Hogwarts had always been eerie when the term let out, today was no
exception. It was scary standing there in front of the gargoyle that would
lead into the Headmaster's office. Even when the gargoyle jumped out of the
way, revealing the staircase up, I jumped afraid. I wasn't normally that
bad; I mean, I've spent 9 years at the school, whether as a student or as a
Professor, and yet there were still things here that had me jumpy. I guess
it was too much to ask to be calm and relaxed. Like the way Nina looked.
Harry on the other hand. I wish I could do something to help him. Seeing him standing there, staring at the stairs that headed to the one place I knew he didn't want to go, pulled at my heartstrings. I had never liked seeing him like this, I hated it when I was younger, and I hate it now. He looked at me with worry filled emerald eyes, as we smiled at each other. It was a mutual agreement that we would both do this together. I was going to let him down, and he knew I wasn't going to leave him, like he wasn't going to leave me again.
Something about today was off. Something pulled at the back of my mind, but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was only when we entered Albus' office that I knew exactly what was wrong. Ron wasn't there. It wasn't fair that I knew Harry had been back, and Ron had not a clue. I would write him as soon as this meeting was over. I wrote a silent reminder in my head and looked over at Albus who was standing near the window. He had not turned to greet us upon our entering.
"Headmaster," I said tightening my grasp on Harry's sweaty hand. Still he didn't turn around. I dropped my hand from Harry's when I turned to look over to Fawke's perch. Ginny Weasley stood there. "Ginny?"
"So you have returned," she said harshly to Harry, ignoring my comment. This was between them now; I had nothing to do with this. I walked away from the two and stood next to Albus, both of us now watching them.
"I-I am back," Harry finally said as he looked over at us. I said nothing. I couldn't even bring my eyes to meet his. This was one battle I couldn't stand beside him on. This one he had to get himself out of.
"I hate you! Because of you my brother is dead!" Ginny screamed at him, tears running down her cheeks now. I could see the pain etched on her face; I could hear it in her voice as she sobbed. "He ran off into battle and died because he had to do what you refused to!"
"I can't even ask for your forgiveness. Had I have been here, I would have done something to help Ron." How Harry had figured out it was Ron, I hadn't figured out. Nor had I taken notice to the tears that were falling from my own eyes. I had said no more tears; no more loosing of friends, and now one of my best friends was dead.
"I am back though, and I plan on making things right as much as I can."
"Pap." Elvira wrapped her arms around Harry's neck as I walked over to take her from her father's arms.
"Come on Elvira, we'll go sit by the fire and let Harry talk to nice people." She smiled at me as I took her over to the fire and transfigured a few of the books set there into small toys for her to play with. At least then I could pay attention to what was going on with Harry. "Ginny, who found Ron?" Harry questioned. I had never seen him look like that before. His eyebrows were arched, and his lips formed a thin line on his face. He looked almost like he was trying to figure something out.
"I DID!" she screamed back at him, and I knew what she was going through. Oh, I knew well what she was going through. I had lost Harry, and then my parents, and now Ron. I knew death all too well now. It was something I held now in common with Harry, though he didn't know it.
"I need you to tell me exactly what he looked like? Do you know if it was the Killing Curse?" There was a panicked tone to his voice now, like - like something horrible had happened and he wasn't give up the information just yet. All I could think of was that this had something to do with Maria.
"I don't- I don't know if was the Killing Curse. We were taught about it in school, but this didn't look like the effects of the killing curse. His body was maimed, his face twisted in terror, and his eyes were filled with an eternal blackness. There was no white left. It was as if his pupils had taken over." Ginny sobbed as Harry took her into his arms. Trying to comfort her as much as he could. I looked to Albus who seemed to be trying to work something out as much as Harry was.
"I came back because the same thing happened to my wife. There is something out there far worse than Voldemort. It kills with no curse that I can find. My house stood on a void of nothingness when they were finished. Elvira was with Nina when it happened. Everyone in the house was killed. We were lucky not to be, But Maria had not been well that morning and stayed home. I returned to find Elvira curled around her mother's body screaming," Harry explained, as he had to me the night before. I knew it was hard for him, and I knew it was something he didn't want to talk about, but it was something we needed to know about. "If this new threat joins with Voldemort..."
"I don't even want to think about it," I muttered as they all looked at me. "Sorry, I don't want to loose any more people I care about."
"Nor do I," Ginny stated, turning her attention to Albus as Harry and I had. "What do we do now?"
"We call an Order Meeting," Albus replied softly, looking at Harry and then to the child. "How many know you have a daughter?"
"Anyone who saw us at Diagon Alley earlier. You don't think they'll try and take her from me?" I knew then and there, Harry wasn't going to back down from any fight that came his way. He was going to keep his daughter safe and there wasn't anything that was going to step in his way.
"Enough to have at least one Death Eater know you are back and inform Voldemort that you have a child with you," Albus replied, as we took to leaving his office. Where we were going I wasn't too sure. I hadn't been to an Order meeting in a few months, and since Sirius'...well, I knew they changed their base a few times. I would have to wait until we got wherever we were going. All I knew was there was a Port Key in my hands.
Harry on the other hand. I wish I could do something to help him. Seeing him standing there, staring at the stairs that headed to the one place I knew he didn't want to go, pulled at my heartstrings. I had never liked seeing him like this, I hated it when I was younger, and I hate it now. He looked at me with worry filled emerald eyes, as we smiled at each other. It was a mutual agreement that we would both do this together. I was going to let him down, and he knew I wasn't going to leave him, like he wasn't going to leave me again.
Something about today was off. Something pulled at the back of my mind, but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was only when we entered Albus' office that I knew exactly what was wrong. Ron wasn't there. It wasn't fair that I knew Harry had been back, and Ron had not a clue. I would write him as soon as this meeting was over. I wrote a silent reminder in my head and looked over at Albus who was standing near the window. He had not turned to greet us upon our entering.
"Headmaster," I said tightening my grasp on Harry's sweaty hand. Still he didn't turn around. I dropped my hand from Harry's when I turned to look over to Fawke's perch. Ginny Weasley stood there. "Ginny?"
"So you have returned," she said harshly to Harry, ignoring my comment. This was between them now; I had nothing to do with this. I walked away from the two and stood next to Albus, both of us now watching them.
"I-I am back," Harry finally said as he looked over at us. I said nothing. I couldn't even bring my eyes to meet his. This was one battle I couldn't stand beside him on. This one he had to get himself out of.
"I hate you! Because of you my brother is dead!" Ginny screamed at him, tears running down her cheeks now. I could see the pain etched on her face; I could hear it in her voice as she sobbed. "He ran off into battle and died because he had to do what you refused to!"
"I can't even ask for your forgiveness. Had I have been here, I would have done something to help Ron." How Harry had figured out it was Ron, I hadn't figured out. Nor had I taken notice to the tears that were falling from my own eyes. I had said no more tears; no more loosing of friends, and now one of my best friends was dead.
"I am back though, and I plan on making things right as much as I can."
"Pap." Elvira wrapped her arms around Harry's neck as I walked over to take her from her father's arms.
"Come on Elvira, we'll go sit by the fire and let Harry talk to nice people." She smiled at me as I took her over to the fire and transfigured a few of the books set there into small toys for her to play with. At least then I could pay attention to what was going on with Harry. "Ginny, who found Ron?" Harry questioned. I had never seen him look like that before. His eyebrows were arched, and his lips formed a thin line on his face. He looked almost like he was trying to figure something out.
"I DID!" she screamed back at him, and I knew what she was going through. Oh, I knew well what she was going through. I had lost Harry, and then my parents, and now Ron. I knew death all too well now. It was something I held now in common with Harry, though he didn't know it.
"I need you to tell me exactly what he looked like? Do you know if it was the Killing Curse?" There was a panicked tone to his voice now, like - like something horrible had happened and he wasn't give up the information just yet. All I could think of was that this had something to do with Maria.
"I don't- I don't know if was the Killing Curse. We were taught about it in school, but this didn't look like the effects of the killing curse. His body was maimed, his face twisted in terror, and his eyes were filled with an eternal blackness. There was no white left. It was as if his pupils had taken over." Ginny sobbed as Harry took her into his arms. Trying to comfort her as much as he could. I looked to Albus who seemed to be trying to work something out as much as Harry was.
"I came back because the same thing happened to my wife. There is something out there far worse than Voldemort. It kills with no curse that I can find. My house stood on a void of nothingness when they were finished. Elvira was with Nina when it happened. Everyone in the house was killed. We were lucky not to be, But Maria had not been well that morning and stayed home. I returned to find Elvira curled around her mother's body screaming," Harry explained, as he had to me the night before. I knew it was hard for him, and I knew it was something he didn't want to talk about, but it was something we needed to know about. "If this new threat joins with Voldemort..."
"I don't even want to think about it," I muttered as they all looked at me. "Sorry, I don't want to loose any more people I care about."
"Nor do I," Ginny stated, turning her attention to Albus as Harry and I had. "What do we do now?"
"We call an Order Meeting," Albus replied softly, looking at Harry and then to the child. "How many know you have a daughter?"
"Anyone who saw us at Diagon Alley earlier. You don't think they'll try and take her from me?" I knew then and there, Harry wasn't going to back down from any fight that came his way. He was going to keep his daughter safe and there wasn't anything that was going to step in his way.
"Enough to have at least one Death Eater know you are back and inform Voldemort that you have a child with you," Albus replied, as we took to leaving his office. Where we were going I wasn't too sure. I hadn't been to an Order meeting in a few months, and since Sirius'...well, I knew they changed their base a few times. I would have to wait until we got wherever we were going. All I knew was there was a Port Key in my hands.