AN:
Timelines: March '99
A small pop and a startled cat's cry were all that announced the arrival of a bushy haired witch in the dingy alley behind Peter's Pub. She nervously ran her hands through her hair as her eyes studied the alley for a moment, her wand still on the ready. Her shoulders relaxed after a while.
Hermione squinted as she looked up at the bright sunlight pouring into the dark alley making the stench worse. She quickly slipped out of her coat and stuck it into a coin purse. She looked about again, making sure she wasn't being watched.
"Oh..." Hermione mumbled to herself, as she flecked the dust from her jeans. "I hope he remembered to put up the cloaking charm. It isn't easy to apparate all the way from Australia!"
Hermione mumbled quick spells, cleaning out the dirt and grime from the last few days of camping. She had grown a little weary of roughing it, so to speak. She quickly appraised herself in her compact. She walked towards the back door of the pub, as she snapped the compact shut. She stuffed her wand into her back pocket, zipping up her dark red sweatshirt over them.
She looked around at the relatively empty pub and seemed satisfied with the decision to meet there. A pair of blue eyes pierced through her, making her stop dead on her feet. She forgot how devastated Ron looked when he was angry.
It had been almost an year since they started dating. It was difficult at first, with Ron's new job and Hermione's school load.
When Hermione had told Ron that she wanted to write the NEWTs as an independent candidate, Ron was ecstatic. Working in the same office building as his girlfriend thrilled him to no end. He only paid half-attention when she talked about how she intended to further SPEW within the Ministry and how she hoped to spend more time with her parents. Ron even breezed through meeting Hermione's parents, who loved his sense of humor. Things couldn't have been more perfect.
But the look in Ron's eyes let Hermione know that the situation had changed this morning. She wanted him to be angry. That she could have handled. But she couldn't stand the look of devastation. Yes, she preferred anger.
Ron didn't rise to greet Hermione. He instead looked down at his beer. It was easy to fool the bartender that he was of muggle age. But the hard part was liking each sip he took. Though it got better, he would have preferred a firewhiskey any day.
He heard Hermione approach. He couldn't help himself. He looked up and saw her face only a few inches from his nose. He frowned.
"I know now is not a good time, Ron." Hermione whispered, her warm breath making his face turn red. "But I haven't seen you in forever and... Well... I missed you... So... Just for a few seconds, can you please not be mad and kiss me instead?"
Ron jumped to his feet, taking a few steps back. It was only five minutes ago that he had decided that he wasn't going to let Hermione get the upper hand. He had decided to be firm and demand her time. But that was five minutes before he had caught a whiff of Hermione's scent. Five minutes before he heard her voice, something those blasted muggle contraptions could never quite capture well. That was such a different time.
Ron pulled Hermione into an embrace and kissed her. Hermione responded enthusiastically, gently running her hands through Ron's hair. They separated in what they thought was a reasonable amount of time, but a few of the patrons didn't share the sentiment.
Ron expression turned sullen as he sat opposite Hermione, who had a small smile on her face.
"This doesn't mean that I'm going to go along with this." Ron said angrily.
"I know." Hermione replied, the smile from her face slowly fading. "It's just that I'm really happy to see you."
"THAT!" Ron shouted, ignoring Hermione's gestures to stay calm. The patrons didn't bother raising their heads.
"You can't just do that!" Ron said, trying to keep his voice calm. "You can't come here and kiss me and expect me to just play along. I am never going to agree to this."
"You've to understand where I'm coming from." Hermione replied, her voice almost pleading. "My parents adore me. And I'm not saying in a all-parents-love-their-children way. You know about my sister's crib death. My mum didn't believe she could ever love another child again. And then I came along. They still talk on family holidays about how I saved them. And because of me... Because I'm a witch... They spent an year thinking that their only child had died as an infant. My mum was in a bad shape last year. Dad almost left. But then they decided to move to Australia like they had always wanted. And it transformed my mother. Just getting out of Britain helped her. When I found them, they looked so blissfully happy that I almost didn't want to lift the memory charm."
Ron, who had been determinedly staring at the table, looked up and met Hermione's gaze. She had told him the whole thing in bits and pieces over the week. But she'd never mentioned the last part.
Ron had offered to accompany Hermione to Australia. But she had refused, saying it would be too emotional a reunion and she didn't want that to be the first time her parents meet her boyfriend. Though Hermione had found her parents relatively easily and they moved back to Britain a short while later, loneliness started creeping on Mrs. Granger again. With Hermione away at school and Mrs. Granger constantly trying to keep up with the close friends she made it Australia, Mr. Granger didn't take long to give up his dental practice in the heart of London for a small condo and office in the Australian outback.
Hermione had been travelling back and forth between the two continents, effectively spending her time either at office or at home in Australia. Ron was only able to visit a few times as his work kept him busy. And besides, apparating across the world is generally regarded as risky even for the most experienced wizards (due to the Earth's rotation and poor maths) and is strictly regulated. Hermione coincidentally got an assignment for the preservation of the Australian Myllabee, an endangered magical marsupial, co-sponsored by the Department of Mysteries. Most of the team and interns were spread across Australia and Hermione chose to be close to home, instead mastering inter-continental travel, making accurate calculations using books from muggle libraries.
The distance had been hard for the young couple. Ron's dreams of spending time with Hermione were squashed pretty soon. And with NEWTs approaching, Hermione was already pressed for time. In fact, they hadn't met since New Year which was three months ago. Ron had tried to grit his teeth and get through this phase. But Hermione had drawn the final straw, a straw Ron didn't even know existed.
"It's a fantastic opportunity." Hermione said, taking her turn of staring at the table. "The Department of Mysteries working with the Australian Ministry of magic to find and study rare or even legendary magical creatures. My parents were so excited when they found out. They even wrote you this letter urging you to consider moving to Australia. I'm sure Kingsley can get you in the Australian Auror Department. Please... Ron..."
"You're asking me to leave my family, my friends and my job." Ron spluttered, fearing his true emotion may actually burst through.
Hermione looked up as Ron looked away.
"We can still make it work..." Hermione said, in a small hopeful voice. "I'm gonna be able to travel to and forth more often in a few weeks. And I've a long weekend next weekend. We can go to Paris. See the view from the Eiffel Tower. Wouldn't that be great?"
Ron grit his teeth again. Hermione flinched as she saw Ron's face harden. She knew the distance had been tough on him. And Ron had been vocal many times about how inappropriate her boss' attention towards her is. Hermione knew what the anger stemmed from and she knew that her brilliant and capable female mentor/boss is not to blame here. The distance was hard on her too. She missed talking about the million bees buzzing in her mind as Ron nodded and held her hand at the exact right times. She missed camping under the stars with Ron, their hands so close that she could feel the fire in his. She missed the little notes he used to leave at her desk, sometimes with a muffin because he was concerned that she'd skipped lunch again. Somehow he always knew when she'd skipped lunch. But it was the realist in her that wanted to take up the job offer. Unfortunately, the realist in her was very quiet.
Hermione bit her lips. She parted her lips a few moments later as though to say something. Ron closed his eyes, waiting for the bullet Hermione was about to fire. He desperately wanted another beer. But mercifully, before Hermione could say anything, her pager buzzed. Ron sighed in relief as Hermione grabbed the pager and read the message. They both seemed to want to stall the inevitable.
"I don't know who this is..." Hermione said in a little while. "But it says urgent. Maybe we should check it out? Very few people have this number."
Ron nodded as Hermione and he rose. They asked the bartender for the phone and Hermione dialed the number. Ron put his ear close to the ear piece of the thing. One thing his experience with muggle technology had taught him that the person on the other side would sound nothing like they actually do.
"Hi." Hermione said, in a business-like manner. "I got an urgent page for this number. Who is this?"
"Is this Hermione Gran-gar?" replied a young man's voice.
Hermione looked at Ron, who shook his head.
"Who is this, please?" Hermione responded in a semi-polite manner.
"This is Dudley Dursley." The young man replied. Ron had a vivid image of a pig.
"Dudley?" Hermione responded, more out of shock than confusion.
"I'm Harry's cousin." Dudley continued. "Harry Potter. Look, I'm not sure if I got the right person. Mrs. Nottingham mentioned that you were working in Australia for the last few months. But the page went through. Have I got the right person?"
"Yes!" Hermione squeaked in response. "What happened? Are Harry and Daisy alright?"
"I'm really sorry about this." Dudley said, being a little theatrical. "But Mrs. Nottingham, the lovely lady downstairs was worried about them. Apparently, Harry hasn't been seen since New Year and Mrs. Nottingham suspects that something is going on. She hears odd bangs through the night." Dudley paused for a minute, hoping Hermione had cracked the clue.
"Looks like you're not the only one who went missing after New Year." Ron mouthed in a low voice.
Hermione rolled her eyes but told Dudley that she was in Britain and was almost at Harry's place. She also mentioned that she spoke with him a while back and he is alright.
Hermione could hear Mrs. Nottingham speak in the background.
"I'm sure he must have used a payphone, Mrs. Nottingham." Dudley replied to a question Hermione didn't ask. "Please, hurry!" Dudley said in a low voice and disconnected the phone.
Hermione looked at Ron tentatively. Concern for his best friend had replaced a little bit of his previous emotions. But Ron couldn't help but groan at his best mates timing. Couldn't Harry have a personal crisis at a more convenient time?
Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Let's go take care of this." Ron said, as he handed some paper to the bartender who nodded and handed him some change.
Ron walked away before Hermione could berate him. Hermione took the moment to compose herself and followed Ron.
Hermione had met Ron in the evening twilight. She always thought that Ron looks his best in the cloak of dusk. He looked almost like a black-and-white movie star, is features complimenting each other perfectly. She watched Ron's back as he looked to across the door. She slowly walked next to him. And almost immediately, Ron holds Hermione's left pinky and begins to cross the road. Hermione smiled as he steered them through traffic. For a person who had always trusted books and facts, the feeling of blindly following those broad shoulder with a few stray clumps of red hair was a calming feelings. Suddenly, the NEWTs, the job and her parents didn't matter. All that mattered was that no matter how hurt Ron was, he would always get her safely across a street. With a small pop, the couple disappeared.
-XX-XX-
Ron let Hermione's finger go once they reached the entrance of the apartments. Hermione wanted to hold his hand again but decided against doing so. They rang the buzzer for Mrs. Nottingham, Harry's downstairs neighbor.
"What?" Ron exclaimed, as he looked at his grinning brother at the door. "George! Mate!"
Ron pulled George into a hug. Hermione, who hadn't seen George since Fred's funeral, just looked on wide-eyed.
"Glad to see you crazy cats are still together." George said, casually strolling into Mrs. Nottingham's house. "I'm glad Fred was right on this one."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other. George was not dealing well with Fred's death. He had become moody and sullen. He had let his shop consume him, creating flashier, gaudier and more reckless gags. It was rumored that seven of George's inventions were still pending for approval with the Ministry.
It was rare to see George out and about. But the rare occasions that he did step out, he was usually stinking drunk. He would reminisce about Fred, especially at things that Fred had planned on doing in life. Mr. Weasley had to rush Mrs. Weasley to St. Mungo's for calming treatment, the first time George showed up drunk at Percy's wedding. The next time was at Bill and Fleur's pregnancy announcement. Fleur is still trying to get Bill to forgive George for that one.
Hermione held Ron's finger as she led him inside. Seeing George like this was extremely hard for Ron. For Ron, because Fred and George were always the same unit, it seemed like Fred was in agony too. It didn't help that even the freckles on the twins faces were on the same spots. Ron felt guilt for not being able to help his brother, especially at times when it seemed like everybody else was moving on in life. And Hermione, just ye holding is finger, infused him with confidence. He knew that he wasn't in this alone. He followed her pressure and joined her as she cried out in exclamation.
Mrs. Nottingham was lying on the ground, her body stiff and her expression frozen. Hermione rushed to her, calling out to Dudley to call an ambulance. But Dudley was frozen on an armchair, a half eaten cookie still in his hand.
"Dudley." Hermione said sharply, as Ron tried to figure out the number for muggle emergency services.
"He... did.. this..." Dudley said weakly.
Hermione paused and looked up at Dudley confused.
Dudley put the cookie on the table, next to the steaming cups of tea.
"We were just talking." Dudley continued. "And out of nowhere, he shoots out a red light. And she crumbles to the floor. She was getting him some honey for his tea."
"You jinxed her?" Ron spat angrily.
George didn't respond. He was rummaging through the kitchen shelves.
Hermione took out her wand to free Mrs. Nottingham but George instantly disarmed her. He walked back into the living room, a jar of honey in his hands.
He slowly stirred some in as the room cautiously watched him.
"Nosy git was going to call muggle law enforcement on Harry." George said, looking scathingly at the stupefied Mrs. Nottingham. "Said she wanted to do Harry the courtesy first of calling his emergency contacts. Her page to Hermione didn't go through. So she called Dudley and me. Looks like old Dud here is living in London above some bar. And I recently setup a muggle number for delivery of muggle gags. I had sent a word to Harry and he seemed to have given it to her. I bet she kept bugging him for numbers she could call."
"What do you mean call the law enforcement?" Hermione responded, her tone sharp.
She frowned at Mrs. Nottingham. She had always seemed like an alright lady. She loved babysitting Daisy and cooked often for the kids upstairs. Harry in return used too run errands for her and help her with some small overdue bills from time to time. It was a good setup. Ginny had especially approved of Mrs. Nottingham, calling her a life saver because she was so good to Daisy. Why on earth was she considering calling the police on Harry?
Dudley took a calming breath and tried to speak in as even a tone as he could in the presence of so many wizards.
"It's very strict for us." Dudley spoke, looking directly at Hermione, trying to explain the situation. "It looks like Daisy isn't reaching all the milestones for her age. She doesn't make noises, hasn't started crawling yet and doesn't seem to respond to human actions. Mrs. Nottingham said that babies are like monkeys at around this point. And she noticed that Harry reduced his outings. She used to babysit Daisy all the time. But slowly, Harry started staying at home more. And now she hasn't seen him in almost three months. At first she thought that maybe Harry was working nights and was sleeping in the day. He may have missed out on telling her that. So, this past week, she camped out near her door. She is a light sleeper and was able to see who was walking past by her door. It looks like Harry hasn't stepped out once. But she is sure he is alright, because she can hear him talking to himself all day. She gets the murmurs through a vent in her kitchen. She has a lot of joint pain. So, climbing up the stairs and actually knocking is impossible for her. She didn't want to alert the neighbors before finding out for herself. So she called us."
Ron, Hermione and George quietly took in the information. And a bang from the upstairs apartment brought them out of their reverie.
"Maybe..." George said, as he took the final sip of his tea. "In hindsight... I may have jinxed first and asked questions later. I only got here a few minutes before you came and she mentioned as she was making tea that she wanted to give us a chance before getting anybody else especially the police involved. Anyhoo, nothing I can do now. Best to wake her up and drop by upstairs."
"She is going to have questions." Dudley said skeptically.
"And hence the Did-I-Fall-Asleep apple toffee, patent pending." George grinned, as he rummaged through his pockets.
Dudley squealed and stood firmly behind Hermione. Hermione scowled at George and snatched the miniature apple toffee from his hand. She raised her hand as George started to protest.
"I don't even want to know what these do." Hermione said, her voice imploring. "As Ministry officials, Ron and I cannot allow this to happen."
George and Hermione looked at Ron. Ron looked at them alarmed.
Giant, bouldering steps alerted George of Dudley movements, who put himself squarely between Mrs. Nottingham and George.
"Settle down, mate." Dudley said, in a quiet voice. "Mrs. Nottingham is an old dear. She has been deathly worried about those two. I doubt if she'd actually call the police on Harry. She adores him. Please don't do any more magic on her."
George considered Dudley for a while before lowering his wand. Hermione snatched her wand from George.
"I can modify her memory.." Hermione muttered, trying to go around Dudley.
But Dudley stood his ground.
"No." Dudley implored, his voice a little scared this time. "No more magic."
Ron sighed dramatically as he walked confidently across the living room to Mrs. Nottingham. He arranged her on the couch.
"Sit." He said, looking at the others. They quickly arranged themselves on the small couch with Dudley choosing to stand next to Mrs. Nottingham.
"She hasn't been sleeping well." Ron muttered, as he took out his wand. Dudley made a motion towards him.
"Relax, mate!" Ron said, looking Dudley in the eye. "It's just to end the spell."
Dudley frowned and slowly nodded.
"We can say she suddenly fell asleep when we were talking." Ron said, as he conjured two more cups of tea and some biscuits. "And we best thought to wait until she wakes."
Ron muttered the counter spell and Mrs. Nottingham awoke with a jerk, looking around the room confused.
"Oh thank god!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're awake, Mrs. Nottingham. You really mustn't sacrifice a good nights sleep. George and Dudley filled us in. I hope you don't mind, we made tea."
"I fell asleep?" Mrs. Nottingham muttered, still dazed.
"Yes..." Mrs. Nottingham said, her voice sounding more confident. "Yes, yes. That's what must have happened. I was so dreadfully tired and my joints were acting up again."
She rubbed her knees as she beamed at the new visitors.
"You lot hardly stop by anymore!" Mrs. Nottingham complained lovingly. "Ron, check the top shelf. I made scones! I know Molly loves them."
Ron beamed at her as he made his way to the kitchen.
"All you Weasley's with your red hair!" Mrs. Nottingham said, as she took her cup of tea. "Harry didn't give me a last name mind you. But the moment I saw George, I could tell he was Molly's George. We've spoken only a couple of times and never about her kids. But you can tell a lot about the mother from the way a child treats his elders. Yessir, you can."
"We should check up on Harry, Mrs. Nottingham." Dudley said, in a soothing voice.
He looked at her as though she was a helpless baby duck.
"Yes, oh yes." Mrs. Nottingham replied. "You make sure that boy and his sister are alright. Everybody in the building thinks that she is his daughter. But you can't fool me. I've too many kids and I know things. Dudley, be a dear and take the lasagna from the oven upto them. I put it on when you phoned. God knows when that child last had a decent meal."
"Score!" Rang Ron's voice from the kitchen.
"Don't you be eating all the lasagna, Ronald!" Mrs. Nottingham berated.
Ron smiled as he emerged from the kitchen, a large tray in his hands.
Hermione smiled as she closed the door to Mrs. Nottingham's behind her. And with three tiny pops, Dudley found himself alone in the corridor.
"What the..." Dudley said confused, as he heard Hermione knocking on Harry's door.
"It's a single flight of stairs..." Dudley grumbled as he started climbing.
-XX-XX-
Dudley walked into the dark unwelcoming apartment, smell of stale beer invading his lungs as he entered. He saw as Hermione scrunched her nose and waved her wand. A small orb of light filled the room and the smell gradually dissipated. Harry squinted at the oddly bright orb so late in the evening. He waved his wand and the light bulbs in the house flickered on. Harry motioned for the new arrivals to be quiet as he slowly closed the door behind him.
"The little angel just fell asleep." Harry said, in a low voice, a fake glassy smile across his face. "She is quite a handful these days."
The bright orb had, however, brought Harry and the house into full focus. The furniture lay barren. Harry had scribbled runes around his TV, toaster and fridge. All the drawers in the house seemed to be bursting at the seams but remained magically locked, the wood bulging out of the crevice. Harry followed everybody's gaze and sighed exasperatedly.
"Daisy has a tendency to get into the drawers." Harry said his voice barely a whisper.
"Harry..." Hermione said, tentatively. But Dudley cut in.
"Harry, mate..." He said, his tone oddly even. "Where is Daisy?"
Harry frowned.
"Sleeping..." He replied, slowly.
"Mind if I check up on her?" Dudley continued.
Harry nodded, the frown still on his face. Dudley picked up full bottles of opened beers on his way to the kitchen sink and drained them. He gave Harry a small glance before making his way to the baby's room. Harry prayed that Dudley didn't wake her. He couldn't have handled it.
"So..." Harry said, grinning, his voice still hushed. "Didn't know you guys hung out with Big D."
Harry's and Dudley's relationship had only recently gotten better. However, it was obvious that Harry didn't like Dudley hanging out with his friends. Hermione quickly explained the whole situation.
"You really ought to check in with Mrs. Nottingham." Hermione concluded, as Harry closed his mouth.
"It's been three months?" Harry mouthed, before cupping his face and screaming.
Hermione and Ron looked at each other wide eyed.
"Ron, Hermione..." Harry said, not lifting his head. "I need help."
"That's my cue." George said, following Dudley into the baby's room. "I'm gonna chill out with Big D! Keep him occupied."
Hermione and Ron waited for Harry to start.
"I don't know where to start." Harry said, finally looking up.
Ron and Hermione took their places on his side. Harry looked at familiar numbers on Ron's wristwatch. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they used to huddle in the tattiest arm chair in the Gryffindor common room and just talked.
"I think I'm going to start at where it all began for me, I guess." Harry said, as Hermione conjured up plates and Ron served slices of lasagna.
Harry accepted his plate gratefully.
"Around Halloween, do you guys remember when I was called down to the Ministry?" Harry asked, not expecting an answer. "Well, you guys asked me a couple of times what it was about. And I said I was still trying to figure it out. I think... I think I've finally figured it out."
Ron slowly nodded, urging Harry to go on.
"When Trelawney made the prophecy which made my parents go into hiding..." Harry continued, balling his fists. "My mother started keeping a journal."
Harry paused, unable to go on. He took a small chunk of the lasagna but changed his mind before the food reached his lips. He had to get it out. He would go mad otherwise.
"It looks like the Aurors couldn't reach my grandmother from my mothers side on time." Harry said, trying to get the words out as fast as he could. "They tortured her for my whereabouts. But she didn't know. She couldn't know. She died shortly before my parents went into hiding. But my mum had managed to meet her once before she was taken. One of the last people to see my grandmother alive was my mum. Mum said she had to beg grandma to move out of Spinner's End, a house she and her husband of fifty years had shared. A house in which my grandfather died. My mum told her mum that she couldn't bear to part with her infant son, otherwise she would have moved back home. My grandma relented a while later. But sometimes between my mother leaving and the Aurors arriving, my grandmother went missing. The last thing she gave her daughter were a couple of journals, encouraging her to record my progress as an infant."
Harry gulped, his throat suddenly parched. But he pushed on.
"Mum had a nervous breakdown when she found out about Grandma." Harry continued. "They took her to a muggle healer. And he suggested she start writing the journals. And the journal..."
Harry took out two small leather bound books from his pocket. He was used to carrying it around like the Bible now. Every word was etched into his brain.
"It's a hard read." Harry said. "Mum was terrified that we weren't going to make it. The doctor encouraged her to talk about the future. He asked her to jot down random thoughts that popped into her head, good or bad."
Harry hugged the journals gently.
"It's like listening to her talk." Harry said, a sad smile on his face. "For the first time in my life, my parents were real to me. They weren't just the things people told me. They were real people. I even have a full page entry in this about my dad's smelly socks! Though it was towards..."
Harry shook his head. He knew his friends didn't want to read his mother's journal. And he wanted to keep it private, keep it special anyway. Thankfully, neither asked for the journal.
"I'm so sorry, Harry." Hermione said, unable to think of the right thing to say.
"They were only 21." Harry continued, his voice shaking a little. "In a few years time, I will be older than they ever got to be. And then, I will hopefully get to be an old man, while my parent's remain eternally young. I wanted to believe my parents were brave. But this... they were scared. Never scared for themselves but always for me. It looked like my dad wasn't doing well cooped up. But he wouldn't leave our side, choosing to trust his friends instead."
"The Department of Mysteries rarely releases evidence." Ron quoted as he ran his fingers across the Department of Mysteries seal.
"And I think I finally figured out why." Harry said, as he rose to his feet and conjured up a messy whiteboard.
"Let's look at the facts." Harry said, as a marker waited for him to speak. "One. My mother had a panic attack and spend the year of hiding in fear. Two. I have read the journals twice over, over-analyzing each thought. And there is no evidence to support that mum knew anything about the ancient protection spell she supposedly cast to save me. Three. The Department of Mysteries went to Godric's Hollow on that night and took this journal as evidence. Four. They choose to release it to me now."
Ron had the look on his face, which showed that he was close to drifting away. But Hermione seemed to be getting impatient. This had nothing to do with Daisy. She wondered how long George could stall Dudley for.
"Five." Harry continued hesitantly. "Mum was pregnant when she died."
Hermione flinched and Ron rose to his feet.
"She had started the second journal." Harry continued, as he rummaged through the cabinet drawers filled with documents. "I think she'd only found out the same morning. Dad didn't even know."
"And six.." Harry continued, this time is voice cracking with the strain. "I got three separate DNA tests done from reputed places. I even got a bit of my parents hair for the test. Daisy is the pregnancy my mum died with."
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, no longer able to contain herself. "What are you suggesting?"
"There was a small article." Harry continued, as he handed Hermione the DNA test results. "I found it in the journal. It looks more like a memo."
Harry unfolded a piece of paper and read aloud.
As is clear from muggle and Department of Mysteries research, the laws of Thermodynamics (especially the Law of Energy Conservation*) holds true. Magic leaves signatures that can be detected through spells. And the advent of new muggle technology going "haywire" in magical conditions further supports the theory that magic is not a transfer but a pathway. All spells travel to an unknown "dimension" before proceeding towards the target. The physical distance between the spell casters, their relatives strengths and the type of has no effect on the usage of the unknown "dimension". The total amount of magical energy in the world seems to be conserved (Revised 1998; Read Magical Surge). Wands play a specially important role in the opening of the unknown "dimension" (Revised 1998; Read Magical Surge)
Since energy is conserved, it is reasonable to assume that a untouched soul carries a reservoir of access energy which is channeled through a wand. All spells are hence a manipulation of the unknown "dimension". It opens new windows to wandless magical research, further corroborating the 1817 Warawick Hypothesis of Wand Suppression, which was reopened after Subject 3265C survived the killing curse due to wandless magic performed by subject 3265B, residue of which still lingers in the site of incident. (Read ((SECURE EYES ONLY))).
The Magical Surge incident opens new windows to research and heavy funding is needed for research into non-human magical creatures (including known non-magical non-muggle human subjects). Evidence authorized for release to further insight.
Hermione snatched the paper from Harry's hand, her eyes darting quickly as she reread the memo. Ron gulped a few times.
"Magical surge?" Hermione muttered. "I haven't heard of this..."
"What is the the this therm-thermo-thermody thing?" Ron asked, reading over Hermione's shoulders. Harry faced them, his hands clutching his elbows. He was hoping Hermione would prove him wrong. He didn't want to get to point seven. He didn't even want to think about point seven.
"Thermodynamics." Hermione slowly said. "It's muggle physics. Let me think. The first law states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it simply changes forms. Applied to magic, I think it means that old powerful wizards die quick enough to make space for younger wizards. Magical Surge? Does this have anything to do with the Daily Prophet article about the increase in muggle borns at Hogwarts, the highest since inception? But calling it a surge... And actually doing research into it..."
Harry nodded, seeing that Hermione was slowly getting to where he was. He would be glad to have company in the torturous hell he had isolated himself in over the past few months.
"This is deep magic, Harry." Ron said, filling in the silence Hermione left as her mind worked furiously. "The D.O.M rarely does reports. And these are eyes only documents. I'm not even sure if you should be telling us this. They have powerful curses on the reports that they do release."
"Harry asked us to read the memo." Hermione interjected, looking at the seal. "And I don't think it takes this long for a curse to work. But.. Who is Warawick?"
"Warawick the Wacky, of course." Ron replied, much to Harry's surprise. Hermione seemed unfazed.
"He was this crazy scientist as long time ago." Ron continued. "He said the Ministry is in conspiracy with the muggles to keep the magical population in check. Wands are shackles, he used to say. Turns out he was just really good at casting non-verbals. Spent the rest of his life as a vagrant. But he still has support, mind you. Conspiracy theorists call him their founding father."
Hermione looked at the article again, slowly piecing together the pieces which Harry had laid out for her.
"You think Daisy is a result of Voldemort dying..." Hermione said slowly.
Harry was interrupted by the TV switching on and loud exclamations from Daisy's room.
"Daisy!" Dudley and George exclaimed as they stumbled out of the baby's room, as Daisy floated lazily above them, yawning widely as she made her way towards the TV.
Harry automatically opened his window to let the Ministry howler in. It smoked as it floated in level with Daisy, who promptly grabbed the howler and stuck it in her mouth.
"Daisy!" Harry exclaimed, wrestling the howler out of Daisy's mouth.
The howler shook itself a little. Ron braced himself for what was to follow.
Come on, man! The howler said in a normal tone. Get it together.
Daisy squealed as she floated onto Dudley's shoulders, tightly grabbing his ears.
"They tried to use an Infant Magic Suppressor." Harry said, as George took Daisy into his arms. "She cried bloody murder for a day straight. Nothing calmed her down. And she barely cries around me. I noticed a while later that she was calmer around the suppressor, as though it distracted her from the crying. So I let her play with it for a while. Hermione...Daisy is very advanced in magic. Even the runes can't stop her. And she broke the sensor. I mean, she kept looking at it and it just died."
Daisy howled as George made faces at her. Dudley kept a close eye on Daisy, not sure if he could trust George yet.
"Which brings me to point seven." Harry continued, as though each word was a great strain. "Daisy is advanced in magic. She can even fly without a wand."
"What do you mean advanced magic?" Hermione hissed in an undertone as they watched George and Daisy. "Are you suggesting she is a reaction of Voldemort's death? Are you suggesting she could be Voldemort himself?"
Ron repeatedly winced and took a few steps forward.
"Calm down." Ron said, trying to pacify Hermione. "Harry isn't suggesting that, is he? He is simply saying that its odd, the way Daisy was born. I mean it looked like she literally leapt out of You-Know-Who."
"Ron!" Hermione retorted angrily. "How can you say something so terrible about Daisy?"
Ron was interrupted by knocking on the door and the door bursting open to reveal a surprised Ginny, still looking like she was about to knock. Daisy laughed excitedly and floated towards Ginny. Ginny rushed into the house, closing the door behind her, and grabbed Daisy.
"Hey, pumpkin!" Ginny said, in a soothing voice. "You can't float about like that. Mrs. Nottingham downstairs may get a fright. That would be really bad."
Daisy cocked her head as she grabbed Ginny's ear-rings.
Ginny quickly took them off and pocketed it, along with her chain and watch.
She quickly walked to Harry and gave him a peck. She then went to George and hugged him tightly, Daisy floating above their heads. They separated when Daisy grabbed George's hair and tried to float away with him.
"I got your message..." Ginny told George, as she took off her travelling cloak. She was still dressed in school uniform.
"I was in the library!" Ginny exclaimed. "I have the NEWT's in a few weeks. Does anybody care? Nope. If McGonagall finds out I'm not in school, she might keep me as a kettle for life. But does anybody care? Nope, again! They choose the most inconvenient time to have a crisis. Harry, Hermione, Ron. Bedroom."
The trio quietly followed Ginny to Harry's bedroom.
-XX-XX-
Daisy tried to follow Harry but George distracted her with the TV program. They watched colorful animals singing together, Daisy laughing each time George joined in. Dudley looked more relaxed settling on a chair behind them. He smiled as George laughed.
"George." Dudley said, hesitantly. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about Fred. Harry spoke a great deal about him. I would've liked the opportunity to have apologized to him too. But I guess I will have to make do with lighting a candle."
"Apologize for what, Dudders?" George asked, forcing a grin.
"When we had first met, I'd eaten a bunch of candy that had fallen out of your pocket." Dudley continued.
"I may remember..." George replied.
Dudley sighed before talking.
"My dad passed away last year." Dudley said, out of the blue. "And it's been... hard, to say the least. He was a great man. He worked hard and provided for his family. He planned vacations and birthdays. I grew up happy and pampered. And I loved my father."
George looked at Dudley skeptically.
"But Harry didn't come for his funeral." Dudley said, his voice sounding hurt. "I asked him so many times and he didn't come. I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't at my best behavior when I stormed in here the next day, in complete rage. Harry actually ran when he saw me and locked himself in the bathroom. It was only when the baby started crying did I calm down. I left and went straight to a psychiatrist. What I did wasn't right. I never wanted to feel that rage again."
"And the psychiatrist allowed me to love my dad again as the imperfect man that he was." Dudley continued, his eye desperately trying to break eye-contact. "You see I was so mad at him for the way he raised me and for the way he allowed me to think it was alright to treat Harry badly. The shrink helped me sort through my rage and make amends to the people in my life. I have done you wrong by mistreating your friend and for that I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me. It took me forever to muster up the courage to apologize to Harry. And it took him almost the same time to forgive me. But I'm trying to do right by Harry."
George nodded, as he put Daisy in her play-pen, his face solemn. It was odd. He had never thought about Dudley much. But here is a bloke who not only felt guilty enough to remember who George was but actually considered him to be important enough to be apologized to.
"And..." Dudley said, lowering his voice. "We need to do what the others aren't able to."
Before Dudley could continue, loud screams filled the house.
-XX-XX-
Ginny watched patiently as Hermione rambled about Harry's "research". Ginny knew most of the so-called points. They were in touch through a two-way mirror. She had time and again encouraged Harry to focus on studying for the NEWTs. She knew being cooped up in the house with a baby was a bad situation. But she also knew that there was no other option. With the prophecy fulfilled, Harry had been drifting through life. He had let the prophecy dictate his life for so long, it looked like he had forgotten how to navigate life without a map. And that confusion slowly turned to dread with Harry, questioning his every moves, wondering which one would be the cataclysmic outcome. Harry needed time away from magic and Daisy was the perfect choice. Harry felt a sense of family with her. She renewed his sense of purpose. By raising her, Harry was tending to the neglected little boy inside him. In Daisy, he sees a young Harry Potter. A muggle Harry Potter. Ginny was sure making amends with Dudley was great progress. And that was why she was surprised to see George's face in the two-way mirror, asking her to get to Harry's immediately. It looked like Daisy distracted him before he could give her more information.
Ginny's ears piqued when Hermione talk about the D.O.M research into magical energy. Harry hadn't mentioned this before. She tried to decipher as much information as she could. Harry had been resting his face in his hands the entire time. The more Hermione spoke, the more Harry's hands constricted. Harry looked liked he was nearly crushing his skull. He felt a gentle pressure on his hands and looked up to Ginny looking at him with an eye-brow raised.
"Really?" Ginny said, rolling her eyes comically. "I sneaked out of school for this? I mean you guys have faced such bigger problems. I was actually concerned. But now I'm just annoyed."
"Again, the trio miss the point." Ginny said, folding her legs on Harry's bed. "You miss the point that this is Daisy we are talking about. And it isn't uncommon for babies to fly. You should hear mom tell stories about Percy, who regularly made his way north. Like geese, Fred used to say. He almost made it out of the backyard once before Mom caught on. You really oughta read wizard parenting books."
"Exactly!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing Harry to his feet as she sat next to Ginny.
"You had muggle doctors run tests." Ginny continued. "And they said you guys are brother and sister. You're not related by some unexplained magical force. You're both Potters. You are both the blood of Lily and James Potter."
Harry could feel a calm spread over him.
"And Harry..." Hermione added. "I know I shouldn't bring this up because it makes this amazing thing you're doing sound selfish. But you want to raise her in a way you'd wanted to grow up. You believe that the upbringing matter more than blood. And Daisy adores you. Right from the time she was born."
"Your mum was a brilliant woman." Ginny said, rising to her feet. She pressed her ear on the door, wondering if she'd actually heard shuffling.
"But you know more about her now." Ginny continued. "You know the human side of her, not just from the things people tell you. But from her actual journal. And you know that she loved you. Both your parents did. Heck your dad even decided to stay at home to protect you. I know that it doesn't seem like a big deal. But I know you remember how Sirius felt when he was cooped up in Grimmauld Place in your fifth year."
"But your dad was patient man." Ginny said, this time opening the door and popping her head out. She was sure she heard something.
"He was patient in his persistence with your mum." Ginny continued, closing the door, a frown on her face. "He was probably in love with your mom way before she had any strong feelings for him. But he didn't push her to love him. And that is the love you need to emulate Harry. You need to be patient with Daisy. A lot of people talk about the power of your mother's sacrifice. But rarely do people talk about the power of your dad's patience and persistence. He was sure your mum was the one and won her over. And you and Daisy are a result of that."
"That's two things right there which is the exact opposite of who You-Know-Who was." Ron said, in a low voice. "I know it's crazy the way Daisy was born but she isn't evil. And she definitely isn't You-Know-Who."
Ginny burst out of the room, following the loud screams that had filled the house.
-XX-XX-
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione rushed to the baby's room. They saw George holding the baby, his fist stuffed into his mouth to stop his giggling.
Another loud scream echoed into the night. This time the roommates of the screaming lady burst into the room.
"It popped again on it's own." The lady screamed, her clutching her head through her blonde hair. "Whenever I say the magic word, it opens. I'm not messing around. Look: Pop-pop." The lady made finger guns and aimed at the unopened beer bottle in her roommates hands. Nothing happened.
"I hope everything is alright?" Dudley said, waving after a while.
Dudley didn't have to speak up much. The apartments in the area were all tiny, cheap and cramped together. Kimberly, the lady who screamed, would often throw Harry diapers from the shelf next to window when Daisy was being fussy and Harry couldn't reach them. He had been strictly advised against using Scourgify to clean the diapers. Apparently, cleaning the diaper is not the same as disinfecting it.
"I think she's had a tough day." Kimberly's roommate, Laura said, as she opened her beer. "And too many beers."
"I haven't had any!" Kimberly said, trying to readjust the beer bottle on the table. "I came into to get a few from the cooler. I was carrying so many that I couldn't open mine. I was just messing around and it actually worked. I swear it did. POP-POP!"
Ginny flickered back into view with a small pop, Daisy smiling as she tried to grab the air around Ginny. George held on to her firmly while Ginny was dissapparating and apparating, holding Daisy's attention with a series of small pops.
"Alright then." Dudley replied, nodding. "Take care!"
They slowly left the room, careful to hold Daisy's attention. No longer had they reached the living room that George erupted into laughter. Daisy started popping all the beer bottles in the house, clapping joyously. Dudley looked solemn.
"Your neighbor is really freaked." Dudley said, shaking his head. "When we realized what Daisy was doing, George acted like Daisy needed to be moved around a bit and hid from view. When she tried again, the bottle opened on it own. I think George laughing really spurred her on."
"Oh.. Boy..." George said, trying to catch his breath. "This is such a great idea. Fool your muggle friends with temporarily enchanted everyday objects. Classic!"
"You've to discipline her." Ginny hissed, as she grabbed Daisy from George. "Harry. Please pick up a parenting book on raising young witches. All babies experiment with magic. Scientists think that because all rudimentary functions are established in infancy, babies can't differentiate between muggle and magical abilities. It's your job to teach her boundaries. And why isn't she mimicking yet? Have you been talking around her at all? Am I the only one who read the book we bought when Harry decided to raise Daisy?"
"I was going to tell him that." Hermione added, her voice calm. It had been a ridiculously long day.
"Harry." Ginny said, her voice still angry. Daisy had become quiet, resting her head on Ginny's shoulders.
"This is a serious responsibility." Ginny continued. "This is a human being we're talking about. If you're not able to give her the attention and care she needs, I'm walking out of this house with this baby. I will not let her suffer your indecision. So you have to make a choice. Are you completely in? You get one chance at this and you can't half-ass it. You are her parent. She is your responsibility. We can only help when we know what is going on. Not after three months of being a shut-in. You promised you were going to Australia with Daisy for a bit to have Hermione help you with studying. Why haven't you done that?"
"Calm down, Gin." George said, pulling his sister into a one-armed hug.
"I will not be calm." Ginny continued. "Do you think it's easy for me to not worry about Daisy? Harry is 18yrs old! It's daunting for people older and more experienced. It must be nerve wreaking for Harry. So I need to know if Harry can do this and he needs to be damn convincing."
Daisy yawned as she her body slowly started rising from Ginny's hold. Ginny tightened her grip. Daisy slowly started struggling. Harry knew the warning cry was due any moment. He took Daisy into his arm and waved his wand. A bottle of warm formula appeared in his hand. Daisy drank as she slept.
"I'm in." Harry said, his voice resolute. "I know it's been... difficult... And I haven't been myself. Dudley, can your shrink help me sort through some things? I think I've problems I didn't even know I had."
Dudley smiled and nodded. He was glad Ginny did the task what he was trying to gather courage to do.
"You'll check in with Mrs. Nottingham everyday." Ginny continued, her tone skeptical. "And Hermione will check in with Mrs. Nottingham the muggle way. And Hermione can let me know if you're doing what you're saying you will do."
"Or you can check in with me?" Ron spoke up. He had been unusually quiet for a very long time. Hermione wondered if it was because this seemed to be resolving itself while their love life seemed to be getting more complex.
"Mate!" Ron said, addressing Harry who emerged from the baby's room, a monitor in his hand. "Mind if I crash on your couch for a bit?"
"Or you could be bunk mates." George offered, taking a sip of one of the beers Daisy had opened.
"You serious?" Harry asked, his eyes wide in excitement.
"Yeah." Ron continued. "I just need to get some things from the Burrow. I hope it's cool. I can help around the house while you can get some studying in. I can get to work from here, no problem."
"I don't know..." Hermione said, skeptically. She didn't trust the boys.
Ron sighed before looking at Hermione.
"We're adults now." Ron said, smiling a little. "We can decide what is the best use of our time. God knows we know all about consequences."
Hermione didn't respond.
The baby monitor buzzed as Daisy gave a small warning cry. She really didn't like being left alone in the room when there was so much of commotion right outside her door. And, the use of a silencing charm on a baby or the baby's room was a punishable offense with immediate revoking of parental rights.
-XX-XX-
Ron followed Harry into the baby's room, as Daisy achieved lift off.
"No." Ron said, his voice strict. "Flying is not OK. Mrs. Nottingham downstairs might get a fright!"
Harry lifted Daisy out of her crib who yawned hugely.
"And..." Ron finally said, taking advantage of being out of earshot of the others. "What's with all the alcohol? You know you can't drink while supervising a baby."
Harry spluttered, flabbergasted.
He sighed before speaking. He knew Ron would understand.
"Don't tell the girls this." Harry said, pacing around the room trying to get Daisy to go back to sleep. "But on New Year's day, Daisy had floated for the first time. It was amazing at first. She didn't even know she was doing it. She looked so angelic. Then..." Harry shivered a little at the memory.
"She started shitting all over the place." Harry said, putting Daisy back in her crib. He knew she wouldn't sleep until he did. Mrs. Weasley said that it was a blessing when the baby sleeps at the same time as everybody else. But Daisy adamantly refused naps and would become increasingly fussy through the day, forcing Harry to sleep often in the middle of the day.
Ron had guffawed loudly before stuffing his fist into his mouth, eyes watering.
"I kid you not." Harry continued in a low voice. "Imagine being attacked by liquid stink bombs. I couldn't even look up with baby poop on my glasses. I had just got fresh diapers. But they were in the living room. My wand was safely tucked in my jacket pocket, which was hanging at my bedside. I had to think quickly. I chose wrong."
Something about Harry's expression brought Ron out of his laughing fit.
"I thought I could disapparate in and out of the living room quickly." Harry continued, as he pushed a stray auburn hair off Daisy's face. "I don't know how it happened. It happened so quickly. But... But Daisy hung on to me during the disapparation. Nearly fell to the ground when I got back to her room. I was ready to get out the firebolt and rush to Mungo's. But in a few moments, she started laughing and cheering. She's been trying to latch onto me again when it looks like I need to disapparate. She keeps popping beer bottles around the house, I think in her way trying to let me know what she wants. The moment we run out of beer, she starts becoming moody and eventually cries with a strength of ten babies."
"I figured when she opened your neighbor's..." Ron said, as he noiselessly followed Harry out of the room. "But you were right. We shouldn't tell the girls this because what happened...though accidental... was a tiny bit illegal. Though I hear Azkaban has gotten a lot better since the Dementer dismissal."
-XX-XX-
Harry and Ron walked in to see George at his third beer deep in conversation with an obviously uncomfortable Dudley.
"Harry." Dudley said, as he rose to his feet. He watched as Daisy sleepily floated out of her bedroom into Dudley's arms. She yawned as she snuggled in.
"I really should get going." Dudley said, still looking at Daisy with a soft expression. "It's uncanny how much she looks like Aunt Lily. Mum has a photo of them as little girls. Daisy is a spitting image. I don't know how it happened but she is blood too now, isn't she?"
Harry smiled and nodded.
"I will see you later, then." Dudley said, handing Daisy to Harry.
"I will walk you down." Harry said, summoning his coat. "Drop by downstairs."
-XX-XX-
Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat in silence, as they listened to George hum. They all jumped at once when George suddenly opened his eyes and caught the lot staring.
"Exit, stage left." George said, dramatically as he downed the last of the beer. "Ginny, let's go. I will drop you at school."
Ginny nodded slowly. They decided to take Daisy for a walk before going back. Ginny always loved taking Daisy to the park. Harry could apologize to Mrs. Nottingham without Daisy causing any problems.
They waved their goodbyes to Ron and Hermione.
-XX-XX-
"On three then..." Ron said after a few moments, raising his wand.
Hermione frowned.
"I know the mess is bugging you." Ron said, quietly as he waved his wand.
Hermione smiled a little before waving her wand too. The house organized itself, with Ron's and Hermione's coats landing neatly next to them. Hermione frowned at the insinuation. Was he really not going to talk about Australia?
"I wanted.." Hermione started hesitantly. "I've thought...I've decided..."
"It's alright if you want to work in Australia." Ron said, cutting in. "It's alright if you stay here. It's alright if you want to move to the North Pole."
Hermione winced. She wanted to speak her mind before Ron finished. But she just couldn't find the right words.
"Because.." Ron said, after a while, as though trying to organize his own thoughts. "I'm in this for keeps. I'm not going anywhere. Because I know one thing damn well. I love you, Hermione Granger. And one day you'll be Mrs. Hermione Weasley."
Hermione was smiling. But she frowned a little in the end and shook her head.
"Ok.." Ron said, moving a few inches closer to Hermione. "How about Granger-Weasley?"
Hermione shrugged in response.
"I'll change my name to Granger then." Ron said, taking Hermione's hands. "I don't care. I don't know what the future has in store for us. But I'm not letting these hands go. Not ever."
"I wanted to tell you that I've decided to stay in Britain after my NEWTs." Hermione replied, pushing a few strands of hair from Ron's face. "I'd decided the moment we crossed the street across the pub. But now... I don't know... I feel like I need to be here, with you. All this D.O.M business is getting me worried. What are they up to?"
"I've been thinking about it too..." Ron said, as Hermione and Ron sat on the couch. Hermione rested her head on Ron's chest, curling up next to him.
"I don't know why..." Ron said, a little hesitant. "But it seems like they're stirring the pot. I don't know. Dumbledore always read signs. This just feels too big a sign to ignore."
Hermione nodded.
"And that is why you need to take up the job in Australia." Ron continued, gritting his teeth. His face was stoic when Hermione looked up at him.
"The D.O.M is up to something." Ron continued. "It has something to do with Harry and possibly Daisy. They're waiting too see how things play out, I suppose. Or it could just be in my head. Harry is probably the first person in a 100yrs to lay eyes on D.O.M research outside the Ministry that we know off."
"WHAT!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Yeah." Ron replied. "Didn't I tell you they rarely release info? What do you think I meant?"
"Certainly, not once a century." Hermione said, her expression serious. "And the memo talked about D.O.M needing funding for non-wizard magic. It's weird especially since it is out of their jurisdiction. The Ministry is only allowed to study wizard magic. It sort of became a rule when the whole feeling of magical superiority was taking shape, as per a history of magic."
Ron nodded, stretching his legs.
"I thought our days of adventure were behind us." Ron grumbled, as he stared at the ceiling. "I know you can't tell yet but a lot of my hair fell out when were were looking for the horcruxes. I'm positively terrified of growing bald."
Hermione laughed.
"I think you're going to be fine. Ron!" Hermione said, as she snuggled up with Ron again.
They waited comfortably in silence. After all, they did have forever.
This was a difficult chapter to write. I wanted to show bits and pieces of Dudley's life as he struggles to become a better man. Realizing that his childhood was also abusive in a way is a difficult thing. I hope I was able to show it well and not too insensitively.
I know this chapter is a long read. The first few chapters are going to look at Harry's life in more detail and the focus will eventually shift to Daisy's life from chapter 4.