Aurthor's note: I just wanted to let my readers know that I live in Florida in the middle of where hurricane Charley hit, and where we are going to get hurricane Frances really bad. I've been trying to punch out chapters as fast as I can and posting just as fast so you have something to read. This might not be updated for a couple of days if I loose power for a week again. Writing this small message we've lost our power twice now. So please bare with the updating I am working as fast as I can. Thanks, Kime.
Chapter 11: Christmas at Grimmauld Place.
Harry got up off his bed and looked over at Ron who was doing the same thing. Before either of them could walk out the door Philles Nigel turned up in his portrait. "Dumbledore has sent me to tell you that your stuff will be arriving some time late tonight or tomorrow morning. Molly will be showing up shortly until then you are to tell the others to wait in the kitchen until a member of the Order is able to get around to you."
Harry rolled his eyes, and pulled Ron to the girls room. "Hermione, Ginny, Darla we're suppose to wait in the kitchen until one of the Order members can come." Ron said coming into the room, and sitting by Hermione. The five of them sat in the kitchen, no one had said a word since they arrived home. Ginny and Ron both looked terrible, Ginny couldn't help but hold onto Harry's arm, and it seemed Ron could do nothing but blink. After a few hours the door opened, and Kingsley Shacklebolt walked through the door with Mad-eye moody.
"Ginny, Ron I'm sorry to hear about your father, he was a great man. I know how you must be feeling right now, so I'm going to let you do what you want at this time. Your mother is busy at the Ministry right now, and Remus wants us to tell you that he is going to keep her there for a while before he sends her to see you both, according to him 'she's in a right state,' and he's afraid she might go off on you both for the littlest thing." Kingsley said sitting down by Darla.
"Oh, um---who are you?" Kingsley said just taking notice of Darla.
"I'm-erm-Lea Riley, I'm friends with Harry, Hermione, and Ron." Darla wasn't sure if it was okay to tell him who she really was.
"Ok then," Kingsley said summoning Butterbeers for everyone.
"If you're Lea Riley, I'm Kingsley's mum." Mad-eye looked at Darla suspicously.
"Your what?" Ron asked confused.
"I'm Kingsley's mum!" Mad-eye said moving closer to Darla.
"No wonder you two act weirdly around each other."
"I didn't actually mean it! It's a saying I heard a muggle say once." Mad-eye said looking at Ron like he was an idiot.
Harry and Hermione were about to burst out laughing. " Kingsley, Professor Moody, this is my sister Lily Potter. She'll change into herself in a few minutes, she has to drink polyjuice potion while she's at Hogwarts so no one knows it's her." Harry said watching Moody trying to figure out who the strange girl is and why she was there.
"Oh, so this is Lily. I'm sorry about being rude, but we can't just tell everyone about the Order." Kingsley said shaking her hand.
"It's ok. I think I'll go to bed, you know since nothing is really going to happen until tomorrow. Good night everyone." Darla left the room and made her way up the stairs to the bedroom she was sharing with Hermione and Ginny. A little while later Hermione went to bed also, leaving Harry, Ron, and Ginny in the kitchen with the two adults. Harry didn't want to leave the other two, he figured that both of them needed a friend right now.
"You all know it won't help matters if you're awake all night. I suggest you all get to bed, we'll wake you up when your mother gets here if you want." Moody said noticing the students nodding off. Ron just glared at him, but Ginny couldn't take it, she had fallen asleep right after Moody said this. Moody helped Harry take Ginny to the girls bedroom and returned to the kitchen. A couple hours after midnight Dumbledore appeared with the students trunks, and animals.
"I thought you might be needing these." Dumbledore said walking into the kitchen, he looked around and noticed that the four of them were still up. "I see that young Mr. Weasley is still up. Being a big brother is a hard job, but I must say you're doing a great job. Remus informed me a few moments ago that your mother should be arriving here shortly, she just has to get a few things from Remus' house." Dumbledore smiled at Harry, and walked over to Shacklebolt and Moody.
It was early in the morning when Mrs. Weasley finally showed up, she passed the dining room where Harry, and Ron were sitting and went straight to the kitchen. Harry had never seen her in such bad shape. She looked like she just ran 5 miles, and then was picked up by a hurricane. "Moody, Kingsley, thanks so much for watching over my children. I am greatly in your debt, if there is anything I can do for you please don't hesitate to ask." Mrs. Wealsey said walking into the kitchen.
"Molly, it was nothing. They were on their best behavior, you don't owe us a thing. If there is anything that Kingsley and I could do for you just send us an owl and we'll be here as soon as we can. Ron and Harry are in the dining room, after a couple of hours of sitting around Harry finally got him to talk about what's been going on and how he's doing. He's refused to sleep until he knows that you're alright." Moody said giving Mrs. Wealsey a hug. Kingsley followed suit, and both apparated out of the house.
Molly walked into the dining room and hugged Ron, and Harry. "Mum are you ok?" Ron asked hugging his mum tightly.
"Yes, I'll be fine. How are you and Ginny?" Molly said sitting down at the table.
"I'll be fine, Harry and I talked and he's been helping me a lot. Ginny's barely hanging in there, but she couldn't stay awake and went to bed." Ron said sitting back down.
"Harry dear, thank you so much for letting us stay here for a while. Once I get everything situated I swear we'll be out of your hair." Molly said looking over at Harry.
"Your welcome, and don't worry about staying. You're like my mum anyway so this is practically your house too. I'm sorry to hear about Mr. Weasley, he was a great man and will be missed." Harry said sympathetically.
"You're to kind Harry. I suggest you two get to bed, I'll be going up in a few minutes I just have to contact Remus and tell him I arrived safely." Molly said ushering the boys to bed and going into the sitting room.
A couple of mornings later Harry and Ron woke to Hermione, Ginny, and Darla sitting on the two beds. " Get up you two! It's Christmas!" Ginny said yelling in her brothers ear. Ron pulled his covers over his head, and Harry held his pillow to ears. "Get up, it's time to open presents." Ginny said standing up on the Ron's bed and jumping between them both.
"Fine, Fine we're up!" Harry mummbled as Ginny sat down on top of him.
Hermione had sorted out everyone's presents into piles and handed them to each person. Harry opened the present that Darla had bought for him. "Darla how did you afford this?" Harry said shocked, his sister had bought a Quaffle. They now had a complete Quidditch set.
"I asked Cranky pants, and Proffessor Dumbledore if they would split the cost with me, and both were happy to oblige." Darla said going over and hugging her brother, she had just opened the present Harry had gotten her as well. Harry had bought her a golden heart necklace with a small garnet on the top left side of the heart.
Ron and Ginny had cheered up considerably over the past few weeks. Arthur's funeral was two weeks ago, and throughout the whole day Ron and Ginny were told so many different ways on how to cheer up, both started to get sick of hearing them.
Not one person at the funeral had shed a tear, it seemed that everyone had nothing but good things to say about Arthur, and so many good memories that the bad ones were pushed to the side. "Remember when Arthur went to help the one muggle in Camden that had the fire breathing dog, and he didn't know she was a muggle, and told her that's how dogs come. Oh you should of been there when she went off on him. 'Fire breathing dogs,' she said, 'fire breathing dogs where in the world have you ever seen a fire breathing dog Mr. Wesley.' Oh Arthur had turned as red as his hair." One of his friends at the Ministry of Magic, said while giving his speak.
After the funeral it seemed that not only Ron and Ginny but Mrs. Weasley didn't feel as bad about Mr. Weasley's death. Ginny and Ron we're talking and playing with the rest of them, and Mrs. Weasley was humming some weird song while working around the house. Remus had offered her a job at the Ministry being a greeter, and said that she can start when ever she wanted.
After Harry finished opening his presents he pulled out a box and card from under his bed and went up the stairs. "Where you going with that? Whose it to? You didn't buy Buckbeak a present did you?" Ron said jealously.
"No it's for your mum, plus I gave you a present remember." Harry said walking into the drawling room.
"Yeah, but you've never bought mum a present before." Ron and the others followed Harry into the room.
"Sure I have you just don't pay attention, now will you hush!" Harry wanted to suprise Mrs. Weasley. "Mrs. Weasley, this is for you." Harry said handing the present and card to her.
"Harry, you shouldn't have." Mrs. Wealsey said taking the present and opening the card.
Dear Mrs. Weasley,
I know this christmas must be hard on you, but we're all here when you need us. Please accept this gift as my way of paying you back for how nice you've treated Darla and me. We've never been treated as kindly as you've done. You've gone above and beyond what a mother should do and we thank you for that.
Happy Christmas,
Harry and Darla Potter.
After Mrs. Wealsey read the card she started to cry, and walked over to Harry and Darla, and gave me a hug.
"What did you say to her? You weren't mean were you? If you were I'll hurt you." Ron said noticing his mum crying.
"Ron, calm down here read it." Ron read the letter and turned away so no one noticed him starting to cry. Mrs. Weasley unwrapped the small box, when she opened it she noticed a pair of keys.
"What are these?" Mrs. Weasley said eyeing the keys.
"The gold key is the key for Grimmauld Place, and the silver one is for Godric's Hollow. You can stay at here is you want or go to Godric's Hollow. If you want you can move into the Godric's Hollow house, we can't seem to get around there because it reminds us to much of our parents." Darla said stepping forward.
"I can't accept these. Those houses belong to both of you." Mrs. Wealsey said trying to give the keys back to Harry and Darla.
"Yes, you can. If you don't want to move in at least stay here until you get a place of your own. Please take the silver key though, we really can't go there it's really painful." Darla went and hugged Mrs. Weasley again.
"Thank you both, you are very generous. Who wants lunch?" Mrs. Weasley got up and walked to the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley went down to the kitchen to make lunch leaving Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Darla in the drawling room.
"Ron, there's something Ginny and I need to tell you." Harry stepped further away from Ron and closer to the door. " We're seeing each other."
"Your what?" Ron yelled.
"Ron if you can go out with me, then Harry should be able to go out with Ginny. Plus uou were all happy about them a few years ago." Hermione said taking Ron's hand.
"Yeah, but that was a few years ago when I thought Harry would tell her no." Ron tried to say calmly.
"Ron, I r eally like Ginny and I promise I won't hurt her, plus if Darla is cool with it you should be too."
Ron stormed out of the room, no one followed him since they all thought he was wrong to go off like that. Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, and amazingly Percy arrived at Grimmauld Place shortly after breakfast.
