A/N: Hi! Most of you figured out who the visitor is. Those of you who didn't, don't feel bad. Not everyone is as barking mad as I am and have not gone through HBP with a fine-toothed comb. So…onto Chapter Eighteen. Wow! Can't believe you guys are still with me after thirteen chapters of The Wedding and now Eighteen Chapters of Life Goes On. You guys really are unique individuals. I love you! In all seriousness. This is all that keeps me anchored sometimes, and I greatly appreciate every review and e-mail I receive. Emotional stuff aside, read on!

"Ginny," Harry breathed.

"Huh?" Ron said, craning his neck to see past Hermione, "How can you tell?"

Harry could not think clearly enough to tell Ron that he could smell Ginny. Even if he had been thinking clearly, he probably would not have told Ron that he could smell hi s best friend's sister. It would sound a bit creepy. Instead, Harry ignored Ron. He was fighting two polar reactions. He wanted to run to her and hold her forever. But he also wanted to shove her back out the door and personally take her to a cell where she would be imprisoned until Harry could come back for her himself. He knew that short of chaining her to a wall with no wand, she would follow. He had known she would. And yet, he had pretended to believe that when she had so calmly said goodbye that was really it.

"Right," Harry snorted. He moved past a confused Ron and into the entry hall. Hermione turned to him, still locking Ginny from view with her body.

"Now, Harry," she said nervously, "Don't get upset."

"Hermione," came a voice from behind her, "You don't have to run interference. I can handle it."

Hermione looked at Harry with a certain amount of anxiety, but she nodded and moved away to reveal the small, redheaded form of Ginny Weasley. Harry sighed and gave in to his first instinct. He reached out and pulled her to him. Holding Ginny tightly, he smelled the same flowery scent in her hair. He would need explanations, and he would try to reason with the stubborn girl that he loved, but right now, he only wanted to hold her.

"Harry, I-" Ginny began in a firm voice.

"Shhh, we'll talk about it later," Harry said, pulling back and holding Ginny by the shoulders, "And we will have a serious talk, Ginny. You can't be here-No," he stopped himself and Ginny as she opened her mouth, "We'll do this later. Right now, let's just have dinner."

And he pulled her to him for a kiss. He really didn't care that Hermione and her mother were sighing wistfully in the kitchen as they watched or that Mr. Granger was chuckling under his breath from the table or that Ron was scratching his head, looking in the opposite direction with a determined air of distraction.

Harry took Ginny into the kitchen, her small, warm hand in his. He gave Hermione a look and whispered, "You knew about this?"

Hermione was no longer nervous, she smiled smugly and said, "I did, yes."

Harry glared, and Hermione proceeded to take Ginny's other hand and lead her away from Harry to introduce Ginny to her parents.

"Harry, what are we going to do?" Ron asked, "Ginny can't come with us."

"Yeah," Harry sighed, "But you've said it yourself, she won't really take that information well."

"I know. She's a lot like Mum," Ron said, "But we'll just have to get through to her. I'm sure Mum doesn't know she's here. Or if she does, she doesn't like it."

"We'll figure it all out after dinner. There's no way she's coming with us. She can't even Apparate," Harry said, warming up to his argument, "Yeah, it wouldn't be practical. She's not of age."

Harry heard a chuckle from behind his back, which he had turned to the Grangers and Ginny so that he and Ron could talk. He whipped around to find Mr. Granger laughing at him and Ron.

"Ah, so young, you two are," he said through his laughter, "You see, women don't often take 'no' for an answer if it's not what they want to hear. And that one," he nodded towards Ginny, "is probably worse than our Hermione, if that's possible. There's a set to her jaw that says she's not gonna hear anything she doesn't want to hear. But you'll have to learn that for yourself. Anyway, we're about to eat."

Harry and Ron looked at one another as Mr. Granger walked to the table.

"No," Ron said, "We'll figure a way to make her stay."

Harry nodded, "Let's not bring it up at dinner, though."

"Right," Ron said, and he and Harry took seats at the table.

Harry sat next to Ginny across from Hermione and Ron. They spoke only of simple things, such as how the Weasleys were doing, the difficult task of the inevitable weddings coming up, and what the group would like to do in the future. That discussion was a bit depressing to Harry, who thought that perhaps he might not ever be able to achieve his dream of becoming an Auror. He felt the tension around the table as well. He knew none of them were certain of the future at all. After dinner, they thanked the Grangers for the meal and headed to the den. Ron and Harry shared a look that said clearly, "Ginny will have a future."

Harry collapsed into the chair, Ron and Hermione snuggled up on the sofa and Ginny sat down on the arm of Harry's chair.

"Is there a point in telling you not to start this argument?" Ginny was the first to speak.

"No," Harry said, "but first, how about you tell us how you came to be here? Hermione can probably help fill in the blanks. You knew all along, then?"

"Leave her out of it," Ginny said calmly, "I would have come anyway. You know that."

"I knew, but I tried to believe that you would stay put," Harry said.

"It's amazing what you start to believe if you tell yourself often enough that it's true. Well, I suppose it would interest you to know that in addition to bringing myself here, I also come bearing information. Here's what happened. I was walking through the hall one day and Cormac McLaggen—who was there to retake the exams, and hadn't left yet—was bothering me about where Hermione was. Then he started in on Ron, and I jut got so annoyed that somehow, I don't really know why, he got hit with a particularly bad Bat-Bogey hex. For some reason, Professor McGonagall called me to her office for it."

"Yeah, because those hexes aren't your signature or anything. You must have been so offended, being innocent and all," Ron said sarcastically.

Ginny ignored him and continued, "I got to the office, and McGonagall wasn't there, but Dumbledore was awake in his portrait and he took one look at me and sighed.

'Ah,' he said, 'Harry has left you behind. He has not learned. You plan to follow him, don't you Ms. Weasley?' And, of course, I was, so I said so. And he nodded saying,

'I had thought he might make this error. Ms. Weasley, it is imperative that you join Harry. He will need you now more than ever.'

And I told him, 'I know that. It's Harry who hasn't figured it out just yet.'

And he laughed saying, 'Our minds tend to cloud logic when the people we love are in danger. Ms. Weasley, I can no longer tell you what to do, or how to go about things, but know this: everything Harry needs to find the locket is in the letter. He'll know what that means.'

Then McGonagall came in and looked at Dumbledore and then looked at me and said, 'Honestly, Albus, I am going to have no one left at this school if you keep sending them off to join Mr. Potter.'

Dumbledore laughed and said, 'Minerva, I do not wish to rid this school of students. I am only attempting to put people where they belong. Ms. Weasley belongs with Harry, and so she already knew.'

'Professor,' I told her, 'It isn't Professor Dumbledore's doing; I was planning on joining Harry at any rate.'

McGonagall sighed and looked me in the eye saying, 'I suppose there is no way to talk you out of this, Ms. Weasley? No, I didn't think so. What about Molly? Have you written to your mother? Of course not, you'd want to wait until just before you leave so that she would not be able to object, wouldn't you?'

I swear, she wouldn't let me get a word in! Before I knew it, she was writing to Mum, saying that on Dumbledore's advice I was off to join you lot. Then she practically shoved me out the door and Dumbledore told me just as I was leaving,

'Do remember to stop and see Hagrid before you leave Ms. Weasley.' This seemed odd to me, but I said that I would, and—given no other choice—I went to pack. I was already nearly done as I'd planned to take the Knight Bus and find you tomorrow. After I'd packed, I sent an owl to Hermione telling her everything that had happened. I couldn't wait for a return owl to go to see Hagrid. I thought that I'd say my goodbyes and then I'd see if Hermione had written me back. So I went down there. I knocked on Hagrid's door, he took one look at me and said,

'Off on an adventure are ye? I s'pose ye'll be joinin' Harry, will ye? I gotta say, I'm right upset those three didn't come round an' say 'bye. Not so much as a 'See ye soon'. Right disappointin'! Ye tell 'em when you get there will ye? Come with me.'

Clearly no one wanted to hear me speak, so I followed Hagrid without talking. We got to the edge of the forest, and Hagrid pulled a disgusting bleeding ferret carcass out of a bag he was holding. I told him that that was the most revolting thing I had ever seen, and he just laughed and pulled out three more.

'Wot's revoltin' to ye, is a feast to them,' he said. And I asked what he was talking about. He pointed and there were four thestrals at the edge of the forest. I asked him what they were there for, and he said they were for us. He told me that I was to whisper in the ear of the three I wasn't riding where we were headed, and they would be here when I arrived. He told me to go up and get my things, that he'd wait with the fourth thestral. So I got my trunk and I came straight back down. It was getting dark at that point, but the owl I'd sent to Hermione's had come back. She'd said that, of course I could come, she gave me the address because she thought I'd be taking the Knight Bus, and so I was ready to go. As I was leaving, Hagrid gave me a bone-crunching hug and said that these thestrals could find any location in the world, that it was a sight easier than Apparating and—for me, flying or taking the Knight Bus—so, I left. Hagrid's pretty angry with you lot for not saying goodbye."

Ginny finished her tale, and Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who were obviously trying to take in all that Ginny had said, and looked guilty for not having said goodbye to Hagrid. Harry stood up from his chair, and walked to the window.

"Yeah," Harry said suddenly, "There are thestrals down there. No use in you two getting up," he said to Ron and Hermione, "You can't see them."

"I can't believe we forgot to say goodbye to Hagrid!" Hermione looked distraught.

"We'll see him again," Harry said with a confidence he didn't feel.

"This trail is bound to lead back to Hogwarts at some point," Ginny said, "I can feel it."

"Right, well, Ginny, I know you have transportation and all, but surely your mother's not going to be thrilled with you coming with us," Harry said.

"Yeah, Ginny," Ron said, "You're not going, and that's that."

"Honestly, Ron, you're not my keeper. You have no say!" Ginny said, flaring up for what Harry recognized as a really good fight.

"Ginny, Ron's just looking out for you," Harry started.

"He should look out for himself," Ginny raged.

"And I'm looking out for you too," Harry continued as though Ginny had not spoken, "It isn't safe. You should stay at Hogwarts."

"Surely you're not arguing that I am less capable than you lot," Ginny said, "Well, maybe less than you and Hermione, but c'mon!"

"Hey!" Ron said, picking up on the insult.

"Ginny, that's not what I'm saying. I just want to know you're safe. I can't be looking after you when I'm fighting Voldemort."

"Oh, but meanwhile, the other fear—completely unfounded, by the way—is that Voldemort will kill me to get to you; use me as bait. But, wait, he's already done that. So, what're going to do Harry? At Hogwarts, he could get to me. He has before. And with you, I'd be a distraction. While in any other light, being a distraction to you would possibly have been flattering, but right now is not working to my advantage. Either way, Harry, you have a problem. Because either way, I'm left open to danger. Either way, I could get hurt. For that matter, I could walk out in the street and get hit by the Knight Bus, so if we want to weigh it that way. My point is that your argument is rubbish. My safety's on the line in any situation. Next argument, please," Ginny said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I, well, you just can't…Ginny, I don't want you" Harry floundered. Her safety was his last defense. Her not being of age was not going to be a problem and now that they could all use magic outside of school, that wasn't an issue. She was right, she was in danger wherever she went, so it was not a good point to argue.

"But you're my little sister!" Ron said angrily, "There's an argument for you. I should have a say in this!"

"Ron, I have been more mature than you since I was six. Please tell me you have something better than the 'Big Brother' card to play."

"You're a girl!" he blurted out, and winced, as though immediately realizing his mistake. Hermione took one look at Ginny and said,

"OH, yes, Ron. Very good. Now what, pray tell, would you call me, then?" Hermione said in angry tones.

"That's not what I meant, I only wanted to…never mind," Ron slumped down in his seat, clearly regretting that he had said anything at all.

"Harry, it boils down to this," Ginny said quietly, coming up behind Harry, who was turned back towards the window.

She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back.

"I love you, Harry. If I was in this situation, if I needed to go on this…mission, what would you do if I told you to stay put?"

"I'd follow you. I wouldn't take no for an answer," Harry sighed, resigned.

"Actually, I think you might take it upon yourself to do it for me," Ginny chuckled, "But Harry, I know this is something you have to do. I'm only asking you to let me help you. Please realize that I'm here. You see me, Harry, but you don't really see me. I'm here for you."

Harry turned around, Ginny's arms still around his waist. He looked down at her, really looked, and he kissed her.

"I know. I'm sorry I never realized it before. I would grant you permission to come with us, but I know you don't need it. You'd come with us no matter what I said."

"Oh, he learns fast," Ginny smiled.

"Now, what is this," Harry said, moving back to the chair and putting Ginny in his lap, "about a letter?"

A/N: Ok, moving right along. I hope you liked the chapter. Please read and review! Please! And, just a reminder, cuz I haven't reminded you in a while. E-mail me anytime. My e-mail address is: Please review!