Harry Potter and the Fifth Soul

A/N: It took me a while than expected to get this chapter in shape, but seeing it is the longest so far I hope you will forgive me :)

Many, many thanks for the encouraging reviews you gave me! I hope my replies found their way, as there have obviously been some issues with the mail system. So if you reviewed and didn't get an answer from me, please let me know.

I very much enjoyed writing this chapter, although I had to toy around quite a bit, removing some passages, that I had the feeling were overloading it. Every time I finish a chapter I find that I will have to increase the planned number of chapters, and I must confess this sometimes frightens me.

If you enjoy reading this, please let me know and review!

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter 9 – Cunning and Planning

The room Harry had followed the Minister in was hardly bigger than a broom closet and most probably some kind of tool storage, as there only a few boards along the walls and no chairs or tables. Scrimgeour had waited for Harry to enter and slammed the door shut before turning at him and shouting angrily.

"What the hell did you think, boy!"

Harry had a hard time not being intimidated by the growling voice, but he had prepared himself for the inevitable confrontation and made up his mind in advance. "I will tell you exactly what I was thinking, Minister," he responded with an equally loaded voice, "I was thinking that simply waiting for what happens will do no good, and every day the Ministry waits to see if things settle themselves by their own accord, people are suffering and dying out there. And I think that we won't be able to stop Voldermort alone, we need everybody on our side we can get, no matter if house elve, goblin or werewulf. If we wait for too long they might even seek their luck in siding with Voldemort!"

"You... How..." the Minister seemed at a loss for words for few moments, and when Harry noticed he couldn't argue against that he had a hard time not to smile.

"But are you aware, Mr. Potter, what your words mean to the public? That was anything short of a declaration of war!"

No Harry's temper rose to an equal level as Scrimgeour's. "And what's the problem with that? Do you want to go on assuring everything is all right and wait until the whole wizarding world has fallen to pieces? What do you call it then when it isn't a war? If lost two of the closest people I had on two separate occassions in this war that you don't consider one, and I've seen other people die as well."

"You don't understand boy, " the Minister shouted back, "if we go out into the open with this fight more people will take sides, and not everyone will take ours. There will be even more victims!"

"There will be more victims, no matter what you do. The question is if you want to end this!"

The Minister now seemed ready to explode to pieces, and Harry could see him shaking from head to toe. "Who am I that I need to be lectured by a schoolboy? You should be grateful for all the support you and your friends got from us!"

"I am grateful for that, even if you don't believe me, but I won't stand by and watch my friends and family get killed by Voldemort!"

"That's enough of that. I needn't listen to that any longer!" With that the Minister turned on the spot and stormed out of the room, pushing through a startled croud of people that had assembled just outside the door.

Most of them where easily recognized as Weasleys by the red of their hair, Hermione, Remus and Tonks were also there as was McGonagall, and almost everyone started at him disbelievingly. Obviously every word of the disagreement had been audible out there. He slowly left the room too and found himself between the grinning faces of Fred and George Weasley.

One of them, most probably George, lay a hand on his shoulder. "We were really lucky that we made it in time for your speech," he began, and Fred picked his sentence up, "or we would have missed the best round of kick-the-ministers-arse ever!"

"Fred!" the voice of Molly Weasley could be heared from among the group.

"And this was the second time in twelve hours. I think that was an all time best." Tonks informed the twins, who made wide eyes.

"The second time? Harry, you are our hero!" they managed to shout in complete synchronization.

The group started back to the family quarters, Ron and the twins talking excitedly about the incident. Ginny was alternating between holding his hand and mixing in to the boys' discussion. Tonks and Remus were whispering between the two of them. He dropped a little back to walk next to Arthur Weasley.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

"What is it, Harry?" The wizard had a calm expression on his face and Harry couldn't tell what he thought about the whole thing.

"I hope you won't get trouble for what I did?"

"Not at all, Harry. And even I did, it was due time that someone pushed the Ministry in the back a little, and I'm proud of the courage you've shown."

Mrs. Weasley had also joined them. "We all are proud of you, Harry."

She was just about to get him into on of her famous Molly-hugs when a discreet cough from McGonagall rescued him. "I must say, I'm impressed too. After all, I begin to see why the Sorting Hat had wanted to place you in Slytherin. Well done!"

"Ahem, Mrs. McGonagall?" Harry look at her tentatively. There was something he had to ask her for, and now was probably the best time for it.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I was wondering if we, meaning me, Hermione and Ron, and perhaps Ginny, would be allowed to stay at Hogwarts for the remained of the holidays?"

"But Harry, we all can stay here!" Mrs. Weasley intervened with a troubled look.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley," he answered her softly, "but me staying here won't do any good. You've witnessed the disagreement between the Minister and me, and I doubt this will be the last one. If I stay any longer, this may mean that we all get thrown out of here. And it won't be safe here much longer, if I get seen too often Voldermort might notice where I am and concentrate his attacks on the Ministry building. Remember, he has been able to get in here once."

The determined voice of McGonagall left no time for Molly Weasley to reply. "I've been expecting that, Harry, and what Albus had informed me you've got some unfinished tasks, for which Hogwarts would be a good starting point. Over the last days the wards there have been enforced, so it should be reasonably safe."

They finally reached the family flat and Harry told his friends and the twins to meet in the common room in two hours. Being asked what for he only gave a vague answer. Everyone went to the kitchen where Molly was instantly busy preparing food, seing that most of them had overslept and missed breakfast.

They spent a relaxed half an hour eating and discussing how the Ministry was likely to act now. After everyone was finished Harry helped doing the dishes and was soon alone in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask sooner, but how's Bill?" He asked her. He had nearly forgotten that the eldest of the Weasley brothers had been serverely injured at the fight at Hogwarts, and he felt guilty for it.

"Oh Harry!" Mrs. Weasley instantly seemed at the edge of tears. "He's coping quite well. He will have quite some scars remaining, but apart from that most of the wound has healed."

Harry was relieved that there hadn't been any complications. "So will the wedding take place?"

Now Mrs. Weasley's face became less thorrowful. "Yes, the wedding will be on the twelfth of August." A small shadow crossed her eyes. "But they have decided to get married in France, it's safer there."

He nodded in understanding. "So you are all going there?"

"Harry, we are all going there. You are family too, and Fleur would skin me alive if we didn't bring you with us. But I thought Ron would have told you already?"

"Well, with all the things happening, we didn't really get to talk about it."

"I see. But you will soon get an official invitation by owl anyway. But do you really need to stay at Hogwarts for the summer?"

Harry had dread that question, knowing how much Mrs. Weasley feared to let her children out of her sight. "I must, and I know that Ron and Hermione wouldn't stay behind. As with Ginny..."

"She's too young for such dangerous things!" Mrs. Weasley stated.

"...I know you worry about her even more, if that's possible. But I don't think you would be able to tell her to stay with you, nobody would. But I promise that I will look after her as good as I can. I couldn't live on if anything happened to her." And with a low voice, almost a whisper, he added, "I love her."

"Oh Harry!" Mrs. Weasley shouted again, this time her tears flowing free, taking him into a firm hug. "I know how much you mean to each other. But you really don't deserve all the danger and cruelty you had to go through. I don't want to loose any of you!"

Feeling the sadness himself, he hugged her back, and felt strangely comforted. "I know. We'll be as careful as can be. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley!"

"It's really time you drop the Mrs. Weasley," she told him with slight smile on her tearstained face, "please call me Molly."

"Thank you, Molly."

After a few minutes he excused himself from Mrs. Weasley. He was a little tired now and wanted to get an hour's nap. Seeing the empty common room he guessed that he wasn't the only one with this idea, and as expected he found Ron snoring deeply in his bed. Not waisting time he put his glasses on the nightstand and dropped onto the bed without undressing. A minute later he also was asleep.

Stretching his body and stiffling a yawn Harry awoke a little more than an hour later to find Ron's bed empty again. He was a little starteled as he didn't have a clock with him, but hopefully he hadn't been letting the others wait for too long. Then he calmed himself. Ron woud have woken him up. As expected everyone was already down in the common room and waiting for him.While Hermione was whispering something into Ron's ear, the twins greeted him with mock bows.

"If this isn't..." Fred began.

"...his majesty, our fondest..." George continued his sentence.

"...Sponsor of the year." Fred finished. "Who will..."

"...eventually do us the grace..."

"..and tell us why we are..."

"...waiting here for hours!"

"Hours?" Fred slapped his brother on the back of his head. "Days on end!"

"Now that was inappropriate aggressive behaviour to show in his gracious presence, brother o' mine!"

"Allright, stop it!" Ginny yelled to them. "You two..."

Harry grinningly took up her sentence, "...are unbearable together!"

"Enough," Hermione intervened, "I'm getting dizzy!" Ron mumbled something incomprehensible, but Harry was rather sure he made out the word mental somewhere in his ramblings.

Hermione's look rested on Harry expectingly. "So what is it about?"

"Not here. But I think I know just the right place for a little private talk." He explained smiling. "And it will give me the opportunity to introduce you to a relative."

Now everyone stared at him wide eyed. Ginny however, who had been leaning at his shoulder, had a flick of a doubt shadowing her face. "What did you keep from us, Harry?"

He quickly recognized the look and grapped for her hand, pressing it assuringly. "Nothing to worry about, just something I only recently discovered. Oh, Hermione, would you mind writing a short note to the Weasleys, or whoever comes in, that we are just down the corridor? I don't want Mrs. Weasley to put the whole Ministry in alarm."

The bushy haired witch nodded and instantly produced a quill and parchment from the pockets of her robes to scribble a few lines. Putting it on the table they all left following Harry, who was pleased that he slowly began to find his way in the Ministry's labyrinth of corridors. Soon they had reached the training room where Tonks had found him after his row with Ron. Opening the door just a slit and prying inside, he announced the coast clear and the went in. Closing it again, he quickly put a strong silencing charm on it that Hermione had researched for the DA two years ago.

Slowly walking over to the portrait he couldn't help himself but grin all over the face. Frances was sound asleep in his chair, and Harry kept nearing until he was only a foot away with his face before he let out a load cough. The wizard almost toppled over in his chair.

"Wha...? This is... Oh, Harry, good to see you!"

"May I introduce everyone," Harry said, stepping to the side so his comrades could get a full view, "this is my grand-grandfather, Frances Potter," and, blinking his eye, he added, "also known as Funny Frances."

Hermione gave out a squeek of delight. "Frances Potter? You have fought at the last Goblin Rebellion, didn't you?"

The man in the portrait raised an eyebrow. "I see, you have done your homework, pretty Lady." Hermione blushed furiously at that title, and Harry could sense that she got conscious of her outburst. But the Harry's ancestor didn't loose his smile for a second. "But I would be greatly honored to get to know the name of such a rare flower."

Hermione obviously was at a loss for words, and Ron snickered shortly before being stuck in the ribs by Ginny and being given a menacing glare by his girlfriend. Harry took it to him to introduce all of them, but when he came to Ginny Frances exclaimed. "No, don't tell me more, young Harry. This pretty redhaid must be your girlfriend! Or if not, it's high time you did anything about it!"

Harry looked at the old wizard disbelievingly. He was sure that he and Ginny had shown no sign of their relationship since they had entered this room. "How do you...?"

The man chuckled behind his beard. "You know, Harry, if I recall correct there hasn't been a Potter woman other than red heads for five or six centuries now. No other woman could tame a real Potter. And with the flames I see sparkling behind those lovely eyes, I'm sure no Potter could do anything other than fall for her."

Now it was Ginny's turn to blush from head to toe. But Harry cleared his throught meaningfully. "Now, as much as I would like to continue with this smalltalk, I've got something on my mind I wanted to talk with all of you about."

The others again eyed him expectingly.

"The last few days really gave me a headache," he began a little unsure where to start, but soon his face got a determined look, "there's too much going on everywhere, and I won't stay here for very much longer, locked up and unable to do much. We're no better than the Ministry Aurors here, just reacting to everything that happens!" His voice got sharp, and he began pacing up and down in front of them, just like he had done at DA meetings when he was strained. "I don't want to be only reacting, I need to act ahead of Voldemort!"

Amongst their group, noone gasped at the mentioning of the dark wizard's name.

"I will turn the table on him, I'm fed up with him dictating the whereabouts of my whole live!" He really got angry now, and the twins, not knowing him as well as the others, took a slight step back, as he ranted on.

"And I have a few tasks to perform before I will be able to vanquish him, that I can hardly complete while being here."

Now the twins' faces looked stricken. Fred was, like most times, the first of the two to gather his thoughts. With a honesty that was seldom seen with the twins he addressed Harry. "What do you mean by 'before you will be able to vanquish him'?"

"Sorry, I forgot that you two don't know everything by now. But you must promise me," and he sent them a demanding look, "that you don't talk about what you will hear to nobody."

Fred and George both nodded their heads in agreement, and Harry explained to them about the prophecy, what had happened in detail at the Department of Mysteries, and about his and Dumbledore's search for the Horcruxes that lead to the death of his mentor. He also described again the second prophecy and the mysterious Soul Stones. He was only interrupted a few times by gasps from the twins, or by the others filling in minor parts from their own experiences. It was rather hard for him to relieve those moments, but Ginny had her arms wrapped around him and nuzzling comfortingly into his neck whenever he was about to be stuck in the memories.

It took quite some time to explain everything, but when he was finished the twins stood next to him with determined expressions.

"Just so you know..." George put his hand on Harry's left shoulder, while Fred put his on the right.

"...we will be in with you..."

"...no matter what happens..."

"...'till it's over..."

"...after all..."

"...you're family."

Harry smiled at the two with wet eyes. How on earth, he wondered, did he deserve such loyal friends, and when Ron declared "We all are!" he had to look down and fix a very interesting spot on the floor to keep himself from getting overwhelmed. He knew this was a crossroad he was setting his foot on, and though he had tried so long to keep things to himself, he felt that he wouldn't be able to walk the road alone.

He was close to getting overly soppy, but the voice from his grand-grandfather rescued him. "I don't know if I can be of much help, but this is a deed more than worthy for a Potter, and I'd want to take part of it."

Harry gave him a friendly smile. "Thanks!" Then an idea dawned to him. "In fact, I can imagine very well how you could help us!"

The old wizard looked eager. "How so?"

"Is there another portrait of you around?"

Comprehension dawned in the face of the old man. "Indeed! Quite clever, I must say. Yes, there is one in the third room to the left. It hasn't been used in the last twenty years, so it will hardly catch someone's eye if something is missing. Oh," he blinked his eyes conspiratorially, "and there is also one in the hallway next to the Minster's office."

"So you would be willing to function as a messenger, and, let's say, extended ear, for us?" Harry inquired.

"Funny Frances, at your service!" The painted wizard tipped his fingers to his eyebrow.

"But where do you want to go to, Harry?" Hermione asked curious.

"I wondered when you would ask. I've talked with McGonagall, she agreed to let us stay at Hogwarts for the rest of the holidays."

"Cool!" Ron exclaimed, then instantly turning sober. "But Mum will..."

"No need to worry." Harry intercepted. "It's all been settled, I've talked with her today and she agreed."

Now all of the Weasleys looked stunned. Ron was first to catch his breath. "But certainly not..."

"Don't you dare say what you are thinking!" Ginny exclaimed furiously. "I will go where Harry goes! Period!" And with that she stomped on the floor.

Harry turned to her, chuckling, and caught her in a tight embrace. "Don't think I would let you wander out if my sight for a second, Gin. You're going with us." He gave her a deep kiss, which she answered first hesitantly, then more and more eagerly, until the room seemed to spin around his head.

"Awww, thats..."

"disgusting! Leave our sister..." The twins shouted.

"...or we might hex you. Chosen one..."

"...or not!"

Harry turned his face towards the twins. "You think you are really up to face the mistress of the bat-bogey hex?"

"If you put it this way..." Fred let his glance wander all around the room, George following his example.

"...i think we have temporarily..."

"...gone completely blind."

After that, they pulled together some chairs and planned their departure for the next day. Hermione forced them to pull up a timeline for the next few days, and what topics they wanted to research. Ron groaned when she announced they would have to get up at seven every day, but after Harry pointed out that they only had ten weeks before Hogwarts reopened, he grudgingly accepted it.

The twins would help them with the practical side of destroying the Horcruxes, as they were both quite adept with unknown spells. And, as Ginny exclaimed, it wouldn't hurt to have a number of eyes watch Diagon Alley. She also suggested that they make short visits to Harry's vault at Gringotts and to Grimauld Place, to lock for any items and books that might help them.

Hermione suggested they also included the Order in their plans, but Harry was a little hesitant about that, and they settled on having a long talk with McGonagall before deciding on that.

Frances also put in some suggestions here and there, and finally they declared their plan sufficient for the time being. They all waved their goodbyes to Frances, and after Harry quickly snuck into the third classroom to the left and picked the other portrait of him from the wall, they started back to the flat.

Along the way Ron and Hermione had their usual, playful bickering about Ron's ever growling stomach. He complained loudly that missing breakfast was a form of corporal punishment, only to receive a desperate sigh from the others. Harry himself felt relieved that things seemed to get into motion.

When they reached the entrance he let the others go first and held Ginny back by her hand. He pulled her in his arms and was once more astonished how soft she felt. A feeling of lightness, as if he was hovering a few feet above the ground, spread from his stomach. Looking deeply into her eyes he became more serious. "Do you think...?"

He couldn't complete the sentence, as Ginny put her fingers across his mouth. "It will be allright. I trust in you, we all do." With that she pulled him close into a kiss, and a few seconds later he didn't even remember what the question had been.

Ten minutes later Harry and Ginny entered the common room, both looking rather flushed in the faces and quite out of breath. If the others had noticed it, they didn't let it on, and they both were grateful for that.