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Category: Post-OotP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Fluff, Drama Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence, Extreme Language Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 79 Summary: Harry makes a massive gamble to draw out a Dark Lord in hiding. Hitcount: Story Total: 39162; Chapter Total: 3219 |
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Chapter 11 Ginny sat at the table her eyes wide, praying not to hear what she feared her head of house would say. He’s not dead, he can’t be. Her shock was apparent on her face as she waited for the Professor to speak. Minerva McGonagall looked out over the crowd of young men and women, children, Aurors and reporters knowing full well the impact of her announcement would make on the world. "At three forty five yesterday afternoon Harry Potter dueled the Dark Lord." She paused and with a shaking hand took a drink from a large glass of water. "By five fifteen Voldemort was dead, and his body in custody of the Ministry of Magic." Once agani she took a drink. In the crowd, Ginny felt hands gently grasp her shoulders, supporting her, she turned to see the red eyes of Hermione, who had a sad smile on her face. Ginny pleaded with Hermione silently, but her friend couldn't speak, that much was obvious. Ginny's fears were mounting. McGonagall spoke again, her voice laced with sorrow. "Harry Potter suffered grievous injuries that should have been fatal." Should have, not were! Ginny clutched to the hope like a life line. Hermione's fingers tightened on Ginny's shoulders, she knew there was more, and that this news was not pleasant. "Albus Dumbledore the headmaster of Hogwarts arrived with Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape to tend to Mr. Potter's wounds. Sadly they were too late to affect a cure." "NO!" Ginny cried out. "You are lying! I'd know if Harry had died!" Tears streamed down her face. Everyone hanging on the words of the aging professor turned to Ginny in shock at her outburst. "Mrs. Potter, if you please. Allow me to finish." McGonagall dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "Headmaster Dumbledore traded a portion of his life's energy into Mr. Potter, allowing him to heal the most severe of the injuries. Mr. Potter remains in the care of Molly Weasley. Now Mrs. Potter, your mother has requested Ms. Granger take you back to the Burrow immediately. Your things will be sent back later." Ginny turned to Hermione who had fresh tears in her already red eyes. "Harry is going to be ok?" Hermione could just nod. McGonagall spoke a final time. "Albus Dumbledore gave his life for Mr. Potter. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday." Ginny Potter fainted. She awoke groggily some time later in Dumbledore’s office. She fully expected to hear some nonsense like ‘Glad you could join us Mrs. Potter…’ She turned her head and saw Hermione half asleep in a soft chair, and in the distance, Professor McGonagall was sobbing quietly. “Professor?” Ginny asked her voice thick with concern and guilt. McGonagall pulled herself together, and turned to look at Ginny. Behind the stern mask, Ginny only saw pain. “Mrs. Potter, do you feel fit enough to travel via Floo?” Ginny nodded, and McGonagall roused Hermione with a gentle shake of her shoulder. The two young women turned to the fireplace. “What about my NEWTS?” “You can return here to take them, I dare say you will have no end of time and help.” Ginny threw in the powder. “The Burrow!” and vanished in the green flame. Hermione grabbed the powder and made for the fireplace, when McGonagall’s hand touched her shoulder once more. “I’d give Molly a few minutes with her daughter. Care for a tea before you leave?” Hermione smiled sadly. “No thank you Professor, and to be honest, I have news for Molly as well.” McGonagall raised her eyebrow questioningly. Hermione raised her hand showing the glinting band of gold. “My last name is Weasley.” She shrugged and cast in the powder. “The Burrow!” and vanished as well leaving the older woman in the office that had once radiated warmth and welcome, and somehow was beginning to resemble a tomb. The Burrow Ginny came out of the fireplace disoriented and fell to her knees. Molly rushed to her daughter’s side and helped the exhausted young woman to her feet. “Ginny dear? Are you alright?” “No, where is Harry?” Ginny tried to push her mother aside looking frantically about the living room for her husband. Molly smiled. “He’s in Fred and Georges old room.” She let her daughter go. Arthur watched the whole affair from the kitchen. “Couldn’t do it, could you Molly?” Molly looked at her husband and tried to glare, but she couldn’t. “Oh stop it. Fine! Gloat all you like! They are still going to get a talking to.” Molly watched another hand move on the clock. Hermione’s spun to “HOME”. The fireplace roared to life and Hermione stepped delicately out into the living room. “Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.” She greeted them as formal as ever. “Where is…” Molly turned on Hermione. “I have given the Potters a reprieve until Harry can defend himself. You however, get no such reprieve.” Hermione turned white as a sheet. Her eyes opened wide, and her mouth began forming words indistinctly, and suddenly she found herself spouting the most insane nonsense. “Ron made me!” Arthur had taken up the paper and was trying to hold it steady as he laughed behind it. To Hermione’s horror it appeared Arthur was furious. A habit she had seen in her own family when her father became enraged at something he’d pick up the paper and pretend to read, though you could see his face getting redder and redder, and his hands shook. Molly stalked to the fireplace and threw in a handful of powder. “Ronald Weasley!” Ron’s head appeared in the flames. “Yes mum?” “Don’t you ‘yes mum’ me young man, your wife is here and I wish to speak with both of you now.” “Hermione is th…” his face went white as Hermione’s had. From behind her Molly heard Hermione pipe up. “I told him it was a bad idea. I did I told him!” Arthur had to grasp his sides they hurt so much from keeping the laughter in. “Must… go to shed…” he bolted from the house. Ron’s head vanished to be replaced by his entire form. He stepped in front of Hermione, shielding her. “You can blame me mum, it’s my fault. Hermione wanted me to tell you… whatever it is that we didn’t…” Hermione slapped the back of his head. “Don’t be so thick Ron; she’s talking about the wedding.” Ron thought quickly. “We didn’t know about Harry and Ginny until recently?” Hermione slapped him a second time. “Ours you prat.” “Oh.” Ron had run out of places to hide, and defenses, so he did the only thing he could think of. “Hermione made me!” Hermione turned to her husband “I did not!” “Yes… Yes you did you said ‘Since Harry isn’t around it doesn’t seem the same, we should elope.’” Hermione was scandalized, and her face went red. “You said those things! You didn’t want a fuss. You just wanted to get on with our lives and start everything new!” Ron cast about the living room and finally, exhausting the last hope of dodging it, settled in for a Molly Lecture of biblical proportions. They wre interrupted by Ginny shouting at Harry, Molly bolted up the stairs leaving the grateful couple alone. While this was going on Ginny sat in the twins room with Harry, she was stroking his hair with her hand, and thinking when she felt his hand rest on her knee. “Hey.” His voice was soft; she could tell that he still needed rest. “Not now Harry. Rest, I’m here.” “Don’t want to sleep.” He yawned. “Ok talk to me then.” She got up and slid into the bed beside him. Him under the covers, her on top of them. Her head resting on his chest. He ran his fingers gently through her hair. “He’s gone Ginny. It’s over. So bloody tired though…” “Want to talk about it?” She knew the answer already. “No, but I will.” He went silent; if his hand hadn’t been moving she’d have thought he was asleep. “Albus and I found a spell. Very very old spell, used by one of the headmasters a long time ago. “Apparently a very powerful Legumins was running amok, and similar to Riddle had delusions of god hood. So he found a way to embed the greatest fear of the person directly into the Legumins head.” “Like a Pensive?” “Precisely. The spell begins the same way, but then you touch the Legumins head with the tip of the wand and force the memory inside.” “So what was this memory then?” Ginny was amazed he had found Riddle’s greatest fear. “Er, I’d rather not say really.” He said quietly, his face getting hot. “You are right. I’m tired… I need some sleep.” Ginny lifter her head and looked at his face. “You big fat liar! You aren’t tired you just don’t want to tell me!” Harry opened his eyes. “You are right. I don’t.” He let them close again and felt himself begin to slip back into the comforting darkness of sleep. “Damn you Harry Potter!” Ginny looked at her husband and glared. Finally after five minutes she shouted. “If you don’t tell me right this instant I am going to hurt you Potter!” Harry’s eyes rolled open. “Damn it Ginny, I just rid the world of Voldrmort! Can’t I at least get some sleep?” “Not until you tell me!” Harry considered this and realized he had no way of getting rest until he told her. “Fine! I used the first time I realized how much I really loved you!” She thought about this for a while, and then loud enough so that Molly was interrupted she screamed “RIDDLE SAW US DO THAT?” Molly bolted into the room. Ginny was stalking towards Harry with a glint in her eye that Molly didn’t like. “Well get this straight Mister Potter if you ever expect me to do that again you had best damn well make sure you come up with a good lie to tell people!” She whirled on her mother. “And you had best not let one word of this get out!” Ginny threw herself in a chair glaring at her husband. “And it’s not funny you… you prat!” |
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