Harry awakened to the sounds of Ron rummaging through his wardrobe for clothing. The creaky drawers on Ron's wardrobe defeated Ron's attempt to quietly retrieve his clothing. Harry heard Ron mutter under his breath, "Nothing works right in this place." Ron pulled out some clean trousers and socks, closed his creaky drawer, pulled his jeans and shirt from a pile on the floor and sniffed them. Making a face at the smell of the shirt, he discarded it back to the pile and selected another one. After it had passed his olfactory inspection, he tried to sneak quietly from the room.

Harry spoke up, "Good morning, Ron. How are you holding up?"

Ron jumped a little at the sound of Harry's voice, obviously thinking that he was still asleep. Ron replied, "As well as can be expected, I guess. I'm gonna go shower and get some breakfast, if that's o.k. with you." Ron turned without waiting for a reply and left the room. Harry could hear the sound of the shower from down the hallway. He looked at the clock. "Eight-thirty: I only got five hours of sleep. No wonder I feel so tired," Harry thought to himself. Harry lay in bed for a while, playing over the scene of the previous night in his head. "I can't believe that Luna came in here. I can't believe what we did with Ron right next to us. What if we had awakened him? What if Luna and I had gone further and she had gotten pregnant? What happened at the end with the Kiss and the glowing? It was like being kissed by the Dementor all over again, but this time it was happy memories that were being fed on. I better go down and see Luna; she must be staying with Ginny. How the Hell did she escape from the closed ward? I'm not doing anyone any good just laying here."

The sounds of the shower stopped and Harry could hear Ron's footsteps going down the stairs to the kitchen. Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. He fell to the floor with a loud crash, his legs giving out underneath him. He tried to stand, but he felt so weak. With a grunt of effort, he managed to pull himself into an upright sitting position, resting his back against the side rail of the bed. Just as he had finally managed to get himself upright, Hermione poked her head into the doorframe.

"Ron? Are you in here?" asked Hermione's voice from behind the door.

"No, Hermione, Ron's not here, but I could use your help, please," pleaded Harry from his place on the floor.

Hermione stuck her head farther into the door and saw Harry sitting on the floor. "What happened, Harry?" she asked concernedly.

"I can't stand on my own. I feel so weak today," Harry replied wearily. Even speaking took effort.

Hermione moved into the room, already bathed and fully dressed. She reached down and helped Harry stand. Harry leaned heavily on Hermione and together they fumbled their way down the steps into the kitchen. Ron and George sat at the table eating scones with jam. They both rose when they saw Hermione struggling to keep Harry upright on the steps. Ron shouldered Hermione out of the way gently and took up Harry's weight. George grabbed Harry's other shoulder and together they helped Harry sit at the table.

George looked at Harry with concern and asked him, "Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I feel so drained today. It's like someone has wrung me out," Harry replied.

Hermione started moving around the kitchen industriously, reminding Harry of the previous day when he and Ginny had made breakfast together. "Was that really just yesterday? It seems ages ago," thought Harry.

The smell of sausage being cooked brought up Harry's hunger. Harry looked around at the table and said, "Ron, could you pass me a scone with some jam, please?"

Ron buttered a scone, put some raspberry jam on it and handed it Harry. Harry devoured the scone in three bites, chewing greedily. Harry's hunger arose full-force and he finished off three more scones before Hermione had some sausage and eggs ready. They all watched in fascination as Harry ate enough to feed three people, his ravening hunger only being sated after six scones, four eggs and five huge sausages.

"Merlin's beard, Harry, I've never seen you eat like that before," Ron said. "Usually I'm the one pigging out."

"It was a very long and very hard day yesterday, Ron. I don't remember the last time that I ate," Harry said. "Is there any more news about Percy or Ginny?"

George jumped in, "Ginny's up in her room reading and Percy is resting uncomfortably in St. Mungo's with a splitting migraine. The Healers say he'll be fine in a few weeks, but with the nasty crack he took on the head, they're going to hold him for observation for a week."

"How's Fleur?" asked Harry.

Hermione answered with a quavering voice, "She's despondent. Gabrielle was coming to spend the summer with them at Shell Cottage. The Delacours thought it would be safe here now that Voldemort's been defeated." She started to cry gently, "Bill contacted the Delacours by mirror last night and they're staying with Bill and Fleur."

"And Luna, when did she arrive here?" Harry asked curiously.

They all looked at Harry strangely. Finally, wiping the tears from her cheek, Hermione said, "Luna's not here, Harry. Don't you remember? She's in St. Mungo's in the closed ward."

Harry interjected harshly, "No! I went to visit her last night after you returned to the Burrow. When I arrived, she wasn't in her bed. I found her sitting next to Dean, holding his hand. When I returned with the Healer, she was gone. They locked down the hospital, but I'm sure they didn't find her. I'm sure she arrived here last night."

Ron spoke gently, "Harry, it must have been a dream. You were moaning and thrashing a lot last night. I know you woke me up around six this morning muttering her name in your sleep. It was just a dream, Harry."

Harry shook his head violently, "No! It couldn't have been a dream, could it?" He hung his head and shook silently in his seat for a moment, holding back tears with great effort. Hermione moved her chair closer to Harry's and held him until the storm passed. Ron and George exchanged embarrassed glances with each other. Finally, Harry looked up and said, "I've got to go find her. She's wandering out there all alone somewhere."

Hermione spoke in a firm voice, "We'll help you find her, Harry, but first you've got to get better. You should go back to bed and rest some more."

Ron and George moved to help Harry stand up, but he stood before they could get there, and tottered like an old man toward the steps. As he started slowly mounting the steps, Mrs. Weasley came down the steps.

"Good. Everyone's had some breakfast then?" she asked. Turning her face to Harry she spoke again, "You better go get ready, dear, the reporters will be here at ten o'clock."

"Reporters?" Harry asked, confused.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Harry sympathetically and told him, "Yes, reporters. Don't you remember your promise to Kingsley?"

Harry stared around at everyone gathered around him for a moment before finding his voice, "I've got to speak with reporters today? It can't wait until we find Luna?"

Mrs. Weasley patted his cheeks in a motherly manner, but spoke in a firm voice that brooked no disobedience, "No, Harry, it can't wait. It has to be this morning. You've got to speak out about what you know. Remember that you said you would support Kingsley and not speak out against him. The Ministry has people out looking for Luna; don't worry about her. They'll find her. Now go get ready."

As Harry was tottering up the stairs to shower, he could hear George ask, "Why is Harry talking to reporters?"

When Harry reached the bathroom, he saw that Mrs. Weasley had already put out his best robes for him to wear. She had also left a note for him instructing him to make sure his hair was presentable for the photographs and to make sure that his glasses were clean. Harry showered quickly, then got dressed in the robes Mrs. Weasley had put out for him.

After the food and shower, Harry felt a little stronger. He stopped by Ginny's room to check in on her, opening the door quietly. Ginny had fallen asleep, the book she had been reading had spilled on the floor. Harry smoothed her hair out of her face, pulled the blankets tighter up around her shoulders and put the book she had been reading on the nightstand. Sighing, he left her room and closed the door behind him.

He couldn't put off going downstairs any longer. He hated speaking to reporters; he had given so many interviews in the days directly following the Battle of Hogwarts that he desperately never wanted to talk to a reporter again. "My fame is going to follow me my whole life, I'll never be left alone to just get along with my life," Harry thought bitterly. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that he had automatically walked out the kitchen to the garden. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were setting up a small canvas tent, with Mrs. Weasley using her wand to gently correct Mr. Weasley's attempt to set the poles up.

Harry took a seat in one of the chairs that had been set up for the reporters and waited for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to finish setting up the tent. When they were done, Mrs. Weasley came over to Harry and inspected his robes and hair.

"Can't you do anything more with your hair, Harry?" she asked. She started trying to smooth it out with a brush she conjured from somewhere. "At times like this, you remind me of James very strongly. You look just like he did when he and Lily joined the Order, except that you have Lily's eyes," she said with a far-away look in her eyes.

Mr. Weasley took her gently by the elbow and said, "Molly, we need to go make sure we're ready for guests, wouldn't do to have them wait without proper greeting. Or to have George greet them."

Harry watched as they walked off, got up from his chair and went to sit behind the table they had erected in the tent. After only a couple of minutes had passed, Hermione and Ron came down and sat next to him.

"Are you ready for this?" Hermione asked, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder and looking at him with concern.

"Whether I'm ready or not, it has to be done," Harry replied simply. "It would only do to hear the facts direct from 'The Destroyer of Voldemort'. No one else would do," Harry continued, his voice rising slightly.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came back into the garden with a small group of reporters following them. With disgust, Harry recognised Rita Skeeter amongst them, dressed in iridescent green robes. Hermione leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, "Be nice to her, Harry, she can make it look bad for you if she's feeling vindictive."

After the reporters had been settled into their seats, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley joined the trio at the table. Harry spoke up and stated, "Alright, I would like to start by saying a few things"

Harry stood up, nearly toppled over, gripped the table fiercely and forced himself up. He cleared his throat and began to speak:

"As you know by now, there was an attack last night at the wake of Fred Weasley near Hogsmeade. The group of wizards that attacked was dressed as Death Eaters, complete with masks. They attacked in conjunction with Dementors. The Dementors ringed the ground to prevent escape while the attackers wreaked havoc inside the wake. There were a number of deaths on both sides, but the attackers were eventually driven off. I have been personally assured by Minister Shacklebolt that these were not actually Death Eaters that attacked, but rather a splinter group called Wizards First."

Rita Skeeter interrupted him, "Mr. Potter, surely you know that the leader of this attacking group was Bartleby Hodges, a known associate of You-Know-Who? Do you still claim that it wasn't Death Eaters?"

Harry shot back, "I have been personally assured of this information by Minister Shacklebolt and I have every confidence that it is accurate."

A dressed in stained brown robes stood up and said, "Xerxes Terabend with the London Inquisitor. Do you have any idea what these attackers wanted?"

Harry replied, "They didn't make any statement that I'm aware of, but when they apparated in, one of them shouted to, and I quote, 'Kill the Blood Traitors and Mudbloods.'"

Before Harry could call on another reporter to ask a question, Rita Skeeter interjected again, "Mr. Potter is it true that you killed several of the attackers yourself?"

A gasp went up from the assembled reporters as Harry confirmed, "Yes, I definitely killed one of the attackers. In the chaos I used the Sectumsempra curse and he died from blood loss before the battle was over." Harry choked a bit as he continued, "I think I might have killed one other when I stunned him and he cracked his head open on the stairs to the stage."

A small wizard dressed in brilliant purple robes with silver stars stood and announced, "Paracelsus Persimmon from The Quibbler. Is it true that you enjoy using your new rank within the Aurors to kill your old enemies indiscriminately and thereby to increase your status in the Rotfang conspiracy?"

Harry replied with annoyance clear on his face, "Firstly, there is no Rotfang conspiracy. Secondly, I'm not an Auror. Thirdly, I don't enjoy killing people. I'm sick that I killed those people. If I could go back, I would have just stunned him rather than using the Sectumsempra curse on him. Fifthly, or I guess fourthly, the Aurors do not indiscriminately kill people either."

A large red-faced man dressed in a Muggle business suit stood and said in an American accent, "Devon Smith, American Wizarding. Mr. Potter, how do you explain the appearance of Dementors at the wake? Your own Ministry has assured the populace that the Dementors were back guarding Azkaban."

Harry answered, "I heard from high-ranking Ministry officials that they did not release the information that Dementors were still on the loose to prevent a panic. When I found out about this, I threatened to go to the press immediately. The officials relented and have issued warnings now that Dementors are on the loose and able in some way to communicate with the remaining Death Eaters and their splinter groups."

Rita Skeeter shouted over the other reporters, "Just who is guarding Azkaban, then?"

Harry waited for the hubbub to die down before he answered, "Aurors are guarding Azkaban."

Xerxes Terabend stood again and quickly interjected, "But surely there aren't enough Aurors to guard the new influx of prisoners? How are they managing?"

Hermione stood and said, "I'll take this one, Harry. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Hermione Granger. We are not privy to all the details of what goes on at Azkaban, for more information on that, you will need to contact Conner MacKinnon the new Chief Auror."

A slithery voice from the back row asked, "Ms. Granger, what do you think about Mr. MacKinnon's suggestion that the convicted Death Eaters should face capital punishment?"

Hermione answered, "I don't believe you introduced yourself, sir. I will still answer your question. I'm sure I speak for all of us here at the table when I state unequivocally that capital punishment should never return to the U.K. except for treason in a time of war." Everyone at the table with Harry and Hermione nodded their approval of her statement. She continued, "Even these convicted Death Eaters have some chance at redemption."

Harry answered a few more general questions about the events of the wake, before Rita Skeeter asked him a question he had not expected, "Harry, how's your love life. There were reports that Ginny Weasley was yelling at you just before the attack on the wake. I believe she was quoted as saying, 'I wish that You-Know-Who had killed you.' Is this true?"

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Harry put his hand on her shoulder and spoke, "My love life, if I have one, has no bearing on the attack on Fred's wake. I will not sit back and have my life examined like a bug under glass," he said looking pointedly at Rita.

Paracelsus Persimmon from The Quibbler stood again and shouted, "But dear boy, your love life is important to our readers! We know that you went to visit Ms. Luna Lovegood in the closed ward last night at St. Mungo's, we know that she was the cause of your argument with Ms. Weasley, we know that you were the last one seen with her at St. Mungo's before she disappeared. What have you done with Ms. Lovegood? My employer is most anxious to see his daughter alive and whole. I ask you again, what did you do to Ms. Lovegood?"

Harry voice started to rise in anger, "I didn't do anything to Luna. I could never hurt Luna or Ginny. All I can tell you is that Luna went missing from St. Mungo's. When I went to visit her, she was sitting up beside a friend's bed, but when I went back with a Healer, she was missing. I can tell you that she did not suffer the Dementor's Kiss, no matter what your sources say. I will not answer any further questions about Luna or Ginny. If any of you ask any more questions about them, then this press conference will be over!"

Rita Skeeter hardly waited for the shocked silence before she asked nastily, "So, Mr. Potter, I understand that you were unable to prevent the death of Ms. Gabrielle Delacour. I have reports that she was trampled to death by the crowd trying to escape the attackers."

Ron stood up and shouted, "Don't talk to Harry like that you Harpy. Harry would have saved Gabrielle if he could have. He—"

Harry interrupted Ron, "No, Ron, I accept the responsibility for Gabrielle's death. I was right by the crowd at the music stage when the attack started. I could see Gabrielle, but I lost sight of her when the first attacker appeared on the stage. I stunned him when I could have been saving Gabrielle. It's my fault that she died."

Ron turned his anger on Harry, "If you hadn't stunned that attacker, then who else might he have killed? You can't take responsibility for something you didn't cause!" Flashbulbs went off, capturing the tableau of an angry Ron shouting at Harry.

Hermione yanked Ron down to a sitting position in a none too gentle fashion as Harry continued speaking, "I know that many of you look up to me as a hero. The real heroes at the battle were Bill and Fleur Weasley and Neville Longbottom. When I went racing off to fight attackers, they were evacuating children out of danger. They were the ones who kept a clear head and did what needed to be done." Tears started to spill down Harry's cheeks as he continued, "Fleur Weasley, even when she was distraught because she couldn't find Gabrielle still managed to save children by taking them to her home." Harry turned his head to face Ron, "No, Ron, I need to shoulder some of the responsibility for Gabrielle's death."

Flashbulbs popped again, this time capturing Harry's tears.

Harry took a moment to gather himself before he continued the press conference. Harry answered a few more general questions about the wake, including the presence of the fireworks tent that exploded and his role in fighting off the attack on Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley and George.

Harry stood up to give his closing statement, "I want to say that even though this Ministry lied to us about the Dementors, that they did it to try and protect us. It is very different from Fudge's Ministry lying about Voldemort coming back. Fudge wasn't really trying to prevent a panic; he was just trying to hold onto his own fading power. Minister Shacklebolt is a good man who is not in love with his own power."

Only the people at the table saw what Harry saw next: Luna, still in her hospital gowns, barely covered over by a Healer's robe crept into the garden through the unlocked side gate. She was dirty, her hair all tangled and snarled, skinned knees peeking out from under her stolen robe and hospital gown. Harry lost all perspective in what he was saying, finding that Luna was the only thing he saw. He vaulted the table, all feelings of weariness gone for the moment, and ran to where Luna stood just inside the gate, clinging desperately to the gate to keep from falling. He arrived just in time to catch Luna in his arms as she started to fall to the earth. Flashbulbs popped again as Harry carried Luna into the Burrow.