Chapter Sixteen: The Plan

The first thing Harry did was send Hedwig off with a message. The second was to lead Ron and Neville off to Dumbledore's office.

"Harry," the headmaster looked up at him as they entered. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, actually," Harry confirmed. "It's time, Albus."

"Harry...?" the elderly wizard got a rather odd look in his eyes as he stood. Then it was replaced by something else, something clearer.

Understanding, Harry thought.

"Time?" he asked.

"It's time to end this."

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps you're right."

Harry held out his hand to Ron, his eyes not leaving the headmaster. Silently, Ron placed the parchment in it. Harry stepped forward and handed it to the headmaster.

"What's this?"

"The plan."

"The...?"

"And if you would be so kind as to call a meeting of the Order? We're going to need all the help we can get."

Within the hour, the Order was assembled. Harry and Ron's classes for the day had been cancelled, Ginny and Luna summoned, and the rest of the Order assembled in the large meeting room next to Dumbledore's office. Tonks smiled at Harry as he caught her eye.

"Harry?" Ron moved up behind him.

Harry glanced around the room, "Where is Ginny?"

"Just coming. She was flooing for Hermione."

"And Seamus?"

"On his way up from the village."

At that moment, Seamus Finnegan entered the room, and Harry caught his breath. Following close behind him was Dennis Creevy.

"Mr Finnegan," Minerva McGonagall stabbed him with a look. "This is a private... function."

"Sorry, Professor," Seamus didn't look in the least sorry as he glanced at Harry. "Harry's orders."

McGonagall turned suddenly shocked eyes to Harry, who met her glare squarely. After a moment, she spoke. "I am assuming, Mr Potter, you have an explanation for this?"

"Explanation?" Harry glanced at Dennis and back again. "No, Minerva, I don't have an explanation. Reason, yes. Explanation, no."

McGonagall flushed and turned away, towards the headmaster, who had watched the exchange with a twinkle in his eye.

"Harry?"

"Dennis is joining tonight, Albus."

"Harry?"

Harry sighed, "He has the right to be here."

"Headmaster..." the fifth year brother of Colin Creevy looked at the headmaster levelly. "I'm taking Colin's place."

"I see that, Mr Creevy. Take a seat."

The meeting began after a rushed Hermione, flushing and apologising, flew through the door and took a seat between Ron and Harry. The headmaster took in the wizards and witches in the room and then smiled.

"As I was not the one to call this meeting, I shall hand it over to he who did," Albus sat, and everyone looked around, talking amongst themselves. If Dumbledore hadn't called the meeting, who...?

"I did," Harry stood.

Silence, but every eye in the room was on him.

"Harry?" Arthur Weasley looked at him, his brows knit with concern.

"I asked Albus to call this meeting because... because we must stop this. Now."

"Harry, how?" Bill asked. "In all my years as a curse-breaker..."

"It's not a curse we're trying to break, Bill," Harry said. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?" Remus asked from the dim corner. Harry knew that it had been the full moon the night before. Remus was weak, and light affected him for a day or two after the change.

Harry nodded, turning and tracing the air with his wand. Bright red lines appeared in the air. The words summing up what he had to say.

Find him.

Destroy him.

Live our lives.

"It's time we did this," Harry said in a low voice. "It's time we put a stop to it once and for all."

"But how?" Bill insisted. "Harry..."

"We have to find where he is. We have to get to him. Through others, who may be... difficult... to get past. And we have to destroy him utterly. Only then do we get to live our lives."

Harry looked around the room. There were over twenty people there, and all were glancing between himself and Dumbledore.

"So," Harry looked around once more. "Each of you have talents. What I need to know is, which part of this are you going to work on?"

With a swish of his wand, two columns appeared, one titled FIND HIM, and the other, DESTROY HIM.

With another swish and flick, Harry's name appeared beneath each before he turned to face the room again.

"Or are you leaving the room now?" He asked in a much cooler voice as he glanced around at those seated before him.

"I should work on finding him, Harry," Hermione said. "I have access to information..."

"No! Hermione!" Ron turned to her, his ears flaming with anger.

"It's not so bad, Ron," Hermione reassured him. "It's really not. And it's our best source for information."

"You're not..."

"She has to, Ron," Harry said softly. "We both have to."

Ron turned shocked eyes to Harry, who met them with his own, sadness apparent in them.

"Well, I know what my skills are," Bill said. "I'd probably be best working on how to get through the... others... to him, Harry. He's likely to have them bound with pretty obscure magic."

Harry nodded.

One by one, the others joined the discussion on where their talents would be best suited.

"Harry?"

"Tonks?"

"Where do you want me?" she asked, her blue-grey eyes smiling at him, showing clearly her perfect willingness to be given his orders.

"I have something... very important... that you need to do, Tonks," Harry said softly, so that only those immediately around them could hear.

"I'm all ears," Tonks was almost bouncing in her seat with her eagerness to follow Harry's direction.

"It's maybe the most important job, to me personally, in this entire thing."

Tonks watched him expectantly.

Harry took a breath, knowing that he shouldn't ask this of her, but unable to stop himself.

"Tonks?"

"Yes?"

"Protect Ginny."

To say that Ginny Weasley was upset was an understatement. Harry followed her through the corridors, and for once, said nothing as she entered his quarters after nearly spitting out the password.

"Bloody Quidditch!" she hissed at the painting which protected the entrance to his rooms, preceding him through the door with a look that would have melted it, had it not moved at her bidding.

"Ginny..."

"Not bloody now, Potter, or I swear to Merlin, I'll bat-bogey hex you into next damned year!"

"Ginny..."

"I said, not now!"

He was silent as he took a butterbeer from the cabinet beside his desk.

"I cannot believe you..." Ginny paced angrily in front of the fire as Harry sat down. He knew it would be a long discussion. One-sided, but long.

"I cannot believe that you dared...!" she stopped in front of him, hands on hips. Harry swallowed nervously as he realized she held her wand in her right hand.

Tread lightly, Potter. She's a very capable, talented, and currently seriously pissed off witch. What was that that Remus had said? You still have this to learn... if only he knew!

"Have I not proven myself to you, Harry? I mean, I know that up until your sixth year you pretty much looked on me like a child, and a silly, infatuated one at that, but..."

"I didn't. I don't."

"Do not interrupt me!" her brown eyes snapped angrily at him. Harry's eyebrows rose at the effect. She looked frighteningly like Molly when she did that. Harry suddenly had a very clear image of his life ten or twenty years down the line.

If he lived that long. Chances were, Ginny would kill him before the night was through.

"I can't believe that you gave Tonks an order, Harry Potter! After everything we talked about... and that you ordered her to protect me! I have never been so humiliated in all my life..."

"Why?"

"Why?" she turned on him, her eyes blazing. "Why? You're dimmer than I thought!"

Harry flinched at that. He hadn't known that Ginny thought him dim. That rather hurt.

"Ginny..."

"First of all, Potter, I was there, if you don't remember, during the final battle..."

"I remember," Harry muttered. "It damned near killed me when I knew you were in danger."

"... and furthermore, I held my own!" Ginny continued without pausing. "I thought you respected me!"

"I do."

"But now I find that you feel I'm incapable..."

"Hardly," Harry glanced up at his very, very angry girlfriend.

"Then why in Merlin's name...?"

"Because I want you and Tonks keeping you alive, Ginny. I have no idea of what we're walking into, and I won't risk you!"

"What?"

"I have no idea of the powers that Voldemort has, or what he's managed to give these... people... he's brought back. I have no idea, nor does Dumbledore. And if we get there and find out that they've got something we didn't count on, I want Tonks' back to yours. If the two of you are together, I know you'll survive, even if no one else does."

"Do you think, for one minute, Harry Potter," Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That if the others... if you don't survive, that I would want to?"

"I need you to, Gin. If I fight for nothing else, I need to know that you'll be okay."

"Harry..." her eyes were gentle now. Ginny's temper was fast and furious, but it also generally blew itself out pretty quickly.

"If I don't know that you'll survive, I have nothing to fight for, Ginny. If I think for one minute that we're losing... that I've lost you..." he sighed. "I can't. I wouldn't want to go on."

"Harry," she came and sat next to him, pulling him close. "I don't need Tonks to watch my back. She has her own back to watch... or Remus'. It's not right, Harry."

"I can't help it, Ginny," he said, his green eyes filling as he looked into hers. "I have to. Don't you understand? I can't lose you, as well. No matter what the cost, I can't lose you."