It wasn't just in the weather Hermione thought. People were more careful quieter even weird.
She was standing near the so called Weaslake it was a small lake near the Burrow and the Weasley brothers called it that way .I was a funny name Hermione thought .The strong gale was blowing into her face and the sky was a strange colour of red and yellow from the sun…It frightened her, she never saw such a sky .Sometimes when she looked at it she though that sky could see her and hear her thoughts and it mocked her .Sometimes she was afraid of going somewhere without Harry or Ron .And she was glad that she was spending this last days of summer holidays with them in the Burrow but on the other hand she didn't want to leave her parents, not now ,not in these times. But she had no choice her parents wanted her to go to the Burrow it was a safe place…No one has any choice now. She looked down on the ground and saw something small and round something like a necklace laying on the ground covered with mud and grass she was about to pick it up when a familiar voice interrupted her.
"Hermione here you are! We've been looking for you"-It was Harry he smiled at her like he always did and walked slowly towards her.-"What are you doing here all alone?"
"Just thinking"-she replied truthfully.
They were now standing beside one each other .It was somewhat soothing for Hermione to be near Harry she always felt safe and "herself" near him.
"Well I hope I haven't interrupted you"-he looked sorry.
"No!"-she said quickly.-"No I am done now"-and smiled up to him just to reassure him.
He smiled back. And took her hand in his.
"If you are done then would you like to accompany me to the Burrow everyone's waiting for us its dinner time."
"Already? How time slips by quickly these days"-she frowned looking up to the sky.
"Well time is a tricky thing"
And with that said she let him walk her back to the Burrow back to her friends. She was glad that she doesn't need to think about cruel reality for now doesn't need to watch the strange and somewhat frightening weather .She was happy that Harry came for her and saved her from these things like he always does even if it is just for a while.
Ginny was very nervous not just because of the weather ,the people, the upcoming school year, horrible things that were happening around her ,the tension in the house .But mostly because of her life, it was falling apart she sometimes thought. And no one sees it except me.
She was sitting in the kitchen waiting for dinner her mother was preparing dinner ,she was nearly done. Fred and George were talking about their shop. The war's began and they're talking about their shop?
Its nothing compared to what've you done. Her mind told her and she sulked deeper into her chair .She was in the very bad mood these past days and to her relief no one noticed.
But sooner or latter they will.
They won't.
You know they will and they will…
Hate me?
Worse…
What could be worse than that?
You will find out…
"Ginny stop doing these strange faces it looks scary"- Ron was sitting opposite of her and had a big familiar smile on his face.
It took Ginny a minute to realize that she was caught up in her so called "mind war" where you just can't win. If I continue with this I will surely go insane .She suppressed a fake smile and looked at her favorite brother and said: "Sorry I didn't want to scary little Ronikins"
"You didn't scary me !It was just-
But he was interrupted by the kitchen door opening and Ginny saw Harry and Hermione walk in together, just before they walked in Ginny noticed that they abruptly stopped holding hands.
Ginny didn't much pay attention to this, after all she had loads of things on her mind for now.
"We are here!"-Hermione said and took a place near Ginny.
After everyone was seatedMrs Weasley served her delicious dinner .Harry and Ron talked about Quidditch Ginny also participated in the conversation as she didn't want to look suspicious Hermione talked with Professor Lupin about the upcoming school year and how is it all going to work when so many students left school ,Molly talked with Tonks about the news of Albus Dumbledore teaching this school year ,Bill was here also for what Ginny was glad after all he spent so much time with his wife Fleur ,Fleur and Ginny were now getting along together and Ginny saw that Fleur wasn't so bad as she thought to be.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Yes I can see it now.
Harry was happy even if he knew that it wasn't the best time for happiness he couldn't help it. He was here in the Burrow with his family laughing and eating and not think for the first time in his life about tomorrow .Its bad that I am happy this wont last any longer its always like this .Every time I am happy it ends badly..
He couldn't get this thought out of his head.
Maybe this time it will be different?
"But how can you be so sure that this year there will be students willing to go to school? How will it work with all that is happening outside the school?"-Hermione asked Lupin and as Harry could see everyone stopped talking as this was an interesting subject to discuss ,Harry was interested too.
Everyone looked at Lupin and he smiled.
"You are a very smart witch Hermione you know that?"-Hermione blushed and Harry smiled at that.-"Everything that is happening is exactly happening outside the school Hermione just as you said .So we hope that it wont have any influence on the people inside the school.Yes times are difficult now with many attacks on muggles and wizards and with You-Know-Who getting stronger .But as Albus said school is a safe place for everyone. He talked to many parents this year and convinced many of them to let their children go back to school. He alone will be also teaching this year at Hogwarts."
"But how will it all work ?Last year it was a total chaos between houses !Many children went to join Him!"-Harry could see that Hermione wasn't giving up.
"We don't know for sure about that Hermione, we cant just jump to conclusions about a thing so serious like this."
"But everyone knows it true !All the Slytherin's joined their fathers !And now they are killing some innocent people during summer just for fun and then in September you will just let them go to school! You surely can't name that a safe place after that!"-Ron exclaimed.
"Ron don't talk like that!"-Molly intervened.
"No Molly its alright ,Its good to know what all the kids think about this issue "- Lupin said-"And I think you are not right on this Ronald, just because you as a Griffindor don't like a Slytherin doesn't mean that they are all Death eaters they have a chance just like you to go normally to school ,after all you do not know them ,do you?"
"I know that the are horrible slimy Deatheaters! Just look at Malfoy!"
Harry saw that Ginny looked up from her cup of tea at Ron with a somewhat startled expression. Poor Ginny still can't get over her experience in her first year .Harry thought.
"As for Malfoy that's a different story we know his father is a horrible person but we don't know about him ,do we now?"-at this Ron snorted and looked at Harry who smiled at him with a knowing smile. "And I heard that he will be attending school this year."
"Of course after he killed off the whole muggle street now he can safely go back to school can't he?"-George said.
Lupin ignored this.
"Professor and what about the fact that the Slytherins left the school just in the time He gained his powers ,what about the fact that they were proud of him and didn't denied their loyalty to Him."-Hermione asked somewhat hesitantly.
"Hermione we cant intervene in their life's, they didn't threaten anyone, didn't tried to kill anyone,(Harry heard Ron add "yet")didn't do anything illegal so we just cant go to Ministry and claim that there are Deatheaters at school, after all those people will soon become a grown-ups just like you are ,most of them are Seventh Years aren't they?" Hermione and Ron nodded. "Do not think that we didn't ask them why they left but they may be spoiled and cruel but they aren't stupid the had a good reasons why they left school and I am not stupid either I know that a big half of them was lying ,but how can I prove it?"
Nobody said anything after that. Lupin had a point and Harry knew it even Ron saw it.
After a moment of silence Ginny stood up, picked her plate and said that she was going to wash her dishes and head to her bed room, she must start preparing for school and write a letter to her friend.
"Oh I will go with you Ginny"-Hermione said standing up she took her plates too and washed them and walked to their bedroom as Hermione was sleeping in Ginny's bedroom.
Everyone started saying their farewells Bill took off along with Tonks and Lupin promising that they will come visit them these days again when Arthur is at home .Fred and George went upstairs Mrs Weasley went to wash the other dishes.
Just Harry and Ron sat beside each other in the silence lost in their thoughts in their own little words were one was a professional Quidditch player ,had tons of friends ,was very popular with girls just as the other was saving the world from the psychopath, saving his friends lives, killing the psychopath and hoping for some kind of reward at the end. Just two ordinary boys in the ordinary house living anything but not ordinary lives.
Hermione was sitting on Ginny's bed watching the girl silently, Ginny was sitting in the chair and writing a letter on her desk .From the expression on her face Hermione could see that Ginny was very concentrated she was biting her lower lip her eyes were narrowed a little bit her red hair falling in her eyes but she didn't mind, it looked as if she didn't see Hermione at all as if she was in her own world where only she and her letter mattered.
What could be that important for Ginny to tell Luna?
Hermione knew that Ginny and Luna Lovegood became close friends during this past two years Luna was a nice and a little bit weird girl Hermione thought but she liked her. She noticed that these past few weeks Ginny sent loads of letters to Luna and only once
she responded that's when Hermione picked it up. But Ginny claims that Luna answers her letters always just no one sees the letters arrive. She watched as Ginny stuffed the letter in the envelope wrote something quickly on it and came closer to her little owl and whispered something in the ear of the bird the bird looked at her intently and then took off.
Hermione wanted badly to ask her what was the letter about but she thought better of it. Ginny came back to the bed and sat near her neither of girls speaking .Hermione broke the silence.
"Are you eager to go back to school?"
Ginny hesitated a moment and then looked up at the older girl.
"I don't know It will be all so different"
Hermione had nothing to say to this. She is right it will be different.
"This year will be your last one: no more classes, no more teachers , no more detentions, no more house points…"- Hermione saw the sad look on Ginny's face and it saddened her too. She never thought about it .Those school years past quickly for her ,Harry and Ron. No year was ordinary in their lives nothing was ordinary .Will this upcoming year be the same, interesting ,adventurous, like the previous ones or will it be just…normal ?For them school was never boring. Harry and Ron never read half of the books the other's had because there waa no time for it there was mystery to be solved ,evil to fought…Will such things continue to happen after school l?she thought. Do I want them to happen?
"Well Ginny you will have school for yourself after we finish" Hermione tried to smile but failed miserably.
"To tell you the truth I never even knew my classmates properly I knew your friends your classmates I always considered myself one of your little group but I never was…"
Even if Hermione agreed with that she say the distant look in Ginny's eyes and wanted somehow to assure her that it wasn't true. Hermione saw that Ginny always tried to be one of them ,one of their so called team: herself, Harry and Ron but she was always known just as Ron's little sister or the Girl- Who- Brought- Him- Back.
"Ginny you know that we love you and even if it wasn't…"
"I know Hermione It doesn't matter anymore… really"
After that silence erupted before them Hermione went for a book to read Ginny just went over to the window where the bird some hours ago took off and stood there for a long time .Hermione couldn't quite clearly concentrate on her book she often stopped her reading and glanced at Ginny she wondered what the girl was thinking about. Maybe she is sad because it's our final year? Maybe she is scared of the approaching war ?Maybe she is scared for Harry?
But It wasn't Harry she was scared for.
"But they are so young Albus!"-Minerva McGonagall cried.
It was a dim litted room only one candle was shining in it's full glory. Minerva McGonagall was seated opposite of the most powerfull wizard in the whole wizarding world Albus Dumbledore .She had her long pointed hat on so that her face was fully hidden .Remus Lupin was seated next to her.He was looking out of the window it was a long cold night .In the pure darkness of the room only long silver beard of Albus Dumbledore was visible.
"So is Harry, Minerva. And look what has he accomplished? How many times has he faced Voldemort? How many times has he proved his loyalty his bravery his kind heart ?How many times will he suffer?"-he spoke calmly.
"I know that Albus . But this is …different."
"How so?"
"They must obey, kill ,hate ,die for His cause…"
"But that is their decision"- Remus said not looking away from the window.
"I do not agree with you Remus on that ,sometimes fate makes us do things that we do not wish to do ,you of all people should know that."-he looked pointedly at Remus.
Minerva saw how Remus tensed and she gave out a little sight. How did it all come to this?
"So you will ignore it all ?Just let them be ?Even if you know how very very dangerous they could be"
"For now, yes…"
Minerva shivered as the candle was blown out and the darkness swallowed her, the little room and the new day erupted before them.