Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor
A/N: Hey hey! Sorry about the long wait. School has just started (yay rolls eyes) and I have been very busy. I'm sorry you all cough had to wait, but I thank you for your patience!
(Taking place at the same time as chapter 4, so just envision the Quartet swimming and sun-bathing at about 6:30 AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) which is still quite light)
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Stupid Choices
Out the back door, across the lawn, through the old pine trees and down 'Tumble' hill was the Weasley's pond. Many an afternoon was spent wallowing in the shallows and tumbling through the reeds. Out on the shore, two teenagers sat: one propping a tome up and a rock, and the other basking in the dying sun's rays.
"Gin, shouldn't you put some sunscreen on?" asked Hermione, shifting the book so she could face her redhead friend.
"Ummm… no?" Ginny said, flipping over and shielding her eyes. Hermione rolled her eyes and snapped her book shut. Reaching over her companion, she pulled a tube of 30+ sunscreen towards her. She twisted the top off and squirted it all over her best-friend's bare stomach, making sure there was enough to smother her all over. "HERMIONE!" she squealed, trying to wipe some of the gloop off. In doing so, she managed to ruin a perfectly good pair of bathers.
The redhead sent her most fierce glare at the older girl. It must have worked, for Hermione looked quite afraid and took of at a run towards the waters edge. Lunging with a snarl, Ginny managed to topple down with her, landing with a splash at Ron and Harry's feet.
Ron smirked. "Care for a swim?" Ginny glared at him too. Ron paled and ran deeper into the water. Ginny tackled him and began to splash, and soon a water fight began.
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Nightfall soon came, and the four dripping teenagers made their way back up to the house. Out near the pines were the Old Oak stood, 10 Death Eaters stood awaiting their orders.
"Blissfully unaware. Perfect."
A man in a blood red mask stood at the front of the group, narrowed eyes darting around his old home.
"And now, we wait."
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"Ron! Bed! NOW!" Mrs. Weasley ordered, pushing her protesting 17-year-old up the staircase. Ron merely glared and stomped up the stairs, leaving Harry to follow.
Bidding the reset of the family goodnight, Harry walked up the stairs listening to Mrs. Weasley try and get the rest of her kids to follow.
Pushing the door open, he skipped (A/N tee hee) over to his cot and plonked himself down.
"I can't wait till we can get hunting," grumbled Ron, changing into his nightclothes, "Out there, mum can't tell me what to do. Out there, I can go to bed whenever I like!"
Harry swallowed hard. Thinking about hunting fragments of Tom Riddle's soul was enough to make anyone feel rather ill. Turning to get out his pj's, he changed the topic to a more light and (quite literally) fluffy one. "So, are you and Hermione… like a couple?" he asked Ron, flinging his soiled t-shirt into the ever-growing pile. Ron blushed and dove under his covers.
"Depends…" replied Ron, playing with a free thread on his bedspread.
Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's dodging the question. "What on?"
"Well, we were talking and we weren't sure wether yo-" Ron never finished his sentence. The entire house shook and the boys were thrown onto the ground. "Bloody Hell!"
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"Aaaaand… GO!" ordered the red-masked Death Eater, drawing his wand from a sheath on his belt. His fellow servants followed his orders, pulling out wands and sending curses towards the house.
They could hear the scrambling of people down the stairs, but they would be outnumbered. 7 qualified witches and wizards and two who weren't of age yet. Come on, this was going to be easy.
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Curses, hexes, spells and jinxes were flung across the moonlit backyard of the Burrow. Soon, merely one Death Eater was standing (Yeah. Easy…). It was evident that the other Death Eaters were poor duellers, 4 being taken down by Hermione alone. Their stunned bodies littered the earth, a few with airborne bogeys flying around their heads.
Harry stepped forward, wand raised and pointed at the masked figure. It did not flinch, nor provoke him like many others would. He just stood there, brown eyes boring into the saviour of the wizarding world.
"Who are you?" Harry snarled, taking another cautious step. The man just smirked.
"Who am I?" he asked, drawing closer. Behind Harry, Mrs. Weasley let out a sob. Mr. Weasley paled and held his wife. They both knew who he was by that voice. "Who am I? Ha ha. I was the fool, believing every word of that fraud Fudge, when my true master was alive and well. I have now found my rightful place, a place of unstoppable power. You corrupted my family, you know. They would have seen the light in the Dark. They would not be in the trouble they are in now. I told Ron you were no good, but did he believe me? You should know who I am Harry Potter." Peace followed his modest speech, and he drew nearer to the Burrow, taking in the sight of his old address.
Harry stood unmoving as the form pulled off his mask. Collective gasps were heard and Ginny screamed. In front of them was none other than…
Percy Weasley smirked, pocketing his mask. "Bet you didn't see that coming."
"You bastard!" yelled Ron, sprinting out of the group and lunging at his former brother. As far as he was concerned, he was no longer a part of his family. Soon, Ron had Percy pinned beneath him, punching and punching. Suddenly, a pair of strong, calloused hands roughly pulled him off his brother. In all of the 'excitement', no one had even bothered to notify the order, or tie up the Death Eaters. 3 of them had already woken up.
They helped Percy to his feet. Percy fixed his glasses and slipped his mask back on. With a wave and a sarcastic "I love you mother." He was gone.
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Shock had taken over the house. No one had ever suspected Percy Weasley as a Death Eater. Now, to make matters worse, Harry was being sent off to his dead Godfather's loathed family home.
Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was safe. Wards were replaced, old magic reactivated.
Kreacher had been 'disposed' of as the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (even Hermione couldn't say he didn't deserve it.) and a new house elf had been appointed.
"Mister Harry Potter sir!" squealed a ball of leathery skin; bowling him over the moment he walked in the door.
"Dobby!" Harry winced, prying the hysterical house-elf off his leg, pulling razor sharp nails out of his skin. Bright green orbs glowed with unshed tears, "What are you doing here?"
The house elf smiled. "Mister Lupin is hiring me for you, Harry Potter!" Harry smiled weakly. He was feeling to down to properly smile. He would be sure to thank Remus later.
Mrs. Weasley appeared in the fireplace, followed by Remus and Mr. Weasley. Between them, they enlarged 4 Hogwarts trunks, 5 duffel bags, 3 boxes full of food and a stuffed monkey.
"Mr. Monkey-Butt!" squealed Hermione, leaping forward and snatching the orange monkey from Remus' grip. Harry and Ron tried to stifle their giggles, but failed miserably. Hermione frowned at the amused smiles on the adult's faces. "Shut-up," she spat at Ron.
"Need I remind you of Little Ronnie?" asked Mrs. Weasley, silencing Ron.
"Ok, time for bed," he chirped, rushing out of the room and up the stairs, leaving a blurred red streak in everyone else's eyes.
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Hours later, Harry was still lying in bed, thinking things over in his head. Percy. Death Eaters. Ginny. Sirius. Ron and Hermione. Horcruxes. Ginny. Dumbledore. Lily and James. Ginny. Cedric. Ginny. Ginny. Ginny…
He couldn't get the redhead out of his head. She invaded his thoughts, preventing him from sleep. And when he did get to sleep, there she was in his dreams. How would he defeat Voldykins without her? He had to do it though. She couldn't get hurt. He loved her too much.
Harry sat bolt upright. Love? He scratched the back of his head. Yes, love. He loved her like a sister, then a girlfriend, and now? Well, he didn't know. All he knew was he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. Slipping out of his bed and pulling on a t-shirt, Harry snuck out of the door of his and Ron's room.
Slinking down the hall like a cat, he rounded the corner and went up the stairs. Pausing at the room Ginny and Hermione shared, he braced himself. If he found something… girly… like a bra or something, he would never be able to face the girls again. Steeling himself, he placed a hand on the doorknob and turned.
Once in the room, Harry looked around. Obviously Hermione's bed had the tower of books on the bedside table. That left the other bed for Ginny. He tiptoed over to the bed and sighed. She really was beautiful. And that's why they could never be together. He couldn't let something so beautiful be tainted by something so sinister and ugly. Like war.
With that thought in his head, Harry turned around and made his way back into his bed, wishing he could be with her someday, cursing that the day wouldn't come soon enough.
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A/N: Ok guys, I hope you liked the chapter! Im not sure I am happy with it, but hey. Did I surprise anyone? I doubt it :P. It has been done before. You know what to do now, see that little purple-blue button? Yeah, go click it and tell me wether you love it or hate it. Your input really counts!
Thank-you to all the people who reviewed last chapter! Here you are: PrettyPrincessRen, SlayerKitty00 (again, always), fake-truth86, and Taylor (in case you haven't noticed, she's my sister and a pain in da butt)… And from other chapters: Greg Hafrunt and my darling sister Taylor.
Oh yea and Mr. Monkey-Butt? My stuffed monkey :D he had to make an appearance.
Read Hogwarts: 2014! Please, I will give you cookies!
R&R&R
Luv Maddie xox