Chapter 8 – As the Dust Gathers

Charlie Weasley was both tired and unhappy as he prepared to leave the Ministry of Magic with his father. They had been there all night, Arthur attending to urgent business within his department, and Charlie reading further into the kind of trouble they were to expect in the near future. The one bright spot in this was finding his younger brother Percy walking the halls and sending his large stack of files flying every which way with a flick of his wand, then disappearing before the enraged Percy had seen him. As an afterthought, he reappeared later and bewitched a piece of chalk to write the words 'brown-noser' in both English and Rumanian on the back of Percy's robes.

He had been working with dragons in Rumania for much of the past few years, but if he was to be of more help to the Order there, he would have to know more of what was happening in his home country. And what was happening was infuriating.

The more he had found out about the Ministry's methods of tackling dark magic, the more he was relieved that his dad had never been working directly alongside the head ministers. Those who did seemed to have a collection of choice phrases that cropped up far too often in Ministry briefs, statements in the Daily Prophet, and during conversations within the hallowed halls of the Ministry itself. These included 'The time is not yet right…', 'Improper use of Ministry resources…', 'Not the time for rash actions…' and 'Let us not be too hasty…'. All of these circled around the hesitation of senior ministers to get their hands dirty, and it drove Charlie mad to hear about it. He was actually surprised that Rufus Scrimgeour hadn't received a greetings card from Lord Voldemort, thanking him for keeping the Ministry out of his way. The new Minister for Magic may have taken Voldemort's return more seriously than his predecessor, but he still had the same tendency to procrastinate.

The Order of the Phoenix were doing everything they could to find out what the Dark Lord was up to, especially after his Death Eaters had managed to get inside Hogwarts, but the best they could do at the moment was to be ready for any further attacks. This was frustrating for them all, even for Charlie while he was in Rumania. There were supporters of Voldemort over there as well, but as Order representatives were few in number where Charlie was, he had little choice but to just continue sending his reports back to England.

After sifting through the past year's Daily Prophets, attempting to separate fact from fiction, Charlie decided that there was only one person who could walk into the fray with his head held high, free of all restraint and regard for wizarding law. He had met him before, though they had exchanged regrettably few words. It was time to return to The Burrow, and have a long talk with Harry Potter.

Arthur Weasley yawned as he joined his son in the entrance hall, and together they apparated homeward.

"Don't know about you Charlie, but I'm looking forward to grabbing some sleep after breakfast."

Charlie murmured his agreement as they approached the front door, though he was still deep in thought. After asking and answering the security questions which Mr Weasley seemed to think necessary, he walked into the kitchen with Charlie in tow, and was immediately accosted by his wife.

"Oh Arthur, Charlie, thank goodness you're both home!" She cried, fussing them both into chairs around the already crowded breakfast table and presenting them with far too much food at once, "You won't believe what's happened!"

Mr Weasley looked helplessly at her as she hurried round the table, knocking Fred's tea over as she went.

"My dear Molly," he said soothingly, "if you would just calm yourself and sit down, I'm sure that both eating breakfast and you telling me what's happened will become a lot easier."

She nodded apologetically, summoned a spare chair in from the garden, and sat down. It was then that Mr Weasley noticed his daughter sitting across the table, heartily tucking into doorstep slices of toast with blackcurrant jam.

"Now my dear," he said, turning to his wife, "would I be right in thinking that this has something to do with the fact that Ginny is actually downstairs, all smiles, with an appetite?"

"She and Harry got back together," put in George.

"Which means Harry might be under the Imperius Curse," added Fred, earning himself a sharp punch in the shoulder from Ginny as he refilled his cup.

"Will you two pipe down!" yelled Mrs Weasley, "Oh Arthur, isn't it wonderful? Such an adorable young couple!"

"Mum!" hissed Ginny through gritted teeth.

"And now there's Ron and Hermione too!" she cried, ignoring her daughter's embarrassment, "Won't it be so lovely to have them both as part of the family one day?"

"MUM!" yelled Ginny and Ron together.

Both Harry and Hermione were concentrating far more on the plates in front of them, each trying to hide their own bashful smile.

"Ah yes, Harry" said Mr Weasley, steering the conversation into more comfortable territory, "I'm so sorry I wasn't here to wish you a happy birthday yesterday. No rest for the wicked and all that. Molly, did you give him the present?"

Mrs Weasley shook herself back into reality, and realised that she had forgotten all about it.

"Oh yes of course! The present! Just hold on one moment."

As she hurried upstairs, her husband seemed very excited that he was there to see this.

"I had to use one of my newfound contacts at work to get hold of this," he said, rubbing his hands together, "Not exactly something you'd find in Diagon Alley, and I certainly wouldn't have been able to afford it if it was."

She returned shortly, carrying a large, dusty black wooden box with vines of decorative golden leaf carved around the sides and lid. Setting it down on the table, Mrs Weasley beamed at Harry, gesturing for him to open it.

"We heard that you'd become quite the master of potions over the past year," she said proudly as he lifted the lid and started removed the soft packaging.

Ron saw the slight scowl on Hermione's face at this, and squeezed her hand consolingly under the table. She was still adamant that Harry was most undeserving of his reputation as a skilled potion maker.

"It actually used to belong to ancestor of Arthur's, maybe over two hundred years ago, but it must have gone astray at some point. He had a fair bit of trouble tracking it down".

Harry finally lifted his present from the box, utterly speechless, like everyone else around the table. It was a solid gold cauldron with the crest of Gryffindor carved upon the side. It brightly reflected the sunlight that shone through the windows, and thoroughly mesmerised Harry.

"Ah, they don't make them like that anymore!" smiled Mr Weasley.

"Thank you so much!" Harry replied, getting his voice back.

"Bill and I 'ave also brought you something, 'Arry," chimed in Fleur, as she nudged her fiancé.

"Oh yes," said Bill, reaching for a bag beside his chair, "Now this isn't exactly standard Hogwarts issue clothing, so best to keep it safely tucked away while you're at school, but it's the ultimate for the true wizard gentry."

He handed the bag to Harry with a wink, and Harry pulled out of it a long handsome cloak. It was a silvery grey colour, embroidered with fine black and gold stitching.

"Wow!" exclaimed Harry, "Very nice too!"

"My goodness Bill, that must have cost you a small fortune!" said Mrs Weasley.

"Gringotts discount" he grinned back at her.

"I wish Lucius Malfoy could see me in this!" Harry said, causing a ripple of laughter around the table.

"I think zere is something in zat bag from my sister as well," smiled Fluer.

Harry reached back into the bag, and sure enough, there was a framed photograph inside. Within the frame stood a shivering but smiling girl, standing beside the lake at Hogwarts. Harry recognised this to be Fleur's younger sister, whom he had rescued from the lake during the Tri-wizard tournament two years previously. Beside her was written the words "Joyeux anniversaire Harry! Avec tout mon amour, Gabrielle xxx"

Ginny quietly snarled as she saw this, but Harry turned and kissed her before she could open her mouth to protest. She blushed as she saw everyone staring at her.

Charlie reached into the bag he brought home from the Ministry and handed Harry a large fully signed photo of the Vratsa Vultures Quidditch team from Bulgaria.

"Happy birthday Harry."

"Blimey Charlie!" exclaimed Ron as he saw the picture, looking very much impressed, "How did you get hold of that? They're just about the best team in Europe!"

"It's not too difficult among the wizarding community over there, if you know where to look," his brother said matter-of-factly, "I had a few drinks with the new seeker a couple of weeks ago, and mentioned that I was looking for Harry's birthday present. Of course, he'd heard the name Harry Potter while he was visiting relatives over here, and it was just as I was getting a third round in that the rest of the team walked into the bar. I got drinks for the rest of them, and that photo was in my hand before the last glass was empty."

As Harry opened his mouth to express his gratitude, Charlie interrupted him.

"Actually Harry, do you think we could have a chat in private?"

"Erm, sure" Harry replied, quite bewildered.

Though he had little reason to suspect so, he was hoping this wasn't a kind of "That's my little sister you're got there, so just watch your step" lecture. He hadn't really spoken much to Charlie, the second eldest of the six Weasley brothers, but knew he had made quite a name for himself, both in Quidditch and international wizard relations.

As they walked out into the garden with the eyes of the rest of the family following them, Charlie wondered how best to begin.

"Harry, I need to talk to you about V…V…Voldemort," he said with a struggle.

Harry was slightly taken aback.

"Well…what about him?" he asked.

"Listen, you know what the Ministry are like. They care so much about presentation that they've practically lost sight of the danger we're all in" Charlie groaned, "Just so long as it looks like they're doing a good job, they're all happy."

Harry nodded in firm agreement. He had had enough run-ins with the Ministry to know what they were like in that respect.

"No one knows what to do, not even the Order, although at least their hearts are in the right place and they would be quick to act if they did know," he continued, before stopping dead in his tracks and looking Harry straight in the face, "I'm not going to lie to you Harry. You're our only hope, because even though you may not know what lies on the road ahead, you have that plain and simple determination to do what must be done. After all I've seen and heard, I know that you and Dumbledore were the only ones who could focus properly on it all. He has to die, Harry. The Ministry can whine on about their search for his supporters, but the last thing they would do is actually hunt down Voldemort themselves."

"Sounds about right to me" Harry replied.

"But Harry, what are your views on it all?"

Harry considered. There were things he had to do that he could not yet speak of, but it was certainly refreshing to just be asked the question outright by someone other than Ron or Hermione.

"I don't like it anymore than anyone else does, I just know that it's something I have to do," he said finally, "McGonagall said I have to go back to Hogwarts this year, and I suppose it must be the right thing to do."

"It most definitely is," said Charlie quickly, "From what I hear, your teachers this year will be The Order."

"What!" uttered Harry in shock and surprise.

Charlie nodded.

"Well…what are they going to be teaching me?" he asked.

"Not completely sure, but I would imagine that it will include knowledge that is quite a bit more advanced than N.E.W.T standard," he grinned.

"Charlie," said Harry after deep thought, "Dumbledore gave me a few pieces of the puzzle before he died, but there is still a lot I have to find out. There are things he told me that I can't tell anyone else yet."

Charlie nodded understandingly.

"You know The Order will all be right behind you. Just tell them enough so they can help you. They all know that everything Dumbledore said and did was always for a good reason."

Harry wondered at this. Dumbledore had trusted Snape, and his trust had never faltered. If he could have talked to the old headmaster now, would he still be given the same answer? He had seen Snape murder the professor with his own two eyes, and if this wasn't a case of misplaced trust, he didn't know what was. Would Dumbledore admit to an error of judgement if Harry could ask him now? The doubt in his mind was hardly comforting. If he couldn't trust the instinct of Dumbledore, where could he turn?

Charlie, he decided, knew more than he was letting on.

"How much do you know about Occlumency?" asked Harry.

This raised a smile from Charlie.

"I thought you'd come asking about that sooner or later," he said, "but I'm afraid I'm far from the right person to ask. Whatever you know on the subject is probably more than I do. All I can tell you is that it's something you will be taught about in depth when you go back to school, and it's a weapon that I would never face Voldemort without."

All Harry could wonder was who from The Order of the Phoenix the expert was. Dumbledore had never mentioned anyone other than himself and Snape.

"Look Harry, I want to help in any way I can. There are so many people who can do nothing but twiddle their thumbs, but something, no matter how rash, has to be done, and soon," said Charlie, his face darkening, "because I for one will not stand to return home and see the Dark Mark floating over this house."

As the rest of the family were finishing breakfast, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were constantly glancing through the window at Harry and Charlie.

"Any idea what that's all about?" asked Hermione.

"I'm just as clueless as you are," Ron replied, "He never said anything about talking to Harry before. Maybe they want him to join The Order."

"Well I don't see that there's anything he could tell Charlie that he couldn't tell us," whispered Hermione indignantly.

Though as curious as the other two, Ginny was quick to leap to her boyfriend's defence.

"Look, whatever it is, it's between the two of them, and if he wants to tell us then he will!" she said sharply.

They turned to her in surprise, Ron's expression quickly changing to one of suspicion.

"Speaking of secrets," he said, narrowing his eyes, "what exactly happened between you and Harry during the night? I'm assuming he somehow got into your room, because I looked everywhere else, so come on, spill the beans."

Ginny once more felt a kind of giddy euphoria wash over her as she recounted to herself the events that had occurred in that room, but was determined to leave her brother in the dark about it.

"Oh, we just uh, had a heart to heart, I suppose. I just can't get over it!" she smiled.

Ron seemed unconvinced.

"But you must've been locked in there for ages!" he replied, "And I couldn't hear a thing when I passed by your room. I just hope you didn't…you know…"

Ginny was now outraged at her brother's tone.

"For your information, no we did NOT! And what were you doing listening at my door anyway?" she demanded.

"I was looking for Harry, and given that he turned out to be in there all along, I don't see anything wrong with it. Would you have preferred it if I had just broken down the door?" he asked, "Because that's what mum would've ended up doing if you hadn't come out when you did!"

Ginny was content just to glare at him now. It was a secret for her and Harry alone and it continued to make her feel all warm and tingly inside.

They were interrupted by the sight of an owl swooping in towards the kitchen window. Hermione looked up excitedly.

"Ooh, that must be Harry's present!" she said, making a dive for it.

Ginny and Ron looked on inquiringly.

"So, what did you get him?" asked Ron.

"A diary and some chocolate cauldrons," she said simply.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"A diary?" he scoffed, "You were acting like you'd got him the keys to Hogwarts!"

Ginny was altogether more concerned.

"What kind of diary?"

"It's enchanted, but perfectly safe," she said, seeing the look in her eyes, "The owner simply writes their name and any other names they choose on the first page. Only those named will actually be able to read what's inside."

Ginny was beginning to feel very down. Harry had come of age, and she hadn't got him anything to celebrate the occasion. True, she had been far too upset to consider this, but it didn't stop her from feeling bad about it now.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Lupin and Tonks, accompanied by Charlie and Harry who had just come in from the garden. Everyone was trying to greet them at once, but eventually they quietened down. It was clear from the look on Lupin's face that he had something of great importance to say. Mrs Weasley pulled up a chair, and he sat down, quite exhausted.

"I thought you should all know this," he began, "After apparently having been captured by the Death Eaters, Mr Ollivander seems to have escaped. He's currently being held under questioning by members of The Order."

And then, there was silence…