CHAPTER 8

Harry emerged back on to the landing with a satisfied smile on his face, "What are you so happy about?" Ginny asked when she spotted him up there. " Why wouldn't I be when I've got you?" he said with a grin. "Alright, flatterer, come in to the kitchen with me I'm starving, and don't worry about Ron and Mione I've put a silencing charm on their room." "Tell you what Gin, I've got a better idea." He took her hand and led her to the door past Ron's room. "Harry! We can't go up there you know what he's like." The steps behind the door led up to the attic where the house ghoul lived and he didn't like visitors. "Ginny, will you just trust me?" he said, leading her up. As she entered the room her breath caught, the attic had been totally changed in the centre of the room was a circular table made for two with candles and roses adorning it and the room, while gentle music floated out of the air, standing by the table in a waiter's outfit was.. "Dobby! What are you doing here?" Ginny asked in shock. "Are you kidding Gin? When he heard of this I couldn't stop him." "But who..?" "I've already spoken to him about leaving us alone tonight as I think I owe you a romantic dinner on the day of our engagement. So take a seat and enjoy yourself." Said Harry, as he pulled out a chair for her, smiling.

A couple of hours later Harry and Ginny descended from the attic wrapped in each other's arms. When they reached Ginny's room they kissed tenderly and she went in to bed.

Harry stood there a second before moving off but instead of going to his own room he went and knocked gently on Ron's door. When the door opened he was suddenly pulled inside.

"Alright where have you been? I've been trying to find you for the last hour."

"Well you obviously didn't look very well because I was having dinner with Ginny."

"Where?"

Harry just pointed up, "But enough about that, how did it go?"

Ron's face broke into a huge grin, "Bloody, Brilliant she actually feels the same, I can't believe it.." And so it continued for the rest of the night the two boys talking about the girls they love when Ron suddenly thought of something.

"So, when are you setting a date?"

"Well we did discuss it over dinner, obviously we have to wait until after her birthday but she won't wait until she leaves Hogwarts, so it looks like July or August next year but we haven't decided yet."

"Don't worry about it we'll all help and I'm sure Sirius will as well."

"Actually, he's already offered but we've got a while yet, but we will have to keep the twins away from everything!" at this thought they both burst out laughing and Harry made his way to his own room.

The darkness of the room was broken only by a candle standing in the centre of a table around which men were talking but from Harry's view above them he could neither see who they were nor hear their words.

"The world needs our aid, 'child' you have the key, Release me!"

As the words died away one of the men glanced up, Harry gasped at the bright red eyes and snake like features of Voldermort.

Harry snapped awake to hear someone knocking , "Come on Harry, we gotta go." Ron yelled banging on his door.

It was the day to return to Hogwarts and for the first time in his life he didn't want to go back. That Christmas at the burrow had been the best he spent almost all of his time with Ginny. As he though of his fiancé a smile appeared on his face and he started to get up. He suddenly realised something, his scar was stinging but that was nothing new as it had been regularly since Voldermort's return. What was strange was the worm glow coming from the amulet Ginny had given him, as he watched the glow faded but so did the pain in his scar.

"Strange, I wond.." But his thoughts were interrupted when, "Harry love if you don't hurry up I'm sending Fred and George to get you up."

"Ok, Gin, I'm coming." And he quickly got up, showered and dressed, he grabbed his trunk and headed into the kitchen. "Finally," Hermione said as he entered.

" Sorry about that I guess I overslept," said Harry, sheepishly.

" I'll say, Ginny what did you do to him last night?" she asked with a grin.

"Mione!" Ginny said in a shocked tone, " We just went for a walk that's all." She walked over and kissed Harry good morning and went to get her things for the train.

" Don't forget Gin, no pictures." Harry called after her.

"Just a couple of my friends." She replied, smiling.

"Come on Harry, you'll have to eat quick now." Hermione said, pulling him into a seat at the table, "and watch out for George he's trying to do as many pranks as possible today."

"Thanks for the warning, by the way I noticed you and Ron were arguing again last night, I thought you had stopped all that?" Harry looked at here anxiously.

" What, and miss out on making up afterwards, not likely."

Harry just laughed shaking his head and ate breakfast, after which he grabbed his trunk and took it out to the car and they were soon on their way.

They arrived on platform 93/4 with about half an hour to go before the train left and had no problem finding an empty carriage and were soon saying their goodbyes to Mr and Mrs Weasley. Harry noticed there was no sign of Sirius. As if knowing what he was thinking Ginny hugged hi and whispered in his ear, "he'll be here don't worry." But he didn't turn up and as the train started to pull away from the station a sudden sense of foreboding overcame him.

"What if something happened to him?" he asked Ginny.

"He'll be fine don't worry."

Just then the door opened and they were all shocked to see Siruis standing there.

" So this is where you are all hiding," he said with a smile, "Sorry I didn't meet you on the platform but I got chatting to Mad-eye."

"Sirius, what are you doing on the train?" Hermione asked.

"Well I've got a meeting with Dumbledore and I thought I'd travel with you."

"Great," Grinned Ron, "Maybe I'll get a challenging game of chess this time."

"Hey" all three of his friends said at once.

"No offence guys but none of you have ever beaten me so now it's Sirius' turn."

As the journey moved on they watched as Ron beat Sirius twice before finally Sirius won.

"I don't believe it," Harry said.

"Impossible." Was all Hermione said while Ron and Ginny just sat with their mouths open.

"What?" Sirius looked round, "I'll admit Ron's good in fact I'm lucky I won, but when you've been playing against Remus Lupin since you were eleven you learn a few things or didn't you know your D.A.D.A teacher was once a chess champion?"

"He's what?" Ron looked astounded.

"Hey, I'll set up a game for you if you want," Sirius said, smiling, "now rematch?"

It wasn't long before they were climbing the stairs to their dorms exhausted from the journey. They still had a couple of days before lessons started again so they had decided to go straight up to bed and catch up with their friends the next day.

"I wonder what Dumbledore wants with Sirius?" Ron yawned.

"I don't know but he said he would still be here at breakfast so we'll ask him then."

"Yeah you might be right Harry."

"Night Ron," Harry lay in his bed and it wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep and dreamed of his coming life with Ginny.

The next morning Harry awoke to find Ron had already gone down to breakfast, 'typical' he thought 'always thinking about his stomach.' As he made his way down to the common room he spotted Ginny waiting for him.

"Come on Harry if we don't hurry Ron will eat all the food."

"Not likely Gin but I get the point. Lets go down." He kissed her good morning.

As they sat at the Griffyndor table, Colin and Alicia soon joined them, Alicia, was currently captain of the Quiditch team and in her last year at Hogwarts.

"Good morning you two." Alicia smiled, "Both rested up I see, ooh Ginny, what's that?"

It was then that Harry noticed that Ginny had brought her ansestrall with her.

"This?" Ginny asked sweetly, "It was a present from Harry." She opened the box to show Alicia.

"Miss Weasley!"

They looked up to see Professor McGonagall walking toward them "May I see that?" she took the box and examined the orb quite closely without actually touching it, "These are quite rare, if it is in working order you should take great care of it. Did I hear you say Mr Potter bought you this?"

"That's right Professor, that and my ring."

"Ring, what ring?" Alicia's attention had suddenly been caught she then spotted the ring, "Oh, my God! Ginny is that? Are you and Harry?"

Harry decided to step in then as Ginny was blushing profusely, "That would be yes and yes," for the next few minutes the two of them were being congratulated by the whole of Griffyndor house while the rest of the hall looked on in confusion.

"Now back to this orb!" the table had now calmed down a bit and Professor McGonagall was again looking at the box, " Could I see it work?"

"Sure thing, Harry I think its time for that favour!" Ginny grinned at Harry while Professor McGonagall looked confused.

"It's a long story Professor, alright Gin who do you want to see?" Harry asked seriously.

"Not one, I want to see all your family so just relax."

"Ok, but this could take a while."

"We're not going anywhere Mr Potter so take your time." McGonagall said handing the ball to Harry.

Harry picked up the orb and relaxed as the purple mist began to gather. The whole hall stopped to watch as James and Lily Potter appeared in the mist smiling down at him. Then all the past Potters began to appear some of whom he had spotted in the mirror of Erised. It wasn't long before a good crowd of them were gathered when suddenly they heard a gasp from the teacher's table and Professor McGonagall had a look of astonishment on her face.

A tall wizard had stepped out of the mist he was clothed in scarlet and gold robes, his hand resting on the hilt of a sword. Harry recognised him immediately and instantly put down the orb and the mist and images vanished.