Earlier that evening…
"Has anyone seen Hermione?" Ron asked, trudging through the door in his muddy Quidditch uniform. He, Harry, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George had just been out playing a 3-on-3 match while Ginny was setting the table for dinner.
"No, I haven't," Ginny lied smoothly. She did, in fact, know exactly where Hermione was and what she was planning on doing, but she made a promise to her friend not to let anyone know. What kind of a girlfriend would she be if she didn't keep that promise?
"Maybe she's reading or something," Charlie offered, collapsing into a squashy, burnt sienna armchair by the fireplace.
"Mm… perhaps…" Harry murmured. "But… did any of you notice anything different about her behavior recently? I mean, she seems quite preoccupied with something at the moment."
"It can't be school," Bill said, a small dimple forming at the side of his crooked smile. "Although it wouldn't be out of character for her to have already started the work."
"No," Ron continued. "We have our books delivered to Hogwarts this year, remember? Diagon Alley isn't safe anymore…" he said, a small crease forming between his eyebrows.
"She's just fine! Nothing to worry about… Mind you, she has had quite a trying month. Fred, George, aren't you on for the broadcast tonight?" Ginny interjected, hoping it would create a tangent in which Hermione would no longer be the subject of their conversation.
"Yes!" the twins said simultaneously, jumping on to their feet.
"Nice of you to remind us, little sister," Fred started
"But do we have to remind you"
"That this broadcast"
"Is TOP secret"
"And should not be discussed"
"In the living room?" George finished, hands placed on his hips in a perfect impersonation of their mother.
Ginny simply rolled her eyes and ushered them out of the room, turning back to the table to set down a basket of bread and a jug of pumpkin juice. New, extremely powerful wards had been placed around the Burrow that very summer, after the fire. Some of them had even been invented by her father himself. Although she did worry at times for the safety of her family and friends, in her home, she felt secure.
Glancing over at the boys, she noticed they had paired off. Harry and Ron were now involved in a heated game of Exploding Snap while Bill and Charlie enjoyed a friendly game of wizard chess.
Mrs. Weasley called her husband and all the boys to the table for supper. As they all sat down, she asked, "Where are the twins? And Hermione?"
"The twins are giving a short… ehem… 'You-Know-What' right now on the WWW," Ron said, his indiscretion prominent.
"And Hermione… well, we're not quite sure," Harry stated, a slight frown passing over his lightly tanned face.
"Maybe I should go-" Mrs. Weasley started.
"I'LL CHECK ON HER!" Ginny all but yelled as she jumped out of her seat, smoothing her skirt and bolting up the stairs, 6 pairs of eyes staring inquisitively after her.
Ginny stopped outside of her bedroom door, hesitant. She heard the creaking of her bedsprings and the ruffle of a blanket before a soft, 'Silencio' was uttered. Then, all was quiet. Ginny heard no sound coming from within, and she assumed that Hermione was about to begin.
Ginny had heard the song that Hermione composed, and could not have been more proud. No one had any idea of Hermione's musical ability, and, particularly when she found the right muse, Hermione's talent was incredible. A small smile ghosted around her lips as she thought back to Hermione's performance, and her eyes started to gloss over when she heard a yell… or two.
"MUM!"
"DAD!"
"HARRY!"
"RON!"
"CHARLIE!"
"BI-"
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!"
Ginny ran down the stairs and stopped at the bottom step only to see Fred and George, holding up a small, orange radio, breathing heavily, looks of bewilderment plastered on to their faces.
"What's wrong?" she asked hesitantly, knowing perfectly the answer.
"Someone used the code to log in to the station!" Fred said in a hurried whisper.
"What!"
"Why would they do that?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Did something happen?"
"Where's Hermione!"
"It must be someone we know!"
A barrage of questions were fired at the twins before a soft voice came out of the small, orange box.
"Good evening, Raptor, Rapier, and all the witches and wizards in our world. This is Sparrow."
The entire room froze, eyes glued to the radio in George's hand.
"I am terribly sorry for interrupting your broadcast, but I have a rather important message I want to send to all that are listening…"
"Why does that voice sound so familiar?" Ron mused.
"Who is Sparrow?" Bill asked.
"Shhhhh!" ushered Charlie, as 'Sparrow' began speaking again.
"This war has had a huge impact on all of our lives. For the past few years, after Voldemort's return, those of us that fight for the light have suffered. Villages destroyed, families torn apart, futures ruined..."
Harry's jaw clenched tightly at the sound of Voldemort's name. All of the Weasleys remained silent as the soft voice continued to speak.
Fred broke the silence by asking, "Why is this… 'Sparrow', coming forward to talk now?"
George shook his head robotically while Bill shrugged his shoulders, eyes still glued to the little, orange radio as if the woman speaking was about to step right out of it.
"…hope in yourself. Never lose hope in your family. Never lose hope in your friends. Music, for me, has been a huge part of my life since I was a child. For this reason, I wrote a song for all of you. This is dedicated to you, the people that will help bring balance to our world. May we all find the light in the darkness. Someday."
"Sh-should I get Hermione?" Ron asked in a quiet voice.
No one answered… and then she started to sing.
"Someday… Somewhere…
We'll find a new way of living…
We'll find a way of forgiving… Somewhere"
Charlie gasped at the beautiful sound of the voice just as Mrs. Weasley placed a hand over her trembling lips.
"There's a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us,
Peace and quiet and open air"
Ginny smiled, eyes filling with tears as she pictured her best friend upstairs, singing her heart out. Harry looked over at the redhead and their eyes met… Understanding shone through, and his eyes opened wide as his mouth fell. He knew.
"Wait for us… somewhere
There's a time for us,
Someday there'll be a time for us
Time together with time to spare
Time to learn, time to care,"
Fred and George had looks of melancholy on their faces, mingled with awe, admiration, and hope as they stared at the ground. Neither refused to breathe too loudly as they listened intently at the beguiling sound of Sparrow's voice.
"Someday, somewhere
We'll find a new way of living…
We'll find a way… of forgiving
Somewhere…somewhere…"
Bill's eyes stung, and as he lifted his sleeve to rub them, he saw his father holding his mother tightly with a soft expression as she cried, her eyes sparkling, a small smile taking to her lips. Charlie looked stunned, as if he had just had the wind knocked out of him, when finally, a strangled sob escaped his throat.
"There's a place for us,
A time and a place for us
Hold my hand and we're half way there
Hold my hand and I'll take you there!"
Ron's face began to turn red as he held a fist up to his mouth, slowly letting out a trembling breath, eyes shining.
"Somehow!"
Each family member was now joined at the hands.
"Someday!"
Each Weasley was holding their breath.
"Some… where!"
As she let out her last note, they looked in to each other's eyes. No one spoke as their love for each other filled the room, all fear gone.
Looking up, finally, Harry let out a strangled, "Hermione…"
She was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at them all, a blush creeping to her cheeks.
They knew.
Somewhere else, as 'Sparrow' released her last note, a pair of glistening, grey eyes squeezed shut. Light, silvery blonde hair graced the front of his face, shimmering in the dark. He shut off the small orange radio. A single tear rolled down his cheek.