Chapter Three: Inner Flame
A shriek of laughter rang out as Harry replaced his glasses and levered his elbows, successfully peeling his nose out of the carpet he had fallen onto. He was about to look up at the source of the laughter when the effects of the Floo Powder decided to wear off and his trainers caught fire. With this in mind his brain decided the best course of action was to jump up and yell, so he did.
Flames danced at his feet as a figure blurred past, still giggling infectiously, grabbed a jar of ink from a desk and threw it over his trainers with a sizzling hiss. Harry looked down at his inky black and smoking trainers before looking up into the face of a shaking Ginny Weasley. Holding one hand over her mouth, her bright hazel eyes wide as she giggled into her palm as Harry stood, looking extremely sheepish wearing his sodden footwear.
'Um…hi?' he tried, resulting only in Ginny's hand flying away to grab her sides as she burst out laughing, her infectious giggle spreading throughout the room. Standing there, Harry felt a smile creep onto his face for the first time in weeks. 'So…how did I get here? And where is here?' he asked as she gained control of herself.
'Here is my room,' she replied, 'which used to be Percy's'
'Used to be?'
Ginny's face fell a bit, 'He moved out. He and Dad were arguing about something to do with the Ministry…Anyway, I got his room so Dad unblocked the fireplace.' Her face lifted again as she continued, 'so far Ron's fallen in twice, Fred and George six times and Mum once, you're number ten.'
'Well I'm honoured,' Harry replied, his smile becoming a wry grin, 'but I think we should go downstairs before your mum starts panicking.'
'You lost Harry?!!' a Mrs. Weasley yell echoed up from downstairs through the fireplace.
'Too late,' Ginny said, a grin lighting up her face again, 'Come on, I'll take you downstairs.' Leaving inky footsteps behind him, Harry followed her out of the room and down the stairs.
* * *
'You see?' a voice hissed in the darkness. 'You see how easily he could be taken?' there was silence in the sparsely lit room as the proposal was considered.
'You're right…' an older voice replied, '…something must be done regarding this.'
'I have a suggestion,' a new voice, male, middle-aged, 'Kilmorie.'
'Julian?' Female, old again, 'I thought he was dead.'
'Thought or hoped?' the first voice hissed again causing an intake of breath. 'I agree, use him,' he added before the other voice could argue back.
'Reluctantly,' she replied, 'you have my agreement.'
'Very well…I will inform Julian of his task…he should be able to merge well, especially after last year when Crouch managed to.'
'Don't remind me,' the first voice hissed, 'but Julian will be good. Just fix this now.' There was a short silence followed by a swift padding of feet as they left, then two more pairs followed leaving only the old voice in the shadows.
'Nothing to add but silence?' he asked as another person stepped away from the wall, where they had been standing silently in the shadows.
'What is there to add? If the boy can be taken Julian will take care of it, he takes care of most things.' Once more footsteps receded, leaving the one voice alone, considering what had to be done.
* * *
At Hogwarts the teachers were preparing for another year, but a year that would bring what? Severus Snape had an idea, yet at the same time no idea. Was his betrayal known to Voldemort? And would the Dark Lord's supposed plans for the wizarding world come into effect? He knew the answers revolved around one person.
One boy.
Harry Potter.
* * *
At that moment Harry entered the kitchen with Ginny, just in time to see George dive out the window as a flying dishcloth shot after him. With it's target gone, the cloth flew round and hit the nearest face with a wet slap. Behind the table, Ron and Fred let out howls of laughter as Ginny pulled the soaking rag off of Harry's face. Before he could say anything Mrs. Weasley bustled across the room and grabbed him into a crushing hug. 'Oh Harry! When I'd heard they'd lost you! And you were only upstairs!' she went on like this until Ginny noticed Harry's flailing arms sticking out around her.
'Mum…Mum? I think Harry would like to breathe now…' she said, pulling her mother's arms away from a smiling, yet blue-faced Harry.
Five minutes later everyone, including George who had clambered back in the window after replacing the Begonia that had attached to his head on landing, sat around the kitchen table. 'Did the same thing myself,' Mrs. Weasley remarked as she poured juice, 'A good thing you fell out early instead of late, imagine falling out of the Lovegood's fireplace!'
As the conversation began to flow Harry found himself relaxing, a familiar warmth crept back into him as he watched Fred and George joke, listened to Ron's holiday tales while his mum interrupted him, watched Ginny laughing at her brother's antics.
Watched Ginny.
That brought a jolt to his stomach and his eyes developed a sudden attraction towards the ceiling, that had struck him like a bolt out of the blue. How many times had he seen Ginny before? Millions…How many times had he watched her?
Harry's eyes focused on motion and saw Mr. Weasley's clock hand spin from 'Office' to 'Home', a few seconds later he walked into the kitchen, pulled out a chair and collapsed into it. His eyes were heavy and Harry saw bags underneath them, Mr. Weasley gave him a small smile and nod, then began silently eating. As the other Weasleys received their dinners Harry noticed everyone had gone quiet.
Eating quickly, Harry finished at the same time as Ron and they quickly excused themselves, heading straight upstairs to the radioactive orange glow of Ron's room.
'Things are bad at the Ministry?'
'You have no idea,' Ron replied, 'And Dad won't tell us why, but we know it's because Vol–You–Know,' catching Harry's glance he smiled at his manner, 'Because He's back.'
'Yeah…he is back.' An uneasy silence settled that was only broken when Ron exhaled loudly and asked the question:
'Harry…what did happen…that night?' Seeing Harry pale he added: 'You don't have to – ' but he already was.
Everything.
And just telling Ron lifted some of the unease that Harry had felt building up over the summer, but afterwards Harry still felt queasy. There was another long silence as Ron let the events flow through his mind, 'So then…he is back.'
'Yeah, and he's protected as well,' voicing a fear Ron already knew to be bothering Harry.
'But you stopped him,' Ron said, his eyes staring into Harry's, 'you stopped him before and you can do it again…and I'll be there to help.' Reaching out he waited, then grasped Harry's hands when it was extended. 'Together?'
'Together.' Harry's grim smile met Ron's own, and caught up in the folds of his jumper, neither saw the phoenix badge glowing brightly over Harry's heart.
The next week passed like a blur to Harry with only a few things to focus on. The first, and most regrettable, had been homework, even with Ron's help Harry was a bit behind after a lax year, but at least Divination presented no problems. Fortunately the second focus had helped when Hermione arrived at the burrow on the Friday, with her help Harry finished off the final piece of his work on that evening.
Harry's final focus, and one that he wasn't sure he should have, was Ginny. Every day he seemed to be seeing more and more of her, and it was driving him close to some form of madness from what he could tell. Thinking about her he could see why this was happening, she was one of his good friends, he enjoyed being around her, and thought the same was true for her. She was very attractive as well and…and then the though popped into his head:
Ron's little sister.
OK. Only a year…but still. After a week of this Harry was almost glad to be going to Diagon Alley on the Saturday, Getting away with Ginny he thought, dozing off when his eyes slammed open, from, not with, he meant from…
Didn't he?
A shriek of laughter rang out as Harry replaced his glasses and levered his elbows, successfully peeling his nose out of the carpet he had fallen onto. He was about to look up at the source of the laughter when the effects of the Floo Powder decided to wear off and his trainers caught fire. With this in mind his brain decided the best course of action was to jump up and yell, so he did.
Flames danced at his feet as a figure blurred past, still giggling infectiously, grabbed a jar of ink from a desk and threw it over his trainers with a sizzling hiss. Harry looked down at his inky black and smoking trainers before looking up into the face of a shaking Ginny Weasley. Holding one hand over her mouth, her bright hazel eyes wide as she giggled into her palm as Harry stood, looking extremely sheepish wearing his sodden footwear.
'Um…hi?' he tried, resulting only in Ginny's hand flying away to grab her sides as she burst out laughing, her infectious giggle spreading throughout the room. Standing there, Harry felt a smile creep onto his face for the first time in weeks. 'So…how did I get here? And where is here?' he asked as she gained control of herself.
'Here is my room,' she replied, 'which used to be Percy's'
'Used to be?'
Ginny's face fell a bit, 'He moved out. He and Dad were arguing about something to do with the Ministry…Anyway, I got his room so Dad unblocked the fireplace.' Her face lifted again as she continued, 'so far Ron's fallen in twice, Fred and George six times and Mum once, you're number ten.'
'Well I'm honoured,' Harry replied, his smile becoming a wry grin, 'but I think we should go downstairs before your mum starts panicking.'
'You lost Harry?!!' a Mrs. Weasley yell echoed up from downstairs through the fireplace.
'Too late,' Ginny said, a grin lighting up her face again, 'Come on, I'll take you downstairs.' Leaving inky footsteps behind him, Harry followed her out of the room and down the stairs.
* * *
'You see?' a voice hissed in the darkness. 'You see how easily he could be taken?' there was silence in the sparsely lit room as the proposal was considered.
'You're right…' an older voice replied, '…something must be done regarding this.'
'I have a suggestion,' a new voice, male, middle-aged, 'Kilmorie.'
'Julian?' Female, old again, 'I thought he was dead.'
'Thought or hoped?' the first voice hissed again causing an intake of breath. 'I agree, use him,' he added before the other voice could argue back.
'Reluctantly,' she replied, 'you have my agreement.'
'Very well…I will inform Julian of his task…he should be able to merge well, especially after last year when Crouch managed to.'
'Don't remind me,' the first voice hissed, 'but Julian will be good. Just fix this now.' There was a short silence followed by a swift padding of feet as they left, then two more pairs followed leaving only the old voice in the shadows.
'Nothing to add but silence?' he asked as another person stepped away from the wall, where they had been standing silently in the shadows.
'What is there to add? If the boy can be taken Julian will take care of it, he takes care of most things.' Once more footsteps receded, leaving the one voice alone, considering what had to be done.
* * *
At Hogwarts the teachers were preparing for another year, but a year that would bring what? Severus Snape had an idea, yet at the same time no idea. Was his betrayal known to Voldemort? And would the Dark Lord's supposed plans for the wizarding world come into effect? He knew the answers revolved around one person.
One boy.
Harry Potter.
* * *
At that moment Harry entered the kitchen with Ginny, just in time to see George dive out the window as a flying dishcloth shot after him. With it's target gone, the cloth flew round and hit the nearest face with a wet slap. Behind the table, Ron and Fred let out howls of laughter as Ginny pulled the soaking rag off of Harry's face. Before he could say anything Mrs. Weasley bustled across the room and grabbed him into a crushing hug. 'Oh Harry! When I'd heard they'd lost you! And you were only upstairs!' she went on like this until Ginny noticed Harry's flailing arms sticking out around her.
'Mum…Mum? I think Harry would like to breathe now…' she said, pulling her mother's arms away from a smiling, yet blue-faced Harry.
Five minutes later everyone, including George who had clambered back in the window after replacing the Begonia that had attached to his head on landing, sat around the kitchen table. 'Did the same thing myself,' Mrs. Weasley remarked as she poured juice, 'A good thing you fell out early instead of late, imagine falling out of the Lovegood's fireplace!'
As the conversation began to flow Harry found himself relaxing, a familiar warmth crept back into him as he watched Fred and George joke, listened to Ron's holiday tales while his mum interrupted him, watched Ginny laughing at her brother's antics.
Watched Ginny.
That brought a jolt to his stomach and his eyes developed a sudden attraction towards the ceiling, that had struck him like a bolt out of the blue. How many times had he seen Ginny before? Millions…How many times had he watched her?
Harry's eyes focused on motion and saw Mr. Weasley's clock hand spin from 'Office' to 'Home', a few seconds later he walked into the kitchen, pulled out a chair and collapsed into it. His eyes were heavy and Harry saw bags underneath them, Mr. Weasley gave him a small smile and nod, then began silently eating. As the other Weasleys received their dinners Harry noticed everyone had gone quiet.
Eating quickly, Harry finished at the same time as Ron and they quickly excused themselves, heading straight upstairs to the radioactive orange glow of Ron's room.
'Things are bad at the Ministry?'
'You have no idea,' Ron replied, 'And Dad won't tell us why, but we know it's because Vol–You–Know,' catching Harry's glance he smiled at his manner, 'Because He's back.'
'Yeah…he is back.' An uneasy silence settled that was only broken when Ron exhaled loudly and asked the question:
'Harry…what did happen…that night?' Seeing Harry pale he added: 'You don't have to – ' but he already was.
Everything.
And just telling Ron lifted some of the unease that Harry had felt building up over the summer, but afterwards Harry still felt queasy. There was another long silence as Ron let the events flow through his mind, 'So then…he is back.'
'Yeah, and he's protected as well,' voicing a fear Ron already knew to be bothering Harry.
'But you stopped him,' Ron said, his eyes staring into Harry's, 'you stopped him before and you can do it again…and I'll be there to help.' Reaching out he waited, then grasped Harry's hands when it was extended. 'Together?'
'Together.' Harry's grim smile met Ron's own, and caught up in the folds of his jumper, neither saw the phoenix badge glowing brightly over Harry's heart.
The next week passed like a blur to Harry with only a few things to focus on. The first, and most regrettable, had been homework, even with Ron's help Harry was a bit behind after a lax year, but at least Divination presented no problems. Fortunately the second focus had helped when Hermione arrived at the burrow on the Friday, with her help Harry finished off the final piece of his work on that evening.
Harry's final focus, and one that he wasn't sure he should have, was Ginny. Every day he seemed to be seeing more and more of her, and it was driving him close to some form of madness from what he could tell. Thinking about her he could see why this was happening, she was one of his good friends, he enjoyed being around her, and thought the same was true for her. She was very attractive as well and…and then the though popped into his head:
Ron's little sister.
OK. Only a year…but still. After a week of this Harry was almost glad to be going to Diagon Alley on the Saturday, Getting away with Ginny he thought, dozing off when his eyes slammed open, from, not with, he meant from…
Didn't he?
