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CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Ginny woke up in an unfamiliar bed. It was a feeling she was getting used to. She had been in hiding for two months and in that time she had had been in six different safe houses. At least her friends had stayed with her throughout but she hadn't seen Luna or Colin in all that time. She'd had a brief conversation with Fred and George a month ago, and hadn't seen Bill in nearly a fortnight.

Harry came into the room. If he'd done so two months ago, Ginny would have felt awkward about the fact she was only wearing a slip and tried to cover herself up. But all this time living together seemed to have made them more comfortable with each other's bodies. She'd thought about being intimate with him. She'd turned sixteen a few weeks ago: The muggle world considered her old enough for that sort of relations and she wasn't aware of the wizarding world being any different. And she didn't feel like a child anymore. The last two months had got rid of the last vestiges of that. Having an adult relationship no longer felt like something years in the future. She hadn't broached the subject with him though. It didn't feel like the right time. But she still hoped the right time would come.

"Sirius and Remus have got breakfast ready,"he explained.

Ginny nodded. "Is anyone else down there?"

"Neville and Hermione got up early. Dean arrived late last night with Tonks. I think he's still having a lie-in."

"Okay, I'll get dressed." Ginny pushed the bed covers aside and swung herself out of bed, searching through the wardrobe for clothes. She realised Harry was still hovering and turned around. "Was there something else?"

"I was just thinking. In a normal year, we'd be going back to Hogwarts soon."

"This is definitely not a normal year."

"No. I was just wondering what we're going to do."

Ginny paused at the comment. For all her pronouncements when they'd fled Hogwarts, the truth was she'd done very little, just letting the Order push them from place to place. "We'll make a move soon, I promise."

"I'm not blaming you,"Harry assured her. "I mean, none of us have really done anything. Not even the Order."

"I guess saving lives is the priority at the moment." She sighed. "I've never really had to do this before. Be some sort of leader, I mean. Things tend to just happen. Usually when I'm on my own."

Harry put his arms round her, the feeling giving her a tingling sensation. "You're not on your own this time. We all trust you."

"Thanks. But feel free to let me know when you think I'm wrong."

Harry nodded. "Okay." He gave her a quick kiss. "I'll let you get on."

As Harry had predicted, Hermione and Neville were already at the table when Ginny came down. Sirius turned towards her with a smoking pan. "There you are at last, Ginny. Eggs?"

Ginny eyed the pan suspiciously. "Do you know how to cook, Professor?"

"When you're my age and still a bachelor, Ginny, you have to either learn to cook or spend a lot of time eating sandwiches."

Ginny nodded. "Then…yes please, Professor."

"How long are we going to be here?"Neville asked as Sirius served up Ginny's scrambled eggs.

"Not up to me, I'm afraid,"Sirius replied. "Orders from higher up. We're to keep you here until told otherwise."

At that point, Remus entered. "Ah, good, everybody's here. We have a visitor."

Ginny looked past him towards the doorway, idly wondering if maybe one of her old friends was about to appear. Instead, she found her jaw dropping. "Professor Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore adopted a thoughtful expression. "Do you know something, Ginny? For the first time in many years I am forced to ponder whether I actually am still a professor."

"What do you mean?"Ginny asked. "You're still headmaster, aren't you?"

"Alas, no. Those of us who had opposed Voldemort were forced to flee during the attack, as you were, and it is clear that for the time being we will not be able to return. The ministry has taken full control of Hogwarts. The way things are at the moment, that effectively means Voldemort has control of Hogwarts. As with the school, the only people remaining at the ministry are those who either support Voldemort or keep quiet about their true alliance."

"Then who's running Hogwarts?"Harry asked.

Although it was Harry that had asked, Dumbledore's gaze didn't move from Ginny as he answered. "Severus Snape."

Ginny didn't think things could get any worse but they just had. "The man who sent Voldemort after me is now in charge?"

"I'm afraid so, yes. But all is not lost. As I planned, by staying out of the battle, Professors Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn have remained on the staff. They will do all they can to keep the students safe. And they are not alone. Filius convinced Snape to hire Cedric Diggory as the new broom master."

"Luna will be glad if nothing else,"Neville noted.

"Ginny, there is much for me to do,"Dumbledore continued. "There are many people I need to try and keep safe. For that reason, the task of destroying the remaining horcruxes must be left to you and your friends for the time being. Nagini will stay close to Voldemort so that leaves two more. I am convinced one is an artifact associated with Hufflepuff and the other with Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff's cup has been missing for some years, possibly in Voldemort's hands. But as for Ravenclaw…"

"I spoke with Luna, Padma and some of the other Ravenclaws about that one,"Hermione interjected. "Luna mentioned a lost diadem."

"That is a possibility,"Dumbledore agreed. "But knowing what they are is only part of it. We also need to know where they are."