The Price of Victory, chapter 7

As Ron left the room to get his mother, Mr Weasley looked at Harry and Hermione as if seeing them for the first time. "How did you come to be here?" he asked in surprise.

Harry opened his mouth, resigned to yet another long-winded explanation, but before he could begin, Mrs Weasley came in, followed by Ginny and Ron.

"There's no time for that now, Arthur. I've heard the story, and it's a long one. I can explain later. What's this about an attack?"

"Perhaps it's for the best that you're here, the both of you," said Mr Weasley slowly. "Early this morning there was a general attack. According to the preliminary reports, it looks as if the homes of Muggle-borns were targeted."

Hermione gasped at this, and Harry turned to see that she'd put a hand over her mouth. As he watched, Ron took a step closer to her.

"Listen, I can't stay. I have to get straight back to the Ministry of Magic. I just wanted to be sure everything was all right here."

He looked at his wife, who replied to his unspoken question. "It's been a quiet morning here. Beyond Harry and Hermione turning up, nothing out of the ordinary has happened."

"I'll be off then. Percy can fill you in on the details."

"Are you sure you can't stay?"

"No, I have to go back and wait on more information as it comes in. I don't know when I'll be home tonight. Don't expect me for supper." He kissed his wife's cheek before heading back outside. When he'd gone, they all turned to Percy.

"We don't know very much," he said. "Reports were still coming in, but as far as we've been able to determine, there has been another general attack, similar to the one last summer."

Harry thought of the Muggle-borns he'd missed at the leaving feast, and a cold feeling of foreboding settled into the pit of his stomach.

"Mum!" Hermione cried. "I can't stay here. I have to go back home and make sure she's all right."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Hermione," said Percy. "It's far too dangerous."

"Nonsense. Harry and I made it here just fine. We can go back the way we came."

"Which was how?"

"On broomsticks."

"No, it's out of the question."

"Try and stop me." She began to move towards the door. Ron reached out and grabbed her arm.

"I think you ought to wait and see what else Percy can tell us. You haven't told us all you can, have you Perce?"

"No," he replied grimly. "Hermione, apparently your house was targeted."

Hermione went white and jerked at her arm. "Let me go, Ron! I have to go!"

"Hermione," said Percy gently. "There's nothing to go back to. The house was destroyed."

"NO! How do you know that?"

"Hermione, as a Muggle-born, you were already a target. Being Head Girl and at the top of your class made you even more susceptible. And then there's your association with Harry… Anyway, the Ministry of Magic has had your house under surveillance for a while now. We know Harry has been staying there since the end of term. The Death Eaters must have somehow known he was there, as well."

Hermione swallowed visibly. She seemed to sway against Ron. "And Mum?" she whispered.

"There's been no word. I'm sorry."

Harry felt very bad for Hermione. In a way not knowing was worse… She let out a sob, and Ron put an arm around her. She hid her face against his shoulder. Harry looked about him uncomfortably. He knew this must look very odd to the Weasleys. The way they were used to things, he ought to be the one comforting Hermione. Mrs Weasley had placed a hand over her heart and gone pale. Ginny mumbled something about making tea.

When Hermione had mastered herself, she raised her head and looked at Percy. "Do you know… Do you know what time it happened?"

"Early this morning."

"There's a chance then. There's a chance she's all right. She was going to go into the office early today. Please, I have to see if she's all right."

"No, Hermione, it's best if you stay here. We'll let you know as soon as the Ministry finds out anything."

"At least let me go into the village and ring the office. Please."

Percy hesitated. "I don't know…"

Ron cut him off. "Come on, Perce. She has a right to know. It's much safer for her to ring from the village than to try to go home, isn't it? I'll go with her."

"Ron, you're just as much a target…"

"We're all targets," interrupted Hermione vehemently. "There's nothing we can do about that. But I'm not going to let you stop me from finding out if Mum's all right."

She pulled away from Ron and moved toward the door once more. Ron started to follow.

"Ron," said Mrs Weasley. "Be careful. And come straight home."

Ron left the house, leaving Harry alone with Percy, Mrs Weasley and Ginny. They all sat down at the kitchen table with hot mugs of tea that Ginny had made. "What else can you tell us?" Harry asked Percy.

"Not a whole lot. We knew about Hermione's house specifically because the Ministry of Magic has been watching it. There have been reports of the Dark Mark being seen throughout England today." They listened with increasing horror, as Percy told them of other places, some of the names familiar, which had fallen under the terror of Voldemort's minions. Harry wondered why his scar hadn't warned him of all this dark activity, but then he realised this must be because Voldemort wasn't directly involved.

At length Ron and Hermione returned from the village, and the relief was visible on Hermione's features.

"Mum's all right," she informed them. "She wasn't at home when the house was attacked." She paused and grimaced. "Of course, she didn't know the house had been destroyed either, or that Harry and I weren't there. She wasn't pleased about that."

"Does she have anywhere to go?" asked Mrs Weasley.

"She told me she'd make arrangements. She wanted to have a look at the damage first." Hermione hesitated. "I'm going to have to go back to her. I've no way of keeping in touch…"

"That's out of the question, Hermione, as I told you before," said Percy. "It's far too dangerous. You and Harry ought to be safe here."

"Until the Death Eaters attack, you mean?"

"Well, they don't know you're here, do they?"

"I suppose not, but…"

"Can't she just send you an owl, dear?" asked Mrs Weasley.

"We haven't got one. She knows where I am at least, but she'll just assume she can ring me whenever she needs to."

"You can send Pig to her," suggested Ron. "You were going to anyway. Send him with a message explaining how she can keep in touch."

"I don't know, Ron," replied Hermione. "Isn't Pig likely to attract attention? He's always been so excitable."

Ron looked slightly hurt. "He's calmed down a lot." Everyone looked sceptical. "Well, he has!"

All this talk of owls reminded Harry of Hedwig. He vas very glad she'd been out hunting last night. With any luck, she'd have had the sense to stay away from Hermione's house this morning.

"I suppose it's the best we can do," said Hermione. There seemed to be some sort of fragile peace agreement between her and Ron, and she was obviously making an effort to keep things that way.

"I'll go get Pig, then," said Ron.

Mrs Weasley produced a piece of parchment and a quill. While Hermione wrote a note to her mother in her precise script, Harry surreptitiously watched Ginny. She'd seemed rather tense about something ever since Ron had offered his owl to Hermione.

Ron came back to the kitchen empty-handed. "I can't find the stupid git anywhere." His eyes fell on Ginny. "You didn't borrow him, did you, Ginny?"

Ginny was defiant. "And what if I have?"

"You didn't ask if you could for one thing."

"It doesn't matter," said Hermione quickly. "I can always use Aeneas."

Harry knew that Errol had gone to his reward, at least where he came from, and he assumed that Aeneas was the Weasley family's present post owl.

"The only reason you'd borrow Pig without asking," Ron went on, "is because you're writing to that git Malfoy."

This seemed to be a sore point with more than just Ron, for Mrs Weasley asked, "Is that true, Ginny?" Ginny didn't reply; she merely glared at them all. "Answer me, young lady. Is it true you're owling the Malfoy boy?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged an uncomfortable look. It was apparent that Ginny and Draco's relationship was disapproved of, and Ron had been in a poor position to keep and eye on his sister's doings. Harry had seen enough of Ginny and Draco together at Hogwarts to know that Ron wouldn't have liked their doings very much.

"Yes, mother, it's true," Ginny grated. Mrs Weasley pressed her lips into a thin line. "Look, Mum, just because his father was in deep with You-Know-Who, doesn't mean Draco's going to join the Death Eaters. Draco hates his father. He doesn't want to be anything like him."

Harry's stomach turned over. This definitely wasn't the Draco Malfoy he knew. He wondered if Ginny was being deceived. She had a better standing in wizarding society here. Perhaps Malfoy was using her to get ahead of the game, or worse, to attempt to get closer to the Minister for Magic. If he actually were a Death Eater…

Mrs Weasley was evidently thinking along the same lines. "That may be what he's told you, but you can't afford to take chances. You know very well you've been forbidden to contact him."

"Honestly, Mum, you don't even know him! You're prejudiced against him because he was in Slytherin! This is the whole reason why we don't have houses at Hogwarts anymore!"

"Slytherin has nothing to do with it. I know enough about his family to know how he was raised. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Just because his father and Dad didn't like each other when they were both at school…"

"His father was in You-Know-Who's inner circle! And I don't think I need to remind you…"

Ginny cut her off. "That doesn't mean that Draco is evil! It doesn't! I know him, and he isn't!"

Harry felt Hermione's eyes on him. She was giving him an odd look, as if she expected him to come to Malfoy's defence. There wasn't any way in hell he was about to do that.

"What are you going to do about it, Mum? I've already sent Pig out to him."

"For the last time, you are not to contact that boy again!"

Ginny simply glared at her mother for a long moment. Then she walked out of the room. A minute later, they all heard a door slam overhead. Mrs Weasley sighed resignedly. "She's going to be the death of me," Harry heard her mutter.

In the wake of Ginny's departure, Percy got up from the table. "Much as I'd like to stay and witness the family drama, I'm needed back at the Ministry. Cheerio!"

Ron rolled his eyes behind his brother's back, as Percy walked out of the room. Harry stifled a snigger. The day was getting stranger and stranger, and somehow laughter didn't seem very appropriate at the moment.

"Family drama, indeed," sniffed Mrs Weasley. She looked around at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Things were so much simpler before you all hit adolescence, weren't they? No wonder you haven't found a way to defeat You-Know-Who with all the time your tangled love lives must take up!" She stalked out of the room, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione red-faced and staring downwards. It occurred to Harry to wonder why they, three teenagers of all the witches and wizards in the world, should be held responsible for the fact that Voldemort was still strong, but there was no point in voicing the question. He knew that Ron and Hermione had no more idea than he did what the answer to that one was.

In the end, Hermione sent her note with Aeneas, and arrangements were made for Harry and Hermione to stay at the Burrow. Neither the twins nor Percy lived at home anymore, so Harry and Hermione had rooms to themselves. Harry was relieved, in a way not to have to room with Ron. While their differences seemed to have been set aside for the moment, things still felt a bit awkward. As it was, Harry had to borrow clothes from Ron, since he'd never planned on coming to stay, clothes that were all rather too long for him.

Later that afternoon, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all sitting in Ron's room. It was almost like old times, except…. No one was saying much of anything. In spite of Ron and Hermione's earlier declarations of being willing to help Harry do whatever was necessary to fix things, tension still weighed heavily about the three.

"Right," said Harry at last, breaking another uncomfortable silence. "We need to decide what we're going to do. We need to find a book, but we don't know its title. It may or may not exist. It may or may not be in Hogwarts library, and if it exists at all, it will certainly be in the Ministry's library. That seems to be what we have to go on. Thing is, what do we do about it?"

"I've seen the library at the Ministry," said Ron. "We could look through all the books there, but it would take about a year."

"We haven't got that sort of time, Ron," said Hermione. "With every day that passes, more and more people are in danger from You-Know-Who. We need to find a way to narrow the search down."

"Is there any sort of spell that might trigger my memory?" asked Harry. "Sort of like a Memory Charm but in reverse?"

Hermione considered this for a moment. "I can think of one or two, but they're not very reliable. They wouldn't have been taught at Hogwarts, because the staff wouldn't have wanted students relying on them instead of learning their lessons properly." She sounded very approving of this policy.

"But do you know how to do any?" asked Ron.

"As I said, the ones I know of aren't very reliable. I suppose we could try."

She took out her wand, pointed it at Harry's head. "Now you need to concentrate on what you're trying to remember." Harry closed his eyes and tried very hard to picture the red-bound tome in his mind's eye. Hermione muttered something that sounded like "subvenire".

The image of the book wavered in Harry's mind, but no title appeared. "It didn't work," he said glumly. Hermione tried again with other spells, but none of them was able to make Harry recall the book's title.

"It's no use," he said after a while. Then he had a brainwave of another sort. "Dumbledore!"

"What?" said Ron. "The book isn't called Dumbledore, is it?"

"Of course not," replied Harry. "I told you this morning. Dumbledore asked me about that spell. Maybe he knows what book it's in. And if he doesn't, maybe Madam Pince does. We need to send him an owl."

"Can't," Ron pointed out. "Hermione's sent Aeneas to her mum, and Ginny's sent Pig out with a letter to Malfoy."

"Well as soon as one of them comes back, we'll send a letter to Dumbledore," said Hermione. "There's not a whole lot more we can do."

"Unless Hedwig turns up." The other two looked at Harry. "I let her out to hunt last night before we set out. She's got enough sense to track me down, I'm sure of it." He hoped he was right. He knew his snowy owl had enough sense to find him, as long as she was in a condition to do so. As long as she hadn't been at Hermione's when the attack occurred.

"She'll turn up, Harry," said Hermione bracingly.

Ron found Harry some parchment and a quill among his school things. Harry began to write but soon paused. "Do you think we may as well ask Dumbledore to send us the book?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Do we even know where he goes over the summer holidays? You don't think he stays at the school, do you?"

"No idea."

"We never even found out where McGonagall slept, and she used to be our head of house," said Hermione. "Strange, really, when you think about it. It's like it was a big secret."

"Her room couldn't have been that far from Gryffindor Tower," said Ron. "She used to turn up pretty quickly any time things got too noisy." Hermione gave him an odd look. "What? You don't think I completely lost my memories of being in Gryffindor when they split us all up, do you?"

Hermione didn't answer, but she looked uncomfortable again. Harry sighed. This was getting tedious.

"All right. I'll ask him to send the book along if possible. Otherwise we'll just have to hope he can give us the title and go into the Ministry to find it."

Harry finished off his letter, and then there was nothing to do but wait until an owl was available to send it.

Later that night Harry lay in bed, unable to fall asleep, in spite of having been up the entire previous night. The letter to Dumbledore was still lying on the chest of drawers in Ron's room waiting to be sent, but that wasn't the reason Harry was having trouble drifting off. No, it was Ginny. He couldn't get her out of his head, and it was as if she was haunting him.

If he was going to be staying at the Burrow for an indefinite period of time, this was going to become pure torture. He would see her every day, so like the Ginny he knew, the Ginny who loved him, but yet so different. She looked the same; she sounded the same. She'd even tasted the same when he'd kissed her earlier. But she wasn't the same person here. She was harder somehow. Harry had no idea if this was some sort of effect brought about by her relationship with Malfoy, or a result of something else.

He had no idea how much of this he'd be able to take, but at the moment he felt as if he wasn't far from being driven over the edge. Some rational part of his brain told him some of this was a lack of sleep, but he couldn't get to sleep. All he could think of was Ginny and how he only wanted to hold her and know she accepted and loved him. It was a vicious circle.

He got out of bed, put on his glasses and carefully walked over to the window. This was Fred and George's old room, and he was sure there might still be a dangerous item or two lurking in a corner. The night was clear and starlit, but the moon had not yet risen. The world seemed to be a peace. As he stared up at the sky, he thought he saw movement. A tiny point out there was growing larger. And whiter. The next thing he knew, Hedwig was at the window, and Harry's heart leapt as he raised the window to let her in. She seemed to be unhurt, and he felt as if finally something was going right. He stroked her beak with a finger, and she hooted in greeting.

Harry remembered the letter, and he was filled with a sense of urgency. Something told him he needed to send it out tonight, but perhaps that was only his own sense of frustration with this world. The sooner he sent that letter the sooner he could go back to where he belonged.

Leaving Hedwig on the windowsill, he stole across to the door and opened it quietly. Across the landing he saw the door to Ginny's room silently cursed his fate once more that he should be so close and yet so far. If he was back where he belonged, he'd have been spending the summer here at the Burrow, and while he knew Ginny's room would have been strictly off-limits to him, he'd have at least been welcome there.

Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, he climbed the stairs to Ron's room and knocked quietly. There was no answer. Ron was almost certainly asleep. Harry opened the door silently and tiptoed to the chest of drawers, picked up the parchment on which he'd written the letter to Dumbledore, and took it back down to his room.

He rapidly tied the parchment to Hedwig's leg. "Sorry, old girl. I know you just got here, but this is important. I need you to take this to Dumbledore right away."

Hedwig hooted in reply, and Harry was confident she was up to the task. She'd never failed him yet. He watched as she took off into the night, remaining at the window until he could no longer see her. He climbed back into bed, feeling much better about things, and soon drifted off to sleep.