Chapter Thirteen: A Return to Liverpool

Harry and Ginny had been spending a lot more time with each other since their faithful lunch meeting. They were busy preparing for the wedding. Ron and Lavender stayed as Harry's guests at his estate to help the couple.

Ginny and Harry were just returning from one of their afternoon strolls. "Hello you two! I wish you'd remember that you're getting married on Wednesday!" Lavender yelled from the porch, "Poor Mr. Flitwick has been waiting in the chapel for ages!"

"Oh dear! How dreadful of me, I forgot!" Ginny exclaimed, "He wanted us to choose the hymns for our wedding."

"We'll go straight down," Harry replied, "Back in a few minutes!"

They made their way into the chapel down located down the street. The church was a grand gothic looking edifice complete with high ceiling colored windows and an enormous organ by the altar.

Wasting no time, Mr. Flitwick began playing on the organ with Ginny beside him, suggesting songs. Harry, who was indifferent when it comes to music, stood on the other side of the altar, watching them amusingly.

The sound emitting from the organ echoed throughout the entire building. "That's nice," said Ginny after he had played one of the pieces, "I forget the words."

Mr. Flitwick played again, this time singing along, "Come down O love divine, this is-"

"Yes, I remember now," Ginny interrupted, changing her mind. "Then there's another lovely one, the one they always use."

"This perhaps," Flitwick suggested as he began to play, "O Perfect Love."

Upon hearing the eerie familiar tune, Harry stopped smiling. His look of amusement was replaced with a vexed complexion. He turned away and stared out the window. His mind occupied in remembering something, but he couldn't grasp it, and that was making him very anxious.

"Yes, that's it," Ginny said satisfied, still concentrating on Mr. Flitwick, "I like that, don't you Harry?" she turned around and noticed Harry looking intensely out the window. Ginny walked over to him and puts her arms around him. She smiled, waiting for him to meet her gaze.

Harry subconsciously felt her close proximity and looked at her, with the same confusing facial expression. He did not meet her gaze, but instead stared directly passed her. Ginny frowned. Unable to control herself, she quickly moved down the aisle and sat down on a nearby pew. There, she burst into tears.

Ginny's cries broke Harry's trance. He snapped out of his trance and followed her down the aisle.

"I'm sorry darling," he apologized profusely as he sat next to her, "I must have been dreaming."

"It's alright Harry," Ginny cried out, her hands covering her face, "I'm glad this happened."

"What has happened?" Harry asked.

Ginny took her hands off her face and gazed into his eyes, "I've been uncertain, almost from the beginning," she said between sobs, "Now I'm sure. Its no use is it?" she shook her head, "I've always known it, really. I was grasping selfishly at my own happiness, because you could make me completely happy. If I were selfish enough not to care, and if I were stupid enough not to know-"

"To know what?" he asked.

"I'm not the one," she admitted aloud, " Let's be honest about it. I was letting things drift. I never believed in my own luck," she wiped her face, "Harry, you looked at me just now, as if I were a stranger, an intrusive stranger, trying to take the place of someone else."

"Someone else?" he repeated.

"I know it sounds absurd, but let me say it," she confessed, "Sometimes, especially when we've been closest, I had a curious feeling I remind you of someone else, someone you once knew-"

"Don't leave me Ginny," Harry pleaded, "I need you! I'm trying to make a life."

"Someone you love," she continued as if he hadn't said a word, "and shall never love me," she grabbed his hand, "I am nearly the one Harry," she forced a smile, "So nearly, that I shall always be proud of it. But nearly isn't enough for a lifetime. It'll be too hard to- " she lowered her head.

Harry was speechless. All he could do was pat her back gently. He was unable to say that Ginny was absolutely wrong. He just didn't know what to do.

After a few seconds of silence, she took a deep breath, composed herself and stood up, "I've left you rather late have I? I'm sorry," she apologized, looking away, "I think I'll travel. My parents are going to visit Charlie in Romania I believe. I'll go with them," she gave Harry a genuine smile, "Alright Harry," she patted him gently on the arm, "I asked for it, and I'll get over it."

"I don't know what to say," he squeaked.

"You don't have to say anything. Because I am so nearly the one," she said, "and because I love you more than anyone I shall ever marry. Just kiss me goodbye."

Harry stood up, embracing her one last time as they shared their farewell kiss.

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Few hours later at the office.

"Well he can't keep us up indefinitely!" Ron exclaimed, pacing back and forth in front of Hermione's desk, "Where the devil is he? No normal man walks out of a big concern without saying a word to solitary soul!"

"Everything was arranged for his trip," Hermione informed him, "Could he have gone abroad?"

"Well he would have let us known!" Ron said furiously, "Confound that girl! One minute they were both picking out hymns for the wedding-"

"Mr. Weasley," an assistant interrupted as he walked in.

"What is it now?" he bellowed, obviously not in the best of moods.

"I'm sorry sir, but it seems to be important," the assistant told him, "It's Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

"Alright, I'll see him," Ron grunted, "You talk to Dolby," he instructed Hermione before walking out.

She turned to the house elf standing by the corner of the room, "Dolby, when did you say you last saw Mr. Potter?"

"Just before dinner time Miss, about an hour after Ms. Weasley left," he told her, "He asked me to put some things into a bag for him. I don't know quite why Miss, but I sort of think he may have gone to Liverpool."

"Liverpool?" Hermione perked up.

"Yes Miss, it was from Liverpool he came that night," he explained, " the night he came back from the dead, so to speak."

"Dolby," she asked, "Please try to tell me everything you remember about that night. What did he tell you about what had happened to him?"

"Well Miss," Dolby relayed the entire story, "It was a wet night. In November it was. He was knocked down by a taxi, and carried into a shop in Liverpool---"

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It wasn't until nightfall before Hermione was able to locate Harry. She rapped on the door of his hotel room in Liverpool.

"Come in," she heard him say. Slowly, she opened the door and entered. The room was very dimmed.

"Please forgive me for coming," she apologized, "we were all so anxious." Hermione noticed the dark circles under his eyes, "You are not well."

"I should've let you know where I was," said Harry, "I intended to, I'm sorry."

"I hate to bother you, but something's very important came up," she informed him.

Harry looked at her curiously, "But how did you know I was in Liverpool?"

"Something Dolby said," she answered simply, "I made inquiries."

"Dolby, yes," he muttered. "Would you sit down Ms. Hansen?" He walked over to the nearby table and turned on the lamp, "You say some important business induced you to follow me?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione explained, "Bartemius Crouch, Head of International Cooperation died on Monday morning, there'll be a bi-election." She took out an official looking letter from her purse, "This morning, the committee of the West Lyndon Liberal Association unanimously decided to support your candidacy, should you consent to stand in the liberal interest."

But Harry's mind was clearly someplace else. "Did Dolby tell you of my experience here three years ago?" he asked, without acknowledging a word she just said.

"Yes, Mr. Potter," she nodded.

"I came back here at that time, hoping to stumble on the trail of my past," he explained, "But I failed then and I failed now."

"Nothing helped you?" she asked.

"Nothing," he sighed, "Why should I feel a lost so acute and-"

"That's its spoiling your life?" she finished for him.

"No!" he cried, "I'm not being honest with myself! My life's not complete and I've hurt others!" Harry seemed to realize how absurd it was to rant to his secretary. He lowered his voice; "I don't know why I bore you with my affairs."

"You feel that perhaps you lived in Liverpool?" she inquired, completely interested.

"It seems possible," he shrugged.

"But not certain?"

"You mean I might have been visiting the city?" asked Harry.

Hermione pointed out, "Well, Liverpool's a big port."

"I might have come in on some ship!" he exclaimed, "Strange that never occurred to me!" He walked to the window and looked at the streets below.

"Or by train," she suggested, "You might have come in from a nearby town or from the country. Perhaps on business"

"Perhaps," Harry nodded, thinking over the possibilities.

"In that case you may have stayed in some hotel." She added, "I know Liverpool, I've been up here often." She walks over to him, "Do you know in what direction you were walking when the accident happened?"

"I checked that," he replied glumly, "I was walking down George's street towards the square. It was wet."

"Well, there are two hotels north of George's street," Hermione told him, "The old Olympic, and" she paused for a moment, "and the Great Northern." She stared at him for any signs of recognition, "It's quite a distance from the Olympic, and if it was wet, chances are, you were coming from the Great Northern," she reasoned.

"Presuming I stayed at a hotel at all," he asked, "Under what name was I registered?"

"There's just one chance to find out," she told him, "If you were at a hotel, you walked out leaving unclaimed luggage."

Harry looked up, "Would they keep it so long?"

"It's worth investigating," she advised him.

"Yes" he agreed, now feeling excited, "I'm glad you came, Ms. Hansen. You've given me fresh hope. You must come with me. We'll start with the Great Northern!"