I do NOT own HP or any other characters from the story. They are entirely JK Rowling's genius and I am simply borrowing them.
Author's Note: I just wanted to thank all the people who have reviewed my story so far. I know it takes a certain amount of commitment to invest time into a story, even one that is so far pretty short. It especially takes time to submit reviews, and they are much appreciated. I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story. I have to say that this is probably my favorite chapter so far. :)
Chapter Six: Of Laughter and Tears
On Wednesday of the following week, Harry, Ron, and Hermione packed their things for a few days' stay at the Burrow. Lots of wedding festivities were awaiting them in the next couple of days, but today was to be the calm before the storm. As they arrived, though, and saw the chaos that encompassed the Weasley home, Harry doubted there would be much calm. He and Ron moved into the old room underneath the ghoul along with Charlie, while Fred and George moved back into their old room with Bill. Ginny, Hermione, and Fleur, along with her sister Gabrielle, who hadn't yet arrived, would be crammed into one room together. Harry suspected that the room had had some magical alteration, like the room at Privet Drive, to make it more accommodating to the three girls. The other room in the house, besides Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's, was given to Tonks and Remus, who had at first objected to taking up space in the cramped house, but had eventually given in because of the convenience to the wedding plans.
Despite the messy arrivals of the houseguests, all the friends were able to make the most of being back together again. In fact, things settled down fairly rapidly, and pretty soon only Mrs. Weasley was left running around frantically. The others gathered in the comfortable living room for games of chess and exploding snap. Eventually, the warm outdoors beckoned, so most of the group trooped out to play Quidditch. Tonks, Remus, and Gabrielle hadn't yet arrived, Fleur just wanted to watch, and Hermione only consented to play because if she didn't the game would be uneven.
Harry and Charlie, would, of course, play opposing seekers, while the beating skills of Fred and George were split in two. Joining Harry and Fred were Ron as Keeper and Hermione as Chaser. On the other team with Charlie and George were Bill as Keeper and Ginny as Chaser. All in all, the talent was pretty even on both sides, especially with the amended rule that in addition to their regular duties, the seekers and beaters could also try to score. This helped poor Hermione out tremendously. She could throw straight, but was quite afraid of flying faster than she needed. Paired alone against Ginny, she wouldn't have a chance in the world.
As could be imagined, the game grew rowdy. With no referee and only Fleur spectating, the plays only got rougher and rougher. When anything came into question, Fleur quickly sided with Bill's team. Still, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione managed to keep it mostly friendly. Everyone was, for the most part, at least encouraging to their teammates. Actually, Ron was so encouraging of Hermione's feeble attempts it was almost sickening. Even so, Hermione seemed to gain her confidence by it bit by bit, and by the end of the game she even scored a couple of times. To Bill's credit as the defending Keeper, he had never played on the House team, and he was at the times of Hermione's goals being heavily distracted by Fleur blowing him kisses from the ground.
The game was decently close a couple of hours later, with Ginny's scoring ability bringing her team to a small lead. When Harry and Charlie saw the snitch and made dives for it, the game was still quite up for grabs. Charlie was closer, but Harry had a much faster broom. When he snagged the snitch a half-second before Charlie, both sides cheered. When they alighted back on the ground, the seekers shook hands, and Charlie patted Harry on the back.
Meanwhile, George and Ginny, who were still up in the air, were secretly conversing. George finally handed Ginny his beating club and the struggling bludger he had caught. Covertly, Ginny took aim, and sent the wriggly ball straight at Harry's backside. When it collided, Harry was caught unawares and sent flying. He quickly regained his footing, and then turned around with his wand facing the perpetrator. Clearly, he thought he was being attacked by something more sinister than a 5 foot 3 inch young lady with flaming red hair. It was a likely presumption considering the times. When he figured out it had been Ginny who landed him sprawling, he lowered his wand.
"What the hell was that for?" he yelled.
"Oh, I don't know, I thought I'd let you know you're being an ass," responded Ginny coolly. She had now landed and was gazing intently at her fingernails. When the others realized what happened and had guessed what was about to, they slunk away into the house for refreshments. Hermione was looking back at Harry and Ginny anxiously, while Ron ushered her away, muttering, "Isn't this what we wanted?"
Harry asked, "Why, exactly, am I being an ass?"
"I should think that's quite obvious," retorted Ginny, her anger flaring up temporarily. She gathered herself, and then said calmly, "You should not have broken up with me, Harry. You were happy with me, for the first time in a long time, and you can't seem to allow yourself that…"
"Ginny, you know I can't just let myself be with you when I have a murderer to track down. There's so much you don't know…that I can't tell you, because if I did you would be even more of a target than you already are, for going out with me just that short time. I wish it had been longer, but there's just too much I have to do now, alone."
"Ron and Hermione are with you!"
"Yeah, well, I can't really stop them, can I? They've been with me the whole time. Plus, they're of age—I can't get anyone else to stop them, either."
"Oh, that hurts Harry! Haven't I supported you, too? I've loved you the longest time, and beyond that, I've helped you. I was there in the Department of Mysteries, Harry, and I was useful! Besides that, do you think I'm not just as capable as Ron and Hermione to join you in this—whatever you're doing—and just as stubborn, if not more? Let me go with you, I want to help." By the end of this, Ginny had tears rolling down her face. Her anger was mostly dissolved, but now she was feeling hurt and love and compassion all at once.
"Ginny," Harry said quietly and intensely, "You don't know what you're asking. There are things I have to do now, outside Hogwarts. Dangerous things. Ron and Hermione know, and have committed themselves to helping me, but I can't endanger you in that way. I—I love you too much."
Ginny placed a hand on either side of Harry's face, and looked intently into his emerald eyes with her caramel-colored ones. "Harry, what you just said means so much to me, and I know it was hard. Because I love you, too, I can't let us go on like this. You need to tell me what is going on, and you need to trust that I will stand by you."
"Oh, Ginny," Harry sighed. "I know you're right. I suppose this is what Dumbledore was trying to tell me in his will. Ron and Hermione, too. It's just so hard, but I'll tell you." He looked straight into her eyes with tears in his own at the thought of what he was going to do to her innocence by telling her everything. But then, she wasn't so innocent after all. As she had said over a year ago, who else among his friends also knew what it was like to be around Voldemort, inside his mind, possessed?
With these thoughts in his mind, he resolved not to soften the facts. Now was her chance to desert him, if she wanted.
He began his story. "The first thing you need to know is that I know what was contained in that prophecy Voldemort was after in the Ministry—the one that smashed." At her look of questioning, he explained, "The person to whom it was told, Dumbledore, was able to repeat it to me. We don't believe that Voldemort knows its full contents; we just know that hearing part of it is what made him come after me as a baby. It could be disastrous if Voldemort were to hear the whole thing. That's why I've told so few people. Dumbledore allowed me to tell Ron and Hermione last year, but now he's told me in his will to tell a few other people: Professor McGonagall, your parents, and you. I wanted to ignore his wishes and not tell you, but it seems now that I should."
"So what does it say?" Ginny asked, trying not to sound too pushy.
"Well, I think it would be best to show you. Accio pensieve! The silver bowl came out of Ron's window on the top floor and floated down to the couple, who were now sitting in the middle of the field where they had played Quidditch. Using his wand to prod the silvery substance in the bowl, Harry brought the memory of Trelawney telling the prophecy to life once more. As Ginny listened and watched, the look of intrigue on her face sunk into a frown.
When the memory had faded, she looked at Harry with a brow lifted quizzically. "So all this 'Chosen One' rubbish is true?" she inquired. "Not that it was such a brilliant thought or anything. It has always been pretty obvious that you're the one to do Voldemort in…"
"Has it, really?" asked Harry, "Because I was under the impression that I've always been running for my life when I meet dear old Tom. Still, this prophecy does seem to indicate that it has to be me if anyone. Dumbledore did make it clear, though, that I don't have to fulfill the prophecy and go after Voldemort. It will only be fulfilled because I choose to seek him of my own will, not Fate's."
"Okay, so what is our course of action?" asked Ginny.
"Here's where the next, and most frightening part comes in. This isn't very pleasant, but you wanted to know…"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, over the years, Voldemort has attempted to find ways to make himself immortal. Through a large bit of research, Dumbledore found out how he was doing this." He hesitated. "To make a long story short, he's been splitting his soul and putting the pieces into objects of value to him, so that if he is ever defeated, like when I was a baby, he has the power to come back." Ginny gasped. "These objects are called horcruxes, and they're only made by committing the worst Dark Magic, by killing. Ginny, the diary was a horcrux, and Voldemort was using you to regain that bit of his soul."
"But that was destroyed, wasn't it?" she asked, trembling.
"Yes," he reassured her, taking her hands. "I destroyed that horcrux, one piece of his soul, with the basilisk's fang. But Ginny, there are more of them out there. It was Dumbledore's guess—a well educated one—that Voldemort's goal would be to have his soul split into seven pieces. Meaning that besides the piece inside him, there would be six horcruxes. I got rid of one, and so did Dumbledore. On the night he died, we were going after another one. We found what we thought was a horcrux, but it wasn't until after Dumbledore died that I realized it was a fake. Someone else got to it before us. So, we still need to find it, plus three others and Voldemort himself."
"Whew," said Ginny. "That's quite a burden, Harry. But I want you to know that hearing this, especially the part about the diary, has made me even more determined to help you." Harry sighed, but had to resign himself. "I know you're concerned about my safety, but I can take care of myself. Even if I fail, I know I can count on you. I'm safer with you than not, Harry, and that is the truth. You are getting stronger every day; it's pretty obvious. Voldemort really doesn't know who he's up against. But wait, maybe he does, that's why he's so scared of you." Harry had to grin at this.
"But I'm curious about one thing," Ginny continued. "The prophecy mentioned that you 'have a power the Dark Lord knows not.' What is that, do you think?"
"Seriously? It's rather simple," Harry replied casually. Then, with a fierce look, he told her, "Love." With that, he closed the space between them, kissing her hard.
Some while later, Harry pulled away. "Ginny, we need to stop."
"Why?" she groaned, "We're having such fun!" She grinned up at him from the ground, where her red hair was spread out around her with bits of grass stuck in it.
"Well, considering we're within full sight of your house, wherein reside five of your six brothers, I don't think it is such a good idea to keep going with this. As much as I'd like to, of course." He grinned down at her, and she reached up and tousled his already messy hair.
"Oh, I suppose you're right," she groaned, trying to get out from underneath his arms. "Come on, help me up. We'll have to continue this later."
After a quick grooming session, they walked back into the house hand in hand. For some reason, their entrance was greeted by cheers. Hermione rushed over to tell them how happy she was that they had gotten back together, Fred and George clapped him on the back, and Ron said in a choky sort of voice that he was glad. Through all this, Harry and Ginny glanced at each other as if thinking, were they watching us or something?
