Harry's Future

by swissdog

A possible continuation of the last book of the Harry Potter series suggested by event in the last chapter and the epilogue

11. Chapter 11

Harry's Future, Part 11

"Well, sir, your recent, how shall we say, indisposition has been inconvenient but we've been able to work around it," Maxwell said.

He was sitting across from Harry in his study in the Black house. Harry had decided that he could use a few hours each day getting back up to speed with what was going on in the Ministry. Maxwell was there to brief Harry on how the first group of Patrollers was doing.

"We pushed off the start of training to the beginning of February and it's been mostly physical training, some charms and wand work. We start foot patrols in two weeks. Two recruits teamed with an Auror."

"Who do you have in line as the trainers for that," Harry asked.

He was finally able to hold a conversation but his voice was still on the quiet side. His physical strength was returning but he wasn't about to try anything magical for a while if he could avoid it. Kreacher and Ginny were both adamant on that point anyway so it wasn't likely to come up anytime soon.

"Here's the rotation schedule, sir."

Harry looked over the list of names and nodded.

"I'd like to be able to talk to them before they start. Let's schedule something for next week. We can do it here. I think we can fit them in the dining room with a little rearranging."

"We can do that. Oh, Milligan will be here this afternoon with a report on what they've found in and around that bunker. It's pretty strange stuff and these days that's saying something. But I'll let him go over it with you. That's all I have for you today, sir. Anything you need from us?" Maxwell asked.

"Just pass on my apologies to the recruits and tell them I'll be in to see them as soon as I can."

"Yes, sir."

Maxwell stood up and with a nod turned around to leave the room. As he went through the door into the corridor Harry heard him say,

"Ma'am."

"Mr. Maxwell," came Ginny's rather cool reply.

Harry winced a bit. He was well aware of how Ginny felt about Maxwell after the revelation that he was one of the Aurors that Abagail had 'overheard' commenting about how sorry Harry would be that he didn't take up teaching or Quidditch for a living. Her dislike for the man manifested itself in cold correctness whenever their paths crossed.

When she came into the room the tightness around her eyes and the set of her lips broadcast her displeasure.

"Hello, love," Harry said warmly, trying to dispel her chilly attitude.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she replied, her answering grin warming her expression considerably.

She walked over to Harry and bent down to give him a kiss. From the way she was dressed it was obvious to Harry that she had just arrived from Holyhead. She had been gone three days for matches.

"How are you feeling, Harry? These meetings aren't taxing you are they?" she asked.

"No, dear. I'm fine. In fact, its better this way. I don't feel so bloody useless. In fact, Milligan is coming this afternoon to give me a rundown on what they've figured out about all this. Should prove interesting since we haven't been able to pry anything out of Charlie."

"Yeah, he's being such a brat. You'd think he'd be able to trust his own family," she said rolling her eyes.

Harry just smiled and then a thought occurred to him. Actually it had reoccurred to him several times in the past but he always got distracted by something else.

"Ginny, I was wondering if you have heard anything about Abagail lately. I would have thought with everything that happened she would have tried to get in touch with me. Is she ok?"

Ginny looked a little uncomfortable but she looked at Harry and took a deep breath.

"I guess it's time you were told. We figure that right about the time you crashed after your fight with the dragon, she was sitting in a classroom. Apparently she screamed like she was in great pain and then collapsed. The whole time you were in a coma those first two weeks, she was laying unconscious in a bed in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. It wasn't the same as with you though, Harry. While you didn't move or say anything, she was heard to mumble and move around. When you woke up she started to come around and after a week or so she was able to get out of bed. She's been back to classes now but she's been very withdrawn. I've been to see her a few times but she just wants to sit there and hold my hand and not talk at all."

Harry sat for a few moments looking at nothing in particular. The he looked up at Ginny who was looking at him with questions plain on her face. He let out a sigh and said,

"Ginny, do you remember that time in your brothers' shop in Hogsmeade, after I went into that black mood?"

"Of course I do, Harry. It's not something someone would likely forget."

"Do you remember what you said about sharing all the bad times as well as the good times?"

"I do and I meant it, sweetheart. What are you driving at?"

"Well, this is one of those times that I'm going to share something dark with you that I don't want you to ever mention to anyone else, ok?"

Ginny looked at his somber expression and the pain in his bright green eyes.

"You know that what we share is just between us, Harry. Tell me what's wrong."

Harry then proceeded to describe everything that he had experienced while he was in the coma; the encounters with Dumbledore, Fred and Sirius. Ginny's hands were clasped tightly in her lap and her expression was every bit as somber as his.

"It was like I was looking for a reason not to come back. I think that may be why I wound up in Godric's Hollow. Maybe I was hoping that if my parents came like the others, I'd stay and we'd be together again."

"What about us, Harry? Wouldn't you want to come back for me, if nothing else?" Ginny asked, clearly distressed.

"Sitting here with you now, the answer would be most certainly yes, Ginny. But who knows what's going on in here, deep down," he said tapping his forehead. "I've been bounced around, cursed, on death's door twice. Maybe there was just a part of me that wants it to end. I don't know. The part of me that's awake and talking to you right now sure doesn't but…" he trailed off with shrug.

After a pause he began to describe what happened with Abagail and that she was summoned somehow by his parents and how she pleaded with him to come back.

"If she can remember any of that, I suspect that's why she's not talking much. There must be some very difficult things for her to deal with. I wish I could get up there and talk to her. I'll send her a message by owl today though. Maybe she'll write back to me about what's bothering her. I owe her that much."

"That would be a good idea, Harry."

Harry let out a long sigh.

"You know, Ginny, I'm starting to think this whole business might not have been such a good idea."

"What are you talking about, Harry?" she asked.

"Me being an Auror and then the Chief. It seems like I'm just messing things up. Maybe it would have been better that I stayed at Hogwarts and taught," he said, his quiet voice sounding depressed.

"That's a load of nonsense, Harry. If you had stayed at Hogwarts nothing would have been done about those smugglers until it might have been too late, again. And who would have had a better idea for reorganizing the Auror department. Do you have any idea how excited people are about what you're doing? George and Angelina have been telling us how all the shop owners can't wait to see the Patrollers at work. Not to mention how glad those other Aurors were that you were there to fight that dragon."

She reached over and grabbed Harry's hand.

"I know that that night in the shop up at Hogsmeade I said you had the right to feel melancholy now and again, but only for the right reasons, Harry. This isn't one of those reasons. You're doing good work and it's unfortunate that some things have gone badly, like that Death Eater and now this but those aren't reasons to doubt what you're doing. Sirius was right, Harry. You have things to do and there's no one better able to do them then you, my hero," the last was said with a big smile and a tightening of her grip on his hand.

Harry looked across at the face that never failed to make him feel better, no matter what was happening. He tugged on her arm and pulled her over to sit on his lap. With both arms wrapped around her and his head resting on hers he sighed.

"Maybe if we stay like this for an hour or three, it will help," Harry said.

"Well, if you think it will only be a short time," she replied with a laugh.

Harry hugged her tighter and they began to talk about their favorite topic, their wedding plans. They remained that way until they heard the knocker banging on the front door. Kreacher was there in an instant and then he was standing in the open doorway. Ginny had already slid off Harry's lap but Kreacher smiled a knowing little smile. Then he said,

"Mr. Milligan of the Aurors office wishes to speak with Master Harry."

"Thanks, Kreacher, please have him come in," Harry replied.

"Yes, Master Harry."

A moment later the lanky wizard appeared in the doorway.

"Afternoon, sir. I have some information you might find interesting."

"Please come in and sit down. Oh, Milligan this is my fiancée, Ginny Weasley. Ginny this is Milligan, head of the Magical Investigation Unit."

Milligan nodded toward Ginny and tilted his head to one side.

"Weasley? Your dad is Arthur Weasley?" he asked.

"Yes, he is."

Milligan nodded.

"He's been helping us out with the loan of investigators on this assignment. I guess Charlie's your brother. He certainly knows his dragons."

"Yes, he does. If you two will excuse me I have some unpacking and laundry to do," she said and then turned to Harry. "Not too long, Harry. You're still recuperating, you know."

"Yes, love. We'll try to keep it to a low roar," he said with a smile.

She bent down to kiss him on the forehead and then with a last nod to Milligan she left the room.

Harry watched her leave and then turned to Milligan.

"So, what have you got for me?"

"Well, sir. If we thought that whole smuggling thing was strange, it was nothing compared to this. I don't know if you had time to notice but that was no ordinary dragon, if there is such a thing. At least that's what Charlie Weasley says and I guess he's the expert."

"I'd have to say he is. And yes, I did notice something was strange about it, but since I was a bit busy I didn't look too closely. What did Charlie have to say about it?" Harry asked.

"The report is considered classified, sir, but you're cleared to know. It appears that someone had been tampering with that dragon. Charlie Weasley believes it was basically a Hungarian Horntail, but someone was able to change it. At the moment we don't know if it was done with magic or some sort of muggle methods. One of Arthur Weasley's investigators knows a lot about muggles and he mentioned something called genetic engineering. Anyway it looked like that underground building was where it was kept and there were a couple of tunnels leading back towards those caves that we uncovered the entrances to. It looks like there was some kind of laboratory set up in there. We think there may be a connection to those smugglers. Charlie Weasley thinks that whoever was tinkering with that dragon was part of the smuggling or provided the smugglers with access to that old barn."

"Did you find any records? Books, papers, that sort of thing?" Harry asked.

"No, sir. But there were plenty of places to keep them. Shelves, some file cabinets but all empty. A lot of dust around the place leads us to believe the laboratory was abandoned a while ago. Why the dragon was still there, that's another mystery. There was nothing that looked like supplies for it and we haven't heard any reports of missing livestock or people for that matter in that area."

"What happened to the carcass?"

"Charlie Weasley took some samples but the rest of it was taken away by the Department for Regulation of Magical Creatures. Don't know how or where. Showed up with a signed order from Minister Shacklebolt and told us to leave while they dealt with it. When we came back there wasn't a sign of it anywhere, just the wrecked bunker."

"Probably tucked away in the Mysteries Department in a lot of little jars by now," Harry replied.

"Probably. Well, that's about all we have for now. I have a feeling that there's more information out there but we don't have access to it yet. Maybe you can pry something loose from your soon to be brother-in-law. This seems to be more then just a big time smuggling operation," Milligan concluded.

"Ok, I'll see what I can find out. Thanks for coming out, Milligan."

"Not a problem, sir. I figure we owe you more then a few house calls," the lanky wizard replied with a wry grin.

Harry just smiled as the Auror turned and walked out of the room. Now that he was alone Harry leaned his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. His thoughts raced and tumbled as he tried to piece together the events of that day. He tried to form a picture in his mind of the dragon so that he might discern what made it seem so odd. Unfortunately everything had happened so fast that he had no clear image to recall. At some point in his musings he drifted off to sleep.

He was awaked by a soft voice calling his name from very close by. When his eyes opened he had to focus on the face of Ginny only inches from his. He smiled.

"Hello, sweetheart. It's almost time for dinner. You've been asleep for about three hours. Are you sure you're ready for these meetings?" she asked.

"I'm ok, Ginny, as long as I can get a nap in here or there. It's odd though. This time it seems to be taking longer to get over than after Voldemort, you know."

"Well, Harry. You were in a lot worse shape this time. That first time you woke up after what, a little more than a day. This time you were in a coma for two weeks and barely conscious for two more. From what you've described about those dreams you were very much at death's door. The doctors have said it might be well into spring before you are fully recovered. Just be patient, my love. You have plenty of people to help you get things done."

"Hmmm, I know but some things I'm supposed to be doing myself, like helping Hermione make contact with the Centaurs, Goblins and house elves. I'm sure that's way behind schedule now," Harry said.

"I've talked to Hermione a few times in the past few weeks, Harry. She's already had one conversation with a few of the Goblins that Kandak had pulled together and Hagrid sent word that the Centaurs are ready to talk but only when you are able to be there. At this point they believe you are the only human they can trust. From what Hagrid has been able to find out it seems that a few were watching Voldemort's camp and saw you walk in to…well, you know. Apparently your selflessness has impressed them a great deal. So, progress is being made and you'll be able to do some good things once you let yourself get well. So, up you come, my hero. Kreacher has dinner waiting for you," she finished with a smile as she took his hands and helped him out of the chair.

It was several days later when he finally had a chance to question Charlie about what he had discovered about the dragon. At Harry's invitation all the Weasleys were at the Black house for dinner. He missed seeing them and he thought it would be a good way to let them know he was doing better and thank them for being there for him, again.

Kreacher had gone all out and Harry wasn't sure but he thought the little house elf had taken some lessons from Mrs. Weasley. After they had finished the meal and Mrs. Weasley had lost the argument with Kreacher about helping clean up the after dinner mess and gone into the sitting room, Harry managed to pull Charlie aside for a quiet conversation.

"Harry, I know you want to know what's going on and frankly nobody deserves to know better then you do but I'm not really at liberty to tell anyone anything yet," Charlie said, obviously uncomfortable with trying to fend off his questions.

"Charlie, I'm supposed to be dealing with all the law enforcement issues within the Ministry. Hell, I started this investigation. So yes, I do deserve to know what's going on. In fact, I'm going to insist on it," Harry said, his voice quietly emphatic.

Charlie looked at Harry, feeling the intensity of those green eyes boring into him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he nodded.

"Alright, Harry. I'm going out on a very thin limb here but I guess you do need to know. As best I've been able to figure out that beast you tangled with started out as a Hungarian Horntail. But someone has tampered with it. It appears to have been manipulated to try and include some of the characteristics of a Basilisk."

Harry started at the sound of the creature that nearly killed him in the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago.

"Yes, Harry, I know. And I think you know what that means," Charlie said, lowering his voice.

"Voldemort?"

"Could be. It's only been about three years now that he's gone and he was at his peak there at the end. Who knows everything he had a hand in? Maybe this was just a relic of his schemes, maybe not, but we'll have to keep our eyes open."

Harry scowled a bit and said,

"I wonder how long it will be until we don't have to worry about tripping over any more of his landmines."

"Landmines?" Charlie asked.

"Sorry, it's a muggle thing. I meant stumbling across any more of his nasty surprises."

Charlie just nodded.

The next two weeks passed fairly quickly and without any significant incidents. The trainers assigned to patrol duty arrived at Harry's house on the Tuesday following the family dinner. It was a tight fit but they were all seated on the various couches and chairs that Harry and Kreacher could maneuver into the parlor.

"Thanks for coming out everyone. I was hoping to take a more active role in the recruit training but it seems that I haven't outgrown my school boy tendency to stumble into disasters," he said with a small grin.

The Aurors responded with a few smiles and one or two nervous chuckles. A middle aged witch coughed meaningfully and Harry focused on her.

"I don't mean to interrupt you, sir, but if makes you feel any better, there isn't a single witch or wizard who was there with you that day that doesn't count themselves lucky to be alive. Nothing they were doing was having any effect. We'll be glad when you're back but nobody begrudges you the recovery time."

Harry was surprised to see that the woman, nearly twice his age was actually looking embarrassed.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Well, to the matter at hand. I realize that this is a different sort of thing that we are attempting here. It's my understanding that Aurors haven't had to have much contact with the general public in the past. You've been selected for this assignment based on your experience as well as…well, personality traits that should make interacting with the trainees and public a more positive occurrence." The last was said with a smirk.

The Aurors responded with more sincere humor. It would have surprised Harry to know that more than one of those seated before him were sharing the same absurd image of the late Mad Eyed Moody stomping up and down Diagon Alley with his roving eye spinning in all directions. Harry began discussing his vision of how the Patrollers were to conduct their assignment. He insisted that they get to know each and every shopkeeper by name and that at the start of any shift that they step inside each shop to say hello and determine if there is anything the shopkeeper needed to talk about. He made sure that the Aurors understood his view that the Patrollers were not just there as law enforcers but as the face of the Ministry to the public at large. He reiterated his assessment that the Ministry in general and the Aurors specifically had let down the wizarding public and while recent events may have helped they were a far cry from having rehabilitated that image.

The session had ended shortly before lunch and Harry informed them that he had arranged for them all to have lunch at the Cauldron, his treat. This was met with a murmur of general approval. As he stood up he smiled and said,

"I wanted to thank you for your efforts and besides, it's an excuse for me to get out of this bloody house."

They all laughed at this. They followed Harry from the room and out onto the stoop. Two large ministry sedans were parked at the curb and they all piled in. Harry slowly made his way to the seat next to the driver. In a matter of moments they were pulling up outside the Leaky Cauldron. Due to his still healing leg injury Harry was the last to exit the car but none of the others had made to enter the Cauldron. As Harry approached the door, aided by his cane, it swung open and he was greeted by the new landlord or in this case, landlady, Hannah Abbott.

"Harry! It's so good to see you up and about. Please come in, all of you."

Hannah took hold of Harry's free arm and escorted him into the common room where a small number of patrons looked on. One or two familiar faces smiled as he approached but there were several that looked stunned and one elderly witch actually looked frightened. Harry stiffened as he saw this and Hannah felt the change. She tightened her grip on his arm and whispered to him.

"Don't let it bother you, Harry. There's been some pretty wild talk lately. One of the advantages of running this place is you hear all the gossip. I'll fill you in after you've had lunch and the others have left."

Harry gave her a small smile and tried to relax. Hannah led them to a secluded area of the dining room where several tables had been arranged. When everyone had been seated and glasses filled with various beverages, Harry tapped on his with a fork for attention. He took his glass and raised it and said,

"To success in the future."

The others responded with 'hear, hears' and a few 'cheers' and they settled into a rather excellent lunch. Hannah stopped by several times to make sure everything was to the diners liking. It didn't escape Harry's notice that Hannah appeared to be paying special attention to what was being said and who was saying it as she circulated amongst the various tables. After an hour or so had passed the lunch was concluded and the Aurors left but not before thanking Harry for the meal and assuring him that his plans were in good hands and that the first street training session would commence promptly the following Monday morning. After everyone had left, Hannah came over and joined Harry at the now nearly deserted table. Harry looked at his former classmate and friend waiting for her to begin.

"First of all, Harry, I don't know if I ever remembered to thank you for your suggestion about approaching Gringotts for the loan to buy the Cauldron. I just love running the place."

"You're welcome, Hannah. I'm really glad it's working out for you," Harry replied.

Her expression turned more serious and she lowered her voice.

"As to what happened when you came in. Ever since the incident with the dragon, you've been the subject of a lot of talk. At first it was more about whether you were going to survive or not but once the news got out that you were expected to recover the discussions got a lot more varied. It didn't help that the Ministry tried to clamp down on the details. But once the basics were out, the rumor mill started to run at full speed. Quite frankly some of it was absolutely ridiculous but apparently some folks are starting to think you're someone to fear." As she said this she laid her hand on his forearm.

"To fear? What? They think I'm going over to the Dark Arts or something?" Harry said with some heat.

"No, Harry, I don't think that anyone thinks that, at least not that they'd discuss in public but with all the things you've done while at school, then defeating Voldemort and now basically killing a huge dragon single-handedly, they don't know what to think and that makes them afraid. Those of us who know you so well know there isn't anything to fear but we are relatively few." She smiled and patted Harry on the arm. "Don't fret about it, Harry. Just keep doing what you're doing and in time they'll see that you have our best interests at heart and there is nothing for them to fear."

She leaned in and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek and smiled at him.

"By the way, how is Ginny? I haven't seen her in quite a while."

"She's got a busy schedule with Quidditch and she spends all her free time keeping an eye on me. Once I'm more mobile we'll come in for dinner and a visit. How's Neville coming along at Hogwarts? I haven't been up since just before…" he ended with a shrug.

"He's doing great, Harry. His research keeps him busy and he really enjoys it. He's still a little bit nervous when he has to do lectures for Professor Sprout but he's getting more comfortable about it. Your advice has been very helpful."

"Well, I'm glad I can be of help. Guess I'd better see about getting home. I appreciate your help with the lunch. I'll make sure Ginny and I get in to see you and Neville as soon as we can."

"You two are welcome anytime, you know that," Hannah said as she stood and offered Harry a hand. She escorted him to the door and with a last peck on the cheek he walked out onto the pavement. He wasn't expecting it but he was happy to see that a sedan was still waiting for him. The driver got out and opened the rear door for him.

"We took the others back to the Ministry but they had me come back for you."

"I'm glad you're here. Normally it's not a bad walk but with this," Harry said waggling the cane meaningfully.

"Yes, sir."

The ride home was short and uneventful. Harry's next outing would be more dramatic. As promised the training patrols began promptly at sunrise on the following Monday morning. The early start allowed the trainers and trainees to be visible right from the start and to get a good look around before the street began to fill. By the end of the first shift Harry was receiving word that the response in Diagon Alley was extremely positive with numerous enthusiastic greetings and in the case of the double patrols in Knockturn Alley, grudging respect. By Friday Harry was feeling fit enough and curious enough to venture to Diagon Alley to see for himself. He was dropped off by a Ministry sedan at the Cauldron and he made his way through to the entrance of the Alley. He wasn't walking as well as he had before the injury but he was much improved. He still used the cane but it was now more to delay the onset of fatigue as opposed to keep him from falling on his face. As he stepped out onto the pavements of the Alley he could see that for a weekday it was fairly busy. He took this as a sign that conditions were improving.

He kept his pace measured and let his eyes sweep along both sides of the Alley, noting the well kept condition of the storefronts, pavements and cobbles. He received a number of cheerful greetings but he also noted more then a few looks of concern. He shrugged inwardly and continued on. He had just passed the store selling magical supplies when he heard an all too familiar voice behind him.

"Well, well, Mr. Harry Potter, up and about."

Harry turned slowly and saw, standing just outside the doorway, Lucius Malfoy. Following his own instructions to the Patroller trainers he remained polite.

"Mr. Malfoy," he said with a slight nod.

"So, Potter. It would appear you're paying the price for your adventures, or should I say, misadventures," Malfoy replied with a sneer.

Harry looked at his former nemesis and noticed the gaunt face, the richly decorated but threadbare robes and the general hard worn look of the man and smiled slightly.

"I'd say the same could be said for you as well, Mr. Malfoy."

Harry watched the sneer drop off the older man's face to be replaced by a look of pure hatred as well as a twitch under his left eye. He also took note of the right hand moving furtively to the inside of his robe.

"I really wouldn't recommend reaching for your wand, Mr. Malfoy. At this range I don't really need to use one and if you haven't noticed there are three Aurors standing no more than a dozen paces to your left with wands already drawn. Not to mention all the other witches and wizards that are gathered about us at the moment."

Harry had sensed more then seen that a number of passersby had stopped and were watching what was unfolding between him and Malfoy. Malfoy glanced to his left and saw the two trainees and the Auror trainer staring at him with faces set in stone. Coincidently, or not, one of the trainees was Ron Weasley. His eyes were boring into the older man and his wand, while pointed safely downward, was vibrating as Ron struggled to control himself. Harry gave a bit of a wry chuckle as he fixed his green eyes on the older taller wizard.

"It's a funny thing when you think about it," he said quietly

"And what would that be, Potter?" he asked, the bitterness in his voice undisguised.

"Despite all our differences, you and I have one very significant thing in common. We both stand here as a result of a mother's love for her son. I'm sure you realize, Mr. Malfoy, that the only thing that kept you from meeting the same fate as all the other Death Eaters was Mrs. Malfoy's intervention on my behalf that day in the Dark Forest. That tattoo you wear was a death sentence for all the others."

Malfoy sneered again as he raised his left arm and pulled back the sleeve to reveal a large burn scar where the death's head tattoo had been.

"Bit of a nasty household accident," he said calmly.

Harry simply nodded and said,

"Speaking of your son, how is Draco doing these days?"

The elder Malfoy laughed dismissively and said,

"He's on his own now. He couldn't find a decent wizard's job so he had to seek employment disguised as a muggle. He's working for some company in Surrey that makes some sort of muggle tools, drills or whatever they are called."

Inwardly, Harry started at this revelation. Perhaps there was some justice in the world.

"I'm sure you're overjoyed to hear of the continued disgrace you've helped visit on us," he said the last with his voice dripping with scorn.

"Let's not kid ourselves, Mr. Malfoy. We all made our choices and now we get to deal with the consequences. And just so you know, we haven't forgotten about you. Your activities are of great interest to us and you're being watched very closely. You're alive, Mr. Malfoy, that's more then any of the others can say. Perhaps you should consider yourself fortunate and try to make the best of it," Harry said with a straight face. "Good day to you, Mr. Malfoy."

With that, Harry turned and continued his slow walk past more of the shops. He stopped in at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and talked briefly with George in his office.

"Your leg seems to be doing a lot better, Harry," George was saying.

"Yeah, not much pain or stiffness anymore. It just gets tired pretty quickly. I need to get more exercise and I should be back to normal quick enough. So how have you been getting along with Ron gone?"

"Well, it's not so bad, Harry. We've ramped up the staff this past year so we're okay there. Where he's missed is with the planning and ideas and that. But we still get to talk a few times a week and he still has a stake in the business so it's working out."

His next stop was at the Ice Cream Haven to say hello to Angelina. As was customary whenever they met Angelina wrapped her long arms around him and held him tightly.

When she loosened her grip she looked at him and asked,

"So how are you feeling, Harry? You look a lot better."

"I'm doing a lot better, Angelina. The leg's getting better and now that I'll be getting out and doing things I won't feel so bloody useless."

Angelina could only smile and shake her head at the idea of Harry having ever been useless. With one arm still draped over his shoulder she led him to a small table in one corner of the shop.

"Fancy a cuppa, Harry? I have a kettle on. All this ice cream is well and good but I can't get through a day without my tea."

"Sure, that would be great," he said with a smile.

While Angelina was getting him his tea, he let his eyes roam around the shop. As the onset of spring was making itself felt business was picking up. His gaze came to rest on the artwork that Abagail had done nearly two years ago. He realized that he still hadn't heard anything from the little girl since his injury. Now that he was able to get around better he resolved to make the trip to Hogwarts to find out what was going on. The last he heard Abagail had still not opened up to anyone about what had disturbed her so deeply. Angelina returned with his tea and they spent half an hour or so talking about business, the Patrollers, and wedding plans. George and Angelina's date was rapidly approaching. Since they both had businesses to run they had no immediate plans for a regular honeymoon but were going to grab a weekend at Blackpool. As to living arrangements the building that contained the ice cream parlor had a flat upstairs that Angelina had taken when she leased the parlor. She and George would live there for the time being.

Harry told Angelina it was time for him to be getting home and as he stood he could feel the fatigue building in his injured leg. He leaned on his cane as he exchanged embraces with her and then made his way out of the shop. Walking slowly along the pavement towards the exit into the Cauldron Harry was overtaken by the Patrollers-in-training and their trainer.

"Afternoon, Mr. Potter," the Auror said as he came abreast of Harry.

"Good afternoon, how are things going?"

"Quite well, sir. We're developing a good relationship with the shopkeepers and the public seems to like seeing us around. Not picking up much in the way of information but I imagine that will come once we've established more trust."

Harry just nodded and then he looked back over his shoulder at the two trainees, including Ron.

"How are you two getting along?"

"Good, sir," they replied in unison. Harry gave Ron a little smirk and the redhead rolled his eyes a bit in response.

"Well, carry on, gentlemen. Oh, and thanks for before with Malfoy. I don't think he's crazy enough to have tried anything but you never know. Plus it gave people the idea we were in control of the situation."

"You're welcome, sir," the Auror replied and then they moved on past Harry.

It took Harry two days to make arrangements for his trip to Hogwarts. He was going to have to take a muggle train as far north as Glasgow and then a friend of Bill's who married a muggle was going to meet him there and drive him the rest of the way to Hogsmeade. The trip took him the better part of a day and it was after dark by the time the car dropped him on the outskirts of the town. His leg was stiff and he slowly walked into the village. He was making his way to the Three Broomsticks run by Madame Rosemerta for dinner. He was perhaps half way to his goal when he heard someone call out.

"Harry? I mean, Mr. Potter, sir?"

Harry turned and saw a female figure walking towards him in Patrollers robes. The familiar face of Alicia Spinnet appeared in a streetlamp.

"Hello, Alicia. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great, sir. We just came off duty a little while ago. I was getting ready to head for home. What brings you up this way, if it's okay to ask?" his former Quidditch teammate asked him.

"I have an appointment up at the school tomorrow. I'm not quite ready to start Apparating yet so I had to do it the hard way."

"How are you feeling, Harry? Opps, sorry, geez, this is going to be tricky, isn't," she said.

"It is a bit odd but since we're off duty, 'Harry' is fine. As for how I'm doing, I'm doing better. The leg is a little weak but I think that's mostly from lack of use. I'll be fine soon enough."

"Well, I better let you get going, Harry. It was good to see you up and around. You really scared us this time, you know. Take care of yourself, sir," she said with added emphasis on the last word, smiling.

"You too, Alicia," he said smiling back.

Harry watched as Alicia continued down the street and then he turned and made his way to the pub. He passed Weasleys' but it was already closed for the night. He pushed the door to the pub open and stepped inside. It was crowded but not packed and as he approached the bar, the proprietress looked up and exclaimed.

"Harry Potter! What brings you to my humble pub?"

"Dinner, I hope. I have an appointment at the school tomorrow and I'm staying overnight. Do you have a table for me?"

"Well, of course we do and if you haven't made other arrangements you can use the spare room upstairs."

"Thank you, Madame Rosemerta, but I wouldn't want to impose on you," Harry said.

"Impose? You have an awful long way to go before you become an imposition around here, young fellow. Your Patrollers already more then paid for the room when they stopped some rowdies from breaking up my furniture. Sit yourself down right over there and I'll be right with you," she said.

During his conversation with Rosemerta Harry had failed to notice how quiet it had gotten in the taproom. As he turned to make his way to the table he saw that everyone was looking at him. He let his eyes roam over the faces of the crowd and he recognized several Hogwarts faculty at one table, giving them a polite nod and for the rest whom he didn't recognize he smiled as he passed them on the way to the small empty table that had been indicated by the proprietress.

He had barely seated himself when she bustled over. Harry noticed that while nearly ten years older than when he had first met her, she still possessed the attractiveness that had so befuddled poor Ron whenever he saw her. She was smiling as she approached his table.

"Now then, Mr. Potter, what can we do for you?"

"First, you can call me Harry. It's not that long since I was a third year coming in here for my first butterbeer. I think I'll have one tonight, please, and a steak and kidney pie."

"Alright, Harry. Coming up."

The conversations in the room resumed and Harry took the time before his dinner arrived to enjoy his butterbeer and just look around the room. He was thinking of how things were going to go tomorrow. He had sent an owl to the Headmistress to make sure that she and Abagail were aware he was going to be there. Professor McGonagall intimated in her reply that she was very happy that Harry was coming. While not coming right out and stating it, Harry read between the lines that she was quite concerned with the little girl but hadn't wanted to burden Harry while he was recuperating. He was still deep in this line of thought when his dinner was placed on the table. Within an hour he had finished his meal and was in bed in the room at the back of the second floor of the pub.

At seven thirty the following morning Harry was roused from a deep dreamless sleep by a familiar voice.

"Sweetheart, wake up."

"What? Ginny, is that you?" Harry said, his voice slurred with sleep.

"Yes, it is. Madame Rosemerta let me in."

Harry looked up from his pillow and saw the mass of red hair and bright smile. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up. Ginny leaned in and wrapped him in a warm embrace and gave him a kiss. She then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm thrilled to see you, Ginny, but what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be in Holyhead all week."

"I was but I was able to persuade Ms. Hapnafl to give me the day off. I've been so worried about Abagail I just couldn't stay away. I hope you don't mind. Can I come with you to see her?" Ginny asked, her voice full of concern.

"I think that would be fine, Ginny. But if I think she and I need to be alone at some point, you'll give us that privacy?"

"Of course, Harry."

Ginny waited while Harry got himself cleaned up and ready for what could prove to be a difficult day. They had breakfast downstairs and then proceeded to walk up to the school. Harry's mobility was improving but he still had to move at less than his usual pace. With Ginny walking alongside it reminded him of the walks they took around the Burrow during that first summer. They climbed the steps to the front door and knocked. After a few moments the door was pulled open and an elderly Filch just waved them in and pushed the door closed again. Harry and Ginny grinned at each other as they made their way up to the Heads office. The guardian statue was already moved aside and the two climbed the stairs to the anteroom where they found Professor McGonagall waiting.

"Harry, Miss Weasley. I'm very glad to see you. We've been growing increasingly concerned with Miss Westwood. She's been holding her own with her school work but she hasn't said a word since she regained consciousness after your injury, Harry. She barely eats and she's lost all interest in flying her broomstick. Her roommates have said that she sleeps very little and when she does it's very restless. We simply don't know what's wrong. I hope you can get through to her. I had thought you could meet her here. It's about as private as we can get. She should be arriving any time now."

Harry simply nodded, his face set and grim. Ginny has holding his right hand in both of hers, her lower lip pinched between her teeth. In only a few moments the sound of small feet were heard on the steps leading up to where they sat. Harry looked up and what he saw appalled him. Abagail had always been a slightly built girl but now she looked like a wraith. He large dark eyes stared out from a gaunt face with deep dark hollows under them. Harry could hear Ginny gasp from beside him. That sound seemed to penetrate the little girl's state a bit as she stopped and seemed to see Harry for the first time. Her large dark eyes locked onto his of bright green and held fast. As they looked at each other the little girl began to tremble, her eyes misting over and her lower lip quivered.

Harry stood up and as if that movement broke a spell the little girl began to stumble forward, her hands reaching for him in desperation. Harry took two steps forward to meet her, fearing she was going to fall. He gathered her up into his arms, feeling her own weak embrace. The physical contact seemed to break a barrier within the little girl and she began to cry. The sound was a shock to the three adults who were so used to the airy, almost breathless voice they had come to know. What they heard now was a high pitched keening wail that sounded more animal then human. Harry tightened his grip in an attempt to lend some strength to the child whose entire body was shuddering as her emotions poured out. With little apparent effort Harry was able to lift Abagail off her feet and step back to where he could sit down, aided by Ginny. He sat with Abagail pulled onto his lap, his cheek resting on the top of her head, rocking back and forth.

Ginny was at a loss as to what to do. It had been a month since the last time she had seen the little girl and she was stunned at how her physical condition had deteriorated. Her own visits had failed to get any real response out of Abagail but apparently Harry had provided the trigger, whatever that had been. She could only guess at what sort of bond had developed between them. The crying continued for some minutes. Harry looked up at Ginny and then at the Headmistress, his own eyes brimming over. Ginny understood that he was asking to be left alone and with a head signal and raised eyebrows she transmitted that request to the Head. Professor McGonagall nodded and the two women stood up and with a final soft stroke of Ginny's hand along Harry's shoulder they left down the stairway and out into the corridor.

As the guardian statue swung shut the wailing cry could be heard echoing down the staircase. The teacher and former student stood staring at the statue for some time before one broke the silence.

"You know, Professor," Ginny began, "what with the Chamber of Secrets and that night in the Mystery's Department and all the rest I thought I've seen some scary things but that just topped my list. I don't think I've ever heard someone cry like that."

"Nor I, Miss Weasley," the Headmistress replied. "I have to admit, I'm at a complete loss. Has Harry said anything to you that might shed some light on this situation?"

"He did, as best as he was able to explain it. I'm not really able to discuss it though. Harry tends to be a bit tight lipped about a lot of the things that have happened to him. Perhaps if he has any luck with Abagail he'd be willing to tell you about it."

Professor McGonagall merely nodded, her lips drawn tight. They turned and walked away from the now sealed doorway. It wasn't until nearly three hours later that the statue swung aside and Harry stepped out into the corridor with Abagail cradled in his arms, unmoving. Fortunately the password had not been changed since the last time he was there. Moving slowly as he no longer had his cane for assistance he carried the small girl to the hospital wing. He passed two groups of students moving between classes. In both cases the normally noisy students stood in stunned silence as Harry moved past them. He arrived at the door to the ward and with a foot knocked for admittance. Within a moment the door swung open and Madame Pomfrey stood there.

"My goodness, Harry. What in the world?" she said.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Madame Pomfrey. I need to put Abagail to bed and then keep an eye on her. May I?"

"Of course, Harry. Put her in the bed at the far end so there won't be any disturbances. May I ask what has happened?"

"Certainly, it is your hospital after all," Harry replied with a tired smile. "She cried herself to sleep. She seemed to be pretty exhausted to start with."

Harry followed Madame Pomfrey to the last bed on that side of the ward. As she pulled back the blanket and top sheet Harry carefully placed Abagail down and then stood back so that the nurse could remove the girls robe. The covers were then pulled up and Harry sat down on a chair that was nearby. He stretched his injured leg out in front of him with a slight grimace. It did not go unnoticed.

"Are you alright, Harry? Is the leg still bothering you?"

"A little bit. She weighs next to nothing but…" he said with a small smile and a shrug.

"Let me get you something for it then," she said as she bustled away.

She returned with a small bag that she placed on Harry's leg and almost immediately a gentle warmth began to flow into the fatigued muscles and stiff knee joint. He sat back and sighed.

"This feels really great, Madame Pomfrey, thanks."

"You're welcome, Harry. Do you need anything else?"

"Could you send a message to the Headmistress and let her know Abagail and I are here?"

"Of course, Harry."

Madame Pomfrey walked toward her office and Harry settled into the chair a bit more and he focused his attention on Abagail. She remained motionless with the exception of shallow breathing. He thought back to how she had continued to cry for nearly an hour before she drifted off to sleep. She slept fitfully for perhaps forty five minutes before she woke up but instead of the wailing cry she emitted a piteous whimper that made up in misery what it lacked in sound power. Harry had tried to sooth her but he didn't seem to be making any head way when once more she slipped into sleep but this time it was peaceful. He had finally decided that she needed to be put to bed but thought the hospital ward would be a better idea then her own room. So now he sat and waited.

The soothing warmth that was soaking into Harry's leg was also working on the rest of his body and he was sinking into a deep relaxed state. While not really asleep he was less then wide awake so he was unaware when Ginny quietly approached Abagail's bed from the other side. She knelt down and reached out to brush some of the long dark locks from the little girls face. She was still very pale except the dark hollows under her eyes. Ginny looked over at Harry, seeing his measured breathing and heavily lidded eyes. Again, she wondered what was the link between these two, how deep did it go and what did it mean for the future, their future? She slowly stood up and quietly left the room, leaving them to get what rest they could.

Had she remained a few moments longer she would have seen Abagail begin moving beneath the blanket. Harry's eyes opened and his hand reached out to lightly stroke the pale cheek of the child, who responded with a deep sigh. She settled back into the bed and Harry leaned back into his chair. He removed the bag from his leg and stood up to walk about the ward, but never beyond sight or sound of the bed at the far end. Several times Madame Pomfrey came in to check on both Harry and Abagail. The last time she brought in a tray that contained several plates that contained slices of meat, bread, and cheese and a pitcher of pumpkin juice.

"I suggest you get something to eat, Harry. And when she wakes up, try and get her to eat as well. Goodness knows she needs it."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll try," Harry replied quietly.

Madame Pomfrey smiled and returned to her office. It was perhaps an hour later when she heard Harry's voice asking a question. She held her breath until she heard a barely audible reply and she smiled. Had she been closer she would have heard Harry say,

"Abagail? Are you awake?"

Harry had heard Abagail begin to stir and he returned to his chair. As he watched her face he saw her eyelids begin to flutter and then open wide. She was obviously disoriented and she looked frightened.

"It's okay, Abagail. You're in the hospital ward. How are you doing?" he said softly.

"S-s-sir?" she asked with a quavering voice.

"Yes, Abagail, it's me."

Harry saw her eyes begin to mist and he slid from his chair to the side of the bed and took her in his arms again. He felt her hold on, more tightly then before and perhaps more importantly she wasn't crying or whimpering. He held her, gently rubbing her back. After a few moments he felt her relax and he took that as a good sign. As he held her he quietly began to talk to her.

"Abagail. Can you tell me what's been going on? What happened to you?"

He felt her squeeze tightly once more and then release her grip on him. He let his arms slide from around her so she could move slightly away from him but he held onto her hands to reassure her. She looked at him with those big dark eyes, misty with tears but clearer then when he had first seen her earlier. She sniffed loudly and then looked down at her lap.

"You won't be angry with me will you, sir?" she said barely beyond a whisper.

"Angry?" Harry asked incredulously. "Why would I possibly be angry with you?"

"I've caused a lot of trouble lately, sir." she said.

"Abagail. You've had us worried but you didn't cause any trouble. You saved my life, Abagail. You didn't forget that, did you?" Harry said softly.

"I remember, sir. But that's when things started to go bad and I didn't do what you told me and it got worse and worse and now…" she finished with a long sigh.

Harry also noticed that her eyes had drifted towards the tray near the bed. Harry picked up a slice of cheese and offered it to her. She reached out and took it. She nibbled the cheese and looked away from Harry.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Abagail. Please try and tell me what happened. Try and start from the beginning."

She had eaten about half the slice and popped the rest into her mouth. As she chewed she looked back at Harry, fixing on his bright green eyes. As she swallowed she shrugged heavily and let out a long breath.

"It started when you fought that dragon. While I was sitting in class I got that feeling that something big was going to happen. I had been working on blocking you out so that I wouldn't see things I shouldn't and I guess that kept me from seeing what was going on with the dragon. But then I guess you got burned and I felt the pain and I yelled and then passed out. They told me I was unconscious for two whole weeks. All I know is that I started having really strange dreams."

She looked back at the tray and Harry handed her a slice of bread. He also poured out a mug full of juice and placed it on the night stand beside the bed. Abagail took a bite of the bread and then a large gulp of the juice. She then resumed her narration.

"At first it was hard to see what I was dreaming. But then I could see it was a lady's face and the sound of someone trying to talk to me. I would start to see details of her face or pick out words but it was hard. Then it all started to get clearer. I could see her face clearly and a realized who it was."

She looked at Harry and her face got tighter.

"It's okay, Abagail. Who was it?" he asked but the tightening in his stomach told him he thought he already knew.

"It was your mother, sir. I could tell because of her eyes. They looked just like yours. She was saying they needed my help."

"'They'?" Harry asked through a tight throat.

"Yes, sir, that's what she said. She said you were hurt and might die if I didn't come and bring you home. I didn't know what she meant. As she tried to explain I started to see another face and I knew right away it was your father. You look just like him, except the color of your eyes. Did you know that?"

Harry just nodded.

"Anyways, as your mum talked to me I started to understand what I had to do. You were so hurt and tired that you might not come back from where you were. Your parents couldn't go to help you because they were afraid that if you saw them you'd want to stay. Your mother said all I had to do was open my mind to you and I would be able to find you and lead you back. So I dropped the blocks that I had learned to use and there you were. I could see you standing by a statue in the middle of a town. You were talking to someone with long scraggly hair. Who was that, sir?"

"His name is Sirius Black. He was my dad's best friend and my godfather," Harry said quietly.

"Well, that's when I came to bring you home, sir," she said.

"I remember that, Abagail. I'm very grateful that you did. You reminded me I had a lot of reasons to keep living."

"I was glad to help you, sir. It was after that when things got bad."

"Why was that?"

"Well, soon after that I woke up. But I could remember everything that happened. I remembered your mother's face. I could see how much she loved you. So much that even dead she could help you live. Your dad was there, too. It reminded me that my parents are gone and I didn't think that they could ever do that for me. It made me feel like I did when I first came to Hogwarts, before you told me about the wizarding family. But it's worse now, sir."

"What do you mean, Abagail? What's wrong?"

"Oh, sir. Last year we had to put my granddad in a nursing home. You know, one of those places for people that can't take care of themselves? He doesn't know who we are anymore. And then just after I came back for my third year I found out that my grandma got sick and they don't know if she'll get well and I don't know where I'm supposed to go when the school year is over and I feel so alone again," she was saying, her voice sounding more desperate and tinged with the raw emotion that drove her crying earlier.

As tears began to course down her cheeks Harry took hold of her again and held her tightly. He brought his cheek to rest on her head and rocked her gently. He spoke softly to her.

"Abagail. When I said you were part of a bigger family, I meant just that. I'm very sorry to hear about your grandparents, but if they can't take care of you, we will. You are not alone, ok?" he said quietly but emphatically.

He felt her pull her head back trying to look up at him. He eased his grip on her and let some space grow between them.

"You'd do that, sir? You'd let me live with you and Ginny?"

"Of course. What is it I always tell you?" he said with a little smile.

"That's what family is for?" she said timidly.

"Exactly. So is that what happened? You were so afraid of what might happen that you tried to shut it all out?" he asked.

"I guess so, I don't know. I just got so sad and depressed and worried and I didn't know what to do and…" she tailed off.

"Well, I think this is what you should do. I think you should stop worrying about what's going to happen to you because I'm here to tell you that no matter what happens you will have a place to go and people to be there for you. Do you believe that?" Harry asked her.

She sniffed loudly again and nodded slightly. For the first time since his injury, she smiled, slightly but it was still a smile.

"I also think that what you should do is have some more of what is on this platter and then a good night's sleep and we'll get together tomorrow and see what we can do about all of this. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good, sir. I am kinda hungry."

Harry smiled and took the tray and placed it in front of her and sat back and watched her eat. By the time she was through nearly the whole contents of the plate had disappeared as well as a significant portion of the jug of pumpkin juice. Her eyelids were drooping and her head was nodding so Harry cleared away the tray and helped Abagail settle back into the pillow and tucked the blanket up. He stood up and stretched and walked toward Madame Pomfrey's office. She heard him approach and came out to meet him.

"She's sleeping. She did a fairly good job on the cheese and bread. We talked for a while, too. Do you know what time it is?" he asked.

"Not quite two in the afternoon, Harry."

"Ok, can you keep an eye on her? I'm going to look for Ginny and Professor McGonagall."

"Of course, Harry," Madame Pomfrey said, looking at him with appraising eyes. "That was a wonderful thing you did, Harry."

Harry just shrugged and smiled. Then he left the hospital ward and went in search of Ginny and Professor McGonagall. His first stop was the Head's office. He retrieved his cane and began the walk down to the Great Hall. He walked in through the main entrance and saw a number of students seated about the long tables. He approached a group of older students and inquired if they had seen either Ginny or the Professor. He was directed to the room behind the faculty table where the TriWizards competitors gathered years before. As he entered, Ginny was the first to notice him. She bolted from her chair and ran to him.

"Harry. How is Abagail?"

"She's doing better. We had a long talk, she's eaten and now she's sleeping, comfortably. I found out what was troubling her. Let's sit down and I'll tell you and Professor McGonagall," Harry told her as he led her back over to her set by the Headmistress.

They sat down and Professor McGonagall smiled at Harry.

"Good news I trust, Harry?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's a pretty terrible story but I think we can figure out a satisfactory ending."

He then proceeded to recount his conversation with Abagail. As he related how Abagail had sunk into despair Ginny began to tear up and Professor McGonagall's mouth became a thin tight line.

"So I was finally able to convince her that if her grandmother wasn't able to take care of her anymore she could rely on us. I never realized how afraid someone could be about being alone," Harry said softly.

"Harry, you've done a marvelous thing here today. I don't mind saying we were at our wits end," the Headmistress said. "She's a very lucky young lady to have found you."

Harry smiled as he replied,

"I was thinking I was the lucky one."

Ginny smiled through her tears and gave Harry's arm a squeeze.

"You'll stay for dinner?" the Headmistress asked.

"I don't have much choice, Professor. No Disapparating for me yet. How about you, Ginny?"

"I can stay for dinner but then I need to get back to Holyhead tonight," Ginny replied.

"Are you sure, Ginny? It's been a rough day. Wouldn't it be better if you got a good night's sleep and then go to Holyhead early in the morning when you're rested," Harry asked.

"He's right, Miss Weasley. I think it would be best if the two of you stayed here tonight. If Miss Westwood should wake up it would be beneficial that you are here to reassure her," the Professor offered.

"You're probably right. But where will we sleep, Harry? The Three Broomsticks?"

"No need, Miss Weasley. You can use the rooms that Harry and Miss Granger used their last year. They haven't been occupied since you left, Harry. I'll notify the Gryffindor Prefects. You'll be guests at the faculty table tonight. You deserve that at least. I suggest you stay here and relax until dinner."

"Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison.

Professor McGonagall smiled at them as she stood up and left the room. Ginny sat across from Harry looking at him, her gaze wandering over his face.

"You look tired, sweetheart," she said softly.

"I am a bit. More emotionally then physically but all for a good cause. We need to get in touch with her grandmother and figure out how bad things really are. Then we can go from there."

She smiled a little at him and then her expression turned a bit more somber. She looked at him again; her head tilted a bit to the side.

"Does it bother you, Harry?" she asked a bit cryptically.

"What, Abagail?" he responded, a bit confused.

"No, I mean being the problem solver."

"What are you driving at, Ginny?"

"Ever since I've know you you've been solving someone else's problems. You saved the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort, saved me from Tom Riddle and the Basilisk, cleared Sirius and on and on and on. Not to mention bringing Voldemort down for good. Now you're trying to save the Ministry from itself and poor Abagail. It all seems so unfair."

"Yeah, I suppose it is, but who ever said life was supposed to be fair. It is what it is and you make the best of it you can. I'm alive when by all accounts I shouldn't be. I call that a fair trade," he said giving her one of his half smiles.

All Ginny could do was smile back with a little shake of her head. Harry then pulled his notebook out of his robe pocket and with the stub of a muggle pencil he began to jot down some notes.

"Now that it seems like I can start getting out and about more I better figure out how to make up for some of the lost time. Hermione and I still need to come out and see the Centaurs. Patroller training is underway but I've done practically nothing there and that can't continue. I need to get a message to Fleur so she can help set up that trip to Beauxbaton. I promised Professor LeMond I'd do that in the spring which is almost here. And there's the wedding come August and we've done nothing with that except talk," the last he said with a frown.

"Ah, afraid you're wrong there my most marvelous solver of problems," Ginny said with an impish grin. "Once you were on the road to recovery, Mum dove into wedding planning full speed. She's got George and Angelina all settled for the third Saturday in May and she and I have been working with Hogwarts to get you and I taken care of. Unless you have any objections it looks like the first Saturday in August. The invitation list is pretty big but so is the Great Hall so fitting everyone in shouldn't be any trouble. Even Kreacher has been helping out since he got to know all the kitchen help when he was up here with you. So you can scratch that concern off your list there."

Harry smiled and drew a line through the few words he had jotted down referring to the wedding.

"We do need to figure out who the wedding party is going to be though, Harry. I know you asked Ron to be your best man but there's ushers and my maid of honor and the rest."

"You haven't asked anyone to be your maid of honor yet?"

"Well it's hard, Harry. It's not like I have one super best friend like you do with Ron. I have lots of friends and it's hard to pick just one. I'll have to really think about it," she replied.

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I don't try and solve this one particular problem," he said with a perfectly straight face.

"I don't mind at all, Harry. This is a girl thing and we'll take care of it," she replied.

"Well, as far as the Centaurs are concerned maybe I can deal with that while I'm here, if Hermione can get here. I'll use school owls. I'll send Fleur a message as well to get that going. Guess I'll take the train to Paris. I'm not planning on any Disapparating any time soon."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Maybe I can get your dad to build me an Anglia to get around in," Harry said matter-of-factly.

Ginny hit him with a seat cushion.

It was a while latter that the increase in noise level informed Harry and Ginny that the dinner hour had arrived so they made their way out to the faculty table to find two spots opened on either side of Bill.

"Hey there you two, I heard that you were here today. I understand you had some success with Abagail Westwood, Harry. I can't tell you how relieved I was. Her condition these last couple of weeks was really getting scary," Bill said.

"Well I hope I was able to get through to her, I think I did. What I don't understand is how it was allowed to get so bad," Harry said with some annoyance.

"Well, Harry, you can only go so far. She did have several stays in the hospital ward. Sleeping potions only help so much. And its not like you can stuff food down her throat," Bill replied.

"I know, Bill, but it's frustrating none the less."

"I know, Harry, but fortunately for her she has you. I thought that in the end that was what it was going to take," Ginny's big brother said.

They took their seats and changed the subject. Bill and Harry talked a little about another lecture now that he was able to get around and then he talked to both of them about the wedding.

"I think it's a great idea, Harry. All things considered you'd have to say it's the perfect location. It doesn't show on the surface but there's a lot of excitement about it around here. The only one who doesn't like it is Filch. He's been complaining non stop since Professor McGonagall made the announcement. It got so bad that she's giving him the weeks before and after the wedding as extra holiday just so he won't be here," Bill said with a laugh.

"Really? That's too bad. I was going to ask him to be one of my ushers," Harry said off handedly.

Bill and Ginny tried in vain to stifle their laughter. It was a pleasant dinner and afterward Harry and Ginny took a slow walk up to the hospital wing to look in on Abagail. While there was no significant pain, Harry's left leg would still tire easily and the burn scar around the knee tended to hamper his gait. By the time they reached the little waiting room he was relying heavily on the cane. A light rap on the door brought Madame Pomfrey to the door.

"She hasn't moved or made a sound since you left, Harry. I've been checking on her every quarter hour or so and her breathing is strong and her color is improving a bit. I think we may have finally turned the corner with her."

Madame Pomfrey said all this in a hushed voice while they walked to where the child slept soundly. Harry knelt down on one knee next to the bed and brought his head close to her ear and whispered something. He then kissed her lightly on the forehead. Ginny wasn't sure but in the dim light of the ward she thought she saw a slight smile pass briefly across Abagail's face. Harry levered himself up with his cane and smiled at Ginny who then added her own brief kiss on one cheek.

"If she wakes up during the night and needs me, just send word. Otherwise we'll come by first thing in the morning," Harry told the nurse.

"Get some rest, Harry. If I'm any judge, she should sleep through the night," replied Madame Pomfrey.

Harry and Ginny now made the slow journey to the Gryffindor tower passing groups of students and solitary members of the faculty. All inquired about Harry's health and congratulated them both on their impending wedding. On two occasions they were stopped and Ginny signed autographs for avid fans from both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

Harry could see how pleased that made her and he resolved to tease her later about her spreading fame. The gave the password to the portrait that had been given to them during dinner by one of the Gryffindor prefects and the Fat Lady swung open with a cherry 'Hello' to them both. Their arrival had obviously been announced as two chairs before the fireplace had been left vacant and Harry gratefully sank into one. The warmth of the fire felt good on his leg. He and Ginny made a few tentative attempts at conversation with the students in the common room and once they managed to break the ice they spent a pleasant few hours talking about Quidditch, the Patrollers, schoolwork and life in general. No one mentioned anything about dragons.

As it got late Ginny finally brought the discussions to an end by suggesting they all needed to get some sleep. She insisted on walking up to Harry's room with him and by the time they were half way up he was glad she did. They had gone up and down a lot of stairs and walked a fair amount during the day and despite a lot of sitting his left leg was starting to show signs of wear and tear. He was beginning to wonder if it would ever get better. Perhaps a visit to St. Mungo's for some advice would be wise. As before the key was in the lock and when the door swung open he saw the room was clean and several candles burning. It would seem the house elves had been busy. He was fairly certain that when he woke up his clothes and robes would be thoroughly cleaned and pressed.

Harry pulled Ginny into his arms and held on to her for a while. He let her pull back a bit so they could look at each other and he smiled.

"Thanks for being her today, Ginny. It helped a lot."

"I'm glad I could be here, for the both of you," she said seriously.

She pulled his head down and gave him a brief but loving kiss and then turned toward the door. She looked back over her shoulder as she started to pull the door closed.

"Sleep well, my hero," she said softly and pulled the door closed behind her.

Harry undressed for bed; laying out his clothes on a chair which he was sure would be collected just after he fell asleep. His sleep was deep and dreamless and when he awoke he was mentally alert, emotionally calm and the only physical difficulty was the achiness in his left knee. As he looked out from his bed he could see his clothes neatly folded and stacked on his chair, his shoes polished to a high gloss and a bag with a note on his night stand. The note read,

"Harry,

I know you'd been up and down stairs all day yesterday. Here is one of the heat bags like you used yesterday morning. I hope it helps.

Madame P."

Harry could only smile as he took the bag and placed it on his left knee as he lay propped up on his pillow. The soothing warmth began to flow and in moments he could feel the ache diminish and the stiffness ease. He let it go on for about fifteen minutes and then he got himself up and used the wash basin that had been provided to clean up and then get dressed. He was just getting done with his shoes when he heard a rapping on his door.

"Harry? Are you awake yet?" he heard his favorite voice say.

"Come on in, Ginny."

The door swung open and Ginny stepped in, looking fresh and ready for the day. As Harry stood up she took two steps to meet him and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him in a way that left him dizzy and breathless. When she leaned back but still holding him Harry looked down at her and said,

"Wow, what was that for?"

"What was it for? You silly man," she replied. "It's for the fact that I love you, you've shown me again that you are the most caring, compassionate person I could ever hope to meet and because I have to leave if I'm to get back to Holyhead in time. I won't see you again until Sunday but I hope to be there by noon. Will that be okay?"

"No it won't because it's far too long until I see you, but it will have to do. But if that's the case," he said and then he pulled her tight to him and he kissed her back in a fashion that left them both breathless and dizzy.

When they got their breath back Harry grabbed his cane and they began the long trek down the stairs to the common room. They waved and Ginny said her goodbyes to the few students in the room and then they went out through the opening to the corridor.

"Harry, you head straight to the hospital wing. I don't want you going up and down more stairs then you need to. Give this to Abagail," and she handed him a folded piece of parchment, "and tell her that I'll send her more notes by owl this week. And Harry, what ever needs to be done for her, I'm right there with you, ok?"

"Thanks, Ginny," Harry replied quietly.

With one last brief kiss Ginny left him in the corridor to go their separate ways, for the moment. Harry watched her go and then turned and headed for the hospital ward. He made his way slowly and hugged the wall to stay out of the way of students who were making their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He finally reached the ward door and rapped on it. In a few moments the door swung open and Madame Pomfrey let him in.

"How is she doing?" he asked.

"I don't think she woke up once all night. As I passed her to let you in, she seemed to be stirring a bit. Go have a look."

"Ok, oh and thank you for the heating bag this morning. It was a big help," Harry said softly.

"Not at all, Harry. I'll have one for you to take home with you. It will last for a few months before it needs to be remade. Your house elf should be able to replace the mixture that makes the heat. I'll include the instructions," the nurse replied with a smile.

"You're a life saver, Madame Pomfrey, as usual."

By now they were approaching the bed where Abagail lay. Her long hair was still fanned out on her pillow and it did indeed appear to Harry that she hadn't moved from when he last saw her the night before. He walked over to the bed and pulled the chair over and sat down. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair back away from her face. She must have been near to awakening already as her eyes opened at the touch.

"Hello, sir," she said in her soft voice. "Have you been here all night?" Her voice held a note of concern.

"No, Abagail. I had a very good night's sleep in the Gryffindor tower. So did Ginny. She had to leave this morning but she left you a note. She'll write to you more this week. How are you feeling?"

"Um, I feel pretty good. A little hungry and I really need to use the ladies if I could."

Madame Pomfrey let out a brief laugh and asked Abagail if she could walk or did she want to take a ride in the wheelchair.

"Oh, I'll walk."

Madame Pomfrey came to the side of the bed opposite of where Harry sat and pulled back the covers and offered Abagail her hand. She then helped the tiny girl up and walked with her to the ladies washroom and went inside with her. Harry sat back and thought that the signs were good. Ten minutes later the door to the washroom opened and a fully awake and refreshed Abagail walked quickly up to Harry's side and flung her arms around his neck. Harry wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her tight for a moment.

"You look much better, little one," Harry said.

"I'm feeling much better, sir. I'm sorry you had to come here with all you have to do," Abagail said softly.

"Don't be sorry, Abagail. I owe you a lot and I'm only too happy to be here. Now, I think you need to have some breakfast," Harry said turning to look at Madame Pomfrey.

"Should she eat here or can she go down to the Great Hall?"

"Well, let's ask the young lady. Abagail, do you feel well enough to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll go slow and I have a free period this morning so I think it will be ok," she said looking at the nurse. She turned toward Harry and said,

"Will you be coming with me, sir?"

"Of course I will. Frankly, I'm starved. I'll wait for you outside while you get dressed."

"Yes, sir," she said happily.

Harry smiled and got up and walked back out to the waiting room. He had to laugh to himself that for once he was the one doing the waiting. He was quickly joined by Madame Pomfrey who stood looking at Harry for a moment and then took hold of his hand in both of hers.

"Bless you, Harry. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that you saved that little girls life."

"She saved mine not to long ago so I owed her that much," he said with a half smile.

The door swung open and the subject of their discussion walked out, her robe cleaned and freshly pressed. Obviously the house elves had been busy last night. Offering Abagail his left hand Harry said,

"We'll be back later, Madame Pomfrey."

"Go slowly you two," she admonished them kindly.

Harry and Abagail walked hand-in-hand slowly down the corridor and stairway that led to the Great Hall where breakfast was still to be had. Harry stopped them just inside the entrance and looked about for a place to sit. He saw that several spaces were open at the senior end of the Ravenclaw table. They walked up and when several of the students looked up he asked,

"May we?"

"Um, well, sure, Mr. Potter. Please, sit down," a seventh year witch replied.

"Thank you," Harry replied.

Harry sat at the end of table and Abagail sat between him and a seventh year boy and directly across from the girl that asked them to sit. The older girl was looking at Abagail.

"Abagail. You look sooo much better this morning. Are you doing better?"

"Yes, thank you. Mr. Potter came and he helped me get through my problem. He can solve any problem," she said, her ethereal voice happy if only barely audible.

"I don't know about that, Abagail. I never solved the problem of staying out of the hospital wing during any one year," Harry said with a laugh as he filled Abagail's plate.

This got a laugh from those seated around them. Harry filled his plate next. The older Ravenclaw looked at Harry next and asked,

"And how are you doing, sir? We all heard about you being injured and we hadn't seen you much this year…" she finished with a bit of a shrug.

"I'm doing a lot better these days, thank you, uh, Miss…?"

"Binsworthy, sir. Allison Binsworthy."

"Binsworthy? Are you related to Deputy Minister Binsworthy?"

"My dad, sir," she said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I may be out of line a little but my dad's pretty impressed with what you've been doing with the Aurors, sir. When you got hurt the whole place was in an uproar, he said."

The girl seemed to think she went too far and went bright red. Harry smiled and looked at her.

"Don't be embarrassed, Miss Binsworthy. I can imagine what it was like. I've managed to stir things up a time or two in my life," he said with a laugh and he saw that the girl relaxed.

He took the time to look down and see how Abagail was doing. She had nearly cleared her plate but she was looking up and watching him as she ate. She had that far off look like she was seeing something elsewhere.

"Everything ok, Abagail?"

"Yes, sir. I was just watching Ginny do her warm ups. I read her note and I just wanted to see her again this morning," she said with a smile.

"Thank you, Abagail. Now I know she got home safely," Harry said. "Is that going to be enough for you for breakfast?"

"Yes, sir. I don't want to stuff myself, I might get sick."

"Smart girl."

"We have to get going, Mr. Potter," Allison said. "It was nice to see you this morning. And thank you for helping Abagail. We were all pretty worried about her," the girl said, smiling at Abagail. Abagail smiled back.

"My pleasure, Miss Binsworthy. Enjoy your day," Harry replied. Then he looked down at Abagail. "So Miss Westwood, what would you like to do this morning?"

"Can we sit outside in the sun? I'd like to feel the warmth on my face."

"Good idea. Let's walk past the faculty table so we can let the Headmistress know how you're doing."

"Yes, sir."

They got up and walked slowly down the aisle to the head table. Most of the faculty were still there and they saw Harry walking with the diminutive psychic girl toward them. A great deal of whispered conversation ensued. The Headmistress stood up and met them at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the dais.

"My word, Mr. Potter. You are a wizard indeed. Miss Westwood looks so much better."

"I'm feeling a lot better, Professor McGonagall," Abagail said softly.

She was holding tight to Harry's hand as she talked to the Headmistress.

"We were going to go outside for a bit, ma'am and soak up some sun. We'll come back in for lunch and see how she's doing."

"Very well, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile. "We will see you later."

Harry and Abagail walked out the front door and down the steps. They found a bench that faced into the morning sun and sat down. They sat for some time letting the sun warm their faces and in Harry's case, his injured leg. About half an hour later Harry felt Abagail slump against him. She had been lulled to sleep by the quiet and the warmth. Harry settled her down so that she was curled up on the bench with her head pillowed by this good leg. Despite all the tumult of the last months, Harry was feeling at peace. At some point he heard footsteps on the path behind him.

"Is she asleep, Harry?"

"Yes, Professor, for the last half hour or so," he said quietly over his shoulder to the Headmistress.

She came around to the front of the bench and looked down at the sleeping girl.

"I imagine she has a lot of sleep to catch up on."

"Yes, ma'am. Would you like to sit down? This might take a while."

The Headmistress sat down on the opposite side of Harry. They went back over what Harry had found out and discussed the amazing phenomenon that he and she had shared. It was something completely beyond the Headmistress' long experience. Harry finished up by saying,

"So it looks like she is going to be orphaned all over again. That's what terrified her so much. I told her that if her grandmother wasn't able to care of her anymore because of her illness Ginny and I would make sure she was ok. That was after all the crying, of course. I guess she needed to release all that pent up anxiety."

The Headmistress was quiet for a time and then Harry felt her take his hand in one of hers and squeeze it. When he turned to face her he saw she was smiling but it was a brittle smile, as if it was struggling to keep a cap on an outwelling of emotion. When she spoke her voice was low and strained.

"I know it's been said before, Harry, but I'll say it again. You do your parents proud at every turn. If there is anything we can do to assist in this, you need only ask."

"Well, there is one thing. I don't have any way to contact her grandmother. Can the school help with that and find out how she's doing and what's the likelihood that Abagail is going to need help?"

"Of course, Harry. I'll see to it before the day is out. Will you be returning to London today?"

"I don't think so, Professor. If I haven't worn out my welcome, I'd like to stay a day or two to keep an eye on Abagail and in the mean time, I'll talk to Hagrid about the discussion we want to have with the Centaurs. Maybe Bill, I mean Professor Weasley and I can set up a little impromptu lecture or something. Since I'm not Disapparating for a while I better figure out how to make the most of my time where ever I am. May I borrow a couple of school owls? I need to send some messages."

"Of course, Harry. I'll have a student help you and save you the trek up to the owlry. I'm still concerned about your leg."

"Thanks, Professor."

As he said this he felt Abagail stir against his leg. He looked down and said,

"You waking up, little one?"

"Ummm, yes sir, sorry, I guess I was still kinda tired," she said softly.

"No need to be sorry. You've been going on short sleep for quite some time. I think we should get you some lunch and then put you back to bed in the hospital ward. You can afford to miss this afternoon's classes can't you?"

"If I have to, sir. Um, today should be Potions and DADA. I think if you write me a note I should be ok," she said with a little grin.

Harry and the Professor laughed. Harry helped Abagail back onto her feet and together they walked back up to the castle. It was a little while before lunch and the Headmistress left them to find Harry a helping hand while he and Abagail found some empty space amongst the students using the Great Hall for a study hall or recreation area.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Abagail?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly?"

"Why?" she asked softly.

"Why what?"

"Why do you care so much about what happens to me?"

"I thought we've had this discussion before, Abagail."

"We've talked about family and all that, but I know other students here that have families and they spend an awful lot of time complaining about their parents or brothers and sisters. I've seen brothers or sisters here at school that don't talk to each other from one end of the week to the other," she said, looking up at him with those big eyes.

"Well, I think that's largely because they don't appreciate what they have. Then again, some people just don't get along with each other. But to answer your question, I care because we are so alike in some ways. I know what it's like to grow up alone. Even though I lived with my aunt and uncle and cousin, in most ways I was alone. I care because you're special, in a lot of ways. And I care because I care. I can't explain it much more then that. It's just the way I am."

She smiled up and him.

"I'm glad you're you, sir."

They ate lunch together, again at the end of the Ravenclaw table and then Harry asked Allison Binsworthy to escort Abagail back up to the hospital ward. A Gryffindor fifth year with the afternoon free came to Harry and told him he had been assigned as Harry's runner for the day. He brought with him parchment, ink and quill and Harry used the supplies to write to Hermione and Fleur. He sent the boy off to attach the messages to owls and tell them where to take them. He then had him come back and run a message down to Hagrid. About twenty minutes later the boy and Hagrid came back to the Great Hall.

"Hullo there, Harry. Ya alright there?"

"Yeah, Hagrid, I'm alright. My leg needs some healing still, hence my assistant there."

"Ah, Phillips here is a good 'un. Good man with a Hippogriff in fact, just like ya, Harry," Hagrid said.

Harry smiled as he saw the boy blush and puff up at the same time.

"Hagrid, if Hermione comes up tomorrow can you arrange for us to see the Centaurs?"

"I think so, Harry. Let me go talk ta 'em. I'll take Phillips here and send 'em back when I know."

"Great, thanks, Hagrid, that would be terrific."

Harry watched the two move off, his friend towering over the student who was practically vibrating with excitement at the idea of meeting actual Centaurs. Another student approached Harry with a piece of parchment. It was from Bill Weasley, asking if he could meet with his NEWT students that evening for some discussion. Harry took up his quill and penned a quick affirmative message and sent it off with the student. He looked around the Great Hall and smiled. It was good to be back and good to be doing things again.