Final Preparations

Williamson's funeral was at the end of the next week, and Ginny and Hermione accompanied him and Ron. While the tiny wizard levitated Williamson's coffin into his grave, he asked himself how many funerals he had yet to endure until it was really over. There was no trace to Selwyn and his companions, although every auror of the department apart from himself, Ron and Savage had worked on the case the whole week, and so Harry found himself looking at the other aurors and wizards around him, wondering who would be the next they had to carry to their graves. After the four had given their condolences to Mr and Mrs Williamson, they went over to Savage and his wife.

''Claire, this are Potter and Weasley'', Savage introduced them.

''It's a shame that we have to meet under these circumstances'', Mrs Savage said.

''Have you heard anything?'', Savage asked quietly, while his wife talked to Ginny and Hermione.

Ron shook his head. ''Jameson promised to keep us up to date, but he claims they've got nothing.''

- ''The same goes for Appleby and Yates'', Savage said grimly.

''D'you reckon Proudfoot told them to keep quiet?'', Harry asked.

''I hope so, Potter'', Savage said. ''The alternative would be that we really have got no idea what's happening, and that'd be - Proudfoot.''

They stopped their whispered conversation and turned around to great their Head of Office.

''Savage. Potter. Weasley.''

He shook their hands.

''How is Paula, sir?'', Harry asked.

''She'll make a full recovery, thank Merlin'', Proudfoot said. ''You may visit her next week, if you want to.''

He cleared his throat and looked at Savage. ''If you're ready...''

- ''I am'', Savage said shortly. Harry realised that his wife gave him a sad look.

''Well'', Proudfoot said. ''Then I expect you back at the office on Monday. Potter, Weasley, regarding you two...it's only one week before you return to school, anyway. You should take it as a holiday.''

Harry gulped. ''We want to help, sir.''

Ron nodded wildly.

Proudfoot sighed and leaned over. ''I want to be honest with you. The odds that we find Selwyn and the others within the next week are not good. What's more, I think that they're done running away and have met to do...something.'' He looked Harry straight in the eyes. ''Really, Potter, what could they be up to?''

- ''You think they're after us'', Ron whispered.

Proudfoot shrugged. ''I expect them to be, at least. It would be a powerful sign to our society. My priority - and the minister agrees - is therefore, to get you to Hogwarts safely.''

- ''So we'd only be another reason to worry about at the office'', Harry said bitterly.

Proudfoot shook his head. ''You know what I mean. Frankly, I wasn't happy about your presence at the office at first, but you both proved your worth.''

- ''Thanks, sir'', they said surprisedly.

''So I wish you a good term'', Proudfoot said curtly, ''and hope to greet you back at the office in June. Savage, we'll talk on Monday.''

He bowed to Mrs Savage, Ginny, and Hermione and left.

''You'll tell us everything?'', Harry asked.

Savage nodded. ''Bet on it. So then, boys, see you soon.''

He shook their hands and left with his wife.

After he had said his good-byes to the others and had returned to Grimmauld Place, he ate a big plate of Kreacher's famous chicken soup and worried over whatever Selwyn was up to. Proudfoot was right, he might be on top of their list, but he rather figured that the Death Eaters would go on recruiting to fill their ranks before trying something big. Harry unwillingly shuddered at the thought of what could have happened when Lucius Malfoy hadn't turned a dozen Death Eaters hin. Every Death Eater who wasn't forced to act out of hiding would be a huge advantage for Selwyn. He stared at his spoon pensively. Was maybe Malfoy himself one of their targets? For sure, he told himself, but Malfoy was even more secure than himself: four aurors were making sure that nobody entered Malfoy Manor and that Lucius himself didn't leave it. Draco would be just as safe as Harry at Hogwarts if the Death Eaters didn't get help from inside - he would have to stay alert. At least there was one more senior auror at Hogwarts, Dawlish, who would increase safety even more. Harry ate the last spoons of soup. Selwyn, he wondered slowly. I almost know nothing about Selwyn. He would use the next term to find out everything there was to know about Selwyn's years at Hogwarts. It shouldn't be too hard with Hermione's help-

''Will Master Harry want more soup?'', Kreacher croaked.

Harry flinched slightly, he had completely forgotten the house elf.

''Er, no thanks, Kreacher, I'm done.''

- ''Maybe tomorrow, before work, Master Harry?''

Harry shook his head. ''I won't have to go to the ministry until my return to Hogwarts, Kreacher.''

He studied the elf pensively. ''What will you be doing all day while I'm at school, Kreacher?''

Kreacher straightened himself proudly. ''Kreacher lives to serve the noble House of Potter'', he said. ''Kreacher will guard the house and keep order.''

That sounded nice, but Harry didn't like the picture of the elf alone Grimmauld Place at all. It would be like before the order had made it its headquarters; he'd be alone with the mad portrait of Sirius's even madder mother, and Merlin alone knew what that would do to him.

''Kreacher, wouldn't you prefer some, er, company?''

- ''Kreacher's preferances do not matter, Master Harry.''

- ''Well, they do to me'', Harry said strictly and the elf wiggled his long ears. ''Didn't you always like working at Hogwarts?'', he asked suddenly.

Kreacher nodded slowly. ''There was always a lot to do for Kreacher at Hogwarts School.''

- ''Then you should work in the kitchens again, if Professor McGonagall agrees'', Harry said satisfied. ''You could take care of the house on weekends, just to make sure that things are alright in our absence.''

Kreacher bowed deeply. ''Master Harry's wish is Kreacher's order.''

- ''Good'', Harry said happily. ''Then I'll write to Professor McGonagall first thing tomorrow to ask her whether that's okay.''

He stood up groaning. ''I'll go to sleep, it was a tough day. Have a good night, Kreacher.''

The next day, Ron and Harry visited Paula Zeas at St. Mungo's. The tiny auror was still weak, but recovering quickly.

''Four Blood-Replenishing Potions per day'', she said. ''Still, thank you, Potter. If you hadn't come looking for us...''

Harry shrugged, a little embarrassed. Zeas cleared her throat. ''Have you been at the funeral?''

They nodded.

''I wanted to go, but they wouldn't let me'', she said quietly.

Harry looked at his hands. ''Do you remember anything at all?''

- ''It was all too fast'', she said. ''In one moment, we were talking to that muggle...and in the next one, I was already on the ground and had pain...everywhere. There was lightning, and curses, and then I lost conscience.''

- ''You didn't see who did it?'', Ron asked tentatively.

She shook her head and winced, apparently the curse wounds still hurt. ''No. Nothing.''

She sighed. ''Jameson told me you're off the case.''

They nooded again. ''Savage promised to keep us informed. When do you get out of here?''

- ''At the end of the week, if things go well. And then these better bastards had better give up before I get them...''

After leaving St. Mungo's, Harry paid Andromeda his weekly visit. While he conjured bubbles for Teddy and his godson chuckled happily, she studied him with a serious expression.

''What's the matter?'', he finally asked after Teddy had decided that bubbles were boring and crawled away.

''That auror who died'', she said softly. ''Did you know him?''

- ''He was my partner'', Harry said weakly.

''Oh'', Andromeda said concernedly. ''I'm sorry, Harry.''

Harry nodded and studied Teddy who had started to wave at Andromeda's tawny owl which puffed her chest indignantly.

''Were you there when it happened?''

Harry shook his head. ''No, but I found them.''

- ''Them?''

- ''Another auror was with him'', Harry sighed. ''I just visited her at St. Mungo's this morning. She'll recover.''

Andromeda looked out of the window. ''You've chosen a dangerous profession, Harry.''

He laughed bitterly. ''I've chosen a dangerous life, you mean.''

He decided to mention the topic that had given him a stomach-ache for days.

''I met Narcissa in Diagon Alley'', he said slowly and shot her a look sideways. As always, when he mentioned her sister, Andromeda showed no reaction. ''We started talking about the Lestrange inheritance-''

- ''I don't want a single knut from her'', Andromeda spat.

''I told her as much'', Harry said bravely. ''But she said you should take it for...for Teddy.''

Andromeda turned around to look at him very slowly. ''Tell me one thing, Harry'', she said. ''How am I to explain Teddy later that the money which paid for his education comes from his mother's murderer?''

Harry gulped and forgot all the clever arguments he had prepared.

''Will you...you know, manage?'', he asked shyly.

''Ted and I have been working all our lives and Dora was with the aurors'', Andromeda said determinedly. ''You don't have to worry, Harry, Teddy will have anything he needs.''

Harry nodded relievedly. ''Anyway, if you ever need anything...''

- ''You'll be the first person I ask'', he said softly.

Mrs Malfoys reaction to his owl with Andromeda's answer didn't take long. When they were sitting at The Burrow together at the evening before their departure to Hogwarts, Ron gave the arriving Evening Prophet a single look and then started to laugh loudly.

''Those clever turncoats...''

He laid the newspaper on the kitchen table, nearly throwing the plate with pancakes on the ground which Molly had just put there.

MALFOY-FAMILY DONATE LESTRANGE-FORTUNE TO 'S

Harry whistled impressed.

''Fifty-Thousand Galleons to St. Mungo's...make reparations...have given major donations in the past already...'', Hermione summarised shortly. ''Well, they certainly do take cultivation of their image seriously.''

- ''People still won't forget what they've done'', Molly said wisely. ''More pancakes, Harry, dear?''

- ''No tanks, Molly'', Harry said and congratulated himself silently for not being round as a quaffle despite to Molly and Kreacher.

''But it's a nice gesture'', Molly said while she refilled Ron and George's plates for the third time.

''Anybody knows they're only doing to polish their image, Mum'', Ginny said.

''At least they did it'', Molly said. ''Malfoy or not, Fifty-Thousand galleons are quite a lot of money.''

- ''At least little Draco can go to the platform with mummy tomorrow without peeing in his pants now'', George murmured.

''Speaking of which'', Arthur said and put the Prophet aside. ''Shouldn't you lot go to bed now, so that we can for once avoid all the chaos tomorrow morning?''

- ''We can all apparate there this year, Dad'', Ginny said calmly. ''It's going to be right boring, don't worry.''

- ''I still have to go'', Hermione said and moaned. ''Mum and Dad will be waiting. Harry, are you coming?''

He nodded, kissed Ginny, which nearly didn't make George and Ron flinch any more, and then followed her outside and into the garden.

''What do we need to talk about?'', he asked immediately. There had to be a reason why Hermione had asked him to leave with her.

''Are you alright, Harry?'', she asked a little shyly. ''Because of...you know.''

He nodded and bit on his tongue to stop himself from lying to her. ''I'm dealing with it. It was...tough at the beginning, but, I dunno, maybe I'm sort of used to losing people by now.''

- ''Don't say that'', she said sharply.

''You're right'', he sighed. ''I'm just sick of these things happening, Hermione. And I wonder whether it was the right decision to go back.''

- ''Ron's the same'', she said quietly. ''But I'm sure it is.''

- ''Because you'd be dead bored without us'', he said, only a little joking.

''Boys'', she sighed. ''Is it really that hard to talk about your feelings?''

Harry kicked a garden gnome embarrassedly. ''I talk to Ginny.''

- ''You do?'', she asked surprisedly.

''Didn't she tell you?'', he replied just as surprisedly.

Hermione smiled. ''It's good to see you two are doing so well.''

Harry moaned. ''Really, Hermione, now it's getting too much, okay? Good night.''

- ''Good night, Harry.''