Mr. Weasley's News
Ginny was beginning to wake to bright sunshine streaming through the windows. She rolled away from the intruding light not wanting to give up the dream she was having. She was walking hand-in-hand on a beautiful beach with Harry. He was smiling at her and nodding politely to the many people they passed as they walked. She felt so happy and alive walking by his side and it was such joy just being with him. Then something in the back of her mind made her realize that this could not be right and she remembered why. She came fully awake and the happiness of the dream vanished to be replaced by a sharp, aching void.
Ginny moaned and pulled her pillow over her head. She had slept through dinner last night and judging by the height of the sun, through breakfast and probably lunch as well; that was something her Mum had never allowed before. She was thankful her mother understood she needed time and that she had not had to spend the evening with everybody talking about Harry.
She got out of bed and crossed the room to sit in her chair near the window. She stared out at the beautiful day and absentmindedly fingered the pendant that she never took off; it had been a surprise present from Harry last Christmas.
After their kiss at the wedding they had talked long into the night and come to an understanding of sorts. Harry continued to insist under the current circumstances he had to keep as much distance as possible between them and, no matter what feelings they might still have toward each other, they could not become a couple again. However he finally agreed that it was her decision if and when she would begin to date other people and he promised never to broach the subject again.
In turn, Ginny would call him some choice names that were so nasty in front of the most gossipy girls at school it was sure to be spread all around that Harry and Ginny were definitely no longer on the best of terms. She figured that would take care of anyone who might have suspected that they still cared for each other.
She had only seen him one other time for more than a brief moment after that because the few times he had shown up at the Burrow or Order headquarters, he never hung around long.
So it was a welcome surprise that he had stayed for dinner at the Burrow last Christmas. After dinner he had brought her cloak over to her and asked if she would take a walk out to the garden with him.
They went outside into the cold night walking to the garden bench where they sat in silence until Harry finally said, "Tomorrow we'll be leaving to go after the fifth Horcrux. We may be gone for quite a while."
"Hermione told me," Ginny said. "I really wish you would reconsider letting me come—"
Harry interrupted her, "No, Ginny! You know you can't. You aren't of age so there is no way your Mum and Dad would let you… and you know I need you to stay here."
Ginny sighed, "But I'm going to worry about you, so much."
"Try not to, Gin. Dumbledore left us a lot of good information and descriptions of the possible curses that will be guarding it. And you know Hermione; after what happened the last time she's practically exhausted herself, not to mention Ron and me, studying, training and preparing us for this. That's why we spent so many months in Romania. I bet staying at school and taking the NEWTS would have been easier," he said grinning.
He took a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Happy Christmas, Gin."
She gasped as she took the box. "But Harry, you already gave me the new Weird Sisters music spells! You shouldn't have done more."
Harry smiled at her and said, "Just open it."
She smiled back at him and did as he asked. Inside she found a gold pendant containing a single ruby surrounded by many smaller emeralds.
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
"Look on the back," he said.
Ginny turned it over to see the back was smooth and shiny but as she looked at it, words began to appear that read 'Gin- I do and will care for you always- Harry.'
"It's charmed," Harry explained. "The inscription will only appear for you to read. It's so you don't forget." He omitted telling her that the pendant also contained a second, more powerful charm meant to deflect a large number of curses and hexes.
"Oh, Harry, I won't. Help me put it on," she said, turning around so he could put it around her neck and hook the clasp behind her.
When he was done, she turned back around and on impulse leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips. He didn't move away nor did he move to hold her. He only closed his eyes, savoring the kiss.
"Thank you," Ginny said when she pulled away.
Harry cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, I'd better be going. If I'm not completely packed by morning, Hermione will kill me."
Ginny continued to sit on the bench watching him. He reached his hand toward her cheek, like he was about to caress it, but he stopped himself. He looked at her for a moment longer with a sad smile on his face and then with a pop, he was gone.
There came a light knock on her door, and she heard Hermione's voice say, "Ginny? Are you awake? We'd like to come in and talk to you."
Startled out of her daydream, Ginny took a deep breath and said, "Come on in."
The door opened and she saw Hermione standing there with Ron close behind her. Hermione had gone to stay at her parent's for a few days so Ginny surmised she must have arrived at the Burrow only this morning. Both she and Ron looked very tired; Ginny was sure she didn't look much better herself.
Hermione ran to Ginny, threw her arms around her and started crying, "Oh, Ginny! We're so sorry! Th-there w-was nothing we could do to save him! We couldn't even bring him back."
Ginny held Hermione tight, waiting for her own tears to start again, but none came. She had done most of her crying the previous night and into the early morning.
Ginny rubbed her friend's back soothingly and said, "It's OK, Hermione; there's nothing you could have done. You can't blame yourselves."
Ginny was remembering now that her father said Hermione and Ron had seen Voldemort kill Harry. How was it that they had been close enough to see what happened, but were, luckily, able to get away?
"How are you holding up, Sis?" Ron asked softly after Hermione had regained some of her composure. He sat down on the edge of the bed, watching his sister carefully.
Ginny looked back out the window. "I can't believe he's gone. I keep thinking to myself it could not have happened- it just couldn't!"
She felt the familiar pain well up within her chest again. "Would you… I mean, could you tell me how it happened? Dad said you saw it. Was it bad for him? Did he suffer?"
Ron looked away from her unable to bear the pain and sadness he saw on his sister's face. Harry had never said anything to either Hermione or him but he always thought something still remained between his best friend and his sister; even after everything that had happened since they had been at school.
Hating the answer he had to give her, he said, "I wish we could tell you that he didn't. But… um, we can't."
"I know it will be hard for you to go through it again, but what happened, exactly?" Ginny asked, now looking back and forth between Ron and Hermione.
Hermione looked at Ron, silently asking him if he thought it was a good idea for Ginny to hear the horrific details.
"Ginny, are you sure?" Hermione started.
"Yes, I'm sure. I don't know why but I feel like I need to know… please?" Ginny answered.
Reluctantly, Ron related the entire story in detail to her. When he came to the point where the curse lifted Harry up and threw him into the tree Ginny thought she might be sick. She covered her face with her hands and then tears began to fall again.
Now it was Hermione's turn to place comforting arms around Ginny. "You would have been proud of him, Ginny. He was so brave. He…" Hermione had to take a deep breath before she went on. "He saved our lives. From what the Death Eaters said, he refused to tell them about us or where we were, even when he was being…" her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
"What do we do now?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Ron queried back warily.
"What are we going to do now?" Ginny repeated, a fire burning in her eyes. "How are we going to continue the search for the last Horcrux so we can get that bastard?"
Hermione replied hesitantly, looking at Ron, "We haven't had much time to think about that yet."
"And even if we did, WE won't be doing anything. YOU are to keep out of this, do you hear me?" Ron told his sister emphatically.
Ginny shot to her feet. "Don't you take that tone with me Ronald Weasley! I'll be of age in a few months. Did you think I would just sit back while Harry's murderer is still out there, free— terrorizing our world? Did you? Huh? Well, let me tell you big brother, if you did, YOU WERE WRONG!"
Ginny and Ron were now standing in the middle of the room only a few feet apart facing each other, both with their hands on their hips. Ginny was craning her neck so she could glare her much taller brother directly in the eyes.
Hermione apprehensively watched the storm that was Ginny gather and explode thinking this would surely get them nowhere.
"Stop it!" Hermione admonished. "Do you think Harry would want you screaming at each other? This is not the time to be deciding who will be doing what and how we are going to go after Voldemort!"
Ginny glared at Ron a moment longer then looked away saying, "No, he wouldn't. I'm sorry… I'm just really upset right now. I shouldn't have yelled."
Ron said, "I'm sorry, too," but he was still thinking there was no way his sister would be going out on any dangerous missions.
He moved toward the door and turned back saying, "It would probably be a good idea for you to come down for dinner. Mum is in a right state since you missed at least three meals. She's really worried about how you're holding up."
Ginny sighed, "Tell her I'm going to take a shower and then I'll be down."
Hermione gave Ginny another reassuring hug and followed Ron out of the room.
x x x x x x x x
While the shower had refreshed her, it had done nothing to ease her nearly overwhelming sense of loss and the continual knot that remained clenched in the pit of her stomach. She was still finding it hard to accept she would never see Harry again and that he was truly gone. When Ginny came down stairs she was surprised to find not only Fred and George there, but Bill and Fleur as well. The twins walked over to her and each gave her a hug. She had never seen them so solemn and quiet.
"You okay, Ginny?" Fred asked.
"Mum's been worried about you, up in your room for so long," said George.
Bill came over to her, pulling her into a brotherly hug. "Don't let them fool you, Kid. We are all worried about you."
Apparently she and Harry had not been as good at hiding their feelings for each other as they had thought.
Fleur came up to her and embraced her as best she could with her growing stomach in the way. "Oh, Ginny! I was so sorry to hear. It eez such sad news! Pleeze, let us know eef we can do anyzing."
Ginny said quietly, "Thank you. I guess I just already miss him so much."
They all followed her into the kitchen where her mother was frantically cooking a full seven-course dinner; Mrs. Weasley would pause occasionally to dab her red, swollen eyes.
"Hey, Mum," Ginny said as she walked in.
"Oh, Ginny, Dear. Were you able to get some sleep?" Her mother asked, as she gave her youngest child a hug.
"I did eventually, thanks," Ginny replied.
Her mother patted her arm saying, "Dinner will be ready in a bit; you must be starving!"
Ginny wasn't really hungry, even though she hadn't eaten anything since early yesterday but she nodded in the affirmative, thinking it would make her mother feel better.
"I guess I can eat something but I'm not hungry enough to eat that much, though" Ginny said nodding toward all the food cooking on the stove.
Her mother replied, "There should be a fair crowd for dinner tonight. Your father has to work late but Charlie is coming over, along with Remus and Tonks. It gives them all a nice break from Headquarters, you know."
As if that was their cue, Charlie appeared from the living room, having just arrived by floo, and a knock came on the kitchen door. Bill opened it to admit Remus and Tonks.
Greetings were made and with everyone helping to get the food on the table they were soon eating, but not heartily. The laughter, joking and happiness that usually surrounded the Weasley table were sorely missing. People were making polite conversation but no one was talking about the one person who was on everyone's mind. Ginny also noticed that someone was always glancing at her and then looking away.
During a lull in the conversation and just about the time Ginny was preparing to tell them to quit watching her like she was going to fall apart at any second, Remus cleared his throat and looked at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in turn.
"Since the three of you are here," he started tentatively, "I wanted to ask your opinion about something." He looked at Tonks who gave him a reassuring nod.
"What is it, Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked.
"Since Harry no longer has any real family to speak of, I was wondering… well… I would like to arrange to have a memorial service for him… possibly this weekend- or – or when you feel you are up to it. Nothing elaborate but just a way for us to celebrate his life…" Remus's voice trailed off, and tears started to form in his eyes. Tonks gave his arm a reassuring squeeze and he took a deep breath to regain control of his emotions.
Hermione and Ginny saw the hauntingly sad look in his eyes and they realized that he was hurting as much as they were. Over the years he had lost so many friends that he had loved. First Harry's parents due to the betrayal of a trusted friend, then Sirius and Dumbledore, and now, Harry, whom he had begun to think of as a son.
"I think that's a fine idea, Professor," Hermione said quietly. Remus then looked to Ron and Ginny hopefully.
Hermione gave Ron a slight nudge with her elbow, causing him to answer, "Um… sure. It would be a nice thing to do- Harry would have liked that, I guess…"
Ginny looked at Remus and murmured, "Sure, Professor, if that's what you think is best," even though she was not sure she would be ready for something like that in a few day's time, if ever.
"Of course, it's a beautiful idea, Remus!" Mrs. Weasley said dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.
"Zat eez a magnificent zought! Do you not agree, Bill?" Fleur addressed her husband.
Before Bill could answer, Fred had turned to George and said, "You hear that bro? Celebrate Harry? I bet he would have appreciated the newest addition to our spring product line!"
George looked at his brother with the first real smile that had been seen around the table for days. "I think you're right, Fred! We could bring, oh say, ten of them in and—"
"Now just one minute you two!" their mother interrupted, aghast. "We are discussing a tribute to Harry, not some kind of… of crazy, inappropriate shenanigans—"
"But Mum!" George broke in, "Harry would get a kick out of it, promise!" He turned to Bill and then Ron. "We're sure he would. Just like that time when we—"
But he was interrupted, when Arthur Weasley appeared in the kitchen doorway looking even more tired and strained than he had over the past few days.
Mrs. Weasley looked at him in surprise and said, "Arthur! You got out of work early! Come over and sit down and I'll get you a plate. In the meantime, maybe you can talk some sense of propriety into your sons!"
Mr. Weasley said nothing as he followed his wife's request and sat in his seat at the table.
"Dad, are you okay?" Bill asked watching his father closely.
Mr. Weasley said wearily, "I don't want anything to eat at the moment, Dear. Please just come back to the table and have a seat."
The bottom fell out of Ginny's stomach and she clenched her hands in front of her. The last time her father made the request for one of them to sit down he had to tell her that Harry had been killed. Please, not more bad news, she thought. I don't know if I will be able to handle it.
"What's wrong, Arthur, has something else happened?" Mrs. Weasley asked, concern beginning to mix with rising panic.
"Dad, what is it?" Charlie asked growing alarmed at the strain he saw on his father's face.
Arthur took his wife's hands into his. "I'm not sure where to begin… Actually, I don't know what to make of it myself…"
Hermione had grabbed Ron's hand, bracing for whatever news was to come. "Mr. Weasley, please! What's happened?"
"We… we've found Harry. Rather, one of the members of the Order found him," Arthur said looking at his wife then to Remus. Mrs. Weasley gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock.
"You mean they found his body?" Remus asked stunned.
Ginny closed her eyes tightly thinking now the memorial service would be a funeral. She didn't think she would be able to handle that any better.
"Yes… I mean no, I mean… he's alive," came Mr. Weasley's reply.
"Someone found Harry alive? How? Where is he?" Remus exclaimed standing up so quickly he knocked over his chair.
"Alive? Harry's alive? Oh, Arthur! Please tell me you are really serious," Mrs. Weasley said, happiness starting to show on her face.
"Yes, I'm serious, Dear. He is alive, but-" Mr. Weasley began again, trying to figure out how to explain what he had seen and been told.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat in stunned silence, hardly believing their ears.
Then as the news sunk in, Hermione threw her arms around Ron, laughing and saying, "He's alive, Ron! He's alive!" Ron began to grin and then let out a loud whoop and hugged Hermione back.
Ginny continued to watch her father. He did not look like a man who was telling his family that they had just been granted a miracle and someone that they loved had essentially come back from the grave. Instead, he looked deeply troubled.
"But what, Dad? If he's alive, why aren't you happier?" Ginny asked, refusing to get her hopes up. She was wondering if being told Harry was alive was a dream like their walk along the beach.
At Ginny's words, the momentary excitement died down and all eyes turned again to Mr. Weasley.
Mr. Weasley told them, "As I said, he is alive. He was found by one of our operatives near a remote village in Northern Ireland."
"But that's not even close to where we had been!" Hermione exclaimed. "How did he end up there?"
"We don't know, Hermione. He's been unconscious since he was found. We had heard rumors of Death Eater activity in the area and had established one of our members nearby for surveillance. He found Harry lying beside a cart path that leads to his cottage. They brought him into Saint Mungo's just a little while ago. He's in pretty bad shape." Mr. Weasley finished.
"What do you mean by 'pretty bad shape'?" Remus asked, righting his chair and sitting back down.
"I don't know many details, Remus. They were still working on him when I came here," Mr. Weasley explained.
"So you actually saw him, Dad?" Bill asked.
"Yes, briefly; and frankly from what I could see, even I could tell he, uh… it isn't good. His records had Remus and me listed as emergency contacts and since they couldn't find you," Mr. Weasley nodded toward Remus, "they called me at the office. Of course I rushed right over. Harry wasn't carrying any identification but given who he is, the Healers recognized him. They just needed me for an official confirmation. I was also able to inform them of what Ron and Hermione knew had happened."
Starting to stand up, Ginny said, "But how is he, Dad? You said he's in bad shape- what does that mean? I want to go see him!"
Others around the table began to stand up, agreeing that they should all be headed to Saint Mungo's.
With the pain of the news he had to deliver written clearly on his face, Mr. Weasley said quietly, "Yes, of course, we should go; but before we do you all need to realize… before I left they told me they don't know whether he is going to pull through."
"Arthur, no! Surely they can do something for him! Surly he'll be alright!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.
"Not pull through?" Ginny gasped, falling back in her chair and burying her face in her hands. This could not be happening! They had found Harry alive and now her father was saying they might lose him all over again.