Chapter four

Harry and Ginny were holding hands, just like Hermione and Ron as they stepped out of the phone booth in the middle of the atrium. It only took a few seconds before they were recognised, Harry's name started to be called from people all around the large room.

'It's Harry Potter.' one man said staring.

'It's them, Harry and his friends,' a woman called out pretty loudly making more people stare.

The foursome walked towards the far end where the information desk was, trying to ignore all the stares and whispers and even people walked beside them, just staring.

Harry stepped up to the desk, 'Hello, I'm wondering if you could tell me where your records department is?'

'Oh, your Harry Potter,' the woman said going red, 'Yes, fourth floor, you can take the lifts.'

'Thanks,' Harry gave her a nervous smile, then the four of them headed to the lift, to still more staring and Harry's name being called out. Harry saw more people crowding around them, so Harry put his arm around Ginny, pulling her close to him and noticed Ron did the same with Hermione. They were standing waiting for the lifts when more excited voices called out.

'Harry, Harry, can you answer some questions,' a woman called as she ran up with a heap of reporters and photographers.

Harry never turned around, trying to ignore all of them, but they kept calling and nudging the four of them.

'Come on Harry, just tell us where you've been hiding.'

Harry sighed and turned around, 'I haven't been hiding, I've been resting, and spending time with my friends.'

'We can see your arm around this girl, tell us you're girlfriend's name.'

'She can speak for herself,' Harry looked at Ginny and shrugged.

'My name is Ginny Weasley.'

'How long have you been together Harry?'

'A while,' Harry said not elaborating on how long.

'Did you know who hit you with the killing curse again, rumours are he did?'

Harry swallowed as he glanced at Ginny, Hermione and Ron before he looked back, 'Yes, he did and you can say Voldemort you know, he is dead.'

'How did you survive?'

'No idea, look the lifts are here and I need to go,' Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron stepped into the lifts and quickly closed the doors, 'Blast, can't they leave us alone.'

'It's the first time you've been seen since that night Harry, you should have expected it,' Hermione said in her calming voice.

'I was but I still don't like it.' the four of them stepped out of the lifts and over to a door that said records department. They saw an old man sitting at the desk, 'Hello, I'm trying to find some records on my family.'

The old man looked up, 'Mr. Potter, is there anything specific you want to find?'

'No, just information on my parents, but I'm wondering if there's some sort of family history, like a family tree I could see.'

'Yes, all magical families have a family history stored in these rooms. If they are purebloods, they are kept in a separate area to the mixed families.'

'I have both, but I'm mainly interested in the Potters, which were purebloods. I'll do my mother's family later, they were muggles.'

'Yes, I know that, well if you go through this door, you will see a lot of other doors with letters on each, of course you will need p for Potter.'

'Thanks, but am I allowed to make copies of what I find?'

'Yes, but leave the original documents here and everything must be put back as you find them.'

'I will, thank you, come on,' Harry said to his friends and they walked into a massive room with hundreds or doors, 'Blimey, look at the size of this place.'

'Well no use just standing here, let's go find Potter. Why don't you and Ginny take that side, Hermione and I will take the other side. We'll send a patronus if we find it.'

Harry laughed, 'Yeah, you'll need to,' Harry shook his head as Ron walked off with Hermione, 'You did say you wanted to help Ginny.'

'I know, but I wasn't expecting this.'

Harry and Ginny started walking, passing door after door, with letters like L, then La, Le and it just kept going until they finally found P. Harry called to Hermione and Ron and they walked slowly until they found Po. They stepped inside to find more doors so they kept looking until they found Potter. Harry stared at the door handle, not moving or saying anything.

'Are you just going to look at the door Harry, or go in?' Ron asked staring at his friend.

'Yeah, it's just that I've always wanted to know things, now I'm about to find out and I'm nervous about what I might find.' Harry couldn't tell them the real reason he was nervous.

'It'll be fine Harry, let's just go in,' Ginny said gently putting her hand on his arm.

Harry nodded, then slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open to see a huge long room with file cabinets lining the walls.

'Looks like we're in for a long day,' Ron said gazing into the room.

'I doubt will get that much done today. But at least we can separate and do a bit each. Hermione, Ron, why don't you two find anything on my parents, I'll see about the family history with Ginny?'

'Okay,' Hermione and Ron walked over to one side and started to check dates on the drawers, Harry and Ginny started on the other side. Both lots were going for a while before Ginny called to Harry.

'This has you're family tree in it Harry.'

Harry nodded, then slowly opened the drawer pulling out piles of parchments and sitting them on the table. Ginny and Harry kept waving their wands making copies of each sheet knowing they didn't want to stay in here all day. Harry saw Hermione and Ron doing the same thing and thought they must have found some things on his parents, but there were only a small stack of parchments in front of them.

'Ginny, could you keep making copies here, I want to look for something?'

'Sure Harry.'

Harry nodded then walked off looking at all the file cabinets until he found the one he wanted. Harry slowly opened the drawer and pulled out a small stack of parchment, then stood there going through them.

'Who's the Peverell's?' Ginny asked staring at the name.

'An ancestor I found out about when we were away. I wanted to see how long ago he lived, seven hundred and eighty seven years ago. He was the one where my cloak came from,' Harry kept staring at the name.

'Invisibility cloaks don't last that long Harry, so how can he have owned it?' Ginny asked looking confused.

Harry turned slowly, 'Um, I'll explain that when we get back to the Burrow, but it is the same cloak Ginny, but it's a long story. I know I can come in here to see my family history. Do you think I could go into another room, there we're a couple of other Peverell's I wouldn't mind looking at?'

'Since that would still technically make you related, you should be able to. It's not allowed if you aren't related in anyway.'

'What about Sirius, he was the last of his family, but left me everything. Would I be allowed to look at his?'

'You could try, I'm not sure if you could though. Why not ask that man, see what he has to say?'

'Yeah, I think I will, but I'm in no hurry for that.' Harry waved his wand at the parchment, making copies. 'Well, I'll do a quick check of the other Peverell, then we can go. I want to see what flats are for sale.'

'So you really are going to leave the Burrow?' Ginny asked looking sadly up at Harry.

'Yeah, but I'll still come see you and if your parents let you, you can come visit me. I have to start getting on with my life Ginny.'

'I know, we only just got back together, I was hoping to spend more time with you. I missed you when you were gone.'

'I did to, but it's still going to take some time and like I said, I'll still visit. I might even come for dinner a lot, I can't really cook anything but breakfast and I'd miss your mum's cooking.'

'Okay, well let's pack all this up and check out that other person.'

Harry and Ginny walked back over to Hermione and Ron, 'This will do for now, thanks you two, but I want to check on the older Peverell's.'

'Since the three were brothers and one was your ancestor, it should allow you in.' Hermione handed Harry a stack of parchment and he put them in his bag, then she put the original documents back. 'That has when your parents were married, what they did after Hogwarts, all that.'

'Thanks, I'll look at them later,' Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron left that room and went looking for the Peverell's. The entered another room, not as large as the Potters and started to look around at dates. Harry pulled open a draw with the family history in it, studying it, 'Fuck,' Harry said quietly.

'Harry, language,' Hermione scolded as she scowled at him.

'Sorry,' Harry stared down at the parchment, 'but I thought I figured it out and I was right,' Harry sighed and handed the parchments to Hermione. 'We're related.'

Hermione looked at the parchment, they looked up at Harry, 'Oh, now I know why you swore. I never picked up on this when we were told, how did you figure it out Harry?'

'The ring Hermione, or stone. It was passed down remember.'

'Oh, you're right, I was busy concentrating on stopping you going to look for them, I never thought about the stone much.'

'What are you two on about?' Ginny asked looking from Harry to Hermione.

'The second Peverell brother owned this ring, he passed it down until it came to Marvolo Gaunt, Voldemorts grandfather, so that makes us related Ginny. Blimey, not something I want to think about.'

'Nearly eight hundred years ago Harry, so it's not that close.'

'Harry, do you think that's why the prophecy was made about you, maybe because you were related?' Ron asked looking down at the parchment.

'Maybe Ron, it's a lot to think about though,' Harry kept staring down at the parchment, then put it back in the drawer, 'Let's go and hope we're not surrounded again.'

'Everyone knows you're here Harry, I think there will be more,' Ron raised his eyebrows.

'Probably,' Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione left the room, but Harry stopped at the desk, 'I was wondering about something. Sirius Black was my godfather, but when he died he was the last Black and I'm his beneficiary, would I be allowed to look through his family history?'

'Yes, the magic around our files knows that you would have been his godson.'

'Thanks,' Harry gave him a smile, then they left the records department and found a huge crowd standing around, along with a heap of reporters still waiting for them. The four of them pushed their way through.

'What were you looking for Harry?'

'None of your business,' Harry scowled at the woman reporter as he kept his arm tight around Ginny.

'On your family,' another reporter asked.

Harry ignored them as they waited for the lift, when six aurors and the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped over to them and moved everyone away from the four young people.

'Thanks Kingsley.'

'It's fine Harry, but you should have let me know you would be here. I would have made sure you had an escort.'

'I don't want to live like that. I want to be able to do things by myself without having to have someone with me all the time.'

'I know but you might have to until it settles down. This time is the first time you've been seen, so it's not unexpected. So are you heading back to the Burrow?'

'No, I'm going to look for a flat to buy, it's about time I got my own place.'

'Then let the aurors go with you and try not to let anyone know where it is when you get one. It might be worth considering putting wards or even the fidelius charm around it.'

'Do you really think that's necessary Kingsley?'

'Harry, I've been meaning to come see you. There's been a lot of threats against you from the escaped death eaters. Now the aurors are working hard trying to find them, no luck so far, so you'll need to take extra precaution.'

'What else is new with my life,' Harry sighed heavily, 'I thought killing Voldemort would give me some rest for a while, doesn't look like it.'

Hermione, Ron and Ginny saw Harry thinking, 'Harry, I think you should consider letting the aurors go with us,' Hermione said softly as she put her hand on his arm.

'I know I should, but I don't want that as my life Hermione, but I'm not letting you three be in any danger just because you're with me, so fine, but I'm sure they have enough to do without playing baby sitter.'

'Don't be like that Harry,' Ginny gripped his hand tight in hers.

Harry glanced down at Ginny, 'Sorry Ginny, it's just so frustrating. I've never liked attention, always had Voldemort and death eaters after me, I thought I'd be able to just be me, you know, just Harry,' Harry gave her a small smile then looked up at the aurors, 'I do appreciate it, but I know you blokes are busy.'

'Yes we are, but we don't mind Mr. Potter. These threats are very serious.'

'Okay, thanks, but we'll just look at some flats, then head back to the Burrow. I was going to stay out for a while, but I'll leave it for now.'

'Good, now if you need to go out next time, send me an owl and I'll work something out,' Kingsley shook Harry's hand.

'Okay, thanks Kingsley,' Harry sighed and let the aurors lead them out of the ministry, then down to look at properties. But Harry kept an arm around Ginny and kept glancing around all the time, not taking her safety for granted, not taking anyone's safety for granted.