Chapter 16: Reunion
Harry, Ginny and Hope arrived at the Burrow early that morning. Molly must have had Harry in an embrace for five minutes straight before she released him. Ginny was next, receiving an even longer hug.
Arthur was at work, though Molly owled him, along with the rest of the family, telling them Harry and Ginny were back safely. Within ten minutes, the rest of the Weasleys began showing up, desperate to embrace Harry and Ginny and put an end to their worry.
When Hermione and Ron arrived with their son, Dominic, Hermione raced to the pair of them and threw her arms around them both at once, tears shining in her eyes.
"I've been so worried about you both! They never let any of us in to see either of you in St. Mungo's!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hermione, you're going to send them back to St. Mungo's if you don't let them breathe," Ron said gently prying his wife off his sister and brother-in-law.
Ron then hugged his sister and then Harry, giving a manly hug. Hermione's eyes now sparkled with tears of joy as she bent down to see her niece.
"Hello angel!" Hermione greeted cheerfully.
Hope stared at her aunt curiously and Harry let Hermione hold her.
"Ginny!" Penelope called happily, embracing her sister-in-law. "I'm so glad you're all right! What happened to you? The Aurors refused to give us any details…" she released Ginny and held her at an arm's length, gazing worriedly at her.
Ginny nodded, having expected to have to tell her story at least several times today.
"Let's go sit down," Ginny said with a weary look in her eyes.
Hermione followed Penelope and Ginny into the den. Here, Hope struggled free of her aunt and wandered through the crowd of the Weasleys to find her Daddy.
Hope looked up at all the adults around her, until her Uncle Fred scooped her up.
"Well look who we have here!" He chuckled, bouncing her in his arms. "Now what are you doing all by yourself?" He asked, looking around for Ginny.
"Aw, hello baby!" Olivia exclaimed, walking towards Fred.
Hope stared at Olivia with her large green eyes. She began to wiggle around in Fred's arm, whimpering. She did not want to be held, she just wanted her Daddy!
"All right!" Fred chuckled, setting her down and watching her walk off.
Harry stood in the far end of the kitchen, talking with Charlie, Ron, Percy and George. His eyes fell on his daughter, who was looking around the room nervously.
"Hope!" Harry called out, stopping in mid-conversation.
Hope looked around and spotted her father. A small smile appeared on her little face and she hurried towards her father.
"Look at her!" Percy marvelled. "Absolutely adorable and smart! She knows exactly who you are, Harry!"
Harry grinned proudly as picking her up, he kissed her cheek lovingly. "What are you doing here, you little imp? I thought Auntie Hermione had you?" He asked his daughter.
"Dadda!" Hope giggled somewhat nervously, knowing her Uncles' eyes were on her. "Dadda! Cow!" She exclaimed to Harry.
"Where did Mummy put the bag?" He asked, more to himself than Hope.
"Charlie, could you pass that?" He asked, spotting the diaper bag which Hope's stuffed cow had been placed.
Charlie handed Harry the bag, which he set down and pulled out the little stuffed cow.
"Moo!" Hope exclaimed shrilly, bouncing the cow up and down. "Moo!"
The men all laughed at her and Hope immediately became shy and silent.
"Moo?" Charlie encouraged. "What do cows do?"
Hope didn't answer at first, but then she tossed the cow at Charlie, squealing, "MOO!"
"Good job, Hope!" Ron praised. "Can you throw the cow at Uncle Percy?"
"Ron!" Percy snapped. "You mustn't teach children to do things that could turn into a behavioral problem as the child grows!" Scolded Percy, but-
"MOO!" Hope laughed, throwing it at Percy.
Ron chuckled and picked up the cow again, giving it back to Hope.
"What's the cow's name, Hope?" Ron asked.
"Cow!" Hope said with her bright smile. "Cow, cow, cow, cow!" She giggled and tossed the cow on the ground.
"Hope" Harry sighed. "What is Daddy going to do with you?"
"Cow?" Hope questioned him, glancing at the cow on the ground, wondering why he wasn't handing it back to her so she could continue with her game of 'I-toss-it-you-pick-it-up.'
Percy picked up the cow for Hope and handed it to her.
"Hold your cow, Hope, like a good girl."
Hope giggled, showing her few small white baby teeth. "COW!" She whipped the cow at Percy once more.
"You're right, Perce!" Ron grinned. "She is clever."
The women had joined together to make a wonderful lunch. They ate outside under the wonderful warmth of the sun. It was an enjoyable afternoon in which Hope spent running around with her cousins. Much to Ron and Hermione's delight, their son Dominic seemed to have made best friends with Hope.
After lunch, and after the dishes and table had been cleared, Ron suggested a game of Quidditch. Harry went back to his old home and retrieved his Firebolt.
Charlie, Bill, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Alicia, Cassie, Ginny and Sarah all played. Charlie was captain for one team and Bill was captain for the other.
On Charlie's team, Cassie, Ron, Sarah and Ginny played. Ron as Keeper, Charlie as seeker, with Sarah as a beater and Cassie and Ginny as Chasers. On Bill's team, Bill played Keeper, Harry as seeker, Fred as a beater with George and Alicia as chasers.
Charlie had a real Quidditch set which he charmed to not fly above the treetops of the orchard. The players took their positions and waited as Charlie released the charmed bludgers and the snitch.
Harry, who hadn't flown in nearly two years, was a little rusty on his Firebolt. He flew around the orchard, looking around for the snitch while Alicia had scored 20 points in the first five minutes.
Finally, Harry spotted Charlie across the orchard from him, zooming towards the snitch. Harry dove towards it, the air hissing past him. Charlie stretched out his hand, just as Harry managed to pull under Charlie and grab the snitch. Unfortunately, Charlie had been diving at the time and he sent them both crashing to the orchard floor.
Ginny threw herself to the ground to see if he was all right. Charlie and Harry untangled themselves and Charlie smirked.
"I hope you know you only caught it because you've got a much better broom," he told him matter-of-factly, brushing dirt from his clothes.
Harry raised his eyebrows, gently touching a small cut on his cheek. "You keep thinking that."
Ginny sighed in relief, as everyone else landed.
"Don't be gloating, Bill!" Charlie told his brother. "You've got Harry, George and Alicia… they've got experience flying together!"
George strode up, grinning. "Yes, dear brother, yet you seem to forget that was ages ago"
"Still-" Charlie began.
"Oh, shut up. I always thought you were a sore loser," Bill sighed.
As the afternoon progressed, the Weasleys began to depart. Finally, when it was just Ron, Hermione, Dominic, Harry, Ginny, Hope, and Molly and Arthur, they sat in the living room.
It was 5:30 p.m., when Hope began to get cranky again. She hadn't napped all day and had been running around with Dominic and her other cousins for most of the time.
"Someone's sleepy," Ginny mumbled sympathetically, shifting her moody daughter in her arms.
"Ready to go?" Harry asked, checking his watch.
"I think so." Ginny nodded.
"Thanks for everything, Mum and Dad" Ginny said gratefully, getting to her feet.
"Don't mention it. I really wish that you'd stay here instead of rushing back off to Nova Scotia!" Molly said sadly.
Harry smiled sadly, but said nothing, knowing that for Ginny's benefit, they'd stay whenever she was ready to return to her past.
Harry and Ginny got ready to go, pulling on their coats. Just as Ginny placed Hope's stuffed cow back in the bag, Harry clapped his hand to his forehead, gasping as a horrible, unbearable pain erupted in his forehead.
"Harry!" Ginny stammered anxiously. "Harry, what's wrong?"
Harry couldn't answer her. He fell to his knees, hands over his scar. He felt like his head was going to split open with pain. His body was rigid as he knelt on the ground, his vision blurred.
Hope began to cry and Molly immediately tried to hush her, as Ginny tried to get Harry to respond to his name. Finally, the pain slowly died down, and Harry withdrew a sharp breath and blinked several times. The room was spinning and he felt as if he had cotton in his ears.
Ginny was practically in tears at his side, gripping his arm tightly. Harry's breath came in shallow, ragged streams. He glanced at Ginny and swallowed with much difficulty.
"Something's wrong," Harry managed to choke out. "I've… I've got to go to the Ministry."
"But Harry-" Ginny began. Before she could finish her sentence, Harry had disapparated.
Ginny shakily stood as well and turned to her mother. "Keep Hope safe for a while… I've got to go with him!"
"Ginny, no" Her father said sharply. "Whatever Harry must do, he's got to do it alone. He'll be angry with you if you go after him, you could be killed. You can't just go tearing after him now that you have Hope."
"But-" Ginny started.
"Your father's right, Ginny. Stay here" Molly nodded grimly, bouncing Hope lightly on her shoulder.
Ginny dropped helplessly into a chair and took Hope from her mother with trembling hands.