4
What Can't be Left Behind
A knock on the door made Molly jump slightly as she turned away from the breakfast she was preparing and looked to the door.
"I wonder who that could be this early," Arthur said as he came into the room with his wand drawn. "You had better go into the other room while I check it out, Molly."
Without a word, Molly drew her own wand and slipped just around the corner to act as a backup if needed.
Arthur took hold of the knob and gave a sudden yank as he brought his wand to bear on the person on the other side and exclaimed, "Harry! My goodness you nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry to disturb you so early, Mr. Weasley" Harry said as Arthur lowered his wand.
"Come in, Harry dear," Molly said as she reentered the kitchen. "I was just fixing breakfast. Have you eaten anything?"
"No I haven't actually," Harry responded. "I just needed to take care of something this morning."
"Is it something I can help you with?" Arthur asked.
"With your permission," Harry said, "I'll go and wake up the person who can help me."
"Well, I'll warn you that Ron isn't the easiest person to wake up in the mornings," Arthur said with a grin. "I'm not sure how much help he would be to you."
"It isn't Ron that I was thinking of," Harry said with a slight blush that Molly picked up on right away.
"I think it would be wonderful if you surprised Ginny," Molly said with a smile. "Nothing any of us have said has been enough to make her smile lately. She just hasn't been the same since she came back from Hogwarts."
"Part of that may have been my fault," Harry said. "It just took a little while for me to realize what a git I was being."
"At least you did realize it," Arthur said. "Most people never do."
Ginny felt someone sit on the bed next to her and she opened her eyes expecting to see her mum. When she saw him, she had to close her eyes and reopen them to make sure she wasn't still dreaming.
"Good morning," Harry said softly.
"Harry," Ginny said as she came fully awake. "What are you doing here?"
"Trying to set something right again that never should have been done," Harry said. "I need you, Ginny. I don't know what I was thinking when I told you I couldn't see you again. The reasons for it just seemed to make more sense then. If I leave you behind, then I leave behind the part of my own soul that I gave to you so freely. Without you in my life, I would never feel whole again. Will you give me another chance?"
"What exactly are you expecting from me, Harry?" Ginny asked loudly enough to awaken Hermione across the room. "Am I just supposed to forget about the nights I spent crying myself to sleep over you? I can't tell you how much it hurt me to watch you walk away from me."
"I'll never be able to forgive myself for that," Harry said.
"So now you walk in and say all of those sweet words and I'm just supposed to pretend it never happened?" Ginny asked as the tears ran down her face. "Damn you, Harry."
Ginny hesitated for only a second before she reached out and pulled Harry into a tight hug, and Harry said, "I'm sorry, Ginny."
"Didn't you know that you took part of my soul with you when you left?" Ginny asked as she sobbed into Harry's shoulder. "I don't care what danger I face for dating you. Whatever it is, I'll face it when the time comes. Until then, I won't let Voldemort ruin my life."
"I won't leave you again, Ginny," Harry said softly as he caressed her hair. "I want you to come back to Diagon Alley with me today and everyday after that."
"I wouldn't miss it," Ginny said grinning.
"Would you mind if I tagged along today?" Hermione asked. "I need to talk to Fred and George about something."
"I'd like it if you did," Harry said as he turned and looked at Hermione. "I have a feeling they wouldn't mind getting your help with the project I gave to them."
"Well, I'll do what I can," Hermione said, "but I was going there to see if they could help with the one you gave me."
"How is that going?" Harry asked.
"Well, I think I've figured out how they made the shield," Hermione said, "but I was hoping they might have an idea on how to test it once I've managed to change it to repel the dark mark."
"You two had better get dressed if we're going to get out of here before lunch," Harry said with a smile. "Your mum is waiting downstairs to feed us all breakfast, Ginny. I'll go and wake Ron, and we'll meet you downstairs."
Later that morning, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron walked along a deserted Diagon Alley to Fred and George's shop. It seemed unnatural to all of them that the joke shop, normally so alive with activity, sat empty of customers and as quiet as it had ever been.
Fred emerged from the back of the shop with a hopeful look in his eyes as George followed behind. The smiles on both of their faces faded slightly when they saw who had come through their door.
"Well, you certainly don't look too happy to see us," Ginny said as she looked at her two brothers.
"Of course we are," Fred responded.
"It would have been nice to see a regular customer though," George said.
"We haven't seen one of those in two days," Fred said.
"We had at least been selling a few of our anti-dark arts products," George said.
"That seems to have come to an end as well though," Fred stated.
"Are you going to have to close the shop?" Ron asked concerned.
"Not likely," Fred said with a smile.
"We own the building," George said.
"We could go without selling another item for several years before we might have to think of closing," Fred said.
"We always have a backup plan," George said.
"Well hopefully you won't have to wait much longer before we can get the people back to Diagon Alley," Harry said. "How are things going with the project I asked you to work on?"
"Fairly well actually," Fred said with a proud smile.
"We've had plenty of free time to devote to it," George put in.
"You did tell us to keep it a secret though, Harry," Fred said looking around at everyone who had walked in with Harry. "Is it all right to discuss in present company?"
"Of course," Harry said with a smile. "They should know about it. I'll need their help if it works."
"Good," George said. "We were really hoping Hermione could take a look at it."
"I'd love to if I knew what it was," Hermione said.
Fred smiled mischievously as he said, "Follow us into the back and we'll show you all."
Everyone followed the twins into the back room and watched as Fred rolled out an enormous roll of blank parchment onto the table in the center of the room. The twins grinned as they saw the questioning looks on everyone's faces other than Harry.
"I hope there's more to it than this," Ron said with a smirk.
"Of course there is," Fred said.
"You don't think we've spent all of our time looking at blank parchment do you?" George asked.
"Just watch and you'll see," Fred said.
George drew his wand and pointed it at the parchment as he said, "I solemnly swear that I am still up to no good."
An instant later, everyone leaned closer to see the map that emerged onto the surface of the parchment. There before them all was a map of the British isles. Few details of the map could be made out as large swirling ink blots dotted the majority of its surface.
"As you can all see," George said, "It's exactly like the marauder's map, except it covers far more area than the Hogwarts grounds."
"Unfortunately, that also means that it detects every single person located in the range of the map," Fred said.
"It's a mess," Ron said. "You would never be able to find anyone on this."
"Exactly," George said. "That's why we were hoping Hermione might be able to help us refine it a bit."
"Amazing," Hermione said as she stared at the map. "I can't believe you actually made it this far with this map. The enchantments on the parchment must be incredible to cover such a wide area."
"It was quite a challenge," Fred said with a grin of pride.
"Of course we never would have gotten so far so fast if Lupin hadn't revealed the secrets behind the Marauder's Map to us," George said.
"Quite right," Fred agreed.
"Did you tell him what you were working on?" Harry asked.
"No," George said. "He was curious though."
"He wasn't going to tell us until we confessed that it was something you asked us to do for you," Fred said.
"After that he told us everything we needed and never asked another question," George said.
"Well, if we can actually get this working," Harry began, "he should have a copy of it. It's the least I owe him."
"What on earth did you want with a map like this anyway, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I would have thought that would have been obvious," Harry said. "I want to be able to find people I'm looking for."
"Are you planning on giving the map to the Order or the Aurors?" Hermione asked already knowing the answer.
"I plan to use it myself," Harry said seriously.
"Have you lost your mind, Harry?" Hermione asked. "You know you're still no match for Snape."
"Not yet," Harry said. "I know that. Frankly I didn't think I would have the map to use quite so soon. Actually, it may work out to your benefit, Hermione. If you have to find a death eater to test your shield barrier on, then this is the easiest and safest way to find one."
"What shield barrier?" Fred asked sensing something he wanted to be in on.
"I'll leave you to talk that over with Hermione," Harry said as he stepped back from the table. "I have a few things I need to take care of in Diagon Alley. Ginny and I will meet you all back at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch."
"But Harry…" Hermione began.
"We'll talk about it at lunch," Harry said. "You can talk me out of it then if you want."
After Harry and Ginny had walked out of the joke shop, Ginny asked, "Don't you think you were a bit hard on Hermione? She only nags you because she cares."
"I know," Harry said. "I also know that she works better when she's upset. I wouldn't doubt if she had a working shield by lunch time."
"Well I still think your method leaves a bit to be desired," Ginny said as they walked toward Gringotts. "What do you need to do at Gringotts?"
"I was told that was the first place to go if a wizard wanted a house built," Harry said.
"You're going to have a house built?" Ginny asked surprised.
"Well, I can't stay at the Leaky Cauldron forever," Harry responded.
"You could always stay at my house until school starts again," Ginny said with a hopeful glance at Harry's reaction.
"Ordinarily, I wouldn't mind that at all," Harry confessed. "I have a feeling that staying there might distract me from what I have to do though."
"Like what?" Ginny asked.
"I still have to find Voldemort's horcruxes," Harry said noticing that Ginny didn't flinch when he said Voldemort's name. "I need to find out who R.A.B. was and what he might have done with the horcrux he took. I have to train myself for the fight against Voldemort and the death eaters. I have to find Snape and Malfoy. I have to get people back onto these streets again."
"Isn't that a bit much for one person to try to accomplish?" Ginny asked. "Let the ministry worry about the death eaters. I'm sure the Order is on the lookout for Snape and Malfoy. Besides, who ever said you had to be the one to get people back to Diagon Alley?"
"No one," Harry said. "I set that goal for myself. I don't plan on doing it alone mind you. Hermione's shield she's working on will play a major factor in making people feel safe here again. Once that's done, I'll share the shield with Lupin or McGonagal so the Order can spread it across the country."
"What about the ministry?" Ginny asked. "They would be able to get it out to the rest of the country faster."
"I know," Harry said. "I'm just not sure of who can be trusted at the ministry these days. If it goes to anyone it will have to be the Order. What they do with it after that is up to them."
"I still don't understand why you have to build a house to do any of that," Ginny said.
"Because I have to have a neutral ground to operate from," Harry said.
"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked curiously.
"I have to have a place of my own," Harry said. "I have to have a place where other people won't get hurt if Voldemort decides to come looking for me. That isn't something I can be assured of at the Leaky Cauldron or the Burrow. At the very least I have to minimize that possibility."
"People are getting hurt all over the country, Harry," Ginny said. "There are still stories about it every day in the Daily Prophet. It doesn't make any difference if you're there or not."
"It makes a difference to me," Harry said quickly. "I still haven't forgiven myself for Professor Dumbledore. What do you think it would do to me if something happened to your parents, or Ron, or Hermione, or you?"
"What happened to Dumbledore wasn't your fault, Harry" Ginny said as she looked deep into his eyes.
"That's the same thing everyone told me when Sirius died," Harry said. "I may not have been directly responsible, but I have to carry some of the guilt by association. They both died trying to protect me, Ginny. That isn't a guilt I can ever leave behind me. It's something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life."
