FRED

As it turned out, Harry and the others had slept through most of the day in their exhaustion from the previous night. Harry felt slightly guilty about it because he felt responsible for everything that had happened during the final battle. There was also that still-nagging voice in his head that said it was his fault that so many had died trying to get him to his final confrontation with Tom. His parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Fred, and Colin had all paid the ultimate price in addition to so many other dead and wounded. Even though Harry felt as if one gigantic weight had been lifted from his shoulders, another now seemed to have taken its place.

Ginny seemed to know exactly what Harry was thinking and she did her best to distract him as much as possible with frequent hugs and kisses. She could tell, however, that Harry was not going to be so easily distracted from what he felt was his sole responsibility. Eventually, she knew he was going to have to face his feelings and his fears but she just wanted him to be happy for a little while, even if it might not last for long. To that end she curled up on Harry's lap as he, Ron, and Hermione talked about the events of the previous night.

"So you managed to get the thing put in the place without anyone seeing you do it," Ron said casting a nervous glace in Ginny's direction.

"Yes, Ron," Harry said with a dry laugh. "I put the wand back in Dumbledore's tomb."

"What wand?" asked Ginny.

"The wand I won from Tom," Harry said softly. "It was Dumbledore's wand and I returned it to him after things quieted down last night."

"Harry," Hermione said quietly. "Should we be talking about that wand?"

Harry hugged Ginny tightly before saying, "I have no secrets from Ginny now."

"No secrets," Ginny thought. How many secrets had Harry kept from her then? There was the wand of course, and there was also the reason why Tom had thought Harry dead when he was only pretending. Other than that, how many other secrets were there? Ginny had heard all about his breaking into Gringotts, but now that she thought about it, she had no idea why he had done it. Maybe now Harry was going to tell her the whole story.

"Harry," Ginny said quietly, "you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Thank you," he said kissing her forehead. "I will tell you everything but not right now, OK?"

"Ok," she agreed and hugged him tightly to show that she understood his need to just be Harry for a little while longer.

Hermione was about to say something else but was interrupted when the portrait door opened and Percy walked through it. Gone was Percy's pompous attitude and it its place was a sense of despair and loss that Harry could feel from across the room. Ron evidently sensed it as well because he walked over to his brother and without saying a word, wrapped his arms around his older sibling to comfort him.

"If only I hadn't been such a monumental prat," Percy sobbed into his little brother's shoulder, "maybe Fred would still be here."

"Don't be a git," Ron said in a husky voice. "You being a prat had nothing to do with it."

"Yeah," said Ginny as she got off of Harry's lap and walked over to join her brothers. "You being a horse's arse had nothing to do with what happened to Fred."

"Ginny," Percy said in his regular tone of voice. "Mother would not approve of your use of such language."

"Now that's the prat we know and love," Ginny said with a smile as she hugged both of her brothers tightly. "Put the silly notion that you are responsible for Fred out of your mind."

"Yeah," Harry said as he stood up suddenly. "If anyone is responsible for Fred, it's me."

The three Weasleys turned to look at Harry with shock on their faces. Even Hermione seemed surprised at Harry's words. They all watched him as he suddenly walked towards the portrait door and out of the common room. Ginny was the first to follow and she quickly caught up to Harry and grabbed his hand in hers.

"Harry," she said fiercely, "what happened to Fred was not your fault either."

Harry continued to make his way down the hallway to one of his favorite shortcuts as if he did not hear her. Ginny looked over her shoulder and saw that Ron and Hermione were right behind them with Percy a little ways behind. She looked pleadingly at Ron to say something to make Harry listen but Ron just shook his head and followed silently.

"I may not be directly responsible," Harry said as they exited the shortcut and headed towards the Great Hall, "but I am at least partially responsible for every life that has been taken by Tom and his followers since the night he tried to kill me."

"No, Harry," Hermione said quietly from behind them. "That's just not true. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were evil and what they did has nothing to do with you."

Harry laughed quietly as he stopped at the doorway to the Great Hall and turned to look back at Hermione. Ginny was surprised to see a gentle smile on his face that she could tell was not forced.

"Thanks for saying so, Hermione," Harry said warmly. "We both know that it's a crock of shite, but thanks for trying anyway. Tom and I are both responsible for all of this and we have been ever since the night that Trelawney gave the prophecy that said 'neither can live while the other survives'."

Without a further word, Harry turned and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall. The bodies of the fallen had been removed, but the room still felt colder than it had ever felt before. The House tables were now filled with students and their families. It was sad to see that while some of these groups were so happy to be together and that none of them had died, other groups wept bitterly for the loss of a friend, child, or even a parent.

Amongst all of these people Ginny saw her family sitting at the Gryffindor table. Her mother was leaning against her father's shoulder and he in turn had an arm wrapped protectively around his wife. George sat on her other side and as tears freely poured from his eyes. He held his mother's hand in his to comfort her. Bill and Fleur sat across from his parents and Ginny could tell he was just as distraught as they were.

Harry had noticed the Weasleys as well and he walked purposefully over towards them. Ginny, still holding tightly on to Harry's hand, could feel her own tears starting to fall as they drew nearer to her parents. The thought that Fred would never make her laugh again was almost more than she could stand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Harry said quietly as they reached the red haired family.

Molly spun around and leapt to her feet to feet to embrace Harry before he could say another word. Harry was a bit shocked by this as he had fully expected Mrs. Weasley to be angry with him and to blame him for Fred's death. Yet here she was hugging him so tightly that his ribs felt like they would crack at any moment. It was almost as if she did not blame him for everything.

"Oh Harry, dear," she said softly. "I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried when you didn't come down. Arthur was just telling me I should be a little more patient."

Suddenly Harry could not stop himself from crying and Mrs. Weasley was hugging him even tighter and whispering in his ear, "Harry, dear, none of this is your fault and don't you go trying to say it is."

"But," Harry started to say, only to be cut off again by Mrs. Weasley.

"You listen to me, Harry Potter," she said softly. "The only person responsible for this is Voldemort. That evil man caused all of this."

"The prophecy said," Harry began again but was once more cut off, this time by Arthur Weasley.

"Tosh to the prophecy, Harry," said the red haired patriarch of the Weasley clan. "That bastard was killing innocent people long before you were born. If you ask me, you are forgetting the most important part of that prophecy."

"What part is that?" Harry asked as Mrs. Weasley finally let go of him so that he could stand up and look her husband in the face.

"'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches'," Mr. Weasley said quietly. "It doesn't say the one who will take responsibility for all of the Dark Lord's evil deeds approaches. It says that the person that would free us approaches. That's you, son, and I for one want to say thank you."

Harry suddenly realized that everyone around him was standing and looking at him. Not just the Weasleys, but all the students and their families, not to mention members of the faculty and members of the Ministry of Magic, were standing and looking right at Harry. He did not know who started it, but suddenly people were bowing to him and whispering 'thank you, Harry,' so softly that it sounded like dry grass blowing in the wind.

George was the only one not saying thank you. Instead he walked over and put his arm around Harry's shoulder tightly. Harry glanced over and was surprised to see that the tears were now gone and a smile had replaced them on George's face.

"I lost my brother last night," George said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "You know what that means Potter."

"What, George?" Harry asked quietly, dreading the anger he knew must be coming.

"Well, Potter," George continued gently, "means you are going to have to take his place as my brother. What you think of that idea, Ron?"

"Brilliant, George," Ron said walking up to join the growing crowd of red haired Weasleys that were standing around Harry now.

"I whole heartedly agree with you, George," Percy said with a wide smile.

"Yeah," added Bill laying a hand on Harry's shoulder, "we need a better Seeker in the family since Charlie is such crap."

"Look who's talking," laughed Charlie. "Harry has to join just so we have someone smart enough not to try dancing with werewolves."

Suddenly, for the second time in one day, Harry was at the center of a massive family hug. Ginny was pressed tightly up against him by all the others and Harry could not help but focus on her as he was surrounded by so much love. He could hear Hermione crying again as Fleur tried to comfort her but it was what Ginny said that truly brought a smile to Harry's face and seemed to free his heart dread he had carried with him all day.

"Someday soon," Ginny whispered to him, "I'm going to force you to marry me just so you really will be a part of this family."

"Deal," Harry said as he smile down at her and enjoyed the love of his family.