A/N: I absolutely promise you that I am now back to my normal rotation, with In the Days That Followed and Heart & Soul swapping places. Thankfully, I am back to a relatively normal routine, which has been helped by my children finally returning to school in person.

My thanks to Arnel as always, especially for a suggestion that was brilliant.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.

EDITED: 5/8/2021

"There's been a change in plans," Sirius said as Harry took a seat opposite him at the kitchen table. "Xenophilius has decided to push back publishing your interview until the New Year."

It had been close to two months since Harry had sat down with the editor of The Quibbler to tell him about what had happened to him in June. While they had never been given confirmation of when it would be published, Harry had thought it would be before Christmas, knowing that this was not a story Xenophilius Lovegood would want to delay putting in his publication.

"Why?" Harry asked as he helped himself to a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Two reasons," his dad began as Harry noticed a look of guilt on his dad's face. "Firstly, Xenophilius decided he wanted to add a little extra information to the article. He visited the graveyard to see if there was any evidence left behind which, thankfully, there was."

"Doesn't he believe me?" Harry questioned his dad, feeling deflated at the idea that even the man, who was constantly mocked for his outrageous ideas, may not believe him.

"He does, Harry," his dad confirmed. "However, even he recognises that the article may not be taken seriously by the public and he wanted to do everything he could to make it so that people would have a tough time refuting the truth."

Harry was surprised by the logic of his dad's words. He knew that Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister for Magic, had flat out refused to believe Dumbledore when he announced that Voldemort had returned and that had been with the bare minimum of evidence. He suspected Fudge, based on what he knew of the man, would continue to reject the truth unless he came face-to-face with the Dark wizard. However, providing the public with the truth, accompanied by undisputable evidence, would hopefully lead to an undeniable pressure on Fudge to do what was right.

"What was the second reason?" Harry asked, having accepted the first reason.

"I asked him to," Sirius said earnestly.

"You asked him to delay it? Why would you do that?" Harry responded angrily as he abruptly stood from his chair. "I know you were reluctant about me speaking out or appearing in public, but you agreed to let me do this! How am I going to be able to fulfil this stupid prophecy if you are always stepping in to protect me?"

Harry walked away, having no desire to listen to whatever excuse his dad for him delaying the article from being published.

"I wanted you to have a good Christmas," came the quiet response, causing Harry to freeze in his tracks.

"You know as well as I do that when that article comes out that you will lose so much of the privacy that we have been lucky enough to have all these years," Sirius continued when he felt like his son would not leave the room. "I won't be able to protect you from the ridicule you will receive from those who will no doubt refuse to believe you. The Ministry may request your presence to confirm the story and you know full well that Fudge will do anything he can to discredit you. So, I just wanted you to be able to enjoy the holidays without that hanging over your head."

Harry wanted to walk away and ignore what his dad had said, but he knew it was the truth. They had watched the headmaster of Hogwarts be ridiculed by the press and he now had the Ministry interfering at the school. The moment the interview became public, there was no chance of being able to escape the negativity that would surely come his way. He expected it would be far more severe and intense than what Dumbledore had received as it would be the first time he had spoken out and the public knew barely anything about him.

He also knew he had to consider Ginny. They had not even seen each other in person since they admitted their feelings for one another and shared their first kiss. He was looking forward to being able to spend actual time with her during the Christmas holidays and if everyone was clamouring for his attention, then their time together would become limited.

"I wish you had spoken to me before asking for the article to be delayed," Harry said, keeping his back turned.

"I'm sorry, Harry," his dad said earnestly. "I should have asked. Next time, I will ask."

"You're forgiven," he replied, turning back round to face his dad. "Only because I want to spend time with Ginny, and I know that might not happen if the article is released."

"Then I think this next piece of news will make you extremely happy. I spoke to the goblins at Gringotts about the wards and made sure I could make it happen, and it can, so I intend on having Minerva reveal the location of the house to Ginny. Once she comes over, I will add her to the wards. That means she won't need an invitation to come over to the house every time you want her to visit. Before you ask, I already have Molly and Arthur's permission to add her. Consider it an early Christmas present."

Sirius was relieved to see Harry go from threatening to walk out over an unwise decision he'd made to exceedingly happy over the news he'd just revealed. He knew the mood swing he had just witnessed was part of raising a teenager, but as Harry didn't seem to flip between a variety of moods, it still shocked him that it had happened. He knew both Remus and Minerva were surprised by how calm and clearheaded Harry was, especially given the fact that Sirius had been one to raise him. However, Sirius had taken his role as godfather fairly seriously, much more so when Harry had come into his custody. While he still liked to joke around and play pranks, he knew there was a time and a place for that sort of behaviour. Being the parent figure to Harry had forced him to mature and grow up.

"Thank you," Harry said as he came over and hugged Sirius tightly.

"You're very welcome. Now, have you sorted out a Christmas present for Ginny yet or do I need to take you shopping?"

HP&GW

"HARRY!"

His eyes shot open, which Harry at once regretted all thanks to the excruciating pain surrounding his scar. He could barely see through it as his hands came up to clutch his forehead. He tried to ignore the pain so he could make sense of the images he had just seen, but his body had other ideas. He rolled over, pushed away whoever it was that stood at the side of his bed, and immediately brought up the contents of his stomach.

"Harry?"

Harry took several deep breaths as he tried to calm himself, but he was unable to shake the urgency that had now replaced the pain. He needed to tell someone, anyone, what he had just seen.

"Mr Weasley… snake… bitten," he managed to gasp aloud. "Blood everywhere."

No immediate response came, just the sound of urgent whispering, quickly followed by footsteps.

"Remus is notifying the correct people," the voice of his dad came as Harry was handed a cold washcloth. "Calm yourself down as best as you can and then we can talk about what you saw."

Harry did as he was asked, wiping his face clean with the cloth before taking a drink from the glass of water that was offered to him. Only then did he manage to sit up in his bed and notice his dad sat at the other end with a worried look on his face.

"What happened, Harry?" his dad asked with concern. "I thought you had learnt to keep Voldemort out of your head."

"I have," Harry snapped in response with an anger that did not feel like his own.

"There's no need to snap at me, Harry," Sirius replied, holding his hands up in defence. "I just need to understand what happened that allowed you to see through the link between the pair of you."

Thinking back over his usual routine before bed, Harry realised his excitement over Ginny returning home from Hogwarts for the holidays had distracted him. As a result, he had forgotten to make sure his mental shields had been securely in place before he fell asleep. Even though he understood the importance of making sure Voldemort could not access his thoughts, Harry couldn't help but think what would have happened to Mr Weasley had he remembered to perform his Occlumency.

"I'm sorry," Harry replied earnestly, making sure to look his dad directly in the eye.

"I am not mad at you, Harry. I am not even going to complain about you having another one of your moments in Voldemort's mind as you have potentially just saved Arthur's life," his dad calmly told him, allowing Harry to relax just a little. "However, I am going to need to know exactly what you saw. Albus is going to want to know as it may bring him closer to understanding this connection."

"If I tell you, I won't have to speak to him, will I?"

"I hadn't planned on it. Why do you ask?" Sirius inquired, wondering why his son was so reluctant to speak to Dumbledore.

"I think he is doing everything in his power to avoid meeting with us," Harry confessed. He had not wanted to tell his dad what he suspected, but it had been hard to ignore the way the headmaster had barely met Harry's gaze when they had met with him after they had found the locket. "I also think he knows much more about this connection than he has actually told us."

Sirius had been thinking the same thing as his son, having struggled to even get a face-to-face meeting with the older wizard since the start of the new school year. However, the idea that he may just know something about Harry's scar was not news to Sirius. An idea had formed in his own mind after the discovery of the locket and its true nature, but he had pushed the thought aside, deciding it was something that could wait for the moment. There were other concerns that needed taking care of before he could even contemplate approaching the subject and what it could potentially mean for his son.

"Sorry to interrupt," Remus said as he entered Harry's bedroom without knocking, "but Dumbledore wants us to head over to Grimmauld Place. He intends on providing a Portkey for the four Weasleys to take them straight there tomorrow morning rather than having them take the Hogwarts Express."

"What about Mr Weasley?" Harry asked, desperate to know his girlfriend's father was alive.

"He was found quickly and taken to St. Mungo's," Remus answered. "He has lost a lot of blood, but he's alive and should make a full recovery."

Harry slumped back against his pillows in relief. He didn't think he would have been able to face Ginny if her dad had died. Then again, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to face her or any of the Weasleys. While he had yet to tell his dad exactly what he saw, he didn't think anyone would take it well if they knew he had seen the attack from the point of view of the snake. It made him feel dirty that he had not only seen the attack but had felt like he had been the one to bite Mr Weasley. He didn't understand how it was possible for him to see through the eyes of the snake, unless it was a Horcrux as they suspected.

A brief thought floated to the front of Harry's mind that made him visibly shudder. He quickly pushed the idea away, not wanting to believe it could be true. However, if it was, what would that mean for him personally?

"Harry?"

Harry looked up to find his dad once again looking at him with concern.

"Were you even listening to a word I said?"

"Sorry," he simply replied, knowing they would be returning to the subject of what he saw at a later point.

"Pack an overnight bag. If it turns out that we are staying longer, then I will come back and get what we need."

He watched as his dad and uncle left his bedroom. While he knew he needed to clean up and change before he packed the bare essentials, Harry took a few minutes to sort out his thoughts. He could admit that the vision had scared him and made him more fearful of the connection between him and Voldemort. He was, however, now worried about how his dad, uncle and girlfriend would react to him when they discovered the full extent of what he saw. Would they reject him? He didn't think they would, but none of them had been in this situation before.

"HARRY! Hurry up!" the voice of his dad came from downstairs. "The Weasleys will be coming sooner than expected. We need to get to Grimmauld Place in the next few minutes."

With a sigh, Harry stood and began sorting out what he needed.

HP&GW

Ginny followed Professor McGonagall through the castle, annoyed at having her sleep disrupted. She and her brothers had been woken just a few minutes ago and asked to quickly dress and collect anything that they intended to take home for the holidays before accompanying their head of house to the headmaster's office.

She had met her brothers in the common room, receiving confused looks from each of them. Professor McGonagall had told them nothing, other than that they were needed in the headmaster's office, and all would be explained there. Obviously, it was something to be concerned about as no student was ever called to speak to a teacher in the middle of the night, but Ginny had to wonder if it was something that could have waited until the morning.

Thankfully, they did not have to wait too much longer as they quickly arrived in the office and took seats in front of the desk.

"My apologies for waking you in the middle of the night," Professor Dumbledore said solemnly. "I am sorry to tell you that your father has been severely injured while performing duties for the Order."

"What happened?" Ron asked, interrupting the headmaster.

"Alas, I am not entirely certain at this moment. I have yet to speak directly to those involved in discovering the incident. All I know was that he was attacked and found quickly. He has been taken to St. Mungo's for treatment and your mother has been informed."

"Is he ok?" Ginny asked with a slight quiver in her voice.

"I have been told that he should make a full recovery," came the answer, which allowed Ginny and her brothers to relax a little. "However, I would like for you all to return to Grimmauld Place before Madam Umbridge is informed of this event. She may try to use it as a means to question you about your father and any connections you and your family have to myself and the Order as a way to discredit him."

"What about our Mum?" George asked as the headmaster tapped a piece of rope with his wand, causing it to glow blue for a second.

"As Professor Dumbledore has already stated, she has been informed, Mr Weasley, and has already made her way to St. Mungo's," Professor McGonagall confirmed. "She knows that we plan to send you directly to headquarters, where you shall be met by Mr Black and Mr Lupin."

Ginny couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on her face on hearing who would meet them at the house. It would mean Harry would be with them and she would see him sooner than originally planned. It was not exactly under the circumstances she would have liked, but she knew he would bring her some much-needed comfort while they waited on further news from the hospital.

"Please take hold on this rope," Dumbledore said as he held out the item in question. Once all four Weasleys had a firm grip on it, the headmaster let go and counted down. "In three, two, one."

Ginny felt herself being pulled away from Hogwarts, her hand glued tightly to the Portkey. Seconds later, she felt herself deposited on the floor of a dark hallway.

"Glad you have arrived safely," a voice came from the end of the hallway, causing Ginny look in that direction to see Sirius Black standing there. "Come into the kitchen. I'll get you all a drink and explain what is going on."

Disappointment settled upon her as Ginny realised that Harry had not come to greet them. She didn't want to ask Sirius, in front of her brothers, if her boyfriend was here at the house or if he had remained at home.

"He's upstairs in his room," Sirius whispered to her as he came over and helped her up off the floor. He checked behind him to make sure her brothers had gone to the kitchen as asked before turning back to his son's girlfriend. "How much did Dumbledore tell you?"

"He told us that Dad had been injured while doing something for the Order," Ginny responded, wondering why he was speaking to her alone. "He said he didn't know all the details, though."

Sirius ran a hand through his long locks. He was torn between letting Harry have his own space and telling Ginny the truth. In the past, he would have been fine just letting his son mope in own self-pity for a few hours, but something told him that, this time, it would last several days unless someone intervened. For first time, he didn't think it should be him or Remus. Harry needed someone who understood what he had witnessed and how he had done so. There was no one who had come close to experiencing what Harry had, except for Ginny.

"Harry saw the attack on your father," Sirius told her, deciding he couldn't leave Harry to wallow in whatever dark thoughts were currently going through his mind. "I don't know the full details. He refuses to tell me, which makes me think what he saw has disturbed him deeply. I just… I need…"

"…me to speak to him," Ginny finished for the older man. "You don't need to say anything more, Sirius. I believe I understand just how he saw the attack."

The pair separated at the staircase with Ginny heading up as Sirius continued on to the kitchen.

"Ginny?"

She stopped and turned to look back at Sirius.

"Don't let him fob you off with an excuse or a refusal to talk."

Ginny didn't reply in words, choosing to give a look that said, 'Do you think I'm stupid?' instead. A grin from Sirius told her that he'd understood before she turned and continued her way up to Harry's bedroom.

HP&GW

Harry continued staring at the ceiling as he heard the door to his bedroom softly open and then shut. He didn't even move when he felt the bed dip slightly and a warm body curl up next to him. He didn't need to look to know who it was. This was not the way he had wanted to reunite with his girlfriend, even if they were both taking comfort from being next to each other.

The darkness of his room suited his mood at that moment. Only a small sliver of light could be seen underneath the door from the hallway. He could hide his emotions easily within the darkness and pretend to be asleep if someone came in that he did not want to speak to. However, he knew the moment his girlfriend spoke to him, he would not be able to ignore her.

"I don't know all the details, but I know my dad has been attacked," Ginny whispered as Harry felt her hand slide up his chest. "I also know that you witnessed it and were able to raise the alarm. You saved his life, Harry."

"I think I was the one to attack your dad," Harry whispered back, not feeling like he deserved her praise. He felt his girlfriend tense up at the proclamation, making him feel like he was correct in his assumption that he would be rejected for what he had seen and what he believed he had done.

"What do you mean, Harry?" Ginny asked tentatively as she reached out and found Harry's hand before grasping it tightly.

"I was the snake," he replied, not knowing what else to say or even how to explain it. "I didn't just see the attack on your dad, I felt like I was the one who was attacking him. I don't understand how that was even possible, but that is how it felt to me. Somehow Voldemort managed to pull me into helping attack your dad."

Ginny didn't respond and Harry did not expect her to. She wouldn't want to be with him now that he had betrayed her by attacking her dad. It was an unforgiveable act, and he would understand if she walked out of his bedroom without saying a word.

"I am certain it wasn't you who attacked my dad," Ginny's reply finally came after several minutes of complete silence. "Sirius said that you saw the attack, but he didn't say anything about you leaving the safety of your house, which I highly doubt happened."

Harry felt himself relax slightly on hearing his girlfriend explain why he had nothing to do with what had happened. It was then that he realised that if anyone could have any chance of explaining how he saw what he did, it would be the one person who had survived being possessed by Voldemort for close to a year.

"He didn't possess me then?" Harry asked and immediately regretting the bluntness of his words.

"No, he didn't," she calmly told him. "It was just another one of your visions that comes with having a link to him. I do understand how you would think that he had possessed you, but will the link you share allow him to accomplish that? Hopefully not."

The calm, rational reply that Harry had just received from his girlfriend was enough to tell him that she didn't hate him, nor would she walk away from the blossoming relationship. However, her choice of words made him also realise that there was truly much more to this link than he currently knew. He just hoped it wasn't what he had considered earlier, because he didn't think he would be able to cope with the potential consequences if it was true.

"Nagini, his snake, is one of the things we are contemplating may be one of Voldemort's Horcruxes," Harry said, shifting the conversation in a slightly different direction. "Do you think that means I might be one too if the snake is one? Would that explain how I was able to see your dad's attack?"

Ginny was taken aback by her boyfriend's suggestion. While she could understand why his thoughts were heading in that direction, it seemed completely impossible in her eyes. She had been possessed by a Horcrux herself, but she never became one. And, even though they were not aware of the full process required to make the forbidden object, she was certain there had to be far more to it than what had happened to Harry that Halloween night.

"Where has this all come from, Harry? Does this have something to do with the memories and research you told me about?"

Harry had informed her about the vials of memories that Professor Dumbledore had sent to him and Sirius to watch. She knew they had watched them and used what they had learned from them to begin the necessary research to discover what and where the Horcruxes were. However, he had not told her any details as a precaution and also due to the fact that he felt it would be better for her to watch them to grasp just what they were up against. That was something they had planned to do over the Christmas holidays, but now she was not so sure that would happen.

"Figuring out what items are most likely Horcruxes was the relatively easy part," Harry admitted. "Nagini was a guess as the final one as there were no other items of such importance that Voldemort could have used. Dad wasn't certain and said he wanted to research it to be sure, but there is just something about that snake that screams out that it is a Horcrux. After tonight, I am a hundred percent certain about Nagini containing a piece of his soul and why I am worried that maybe I do as well."

Ginny couldn't deny that her boyfriend had made a solid argument, but she still wasn't convinced, feeling Sirius had the right idea about researching it before settling upon Nagini being the final piece of Voldemort's soul.

"I think that your dad has the right idea in researching it further," Ginny carefully replied, not wanting to upset Harry. "Not because your idea is too far-fetched, but because of the potential implication it could mean for you. Even so, don't you think it is possible that maybe Voldemort was possessing or connected through their link at the time of the attack and that you just happened to be pulled in?"

"Maybe," Harry sighed, knowing it was a real possibility and one he needed to consider. "It's just that after seeing all those memories of Tom Riddle and learning how far he went to avoid death, it is hard to push the idea aside, especially when we are seriously considering he has used Nagini as an Horcrux."

"I know that you planned for me to watch them over the holidays, but I think that may have to be put on hold for now. So, instead, how about you tell me about these memories and how far you have come in your research?"

Even with them discussing what Harry and Sirius had learned about Horcruxes, it was a welcomed distraction for both Harry and Ginny. Still, it was hard to explain the memories in detail without Ginny viewing them as they originally wanted, but she was still able to make observations that neither of the two wizards had made themselves.

"If I am able to," Ginny said when Harry told her about the true identity of the Grey Lady, "I will speak to her. She's never been a ghost who interacts with the students, but with Umbridge still at the castle, it may be impossible."

"Don't worry if you don't manage it," Harry replied, grateful for his girlfriend's offer of help. "I suspect we will have to go to Hogwarts at some point as it is one of the locations we have listed as a potential hiding place."

The sky had begun to lighten when their discussion finally came to an end, not that either of them were aware of that, thanks to the thick, heavy curtains covering the windows. An unspoken agreement seemed to pass between the couple as they climbed under the covers, cuddling up against each other and falling asleep. That was how Sirius found them when he quietly entered the room around seven o'clock in the morning.

"Ginny, I just received word from…"

Sirius stopped speaking when he noticed the two teens fast asleep. He wasn't surprised, having suspected that the couple had talked for some time before they had even considered going to sleep. He had been worried about Harry and his reaction to what he had seen, but the calm, relaxed look on his son's face told him that Ginny had somehow managed to help him through whatever had been bothering him. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at seeing the young couple asleep in each other's arms before he quietly left the room, knowing the update he had been given on Arthur could wait a few more hours.