"You don't think Harry's the best person for me?"
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
DOLORES UMBRIDGE SENTENCED TO FORTY YEARS IN AZKABAN!
HARRY POTTER DELIVERS EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY!
After three days of testimonies and hearings, the Wizengamot has officially sentenced Ms. Dolores Umbridge to forty years in Azkaban. The disgraced former professor, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, and Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission was found guilty on charges of abusing underage students, attempting to perform an Unforgivable Curse, and abusing her position to endanger Muggle-borns.
Umbridge's case was already thin with the testimonies provided by Muggle-born witches and wizards who witnessed her acts as the Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission, but her fate was truly sealed when none other than Mr. Harry Potter, The Saviour of the Wizarding World, stepped into the courtroom to deliver his own testimony. Within a period of fifteen minutes, he unveiled several vital pieces of information concerning Umbridge's treatment of students at Hogwarts as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor from 1995-1996.
One of the most startling revelations from the testimony was the fact that Potter spent almost a month's worth of detention in that school year writing lines with a quill that used his blood for ink and permanently scarred his hand with the phrase 'I must not tell lies'. Potter certainly took the cruel message to heart, revealing that Umbridge had also ordered dementors to attack him in a Muggle-populated area the summer before his fifth year. Finally, he testified that Umbridge attempted to cast the Cruciatus Curse on him. Umbridge vehemently denied this claim, but Potter's statement was supported by the testimonies of Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Ron Weasley the following day.
When asked about the shocking events described in Potter's testimony, newly appointed Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Eamon Fairchild, said: 'I only wish the Ministry hadn't so horribly failed Mr. Potter and the rest of the students of Hogwarts three years ago. The pain and suffering endured by the students she punished is barbaric, and she is deserving of every day she spends in Azkaban. We must do better as a society to ensure that our children are safe and people like Ms. Umbridge are never allowed positions of power that they can abuse to hurt the defenceless.'
For a complete list of completed and upcoming trials as a result of the fallout of the defeat of You-Know-Who, see page 8.
For a full transcript of Potter's explosive testimony, see page 2…
Harry put down the paper and nodded. "Good," he said simply.
"I can't believe she got almost as many years as Lucius Malfoy," Hermione said, looking back over the article again.
"She deserved more," Ginny responded bitterly. Harry put his hand on her thigh and gently rubbed it. It made him feel so loved hearing how much she despised the woman who had done her best to break him. He agreed that she deserved more, but he was just grateful she was being punished.
Hermione nodded absently, reading another article in the paper. Abruptly, she stood up from the kitchen table the four of them were gathered around and ran upstairs, covering her face. "What was that?" Harry asked, mystified at Hermione's reaction to whatever it was she read in the paper.
Ron just shook his head and stood. "I'll see what's going on," he said, following Hermione out of the kitchen.
Ginny was frowning and looking at the article Hermione had apparently been reading. Harry leaned in close to her to read it too.
FAMILY REUNITED AFTER NEARLY A YEAR SEPARATED BY WAR!
Samuel Langley, a Muggle-born wizard, was reunited with his wife and two children earlier this week after spending ten months in hiding from the Muggle-born Registration Commission. Langley told the Prophet that he was at the Ministry early in September for a hearing on his magical status and heritage when there was a large commotion and someone who looked like Albert Runcorn helped him and several other Muggle-borns escape.
Langley insisted that the man wasn't actually Albert Runcorn because he bore signs of transforming back to his original form, as if whoever it was had taken Polyjuice Potion. Langley was convinced that the man was actually Harry Potter, but this reporter has found no evidence to verify this theory.
Regardless of how he escaped and went into hiding, Langley and his family were overjoyed to be reunited. Langley had been sneaking into towns to get food, and he happened to see a copy of the Prophet discussing the ongoing trials for those associated with You-Know-Who. It was only then that he felt it safe to return home, where his family was eagerly awaiting him.
Harry smiled at that story. It was much better than the usual stuff that came out of the Prophet, and it was great to hear that for once, a family was reunited rather than torn apart by the war. Ginny turned and looked curiously at him.
"That was you in the Ministry, right?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, it was right after I stunned Umbridge and took the locket. I just couldn't let all those people go through those fake trials that would end with them losing their wands or going to Azkaban."
Ginny smiled softly at him. "You're honestly amazing sometimes." Harry looked curiously at her, and she just chuckled. "Well, you're amazing all the time. But you're acting like that wasn't a big deal. You didn't even mention that you saved a lot of Muggle-borns when you told me the story about sneaking into the Ministry."
Harry shrugged bashfully. "I didn't think about it, honestly."
Ginny took his hand in hers. "And that's what makes you so amazing."
Harry smiled at her before glancing back at the article and remembering why he read it in the first place. "But why did Hermione get so upset about it? That's a great story."
"I think… she's probably missing her parents. It's been almost a year since she's seen them, and I imagine the article reminded her of them," Ginny answered, glancing past Harry towards where Hermione had disappeared a few moments earlier.
Harry felt his heart sink. He was a terrible friend. He hadn't even thought about the fact that Hermione hadn't seen her parents in ages and probably wanted to find them in Australia. He still didn't fully understand why Hermione had obliviated her parents instead of just telling them to go into hiding, but it didn't really matter now. He squeezed Ginny's hand and stood up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said, and Ginny nodded, apparently understanding that the three of them needed a moment.
He walked up the stairs until he reached Ron's room. He stood outside of it for a moment, not hearing anything other than faint sniffles, so he gingerly opened the door. Ron and Hermione were sitting on the bed. Hermione had her face buried in a tissue, and Ron had an arm around her, whispering softly and trying to comfort her as best as he could. Both of them looked up at Harry when he entered, but neither of them said anything. Harry sat in front of them on the floor and looked up at both of them. Hermione was still dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"I don't think I've ever properly thanked the two of you for everything," Harry said quietly. Both Ron and Hermione opened their mouths, probably to say there wasn't anything to thank them for, but he held up his hand. "No, seriously. Just… hear me out. I– I didn't have any friends, ever, until I met the two of you. You both became the best friends I could have ever dreamed of… until you became more than that. You– you two were the first real family I ever knew."
Hermione was crying more openly now, and even Ron looked a little emotional, but Harry continued. "Every year at Hogwarts, my life was in serious danger at one point or another. And every time I needed help, you both were there. Almost everyone would've stayed as far away from the kid that danger followed everywhere, but for some reason, the two of you stuck with me. And then this past year, you both gave up everything to come with me on a mission where we had no idea what we were doing. You risked your lives so many times to help me.
"My point is… I wouldn't be alive if you two weren't my best friends. The world would look a lot different if you hadn't been with me for the past seven years. I– I love you both, and I want you to know how thankful I am for everything you've done for me."
Ron nodded, clearing his throat multiple times. "I– I feel the same, mate. I sure as hell wouldn't be alive without the two of you. And I love you both. You're family."
Hermione nodded too, still wiping tears from her eyes. "I didn't think I was going to have friends when I started at Hogwarts. I– I never would've imagined that I'd meet the two greatest people I know on the Express that first day. I love you two so much," she said, crying a little again, and she slid off the bed to hug Harry. Ron followed, and the three of them sat on the floor, holding each other, and Hermione wasn't the only one who was crying anymore. The three of them had been through so much together that it was impossible not to get emotional when talking like this about it.
After a few minutes, they finally separated slightly, still sitting close to each other, and Harry was reminded of those days in Grimmauld Place when they were planning how to break into the Ministry. Times were so much better now.
He cleared his throat. "Right. Er– Hermione, I saw the article you were looking at, and I– I just wanted to let you know that if you want to go find your parents, whenever that is, I'll pay for everything."
Hermione looked up at him. "Harry, I can't–"
He shook his head. "Look, I've got more money than I'll ever be able to spend. It truly doesn't matter to me. I know what you had to give up to come with me this year, and I want to do what I can to make it easier for you to find them. You deserve that. And hell, if you want to take Ron with you, I'll pay for him to go too."
His friends looked curiously at each other before turning away, both blushing slightly. "Harry, I really appreciate it, but–" Hermione began saying, and Harry cut her off again.
"I won't take no for an answer, Hermione. Just– whenever you decide to go, I'll take care of the money. Please let me do that for you," he asked, and Hermione finally nodded as she sniffled again.
"Thank you, Harry. I– I just feel so guilty about it all, and I don't even know if I'll be able to find them," Hermione said worriedly, looking slightly distressed now.
Ron put his arm back around her. "You did what you had to do to keep them safe. They'll understand that."
"Besides, you're the best researcher I know. If anybody can figure out how to find them and get them back, it's you," Harry added.
Hermione nodded again. "I'll start looking into how we can get to Australia, then."
"We?" Ron asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Aren't you coming with me?" she asked sarcastically.
"Oh… yeah. Definitely," Ron answered, and when he thought Hermione wasn't looking anymore, Harry saw his best mate smile, pleased that Hermione had wanted him to come with her so quickly. But… she had seen it, and she rewarded him with a kiss that made Ron redden to the tips of his ears.
"Great," Harry said, standing up. "I'll let you two get to it, then. Ginny and I are heading to Hogwarts, so we'll see you this evening." He left them both on the floor, holding each other and talking more about the possibilities of going to Australia, but Harry didn't miss the grateful glance Hermione shot at him as he was leaving the room.
Ginny was waiting for him on the porch. She rose to meet him when he walked outside. "Everything okay?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "I think they're gonna be going to Australia to find her parents soon," he said, smiling again for his friends.
"Both of them?" Ginny asked, apparently a little surprised.
Harry chuckled and nodded. "Yep, she wants him to come with her."
Ginny laughed as they started walking towards the edge of the wards. "She'll be tired of him by the end of the trip."
"I imagine they'll both drive each other spare, but that just seems to be how they work," Harry said, still not understanding their relationship in the slightest.
"I think you're right," Ginny agreed, taking his arm as he apparated them to the gates of Hogwarts.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
They found the Grey Lady much easier today than they had last week. Conveniently, she was in a corridor just off the Entrance Hall, and she had good news. Harry conjured a quill and parchment and frantically copied her instructions.
"It took a few days, but I believe I remember everything in the potion now. The first step was to make a traditional wit-sharpening potion. Once that's complete, two Jobberknoll feathers must be added to stew in the potion for five days. Then, for a period of 9 days, add two ounces of shredded Boomslang skin and one ounce of fluxweed, picked at the full moon, each day. On the tenth day, add a single crushed Valerian root, stir four times clockwise, and drink it immediately."
The ingredients sounded familiar to Ginny, but she'd never heard of them all being used in the same potion. Harry looked up at the Grey Lady. "Boomslang skin and fluxweed picked at the full moon? That's part of the recipe for Polyjuice potion."
Helena nodded slightly. "Are you not seeking transformation?" she asked rhetorically, and Harry frowned, considering that suggestion, which surprisingly made some sort of convoluted sense to Ginny. After all, if Rowena Ravenclaw made this recipe, chances were that it would work.
"Thank you for your help," Ginny said gratefully, and Helena nodded.
"Good luck. I hope you succeed in your venture," she responded before gliding away.
After returning to McGonagall's office to retrieve the book, they returned to the Room of Requirement. Interestingly, the room kept the chairs and table that they'd conjured before, so Ginny and Harry were able to take their seats again.
"So we're on the way to getting the first step done," Harry said, and Ginny nodded.
"Shame the full moon was earlier this week. We'll have to wait three weeks before we can start brewing the potion now."
Harry ran a hand through his hair, looking back at the open book. "At least it gives us time to work on these riddles," he responded. Ginny had almost forgotten about the riddles to the four runes needed to be drawn on the walls. Looking closer at the book, she read the first riddle aloud.
"I'm not what I was, a shift so profound, feathers to scales, or silence to sound. With wand's graceful wave or thought's subtle twist, consider the marvel that can't be missed."
Harry snorted. "Well that's not confusing at all." Ginny nodded, agreeing that it didn't make much sense. She read the second one, hopeful it wouldn't be as difficult.
"In darkest hour or brightest day, I come forth when the heart leads the way. When desire is deep and desperation is strong, you'll find me, for it's there I belong."
The third read: "Not taught by books, nor written in ink, a whisper in silence, a nudge and a wink. Guiding from within, like a light in the night, in the realm of feelings, I take flight."
The final riddle read: "In mirrors I'm found, both true and unknown, a tapestry woven, a story full-blown. Peel away layers, uncover the core. In the depths of one's soul, I'm the essence you store."
"Wow," Harry said, running a hand through his hair as he finished copying the riddles down onto the parchment he'd written the potion recipe on.
"In mirrors I'm found…" Ginny read again, furrowing her brow as she thought about the last riddle.
"Uncover the core… but you look at your reflection in the mirror. The core of your reflection– isn't that your soul?" Harry asked.
Ginny shook her head. "No, I don't think that's it. The word soul is in the riddle. It wouldn't make sense to give the answer in the question."
"But what else would be the core of what you see in the mirror?" Harry pondered aloud.
Ginny reread the last line. "It's not the soul. It says 'in the depths of one's soul, I'm the essence you store'. It's– what makes a soul a soul?"
"I– isn't your soul just who you are? Your identity, I guess?" Harry offered.
Ginny nodded slowly. "I think that's right. It's your identity– your sense of self. What makes a person who they are."
"Now we just have to find a rune that fits that," Harry said, jotting down the conclusion they'd arrived at.
"At least Hermione has a rune dictionary. The bigger problem is these other three riddles," Ginny responded.
"Well, we've got a few weeks before we need to figure them out since we've got to wait for the next full moon anyways. We're already much closer than we were before."
Ginny nodded, but she was still thinking about the riddles. She'd always liked puzzles, and this felt like a puzzle she was meant to solve. She realised a moment later that she'd been so deep in thought that she'd missed something Harry had said because he was looking at her expectantly.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about the riddles. Did you say something?" she asked.
Harry chuckled. "I asked if you wanted to see if we could go to Shell Cottage for a few nights next week. Take a break from Hogwarts and the trials and everything, just for us."
Ginny grinned. "Well that settles it."
"Settles what?" Harry asked curiously.
Ginny giggled. "You know me too well. I owled Bill yesterday asking if we could go back to Shell Cottage with him and Fleur after dinner on Sunday. I was going to surprise you."
Harry laughed and leaned close to her. "I guess we're both pretty good at this whole romance thing." Ginny couldn't agree more, but she lost all ability to think about anything, even the frustrating riddles, as Harry captured his lips with hers in a kiss that still managed to take her breath away.
Three days later, Ginny was packing her clothes. Dinner would be ready soon, and she and Harry would be leaving with Bill and Fleur shortly after. Harry had been in the living room with Teddy and most of the family, but when Ginny heard the door to her room open, she expected to see him walking in. She was a little surprised when her mother walked in and sat on her bed, wordlessly watching Ginny, who hesitantly began to pack.
After a few moments though, Ginny sighed and turned around, unable to take the awkward silence. "Was there something you were wanting to talk to me about?" she asked, trying her best to not sound rude.
"I just wanted to see if you were all packed," her mother said plainly, but Ginny highly doubted that, even though she decided to play along.
"Yep, I've got just about everything packed, and Harry's ready too. We'll be leaving with Bill and Fleur in a couple hours."
Her mum nodded. "How long will you be gone?"
Ginny shrugged. "Just a few nights, I guess. We haven't really planned out when we're gonna be back yet though." For a moment, neither of them spoke, and Ginny could almost feel her mother preparing to say whatever she'd really come up here to talk about.
"You know… you and Harry started dating in similar circumstances to how your father and I did. We started dating in a war and became very close very quickly. Of course, we didn't get married until after we left Hogwarts, but we were as close as any couple, even at school. Back then, we never knew if one day it would all be over. People were disappearing daily, and it seemed foolish to waste time. Marrying your father was the best decision I ever made, but… I never had a chance to live as an adult on my own. I went straight from Hogwarts to being married, and I had Bill within the year."
Ginny was wildly confused by what her mother was talking about. "Mum… Harry and I aren't getting married. We're just going to spend a few nights at Shell Cottage together."
"I know. I'm just worried that the two of you are moving too fast. The war's over now, and you both have your whole lives ahead of you without being tied down right away."
"You don't think Harry's the best person for me?" Ginny asked, almost stunned at what it seemed like her mother was implying.
"No, dear, not at all. I think you two are wonderful together. I love him just as much as you and your brothers. I'm just saying there's no need to rush now that the war's won and your lives aren't constantly in danger."
Ginny frowned. "You're wrong."
"Ginny, I know you think–" her mother began to respond, but Ginny cut her off.
"No, Mum. If this war has taught me anything, it's that you can't know how much time you have left. I've seen far too many people die too young to live under the illusion that there will always be more time for the things I care about. Harry died for Merlin's sake, Mum! We watched Hagrid carry his body up to the castle, and it felt like I'd died with him. But he came back and we have another chance to be together. I love him with everything I have, and I plan on spending the rest of my life with him. I don't see why I'd wait when he's all I want. Nothing else I want in my life matters without him."
Somehow, Ginny managed to almost completely keep her cool while talking to her mother. She was still pissed off that her mum would even suggest something like that, but that feeling faded slightly when she saw a tear rolling down her mother's cheek. "Mum?" Ginny asked, and Molly shook her head as more tears fell.
"I– I forget how grown up you've become. These past three years… it feels like everything flew by so quickly and there was always some danger to worry about. But you've really grown up, Ginny." Her mum sniffled and continued. "I– that speech you just gave reminded me of something that happened so long ago that I almost forgot."
"What?" Ginny asked, feeling like they were on the precipice of some big mother-daughter breakthrough.
"After your father proposed, my mother told me that I didn't need to rush anything even with the war, and I thought she was insane. I yelled and fought with her, but she didn't relent until just before our wedding, when I told her that if she really felt that way, she didn't need to come. We made up, but it took a long time before I truly moved on from the way my mother was treating me like a child when I knew I loved Arthur and wanted to be with him. The war is over now, but… you're right. Harry is absolutely perfect for you, and he clearly loves you and makes you happy. That's all I care about. I– I'm sorry for forgetting that you're not a little girl anymore."
Ginny couldn't take it anymore. She strode over to her mother and pulled her into a tight hug. Her mum started crying onto Ginny's shoulder, and even though Ginny wasn't crying, she felt like for the first time, her mum really was seeing her like the adult she was becoming.
"Thanks, Mum. But– we're still not getting married anytime soon," she said after a moment.
Her mum pulled back and smiled at her while wiping her eyes. "Not yet." Ginny just smiled at the thought but didn't have an answer.
"I do still need to ask if the two of you are being safe," her mum suddenly said, and Ginny almost wished she could pull a George and lose both her ears.
"Mum!" she exclaimed, but her mother didn't waver. "Ugh, if you must know, and please don't ask again, but Harry and I haven't… done anything, so you don't need to worry about that."
"I understand, dear. I won't bring it up again, but it is a mother's responsibility to make sure her daughter is taking care of herself, so I had to ask," her mum replied, not seeming embarrassed at all about the question, before standing up and walking towards the door.
"Mum," Ginny called, and her mum turned around. "Thanks for– for helping me grow up," she said. She thought she saw her mother's lip tremble for a moment before she smiled at Ginny and nodded. Then she walked out the room and closed the door, leaving Ginny alone with a lot of surprised and confused thoughts.
After dinner, Ginny and Harry said goodbye to her family before walking outside with Bill and Fleur and apparating to Shell Cottage. "We're gonna take a walk on the beach before coming inside," Ginny told her brother and sister-in-law, taking Harry's hand and pulling him with her.
They walked aimlessly on the shore, letting the water flow over their now bare feet. "My mum said that she thinks we're moving too fast," Ginny mentioned casually, and Harry's head quickly snapped toward her.
"She does?" he asked nervously.
"Do you?" Ginny asked curiously, and Harry shook his head immediately.
"I mean… I don't have much of a reference for the typical speed of a relationship, but we've been together for over a year. I'm very happy with how we're going."
Ginny stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, making him smile even as he blushed a little. "That's pretty much exactly what I said. Well, I may have gotten a little more worked up about it, but the gist of it was the same."
Harry chuckled. "I bet you got much more worked up about it. What did she say?"
"She actually changed her mind. Apparently her mum had said something similar to her when my dad proposed to her, and my reaction to her reminded her of how she felt when her mum did that to her. She even apologised for forgetting that I'm not a little kid anymore."
Harry smiled. "I guess it's just hard for her. It's a relief though that she's okay with us and however fast we're moving. Not that anybody's opinion on it really matters other than ours."
Ginny nodded. "Well now she's convinced we're gonna get married soon." Harry raised his eyebrows and Ginny quickly added, "Don't worry. I told her that wouldn't be happening anytime soon."
Harry's expression softened as he looked down at her. "Oh… I guess that makes this a little awkward then." Ginny felt her eyes bugging out of her head as Harry slowly dropped to one knee and took her hands in his.
"Ginny Weasley–" he said, and Ginny thought for the briefest of moments that she'd pass out before she came to her senses.
"Yes!" she squealed, very pleased to see how panicked Harry suddenly looked. "What's wrong Harry?"
"I– ah– well," he sputtered, and Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.
"Wait… you weren't faking a proposal, were you?" she asked, and he looked guiltily at her. A second later, his guilt turned into understanding.
"Bloody hell, you pranked me in the middle of me pranking you?" he asked incredulously.
Ginny laughed loudly, helping him stand up. "I had to. What would you have done if I thought that was a real proposal and said yes though?" she asked, shaking her head even as she smiled at him.
"Er– I guess I was just hoping you'd freak out… kinda like I did," he admitted. Ginny laughed at him again and stood on her toes to kiss him. Just after she did, she pushed him backwards, and he stumbled backwards before falling in the water. He pulled himself back up, shaking his now wet hair off of his face. Ginny was laughing hysterically, and she didn't even try to run when Harry picked her up and carried her out into the water.
They splashed around for a while before it started getting really dark and they made their way out of the water and back to Shell Cottage, casting drying charms as they walked. They sat with Bill and Fleur in their kitchen for about an hour, talking about various things before they all began to get tired and bade goodnight to each other.
When they were lying in bed, Harry suddenly said, "You know, I was just panicked because I wasn't expecting you to say yes so quickly. I don't want you to think I don't mean it when I say I want to be with you forever."
Ginny rolled over to look directly in his eyes. "I know. I'll tell you the same thing I told my mum today. I love you with everything I have, and I plan on spending the rest of my life with you."
She smiled as Harry pulled her close to him and kissed her softly. "Forever," he whispered.
"Forever," Ginny agreed.
Early in the morning, she was woken up when she felt Harry shaking next to her. "Gin– Ginny– please, not Ginny."
Immediately, she kissed Harry and began whispering to him as he started to wake up. "I'm right here, babe. I'm okay, I promise. Everything's okay. I've got you, nothing bad's gonna happen." Harry's eyes finally fluttered open as he looked up at her. "I've got you," she whispered again and he nodded.
"Love you," he whispered, still looking a little disturbed by the dream.
Ginny kissed him again. "I love you. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as she rolled back off him.
He turned to look at her. "It wasn't much different from any of the other ones. I could just watch as he was about to kill you. The only difference is we were at– at our wedding," he admitted, and Ginny just smiled softly at him, rubbing his arm gently.
"I'm still here, and I'm not going anywhere," she said, and Harry nodded. "How'd I look in my dress?" she asked, smiling a little before smiling even more at how big Harry's grin was.
"Flawless. I mean, you usually look that way, but… just perfect," he said.
She kissed him gently. He continued smiling at her, but she could see that he was still tired. She held him until he fell back asleep, looking much more peaceful than he had a few moments earlier. She tried but couldn't fall back asleep, so she sighed, resigned to starting her day early.
She was surprised to find both Bill and Fleur at the kitchen table when she walked downstairs. "You're up early," Bill commented, smiling wryly at her.
Ginny shrugged. "He had a nightmare, and I couldn't go back to sleep after he calmed down."
She pulled up a chair across from them, not missing their concerned looks. "He's doing better," Ginny promised. "His Healer thinks that whenever something new and happy happens to him, he'll be more prone to those nightmares based on how they've been happening."
Bill nodded before narrowing his eyes. "What new thing happened last night that made him that happy?" he asked, and for a moment, Ginny thought he looked just a touch wolfish.
"Bill! Nothing like what you're suggesting," Ginny responded, shaking her head at her older brother, who leaned back in his chair, chuckling slightly.
"Sorry for asking," he said, not looking very sorry at all. Ginny just rolled her eyes.
"But ze two of you are in love, no?" Fleur asked, and Ginny nodded.
"Very much in love," she answered.
"Zen why eez everyone acting like zere eez somezing wrong wiz sex?"
Ginny started to respond disgustedly like she had with Bill, but she surprised herself by not. "I actually don't know," she answered.
"Honestly, Ginny, it's because you're the only girl and the baby of the family. It's not fair, but that's why everyone's got a bit of a sore spot around it," Bill explained.
"It's not anybody's business though," Ginny argued.
"You're right, and… I am sorry I asked. It's not easy to remember that you're all grown up now, and we all trust both of you completely. Especially Harry," Bill responded, cracking a slight smile at that.
"Hey–" Ginny started to protest, but she sighed as Bill raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, I guess that's fair. Anyways, I'm pretty sure his nightmare was because we were joking about marriage yesterday."
To his credit, Bill didn't freak out, although he did look curiously at her. "You're talking about getting married?" he asked.
"We're not talking about it. We made a joke about it yesterday. We do love each other and want to be with each other forever, but we're not going to be getting married or engaged or anything else anytime soon."
Bill nodded. "Well, if my baby sister was ever gonna marry someone–"
"I couldn't do better than him," Ginny finished his thought, and he nodded his agreement.
"'arry eez wonderful, and eet eez so perfect seeing ze two of you so in love. You remind me so much of me and Bill," Fleur said cheerfully, and Ginny smiled before Fleur continued, a twinkle of memory in her eye. "But not exactly, of course. Ze first time Bill said 'e loved me was also ze first time–"
Ginny didn't hear the rest of that sentence because she quickly ran upstairs, thinking that laying in bed with Harry, even if she couldn't sleep, was much better than hearing about any of the first times Bill and Fleur had done anything.
Ginny and Harry spent most of that day and the next on the beach, very much enjoying their holiday. Ginny especially enjoyed all the time she got to see Harry without a shirt on. He was scarred, but he wasn't hiding anything from her, and that made her very happy. Besides, Harry owed her considering how much he seemed to be enjoying looking at her in her two-piece swimsuit.
She and Harry were in the water, kissing furiously. He seemed very eager to pull her as close to him as he could while he began kissing along her neck and shoulder. "Harry," Ginny moaned as he kissed the sensitive spot just behind her ear. Without thinking, she began running her hands down his chest and stomach, brushing against the waistband of his trunks. She let her hand wander along the band of his trunks, and Harry exhaled against her shoulder before pulling back.
Ginny looked curiously up at him. "I– I love you," he said, but she could tell that's not what he was wanting to say. "I really want– but–" he tried to say, but the words weren't coming apparently. Ginny suspected she knew what this was about though.
"Harry, we don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. Believe me, I'm more than happy to keep kissing you as long as I live," she said reassuringly.
Harry nodded. "I just– I do want to. I just… don't know that I'm ready yet," he admitted.
Ginny kissed him again. "That's perfectly fine. If and when you're ready, I'll be here. You don't have to worry about scaring me off," she promised.
"You're perfect," he whispered before kissing her gently.
She cupped his cheek in her hand, smiling tenderly up at him. "Not hardly, but I do love you, no matter what."
"I love you," he answered, and Ginny felt the lacewing flies beating in her stomach like she did the first time he ever looked at her. It wouldn't be hard for her to wait. She was already with him, and she'd waited her whole life for that.
At dinner that night, their last night at Shell Cottage, Bill surprised her and Harry when he said, "I thought you should know that the goblins seem to be softening in their anger towards you."
"How can you tell?" Harry asked curiously.
"Mostly the fact that they're not grilling me about you every time I enter Gringotts. And also because they finally restored your access to the Black money. I don't know if you noticed, but they locked that down after everything happened because they thought nobody at the Ministry would notice. But business has been so good since Riddle was defeated that I think they're realising just how much better life is, and it has a lot to do with you," Bill explained.
Harry nodded before frowning. "What's black money?" he asked.
"It's the Black fortune, from Sirius," Bill explained.
"Oh. I'd forgotten about that," Harry responded, and Ginny smiled slightly at that. Of course he'd forget that his fortune had probably more than doubled. It didn't matter at all to him, and she loved him even more for it.
"Well, it's in Gringotts, and if you need it, you'll have access to it now," Bill said.
Harry nodded, but it was clear he didn't really care about it, and they didn't talk anymore about Gringotts or money the rest of the night. That evening, Ginny was changing into her night clothes while Harry was already in bed. She knew he was watching her, and she still didn't mind at all, even though he'd made it clear he didn't want things to go further in their physical relationship yet.
So she was a little surprised once she got in bed that Harry brought it up again. "It's… probably weird of me to ask this, and you– you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but have you– did you ever– with Dean?" he asked in a broken sort of way.
"Are you asking if I ever had sex with Dean?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry intently as he nodded shyly. Ginny took Harry's hand in hers. "Dean and I never took things past kissing. He– well, I think he wanted to, but I– I guess I just couldn't when I knew he wasn't really the one for me. So… I do really mean it when I say I'll wait for you, and it doesn't matter to me how long it takes," she said truthfully, falling in love even more seeing Harry's eyes brighten.
"I love you, Gin," Harry said.
She smiled at him. "I love you more."
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
It may not have been a long trip, but those were some of the best days of Harry's life. Just being alone with Ginny was enough to make it the best; being with Ginny while she was just wearing a swimsuit most of the time was just a very nice bonus. And everything they'd talked about, even the stuff that Harry was worried would be awkward, just further reinforced that he always wanted to be with her, forever.
Charlie arrived the following Saturday, bearing a few new burns and a grin. "Did you find him?" Harry asked after Charlie had greeted his family.
He nodded. "We found her on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. It took a while, but we've got her contained where she's not gonna be in danger or putting anyone in danger while we try and find her a permanent place to live."
"There aren't any dragon reserves in Britain that'll take her?" Hermione asked, seemingly surprised.
Charlie shook his head. "There's only one dragon reserve in Britain that has facilities that could handle her, but they're full right now. We'll find a place for her eventually though."
Just then, Charlie's stomach grumbled, causing everyone to laugh. "Merlin, do we have anything to eat?" he asked, apparently just realising he was hungry.
"Not until dinner," Molly answered, causing Charlie's face to fall since dinner was still several hours away.
Almost immediately though, he grinned again. "Guess I'll go into town to the pub," he said before putting an arm around Ginny. "Wanna come with, little sis?"
Ginny glanced at Harry, who was currently holding Teddy. He just smiled and nodded. Ginny had been enjoying getting to know her brother better after so many years apart because of where he lived, and Harry could definitely manage with Teddy for an hour or two. Besides, it wasn't like he was short on help around the Burrow anyways.
Ginny grinned and walked out the door with her older brother, leaving Harry, Teddy, Ron, Hermione, Molly, and Arthur in the living room. Harry wasn't sure where George was, and he was about to ask if anybody had seen George today when the back door opened again and Percy walked through, followed closely by Kingsley.
Everyone greeted the Minister happily, and he smiled. "Hello everyone, it's great to see you all. Do you mind if I join you for a bit?"
Arthur stood up and shook Kingsley's hand, gesturing him over to a seat across the room from the couch that Harry was sitting on with Ron and Hermione. "How are you all doing?" Kingsley asked, and Harry barely heard the answer Molly gave him. Moments later, Hermione was talking to Kingsley about the last of the trials, which would be concluding next week. Harry just felt a little uneasy, and something about this whole thing felt uncomfortably familiar.
His suspicions were confirmed about ten minutes later when the conversation lulled and Kingsley said, "Harry, do you think I could speak to you for a moment?"
Immediately, Harry realised why the scene made him uncomfortable. It felt incredibly similar to when Percy brought Rufus Scrimgeour over for Christmas in Harry's sixth year, and now Kingsley was asking to speak to him privately. It took a lot for Harry to suppress the urge to say no or treat Kingsley like he'd treated Scrimgeour. But Kingsley had shown that he was different than the previous Ministers, at least in the fact that he did treat Harry like an adult and a friend. Harry at least owed it to him to hear him out.
"Er– sure, I guess," Harry answered, handing Teddy to Molly after he stood up. She gratefully accepted him but looked concernedly at Harry, who shrugged and followed Kingsley onto the porch of the Burrow.
"What's going on, Kingsley?" Harry asked, not bothering to beat around the bush at all.
"There's a few things I wanted to talk to you about. The first is I thought you'd like to be the first non-Ministry official to know that we captured Jugson, Selwyn, Mulciber Senior, and Mulciber Junior in a raid last night. That's four more Death Eaters who are heading to Azkaban," Kingsley answered, looking rather proud of the fact that they'd caught some.
"That's good news," Harry responded, trying to suppress the cynical voice in his head screaming that there were plenty that were still out there.
"We're very pleased with it, and we hope that there will be more captures coming soon. But that actually brings me to something else I was wanting to talk to you about, and I– I do hope that you'll hear me out before making a decision."
Harry nodded, already not liking the direction this conversation was going in as Kingsley took a breath and continued. "Magical Law Enforcement is the most important department in the Ministry. I've done what I can to patch it together with Eamon, but… Eamon's not going to be around forever. He's promised me that he can give me five years, and anything more than that, I can't rely on. We're also woefully understaffed in the Auror Office right now.
Harry bit his tongue, thinking he knew what Kingsley was about to say and not wanting to interrupt. "I've given it a lot of thought, and I want to invite you to come work as an Auror until Eamon retires. And whenever that happens… I want you to take over as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Harry just stared at Kingsley, shocked even though this was close to what he'd guessed Kingsley would say. "Are you serious?" he managed to get out.
Kingsley nodded firmly. "Completely serious."
"Kingsley… I– I'd be twenty-two if Eamon retired in five years. Nobody's gonna take someone that young seriously as the Head of MLE," Harry said, desperately searching for excuses.
"I disagree. I've done my due diligence on this, Harry. You're incredibly highly thought of throughout the entire magical community, and several higher-ranking officials in the Ministry have agreed with me that it would be a good thing to put the department in your hands, eventually."
"I don't have my N.E.W.T.s," Harry tried next.
Kingsley rolled his eyes, something Harry had never seen him do before. "Really, Harry? After everything that's happened, you're more qualified than any Auror I have in the office. I'd feel completely confident putting you out in the field immediately… but if it would make you feel more comfortable, I'm sure we could arrange for abridged Auror Academy training for you."
Harry's head was pounding as he tried to think of something else to say, so he didn't have to tell the full truth. He settled on something that he firmly believed and also figured Kingsley would think was immature, hoping that he'd realise Harry was too young to be doing something like this. "Bloody hell, Kingsley! How many times have I told you I don't want to be treated any differently than anybody else? Now you're saying I can just skip all the requirements for being an Auror? I'm so damn tired of people treating me differently because I have a stupid scar on my head!"
The door to the house burst open, and everyone curiously looked outside at the commotion. Apparently he'd been louder than he realised. "What's going on?" Ron asked, stepping onto the porch.
"Everything's fine," Harry lied, still feeling tense, but Kingsley shook his head sternly.
"It's not fine, Harry. I'll fill them in. I've asked Harry to join the Auror Office and begin training to take over as Head of MLE in a few years–" everyone's jaws dropped "– and Harry seems to think the only reason I'm doing that is because he has a scar on his forehead." Kingsley turned back to face Harry. "Do they know?" he asked. Harry sighed and nodded, knowing what Kingsley was asking.
"In that case– Harry, I respect you more than pretty much anyone else I know, and that's saying something. But you need to quit acting like a damn fool." Harry clenched his fists, but Kingsley stood his ground. "If you don't want to accept my offer, tell me. But you cannot continue to act like nothing you did was important or heroic at all. I don't treat you differently because you have a damn scar on your forehead. I treat you differently because I know who you are. I treat you differently because you did more than anyone to defeat the single greatest threat to our way of life that we've ever seen. I treat you differently because I'm pretty damn sure you've got another scar now, and I know exactly how it got there.
"I wouldn't expect any Auror to do what you did this year. I truly don't know that I could've done what you did at the battle. I admire the hell out of how humble you are, but you can't hide under the guise of not being aware of how heroic it was forever. You're never going to be an arrogant bastard about your heroism, but you need to accept that people will treat you differently, not because of what happened when you were a baby, but because of what you did as a man to save our world."
Harry thought he could've heard a quill scratching on parchment. It was one of the loudest silences he'd ever heard, and he didn't know how to respond. He was surprised when Arthur cleared his throat and spoke up. "He's right, Harry. I don't know the full story, but the little I do know is the– the single most heroic thing I've ever heard of. Your humility and selflessness are a big part of what makes you such a great person, and people may have treated you differently than others in the past because of your scar, but now, they're treating you differently because you saved everyone. The people who know you love you the same as before, but your public image is much different now. And like Kingsley said, what you did is far beyond the call of duty for an Auror."
"One day, more of the story will come out, Harry," Hermione chimed in. "When that happens, people will look up to you even more than they already do because, as heroic as the story everyone's heard is, the real story is so much better. You'll look insane if you continue acting like it doesn't matter. You don't have to be prideful… but you bloody died to save everyone– don't act like that didn't matter at all."
Harry nodded, a little surprised that Hermione had sworn, but he was more surprised that they were all right. At least partially. "I'm afraid to say that's the other piece of news I had," Kingsley began speaking again. "You've been summoned to appear before the Wizengamot in ten days for a hearing concerning the events that occurred since Riddle's return."
Harry jerked his head to look at Kingsley. Behind Kingsley, everyone looked irate. "You told me you wouldn't let them make me come into court," Harry said testily, unable to hide all the anger in his voice.
Kingsley shook his head. "I said I'd keep them from making you come in as a witness to the Death Eater trials. I can't do anything about this. The Wizengamot operates largely outside of Ministry control, and they voted to summon you for a hearing. I want to be clear that this isn't a trial or anything like your last hearing. It's basically their way of saying that they've heard enough bits and pieces of the story to want to hear the rest."
"Shit," Harry muttered, recognizing that he was stuck.
"We'll figure it out, Harry. You won't have to say anything that we've talked about as being too sensitive for public knowledge," Kingsley assured, and Harry nodded.
"It's– well, it's not fine, but I don't have a choice, I guess. I– I understand what you're all saying, and I– you're right. It's just not something that I'm comfortable with, thinking that I did something heroic. I'm just used to not wanting any more attention."
Kingsley nodded. "That's understandable, Harry. I just want you to know that no matter what you decide about my offer, your scar and what happened when you were a baby have nothing to do with my decision to ask you to come work for the Ministry, and they don't affect how I treat you or think of you in the slightest."
"I understand. But–" Harry exhaled deeply "– I'm still going to decline the offer."
"We could keep the possible promotion quiet if that makes you uncomfortable," Kingsley offered hopefully, but Harry just shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Kingsley, but… I can't. I get that I'm qualified or whatever because of what happened with Riddle, but I didn't do any of that stuff because I wanted to. I didn't fight him over and over and spend the last year doing everything I did on the run because I liked it. I did it because I had literally no choice if I wanted myself and the people I love to stay alive. But… I don't want to sound selfish, but haven't I bloody done enough? I want to be done. I want to be able to live the way that I want now that I don't have to be constantly looking over my shoulder for the next threat on my life. The last thing I want right now is to think about spending the rest of my life doing exactly what I've spent the last seven years doing. I– I just want to enjoy my life," he finished, a little desperately, finally admitting the selfish feeling that bubbled up inside him every time he'd thought Kingsley was going to ask him to join the Aurors.
Yet again, there was a screaming silence on the porch of the Burrow. Harry could feel the family staring at him, but he was only looking at Kingsley, waiting for the man to say something. Finally, Kingsley nodded. "I don't blame you at all for feeling like that, Harry. You're right. You've done more than enough already. You're seventeen years old, and you deserve to enjoy your life. But… I will say that you have a standing offer to come work as an Auror or in MLE or wherever you want. I– I didn't ever know your parents well, but they'd be proud of you. And… for what it's worth, I'm proud of you too."
Harry felt a surprising surge of affection for his friend that he'd been viewing so cynically. Kingsley held his hand out to Harry to shake it, and when Harry took it, Kingsley pulled him into a brief, back-pounding hug. Harry didn't even try to resist it. He cleared his throat. "Thanks, Kingsley."
Kingsley just smiled and nodded at him and the rest of the family before walking away. Harry saw that Ginny and Charlie were walking towards the house, and Kingsley stopped to talk to them for a moment. He was so focussed on watching them that he didn't even notice that Molly and Arthur were near him until they hugged him. Once again, he found himself enjoying a hug, especially one from his surrogate parents.
"We're proud of you too," Arthur said quietly, and Harry just nodded, smiling at them both before they went inside with Percy, leaving just Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the porch.
"I'm surprised you turned him down," Hermione said cautiously.
Harry shrugged. "I meant what I said. I need a break, at the very least. I've got plenty of other things I can do besides fight dark wizards," he said, cracking a smile.
"I think we all assumed Kingsley would be asking you to become an Auror, but since you said no… what's the plan, mate?" Ron asked. Harry started to answer when Ginny and Charlie walked onto the porch, both looking curiously at Harry.
"Hey, Gin," Harry said, smiling at her, but she was still looking at him with an odd sort of confusion that he didn't like.
"Kingsley said he offered you a job, but you turned it down?" Ginny asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, he had some barmy idea about me becoming an Auror and training to take over as Head of MLE in a few years." Charlie whistled deeply, shaking his head.
"You don't think you would've been good for it?" Ginny asked, and Harry shrugged.
"I dunno. I didn't think many people would like a really young Head of MLE, but besides–"
"But if Kingsley didn't think so, maybe you could've done it. You'd be a great Auror, and you'd certainly be an upgrade on the normal Ministry people that run everything."
"Maybe, but I didn't want to do it."
Ginny frowned, and he began feeling confused. After a moment, she took a breath and asked, "So what are you gonna do instead?"
Harry cleared his throat. "Well… I was– er– I was thinking I'd go back to Hogwarts with you this year." There it was. He'd been thinking about it for weeks at this point, ever since he and Ginny had started helping repair the school, but he could tell everyone on the porch was stunned, even though he didn't take his eyes off Ginny.
"What?" she asked, seemingly dumbfounded at his confession.
"I don't want to work for the Ministry. I want to go back to Hogwarts with you," he repeated, more confident this time.
"But you hate school."
"And I want to be with you," he answered, not understanding why she was protesting.
"You– so Kingsley offered you a dream job, and instead of taking it like any person would've done, you want to go back to school, where you have all those awful memories, just to be with me?"
"Yeah," Harry said, hopeful that she was seeing how romantic he thought it was.
He definitely wasn't expecting to see her shake her head. "You can't do that," she said.
"What? Ginny, I–" he started to say, but she cut him off.
"Kingsley's giving you the chance of a lifetime, Harry. You can't turn that down."
He didn't want to admit it, but this was hurting him, and he didn't do a good job hiding it, swallowing a lump in his throat. "If you don't want me to go to Hogwarts with you, you can just say it."
"Fine. I don't want you to go to Hogwarts and give up on everything you want," Ginny answered, still looking at him like she didn't understand or… that she didn't care.
"But you're–" Harry started to say before catching himself. He couldn't say anything more. He felt his throat constricting, and his eyes were starting to burn. Without saying another word, he jumped off the porch so he wouldn't have to walk past her and ran past the wards, ignoring the calls of Ron and Hermione to come back. He couldn't stay. The tears were already falling as Harry spun on his heel, refusing to look back as he disapparated.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A/N: So… yeah. I wish I could apologise for this, but I really can't. I've talked about the eight-ish guiding plot points for the entire first two books that I used, and we're currently in the middle of the third. Obviously, this is a pivotal moment for Harry and Ginny's relationship, and I am excited for you all to see what comes next. All I'll ask you to keep in mind as you wait for the next chapter is that there really are two sides to every story.
Shifting away from the obvious hippogriff in the room for a moment, I struggled a bit with sentencing Umbridge because, in my mind, what she did was just as bad as what most Death Eaters did. However, I also couldn't imagine her actually getting a worse sentence than any Death Eater (aside from the kids), so I went off Lucius' baseline of 50 years and got her punishment to a point that felt appropriately less while still being a very long sentence.
Some of you had noticed that Hermione had moments here or there where she seemed to have a bit of a short fuse, and it sort of comes to a head in this chapter with her finally talking about her parents. I liked showing the trio having an emotional moment together, and Ron doing a good job being a supportive boyfriend, because I try my best to incorporate Ginny into their moments most of the time now. This was a moment that felt like it needed to be just them though, and it definitely hit the feels for me.
The recipe for Rowena's Wit-Sharpening Potion is an interesting hybrid. The traditional wit-sharpening potion recipe is basically a copy of the HBP video game's recipe because there isn't a recipe anywhere else in canon, and I thought it was fun to use the game anyways because I loved playing it when I was younger. Boomslang skin and fluxweed are from Polyjuice because of the transformative nature of the Room of Requirement. The Jobberknoll feather is used in truth serums and memory potions– I used it because the room needs a way to remember all the rooms it transforms into. Valerian root has sedative properties– I used it because I imagined that Rowena realised that the potion she was brewing was extremely potent, and whoever used it needed to be in a peaceful state to not let all the wisdom and potential power go to their head.
I would be very interested in knowing if anyone has any guesses on the riddles, mainly because I wrote them but don't actually know how difficult they are. I don't think they're too complicated, but I'm not the best judge since I made them. Each answer is one word that will translate to a rune.
I might have a slightly different take on Molly than a lot of fic writers; I'm not really sure. I know some people view her as super overbearing, but I think she's a mother that cares an immense deal about her children and always wants the best for all of them. Her talk with Ginny was intended to show both that she can be a little over the top occasionally in wanting the best for all of them, but she can also recognise when she's gone too far.
Harry's reluctance to take things further in their physical relationship does have a reason, but it's one that he can't fully articulate yet, even to himself, so I'm gonna leave that unexplained for now. I'm also aware that some people might think that I'm wrong in saying Ginny and Dean didn't take things any further in their relationship, but I do have a couple reasons. First is my unashamed idealisation of Ginny and Harry's relationship and liking the idea that they are only ever fully intimate with each other, but that's not exactly the best reason. I also don't think there's an abundance of places to take things further in a school full of professors and students where ghosts can suddenly float through a wall. And, based on what I planned and have written so far in Ginny's memories of her relationship with Dean, it just didn't feel like it fit or made sense.
Finally, I hope, based on my characterisation of Harry, that it isn't too surprising that he doesn't want to go into law enforcement right now. His ambition of becoming an Auror was really something that he focussed on right when Voldemort had come back and Harry had nobody believing him about it. It made sense then, but after another three years of fighting and then enjoying some peace, I don't think he'd want to immediately get back into it. Part of that is also a maturity thing– letting other people focus on capturing Death Eaters and proving that he doesn't have quite as much of a 'saving people thing' as Hermione suggests. As for what he's going to be doing instead… I guess we'll have to wait and see how things go in the next chapter!
Coming Friday: All I Want- Hermione drew her wand on him, sticking it under his chin, furiously glaring at him.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
As always, thank you all for your incredible support throughout the process of releasing this book, especially as we've now crossed the 100 follower threshold! I can't begin to express how rewarding it is to know that you all are enjoying my work, and it constantly motivates me to continue giving my all to the continuation of this series. I also want to thank zjy (their full username is much longer so I'm shortening) for suggesting that I respond to comments in the body of the chapters since doesn't have a way for me to respond to comments otherwise. I'm probably only going to reply to comments that ask actual questions or provoke some sort of discussion, but I do promise that I'm still reading all of your comments. Engaging with everyone reading my work is one of the big reasons I write and release chapter by chapter, so I am very excited to try this out and hope that you all enjoy it too! (And if you don't really care about my replies to comments and further discussion on SoR, I won't be offended in the slightest if you choose not to read this section now or in the future.)
zjy: I'm really glad that you've been enjoying SoR so far! Your question on what I consider to be canon is, funny enough, addressed in my author's note for the next chapter too, but the short version is that I really only consider the content of the seven books to be canon. I'll use things from Pottermore/Wizarding World to provide inspiration and will go off of them if I don't have any different ideas, so, for example, Ginny's birthday isn't stated in canon, but Pottermore says it's 11 August, so that's her birthday in this series because I don't have a reason to change that. However, Pottermore also says that Harry became an Auror straight after the Battle, and I'm clearly diverging from that, so it's definitely not canon for me.
Jennimileski: I debated about whether to reply to your comment here or not since you're on Chapter 2 and I have no idea if you're going to continue reading all the way to here or not. However, because it's been brought up several times, I don't feel like it hurts for me to continue providing clarification on Harry having a scar from the Killing Curse cast in the forest. First, like my last response indicates, I don't really care about anything JKR says in interviews as it relates to the interpretation of canon. It would be, frankly, exhausting to try and keep up with canon if it changed every time she gave an interview. One of the reasons I like writing in this universe is that it's contained. There are seven books, and that's the complete canon of it to me and most people I think. And in the canon of those books, there is never, despite what you may believe, any indication about what caused Harry's first scar. I promise I've done extensive research on it. There are three possibilities for what caused the scar, based on what happened that night in Godric's Hollow- the failed Killing Curse, Lily's sacrificial love protection, or the Horcrux entering Harry. I easily dismissed the sacrificial love protection as a cause because it doesn't seem like something that would leave a scar, leaving the other two possibilities. I would be more inclined to believe that it was a sign of a Horcrux if there was any indication anywhere in the books that Horcruxes were marked, but there isn't, and that includes Nagini, who was another living Horcrux, like Harry. To me, that contradicts the idea that the scar is caused by a Horcrux, even though it's only contradiction by omission. On the other hand, there is no comparison to make of another survivor of the Killing Curse, so there's nothing there that contradicts the scar being caused by the failed Killing Curse. I'd also add that Voldemort having a corpse is what shows that he's truly dead, considering that he didn't have a corpse the first time. Those are my main reasons, but I'm also okay with it coming down to a personal opinion, and my opinion is that the scar was caused by the Killing Curse failing. There's definitely nothing in canon to say that is conclusively wrong, and I'm comfortable with believing it, but it also isn't like a super huge plot point either way.
I'll keep doing this as long as there's a demand for it, so feel free to ask any questions or share any thoughts on the book in the comments, and I'll be sure to respond to it! And since I'm just starting this now, I just want to say a special thanks to all the people who have very consistently commented on SoR over the past couple months. You all know who you are, and all your kind words are immensely appreciated!