Chapter 6 - Families Reunited
When Harry and Emily reached the hideout, it was well after dark. Harry saw that Mrs Weasley and Remus were both standing on the street to greet them before they went into the hideout. Remus questioned Emily before conceding that it was definitely her and letting her into the hideout.
Over dinner, Harry saw that Emily kept staring at him. He was getting unnerved by this. Something about her was familiar to him. He knew that he had seen her before, though he couldn't remember where. It was like the memory was hiding in some deep recess of his brain that he couldn't access. He sighed resignedly as he gave up trying to eat and pushed his near full plate aside. He saw Mrs Weasley frown when she looked over, but she didn't comment. Harry excused himself and went upstairs to bed. He laid on his bed for hours. He pretended to be asleep when Ron came in so that he wouldn't have to talk to anyone. He tried desperately to remember where he had seen Emily before. He finally fell asleep and started dreaming.
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Somewhere far away, a woman was standing in the doorway to her daughter's room. She stood there a moment, looking at her daughter's frame and marvelling at the likeness between the girl and her father, before closing the door and walking back into the large lounge area. She sat down in front of the fireplace and looked once again at the letter she was carrying in her hand. It had been sent to her this morning. She read the words out loud to herself:
Mel,
It has been a long time since we have spoken. I did not know how to contact you until recently. We found out your location because one of my close friends interviewed your brother, who you will by now know is in Azkaban. I am writing to you with regard to the Phoenix. It has been doing well for the past year, but I think that it would greatly appreciate a visit from you tomorrow if you can manage it. Just go back to the house you went to before, it is still there. I will be waiting for you there and hope to see you tomorrow at 7am. I am also sorry to inform you that the dog died recently. We are all grieving the loss. I miss you greatly.
Molly Weasley.
The woman sighed as she threw the letter on the fire. Her pale blue eyes watched the letter turn black as the flames licked it. She rested her head on the side of the lounge and her pale blond hair fell across her face. She would need to leave in less than an hour to get there in time. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she thought of what the letter contained. She was interrupted from her thoughts after a few moments.
"máthair" (mother) came a small voice from the doorway.
The woman looked to the hallway where her daughter's tiny frame was sillohetted against the light coming from her bedroom down the hall. The woman smiled.
"Conas atá tú Megan?" (how are you Megan) Mel asked.
The girl shrugged slightly.
"Tá mé ceart go leor." (I'm ok) Megan replied, walking over to her mother.
"We'll have to try speaking in English now. There aren't many people where we are going that are going to understand us in Gaelic" Mel said, frowning.
Megan nodded, causing her loose, dark hair to fall over her face. Mel reached a hand up to pull the hair out of her daughter's face and marvelled once again at the resemblance Megan had to her father. Tears began to fall down her cheeks again.
"Are you ok mama?" Megan asked, her eyes filled with concern.
Her mother nodded, wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"Come, we should get going. You'll need to get dressed" she said. Megan got up slowly, eyeing her mother carefully.
When she was sure that her mother was fine she began walking back to the bedroom, but turned in the hall.
"How are we getting there?" she called out.
"We're taking the motorbike" Mel replied.
Megan squealed and ran to get ready. Her mother sat back on the lounge and looked at the fire again with a smile. The smile began to fade as she thought once again about the contents of the letter, but she soon forced herself to think about other things and packed the things she and her daughter would need over the coming weeks. She charmed their luggage and Megan's school trunk to fit in a small backpack, then grabbed the two helmets and headed to the door. Her daughter came down at this point with a cheery smile.
"Got your wand?" asked Mel.
Megan nodded. They both put on their helmets and went outside to the motorbike. A thunderous noise erupted from the machine as it was started and the motorbike, carrying the two witches, disappeared into the night's sky.
Mel dropped down in the familiar street that she had grown up in. The motorbike came to rest outside a small cottage. She pulled off her helmet and turned to her daughter to make sure that she was alright. Once convinced that Megan had suffered no hurt from the journey, the two of them made their way up the stairs to the cottage.
"What is this place Mama?" Megan asked quietly.
"This is where I grew up" Mel replied.
The door opened at that moment and Mel and Megan stopped dead in shock as a bolt of red and black came hurtling towards them. Before Mel could blink she found herself in a warm embrace.
"Molly!" she said. "You're going to strangle me if you keep this up! Look! You're scaring Megan"
Molly Weasley let go of Mel with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I just haven't seen you in so long and I ." she trailed off.
Mel gave her a warm smile and embraced her warmly. Mrs Weasley began to sob.
"And here's Megan" Mel said as soon as they had pulled apart. She indicated the wispy figure who was standing beside her. Mrs Weasley looked her up and down.
"My goodness, she looks just like her father" Molly breathed.
Mel stiffened and Megan looked up at Molly confused. Molly looked from one to the other.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something to offend you" Molly said to Mel apologetically.
Mel sighed and relaxed slightly.
"It's not your fault Molly, I'll explain later" she said.
Molly nodded and led them both inside the cottage. There was a woman inside waiting for them.
"Ruby!" cried Mel and ran to embrace the woman. Ruby smiled as they pulled apart.
"Hello Mel, I haven't seen you in quite a while" Ruby said cheerily.
"So you're still here? After all these years?" Mel said incredulously. Ruby laughed.
"Of course I'm here! I've been waiting for you to come back. Plus I don't have to pay rent this way" she said with a wink.
Now it was Mel's turn to laugh.
"Come on then, we have to get going" Molly said anxiously.
She passed a piece of parchment to Mel and then to Megan.
"Memorise it, then follow me" she said.
Once they had memorised the contents, Molly threw the parchment on the fire.
"Alright. I'll meet you both over there" Molly said, and apparated.
Mel turned to Ruby with a sad smile.
"Go on" Ruby said. "We can catch up later. They need you now"
Mel nodded and led Megan back out the door to the motorbike.
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Harry was in a strange room. There was a crib in the corner. Harry heard a baby begin to cry and saw the door swing open. Harry gasped when he saw his parents walk into the room. They stood over the crib and comforted the crying baby until it settled and they laid the baby back in the crib. Another figure walked in and looked at the baby. She whispered something to the baby and Harry heard the baby laugh. His parents smiled, amused at the scene. The figure stood straight again and Harry saw the face. It was Emily.
"Once everything settles down, go and see Vance. She's going to be my secret keeper. I know that I can trust her" Emily said with a small smile.
Harry's parents nodded grimly. The baby let out a small sound and Lily turned back to the crib. Emily looked at her watch.
"Emily" came a voice from the doorway.
Everyone in the room turned at the sound of the voice. It was Dumbledore.
"It's time" he said softly.
Emily nodded with tears in her eyes. She reached out and hugged James.
"Be careful" he said to her.
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged Lily also. Lastly, she turned to the baby.
"Good luck Harry" she whispered as she held the baby to her, kissed him on the forehead and then handed it back to Lily.
Emily smiled cheerfully and waved slightly as she left the room, but Harry had seen the fear and pain in her eyes. Harry heard someone calling his name.
"Harry wake up!" Ron said, shaking him.
"What?" Harry snapped. Ron stopped shaking him immediately.
"Mom want's you to come down for breakfast" Ron replied and walked straight out of the room.
Harry blinked a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes before putting on his glasses. He got up to dress quickly and then made his way down the stairs. He could hear giggling from the kitchen.
"Will you girls be quiet" Harry said, "You're giving me a headache"
Mrs Weasley swooped down on Harry at these words and Harry saw 3 girls sitting at the table. Ginny, Hermione and a girl that he didn't recognise. They were still giggling to each other. Mrs Weasley saw Harry's look of confusion as he viewed the new girl.
"This is my cousin's daughter Megan" Mrs Weasley said, "She'll be spending a little bit of time here"
Harry nodded and sat down in a chair for breakfast. Once again, he wasn't very hungry. He pushed the food around his plate until he got bored and pushed the plate aside. Mrs Weasley frowned at the plate as she handed him 2 envelopes. They both had the Hogwarts crest on the seal. One was written in the usual manner of his yearly letter, but the other was written in maroon and had a strange stamp on the front. Harry knew what it was. The results to his OWLs.
Hermione was looking at him eagerly, but he didn't feel like opening his results in front of her, so he put that envelope gingerly back into his pocket and instead ripped open the yearly letter. It was substantially bigger than last years. It contained a list of subjects with books written underneath. There was an additional note from Professor McGonagal outlining the subjects that he would need to become an auror and the elective subjects he could have also. She added a small footnote stating that she had ensured that he was placed in all the subjects he needed. Harry smiled, remembering the promise that she had made in his 5th year. He put the notes down on the table and looked up at Mrs Weasley.
"We're going to Diagon Alley in an hour" she said. "Make sure you're ready to go by then"
Harry nodded and left the room, not feeling much like talking to the girls there.
When Harry and Emily reached the hideout, it was well after dark. Harry saw that Mrs Weasley and Remus were both standing on the street to greet them before they went into the hideout. Remus questioned Emily before conceding that it was definitely her and letting her into the hideout.
Over dinner, Harry saw that Emily kept staring at him. He was getting unnerved by this. Something about her was familiar to him. He knew that he had seen her before, though he couldn't remember where. It was like the memory was hiding in some deep recess of his brain that he couldn't access. He sighed resignedly as he gave up trying to eat and pushed his near full plate aside. He saw Mrs Weasley frown when she looked over, but she didn't comment. Harry excused himself and went upstairs to bed. He laid on his bed for hours. He pretended to be asleep when Ron came in so that he wouldn't have to talk to anyone. He tried desperately to remember where he had seen Emily before. He finally fell asleep and started dreaming.
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Somewhere far away, a woman was standing in the doorway to her daughter's room. She stood there a moment, looking at her daughter's frame and marvelling at the likeness between the girl and her father, before closing the door and walking back into the large lounge area. She sat down in front of the fireplace and looked once again at the letter she was carrying in her hand. It had been sent to her this morning. She read the words out loud to herself:
Mel,
It has been a long time since we have spoken. I did not know how to contact you until recently. We found out your location because one of my close friends interviewed your brother, who you will by now know is in Azkaban. I am writing to you with regard to the Phoenix. It has been doing well for the past year, but I think that it would greatly appreciate a visit from you tomorrow if you can manage it. Just go back to the house you went to before, it is still there. I will be waiting for you there and hope to see you tomorrow at 7am. I am also sorry to inform you that the dog died recently. We are all grieving the loss. I miss you greatly.
Molly Weasley.
The woman sighed as she threw the letter on the fire. Her pale blue eyes watched the letter turn black as the flames licked it. She rested her head on the side of the lounge and her pale blond hair fell across her face. She would need to leave in less than an hour to get there in time. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she thought of what the letter contained. She was interrupted from her thoughts after a few moments.
"máthair" (mother) came a small voice from the doorway.
The woman looked to the hallway where her daughter's tiny frame was sillohetted against the light coming from her bedroom down the hall. The woman smiled.
"Conas atá tú Megan?" (how are you Megan) Mel asked.
The girl shrugged slightly.
"Tá mé ceart go leor." (I'm ok) Megan replied, walking over to her mother.
"We'll have to try speaking in English now. There aren't many people where we are going that are going to understand us in Gaelic" Mel said, frowning.
Megan nodded, causing her loose, dark hair to fall over her face. Mel reached a hand up to pull the hair out of her daughter's face and marvelled once again at the resemblance Megan had to her father. Tears began to fall down her cheeks again.
"Are you ok mama?" Megan asked, her eyes filled with concern.
Her mother nodded, wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"Come, we should get going. You'll need to get dressed" she said. Megan got up slowly, eyeing her mother carefully.
When she was sure that her mother was fine she began walking back to the bedroom, but turned in the hall.
"How are we getting there?" she called out.
"We're taking the motorbike" Mel replied.
Megan squealed and ran to get ready. Her mother sat back on the lounge and looked at the fire again with a smile. The smile began to fade as she thought once again about the contents of the letter, but she soon forced herself to think about other things and packed the things she and her daughter would need over the coming weeks. She charmed their luggage and Megan's school trunk to fit in a small backpack, then grabbed the two helmets and headed to the door. Her daughter came down at this point with a cheery smile.
"Got your wand?" asked Mel.
Megan nodded. They both put on their helmets and went outside to the motorbike. A thunderous noise erupted from the machine as it was started and the motorbike, carrying the two witches, disappeared into the night's sky.
Mel dropped down in the familiar street that she had grown up in. The motorbike came to rest outside a small cottage. She pulled off her helmet and turned to her daughter to make sure that she was alright. Once convinced that Megan had suffered no hurt from the journey, the two of them made their way up the stairs to the cottage.
"What is this place Mama?" Megan asked quietly.
"This is where I grew up" Mel replied.
The door opened at that moment and Mel and Megan stopped dead in shock as a bolt of red and black came hurtling towards them. Before Mel could blink she found herself in a warm embrace.
"Molly!" she said. "You're going to strangle me if you keep this up! Look! You're scaring Megan"
Molly Weasley let go of Mel with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I just haven't seen you in so long and I ." she trailed off.
Mel gave her a warm smile and embraced her warmly. Mrs Weasley began to sob.
"And here's Megan" Mel said as soon as they had pulled apart. She indicated the wispy figure who was standing beside her. Mrs Weasley looked her up and down.
"My goodness, she looks just like her father" Molly breathed.
Mel stiffened and Megan looked up at Molly confused. Molly looked from one to the other.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something to offend you" Molly said to Mel apologetically.
Mel sighed and relaxed slightly.
"It's not your fault Molly, I'll explain later" she said.
Molly nodded and led them both inside the cottage. There was a woman inside waiting for them.
"Ruby!" cried Mel and ran to embrace the woman. Ruby smiled as they pulled apart.
"Hello Mel, I haven't seen you in quite a while" Ruby said cheerily.
"So you're still here? After all these years?" Mel said incredulously. Ruby laughed.
"Of course I'm here! I've been waiting for you to come back. Plus I don't have to pay rent this way" she said with a wink.
Now it was Mel's turn to laugh.
"Come on then, we have to get going" Molly said anxiously.
She passed a piece of parchment to Mel and then to Megan.
"Memorise it, then follow me" she said.
Once they had memorised the contents, Molly threw the parchment on the fire.
"Alright. I'll meet you both over there" Molly said, and apparated.
Mel turned to Ruby with a sad smile.
"Go on" Ruby said. "We can catch up later. They need you now"
Mel nodded and led Megan back out the door to the motorbike.
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Harry was in a strange room. There was a crib in the corner. Harry heard a baby begin to cry and saw the door swing open. Harry gasped when he saw his parents walk into the room. They stood over the crib and comforted the crying baby until it settled and they laid the baby back in the crib. Another figure walked in and looked at the baby. She whispered something to the baby and Harry heard the baby laugh. His parents smiled, amused at the scene. The figure stood straight again and Harry saw the face. It was Emily.
"Once everything settles down, go and see Vance. She's going to be my secret keeper. I know that I can trust her" Emily said with a small smile.
Harry's parents nodded grimly. The baby let out a small sound and Lily turned back to the crib. Emily looked at her watch.
"Emily" came a voice from the doorway.
Everyone in the room turned at the sound of the voice. It was Dumbledore.
"It's time" he said softly.
Emily nodded with tears in her eyes. She reached out and hugged James.
"Be careful" he said to her.
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged Lily also. Lastly, she turned to the baby.
"Good luck Harry" she whispered as she held the baby to her, kissed him on the forehead and then handed it back to Lily.
Emily smiled cheerfully and waved slightly as she left the room, but Harry had seen the fear and pain in her eyes. Harry heard someone calling his name.
"Harry wake up!" Ron said, shaking him.
"What?" Harry snapped. Ron stopped shaking him immediately.
"Mom want's you to come down for breakfast" Ron replied and walked straight out of the room.
Harry blinked a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes before putting on his glasses. He got up to dress quickly and then made his way down the stairs. He could hear giggling from the kitchen.
"Will you girls be quiet" Harry said, "You're giving me a headache"
Mrs Weasley swooped down on Harry at these words and Harry saw 3 girls sitting at the table. Ginny, Hermione and a girl that he didn't recognise. They were still giggling to each other. Mrs Weasley saw Harry's look of confusion as he viewed the new girl.
"This is my cousin's daughter Megan" Mrs Weasley said, "She'll be spending a little bit of time here"
Harry nodded and sat down in a chair for breakfast. Once again, he wasn't very hungry. He pushed the food around his plate until he got bored and pushed the plate aside. Mrs Weasley frowned at the plate as she handed him 2 envelopes. They both had the Hogwarts crest on the seal. One was written in the usual manner of his yearly letter, but the other was written in maroon and had a strange stamp on the front. Harry knew what it was. The results to his OWLs.
Hermione was looking at him eagerly, but he didn't feel like opening his results in front of her, so he put that envelope gingerly back into his pocket and instead ripped open the yearly letter. It was substantially bigger than last years. It contained a list of subjects with books written underneath. There was an additional note from Professor McGonagal outlining the subjects that he would need to become an auror and the elective subjects he could have also. She added a small footnote stating that she had ensured that he was placed in all the subjects he needed. Harry smiled, remembering the promise that she had made in his 5th year. He put the notes down on the table and looked up at Mrs Weasley.
"We're going to Diagon Alley in an hour" she said. "Make sure you're ready to go by then"
Harry nodded and left the room, not feeling much like talking to the girls there.
