Harry's Future, Part 31
"Alright, what's been going on?" Harry asked his deputy and two team leaders while they sat around the battered table in the break room.
"Probably the most significant thing right now is the arrest of a wizard attempting to deal in some pretty unsavory banned potions," Maxwell began. "It's something your idea about street policing can be credited for. Our patrollers picked up some talk in Diagon Alley and did some nosing around and fed the information back to Milligan's people. We nabbed him with the goods, some very nasty stuff he was looking to deal in."
"Good work. How are things going with the Auror trainees?"
"It's going well although at the moment it's mostly classroom mixed with some conditioning. I think you remember what that was like," Maxwell said with a small smile.
"Vividly," Harry said. "Try not to rough them up too much. We still need them to fill out patrols. Which reminds me, have we been seeing anything in the way of applications?"
"Yes, sir. We've had a fair number from the upcoming graduating class at Hogwarts and a few reapplications from those that didn't make the cut during the open tryouts. We should be able to fill vacancies without any trouble this year," Maxwell replied.
"Speaking of which, did we ever receive an application from a Beauxbaton graduate named Henri Pelletier. He slipped me a letter when I was there during my honeymoon and I sent him back a message encouraging him to apply. I don't remember seeing anything."
"I think I can answer that, chief," Milligan said. "When I was in Paris before the holidays I was talking to a couple of wizards from the French ministry and apparently the idea about exchanging students and applications and the like has hit a roadblock. Apparently, both sides of the Channel have some firmly entrenched traditionalists and they've been making a lot of noise about it. I don't think it will last but I wouldn't expect any contacts too soon."
"Wonderful. A perfectly good idea and it's hung up over a bunch of stubborn fools," Harry groused.
"Sir, you can't expect all your ideas to be welcomed with open arms," Muntab said. "Think how we all felt about what you were trying to do at first. If you look at it objectively, you've moved this department further then most of your predecessors combined. Excuse me if I sound like someone's mother, which I am," she said with a laugh, "but you need to be a little more patient. You're young and have plenty of time to see your plans come to fruition."
"I'd like to think I do, and as much as I hate to admit it, Evelyn, you're right. But I don't think it's the time factor. It's the obstructionism. If Milligan had said they need a year or two to work things out, I'd accept that. But having someone stand in the way because of 'tradition', it just sets my temper off."
"Oh, dear, there goes the furniture again," Milligan said quietly.
"Very funny. Ok, Mr. Milligan, what have you got for us?" Harry asked with a mock scowl.
"Now that we have your friend Mr. Malfoy under surveillance we've had the chance to start back tracking his trail. For a former rich wizard down on his luck, he's been doing a lot of moving about. The Ministry didn't leave him all that much but he seems to manage. He's made at least half a dozen trips across the Channel. He's also crisscrossed England quite a bit this last year. We can't pinpoint any contact with Ministry personnel but we're still digging. I wish Miss Abagail could help on this one," Milligan said while holding up his hand to forestall Harry's response, "but I wouldn't ask anyone to peek into that one's head."
Harry settled back in his chair and signaled Milligan to continue.
"As to the hybrid itself, we haven't found out too much more. It seems like they've clamped down pretty hard. No more shipments, no money transactions that we can uncover. It's possible that whatever you think you felt, however that works, may have marked a new phase in what they are up to. I'm thinking Malfoy may be our best lead at the moment."
Harry nodded and shifted his gaze over to Muntab.
"The only significant action for the team was to help in arresting that dark wizard Maxwell referred to. We've been working on training for forced entry with some emphasis on magicked doors. Milligan mentioned something about a possible need. Anything specific you can share with us, sir?"
"My concern is that if anything comes of this hybrid thing we may have to go after whatever facility they've been using and I'd imagine the security would be pretty stiff," Harry finished.
Muntab simply nodded then continued,
"As to the trainees, I like what I see so far. A lot of enthusiasm and aptitude. Weasley is a very interesting case. He doesn't say a lot, but there's a lot going on under the surface. I have him reading some texts on strategy and tactics."
Harry laughed and shook his head.
"A big part of the reason he went into business with his brother was to avoid going back to school and he thought that being a Patroller would help him get into the Aurors without all the study."
"Maybe so, but he's soaking it up and asking for more. Is he as good at wizard's chess as it seems?" she asked.
"Yup. I've been playing against him since first year and I've only beaten him once and that was after an all night study session and he kept dozing off. I'm sure he loses but it's not very often," Harry said with a smile. "Anyone have anything else?"
He got three negative responses so he concluded the meeting and headed for his office. He thought he'd stop by to see how Hermione was doing. He hadn't seen her more then a few times since Christmas. He knocked and she let him into her office.
"Hiya, Harry. How are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"Pretty good, Hermione, how about yourself?"
"Great, Harry. I think married life suits me. It was so much fun at Christmas and it's so nice to have someone at home to talk to, at least as long as he's not on duty. We've been having some really interesting conversations lately. He's been reading some books on strategy and the like and he's been asking me questions and it's led to some really good discussions. It's been a lot of fun," she concluded.
"Yes, Evelyn Muntab made some very positive observations about Ron along those lines. She gave him the books. She thinks his ability with wizard's chess indicates talents along those lines. I think he has quite a career ahead of him," Harry said and then a thought occurred to him. "How do you feel about what he's doing?"
"The policeman's wife you mean?" she asked.
Harry nodded.
"It's not easy as I'm sure you know. But I've never seen him happier. He's excited about the opportunity and he feels like he's really standing on his own, making a real contribution. He appreciates your support but he realizes he's doing it on his own. It's been great to see, so I'm willing to live with the rest," Hermione said.
Harry smiled at her and then asked,
"So how are things going with the negotiations? I'm sorry I haven't been too involved lately."
"Harry, whatever happened to the idea of you being able to stand back and let others work on ideas you help start? Believe me, we have things well in hand and we're making solid progress. I will say that the Centaurs haven't had much to say lately. Do you think it has to do with what you were talking about before the holidays?"
"I would think so. I'm not sure how but I think they feel something. Whatever is going to happen I think it's going to be sooner rather then later. I'm heading up to Hogwarts in a bit. I need to start working on my other self I guess you'd say."
Hermione leaned forward and gripped Harry's forearm.
"Do you remember what I said to you that time when we were going after the Sorcerer's Stone. About you being a great wizard?"
"Yes, it's not something I'm likely to ever forget," Harry said.
"I meant it then, Harry, but I didn't really know what I was talking about. Believe me when I say you have it in you to be the greatest practitioner of magic our world has ever known. I know you'll never admit that to yourself but don't be surprised that the rest of us see it that way. Just don't doubt yourself or your judgment. I know you will get through this and go on to do really great things. And we'll be there to back you up every step of the way," she finished with a tight smile and a last squeeze on his arm.
Harry smiled back a bit and then stood up and motioned for Hermione to do the same. He took a step forward and said,
"I know I shouldn't do this at work but…"
He reached out and pulled her into his embrace and held on for a few minutes. He felt her hold on him tighten and then they separated.
"You're the best, Hermione," Harry said softly.
Then he turned and left her office and made his way up to the Atrium to leave for Hogwarts. He Apparated to his usual spot and he took the time to take a slow stroll along the pathway stopping to contemplate a few of the familiar names. It had snowed recently but someone had cleared the walk of the few inches that had fallen. He took out his wand and left a few flowers here and there. By the time he was back on the road to the Hogwarts gates he felt a little better about his plans. He walked up to the doors and let himself in. He timed his arrival so that lunch was just about to begin. He walked in to the Great Hall and hovered by the senior end of the Gryffindor table. He watched as the first students began to come in and they waved and said hello. He smiled and waved back. When some senior Gryffindors entered he asked if they had room and he was eagerly greeted and seated.
"So how was everyone's Holiday break?" Harry asked.
He got a number of affirmative responses and as he settled in the conversation grew to cover the upcoming inaugural club Quidditch season. Ron's idea caught on big and a number of teams were formed and the upcoming Saturday would be the first matches. Madame Hooch had recovered but she only felt up to handling the first match. Bill volunteered to referee the second and Charlie the third. It looked like Harry's Christmas gifts were going to get a workout. Once Harry demolished his lunch he went up to the dais to speak to the Head.
"Professor Potter, so nice to see you. I trust your Holidays went well," she said with a perfectly straight face.
"I'm doing fine, Professor McGonagall," Harry said with a half grin.
Harry had to laugh to himself. The Headmistress never seemed to fail to greet him as 'professor' since he agreed to the sabbatical year.
"I've decided that I need to start taking that other issue more seriously," he said quietly. "Do you have a few moments to spare?"
"Of course, Harry. Head up to the Room of Requirements and I'll meet you there. Dumbledore would want to be part of this," she said.
Harry nodded and began walking up to that most magical of rooms. When he opened the door he found the small sitting room, two cushioned chairs and the empty picture frame. He took a seat and waited. The first to arrive was his mentor.
"Ah, Harry, so good to see you. I trust your holidays went well," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Yes, sir. We had a very good time at the Weasleys'. Something happened though that I thought you and Professor McGonagall should hear about and I have some questions about how I can start practicing."
The former Headmaster merely nodded and looked at Harry over his small glasses. In a moment or two, the Headmistress arrived and took her place in the other chair.
"So, Harry, what can we do for you?" she asked.
"I had an unusual occurrence, well two really, while I was visiting with the Weasleys for Christmas. The first was what I consider to be the voice of the dragon telling me that the 'kin' was stirring. I assume that means the hybrid. The Centaurs referred to seeing me fighting with kin as you might recall," he said.
Both Heads nodded in response.
"I was in sort of a doze when I heard it and it woke me up so I went down to the living room and sort of stared into the fire in the fireplace. After a while I saw the head of a dragon form in the flames and the voice said 'behold the kin'. I can't say for sure but the eyes made it look like it was crazy or something. I remember the eyes of the Hungarian horntail during the tournament and they just looked really angry, this was different," he said.
"Well, my boy, if what you suspect is true and those people from Mysteries are playing with the essence of a Basilisk the eyes could play a big part in it. They are the most potent of weapons for those creatures," Dumbledore said.
"I'll have to remember that," Harry replied.
"You said there were two occurrences, Harry, were those they or is there more?" the Headmistress asked.
"Yes, there was another. I fell asleep after a while and I dreamed I was the dragon and I was flying around Hogwarts, then the Burrow and then the Ministry and back again. It felt like I was flying a patrol, watching and waiting for an attack or something. Funny thing was I felt calm about it, just very watchful but not anxious or scared."
"Most interesting, Harry. It seems that your 'other self' as you've phrased it is able to sense the awareness of the hybrid yet feels reasonably confident that it can be handled. It appears that you are now forewarned and my guess is that is why you are here, to begin preparation for what may come, yes?"
"Yes, sir. I was looking for some suggestions on how and where I might be able to spend some time getting accustomed to the dragon. I've only made the transformation a few times and have only flown the one time," Harry said.
"With students in attendance, the Quidditch Stadium is no longer an option, Harry," Professor McGonagall said. "However, I might suggest looking beyond the hills behind Hogsmeade, where Sirius and then Hagrid hid in that cave, you'd find some pretty rough country with few if any inhabitants. It could be a place to launch and land. With cloud cover like today you'd be able to fly and maneuver with little chance of observation and there is nighttime as well."
"Thanks, Professor, that's a good idea, and I be close by if I needed to ask some questions," Harry said and then a thought occurred to him. "Oh, by the way, we found out that the farm where I had the run in with the original hybrid and the smugglers is mine. I inherited it from Sirius, so it was originally the Blacks'. We thought that might be the tie in to the experiments and Voldemort and everything. There may even be a link to Lucius Malfoy as the last Death Eater and the spooks that are running this new experiment."
"Hmm, now that is interesting, Harry. Allow me a moment's thought," Professor Dumbledore said.
Harry and Professor McGonagall waited as Dumbledore considered what he had been told. After a few moments he looked back at Harry.
"It does make sense, my boy, and it does have the likelihood of something more sinister. I will do my best as my situation allows to delve into it but I think you are more likely to get to the bottom of it."
"Yes, sir, I think you're right. I was going to stop by Hagrid's and see if he's picked up any rumblings out of the forest. Oh, by the way, Professor McGonagall. Have you or anyone come up with an idea for a textbook for the Applied Magic course?" Harry asked.
"I'm afraid not, Harry. If you can come up on this Saturday as you have been we'll all sit down and go through it together but I'm getting the impression you may have to rely on your own notes supplemented by the standard texts we use for the other classes and perhaps at some time in the future write your own book," she concluded with a small smile.
"Yes, ma'am, Ginny and I were planning on coming up so we'll do that. Thank you for taking the time to see me today, I really appreciate it," Harry said.
"Not at all, my boy. I'm only too happy to be of assistance," Dumbledore replied.
"Absolutely, Harry," Professor McGonagall offered.
Harry smiled at them both and then left the room and started his walk to Hagrid's hut. A path had been cleared and as he approached he was greeted by the booming bark of Norbie. Abagail must be in class, Harry thought to himself. After exchanging greetings with the big Mastiff, Harry walked the last few paces to Hagrid's hut. He saw his friend in the back tending to some hutches.
"Hello there, Hagrid. Got a minute?" Harry called out.
"Sure thing, Harry. Glad ta see ya. Got summat I wants ta show ya," Hagrid replied.
Harry stood by the corner of the hut and waited as Hagrid lumbered up and held out his hand for Harry to shake. Then he led the way into the stone hut with Norbie bringing up the rear.
"Takes a look over the fireplace, Harry," Hagrid directed.
Harry looked over and saw something that amazed him. Above the mantel was a portrait of Norbie done in oils. Norbie was posed in a very erect sitting posture viewed from a three quarter front position. His head was held high and proud and Harry swore if he held up his hand the portrait would have licked it. It was surrounded by a plainly elegant dark wood frame.
"Wow, Hagrid, that's beautiful. It's so lifelike. I'm guessing Abagail did that for you?" Harry asked.
"Yup, gave it ta me jest before the break. Said it was ta thank me fer lettin' 'er spend so much time down here," Hagrid said with a smile. "She's really summat special, that one is."
"I wanted to thank you, too, Hagrid. She had a pretty rough time of it there and you and Norbie really helped her get through it," Harry said quietly. "I also wanted to see if you've picked up anything new out of the forest. I've had a few warnings from up here," he said tapping his forehead, "and I was thinking maybe you might have heard something from the Centaurs."
"What kinda warnin's, Harry?"
Harry explained what he experienced to Hagrid. Hagrid's bushy eyebrows pulled down in a brief scowl.
"Sounds dicey, Harry. As fer them Centaurs, I haven't seen hide nor hair of 'em in a few weeks. Which sez a lot right there."
Harry just nodded. He spent a few more minutes talking with Hagrid and then he left to make his way back to the Ministry to watch and wait some more. In the weeks that followed Harry tried to spend at least a part of two different days each week in the air above and around Hogwarts. He would Disapparate with broom in hand to the memorial park and then fly up into the hills to a spot he found which was just big enough to accommodate his bulk when he made the change.
He would then spend several hours in the air acclimating himself to the abilities of the dragon in terms of speed, climb, dive and changes in direction. It amazed him to think at how agile a creature of such bulk could be and he surmised that it had to be the magic of the dragon more than the physics of flight that permitted it. He also took time to talk with Charlie about what he had observed over the course of his studies of dragons in terms of how they would fight in order to gain some insight into what might occur.
On Saturdays he would continue his work with the Professors to refine and expand the course material he was preparing and he had the staff at Flourish and Blotts working frantically trying to locate what might prove to be suitable material. One volume he was going to list as required reading was titled "Thoughts on Magic in a Mundane World" by Marcel Fournier in a translation from the original French. He thought it contained some interesting insights on how magic might be used in everyday situations without drawing the attention of muggles.
He also found time to take in a few of the club Quidditch matches with Ginny and they found it to be very interesting. With a set time limit, the flyers didn't feel a need to pace themselves for the potential of a marathon session so the action tended to be faster. The possibility of winning without catching the snitch tended to put more emphasis on scoring and keeping. It made for quite an exciting experience for both the players and the fans. When he told Ron about what he was seeing Ron smiled and said he would make sure to get to see some matches.
Much to Harry's frustration, the increased surveillance on Malfoy wasn't turning up very much. He was concerned that his inspiration had come too late. It was obvious that the man was spending a great deal of time meeting and talking to various individuals within the wizarding community, most of whom could be described as traditional, some of whom were positively reactionary. If nothing else it gave them an idea of where some trouble might come from and who might cause it. And try as they might they couldn't pinpoint the location of the facility that was being used for the experiment. Somewhere in the Hebrides was still the best bet but they weren't able to uncover anything.
So Harry continued to deal with the everyday matters of running a large law enforcement agency, preparing his course material and waiting for whatever was going to happen. But he was positive something would. It was late in April, early in the evening when it finally did. Harry was sitting alone in his study reading through some course notes. Ginny was with her mum paying a brief social call on Fleur and Victoire. His work was interrupted by a very agitated Kreacher.
"Master Harry. Something terrible is happening at Hogwarts. Something is attacking the castle. The house elves there are very frightened and ask you to come."
Something inside said 'the time has come' and Harry nodded to himself. He quickly rose and hurried down to the front door and grabbed up his Firebolt. He went outside onto the porch and Disapparated to his usual spot and he felt the light chill that was evening in mid spring at Hogsmeade. He sensed the presence of something wrong and then he heard the dull roar from the school grounds. He launched himself into the air on his broom and rocketed up and over the grounds. What he saw was amazing and frightening. A dragon or dragonish creature was on the ground before the castle trying to batter its way inside. Occasional blasts of flame were directed at the doors but they were standing fast. It beat at the walls with its wings and tail. That dry cold voice in his mind turned hot and was bellowing its rage at this interloper.
Harry streaked higher and out over the forest. When he felt he was high enough he dove off his broom to let it fall into the cover of the trees. As he began to fall he thought of his need to be 'big' and the need to contain his mounting rage. Within two heart beats he felt his wings boom outward to catch the air and with mighty sweeps he regained his lost altitude. The great green dragon soared out over the school grounds and looked down at its adversary. He circled as he watched as it continued to batter at the walls and doors of the school. He saw red lines of energy flare from windows as someone began to cast spells at it from inside the castle.
From the beast itself the great dragon could sense it's feelings of anger, of confusion, and something else, fear. Harry tried to make sense of this but first and foremost he had to protect his territory and those within it. He was curious as well. Why wasn't this creature already rising in challenge like any dragon would? So he let forth with a bellowing roar followed by a lance of white hot flame. This got the creature's attention and it twisted its head up and roared its defiance and punctuated it with its own flame. It backed away from the castle proper and launched itself into the air. Its wingspan was impressive but not as big as Harry. Its neck and head looked oddly proportioned and as it tried to gain altitude its movements seemed jerky and ill coordinated.
To Harry's perceptions it appeared that the creature was fighting itself. Then a thought occurred to him as he himself spiraled higher. The dragon is a creature of the air. It has legs to move about on land but its primary mode of movement is flight. The basilisk is a creature of ground and water. Its legless body was intended for ease of movement through dense growth and through water. If this beast's creators had hoped to fashion a creature that was master of all, they had only succeeded in creating a master of none. As he watched the beast flounder up to meet his challenge he realized this would not be a battle, it would be a slaughter, or perhaps more accurately, a mercy killing.
It was also apparent that the creature was irrational and full of fear. Its thoughts were confused, that Harry could feel. It threw up its head and spouted flame at him but it was wildly off target. Harry chose not to respond but waited for an opening that would allow him to finish it quickly and cleanly. He didn't have to wait long. After spouting another gout of flame at Harry the hybrid had to struggle to keep its equilibrium and this broke its attention on its adversary. In that moment, Harry folded his wings and dropped, covering the distance between them in less than a moment. His legs were extended with claws fully exposed. He struck the back of the struggling creature and dug into its hide with all four clawed feet. As the beast tried to rear in pain and anger Harry's jaws clamped down on the neck just behind the head and bit hard. He felt the bones snap and separate and he felt the struggling creature turn to dead weight as they began to fall. He snapped open his massive wings and with deep strong strokes managed to keep himself and his burden aloft.
He knew where he was headed. In his many practice flights he had come to know the surrounding area very well. He made his way slowly but steadily to a narrow ravine that had no access but from the air. Its walls were too steep and high to allow him to land so he had to get as close as he could and then release the corpse to fall to the bottom. He was then able to vent some of his anger by clawing quantities of rock and debris from the tops of the ravine to bury the body. He was determined that no one would disturb the poor wretched thing for the purposes of further experiments.
It was still well before midnight by the time he was done and as he sat perched on the edge of the ravine he knew he had one more task for the night. While waiting for the hybrid to reach him in the air he had been able to sense the trail of the thing and he knew he would be able to find where it came from. He was determined to put an end to this madness once and for all. For someone to have debased one of the kin in this way could not go unanswered. With one last look at the rock pile below he launched himself into the night air. He passed high overhead of the castle but he could tell that the grounds were full of people searching for signs of the outcome of the battle. He flew on, gathering speed as his fury built.
It was approaching dawn at the Burrow but the house was full of very awake people. After having delivered the alarm to Harry, Kreacher went in search of Mistress Ginny and found her at Shell cottage in the company of Fleur and Mrs. Weasley. When he delivered his message Fleur was the first to react and after handing her child to her mother-in-law she Disapparated from the house with Ginny just behind. When they arrived outside the gates of the school the beast was already trying to claw its way into the air. She could just discern the dark bulk of her husband circling high above and waiting. The two women could hear the commotion coming from the school building but chose to remain outside to witness what was to follow.
"Theese creature, eet ees not right," Fleur said, her words clipped and quiet.
"It certainly doesn't fly very well, that's for sure. I don't think this is going to take very long," Ginny said.
But even she was stunned by the suddenness of how Harry dispatched the hybrid. She and Fleur clutched at each other as they watched him slowly fly away with the now dead beast hanging limp beneath him.
"Should we go see if they need our help?" Ginny asked.
"No, that would only breeng attention to 'arry. We 'ave no reason to be 'ere. Let us go and tell Muum that all ees well for the moment," Fleur replied.
"I guess you're right. Let's go," Ginny said and they popped out of sight.
Now they were all waiting for word from Harry. It was much the same as the days that followed his trip to Europe to deal with the aged dark wizard. At least this time they had some idea of what was going on and what to expect. Kreacher was the first to be alert. He looked up towards the ceiling and said,
"Master Harry comes."
No sooner had he spoken then the sound of rushing wind filled the house and a pained roar rattled the windows. As they rushed to the windows they saw the dragon on the ground, it's left rear leg held up and then Harry was there toppling over into the fresh green grass. His family poured out of the front door as he sat up, gripping his left knee in obvious agony. George and Ron were the first to reach him and as he held his arms up they grabbed hold and helped him to his one good leg. Bill and Charlie were soon there and between the four of them they hoisted Harry up and began to carry him towards the house.
Mrs. Weasley was standing with her husband and they were holding back Fleur and Ginny. Hermione stood to the side, her face half hidden by her hands. As the four brothers carried Harry up the path his wife and the others could see his face wracked in a grimace of pain. Bill said,
"Ok, we can't all go through the door like this. Charlie, you and I sideways and through and then set him down on the couch. George, get the door."
Bill and Charlie gingerly shifted Harry around and then shuffled sideways into the living room and then gently set him on the couch. They cautiously placed pillows under the left knee and his head while Mrs. Weasley hurried into the kitchen to fashion an ice pack. Harry spoke between clenched teeth.
"Kreacher, home, my room, the cold bag, please."
The little house elf didn't even respond, he just popped out of sight and in less than a minute he was back with the bag and handed it to Ginny. She knelt at Harry's side and gently placed the bag on his badly swollen knee. This was plain even through the leg of his trousers. As the cold began to take effect, Harry's grimace began to ease. Mrs. Weasley turned to her husband and said,
"We need a healer but with no fuss. Arthur, do you think you could get someone from St. Mungo's here quietly?"
"I think so. I'll try and get Dr. Antimony to come out. He was the one who looked at his leg the last time. Be back shortly," he said.
"All right everyone, give the boy some room. I don't think we can get much out of him until we deal with his leg."
While the others took up seats nearby, Ginny sat on the floor next to the couch and held on to Harry's hand and spoke quietly to him trying to ease his pain. Occasionally she felt his hand tighten as a spasm of pain gripped him. In what was only a few minutes, but what seemed like hours, Arthur Weasley led Dr. Antimony into the kitchen. The healer looked around the room and gave no hint to his reaction. Fleur helped Ginny up and held on to her hand as Doctor Anitmony crouched down next to Harry. He took out an instrument from the case he carried and made quick work of Harry's pant leg. What he revealed provoked gasps from several in the room.
His knee was grotesquely swollen and already turning a deep black and blue. He pulled out his wand and passed it over the injured area, mumbling incantations. He looked back over his shoulder and said,
"Could someone tell me what happened?"
As the others looked uneasily at each other they heard,
"I fell down the stairs."
Dr. Antimony looked back at his patient. His eyes met Harry's, squinting in pain behind his glasses.
"I fell down the stairs," Harry repeated in a strained voice.
"Hmmm, I see. Well, if that is indeed the case, you are most fortunate that you only reinjured this knee. That kind of fall can be very dangerous. The swelling is blocking a lot of what I need to know so for now we have to work to get that down and ease the pain. You'll need to continue with the cold packs around the clock and give him a packet of this in warm water ever four hours that he's awake. Leave him where he is for the first twenty four hours and then try and get him into a bed where he can be more comfortable. I'll be back in four days to see what I can do."
As the healer stood up he looked around and then down at Harry and said,
"You know, if I had had to make a diagnosis I would have said a bludger strike from close range."
He nodded to Harry and then Mr. Weasley showed him out to the backyard. Mrs. Weasley went into the kitchen with one of the pain killer packs and mixed up the potion and brought it back to Harry. Ginny took it and kneeling beside the couch, helped Harry gulp it down. He let his head drop back onto the pillow and after a few minutes his face began to relax. A few minutes later he let out a sigh and dropped off to sleep.
"Well, I guess it will be a little bit before we get anything out of him but at least we know he's home and relatively safe. I need some help getting breakfast ready. Someone should see to Victoire as well. The rest can keep an eye on Harry. We don't want him moving about and hurting himself further," Mrs. Weasley directed.
Fleur went up to attend to her daughter and Ginny sat on the floor and leaned against the couch near Harry's side. Ron and Hermione went into the kitchen to help Molly and Bill, Charlie and George remained in the living room. George was the first to speak,
"I really should go and let Angelina know what's going on, but I don't want to leave in case Harry wakes up."
"Kreacher, if George writes out a note can you deliver it to his wife, Angelina?" Ginny asked.
"Certainly, Mistress Ginny. May Kreacher return to the Burrow when the message is delivered?"
"Yes, of course. Oh, but on the way back would you stop at the London house and get Harry's cane. He probably won't need it for a while but I'd like to have it nearby, just in case."
"Yes, Mistress Ginny."
George went into the kitchen and wrote out a note and then handed it to Kreacher who then popped out of sight. George came back in and sat down. Bill then said,
"Ginny, you said that when you and Fleur saw Harry flying away with the body of the hybrid dragon, he looked alright?"
"Yes, it was hard to see any detail but he looked ok and it didn't look like that other creature had a chance to strike him so I don't know where this all came from. It had to have happened afterwards somehow. Could he have run into another dragon up there, Charlie?"
"Doubtful. Not much around that area and no dragons that I know of. My work was farther north and west. If I had to make a guess I'd think he went after whoever sent the thing out in the first place. He should have been able to track its path back to where it started from."
"I guess we should check the news then. Listen for something about a natural disaster or something," Bill said with a half smile.
The house began to fill with the smell of breakfast, eggs, bacon and sausage. Harry began to stir and his eyes slowly opened. Charlie was the first to notice and he motioned to Ginny.
"Harry, can you hear me, sweetheart?"
"Yes," he replied slowly. "Everything is a little fuzzy but I can hear you. Is that food I smell?"
"Yes, Harry, Mum is making breakfast. Are you hungry?" she asked.
"Very," he murmured. "Don't get your fingers near my mouth."
Ginny giggled a bit and then laid her head lightly on his chest and then stood up and hurried into the kitchen. Harry's eyes remained half closed and he didn't say anything further. Not long after she left Ginny returned with a plate full of food and Ron was carrying a folding table similar to the ones used after Harry had his 'fire storm' incident. With Bill and Charlie's help Harry was eased into an upright sitting position with a number of pillows jammed in behind him. A kitchen chair was pulled up so Ginny could sit by the table and help Harry eat his breakfast. The pain potion was numbing more than just his knee so after the first couple of fumbled attempts Ginny took over and fed him herself. If Harry objected he gave no indication and just concentrated on capturing as much food as he could as quickly as he could.
Even in his battered state he managed to finish two full plates and drank two tumblers of pumpkin juice. When he was done he pushed back into the pile of pillows and looked over at his wife. He took a deep breath and let it out.
"Maybe you should get something to eat, too," he said softly.
"It's ok, Harry. I'm a little too wound up to eat right now. Can you tell us what happened?"
"I think so. I shouldn't try and sleep after eating all that. Are the others done with their breakfast yet?" he asked.
By now his voice was carrying into the kitchen and the others quickly finished whatever they were working on and came over. Fleur sat with little Victoire in her lap and the rest were arranged around the room.
"Go ahead, sweetheart," Ginny said.
Harry began to tell them what had happened from the time Kreacher sounded the alarm to when he fell over in the field across the road. Ginny and Fleur nodded when he talked about how he sensed the hybrid was impaired and that he chose to finish it quickly than opposed to any kind of fight. They all wore somber expressions when he described how he buried the wretched creature in the ravine and then decided to back track it to its place of origin and put a stop to it all. He spoke of how he had flown from Scotland to a small unpopulated island at the southern end of the Hebrides following the trail until he spotted a carefully hidden structure, most of which was built into the side of a hill, not unlike what was found on the old Black property in Derbyshire.
He then described how he circled the facility and noticed that a section of roof and wall had been knocked outward suggested that the hybrid had escaped and not been loosed on the world. That didn't do anything to change his mind about destroying the place so he adjusted his flight path and came in low and targeted the opening with a blast of white hot plasma that set the whole section of the building on fire. He made two more runs on the structure and on the third he noticed several individuals running out of an exit and he turned them into ashes. As he pulled up from the third attack the entire structure exploded, perhaps from some chemicals or some other material igniting, he couldn't tell.
This was when he was injured. The debris from the explosion peppered his entire body but most of it was small and of no significance. However, something large and heavy, perhaps metal or masonry struck him on the rear leg at the knee and did the damage. The pain was intense but his anger was even greater, so he decided to circle around the area a bit to see if there was anything or anyone else about. Within moments, a group of wizards ran out of the side of a hill and began firing spells at him but they didn't have any affect. Harry told of how he dove on them and incinerated all but one who had managed to flee back into the cave in the hillside. Harry landed as best he could on the bad leg and hit the entrance with a full blast of fire that blew off the top of the small hill.
Satisfied that he was finished he managed to get airborne although the push off was extremely painful. He knew he had dropped his broom into the forest but he also knew that once he made the change back he would be incapacitated so he made his way to the Burrow. They knew the rest. He looked over at Charlie.
"It was a pathetic thing, Charlie. It struggled against itself the whole time. I think you were right when you suggested that they started with a full grown dragon and forced the change on it somehow. For that alone they deserved what they got, but worse they let it get away and so they were responsible for whatever might have happened at Hogwarts. But why Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
Charlie thought for a few moments. Then he looked over at Harry and said,
"You thought that this is all connected back to Voldemort. Where did his basilisk live?"
"The Chamber of Secrets," Ginny said with a shudder.
"Right. Directly below the castle. Some part of that poor beast was trying to get home."
"The bastards got what they deserved," Harry said, his voice dropping off as his chin came to rest on his chest.
Ginny got up and pulled a few pillows out of the stack behind Harry to let him settle more comfortably to sleep. Then she sat back on the chair and took his hand. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Well, children," Mrs. Weasley said. "We have our answers and Harry needs to rest. I suggest we let him do so. Ginny, I'd imagine you'll be staying here with Harry."
"Yes, Mum."
"I will stay for a while to keep Geeny company," Fleur said.
Mrs. Weasley nodded and the rest began to stand and say their farewells. Mr. Weasley was off to the Ministry and he would send messages back once he informed the Minister of what happened and the cover story. George was for home and then the store while Bill needed to get back to Hogwarts where he would inform the Headmistress of all that had occurred beyond her doorstep. Charlie had the day free so he thought he'd hang around and help keep an eye on Harry.
Harry spent the day fading in and out of sleep, helped along by the painkiller potion. When he was awake he continued to eat like a lumberjack, or several lumberjacks in fact. An owl arrived late in the day from Hogwarts with a message from Professor McGonagall. It briefly thanked Harry for his intervention and that she would come to visit him when Bill informed her that he was able to have visitors. Bill paid a short visit after dinner and gave a brief recount of what had gone on inside the castle when the hybrid attacked. All the students had been herded into the dungeons while the staff tried to fend off the attack. When the second dragon had bellowed its challenge there was a brief moment of panic among the students but Abagail yelled out that it had come to rescue them. She didn't reveal Harry's secret and the students, familiar with her abilities, accepted what she said and started to calm down. Professor McGonagall was fairly sure of what was going on but had to keep them all under cover until she was sure it was safe. By the time they came out the only signs of the attack were the superficial damage to the building and the torn up frozen turf and snow. Apparently the students were so upset that no one got any sleep last night and classes were cancelled for today.
Harry was awake enough to hold a short discussion with Charlie and Bill about the hybrid. Harry was feeling regret at having had to kill the poor creature but he had no such feelings about those that created it. He wanted someone to bring Milligan out so he could discuss a few things with him. Mr. Weasley said he would speak to him in the morning. The Minister wanted to come out and see Harry once he was sure he could handle it. Harry drifted off to sleep again after being given more of the potion. His family sat around the living room, making sure the cold bag was still working and generally keeping an eye on him. Ginny was already in bed, as she was going to take the early morning shift to watch him and make sure he would get his pain relief.
"I wonder if Eleanor was right that day," Charlie said. "Maybe he can't expect his luck to continue. I mean, as big as he was, he gets hit by debris in the worst possible place. Is someone or something trying to give him a message or was it just the weirdest coincidence ever?"
"I hope he decides it's time to quit. He's suffered enough," Mrs. Weasley said. "Far more than enough."
The discussion went on well into the night while the subject of their concern slept on. The pain in his knee began to worm its way into his consciousness shortly after midnight but Ginny was there to give him his potion and talk to him for a while. They didn't speak of anything too important as he couldn't put together too many coherent thoughts and Ginny thought it would be unfair to try and coax a choice from him in such a state. He fell asleep around half an hour later and didn't move until after dawn.
When he woke up Ginny was sitting across from him, sipping from a cup of tea. His glasses were taken off so he couldn't really make out much of anything but he was able to hear someone moving about in the kitchen. He looked back at the fuzzy shape that was Ginny and said,
"You guys are up early this morning."
"You sound stronger this morning, Harry," Ginny said.
"I guess all that food I ate yesterday has done some good then. I don't remember much of anything besides food and drifting in and out of sleep. Did I tell you what happened?"
"Yes, Harry. I think so. Getting the alarm from Kreacher, the fight, burying the hybrid up in the hills and then destroying the place where they created him and then you getting hurt and coming back here."
"Hmm, yeah, that sounds like all of it. Worse sort of luck getting hit on the knee like that," he said.
"Yes, it was almost like someone was trying to tell you something," Ginny said casually.
"Maybe," he replied.
Ginny was wise enough not to push. Instead she rose and went into the kitchen and brought back a tray with some rolls and a small dish with butter on it.
"Mum and I kept busy while you were sleeping yesterday, sweetheart. We suspect you'll be hungrier then usual for the next few days so we thought we'd get ready."
She set the tray down on the small table and buttered the rolls for Harry and then sat down and watched him eat. She smiled a little as she watched him try to eat the rolls as quickly as he could while at the same time not covering himself with crumbs. As he ate, the rest of those in the house came down for breakfast, each stopping to ask Harry how he was feeling. Harry did his best to reassure them around mouthfuls of the flaky breakfast rolls.
Ginny took the time to look at Harry's knee. The swelling was greatly reduced but still significant. The color, however, was enough to make one's stomach twist. The band of bruising wrapped completely around his knee and half way up his thigh and down his calf. It was deep purple with yellow and black streaks. She gave him a wan smile and then after checking to see that the bag was still cold, she placed it back on his leg.
"I guess we should see about getting you up to our room after breakfast, Harry," she said after resuming her seat.
"Do I really have to?" Harry asked. "This couch is very comfortable and I like being able to see everyone. If I'm stuck upstairs," he tailed off shrugging.
"If he's comfortable I say let him stay where he is, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley called out from the kitchen. "But we will need to get him cleaned up and into some pajamas or something."
"Probably after his next dose of potion. Otherwise he's going to be in a lot of pain," Ginny replied.
Mrs. Weasley and Harry both nodded in agreement. Mrs. Weasley carried over a plate loaded with eggs, sausage, and fruit. Harry looked at the fruit with raised eyebrows.
"You may be a dragon when you choose to be, dear, but we humans need our fruits and veg. Eat it all," she said with her best motherly tone of voice.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said as he began to attack the plate.
As he was finishing the first plate, Mr. Weasley came over to say good bye for the day and affirm that he would have Milligan come out to see him. Harry tried to say thank you but with a full mouth he simply shook his dad's hand. He had worked his way through a second plate by the time Fleur had finished her breakfast and she came to sit across from Harry and Ginny with the nearly year old Victoire on the floor in front of her, playing with various toys. Harry looked down at her and said,
"Hard to believe it's been nearly a year already. Has she started walking yet?" Harry asked, his voice fading a bit.
"Not yet, 'arry, but she ees pulleeng 'erself up on thee furniture so eet weell not be too much longer," the proud mother replied with a smile.
Harry smiled in return but any further discussion was cut off when there was a knock on the kitchen door. Mrs. Weasley answered it and let in the tall lanky Milligan. She directed him to the living room and when he saw his boss lying on the couch he shook his head with a wry smile.
"Morning, Chief," was all he said.
"Hello, Milligan," Harry replied. "I don't know how much longer I'll be awake so I need to make this fast. There's a small, uninhabited island at the south end of the Hebrides where that facility we've been looking for was. You and yours need to get out there and see if anything is left."
Milligan nodded and said,
"We're already on it, chief. We put a few things together and figured out what was going on."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, internally a little alarmed.
"We had the report about the attack on Hogwarts, your father-in-law telling us you were hurt and then the muggle reports of some sort of explosions on that island you mentioned so we put the pieces together."
"And?" Harry prompted.
"We figure it went like this. You got the alarm from your house elf of the attack and you responded. Shortly after you arrive the second dragon shows up. A rather big fellow we heard. Anyway, a challenge from the second dragon draws off the first and in the fight the first is killed by the second and the carcass is carried away. You choose to follow in the hopes of uncovering something about the origins of the first. After the carcass is disposed of, which by the way has the dragon experts scratching their heads, the big fella flies off with you following and by tracking the trail of the first, probably by scent, it lays waste to the entire place and you got caught in the fallout. And here you are. How'd we do?" Milligan asked.
"Close enough. I told the healer I fell down the stairs," Harry said with a laugh.
Milligan just nodded.
"As far as the Minister is concerned that's the story being released to the Prophet. It will contain an announcement that you're on indefinite medical leave with the Deputy Chief now acting Chief and the Chief investigator, me, as Acting Deputy Chief. It also contains some nice words about how much he appreciates you once again putting your personal safety at risk for the good of the magical community," he finished with a wry smile.
Harry just nodded and then offered his hand to Milligan.
"Let me know what you find out, but from what I could see there won't be much left," Harry said, his voice fading quickly.
"Ok, Chief. Sounds like it's time I left. You take care of yourself and we'll keep it held together for you. Just send a message if you need anything," Milligan said as he stood up.
Harry nodded and as Mrs. Weasley walked Milligan to the door, Ginny brought Harry his cup of potion. He was asleep in minutes. As he slept he dreamed that he was floating on rough water, his body moved this way and that until he finally drifted onto a sandy beach and he could rest again. We woke briefly to discover he had been stripped of his clothes and now was in a set of soft, warm pajamas. He felt clean and comfortable. He also felt what woke him. He turned his head to find little Victoire standing a bit unsteadily beside him, grasping the blanket that covered him. He saw that Fleur was watching with an odd look on her face. Harry looked back at the child and he reached out and lifted her up and brought her to rest on his chest. She snuggled down and promptly dozed off and with his arms wrapped around her, he did likewise.
When he awoke again his niece was still sleeping on his chest and he looked over and saw Ginny and Fleur sitting on the couch drinking tea and talking in low tones. His stomach began to rumble loudly. The two women looked at him and laughed. Fleur came over to retrieve her daughter while Ginny went into the kitchen to get his lunch.
"Don't worry, Fleur, I wasn't going to eat her," Harry said quietly.
"That was not my worry, 'arry. She ees starteeng to eat more soleed food. You would 'ave 'ad to fight 'er for your lunch, mon frere," she said with a smile.
Harry laughed quietly until Ginny bought his tray and then he was quiet until he finished it all. This pattern continued until the fourth day when Dr. Antimony returned. He carefully pulled back the leg of Harry's pajama pants. He looked at the joint that was still slightly swollen and looked closely at the discoloration that was fading but still prominent.
"You've been able to stay off it I trust?"
"Just the occasional trip to the bathroom down the hall. They practically carry me though. No weight has been placed on the leg," Harry replied quietly.
"Very good. The swelling is almost gone so that should make the examination easier. So, let us see what we can see, shall we?" the healer said.
He took out his wand and passed it slowly over the injured joint while he mumbled incantations. He did this from a number of angles and several times touched the tip to the knee itself. Harry could feel tingles and a warming sensation. He watched the healer's face but beyond concentration he revealed nothing. Finally he sat back and said,
"Well, it's a good deal worse this time around, Mr. Potter. The original injuries have been aggravated severely and there are signs of additional damage. Torn cartilage and bone fragments, damaged tendons and ligaments as well as some muscle damage above and below the knee. I can try to heal some of the damage with magic but I would have to say that you may have to consult a muggle surgeon to deal with the rest. The swelling needs to go down all the way before I can begin and I'd say you'll spend the summer in a full brace. I'll bring that with me the next time I come out. I read about what happened in the Prophet. I thought you said you fell down the stairs."
Harry shrugged and said,
"I guess I wasn't thinking too well at the time."
The healer nodded and then as he stood he offered Harry his hand. Harry took it.
"Keep the cold on it. Use the pain potion as needed but try to reduce the dosages. I'll be back in a week. Stay off it as much as possible but if you need to move about, do it slowly and with assistance."
"Thank you, Doctor," Harry said.
"No, Mr. Potter, thank you. My daughter is a first year at Hogwarts. Ravenclaw," he said with a smile and then he was walked out by Mrs. Weasley.
That evening most of the family came to visit to see what the healer had to say about his condition. Angelina scored major points with the patient when she arrived with a box full of special medicine, that is, the sugared buttery biscuits. Harry's grin could have lit up the night sky. He was propped up in a sitting position with little Victoire perched on his stomach doing her best to grab one of the special treats. Mr. Weasley looked at him from his spot on the couch next to his wife. He said,
"Harry, if you don't mind, I'd like to let the Minister know he can come out to see you. He's been pretty anxious to see how you are doing. We should probably let Professor McGonagall know as well. Oh, and the muggles have been making a big thing about that island you visited. The speculation is that it was some old weapons storage site from one of the wars and something caused it to explode. The local authorities are saying they were sure there was nothing there," his dad finished.
"As long as they have a reasonable explanation they won't dig too deep for the truth. I can live with that," he said with a lopsided grin. "How are things at work, Hermione, Ron?"
"Half the talk is about how long you can keep taking this kind of punishment and the other is about where the second dragon came from. The experts in Magical Creatures are dismissing the reports on size and what happened to the carcass on hysteria. They're insisting the hybrid either flew off injured or fell into the lake," Hermione said.
Harry just shrugged which got 'looks' from Hermione and Ginny.
"As for the Patrollers and such, your friends are all worried about you, but I've been keeping them up to date," Ron said. "Some are wondering if you're going to have to retire or something. I guess the 'indefinite' part of the medical leave has them guessing."
"Me too. But I'll have to deal with it at Hogwarts first. Guess I should ask Professor McGonagall about a first floor classroom," Harry said.
He had his chance to ask two days later when the Professor arrived shortly after breakfast. Harry was down to half a dose of pain killer as long as he kept the cold bag on it several times a day. When she was ushered into the living room by Ginny she looked down at Harry from over the top of her glasses. It was clear she was having a difficult time controlling her emotions. After a moment she sat down in a chair offered by Ginny and she tried to speak again.
"Harry. Even though the events of the other night were not entirely unexpected I can assure you they were no less shocking and frightening. I know the truth of course but the story as released to the Prophet has been sufficient to answer the many questions that were raised once everything had calmed down. All of the students as well as the faculty are quite concerned about your injuries. Poor Miss Westwood has had to fend off any number of requests to take a look at you, as it were, to get an update on your condition. I will of course report to them this evening that we've spoken and how you are doing. So, how are you doing?" she asked, almost out of breath.
Harry was sure that the length of the Professor's comments had as much to do with trying to calm herself as to relay the information intended. He smiled at her and said,
"The knee is something of a wreck. The healer even said I may have to look to a muggle surgeon to fix what can be. Dr. Antimony will do what he can, but it'll be heavily braced and it may be the end of the summer before I can get around much. I may have to request a ground floor classroom. I don't think stairs will be an option for a while, unless Professor Flitwick wants to float me around the school with his wand," he said with a grin.
"I daresay he wouldn't object, nor would anyone else, but as to the first I think that can be arranged. We may have to juggle things a bit but we should be able to sort it out. It would also keep you in close proximity to the DADA classroom which would make sense. I presume this will put a crimp in your participation in this years Quidditch camp," she said.
"I would think so, Professor, but I'm sure we'll have more than enough help. While I've got you here, can we talk a bit about the scholarship program? Do you know how many will be needing help?" he asked.
"Harry, you're laying here nursing serious injuries and you want to discuss scholarship applicants?"
"It's not like I have much else I can do so the thought had occurred to me," he replied.
"Well, had I known I would have brought the list, but as I recall we have seven potential first years that could use help, three of which will need full scholarships," the Professor said.
"Ok, so when you send their letters you'll indicate that they are getting help?" he asked.
"That's right, Harry. We'll include a certificate that will indicate that they can obtain books, supplies, robes, and wands with the bills being forwarded to the fund at Gringotts."
"Great, thanks for setting that up, Professor," Harry said with a smile.
"Your welcome, Harry," she said with an odd look. "Well, I think that I should be on my way. I don't want to tax you so soon into your recovery. If you feel you need more consultations concerning your course preparation, send a message and we will make arrangement, Harry, but concentrate on getting well for now."
"Yes, ma'am," he said.
Later that day he got a second visit, this time from Minister Shacklebolt. Mrs. Weasley escorted him into the living room were Harry was playing with Victoire, a game involving hidden toys in Harry's hands and her trying to pry them loose. Harry looked up to see the Minister smiling down at him.
"Harry, I'm pleased to see you're doing better," Shacklebolt rumbled. "Arthur has been keeping us up to date of course, but I was anxious to see for myself."
"Thank you for coming out, sir," Harry said, relinquishing the hidden treasure to the baby.
The Minister sat down across from him and looked at the young man and mentally did an inventory. Head scar, burn scars on left leg and arm, severely injured knee, possibly permanently. Aurors tended to get banged around a lot but this was a bit much, particularly when he considered how important Harry was to the wizarding world. But he kept this line of thought to himself. Instead he said,
"It's nothing, Harry, and since it would be some time before you would be coming to the Ministry I didn't think I should wait. Quite frankly, Harry, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. If we were muggles there would be medals or knighthoods or whatever. There doesn't seem to be anything within the Ministry for recognition of the kind of bravery you've displayed for most of your life. There should be something but I can't find any mention of one," the Minister said, seemingly embarrassed.
Harry was about to respond when someone else beat him to it.
"How about an early retirement, Kingsley?" Mrs. Weasley said from her place in a chair at the far end of the living room.
Everyone turned to her.
"The boy, alright young man, has endured more injury for all our sakes than anyone has the right to expect. As someone observed just recently, how long can we expect his luck to hold out? I know that being an Auror is about risks but even poor Mad Eye never faced more then a dark witch or wizard and look what shape he was in at the end. Harry has battled basilisks, mad dragons, dozens of wizards and on and on. How long can we expect him to survive at this rate?" Molly asked.
"Mum…" Harry began.
"I know, son, I'm not supposed to interfere but I'm only voicing what your entire family is feeling. Even as a great bloody dragon you get hurt. Were does it all end?"
"Molly, I understand your concern. I feel much the same way myself, but I can't make that decision for Harry, he as to make it himself. He has the summer on leave and then his sabbatical to think about it. But at least understand that I will support whatever decision he makes. He has accomplished great things at the Ministry in a short time. My guess is no matter what he decides to do it will result in greater things for our community as a whole," Shacklebolt said as he stood up.
"You take care of yourself, Harry. Your primary concern is healing. Your department is in good hands and we'll send along messages to keep you up to date and I'm sure those family members at the Ministry will let you know what's going on. I'll stop by now and then to see how you're doing as I'm sure will some of the others. Good bye for now, Harry, everyone."
Harry shook the offered hand and watched as the Minister left, escorted by his mum, who spoke to her old comrade a bit more by the door. Harry looked back at Victoire who was now trying to pull one of Harry's fingers to her mouth for a nibble. He wondered what the future held for her, and for him. He thought about what his 'mum' had said and knowing what the general opinion of his family was. He knew what the answer should be, he just wasn't sure what it would be.