"Well, that's it for this lesson!" I told the DA. "We will not have any more lessons over the holiday period."

Many of the DA sighed.

"But keep practising as best as you can, and well done." The class filed out, leaving only the five of us. Hermione pulled Ron from the room, and Amber patted me on the back. She left, making it just me and Ginny remaining. She turned around, smiling at me.

"I had no idea how much you guys knew. It kind of feels sobering…" she said.

"We included you in everything we could. Hermione's just too bookish to leave us where we were."

"Great girls, the Granger twins. I kind of want to be like them…"

"You don't need to, Ginny. You're good enough the way you are." Ginny drank in those words. I had the feeling only I could have assured her of that.

"Mistletoe…" she murmured, looking up. I glanced up, and saw the mistletoe she pointed out. I looked at her uneasily. She giggled slightly. She pulled me around.

"You're a great wizard, Harry Potter…" Ginny whispered. I could see her face quite clearly. "And we're all proud of you."

That one's news to me… I thought. I was almost incapable of speech by this point.

"But I think I'm proudest of all…" Ginny whispered. I could count every freckle…

I arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room holding hands with Ginny. She gave a hurried goodnight, and went upstairs.

"So, how was it?" Hermione asked. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure if I could speak yet. And half of me didn't even want to mention it in any sort of detail.

"Wait, what exactly did you two do?" Ron asked.

I have to tell Ron. I don't want him getting the wrong idea…

Nah, I don't feel like telling him. What's Ron compared to Ginny? Ginny's the Weasley you're closest to…

You're sounding like a real jerk, you know.

"Did you kiss?" Amber asked. The other two came out of states of thought and worry. I think that, in my catatonia, I may have been arguing with myself in real time.

"Yes…" I said. Ron smirked. I think I alleviated his worry.

Great! At least we don't have to tell him anything else.

We've come this far…

"How was it?" Amber asked. I knew why she wanted to know. Or rather, all possible reasons for it.

"It was… well… warm."

"I suspected as much. Ginny's been waiting for this moment since before I met her."

"Wait, what?" Ron asked.

"She's what Muggles would call a fangirl. Pretty much every Muggle celebrity has a few dozen. It's not named, but I believe that idea translates to the wizarding world celebrities," Hermione told him. "As you may have noticed, I was a fangirl for Lockhart back before he was exposed as a fraud. Amber and Ginny are Harry's official fangirls, and most people at Hogwarts respect that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Harry, if you've ever been permitted to follow the Muggle news, you'd find that there are some fangirls who want to butt in the official relationships. The instant this thing gets out, anyone other than Ginny crushing on you is one of those creepers. Keep in mind: unless it's Amber, none of them are worth listening to."

"…I had no idea you understood the Muggle social ladder so well."

"Just because I was terrified to enter it doesn't mean I don't know it." All four of us gave a good laugh around that.

Wait, I'm a wizarding celebrity?

Good. That means you didn't listen to Lockhart and Snape. Both of them have called you a celebrity at least once.

And both have misunderstood my thoughts about it.

Probably why you didn't note the word.

I went to sleep far later than the Ron. I could still feel that kiss. Honestly speaking, I nearly lasted the whole night without dropping off. Were it not for this:

I slithered along the floor, sniffing at the air as I travelled. I looked to my either side. A guard. I should avoid him and get into the door…

He awoke. He reached into his pocket. I knew I had to strike.

Once. Twice. Three times. The redheaded guardian writhed and screamed, but I knew my venom. The guardian fell limp. But this wasn't my golden opportunity. So close… so close…

I sat upright. Ron came over, and looked me over.

"Are you alright?"

"Ron… Ron… your father, Ron… venom… struck… Ginny…"

I can't tell him… I can't…

Oh no… what will poor Ginny think?

Neville came up with Professor McGonagall. Perfect. Someone who might be of greater help.

"Mr Longbottom tells me that you were in great pain. What happened?"

"Ron… Ginny… father… snake… bitten… fangs… venom…"

"…If you saw this, perhaps Dumbledore will be able to divine whether your dream was reality or fiction. Mr Weasley, may I ask you to rouse the twins? I will be in Dumbledore's office. The password is... actually, I'll leave the door open. It is located behind the gargoyle on the seventh floor."

"Oh, all right. But what about Ginny?"

"If possible, I would prefer that she were not present until the damage has been confirmed. Even if you wanted to, you could not enter the girl's dormitory anyway." Professor McGonagall took my arm, and took me to Dumbledore's office.

"Harry, tell me what you saw," Dumbledore suggested. I opened my mouth, but a knock paused me.

"I brought the twins, Professor."

"And I got Ginny." Amber had come with.

"What happened, Amber?"

"I got the same stitch I get when I'm around Voldemort. I couldn't tell why, but I felt terrible pain… as if my stomach had been scooped out by fangs." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but said no more.

"So I take it, in your vision, Arthur Weasley was bitten by a fanged beast… a snake?"

"Yes, sir."

"Everard, I need you to go and make sure that Arthur is found by the right people. Dilys, likewise."

"What?"

"Everard and Dilys were heads whom there are paintings of elsewhere. They can commune with the different paintings at will."

"But Mr Weasley could be dying anywhere…"

"Au contraire, my lady, Arthur has been attacked on duty for the Order of the Phoenix. Phineas…"

The portrait known as Phineas was deep in sleep. A loud snore was Dumbledore's only response.

"Phineas. PHINEAS!" Dumbledore shouted towards the portrait. Phineas stirred in his sleep. The other portraits started to shout as well.

"Oh, what is it now?" Phineas asked.

"Shame on you, Phineas. You do not say that to the current Headmaster of Hogwarts!" a portrait I recognised as Professor Dippet, the previous Headmaster of Hogwarts, roared.

"Shall I scold him?" a corpulent headmaster questioned, grabbing his wand. Something told me that this meant nothing, but Phineas was apprehensive all the same.

"Very well. What is it I need to tell my descendant?"

"Arthur Weasley has been gravely injured in the course of his work. His children and Ginny's friends will be coming to stay."

"Mmhm…" he left.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Phineas Black is one of Sirius' ancestors. You will be travelling to Grimmauld Place by Portkey. I have some more stuff to address, but you will be at Grimmauld soon enough."

We landed in Grimmauld Place about ten minutes and as many conversations later.

"Nasty blood traitor brat. Is it true their father's dying?"

"OUT!" Sirius roared at Kreacher. Kreacher vanished, and Sirius had us seated around the table.

"So, what happened to Arthur?" Sirius asked. I explained the entire thing.

"Well, all we can do now is wait." Sirius said resignedly.

"I'll get the Butterbeer," Fred said. Ginny curled up on my lap, and I held her. Amber drew her seat next to mine, and leaned on the shoulder Ginny wasn't on. George gave a low whistle, but a glare from Sirius stopped him.

Mrs Weasley only came at daybreak. She couldn't say anything.

"Molly, what happened?"

"Arthur… he's… he's…"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Amber panicked. Ginny tightened her grip.

"…dead."

Ginny started to sob into my shoulder. Amber's face fell into her hands. The twins didn't even attempt to make some form of joke. Me and Ron were beyond tears.

"Harry… we should've got there sooner!" Mrs Weasley panicked.

"Don't worry, Molly. According to Harry, Arthur was pretty much dead before Harry got up." Mrs Weasley glared at me. Ginny shot a similar glare back.

"Mum, don't try! Harry would never willingly endanger any one of us!" she cried.

"Oh, of course not, Ginny." Amber got up, and looked out the window.

"Things will only get worse from here. I cannot see all of us surviving this war. We must be prepared…"

I'd say a happy chapter for once, but character death.

Arthur's death is a balance for something I thought was true, but I have heard reports that it isn't. Basically, I need Lupin alive for the penultimate main story chapter. I've heard Lupin's death paid for Arthur surviving, so I switched shoes. Later, I heard that Sirius's death paid for Arthur surviving. If anyone knows which one it is, tell me?

...Because honestly, Sirius can survive too. One of them has to live for the purposes of this story. I'd prefer it if Lupin survived, but I could work with Sirius. Or I could say 'fennekin it' and make Lupin survive 'because I said so'.

Neither can live while the other survives... for the first time literally!