AN: Can you feel it? The ending to this story arc is getting close. This chapter and the next chapter show different aspects of the process of the mobilization process for those who seek to defend Hogwarts. Slight Weasley bashing but nothing astronomical; I always had a problem with how easily Harry had welcomed Ron back into the fold. Then again, I guess saving Harry's life from does give one some lee-way. Anyway, here is the chapter. I hope that you enjoy it and can take some time to let me know what you think. It was a surprisingly difficult chapter to write.
Chapter 14
"Hello Ron," said Luna adopting her Loony persona.
"Ron, what are you doing here?" spat Harry.
"More importantly, how did you get here?' asked Hermione.
"It was the lighter that Dumbledore left me," explained Ron. "I heard Harry say my name and wished that I could undo that night that I left the campsite. Then next thing I knew a bubble appeared and I saw you three talking with professor McGonagall. When she was leaving I worried that the connection would be broken so I reached for the bubble and, after a tug of magic, I found myself here."
"Ron, you left us when we needed you most," said Harry in a painfully sharp tone. Harry was about to say more when Hermione strode over to Ron and slapped him in the face.
"You wanker, how could you? If you heard our conversation with McGonagall then you know what we've been through. You weren't there for us then and we don't need you now," shouted Hermione. "Your whole family prides itself on being members of the house of bravery. Well, let me ask you this, where was your bravery that night in the forest?"
"She is right Ron, I was always proud to call you my best friend. I gave you my friendship easily on the Hogwarts Express our first year but this time you will have to earn it," added Harry.
"While I think you two have every right to be angry with Ronald I think that you should probably keep in mind just how desperate the situation is; we just asked McGonagall for help. Maybe you should give Ronald the chance to redeem himself," suggested Luna.
"Thanks, Luna. Harry… Hermione… I'm sorry for abandoning you. I know what you must think of me because of it. Every day I hurt on the inside and wished that I had never made the decision to leave. I couldn't be by your side for all that you've faced but I promise to stand by you now. I know it's asking a lot but just give me a chance," pleaded Ron.
"This doesn't mean that we forgive you," stated Harry while looking at his one-time best friend. "Prove yourself in the battle and it will go a long way in repairing our friendship."
Minerva McGonagall had just gotten back to her quarters. During her walk back from the Room of Requirement her pride in her students had swelled and she knew that she would do anything to keep the students of Hogwarts safe. Unbeknownst to her, the castle registered her dedication to the well-being of the students and deemed her the successor to Dumbledore. This gave the already powerful Transfiguration professor a sizable increase to her already deep magical reserves.
She went to the Journey Book that connected her to the other members of the Order of the Phoenix and began writing.
Fellow Order members,
I call upon you at this hour to let you know that I have it from a good source that an attack on Hogwarts is imminent. Hogwarts must not fall to the Dark Lord; Hogwarts is the symbol of hope for the magical world for two reasons. First, much of the population attended Hogwarts when they were younger and consider Hogwarts to be one of the safest places in Magical Britain. Second, tomorrow the children arrive. The children are our future; if we let the Dark Lord have his way then it will be a very dark future, indeed. Please hear my cry and realize what is at stake, the last stand is upon us and we will need every able bodied wizard on our side if we hope to stand against the might of the Dark Lord. I have associates who have managed to create a secure Floo that will allow those who seek to protect Hogwarts and its students to enter the castle.
-M.M.
Minerva McGonagall had set things in motion. Now the only thing to do was to wait and see who responded to her call. She promised herself that she would keep the students safe and her recently reinforced power combined with her devotion began to strengthen the wards responsible for protecting the castle.
The mood in the Room of Requirement was tense. Although Hermione and Harry saw the value of having another wand at their side for the coming battle, they had no desire to engage in pleasantries with their no longer estranged friend. Although Ron and Luna were more acquaintances than actual friends, instead of encroaching on his fellow Gryffindors he sought her company.
"I wish that they would just put it behind them," whispered Ron. "Why can't life be more like Wizard's Chess?"
"If you are asking that then I think that you missed the reason for which everyone is fighting," answered Luna. "In Wizards' Chess there is one king that controls every other piece. In real life Voldemort wants to be that king and he has staged this war to achieve that goal. We fight him so that everyone has the right to be their own king; so that everyone has the right to choose their own path."
Ron stared at her blankly for a second as he attempted to process what Luna had just said. "Ok Luna, whatever that means… It just seems like life would be so much simpler if it was like Wizards' Chess."
"I thought that you may have a Wrackspurt on the brain and you have just proved it," replied Luna in an airy voice.
Just then, the fire place came to life in a burst of green flames that indicated that someone would be arriving via the Floo network. This event captured the attention of every witch and wizard in the room. Without thinking, Harry and Hermione had drawn their wands and pointed them at the fireplace. Luna and Ron were quick to follow their lead and aim their wands at the fireplace also. In a quick procession from the fireplace stepped Bill and Fleur Weasley.
Bill and Fleur were ecstatic when they realized that McGonagall's reliable source was none other than Harry Potter.
"'Arry," exclaimed Fleur as she rushed forward to give Harry a hug when she saw her fellow Triwizard champion. "Where 'ave you been?"
"It is such a relief to know that you are all safe," said Bill. "Mom was frantic when you three disappeared from the wedding. We heard about you three breaking into the Ministry. Where have you been since then?"
"That is kind of a long story," answered Harry while glancing toward Hermione. "We were doing everything we could to make sure that we would be able to defeat Voldemort."
Bill turned to address Ron. "Hopefully you didn't do anything too dangerous. Mom was worrying herself gray over you."
"Oh, you didn't run back to your mommy when you left us Ron," spat Hermione. "You must have realized that the only thing that would have made her more upset with you than going on dangerous missions with your friends would be you running away and leaving your friends to face that danger by themselves."
Ron looked very uncomfortable. "I said I'm sorry and I'm here now."
Bill's jaw clenched when he heard Hermione leveling the accusation toward his brother. The Weasley parents had strove to engrain in their children the importance of protecting those who are important to you. "Ron, is what Hermione said true?"
Ron felt the disappointment radiating from his brother. "Yeah, the mission got to my head and I couldn't take anymore. I'm not proud that I made my friends face the dangers that they faced without me but I will do anything to make up for my mistake."
"Well, what 'ave you been doing?" questioned Fleur while looking very unimpressed with her brother-in-law.
"I first went to Diagon Ally and was able to get a room in the Leaky Cauldron but I realized I couldn't just wash dishes and clean a tavern while Harry and Hermione were out there. So, I went back to the place where we made camp and couldn't find them. I wandered the wood for a while and came across a group of muggle-borns who were on the run from You-Know-Who and his people. A group of Snatchers was somehow managing to track them using their Wizarding Wireless receiver; I helped fight them off," concluded Ron.
"That was nice," Luna chimed in while beaming at the other people in the room. "It's always good to help people who are less capable."
"Luna is right, although you shouldn't have abandoned your friend I won't hex you because you were able to save a group of people from a terrible fate," dead-panned Bill.
"Harry and Hermione were very brave when they broke into Malfoy manor to save me," added Luna.
Bill and Fleur were incredulous that Luna was so casual about the fact that she had been kidnapped. However, in order to avoid having to repeat the tale for every new arrival Harry decided to steer the conversation in another direction. "Anyway, how have things been for the two of you since the wedding?"
"Well, we didn't exactly get to have our dream honey moon with the Ministry falling but at least our family hasn't been subjected to the scrutiny that other families have faced. Luckily, they bought that the ghoul was Ron with Dragon Pox. We've been staying in Shell Cottage and keeping a low profile when we weren't out Order missions," answered Bill.
A fire erupted in the fireplace Right as Bill was finishing his explantion indicating that more people would be arriving shortly."Wotcher," greeted Nymphadora Tonks when she appeared in the firsplace. She stepped out of the way and was quickly followed by Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
The conversation that followed was pretty similar to the conversation that had just occurred. Harry and Hermione kept the majority of their adventure to themselves and only had to go into detail once due to a comment from Luna. However, since Luna had not been with them the entire journey there were not many details that she could inadvertently share with the new arrivals. Like Bill and Fleur, the new arrivals were very disappointed that Ron had abandoned his friends. However, more than anything, they were glad to hear that the whole group had safely made it to Hogwarts. Eventually, the rest of the Order arrived and Hermione called professor McGonagall to let her mentor know that the defensive force was in position.
In her quarters Minerva McGonagall reminisced, thinking over the years that Harry and Hermione had spent as Gryffindors. Even though she tried to avoid doing so, McGonagall had frequently cast the two as a second coming of James and Lily and hoped that they would be able to find each other in the romantic sense. In their first year she saw Harry save the young muggle-born Hermione despite the fact that the two were not friends. After that, to McGonagall, it was obvious that the love that Hermione had misinterpreted the love that she felt toward Harry as familial.
Minerva McGonagall had witnessed the way that Hermione's petrification had affected Harry during his second year when the Chamber of Secrets had been reopened. When they were third years McGonagall was proud that Hermione wanted to prove her abilities as a muggle-born witch by learning as many facets of magic as possible and thus had petitioned on the young witch's behalf for a Time-Turner. At first it had seemed like the getting the Time-Turner for Hermione at that age was a mistake; Hermione was ostracized from Harry and the rest of her peers. However, she had also heard the way that Hermione had encouraged Harry to access the power to fend off over 100 Dementors who sought to take the souls of the Harry Potter from the original timeline and Sirius Black.
Then the young pair was tested again in their fourth year when Minerva was forced to watch the students of Hogwarts, her Gryffindors included, shun young Potter. Once again, it was Miss Granger who had stood by his side; Miss Granger spent hours practicing spells with Harry to make sure that he was properly prepared. Then as fifth years, it was Hermione who had put her faith in Harry to teach her and the rest of the group known as Dumbledore's Army how to defend themselves from the darkness that had risen.
Minerva knew how the two gravitated toward one another and hoped that they would realize that, when it comes to love, there is no time like the present.