Harry Potter & the Dark Lord

Harry Potter & the Dark Lord – Chapter 24

~Past and Future~

Disclaimer: Special thanks to Joanne Rowling for not hating us all for doing strange things to her wonderful characters.

A/N: Hello everyone, remember me? I'm back! Yes, at long last, the chapter you've all – hopefully – been waiting for (and that I've been promising to everyone who's e-mailed me – sorry!) has finally arrived. I didn't think this would take this long – it was a difficult chapter to write and I had to redo it a few times. Of course, you find out much less about Harry's parents in the final version than in my first draft (insert evil laugh here), but I think it works much better this way. Seriously, I apologize for the long delay and I really don't intend to take so long in the future. Thank you so much for your reviews – they are much appreciated. I'll stop now before I bore you further with a myriad of excuses. Without further ado, here's this chapter's quote:

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.

"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry and Ginny jogged to keep up with the headmaster's long strides. As they got nearer to Dumbledore's office, Ginny slowed her pace, pulling Harry back with her.

"What's this about?" she whispered.

Harry kept his eyes straight ahead as he answered, "This morning Malfoy said…well, he said my dad…"

"Is it t'do with what he said before the Quidditch match?" Ginny offered, choosing her words carefully. Harry just nodded briefly. Ginny continued to watch him, confused and concerned, but she didn't press.

A minute later, they had reached their destination. Harry went to his normal seat – he was becoming all too familiar with the confines of the headmaster's office. Sirius and Remus were already there when he arrived. His former professor was sitting near the window, looking out at the new moon wearily, his cheeks hollow and ragged, shadows circling his eyes. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the small redhead follow Harry into the office, but kept silent at one look from the headmaster. Sirius was pacing the room restlessly, literally wearing a hole in Dumbledore's rug. Dumbledore quietly repaired the damage with a wave of his wand, restoring the head of the Gryffindor lion on the floor covering. Sirius looked up anxiously, his brow furrowed in worry as he watched his adoptive son take a seat.

"Harry, I don't want you listening to anyone named Malfoy," he began harshly, kneeling by Harry's side and putting a comforting arm over the young boy's shoulder. "No one in that family can be trusted as far as you can cast a spell. Don't believe the rubbish they throw at you!"

Harry felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if the hippogriff that had been resting on his chest chose that moment to fly away. "So it's not true," he breathed. "I knew my dad couldn't've been involved in anything like that."

Remus interrupted, "It sounds like Malfoy was referring to what happened outside of Edinburgh, although he's twisted it quite a bit." He stared intently at his hands, intertwining his long thin fingers. "All of us were working together against Voldemort back then – Sirius, Arabella, Mundungus, Peter, James…" Remus' voice trailed off briefly as he closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thoughts of another time. "This was just before we found out he was Gryffindor's heir," he finished, glancing uneasily at Harry.

"You mean you didn't know before?" Harry asked. Ginny, standing quietly behind him, gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Sirius shook his head, rising from the floor. "Not at first. Only Dumbledore knew, and your parents of course. The rest of us just assumed all the extra precautions taken were because he was a Potter. At the time, you were either on Voldemort's side or you were a target, and the most prominent families went first, as a warning to the others."

Harry swallowed hard. He was grateful that Ginny had come along; the feel of her hand on his shoulder helped keep him calm.

"My dad said the Potters were a very powerful family," Ginny contributed, her voice small.

"Yes, they were," Sirius replied softly, "but by the time James got out of Hogwarts, he was the only one left…all victims of Voldemort."

"James and Lily were working together," Remus continued as if Sirius had never spoken. "Lily was always rather good at charms. She was working on new defenses to use against Voldemort and his minions."

"So what happened?" Harry asked, his body tense in anticipation.

Sirius stepped forward, glancing at Dumbledore. Harry couldn't read the headmaster's face – the look in his eye wasn't very comforting. "Go ahead Sirius, you may begin with what you know and then I'll fill in the holes…"

Remus eyed the headmaster thoughtfully, a suspicious expression on his face. Sirius also seemed a bit unsure of what to make of Dumbledore's words, but he continued. "Well, from what I remember, James was working at one of the Ministry's outposts in the countryside. The Death Eaters somehow found out his location – I'm not sure how…"

"It was Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries," Remus interjected. Seeing Sirius' surprise, he added, "Karkaroff tipped us off. Half the department was involved…it was after you were…" He trailed off, flushing.

"Those bastards," Sirius muttered under his breath, "they were part of the group that arrested me…"

"You are correct, Sirius," Dumbledore said solemnly. "In retrospect I should have looked into your case further once they were discovered…they didn't know about Peter, but if we had looked more closely, maybe…I apologize sincerely."

Sirius nodded, his face clouded. After a tense moment, Sirius sighed, "We aren't here to discuss me…"

Remus watched his friend a moment more before continuing. "So, James was working at what we thought was a secret location when he was discovered…"

"But that can't be what Malfoy meant," Sirius interrupted, "no one was killed that time…I saw the Ministry's reports – the Death Eaters escaped."

"Perhaps," Remus began, again eyeing Dumbledore suspiciously, "the reports weren't entirely accurate. Am I right, Albus?"

Dumbledore nodded grimly. "Only a handful of people knew the truth."

"The truth?" Sirius asked, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Are you saying you kept things from us? Apparently your mistrust of me went back farther than I thought…"

"Now Sirius," Remus said gently.

"Will someone please tell me what happened?" Harry asked loudly, jumping up from his chair. Ginny stumbled as he rose, and now stood a distance away, taken aback at the boy's outburst. Harry was also a little surprised at himself, but he was too angry to worry about anyone's reaction. Dumbledore, however, did not appear upset – his pale blue eyes were distant, looking through Harry rather than at him.

"It was not a case of trust or mistrust. It was a personal matter between Severus and myself," the headmaster replied somberly. Harry watched silently, holding his breath until Dumbledore finally continued, sighing, "But now that it has reemerged, you are owed the truth about what happened that day. Would you like to see it for yourself?"

"How?" asked a befuddled Harry. The old headmasters and headmistresses in their frames on the walls sat at attention, watching Dumbledore intently as he stood up. One former headmistress rushed to the frame of one of her dozing counterparts, nudging him awake before returning to her picture. With his eyes twinkling, Dumbledore walked to a black cabinet behind Harry.

Harry felt his insides churn with excitement. He knew what was coming. He recognized the shallow stone basin covered in runes that was now lifted from its resting place in the cabinet and carried to the headmaster's desk. It was the Pensieve, a repository of Dumbledore's memories, a diary of his life.

Harry stepped closer to the basin, seeing the swirling silver substance shining brightly. Dumbledore's thoughts started swirling faster and faster, until a face began to form. Harry stopped in his tracks. It was his own face emerging from the bowl, or his face as it would appear in a few short years. The face climbed higher, until a whole body emerged, floating in the air above the Pensieve. Now Harry could clearly see that it was not himself he was seeing, but the familiar figure of his father.

There was a gasp and a strangled cry; Harry didn't tear his eyes away from the holographic figure to see who had made the noise. After the initial shock had worn off, there wasn't another sound in the office, save for the faint rustling of Fawke's feathers from his golden perch by the door. He felt someone grab the back of his robes, but Harry didn't look away from his father.

The shadow of James Potter smiled, his eyes twinkling in excitement.

"I think we're really close to a breakthrough. Lily's developing a charm that'll…" The figure stopped speaking, alarm evident on his face. He looked around the office as if he had heard something. Harry stepped closer and closer, reaching his hand out to the image of his father.

A second later he made contact, and Harry felt himself falling through a whirlpool. It stopped as soon as it began, and Harry was standing in the corner of a dark cottage. He looked around and saw Ginny standing by his side, still clutching his robe, her eyes wide in confusion.

"Where are we?" she whispered, her voice quivering slightly. Harry just shook his head, looking around the room. Ginny stepped back and shrank against the wall.

The windows of the cottage were shut tight and barricaded, and the only light came from glowing orbs that hovered at various points a foot below the thatched ceiling. A bookcase full of dusty volumes covered one wall. A large table littered with parchment and vials took up most of the space in the small room, and a hefty cauldron rested on the floor by a huge fireplace. It was there that James Potter stood, speaking to Professor Dumbledore's face protruding from the flames.

"What is it, James?" Dumbledore whispered, straining his head to look around the room.

"I heard something…" James responded, quietly creeping to one of the obstructed windows. "Visio," he muttered, and a patch of sky became visible through the wooden planks. Harry tiptoed closer to his father, but he could only see as far as Dumbledore's line of vision.

"Miss Weasley?" Harry heard Dumbledore's voice from behind him and jumped back in alarm. The headmaster had his hand on Ginny's shoulder and was speaking to her comfortingly. "I assume you weren't expecting to fall into one of my memories when you followed Harry. He's had a bit of experience with my Pensieve," he explained, his eyes twinkling, "but this must be a little new to you. There is nothing to fear. Would you like to stay with Harry?"

Ginny looked towards the boy, "Harry?"

Harry shrugged, not caring who was there as long as he could see his father.

James' face betrayed his fear as he spun around to again face Dumbledore. "Death Eaters…" he whispered, before rushing to grab his wand.

The scene faded, dissolving into darkness around him. Harry saw himself, Dumbledore, and Ginny floating in a black void. Before he had a chance to get used to this, Dumbledore's office reappeared around him. The memory was over – he was back.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to hold onto the image of his father. He was drawn back to the present by a rattling sound, as if something were taking in its last breath. He turned to the direction of the sound – Fawkes was hunched over, obviously close to burning. Harry watched in confusion as the bird tottered on the golden perch; he was certain Fawkes had been vibrant and healthy just minutes earlier.

"My poor friend, you'll feel better soon," a voice murmured from the other side of the office. It was Dumbledore's voice, but there was an uncharacteristic quiver to it, a slight uneasiness. It suddenly became clear to Harry – he was still in one of Dumbledore's memories.

Harry scanned the room. He now noticed a few differences – the familiar carpeting with the crests of the four houses was gone, a bare stone floor in its place. The headmistress that Harry had noticed earlier wasn't in her spot behind the desk, her portrait instead positioned by the door.

The visitors' attention was drawn to that very door a moment later, when it was suddenly thrown open. James Potter burst in, his face pale and his eyes agonized.

"Where's Lily?" he asked, searching around the office.

"She'll be here shortly," Dumbledore responded. James relaxed slightly and fell into a chair, dropping his head into his hands.

"I didn't mean it," he muttered, "I don't know what happened…"

Dumbledore went silently to his desk, taking a seat. "James, are you ready to tell me everything that happened today…" It was a statement more than a question, and the young man lifted his head, sighing.

"Have they identified the bodies yet?" James asked warily.

"Benjamin Langley, Everett Roberts," the headmaster paused briefly, " and Revella Snape…"

James groaned at the mention of the last casualty. "Severus Snape's mother? Has he heard yet?"

Dumbledore nodded briefly. "I've had Hagrid arrange for the bodies to be returned to the families before the Ministry officials arrived."

"Before…" James stared at the older wizard in confusion. "Isn't the Ministry conducting an investigation?"

"Yes, they are investigating how Voldemort discovered your location…and how the Death Eaters escaped," Dumbledore explained, eyeing the tousle-haired man intently. "Do you understand?"

James didn't speak for a minute. "But…" he faltered.

"James, you did not use one of the Unforgivable Curses, correct?"

"Of course not!" James responded hotly. His voice cracked as he continued, "I, I would never…"

"Well, unless we can explain what happened without having Lily's work made public…"

James just nodded, his face ashen. He was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Harry reluctantly tore his eyes from his father's face to see who caused the distraction. The door opened gently, and the boy held his breath as a flash of red hair appeared.

"James, are you all right?" Lily Potter ran to her husband's side, carefully clutching a bundle to her chest.

James rushed toward the slight woman, drawing her into his arms and burying his face in her hair. They held on like that until a cry broke them apart. Lily quickly unwrapped the bundle that had been pressed between them, revealing a small head covered with a mess of black hair. The child's eyes were screwed shut as tears drifted down his plump cheeks, loud cries emerging from the wide-open toothless mouth.

"Shhh, Daddy's here," James cooed to the boy, taking him from his mother and cradling him to his chest. Lily quietly eased a handful of her hair out of the baby's tight grip. Little Harry continued to cry, gasping for air between sobs.

As Harry watched his younger self being comforted by his parents, a burning sensation began to build behind his eyes. As if reading his mind, he felt a small hand slip into his and a warm body press up close to his arm.

"It's time to go Harry," Dumbledore said, reaching out to put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"No," Harry managed to choke out, "just a bit longer…" But the room was already disintegrating. His eyes hungrily took in every last detail of his family; the last image he saw before the memory completely faded was his mother's emerald green eyes – his eyes – looking in his direction. For a brief second he felt as if he could see into their depths – feel the unconditional love of a mother for her child. But as soon as it had appeared, it was gone, and Harry was back in the present, surrounded by his father's friends.

Sirius and Remus were where he had left them, staring at the Pensieve as its swirling silver light slowed. Harry clung to Ginny's hand; his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to memorize the scene he had just witnessed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Remus asked quietly, his voice calm.

"Yes, Albus," Sirius added, his tone much more bitter than the other wizard's, "why didn't any of us know anything about this? What else are you keeping from us? We didn't find out about James' ancestry until, until Voldemort discovered it, and now this. It's been fourteen years. Isn't it time you trusted us with the truth?"

"I trust you both implicitly," Dumbledore replied, staring intently at the two men. "You know that. This matter was kept quiet out of respect for Severus. It is unfortunate that it had to come out in this manner. You can be assured that I have never kept anything that would be of direct consequence to you unless there was a very compelling reason."

The glint in Dumbledore's eye left no doubt that the subject was closed to further discussion. Sirius bit his words back, staring down at the floor. After a moment, he turned to Harry. "Are you all right, Harry? Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine," he said, his mind still swimming from what he had seen.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Remus asked, his gray eyes narrowing as he watched Harry closely.

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry repeated. He didn't want to speak; he just wanted to replay the image of his parents over and over.

"It's getting late, Harry," Dumbledore said kindly. "If you'd rather, you and Miss Weasley may return to the Gryffindor common room. We can discuss this any time you're ready."

The two Gryffindors reached the entrance to the common room, neither having said a word up to that point. The Fat Lady was whispering with her friend Violet, giggling quite frequently as they finished off the box of Valentine's chocolates. Harry distinctly heard the words 'Sir Cadogan' mentioned more than once, and allowed himself a small smile.

"Your plump soft skin is like a ripe peach, your hair so fair and light, your eyes are stars I can never reach, will you be mine tonight?" Ginny recited.

"Er, what?" Harry asked, coming out of his stupor. The picture of his parents had incessantly replayed itself in his mind; he barely had registered what he had learnt about the ill-fated connection between his father and the potions master. Shaking his head slightly, he brought his eyes back into focus, confusedly gazing at the young girl who looked up at him with an earnest face. Relief washed over her as it became apparent that Harry had come back from whatever internal fortress he had created for himself.

"The password," Ginny answered, rolling her eyes. "The Fat Lady changed it earlier today after Sir Cadogan sent her a 'secret admirer' note. I do hope she changes it to something shorter soon or Neville'll get himself locked out again."

"Oh," Harry said, crawling through the portrait hole first. He reached back and held out a hand to help Ginny through. The young teenagers stood just inside the entrance, looking at each other awkwardly. The common room was relatively empty – most of the older students had yet to return from their romantic evening, leaving just a handful of first and second years finishing off their assignments.

Ginny watched Harry cautiously, as if he would explode if she made the wrong move. She opened her mouth to speak, stopping herself by biting her lip. She changed her mind a moment later, quickly asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"

After a long moment, Harry responded firmly, "No." His thoughts were too muddled – he needed to sort through it on his own, later, when he was alone and could think. Seeing hurt flash briefly in her eyes, he softened his tone, "I mean, there really isn't much to say about it, is there?"

Ginny eyed him shrewdly. Harry briefly thought she was going to pursue the topic further, and breathed a sigh of relief when she simply nodded and looked down.

"Well," Ginny said, again playing with her bracelet. The movement of the unicorns as they raced around her slender wrist was hypnotizing – Harry smiled as he vaguely thought that Ginny always played with the bracelet when she was nervous.

"Well," she repeated, glancing up and quickly dropping her hands as she noticed Harry intently staring at them. The natural glow of her cheeks intensified and spread to the edge of her vibrant hair.

"So, er," Harry stammered, now sufficiently aware of his surroundings to be embarrassed that he had been caught gawping, "we should go to bed now, I suppose." Harry immediately blushed, "Er, I mean, you'll probably want to head up…you must be worn out…"

Ginny's eyes were twinkling in amusement, causing Harry to blush further. She gasped suddenly, "Oh, I've just remembered! I have to get something upstairs…will you wait for me?"

"Of course," he answered. Ginny's anxious expression dissolved into a smile and she began to walk away, hesitating for a second before she turned. Harry thought he saw doubt flash across her eyes for just an instant before she took a step towards him. Before he realized what was happening, Ginny had wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug, nestling her head into his shoulder. Harry stood awkwardly for a moment before returning the embrace, pulling her small frame closer to him so he could feel the heat of her body. Just as his nerves were settling, allowing him to enjoy the sensation of being held, Ginny broke away, beaming up at him.

"I'll be right back," she grinned, turning and running up the stairs to her dormitory. He was barely able to nod mutely as he watched her go.

Harry waited until she disappeared before turning and heading to the fireplace. He sat down into an armchair, staring fixedly at the fire. He was wondering why Ginny's touch was enough to drive thoughts of anything else far from his mind – make him feel totally content, yet ready to burst out of his skin all at the same time. Was it like this with every girl, or was it just Ginny, he asked himself. No, it couldn't be with every girl…he didn't have a lot to judge by, but he knew he had no problem forming complete sentences when Hermione hugged him.

"I'm back!" Ginny announced, interrupting Harry's musings. As he turned toward her voice, Harry's eyes widened in delight. Ginny's arms were laden with bottles of Butterbeer and sacks of candy from Honeydukes. "My secret stash," she explained, noticing Harry's amazed expression. "Colin brings some back for me every time he goes to Hogsmeade, since we're not allowed to go anymore…"

"I see…" Harry answered in what he hoped was a neutral tone, not daring to look Ginny in the face.

"Yes, it is rather nice of him," Ginny continued, spreading the treats out on the table casually. "He's been so incredibly sweet to me. I don't know what I've done to deserve such friendship."

Harry felt his insides begin to seethe in jealousy. That feeling instantly disappeared, though, as he looked over at the redheaded vixen and saw her struggling to contain her laughter.

"Don't you find him a bit grating?" Harry asked innocently, watching her pick out the Chocolate Frogs from the pile of candy. "I mean," he continued, "every time I turn around, there's Colin with his camera. It can be quite tiring to have him following me around everywhere…"

"Harry!" Ginny whispered in horror, "What a perfectly awful thing to say!" Glancing about her hurriedly to make sure no one else had heard his comment, Ginny reeled on Harry, only to find him watching her panic as if he were enjoying a leisurely Quidditch match.

Harry dropped his scrupulous expression to grin widely at his friend, whose cheeks were quickly challenging her hair for redness. He chuckled to himself as he dropped his head, narrowly avoiding the Chocolate Frog chucked in his direction.

"You shouldn't play like that," Ginny continued, trying very hard to suppress her smile. Harry raised his eyebrow at this, causing her to cross her arms defensively. "Really, everything I said was nice, but anyone could've heard the horrid things you were spewing about Colin."

"I wasn't that bad," Harry argued, scooting over in his armchair to make room for Ginny.

"Of course," she continued, sitting down as she grabbed two bottles of Butterbeer and handed one to Harry, "he does tend to just, I don't know, hover about, doesn't he?"

"Ginny Weasley!" Harry said in mock horror, "What a perfectly awful thing to say!"

"I know," she chuckled, nearly choking on her Butterbeer, "I'm just a dreadful person, aren't I? What would my mum think?"

"Probably that you're spending too much time around your brothers. You're really lacking a good role model, now that Percy is gone," Harry answered, nodding his head seriously. His solemn expression caused them both to double over in laughter.

They were still sitting in the armchair much later, filled to the brim with Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, and Butterbeer, chatting idly about the Chudley Cannons' chances of moving up to eight in the league that year, when Ron and Hermione finally reemerged from their Valentine's dinner. Harry automatically shifted slightly away from Ginny, his face red as he realized they had been practically glued to each other's side while they had chatted.

"Oi, Harry!" Ron called, walking over to the fire with Hermione by his side, both looking very happy. "Where'd you get all the candy?" he asked, eyes as big as saucers. He absentmindedly sat in the armchair across from Harry.

"Good ol' Colin Creevey," Harry answered, sharing a sideways glance with Ginny. "Fine chap, he is, that Colin, isn't he Ginny?"

"Did you have a good time?" Ginny asked Hermione, changing the topic.

"Oh, I had a wonderful time," Hermione gushed. "This just proves my point. Wizards don't need house elves – they can get along perfectly fine without them. Those that choose to have them should pay for the privilege."

"Bugger, I got another Bastian," Ron muttered, shoving the chocolate into his mouth. "Want it, Harry?"

"Didn't you just come from dinner?" Ginny asked sweetly, watching her brother tear the wrapper off another Chocolate Frog.

"Honestly Ron," Hermione added, "I don't understand how you can fit anymore. You practically ate the whole pudding yourself!"

Ron dismissed this, "That was hours ago. I'm a growing boy…I need my energy."

"Hours ago, eh?" Harry asked, grinning slyly. "Whatever could have taken you so long, then?"

Hermione looked down at her hands, her cheeks blushing furiously, "Er, we were talking, and…"

"Ginny and I have been waiting up for you," Harry continued, letting a relieved Hermione drop her fumbling explanation. "I had the hardest time keeping Ginny from eating all the candy – she didn't want to save any…" Harry was shut up by a quick jab to his ribs.

"Impossible!" Ron's hand was frozen, his fourth Chocolate Frog halfway to his mouth. He dropped the confection unnoticed, a look of pure elation spreading over his face.

"What? What is it?" Hermione asked, leaning in for a closer look at what had caught Ron's attention.

"Agrippa," Ron said in wonderment. He finally turned his head toward Hermione, wordlessly handing over the card he had been clutching. "After all these years…my collection is finally complete…" Ron seemed to be in a total haze of disbelief.

To her credit, Hermione tried very hard to respect the solemnity of the occasion. "Congratulations Ron," she said with a straight face, "I'm sure it's quite an accomplishment to collect all the Famous Witches and Wizards cards."

Ginny leaned over and took the card from Hermione's hand. "You were missing Agrippa?" she frowned, inspecting it carefully. "Funny, I've got about ten of those…"

Harry waited until the next day to tell Ron and Hermione about his latest foray into Dumbledore's memories, not wanting to ruin the pleasant night that had developed. He had a funny feeling carefree nights would be a rarity for the rest of the term.

"I knew it!" Ron had declared. "Snape has it out for you Harry, he can't be trusted. This just confirms it."

"How so?" Hermione argued. "We've known he hasn't liked Harry all along. Dumbledore still trusts him and that should be good enough for us. This doesn't change a thing," she finished smugly.

Ron stared at her in disbelief. "How can you be so smart and so naïve at the same time?" he asked.

"Oh really?" she responded scathingly. "Perhaps you'd like to explain it, o wise one…"

"Motive," Ron answered. "Snape's got a motive now. He wants revenge for his mother's death."

"Ron, this isn't an M.L.E. case, Snape's our professor. He hasn't done anything to make us think he's got ulterior motives!"

"He's a Death Eater, Hermione!" Ron yelled, his face growing scarlet.

"Yes," Hermione shouted back, "under Dumbledore's direction! Tell him Harry!"

"Er," Harry stuttered. He did agree with Ron somewhat – no matter how much Dumbledore seemed to trust Snape, he still couldn't be sure. Dumbledore had trusted Moody, too. But the last thing he wanted was to be caught in the middle of one of Ron and Hermione's arguments. "I, I can't really say. I think I forgot my book in the library – I'll see you later…"

"See, you've scared him off," he heard Ron say as he scrambled out of the portrait hole.

After a week of griping about Snape, and Harry spending an inordinate amount of time in the library to escape it, the tension between Ron and Hermione faded away. Two weeks after Harry's meeting with Dumbledore, things were almost back to normal and Harry and Ron were enjoying a friendly game of wizard chess. Fred and George were experimenting on a handful of unwitting first years, innocently handing out samples of their new candy to the eager children. Ginny was sitting nearby, reading a book, carefully keeping the title hidden from Harry, and Hermione was just returning from the library.

"Ron, you haven't even started your History of Magic essay – it's due in three days," she reminded him as she spread out her books.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I refuse to do any homework on my birthday," Ron answered not taking his eyes from his pieces.

"Fine," she answered casually, "have it your way. But birthday or not, I'm not going to let you copy my essay when you discover you only have ten minutes left to complete it."

"Checkmate! Come on Harry, that was too easy."

Harry stood up, stretching his arms and smirking at his friend, "I only let you win, being as it's your birthday."

Ron rolled his eyes at his dark-haired friend, "You're delusional."

"You're both delusional if you think your work is going to get itself done on its own," Hermione answered, pulling out a fresh piece of parchment.

"Oh no you don't," Ron said, deftly pulling the parchment out of Hermione's hand and raising it out of her reach.

"Ron, give it back!" Hermione stood up trying to grab the paper, but Ron's height advantage was too much to overcome. She pulled out her wand instead, "Accio parchment..."

"No fair," Ron muttered, scowling as the parchment floated back to Hermione's hands. His scowl quickly disappeared though, as he grabbed her by the waist with a gleam in his eye.

"Ron, what are you doing, I have work to do," she chastised, but Ron was pulling her towards the chessboard. He lifted her up and deposited her in Harry's now vacant seat.

"I've decided no one can do work on my birthday. I challenge you to a chess match. Loser has to do the winner's homework for a month," Ron declared.

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Ron put his finger to her lips, "Not a sound, it's my birthday and I make the rules – if you refuse to comply, you'll have to face the consequences."

"Oh, and just what will these consequences be?" Hermione retorted, her face breaking into a smile as she leaned closer to the tall redhead.

"You'll see," Ron answered, putting his arm around her waist, the chess game forgotten.

Harry sighed, turning his attention to Ginny as he sat beside her. "So what've you got there?"

Ginny turned red as she quickly shut the book and shoved it in her bag. "Just some schoolwork…"

A commotion at the other end of the common room caused Harry and Ginny to turn their heads sharply, although Ron and Hermione were too distracted to do much more than glance over briefly.

"It worked!" Fred was shouting. A young girl was crying, her hands plastering her hair to the sides of her head. Harry recognized the young first year as one of the girls that was taken with Ron.

"Come on now, it's not so bad," George comforted the girl, gently pulling her hands away from her head. The girl resisted, her sobs growing louder as she finally relented and let her hands fall to her side. Harry's jaw dropped as the girl's ears poked through her hair, unfolding to a span of four feet. Her ears were far larger than even those of the house elves.

"Go on, try them out!" Fred exclaimed. "Flap them, as fast as you can!"

The girl backed away from Fred, her tears subsiding as fear overwhelmed her.

"Fred, George, fix her!" Ginny insisted, looking at the young girl in sympathy.

"Hush, Ginny, we've got it all under control," Fred answered dismissively.

"Fred, you're scaring her," George said. Turning back to their victim, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Emma," she answered shyly.

"Hi Emma, I'm George Weasley, and this dolt is my brother Fred," George grinned at her, causing her to smile and blush. "Don't worry, Emma, your ears'll be back to normal in an hour or so."

"But in the meantime," Fred added, bursting with excitement, "flying would be fun, wouldn't it? You'd like that, right?"

The girl's eyes now looked curious, and she hesitantly tried to flap her ears, slowly at first, then gaining speed. She began to rise from the floor – she had only risen a few inches before she looked down in terror and stopped flapping. She immediately fell back down with a thump.

Ginny couldn't help but giggling, although she rushed to make sure little Emma hadn't hurt herself. Harry watched with interest as Fred and George helped Emma practice her flapping, eventually getting her to hover a foot from the floor. He was reminded of his brief time as a ghost during the Masquerade Ball, and a sick feeling developed in the pit of his stomach. He loved flying, but not without his trusty broomstick.

Turning to Ginny, Harry asked, "Do you want to go to the library? There's a book about the development of the racing broomstick I want to check out."

"OK," she responded, leaving the twins with Emma as she went to get her bag. Harry turned to Ron, who was sitting with Hermione, the two speaking quietly.

"Ron, we're going to the library, all right?" Harry asked lightly.

"Not to do homework, I hope?" Ron responded, his eyes narrowed.

"Ron…" Hermione warned, soothing him by rubbing his arm gently.

"Don't worry Ron, we'll observe your birthday," Ginny answered patronizingly.

"All right, then," he answered, apparently satisfied. "Don't stay too long, though," he added, glancing at Harry suspiciously.

"Right," Harry answered, helping Ginny through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady smiled at them as they passed; she had been in a very good mood the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, she had changed the password back to something more memorable ("Chocolate truffle")

Ginny and Harry made their way down the corridors talking amiably about Fred and George's chances of making it after graduation. They were broken out of their easy chatter by the sound of angry voices coming from down the hall. Harry put a finger to his lips, motioning for Ginny to keep silent, as he made his way towards the disturbance. The voices were coming from an empty classroom, and as they neared it, he pulled Ginny aside and pressed himself against the wall near the partially closed door.

"You are a fool, Fletcher, you always have been and you always will be," they heard Snape snarl.

"It's a perfectly reasonable plan, Severus, if you'll just listen…" Fletcher responded heatedly.

"It's too dangerous. We can't just hand the boy to him."

"But that is what Voldemort is expecting," Fletcher insisted. "If you don't comply, you'll be discovered, and then what good'll you be to us?"

"While I find your concern for my safety touching," Harry could hear the sarcasm dripping from Snape's low voice, "I think I'm a better judge of what Voldemort expects. The matter must be handled delicately. You underestimate Voldemort's powers – he has been regaining his strength rapidly. If the boy is lost, everything will be over."

"Severus, you're not listening to me! No one will be harmed. The ministry will be there to protect him! We've got a plan – we only need something to draw Voldemort out and then they can handle him," Fletcher shouted.

"You're confidence in the Ministry's ability far exceeds my own, I'm afraid," Snape hissed. "And what does Dumbledore think of all this? I can't imagine he's willing to put precious Potter in harm's way."

Ginny drew her breath in sharply, clutching Harry's robes.

"He's resisting," Fletcher admitted. "That's why I need you to talk to him. If you would just explain it's the only way – he'll listen to you. You're our connection to Voldemort."

"Which is why I'm telling you it won't work. Potter is still reckless enough to think he can face the Dark Lord and survive – the fool will play right into his hands."

The sound of someone approaching from down the corridor forced Harry and Ginny to scramble. Turning away from the classroom, they ran all the way to the library. Madam Pince frowned as the two rushed in, watching them as they disappeared between two bookcases, hidden from the sharp eyes of the librarian. Both stopped, breathless from the mad dash, looking around to make sure they were alone.

Ginny looked up at Harry, fear in her eyes. "What do we do now?" she asked.

A/N: A few last comments: (1) Keith – your request will be granted (albeit in a later chapter, but then again, there are only a few left) – I had to ask my brother what you were getting at, and he immediately explained it very clearly. I should've guessed J. (2) Of course, now that JKR's told us Ron's birthday (March 1st), I had to celebrate it. I'm very happy now J. (3) Fun fact – did you know that the U.K. switches to Daylight Savings Time a couple of weeks before the U.S. does? I learned that last week when a conference call with a client in London got screwed up. Oh, the joys of work. Now don't everyone go telling me, "Of course we knew that!" I didn't. Finally, (3) read and enjoy! At least I hope you do.

Thank you so very much for reading this. Your reviews are too kind, and I love seeing what you have to say. My gratitude knows no bounds. I promise not to make you wait so long for the next chapter. You're all angels.