Chapter 4

Plans

At 12 Grimmauld Place, an old house-elf was preparing a lone meal for his master. He just about had the soup ready to be served, and a steak-kidney pie in the oven.

A black-haired man was asleep by the dining room table, what used to be a bottle of whiskey was shattered on the floor by his chair and burnt-out cigarette buds were scattered all over the room.

Harry Potter was unshaven, bags under his eyes proved he didn't get much sleep at night, but his body showed he had been working hard for the past couple of weeks. For an 18-year-old, his body was turning to a more manly one, his muscles were developing in all the right places, the scars proved he survived many battles, but all together the boy looked a mess.

It was a day after she left him. He hadn't been able to think about anything else.

He was awoken by a hard hand on his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

Mr. Weasley was dressed in a dark purple robe, that went well with the purple bags under his eyes. He, too, wasn't getting much sleep.

Harry looked up, confused at his surroundings, he fixed the glasses on his face and looked at the man visiting him.

'What is all of this, son?' he asked Harry, looking at him with sadness in his eyes.

He sat down with him in the dining room, bringing a bottle of firewhiskey with him. While pouring each a glass, Mr. Weasley was looking at the mess in the dining room.

'It's, uhm, I'm redecorating. I can show you if you want.'

'Not the furniture, Harry, you. What is going on with you? I understand wanting to be alone, but you are in a really bad shape.'

'I'm fine.' Said Harry, almost angrily.

'No, you are not. I never imagined you to be a smoker, and the bottles in the corner tell me it's been a long time since you've been sober. I see you haven't slept well in a long time, by the look of your eyes, and it seems you forgot how to shave, shower or put on clean clothes!'

Harry couldn't look at Mr. Weasley.

'Harry, I know you are going through a hard time, but so is everyone else. Ginny lost her brother, Molly and I lost a son, we are all grieving! And now another one of my sons is going through Merlin knows what here!'

Did Mr. Weasley just call me a son? After everything?

'Bloody hell, Harry, I've had to be strong for Molly, but I don't know how to help you!'

Harry had never heard Mr. Weasley swear, he must've been really mad at Harry.

'Ginny left me.'

'I know, son. We all know.' He put a hand on Harry's shoulder to comfort him.

'She's going strong though, Molly and I however are really worried about you.

She's going strong. What does that mean?

Harry stood up, bottle of firewhiskey in his hand and motioned to Mr. Weasley to follow him up.

Mr. Weasley gladly did.

They walked up to the third floor, that was fully renovated. The hallway was light, old furniture was removed (probably in the pile downstairs, though ) and the bedrooms looked nothing like they did before, when this was the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.

Arthur Weasley was quite impressed. He stopped at the door to the nursery.

'Is this… a nursery?' he asked Harry.

'Yeah, I, uhm, I thought it is more convenient to have the baby close to us – me, at night that is. I thought Teddy could use it for now…' Mr. Weasley knew exactly what Harry was thinking when he was renovating this place. He smiled fondly at Harry, as he walked on to the master bedroom.

'This is the room where Buckbeak used to be in. Kreacher and I cleaned it up, but it took a long time to redo this room. The bathroom wasn't that much of a problem.'

Arthur was impressed with what Harry's done with the place, but he could see the room has not been used in a long time.

'You redid this place hoping you and Ginny could live here one day, didn't you?'

Harry looked at his feet and nodded.

'Well, you did a great job with this place.'

'It's not finished yet, but I don't know what to do now.'

'You've ran out of ideas?' Mr. Weasley wondered.

'No, I don't know what to do with the house anymore. I don't think I want to stay here at all, now that…'

'Now that Ginny and you aren't together anymore' Mr. Weasley finished the sentence for him. Harry winced at the mention of her name, it was like cutting him with a knife.

Harry took a big gulp of firewhiskey straight from the bottle. Mr. Weasley looked at him and grabbed the bottle from him, took a sip from it and walked to the bathroom.

'Let's see, son.' He was looking around the bathroom, and suddenly spilled the contents of the bottle in the bathtub.

'First, you need to pull yourself together. No more drinking, no more cigarettes, no more walking away. If you want to get my daughter back, and I certainly hope you do, you will stop with this rubbish.'

Harry stood there with his mouth opened, watching the brownish liquid being poured down the drain.

'Did you hear me, Harry?' Asked Mr. Weasley, now more sternly.

'Yes, sir.' He answered, but he wasn't sure if getting back together with her was the best thing for her.

'Now, let's see the rest of the house and see what we can do with it. Do you have any ideas for the drawing room yet?' He made the bottle disappear with a flick of his wand and walked on as if nothing happened.'

'I wasn't really thinking about it. Before, I only knew I wanted to put a television in.'

'A telly visy?'

'Television, TV – it's the box with images inside, that think the muggles watch, it's got news and movies and things like that.'

'Oh, wonderful! I would love to see that!' One can always count on Mr. Weasley to be interested in muggle things.

'Yeah, sure…'

Harry didn't know how to talk to Mr. Weasley now, actually.

The man has been like his father, but now Harry is the reason his family is hurting. The way he's been talking to him, however, it was not a request for Harry to get better, it was an order, and it was hard for Harry to go against it.

Half an hour later, they were back in the dining room. Kreacher brought them some pumpkin juice and Mr. Weasley used his wand to make the broken furniture disappear.

'So, Harry, I expect to see you at dinner tomorrow night.'

'Mr. Weasley, I can't… She… I don't know how to go on.' Harry did not know how to explain to Mr. Weasley, that he in fact did not know how to go to the Burrow, where she would be, where there were so many other that he hurt.

'You know, I keep thinking about the day before the battle, Harry. Molly and I, we went to a meeting with the order. They told us you guys broke into Gringotts. We told Fred and George to keep an eye on Ginny and to stay at Aunt Muriel's. Well, Molly told them. Fred, George and I, however, had an understanding – if there was any word on you, anything at all, any way we cold help you, they should do it. Naturally, when those coins Hermione made you kids sent them a message about you at Hogwarts, they immediately went there. I shouldn't have gone behind Molly's back and made those plans with the boys; they should've stayed at Muriel's… I still blame myself every day, if only they had stayed there, Fred would be…' Mr. Weasley couldn't finish the sentence. It was obvious he was blaming himself.

Harry didn't know how to comfort Mr. Weasley.

'Mr. Weasley, it's really not your fault. Those boys, they would've gone and fought that day if you'd told them to stay behind or not… It's me, I should've… I should've gone to Voldemort sooner…'

Mr. Weasley put a hand on Harry's and looked at him.

'You are certainly not the one to blame! If anything, you are to blame that the rest of the family is still alive! First you saved Ginny, then me, and now the entire wizarding world! My son died fighting for what was right and I am proud of him for that! I always will be! And don't you dare take that sacrifice away from him or anyone else. But I have another son now, one that is alive, and he is in trouble, and I need to make sure you are okay!'

Harry got chocked up at hearing Mr. Weasley call him his son again. He didn't deserve this.

'Dinner, tomorrow night. Or else!' Said Mr. Weasley as he got up to leave. He wiped the tears from his face and waved at Harry from the hallway.

Harry stayed in the dining room, he heard the front door close and a pop, that meant Mr. Weasley had apparated away.

Kreacher walked in the dining room, a bowl of soup in his hands.

'Will master Harry eat his lunch now?' He asked.

'Sure, Kreacher. Eat with me, will you?' Said Harry, while Kreacher was putting the bowl on the table, not thinking twice about it. Kreacher's eyes got wide in confusion.

'Kreacher, eat with master?' Harry realized he must've said something wrong it looked like he was trying hard not to punish himself, tears were forming in his big eyes.

'Oh, yeah. Sit down with me and eat.'

'Master is most good to Kreacher.' Kreacher was mumbling under his breath as he was setting the table for two.

When they finished eating, Kreacher got up and cleaned the dishes.

Suddenly, it dawned on Harry that he never heard what happened here after they left for the ministry last year.

His hand went up to his messy black hair, he nervously scratched the side of his head.

'Kreacher?'

'I am sorry I never got to ask you. What happened after we left last year?'

'Kreacher had been waiting, Kreacher had prepared the steak-and-kidney pie for master and his friends, but master never came back home.'

'Yes, we accidentally exposed this place to a Death Eater. I am so sorry, Kreacher!'

Harry almost broke down, he had become so fond of this elf, he felt as if he betrayed him.

'Oh, master doesn't have to be sorry, Kreacher protected the house of his masters, the noble house of Black.'

'Protected? Did they come in? What happened here?' Harry said, gesturing towards the mess around them.

Kreacher looked proud as he spoke next.

'That day you left, Kreacher herd you come back, Kreacher herd people at the front door. He thought his master had come back, so he set up the table, but only one person entered the hallway. Kreacher knew it wasn't his master, Kreacher never saw the person before, so Kreacher knew they weren't invited. The man started firing curses in the hallway…'

Kreacher pointed toward the door and showed Harry where one curse hit the doorframe. Harry hadn't noticed the burned hole before.

'The dust made it impossible for the man to see, and he must've gotten angry. He walked forwards, towards the dining area, where Kreacher was. But Kreacher had to protect the house, Kreacher had orders from his mistress, Kreacher protected the house!'

Harry realized that Kreacher fought Yaxley and somehow won.

'Incredible,' Harry said proudly. Ashamed that he ever doubted Kreacher would protect this place, the thought of Yaxley being beaten in a duel by a house-elf made him smile.

'Thank you, master Harry!' Kreacher almost squealed with happiness.

'How did you get him out of here, were there any others?'

'Kreacher protected the house…'

'Yes, but how? How did you…' Then it all made sense to him – it was an order from his mistress, so Kreacher must've used his magic to seal the house from intruders.

'Kreacher, did you use your magic to prohibit people from entering? What happened with Yaxley, the man that came in here?'

'Kreacher protected the house,' He said, confused.

'The man broke the stairs, when he tried to silence my mistress, and Kreacher had to protect. Kreacher fought him, and accidentally broke the table,' Kreacher looked as if he was struggling, as if he wants to start banging his head at the wall, but he managed to continue.

'Kreacher took his wand and took him out. Kreacher then sealed the house.'

Harry looked at him amazed.

'Kreacher wondered where master had gone, why master didn't return. Master Sirius' friend visited soon after, looking for master Harry, and he told Kreacher about the troubles at the ministry. Kreacher thought master won't return, so Kreacher stayed here waiting. Winky visited Kreacher often. Winky told Kreacher about master's return to Hogwarts weeks ago so Kreacher went to help.'

Sirius' friend… Lupin? Lupin came back, looking for them?

After a minute of silence, Harry finally spoke.

'Kreacher, I am so grateful for you.'

'Anything for my master, master is good to Kreacher.'

'How come the stairs are fixed, did you fix them? And everything else?'

'Yes, master Harry. Kreacher didn't like fixing what he broke, Kreacher thought master would first punish Kreacher for breaking the table, sir.' Kreacher was looking at his feet and Harry felt like Hermione would be proud of him for what he was about to do. It was the right thing to do.

'Oh, no, not at all. You did great, you protected the place, you were perfect!' Harry looked around and thought of how the mess actually made him think of renovating the entire place the first week he returned here. We might have our work cut out for us, but we will fix it together, I'll buy a new table and maybe new… everything, he thought then. This might be the new beginning he needed, he thought.

'Would you please bring me some butterbeer?' He finally asked the house-elf.

'Of course, master Harry!' Kreacher almost jumped from excitement of finally getting an order again. Harry wondered about Winky visiting Kreacher, were they forming a friendship? He just hoped Winky survived the battle. He made a mental note to ask Kreacher about her when the time came.

Kreacher returned with a drink for Harry. He took it gladly with a nod. He started thinking of how to get other rooms cleaned up, Mr. Weasley promised to come and help, too.

A big barn owl knocked on the window and woke Harry from his daydream. With a snap of his fingers, Kreacher opened the window, the owl landed right before Harry and offered him the letter tied to it's leg.

Harry noticed the Ministry of Magic seal. He frowned. What does the ministry want now? Despite doubting there would be any good news, he opened the letter.

Harry,

I hope you had time to relax after the battle.

As you might have heard, I took over as Minister of magic. It is my duty to thank you in the name of the Wizarding community for your role in the defeat of Lord Voldemort.

I understand that with the happiness the end of the war brought, terrible tragedy befell us all during the final battle, and we lost some of our most beloved, your favourite professor and my dear friend Remus Lupin included. I want to share my deepest condolences with you.

Remus and I became great friends in the past couple of years and I know what an incredible human he was. I am happy, however, that his and Tonks' spirit will live on in their son, and I am sure they chose the right person as his godfather. Should you need any help with that, please don't hesitate to turn to me.

However, this is not the reason I am writing to you at this time.

I would like for you to visit me at the ministry for a meeting regarding your future plans. If you will be willing to share what you had done in the past year, I will be most honoured, but there are other important things we must discuss as well.

I will make sure to be free at your earliest convenience. Awaiting your response with this owl.

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Minister for magic

Harry considered the letter and sighed.

He never thought about his future, he started to believe his future would end with Voldemort, but now he really didn't know what to do. He thought about his dream of becoming an Auror, which was still very appealing, but he really did not want to return to Hogwarts for another year to obtain his N.E.W.T.s. He definitely did not want to talk about the past year and the battle, but he felt like he owed Kingsley to at least show up.

He asked Kreacher for a piece of parchment and a quill, which Kreacher quickly summoned and laid in front of his master. Harry wrote a quick reply.

Kingsley,

Will meet you today at 2 p.m.

Hope you are well,

Harry.

He tied the note to the owl's leg and watched it fly through the open window into the clear blue sky. As the dot disappeared, he checked the time and noticed he only had and hour to get ready.

He drank his butterbeer and made Kreacher bring him another, along with a glass of firewhiskey. He deserved some, he thought. It might help him get ready for the meeting with Kingsley.

He looked at the broken glass on the floor around him and wondered if he could fix it using magic. As he thought of the spell, the glass pieces flew together, and the bottle was whole again.

Smiling, he got up from his chair, knocked back the butterbeer and walked out of the dining room. He called for Kreacher to follow him.

'Kreacher, is there any way you could get rid of the loud portrait of your former mistress?' asked Harry as they were walking past the cover that was hiding her picture. He didn't know why nobody ever thought about asking him.

'Yes, master,' responded the elf, albeit hesitantly. Kreacher didn't like the thought of his mistress' portrait being thrown out, but he was bound to serve his new master.

'What about the wards set up, could you get rid of some of them, the tongue-tying curse and Dumbledore's figure, could you get rid of those?'

'Certainly, master.'

With the visit from Mr. Weasley Harry got a new set of motivation for house renovation and it is just the thing he needed to keep his mind off… her.

.

'Harry, I am so glad you came!' Kingsley Shacklebolt smiled widely at the young wizard. It was 2 p.m., and Harry just entered the Minister's office at the Ministry of Magic.

'Minister,' Harry forced a smile.

'Oh, please, when did you stop calling me Kingsley?' The minister teased. Harry nodded and answered,

'How are you then, Kingsley?'

'Busy as ever! But you don't need to worry about that. You have enough on your mind, I heard. Let's get straight to business, though, I'm sorry to say I don't have much time. I bet you are wondering what I wanted to talk to you about so urgently… I am sure this going to be just as hard for you as it is for me, Harry…' Kingsley pulled out two long parchments, levitated them to Harry's right, just at his eye level, so he could read what they said.

Harry looked at the parchment and back at Kingsley, who smiled lightly at him.

'The last will and testament of James Henry Potter and Lily Jane Potter…? What is this?' Harry didn't understand why he was showing him this will, didn't he have everything they left him in the vault already? Anger was building up inside of him and his chest started to hurt again.

'Well, there were certain things that, based on the will, were left in trust funds and handled by others until you became of age.'

'But I became of age last year, so why am I only hearing about this now?' Harry felt agitated. What else could they have left him? And why didn't he know about any of this sooner?

'Well, it is actually the same with Sirius' will.' Kingsley pointed at the other scroll, before he continued.

'You were supposed to be called to the ministry last year but seeing as the ministry fell the day after your birthday and you were, well, Undesirable nr. 1, it would be highly impractical for you to come here, so, Lupin managed to hide these and protect them from Voldemort. Anyways,' he waved at the parchment and it rolled down to reveal a big list of items now in Harry's possession.

'It's a long list of real estates, investments and other things, that they had left you. Sirius as well. If you want, you can take these with you and read them through, see what it is. All the money, jewellery and other smaller items will be handled by the goblins and moved to your vault, which will now grow significantly in size.' Harry looked at the long lists and felt dizzy. What was he to do with all these things?

'Uhm, Kingsley, were is all this coming from, what…' Harry couldn't form any sentences. He already had enough money; he didn't need any more. Can I say no to this?

'Well, I thought you might wonder that – most of the Potter family fortune came from one of your ancestors, Linfred of Stinchcombe, who invented the Skele-gro potion, among others, which I know you are familiar with. Well, your grandfather Fleamont had similar hair to yours and well, he created the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, and sold the company for a huge profit.'

How am I so shitty at potions, then?

'Okay… So, how much are we talking about here?' Harry finally found words.

'Honestly, I don't know. You see, there are some investments that are making money as we speak, so there should be a significant amount of gold in your vault by the end of this day.' Kingsley was looking at Harry with an amused look on his face, as Harry tried to process the information.

'Well, I suppose it is best to leave you these parchments, so you can read through them. I have something else I wanted to discuss with you – your future. Professor McGonagall informed you wanted to become an Auror?'

'Yes, I did…'

'Well, there are still Death eaters out there, and I am sure we will have our work cut out for us with other criminals in the future. So, what do you say, when would you like to start?' Harry had never seen Kingsley so excited about anything.

'I… what? But I haven't passed my N.E.W.T.s, and I don't really want to go back to Hogwarts, not with everything…' Harry got chocked up, but he continued.

'I thought I needed to be selected and go through training and stuff?'

'Well, you were selected – by me. And you will go through training in the next couple of years, but I think you have proven to us all what a great wizard you are, with or without N.E.W.T.s.' Harry could almost feel happiness return to him. The anger was now gone, but the pain in his chest had gotten somewhat stronger.

'So, I can actually still become an Auror?'

'Yes, you actually can.' Kingsley chuckled.

'Mind you, we are really short staffed down there now, so we will be extending the invitations to others as well, you won't be the only recruit this year.'

'Others? You mean other students that fought in the war?'

'Yes, indeed. I am sure Mr. Weasley will gladly join us, and I am hoping Mr Longbottom will help us out as well. The sooner we start going after the loose Death eaters, the faster we can catch them.'

Harry thought about this. It was a way for him to make it up to everyone, going after the ones still on the run. Maybe learn some new protective spells… It felt like finally his life might make sense again. It was something he was good at and something he wanted for a long time, it felt like the opportunity came at the right time, he also needed something to occupy his mind and this… This is it.

'I would be honoured, Kingsley, uhm, Minister.' Harry heard himself speak in a new, almost formal voice. Adult voice.

'Well,' Kingsley said, clapping his hands together.

'That's settled then. Say, could you start next week? I'm meeting some other recruits today and tomorrow, so you could all start together.' Kingsley left out an arm for Harry, who gladly took it and managed to produce a smile on his face.

'Yes, sir.'

'Now, if you will, go down to the Auror's office and get yourself signed in, I'll make sure they have the badge and the contract ready for you. Some ministry clothes as well…' He looked at Harry's muggle attire and Harry just smiled at the thought of himself in Auror clothes, a cloak streaming out behind him as he walked. Adulting, he thought.

'And Harry, one other thing. If I may ask, what were you doing this past year?' Harry, with a forced smile, answered,

'Not yet, minister, I'm not ready yet.'

'Okay, then. There is a lot of stories circling around regarding your adventures and, ahem, friendships.'

You don't say.

'Make sure you are careful who you talk to and how you portray yourself in the public. As always, members of the Order are here to help. As one of our own always said, constant vigilance.' Kingsley smiled at Harry, who mustered a smile as he thought of Mad-Eye.

'If and when you are willing to tell the public about the war, or just parts of it, we will fully support you. And my door is always open to you. We lost many, but I feel like that should only bring the rest of us closer together.'

'Spoken like a true politician,' joked Harry, knowing Kingsley was never really interested in politics and was thrown in this position, unlike his predecessors. Kingsley sighed at Harry's comment.

'Say hello to Arthur and Molly for me. I've been kept busy here, so I keep missing those lunches Molly invites me to.'

'Will do. I actually live in Grimmauld Place now, but I will have dinner there tomorrow.'

Kingsley suddenly got concerned after hearing this. He leaned closer to Harry, so his head was almost touching Harry's.

'Are the wards still in place? I thought the place was sealed, the last time we tried to go there, there were Death eaters all around it. You might actually be in danger there, Harry.' He whispered.

'I know. The wards are still up, Kreacher also sealed it with his magic so only Order members could enter. I am kind of hoping we will be able to get rid of the enchantments Mad-Eye did, though. I'm also thinking of maybe setting a new Fidelius charm…'

'The Auror office will be glad to help you with anything. We are also keeping a close eye on the Burrow and other safe houses, you know. But be careful who you trust, we are still trying to clear the ministry of all those who supported you-know-who. It's a mess right now…'

'Thank you, Kingsley.' Said Harry, sincerely.

'Oh, and Harry…' This time, Kingsley got serious, so Harry knew what ever he was about to say was quite important.

'You've been through a lot. And I understand you don't want to talk to anyone now, but I can see something bothering you. I see how your shallow breaths, as if it hurts to do breathe for you. I know that feeling and trust me when I say you should talk to a professional about this, or it might be the end of you.'

Harry swallowed hard. He nodded and turned to leave.

Half an hour later, Harry returned to the street with the red telephone booth and admired his new badge. He sighed, thinking of sharing the news with his family. To be honest, he only really wished he could share the news with one person, but… he couldn't. Not anymore.

Just the thought of her made his chest hurt.

Rustling behind him woke him from his daydream. His body tensed and he tightened the grip on his wand in his pocket ready to cast a spell at any second. He turned around and it was just leaves moving in the wind. He took a deep breath, although it seemed impossible, and sighed.

Should he listen to Kingsley (and Hermione and Mrs Weasley and… her) and get help? I'm fine, I just need to be left alone and they should mind their own business.

.

He found himself standing before The Leaky Cauldron. It would be his first time inside, first time at Diagon Alley since they broke into Gringotts. What will the goblins do to him?

As he entered the bar, heads turned in his direction, a few people started clapping, others stood up to get a better look at him. Some just smirked his way, I knew whose side you were on at least, thought Harry.

Tom, the innkeeper, waved at the black-haired wizard. He had a glass of firewhiskey ready for the war hero.

'On the house, Harry!' He said.

'Thank you,' answered Harry before he poured the alcohol down his throat. This feels right.

He put the glass down on the counter and made his way to the wall on the back. He touched the brick with his wand and the entrance to his favourite street opened before him.

He thought of the summer before his third year, Florean Fortescue gave him free ice-cream, he could admire the Firebolt at the Quality Quidditch Supplies and talk to Mr Olivander now and then. He noticed some of the stores reopened. The biggest one still being Weasley's Wizard Wheezees. Harry was engulphed with guilt, he didn't know how George will handle everything on his own now.

He tried to walk as fast as he could towards Gringotts, so he wouldn't be stopped or gazed at by random people in the alley.

The majestic bank stood before him and the guards looked at him angrily. He entered and walked the hall to the very end. Goblins all around him were eyeing him suspiciously. Harry didn't dare to look them in the eye.

As he reached the goblin at the far end, he looked up. His pointed ears and broad nose almost hid his angry-looking yellow eyes that were set on a flat face.

'Harry Potter, back again? Which vault will you try to break in this time?'

'Ehm, none, just… I would just like to make a withdrawal from my own.'

'Very well. I am sure you will understand, however, that we have new measures set to prohibit what you have done not so long ago here. Your wand, please, if you will, Mr Potter?'

Harry took the wand from his pocket and handed it to the goblin. The sign said his name was Ragnuk.

Ragnuk took Harry's wand and motioned to the back.

'Let me just get this checked out and alert the security.'

Alert the security? And how did they fix this place up so fast? Will Hogwarts be fixed this fast, too?

Harry saw Ragnuk return with a man.

'Harry, nice to see you! How have you been?'

'Erm, yes…' Harry looked at Ron's oldest brother. Bill still wore his hair in a ponytail, but his face was hidden behind a beard, probably to cover his scars.

'Since your last visit to the bank, a curse breaker and 2 goblins will enter the vaults with you. New measures, you know…' Bill explained to Harry. Ragnuk waved for them to follow him, Bill waited for Harry to be near him and whispered.

'They almost forbade you three from re-entering. Had a whole meeting with the minister, I think your big vault helped with their decision, I had to talk them into letting you go down yourself, though.'

'Thank you, Bill.' Harry really felt relieved that Bill was with him, even though he thought any encounter with the Weasley family will be awkward since…

The ride in the cart to the vault was longer than Harry remembered, or maybe it was just the silence that made it seem that way.

Finally, they stopped.

'Vault 687,' exclaimed Ragnuk.

Harry took out his key and opened it.

It was nothing like what he saw before. It seemed like the pile of gold, that used to be in his vault, had multiplied. The vault was obviously enlarged, he could walk in it now, there were cases with jewellery, different furniture and piles and piles of gold. Harry thought it had to be bigger than the Lestranges' vault even.

As he was looking at all the things in the vault, there was a small case at the far end that got his attention. It was filled with jewellery, Harry noticed a few earings in there, probably made of real gold, silver necklaces and a small box marked 'Lily'. He opened the rectangular box and found a pearl necklace sitting in it and in the centre, a small velvet box. In it, three rings were sitting on a red cushion. Harry looked at the two gold ones, one slightly bigger than the other.

They both carried an inscription on the inner side.

On the smaller one, the inscription was barely readable, but it covered the whole of the circle:

My beloved ~ James ~ July 7th 1979

The bigger one had a similar inscription, only with the name Lily, instead of James.

These must be their wedding rings.

July 7th… their wedding anniversary. Harry never actually thought about it, but until now he didn't really know when they got married.

The third ring was made of thin silver and it carried a big emerald green diamond in the middle, encircled by several smaller clear ones. Harry's insides clenched as he imagined her wearing it. It would look perfect on her white freckled skin… But she's gone, he remembered.

'It's not all moved yet, Mr Potter.' Ragnuk stood a few feet behind Harry.

'There's more?' Harry could not believe there could be more… this already seemed like all the gold the Magical community could have.

'Yes sir, as of tomorrow you will the owner of one of the largest and most protected vaults at Gringotts Bank.'

Bill smiled reassuringly at Harry. Harry grabbed a fist-full of money. He wondered how much he would really need for the next couple of weeks, he didn't like the thought of returning here often. He thought it might be better to get some more money, but he sadly didn't have a pouch with him. As if Bill read his mind, he pulled one out of his pocket. Harry smiled at him and put filled it with gold.

As he was thinking about all of the gold in there, he thought of one other thing he could do, something that might help his conscience.

'Bill, would you mind moving a few piles to your family vault?'

'Excuse me?' Bill looked surprised.

'Well, it feels only right. Your family has done so much for me and… well, this is one way I could repay you all. I know your mom and dad would never take it, but if we just transfer it there, they won't be able to stop us, will they?'

'I suppose… Are you sure?'

'What am I supposed to do with all of this, if not share it with my family?' Said Harry and smiled at Bill. This time he didn't even need to force it, it made him happy that he might've found a way to help the Weasleys.

He gestured to Ragnuk, who scribbled something on a tiny piece of parchment and flicked his fingers to make it disappear, with that two piles of gold disappeared from the vault.

.

It was late, the sun was setting already, when Harry apparated on the topmost stair at 12 Grimmauld Place. He opened the door, ready for the usual tongue-tying curse, but it didn't happen. The hallway was light and dust-free.

Kreacher must have succeeded.

He heard a chair move in the dining room, he grabbed his wand from his back pocket and got ready to attack.

Ron smiled at Harry from the dining room door and waved at him.

'You alright there, mate?' Ron asked.

'Yeah, why?'

'Well, I know Ginny broke up with you, and I know what a mess you've been these past couple of weeks. I was just wondering… Are you okay and all? I think she kept you from having nightmares and all, so I don't know how much sleep you've been getting and all that.'

Harry looked at Ron, who looked awkward talking about this.

'I'm fine.'

'Listen, I know… I know I haven't been the most supportive of your relationship, but I really am sorry. I know you love her, and she loves you, too. You'll get her back.'

'I don't know, Ron… I might be bad for her. Are we really talking about this?'

'Bad for her, eh… Have you read the Prophet?'

'What? The Prophet? No, what did it say again?' Harry was confused.

'You haven't seen it? Ron waved his wand and an issue of the Daily Prophet appeared on the table before him.

The Chosen One's Chosen Ones

The title was written in big, bold letters and the article, which covered the entire front page, was accompanied by a number of pictures from Harry's years at Hogwarts, even some from the Triwizard tournament and his quidditch games.

Since the Battle of Hogwarts, it is no mystery anymore that our hero, Harry Potter, really was The Chosen One. Despite him hiding from the world, there are plenty of girls dying to get his attention. But what kind of a girl is he looking for? We decided to have a look at Harry Potter's past relationships to figure out just what his type is!

Our hero's love life is in fact quite interesting and the list of girls on his list of exes is really not that short for a 17-year-old!

'Well, Harry Potter has always been a heartthrob. That friend of his, Hermione Granger, was always with him, everyone is certain that at one point they were more than just friends.' Told us a fellow Hogwarts student. 'It is well known he went to the Yule ball in his fourth year with Parvati Patil, they were a thing for a while, but at the time he really got around. He went out with Parvati and Hermione at the same time that year.'

Hermione Granger is well known to the wizarding community as one third of the Golden trio (On the picture on the left). We were all wondering how they remained friends after she was toying him around by seeking the affections of one Viktor Krum, the famous Bulgarian seeker, who himself was one of the school champions in the Triwizard tournament in 1994. We now understand Mr. Potter had Miss Patil to lean on and get over the heartbreak.

The Triwizard tournament ended tragically with the death of Cedric Diggory, but that didn't end up being as tragic for our famous lover boy, who was soon after caught with Cedric's girlfriend at the time of his untimely death, Cho Chang.

'They were even seen on a date on Valentine's day in Hogsmeade, but I believe once again he met up with Hermione Granger later that day as well.' We were told.

While Ms. Granger's untamed hair is no indication for a beauty standard Mr. Potter is looking for, Ms. Patil's Indian heritage and Ms. Chang's Asian background can surely lead us to believe he is interested in cultural diversity.

Another inside information pointed us to a more surprising relationship of our hero.

'He attended one of the Christmas parties here at Hogwarts with Luna Lovegood.' Said Romilda Vane, a Hogwarts student.

Luna Lovegood, daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood, editor of The Quibbler, is said to be a bit on the weird side, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but as she is a Ravenclaw, it is believed she is rather smart, not unlike Ms. Granger.

Ms. Vane, fellow Gryffindor, told us Harry had been quite busy in his last year of Hogwarts he attended. 'We dated for a while, before he moved on to Ginny. He is an incredible lover, mostly gentle but rough when he has to be. Quite a romantic as well.'

Ginny Weasley, who is the younger sister of Mr. Potter's best friend Ronald Weasley, was reportedly his last girlfriend before he went on the run last year (with none other than Hermione Granger). They could be often seen together on Hogwarts grounds, whether in a group or alone, but it must've been quidditch that really brought them together, seeing Mr. Potter was her Quidditch captain at Hogwarts, which leads us to believe young Ms. Weasley likes authoritative figures. Harry, we must remind you, was also the leader of Dumbledore's Army, which she was a part of. It is believed she was also one of the minors at the Ministry of Magic the day we found out about the return of the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

It is unknown whether the couple remained together during the past year, but she did pick up leading the Dumbledore's Army from her former lover, along with Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. As stated by one of her classmates, the knowledge that she was once Harry Potter's Chosen one didn't really help her during the dark year, but her reportedly feisty personality and the fact that she grew up with six older brothers must've helped her cope with the pressure. She is also believed to be the one that broke into the Headmaster's office during the last year.

It is believed Harry Potter might have returned to the young Weasley girl after the war, they were in fact seen together after the battle, but her looks are hardly enough to keep him interested for a long time, making us believe she bets on her personality and all she did in his name this year to be enough for him.

As we were looking at these girls, we can hardly find any common traits, aside from being promising young witches. But, if rumours are true, there might be a myriad of other girls that the Chosen One once called his Chosen One and by the looks of it, they will all have to compete with Hermione Granger, who he always seems to return to.

We believe it is really only a matter of time until we write about other girls that catch the attention of our young hero and we will be here to tell you all about them.

'What piece of rubbish is this?!' Yelled Harry.

'Rubbish, is it? Are you telling me you are not, what does it say, an incredible lover, mostly gentle but rough when you have to be?' Ron was laughing hard as he said that.

'Oh, sod off, Ron.' With all that was written, Harry found it quite strange that Ron wasn't jealous, but found the whole article rather funny. Harry couldn't help but laugh with his friend.

'So, you're not mad at me?' Asked Harry.

'Mad? What for?' Said Ron.

'Well for, for hurting Ginny again, leaving your family…'

'Oh, that. I think Ginny really hurt you more, to be honest. And my family is a bit much sometimes. I was mad at first when you left without a note, but then Hermione explained that you really never grew up in a loving home, you never got to talk about troubles and really, I think I am kind of the same – I really don't resent you for wanting some alone time, to be honest.

'Oh… thanks, I suppose.' Harry truly was surprised – it seemed Hermione's influence was brushing off on him in a really good way.

'Listen, Aurors, eh. I came here right after my meeting with Kingsley. He told me you were one to join so I decided I'll be there with you, you know, I got your back and all.'

'Oh, yeah. I don't really know what it's all going to be about, I really just want to catch the last of Death Eaters.'

'Yeah, me too. I heard the Lestrange brothers are still at large, Neville will certainly be interested in that case, don't you think?'

'Right, Neville is joining too, is he? How will he pass his N.E.W.T.s? Have you been talking to him?'

'No, not really. Not for a couple of weeks now, since you left the Burrow. We haven't been out much with the boys. I think he was studying for exams, though. We can go out for a drink, if you want.'

Harry thought hard. He kind of made a promise to Ron's dad that he wouldn't be drinking anymore, but he already had too many things to drink that day, despite those shots calming his nerves.

'No, I think I'll just stay in. I have some things I have to think about…'

'Oh, okay…' said Ron, almost sounding disappointed.

'Hey, mate, since this is a big house – would you mind if I stayed here with you? You know, now that we're adults with jobs I thought it better if I don't stay at my parents' house anymore. I was going to look at apartments, but I really don't have the money yet and I thought maybe I could stay here for a while, not that I wouldn't pay you rent or anything…'

'Take Sirius' room.' Harry smiled at his friend. It might be good having him in the house. 'Oh, but you'll have to help with renovations.'

'Renovations? What renovations?' Asked Ron, confused.

'Come on. I'll show you.'

Harry took Ron to the third floor, where he showed him the new rooms and told him about his plans for other places in the house.

'So, you really plan on living here long time, do you?'

'I did, yeah. I'm not so sure now…'

Don't think about her, don't…

The pain in his chest grew whenever he was thinking about his future. It used to be our future…

'Is this a baby room?!' Exclaimed Ron from the hallway.

'Yeah it's… it's for Teddy.' Harry lied. Or maybe he didn't, not really.

'Oh, yeah. Have you visited him since…?'

'No, couldn't bring myself to go there.'

Ron nodded in agreement.

'Would you mind if… ehm… if Hermione came to visit some time? Not often, just now, just until she goes back to school maybe a couple of times…'

'Sure, yeah, no, of course she can come. Just don't do anything too loud. Or use silencing charms, for my sake.' Harry was grinning as he teased his best friend. It did him good to be in his company.

Ron starred at him, as if not understanding what he meant by that, until he smiled and put out his hand.

'So, when can I move in?'

'Now… but we have to go to the Burrow tomorrow for dinner. And probably every Sunday as well.'