As the date of Harry's hearing grew closer, I could tell he was getting nervous. Keeping him busy was good as it kept his mind off it, but whenever it went quiet, I saw his brow furrow and he'd start to twitch every now and then. Sometimes he and I would go off together to be alone, wanting to just talk. As much as I loved the twins, and Ginny, and everyone else, Harry and I shared more than just a godparent and father now. We'd been through things together that just…well. It made us close. Closer probably than anyone else, trusting each other with the truth. "Are you nervous?" I said to him the night before the hearing, despite the fact I already knew the answer.
"Yes. I…considering everything, they'll probably chuck me out of Hogwarts just to make a point." He muttered darkly, touching his scar again and I watched his hand move up towards it attentively.
"I'd like to be able to tell you that they can't, and that they won't, but unfortunately I'm fairly certain they'll give it a damn good try. Fudge is on the warpath, he'll do anything to discredit you and Dumbledore and this is a golden opportunity. However, you'll be in some office facing a person from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Considering everything, it's likely to be the head of office, Amelia Bones. She's strict from what I hear, and she's not easily fooled. This will play out in your favour, though, because that means she's not as dim-witted as Fudge. She'll hear your case, and she'll clear you. You're allowed to defend yourself, Harry, and if it comes to drastic measures, I'll go grab that useless cousin of yours and he can bear witness."
"But muggles can't see dementors, can they?" Harry frowned so I chuckled lightly.
"No, but they can certainly feel them. Your cousin will be able to tell old Bones how he felt, what happened, and it'll line up with your story nicely. Especially if they give him a drop of Verituserum to get those chins of his working. All else fails, I'll just threaten to finish what Hagrid started and turn him into a pig unless he cooperates." At the thought of seeing his cousin, Dudley, turning into a pig, Harry cracked a grin finally. "There we go. Big smiles, Harry. This will be over before you know it."
"Thanks. I appreciate this." He said to me, his hands now fidgeting with his wand like he were afraid to let it go. "So…how are you doing?"
"Me? Well…okay I guess. It was hard leaving my mum, she really refused to believe me about dad, and she's not even sure she believes me about Voldemort. Her side of the family were badly affected in the last war, a lot of us were killed as muggle-sympathisers, even her cousins and their side of the family were killed. She's stubborn and in denial, but also afraid. I was hoping to have heard from her by now but it's only my step-dad who writes occasionally to check in on me. Obviously I lie and tell him I'm at the Burrow." I started, reaching up to push back my hair as we sat crossed legged opposite one another on my bed. "I'm anxious, obviously, and a little apprehensive. I don't like all this uncertainty, and the only thing I do know is that it's only going to get worse. I still get nightmares about that night from time to time, though no one else knows about them. You?"
"Yeah, me too. Sometimes it's just me and Voldemort, other times it's the entire cemetery, a couple times you show up dead because Wormtail got you…honestly I have no idea how we made it out of there alive. We should be dead, but they just forgot about you." He said to me and I laughed at that, though it was a dry and strained laugh.
"That was his mistake. He didn't see me as a threat because he was too focused on you, probably didn't even have a clue who I was. It turned out in our favour though, I'm just sorry I didn't act sooner. I was trying to think of something clever, some grand piece of magic that would save us both and destroy them all in the process, but I had nothing." Sighing softly, I then looked at Harry and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "And you, you idiot, jumping out from behind that headstone, that's not what I wanted you to do, by the way. I was trying to tell you to cause a distraction so I could jump in there."
"Well, I did."
"Using yourself as a distraction completely made the entire point of getting us both out of there alive useless. Honestly Harry, maybe you do have a hero-complex. You should get yourself looked at." I teased him and he smirked a little at that. "But because of that, you were able to hold Voldemort off whilst I picked off the others. We did it together. So no matter what happens now, we've got to always have each other's backs. Voldemort won't be able to take the two of us on together, I reckon. He hasn't ever seen anything like you or me before."
"Yeah, we are pretty spectacular." Harry agreed so I ruffled his hair. We talked then a little about the dreams he'd been having, about the long corridor and the door at the end which he couldn't get to. I had no idea what they meant, but I suspected that they were visions of what Voldemort was seeing. Harry begged me not to tell anyone else about them, not even dad or Remus, so I gave him my word then tapped my charm bracelet to see that it was nearing eleven in the evening. I suggested that he get some sleep so that he was plenty rested for tomorrow, giving him a hug before letting him out of my room and closing the door behind him with a soft click. I was worried about him. He seemed so much angrier in himself than I'd ever seen him before, and I don't think it was just Voldemort's influence swaying him.
In the morning, barely past five, I was up and dressed then downstairs in the kitchen in order to make breakfast. Tonks was there, as were dad and Remus, Arthur soon joining us with Molly who came over to me in her purple quilted dressing gown. "Why don't you let me do that, dear? You go sit down and have something to drink. Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?" I chose coffee as I sat myself down next to dad then promptly rested my head against his shoulder. He shifted it for a moment, stretching his arm around me then rubbed his thumb into my arm as I gazed into the distance, Tonks yawning repeatedly whilst she talked to Remus about someone from the ministry, Scrimgeour or something.
At half past, Harry then appeared, also fully dressed in his neatest clothes where I promptly sat upright, giving him my best smile though it was lost to a yawn as I too still felt sleepy but had no chance of going back to sleep anytime soon. Molly promptly invited him into the kitchen, telling him to take a seat and Tonks, trying to be helpful, kicked out a chair but knocked another one over in the process, making me giggle lightly as with a swipe of my hand, the chair stood itself back upright. "What do you want Harry? Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?" Molly rattled off all the breakfast options but Harry just went for toast in a rather subdued voice.
As he ate Molly fussed over his appearance, probably out of worry for him but I could tell from his face that he wished she wouldn't so I distracted Molly with conversation, asking her what she wanted to do today, which rooms she wanted to tackle and if she wanted me to handle lunch. After Arthur had told Tonks that he'd cover her shift tonight for whatever duty that was, he then turned to Harry and asked how he was feeling. He only shrugged, unable to talk. "It'll all be over soon. In a few hours' time you'll be cleared." He said as brightly as possibly, trying to sound full of confidence. "The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the one who'll be questioning you."
"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry." Tonks quickly supplied, also trying to cheer him up. "She's fair, she'll hear you out."
"Don't lose your temper." Dad also added for good measure as Harry continued to stare down at his half eaten toast. "Be polite and stick to the facts."
"The law's on your side. Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life threatening situations." Molly had started trying to comb Harry's untameable hair with a wet comb. I hadn't even noticed her move. Deciding that it was best to take off sooner rather than later, Arthur stood up and Harry followed suit as we all wished him luck, dad and I promising that we'd deal with Amelia Bones if she gave him any trouble. Then he was gone, leaving the rest of us behind in silence for a while until the door closed behind the two of them.
"He will be alright, won't he?" Molly worried, still gripping the comb in her hands.
"Dumbledore won't let them expel Harry." I said firmly, still having a strong belief in Dumbledore despite the fact I had disagreed with him on several accounts over the summer. "If Fudge tries anything, he'll sort him out. I bet he's already at the ministry waiting. He'll have a chat with that Bones woman and smooth everything over." Molly looked much more relaxed after that, though I sensed Remus and my dad share a glance over my head. Tonks was snoring now, passing out in her chair which was now leaning backwards precariously, threatening to tip over so I waved my hand vaguely and made it tilt forwards once more. All of us waited anxiously, practically staring at the clock as the hours passed by until finally when it was nearing lunchtime and I was standing over a large pot of soup, the door opened and after a few moments, Harry and Arthur came in, beaming.
That was all anyone needed and with a shriek I pounced on Harry to hug him before he'd even got the words out, making him laugh as he put his arms around me to hug me back. It was a relief to know all had went well, and it turns out that my suspicions that Dumbledore would be there to help Harry wiggle out of it because Fudge would try and interfere were both true. I swore loudly when Harry told us what Fudge had done, putting him in front of the entire wizard's court which made Molly gasp at me in shock and dad laugh loudly.
Spirits were high in the house that evening, though after a while I could see that dad was growing all the more despondent. Soon we'd all be going back to Hogwarts, and he'd be alone again. So in the evening, I walked over and put my arms around him from behind his chair, kissing his cheek lightly to murmur. "It won't be for long, you know. I'll be back at Christmas, and I can still write to you. I'll disguise the letters like last time so no one can track them. Maybe I can even come back during the Hogsmeade trips to come visit. No one will ever know." Dad then smiled and gave my arm a squeeze.
"You really are my daughter. Reckless and rule breaking as you are." He cheered up after that, putting more of an effort to be visibly happy to Harry as we got our booklists the next morning, with a surprise for Ron, Hermione and myself. They had been made prefects, whilst I had been made Head Girl. I'd opened my letter in the kitchen, not thinking anything of it but when something silver and shiny fell with a clunk onto the table, I looked down in surprise.
"Mia?" Uncle Remus questioned, having been the first to notice and looked over his newspaper. I stared at the badge as if it had horns and fangs that threatened to bite me if I tried to touch it. "Mia, is that what I think it is?"
"What's what?" Dad asked, entering the room then also seeing the badge. Then he laughed. Grinning from ear to ear, he found it hilarious that I, rule-breaking and reckless as he'd said, had been made Head Girl. "I don't believe it! I wonder what Dumbledore's thinking? My Mia has caused enough havoc over the years to be blacklisted from such responsibility!" As dad continued to laugh, I started to snort and chuckle too, also thinking it hilarious.
"Come on you two, you shouldn't laugh. Being Head Girl or Boy is a huge responsibility. Clearly Dumbledore feels that he needs a stronger hand in position this year, and who better than Mia?" Remus reasoned as he came over and picked up the badge to look at it curiously.
"Well, I do threaten to hex other troublemakers. Oh wait until I tell the twins, they'll have a right old laugh…" And laugh they did, then they laughed that Ron was made a prefect. Molly prepared a party for that evening having been to Diagon Alley with me to get all the books. Only the two of us went, and it was rather nice to be out and about, just the two of us. I helped her pick out the broom Ron wanted as his gift for being made a prefect, though it was a little expensive, I managed to arrange a monthly payment schedule with me as a benefactor, so if Molly wasn't able to pay off the broom I would be responsible for paying for it.
"You really didn't have to do that dear, we would have managed…" She said to me as we left the shop with Ron's new broom all wrapped up and tucked under her arm.
"It's no trouble Mrs Weasley. Besides, this type of purchasing is becoming quite popular, especially for more expensive items. It's much easier than paying something off all in one go, and it'll be paid in about six months. Come on, let's get the books next. I wonder who they got for Defence Against the Dark Arts this year, do you know by any chance?" Effectively turning the conversation elsewhere, Molly told me that she didn't know, but that it had been rather difficult to fill the position this year. We then chatted about things in general, Molly offering to buy me something as a treat for being made Head Girl, asking if I'd told my mother.
I hadn't. There had been no communication between us all summer, and I had a feeling that we weren't going to speak again until either Voldemort shows up in public or I renounce all ties with dad. Since the latter was never going to happen, I'd have to wait for the former. Of course, I felt bad for Molly offering to get me something seeing as I knew money was tight, so I requested that this year for Christmas, as well as my annual Weasley jumper, she knitted me a new scarf and matching gloves too. "After all, your jumpers are always so comfortable and my gloves are completely worn through. Also, I would love some of your famous fudge, the chocolate one is my absolute favourite." I listed off and she chuckled and promised to do her best.
We returned later in the afternoon with everything, to which Molly started to hand things out as I sent my stuff flying magically up to my room then began helping make the preparations for the party. It was thoroughly enjoyable, especially since more people stopped by though despite the ambience, I noticed that Harry was looking rather downcast. Maybe he was feeling upset that he hadn't gotten a badge. Dumbledore was really doing his best to make him feel isolated, what on earth was he playing at?
Anyway, I kept an eye on him without making it too obvious, though not long after Molly had gone up to bed, Harry then followed. Mad-Eye Moody was watching him with his magical eye, but when he gave a sudden start, both Remus and dad looked at him to ask what was wrong. "Molly." He said gruffly, hauling himself to his feet and the three of them disappeared upstairs. I thought about following but decided not to. Instead I remained with the party, Ginny now wearing my Head Girl badge and laughing as the twins tried to charm it to say rude things instead so I clouted them around the head and threatened to permanently ink rude words onto their faces, making Bill roar with laughter as they cowered before me.
The party didn't continue too late in the evening since we were leaving tomorrow, we all gradually went off to bed. I thought about going up to see Harry but knew Ron would be there, so instead I took a piece of parchment from my writing desk, wrote on it, then charmed it to turn into a glowing golden butterfly before sending it down to Harry. When it got to him, it would turn back into paper with my message on it, short and simple as it was.
Keep your chin up, there are still things to be excited about. See you on the quidditch field Harry.
Love, Mia.