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SIYE Time:13:29 on 28th March 2024
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The First Year, An Almost Happily Ever After Story
By JetLaBarge

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Category: Post-DH/AB
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 103
Summary: Fairy tales end “And They Lived Happily Ever After,” but wars end with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. Someone is taking hostages and wants to kill Harry and everyone close to him. Follow our favorite characters as they rebuild their lives the first year after the war, Harry as he becomes an Auror and finds out that life as a hero has its own challenges, Ginny as she finds out that having all your dreams come true does not solve all your problems, and the rest of the Weasley clan as they start to rebuild their lives.
Hitcount: Story Total: 96731; Chapter Total: 3020
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
Thanks to PokePotterfan93 who first edited this chapter and made spelling and grammar more British, and to Cognitur for further editing. And always to Rowling for creating this universe we are all playing in.




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Harry had a more regular schedule for the next 2 weeks, and then spent 2 weeks in memory training from November 9 to November 20. Since this course was in Britain Harry was back to their room in Hogwarts every evening. The problem with memory training is that it caused Harry to look back to old memories. The 10 years Harry spent with the Dursleys were full of tension and sorrow, and although many of the Hogwarts memories were happy many others were traumatic. One night Harry came back shaking, with a couple of potions.

“What is the matter, Harry?” asked Ginny as Harry came into their room.

“Memory training can be hard,” said Harry. “Especially when you have to relive traumatic memories. For a variety of reasons traumatic memories are often the ones you have to retrieve and remember. It’s just that I have some pretty traumatic memories.”

“You have potions for that?” asked Ginny.

“I’ve already had a couple today, and the healers were there,” Harry replied. “I need to take another one right after dinner and still another one before going to bed. Ginny, this was a real bad session, maybe the worst.”

“Oh Harry,” Ginny said. “What memories were so bad?”

“The Battle of Hogwarts, loosing so many people, having to face Riddle thinking I was going to lose everything and everyone dear to me, and hoping my death would make things better for everybody else,” Harry replied. “Ginny, I remember feeling that even if I did die we still could lose. Or win, but at a terrible price.”

“Oh Harry, you had to have just the worst memories of anyone!” Ginny exclaimed.

Harry said, “I actually did better than many in my class; my memories had to be some of the worst, and a couple of the members of the class are spending the night at St. Mungo’s. The healers told us it was stupid not to take potions to help calm us after reliving something so traumatic.” Harry took his potions and was able to go to dinner with Ginny without shaking, and they had a pleasant evening. Harry did take another potion before bed, and went to bed early, way before Ginny. It did make Ginny feel better that she was not the only one taking a potion to make her feel better.

During the memory training Harry learned Legilimency, literally ‘Mind Reading’ although it was hardly that. It was a very difficult skill to learn, and everybody was told it would take years to get good at it. Harry could sort of do it, as well as anybody.

They also learned Occlumency, the ability to block your mind from being read. Harry was excellent at this, having blocked Riddle and having been taught by Snape.

It was common practice to Obliviate or erase the memory of any Muggle who had seen magic, and this was what was done to Vernon and to a lesser extent Petunia, as they were in contact with the magical world. Dudley seemed to have escaped having his memories modified, and because it was her sister and Petunia knew her sister was a witch they went a little easier on Petunia than on Vernon. Harry was still upset at how much of his aunt’s memories of his mother were modified.

He and all the students had to become masters at Obliviating. Before you could become a fully certified Auror you had to be a master Obliviator.

They briefly went over how to restore memories, something that was not easy. Harry was impressed that Hermione had been able to restore her mother and father’s memories. One of the duties of an Auror was to modify or delete the memories of magic that Muggles came across, although there were other departments that usually handled the easier or more innocent cases. Modifying a memory was very serious, and you had to fill in a form that became a permanent record every time you did it.

During Harry’s second week of memory training Bill had Ginny come with him to one of the European vaults to undo the protective charms. Bill had to teach Ginny some of the curse breaking spells, but Ginny was a very confident and competent witch, and once she knew what spell to use she had no problem.

After the vault was open Michael Appleleaf and Kreacher and the Goblins did an inventory, and Bill and Ginny had a chance to talk.

“How is Harry treating you?” asked Bill with a grin.

“Harry is doing his best,” replied Ginny, “but he’s so busy! I’m sort of busy too, but nowhere near as busy as Harry. Being married is really good, and I am really glad we got married when we did, but it’s a lot more complicated that I thought.”

“And how are you doing, Ginny?” asked Bill. “I know it is hard on you when Harry is gone.”

“Being married is harder work than I thought it would be,” Ginny mused, obviously in a thoughtful mood. “All those Muggle fairy tales. You read them to me. I used to feel so good that my big brother would take the time to sit down and read all my books to me. You were my hero. None of the rest of the boys would be patient with me, but you were my hero! ‘And they lived happily ever after.’ Not so simple, is it?”

“I think some people think of marriage as the end or goal, something that will solve all your problems,” Bill said. “Really marriage is just the beginning, and life goes on. It’s just that instead of you with your family now it is the two of you together, even if you are working different jobs or doing very different things. Harry doesn’t have much of any family other than the Aunt and Uncle that hate him, at least Uncle Vernon really does hate him. I’ve met Petunia and Dudley and their relationship and feelings for him are a lot more complicated. I’ve got a Mother and Father-in-law and a sister-in-law, a second family that I am as much a part of as Fleur is part of our family. Gets complicated some times.”

“I hate his whole family, for how they treated him,” Ginny fiercely responded.

“I’d be a little careful about that,” Bill replied. “They are Harry’s family, and from what I understand Dudley has changed, and even Petunia isn’t so bad.”

“Have you ever heart anything good about Uncle Vernon?” asked a still fierce Ginny.

“No,” said Bill, “But he didn’t come to your wedding. I expect you will probably stay as far away from him as possible.”

Ginny gave a grimace to indicate how she felt about Uncle Vernon.

“Has talking with the healers helped?” asked Bill.

“Some,” Ginny said. “I don’t really feel like a typical Hogwarts student any more, and the healers have explained that I’m not, but I don’t feel like a grown up either, and the healers have explained that it’s natural to feel confused because I’m not … I’m not … there really isn’t anybody that I can say I’m like that person. Hermione, she is comfortable being a student although she and Ron are still a little awkward around each other sometimes. Hanna is pregnant and knows that she is going to be taking over the Leaky Cauldron and just seems to know who she is.” Ginny looked at Bill. “Getting married sure doesn’t solve all your problems, does it?”

“No,” said Bill. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but being married doesn’t solve all your problems.”

After a pause Bill said, “I think Tom Riddle did a good job of managing his estates, his money and property, when he first started killing and inheriting them. Riddle seemed to have lost not only his soul but also some of his mind the more he split his soul.”

Friday of the last week of Harry’s memory training Ginny was talking to the healer in the infirmary, and she mentioned that Harry had taken some potions after a particularly difficult session. “These sessions have been the hardest on Harry yet, remembering all the bad things. And you know he keeps blaming himself for everything, and I have to hold him at night. At least with the spells and sex I get him to go to sleep, and not have bad dreams, but I worry about him.”

“Maybe you ought to tell Harry about these sessions,” healer Swart said, “and by working together let you know how to better deal with both of your schedules, and both of your emotions.”

“I don’t want Harry to know I’m weak,” said Ginny.

“You’re not weak, Ginny,” said the healer. “You’re just dealing with something you have never had to even think about, a life with Harry that is very different than the one either of you could imagine. If Harry is still having a hard time getting to sleep, still brooding over all the deaths over the last few years, I think having you both at a couple of sessions Saturday morning should help both of you.”

“Don’t tell Harry how upset I was when he was in Romania,” Ginny pleaded.

“I know you do not want to appear weak to Harry,” said healer Swart. “As far as I am concerned our talks are making you stronger for Harry, and that’s certainly how I’m going to portray it.”

Friday afternoon Ginny received a message on her mobile saying “I’m tied up with Kingsley and the Wizengamot until 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM.”

‘Boggarts’ thought Ginny. ‘How am I going to ask Harry to go with me to talk to the healer? How am I going tell Harry that I’ve been seeing the healer?'

Harry came through the floo about 9:30. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “I’m not at all the Auror training sessions because of the Wizengamot and the other things I’m dealing with, and I don’t feel I’m doing justice to anything.”

“At least you don’t have to go into work tomorrow morning,” Ginny replied. “It usually takes you a while to calm down after one of these sessions. I don’t have Quidditch practice either; the weather is supposed to be awful.”

“Yes, it was hard. Every time I hear of the crimes, the damage, done when we were struggling to find the Horcrux, I feel guilty we did not find them and get everything done sooner. Your scars, everything, I just feel so guilty,” Harry said. Harry sighed deeply and looked at Ginny with sorrow and exhaustion all over him. “Between the memory training and remembering, and the Wizengamot, and everything the last two weeks have been hard.”

Ginny looked at Harry with both concern and sadness saying, “And then you have a hard time relaxing, and I have to hold you and try to get you to relax, and sometimes it’s just real hard to get you to relax and let it go. You get uptight and I feel so helpless.”

“I wish I could do something about it,” Harry replied. “I don’t want you to feel helpless.”

“I have an appointment with a healer for us at 9:00 AM tomorrow,” Ginny volunteered. “He has helped me with some problems I had when you were gone. What’s happening is so different than what I had dreamed about.” Harry looked at Ginny, who got up and came over to Harry and hugged him hard, kissed him, and kept holding on to him.

Harry did not know what to say. He was going to see a healer tomorrow with Ginny. Tonight he just wanted to hold her. Somehow he could forget all the guilt and frustration he felt if he was in her arms, even if he could only forget it until the next morning. Somehow after making love to Ginny he could go to sleep without nightmares.

Ginny thought ‘that was easier than I thought it was going to be. I hope the healer helps Harry.’

Harry woke up first Saturday morning. Harry always woke up first, went to the loo, did a shaving spell. He looked at himself. Somehow after making love it didn’t make a lot of sense to get up and get dressed to go back to bed, and they had just taken to sleeping with nothing on. Ginny had been given a sexy nightgown before the wedding, but Harry had seldom seen her in it. Even when Ginny was in it there was no problem getting it off.

“I need a shower, sexy husband,” a very sleepy Ginny said as she slowly got up. “Someone could wash my back and even my front, and I’m sure I could return the favour.”

“And who would that be?” a grinning Harry kidded.

“You wash anybody else like you wash me and a couple of people will have bat bogeys coming out of more than their noses,” Ginny replied. Harry looked at the other orifices that might have bat bogeys coming out of them. It was a terrifying thought, and Harry was sure Ginny was not kidding about that. Harry thought that Ginny was more confident of their love since the wedding, a lot more, but she was still jealous and not one to trifle with.

Somehow they almost never washed each other without ending back in bed to finish up; joint washing did get you clean but it was also delightful foreplay.

A little after 8:00 AM Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand down to breakfast. There were a number of students going down at the same time. Most of them said hello to Ginny and about half of them, mostly the younger ones, said hello to ‘Mr. Potter.’ A small number of the first and second years said hello to ‘Mr. & Mrs. Potter.’

“Makes me feel old,” said Harry after a couple of young ones greeted ‘Mr. & Mrs. Potter.’

“I’m not sure I feel at all grown up, still being in school,” Ginny replied, “but being called Mrs Potter sort of makes me feel grown up.”

“Is this Happily Ever After?” Harry asked.

“Sort of,” Ginny replied. “It would be better if you didn’t have such a hard time getting to sleep after some of those sessions, if you didn’t feel so guilty.”

“So now you’re making me feel guilty about feeling guilty,” Harry said, grinning and giving Ginny a little tap to let her know he was kidding.”

Ginny sombrely replied, “It’s more than just that. I sort of thought we’d have the summer off, or at least a little time off. I know my dad doesn’t have the summer off, but it feels like you’ve been running ever since the Battle of Hogwarts. I had a little time off, but you’ve been so busy all the time and I worry about you.”

“Is that why we’re seeing the healer together?” asked Harry.

“Partly,” said Ginny. “I’m not sure I even remember all the reasons. Life is really good in some ways, Harry. It’s so much better than when Voldemort, Tom Riddle, was alive and everybody was terrified and people were getting killed. It’s better but it’s different, and Happily Ever After and Don’t Leave Me are not turning out quite like I expected them to. I don’t even know what I expected.”

David Jones appeared, as he usually did on Saturday mornings, and asked Harry, “Have you heard anything more about Nora?”

As usual Harry had to say, “No, David. I promised you I would ask every week. Your parents and sister get a letter every week, with real bad news, and we cannot figure out where Nora is. It’s really terrible.”

“I’m just so worried,” David said. Harry gave David a little hug, but Ginny was the one to hug David hard and comfort him as best as she could.

At 9:00 AM, after breakfast and after talking to a number of the students, Harry and Ginny appeared at the infirmary and went to the room where healer Swart was. He got up and shook Harry’s hand saying, “Good to meet you, Harry. I would like to examine you if you don’t mind.”

Harry gestured to indicate that it was all right, and the healer moved his wand around both Harry and Ginny for a minute or so. He then said, “Harry, how are you?”

“You tell me,” Harry replied. “Isn’t that why you examined us, to tell how we are?”

“Sort of,” healer Swart replied. “I am examining you more for emotions than for specific thoughts or memories. I know you are both worried about each other, not about yourselves, which is good. I need to know how you think you are doing.”

“How is Ginny?” asked Harry.

“Ginny is doing fine, Harry,” healer Swart reassured Harry. “I’m not worried about her. But we’re both worried about you?”

“I’m …,” Harry paused, trying to think how he was. “I’m … mostly all right, I think,” Harry finally replied. “I’ll be all right.”

“There is something bothering you, Harry,” said healer Swart.

“Ginny,” Harry repeated. “She has to be seeing you for a reason. I want to make sure she’s all right.”

Healer Swart chuckled, replying “You are both primarily concerned about each other, which is touching and a sign of a very good marriage. Ginny will be fine. Her main problems now concern you, and how you are dealing with life.”

Ginny and healer Swart looked at Harry for what seemed to Harry to be a very long time. Harry finally said, “I’m a little tired, I’m a little overwhelmed by how much is expected of me, but I’ll deal with it. I always have just done my best to deal with it, whatever it is. I just don’t know why everybody treats me as if I was somebody special, like Dumbledore or Kingsley. I just survived, that’s all.”

“You just defeated one of the most powerful wizards in the world, one who had caused death and destruction to most of the magical families in Britain and plenty of chaos around the world, and you don’t know why people treat you as a hero?” Swart asked.

“I didn’t do it by myself!” Harry exclaimed.

“No, Harry,” Swart followed up with, “But you were the main actor, and when Dumbledore was gone you were the leader.” Ginny strongly nodded her head at this. “And in the end you defeated Riddle in the most dramatic possible way, in a one on one duel where you were supremely self-confident and from what has been described to me Riddle was full of fear and doubt. That duel is things legends are made of.”

Ginny added, “When you caught Riddle’s wand and stood there victorious it was like all the childhood fairy tales had come true! Not just for ME, Harry. I think everybody there thought we were seeing the birth of a legend.”

“Then how come I don’t feel better about it?” asked Harry.

“Because the job’s not done,” Healer Swart replied. “Because victory came at a terrible price. And because you really are a good person who is worried about everybody else, and although you did far more good than you can even imagine you could not save everybody.”

“So what am I supposed to do about it?” asked Harry.

“Accept a little help,” said healer Swart. “Acknowledge that you have been through a lot. Muggles have a term for what you and Ginny and most the people who have been through all the battles of the last years have, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. You have an amazing resilience, Harry, but you’re not immune. That’s why you have trouble getting to sleep some nights.”

“Ginny helps me sleep,” Harry said. “She seems to have some sort of spells she uses on me to get me to relax.”

“There actually is a special spell I use before we make love, Harry,” Ginny grinned. “Healer Swart and I’ve talked about how I should be confident in your love, and in my mind I am, but I’m just a real physical person, Harry, and when we touch, when we make love, that’s just better for me than just talking.”

Harry got a sort of silly grin, something close to the Ginny Weasley smirk, and said, “I don’t have any problem with you being physical.”

Healer Swart broke in with, “What do you want to do with your life, Harry?”

“Like what do I want to do when I grow up?” asked Harry.

“Do you feel like a grown up, Harry?” asked healer Swart.

“Yes, I guess I do,” Harry replied. “My childhood was over before we went off hunting stuff to kill Riddle. I don’t feel old enough to do everything I’m being asked to do, but I don’t think it makes any difference. I think my life is kind of, not planned out, but kind of like if I want to do good I just have to respond to what is going on. I’m all right with that. As long as I have Ginny I think I can be happy. A family some time.”

“It doesn’t bother you that you’re small?” asked healer Swart. “You’re a very small short person.”

“It kind of bothered me when I was younger, when I was bullied by my cousin,” Harry replied, “but I haven’t worried about being short for a long time. Sometime it’s kind of nice being able to be unnoticed.”

“So you’re pretty content to be Harry Potter?” asked healer Swart.

“Who else would I be?” asked Harry.

“Would it help if you had someone to talk to about stress, about feeling guilty?” asked Healer Swart.

Harry sighed again. “Usually Ginny calms me down, and I really am holding up pretty well, but it would be nice to be able to get a little help if things got real bad.”

“Who are you, Ginny?” asked healer Swart.

Ginny looked at healer Swart and Harry. “Do you know what it’s like being called Mrs. Harry James Potter?” she said. “I was already having a little problem with changing my name, not that I wanted to stay Ginny Weasley, I mean, with all those other witches wanting Harry I wanted to be Mrs Potter, but when that little girl called me Mrs. Harry James Potter I thought I’m still me, I’m still Ginny, it’s not like all of me is gone and I’m just … I’m just … I’m just part of Harry and not me at all anymore.”

Ginny gave a big sigh. “I love being married, and I’m sorry if I’m confused, but I’ve always been little, always been small and also the youngest and overprotected by my brothers and, I know I was underage at the Battle of Hogwarts but I was almost 17 and I was with you at the Battle of the Ministry and a leader of the DA at Hogwarts and it really hurt being told I was too young, I mean I was always too young to play Quidditch with the boys even though Ron started at 5 or 7 but at 9 or 10 I was told I was still too small and a girl and I had to sneak a broom to practice. I’ve always had to fight for everything, at least that what it feels like.”

“Some of the girls, they ask, ‘what was it like when Harry asked you to marry him, wasn’t it the most romantic thing, did he take you out to a romantic dinner, did you expect it, did it come as a total surprise,’ and I think back and Harry I didn’t want to steal away your chance to be romantic but I was a little … a little … a lot maybe terrified that one of those other witches would steal you away and I kind of pushed getting married … I mean …”

“You’re the fiercely determined fiery redhead I married, Ginny,” Harry said. “I’ve had some giggly girls approach me. It’s kind of tiring and pretty stupid. I sure am glad I was not tempted to marry them. I love you!”

“But I,” Ginny said winding up again “I … I really when I saw those rings I just … Harry I was so worried about all those other witches and so I didn’t exactly ask you but I’m not exactly … what I am … I’m pretty determined.” Harry and the healer both shook their heads in acknowledgement of this statement, smiling. Determined Ginny is. She continued, “and I want you, so I want, maybe that’s why, we’ve talked about it, healer Swart and I, and maybe that’s why I want sex as often because I’m still a little insecure plus I always liked doing it, always liked physical things and the pure physical part of it makes me feel good and makes me feel like I don’t need to be insecure anymore and in my mind I really don’t feel insecure about you at all anymore but in my stomach, in everything else maybe I still do.”

“What do you want to be when you grow up, Ginny?” asked healer Swart. “We’ve talked about this, about you and Harry and how Harry seems content with life and how you have more problem with being content, more need to control.”

“Harry has all the money we could ever need,” said Ginny, “but I don’t just want to, that’s another problem. I was so upset when I was little and couldn’t play Quidditch and when I found out about the Harpies, how there was an all-girl team and how they were a winning team, how they beat the boys, and I thought if I became a Harpy I’d show my brothers and it’s still a little juvenile I guess but I still want to become a Harpy and part of it is just wanting to win and wanting to show everybody that I can do it and I like the pure physical part of it too and I hope you don’t mind.” When Ginny said ‘I hope you don’t mind’ she was looking right at Harry.

“That’s why we got you the Firebolt broom, Ginny,” Harry emphasized. “I want you to be successful, to make your dreams come true.”

“I hate it that I can’t be a full time mother to Teddy,” said Ginny “and I want to be a mother, well I sort of want to help you Harry like Fleur is helping Bill and working with him but I really don’t want to become an Auror so I’m going to be doing something different plus I really want to become a mother not right now but I don’t want to wait as long as some of the Harpies, most of them and I thought that maybe I could become a mother and a Harpy but when you get pregnant you have to quit playing and over the last lots of years there have only been two women who went back to the Harpies after having a child and one played two seasons and then had more children and the other played one season and become a coach and I want more than one child like at least two or maybe three or, three would be good. At least three, I think. But I can’t do it all at once. So I always have to choose.”

Harry gave Ginny a kiss, saying, “I’ll support you in whatever you choose. Just support me in what I have to do, what I feel I need to do.”

“It’s not a problem I’ve been seeing a healer? I just wanted to be strong for you,” said Ginny.

“Anytime you want to see a healer its fine with me,” said Harry, “and if I have too many nightmares and you think I need to see a healer let me know.”

The end of November the ministry received a letter about Harry’s class in Romania, and Al gave Harry a copy of the letter.

“As you know we have had the honour of teaching some very powerful witches and wizards over the years. Our records go back over 1,500 years. And at least in our experience we have come to expect certain things from powerful wizards. There is almost always flamboyance and a presence, and you can feel the magic power. So we were delighted when Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, The Hero of Hogwarts, was scheduled to attend our classes.

To our astonishment Harry turned out to be a slight, somewhat shy person easily noticeable because of his scar and his pathologically messy hair (when Harry read this he ran his fingers through his hair, which did nothing to make it any neater) but otherwise noticeable by how little magic power seemed to emanate from him. He was dressed in neat undistinguished Muggle clothes, was very polite, and the more we met with him the more we liked him, a reaction shared by almost everyone here.

Our next surprise was how little anger and hate he has in him, despite all the terrible things that have happened to him and his friends. He hates evil and dark magic with a deep passion, but he does not have any great need for revenge, and he would rather have evil doers reform or be in prison than be killed. This lack of malice is one of his great strengths.

Harry also does not have any need to display how great his magic skills are, something else that gives him a great strength. Harry’s modesty was taken as weakness by many of the students until he easily disarmed them all. He was easily the best student in the class.

Having worked with Albus Dumbledore, we feel that Harry has the potential to reach Albus’s level or more, with the added ability of working well with Muggle technology.“

Following this part of the letter there was an analysis on how well Harry had done on various areas of the class. To summarize, Harry had done very well, getting top grades for almost everything.

Saturday Nov 21 was the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw had an excellent seeker, so there was no guarantee that Gryffindor could win. The game was 220 to 100 in Gryffindor’s favour when the Ravenclaw seeker caught the snitch, giving Ravenclaw the victory but leaving Gryffindor well in the lead for the series. Ginny had again scored or assisted in making most of the points, and every time the Firebolt representative adjusted Ginny’s broom the better she was flying.

The last week in November through December 18 were some of the more interesting classes in the Auror training. They were finally getting into what you did as an Auror, running through various scenarios of finding dark wizards and apprehending them. Al gave one talk that Harry would remember for the rest of his life.

Al started, “We are going to be learning how to be a good Auror. A large part of your job is going to be finding and catching dark wizards. And I want to stress one thing above all others. I do not want any g…damn heroes.”

“In my career I have on a few occasions been in a situation where I had to fight one on one, or even was outnumbered. You know what I call all of these incidents. Failures. F… Failures. Successful failures since I escaped with my life, but f… failures none the less. I do not like failures.”

“Do you know how many Aurors your ministry is supposed to have? 40. Do you know how many Aurors this department has lost the last 20 years? 50. And many of those 50 died as heroes, but they died!”

“In North America we have over 1,000 Aurors, covering the Unites States, Canada, part of the Caribbean and into Mexico. Do you know how many Aurors have died on the job in our home territory over the last 10 years? Not a g… damn one! A few serious injuries, but the last death 10 years ago. We have not been as good when it comes to some of the very difficult foreign assignments. I have had, from various countries, 100 to 200 Aurors on assignment, and we lose an average of one or two a year. The hardest job I have is telling some young witch that her husband is not coming home, that she is going to have to raise their children alone. Telling some parents that their son or daughter lost their life in some dangerous assignment.”

“Harry, you had to meet people who had lost a loved one at the Battle of Hogwarts. Tell the rest of the class how that was.”

Harry said “It was one of the hardest jobs I ever had to do. I still feel terrible that all those people lost their lives at the battle. I keep thinking what I could have done better.”

Al asked, “So are you going to be a hero, and let me or someone else tell that pretty young wife of yours how you died as a hero.”

Harry answered, “No sir.”

Al then turned to Neville and said, “Neville, are you going to be a hero next year and leave Hanna to raise your child alone?”

Neville promptly answered, “I hope not!”

Then Al said, “And do you know how we keep from being dead heroes? We always try to have plenty of backup. If we are going to try and arrest most normal dark wizards I like to have at least 4 or 5 to 1 advantage. If I was going to try and arrest a larger cell of particularly competent and violent dark wizards I would not hesitate to try and have a 10 to 1 advantage.

“Do not be a hero! Do not do anything alone. Think before you act! Get help!“

Al nodded at Harry, who, after talking to Al and to Arthur Weasley, knew to ask, “Is that why we have been practicing with Hit Wizards and others from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?”

Arthur Weasley, who had been sitting in the back of the room, came to the front. “Good morning. As Harry has indicated, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has been trying to break down the barriers that have kept different divisions from working together.”

“Like keeping Hit Wizards from going out alone to capture wanted individuals?” Harry asked.

Arthur responded, “We haven’t had a Hit Wizard hurt trying to capture someone in the last two months. I think most of them are grateful for the extra support, but some complain that we’ve taken all the heroics out of the job. I have to say I agree with Al. Having lost a son to the Heroic Battle of Hogwarts, the fewer dead and injured heroes the better.”

Arthur then looked at his son-in-law and said, “Harry, this applies to you too. Don’t you go running off on some heroic mission on your own.”

Harry looked around the room, realizing that this admonition was given in public so everyone else in the department would realize that Harry was not to try any heroics on his own.

Arthur then went into some detail about how they were reorganizing the Department of Law Enforcement.

The classes were about how they were going about finding dark wizards, how to call for help, how to set up shields to keep dark wizards confined. Some of the tactics were like chess, and Ron really got it. They put the students through one scenario after another, some just on paper but others with role playing, some of it quite realistic.

They learned that the death eaters that escaped included Antonin Dulohov, Goyle, Fenrir Greyback, Jugson, Rabastan Lestrange, Rudolphus Lestrange with his wife’s body, Mulciber, Nott, Augustus Rookwood, plus maybe 50 other more minor figures. Delores Umbridge, although not officially a Death Eater, was also missing. Delores was almost the most hated person not dead or in captivity.

They were going to all the places where the death eaters and other people on the run had a connection, including houses that they still owned or that relatives owned and any other place they might logically be or places where they had been spotted. They also were leaving ways of spotting if dark wizards had been there. One of the most ingenious ways was leaving a specially modified mobile hidden in the location. If someone with magical powers moved in they would put up wards, and the wards would usually prevent the mobile signal from getting out. So as long as the mobile signals were coming into the ministry there was a high probability that no one was in the location. “Keeps us from having to station Aurors everywhere, and since it is Muggle technology the people on the run have no clue as to what we are doing,” said Dan VanLente, Al’s son, as he was describing how they were watching these locations. They had already captured 6 or 7 minor figures who supported Voldemort and were on the run, and figured it was just a matter of time before they caught most of them.

Minor attacks were continuing on Muggle born or partly Muggle Witches and Wizards, more property damage than attacks on people but a few on people, and the Daily Prophet was warning Muggle born and non-pure blood to be careful.

During all these weeks Hermione was continuing to try and see who was stealing and destroying property of Muggle born. It was petty, but frustrating. When it got into taking homework it could interfere with learning and grades. The staff was concerned that the attacks could escalate into someone or some group harming someone. Short of watching the Marauders map all the time she could not figure out how to catch someone, and several times she asked Harry if the Americans knew how to record what the map was showing. For their part Al and his family were very interested in the Marauders Map so early in December Al VanLente and his son Dan showed up in Hermione’s room, along with Harry and Ginny and Ron, to talk about the map.

When Hermione said the magic words, “I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” Al remarked while shaking his head “that is so James Potter.” Al and Dan examined the map, and all they could say was that the map was very advanced magic, and if there were any notes or any information in the Potter family records to tell how they made it they would really like to see it.

Then Hermione asked if they could just put a Video camera on the map. Daniel said that the Video camera, in fact any Muggle technology, would not work. Of course Hermione had to ask why. So Dan said, “Hermione, what are you seeing right now.”

Hermione answered, “A few people roaming the halls or in other rooms. Most of the students are in the dormitories.”

Dan said, “Did you see any house elves?”

Hermione said, “No, I wasn’t looking for house elves. Oh, now I see them. The kitchen area seems to be larger and I can see a fair amount of detail.”

Dan explained, “When you looked for house elves the map changed and areas on the map hidden before became visible, and to compensate other areas were hidden. You are used to it because the map always shows what you are looking for.”

Harry asked, “If two of us were looking for different things would the map be different for each of us?”

Dan suggested that they try, and indeed after several experiments it appeared that the map showed each person what they were looking for.

Dan then said, “That is the reason no Muggle technology can help with this map. As far as Muggle technology and science is concerned there is nothing on this parchment. What is on it is a charm that allows magical people to see souls in this castle that they are looking for.”

Harry asked, “How do you know it is looking at souls?”

Hermione immediately answered, “Because it can see ghosts.” Dan nodded yes.

Hermione then asked, “How can we identify all the rooms, and even see several stories at once? It is Hogwarts castle, but it sure is different than a print or a Muggle representation of rooms.”

Dan looked at Hermione and asked, “Has anyone ever explained the difference between Muggle space and Magic space?”

“No,” said Hermione, “although magic rooms seem to be different than Muggle rooms.”

Dan then asked, “How big is your bedroom at your parents’ house.”

Hermione thought a little and said, “About eight feet tall, ten by twelve feet.” “

Dan asked “Is it always the same size?”

Hermione looked perplexed and said, “Of course it is always the same size.”

“If you tried to cram more people in the room it would not expand?” Dan asked.

An indignant Hermione said, “Of course not!”

Dan then asked first Ron and then Ginny how big their rooms were at the old Burrow. Neither of them had any idea. The best they could say was big enough. What about the New Burrow? Both said that the rooms seemed a little more Muggle like, the kitchen was bigger when almost empty, but it did not matter how many people were in it the kitchen never seemed too crowded. The bedrooms were the same, a little Muggle like and big when you were in them alone but never too small.

Dan pointed out that the classrooms in Hogwarts castle were the same variable size, and then asked “What size are the classrooms really? Ron?”

Ron looked puzzled and said “The classrooms are the right size for the class. What other size should they be?”

Dan turned to Ginny and said “Can you tell me how big, to the foot, any room in this castle is?” Ginny looked puzzled. Dan asked “Ginny, do you know what a foot is, what an inch is?”

“Sort of,” Ginny answered. “Sometimes in potions you have to measure how much to put in something by length. Magic wands are a certain number of inches. Why would you ever measure a room? What is the purpose of measuring it? Rooms are as big as they need to be.”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. “That really is magic,” said Harry.

Hermione looked really puzzled. “No, it’s impossible. There are three fixed dimensions in space, and you cannot just get more space from nowhere.” Hermione picked up her beaded bag and poked her arm way into it. “I guess we do get more space from nowhere. Where does the extra space come from?”

Dan asked, “Have you ever charted anything in Muggle school? Do you know what the 3 Muggle dimensions are?”

Hermione said “Yes, x, y and z axis, nice clear numbers telling you where any point in a formula is.”

Harry said, “I sort of remember something like that.”

“Yes,”” Dan said. “We can all see 3 fixed dimensions in space. When you apparate which dimension do you twist into?”

Harry’s eyes opened wide, he got a big smile on his face, and said, “That is what is so hard to learn about apparating. You have to turn in a way beyond or different than the three dimensions you normally turn into. It is really a strange twisting. No one can exactly tell you how to do it. It really helps if you have side along apparated so you can feel the twisting.”

Dan said, “That is why no Muggle machine can be made to apparate. Muggles do not have the ability to go into any dimensional direction but the 3 in the Muggle world. There is a branch of physics that is beginning to deal with many other dimensions, but so far it is just mathematics with little or no practical value. There is no way for a Muggle to get to the other dimensions. Meanwhile we have been dealing with other dimensions for centuries, but we do not have any good theory to tell us what we do and why.

“Ron, Ginny, did you understand any of what we were talking about?”

Ron said “Not much. I’m glad I’m not a Muggle.” Ginny just looked puzzled.

Dan then said, “It is important to understand that magical space is intimately tied into the 3 dimensional world of this earth we are living on. No one knows if magic will work outside of earth, and we have never, as far as I know, been able to create any space that is not part of and intimately connected to the three dimensional space of Muggle science.”

Harry got a big grin on his face, and said “It’s just -magical- what magical spaces are like! I never realized how special they were. Wow.”

“Yes, witches and wizards take too much for granted. Ron and Ginny are so used to magical spaces that they do not appreciate how special they are. Enough theory for one day,” said Dan. “There is a lot more to talk about. Hogwarts has been one of the finest schools in the world when it comes to practical magic, but it has been weak when it comes to theory and modern science.”

Harry and Hermione started to discuss the difference between magical space and Muggle space. They started looking at Hogwarts castle with eyes that were for the first time attuned to seeing the difference between Muggle space and magical space. Almost every Muggle knows some variation of “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” When it came to Hogwarts shortcuts this was not true; some of the ones Harry used had you go into a passageway that was 90 degrees away from the direction you wanted to end up, and then come out at the same 90 degree angle, and in the twists and turns of the passageway the length was shorter than if you had gone directly to the room by the shortest Muggle way. It was real strange if you tried to draw it on Muggle paper, but by the strange logic of the castle it happened so naturally it did not seem strange at all.

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