The Unbreakable Vow

by Ash Darklighter

Strange lights are seen across a deserted country lane. The wizarding world is calling him home.

33. Chapter 33

The Unbreakable Vow 33

by

Ash Darklighter

It all belongs to JK Rowling and I thank her for her inspiration – There are no galleons to be made from me or by me. This little story is my first Harry Potter fic. It is AU and of course comments are welcome. I am also grateful for all the people who have read and reviewed this story. I am quite stunned by all the positive comments.

Shielhill Cottage

The telephone rang shrilly, the sound jarring in the convivial air of the Shielhill Cottage kitchen. Tonks and Remus jumped at the unexpected intrusion of the unfamiliar noise.

"It's just the phone," Harry murmured, moving across to answer it. "Probably someone selling double glazing." Remus and Tonks looked at him blankly.

"Windows," said Ginny knowledgeably. "Two layers of glass. Keeps out most of the weather."

"What?" asked Tonks. "Windows... I knew that..."

She was quickly shushed into silence by a smirking Ginny.

"Peters," Harry said stiffly. "Yes!" At the sound of a familiar voice he relaxed and turned to Ginny. "It's Fred," he said.

Ginny nodded, reading the signals which said that Harry wanted to talk to him alone. He would tell her everything later. "Come on, let's get a comfy seat." She led her guests from the kitchen leaving Harry to talk to his brother-in-law in peace.

"Okay, Fred," he said quietly. "We have visitors. One unexpected and the other sort of planned but it's okay to talk."

"Who...oh!" Fred chuckled. "Remus took the bait?"

"That he did. And would you believe, Tonks is the other?" Harry offered dryly. "She was a bit of a surprise. You've maybe heard by now that there was a Death Eater attack in Elgin? I suspect they decided that Snape isn't as dead as they left him and they were looking for him or leaving him a message. Tonks turned up with the aurors and then stayed behind over a little hunch that she had. Her hunch led her to an encounter with my darling wife who, having little choice, brought Tonks home with her."

"I did hear some rumours about the raid," said Fred. "Elgin is a little too close to you and Ginny to be mere coincidence."

"I'm sure that Snape's the reason for the raid and not us. Well, Ginny got that impression from what she overheard but..." Harry sighed. "Anyway, you have news?"

"Expect some more visitors," said Fred, his voice unexpectedly serious. "The Order and the Ministry are now rather aware of your marriage. Bill registered it with Mary Spiderwicke this morning."

Harry glanced at the direction his wife and friends had taken and lowered his voice. "Mary who?"

"Mary Spiderwicke. Lovely lady who works in the department of wizarding records."

Harry frowned. "What on earth did he do that for?"

"Didn't he tell you? No, of course he didn't or you wouldn't be asking. The goblins advised him to do it after they finished checking your documentation. Legally the Ministry and the Malfoys can do nothing. Your marriage is as it should be. I believe that a public announcement would make it more difficult for the Malfoys to assert their claim and besides, it's Bill's duty."

"Tie it up in red tape," mused Harry.

"Eh! Why would you want to wrap yourself in sticky muggle stuff." Fred shrugged. "Sounds kinky to me."

"It's just a phrase. Muggle-speak," Harry added quickly. "It's sort of like getting your plans twisted in amongst a clump of Devil's snare. The more pieces of parchment in existence, the more difficult they are to ignore."

"I get it," chortled Fred. "Ministerial Bureaucracy on a level that only Percy deals with. Cauldron Bottoms and Floo powder, anyone?"

Harry laughed.

"We should just sit back and watch them all running about and getting their wands twisted over this new development," said Fred with relish.

"It's not a new development. Ginny and I have been together for five years and married for four of them." Harry sighed. "But I guess it's new to them. Did they really think that Ginny and I would just let them walk all over us?"

"I think they did," said Fred thoughtfully. "They forgot who you were and they shouldn't have. The Malfoys are the type who think they can do anything they want to anybody – too accustomed to power - and are surprised when anyone deigns to stand up to them." He laughed again. "You weren't a grownup the last time the Ministry decided to walk all over you and now you are. You have rights – your marriage and family life is private."

"They won't see it like that," muttered Harry. "The boy-who-bloody-lived is public property and all that rot."

"But you're not a boy now," stated Fred, chuckling. "You're 'the-man-who-was-the boy-who-lived'"

"Merlin!" swore Harry. "That's a mouthful and a half. Please, no more hyphens."

"Deal with the Ministry the way you think best. We'll back you up. You're family."

"Jamie?" Harry suddenly asked urgently. "Do they know about Jamie?"

Fred immediately stopped laughing. "The charms Madam Pomfrey put in place are still holding, as far as we can tell, but are bound to weaken further as your magic recovers and with each new discovery of Jamie's existence."

"Are you sure?"

"Harry," Fred said calmly. "I, or it could have been George, asked her specifically about the protective charms she used. We will do anything to protect our nephew." He grinned wickedly. "We have a priceless legacy of pranks to pass on."

A lump formed in Harry's throat. For much of his life he hadn't had a true family and then he'd met the Weasleys. "Thanks," he muttered huskily. "Not for the future mayhem Ginny and I are going to have to endure but well...thanks."

"No, Harry, we need to thank you. You helped Ginny when we couldn't."

"I couldn't let Malfoy have her," Harry said. "Pathetic git couldn't have coped with my redhead," he gritted possessively before saying rather lamely, his face flushing, "We love one another." He was glad Fred couldn't see his face.

"Harry, in the light of Bill's actions, Mum, Bill and Fleur will be arriving shortly for a few days," said Fred. "And I mean shortly – within the next half hour. They'll be a bit of a target and we need them safe."

"I'll get the rooms ready," said Harry. "It's no problem. I did say they could stay anytime. Hiding from the Ministry – I can understand that."

"No, we're hiding more from Dumbledore than the Ministry, I think."

Harry's lips tightened. "I can understand that, too."

"Although the Ministry and the Malfoys are a very close second." Fred gave a little chuckle. "I never knew that telephone boxes actually had real telephones in them - that you could just dial a number and muggles spoke to you. The muggles are so inventive. Dad was right. But we discovered that you had to dial the right set of numbers otherwise the muggles we spoke to got rather irritable."

Harry grinned. "Nothing worse than having to answer a wrong number. Aren't you using your own phone?"

"No, our phone melted after we tested its reaction against certain potion ingredients."

Harry winced at the thought of the fallout from that little experiment. "Hermione won't be happy unless you replace her phone."

"She's already replaced it – we gave her the galleons. Thought it was a good idea. We're in a phone box in the muggle world just off Charing Cross Road. It's just the easiest thing to leave through The Leaky Cauldron... but then you would know how to do that, Harry."

"Listen, it might be better if you and George also come here for a day or two. Being under the Fidelius will give us all time to consider what our next move should be."

"We should be okay."

"When Dumbledore, the Ministry and the Malfoy family can't find Bill or Molly where do you think they'll look next?" Harry could hear Fred mutter something to George. They were both in the phone box! Harry hoped there weren't any policemen about.

"Good point, brother-in-law. Of course, they will come looking for us – we would if we were them. Angelina and Katie will mind the shop while we take a brief, sudden sabbatical. We'll say that we have a genius of an idea for a new product and have warded ourselves into the experimental potions lab. There's nothing that will get us out of there until we're ready to appear."

"In other words," said Harry. "Pranking lockdown."

"Yeah," said Fred with a grin. "Ron and Hermione are aware of the delicate conditions that accompany such instructions."

"What happened?"

There was a smug chuckle. "Hermione and Ron were unable to go to work for three days. She still glares at us when it's mentioned and that incident happened a year ago. We'd rather not say what it was. We would like our bits to remain intact and where nature intended them to be."

Harry understood. "Ah," he said softly. "Hermione will extract her revenge and it will be something truly incredible. She can be quite terrifying when devising punishments. Guys, can I ask you a question?"

There was the sound of shuffling and shifting on the other end of the phone. "George here," said George sounding slightly winded. "Ask away, Harrikins."

"I don't think I need to now," muttered Harry, hoping that he hadn't really heard the nickname. "You're both in that phone box?"

"We've expanded it a little but it's still a tight squeeze," the twins said in perfect unison.

"Good grief!" Harry exclaimed. "I would get yourselves here as soon as possible...and return the phone box to its original state before the accidental magical reversal squad along with the obliviators arrive. That's as good as gift wrapping yourself to Dumbledore and you don't want to do that. I'll see you when you get here. The gates will let you in." Harry replaced the phone in its cradle and made his way through to the lounge. He caught his wife's eye from the doorway and motioned her to him. "Ginny, we've got guests coming," he said quietly. "Bill has apparently gone to the Ministry and registered our marriage and now all hell's about to break loose."

"Bill did?" Ginny's face lit up, ignoring Harry's comment about 'hell breaking loose'. "Wonderful! The head of the witch's family does it once the honeymoon has ended and the marriage has been er... consummated. It's tradition. There's generally a party afterwards - although it doesn't usually happen four years after the marriage. I know Bill's approval is given to us but this makes it even better. The whole wizarding world can see that we're meant to be together and that magic itself has given us its consent."

Harry caressed her cheek with his finger, his lips curving into a smile as he witnessed her delight. She was so beautiful and he loved her so much. "I didn't know any of this. There's still so much of the wizarding world that I don't know about. I'm glad..."

Her brief, soft kiss was full of sweetness. "It's a blessing."

"Yes," he murmured. "We were right to do what we did."

"When do you expect everyone to start arriving?" Ginny asked, her voice a whisper of sound against Harry's ear.

He gave a delighted little shiver as her lips delicately traced his earlobe. "As soon as they're ready to come. Within the next half hour Fred said." Merlin, his wife could raise his temperature quicker than anything else he knew with just a touch. He turned his head and dropped a kiss on her soft cheek. "We'll cope."

"What about Remus and Tonks?" interrupted Ginny anxiously. "If Mum, Bill and Fleur are going to be arriving..."

"And Fred and George..." Harry chipped in helpfully. "Maybe."

"Fred and George, too? Oh, Merlin!" Ginny started calculating the quantity of spare beds and clean linens that they had in the house. "I'd better go and get the beds ready..."

Harry stayed her with a gentle hand upon her arm. "I'll help you. I don't want you rushing around and tiring yourself out."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. "Harry James Potter! I'm fine – stop being so insulting."

"I didn't mean to malign your Weasley-nurturing little heart or stamina, sweetheart, but I'm still going to help. You know that you'll be mad at me later if I don't."

"I would not..." Ginny protested.

"Oh, I think you would, sweetheart. We work together. That's something that I've learned. We are not alone."

Ginny pulled him close and kissed him. "It took you long enough to learn."

"It did but I'm working on it." He smiled at her. "Remus and Tonks could stay, too, if they wanted to and that's a lot of people to suddenly house. I'm hoping they don't want to stay tonight. Remus still doesn't like going against Albus – I think, because of his condition. It will take time for him to become a rash Gryffindor once again and Tonks has her day job to think about."

Ginny nodded. "We can offer. It would be strange if we did not."

The sound of approaching footsteps halted Harry and Ginny's conversation. "Listen," said Tonks. "I need to get back to headquarters and file my report. If I'm late again, Amelia will have me on desk duty for the next six months. I hate being on desk duty."

"I'll go back with her," said Remus quietly.

"You don't have to," said Harry. "You could stay over. You could both stay."

"That's very kind of you, Harry, but I've nothing with me apart from the clothes I'm wearing."

"You have a wand," said Harry with a smirk.

"I know, but I've never been comfortable with transfigured underwear."

"You could scourgify them," said Harry.

Remus just gave the younger man a look of disgust. "Please, Mister Potter, could you be any more uncouth? It ruins the fabric and I have no desire to be bursting out of my underpants..."

"Fair enough," muttered Ginny.

"I do it far too often as it is."

Ginny's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Too much information there, Remus, although I'm sure Tonks likes it."

The werewolf froze and blushed before chuckling and then levelling a serious expression at the Potters. "I won't say anything at the moment but I still think you should come clean, Harry. I will eventually tell Albus that I know where you are if you don't. He's been very worried about you. He does care, you know. We're also wasting valuable time and energy searching for you when instead we could be fighting Death Eaters."

"So stop searching for me," declared Harry stoutly. "We don't want to be found. I think it's inevitable that Dumbledore will have to be told where I am but I don't want him coming in and trying to run my life for me again. He only cares that I do the job he's planned for me which is killing Voldemort." His gaze caught Ginny's and softened. "I don't want him risking you, Jamie and the blob over his plans for the greater good. We've done very well mainly on our own up until now." He stretched out his hand towards Remus. "It's good to see you, Moony. Don't be a stranger. Thank you for keeping our secret a little longer. This means a lot to me."

"Harry..." The werewolf's hazel eyes caught Harry's vivid green ones. "Voldemort is more of a threat than Albus will ever be. You're wrong about him."

"Am I?" Harry asked bitterly. "I'm not so sure. At least I know what Voldemort wants of me."

"And what about Ron and Hermione?"

"Soon," the young man promised, a lump forming in his throat. He wanted to, by Merlin, he wanted to but it was just so damn hard. The irrational part of his brain wanted to keep his ordinary happy family life to himself but Ron and Hermione had been his friends – his best friends and he missed them both so much. Five years ago, he'd not told them about his waning magic which meant that they'd no chance of understanding the anger and trapped isolation that he'd felt. Ron's immaturity and Hermione's reliance on so-called authority figures had further widened the gulf and, more importantly, they hadn't truly understood what the loss of Ginny would have done to him.

The problem was that Harry, himself, hadn't understood what losing Ginny would have meant to him until it had nearly happened. And now, because he'd selfishly taken what he'd wanted, they were all balancing on the dangerous edge of the precipice that made up his life.

Ginny pulled her wand from her pocket and gave it a quick flick. "The apparition wards are down temporarily for the next ten minutes." She smirked cheekily. "And during that window of opportunity you can apparate out from the front doorstep."

"Not from inside the house?"

She shook her head. "Only Harry and I can do that. It's one of the security measures that the goblins put in. After the ten minutes are up, you have to hike all the way down to the gates and I'm just warning you that snow is forecast."

"It was very cold when I arrived," admitted Remus with a theatrical shudder. "Snow wouldn't surprise me at all.

Ginny gave the werewolf's threadbare jacket a critical glance. "You should have put on something warmer," she advised. "We are quite far north here and it is December."

"I wasn't expecting a port key trip when I emptied my pockets back in Grimmauld Place," murmured Remus ruefully, wondering exactly where they were. He shrugged lightly. "I'd sat myself in front of the fire ready to pour myself a fire whisky. Hopefully it will still be there when we return." He lifted amber eyes, the wolf visible for a moment in the sternness of his gaze. "Harry, don't leave it five more years until I see you again."

Harry shuffled his feet, suddenly resembling the teenager he'd been just before he'd disappeared. "Sorry, Moony."

"That's okay, cub. I forgive you."

Harry placed his hand on Remus' shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. "I knew you would. I'm okay, Moony. I'm happier than I've ever been and my magic has almost recovered and, yes, I did get proper magical confirmation from a respected member of the medical profession."

"Poppy," muttered Remus. "She knew?"

Harry shrugged, neither confirming nor denying that the Hogwarts' mediwitch knew any information about his condition. "Life is about to go back to normal."

"Yes – or whatever passes for normal in our lives." Remus glanced towards Tonks. He had a lot to think about and decisions to make. "We need to go, Dora, if you're going to post that report before morning."

"I have to write it first," moaned Tonks. She hated that regrettably necessary part of her job.

Ginny wrapped her arms around the pink-haired auror. "I trust you to keep us safe, Dora. Don't give up on the wolf. He's a man and they don't know their arses from their elbows..."

"Ginny!" exclaimed Harry.

"Oh, give over, Potter. I've heard you say far worse than that," snapped his unrepentant wife. "I mean it, Dora." She stepped away into Harry's embrace. "Take control of your wizard...werewolf."

Tonks blushed and then chuckled. "He never had a chance once I decided that I wanted him. I'm rather tenacious when I want something that badly and I'm not giving up on him no matter what he thinks or does."

"I would just give in, Moony, old chap. It's easier," advised Harry. "My parents had no long and happy life together because of Voldemort; therefore you owe it to yourself to live as well as you can for as long as you can." He slanted a sideways look at Ginny. "That's what I decided to do."

Ginny rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Eventually," she drawled. "I had to persuade him and it took time. You know, Mr. we-can't-be-together-because-I'm-Voldemort's-number-one-target."

"How did you do that?" asked Remus.

"Made him jealous," said Ginny succinctly. "Another guy tried to chat me up and I let him."

"I did it to keep you safe, Gin," Harry whined, looking unhappy.

"And did it work – your attempt to keep me safe by breaking up with me?" the redhead asked tartly. "Of course, it didn't."

"There's still time for you to escape from the shackles of matrimony, Moony," Harry said mournfully. "Us poor downtrodden wizards..."

Tonks grinned at Ginny, who was glaring at her apparently still despondent husband. "That's your proper place Potter. Come on Lupin, it's time to go home. Ginny's window of apparition will close in roughly four minutes and before you get any ideas into your head about your freedom, Wolfie, I caught you and therefore I'm keeping you."

"Better do as I'm told," he muttered, with a wary look at a now bouncy Tonks.

Harry's face brightened and he pulled a card out of his pocket. "You do know how to use a telephone?"

"Yes," said the werewolf wryly. "I'm a wizard, not a cave dweller. I've often had to find work in the muggle world. Dealing with muggles on a day to day basis means that I am quite familiar with using the telephone."

"I didn't want to assume." Harry proffered the thin white rectangle to Remus. "Here... our phone number."

"This one won't whisk me away to some horrible location?"

"No. This isn't a portkey, Remus," said Harry, grinning. "It's just a piece of card. The information on it won't mean anything to most wizards unless they're muggle born – just a set of numbers."

Ginny tapped her wrist. "Time is running out. The apparition window closes in three minutes."

There was a final flurry of swift goodbyes and then the Potters were alone. Harry dropped a kiss on Ginny's bright curls as she muttered the incantation to close the apparition window. "Come on, we'd better get the house ready for our guests. It won't be for long. Everything is about to come out into the open."

"I agree." Ginny yawned as they climbed the stairs. "Fleur and Bill can go into the front bedroom. Mum can go into the one next to Jamie's room and we can transfigure a couple of mattresses in the study for the Twins if they decide to stay."

"Sounds about right," agreed Harry. "Do we do this the magic way or the muggle way?"

Ginny shook her head pityingly at him. "They're arriving almost immediately and it's rather late. What do you think?"

"Okay," he said matter-of-factly, squashing the impulse to grin like a deranged idiot. "Magic it is." His wand flew into his hand and with a couple of flicks and swishes, a flowery duvet cover and matching pillows graced the bed. He admired his handiwork with a satisfied smile. How he could have lived without his magic for so long defied explanation.

"Thanks, love," she murmured. "You've not lost the knack." She moved to the room Fleur and Bill were to use and copied Harry's wand manoeuvres. Moments later a set of pale blue and gold stripy covers were in place.

"Hello?" A voice called loudly from downstairs.

Ginny stiffened for a moment. "That's Bill. The twins weren't joking when they said they would be arriving soon" She finished folding a set of matching fluffy towels and laid them on the bed. "I should go down and ask them the security question."

Harry blinked. "Do we have one? I didn't think that we did because the wards would only let through those we approved."

"Oh!"

"It's a good idea though...having questions," he said thoughtfully. "Your mum and dad used to have them. We can do that next time."

"What happened to 'constant vigilance'?" Ginny peeped into Jamie's bedroom, glad to hear him snuffle quietly in his sleep.

"Just because I'm not prepared doesn't mean that I'm not." He headed for the top of the stairs, twirling his holly wand beneath his fingers. It felt good to be able to use it freely once more.

"That makes no sense, Mr. Potter," said Ginny. "But I think I can guess what your little brain is trying to explain."

"Less of the 'little', Mrs. Potter," retorted Harry cheekily. "My brain is an organ of amazing depth and complexity."

Ginny snorted. "Like the Marianas Trench? Please," she reminded him. "...I told you that I was the brains of this partnership."

"And I'm the good looking one?" Harry sent his most innocent expression towards his wife.

"Nope, that's me too," Ginny retorted smartly. "I win all round."

"Hello! Harry! Ginny! The door was open. Where the hell are they?"

"Definitely Bill," Ginny and Harry said together.

"We're up here, be down in a minute," shouted Ginny, before saying to her husband quietly, "You go down, Harry. I just want to check that the bathrooms are clean. I can't have my mother inspecting my bathrooms and finding fault with our housekeeping skills."

Harry descended the stairs to find an impatient Bill Weasley pacing irritably in the hallway. "Harry!" he exclaimed. "Where were you?"

"Upstairs getting beds ready."

The eldest Weasley appeared to be quite agitated.

"Calm down, Bill. Did something happen?" asked Harry suddenly worried. "Where are Fleur and Molly?"

"We're here," Fleur called softly from the lounge doorway. "Everything is fine. I collected Molly and we apparated to the approved co-ordinates closest to your gates. I was assuming that the Fidelius would hide the gates until we actually walked through them. Just in case we were followed, oui?"

Harry nodded and then glanced at his brother-in-law who still looked anxious. The full moon had passed, so that couldn't be what was affecting the tall redhead. "Bill?"

Bill frowned. "I'm not so sure about fine. Did Fred...?"

Harry nodded. "Fred phoned and told me that you'd informed the Ministry that Ginny and I had united in holy matrimony."

"What?"

"We married in a church." He looked at Bill thoughtfully. "Can wizards and witches marry in holy matrimony or is that an oxymoron?" He shrugged. "It doesn't matter as long as we're married and it's legal in the eyes of the muggle and magical officials."

"The goblins advised me that I should go ahead and register," murmured Bill. "They're on your side, thanks to whatever Sirius did for them."

"It involved gold and goblin made artefacts," said Harry smoothly. "But it does take away our element of surprise."

"They had to know sooner or later," murmured Bill. "Dumbledore has definitely been informed and although I knew that would happen..."

"To be expected, Bill," said Harry quietly. "It's the Harry Potter effect. Weren't you aware that I'm a famous wizard? Go on."

"I locked up Shell Cottage, set the wards and was about to apparate out when I heard the sound of several wizards arriving."

"Please tell me that it was the Order?" asked Harry, dreading the thought that it may have been Death Eaters. If Dumbledore knew then the Death Eaters would also know. Why had Bill not got the goblins to ward his home?

Bill nodded. "It was the Order. I recognised Moody, Shacklebolt and, of course, Dumbledore arriving just as I apparated out. Shell Cottage is now under a Fidelius Charm and fully warded by me with the aid of my employers."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "I was going to suggest that."

"But the likes of Dumbledore knows the location because it is better that an Order member does so. He is still the leader of the Order, Harry."

"Of course, he is," the young man responded. "But he isn't yet trusted with the knowledge of my whereabouts."

Molly had joined Fleur at the lounge door. "We cannot divide into different factions like this, Harry," she said quietly. "It won't help you and Ginny or my wonderful grandson. We're a family and families stay together. We've been broken for so long." She gave a tearful sniff. "We need Albus and the Order to help us fight. We...you...cannot do this alone."

"He saw me leave, Harry," Bill admitted. "And he was angry. Oh, he looked the same as he always does - a purple robe with silver stars all over it and a matching hat – the quintessential wizard - but his eyes were cold. I've never seen Dumbledore look like that before – not at me." He sighed. "I was eleven and powerless all over again."

"Welcome to my world," said Harry quietly. "I don't want to be powerless any longer. I'm no longer a child unable to make my own decisions and sometimes he forgot that. I'm not saying that I always know best because I don't but I should be allowed to make my own mistakes."

Ginny joined them, tripping lightly down the stairs and hugged her mother tightly. "I'm glad you're here, Mum." She turned to her brother, her voice accusing. "I didn't think that you'd care how angry he was. He would have had me married to Malfoy without even looking for a way out. He treated Harry abominably, Bill, and I can't forgive him for that." She flicked a finger at a hole in her brother's cloak. "If that's newly damaged, the Order was shooting spells at you, too. We're supposed to be on the same side."

"That's what I just said, Ginny," said Molly.

"Yes, but sometimes you can't just follow someone blindly without questioning their actions. It makes us no better than a flock of sheep. I know you don't like going against Dumbledore," gritted out Ginny. "But he's human, too, and has made many mistakes. Much of this is his fault. We have to tell him that he's not always right."

"I don't like going against the headmaster – he's the most powerful wizard on our side and the only one that You-know-who ever feared. Being like this weakens us," argued Molly. "I didn't expect to be hiding from Albus or even some of my own children. Dividing our family like this is wrong. I kept your secret because you asked me to, Ginny, but I hoped you weren't going to continue this situation for much longer. I can't keep secrets from the likes of Albus Dumbledore if he's determined to find them out and it isn't fair to Ron and Hermione. What did they do to be left out like this?"

Ginny's lips tightened but she said nothing. Harry moved closer to his wife and put his arm around her, the silent support reassuring her of his continuing love. They both knew that Molly had a point but it was difficult to trust Dumbledore after all that he had done. As for Ron and Hermione – Harry had no real answer and he knew it.

"I wanted to give us all some extra time to consider our options," Bill admitted. "Partly because I was angry at Dumbledore on your behalf and I wanted to keep you all safe. I failed to do that the last time, Ginny. I wasn't here when you needed me – when you both needed me." His eyes sought his sister's. "The goblins advised me to register your marriage for legal reasons. That it was a wizarding tradition was another. I wanted to march into the Ministry and shout your union to the whole atrium as is my right as head of the Weasley family but I couldn't do that. Harry, you and I both know that you can't stay hidden forever."

"I can try," snapped Harry.

"Ultimately you will fail," said Bill sadly. "You're a wizard, Harry. Your wife and child are wizards and you are denying the three of you what is rightfully yours – your magic and your place in the magical world..."

"Voldemort is denying us. Not me," argued Harry.

Bill's face showed the tiredness he was feeling. "Whatever. I think your idyll...this safe little muggle bubble... whatever you want to call it, is over. Time's up."

"Can't you feel it calling for you?" asked Fleur, her accent thickening. "Your blood sings with the power of your magic, Harry. As a Veela, I can sense it."

Harry's face lit up in wonder. "You really can sense the power?"

"Bien sur, I can." Fleur stretched out a graceful hand and clasped Harry's arm reassuringly. "It is very strong."

"You have a right to go freely about your life," said Bill.

"With a Ministry of Magic who want to use me to cover their own failings and a psychotic murderous bastard after me and my family?" Harry shook his head, his expression fierce. "I don't think so. I will only be free when Voldemort is dead."

"The prophecy," murmured Fleur with a shudder. "It still counts?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that it does." Harry's shoulders slumped, the fight fading from his eyes. "Give me Christmas," he begged. "I'll make myself known to the old man after Christmas. I deserve to have that much time with my family before I return to the wizarding world."

"What do you mean 'I'!" exclaimed Ginny. "You and I are a team, husband of mine. Whatever we do, we do it together. You return to the wizarding world and I come with you."

"But Ginny..."

"But nothing," she returned fiercely. "Team, remember."

Harry shook his head. "Jamie," he said. "We still have to protect Jamie and our other child to come. I need you to be there for them if..." He swallowed, his eyes suddenly bright with tears. "...if anything happens to me, which you have to admit may be the case. Voldemort will continue to come after me until one of us dies. I do not want my children to be left without a parent. Please, Ginny."

Ginny clenched her fists tightly, gathering her thoughts together. This wasn't fair of Harry to do this to her because deep down, she knew he was partly right. "I still say that we do things together. If something happens to you, do you think that old Voldie will leave us alone? No, he won't."

"Ginny..."

She took a deep breath. "Harry, I don't like it but I understand and I will do my best to keep Jamie and the Blob safe."

Bill looked ashamed. "Harry...Ginny... I didn't mean..."

"We know." Ginny smiled wearily at her brother. "I can't believe you braved the Ministry and registered our marriage. Four years later than it should have been done but at least you did it."

"That's a little unfair, Gin. I only knew that you were married when the goblins called me just after Halloween." Bill swallowed. "It was the first time I knew for sure that you were safe. I would have placed a sonorous spell over Diagon Alley and told the whole bloody world if I could."

Ginny's bright eyes widened. "I know, Bill. I didn't mean it to be a criticism."

"The goblins seemed to think that it would give you greater legal protection," offered Fleur. "You have enough to be concerned about with You-Know-Who back on the scene without worrying about the DMLE and the Wizengamot coming after you." She reached for her husband's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "They would come after you unless the legalities were tight. They cannot make your marriage disappear pouf into the air."

"He is back, isn't he," said Harry. "Voldemort."

It wasn't a question.

"Snape's story confirms it," said Bill.

"Severus Snape wouldn't have been mutilated the way he was if his old master hadn't found a new way to return. It brought back some very unpleasant memories when I saw him." Harry's arm tightened around Ginny's waist. "'Blood of the enemy forcibly taken,'" Harry quoted gravely. "I do not like Severus Snape but I consider him to be a brave man."

"If you'd been just a few minutes later he probably would have been a dead man," said Molly. "Severus is lucky to be alive."

"As was I at the end of the third Tri-Wizard task and during other situations Dumbledore cooked up to test me." Harry's face was expressionless, his voice hard. His eyes tracked every person in the room. "I will not risk the lives of my family on one wizard's manipulations."

"Now," said Ginny brightly to cover the awkward silence. "Who would like a cup of tea and a small snack before bed?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shell Cottage

"Stupefy!"

"Alastor!" Dumbledore shouted warningly. But it was too late. The spell had left the old Auror's wand and was streaking towards the tall, rangy figure of Bill Weasley, who disappeared with a sharp pop just before the spell connected.

"Damn it all to Hades, Albus!" swore Moody angrily. "Did you have to shout just as I was about to cast?"

"An auror of your standing shouldn't be distracted, Alastor," Dumbledore said genially.

"You wanted to stop him and I was about to do just that." Moody's magical eye swivelled wildly in its socket.

"Hexing him, Alastor, is not the best way to do that. We want Bill to know that we are not hostile…"

Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared out of the darkness, waving his wand in an intricate series of manoeuvres. "He's masked his magical signature. I'm not saying that I couldn't trace where he's gone but by the time I do he'll have moved elsewhere and I'll never catch him. It's the method that kept Sirius one step of the Ministry for so long." He glanced at Moody. "Did you hit him?"

Moody shook his head. "If I did, it just glanced off his cloak. His cloak will have several protective spells on it. That was just a stinging hex and the stupefy missed him when he apparated. Constant vigilance and all that. The goblins aren't stupid. Mean, ugly, vindictive little creatures but not stupid. Since Weasley works for them, they'll see that he's protected."

"He is an Order member, too, Alastor – not an enemy."

"He may be one of us but he'll give his loyalty to his family before the Order. I'm telling you, Albus, that there are more in that family keeping secrets. Have you thought of speaking to those ruddy twin menaces?" Moody jabbed his finger in the air to emphasise his point

Dumbledore wasn't often surprised but Bill Weasley had been far more independent than he'd given him credit for and he'd missed it. Bill had entered Gringotts as an apprentice cursebreaker immediately after leaving Hogwarts. Clever and capable he'd progressed quickly and had eventually been posted abroad only returning with the death of his father and the escalation of the war. "Family is important to the Weasleys and I should have foreseen that. I am occasionally fallible."

"You can't know everything, Albus," returned Moody gruffly. "Potter's just married his sister and has saved her from certain torture at the hands of Old Lucius and his masked chums. I can understand he feels that he wants to protect them – even from you. Yes, we lost a potential spy in the girl but she would not have been allowed to give us any useful information. She would have been watched at all times or made to take an oath not to betray her husband's family. I dare say it would have been spells of the darkest arts – possibly even imperio - but that's the Malfoys for you. Ruddy sodding evil bastards!"

Kingsley nodded, his expression stoic. He'd heard far worse language from the eccentric old auror before and anyway, he agreed with Alastor. The Malfoys were evil. "I didn't look to see when they were married but if the marriage contract has almost faded to nothingness then they could have been married for at least a year – if not more. That's a very powerful binding and it will make it impossible to annul the match."

"An annulment!" Moody chuckled. "Not going to happen. The Weasleys are a red-blooded lot and Potter's a fit young man. How do you think Arthur and Molly got all those children?"

"Children?" The headmaster frowned. Surely not… Harry wouldn't. He tried to recall the last time he'd seen the Hogwarts book of entries and breathed a little easier. There were no Potter births recorded since Harry's own. In any case, Minerva would have noticed and drawn attention his attention to it. A child would complicate things and distract Harry's attention from what had to be done. But this was supposition - there had been no record of any Potter births. He dismissed the niggle from his mind.

"If the chit is as determined as her mother then she's not going to give up Potter and, Merlin knows, he's as stubborn as they come. I'm assuming they went muggle to hide which was a bloody good idea. Potter used his head. Would they be safe if they stayed muggle?"

"It's doubtful, Alastor," said Dumbledore. "Harry has a link to Voldemort and if his magic continues to recover then he will be found."

"'If' being the word, Albus." Moody turned and raked his gaze across the silent Shell Cottage. "No point staying here any longer. The place is empty."

Dumbledore surveyed the scene. "Harry is a powerful young man and being able to create the portkey that saved Severus is nothing short of miraculous considering what such a dark curse does to the recipient. But I doubt if he could sustain such a level of magic for any length of time for several years yet."

Kinglsey Shacklebolt pursed his lips thoughtfully for a moment before saying quietly, "I would have thought that we would have learned not to underestimate Harry Potter, Albus."

"You may be right, Kingsley. Come, we'll go to The Burrow," decided Albus. "Molly will need to be told, although I'm beginning to question whether she's in on this little secret, too."

"I haven't seen Molly for some time," mused Shacklebolt.

"Nor have I," agreed the headmaster. "She's been unable to attend meetings recently. It does make me wonder..."

"I'll head to Gringotts and see if the goblins know anything about Bill Weasley's activities." Moody pulled a battered silver hip flask from his pocket and took a swig of something alcoholic by the smell. It was probably firewhisky.

"It will be a futile task, Alastor," warned Dumbedore.

The old auror gave a rusty chuckle. "You can still learn things from the sneaky little bastards if you use a bit of Slytherin cunning and no, I wasn't in Slytherin, Albus."

"I know you weren't. I can still remember your sorting," said Albus with a wry smile. "Let me know if you learn anything from the goblins."

"Will do. Constant Vigilance!" he called and with a sharp crack Moody vanished.

Dumbledore took one last look at Shell Cottage before apparating away and reappearing in front of The Burrow where Hermione and a subdued-looking Ron were waiting for them. Two seconds later they were joined by Kingsley.

"There's no one here," gabbled Hermione anxiously.

"Ah!" said Albus. "I suspected that. As did you yourself, Miss Granger."

"Molly left a note." Hermione held out a crumpled piece of parchment. "I've done all the necessary spells. It's in Molly's own handwriting and it was done in a hurry."

Shacklebolt took the scrap of parchment from Hermione and ran a couple of diagnostic spells. "It's genuine – definitely Molly's writing but unfortunately it can't tell us if she wrote it willingly. We couldn't have missed her by much. This was only written about half an hour ago."

Ron was pale with worry, his freckles standing out in his white face. "She said that she's gone to stay with friends for a few days and not to worry. Some clothes are missing and an overnight bag."

"I filled him in, Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, looking miserable. "It's too suspicious for words. Molly doesn't have friends who are not in the Order – not now. I sent a Patronus to the twins. There's been no answer but that's nothing new."

"Harry was plotting with the twins before he left," spoke up Ron suddenly. "They're either in the middle of some top secret Wheezes product or they've gone into hiding, too. I know my brothers…or I thought I did. They've always been sure that Harry and Ginny were together."

Dumbledore patted Hermione on the shoulder. "At least we know more than we did before. They're safe, which is the main thing. Let me know if you hear anything from your mother or your brother, Mr. Weasley. I need to get back to the school," he apologized lightly. "I will take my leave."

"As will I," said Shacklebolt. "I'll be in touch."

A moment later the two wizards had vanished. Ron's gaze lingered on the spot for a moment, his hands clenched into fists but he said nothing.

Hermione put her arm around Ron and they walked slowly into the house. "You're very calm about this," murmured Hermione. "Well, calm for you, that is," she added apologetically.

"Oh, I'm angry," he said. "But funnily enough not at Harry. We now know that he's looked after Ginny."

"Or she's looked after him," offered Hermione, her voice trembling. "It's far more likely." The past few weeks seemed to have her in an emotional spin. She'd gone through far worse in the past but somehow, she'd reached and gone beyond a limit she didn't know that she had. "Why do you think they didn't get in touch with us?"

"There are many reasons. Too close to Dumbledore. Too close to Harry himself." He sighed, dropping his tired body onto the lumpy couch. "I've actually been thinking about things – analysing them like I would the tactics I use in a chess match. Harry probably felt that he had to do it, considering what we now know about his loss of magic. All the way through school Harry tried to push us away on a regular basis. He did it to us and he did it to Ginny because he thought that it would keep us safe. Alright, we tried to keep with him but he grew sneakier at it as time went on."

Hermione gaped at him. "I never considered it that way."

"And face it, Hermione, we weren't the most supportive set of friends he had before he left."

"We were...we...we..." Hermione stopped and swallowed. "We could have been better friends...couldn't we?"

Ron sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "We did what we could. Harry's been to darker places than you or I ever will."

"Who are you and what have you done with my fiancé?" asked Hermione slipping down beside him, her curly head resting on his shoulder.

Ron's ears grew warm. "I have to grow up sometime," he muttered. "Might as well be now. Harry's going to need us when he comes home."

"I love you just as you are," replied Hermione, sniffing slightly.

"You see," Ron began thoughtfully, as he conjured a handkerchief, "Even if he's doing it in his usual twisted Harry fashion, Harry's following the family rules – Weasleys together – apart from Percy who must have been swapped at birth. He can't possibly be a Weasley."

"But he's not actually a…" She paused, wiping her eyes. "Oh, but he is now, isn't he? Harry's officially family."

"He's been family since we met on the train to Hogwarts when we were eleven years old. You became family after the troll. He's just made it official. Why he thinks he had to marry my sister to do it, I don't know. There had to have been an easier way."

"Ron!" Hermione dug her elbow into his ribs. "You know why."

"Ow! Hermione!" Ron wriggled away from the offending elbow. "I'm not saying that it didn't hurt when he left because it does. Part of Harry's always felt that he had to do things alone. Those ruddy relatives of his didn't help and I don't think Dumbledore helped either. Harry's never trusted adults. But he's managed to keep himself and Ginny safe for over five years. Alright, so You-know-whatsit was rather out of his body for a while but we all knew he'd be back and there were all those imperio-ed fine upstanding wizarding citizens stroke death eaters wandering about. Harry was and still is in danger."

"And now Ginny is too."

Ron shook his head and gave Hermione an 'I can't believe I'm actually saying this' kind of look. "She's not in danger just because of Harry. She's in danger because she's a pureblood witch who doesn't believe in the pureblood doctrine spouted by Malfoy and his hem-kissing cronies. She's a blood traitor in all Death Eater eyes – we all are in this family." His hand sought Hermione's and clung tightly. "It doesn't really matter what our blood status is, Hermione. We're all in danger because we're against V...V…" He stopped, sighed, took a deep breath and rattled out the name so quickly that anyone listening would have had a hard time working out exactly what he'd said. "Voldemort!"

"I…know," she whispered as she let her tears fall. Why hadn't Harry trusted them – why hadn't he trusted her? She'd been his true friend and would have done anything to help keep him safe.

They sat in silence in the darkness for some time, savouring the feeling of being alone together until Hermione said softly, "I think Percy's sorry for his actions. I know this is not what you want to hear but I'm sure he's regretting what he did. He's lost his family; he didn't realize what he had until he lost it."

Ron glanced down at the curly head on his shoulder. "No one ever said that Percy was stupid. You're probably right about him being sorry; after all, you're the one who has to work with him on a daily basis. And he's got more than his fair share of Weasley pride. I, however, don't have to forgive him and the twins will forever make his life hell. He deserves it, Hermione."

"Does he?" she wondered. "He thought he was doing the right thing."

"Oh, come on! Marrying Ginny to a Malfoy! That just beggars belief and proves that the git is certifiably insane. She'd kill him and there's no saying what she's done to poor old Harry."

"She loves Harry," said Hermione softly. "She always has. She would do almost anything for him. Like I would for you."

Ron closed his eyes, desperately hanging on to his fraying emotions. His hand fumbled for Hermione's and when he found it, his fingers threaded through hers and gripped it tightly. He didn't say it often – he wasn't a hearts and flowers type of man - but sometimes, just sometimes when they were alone together, he admitted how he felt. "I love you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elgin

The town centre was quiet in the reluctant light of the early morning. A few stray seagulls feasted on dropped remains of fast food from the night before and several scurrying workers headed for the lighted shops and offices, eager to get out of the cold and into warmth and a source of caffeine. A hint of snow threatened the air but only a few stray flakes had been seen drifting lazily down. They all hoped for a white Christmas but hated the reality when it occurred.

None of the workers, bundled up in thick overcoats, hats, gloves and scarves noticed the man sitting on a bench watching them rush by. A notice-me-not spell combined with a warming charm meant that Alastor Moody was quite comfortable as he assessed the citizens going about their daily lives. So far there'd been no sign of the Boy-who-lived but that meant nothing. There was time yet. If he didn't show up in this place there were other small towns and other early mornings. But he had a hunch about this place and he never passed up a good hunch.

He set his magic eye scanning for magical auras and perhaps someone under an invisibility cloak. Potter had been drained of his magic and, although there were hints that he might have recovered some of his skill, it was unlikely that his presence would register any more strongly than that of an average muggle. Still, he hadn't gained his impressive reputation as one of the Ministry's finest aurors by neglecting to scrutinize the details. As Shacklebolt had said the other night they should learn not to underestimate Potter.

Moody mulled over the facts that he knew for certain. Potter lived in the area, had almost said so without handing Dumbledore the key to his front door. The boy had to know that they were looking for him and that they would find him eventually. His visit to Gringotts had not been helpful. The goblins had been disinclined to share any information but he had learned that Bill and Fleur Weasley were on holiday and wouldn't be back to work until after the New Year. Slippery little sods, those goblins. Young Weasley had known what would happen when he announced the marriage and had rightly removed himself from view, even though it had thrown the wrong ingredient in the Order's cauldron. Bill knew exactly where Harry Potter was and probably had done for some time.

The cleaners gave way to those who worked in the shops and the offices and the place began to come alive as daylight gained a strong grip. Christmas was just over a week away and even though it was a Tuesday morning, the town would get busy very quickly.

"Come on, lad, where are you?" whispered Moody, his magical eye scanning the muggles as they passed. He should have set up magical detectors all over the town but hadn't the resources or the time. Remus had thought that Potter worked in an office of some kind and the Order had investigated the claims that the young man had made about the development training he'd attended that Saturday. Emmeline Vance had found there'd been a banking and financial conference which fit the bill. The town centre had at least four different banks and several building societies in the main street alone. "Muggles," he muttered disdainfully. Gringotts was more than enough bank for wizards.

A group of three young men passed his perch, business suits visible under bulky jackets, their heads covered by woollen hats and that was when he felt the first spike of magical power. Not just magical power – but extraordinary magical power. His false eye swirled rapidly in its socket before training itself firmly upon the tallest of the three. It was hard to tell who was under all that clothing but the magical aura didn't lie and it was strong. The boy had always had the potential to become a strong wizard but Moody could sense that the Potter had really come into his own. Voldemort's curse had failed to rob the young man of his magic.

"Well, well, well," he muttered. Albus would be surprised at the boy's strength. "Living like a muggle right enough but forgetting the most basic of commands that I ever taught to you. Where is the Constant Vigilance, Potter?" He tamped down his instinctual urge to immediately confront the boy. It wasn't yet time. But the question burning to be asked was: how powerful was Potter? He was as aware of the effects of Voldemort's hex as Albus was and the boy seemed to have recovered if his readings were accurate. Of course, he wouldn't be able to totally gauge the true state of Potter's magic until he had him in a duel. There was time for that. First he needed to go and give Albus the glad tidings and then conscript a few of the Order members to come and help pick him up. There was no guarantee that the boy would come willingly.

He stood up, banished his notice-me-not charm and disappeared with a faint pop.

Harry had, against his wife's and newly reunited family's wishes, decided to go into work as normal. He guessed that this was foolishness but part of him liked the daily grind. He enjoyed his job – he wasn't ecstatic about it but it was pleasant and kept him occupied. He didn't want to let down his colleagues this close to Christmas. Yesterday had been a case in point – the bank had been busy. Today he'd decided to take the car into town and had run into a couple of the lads in the car park. They'd almost reached the bank when he heard a faint pop and out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw something or someone vanish. He'd always been able to tell when someone had been watching him. The pop had been faint... almost silent but he'd just seen and heard something that reminded him of the world he'd left.

'Shit,' he swore inwardly as he held the heavy door open for Kevin. Maybe, he hadn't seen anything at all. Yesterday had been a long day and they'd all stayed up later than usual so he was a bit tired. But then part of him - that knowing rational, wizard part of him - knew that he'd heard and seen something that no muggle would have. It had to be one of the Order and his bet was on Moody for his persistence. Talk about coincidence and bad luck. This looked as if it might be his last day at the bank. He'd read up on obliviation and confundus charms and guessed that he might be utilising them in order to fool the bank into thinking that he'd given his notice in a month ago. It was just as well he and Ginny didn't really need the money.

Alastor Moody was almost impossible to fool, Harry thought irritably as he divested himself of his winter clothing and put it in his locker. He respected the crusty old wizard tremendously and Moody had taught him a lot over the years but he considered the auror one of Dumbledore's men. Harry didn't count himself as one of those any more – maybe once long ago when he'd been young and naive but no more.

The Order knew where he was now or they soon would when whoever it was reported in. He was surprised – if it was Moody – that the man hadn't just stunned him, hit him with a body binding spell and immediately transported him to Dumbledore. Statute of Secrecy be damned. He briefly considered the Ministry but decided that Dumbledore wouldn't have broadcast Harry's situation. He'd never been keen on sharing his weapon.

Yes, the wizarding world was definitely calling him home. But Harry would be going on his own terms and not those of Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix or the Ministry of Magic.

Harry straightened his tie and moved to his work station where a small line had already formed. It was going to be another busy day and he welcomed the distraction of the mundane. He smiled at the woman at the head of the queue. "Next!"

He fully expected to see Albus Dumbledore and the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix before the end of his working day. So much for being granted his wish of a quiet Christmas with his wife and child.

Just because they knew where he worked didn't mean that they could do with him what they wanted. He would always want to fight the darker side of the magical world but sometimes, just sometimes, he knew that he'd also have to fight against the light for the right to live his life as he saw fit. Just because they told him what to do didn't mean that he would oblige. Harry Potter was his own man and proud of it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Scrimgeour's office – Ministry of Magic

"Believe me, Dumbledore, I can understand the need for secrecy and protection. But this time your golden boy has gone too far. The Weasley girl was promised to Draco Malfoy five years ago by magical betrothal and now I find she's married to Potter. How could that have happened? Lucius Malfoy will not stand for this. He will insist on Potter being charged and the marriage being dissolved. We do not need the Chosen One placed in…"

"Rufus…"

The Minister for Magic glared across his desk at the Hogwarts headmaster. Albus was a brilliant wizard but had his own agenda and wasn't about to share exactly what that was. This couldn't be allowed to continue. They were at war, for Merlin's sake. The man had to stop obstructing the Ministry and start helping. Once the wizarding population became aware that You-Know-Who had returned for the third time – the news would become very old very quickly – they were going to have a state of mass hysteria on their hands. They needed the Potter boy on the front page of the Daily Prophet as soon as possible. "You told me he'd been sent away for training. Five years and he's not been seen once – a little suspicious, Headmaster."

"Rufus…"

"Don't try to hoodwink me, Albus. My name is not Cornelius Fudge and I know exactly what you are capable of. You're a meddling old fool who should have retired years ago. Fetch Potter from wherever you have him stashed. You-Know-Who is back…"

"His name is Voldemort, Rufus."

"I know what his name is, Albus," thundered Scrimgeour. "Stop trying to head away from the subject."

"Fear of a name..."

Scrimgeour almost snarled in Dumbledore's face. "I choose not to use it. What I call the dark bastard is not the issue here. Our supposed 'chosen one' – that's what the Prophet's been calling him for years - has disappeared and is not doing the job he was prophesied to do. The Ministry - the wizarding people - need to see their saviour helping the Ministry rid our world of evil."

"No, they do not need to see anything," Dumbledore said calmly but privately he was dismayed at the level of the Minister's knowledge. Harry was a man now and would not be easy to control but even Dumbledore drew the line at what Rufus was proposing.

Scrimgeour leapt to his feet, both hands planted on his desk as he leant across it, his wiry hair almost crackling with suppressed energy. "Where... Is... Potter?"

"Safe," said Dumbledore calmly.

"Don't give me that, Albus," thundered Scrimgeour. He'd known Dumbledore for years and wasn't fooled by the wise man persona. "He has a duty..."

Dumbledore's face darkened in anger. "Harry is not the property of the Ministry. He cannot be owned or used in whatever schemes you have planned."

"But you use him in your plans, Albus. You are the greatest manipulator I've ever met."

"Harry turned you down once before," Dumbledore stated icily. "I believe he will do so again."

"I could have him arrested."

"On what charge?" countered Dumbledore. "You do that and you're not the wizard I thought you were, Rufus. You'll be no better than Cornelius Fudge."

"He went against a magical betrothal and that's only the tip of the niffler's hoarded gold stash as far as his antics at Hogwarts were described to me."

"Percy Weasley?"

"I asked him for his impression of Potter."

"You do know that Percy was behind the betrothal contract, negotiating it without informing the rest of the Weasley family including young Ginevra. He did not want Harry and Ginevra to unite but young love can be a force that none can withstand."

"Albus!"

The headmaster's eyes twinkled. "Rufus, Percy Weasley had his eyes on your job."

"He's an ambitious young wizard," said the Minister dryly, knowing that Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy hadn't exactly been friends and would not normally have considered an alliance between their families. But Ginevra Weasley had been a valuable commodity – young, powerful, beautiful, a pureblood and with strong connections to Potter and Dumbledore.

Scrimgeour had eventually demoted Percy when his continuing support for Fudge had over-ridden his common sense. The strange pact between Percy Weasley and Lucius Malfoy had been brokered because Lucius had a surfeit of wealth, influence and power and Weasley had none but wanted it desperately. "The Malfoys still have influence and money."

"Pity about the affiliation to Voldemort," stated Dumbledore calmly

"Will you stop saying his name, Albus?" Scrimgeour sank back into his chair. "Percy Weasley's was not the only opinion I sought on young Potter."

"I fail to see how this could make a difference. Harry is one of the most genuine and good young wizards I have ever met."

Scrimgeour wasn't listening. He picked up a piece of parchment and swiftly perused its contents. "Potter expressed an interest in joining the auror corps."

"Yes, he did." Dumbledore doubted whether Harry's magic would be strong enough but some sort of activity could be arranged for the Boy-who-lived in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. "He did very well in Defence against the Dark Arts at OWL and NEWT levels - outstandings across the board, Rufus."

"Then we can make him an spokesperson for the aurors..." He peered closer at the piece of parchment. "Auror numbers are down and we need a recruitment drive. Potter could do this and begin his official training. The Daily Prophet could run an article. The people would want to see the young man helping his fellow wizards. It would go a long way to helping him get out of the trouble he's currently in. Albus, he broke a magical contract."

Dumbledore held out his hands in a calming fashion. "I have been reviewing the memories in my pensieve of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley when the contract was served to Ginevra and realised something rather interesting."

"Albus..." Rufus said dismissively. "This is a waste of my time."

"Ah, don't be so hasty. I wouldn't destroy the runespoor before the eggs are hatched. Miss Weasley never formally accepted the contract verbally or by any other means."

"What!"

"She never laid a finger on that parchment and managed to ignore compulsion spells that were undoubtedly present. Contracts drawn up by families such as the Malfoys have strong magic layered within. The only thing that could prevent Miss Weasley from succumbing to the powerful enchantments in a Malfoy betrothal contract would be if she'd already made a binding magical commitment."

Rufus blinked in surprise. "You're saying that she'd already made a commitment to Potter?"

Albus nodded. "It appears so."

"And you're telling me that you had no knowledge of this?" the Minister scoffed sceptically. "I thought that you were omniscient."

"I cannot claim to be all-knowing," said Dumbledore with a smile. "Harry and I had a difficult relationship at the time of Ginevra's betrothal as many parents do with their maturing offspring."

"You consider yourself a parent to Potter?" Scrimgeour's eyes met those of the Hogwarts headmaster in disbelief.

"I have guided Harry from a young age," said Dumbledore calmly.

"But..."

"Our opinions differed on some decisions I had made for his safety," continued the headmaster. "He would not have willingly confided to me at that time something, which to him, was deeply personal. I swear on my life and magic that I had no knowledge of his and Ginevra's re-emerging relationship. They'd been close in the past but the relationship had ended. Harry thought that being with the young lady put her in unnecessary danger. Something must have altered his opinion and I am sure it was the proposed union with Draco Malfoy."

"The Malfoys will protest."

"I would not have expected anything different. They know that Miss Weasley is important to Harry and will try to take her away from him by any means they can."

"But they will fail." Scrimgeour sounded resigned.

"They will fail if they try to do it by legal means. Do not underestimate Ginevra Weasley or perhaps we should refer to her as Ginny Potter. She is the seventh child of Molly and Arthur and the first female to be born into the Weasley family for several generations and, as I have already said, she is a powerful and clever witch." Dumbledore pointed to another piece of parchment in front of the Minister. "Look at it, Rufus. The magic has been completely leached away. There is no binding power in that contract. It has failed. Whereas..." He pulled forward a large dragon-hide bound volume, opened the gilt-tipped pages carefully and pointed to an entry which practically glowed on the page.

Rufus cleared his throat and read aloud, "the marriage of Mister Harry James Potter, head of House Potter and Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley, daughter of the House of Weasley has been announced and approved by Mister William Arthur Weasley, head of House Weasley." He closed the volume and scowled. "Why has this come to light now, Albus? Ginevra Weasley has been missing for over five years. It is most uncanny."

Dumbledore momentarily looked surprised. "Magic has accepted this union, Rufus. It would not appear in this book otherwise."

"Produce Potter," Rufus demanded. "Rumour has it, there is a prophecy concerning him and You-Know-Who..."

"I cannot confirm or deny that."

"No matter. You do not need to, Albus." Slowly, Scrimgeour sat up straight, his eyes widening in dawning horror. "Merlin's bones, Albus! You have no idea where Potter is, do you? He's supposed to be the saviour, our chosen one. He's fought against You-Know-Who more times than anyone else and survived to tell the tale. If he is prophesied to do what I think he is..."

Dumbledore held up his hand to stop the Minister from saying any more. "Rufus..."

"Don't!" snapped Scrimgeour. "I remember the debacle in the Hall of Prophesies. The department of mysteries confirmed the rumour without divulging the contents but Albus, I think any magical citizen could guess what Potter's destiny is. I am not a fool. Do not treat me as one."

"Harry is safe, that much I do know, and we are close to finding his location. No, I will not disclose such sensitive information. It's better that you are not aware of where he is."

"Albus," thundered Scrimgeour. "I am the Minister of Magic..." He began scrabbling in his desk drawer for a quill and blank parchment. "Bill Weasley..." he muttered, signing his name with a dramatic flourish. "He knows...bring him in for questioning..."

"I cannot do that, Rufus," stated Dumbledore. "Bill Weasley has taken some of his annual leave. Bill, his wife Fleur and Molly have gone away for a few days – where exactly I do not know."

"I suppose," observed Scrimgeour coolly, having calmed down a little, "that Percy Weasley and the little muggleborn, Granger, also have no idea?"

"That would be correct, Rufus."

The Minister sighed. "Albus, Potter has a job to do. You know it and I know it. See that he does it or there's no hope for the world that we love. Voldemort...yes I've said it. Voldemort is on the rise once more and we are going to find it almost impossible to halt that rise."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Albus left the Minister's office with much to think on. It was becoming more difficult to hide the breach between himself and Harry. If he only knew where the boy had hidden himself. Harry had gone muggle - that was quite apparent - and he certainly possessed the knowledge to do so. But he couldn't have done so on his own. Someone had helped him and the headmaster was starting to have his suspicions as to whom. It was unexpected and yet not considering the boy's wealth.

"Albus!" Alastor Moody swiftly limped his way through the Ministry atrium to the headmaster's side. "I was told that you were in a meeting with the Minister."

"I was, Alastor. Rufus can't be relied on to do what's best for Harry and..."

"We have him, Albus," the old auror interrupted eagerly. "I spotted him this morning heading into a muggle bank. He's working there. We can go and pick him up and Albus, whatever doubts you had about his magic? Forget them. I scanned his aura and he's as powerful as he ever was – if not more."

"Interesting." He trusted Moody's investigative skills. But inside he was wondering how Harry had managed to fully recover from one of the most insidious curses in the arsenal of wizarding spells. Albus clenched his fist and a small fluttering piece of paper hovered in front of him. "To Miss Hermione Granger, please. Her aid would be most beneficial in this instance."

"I've contacted some of the old crowd. Couldn't seem to get hold of Lupin and Tonks is on shift."

"Whoever is available should be enough," murmured Albus. "Harry may be anticipating our arrival but he will have no idea exactly when. Let's go."

With a faint pop, the wizards disappeared from view.

36