Chapter Two: The Wedding and The Owl
Present day, and Harry Potter, soon to be 17, sits on the floor of Ron's room. He is in the room alone. He contemplates the peril ahead, he head drooped, his eyes closed.
He raises his head as Ginny Weasley slowly opens the door. They share a smile as she comes over to sit down next to him.
"You really should come down the backyard Harry," she says softly. The Weasley backyard had been enlarged and covered with a 20-foot high fence (muggles) to accommodate for the wedding. With magic of course.
"I know," said Harry, tiredly.
They sat quietly for a while, each enjoying the other's company.
"I know you don't want me to fight Voldemort with you, but I don't care," Ginny says, staring at Ron's Chudley Cannons poster, breaking the silence.
Harry looks over but says nothing, he knows he can't stop her, and the prospect of her there is an uplifting thought. He tries to smile, but it shows his concern.
"I'm not scared," Ginny continues, finally looking at him. "And if…" Her voice breaks.
"…If I die." Harry finishes grimly.
"If you die, I want to be there with you one last time…" she finishes, wiping away the tear rolling down her cheek.
She clears her throat. She gets up and walks past Harry to the window, "Everyone's starting to get seated, we should go."
She walks again past Harry, on the way out of the room this time, and Harry grabs her.
"I still love you," he whispers, staring into her eyes. "And I don't want to lose you."
"You read my mind." She leans in and kisses Harry on the cheek. "Now come on down to the wedding."
Harry nods and lets her go. She walks out of the room and down the steps. He doesn't follow immediately, but instead goes to the window. As he looks down at the scene, he can't help but smile.
He would enjoy himself, he wouldn't mope. He owed that to everyone, especially Mrs. Weasley.
He had to. This would probably be the last time he did enjoy himself for a while, maybe the last time in his life….
He exited the room, and went down the steps.
The crowd was pretty much all filled with members from the order. New member, Percy Weasley, was talking with his mother. There of course was the awkward moment when he (at the suggestion of Fred and George) apologized to the entire family and to Arthur specifically, but we won't cover that here….
The crowd looked at the Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour as they stood on an alter that was previously a butter knife, a priest between them. The face of Bill, though now not as repulsive, was a living reminder of the fight still taking place….
The eloquence of the wedding, the warm hug between Fleur and Molly Weasley, and the general atmosphere certainly lifted Harry's spirit.
As he sat down, with a fifth helping of cake, he suddenly noticed that a large barn owl was coming toward them. He was even more surprised when he landed on the seat next to him. It deposited a letter and flew off. As, Harry opened it forebodingly, Ron and Hermione were approaching; they had seen the owl too.
It read:
There is something I think you should know
about our deceased ex-headmaster.
I'll be waiting in my tower.-Professor Trelawney
"Just when I though I was out, they pull me back in," Harry muttered to himself.
"What's that?" asked Hermione, as she and Ron walked toward him.
"A letter from Trelawney." Harry replied.
"What's that old bat want?" asked Ron taking the letter from Harry, for himself and Hermione to read. He looked up after reading and looked at his two friends. "We're going back to Hogwarts?"
Harry looked at Hermione and then at Ron, "guess so…"