Chapter Six: The Anniversary

October 31st dawned cool and sunny. As a professor of Hogwarts, Harry would be attending the Halloween Ball there that evening. This would be the first year that Muggle students would attend, so Ginny's presence, not only as Harry's wife, but as staff herself, was expected.

The day always held a note of sadness for Harry as it was, in fact, the anniversary of his parents' murder. This year would mark the thirty-sixth anniversary of their deaths.

As he dressed that night, he thought about how his life had changed, even over the last two years. Two Halloweens ago, he had not been married, nor had he been a father. He had resigned himself to never having a family of his own. This year, he had five children and a wife he had adored since adolescence. How swiftly a life could change.

As he finished buttoning his formal robes, he caught a glimpse of red in the mirror. Ginny was in their en suite, putting the final touches on her own preparations. As she passed the doorway yet again, Harry saw the red ringlets piled atop her head, the long white throat, the slim figure in her new green formal robes.

She was as beautiful at thirty six as she had been at fifteen. One would not be able to tell from looking at her that she had born five children, or that she was old enough to have a child graduating Hogwarts this year.

Meg, seventh year Gryffindor and Head Girl. Harry had never been so proud as he was the moment she had presented him with that letter last summer. Ginny had glowed in the background with maternal pride, but it had been Harry to whom Meg had presented her letters.

That was the day she'd asked him if she could call him 'Dad'. Harry had hugged her tightly, unshed tears in his eyes, and agreed quickly before she could change her mind. He'd cried in Ginny's arms later that nigh in the privacy of their room.

But now, right now, at this moment, his wife of a year and a half was walking toward him, her eyes sparkling, her robes swaying with each step, looking entirely too beautiful to be a woman with five children.

"How about we just skip the Ball and get right to the good stuff?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"You would break Megan's heart," Ginny said. "She's looking forward to dancing with her father."

Harry swallowed nervously, "I forgot about that."

"Don't be nervous."

"I'm not that good a dancer, Ginny. You're fully aware of that. Remember the Yule Ball?"

"Don't worry, love," Ginny grinned. "I don't think they dance like that anymore."

With this, she picked up her wrap and, winking at him mischievously, turned and left the room, leaving Harry to consider what horrors the night might bring, by way of the expectations of his two eldest daughters.

Molly was in the kitchen and she gasped as they entered. "Don't you look lovely?"

Harry smiled down at his wife.

"Doesn't she?" He commented.

"I was referring to the both of you, love," Molly laughed. "You look very dashing tonight, Harry."

Harry ran a hand self-consciously through his hair, messing it up further.

"We need to go," Ginny said. "Minerva wanted us to meet her in her office five minutes ago."

"I hate the floo," Harry grumbled.

"I know, love, but we have to. Come along," Ginny turned to her mother. "Mum, don't let the twins wear you out. Hermione has offered to help, please, let her."

"You go, and have a good time," Molly dismissed them. "We'll be fine. Say hello to my girls."

One minute later, Harry emerged from the floo in Minerva's office, coughing but thankful he'd managed to stay upright. Ginny stepped out behind him effortlessly.

He hated flooing.

"Next time, you floo," he growled. "I'm apparating."

"Children, children...." Minerva's voice drifted over the them. The regal headmistress was wearing a royal purple robe, her steel-grey hair in it's customary tight bun. "No bickering, please."

"Minerva," Ginny smiled, casting a sidelong look at Harry. "I apologize for our lateness. Harry was primping."

Harry gave a yelp of disbelief as his wife smiled wickedly at him.

"Give it up while you're young, Harry," Severus' voice came from the corner where he stood, placing a small glass on a tray. "You will never win, so don't even try. Retire with grace."

"And you are suddenly an expert, Sev?" Harry asked with a grin. "You're more of a confirmed bachelor than Remus, and that's saying something."

"I live and work in the midst of several hundred hormonal pre-women, Potter," Snape said dryly. "Ninety percent of the staff is female. Trust me, I do have some experience in this."

Harry shook his head, a smile on his face. Severus may be a confirmed bachelor, but he had a point.

"Shall we?" Minerva opened the door.

The decorations were everywhere, no longer limited to the Great Hall apparently. There were scarecrows and pumpkins through the halls, and as they got to the Entrance Hall, they could see candles and fall leaves lining the pathway towards the doors of the Great Hall.

Entering there, they found what seemed to be hundreds of jack-o-lanterns lighting the room, with displays of pumpkins and baskets of fall apples everywhere. The ceiling was enchanted, with a full moon hanging overhead, clouds whisping eerily across it.

"Min, it's lovely..." Ginny said.

"Yes, our head girl and boy and their prefects outdid themselves this year," Minerva agreed.

Ginny smiled to herself. Meg, ad Head Girl, and Mary as a prefect, had both been involved in the decorating, then.

"Mum! Dad!" Harry and Ginny both turned to see Maddy running up to them, a dark haired boy in tow.

"Madeline! What are you doing down here?" Ginny asked. Balls were for fourth year students and above, while Maddy was only in third year.

"This is Denny Samuels, Mum. He's in fifth year and he asked me to come with him."

Ginny felt Harry stiffen beside her.

"Really?" he asked coolly.

Uh oh.

Stepping forward and putting out her hand, hoping to circumvent the explosion she was expecting from her side, she smiled. "Denny, it's very nice to meet you."

"Ma'am. Sir," the boy nodded. Ginny smothered the smile that came to her lips. Poor Denny was looking at Harry as though he was expecting to be hexed at any moment.

"You look very familiar, Denny," Ginny said, trying to lessen the tension.

"You went to school with my mum, I think," the boy nodded again. "Parvati Patil?"

"Oh, yes. Of course," Ginny glanced at Harry. "She was in Harry's year. I believe you took her sister, Padma, to the Yule Ball one year, didn't you, Harry?"

"Aunt Padma?" Denny looked shocked, turning to Harry and forgetting to be nervous. "You dated my Aunt Padma?

"No," Harry said, eying the boy's hand which was clasped in Maddy's. "We went to the Yule Ball one year together. Fourth year, I believe. We never... dated."

Ginny, openly grinning now at the look on Harry's face, considered her work done. Sometimes it did a man a great deal of good to be reminded of a past humiliation.

At that moment, their two eldest daughters approached, each with a young man. Meg's date appeared quite comfortable, but Mary's date, a young man with hair red enough to rival the Weasley clan's, looked just about ready to faint.

"Hello, mum. Hello, Daddy," Mary wrapped her arm around Harry's waist. He caught the mischievous flicker in her eyes as she did this, glancing at her now near-hyperventilating date.

That's my girl, Harry thought. You keep him off balance. He won't get too confident then...

"Dad, Mum, this is Eric Richards," Meg introduced the young blonde man standing next to her, who immediately held out his hand to shake. Harry took it, noting it was firm. Just for fun, he subjected Eric to his intense green stare.

Grown aurors had wilted under that stare. Eric merely smiled.

"Sir, Mrs Thomas," he greeted them.

"Mrs Potter, Eric," Ginny corrected before the flash of light in Harry's eyes could translate itself into words.

"Oh... I... Yes, of course," Eric's ears pinkened. "I apologize."

"No need," Ginny smiled.

"Dad?" Meg said, pulling Harry's attention from the all-too-familiar behaving young man at her side. "You promised me the first dance?"

"Of course, Meg," Harry nodded, his eyes sliding suspiciously back to the blonde boy.

"Well," Meg said brightly. "The dinner is about to start, and I believe that Professor McGonagall has reserved spots for you at the staff table."

"Thank you, love," Ginny squeezed her daughter's hand. "We'll talk later?"

Med nodded in agreement. With a last hug, Mary pulled her date forward, and quickly said, "This is Michael Prewitt... bye!"

"Prewitt?" Harry said as Mary hastened away, her red-haired boyfriend behind her. "Did she say 'Prewitt'?"

"My mother's family is extensive, Harry."

"He's family?"

"Not close enough to matter, love," Ginny smiled. "My mother's immediate family were all wiped out in the first rising. He's probably the grandson of a second cousin or something."

"But..."

"Relax, Harry," Ginny said as they made their way to the head table.

"I don't think I like that Richards kid," Harry grumbled.

"Yes, I noticed," Ginny tried not to giggle.

"He's far too confident for seventeen," Harry said, then stopped dead. "Why would he be that confident with Meg?"

"Harry..."

"Gin, you know what we were... when we were seventeen... we were..."

"Sixteen, love, and I was fifteen."

Harry made a strange, strangled noise and began to debate the wisdom of turning back around and pummeling a seventeen year old in the middle of the Great Hall.

No. Outside would be better. Later, with fewer witnesses. Then he could really scare the snot out of the little...

"Harry," Ginny was saying. "Meg and I have discussed this. It's nothing for you to worry about."

Harry, who still had images of a certain third floor broom closet floating through his head, followed. Sixteen... fifteen... Ginny had only been fifteen?

Mary was fifteen!

"Ginny! Mary is..."

"I've spoken to her, too, love. Relax." She patted him on the arm.

"And what, exactly, was that fifth year kid doing asking Maddy to the Ball? She's only thirteen!"

"She'll be fourteen in January, Harry. I'm sure they're just friends."

Fourteen in January... then fifteen!

"But there's... he's too..."

"Harry!" Ginny sat down, pulling him into the seat next to her. "If you embarrass our girls tonight, they'll never forgive you. And I certainly won't be very forgiving later."

She gave him a very meaningful look and Harry took a deep breath. Ginny angry was never a good thing. Harry had a sudden image of himself chaperoning the dance while suffering the effects of a stellar bat-bogey hex.

No, Ginny angry was never a good thing. But...

"Problem?" Snape's voice, laced with amusement, came from the seat next to Harry.

"No," Ginny said firmly.

"Sev," Harry said calmly. "Who the hell is this Richards kid, and why is he touching my daughter?"

"Harry!"

"And the Samuels kid... Denny. I don't remember a Samuels here when I was at school. The kid says his mother is..."

"Harry!"

"Why, Mr Potter," Snape smirked, behaving very unlike himself. "Who is concerned about bloodlines now?"

"I think it's about time I had a little talk with McGonagall about the coed dorms..." Harry said, mostly to himself.

Ginny and Snape burst out laughing.

"What?" Harry looked at them both.

"Whatever does go on in this school, Potter," Snape said, an evil smile on his face. "Very little of it actually happens in the dorms. As I'm sure you remember."

Harry turned red to his ears. Ginny giggled and Snape took a sip of his wine.

Harry fumed. Perhaps locks on all the empty classrooms and broomclosets would be a good idea, as well.

After the meal, and Minerva's short speech welcoming the guests and reinforcing a few school rules, the music began. The large dance floor in the middle of the room began to fill, and Harry stood.

"Excuse me, I've promised this dance," he nodded to the others and made his way to the table where Meg had been sitting.

"Megan?" he put his hand on her shoulder. She had been talking with three other girls, who all looked up at him, their curiosity turning to embarrassed awe as they recognized him.

"Hi, Dad," she smiled, standing, and putting her hand in his. He led her to the dance floor and pulled her gently into his arms. Thankfully, it was music he could dance to.

"I was concerned," he began hesitantly, feeling Meg stiffen a bit in his arms. "That I wouldn't know how to dance to the music. I'm glad they chose to start with something that an old guy like me knows."

Meg relaxed, laughing. "The newer stuff will come later, so if you're going to ask Mary and Maddy to dance, I would suggest sooner rather than later. The music later on will get a little more... contemporary."

Harry swallowed, considering the possibilities.

Meg laughed again. "You're not old. All the girls in my year think you're gorgeous."

Harry colored. What exactly did one say to something like that?

"Some of them even have posters of you in the dorm..." Meg teased.

Harry turned shocked eyes down to her. Posters?

"Posters?" he said weakly. When the hell had pictures been taken for posters?

"Well, not of you, exactly. Posters from those movies they made about you. It's really the actor that plays you... but I must say, there seems to be a striking resemblance..."

"There isn't!" Harry said quickly.

Meg giggled, "You're so incredibly easy to tease!"

Harry, his red ears almost glowing, pulled her closer and danced away with her. He didn't notice the table of seventh year girls who gave a collective sigh as they moved out of sight.

After delivering Meg back to her friends, with a look at Eric Richards that promised extreme and lengthy pain should he step out of line, Harry nodded politely to the others and left.

Taking Meg's advice, he went in search of his second stepdaughter. He found her in the midst of a group of boys, talking about Quidditch.

"Mary?"

"Hi, Daddy!" she smiled, looking up at him. "We were just talking about your sixth year Cup game!"

"Where you pulled that Wronski Feint..." one of the boys looked at Harry with something akin to hero worship. "I never knew anyone could do something like that... unless you played for a league team!"

"My dad could have played internationally," Mary said proudly. "But he was a bit busy at the time."

Harry, taking note of the look on the Prewitt kids' face, smiled, then held out his hand to Mary.

"Dance, love?"

Mary's face lit up, "Really?"

Harry nodded, and she took his hand.

"So," he said, dancing her around the floor. "Tell me about this Prewitt kid."

"Oh, Daddy!" Mary said dismissively. "We play Quidditch together. He's a chaser. Neither of us had a date, so we decided to come together."

Harry felt rather better... at least until he glanced over to where Mary's group of friends were standing to find the Prewitt kid's eyes on her. Maybe Mary thought they were 'just friends', but Harry had an idea that the boy had other ideas.

Ideas that Harry would squash like a bug, if given the opportunity.

"Just friends?" he asked.

"Well..." she smiled in a way that reminded Harry of her mother. "For now."

"Hmmm," Harry murmured. "Well, if he gets out of line, I know a couple of really good undetectable hexes I could show you..."

"Daddy!" Mary exclaimed.

"Well... it's not easy to see you out with a boy," Harry complained.

Mary squeezed him to her in a tight hug. "He's just a nice boy, Dad. And he's really nervous around you... although I really don't understand why. So be nice."

"Of course!" Harry smiled.

"I..." Mary's smile faded. "I really like him. A lot. I just..."

"Mary," Harry looked gently down at her. "I won't embarrass you, or him, love."

"Thanks, Dad," she blushed.

"At least, not intentionally."

"Daddy!"

The song ended, and Harry led her back to the group. The young men would have pulled him into a discussion about Quidditch, but Harry, aware of Meg's warning, went in search of Maddy.

He found the red-haired sprite in the middle of another group of fifth years with a blonde girl who looked to be younger, as well.

"Hi, Daddy!" she said. "This is my friend, Julie Edgecombe."

"Julie," Harry held out his hand to greet her. Formally, she took it and smiled.

"Mr Potter. It's very nice to meet you."

"Edgecombe?" Harry looked down at her. "I knew a..."

"My aunt Marietta, yes," Julie nodded gravely. Harry noticed the girl's spine straighten. "I'm a member of the DA in good standing, sir."

Harry smiled down at her. "We aren't all responsible for our relatives... actions, Julie. Or our own actions when we're young and impressionable. Anything that your aunt did was forgiven long ago. How is Marietta?"

Julie glanced away, then back to him, her gaze firm. "She's dead, sir."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Harry swallowed. "I didn't know."

"No... it's... she... we didn't have much to do with her after she married."

"Oh," Harry nodded, really not understanding at all, but knowing he didn't want to take the conversation any further. "So, you're in Gryffindor, as well, then?"

"No, sir. I'm in Ravenclaw," she said. "Like my mum. That's where she met Dad. He was younger than my aunt."

Harry vaguely remembered a skinny blonde kid named Graham Edgecombe.

"It was nice to meet you, Julie," Harry turned to Maddy. "Dance with me, smidgen?"

Maddy grinned and took his hand. At six-two, nearly six-three, Harry dwarfed the girl, who stood no taller than five foot, but he held her easily, guiding her around the floor.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed your friend, Maddy."

"It's okay," Maddy shrugged. "She's used to it."

"Used to it?" Harry asked, shuddering at the thought of a mere child getting used to taking the blame and suspicion for her aunt's actions two decades earlier.

"Everyone knows about her aunt. I guess she wasn't a very nice person. Julie's Dad didn't have much to do with her before she died. She married a Death Eater."

"Oh," Harry was surprised. He wondered which one. "Her life at Hogwarts wasn't easy, love. She was... she didn't make friends very easily and the other girls... well, Cho Chang was the closest thing she had to a friend, and even she was... difficult."

"But she betrayed you, and the DA!"

"She was doing what she thought she ought to do. After that, no one would speak to her. I'm not surprised that she ended up married to a Death Eater. She must have felt very alone. And that makes people... susceptible."

Maddy sighed. "It was hard for Julie at first. Everyone who heard her last name asked her if it was her mother... Julie didn't have many friends until the end of last year."

"What happened then?"

"She stood up in front of the entire DA and told the story, and about how she was not her aunt. I was really proud of her."

"You were?"

"She was my best friend, and it took a lot of courage to do that."

"You were best friends even then?" Harry asked, getting an inkling of his stepdaughter's personality that he'd never recognized before.

"Sure. We've been best friends since first night. When I fell out of the boat, Julie grabbed me and pulled me back in."

Harry laughed. Maddy was certainly a live wire. He could just imagine her leaning over the side of her boat, trying to get a glimpse of the giant squid that was said to live in the lake, and ending up over the side.

It was as the music ended and Harry returned Maddy to her friends that he noticed Ginny gesturing to get his attention. Bill and Ron stood next to her.

Harry's blood suddenly ran cold. What now?

"I'm sorry, Harry," Bill's voice came from behind him as Harry surveyed the scene. "We always have aurors monitoring the area. Tonight, well... it happened quickly, between checks."

"I want them found, Bill," Harry said in a deadly quiet voice. "They will pay for this."

Bill was silent. The man in front of him, wearing faded jeans and leather boots and jacket, his hair even messier than usual from repeatedly running his hands through it, and the hard glint in his eyes, didn't look much like the man who he'd watched dancing his thirteen year old stepdaughter around the Hogwarts dancefloor two hours earlier.

"They've hurt them for the last time," Harry said. "I'll kill Malfoy myself for this."

He turned away from the opened graves in front of him. The bones that had been removed from the two coffins lay scattered around the gaping holes in the earth.

"I want it put back the way it was," he requested simply. "I... who do I...?"

"It will be taken care of, Harry," Ron said gently. "I'm going to talk to Shack about posting additional security here, as well..."

"Don't bother. The bastard has made his point," Harry tapped a white envelope against his leg. "I'm sure that this is all that will happen right now."

"But..." Bill began.

"It's the anniversary of their death, Bill. Any other night wouldn't do it for him. He's making a point, and by next year, it won't matter, because he'll be dead."

Bill watched the other man as he walked a few feet away, and took a deep breath before disapparating away.

"I would hate to be Malfoy when Harry catches up with him," Ron muttered beside him.

"Anyone who could do something like this deserves all the fires of hell unleashed on them," Bill observed.

"Ah... Malfoy won't be quite so lucky, mate," Ron smiled grimly. "He's going to be praying for an eternity in hell before Harry's done with him. Harry's been saving it up for a lot of years."

Harry sat in his study through the night. Ginny came in a few times and he clung to her for moments before retreating again into his own head. Thoughts of his parents, the state of their graves... the letter...

The letter. A note, really. Two lines.

You are the last of your line, Potter. I will see to it.

Harry, thinking of his young son and daughter asleep upstairs, cringed. The threat might be empty, but...

Minerva. She would know. And Snape... he knew more about the Old Magic than any other wizard alive.

By dawn, Harry knew what he had to do. The magic that had been used to protect him as a child was now about to be used again. And when he caught up with Malfoy, there would be hell to pay.

My lovely reviewers, you're very much appreciated – thank you so much for your comments!

Shotgunn: "My" kind? We'll talk later, love. After being through the horrors of childbirth twice, I can honestly tell you, unless you've been there, done that, you can never truly know squat about "my kind". Ask your sisters, I'm sure they'll illustrate the point for you in technicolor (evil grin). As to Ginny... we'll see. And Ramona? A spy? Hmmm... suspicious little soul, aren't you? Harry is ALWAYS like that – totally oblivious to the effect his own actions have on other people's emotions, when it's in any positive way. And you know FULL WELL that I don't use red herrings... well, much.

Larna Mandrea: I do believe that that is the first time I've been serinaded!

UnRealityCheck: I think that Harry is indeed growing into his role... I'm glad it's coming across!

Kaylee-Smith: James is wonderful. HPMM is a wonderful story, and I couldn't have possibly continued this without him. No... not Draco... I really hope I didn't give that impression! There will be more Malcolm in an upcoming chapter... Harry has to get over his past.

Whimsical Firefly: I think it's important to the story to tie up "loose ends" and Harry's relationship with his aunt's family is definitely a "loose end"!

Merlindamage: No, ferretboy didn't marry a muggle. At least, not to my knowledge! More on Malfoy and his fate later... I think there may be a whole chapter on that, actually!

CQ