door. Ginny, noticing Harry’s gaping mouth, grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs as well. As they walked down a dark corridor, suddenly a screeching voice yelled out, “The filthy Mudblood is back! Get her out of here! I will not have the house of my fathers further stained by the presence of such scum as her and you blood traitors!” Harry looked up and noticed that the screamer was an old woman in a portrait at the end of the corridor. Ron pointed his wand at the portrait and flicked it, causing curtains over the portrait to close; the yelling stopped.

“That’s Sirius’ mother, Walburga Black,” explained Ginny. “She is always going on about blood purity and how we are besmirching her residence. We’ve done everything we can think of to get her down, but she must have been put up with a Permanent Sticking Charm. You get used to her after a while.” They then entered a room on the left, which appeared to be a formal dining room. At the table were seated Molly, Bill, Fleur, and the twins. As Harry entered the room, chaos ensued. After much screaming, hugging, and shedding of joyous tears, everyone started peppering Harry with questions too fast for him to answer. Finally, he held up his hand, saying, “Please, everyone, I will explain everything shortly, but first, is it possible for me to get something to eat? I haven’t eaten in what seems like days. I am just a little famished.”

“Oh, of course, Harry,” said Molly as she ushered everyone into the kitchen, and ordered Harry to sit at the table.

Before he had a chance to sit down, Harry was almost knocked over by a small blonde blur. “It’s really you! It’s really you!”

Harry looked down and recognized that he was being hugged by Lydia. He hugged her back, patting her on the back. “Yes, it’s me, pipsqueak,” he said with a chuckle. Addressing the group, he said, “Thanks for the warm welcome, but you all act like I’ve been gone forever. It’s only been a couple days, right?”

“It’s been a month, Harry,” said Ginny. “Let me be the first to wish you a Happy Birthday!” giving his a peck on his cheek.

Harry’s mouth gaped open as he fell into an open chair. He ran a hand through his hair. “A month? How could it be a month? Weren’t my clues obvious enough?”

“Ginny figured it out immediately,” said Hermione. “We didn’t get the will until today because the Ministry delayed the reading to make sure there was no Dark magic involved,” she spat out in unveiled contempt.

Harry grabbed Ginny into his lap and hugged her. “Merlin, Gin, I’m sorry. I never would have put you through that if I knew I was going to be asleep for a month. I looked into Wizarding law and thought my will would be read right after my funeral. It certainly wasn’t my intention to keep you in the dark that long. I can’t imagine what you went through.”

Ginny relished the hug, whispering, “It’s all worth it; you’re back, aren’t you?”

Molly came over to the table and handed Harry a plate with two sandwiches and some fruit. “Tomorrow I will fix you a feast worthy of your birthday, Harry.” The rest of the group followed and gathered around the table to hear his tale.

As he was eating, a blonde woman walked into the kitchen. “I heard the commotion and came down. I take it your mission was a success?”

Harry looked up, and gasped. “Aubrey! What are you doing here?” asked Harry.

“That’s my doing,” said Sirius as he walked up behind her, and put his arms around her waist from behind. “When you saved Aubrey over the Easter holidays, I was instantly entranced by her.” He kissed her lightly on the neck. “While we were still staying at Fairview Bluff, I went into town and found her again, this time as myself and not Padfoot, introducing myself as one of your friends. Since then, I have been sneaking out of here and visiting her. At first, she didn’t want anything to do with me, but, eventually, she finally succumbed to my charm and we started dating.

“About six weeks ago, while I was there, all hell broke loose when several Death Eaters Apparated out of nowhere and tried to capture her. They weren’t expecting me or any magical resistance, so I was able to Apparate her back here to safety. It was then that I explained about the magical world, and that I was actually a wizard, as well as the truth about how you saved her.”

“You can imagine what a shock that was to me,” interjected Aubrey. “He also explained to me why you lied to me about your ‘ESP’. I’ll have to admit I was a little put out at first, but I understand it a little more now that I have been spending more time in this world.”

“At first, we couldn’t figure out why the Death Eaters would come after her,” Sirius continued, “but, after we heard about your trial, it made sense that they were going to convince or force her to testify against you. We decided that it would be safest for her to stay here. My mother isn’t too happy about it, a Muggle living in her house,” he said, pointing his thumb toward the entryway. He then grinned and added, “Sometimes I like to wind her up by snogging Aubrey right in front of her. After she gets a few rants in, we just close the curtain on her and she shuts up.”

After Harry had finished the sandwiches washed down with pumpkin juice, he said, “Much better. Maybe now you’ll be able to hear me speak above the grumbling of my stomach. So, what did you all want to talk to me about?” a cheeky grin on his face.

After a receiving a slap on the arm from Lydia and dodging a grape thrown by Ron, he offered, “You don’t, perhaps, want to know why and how I faked my death, do you?

“Yes, Harry, tell us. We combed through every section of the library trying to find anything that would help you,” said Hermione.

He smiled again. “It turns out that we were all looking in the wrong place. Instead of searching the Restricted Section, we should have been looking in the Muggles Studies Section.” Everyone’s faces showed a look of confusion before Harry continued. “One night after hearing Hermione’s vision, I was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. My brain was racing, trying to come up with any other ideas on where to look for a solution. Of course, N.E.W.T.s were also coming up and my mind was just swirling with things I needed to remember. I decided that I needed to read something unrelated to Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, or the Killing Curse to get my mind to relax, but what?

“I didn’t have anything in my trunk for recreational reading. I arose from bed, pulled on my Invisibility Cloak, and headed for the library. On my way I remembered something Ron had said about the Muggle fairy tale Cinderella being based on a true story in the Wizarding world. I wondered if any of the other fairy tales I had heard growing up were also just retellings of magical events. I had already looked through A History of Magic and found a little bit of information, but the author suggested another book, Magic in Muggle Literature , so I chose to borrow that book and returned to the common room and curled up with it. Hermione, you would have been proud.”

He ignored her eye roll as he continued. “It turns out many of the fairy tales were indeed based on true magical stories. For instance, Snow White obviously ate an apple poisoned with the Draught of Living Death. However, she was not revived by just the kiss of Prince Charming. In actuality, the prince put Wiggenweld Potion, the antidote to the Draught of Living Death, on his lips before kissing her. Of course, he didn’t have to kiss her to administer the antidote, but it did make for a romantic story. Some experts think it was just a ploy to seduce her, making her think that it was his kiss that saved her.

“Since we had seen Sleeping Beauty over break, I looked up the truth behind it as well. Her case is a little more controversial. The experts agreed that it couldn’t have been the Draught of Living Death, because a drop of it administered through a puncture wound would cause actual death, but there is disagreement as to what potion was used. The next few pages were filled with arguments for this potion or that potion. It had the effect I was looking for; it was putting me to sleep. But before I nodded off for good, something caught my eye for two reasons. The first was that one author suggested that the princess and prince on which Sleeping Beauty was based were Soul Bound, but that was dismissed by most of the other experts, since many didn’t even believe that Soul Bonding occurs. The other reason was the name of the potion that he suggested was used: Plermuque mortuus .” A smirk broke out on Harry’s face.

Hermione put her hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh, but Ron and Ginny looked quizzically at Harry. “Why did that get your attention, Harry?” asked Ron. Hermione snorted and then started giggling, joined by Harry in a few seconds. “Care to share what is so funny, you two?” Ron added, obviously exasperated.

Harry gained control and said, “If you think about your Latin, Ron, the potion’s name translated is … ‘ Mostly dead .’” Harry broke out in laughter again, joined by Ginny and Ron this time, as well as Sirius, Aubrey, and Lydia.

Remus, Tonks, and older Weasleys just looked at the teens and themselves with puzzled looks. When the uproar had died down, Remus asked, “What are we missing here? We don’t get the joke.”

Ginny took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then explained, “One of the movies we watched over the Easter holiday was called The Princess Bride . It was one of Harry’s favourites growing up. Anyway, the hero, Westley, is caught by the evil prince and tortured to death. His friends bring him to an old man who was known for being able to do miracles to see if there is anything he can do. He was aptly named Miracle Max. Max then tells the friends that Westley is not in fact dead, but just ‘mostly dead’, and is able to revive him. And then Westley, with the help of his friends, storms the castle, saves the princess before she marries the evil prince, and they ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.”

Molly asked, “And this is funny?”

Ron added, “I think you need to see the movie, Mum, to appreciate it.” Ron stood up, brandishing his wand like a sword at Sirius and said, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!” causing Sirius and the teens to start laughing all over again while the other adults just stared.

“You just had to be there, Remus,” Sirius said as he put his arm around Remus’ shoulder.

“Where have I heard that one before?” asked Remus, rolling his eyes.

After everyone had calmed down, Harry continued. “This potion, Plermuque mortuus , is a very dark potion, used in the Middle Ages. When introduced through a skin puncture, it causes a condition that physically mimics death, with no breathing or heartbeat, but the body is not dead. Sort of like suspended animation.” The Muggle-raised nodded understanding at this explanation.

“The other odd thing about this potion is that it actually protects the body from further damage; it doesn’t decay, and, if cremation is attempted, the body isn’t burned. There is no known antidote but, if the victim is Soul Bonded, a kiss from his or her love will reverse effects. I thought, This could be the answer! But other authors stated that the potion didn’t even exist, so I wasn’t sure.

“The next night, I snuck to the library again and borrowed Moste Potente Potions to see what it had to say. I learned that everything in the Muggles Lit book about it was actually correct, and that there was one instance of a person under its effects who survived the Avada Kedavra . It’s not exactly a convenient way to survive the Killing Curse, since you need to be under its effects before you are hit with the curse, so it seems to have been forgotten as a way to survive it.

“Fortunately, if you have the ingredients, it is fairly easy to brew, so I borrowed what I needed from Slughorn’s stash and brewed it in the Room of Requirement.”

“But Harry, you have never taken Potions. How did you know how to brew it?” asked Hermione.

“Slughorn did teach me a few Potions fundamentals over the summer and, really, Hermione, potions are not that much different from labs in Chemistry class; you just have to be careful to follow the directions exactly. And the directions in Moste Potente Potions are pretty thorough, as you must remember from second year.” Hermione blushed as most people were unaware of Hermione and Ron brewing Polyjuice Potion to try to figure out who the Heir of Slytherin was. Harry had heard the story late one night from Ron as he was telling Harry about their adventures together. Some of the adults narrowed their eyes a little, but Harry continued. “It went just as the book described and the final potion was a light pink solution that could be placed on a sharp object. It dries clear without any residue. I put the tip of a needle in it, and kept it in my pocket for several days until Voldemort showed up and kidnapped Ginny. When I went to him to save her, at the last moment, when I looked like I was giving up, I put my hand in my pocket, and stabbed myself in the finger just as he started the incantation. I heard “ Av …” and then everything went black until I awoke to those wondrous lips kissing me.”

“Enough of that. She is our sister after all,” said Fred.

“Harry, why didn’t you share your plan with any of us? Surely you trust us,” asked Hermione.

“I trust you with my life, literally, which is why I trusted you to figure out the clues in my will. But I knew that to fool Voldemort, no one else could know what I was doing. In particular, I knew that he would try Legilimency on Ginny, and perhaps you or Ron as well. He can tell if someone is lying or acting pretty easily unless the person is very skilled in Occlumency. He did try didn’t he, Gin? I saw him stare at you for a few moments while he was trying to figure out if I was playing a trick.”

“Yes, he did. I could tell that he was able to see my dread that you were going to die.”

“I am really sorry for putting you through all that, but I didn’t see any other way to allow what Hermione saw to occur and for me to survive.

“But now,” he said with a cheeky grin, “we have the upper hand, because Voldemort has no idea that I am alive, and, if we can just figure out how the ‘power that he knows not’ can help us defeat him, then we can surprise him and take him down.”

Hermione’s face lit up and started to literally hop in her chair. “I did find it, Harry! I found the spell that you and Ginny can do to defeat him in the Department of Mysteries library!” She turned her face down as she was blushing and added in a low voice, “But you will need to do some things to be able to use the spell properly.”

“We can talk about that in the morning,” said Molly. “It is really late and all of you look exhausted. I think it is bedtime for everyone.”

“Harry, can we go into the sitting room? I want to talk to you alone for a moment,” asked Ginny.

They walked into the next room, closed the door, and Ginny promptly hit Harry in the stomach, causing him to double over.

Harry stood up, holding his abdomen. “I guess I deserved that,” he wheezed out.

Ginny with obvious rage on her face, said quietly and forcefully at the same time, pointing her wand in his face, “If you ever put me through something like that again, Merlin help me, I may use Avada Kedavra on you myself.” Tears started to stream down her face as she sat down on a sofa, pulling him down next to her.

“Harry, you don’t know what your death did to me. My life was over, as far as I was concerned. I know you told me that you had a plan, to trust you, but, when I saw you fall, and was holding your lifeless body in my arms, I lost all hope.”

“Believe me, Gin, the only reason that I doubted my plan was what it was going to do to you. When I saw your face at the last moment before he shot that spell, I almost didn’t go through with it, but by then, it was too late. I knew it was the only way to come back to you.”

They held each other for a few more minutes before Harry said, “We need to get to bed. I assume I am staying with Ron. Which room is his?”

“Actually, if it’s okay with you, I’d rather you stay with me.”

“I would love to spend the night with you, but wouldn’t your parents frown upon that? I know they are happy to see me back, but I don’t want to take advantage of that.”

“I think they would be alright with it. While you were gone, I had a lot of talks with Mum, especially about our relationship. One day we talked about our physical relationship and how far we had gone. She told me that she and Dad hadn’t waited until they were married, which was a little awkward, but she was trying to open up to me so I would know I could share whatever with her. She didn’t know about the limitations concerning our Soul Bond that we couldn’t make love until after we are married, so she was actually surprised that we hadn’t yet. She knows that Ron and Hermione have; just don’t tell them that. And, believe it or not, she seemed sad that we hadn’t had a chance to make love, that my true love had died before we had a chance to share the ultimate expression of that love. I even told her about your willpower when Pansy threw herself at you when disguised at me. She was impressed at you, saying that you were a special young man to be able to not give in at such a moment. So, I think she understands our need to be together, and, since they know that we won’t do anything to sever the Bond, I don’t think they will be upset. Hermione and Ron, however, may get jealous, since my parents have been watching them pretty closely, even though they are engaged.”

“They’re engaged? Boy, a guy goes and dies and misses all sorts of stuff. First, Sirius and Aubrey, and now Ron and Hermione. I’ll have to congratulate them in the morning.”

“Yes, definitely in the morning,” Ginny almost purred, as she snuggled under Harry’s arm on their way to her room.