Through the rain, the Ministry Rolls Royce quickly drove through the gate and pulled up in front of the steps before Phoenix Manor. Shortly after they had left London they had encountered a thunder storm and it was still raining. Harry and Ginny stepped out of the car and walked up the front steps as lightning flashed above.
They entered through the great double doors and found one of the house-elves waiting for them in the front hall. "Master Harry," he squeaked, "you have visitors waiting for you in the sitting room. I have served them tea and dinner will shortly be ready."
"Thank you," Harry said wearily. "Who is it?"
"Professor Dumbledore and another man," the house-elf answered.
"Yes, um, well you can go back to whatever you usually do then." Harry said. He was not used to running a household filled with house elves and was not sure of the proper etiquette involved. Maybe Hermione can give me some tips, Harry thought dryly.
The house elf bowed and disappeared with a small pop. "I'll think that I shall go and check if Hermione has written about when she will be coming to stay," Ginny said. "She didn't want to come quite at the very beginning of the summer but she still wanted to come." She waved and dashed up the main staircase towards where she had set up her own study for homework and other things.
"One thing!" Harry called. Ginny stopped and looked back down. "Where is the sitting room?"
Ginny laughed and pointed, "All the way down that hall."
Harry watched her disappear upstairs with a faint tinge of regret. He then turned and walked down the hallway until he found the sitting room. Of all people, Professor Snape was the man who had escorted Professor Dumbledore. Harry walked into the room and greeted them.
"I hope that you're feeling better Harry," Dumbledore said kindly as Harry sat down in an armchair and helped himself to a couple of small sandwiches off the tea tray. He was absolutely starving.
"I'm afraid that we bring you some rather serious news Harry," Dumbledore said gravely as Harry winced. "I believe that you've properly matured so therefore I'm going to inform you of everything that happens now because of your new found talents."
He means that because I'm the High Lord and therefore his superior, Harry mused quietly. He must not want Snape to know everything about me or him. Or anyone else for that matter. "What's the bad news?" Harry sighed.
"Voldemort has found a new way to gain power, perhaps a new weapon." Dumbledore sighed. "Severus here was unable to find out completely what the details are. No Death Eater knows of an absolute certainty what Voldemort is doing."
"Don't you have any idea, any hint perhaps?" Harry asked Snape.
Snape shook his head, "No Potter, I don't."
Dumbledore continued to explain what little was known. "He hasn't been able to succeed in his attempts to channel this evil power. Snape fears that it is only a matter of time before Voldemort is able to break through whatever separates him from the power and unleash it upon us all. I very much fear Harry that once he succeeds we will have to face him in a win or lose everything confrontation."
"How soon?" Harry questioned.
"I believe that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will be able to use this power for some extent by the end of January," Snape replied as he glared at Harry. "He'll be able to unleash its fulness by March or May. If we're lucky, June."
"A year then," Harry reflected quietly.
"Do you have any ideas?" Dumbledore asked as he watched Harry quietly think to himself. His eyes reflected his intense worry.
Harry took a tea cup and slowly sipped it as he thought. He set the teacup on the saucer and set it down on the coffee table. "When you think that he is able to do something with this power you should probably alert Mr. Weasley about it. Voldemort is likely to make an example of someone or of larger group"
Dumbledore nodded, "That does sound like Voldemort indeed. The next time that the Order meets, Mr. Weasley shall be notified. Is there anything that the Order should perhaps look for or do?"
"Just do what you usually do," Harry replied. "They might keep their eyes open as well for anything that seems strange or out of order. For now though, don't worry them about it. Prepare them but don't tell them yet."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "That sounds wise."
"If that's all," Snape said greasily, "I have better things to be doing right now." He stood up and left the room. Harry snickered to himself. He would have to go out into the rain to Apparate because of the wards.
"Would you like to stay for dinner Professor?" Harry asked.
"I would be delighted to," Dumbledore said, accepting the invitation. "There are a few things that I would like to address first though. First and foremost is your health. Even in the wizarding world, someone who has suffered cardiac arrest, multiple times I might add, needs to rest for a while before getting up and doing all the normal things he or she used to do."
"I've noticed that," Harry sighed as he watched the rain pound outside one of the windows. He looked back towards Dumbledore. "I feel almost as if I'm in a state of constant exhaustion. It's not a feeling I enjoy. I'm almost helpless."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement and sympathy. "By the end of the summer you'll be feeling better. Not all the way to as good as new, but close. As soon as you feel half-way decent you need to exercise your magical as well as physical skills. I suggest that you go for a morning walk as soon as you can do so without falling over dead afterwards. You should practice your magic so that you can become stronger and more capable with magic. You need to become strong enough to handle Miledy Faisia without suffering heart failure or a stroke. I really believe that if you can't use your staff, you will die Harry."
"I get the point," Harry said with dry amusement as he smiled ironically. "Was there anything else?"
"Next I wanted to speak to you about the Highly Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts class," Dumbledore continued in response to Harry's query. "Nearly ever single student in the school has already written advance letters applying for it next year."
Harry's mouth dropped open, "This year isn't even over yet, and what about the current classes? Have Ron and Hermione been able to teach them properly?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have done an excellent job. In the light of recent events and taking into account events sure to come I would like to make it possible for every student who has the desire to receive the appropriate training. That's why I'm suggesting that we take on Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger as your teacher assistants. For the most part they would handle classes for you." Dumbledore said.
Harry absently stared into space as he considered what Dumbledore had suggested. True, Ron and Hermione were well past where he had been when he had began teaching, but he could still do better. Then of course the students wouldn't be able to go past Ron and Hermione anyway, even if they could match them. "That would work," Harry said slowly. "I'd still have the power over the class, right?"
"Of course," Dumbledore reassured Harry. "You'll be the HADADA Professor and they'll be your teaching assistants. You'll still be over the prefects as well. There is one last thing I wanted to discuss with you Harry. How have things been going with Ginny in the house?"
"Absolutely fine," Harry replied in a puzzled tone as he took the last sandwich from the tea tray. "Why do you ask?"
"I was just checking," Dumbledore said as his eyes twinkled. "During your ill-health and state of unconsciousness she was rather adamant about looking after your health herself. The Weasleys sort of felt uncomfortable about the situation but she wouldn't have it any other way."
"I thought that she didn't particularly enjoy being a nurse," Harry replied. He took a bite of the small sandwich.
"It's because she loves you," Dumbledore explained. "Not that she necessarily enjoys nursing. I just wanted to point out that since you two have began to mature beyond your years that you might want to consider a private marriage."
Harry choked and began to cough uncontrollably. "Marriage!" he gasped. "I'm sixteen years old! Well. . . seventeen basically. She isn't exactly old herself!" He took the cup of tea that Dumbledore handed him and drank it down. The coughing stopped.
Dumbledore held up his hands, "Just letting you know that it was an option," he explained. "It would certainly help to increase your powers. The joining of two powerful people by marriage opens channels between them that can be quite useful at times."
"I'll keep that in mind," Harry said as diplomatically as he possibly could. He glanced at his watch, "I believe that the house-elves have served dinner now."
*
What did you and Dumbledore discuss?" Ginny asked as she and Harry sipped hot chocolate on the terrace behind the manor. The rain had stopped and had left a very pleasant evening to enjoy. The pair was sitting near the rail from which the large lawn, pool, and gardens could be observed. Ginny had also mentioned to Harry that there was a lake towards the end of the property.
Harry recounted everything that Dumbledore had said about Voldemort and mentioned what he had suggested. Ginny nodded in approval. Then Harry said what had been decided concerning the HADADA class. "Then he mentioned another thing," Harry said.
"What was that?" Ginny asked as she lifted the mug to her lips which shone with a faint smile.
"He sort of talked about how you were staying at the manor and then he mentioned that um. . . marriage was sort of. . . an option." Harry explained choppily. He raggedly lifted the mug and gulped some of the hot chocolate.
"Did he now?" Ginny said, her smile even more broad.
"You already knew!" Harry said in an accusing voice.
"Of course I knew. I've been corresponding with him about it since you woke up back at St. Mungo's. So, what would you like? A summer or winter wedding? I myself was leaning slightly towards somewhere during the Christmas holidays. It would have to private too. Other than us and Dumbledore, absolutely no one would know." Ginny said leisurely as if it was merely a matter of setting a date.
Harry gaped at Ginny openly for several minutes before gathering enough wits to respond. "Um. . . winter I think. What about your parents?"
"What about them?"
"Won't they be um. . . I don't know, maybe disagreeable to the idea?" Harry said in a worried voice. He had no intention whatsoever of making the Weasleys mad at him, or betraying them.
"They won't know about it will they?" Ginny pointed out.
Harry stuttered, "B-b-but they should know!"
"Are you going to tell your parents then?" Ginny said indifferently.
"You know I can't! We're too young to marry!"
"Look at yourself Harry. Once you began to wield your Phoenix power you began to change. You've transformed into a fully grown man nearly. By winter you'll have aged even more. You may have been born seventeen years ago Harry but you've aged much more than that. Look at me Harry! Do I look like I'm fifteen soon going on sixteen?"
Harry looked at Ginny and gaped. Over the past year she had aged. She could pass for just as old or older than him. She's also filled out, Harry noted to himself. "Is that what you discussed with Dumbledore?"
Ginny nodded, "Yes, that was one of the things we talked about. He estimates that you've aged to twenty one years of age. I've aged to nineteen."
"Then why do I feel like I'm seventeen?" Harry asked, still slightly in denial.
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Really Harry, look at your fifth year and then your sixth. You were blowing up all over the place then. Since then you've handled much worse and handled so much better. Do you really feel only seventeen?"
Harry sighed in defeat, "Does that mean we'll age twice as fast as everyone else?"
"Dumbledore isn't quite sure," Ginny answered. "He thinks that it may be forty to fifty years before we age anymore. That's how it was for him, he's nearly one hundred and fifty now. We're a bit higher than him though when it comes to power, it might be quite a lot longer."
"I suppose that's a fair trade off," Harry said as he set his mug down on the small table in between their chairs.
Ginny smiled happily. "I'll write to Dumbledore some more about the subject. It'll take a bit of setting up before we can do it."
Harry nodded and listened to Ginny make plans for the small and private wedding well into the night until he fell asleep out on the terrace. He wasn't strong enough to stay up all night. He later woke up for a very brief second to find himself in bed and Ginny briefly kissing him and whispering good night as she pulled the covers over him.
*
"Where did Ginny say that they would meet us?" Ron asked Hermione as he examined the famous witch/wizard card he had gotten from a chocolate frog box. The Hogwarts Express was just pulling into King's Cross after journeying from Hogwarts.
Hermione frowned at him as she examined all of her luggage. "Shouldn't you be making sure that everything is ready for when you get off the train? She said they'd meet us outside of the barrier where your mum always meets you."
"With the whole family then?" Ron said as he slipped the card into his pocket.
"How many times do I have to explain?" Hermione sighed. "Everyone meets here and then Ministry cars drive you to Phoenix Manor. If we're lucky, Harry had enough strength today to come. Just think, we haven't seen him awake since before Tescaster."
Ron stood up as the Hogwarts Express pulled to a halt at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. "What's this Phoenix Manor like?"
"I'm not sure," Hermione answered as she pulled open the compartment door and began to haul her trunk out. "I can't wait to find out though. Ginny says that the library is to die for."
"A library?" Ron asked, rolling his eyes.
Hermione raised her voice, "I certainly hope that you are on your best manners! I won't be there to see because I'm visiting my parents first. However, if I get a single report from Ginny that you've done something rude or inconsiderate you will hear from me!"
"I wouldn't be rude or inconsiderate!" Ron exclaimed as they went through the barrier together.
"Hermione!" came Ginny's excited voice.
The pair turned to see Harry and Ginny standing in King's Cross just outside the platform. Hermione's parents and Ron's family were also standing there. The pair approached and were hugged by everyone.
They all chatted and caught up on things as they walked out towards the cars. "I can't wait to come and visit!" Hermione called as the Weasleys and Harry stepped into discreet green Ministry cars that would take them to Phoenix Manor.
Harry and Ginny waved, "We'll be waiting!"