Chapter 22

Contact

Over the course of their first year in America, Harry and Ginny settled into a life they were very happy with. They landed in California, attending the Los Angeles Academy for the Magical Arts. It was a day school off the beaten path of the mainstream community, and had an impeccable reputation. That they taught muggle subjects as well was a significant bonus.

Life wasn't perfect, though.

Harry had a lifetime of issues to work through, of course, and Ginny was actually worse off. She had no idea what was going on with her family, and that left an open wound. They discussed it many times, and were no closer to solving the problem. They both agreed that returning to Britain was out of the question, even just to visit.

Had they been receiving news from home they might have felt differently, but the American press rarely reported on the British community. It was honestly a shock that they had even reported Harry's supposed death.

The only saving grace was that she hadn't felt the severing of her link to the Family Magic, so she hadn't been disowned yet. She could only hope that meant that Bill had taken her seriously and dealt with the problem. But for now, she just had to wait until something happened to enlighten them.

And then there was Emily Park.

Ginny, while more outgoing than Harry, was no longer the gregarious little girl she once was. The diary and the subsequent isolation by her minders had seen to that. She was still much more social than Harry, but given that he just plain wasn't, that didn't really say much.

They made a few casual friends at school, but Emily was the only one they truly connected with. She was incredibly shy and introverted, but with a heart of pure gold. They sat down at her table at lunch on their very first day by total happenstance, and that was all it took.

Harry glommed on immediately, hating to see someone in clear emotional distress. Ginny liked her too, and quickly made inroads; her experience with Harry helped a lot there. They both understood the girl to a surprising degree, and knew how to keep her comfortable.

It took months to tease Emily's story out of her. Her parents were deeply jealous of magic; while not physically abusive, they treated her like a pariah since discovering she was a witch, offering no comfort, and no more than the barest of necessities. They railed against magicals because they wouldn't share with the non-magicals.

Emily had more or less raised herself as a result, just as Harry had.

Halfway through the school year, her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. Predictably, her parents demanded that she heal him. Magicals simply did not get cancer, however, and so they had no cure for it. Emily could do nothing (and never mind that she was just a schoolgirl).

And then, just days before the end of the school year, he passed away.

They blamed her for his death, and she was forced to run in fear for her own life. With nowhere else to go — she had no other friends besides them — she turned up on their proverbial doorstep. They then contacted the Aurors, who investigated and confirmed that she was in grave danger if she went back.

After a bit of wrangling, the Potters — who could be impressively stubborn when they wanted to be — now had legal custody of her.

Emily was shocked, but certainly wasn't complaining. She couldn't be emancipated without the ability to support herself financially, and living with guardians she didn't know would have been torture to the poor girl. Harry and Ginny provided the best possible solution given her social issues, and they were happy to have her.

Surprising even themselves, they made their home on a huge, sleek, hundred-foot blue water motor yacht that was semi-permanently docked in Marina del Rey. The cruise had inspired in them a deep love of the open ocean and the peace it provided. They bought it on a whim at the beginning of the year at a steep discount; the hull was sound, but the rest of the boat was a disaster.

Then they set about fixing it up; the elves were beyond thrilled to have so much work to do.

After attending the appropriate classes on the weekends, they acquired the licenses needed to operate it. They set sail two days after Emily's permanent arrival, headed for the San Francisco Bay Area to do some sightseeing; they'd been planning it for six months now, and thought it would be good for the girl if they just got on with it.

They took their time sailing up the coast, making stops here and there along the way. By the time they reached San Francisco, Emily had finally stopped hiding so much. She was still fairly subdued, but was at least spending time with them, and like them, she seemed to enjoy the peace of the water.

Harry and Ginny were nervous, though.

The American government had chosen not to publicize their presence, for which they were deeply grateful. That, however, meant that everyone still believed that Harry Potter was dead. Harry took a fair bit of ribbing about it at school because everyone thought he was named after a dead hero — though to him, at least, it was better than it being known that he actually was that supposed hero.

They never lied about it, but nor did they ever admit to it. They simply found ways to talk around it, or just plain ignored it. Harry was thrilled to be anonymous for a change, but both of them wondered just how long it could last.

With Emily now officially part of their little family, they both felt she deserved to know. On top of that, fate hadn't had any fun with them recently, and they suspected that it was only a matter of time before something bit them in the arse. Not that they didn't appreciate the break.

They probably shouldn't have jinxed it.

===[~]===

They spent the first few days in San Francisco wandering up and down the Embarcadero, poking their noses into various shops and enjoying a restaurant here or there, those on Fisherman's Wharf being their favorites. Emily was still as quiet as ever, but the light of curiosity was back in her eyes at least. It would probably be a while before she started acting normal again, though, even for her.

None of them had ever really been sightseeing, so it was a new and novel experience. San Francisco had a fairly rich history for an American city, and there was a great deal to see. Not to mention that the weather was positively wonderful this time of year, so just being out and about was a pleasant experience.

Emily was having difficulty sleeping, though.

Her parents scared her so badly that she was having repeated nightmares. Harry and Ginny, being well accustomed to that phenomenon, did their best to keep an eye on her, and offered what support they could. On this particular night, at nearly midnight, Ginny found her in the salon, just sitting there with her arms wrapped around herself.

Cautiously so as not to startle her, she moved to sit next to her on the couch. The girl looked up, but all Ginny could see in her eyes was exhaustion. She was tired of dealing with it, that much was clear.

"Hey," she greeted softly.

"S-sorry if I w-woke you," stuttered Emily quietly.

The stutter was not uncommon, and was a function of the girl's nerves. The more nervous she was, the more she stuttered, and that just made her more nervous in a vicious cycle. Harry had sharp words with other students at school on more than one occasion for making fun of her for it.

Unfortunately, it was rare that the girl wasn't nervous.

"You didn't," she offered gently. "Harry and I have trouble sleeping too."

Emily's brow furrowed at that. "You d-do?" she asked.

Ginny nodded. "We both have a pretty dark history, sweetie," she said honestly. "Harry especially. Insomnia and nightmares are nothing new to us, and nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by."

That simple statement settled the girl considerably. She was more comfortable with them than they'd ever seen her with anyone else, and it was probably because they simply understood her. And she knew that they wouldn't make fun of her.

"How do you d-deal with it?" she asked quietly.

Ginny chuckled and shook her head. "You're assuming we have a solution," she replied wryly. "Honestly, all we can do is put up with it, and hope it will fade in time."

"Oh," frowned Emily.

"I know, not what you wanted to hear," she said sadly, "but it's the truth unfortunately. All you can–"

Ginny cut off abruptly, whirling and jumping to her feet, wand suddenly in hand, before her brain even caught up with what she had just seen. A reflection of a burst of flame in one of the windows had triggered it. By the time she was pointed at the intruder, however, it was already too late.

Fawkes had just flamed into existence right there in the room with her.

HARRY! she sent urgently, causing his emotions to shift sharply as he abruptly woke at her mental call. They found us! Fawkes just appeared in the salon!

He didn't bother responding, not that she expected him to. Meanwhile, Fawkes flapped a little closer and came to light on the coffee table, which was something of a relief; at least he didn't try to grab her or something. The last thing she wanted was to be taken back to Britain and Albus Dumbledore!

"G-Ginny?" breathed Emily from behind her. "Is that a p-phoenix?"

"Yes," said Ginny, her voice unusually sharp. "Stay back, Emily. This is not a good thing."

Fawkes lowered his head and sang a mournful note. He was obviously upset by the reception, but he also didn't seem surprised by it.

"Sorry, Fawkes," she said in response. "You know we love you, but you also have to know we want nothing to do with Dumbledore ever again. We won't go back without one hell of a fight."

Harry wandered in and came to stand next to her.

"She's right, Fawkes," he said quietly. "I owe you my life, but I won't have one for long if I let you take us back."

Fawkes looked up at him and shook his head briefly, then shook his talon at them. It was only then that Ginny realized there was a message attached there. Immediately wary, she knelt down and started to cast.

She found no magic on it, and looked up at Harry in surprise.

"It's clean," she frowned.

"I guess we should see what he has to say," sighed Harry tiredly. "No way in hell are we going back, but we might learn something."

Ginny nodded and flicked her wand a few times. She loved that phoenix dearly — he had saved Harry's life, and hers by extension — but she wouldn't take any risks. Her magic untied the letter and then summoned it to her hand. She could feel the strength of Harry's aversion to anything involving Dumbledore, so she wouldn't make him read it himself.

Emily stood in stunned silence, having no idea what to make of the scene.

Ginny examined the letter, and was immediately surprised.

"Harry?" she called faintly. "It's addressed to Harry and Ginevra Potter, and this isn't Dumbledore's handwriting."

"What?" he frowned.

She exchanged a bemused look with him and sat back down on the couch; there was no sense in staying on her feet. Then she unfolded it and began to read it aloud:

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Potter,

First and foremost, congratulations on your marriage. While I don't understand how it's legally possible, it clearly somehow is. I can only hope it's what you wanted, and wish you a long and happy life together.

I'm writing for two purposes: I want to know if you are well and happy with your current situation, and I want to ensure that you're informed of happenings in Britain. It is not my intent to ask, let alone force you to return. This letter is blood sealed, so you have a reasonable assurance that I'm telling the truth on that point.

There's honestly too much to put it all in a letter, but I will try to hit the highlights.

Your letters kicked over a veritable hornets nest. I was completely unaware of the happenings at Hogwarts, and your guess that there was a geas on my niece was spot on. The information and speculation you provided led to a full investigation, and the results have been dramatic in the extreme.

A great many were arrested, tried, convicted, and remanded to the custody of Azkaban. This includes Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, and all of the other Death Eaters that claimed innocence by way of Imperius. They lied, and Albus knew that they lied, and that came out at his trial.

We also discovered that he placed dark bindings on Fawkes to force his cooperation. We were lucky enough that Fawkes was in Albus's office while he was away at an ICW meeting, so I was able to break those bindings. If not for that, I have no doubt that he would have escaped justice.

Also, your Will was illegally read, just as you so obviously predicted. That was a masterstroke, by the way. You really must see the memory of it, as it was incredibly entertaining to witness. That also led to an ongoing stay in Azkaban for Cornelius, which is why I now find myself in a different position.

To go into full detail of all of this would take many rolls of parchment. Instead, please feel free to ask any questions you have and I will do my best to answer them so long as Fawkes is willing to help us exchange letters.

The other relevant matter is that of the Weasley family.

First, as a side note, your letter resulted in the arrest of Minerva McGonagall. Nobody even knew you were missing until Bill received it and informed me. It turns out that she was horribly neglecting the children under her care during her entire tenure as Head of House. She did not go to Azkaban, but she is finished as an educator.

I can't tell you a great deal in a letter about what else took place due to the rules on private family business and the fact that I don't know who else will read this. What I will say, however, is this:

It has been dealt with.

You have no further need to fear the consequences that forced your hand. It's very important that you hear the whole story, however, as there were serious consequences there as well. And most importantly of all: you absolutely did the right thing.

Were I able, I would give each of you the Order of Merlin, First Class. Your actions have caused a resurgence of sanity in Britain at least for the moment, though we do still have a long way to go. I only wish it had not been so costly to you both.

Oh, and one side note: if you can tell me what really happened in that graveyard, I would appreciate it. It's water under the bridge, but mysteries like that one bug me. It's the investigator in me.

Please write back, at least to let me know you are well.

Sincerely,

Amelia Bones Minister of Magic, Great Britain

P.S.: Yes, the Wizengamot went insane and confirmed my appointment as Minister after I arrested Cornelius. I don't know what they were thinking, and I can't even decide if I'm happy about it. My old job was far easier to deal with!

Ginny looked up to see Harry staring at her in high astonishment. She knew she was probably mirroring the look. This was about as unexpected as it came, to say the very least.

Shaking herself out of it, she quickly checked the seal on the letter.

"Bloody hell," she breathed, looking up at him again. "The seal is good. This is real."

Harry stared for a long moment, and then suddenly unstuck himself and moved to kneel in front of Fawkes. He studied the phoenix for a long moment as though checking to ensure that he was uninjured. They both had some pretty damn strong feelings about that phoenix, and to know he'd been bound with dark bindings was outright horrifying.

"You're free now?" asked Harry quietly.

And Fawkes arced up and sang a full-throated song of joy, relief and freedom. All three of the humans in the room were transfixed by it. If asked later, none of them would have been able to say how long that song went on.

Ginny then knelt down next to Harry, and both of them gently scritched the phoenix, causing him to grumble in a happy sort of way. He clearly enjoyed it.

"We're happy for you, Fawkes," smiled Ginny softly. "Now that we know, you're always welcome here."

"Besides, we kinda know what it's like," said Harry softly. "We're very glad you're free of him."

Fawkes chirped out a happy little tune, and then turned to stare at the other occupant of the room.

"That's Emily," offered Harry quietly. "She's a new member of our family. It's a long story."

The phoenix's head titled briefly, then he hopped across the table to peer up at her. Having experienced it before, Ginny knew that Fawkes had captured her gaze in the way only a phoenix could. She wondered if it was something akin to Legilimency; he was assessing her, deciding if he liked her or not.

And if his sudden happy chirp was any indication, he very much did.

Ginny picked herself back up to sit on the couch again. The events of the night were truly shocking, and she needed to pull herself back together. Harry joined her after a moment, and she could feel him trying to order his own thoughts.

After spending a moment rubbing against Emily, Fawkes took flight and landed on the back of an armchair, content to simply observe.

Emily slowly sat down in one of the other chairs, obviously confused. The poor girl had no context, and had no idea what was happening. They were going to have to fix that.

But first things first.

Ginny badly wanted to know about her family. She believed the Minister when she said it was resolved, but she wanted the details. She wanted to know the consequences. That sounded ominous.

"Harry?" she called after a moment, finally breaking the silence that had overtaken the room. True to form, Harry just turned to her and waited, so she voiced her thought. "What do you think about asking Fawkes to bring Minister Bones over for a visit? I really want to know what happened with my family."

Harry thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding. "It's probably the best option we have," he noted. Then he looked up at Fawkes. "What do you think?"

Fawkes chirped in a clear affirmative.

"I'll get the parchment," nodded Ginny. "And then we need to explain all this to Emily."

===[~]===

A/N: This chapter almost got replaced with an extended epilogue instead of continuing. Emily is a random OC that popped up in an attempted "first day of school" scene that I cut out because I just couldn't do it justice. She gets more screen time than she probably should, partly because she offers an outside perspective, and partly because I just plain enjoyed writing her.

Were my muse wanting to spend considerable additional time on this one, I would have detailed more of their school lives and whatnot, which would have balanced it better. Instead you're getting some time-skippy stuff just so I could write some of the fun "future" scenes I wanted to.

Oh, and to the mariners and general nitpickers out there: I am well aware that a hundred foot yacht would likely be too much for two people to handle without a hired crew. They get by with house elves and magic; that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I know just enough about maritime stuff to be dangerous (and probably generally wrong).

In short? Lots of artistic license involved.

To all of you who reviewed, thank you! I wanted to respond, but I've been awake since before I posted the last chapter, and I'm exhausted. So rather than keep you waiting, here's this chapter. See you tomorrow!