Chapter - 3
Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were ready to go back to Hogwarts two days after Fleur left for France. Headmistress McGonagall gave her permission to have the headmaster fireplace connected to the one at The Burrow. Charlie and George had gone back to their respective home last night after dinner. Percy and Ron however headed straight to work that early morning.
They gathered around the fireplace right after breakfast. Like always, Mrs. Weasley gave everyone her famous rib-crunching hug, and like always, she would remind them to study hard.
"Now all of you be good and please stay out of trouble," she said pointedly to Harry, Ginny, and Hermione, "You should well remember that this year is the most important year of your education. I expect no less than 'Exceed Expectations' in your NEWTs."
The teenagers vehemently gave Mrs. Weasley their promise which once again was rewarded by another bone-crushing hug. Harry himself silently wore the steely determination to not let Molly worry about him anymore. She suffered enough. She had been good to him. At the very least, he owed her that.
Ginny and Hermione were the first to step into the roaring green flame. Harry was about to do the same when he felt someone putting their hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw it was Mr. Weasley.
"Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "Remember. What we talked about last night."
Flashback to the night before...
Dinner that night was a simple affair. It was still delicious, at least to his taste buds. Harry though, could not help but feel that Mrs. Weasley's cooking had dwindled somewhat, both in quality and quantity.
Harry stayed behind at the dining table after dinner to help Mrs. Weasley and Ginny clean up the table. He was about to bring all the dirty dishes to the kitchen sink when Ginny shooed him away and told him to take a rest. Knowing Ginny, Harry decided to oblige. He made his way towards the living room but before he crossed over the threshold, he looked back and landed his gaze on Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.
He sighed. Happiness certainly was eroded from this once jovial family. Back during the happy days, Mrs. Weasley was always the noisiest of the lot. Not a moment when he entered the kitchen when he did not hear her voice fussing over everything. It was a trait that had seemed to pass on to Ginny. Fleur got it too but only the 'fussing over everything' part. She was still basically calm and collected, even haughty just like Harry remembered back when she was still a student. Fred's death changed everything. Harry couldn't help but feel that this was no longer the family he used to remember. Bill's death unfortunately made it even worse. That night, just like a few nights before, was no less different. Both Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were silent as they continued to wash the dishes. No conversation, no fussiness, and nothing.
Harry turned and continued his way towards the living room. Arthur and the rest of the surviving Weasley family members including Hermione were already there, sitting at various locations within the living room. Harry went to one of the vacant chairs and sat on it. He looked around. Hermione was sitting right beside Ron on a long sofa. Her fingers intertwined with that of Ron. Percy and Charlie meanwhile sat much closer to Mr. Weasley on a couple of old couches. The pair at that time was giving rapt attention to what Mr. Weasley was saying. Harry too leaned in to have a listen.
"We got a few leads on the Wand of Death whereabouts," said Mr. Weasley. "Kingsley has been working on it ever since the attack at Gringotts. Unfortunately, there isn't much he can do at this moment. The war took its toll on the Ministry. He managed to get the DMLE up and running right after the Battle of Hogwarts but for the moment, there aren't that many Aurors he could put to use. Yaxley did quite some damage to the department. And then there's the purging."
"Purging?" asked Harry.
"As you would know, the Ministry once was chock-full of Voldemort's sympathizer, Harry," explained Percy. "Umbridge for instance was one of them. You know how popular she was back then in the eyes of the Ministry, being the undersecretary and eventually the Head of Muggle-born Registration Commission and all. She was lucky though."
"Lucky?!" asked Harry.
Percy nodded. He took a sip from the glass of firewhisky he was holding and continued, "Lucky that she is still alive. She made many enemies back then, Harry. Wizards. Muggle-born. Werewolves, Centaur. Most of them would rather see her dead."
"She didn't try to wiggle her way out?" asked Hermione who all along was eavesdropping on the conversation. "You know, just like the last time, Voldemort fell the first time fifteen years ago. Lots of people claimed they were under the control of some kind."
"Actually Hermione, this time it happened exactly like fifteen years ago," said Mr. Weasley. "It felt like going back in time. Thicknesse, Yaxley, a whole lot of them claimed they were under the Imperius Curse. Kingsley of course didn't buy any of it given that this is the second time they claimed the same."
"Well, that's the key isn't it?" said Charlie. "It's about truth and lies and finding the way to separate them."
"True," agreed Mr. Weasley. "There's no knowing if a person acted on his own accord or was under the Imperius Curse. However, we still have their records intact and their records were against them. Yaxley is a well-known Death Eater. Pius Thicknesse however was a grey area in this case. He never exhibited any act of allegiance with the dark side before. The investigation is still ongoing. Umbridge is not a Death Eater but all her actions were against her. She is an easy target, that Umbridge. She became the first former Ministry official ever to be convicted and sent to Azkaban after the war. She was quite resistive you know. Claiming herself to be of pure blood."
"Of Selwyn?" asked Hermione. The memory of her impersonating Mafalda Hopkirk came back into her mind.
Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley stared at Hermione. "Well yes. How did you know?" asked Mr. Weasley rather curiously.
Hermione, realizing that she nearly exposed what the three of them did during the war sheepishly answered, "Urm, well. It's-, it's a long story. I researched her when she was teaching in Hogwarts."
That was a lie and Harry knew it. He however decided to keep quiet.
"Right," said Mr. Weasley. "Yes well, her claim of being pureblood proved to be useless, however. For one, the record showed that she was a half-blood, descendant of Oxford Umbridge and Ellen Cracknell. Her mother was a muggle so that was a lie. Kingsley used it against her in the Wizengamot, claiming that her lies were an act of contempt against the court. Another thing that went against her was that she allied herself with the Selwyn. The Selwyn family was well known for their allegiance with the Dark Lord. She kept kicking her arse, that woman."
"Not to mention the pureblood everywhere," stated Percy. "Thanks to Voldemort and people like her, pureblood families' reputation had gone down into the mud. No one is going to trust or respect purebloods anymore. Lucius Malfoy had all his business contracts canceled within minutes and that's not all. There were talks of victims planning to sue him in court for his allegiance with You-Know-Who and him being a Death Eater. He would go broke and homeless by the time it's over."
"Well, he reaps what he sows," said Mr. Weasley. He then stretched his leg on the armchair. "It's not over yet I'm afraid. The hunt is still on. The DMLE is still critically understaffed which is why Kingsley had to call in favors from the Order of the Phoenix and many others. Once the Academy is fully established, it could alleviate some of the problems, I hope."
"Academy, Mr. Weasley?" asked Harry.
"You didn't know?" asked Mr. Weasley in return. "Oh right. I forgot. There wasn't any formal announcement made. Well, not yet anyway. The Ministry is planning to establish the Auror Academy. Everything had been laid out. Few Hogwarts teachers had given their agreement to become the locum teachers for the academy. Flitwick is one of them. If everything goes according to plan, it will begin within the second half of this year. The word is the two of you-," he pointed to Harry and Hermione. "Already had your name enrolled."
"Enrolled?" exclaimed Hermione. "As in?"
"As in your place in the academy is fully guaranteed," said Percy.
Hermione looked wildly towards Harry and then back to Mr. Weasley. "But Mr. Weasley, I told Kingsley that I don't want to be an Auror," she said.
This took Mr. Weasley by surprise. "Oh, did you? That is a shame. You and Harry would be a great asset to the Ministry."
"I had enough of fighting, Mr. Weasley. It's time for me to do something else. I can still contribute but not as an Auror," said Hermione firmly.
Mr. Weasley nodded in understanding. "I'll get back to Kingsley on that. Don't you worry, Hermione. We are going to respect your choices, you have my word." He then turned towards Harry. "What about you, Harry? I figure of all people, you will be the one most wary of fighting."
Hermione too turned to look at Harry. "Harry?"
Harry did not look at Hermione though. His eyes were fixated on Mr. Weasley. "Kingsley told me to seek him once I graduate."
"Yes, he told me that. And will you?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"Most likely," said Harry. "I mean, what else I'm going to be, right?"
"Well, pretty much everyone expected you to become an Auror, Harry. Unless you have something else in mind."
Harry got off his chair and began to pace around. "Bill died," he muttered.
"Yes, he is dead," said Percy. "What is your point, Harry? If you want to avenge him, we're not going to stop you."
"Percy!" Mrs. Weasley who listening to the conversation idly while washing the dishes reprimanded him.
"What? I'm just saying what most of us here are thinking."
But instead of scolding Percy even further like she used to, Mrs. Weasley just shook her head and returned to her dishes.
Harry stared at Mrs. Weasley. It appeared to him that Molly had changed a lot since Bill's passing.
"Not avenge," said Harry, he glanced at the back of Molly. "Someone else already did the avenging for us."
"Kingsley," said Charlie.
"Yes. My point is, there'll be more fights to come. My decision was made for me at the hospital and I am ready to embrace it. I will be an Auror and I will do what must be done. I do have a request, however, Mr. Weasley," Harry continued.
"What would it be, Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"That I am not to be treated like some sort of a mascot for the Ministry or a celebrity. My standing within the DMLE would be equal to any other Auror currently under employment by the Ministry. I will get the job done and that's about it. Can it be done, Mr. Weasley?" said Harry.
"It can be done, Harry. Kingsley mentioned the other day that he is aware of the previous attempts made by Cornelius and Rufus to recruit you. He knows your stance on this matter. He promised me that he won't be repeating their mistakes," said Mr. Weasley.
"Good. In that case, when the time comes, I shall render my service to the Ministry," said Harry.
Mr. Weasley nodded satisfactorily. "Thank you, Harry. You give us hope and that is all we could ask for."
Ron who was listening to the conversation silently smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. Hermione's expression, however, was unreadable.
A muggle-made clock, something that Mr. Weasley scored quite recently from a car boot sale in London, suddenly chimed.
Mr. Weasley turned to look at the clock. "It's already ten o'clock. You lot better go to bed now. You need to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow early in the morning."
"Yeah I need to go back to Romania tonight," said Charlie as he stood up and grabbed his traveling cloak hang nearby. "Mum?"
Harry stood and watched as the two departing Weasleys, George, and Charlie, exchanged hugs and goodbyes with the rest of the family. George will be going back to Diagon Alley. Charlie meanwhile would depart for the Ministry and from there, he would resume his journey to Romania via the Floo network. Percy however, decided to stay for the night and would depart to the ministry the next morning.
Amidst the scene, he felt someone was staring at him. He turned and realized that it was Ginny. She was standing at the door into the kitchen, looking at him with an unbeknown expression on her face.
Their eyes met.
Harry walked up to her. He took one of her hands and asked, "Ginny, you're okay?"
Ginny somehow did not answer at first. Her brown eyes continued to stare at Harry.
"Ginny?"
"Looks like we both made our choices," she muttered. Without another word, she slowly took her hand back. She then turned and made her way towards the stairs.
His eyes followed her until she disappeared at the first landing.
After saying good night to both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry together with Ron made their way toward their shared bedroom
"Can't wait to have you join us, mate," said Ron as he changed into his pajamas.
"Yeah, me too," Harry replied as he put on a white clean t-shirt coupled with a pair of black shorts. He then gathered all his dirty clothes in a duffle bag before throwing them into his trunk. Mrs. Weasley told him to hand over all of his dirty laundry to her so that she could wash them but Harry decided against it. He didn't want to increase her burden. Besides, he needed to give something for the Hogwarts' house elves to do and he knew they would be thankful for it.
Ron threw his dirty clothes into the laundry bin near his bed and proceeded to sit on his bed, facing Harry. "I'll probably be joining the Academy, you know."
Harry who at that time was already lying in his bed, asked, "Now why would you do that? You're already a full-fledged Auror, Ron."
"There's nothing wrong in getting a little bit more training, Harry," Ron replied as he too lay in his bed. "It would be fun, I suppose. Besides, I'm still new to this Auror thingy."
"If it'll help you to be better prepared I agree. More training wouldn't go amiss."
"Glad to know that you agree. I just wish that you had joined us sooner," said Ron as he pulled his blanket closer to his chest. "You're missing all the fun."
"I'll join you eventually, Ron. Right after I graduate. Can't leave Hermione and Ginny behind, can I?" said Harry, chuckling.
Ron smiled. "You better don't. They're precious to us, you know."
"Don't worry, I won't."
Ron reached out for his wand. With a simple swipe, the room plunged into darkness. There was a moment of silence before he croaked, "Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think Fleur is gonna be okay?" asked Ron.
"I hope so," answered Harry truthfully. "She's a person with strong will and conviction. I think she'll be fine."
"Will she move on? I mean, would it be easy for her to forget Bill? Bill told me he was her first love," said Ron. "I hear it won't be easy for a girl to forget their first love. They'll remember it forever even when they're dating someone new."
"I don't know about that. You're asking the wrong person, Ron. But I hope she moves on. I mean, she's still young. She's still in her early twenties. And she got no children."
"And she's mighty fine," added Ron.
"Yeah, that too. No, I don't think she wants to be alone for the rest of her life," said Harry. "She will want to remarry."
"Wonder who the lucky bloke will be."
"Eh, probably some bloke from France, who knows?" said Harry. "Her parents would want their daughter to stay closer to them given everything that happened. They'll probably try to match her with someone."
"Like she needs a matchmaker to find a partner," Ron scoffed.
"I know, right? Anyway, better get some shut-eye, Ron," said Harry as he pulled his blanket to his chest. "I'm going back to Hogwarts tomorrow morning and you, my dear friend, need to go to work."
"I think I'll take a day off tomorrow."
"Oh. Why?"
"Dunno."
"You do no such thing, Ron."
"Alright, alright."
"Good night, Ron."
"Good night, Harry."
But Harry could not sleep.
The tranquility of the night was punctured from time to time by the ongoing snoring competition between Ron and the ghoul that resided in the Burrows' attic. Harry already gotten used to it so it was not the reason why for the past one hour he was still wide awake.
No. It was about Ginny and the odd behavior she showed earlier that night and for the past hour, Harry was racking his brain trying to figure out why that happened. Until now, he hadn't got an answer or a clue.
Ron bringing up the subject of Fleur was what triggered it all and he had kept thinking about it since then. Fleur was indeed the finest-looking girl he had ever seen, no competition. Harry heard that even Bill himself had trouble controlling himself despite him being to an extent, immune to her allure.
But Ginny was a beauty in her own right as well. Her pale skin. The freckles that formed underneath those bright brown eyes of hers. Pink lips and last but not least, her red flaming hair. For him, that hair was the best physical feature she had. He loved her hair. And he loved her.
That was probably why he was also immune to Fleur's allure, he reasoned. His heart was already taken by someone else.
Harry got up and sat on his bed. He was already tired of tossing and turning on the bed for the past hours, trying without any success to catch some sleep he desperately needed. He looked at Ron. Damn, he felt so jealous of his roommate. Ron never had any problem falling asleep. He could just go on and off, just like that. He was a human equivalent of a light switch when it came to sleeping.
"I need some fresh air," he muttered after a few minutes of sitting and doing nothing. He got up and put on a pair of pants. He then slowly tiptoed his way out of the room.
Harry stopped outside of Ginny's room just as he reached the third landing. Both she and Hermione must have been fast asleep by now. It was already way past midnight anyway. Fighting an overwhelming urge to knock on her door, Harry continued his way down, and once he reached the ground floor, he immediately made his way to the porch.
The sky was clear that night. Being located far from cities with nearly zero light pollution, The Burrow afforded him an unobstructed view of the night sky. Harry could even see a small portion of the Milky Way that stretches from the southwest to the northeast part of the night sky. There was no moon that night though.
The memory of him and Ginny resurfaced. Every night, whenever he spent his time at the Burrow after the war, he and Ginny would sneak out when the rest of the occupants were fast asleep. They would sit on the small swing on the porch, watching the stars and the moon, talking and cuddling for hours until the rooster crowed.
Those memories brought a smile to his lips. That smile faltered seconds later. He missed those moments and silently wished that it would happen again. But the family's tragedy and the fact that Ginny started acting odd that night put a damper on that. He knew that he should not read too much into it. She had just lost another brother and she was sad. Maybe she simply wanted to be alone for a while. He had no problem giving her that. Once her mind cleared, maybe things could go back to the way it was. Whatever it was, he would be ready. His shoulder would always be ready for her.
His gaze fell to the surrounding area near the Burrow. It was pitch black. There was nothing he could see. But still, he felt safe. The security measures surrounding the house increased tenfold after Bill's murder. Mr. Weasley made sure of it.
For the next few minutes, Harry sank into deep thoughts. Until a voice woke him up from his reverie.
"Can't sleep, Harry?"
Harry startled. He immediately whipped out his wand and pointed it to the source of that voice. Within the darkness, he saw a silhouette of a man leaning against a pillar not far from where he stood.
"Who are you?!" he asked even though he somehow recognized that voice.
"Arthur Weasley, Harry." The man smirked. "At your service."
"Arth-, Lumos!" A small ball of light emerged from the tip of his wand and illuminated the porch. The man was indeed Mr. Weasley. Or rather someone impersonating him.
Harry's wand remained where it was. His eyebrows furrowed. "Mr. Weasley?"
The so-called 'Mr. Weasley' approached him. He leaned forward and said, "During our, um, alone time, I like to call my wife 'Mollywobbles'."
"Ahh," exclaimed Harry as he brought his wand down. "But how did you know that we-, you-, I mean-."
Mr. Weasley smiled. "Remember the time when each of us had to have our unique password to gain entry? Molly scolded me for forcing her to give us our password in front of you lots. So I figured you already know."
Harry scratched his head and chuckled. "Yes, that was quite embarrassing, even for us. Oh, sorry about just now."
But Mr. Weasley waved off Harry's apology. "That's alright, Harry. It's good to see that you remained cautious." He then beckoned Harry to the swing. Harry followed. Mr. Weasley groaned as he sat on the swing. Harry noticed that he was furiously rubbing his kneecap. "You have to forgive an old man. My knees aren't as strong as they used to be."
"That's okay, sir," said Harry as he sat beside Mr. Weasley.
None of them talked for the first few minutes, settling instead to immersing themselves in the tranquility of the night. It was Mr. Weasley however, who decided to break the silence. "It's a shame."
Harry looked towards Mr. Weasley. "Sir?"
"Look in front of you, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, throwing his hand out in front of him. "A peaceful night like this. We don't always get it. The beautiful night sky. The breeze. It's a shame that very few of us are willing to stay up just to enjoy it."
"Most of us prefer sleeping, sir."
Mr. Weasley chuckled. "Yes, you're right. You know, it's been a while since the last time I enjoyed a night like this. Molly and I, whenever I'm not working the next day, will sit on this swing and we will spend the night talking and enjoying the night sky. Of course, we only did that when you lot were at school. Things changed when You-Know-Who returned. I still go out to the porch at night. Not to look at the stars, mind you, but to keep watch. It got worse after Bill and Fleur's wedding. We were being watched all the time after the three of you were gone, doing whatever it was you were doing. For the next few months, the nights were misty. You could feel the sense of dread creeping into your bones and your soul." At this point, Mr. Weasley shuddered. "I could only stay out for a few minutes before I had to run back in."
"Dementors," said Harry.
Mr. Weasley nodded. "That was what I thought as well. They were using the dementors not only as a punishment but as a measure of control as well. Sucking out all the hope and happiness until you lose all the desire to stand up for yourself. I hate to say this but it was quite effective. But now, You-Know-Who had gone. The nights are clear. I still have trouble enjoying it."
"Some wounds take time to heal, sir," said Harry.
"True," agreed Mr. Weasley. "But it's not the wound that's the problem." He then sighed.
"Then what is it?"
"Things changed a lot after Fred died, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly. The Burrow. Everyone. It's just not the same anymore. It felt like living in a morgue where you expect death to come at any time and any day."
The feeling of guilt washed over Harry. He turned away and looked down. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley. I never meant anything bad to happen to your family. I never meant anyone to die, not even for me. If only I was fast enough I would-."
Mr. Weasley immediately grabbed Harry's shoulder and turned the teenage boy towards him. "Harry, now you listen to me! Molly and I, do not blame you for what happened. Not for a moment!"
"But Voldemort wanted me, Mr. Weasley! I was his target and all of you are connected to me. He knows that," stated Harry. "That was his plan all along. To get me and hurt everyone that I loved while he was at it."
"Harry, You-Know-Who and his death eaters hurt and kill everyone not align with them. Even if you don't befriend Ronald, they will still come for this family," said Mr. Weasley. "The Weasley family had always been known as the 'Blood Traitors' among the pureblood families, Harry. It comes with some added 'benefits' if you get my drift."
"I just wish I could have done something."
"And you did," assured Mr. Weasley. "You did. You killed him for us, Harry. That is good enough."
"But a lot of people died," said Harry, still feeling dejected.
"People die in war, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "And a lot more will die if you didn't kill You-Know-Who. You had him cornered at the very last moment and like a snake, You-Know-Who will be at his most dangerous state. Nobody would survive if you hadn't killed him. Probably not even his Death Eaters. Everyone who lives today owes his or her life to you. Remember that."
"Nobody owes me anything. I simply did what I had to do," Harry said.
Mr. Weasley smiled and squeezed Harry's shoulder. "And that makes you one of a kind, Harry. Selflessness. Altruism. God knows that in this crazy world of ours, we need more of that."
Harry did not say anything. He was still musing over what Mr. Weasley said.
Mr. Weasley took advantage of Harry's silence to continue," There is a reason why I am telling you this, Harry. There is also a reason why I told you about the Academy."
"I already made my choice, Mr. Weasley," said Harry. "Didn't you remember?"
"Yes, I remember. And I am very happy. Your reputation and talent will bring forth many changes that we sorely need. You are also so far, one of very few people whom I know that couldn't be bought. We need that to make a difference. It's not about being a mascot. It's about finding a way forward."
Silence.
Finding the way forward, Harry thought to himself. Maybe Mr. Weasley was right. It was not about being a mascot or being popular. It was about making changes and by all means, the wizarding world need a lot of changes. It was something that he and Mr. Weasley, and perhaps Kingsley, could agree on.
"I understand," he said. "Changes will come, Mr. Weasley. All those who died, their sacrifices won't be in vain. I promise you that."
Mr. Weasley smiled and patted Harry's shoulder.
And the stars continued to shine in the clear night sky.
*Flashback from last night ends*
"I will," he said. He then gave both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley one last hug before stepping into the green flame.
A few seconds later, he stumbled out of the Headmistress's office's fireplace. Luckily, Hermione managed to catch his arm before he got the chance to passionately kiss the floor.
"Thanks," he grumbled. He slew one of the most dangerous Dark Lords ever to exist and yet a mere powder and a fireplace nearly defeated him.
"Welcome back," said Headmistress McGonagall as she waved her wand and cleaned all the ashes that fell onto the floor. "You two best get going. Your housemate would probably be waiting. The password would be alpha centorium."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," replied Harry and Hermione.
"Where's Ginny?" asked Harry once they got out of the Headmaster's office.
"She immediately left the moment we arrived," Hermione answered.
"Oh," said Harry, clearly crestfallen.
"Call it a girl's intuition but is there something wrong going on between you two?" asked Hermione.
Harry shook his head. "No. There's nothing wrong going on between us. Why do you ask?"
"Well, she's been acting differently lately, especially around you."
"In what way?" asked Harry curiously.
"For one, she didn't talk much this morning and you know how chatty she is. I can't even get a word out of her. Oh, haven't you noticed the way she behaved around you during breakfast this morning?" said Hermione.
He did notice. Ginny was acting cold and distant towards him. She did not greet him the way she did. There were no kisses. She even took the trouble by sitting a little bit further away from him at the table and avoiding eye contact with him. It bugged him to no end because until now, he did not know the reason why.
"She lost two of her brothers within a short span, Hermione. Maybe she just needs a little bit of space, that's all," Harry reasoned. That was all he could think of actually. He did not have any other explanation for it.
Hermione however, remained unconvinced. "Well whatever it is, you got to talk to her, Harry. Maybe she needs some support. You're the best person to give her that after all."
Harry sighed. "I will. Don't worry Hermione, I will."
They reached the portrait that marked the entrance into Gryffindor's common room.
"Alpha Centorium," said Hermione to the Fat Lady.
Every available Gryffindor gathered around them the moment they set foot inside the common room. They heard what happened to Bill and asked how the tragedy happened.
"Daily Prophet made a report on the incident. You'll find your answer there," said Harry. He wasn't in the mood to entertain them.
"Daily Prophet can't be trusted, Harry. You know that," said one of the boys.
"Yeah, I know but this time they were telling the truth. Excuse me," he said as he pried himself out of the crowd and headed to his dormitory.
He saw that his trunk was already placed beside his bed the moment he entered his dormitory. Feeling mentally exhausted, he dropped himself onto his bed.
Neville hadn't arrived yet. For the past few months, he had been sharing the dormitory with the Longbottom Heir. Seamus, Dean, and Ron weren't coming back. The last he heard, Seamus worked at a wizard bar in Scotland and was planning to open his own brewery once he had enough capital. He had no idea what Dean was currently doing, however.
Neville returned to Hogwarts for the same reason as Harry. He wanted to finish his education before pursuing a career in teaching. Professor Sprout mentioned in one of her letters to Neville that she was planning to retire. She told him that she would like him to take over her place teaching Herbology, seeing that Neville was the only one who truly applied himself during her subject. And not to mention that he also achieved a perfect score for the subject.
Harry gazed at the empty beds his friends used to occupy. God, he missed them so much. He missed Seamus's over-the-top comedy. He missed Dean talking football, a muggle sport he loved as much as Quidditch. He missed going out on adventures with Ron around the castle. He missed the banter. He missed the fun they had. He still had Neville though but Neville wasn't as much fun as the others.
Harry spent the rest of the next hour lying in the bed and staring at the ceiling. It was half an hour before lunch when all of a sudden, he heard a soft popping sound. He jerked upward, looked around, and saw someone he recognized.
A lone house-elf was standing right in the middle of the dormitory. He was holding a tray that contained a plate of treacle tarts and a jug of iced pumpkin juice. Harry could see the fake Slytherin locket - the one he used to win the old house-elf loyalty and allegiance - dangling at its neck.
"Kreacher!"
Kreacher immediately bowed to Harry "Master Harry Potter, Kreacher is here at your service," said the elf.
Harry smiled. "How are you doing, Kreacher?" he asked.
Kreacher bowed once again. "Kreacher is good, Master Harry. He is fine. But he much rather returned to his mistress's house than staying here if Master Harry permits him."
Harry knew and understood Kreacher's feelings about having to stay at Hogwarts and not being able to return to Grimmauld Place. He did not intend to keep the house-elf at the school actually but circumstances dictated otherwise. Sirius's parental house was no longer a haven as it used to be, no thanks to Yaxley who accidentally tracked them there when the trio tried to escape from the Ministry. They ended up in the woods, somewhere near the location where the Quidditch World Cup was held several years before. Ron got splinched and Harry spent a few days afterward worrying about what they needed to do next and the fate of Kreacher. When the war was over, Harry asked Kreacher what happened after they had gone. The house-elf told him that several men came in and ransacked the house. They stole whatever valuables they could find. The men even took rounds and stayed in the house as if they were waiting for someone. Kreacher managed to hide from them and once the opportunity came, he made his escape. That alone was enough proof that the location of the Grimmauld Place had been compromised and for as long as rogue death eaters were still at large, going back to that place posed dangerous risks.
Harry shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to go back, Kreacher. At least not yet. It's still not safe for now."
Kreacher bowed for the third time. "Kreacher understands. Kreacher shall wait until the time comes."
"We'll return to Grimmauld Place, Kreacher," Harry assured the house elf. "I know it is there where you belong. I promise you that you will not have to leave that place ever again."
Kreacher bowed for the fourth time. "Thank you, Master Harry. Kreacher shall wait for Master Harry to fulfill his promise. Kreacher brought something for Master Harry. His favorite food."
Kreacher proceeded to place the tray on the bedside table.
"Thank you, Kreacher."
"Will there be anything else, Master Harry?" asked Kreacher.
"No. This is fine."
"Then Kreacher shall return to his duties," said Kreacher. The house-elf then bowed for the fifth and final time and with a pop, disappeared.
Harry was eating his second treacle tart when he heard someone knocking on his door. He got off his bed and opened the door.
It was Hermione.
"There you are! I was waiting for you in the common room. I thought we could-." She then saw Harry was holding a piece of treacle tart in his hand. "Oh! I was thinking that we could go to lunch together. It seems that you already had one."
"This?" said Harry holding up the delicacy in his hand. "Probably won't last until teatime. Sure, Hermione. Wait for me."
Harry quickly finished off the tart he was holding and after washing his hand in the bathroom, he and Hermione made their way to the Great Hall.
One thing that remained the same at Hogwarts after the war was the food. The food retained the excellent quality made famous by the house-elves. One other thing that didn't change was their spot at the Gryffindor Table.
Harry grabbed a goblet and poured the pumpkin juice into it. As he drank, something or someone caught his eye. He looked to his left and saw it was Ginny. She was sitting much further down the table together with a few of her other friends. She looked happy, smiling and talking amiably with the whole lot of them.
Ginny was in a good mood.
She was busy chatting with a girl who sat beside her when she noticed that someone was staring at her. She looked around and saw that it was him who was staring at her. Harry smiled at her. A smile in which Ginny somehow failed to reciprocate. Instead, she turned back to her friend and continued chatting.
Harry's smile fell. He turned to look at his half-empty goblet. It was clear to him that things were not improving between them. The fact that he still had no idea what was going on with Ginny compounded the problem even further.
He sighed in frustration. Hermione was right. He needed to sort out this dilemma soon.
A couple of weeks went by. Ginny continued to act cold towards him. Harry tried in every possible way to get her to be alone. All his efforts were unsuccessful unfortunately and only resulted in the distance between them increasing. Ginny's determination to avoid him seemed to increase tenfold. Sometimes he wondered how she successfully avoided him so easily given that they were practically in the same house, using the same common room and living in opposite dormitories just a few steps away from one another.
It was Friday 29th. January 1999. It was lunchtime and Harry had a plan. Once in a while, he would glance at Ginny, who like before, sat as far away as possible from him during meal times. It won't matter. They got free time every Friday afternoon. He had a lot of time to execute his plan.
Thirty minutes later, Ginny and her friends got off their seats and made their way towards the Great Hall entrance.
Harry stood up as well. "There's something I got to do," he told Hermione and Neville. "I'll see you both at the common room."
Hermione knowingly nodded. She turned to look at Ginny's receding back. "Good luck, Harry," said Hermione.
Harry immediately departed and went straight to find Ginny. He knew where she was heading and was able to find her and her friends minutes later. They both were walking up the stairs that lead to the Gryffindor common room.
"Ginny!" he called out to her.
Like before, Ginny ignored him and kept on walking. Harry who decided not to let her escape this time climbed the stairs two steps at a time and came to a stop right in front of her. Ginny was taken by surprise by his action.
"You know what hurts more than anything else? Being ignored for no reason at all!" he said firmly. "I had enough of you continuously avoiding me. Man up, Ginny. Be honest. Why did you do this to me?"
Ginny stared at him. "Fine," she said.
She told her friends to go without her. Her friends obliged and took leave. The moment they disappeared at the top landing, she turned and looked at him. "Reason?" she said. "There's no reason, Harry."
"Which means that there will be no point for you to act like this," Harry said. "But you did it anyway. What's wrong?"
"I'm not going to repeat myself but since you insisted, I give you one. I need some space. I want us to cool down. Satisfied?" said Ginny rather hotly.
"You could have asked for that, Ginny. I would understand," said Harry.
Ginny then leaned towards him until her face was merely an inch away from him. "Then, understand. Is it so hard?"
Harry became stump. It appeared to him that things didn't go the way he hoped for. He swallowed hard. He could feel that there was so much hatred and anger within her and it was all directed towards him. "No. It's not hard," he said. "But you could have been upfront instead of acting this way."
"It doesn't matter," said Ginny loftily. "What matters is whether or not you are going to give me what I want. Would or wouldn't you?"
It took him a while but he finally replied, "You can have it."
Hearing this and without any further word, Ginny maneuvered her way around him and continued her way up the stairs.
"I feel there's more to it than what you're letting on," said Harry as he watched her walk away. "You're putting me in a very difficult position, Ginny. I have no idea what I did to deserve this. I can't apologize because I have no idea if I am in the wrong or not. I gave you what you want. And all I want is just an explanation."
But Ginny kept on walking.
"We made a promise," he reminded her. "Both you and I made a promise that we will always be true to each other. On the porch that night, we both swore that there would be no lies and no hiding between us, that we would always talk things through no matter how difficult it would be. We swore that we would always love one another and none would leave without the other. Where has it all gone, Ginny?"
Anger and disappointment collided inside him. He realized that there was no way for him to get through to Ginny. He was about to walk back down the stairs when Ginny called him back.
"Harry."
Harry stopped and looked back at her.
She was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at him. "You want to know why?" she asked.
Harry said nothing. He simply waited for Ginny to spill it out.
"I heard what you and Dad talked about the other night. The night before we came back to Hogwarts," she said. "I have yet fallen asleep when you walked past my door. I heard footsteps. I know it was you. I hesitated at first but then I decided to follow you. I wanted to talk to you but Dad got to you first. I stayed. I listened to everything. You made a choice, Harry. A choice that I now couldn't accept."
Harry's memory flew back to the conversation he had with Mr. Weasley. Then it dawned upon him. "I'm becoming an Auror. Is that what this is all about?" he asked.
Ginny nodded. "Yes."
"Why? Why is that becoming a problem for both of us? For you?" asked Harry.
"I've lost two of my brothers, Harry. I wish I hadn't. I wish they both were still here. Even mum still has difficulties in accepting that two of her sons had gone, never to return. With you becoming an Auror, there is a chance that you will be gone too," she said.
Harry shook his head. "You could have said that. You could have come to me and said something. We promised that we would talk things through, don't you remember? I am not the kind of person who can be easily blinded by his own ambition. Do you think I'm willing to sacrifice you for it? Am I really that shallow to your eyes?"
"You already made your decision back then, Harry! In front of Dad, Percy, and Charlie! And only now you're asking my opinion?" Ginny argued.
"I am planning to but you never give me that chance. Instead, you turned me away. How would I know that you disagree with what I decided if you never come forward and tell me? I'm not a mind reader, Ginny," Harry argued back.
This time, it was Ginny's turn to get stumped. "They-, they would still expect you to become an Auror, Harry," she stammered.
"To hell with their expectations!" Harry bellowed. He then drew a deep breath to calm himself down. Several deep breaths later, he said, "I can still change my mind. I can still contribute to the cause in more ways than one. I could become an instructor in the Academy or maybe teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Remember Dumbledore's Army? We did well. Our friends were ready. Most of them survive!"
Ginny went silent.
Shaking his head, Harry continued, "Ron is an Auror. As I recall, you said nothing about it so I thought you were fine with me being one. Why treat him differently?"
"It doesn't matter," said Ginny.
"He faces risks just like every other Aurors! If you're okay with him being an Auror, why not me?"
Once again, Ginny went silent.
"As I said, I can withdraw my decision if that is what you want. Your dad and Kingsley will have no choice but to agree. I can and I will. For you," said Harry. "I just want things between us to go back to the way it was."
But Ginny slowly shook her head. "I don't think that can happen," she said softly.
Harry was taken aback by this. "Why not?" he asked.
She didn't answer him. Instead, she just stared at him. "I'm sorry," she said. "But we're done."
She then turned around and left Harry alone at the bottom of the stairs.
For the whole afternoon, he sat on the rocky outcrop on the bank of the Black Lake, watching the giant squid swim lazily by. The weather was cold and windy. Harry found himself to be the only one there. The rest of the school inhabitants preferred to stay indoors where it was much warmer.
Harry felt nothing. He felt numb. His heart was broken beyond repair and it was all because of a girl with flaming red hair.
He never thought that his relationship would end this way. He had always thought that once Voldemort was dead, the path would be made clear for both of them. He had always envisioned his life around Ginny. He had never visualized it in any other way.
But Ginny decided that she did not want to be a part of his life anymore. She remained fixated on her decision despite the assurance he gave her. He was devastated. He had always looked forward to life after Hogwarts. But now, he was not so sure. As a matter of fact, he did not have anything to look forward to anymore.
He felt angry and betrayed. He felt that Ginny was acting rather harshly. He showed her the way to a resolution. He was willing to compromise but she refused any of it. There was nothing he could do other than to accept her decision.
Maybe he was never meant to be happy. Maybe he was meant to be forever lonely. To fall in love and to be loved back could be the thing that would continue to elude him for the rest of his life.
He sighed. What a bleak outlook he now had regarding his future life. He placed his trust in hope. Maybe he shouldn't have.
The day was getting darker and soon the dusk would settle but still, Harry sat there, drowning in his thoughts. In fact, he was so engrossed in it that he failed to notice that someone was creeping up to him from behind.
"Harry."
He startled. He looked back and saw it was Hermione. She was wearing a woolen coat and a woolen hat. A pink scarf wrapped around her neck. A pair of wool mittens covered her hands.
"You should get inside," she said. "It's cold out here. You're going to get sick."
Harry turned back to look at the lake. "Just a bit longer."
"Well, it's already long enough."
Harry didn't reply to that.
"I have been searching all over the place for you," she said. "You promised to meet me back at the common room. I waited but you never came. I saw you sitting here all alone when I was searching for you at the Astronomy Tower."
Again, Harry didn't reply.
Hermione sighed. She then went to sit right next to him. "Is this about Ginny?" she asked.
"We're fine," said Harry, refusing to look at Hermione.
"Then why are you here looking so miserable?"
Harry remained silent.
"A person who's actually in a happy relationship shouldn't act this way," Hermione added.
Harry glanced at Hermione. His eyebrows raised.
Hermione smiled kindly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't usually make comments on people's personal affairs but you're my best friend and I've seen enough. More than I wanted to."
"How do you feel about Ron becoming an Auror, Hermione? Aren't you worried?" asked Harry.
"I'm not worried. Well, maybe a little bit. I'm proud of him. It's time for him to shoulder some responsibilities instead of being 'just Ron'. It'll make him more mature. Why do you ask?" replied Hermione.
"Lucky Ron," muttered Harry.
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Hermione.
Harry sighed. "We broke off."
"I see."
"Apparently she doesn't share the same sentiment as you when it comes to me becoming an Auror. She broke up with me because of that," Harry explained. He then chuckled. "Who would have guessed that Voldemort's life isn't the only thing that ended here? This is the place where my relationship ended as well."
Harry continued to chuckle. "Now I know how Fleur felt when she lost Bill." Glancing at Hermione, he said, "You didn't look too surprised by the news, Hermione."
This time, it was Hermione's turn to sigh. "I don't dabble in other people's personal affairs, Harry."
"You still didn't tell me why you aren't surprised by the news."
Hermione stared at Harry. She then looked away. Her eyes landed on the squid that chose to resurface at that moment after many minutes of disappearing beneath the lake. "Only if you promise that you won't make things worse than it already is."
"There's more to it than what she told me, isn't it?" said Harry.
Hermione nodded.
"Then what is it?"
"Will you promise that you wouldn't have a go at her?"
Harry who was very curious at what Hermione was keeping from him nodded.
"You know I've been staying with Ginny all this while. I shared a bedroom with her at the Burrow and I'm staying inside the same dormitory with her in Hogwarts. I've seen things and Ginny-, uh Ginny isn't exactly good at keeping secrets. Maybe from you but not from the rest of her dorm mates. We talked about her you know. We're kinda pissed off at her for what she is doing to you."
"What? What did she do?"
"She-, uh she has been in contact with someone. I have no idea who but Isla Jones told me that Ginny liked him," said Hermione.
"I see. Since when?"
"Dunno but Isla told me that he played professional Quidditch. No idea which club though."
"Ginny always told me that she wanted to play professional Quidditch. Do you know what's odd with this story? It's that she only changed after Bill died," said Harry.
Hermione shrugged. "I only told you what I know, Harry. I'm not trying to make things worse for you. I only told you this now because you and her are no longer an item. I won't do this if you're still dating her."
Harry shook his head. "You know what's wrong with that logic? Is that it allows Ginny to do whatever she wants behind my back without worrying about the repercussions."
"What else do you want me to do, Harry? I told you I don't like dabbling in people's personal affairs. I know what she did is wrong but I refused to be the one instigating a break-up," Hermione defended herself. "It hurts to see you being cheated on and I do hope you'll find out about it eventually. Just not from me."
Harry sighed. "It's okay. Thank you for telling me this."
"You don't have to believe me, Harry."
Harry placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I believe you. Always. Not once have you led me astray before, Hermione."
"What are you planning to do now?"
He thought for a moment. "That morning, the day Fleur returned to France, I told her that she should consider moving on. I told her that she needed to think about her happiness. I told her that I didn't want to see her forever drowning in her own misery. I'm taking my own advice, Hermione. I love Ginny but I value trust even more. She can have the bloke if he makes her happy. He can help her with her ambition after all."
Harry then stood and looked around. He then extended his hand to Hermione. "It's getting dark out here. Come on. Let's go back inside," he said.
Hermione took his offered hand and together, they headed back into the castle.
Neville had long drifted towards the dreamland that night. Harry however was still wide awake. He was standing by the window. It was midnight. The cold wind was getting stronger, battering against the windowpane. Only the light coming out of Hagrid's hut illuminated a small portion of the school compound.
29th January 1999 set the undertone between him and Ginny. Harry decided that very night that he would let fate set his own course from that moment on. He had given up on reconciliation. He no longer wants Ginny anymore despite his deep feelings for her. Besides, he had a more pressing matter that needed to be addressed and that would be the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests or in its short form, NEWTs that were coming up fast.
Weeks and months went by. NEWTs exam loomed on the horizon. For the past few months, Harry and his fellow seventh year were getting busier and busier with their schedule. True to its name, NEWTs was indeed very nasty. The tension and the pressure were at all times high, giving way to depression that started to kick in.
There were many instances where Hermione ended up crying her eyes out when she cracked under the pressure. There were several incidences of suicide attempts. One girl from Hufflepuff tried to jump off the Astronomy Tower but instead of coming down crashing onto the ground, her vertical velocity dramatically reduced the closer she got to the ground and she ended up landing like an experienced ballet dancer. Another boy from Ravenclaw tried to jump into the lake, only to be thrown out by the resident squid. Professor Slughorn meanwhile was forced to reinforce his potion store with extra enchantments after several students tried to break in. Motives varied from attempted self-poisoning to attempted potion brewing to make one cleverer.
Harry himself was busy with the preparation. He spent most of his time with his study group which initially consisted of Hermione and Neville. There were only three of them at first but as time went by, more and more seventh-year students joined them. They came not only from Gryffindor but also from other houses. A few of the Slytherins joined as well, much to Harry's surprise. Harry welcomed them of course. Together, the group spent their free time at the Great Hall, at the library, or at the Room of Requirement. The Room of Requirement bore a surprise though. It managed to survive the Battle of Hogwarts and was completely intact.
Like many others, the preparation for the exam took quite a toll on Harry. He ended up going to sleep later and later every night and woke up earlier and earlier the next morning to do extra revision. Bags began to form under his eyes due to the lack of sleep and he got crankier more often due to the lack of rest. Falling asleep at the table had become a norm.
The upside to all of these was that it managed to take his mind off Ginny. He saw her lesser these days. He did not mind it anyway since his studies had become his utmost priority.
It was a week before the exam began. Harry was having breakfast with Hermione and Neville. As usual, the post owls flocked into the Great Hall delivering letters and packages. One particular owl dropped a bunch of letters right onto Harry's lap. He took it and put it aside.
"More fan letters, Harry?" asked Neville as he continuously munched on his toast.
"Yeap," answered Harry. "I'll read them later."
He actually never read any of them. He just put the letters away, usually inside his trunk or any place within his dormitory that he could find.
Harry was no stranger to fan letters. After the defeat of Voldemort, he received thousands of letters from people he did not know. Professor McGonagall who was concerned that some of the letters might contain jinxes and curses had taken the step to screen every letter addressed to Hogwarts. Still, despite her efforts, some of the letters managed to get past the screening checkpoint. The recently arrived letters were among the 'lucky' ones.
His deeds during the Second Wizarding War were so well known that he gained many fans in many parts of the world. Some of his fans had even taken the step to establish fan clubs dedicated to him. Neville was the one who told him about the supposedly 'Harry Potter Fan Club' now existing all over the globe.
"Don't you want to read them?" asked Neville. "I mean all you did was throw all the letters you got into your trunk."
"You never read any of the letters, Harry?" asked Hermione in astonishment.
"I'm going to," said Harry idly. "Once I found time to do it."
Hermione just shook her head.
Truthfully, the only letters he cared about were those from his friends. He glanced at the pile of letters at his side. There could be one, he assumed. He wouldn't know unless he checked them.
And he did once he got back to his dormitory later that day. One letter caught his eyes as he sifted through the pile.
Beautiful cursive writing adorned the envelope. And it smelled very nice too. He seemed to recognize that smell but couldn't remember when and where the last time he smelled it.
He put down the rest and began opening the letter that caught his interest. Much to his surprise, it was from Fleur:-
Dear Harry,
I know this letter would come as a surprise. We both never exchanged letters before. I hope that you won't mind. I consider you as one of my best friends Harry, and I wish to maintain the friendship we have. Besides, you promised that you'd write to me, remember?
Before you ask, life here in Grenoble is good. It took a while for me to adjust myself back to the life I had before marrying Bill but I'm fine now. I was lucky that I had the support of Papa and Maman. And Gabriel of course. My dear sister has always fancied you, don't you know? She was heartbroken when she found out that you fancy Ginny.
I did not do anything for the first few weeks after I went back to France. I was still in the mourning period at that time. Madam Maxime came to visit the Delacour mansion a week after I came back. She offered me a teaching job at Beauxbaton. I told her that I accepted her offer but I will only start teaching after the mourning period is over. She agreed. I have been a teacher for the past three months now. Professor Fleur Isabelle Delacour teaching Charms. Fancy isn't it? I don't know if I want to permanently be a teacher or not. Papa had voiced his desire for me to assume his role and take over the business. As of now, I'm still deciding.
Anyway enough about me. What about you? I trust that you're busy preparing for the big exam that's coming your way. I wish you good luck and all the best, Harry. I know you can do it.
I think that's all for now. I'll be waiting for your reply. Please send my warmest regards to the Weasley family and Hermione. Tell them that I missed them.
Au revoir, Harry.
Love,
Fleur Isabelle Delacour.
He carefully folded the letter and smiled. For some reason, her letter brought some level of happiness to him. He made a mental note to reply to her letter when he had the time.
The NEWTs exam finally came and it would run its course within two weeks. Unlike the OWLs exams, Harry did a few years back then, Theory of Transfiguration got the honor to do the kick-off on Monday. It would be followed by Transfiguration's practical test in the afternoon of the same day. Defense Against the Dark Arts theory test commenced on the following morning followed by a practical exam in the afternoon. Theory of Charms will be in the morning on Wednesday. Like the two previous subjects, its practical exam will be done in the afternoon. They had a day off on Thursday. Potion's test was held on the last day of the week. The seventh year did not have much time to rest during the weekend though. The following weekend was in fact filled with revising and studying as they continued preparing themselves for the second week of the exam.
Basically, all of the examiners were the ones who also handled their OWLs exam. Professor Griselda Marchbanks and Professor Tofty were among them. As before, Professor Tofty handled the Defense Against the Dark Arts examination. The moment he saw Harry, he loudly proclaimed right in front of everyone present and much to Harry's embarrassment, that Harry would not need to do the exam and he would give him full marks, that all his deeds during the Second Great Wars were more than proof enough that he was a capable wizard. Luckily, Professor McGonagall stepped in and told him to continue with the test and to treat Harry like any other student. Harry did the exam of course but was left with the suspicion that the old professor had already given him full marks on his test sheet even before he began the test.
Soon the two-week exam was over. Harry managed to sail through it easily. Personally, he felt satisfied. He had a lot of confidence in doing all of the theoretical and practical tests. There would be some mistakes he made in due course but he was confident enough to get the grade he desired.
Saturday came. NEWTs were finally over. It was the first time ever that the seventh year got the chance to relax after a grueling two-week exam. Professor McGonagall was kind enough to grant every student permission to visit Hogsmeade. Both he and Neville woke up early that day. They promised Hermione that they would go to the small wizarding village together right after breakfast and were planning to celebrate the end of the test at the Three Broomsticks with the rest of the seventh-year students.
The inn was already packed with students when they arrived later that morning.
"Harry! Hermione! Neville! Over here! Come on!"
The three of them made their way through the crowd towards the tables that were occupied by seventh-year students and took their seats. Soon the drinks arrived.
"To the end of the test!" said Mark Levinson, a Ravenclaw, as he raised his glass. "And to a better future for all of us! And yes not forgetting Harry who made all of these possible!"
"To Harry!" The others raised their glasses and cheered.
They spent the majority of the morning talking, laughing, and chatting about their future plans. They even talked about establishing an alumnus for all former Hogwarts. There had never been one since the first day the educational institution was established. Everyone agreed to it and Hermione became the one entrusted to make it happen.
Harry and Hermione left the Three Broomstick fifteen minutes after eleven. They were planning to visit the Honeydukes. But just as they walked past Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, he noticed something. He beckoned Hermione to follow him. They walked up to the glass window and took a peek inside.
In truth, Harry never truly believed what Hermione said about Ginny but that day, he realized that Hermione was right.
To be continued...
A/n: To 'differentversionofharry', thanks for pointing that out. Verb tenses are my Achilles Heel. Been trying to improve ever since. As I mentioned many times before to some of you, I am reluctant to use beta. I learned a lot by doing the writing myself and it helped me in real life. I am hoping to continue doing this the same way.
Anyway, updates will occur once every fortnight unless life gets in the way. I am planning to finish this story no matter what. As I told some of you, I will keep on thinking about this story for as long as it remains unfinished. I'm just asking that you guys pray for my safety and wellbeing.
Enjoy.