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Ch. 17  The Party

The meeting with Dumbledore had been on Tuesday and the group was very excited about this dinner party. Ron had new dress robes which suited him quite well and Harry had his dress robes from the last year which he lengthened with a wave of his wand.  What made this dinner party better than other dates they could each think of was that they were attached. They didn't have to find anybody whose presence could be tolerated for the sake of social appearance.

Harry and Ron were shocked at how well their respective girlfriends 'cleaned up.' They both found their lovers highly attractive, but they had yet to see them dressed to look attractive. The exact same thought went thru both of their minds the second they saw their date appear in evening gown with their red cloak fixed with a lion brooch that Hermione had transfigured for them. "HOLY SHIT—IS THAT HER? I'm going to die a happy man if this is what they can look like!" Both boys greet the girls with broad smiles which were reciprocated by the girls. The guys were pleased at the eye candy and the girls were both happy to have their men looking respectable (except for Harry's hair which never behaved) and to be going to such an adult affair such as a dinner party.

They picked up the portkey that had been left in their common room by Dumbledore. He had cleverly disguised it as a howler to keep others away from it. As they flew thru the air towards Wood's home Harry remembered the last portkey he had taken. By the time they landed he was pale, shaking, had his wand out, and was in the midst of a full flash back.

"Kill the spare…." He murmured. "Avada Kadarva…. I won't…."

They tried everything to bring Harry out of it. Shaking him didn't work, calling his name didn't work, smacking him on the head only made things worse. Ginny finally solved the problem by hugging him tightly and kissing him so passionately that Harry felt as if some one had taken away his consciousness and all that was left was the animal instinct. Voldermort died that night to Harry. There was no fear of death, no fear of the murderer of his family, no rage, only pity and a resolve to see Voldermort put out of his misery. Harry grouped them together and told them of his revelation. Of how he would win because he knew he was loved. How good could conquer evil and how Harry could remain himself.

Dinner was a celebration feast then to the couples as they finally had a plan to rout Voldermort. Harry grinned from ear to ear as he ate and drank with the most powerful wizards of his time.

At the end of the dinner, before the real drinking and socializing began, Harry stood to offer a toast.

"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me a beer. Well, actually, I've never been good at public speeches and if you gave me a beer you would never get it back out of me. I would first like to say thank you to Oliver for this wonderful party. Relationships have been strengthened and our community is growing together. I will tell you something of a very personal nature to me now. As I was coming in, I had a flashback to the last time I used a portkey. I saw Voldermort rise to power in his new incarnation. I fought him again in my mind. I was pulled back to this world by love. I know now that it will be love that will defeat Voldermort. I must defeat him, and I know that it is my love of life, my love of  friend, my love of magic, my love for Ginny, and my love for myself that will do the work for me. Hatred is the wrong emotion for this time. Pity and sorrow are chief on my mind as I think of Voldermort. He is like a dog that must be put down. It is a sad day and we pity the dog, but we make no mistake that the dog will bite us if we are not careful. I will need support in this battle, and it will be our love that will win this fight."

Dumbledore stood up wiping an eye. "Harry, I don't know that I've ever heard it so eloquently put. The love of your mother saved you and you have fully understood the power that it holds. You have grown beyond your years and it fills our hearts with pride to see you growing in such a way. I have no doubt that you will triumph over Voldermort. We wanted to tell you that you would have to kill him, but we didn't want to burden you. Now you know and you have risen admirably to the challenge. I can say no greater words of praise than your mother and father, wonderful people, would have been proud of you."

The room erupted in cheers and applause which was only rent by Wood's beating on the table with his shoe. "The two greatest wizards have spoken tonight. I suggest that we drink a toast to Harry and Dumbledore, then retire to our repast of indulgence. Times like these come few and far between. If I had my way we would do this every night. So charge your glasses and lift them high for Harry and Dumbledore!

It was a very inebriated quartet who stumbled into the Gryffindor common room at 1130. Fred and George were the only ones still awake and were quite amused to see their friends and siblings so sloshed.

"Oh aye, they'll pay in the morning won't they" said George as he helped Ron and Harry up to bed.

"You can bet on it" said Fred as he steered Ginny and Hermione up the stairs.

"Harry's last thought was to cast sobering spells on himself and Ron and hope that Hermione would remember to do so for herself and Ginny.