Harry's Future, Part 41
The living room of the Burrow was full of somber faces. Bill Weasley had arrived earlier to apprise them of the momentous events that had occurred at the Ministry that afternoon. At first the two Mrs. Weasleys and the very pregnant Mrs. Potter were very upset at the idea that Harry and Bill had been at the forefront of such a dangerous situation. The knowledge that both were safe alleviated most of the immediate concern but now it was a question of what condition Harry would be in when he arrived as promised. That Harry was responsible one way or another for the demise of the late and unlamented Mr. Malfoy was beyond question. How he was reacting to that responsibility was the concern of the moment.
So it was that late in the afternoon the kitchen door swung open and a very despondent young man walked through. Ginny was in no condition to bolt from her seat to run to her husband but she was quick enough to see the look on Fleur's face who had looked at Harry and then to Ginny, questioning. Ginny smiled and nodded in Harry's direction. Fleur was up in an instant and swept into the kitchen to wrap Harry in her slender arms. Harry reacted slowly but then he was holding on as if his life depended on it. His face was buried in Fleur's shoulder and it appeared she was whispering something to him.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasley was helping her daughter stand and they slowly moved towards the kitchen. Bill remained where he was, knowing Harry was getting all the support he needed for the moment. Fleur let go of Harry, as if she could sense Ginny's approach, and stood aside. Harry took hold of his wife and this time the shorter Ginny had her face in Harry's shoulder and he was resting his head on hers. Then he bought his face alongside her head and whispered something to her. She pulled her head back and looked into his clouded green eyes and he nodded. She pulled him tighter and held him for a few moments more.
When they loosened their grip on each other she hooked his arm with hers and slowly walked him to a place on the couch in the living room. She gently sat down next to him and took hold of his arm once more. The others took their seats and looked at him expectantly. Harry looked into each face and then said,
"I suppose Bill told you what happened?" he asked.
They nodded and Bill added,
"As much as I knew, Harry. Some of it wasn't entirely clear."
Harry nodded in return and said,
"Well, the most important thing is what he wouldn't have known. After he left to come here I went up to the Minister's office and resigned, effective immediately. I'm done," he said in a low, flat voice.
It was clear Ginny already knew so her reaction was muted, merely laying her head on Harry's shoulder. Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were looking at him with wide eyes and Fleur's hand was covering her mouth. Bill said nothing, only nodded once.
"Oh, Harry, my dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "I had so hoped this day would come but not like this. How are you holding up?"
"I'm feeling a little numb at the moment. I suppose I should be getting back to school but I don't think I'm ready for that right now," he said.
"You're staying put for the time being, Harry," Ginny said urgently. "You're in no condition to try Disapparating. In your state of mind you're likely to wind up stuck in the ground someplace. You can leave in the morning. Bill can let Professor McGonagall know what happened unless you need to stay over, big brother," Ginny said firmly.
"I'm fine. It was more like being on the job at Gringotts for me. Harry did all the heavy work, as usual. I'll go back this evening, once I'm sure he's ok," Bill said.
They all lapsed into silence at this point. Harry was just staring blankly into space while the others watched him. Shortly thereafter the kitchen door opened and Mr. Weasley hurried into the house.
"Ah, there you are, Harry. I was hoping to find you here. After word got around I went looking for you at the Ministry but someone said they saw you in the Atrium, on your way here I suppose. How are you, son?"
Harry shrugged a bit and said
"I'm alive and Lucius Malfoy is dead. Not much more to it than that."
"I think there is a great deal more to it than that, my lad," Mr. Weasley said as he sat down next to his wife. "Two department Directors are missing. The assumption is they did a runner when things started going bad. The entire Ministry is in a state of pandemonium what with the rumors and the fact the whole building was shaking at one point. Your Aurors are combing through the whole place looking for clues and talking to anyone and everyone who might have seen or heard something."
"They aren't my Aurors anymore," Harry interrupted.
"Yes, so I heard. Kingsley called in the remaining department heads and filled us in on what had happened. I'm not sure what was more upsetting, his abduction from his own office or your resignation. The consensus view was that you just needed time to think it over and you'd be back. We didn't say anything but afterwards I talked to Percy and we at least are convinced it's permanent."
"It had better be," Ginny muttered.
Harry leaned down and said softly,
"It is, love, believe me, it is."
Her grip on his arm tightened. Fleur, who was perched on the arm of the chair Bill was sitting in looked at Harry and said,
"'arry, theese ees not the time, but you weell tell us the details, yes?"
"Yes, Fleur, I will, when it's not so fresh and terrible," he replied.
Fleur was about to respond when a muffled sound came from upstairs. She smiled a bit and said,
"I theenk I know sometheeng that will cheer you up a bit, 'arry."
She got up from the arm of the chair and moved quickly up the stairs to the second floor. Unnoticed by Harry, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny exchanged a grin. A few minutes later Fleur returned with arms full of Victoire who had been napping upstairs. She placed her on the floor and the now nearly two year old bolted in Harry's direction with a squeal of delight. Harry's face brightened a bit, passing from distraught to merely somber. His niece clambered up onto the couch with a little help and then wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. She looked at his face and said,
"Unc' 'arry sad?"
"Yes he is, sweetheart," Harry replied.
She squeezed his neck again, kissed his cheek and then sat down in his lap, her arms around his sides and her head resting against his chest as if she intended to stay there until he was happy again. Harry wrapped his free arm around her gently and closed his eyes for a moment. The others could see the tears begin to stream down his cheeks as his head began to drop. Fleur came over and sat on his other side with one arm around his shoulder. In the silence that surrounded them it was easy to hear him saying barely above a whisper,
"I had to do it. For Victoire and Ted and little Fred and all those to come. It couldn't go on and he was the last, I had to do it."
Mrs. Weasley looked stricken as she clutched at her husband's arm. Mr. Weasley leaned forward and said,
"Harry, if you're trying to justify what happened, don't trouble yourself. Lucius Malfoy lived far longer than he had a right to expect. He was trying to extract his revenge on you and Kingsley and the rest of us because he and his were stopped from dragging us all down into howling barbarism. You can't feel guilty about stopping him."
Harry looked up, his face wet with tears and those green eyes full of pain, once more.
"You don't understand, Dad. I reached out with my magic and stopped his heart. He was worn and tired and sick and I killed him with a thought."
His weren't the only tears flowing now. For the next few minutes the only sound was that of the occasional sniffle. But then a low, not quite monotone humming could be heard. As if sensing her uncle's distress Victoire was trying to sooth him much like her mother would when she was upset or colicky in the middle of the night, holding her and rocking and humming softly. It went on for a few minutes. Almost without notice, Harry's head fell back against the couch back, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and regular.
"He must be exhausted," Mrs. Weasley whispered.
"I'd guess that taking down the last door and then dealing with Malfoy used up a lot of energy. I'm thinking the emotional turmoil used up even more," Bill said.
Fleur slipped her arm out slowly from behind Harry's neck and after whispering something to her daughter, picked Victoire up and hugged her tightly. Ginny reluctantly let go of his arm and with help from her mother also stood up. Then Mrs. Weasley gently nudged Harry until he was laying full length on the couch and then wrapped him in one of the ever present blankets. Everyone then quietly moved from the living room to the kitchen to sit around one end of the table.
"This reminds me of those dark times when he'd slip into those black moods," Ginny said.
"He's tired and upset, dear. But I don't think he'll go down that road again. Not with you and the baby, and his students relying on him. Some sleep and something to eat will help. We'll just keep an eye on him but I'm sure he'll pull through it. Speaking of food, could anyone do with a spot of supper?"
There were a few nods so Mrs. Weasley got up and began to prepare a simple dinner. The rest sat at the table, occasionally looking over at the unmoving figure on the couch. Shortly before Mrs. Weasley was ready to feed her family, the kitchen door swung open and Charlie walked in. He was about to say something but he was cut off with a gesture from his mother. He slowly approached the table and followed his mum's pointing finger to see Harry asleep on the couch. He sat down next to his dad and said quietly,
"What in Merlin's name happened today? I popped in at the Ministry to visit Magical Creatures and the whole place was in an uproar. They said Harry was involved and there are rumors that he quit."
Bill leaned in and explained to his brother what had happened and that indeed their brother-in-law had resigned as the Chief of Magical Law Enforcement. Charlie was wide eyed by the time Bill had finished and he leaned back in his chair.
"Malfoy is dead," Charlie said as if to test the reality of it. "Good riddance to bad rubbish say I. I can imagine how bad Harry feels though. He must think he's an old broom, doing all the dirty work," he finished.
Mrs. Weasley set the table and put out the food and they all helped themselves. What conversation there was happened at a very low volume. Ginny was asked about the progress on the house. Apparently some of the interior fixtures and fittings were supposed to have come from the north but the horrific winter had delayed delivery so it appeared that the house was not going to be ready until the middle or last weeks of April. She said at the moment that was the least of her concerns.
The simple meal was soon over and they tried to decide what to do next. Bill felt that under the circumstances he should probably return to the school and inform the Head of Harry's situation. He kissed his wife and daughter good bye and made his way to the backyard to Disapparate back to Hogwarts. As it turned out he was in for a late night of explanation and discussion.
Back at the Burrow Mrs. Weasley busied herself in the kitchen while the others went into the living room to sit vigil over Harry. It looked as if Harry hadn't moved at all since they left him for dinner. Little Victoire had gone to stand next to the couch and look at her sleeping uncle. She looked back at her mother, her face questioning. Fleur patted the couch next to her and the little girl crossed the room and climbed up and sat next to her mother, leaning in as tightly as she could.
Ginny was sitting in the chair closest to Harry and looking down at his pale face she said to no one in particular,
"I had hoped I wouldn't have to do this again. Sitting and watching him as he slept or whatever. Now I can only hope that with him not being Chief anymore the chances of it not happening again have improved."
"I doubt that it's any comfort, Ginny," her father began, "but at least what he has been doing has been for the benefit of a great many people, muggle as well as magical."
"I know, Dad," she replied sadly, "but it's all so unfair. Even with all his power and strength, how much is he supposed to endure?"
Her father could only manage a sad grin in response. The day had proven to be a drain on them all and soon Charlie had left with promises to return for the weekend. Mrs. Weasley escorted Ginny up to her room once they had seen to Harry. She then came back down to sit with her husband across from their most troubled son.
"What do you think, Arthur? Did he do the right thing? Should he have found a way to take Malfoy alive?" she asked.
"Not having been there it's hard to say, Molly. From what Kingsley said it was a close thing. Malfoy had a supposedly poisoned dagger at his throat. The slightest cut might have killed him. He said Harry was trying to talk Malfoy down, as it were. But Malfoy wasn't having any of it. It was like he knew he was finished but was intent on taking someone with him. I'd imagine a paralysis spell might have caused the knife to cut Kingsley. Apparently Harry let enough of the dragon loose to cause his eyes to change. The effect on Malfoy was enough for the knife to move away from the Minister's neck. That was when Harry struck I suppose. Kingsley said he just heard Malfoy gurgle a bit and then hit the floor. I heard what Harry said, but I'm not sure what he actually did," Arthur finished.
"I wonder," Molly mused, "if the fact that he killed Lucius is bothering him or that it was so easy for him to do it. No wand, no incantation, just a thought. How can a boy so young be expected to have the wisdom to handle something like that?"
"He's hardly a boy, my dear, and he's been through more than anyone three times his age. That young fellow is wise far beyond his years. He just needs some time to come to grips with this, and support from us to help him through," her husband replied. "Are you coming to bed?"
"In a while, dear. I think I'll sit up for a time longer."
Arthur gave her a knowing nod and a goodnight kiss and left the room. He wouldn't be surprised to find her asleep on that couch in the morning. Which he didn't. What he did find when he walked into the living room was Molly busy in the kitchen and Harry sitting at the table looking rumpled but alert.
"Good morning, son," Arthur said evenly.
"Morning, Dad," Harry replied after swallowing a mouthful of food.
"How are you feeling this morning?"
"Better. Not good, but better," Harry replied.
Arthur nodded and said,
"That's a start, and a good one."
Mr. Weasley walked into the kitchen to kiss his wife and then came to sit opposite Harry at the table. Despite the fact that Harry had most likely expended significant energy yesterday and had no dinner the night before he appeared to be eating sparingly, as sure a sign of Harry's distress as any other the senior Weasley could think of.
"Harry?" called a soft voice from the bottom of the staircase.
Ginny was standing on the last step, looking towards the kitchen, her eyes wide and probing. Harry pushed his plate back and stood up. Carefully and without his cane he walked over to stand in front of his wife.
"I'll be ok, Gin. It'll take a little bit of time, but I'll be ok."
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him tight. The extra height of the step but them nearly eye to eye and they shared a brief loving kiss and then he gave her a hand down from the step and walked with her into the kitchen. They sat down side by side and Harry picked at the last of his breakfast.
"Are you going back up to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked.
"I thought to. I have two days until the weekend so it won't be for long. Besides, I think it would be good to be with the students. Sort of remind myself of why I've done the things I've had to do. I think that would help," he said quietly. "I should probably get started. You doing ok?"
"Yes, now I am. Just come back as soon as you can tomorrow. We'll sit and talk and just be together this weekend and figure out the future. Ok?"
"Ok, love," Harry said, leaning over to give her a kiss and then he stood up, shook hands across the table with his dad and hugged his mum who had come out of the kitchen.
They watched as he pulled on his robe and took his cane and went out into the backyard. Arthur and Ginny turned to Molly for answers. She looked back and shrugged.
"I found him here this morning when I came out. He was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea. I sat up for awhile last night. He never woke up but he did move a bit and for a little while it seemed like he was mumbling in his sleep. Then he settled down and I went to bed."
"I'd like to think I know him better than anyone, but sometimes it seems like I haven't any idea what goes on behind those beautiful green eyes," she said.
Those beautiful green eyes were still looking a bit tired and sad when he returned to the school that morning. It hadn't snowed in a week and the sun was starting to work on the ridiculous accumulations but the ice tunnel was still intact and Harry carefully made his way to the front door. He quietly entered and made his way to his small room to change his clothes and robe and then went to his classroom where he awaited the arrival of his sixth year Applied Magic class. He was curious, in a detached sort of way, as to the reaction he was going to get from Abagail.
As the first students entered they started as they saw Harry sitting on his stool at the front of the room. They hurried forward and the rest did so as the realization that he was back spread through the students. They crowded forward with Abagail pushing to the front. No one said anything.
"Good morning, everyone. I trust you're all doing well," Harry said quietly.
"Sir, are you alright?" Abagail asked breathlessly, her eyes searching Harry's face.
"Yes, well, I don't know that I would say fine, but I'm doing well enough," he said and gave her a slow wink. "Certainly well enough to come back and spend time with some of my favorite people," he added with a small smile. "Why don't you all take your seats and we'll get started."
All through the ensuing class Abagail kept a close watch on Harry and whenever they made eye contact he would give a small smile. Since this was a double period they all made there way down to lunch when the class had ended. As the students entered through the main entrance Harry took the side corridor to the small faculty entrance and as he made his way up to the table he was aware of an undercurrent of conversation beginning at the student tables. He was also aware of the eyes of the faculty on him as he took his seat at the table.
"How are you doing, Harry?" Bill asked once Harry was settled.
"Better than yesterday, Bill, but still a ways to go. By the way, thanks for all your help yesterday. I couldn't have handled all those doors by myself."
"I'm glad I could be of help, Harry. Speaking of doors, you and I need to have a chat about that last one. Yesterday didn't seem like the time."
"Sure, Bill. I have the feeling I'll be explaining a lot of things over the next few days," he said with a small grin.
"Professor Potter."
"Hello, Professor McGonagall."
"A moment of your time after the meal, if you would?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Bill Weasley leaned in to whisper to Harry.
"Don't be surprised at what happens with the Head. I got quite an earful last night when I got back," Bill said ruefully.
"Really? Didn't you explain what happened?" Harry asked, somewhat shocked.
"Yes, but you'll see what I mean."
The events of the last twenty four hours, plus the impending discussion with the Headmistress continued to keep the edge off of Harry's appetite and he only finished a single plate full. He waited pensively until the meal was concluded and the students dismissed to their classes. Despite all he had endured and accomplished in his life, the idea of facing a seemingly displeased Professor McGonagall still gave him feelings of trepidation.
As the faculty rose from the table the Headmistress signaled to Harry and indicated the door that led to the small anteroom behind the dais. Harry stepped forward and opened the door and held it as Professor McGonagall walked past him. She moved to one of the chairs by the fireplace and sat down, indicating Harry should do likewise with the one opposite. Once Harry was settled into the chair with his cane leaning against the side, Professor McGonagall looked at him over the top of her glasses.
"Professor Potter," she began with emphasis on the 'professor'. "Would you care to explain your actions of yesterday afternoon?"
"Um, there was an emergency at the Ministry and as Chief of Law Enforcement I was summoned to help deal with it."
"Professor Potter," again with the emphasis. "You accepted an appointment, however temporary, as a teacher here at Hogwarts. That appointment carries with it many responsibilities. Not the least of which is not running off leaving your class unattended. Or in this case two classes, your entire afternoon schedule. To further compound the matter, you took another teacher with you. Now I appreciate the gravity of the situation that unfolded yesterday but it is unacceptable that you and Professor Weasley abandoned your posts without notice, particularly when myself and the deputy head were sitting no more than a dozen paces away."
Harry had the uncanny feeling that he had been transported back to his first Transfiguration class where he and Ron had been dressed down by the Professor for being late. He half expected that if he looked to the side he'd see a shadow of Ron standing beside him. He could see that the Professor was waiting for a response.
"I apologize, Professor McGonagall. You're correct. I didn't handle it very well, perhaps all around. I can only say in my defense that the news took me by surprise and I got caught up in the urgency. I can assure you it won't happen again," he said quietly.
"And I can know this how?" she asked, her stare probing.
"I guess Bill, I mean, Professor Weasley didn't tell you. I resigned from the Ministry yesterday. Effective immediately."
"I see," the Headmistress replied, not giving anything away. "Professor Weasley commented that you had something important to tell me. I surmise that was it."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"And your plans?" she asked.
"I hadn't considered it since yesterday but it does mean I'm available to accept your offer to join the faculty full time, if you're still interested."
"Let me ask you a question, Professor Potter. Why did you resign?"
Harry took a deep breath and didn't answer immediately. He stared into the empty fireplace and tried to pull his thoughts together. He finally looked back at the Headmistress who was waiting patiently for an answer.
"It's no secret that a number of people, my family in particular, thought that I should get out before something really bad were to happen to me. I remember the phrase 'something even the famous Harry Potter couldn't survive' being used. The allure to become a full time teacher here at Hogwarts was also a tempting reason as well. But after what happened yesterday and how it happened made the decision easy, essential perhaps," he said quietly.
He leaned forward and fixed the Headmistress with his green eyes and said in a firm, quiet voice,
"No one that has the amount and types of power I have should ever be in a position of authority over those who don't. The temptation to do terrible things, even for the right reasons is just too great and the consequences too awful to think about. Did Bill tell you what I did yesterday?"
"He merely indicated that you directly intervened and put a stop to an attempt to kidnap the Minister."
Harry snorted a short laugh and said,
"It sounds so simple put that way. I vaporized a magically locked door, and a good part of the wall around it, with a phrase and the wave of my wand. Then I reached out with a thought and stopped the heart of Lucius Malfoy and killed him. With no more effort than a thought," he finished, sitting back in his chair.
To her credit, the Headmistress displayed no more of her feelings than a brief flutter of her eyelids. She simply sat, waiting to see if Harry would continue.
"Some people might think that I want to come here to hide. To stay safe from those temptations. If that's all I wanted to do then I could just wait until the new house is finished and stay there and live off my inheritance and raise my children. But I would rather be here, sharing what I know with students and helping them to become strong witches and wizards. And yes, put myself far out of reach of those temptations I spoke of."
The Headmistress continued to sit in silence as she considered what she had just heard. She had asked the question regarding his resignation out of concern that he might have reacted emotionally to the prior day's events and might reconsider in the near future. Now she needed to adjust her thinking. What she had heard was at once both fascinating and frightening. She looked back at Harry and said,
"Come see me in my office after your classes are done this coming Monday. We'll discuss the future, your future, at that time."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
He rose from the chair and with a nod to the Head he left the room and went off to his class. Professor McGonagall remained in her chair, staring at the now vacant one across from her. Finally she shook her head slowly and stood up and left the room to go to her own office to begin a long, sometimes noisy conversation.
Saturday morning found Harry sitting at the kitchen table in the Burrow finishing off his second plate of breakfast. It was the first time since the events at the Ministry that he had an appetite that could be described as 'normal', or at least normal for him. When he had arrived the evening before he was still not very talkative but neither was he in the despondent state of mind that had worried everyone. He would have been considered 'thoughtful' by anyone who had seen him.
This morning he was the only one at the table as Mr. Weasley and Ginny had yet to appear from their rooms and Mrs. Weasley was busy in the kitchen. That didn't mean that she was ignoring him; far from it. Her cooking and cleaning skills were on autopilot and she was paying close attention to what Harry was doing. Besides eating, mostly what he was doing was staring into some middle space and saying nothing other than 'thank you' when she put something down in front of him. She finally decided it was time to try and draw him out.
"Would you like anything else, my dear?"
"Hmm, what? Oh, no thanks, mum, this is fine."
"You're awfully quiet this morning, Harry."
"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking is all."
"What about, dear? Remember, we're under doctor's orders not to let you brood about anything," she said with a kind smile.
"I guess I should go pay a visit to Dr. Parsons. It's been a while. I'm sure she'd find this all very interesting. Anyway, I was thinking about what happened and then what Professor McGonagall said to me. She was none too happy about what I did, not to mention dragging Bill along."
"I can imagine. It's understandable in a way. She is responsible for all those children after all. The two of you going off like that must have been quite disruptive. I'm sure she just wanted you to understand her position and her need to know what was going on," Mrs. Weasley said evenly.
"I know. She was right. Like she said, she was right there watching the whole thing. It wouldn't have taken but a couple of seconds to explain it. I just didn't think it through," Harry said.
"What else?" Mrs. Weasley prompted.
Harry took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at his 'mum' and said,
"I didn't mention this to anyone but I had a visit that night, while I was sleeping on the couch."
"A visit? From whom, Harry?"
"First from Abagail, then from my mum and dad, you know, them. Later it was Sirius and Professor Dumbledore and finally some people I never met before. They all wanted to talk to me. I think Abagail must have found them somehow. They spent a lot of time trying to convince me that what I had done was the right thing. That it was the only way to bring Voldemort's legacy to an end. Professor Dumbledore and I talked a lot about power and using it and the temptations to abuse it. He thought it was a good thing that I resigned. He said the biggest reason that he turned down the opportunity to become Minister of Magic was he didn't like the idea of great magical power being combined with great political power."
Mrs. Weasley simply nodded and then reached across the table to take Harry's hand in hers. Then she said,
"It tore at my heart to have seen you suffer the way you did when you came home that day. But it would have been far, far worse if you hadn't been affected at all. Only a monster would have been able to do what you did without feeling remorse. But there comes a time when you have to put that remorse aside and focus on the future. I think that time is now. I'd imagine you'll have some visitors this weekend so try and enjoy their company and let them do what they can to cheer you up and when you meet with Professor McGonagall on Monday you'll be able to discuss things with a clear head. Alright, my dear?"
"Yes, mum," he said and gave her small smile.
"Ah, that's my lad."
And Mrs. Weasley was right. All during the day it seemed someone was doing their best to cheer him up. It started with his wife, who once she made her way down the stairs and over to the table, spent considerable time whispering in his ear and holding on to his arm or hand. When she was finished he didn't look particularly happy but at least he seemed more at peace. Next was Bill, Fleur and Victoire and this had a very positive impact on his mood. Harry and his niece played her favorite games which included 'find the prize' and 'how do I look in unc arry's glasses'. This combined with a few sessions of tickling actually managed to get a few laughs from him.
At one point there was a lull in the uncle/niece antics and Harry looked over at Bill and asked,
"So how old did you feel when you got your dressing down from the Head? I went right back to my first transfiguration class, first year," Harry said with a smirk.
"Hmmm, for me it was around mid way through my fourth year. Filch caught Charlie and I chasing a practice snitch around the upper corridors after hours," Bill said with a grin. "As head of house Professor McGonagall dealt out the punishment which included a serious tongue lashing."
Ron and Hermione arrived before lunch and they both had a lot to tell him. All the former DA members sent their best wishes along with special emphasis on the fact that Harry wouldn't be returning. Hermione indicated that Director Grimsson was particularly upset that he didn't have Harry around anymore but blamed himself in large part by having suggested the teaching sabbatical in the first place. He should have known the pull to stay would have been hard to ignore. Ron even got Harry to agree to a chess game after lunch.
The meal was nearly finished when George, Angelina and little Fred stopped by. Victoire was thrilled to see her younger cousin and spent a lot of time examining fingers and toes. George and Angelina had each turned their shops over to the hired help for the afternoon so they could come see Harry, mostly to offer support but also to get the straight story after hearing all the rumors running up and down Diagon Alley. It appeared that the official story was that the physically distressed Lucius Malfoy succumbed to a heart attack in the midst of his confrontation with elements of the Ministry's law enforcement arm.
Harry proceeded to explain what had actually happened. Everyone remained quiet until he was finished, even those that had heard the story before. Angelina was looking at Harry with wide eyes but George had a curious and thoughtful expression. Finally he said,
"I think the most amazing thing was that there was actually a heart for Harry to stop."
More than of few began to laugh at George's observation. Even Harry smiled and shook his head. Ron hauled out the chess set and he and Harry settled into a game. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley made a fuss over their grandchildren and the rest sat in a loose group talking about the soon to arrive baby and the soon to be completed house.
In true best mate fashion Ron did not let Harry's troubles influence his game playing and he mercilessly attacked Harry at every turn. It was also the best thing he could have done since it forced Harry to concentrate and that helped take his conscious mind off of what his subconscious was dealing with. After two well fought games, both of which Harry lost, he looked more at ease as he sat back in his chair. He looked at Ron and said,
"I wonder if there's a way to bribe a chess piece?"
"What good would that do, Harry? It's not like I couldn't see them making the wrong move," Ron replied.
"That's true I suppose. But I still think it's the only way I'm going to be able to beat you."
"Oh come on, Harry. You're world famous, richer than the Queen, can out fly the birds and you could probably out magic Merlin. You'd deny me the one thing I'm better at than you?"
"I'm not trying to deny you anything, Ron, but you'd think I'd be able to win once in a while, wouldn't you?" Harry asked.
"Not unless you learn to play better," Ron stated matter-of-factly.
Harry looked at his best friend with wide eyes and then started to laugh. Not just a few chuckles but a full loud laugh that soon had Ron joining in. The sound filled the house and drowned out another, that of a collective sigh as the others seemed to realize that perhaps a corner had been turned.