Chapter seventeen

When Harry and Ron got back to the ministry, Ron went straight back to the auror office, Harry went to speak with the Wizengamot then he told Kingsley about what had taken place at St Mungo's. So they took a few minutes to talk, as friends and not as minister and an auror.

Harry stepped into the auror office and all eyes turned to him, 'What?'

'Are you okay?' Cho asked.

'I'm more worried about Charlie, what she said hurt him deeply, I felt it.'

'Where is he now?' Parvati asked.

'Went straight home, he's still not healed yet.'

'He's like you mate, hides his pain,' Ron shrugged.

'Yeah, I know, but I sensed it. Anyway, the Wizengamot sealed the file; I told the minister as well, he was surprised how she acted.'

'Yeah, Ron explained, it's hard to believe this is Ginny we're talking about,' Seamus said.

'She was always spoilt but she never went too far before. So even though we never had much growing up, it wasn't possessions she asked for, she would ask us to take the blame for something she did.'

'See, again, she was used to all of you doing that for her and probably thinks Charlie wouldn't let her get in trouble when he helped her before. I don't know, she just didn't want to listen,' Harry sighed heavily.

'Harry,' Ernie ran into the office, 'we're sorry, there was an emergency, dozens of patients were being brought in, some hardly able to walk, one collapsed, Jessie helped her and I ended up with a little girl in my arms. We were only gone for five minutes, she disappeared.'

'Charlie, Ron, take over,' Harry changed into his dragon and flew off, heading straight for his home.

'What happened?' Seamus asked.

'Explosion, no one knows what caused it but half the alley was in flames, or so I heard.'

'Where's Jessie?' Ron asked.

'Still there, doing a search.'

'Cho, Seamus, Parvati, you three head to St Mungo's with Ernie, keep searching, Michael, Terry, you come with me to the Burrow and we'll search there.'

Harry dragon landed in his garden, changed back and ran naked into the house, 'Charlie,' he yelled.

'Harry,' Charlie stepped out of the kitchen, 'why are you naked?'

'I flew, Ginny escaped.'

'What, how?'

'Seems a lot of people were hurt, Jessie ended up helping someone that collapsed, Ernie had a kid in his arms, she snuck out. She doesn't have magic Charlie, but she could still hurt you with a knife.'

Charlie held Harry's hand, 'Open your senses,' they both closed their eyes, 'Nothing, she's not here. I was worried she might have snuck in, without magic, our enchantments wouldn't stop her.'

'Damn, I never thought of that, okay, fidelius charm will stop her because she won't see the house.'

'Don't you need approval from the ministry?'

'I'll get it after since this is an emergency. Let's do it together, it will make it strong and both of us can give permission. I'll just get dressed first, but come with me,' Charlie held Harry's hand as they walked up the stairs, he stood watching Harry dress, he could feel how worried Harry was, he could understand why. Ginny had threatened to kill him and Harry heard it all, now they hoped they could find her. When Harry dressed they headed back downstairs.

Harry and Charlie joined hands then took their wands out and performed the charm, going from outside to inside, covering every part of the property and the house, they both saw the shimmer go around the house.

'We'll both get notes ready, I'm sure Ron or one of the others will turn up eventually.'

'I'm safe Harry, why don't you go look for her?'

'If I know Ron he would already have the others doing that,' Harry stared up into Charlie's eyes, 'I know you're safe, but I can't leave.'

Charlie nodded then pulled Harry into his arms, 'I know how you feel, but someone is bound to find her,' Harry felt it, he couldn't hold it any longer and completely broke, sobbing into Charlie's chest, 'Shhh, it's fine, we're fine, it's okay,' Charlie kept holding Harry tight with one arm and rubbed Harry's back with the other. They stood like that until they saw a silver patronus, speaking in Cho's voice.

'We haven't found her but we're still looking. We wanted to make sure you and Charlie are alright, we're outside.'

'Come on, let's get them inside so we can organise what to do and how to find her.'

Harry and Charlie went outside and found all the aurors standing along with Kingsley, Hermione and some of the Weasley's.

'Read this,' Harry and Charlie handed them the permission note then they all hurried inside. They all noticed Harry's red and puffy eyes but no one mentioned it, they knew it might embarrass him.

'Sorry boss.'

'Don't be Jessie, I would have helped as well. So you had no luck finding her?'

'No, we searched St Mungo's, even the staff helped,' Ernie said.

'We went to the Burrow, no sign of her and we cast every spell we could to detect human's, nothing. We made sure it would work on someone without magic as well.' Ron said.

'We wanted to make sure she didn't sneak in here,' Arthur said staring at Charlie.

'We opened our senses, she's not here, but not having magic meant she could get past our enchantments, that's why we did the fidelius charm. I know I need permission Kingsley, but I had to think of Charlie's safety.'

'It's fine, it was an emergency which means it's allowed. So we've all be talking, trying to work out where she would go but what she might do. Will she come looking for Charlie or will she take off?'

'She'll come looking for me, I know her.'

'Then we have to make sure you're not alone Charlie, not until she's been found,' Molly said.

'I know you won't like this Charlie, but you're going to have a guard around you at all times. One of us will be with you constantly,' Harry said.

'But Harry, if she realises now that killing Charlie won't get you, well, I hate saying this but she might decide to kill you instead of Charlie. If one of you dies, so does the other one,' Hermione said.

'But Charlie and I can sense danger, we'll be fine together. It's when we're alone Charlie is in the most danger, with me it will be harder, I'm at the ministry surrounded by aurors and I floo straight into the house, Charlie is still the one that is vulnerable.'

'Could you live somewhere else?' Ron asked.

'I suppose, buying something else wouldn't be a problem.' Harry said.

'Then we do that and she will have no idea where we will be living,' Charlie said, 'Not around Godric's Hollow, not Hogsmeade, not Ottery St Catchpole, somewhere that is not connected to either of us.'

'Well, we can look, I just want to get out there and find her but I don't want to leave Charlie.'

'We're staying with Charlie until you get home,' Bill said, 'If you go do what aurors do hopefully you will find her quickly, but Fleur and I will be here.'

'You're both order members so is Charlie and he is Morphixen, so I know you can handle yourselves,' Harry stared at Charlie, 'Okay, but we'll work a roster to make sure Charlie isn't alone.'

'She can't get in here and I won't leave Harry.'

'But what if she works on a way to trick you out of here?' Ron said.

'How, I wouldn't unless I heard from Harry saying it was safe.'

'Maybe she works something out, take the guard Charlie, just until we find her,' Hermione said.

'I had to put up with it for years Charlie and all the time, not just during the day,' Harry took Charlie's hand as he stared into his eyes, 'Please Charlie, I have to know you're safe.'

Charlie stared into Harry's worried puffy eyes, 'Alright, I'll also put the shop off for a while since she does know I was looking for a place.'

'Harry, could you use your dragon to fly around and search for her?' Ernie asked.

'I thought of that, my senses will help as well. All I can do is try.'

'I had a radical idea,' Ron shrugged but he gave Charlie a grin and everyone was wondering what Ron's mind had come up with this time.