A/N Hey, sorry it took so long to update, I had to think of ideas for this chapter. Bu anyway, thanks to reviewers:
Harryluver101 Thanks glad you like it!
Outside
Harry woke up one week after his argument with Ginny in the spare bed in Ron's room in the Burrow. He loved it here, and how he had missed it. He'd now been here for three days, after discharging himself from St. Mungo's. He wouldn't tell the Healers what had happened, so they wouldn't let him leave. But he felt fine, physically that is, so he left in the middle of the night and arrived here scaring Mrs Weasley to death. She had been surprised at first, then a little scared; she wouldn't let him through the front door. But then Ron came down and pushed her aside, letting Harry in. Since the morning after that Mrs Weasley had been fine with him, so he could only assume that Ron had had a go at her, for which he was grateful; when he had scared her in the forest, Voldemort was still alive, still using him, but now he was gone, Harry was sure nothing of the sort would happen again.
Living with Ginny had been the hardest part. In Hogwarts if they had a fight it would be ok, because they could avoid each other. But being in a small house with her every day of the week was difficult; they would bump into each other on the stairs and Ginny would flash a terrified look and run the opposite direction. Harry was sure it was just because she didn't want to upset him again, but it was still annoying the way that she wouldn't even look at him. Like looking at him would upset him! But then again, every now and then Harry would remember how she disobeyed his orders in the field with Voldemort; he had told them all to stay away from him, but Ginny hit him with a curse. And now, when he remembered it, he couldn't bare to look at her. His anger at her would bubble up, and most of the time Ron would be able to spot it, so he'd crack a joke and then Harry would feel better. But it was still always there, just waiting to pop out at her at any moment.
Harry rolled over in his bed and looked at the clock that was on his table, eleven am. Harry gasped and jumped out of his bed. He hated oversleeping at Ron's house, he always felt so rude.
Getting dressed quickly he ran down the stairs to see everything as normal. Mrs Weasley was at the kitchen unit, preparing a Sunday lunch that smelt amazing, Mr Weasley was reading the Daily Prophet and Hermione was at the sink, helping Mrs Weasley with the lunch.
At the sight of Harry, Mr Weasley shoved his paper down on the table and put his hand over it quickly.
"Morning, Harry!" He said cheerfully, maybe too cheerfully? "Have a good sleep?"
"Yes thanks," Harry replied as he walked down the last few steps slowly.
"Morning Harry," Hermione called from the sink in the corner of the room, and Mrs Weasley waved, keeping his back to him.
"Is… is everything ok?" He asked, sitting down opposite Mr Weasley at the table.
Hermione turned round quickly, as did Mrs Weasley, and they both stared at the man opposite him.
Flushing red, Mr Weasley started, looking at the paper on the table; "Well, Harry," He said, clearing his throat in between words, "I'm afraid that erm, I'm afraid they erm, well, it's about your house…"
"Oh Arthur!" Mrs Weasley shouted, walking over to the table. She sat down next to Harry and took one of his hands. "In the paper today there was an article about a few rogue Death Eaters," She started quite calmly, "I'm afraid they were found at your house. The ministry have caught them now and taken the things they stole, but they don't know what damage they did inside the house as they can't go in without you."
Harry didn't really know what to say. On the one hand, they were just a few misguided people who were angry, but on the other, that was his parents' house, and how dare they break in? Just to make Harry angry?
"Oh," He replied, "Well, I guess I'd better go then."
He stood up and walked into the living room, only to find Ron and Ginny in a very heated argument.
"If you say a word to him I swear I'll kill you!" Ginny shouted at her brother, who was sitting on the sofa, seeming not to hear her. "Ron! Do you understand?!"
"Ginny!" Ron yelled back, not looking where she was standing with her back to the door and Harry, "You're acting like a first year! Get over it!"
"Get over what?" Harry asked dimly. Both Ron and Ginny turned and looked at him so quickly that they had to re-focus their eyes to see him.
"Nothing mate, what's up?" Ron said calmly, getting up.
"Err, my house has been burgled," Harry replied, looking at Ginny suspiciously.
"What? That's terrible!" Ron exclaimed.
"Yeah, will you come with me to the ministry? They caught the Death Eaters who took stuff, I need to get it back," He replied lazily.
"Course I will. Is Hermione coming?"
"Of course I am," Hermione replied, sneaking up behind them.
"Ok then, lets go," Harry said, heading for the front door.
Harry and Hermione got outside and stood on the grass for a few moments waiting for Ron. When he finally got outside Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow, "What was that about?"
"Nothing," Ron replied, rolling his eyes.
Harry could tell that this was a secret code and they were talking about Ginny, something he wasn't allowed to know. But if he were to be honest with himself he didn't care what was going on with her now, he was better off without her.
"Are we apparating?" Harry asked after walking only a few metres.
"You can't mate, you haven't taken a test," Ron replied.
"Ron, I think I'll be allowed by now, otherwise I would have been in Azkaban a long time ago, don't you think?" Harry replied sarcastically.
Ron and Hermione laughed and got ready to disapparate. Within a second all three of them had disappeared out of the garden and were off to the Ministry.
It was the first time Harry had been out in public since he had killed Voldemort, and he was glad to see that he had caught the reporters he recognised off-guard. They had no cameras or filming equipment of any kind. But then, as they saw him and came running over, Harry remembered that they could all do magic and sighed.
"Mr Potter! Please clarify; did you kill he-who-must-not-be-named?"
"Mr Potter! How does it feel to know that you have destroyed the most powerful wizard of all time?"
"Mr Potter! Did anyone help you do it?"
"Mr Potter! Why are you in the ministry today? Are you giving a full interview?"
Harry shoved past them all with the help of Ron and the three of them ran away as fast as they could. Now that he thought about it, Harry didn't know what the press had been doing for the past three days, because they didn't know he was staying at the Burrow, so they must have been looking for him at St. Mungo's. He smiled at the thought of angry reporters not able to find the one person they most wanted to talk to as he walked up to the reception desk.
The woman sitting at it wasn't paying any attention to them and, instead, was sorting out her nails. She sat leaned back in her chair, with her long blonde hair traipsing down behind her. She was chewing on some sort of sweet and was oblivious to anyone being there. She didn't look that old at all, it would have surprised Harry to think that she was older than him; she looked about the same age as Ginny, only not as mature. But he had never seen her before so she couldn't have been a drop out from Hogwarts.
Ron obviously grew impatient and cleared his throat loudly. The receptionist looked up in a daze and said "What?" in an unkind manner. But then she laid her eyes upon Harry. The moment she did so she sat up straight in her chair and pushed her hair back into a neat bun.
"Mr Potter!" She rushed, "It's amazing to meet you! What can I do for you?"
Harry took a sideways glance at Ron and smiled; Ron smiled cheekily back and raised an eyebrow, obviously considering Harry lucky to have this pretty woman admiring him.
"I don't know where to go, but some member of the ministry has my things from my house that was burgled," Harry replied.
"Yes sir," she replied happily, "You need to go to level four, the department of lost and found artefacts." Harry couldn't help but chuckle; this girls voice was high and squeaky, and her now glowing red face contrasted from her bright blonde hair.
"Thanks," Harry replied, turning away.
"I could take you there personally if you'd like," She called form behind them.
Harry turned to look at Ron, who nodded vigorously, and Harry smirked and turned to the girl, "That would be lovely," He replied. He heard Ron snort out a laugh and then saw Hermione hit his arm.
As the four of them started walking towards a lift, the girl started talking nervously. "My name's Amelia, Amelia Saltlick."
"Nice to meet you," Harry replied as they all walked into a lift, "This is Ron and Hermione," He pointed at them.
"Hello," Amelia replied, seeming much less interested in them. "I was in the year above you at school, I saw you around a lot. You have changed since I last saw you!"
"Oh, thanks…" Harry replied, not quite knowing if it was a compliment.
As the lift reached the third floor, Harry was beginning to feel like laughing out loud for the whole world to hear. Amelia had blabbered on about herself all the way up. And finally, as they left the third floor, she asked the question that Harry had been waiting for, and the laughter inside his head stopped.
"Mr Potter," She said.
"Call me Harry," He cut in, knowing what was coming next.
"Oh! Harry," She smiled, "Could I be so rude as to ask, did you kill you-know-who?"
"How dare you?!" Hermione shouted loudly at her, "You have no right to ask that!"
"Hermione!" Ron said through gritted teeth.
Harry looked around in the lift, they were, after all, the only people in there.
"I did actually, yeah," He said quietly.
"What?"
"Harry!"
There was a loud ping and the gates of the lift slid open for them as the speaker announced which floor and department they were on. Harry grabbed Hermione hand and walked out, quickly followed by Ron; leaving Amelia in the lift which went down before she got out.
"Harry! I can't believe it!" Hermione shouted at him, albeit quietly.
"Mate, she's got a point," Ron broke in, "You won't tell reporters, but you tell some girl who decides to chat you up so that she can get famous?"
Harry rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh, "Guys calm down. You really think that anyone will believe her? Like I'd tell some random girl who sits at a desk and plays with her hair, you think anyone would believe that? Do you even think people would believe I'd let her bring me up here?"
At the awkward silence that followed, Harry nodded and walked off, looking for a door somewhere that said 'Manager' or something. Ignoring the people staring, he soon found the office that looked like the one he needed and walked inside without knocking.
"Excuse me!" Came an angry voice from the desk, but then the man, too, laid eyes on Harry. "Mr Potter! What a surprise, and a delight if I may say so!" Said the man, standing up to take Harry's hand.
"No you may not say so," Harry replied stonily.
The man, with short black hair and a big build, sat back down awkwardly.
"So, Mr Potter, what may I do for you?" He asked, and Harry could tell he was fighting the temptation to ask if Harry had killed Voldemort.
"Where is my stuff from my house?" Harry demanded, still standing as he wasn't planning to stay for long.
"Ah, you read the Prophet today then," Said the man, who Harry read on his name badge was called David Shiner.
"No, but I have friends who actually inform me of these things," Harry replied angrily.
"Now Mr Potter, we had no way of informing you, did we?" He said, bending over and picking up a small box in the corner of the room. "You have not told a soul where you have gone."
"Oh I wonder why," Harry said, snatching the box from Shiner's hands. He looked inside it and saw lots of money, a lot more than a Death Eater would earn, a small clock that he pictured on the mantle piece of his fire in his living room which belonged to his father, and a locket on a chain, which had belonged to his mother. The locket was carefully embroidered and real gold, with a small diamond on the front.
"Is… Is this all there was?" Harry asked, the tone of his voice a lot weaker now.
"Yes," Shiner replied, looking at him.
Harry took the locket out of the box and sat slowly onto a chair, feeling a lump in his throat that he didn't want to burst in here.
"Mr Potter, we're not sure what the Death Eaters have done inside your house," Shiner said, "We'd be happy to go with you to sort it all out."
"There's no need, thank you," Hermione jumped in, seeing Harry struggle.
"And who are you to say whether there is need or not?" Shiner rounded on her.
"We're his friends," Ron cut in, "We'll take it from here."
Hermione turned his back on David Shiner and helped Harry up with effort. Ron led the way out of the room followed by Harry and Hermione. As they stepped into the corridor Harry let one tear fall down his cheek, but only one. He took a deep breath in as Hermione stroked his arm and he wiped the tear away.
"Ok," He said, his voice shaking a little, "Can we go to my house?"
Ron nodded but Hermione shook her head, "I think we should go later? You need to calm down a bit," She suggested.
"Who says I need to calm down, I'm fine!" Harry shouted a little louder than he intended.
"Ok!" Hermione replied, walking off towards the lifts.
When they finally reached the main entrance to the building Harry looked over to the reception desk and saw Amelia beaming at him. There were reporters surrounding the desk and looking rather confused at him. He picked up the pace and quickly left the building.
When the three of them were outside they all looked at each other and clicked their fingers in unison, disappearing from view and disapparating to Harry's house.
A/N Strange chapter, I thought it was funny though, hope you found it funny.
