May 30, 1998

Kingsley looked at the four teenagers in front of him. "I can make this happen. I can do it with no questions asked. I can even send someone to assist—"

"I know how to undo the charm!" interrupted Hermione, her grip on Ron's hand becoming painful. "We just need the documents to travel freely in Australia. And a new tent. We lost ours, but Bill can do the charms if we ask, we just need the Ministry's permission. We want to use the proper channels." Ron pressed back against her hand, willing her to stop talking. She'd done nothing but babble since they'd gotten to Kingsley's office.

"Miss Granger," he said, staring hard at her, and she shrank back into her chair. "As I was saying, this," he waived his hand over the parchment on the desk, "is not a problem."

"Thank you," she breathed. The parchment was a short letter (written by all four of them, since Ginny refused to be left out again) outlining the plans to retrieve Hermione's parents. And the help they needed from the Ministry.

"However," all four of them took in a deep breath, and Ron could swear Ginny rolled her eyes. "I have a favor to ask." He turned his attention to Harry. "I appreciate the testimony each of you has provided. It will help the Ministry in the capture and prosecution of many remaining Death Eaters. As you know, your testimony about what happened this past year at Hogwarts and elsewhere is private. Some pieces may be made public during the trials, but until then the files are closed."

"Thank you." Harry murmured, and the other three nodded.

Kingsley continued, "But I receive demands almost daily for more information. I'm not asking you to release the full story. I'm simply asking you to give the reporters something. We want to respect your privacy, Potter, but the public is clamouring to know what happened. If no one speaks to the press soon, they're going to begin creating their own versions of events…"

As he trailed off, Hermione narrowed her eyes. She, like Harry, knew exactly what the magical press was capable of doing.

"Yeah, like Harry's going to walk up to Rita Skeeter and just pour his heart out," Ginny said. As far as anyone could tell, Skeeter was the only Prophet reporter who hadn't been killed, arrested or exiled during the war.

"Not just Harry," replied Kingsley gently, looking to Ginny (who scowled at him). "The public needs to hear from you or Mr. Longbottom or Mr. Finnegan about what happened at the school…the rumours…"

"Are actually true, and you know it. Do you really want an honest recounting of last year? The Crucios and beatings and the Ministry's role?" Ginny's eyes blazed with anger as Harry gently patted her shoulder.

"Yes. Yes, I do. And I will make it clear that we will do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. In order to do that, we need your help and corroboration." Kingsley raised his eyebrows at the Ginny.

She stared back, thinking. Then Hermione spoke up. "So you'll only help us if we talk to the press?"

Kingsley steepled his fingers and looked back at the four, speaking slowly. "I'll help you regardless. I'm just hoping you'll see that it might be mutually beneficial…and that if you're leaving the country for a few weeks, it might be best to let everything come out while you're gone."

Hermione and Harry had a silent conversation. From what Ron could tell (from Harry's almost imperceptible head shakes), Harry didn't want to tell the press anything. But Hermione saw the advantage. And she was quite annoyed at Harry. Ron squeezed her hand and said, "Kingsley…er…" the man was a bit frightening, "Minister Shacklebolt…can we have some time to think it over? We don't intend to leave for another few weeks, and that gives us plenty of time to decide what to share."

Harry gave him a grateful smile, and Hermione relaxed a little.

"Very well then," said Kingsley, "I'll be expecting your owl in the next few days. And despite all this, I want you four to go home and relax. You've been through enough. And I have more interviews and meetings, so I'll let you go."

As the teens shuffled out of the Minister's office, they came across Luna Lovegood sitting in the waiting area. Her wand was over her ear, and she wore the same yellow dress she wore to Bills' wedding as she inspected a map of some kind. Her hair was covered in a fine layer of dust.

"Luna!" Ginny cried, running to her friend. The two hugged (a cloud of dust billowing around them) and Luna looked over at the other three.

"I'm happy to see you so well, Harry!" she said brightly.

"Thanks, Luna."

She looked at the three of them with concern. "You know Voldemort's dead, right? There's no need to look so stressed. Especially you, Hermione. You look like you've got a Muddlekin hiding in your hair, and he's sucked away all your happiness."

"It's nice to see you, Luna," Hermione replied, choosing to ignore the second half of what Luna had said.

Luna stepped away from Ginny and placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders, peering deep into her eyes. "You look nearly as bad as you did after…after…" She paused for a second and gathered her thoughts, "…when we were at Bill's. Is Ron caring for you well?" She looked to Ron, wide eyed and raised her eyebrows.

"Uh…" Ron said, "I'm doing my best?"

"Oh good. That's all we can do! I'd invite you over for a calming draught, but as you know, my house was blown up in the war. Daddy and I are repairing it. You can come get a draught when it's fixed!"

The three friends exchanged a covert look, no one wanting to admit what happened at the Lovegoods'.

"Luna, blown up? What happened?!" asked Ginny. Ron assumed Harry had filled his sister in on the past year, but apparently some details were left out. They shared a panicked look.

Luna's eyes darkened, a look out of place on her usually mild face. "It seems the Death Eaters were determined to get Daddy and the Quibbler to stop supporting Harry. He won't talk much about it…he was in Azkaban, you know. He won't talk much at all...since he got out. But it seems they…" Luna's eyes clouded more and she shook her head. "But the ministry's helping us put it back together, and they're taking my statement about the kidnapping, so that's good! Maybe I can even convince them to look seriously into the problem with the vampires!"

Kingsley stepped from his office. "Miss Lovegood, we can begin."

She bounced toward the door when Hermione interrupted. "Wait, Luna!"

Ron felt a surge of adrenaline. Was she going to tell Luna about what happened now? Without discussing it with him and Harry? He knew she felt guilty (she was, after all, the one who had reductoed the entire second story), but this was not the time nor the place.

Luna turned back. "Yes, Hermione?"

Hermione pulled her arm away from Ron. "I was just wondering...if we were to talk to the press, could it be the Quibbler? Would you write something up for us?

Harry paused just before a protest left his lips. He seemed to think for a second, then said, "Brilliant!"

Ginny was bouncing with excitement. "That's perfect! The Quibbler could run all the stories! You could talk to Neville and Seamus, and maybe even the Potterwatch crew. Run a special issue. It'll sell out in minutes!"

It was a brilliant idea. Talking to Rita Skeeter or someone had risks; who knew what she'd write? But they trusted Luna, and even if she was odd, she'd be honest and respect their wishes.

Luna's face fell. "I don't think the Quibbler is going to come out for a long time. We have no way to print it."

The image of the destroyed printing press leapt into Ron's mind. Of course. They'd not only destroyed Luna's house, but her family's livelihood as well. Now he felt as guilty as Hermione.

The room was quiet for a minute. Then Harry broke the silence. "Luna, do you remember Sirius Black?"

"That pleasant convict who was also your Godfather and played in that band?"

"Yeah, him. After everything, I got of all of his stuff. Including his vaults, so I have more money than I know what to do with. Uh, I'd be happy to buy you and your father a new printing press, maybe even a storefront in Diagon Alley in exchange for letting us tell our story."

"You'd do that?" Luna asked, looking misty-eyed. "We can repay you. Surely we'll make the money back quickly if you're in the first issue."

Harry grinned down at Ginny, who squeezed him into a hug. "No need. Consider it a friend helping a friend."

Beside Ron, Hermione let out a long breath and leaned her head against his shoulder. Ron wondered if this would soften her guilt. It certainly softened his.

"But I have one condition," Harry continued.

Luna stiffened. "What's that?"

"I won't do this alone. You can't just interview me. Ron and Hermione have to be included in everything. You present us as a team. No more 'Chosen One' or 'Boy Who Lived', okay?"

A scowl darkened Ginny's face, but it was gone as quickly as it started. Luna, on the other hand, beamed in understanding.

"Why don't we meet up at the Burrow in a couple of days?" said Ron. "That gives you time to prepare, and us time to figure out what we want to release." Hermione and Harry nodded in agreement.

Luna beamed at him as well, the dust flying off her shoulders as she walked into Kingsley's office.

A few days later, Ron was sitting in the kitchen eating a sandwich when Luna stepped from the floo. Her clothes were cleaner and she held stacks of parchment and an assortment of quills. The butterbeer corks were around her neck, and her wand was behind her ear.

"I would have apparated, but they won't be ready for my test until next week." she said as she spread her things out on the table. As she settled into a chair, she looked around the kitchen, then to Ron. "Your mum, she's not doing well, is she?"

Ron looked at the stacked dishes and dusty countertops. Fleur came by every couple of days to help out, but beyond that no one was really functioning. His mum was still in bed, despite the fact that it was midmorning. His dad was at work, but Ron wasn't sure he actually got anything done there. When he'd visited, Arthur simply shuffled papers around aimlessly. Ron should have helped out, but the thought of doing anything productive when the house still felt like a funeral was overwhelming. Like the rest of his family, he slept, he ate, he answered owls when he felt like it…Hermione got him out of the house to plan for the trip to Australia from time to time. But everything he did carried the weight of losing Fred.

Instead of waiting for an answer, Luna murmured a few spells and set the kitchen to cleaning itself. Dishes jumped up to be washed and the feather duster began moving among the knick-knacks. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"I can teach you the spells…daddy's not doing too well either...I've picked some things up." Ron nodded in understanding. Luna continued, "Neville can get you a hollyhock bush if you wish. It will attract better spirits."

They made awkward eye contact across the table, unsure how to address, well, everything. The Weasleys' grief over Fred. The Lovegood's house. Xenophilia's imprisonment. The Malfoys. Luckily, Ginny and Harry appeared from Merlin-knows-where (Ron learned not to question). Harry looked nervous, but Ginny hugged Luna fiercely.

"I'll go grab Hermione so those three can talk to you. Have Harry come find me when you're ready for my interview."

Hermione came down a few moments later carrying her own stack of papers. The three of them had spent the last few days compiling their story: what they wanted to share, what they wanted to keep to themselves. They'd settled on a story, one that would keep certain pieces of knowledge (such as horcruxes and Deathly Hallows) out of the public eye, but would answer some of the questions Kingsley had sent them.

There was a second list; the list of what they'd share with Luna off the record. After much discussion (most of which, to Ron's chagrin, included Ginny), they'd decided they owed her the truth on some things. As long as she promised not to publish the information.

And so they began to tell their story. Hermione handed out parchment highlighting which parts of the story they'd each share and what details were included. From there, she'd outlined what they could share with Luna "off the record."

Harry started, telling the story of their escape from Bill's wedding, and giving the overview of their mission. The morning wore on with the whole story. The splinching, the camping. Ron had a lump in his throat as he explained that he left the other two "to visit Bill and find out what was going on elsewhere," (the explanation they'd developed).

The story of the Lovegood's was on Ron's list. He explained that they'd had questions for Xeno about important Ravenclaw artifacts (Harry didn't want to talk about the Hallows). When he got to the part with the Erumpet horn, he glanced over at Hermione. She fidgeted her hands on the table and he grabbed one firmly before continuing on with the version they'd developed.

"The snatchers came while we were talking to your dad. We had to get away quickly because they wanted Harry, and they thought I was down with Spattergoit."

"How did they know you lot were there?" Luna asked.

Ron couldn't tell if she was suspicious or curious. He pushed forward with his explanation: as close to the truth as he could get without throwing Xeno under the Knight Bus. "We think the Snatchers were watching him, they thought he knew where Harry was." Ron kept talking, not giving Luna any more opportunity to ask questions. "So we had to create a distraction to give ourselves time to get away. Uh, your dad had an Erumpet Horn in the middle of the house, so…"

"So I ducked one of his curses and it hit the horn," said Hermione, covering her face with her hands. "And then the only way out was to Reducto the floor…Luna, I'm so sorry! It was our only chance, and I thought if the snatchers saw Harry they'd let your dad alone, but they took him to Azkaban anyway. If there's anything we can do to make it up to you—"

Luna cut her off. "A house is just a building. My home is with my father, and that is still intact. Besides, now I can re-paint the inside." She paused, scribbling on some parchment, then looked up at them. "You broke out of Gringotts, too. Flew a dragon through their ceiling…and from what I hear, you Fiendfyred the Room of Requirement…"

"That was Crabbe…" muttered Hermione.

"You lot leave a lot of rubble in your wake when you're determined. Anyhow, I have a favor to ask."

Everyone looked at her expectantly.

"I appreciate that you vanquished a Dark Lord…but next time, could you be a bit less destructive? The Nargles are all a tizzy trying to re-establish their colonies."

Ron found himself grinning. "Never change, Luna."

"I don't intend on it. Do you?"

The group relaxed a bit more, and continued telling their story. At lunchtime, Harry grabbed leftover roast from the icebox as Hermione explained how they'd been captured and taken to Malfoy Manor.

"And…and you know most of what happened there…" Hermione concluded, her voice drifting off. They each had things that were hard to talk about. For Ron, it was the moment he angrily apparated away from his two best friends. Somehow that moment was even worse than the moment Fred died. For Harry it was whatever happened in the forest. And for Hermione, it was Bellatrix LeStrange.

But midafternoon, the story had been told. Luna was horrified at the prospect of Horcruxes, and agreed that they should be kept out of the press. "We can just say that Voldemort turned several artifacts into weapons, and you had to destroy the weapons before you could kill him," she said, writing in a shorthand that only she could read. "I have interviews with a few more people. Ginny, Neville and Seamus about Hogwarts. I'll see if I can get Susan and Hannah and even Anthony to give me some quotes as well. I've got Lee set to talk about Potterwatch." She looked at Ron, "would George be willing to talk, too?"

"As long as Charlie hasn't gotten him drunk again, you're probably good. But don't expect…he's not the same right now…"

Luna nodded in agreement. "He's not used to being only one whole person. It takes time." She paused and made some more notes on the parchment. "Then I'll interview Dean, of course, about what the Muggleborns were up to. And a few more people that Kingsley suggested. I suspect that the issue will come out in 2 weeks."

"Perfect," said Hermione, a smile plastered on her face. "We're leaving for Australia in 10 days, so we'll be able to avoid the rest of the press." She'd been doing that a lot lately, chirping about things with a smile that she didn't mean.

Luna honed in on Hermione's face and became much less businesslike. "You don't have to pretend to be happy around me. I know what you've been through. I know why you're going to Australia. And Ron and Harry don't need you to pretend." Luna leaned forward. "Is it Ginny? Because you don't have to pretend to be okay for Ginny. She's pretending, too."

Hermione's mouth opened and closed, and she looked at Ron. He shrugged back at her; he knew she was struggling, but Ginny seemed happy. She and Harry were attached at the hip (or whatever), she was always in their business, and she'd somehow convinced mum to let her go to Australia. Granted, Ron was pretty sure she'd done it through some kind of trickery, but she'd done the impossible. There was no way she was just pretending to be okay, right?

Ginny wandered into the kitchen then, and everyone looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

Ron decided to put his questions about his sister aside. He had enough on his plate: Fred's death (and the images in Ron's head from that moment) colored every moment of his life. Hermione was days from a breakdown, Harry avoided leaving the Burrow thanks to the press, and were all still fighting guilt from blowing up the Lovegoods'. The last thing Ron needed was to worry about his sister as well. She was almost an adult; if she needed help, she would ask for it.

"Nothing." Ron said (probably too quickly) and went back to the biscuit he was eating.