Chapter 30. Shall we Dance?
By lunch all the guests, including the Weasleys and Minerva, had left. The Daily Prophet covered the party in their Social section, lavishing high praise on the Potters. Ginny and Harry were both embarrassed by this, but Ross advised them it was all part of the "Dance". Harry looked at Ross with a raised eyebrow before asking him to explain.
"Well, Master Harry, it is difficult to put into words without sounding snobbish," Ross said, "but I will try. When one is of a certain social position, one must act accordingly. Now that you have been advised of the Potter family history, there is a decorum that must be followed. It is allowed for certain eccentricities, such as friends outside the current social circle, especially in the case of the Potters. But it is also expected that some traditions, such as balls, debut parties and the like are observed and attended. I must take a moment to congratulate you, Master Harry, for comporting yourself so well last evening. Everyone was surprised that you handled yourself so well against Mrs. Figg's date."
"So this dance," replied Harry, "is nothing more than formal parties and the like?"
"There is a bit more, sir, but that is the biggest part."
"Did James and Lily follow this?" asked Ginny.
"Yes, they did. I read about it in the family history," replied Harry. "A necessary evil, my Dad called it." Harry stood up and walked to Ginny's side. "I guess we have to also."
***
Shack, Moody and Tonks left their prisoners in their cells in the Ministry Dungeon. They had all been stripped and searched, but nothing had been found. After a full night's interrogation, all they knew was that all those they caught were Muggles. Three of them had met a man in a pub near the docks in London who paid them one hundred pounds to come to the address they had been given at precisely midnight wearing robes with white masks. The man that paid them told them it was a prank on a friend of his; all they were supposed to do was run in and scare people. The man told them he would be inside at the party and pay them an additional fifty pounds when they got there. When they were asked for a description of the man, each gave a different one.
They knew that it was a Wizard because the use of a befuddlement charm was evident by the different descriptions. Had they made it inside, it would have caused sheer panic because they were dressed as Death Eaters. Shack's gut told him it was not just a prank, but a way to remind everyone that the Death Eaters were still around.
It was decided not to tell Harry about this at all for the time being. The obliviators were told to try to extract some thoughts to a pensieve before modifying their memories and sending them back out to Muggle London.
***
Harry and Ginny were just sitting down to dinner when an owl arrived. Shack sent Harry a note letting him know that he would be dropping by about eight o'clock to discuss the next phase of his training. Harry and Ginny hurried and finished dinner so he could help her re-pack her trunk to go back to Hogwarts. They were sitting in the living room when the doorbell rang and Shack came in. Ginny smiled and started to get up.
"No, Ginny, you can stay. This is something that will affect you both." Ginny sat back down next to Harry.
"Anything to drink, Shack?" Harry asked.
"No Thanks, Harry. Let's get this over with. Harry, it is required that every Auror trainee have in-depth training in a work situation. This requires an extended stay away from home."
Ginny took Harry's hand. "For how long?" she asked.
"It really depends on the case. My guess is a few months."
Harry's jaw dropped. "How many is 'a few'?"
"My guess is three or four. And that isn't the hardest part. You will have to go deep undercover, so that means no messages back and forth. You will need one hundred percent concentration and any post could reveal your location. We will have to spell your owl so that she cannot find you until you have completed your mission."
"But Hedwig will go mad looking for me!"
"No she won't, she will temporarily stay with Ginny until we remove the spell. And you will have to have something done about your scar; both it and Hedwig are well known by many people. Your first couple of weeks will be spent practicing on disguising yourself both through Muggle and magical means."
Harry looked at Ginny. "Gin, you know I hate this, but it's something I have to do."
"I know, Harry." She turned to Shack. "When will he have to leave?"
"Tomorrow, after he puts you on the train."
Ginny sighed. "Well, Harry, I knew what I was getting myself into. You know I will be thinking about you, but I also know that you can handle yourself and you are surrounded by the most powerful wizards and witches alive. So, I guess I will pour myself into studying for my NEWTS to pass the time, and Hermione will be there to help me."
Harry's heart swelled with his wife's courage. "Okay, Shack. Where do I report to tomorrow?"
"We meet in the Ministry classroom at noon. Good luck, Ginny. We will all keep watch on Harry." He smiled at her and walked out of the room.
***
Harry and Ginny stepped through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾ with twenty minutes to spare. They ran into Neville and Luna, who were speaking with her father. Harry helped Ginny onto the train and into an empty compartment. He leaned over and kissed her gently. "I will be safe, Gin. And I will be here in plenty of time to watch you graduate."
"I know, Harry. I'll be waiting and thinking about you every minute. I love you."
"I love you, too," he replied, kissing her once again.
A similar scene was happening on the platform. After Luna's father had left, Luna and Neville turned and hugged each other. "How long will you be gone?"
"I am not sure. But I will be back before Graduation."
"I love you, Neville."
"I love you, Luna. I will be back before you know it." The Express whistled and Neville helped Luna on board. Neville followed Harry off of the train as it started moving. They waved to the girls until the train had rounded the bend and was out of sight.
Harry looked at Neville and grinned. "Well, Scrap.let's go finish this."
Neville grinned back. "After you, Thor."
***
Ginny and Luna sat in their compartment with Natalie and Colin. Ginny and Colin had completed their duties as Head Boy and Girl and now had about a half hour to relax before the train pulled into Hogsmeade. Natalie was still going to Luna on about the party. Ginny smiled at Colin who rolled his eyes. 'Was I that bad' he mouthed. She smiled and nodded her head before returning her attention to Natalie. "And then Harry hugged me before we left!" Natalie nervously looked at Ginny who smiled.
"Well, Colin hugged me, so I guess we're even," she teased and Colin laughed.
The rest of the ride was spent on a discussion about the next Quidditch match and the upcoming OWLS and NEWTS. Before they knew it they were in Hogsmeade station and riding in the carriages back to school.
Albus was not in his usual seat when they reached the castle and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. After dinner, they all went up to their common rooms and Ginny went to her room feeling tired but happy. As she unpacked her trunk, she found the egg-shaped white stone rolled up in a pair of socks. She unrolled them and put the stone on her dresser before putting away the socks. Suddenly she stopped; she once again picked up the stone and smiled into her mirror as it began to get warm.
***
Harry and Neville walked into the classroom. Tonks, Moody, Shack, Meryl Bek and Albus were already there. Shack motioned for them to take their seats. Harry looked at Tonks questioningly. He heard the door opening and turned to see his father-in -law walking in followed by Amelia Bones and two others that Harry didn't know. They all took seats and looked at Shack.
"Now that we are all here." Shack smiled. "Cella solvo!" Harry heard all the locks click simultaneously. Shack sat back down and nodded to Tonks.
Tonks stood up. "We are preparing to infiltrate into the Death Eaters camp. The charm that was put on the staff that we substituted must be modified. Meryl Bek of the Unspeakables has created a talisman that will perform the charm for us. Meryl?"
Meryl stood up as Tonks sat. "The current charm is alerting us once the spell to recharge has been completed. By the time we can mount a response, they are gone. It seems that our adversary moves periodically to avoid arousing suspicion." He waved his hand and a map appeared on one wall. He walked up to it. "As you can see, he has used at least four different locations in six months. No one knows his schedule much ahead of time, so we have had difficulty intercepting him. We are now placing two of our Agents in the ring of Death Eaters. These men are Unspeakables and have been selected from a group of volunteers. Their names will not be revealed, but for our purposes they shall be known as Lock and Key. They will be training all those participating in the mission in the areas of disguise and concealment."
Shack stood up. "We will meet again in fifteen days to begin our mission. All personnel assigned to this mission are hereby restricted to Auror areas until further notice. Minister, Madame Bones, thank you for your support regarding this mission. Cello recolo!" All the locks clicked again and Arthur and Amelia Bones left.
"Thor, Scrap, meet Lock and Key." Shack pointed to the two individuals that had sat in the back. "Nymph, help our guests get settled in while we bring these two up to speed." Tonks escorted the two Unspeakables out of the room.
Harry and Neville turned to Shack, but it was Albus who spoke. "Let me tell you a story."
It was two hours later when Harry and Neville had been filled in. Albus had explained about Narcissa and the Polyjuice Potion. Shack had told them all about the Muggles on New Years'. Meryl Bek explained the ring and what was being planned.
"So, we are sending someone into Draco's presence to modify the charm. Why not just kill him then?" asked Neville.
"Well, Scrap," said Shack, "if the opportunity occurs, that may be attempted. But what we must do is not alert him that we are close until it is too late."
"What will our role be?" asked Harry.
"We will be the cavalry, to use a Muggle term. The ones that end it."
***
Ginny got up and got dressed. She had been so excited that she had trouble sleeping; then she realized that she had no way to tell Harry. Maybe her father would let him know. She dressed in a hurry and left her room. It was still early, but she knew that Ron and Hermione would forgive her; she wanted to tell them first.
She pinned on her Head Girl badge and stepped out into the corridor. No one was moving except for Peeves. But Peeves had a healthy respect for Ginny, and moved off to another part of the castle rather than anger her. She made her way to Ron and Hermione's room and knocked on the door. It was opened by a rather disheveled Hermione.
"Ginny? What's wrong? It's only four-thirty," yawned Hermione.
Ginny just smiled and opened her hand to show Hermione the stone. Hermione's eyes widened and she pulled Ginny inside. "RON!"
"What?" he replied sleepily from the other room.
"Get in here! You are going to be an uncle!"
Ron was standing at the door when he realized what Hermione had said. His eyes opened wide and he fell back. "This is familiar," laughed Hermione.
The two girls struggled and pulled Ron to a sitting position while Ginny splashed some water in his face. He sputtered and opened his eyes. "Oh, hi Gin. I just had the weirdest dream that you were pregnant." Ginny opened his hand and put the warm stone in it. Ron looked down at his hand and grinned before pulling his baby sister into a loving hug.
***
Arthur sat by the fire nursing a butterbeer. His tenure as Minister of Magic, although a short one so far, was proving to be strenuous. With Charlie, Percy and Harry all being Ministry employees, he was watching his loved ones being sent into danger at his command. Worst of all, he couldn't share his worries with Molly like he used to. So here he sat, sleepless once again.
He stood up and looked at the family picture on the mantelpiece. It had been taken less than two years before, but it might as well have been one hundred. Everyone, including Harry and Hermione, was grinning and waving at him. He walked into the kitchen to throw away the empty butterbeer bottle. Passing the clock, habit made him look to see where everyone was. The fact that only two of the hands currently pointed to 'home' pushed the point deeper. He got rid of the bottle and headed up to bed.
Molly heard the door open and felt the bed move as Arthur sat on the side of it. "Are you alright, dear?" she asked.
"Fine, love.just a lot on my mind."
"I know.Ministry business.or is it that little brunette secretary down the hall?" she teased.
Arthur chuckled as he turned to hug her. "You know I only go for redheads, dear."
***
Harry woke up with a start. He went to sit up on the side of his bed and groaned inadvertently. His muscles were aching a bit from the extreme workout he had last night after dinner. He sat there trying to think about what woke him up. He had been dreaming about Ginny; he missed her so much. In his dream, Ginny was pregnant. He smiled. Soon that would be true. Just as soon as they solved this case and he could go home.
He felt for his glasses on the table next to his bed. He couldn't find them. He got down and checked on the floor near the table with no luck. Confused, he sat down again and tried to remember where he had put them. 'I wish I could just sit here and summon them. That would make it so easy. Accio glasses.' He smiled at his own joke until he felt his glasses in his hand.
***
During breakfast in the Great Hall, Ginny had approached Albus and told him that she needed to speak to him. He led her upstairs to his office. As they climbed the spiral stair, she thought about how to break this news. He offered her a chair before sitting down in his own.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a small jar. "Lemon drop?" he asked as he offered some to Ginny. When she shook her head, he put it away. "What's troubling you?
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Finally she controlled her fear. "I am pregnant."
Albus looked at her, thinking. This was not at all what he expected. "I see. One moment." He turned to Fawkes. "Fawkes, would you please fetch Minerva and Poppy?" They watched as Fawkes flew into the fire and disappeared returning moments later.
They only had to wait a few minutes. Minerva and Madam Pomfrey walked in as Albus summoned two more chairs for them. Albus stood and moved around to sit on the front of his desk. "As Ginny's Head of House you should know this. And as our Medi-Witch," he said as he turned to Madam Pomfrey, "you must know also. Ginny is pregnant."
Minerva sat for a moment, then went over and hugged Ginny. Poppy sat there for a moment as well. "I had best get back to the Hospital Wing and get to brewing some pre-natal potions." She smiled at Ginny before leaving.
"Ginny, you know we have to tell your mother," said Minerva.
"I know. I want to be the one to tell her."
"I agree. I shall owl her and invite her to tea."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. And Congratulations."
***
Katie, Remus, Emma and Sirius sat in the kitchen at Blackrock. Katie looked at the others. "I'm serious."
Remus smiled as Sirius opened his mouth to say, "I'm Sirius."
Katie laughed. "Oh, come on, stop joking. I don't need a big ceremony.I just need you."
"Are you sure?" asked Sirius.
"Absolutely!"
"Well, okay then. Let me see what I can do," added Sirius. "Maybe we can do it in a couple of weeks."
"Let me Padfoot.You need to conserve your strength," Remus added.
Emma leaned forward. "And we'll be your witnesses."
Remus got up and walked into the sitting room. When no one was looking he danced for a second before going over to the fireplace. He threw some floo powder in then stuck his head in and said "The Burrow".
***
Molly was in the kitchen when she heard Remus' voice from the living room. She went in and saw his head in the fire. "Hello, Remus."
"Hello, Molly. Is Arthur around?"
"Yes, he's outside. Hold on a moment and I'll fetch him." She left.
Arthur walked in, wiping his hands. "Hello, Remus. Just de-gnoming the garden. What can I do for you?"
"I need the Minister of Magic at Blackrock as soon as possible."
Arthur didn't note a sense of danger in what Remus said, but his plea sounded urgent. "Why?"
"Before he changes his mind!"
"Oh!" laughed Arthur. "Let me tell Molly and step back." Remus disappeared from the fireplace as Arthur turned around. "Molly?"
"Yes, dear?"
"I have to dash for a bit. Do you mind?"
"No, dear. Actually I got an invitation to have tea with Minerva."
"All right, dear." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll just pop back in a couple hours and finish the garden." He promptly disappeared with a 'pop'.
***
Remus was standing near the fireplace when Arthur apparated behind him. Arthur promptly used a cleaning spell on his robe and summoned the license. He then smiled and nodded to Remus, he lead him into the kitchen.
Sirius was sitting there with Katie and Emma drinking some tea when Arthur came strolling in. Sirius started choking and Remus slapped him on the back. "I just thought I would drop by for a visit, Sirius. Nothing to get all choked up about," said Arthur. Remus chuckled as did Emma and Katie.
Katie got up and motioned for Arthur to take a seat next to Sirius. "Care for some tea, Arthur?"
"No thank you. But if you've something cold that would be lovely." Arthur sat next to Emma, leaving the seat open that Katie had indicated. She brought Arthur's juice and sat down. "Remus was just telling me that you two are working things out?"
Sirius nodded, nervously. "Yes, we are."
Arthur smiled and sipped his juice. "That's wonderful. But, Sirius, do you realize how big a commitment this is?"
Sirius got upset. "Yes."
Arthur played with his ear. "Sorry, one of those gnomes must have gotten some dirt in my ear. What did you say?"
Sirius face grew red. "I said I DO!"
"Oh, okay. No need to shout, by the way." Remus, who was standing behind Sirius, was trying not to laugh. "And you, Katie. You waited a very long time for this man. Do you love him that much?"
Katie raised here eyebrows. "Yes, Arthur, I do."
Remus howled with laughter as a red glow emanated from the scroll that Arthur was holding. Sirius paled. "Arthur?"
Remus could barely stand, he was laughing so hard. "Padfoot, you have been pranked!" Emma and Katie both started laughing.
"I'll need all your signatures, but congratulations are in order."
Sirius looked at the marriage license that had been signed by Arthur and registered at the Ministry. He looked at each one of them before finally laughing himself. "Arthur, I didn't know you were Marauder material!"
Sirius leaned over and kissed Katie. "Wait a minute! Does that make you Katie Black Black?" The laughter, which had just died down, was even louder.
***
A week later, Bill Weasley was working with Roberts, a new man at Gringotts who was trying to become a Curse Breaker. They had been sent to a house outside of London that had belonged to a very wealthy wizarding family. The husband had just died and the wife couldn't get to his private safe at their home because of some magic wards he had set up. As they had a great deal of money at Gringotts, it was decided to help them. They reached the home and cancelled out the curses pretty quickly.
"That seemed easy," said Roberts as they were preparing to leave the house.
"That? That was nothing," replied Bill. They notified the wife and left to walk outside to apparate when Bill felt a small sting. He turned around to see two men standing there with Roberts on the ground between them before blacking out.
***
"Well, Mr. Lupin, the tests seem to be going very well so far. Have you noticed any side effects?" asked the Ministry doctor.
"None yet. What should I look for?"
"Disorientation, memory lapses, that sort of thing."
"Well, I have had none of that. I feel fine."
"Wonderful! Well this is the last dose; so hopefully, this will be the last full moon that you won't get to enjoy with friends"
Remus smiled. "I have been looking forward to that."
The doctor smiled. "Well, let's hope this works for you. Are you ready? We had better get you inside."
Remus nodded. "Let's go."
