Chapter 3: The New Minister

Harry awoke with a start and sat up quickly, but then realized that he could not hold himself up and fell back onto the pillows. It was near dawn, but he did not know what day it was. He felt very nauseous and wanted to run to the loo so that he could retch, but he could not move his legs, so instead he leaned over the side of the bed. He realized that his stomach must be empty because all he could do was gasp up air. All the while there was a warm hand on his back, and when his breathing had calmed it gently lowered his torso back onto the bed. Harry felt his glasses placed upon his nose and he focused on the form above him, realizing that it was Ginny. She peered at him worriedly and wiped his forehead with a damp cloth. Harry realized that he was sweating profusely.

After clearing his throat several times he managed to gasp, "…What?"

Ginny understood and shushed him, saying, "Don't worry. We're all here. You've been out of it for four days, I'm so glad you're awake." She sensed his worry and placed a hand against his cheek. "Don't worry about that. You'll be all caught up once you're well. Madam Pomfrey didn't want to address your injuries until you were conscious." Ginny sniffed and Harry was suddenly aware of a full-body ache that was accompanied by several focal points of sharp pain.

"Hey, mate" Ron's voice came from the hallway, followed by Mrs. Weasley's "Oh, goodness. Thank Heavens you're awake. I was so worried, we all were" and Madam Pomfrey's brisk "Move aside, Miss Weasley, I need to get a look at him". Ginny obliged and Harry was subjected to the matron's mutterings and proddings.

"Well, your only physical injuries seem to be days old, although I haven't the faintest idea as to their cause. Right now the major problem seems to be your exhaustion, and perhaps anxiety?" She phrased the diagnosis as a question, seeming to want answers from Harry.

"Thank you, Poppie," Mrs. Weasley responded for him. "Perhaps if Harry had something to eat he might be up to answering our questions about his condition, although I have no doubt that Ron and Hermione will be able to help him."

"Certainly," Madam Pomphrey replied, followed by, "I'll be back to check on you regularly, Mr. Potter, and I trust that you do not make my job difficult."

Mrs. Weasley summoned food from the kitchens while Ginny and Hermione helped to prop Harry against his pillows. He heard Hermione gasp at his weakness, but she smiled shiftily at him and tried to hide her worry. Ginny sounded less worried than before as she moved over to talk with Ron, shooting Harry looks every once in a while. Mrs. Weasley pushed a plate of food toward Harry, but after a bite he could do no more than move it around on his plate because of a new bout of nausea. He settled himself against the pillows and Mrs. Weasley made a discontented sound, but vanished the food nonetheless.

"What happened?" Harry asked. He wanted to know everything that he had missed, like where the rest of the Weasley family had gone, what they had done with Voldemort's body and if they had caught all the Death Eaters.

"You will not be subjected to any needless worry until you are up and well," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry, while directing a firm gaze at Ron, Hermione and Ginny. "Please excuse me dear, I must go inform Professor McGonagoll that you have at least eaten something, she will want to know that you are recovering."

Harry looked questioningly at his friends. Hermione seemed to agree that Harry should recover before discussing the battle and busied herself with refolding the clothes that had been left out for him. Ron looked at Ginny and then asked, "Harry, what do you remember?"

"He's dead?" Harry answered with a question of his own. Ron flinched but nodded. "And Remus and Tonks…and…" Harry could not go on but instead moaned into his hands, turning to face the wall. He heard Hermione sniff; it sounded like she had moved over to Ron's side. Fred, Harry mentally added the name he could not say out loud. He felt a hand on his shoulder but shoved it off and closed his eyes, finding that sleep was easier to grasp than he had expected. He heard the dormitory door close behind two sets of footsteps, but one of his friends had remained behind and sat in a chair by his bed as he fell asleep.

***

Harry awoke to see Ginny staring at him intently. He ignored her gaze and turned to face the wall.

"Harry…" Ginny tried to reach for his hand but he blocked her with his back. After a few minutes of silence, she broke his thoughts with an angry yell. "How dare you, Harry Potter! How dare you leave me for a whole year, leave me wondering if you were dead, having nightmares in my sleep about all the things that could have happened to you, and then show up here only to make me think you had actually died!" Harry shuddered, knowing that there was no way he could have said goodbye to Ginny. It would have been too hard to do what he had to do after talking to her. "You listen to me, Harry!" Ginny was livid. "How dare you make me think you were dead, and then make me watch you fight Voldemort, not knowing if it would be you or him that would survive that battle. And then how dare you ruin my relief by falling into some sort of convulsive fit and making me wait by your side for four days without sleep, wondering if you would die after all!" Harry balled himself closer to the wall. "And how dare you mope now, thinking that you have to cope with it all on your own, when that is what I have been doing for over a year, and here you are, not caring again!" Ginny's final words broke a new height in her voice. Harry was fairly positive the whole castle would be able to hear her. Ginny pulled him away from the wall violently so that she could stand facing him, wand pointed at his chest. Harry gazed back, knowing that even if he had the strength to raise his wand to defend himself he wouldn't. He deserved to be hexed after everything he had put her through, everything he had put everyone through. He had been too late; too many people had died. Ginny had thought he had died, multiple times, and here she was, livid.

Ginny glared at him for several moments before her face crumpled and she fell to the floor sobbing, which Harry inwardly thought was worse than if she had cursed him. He moved to get out of bed but failed miserably and had to lie across it and regulate his breathing. Ginny was rocking back and forth on the floor, and Harry felt like a cad because all he could do in his weak state was reach out a hand to her face. Ginny looked up at his touch and her eyes were pained.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny," Harry said lamely. "There is so much I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I couldn't make you a target because that would have killed me to risk your life."

"But instead you killed me, when you went off and died and I had to watch Hagrid carry your body out of the forest. How do you think I felt? Or did it not matter, since you had kept me safe, holed up at this school with a bunch of Death Eaters?" Her voice had risen again and she was standing in front of Harry once more, wand raised. She seemed to be fighting with herself to put it down. She lost the battle and Harry felt a nonverbal spell hit his chest as he lost consciousness.

***

"Oi, you didn't have to make her so upset like that."

"Ron, don't hit him, he's just woken up!"

"Hermione, you heard her yelling, he's a right arse!"

"I know. I don't deserve her…any of this…"

"Harry, what are you talking about, she's really upset with herself for stunning you. She obviously cares for you or she wouldn't be so angry."

"I should have died."

"Mate, what are you talking about, that would only make things worse."

"No, Ron, I should have gone earlier. I was too late. I should have died before them."

"Harry, if you think anyone regrets that Remus or Tonks or even Fred is dead while you are alive, you'd better learn fast that you have a family that loves you and would do anything to protect you. And that's what they did. You should thank them instead of beating yourself up. You're really not helping yourself get better. Madam Pomfrey said so herself, that you're not even trying!"

"Mate, we need to talk about this. I can't believe you walked into that forest without us! How many times did we tell you that we are here for you?"

"No one else needed to die."

"Neither did you!"

"I should have. I wish I had."

A small voice came from the doorway, "Harry…" He looked at his knees. "Harry, I'm so sorry…"

He felt Hermione and Ron move away to give Ginny room. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not saying that I wouldn't go back and do the same thing again to protect you, but I should have realized how much it hurt you and that it was selfish of me to wallow while you were here for me that whole time." He felt a drop of moisture hit his hand and looked up to see Ginny silently crying.

"Harry, there are some things we need to discuss, but they can certainly wait until after you're well again. The most important thing right now is your recovery and I do not want to subject you to those painful details until you are fully ready. Later, we can talk about this past year and why Voldemort believed you to be dead and what we do from here, but that can all wait for now…although don't make it too long of a wait, all of the press and the newly established Ministry are already trying to gain access to the castle."

Harry knew she was right, as was most always the case; he could not begin to comprehend so many simultaneous thoughts and pains while he was so weak and, he realized, smelled like a mixture of dirt and blood. He met Ginny's eyes for the first time after the battle, finding himself lost in their depth. Her eyes darted across his face as though memorizing it, and Harry felt guilty for making her think that she would ever need a reason to imprint this image in her head; he did not plan on leaving her again. Of course, he thought, that's if she even wants to be with me after all that I've put her through. Edging himself off the bed, he announced that he needed to get cleaned up, at which point Ron shoved Ginny out of the way and supported all of Harry's weight to the showers.

It had been a week since Harry had woken and he was now clean-shaven and able to move about the castle on his own, although his normally large clothes were now ridiculously huge on his famished frame. Madam Pompfrey had easily healed all of the small abrasions that covered his face and arms and applied Dittany to the burns that he, Ron and Hermione had received from the Gringotts dragon. She was, however, unable to heal the bruise that left a scorched pink mark on his chest where Voldemort's horcrux had adhered itself. Just another scar, Harry thought as he made his way down to the Great Hall where breakfast was being served for those who had stayed behind to help with the restoration of the castle. That was all the mark was: a reminder, along with the famous scar on his forehead, of the effects of hatred and the pursuit of glory.

"Potter," Professor McGonagall called as he entered the hall, "A word, if you please". She pulled him into a corner and appraised him with her eyes. After a curt nod that Harry could only guess was a sign of satisfaction at his appearance, she continued. "Seeing that you are now well, or 'better' might be the more appropriate word, I thought it might be time to arrange a meeting with the new Minister of Magic. He has been interested in discussing some matters with you for this past week, but Mrs. Weasley has been kind enough to make that absolutely impossible for him. Ah, I know that look well, Potter. Don't worry, he does not wish to ask any special favors like our two latest Ministers, only a briefing."

"May I ask who this new Minister might be?"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, interim and possibly permanent Minister of Magic."

Harry's face lit up immediately. "Kingsley? That's excellent, I'm sure he's perfect for the job, and he deserves it. Of course I'll meet with him."

"Then it's settled. Today at lunch should be fine. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are most welcome, I'm sure. As is Miss Weasley, for that matter," she said knowingly. "She certainly had her own part to play in all of this, although I'm sure it would be best to brief her before taking her along, if that is your plan. I'll see you in my office at noon. The password is an old one, as you know, Lemon Drop. In his memory". Harry remembered that Professor McGonagoll had had been Dumbledore's replacement before Voldemort had gained control of the school, and realized that she must now be Headmistress and would thus have moved into Dumbledore's office. He nodded and, not wanting to be reminded of the pain that the war had caused, headed over to his friends who were sitting along the Gryffindor table.

"Hey," Ginny greeted as he moved to sit beside her. She squeezed his hand gently before casting her eyes around to be sure they had their privacy. Sensing his curiosity, she explained, "Well, Mum never knew about the two of us at the end of my fifth year and I don't want her wondering about that right now, not with everything else she has to worry about." Harry stroked her arm reassuringly, wanting desperately to ask if they could ever be together again but restraining himself, knowing that he would have to regain her trust first.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt wants a meeting with me, Ron and Hermione this afternoon. I thought you might like to come. Of course, I would have to fill you in on a few things beforehand, just so you're prepared…if you want to come."

"Really, Harry? Of course I want to be there for you, but only if you're ready to share."

"I want you to be there, Ginny. And you have some things of your own to tell Kingsley, I mean the Minister, since you were so involved in the resistance here at Hogwarts."

"What say you we talk about this, now? There are some things I would like for you to know before the Minister does, as well."

Harry smiled at her, grabbed some toast and a goblet of juice before tugging on her hand and leading her out to the side of the lake, where he sat and handed her the food.

"No, Harry, I already ate and Mum's going spare about how skinny you are. She's prattling on about you disappearing when you turn sideways, and I'd say she might be on to something. Go ahead and eat."

Harry settled for keeping one piece of toast for himself and forcing the other upon her, knowing full well that she had not eaten before he arrived. He took a sip of the juice and passed the goblet to her, finding himself lost in her soft look of gratitude. "I missed you so much, Ginny. It was unbearable. Sometimes, when there seemed to be no hope left, all I could think about was placing one foot in front of the other so that I could make sure you were safe. I would watch your dot on the Marauders' Map at night; I could almost feel your presence there with me, encouraging me…" He was startled to hear a small sniff escape Ginny and felt terrible for making her sad. He thought of nothing else but the need to comfort her, knowing that the events he had to relate were not going to be pleasant for her to hear. He looked into her watery eyes and reached over to her waist. When she did not move away, he pulled her into his lap so that he could rest his chin on her shoulder from behind.

Ginny intertwined her fingers with his and pulled herself closer, whispering "Good. I missed you more."

Harry and Ginny sat by the lake until noon, exchanging stories until Ginny had heard the basics of what had happened to Harry, Ron and Hermione after they left the Burrow. When he told her about Snape's memories and his march to death, a fact he had not yet shared with Ron and Hermione, she broke down in tears and turned around to face him, stroking his face as though telling herself that he was really there. Normally, Harry felt the need to run at full speed from crying girls, but as Ginny cried so little he only wanted to make sure she was safe and comforted. When she told him about the Carrows' rule at Hogwarts and some of their brutal methods of punishment, he leaned into her shoulder and was about to apologize for leaving her so vulnerable when she said, "Don't go feeling guilty about this too. You did what was best and the only thing you have to regret was not even of your doing. The year we lost is Tom Riddle's fault, not yours, and we certainly have all the time in the world to make up for it".

"I love you, Ginny." The words came out before he even had time to form them in his head, but he immediately realized how thoroughly true they were. This was the first thing he felt certain about in a long time. "I love you," he repeated more loudly, staring into her deep brown eyes as she responded that she, of course, had loved him since she was ten years old, saying that it was painfully obvious and that he should have known already. Harry laughed into her ear as he moved in to brush his lips against hers, wishing that their meeting with the Minister was the next day instead of in fifteen minutes so that he could spend all of today holding her and laughing freely for what seemed like the first time in years.