Chapter fifteen

Hermione and Ron stayed with Harry for most of the day, but left him alone after Hermione made him some dinner that he just needed to heat when he was ready. So Harry sat on his couch and filled out his report of what took place when the aurors were caught in a fight with twelve dark wizards. As Harry was finishing, his boss stepped out of his fireplace.

'Hi boss, is something wrong?'

'No, I just needed to talk to you about something. But you're not wearing glasses.'

Harry lifted the potion, 'Healer Linwood and a few of his colleagues came up with a potion that has to be taken every day, now I don't need to worry about them.'

'So no more sticking charms, that's good,' Michael sat down opposite Harry, 'I want to talk about you and Susie.'

'About what you heard, I thought you'd want to boss. So let me tell you this first, it started a while ago and we've still working and acting professionally at work all this time.'

'You know the rules about relationships in the work place Harry.'

'It's not a relationship, just the odd night we spend some time together, that's it. Neither of us want a relationship, we're just having a bit of fun. But if you're not sure about this, then we'll stop. But it hasn't affected our jobs boss. It started before we went to Hogwarts that day.'

'Well that was a while ago and you two have worked together a few times since then. So I'll leave it for now as long as it doesn't get serious Harry, you know it wouldn't work.'

'I know and I agree with you. Ron explained about not being my partner anymore and it makes sense. We do have a relationship you could say and sometimes it does affect our job. At first I liked the idea of being partnered with Ron, I was so used to him being beside me. But it was different then, we weren't working in a normal structural job, just friends doing what we had to and we didn't have to worry about rules. So we're both fine if you want to split us up. Am I getting another partner though?' Harry was secretly pleased that Ron wasn't his partner anymore and maybe after a while he might tell his boss, but for now, he'd leave it.

'Well, over the last few months I've had you going out with every other auror and I did that for a reason. At first it was to see who could partner you if Ron couldn't. Some like Abner, Claudia and Colin always told me after an assignment with you that they felt a little intimidated being Harry Potter's partner. I told them to get over that and explained how you wanted to be treated, like anyone else. They finally relaxed a bit, so what I decided was no partners, at least for now. I'll just assign you to whoever I pick on the day. You work well with everyone, you take orders from people like Abner who is senior to you and you can give orders to ones that you're senior to. Now of course if you have problems with anyone, let me know and I'll work it out.'

'I haven't so far boss, but I'll tell you if I think it won't work. One more thing about Susie and Ron though. See Ron was so used to me running things, I do get that but sometimes on the job he never stopped me if he thought my idea was wrong and his right. Susie is completely different, if she thinks I'm out of line, she has a go at me and I need that because like I explained to you when I first started. I was used to leading, or telling the DA what to do, of being the one in control when it came to Voldemort, so I knew it would take a while to get over that and you gave me that chance. Susie is the only one that won't let me get away with anything.'

'Yes, I knew it would be hard on you at first, the minister explained as well. But I never got any bad reports from the others that you wouldn't listen. Susie I can understand, that's just her way no matter who she works with and being Harry Potter never fazed her either, not like it did with the others.'

'No, it never did which I'm glad about, the others are good now, it took a while though. Anyway, about Colin though,' Harry sighed, then poured himself and his boss a drink, 'I know he was new at field work but he did good boss. It was just the fact it was twelve on four, so it was three of them on one of us. Now someone trained like you, me, Abner, Gabriel, yeah, we could handle three of one, but he just wasn't ready for that.'

'I know and if I would have known it was going to be more than just a few I would have sent the others. It was just bad luck Harry, so it's no one's fault. About his funeral though.'

Harry nodded, 'Ron mentioned you want us in full robes and medals.'

Michael grinned, 'I know you don't like attention Harry, but this is not about you this time. I just want Colin to be sent off the right way. Do you know I have two medals?'

'No, I didn't.'

'I got them after the first war. Order of merlin: second class and third class. For years I had them shoved in a drawer, but my wife talked me into putting them up on the wall. She said I should be proud of them because I did what a lot of people didn't. I kept fighting while some either ran or joined him.'

'You should be proud of that, but I get why you didn't want to show them. You realise how many I have got though, it's more than two. I don't want to take anything away from Colin if everyone decides to stare at me.'

'They might stare at the beginning, but once the service starts, that's all anyone will be thinking about. Now I am putting an application to the minister for Colin to be awarded the order of merlin: second class, but I'm not sure if that will pass, the third class will but I think he deserves second class.'

'I think he does as well, he never stopped even after being hit. He protected Susie when she went down, but still kept fighting but made sure she never got hit again. I just finished my report, maybe if you show Kingsley that, he might realise Colin deserves it. Susie could have been killed if he didn't protect her boss.'

'I never knew that, Abner and Gabriel were still shaken up, so I haven't had a chance to speak with them about what took place. So yes, he deserves second class. So I will take this and put it with the application. But can I ask you something Harry?'

'Anything boss.'

'How many awards or medals have you got?'

Harry sighed, 'Sixteen, seven of them are for my parents, Sirius and dobby, the house elf that saved Hermione, Ron and me when we were away.'

'So nine are yours alone. Well you will stand out Harry, but you know what, you deserve them. After you filled me in on everything and what you went through and were willing to do, that took more courage than most people have. So wear them with pride Harry and think of it this way, you don't have to wear them very often. This would be the first time since they were awarded, isn't it?'

'Yeah, it is and I will wear them for Colin, if it was for anything else, then I'd fight it.'

Michael laughed, 'You're impossible Harry, but I'll let you rest and I'll let you know when the funeral will be. But Susie did ask me to make it after she gets out of St Mungo's, so a week at the earliest.'

'Alright boss and I'll be back in two days,' Harry shook his boss's hand watched him leave, then decided to eat before heading to bed.

Over the next two days, Harry did exactly what Healer Linwood said, he rested. But he did go out once late on the second day. When he finished at Gringotts, Harry headed to St Mungo's. He spoke to the welcome witch, then waited until she went to get Healer Linwood.

'Harry, you should be home resting.'

'I have been, I haven't moved off my couch, my friends wouldn't let me. But I was hoping to speak with you in private about something.'

'Of course, follow me,' the old healer led Harry through the wards to an office, 'What can I do for you?'

'After you explained about your research and as you can see, no glasses, I realised I wanted to help and I could help,' Harry handed over some parchment, 'I don't let people know, but when my godfather died, he left me everything, meaning the Black family fortune. Now I was left everything of my parents, so I don't need that, I have used it once before, I donated to Hogwarts. So I thought this might help with your research so you can get a potion up that we can take monthly and I'm hoping if you had the time and money, you might be able to make it taste nicer.'

The old healer stood there staring at the parchment, then he finally looked up at Harry. 'Um, first thank you very much, this will keep our research going for a long time. But are you sure you want to give this much?'

'Yes, you said you want to help people, well I know what that feels like. I do it by fighting to keep our world safe, you do it by healing or coming up with potions to help people. That old injury that got hit, your potion healed it better than it ever was before. I used to get a bit of pain in that, not often, just if I overdid it, now I don't have any. So this is so you can help others. I just ask one thing, that no one knows I'm rich. It's not that I don't want to help people, it's how do I say it, some woman asked me out because I'm Harry Potter, not because they liked me. If people found out about that, I'd have more women after me for my money.'

'I won't tell anyone Harry, you have my word. My colleagues will want to know where this came from though.'

'I don't mind if its known I gave you money for your research, just not about being rich. So now I'll go finish resting and let you get back to your research.'

'Thank you, you don't realise how much good this money will do,' the healer shook Harry's hand then watched as the hero or their world left and couldn't believe that young man. Everything he went through and he was still thinking of others.