Disclaimer: All charcters and world concepts are property of J. .
Disclaimer: This is not the work of CNG25 but that of Lilausty, originally published on .
Chapter 5: I'm Afraid A Simple Peace Offering Isn't Enough Ma-am
The weeks passed quickly enough with couples getting married including Bill and Fleur and in a surprise wedding, Percy and Penelope, who had recently come back into the Weasley fold.
Fairly frequently, Order meetings were held, and each time, Harry was requested to attend along with his friends. However, he always declined, and would return to Potter Castle to escape the summons. Usually he took Ginny, Ron and Hermione with him which did not please the adults. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Harry owned Grimmauld Place, there was nothing that they could do.
As August was drawing to a close, and the date to return to Hogwarts was rapidly approaching, Mrs Weasley cornered Harry and told him to go to the kitchen immediately.
He was tempted to refuse her, but looking at the distress in her face he meekly walked down into the kitchen. Waiting for him was Professor McGonagall, who was surveying him through narrowed eyes.
They simply stared at each other for a moment, before she sat down and gestured to the seat in front of her, "Please sit down Harry."
He complied reluctantly, wondering what she wanted with him. "I must say, I am pleased to learn that you are coming back to Hogwarts for your final year. Professor Dumbledore always believed your schooling was very important." She began.
Harry gave a slight hiss at the sound of his Headmaster's name, and she got the hint, moving on quickly, "Yes anyhow, due to your records over the last 6 years, I have decided to give you the Head Boy position. As you can imagine, this position requires a great deal of effort and it is a great honour to receive it, but I know that you will do a fine job. Now, you will need to arrive early on the first of September, and pick out the various passwords as well as come up with the rosters for the…"
"Excuse me" Harry interrupted, "You didn't even ask if I accept! What makes you think I want to be head boy?"
The older woman looked affronted, "Well why wouldn't you? It is a very prestigious position that would look good on any resume."
Harry laughed, quite bitterly, "Professor, if my resume as it stands now, is unable to get me into any job in the world, then there is something wrong. Besides, what makes you think I will be surviving past the end of the year?"
Her face twitched, "Harry…"
"No, I know why you are doing this Ma-am, and it isn't going to work. I refuse to be in a position where I am indebted to you in any way. Ron is the best candidate for the job as he has been a prefect, and I also know that he wants the position. You want a leader? Pick him. I refuse to be your poster boy, just as I did the ministry. I was willing to work with you when Professor Dumbledore died, but you betrayed me, and worse than that, you betrayed him. After everything he had done, the one request he left for you, and you ignored it. Everything else I could forgive, but that, that Professor I cannot." Harry said firmly.
McGonagall's face had paled and was quite pinched, obviously fighting back the distress that was threatening to burst forward. "Harry I want to help you. You-Know-Who is gathering his forces, and you are in grave danger…he will be after you!"
Harry snorted, "You think I don't already know that? I have been at the top of his list for the last 16 years. That won't stop until one or both of us is dead. And as far as you helping me, fine, you want to help? Then stay out of my way! I have a job to do, one which will mean that I won't be a good little school boy, making it to class on time."
"What do you mean?" McGonagall asked, curiosity flitting over her face.
"It means that school is not on the top of my priority list. I will stay there purely because it is convenient, but my grades are not important." He replied.
"But your future! You could be throwing away your chance at normalcy?" she exclaimed.
He rolled his eyes, "Professor, Voldemort is after me; until he is dead, what chance have I got at normalcy?"
She looked away, struggling to answer, finally she asked, desperation lacing her voice, "Will you at least tell me what your task is? Maybe I could help you, or get someone in the Order to help you?"
He shook his head, "You gave up any right to help me when you tried to take over what was mine by right. You are not the head of the Order of the Phoenix, McGonagall, you are simply the leader of a bunch of wizards who are flitting around pretending to stop a madman. I am the leader of the Order now, the true Order."
Realising that she wasn't going to be able to convince him, her caring charade disappeared and she cast a scathing glance over the dark haired person in front of her. "And your Order consists of who? You? A single person?"
He smiled, "Two actually Ma-am, me and Fawkes, and I think you will find that that is enough for now." Standing up he gave her a stiff nod, "If that is all Professor, I will see you on the 1st of September." With that he walked out of the room…
…and straight into Ginny, who was leaning beside the wall, obviously listening in.
She went beet red and was about to apologise, when Harry merely took her hand and led her away, back upstairs to his bedroom. Sitting down he grinned at her, "I take it you heard everything then?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I cannot believe the nerve of that woman!"
"Look, while I cannot forgive her for what she did, she is trying her best to keep the fight against Voldemort going. For that, I respect her, and will not interfere with her plans. I only wish she would extend the same courtesy to me." He replied.
"Harry…?" Ginny asked softly, a slight tremor running through her voice.
Turning his full attention onto her, he was surprised to see that she was quite pale, and fear was reflected in her eyes. "What is it Gin?"
"Promise me something."
He hesitated, knowing full well what she was wanting. "What?"
"Promise me that you will come through this war alive. I want you to swear that you will come to me and we will live happily ever after, and that Voldemort will be 6 feet under, never to terrorise us again." She replied.
He sighed, "Gin, you know that I cannot promise that. This is war, people get hurt and die, that is just the way it is. I mean, look what I am up against! Even Dumbledore struggled to hold his own in a duel with Voldemort."
"I don't care, I just want you to promise me!" She said stubbornly, her bottom lip quivering.
Looking deep into her chocolate eyes he said, "I'll promise you this, I will never stop fighting or give up. And that I will never leave you, even if I do die. You have my heart Gin that will never change."
Losing her composure, she broke down, throwing her arms around Harry and sobbing softly. "I don't want to lose you, you are all I have! The only person I have ever loved."
He gently raised her head, wiping away her tears, "Gin, I am not all you have. You have a wonderful family that supports you and loves you no matter what you may do."
Ginny, who was hiccupping, nodded her head in reluctant agreement before leaning back into Harry's embrace.
It felt so right to have her small frame snuggled in his arms, that he couldn't help but dream about the future, a future where Voldemort was not darkening their doorways or terrorising their lives. A future where Harry could truly live, and be happy.
Once Ginny had quietened down, she sat up, "Harry, I can't do this." She said softly.
Startled he looked down at her, "Do what?"
"Pretend that we are not going out. You and I both agree that we love each other, and that we are going to be together after the war. I am sure that Voldemort knows this, so why can't we just be together now?" she said, her strong will starting to surface.
He winced, "It's just, well."
"What Harry? What is it that keeps you from me! I want to know so that I can destroy it." She exclaimed, staring determinedly into his eyes.
He sighed, knowing that he couldn't escape her any longer, "Any person that gets close to me ends up dead or close enough to it. And before you argue, let's look at the facts: my parents, Cedric, Sirius and Dumbledore. Hermione and Ron nearly died in the Department of Mystery, well actually, we all very nearly died, but they came the closest. Your father nearly died when Nagini got to him not to mention Tonks and Mad Eye when they came to rescue us at the Department. I will concede that your father would have been injured anyway, but you cannot deny that any of the others would not have resulted if not for me!"
He was looking at his hands, which were shaking in distress. Ginny placed her hands on them and caught his eye, "Harry, I can't tell you that it has nothing to do with you, because it does. I do not deny that fact, but I am old enough to make my own decisions, and I do not want you to protect and shelter me just because you are afraid to lose me. I love you dammit, and I refuse to let the uncertainty of the future keep us apart one more minute!"
There was a fire in her eyes that Harry couldn't help but fall into, and before he could stop himself, he was pressing his lips to hers, and kissing her with a passion that took his breath away. After a moment, she broke away, panting slightly for air. Considering him, she gave a slight grin, "So does that mean we are back together then?"
Knowing that he could not keep lying to himself he smiled at her, "We were never apart love. Only my blindness and stupidity put a damper on things."
Ginny giggled, "Oh I am glad you finally see sense, I was afraid I was going to have to start hexing you next to make you see my way."
Harry involuntarily shuddered, knowing full well the power of the little witch that was snuggling into his embrace.
BAM!
The bedroom door was thrown open and Ron stood there, glaring at Harry and his sister. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" he yelled.
Hermione stood at his shoulder, and put a comforting hand on his back, "Ron, settle down would you! This is Harry you are yelling at."
"Yeah, who is also groping my sister after dumping her!" he growled.
Ginny stood up before Harry could stop her and aimed her wand at Ron, "For your information, Harry and I are still dating, so you had better watch your tone around me boy!" As she took a threatening step towards him, Harry was amused to see Ron quickly backpedal, confusion on his face.
Hermione however was obviously relieved as she clapped her hands, "Oh and about time to! Harry I am glad she got you to see things her way."
"Apparently most people are." He muttered, giving a slight grin to Ginny who rolled her eyes.
Ron however was starting to swell in indignation, "What, you think that you can just dump her and pick her up when you like? She is worth more than that and I won't have you messing around with her. Especially since you won't even be around for much longer!"
Harry froze.
Everyone froze.
Ron went white, "Oh crud, that came out worse then I meant it."
"And just how did you mean it Ron?" Ginny asked softly, the lethal undertone clearly heard.
"I um, ah meant it…um" he stammered.
"What he meant is that Harry won't be around much this year. He has a job to do so will be leaving Hogwarts frequently. Frankly I am amazed you decided to return after all." Hermione butted in, saving her boyfriend from what was sure to be a whole lot of pain.
"Oh really, and why is that?" Ginny asked, her eyes narrowing as she turned back to survey her boyfriend.
Harry winced, "Thanks Hermione." He muttered before turning back to Ginny, "I was going to tell you but Ron interrupted us before I could get there."
Ginny nodded and sat down next to him, the other two sitting on the floor. "Very well, spill." She commanded.
"Well, as you know I have to defeat Voldemort." Harry started.
"Why do you always insist that Harry? I mean we all know that Voldemort is after you, but why do you have to be the one who goes after him?" Ginny asked, confusion on her face.
"You said his name!" Harry exclaimed, before continuing, "To cut a long story short, there is a prophecy that says that only I can kill him. Unfortunately he found out about it through Snape, and has been after me ever since."
"Oh" was all Ginny said, her voice very small.
Hermione, who knew that Harry was going to skip over a certain detail butted in, "That isn't all Gin, the prophecy also states that neither can live while the other survives. Harry has to either kill or be killed."
Harry raised his eyebrows at the bushy haired girl, "Wow, I never knew you could say it without so little emotion Mione, that was one of the more blunt renditions I have ever heard!"
Hermione shrugged, "Well I am not worried, everyone here knows you will win so who cares what it says?"
Harry gave a bitter grin, "I think there is some debate about that herm, but I appreciate the confidence all the same." He turned back to Gin and was saddened to see tears glittering on her eyelashes. Not saying anything, he merely took her in his arms and let her cry silently into his shirt.
After a while Hermione asked, "Do you know your next few steps Harry? With regard to the Horcruxes I mean?"
Harry hissed at her as Ginny's head came up, "Horcruxes? What are Horcruxes?"
Sighing, Harry replied, "Pieces of Voldemort's soul that are scattered around the world."
"Huh?"
"Voldemort over the course of his life, committed many murders, this you know, but what only a handful of people are aware of is the fact that for some of those murders, he ripped his own soul apart and placed it inside various objects. He then hid them, making him virtually immortal, which is how he survived once the killing curse rebounded onto him."
Ginny, who was paling rapidly whispered, "The diary!"
Harry nodded, grimacing, "Yes, Gin, that was a Horcrux."
"So how many did he make?"
"Dumbledore believes that he made six of them, meaning that his soul is in seven pieces." Hermione answered for him, looking ill at the thought.
Ginny gasped, "He ripped his soul apart that many times? No wonder he isn't really human anymore!"
Harry nodded, "So you see the enormity of my task now? Not only do I have to face Voldemort himself, I first have to find all the pieces of his soul hidden in who knows where."
Ginny, whose face was becoming more and more determined sat up and gave him a fierce hug, "Well, I am going to help you and no arguments about it Harry! You can't do this on your own."
Ron rolled his eyes, "Gin, we have been telling him that for years. He has yet to pay any attention to us. It's the whole hero thing."
Harry glared at him, while Ginny giggled, "Well, you will listen to me. You will very much regret it otherwise!"
Harry sighed, "I don't have a choice do I?"
"Nope!"
"Swell."