Chapter 3: We'll Be There
The Fifth Year Feast was dampened by the announcement of a Ministry lackey, Dolores Umbridge, being appointed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. But with the arrival of the new baby, most of Gryffindor House and indeed the castle, ignored it... for now.
Despite the difficulties that quickly became apparent for the new term, Ron and Hermione fell into a routine taking care of their daughter while juggling classes. When he wasn't dealing with Voldemort's return, Harry dutifully helped, taking his role as godfather seriously, just as Sirius had done before him. Indeed, Rose's presence seemed to make the looming dangers weigh on Harry's mind all the more.
"I wish she hadn't been born in this time," he would mutter as he observed Hermione feed her or rock her to sleep by the Gryffindor fireplace late at night. "Wartime is no place for a baby."
Hermione would just shrug. "What's done is done." And Rose did have her uses, chiefly cheering up the members of Dumbledore's Army whenever a new decree was handed down from Umbridge.
Fifth year ended with Harry leading an assault on the Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius Black. Rose's parents went with him, leaving Rose in the care of friends in Gryffindor House.
Sixth year was just as tense and tumultuous as the fifth. Gryffindor kicked off the term by throwing Rose a blow-out first birthday party; by now, the little girl was walking, and beginning to make sounds that mimicked speech. Harry spent many late nights returning from private meetings with Dumbledore in his office to find Ron, Hermione, and Rose all passed out by the fireplace, having tried to wait up for him.
The whole term flew by in a blur, culminating in a Death Eater attack on Hogwarts itself, led by Draco Malfoy, and the murder of Dumbledore. So it was that the Headmaster was laid to rest on a beautiful June day. After the service, Harry was resting on the grounds, soaking in some sun, when he spotted Ron and Hermione approaching, a 21-month old Rose toddling between them.
"Unca Harry!" Rose ran forward on chubby little legs. Harry caught her with a chuckle. Ron and Hermione sank down on the grass besides them. Seeing the little family, so happy together, reminded Harry of the decision he had come to.
"Get somewhere safe," he encouraged his friends. "Dumbledore left me a mission, and I'll have to go away for a while. Just... take Rose and hide somewhere safe. Please."
Ron frowned at him. "A mission? Where?"
"I'm not sure where, but it's about destroying You-Know-Who."
Harry watched as Ron and Hermione looked at each other.
"We'll be there, Harry."
"What?"
"On your mission, with you. We will go wherever you're going," Ron promised.
"But, Rose -"
"... will come with us," Hermione soothed. Or what she thought was soothing.
"Like hell she is!" Harry snarled.
"You said to us once before," Hermione continued over him quietly. "That we had time to turn back if we wanted to. Well, we've had time, haven't we? We're in this together."
Harry finally nodded his consent. But he was going to convince Hermione that they had to leave her child behind.
