Ginny sat at her desk back at home, gnawing on a sugar quill as she thought about what to write next. She scribbled a few more sentences and sealed it, extending the letter to her new owl, Aussie.
"Here, Aussie. Go take this to Professor Dumbledore," she smiled. The owl rubbed her head against Ginny's hand before snatching the letter and fluttering away.
~*~ Dumbledore's Summer Spot (Location Unknown) ~*~
Dumbledore sighed as he sipped his drink. He hated summer. He worried too much about his students over the summer lately. It was better when they were all under one roof and his protection. He heard a hoot from above him, and extended a hand to allow a black and tan owl to alight on his fist.
"Aren't you a beauty," he said softly, running his hand down her crest as she dropped the letter in his lap. "Thank you," he told the owl, before looking at the envelope.
"Ah, Miss Ginny," he said cheerfully, ripping open the envelope.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I have a favor to ask you. Over the summer, I was in Australia...
~Was?~ Dumbledore thought frantically, reading faster.
... but I got sent home due to an incident with Jeremy Walters.
~Oh, thank Merlin, she found the Walters boy!~
He's an Australian werewolf who is totally ostracized from everything. This is where my favor comes in. Please, please, please, Professor Dumbledore, sir, can Jeremy come to Hogwarts with us? He can't go to school in Australia, but he told me he wants to. I know you made an exception for Remus Lupin, and I also know that you are probably the only person in the world that would do this, or even consider it.
Very Sincerely,
Virginia Weasley
(Ginny)
~*~
Dear Ginny,
I shall consider this very carefully... I think that it's high time we brought students from other parts of the world to Hogwarts for good, not just for a time.
On a more somber note, I want you to pack your bags and go to stay with your brothers in NYC, just to be safe. I know what happened in Australia from your mother, and I don't blame you, but I do need you out of the country.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
~*~Dream Sequence~*~
Mariah watched as a 10 years older Harry, yawning widely, made his way down into a kitchen. A woman stood at the stove....
~That's me!~ Mariah realized. Harry put his arms around 'her' and kissed her cheek.
"Morning, love," he whispered in her ear.
"Morning, Harry," she answered, turning in his arms to kiss him fully... Mariah saw the flash of a wedding ring.
~We're MARRIED?~ she had time to think, before the scene changed slightly. The room grew darker, that was all... but when Harry and 'she' separated, they weren't them anymore.
"James, I have to go check on Harry," the woman insisted, shoving weakly at the man's arms.
~James? Harry?~
"Aw... come on, Lil, he'll stay for two more-" They were interrupted by a wail. Lily smirked at James.
"You were saying?" she asked.
"... minutes, but we better go check on him now," James finished triumphantly.
Mariah followed the couple up the stairs softly. They went into a small room off of what was obviously their bedroom. She watched in fascination as Lily leaned into the crib and came up cradling a 1 year old Harry. The baby's eyes seemed slightly unfocused, as if he couldn't see correctly.
"James, Harry's going to need glasses," Lily sighed, cradling her son.
James ruffled his son's unruly hair. "Just like his father."
"God help m-" They froze as they heard a noise. "What was that?"
"I'll go check," James said quickly, drawing his wand.
Mariah gave a start as she saw a ghost of the Harry she knew standing across the room from her. He had apparently noticed her earlier, for he gave her a nod of acknowledgment and continued to watch with haunted eyes. Everyone in the wizarding world knew about the events that were about to happen.
Sure enough, Lily put Harry back down with a kiss on the forehead and a whispered verse that Harry hadn't heard, but that Mariah was close enough to catch.
"My love for you, it grows with death
For true love never goes.
And all the love I have will now
Protect you from your foes."
Mariah closed her eyes. Her suspicions were confirmed; that was the spell that made Harry the boy who lived. Amores Protectoras.
The familiar sounds downstairs, consistent with the story; James hitting the floor, Lily guarding the staircase like a lioness... her pleading with Voldemort for her baby's life...something else... a roar? Then a scream and a thud. James screaming his wife's name hoarsely, and Voldemort's cruel, "Avara Kedvara..."
Then he stalked up the stairs.... a handsome man that looked a lot like James Potter. Covered in a black cloak with dark green lining, and with a snake on his arm.
"Ah... young Harry..." he hissed. The baby gurgled, waving his arms slightly.
Mariah moved with ghostlike stealth to stand next to Harry, who was watching intently with tear bright eyes. The dream had never gone this far before. She reached out, and was surprised when she could actually take his hand. He squeezed it hard, watching, unable to turn his face.
"Quite a shame that you are the Heir of Gryffindor... your power could have been strong next to mine... ah, well... such is the irony of chance. Farewell, young Potter."
He placed his wand right between Harry's eyes, where Lily had kissed her son's forehead moments before. There was a flash of green, and a scream as the spell backfired. The green light shot everywhere, weakening the house. As the house fell to bits around them and Voldemort disintegrated, they were thrown unceremoniously out of the dream .... as if it had gone farther than it should have.
Harry and Mariah sat up in their prospective beds, gasping. Then in one movement, they were out of their beds and racing toward each other.
~*~
Lily Potter watched with a fond smile from Heaven as her son and his true love raced toward each other. Not that they knew that... yet... Her husband James wrapped his arm around her.
"Harry's become so strong..." she whispered.
"I know, Lil... he's all we could have asked for.. and more..."
Lily sniffed away a tear. "I send him extensions over that damn dream Voldemort keeps sending him.... so he knows the truth. Mariah got one, tonight, too."
James frowned. "Pushing, pushing..."
"Oh, ple-"
Suddenly, with a *pop,* a new arrival reached Heaven.
"Ella?!"
The woman turned. "Lily? James? So, I AM dead...."
"Yes, you are dead. Death Eaters?"
"Those bastards.. they wanted to know where my daughter was." She snorted belligerently. "Yeah, right, like I'm going to tell them ANYTHING."
"Well, come and watch Harry with us... I'm sure YOU'LL find it interesting..."
~*~
"Harry!"
"Mariah!"
They both stopped. "Did you....were you..."
They stopped again and laughed. "You first," Mariah said.
"Were you in my dream?"
"Yes. Do you have that dream often?"
"Sometimes... only the middle. The end and the ..." he blushed, "... beginning were new."
He was shocked to find a minute later that Mariah had thrown her arms around him, crying.
"Oh, Harry, I feel so BAD for you! Having to witness that over and over...."
He patted her back awkwardly.... then gently kissed her forehead. Her eyes rose to his, and they exchanged one simple, sweet first kiss before both blushed furiously and said good night.
"Here, Aussie. Go take this to Professor Dumbledore," she smiled. The owl rubbed her head against Ginny's hand before snatching the letter and fluttering away.
~*~ Dumbledore's Summer Spot (Location Unknown) ~*~
Dumbledore sighed as he sipped his drink. He hated summer. He worried too much about his students over the summer lately. It was better when they were all under one roof and his protection. He heard a hoot from above him, and extended a hand to allow a black and tan owl to alight on his fist.
"Aren't you a beauty," he said softly, running his hand down her crest as she dropped the letter in his lap. "Thank you," he told the owl, before looking at the envelope.
"Ah, Miss Ginny," he said cheerfully, ripping open the envelope.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I have a favor to ask you. Over the summer, I was in Australia...
~Was?~ Dumbledore thought frantically, reading faster.
... but I got sent home due to an incident with Jeremy Walters.
~Oh, thank Merlin, she found the Walters boy!~
He's an Australian werewolf who is totally ostracized from everything. This is where my favor comes in. Please, please, please, Professor Dumbledore, sir, can Jeremy come to Hogwarts with us? He can't go to school in Australia, but he told me he wants to. I know you made an exception for Remus Lupin, and I also know that you are probably the only person in the world that would do this, or even consider it.
Very Sincerely,
Virginia Weasley
(Ginny)
~*~
Dear Ginny,
I shall consider this very carefully... I think that it's high time we brought students from other parts of the world to Hogwarts for good, not just for a time.
On a more somber note, I want you to pack your bags and go to stay with your brothers in NYC, just to be safe. I know what happened in Australia from your mother, and I don't blame you, but I do need you out of the country.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
~*~Dream Sequence~*~
Mariah watched as a 10 years older Harry, yawning widely, made his way down into a kitchen. A woman stood at the stove....
~That's me!~ Mariah realized. Harry put his arms around 'her' and kissed her cheek.
"Morning, love," he whispered in her ear.
"Morning, Harry," she answered, turning in his arms to kiss him fully... Mariah saw the flash of a wedding ring.
~We're MARRIED?~ she had time to think, before the scene changed slightly. The room grew darker, that was all... but when Harry and 'she' separated, they weren't them anymore.
"James, I have to go check on Harry," the woman insisted, shoving weakly at the man's arms.
~James? Harry?~
"Aw... come on, Lil, he'll stay for two more-" They were interrupted by a wail. Lily smirked at James.
"You were saying?" she asked.
"... minutes, but we better go check on him now," James finished triumphantly.
Mariah followed the couple up the stairs softly. They went into a small room off of what was obviously their bedroom. She watched in fascination as Lily leaned into the crib and came up cradling a 1 year old Harry. The baby's eyes seemed slightly unfocused, as if he couldn't see correctly.
"James, Harry's going to need glasses," Lily sighed, cradling her son.
James ruffled his son's unruly hair. "Just like his father."
"God help m-" They froze as they heard a noise. "What was that?"
"I'll go check," James said quickly, drawing his wand.
Mariah gave a start as she saw a ghost of the Harry she knew standing across the room from her. He had apparently noticed her earlier, for he gave her a nod of acknowledgment and continued to watch with haunted eyes. Everyone in the wizarding world knew about the events that were about to happen.
Sure enough, Lily put Harry back down with a kiss on the forehead and a whispered verse that Harry hadn't heard, but that Mariah was close enough to catch.
"My love for you, it grows with death
For true love never goes.
And all the love I have will now
Protect you from your foes."
Mariah closed her eyes. Her suspicions were confirmed; that was the spell that made Harry the boy who lived. Amores Protectoras.
The familiar sounds downstairs, consistent with the story; James hitting the floor, Lily guarding the staircase like a lioness... her pleading with Voldemort for her baby's life...something else... a roar? Then a scream and a thud. James screaming his wife's name hoarsely, and Voldemort's cruel, "Avara Kedvara..."
Then he stalked up the stairs.... a handsome man that looked a lot like James Potter. Covered in a black cloak with dark green lining, and with a snake on his arm.
"Ah... young Harry..." he hissed. The baby gurgled, waving his arms slightly.
Mariah moved with ghostlike stealth to stand next to Harry, who was watching intently with tear bright eyes. The dream had never gone this far before. She reached out, and was surprised when she could actually take his hand. He squeezed it hard, watching, unable to turn his face.
"Quite a shame that you are the Heir of Gryffindor... your power could have been strong next to mine... ah, well... such is the irony of chance. Farewell, young Potter."
He placed his wand right between Harry's eyes, where Lily had kissed her son's forehead moments before. There was a flash of green, and a scream as the spell backfired. The green light shot everywhere, weakening the house. As the house fell to bits around them and Voldemort disintegrated, they were thrown unceremoniously out of the dream .... as if it had gone farther than it should have.
Harry and Mariah sat up in their prospective beds, gasping. Then in one movement, they were out of their beds and racing toward each other.
~*~
Lily Potter watched with a fond smile from Heaven as her son and his true love raced toward each other. Not that they knew that... yet... Her husband James wrapped his arm around her.
"Harry's become so strong..." she whispered.
"I know, Lil... he's all we could have asked for.. and more..."
Lily sniffed away a tear. "I send him extensions over that damn dream Voldemort keeps sending him.... so he knows the truth. Mariah got one, tonight, too."
James frowned. "Pushing, pushing..."
"Oh, ple-"
Suddenly, with a *pop,* a new arrival reached Heaven.
"Ella?!"
The woman turned. "Lily? James? So, I AM dead...."
"Yes, you are dead. Death Eaters?"
"Those bastards.. they wanted to know where my daughter was." She snorted belligerently. "Yeah, right, like I'm going to tell them ANYTHING."
"Well, come and watch Harry with us... I'm sure YOU'LL find it interesting..."
~*~
"Harry!"
"Mariah!"
They both stopped. "Did you....were you..."
They stopped again and laughed. "You first," Mariah said.
"Were you in my dream?"
"Yes. Do you have that dream often?"
"Sometimes... only the middle. The end and the ..." he blushed, "... beginning were new."
He was shocked to find a minute later that Mariah had thrown her arms around him, crying.
"Oh, Harry, I feel so BAD for you! Having to witness that over and over...."
He patted her back awkwardly.... then gently kissed her forehead. Her eyes rose to his, and they exchanged one simple, sweet first kiss before both blushed furiously and said good night.