The swing set, with all aboard, landed safely on the Weasley's lawn then disappeared as soon as they got off. Harry was overjoyed to be back in a familiar place. He walked directly to the strangely skewed looking house. The lawn looked beautiful with all the flowers in it. His joy was quickly stifled by the looks he saw on the faces of his approaching friends. Their faces betrayed their hesitation. They walked close together, almost shoulder to shoulder. Maybe they hesitated because of the three large bodyguards that came jogging up behind him. Harry hoped that was the reason.
Hermione was the first to break from the group. She hurried forward and gave Harry a huge hug. Ginny followed shortly after.
Hermione said, "It's so good to see you, Harry."
And Ginny, "Welcome back"
Then Ron, "Hey, Harry, How are you?"
Harry said, "I'm good, I'm ok."
They said their good-byes to Head Mistress McGonagall. She reminded them to return to school as quickly as possible. Harry was disappointed to find three more Aurors stationed inside the house and intruder detection devises everywhere. The all looked like they were in inventions of his former professor Moody.
Mrs. Weasley greeted Harry as warmly as ever. Harry was grateful that her conversation turned quickly to the accounts of Bill and Fluer's wedding. She pushed food and pictures in front of him as soon as he sat down. Harry paged slowly through the images of the happy couple and their guests. He dreaded the time when his friends would start to interrogate him about his last night at the Dursley and what happened when he was in custody. Harry poured over every picture and asked a lot of questions about the day. Mrs. Wealsey was delighted to explain every detail but she looked hurt when she took back Harry's plates, with the food barley touched. For the first time he arrived at the Weasley house and he wasn't starving. They had plenty of food at Ashford House and Harry liked it.
Finally, his friends could hold back their questions no longer. They asked him about his last night at the Dursley's. Ron understood why he was so angry but he didn't understand why that night. What set him off? Harry couldn't offer an explanation that satisfied them. They asked him about Ashford House. They assumed he hated it there. They were surprised to hear he didn't. He tried to explain how they helped him with his anger and grief but his friends assumed Harry could never relate to muggle problems. How could muggle counselors understand the problems he faced? Harry tried again to explain that feelings are feelings in any world and his counselors seemed to really understand. Again his friends brushed off his explanations. Harry grew frustrated and gave them short and evasive answers.
"You can believe what you want to believe, alright." Harry ended his explanations.
Over dinner their talk turned to school. Hermione detailed her demanding schedule. Ron complained about his duties as prefect. Ginny chatted about her friends and the new Quiddich season. Harry felt like it was light years ago that he worried about marks in class, Quiddich and rows with classmates. Harry tried desperately to listen to their stories about school and be interested but he felt and invisible chasm had grown between them. He wanted to shake them and scream at them, 'Don't you understand anything! I could be dead in just a few days and all you care about is Quiddich and homework!'' but he couldn't. His heart felt heavy in his chest as he brought a false smile to his face.
"Ginny, can we talk?" Harry asked.
"Sure." Ginny said.
"Ron, Hermione could you excuse us?" Harry asked.
Ron and Hermione left them alone.
Harry began, "Ginny I've thought a lot about you last summer and….well I…..don't think we should be ……..together anymore."
"Oh?" Ginny said.
"Yeah, uhmm, last year at school. I was under a lot of stress you were always there for me and uhmm…I think that, you've always been so popular and I've always had some problems in that area."
"Some problems?"
"OK, a lot of problems in that area. I think I wanted to be with you because I thought some of it might rub off on me. And now that I'm not going back to school and you still have three more years, I don't think it's right for you to feel attached to me. I hope you understand."
Ginny said softly, "It's ok."
Harry with surprise, "Really? It's ok."
Ginny continued now, "I've been thinking about us a lot this summer too. And I had a thing for you, but face it, you're my brother's best friend, my dorky brother's best friend. And the school thing. You know how Professor McGonagall likes her dances and now that she's in charge, she wants to have loads of dances. And…."
"And you have an eye one someone already." Harry inquired.
"Maybe, well yes. Timothy Botts from Hufflepuff. The first dance is just a month away." Ginny said.
Ginny and Harry were holding hands across the table when Arthur Weasley and a host of other from the Ministry of Magic came in the door. Ginny and Harry quickly separated.
"Harry, good to see you back with us. How are you? You remember Mr. Scimgeour, Mr. Figg, Mr. Shacklebolt , and the others from the Ministry security counsel."
"Yes, Sir." Harry answered his heart raced.
Mr. Weasley looked drawn under stress and spoke to Harry with a distant authority, not the fatherly way he had in the past. "Harry as you may have guessed the Ministry is extremely interested in your plans now that you're not returning to Hogwarts. As I'm sure you've noticed they've gone to great lengths to secure this house for your visit but this is only a temporary. The Ministry can't spare these people for long."
"I understand." Harry said and noticed that Ron and Hermione were back in the room.
"The Ministry feels it's a priority that you join them as soon as possible. The best chance we have against Voldemort is with you and the Ministry working together." Arthur said.
"I don't trust the ministry." Harry answered directly and the member whispered to each other. "Who says I can't make it on my own."
"That's a chance we can't take with you Harry." Mr. Weasley answered firmly. "Can you imagine the outcry is something happened to you and we had no one there to protect you? A lot of people still believe you're the chosen one. That you are the one with the power to stop Voldemort again."
Harry said under his breath, "They'll be surprised."
"What did you say?"
"They do?" Harry said.
Hermione said, "You give a lot of people hope."
Mr. Scrimegour stepped to the front of the group and said, "You know we can take you in by force but nobody here wants to do that. Do we have your cooperation?"
Harry thought for a moment about the Dark Forest. He had friends there, the centaurs. They had the power to protect him. They don't want to use him. He looked at the people from the Ministry and couldn't see a single one that wouldn't sacrifice him to Voldemort to save themselves. Even Mr. Weasley because he had a family to think about.
"Can I have till the morning?"Harry asked
"Of course" Mr. Scrmegour answered.
The group left. Harry put his head on the table and clasped his hands over it. His friends came near to comfort him.
Hermione said. "Harry, You did the right thing. You have to cooperate with them. Their here to help you and so are we."
Ron said, "Yeah, whatever the Ministry wants you to do for them remember we're there for you, like always right Harry?"
Harry raised his head and looked them in the eye and said, "Don't you understand? Everything we did before was playing stupid games compared to now. Dumbledore was there to protect us. DUMBLEDORE WAS THERE! And now he's dead. And I'm not going to anymore funerals, not YOURS, or YOURS, or YOURS!"
Harry pointed his finger in the face on each of them and left the room running upstairs. The rest of the evening pasted in a quiet tension. Harry heard muffled discussion below but he was too exhausted to try to listen in. He lay in bed and tried to quiet his mind. The Weasleys came in one by one and said good night and to see if he was ok. He said he was fine. The house went quiet but Harry didn't sleep. In the small hours of the night Harry pulled a cell phone from his pocket.
"Thank you Jake." Harry whispered to the boy who gave him the phone at Ashford House.
Harry thought it was funny how Wizards could over look common muggle devices. He opened it and saw Chloe's number and smiled. He slipped silently from his bed and went to a window he had left open. He climbed out on the porch roof.
Chloe answered brightly. "Hi Harry, How are you?"
"Good." Harry said "Sorry, I have to be quiet."
"That's ok." Chloe said.
"Did you see her?"
Chloe spoke in a clear voice, "I did, Harry she seems nice. REAL Nice."
Harry said, "I'm glad to hear it."
"We spoke for a long time. She's worried about you. They both are. But you don't need to worry. They're going to take care of you. You know I can spot good people right off."
"I know" Harry said wished he could climb into the phone. "Have you been practicing?"
"Of course, What do you think? I could do it in me sleep. SHHHHEEEESHH."
Harry smiled again.
Chloe continued, "Oh by the way, my parents say thank you."
"Tell them they're very welcome." Harry said. Well, wait for her call. I'll probably be seeing you in a couple days. Don't worry everything is set."
"Oh, I'm not." Chloe said brightly.
"I should go." Harry said.
"I could talk all night."
"I know, but I'll see you soon."
"OK, see ya Harry."
Harry closed the phone.