Harry Potter and The Shades of Grey

by Ravenwood240

Harry has lost his strongest supporter and has to chart his own course. Someone is going to make him an offer he can't refuse, even if it feels like dealing with the devil. STATUS Change: This story will be finished as written... The other SoG will be renamed and changed.

6. Agreements, Arguments and Annihilation

A/N: Two days down, three hundred and sixty-three days to go. Things are going to start happening very soon.

Agreements, Arguments and Annihilation.

Harry woke up in the morning and used his new bathroom, taking a shower and getting ready for the day. He was thinking about the meeting in the Inn at Hogsmeade today and wondering just what was going to happen. He went back into the bedroom and saw a note he had missed when he woke up.

Harry,

Come to Hermione's room when you get up.

Pansy

Harry shrugged and went out of his room. He looked at all the bedroom doors and wondered which one was Hermione's. "Dobby," he called and Dobby was there almost before Harry said anything. Harry smiled at him and asked where Hermione had slept last night.

Dobby pointed out a room and Harry thanked him. He crossed to the room and knocked on the door, going inside when the door opened. He turned , expecting to see Hermione, but Pansy was behind the door, dressed, or undressed in only her knickers again.

He blinked and turned his back. "Good morning, Pansy," he said, trying to act as though he walked into rooms with half naked women all the time. He looked around for Hermione, but she was not in sight, and Harry assumed she was in the bathroom.

"Good morning, Lord Black," Pansy said and tugged on his arm until he turned around, carefully trying to keep his eyes above her chin. That became a lot easier a second later when Pansy hugged him and put her face up. "I would like for my suitor to give me a kiss," she said archly. "At least the first time he sees me every day."

Harry blinked and blushed. "Uh."

Pansy sighed. "Harry, I'm not asking for undying passion right now, but a kiss is a nice thing to get first thing in the morning, and as long as I am being courted, I would like it." She looked at him and sighed sadly, as her eyes seemed to well up with tears barely being held back. "But if I'm too ugly for you,"

Harry interrupted her, "No, it's not that, I just, well, to be honest, I haven't kissed that much and."

Harry was babbling and Pansy placed one finger over his lips. "Shh, Harry."

Pansy moved her hand behind his head and kissed Harry, pressing her lips to his and softly kissing him, not demanding anything, but allowing him to take control of the kiss when he got over his shock.

After Ginny and Pansy had kissed him several times in the limousine the day before, Harry was far more comfortable kissing Pansy than he was the first time Pansy had kissed him and he responded after a second.

He was beginning to get into the kiss when Hermione opened the bathroom door. "Pansy, is.. Oh, good morning, Harry."

Harry pulled away from Pansy and turned to look at Hermione. He saw her and froze. Hermione had apparently just come out of the shower, and was crossing to the closet, wearing only a towel that barely covered her bum. It was tucked around her breasts and and Harry saw more of Hermione's skin than he had in all the years he'd known Hermione.

He turned back to Pansy, "Good morning, Hermione," he said, remembering what Pansy had said about skin. He frowned, forcing himself to think about the meeting today. "Hermione, you are coming with Pansy and I today, right? I would like to have you and Ginny there, but since Mrs. Weasley won't let Ginny or Ron come, I really want you there."

Pansy had stepped away from Harry and was putting her bra on as Hermione's voice came from behind the closet door. "Of course I'll be there, Harry." Hermione came out from behind the door dressed in lacy white knickers and bra, and sat down at the mirror, picking up a brush. "Are you going to let Pansy and I pick out a nice outfit for you today?"

Harry took a minute to process what she had said, his mind more interested in Hermione's clothes, or lack of clothing to be honest. He shook his head and wondered why Hogwarts had to wear those robes. Girls looked much more interesting with fewer clothes on.

"Since my fashion sense is non-existent, of course I will," Harry said, frowning as he thought about what they were doing today. He looked at Pansy, who was dressing. "Tell me about the people that will be there today."

Pansy frowned. "I would assume it will be the heads of the five families, and possibly a couple of the larger families that are related by marriage."

Hermione watched Harry and Pansy discussing the families and smiled. Pansy had been right, Harry did notice her, and that was all they wanted, right now. She finished dressing, not worrying about what Harry saw or didn't see. Pansy's plan was not to get in Harry's face, but to slide little things in front of him, allowing him to become accustomed to their ways and actions.

She listened to the other two talk, filing what she heard away in case Harry needed to be reminded of something later. Hermione had been there with facts and information for Harry since he'd thrown himself on a Troll to save her in their first year, and despite Harry's blindness, she'd be there for him whenever he needed her. She had wanted to hex Ron fourth year. Any fool should have known that Harry would never have put his name in the Tri-Wizard's Tournament.

Harry would never have been interested in risking his life in a game, not with Voldemort after him every year, and more than enough insanity in his life. He might have thought about it, but he never would have tried to do it. Harry wanted to be just another person so badly that Hermione couldn't understand how anyone that had met him could think he was a 'glory seeker', 'wanting attention', or any of that other junk they printed about him.

The three of them went out into the main room and Dobby popped up. "Harry Potter Sir, you must sit and eat. Harry Potter Sir is not eating right without Dobby watching."

Harry sighed. "Yes, Dobby." He sat down as the girls followed him to the table, smiling as Dobby put on a good imitation of Molly Weasley, fussing over Harry.

Pansy was watching Dobby and thinking. She had never really thought about the House elves as anything, they were there, but they were like the floor. Unless there was a problem with it, you never thought about it.

Dobby and Harry were friends though, and Dobby was doing things for Harry that Pansy hadn't even known that the House Elves could do. Her father had been equally surprised last night as well. She had gone to see him and give him her impressions of Harry.

Pansy looked at Harry, talking to Hermione about the Horcrux hunt and how they would deal with looking for them. Harry was so very much more than just a Gryffindor. Pansy, like most people in Hogwarts, assumed that people were their houses. Gryffindors would be brave, Slytherins would be sneaky and ambitious, and so forth.

Harry's planning yesterday had shown a remarkable mind though, and some of the ideas he had were worthy of any Ravenclaw, and she'd already seen his Slytherin side. The whole school knew that he was brave of course, even the rumours coming out of his encounters each year could tell anyone that.

That he was fiercely loyal to anyone that was loyal to him was another facet of his personality that had escaped Pansy's notice, and that of most people she was sure. And yet, that loyalty might well turn out to be the single most important part of him.

Pansy had warned her father not to lie to him today, or try to play the games that diplomats and negotiators had played for years. Harry would not play those games, applying straight logic and plain talk to any situation he was in.

Those shirts were a case in point. Pansy was still shaking her head over Harry's plan for the shirts, giving one to every member of the DA to wear while they trained. His other plan concerning those shirts didn't even bear thinking about.

"Earth to Pansy." Pansy blinked, looking at Harry and Hermione, who were staring at her. "I asked you if you knew how many people your families would have around the Inn for security," said Harry dryly.

Pansy shrugged. "Probably more than they would have a couple of days ago," she said after a minute's thought. "The people disappearing from his ranks will make Riddle nervous, and they will want to be able to hold any attacks off until the family heads can escape. I would say at least a dozen."

Harry nodded. He got up and crossed to the fireplace. Taking a pinch of the Floo powder, he fire called Tonks and spoke to her for a few minutes. When he was done, he stood up and got a bit more. One more fire call later, he stood up and came back to the table. "Tonks and Shacklebolt will be joining us today, and Mad-Eye is collecting Professor Lupin and Dedalus Diggle. He assures me that both of them will work for me. I would like to have Ron, Luna and Neville as well. Hermione, would you try to fire call them after you're done eating? I'm going to step over to Diagon Alley and talk to Fred and George, and see about getting a couple of things. Do either of you need anything from the Alley before the meeting?"

Before the girls could answer, two more doors opened almost simultaneously, and Ron and Miranda Riddle came out. Ron was yawning and still rumpled from a night of too little sleep, but Miranda was neat and clean, dressed in something that looked almost like body armour. It was some sort of thick leather that covered her upper body completely, with thinner leather over her arms and legs. She looked around and came over to sit next to Hermione. "Good morning Miss Black," she said as she helped herself to some of the food. She looked at the others. "Good morning Mr. Potter, Pansy. Mr. Weasley."

Harry blinked at her. "Why are you here? I thought you would be with the rest of the people that joined the families yesterday."

Hermione grinned, looking forward to this conversation. Miranda just looked at him. "You asked me to guard Miss Granger for a year. Nothing was said about what day to start, so I started yesterday."

Harry stared at her, thinking about the deal he'd made with her. "I only meant for you to guard her while she was in the Black library, or looking for Horcruxes," he said mildly.

"Possibly," agreed Miranda, "but that is not what you said, and I have agreed to the deal we made. I will not go back on it."

Pansy looked at Harry. "Harry, give it up. Miranda is working, and you'd have a better chance of making Tom play nice than you will changing her mind."

Harry sighed. "I don't have time for this," he complained. He looked at Miranda, thinking about it. "Fine. You can guard her for a year, but since you have exceeded what I meant, I will do the same. Every day that Hermione remains uninjured you will receive a bonus of five Galleons." He saw Miranda about to say something as a stubborn look appeared in her eyes and Harry spoke before she could. "If you refuse that money, I will give it to the fund to re-elect Fudge."

The girls stared at him and Ron snorted, having finally gotten enough food in his system that he was willing to do something besides shovel breakfast in his face. "Is there such a thing?"

Harry shrugged. "If there isn't, I'll create it."

Miranda frowned at him. "You play dirty, Mr. Potter. I'll take it."

Harry looked at Miranda, remembering the man she'd been with and what she'd said about him. "Is your friend any good at wards and protecting places, by any chance?"

Miranda shrugged. "Fair, unless you want wards that kill. Then he's quite good, as the War Wizard's track at our school emphasises those types of things."

Harry nodded. "After I find out if I can hire Bill from Gringotts for the duration of the summer, one or both of them will do the wards around the houses where our people are. I'll tell them just what I want for protection, but I see no problem with wards that kill, as long as our people don't get caught in them."

OoOoOoO Interlude; Ginny's War, the Burrow. OoOoOoO

Molly Weasley called Ginny for breakfast and received no answer. She went to Ginny's room and opened the door. Ginny was just sending an owl off that Mrs. Weasley didn't recognize and after closing the window, she went past her mother without a word.

Molly heard Ginny's voice as she came back down the stairs. "Good morning dad," she said as Arthur and Ginny sat down to eat. Arthur looked up as Molly came into the kitchen.

Good morning, love," he said, smiling at her. "This looks lovely." He dished up some food and frowned, looking up towards the ceiling where Ron's room was. "Where's Ron? It's not like him to be late for breakfast."

"Ronald is staying with Harry for a while," Molly said, setting a plate down with a bit too much force.

Mr. Weasley frowned as he looked at Ginny and Molly. He'd been married too long and seen too many arguments not to recognize the signs now. He frowned as he tried to figure out just how he was going to find out what was going on, and how bad it was.

He saw Ginny taking some more food and frowned. "Have you forgotten your manners?" he asked gently, "your mother went to a lot of work for this."

Ginny sighed. She had not wanted to involve her father in this fight, as it was between her and her mother, but she was not going to cause another fight with her father. "I'm not speaking to mother right now. I do appreciate the meal, but Mum and I are fighting."

Arthur sighed. "Would this have anything to do with Ron being with Harry, by any chance?"

Ginny shrugged. "I think so, but I went to my room last night before he left, so I cannot really say. May I look for another summer job?"

Arthur frowned, looking at her. "Why do you need two?"

"I don't, but my first one was going to be working with Hermione, and that won't be possible now."

Arthur sighed. This fight was about Harry then. "I think a summer job would be good for you. Where are you going to look?"

Ginny frowned. "I think I'll try a Muggle job, something easy in Ottery St. Pole. Hermione and Harry both have strong Muggle ties, and I need to be comfortable in both worlds."

Before Arthur could say anything to that, not that he disagreed with the idea, an owl rapped on the window. Arthur watched as Ginny took the letter from the solid black owl and it flew away.

Ginny read the letter and looked up. "Ron wants to know if Neville and Luna can come and get the rest of his things, that would not fit in his trunk." She directed the question at Arthur, but it was Molly that flinched.

Arthur had had enough of this. "Molly," he said pleasantly, "may I see you in the living room, please?"

He got up and went into the other room, waiting for Molly to appear. She came in a minute later, and ten minutes later, Arthur knew what had happened last night. He thought about it for a few minutes. "Molly, usually, I let you deal with the children, and you are wonderful most of the time. This time, you are wrong. Ron is a grown man, and has faced Death Eaters more times than both of us combined. Ginny, while not as old, is the only person alive that has faced You-Know-Who and walked away other than Harry, even if it was with Harry's help. On top of that, even I am not blind enough to miss the ring on her finger. I remember that ring, and the last red head that wore it."

He sighed and and looked at Molly. "You are risking a lot with this, Molly love. Ginny is just stubborn enough to do what she said, and are you willing to see her walk out of your life in just over a year?"

Molly turned to him, tears standing in her eyes. "I am, if it keeps her safe for this year. Maybe by then, this will all be over, and she will be safe forever. I would rather know she was safe, but not be able to see her than allow her to get hurt."

Arthur sighed, understanding what she was saying, but not agreeing with her. "I will be owling Ron today, telling him he is welcome here any time. I suggest you do the same, unless you want him to be another Percy, estranged from us all."

He sighed, looking at the time. He'd have to get something at the office, since he didn't have time to finish his breakfast here. He stood in front of the fire and looked at Molly. "I suggest you listen to the house today, with everyone gone. If you persist in this course, love, it will be like that for the rest of our lives. Is that really what you want?" He concentrated and Apparated away.

Molly went into the kitchen, looking for Ginny, but she was gone, and Molly was alone, listening to a house that was silent as a grave.

OoOoOoO Harry's Room, just after breakfast. OoOoOoO

Harry looked at the gathering sitting around his table and ignored the butterflies in his stomach. "I have a chance to do things to Moldywart today," he said, deciding that he'd try to shock the people here, "and I need a bit of assistance. If you're not prepared to do things my way today, please leave now."

Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, Remus Lupin, Dedalus Diggle, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Daphne Greengrass, Miranda (No relation, I assure you,) Riddle, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger just watched him, and none of them moved an centimetre. Most of them looked very uncomfortable with his new name for Voldemort, but they didn't move.

Harry nodded. "I have a meeting with some people from Moldywart's group today and I am going to try and convince them that they should join me. They are going to have a few guards around the meeting point and that's where some of you come in. I want a few friends around me, in case this is a trap of some kind."

He looked at Kingsley. "That's where you come in, Sir. You'll be in charge outside the Inn, with everyone except Pansy, Hermione and Miranda. The four of us, and one other will be inside."

Harry grinned at Mad-Eye Moody, who was looking slightly dubious. "Mr. Moody, I have something else for you to do. We'll talk about it after the others are gone. You won't be at this meeting though."

Harry looked at everyone. "I have one rule that you will follow, or you can leave now. We care for our own first. Civilians, bystanders, everyone else is secondary to our people. If that means you have to reduce a Death Wanker to a fine red mist, or leave a bystander behind, I have a lot of money, and I'm almost certain I can get you out of trouble if needed."

Kingsley Shacklebolt frowned at Harry. "First, Harry, I think we can agree that first names are acceptable, since we're going to be fighting together, and second, please don't talk about bribing the Ministry in front of me. I have certain objections to that."

Harry smiled and put on an innocent look. "I simply meant that I have Mr. Nicholas Sharpstar as my Solicitor and enough money to make sure you get a fair trial before the Wizengamot. Since I hold a good number of votes in that body now, I think any trials will go our way."

Kingsley nodded. "I see. Might I ask just how many votes you have?"

Harry shrugged. "I control the Potter, Black and Montrose votes, by myself. Neville is going to side with me, unless we have a difference of opinion, and if this meeting today pans out, we'll have thirteen more votes."

Harry frowned at Pansy. "Pansy says that four of those votes are council votes, but I don't understand what difference that makes."

The Wizard born in the room stared at Harry. "You will control four council votes?" asked Moody. At Harry's nod, he began smiling and then laughing. "No wonder Scrimgeour is trying to get Harry to join him."

Harry sighed. "Would someone mind explaining to those of us that know nothing about Wizard politics just what that means?"

Hermione looked at him. "Harry, the Wizengamot is actually two bodies. The general assembly is every member that has a vote in the Wizengamot, and is one hundred and twenty three votes. The council is the smaller body, and consists of just twenty three votes. If you control four of them, that is a major block of votes, and could sway almost any vote they make the way you want it to go." She thought about it for a second. "If you were to use your fame with those votes, you could conceivably control the Wizengamot completely."

Harry thought about what he'd just learned for a minute, and then shook his head. "Wonderful. Something else to worry about. That's for another time though, as I am more worried about the meeting today. If it goes bad on us, the rest of it is not going to matter."

He looked at Kingsley. "Sir, you're in charge of the security outside the Inn, for our people. I know that the people on the other side of the meeting are Moldywart's," Harry paused as half the people in the room gaped at him. "Get used to it. I am going to be doing all sorts of things that annoy the hell out of Moldywart, and calling him names is the least of it."

Harry caught the fire flaring up and had his wand out, until he saw who stepped though. "Good morning, Ginny," he said warmly.

Ginny came over and looked at the outfit the other two girls had gotten out for Harry. The Basilisk boots and jacket were a given, and the girls had decided that a Gryffindor red turtle-neck sweater and black pants would give the right impression today.

Harry had wanted solid black, but Pansy and Hermione had convinced him that that could be intimidating, if the talk turned to certain subjects that Harry felt strongly about. The people that knew Harry, and knew just how good of a person he was, those people never really saw him as intimidating.

To people that didn't know him though, or only had the various conflicting reports from the papers and the rumours that flew every year, Harry was a legend, capable of things that no other Wizard could do, and when he glared at someone, with his eyes burning a cold green, he was intimidating as hell.

In the solid black he'd wanted to wear today, and with the Basilisk hide jacket, he could easily make people think he was trying to threaten them, especially people who thought in circles and looked for the meaning behind the meaning in everything someone said or did.

Since that was not the purpose of this meeting, the girls had insisted on the bright shirt. That it reminded people that Harry was a Gryffindor without saying anything was a bonus.

Hermione and Pansy hadn't mentioned to Harry that it also went well with his eyes and hair, or that Harry looked quite sexy in the form fitting clothing.

Ginny finished looking Harry over and smiled at him. "You look very nice today, Harry. Can I have you for breakfast?"

The rest of the people sitting around the table stared at Ginny and then Harry, not quite sure that they had heard the younger girl properly. Harry stared at her as his mind processed what she'd said, and then he started blushing, a deep crimson that put his sweater to shame.

Pansy and Hermione looked at each other. "Very good," said Pansy thoughtfully. "No warning, and oh so casual. I give it a seven."

Hermione frowned. "I have to say this was an eight, at least. You do have the added fun of witnesses."

Ginny smirked at both of them. "I get a bonus point for the first one of the day, don't I?"

Harry listened to the three girls argue about his blush with a sense of disbelief. "Pardon me," he said carefully, "but are the three of you having a contest to see who can make me blush the most, or the hardest?"

They looked at him and Hermione answered him. "Both, actually. We made up the rules yesterday."

Harry looked at the other people in the room, most of whom weren't even trying to hide their smiles. "I wonder if Moldywart ever has days like this," he said mournfully. Harry looked at Ginny, smiling smugly and smiled. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her onto his lap. "Yes."

Ginny looked at him, puzzled. Harry grinned as he looked her in the eye. "You asked me a question a minute ago, and that's my answer."

Ginny stared at him, and buried her face in his chest as she matched his blush. It didn't do her any good to hide her face, as the back of her neck was just as red. Hermione and Pansy snickered.

"As entertaining as this is," said Kingsley with a smile, "Can we get back to the business of the day, so we can get in place?"

Harry cradled Ginny as he looked up. "Sorry," he said, although he didn't sound very sorry, "Ron, I want you to work with Kingsley, and put that strategist mind of yours to work. Listen to him, but don't be afraid to ask questions or make suggestions."

Ron nodded, and after a few more minutes, the guard group left to scout the inn and figure out where they would set up at.

Harry looked at Mad-Eye Moody. "I know that you were going to teach at Hogwarts, but are you any good, really? Considering some of the teachers we've had there, just getting a teaching job there is no indication of your skill."

Mad-Eye shrugged. "I'd probably scare the hell out of the younger kids, but after they finished pissing themselves, I can get my point across, just ask any of the Aurors I trained."

Harry nodded. "Good. I need you to find four more trainers that you trust, and who aren't afraid of creating a little pain. You're going to be training my front line fighters. No rules, no duelling, just get in, do it to them first and get out."

Mad-Eye smiled evilly. "You're learning, Harry."

Harry grimaced as he thought of the Ministry again. "Too slowly for Sirius, and too slow for a number of others. We need to go in, swamp the Death Wankers with numbers, three or four to one and put them down, so that they cannot get back up for that fight. We had that problem in the Ministry, and it cost us badly. From now on, I want to learn spells that will keep any Death Wankers out of the fighting for at least a week, if we don't catch them."

Mad-Eye looked at Harry. "Training people to fight that way is going to cause quite a lot of injuries, Harry," he warned him.

Harry shrugged. "If they spend a night or two in bed, hurting a little, or a lot, they'll be that much quicker when the real thing comes around." Harry looked at Mad-Eye calmly, but with a firm resolve in his eyes. "I would rather hurt them now, than let the Death Eaters kill them later."

Mad-Eye Moody nodded approvingly. "That's the way you should be looking at it, Harry. I've been trying to convince the Ministry for years that the criminal element doesn't deserve a fair break, but the purists in the Ministry have kept it from happening."

Harry shrugged. "I don't give a damn about what people think about it, I want my people coming home."

Moody nodded and went to the Floo. "I know just the people to help us, and they should be free to train your people by this time tomorrow." He threw a handful of powder in the fire and was gone.

Pansy looked at Ginny curiously. "How did you get here, anyway?"

Hermione was already in a book, but she answered. "She caught the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley and went to see Mr. Sharpstar."

Ginny nodded, grinning impishly at Harry. "He told me that Harry's magnificent mansion was on the Floo network now."

Harry sighed as he let Ginny go. "How much trouble are you going to be in, when you get back to the Burrow?"

Ginny shrugged. "That depends on if I find a job or not. I told my father that I was going out today to look for a job, so if I come back with one, I can say I looked."

Harry frowned at her. "You have been hanging around Fred and George too much."

Hermione choked, while Ginny just stared at Harry and Ron snickered. "I hate to say this, Harry, but you've been a worse influence on us than they have. At lest they only go sneaking around to play pranks. You've taught us to sneak around and do all sorts of other things."

Harry looked at his friends with a question in his eyes.

Hermione looked up from the new version of "Hogwarts; A History", and shrugged apologetically at Harry. "The twins never had us breaking into the Ministry, breaking the laws about Dragons, or fighting Voldemort."

Harry thought about that and grinned. "When you put it that way, it does sound bad, doesn't it?" He looked at Ginny and smiled. "You know, I might know someone that can solve your little problem."

Harry got up and crossed to the fire, throwing a pinch into it and making a fire call. He had his head in the fireplace for nearly three minutes and then came back.

Pansy looked at him and sighed. "What are you up to now, Harry? I know that look."

Ginny frowned at her. "How do you know how Harry looks when he's doing something sneaky? Has he been that busy in the last two days?"

Pansy shook her head. "I don't know how Harry looks, but please remember that I am in Slytherin. I've seen more sneaky faces than there are Gryffindors."

Ginny nodded, and looked at Harry. "Harry, what time do you need to see us for the meeting?"

Harry frowned. "Are you going to ask what I have my sneaky face on about?"

Ginny blushed. She'd been thinking about what Pansy and Hermione had told her yesterday, and she had almost forgotten that. "I'm sorry Harry, what sneakiness are you up to now?"

Harry grinned. "I have found you a job, that even Mrs. Weasley cannot complain about. I happen to know that Mr. Sharpstar has control of a company that needs a summer office girl. She'll have to take letters from owls, takes messages, and maybe clean the office once in a while, and she may have to run errands sometimes. They're paying thirty galleons a week."

Ginny blinked. "Thirty Galleons? I'll take it." She frowned suddenly. "Harry, mum's not going to find out that you own this company, is she?"

Harry gave them all his best innocent look. "I can quite honestly say I have never seen any paperwork or description of this company that states I own it." He looked at Ginny with a smile. "In fact, Mrs. Weasley is welcome to look at everything I inherited, and see if she can find the "Shades of Grey" company."

Pansy had years of experience in keeping a straight face, but the name of this company had her looking at Harry. She didn't give anything away, but she remembered using that phrase to Harry, and now there was a company that had that name, and Harry was much too certain that they would hire Ginny at an incredibly high salary for an under-age girl in her first job.

Hermione was watching Harry as well. She had noted the care with which Harry had spoken about the company. She thought about what he'd said and smiled. "Harry, this is a newer company, isn't it?"

Harry looked at her and smiled. "Yes, I believe it is newer, but they have some incredible people working for them, and great backing."

Hermione smiled, a smile Harry knew well. Hermione got that look every time she figured out what was going on without help. She nodded and went back to her book. Harry turned his attention to Ginny. "After the meeting, you can drop by Mr. Sharpstar's office, and he'll let you know where their offices are."

He stood up and looked at his watch. "We've got about four hours before we have to meet here to take the Portkey to the meeting, do any of you want to go into Diagon Alley with me? I need to see Fred and George, and I think I'll stop in Gringotts for a minute as well."

"Mr. Potter, Miss Black will not be taking an untested and unknown Portkey anywhere." Miranda was still at the table next to Hermione, but she was staring at Harry.

Harry frowned, thinking about it. Given some of the things that had happened to Harry during magical travelling, he could see her point. "Fine. Hermione, can you make a Portkey?"

Hermione nodded, smiling. "It is actually quite easy to do. The Portkey."

Harry smiled as he held up his hands. "I trust you, Hermione. Just make a Portkey for five people and be ready when I get back, please?"

Hermione nodded, finishing her breakfast and heading for her room. Harry looked at the other three girls. "Do any of you want to come with me?"

Ginny and Pansy looked at each other and Ginny spoke for them both. "I think we're going to stay here and get to know each other a little better."

Harry looked at them. "Please don't destroy the room while you do it."

Pansy just smirked at him and Ginny grinned. "Harry," she said, putting an innocent look on, "you don't think we'd do that do you?"

Harry smiled at Ginny as he hugged her, saying, "I know you, Miss Weasley, and your temper." He grinned as she swung at him and he ducked. "See what I mean?" Harry ducked into the Floo before Ginny could show her appreciation with a well thrown cushion.

Harry smiled as he managed to stay on his feet at the Leaky Cauldron and headed for the alley after greeting Tom. He wasn't thinking about anything except his meeting for the day, and he nearly bumped into the witch that stopped in front of him. "Pardon me," he said absently, as he stepped around her.

The witch, who was wearing a hooded cloak that concealed her face, reached out and put her hand on Harry's arm. "Mr. Potter," she said in a low voice, "I was going to leave this note with the Weasley twins, but since you are here, I will give it directly to you." She handed Harry a note and Apparated away as he reflexively looked at what she'd given him.

Harry frowned at the note in his hand, because there was nothing on the outside to indicate who it was from. Ornate writing spelled out Harry Potter, and that was the only thing written on it. He tucked it in his robes and continued to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He stopped outside the shop, staring at the window display. A fat man with a very vacant look on his face and a bright green bowler hat was sitting in the window wearing "Marvin the Muggle" pyjamas. The only other thing in the window was a large pile of the various things the store sold and every so often, the fat man, (Who just happened to bear a strong resemblance to the former Minister of Magic, a particularly vile piece of... Fudge in Harry's opinion.) would reach over and use one of the pranks on himself, demonstrating creative ways to get someone to fall for the prank. It took Harry a second to realize that there was not a man in the window, that it was in fact a giant and very detailed illusion.

He grinned and went up to the door, only to find it locked. He sighed, having hoped that the twins would be up, but no such luck today. Harry was about to knock loudly, when he caught the window display out of the corner of his eye again. Harry smiled, and turned away, nearly running as his smile became a grin.

Ten minutes later, the quiet peace of early morning in Diagon Alley was broken by a most bizarre and strange sight. A shorter heavyset woman with brown hair was coming down the street, fire flashing from her eyes and determination in every step.

"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!!!" roared the woman, who appeared to be suffering from at least a dozen of the more popular wheezes for sale by the twins, "GET DOWN HERE AND EXPLAIN THIS NOW!!"

In the small flat above the store front, four still mildly intoxicated people were rather rudely jerked out of sleep by the sounds. One of the girls, being slightly faster to wake up, having not drank quite as much as the other three, looked out the window.

Her scream was enough to bring Fred and George upright, both searching for their wands. The girl turned from the window, having regained some control. "Fred," she said in a mild tone, that was clearly covering near hysteria, "Your mother is in the street, covered in your products. Get her out of here, without letting her come up here, or the two of us will never enter your flat again."

The twins frowned, until the meaning of her words hit them. Fred paled. "Mum? Here?"

George was more interested in the rest of the comment. "Covered in our products?" He peered out the window. When he turned around, he was very pale. "Fred, we're dead. Mum's been pranked with at least seven or eight of our newest things."

Fred was scrambling to get dressed. "George, I think this requires some serious strategy. What say we run away and hide in America?"

George nodded, looking for his clothes. "Katie, love, please take care of the sh."

His sentence was cut off as Katie grabbed him by the ear. "George, you will get rid of your mother. You insisted on wards preventing Apparation in your flat, and now the only way out is to go down there in front of your mother. I am not doing that, until she's a lot calmer than she is now."

Angelina was confronting Fred at the same time. "Go down there and get rid of her, in time for me to go to work, or you will never see what colour my bra is again."

The twins looked at each other. They sighed in tandem and walked slowly towards the stairs that led to the back of the shop, casting mournful glances at the girls. The two girls didn't budge though, and the twins went down the stairs.

Fred opened the door to the shop. "Mum," he said, in a falsely cheerful voice, trying not to wince as another boil erupted on her face. At least the prank finally worked.

He swallowed heavily as his mother just stared at him without saying a word. He'd never seen her this angry, and that she had stopped yelling was absolutely new to him.

"Fred," his mother said quietly, "where did I go wrong? How could you shame me like this?" She was beginning to break down, with tears appearing in her eyes. "Wasn't I a good mother? Did you hate me this much?"

George had come up behind Fred in time to hear this. "Mum, no, it's not like that," he said, blinking at the sight of his mother weeping. "You're the finest mum a boy could have."

Molly's tears dried up in an instant. "THEN WHY AM I LOOKING LIKE THIS, FROM YOUR GIFT?!?! SOME GIFT!! I HAVE A MIND TO WALLOP BOTH OF YOU INTO NEXT WEEK!!"

Fred and George looked at some of the other storekeepers and some early morning customers, drawn by the commotion, and tried to urge Molly inside the shop. "AS IF I WOULD ENTER THAT CHAMBER OF HORRORS YOU CALL A STORE!!"

Harry was enjoying the discomfort he was putting the twins through, but he figured that he'd better end this soon, before his glamour ended. "Fred, George," said 'Molly' in a calm tone, "I can't believe you would do this to me, so I am going to take you to your room," Harry blinked as the twins got even more pale than they already were.

"Mum," George said desperately, "There's no need for that, and we have to take you to the back room for some of the cures anyway."

Harry/Molly stared at George and suddenly had an idea, one he would have never thought of before Pansy had started walking around his room nearly nude. "George," Molly said, "How many girls will I find in your room right now?"

The absolute silence that followed that question was all the answer Harry needed. "Let's go count the scarlet women, shall we?" Harry stared at Fred until he moved out of the doorway.

Harry stepped inside the store and turned around, dropping his glamour at the same time. "Actually, there are enough women in my life right now, and I need to talk to you anyway."

Fred and George stared at Harry and then looked at each other. "George,"

"Fred,"

In unison, they turned to Harry, glaring at him. "We've been had."

Harry smirked at them. "Yes," he agreed thoughtfully, "I believe you have." Harry started laughing at them, while Fred closed the door of the shop and George stared at Harry.

"Harry, you do realize that we simply cannot allow you to get away with this?" asked Fred in a silky voice after he closed the door.

"And here you are in our shop, with all sorts of things readily to hand," added George.

Harry smirked at them. "Not now, we can save that for later. I have a custom project for you two, that I'm paying for. I know you two know better than to prank the paying customers."

George frowned at Harry. "What's the project?"

Fred leaned on a display carefully. "What does it pay?"

George looked at the ceiling. "And this is only delaying the revenge."

Harry nodded. "Later, we can indulge in a prank war. Right now, I need the truth from you. How good is your spell work, really?"

Fred and George looked at each other, hesitating. Harry glared at them. "I need to know if I can count on you. I need something to fight Voldemort with, and I think you two can do it, but I have to know."

The twins sobered quickly at Voldemort's name. "We might have thrown the OWLs a bit," Fred said.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione knew that as soon as you got them, you prats. You could not make all this," he said, waving a hand at the shop, "without knowing far more than you showed on the OWLs. She told me that much, but we've never had a reason to ask about it before."

The twins sighed. "We need her," Fred said wistfully. "She would add entirely new dimensions to our pranks with that mind."

Harry waved that away. "Worry about that later," he said, "right now now I need to know if you can make something for me."

Harry laid out what he wanted, inwardly amused as the twins turned serious. He'd never seen them serious before. He finished laying out what he wanted and looked at them. "Can you do it, and soon?"

The twins looked at each other, using that special bond that allowed them to finish each other's sentences. "We can, but will we is a better question. You Know Who will not be happy about this."

Harry grinned and pulled two of the t-shirts he'd had made up from under his robes. "Welcome to my supreme indifference to Moldywarts' mood swings."

They examined the shirts in silence and finally sighed. "Harry, how do you fit them in your pants?"

Harry blinked and frowned at George, who had spoken. "Fit what?"

"Your balls, Harry," Fred explained, "because they must be made of steel and bigger than the Burrow."

Harry shrugged. "You think so? Good. I want people to think I know exactly what I'm doing against Moldywart, and this will help. Now, answer the question, I'm on a time limit here."

The twins looked at each other. "Give us a week. We've never tried anything like this, and we'll know if it can be done in a week."

Harry frowned, and Fred shook a finger at him. "Harry, we don't know the spell they use, or how to modify it, and that is going to take research. We'll make it a priority, but it is still going to take some time."

Harry grinned at the twins. "I bet it's done in three days, if I send Hermione over to schedule your time."

The twins shook their heads at the same time. "No thank you, Harry. We saw what she did to you and Ron during the OWLs, and we'd have to hex her."

Harry blinked. "That would be funny to see. Hermione figured out how to get the three of us into the Slytherin common room in second year, and you want to get her started on you? Be my guest."

Harry looked at his watch. "I don't have time today to worry about it, so I'll let you two get back to the Chasers." Harry smiled at the twins. "Or are you two the ones chasing them?"

"If we were to admit that we had a girl or two in the flat last night," George said loftily.

"we would never tell you who they were," concluded Fred.

"Then, the next time they come over, and you want to keep them hidden," Harry said with a smirk, "You might want to keep their Brooms out of sight of people that played Quidditch with them for years." Harry pointed at the four Brooms leaning against the wall by the counter.

Harry went out the door while the twins were still looking at the brooms.

OoOoOoO Harry's Room, Plots, Plans and Discussions. OoOoOoO

Pansy and Ginny looked at each other. Pansy kept her face blank, but Ginny was examining Pansy openly. Pansy saw doubt, interest and a trace of jealous spite there, and reminded herself again not to underestimate this girl.

Ginny was a bit more open-minded than Ron, but this was still Pansy Parkinson, four year reigning bitch-queen of Slytherin house, and the girl voted most likely to accept the Dark Mark by the Gryffindors. Ginny was far more worried about Harry than she let on, and watching Pansy was part of that.

Harry thought there was something good about her, and Harry was a pretty good judge of character, so Ginny wouldn't just hex her on sight. She would keep her wand loose though, and her hexes primed.

"You two gave me quite a start yesterday," Ginny said, crossing to the table to sit next to Hermione. "Startled me considerably."

Hermione blushed. "I tried to love Ron, but he has certain ideas I just couldn't live with." Hermione paused, thinking about the relationship she'd had with Ron. "Plus, he was very uncomfortable with some things I like."

Ginny arched an eyebrow. "Like wanting to make love in the library at Hogwarts?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and then rubbed her temples. "I swear, everybody believes that's my favourite fantasy. Doesn't anyone realize that good sex is messy, and would leave fluids on the books?"

Ginny blushed. "Having never done anything like that, I wouldn't know."

Pansy grinned. "Oh yes," she said with a smile, as she remembered something in her past, "Properly done, good sex leaves all sorts of fluids behind."

Hermione was lost in some thought or another as well. "Not to mention the costumes and accessories would be hard to hide in the library."

Ginny and Pansy exchanged a look. "Costumes?" inquired Ginny delicately.

"What sort of accessories?" Pansy asked.

Hermione shook her head and regarded the two girls. "Never you mind," she said, ignoring the flush climbing clear past her eyes.

Pansy looked at Ginny. "This must be a good story, I've never seen anyone's forehead blush before."

Hermione avoided their questions though, and finally Ginny gave up for now. "Hermione, when did you decide you liked Harry?" Ginny was still a bit surprised about some of the things she'd learned yesterday, and while she was interested in some of it, she wanted to know how she'd missed Hermione being in love with Harry.

Hermione smiled softly. "On the train first year. He was calm and polite, even though I was nervous and might have been a bit bossy."

Ginny gasped in assumed shock. "You? Being bossy? I don't believe it." Ginny grinned at Hermione's expression. "OK, even I can tell when you've pushed Ron a little too far. You like being in charge, and Ron hates being ordered around."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, I know. That was a large part of our breaking up after all."

Hermione thought back. "He was friendly and open, and he saw everyone he met as a new friend. That's why Malfoy annoyed him so much, implying that some of these people weren't worth knowing."

Pansy sighed. "I swear, Draco has managed to annoy the entire world. Our house was fed up with his bragging and childish plots, the rest of the school you know about, and even the Death Wankers are disgusted that he didn't kill Professor Dumbledore."

Hermione frowned. "He always was weak, down inside, where it counts. Not like Harry at all."

Ginny smirked slightly. "I find that I can live with the thought of Malfoy being in Professor Snape's company all the time quite well. I think before too long, Malfoy will be a special additive to a new potion experiment." She sighed wistfully. "I wonder if there's any way to give the idea to Professor Snape?"

OoOoOoO Gringotts, Diagon Alley OoOoOoO

Harry finished his business in Gringotts quickly, taking some money out to help get things for the people that had run to him from Moldywart. Most of them had only the clothes on their backs right now, and Harry was not going to let that be true for long. He used the line in the lobby to go to his vault, only going to the door marked with the single Galleon when he was done. The Goblin behind the door looked up as he stepped in.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter. How can Gringotts assist you today?"

"I need to know if I can hire the use of a specific curse breaker, and any people he may need, for however long it takes to do some things for me."

The Goblin nodded, and motioned down a hallway that Harry had not been down before. "You'll need to speak to Holdthumb, the Goblin in charge of curse breakers."

The Goblin led Harry down a hallway and to another office, where he said something to the Goblin behind the desk there and left.

"Mr. Potter, I am Holdthumb and since you need one of the people I am responsible for, we will be working together. May I ask first, which curse breaker you want in particular?"

"William Weasley. I believe he's in Egypt currently. Would it be possible to get him here for some time?"

Holdthumb frowned and scribbled a note on a sheet, placing it in the box Harry had noticed before. A few seconds later the box flashed and Holdthumb removed a thin stack of papers. "Mr. Weasley is indeed in Egypt, but can be available in three days, after he finishes the current curse he's working on. It would mean that we have to send somebody else there, and transfer him here. Might I inquire as to why you need this particular person?"

Harry nodded. "I am sorry about the inconvenience, but I have some people I need protected, as well as some places that will need to be checked on and possibly protected after I am of age. Since Bill is the only curse breaker I know, and I trust his family, I want him. If it is a question of money, I would be willing to pay for the trouble it causes you."

Holdthumb nodded slowly, examining Harry carefully as he thought about it. "Mr. Weasley will be here in four days, and I will find another curse breaker to take his place. Mr. Weasley will be needing certain supplies for his work. May I ask about the wards you will be needing?"

Harry frowned and flushed slightly. "I don't know. I know what I want them to do, but I was counting on Bill to know how to make them do what I want."

The Goblin nodded. "Tell me what you want the wards to do, and I can have some basic supplies on hand while he decides what he's going to do."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know the terminology, but I want the outer wards to stop everything not specifically authorized, without hurting anyone. If someone breaks through that layer, I want the second layer to hurt them, badly." Harry looked at the Goblin. "If they make it through that layer, and they're still trying to break the wards, I want the third layer to kill."

The Goblin nodded slightly. He'd seen that coming and he was impressed at Mr. Potter's straight forward approach to the problem. "This is likely to be expensive, Mr. Potter. It will not break you, not with your vaults, but it will be a large outlay. Are you prepared to deal with that?"

Harry shrugged. "Tell William that two of the places he is protecting is the Burrow, and where ever he and Fleur will living, and tell him that the other people he is guarding are my family."

The goblin glanced at the papers he was holding. "The Burrow is the Weasley family residence, is it not?" Harry nodded and Holdthumb stared into the distance for a second. "Mr. Weasley is not a specialist in personal protections, would you prefer we sent someone with him that is?"

Harry grinned. "No, I have something different in mind for that. This is a secret, Holdthumb, even in here. I simply want him to use the Fidelius on the people, using my Secret-Keeper, whom I trust."

The Goblin nodded. "A wise choice, if you trust your secret keeper."

Harry laughed. "I do. In fact, I trust him more than anyone, in this matter." Harry grinned as he thought about the friend he'd chosen for this. He was perfect for this, in more ways than one.

The Goblin made a few notes on the sheet in front of him and looked up. "Mr. Weasley will be here, and his supplies will be ready as soon as you two meet and he gives us the list. I will be charging your vault this amount for the transfer of personnel. Is this acceptable?"

Harry glanced at the number the Goblin had written down and shrugged. "A small price to pay for the safety of family." He grinned wryly. "Especially since I barely know their names yet, and I want to get to know them."

Harry stood up and put out his hand. "I must go, I have business elsewhere, and I am sure you are busy. Thank you for your assistance."

Holdthumb shook Harry's hand and watched him leave. He put a slip of parchment in the box after scribbling a note on it. A few minutes later, Grabhand came in and sat down. "You were right. Mr. Potter is a very different sort of wizard," said Holdthumb.

Grabhand nodded. "He is that. What brought him to you?"

Holdthumb explained why Harry had come in this morning and looked at Grabhand. "I tripled the normal charge for transferring personnel from branches, and he paid it without a qualm. He is also not worried about the cost of protecting people he calls family."

Grabhand bared his teeth in a Goblin smile that many wizards found disturbing. "Mr. Potter caught my interest the other day, and I had some inquiries made. He is friends with Rubeus Hagrid and a liberated House Elf named Dobby, who works for him. Besides those two facts, Mr. Potter has come to the attention of the Centaurs living in Scotland, and one of them even left his herd over Mr. Potter."

Holdthumb frowned. "Mr. Potter may the person we have been looking for. He has power in the Wizard world, and he is remarkably free of their feelings toward non human races."

Grabhand nodded. "I agree. He is most intriguing. We should watch him closely, and assist him, as long as nothing we do can be traced back to us."

Holdthumb nodded in turn. "I agree. It would be premature to reveal our involvement at this time. That enemy of his may put an end to Mr. Potter before anything he can do would help, and the Oath must be upheld."

OoOoOoO Harry's Room, just before noon. OoOoOoO

Harry looked at the people he was going to the meeting with again. Hermione was in her best Muggle clothing, having talked with Pansy and Ginny about their strategy today. They were going to emphasize Harry's connections across the Wizard and Muggle worlds.

Pansy was in her best dress robes, with the family crest displayed prominently, and Ginny was dressed simply, in Wizard robes over Muggle clothes. The girls had decided that she didn't need a family crest on her robes, as her hair marked her as a Weasley without any crest at all.

Between the three of them, they were a good cross section of the various people that could be found in the Wizard world, and the only person out of place was Miranda, following Hermione like a shadow.

Harry had already been told not to say anything about Miranda, unless the other side brought her up first. He didn't understand why a bodyguard would be unmentionable, but it had some thing to do with being a Defender, and they had promised him a full explanation later.

They had about thirty minutes before they had to leave, and Harry was beginning to get very nervous. Pansy and Ginny shared a look as he paced. Ginny jerked her head at Hermione and Pansy bit her lip. Hermione blinked at them, and buried her head in the new 'Hogwarts, A History'.

Pansy sighed and grabbed Harry as he walked by her. "Harry, we have something to discuss with you, so sit down and listen."

Harry sat down and Ginny and Pansy sat on each side of him. "We have decided that you need a Mrs. Montrose, and after some discussion, we even have the best choice for you."

Harry blinked, staring at Pansy, who had spoken. "Why do I need a Mrs. Montrose?" He looked at Ginny. "More to the point, why are you two willing to have another woman in this relationship?"

Ginny grinned at Harry and kissed him. "To answer your second question, you already have several women in your life, and sooner or later, lots of people are going to be trying to marry somebody off to the Montrose head, simply because it is a head of family, with a Wizengamot seat and that is too much power to let fall silent again, just because you're married to us."

Pansy nodded. "There are only one hundred and twenty three Wizengamot seats, Harry, and with you controlling three of them personally, everyone is going to be looking to have a handle on you. Since we don't think you'd like that much, and you've already proven that you can think outside the box on this matter, we thought about it, and decided what sort of woman you need."

Ginny snuggled a little closer and continued as Harry thought about what they'd said so far. "Mrs. Montrose has to be intelligent, so that you have someone at your level to talk to."

Harry started to say something, but Ginny interrupted him. "Harry, you have all this Moldywart stuff going on every year, that takes a great deal of your time, you hate studying, you're on the Quidditch team and yet, you still pulled in decent OWL scores. I love you, Harry, but if somebody wasn't trying to kill you every year, your scores would be somewhere up there with Hermione's" Ginny thought about that, "well, maybe not that high, but you'd be well up in the scores."

Pansy laid her hand on his leg and took up where Ginny left off. "Plus, at least one of your wives must be able to help you run the entire conglomeration of families and things you're going to have when you turn of age. Neither of us can do that, yet, but you're going to need help right away."

The two girls had snuggled close into Harry on each side of him,and Harry was distracted for a second from what they were saying as Pansy slid her hand into Ginny's and began slowly stroking her palm with one finger. Ginny had flinched slightly at first, but then relaxed as Pansy continued to slowly stroke her palm.

"Finally, your other wife has to be something neither of us is, and that is comfortable with the Muggle world," Pansy concluded, and Harry blinked.

"Say that again?" he said, not sure how that had worked into the conversation.

"Harry, you were Muggle raised, and even as poorly as they did it, you still have strong Muggle ties and we can't ignore that. You will want to go into the Muggle world and do things sometimes and one of us has to be able to go with you, and even suggest things to do."

"Last," Ginny said, burrowing an arm under Harry and holding him, "the other Mrs. has to be someone that you like, that likes you and that the two of us like as well. I doubt you'd want someone that the Malfoys would try to push on you, for example, and not all of the Dark Wizards are as easy to spot."

Harry closed his eyes and forced himself to ignore the feel of the two Witches curled up on each side of him. He thought about what they'd said, considering it logically. "I see your points," he said quietly, and craned his head to look at Hermione. "Since you haven't turned a page since this conversation started, and they couldn't have been more obvious about their choice without shouting your name, why don't you come around here and join us?"

Hermione took a deep breath and laid her book down, before picking it up again and holding it against her chest like a shield, wrapping her arms around it. "I have liked you for a very long time Harry, and I would never have said anything, because you were comfortable with me as your friend, but Pansy convinced me that you should know that I have liked you since the train first year."

Harry stared at Hermione, his mouth open. Ginny giggled quietly, and helped him close his mouth. Harry shook his head, trying to dislodge the pictures he had of Hermione and Ron. "But what about Ron?"

"Harry," Hermione said quietly, "do you remember what my response to Ron's introduction was, that first year?"

Harry grinned. "'Charmed, I'm sure' or something like that." He looked at the other two girls. "Ron was eating some Trolley cart bits when they were introduced, and you know Ron, he didn't bother to swallow before saying something."

Hermione nodded. "And it never got much better after that. The incident before the troll, and dozens of others over the years." Hermione was getting emotional now, and she glared at a memory. "I wouldn't even go into fourth year, when he doubted you, and thought you would have tried to enter the Tri-Wizards tournament without him. Then he couldn't figure out I was a girl until after he thought about a Slytherin."

Hermione sat down in front of Harry and looked at him. "By then, I was just your friend, and you never doubted me, not even after Ron said those things about who I might be going to the ball with. You never thought about me as a girl, and I could deal with that, because at least it didn't break up our trio."

Harry winced. "You were Hermione, always one step ahead, and so much more mature than Ron and I. The thought of you acting like Lavender or the Patils just never entered my head."

Hermione shuddered. "Thank you for that, at least."

Harry nodded, barely noticing when Pansy and Ginny put one of his arms around each of them. "So, why did you go with Ron?"

Hermione shrugged. "Two reasons. First, they'd locked Ron and I in Grimmauld Place, and we were just together, all the time. It started with that, but I agreed to be with him because you simply didn't see me the way I wanted you too."

Hermione looked at Ginny. "I knew you had liked him, and I knew in fifth year that Harry was finally beginning to open up and see you. I stayed back, so that Harry could do what he wanted. Everyone else that year had an agenda for Harry. You wanted to be his girlfriend, Professor Dumbledore wanted him to train twenty-four/seven, and I just wanted him to be happy."

Harry was looking at Hermione. "You liked me on the train, you say. When did you decide it was more than friends?"

Hermione blushed. "After your date with Cho. You were willing to leave her to talk to me, and she was not the girl for you. I heard Ron say something about your kiss with her, and I wanted to show you how to kiss properly. That was the thought that made me realize my feelings for you and Ron had changed from friendly to very friendly."

Harry nodded, rubbing his eyes. "You three are going to turn my life upside down," he said. He looked at Ginny and Pansy, realizing where they were for the first time. "Comfortable?" he asked them.

Pansy snuggled closer into his side and Ginny just smiled. Harry looked at Hermione seriously. "I hope you'll understand if I have to think about this. I've had six years of thinking about you as my friend, almost my sister, and that is not going to just change over night."

Hermione nodded. "I know. All I am asking right now, is that you remember that I am not your sister, and that I have always been there for you."

Harry nodded, and was about to say something else when Miranda coughed. "The meeting is in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Miranda," said Harry and Hermione simultaneously, and Ginny sniggered.

She looked at Pansy. "Listen to them. They sound like the twins already, and Harry wonders why we chose her."

"Actually," Pansy said with a falsely innocent smile, "I just thought she had great tits."

Harry and Hermione both stared at her as they turned bright red. Ginny giggled at them. "Oh, very good, Pansy," she said through her laughter, "both of them at once, and a wonderful shading as well. I have to say this is a seven."

Harry sighed as he got up, unwrapping himself from the two girls. "I wonder if it's too late to become a monk."

Pansy snorted. "Harry, do you really think the thought of a cold lonely bed is more interesting than the three of us covering every inch of you with bare skin?"

That mental image stopped Harry where he stood, thinking about it. His teenage mind went into overdrive, as vague pictures of him and three girls in his bed filled his mind's eye. Hermione frowned at Pansy. "Don't go breaking him now, we have a meeting to go to, and we really need him in possession of his faculties for it."

Harry shook his head as Hermione brought out the piece of string she had enchanted to be the Portkey. Pansy shrugged. "Harry's smart, he'll wait until after the meeting to think about that picture much." She smiled at Harry again. "I, on the other hand, have nothing to do except be there, so I can think about it all I want."

Hermione pulled her wand and tapped the Portkey. The last thing the room heard as the five of them disappeared was Ginny's comment. "So can I."

OoOoOoO The Hogsmeade Inn, 1225 pm. OoOoOoO

Ron and Kingsley Shacklebolt were walking around the people they had put in discreet places around the Inn. Each of Harry's people had another person with them, from the families that would be in the meeting as well.

The two groups had both shown up early for this meeting and they had soon realized that there simply were not that many covered positions for people to watch the Inn, and they had decided to share the places. That doing so made it that much easier to keep an eye on the other team was an unspoken message as well.

Ron and Kingsley were waiting with the leader of that team, a gentleman by the name of Monroe Parkinson. Monroe was the older brother of Pansy's father and should have been the head of the family, but he'd told them to find someone else, since he was far more interested in creating and researching new spells to worry about politics as the families played them.

Monroe was a tall thin man, with a rolling gait that made him look as if he'd just stepped off a ship. The three of them were waiting near where the Portkey they'd given Harry was supposed to appear when they heard the rushing sound of a Portkey behind them.

They turned around in time to see Harry land in a heap with three girls on top of him, while Miranda rolled to her feet and stood there looking around. The others untangled themselves and stood up. Hermione pulled her wand and began cleaning the dirt off the group. Harry sighed. "Taxis are a wonderful invention."

Ron grinned. Harry had never been very comfortable with Wizard forms of travel, except for the Broomstick, and it didn't look as if that was going to change any time soon. "I can't believe we were that far off with the Portkey," said Monroe, frowning at the place where the five young people had landed.

Hermione finished cleaning Ginny and turned to him. "That wasn't your Portkey," she said calmly. "It was suggested that we make our own."

Monroe's eyes cut to Miranda, who was still looking around and his eyes narrowed as he saw the leather armour she was wearing. "Is she working?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. She is guarding another."

Monroe chewed his lip for a second. "Pardon me, while I let them know that inside. Protocols change with a Defender present." He walked quickly toward the Inn while Harry's party followed him a bit slower.

Harry looked at Miranda. "Tonight, I want to know about the Defenders. You seem to be an important thing in the Wizard World."

Shacklebolt snorted. "Harry, Minister Fudge tried to get a Defender for four years, and couldn't. To be a Defender, you have to be the best in each year of your schooling, and for the last two years, after the OWLs, you take a very specialised set of courses. I think there are nineteen active Defenders alive today." He indicated Miranda. "That's including her."

"There are only eighteen now. Wickers failed to maintain the standard, and didn't pass his re-certification. He may be back, if he keeps his legs." Miranda was walking next to Hermione, and her voice was toneless, as if she was discussing the weather.

Ron blinked. "If he keeps his legs?" he questioned.

Miranda gave a slight lift of a shoulder, that might have been a shrug. "The re-certification process is somewhat difficult, and slightly hazardous." She smiled slightly. "Not surprising, since it was created by the same group that put together the Tri-Wizard's Torment."

"Tournament, I think you meant," said Hermione.

"Have you seen the tournament? I said exactly what I meant." Miranda stepped in front of the group as they reached the doors and opened one, looking inside. She opened the door all the way after she was done and ushered Hermione inside. The rest were left to follow.

Inside, two men waited for them. Monroe stood next to a man that was every bit as tall, but wider, with a powerful look, one that came from self assurance and mental strength rather than anything physical. That man stepped forward, looking at Harry. "Mr. Potter, our room is this way, and there are a few people waiting. Shall we save the introductions for the room?"

Harry nodded, and gestured for the man, who he assumed was Pansy's father, to lead the way. He took a deep breath as they walked, reminding himself that they were coming to him for help. Never mind that they were adults, or that they had decades of practice in getting what they wanted, they needed him more than he needed them. At least they thought so, and Harry was going to try and keep the knowledge that he needed them just as badly to himself.

The man, whom Harry had seen picking Pansy up once or twice, and who he assumed was her father, stopped in front of a door and and opened it.

Miranda was there, and she stepped into the room. Harry blinked, and looked back at Hermione, who was at the end of the group. Miranda had been following Hermione a minute ago. How had she gotten past Ginny, Pansy and him without him seeing her? He shook that thought off and waited while she examined the room and finally decided it would be safe enough for Hermione to enter.

She nodded at Hermione and stepped into the room. Monroe said something in a low tone to his brother and started back outside.

Harry steeled himself and stepped into the room, the girls on his heels. The room was a long rectangle, with a single long table centred in the room. The far end of the table was occupied by the people that had come to see Harry and Harry moved to the chair at this end of the table, and then stopped. He helped Ginny and Pansy into their seats and moved to help Hermione, but Miranda had already seated her.

Harry sat down and finally examined the group at the end of the table. Their guide had sat at the end of the table, and Harry looked at the others at the other end of the table first. Sitting at Mr. Parkinson's right side was a dark woman that reminded Harry of somebody until he realized that she must be related to Violet, the little girl that had kissed his scar; as they had the same eyes.

Sitting next to her was a man who was so average that Harry looked at him twice, simply to make sure that he had seen somebody. Brown hair, brown eyes, nothing about the man stood out in any way. Harry was certain that if he had not been sitting in a room bare of anything except a table and chairs, Harry would have missed him entirely.

Sitting to the left of Mr. Parkinson was another man, one that raised the hackles at the back of Harry's neck. He had a narrow face and dark eyes that examined everybody at Harry's end of the table as intently as Mad-eye could have done. His face was cold and hard, reminding Harry of the faces of the Death Eaters he'd seen.

Sitting next to him was an elderly Witch, who examined Harry thoughtfully. When he looked at her, she smiled faintly and nodded to him.

The last member of the group was another Wizard, and Harry privately thought that he'd never seen anybody that old in his life. The man's eyes were nearly hidden behind the mass of wrinkles that made up his face and age spots covered his hands. The small fringe of hair that was all he had left was pure white and thinning, as if it would be gone any day now.

Mr. Parkinson stood up and looked at everyone. "Mr. Potter is a familiar face to all of us, so I will introduce the people with me first."

He indicated the woman with Violet's eyes. "Miss Montague will represent the interests of the Montague, Greengrass, Williamson and Bulstrode families."

The woman nodded to Harry. "I have a request from Millicent to know how Violet is," she said.

Harry smiled. "She was just fine the last time I saw her, and the entire group is hidden away."

The woman nodded again and Mr. Parkinson indicated the man next to her. "Mr. Rimaldi has the families of Rimaldi, Grimaldi and Smith in his hands."

The bland faced man smiled slightly. "Not that anyone can tell them apart without a magnifying glass," he said quietly, looking at Harry calmly.

Mr. Parkinson turned to his left side. "This gentleman is Mr. Greyfair and despite his looks, he's an honourable man."

The dark man frowned at Mr. Parkinson. "Don't be telling them that," he said calmly, and turned back to Harry. "Ignore Michael. He thinks that it is funny to say things like that occasionally."

Harry blinked, focusing on Mr. Greyfair with the other sight. He was a normal shade of grey, with a large white spot centred in his chest and only a small blacker area. "I don't mind him saying it, as long as it's true." Harry was about to say something else when he happened to look at Mr. Rimaldi.

The head of House Rimaldi had a Dark Mark. Harry frowned and checked the others. No one else had a Dark Mark and he relaxed some. He'd been afraid for a second that this was an elaborate trap, but there was only one Death Eater on the other side.

The elderly Witch, who didn't look quite so old sitting next to the ancient Wizard next to her, was Mrs. Warrington, representing the families of Warrington, Houseman, Kitchener and Salamander. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter. We have some family ties on your father's side. I would enjoy a chance to speak to you about them, after the meeting is over," she said after the introduction had been made.

Harry nodded slowly. "Assuming we come to a favourable conclusion here, I am at your disposal, Mrs. Warrington."

Mr. Parkinson indicated the last man, and his voice changed, becoming warmer and affectionate. "And this old reprobate is Mr. Blount, who doesn't represent any families, but rather a few odd groups, that are not large enough to be Houses yet."

Mr. Blount was looking at Harry. "Young one, aren't you?" he said bluntly, watching Harry closely. "Why should we be coming to you, boy?"

Harry stared at the old man, aware of everyone watching the two of them. Harry sighed and looked at Mr. Parkinson. "Before we get into a discussion, one of you has a Dark Mark. Given the example set by the last person I knew with the Mark, I would prefer that that family send another person in their place."

All of the eyes at the far end of the table went to Mr. Rimaldi. He frowned at Harry, but stood up. "If you will give me a few minutes, my sister will be along." He looked at Harry. "I understand your position, Mr. Potter, and we decided to go along with it if you asked, but I hope you understand that I have the Mark because it kept my family safe for another few years."

Harry sighed. "You may be a good enough person,but I know a little too much about the ways people wearing that Mark can be controlled or influenced by Moldywart."

Harry paused as everyone on the other side of the table gaped at him in horror, with most of them looking around, as if Voldemort would Apparate in on the spot and start killing people. Harry rubbed his temples. He hadn't meant to say that, but it had become a habit in the last couple of days, and it had slipped out.

"Right. Before we do anything else, let's listen to a bit of history. Voldemort was born to the last daughter of Salazar Slytherin and a Muggle named Tom Riddle after she used a love potion on him." Harry went on to tell the stunned group everything he'd learned about Riddle until he entered Hogwarts. Harry stopped there. "Some of the things he did and learned in Hogwarts will remain secret until we have come to an agreement here, but the point is, he's just a man. A powerful Wizard, yes, but still just a man. Avoiding his name, calling him 'You Know Who' and all these things people do simply increase his power by increasing the fear surrounding him, and I will not feed that fear."

Harry arced an eyebrow at the group. "He's tried to kill me several times, and he's failed every time. He is not invincible."

Mr. Rimaldi had listened to the lecture with the rest of them and frowned at Harry. "None of us can shrug off a Killing Curse, Mr. Potter," he said with a pointed glance at Harry's forehead.

Harry disagreed. "Yes, you could, if you had a mother, or anyone who was the best Witch of her time at charms, and who was willing to die to seal a powerful charm over you." He smiled wryly. "Since I don't have another mother like that, I rather think the next Killing Curse that connects with me will make me the Boy Who Died. I would prefer to avoid that, so I plan on doing something about him very soon."

The people in the group stared at Harry. "You know what you need to do? You know how to kill him?" Various versions of those two comments came from everyone at the other end of the table and Harry waited until the babble ended.

"Yes, I do, but with the passing of Professor Dumbledore, I have lost a great many resources that were very helpful." Harry looked at them. "While none of you command the respect and power that Professor Dumbledore did, I don't need that sort of thing right now, and if I do, I will use what I have. What I need is to take Voldemort's support base, and set some of your people to work on research."

Harry sighed and bit his lip. This was the main area that could stop these negotiations. "I also need a few people that can fight, will fight, and are willing to be trained to fight in ways that Wizards don't normally fight."

The people at the other end of the table stared at him. "You never answered my question, boy. Why should we come to you?" asked Mr. Blount testily.

Harry bit his lip again. "How many of you have fought Death Eaters and won, or at least walked away?" He waited, but the silence at the other end of the table was all the answer he got. "I have, and so have half a dozen or more of the people with me. No one else in the country can say as much. I may not be the perfect choice, but I am the best choice you have right now." Harry thought about telling them about the prophecy, but decided it was too early, and Mr. Rimaldi hadn't left yet.

Harry looked at Mr. Rimaldi again. His aura was not as grey as Pansy's, or Harry's, and his white spot covered nearly half of his chest. Harry sighed, and slipped back into normal sight while he stared at Mr. Rimaldi.

Harry frowned, and the two groups waited while he thought. Pansy started to say something, but Ginny stopped her with a look. "It's Harry's responsibility, and his decision."

Snape had betrayed Professor Dumbledore, but Snape had also been a Death Eater to be a Death Eater. If Mr. Rimaldi was telling the truth, he'd only taken the Mark to protect his family. That might make the difference. On the other hand, Harry knew far too well that Voldemort had ways to do things to people that had the Dark Mark, and that could do immense harm to Harry's people.

Harry felt the sides warring inside his mind, to trust Mr. Rimaldi or not. Fear, suspicion and distrust fighting with more hopeful thoughts, and suddenly, he knew why Professor Dumbledore gave everyone a chance, or many chances to prove themselves.

You had to believe that people were basically good, that given the chance, they would do the right thing, or you would be controlled by fear and suspicion. That led to people like Mad-Eye Moody, lonely and bitter, assuming everyone was out to get them. Harry had no desire to be the next Mad-Eye, and he made his decision. "Mr. Rimaldi," he said quietly, "I have changed my mind. You may stay, and I hope I am not wrong about you."

Mr. Rimaldi nodded to Harry. "This is my family we're talking about, Mr. Potter. I will do anything to insure their safety."

Harry nodded. "I hope so." He looked at Hermione. "Hermione, would you make sure that no one outside of this room can hear inside? Don't forget the ears Fred and George made when you do."

Hermione nodded, and pulled her wand. She muttered something under her breath, and the room lit up with lights, thin lines like spider webs shrouding the room. They were in several different colours, and ranged from dim to brightly shining. Harry had no idea what they were, but apparently Hermione did. She studied them for a minute, and cast another spell, adding another layer of strands to the multi-coloured web. When she was done, she muttered a Finite Incanteum and ended her first spell. The lights disappeared and she looked at Harry. "We're private, Harry, from everything I know about, anyway."

Harry grinned at her. "If you don't know about it, it probably doesn't exist, or work if it does."

Mrs. Warrington was watching Hermione. "What was that spell? How did you do that?"

Hermione shrugged, blushing. "It was simply a minor spell, that causes wards and other pre-existing spells to glow. The colour of the glow tells me what type of spell it is and the strength of the glow tells me how strong the enchantment is."

The group at the end of the table was staring at Hermione, as were the rest of Harry's group. Harry looked at them all and then at Hermione and smiled slightly. "Have you done something you shouldn't be able to do again?"

Hermione shrugged again. "Not really," she said earnestly, looking at Harry. "I merely put together a couple of spells I found in a book and made them a bit stronger by combining them."

Mr. Blount snorted. "Merely?" he questioned. "That sounds like quite a lot to me." He looked around at his end of the table. "Interesting as this is, we have a meeting to run. Mr. Potter, we know Pansy, why don't you introduce the other two ladies so we can get on with it."

Harry was beginning to like the blunt old Wizard. "This is Hermione Granger-Black," he said, indicating Hermione, "and this is Ginny Weasley." Harry looked at Miranda, but remembered in time not to say anything about her and looked at the group.

"I have a large number of things to do today and all summer, so I'll be direct. I will accept anyone that is willing to utterly forsake Moldywart. I will provide places to stay, if needed, and support them while they are in hiding, provided they do a few things for me. Most of those things will be research related, and will not put them in danger." Harry thought about that for a minute. "At least, it will not put them in danger from Moldywart or the Death Eaters."

Something was bothering Harry, a thought at the edge of his mind, and he couldn't stop to think about it right now. He hoped that it would not come back to bite him before this was over.

Mr. Parkinson was looking at Harry. "What do you mean by utterly forsake him, Mr. Potter?"

"You will leave him, taking all your people and money away from him, and having no further contact with him. Any properties that you have that are known to the Death Eaters, will be Fidelius charmed, with the head of each family holding their family safe. I will then Fidelius the heads of the Families."

The group at the other end of the table was nodding, until they heard that last bit. Mr. Parkinson frowned. "Forgive us, Mr. Potter, but having you as the Secret Keeper is not a good idea. We all know about your connection to him."

Harry grinned at them all. "I will not be the Secret Keeper. I have chosen another person, one who has completely proven undying loyalty to me."

The group looked suspicious. "Who is this person?" asked Mr. Greyfair in his quiet voice.

Harry held up his hand. "I will not say anything about this person's identity. I will not even tell you their sex, but you could say that this person is as loyal as a House Elf."

Pansy choked and coughed. When she was done, she pulled Harry down by his sleeve. Looking into his face she stared at him. "You cannot be serious," she hissed, keeping her voice low, so that the people at the other end of the table couldn't hear her.

Harry just looked at her. "Is he loyal? If I asked him to keep this secret from everyone, unless I directly, face to face told him to tell somebody, would he do it?" Harry matched her tone, keeping his voice low.

Pansy thought about it for a second. "Yes," she admitted reluctantly. "But the Secret Keeper has to be human."

Harry shook his head. "Professor Dumbledore said that the Secret was 'concealed in a single living soul', and he is that." Harry frowned for a second. "Besides, the worst that could happen is that the spell doesn't work the first time, and we have to cast it again, in which case I'll use Ginny as the Secret Keeper."

Pansy sighed, looking at Harry. "You do know that the families are likely to go insane, when they find out that you have chosen Dobby as the Secret Keeper."

Harry shrugged. "The biased reactions of Wizards that should have come out of the Dark Ages a couple of centuries ago are of less than no concern to me. Dobby is perfect. He's loyal, strong enough to defend himself if the other side does find out who the Keeper is, and absolutely the last person Moldywart would think of anyway."

Pansy choked again. "He is that, at least." She considered that matter. Harry was right about one thing, Dobby was the last being any one on Voldemort's side would look at as a Secret Keeper. He also had the ability to get away or to fight if he needed to, to protect the Secret. She sighed as she realized she was actually considering the idea seriously. She sat back in her chair as she glanced at Harry. "In a hundred years, Harry, you're going to be a legend, or the most hated name ever."

"Is there a problem with Mr. Potter's choice, Pansy?"

Pansy frowned at her father. He was putting her on the spot here. Dobby would not be acceptable to her father, but he wasn't the problem, the bias of the Wizards was. She chose her words carefully. "The individual in question is not the problem. The way some people look at this person's bloodlines will be the problem."

Mr. Parkinson frowned. He knew Pansy was hiding something, but the meeting was more important than finding out what right now. "So you will not mind this person's being the Secret Keeper for your family?"

Pansy thought about that and shook her head slowly. "I would never have thought of using this individual, but Harry is right, and there really isn't a better choice."

Mr. Parkinson nodded. "Then we will say no more about it." "Right now, anyway," he thought, "but the next time you come home, we'll discuss it again until I find out what you're hiding."

The two sides discussed the mechanics of the families withdrawal from Voldemort's forces for another hour, laying their plans carefully. Every family would have to leave at the same time, because if one left and Voldemort found out about it before the others were gone, they wouldn't get the chance to leave.

They made their plans, and since the family heads had to Fidelius all of their people and the properties that Voldemort knew about, and Harry had to make preparations for hiding those people that would need housing after the exodus, they set the jump off date for this Friday at midnight. If everything went right, they would be done, with everyone hidden by dawn Saturday. Harry and Bill Weasley would be waiting for the family heads at Mr. Sharpstar's office, and by noon that same day, they would have the family heads hidden as well.

After they had that settled, they took a break and Harry approached Mr. Parkinson and made a request that had Mr. Parkinson blinking rapidly, trying not to show how startled he was.

When they sat back down, Harry stood up again and looked around. "I am going to ask for an oath at this point. Not only from you, but from the people on my side of the table as well. This is not because I don't trust you, but because if Voldemort finds out about this, Merlin himself wouldn't be able to save us. Before you ask, I will be giving an oath as well, although mine will be worded slightly differently."

The people at the far end of the table looked at Harry for a minute and then at each other. They discussed it in low tones for a minute and then Mr. Parkinson looked at Harry. "You'll understand if we are a bit nervous about giving an oath that will be magically binding without knowing what it is about. Would you accept one of us giving the oath and hearing what you have to say? Then they can tell the rest of us if the oath is really needed."

Harry shrugged. "It's not such a pretty tale that I want to tell it twice, but I understand where you are coming from, so choose your oath taker."

A few minutes later, Mr. Rimaldi came over to Harry's end of the table. "They have decided that you would be happier if I was the first to take your oath, Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded. He hadn't expected them to send the Death Eater, but it did make sense. Harry would be happier if he was under an oath.

He took him to one side and told him the exact wording of the oath Harry wanted him to take. Mr. Rimaldi considered it for a minute and then took the oath. Harry nodded and told him what he was going to tell the others, if they took the oath. He'd barely gotten half way through it when Mr. Rimaldi stopped him.

Mr. Rimaldi returned to the other end of the table. "Take his oath. The things he has to tell us are worth the oath."

The rest of the group took Harry's oath with varying degrees of reluctance, and then Harry turned to the people on his end of the table. "They took the oath, and I am going to ask you three to take it as well, so that they can be sure that we will not betray them."

Hermione and Ginny merely shrugged and pulled out their wands. Pansy frowned at Harry, biting her lip and looking at her father. She sighed heavily and took the same oath the rest of the group had taken. "I swear by my magic not to disclose anything that is talked about for the rest of this meeting to anyone that is not here without Harry Potter's explicit permission."

After the glow had faded from the three of them, Harry looked at the other end of the table. "You asked me earlier if I knew how to kill Voldemort," Harry said soberly, "and the answer is yes."

The group at the other end of the table stared at Harry in varying degrees of astonishment, except for Mr. Parkinson. "I knew it. Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't have spent so much time and energy on you if you weren't important."

Harry smiled grimly. "More important than you know. I am the only one that can kill him." Harry told the group about the prophecy and the Horcruxes that made avoiding Voldemort until they were destroyed imperative. When he was done, he looked around the room at the quiet group. "You made the right choice coming to me. I will kill him and with your help, I will do it that much faster and we can all get on with our lives."

Mrs Warrington was frowning thoughtfully. "You want some of us to research Horcrux destruction, and some to fight with you,I understand. Is that correct?"

Harry nodded. "Both groups will be volunteers, and they will have all the help I can offer them."

Mrs. Warrington waved that away. "Given that you personally have a greater stake in the Dark Lord's defeat than anyone else, I believe that. What I want to know is, in researching that topic, we'll have to delve deeply into Dark Magic. What is the Ministry going to think about that?"

Harry shrugged. "Given the help I have received from the Ministry to date, I wasn't planning on telling them what I was doing," he said bluntly. "I will say this. Some of you may have certain items or talents you've been hiding from the Ministry. I don't care,so long as you don't use them in any Dark way. Unregistered Animagi, Dark Items, none of that matters, as long as you don't start acting like Moldywart or the Death Wankers."

The group at the other end of the table flinched visibly again and Harry just sighed. "Get used to it. I plan on focussing his attention on me this year, and calling him names is the least of what I'm going to do to accomplish that."

"You're going to be at Hogwarts, are you not?" asked Mr. Rimaldi. Harry nodded, smiling at Hermione. "I have to go back. Hermione would never let me hear the end of it if she didn't have a chance to nag me about the NEWTs."

Hermione glared at Harry. "I do not nag. I merely force you two to study a bit more than you would if I wasn't there."

Harry raised an eyebrow but refrained from saying anything. He turned back to the family heads. "Do we have an agreement?"

The group at the other end of the table looked at each other and talked quietly among themselves for a few minutes. Mr. Rimaldi turned back to Harry. "Most of us are ready to deal, but I have some problems with you focussing the Dark Lord's attention on Hogwarts. I have family in that school that cannot fight him as you do."

Harry sighed. "A lot of people have children in the school that can't fight Moldywart," he said quietly. "What Hogwarts does have is the best defences of any place in the world, as well as some other advantages that I will not go in to now." Harry looked at Mr. Rimaldi,trying to put every thing he felt in his eyes. "I will not allow anyone else to die in this war, not if I can stop it."

The group at the end of the table stared at Harry, mesmerized by the fire burning in his eyes. Mr. Rimaldi cleared his throat. "I see. I will withdraw my objection, unless events prove you wrong, Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded. "I'm not asking you to trust me from the start, any more than I trust you at this point. We all know that we are working together out of mutual need, and that if things happen to change that, this deal will be re-evaluated and modified accordingly."

The group at the other end of the table frowned in unison. Mrs. Warrington was the first to speak. "Does this mean that when you no longer need us, you will revoke the measures you are taking?"

Harry cocked his head and thought about that for a minute. "Yes, it does." He held up his hands to silence the babble that had started at the other end. "But since I will be needing you until Moldywart is dead, do you care? Do you really want me in charge of the whole group of you after the war is over, or would you prefer to go back to your regular alliances?"

Mr. Parkinson shrugged. "We could do worse than continue the alliance with you at that point," he said pragmatically. "After all, being in the group and with the man who killed Him, would be very good for the family."

The other family heads thought about it and nodded slowly. Being Harry's friends, if he managed to kill Voldemort would be very good for those people, politically and socially. Harry blinked, until he realized what Mr. Parkinson meant. "Well, since we still have a war to win first, let's finish this and worry about continued partnerships after we've gotten Moldywart and the Death Wankers out of the way."

The group nodded, and they started finalizing the details of their escape from Voldemort.

OoOoOoO Somewhere in England, at that same moment. OoOoOoO

Voldemort stared at the lump of flesh that had been Mr. Zabini before Voldemort had started asking him questions and not getting answers. He looked up and the three people in the room with him were hard pressed to hide the fear his expression raised. "Why is it," hissed Voldemort in a quiet voice, almost conversational, "that people think they can defy me?" He kicked the bloody mass at his feet, sending spatters across two of the Death Eaters in front of him. Neither of them was foolish enough to wipe it off.

Voldemort stood up and began pacing. "How many of the young ones did we lose?"

Peter Pettigrew winced. He'd been the one to count up the people that had run from Voldemort's marry or die order, and he had not been able to force a lesser Death Eater to give Voldemort those numbers. "F-f-fifty people are still unaccounted for, My Lord."

Voldemort turned to Peter, who dropped to the floor, expecting the pain to start any second. "Fifty? That many people managed to escape their families, and none of my Death Eaters knew until after they were gone?"

Bellatrix LeStrange looked up from her avid study of the bloody mass at his feet. Her voice was low and sultry, like the voice of a woman in the aftermath of good sex as she spoke. "Actually, the younger Bole boy seems to have figured it out and joined the group running away. Potter detected his mark somehow and turned him over to the Aurors before he could escape." Bellatrix sighed, and tore her attention away from the corpse she had been enjoying. "That is the story right now. Our contact in the Auror's office hasn't been able to get close enough to talk to him yet, but he thinks he'll have a chance tonight or tomorrow, when they are done interrogating him."

Voldemort thought about that for a few minutes. "If we get that one back, remind me not to kill him for failing to find the location of Potter's refugees. He at least found out they were running away and tried to do something about it."

Peter was remaining still and hoping that Voldemort had forgotten about him. The third person in the chamber stepped up, carefully avoiding the blood pooled before the Dark Lord's throne. "My Lord," Snape said calmly, "from the speed with which they reacted, and the sheer number that escaped, it is plain that they had some sort of plan in place before the chance came about. Maybe we should ask the remaining families about any possible contingency plans they may have in place."

Voldemort nodded slowly. "I should have brought you back years ago, Severus. You think ahead, unlike most of these fools. Take care of that. Find out if any more of them are so disloyal to me as to have plans similar to that, and bring them to me alive. I would show everyone the price of their doubts."

He bent over and grabbed Wormtail's hair, dragging his head up and staring him in the face as Peter whimpered. "Clean this mess up, and deliver the remains to whatever is left of his family."

Voldemort looked down at the body one last time. "I must say, he had the courage of his convictions. I didn't learn anything from him until his mind was nearly destroyed." Voldemort looked up, finding Bellatrix LeStrange's eyes had gone back to the body, and she was watching it with all the intensity of a starving cat watching a mouse. Voldemort had sometimes wondered what happened to those Muggles that she took back to her rooms. Even her husband wouldn't enter those rooms. "Bella," he said, and she looked up at him, a very nearly sexual heat burning in her eyes. "Mr. Potter has annoyed me again. I want you to go tonight and bring me that girl Potter likes."

Bella smiled, and the heat grew in her eyes. "Do you want anybody else there alive when I am done, My Lord?"

Voldemort thought about it. The Weasleys had always opposed him, and nothing would change that. "I think," he said, watching Bella, "that a good many very dead bodies will tell Potter what he can expect for his slut, don't you?"

Bella quivered with pleasure as her master gave her permission to do whatever she wanted to the other people she found at the Burrow. "I think I can insure that he has some wonderful thoughts about what she's doing with us, My Lord." Bellatrix smiled as she thought about what she was going to do, and it was the kind of smile one should only give a lover.

OoOoOoO The Hogsmeade Inn, Meeting's End. OoOoOoO

Mr. Blount, Mr. Rimaldi and Mrs. Warrington had already left, off to do various things in public places so that nobody connected them being gone at the same time with any possible meetings. Harry was making arrangements for Millicent Bulstrode to visit her little sister while Mr. Parkinson had a few quiet words with Pansy.

When Harry was finished with Miss Montague, he turned to Pansy and her father. Mr. Parkinson looked at Harry. "I want to thank you for what you're doing, Mr. Potter. We've been worrying about how we were going to get out from under the Dark Lord for some time, and the debt we owe you for helping us get away is considerable." He looked at Pansy. "Do you owe me money?"

Pansy sighed. "Yes, father. I'll send it along one of these days."

Mr. Parkinson smirked and then looked at Harry. "There are a few more people that would like to join the growing Potter clan, Mr. Potter. People like Violet and Miranda. Is there somewhere you want them to meet you?"

Harry frowned as he thought about that. "Why aren't they simply staying with the families and going under the Fidelius?"

Mr. Parkinson shrugged. "Because they aren't family, at least not from our group. Most of them are second tier children."

Harry blinked, frowning again. "Second tier?"

Mr. Parkinson nodded. "The first tier are the accepted Death Eaters, and the second tier are the ones that are close to getting the Mark, or who want it. There are about twenty families in that group, and some of their children are not happy about having their lives chosen for them, or pleased about the prospect of having to take the Mark. They jumped at the chance to get away, but they weren't able to make it to the first meeting."

Harry sighed. "To think that just two days ago I was an orphan, with only one family member to worry about."

Mr. Parkinson frowned at Harry. "One? Why do you say that? The Potters are an old family, and they have ties running all through the Wizard world."

Harry stared at Mr. Parkinson, remembering what Mrs. Warrington had said about having family ties through his father. Mr. Parkinson was still speaking. "I don't know the Potter lines that well, but I know that your paternal grandmother was a Montrose by birth and the Montroses and the Greengrasses have a long history of relationships, also, I believe that your great great grandmother on her side was a Bones, before she married a Potter." He stopped, stepping back from Harry as a wave of magic poured out of him.

He looked at Harry, and his eyes widened. Harry was staring at nothing, and his eyes were were hot as he thought about something. Harry controlled himself with a visible effort. He turned to Mr. Parkinson and there was a fire burning deep inside his eyes, one that made Mr. Parkinson flinch. "Are you telling me," he asked quietly, in a tightly controlled voice that raised the hairs at the back of Mr. Parkinson's neck, "That I have more relatives than the Dursleys?"

Harry was shimmering as magic poured out of him in waves, a tangible presence that flowed around everybody near Harry, touching and exploring them with little fingers of magic.

Mr. Parkinson swallowed, choosing his words with care. "A few, but some, like the Greengrasses, are distantly removed, and some were suspected of being Death Eaters at the time of your," he cast about, looking for a polite way to put it. "At the time you defeated the Dark Lord the first time, some of those relations were thought to be on his side, and leaving you with them, if that was true, would be the height of folly."

Harry nodded. Hermione moved a little closer from where she'd been listening. "Harry," she murmured, "If your mother cast a charm that saved you, one tied to blood, it would be tied to her blood, which means it wouldn't work with your father's relatives, as they were only related to her by marriage."

Harry looked at her as Ginny moved up and wormed her way under his arm. "You're right, Hermione," Harry finally said, after thinking about her words for a minute. He closed his eyes and visibly controlled himself. He looked down at Ginny, who was simply holding him, and smiled. "Comfortable?" he asked, almost all traces of the emotions that had been running through him a few seconds ago gone.

Ginny smiled. "Yes, thank you." She hugged him and Harry turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "Have then meet me in Mr. Sharpstar's office tonight at 7:00 if you can get them word that soon, tomorrow night if not."

Mr. Parkinson was staring at Harry, his eyes narrow as he thought. "Mr. Potter, do you know what an Aestuomagius is?"

Harry shrugged and turned to Hermione, who was frowning. "I've seen that term somewhere," she said distractedly, "in an older book that I was reading after meeting Tonks."

Mr. Parkinson nodded. "It would be an older book, as the number of recorded instances of them can be counted on one hand. I personally only know of two. Bernice Parkinson, in 1652, and before her, a Montrose in about 1100. The only reason I know about them is because the last one was a direct ancestor, and she's in the family histories."

Harry was staring at Mr. Parkinson and frowning. "Why are you asking, anyway?"

Mr. Parkinson started to say something, and then frowned. "Right. I keep thinking you should know everything about Wizards, because you're a Potter, but you were raised by Muggles. Mr. Potter, Wizards control their magic easily, and by the time they are eight or so, they simply don't have the displays of magical fluctuation I just saw in you, unless they are brain damaged, which you are not, or they are an Aestuomagius, according to the information I have." He looked at Harry. "The Aestuomagius can use various emotions to power types of spells, giving them far more power than any normal person can put in a spell. Anger can power destructive spells, Love or similar emotions will strengthen healing spells and other emotions will help other classes of spells."

Hermione was frowning now. "That would explain a couple of things that I have not been able to understand, Harry. Third year students simply don't have the power to make a Patronus, certainly not one that can drive away a hundred Dementors. There have been a couple of other incidents, where you did something that should be impossible for you, but you did them anyway."

Harry looked at her, arcing an eyebrow. "And when were you going to tell me that I was doing the impossible?"

Hermione blushed and muttered something indistinct. When Harry just waited, she sighed. "I had a couple of theories about why you could do things that were impossible for other people, and one of them was that you simply didn't know that they were impossible."

Harry frowned and then blinked at Hermione. "You mean the way a cartoon character can stand on the air, simply because he's never studied the law of gravity?"

Hermione blushed again, refusing to meet Harry's eyes. "Not quite that silly," she said in a pained tone, "there are a few documented cases of people doing things that they shouldn't be able to do, until they were told they can't do that, and then never being able to do them again."

Mr. Parkinson shook his head. "Magic doesn't work like that," he said, "Either something can be done with magic or it can't, and the only thing that determines if a particular Wizard can do something is his personal strength. Mr. Potter here seems to be a fairly powerful Wizard, so he can do most things, once he knows how."

Harry coloured. "I'm not that strong."

Mr. Parkinson snorted. "Hogwash. I felt the magic you were emanating just now, and you're well up the scale. Now, if you are an Aestuomagius, the more intensely you feel about something, the stronger you will be, but even if you're not, the power you were just radiating is more than most people have."

He looked at his watch and sighed. "Much as I would like to talk to you more, I have things to do today. Pansy tells me that you would like the services of our trainer in a particular skill."

Harry frowned at the abrupt change of subject, and then his brain caught up and he remembered what skill he'd asked for a trainer in. "Yes, I did. The trainer will be testing four people to see if they can do it, and training them if they can."

Mr. Parkinson nodded. "Where would you like him to meet you?"

Harry frowned and then smiled. "Right here, in Hogsmeade at the Three Broomsticks. Would next Thursday be acceptable?"

Mr. Parkinson nodded and said his goodbyes, giving Pansy a quick hug and a kiss on her cheek. "Take care, daughter," he said, shooting Harry a glance. "Mr. Potter is a magnet for certain types of trouble, and with him looking for trouble this year, you're certain to find some."

Pansy grinned at her father. "Not to mention the trouble I'll be causing in Slytherin House."

Her father took on a martyred look. "Don't remind me about that. You're going to annoy every single person Mr. Potter misses in his attempts to get himself killed." He looked at Harry. "Are you absolutely certain you want that owl?" Harry smirked, and Mr. Parkinson sighed. "You going to wreak havoc with the Death Eaters because of that, you know."

Harry grinned outright. "I can only hope," he said reverently and flashed a smile at Pansy. "I have this long list of Death Wankers that would look smashing as the centrepiece of a funeral."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You going to get killed, Potter," she predicted morosely, "and I'm going to lose my suitor."

Hermione and Ginny were watching the three of them talk curiously. "Excuse me," said Hermione, "but what are you talking about?"

Harry grinned and told the two of them what he was planning. Hermione sighed. "You not only going to get killed, you're going to get us all killed."

Ginny was laughing, and squeezed out, "What I wouldn't give the see the look on his face." She sighed. "I don't suppose we could send Colin and his camera with it? He's very small," she suggested hopefully.

Harry lit up but Hermione thumped his nose with two fingers, like you would a naughty puppy. "No, Harry." She looked at Ginny. "You either, miss."

Harry sighed regretfully. "She's right, Ginny. Besides, I want a photographer that I know I can trust, which means we need him right now."

Pansy frowned. "Colin? You mean the older Creevy brother? The Official Photojournalist of the Harry Potter Fan Club, Hogwarts Chapter?" Pansy had a sly look on her face as she watched all three Gryffindors freeze. Hermione and Ginny wore guilty faces and Harry was just stunned.

"Excuse me?" he finally got out, once he remembered to shut his mouth. "The who, of the what?"

Pansy repeated herself, looking at Harry. "Surely you have to know you have a Fan Club. According to the official records of the Owl Post, you receive more fan mail than anyone, including Lockhart."

Harry shook his head. "I've never received any fan mail except during fourth year, and that only had one topic."

Pansy sighed. "Harry, your fan mail goes to the head of the Fan Club, who vets it and decided what to do with it." She frowned. "Although I would have assumed that at least some of it was getting to you, as some of the letters get a note from you back."

Harry frowned and his magic began building again. "I have never written a letter to a fan. I think I'd like to know who's imitating me and why."

Pansy shrugged. "That should be easy. Just ask the head of the Fan Club, they have to know about it, even if they're not involved."

Harry looked at Ginny. Ginny looked at Harry and held up her hands. "Don't look at me. I'm not the head of your fan club."

Pansy suddenly grinned. "Not the head, but you have to admit, you're still the only person to have her own Chapter of the Fan Club."

Ginny turned a bright red, refusing to look at Harry. Harry was staring at both of them when Hermione, who had been listening to the entire conversation, thankful Harry wasn't asking her how come she'd never mentioned this to him, asked Pansy a question. "Pansy, how do you know so much about the Fan Club?"

A guilty look flashed across Pansy's face for a split second before she was under control. She waved it off. "I know many things, including that we have a tight schedule today, and should be going along." She started to the door, only to be stopped by Harry's hand on her arm.

"Pansy," Harry asked, watching her closely, "Are you a member of the Fan Club?"

Pansy was about to lie when she looked at Harry. Harry trusted her. It was there in his eyes, he had faith that she would not hurt him and she sighed. "Yes."

Hermione laughed. "Harry, do you know that you may be the first celebrity to marry three of his Fan Club members?"

Miranda was watching them and looked around before entering the conversation. "Actually, a lot of your fans are less about tearing your clothes off, and more about finding out what you're doing now, since Lady Xfiles and Greysnake spend a couple of hundred words every newsletter discussing you and what you're doing."

Pansy and Hermione froze, turning a deep red. Harry stared at them, not understanding what was going on. Ginny was watching them, and the light of understanding flashed across her face as she broke down laughing.

Miranda nudged Ginny. "What do say? Are those worth at least an eight?"

Ginny looked at the red faced Hermione and Pansy and nodded, still laughing. "An eight."

Hermione and Pansy looked at each other and headed for the door. Miranda was right behind Hermione and Ginny followed them all, still smiling. Harry finally caught up with what the three of them had been talking about, and went after the girls.

He caught up with them outside and he looked around before speaking. "Let's all go back to my place, because I have a lot of questions to ask you all." He waited as Hermione pulled out the string that was the Portkey and a few seconds later they disappeared.

OoOoOoO The Hogsmeade Inn, After Harry and the girls left. OoOoOoO

Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt was impressed. Ron Weasley was shaping up to be one fine strategist. Oh, he made mistakes, but not the same one twice, and given a scenario, he could come up with a working plan in just a few minutes. Those plans were what set him apart from ordinary people. Almost anyone could make a plan to respond to known circumstances, but Ron Weasley's plans would account for the known objectives and still have enough flexibility to deal with any odd bits or changes that would come up. That was what set him apart and Kingsley looked at Ron thoughtfully.

Harry was going to need that skill on his side while this war raged, and Shacklebolt knew where Ron could get some professional level training, if he could be trusted to keep his mouth shut. "Mr. Weasley, if I asked for your oath not to talk about some place I take you, would you give it? It would include the place and the people there."

Ron frowned, but caught the serious note in Shacklebolt's voice and thought about it. "Would you give me an oath that it wouldn't hurt Harry or our mutual cause?"

Shacklebolt smiled. "Yes."

Ron thought for a second and then nodded. Shacklebolt stepped closer to Ron. "This is called Side-Along Apparation," he said, telling Ron what was going to happen and what he was going to do.

Shacklebolt told Tonks to release the guards and make sure they all left safely. A few seconds later the big Auror and the youngest male Weasley were gone.

OoOoOoO Somewhere else, a few seconds later. OoOoOoO

Ron looked around warily, but all he saw were four grey walls and a single door, which Shacklebolt was facing. There was a small hole in the door and Shacklebolt whispered something into the hole. The hole disappeared and Shacklebolt turned to Ron. "This may take a few minutes."

Ron nodded. "Where are we?"

"This is the entry to the hall of the Unspeakables. Not the one under the Ministry, but the hall where the other Unspeakables work. The Unspeakables in the Hall of Mysteries are concerned with study and research." Shacklebolt sighed, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Sometimes, they need something or someone dealt with, either as a result of what they have learned, or as a result of of needing more information. That is what these people do, whatever the other Unspeakables need."

Ron Weasley listened to the care with which Shacklebolt chose his words and noted the lack of descriptions of those actions. "Can I assume that few if any of these actions will make the papers?"

Shacklebolt smiled wryly. "You can assume that, yes."

Ron nodded. "Why are we here?"

Shacklebolt looked at Ron. "Because these people are the very best at the kind of actions you and Harry are going to need, and it would be better to get some training in the types of actions you will need against the Death Eaters, rather than making mistakes in the real fights."

Ron was stunned. "Training? Me? But Harry's the one that needs this, he leads us."

A new voice joined the conversation. "We considered speaking to Mr. Potter, but he is not a planner."

Ron spun around, his wand coming out. As fast as he was, it did no good. The Wizard behind him waved his hand and Ron's wand spun out of his hand and into the other Wizard's hand. "Mr. Potter is very good at making things up on the fly, which is Tactical thinking, but he's not as good at strategical thinking, or planning them in advance."

The Wizard offered Ron his wand back. "Hello Shacklebolt. What did you have in mind?"

"Mr. Weasley is a bit young and untried for the operational side of your group, but he could be an asset in the planning division." Shacklebolt was watching the new Wizard closely.

"Not to mention he currently has this project he's working on with Mr. Potter, which would divide his loyalty."

Ron looked at the other Wizard. "No, it would not. My first loyalty is to Harry. Nothing you have will change that."

The other Wizard smiled. "And we require a field agent's first loyalty be to us. Most of them are unmarried, unattached and dedicated far beyond most Aurors." He grinned at Shacklebolt. "We're still trying to get Kingsley here to join us, if he'll ever drop his off duty affiliations."

Shacklebolt smiled wryly. "That's not going to happen until Voldemort is dead, so you can stop asking." He looked at the other man. "Especially since Mr. Potter has had enough, and is taking charge. He's moving in directions that we've never gone before."

The Unspeakable looked interested. "I would be interested in knowing as much as you can tell me. We've already noted his appearance in public, not once, but twice, which is a change for him."

He looked at Ron. "Enough of this. Mr. Weasley, you have been offered a chance to join us in a limited capability. If you pass the entrance test, you will receive training in several areas, as well as access to sources of information that most people don't have, as long as you work with us. If you work out, after the Voldemort thing is over, you may be offered a more important position."

Ron considered his words carefully. He didn't have Harry or Hermione here to advise him, so he thought about it, and the possible consequences of his decision. "And I don't have to tell you what Harry is doing, or betray his confidences?"

The wizard shook his head. "We, like every other person that knows the Prophecy that he's working under, would very much prefer that he win, and not Voldemort. That is, in fact, the only reason you're being offered this position at your age. We're helping in the only way we can."

Ron stared at the Wizard for a minute. "Would it do me any good to ask how you know about the prophecy?" The Wizard just looked at him and Ron sighed. "I didn't think so." Ron nodded slowly and made his decision. "What is this entrance test?"

The Wizard looked at Shacklebolt. "It was good of you to bring him to us, but you'll have to leave now." The Wizard looked back at Ron. "We'll finish with you, and one way or another, we'll get you back to the Burrow tonight."

Ron shook his head. "I'm staying with Harry right now."

The Wizard nodded. "Then we will get you back there, whether you pass or fail. You won't remember this if you fail, but we'll get you back to your residence."

Shacklebolt was looking serious. "Good luck, Ron." He Apparated out of the room.

Ron took a deep breath and turned to the other Wizard. "Right. Let's get on with this."

"Before we do this, Mr. Weasley, I have to tell you three things, and offer you one last chance to back out. The first thing is, that this is going to hurt, a lot. Unless you've been under the Cruciatus curse, you will never have felt any pain like this. There will be no damage to you, and before you leave, the pain will be only a memory. Do you understand that?"

Ron nodded soberly. "The second thing is that we will be seeing your memories, all of them, even ones you have suppressed. No one here expects you to be an angel, in fact most of us have done things that were very Dark, Darker than anything you can imagine, but what we are looking for is how you make certain decisions. If you pass, you're in, if not, you'll be rejected."

Ron frowned. "If I fail, I'll be Obliviated, won't I? You said I wouldn't remember this, if I wasn't one of you."

"Yes. The last thing you need to know is that if you do pass, you will make a Wizard's Oath, an Unbreakable Oath not to tell anyone what you do here, who you do it with or anything about the time you spend here, without the direct spoken permission of your leader." The Wizard looked at Ron. Do you understand the three things that I have told you?"

Ron thought about what he was getting into. He wasn't all that eager to feel anything that was close to being as painful as the Cruciatus, but ... He looked at the other Wizard, patiently waiting for his answer. "Tell me something. If I pass, will the benefits of working with you be worth this?"

The other Wizard looked at him for a long minute. "While you're undergoing to the test, you'll believe that nothing is worth the pain. After it is over, you'll change your mind."

Ron grimaced. "Cheerful bloke, aren't you. Let's do this."

"So be it, Mr. Weasley." That was the last thing Ron heard, before his world dissolved in sheets of pain and rational thought was gone.

OoOoOoO Harry's Room, After the Meeting. OoOoOoO

Harry sat down at the table in his room and looked at the three quiet girls. "Sit down, please." They found seats around the table and Harry looked at them. "First, Ginny, would you mind telling how long I've had a Fan Club, and what it's about?"

Ginny sighed. "The Harry Potter Fan Club was started on November 6th, 1981 as a tribute to The Boy Who Lived. The original five Witches that started it soon found more people, and by the Club's first anniversary, the Club had three hundred and sixty four members." Ginny looked at Harry and kept on. "For the first few years, the club was mostly a newsletter, offering guesses and ideas about where you were, what you were doing, things like that."

Ginny sighed. "By the time you were eleven, there were nearly a thousand members, and the news that you would be at Hogwarts stirred the letters up dramatically." She paused for a minute as food appeared in front of them and Dobby fussed over Harry for a minute, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared.

Harry looked at her as he took a bite of his sandwich. "So far, this doesn't sound that bad. Go on."

Ginny sighed. "Somebody at Hogwarts sent a few pictures of you doing things to the Fan Club that first year, and several members that were at Hogwarts sent letters telling everyone else what they knew about what you were doing." Ginny smiled, remembering. "Since they didn't know everything that was going on, some of the stories got a little wild."

She blushed. "The pictures, and the reports that you were a good person started a few crushes on the Boy Who Lived, and that is when the Fan Club started to divide into two groups of people. Those that were interested in what you were doing, and where you would go with your life, and those that simply thought you were cute, and wanted to know who you were friends with, and if you were seeing anyone yet."

Harry winced. "Please tell me that the first group is the largest part of my Fan Club."

"It was," said Hermione quietly, "until the Tri-Wizard's Tournament. After the stories that came from that, and the pictures of you coming out of the lake with both of the hostages, the number of people interested in your anatomy increased. Now, it's about half and half."

Harry finished his sandwich and rubbed his eyes. "Right. Ginny, tell me about your involvement in the Club." Ginny blushed violently, her face almost becoming redder than her hair. "I've been a member since I was seven. That was when I first heard the story of the Boy Who Lived. After you went to Hogwarts from the Burrow that first year, I found a Quill you had left behind."

Harry took in her red face and the way she was avoiding his eyes. "You used that Quill somehow, didn't you?"

Ginny nodded, looking close to bursting into tears. "I had a real, verifiable Harry Potter item. I made a deal with the Witch running the Club then. In return for my own Chapter of the Club and a lifetime free newsletter, I would give them the quill to raffle off to the Club members."

Harry stared at her. "Excuse me? Did you just say that they raffled off my Quill?"

Ginny nodded, ducking her head, so her hair covered her face, hiding her from the other people in the room. Harry sighed and got up. He went around the table, and nudged Ginny. She looked up and Harry wiped a tear away with his hand. He picked Ginny up, getting a startled yelp and sat down, putting her on his lap. "Ginny, I'm not mad. That was a long time ago, and you didn't know me then." He put his arms around her and hugged her gently. "So, what happened then?"

Ginny laid her head on his chest. "I continued to follow the letters, especially after the reports started coming in from Hogwarts, and there was new things to read, not just the same old 'where is he, what is he doing?' letters." She looked at Harry. "What were you doing out late the night you lost a hundred and fifty points for Gryffindor, anyway?"

Harry grinned. "Giving Norbert to Charlie's friends, so Hagrid wouldn't get in trouble for having a dragon."

Ginny blinked, thinking about that. "When we're done here, you're going to sit down and tell me every rule you broke and every thing you did that is not common knowledge."

Harry snickered. "That would take a month or so, and I'm not sure that I remember every rule we broke, or how many times we broke the same rule twice." He frowned. "Or more."

Ginny blinked. "Apparently, I've missed a lot, being a year younger."

Hermione laughed. "You have no idea."

Harry turned to her. "Speaking of having no idea, why did you turn so red when Miranda made her comment?"

Hermione froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I found one of Ginny's newsletters when I stayed at the Burrow, and I was intrigued, so I joined the Club. Some of the letter writers were obviously in Hogwarts, and I wanted to see if I could figure out who they were."

Ginny giggled. "Hermione is still the only person that I know that joined the Club to find out about the people in the Club rather than you."

Harry and Hermione both glared at Ginny who blushed and laid her head back on Harry's chest. Hermione continued. "Some of them were easy to figure out, just by what they had seen, and what they didn't know. A couple were in Gryffindor, because they had seen things in the common room, but most were in other houses, and they were harder to figure out. After all, you can't really point to one person that saw the first test of the Tournament, because everyone saw it."

Harry winced. "How many people in Hogwarts are members of this Club?"

Hermione shrugged. "I can say that there are nineteen that have written letters, but if they don't write letters, I have no way of knowing." She frowned then. That was when I started writing letters, as Lady Xfiles. Some of the things they were saying were just so outlandish that I had to set the record straight." She looked at Harry. "Everything I wrote was common knowledge and all I added was a logic train of events, so that everyone could follow why you might be doing certain things during the tournament."

Pansy finally spoke up. "Figuring out that Lady Xfiles was Hermione was fairly easy, and I joined the Club so I could get some insight into how you and the Trio thought. Father was already making plans to escape Voldemort's group then, as we thought he was gone for good, and we wanted out of the Death Eaters, since all they were doing was draining our funds."

Hermione frowned at Pansy. "How was figuring out I was Lady Xfiles so easy? I was very careful not to put anything in those letters that pointed to me."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Hermione," she said, rolling her eyes, "Your letters were well written, and how many students in Hogwarts do you think know Harry well enough to offer thoughts about his state of mind, and can use words like confabulate properly?"

Hermione sighed. "It was the best word for that sentence."

Harry looked at the three girls, thinking. "Please tell me that none of you ever wrote for that other group you mentioned, the ones that wanted to know about my personal life, not the public knowledge things."

Ginny sighed. "I did, twice. Once, after the events of my first year, telling them that you were the greatest person ever, and once again, after we started dating, to tell them all that they could stop sending you personal things."

Harry blinked. "Personal things?"

Ginny coloured. "Pictures and other things."

Harry still looked blank, and Pansy snickered. "Knickers, Harry. Some of the more interested people have sent you things that they think would show you how much they'd really like to be with you."

Harry stared at her, blinking wildly. "You're not serious?"

Pansy grinned. "If you'd like, you can request that they stop holding your fan mail, and you could see for yourself."

Harry shook his head, trying to clear some very ugly images from his mind. Bulstrode's knickers were not an image he wanted in his mind, ever. "That brings us to the question I had in the first place. Who's holding my mail, and why? Also, who's answering letters in my name?"

The three girls looked at each other and then at Miranda. "How did you know that a letter to Harry had been answered, anyway?"

Miranda smiled. "My cousin is a member of your club, and she got an answer from you about a year ago."

Harry frowned. "Do you know what the letter was about, or what the answer said?"

Miranda shook her head. "I don't have a clue. She was not all that forthcoming with information. I can owl her and ask her, if you don't mind me telling her that her letter may be a forgery."

Harry thought about it. "Go ahead, and be sure you tell her that I will send her a letter that is from me, if she'd give me her letter to me, and the response." He thought about it. "Where does she live, anyway?"

"At our family estate in Romania."

Harry frowned. "Tell her that if I can find a spare day this summer, I'll even deliver the letter in person, if it helps us find out what I need to know."

Miranda grinned. "Mr. Potter, I have to warn you that Marissa is not a member of the group you don't mind. Of course, she's only ten, so it can be understood that she looks up to you."

Harry sighed. "Just find out who's responsible for answering letters in my name, please."

Miranda nodded. "I'll send the letter off tonight."

Harry sighed. "Right. I'll leave that in your hands for now, but I'm going to Mr. Sharpstar's office, to talk to him and warn him about the people coming to his office. After that, I need to visit Luna and her father, and then I want to see if the Minister will see me for a few minutes. I have an offer for him."

Harry looked at Ginny. "You have to go to Mr. Sharpstar's as well, to start your job of the Shades of Grey Co., and keep your parents from finding out where you spent the day." He looked at Hermione. "What are you doing today?"

"I'm going to argue with Miranda until she lets me take her to Knockturn Alley, so I can look through some of the Darker book stores."

Harry frowned, looking at Miranda. "Keep her safe," he ordered and Miranda nodded.

Harry looked at Pansy. "And you? What are you doing?"

Pansy shrugged. "Since I don't actually have anything to do, I'm going to go with you, until we find a job for me."

Harry nodded. He looked down at Ginny who was still in his lap and resting her head on his chest. "You have to get up now, you know."

Ginny grinned at him impishly. "Yes, but is my chair at work going to be this comfortable?"

Harry grinned at her. "If it was, would you get any work done?"

Ginny shook her head. "I doubt it, but I'm not getting up until I get a kiss."

Harry looked at her, and stood up, making her fall to the floor. He kept her from hitting the floor hard and helped her up. He put a finger under her chin and raised her head. "I don't do blackmail," he said softly, "no matter how tempting." He bent and kissed Ginny softly, waiting until she moaned and pressed herself into him to tease her lips with his tongue, entreating entry.

Hermione and Pansy watched avidly. "This one is all Harry," Hermione said quietly, "and I have to say he has the right way to kiss."

Pansy nodded. "He's good for her, but I prefer something a little firmer, more demanding, myself."

Hermione looked at Pansy, and a thoughtful smile crossed her face. They turned their attention back to Harry and Ginny as Harry released Ginny's lips. They both looked a bit stunned and the other two girls sighed in unison.

Pansy stood up and crossed to them. She put her arms around them both and looked at them. "I am insisting on equal time, Mr. Black. Ginny Weasley got kisses from her suitor, and I want kisses from my suitor."

Ginny tried to pull back, but Pansy held her, looking at her. "We're going to be closer than this, if we make that comment from before the meeting real for Harry."

Ginny looked at her. "just remember which lips are his," she said.

Pansy smiled. "I won't forget. His are not as pretty as yours." She turned her head, kissing Harry before he could say anything.

Ginny and Hermione watched now. Unlike Ginny and Harry, who's kiss was soft and mutually pleasing, Pansy and Harry kissed as if their tongues were duelling swords, fencing and probing. Harry tightened his grip on the two girls in his arms and Pansy melted against him, submissively allowing him to take charge of the kiss and do as he wished.

Hermione watched the body language with interest until Harry let Pansy go. Ginny was watching them and Pansy looked down at her and swiftly kissed her, a quick kiss that had barely touched Ginny's lips when Pansy was pulling away. She smiled at Ginny. "Your lips are softer as well."

Ginny froze, looking at Pansy and Harry showed a wisdom beyond his years by remaining still and quiet. Ginny stared at Pansy for a minute and then pulled away from both of them. "I think we have places to be," she said, shaking her head. She looked at Harry and Pansy. "Are you two coming?"

Hermione had an urge to ask for her kiss, but controlled it, knowing Harry wasn't ready for that yet, not with her. She stood up and Crossed to the Floo, stopping only to hug Harry briefly. "Let's argue about what's going to happen in Diagon Alley over a Butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron, shall we?" she asked Miranda.

Miranda joined her and got some Floo powder from the jar beside the fireplace. "We're not going to argue about it. You can go in there, but if something happens, you will follow orders or I will stun you and do what I need to do to keep you safe."

She stepped into the Floo, calling out "The Leaky Cauldron." and was gone. Hermione sighed. "At least she'll let me look. Harry, we need to be back by the time Ginny has to go home. I think we should go talk to Mrs. Weasley about Ginny tonight, sometime after dinner." She stepped into the fire and was gone in a flash of green.

Ginny and Harry looked at each other. "She has no idea how stubborn mum is, does she?" Ginny said dryly.

Harry shrugged. "No, but then your mum doesn't know how stubborn Hermione can be, when she thinks she's right, either. Think about S.P.E.W."

Ginny grinned. "I bet kisses on mum."

Pansy grinned, and spoke before Harry could. "I'll take that bet, and put ten galleons on Hermione."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll bet kisses on Hermione. She's very determined."

The three of them stepped into the fire and a few seconds later, Dobby was clearing the table in an otherwise empty room.

OoOoOoO The Omega Hall. OoOoOoO

Ron shook his head, trying to shake the cobwebs from his brain. If that was what Harry had felt under the Cruciatus, he had far more respect for him. To be able to shake that off and continue doing things was just remarkable.

Ron had finished the test and now a Witch approached him. "Drink this, Mr. Weasley. It will help with the effects of the test." She offered him a goblet of something dark brown and steaming.

Ron took it and sniffed it. "What is it?" he asked.

The Witch smiled and rattled off a number of potion ingredients, of which Ron only caught beetle eyes. He shrugged and drank it. When he was done, he stared at the cup in surprise. "That's not half bad," he said in surprise.

The Witch smiled at him as she collected the goblet and turned to the door. "Unlike Madame Pomfrey, we know you won't go through that again just to get a dose of the medicine, so we don't have to make it taste bad."

Ron shuddered. "I don't think I would take that test again for any reason."

"No one would, at least not anyone we want working here." Ron looked around to see the Wizard that had been talking to him before the test. "My name is Algarnon, and I'll be your mentor for the next week, until we decide which planning crew you'll be on."

Ron blinked. "I passed?"

Algarnon raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, or you'd be forgetting this right now, and gone in ten minutes."

Ron grinned. "Then let's get on with it. I don't think Harry plans on waiting much longer to deal with Him."

The older Wizard nodded and the two of them stepped through the door.

"Welcome to the Omega Hall, Mr. Weasley."

OoOoOoO Knockturn Alley, Hermione and Miranda. OoOoOoO

Hermione stepped into another book store and looked around. The old man behind the counter sighed loudly. "You again? I don't have." he stopped as Miranda looked at him. "Oh, I mean, I might have found a few books of the type you were asking for," he said, keeping a wary eye on Miranda, who smiled thinly and put her wand away.

Hermione ignored the byplay, having already figured out that Miranda's leathers and bearing got much faster results in this part of Diagon Alley than her questions. She followed Miranda and the old man to the rear and sighed as she found a room of books that radiated a slight chill, as if the evil in them lowered the temperature of the room.

She got to work, going through the books, skimming them, looking for anything that would help Harry.

OoOoOoO The Shades of Grey Office, Ginny. OoOoOoO

Ginny looked around the office. She had her own room, with a desk and a chair for her, and two comfortable couches for visitors and clients waiting to be seen. Behind her there were three doors, one of which led to a nicely equipped little kitchen and pantry, stocked with the kinds of things you served guests, mostly drinks and light finger foods.

The other two doors led to an office with a desk and several filing cabinets and a meeting room with a large table and several book shelves with various works on Wizarding law and other subjects.

There was a fireplace in Ginny's reception area and Floo powder in a cannister. None of this had caught Ginny's eye like the Broomstick that was in her closet. It was a brand new Nimbus 2001. Not the top of the Nimbus line any more, it was still one of the best Broomsticks on the market, and it was hers to use.

In fact, if she remained employed by the Shades of Grey company for two years, it would be hers, to take home as well. Mr. Sharpstar had left Harry and Pansy in his office with a stack of papers detailing Harry's properties and brought Ginny down the block, where the Shades of Grey company had new offices, just three doors down from his office. They were on the third floor of the building, but that was not that important to Ginny.

She read the employment contract again. Besides the broom, she recognized a Muggleborn's touch in the contract. No Wizard would have health benefits, whatever those were and these other things that she didn't recognize. She looked at one piece of paper with a frown.

"Employment Conditional Under-age Use of Magic Licence," she read, and pored over it.

"To whom it may concern;

The bearer of this certificate has permission to perform magic directly relating to their job, providing that said magic is not of a Dark nature, or detrimental to the proper security and safety of the Wizard world.

Signed,

Mafalda Hopkirk,

Department of Under-age Magic"

Ginny grinned and looked around. She pulled her wand and summoned a Butterbeer from the pantry. She took a drink and waited. After twenty minutes, she still hadn't gotten an owl, and she smirked. This had serious possibilities. With a smile worthy of Fred and George, she began plotting.

OoOoOoO Mr. Sharpstar's Office, Harry and Pansy. OoOoOoO

Harry stared at the papers the Solicitor had left in front of them. Pansy was going through them contentedly, making notes on a piece of paper with a slight smile on her face. Harry watched her. "What are you doing, exactly?"

Pansy barely looked up. "In any good corporation, the companies should support each other so that you save money by dealing within the group. I'm trying to sort the companies out and see how they interact."

Harry blinked. "Where did you learn this?"

Pansy shrugged. "I've been around when the parents discuss business, and I've been getting lessons in running the family, in case I had to. I am the only direct line descendent you know."

Harry sighed. "No, I didn't know. In fact, there is a lot I don't know about you, seeing as you still owe me your story."

Pansy looked up then, as a shadow ran across her face. "It's not a nice story in places, Harry. Are you sure you want to know?"

Harry looked at her seriously. "Yes. If even half of what I think happened really happened, I'll be adding some names to my list, and I'll have another crusade to work on after Moldywart is gone."

Mr. Sharpstar walked in the door before Pansy could reply, and all she said was "Later, Harry. I promise."

Mr. Sharpstar began showing Harry the businesses he controlled and the ones he merely had an interest in, and how they worked together, at least the ones that did. Harry had a couple of businesses that didn't do anything that helped with his biggest company's work, and they were separated slightly in the lists.

Harry read a few of the papers and looked up with a frown. "Forgive me if I'm reading this wrong, but do I make Broomsticks?"

Mr. Sharpstar grinned. "Very good, Mr. Potter. I was wondering if you'd catch that." He passed over another sheet. "This is the company that gets the majority of the other company's products."

Harry blinked at the sheet several times and passed it to Pansy without a word. Pansy looked at it and hissed. "You own the Comet Broomstick company? I have one of those."

Mr. Sharpstar nodded. "It's not as flashy as a Nimbus, or as fast as a Firebolt, but the Comet is a good steady reliable Broomstick, and the sales of them are far steadier than the other two, who require lots of money and a need for a superior Broomstick."

Harry was still coming to grips with the knowledge that he owned an entire Broomstick company. He sat there as Pansy and Mr. Sharpstar grinned at him. "I think you broke him, Mr. Sharpstar."

The Solicitor smiled. "No, I think he's just realizing that he owns a Firebolt, which cut into his profits."

Pansy winked at him. "Well then, Harry will just have to give it to me, and use a Comet."

Harry turned to Pansy. "Actually, I was going to retire it, and get a new one anyway. Sirius gave it to me, and its value is too great to be using in ways that could break it."

Pansy smirked. "Perfect. Since Malfoy never had a chance to retrieve his Broomstick, and the story was that they were bought for the House team, that means that our Seeker will have a chance against you and whatever Comet you decide to get."

Harry grinned at her. "You are such a Slytherin, seeking any advantage you can get," he accused playfully.

Pansy nodded vigorously. "And I just know that the brave little Gryffindor in you is dying for a chance to show that you are so good that you can still win with an inferior Broomstick."

Harry opened his mouth to deny it and then paused. Cho was gone, Malfoy was gone, and he wasn't even sure of the Hufflepuff's Seeker's name. He would be facing two new Seekers at least. He grinned at Pansy. "You're right. I will play with one of my company's Broomsticks." Harry smiled, looking at Mr. Sharpstar. "Speaking of that, I think we really need a bit of 'In your face' to Moldywart. See if the Comet Broomstick company would be interested in making it public that Harry Potter rides a Comet." Harry sighed. "I don't suppose they'd be willing to say that Harry Potter rides a Comet while hunting Death Wankers, but it would be fun."

Mr. Sharpstar smiled. "They might not go that far to have you endorse their Broomsticks, but they will be very happy to have you come on board." He thought about it for a minute. We'll have to charge them something, Mr. Potter, just to have something to show the Ministry tax people."

Harry frowned, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, and he sat there for a long minute, thinking. "Charge them a fair price, but every Knut goes to the Moldywart Victim's Fund, which will be administered by the Shades of Grey co." Harry frowned. "Make that the Victim's Relief Fund. If I'm going to keep the ownership of Shades of Grey quiet, I can't have them using my name for Voldemort. As soon as you have it started, hire an honest person to look into the victims of Voldemort, and see if any of their survivors need anything. If they do, make an anonymous donation to them for whatever they need."

Mr. Sharpstar was scribbling notes. He finished them and looked up at Harry. "How far back do you want them to look? What about the victims of the first war?"

"All of his victims, including any Muggles you can track down. Hermione has a group of Muggleborn Wizards and Witches that could help you there, ask her about how to contact them."

Mr. Sharpstar nodded and made another note. "While you're at it," Harry said, "add twenty thousand Galleons from my vault to the fund."

Mr. Sharpstar looked up. "Mr. Potter, The Shades of Grey company already has starting funds of ten thousand Galleons, plus whatever we get from the Comet Broomstick company."

Harry sighed, his mood falling. He stared into space and spoke quietly. "Somehow, I don't think that will be enough."

The three of them went back to studying Harry's inheritance in a sober silence.

OoOoOoO Harry's Room, Hermione and Dobby. OoOoOoO

Miranda and Hermione appeared in Harry's room after finishing Hermione's shopping trip to Diagon Alley and Hermione looked around. "Dobby, may I see you for a minute, please?"

Dobby appeared, watching Hermione. "What can Dobby do for you, Miss Black?"

Hermione sighed. "First, you could call me Hermione, but right now, I bought some things to help Harry get rid of Voldemort, and I need a safe room to hide them."

Dobby frowned. "Missy Black has Dark Things," he said. "Harry Potter Sir will not be liking that."

Hermione nodded. "I don't like it either Dobby, but Voldemort is very strong in the Dark Arts, and we have to know what he can do before we can counter it."

Dobby thought about that. "Miss Black will study the Dark Arts, and find ways to stop them?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, that's it exactly, Dobby." Hermione knew that Dobby was a little strange, but she'd never just stopped and talked to him before. "Dobby, may I ask you some questions,please? If you don't want to answer them, you don't have to."

Dobby looked at her for a minute. "What would Miss Black know?"

Hermione sat down. "Why is it so hard to free the House Elves?"

Dobby sighed. "They are normal, here," he said, pointing at his head. "They feel great pleasure in serving, and know that when a Wizard gives a House Elf clothing, it is a great insult, as if they would rather serve themselves than have you around, plus they will not feel the pleasure any more."

Hermione frowned. "They get pleasure from serving?"

Dobby nodded. "It is a feeling like flying, but without leaving the ground. It has been so since before we have tales to remember it."

Hermione blinked. House Elves got high from serving properly? No wonder it was so hard to free them. "Why aren't you like the rest, Dobby?"

Dobby frowned. "Dobby wants to be like them, but old Master cast spells on Dobby, and now I cannot feel the pleasure any more. Now, I have strange urges and thoughts. They led me to try and save Harry Potter Sir, and do things I did then."

Hermione studied Dobby for a minute. "How do you do the things you do, like this room, how did you make it bigger?"

"Wizards not ask that before." Dobby stared at his hands and then looked up at Hermione. "Dobby does not have the words. It is knowing, doing, being." He looked frustrated. "Dobby is sorry, he can't explain it."

Hermione told him it was alright and watched him for a minute, remembering all the things she'd heard about him doing. She looked up. "Dobby, would you do another Hover spell for me? I just want it to hover for a few seconds while I try to examine your magic."

Dobby looked around and saw Hermione's bags from her shopping. They rose into the air as Hermione watched Dobby. "Hmm," she thought, "wandless I knew, but silent and no noticeable gestures either." Hermione cast several magic detection spells and didn't find anything. She was about to give up when she remembered one more spell, similar to the one they used to find under-age magic.

She cast it, and there was Dobby's magic, shining brightly. She released the spell and told Dobby he could put the things down. She stared at him, considering what she'd learned tonight. Dobby's magic was an innate part of him, as the only way she'd found it was by using a spell to detect magical creatures.

Hermione sighed. She'd been hoping that a human could learn to use magic like a House Elf, but since it was a part of them, you would have to become a House Elf. She thanked Dobby absently and asked him to make a small secure study room. Dobby said he would and vanished with her new books.

Hermione looked at the time and frowned. "Miranda, we have to go, so that we can collect Harry and Pansy to go to the Burrow."

Miranda started towards the Floo. "Miss Black, do you really expect to change a mother's mind about the safety of her only daughter?"

Hermione shook her head. "Of course not. I am hoping that we can get her to agree to see us in public places, so that if she is seen with one of us, she won't get into trouble."

Miranda nodded as she stepped into the Floo. "A reasonable goal. I was afraid you were after the whole thing and that I would be hearing a Weasley tantrum first hand." She Flooed to Mr. Sharpstar's office and Hermione followed her.

They missed Ron stumbling out of the Floo by just seconds.

OoOoOoO Harry's Room (again) Ron. OoOoOoO

Ron stumbled coming out of the Floo, something he had not done in several years. He lay on the floor, debating whether to sleep there or try and get up and stagger to his room. The healer had warned him that he would feel fairly drained tonight, but this was a bit more than that. He hadn't ever felt this tired and when you add the residual headache, he was quite willing to stay where he was.

Ron looked up as Dobby spoke. "Mr. Wheezy is not well. Do you want some food, Mr. Wheezy?"

Ron gagged and turned an unhealthy green at the thought of food and Dobby's eye widened further, something Ron didn't think was possible. "Dobby get help. If Mr. Wheezy is not wanting food, he might be dying." Dobby disappeared and Ron sighed. Even a House Elf knew about his eating habits. Maybe it was time to change.

He was still laying on the floor, staring absently at the ceiling and trying to move the bathroom closer by sheer will when Dobby returned. "Mr. Wheezy, Dobby has brought help."

Ron looked over and blinked. He stared at the blond Ravenclaw for a minute and then smiled. "Hello Luna. How did you get chosen for this?"

Luna Lovegood was examining Ron with that dreamy air that was so much a part of her. "Few people know where Harry stays, and I have more healer's training than anyone else." She waved her wand at Ron who couldn't even work up the energy to flinch. "Nargles have been sucking your power," she said and Ron sighed. "I have just the potion for that."

Luna handed him a vial and told him to drink it. Ron eyed the potion dubiously. "Luna, what exactly does this potion do?"

Luna shrugged. "It restored energy and diminished power levels," she said looking at him and waiting until he shrugged and started drinking it to finish her comments. "It also renders you invisible to Nargles."

Ron finished the potion as he caught up with what she said and froze, watching his hand. After a minute he looked at Luna. "I'm not invisible."

Luna frowned at him. "Invisible to Nargles, Ron. You're not a Nargle." She sighed. "Which is a pity. They're very cute, once you get past the power sucking."

Ron was about to say some thing else when he stopped with the oddest expression. Luna nodded. "I see the potion is beginning to work."

Ron was fighting an urge to jump up and run around the room. He'd never gotten a rush like this from a Pepper-Up Potion, that's for sure. He thought right then he could do anything, run around the world, climb a cliff bare handed, anything at all. Ron stood up and looked around. Everything was very clear, and he looked at Luna, noting that her left eye had a spot of vivid green in the side of her iris. "Wow. What is in that stuff, and how do I get more?"

Luna frowned at him. "The rush will fade away in a few minutes, leaving you at your normal energy levels. What is in it, is my secret. I haven't perfected it yet."

Ron stared at her. "You created that? That is just brilliant."

Luna smiled. "Hermione owled me earlier. We should be going, if we're going to help Hermione argue with your mum."

Ron cocked his head. "Hermione's going to do what?"

Luna took his arm and led Ron toward the Floo. "Hermione has an idea."

OoOoOoO Somewhere in England, Bella and her Death Wankers. OoOoOoO

Bella looked at the parchment on the table. She'd drawn a square to represent to Burrow, and a line to mean the wards. She drew a circle around one side. "One this side of the wards is a small grove. We will Apparate into that, and meat here," she said, indicating a quivering man next to her, "will drop the wards in thirty seconds or less, with the weakness he discovered." She waved at him, smiling wickedly as he flinched and moaned.

"He'll do that," she hissed, watching her latest toy, "because if he succeeds, he won't be taken out of his cell for a week." The scared man looked very happy at that idea. "On the other hand, if it takes more than thirty seconds, he's going to spend that same week in my chambers."

Bella looked at the group of Death Eaters she was taking with her. Only one of them had been a Death Eater for more than three years, since the Dark Lord didn't want too many of the higher ranked Death Eaters in the same place. The Ministry fiasco had taught him not to have all the Death Eaters with a brain on the same raid, in case something went wrong.

"When the wards go down, we will advance on the house. Pay attention here. The point of this raid is to capture Ginny Weasley and bring her back to the Dark Lord. She is a red-headed girl of about sixteen. Every one else on the property is to die, preferably in slow painful ways. If you can't arrange that, kill them and dismember the bodies, so that figuring out which bit goes where is a problem." Bella looked around. "Ginny Weasley though, is the Dark Lord's meat, and I will... amuse myself with anyone that hurts her, understood?"

The Death Eaters nodded and everyone prepared to Apparate out.

OoOoOoO The Burrow, Molly and Ginny. OoOoOoO

Ginny Flooed into the Burrow and started toward her room. "Ginny." She stopped and looked at Molly, waiting to hear what her mum wanted. Molly Weasley looked at the rebellious gleam in Ginny's eye and sighed. She'd spent the day listening to the silent house, but it hadn't been the silence that had made her reconsider her hasty decision of the day before, but a memory as she looked through an old photo album. "Ginny, would you join me in the parlour, please?"

Ginny followed Molly into the parlour and sat down, watching her mother. Molly sat down and looked toward Ginny, but her eyes were seeing something far away in time.

Ginny frowned. She'd heard this story many times. Molly caught the frown and held up her hand. "You've heard that I know. What you haven't heard is that my father hated him with a passion, and forbid me to see him ever again."

Ginny was listening now, as she'd never heard the slightest whisper of trouble about their marriage. "I hid it for awhile, but after we left school, I was caught sneaking over to his house one day and I left home that day." Molly looked at Ginny. "I told my father that I loved him, but he was my past, and Arthur was going to be my future."

She sighed, looking at that place that only she could see, deep inside her mind. "I never saw father alive again. He died while we were estranged, and we never had the chance to say I'm sorry to each other."

Molly looked at Ginny. "I don't want you involved in this war. You're my youngest, my only daughter and I don't want to lose you." She held up her hand as Ginny started to say something. "I know, you'll be careful, etc., etc. All of you will say that, but count the children I have in this war, darling. Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron and you. That's six of my seven children. Bill's already been hurt, Ron and you were hurt in the Ministry. How long is it going to be before one of you comes back to me the same way Fabian and Gideon did?"

Ginny stared at her mother. She'd never thought of the numbers of Weasleys in this war like that, but mum was right, the law of averages would catch up with them sooner or later. Before she could say anything, Molly continued. "I reacted out of fear for you last night, and I was wrong to do so. I was not wrong to keep you out of the war,but to order you to stay in hiding like that was wrong. Harry may love you, I hope he does, but he doesn't need you in this, any more than he should be involved. War is the job of adults."

Ginny frowned at her mother. "Harry is the only person that can kill Voldemort," she blurted out. Molly stared at her, her face going pale. "I shouldn't have said that," Ginny said, "It's Harry's secret to tell."

Molly frowned as so many little things fell into place for her. Half understood comments at Order meetings, the care and time spent on Harry, all the things that hadn't quite added up over the years fell into place in that instant. "My poor boy."

Ginny stared at her mum. "Harry hasn't been a boy since he killed the Voldemort-possessed Quirrell in his first year, Mum. Voldemort has tried to kill him more than a dozen times according to Hermione, and he's always lived. He's not a boy."

Molly was about to say something when they felt the wards quiver and break under a massive flux of power. Ginny was running for the door with her wand out as Molly reached for the Floo powder.

The crack of multiple Apparations sounded and the next thing they heard chilled them to the bones. "Bring me the girl, and make everyone else suffer before they die." Ginny had heard that voice before, and she cursed. Molly looked at her. That woman out there wanted her baby. Molly Weasley pulled her wand and stood up from the Floo. No one was taking her baby without a fight.

Ginny looked around, finding a niche where she could see and still have a bit of cover. Bella wanted to kill her family, did she? Ginny grinned mirthlessly. She had an interesting new variant of her Bat Bogey hex to test out, and Bella would be perfect. First though, she was going to teach these fools that attacking the Weasleys would cost them far more than they wanted to pay.

The two woman looked at each other as the front and back door exploded within seconds of each other and the sounds of fire came from the roof. In that instant, with danger coming for both of them, they only knew fear for the other and they had a moment of perfect agreement.

These Death Wankers were about to find out why you didn't want to anger a Weasley woman.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Right. Sorry about that cliffie, but... What am I saying? I love doing cliffies like that and I'm not sorry about that.

I am sorry that it took me so long to update this, and to be honest, I have no real excuse. As those of you that read the updates on my profile know, I put this on hold for NaNoWriMo in Nov. I finished that, (Yea! 50,000 words in thirty days!! Go Me!!) and to be completely honest, I just couldn't bear to look at my keyboard until nearly Xmas. A week at home with my kin and animals helped out and I started writing again in early Jan. I finished this chapter and started the editing process... and then went back and read the entire thing in one sitting. Chapter six just didn't fit as written then, and I threw it all out and started over. So, here it is, and I hope you like it. It should keep most of you happy for awhile anyway, being 29,245 words according to OpenOffice, a program I Highly Recommend.

Next is a chapter of Prophecy, the last chapter before the excrement strikes the oscillating rotary blades.

I'm having a mild problem with my Hermione Bunnies, so they may sit and age for a bit before I work on them again.

Until then, I Highly Recommend the following Authors: UdderPD, Jeconais, everyone at FanFicAuthorsdotnet and Ruskbyte, to name a few.

Love,

Raven