After the Curses
A.N. I thought that AFTER THE CURSES would be an appropriate title, because my sixth and seventh year stories both had curses in their names. I hope everyone enjoys this story!
Malena
Molly Weaslsy smiled as she put a card from her daughter and son-in-law on the mantelpiece. They were on a year and a half honeymoon, all around the world. She hadn't received a letter from them in ages. She and Arthur were starting to get quite worried about them. She happily looked back at the card that was covered with flowers and hearts. She sighed and sat down in a chair…
Flashback to six years before that…
Harry glanced at his watch. It was six thirty. He had fifteen minutes to spare before he had to meet his friends at The Grind. The Grind was a coffee shop in Diagon Alley. All Harry's friends from Hogwarts were going to meet up there, including Ginny. Harry sighed happily as he thought of Ginny, his girlfriend. They were having a small celebration at the Grind to celebrate Ginny's seventeenth birthday. Harry had a small package in the pocket of his dark green cloak. It was earrings, to match the necklace that Harry had given her the previous Christmas.
Harry walked down the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. He was attracting a lot of attention. People looking up when he passed. One little boy squealed when he passed and said to his father, "Daddy! That's Harry Potter!" Harry smiled to himself. Ever since he had defeated Voldemort at the end of the school year he was attracting much more attention than he used to.
But he'll be back, Harry said to himself. One day a year, he will return. And he will be pure evil.
Harry had killed Voldemort with the Deathday Curse. The Deathday Curse was ten times as powerful as Avada Kedavra, and it caused the person to be hit with it not only to die, but to be tortured for the rest of his or her afterlife. The person who was killed would be dead in the body, but alive in the mind. He or she would know exactly what was going on, and could still feel pain… And one day a year, the person would come back to life, on the person's Deathday. There was only one way to keep the person from coming back, and that was to perform another spell. Harry wasn't able to perform the spell, he had been knocked unconscious when he, Harry, was hit with the Deathday Curse. Somehow, miraculously, Harry had survived. Once again, he was the Boy who Lived.
Harry watched as the boy who had called out to his father was dragged away to do more shopping. Harry's last two years had been the most eventful. James Potter had come back.
17 years ago, Voldemort had made a deal with James Potter, saying that he would spare Lilly's life if James joined the Death Eaters. But James would have to fake his own death. There was one hitch, Harry would be killed. Lilly didn't know of the deal that was made and tried to protect her son. Well, in the struggle, Lilly was killed, and Harry survived. James tried to go over and help Harry, but the curse that was put upon him kept him from seeing his son. He fled after Voldemort was destroyed, and during Harry's sixth year, he rejoined Voldemort. Eventually, James broke the curse that was put upon him and saved Harry's life. Harry and James still didn't have exactly the best father/son relationship. Harry was ticked at James for sacrificing him to the Dark Lord, and for stabbing him. Eventually they made up, but still acted awkward around each other. At the end of Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, James was pardoned by Dumbledore, and Sirius had been proven innocent by James. Then Harry went to live with James on the very large Potter Estate.
Harry sighed as he pushed open the door of the Grind. Ginny and Ron were already sitting in some plush chairs chatting. No one else was there, but when they saw Harry come through the doors, Ginny and Ron stood up. Ginny ran up to Harry, hugged him and kissed him, and brought him over to the place where Ron had sat back down.
"Hey Harry," Ron said, "How're you doing?"
"Good," Harry replied, sitting back down. "How's your family."
"They're good, Fred and George were kicked out of their apartment because they made too many things explode." Harry laughed as he remembered Fred and George Weasley and their never ending pranks.
"How's Percy?" Harry asked.
"Working 200 hours of overtime, as usual," Ron said, rolling his eyes.
"Typical."
"Hey guys," Said Dean Thomas, coming through the door, arm in arm with Parvati Patil. They chatted happily for a few minutes until Hermione Granger and two of Ginny's seventh year friends arrived.
"I missed you two so much," Hermione said, pulling Ron and Harry into a hug and causing their heads to bang together.
"I missed you too Herm," Ron said, rubbing his head and kissing Hermione. "Even though I saw you only two days ago."
"Ginny!" Exclaimed Hermione. "I've missed you too! Happy birthday, by the way."
"Oh, thanks Hermione," Ginny said blushing slightly. She was then bombarded with questions by her two friends, Anna and Libby, both Gryffindor seventh years.
Eventually, a waitress came around and asked for everyone's orders. After she returned with their coffee (and in Ginny's case, a strawberry flavored steamer) Ginny started to open her presents.
"Oh my god," she gasped as she opened the earrings from Harry. "They're gorgeous…"
"They match your necklace," Harry said, eyeing the blue and green necklace that was still around Ginny's neck.
"Thank you so much," Ginny said, admiring the sparkling earrings. "I love them."
She kissed Harry on the cheeks and set down the earrings on top of a book that Hermione had gotten her. Libby had gotten her an assortment of bath oils and gels. Ron had given his little sister a book on charms for hair care.
When wrapping paper was strewn on the floor and the table was decked with ribbons, everyone sat around, talking.
"So Harry," Dean said, sipping his double tall espresso. "How's life with James." Everyone knew that he had moved in with James.
"It's okay," Harry replied, setting down his coffee. "But he keeps trying to make up all of the things that he wasn't here for. I'm serious." Harry added, as the other people started to laugh. "Last week he brought home a puppy. He named it Spot. Personally, he's more interested in the puppy than I am. And only yesterday he gave me the whole 'sex talk'." Harry raised his fingers and made little quotation marks in the air.
"Harry, sex is like a rare broomstick that you don't fly until you absolutely know that you want to," Harry said, imitating his father's deep voice. "And some people wait until they're older, or married until they 'ride their broom.' Of course, just as James said that last sentence Sirius came into the room and said, "But James, you went flying last night." Well, I started laughing my head off and James turned a brilliant shade of magenta."
By this time, all of the people around Harry were laughing so hard that many of them were crying. When everyone had stopped laughing Dean was able to ask, "Ron, what are you doing this summer?"
"I've got a job at a Camp Flicking Wands," Ron said. "It's for young wizards and witches. In fact, I'm going to be leaving tomorrow to go there."
"When will you be back?" Hermione asked.
"Next weekend," Ron said. "And I get one day off this week."
All of them chatted for an hour or so more, until nine o'clock, when the Grind closed.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said to Ginny before he Disapparated. "I'm going to take you out for a belated birthday dinner."
"Oh, you don't have to," Ginny said. "Really, the earrings are enough-"
"Ginny, I insist," Harry said. "I mean, c'mon, you're my girlfriend. I really like you, you deserve it."
"But-"
"I'll pick you up at seven," Harry said. He kissed her and disappeared with a small pop.
"James!" Harry yelled. "I'm home!"
"Good!" James called back. "Want a sandwich."
"Nah," Harry said, walking into the kitchen and sitting down on a stool. James was sitting on the counter, eating a sandwich packed with all sorts of meat and veggies.
"Are you sure?" James asked. "They're really good. And I've got four left over from the meeting we had today."
"I'm sure," Harry said. "If I get hungry later tonight I'll have one. I'm going to bed now."
"Whatever," James said, his mouth filled with beef and ham. Harry walked up to his huge room. His bed was made, probably by their house elf, Plinky, and there was a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace. The robes that had been thrown to the floor were now washed and piled neatly on the bed. Harry threw the piles into the bureau, pulled on some green pajama pants and a white tee shirt and crawled into bed.
"Hey Gin," Harry said the following day after Ginny answered the door. She was wearing a dark blue tee shirt and capris. Harry was wearing beige shorts and a black
v-neck shirt. He was holding a bouquet of roses and he thrust them to her.
"Thanks Harry," Ginny said. "I'm going to go put these in water, then I'll be back out." A few minutes later she reappeared. Harry took her around the waist and Disapparated.
They Apparated to a deserted beach. The sun was just setting, casting pink and purple shadows up and down the beach.
"Oh, Harry," Ginny gasped. "You really didn't have to do this. I- I'm shocked, you really outdid yourself."
"Don't worry about it," Harry said. He waved his wand and a picnic blanket appeared on the ground. Then he flicked his wand again and a picnic dinner, complete with Butterbeer in champagne glasses. Harry and Ginny sat down on the picnic blanket and ate dinner.
After they had finished their dinner it was dark. Pinpricks of light shown in the inky black sky, and a yellow moon hung high in the sky.
"Harry, I want to thank you for everything you've done," Ginny said.
"Gin-"
"No, Harry, let me say this. Thank you for saving my life. Twice. I really, really like you, and I'm glad that we're boyfriend and girlfriend. I- I really am grateful…" Ginny trailed off. Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny and they walked slowly down the beach.
"Good night Ginny," Harry said, as they walked down the robe to the Burrow. The windows were black except for one light in the living room. He leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was short, as Ginny noticed Ron glaring at them through the living room window.
"See you in three weeks, Harry," Ginny said. "You will be going to the camp with us, won't you?"
"Sure," Harry said. He gave her a hug, waved to Ron through the window (who glared some more) and Disapparated.
A.N. How'd you like it? In the next chapter, Ginny and Harry go to the camp, and Ginny has something to ask Harry. And later, we will see the return of Professor Perry and Voldemort!
Malena