Chapter Five:
Several hours after the wedding ceremony had ended; the party was still going strong. Unluckily, as soon as it had finished, Ginny had run up to Harry and kissed him in front of everybody, her brown eyes alight with happiness. Harry, caught unawares, had widened his eyes and then slowly kissed Ginny back. She then looked at him. "Oh, Harry, did you mean that?" she whispered.
"Yes," Harry had croaked, his voice hoarse with emotion. And he had—he hadn't realized it before, but he did love Ginny…as well as many of the people here…but in a different way. Ginny then had smiled with delight.
"Me too!" she exclaimed. She then turned around, and Harry realized that half of the people at the wedding had been watching them, including Ginny's six brothers, all of whom were looking at Harry with confusion and a bit of harshness.
"Potter!" Fred yelled as soon as the crowd began to disperse. Harry's stomach sank; he'd known this was coming.
"Er—yes, Fred?" he said benignly. Fred, George, and Charlie, followed reluctantly by Ron, all sauntered over to Harry and Ginny, who were, incidentally, holding hands.
"Why did you see fit to kiss our beloved baby sister?" demanded Charlie.
"Charlie," said Ginny threateningly. "Don't you dare threaten Harry! We've been seeing each other for a month."
"What?" demanded three loud voices. George turned to Ron in disbelief. "Did you know about this?"
"Er—"
"I don't believe this!" exclaimed Fred. "How many boyfriends have you had now, Ginny?" Ginny rolled her eyes and stomped her foot.
"What is it to you? You can't control my life! I'm going to date! I'm going to kiss people—not nearly as badly as Ron, thank Merlin…" she trailed off, smirking at Harry.
"Hey!" exclaimed Ron, turning bright red. "I don't kiss badly, do I, Hermione?" he then asked worriedly. Hermione, standing behind them, tried to hold back a smile and blushed slightly as Fred, George, and Charlie burst out laughing.
"What?" asked Ron. "Oh—they didn't know—oh, that'd do it," he said sheepishly. "Well, let's go on and get a drink, shall we?" he asked quickly, disappearing. Harry chuckled, and Charlie rolled his eyes.
"Amazing," he said loudly. "Ron's pretty hopeless, I'd say… Anyway, Harry…this is your warning. Don't hurt our baby sister!" he said seriously. Harry glanced furtively at Ginny.
"Well, we're not exactly—" he began, but was interrupted.
"Yeah," said Fred thoughtfully. "And Ginny, don't hurt Harry either. You, Ron, and Dad owe him your lives and George and I owe him our—what does Mum call it?—oh, yeah. Our 'flare for business'," he said humorously. "Isn't that right, Angie?" he yelled out to Angelina, who was chatting with Katie and a friend of Fleur's. Angelina looked back, eyebrows raised.
"Don't call me that!" she'd yelled loudly.
Harry now sat on the stairs of the Burrow with Hermione and Ron, still thinking about how much friendlier the Weasley boys were when Harry wasn't dating their sister. Ginny had been sitting with them for awhile but had excused herself to go talk with Tonks. Now the trio was left and the conversation quickly turned to the Horcruxes (once Hermione had put a muffliato spell on the surrounding areas).
"So, what d'you reckon?" asked Ron worriedly as they began their discussion.
"I—I just don't know. I mean, we could go to Little Hangleton and look, and we could also check Grimmauld again. The worst thing would be if it was stolen by Snape or something. I don't know how it could have been, though!"
"Of course it could've been stolen," scoffed Ron. "Snape probably saw it and recognized it!"
"I don't think so," said Harry slowly. "I mean, Voldemort didn't even know that Regulus took it. How would Snape have known?"
"And Regulus could have destroyed it already," reminded Hermione. Suddenly she tensed. "Shh, someone's coming!" The three turned their heads to the voices coming down the hall curiously; most everyone was outside. Harry motioned to Ron and Hermione and they scrambled down the stairs and into a corner near the doorway, Harry whipping his Invisibility Cloak over them.
"C'mon, Mundungus, you piece of filth. You're drunk. Let's go on and get you out of the house," growled a voice that could only belong to Mad-Eye Moody.
"No, Mad-Eye—I'm 'erious! I saw ol' sevvie th'other night—in my own 'ouse! 'E was goin' through—stuff—" he slurred, hiccupping loudly.
"Shut up your stories," said Moody, his eyes flicking towards where Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood. Harry's stomach sank; Moody could see through Invisibility Cloaks.
"No—it's true, I swear! 'E app'rated to the room, and I couldn' really see tha' well…an' 'e took something! I don' know wha' it was, though, Moody… something… I may've taken it from somewhere—dunno…." Moody, squinting at Harry, then smiled sinisterly, with an irritable look at Mundungus.
"Hello, Mr. Potter; Miss Granger; Mr. Weasley."
"Who are ya talking to, Mad-Eye? Nobody's there!" Moody looked at Mundungus with mock confusion.
"You must be more zonked then we thought. Wouldn't you say so, Potter?"
"Er," began Harry, looking at Mundungus with dislike, "Yeah, I would suppose so…" Mundungus jumped.
"Wha'?" he uttered. "I'm leaving! I'll le' the other Aurors know…you'll be sorry when ya could've caught 'im!" He then stumbled out of the door, looking towards the trio, quite spooked. Just then, Tonks walked down the hall, a look of curiosity on her face. Harry decided to take the Invisibility Cloak off.
"What's going on over here?" asked Tonks. "Oh—Harry, Ron, Hermione—didn't see you three…"
"Oh, nothing," grunted Moody. "Mundungus is drunk; still is saying that he saw Snape the other night…"
"You know," began Tonks thoughtfully, "you may do well to take him seriously. After all," she grinned, "nobody believed you when you were 'attacked by dustbins,' now did they?"
"That's different," he said, his electric eye spinning eerily. "I was being attacked! Mundungus is just trying to make up crap so the Ministry will pay him, or give him insurance for something he most likely stole in the first place." Harry nodded, thinking about how Mundungus had stolen Sirius's things several months before. Suddenly something dawned on him, and he gasped loudly.
"What is it?" asked Hermione and Ron quickly, alarmed.
"Is someone attacking you? Did you drink poison, Potter? What's the matter?" asked Moody immediately, grabbing his wand and getting ready to call people in to help.
"No—no!" said Harry quickly. "I just—think that Mundungus stole something…from Grimmauld Place…that was missing when I went this morning," he said slowly, glancing at his friends cautiously. Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. Next to her, Ron looked stunned.
"What's up with you lot?" asked Tonks, chuckling.
"Nothing," smiled Hermione a bit too brightly.
"Well, if you say so. Oh, and Harry, everyone's wondering where you are outside. I think Remus, the Minister, Bill, and Fleur's little sister all wanted to talk to you," she laughed. Harry grinned on the outside, but his mind still churning. Suppose Snape had broken into Mundungus' house and had the locket? That would mean he knew about the Horcruxes, though!
"All right…I'll go talk to all of them except Scrimgeour. I'm quite sick of him."
"You're not the only one," muttered Tonks. "See you."
As soon as Ron, Harry, and Hermione were out of earshot, Hermione began talking. "This is terrible. Suppose Mundungus is actually right?" she said quickly.
"I know," added Ron. "And Snape could be anywhere!"
"Yeah," said Harry quietly and angrily. He had to get that Horcrux! "Well, I want to talk with Remus and Tonks alone later—with you two as well, of course. I forgot to tell you guys what with remembering the locket, but Bellatrix Black was outside Grimmauld Place this morning."
"What?" gasped Hermione and Ron together. Harry went on to explain what was said, and that they could ask Tonks to talk with her mother and try to take Narcissa back to Headquarters.
"I agree," said Ron. "I mean—and—wow, but Bellatrix actually going against You-Know-Who?"
"I guess she hasn't exactly been in his favor, anyway," reasoned Hermione. "And she's very into bloodlines and all, I suppose."
"Yeah; she seemed really reluctant to go to Andromeda, but said it was their only choice," said Harry thoughtfully. "And—I want to ask Remus everything he knows about Snape, and where he might go. But to tell the truth," he said, lowering his voice, "he's probably pretty cozy with Voldemort right now, so we don't have the biggest chance of being able to find him. And if Voldemort knows what we're up to—it'd only take seconds to get all his Horcruxes and protect them in some other way! We can't let this happen!" he exclaimed with frustration.
"We know, Harry, we know," said Hermione gently. "Now—let's say we sleep on it and relax a bit tonight. We can leave in the morning to—wherever we're going. All right?" She had no sooner said this (Ron gasping with shock; Hermione rarely left work to have fun) than Gabrielle, Fleur's sister, came up to Harry shyly.
"'Arry Potter?"
"That's me," said Harry wryly, smiling at the girl, whom Harry swore looked much smaller than he, Ron, and even Hermione, had looked at eleven.
"'Ello! I am Gabrielle—you saved me from 'ze lake three years ago, eef you remember—"
"I remember," said Harry, burning with embarrassment at how he'd thought that people would actually die if they weren't taken back to the top of the lake. He'd been teased endlessly for that one—'playing the hero' they had called it. But Gabrielle beamed.
"Yes, well, I just wanted to say 'ello! None of my friends believed me, that I knew you! I'm going to 'Ogwarts next year; I am so excited…"
"You're going to Hogwarts?" asked Hermione curiously. "But don't you live in France still?"
"Oh, yes. But didn't you know?" she asked, frowning at Harry. "'Zey are combining 'ze three schools 'zis year! Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were not going to open again—though, as I heard, 'Ogwarts wasn't either—; 'zere eez still no 'eadmaster at Durmstrang, and at Beauxbatons, Madame Maxime decided to come assist at 'Ogwarts! And she eez a wonderful 'eadmistress; we are all coming with her!" Harry exchanged surprised looks with his friends.
"Wow—no, I didn't know that! When did they decide?"
"Well, 'ze schools and Ministries decided last week, but most 'aven't been told yet. Eet was your Meester Weasley 'oo told our family, but it was only minutes ago 'zat 'e got 'ze news."
"But won't the schools—school, rather— be really big?" asked Ron, frowning.
"No," said Hermione immediately. "About half of the Hogwarts students, maybe more, aren't returning!" she exclaimed. "I've been in touch with loads of people…the Patil twins aren't going back, Seamus isn't going back, Malfoy, Nott, and Parkinson aren't going next year…actually, it's mainly Muggle-borns returning who didn't tell their parents," she said, flushing.
"Why d'you look so embarrassed?" asked Ron. "You're not going back; you have nothing to hide—"
"I told my parents I was going back, and that nothing was different than after fourth year in our world. I just know we'd fight, and they'd never let me come with you, Harry, so…" Gabrielle's eyes were wide as Hermione looked down at the floor sadly.
"I—I 'ad better be going. Eet was good talking with you, 'Arry! I 'ope to see you soon!" She then hurried away. Harry looked at Hermione, calculating for a moment.
"Well, I suppose you're right. They couldn't understand," he said thoughtfully. "And I still think Hogwarts is safe, for the time being. I hope so, anyway." Hermione nodded solemnly. The three stood for a moment, looking around the Weasley kitchen, which was empty. Music was vibrating through from outside, and plenty of food and empty wine bottles littered the counter.
"All right—let's go find Bill," said Harry. "And if you see Rufus Scrimgeour, we'll hide, all right?" His friends nodded as they made their way into the backyard and into the crowd. They spotted Fred and George getting ready to shoot off their fireworks, Mr. Weasley and some people from the Ministry, a few Order members, and, finally, Bill and Fleur, who were talking with some friends their age.
"Er—do you think we should come back and talk to him later?" asked Hermione, peering at Bill and Fleur, who were feeding each other cake. Ron, looking revolted, nodded.
"Yeah. I'd say talking to someone like Percy is even a better bet than Bill at the moment…" he trailed off. Harry sighed.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he began. But suddenly he was tapped on the shoulder.
"Harry! How nice to see you." Harry turned around, knowing and dreading the sight awaiting him. Sure enough, the Minister of Magic, in all of his dignified image, was standing behind him with the Auror Dawlish and Percy. "And this must be Mister Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir," said Hermione, looking at him in an analyzing way. "It's very nice to meet you, Minister." She then glanced at Harry, who was frowning.
"Can I help you?" asked Harry in a determinedly calm voice.
"Yes, yes," said Scrimgeour carefully. "Shall we walk this way—? All right, good. Now, the Ministry is willing to work something out with you, Mr. Potter. We will release Stan Shunpike on a trial-basis—he will still be under close surveillance, of course—if you are willing to, ah, support us. Publicly." He then stepped back, looking at Harry as if expecting an attack. Harry exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione.
"In other words," he began testily, "you are blackmailing me?"
"No, no! Of course not!" exclaimed the Minister, shaking his head and placing a hand lightly on Harry's shoulder. "We are just disposed to allow you some…what's the word?—oh, yes, influence at the Ministry if you agree to support us, and give the magical community a boost." Harry opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by Scrimgeour. "Now, now, I know you may not fully appreciate the situation at first, and you are," he said lightly and skeptically, "Dumbledore's man through and through… but think of it this way: you'd have full use of files and information at the Ministry. You could even have a few Aurors at your disposal, and you could be allowed entry into the Department of Mysteries!" Harry, now thinking rapidly, looked at his friends, who were seemingly as torn as he. On one hand, he would be lying to the Magical community—but would it really even be lying if he could bend the Ministry, even if it was only a little bit? "So what do you say, Harry?" asked Scrimgeour with excitement. "Have we a deal?"
"Well," began Harry, "What do you mean, I'd have 'influence'? Would I be able to tip you off as to who's a death eater and be taken seriously?" he asked, giving Ron and Hermione a look. They hadn't exactly believed him last year, when he was convinced Malfoy was up to something—and he'd been right.
"Of course we would! Harry, if you're really the 'Chosen One' as they say, then you are our only hope! What would we have to lose? Nothing. I don't suppose you ever found out about the Prophecy?"
"It smashed," said Harry flatly. He then looked Scrimgeour in the eye. "Fine. I'll do it. Release Stan Shunpike. I'll be into the Ministry in a few days, I suppose. But I'm going to tell the newspapers the truth, all right? So, I'll make a short statement—and then could I have a look around? If I need to check on something?"
"Of course! Wonderful, Harry, I know you won't regret it." Harry wasn't so sure of this. He watched the Minister, flanked by Percy and Dawlish, leave the wedding festivities with mounting doubt. Turning to his friends, he took a deep breath.
"So what do you think? Should I change my mind?"
"You can't," said Ron simply. Bewildered, Harry looked at Ron blankly.
"What d'you mean? 'Course I can."
"No, you can't," said Hermione. "But I think you made the right decision," she said quickly. "And I suppose you can change your mind, but…er… you shook on it. And it might've been magical."
"What?" demanded Harry loudly. "I made an Unbreakable Oath or whatever?"
"No, no!" sighed Hermione. Ron rolled his eyes, laughing. "But any time you break a promise that was formally stated and all, with witnesses…you could suffer slight curses from breaking it, that's all."
"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Harry. "How did you know that and I didn't?"
"It's probably somewhere in 'Hogwarts, A History,' of course," said Ron offhandedly. Harry, still in disbelief, chuckled humorlessly. Hermione, however, looked offended.
"No it isn't," she said matter-of-factly. "I learned it in first year when I shook on something with somebody."
"What did you shake on?" asked Harry curiously. Hermione flushed.
"Never you mind," she said crossly. Harry shrugged, but Ron persisted.
"Tell me, Hermione! What was it?"
"Ron, it honestly doesn't matter; I—" But before Hermione finished her sentence, Harry was filled with dread as somebody came up behind her.
"Herm-o-ninny! Harry Potter! I had forgotten that you vould both be here!" Ron's face darkened considerably as he and Hermione whirled around.
"Oh! Viktor!" exclaimed Hermione quickly. "Yes, I had forgotten you would be here as well…you remember Ron Weasley?"
"Ah, yes, Bill's brother? Yes, it vos very nice of 'zem to invite me to 'ze vedding… it is nice being in England again."
"Are you still playing Quidditch?" asked Ron aggressively. Viktor Krum looked at him for a moment with disdain before continuing.
"Well, I am not sure," he said. "I might, of course, for a team here, but I vould razzer find a different job. I am moving to England, you see…"
"Really, why?" asked Harry with interest.
"I want to assist in 'ze var against 'ze Dark Lord. He is spreading, you see. 'Ze sooner he is stopped, 'ze better, I vould like to 'zink. I might apply to teach here, at Hogwarts, 'zis coming year. Many Durmstrang students vill be attending 'zere too, I have heard."
"Yes," said Hermione, "that's what Fleur's little sister told us. She is excited to be attending, though…"
"How old are you again?" asked Ron rudely.
"I am turning tventy-vone next veek," he said with dislike.
"Yeah, that's cool," said Ron. "Hermione's only seventeen, and one of her best friends is just sixteen," he said, nodding at Harry.
"Er—I suppose," said Krum slowly. "And, vell, I'd better be off. I am staying in Diagon Alley. Perhaps I vill see you all some time?"
"Of course," said Hermione, throwing Ron a dirty look. "Bye, Viktor, it was lovely talking with you…"
"Yeah," said Harry. "Bye."
"Good-bye, Harry, Herm-o-ninny…Ron…" He then left with a swish of his robe. Hermione glared at Ron, and Ron pretended not to notice. Luckily, before Hermione could reprimand Ron, the fireworks started and people began to make speeches to the bride and groom. Ginny reunited herself with them, and Harry spent the rest of the evening laughing with friends and those he considered family, all thoughts of horcruxes in the back of his mind.
About a year and a half previous, the back of Harry's mind was not quite as safe as he would have wished. Now, however, as Harry awoke in the morning with his friends, packed lightly, and broomstick and Invisibility Cloak in hand, he once again took this security for granted. Feeling quite safe, Harry left the room to go knock on Ron's door.
"Are you ready?" he called through it.
"Yeah," said Ron, opening the door. "Are the girls—?"
"We've been ready for an hour," said Ginny, smiling, as she and Hermione climbed the stairs to Ron's room, each holding a wand and a small backpack.
"All right, good," said Harry. "It's still early," he said, looking at his watch, which didn't work. "I think."
"It's eight, Harry," said Hermione, laughing.
"Right. So we've time to eat breakfast before going. Now," he said in a much quieter and serious voice, "I suppose Ginny should Apparate with me, as I'm the only one who's done it before, and—"
"Oh, I can Apparate," said Ginny. "Hermione taught me. Destination, determination, and deliberation," she smiled, looking pointedly at Ron, who scowled.
"Okay, are you quite sure, then?" asked Harry worriedly. Ginny flipped her long red hair confidently.
"Positive, I've done it a million times by now…"
"Good. Then after breakfast, we'll tell your Mum and set out. I think she'll be, er, okay with this, right?" Ginny and Ron looked at each other dubiously.
"Well… she'll have to be. We're going," said Ginny determinedly. Harry nodded, wondering why he hadn't thought to tell Mrs. Weasley yet—of all people, the one who had taken Harry in and loved him like a son. The four teenagers trod downstairs lightly and silently. They reached the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was alone, humming and making breakfast.
"Oh, good morning! You're up early," beamed Mrs. Weasley. "Now what would you like for br—why have you all got sacks on? You're not going anywhere, are you?" Her face clouded, as if she knew what was coming.
"Er—Mrs. Weasley, you see…I need to go. The—the newspapers are right. I heard the prophecy; either Voldemort or I need to kill the other. And I know how to do it, I think. Dumbledore told me before he died. And—" He took a deep breath, "—you've been the closest thing to a mother I've ever known, and I am so thankful, but I can't stay here. I have to defeat him. And Ron, Hermione, and Ginny want to come with me; I can't talk them out of it. You can try, though, Mrs. Weasley." Harry's heart sunk to the bottom of his chest as Mrs. Weasley began to cry.
"Oh, Harry!" she said, furiously wiping her eyes and turning back to the stove, from which smoke and steam were rising rapidly. "Ron…Ginny…my babies…Hermione… I think I knew this was coming, and…I can't stop you—I just can't… a wise man once taught me that…" Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath, "…that if my children fly out of my nest and do good things with their lives, and are noble and kind, then I've done my job." She wiped her eyes, and nodded to Harry. "Your godfather. We had words that Christmas, after Arthur…well, and Percy…Remus and Sirius talked some sense into me, I suppose. But what shall I do if something happens to you? And Ginny, you're so young! My only daughter, and my baby… I want you to go to school, Ginny…"
"What?" demanded Ginny. "They don't have to go! You can't make me, Mum!"
"I know I can't!" wailed Mrs. Weasley. "Everything is wrong…everything. You—you will all come back here often? Every night, unless you have to stay somewhere?"
"Whenever we can, Mum," said Ron seriously. "You're the best cook we know! And, we love you and all… And… don't cry! Honestly, we'll be seeing Dad at the Ministry all the time…and we'll go to Hogwarts a lot, and we're basically in charge of you—the Order, I mean," he added hastily. Mrs. Weasley looked up, frowning.
"Dumbledore…how he could've made such a young, poor boy head of the Order!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. She then sighed. "I can't stop you," she said quietly. "I'd be angry, of course, but…I was angry at Bill for moving to Egypt, at Charlie for gallivanting off to tame dragons, at Fred and George for quitting school and starting a joke shop. The only one I approved of was Percy, actually…and, well, you know how that went. So are you leaving now?" Her voice cracked. "At least stay for breakfast… what do you want? Toast? Bacon? I suppose you won't tell me where you're going?"
Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "We're going to Godric's Hollow, actually. I just feel like something's there…that's where it all began. Then we're starting our actual mission. But we'll be fine, Mrs. Weasley. Don't worry, please don't worry."
"Nonsense. I will always worry about you. I put the clock away," she said quietly. Harry looked to the wall; indeed, it was gone. "Anyway, sit down, sit down. After you do what you're doing, I want you to contact me with your Patronuses to tell me you're all right. Do you hear me?" Everyone nodded. They ate breakfast, and Mrs. Weasley tearfully saw them off.
They had only justmade it into the neighborhood of Godric's Hollowwhen found themselves in a bit of danger, though. The moment the weird Apparating sensation wore away, Harry opened his eyes to find himself in a small but quaint--strangely familiar place. But before he could ponder this any longer, a voice rang through the air.
"Expelliarmus!" With a feeling of dread, Harry whipped around, seeing that Ginny's, Ron's, and Hermione's wands were all gone too. And ten feet away from them, in all of his dark and bat-like glory, clutching five wands and wearing an unreadable smirk, stood Severus Snape.
A/N: I forgot how much fun cliff-hangers were:-D Review and I'll update sooner! Thanks for reading.
-Jinglebellz