Chapter 12: The Return.
The next morning Harry woke up to a commotion downstairs. He could hear some people shouting in the dining room below along with the screeches of Mrs Black. Looking over to his side, he found Ron missing.
Getting up, he dressed himself heading downstairs. On his way, he met Remus trying to quieten Mrs Black. Harry went over helping him pull the curtains together.
"You filthy scum, half-breeds..."
"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK IN SUCH A MANNER TO HIM!!"
"BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW HE'S HONEST!!"
"HE MAY BE LYING TO US FOR ALL WE KNOW!!"
"WHAT IF HE'S WITH THEM!!"
"What's going on?" Harry asked Remus while helping him.
"Family problem I must say." Remus replied darkly.
"What?" Harry asked looking over to him confused.
"Percy's returned." Remus answered.
Harry stopped his motions at once.
"Percy," Harry asked slowly. "He's back?"
"Yeah. They're having a fight over him." Remus answered darkly.
"Who?" Harry asked pulling the curtain once again.
"Arthur, Molly and the kids," Remus replied. "Percy apologised for his behaviour, said he's an idiot, that he wants to help. Arthur and Molly are ready to accept him back, the kids are not so sure. They think he might be lying. Dumbledore is also in there, trying to sort things out."
"But...is he to be trusted?" Harry asked cautiously.
"I don't know. The kids may be right; he cannot be trusted so easily, he may be a spy for all we know. Last time we had a spy, it cost us greatly."
They remained silent for a while covering up Mrs Blacks portrait, all the while listening to the conversations in the dining room.
"HE COULD BE A SPY FROM THEM!!"
"FRED WEASLEY!! HOW CAN YOU SAY SUCH A THING?!!" Mrs Weasley's voice rang through the house.
"HE'S RIGHT!!" Ron said. "HE CALLED US FOOLS TWO YEARS AGO AND NOW HE IS BACK ASKING TO JOIN US. HE WAS THE ONE WHO SAID WE WERE OUT OF OUR MINDS."
There was silence for a few moments before another voice rand out.
"YOU ARE A BLOODY LIAR, TWO-FACED CONCEITED BRAT--"
A loud smack sounded from the room before Mrs Weasley's voice rang out,
"HOW DARE YOU? HE IS YOUR BROTHER--"
"OUR BROTHER DIED THE DAY HE WALKED OUT ON US." Ginny's voice cut in.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK, BUT HE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE. IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT IN YOU TO FORGIVE HIM, THEN BE THAT WAY, BUT I SURE FORGIVE HIM. I DON'T SEE NOW WHAT DIFFERENCE REMAINS BETWEEN YOU AND HIM." Mrs Weasley's voice echoed through the house, and Harry heard Remus groan by his side.
Together they started moving towards the living room when another voice echoed through the hall,
"FINE, BUT IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF HIM WE WILL GO DOWN."
The door of the dining room burst open and out came Fred followed by George, Ron, and Ginny, all of whom were fuming and headed upstairs. Now that everyone had calmed down, Harry could hear sobs and murmurs from inside the dining room.
Upon reaching the drawing room, Harry sat took a seat across from Remus, who was rubbing his temple in deep thought.
"Remus," Harry voiced his thoughts. "If Percy is involved with the Death Eaters, we will be able to know right? With the Dark Mark?"
"No, actually no." Remus said looking up to him. "They can conceal the cark mark using Dark magic. That's why we were never able to suspect Peter."
"I just hope," Remus said after a long pause. "That Percy is as trustworthy as Molly thinks he is."
The occupants of the room remained silenced for sometime them, each musing in his own thought.
'If Percy is a spy' Harry thought. 'Then whoever said it is right...we will go down because of him...'
Harry entered his room to find Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny incensed and talking furiously.
"Remus told me what happened." Harry said taking sitting on his bed by Ginny, who ignored him.
"I don't know how mum can trust him so much." Fred said furiously. "He's a two-faced brat."
"But how can he enter this house?" Harry asked. "What about the Fidelius..."
"Dumbledore brought him in." Ron said angrily. "He thinks Percy will be useful."
"If Dumbledore thinks he's trustworthy then maybe he is." Hermione piped in.
"Maybe Dumbledore is wrong." George said.
"But he's Dumbledore...why are you so against Percy..."
"Hermione, don't you know what happened?" Ron asked shocked that Hermione could say something like that. "Percy's a brat. He only wants recognition and praise. Didn't you ever notice how he was always too uptight and rule abiding. He walked out on us just because of his pathetic ambition. So now why is he back all of a sudden?"
"Maybe he's changed." Hermione defended Percy. "Besides, I am also rule-abiding, do you really..."
"You would never call your family or friends nutters, and go with the bloody press if they said that one of the most evil wizard was back!!" Ginny yelled.
"Listen, Percy made a mistake..." Hermione tried to explain again.
"And he suddenly returned after two years...TWO YEARS; if he had to return why didn't he come back last year?" Ron answered furiously.
Everyone was silent for sometime most of the occupants irate, until Hermione broke the silence,
"If he were a spy, we would find out right, by the Dark Mark..."
"No," Harry said. "Remus told me that you can't find out, they use Dark Magic to hide it."
"Listen, Dumbledore thinks he's trustworthy and your parents think so too. Just give him a chance, let him prove it." Hermione said trying to make them understand.
"Fine, we'll give him a chance," Fred spoke up. "But we will do a little investigation of our own. Come on George, we've work to do."
The twins disapparated to do some investigation.
"I agree with them." Ginny said also leaving the three alone.
Ron was still fuming when he said,
"I'll go help them."
Ron left the room leaving Harry and Hermione, both minds having the same train of thought...
They hoped Percy was not a spy...
"Hello Harry," Percy said as Harry entered the dining room that evening.
Percy looked weary and ashamed, almost nervous to be speaking to Harry. Harry merely nodded, his face expressionless, causing Percy's eyes to drop to his plate.
Harry took his place next to Remus and noticed that all the Weasley kids were glaring at Percy except Bill who tried to be a little civil.
"So you asked Dumbledore abut the Order thingy?" Harry asked Remus in a low voice.
"Yes, I did." Remus replied eating dinner.
"Well..."Harry said when Remus didn't say anything further. "What did he say?"
"As I said before Harry," Remus said in whisper to Harry. "Not everyone will agree with you."
"What, but he should know..." Harry said in a furious whisper.
"He said you could probably be kept informed with things that concern you." Remus replied looking at him.
Harry stayed silent for a moment letting the words sink in, then almost had to resist himself from dancing with joy.
"But," Remus continued. "Whatever you find out should not be told to anyone. It should remain a complete secret."
"But..." Harry tried to say before Remus interrupted him,
"That's the condition Harry."
"Ok. All right." Harry said accepting the condition. "So I will be allowed to join the meetings now?"
"No. I will be telling you whatever you need to know afterwards." Remus whispered back.
The rest of the dinner past on with an eerie silence prevailing on the table. When dinner finished, Harry noticed Ginny excuse herself and leave. Taking his chance, Harry followed her back to her room.
"Come in." Ginny said giving her permission when Harry knocked on her door.
Harry entered silently closing the door behind him, before addressing her.
"Ginny."
She turned around to face him, and once realising who it was turned her back to him, continuing to read the book she was presently engrossed in.
Harry sat down on the bed opposite to her.
"Ginny what's wrong?" Harry asked.
He continued when Ginny didn't reply, in a much angrier tone.
"Ginny, what did I do now; you have been ignoring me for so long. I didn't do anything this time."
"You need to control your temper." Ginny replied, still not taking her eyes off the book.
This infuriated Harry.
"Don't avoid the subject." Harry yelled.
"Don't shout." Ginny yelled back.
"Well I am sorry Miss I-am-so-moody; I didn't know you liked to ignore me for no good reason." Harry yelled looking at her furiously.
"No Good reason!" Ginny said turning to look at him, her eyes mildly red. "And you have every reason to blame yourself for anything that happens."
"Tell me Harry, why do you always blame yourself for everything that happens? Why do you always want to die, just so Voldemort won't attack everywhere. You always care about families who lose their loved ones don't you, but you never care about the people that love you." Ginny yelled at him, he book forgotten on her bed.
"So that is it. You ignore me because I said I wanted to die, which I never did." Harry screamed at Ginny now utterly furious.
"Its not just it. You never care that if something happens to you I—we, we will be heartbroken...lost." Ginny said correcting herself before she spilled out the truth.
"Well whatever I said is the truth. Voldemort does strikes at places where I am present and people die because of me." Harry yelled.
"No Harry people don't..."
"Shut up, Ginny. You don't know half of what I am going through. I am the one Voldemort is after ok, accept it. He is always looking for me no matter who he kills. I was given this scar, marked his equal because he craved for power, and to actually get that power he has to kill me. You will never be burdened with responsibility as great as that which burdens me." Harry yelled getting off the bed and pacing the room.
He turned to wards Ginny and yelled,
"Do you know what the Prophecy was? It said that I either have to die or kill facing the Dark Lord. I know because Dumbledore told me. He was present when it was predicted. See, I either have to murder or be murdered to end this whole thing. So how can I not be disturbed when he attacks somewhere, when in reality he is searching for me?"
When Ginny opened her mouth to say something, Harry cut her,
"No Ginny, don't say anything. You can not say anything...And I thought you actually understood."
Saying that Harry stormed out of the room banging the door behind him...
A/N: Sorry this update took so long. As I said I was busy with school & on to of that we had to move all of a sudden...so...well...
Anyways, next update will hopefully be sooner.
Thanks for all those who reviewed. Please review for this one too...
Take Care.
Bye.