Surprise

Two hours, then Harry would leave for Ginny's birthday. He had just went for a stroll to get her gift. A small but beautiful locket with a picture of the two. It was a custom made one. The picture was in a wolf who carried a snake around its neck. He happily walked down the street, carefully blocking the image of the locket to keep it a surprise.

On the way he met Erik who was returning from the local store. They chatted about the new school year and Erik told him about a surprise when Harry would return to Hogwarts.

Suddenly, he frowned. It was getting cold. He was confused as it was the middle of the year after all. Dementors! Harry panicked as he reached for his wand. They was in the middle of a deserted intersection. He could see the robes coming for him. Dementors were surrounding him.

He began to feel the pain again as memories were brought back up.

EXPECTO PATRONUM! But instead of his stag, a faint silver fog radiated out which only pushed the closest Dementor back. Harry tried to concentrate again. This time he pictured Ginny. EXPECTO PATRONUM! The area was lit in silver. As Harry opened his eyes again, he saw the dementors in the distance but they were closing in again. With horror he noticed that his wand was blown into pieces. ~HARRY!~ Out of nothing Ginny appeared at his side. But before she could grab him a dementor claimed him and pulled him up into the air. "NO!" She collapsed as the pain and coldness flooded from Harry into her. Dumbly she forced the connection to close. Clearing her head she looked up. ~HARRY!~

Erik reacted immediately when Harry began to call upon his patronus. However it only exploded in a bright flash. Ginny's doe was surrounding them, but nevertheless, a dementor managed to snag Harry when the Patronus was busy fending off another. His brain didn't give him time to think as he automatically lifted his pistol and fired at the dementor. He emptied the clip into the creature which dropped Harry, letting him fall down.

As soon as Harry was released, Ginny collected herself and flamed up to catch her soul-mate. Landing next to Erik, they were surrounded by Dementors. Ginny and Harry held hands and desperately tried a last resort. ~EXPECTO PATRONUM!~ A large Phoenix broke out of their hands and encircled them, chasing the dementors away and burning the robes left of those Erik had killed.

With a last cry, the phoenix dispersed and a silver shield radiated out

Erik kept an eye on his radar while he carried Ginny and Harry home. Petunia and Dudley were still gone and wouldn't return before tomorrow. An owl was already waiting for them. Erik opened the parchment and gave it further to Harry and Ginny. It was a letter telling them that they were guilty of using underage magic in the presence of a muggle. They were to destroy their wands immediately. "Well, it was broken anyway." Harry looked at the pieces of his old holly wand. Ginny pulled out the broken remains of her wand. It had broken when she caught the falling Harry.

A second owl appeared. This time it was Pig. Arthur was telling them that Dumbledore tried to invoke something and that they should not do anything but stay in the house. Erik placed two mugs of warm chocolate in front of them and caught the third letter. Again, it was a ministry letter, but this time it told them that the first letter was ruled invalid and that due to their marriage nature Harry and Ginny were to go to a hearing next week.

The last letter was one from Sirius: "Just got the news from Amelia. Did you really use the Patronus three times? Why at all? Unless the damn ministry lost control over them. Anyway, stay at home and well done, pup."

Ginny and Harry spent the rest of the day celebrating her birthday in private. Still, he and Erik gave her their presents which was the necklace and a set of swords. "Catherine told me you would need a set soon so I got some special equipment."

While they were isolated from the others Erik taught them self-defense and martial arts. It quickly came out that they were both more adapted to the kicks than to punches.

One evening Erik asked them. "Did you learn how to invade others' minds?" While Harry shook his head Ginny nodded. "Well, take Harry with you and enter mine. It is easier to teach you in there than telling you everything."

Mindscape

Ginny appeared in the plain area. In front of them was a wall. Just as they got close a small door opened and Erik waved them in.

"This is the first layer. My actual mind is far back in the center. Some active counter-measures here to delay and trick the attackers."

They passed a platoon of soldiers. All faceless with identical gear. Some tanks were rolling past them and turrets were spread all over the ground. They reached a free area.

"Now, one minute in here is like a second out there. The mind can convey thoughts very fast and you can understand without having to ask."

Harry stood at the secluded location of Grimmaud place 12. Moody had taken him there by broom while Ginny helped Erik to move his equipment. On the question why he couldn't be taken along with Ginny or floo, Moody said that he needed to be told and see the place under the Fidelius charm.

Arriving there, he met Ron, who ignored him, and Hermione. Ginny helped Erik to set up a room, right next to theirs. Officially Ron and Harry shared a room but Ginny had swapped with Ron so the couples could be together. (Or at least Ginny with Harry while Hermione tried to get Ron to openly admit that he fancied her.)

Down in the kitchen Molly prepared breakfast when she saw Erik and Catherine sitting at the table. She was surprised at the sight. She knew the two were married, but the synchronicity was overwhelming. Without looking Erik pushed his empty mug over, where Catherine, without stopping to eat refilled it and pushed it back, while reading the paper. Later Erik held his wrist out to her where she bit him. It seemed like their normal routine. Each knew what the other was needing. Like with the refill, Catherine already had the can in the air and was beginning to drop the coffee as Erik pushed his mug over in time to catch the beverage with it. The atmosphere was the same with Harry and Ginny. Harry threw a plate loaded with bacon exact the moment Ginny held her hands up to catch it. The same thing a few minutes later when Ginny retrieved two glasses of jam after putting one back and sat down exact the moment Harry pushed her chair back under her. She handed the jam to Harry who, without looking, smeared it onto his bread.

Other members of the order were running in and out.

It was the day of the hearing. After being pulled in a hurry because it was earlier where no one told them. It has been lucky that Percy was made scribe of the court, a complete nut job for those the ministry didn't want but couldn't fire. "It's like Crouch being banished from the MLE to the Department of magical relations." Percy said. "Only Madame Bones treats me right."

Percy had been told about Harry's and Ginny's possible expelling and had kept track of it. When he heard about the moving forward he had immediately flooed them.

Now Harry and Ginny were sitting in a court room that was really in the cellar of the ministry. Dumbledore was their defense. Apparently Fudge had tried to delay him so he could make the case without the defense.

Just as Fudge read the charges, someone barged through the door.

"Who dares to interrupt this court?" he shouted.

"Lieutenant Erik Winston, Task Force Cobra. Witness of the defense of Mr Potter. No one told me about the new time."

"The Wizengamot isn't responsible for your late being. We sent an owl this morning."

Erik hold up something that looked like a burned lump. "You mean this owl? Our mechanic found it in our turbine after we nearly crashed on base."

Fudge was beet-red with anger.

Deep into the interrogation Fudge shouted: "HA! Nice try to use dementors as muggles can't see them, right?"

"On the contrary. I can see them." Erik intervened. "And before you interrupt me, I'm the muggle in question. So if you find Mr Potter and Miss Weasley guilty of exposing magic to a muggle you all should be found guilty as well as you let me enter. Anyway. There were dementors in Surrey. If you don't believe my word nor Mr Potter or Miss Weasley I will contact Task Force Cobra. My helmet has an uplink to central command. At least three coordinators have seen the footage and verified it on their sensors."

Fudge tried a last resort. "Still, even if the two defended themselves, they still broke the statute of secrecy."

Dumbledore stood up again. "As the Lieutenant has clearly stated he is the muggle in question."

"And we have to obliviate him afterwards!" Umbridge shouted.

Immediately red dots appeared on her face. The other soldiers appeared as their cloaking devices were shut off.

"What is this?" Fudge shouted. "You are under arrest for threatening a ministry worker.

Erik mentioned for his unit to stand down. "The regular humans with the Cobras share the status of awareness. Note that my camera was online the whole time. I have recorded your outburst and have forwarded it to the ICW that you threatened a Cobra Operative, well knowing of his status."

The rest of the hearing went rather uneventful. Over three-quaters decided that Harry and Ginny were found not guilty of performing magic in front of a muggle. They found them guilty of underage magic but decided that the loss of their wands was punishment enough. However, because of the crime Madam Bones got a slight majority to replace the wands on the ministry's expense.

"If you go to Diagon alley now. The offer only stands for the next twelve hours."

Sirius awaited them at Ollivander's. "Harry!" He hugged his godson. "Look, I only have today before I return to Remus. Choose your wand. Consider it my present to you both." He winked at them.

Ollivander measured them before looking through his depot, choosing a set of wands for them to try out. Like the last time a lot misfired or simply refused to work. It wasn't until he hurried away frustrated, he hit a shelf and a set of wands fell down and came to a stop right in front of Harry and Ginny. Ollivander looked back when the wands hit the floor and observed when they rolled over.

He stroke his beard. "Interesting. Indeed, interesting. Unusual. That I ever would see them again."

"What is unusual, Sir?" Erik asked.

Ollivander looked at the wands. "Pick them up." As soon as Harry and Ginny touched the wood, a warm feeling filled both of them. More, their bond was glowing visible to all for a second.

Ollivander was in shock as he stared at the two. "That I ever live to see this day."

"What exactly do you mean?" Sirius asked.

The wand-maker locked the door and changed the sign to CLOSED. He pushed them into the back where he made himself a cup of tea and drank it. He visibly calmed down as he began to explain.

"Once I was a young student of a wand-maker. He told me a story. A wand-maker's first wand ever produced would never be sold unless it is destined to do something great. The wands you have are brother-wands. They are of the same material. Bamboo with a hybrid core. It was a stupid experiment of mine. I accidentally mixed phoenix feather and hippogriff feather together and dissolved them in basilisk venom. My sensei in Asia thought of me as crazy when I managed to bring them together in a wand. His wife said, whenever someone would be picked, they would probably become heroes."

Harry tried to cast a patronus. Surprisingly the wand handed the power quite well and the familiar stag broke out. Ginny tried too and her doe joined Harry's stag, intertwining their necks.

Sirius was already picking his wallet when Ollivander hold up his hands. "No, they are my gift to you. My first wands I ever made. It is tradition that they are given to fulfill their ddestiny and from what I see, Mr Potter and his wife will certainly do something great." With this mythical statement he shoved them out and returned to open business. While Harry got Ginny another present, a firebolt, Erik made an errand run at Gringotts. He had them meet him at the carriage down to their vault.

Once in, Erik turned serious. "Harry, why did you place me as your financial guardian?"

"I don't know." Harry admitted. "It just seemed right." Erik shook his head. "Because Dumbledore implanted the thought. Back then your bond wasn't as developed as it is now and the mind shields weren't up yet. Due to your parents' painting he knew you would properly leave 4 Privet Drive. He wanted to maintain control. He believed that he could control me and thus your finances."

"That..." Ginny began but Erik hold his hand up. "Not that I did what he told me. He didn't expect that your parents could convince Petunia to leave with you. The Bloodwards were no argument anymore as they would be over where ever you and Petunia would settle as home."

"All the years fighting Tom..." Harry began to realize. "Actually only the stone was planned. He didn't know about the chamber and Peter. Although he knew about your parents' will."

"My parents had a will?" Harry shouted. Erik nodded. "Yes. Albus sealed it, well knowing of what could have changed. It has to do with a prophecy. Sirius managed to get Amelia to get a transcript of its contents." He produced a small piece of parchment and held it out for them.

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approache…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.

"According to Dumbledore the power Tom knows not is love. However I don't think he is right. Tom knows what the power of love can do. He can't touch you. What I think is that this prophecy certainly points at you." Erik explained.

"How come?" Ginny asked.

"The prophecy points at two people: You and Neville. However Neville is a pureblood. You, Harry, are a half-blood like Tom. Now think about it. What does a half-blood usually have what Tom is deniying."

Harry thought about it. What was different between him and Tom? "Muggles!" Ginny exclaimed.

Erik nodded. "Yes. Different to Tom, you embraced your muggle heritage. Or at least did after we got you away from Vernon. Tom denies this. As Voldemort he claims to be a pureblood."

Ginny wondered: "What about the power he knows not?"

Erik pulled out his pistol. "Muggle way of fighting would be one. But on the magic side there is something else you have that he doesn't." "The bond." Harry and Ginny mumbled.

"Dumbledore doesn't know this either. He believes that the magic of love will do it and that he HAS to guide you. That is also why you spent most of the holidays separated. Although, since when did you care about boundaries?" Erik said with a wink. The two blushed. "Anyway. He wants to separate you as he thinks of you, Ginny, as a distraction. He wants Harry to see him as a hero, as his personal guide. The first year of your bond it worked just fine, apart from where he couldn't control it. Last year your bond got stronger and he couldn't do anything. This year will get even harder. As you know Alastor resigned last year. Instead of looking Albus did nothing, letting Fudge place his undersecretary Umbridge, yes, the toad from your hearing." Erik said at the disgusted looks. "As an observer at Hogwarts. Originally he wanted her to get the DADA position as he knows about Fudge's efforts to discredit you but the remaining staff found a loophole which enables us to prevent this. Let yourself be surprised by next year. But now enough of that."

Erik led them into the back of the vault where he pulled something out. It was a deed to an estate.

"Potter Manor. Cornwall." Harry was surprised. "I thought my parents lived at Godric's Hollow.

"Secondary home. They mainly lived at the Manor. I already stopped by. A large painting of your parents is still there. They can switch between the one at Privet Drive and this one. Their house elves are very loyal, having worked the past fifteen years without payment. And before you start, they don't want any compensation. Getting the house to live freely was enough for them."

Harry looked to Ginny. ~Should we visit?~ ~Later. Don't want mum to miss us.~