AN: Thanks to Brett my Beta, as always! Sorry it took so long to update. Oh and by the way this is officially AU now that HBP is out but I knew it would be with my own OC added in the mix and all. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 5: After the Confession
The firestorm that Harry had to endure from Hermione and Ginny was almost as frightening as Harry and Ron's encounter with the giant spider Aragog in the Forbidden Forest their second year. Hermione was ranting and raving about how much danger Harry was in and how careful he would have to start being while pacing back and forth. Ginny, on the other hand, was giving him a look that gave Harry the distinct impression that she was considering performing a bat boggy hex on him at that very moment. Ron did what he could to calm Hermione down and Harry avoided looking at Ginny at all costs. It took some time for things to calm down. In all the commotion they didn't realize the meeting was still taking place until Ron piped up in an attempt to change the subject.
"We're missing the meeting mates, we need to keep focus or we won't know what is going on this year."
"You're right, we should pay attention," said Harry, glad that at least Ron was on his side. A twinge of guilt hit Harry in the stomach, once again, remembering how he had acted when he felt Ron and Hermione were keeping things from him the summer before. Ron had been much more gracious at hearing the revelation that his best friend had kept a very important secret from all of them. Hermione and Ginny however, were a totally different story. He could still feel Ginny's hot glare and Hermione was muttering all different kinds of precautions she would be enforcing.
The meeting was soon over and they all removed any trace of there eavesdropping. Harry knew he was in for it once they all got a chance to talk again and decided it would be better for all if he, just for once, kept his mouth shut and let them blow off steam, whether or not he would actually listen to any of it was another story. Ron tugged Harry's shirt and started whispering in Harry's ear.
"Harry lets go get some snacks from the kitchen before they make us go to bed," Ron suggested
"Sounds good mate," Harry said.
They made their way to the kitchen. It was a dream. The little house elf had made all kinds of deserts. She had every kind of snack food imaginable in the icebox. The two boys loaded up two trays that were resting on the counter.
"So it true Harry, you are the only one that can kill V…Voldemort?"
"Guess so, not looking forward to it really."
"Don't blame you. So if he is the only one who can kill you how's it that he didn't do it right when you were a baby?"
"It's complicated really, see when my mum died trying to protect me she sort of put a protective spell around me and Voldemort's curse just bounced off it and onto him, I guess."
"Bloody hell, Harry, I've never herd of anything like that!"
"Yeah, pretty mad, huh. So now I'm the one who's got to kill him or the rest of the world is in trouble."
"I'll say!Harry you've got to kill him, I mean things can't to the dogs like they did before. We got to figure out what you're going to do mate." Ron said in a small whisper as they both made their way up the stairs to their room.
Hermione and Ginny were snuggled into bed When Missy walked in, looking slightly wound up from the meeting. She could tell the girls were frustrated about something.
"What's going on? You two seem to be in a foul sort of mood."
"It's Harry; he's gone and kept the biggest secret of centuries from his friends since the last term of last year! The git. We went through so much and he couldn't even tell us what was really going on!"
"Ginny, calm yourself. He meant well. He didn't want to burden you with all that. He was trying to look out for all of you."
"It doesn't matter Missy, he should know by now that we can deal with a lot of really big stuff. He doesn't need to protect us we've learned how to do so ourselves. That is what Ginny is so mad about."
"That's right! I am so sick of everyone thinking I am too young and fragile to take care of myself. Harry doesn't need to protect me."
"Of course he doesn't, but better he care enough for you to try and protect you than not."
A twinge of guilt fell over Ginny. She knew Missy was right and hated to admit it on one hand but relished the thought secretly. She had never stopped caring for him and it had grown into something a bit more than a crush in the last several months. She knew what she had to do. Missy could sense this realization come over Ginny.
"I think you should talk to him Ginny, he was just trying to be your friend. If you don't like the way he's doing so tell him, give him a chance to explain his actions."
It was as if Missy had been reading Ginny's feelings and thoughts for the simple reason that she had been. Missy shooed her down the hallway to the room he was staying in and closed the door.
"I wonder how the Order is planning to protect him." Hermione muttered as Missy readied herself for bed.
"We have our ways Hermione, worrying will not help him, try acting normal."
"Worried is normal, if I were not worrying he would know something was wrong!"
"Fair enough, but know that Dumbledore has everything under control."
"What happens if another Umbridge comes along and gets him sacked or worse what if he dies?"
"Morbid little thing aren't we? Do you really think that he'll get himself sacked or killed?"
"Who knows! Anything can happen."
"Well it won't so close your eyes and go to sleep before I put a sleeping spell on you!" Missy said, only half joking.
Harry and Ron met Ginny on the stairs. She was looking a bit sheepish.
"Harry may I have a word?"
"Sure."
He shooed Ron, awkwardly giving him the tray that he had been holding then turned to face Ginny.
"First off I want to apologize for the way I acted this evening."
"It's okay Ginny, I understand."
"No, I don't think you do. I got mad because not only had you kept one of the biggest secrets from us, your friends, but that you were doing it to try and protect us."
"Well not entirely. At first I just didn't want to talk to anyone about it but then I realized that after all you guys did for me last year, going to the ministry with me…well I just couldn't ask you all to shoulder this burden as well. You won't be able to protect me, but I can protect you by not getting the lot of you involved in my problems."
"But Harry it's our choice if we want to get involved. We are the ones to decide what we do, not you!"
"I know Ginny; I just wanted to be a good friend to you. It's hard you know, the situation I'm in, and I don't want you to get hurt on account of me."
"Well I for one don't need protecting. I thought we were partners, and now I find out you still think of me as a kid who can't take care of herself. I hate that Harry, I really do!"
"I'm sorry Ginny; I just couldn't bare it if any of you got hurt more on my account, okay."
"Well Harry, I would rather get hurt because I was fighting than die as an innocent bystander. We will be fine so long as we know what to expect, well at least as long as we know as much as we can possibly find out."
"You are right Ginny, no more secrets, I promise."
"Good, I don't want to have to put one of my bat boggy hexes on you."
"I don't want you to either." Harry replied, feeling as if a thick cloud had lifted.
He hated for Ginny to be mad at him. She meant a lot to him and had done so much to make him feel included while he was staying at the Dursley's. He thought of all this while they silently walked up the stairs and to their respective rooms. When he had closed the door behind him he had a sudden urge to go strait to sleep. He had had a very long day and although all the treats he and Ron had nicked from the kitchen were calling his name his bed was doing so much louder. He made his excuses to Ron and Eric and slipped beneath the covers. They continued eating as Ron told Eric the story of the larger than life game of wizard's chess he, Harry and Hermione had to play their first year while they were trying to find the sorcerer's stone before Snape could steal it, and how it wasn't Snape but Voldemort who had been after it. He was, of course, embellishing quite a bit but Eric was eating every word and Harry didn't have the heart to correct Ron.
The next morning Harry woke up early, the sun had just risen and was filling the sky with a plethora of colors. He liked it at Missy's house; it was a stark contrast to Sirius' home. There was no evidence of prejudice toward muggles or wizards that were not pure blood. Pictures lined the walls along the hallways; all had cheerful looking wizards and witches. He stopped in front of a photo of a large family. There were his parents, his mother looking very pregnant and his father with his arms around her shoulders. Next to them was someone who resembled his father but several years older, Harry thought it must have been his uncle because sitting in front of him was a woman holding a teenage girl that looked just like Missy. Sirius was standing on the other side of his mom and dad. A graying man and woman stood behind them on what must have been a platform because they were taller than every one else. They were all waving at him and mouthing, "I love you". He jumped when he heard a door close and turned to see who it was. Missy padded quietly toward him.
"It's my favorite picture, the last we had done before…well…you know."
"I wish I could have known them all," replied Harry, voice giving way a bit. He swallowed hard to keep back the tears.
"I'll get a copy for you, if you'd like, Harry."
He nodded. He knew if he spoke all the emotion he had been stuffing down would erupt and he would no longer be able to control himself. He would be in a pond of tears right there in the hallway for anyone to see.
"I told them," he said a moment later.
"Told Ron and Hermione and Ginny about the prophesy, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"How did that go?"
"Well good and not so good. Ron seemed to take it well. He even told Hermione to back off a bit. Hermione reacted the way she always does. Getting all worried, but Ginny, Ginny was the worst. I thought I would have gotten a little more sympathy from her. It turned out okay, she and I talked it out, but I don't know. I thought she would have understood and then all this stuff about not wanting to be protected."
"I know where she is coming from; I felt the same way with your father and his friends. I would tag along with them during the holidays. They would always try to hide stuff from me even after I proved I could handle it. Girls don't always like it when you treat them as if they are weak and Ginny is not weak. She is very strong willed if you haven't noticed."
"Don't worry I noticed. I guess it's just that she's Ron's little sister and the Weasley's are family to me, I don't want anything to happen to them."
"I understand Harry."
He was quiet for a while then changed the subject. "Do you have any ideas for DADA class this year?"
"Not as of yet, I was going to go through some of my books and see what I need to get."
"You know we started a club last year when the ministry changed the requirements. We would have ended up failing our OWL's if we hadn't."
"Really, so it went well then?"
"Yeah, really well. It was Hermione's idea and they all made me leader. We practiced dueling and stuff. We should do more of that."
"Definitely. You should keep it up, the club, I mean. There is stuff I won't be able to teach you because of the ministry dictated curriculum but maybe I can give you some of my old textbooks from Auror training and you can use those."
"That would be fantastic!" Harry had not noticed that they had made their way into the library until that moment.
"Here they are, they're yours, put them to good use."
He sat in one of the old leather chairs and started reading. He usually was not interested in any book that didn't involve Quidditch but he quickly became engrossed. Slowly everyone else made their way into the library. No one felt like having a formal breakfast. Hermione prodded Harry in the arm.
"What are you reading?"
"Missy's old Auror training books, I'm coming up with some amazing stuff to teach everybody this year." He lowered his voice. "I think we should teach ourselves to become anamagi."
"We could. From what I gather the ministry hasn't fully admitted to the wrong doing of Umbridge and Fudge. They haven't lifted many of the restrictions on the Defense curriculum. There may be a need to vamp up our efforts. I have been reading up on Occlumency and Legilimencey, I think I might be able to teach myself and at some point others as well."
Harry looked at her, astonished by her ambitiousness. "Hermione you will never cease to amaze me!"
"Well I figured it would be easier for us to work on it than you having to learn it from Snape. We could practice together."
"Sounds like a plan. Maybe Missy can give us some pointers."
"What are you two whispering about?" Ginny asked, startling Harry and Hermione.
"Just discussing the DA."
"Oooh, have any good ideas?"
"Yeah but I think I'll keep them a secret." Harry joked, winking at Ginny. She gave him a sly look back.
"It better be worth waiting for."
Ron sauntered over and flopped into another chair that had been conjured by someone, eyes still half shut. Harry tossed Ron one of the books he had already skimmed.
"Wha…homework already?"
"Come on Ron! You'll like that one. It's about how to become an anamagi." At that Ron opened the book Harry had tossed in his lap and shortly was engrossed just as the others had become."
"What's this, all the adolescents are reading, How come you never did this when I was teaching? Well except you Hermione." Lupin had just come in from feeding Buckbeak with Eric, who wanted to meet his first dangerous magical creature. He sat down and tipped one of the books so he could read the title. They all smiled and mumbled incoherently then returned their attention to their reading. Eric had taken to entertaining himself with Missy's baby kneazle then wandered off to find someone more exciting. The four of them spent much of the day pouring over defense books and only stopped briefly for a late lunch.
"I never thought I'd see my brother with his nose in a book for more than five minutes." Charlie teased. "I didn't know you could read."
"Shut it." Ron muttered.
"Stop it you two and eat your lunch. I want you all up by the crack of dawn so we can be at the shop early. Oh and these came from Hogwarts." Mrs. Weasley handed them all letters with the school seal on them. They opened them as she rattled off all she still needed from Diagon Alley.
"Bloody Hell!"
"Ronald Weasley you watch your mouth or it's a tongue scouring charm for you!" Yelled Mrs. Weasley.
"Sorry mum." Ron mumbled, cowering under her fierce gaze.
Harry was astonished at the contents of the letter as well.
Dear Mr. Potter,
You are required to select several different candy items from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezies Joke Shoppe as well as a large supply of treats from a sweet shop of your choice. The purpose for these additions to your supplies list will be made clear when the occasion draws nearer but for now happy shopping. I trust you will find the rest of your summer holiday noteworthy and am looking forward to your return to Hogwarts on September 1st. If you, by chance, have a need to talk to me just tap your two way mirror and say my name. I will be at your beck and call.
Yours truly,
Albus Dumbledore
"How did he know about the two way mirror," Harry thought. "Hey Ron, Hermione what do you suppose this is all about?"
"Have no clue but it sounds exciting. I don't think we'll need to buy anything more Harry but Hermione looks as though you're going to have to buy something after all." Ron said smirking at the thought of Hermione trying to pick out joke products which she was so adamantly opposed to.
"I'll only do it because Dumbledore asks; he must have a good reason for it."
"Well whatever the reason I'm glad he did it, means more money for me you know." Said Ginny with a mouthful of toast, "I'm working that day, told Fred and George I'd be there to take orders and run the cash box. The longer I have to stay the more I get paid."
"Just rub it in, why don't you! I still can't believe the picked you to work for them over me." Ron grumbled.
"We've been over this, Ron."
"How are you going to keep this up while you're at school? It has to be temporary." Inquired Hermione.
"It's easy; I'll just give out order forms and send them back to Fred and George."
"But you're a prefect; you can't go around selling contraband. If Filtch caught you…well I don't know what he'd do but it wouldn't be good. You might even be stripped of your badge."
"Please Hermione, contraband; you make it sound as if we're terrorists or something. How could I get in trouble, Dumbledore told us to buy their stuff so it can't be contraband?"