Chapter eighteen

'Okay, I'm not sure I want to hear this or not,' Harry said warily.

'Well, you said when you and Charlie hold hands your senses are stronger, right?'

'Right, but Charlie can't go out there.'

'No, but if he was on your back, I mean on your dragon then he would be up high, safe, out of her way.'

'Not bad little brother,' Bill said.

'You could work it for twice a day Harry, different times, keep it random,' Kingsley suggested.

'Even if Charlie is human and I'm a dragon our connection would still be at its strongest,' Harry stared at Charlie who everyone could tell he was waiting for Harry to make the decision, 'Alright, we'll work on that.'

'Great, I'll get to ride you,' Charlie smirked making everyone laugh, 'Oh, I just thought of something.'

'What?' everyone asked at once.

'Grimmauld place, Ginny can get in there.'

'Damn, okay, you stay here with Bill and Fleur, all of us will search that place. Now remember what Mad-eye said, when Dumbledore died, all of us that had been given permission to get in are now the secret keepers. Ron and I can get you lot in and before you say anything Hermione, no, you're not going, aurors only.'

'Harry,' Hermione scowled, her hands on her hips.

'No, this is official, but I want you to be careful as well. She knows you researched everything on the Morphixen, she believes you made some of it up, she might go after you.'

'She also knows how close you and Harry are sweetheart, it's not worth it. Either go to work, stay with mum and dad or even here,' Ron said.

Hermione looked around, she could tell everyone was against her being involved, 'Fine, I'll go back to work.'

'Don't be mad Hermione; we're doing this for Charlie but also as aurors, that's what we've been training to do. But you and Ginny talked a lot, you often shared a room, at the Burrow and at Grimmauld place. Get that brain working, figure out where she is or what she might do.'

'I know she loves you, she is obsessed as well, which doesn't surprise me. You're cloak is here, right?'

'Yeah, it's up in the bedroom, why?'

'Just making sure she didn't sneak in and take it.'

'How long between her disappearing and Harry turning up here?' Arthur asked.

'Thirty minutes, no longer,' Ernie said.

'I'll check,' Harry raced up the stairs with all eyes on him.

'Harry's eyes were red,' Hermione said not bothering to ask her question.

'He just completely broke, I've never heard Harry cry before.'

'He doesn't cry, ever. With all the Slytherin's around us Harry could never show any type of emotion because they would report back to their parents who would tell Voldemort. But Harry said since he felt Voldemort and Voldemort felt him he tried to keep all his feelings hidden,' Ron said.

'It's still hanging up, if she touched my father's cloak,' Harry shook his head, 'Sorry, okay. So how about we all head to Grimmauld place, Hermione, you stay with Kingsley until you get to your office, he was an auror.'

'I don't need protection Harry.'

'Don't start Hermione; it's not worth the risk, just like you used to tell me when I was guarded. She does know how close we are, stay with Kingsley.'

'The head auror has spoken, if you don't do this Hermione Harry just might have a guard around you. How many times you told Harry he would just have to put up with it, well, he is getting you back for that,' Ron smirked at his girlfriend.

'He's right; I am, so Minister, could you please escort Miss Granger back to work?'

'Of course Auror Potter, she will be safe.'

Hermione growled as she glared at Harry but everyone else laughed. They might be tense and they realised the danger but they could see the two best friends staring each other out, but this time Harry was pulling out his auror side which meant Hermione was not going to win.

Harry and Ron wrote a permission note for Grimmauld place, he waited until Kingsley and Hermione left, he kissed Charlie, it started off as a sweet and loving kiss but soon turned heated and passionate until Ron tapped them both on the shoulder. The two men released each other, stared into each other's eyes for another minute before all the aurors headed to London.

'Just be warned, there are enchantments inside, Mad-eye did them in case Snape turned up, that was before we knew Snape was really on our side,' Harry said.

'So you'll see an image of Dumbledore then your tongue will roll up, but you have to keep it quiet or you'll wake Mrs. Black,' Ron explained.

'If she does, all she will do is scream obscenities at you.'

'Who is Mrs. Black?' Jessie asked.

'My godfather's bitch mother, she has a large portrait that we usually keep covered but any sudden noise and she awakes.'

'Why would her picture be here?'

'This is the house my godfather grew up in, he left it to me in his will. We used it for the order of the phoenix. Okay, wands ready,' Harry took a couple of deep breaths as he pulled a wand from his sleeve.

'Harry,' Ron's eyes widened.

'I thought having the extra power might be useful.'

'You were going to put that back, it's dangerous.'

'I know, but I never got a chance then the tomb was sealed. I wasn't going to break it open again. I keep it under enchantments.'

'What are you two on about?' Cho asked.

Harry and Ron glanced at each other, 'Okay, you are all aurors, so I trust you,' Harry held up the wand, 'In case you don't recognise this wand, it used to belong to Dumbledore. The night he died Malfoy disarmed him while he was weak. During the time Ron, Hermione and I were away, we were captured and taken to Malfoy manor. We got into a fight, I disarmed Malfoy so the wand now recognises me,' Harry stared at the wand, 'It's the elder wand,' Harry and Ron saw it, every auror stood there stunned, 'Let's just see if she's in here as we did hide here with the order of the phoenix, she knows this place very well.'

Harry and Ron led the others inside, the figure of Albus Dumbledore flew towards them yelling out Severus Snape's name then they waited until their tongues unrolled before going further into the house. Harry put everyone in groups before they headed to different parts of the house.

'Master Harry as returned home.'

'Oh, hey Kreacher, um, no, we're just searching this place to see if someone is here. But aren't you still at Hogwarts?'

'Master Harry ordered Kreacher to stay at Hogwarts, but I sensed master here.'

'We're here on official auror business Kreacher. But you wouldn't happen to know if Ginny Weasley has been here at all, would you?'

'No one has been here since those death eaters before the fall of the dark lord. Mundungus did get in once but Kreacher took him away, he tried to steal from Master Harry.'

'Figures, that bloke will never learn,' Ron said.

'Okay, well, we're just going to keep searching anyway, then you go back to Hogwarts. You have all the other house elves to talk to,' Harry smiled down at the old elf then went back to searching with Ron. It took more than an hour but they never found Ginny.

'In case she does think about this place Harry, maybe you should put up a new fidelius charm,' Ron suggested.

'Good idea, I'll work that out with Kingsley later,' Harry moved to the front of the house, closed his eyes and started casting the charm. He opened his eyes and moved around the house until the shield glowed again, shimmering brightly before fading.

'Let's get back to the ministry, but Ron, head straight to see Hermione, see if she might have thought of somewhere Ginny might go. Remember, all of you stay in pairs whenever you're out but keep your eyes open. She might not be able to use magic but she did hear a lot of stuff from muggleborns, like Hermione. How to die hair for one, Weasley red is easy to spot. She also has a large scar on her neck that will give her away, being done by dark magic it can't be covered up unless you use polyjuice potion which will not work on her now she has no magic. So if she goes with muggle ideas then she may use make-up.'

'We know Harry, we learnt all this as well. We'll find her and someone will always be with Charlie. Let's just go do what we've been training to do,' Ron said kindly but he was like everyone else, they could see Harry was trying everything he could to figure out where Ginny had disappeared to, he wanted to make sure Charlie was safe.