Harry Potter, Heir of Gryffindor

Happy Christmas

The air was warm but still and somewhat stale and the smell of various potions told him that he was in the hospital wing. The heavy, regular breathing near at hand told him that at least two people were nearby. The muffled volume of other noises told him that he must be in the private room next to Madam Pomfrey's office. Then a weight shifted on his chest and he heard a muffled moan as Ginny tried to make herself more comfortable. With the sudden realization that he was sharing a hospital bed with Ginny Harry's eyes flew open. What the heck was going on? "Er, . . . Ginny?" he whispered.

"Mm hmm," she moaned dreamily.

"Um, . . . we're back. The charm was successful. We made it."

Ginny rose up and looked down into his face. He supposed she was smiling and that her hair was falling loosely down around her face in a tangled mess but all he could see was a blur of facial features and red hair. "Thank you," she murmured then whispered, "I love you, Harry."

Harry felt around with his free arm and was relieved to find that they were both clothed in flannel pyjamas. Sliding his arm around her waist he closed his eyes and nuzzled her neck. "I love you too, Ginny, but I think we should get up."

Ginny protested this sentiment by snuggling more deeply into the covers, pressing herself even more closely into Harry's chest. "But I don't want to," she said, pulling the blankets in from the sides of the bed.

"Well good morning," a voice said and Ginny jumped up to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, clutching the blankets to her chest.

"Told ya," Harry chuckled which earned him a stern look from his soul mate.

"Don't worry about it, Ginny," Remus chuckled, from somewhere near the door. "Albus forbade anyone from even touching you until you stopped glowing and even then he insisted you be kept together at least until you woke up."

Harry pushed himself up in the bed and looked around his fuzzy environment. "How long have we been out?" he asked

"Three days," Ron said tiredly from the other side of the bed.

"How'd it go?"

Someone chuckled from somewhere near the foot of the bed. "If there is one thing those Death Eaters have got to learn it is to never tempt the hand of fate by pissing off a Weasley."

"Bill?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, that would be me," the young curse breaker said as he stood up and stretched.

"What happened?"

This time Remus chuckled. "When the word went out that you and Ginny went down . . . well, let's just say I would hate to be in your shoes if you should ever hurt their little sister. They didn't just use those Weasley Whiz Bangs as diversionary devices they started using them as legitimate weapons of war. And some of the curses they threw . . ." Remus laughed nervously. "Well, let's just say that I'm glad I'm on their side."

"That bad, eh?"

"Worse," Ron said. "When the Weasley brothers unite you just don't want to get in our way. I was even surprised at the power of some of those curses."

Remus chuckled again. "They're still trying to figure out who some of those Death Eaters are. They're still alive but wow."

This time Ginny giggled. "Let that be a lesson to you, Harry. Never piss me off."

Harry held his hands up defensively and smiled. "I don't think you have to worry about that. We're in this for the long haul, now, and I value my life too much to even think about trying to get you mad."

With a satisfied nod Ginny said, "Good."

Everyone in the room laughed at this. The door flew open moments later to reveal the blurred figure of a very over worked matron. "Good," she breathed. "You're awake." Bustling over to their bed Madam Pomfrey raised her wand and cast a diagnostic spell first over Ginny and Then over Harry. After pronouncing them fit she told Harry to open his eyes and look straight ahead. "This won't hurt a bit," she said. "I just have to get the right prescription for your new glasses." Harry did as he was told and waited as she first cast an ophthalmologic spell on his eyes and then cast a prescription spell on what looked like a new pair of glasses, very similar to his old pair, which she then handed to him. She then cast an optometry spell on the glasses so that they would adjust themselves to his face.

As Harry's world came into focus he looked around the small room and noticed that Ron's right arm was cradled in a sling. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Sprained my wrist . . ." he said.

"And broke his arm," Remus added.

"You're next, Mister Weasley," Madam Pomfrey said.

Ron stood up and grimaced at Harry who smiled sympathetically as his friend followed the matron out of the room.

"I'll go get you guys some decent clothes," Remus said as he too stood up. "And Albus will want to talk to the two of you after you've had something to eat." After Remus had left the room Harry pulled his legs up and sat on the edge of the bed next to Ginny. Reaching out for her hand he intertwined his fingers with her own then, after exchanging a brief smile with her, turned to Bill. "Bill, I want you to be honest with me. How bad is it?"

Bill looked up and smiled. Standing up and walking over to stand in front of Harry and Ginny he pulled Remus' chair away from the wall and sat down. "Actually, Harry," he began softly, "it went better than anyone could have expected. Oh, sure, we had close to three hundred casualties and fifty deaths but that's nothing compared to what we did to them. They no longer have the dementors or banshees and most of the trolls were wiped out. Most of the Death Eaters seemed to be junior partners because they were easily captured; and the hit-wizards took care of most of their more advanced members. I think they lost close to five hundred."

"Hermione?" Harry asked nervously.

Bill chuckled softly then smiled. "She's fine. She's spending some time with her parents down in the compound right now but she's fine. I'll tell you what, though. That girl is one heck of a witch. When she heard that you had gone down she went into a spitting fit. She almost put the six of us to shame. I don't know where she found some of those hexes but she can sure wield a wand."

"How about the others?"

"We all pulled through just fine. In fact, aside from you two, I think Ron got the worst of it."

Harry smiled and bowed his head. "Thanks. Were any students killed?"

Bill chewed on his lower lip for a moment as if uncertain as to how he should answer that question. Then, apparently making up his mind, leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and gazed down at the floor in front of him. "Five of our fatalities were students. One was the Huffelpuff Seeker, two were Slytherins, one was a Ravenclaw Chaser and one was a Gryffindor Reserve Beater. All of the houses lost someone so the whole castle is in mourning right now."

"How about the elves?"

"Neville says they lost about twenty-five with eighty-three injuries. And before you ask, Emric is fine. He's worried about you but he's fine. The last I checked he was in the Great Hall where his injured warriors are being treated."

At that moment the door opened again and Ron walked in, his arm free of the sling, carrying two potions bottles. "Doctor Stone said for you to drink these and to get out of here as soon as you are dressed and feel up to it. The hospital wing is kind of crowded right now and even with the additional healers they are pretty rushed. Fortunately Neville and Severus were able to stockpile enough potions to get us through this thing."

Harry and Ginny accepted the bottles and, after a brief grimacing glance at the contents, tilted them back and drank their foul tasting draughts. After a brief coughing spurt Ginny said, "What about the goblins? Were any of them fighting for Voldemort?"

Bill nodded. "Yes. There were about five hundred of them. We captured most of them and they are being held in a detention center near Surrey. They're tough little buggers but we didn't kill any of them because, as you said, we're going to need them on our side in the end."

"Was there any sign of Tom?" Harry asked, looking up from the floor and voicing the question that had been eating away at his mind for the past several minutes.

"No," Ron said. ""He wasn't there. This was a pretty major battle but for some reason he didn't show."

"I wonder what he's planning?" Harry though out loud. "He's up to something, I just wish I knew what it was."

Ginny rubbed the back of Harry's hand and looked up into his eyes as he turned his head towards her. "We'll figure it out," she said. "And when we do we will prepare and be ready for his next attack."

Harry smiled and nodded his head. "Yes we will; and we'll do it together."

For the next several minutes the four - Harry, Ginny, Ron and Bill - talked about the battle, Harry and Ginny asking multiple questions and Ron and Bill answering as best they could, when the door opened and Remus walked in carrying two sets of robes. "I was able to get a set of your robes, Harry, but Minerva had to get Ginny's. The charm on the girls' stair wouldn't let me pass twenty years ago and I doubt it has changed even though I am a professor."

Harry glanced over at Ron, remembering the time the steps had turned into a slide when he had reached the sixth step, and chuckled, "No, Remus, it hasn't changed as Ron found out last year." Ron glanced up and glared at Harry but blushed scarlet anyway.

Bill, Remus and Ginny burst out laughing. "Ron," Ginny scolded through fits of laughter. "What would Mum think if she found out." Ron visibly paled. "Oh, don't worry," Ginny giggled. "We won't tell her."

"Besides," Bill added, "I think the only Weasley boy who hasn't tried getting up into the girls' dorms is Percy."

Ron, looking relieved at Bill's reassurance, smirked and the smiled sheepishly.

Five minutes later, as Harry, Ginny, Ron, Bill and Remus were walking through the hospital wing (Harry and Ginny still in their pyjamas but dressed in robes), Harry saw that, once again, all of the beds were full. He briefly waved at Luna when she glanced up from the witch she was healing. Luna smiled at them and nodded her greeting before returning to the healing spell she was casting on the woman's arm. Out in the hallway they saw that the corridor was lined with beds and several students and healers were busy helping the injured. They had reached a stair leading down towards the Great Hall and were about to descend when Pansy Parkinson, carrying a stack of freshly cleaned bedpans, entered the short stair from below on her way up. "Hello, Pansy," Harry said, not sure how Pansy felt about being on bedpan duty.

Pansy looked up and smiled. "Hi, Harry, Ginny," she said cheerfully. "You're up. You had us all worried there for a bit." Then, shifting her gaze to Ron, she said, "Hi, Ron. How's your arm?"

Ron stretched his arm out in demonstration. Good as new. Thanks, Pansy." Harry and Ginny glanced curiously over at Ron and then back at Pansy. "Er . . ." Harry began but Pansy, sensing his confusion, cut him off.

"Houses don't matter any more, Harry. When it comes to war we all do what we can to help."

Harry watched in stunned silence as Pansy climbed the steps and turned to watch as she disappeared around the corner. "Oh," he said then turned towards Ginny who was still holding his hand. Gently squeezing her hand they smiled at each other and descended the stair.

When they entered the Great Hall several minutes later Harry saw that all of the tables and chairs, except for a very small few, had been moved to the sides and stacked one on top of the other to make as much room for the wounded wood elves as possible. All of the decorations had been taken down and several of the house elves were helping the wood elf healers tend to their wounded cousins. The Head Table had been pushed back from the edge of its dais and a second line of chairs had been set up so that a few could eat at any given time.

They hadn't taken more than a few steps into the Great Hall when Harry and Ginny both staggered back from the impact of two very excited house elves who flung themselves at their knees. "Harry! Ginny!" Dobby and Winky squeaked excitedly as they looked up at their master and mistress. "You is alive!"

Harry and Ginny knelt down and hugged their little friends. "Yes, we're alive," Harry chuckled.

"It will take more than a little flying accident to get rid of us," Ginny said reassuringly as Winky's eyes began to fill with tears. "Don't worry, Winky," she said soothingly. "We won't leave you."

"Thank you, Ginny," Winky said as she furiously brushed her tears away.

"We will get your meals," Dobby squeaked."

Harry smiled and said, "Okay. But I want you to go back to helping the wood elves as soon as you can."

Dobby and Winky both nodded and with a pair of muted cracks were gone.

Nine people, Five humans and four elves, stood up and walked around the ends of the head table as the small group made their way into the Great Hall. Harry looked at each of the injured elves as they slowly walked towards the head table. Some of their injuries looked to be so severe that he didn't know how they had survived. He was silently cursing Voldemort in his mind when he felt a hand on the leading edge of his shoulder. Stopping and looking up he saw Emric's battle weary face gently smiling at him. "Fear not, my brother," Emric said. "They knew the risks when they volunteered; and with any luck all will survive and live to lead happy and productive lives."

Tears in his eyes, Harry nodded and pulled his blood brother into a brotherly hug born of grief and a need for reassurance. "I hope so, my brother. But I fear that this is not the final battle."

"No," Emric said softly. "This was not the final battle but we will fight side by side until this war is won."

Stepping back as tears began to cloud his vision Harry smiled and hoarsely whispered, "Thank you."

As the new group of fourteen made their way to the head table Neville dropped back to walk beside Harry. The moans and groans of the injured echoed through the Great Hall but Neville's presence had a certain calming effect upon Harry's soul. The fact that the sixth member of their group was alive and well gave him the added confidence he needed to go on. "There's no sign of either Lestrange or Pettigrew," Neville said. "We don't know what's going on but for some reason he's holding those two back."

Harry gazed thoughtfully down at a wounded archer for several seconds before responding. "I know. I think he was hoping for victory this time but at the same time I think he now realizes that it is not going to come as easily as he had hoped, if at all. I think we've proven ourselves against him enough times to plant the seeds of doubt in his mind."

The fourteen made their way up onto the dais and sat, seven to a side, along one end of the table. Almost as soon as they were seated the plates before them filled with food and Harry heard someone cast a privacy charm so that they could speak openly without fear of being interrupted or overheard. Emric, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Neville and Emric's two top generals sat along one side of the table while Wulfric, Albus, Madam Bones, Bill, Fleur, Charlie and a familiar looking, dark-featured man who slouched when he walked sat opposite them. "I believe an introduction is in order," Albus said indicating the familiar looking man. "I know you already know him, Harry, but so much has happened over the course of the past eighteen months that you may not remember. Victor Krum has kindly agreed to assist us in our efforts by working with you, Ron and Neville in helping you understand the dark arts. He will be working with the three of you in your divination class with Firenze to help you come to a more complete understanding of what we are up against in terms of the magical content. He will also be working with Severus and Neville to restock our potions supplies."

Harry's mouth fell slightly open before he caught himself and closed it with a snap. He then turned to Victor and smiled. "Welcome back, Victor," he said glancing quickly at Ron to gage his reaction to the Bulgarian Seeker's presence. Surprisingly there was none.

"I vas not supposed to arrive until the first off Januvery but ven I heard off the attack I came as soon as I could. I have only been here for two days and already I feel at home. You should be proud off vot you have accomplished, Harry. Many vizards in my country have gone over to the dark side and vot you and your people have done has given them reason to reconsider," Victor said with a smirkingly twisted smile.

Harry smiled. These words - coming as they did from Victor Krum, the internationally famous Bulgarian Quidditch Player and Seeker - meant more to him than he ever thought they could because Victor was a team player and realized that it was going to take a team effort to defeat Voldemort. "Thank you," he said.

"We were just discussing what should be done to memorialize those who have fallen in the struggle against ... Voldemort," Madam Bones said, hesitating slightly before saying Tom's assumed name.

Harry tensed up slightly at the idea that anyone could even think about building a memorial before the final battle had been fought but then felt Ginny's hand gently rubbing his thigh and he relaxed. "I think it's a bit early to start planning any memorials because the war isn't over yet. But if I could make one request it would be that Bertha Jorkins, Frank Bryce, Cedric Diggory and Sirius Black be listed as the first fatalities of the second war."

Fleur and Victor were the first but everyone agreed that Cedric should be listed in a place of honor, describing the circumstances of his death. The rest of the meal was spent discussing the establishment of a graveyard on the castle grounds for those who had fallen and would fall and whose families wished them to be interred in a place of honor and about the awards and commendations that would be handed out in a few weeks time, after the dust had settled and everything had been sorted out. The idea of awarding anyone for killing or harming anyone or anything sounded slightly off to Harry but he kept these thoughts to himself as he recognized the fact that they promoted unity and morale among the ranks. It seemed that almost everyone who participated in this battle in any way would be receiving an award; but the two he was most impressed with were the nominations Fred and George were receiving for their work in developing Dementor Delights, Potter Charms, the full line of Weasley Whiz Bang fireworks and their Portable Swamps. They were both being nominated for Orders of Merlin, First Class.

After a rather large breakfast Dumbledore looked meaningfully at Harry and Ginny and said, "Could I impose upon the two of you to meet me in my office in one hour's time?" Harry and Ginny looked at each other and then looked back at the headmaster and nodded. "What about, Albus?" Ginny asked.

Albus sighed and then smiled, an unmatched twinkle in his dancing blue eyes. "Ah, yes," he said lightly with a hint of mystery in his voice. "It is a very private conversation about what has just happened in your lives." The two teens looked at each other again, eyes rife with confusion. "Until then, however, I suggest you return to your rooms and get cleaned up." Albus gently smiled at them and nodded his head briefly. "Off you go then."

Sensing that they had been dismissed, Harry and Ginny looked at each other, stood up and, turning around, made their way out of the makeshift elfish hospital and up to the Gryffindor Common Room where they parted company, going to their respective dormitories to shower, change clothes and freshen up.

An hour later they were standing in front of the headmaster's office door. Harry was about to knock when they heard Albus' voice call out to them, "Come in!" Harry and Ginny looked at each other and grinned. Albus never ceased to amaze them. He always seemed to know when someone was about to knock on his door. Opening the door they walked through the familiar surroundings of the antechamber and into the office proper. "Please, have a seat," Albus said, motioning towards two chairs in front of his desk.

Harry and Ginny stepped forward, each taking a seat in one of the chairs and rather conspicuously, although subconsciously, reaching out to hold hands. Albus saw this gesture and chuckled softly to himself as Fawkes flew over and perched himself on Harry's knee. "Lo, Fawkes," Harry said as he reached up and began to absently pet the majestic phoenix.

"What is this about, Albus?" Ginny asked, breaking the calming silence that hung in the air.

Steepeling his fingers and studying the two souls seated before him Albus' eyes twinkled and the light within seemed to dance merrily about. "Ah," he sighed. "The wonders of love." Then, as if snapping out of a self-induced hypnotic trance, blinked and looked directly into Harry's eyes. Harry could feel him striving to enter his mind but held him off, not out of any malicious intent but as a matter of course not to let down any of his guards, thereby giving Tom an opportunity to reestablish contact. Albus nodded. "Very good, Harry."

Carefully lowering his hands he shifted his gaze and looked at the two of them. "Do you remember when I told you that there are some things that I have locked away in my mind and refuse to think about, Harry?"

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"One of those things is the bonding process and ceremony the two of you have just shared."

"You have a soul mate," Ginny asked gently.

Albus smiled. "Yes, I do." His expression changed ever so slightly and the twinkle faltered briefly. "Sadly she is no longer in this world. She left shortly after the war against Grindelwald and I have remained single and alone ever since. Oh, I have many friends and acquaintances but there will never be another Elizabeth. And so I must wait until my time in this world is at an end so that I can join with her in Heaven.

"You and I are a lot alike, Harry. We have both done things that others thought impossible; we have both survived extremely close encounters with death; and we have both bound our souls to extremely beautiful, talented and wonderful young women." Ginny blushed openly pink but Harry bowed his head and smiled to himself as he blushed and recalled the many confidences Dumbledore had shared with him over the previous summer. "But this is not my main reason for asking you here."

Harry looked up, "Sir?"

Albus chuckled. "So formal." Steepeling his fingers he once again studied the two teenagers before him. After almost a minute he asked, "Have you told Ginevra about the prophecy?"

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"Very well then. Do you remember the line which says that you possess a power Tom knows nothing about?"

Harry thought back to the time when he and Albus were watching Professor Trelawney revolving around the surface of the headmaster's pensive for a moment then again nodded his head. "Yes."

Albus smiled. "Now please try to understand that this is only a theory because we will not have all of the information we will need to know for sure until certain events have been fulfilled." Harry nodded and leaned slightly forward in his seat. "It is my belief that somewhere between your Maturo Auctus and your bonding ceremony you found the answer to this part of the riddle. I honestly do not know what it is called but I do know it when I see it.

"What did you see?" Ginny asked.

Albus' eyes twinkled as he briefly glanced over at Ginny then looked back at Harry. "Your portkeys were charmed to bring you back to Hogwarts, more specifically to the Great Hall. However, when you arrived you appeared in the center of the Entrance Hall."

Harry started to open his mouth to protest that someone could have simply made a mistake when charming those two particular portkeys but Albus held his hand up to silence the protest before it began. "Please, Harry, let me finish.

"Due to the requirements of the bonding process we could not physically touch either of you for two days, until you stopped glowing. When we removed your clothing and checked the portkeys we found that they had not yet been activated."

Harry and Ginny's mouths both fell open as they looked at each other in shock. As one they turned back to look at the headmaster. "How is that possible?" they asked in unison.

Albus' eyes twinkled with excitement as he said, "I do not know. The wards around Hogwarts were designed to make it impossible for any witch or wizard to either apparate onto or disapparate away from anywhere on the grounds. After we discovered that your portkeys had not been used I checked the wards and they are still in place and as strong as ever. So the only explanation I can find is that somehow, in your moment of crisis, you found a way around them. It is, therefore, my conclusion," he said, his eyes sparkling merrily, "that you have found the basic building blocks for the development of the kind of power you will need to defeat Voldemort."

Harry sat in stunned silence for several seconds, not hearing, not seeing, not even feeling his surroundings. Slowly, however, Fawkes' gentle trilling worked its way into his consciousness and he awoke with a start. "Do you mean to tell me that something I did will make it possible for me to defeat Voldemort?"

Albus gently smiled and studied Harry and Ginny over the tops of his half-moon glasses for several seconds before responding. "I think it would be more accurate to say that it is something the two of you did. You see, Tom has never known love and has, therefore, never known grief. And since he has never known either of these things he has never had any reason to seek out someone to share them with. The two of you share something very special that Voldamort will never be able to destroy."

"I will explain the bonding process to Molly and Arthur if you like; but for right now I think you should go down to the Weasley compound to celebrate a belated Christmas."

Fawkes flew back to his perch and Harry and Ginny stood up. "Yes, sir," Harry said. "I would appreciate it if you could explain it to them. It's still rather new to me and I'm not sure but I think Ginny is still getting used to the idea." Ginny nodded her head. Standing up as well, Albus smiled and nodded his head as he reached out to shake Harry's hand. Taking his hand and briefly yet confidently shaking it Harry looked into the old man's eyes and said, "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Harry, Ginevra," Dumbledore said then stepped around his desk. As he escorted Harry and Ginny to the door he was softly humming a Christmas carol under his breath. When they reached the door he opened it for them and said, "Please tell Molly and Arthur to expect a visit from me tomorrow morning."

As they were stepping through the door Ginny quickly turned around and hugged the Headmaster. "Happy Christmas, sir," she said then turned and ran down the stairs. Harry and Albus stared after her in stunned silence for a second or two and then burst out laughing. Harry then turned and ran down the stairs after Ginny as Albus closed the door to his office and returned to his desk.

At the bottom of the stair, as the gargoyle closed behind them, Harry pulled Ginny into a warm embrace. "You're amazing," he said. "You are absolutely amazing." Ginny laughed and hugged Harry tightly for several seconds, pressing her ear to his chest, before stepping back and, reaching for his hand, led him down the corridor towards the Entrance Hall.

When they walked into the Weasley's reinforced tent twenty minutes later Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Molly and Arthur Weasley were sitting around the large kitchen table drinking tea. As soon as the door closed, however, Harry found himself staggering back into the wall as Hermione flung herself at him from half way across the room and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Harry!" she screamed. "You're alive!"

Harry coughed a couple of timed as he struggled to catch his breath. "Last I checked," He choked out. "Could I have some air please?"

Hermione let herself down and stepped back. "Sorry," she blushed. "Its just that you have this nasty habit of scaring us half to death by almost dieing."

"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I'll try not to do it again."

"You had better not!" Hermione scolded then, without warning, pulled him into another bone-crushing hug.

"Air. 'Mione, air, air," Harry gasped.

When Hermione finally released him he looked over at Ginny and mouthed a barely audible, "Whew!"

"Better you than me," Ginny giggled.

Mrs. Weasley was next in line. This time, however, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears as she wrapped her arms around him and enveloped him in a warm, motherly hug. Her lower lip was quivering as she clung to him and whispered, "Thank God you're alive, Harry." Reaching out and pulling Ginny into her embrace she softly cried, "Thank God you are both alive."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other then looked over at Ron and Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley was smiling and nodding his head but Ron just smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Harry reached around and rubbed Mrs. Weasley's back as he tried to soothe her muffled sobs. "It's alright, Mum. I made a promise when Ginny and I first got together that I would never let anyone or anything hurt her without doing everything in my power to prevent it."

Ron, Ginny and Hermione looked at Harry in surprise as Mr. Weasley walked over and helped his wife back to the table. "What did you just say?" Ron asked. "Did you just call our mum, Mum?"

Harry looked into his friend's eyes, a broad grim slowly spreading his face. "They adopted me," he said simply. "Since I no longer have any relatives and since . . ." he hesitated, "Sirius is dead I no longer have a guardian ... We signed the paperwork on the first night back but I asked everyone involved to keep it quiet, on a need-to-know basis, because I don't want to give Tom any tools to use against me. You guys are the family I never had. This just makes it official." Turning to Hermione he said, "And you've always been the sister I've always wanted but never had. While Ginny is officially my sister now she is really much more than that."

Silence hung in the air for several seconds as Harry's message sunk in. Then pandemonium reigned supreme as Ron and Hermione raced forward shouting and screaming their delight and Ginny shrieked while pulling him into one of the warmest hugs he had ever experienced.

When everything settled down and they were all sitting around the kitchen table Mr. Granger said, "Excuse me, Harry, but who is Tom? I though you were fighting some dark wizard named Voldemort."

"Voldemort is a fictitious name," Harry said, sensing Ginny tensing up slightly beside him. "It is a name he made up so that others would fear him." Slipping his hand into one of Ginny's to let her know that he would always be there fore her he continued, "His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry took his wand out and wrote Tom's name out in flaming letters in the air above the table. Then with an extra flick of his wand the letters rearranged themselves so that the spelled out, 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.'

Mr. and Mrs. Granger nodded their understanding then Mrs. Granger asked, "But why should he want to use your family against you?"

Ginny, Ron and Hermione looked at Harry uncertainly and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked at him questioningly. With a sigh of resignation Harry bowed his head and said. "It would seem that there is a prophecy about Tom and me. Not many people know what it says but I have seen it. Since your children are my best friends and since I want you to know how much their love and support means to me I suppose you have a right to know. According to this prophecy, I am the only one who has the power to, as the prophecy says, 'vanquish the dark lord.'" Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley both gasped and Mr. Weasley and Mr. Granger's mouths fell open as their eyes slightly bulged but Harry continued. "He doesn't like that and so he has been trying to kill me essentially since the day I was born. I got this scar on my forehead when I was a year old when he killed my parents and marked me as his equal. Since then I have faced him four more times and, with Ron's, Hermione's Ginny's Neville's and Luna's help, escaped each of those encounters. After the battle in the Department of Mysteries last June . . . and the death of my godfather I got tired of running and decided to fight. And I will be honest with you Mister and Mrs. Granger, I couldn't have done it without Hermione and I can only hope and pray that you will never pull Hermione out of school. We need her more than you will ever know and I give you my word that we will do everything we can to prevent any harm from coming to her."

Hermione looked across the table at Harry as tears began to well up in her eyes and, smiling, mouthed, 'Thank you.'

Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked at each other for several seconds then looked at their daughter's hopeful face. "Then it's settled," Mr. Granger said. "You can stay and complete your education at Hogwarts."

"If your friends love you and need you that much," Mrs. Granger added, "we are not going to stand in the way of your happiness."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces as Ron and Hermione viciously hugged one another. "Perhaps we should explain," Mr. Granger said, "When we heard about what happened last June we wanted to pull Hermione our of school for her own safety. But as you know she can be a very persuasive young lady." Hermione smiled weakly at Harry. "We let her come back this year because she was so insistent that this is her world and is the only place she will ever be happy. When we started hearing reports of unexplained deaths and green skulls appearing above the victim's houses we, of course, became worried. We were all set to pull here out of school at the end of term this year but from what you and the Weasleys have told us she is probably safer here than anywhere. And the fact that we know that she is both happy and loved means more to us than all the gold on Earth."

That evening, after Bill, Fred, George, Percy and Charlie returned from their days in Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Andromeda Babcock and Mark Evans walked down to the compound and into the Weasley's spacious tent. Just off the kitchen was a large dining room. Beyond that there was an enormous living room with two doors, leading to bedrooms with en suit baths, on each side. There were three large couches - one between each set of doors and one near the near end. A small card table was set up in one corner covered with the pieces of a half finished jigsaw puzzle Mrs. Weasley had been working to calm her nerves and several comfortably upholstered chairs stood at odd angles around the room. Against the far wall, however, was an enormous, beautifully decorated Christmas tree and the floor around it was piled high with innumerable gifts of various shapes and sizes.

When they entered the kitchen Harry glanced over and saw Remus nursing a steaming mug of what looked like hot chocolate at the far end of the table. Harry motioned for the others to go on into the living room where they could hear Fred and George playing a game of exploding snap. They nodded their understanding and left him alone with his father's friend. Walking over to the table he sat down across from Remus. "It's your first Christmas without him, isn't it," Harry said.

Remus looked up and nodded his head. "I didn't think it would be this hard really. I mean, even while he was in Azkaban I at least knew he was alive. But now I don't even have that." Remus slammed his fist down on the table, causing his mug to jump and sloshing a little of its contents out onto the table. "Damn it, Sirius!" he screamed through gritted teeth. "Why did you have to die?"

Harry looked up briefly as Tonks slid a mug of hot chocolate in front of him and mouthed a thank you. "You never really believed he did it did you, betrayed my parents I mean."

Remus looked up into Harry's eyes and Harry could feel all of the pain and suffering the last true Marauder was experiencing at that moment. He held Remus' gaze for several seconds, trying to tell him that he was not alone and that just as he, Remus, had been there for him over the summer holidays he, Harry, would be there for him whenever he needed to talk. Then Remus looked back down at the table and sighed. "You know, Harry, I don't think I ever really did. We had been through so much together as kids and I just couldn't believe it. I mean, they were the best of friends. They did everything together. I couldn't believe Sirius would betray James. I should have known Peter had something to do with it and I should have done something about it." Remus raised his fist again and slammed it back down on the table before Harry could catch it. "Damn it," he scowled at himself. "Why didn't I think?"

Harry reached across the table and placed a hand on top of Remus' quivering fist. "It was a different and difficult time," he said softly. "If everything I've heard is true then you didn't know who you could trust."

Remus looked up again, tears streaming down his cheeks, "Yes, Harry, I know. But it still hurts."

Harry and Remus spent the next half hour sitting at the kitchen table, drinking hot chocolate and talking through Remus' feelings of loss while the other guests arrived. When Tonks stuck her head in and told them that everyone had arrived Remus looked across at Harry and smiled. "Thanks," he said.

"Any time, Remus," Harry said standing up and placing their empty mugs in the sink. "You know I'll always be here for you."

"Like I was there for you last summer?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

The rest of the evening passed quickly. They spent the next two hours exchanging gifts and then sat down to an enormous Christmas dinner especially prepared by Dobby and Winky and a few of their friends. There were several highlights that evening but perhaps the most memorable moment took place when Harry, Ron and Neville presented Ginny, Hermione and Luna with Promissory Rings. The three girl's gasped when they opened the dual ring jewelry boxes and everyone fell silent while Neville explained that they were magically paired rings, made of the finest elfish gold available, and that they would shrink or expand to fit the wearers. Fred and George started whistling and making catcalls when the couples embraced but were quickly silenced by Mrs. Weasley when she threw a pair of sofa pillows at them.

Another highlight came when Fleur and Bill returned Harry's Firebolt to him freshly cleaned and in mint condition with several additional safety and indestructibility charms built in. Harry was busy inspecting his broom when Albus was let in carrying four Electra 5000 Battle Series brooms. The broom company had taken their recommendations from their experiences in Romania and built a broom specifically designed for flying into battle. The new features that most impressed Harry were the enhanced indestructibility charms and the Permanent Center of Gravity Charm that would keep the broom's center of gravity where the owner set it no matter how unevenly the weight was distributed. It was no substitute for lousy flying but at least he knew that if he ever had to make another diving catch like the one on Christmas Day he would be able to pull out of it.

The third highlight of the evening came when Madam Bones, the Acting Minister of Magic, presented Mr. and Mrs. Babcock with Certificates of Outstanding Scientific Service to the Magical Community for their work in mapping the energy signatures of the dementors, which led to the development of the Enhanced Patronus Charm. They were, of course, startled but graciously accepted the awards and told Madam Bones that if the Ministry of Magic should ever need their services again they should not hesitate to call.

The most touching events of the evening were when Charlie presented Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Remus, Tonks, Dobby and Winky with specially designed dragon hide battle robes with the Dragon Camp's logo, a fire breathing dragon in in a twisted posture of flight, on the cape and the Order of the Phoenix logo, a phoenix in flight, on the inside left breast and when Harry and Ginny presented Dobby and Winky with dress robes. Dobby was, of course, ecstatic. Winky, however, was horrified and wondered what she had done to displease Ginny. "Is Ginny mad at Winky?" she sobbed almost uncontrollably. "What has Winky done to upset you, Ginny? Winky promises never to do it again if you will just tell Winky what she has done to upset you!"

If took the combined efforts of Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Dobby five full minutes to calm her down and explain to her that they were not setting her free if she did not want to be free but that they wanted them to be happy and to have a change of clothes so that they could blend in a little more easily in a wider variety of settings. Almost as soon as Winky accepted this explanation she began apologizing profusely and making an even bigger spectacle of herself. After a few minutes of this Harry chuckled and, leaning over, whispered into Ginny's ear, "Better you than me."

Ginny giggled then rolled her eyes. "You be careful, buster. I have a new bat bogey hex I'm itching to try."

After dinner, during which Harry and Ginny visited with Mr. Evans about his mother's childhood, Harry, Ginny, Bill, Fleur, Remus, Tonks and Charlie retreated to the kitchen while Ron and Neville settled down in the living room for a rematch with Fred, George, Hermione, Luna, Andromeda Babcock, Mark Evans and Susan Bones as spectators and the older adults and Percy broke into conversational groups. "Say, uh, Bill," Harry asked. "You're a curse breaker, right?"

"Yes," Bill said suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

Harry played with his fingers for a bit then looked down the table at Remus and then at Ginny who was sitting next to him. "I need a curse that will make Voldemort pay for all of the pain and suffering he has caused."

The room fell suddenly silent as all eyes turned towards Harry and for several seconds the only sound that could be heard coming from the room was the ticking of the clock mounted on the wall. "What do you mean?" Bill asked.

Harry's voice became strained as his hands balled into fists and his body began to shake with rage. "I want him to pay. He has ruined far too many lives for him to get away with anything so peaceful as death. Death is too good for him. I want him to suffer!" he growled.

By this time Harry was shaking so violently that the table was shaking and the others could both see and feel the waves of energy radiating away from his body. Ginny knew, from their first encounter with Bane back in September, that if they didn't do something soon the entire compound would explode so she reached out and gently place her hands on his trembling fists. Sensing her calming presence Harry looked down at her hands and slowly let his eyes travel up her arms until he was looking into her eyes. "It's alright," she whispered. "Everything is going to be alright."

Harry stopped shaking and let the built up energy drain away. "Thank you," he said. The others at the table were shocked and stared at Harry for several seconds until Charlie nervously laughed, "Well at least you've got your priorities straight. I haven't seen that kind of power since you were in Romania."

Harry sheepishly smiled at Charlie who was sitting next to Remus at the far end of the table. "Sorry," he said. "I almost lost it."

"Well, thank God for Ginny," Bill said nervously, still somewhat shaken by what he had just experienced.

Putting his arm around her waist and pulling her into a sideways hug Harry looked into Ginny's eyes and smiled. "I do, Bill. Believe me, I do."

Tonks started laughing, nervously at first but as the others joined in and Harry's near outburst was forgotten it became a heartfelt laughter that echoed through the camp. A minute or two after the laughter had stopped and everyone had caught their breath, Bill looked across the table at Harry and said, "You're asking for a pretty powerful piece of magic if you expect him to suffer. From everything we've been able to gather about him, he doesn't care about anyone but himself and causing pain and suffering in others is his favorite pastime. We honestly don't know if he has the ability to suffer."

"Oh, he has the ability alright," Harry said softly. "After all, it was my blood that was used to bring him back to life and, as Albus said at the end of last year, a part of what makes me human and that part which is going to make it possible for me to defeat Voldemort, is my ability to feel emotional pain and suffer; after all, our blood is where a lot of our magical abilities come from. They don't all come from blood but that is one of their most basic components. What we need to do is find a way to take advantage of that weakness and turn it to our advantage."

For the next several hours the seven members of the Order of the Phoenix discussed a variety of possibilities. Harry and Remus summarized the research they had done over the summer and the development of the Potter-Lupin-Granger-Padfoot Defensive Charm; Fleur reviewed her extensive background in charms work; and Bill went over the requirements for unbreakable charms and curses. They didn't solve any problems or develop any new curses that night but they did come to a few understandings and agreed to keep working on it. When their little meeting finally broke up it was three o'clock in the morning and Ginny and Tonks were struggling to stay awake. After agreeing to meet Charlie later on that afternoon to take Hagrid's Christmas present down to him Harry and Remus walked Ginny and Tonks back up to the castle. They parted company in the Entrance Hall and Remus and Tonks headed off towards the Faculty Quarters while Harry and Ginny made their way up to Gryffindor Tower.

The Fat Lady was asleep and snoring softly when they reached the entrance. Harry cleared his throat several times trying to get her attention. Finally, after almost a minute he broke down and said, "Excuse me, ma'am, but we would like to go to bed if you don't mind." The Fat Lady stirred and blearily opened one eye. "Password," she said.

"Fairy lights," Harry said and the portrait swung slowly open revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.

At the base of the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory Harry wrapped his hands around Ginny's waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. After sharing a long, deep and passionate kiss they pulled apart. "Good night, princess," Harry said.

Ginny smiled up at him. "Happy Christmas, my prince."