Chapter Two

But later never came. She knew she had to talk to him, and soon. Especially since the dreams Harry was having were so very like her own...

Throughout the day, Harry and Ginny were never alone. Fred and George were there, testing some new trick treat or exploding entertainment and creating mayhem wherever they went. Ron kept trying to engage Harry in games of wizard chess and Hermione had determinedly decided that since Hogwarts was no more she was going to open her own wizarding school and bullied Ginny into helping with the plans.

"I'll need someplace to start holding classes," Hermione said sucking on the end of her quill. "Maybe Fred and George'll lend me the back room in their store. Everything'll have to be small at first, only a few students and then, when I can get larger premises, I can enroll more students. What do you think?"

Ginny was staring absentmindedly at Harry and only heard half of what Hermione had said. "Umm, great Hermione," she told her friend, who was glaring at her. "Really great."

"You weren't even listening," Hermione declared. She then followed Ginny's gaze to Harry, who was losing spectacularly to Ron as usual, and shook her head with a small tut sound.

"What?" Ginny asked her, snapping around to look at Hermione.

"You can't keep mooning over him, you know," she answered.

"You're one to talk," Ginny replied. "You went around the whole castle sighing when you finally realized you were in love with my brother."

"I did not," Hermione denied indignantly. Ginny looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Ok, maybe I did. But at least I wasn't as distracted as you are. And you've liked Harry for ages."

"You've liked Ron for ages. Admit it."

"Not as long as you've liked Harry."

"Maybe not," Ginny conceded, turning back to look at Harry as he stared at the grimy window of the drawing room while Ron put away the chess set. "I only wish there was something I could do for him."

"He's fine," Hermione said. "He just needs to keep busy and he'll be back to normal in no time."

Ginny didn't tell Hermione what she thought as it would only start another argument about Harry's condition. They had had many of those arguments over the last month or so, Ginny convinced that Harry was in an irrevocable state of depression and Hermione and Ron just as positive that he'd be fine.

"Harry's come out of a lot of stuff all right before," Ron had told her. "Why should this be any different?"

But Ginny knew this was different, very different. Hogwarts was gone, the beautiful castle destroyed by a powerful curse performed by ten Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. It had stripped the school of all it's magical defenses and reduced it to so much rubble all within ten minutes. They had barely had time to evacuate the school. Many students had died, including a close friend of theirs, Luna Lovegood.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Dumbledore had been inside when the castle exploded and was now presumed dead, though Harry didn't believe it. And it was because of this fierce belief that Ginny believed it too.

"I wish I knew what was going on," Harry said suddenly, getting up from his seat.

"Going on where, mate?" Ron asked.

"Out there," Harry replied, gesturing vaguely at the window. "I want to know what the Order is up to and if they've found Dumbledore yet and why Voldemort is staying quiet."

"Maybe someone'll come back tonight," Hermione said. "And they can tell us what's going on."

"Have they ever told us anything," Fred said.

"They never say anything to us even though all of us are of age now, even Ginny," George put in.

"Maybe I should do something about that," Harry said. They all looked at him curiously. Ginny was the only one he had confided in about the prophecy, something she had never thought he'd do. And he had made her swear not to tell anyone else. She thought she knew why he hadn't told Ron and Hermione; they would have gone nuts and maybe they also would have understood why Harry was acting like this.

Guilt was eating at Harry, Ginny knew that much at least. There must also be a lot of pain and sorrow there too. They had all lost so many people. And Harry was supposed to be some chose one that could stop it all, but he hadn't. It was more than he could handle. More than anyone could handle.

"What are you talking about Harry?" Hermione asked. "What could you do?"

He didn't answer but looked at Ginny instead. His eyes bore into hers for a moment and she understood; he was going to tell them about the prophecy.

"Harry, you don't have to tell them," Ginny said.

"Tell us what?" George asked.

"You haven't been holding out on is, have you?" Fred said.

Harry shook his head. "It has nothing to do with what the Order are up to," he said. "It has to do with me and my part in this whole mess."

"You didn't have anything to do with Hogwarts being destroyed," Ron said. "You were trying to save people."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Harry said, beginning to pace. "It has to do with the whole war, the whole Voldemort thing."

"And Ginny knows?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Ginny said. "Harry made me promise not to tell you."

"Then what is it?" Fred demanded.

"There was a prophecy made about me," Harry told them. "It says, basically, that I'm supposed to fight Voldemort and either kill him or he's going to kill me."

"Neither can live while the other survives to be exact," Ginny said. "I went to Dumbledore after Harry told me about it and he told me it word for word."

"Dumbledore made the prophecy?" Ron asked.

"Don't be daft," George said. "He's no Seer."

"No, but since he heard it, he can recall it word for word," Hermione said. "Who did make it?" she asked Harry.

"Trelawney," Harry whispered.

"Trelawney?" Ron cried. "That mad woman?"

"She's not mad, Ron," Hermione chided. "Just a bit…well, odd."

"Are you sure it's real?" George asked.

"It explained why I survived the curse," Harry said.

"Why?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Because he was supposed to mark the one that could defeat him."

"There was another candidate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, Neville."

"Neville Longbottom?" Fred asked absolutely flabbergasted. "You're having us on."

"No, I'm serious."

Hermione was slowly starting to understand what this all implied and a look of dawning comprehension crossed her face, quickly to be replaced by one of horror. She looked at Ginny, a question in her eyes. Ginny returned it with a look that clearly meant Later.

"Well, that's a real shocker," Fred said as he stood up. "But maybe we'll have a chance of getting something out of them after all."

"Does anyone else know about this?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think so," Harry replied. "Dumbledore didn't say he told anyone."

"Then you've got some real leverage over the so-called adults," George said. "They may actually tell us something worth the trouble this time."

"We can only hope."

However, none of the members of the Order had come back that night, or the next. After a week of absent adults, the six of them started to get worried. They had never left them alone for this long before. Mrs. Weasley usually came by to make sure they were behaving themselves and that there was still food in the cupboards.

Completely perplexed by the suspicious lack of adults, Fred and George decided they were going to pay a call on the grocery store, seeing as how they were getting very low on some of the necessities.

"We need to stop by the shop too," Fred said as they donned light jackets to ward off the early morning chill. "We left Lee Jordan in charge while we were testing the new products but, well…" he trailed off.

"I just hope the shop is still standing," George said. He turned and opened the front door. But instead of walking outside, he backed up with a strangled cry.

"What is it?" cried the others, running up to the open door to see what had made George yell.

Ginny covered her mouth with her hands as she looked outside and heard the others gasp and holler at the scene.

Grimmauld Place, which was usually very grimy and not altogether an inviting place, had become even less livable. Every house in the square had been blasted apart, leaving only a crumbling wall here and there.

They all looked at each other with confusion and terror written over every face.

"It looks like the same curse that was used on Hogwarts," Hermione said.

"But if they came here," Ron said. "That must mean…"

"They know where we are," Ginny finished for him. She looked up at Harry. "What're going to do?" she asked him.

Harry didn't answer, but determination had taken over the dead look in his eyes.