Breakfast was, to say the least, an uncomfortable affair. Hermione and Ron were the first two up--they had met in the wee hours of the morning to discuss Harry. Mrs. Weasley found them whispering in the kitchen when she went down to prepare breakfast. Ginny came down next and as she sat down at the table she was promptly interrogated by Harry's two best friends until every detail of the story was out. Mr. Weasley hurried down the stairs next and pulled his wife aside. They had their own whispered conversation for a few moments and then he too took a seat at the table. Fred and George came down yawning and sat without a word. Mrs. Weasley decided not to serve the food until Harry arrived so they all sat, waiting.
Harry's hair was, if possible, more dishevelled than ever. His skin had a strangely pale hue to it and his whole body seemed to droop. He looked terrible. When he sat down, his movements were so slow and dejected that it seemed like he was about to crumble.
Fred and George looked at their parents and eachother. Mr. Weasley glanced hesitantly around the table. Mrs. Weasley pretended to concentrate on the food but shot furtive glances at Harry every so often. Ron looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione. Hermione looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny. Ginny looked at Harry. Harry looked at his plate.
No one spoke.
---
Harry was avoiding Ron and Hermione. They didn't like it. He wouldn't talk to them about Sirius, or Voldemort, or even something as mundane as the weather. Hermione had set up a charm that woke both of them up if Harry left the bedroom. Harry found out quickly enough, but he didn't start a fight. He just stared blankly at them and then walked away. He did that a lot: walking away. He caused a lot of scares at the burrow. Someone would notice he had disappeared and the whole team would be dispatched to find him. But Harry was always just taking a walk or thinking by himself. He never yelled at them--he just stared blankly and then walked away.
One night Harry caught Ron and Hermione discussing, as they called it, his "situation." He didn't get angry. He didn't yell, he didn't glare, and he didn't ignore them. He smiled and then burst into tears. His friends stared in shock as he trudged back upstairs.
"What in blazes was that?"
"I don't know Ron, I... I just haven't got a clue."
---
Harry woke up to the noise of some row downstairs. He figured it was Fred and George again. They had doubled their pranks since Harry's "incident" (as the Weasley's called it). Harry was touched by their bumbling efforts to cheer him up, but they weren't successful.
However, in a moment Ginny's head poked in through his door.
"Harry, I think you should come downstairs."
Ginny waited until he came out and walked down with him. They could hear Ron yelling.
"No! Absolutely not! It's not fair!"
Harry was quite surprised to hear Dumbledore calmly replying, "without the charm tied to his family bonds Voldemort will kill him. I agreed to let him stay here after his confrontation last year with the condition that he spend a small amount at his home."
Ron screamed, "there has to be another way!" Hermione nudged Ron, noticing Harry, but Ron just ploughed on ahead. "What, do you want Harry to finish off Voldemort's job for him?"
"You told Dumbledore?"
Ron flinched at the sound of Harry's voice and turned to face him. His mouth bobbed open and shut a few times, but he couldn't think of anything to say.
"It's all right Ron. I'll go."
"No Harry, Ron's right. We don't want you at that dreadful place right now," Hermione said.
"Harry-" Ron finally managed to spit out.
"I'll go upstairs and pack." Harry turned to leave.
"Promise you won't try and kill yourself Harry."
Every single pair of eyes focused on the redheaded girl who had spoken.
"Ginny!" Ron hissed. Harry started walking off.
"Promise, Harry!" Ginny yelled.
Harry answered, still facing away from the others: "all right, Ginny. I promise."
Harry's hair was, if possible, more dishevelled than ever. His skin had a strangely pale hue to it and his whole body seemed to droop. He looked terrible. When he sat down, his movements were so slow and dejected that it seemed like he was about to crumble.
Fred and George looked at their parents and eachother. Mr. Weasley glanced hesitantly around the table. Mrs. Weasley pretended to concentrate on the food but shot furtive glances at Harry every so often. Ron looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione. Hermione looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny. Ginny looked at Harry. Harry looked at his plate.
No one spoke.
---
Harry was avoiding Ron and Hermione. They didn't like it. He wouldn't talk to them about Sirius, or Voldemort, or even something as mundane as the weather. Hermione had set up a charm that woke both of them up if Harry left the bedroom. Harry found out quickly enough, but he didn't start a fight. He just stared blankly at them and then walked away. He did that a lot: walking away. He caused a lot of scares at the burrow. Someone would notice he had disappeared and the whole team would be dispatched to find him. But Harry was always just taking a walk or thinking by himself. He never yelled at them--he just stared blankly and then walked away.
One night Harry caught Ron and Hermione discussing, as they called it, his "situation." He didn't get angry. He didn't yell, he didn't glare, and he didn't ignore them. He smiled and then burst into tears. His friends stared in shock as he trudged back upstairs.
"What in blazes was that?"
"I don't know Ron, I... I just haven't got a clue."
---
Harry woke up to the noise of some row downstairs. He figured it was Fred and George again. They had doubled their pranks since Harry's "incident" (as the Weasley's called it). Harry was touched by their bumbling efforts to cheer him up, but they weren't successful.
However, in a moment Ginny's head poked in through his door.
"Harry, I think you should come downstairs."
Ginny waited until he came out and walked down with him. They could hear Ron yelling.
"No! Absolutely not! It's not fair!"
Harry was quite surprised to hear Dumbledore calmly replying, "without the charm tied to his family bonds Voldemort will kill him. I agreed to let him stay here after his confrontation last year with the condition that he spend a small amount at his home."
Ron screamed, "there has to be another way!" Hermione nudged Ron, noticing Harry, but Ron just ploughed on ahead. "What, do you want Harry to finish off Voldemort's job for him?"
"You told Dumbledore?"
Ron flinched at the sound of Harry's voice and turned to face him. His mouth bobbed open and shut a few times, but he couldn't think of anything to say.
"It's all right Ron. I'll go."
"No Harry, Ron's right. We don't want you at that dreadful place right now," Hermione said.
"Harry-" Ron finally managed to spit out.
"I'll go upstairs and pack." Harry turned to leave.
"Promise you won't try and kill yourself Harry."
Every single pair of eyes focused on the redheaded girl who had spoken.
"Ginny!" Ron hissed. Harry started walking off.
"Promise, Harry!" Ginny yelled.
Harry answered, still facing away from the others: "all right, Ginny. I promise."