22: Percy & Prophecies
Back at school, after being with Ginny all weekend, Harry found himself even more distracted than before. Everything seemed colorless to him - darker and lacking life. His parting from Ginny had, of course, been challenging - but mostly because he didn't know when he would be back, as Dumbledore had not yet told him when he could return. The headmaster had been called away unexpectedly to London on Sunday evening, and Harry had arrived to an empty office, with only Fawkes to greet him.
Spending Monday in classes seemed a bit senseless to Harry for some reason, and he did not attempt to hide his unhappiness. The next day, Hermione, finally exasperated at his lack of motivation, made a point of snapping at him, trying to get him to pay attention. Ron had given him a sympathetic look but had then advised him that Quidditch practice that night would be from six until nine, to make up for his absence during the weekend. Feeling the start of a headache, he eventually avoided his two friends and what he was sure were their well-meaning attempts to cheer him up, and had escaped to the library. Staring out the window and watching the rain begin to fall, Harry struggled to keep his conflict to himself and tried very hard not to think of what Ginny and he had got up to in that clearing of theirs - the sun warm against their skin and the light shining brightly on her hair...
"Bloody hell, mate. You're worse than before you left. Break out of it," Ron said as he snapped his fingers in front of Harry's face. Harry pulled his head back and blinked angrily at his friend as Ron sat down at the table.
"If you or Hermione would give me a moment's peace, I might be able to focus," Harry muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Ron asked, staring at him.
Harry sighed. "I said I was wondering where you and Hermione were."
Ron gave him a skeptical look but pulled his books out of his knapsack, clearly not wanting to argue. The two friends sat in quiet for a while until Harry heard Ron sigh and close his book. Harry glanced at his friend, who was shaking his head. "Look, Harry, I know you love her, but...if this is how it's going to be every time you come back from there...I don't know, maybe it's a good thing that you don't go so often."
Harry bit back his reply and kept his attention on the book in front of him. Ron, however, had warmed to his subject.
"I mean, maybe it's for the best. It's only been two days, and you're walking around like someone died." Ron paused as Harry continued to stare at his book. His friend cleared his throat and continued. "You two are so intense, you know, and...now, since Ginny's out of the way, maybe you can use this time to focus on other things that are important."
Harry looked up from his book and narrowed his eyes. "Such as?"
Ron pursed his lips and gave him a stubborn look, and at that moment, he reminded Harry very much of Hermione. "Such as school, for one. She's safe, Harry. You don't have to be worrying about her. And you can work on your defense."
"And my Quidditch, of course."
"Of course," Ron said, nodding. He then frowned at Harry. "You know that's not what I meant."
Harry looked at his friend, nonplussed that he was receiving a lecture about school from Ron, of all people. He suddenly realized something. "You're glad I sent Ginny away, aren't you? I mean, I know you were cross because you lost your best Chaser, but really, you're...you're happy, aren't you?"
Ron's face turned pink, but he didn't look away from Harry's gaze. "Yeah, I admit it. I am happy. She's...she's taken care of at that abbey, isn't she? I don't have to worry about her getting into something she can't handle, and I don't have to worry about you -"
Ron stopped, closing his mouth suddenly. Harry felt disagreeable inside.
"What, Ron? What were you going to say? You don't have to worry about me getting her into danger, is that it? I'm the reason Malfoy's targeted her, right? I'm the reason Voldemort went to such elaborate plans. Yes, I know, Ron. I know I've made a huge mistake in letting everyone know how much I care about your sister. I've sent her away to try to take care of that blunder. But just because I sent her away doesn't mean I don't still love her or want to be with her. You get to be with Hermione every day - how can you even begin to know how I should be feeling or acting right now?"
Harry heard his voice echo loudly after he was through and realized everyone in the library was staring at him and that he'd been shouting. He stood up and slammed his book closed, picking up his bag. He didn't look at Ron as he angrily pushed in his chair and left, feeling the heat of embarrassment on his skin.
He headed out the front doors of the school and made it half-way to the Quidditch pitch before he realized it was still raining, and he had no cover. Scowling, Harry angrily flicked his hand at his glasses, to make them resistant to water, and kept walking.
Fine, I'll just walk about out here and catch a cold, and then Ron will be out his Chaser and his Seeker, Harry thought uncharitably to himself.
He didn't know why he had let his anger get the best of him - Ron hadn't said anything that Harry hadn't thought of himself. Perhaps it just hurt to have his best mate believe he was a danger to Ginny. He knew Ron had a right as a brother to be worried, but still, for him to think that Harry would even let one hair on her head be hurt...
By the time Harry made it into the Quidditch changing rooms, he was soaked. He dragged in the mud behind him and sat down on one of the benches, his headache from before coming back. He tried to settle himself - feeling out of sorts - but he was still angry, and Harry knew it was more than just the disagreement with Ron. He removed his glasses and lay back on the bench, putting his arm over his eyes. He took in deep breaths of air and felt absolutely miserable and very much alone.
o-o-o-o
"Here, mate." Ron's voice startled him, and Harry opened his eyes, blinking up at his friend. Ron handed him a towel, and Harry took it, running it through his hair. He wondered how long he'd been asleep, not even realizing he'd lost consciousness.
Ron sat down on the other bench and watched him, a guarded expression on his face. Harry sighed and slipped his glasses back on, bringing everything back into focus.
"Thanks," Harry said, not meeting Ron's eyes.
"Merlin's beard, Harry, you're a miserable son of a -"
"I know," Harry said, interrupting Ron. "And, I'm sorry."
Ron relaxed and leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. He gave Harry a tired smile. "I'm sorry too - I didn't have a right to go off on you about...things. And I wasn't going to say what you thought I was going to say, by the way, but...Hermione thought, well, really, we both thought you might need to just snap out of it, and of course, I was nominated for the job of making you see reason. It seems Hermione thinks I need the abuse."
Harry looked at Ron and felt sheepish. "I haven't been that bad, have I? It's only been two days, as you so tactfully pointed out."
Ron smirked. "Remember how moody you were back when you thought you were the weapon Voldemort was going to use?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, this made that look like a bloody fine frame of mind in comparison."
Harry stared at Ron and then finally grinned. He shook his head. "I just really miss her."
Ron smiled but then gave Harry a sobering look. "I know, mate. It's just...there's more to life than Ginny, right? I mean, I love her too, but...I don't know. Maybe it's because you two have that spell or whatever it is you told us about. I just don't understand why you're letting this get to you. And I don't mean to come off sounding like some sort of insensitive git, but she is safe. You'll see her soon. She's not gone forever." Ron's voice emphasized the last word, as though to prove his point.
Harry sighed and rested his head in his hands, closing his eyes for a moment. He knew Ron was right - but how could he explain that being without Ginny was like going without air to him?
"It's just harder to be without her now since I was with her then. I can't explain it," Harry finally said, looking at his friend. "It's like...there, at the abbey, we're in our own world and here...here I have school and Voldemort and pain and..." Nothing to keep me from spinning out of control, he finished in his head, feeling startled. For the first time, Harry wondered if sending Ginny away had been detrimental to himself and then pushed the thought away, feeling selfish. Ginny's safety was worth more than his peace of mind.
Ron studied him and then shook his head. He stood up and went to his locker, pulling out his robes for practice. He gave Harry a long look. "Well, I'm sorry the real world is rubbish, Harry. I want you to be happy as much as Ginny does, but well, your life is here. I know you don't give a hippogriff's arse about your NEWTs, and I don't blame you. You have bigger things to be worried about, but just try to remember the rest of us love you too, okay? I know me and Hermione are a sad replacement for Ginny, but..." Ron let his voice trail off, turning away to change. Harry frowned and then looked at his friend.
"No one is a replacement for anyone. You and Hermione are still my best mates. I thought we went through all this?"
Ron half-turned and nodded at him. "We did. I just thought you needed a reminder."
"Hermione's been a bad influence on you, I see," Harry said, finally smiling. He went to his locker and pulled out his Quidditch uniform.
"Well, she does make me feel like a grown-up," Ron said as he finished getting dressed. "And I understand how you feel about Ginny. Honestly, I do. I know if anything or anyone ever did something to take Hermione away from me, I'd...well, I'd probably lose it. She was the only thing that got me through Charlie's...death. She's more than family or a friend to me now, she's..." Ron paused, and Harry gave him a look that said he understood.
Harry sat down on the bench to put his Quidditch boots on, and Ron joined him a moment later. Harry felt like a right git suddenly, for taking his bad mood out on his friends. They all had things to worry about - especially Ron.
"I'm sorry, Ron. I...know you have your own things to deal with, what with Percy being a Death Eater and everything," Harry said as he tied the last lace on his boot. He felt Ron stop moving beside him and turned to his friend, puzzled. It was then that Harry realized his mistake.
Ron looked at him, blankly. "What do you mean, Percy is a Death Eater now?"
Harry cursed at himself in his head. He'd promised Ginny not to mention anything to Ron about Percy, and now, here he was, sticking his foot in it. Harry didn't know what to say - he knew Ron would be able to tell he was trying to cover something up. Harry sighed and met his friend's gaze.
"I saw him when I was...in Voldemort's head. Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone, but..."
"Are you certain it was Percy?" Ron asked, looking away from him, his voice sounding odd.
"Pretty certain, yeah," Harry said quietly.
"Maybe you were wrong. You know sometimes, when you're...in his head, you don't think too -"
"Ginny saw him too," Harry interrupted, hoping Ginny would forgive him for breaking her trust. "When she was being held...he was there. He...helped them."
Harry watched as Ron's face went ashen. He finally met Harry's eyes. "Why didn't Ginny tell me this herself?"
"She didn't want to make things..." Harry paused and then shrugged. "I don't know, Ron. She made me promise not to say anything to you. She knew you'd take it bad."
"Git," Ron said under his breath, his voice sounding choked. Harry wasn't sure if Ron meant him or Percy. Ron stood up and started pacing, running his hand through his hair.
"So he did have something to do with Charlie's death then, didn't he? And Mum? He attacked his own mother?"
Harry nodded because he knew there were no words to say. Ron cursed and then turned, kicking one of the lockers with his foot. The loud clang of his boot meeting metal rang through the changing rooms, and Harry winced. Ron leaned forward, his head bowed, and Harry didn't know what to do. He suddenly realized that Ginny would have been the better one for Ron to hear everything from, and he felt like an idiot again. He stood up and tentatively touched Ron's shoulder gently.
"Sorry," Harry said, feeling useless.
Ron turned and scowled at him, and Harry was surprised to see that his eyes were wet. Ron looked away as though embarrassed and then wiped at his eyes. "It's not your fault I have an amazing arsehole for a brother. And somehow I knew it, even though Ginny told us not to jump to conclusions, and I agreed with her...somehow I just knew it," he said finally, sitting down on the bench again. Harry stayed standing and leaned against the lockers.
"I should have told you back when it happened or...I should have made Ginny tell you she'd found out about him, at any rate. But...there wasn't time before she left and...well, we were just thinking of ourselves," Harry said, knowing it was the truth and feeling like a prat because of it.
"Does Mum know? Does Dad?" Ron asked, looking up at him, some of the color returning to his face.
Harry shook his head. "No. Just me, Ginny and Dumbledore..." Harry paused, not sure Ron would like to know that Brogan and Snape had known before him. "Er, that's all. Just us three, well, four now...as far as I know. I don't know if Dumbledore told anyone else. But I'm fairly certain he hasn't told anyone in your family, and I know Ginny won't say anything. She's going to clobber me for telling you."
Ron nodded as though not listening. "Then, no one can tell them. I don't want to tell them. Not Mum. Dad, maybe...but...no, not Mum."
"I'll try not to be an utter git and let it slip again, yeah," Harry said absentmindedly, still not believing he'd been so careless and wondering what in the world was wrong with him. They heard noises coming from the front of the building, and soon the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was walking in. Ron stood up and went to his locker, and Harry nodded at Dempsey and Sloper as they came in and glanced back at his friend to make sure he was all right. Ron noticed his look and sighed.
"I'm okay," Ron said quietly. "I'm not going to pummel you or anything for keeping this from me. I reckon I know why you did it, although that doesn't excuse my sister. She's lucky she's in Ireland; I'd give her a serious hexing."
Harry smiled because he knew Ron didn't mean it, and his friend returned the gesture, but he still looked upset. Harry moved away from him and asked Sloper to help him with the gear. Harry's head gave a slight twinge as he headed outside, already wanting practice to be over. He didn't think he could take any more emotions.
o-o-o-o
Ginny stared at the blank parchment in front of her and realized she'd been rather foolish to assume writing a letter to Harry would be easy. She now understood why he had crossed out so many things in his attempt; it was hard to put into words exactly what she was feeling. Of course, she wasn't a stranger to writing out her feelings, but that was different - that was private. Writing a letter and not wanting to come off as a whimpering, whiny sot was quite another matter altogether.
She turned over on the bed and tried not to think of the long weekend ahead of her; Harry wasn't coming back until next week. She had just found out that morning, and while she'd known that was what Dumbledore would want, she still found herself deeply disappointed. Harry had sent her a short note, asking her to write to him - to tell him what and how she was doing. She'd got the distinct impression that Harry was a bit out of sorts, actually, and she knew he was probably asking for her to cheer him up - and she didn't think he meant for her to tell him about all the books she'd been reading.
She'd already written a letter to Hermione - including the two she wanted her friend to send to Tonks and Remus Lupin for her, asking about the castle she'd read about. She'd also written a short one to Ron, asking for any news about Bill or her Mum. She still felt terrible about not telling Ron about Percy - her talk with Harry hadn't made her feel any better, in the end. But she also knew that telling Ron in a letter wasn't the thing to do either, so her message had consisted of Quidditch plays and a brief mention of the different food she'd been eating. Ginny was sure it was highly entertaining stuff to her brother, but she couldn't very well fill a letter to Harry with the same information.
If I were a seventeen-year-old boy who was out of sorts and my girlfriend was far away, what kind of letter would I want? Ginny thought distractedly to herself, frowning. Simply telling Harry that she'd been sitting about missing him was a tad depressing. But telling Harry she'd been sitting about naked and missing him might be a bit better, in his eyes.
Ginny laughed out loud at the thought and felt her skin heat as she turned over again, picking up her quill.
Ginny Weasley, you cannot send a naughty letter, a voice that sounded suspiciously like her mother's echoed in her head. Ginny bit her lip and then smiled as she started to write. It was silly, really, but maybe she'd be able to put a small smile on his face - even from miles away.
o-o-o-o
"Ah, Harry, good of you to come so promptly. I have a delivery for you," Dumbledore said as he started to go through the pockets of his robe. Harry sat down and rubbed at his head, feeling exhausted. It was Friday, and he was, unfortunately, stuck at school. Harry was pretty confident that this was why Snape had made the entire Gryffindor class stay later than usual, cleaning up the dungeons. He wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to Dumbledore, but he reckoned he should get it over with and then go to bed - Ron had him waking up at the crack of dawn the next day for more practice since their first match this year was against Slytherin.
"I have some letters from Ginny for you. Yes, here they are." Dumbledore handed him a small bundle of letters, and Harry eagerly reached out for them, seeing the one addressed to him on top. His heart felt cheered by how thick it seemed. Now he had something to look forward to before bed. He pocketed the letters, noticing ones for Hermione and Ron, and smiled to himself. He realized Dumbledore was giving him an amused look.
"You look tired, Harry, is everything all right?" the headmaster asked him now, sitting down in the chair behind his desk.
Harry shrugged. "I've been trying to catch up with everything and...Quidditch practice has been running a bit long."
"Ah, yes, Mr Weasley informed Professor McGonagall today that he thinks this will be the best team the school has ever seen. I'm glad he is not taking the loss of his sister's fine playing to heart."
Harry nodded, but he wasn't exactly thrilled with Ron's seemingly over-zealous need to wear them all down until they were exhausted. Feeling Ginny's letter resting in his pocket and wanting to read it, he decided to get to the point.
"You wanted to speak to me about something?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, right to the point. I wanted to talk to you about Percy."
Harry stared at the man across from him, the back of his neck tingling. "Er, Percy?"
"Yes, I was wondering if you and Miss Weasley had a chance to talk about him while you were at the abbey. I didn't want to press her when she spoke of his involvement before, but...something has come up that I think we should talk about."
"What's happened?" Harry asked, feeling a sense of foreboding.
Dumbledore rested his chin on his fingertips. "Do you believe in giving people second chances, Harry?"
Harry frowned, not understanding what the question had to do with anything at first. "Er, maybe. It depends on the person, I guess. And what they've done with their first chance."
Dumbledore nodded and didn't say anything for so long that Harry squirmed in his seat, feeling confused. The headmaster finally sat forward and gave him a direct look.
"I have often thought that people are neither wholly good, nor are they wholly evil. That it is what they do that illuminates their true self. As I told you before, it is our choices that make us what we are. What would you say if I told you Percy Weasley was one such 'second chance'? That he was, in fact, in the act of proving himself?"
Harry frowned. "I don't understand."
"Do you know why I did not want you to tell Ginny about her brother's involvement?" Dumbledore asked. His expression was quite serious.
"I reckon it was because you wanted me to protect her from the pain of it. It's the same reason why she doesn't want to tell her family now."
Dumbledore nodded. "That was part of it, but also...I have been in contact with Percy. He came to me one night and wanted to know what he could do to serve the Order. He was at a crossroads and didn't know what to do - he knew his family would never fully accept him back - not after what had been said and felt on both sides. But he made a choice to contact me and asked me to let him do his part. Perhaps he felt he needed to make amends. But I sent him on a dangerous task, one that needed to be done at the time. I sent him into the fire with no guarantees of when, or even of how I would be able to pull him back. He accepted his mission completely, and for a time, he offered us valuable information regarding some of Voldemort's supporters."
Harry blinked at Dumbledore in disbelief. "Percy's...been your spy? But...how? I mean..." He paused as Dumbledore's word sunk in.
Dumbledore gave him a long look. "He advised us on the attack planned for Mrs Weasley, which was why Charlie was dispatched to protect her. Only Arthur knows that it was I who advised Charlie to look for her. Unfortunately, Percy could not protect both her and Charlie and he made the choice to make certain the Death Eater's involved did not kill their intended victim. Molly was supposed to die in the attack, not Charlie, and it is only because of Percy's involvement that she is still with us today. The fact that his family doesn't know he has been working to protect them is a great misfortune."
"But if Percy's been helping you...why didn't he let us know about the attack on Hogsmeade? Why didn't he warn us to protect Ginny?" Harry asked, feeling dazed.
Dumbledore gave a long sigh and looked very old, suddenly. "Because I lost contact with Percy sometime after the attack on Molly and Charlie. Being a spy is a dangerous business Harry, not only because he can be caught, but also because of what he must endure to make certain he is not suspected. I wanted to be certain that Voldemort would not be able to find any duplicity in Percy's manner. As you know, Tom is very adept at finding lies within other people. I have been using a series of complicated Memory Charms on him so that if Tom were to look within his mind using Legilimency, he would see nothing out of place. It is very dangerous undergoing even the most routine of Memory Charms - messing with the human mind is not something that should be done lightly. Unfortunately, it is a skill I have had to employ more than once. Although Tom is very skilled at breaking even the most difficult of spells, I believe he accepted Percy at face value after he had proven himself with the death of his brother."
"How did you lose contact with him?" Harry asked astonished.
"We did not have a regular meeting time arranged, for obvious reasons. In fact, due to the spells I have performed, Percy often truly believes he has become what you and Miss Weasley perceived him to be - a Death Eater. I buried a trigger effect deep inside his mind, for whenever I need to talk to him. A sign that only he and he alone would understand. Unfortunately, he is no longer reacting to my attempts at contacting him, and I fear the worse. The fact that he was there - that Ginny saw him acting under Voldemort's orders - proves Tom has not suspected him and his cover is indeed, still safe. But I fear now that we may have lost him forever."
"What's happened that has made you tell me this?" Harry finally asked. "You don't tell me anything unless something has gone seriously wrong."
Dumbledore sighed and looked extremely sad for a moment. "A book has been stolen. A book that was being kept for me - that was why I was not here to see you on Sunday evening. It is an ancient book filled with ancient spells - the kind that have fallen out of use in our modern world. It is filled with old magics - magics that I believed even Tom did not know existed. I believe that the only person who could have stolen this book was Percy because he is the only one within Voldemort's circle that does not yet bear the full mark. Due to the type of protection that was around the book, only someone who has not been touched by Voldemort's mark could gain access to it."
Harry shook his head, trying to clear it. "What exactly was in this book then? Why is it so important?"
"I am not certain which spell Tom intends to use - but I believe he thinks the book will help him defeat you. He is frustrated at the protection you receive because of Ginny, and he is frustrated at his lack of success in harming or weakening her. I fear that within this book, he may find what he is looking for."
Harry felt a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had never known Dumbledore to be so blatantly pessimistic. "So he wins? Because he has this book? Because he has access to old magics?"
"No, of course not, and I do not mean to sound defeated. There is no way of telling what will happen or even if Tom has been given the entire book. Most of the old spells require things that Tom will never be able to access as long as I am alive. I merely wanted you to understand that this war and how it will be fought, may have changed. And I did not wish to keep you and Ginny in the dark about Percy's involvement any longer."
"I should tell her then, right? Should I let her know her brother wasn't always bad? That he was trying to help?" Harry asked, feeling perplexed. He wondered if Ginny would even want to know at this point.
"I leave that up to your discretion."
"Gee, thanks," Harry muttered, rubbing his head and closing his eyes.
"I am sorry, Harry, but I believed that it was a knowledge that you should know. I think we should all be prepared for Voldemort to now try something. You should be on your guard."
Harry nodded and wondered briefly when he wasn't supposed to be on his guard. Then he wondered if he could go back to the time when Dumbledore thought he was too young to hear the truth. They continued talking for a little while longer, and Harry finally escaped - making his way to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione and Ron were out doing their head boy and girl duties, and so he managed to make it to his bed without any hassle. He lay back on his bed, closing the hangings around it and casting a Silencing Spell so that he wouldn't be disturbed. He had wanted to go to bed early but now his mind was full of too many thoughts and too many new worries.
o-o-o-o
Saturday morning found Harry awoken by Ron, who was dressed and ready for Quidditch practice. Harry grumpily told his friend he'd be down when he was 'good and ready' and cast a quick charm on the hangings around his bed so Ron couldn't open them. After a little while, when Harry knew he was gone, he sat up and realized he'd fallen asleep in his clothes.
He knew he needed to get to the Quidditch pitch, or Ron would never shut up the rest of the weekend about it. He got undressed and dragged himself into the showers, and it was only as he was passing by the breakfast table in the Great Hall to grab a piece of toast that he realized he'd never read Ginny's letter.
Great, now it'll be another three hours while I freeze my bits off flying around in what's probably dead miserable weather, he thought to himself as he made his way outside.
And it was miserable weather. The rain had passed from the start of the week, but the temperature had dropped considerably, and the clouds were still a uniform, dreary grey. Hogwarts had gone from cool autumn to the start of winter, almost while he wasn't looking. He took in a deep breath and wondered if it would snow before the start of November.
The rest of the team was already in the air when he walked onto the pitch, and Harry had a hard time pretending not to notice Ron glaring at him.
"Stop acting like bloody Oliver Wood in a bad mood," Harry said to his friend as he took off on his broom. The cold air rushed past him, making Ron's response useless. After flying for a bit and doing a few loop-de-loops, Harry felt his bad humor lessen and found himself enjoying practice. The new plays Ron had implemented worked well, and he found himself impressed with the work Dempsey had put in, taking up the slack for the loss of Ginny. The three hours passed by quickly, and Harry grudgingly had to hand it to Ron - he'd pulled the team together in a way that Harry himself could have never done had he been Captain.
Harry packed the gear up and made his way inside the changing rooms. Ron was sitting on one of the benches writing in the book he liked to keep of everyone's progress. Harry again realized his friend had, somewhere along the line, managed to grow up quite a bit.
"Hey, sorry," Harry said as he walked over to his friend, "for being grumpy this morning."
Ron finished what he was writing and looked up at him. "It's fine; I'm used to it. Only the privileged few get to know what a true arse you are in the mornings, Harry."
"Funny," Harry said, shaking his head. He opened his locker and pulled his robe out, reaching into the pocket. He sat down and handed Ginny's letter to Ron. "Here, I have something from your sister."
Ron's face brightened, and he took the envelope from Harry. "Why didn't you tell me she wrote?"
"Er, I forgot about them, actually," Harry said as he pulled his own letter out, feeling guilty. He realized Ron was staring at him and not opening his letter. "What?"
Ron shook his head. "Nothing. Just...are you feeling okay, Harry? You had a letter from Ginny to read, and you...forgot about it?"
Harry could tell Ron was taking the mickey out of him and merely pursed his lips at his friend, ignoring him. Ron chuckled and started to open Ginny's letter. Harry sighed and moved his finger over the seal on the back of his envelope, suddenly feeling an intense longing for her inside him. He opened it and smiled as he unfolded three pages of parchment. Ginny had clearly been feeling her own pangs as well.
Harry skimmed the first part of the letter and felt his mouth fall open. Ron laughed at something, and Harry felt his skin heat and quickly folded his letter.
She should have warned me about reading this thing in front of others, he thought to himself, not quite believing Ginny had done what he thought she'd done. Harry suddenly had an overwhelming desire to be alone.
"She sent me two different variations of that new play we were working on before she left," Ron said, shaking his head. "My sister is a loony, honestly. Miles away, and the first thing she writes to me is -" Ron paused and narrowed his eyes at Harry. "What's wrong? You've gone all red in the face."
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," Harry said, standing up. He didn't think Ron would fancy knowing what Ginny's first words to him had been. "Er, I'm just um...famished. Missed breakfast. Think I'll just head back up to the castle, okay?"
Harry didn't wait for Ron to agree and turned, throwing his robe over his shoulders. The cool of the air was a welcome feeling against his skin, and he took a deep breath.
Bloody hell, Gin, I'm going to get you for that, Harry thought as he made his way quickly back up to the castle. He grinned as he thought about reading three pages of what was apparently Ginny's attempt at making him feel better.
o-o-o-o
The weekend passed quickly, and with DA meetings taking up his Monday and Tuesday evenings, Harry found himself just waiting for Thursday afternoon again. It was Wednesday evening, and he was sitting in his favorite chair by the fire, not paying attention to what he was supposed to be reading. Neville and Dean were playing a rousing game of Exploding Snap that Hermione was trying (in vain) to get them to stop, and Ron was practicing his Disillusionment Charm on anyone who happened to walk by. Harry had already fallen for it once and did not fancy having half of himself feel cold and looking like the common room sofa while his other half remained warm and solid. Thankfully, Hermione had been able to correct the mistake, and he felt like himself again.
Looking around the common room he knew he wasn't going to get a blasted thing done, and he also knew Snape would get after him for not having read up on the next morning's practical. Sighing, he told Hermione that he was going to the library, and luckily Dean had let out a wild 'Woot!' as he managed to beat Neville for the second time before she could offer to go with him. Harry just didn't feel like having any company.
In the relative quiet of the hallway and stairs, he finally felt his head clear and stopped before reaching the library on the fourth floor, leaning against the statue of Agnew the Mightily Aggrieved. He realized he needed some cheering up and reached into his pocket, pulling out Ginny's letter. Harry smiled to himself as he flipped to his favorite part and felt a flash of warmth go through him as his mind drifted to hot showers with loads of steam.
"Harry?" Brogan's voice startled him, and Harry almost dropped the letter. He hastily folded it and put it back into his pocket.
"Er, yeah, I mean, um...hey, Brogan."
Brogan raised his eyebrow at him but didn't comment on what Harry knew had to be his bright red face.
"Coming back or going to?" the other man asked him, walking over to him.
"Huh?"
Brogan nodded at his knapsack and then looked down the hallway. "The library. I'm assuming you're about to start reading, or you've just finished."
"Oh. Er, going to. The common room was...distracting." Harry said, pushing his glasses up his face, hoping he wasn't blushing any longer.
"Ah, I was going to find a few books myself, care if I join you?"
Harry shook his head, and the two of them turned, heading down the hallway.
"So, how's Ginny?" Brogan asked, breaking the silence. "I'm assuming that was her letter you were reading?"
Harry glanced at the other man to see if perhaps Brogan was trying to be funny, but he appeared nonchalant. Harry sighed. "She's okay. I er...I think she's a bit bored."
"But you're going to the abbey tomorrow, right? I'm certain you'll find ways to entertain yourselves."
Harry noticed Brogan's mouth twitching as they reached the library. Harry shook his head. Why did it feel like everyone was having a laugh at his expense lately? He laughed despite himself and grinned at Brogan.
"Yeah, we do our fair bit to pass the time."
Brogan smiled and nodded, heading off towards the Restricted Section while Harry found a quiet table near one of the large windows. He had read half a page about the Draught of Forgetfulness and the use of the Rosemary to counter-act it when Brogan joined him again.
"You know, I'll be joining you the first weekend in November when you go to the abbey," he said as he sat down.
Harry frowned. "Why?"
"My birthday is the seventh. After it's passed...I finally get to hear Aine's prophecy," Brogan said, a strange expression on his face.
"Are you nervous?" Harry asked.
Brogan shrugged and then nodded. "Yeah, I am a bit. My whole life has sort of been heading towards this moment, I reckon. I used to think..." He paused and gave Harry an odd look. "Well, I used to believe the prophecy was the answer to everything that was missing in my life, but now...now I just don't know anymore."
Harry felt puzzled at the vagueness of Brogan's reply and didn't say anything, turning back to his book. Finding he couldn't concentrate still, he glanced over at Brogan, who was also doing a poor job of pretending to read.
"What did you used to think your prophecy would be then?" Harry asked, feeling rude, but figuring he and Brogan had been through enough that there was no reason to act like strangers. Brogan gave him a wary look, and Harry decided to open up about something regarding his own experience. "I never knew there was a prophecy about me until...well, until I heard it. But I wasn't happy at the time, and it scared me. It took a long time for me to deal with it. And you know Ginny never knew about hers either. I don't think either of us can know exactly what you've been through. Have you always known about it?"
Brogan nodded and then glanced around the library. "Do you want to know?"
Harry suddenly felt curious and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, whatever your prophecy is, it's going to affect us, isn't it?"
"Let's go back to my office for some tea; I feel a bit odd talking about it out here in the open. And you might..." Brogan paused again and then shook his head, giving Harry a sheepish look. "Anyway, I guess this is something I should have told you from the start. Come on."
Realizing he was never going to finish his reading - his mind was too full of things that had nothing to with school - Harry agreed, and they made their way to Brogan's office. Harry looked around while Brogan made them some tea and noticed a music player sitting on one of the shelves. He stared at it and turned when he heard Brogan chuckle behind him.
"You and Ginny are both alike; all of these crazy things to look at in my office, and you're both attracted to the compact disc player. Although to be fair, Ginny was probably drawn to it because it was playing at the time."
Harry took the cup of tea he offered him and shrugged. "I was just surprised to see it here. My cousin had one, er, well, he had more than one actually. He liked to break things. But how did you get it to work at Hogwarts?"
"I'm extremely clever, and I can defy both magic and electricity with a mere flick of my wrist," Brogan said with a straight face, and Harry raised his eyebrow at him. Brogan laughed and nodded towards the comfortable chairs he had conjured up. The sat in companionable silence for a while, and Harry enjoyed his tea.
"So, er...besides being bored, Ginny is doing well?" Brogan finally asked.
"Yeah, she seems to be. She's doing better than I would be in her position, I suppose," Harry said, thinking about it. "At least I have classes and Quidditch to distract me somewhat."
"But you still think about her quite a lot. And you're quite keen to be with her again, I can tell."
Harry shrugged and felt embarrassed. Brogan chuckled. "I'm sorry, Harry. It's just...I can tell what's been on your mind; I don't intend to always know what you're feeling, but sometimes...especially when you try to hide it, I get a powerful sense of it."
Harry felt his face heat and then felt silly. "I guess I'm pretty obvious."
Brogan shook his head. "No, not really, I think it's just because I get these flashes of strong emotions..." He paused and took another drink of his tea. "Right, well...the prophecy. Look, what you have to understand Harry is...well, my belief about what the prophecy would tell me was based on my life before I came here - before I met you or Ginny. And I have been told my whole life that the prophecy of Aine would change it - and I always believed that the descendant and the heir were meant to be together. So needless to say, I was extremely interested in meeting Ginny, and I liked her from the start, more than liked her. I know you know this."
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Brogan waved his hand.
"I know, understatement of the year. You could tell right away I was attracted to her, and so could she. And I have to apologize for that. I never meant to...well, I'm sorry the two of us couldn't become better friends after that first meeting. I saw you as...well, I couldn't understand at first that Ginny was meant for you, not me, and I realized I was allowing what I'd learned about the prophecy to go to my head and my ego. I've sort of regretted not getting to know you properly as a decent bloke should have."
Harry didn't know what to say and looked into his tea instead. He finally met Brogan's eyes and gave him a small smile. "Er, it's okay? I don't know what you want me to say, exactly."
Brogan shook his head. "Nothing. Just please...accept my apology for even thinking I stood a chance with Ginny."
"Brogan," Harry said frowning. "You may have thought you were a nuisance, but honestly, other than a few jealousy issues of mine, you weren't that bad. I don't hate you or anything. I know you're a good man. You've helped Ginny and me too much for me to...hate you."
Brogan gave him a rueful smile. "I may have been okay on the outside, but believe me, Harry, I've thought some pretty uncharitable things about you."
"We're even then because I've thought some pretty lousy things about you too," Harry said truthfully.
The two men shared a look of understanding. Brogan had faint color on his cheeks and finally glanced away to pour them more tea. He ran his finger around the outside of his cup and cleared his throat.
"I'm a bit worried, actually, about my prophecy. I...I thought I knew what to expect, but now I'm finding that I haven't a clue what my role is in everything, and that's a bit...nerve-wracking, to say the least."
"If it's any help," Harry said, offering him a smile, "Dumbledore doesn't have a clue either. I asked him."
Brogan looked surprised and then grinned. "Oh yes, that helps loads. If there's one person I would hope to know what is going on, it would be Dumbledore. Nice to see I'm a mystery even to him."
"What didyou used to think about it?" Harry asked, still curious.
Brogan shrugged. "Like I said, that the descendant - me - would unite with the heir - Ginny - and...the most amazing thing would happen, like Aine manifesting in front of us or something. That was one of my more romantic ideas." Brogan gave a self-deprecating laugh. He looked at Harry. "I think Aine has a rather cruel sense of humor, to let me believe I was meant to be with Ginny only to show me in so many ways that her true partner is you. Maybe it's because I have an inside appreciation on the two of you now, but in all honesty, Harry, I don't think there have ever been two people more suited for each other. It's not just Ginny who's brilliant - you both are. I don't know why Aine thought it necessary to invite me along for the ride, but...whatever my role is, I reckon I just have to accept it and do my part."
Harry didn't know what to say and stared at his hands. Brogan chuckled, and Harry looked up at him.
"Your silence is the best defense, really," the other man said, smiling. "I'm sorry to unload all of this on you, but...it gets a bit lonely around here. You can go now; I won't bore you with any other...meanderings of my feeble brain."
"No, I...I appreciate what you said. I've felt a bit bad about things too -"
"You have not, Harry. But I thank you for the lie."
Harry shook his head and grinned. "Okay, but...I do understand. Really. And if it's not too late, I think we can be friends now, well, at least try to be. I'm sorry you're lonely. It must be hard being the youngest member on staff."
Brogan nodded and looked away, his cheeks filling with color again. Harry racked his brain, trying to come up with another subject. He glanced around the room and suddenly had an idea about Brogan's music player. "Er, say, you don't think I could borrow that music player sometime, do you? I...sort of have an idea for Ginny's Christmas present."
"Certainly," Brogan said, smiling, looking relieved. "You could get your own, and I could show you how I got it to work; it's tricky but not impossible. What did you have in mind?"
Harry smiled and started to tell him what had been at the back of his mind since Ginny had left. The two talked for quite a while, and when Harry finally made it back to the common room, he felt surprisingly serene. I'm seeing Ginny tomorrow!
Smiling to himself as he later climbed into bed, he read a bit more of her letter. He then finally folded it up once more, letting his mind wander to things that had everything to do with being a normal seventeen-year-old boy and nothing to do with prophecies, worries, and lost family members.
o-o-o-o
The next day, Harry found that his time with Snape went blissfully fast, and after lunch, he quickly threw some clothes in his bag and made his way towards Dumbledore's office. He was half-way there when he heard Hermione calling to him and stopped, feeling suddenly impatient. He had just seen his friend at lunch, where'd she reprimanded him about not taking his classes seriously because Harry had unwisely let it be known that he wasn't taking any of his school books with him to the abbey. What does she want now? he thought meanly to himself as he turned around.
Shaking his head and telling himself not to be a prat, Harry smiled as she ran up to him, panting.
"Oh, Harry, good, I checked the common room first, but Neville told me you'd just left. These just came for Ginny, and I thought you could deliver them to her."
Hermione held out two envelopes for her, and he frowned, recognizing Professor Lupin's handwriting. "Why is Lupin writing to Ginny?" he asked, glancing at Hermione as she held her side; apparently, she'd been running after him for a while.
"She...sent...me...two...letters...for him and Tonks, with my letter. They've just now replied. I think she was anxious for their answer."
Harry nodded, wondering what that was about. He smirked at Hermione as she fell in beside him. "Gee, Hermione, you really should exercise more, if just running down a hallway has you winded."
Hermione opened her mouth, probably to tell him off, when she saw that he was grinning at her. Her cheeks turned pink, and she shook her head at him. "For your information, I ran up the stairs and then down the stairs looking for you and told off a group of fourth years for loitering around that statue of the humped-back witch on the third floor. And I am in perfectly fine shape, Harry."
"Yes, Ron assures me that you are indeed," Harry said, not being able to resist. He sniggered as Hermione understood his meaning, and her blush turned even brighter.
"Oh, boys! Honestly."
They reached Dumbledore's office, and Hermione turned to him, her eyes watering. Before he could stop her, she had flung her arms around him, hugging him.
"Er, Hermione?" Harry asked, getting a mouthful of her hair. She pulled back and sniffed.
"Sorry, I just...we miss you when you're gone, you know that, right? And Ginny too. Tell her that Ron and I...well, we just really miss her."
"Okay, I will, I promise," Harry said, not able to keep the amusement from his voice. "But I'll be back on Sunday, and you have all evening to nag at me about the lack of revision I did. Honest. So don't feel too bad, okay?"
Hermione shook her head and gave him a long-suffering look. They said goodbye, and Harry waited for the moving staircase to take him up to Dumbledore's office, anxious to finally be on his way.
o-o-o-o