"What the hell is that?" Harry erupted.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Some time after the memorial, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione returned to the Burrow. Everybody seemed to need some time to decompress after what had been a very difficult day. Ron and Hermione went into Ottery St. Catchpole together, and Harry and Ginny had decided that they would as well. The four of them enjoyed a late lunch at the only restaurant in town– a small pub that wasn't all that different from the Leaky Cauldron. It was nice to be able to feel normal, on a double date with Ginny and his two best friends, Harry thought. When he pulled out a few Muggle bills to pay for the meal, Ginny surprised him with how interested she was in them.
"It's not that different from our money," Harry said as she held the bill close to her face, examining it intently. "Just paper instead of coins."
Without looking at him, Ginny responded, "It's very different. You just don't see it because you're used to it." She looked very cute to him, astonished by the paper money he'd always been used to, having grown up in Surrey. Then again, Ginny was always cute, and she was always interested in Muggle stuff she saw.
After they paid and walked back to the Burrow, Ginny went upstairs to take a shower, and Ron and Hermione excused themselves to Ron's room much earlier than usual, leaving Harry alone, unsure where everyone else was. Shrugging, he walked back outside into the orchard, not really thinking about anything in particular as he aimlessly strolled along. Eventually, he found his mind wandering back to the memorial– the statue, how quick he'd been to jump to conclusions about Kingsley, and the kind things McGonagall had said about him.
As he thought about McGonagall, he remembered one of the hardest moments of the memorial, when she'd read the names of all the fallen. How had thirty students died in the battle? Harry felt like he'd started coming to terms with the fact that he'd saved a lot of lives by sacrificing himself and ultimately defeating Riddle. He also had started accepting that the deaths of people like Tonks, Lupin, and Fred, who were all members of the Order, weren't really his fault. No matter where this final battle had been, they would've all been there anyways.
What Harry couldn't come to terms with was the deaths of all the students. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was responsible for those deaths. If the battle had happened anywhere else, the students wouldn't have been in danger. People like Colin and Lavender wouldn't have had a chance to fight. Poor Emily wouldn't ever walk again because he brought the battle to Hogwarts that night.
Within him, Harry felt a strange stirring. It wasn't like his panic attacks, even though these thoughts would usually be enough to provoke one of those. It was bubbling up inside of him rather than attacking him suddenly. He sat down against the back of Arthur's shed, not sure why but feeling like he shouldn't be standing for this. What happened next surprised him, considering he'd been expecting to fall into another memory. He began bawling.
Harry had learned from a young age that he needed to be quiet if he was going to cry. The only thing the Dursleys hated more than Harry was Harry when he was loud. So when he had to cry because he'd been hurt by Vernon or Dudley or because he was hungry, he did it quietly. It was how he'd always handled it. Those inhibitions completely abandoned him at this moment. He was alone, and, for the first time he could remember, he cried as loudly as he needed.
He cried for his own losses– growing up without parents and being raised with a family that despised him, losing Sirius and Remus, losing Hedwig, losing Cedric and Fred and Tonks and Colin, losing his childhood to a war that demanded his sacrifice, almost losing everything that he cared about on his way to make that sacrifice. But more than that, he cried for the people who had paid that ultimate price without a second chance and for the families of the Fallen Fifty. He cried for the children who fought in a devastating battle and the thirty that lost their lives. He cried for the world around him that seemed like it may never be whole again.
He didn't even move when he felt arms around him. He just continued crying with his head resting on his knees. After what could've been an hour but probably wasn't actually that long, he felt the tears slowly starting to subside. "Mum?" he choked out with a rough voice, feeling the loving hold of the arms around him. When the arms didn't move, Harry finally wiped his eyes and sat back against the shed.
Molly and Arthur were on either side of him, holding him tightly. For some reason, Harry didn't feel as embarrassed as he would've expected. "We're here, son," Arthur said quietly, and Harry nodded, looking down at the grass in front of him.
"I'm sorry for–" Harry began but Molly immediately cut him off.
"There's nothing to apologise for. You're just as much a son of ours as any of the red headed ones, and we've held all of them while they've cried before."
"Probably not when they were almost eighteen," Harry whispered.
"We did exactly this with Ginny more than once in the past year. And I'd give anything for George to let us be there for him like this now," Molly responded. Harry grimaced, thinking about what Ginny would've been crying about in the past year– probably him and the torture she dealt with at Hogwarts because of him.
"It's just– it's all my fault," he whispered again.
"The war wasn't your fault, Harry. Neither was the battle," Arthur said comfortingly with an arm wrapped around him.
Harry shook his head. "I– I mean the kids. Thirty students died. The battle didn't– it didn't have to happen at Hogwarts. It's my fault he brought his army there and killed all those kids."
Molly continued holding Harry close as Arthur spoke again. "All of the students had the chance to leave, Harry. They all stayed because they knew that if we lost, there wouldn't be another chance. That's why the entire Order was there. We all knew that was our last stand. And honestly… I don't know that we would've won if it hadn't been for the kids. At least half of our fighters were Hogwarts students. We would've been overrun if not for them. The battle took place in a fortress that we held, and it also had the largest concentration of anti-Death Eater fighters in Britain. If the battle didn't happen there, we– we all could be dead now."
"But–" Harry tried to argue but Molly cut him off again.
"Harry, after everything, you let them win if you blame yourself. You didn't kill anyone. Even when it was just you and him, you didn't fight to kill. If you'd done things any differently, we would've lost more people, if not everyone. Please don't let them win. After everything, you owe it to yourself to be happy."
Harry nodded as Molly pulled him into a tight hug. He felt himself starting to cry again, but these tears were nothing like before. It wasn't so much acceptance as… growth. He'd still carry that guilt with him, he knew. Probably far more than he actually should. But he also knew that they were both right. They probably would've lost if they hadn't had the students fighting with them. As devastating as their losses were, they could've been so much worse if things hadn't happened like they did.
"Thanks, Mum," Harry whispered, and he heard Molly crying now too, although he wasn't sure how sad her tears were.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
When she came back downstairs, Ginny wasn't surprised that she couldn't find Harry. He was probably out in the orchard, walking around. She was surprised when she didn't see him anywhere outside. Confused, she started walking back towards the house when she heard something that sounded like crying coming from behind the shed. She immediately ran around the corner, worried that Harry was having a panic attack. She definitely wasn't expecting to see her mum and dad holding Harry while he cried. She must've been loud coming towards them because when she stopped, Harry looked up at her from her mum's shoulder.
Immediately, Ginny sat down in front of Harry. His eyes were so red and puffy; he looked like he'd been sobbing for a long time. He wordlessly reached a hand out to her, and she took it without hesitation. He squeezed her hand, and she asked, "What's wrong?"
Her mum shot her a look through her own tears like she shouldn't be probing, but Ginny knew Harry would talk to her. "Just– I guess it's all hitting me, seeing everything at the memorial. All those people that died, especially the kids. I– I feel like it's my fault, but your parents aren't letting me believe that without arguing."
"Good. It wasn't your fault," Ginny said simply, and the corners of his mouth quirked upwards slightly. They all sat in silence for a few minutes before her parents got up. Her mum kissed Harry on the top of his head, and he smiled to himself at that, which made Ginny smile too. Ginny took her place next to him. She leaned up against him and looked up into his eyes.
"You're so perfect," he said quietly, running a hand through her hair. Ginny felt herself blushing as she smiled at him. He continued, "I– I don't want to be someone who's too weak or breaks down every time I'm alone. You deserve so much more than that."
Ginny sat up and stared at him intently. "Is that really what you think?"
Harry nodded. "You deserve the best because you're the best," he said like that was obvious.
"Harry, you're perfect. I'm with you because you're perfect to me. Remember when you said you're with me because you love me and my faults? Don't you think I feel the exact same about you?"
Harry looked at her and blinked owlishly, like that thought hadn't even occurred to him. "Harry, you're perfect to me, regardless of what faults you have. You don't have to put any pressure on yourself to hide parts of who you are because you think I won't like them or I deserve something different. I want to know every single part of you. That's how much I love you," she said emphatically, squeezing his hand.
Harry still looked surprised, but he smiled a little. "You must love me a lot then," he said quietly, but he looked a little proud of that.
"I love you more and more every moment," Ginny said honestly, remembering how she felt watching him give that speech earlier today.
"Me too," he agreed as he kissed her softly before pulling her into a close hug. The sun had set by this point, and they quickly went up to Ginny's room. Once in bed, Ginny happily let Harry hold her close, hoping he'd feel as comforted by her as she did by him.
"For the record, you're not weak. You're the strongest person I know," she whispered.
He exhaled softly onto the top of her head. "And here I was going to say the next thing on my list is how strong you are to deal with me."
She rolled over and smiled at him. "It's not dealing with you when I love you."
He smiled back at her. "Then the next thing is you're strong enough to love me, and I thank Merlin every second that I'm this lucky."
Ginny kissed him again. "I think we both got pretty lucky," she said as she snuggled back into Harry, and they both slept soundly through the night, very grateful for the luck or fate that had brought them together.
The next morning, Ginny actually woke up before Harry had to come back upstairs and wake her. Ginny made her way downstairs shortly, pleased to see that Harry was still cooking in the kitchen with Charlie. She quietly walked past the family at the table and wrapped her arms around Harry while his back was to the room, facing the stove, frying eggs and bacon. She stood on her toes and kissed the back of his neck.
"I really hope this isn't Charlie," Harry said loudly, and the entire table started roaring with laughter. Harry turned back and grinned down at her, bending to kiss her firmly as she and everyone else were still laughing. They both looked at Charlie, who had become rather red, but he seemed to be struggling to keep himself from laughing. He shook his head and walked outside for a moment before coming back in, seeming a little better now that he'd apparently laughed away from everyone.
They all sat and began eating breakfast, when they were interrupted by an owl pecking the window. Ron stood and let the owl in, which immediately flew over the table and dropped the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione.
"Oh no," Hermione whispered.
Ron looked over her shoulder. "Blimey, that's not right," he exclaimed before looking up at Ginny and Harry.
"What is it?" Ginny asked. Hermione shook her head and started to pull the paper away, but Ginny was much faster, and she snatched the paper out of Hermione's hands, laying it flat on the table between herself and Harry.
"Holy shit," she whispered when she saw the cover.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
HARRY POTTER– THE MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR IN BRITAIN!
POTTER ENJOYS ALL THE PERKS OF FAME WITH HIS GIRLFRIENDS!
At the Memorial for the Fallen Fifty at Hogwarts yesterday, our reporter witnessed one story nobody expected to uncover on such a sombre occasion. After the Memorial was over, the story coming out of it was one of the heroism and bravery of the Fallen Fifty. The Minister for Magic and Headmistress of Hogwarts honoured the fallen with touching speeches before Mr. Harry Potter delivered his own speech.
In this speech, he argued, like he did in a speech printed by this publication three weeks ago, against the importance some of our kind place on blood purity. He went further this time though, suggesting that as a society, we can do much better in our treatment of both Muggles and creatures like centaurs, house elves, goblins, and werewolves.
When asked about Potter's speech, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, said: 'I've known Harry for a number of years. In that time, he has always been consistent in the kindness he's shown to everyone, regardless of species or blood status. I'm proud of the message he delivered today, and I will do everything in my power to ensure the Ministry does not allow the mistakes of our past, emphasised by Harry, to continue.'
Despite the praises of the Minister, there is a different story that will be on everyone's minds following the Memorial. Potter, dubbed by many in the magical community as the 'Most Eligible Bachelor in Britain', was seen entertaining the affections of four different witches after delivering his speech. In the upper left photograph, he can be seen hugging Miss Parvati Patil, with whom he has been in Gryffindor House since he began attending Hogwarts. In the top right photograph, Potter is holding the hand of Miss Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw one year younger than him. It is unclear how they became so close at this time.
In the bottom left photograph, he is seen hugging Miss Hermione Granger. Rumours are that he and Miss Granger spent a significant portion of the last year alone, hiding from You-Know-Who together, but it would be inappropriate of this reporter to speculate on such gossip any further. In the bottom right photograph, he is standing near Miss Ginevra Weasley, the younger sister of one of Potter's close friends, Mister Ronald Weasley.
None of the subjects of these photographs could be reached for comment; however, we did speak to Miss Romilda Vane, a Gryffindor student who is very close to Potter and several of the girls in these pictures. 'Harry could have any girl he wants, and they all know it. They go after him like he's a piece of meat they all want to sink their teeth into. Nobody's done that more than the Weasley [girl]. Everyone knows she's been mad for him for years, and I wouldn't put it past her to slip him a love potion if she gets desperate enough.'
For further reading on the Memorial and the speeches delivered, see page 7.
For further speculation on Potter's life as the Most Eligible Bachelor in Britain, see page 3…
"What the hell is that?" Harry erupted, finishing the article. He'd begun trembling as he read, and by the end, he couldn't hold it in anymore. Ginny finished reading it and pushed it towards her mum, who began reading it curiously. He looked at her, surprised to see that she looked okay.
"Are you not upset by all this?" he asked incredulously.
She shrugged. "I mean it's never nice to have lies spread about you in the paper. But I know how you feel about me. Who cares what everyone else thinks?"
"Who cares? I don't want people thinking that I'm just playing around with you or anyone else! And I certainly don't want people thinking you gave me a love potion!"
Ginny smiled up at him now. "You're cute when you're angry," she said quietly. Harry huffed at that but let her kiss him on the cheek anyway.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Hermione," he said, looking at his friend.
Hermione also shrugged. "Like Ginny said, who cares what everyone else thinks? We all know it's a load of–" she caught herself before swearing, so Ron finished.
"It's a load of bollocks. Bloody shite too that they're saying this is all people will be talking about after the memorial as if they're not the ones shoving it in everyone's faces."
"What are you gonna do about it?" Charlie asked him, reading the paper sideways as his mum finished with it. He gave Harry a challenging look as if he had something to prove.
"I… am… going to write a letter and demand that they print it," Harry said, a little unsteadily.
"A letter?" Charlie responded as if that was ridiculous.
"Yeah. I'm going to tell them to say that they're wrong, and that I'm with Ginny."
"You don't have to do that," Ginny said quietly.
He looked down at her and frowned. "I want to do it. I'm not ashamed at all. This–" he gestured between the two of them "– is the best thing in my life, damn all who try and make it out to be something wrong."
She smiled a little at him. "Very cute when you're angry," she whispered. Harry kissed the tip of her nose before he went up to Ron's room to write a very angry letter to the editor of the Daily Prophet.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
"You're really okay with it?" Hermione asked after Harry left.
Ginny looked at her curiously. "You said you were okay with it too," she countered.
"It wasn't my boyfriend in the paper," Hermione responded simply, and Ginny just sighed.
"I mean… it's not fair, but I'm more upset for him than for me. It's bad enough for him when they insist on printing articles on his heroism. It's so much worse that they just make up lies about his personal life. He deserves better."
"Well at the very least, the Prophet's going to be getting an earful," Ron said, chuckling a little imagining it.
"They're not going to print a retraction though," Hermione said.
"I don't know… Harry's a pretty powerful bloke right now. It may be in their best interest to make sure he doesn't start publicly attacking their paper," Charlie commented, rubbing his chin as he thought about it.
"We all know it's a load of rubbish, and I have more than half a mind to write a letter myself, if he wasn't already writing one. I just hope he doesn't let it keep bothering him afterwards. Like you said, Ginny, he deserves better," Ginny's mum said, looking worriedly towards where Harry had exited moments earlier.
"He'll be okay. We'll go see Teddy later. He can't be upset around Teddy," Ginny responded confidently. Her mum nodded, and after a moment, she stood and went upstairs, followed shortly by Charlie. Percy and her dad had gone to work before she'd woken up.
"Ginny, are you really okay?" Hermione asked now that it was just the two of them and Ron.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes, Hermione. I'm pissed off that that cow got to say I'd give Harry a love potion when she actually did, and I hate that out of all the pictures, mine looks the least like we could be a couple. And more than anything, I hate that the entire narrative around the memorial has changed to be about this load of shite, and Harry's in the paper once again. And I honestly really want to storm into the Daily Prophet offices and start hexing people, and I would if it wouldn't make things worse for Harry. But… I'm fine. I can control myself, especially since the paper doesn't change anything with me or him. That's all I care about."
"You're a better woman than me," Hermione said quietly, making it quite clear that she wouldn't be okay if Ron had been the subject of the article instead of Harry.
"Hopefully the letter gets printed," Ron offered as he and Hermione stood to go outside. Ginny nodded at the two of them, not expecting the letter to ever see the pages of the Prophet.
A moment later, Harry came back into the kitchen where she was still sitting, holding a folded piece of parchment. "You're really okay with me sending this?" he asked her.
"Are you gonna let me read it?" she responded as she held her hand out, expecting him to hand it to her.
Instead, he pulled it back, a little coy now. "I want you to read it in the paper tomorrow. I just want to be sure that you're okay with me saying that you're my girlfriend publicly."
Ginny was a little frustrated that she wasn't allowed to read it, but she wasn't embarrassed at all. "Of course I'm okay with it. I bloody love you, and I don't care who knows it." Harry smiled widely at her, and she couldn't stay too frustrated at him.
"What makes you so sure it's going to get printed though?" she asked curiously.
Harry hesitated. "Ah– well, you'll see tomorrow, I think. Trust me though, considering they've printed everything else, they'll definitely be printing this."
Ginny nodded, resigning herself to Harry's cryptic answers. "I guess I'll find out tomorrow then," she said.
"I think you'll like it," Harry responded as he stood to take the letter up to Pigwidgeon. Once he came back into the room, Ginny stood to meet him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.
"That's for being proud of our relationship," she whispered breathlessly when they broke apart. Harry nodded and blinked like he'd been stunned. She couldn't help but smile at the loving way he looked at her, especially after she kissed him. It was adorable, and she knew it wouldn't ever get old.
"Do you want to go see Teddy today? Andromeda told me yesterday that we could come by whenever we want. I thought that might put you in a better mood."
Harry nodded eagerly. "Yeah, that sounds great. But I've gotta say that kiss already wiped away my bad mood." Ginny grinned at him, kissing him once more before walking outside with him, ready to apparate to Andromeda's house.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Before going to Andromeda's, they wanted to stop at the church in Queen Camel. They spent some time visiting Tonks and Lupin's graves before starting to walk to her house. They'd barely left the church when a middle-aged couple approached him and asked if he was Harry Potter.
Both of them wanted to shake his hand and thank him for everything he'd done. He nodded and gritted his teeth in something he hoped resembled a smile. He could see Ginny trying not to laugh at his uncomfortable expression out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he was able to break away from the wellwishers after another round of handshakes.
"How do you still get surprised when people recognise you?" Ginny asked once they'd walked out of the centre of the town.
Harry shrugged, taking her hand in his. "I dunno. I guess… here, it feels more like a Muggle town, even though there are witches and wizards living around here. When I'd spend the summers with my aunt and uncle, nobody would ever recognise me, so it feels a little weird being recognised in a Muggle area."
"Do you like that feeling? Like is it better to be in a Muggle area, even though it's not magical, because you're not being recognised?"
He ran a hand through his hair, considering her question. "I dunno if I've ever thought about that before. I suppose they both have their advantages. It's not like I've spent a lot of time actually in the Muggle world apart from with my… family."
Ginny nodded understandingly. "Guess that's something for you to think about."
Harry smiled at her. "I guess so." But he didn't give it any more thought on their walk, focussed much more on the pretty girl he was walking with.
Andromeda answered the door quickly when they finally reached her house and knocked. She looked surprisingly dishevelled considering how composed she usually looked when they saw her. "Glad to see you took me up on my offer so quickly," she said kindly as she invited them in, holding Teddy in one arm..
"We can't ever go too long without seeing Teddy," Ginny said as Andromeda allowed her to take him.
Andromeda smiled at her. "He's lucky to have you two."
Ginny beamed up at Harry, who was smiling at both of them. "We feel the same about him," Harry responded earnestly.
They all sat in the living room together. Ginny continued holding Teddy, whose hair had taken on a particularly flaming shade of red, and Harry happily watched them closely with an arm around Ginny. He looked up when he heard deep breathing and saw that Andromeda had fallen asleep in the recliner.
He smiled at Ginny. "Guess she needed a break."
Ginny nodded. "I wish we could do something to help her more with actually taking care of Teddy. We're getting to know him, but Andromeda's still dealing with all the responsibilities of parenting by herself."
"What if we started bringing Teddy to the Burrow for a night or two every week? D'you think Andromeda would be okay with that?" Harry asked.
Ginny smiled up at him. "You're not afraid at all of taking care of a baby?"
He hadn't actually thought about it like that. His 'taking care' of Teddy to this point had been almost exclusively holding Teddy while he was calm. "I mean… your parents will still be there if we need help. But it'll let us bond more with him, and it's good practice, I guess."
Ginny's eyes sparkled. "Good practice?" she asked innocently.
Surprisingly, Harry didn't even blush. He just nodded. "Yep, I think it'll be good practice." He was very glad that response earned him a sweet kiss from her. Both of them knew why it would be good practice, even though they were so far from even considering a scenario where that practice would be useful.
Andromeda slept for about an hour before she slowly woke up. "I'm sorry I left you two alone with him. It's just been hard to get sleep some nights," she said, still yawning slightly.
"Mrs. Tonks, we were talking about that actually. What would you think about Teddy coming over to the Burrow for a night or two every week so that you can rest and have some time to yourself?" Harry asked.
Andromeda smiled at him. "That's very kind of you, Harry, but I don't want to be a burden to you or the Weasleys."
"Isn't this what godparents are supposed to do?" Ginny asked.
Andromeda hesitated but nodded. "I guess the two of you really want to do this?"
They both nodded eagerly. "Then I'd be glad for Teddy to spend more time with the two of you. And… I know I've said it before, but… they really did a good job picking you."
"Thanks, Mrs. Tonks. We'll take good care of him," Harry promised.
"Harry, please call me Andromeda. Or better yet, call me Andi. Before my sisters and I became estranged, I'd hoped I'd have nieces and nephews that would call me that, and I feel like you and Ginny are the closest thing I'll ever have to that."
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Andi."
Ginny smiled with him. "When do you want Teddy to come over?"
Andromeda thought about it. "How about this weekend? I can bring him to you around dinner on Friday."
"That sounds great," Ginny responded enthusiastically.
A while later, Harry and Ginny told both Teddy and Andromeda goodbye, thankful they'd be seeing them in a few short days. It was evening by the time they made it back to the Burrow. After enjoying a delicious dinner of cottage pie, Harry found himself on the floor of the Weasley's living room, once again playing chess and losing spectacularly to Ron. Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the couch, whispering quietly, although Ginny kept looking over at Harry and smiling.
"You ever wonder what they're talking about when they're like that?" Harry asked Ron curiously. Ron looked up like he had no idea what Harry was talking about. He glanced toward the girls and shook his head.
"Honestly, it's probably best that we don't know. They can be mental. It's easier for us to just know the stuff they want us to know."
"You think?"
Ron looked up from the board at him again. "I think if I knew more about what went on inside Hermione's head, I'd be so confused that I wouldn't be able to think myself."
Harry chuckled as he confidently took one of Ron's knights, only to find himself in checkmate three moves later. "Wanna go again?" Ron asked.
"It's time for Harry to go to bed," Ginny interrupted, standing up and raising her eyebrows suggestively at Harry. He smiled sheepishly at Ron, who groaned and mimed vomiting, before taking her hand and quickly following her up the stairs into her room.
Ginny closed the door behind them before jumping into Harry's arms, kissing him soundly. Harry grinned, holding her tightly with her legs wrapped around him. "What was that for?" he asked.
"That was because I love you," Ginny answered sweetly, but she had the blazing look in her eyes that told him she wasn't done with him. He quickly leaned in and began kissing her again, very much enjoying the feeling of her bum in his hands as he kissed her against the door to her room. He tore his lips away from hers and began kissing her neck hungrily, savouring the flowery smell he felt like he was drowning in as he listened to her moan his name.
"I love you, Harry," Ginny whispered as Harry kissed the top of her shoulder, very interested in the contrast between her pale skin and freckles. But when she said that, he pulled back and looked at her again, seeing the love and honesty in her eyes.
"I love you, Gin," he whispered, kissing her sweetly before carrying her over to the bed. He sat down on the bed and she stayed attached to him, not leaving his lap.
Their kisses became less frantic and more tender. It was like they had different ways of expressing their love through kissing. They could be passionate and furious or sweet and gentle, and both felt just as good to Harry. When Ginny finally pulled back and smiled down at him, Harry felt like he was going to melt into the bed.
"I swear you get more beautiful every day," Harry said quietly, taking in every flawless feature of her face, especially the brown eyes that were blazing with love. "I love you so much, Gin."
She kissed him quickly before crawling over him and into bed. "I love you too."
"Hey… do you wanna go to Hogwarts tomorrow?" he asked after a couple moments of silence.
Ginny nodded against him. "Yeah, that sounds nice… after I read your letter."
Harry smiled, having almost forgotten how the day had started. He really hoped she'd like what he'd written.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Ginny woke to Harry gently kissing the top of her head. She slowly opened her eyes, happily taking in his handsome face. She reached a hand up and ran it through his long hair, messing it up even further in the way that she loved so much. He smiled at her. "Morning, Blaze," he whispered.
"Morning, love," Ginny responded as she yawned. Harry's smile grew even wider when she called him that. It was so adorable how happy that simple thing made him, and Ginny had to smile with him. She supposed it was like how she got when he called her Blaze or Gin, but she didn't really understand how she had the same effect on him that he had on her. But the look on his face told her she definitely did.
"Breakfast is ready," Harry said, gently brushing his fingers through her hair. She sighed and sat up, kissing him gently on the cheek before getting out of bed. She didn't even bother looking to see if Harry had stayed when she changed into a red shirt and jeans. She could practically feel him staring at her, and she had to admit she liked that feeling. Once she was dressed, she turned back around to Harry, who was staring, open-mouthed, at her.
"Come on, Potter. My breakfast is getting cold," Ginny teased, rather enjoying the look on his face. Harry looked up at her, blinking like he was waking up.
"One sec," he said, staying on her bed and looking down at the floor. Ginny almost giggled but held it in.
"I guess I'll have to stop doing that if it bothers you that much," she said with a great deal of mock thought.
Harry's eyes snapped back up to her. "You don't have to–" Ginny started laughing and Harry groaned, putting his face in his hands. "That's just cruel, Gin."
Ginny walked up to him, still laughing, and pulled him up off the bed. He looked down at her, and even though his face was red, he was laughing with her now. She put her hands in his hair once again and brought him down to kiss her.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see what that letter said before I make any promises," Ginny whispered, and Harry exhaled as his smile faded slightly.
"I hope they printed it… and I really hope you like it," he added quietly, not seeming sure of himself at all, which was a stark contrast to how he was acting yesterday when he'd sent the letter.
Ginny squeezed his hand. "Let's go find out, love." Harry's smile returned and they eagerly ran down the stairs together, joining Molly, Charlie, Ron, and Hermione at the kitchen table. Mere seconds after they sat down, the Prophet owl was at the window. Ron let it in, and once again, it dropped the Prophet in front of Hermione, who reached in her bag for a Knut to pay the owl. While she was doing that, Ginny impatiently snatched the paper and placed it in front of her, shocked to see a very familiar picture on the front page.
POTTER TELLS ALL!
PROPHET EXCLUSIVE: 'I AM IN LOVE WITH GINNY WEASLEY'!
Following our article yesterday, the Prophet was surprised to receive a letter from none other than Mister Harry Potter, the Saviour of the Wizarding World. At Mr. Potter's request, we have printed the letter, in full, and humbly ask for his forgiveness in our mistaken report. We at the Prophet always strive to bring our readers the truth, but on the rare occasions we fail, we immediately seek to make it right. Below, please enjoy Mr. Potter's exclusive letter to the Prophet, which gives all the answers our readers have been waiting for!
'To the Editor of the Daily Prophet:
I am Harry Potter, the most frequent fixture on your front page, although I cannot blame you if you do not believe me. After all, you've never once tried to reach me for comment on any of the stories you've written about me. I have always loathed being the centre of attention, but I haven't once asked for you to stop featuring me in your stories or made any public comment degrading the Prophet. However, I cannot stand idly by while you scandalise and tarnish the names of my friends and the woman I love.
The photographs accompanying that horrid article you published yesterday were taken completely out of context, and nobody involved was asked for the truth. Those photographs were all captured in an incredibly raw and emotional time where I hugged and stood with my friends as we all struggled to move on from the devastation of the battle. Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, and Parvati Patil are very good friends of mine, but they've always been just friends, which you would know if your reporter made any attempt at writing a truthful story. However, I will admit that there was some truth accidentally stumbled upon in that article.
I am in love with Ginny Weasley. We've been together for over a year, and she is the best thing in my life. Every day with her is happier than the last, and I'm so thankful that she loves me too. I never planned on publicly announcing this, but I couldn't help myself after reading those baseless rumours. There were and are no love potions involved. When I was on the run this past year, I didn't see her for nine months, and it would've been impossible for her to continue giving a potion to me. Despite that, I thought about her every day and every night while I worked tirelessly to see her once again in a better world.
I don't want to sound ungrateful towards the people who mean well and are thankful to me. But I do ask that if you are going to continue writing gossip pieces about me to sell papers, leave Ginny out of it. I'd like to be left out of it too, but I'm not naive enough to believe that wish will be granted. At the very least, check your sources because Romilda Vane, who claimed Ginny would give me a love potion, is the only person I'm aware of who has actually tried to slip me a love potion.
I thank you for reading this letter, and I hope that I will see it, printed in full, in the next edition of the Prophet. I think this story will sell a lot more issues than anything else you could make up about me. I'm also sending a picture of my first kiss with Ginny, witnessed by almost a hundred people a year ago, as proof that I'm not lying about any of it. Thank you again for your consideration, and don't make me have to write again.
Sincerely, Harry Potter.'
"I wasn't expecting them to include the entire letter, honestly," Harry said next to her. Ginny was dimly aware that everyone had gathered around behind her, reading the paper over her shoulder. She finished the article and looked back at the picture again. It didn't move like the one in her room, but that didn't make it any less magical. She knew the letter Harry was writing would say that she was his girlfriend, but it felt so amazing to see that written in the Prophet for everyone to see.
Harry was looking at her nervously. Without saying a word, Ginny grabbed the back of his head and kissed him passionately, completely ignoring her family behind her. She finally let Harry go, but he didn't move back more than a couple of inches from her.
He grinned at her. "Did you like it?"
"I love you, Harry Potter," she whispered.
"I love you, Ginny Weasley," he answered, kissing her again.
When they separated again, Charlie had left. "They're done, Ron," Hermione called, and Ron turned back around and took his fingers out of his ears.
"Give us some warning next time, bloody hell," he muttered as he sat back down.
"That was quite the letter, Harry," Ginny's mum said, and Harry blushed slightly.
"I meant every word," he affirmed, squeezing Ginny's hand under the table.
Her mum smiled at them both, standing up and kissing them both on the top of their heads. "I know, dear," she said as she exited the room.
"Pretty impressive to get it on the front page, just like that," Ron commented, seemingly recovered from his horror at seeing the two of them kissing.
"Well he practically threatened the editor of the Prophet," Hermione responded, acting like she couldn't believe the drastic measures Harry had taken.
Ginny smiled as Harry just shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "It needed to be said. I didn't say anything that wasn't true, and I'm sure Witch Weekly or The Quibbler would've been happy to run an issue with my story."
"I don't know about The Quibbler," Ginny chimed in. "When I was at Luna's a couple weeks ago, her dad seemed pretty reluctant to meet you guys."
"Good. I don't want to see that bloody two-faced bast–" Ron started to say before Hermione slapped his arm, causing him to stop talking immediately.
"He was trying to protect Luna!" Hermione said like that made up for everything.
"He sold you three out!" Ginny exclaimed, shocked that Hermione would defend him.
"I'm not saying he didn't do anything wrong, but it's not like he didn't have a reason," Hermione argued.
Ginny adamantly disagreed, and she looked at Harry for support. He was frowning, running his hand through his hair like he always did when he was lost in thought. Finally, he spoke. "I understand why he did it… but I can't say I'm upset that he doesn't want to see us. Luna would've given her life in a second to keep us safe, and her dad disrespected her by selling us out, I think."
Hermione frowned but didn't say anything more. The debate had apparently been settled. "We're going to Hogwarts to see if we can help out. Do you two wanna come?" Ginny asked.
"You're going back?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Yeah, why wouldn't we?" Harry asked, seeming genuinely surprised that Ron wouldn't want to.
"It's just– is that the best thing for you to be doing, with your panic attacks?" Hermione asked tentatively, not wanting to strike a nerve.
Harry sighed. "I dunno. Maybe not. But if that does happen, I've got Ginny with me."
"Forever," she added happily, causing him to smile at her.
"Maybe next time," Ron answered Ginny's question from earlier, and she nodded. Even though they'd already been to the castle for the memorial, that almost hadn't felt real, and they'd been with their family then. Everyone would have their own paths to recovery, and for both Ginny and Harry, it felt important to be a part of putting things back together. It was like… if they could help put the castle back together, maybe that would put the pieces of themselves taken apart by grief back together too.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Harry really was surprised that the Prophet had printed the whole letter. He'd been nervous they'd cut parts of it out, but they kept in everything, including his criticisms of them. And that meant Ginny got to see everything he'd written about her. He'd expected that she'd be pleased with it, but he wasn't expecting her to be that pleased with it. Apparently he had a way with words when it came to her, even though he didn't understand it. She just brought out the best in him.
They apparated to the gates of Hogwarts, and Harry was reminded of when they came here separately a couple weeks earlier and had declared their love for the first time. "I've been meaning to ask. How did you practise Apparition at your aunt's house when the Trace is still on you?"
"Fidelius Charm," Ginny answered. "I don't know if the Trace was ever triggered or if the Fidelius covered it, but it wouldn't have mattered because they wouldn't have been able to find me anyways."
Harry nodded, thinking that made sense, although he was still somewhat surprised at how she'd gone from apparating across a ballroom to apparating hundreds of miles without any practice. She was powerful when she wanted to do something, and he was very thankful she was always on his side.
Professor McGonagall was walking through the Entrance Hall when they entered. "Hello Professor," Harry said when they saw her. She turned back around and didn't quite smile when she saw them, but she still did look pleased that they were there.
"Potter, Weasley, thank you for joining us. If you're looking for something to do to help, the third-floor corridor on the right side needs to be repaired and cleaned." Without waiting to see if they responded or agreed, she hurried off, apparently having other tasks to see to. Something about the corridor she'd mentioned was trying to awaken something in Harry's memory, but he couldn't figure out what it was.
Ginny shrugged and took his hand. They didn't see anyone as they made their way up the Grand Staircase. Once they were outside the door to the corridor, Harry chuckled to himself, surprised that he'd forgotten why this corridor was significant to him.
"What's so funny?" Ginny asked curiously.
"I just remembered why this corridor sounded familiar," Harry answered, but Ginny just frowned at him, clearly not understanding. "Sorry, sometimes I forget you're not in my year."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. I spent years wishing and trying to pretend I was."
Harry smiled at her, even though he was thinking that he'd never really given much consideration to it before. He'd never realised that she had. "Honestly, if you'd been in my year, you'd probably have gotten so tired of me in all our classes."
"I guess we'll never know, but I really doubt it." She squeezed his hand for emphasis "So what's so special about this corridor?"
"Oh, right. In my first year, Dumbledore announced that this corridor was off limits. But Ron, Hermione, and I came here at the end of the year because the Philosopher's Stone was hidden here."
"That was here?" Ginny asked, seemingly surprised at its location.
"Yeah, the entrance to the obstacles that lead to it was here," he said as he opened the door. Thankfully, there was no three-headed dog, and the trapdoor was no longer on the floor. There was debris scattered around and a large hole in the exterior wall, allowing sunlight to illuminate the corridor. It seemed much less intimidating and scary than it had when he was eleven.
"This is where Hagrid's dog was?" Harry turned to look at Ginny, a little surprised that she knew. She smiled bashfully. "Ron told me all about it that summer– how the three of you solved all those puzzles that the teachers had made before you faced Professor Quirrell alone."
He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Ron and Hermione did most of–"
Ginny smacked his arm lightly. "Harry, knock it off. This is me you're talking to. I'm gonna think you're a hero regardless of what happened, so you're wasting your breath trying to make it sound like you didn't do much. You were very brave, as usual, and that's nothing to be embarrassed about with me."
He smiled at her. "I guess I can't complain about being your hero," he said quietly, and Ginny grinned.
"You better not."
They set to work cleaning and repairing the damaged corridor. Even with magic, it took them about an hour to return everything to its natural state. When they finished, they walked back out the door, and Harry gave one last look at this corridor, remembering how different things had been back then, before he closed it.
They walked hand-in-hand back to the Entrance Hall, but they didn't see McGonagall anywhere. Harry was surprised to see a familiar house elf walking through the hall though.
"Kreacher!" he exclaimed, walking up to the old elf. Kreacher looked up at Harry, surprised, before bowing low to the ground.
"Kreacher is pleased to see Master Harry and Miss Weasley."
Harry knelt down in front of Kreacher. "Are you staying at Hogwarts now?"
Kreacher nodded. "Kreacher came here after the Death Eaters entered his home. Kreacher thought this was the best place for him to live until his master needed him again. Is Master Harry wishing for Kreacher to return home?"
Harry paused. He actually hadn't thought at all about returning to Grimmauld Place. He supposed it would've been filled with curses and traps similar to what had been at the Burrow. But besides that, Harry was happy at the Burrow with the Weasleys. He was with his best friends and still had plenty of time alone with Ginny even though they were living with her family. Grimmauld Place brought back a lot of unhappy memories, and the Burrow was the opposite.
"Where would you like to live, Kreacher? I'm living at the Burrow with the Weasleys, and I don't really want to go back to Grimmauld Place now."
Kreacher looked perplexed. He croaked, "Kreacher lives where his master tells him to live."
"Are you happy living here?" Harry asked. Kreacher thought about it and nodded slightly. "Then it's settled. You keep living here, and if I ever decide to go back to Grimmauld Place, you're more than welcome to come with me."
Kreacher bowed low to the ground again. "Is Master Harry happy living at this Burrow?"
Harry smiled and nodded. "I'm very happy. You should come by sometime. I think you and Mrs. Weasley could have a good time in the kitchen together."
Ginny laughed behind him. "That sounds like a great idea."
"Kreacher will come whenever he is summoned."
Harry nodded and stood up. "Thanks, Kreacher. We'll be seeing you around, then." Kreacher bowed to both of them before walking away, presumably to help somewhere else in the castle, and Harry and Ginny walked back onto the Hogwarts grounds.
"He really has changed," Ginny observed.
"Yeah, he has. That month we spent at Grimmauld with him apparently did enough. I guess everyone's changed though."
Ginny nodded. "Things are a bit different than when you went on an adventure to get the Philosopher's Stone, huh?"
Harry's eyes widened. "How'd you know I was thinking that earlier?"
Ginny smiled widely and winked. "Magic, obviously. And I know you, which is why I know that you'll love this." She pulled him off the path they'd been taking to the gates and towards the Quidditch Pitch. Harry was excited to go flying again, but he was surprised when Ginny approached the door to Madam Hooch's office instead of the broom shed.
"Alohomora," she cast, pointing her wand at the lock. For a moment, Harry was reminded of the first time someone had cast that spell to open a door for him, back when things were somehow simpler, despite the danger.
"What are we doing in Hooch's office?" he asked hesitantly.
Ginny turned around and grinned mischievously. "Don't you trust me?" she asked innocently, and Harry snorted.
"That's not much of an answer."
Ginny didn't give him any further explanation though. Instead, she went over to a chest in the corner of the office and opened it up. Inside were several rows of small boxes. She took a handful out before closing the chest.
"What are those?" Harry asked. Ginny handed one to him. He opened the top of the box, surprised to see a golden sphere the size of a walnut.
"The school bulk orders Snitches every five years or so," Ginny answered.
"So we're stealing them?" Harry asked, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
Ginny crossed her arms. "It's not really stealing. I may need to be Gryffindor's Seeker next year, and this is going to help me practise, which is definitely allowed. If a few of these happen to be part of yours and Charlie's seeking competition, that's probably okay too. Besides, we can consider this your reward for saving the world and everything," she finished brightly.
Harry laughed. "You really are the twins' sister. This is a great idea." He opened the mokeskin pouch he kept in his pocket and dropped the Snitches into it, already looking forward to competing against Charlie. He and Ginny took a few– or a lot– of laps around the pitch before landing when the sun started setting. Positively windswept and pleased with the way they'd spent the day, they apparated back to the Burrow.
They ate dinner with everyone other than Bill and Fleur, who were still at Shell Cottage, and George. During dinner, Molly casually mentioned that she'd received a letter from Aunt Muriel concerning the articles in the Prophet the previous two days.
"Damn it! I was excited to tell her about it myself!" Ginny exclaimed.
"She did seem rather surprised that Harry Potter was declaring his love for you in the Daily Prophet. She seemed convinced that there was another Ginny Weasley somewhere in Britain that he was talking about," Molly said amusedly. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Why wouldn't she believe it?" Harry asked, a little surprised. He hadn't liked the old woman when he'd met her at Bill and Fleur's wedding, but she struck him as the sort of person who would be very pleased to have someone famous– even though Harry hated that term– in the family.
"She doesn't think I'm refined or attractive enough to find someone interested enough to marry me, since that's all I'm supposed to be good for," Ginny said with disdain. Harry agreed with her reaction.
"That's stupid. A lot of wizards would kill for–" Harry trailed off, noticing Charlie and Percy both looking at him curiously, as if they were interested in seeing how he was going to finish that sentence.
Ginny squeezed his hand. "Good thing I've got the only boyfriend in the world who's unbeatable," she joked while grinning at him. Harry rolled his eyes but smiled with her.
Charlie was still frowning at him, but, mercifully, he didn't say anything. "Several people at the Ministry were interested in your letter," Percy said offhandedly.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Arthur chuckled. "No fewer than seven people congratulated me on it, like it was some sort of achievement for the family. Kingsley actually told me he was impressed with how you got the Prophet to retract its story."
"By threatening it, which isn't ever a good idea," Percy added as if Harry needed his opinion now that the damage had been done.
Harry shrugged. "It was a lie. I just told them to tell the truth."
"And you threatened it for good measure," Ron added with a grin. Harry chuckled and nodded sheepishly.
"Oh, there was also a letter addressed to the two of you. It's on the counter over there," Molly mentioned, gesturing to a small envelope. Harry stood and brought it back to the table, opening it up for him and Ginny to read.
He laughed at the end of it. "Guess we know where we're going tomorrow," he said to Ginny, who was laughing with him.
"What's that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"A first-year at St. Mungo's who's friends with Ginny. We visited her a week or so ago, and her mother wanted us to know that Emily wants to see us very much after reading the Prophet the past two days," Harry answered.
"A first-year in St. Mungo's?" Molly asked, shocked at that information.
Ginny sighed, and Harry frowned, feeling a small pang of guilt. Ginny explained, "She stayed behind to fight in the battle. I found her during the ceasefire and… I thought she was going to die. She's gonna live, but they– they don't think she'll ever walk again."
All around the table, faces fell, reminded of the cruelty of the war, for someone so young to have their life forever altered because they tried to do the right thing. "I'm proud of you two for visiting her," Arthur said solemnly, and they both nodded, knowing that it was both the right thing to do and something they would've wanted to do anyways.
Soon after dinner, Harry and Ginny made their way up to her room. Harry smiled, noticing that Ginny had hung today's edition of the Prophet near the picture he'd given her for their anniversary. "Guess that's a better version of the Prophet to have on your wall than the last one," he joked.
Ginny laughed. "Much better. Oh, that reminds me–" She jumped on him, kissing him furiously. He stumbled back onto the bed, accidentally breaking the kiss for a moment. He laughed, which made Ginny laugh before she calmed herself and gazed at him hungrily.
"This is for that letter. It was so bloody perfect, and I love you even more for it," she growled as she leaned back in for another kiss. Harry wasn't sure how long it took before they finally fell asleep, but he was more than happy to receive this reward. He'd write as many angry letters as he could if this was what he got for speaking the truth about his love for Ginny.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A/N: And that is how you set the record straight! When I decided to use the Daily Prophet as more than just an entity in the universe by actually writing articles for it, I knew that I wanted to lean into the tabloid side of it because it's just really fun to write something so outlandish while trying to seem serious about it. The Prophet gossipping about Harry's love life after the memorial seemed like one of those totally ridiculous things that I could see happening, when imagining that there was definitely a camera trained on him throughout the entire memorial. If you're interested, you can find in Chapter 18 exactly where each of the pictures would've been taken, all after Harry's speech, since I did ensure they existed for consistency's sake.
This article highlighted one of a couple important character moments for Harry in the chapter. He hasn't said anything or really complained about his name being in the Prophet, but as soon as Ginny is brought into it, everything shifts for him and he takes drastic action to protect her. Obviously, as I try to make clear throughout the story, Ginny doesn't need protecting– she truly would go to the Prophet's office if it wouldn't make things worse for Harry– but I think Harry has a bit of a need to protect her where he can still, after missing so much of their first year together and knowing she was tortured through it. And Ginny's more than okay with letting him protect her like that too!
Harry breaking down sobbing alone is another big character moment. He's cried quietly with Ginny multiple times, but this is completely different as his grief pulls him into something so visceral and painful that he can't remember ever crying harder. He needed that cry, honestly. That he let Arthur, Molly, and Ginny comfort him is proof that he is growing and trying not to blame himself for everything, even though he still does carry a lot of guilt. I feel like I should also mention that, even though Harry calls Molly 'Mum' in that moment of overwhelming grief, he's almost never going to call them 'Mum and Dad' outside of hugely emotional moments like this. He absolutely sees them as filling those roles, but there's just a small part of me that feels uncomfortable enough at the idea of him calling Molly and Arthur that like Ginny does that means it won't ever be commonplace. Hope that makes sense and it happening occasionally won't put anyone off too much!
I should also mention that saying 30 students died at the Battle is a total guess on my part based on the fact that we know 50 people in total died and the way the story is told makes it seem like nobody died after Nagini was killed and the battle resumed. This means that there were almost certainly more students fighting than adults when people were dying, and 30 is just a very rough guess since numbers and the HP books really don't mix well.
I debated about whether or not to include this, but I figured I'd throw it out there because why not? The last thing I have to say about this chapter is that there is a tiny, tiny thing that happens that is totally inconsequential in the context of the chapter but has huge ramifications for the rest of the story I'm telling. Feel free to take a guess in the comments in case you want to prove you were right later; sorry to say I won't confirm anything right now, but when it does become relevant in a couple weeks, I'll do my best to remember to say what I was talking about here.
And that is all I have for Setting the Record Straight! I feel like I say this about a lot of chapters, but the next one is very fluffy, as the quote indicates, and we get really fun appearances from Emily, Teddy, and maybe, just maybe, those Snitches they took from Hogwarts come in handy!
Coming Friday: A New Normal Weekend- "Miss Ginevra Weasley, would you do me the honour of accompanying me on a date in the Muggle world?"