9th June
Harry laid the tea of spaghetti bolognese on the table, checking with Ginny if she wanted any cheese. She inclined her head and Harry gave her a soft smile, grating the cheese over her dish. He then did the same to his own, before sitting down opposite her, taking a sip of his water.
They sat in silence. It had been a long day. The day before, Harry had signed them up for a week long intensive driving course, which would end with a test on Friday if the instructors thought that they were good enough. Thus, from eight am to five pm that day, the two of them had been driving around, with only one break for lunch. They had improved untold amounts, but it had been exhausting.
Harry knew that Ginny thought she was never going to be able to drive, but her problem was that she held herself to too high of a standard. She was always so scared that Harry was going to think she couldn't do it, that she had to do everything perfectly. Harry wished that there was a way for him to show her that it didn't matter if she was perfect, because, to him, she already was.
Mentally shaking himself, Harry glanced over at Ginny, who was only picking at her tea. "Eat up, Gin," he said softly. "You'll regret it tomorrow if you don't."
"I know," she said and Harry reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Ginny looked up and smiled at him. "Sorry, Harry. I'm just tired."
"I know, Gin, but all of this will be worth it, I promise." Harry really hoped it would be. It would be awful if, at the end of this week, they didn't pass their tests.
Ginny nodded yet again and Harry turned back to his tea, feeling exhausted himself.
XXX
Percy Weasley was scared. His younger brothers might have almost forgiven him but Bill Weasley was the head brother, the one with the most say. If he decided that Percy had made too many mistakes, then all the brothers would follow suit. It was a big night for him.
He entered the holding cells at the ministry, giving the guards on duty a nod. They returned it. Thankfully, they hadn't made him sign in, because he was a ministry employee. Of course, they would report it back to Fudge, but he was only visiting his brother, not his parents.
Bill was sat at a table in the visiting room and his face did not light up upon seeing Percy. In fact, it darkened. Percy swallowed harshly and took a seat across from Bill nonetheless. "Hello," he said, a bit timidly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" his brother demanded.
Percy took in a deep breath. "I went to Hogsmeade a few days ago," he started at low volume. "I met up with our brothers there and apologised to them for all the bloody stupid choices I've made." Bill didn't look impressed and Percy inhaled again. "I - Bill, I want to apologise to you too. I wish Charlie was here. I want- I was so stupid. Family is everything and I threw it away to grasp at empty power."
"And what's this now then? Your little buddies want you to spy on us?" Bill sneered and Percy shook his head wildly.
"No, Bill, please. I am so sorry. I - the moment I found out you were in the holding cells, I snapped out of everything. I have never felt so ashamed in my whole life. I was petrified that I would have no chance to do this."
Bill nodded and sighed. "What do you want, Percy?"
"I want to be a Weasley again. I want to work with you. I know that Harry was telling the truth and I know he would never kill Minister Umbridge, so I realised that You-Know-Who must be back," Percy stuttered and Bill inclined his head. "I want to fight Evil with you. I want to find Ginny, and Harry, and bring them home."
"How am I supposed to trust you?" Bill said and Percy looked into his eyes and saw all the hurt he had caused his family. Percy looked down at the table so that Bill would not see the burning in his eyes.
"I am your brother," Percy said and he knew that Bill could hear how choked up he was. "I know that I have not acted like it, but I am and I am going to spend the rest of my life proving to you that all I want is to be a Weasley."
Bill smiled and put his hand on his brother's. "Okay, Perce, okay. For now, I'll trust you, but I swear if you put Mum and Dad through that again, you're dead."
He said all of that with a smile on his face. Percy believed him.
"I have information, Bill," Percy said, at an even lower tone. "I'm in the perfect position to get more, until Fudge realises that I'm working for you lot." Bill glanced at the guards and then nodded for Percy to continue. "He takes bribes, every single day, Fudge does. From many, many people, but mostly ex-death eaters. The ones who pled imperius curse after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fell last time."
"Malfoy?" Bill assumed and Percy nodded.
"Others too - Crabbe, Nott, Goyle, McNair. And their friends, new friends. A man called Yaxley, Simmons, others."
"Get a list together," Bill said, nodding, "and, if you can, meet up with Sirius Black or Zoe Angevin, after you go and visit Amelia Bones."
Percy agreed readily, Amelia Bones being the only person in the ministry that he would trust with the information. "I should go. I want to be able to say I wasn't here long when Fudge asks me."
Bill nodded, agreeing with Percy's logic. Percy smiled and shook hands with his brother. "Bill, thank you." Bill nodded again but said no more.
XXX
"Are you worried about your parents?" Hermione asked that night, sitting on the couch in the Gryffindor common room next to Fred. Everyone else had long since gone to bed, George and Ron being the last to go up. Ron had given Hermione an odd look, which she had ignored.
Shrugging, Fred replied, "they're strong. And Bill and Charlie. The sooner they get out though, the better."
"Professor Dumbledore will be fighting for them," Hermione assured him and Fred nodded. Hermione noticed the way he looked at her and she looked away, blushing. No one had ever looked at her that intensely before.
"Percy's the one I'm most worried about," Fred confessed and Hermione furrowed her brows. "He's in the minister's office, alone, and spying for us. If he gets found out, he'll go to Azkaban, probably without a trial." Hermione nodded severely, but then smiled. "What?" he said, a smile unfurling on his face too.
"We have a good friend who is an expert on escaping from there," she teased and Fred grinned, laughing aloud.
"You're right. See, this is why I like speaking to you," he said, giving her that look again, "you get rid of all my worries."
Hermione laughed, "I'm not sure I can get rid of all of them, but I'll give it a try." Fred grinned at her. "It's late," Hermione said suddenly, despite feeling wide awake. She was sure that she could speak to Fred all night if she had the opportunity. He was so easy to talk to and made her feel comfortable, always.
Fred looked a bit sad, for a moment, before his smile unfurled again. "You're right, Hermione. We should go to bed." Hermione agreed and he leaned across and kissed her cheek, before practically leaping up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, leaving Hermione with her hand pressed to her cheek in confusion. She didn't think she'd ever pin down Fred Weasley.
But she wanted to give it a try.
XXX
"Did you really think I had gone?" a voice creeped into Ginny's ear. She startled and stepped away from the voice. No, no, no, no. She was back in the Chamber. How had this happened?
She and Harry must have been caught. It was the only explanation.
And, no. Stood in front of her, Tom Riddle.
"Did you really think I had left you, Ginny?" he asked, louder this time. She screamed at him but he did not move. He just chuckled and Ginny felt sick. Where was Harry? Where was Harry? "I will never leave you, Ginny."
He was getting closer to her. Ginny was backing away, backing away. She was scrambling. "Get away!" she screamed.
And then she fell into freezing cold water. Screaming as she floated deeper, she could still see Tom Riddle. He was in the water with her. He was there with her. "No!"
"Ginny!" something shouted.
"No! No! Get away!"
"Ginny! Ginny!"
Something was shaking her. Were they saving her or drowning her? "HELP!"
"Ginny, please!"
The voice finally broke through and Ginny woke up suddenly, inhaling a huge amount of air as she did. She was gasping, tears streaking down her cheeks. Harry was kneeling next to her bed, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. There was a fear in his eyes unlike anything Ginny had seen.
"Harry," she sobbed out.
"It's okay," he said and he took her into his arms then. She breathed out a sigh of relief into his shoulder. "It's okay now, Gin."
"He- it was him, Harry."
"I know, Gin. I know, but it's not real. None of it was real."
Harry's voice was calming her slightly, but she didn't think she could sleep again tonight. She had had nightmares before while they had been on this runaway, but not one as bad as this one in a long while.
"Come on, Gin. Come and stay in my bed," he offered and Ginny nodded weakly. Taking his hand, Ginny allowed herself to be led into Harry's room. She lay down and curled up into a ball. Harry's arms enveloped her, after covering them with the duvet, and she felt safe.
XXX
10th June
Zoe Angevin had not stepped foot in the Ministry of Magic for years. Her father had worked there when she was a little girl and she and her mother had gone to visit him every so often, so she had had fairly good memories of it. But this was different. Sirius' life was riding on this meeting.
Madam Bones' office was in the same department as her father's had been, when he was an auror serving alongside Monty Potter, James' father. The route was familiar and slightly painful. Although it had been years and years, Zoe's heart twinged at the thought of her father sat behind a desk, laughing and fighting Evil. Fortunately, she would not pass by the Auror Office, as Madam Bones' personal office was one of the first after exiting the lift.
Being that she was slightly late already, Zoe knocked on the door straight away. "Enter," Madam Bones called from inside. Zoe pushed on the door handle and it slid open, giving way to a round office with a large light-wooden desk in the centre, behind which was Madam Amelia Bones.
The witch was a few years younger than Zoe and had risen phenomenally through the ranks of the ministry. In wizarding culture, it was extraordinary for a woman and Zoe had been surprised when Sirius had informed her of it. Apparently, Madam Bones had been one of three candidates just two years previously, the other two, of course, being men. However, Minister Fudge had been conscious that the other two were contenders for his position and he wanted an apolitical head of department. He found that in the most unlikely of the three candidates - Amelia Bones. Of course, this was all according to Sirius, but he had the information from Remus so it was likely to be factual.
"Miss Angevin," she greeted, holding her hand out for Zoe to take a seat.
"Please, call me Zoe," Zoe replied, pulling out a purple cushioned chair and sitting down opposite Madam Bones.
"Amelia," Madam Bones returned, before clearing her throat. "It has long since been assumed that you were dead."
It was a statement and not a question, yet Zoe felt obliged to answer. "Yes, ma'am. When I fell pregnant with my daughter Luisa, I decided to leave the country, to flee Lord Voldemort." Zoe was disappointed to see that Amelia flinched at the name.
"And you decided to come back now, why?" Amelia queried.
Zoe smiled. "I saw in the paper that my godson was being hunted down by the ministry."
"Yes," Amelia said, her smile tightening slightly. "I have very little to do with that, unfortunately. If Mister Potter and Miss Weasley returned, I could ensure that they got a trial, but not that they were allowed to go free, no matter their guilt."
It was as much of a commentary on the state of the ministry as Zoe needed. "But we can build a strong enough case to free Sirius?" Zoe asked, a hitch in her voice. She cleared her throat.
Amelia nodded, shifting some paperwork around on her desk. "The paperwork has gone through, Miss Angevin. Mister Black will be granted a trial, just as soon as he turns himself in. However, we need evidence."
"Can I speak freely?" Zoe asked and she looked deep into Amelia's eyes, wanting to convey that she did not mean free of manners or decorum. She wanted to ensure that Amelia's office had not been bugged by the Ministry, or Death Eaters.
"Yes," Amelia assured her. "I conduct a thorough search of this office for all sorts of spying magic or equipment every day."
Zoe inclined her head and continued to speak, "Sirius was not James and Lily's secret keeper. I would happily take veritaserum to prove that, because I was there when they discussed it. Sirius thought that he was too obvious a choice, being James' best friend, and I was the same, being Lily's, so we chose Peter Pettigrew instead."
Amelia's eyes widening was the only sign that she was surprised. "So Pettigrew betrayed the Potters and then Sirius went to..." she trailed off.
"Sirius went to kill him," Zoe confirmed, speaking of what Sirius had done in the day following James and Lily's deaths. "But he didn't. Before Sirius could, Peter Pettigrew cut off his finger and sent a blasting curse into the street, causing the death of the thirteen muggles."
"Sirius' wand was never tested," Amelia commented off-handedly. Zoe rolled her eyes and Amelia chuckled. "But that should prove that, then. If you testify under veritaserum to the time that you speak of, when the Potters' chose Peter as their secret keeper, then we prove that Peter was the death eater and not Sirius. It would be helpful if there was a witness that had seen Peter Pettigrew alive."
Zoe rubbed her fingers against her thumb over and over. "Remus Lupin?" she suggested in vain.
Amelia shook her head. "His testimony would not be accepted, as a werewolf."
Sighing angrily, Zoe gave Amelia the names of Harry's two friends who had been there and, again, Amelia apologised but said their testimonies could not be taken because they were underage at the time of events and veritaserum did not work on memories that took place before magical majority, age seventeen.
Finally, Zoe gave Amelia the name that Sirius had wanted to avoid: Severus Snape. Amelia snorted, in what Zoe assumed was irony. It was ironic to Zoe, anyway. That Snape would be the one to free Sirius would be quite satisfying, really, considering how much Snape hated Sirius.
"Right, there's some details I want to go over…"
XXX
Harry had woken up at six and struggled to go back to sleep, so he had slipped out of the flat, leaving a slumbering Ginny a note to explain. He wandered along to the Shambles, where there was a small wizarding general store.
Harry bought the few things they would need for a cooked breakfast and took them to the counter, grabbing Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet nonchalantly as he did. The assistant was young, probably a teenager who did not attend Hogwarts for he seemed only a year older than Harry, and he didn't bother looking at Harry whatsoever.
"Thanks mate," Harry said, walking back out of the shop. He grinned as he turned back towards their home. Every time he had a conversation with a wizard and they didn't recognise him Harry felt ecstatic.
Ginny was awake when Harry unlocked the flat door again. "Morning, sleeping beauty," he teased and Ginny looked up from the book she was reading at the table. She was bleary-eyed and completely makeup free. It was an amazing look on her, Harry had to say, with a grin. "I'm gonna make a cooked breakfast," he said, dropping a spontaneous kiss on her forehead.
"Sounds good," Ginny said with a yawn. "I think I'll start getting ready, then. We don't want to be late!"
Harry was pleasantly surprised when Ginny brought her makeup bag out to the kitchen table and started to wash her face there, rather than on her own in the bedroom. It made them seem like a real couple living a real life, just doing normal things. Harry grinned down at his eggs as he thought it.
"Thanks for the bed last night, Harry," Ginny said and Harry turned to her. He scanned her face for any nervousness or hesitation. He found none. They'd lived together, on their own, for so long now that things had stopped being awkward.
"Any time," Harry replied and meant it. A few minutes of comfortable silence later, Harry remembered the magazines he'd bought and pointed them out to Ginny.
"Thanks," Ginny said, grinning over the Witch Weekly. Abandoning the Prophet, she flicked open Witch Weekly, finding an article on the Weird Sisters immediately. Open like that, Harry saw the back cover of the magazine, where a large picture of Ginny's mum slamming the door of the Burrow was printed.
Ginny clearly saw Harry's face drop and she gave him an inquisitive look. "Gin, look at the back cover."
Ginny did and, soon, they were reading an article that Aimel MacGawne, a popular writer in the magazine, had written, with a title claiming that the Weasleys thought that Harry was not in control of himself.
There was even a quote, from Mrs Weasley herself: "Harry, he's a lovely boy, but he's not in control right now!"
That was the only quote from anybody relevant throughout the whole article. The rest was pure conjecture. "She doesn't mean it," Ginny said softly, having come to stand behind Harry where he had returned to frying some eggs.
Harry scoffed. "She doesn't mean it? What's it, Ginny? What does she mean, full stop?" Harry didn't bother to turn and see the hurt that would be on Ginny's face.
"I think she thinks Voldemort's in your mind, you know, after what happened with Dad," Ginny said bluntly. It was one of Harry's favourite things about her, her bluntness, but, at that moment, she said just what Harry feared and it made him angry.
"And what? She thinks I just become Voldemort sometimes?"
"I don't know, Harry!"
"Is she scared for you? Oh my G- Merlin, she's scared that you're in danger," Harry said, coming to the realisation. Ginny sighed. "She thinks I'm going to hurt you."
"No, Harry, she knows you would never-"
"But she thinks I'm basically Voldemort!"
"What do you want me to say, Harry?" Ginny shouted.
"I want you to say that I'm not!"
They both went silent, immediately. Ginny opened her mouth and then closed it again. Sighing, Harry returned to the breakfast, beginning to plate up the bacon and sausage from the oven. As he was doing this, Ginny laid a hand on his shoulder. Harry stiffened.
"Harry, the moment I was afraid that you were becoming like him, that you were possessed by him, I would tell you, I would run away, I promise," Ginny said in a soft voice. Harry felt like sagging into her. "But you are not like him and you are in control of your actions. My mum doesn't know what she is talking about, but I do."
"I know," Harry said in a very small voice. He felt very small. He was so good at making things about him. "I'm sorry for shouting." Ginny smiled and went on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
"I'm sorry, too."
XXX
Percy always carried a briefcase but never before had he been so conscious of it. Usually, it was filled with reports about leaky cauldrons and other such important nonsense. Today, it was full of the proof Percy had compiled about Minister Cornelius Fudge.
When Bill had suggested coming to see Amelia Bones, Percy had known that his older brother was right, as he usually was when it came to such things as morals and doing what was right. Percy rather lacked in that department, but not of late. He was going to do the right thing now, even if it terrified him.
Madam Bones' assistant informed Percy that she was just finishing up a meeting and, so, Percy was happy to wait. He took a seat and sat his briefcase in front of him, mind wandering far away to days happily reading books in the Burrow, to spending time with his friends at Hogwarts. Truly, he wondered how he had let things fall so far.
The door clicked open and Percy stood to attention. Madam Bones was dismissing somebody, a woman it seemed from the voice, and they were laughing together. It was the sound of friends, Percy thought. It had been a long time since he had indulged in a true laugh.
A petite, dark-skinned woman emerged from Madam Bones' office, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Percy nodded at her politely and she gave him an inquisitive look, before turning away. It was only seconds before she turned back. "Are you a Weasley?" she queried. Percy was rather affronted. Not out of irritation at being spotted as a Weasley as he once would've been, but at the upfront nature of her questioning.
"I am," he said stiffly.
The lady pressed red-coloured lips together and hummed slightly. "You must know Bill and Charlie, then?" she checked and Percy nodded, becoming rather confused at this point. He did not recognise this woman at all, yet she knew two of his brothers? Percy figured she must be a member of the Order, but they were all in -
"I'm Zoe Angevin," she said, sticking her hand out. Her nails matched her lips. Percy shook her hand vigorously and conveyed his pleasure at meeting her. "You too," she replied.
"I don't suppose we could meet some time, could we, Ms Angevin?" Percy asked suddenly as Zoe seemed to turn to leave. With a small smile, she gave him a time and place and finally left.
Settling down in his chair, Percy congratulated himself. He was about to meet with Madam Bones and he had set up a meeting with Zoe Angevin. His brother would be pleased.
XXX
"Come on, Hermione. You can't possibly have any work to do! Exams are over," Ron complained as Hermione turned to head towards the library. Hermione didn't, necessarily, but there was a very interesting book that she wanted to read. "Please. Let's play a game of chess in the common room?" he suggested. Hermione was pleased that he wanted to spend time with her and so she agreed.
They headed back to the common room and found it quite empty. The school day hadn't quite finished but, as fifth years, they had quite a few free periods, especially now that OWLs were over. It had been odd to do OWLs without Harry, really. Hermione had always imagined they would pass these milestones together. And yet, her best friend was out there, no qualifications to speak of. One day, she would make sure he got them, if only so he had something to show for the rough ride he'd had at school.
Ron and Hermione set up the chess board in silence, before Ron made his first move, playing white. "This is nice," Ron commented. "I feel like I've barely seen you since, you know."
Hermione frowned. "Everything changed when Harry left." Ron nodded and looked down at the board.
"It feels like without him, everything is harder." Ron admitting this made Hermione feel a hundred times better. "I know- I know I haven't been spending a lot of time with you, but I do still want to be friends." Hermione nodded.
"I know, Ron. It's just difficult. I get it."
"I'm just saying, you know, so that you know you don't need to, you know, spend so much time with Fred."
Hermione's temper flared. "Excuse me?"
"I just- the other day, with Percy, you were holding his hand, and I just wanted to say, you know-"
"So, I can't be friends with Fred?"
"I don't mean that. Don't get angry. I just mean that you don't need to be friends with Fred."
Hermione stood up, abandoning their game. "Who do you think you are? If I want to be friends with Fred, I will be."
Everyone in the common room had turned to look at them, including George and Angelina who were sitting by the fireplace. "Hermione, I don't think you understand what I mean-"
"Go to hell, Ron. Even if Harry came back now, I would never want to be your friend again!"
With that, Hermione stormed up to the girls' dormitories, where she realised that she had essentially just chosen Fred over Ron. What did all of this mean? Her stomach was doing that horrid thing, almost like cramps, but more like butterflies. She wanted Harry back.
XXX
"Guillaume," Fleur greeted enthusiastically, pressing a kiss to her fiancé's lips and lingering. It had been so long since she had seen him.
"Fleur, my love," Bill said, cradling her face in his hands, until the guard barked at them. "I've missed you so much. I've been so worried."
"Le ministère français is refusing to allow your ministère to 'old me until zere is a charge against me, zo I am still free. I want to 'elp you, mon amour," she said desperately. Bill's beard had grown in the time he'd been in the holding cells. She pinched his chin affectionately.
"Seeing you is helping me," Bill told her, looking at her as intensely as he could, as though he wanted to memorise every part of her.
"You will be out soon, I promise," she swore, stroking his knuckles.
"Dumbledore, is he fighting for us?"
Fleur didn't know. She had had no word from the leader of the Order. Helplessly, she shrugged. Even in prison, she was not willing to lie to Bill.
"I fight for you," Fleur reminded him and Bill's smile lit up her world. "Mon amour, as soon as you are free, the very second, I want to plan our wedding. I want to be your wife."
"Yes. This summer," Bill agreed and Fleur dared to peck his lips with a kiss. The guards sprang into action immediately, but, from the look on Bill's face, Fleur thought it was worth it.
XXX