Harry Potter and Responsibilities
Rated T
Disclaimer: This is not mine, okay? Do you have to be on my back 24/7??
A/N: This is a little fastforwarded, but only because the first draft of this chapter was dry and boring and stuff.
Chapter Twenty-One
Teddy's First Word
Harry brooded around his house, searching for the old copy he had of the book he used in Divination. There had to be something that could tell him what he needed. If only he could find it...
It was already the beginning of December and Harry had yet to figure out exactly what Ginny's Patronus had changed into and why it had even changed to begin with. It had not been Fred or George's (monkeys, the both of them) or Colin Creevey's (a terrier), or even anything similar to Harry's. All Harry could remember was it was large and hairy with four legs and had a lot of energy.
Sighing heavily, Harry went back to the living room, where Teddy was placed in the middle of the living room on a quilt made by Mrs. Weasley. The room was small, but Harry, Ron, Neville, and George had dressed it up to look somewhat decent so when Ginny and Hermione saw it over Christmas break they wouldn't automatically fuss over it. Somehow, Harry knew they would anyways.
Teddy was now going on nine months, a few sprouted teeth to prove it. He could sit up on his own now, and Andromeda had introduced food other than formula to his diet. As Harry knelt beside him to straighten the blanket, Teddy's eyes became a very lustrious violet. His hair, which somehow resembled Weasley-red, stood straight up and became bright green. Harry laughed.
Just then, a pecking noise came from the window. Harry sighed and opened it, snatching up the letter from Shacklebolt's owl, reading it quickly.
"Looks like we have to get you to Granny Weasley for the afternoon," Harry said to Teddy, disappointed that he had to go into work.
"Pop!" Teddy suddenly shouted, his hair now snow-white.
"Wait a second." Harry looked at Teddy. "Time to go, Teddy."
"Pop!"
"Pop?" Harry tried to think of where Teddy could pick up 'pop' faster than every other word. Apparating?
"Pop! Pop!" Teddy clapped his hands, and Harry sighed, scooping the little boy up. He snatched his bag hanging near the door and apparated over to the Burrow.
"I'm sorry to dump him off on you, Mrs. Weasley, but I got called in to work, and with Mrs. Tonks out of town..." Harry nearly jumped as Teddy was whisked from his arms.
"You need'nt worry, Harry. There's very little excitement anymore around here." Harry noticed her sad expression, and he squeezed her shoulder lightly.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he said, before turning and apparating to the Ministry. He approached Kingsley's desk, nearly smashing his fists upon it.
"Aren't we a little angry today?" Mitchell asked from the right of the desk, lounging with Ron, Nicole, and Neville.
"Am I not allowed to have a family?" Harry asked. His glasses fell askew on his face, and he made no move to correct them. "I specifically asked for this weekend off because I had my godson over."
"Aw, poor ickle Potter can't play with the baby," Mitchell said when Kingsley was silent.
"Mitchell! The last thing I need is your input!" Harry was prepared to pull his wand out of his pocket and curse Mitchell's buttocks off. "Kingsley, this better be damn important."
"I can tell that you're angry," Kinsley said.
"Don't play Dumbledore with me," Harry sighed. "Go on, get to the point."
"There's been an outbreak of dementors and lethifold near Durmstrang." Kingsley seemed calm, and Harry nearly hated it.
"Lethifold in Europe?" Nicole asked. "But Lethifold are rare, even in the tropics!"
"And isn't it a little peculiar, mind you, that both creatures are defended by the Patronus charm?" Harry asked. "I mean, it'd be one thing if it was one or the other, but both in one area? It's too suspicous." Nicole stood by Harry.
"That is why we're sending ten of you to investigate," Kinsley said.
"Ten?" Ron asked.
"We're pulling a team together right now. So far, we've assigned the five of you, along with Dawlish, Proudfoot, and Savage. I really wish we had more to pull."
"Potter, where's your random pool of friends to snatch things up from?" Nicole asked.
"What?" Harry asked.
"You have all these amazing kick-butt friends. Who can you call?" Nicole stared through Harry, who looked past her at Ron and Neville.
"The D. A. list?" Harry asked.
"The D. A. list," they confirmed. Harry turned to Kingsley.
"Give us about twenty-four hours," Harry said.
"Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?" Kinsley asked with a laugh.
"Make that twenty hours," Harry said with a grin.
"Well, get to it, boys," Nicole said. Harry wheeled Ron and Neville, whose eye had finally healed, down to his office. Tacked to his wall was the old parchment with "Dumbledore's Army" written at the top. Harry carefully took it down and offered the two chairs in his office to his friends as he paced around, looking at the list.
"Hannah," Harry read.
"Hannah can't do it," Neville said. "She's very ill."
"How did you know this?" Ron asked. "Merlin, Harry turns into... who knows what, and you're turning into Hermione..."
"It's called mail," Neville said, looking up at Harry.
"Lavender Br--"
"No," Ron said. "Simply no."
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"She--er--moved, I heard. Somewhere in America with her new boyfriend."
"Oh," Harry said, trying not to laugh. "Katie Bell."
"Maybe," Ron said as Neville nodded. Harry used his wand to write "Katie" in mid-air.
"Terry Boot," Harry read.
"No," Ron and Neville said in unison.
"Michael Corner--no," Harry said. "Colin...I mean, Dennis."
"Dennis is too young," Neville said. "He's only in his fifth year at Hogwarts."
"Mariehhhtta, ok, next one. Cho." Harry looked at his friends. "I hate to admit it, but she did have a nice Patronus."
"Your funeral," Ron said, and all the same Harry wrote "Cho" underneath "Katie."
At the end, the list read:
Katie
Cho
Ernie
Hermione (school)
Ginny (school)
Luna (school)
"Honestly, I think maybe Cho, Ernie, and Katie since they're out of school," Neville said. "Less problems."
"Here's the deal," Harry said. "I'm thinking that we can each call on one of the three out of school, and if any of them can't make it, I'll convince McGonagall. Those three could have full passage in here already if they wanted, plus whatever Kinsley says goes now that he's basically Minister, and he knows how good they are."
"I'll go to Cho's," Ron offered. "I hardly think you want to go on that trip."
"Right," Harry said. "Neville, how about you take Katie and I'll handle Ernie. Let's meet back in, say, three hours."
Three hours later, Harry slammed into his office. He was slightly perturbed that Ernie hadn't felt any desire to help him. He slouched in his chair until Neville and Ron both came back in.
"Katie fell off her broom and broke her wrist," Neville said. Harry sighed.
"Cho said she'd be delighted to get out and about," Ron told him with a laugh. Harry sighed heavier.
"Well, off to the school then," he said. He went to stand, but Neville pushed him back with a strength that surprised Harry.
"I'll go," Neville said. "Just sign some piece of paper and I'll take care of it. Your wonked and angry and I think you need an hour or so with Teddy."
"Pop," Harry muttered. "Fine. Go. Do it. We'll meet back here bright and early tomorrow morning, with whomever you can get out here."
"Consider it done," Neville said, walking out of the office. Harry looked up at Ron.
"I don't know what's up with you, mate," Ron said. "But I don't like it." Harry watched him leave before looking at himself in the mirror hung on the wall.
"What's wrong with me?" he asked his reflection, before standing. He threw his fist into the glass, then shook it and walked out. That night, nothing could really change his mood. He felt distant from the Weasleys as they chatted around the table, and when Harry took Teddy home for the night, Harry couldn't smile at Teddy's chapter. It was only when Teddy was sleeping soundly in his crib could Harry be in peace. Even then, he slept in the small nursery with his wand grasped in his hand.
A/N: Sorry to leave it on such a sour note, but I leave tomorrow (Wednesday) morning by 8 and I won't be back until around Friday. Enjoy, review, critique, do whatever makes you happy.