(a/n): Thanx for the reviews
Alot said the same thing. I think I surprised most everyone with Ginny dying. And I'm pleased that she garnered some tears. Quite the switch from the jealous, coniving %#%$ -- wasn't it.
So, yep, the war is over. Gonna play in the postwar world for a few chapters. Answer questions, mourn the dead, reward the heroes & the like.
Got an early chapter review commenting that Hufflepuffs don't have Potions with Gryffindors. Perhaps, but, in the movie Susan sat next to Ron. Cheers to Chris Columbus!
53 – Starting Over
Harry awoke naturally the next morning, though something foreign was in his mouth. It brought him to full consciousness rather suddenly. And, the cause was just as quickly obvious "Eww … hair!" he complained "Well, at least it's not Ron-hair. Not sure I could stand that. No way that's a comfortable way to sleep."
"Mr. Potter! You have been here enough to know my patients do not get out of bed in my hospital without my authorization!" Madam Pomfrey shouted, rushing in. She had been instantly alerted by his movements.
Harry squeezed her shoulder and apologized "Not going anywhere, Poppy. I just didn't care for hair in my mouth." He eased Susan fully into her chair and tucked a pillow behind her back, then sat on the edge of the bed near the foot.
"Just like that?" the Healer asked, deeply surprised "How do you feel?"
Harry shrugged "That's hard to say. Almost normal. Lonely is the first thing that comes to mind. Bit of a headache, too."
"Do you feel the need for an Analgesia Potion dose?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
He declined with a headshake "It's not too bad, and I don't know if it would help, anyway. Probably pass."
"As you say." She replied, then she performed several diagnostic spells. Different parts of Harry's body glowed red, green or purple for several seconds. Then "Well, in my opinion, you are a normal, quite fit teenage boy. By rights, that means Miss Bones should be on the opposite side of the room."
Harry only chuckled "I don't think I have that much energy. Did…anyone else (ulp) die?"
"No, Mr. Potter." She replied "And I very much appreciate not having to do my job too much. We had some wounded. Mostly minor. Only a couple serious. Even the most severe were released before you woke up."
Harry was very pleased with that. He knew that a lot of Death Eaters had been slain, and was relieved that no others lost their lives. After Madam Pomfrey departed Harry sat in his bed, closed his eyes and thought. This was really the first time he'd been awake long enough to consider what happened over the last couple of months. By the time he was done, the jumble of memories had some semblance of order. What he really wanted were specific answers. Questions that could only be dealt with by one person. He concentrated on an image and called out "NICOLAS FLAMEL!"
"Is he asleep?" Remus whispered.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head, replying "I doubt it. He has been like that for over half an hour."
"Guess not." said Harry as he opened his eyes "Remus, Tonks, Ron, Hermione."
Hermione asked "What were you doing, just now?"
"Trying to contact the only one that can answer some of my questions." Harry replied, with a touch of bitterness "But I guess I'm on my own. Ron, mate, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
Ron shrugged "Nothing you coulda done. She made it clear before …well y'know… At least most of us got a chance to say goodbye. Thanks for that. Looks like you didn't get off quite free either."
"Ronald!" Hermione nudged him. To the puzzled looking Harry, she added "Ignore him."
He gave her what wasn't quite a dirty look, pointed his wand at a nearby mirror and directed it into Harry' hand.
Curious, Harry took it. His face seemed the same. He still had everything, nose, eyes, mouth (obviously, since he could talk) ears even. Scar seemed to have faded some. It was the hair that made him jump and squeak "YAAH!" Formerly, black and quite uncontrollable. There were now noticeable patches of grey here and there. "I'm a bloody old man!"
"You couldn't have let me ease him into it?" a grumpy, sleepy, Susan complained through a jaw-cracking yawn.
Ron shrugged, unrepentantly, and quoted "Picture's worth a thousand words. That one's probably worth a thousand Galleons!"
"MR. WEASLEY!" Madam Pomfrey called from her office "OUT!!"
Remus hid a grin and said "Yes, Ronald, that was wrong of you. Very wrong. Off with you! Really, it's not so bad, Harry. You still look younger than me."
"Well it was worth it to see him laugh." Harry commented as he watched his friend's departing back "And good morning to you."
Susan offered a hesitant smile and asked "How are you? Are you you?"
"That's what I spent the last half hour trying to answer." admitted Harry "As far as I can tell … yes. No we ams or I ares, anymore. What I wanted was a definite answer, and for that I really want to talk to Flamel, either of them. But---"
Tonks interrupted, asking "You do remember that Trel …err… Perenelle was murdered by Vold … uhh… You-Know-Who?"
"Still can't say the name?" Harry asked, with a faint sneer "I'll never believe that. Voldemort didn't kill Perenelle. They may not be here anymore. But they're not dead. Maybe if there was still a Harnevra then, we could contact them."
Susan trembled slightly and said "No offense, but I'd rather have you just as you are."
"Remus, you think you can get everyone who was in on the secret together?" Harry requested "I'd like to only tell this story once. Let everyone ask their questions. Figure it out as best we can."
The werewolf looked slightly troubled, he commented cautiously "The Weasleys took Ginny's death rather hard. And not all of them are …uhh… well disposed to you."
"Mu-Molly hasn't had a nice word for me in almost two years." Harry said. He'd almost called the Weasley matriarch Mum, and everyone had noticed it. "If she doesn't want to be there, that's her problem. I definitely won't repeat it for her."
Out in the corridor, Tonks was amused "I imagine Molly won't take well to an ultimatum."
"That worries me the most, Dora." Remus replied "He isn't like the Harry I taught."
She put an arm around his waist and countered "Bit of a Jeykll and Hyde? Rather like a certain wolf I'm fond of. You and Sirius tore Greyback to shreds. He's been through things that killed lesser Wizards. And something that is impossible to even wrap my mind around. All that and he's not even legal yet."
"No Amelia?" was the first thing Harry noted.
A fairly large group, consisting of the Weasley family, the Bones family, Sirius, a handful of Aurors and the senior Hogwarts staff had gathered in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The Headmistress' office was too small for everyone to be comfortable. The occupants just sat in whatever desk was convenient.
McGonagall took the lead "Perhaps we should brief you on current affairs. A few days after Voldemort's fall, Minister Bones led an attack against the Umbridge Regime. Those loyal to the usurper were both badly outnumbered and disaffected, besides. Lack of pay seems to have been a major factor."
"Gotta keep the troops fed." Frank offered as an aside.
The Headmistress nodded "And the Minister had a firm grasp of that, and the purse strings. There was a show of resistance. A handful of spells swapped. Then, a mass surrender. All told, I believe there were only ten casualties on both sides."
"Tell him the disgusting part." Paula said, with a shudder.
Arthur took this "To bring along all the Pureblood fanatics and, probably to satisfy Riddle, Umbridge pushed through a series of anti-Muggle decrees. Many Muggleborn witches and wizards were imprisoned, experimented on, subjected to torture, starved. Room 404 will be forever loathed."
"That's Horrible!" exclaimed Harry "And that went on---"
Hermione nodded "From the day Dumbledore was killed. Some of it is still coming out. Madam Bones is publishing everything. The Quibbler, The Prophet, Witch Weekly, Quidditch Monthly. Pictures, interviews with victims. The only good part is she was only in power two months."
"Umbridge?" asked Harry.
Ron replied "Gone. Vanished."
"Can we move on?" Mrs. Weasley demanded "I would rather appreciate knowing why you are alive instead of my daughter."
Sirius turned an impressive shade of puce. The only reason he didn't speak was the almost comical reversal of the kick under the table that Arthur dished out to his wife.
"Say something like that again and I'll toss you out on your arse." Harry threatened "I already hate you. The only reason you're here is because it's what Ginny would've wanted."
"Kind of harsh, mate." Ron protested, faintly.
A bit of Harry's anger deflated "Alright, she's your mother. But she hasn't given me a break. One more word about me and, far as I'm concerned she can get the story from someone else."
"Agreed!" Arthur shouted over the beginning of another comment from Molly.
"I think to understand what happened, you need to understand how." Harry began "The lot of you know what Horcruxes are. We destroyed a bunch of them in Professor Sprout's greenhouse. The Aurors destroyed the snake, Nagini, which was the last. There were two others."
"You … well, both of …whatever" Ron still had difficulty with talking about Harnevra "explained that, the one that possessed Ginny. And Snake-face himself."
Hermione shook her head "No, I don't think so, Ron."
"Ten points for Gryffindor!" Harry quipped.
Percy gave a dirty look "You cannot award points, Potter."
"You want to take over?" asked Harry, ignoring the middle Weasley and glancing at Hermione.
She shook her head "I'd rather know, than guess."
"Spoilsport!" he joked "Right, as Hermione has probably guessed, there was another Horcrux." He tapped his forehead and explained "That one got dumped in my head when my parents were murdered."
Now, Hermione was nodding her head "That was the missing piece." She said "I wasn't sure, now I am. The Riddle piece somehow got mixed up with the Voldemort piece when they fought in the Ministry Prison Ward."
"Take ten more!" Harry offered. Irritating Percy didn't bother him at all. "So, me and Ginny defeated a bit more than half of Voldemort that night. But, didn't quite destroy those pieces. They were the glue that held us together as one person. Just like my blood brought him back to life. A lot of that last fight is hard for me to explain. I don't even think I understand it all. But, well, it's funny but Voldemort could never see past me. To him, Harnevra was just Harry."
Frank nodded and offered "That rather makes sense. In just the same way as his charge was straight at the castle's front gate. Had I been leading that army, I would have at least explored the other openings. Or, more likely used the big, noisy frontal demonstration to sneak a small force in."
"I'm not sure how many he knew about." Harry answered "But, at least The Chamber. And, he might not even have known I had been there. We'll never know. Anyway, just like we'd been showing everyone in the Defense League lessons, Harnevra used an Advanced Legilimency attack that almost finished him off with one shot. It wasn't quite enough, though. Without Nicolas' teaching I would never have stood a chance. I'm pretty sure even with it I couldn't have done it alone. If Tom and Voldemort had gotten together---" Harry shivered at the thought.
Arthur speculated "Maybe, just maybe, we should not have prevented it. The two of them just might have killed each other."
"That wouldn't have done Ginny any good." replied Harry.
Molly snorted disgustedly "I fail to see any difference. Possessed by you, possessed by You-Know-Who, and either way she's --- my baby's ---gone."
"It wasn't like that!" Harry said angrily. Then, more reasonably, "Look …there wasn't any possession… It's real hard to describe. But, neither of us exactly existed while Harnevra did. But I know when I woke up myself again … the closest would be … I guess like Mr. Bones… waking up to find you're missing a hand, only more so. For a minute I didn't know how to be me."
Madam Pomfrey bobbed her head in understanding "It is something fairly common." She explained "If we have to regrow a limb, we have to relearn how to use it. Or even if someone is bedridden for an extended period, they likely would have to learn to walk again."
"Harry, can you … and please, don't take this the wrong way … can you explain why it is you survived and Ginny did not?" asked Arthur.
Harry did feel a flash of anger. But, he recognized the difference in the way Arthur's phrasing, versus Molly's. "I am sorry that she died. Please, believe that D-uhh Mr. Weasley." He said "Maybe after I finish with the fight it'll make sense. We had a plan like Amelia did with the Hogwarts battle. Get Voldemort to concentrate all his effort into defending…umm… front isn't exactly the right word, the front of his mind. And, then, slip around and sneak in the back door."
"I think those of us with training get the general idea, Potter." Moody offered.
Nodding, he concluded "Well, basically, it worked. But, right then, just before, literally just before he died Voldemort hit back. I don't know where it came from. At that point I coulda sworn he had nothing left. And, he hit that spot where we were …I dunno, sown together… Right then, is the last Harnevra memory I have. Next thing I remember is waking up here. WAIT! Nagini!"
"Dead!" Moody assured him "Fiendfyred…along with the entire Malfoy Manor. Then Amelia ordered the ashes scattered in a long thin line over the Atlantic from here to the Falklands."
Harry's eyes bulged "Did they actually get that far!?"
"Not quite." Moody replied. "But, you'd be surprised how far a few tons of ashes can be spread at a pinch at a time."
"A homeless bouncing Ferret." Ron reflected, looking off into space "Almost makes me wish he'd come back to school."
Susan grunted "Anything less than life is getting off lucky!"
"If Aunt Ami hadn't been looking over my shoulder, he'd'a gotten a case of permanent lead poisoning." Frank added, hatefully.
Molly gave the siblings ugly glares and said "Well, it seems to me that your precious aunt only enforces the law when and how it suits her needs."
"That's enough!" Harry snapped as he slapped his desktop "Meeting over! And I know what that remark meant! As far as I'm concerned I don't see much difference between them and Voldemort!"
Not long afterward, Susan and Harry were out by the front gates, right by the vast hole caused by the booby-trap set up by her aunt. The dust had long since settled out and bodies removed. Headmistress McGonagall wanted it filled in as soon as possible, but there was a growing opinion that sought to preserve it. For a long time, they just sat there in silence. The only real contact was their shoulders touching. Finally, Harry said "She's a genius for setting this up like she did. Almost like she was reading his mind."
"On behalf of Auntie, thank you for the compliment." Susan replied "I understand now why I never got away with anything when I was over her house. She read every parchment of questioning from Death Eaters that surrendered, or were captured. Some she did herself. Then, she'd just sit there with that blank look of hers, sometimes for hours. And one day, she said she had the answer. Sent Frank out to contact his old captain and a bunch of us went to your vault. Hermione about had a cow when she saw some of the book titles. Ron passed out and fell into a stack of Galleons. We must have gone back twenty times."
Harry shrugged off the amount of money that her story implied "I'm just glad it worked. Though, I'm still sorry for all the people that it killed."
"Now you're just getting depressed. Come on!" she ordered, getting to her feet and offering a hand.
Harry gazed up with a quizzical look and asked "Where are we going?"
"To the left." She countered lightly
Harry remembered the reference to their first date and allowed her to lead the way to Lake Hogwarts. Away from the destruction, he began to allow pleasant feelings to wash over him. Mostly centered on her hand in his. "Thanks, I needed this." He said "I worked out what I wanted to say, but Molly just wouldn't shut up. But there were things I only wanted to tell you."
"Alright." Susan answered, somewhat nervously.
"Harnevra was really part me, part Ginny." He explained "Every thought, every feeling. Harnevra was a very confused person especially at first. Some people, like Hermione, Madam Pomfrey, Arthur, and Amelia, both of us liked. So they were easy. Sirius was a problem, both of us liked him, but nothing … he wouldn't accept Harnevra at all and it hurt. I think I'm going to have some trouble trusting him. The two people Harnevra had the hardest time dealing with were you and Molly."
Susan frowned "I don't think I really like being compared to her."
"Please, Sue, I'm not trying to make you angry." He said hastily "I just want you to understand. At least as much as makes sense to me. From my point of view, I love you, and hate Molly. Ginny was exactly the reverse. Now, just picture one person trying to make sense of that. It's one of the things that made Harnevra go off on his own to deal with the Horcruxes."
Susan couldn't help it, she suddenly giggled "How did you decide Harnevra was a man? None of us could make any sense of it?"
"I didn't." Harry said "Well … (hahaha)… now I get it. To be honest I don't know how to answer that."
Susan shrugged, and said "Fair enough. But, there's something bothering me. I overheard Ron and the twins talking and he said something, jokingly, but it upset me."
"Ron does that. Sharp as a pillow, sometimes." He said, in an apologetic tone.
She laughed "Ohh… cut it out. He couldn't be an idiot and beat Daddy at chess. Course, he didn't win every game."
"Wow!" exclaimed Harry "Ron lost and I missed it. DAMN!"
"Don't change the subject!" she said sharply.
Harry chuckled and said "Sorry. So, what did Ron say?"
"He said and I quote Guess it is possible to bugger yourself." Susan replied in as masculine a voice as she could manage.
Harry shook his head in amusement and said "Only Ron. But, no, I can see why that would bother you. And, I am sorry. There is something that I was going to tell only you, no matter what I told everyone else."
"Lemme guess" she said "You're pregnant?"
Harry gaped at her in shock. Then, a telltale twitch of her eyebrow alerted him that he was being teased "Ah… no… strictly all boy left. I did pick up a new word from Hermione, though. And I guess it would fit as well as any. Ever hear of a hermaphrodite?"
"Yeah, you don't need to explain." Susan answered.
"Well that's one embarrassment off the list." He said "But, what I wanted to say was that as far as I can tell I can remember all of Ginny's life beside my own."
It took a minute for her to process that. Then she asked "All of it?"
"Seems to." He replied "Can't say completely for certain. And, to tell you the truth some of it is a little creepy."
Susan frowned in thought and curiosity made her ask "What?"
"Well, I guess I can deal with a memory of kissing Dennis Creevey. Though blokes aren't my thing." He said, in a strange tone. Then he scratched at his neck and added "And I really don't want memories of Finnegan. But, what's real …err… ODD, is her memories of her and me." His thought ended with a shudder that stopped their walk.
Susan had gone a couple extra steps and had to turn around to face him. When she did her complexion was almost purple with repressed laughter. She commented "You know that was almost what I was thinking the whole time you were gone. Let me tell you, I was almost crazy with jealousy. Except I never thought of it exactly that way."
"Glad you're amused." He said sarcastically.
On the edge of bursting, she altered her expression to a sneer, and in a weak Snape imitation said "You must be thrilled, Potter. As if your ego needed another boost."
"Three hundred points from Hufflepuff!" he sneered back.
After wiping tears from her eyes, Susan said "Sorry, that image just leapt into my head. Worth every point too. Look, I promise I won't tell another soul. And, I appreciate your confidence."
"Does all this fun at my expense mean we're alright?" he asked, suddenly serious.
The change in the tone of the conversation surprised Susan. "I thought sitting by your bed for three weeks answered that." She said "Honestly, I don't think I could have handled anything more than friends …and probably not close ones… with… Harnevra. Sorry, it was just too strange. But, I never stopped loving Harry Potter." Her wrap up included a soft kiss on the lips.
"Think we could just talk about nothing and walk for a bit?" asked Harry "I missed you."
She offered her arm and suggested "We could count the leaves on the ground."
"Sounds good to me." He chuckled.
Hours later, Susan had turned in for the night. The Marauders' Map – version 1 was in use "Bloody hell!" cursed Ron Weasley "I was starting to think they were gonna become one person!"
"We could have gotten them for breaking curfew." Hermione suggested "We are prefects after all."
Ron just rolled his eyes at her. Both of them knew how much authority they had over their friend. He folded up the map and said "Let's go. He's going to the kitchens."
"How do you know that?" she asked "He could be coming here?"
Ron looked back and said "Bet'cha a Knut?"
"Well, just for the fun of it." She said "Why not?"
Shortly thereafter, wearing a self-satisfied grin, he said "Told ya so."
"Park it." Harry said, with a food-filled grin.
Hermione put her hand over her eyes and groused "Honestly! Harry! Talk or chew! Not both!"
Gulp! Harry swallowed and laughed "Sorry. Hey! Dobby!"
"Yes sir! Harry Potter Sir!" the elf's voice sounded almost before he appeared. "Harry Potter Sir is the greatest wizard that ever lived! Defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! M---"
Harry pressed his hand over Dobby's mouth and said "Harry Rule #4 Dobby…shhh… He-Who-is-Hippogriff-Dung is gone. Forever. Now, please, another pitcher of pumpkin juice…no, make that two. You guys want anything to eat?"
"It's almost midnight, Harry." Hermione said.
Ron shook his head and also said "Just the pumpkin juice is fine, thanks."
"You want to talk about earlier, right." Harry said. It wasn't a question. Then he laughed at his friend's bug-eyed expression "Good thing you're not eating. Do you know, Ron, I was always jealous of you?"
Hermione took a sip of her juice to hide a smile, thinking 'This is worth far more than that Knut.'
"That summer before Second Year." He explained "I'd'a traded all the Galleons in that vault Hagrid took me to, to have a family like yours. I thought they were perfect. Even that mouse that kept squeaking and running away from me."
They all shared a laugh at Ginny's expense. The boys more than Hermione, because she hadn't been there at the time. "Didn't know she knew how to shut up." Ron giggled, although there was a sadness in it.
"That's what hurt the most, with your Mother." Harry said, suddenly gloomy "For three years she was the Mum I never had. Then all at once, I'm ---well--- you remember."
Hermione spun her glass a couple of times, then said "Harry, about the way I figure it, you and Ginny were one person. So doesn't that mean you would know what she knew? And vice versa?"
"I haven't really thought too hard about it." He answered, following through on his decision that only Susan would ever know the whole story "I can remember what Harnevra did, just as if I did it. But anything Ginny…it's hard to describe. Like, I know about the exploding toilet seat from before I even met you guys. But, it's like someone told me about it."
Ron's ears turned pink "Ya hafta choose that?" he muttered.
"First thing that came to mind, mate." Harry only half apologized "He's really a good guy, Hermione. There was also the time she hurt herself…can't tell you how… but, he carried her home on his back. I think they were six or seven."
Ron blushed even more, but filled in the rest of the story "We went swimming in the creek behind the house. Ginny twisted her ankle. Mum was pissed. I got grounded for a month. But it was her fault. She knew we weren't supposed to go there by ourselves."
"Hermione? How's Shirley?" asked Harry. "Haven't seen her around."
Looking sad, she replied "Home. Since the battles are over, Her parents insisted she take some time off and rest. They've always known something about magic, because of Professor Bones. But they've seen the evil that can be done. She's scared. Harry, I know I thanked Harnevra for helping. But, no matter how it works out, thank you. I know you would have done the same."
"That reminds me!" Harry exclaimed, snapping his fingers "Harnevra also promised Neville to do the same for his parents."
She grabbed his sleeve as he tried to leave and cautioned "Don't go rushing into that. It is almost midnight, first of all. And, secondly, are you sure you can do everything Harnevra could?"
"No..,. I can't." he admitted, deflating "That's something that bothers me. I feel like I'm walking around like Moody. With one good leg and one good eye."
Ron took a deep breath and released it rather noisily "That leads into what I wanted to ask about. I know Mum was way the wrong person to bring it up. And, I know how you feel. Hell, I'd be with you all the way, even. But they're my brothers, too. Isn't there something you can do?"
"I'll tell you something I said to Sue." Harry replied "You two, a few others. Both of us got along with. Actually, it was her and Mrs. Weasley that Harnevra couldn't deal with. I don't know… can't even begin to guess… what might have happened… if Harnevra had met Bill or Charlie. It probably would depend on how they reacted. If they acted like she did, to tell the truth, they might've ended up dead."
Both of them flinched. Hermione's hand covered Ron's suddenly clenched fist "You couldn't have, Harry. Could you?" she asked.
"That night at the Ministry;" Harry reminded them "Seconds after beating Tom. Harnevra killed a dozen Death Eater disguised Aurors, then transported over fifty people from all over the building from London all the way here. One look in Harnevra's eyes, in the Manor, Crabbe just died."
Hermione shook her head "Not really what I meant, Harry. Ability to do it, yes, that I understand. What I'm talking about is, and forget Harnevra for a minute, do you think you could kill either of them."
"If they threatened me, or Sue, then yes absolutely." He replied "Sorry, Ron."
Ron sighed, pushed his hands through his hair, growled, and slapped his glass off the table "If you can really remember even some of Ginny's life," he said "then look at some of that. They weren't always bad guys. I hate thinking of them in Azkaban."
"Alright." Harry offered reluctantly "But, no promises. And before I decide anything…well… it shouldn't just be my decision at all."
Hermione felt it was a good moment for her to end the evening "Maybe we should get back to the tower. Before the sun comes up. Still have the cloak?"
"Of course, I do." Harry replied, pulling out one of his prized possessions.
Ron smirked and asked "Is Miss Hermione Granger suggesting we break the rules?"
"I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, Ronald." She said, primly.
Harry tossed the cloak over all their heads, coughed and pitching his voice as best he could, added "Now why don't we all get to bed before we get killed…or, worse… EXPELLED!"
"I was twelve!" she whispered, harshly.
Harry's yelp was all out of proportion to the light kick he received in his shin.
Later, the trio arrived at the Tower of Stairs. They saw Luna Lovegood running and froze.
"Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter." She said in a slightly winded voice "Please take off that cloak so we can talk." And, after they complied, explained "Please come with me to the Hospital Wing. Neville has done something extremely Gryffindorry. He is in great danger."
