Ch 5: Back to the burrow.
The last week went by in a blur. Harry spent most of his time doing homework and before he knew it was time to floo to Ron's.
Paws!" Cindy yelled.
"yeah tawny?" Harry yelled back.
"It's time to go, they are expecting you now."
Harry ran down the stairs followed by Remus and Sirius who were struggling with his trunk.
"Can't you two use magic?" Harry asked, "you're legal fully trained wizards!" Cindy laughed and put a weightless charm on the trunk and Sirius shoved it in the fireplace.
"Ready?" Remus asked. Harry nodded. He said goodbye to everyone and gave Cindy a hug then stepped in the fireplace.
"The burrow!" Harry said. In a whirl of ash and soot, Harry fell out of the Weasley's fireplace. Ginny was standing over him.
"Hey Ginny." Harry said. Ginny reached over to pull him up and hugged him. This is new, thought Harry; Ginny was always so shy around him. But for some reason, it felt like a much needed change. He hugged Ginny back.
"Oh I'm so glad you're here! We have been so worried about you, well Hermione and me because you haven't owled her in a week and …" Harry started laughing. Ginny looked up at him.
"What's so funny?" she asked him.
"You look so cute when you blabber on and on like that." Harry said blushing a little. "Where's Ron?" he asked
"Upstairs with Hermione." Ginny replied. Harry raised an eyebrow at her.
"I wonder what they are doing." He said. Ginny caught on. A mischievous smile crossed her face.
"Lets go see." She said. She grabbed Harry's hand and they ran upstairs to Ron's room. They stood outside the door straining to hear the conversation inside. They both looked down and saw that they were still holding hands. They quickly let go. Ginny looked at Harry.
"On the count of three?" she whispered. Harry nodded.
"Ok, " Ginny said, "one two three!" Harry threw open the door to find Hermione and Ron unpacking Hermione's suitcase. Harry looked at Ginny and frowned. A look of disappointment crossed over Ginny's face. Ron turned around.
"Harry!" he yelled. Harry smiled and ran over to Ron and gave him a high five.
"Hey Ron, " Harry said, " hey Hermione." Harry added looking over at Hermione. She jumped up and ran to Harry. He wrapped her in a big hug and kissed her on the forehead, earning a very confused look from Ron, Ginny just smiled. Hermione was Ginny's main correspondent and knew that there was nothing going on between Harry and Hermione. Ron just stood there still confused.
"Oh Harry Ginny and I were so worried about you!" Hermione said. Harry laughed, and shot a look at Ginny.
"So I've heard." Ron looked over at Harry.
"Come on lets get your trunk and stuff." He said. Harry shook his head.
"Not yet, I need to talk to you two about something." He said. Hermione and Ron nodded. Ginny headed towards the door.
"I'm going to leave you guys alone, call me if you need me." she said. Harry looked at her.
"Wait!" he said. She turned around and smiled, "this concerns you too Ginny. Ok I told you that I had something to tell you, well he I go."
Harry told them all about the order and being an animagus and seeing his parents and being the heir to gryffindor his new aunt and everything else about his week at Cindy's. He turned to Ginny.
"This is the part that involves you." He said, she nodded." About a week ago I had a dream, and you were in it. You were about eighteen and we were married." Harry blushed at this Hermione smiled Ginny blushed too. "Voldemort had taken you away somewhere and said you had a power that he needed." Ginny shifted a little at that statement. "You said you stood by me and that you would never work with him and he set the Cruciatus curse on you, then I woke up. Ginny I think you should tell me what this power is if you know it yet, because you can't get taken by Voldemort, you don't have to tell me but it might be smart." Ginny shook her head.
"No I'll tell you." She looked up at him," I've known about it ever since my second year, only mom and dad know, but well, I can see the power levels of people, and I can also sense when the light and dark forces are near." She looked at Harry, "that's how I knew you were coming." She said. Harry looked up. "What do you mean by that?" Harry asked, "light and dark forces? You didn't know I was part of the order before now so how could you know that it was me?" Ginny smiled.
"Well, ever since I had the power there was something different about you. I first saw it in Flourish and Bolts, when you stood near Mr. Malfoy it was more apparent, I really can't explain it." Harry nodded.
"Well I guess it is because I was born with it." Harry decided aloud. Hermione looked at Ginny.
"So you can see our power levels?" she asked. Ginny nodded." Tell us then!" she said.
"Ok stand still it takes a while to focus." Ginny said. "Ok Harry's is the strongest, probably more that usual because of the order's power of love thing." Harry nodded." But it has always been the strongest. Ron's and Hermione's are exactly the same, less than Harry's but still a lot stronger than most people's" she finished.
"What about yours gin?" Harry asked. Ginny looked up at him.
"I've never been able to see it and why did you call me gin?" she asked.
"Well gin is shorter, and what about looking in a mirror?" Harry's said.
"Oh!" she exclaimed," that might work! And keep calling me gin I like it." Harry nodded and smiled and Ginny ran over to the mirror in the hall outside Ron's room. Harry Ron and Hermione hurried behind her.
"So," Hermione said." what does it look like when you see someone's power level?"
"Well," Ginny answered," it looks kind of like flame coming out of you. The bigger the flame the more power you have. Mine is the size of yours Hermione, and yours Ron, cool I always thought I have much less power than that." Hermione had started questioning Ginny about all the people at Hogwarts and their levels. Ron turned to Harry.
"Can I talk to you about something Harry?" Ron asked. Harry nodded.
"Sure Ron that's what I'm here for." Harry said. Ron smiled.
"Come on." He said. Harry followed Ron back into his room, and sat down on the bed next to Ron.
"So what did you to talk about?" Harry asked. Ron looked at him.
"Well I wanted to ask you about Hermione do you like her or something because well you hugged her and kissed her and." he drifted off, Harry laughed and Ron looked at him confused.
"Ron. " Harry said, "what do you do when you haven't seen your sister in a really long time?" Ron looked at Harry and shook his head but answered the question anyways.
"Well, " he said, "I run up and hug her and then I kiss her on her forehead some times. Oh!" Harry nodded. Ron looked relieved.
"Hermione is like my sister, Ron. I know you like her I would never go out with Hermione it just sounds so wrong. For me not you. You should ask her she likes you too, but you can't hurt her. But you have to make me a promise." Ron nodded.
"I'll let you have Hermione with out being over protective if you let me ask Ginny out." Harry said looking down. Ron frowned then smiled and nodded.
"Deal!" he said holding out his hand for Harry to shake. Harry shook it.
"Thanks!" he said. Ron shook his head.
"No problem, after all, if we had to pick a guy to go out with Ginny, you would be first on our list, I know you wont do anything to hurt her." Harry nodded. They walked out of the room to go get the girls. Ron looked over at Harry with uncertainty and Harry nodded and waved his hand to signal him to continue. Ron walked over to Hermione. Who was still talking to Ginny? He cleared his throat to make him known. Hermione whirled around.
"What do you want?" she asked. Ron blushed and Ginny laughed.
"I want to talk to you will you come with me please." Ron said. Hermione nodded looking confused and Harry and Ginny exchanged amused looks. Harry watched Ron walk off with Hermione before turning to Ginny.
"Gin?" he said, "come with me I need to ask you something." Ginny smiled.
"Okay," she said, "lets go into Ron's room seeing as it is deserted." Harry nodded and grabbed Ginny's hand and sat her down on the bed next to him. There was something about Ginny that put Harry instantly in a good mood. He loved sitting there with her. He turned to look at her amazed at how much she had grown up; she was no longer a little girl, but a tall young lady. She held herself differently now and looked a lot more confident. Harry smiled.
"Ginny, I have had a crush on you for a while now and well I just wanted to ask you id maybe you'll be my girlfriend, I like you a lot and I've just never had the courage to ask you before, if you don't want to it's okay but…" he turned to Ginny. He hoped that she would say yes. What would he do if she didn't? Well first he'd be crushed and upset, then he guessed he would just get over it. I started to prepare him for the worst when Ginny looked up at him and smiled.
" Of course I'll be your girlfriend, I can't turn you down!" she said. Harry smiled and hugged Ginny. There is nothing better than this he thought to himself, she is so beautiful, I'm so glad she said yes. Pulled away and looked at Ginny.
"Come on lets go tell Ron!" he said. Ginny frowned.
"Lets not," she said, "he tends to over react about things like this." Harry shook his head.
"We had a deal," he said," I got to ask you out if I let him have Hermione."
"Are you like Hermione's protector or something?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded.
"Yup, I'm her brother, in a weird way." Harry smiled, and grabbed Ginny's hand, "lets go see what they are up to!"
Harry and Ginny went downstairs to go talk to Hermione and Ron. They were interrupted when Fred and George popped out of the fireplace.
"Oh, hello" said Fred with amusement in his voice.
"It's about time if you don't mind me saying so," George said.
"About time for what?" Harry said in a slightly confused voice. Then he realized that he and ginny were holding hands. Ginny must have noticed it to because her hand jerked away at the exact time as Harry's.
"Well now we know and there is no use hiding it." George said obviously hiding a snigger.
"We think Hermione and Ron have done the same thing, we were on our way over to talk to them when we ran into you." Harry explained hoping that his face wasn't red.
"Well we would be happy to come, there is nothing we like better than teasing Ikle Ronikins." Fred said laughing so it was hard to understand.
Harry, Ginny, Fred, and George went to go see what Ron and Hermione were up to. Harry was not surprised when he saw Ron and Hermione holding hands.
"Oooooo, ikle Ronikens has a girl friend!" George said in a teasing tone.
Ron's face immediately went as red as his hair.
"Don't tease him like that George, that's mean!" Ginny said in a defensive way.
"Oh look someone is standing up for ikle Ronikens, am I right Ginny?" Fred said jokingly.
"Well yes but don't be mean." Ginny said
"Fine we had better go Fred, we have done our duties here. But don't lose hope there's still Percy" George sniggered.
Fred and George went up to go find Percy. Ginny shook her head.
"They always have to tease someone." She said. Harry looked over at Ron he had obviously asked Hermione out and he sincerely hoped the Krum issue had been sorted out. Ron smiled at Harry and Harry smiled back. Hopefully Harry thought, there would be no more random fights out of them. They stood in silence for a while all of them thinking about something different. Hermione was the fist to speak.
" Harry, have you and Ginny been up to that Ron is so happy about we were on our way up to get you two when.." she broke off.
"when we found you." Harry finished for her. Ginny laughed. Ron looked at Harry.
"so.." he asked. Harry nodded and Ginny smiled. "score! Cool Ginny, welcome to what Snape has rightly dubbed 'the dream team'!" Hermione looked from Ron to Harry to Ginny and back to Ron a very confused expression on her face.
"DID I MISS SOMETHING!" she yelled. Harry laughed and told Hermione that he had asked Ginny out. She took the news really well and started saying she knew it would happen all along. Harry just shook his head, held out his hand to Ginny, who took it and headed back inside. he started to open the door, but fell right through the door. Someone must have opened it while he was. He looked up and saw the twins laughing madly. Ginny reached down and pulled them and started yelling at them.
"what a horrible trick to pull! You could have hurt Harry or me!" she shrieked. Harry just laughed.
"nice one!" he said slapping the twins a high five. Ginny frowned.
"Harry when I am defending your honor don't take the other person's side!" she said. Harry smiled.
"sorry gin." He said, smiling, he pulled her into a one armed hug, then turned back to the twins.
"I see you have been learning from Sirius." Harry said with a sense of pride in his voice. Harry was proud of anything Sirius did and looked up to him a lot, Sirius was the same to Harry. Twins nodded to Harry.
"how did you know?" George asked.
"I just spent a week with him I know more than you know, but I'll give you a tip, that trick works a lot better when the person being tricked falls through the door and into something, my own personal twist Sirius can tell you about it." Harry had set out a tray of whipped cream for Sirius to fall into Sirius thought it was awesome but Harry could tell Sirius wanted to out do him, it was a constant war between them, seeing who could pull the best and most tricks on who. Cindy disapproved a lot and thought it was insane to see a thirty four year old man and a fifteen year old involved in a prank war. But then Sirius never had been one to act his age. He seemed dead set against it. Just then Mrs. Weasley entered the room.
"oh hello Harry dear I didn't see you. But I can see that Ginny sure did. Move over Ginny I want to hug him to." It was Mrs. Weasley. Harry blushed and remembered that he was still hugging Ginny. he silently scolded himself for doing that in front of Mrs. Weasley. She didn't seem to care though and pulled Harry into one of those big Mrs. Weasley hugs. Harry smiled.
"hello Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for having me over." Harry said politely.
"I'm glad to have you over and since you are practically a Weasley family member you need to call me Molly. Also I think you have something to tell Arthur and me" she said looking over at Ginny.
"did somebody call me?" said Mr. Weasley entering the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley nodded.
"Harry is here and I believe he and Ginny have something to tell us." She said. Mr. Weasley raised his eyebrows and looked amused, but also like he knew what was coming. It surprised Harry.
"oh and what is it you want to tell us Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked the same expression on his face. Harry looked over at Ginny who nodded and smiled. Her confidence seemed to give Harry confidence still it's risky to tell Ginny's dad about this but there was only one way to find out what his reaction was. Harry took a deep breath.
" Mr. Weasley, is it okay if I date your daughter?" Harry said, surprised that is had come out that easily. Mr. Weasley smiled at Harry then at Ginny and nodded. Harry let out a sigh of relief.
" thank you!" he said happily. He hugged Ginny who hugged him back. They stood up to leave the room.
"so you two officially a couple?" Fred asked. Harry nodded and Ginny smiled. Harry led Ginny upstairs he was so relieved that Mr. Weasley had let him go out with her. He was too busy thinking about Ginny to realize where he was going.
"Harry, where are we going?" Ginny asked.
"well I think I'm going to unpack but I kind of forgot, come to think of it I don't even know where I'm staying, is there enough room for three people in Ron's room, they might move Hermione into your room since she and Ron are going out then I would be here, okay well my trunk is here might as well unpack it." Harry replied. Ginny and Harry reached down and started unpacking Harry's stuff and putting it In the spare dresser. Just as they finished Ron and Hermione burst into the room Harry smiled.
"up here to move out Hermione?" Harry said smiling," Ron did Fred and George rat you out.?" Ron nodded looking really angry and Hermione was doing her best to cheer him up but it clearly wasn't working.
"I am going to kill them." Ron grumbled angrily. Harry was going to shoot some taunt about how obvious it has been that they like each other but decided against it. Ron was in a bad enough mood as it was. Hermione turned to Ginny.
"Ginny? will you please help me unpack?" Hermione asked. Ginny groaned and shook her head.
"nope sorry I have unpacked enough for today thank you." Ginny said. Hermione frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "Come on Harry, dinner will be ready soon lets go down and help." Harry nodded. He walked downstairs following Ginny.
"Mrs. Weasley?… er Molly?" Harry asked. Mrs. Weasley smiled. Harry liked calling Mrs. Weasley molly, it made him feel a lot closer to her.
"Harry Ginny will you please set the table for eight, Percy won't be home." molly said. Harry nodded then stopped. he realized he didn't where the cutlery was. He watched Ginny walk over and grab something from a drawer. Harry followed her feeling ashamed that he had never helped the Weasley's when he was there. He set the table and even told Ginny the right way to put out a napkin and that she had made a mistake putting the blade of the knife the wrong way.
"How did you know that?" Ginny asked.
"the Dursleys have made me set the table for all occasions since I was four." Harry said frowning. Ginny shook her head, she had never liked the "Dursley stories" as Ron called them.
" I'm hungry lets eat." Harry said breaking the silence.
"dinner won't be ready for about ten minutes." Molly said. Harry nodded and sat down on the couch not to far away from the kitchen table.
"nothing left to do 'cept wait then." He said. Ginny sat down next to him. He took her hand him his and leaned back watching Mrs. Weasley cook. The salad was tossing itself and the dressing it self, the cookies she had made were icing themselves. It was amazing to Harry how even a world like the wizarding world was able to make Harry think that it was accomplishing the impossible. He settled into a light sleep. Harry was woke up about nine minutes later no one had noticed he was asleep. When he tried to stand up he couldn't. something was on top of him. He looked down wondering what it was. It was Ginny. her face looked so peaceful to Harry that he didn't want to wake her. He picked her up carefully and set her back down so he could get up. he bent down and kissed her before turning face to face with Mr. Weasley. Harry hoped that this didn't put a damper on their situation. But Mr. Weasley just smiled.
"go ahead and wake her up, she needs to eat." He said. Harry nodded. He walked over to Ginny and started to shake her. She opened her eyes and looked at Harry. He smiled, she was so beautiful. She sat up and hugged Harry before sitting at the table.
"so what's for eating?" she asked, "I'm starving so dish it out!" Harry laughed, he had never seen Ginny like this. So confident and funny not to mention a little dangerous once she got mad. Harry liked the change, it made her Ginny Harry thought. Pretty soon all the Weasley's had joined them and they were digging into a very silent meal. Mr. Weasley looked tired and worried, Harry knew what was wrong, but he didn't know if he should ask about it or not, curiosity got the better of him though.
"what's the damage?" he asked tentatively. Mr. Weasley looked at him.
"nothing much several disappearances but they are the ones gone to work for him, nothing had happened to our side, there are a few deaths that are being looked at they seem to be accidental but our team, Sirius calls us Dumbledore's team incase you are confused, but we don't think so I'm evaluating because I know more about the muggle methods by which they were supposedly killed, that's the damage." Harry nodded, he was glad that it was not very much, at least there were no mass murders. They chatted about nothing and when dinner was finished they went back upstairs to go to bed. Harry was just settling in when Ginny burst through the door. Harry looked up.
"Ginny, what is the matter?" Harry asked.
"you have an urgent owl, I don't know what it is but you need to open it, now!" she replied. Harry ran to Ginny and grabbed the letter, hoping the news was good. He tore it open. Inside were five words
we got him, I'm free!
Harry knew immediate whom it was from. A sort of explosion took place in Harry. Sirius was going to be free. What he had been waiting for since his third year was finally going to come true. Before Harry knew it tears of joy were streaming down his face. Ginny saw him and rushed over thinking something was wrong.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"never better, they got him, they got Petegrew, Sirius is going to get a trial, and we have a big shot at winning it." Ginny smiled up at Harry, she knew how long he had waited for this.
"that's great! Oh Sirius really deserves to go out of hiding, I bet he cannot wait to see you Harry, he loves you very much you know." Harry nodded he couldn't speak, he was too happy. He grabbed Ginny's hand.
"going to tell Ron and 'Mione?" Ginny asked. Harry just nodded and pulled Ginny close to him, she laughed at how he acted in the happy circumstances. They reached the bottom of the stairs and spotted Ron and Hermione sitting on the couch together talking. As soon as Harry saw them he ran from Ginny and almost screamed in their ears.
"Padfoot is free!!!! He and moony got him they are going to get a trial, he's going to be free!!" Harry yelled. Ron and Hermione jumped up and started yelling and screaming in pure joy. They all wanted Sirius to be free. Harry broke away from their big tangled hug and turned to hug Ginny, feeling he had left her out.
"oh gin! This is so great." Ginny nodded and smiled, just then Fred and George burst into the room.
"what's all this yelling about the marauders, I thought that was our secret Harry." Said George in mock hurt.
"really Harry," said Fred seriously," why are you yelling about them?" Harry, looked at Hermione and Ron and laughed.
"do you know who the marauders are?" Harry asked to twins.
"noble men?" said George. Harry shook his head.
"moony padfoot and prongs are noble, wormtail is a traitor." Harry said "not only is Sirius a very good prankster, but he also happens to be a very good map writer person, along with Remus and my father. They were the legendary marauders, the most popular guys in school, also the most misbehaved, and they have officially passed on their destiny to me!" Harry said with pride in his voice.
"huh?" Fred said. Harry laughed.
"Sirius black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, (peter has been banned), Cindy Potter and I are moony, padfoot, prongs tawny and paws. Sirius is padfoot, Remus is moony, James is prongs, Cindy is tawny, and I am paws."
"oh." Said George," so you are a marauder too? But you aren't an animagus like Sirius is I'm assuming that the rest were animagus's too, but you aren't."
"you'd be surprised," with that Harry transformed into his animagus form. He changed back after the twins gasped in surprise. "you are sworn to secrecy, though okay? You cannot tell anyone about us being animagus's or about Cindy. I'm telling you because you are the only ones in the family who don't know the whole truth, but you must keep it secret. Also we are in progress of updating the marauders map and we'll let you two know when it is done." Fred and George just nodded, and started heading back upstairs to digest the new information.
Harry's stay at the burrow was over very fast, and before he knew it he was boarding the Hogwarts express. He turned to Ginny and helped her lift her trunk up before following Ron and Hermione. They would have headed to the prefect's compartment, but Hermione had turned it down saying she had other things on her mind, Harry suspected it was because of him. Harry had also received a prefects' position but turned it down because he, like Hermione had other things on his mind, like living through his fifteenth year. Ron had been asked to stand in for Harry, but he too turned it down, he said it was because none of his friends were prefects, but Harry knew it was for him, he was grateful to both of them. They didn't encounter Malfoy the entire ride, they decided he had bought himself into being a perfect and was off in their compartment showing off, they didn't mind in the slightest, a place without Malfoy was a good place. Harry didn't really feel like talking during the ride so he listened to Ginny and Ron arguing about Quidditch. Hermione was buried in a book. There was no surprise there Harry thought. It amazed Harry how much Ginny knew about Quidditch, but he supposed it was because she had grown up with six brothers. He listened to them until Ginny fell asleep in his lap. He looked down at her, there was something he had been feeling every time he thought of Ginny, but it couldn't be, Harry kept telling himself, but there was no denying it. He, Harry potter was in love with Ginny Weasley. He wanted to be there for her always and he would protect her with is life. He just prayed she felt the same way.
They made it to the castle in no time and Harry had turned to wake Ginny up.
"gin, gin, come on wake up, we're there." He whispered in her ear. She sat up and gave Harry a hug before taking his hand and dragging him out of the compartment.
"gin slow down, we have time to get on the carriages." Harry told her.
"no come on I want to get good seats for the sorting!" Ginny said. Harry nodded and took her over to the first carriage they saw and he ran back to get Ron and heroine who were talking to dean and lavender.
"come on guys lets go gin wants to get good seats for the sorting, we've got a carriage lets go." Harry said.
"we're coming, Harry, lets go 'Mione." Ron said. Hermione nodded and waved good-bye to dean and lavender before following Harry, and Ron. Harry led them to the carriage and they were headed to the castle.