A/N: If anyone thinks I'm slighting the Weasleys with the description of the shed they keep their brooms in, that's straight from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Some dialogue in this chapter comes from that book, too.
"Luna" written by Billy Corgan
Chapter Eighteen
The Piper's Call
Wandering and dreaming
The words have different meaning.
Yes they did.
For all the time spent in that room
The doll's house, darkness, old perfume
And fairy stories held me high on
Clouds of sunlight floating by.
Oh Mother, tell me more
-Syd Barrett, Matilda Mother
The Burrow, Devon, England, UK, July 13, 1996
It was just after midnight when Harry and Dumbledore arrived at the Burrow.
Harry had spent some of the last few days at the Dursley home, but it had been much better than all his previous time there, since he had the best company. Luna arrived on Monday with a couple of days worth of clothes. Not that she was usually wearing them when they were alone in his room. Silencing charms really did work wonders.
Not that it was all fun and games, either. Aside from continuing to work on Harry's Occlumency, Luna insisted they give his school trunk a proper cleaning. He didn't realize how much he'd neglected the trunk over the years until they started the job. Hedwig even snorted imperiously when he looked at the bottom of it, the residue of old underwear, sweets, empty ink bottles, broken quills, and whatever that other nasty stuff was that coated the very bottom.
As if owls had any room to complain about neatness...
He was mortified over his girlfriend seeing this. He also considered what Hermione would say if she saw it.
Luna, however, was reassuring, mentioning she had to stay on top of her dad with this sort of thing.
The letter from Dumbledore arrived on Tuesday, telling Harry he'd be arriving to take him to the Burrow, Friday evening. That meant he could spend the next few nights at the Rook, as long as he was back at the Dursley house by that time, his trunk fully packed and ready to go. He couldn't quite get used to the fact that Xeno was accepting of how far his relationship with his daughter had gone, but, so he was told, it was a Fae thing. He also was getting used to Luna's casual nudity around the house, even when her dad was there. But, he understood that, like Dora, she wasn't raised with nudity as a taboo. He suspected Xeno, himself, was only wearing clothes around the house during the Summer for Harry's sake.
Wednesday saw Harry, Luna, and Dora having some meetings, first with Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Dora arrived with a portkey so they could go straight to Madame Bones's office. There were important matters to discuss.
Dora said, "I know you might be embarrassed by some of the questions she'll ask, but answer them, honestly. Dumbledore will try to fight what we're doing, so the more we have on record, the better."
Madame Bones questioned him on his life with the Dursleys, the abuse, the neglect, the malnutrition. Harry was uncomfortable discussing it, but knew why he needed to tell Bones everything. A couple of Healers were brought in to examine him, and confirmed at least part of what he and Dora had told Bones, their examination finding several years worth of abuse, neglect, and malnutrition.
Madame Bones said to him, "I have to say, considering your upbringing, I'm amazed that you have become the fine young man I've heard so much about."
After they were done, next was having lunch with the Goblin Queen Sarah, to update him on arrangements Gringotts was discreetly making for him, another one of those legal matters they handled due to the lack of lawyers in Britain's magical culture.
Over the course of their lunch with Sarah, Harry told her of some of his adventures. One thing was a surprise to her.
"Riddle was directly involved in the break in?"
"Well, I don't know if he was on the back of Quirrell's head at the time, yet."
"Still, he might have been, and since we know he masterminded it, 'might have been' is enough."
"Enough for what?"
"Enough for us to take a few steps regarding his account without violating our contracts with the Ministry. We can't get involved in your business with each other unless we're directly attacked. A break in qualifies. Why weren't we told about this?"
Dora answered, "Dumbledore."
"Of course." Sarah massaged her temples, and continued. "You'd think he'd let us know when we can do things that would be beneficial to ridding the world of Riddle..."
Harry said, "I've gotten used to him keeping things you'd think we'd need to know secret."
Luna added, "He has his own agenda, and the Fae aren't part of it. So, he wants us kept in the dark as much as possible."
"Not just the Fae, but his own pawns," Harry said, bitterly.
Luna smiled, and said, "You're not his pawn any more, you know."
There was also more shopping, this time for luggage. Harry wouldn't be able to take the new clothes he'd bought the previous week to the Burrow, due to the fact that Dumbledore believed him to be locked away at the Dursleys, so he was going to leave them at the Rook. Since they were shopping in the non-magical part of London, they picked a very nice luggage set, which Harry had to admit was much easier to handle than a trunk, with the wheels and all. He decided to buy Luna a set, too.
There was also catching up with the Daily Prophet. They were calling Harry "The Chosen One" now, after the previous year's smear campaign. Also, the new Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, was rumored to have had a rift with Dumbledore just hours after taking office.
Probably was asking the Chief Warlock too many questions instead of being a good puppet, Harry thought. Maybe he could have an interesting talk with the new Minister.
Since Thursday was going to be the last fully free day he'd have where he could do what he wished, he suggested they go to Madcaps, where they went on their date the previous Friday. He was curious to see what the pub was like during the day, especially a weekday. Luna was very agreeable.
He asked, "Should we invite your dad along, since Emily might be there?"
"You remembered," said Luna.
"Of course. Do he and Emily know each other well?"
"Very."
"Have they dated?"
"Well, not so much as formal dates. But, they've both been with the Tonkses, quite often at the same time."
"As in...?"
"Spending nights there, yes. They like each other a great deal, but... Dad..."
"Hasn't let go."
"Exactly. He didn't want to disrespect Mum, you know."
"But, now that he knows she wants him to move on with his life?"
"We'll see, won't we?"
So, Harry, Luna, Dora, and Xeno were shortly off to lunch at Madcaps. Xeno was, Harry noticed, much neater than usual, the same way Hagrid was when he was romancing Madame Maxime.
The place wasn't as full as it was Friday night, but it was still busy, though much more casual. Some goblins were playing darts and laughing merrily, which, Harry thought, was a little scary. Music was playing, though not a live band, this time. The song playing was a gentile one.
What moonsongs
do you sing your babies?
What sunshine do you bring?
Who belongs
Who decides who's crazy?
Who rights the wrongs where others cling?
They found a booth, and sat. Harry kept listening to the song, quietly, until it's conclusion.
I'll hear your song
If you want me to
I'll sing along
And it's a chance I'll have to take
And it's a chance I'll have to break
I'm in love with you.
Luna asked, "Do you like the song?"
"Yes," Harry answered. "What's it called?"
"It's by Smashing Pumpkins. It's called 'Luna.'"
A lovely blonde woman Harry remembered from his previous visit came to them from somewhere in the back, smiling, obviously very pleased to see them.
"Hi," said Emily. "Great to see you all, again."
Xeno replied, "As always, it's a pleasure to see you."
Harry asked, "Are you busy, or can you sit and spend some time with the customers?"
Emily said, "For any of you four? Always," and joined them in the booth.
They ordered their drinks, and began looking over the menu. The music had changed to something Harry could only describe as spacy and Otherworldly.
"What are we listening to?" he asked. "It's pretty interesting."
Emily answered, "It's Pink Floyd's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. It was named after a chapter in The Wind in the Willows. This poster," she motioned to a poster near them, "is an illustration from the first edition of the book for that chapter."
"That's a beautiful illustration for a book."
Xeno said, "They put a lot of effort into them in those days. Wait 'til you see the ones from Oz's histories."
The illustration depicted the Greek god Pan reclining before a gate, his pipes hanging casually in one hand, with two small animals watching him.
Emily said, "That one has special meaning for me. The night I met Dora's parents, we went to the Gates of Dawn and met Pan. Syd and Roger from Pink Floyd were there, too, which is why they named the album that."
Harry replied, "And I thought I had been to some interesting places and met interesting people..."
Dora added, "That was where Mum found the Book of Abraham and became Nicolas Flamel's heir and apprentice."
Emily said, "That's also the night we met this guy," motioning to Xeno, "but he didn't come along with us to the Gates of Dawn, though Morgan did..."
Xeno replied, good-naturedly, "If I'd known you were going to the Gates of Dawn to meet Pan, I'd have come along."
After a delicious lunch, Harry said, "Luna, we should be getting back to the Rook. Let these two," he motioned to Xeno and Emily, "catch up with a little privacy."
"A splendid idea, Harry," said Luna.
"I hope to see you again soon, Emily."
"Oh, you'll be seeing a lot of me in the future, Harry."
After they left, with Emily insisting lunch was on the house, she said to Xeno, "Your daughter and your boyfriend wouldn't happen to be playing matchmaker, would they?"
"I'm afraid so. She's in love, so she wants everyone else to be."
"Understandable..."
"So... I suppose we could humor her, a little... if you like."
Emily smiled, and replied, "Yes, we wouldn't want her disenchanted, would we?"
"Shall we dance?"
Harry and Luna made the most of their last night together for a while. There was movie watching, of course, a nice swim, and love-making.
Early Friday afternoon, he returned to the Dursley home for what, if everything went well, would be the last time. He packed everything he had that he wanted or needed to keep that wasn't already at the Rook.
Harry sat in a chair in his room, looking out the window, when it was about time for Dumbledore to arrive. His trunk was fully packed, Hedwig securely in her cage, everything ready to leave this place that had made his childhood miserable. His mental defences were in place, and he wore the pendant under his shirt of the Fifth Pentacle of Mars from the Lesser Key of Solomon that Dora had given him, adding to his defences.
Constant vigilance. Moody would be proud. Of course, when he saw Moody again, he'd have to be especially on his guard, given the former Auror's closeness to Dumbledore. That would make Moody even prouder.
He was concerned, as everything required the Dursleys to play their assigned parts and not give anything away. They were as anxious to have him leave their lives for good as he was, though, and they'd had years of practice at putting up false fronts for appearance's sake.
They also knew the consequences, from Dora, if they blew it.
The second his alarm clock hit 11:00 PM, the street lamp outside Harry's window went out. As it was your standard alarm clock, not set to the second with Greenwich Time, Harry had to conclude the manipulative old bastard had put monitoring charms on it, at some point. Couldn't even leave his fucking alarm clock alone...
Harry thought putting out the street lamp was silly, too. If Dumbledore did it to keep people from noticing him, a street lamp going out suddenly was just going to draw someone's notice. Couldn't he have just put some Notice-Me-Not charms on himself?
Maybe Dumbledore did it to prove his superiority to muggles and their works to himself.
The doorbell rang. No putting it off, Harry went downstairs. Vernon had already rushed the Headmaster inside. Harry noticed something wrong with one of Dumbledore's hands, which was blackened and shriveled.
"Thanks for allowing me in, quickly," said Dumbledore. "It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times."
Petunia said, "Yes. It would almost be like leaving a baby on a doorstep overnight in November."
"Um... I must say, your agapanthuses are flourishing."
"Thank you. I'd considered growing some lilies and sending them to you as a token of appreciation for all you've done for my family, but I wasn't sure they'd survive under your care." If this was the only time she was going to see the man who took her sister from her that he failed to protect, then dumped Harry on her, she was going to make the most of it.
"Yes, not everyone has a green thumb." Dumbledore needed to regain control of this situation. Fortunately, he thought, Harry was too stupid to understand the implications of what Petunia had just said. "Ah, good evening Harry. Excellent, excellent."
Vernon said, "I don't mean to be rude -"
"Yet, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often. Best to say nothing at all, my dear man."
"But... It's late, and it'll be even later by the time you take the boy to his friend's home. I suspect they'd appreciate it if you got there as soon as possible so they can get some sleep."
"Yes, well," Dumbledore said, sitting on the armchair nearest the fireplace, "there are a few matters we need to discuss, first. And I would prefer not to do so in the open. We shall trespass on your hospitality only a little longer."
Damn, Harry thought. He really wanted to get Dumbledore away from the Dursleys as quickly as possible, so they wouldn't slip up, so he wouldn't pick up something from their thoughts...
Things went smoothly, however. Dumbledore made the sofa zoom behind and under the Dursleys, forcing them to sit, a demonstration of his power over them. Fortunately, they didn't give anything away. Harry acted surprised when Dumbledore informed him of his heritage from Sirius. Kreacher played his part a little too well with the tantrum throwing, leaving Harry to wonder how many times he had to put on a performance to cover for the Blacks.
Dumbledore instructed Harry to give Kreacher an order, while the house elf was still throwing his tantrum.
"Kreacher, shut up!" he said.
Kreacher then responded in such an overreacting manner, acting like he was going to choke, grabbing his throat, making his eyes bulge, frantically gulping for a few seconds, throwing himself to the floor and continuing the tantrum silently, that Harry was certain Dumbledore would see through the ruse.
"Well, that simplifies matters," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "It seems that Sirius knew what he was doing. You are the rightful owner of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, and of Kreacher."
"Good," said Harry. "Kreacher, I want you to return to the house and make it look presentable, make yourself look presentable, and stay out of the Order of the Phoenix's way, as long as I'm allowing them to use the house as their Headquarters."
Kreacher obeyed. Dumbledore looked at Harry, slightly confused. Harry realized he slipped up by being more assertive than the old man wanted him to be. He quickly put on an expression of humility and worship.
"Sir..." he said, meekly, "I thought it would be best for him to have the house to tend to. He cares so much for it, and I remembered what you told me about how Sirius treated him... I know I should have asked you, first..."
"That's quite all right, my boy," said Dumbledore. "I was going to suggest sending him to work in the kitchens of Hogwarts."
"That's a wonderful idea! Shall I call him back?"
"No need for that."
From there, Dumbledore gave the Dursleys a stern lecture over their mistreatment of Harry over the last 15 years, never mind that the man knew about it and did nothing for all this time. Harry figured the Headmaster was doing it for his benefit, to make himself seem to Harry to be his personal savior, come to save him from his horrid home life.
And, not that long ago, he would have bought it.
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore sent Harry's trunk and Hedwig to the Burrow, after telling Harry to remove his invisibility cloak, first. With a quick "Bye," Harry left Number 4, Privet Drive in Little Whinging for the last time. Maybe it was because of the people he'd been forced to live with, but Harry hated Suburbia. Give him the city proper or the country, both if it could be managed. He thought whoever named the town must have hated Suburbia, too. Why else would they have named a town Little Whinging? And who would choose to live in a place called that?
Oh yeah, the Dursleys. Well, Vernon and Dudley both did whinge, a lot.
As they walked down Privet Drive, Harry asked Dumbledore about his obviously severely injured hand, but the Headmaster said, "Not now."
They didn't go straight to the Burrow, but first stopped to convince a former professor to return to Hogwarts, Horace Slughorn, who Dumbledore said was an old friend. It seemed the Headmaster was as manipulative towards his old friends as he was him. Dumbledore had brought Harry because his mother had been one of Slughorn's favorites, and Slughorn knew he was being manipulated and Harry used. He was also on the run and hiding from the Death Eaters, and thought Hogwarts would be a very dangerous place for him to return to.
Given his first five years there, Harry couldn't argue that point. No one in their right mind could claim being at Hogwarts was a remotely safe place to work or live.
Slughorn took great pride in what he called his Slug Club, of which Harry's mother was a member. He showed Harry photos and told of members he'd helped with the connections he'd made over the years. Harry lingered over one photo, a younger version of a woman he met the previous Sunday.
"Ah," said Slughorn, "that's the lovely and enchanting Andromeda Black-Tonks, our most prominent Alchemist, among other things."
As Harry had to keep it a secret that he'd met her, for now, he said, "I know her daughter."
"Nymphadora, yes. Wonderful young woman. Too bad I'd retired before she went to Hogwarts. She'd have been a pleasure to teach. Still, I'm certain her parents have taught her well."
Harry smiled, thinking Slughorn didn't know the half of it. Or maybe he did.
Still, Dumbledore got what he wanted. Slughorn agreed to return. Of course, after they left the man, Dumbledore immediately worked to prejudice Harry against him, while denying that was what he was doing. But, in the last two weeks, Harry had learned the value of having powerful and influential friends and contacts in various places. He'd have to ask Andromeda about Slughorn the next time he saw her.
Finally, they apparated to the Burrow. He'd been looking forward to seeing Ron again, though he knew he couldn't tell his best mate everything he'd been up to yet, but hopefully soon, if all went well. Harry also hoped things wouldn't be too difficult with Mrs. Weasley regarding his new girlfriend. And if they were... Well, he had more options than the Burrow for places he could spend the Summer. If keeping the peace with Mrs. Weasley and keeping the Weasleys as family in all ways but blood required him to stay elsewhere, it was a price he was willing to pay.
And to be honest, he'd rather spend the Summer with Luna and visit the Burrow regularly instead of the other way around.
He wondered if that's why Percy had been keeping his distance. He'd been very judgemental of Percy Weasley for not supporting Dumbledore and spying on the Ministry for the Order, but maybe, given what Harry had learned of Dumbledore, he had some good reasons. He'd have to discuss it with Percy at first opportunity. Sirius had told him that the world wasn't divided between good people and Death Eaters. Now, Harry would add that it wasn't divided between bad people and Dumbledore supporters, either.
Unfortunately, Harry still wasn't done with Dumbledore for the evening. The man wanted to have a private chat before he left, and directed Harry to the shed where the Weasleys kept their brooms. The shed, frankly, smelled, and was full of spiders. But, it did used to be an outhouse, so it couldn't be helped. Harry added 'Build a new broom shed for the Weasleys' to his Things To Do list.
"I hope you will forgive me for mentioning it, Harry, but I am pleased and a little proud with how well you seem to be coping after everything that happened at the Ministry. Permit me to say that I think Sirius would have been proud of you."
Harry swallowed, keeping his anger under control. He kept his eyes from meeting Dumbledore's, instead focusing on the spider now climbing the Headmaster's hat. Appropriate, Harry thought, considering the tangled web Dumbledore had been weaving. He kept the conversation to safe subjects, saying Sirius would have wanted him to be strong, life is short, we could all die tomorrow, etc.
Dumbledore gave Harry permission to tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. Of course, Hermione already knew, and he was planning on telling Ron anyway, but he wasn't going to tell Dumbledore that. The Headmaster also informed Harry that he would be taking some private lessons with him, but wouldn't disclose what they would be about.
Finally, they entered the house. Dumbledore left, Mrs. Weasley fed Harry a late supper, and they talked. Mr. Weasley had been promoted. The new Minister had created several new offices in response to the Voldemort situation, and Arthur Weasley was now Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. It seemed some unscrupulous wizards were taking advantage of the current crisis by selling phony spells and defences to fearful citizens. Fred and George had opened their shop in Diagon Alley, which was, according to Mrs. Weasley, doing very well.
After eating, and Mr. Weasley returning home from a very late night at work, Harry was sent to the twins' old room to get some sleep. Despite the flowers placed at a desk by the window's attempt to mask it, the room smelled like gunpowder.
How'd they not blow the house up, Harry wondered, or the school?
He laid down, and closed his eyes. He was missing the girl he'd gotten used to sharing a bed with.
Ginny's mother used to tell her fairy tales.
Some of them, as was the case for most children in Wizarding Britain, were from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It wasn't until she learned to read that she learned that her mother had changed some details when telling her some of the stories such as the Tale of the Three Brothers. It seemed her mother thought moving the meeting with Death to midnight instead of twilight made it sound spookier. Somehow, though, Ginny thought that the meeting happening at twilight seemed more... right. She didn't understand why she thought this. She just did.
There were other stories, including one of a generous silver eyed eagle and the king who sought her. Ginny's mother would sometimes stop in the middle of the story, telling her it was time to go to sleep, and she'd tell her the rest of the story, the next night. Ginny hated being left hanging, begging her mother to keep reading, to no avail.
She'd dream, and the stories she had just been told would be a part of her dreams, though sometimes things would have different meanings. They lifted her from the darkness of her room to the sunny skies, where she could fly.
Among her favorites were the fairy tales from the Muggle world in books her father would bring home. Some were quite spooky, others tales of romance, such as Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty. Her favorite was Cinderella, about a poor girl in rags and covered in soot whose Fairy Godmother helped go to a grand ball, where she met, and fell in love with, the Prince, who also fell in love with her.
Her very favorite was a true one, or so she was told, the story of the Boy Who Lived. Ginny dreamed of the heroic, wonderful, boy who defeated Voldemort when he was a baby being the Prince Charming to her Cinderella.
She'd gotten over that, or so she had thought. She'd started being close to Dean Thomas, a nice artist who was teaching her about Chivalry and beautiful warrior queens, and making her feel like one. She thought she'd have a great potential boyfriend with Dean, finally getting her away from all the emotionally distant brooding types she'd always found herself drawn to.
Strangely, though, her old feelings for the Boy Who Lived came back in full force about a week ago, as bad as they were during her first year at Hogwarts. If anything, it was worse, now. Her primary thoughts, her entire being, was about landing the Boy Who Lived. She was even thinking about using Dean to make Harry jealous. She had to become Mrs. Harry Potter, or she was nothing. She'd hadn't felt this obsessive since... Tom.
What had she become, and how?
She mentioned it to her mother, who decided this would be the perfect time for Ginny to learn how to make the most powerful love potion known to Man, Amortentia.
She learned, and successfully brewed the love potion, and hatched a plan to use it on Harry, "to give him a little nudge," as her mother put it. It was as though it was a compulsion she had to obey.
Harry was awakened the next morning by a grinning Ron Weasley.
He'd slept in, and missed breakfast, but Mrs. Weasley would be bringing him up a tray.
"So," said Ron, "what's been going on?"
Harry couldn't tell him what he'd been doing for the last two weeks, so he said, "Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's, haven't I?"
"Come off it!"
Damn, Harry thought. Why did Ron pick now of all times to become observant? How much had he figured out, and what could Harry tell him?
Ron continued, "You've been off with Dumbledore!"
Oh yeah, that. Harry explained that Dumbledore just wanted him to persuade an old teacher to come out of retirement. Ron seemed disappointed. Harry wished he could tell Ron everything, and he would, in time. He just couldn't, now.
"So, what's the teacher like?" asked Ron.
"Old guy, a bit heavy, walrus mustache. Used to be Head of Slytherin, but a lot friendlier than Snape."
"The new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor?"
"I was assuming that, but it would be just my luck that Snape has taken over my favorite subject and Slughorn will be taking Potions. I hope not."
"Same here. The worst part is even Snape would be better than Umbridge."
"I know someone that's worse than Umbridge," said a voice at the door. It was Ginny, who looked irritated, and slouched into the room and just plopped herself on Harry's bed. "Hi, Harry."
"Hi. Who are you talking about?"
Ron answered, "Fleur. She and Bill are here, and Ginny here can't lay off her for five seconds."
"Oh, that's right, defend her," snapped Ginny. "We all know you can't get enough of her." She seemed about to say more, but the sound of footsteps approaching quieted her.
It was Fleur, with a breakfast tray. Behind her was Mrs. Weasley, looking angry.
"'Arry," said Fleur with her strong French accent, "it's good to see you, again."
"And it's always a pleasure to see you," he replied, noticing Ginny's scowl.
Mrs. Weasley snarled, "There was no need to bring up the tray, I was about to do it, myself!"
"It was no trouble," Fleur replied.
"You spilled his pumpkin juice!"
"And cleaned up the mess. And replaced it."
"With that orange juice you squeezed! Maybe they drink strange things where you come from, but here in England..."
Harry said, "I like orange juice, actually. They don't drink pumpkin juice in muggle Britain. It's orange and apple juice, mainly. Personally, I think orange juice tastes better than pumpkin juice." To be honest, he never liked pumpkin juice, but it was the only juice wizards seemed to drink. He thought it was the only beverage available at Hogwarts until Luna informed him that he could have other juices or milk, lemonade, or even ice tea on request, last week. If he'd known that, he'd never have drank pumpkin juice at Hogwarts. "Freshly squeezed?"
"Of course, Harry."
He took a sip. "Mmm. You're going to spoil Bill."
"I'm doing my best."
"Hmm," said Ron. "Can I try some of that, later?"
"Of course," she said, happily.
Bill was at work, and while Fleur worked for Gringotts, also, she was only working part-time. The wedding date was next Summer. Harry knew they were engaged from seeing them at Madcaps, that night, but didn't know they'd set a date. After telling Harry to enjoy his breakfast, Fleur gracefully left the room.
After, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Mrs. Weasley made a noise indicating her disapproval of the part-Veela.
"Mum hates her," said Ginny.
"While you're being warm and friendly," Harry replied.
Mrs. Weasley denied that she hated Fleur, saying she was just concerned that they were rushing into things, and had nothing in common. "He's a hard-working, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's -"
"A cow," said Ginny, nodding. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a curse-breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour... I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."
Molly was about to admonish Ginny, but Harry beat her to it.
"Don't call her that."
"Thank you," said Ron. It was nice for him and Bill to have some back-up, now. The twins approved of Bill's choice of fiancé, but they were spending most of their time at their shop and their flat above it with Angelina. Not that their mother knew about that last bit.
"Harry's right, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "You shouldn't call her that. Well, I'd better get on... Eat your eggs while they're still warm, Harry."
After Mrs. Weasley left, Ginny started up, again.
"Well, she's not going to be around, forever, whatever you might want, Ron. Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."
Harry replied, cooly, "And that's her decision to make, how?"
"She's Bill's mother! She knows what's best for him! And it's not that stupid -"
"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament."
"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says 'Arry,' do you?"
"English isn't Fleur's first language, so I don't mind the accent. She speaks English a lot better than I speak French, since I don't speak it, at all. That puts her ahead of me. How well do you speak French, Ginny?"
Ginny looked shocked. Honestly, Harry thought, didn't she know him well enough by now to know he'd stick up for his friends, even against other friends?
He continued, "I know she's part Veela, but it's not like she can help that. Do you hold being Muggleborn against Hermione? Or Dean? Or my mother?"
"What? Of course, not! But this is different!"
"How so?"
"Because Muggleborns don't have that... attraction thing!"
"Again, she was born with that. It's not her fault."
"Yeah, well... Veela are Fae! They're dark creatures!"
"Says who?"
"Mum says it, Dumbledore says it."
"Well, that's just their bigotry."
"You're calling us bigots?"
"You're calling an entire race of people dark creatures. What else would you call that but bigotry?"
"But, they are! I mean, that doesn't necessarily make them all evil, but they're going to lean toward it."
Ron asked, "Wasn't Merlin half Fae? We revere him."
"Good point, Ron," said Harry.
"Thanks."
"Something you might not know about Fae, Ginny, is they have better hearing than we do. So, all those insults and all that name calling you've been doing when you think she can't hear you? She just might have heard a lot of it. Also, if this is how you talk about your brother's fiancé behind her back, I have to wonder what you say about my girlfriend when neither of us is around."
"Girlfriend?" Ginny asked. "I thought you and Cho had split."
"We did."
"Then who?"
"Luna."
"Luna?" asked Ron. "Wicked. When did this happen?"
"Last few weeks. We got to talking, and we really seem to click."
Ginny looked devastated, and said, quietly, "Good for you... Sorry if I offended... I'll talk to you later..." before leaving the room.
Ron asked, "Why didn't you tell me you and Luna were an item?"
"Didn't have the opportunity, and it is very recent. Besides, on the train, you seemed to be trying to push me and Ginny together."
"Yeah, sorry about that. It's just... I don't trust Dean with my little sister."
"Why not? He's a good bloke."
"Yeah, but you wouldn't take advantage of her."
"Dean wouldn't do anything with Ginny she didn't want to do."
"Yeah, exactly. That's what I'm saying."
"Ah, got it."
"It's part of a big brother's job. Not that I'd want to inflict her on you the way she's acting."
"Yeah, what's going on? She wasn't like this, last year."
"I know. She hasn't been like this, since..."
"The diary."
"Yeah..." Ron sighed, and added, "I'm worried about her, mate."
"How long has she been acting like this?"
"About a week. It's weird. I mean, she was already being rude with Fleur, but she was still... Well, you remember."
"Yeah." Harry suspected someone was manipulating and controlling Ginny again, and this time it wasn't Tom Riddle. "We'll just have to watch out for her, be sure she knows we care."
"I think maybe she's shaken up by recent events... How are you holding up, by the way?"
Harry knew Ron was talking about Sirius's death, and replied, "I miss Sirius. I want to keep as many people from joining him before their time as I can. So, you're OK with me dating Luna?"
"She's insane, but in a good way. But, so are you. And Hermione. And I think you lot have rubbed off on me, a bit. One thing I can say for sure, you won't be bored."
"That's for sure. Oh, Dumbledore said I could tell you something, though I was going to tell you anyway..."
"What?"
"What that prophecy Voldemort was after is all about."
After he told Ron, they sat in silence for a moment.
"Right," said Ron, "then we've gotta figure out how we're gonna finish the blighter."
"We?"
"You don't think I'm letting you do this alone, do you? Hermione won't, either. A lot of people won't."
"Thank you. It's dangerous."
"It always has been, since our first year at Hogwarts. And, from what Fred and George tell me, there are some powerful people he's got against him."
"Like who?" Harry had a good idea of what Ron was talking about, but wanted to be sure.
"The Fae," Ron said in a tone approaching awe. "They're the ones who stopped the Death Eaters at that bridge, and the attack on Somerset. You may have read about Ollivander and Fortescue disappearing. Well, according to what the twins told me, the Death Eaters were looking to capture them, but the Fae got them out of there. They're not allowed to get involved in Wizard business directly, but they can keep the Death Eaters handled on the muggle side. But, they've got some people living in our world, and those can act. Some of them rescued Amelia Bones from You-Know-Who, himself. Took him on directly and everything."
"How do the twins know all this?"
"Order of the Phoenix meetings. They're members, now, and they're not supposed to tell me this stuff, so don't say anything in front of the others."
"I won't."
"Most of the Order, including Dumbledore and Mum, don't like the Fae being involved, but the way I see it, we need all the help we can get."
"Why don't they want the help?"
"You got me, mate. I figure Mum doesn't like the Fae because she blames the pixies at Pixie Parlour for Fred and George turning out like they did. That's why she hates Fleur, I think. Veela are a kind of Fae. But, she's alright, and Fred and George are doing really bloody well right now, so if the pixies are responsible for how they turned out, good for them."
"The twins are doing well? Your mum mentioned they'd opened the shop. She said they had a real flair for business."
"That's an understatement. They're raking in the Galleons! I can't wait to see the place. We haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."
"Pixie Parlour, huh?"
"Yeah, it's some caves in the area... The muggles in Ottery-St-Catchpole even know about it. There was a pixie attack there, centuries ago. They have Pixie Day every year where the local kids dress up as pixies and make a lot of noise. Supposed to be a lot of fun to see. Never been, though. Mum wouldn't let us when we were kids, and I haven't been able to see it, since, because it's at Midsummer and we're still at Hogwarts. Your girlfriend lives right by them, by the way. I wouldn't be surprised if she's met the pixies, too. That would explain a lot."
"She has. She's who told me about them." Harry couldn't tell Ron that he'd met them too, yet. "Luna's half Fae, actually."
"Really? That explains even more. She's always had that whole wood nymph thing going..."
"You don't know the half of it..."
"Oh?"
"Nothing I can talk about, Ron... Girls don't like blokes telling their mates everything."
"Gotcha. So, I'm guessing you two have been keeping in touch with letters?"
"No need... Well, there hasn't been. She has a phone. Well, a couple of them, there's the house phone and her mobile."
"Wait, she has those? How's she make 'em work in a magical home?"
"From what she tells me, almost all electronic and technical stuff can work in a magical home. You just have to have the right shielding. She says the Ministry just discourages us doing that because of their anti-muggle prejudices."
"Wow. You know Dad needs to know about this."
"You'd have to get the house wired. Dora's family has a company that does that for magical homes."
"Dora?"
"Tonks. We've been keeping in touch, too."
"Ah... Well, some water's going to have to go under the bridge, first. Tonks has kind of had a falling out with the Order."
"Why?" Harry asked, though he already knew.
"The whole Fae thing. Turns out her family became Fae somewhere down the line, including her. She and her mum were who rescued Madame Bones from You-Know-Who."
"OK... The Order disapproved of her saving the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement from Voldemort?"
"Hey, don't look at me... It doesn't make sense to me, either. Mum just keeps going on about how Tonks's mother is a dark witch who was taught by You-Know-Who and a Fae."
"I'd think the fact that she married a Muggleborn and just fought him proves she doesn't support Voldemort. The exact opposite, in fact."
"I agree."
"Well, nothing against your mum, or the rest of the Order, but I'm not breaking off my friendship with Dora just because some people can't get over their racism. Isn't that the kind of thing we're fighting?"
"Yeah. I like Tonks, and Luna. And, you know I like Fleur."
"Good to know I have your support in this."
"Of course, Harry. I'm assuming you're going to want to see Luna, since she lives close by."
"I'm going to, yeah."
"That'll be a little complicated. We're not allowed to go out without an escort."
"Maybe Fleur and Bill could... Fleur's and Luna's families go back a ways, it turns out."
"Mum won't like that."
"There's the option of Luna coming here, too."
"Mum won't like that, either, though I'm all for it."
"I could always mention that Luna's invited me to spend the Summer at her house."
"Yeah, that oughta get Mum to compromise. She'll come around, once she knows her like we do. Same with Fleur."
"I hope so, for Bill's sake."
"Same here. Of course, there'd probably be a little less tension all around if she'd just let Fleur sleep in his room with him instead of Ginny's. I mean, they live together, so it's not like Mum's keeping them both virgins until the wedding. But, Mum isn't going to tolerate sex before marriage in her house, which I understand, and all... But, y'know, they're engaged."
Harry thought if Mrs. Weasley considered that intolerable, she'd be really scandalized if she knew how the Tonks family was. Hell, Ron probably wouldn't be able to deal with it...
Ron continued, "That's why the twins are keeping it secret from her that Angelina is living with them."
"Oh, she's still with Fred, then."
"Well... Let's just say the twins share everything, and they're all three very happy."
OK, so maybe Ron could deal with it, as long as Ginny wasn't part of a relationship like that.
And Charlie..." said Ron. "He's gay, but hasn't come out to our parents. Dad's pretty laid back, but Charlie doesn't think Mum would accept it."
"That sucks."
"Yeah... I think he should just tell her. Sure, she'd be a little upset, but she'd get over it. She wouldn't disown him or anything. And, she's got the rest of us to provide her with grandkids."
After they went downstairs to the kitchen, Harry remembered something Dumbledore mentioned to him.
"We should be getting our OWL results, today."
"Yeah," said Ron. "Sounds about right. It's been a month."
They discussed the OWL tests with Fleur, and she told them how they did it at Beauxbatons, where they tested in their 6th year. Shortly, Harry's and Ron's OWL results were delivered by, appropriately, two black owls.
Harry got one Outstanding in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and several Exceeds Expectations, in Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration. Ron didn't get the Outstanding in Defence, but got an Exceeds Expectations, as well as in the other subjects Harry got that score for. Ron was happy with his results, as was Harry, overall, except for his Potions score.
"Doesn't look like I'm going to get to be an Auror. I made all the right scores except for Potions. Snape doesn't accept anything less than Outstanding for his NEWT level class."
"Blimey," said Ron, "that's right. I was hoping to be an Auror, too."
"Oh well. It's not like there aren't other things we can do with our lives besides fight dark witches and wizards, all the time. Lately, I was thinking I might want to see the world."
Fleur said, "Ah, you'd enjoy that. There are so many places to see, things to do, people to meet. It's always good to broaden your horizons."
"Besides," said Ron, "maybe what you were thinking earlier is right, and the new Professor will be teaching Potions while Snape takes Defence. He's been wanting that job for years. Maybe he'll teach it better than he does Potions, since it's what he wants to teach."
"Could be," said Mrs. Weasley. "Potions is what Slughorn taught when I was there, and Exceeds Expectations was good enough to get into his NEWT class, though I got an Outstanding in my OWLS. Don't know why Snape would want the Defence job, though, since it's been cursed for all these years."
"Hey, that's right! If Snape gets the Defence job, he'll be out by the end of the year, Harry."
Harry said, "Yeah, we haven't been able to keep a Defence Professor more than a year since we've been there."
"Longer than that," said Mrs. Weasley. "It was like that when I was there."
"So, the job's actually cursed? I figured it was just a string of bad luck, the last few years."
"Been that way since the mid-50s, from what I understand."
"Why hasn't something been done about it? A few years of bad luck is one thing, but a curse that last for... four decades?" Harry asked after doing the math.
"They've tried. No one can figure it out."
Fleur said, "Bill says it's very unusual for a curse on a job to last that long. Curses on places and objects can last for thousands of years, but not ones on a single job. He hasn't had a chance to look at it, but he thinks it's part of something larger that's keeping it in place and renewed. He wants to examine the school, overall, and see what's there that shouldn't be."
"That's a scary thought," said Ron, "that the whole school has something like that."
Ginny remained quiet through the conversation.
After lunch, Bill arrived earlier than expected, to the delight of Fleur.
"Sarah told me to take the rest of the day off, in case," he looked at Harry, "any of the kids needed to make any trips and needed escorts, considering the times."
"That's... surprisingly nice of the goblins," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Well, Sarah isn't a goblin, just their Queen. And, she's very nice."
Ron asked, "They have a human Queen?"
"A Fae, and an American, to boot. The goblins have always had Fae monarchs."
"Were the goblins involved in that business fighting the Death Eaters?"
"Let's just say they have no love for Voldemort, and leave it at that."
"Hmmph," said Mrs. Weasley.
Harry, having picked up Bill's hint, said, "I'd love to go see Luna. She's my girlfriend, and she lives close to here. But, I wouldn't want to be too much trouble..."
Fleur said, quickly, "It would be no trouble at all, Harry. Would it, Bill?"
"Fleur and I would be glad to."
"No," said Mrs. Weasley, firmly.
"Why not?"
"It's too dangerous."
"Mum, between Fleur and I, we can keep them safe. We'll apparate them back here, immediately, if we run into any Death Eaters on the way. Like Harry said, the Lovegoods are close by."
"Still, Harry must remain here."
Harry decided now was the time to play his trump card. "Luna's invited me to stay the Summer at her house."
"What?" said Mrs. Weasley, wide-eyed. Ginny looked horrified. "You... You can't stay with her!"
"Why not?"
"Because... It wouldn't be proper! I won't leave you in the clutches of that..."
"That what?" Harry asked, pointedly. "Before you answer, please remember that's my girlfriend you're talking about."
Ron said, "She kept me and Ginny alive and safe from the Death Eaters after we got hurt at the Department of Mysteries. That counts for a lot with me, personally."
Harry added, "I just want to visit her."
"Well," said Mrs. Weasley, weighing her options, "all right, but Bill, I'm counting on you to keep them out of trouble."
"And Fleur," said Bill.
"Yes, of course..."
"Just let me change into something more casual, and we can head out."
As Fleur had been there before, she's the one who apparated them to the Rook.
"Thanks for this, guys," said Harry.
"Thank Sarah when you see her again," said Bill. "She's who decided you were a high enough priority to send me to do this."
"I have a lot to thank her for, already. Hope Luna's home, since we made the trip."
"She is. Sarah called her."
Xeno answered when they knocked on the door. Luna was at the pond in the back.
When they got back there, Luna was swimming in the magically clear pond.
"Harry!" she said with delight as she exited the pond and hugged him. "And Fleur, Bill, it's good to see you again, so soon."
"The pleasure is ours," said Fleur, looking at Luna's nude form. "I'm sure Bill finds it especially so."
"Oh yeah," said Harry, "I forgot to mention she might be naked."
Bill said, "Remember who my fiancé is. I'm used to lovely Fae girls and their clothing optional approach to life."
Luna asked, "Would you like to join me for a swim?"
Fleur answered by immediately undressing.
"See what I mean?" asked Bill.
"Yeah..." Harry replied, marveling at the quickly naked Veela. "This is all Hermione's fault. Since I accidentally saw her naked, she cursed me with seeing other beautiful naked women, a lot. First her, then Luna, then Dora, then Andromeda, and now Fleur."
"I wouldn't call that a curse..."
Fleur asked from the pond, where she was playfully splashing around, "What are you two waiting for?"
The boys quickly joined them. During the swim, they discussed things at the Burrow.
Harry asked Fleur, "Earlier, when you spilled the pumpkin juice... Was that really an accident?"
"It was slightly off in its smell. There was something about it that... I shouldn't be thinking of Bill when I smell pumpkin juice."
That got Luna's and Bill's attention.
"Amortentia?" asked Bill.
"That's what I think, yes. Most wouldn't have noticed it, especially from across the room, but we Fae have sharper senses than most."
"Harry," said Luna, with worry.
"Do you know what Amortentia is?" Bill asked Harry.
"Yes. I need to be sure to smell everything there before I eat or drink it."
"Constant vigilance," said Luna.
"Yeah, I wonder if someone dosed Moody at one point, which has made him the way he is."
"Probably. There's more potions out there than ones to create obsession with the doser that can be snuck into food or drink."
"And not just poisons, either," said Bill. "There's ones that can change behavior, make them more... pliable to suggestion, not like an Imperius Curse, but will make you much more likely to do things the doser wants."
Harry said, "Ginny... She's been acting... not like she'd been at school. Ron said she started acting weird about a week ago."
"Damn... We'll have to be really careful, find out who's been... manipulated. It has to be someone from the Order doing it, too, since they're the only people besides you who have visited. I can't even tell Dumbledore about it, since he'd be a suspect."
"I think it's him, actually. When I look back on his actions, especially involving me, things just don't add up."
"Again, damn. That would be bad. Really bad. We'll need to keep an eye on things, and figure out who we can trust."
"We can trust Dora, for sure."
"She's not in the Order, any more."
"No, but I have her phone number, and she made me promise to call her if I needed her for anything."
"And she has legal authority to do whatever she needs to do... You should call her and let her know what's happening."
Upon learning that Bill and Fleur were being kept in separate rooms, Luna suggested they borrow the Lovegoods' guest bedroom for a couple of hours. Bill and Fleur very appreciatively accepted the suggestion, which also allowed Harry and Luna some private time.
Harry called Dora and gave her an update on the situation at the Burrow. She was wanting to come, right then, but Harry told her everything was under control, for now. But, she might be getting an emergency call at some point. It was agreed that Luna would visit the Burrow, the next day. Harry left his phone with her so she could charge it.
On Sunday, both Bill and Arthur had the day off. Luna came to visit. Maybe it was Arthur's presence, but the atmosphere was very relaxed, much more like Harry had been used to at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was more like Harry remembered, and Ginny was behaving more like the girl Harry knew the previous school year. Luna and Arthur spent a lot of time enjoying a chat about muggle technology, Arthur listening to every description with fascination.
"You've got a great girl there, Harry," said Arthur. "Ron's told me about her, how she helped you at the Department of Mysteries."
"Yeah, Luna's one of a kind."
On Monday, Fleur noticed Mrs. Weasley and Ginny seemed to be making a point of keeping her out of the kitchen. Her suspicions raised, she went to Harry and Ron.
"I'm going to step out for a bit. Don't drink anything except water until I return, 'Arry."
Harry nodded, then Fleur walked away from the Burrow a bit before apparating.
"What was that about?" asked Ron.
"I... think your sister is trying to give me a love potion."
"What? She knows you have a girlfriend."
"I don't think she cares, now."
"Bloody hell..."
Once at the Rook, Fleur sent a Patronus to Bill, then told Luna what was happening at the Burrow, and that she needed to get Harry's phone to him. Luna wanted to go to the Burrow immediately, but Fleur told her she had the situation under control. She told Luna that she and Xeno should get some bags packed, since they might need to leave in a hurry, and asked if they had a place to go.
"Thelema," Luna answered. "That's Harry's safe house, too."
Fleur was pleased to hear that. She'd heard that it was the most secure place in magical Britain. Bill wanted to take a look at its defences.
Maybe now, he'd have an opportunity.
Fleur apparated back to the Burrow, went to Harry, and slipped his phone in his pocket.
They were called into the kitchen for "some refreshment." Ginny had a look of anticipation in her eyes. Mrs. Weasley was so focused that she didn't notice her clock, which, rather than tell the time, kept tabs on the family, was saying Bill was in transit until he arrived at the back door.
After the usual security questions that the Ministry had set for households to use in case of polyjuiced Death Eaters, Ginny handed Harry a glass of pumpkin juice.
Harry took a sniff of it.
"Bill, could you come over and smell this?"
Bill came over and took a sniff of the glass. His eyes widened, and he looked at Fleur.
"What's it smell like, to you?" asked Harry.
"Like Fleur, after we've... well..."
"To me, it smells like Luna after we've done what I think you're talking about." Harry looked Ginny in the eye and said, "Y'know, Ginny, trying to dose me with Amortentia is something I consider a major betrayal of trust, though I'm flattered."
"But..." Ginny began, before Harry put the glass down and rushed up to the twins' room. Ron took a moment to glare at his sister and mother in shock before following Harry.
"Fleur," said Bill, coldly. "Pack our stuff. We're leaving."
Fleur rushed upstairs.
Molly said, "Bill..."
"Save it. I'd go up and pack, myself, but someone needs to stay down here so you don't dispose of the evidence."
"Evidence? We haven't done anything wrong..."
"We'll see what the Auror has to say about that."
"Auror? What Auror?"
Shortly, she had her answer, as there was a knock on the kitchen door.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" asked Bill.
"Open up! Auror!" said Nymphadora Tonks on the other side of the door.
Molly had no choice but to open the door to an angry Auror showing her badge.
"Harry called me," said Dora. "Said someone just tried to dose him with Amortentia."
"How did he call you?" asked Molly.
"That's not important, and I notice you're not denying trying to dose him."
Bill motioned to the glass. Dora came over and smelled it.
"Yep," she said. "Definitely not what I should smell in pumpkin juice."
"It's not illegal," said Molly.
"No, but someone who doesn't want to be dosed can't be forced to stay where someone is trying to dose him. I'm taking Harry out of here and somewhere safe."
Ginny protested, "You... can't do that!"
"I'm an Auror, so yes, I can. It's part of my job description to protect the innocent from those that want to victimize them, or had you forgotten?"
"No, but... We weren't victimizing him!"
"Trying to force him to become obsessed with you against his will? What else would you call that?"
"Love!" Ginny said, with a slightly crazed expression.
Dora shook her head, and asked, "Where's Harry?"
"Second floor," Bill replied.
Upstairs, Ron was having a lot to absorb.
"Dumbledore?" he asked Harry. "Are you sure?"
"Very sure. You'll need to be very, very, careful around him, Ron. Try to avoid being alone in a room with him, and if you can't..." Harry took the pendant of the Fifth Pentacle of Mars from around his neck and handed it to Ron. "Have this on under your shirt at all times. It'll help protect your thoughts from intruders."
Dora, who had just entered the room said, "Good thinking. If Dumbledore does one of his little scans, he should just pick up that you're confused. Just play dumb around him."
"That should be pretty easy," Ron replied, "since I am confused, and people think I'm dumb, anyway, so I should be able to pull it off."
"People underestimate you, Ron," said Harry. "Use that to your advantage. I'll contact you when I can."
"Thanks, Harry. I know I don't have to tell you this, but be careful."
"You, too."
Fleur entered the room, and said, "I've got our stuff ready. You?"
Dora replied, "Harry's ready to go, and Ron's been briefed. Where are you and Bill going?"
"Back to our flat, I assume."
"Dumbledore will come looking for you, there. Better come with us. We have plenty of room."
"Thank you." Fleur called to Bill, and once he arrived, Dora apparated Harry to Thelema's grounds, then returned for Bill and Fleur.
As they stood just inside the gates, looking over the grounds, Harry said, "Brilliant."
"Beautiful Art Deco statues," said Fleur. "Your parents have excellent taste, Dora."
"Those aren't just for looks, I'd guess," said Bill. "Golems?"
"Damn, you are good," said Dora.
"Function combined with form," said Fleur.
"Like I said, brilliant," said Harry.
Unlike at the Burrow, the sky overhead was clearly about to storm, a big one, too. They were clearly far from the Burrow. Lightning was flashing, followed by loud thunder, meaning it was about to be a downpour.
"Let me key these two into the wards, then we'll go in," said Dora. "And Bill, thanks for not letting them dispose of the evidence before I got there."
"You saw it?" asked Harry.
"And smelled it. I'm guessing it smelled like Luna to you?"
"Yeah. Out of curiosity, what did you smell with the love potion?"
"Strawberries... A certain someone I like uses strawberry scented shampoo." As they reached the front door, she told Harry, "Everything went through, today. So, since I can officially say this now... Welcome home."
Once they were inside, the rain began pouring heavily, outside.
"Well, that was perfect timing," said Harry. He'd almost think the storm wasn't entirely natural, that it was waiting for them to be safely inside.
"Dorothy must be here," said Dora.
A pop signaled the arrival of Jeeves, who Dora introduced to Bill and Fleur. After explaining that they had to leave the Burrow in a hurry, Jeeves told her that her father was in the study. As they walked, Harry looked around at the impressive house. Fleur seemed enraptured.
"Oh, Bill..." she said, huskily.
Bill said, "My fiancé really likes the designs and the furnishings. It sounds like she's close to orgasm."
Jeeves replied, "I'll pass that on to Mistress Andromeda. She appreciates people who share her tastes."
They arrived at the study, where Dora introduced Harry to Ted. After briefing him on what happened, Ted said to Jeeves, "Get Andy and our other guests."
Shortly, they were joined by a naked and wet Andromeda, another dark-haired woman with turquoise eyes who was clothed and clearly Fae, and another naked and wet beautiful young woman who Harry didn't expect to see, but was very glad was here.
"Harry!" Hermione said when she saw him, and enveloped him in a hug. "Are you OK?"
Dora answered, "They tried to dose him with love potion."
Bill said, "I don't think my mother's in complete control of her actions, or Ginny, for that matter. When Harry confronted them, Mum got this glazed look... not like she was under an Imperius Curse, but similar... and marched straight to the Floo."
Andy said, "Dumbledore's too subtle to use an Imperius Curse... He has other ways..."
Harry turned to Andy and said, "We need to warn Luna and Xeno... Better yet, bring them here."
"Ted?"
"On my way," he said, and disapparated.
"Dora, find Amelia," said Andy. "We'll need her."
"On it..."
"You know Andy?" Hermione asked Harry.
"We've met." He took a sniff and said, "Strawberries?"
"It's my shampoo."
"It's nice. I'm glad you're here. I've got a lot to tell you about... This is going to be dangerous..."
Hermione took a step back, and said, "Harry James Potter, don't you start! I know this is dangerous, but I've never backed away from it, and I'm not about to start! I will follow you to the Gates of Hell, and beyond!"
"I know. And thank you."
"So, don't you dare... Wait, what did you say?"
"I said, I know... And that means so much to me. I can't do this without you."
"OK... Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?"
"I've grown up a bit... But don't worry... I haven't grown up too much. And by the way?" He looked her up and down. "I'm still impressed."
"Hmm?" She looked at herself to see what he was talking about. "Oh yeah, I'm naked in front of you, again."
"I approve of that habit."
"Thanks," she said with a raised eyebrow. And this time, Harry noticed, she didn't blush.
Ron didn't know what to do. He hated it when that happened.
Dumbledore arrived, clearly furious, and Ron followed Harry's advice, wearing that pendant under his shirt and playing dumb. It seemed to have worked.
Dumbledore assured Molly and an especially distraught Ginny that they'd find Harry and Bill and "save them from those Fae seductresses." They were also instructed not to trust any of the Aurors except for Kingsley and Moody. They were especially not to trust Amelia Bones, since she was beholden to "the enemy," and, when they returned to Hogwarts, her niece, Susan Bones.
Dumbledore said, "I've already begun taking steps to remove the Seelie Court from our society, once and for all. So far, the Wizengamot has been resistant to my proposal to cut the Ollivanders out of the wand business in Britain, for the greater good. But, with Harry in their clutches, they'll understand, surely, or at least enough of them. I'll see to it that the Delacour harlot is deported."
"What about Luna?" asked Ginny.
"No need to worry about that evil little creature. I'd hoped she'd get the hint that she wasn't welcome in our society... Oh yes, I knew how some of her dorm mates treated her, and encouraged it... But, I think it's time our world knew the truth about her mother. Soon, she'll think her first four years at Hogwarts were inviting and supportive by comparison. And then... Harry will be returned to you, and you will show him the true meaning of love."
Ron had a decision to make, whose side he was on.
There was no decision to be made, really. Harry was his best mate. It was as simple as that.
Now, he just had to figure out what was going on, and how he could best help Harry.
He needed to talk to someone trustworthy about this, someone who knew and loved Harry as much as he did, and who would think of things he wouldn't. He needed to talk with Hermione.
He found a quill and parchment, and began to write a letter.
A/N: And we've finally caught up to where Hermione was at the end of Chapter Nine.