Chapter 50 Ashes and Rubble

At the next Saturday's dinner, Hedwig arrived with a note. Harry recognized the near-illegible scrawl as Hagrid's: "Dear Harry, hope you've been enjoying your break. It's real important when you return that you apparate back to my cabin. Send Hedwig back with your return time so I can make sure I'm there to meet you. – Hagrid."

"That doesn't sound good," observed Harry, handing Hedwig a strip of London broil. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, have you heard from any of the boys?"

They exchanged quick glances with each other, then Arthur cleared his throat and, looking into his plate, said "Erm, no, Harry, nothing significant."

Harry cocked his head. "THAT didn't sound very convincing!"

Molly tried to comfort him. "Well, there've been a few disagreements, but it sounded like it wasn't anything to speak of. We didn't want you to worry."

Harry sighed. "That's the problem – the people under the curse are convinced it's not so bad, even while they carry their victims off to hospital. I suppose it's a good sign that Hagrid's cabin is still standing, but then they said they were going to stage part of their exercises in the castle." He took out a quill and spread the parchment to write a note back. "Ginny, how about we return at about 4 tomorrow, okay?"

"Can we make it 6:30 and have an early dinner here? We hadn't seen Mum and Dad in so long."

"Of course," said Harry. "It sounds like what's done is done. I just have to accept that some things are out of my hands."

After dinner, Harry and Ginny took Hedwig up to the new owlery to send her off. Harry watched north toward Hogwarts even after he could no longer see her.

Ginny put her arm around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It'll be alright, Harry, you'll see."

Harry kept his cool through Sunday, although his tension was evident. The Weasleys would often have to call his name several times to get his attention, as he was lost in thought about what might await at Hogwarts. He was packed before dinner and was clearly annoyed that Ginny was not. Even after dinner, she seemed to find more and more things that she needed to do with her mother, things that did not seem so important to Harry at all.

Mr. Weasley took Harry aside. "I think we have time for a bit of tea, Harry, and some talk."

Once they were in the kitchen and Mr. Weasley was puttering with the tea, water and cups, he went on. "A word of wisdom, son, on dealing with women: never expect them to be ready when you are. Even if they are ready, they'll find some reason to make you wait a while. If you're going to spend your life partnered with a woman, as I have – and I hope you know that Molly and I would love to see that be your course with Ginny – you need to learn how to adjust to their ways, just as they ought to learn to accept some of our ways. Set your departure time ahead of where you need to so that you can leave when you really want to – but never admit you are doing so, or they will take even longer. Also, what I do for these times is always carry something to read so I can pass the time calmly, usefully, and without dwelling on the frustration."

"Thanks for the advice, Mr. Weasley, but these spellbooks are bigger and heavier than paving stones – they aren't exactly convenient for carrying about."

"That's why newspapers and magazines were invented, Harry," Arthur said with a wink. "And you should count yourself lucky on this – she can be packed with a wave of her wand: muggle women can't do that."

Finally everything was done and it was time to go. There were hugs and tears all around.

"Good-bye, dears. Be very careful," said Mrs. Weasley, clinging as though she might never see them again. Harry understood this at least – they all knew that she might not see them again, and so, for all his anxiousness to get back to Hogwarts, he lingered in her hug as well.

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do," said Arthur.

His wife elbowed him. He looked at her and then it dawned on him.

"Scratch that – don't do anything we would do."

"Dad, we know the things you're worried about. Let's just leave it at 'be careful'," said Ginny, with an indulgent smile.

"Always remember how much we love you both," he replied, with Molly tearfully nodding agreement.

Harry smiled broadly as Ginny answered, "We will."

They grabbed their bags and on the count of three, they apparated back to Hagrid's cabin. The smell of smoke was not a surprise, as Hagrid usually had a wood fire, but it seemed stronger than normal.

"There y'are," greeted Hagrid, trying to sound casual but revealing nervousness. He was sitting at his table with Madame Maxime, both having tea in cups big enough to wash a baby in.

"'Ello, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley," added Maxime with a warm smile. "It is good to see you again. I trust you 'ave 'ad a nice Spring Break."

Harry controlled his emotions to reply, "Hello, Hagrid, Professor Maxime. Now what was so important that we had to apparate here first?"

"Oh, we'll get to that," replied Hagrid. "First why don' you two have a cup of nettle wine with us."

Hagrid uncorked a large bottle and pulled out two tankard-sized mugs and filled them. When Hagrid handed them the mugs, their hands sank with the weight of them, as they had not realized just how full he had filled them. A slosh went over onto Harry's hand and, shifting the handle to his other hand, he gave the drips a quick sniff and lick to taste it. Harry had never actually tasted nettle wine: it had some of the soothing odor of regular wine, but was lighter and had an odd sourness to it.

Ginny took her cup and looked down into the pale greenish liquid. "Hagrid, you can't expect me to drink all of that! I'd be stewed."

"Oh, well, just what you can, then," said Hagrid. "You can handle it, Harry, can't yeh?"

"Well, I guess I could, but what's the interest in getting us drunk?"

"Oh, nothing, no interest, just being hospitable."

Madame Maxime spoke up anxiously. "We just thought you two would like to relax after your long trip."

"Long trip?" said Harry. "We apparated. I could have done it twenty times while Hagrid poured this. C'mon now, no more games: what's up?"

Hagrid nodded grimly. "Drink some; then we'll start showing you."

"Besides," added Maxime, "nettle wine brings to our minds a plant's sensibility – that storms can be weathered. As we show you things, just remember – everything can be set right again."

With this disturbing warning, Harry took a deep draught, as did Ginny, and then Hagrid led them out the back door, looking toward the forest. There were a few scorch marks on the trees, as there had been the year before from stray spells that missed their mark. Then Harry looked above the trees and saw smoke curling upward from several areas, apparently deep into the forest.

"Fire? The woods are on fire?"

Hagrid cleared his throat. "Erm, not anymore, well, not much. We got 'em all out, for the most part."

"Tell me that was not caused by the students fighting each other!"

Hagrid pursed his lips and rubbed his great hands together, ignoring Harry's demand. "Take another drink and we'll head around front."

As they headed around the side of the cabin, the lake and the hillocks around Hogwarts Castle came into view. Several of the hillocks had holes gouged in their sides.

"Things got a little out of hand over t'here - some of the senior students exchanging spells and deflecting them. But it's okay, eventually it all petered out and no one's dead. Now before we go around the rest of the way, just remember that the perfessers have everythin' under control and will have it fixed in no time."

"What? It gets worse?" Harry broke from the others and ran around the edge of the cabin. There he found his beloved Hogwarts in ruins: not collapsed exactly, but certainly no longer sound. Harry was sure that many parts would have collapsed if not for enchantments. There was a hole in the foundation near where the boats take the first-years big enough for dragons to fly through. The top of Trelawney's tower was completely off and open to the elements (Harry felt guilty for thinking, "good - at least the place is finally getting a proper airing out."). One corner of the Great Hall was caved in. The shrubbery was not just scorched but clearly burned down by at least two feet. One greenhouse was caved in and the small greenhouse where Devil's Snare was grown was simply gone, the plants apparently killed by the sunlight reaching them. The Astronomy Tower was tottering precariously and smoke rose from various unseen places around the castle. Harry was relieved to see that the library, the owlery tower, and Gryffindor tower were intact. Almost as importantly, he could see that several of the professors were already reassembling the shattered pieces of Hogwarts.

Tears rolled down Harry's eyes, but he managed to control himself enough to say, with voice cracking, "Okay, it's just a building, a most special one, but a building nonetheless. How about the students? Are they okay?"

"They vill recovair," said Maxime.

"How many are injured?" asked Harry, sadly.

"Maybe ten or twelve …" started Maxime.

"Whew," said Harry.

"…are not injured," Maxime concluded.

"Ten or twelve are NOT injured?" Harry downed the rest of his mug. "Ginny, I've got to get up there – are you coming with me?"

"Of course, Harry."

They rushed back into the cabin for their things. Ginny set down her mug and grabbed her trunk.

"Are you going to finish that?" asked Harry, and when she shook her head, he downed the rest of her wine. "Let's go."

Harry grabbed his trunk and a pinch of Floo Powder from a pot on Hagrid's mantle. Tossing it into the fire, he jumped in, shouting "Hogwarts' Entry Hall!"

Just as quickly, he jumped out and started patting down his singed robes.

"Harry, I thought yeh knew my cabin warn't on the Floo System."

"Why not? I thought all the fireplaces were?"

"I never asked for mine to be – after all I don't fit in the fireplace, so it'd do me no good, and maybe it'd let someone who warn't friendly to me in?"

"Okay, Hagrid, it makes sense. Come on, Ginny. We won't save much by apparating the little bit we could."

Madame Maxime took their bags like they were a purse to a normal woman. "I know your concern – you two run ahead. I will be returning to the castle later and can carry these."

Harry looked at the two half-giants, and replied in bitter sarcasm. "Well, I'm glad you two can concern yourself with other things."

"Harry," said Ginny, "the repair of the school and the healing of the students must be under control or they wouldn't have had time to owl and meet us."

Harry breathed deeply and exhaled. "You're right, Ginny. That's why I've needed you so. You keep things in perspective. Thanks, Professor Maxime. Ginny, can we run?"

"Of course. Let's go."