This is the seventh story in the series Harry Potter and the American Wizard. The reader doesn't
need to read the first six stories ( Harry Potter's First Girlfriend, Hermione's First Summer Job, Ron and Hermione's First Date), The Weasley's at Work, Kill or Be Killed, and What Are Friends For? to follow the plot but reading the others may clarify some details and make the story more enjoyable. Most of them are only a few pages each, but the sixth story got away from me and runs nine chapters.
Chapter I - The Brown Eyed Red Headed Girl
Unlike most students, Harry Potter never liked summer break. It meant he had to return to his aunt Petunia's house on Privet Drive where he was as unwelcome as the plague. This summer however was worse than usual.
After several days of lying on his bed grieving over the death of his godfather Sirius Black, Harry began to think of his friend Ginny Weasley. He had just started lately to notice that when he was depressed she would come and rub his neck and talk to him and he would begin feeling better. Just thinking of her now was pulling him out of his depressed state.
On his tenth day home, Dumbledore's letter arrived, telling Harry he would be coming to pick him up and take him to the Burrow, Ginny's home, after only a fortnight with the Dursleys. Harry often stayed with the Weasley family during the summer since Ginny's brother Ron was Harry's best friend for the last five years; and the Weasley's knew how bad Harry was treated by his own family. For the first time however, it was not Ron that Harry was looking forward to seeing.
Harry's spirits picked up; days of lying on his bed grieving for Sirius and thinking of how Ginny could comfort him were soon to be over; he would be with her again. Though he had known Ginny for four years he wondered why he had never noticed her big brown eyes until recently. He always had a liking for red headed girls with brown eyes. He didn't know why but he did, and now he realized that Ginny looked exactly like the redheaded girl in the dreams he used to have. Other than his short fascination with the raven haired Cho, it had always been brown eyed red headed girls; that is when he was still having pleasant dreams instead of nightmares. It had been a long time since he dreamed about that girl who now had Ginny's face.
It was late, and only Mrs. Weasley was awake when he got there. She got Harry settled in the twins room since they had now moved to an apartment above their store. Harry knew he would have to wait until morning to see Ginny; but it was Ron and Hermione who woke Harry that morning. By the time Ginny came in Harry desperately wanted her to hold his hand, rub his neck and back, and talk; but he knew she wouldn't with her brother Ron there in the room. Mrs. Weasley and Fleur then brought Harry a late breakfast and Ginny had to go with her mother to help in the kitchen.
It took some time before Harry was able to be alone with Ginny; but finally they were able to talk privately. Harry was not sure how to start the conversation and he danced around what he wanted to tell her; that he was starting to fancy her.
Finally she asked him how he was feeling and he got the starting point he was looking for. "I had a rough time the first week home; I would just lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling all day. Then I remembered how I would begin feeling better every time you came to talk with me. You always brightened up my mood and just remembering those talks with you started to pull me back to reality.
As I began to feel better I started hoping to see you again; hoping that Dumbledore wasn't going to make me stay on Privet Drive most of the summer like last year. Since the day he wrote and told me I would be staying with you for the rest of the summer I could hardly wait to see you;" Ginny blushed deep red and Harry hastily added, "and the rest of your family of course."
"Well I'm glad I could help you," Ginny said quietly not sure she was interpreting what Harry was saying properly "and if you get feeling bad and want to talk more I will be glad to."
"I would like that very much." Harry said.
"How would two o'clock be?" Ginny said. "I got a letter from Dean this morning and I want to answer him first."
"Dean?" Harry asked. "Dean Thomas; why did Dean write you?"
Ginny looked puzzled and asked, "Harry, don't you remember me telling everyone I was seeing Dean for the last few weeks of school?"
Harry's heart was in his throat as he said with a shaky voice, "You're seeing Dean; no I don't remember you saying that."
I told everyone in our compartment on the train ride home." Ginny said. "You were sitting there between Luna and me when Ron almost choked after I said it; you must have heard me."
Harry thought back; that was when Luna was holding his hand, when he first realized how he felt about Ginny. Luna had the same effect on Harry as Ginny did; calming his bad moods and making him relax. The funny part of that was even when it was Luna holding his hand it was still Ginny that Harry would be thinking of. Could he have been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the girl he fancied say she was dating someone else?
He stuttered trying to find something to say to her. "Er,…ah,… well that wonderful." he finally got out. "Dean is a nice guy. Well I have to talk with Ron and Hermione so I guess you can go write your letter to him now."
"Okay," Ginny said "then I'll meet you at two to talk."
"No," Harry said "I forgot I have a lot of things to do, and I may be with Ron and Hermione a long time, and I guess we just better forget about talking. I'll see you sometime, bye." He left Ginny standing there looking at him as he walked away.
Harry was devastated. For the last week he had been thinking that Ginny was going to be his girlfriend, and how he would tell her how he felt, and how he hoped she would tell him she felt the same about him. He never expected to hear she was dating someone else. He walked off into the back yard stunned; and not watching where he was going he tripped over an old boot and fell on the grass.
He didn't bother to get up; but just sat there on the uncut grass thinking, "Why didn't I say something to her when I heard she had broken up with Michael Corner; before she started seeing Dean? Maybe I should tell her how I feel anyway; maybe she'll like it if I tell her and she'll break up with Dean to be with me?"
Then he thought, "Maybe she'll get mad if she thinks I'm trying to break up her and Dean; then she won't even want to talk with me at all? Dean's my friend; what kind of friend would I be if I tried to steal his girlfriend."
Then he felt his anger rise as he thought, "Its Dean that stole my girlfriend; I've know Ginny longer than he did. I saved her in the Chamber of Secrets, not him. It was me with Ginny in Diagon alley helping James spy on Voldemort's followers, not Dean. Ginny acted as my wife when we were disguised by the Polyjuice potion to spy for James, she held my hand and we spoke to each other like we were married."
Then he came to his senses, "That was all pretend, we weren't really married, we were like actors in a play. And she didn't ask me to come save her in the Chamber of Secrets. I have no claim on her; if I want to keep her as a friend I have to forget about being her boyfriend or I'll lose her friendship all together. How could I have been so stupid not saying something to her sooner?"
He was still sitting there hours later when Ron yelled from the back door that dinner was ready and he should come in.
Ginny went to her room to write Dean but never started. She lay back on her bed thinking of what Harry had said. "He said he had been thinking of me when he was at Privet Drive. Thinking of me made him feel good. He said he was hoping to see me; that he could hardly wait to see me; he only added the rest of the family as an after thought. He said he wanted to see me, not Ron or Hermione. Does this mean he is starting to fancy me? I had hoped for years that he would and now; maybe my wish is coming true."
"But," she thought "was that what he meant? I have been soothing his mind with Legilimency; maybe it isn't me he fancies, maybe he is tired of feeling bad and just wanted to have me to calm his bad feelings. When I asked him if he wanted to talk it did seem that was what he wanted."
Then she thought, "But wanting to talk to me could mean he wanted to say something else; like he fancies me. Maybe I should say something to him; ask him what he meant."
"But," she said to herself, "if I ask and he says no, he doesn't fancy me, I'll be embarrassed to death that I asked. And what if he tells Dean I asked; if Dean thinks I prefer Harry to him he'll break up with me. Then I won't have either of them."
"But," she thought again "I do prefer Harry; it's only because he never showed any sign of liking me in return that I started seeing Michael and now Dean. I'll die if I find out Harry did fancy me and I lost him because I was afraid to ask him. It's like when I told Neville I would go to the Yule Ball with him because I didn't think Harry would ask me and then Harry did ask and I missed out on going with him because I couldn't dump Neville."
"I can't ask," she thought. "If he fancies me he will say it; he has all summer to say it. But do I want to wait all summer to find out? If he does fancy me I don't want to waste the whole summer not knowing when we could be a couple all that time."
The next thing she knew Hermione was knocking on her door to say dinner was ready. "I have to wait for him to be clear with his intentions." she thought as she went down the stairs.
When they got to the table Hermione sat next to Ron and the only open chair left was next to Harry. They were so close their arms kept rubbing as they ate and his touch was driving her crazy. She avoided looking at him.
Harry was hoping Hermione would sit next to him so Ginny wouldn't; but he knew Hermione would sit by Ron and sure enough she did. Ginny slid in next to him and he tried to move over but with Fred on that side there was no room to move. The twins had come home for dinner and George, Ron, and Hermione were equally packed on the other side but didn't seem to mind elbowing each other as they ate. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley at the ends of the table didn't seem to notice as Harry sat almost sideways in his chair so he could avoid touching Ginny as much as possible; but Hermione noticed.
After the kitchen was cleaned up Hermione found Ginny in her room and asked, "It's not really my business, but did something happen between you and Harry? At dinner he seemed to be avoiding you."
At first Ginny said, "No, nothing happened." Then she started to cry and said, "That's the problem, nothing happened."
She told Hermione the story of her earlier talk with Harry and added, "I thought Harry was going to say he fancied me but then his attitude changed altogether and he started acting like he hates me."
"I'm sure he doesn't hate you; but of course his attitude changed." Hermione said "If he was trying to say he fancied you and you told him you were seeing Dean; he probably didn't know what to do."
"But he already knew that." Ginny said. "He was sitting right next to me on the train when I told Ron; Harry had to hear me."
"Maybe not." Hermione said. "He was so upset about Sirius' death, and may have been so depressed he didn't hear you."
"So what should I do?" Ginny asked.
"About Harry or Dean?" Hermione said. "You can't say anything to Harry unless you break up with Dean first. Harry's not the type of boy that would see a girl if he knew she was already seeing one of his friends."
"But if I break up with Dean and Harry doesn't fancy me I would be hurting Dean for no reason." Ginny said. "The question is does Harry fancy me or not? Do you think you could get him to tell you?"
"I think the question is why are you seeing Dean?" Hermione said. "Is it because you have feelings for him; or because you are waiting for Harry to notice you and you don't want to be alone till then?"
"I do like Dean." Ginny said. "But you know I always liked Harry. A girl can like more than one boy."
"Yes," Hermione said "but she can't string them along pretending she doesn't like both. I can't decide for you Ginny; but I hope you decide soon so you don't hurt both Harry and Dean."
Hermione hesitated and then added, "Ginny, even if Harry does fancy you; I'm not sure he can ever express it to you the way you want him to. I don't mean anything personal about you; that goes for every other girl. I'm not sure Harry can even love a girl at all."
"What do you mean; Harry may not be able to love a girl?" Ginny asked. "Dumbledore said it was the love in Harry that saved him from Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. Are you saying Dumbledore is wrong; or that Harry is gay? That's not true; he kissed Cho. It's an awful thing to say about Harry if it's not true; and it's not."
"That's not what I meant; and I didn't mean it to sound that way." Hermione said. "Harry is full of love; for me, Ron, you, your family; but he had to learn that type of love from us over the last few years. He never experienced it before he met us; never from anyone that he can remember that is. I'm sure his parents loved him; but he was too young when they died to remember it. His aunt, uncle, and cousin gave him no love at all; Sirius started to but Harry never got to spend enough time with Sirius. That's why he grieved so deeply for Sirius; he was just starting to realize what Sirius could mean to him and then it was all gone so soon.
It took him a long time to get the feeling for the type of love involved in a deep friendship; I understand because I was the same way. Neither Harry nor I had any friends before we came to Hogwarts. Harry, because his cousin wouldn't let Harry have friends and me because I was an oddball; a witch among muggle children and I scared them.
When Harry met Ron, Harry desperately wanted to have a friend; and Ron was happy to be friends with the famous Harry Potter. Ron is such a good person he got over the hero worship and quickly treated Harry as a normal person and friend. Harry on the other hand didn't know how to be a friend to Ron; it took patience for Ron to teach Harry what friendship means.
Do you know that Ron was Harry's only friend for months? Oh, he talked with the other guys in his dorm; but Harry didn't get friendly with Neville, Dean, and Shamus for years; he didn't know how to."
I didn't have a friend at Hogwarts until Ron and Harry saved me from the troll our first year; I didn't know how to be friends with others. That's why I think of Harry like a brother; and why we became friends; we learned about friendship together.
The same is true for loving a girl; no girl has ever shown him that type of love so he probably doesn't know how to love a girl. He may intellectually understand what loving a girl means; but he has no experience showing or doing it.
The first girl that ever showed Harry that type of boy girl love turned out to be that Death Eater in disguise that was trying to get information from him and then tried to kill him. That doesn't make for a good experience in learning about love.
Then you mentioned Harry kissing Cho; she never loved Harry either. She was grieving for Cedric and since Harry was the last person to be with Cedric she looked to Harry to take Cedric's place. Remember Harry said Cho was always crying and they broke up on their first date. Again that's not a good experience for learning about how to love."
"You're saying that's why he couldn't tell me he fancies me;" Ginny said "he doesn't know how to say it."
"Not just saying it;" Hermione said "he doesn't know how to show it either. If you ever do become a couple you may find him cold and distant at first. You will have to teach him how to respond to your love like Ron taught him how to respond to friendship. Don't be disappointed if that happens; it may take him a long time to show the feelings you expect from him."
Hermione was uncertain but finally decided to talk with Ron about Ginny and Harry.
"What do you mean, Harry fancies Ginny?" Ron yelled. "She's my sister and I don't care if Harry's my best friend. He's not going to be snogging my sister while I'm around."
"Ron," Hermione said "calm down. I didn't say Harry fancies Ginny; just that she thinks he might. He never actually said anything to her; or to me either. I just wanted to get your thoughts on the idea."
"Well you got my thoughts." Ron said. "He better not try anything with my sister."
"So you prefer Ginny snoggs Dean instead of Harry?" Hermione asked.
Ron choked and yelled again, "That's not what I said. I don't want any bloke snogging my sister."
"Well you can't do anything about it." Hermione said. "Ginny will be fifteen in August and she snogged Michael Corner last year, and she is probably snogging Dean when they are in school, and she wants to snogg Harry. The only thing you might be able to do is help her decide Harry is preferable to someone else.
Right now they are miserable and hardly talking because Ginny is with Dean. I just thought you might like to make your sister and your best friend both happy by letting them know you are okay with them being together. If you convince Harry to tell Ginny he fancies her I bet she would break up with Dean in a heartbeat. After all they helped us stop fighting last year when we were at Grimmauld Place; why can't we help them?"
"They got us to stop fighting by locking us both naked in the bedroom together. So don't get any ideas of trying that with Harry and my sister." Ron yelled.
"Ron, you're impossible," Hermione said "that's not what I meant and you know it. All I asked is you let Harry know you wouldn't be angry with him if he did fancy Ginny. But forget it; if you want them both to be unhappy let them go on as they are."
She turned and walked out slamming the door.
Several days went by and Harry and Ginny became at least comfortable in each other's presence if not quite as close as they were before. Harry didn't ask Ginny to talk privately and she didn't offer. Then lightning struck but not in the way Ginny was hoping. It was in the form of Harry's American cousin Professor James Potter.
Early one morning as everyone was at the breakfast table, still in their night clothes except for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as was normal at the Weasley house; there was a sudden blinding flash of lightning and simultaneously a tremendous clap of thunder. Everyone jumped and the girls screamed; then there was another flash and roar of thunder. Ginny, who was seated closest to the door yelled, "That's James' lightning. He must have come to see us and is being attacked." She rushed to the door but Harry managed to catch her as she got to the steps and literally tackled her, falling on top of her holding her down on the lawn just off the steps.
"Let me go," she yelled "James may need help!"
Hermione had also tried to get out the door but she had to pass Ron who grabbed her and pulled her to the floor. Mr. Weasley yelled, "All of you stay down until I can see what is going on." and he stepped over Harry and Ginny out into the yard.
As he moved toward the edge of the Fidelius charm that protected the Burrow there were another two flashes. Ginny and Hermione were both yelling, "Let me go, let me go, James is in trouble." But Ron and Harry held them down until they heard Mr. Weasley yell, "Professor, what happened?"
From a distance they heard James' voice say, "It's okay Arthur; it's all over."
Harry could see James approaching from the edge of the Fidelius charm but Ginny, who was buried under Harry, couldn't and was still struggling to get up. Upon hearing James say everything was okay, Harry rolled off of Ginny and got up extending his hand to help her get up but she slapped his hand away.
Harry looked shocked as Ginny got up by herself and tried to slap his face. "What gives you the right?" she yelled at him. "You don't own me; what gives you the right to knock me down and hold me on the ground? James was being attacked and I could have helped him. You had no right to stop me."
From inside the kitchen Harry could hear Ron and Hermione having a similar row; and then heard Ron say, "Because you had no idea of what kind of danger you were running toward; and I don't know what I would do if you got hurt or killed. I couldn't stand living without you."
By this time Mr. Weasley and James got to where Harry and Ginny were in time to hear Harry say to Ginny, "Did you hear what Ron said to Hermione?"
Ginny looked into Harry's eyes and nodded at him. Harry said, "Well, I stopped you for the same reason."
Now Ginny blushed and asked, "Because I didn't know what kind of danger I was running into; or …" she hesitated then finished, "because you couldn't stand living without me?"
Now Harry turned red, and he looked down at the ground because he just couldn't look Ginny in the eyes as he said softly, "Both."
James and Mr. Weasley knew that Ginny had fancied Harry since she was ten. This was the first time either of them heard Harry indicate he also fancied Ginny. James' skill in Legilimency had helped all of them become more skillful and powerful in their magic and he had eased some of their fears; but up to now he had not interfered in their love lives. Even the time Ron and Hermione blew an assignment because they were fighting he didn't interfere. (He didn't know that Ginny and Harry had interfered and settled that situation.)
Now he thought he might have to reconsider interfering. The situation was becoming more dangerous and it was Harry that had to be protected. Only he could defeat Voldemort; and if he endangered himself to protect Ginny, as cruel as it sounded, that couldn't be allowed. But first things first.
Gathering everyone in the kitchen James said, "As you saw I was attacked by four Death Eaters as I arrived here. I came here because there were similar attacks at Lupin's house and at Mad-Eyes last night. They're both safe; but when they told me I thought I better check here before anyone left the house this morning. I also warned other members of the order and plan to check their places later.
It seems the Death Eaters have discovered the locations of the homes of some of the members of the order; and since they can't get in past our protections they decided they would ambush people coming and going. From now on, everyone coming or leaving any house of a member of the order should be ready for an attack."
"So, do you think they know Harry's here?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"No, James said "Dumbledore and I think they believe Harry is still at his aunt's house and these attacks are not about him; we know Voldemort has standing orders to kill any member of the order on sight and we think that's what the Death Eaters are trying to do.
Harry, you are not to leave the protection of the Burrow except with either me or Dumbledore."
"I know," Harry said "Dumbledore told me when he brought me here. Also I am to keep my invisibility cloak on me at all times." He pulled it from his pocket to show it to James.
"The same goes for the rest of you; stay here!" James said. "And Ginny, Hermione, while I know you wanted to help me just now, I want to tell you the same thing Harry and Ron tried to tell you; think before you act. Running into an unknown danger is like asking to be ambushed. Better I was killed than all three of us because you acted hastily."
The look on their faces made him add, "I know you can defend yourselves; you're both formidable fighters; but always think first.
Now I have a job for all four of you and I need to explain it; but first go get dressed while I explain it to Molly and Arthur."
In five minutes they had all returned to the kitchen dressed and anxious to hear what adventures James had planned for them this summer. Mr. Weasley had left for work and at James' request Mrs. Weasley left to do laundry.
"Well," James started "it seems Dumbledore, in his extensive investigation of Tom Riddle's early life has discovered some disturbing information. When he was still at Hogwarts Riddle found a way to make himself immortal."
Everyone gasped and Harry broke in with, "Immortal, but the prophecy said I had to either kill him or he would kill me. If he's immortal that means I have no chance; eventually he will kill me. I'd have to say that's more than disturbing."
"Let me finish." James said. "From what I understand; he made himself immortal by creating several powerfully charmed objects; objects that as long as they exist make him immortal. However if these objects are destroyed he will be as mortal as any other man.
As an American I'm not as deeply educated in the ancient magical arts as Dumbledore is; not many of those old books were brought to America by the first witches and wizards to move there. Dumbledore didn't have time to explain it all in detail to me; but he told me as much as I told you.
What I want to do this summer is try and find these objects and destroy them. Dumbledore has been looking for years and told me two of them have already been destroyed; the problem is he doesn't know how many more there are or where they are."
"That makes what you want to do impossible." Hermione said. "Even if we find one or more of these charmed objects how could we be sure there aren't more. And where do we start looking and how do we tell one of these objects from all the normal objects all around them?"
"Again," James said "let me continue. It's not as bad as it sounds. Dumbledore does have some good ideas about the objects and locations and he intends to give Harry all the detailed information he has this coming year."
"Dumbledore told me he was going to give me special lessons this year." Harry said. "This must be what he meant; telling me what objects to look for and where to look."
"Yes," James said "among other things; but it is very complex and will take many hours for him to explain it properly. We can't wait another year until Dumbledore explains everything to you; so I have convince him to let me take you out and check places where there is some likelihood one of the objects is hidden. He and I will continue to look in the most likely places along with places Voldemort or his Death Eaters may show up. We will help by eliminating places with lower probability; places that are not likely to have a Death Eater guarding it."
"You just said it is too dangerous for Harry and the rest of us to leave the Burrow." Ginny said. "So how can you ask us to go out looking for these objects?"
"As I said will be taking you to places where it is unlikely Voldemort or his people will be. The most dangerous part will be leaving here and returning; and I will check carefully for any ambush before I take you out. Once you're at the search location you should be safe."
"So where do we go first and how do we tell one of these objects from everything else?" Harry asked.
"You don't;" James said "Ginny, Luna, and I do.
Powerful magic always leaves traces of the person performing it. Feeling these left over traces is similar to Legilimency detecting the feelings and thoughts of another person. When we get to a place Dumbledore thinks one of these object may be we split into three teams.
Ginny searches and Harry guards her; you two worked together before. Luna searches and Hermione guards; I know Luna is powerful but I never saw her work a situation so I want her protected most. Ron guards me; since I'm most experienced I don't need as much protection, which will leave Ron time for the added responsibility of keeping in constant contact with the other teams in case anyone runs into trouble.
I believe you all have enchanted coins you used last year for Dumbledore's army."
"Yes," Hermione said "but Harry's coin only sent messages and everyone else's just receive."
"I will adjust them to make them all work both ways so everyone can talk to everyone else. I will need a coin for myself; do you have any more?"
Hermione went up to Ginny's room to get one from her trunk and James ended with, "Tomorrow morning I will come to get you at seven; be ready with clothes packed for up to a week. We shouldn't be gone that long but be prepared."
After he adjusted the coins and left, they all went to prepare bags for the assignment and by noon they were ready. As they packed Hermione asked Ginny about how things were going with Harry, "Will you be able to work with him or should you ask James to switch teams?"
"Harry told me today, after he tackled me, what Ron told you, "I wouldn't be able to live without you. Are you going to have any trouble with Ron after he said that to you?"
Hermione hesitated and finally said, "I understand, and I hope he meant it; not that he said it without thinking."
"Ginny answered with, "He did say it without thinking; so did Ron. Neither of them could get the words out if they thought about what they were saying; they're both to shy. What they say when they're not thinking is their real feelings. The question is how do we get the two of them to admit openly they fancy us? Until Harry says it openly, on purpose, I won't be happy; but I can work with him."