Chapter 4: Brotherly Advice
A loud bell echoed through the castle which woke Ginny up from a very peaceful and dreamless sleep.
She rose groggily and bumped her head with someone who was lying beside her. Opening her eyes further she realised that she was in the same bed as Harry. Harry was looking just as ruffled and tired as she felt.
Instead of feeling embarrassed about it, it just felt right, waking up next to Harry like this. Well, not including the bell.
"You need to get up!" Griphook shouted from the doorway of their room.
"Are we going to be woken like this every day?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at the goblin.
"Today you will get to know your mentor better, and spend the day with him. He will answer any questions you might have," Griphook said instead of answering.
And with that Griphook turned around and walked away.
"What time is it? And is it always dark over here?" Ginny asked, looking out the window, seeing that it was still as dark as it was yesterday.
"I guess we are still underground, even if Griphook denied it yesterday," Harry said, also looking out of the window.
Harry and Ginny quickly dressed and went downstairs till they arrived in a small dining area. Bill was already sitting at the table, and the table was set for breakfast. Or at least Ginny assumed that the bloody meat that was on the table was supposed to be just that.
"No toast? Baked Beans? Potato's? Fried bacon?" Ginny asked, looking at the assortment of meat apprehensively.
"If there is one thing goblins don't understand it is human culinary choices," Bill said, smiling slightly.
"Right," Ginny said, sitting down and grabbing a plate.
"Be glad that the meat is cooked," Bill said wryly.
"Well, I will just have to have a word with the cook, if I'm supposed to eat this for the rest of my life..." Ginny said, scrunching her nose.
"Good luck with that, I don't think these goblins would take kindly to criticism of their food," Harry said, warily prodding the meat.
"You get used to it after a while," Bill said.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"I'm working with the goblins for a while now. But maybe I can have my co-workers on the surface create you a better breakfast," Bill said when Ginny paled at the idea of getting used to such food.
"Co-workers on the surface?" Harry asked warily.
"Unlike you I'm not confined to this castle. I work on the surface," Bill said, pointing up towards the ceiling.
"But Bill, don't you work in Egypt?" Ginny asked.
"Yes, you thought you were still in England?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Who says we aren't?" Harry asked sarcastically. Ginny had to hold back a giggle at how Harry echoed the words of Griphook yesterday.
"All right, I guess you have a point," Bill said, frowning.
And with that they ate the rest of their 'breakfast' in silence.
"Today you are supposed to get to know me better..." Bill began.
"I already know you, from Ginny's memories," Harry interrupted Bill.
"Really? The goblins forget to mention that," Bill said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, like when Ginny walked into your room when she heard some girl screaming from it..." Harry began.
"Okay, I believed you the first time!" Bill said quickly, blushing bright red. While Ginny also blushed.
"You had to pick that memory?" Ginny asked, shaking her head.
"That means I can go on to talk about my role as a mentor. You can come to me with any problems you might have, that you don't trust the goblins to know anything about. In short anything human," Bill explained.
"Like my teacher at school?" Harry asked warily.
"No, more like a big brother, or uncle if you like," Bill said seriously.
Instantly Ginny knew that Bill had said something wrong. Harry jumped from his seat and narrowed his eyes at Bill.
"So that is your plan is it? Give me chores, stuff me in a broom cupboard and forget about me? That is your plan isn't it?" Harry asked loudly.
"What?" Bill asked perplexed.
"Harry, calm down," Ginny tried to say, also standing up.
"And you Ginny," Harry said rounding on Ginny. Ginny noted that he said her name with as much disdain as he could muster. And it hurt.
"I trusted you! And this is how you repay me? By siding with the enemy?" Harry shouted at her, and with that he ran away. Leaving a stunned Bill and a crying Ginny behind.
"Should I find him? No one talks to my sister like that!" Bill said menacingly.
"No, I should find him, you might do more harm then good at the moment," Ginny said, drying her tears.
"Then what just happened?" Bill asked, but Ginny did not answer. Instead she followed Harry. She could feel his presence in her mind, and knew exactly were to find him.
Finally Ginny found Harry in a cupboard near their tower room. He had his arms wrapped around his knees and was rocking forwards and backwards. It hurt Ginny to see him in such a fatal position.
"Harry?" Ginny asked softly.
"Go away Ginny!" Harry said harshly, not looking up.
"I understand how you are feeling..." Ginny began.
"No you don't," Harry said, still not looking up.
"You forget that I remember everything you remember," Ginny said, fighting down the urge to shout at Harry.
"Remembering is not the same as living through it," Harry said.
"True, but what I'm trying to say is that Bill is not like your uncle," Ginny said.
"How do you know? How well do you actually know him?" Harry asked.
"He is my brother, that should be enough!" Ginny said harshly, her temper quickly getting the better of her.
"He hasn't been around much in your life has he?" Harry said.
"Harry, look at my memories of him! Then tell me if he is like your uncle or not!"
"He made that girl scream," Harry pointed out.
"If you look at that memory you might understand what was truly going on," Ginny said softly, hoping that they were getting somewhere.
When Harry's cheeks turned red after a while Ginny knew that she had made her point.
"Do you believe me now? Do you think that Bill will be like your uncle?" Ginny asked.
"No, I'm sorry Ginevra," Harry said softly, finally turning around and looking Ginny in the eye, Ginny was glad to note that he used her full name again, with the same reverence she was used to from him.
"It's okay, I understand. We better explain it to Bill, you gave him quite a scare," Ginny said, jerking her head in the direction of the dining room.
"Yeah, I guess I owe him an apology," Harry said, finally crawling out of the cupboard.
When Harry and Ginny arrived back in the dining room Ginny saw that Bill was still sitting there, now looking confused.
"I'm sorry Bill, my uncle was not very nice to me, and when you said you wanted to be my uncle..." Harry said, looking anywhere but at Bill.
"It's okay, Harry. I'm sorry, I won't be like your uncle," Bill said smiling slightly.
"I would like to have a big brother then maybe," Harry said smiling widely.
"Well, that is settled then, do you have any questions?" Bill said, clapping his hands.
"What will the goblins be teaching us?" Ginny asked the first question that came to her mind.
"Mostly how to control your Soul Bond powers. Don't ask me what they are, since this is just as new for you as it is for me," Bill said.
"This would also have happened if Dumbledore did not interfere?" Harry asked.
"I think that if Dumbledore had not interfered like that then the goblins would have discussed something with Dumbledore to schedule lessons with the goblins while the two of you were at Hogwarts," Bill explained.
"But I'm not going to Hogwarts till next year, or was," Ginny said confused.
"There would have been an exception due to the bond," Bill said.
Ginny nodded that she understood.
"The goblins mentioned a 'Soul Debt' yesterday, but they did not want to elaborate on it, what is a Soul Debt?" Harry asked.
"A Soul Debt? Yeah, I guess the goblins would have a problem with that one," Bill said, shaking his head.
"What is it?" Harry insisted.
"Are you familiar with the phrase 'Selling your soul to the Devil'?" Bill asked.
"I think I heard that in a film Dudley was watching sometime, by the sounds of it, it never ends well," Harry said thoughtfully.
Ginny wondered why he said heard, when Ginny remembered that Harry could clearly hear the sound of the television from his cupboard. If Bill thought Harry said something strange, he did not show it.
"In the Wizarding world the story goes that a shop-keeper had a lot of debts, and his business was not going well. In fact, he was about to loose everything, when a mysterious stranger appeared in his shop. This stranger said that he could make his business the most successful of the world, in exchange for his soul.
"The shop-keeper made the exchange without further thought. And indeed his business was very successful from that day forth. In no time he was literally swimming in the Galleons. He had customers from all over the world. Every deal he made was golden.
"But one day the shop-keeper fell in love with a beautiful lady. Once he touched this lady in an intimate way, she died. A couple of days later the shop-keeper committed suicide," Bill told Harry and Ginny.
"That is what Dumbledore believed would happen right?" Harry asked warily.
"Yes, that is what Dumbledore believed would happen to you and Ginny," Bill said.
"So, in his eyes, he did the right thing," Harry said thoughtfully.
Before Bill could answer a snowy white owl flew through the window and dropped a letter in front of Bill, before sitting on Harry's shoulder.
Harry looked scared at the bird, but when the bird did nothing but sit there, Harry finally relaxed.
Ginny looked from the owl to the letter, to Bill.
"It is a letter from Ron," Bill said, looking at the letter warily.