Harry Potter And Unexpected Beginnings

harry potter and unexpected beginnings by dan's girl62 rating: r the summer after ootp, harry discovers he has control of his connection with voldemort, and uses it to his advantage. with the help of his friends, and an unexpected joining of their team, harry and the gang return to school for their 6th year and go in search of a way to defeat voldemort. however, when teenage hormones set in, can harry find room in his heart to love, or will he reject her based on fear of a prophecy that dictates his future...or lack thereof. rated r for future chapters. spoilers: ps/ss, cos, poa, gof, ootp. written between order of phoenix and halfblood prince. genre: general, romance era: multiple eras main character(s): d ship(s): none summary: the summer after ootp, harry discovers he has control of his connection with voldemort, and uses it to his advantage. with the help of his friends, and an unexpected joining of their team, harry and the gang return to school for their 6th year and go in search of a way to defeat voldemort. however, when teenage hormones set in, can harry find room in his heart to love, or will he reject her based on fear of a prophecy that dictates his future...or lack thereof. rated r for future chapters. disclaimer: this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by jk rowling, various publishers including but not limited to bloomsbury books, scholastic books and raincoast books, and warner bros., inc. no money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. i in no way am attempting to impinge on those rights. no money is being made and no copyright or tradmark infringement is intended. this is written basically because i'm tired of waiting and wondering about books 6 and 7!!! author's notes: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ harry potter and unexpected beginnings the sun drove down on the identical housetops, radiating the heat of summer. the sounds of children laughing in a nearby yard, echoed through the saturday humdrum of lawn mowers and hedge clippers. house windows were left open, to catch the breeze of the day, and the soft aromas of various lunches being prepared filled the warm air. life continued much as it always had, except for one lone person. sitting in the shade of a large oak tree in the backyard of number four privet drive, was a teenage boy. his messy hair shadowing his be-speckled eyes from the sun, his hands curled around the thick book he'd been reading for the past two weeks. he appeared much like any other fifteen-year-old boy, with the exception of the lightening bolt scar on his forehead. harry potter, the boy who lived, had suffered the end of the worst of all years, just a few weeks ago. with the loss of his godfather, and the knowledge of the prophecy tucked within his mind, his world had taken on a sense of seriousness. his mood had become less open, less friendly, less obedient, especially toward his relatives. he had seen and felt more than any person four times his age, and he chose to tuck his feelings concerning all of it away, rather than confront them. it was less painful to think of oneself as cold, and unfeeling, then to grieve for hours and days on end. he allowed his anger to motivate

him, his hatred to push him into positive actions. since the death of his godfather, his whole life had taken on a new routine. every morning before dawn, so the neighbors wouldn't see him and glare at the delinquent living with the dursleys, harry would don an old pair of sweat pants, tee shirt and trainers, and set out running. he worked his way up from a few blocks to over five kilometers a day, in no time at all. he spent hours on end in his little room, lifting cans he'd filched from the trashbins, and filled with a variety of rocks to weight them down, sealing the ends with duct tape he'd confiscated from his uncle vernon's tool box. in just a few short weeks since the end of his fifth year at hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry, harry had managed to transform his once thin arms and legs into strong limbs of muscles. he had taken on a daily routine of five hundred sit-ups and nearly as many pushups, giving him a tight abdomen and strong shoulders. his appearance had slowly changed over the weeks, giving him the image of a silent threat, to anyone who dared to look twice at him. even his porkley-sized cousin, dudley, and his gang of cronies thought twice now about confronting the young wizard. the sound of uncle vernon's lawn mower echoed through the air, coming closer to where harry sat reading. shortly after school, harry had sent hedwig to diagon alley to purchase the advanced book of dark arts and forbidden curses. if it hadn't been for dumbledore authorizing his purchase, the storekeeper at flourish and blotts would not have sold it to him. usually, this sort of book was reserved for aurors only, but considering the news of the return of he-who-must-not-be-named, it was considered logical for his would-be-defeater to be armed with as much information as possible. since then, every spare moment he had was spent reading and studying the various spells, curses and hexes contained within the thick leather covers. harry shifted slightly on the hard ground; feeling the wand he had tucked within his shirt, poke him in his side. he had taken to carrying his only object of defense with him last year, and continued the habit now. his senses were heightened and alert to every rustle of the wind, every sigh and every whisper of the children nearby. he would react with lightening speed to any sound he heard, ready for an attack. he knew now, it was inevitable. voldemort was coming, and he had to be ready. harry continued to read a particularly difficult spell on disembowelment, when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up in response to an oversized shadow that fell across him. looking up from his reading with a frown, harry saw his enormous cousin standing over him, his usual smirk of distaste etched on his face, his porkley hand wrapped around a large ice cream cone. "are you trying to convince someone, you know how to read?" dudley snorted loudly. "that freak school you go to can't possibly have normal lessons." the stupid smile he was wearing suddenly disappeared when he took notice of the type of book his cousin was reading. "wh...what is that?" he stammered. seeing the wording on the front cover, he gave an audible gasp that sounded much like a pig snorting. his normal dim-witted reactions slowed even more than normal, as a look of fear crossing his suddenly pale features. "dad will kill you, when he sees you reading that thing in public," dudley announced, pointing a pudgy finger to the book harry was reading. "sod off, porky", harry snarled, watching the fear cross his cousin's beady eyes. the sound of the lawn mower shutting off indicated his uncle had finished mowing the front lawn and was about to start on the back. dudley turned around quickly, as his equally engorged father stomped toward them. "dad, look what harry is reading," dudley announced proudly. uncle vernon glanced down to his nephew, instantly turning a shade of purple that matched the

plums in petunia's kitchen drawer. "what are you doing out of the house with that?" demanded uncle vernon in a soft growl, the veins in the side of his neck popping out dangerously. "i know you think me ignorant, but my guess would be, reading it." harry was no longer afraid of his uncle, as he once was, due partly to his newly acquired muscles, but mostly because it had occurred to him shortly after starting his summer holidays, that he had faced voldemort, who was more menacing and threatening then all of his relatives put together, and had survived to tell the tales. "don't take that tone of voice with me, boy, and get back in the house before the neighbors see you," uncle vernon demanded. harry stood slowly, shutting the book as he straightened his legs. not only had he developed his physical attributes, he had also grown at least three inches since the start of summer. he stared down at his uncle, un-phased by his tone of voice, offering him a soft smirk and a glare of his narrowed eyes. "as you wish," harry said softly. "i have a letter to send to mad-eye moody, anyway." the announcement of the man who had threatened vernon at king's cross at the beginning of summer, caused a sudden fear to race through the fat man's frame, forcing the purple in his chubby cheeks to turn ashen, and the glass of lemonade his aunt had stepped out of the house with, to crash on the patio stones. harry smiled brightly to himself as he walked casually past aunt petunia, and into the kitchen, snatching a sandwich from the platter his aunt had prepared for lunch, along with a large red apple from the counter as he proceeded up the stairs to his cramped bedroom. harry felt a soft pang of guilt in the back of his head, with the realization that he had already owled moody, when he awoke earlier that morning, but quickly pushed it aside. he hated his relatives as much as they hated him, and it gave him a shimmer of pleasure to irritate them occasionally for all the grief they have given him, over the years. sitting on his small bed, harry opened the book again, re-reading the spell he had been studying for the past two hours. the sudden pain in his head, forced him to finally pay attention to it, and he tossed the large leather clad item aside, resting his head back against his flat pillow. with eyes shut tight, harry began to go over the occlumency lessons, determined to master the task before returning to school and starting lessons back up with snape. the ache in his head began to diminish as he was able to relax and clear his mind of all thought. his progress was such a surprise, that even he was amazed at how well he was doing. in a state of complete relaxation, harry could feel himself floating away on a cloud of peaceful retreat. his thoughts seemed to drift out beyond little winging, beyond london, even beyond the present and into the darkness of another world. harry found himself standing in a narrow hallway outside a dimly lit room, no outside light entered, making harry suspect it was nightfall. the crackles of a fire echoed through the silence, and he forced himself to walk closer to the room who's door stood slightly open. he had the urge to push it open and step further inside, as he saw the shadows of the room's occupants and froze where he stood. the heat radiating from the small confines of the room was stifling, and harry found himself having to breath around the thick, smoky aroma. he heard a familiar, squeaky voice bouncing off the walls of his mind, and

realized instantly it was wormtail. harry knew his mind had traveled back to voldemort, but he also knew there was a definite difference this time. this time, he was in control of his mind. he was a silent visitor in the cold, dank surroundings of his enemy's lair. "but master, i have tried," wormtail was sniveling, his shadow cast by the light of the fire showed him crouching on the floor in front of his master, trembling in fear. "i can not find the spells dumbledore uses, even our spies at the ministry can't find them." "impossible!" hissed voldemort angrily, as an object was hurled across the room to smash against the opposite wall. the fearful squeak from wormtail mingled with the growling hiss from voldemort. "there must be a way to break through his defenses. there are weaknesses, i know it. i must have them." voldemort's shadow turned to face the sniveling form of his servant curled on the floor before him. "i am tired of your failure," he snarled. "i have suffered your stupidity for the last time." "master, please, have mercy," wormtail pleaded, his shadow curling in a smaller ball on the floor, as if hoping to hide from his master's anger. "i beg of you." voldemort's shadow raised his arm in the air above his head, the wand apparent in his shadowed grip. "forgive me, master," a woman's voice said, as harry turned to see bellatrix walk right past him as if he was not there. his eyes narrowed and his hands balled into tight fists, as he watched her pass him by. she pushed the door open further and harry could see the image of wormtail on the carpet, unable to see more than the hem of voldemort's robes around the door and bellatrix, who stood in his line of vision. the sound of pleasure echoed in her evil shrill, as she interrupted her ruler's actions of punishment. "you told me alert you to any changes at the ministry." these words put an abrupt halt to wormtail's torture. "what have you found out?" the cold hiss of voldemort demanded. "fudge has ordered a complete lock down of all departments," bellatrix announced. "every crack of the ministry has been placed on the highest alert, even that stupid muggle-loving weasley's corner has added charms placed on his files. however, in fudge's haste to confirm he is still in control of the ministry, he overlooked the prison of azkaban. your loyal followers have convinced the dementors to release the prisoners and rejoin us. they are on their way here, even as we speak. the prison has been emptied, once again, my lord." "excellent," voldemort laughed, his tone an evil hissing sigh. "it is merely a matter of time, before the ministry is mine, and dumbledore bows at my feet." "and what of potter, my lord?" bellatrix asked, a hint of pleasure in her icy tone. "if he is allowed to return to hogwarts, it is only a matter of time before he grows too strong for us to control. he is already stronger than any anticipated. if he continues..." "i have other plans for potter," the dark lord whispered, interrupting the woman's irritating chatter as he turned his back on wormtail who silently began to crawl out of the room, past harry. "leave the boy to me." harry's eyes popped open with a start, the pain in his scar throbbing violently, forcing him to close his eyes again, tightly. he covered his head gently with his hand, rolling over on his bed with a moan of pain as he buried his head

in his little pillow. what was voldemort up to? had the prison really been emptied? where was he hiding, and why was it nightfall there, when it was midday here? one thought stood out among the many in his aching, throbbing mind. he had to tell dumbledore what he had seen; he had to warn him of voldemort coming after him. with shaky movements, harry sat up on the edge of his bed, cradling his head in his hands. the pain seemed worse now, then it ever had been before. he had to get control over it; he had to contact dumbledore, to warn him, but how? hedwig hadn't returned from taking his letter to moody yet, and there was no other way of communicating the news. thinking hard, harry stood up on weak legs, forcing himself to walk to the window and look out, hoping to find his snowy owl in the skies above. instead what he saw was his aunt and uncle reclining in lounge chairs on the patio below, while his over-sized cousin stuffed sandwich after sandwich in his mouth, from the chair across from his parents. harry turned from the window. they were out of the house, he could easily sneak away and board the night bus, but he wouldn't be able to contact that for several more hours. he thought of stealing his uncle's car, but that wouldn't do any good, he'd get caught when the new alarm he had installed went off. then he thought of his friends. if there was only some way of contacting them. he would need an owl to make contact with ron, but hermione was a muggle, which meant she would have a telephone. quickly sliding under the bed and pulling open the floorboard he hid his secrets and candies in, he retrieved a small piece of parchment she had given him a few years back. grabbing his invisibility cloak from his trunk and slipping silently out of his room, he hurried into his cousin's room next door, picking up the extension phone and dialing the number on the paper. he waited while the phone on the other end rang, once, twice, a third time. just as harry was about to give up, he heard a click and a man's voice say "hello?" "hermione granger, please," harry said softly, stepping to his cousin's window and looking down at the three still sitting below. "just a moment, please," the voice replied, and harry listened as her name was called out in the background. a moment later and a familiar voice answered. "hello, this is hermione granger." "hermione, it's harry," he said quietly. "harry! how wonderful of you to call. how are you? how on earth did you get the use of the phone, i thought your uncle wouldn't allow you to use it? i was about to owl your birthday present to you, unless you think i could bring it to you in person? would your aunt and uncle allow me to visit you? honestly, it's as if you were a prisoner, instead of member of their family." "hermione, shut up, i have to talk to you and i haven't much time," harry interrupted, hearing the soft gasp on the other end of the phone. "i had another vision of voldemort and hedwig isn't back from sending moody my letter. i need you to contact dumbledore and warn him. the prison has been emptied." "what? the prison emptied? are you sure?" "i'm positive, now listen, contact dumbledore and tell him about it. i heard bellatrix tell voldemort, that his followers had convinced the dementors into rejoining him, and that the prison was emptied. i don't know when hedwig will be back, but by then it may be too late. voldemort said he was trying to find the spells dumbledore uses as a defense. i think he's trying to get into the

school. if that happens, we're all in danger. can you do that for me, hermione, please?" "of course, i'll owl him right away. but harry," her voice was hesitant and harry could tell she was chewing her lip. "are you sure voldemort wasn't using you again? i mean after everything he did last year..." "i'm sure hermione. this was different; i had control of my mind. i've been practicing my occlumency lessons all summer and i've got hold of it." "you said that before, harry, remember? but you weren't telling the truth," she reminded him. harry sighed deeply. she did have reason not to trust him, after he boldly lied to her about practicing his lessons at hogwarts. "this time is different, hermione. i honestly have been practicing, and i know he wasn't aware of my presence. please hermione, it's very important you contact dumbledore. he has to know what's happening." "all right harry, i believe you. i'll contact him right now. and harry," she stated with another slight hesitation. "please be careful." "i will," he promised, hearing the door in the hallway downstairs close and heavy footsteps on the stairs heading his way. "and hermione," he whispered softly, "thank you." harry hung up the phone quickly, slipping his cloak over his head and snatching up the piece of parchment with hermione's phone number on it. he walked slowly toward the open door to dudley's room, and had to flatten himself against the wall beside it, as his large cousin came bounding in through the door. harry cleared the threshold, just in time for dudley to swing it shut. with a deep sigh of relief, harry quietly slipped into his own room, and eased the door shut behind him, returning his cloak to his trunk and the phone number to his secret hiding place under his bed. if hermione was able to get an owl to dumbledore, he still wouldn't be able to receive it for at least a few hours yet, which meant there was nothing left to do, but wait. and waiting, was not one of harry's strong points. pacing the floor, harry found himself staring out his bedroom window, anticipating either an owl in response to hermione's message, or hedwig to return. neither of which was happening soon enough. with a grunt of irritation, harry flopped roughly to the bed; causing the heavy book he'd been reading relentlessly over the past two weeks, to hit him in the shin before landing with a thud to the floor. he picked it up, opening it and began to read it, as a thought came to his mind. if hermione could see him now, knowing that he was actually reading during his summer holidays, she'd have nothing but praise for him, insisting that he should have started this new habit years ago. ron, on the other hand, would probably call him mental and offer him a handful of chocolate frogs, while dragging him out to the field behind the burrow to practice his quidditch game. with a smile to warm his heart, he suddenly realized, he was not only lucky to have friends like hermione and ron, but he was very fortunate they were complete opposites. at least it gave his life a bit of stability. read? review! author notes: please r/r and let me know if you want additional chapters, because i can keep writing until draco becomes a brunette!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------� chapter two harry's little room was exceptionally warm, and he was forced to sleep only in his boxers with the covers kicked to the foot of the mattress. beside him on his small desk sat the book he'd been reading, his glasses, his alarm clock, and a half full glass of water. all appeared normal, as the moon shone through the open window, and yet harry had a distinct feeling that something was happening outside little winging, and he was restless and eager to find out what. he sighed deeply, reaching for his glass of water and draining it in a single swallow. he rolled onto his stomach and closed his eyes, trying to force himself into sleep. he thought perhaps he should practice his occlumency lessons, realizing that he actually found it enjoyable now that he had a handle on it, but the thought of traveling back to wherever voldemort was currently hiding, kept him from attempting it. it wasn't that he was afraid, because he wasn't, he was just getting really tired of the pain that always seemed to rip his head apart whenever he made contact with his enemy. again harry sighed, and again he flopped to his back. "this was ridiculous," he scolded himself, looking at the clock on his dresser and seeing that it was three in the morning. his frustration was quickly turning to anger. if he was back home at hogwarts, he'd simply slip on his father's cloak and sneak down to the kitchens for a late night snack, but here...harry opened his eyes. "what's to stop me", he thought. uncle vernon had stopped locking him in his room, when he realized it really didn't work, which meant that he was free to roam around the house at will. gathering his invisibility cloak, taking up his wand, and covering his head with the cloak, he quietly slipped out the door, listening for a moment to make certain his relatives were sleeping. the loud snoring from uncle vernon and dudley sounded in unison, as if they were competing to see who could snore the loudest, while aunt petunia's soft horse-like whining echoed in the background. harry curled his lip at the sound; thinking of how they could easily pass for the wild bores living in the forbidden forest back home. assured his robust relatives were indeed asleep, harry tiptoed down the stairs, avoiding making any noise as he quietly opened the door to the kitchen. padding softly to the refrigerator, he pulled on the handle and peered within. harry was amazed how there could be so much food, when dudley was home for the summer holidays, but oddly enough, there seemed to be a great deal more than there ever was. harry gathered together a few easily concealed items; two chocolate ?airs, a large red apple, a pint of apple juice, a bag of carrots, and a piece of left over shepherd's pie that they had for dinner, and was about to return upstairs, when he heard footsteps echoing down the stairs. he was trapped, he thought in a slight panic, unable to find a place to hide. but then as the door opened, he realized he was still hidden beneath his father's old cloak, rendering him invisible. all he had to do was wait until the coast was clear and slip quietly out the door and back up to his own room. with baited breath, harry waited to see who was up at this hour. he wasn't all that surprised to see his aunt pad her big slipper-clad feet into the room. she looked around briefly, before going to the drawer by the sink and opening it. instead of reaching inside it for a spoon or fork, she pulled the entire drawer out of the cabinet, setting it silently on the counter. she then reached

inside the exposed hole, all the way to the back and pulled out a piece of cloth, then set down at the table near where harry was standing and began to unroll it. harry almost gasped his surprise, tightening his grip on the spoils he had hidden within his arms, as he watched his aunt unroll a...wand! how could his aunt petunia, the same aunt petunia who despised and hated anything magical, have a wand? did she even know how to use it? he got his answer almost immediately, as she waved it across the table and whispered something, he couldn't hear. instantly the table filled with pastries of all sorts; there was a pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, chocolate cake with butter cream frosting, honey dukes lemon ice, chocolate frogs, cotton candy and pumpkin juice. he watched as his aunt eagerly began to devour the items before her, eating them as if she hadn't eaten in over a month's time...and with dudley as a son, it wasn't all that surprising if she hadn't. he just couldn't believe his eyes. within the span of ten minutes, his thin, horse-faced aunt had eaten the entire contents of her magically prepared picnic. he continued to watch as wiped her mouth, sitting back in her seat, and tossing the napkin aside. a soft pop sounded on the other side of the table, and harry watched his aunt stand up and look down, her hands on her bony hips. her eyes narrowed as an object moved from the back of the table. "it's about bloody time, you got here," she snarled in a silent keep coming this late every night, someone is bound to see you, where will we be?" harry moved gingerly so he could see what it scolding. on the other side of the table, near the sitting room stood a small house elf. she was small, much smaller than dobby seemed much shier. harry frowned deeply at his aunt's profile.

whisper. "if you and then was his aunt was doorway had been, and

"misty's sorry miss petunia," the small voice squeaked. "misty was afraid to come earlier, in case that big brut was up." "i've told you before, you wretched creature, to keep your mouth shut when you speak of my son," petunia growled, her tone slightly louder than it had originally been. "misty's sorry miss, please don't beat her," the little house elf cringed in fear as petunia walked around the table. he watched with narrowed eyes as petunia raised her wand and pointed it at her. just as she was about to curse the poor creature, footsteps above her creaked the ceiling. "just you get busy and make certain this house is clean when i get back up, or i'll send you to the pits of hell." petunia turned and stalked away, leaving the little creature alone to clean up her mess. "bad miss petunia," the little house elf said softly. "if not for harry potter, you would be dead. dumbledore not smart, leaving you to watch over him. you're not good enough for the likes of harry potter." the little house elf began cleaning the mess left behind by the woman, as harry silently slipped out the door, she had left open in her haste. he quietly slipped up the stairs and back into his room, again hearing the soft horse sounds coming from his aunt's bedroom. "what's going on?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity. he dropped on to the bed, removing the cloak from around his shoulders and setting the forgotten goodies on the mattress beside him. how did his aunt, the only woman hateful enough to keep him brow beaten for so many years, be a...a...witch!? just as harry was about to begin pacing the floor, he heard the soft familiar hoot of

his snowy owl, as she flew through the open window, and landed on his bed, next to his deposited supply of food from his late night raid of the kitchen. "you've missed an interesting day, hedwig," harry told his owl, as she began picking at the sweets next to him. she glanced up at him questioningly, as harry patted her white head gently. "did you get the letter to moody, all right?" he asked her, returning to her reason for not being with him all day. hedwig hooted again, as if to confirm his question. harry looked at her leg, noting the absence of a reply. not surprising, he thought. mad-eye moody wasn't exactly known for his manners. still it would have been nice to know that he wasn't forgotten by the wizarding world, even if it was a simple note t say "hi, how you doing?" harry flung himself back on his bed, leaning against the wall and pulling his feet beneath him. he reached for the food hedwig was eating, stuffing an entire ?air in his mouth in one simple bite. as he chewed, his thoughts returned to his aunt. he just couldn't understand how it was possible for her to know magic, and yet deny him to know about it for eleven whole years. harry absently picked up an apple, biting into it and offering a piece to hedwig, who took it and flew up to her cage, as she devoured it and then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. he watched his owl for quite awhile, before realizing he was finally tired. retrieving a large piece of parchment from his trunk, harry wrapped the remnants of his raid within it, rolling it snugly around the leftovers, and placing it in his hiding place under the bed, then laying down on the mattress, pulling his hands under his head. harry found himself drifting into a peaceful slumber, as the sun began to creep over the horizon. morning would definitely hold a new meaning to him, when he awoke. he had decided to confront his aunt about her late night tricks, when he got a chance later on. with that out of the way, harry found sleep to be a welcome friend. harry awoke some time later, to the sounds of uncle vernon stomping down the stairs. the aroma of breakfast drifted up to him, and he rubbed his eyes sleepily. sitting up on the edge of his bed, harry looked around him. the sun was high in the sky, and the clock on his desk read half past ten. gathering his shoes, he'd kicked off last night and pulling them back across his feet, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, nearly falling to his face, as he tripped over the sweat pants he'd deposited on his messy floor the day before. for a brief moment, harry thought he saw the small image of his aunt's house elf disappear from the bathroom doorway. harry remembered how many times he had seen the little image when he was growing up, but passed it away, unaware of what a house elf was. now he realized, he had seen her many times. once he awoke as a very young child, a nightmare raking his tiny body. as he lay curled in the cupboard beneath the stairs, sobbing sadly, he remembered the little house elf shushing his sorrow, smoothing his hair back from his tiny face and drying his tears. he had always thought it was just a dream and for many long years held on to it, as a secret dream of love, the only love he'd ever known. "well guess what, aunt petunia," harry thought with a wicked smile, climbing down the stairs to the kitchen. "your secret is out." harry walked into the kitchen, ignoring the irritated looks from his aunt and uncle. dudley barely noticed his joining them at the table, as he continued to shove eggs and bacon into his mouth, greedily. harry reached across the table and took one of the last two eggs on the platter, then taking two slices of bacon and half a slice of toast, he began to eat, suddenly feeling ill at the amount of food his porkly-sized cousin was putting away.

"slow down popkins," aunt petunia cooed at her son. "you'll make yourself sick, eating that fast." "i have to hurry," dudley said around his mouth of food, spitting remnant from his mouth onto the table as he spoke. "i'm meeting the guys and we're going to the movies." "do you need any money, son?" uncle vernon asked, immediately reaching for his wallet and retrieving several paper bills. dudley nodded, accepting the money, before grabbing the last four slices of toast and heading up the stairs. "it's so nice that he's such a popular boy," aunt petunia said with a sickly sweet smile, as she sat in the seat her son had just abandoned, wiping at the spilled food with her napkin. she looked up at harry and narrowed her stare at him. "you know aunt petunia," he said as he watched her wipe the mess left behind by her enormous son. "i don't think i've ever taken notice of what a really good housekeeper you are." uncle vernon and aunt petunia both stopped and stared at him, wide eyed. they had never heard a compliment from him before, having never given him reason before now. "of course she's a good housekeeper, boy," uncle vernon smiled at his wife, who blushed softly. "she's the best in all of london." "oh vernon," cooed his now embarrassed wife. "i couldn't agree more," harry continued with a false smile of appreciation. "i know in my world, people have a difficult time keeping house. why, if it wasn't for the use of house elves, i doubt there would be many homes that would compare even by half to how clean this one is." harry was delighted to see the shocked expression on his aunt's suddenly pale face as she looked up at him. uncle vernon, however, nearly choked on his coffee. wiping at the spilled drops from his shirt, he turned a purple-faced glare to his nephew. "what have i told you about mentioning those things, in this house?" he growled. "i was just making a simple observation, is all," harry commented, un-phased by his outburst, his eyes still locked on his aunt's horse-like features. "i think aunt petunia's life would be much simpler if she had a house elf to help her out around here, say at night when everyone's asleep. and just think of the meals she could prepare with the use of a wand." uncle vernon slammed his fat fist on the table to bring a halt to the conversation, as aunt petunia sputtered and reached for a glass of orange juice. "enough!" snarled vernon, raising himself up on his enormous legs. "go to your room, right now. as if your aunt would need the aid of such freakish things. how dare you insult her, like that, and in her very home? so help me boy, if it wasn't for her good-hearted kindness, you would be on the streets where you belong. now get out of here, and go to your room. i don't want to see your face the rest of the day. and there will be no lunch for you, either." harry rose with a smirk, offering his aunt a brief look of acknowledgement. he was unaffected by his uncle's outburst, knowing that his aunt at least understood what he was talking about. he walked to his room, listening as his uncle's continued ranting about the boy's "indignity" and "rudeness". opening his door, he peered in, taking notice immediately of the difference. his room had been

cleaned; dusted and organized in the short time he had been gone. at first he thought he must have done it in the hours of sleepless pacing last night, but then remembered nearly tripping over his sweat pants when he left for breakfast. he closed the door and smiled around the small confines. "you don't have to hide," he said to nobody present. "i know you're here. misty, isn't it? come out and talk with me." the soft rustle from his closet brought harry's eyes toward the door as it pushed softly open. harry smiled, sitting on the edge of his small, but neatly made bed. "hello," he said, his tone soft and friendly. "i remember you, from when i was a little boy. come, sit and talk with me. i'm harry." "misty knows who you are sir," she squeaked shyly, cautiously stepping toward him. "i have been with you for many years." "yes, i know. i remember several things now, which seemed odd once. but it had to be you. who else would clean up after me? but why have you been hiding? once i joined the wizarding world, you could have made yourself known to me." "misty was afraid, sir. harry potter is great, misty was afraid he would be upset at her hiding from him." "i'm not upset misty. how long have you been hiding in my room?" "always, sir. i must keep an eye on soft knock sounded at the door, and in thin air. harry turned a curious opened. he had been expecting this, into the room, carrying a tray with desk next to his bed.

harry potter, sir. he is my life." just then a the little house elf disappeared eye toward the door as his aunt pushed it but not so soon perhaps. she stepped sandwiches, fruit and juice, and sat it on the

"vernon had to go take some papers to his work," she said awkwardly. "i thought perhaps you might be hungry. you didn't eat much breakfast." "i never do, with dudley around," he mumbled, ignoring the look of disapproval on the woman's face. "thank you," he said after a moment of looking at her. with a soft smile curling his lips he added, "it makes my eyes misty to know how much you care." petunia gasped, then nearly fell on the bed beside him. "how...how long have you known?" she asked softly, her face turning much paler than normal. harry leaned back on his bed and pulled his arms across his chest. he thought for a few minutes, before deciding to take the easy way out. "why don't you start by telling me how long you've been a witch and neglected to tell anyone? does vernon know?" petunia gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. "heavens no! if he knew i could do...do..." "magic?" harry supplied for her, hearing the gasp from the woman at the sound of the word. petunia nodded, silently. "did you go to hogwarts as well as my mother?" harry asked, watching as the woman began wringing her hands in her lap. "no. i didn't know i could do any of that stuff, until she had...until she was gone. the night you were left here, i heard the doorbell ring. when i opened it, you were there. there was also a package with you. it had a note about what

had happened to your parents, and a few of their belongings; their wedding rings," she said, reaching into the pocket on her apron and pulling out two gold objects and handing them to him. harry eyed the rings with a sting of tears in his eyes. his mother's was a simple gold band attached to a beautiful gold and diamond solitaire, and his father's was just a thick band of gold. he closed his hands around them, feeling the warmth of his parents love radiating through him. "what else was there," he asked softly, placing his father's ring on his left hand and pulling the shoelace from his old trainer and slipping his mother's ring around it before tying it around his neck. "there was the usual, diapers, bottles, a few clothes, and wrapped up in piece of cloth was her wand. i was horrified at first. i was so afraid vernon would find it, so i hid it. the day after you arrived, i was changing your diapers; disgusted that fate had left you with me, when that little creature appeared out of nowhere. she said she was your nanny, and she was there to protect you. i didn't want you, i didn't want any part of your kind in my home, so i allowed her to stay and care for you, so long as vernon and dudley never knew about her. after you grew older, i realized there was really no room for her here, and that if you knew of her existence, you'd ask questions and i was not going to have you turning into one of them, so i ordered her to leave. she said she couldn't, she was owned by you and only you could free her. so instead i told her if she stayed, she would have to clean the house at night when nobody was awake." petunia took a deep breath and continued. "one night, when i couldn't sleep, i remembered her wand. i took it out of the hiding place and just held it. it felt warm in my hands, and i remembered her using it the night she brought him home for dinner, to meet our parents. i remembered the words she used, so i decided to try it. i was amazed that i could make it work for me. i don't use it very often, just when i have to prepare something exceptional. it's not like i'm using magic or anything, i'm just repeating what she did. i would never commit myself to doing anything that would make me like her." "i knew you were cold, but i never realized how heartless you could be," harry said, eying the woman, noticing the slight jarring of his closet door. "heartless? you have no idea what i had to endure, because of my sister," petunia shouted as she stood and began pacing the room. "she was always mother and father's favorite, the pretty, perfect lily. she was the smartest, the sweetest, and the most polite. when she married that potter, i knew there would be no end to raving from our parents. i hated her with every inch of my being. i didn't even cry when she died. i still don't when i think of her. she and that man got what they deserved." "what they deserved?" harry jumped from his bed, confronting his aunt with all the anger he hid within his soul. "they were murdered by a madman, who wants to control the world. i can hear her screams to save me, every night when i close my eyes. my parents died to protect me and to protect the likes of you." "they didn't protect me," petunia huffed. "i am not a part of that sort of life." "voldemort wants all muggles dead, and that includes you, vernon and your precious robust dudley. he wants to world to be returned to the control of the magical born, only. death will be a reward to what he will make you feel before he kills you. he will cause you more pain and misery then you could ever imagine. if you think my parents deserved to die, think of what you deserve."

harry stepped around the woman, opening the door and holding it open for her. the look in his eye warned her not to tempt his anger further. slowly she walked through the door, as harry stopped her with his words. "i want my mother's wand back, tonight," he announced, his tone filled with subdued anger. "it's not yours and you don't deserve it. furthermore, i am taking misty back to hogwarts with me. let's see how well you can manage without her." harry watched the look of shock and disbelief cross his aunt's features as he shut the door in her face. he turned back to the closet and watched as misty stepped cautiously out from her hiding place. "misty is so sorry, harry potter," she said, tears streaking down her face. "misty had no idea how badly those horrible people had treated him." "it's not your fault, misty, it's voldemort's. i hate him so badly, i want him dead." "please sir, you should not say such things. the dark lord is very bad, he can hurt harry potter, even kill him." "he's already hurt me, misty. there's very little else he can do to me now." "did sir mean what he said to that horrid woman?" misty asked, wringing the tail of her tea towel dress. "is harry potter truly taking misty back to school with him?" harry smiled softly at the little creature, placing a warm hand on her tiny shoulder. "yes, misty, i meant every word of it. you belong back with your own kind, and not here with these people. i just don't know how i'm going to explain you to hermione." "harry potter is ashamed of misty," the little creature squeaked, a tear escaping her large green eyes. harry instantly regretted his words, and reached out, lifting her chin and wiping her tears away. "no, misty, i'm not ashamed of you. it's just that my best friend thinks house elves should be free, and have rights. she's going to flip when she finds out i have you, and i haven't set you free." "please sir, misty does not want to be free. misty loves harry potter and she wants to stay with him forever." "don't worry misty, even if you are free, you'll still be with me. my parents trusted my care to you, which means i trust you. being free isn't such a bad thing you know? dobby likes his freedom. he works at hogwarts, and i'm sure dumbledore will let you work there as well, if you'd like. that way, you'll have a place to live and still be near me." "misty will stay with harry potter, but she does not want to be free. misty loves being harry potter's house elf." "well, just don't take offence to my friend's insistence that i set you free, all right. she's quite adamant about house elf rights." "harry potter has some strange friends, sir," misty said with a slight frown. harry laughed openly for the fist time in weeks. "that i have, misty, but there are none more loyal or more worthy of having. i

couldn't have survived the past five years without them." "then harry potter is very lucky." "more then you'll ever know," harry said, looking out the window, mentally counting the days until he could go back home and be with his friends. read? review! author notes: thank you everyone who reviewed. i hope i don't disappoint any of you. keep reading and reviewing. i love to hear what you have to say. one thing, for those concerned about my writing harry as an "athlete", consider he is growing up and if he expects to defeat voldemort, he will need all the physical strength and wizard skills he can muster. thanks again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter three nightfall seemed warmer tonight than it had for the past three weeks. harry sat in his desk chair lifting the cans of rocks he used as weights, sweat rolling down his face and bare chest. he was still irritated from his conversation with his aunt earlier that day, and found exercise to be a great release for his frustration. since discovering misty, harry was amazed at how quickly she felt comfortable popping in and out of his room. so far today, she had brought him sweets from honeydukes and sandwiches from diagon alley. finally harry had become so irritated with her constant interruptions of his studying, that he sent her back to diagon alley to purchase him a new pair of trainers and some parchment for letters; anything to get rid of her for a little while. at last, he was able to be alone, and concentrate on something other than spells, hexes and curses. his mind began to wonder from everything his aunt had said to him earlier that day, to voldemort and what he had seen. it had been an entire day, and still harry hadn't heard anything from either dumbledore or any of the members of the order. his usual arrival of the daily prophet that morning said nothing about the prison being emptied, which was highly unusual. something of this magnitude would surely hit the papers, even if the ministry tried to hush it up. harry had become so frustrated with pacing his room that he finally chose to do something constructive. since he had slept through his routine of running this morning, he chose to workout in his small room. after completing his usual five hundred sit-ups, and forcing himself to accomplish another five hundred pushups, he began working on his arms, chest, shoulders and back. he was just about through his tenth set of twenty arm curls, when the front door bell rang. harry knew the door couldn't be any of his relatives coming home, as his aunt and uncle were in the sitting room downstairs. he had heard, as did the neighbors, the earlier argument about the progress of supper. harry smiled again as he remembered the course of the fight. apparently his aunt had used her sister's magic more than she wanted to claim, and was now forced to rely on her own skills to prepare the evening meal, since harry had gained ownership of his mother's wand. the smells of burnt food still lingered in the air, even though it had been thrown out over four hours ago, and pizza had been delivered shortly thereafter. harry also knew his cousin was home, since his walls had been vibrating with the sound of loud music for the past hour and a half. with the sound of the doorbell, dudley finally shut off his stereo and stomped his

way from his room and down the stairs. harry was relieved that at last, he was able to think without his head feeling like a set of voodoo drums were exploding between his ears. a sudden scream from his aunt, alerted harry to the dangers below. he quickly retrieved his wand, throwing the door open and running down the steps two at a time. he turned the corner to the kitchen, wand raised, shirtless, sweaty and somewhat out of breath. inside sat a pale-faced aunt petunia, uncle vernon standing over her fanning her face with a dishtowel, his own face purple, the veins on his neck sticking out worse then normal. cowering in the corner beside the refrigerator was the porkley-sized figure of dudley, his face nearly as white as his mother's, his hands holding securely to his backside. in the middle of the room stood the dark cloaked figures of remus lupin, mad-eye moody, the green haired tonks, and arthur weasley. they all turned to eye harry as he rushed into the room, eyeing his state of attire and his wand held tightly, pointing directly at them. "it's nice to see you, too, harry," lupin commented with a light voice. "my word, harry," tonks began, eyeing the young man's physic. "summer has definitely been good to you, hasn't it?" harry felt the rush of embarrassment, realizing by the way tonks stared at him, that he had neglected to put a shirt on, and last year's jeans were tighter than they had been a few weeks ago. he looked at mr. weasley, and then to moody, aware that he should lower his wand, but a tiny warning in the back of his mind told him to stand alert. "smart boy," moody said, as though reading harry's thoughts. "never let your guard down, even if you think you know whom you're up against." "this is ridiculous," tonks insisted, still admiring harry's bare chest. "he knows who were are." "do i?" harry asked, his eyes narrowing on the woman. tonks was taken back by the sudden suspicion in the young man's eyes. "harry, put the wand away, son," mr. weasley ordered gently, taking a step toward him. harry turned his attention to the man he considered a father, feeling a twinge of guilt for having him at bay, but knowing he wouldn't relent until he knew for sure they were, who they claimed to be. "why are you here?" harry demanded, his attention still on mr. weasley, who stopped his approach when he realized the boy wasn't backing down. "dumbledore sent us," mr. weasley told him. "he got hermione's owl about the prison, and ordered us to pick you up," informed lupin. "if that's true, then tell me how i got in touch with hermione?" harry asked, knowing he had to have answers before he'd relent his stance. "by fellytone," mr. weasley answered. "you mean funnybone," tonks tried to correct. harry lowered his wand and smiled, relief washing over him. "you had better explain yourself, right now, boy," ordered uncle vernon.

"watch what you say to him, muggle," moody growled, turning to face the round purple man, his magic eye swiveling throughout the room, inspecting every corner of the house. "now see here, this is my house, and i demand you all just leave at once," vernon insisted, glaring from one to the other of the room's occupants. "we'll leave when we know it's safe," lupin explained, taking a seat across from petunia and crossing his legs. "what do you mean, safe?" vernon asked, his face deepening, making his face appear to be a giant bruise. "the prison of azkaban has been emptied," tonks explained. "the death eaters are on the loose and looking for trouble. that usually means, they're out to kill innocent muggles, and as you are muggles...well, need i say more." "this is all your fault, boy, you and those freakish parents of yours," vernon growled bitterly. "i knew we should have turned you out, when you were left on our doorstep. because of you, we now have these...these, eaters of death after us." "harry potter may be your only salvation, muggle," moody insisted with a quiet tone that held more warning than any shout ever could. "james and lily potter fought against the death eaters, and were killed as a result of trying to protect your world," lupin told vernon, his eyes locking with the fat man's. "harry has confronted voldemort more times then you could imagine, and has walked away each time," tonks added, anger lacing her usually friendly demeanor. "he's more a hero then you would ever dream, and still you treat him like an outcast. harry potter is the-boy-who-lived; the only one voldemort fears next to dumbledore, so i'd watch my mouth around him if i were you," "balderdash," vernon growled. "the-boy-who-lived? the-boy-who-intruded, is more like it." "harry was a baby when his parents were killed, and because of his mother's love for him, he was able to defeat voldemort when he was only a year old," arthur weasley picked up where tonks had left off. "now voldemort has returned, and it's up to harry to protect the world from him, yours and ours. that's a lot to ask of a young man, and still you act as though he were an outsider. he is your nephew, man. is your heart so cold that you can't even treat him right, because of that?" "enough of this," moody insisted. "we're here until it's clear to leave, so you three might as well accept it. harry, you and tonks go get your things together. we'll need to leave the instant we get the all clear." harry nodded, eyeing his aunt and uncle for a brief moment, before turning to leave the room. he knew what his life meant, he knew the responsibility that was his to shoulder, yet hearing it from someone else's mouth, seemed to make it all the more real, and all the more depressing. "you really had me worried there for a minute, harry," tonks told him, as she helped him pack his belongings. "sorry," he told her with a slight blush to his otherwise handsome features. he

crawled under the bed, retrieving his hidden items before turning back to the green haired woman. "why didn't the daily prophet have news of the prison this morning?" "because it was still occupied," tonks told him. "the alert of the escapes came down just a few hours ago. a few prisoners were recaptured and are in holding at the ministry, but the dementors have turned sides, just as you told hermione." "how is that possible?" harry asked, pulling a dark blue jumper across his expanded shoulders. "i saw bellatrix telling voldemort about it yesterday." "i don't know, harry, but maybe dumbledore can explain it when we get to grimmauld place." "will dumbledore be there?" "probably. he has been there all day, all the members have." harry sat down on the end of his bed. his thoughts turned to sirius. he didn't know if he could return to his godfather's house, knowing he wouldn't be there waiting. tonks, seeing the look on his face, and knowing the grief the boy had yet to confront, sat down and placed a warm arm around his shoulders. "we're all there, harry. it's what sirius wanted. he asked that the house remain with the order, if anything were to happen to him." "i don't know if i can go back there," he told her honestly, his voice shaking slightly with hidden emotion. "it's my fault he's dead." "harry you can't believe that?" "it is, tonks," harry told her, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. "if i had just practiced my lessons like i was told to, if i had listened to hermione, or had more confidence in snape to confide in him, he'd still be alive. he gave me a two-way mirror for christmas last year, and i didn't even open it until he was gone. if i had, i could have contact sirius and found out it was all a set up, and he'd still be alive. maybe voldemort would have been captured that night." "you have to let go of this harry, before it eats you alive. things happen for a reason, i know they do. there's a reason why this happened, and even though we're not clear on the reason right now, we have to look for it." "i'm all alone, tonks. he was all the family i had. everyone i've ever loved has been taken from me, because of voldemort. i want him dead so badly, i can taste it." "revenge can be a dangerous ally, harry, don't let it consume you. you also need to understand, you're not alone. what about the weasleys? they love you as a part of their family, and lupin, he loves you as a son, dumbledore loves you as a grandson, and i used to love you as a brother, but looking at you today, i'm almost sorry you're not a few years older." tonks ended with a smile and a wink, causing harry to blush again. with a chuckle, she stood up and held her hand out to him, happy that he took it and stood beside her. "you'll never be alone, harry. and it's not because you're the-boy-who-lived, but because you are harry...our harry...the-boy-we-love." harry chuckled, and accepted the hug she offered him, feeling for the first time in quite awhile, what true affection was.

"thanks, tonks," he said, as he bent down and gathered the last of his belongings, tossing them in his trunk and latching the lock. he picked up his broomstick and the two of them carried his trunk and hedwig's cage downstairs, having let the snowy owl out with instructions to meet them at grimmauld place. they joined the others in the kitchen, looking around with fascination as mr. weasley was examining every item in aunt petunia's kitchen with deep interest. dudley had remained hidden, as much as a small elephant could in a sterile white kitchen, his hands still tucked behind him. aunt petunia and uncle vernon were seated at the table, glaring at the occupants, as lupin made small talk about the weather, the price of milk and the news coming from the television in the sitting room. moody paced silently around the room, continually looking outside in the night sky. harry set his trunk down on the floor and looked around the room. his interest was mainly on moody, remembering how traveling last year had been, he quickly removed his traveling cloak from his trunk and tossed it on the back of one of the chairs, to wait their departure. the room was thick with tension, as the television signaled an emergency alert test. moody listened to it with interest for a several seconds, his magic eye focused solely on the screen, as though seeing something that wasn't there. he then turned his attention to the sky outside, seeing an odd flash above the houses like lightening, in the clear sky. 'it's time," he said, walking toward harry. "tonks, signal the night bus." "we're not going by brooms?" harry asked, a little taken back by the change in moody's manner, as tonks stepped down the hallway and outside. "not all of us," moody answered, turning to arthur weasley who was no sticking his head in the dishwasher, while pushing the buttons. "what do you mean?" harry asked, watching lupin stand and walk to his side, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "moody feels it necessary to have a decoy. you, tonks and moody are going by night bus, while arthur and i will take your belongings by broom." "tie his trunk on the end of his broom, and...weasley! are you paying attention?" moody snapped, causing mr. weasley to hit his head roughly on the top of the dishwasher, as he stood up out of it, rubbing his aching bald head. "do you still have that broom of yours harry?" harry lifted his firebolt up from where he'd laid it, next to his trunk, watching as moody's magic eye quickly scanned it, before turning back to the sky outside. "good, then let's go," he ordered, hearing tonks return through the front door. arthur stopped harry from leaving with a strong hand on his elbow, and then turned back to his oversized relatives. "you are to pick harry up at the train station at the end of the school year, as usual," he ordered, seeing the anger rise further in vernon's cheeks. "he'll be at school or with us the rest of the year, and i expect you to send him a decent present for christmas this year. he is after all, your only nephew. you could try and show him a little appreciation for that at least." the group divided, going their separate ways. harry, tonks and moody stepped out the front door and stopped near the night bus, as moody's magic eye scanned the area. mr. weasley and lupin lingered briefly in the air above them, until moody signaled them to leave, then flew off with harry's broom, trunk and hedwig's cage in tow.

"well, 'ello there 'arry potter," said stan shunpike, the big eared conductor. "hey stan," harry said, stepping in between tonks and moody. stan gave a low whistle as he watched tonks board the bus, admiring her slim figure and pretty face. " 'ello, 'ello," he said, tipping his cap to her as she stopped behind ernie, the driver and turned to make certain harry was boarding all right. "the name's stan," he continued, ignoring the sniff of disaproval from moody who stepped up unseen behind him. "i'll be your conductor, if there's anythin' at all you need, don't hesitate to ask." "we won't need anything, other than your attention on the road," moody snarled, causing stan to jump back, nearly falling into ernie's lap, when he looked at the man with half a nose, and swiveling magic eye. moody reached forward, placing several pieces of gold in the boy's trembling hand. "anyone on the upper levels?" moody asked, watching the boy as he struggled to regain his composure. "only a witch, what's headin' to scotland," he answered, clearing his voice as he tried to sound stronger than he truly was. "where?" moody demanded. "top level. i'm sure she's sleepin' though. haven't heard much from her since she boarded couple of hours ago." "up the stairs harry, and stay away from the windows," moody ordered, starting to walk behind the boy and green haired woman. he stopped suddenly, his eye focusing on stan from the back of his head. "no one is to know we're on board, is that understood?" stan nodded, looking at harry briefly as he stopped with his hand on the railing leading up the stairs. the night bus was unusual in many ways, mainly that there were no seats, only large brass beds and candles to light the area. on the second level, harry and tonks found the beds empty, situated on the outer walls, and pulled the curtains across the windows shut, then sat down on them. harry suddenly felt the lack of sleep catching up to him, and he kicked his shoes off, leaning backwards on the bed, watching as moody sat on the edge of the bed opposite him, his magic eye scanning the upper deck. harry felt a sudden weight being lifted from his shoulders as the bus sped off towards the east. he felt he was finally able to relax. the presence of tonks and moody were enough to help ease the tension left behind from another year at the dursleys. harry sighed, thinking about what mr. weasley had told them. he would be back next summer, even though the thought nearly made him scream in frustration. sensing his thoughts, tonks rolled over on the bed where she laid, her head resting in her hand. "you do realize, harry, that you only have one more summer with those people, before you're of age and can do what you want with your life?" harry looked at her and blinked. that was right, he would be sixteen tomorrow, and that meant that after seventh year was over, he'd be on his own. then a thought came to him. would he even have a life to look forward to? would he even live to see the end of seventh year? harry rolled onto his back, and looked up at the ceiling of the bus, watching the

shadows from the candles dance across the darkness. he had lived for so long, not knowing what tomorrow would bring, hoping for some sort of rescue from his horrible relatives, only to discover he was a wizard, and at last felt he had found a home at hogwart's. now, he was facing the thoughts of having to leave that home after next year, if voldemort didn't attack it and kill everyone within its walls first. fatigue finally demanded attention, causing harry's eyes to close, his mind empty of all thoughts as he drifted into a peaceful slumber. he could feel himself on the familiar cloud, drifting him far away, the light of the sun slowly sinking into the horizon, as twilight promised a warm day's end. harry saw a large old home, three, no four floors, pealing paint on the outside walls, windows boarded up and the ground surrounding it looking dead and long neglected. he walked through the shadows of the past, seeing the tombstones of those long gone. something about this place looked familiar, as he passed one grave-marker after another. he stopped short at the sight of a fresh grave, and looked at the name on the gleaming stone marking the deceased. he tried to read it, but could only make out the first few words, here lies the body of nar..., but then the rest faded as if in a mist before his eyes. he stood and looked around him, recognizing the place, but unable to remember it fully. he turned started walking away, when a tortured scream echoed from the house nearby. harry felt a sudden urge to run, baring all his weight and newly acquired talent for speed to take him up the front steps of the house, through the old warped door and into a dark hallway beyond. in a room, dark and familiar, harry could see the hooded figures of the room's occupants; death eaters. they were gathered around a lone figure of a person, crouching on the floor between them. he tried to push past, eager to see who it was they were looking at, when the cold hissing voice of voldemort echoed through the stillness of the room. "how dare you turn against me," hissed the dark lord, his tone cold and filled with hatred. "you of all people know, once you have joined my forces, it is for life. now the final dues are owed to me." voldemort nodded to one lonecloaked figure next to him, and harry watched as the figure stepped forward, his hand wrapped around his wand. he pointed it at the figure, and harry watched as the pale head of a woman raised, the fear in her voice as she began to beg the death eater for mercy. without relenting the robed man raised his hand, pointed his wand full force and whispered the words, harry still heard nightly in his dreams, "avada kedavra." harry watched in horror as the light shot out from the tip of the hooded figure's wand, striking its victim, killing her in an instant, her last breath escaping in the form of a scream, that left harry's ears ringing with an all too familiar sound. wide eyed, harry looked up at the woman's executioner, watching as if in slow motion as he lowered his hood, looking down at the lifeless form before him, his cold gray eyes staring, unemotionally. harry gasped, screaming out the name of the woman's murderer: "lucius malfoy!" he screamed, sitting up immediately, his head throbbing, his scar feeling as though his head were being ripped in two. harry grabbed his head, nearly screaming in his own agony. he could feel his stomach wrenching, as the bus twisted and swerved through the night streets. harry was nearly certain he was going to loose whatever contents he had eaten that day, laying back on the bed with a loud groan. he felt the warmth of another person sitting next to him, responding to the touch on his arm, he looked up into the concerned eyes of the green haired tonks.

"harry, are you all right?" she asked, worry and fear etching her usually friendly tone. "harry speak to me." harry tried to form the words, but nothing came out, he tried to speak but his throat was dry and the bile in his stomach burning in his chest. "potter, eat this," moody ordered, pressing a piece of chocolate against his lips. harry did as ordered, fighting to swallow the sweet object. a few minutes passed by, before the pain from his scar started to subside, his stomach relaxing its clenching sensation. he opened his eyes slowly, adjusting them to the dimly lit surroundings. he stared up at tonks, and then looked to moody, who was sitting on the other side of him. struggling to sit, harry realized what it was he had eaten. "i thought chocolate only worked with dementors," harry said in a weak tone. "chocolate works for several maladies," moody told him, his magical eye focusing on harry for several seconds before twisting and scanning the area once again. "what happened, harry?" tonks asked, her hand still resting comfortably on his shoulder. harry focused on the vision, trying to remember the sequence of events. "i saw a grave of someone, but i couldn't read the name on it. then i heard a woman scream and i ran to an old house," he began, feeling as if he was offering only small pieces of the story. "there was a room filled with death eaters, and voldemort was torturing a woman." "who was it?" tonks asked softly. harry shook his head. "i couldn't see her face, but she had pale blond hair. she was on the floor between them. voldemort ordered a death eater to kill her and he just did it, not even acknowledging her pleas for mercy. she was begging for her life, and he just pointed his wand and said..." harry couldn't repeat the words that still raked his soul. he had heard voldemort using those same words on his mother, every night in his dreams, and still he couldn't bring himself to say them. tonks looked to moody, who stared down at harry. he could see concern etched in his one normal eye, and harry felt a sudden fear race through him. he remembered what they had said about the prison being emptied, long after harry had seen bellatrix and voldemort discussing it. had this also be a vision of the future? could this murder be stopped? "you woke up screaming out lucius malfoy's name," moody informed him. "why?" harry thought back for a moment, remembering the death eater lowering his hood. harry paled as he remembered the cold, evil look in his eyes. "it was him," harry whispered. "he killed that woman, as if she was nothing more than a bug on the sidewalk. he just pointed his wand and spoke the killing curse." harry lowered himself back to the pillow on the bed, closing his eyes to the sights dancing before him. was this how it had been for his mother and father? had voldemort just spoke the curse and walked away, like it never happened? harry felt the familiar stir of bile rise from his stomach again, as the bus came to a halt. "we're here," stan shouted up to them. moody rose first from the bed, gathering his cloak and walking ahead of them down the stairs.

"stay here," he ordered. "i'll let you know if the coast is clear." harry sat up on the edge of the bed, thankful that the pain in his head had stopped. he reached for his shoes, tying them back on his feet, before standing on shaking legs. "are you all right, harry?" tonks asked, motherly concern etched across her delicate features. harry tried to smile, but found the attempt difficult. "no, but i'll survive," he told her. "it's all right, come on," moody called up to them. harry and tonks walked down the stairs to the exit, and smiled at stan and ernie. "all right there, 'arry?" stan asked, concern shining across his face. harry smiled at him and nodded. "fine," he said. "and thanks for the ride." "take care of yourself, now 'arry," stan ordered. "don't want to hear no more bad stuff about you in the daily prophet." harry chuckled. was there anything bad left to say about him, that hadn't already been written? the three stood on the sidewalk, watching as the bus disappeared back into the night, before turning to where they knew number twelve grimmauld place was hidden. harry remembered what this had been like last year, and prepared himself for the appearance of his godfather's home, as he thought the words that would make the house appear. "the headquarters of the order of the phoenix may be found at number twelve, grimmauld place, london." harry waited as the door appeared between number eleven and thirteen, before he stepped toward it with tonks and moody as his guard. a feeling of regret and grief rose inside him, as he heard the numerous bolts and locks turn at the knock from moody's wand. he knew what lie within the hidden house and he dreaded coming face to face with mrs. black's painting and kreacher, the treacherous house elf who told bellatrix about sirius. within a few moments, mrs. weasley appeared within the small opening. behind her, harry could see the tall red haired image of ron, who was eagerly smiling at his friend, and next to him stood an equally happy hermione. mrs. weasley placed her finger across her lips to silence them, then stepped aside to allow them all to enter. once inside, she escorted them past the covered portrait of mrs. black and into the kitchen, whispering orders to ron to take harry's trunk upstairs to the bedroom. the kitchen was much as harry remembered it, large, warm and filled with the aroma of cooking foods. the chair at the end of the table, where sirius sat remained empty, and harry felt a lump grow inside his throat as he stared at it. the whole house seemed to take on a sudden emptiness and harry had to fight to contain his memories and sorrow. he hadn't cried since sirius had vanished through the veil and he wasn't about to start now. "sit down," mrs. weasley ordered. "you must all be starving. i've kept dinner for warm for you." the three of them did as ordered, as lupin and arthur weasley

joined them from the other room. moody frowned at them, when they joined them at the table. "what are you doing here so soon," moody growled. "you were supposed to take detours to confuse anyone watching you leave." "calm down moody," lupin interrupted, taking the cup of tea mrs. weasley offered him. "we did take detours, every twenty minutes, just as you told us. we just hurried along the way." "right, no point in dawdling," mr. weasley told him cheerfully, receiving a glare from the deformed man across from. harry and tonks eagerly began eating, feeling as if they hadn't had a meal in a week. even harry felt his appetitive coming alive, having endured very little in the way of meals while at the dursley's. mrs. weasley frowned at the way harry scarphed down his meal, drinking the pumpkin juice with vigor. "i don't like the way those relatives of yours feeds you," she insisted, refilling his glass for him. "i have half a mind to teach them a thing or two, about raising growing boys." "i think they know how, considering the size of that cousin of harry's," mr. weasley pointed out. "i think he must have had most of harry's portions for the past year, all in one week's span of time." "those people had best hope, i never get a chance to speak with them," mrs. weasley grumbled. "i can think of a curse or two i'd like to teach them." "you don't need to worry, mrs. weasley," harry told her, suddenly looking up from his plate. "i think my aunt has a curse of her own for her family to endure." "harry, you didn't use magic, did you?" lupin scolded. harry looked up, his innocent eyes conveying his honesty. "no, i didn't," he told him. "she did it herself." "what do you mean, harry?" moody asked, seeing the smile cross over harry's features. "i learned late one night, completely by accident mind you, that my aunt has had the aid of a house elf at her disposal, as well as my mother's wand," he clarified, watching the expressions cross each of their faces. "she remembered a spell my mother used once to create a meal for her parents, when she brought my father to meet them, and decided to use it for her own benefit. the house elf was mine as a child, and came to her shortly after taking me in." "i'll have to tell dumbledore about all of this," mr. weasley insisted. harry glanced to him, reaching for his pumpkin juice. "i'm sure he'll have a thing or two to discuss with your aunt and uncle." "that won't be necessary, mr. weasley," harry told him. "how's that, harry?" moody asked, watching him with both his eyes. harry chuckled softly, taking a drink from his glass. "because i am now in possession of both objects. i confronted her about them, and demanded their return. she claims she rarely used my mother's wand, but

after smelling the results of her attempts at making a roast muggle-style, i'd say my cousin and uncle are about to go a very strict diet." the room burst into sudden laughter, as they all thought of how this woman would survive now with the lack of magic in their perfectly sculptures, muggle home. "what was your uncle's response to her loosing the wand?" mr. weasley asked, receiving an almost evil look from the young man. "he doesn't know anything about it." "you mean, she's been using magic all these years, and he's never caught on to it?" tonks asked in astonishment. "that's rich," lupin added, with a laugh. "after the way they treated you because of your magical blood, to find out the only way they have all they do, is because of magic. i can't wait to see what their lives will be like come this time next year." "care to wager who will loose the most weight, between now and then?" tonks asked lupin with a glint in her eye. "hey harry," ron said, returning from taking interrupting the current conversation. "have the house team. dumbledore told us today the you, has been lifted. you're back on, mate!" amazed that he hadn't thought about quiddich

his best friend's trunk upstairs and you heard? you're back on band that old bat umbridge placed on harry blinked several times, even once, since summer began.

"that's great," harry said, the thrill of excitment edging its way back into his numb mind. "we'll be unbeatable, with you back on the team," ginny announced, as she and hermione joined the group. talk of school and quiddich consumed the conversation for over half an hour, until dinner was finished and the table cleared. it was nearly two in the morning before mrs. weasley ordered everyone off to bed. harry stood up and looked around the room. "i thought dumbledore was going to be here?" he asked, watching mrs. weasley as she cleared the table. "he will be in a few hours, harry dear," she told him, glancing up to him. "he had to go to the ministry and discuss a few things with fudge. don't worry, he'll be here when you wake up. now, off to bed with the lot of you. tomorrow's a busy day." "all right mum," ron said, tugging on harry's arm, as they left the room, followed close behind by hermione and ginny. once out of sight, and tucked securely into ron's room, the three began pounding harry with questions. "did you really know about the prison before it was emptied?" ron asked him, watching the expression cross harry's face. "i know it's weird," harry said. "but i honestly don't know how i did it. it all seemed so real at the time. and there's something else," harry hesitated telling them about the vision he'd had on the night bus. the three of them waited as he cleared his throat. "what is it, mate?" ron asked, the look of concern and fear etching his face.

"i had another vision, on the way here," he told them, watching he expression cross their faces. "i saw lucius malfoy killing a woman, and a recent grave." "who was it?" hermione asked, her tone soft, as though afraid to awaken the house ghosts. "i don't know, i didn't see her face. but he just did it, no questions, no second thoughts, he didn't even blink, he just pointed his wand and issued the killing curse. it was horrible." "who's grave was it, harry?" ginny asked, watching him closely as he shook his head. "all i could make out was the letters nar. i couldn't read the rest of it." the four sat in silence, until they hear the footsteps of mrs. weasley echoing up the stairs. hermione and ginny quickly and quietly stepped out of the room, and hurried across the hall. harry and ron waited in silence when they heard mrs. weasley stop by their door, then began to breath again when they heard her walk away. harry felt more fatigued now, then he had on the bus. he quickly stripped off his clothes, crawling into bed in only his boxers, a habit he had began earlier that summer, when he realized his pajamas were too tight around his shoulders and legs. "holy warts, harry!" ron said as he watched his friend crawl into bed. "what happened to you? you look like of those models in witches and wizards unleashed." harry chuckled at his friend's obvious comparison to his recently developed form and the naughty magazine of fred and george's they had found one night in fourth year. "i've been running every day and working out with weighted cans. i have to be ready for my battle with voldemort," he told him, watching his slight twinge at the mention of the dark lord's name, for the first time in quiet a while. "you look like you run around the bloody country every day," ron grumbled. "no, just five kilometers a morning." harry turned to his friend, watching as he folded his arms across his chest, the grunt of irritation snorted from him. "what's wrong?" he asked, aware of ron's total disapproval of his new habit. ron remained quiet for a few minutes, before turning on his side and resting his head in his hand. "you're going to think i'm mental," ron began softly, picking at some fuzz on the blanket pulled up across his chest. "what is it?" harry watched his friend's expression turn from a bright pink, to a deep red that ran from his neckline to his ears. "it's just that, i sort of like someone, and with you looking like that, i'll never get a shot." "why would my being physically active have anything to do with you getting your girl? it is a girl, isn't it?" ron grabbed his pillow and tossed it roughly at his friend. harry chuckled, blocking the propelled object. "so, who is it?" he didn't think it was possible, but ron actually seemed to turn a brighter shade of red. "i don't want to tell you," he said with a slight smile. "you'll laugh at me."

"i'll bet i can guess who it is," harry told him, watching as ron continued to pick at the fuzz on the blanket. "have you told hermione you're in love with her, yet?" ron looked up at his friend with a deep shocked expression. "how'd you know?" he asked him. harry couldn't help but laugh this time, tossing the pillow back across to ron. "are you kidding? everyone knows you've had a thing for her, since second year, when she was petrified." "do you think she knows? i'd be horrified if she knew i liked her." "why? i'm pretty sure she feels the same about you. just ask her out, already. we're going to diagon alley soon, you can make that your first date, sort of a casual start." "do you think she'd say yes? i mean, what if she doesn't want to go with me? she's our best friend, and i don't want to loose that. besides, who'll help me with my homework if she says no?" harry chuckled again, laying down in bed and pulling the blankets across him. "she won't say no, if you do it right. just don't' get her angry with you." "sure, like that will be easy. she's always angry with me." "go to sleep, ron. i'm sure you'll think of a way to ask her, tomorrow." the two were silent for a few minutes, and just as harry was about to drift off into sleep, ron's voice brought him back to reality. "harry," he whispered. "could you ask her out for me?" "what if she thinks i'm asking her out for myself? i could you know, and i might if you don't. just think, all i have to do is take off my shirt and she'll be putty in my hands." "harry, you wouldn't do that would you?" harry chuckled and rolled over, offering ron his back. "don't worry ron, i love hermione, but nothing like that. now go to sleep." "hey harry," ron whispered again. "i'm glad you're here. it's been a long summer without you, mate." harry closed his eyes tighter, thanking whatever spirits brought him and the weasleys together. only with them, did he really feel like he belonged. read? review! author notes: thank you all so very much for r/r. please keep reading and reviewing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter four harry awoke to a strange sensation of being watched. he'd had a restless night, his dreams kept going back to his vision of malfoy, but instead of seeing the pale woman on the floor, he could see his mother instead, begging to spare her

young son's life. harry couldn't help but wonder what would have happened, if voldemort had chosen neville instead of him. would he have had his parents? would he have still gone to hogwart's? what about the weasleys, would they still have treated him as a member of their family? so many thoughts raced through his mind upon opening his eyes, that he nearly jumped out of bed when he turned over and saw misty sitting on the edge, watching him sleep. "good morning harry potter," she said softly, her hands wringing the tea towel dress she wore. "misty has new shoes for harry potter, as he asked." harry suddenly remembered he had sent her to diagon alley, and hadn't told her when he left the dursleys. this whole owning house elf stuff, was going to be a big adjustment for him. "misty, i am so sorry," he told her, sitting up in bed and glancing briefly toward ron, who snored softly in the bed next to him. "the advanced guard came last night after you left, and brought me here. i didn't know how to get in touch with you to tell you." "misty knows sir," she said with a soft smile. "misty always knows where harry potter is. it is her job to protect harry potter." "what's going on?" ron asked, rolling over, having heard voices in the still morning air. he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and stared at misty, who seemed suddenly very shy and worried. "who are you?" he asked, with a yawn. "ron, this is misty, my parents house elf. misty, this is my best friend ron weasley." misty lowered her large eyes and smiled shyly to the red haired boy. "misty is pleased to meet you, sir," she said in a soft squeaky voice. "misty is so happy to know harry potter has best friends." "thanks," ron answered, swinging his legs over the bed and staring at harry. "does hermione know you have a house elf?" he asked with a frown. harry shook his. "not yet, but it's only a matter of time before she finds out. misty is determined to stay with me at hogwart's." "no kidding? you'll be the only student with his own house elf. hey, maybe she can sneak in and booby trap snape's office for us," ron and harry laughed and misty looked suddenly horrified. "misty cannot do harm to any wizard, sir," she whispered. "she is forbidden." "relax misty," harry told her, sitting up in his bed. "ron was just kidding." "yeah, hey matter." a misty fell at her and

look, i wouldn't do anything to get you into trouble. or me for that soft knock on the bedroom door, made harry and ron look up, as to the floor and began backing away, towards the closet. harry looked smiled. it was about time people found out about her, he thought.

"misty, stay. it's all right." misty stopped in her progress to hide, and harry turned his attention to their visitors, as ginny and hermione poked their heads into the room. ron suddenly turned the shade of a raspberry preserves, and pulled the blankets back across him, and harry chuckles softly, knowing their visitors were the reason for his sudden embarrassment, or at least one of them.

"hey, good morning," the girls chimed in together, as they entered the room. hermione immediately sat on the end of ron's bed, and looked at the little house elf trying to hide herself near the foot of harry's bed. "hello," she said sweetly. "who are you?" "hermione, i want you to meet misty," harry began with a smile. "she's my house elf." hermione's smile turned instantly to a frown of disapproval. "harry potter, are you telling me you own a house elf? haven't you even listened to me the past two years? house elves should not be bought and sold like pieces of furniture. how could you have a house elf, and not free her?" "easy hermione," harry told her with a raised hand, as ginny sat gingerly on the end of his bed, watching the two with interest. "for beginners, i didn't even know i had a house elf until this summer, when i found my aunt with her. misty was mine when i was a baby, and since my aunt didn't have the authority to free her, she made her clean the house when everyone was asleep. secondly, i did offer to free her, but misty doesn't want to be free. she's been with me since i was born, and to be honest, she's the last connection i have to my parents. i'm not so sure if i want to let her go." "but harry, she has rights," argued hermione adamantly. "she doesn't deserve to be a slave, even to you." "misty is not a slave, miss," the little house elf interrupted. "harry potter's parents made misty a part of their family, a gift to her when harry potter was born. that is why misty must stay with harry potter. she is his only family." "misty, you never told me this," harry said, watching as she slowly walked around the edge of the bed toward him. "misty is sorry, sir," she said sweetly. "harry potter was surprised when he found out about misty, so she thought he would need time to adjust to knowing her first. misty is not a slave, she is harry potter's nanny. it was her job to care for him, and when his parents died, misty was so scared for harry potter, that she told dumbledore. misty was never a slave, sir. mr. potter found misty after he-who-must-not-be-named killed her family. she was alone, and mr. potter took her in. he saved her life and cared for her. it was misty's pleasure to be with the potters." "what was my dad like," harry suddenly asked, not really knowing where the question had come from. misty climbed up on the bed next to him, and put her hand on his. "harry potter is much like both his parents, but probably more like his mum. mr. potter was very kind, very good. he loved his family very much. he would always hug and kiss mrs. potter and when he had to go away on business, he would always bring her and misty a gift when he came home. mrs. potter was very happy, especially when harry potter was born. they both were. misty remembers mr. potter sending out owls to everyone, telling them he had a son. even that horrible miss petunia got an owl. mr. potter had a big party for harry potter, when he was born. everyone was happy then." "i wish i could remember them," harry said sadly, thinking back on the only thing he knew of his parents, the cries of their deaths. "mrs. potter would sing and rock harry potter every night," misty continued, tears

welling in her bright green eyes. "mr. potter bought harry potter a golden snitch when he was born. this one," misty said, pulling the small golden object out of a hidden pocket within her tea towel. harry took it gingerly, watching as it stretched it's wings and lifted in his hands, buzzing softly around him. "mr. potter said harry potter would be the greatest seeker in hogwart's." "and he was right," ron said, brushing a tear from his cheek. harry's throat closed around the lump that suddenly developed and for a time, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to breath again. "thank you misty," harry finally said, catching the snitch and closing it tightly in the folds of his hand. harry felt warmth spread through his hand and up his arm to his heart. he had something that his father had once given him. he had fulfilled his father's wish for him, and had become a great seeker. "harry potter needs breakfast," misty said suddenly, jumping down from the bed. "misty will get breakfast for him." "i think mrs. weasley has probably already made it," harry told her. "then misty will help her finish it for harry potter. misty will bring it to him." "no, misty. i'd rather eat downstairs, but you can help mrs. weasley if you'd like. just tell you i told you, you could." misty smiled and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her. the room's occupants sat silently, thinking about what the little house elf had told them. a soft popping sound echoed through the room, as fred and george appeared from thin air. they were dressed in muggle clothes of jeans, tee shirts and dragon hide boots, and their capes had been thrown across their shoulders haphazard. "she's right you know, harry," fred said with a friendly smile. "you are the greatest seeker in hogwart's." "how long were you listening?" he asked, seeing the soft blush from both twins. "long enough," george answered. "well, will you take a look at our conquering hero?" fred said, changing the subject and walking to ginny, ruffling her bright red hair. "looks like someone's been working out." "a little," he said, placing the snitch he still held inside the drawer between his and ron's bed. harry glanced up and saw the look on his friend's face, remembering the conversation they had the night before. clearing his throat, he looked toward hermione and ginny, both were blushing profusely. "if you two can give us a few minutes, we'll get dressed and meet you for breakfast," harry suggested, and both girls stood and quickly left the room. "you know little brother," george began with a wicked smile. "if you want hermione to take notice in you, maybe you should start running with harry there." "were you listening in on our conversation last night?" ron asked, his face turning a brilliant shade of red. "only for a while," fred chuckled. he turned to harry and winked. "of course, you may have to act fast, if you want her. after seeing harry there, she may not give you a second glance." ron growled unhappily, reaching for his pillow and

tossing it into his brother's face. "come on you guys," harry scolded. "lay off him. he knows i'm not interested in hermione." "no? so who are you interested in?" fred asked with a smirk. harry turned to face him, his expression void. "nobody," he answered truthfully, as he climbed out of bed and pulled on his sweat pants and tee shirt, he used for running. "why not?" george teased, tossing harry his shoes. "a good looking guy like yourself, and with a body like that, you could have all the girls at hogwart's begging for a little of the old potter magic." harry tied his shoes on, and stood up. his whole attitude had changed to a definite distant demeanor. he glanced at the three red heads staring at him, and shook his head. "what's the point?" he asked. "voldemort will probably kill me, before i get a chance to look. why would i want to leave someone to grieve for me, when i'm dead?" harry left the room and it's occupants in silence, as the three exchanged looks of bewilderment. they had never considered the reason harry didn't want a girlfriend, was because he didn't think he'd live through another confrontation with you-know-who. harry walked down the stairs, glancing briefly at the stuffed heads of the black family's house elves. he had a sudden feeling of sorrow cross through him, as he passed by sirius's bedroom. he wanted to stop and go in, but he couldn't bring himself to open the door. it was still too soon, and far too painful. in the kitchen, harry found lupin and moody talking quietly to mr. weasley, while snape, mcgonagall and dumbledore sat, quietly conversing as mrs. weasley and misty prepared the meal. tonks stood by the stove watching the room's occupants, her hair today hung down her back in long ringlets of baby blue, and she wore a tight black skirt and white cotton top, that hugged her frame expertly. harry couldn't help but notice the glances she kept giving lupin, and the smile he offered her in return. sitting at the table across from mcgonagall and snape were hermione and ginny, who quickly looked up when he entered the room. "harry, we got our o.w.l. reports," hermione exclaimed, jumping from the table and handing him his envelope. harry glanced at the writing on it, remembering how eager sirius had been last year to know the results. "thanks," he told her softly, tucking the letter in his back pocket. hermione frowned at him. "aren't you going to open it? aren't you even curious about the results?" harry couldn't help but notice the sudden silence in the room. harry shrugged, pulling the letter from his pocket and handing it back to her. "you open it, if you want. i don't really care what it says." looks were quickly exchanged from one person to another, then they all glanced to dumbledore, who watched harry with interest. "misty has harry potter's breakfast for him," squeaked the little house elf, as he sat at the table, and smiled to her. "harry potter must eat before he runs."

"thanks misty, but i'm not very hungry." harry picked up a piece of toast from the plate she sat in front of him, and pushed the rest aside. silence enveloped the room, as each person glanced around, looking at the expressions on each other's faces that stared at the young man. just as the tension became unbearable, the door swung open and ron and the twins entered, arguing about the way questions should be asked. harry glanced up when they entered the room, listening briefly as ron was telling his brothers to "sod off", and smiled, knowing exactly what it was they were giving him advice on. ron sat at the table next to hermione and reached for the pitcher of orange juice, at the same time hermione reached for it. both pulled back their hands apologizing to the other and blushing deeply. harry smiled and shook his head slightly. "so harry," dumbledore began, causing the room to fall into an abrupt silence. "how has your summer been so far? i see you've met misty." "yeah. it's been great." "there are a few things we need to discuss, before the day begins," the older wizard began, softly clearing his throat. "like what?" harry asked, his tone thick and unemotional, causing the others to stare at him again. "the weather, the price of tea in china, the fact that i can see what voldemort is doing, before it happens?" dumbledore stared directly at harry, knowing the pain and grief from all that happened to him a few months ago, had not healed. "i always suspected that you would be able to predict the future," he told the younger man. "it was a gift your mother possessed, as well." "it must not have been a very good gift, if she couldn't see the coming of her own death." harry snapped bitterly. "she did see it," dumbledore clarified gently. "she just didn't see who it was voldemort was killing." the room was silent for several long moments, causing the tension harry was now feeling to mount. "i think we should all eat," mrs. weasley insisted, levitating the platters of food over to the table, along with the juice and empty plates. those around the table sat those who were eager to put a halt to the tension mounting within the walls of the room. breakfast was eaten with a great deal of enthusiasm, as happy chatter continued, and ron eagerly opened his letter containing his o.w.l. results. mrs. weasley was very pleased that he had done so well, getting high marks in charms, transfigurations, defense against the dark arts and history of magic, while barely scraping by in potions and failing miserably in divinations. between all his exams, ron had been able to make seven o.w.l.s in all, making his already bright smile grow and his face to turn a brilliant red, when hermione gave him a kiss on the cheek to congratulate him. "what did you get, mate?" ron turned to harry, who shrugged. "didn't you get your letter?" he asked him again. "hermione has it," was all harry said, as he stood and walked his full plate to the sink. "why's hermione have it?" ron asked, turning to the girl next to him.

"he didn't want to open it," hermione said softly. ron frowned and turned back to his friend. "why not?" harry took a deep breath, and stomped over to the table, grabbing the letter and ripping it open roughly. he pulled the contents out and tossed the pages aside, until he found the final results. "eleven, okay? now will you get off my back?" the room fell into a stunned silence again, with only dumbledore looking calm at the boy's reactions. "eleven is excellent harry," whispered hermione, softly. "yeah, miss perfect? what did you get?" hermione blushed profusely, lowering her hands in her lap. "fourteen," she whispered. "well, there's a surprise. hermione granger gets top scores in every class. who would have thought?" "hey, lay off her harry. what's gotten into you, anyway?" ron asked, coming to his friend's defense, as the tears began to sting her chocolate brown eyes. "nothing," harry answered, turning to leave the room. "i'm going out." "out where?" moody demanded, standing and walking towards him. "running," harry answered, unable to contain his anger. "you're not going alone, it's too dangerous." lupin replied, joining moody. "you have to be kidding?" harry snarled bitterly, looking from one to other. "what could possibly happen to me, that hasn't already?" the room was silent for several moments. "that's what i thought. if you want to stop me, you'll have to catch me," he snarled, then stormed out the door. "leave him be," dumbledore ordered, stopping the two men from following him, as well as those who jumped from the table to join them. "he needs to burn off some of his grief. he'll be all right." "what if we went with him?" ron asked, suddenly, watching as dumbledore nodded his head. ron and the twins jumped up and headed out the door behind harry, leaving the rest in their wake. "i hope you know what you're doing, professor," snape commented boldly. "potter isn't' exactly stable, right now." "he needs time to deal with his grief. he has yet to confront it, and until he does, his mood is unpredictable. he'll be all right. i placed protective charms on him at the end of last year, and they will stay with him, until he goes back to hogwart's." moody and lupin looked back to dumbledore, then reluctantly sat back down at the table. they had faith in their leader, but there were times when they couldn't even begin to understand the depths of his magic. perhaps this was one of those times, when it was best to just follow blindly, and ask no questions. harry turned a corner and looked behind him, watching as the three red haired boys

struggled to keep up with him. at fist it was irritating that they were following him, but after a few blocks, it became quite amusing. harry was barely winded, but that was because he was used to running. ron and his brothers however, had to stop every so often and catch their breath. when this happened, harry would just slow his pace and wait. it was a game of cat and mouse, and waiting for them to catch up was actually quite amusing. harry leaned back against the wall of the building he was hiding behind, glancing around the corner and watching as the three again began jogging rather unceremonious. he folded his arms across his chest and waited patiently for the three to catch him. the morning breeze was actually very cool, making the air that dried his sweaty chest feel refreshing. harry thought back over the events that morning, not exactly sure what it was that was making him feel so irritable lately. he listened as he heard the stomping of feet heading his way. the gasps for air echoing in the breeze around him, made him smile. he leaned further against the brick wall, listening to his friends as they approached him. "i...think...he...turned...up...here..." gasped ron. "why...are...we...doing...this...again..." panted fred. "because...he's...our...friend..." ron exclaimed, breathlessly. "remind...me...to...get...some...new...friends..." george said, as the three turned the corner and nearly ran over each other, when they saw harry just standing there, waiting. "if you really want to catch someone, you need to be in better shape," harry teased, smiling as the three collapsed against a signpost, a postbox, and the ground. "how...long...did...you...say..." began fred. "you've...been...doing...this..." george finished for his brother. "i run five kilometers a day. i've been doing it since the start of summer." "i...think...i'm....going...to...die..." ron gasped, holding onto his side. harry chuckled softly, watching as the three struggled to catch their breaths. "you know ron, a girl likes a guy who can carry her up more than two stairs, before he passes out," harry teased, watching the aggravated expression cross his face. he slowly pushed himself away from the wall and began walking back towards grimmauld place. "if you don't keep moving, your muscles will cease up and you'll be unable to move the rest of the day." the three groaned as they stood and started to follow behind their bare-chested friend. "so, mr. potter..." gasped fred, trying to keep up with the younger boy. "are you feeling...any better?" harry sighed softly. "yeah, i guess so," harry said, looking back at ron. "i'm sorry for the way i acted back at the house," he told him. "i don't know what's been going on with me lately. one minute i feel fine, the next i feel like crawling out of my skin." "it's just the idea of being cooped up with those muggles all summer," george announced. "it would make me feel a little stir crazy, too."

"yeah, i guess," harry said softly. the four of them walked on for quite sometime in silence. the thoughts consuming their minds was enough to keep them moving forward. "what are we walking for?" fred suddenly asked his brother. "we can apparate." "hey, yeah. why are we doing this the hard way?" george smiled. "no offense you two, but this walking stuff is for the dogs. we'll see you back at the house." with that said, the two of them disappeared into thin air, leaving harry and ron behind to proceed in tense silence. "are you ever going to talk to me again?" harry asked, pulling his shirt from around his waist where he had tied it while running, and slid his arms back through the holes. ron glanced sideways at his friend, and smiled slyly. "well, i guess i'm going to have to," he told him. "i don't know of anyone else who has the patience to deal with your mood swings." "i don't have mood swings, girls do." "well, if the shoe fits..." harry slugged ron in the shoulder, glaring at his friend. "can i ask you something, harry?" ron asked after a few minutes. "sure." "do you really think i stand a chance with hermione?" harry chuckled softly. "you are thick sometimes, aren't you?" harry asked, watching the blush creep up across his neck. "haven't you seen the way she looks at you? she's got as big a thing for you, as you do for her." "i'm really scared, harry," ron whispered. "i think i'd rather face fluffy again, then run the risk of having her laugh at me." "she's not going to laugh, ron. trust me. just go up to her and say, 'hermione, will you go out with me?' it's that simple." "i'll ask her, if you ask someone." harry turned to his friend, staring at him as though he had three heads himself. "are you crazy? who would i ask out? there isn't another girl around here, for miles. all i've seen today, or old people, and women with kids. i'm not exactly ready to be somebody's daddy you know." "there has to be someone. think." harry sighed deeply. "ron, there's nobody, except mcgonagall, but i don't think the school board would go for the idea of my dating one of my professors. there's tonks too, but i have a hard time dealing with her constantly changing her hair color, besides i think lupin would strangle me if i tried to ask her out. i think he's got a real thing for her." "tonks and lupin? what an odd couple." "yeah, like you and hermione." harry fell into silence again.

"hey wait a minute," ron said with a glow to his face, stopping harry from proceeding further. "what about ginny? she's only a year younger than you. she'd be perfect." "ginny? your sister, ginny? ron, she's like a little sister to me, besides she's dating dean thomas, remember?" "no she's not. they broke up right after summer started, something about her not writing often enough, or some dumb thing. anyway, she'd be perfect. she's always had a crush on you, and i know she'd go for it. please?" "why do i have to ask someone out, just so you can ask hermione? i don't want to go on a date?" "please harry? i'm really scared, i can't do this alone." harry growled under his breath, turning and continuing to walk forward. they walked in silence a little ways further, before guilt began to rake his mind. ron had always taken second seat to harry, ever since they first met. he had always thought of ron as a brother, so he felt like it was his duty to help him out. but ginny? in his mind, she was still a little girl of eleven, needing to be rescued from tom riddle. "fine, ron," harry finally agreed. "but you owe me. i can't believe i'm agreeing to this." "thanks mate, i promise, i'll pay you back double." "yeah, whatever. just don't name your first born after me, if things go that far." "harry?! we're talking about hermione here." "yeah, and your point? you're sixteen, ron, you know, hormonal and all that stuff." "what about you? today's your birthday - by the way, happy birthday - aren't you loaded with hormones, and all that stuff too?" "for ginny?! ron, we're talking about a little girl, that's like a sister to me. that's really gross." "well for what it's worth, thanks again. i really do appreciate it." "you'd better. i can't believe i'm agreeing to this." the two walked on in silence, ron practically glowing with excitement and harry thinking of how weird it was going to be to ask ginny out on a date. maybe he was cracking up, after all. read? review! author notes: thank you all so very much for r/r. please keep reading and reviewing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter five

inside grimmauld place, hermione and ginny were busy dusting and cleaning the many large rooms. they knew their chores were more a reason to keep them occupied until harry came back. the twins had already arrived back at the house, assuring everyone that harry was fine and on his way home. the tension within the walls was thick, as they all thought about the mood harry would be bringing back with him. snape and mcgonagall had stayed on at the house, longer then they had originally intended, in orders to lend support to dumbledore, who was looking and acting much older these last few weeks. the question of the elderly wizard's health was a normal part of everyone's conversation, of late. the front door to the house opened up and harry and ron entered, talking about their impending trip to diagon alley. they had just passed by the open door to the study, when they caught sight of hermione and ginny quietly dusting the bookshelves. ron nudged harry's arm, edging him closer to the door. harry rolled his eyes. he wasn't ready to ask ron's little sister out, the very minute they arrived back at the house. "hey, harry," ginny said, looking up from her dusting. hermione turned and smiled at her friends, uncertain whether or not she should confront harry after the way he acted at breakfast. "hey, ginny," harry answered, walking into the room with ron. "what are you two doing?" "mum thought we needed something to keep us busy," ginny commented, with a sly smile. "you've been gone nearly the entire morning, where did you run to? scotland?" harry chuckled. the idea wasn't at all that disdainful, to be honest. right now, he'd love to just start running and not stop until he was far away from grimmauld place, voldemort, and his promise to ron. "i probably wouldn't mind it, but i think the exertion would kill ron. he could barely make it, a full kilometer." "it's not my fault," ron grumbled sitting down in on the divan near the fireplace. "i'm not the one who's determined to see all of england, by foot." "i think it's admirable, harry," hermione complimented, glaring at ron. "heaven knows we could probably all do with a little more exercise." "right," ron said, staring up at harry. "we were just discussing that. harry and i were thinking of taking a day to visit diagon alley, there's plenty of walking to be had there." "that sounds marvelous," hermione added eagerly. "i'm dying to see the list of new course books, for this year. i hope they are more interesting than last year." "i wonder who they've gotten for the new da teacher, this year." ginny commented, returning to her dusting. "it's got to be something interesting," ron added. "after all, look what we've had so far. anything would be an improvement on last year." "i'll take that as a compliment," tonks said, as she turned the corner and entered the room. all four occupants turned to her, frowning. "don't tell anyone, but i'm your new defense against the dark arts teacher." "this is great!" hermione commented. she and tonks had become great friends over

the past year. everyone knew it was only a matter of time, before they began thinking of each other as sisters. "i hoped you'd be happy about it," tonks chuckled, brushing her now pink and orange braids out of her face. "and don't worry, i won't play favoritism, just because i happen to think you four are the brightest and most wonderful kids in all of hogwart's." "well if you don't play favoritism," harry began with a sly smile directed at the redhead still sitting on the divan. "then how is ron ever going to pass?" "sod off, potter," ron argued. "i may not be the boy who lived, but i think i can hold my own." 'we'll see," harry said with a smile. "i've spent my summer holidays studying advanced spells, what have you done, besides pine over..."harry suddenly stopped with a soft blush to his cheeks, realizing he'd almost let his best friend's secret out. he quickly cleared his throat and looked around the room for a distraction. "let's not argue about this," tonks picked up, sensing harry's blunder, having seen the way ron and hermione were acting over breakfast. "we'll see whose the best student, come september. until then, harry, professor dumbledore would like to speak with you. he's in the kitchen." harry nodded, eager to escape before ron had him tied and bound to the chair, forcing him to ask ginny out on a date. harry pushed the door to the kitchen open, feeling the familiar twitters of anticipation he always got whenever he had to speak with the greatest wizard who ever lived. he saw the room was still occupied with snape, mcgonagall, mr. and mrs. weasley, mad-eye moody and lupin. he felt a sudden dread, as though he were facing the quiatine. he stepped through the door, glancing behind him as tonks, hermione, ron and ginny joined the group, while the twins; fred and george, apparated into the room, and quietly took a seat at the table. now harry was certain he was on trial, and his jurors were the people he trusted most - with the exception of snape, of course. "you wished to speak with me professor?" harry asked, willing his voice to remain calm, under the circumstances. "yes harry, i did. please sit down." harry glanced around the room briefly, noting the smell and bubbling pots on the stove, assuring him that lunch would soon be ready. he wanted to focus on the aromas emanating from the pots, but knew it was just a way to distract his thoughts from what was about to happen. "i think i know what this is about," harry began, looking into the aging eyes of the most admired man in his life. "i owe you an apology for my behavior this morning. i had no right to say those things to you. i'm just not sure what's happening to me, lately. i just seem sort of..." "lost," dumbledore supplied the word for the boy, after a few moments of harry's stumbling to find one. harry nodded his head, and fell into silence. "it's understandable, harry," the wizard continued. "sirius was a good friend to us all, but he was much more than that to you. he was like a father to you, the only real connection you had of your parents. loosing him was a great shock and an unexpected tragedy." "yes sir," harry answered softly, looking down at his hands resting on the table

in front of him, twisting his father's wedding ring he wore, around his finger. "sirius loved you as a son, harry," dumbledore continued gently. "that is one of the reasons why i must speak with you...with all of you. i believe sirius suspected something may happen to him, so he owled me his last will and testament, just a few weeks before he left us." harry looked up into the tired face of his headmaster, and forced back his tears. he refused to cry, he would not show weakness, especially in front of all these people. "i am sure it is no surprise, that he left you the bulk of his estate, harry. the funds from his account at gringott's have been transferred into your account, enough to see you through for many years to come. he also left you this house, with the condition that it remains the headquarters to the order of the phoenix, for as long as it deems necessary. sirius was very concerned about your welfare, harry, as are we all. he and i did not see eye to eye on your staying with your relatives in the muggle world. he knew it was necessary in order to protect you, but he wanted you here with him. he was not only your connection to your father, harry, you were his. he and james were closer than any two brothers i've ever known. much like you and young mr. weasley, are," dumbledore nodded in the direction of ron, as the two boys exchanged glances. "since he was your godfather, sirius knew that you would need guidance and support, and someone to lean on when things were difficult and complicated. sirius asked remus to take over for him, if anything were to happen to him. your father also asked remus to look after you, if anything were to happen to sirius. i have spoken with remus about this, and he has agreed to step in if you would allow." harry looked at lupin, who sat with a proud smile on his face, as if he had just been told he had a son. "i know my father and sirius meant well, and no offense intended to professor lupin, but i don't want another godfather. i don't really think i need one." harry saw the sudden look of disappointment in lupin's eyes, but turned away before he felt it necessary to respond further. "then don't consider me a godfather, harry," lupin said softly. "just consider me a friend with a few more years under his broomstick, than mr. weasley." harry smiled. it was just like lupin to keep a cheerful disposition when things looked their worst. "harry, i know you're concerned about the visions you have been having, about voldemort," dumbledore continued, sensing the sudden shudders from those present, at the mention of the dark lord's name. "i don't know how to explain it to you, other than to tell you that it's in your blood. your mother was a very talented seer, and her talent and skills was a definite concern to lord voldemort. he knew that your mother would supply his downfall, and i suppose in a way, she did, with you. it's only natural that you would have her talent. i'm surprised you have yet to demonstrate any signs of your father's talent," he said, indicating his father's ability to transform into a stag. harry looked back down to his hands, trying to contain his mounting anger. "i don't think my mother was very talented," he said softly, his jaw clenching in response to holding back his anger. "lily was a unique woman, mr. potter," professor mcgonagall said. "she had a wonderful way with transfigurations, as well as divinations. miss granger reminds me a great of her. she was truly gifted, she was just naive. we all were. we assumed that pettigrew was competent and loyal. your mother never had reason

to doubt him, so she never focused on his inner soul." "so why is it now, that i am able to do these things? why is it, that i can now see what voldemort is doing, or going to do, without him knowing it?" "i believe that when he possessed you at the ministry, he triggered your sense of empathy. your thoughts and love for your friends, drove him out of you and awakened your inner eye." "awakened my inner eye?" harry questioned doubtfully. "history is filled with seers who didn't know they were seers, until a tragic accident brought it out of them," hermione commented, using her usual walking dictionary tone of voice. "your heart is pure, harry, as was your mother's," dumbledore continued. "she gave you a gift upon her death, and now it is helping you in ways you have yet to understand. her love will always see you through, harry. she gave her life for you, and thereby gave you the ability to ward off voldemort, possibly in more ways than any of us is aware. her love has awoken a sleeping dragon inside you now. this gift, will protect you even further." harry was silent thinking on what dumbledore was telling him. it didn't feel like a gift, it felt like a curse. he didn't want to know what voldemort was going to do. he didn't want the nightmares that accompanied the visions. "when i saw bellatrix telling voldemort about the prison, it was as if i wasn't there, i could smell the fire, and feel the heat of the room. if it was a premonition, how could that have happened?" dumbledore looked at harry, locking his aging gaze with the younger green eyes staring back at him. he could not only see his curiosity rising, but he could sense the anger beginning to build as well. "a true seer has the ability to sense their subjects emotions with perfect detail. they can taste their tears, feel their fears, and even experience their joy or pain. i believe this is what is happening to you, harry. you and voldemort were connected through your mother's sacrifice to save you. even though you could feel everything that was happening around you, you weren't actually there. only your subconscious mind could detect the situation to its true nature." harry thought on this for several moments, before looking back into the eyes of the man staring at him. "if i can see voldemort and what he's planning, if i can walk in the room with him, without him knowing i'm there, can i control the situation?" "what do you mean, harry?" "the first time i saw him, he was about to kill wormtail. what if it was possible for me to prevent him from doing harm, or make him do something different than what he's planning? maybe if i can control the situation, i can turn the tables on him, make him cause himself harm or even make someone near him, turn their wand on him. is that possible?" "i'm afraid not, harry. you are only a visitor in that time and space, you're not actually there. you have no control over the area. do you remember the pensive? it is similar to that. no body can hear you, or see you. you can't touch anyone and make them feel it, and you can't coerce them into doing anything that is not fated."

"then what good is having this so called gift, if it doesn't help us?" "but it does help us, harry," lupin added to the conversation. "now that we know you have this power, we can use it to prevent situations from occurring." "it didn't help with the prison, did it?" harry snapped bitterly. "nobody even believed me." "it's not that we didn't believe you, harry," mrs. weasley then added. "it's just that when we tried to confirm your vision, everything was in order. the prison was full," explained mr. weasley. "it wasn't until hours later, that those we set to watch the prison, noticed something different. when they went to investigate, they found the dementors had opened the doors and set the prisoners free." "that's when we realized you could see the future," tonks said. "when this happens again, are you going to believe harry, or just send people to check it out?" ron asked, coming to his friend's defense. "we have to check it out, but we will definitely take it much more serious," moody clarified. "if we had more than just this one-time occurrence, then we could alter our judgment, but as it is..." commented snape, who received an evil glare from harry. "it wasn't one time," harry growled angrily. "i saw your friend killing an innocent woman, when we were on the night bus." "what friend?" snape barked back, his tone low but his words thick with suspicions. "what woman?" tonks added simultaneously. "lucius malfoy," harry clarified. "he was standing over a woman with pale blond hair, and used the killing curse, without even blinking. voldemort said he had been betrayed and that she must pay the dues owed to him." the room was silent as harry and snape paired off, each looking directly into each other's eyes, trying to see what lie behind. a few moments passed, before snape gasped and fell backwards off his chair. harry stood up over him, glaring, an evil smile crossing his lips. "you have been practicing your occlumency lessons," dumbledore continued, knowingly. harry nodded still looking at a stunned snape, who pulled himself from the floor. "he's done more than just practice the occlumency lessons," moody stated, his magical eye focusing on harry's profile. "he's developed his mind into a weapon." "how is that possible?" fred asked, exchanging looks with george. "he's only a boy, doesn't that sort of skill take years of intense training?" george picked up where his brother left off. dumbledore nodded, his eyes fixing on the boy standing in front of the greasy haired man. "you have surpassed all my expectations, harry. i'm very impressed."

"why should you be?" harry snapped, turning his glare to the headmaster. "i am after all the famous harry potter, remember? the-boy-who-lived, the defender of the wizarding world, and all that crap." "watch your tongue, potter," snape ordered, defending his headmaster and friend, as he tried to contain himself. "go to hell, traitor," harry growled, causing hermione, ron and ginny to gasp audibly, and the twins to snicker softly, which in turn earned them a stern glare from their mother. "what did you call me?" snap demanded, turning on the boy and confronting him fully. "you heard me. you're a traitor. i don't know why dumbledore trusts you and i don't care less, but to me you're nothing but a filthy death eater. you deserve to be azkaban, or worse." harry watched the look cross snape's face. "what's the matter professor?" he continued. "no house points to take away for my audacity? no draco malfoy to cheer you on?" "harry that's enough," mrs. weasley demanded, breaking through the tension. "it's time for lunch anyway. now sit down, all of you." "no," harry refused, his green eyes still bearing into the dark beady eyes of snape. "i won't eat at the same table as that creature." "harry, that's enough," warned lupin, as he and moody stood and walked slowly around the table. they knew the tension mounting was going to lead to trouble, as the two faced off. in answer to the call of the challenge, snape pulled his wand on the boy facing him, but was a breath's move too late. harry had seen the intention in his eyes, and had his wand out before snape could get a firm grip on his own. the room's occupants gasped, fear and uncertainty echoing among the walls. nobody knew what to do. as dumbledore stood to defuse the situation, a determined voice interrupted him, causing him to blink twice at the sudden bravery. "that's enough," ginny insisted stepping in between the two wands. she glared from one to the other, than turned full forced on harry. "i said enough." still harry didn't move, or blink. "harry james potter, put it away and sit your arse at that table, the same with you professor snape!" she ordered, this time, getting a brief glance from both opponents. "now!" she shouted, watching as they lowered their wands, frowning at the red haired girl standing between them. snape returned his wand to his robes, as harry replaced his inside his shirt, where he had been hiding it for so many months. "i'm not hungry," harry said softly, turning to leave the room. "i said sit down," ginny snapped, grabbing harry by the arm, holding onto him firmly. harry turned, seeing the look in her eyes, daring him to confront her. "mum has made lunch, and you will sit down and eat. now everyone, sit and eat before it gets cold." the rest of the table returned to their seats, while harry and ginny just stared at each other. harry didn't know quite what to do, and ginny merely raised an eyebrow at him, demanding silently for him to obey, which he reluctantly did. he returned to his seat, pushing the plate mrs. weasley sat in front of him aside, and picking up a roll instead. ginny quietly stepped to his side, pulling the plate back in front of him, handing him the spoon and poring him a glass of pumpkin juice. harry glanced

up at her, seeing the determined look, much like her mother's, shining in her green eyes. the room concentrated on eating their lamb stew, including harry, who actually found himself hungry after a couple of bites. he finished his entire meal, and then gingerly pushed his plate aside, looking up at the smirking face of ginny, as she stood and walked her own empty plate to the sink and began washing the dishes. hermione glanced at harry and ron both, as conversations began again in the too quiet room. the look in her eye was one of amusement and pride, and it irritated both boys immensely. after several long minutes, snape stood, announcing that he had to leave. glancing back to harry briefly, he left the house, shutting the front door behind him. ron nudged harry's elbow, then leaned in to speak softly to him. "i can't believe you faced off against snape," ron said, excitement and awe in his whispered tone. "he made me mad," harry answered softly. "wait until malfoy hears that you challenged his favorite teacher. i can't wait to be the one to tell him." professor dumbledore cleared his throat softly, forcing both boys to look up. the look in his amused eyes told them he had heard everything they had said, and held a silent warning to keep this among themselves. both boys looked a little embarrased, lowering their eyes to the table. "harry, we have a very special dessert," mrs. weasley announced, bring out a large bowl of ice cream covered with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and chopped nuts. "in celebration of your sixteenth birthday," she announced setting in the middle of the table. she waved her wand briefly, as sixteen candles appeared in the center of the sweet concoction, each lit with a brilliant red and yellow flame. the room's occupants smiled, each starting in a chorus of happy birthday. harry felt suddenly awkward, as presents began popping onto the table in front of him. he didn't want to celebrate his birthday, especially not here where memories were so painfully alive, but he didn't know how to tell mrs. weasley, and he wouldn't attempt to tell ginny no again, any time soon. "you didn't have to do this, mrs. weasley," harry said, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. "nonsense, dear. i give my children a party every year for their birthdays, and i'm not about to stop now." "but i'm not one of your children," he told her gently. mrs. weasley was quiet for several moments, as was the rest of the room once again. then with a slight clearing of her throat, she looked into the green eyes; her own eyes misting at the lost and lonely expression that echoed within his. "i may not have given you life, but that doesn't make you any less one of my own. now, make a wish and blow out the candles." harry smiled warmly at the woman, doing as she ordered. he closed his eyes, making a silent wish he knew would never come true, and blew out the candles. the voices of those gathered around the table cheered, patting the young man on the back. "open mine first, harry," ron insisted, handing him a poorly wrapped present of red and orange. harry smiled and took the gift, pulling the ties that held it closed. inside was an autographed photo of the chudley cannons team players.

they were all standing by their brooms waving at him, each one with a winning smile on their faces. "this is great ron, where'd you get it?" harry asked, inspecting the signatures. "i wrote to them and told them i was your best friend, and i wanted the best present in the world for your sixteenth birthday. so they sent it to me. you really like it?" "it's totally wicked," harry chided, smiling happily at the picture. "boys," hermione grumbled, handing him her present next. "try something a little more serious, please." harry smiled, lifting the neatly wrapped present from her hand. he knew even without opening it, it was a book. pulling the ties off, he opened the paper and peered within. a wizard's companion to spells, was written on the outer cover. "um...thanks hermione," he said with a forced smile. "i thought it might come in handy since you have your n.e.w.t.s. coming up soon." "bloody hell, hermione," ron complained. "that's not for another year. what you trying to do, turn harry into a dictionary of spells and curses?" "i'm sure it will come in handy, hermione, thanks," harry told her with a smile, trying to defuse an argument, before ron even had a chance to ask her out. his smile widened as he thought about his present. only hermione granger could make a birthday into a learning experience. "that's really great, hermione," fred said with a serious expression. "but ours is the best," george added, shoving a large box about the size of a muggle shoebox in harry's grip. harry reluctantly opened the top, peeking inside in case it was alive. "it's a full year's supply of our newest lines, weasley's wicked whistlers. all you have to do is open one, toss it under another person's seat and they whistle. listen," fred told him, opening up one and rolling it under the table. instantly it began whistling wolf calls under ginny's chair. "great, huh?" "this way if you find you're all hormonal and stuff, all you have to do is toss one under a girl you like, and it'll get her attention for you," george added. harry smiled with a slight blush. he couldn't imagine setting one of these off in a classroom, or anywhere for that matter. "hey, maybe we should try one on old snape," ron said with a wicked smile. "can you imagine pansy parkinson's face if his seat suddenly starts whistling at him?" "pansy parkinson?" ginny asked with a frown. "isn't that the girl that looks like a pug dog?" "yeah," ron answered with a chuckle. "she's got a major crush on snape. though i can't imagine why. old greasy git." just then professor mcgonagall cleared her throat, turning ron's face a deep shade of scarlet, as the rest of the room laughed at his reaction. the rest of the presents were all unique and well appreciated. mrs. weasley had

given harry a knitted scarf and hat in the gryffindor colors, while mr. weasley gave him a muggle calculator, insisting it was the best thing he had ever seen. lupin gave him a shaving kit, though harry didn't think he would ever need it. he found a spell last year to help him reduce any signs of stubble, after nearly cutting his chin off, when he snuck his uncle vernon's razor. moody gave him an auror's mirror, to protect him from anyone in disguise, as crouch had been two years ago. tonks gave an engraved case for his wand, lined in red and gold velvet, with his name and house emblem on the front, while dumbledore gave him an old necklace, a deep blue, tear drop stone on a delicate silver chain. it was much more feminine than harry would have thought he'd ever receive. he glanced to dumbledore and smile politely. "it was your mother's," he told the boy, who looked lightly. "it's an azurite," he clarified. "it holds improve decision making, ease depression, heightens balance, sharpens your mental clarity and increases believed it had great power and helped her with her

back at the stone, touching it great powers to help dreams, improves mental mental disciple. your mother premonitions."

"it's wonderful," harry said, holding it up to the light and watching the colors reflect through the center. "thank you." "well, if we've all had enough," mrs. weasley said, taking the now empty bowl away to the sink. "i think we need to get things cleared up and get busy cleaning the attic. since kreacher passed on, we're finding his hidden stashes of trash in every crook and corner." harry looked up at the woman suddenly. "kreacher is dead?" he asked, realizing he hadn't even asked about sirius's treacherous house elf, since arriving there. he had assumed the beast was in his hiding hole. the feelings harry had for the creature was any but friendly. it was equally his fault that sirius had gone to the ministry the day he fell behind the veil. "he died from old age about three weeks ago," hermione said, her voice shaking slightly. "good," harry commented, gathering up his presents. ron placed a hand on hermione's shoulder, shaking his head in warning her to not say a word about the house elf that had lied and betrayed sirius. "let's go drop your stuff off in our room, and head to the attic," ron told harry, helping gather his belongings together. "at least there's no more doxies left," ginny said bitterly. "i didn't care much for their bites." ron and harry listened as hermione and ginny chatted in the kitchen behind them, about the little beasts from last year, that they had to clean out of the house. once they were out of earshot, ron turned to harry, a slight blush to his cheeks. "can you talk to ginny today," he asked harry. "i don't want to push you, but i don't think i'm going to be able to sit still, or even sleep if you don't. i really want to ask hermione out." "i still don't know why you can't just ask her. if i ask ginny, with the way she was over lunch, she's liable to kill me." "no she won't. but she was pretty mental wasn't she? can you imagine, she's starting to sound just like hermione? i can't believe we'll have two of them, in the same house back at school. we'll never survive."

"look, ron, if i ask her, you have to promise me to get off my back about asking anyone else, deal?" ron looked at harry with an odd expression. "i meant what i said. i don't think it's a good idea to try and start something with a girl, if i'm just going to die soon, anyway." "what makes you think you're going to die?" harry stepped into the room followed close behind by ron. he lay his presents on his bed then sat on the end. "that prophecy voldemort wanted, said basically that either i have to kill or be killed by him. we can't both of us survive. i know my powers aren't that strong, i felt his power when he possessed me, and it was really strong. i can't survive against something that raw and hateful." "bloody hell, harry, why didn't you tell us about this?" "can you imagine how hermione would react? no, its best if nobody knows about that whole thing. promise me?" ron sighed deeply. he knew it wasn't going to be easy keeping this from hermione, but for harry's benefit, he had no choice but try. "all right, harry, i won't say anything, but you should know by now, there's no way you can keep hermione or me away if you need us." "thanks ron, but when the day comes, it will be something i have to do myself." "all right, but i still think you're mental if you think we're going to let you do this alone. now, go find ginny," ron told him, hearing hermione go into the room across from ron and harry. leaving the room, and heading down the hallway, harry couldn't help but feel as though he was doomed to be the only boy at hogwart's without a girlfriend. still, he knew he was right. he didn't want to go through loosing another person he cared deeply about. sirius's death taught him that, even if nobody else could ever convince him. he knew what the future held for him. he was destined to die. read? review! author notes: thank you all so very much for r/r. please keep reading and reviewing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter six the door to the room across the hall remained closed, and harry avoided looking at it, on his way downstairs to find ginny. he knew he couldn't allow himself to look; it was sirius's bedroom. it was the only place in this whole house that was strictly sirius. harry drew a deep breath, trying to erase the image of his godfather from his mind. he had a mission to accomplish and he had to remain focused, even though right now he would rather take off running again. he still couldn't believe he was doing this, and told himself for about the millionth time that day, that he was totally mental! the stairs were taken in slow recession, as harry stepped down one at a time, his eyes focused on the old worn carpet. he hadn't seen her coming up and

ran full force into her, bumping her backwards. with the speed of hogwart's greatest seeker, harry reached out, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back toward him. for a brief moment, all he could do was stare into the bright green eyes that stared back at him. they were clear, honest and filled with shock. he abruptly let her go, making certain she was steady on her feet. "i...i'm sorry," harry said softly, a soft blush tinting his cheeks. "it was my fault, harry," ginny said, her blush creeping up her neck, across her face and over her ears. "i should have been watching where i was going." "no, really, it was my fault. i wasn't watching where i was walking." ginny chuckled softly, causing harry to smile. "i never thought you would try and knock me off my feet, harry," she smiled, her eyes lowering briefly. harry chuckled, shaking his head. "actually, i'm glad i ran into you, so to speak. i didn't give you, your birthday present downstairs." "it's all right, you don't need to give me anything." harry felt suddenly embarrassed about the idea of accepting more gifts. he leaned against the wall and tucked his hands into his front pockets. he had to stay focused on his mission. "i know you don't want to celebrate, but i do have something, and i really want to give it to you." harry drew a deep breath and forced a smile across his lips. "all right," he told her, waiting patiently. ginny blushed again, softly clearing her throat as she looked at her feet on the worn carpet. "not here," she said, hearing her twin brothers coming out of the kitchen below. "let's go up to the attic." "your mum's up there," harry told her, seeing the shifting of her eyes down the stairs. he reached out and took her by the elbow, pulling her gently up the stairs. "we can talk in sirius's den." he lead ginny into the small room next to sirius's bedroom and closed the door before fred and george made their way up the last stair. the two listened to the footsteps that continue up the next flight of stairs, to their bedroom above, before looking back at each other. harry smiled again, walking to the window and looking out past the dusty panes. the alley behind the house was empty, with several trash bins lying on their sides, empty, indicating the trash collectors had already been there. he could hear ginny shuffle her feet, and turned to face her. harry took notice of the way she was dressed, and a frown creased his forehead. he hadn't really noticed before that the little girl he had once saved from tom riddle, had grown up. she was taller than he remembered, reaching the height of his shoulders. her hair was much longer then it had been, resting just above her hips. her slender frame had grown and rounded in all the right places, making her look much more like a young lady, rather than a little girl. she wore a pair of muggle jeans that seemed to hug her waist and hips rather flatteringly. she had pulled on a light tan colored tee shirt that exposed just a glimpse of her flat belly. her toes were exposed through the sandals she had strapped on and her toenails had been painted a bright pink. harry glanced up her delicate frame again, noticing that she was watching him. he blushed slightly, leaning against the frame of the window.

"so, how have you been, ginny?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. a stupid question, he thought, but at least it broke the uncomfortable silence in the room. "all right i guess," she answered, as she stepped toward him, leaning against the opposite side of the window. "i'm sorry for the way i acted at lunch," she told him, raising her chin and looking him in the eye, waiting for him to start yelling at her. instead he smiled, chuckling softly. "ron thinks you've been hanging around hermione too long," he told her. "what do you think?" "i think you're turning into your mum." ginny tilted her head gently, inspecting his features. "is that a bad thing?" she asked him. "absolutely not," he clarified honestly. "i happen to think your mum is about the greatest lady i've ever known." "then i suppose i'll thank you." harry laughed again. "just so long as you don't yell at me." ginny couldn't help but smile this time, as silence again fell between them. after a few moments, she looked up and saw him staring at her. "can i ask you something, harry?" she locked her eyes with his green ones briefly, and then glanced down again. "sure, what is it?" harry hoped she didn't want to discuss his premonitions. he was getting tired thinking about them. "did you get married over the summer?" harry gasped, looking at her with wide eyes. "what?" he frowned. "why would you ask me something like that? i don't even have a girlfriend." "so you and cho are really finished?" "i think we were finished, even before we got started," he told her, shuffling slightly in his stance, leaning his hands against the windowsill. they were silent for a few moments, before harry turned back to her. "why did you think i was married?" ginny reached down and lifted his hand, exposing the wedding band he wore. he took the ring off, then reached in his pocket and pulled out the shoelace he had tied to his mother's rings. "they belonged to my parents," he told her, showing them to her. "my aunt had them all these years, and never gave them to me until this summer, when i found out about misty, and her having my mother's wand." "she had your mother's wand?" ginny asked, holding the rings he handed her in her hand, feeling the warmth of harry's body lingering on the metal objects. "did she know how to use it?" "only to a point. she knew of a spell my mother used to make dinner, and she's been using it since. she claimed she only used it when it was necessary,

but after i demanded its return, she sort of had a difficult time boiling water." ginny giggled, picking up his mother's ring and staring at it. it was simple, but very beautiful. a single solitaire diamond set in a band of gold, and attached to a matching slim, plain band. she looked at it closer and saw the writing inside. "what's this say?" she asked harry, showing him the writing. harry took it and looked closer. he hadn't seen the inscription before, and carefully read it. "it says, in this life and the next, we will always be one," harry read, he throat suddenly felt tight and mouth went dry. ginny looked at his father's wedding band, reading the inscription on it. "it says the same on this one, too." she handed him the ring back and watched as he replaced it on his finger, pulling the shoelace towards his head. "wait," ginny interrupted his actions, taking the string and laying it flat on the dusty desk. she reached inside harry's shirt and pulled out his wand, glancing up to his face, seeing the shock of her actions shining in his eyes. she raised the wand above the string and whispered, "mutare fascia" and watched as the dirty old shoelace transformed into a golden chain. she picked it up, handing him back his wand and reaching up and slipping the chain across his head. for a brief moment, she allowed her hands to linger on his shoulders, staring into the bright eyes that shinned back at her. "thank you," he whispered, seeing the soft blush creep across her cheeks. he noticed for the first time, that ginny had made her face up, but just a little. her eyes were dusted lightly with a pink powder, and her lips were softy shimmering with something that looked like liquid glass. harry wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but within the span of a few brief moments, he was no longer seeing her as ron's little sister, but as an attractive young lady. reluctantly ginny pushed way from him, leaning back against the windowsill. she felt her knees shaking and her palms sweating. harry cleared his throat, glancing back toward her. "what did you want to give me?" he asked, his voice thicker than he had intended it to be. ginny looked up at him, blushing profusely. he couldn't help but wonder what it was that made her do that, or why she felt it necessary to keep blushing. clearing her throat softly, she turned to face him. "it's a gift i've wanted to give you for quite awhile, but i've never really had the courage," she told him softly. "i mean, what if you didn't' like it, or laughed at me, or something. i'd be horrified. especially if you didn't like it and told ron." "i would never laugh at you ginny, you should know that. and i'd never tell ron if you didn't want me to." "i know you wouldn't laugh on purpose, but that doesn't stop me from being scared. i mean, what if you don't like it, and you don't want it once i've given it to you?" "why don't you just give it to me, and let me decide if i like it?" harry smiled sweetly, as he stared into her bright eyes. ginny visibly drew a deep breath to stead her nerves, her tongue nervously wetting her lips and she slowly reached up to him, placing her hand around his neck and leaning into him, capturing his lips with her own. the action was slow and the touch was as gentle as a butterfly kiss. harry couldn't believe what was happening. at first he just

stood there, unable to breath, much less move. but as the kiss began to register to him, he began to realize what was happening inside him. his heart was pounding violently, his hands were sweating and breathing was in the form of short pants. he could feel the softness of her lips against his, and taste the sweet strawberry of her lip-gloss. it wasn't until she began to pull away from him, that he realized he didn't want the kiss to end. ginny moved away slowly, her heart feeling as though it were breaking. harry hadn't closed his eyes, he hadn't held her, and he hadn't even kissed her back. he'd just stood there like a statue. the only clue she had that he was still alive was the sound of his breath and the warmth of his lips on hers. she felt horrified. she had dreamed of this moment for so many years, but in her dreams, he had at least kissed her back. she felt the sudden stab of pain, the thought that he didn't want her, or feel the same for her as she always had for him, echoed in her mind. as she removed her hand from his neck, the tears began to prick her eyes. she couldn't look at him, she couldn't barely breath. instead she leaned against the windowsill again, hoping to get control of her emotions, before speaking. she had to get her nerves under control and stop her knees from shaking in order to leave the room. harry looked at her, wide eyed and mouth a gap. "wow," he whispered softly, causing ginny to look at him with misty eyes. "when did you grow up?" he asked her gently, reaching forward and wiping a single tear from her cheek. ginny tried to smile, but felt too miserable. "i've been doing it a little every day, for the past four years," she whispered, appalled that her voice revealed how she felt inside. harry leaned forward, leaning his forehead against hers, his hands resting on her shoulders. he took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. "i guess i've just never noticed," he whispered. "you've always been ron's little sister." "but i'm not yours, harry," ginny whispered in return, the tears escaping her eyes without her permission. "no, you're not," he told her, kissing her eyes and wiping the tears away. he leaned back just a little and looked into her beautiful face. "i don't want you as a brother," she told him, her voice barely audible in the silent room. harry smiled, his eyes focusing on her soft lips. "i don't want to be your brother," he told her, leaning in and placing his lips gently against hers. at first ginny could hardly think, but after a few moments she could feel the pressure of his lips on hers, and she reached up, slipping her arms around his neck. within barely three minutes time, she had gone from her heart breaking, to it soaring freely. he was actually kissing her, just as he always had in her dreams. it wasn't until she felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her away from the windowsill and into his warm embrace that she realized this was real. he was kissing her! ginny wanted to scream her excitement, but at the moment, her mouth was preoccupied. she felt the pressure of his kiss increase, causing a slight alarm to ring in mind, but then relaxed, allowing him to kiss her deeper. it seemed natural to feel his lips against hers, and when she felt the tip of his tongue caress her bottom lip, she gasped, but allowed him to deepen his kiss even further. the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs above them brought them abruptly from their moment of euphoria, and back to reality. harry heard the soft

moan escape her throat as he pulled his lips from hers, and couldn't help but smile. he didn't release her at once, instead he pulled her into a secure embrace, feeling as though his entire world had just turned from winter's cold to summer's warmth. he felt alive and happy, and had an urge to keep it that way. within just a few short minutes, she had saved him, and brought him into a world he had so long denied himself. he felt loved, and wanted to return that feeling to this wonderful girl in his arms. how could he ever have considered her like a little sister? "we better get up to the attic, before your mum takes out a search party," he teased, feeling her laugh as she laid her head against his shoulder, holding onto him tightly. she couldn't believe that she was actually in harry potter's arms, but then again, he was never really harry potter to her, never the boy who lived, just harry, and she liked it better that way. reluctantly they pulled away from each other, blushing as they looked into the other's eyes. harry couldn't resist the urge, and leaned down, placing a soft, but all too brief kiss on her lips again. when they parted he smiled at her, warmly. "i don't think i want to exchange this gift," he told her softly. "it's the one birthday present, i'll always treasure." ginny smiled with a soft glow to her already pink cheeks. "i could arrange a similar christmas gift, you liked your birthday present that well." harry chuckled gently, looking at her with mischief eyes. "i hope i don't have to wait that long, to hold my present again." ginny blushed profusely, turning to walk out the door, her hand securely tucked inside harry's. "if you're a very good boy, mr. potter, and you don't cause any further arguments with professor snape, i suppose i could arrange a few visitation privileges." harry felt happier than he ever had, and pulled her back into his arms, as she opened the door, hugging her closely to him. "i promise to be a very good boy, so long as i know what the reward will be." he leaned down and kissed her briefly again, hearing a soft cough from the doorway. they parted slowly, looking into the eyes of lupin, who had been alerted to his and ginny's absence. he smiled brightly at the two, watching as they literally jumped away from each other. "take it easy, you two," lupin said in a low tone. "we were just worried about you. i'm glad to see everything is all right. it is, isn't it?" harry and ginny blushed deeply, turning to each other. harry couldn't help but smile, as he saw the corners of her mouth turn upwards. "ginny was just giving me my birthday present," he told lupin, watching her color glow deeper, all the way up into her hair, and feeling his own face burning like it was on fire. "really?" the older man said, softly scratching his chin. "my birthday's coming up soon. i'll have to discuss gift options with tonks." with that said, the three left the room laughing, as they headed up the stairs. "harry, ginny," hermione shouted, coming out of the attic, her bushy hair covered in cobwebs. ron stood shortly behind, his face ashen, a terrified look on his face. "we were so worried. where did you disappear to?" harry glanced to

ginny, who lowered her eyes. "ginny and i were talking," he told her, watching some color return to ron's face, as he stepped up behind hermione. his eyes were suddenly bright and shinning, questions lingering in their green depths. harry turned back to ginny, taking her hand and pulling it slightly behind them, so nobody could see him holding it. "ron and i were talking about taking a trip to diagon alley soon," he began, watching the curious look cross her face. "would go with me? as my date, i mean?" ginny turned a bright red, as hermione stared opened mouth at the two of them. "i'd love to," ginny answered, and was totally amazed when he leaned down and kissed her cheek softly, his lips lingering a few seconds longer than he should have. "maybe ron and hermione would care to join us," ginny added, picking up on the look from her brother's face. "we could make it a double date." harry turned to hermione, who instantly turned as red as ginny had been. "what do you two say?" harry asked. "care to join us in diagon alley?" ron looked at hermione, who glanced at him and shrugged. he stepped up behind her and nodded. "great. then let's get to work, so your mum won't have anything to complain about when we ask her." ginny and hermione stepped into the attic, whispering, as ron grabbed harry's arm and pulled him back gently. a look of confusion across his face. "what was that kiss for?" he asked his friend, who smiled brightly. "i told you to ask her out, not snog her on the stairs." "we weren't snogging on the stairs, and remember, this was your idea." "you don't have to act as if you enjoy the idea so much. she's my kid sister, harry, just remember that." "how could i forget? she blushes about as well as you do. besides, she's your sister, not mine." "what's that supposed to mean?" "only that she is growing up, ron, and sooner or later, she's going to want a real boyfriend. would you prefer me or malfoy?" "that's not funny, potter." harry chuckled as he passed ron, looking to the cobwebs in his hair and across his shoulders, noting the little black object crawling from behind his left ear. "by the way ron," he smiled brightly. "you have a spider on you." harry chuckled as he left ron screeching and brushing at his hair and clothes frantically. read? review! author notes: thank you all so very much for r/r. please keep reading and reviewing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter seven work in the attic continued until late in the day, when misty arrived to inform

them all that dinner was ready. they had spent the last five hours cleaning, dusting, exterminating, and sweeping, until at last mrs. weasley announced that the room was finished to her satisfaction. they had found over two dozen hiding places of kreacher's, each one containing a great deal of confiscated, stolen or filched items sirius had thrown out last year. there were old, torn pictures of the black family, old letters, jewelry, broken wands, mismatched knitting needles, torn blankets and towels, rusty pots and pans, and even old dresses that had once belonged to the former mistress of the house. following fred and george down the stairs, harry, ron, hermione, and ginny left the attic feeling much worse, than they looked, which was in itself, pretty bad. they were all sore, with blisters and splinters covering their hands. mrs. weasley promised everyone that she would administer to their injuries and wounds, once they were clean. harry listened to the twins discussing their ideas regarding their experiments. harry had told them they could use the now clean room to create more of their original jokes and treats for their little shop, just so long as they promised not to blow anything up. harry was surprised that mrs. weasley wasn't all that upset anymore, that her sons had dropped out of hogwart's last year and started their own joke shop. it might have been due to the fact that they were quite successful businessmen. it may also have been attributed to their not turning their backs on their parents, as their older brother percy had done. harry and ron stepped into their room, each eager to take a shower. they drew lots to see who would be first, and much to harry's disappointment, ron won. he left the room, whistling. harry fell back on his bed, exhausted, kicking off the new shoes that misty had gotten for him, in diagon alley. he heard a noise in the painting near the door, and looked up to see nobody there, but knew who it was. he laid his head back against the pillow, raising his arms above his head, and closing his eyes. he couldn't imagine a single muscle in his body that didn't hurt, but at least he was more fit than ron and the twins were. they were still accusing him for their morning run, for the majority of their aches and pains. harry sighed as he thought back on how much had happened to him that day, from the near duel with snape, to the spiders fred and george had used engorgement spells on to chase ron on top of an old, dust filled dresser, to the kiss ginny had given him. if it wasn't for his living that day, he would have sworn you couldn't possibly have fit that much into a single span of roughly twelve hours. the room was warm and silent with the last rays of sunshine drifting in the window, casting shadows across the room. harry felt the soft lull of the moment, drifting him into a light slumber. he awoke with a start, when ron returned to the room, tossing his clothes to the floor and swinging the door shut behind him. harry glanced to him, seeing the wet mop of hair dripping down his neck, soaking into his shirt collar. he closed his eyes again, as his friend began his relentless complaining, about his sore muscles and blistered hands. harry listened with only half an ear, trying to relax for a little while longer. "if you're too sore to go to diagon alley, i'm sure hermione will understand," harry said softly, his eyes still closed, a smile turning the corners of his mouth up. "that's not funny, harry," ron complained. "you know how long i've wanted to ask her out, and now you think i'm going to let a few bruises, and broken bones stop me? are you mental?" harry chuckled softly. "you don't have any broken bones, ron," he assured his friend.

"i might as well, considering how many spiders were trying to chew off my ankles. i don't know what i did to deserve brothers like fred and george." harry continued to smile, taking a deep breath, as he tried to relax his mind. "speaking of relatives," ron began, making certain harry was listening to him. "what happened between you and ginny? you were gone a long time, and then you turned up with her, and practically snogged her brains out on the stairs." harry didn't answer for several minutes, trying to consider what he should say. ron was his best friend, and it was difficult not talking to him about this. he also knew since he was the girl's older brother, that he would demand to know details. rolling over on his side and facing ron, harry rested his head on his hand, looking first to the worn carpet, then to the boy sitting on the bed opposite him. "i went to look for ginny as i said, and ran into her on the stairs. we talked for a few minutes until the twins headed upstairs. i wasn't all that anxious to have them laughing at me for asking their little sister out, so we went into sirius's den. she said she had a birthday present for me, and she said she had wanted to give me this present for several years, but was afraid i would laugh at her." "so what did she give you?" harry looked at the boy, and then sat up on his bed, folding his legs beneath him, indian style. "a kiss," he told ron honestly, watching as ron's mouth dropped open. "excuse me?" "she gave me a kiss. and at first it was really weird, because i've always thought of her as a sister. i didn't know what to do." "so what did you do?" "i just sort of stood there. i didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything, but i didn't know how to react." "how did she take it, when you turned her down?" harry looked at the boy, locking his gaze with his own. "i didn't' turn her down, ron," harry told him boldly. "at first, i didn't know what to do, but then when she pulled away, i realized that i didn't want it to end." "what does that mean?" harry could see the curiosity as well as he anger building in his friend's eyes, knowing there was a blow up about to commence. "after she kissed me, we talked a little, and then i kissed her back, and it just felt right. when i held her in my arms, it felt like i had just learned to breathe. i was warm and for the first time in my life, i felt alive. i care for her, ron. in a way i never knew i could." "but she's my sister," ron snapped angrily. "yes she is, but she's not mine." ron stood up, his face turning as purple as uncle vernon's. "you kissed my sister, potter! have you gone stark raving mad?"

"calm down ron," harry tried to reason. "it's not as bad as it sounds." "no, nothing could be as bad as you saying you were snogging my kid sister...and holding her!" just then the door opened, and hermione walked in, followed close behind by the girl in question. "what's the matter with you, ron?" hermione asked, looking at the red face confronting harry. "we could hear you shouting all the way downstairs." "him," he answered with a wave of his hand. "he's been kissing my sister." "and what's wrong with that?" asked ginny. "what's wrong with it? you're like a sister to him, it's practically incest." "oh, don't be ridiculous," hermione argued, her attitude telling harry that ginny had already told her everything that had happened. "ron, calm down, it's not as bad as all that," harry said, trying to defuse the situation. "no, nothing could be as what i'm thinking, and if you ever do what i am thinking..." ron didn't finish his sentence, he couldn't. harry saw it coming, as his friend suddenly reacted, jumping across the bed toward him. harry didn't have time to react, as ron suddenly flew across the room, landing hard against the opposite wall. harry looked first to ron who tried to console himself, rubbing the back of his head, then turned to look at ginny, who was standing with her wand pointing at her brother. "you will not touch harry, ronald weasley. i'm the one who started this, and i'm glad i did, so stop acting like a stupid git. harry is my choice, and you will not do anything to harm him." ron watched as his little sister walked out the door, and looked back to harry. without a word, harry gathered his clean clothes together, leaving his two best friends alone, while he went to take a shower. he walked to the bathroom, tossing his clothes to the back of the toilet, and locking the door. he turned the water on in the shower; stripped out of the clothes he'd been wearing the entire day, and sat his glasses on the side of the sink. he climbed in beneath the water, feeling it wash the cobwebs and dirt from his tired limbs. he tried to concentrate on relaxing, but all he could think about was ginny. she was so much more than he had ever imagined. she was beautiful and sweet, warm and loving, stubborn and strong willed. she was the air he breathed and the light that shined in the sky. he couldn't believe it had only been a few hours since she had given him his present. it felt like he had been awakened from a life long slumber, and discovered he was falling in love with his best friend's little sister. "potter," he told himself. "ron's right. you are mental." a knock on the bathroom door, reminded him that there were other people in need of a shower, and quickly finished. he lathered his hair and washed the dirt from his face and neck, before rinsing and turning off the water. he climbed out of the shower, rubbing his hair roughly with the towel before wrapping it around his waist. he wiped the fog from the mirror and staring at the image looking back at him. he seemed to not recognize the face; he appeared older, yet happy, for the first time since he didn't know when. he knew the reason behind this transformation, had long red hair and tasted like strawberries. she was the reason he wanted to live, she was the reason he was now smiling.

harry tried to dry his hair with his wand, but gave up, knowing it was useless. his hair would was destined to be messy; it always had been and always would be. he pulled his clean jeans across his damp legs, tugged the green tee shirt across his torso, and replaced his glasses to his nose before hanging the towel up on the hook and leaving the room. inside the room he shared with ron, harry found himself alone. he felt an odd sort of relief. he wasn't ready to deal with another confrontation. he sat on his bed, tossing the dirty clothes to the end, and began lacing his trainers back across his feet. he had just opened the door to leave, when he heard something in the picture next to him. turning, he saw the image of the phineas nigellus leaning against the side of the painting, his arms crossed over his chest. "hello, sir," harry said, thinking that the image of sirius's great-greatgrandfather looked much older and sadder than he had a few months ago. "how have you been?" the image only nodded. "seems a little quieter around here, lately," phineas said softly. harry nodded, unable to really comment. "i never told you, how sorry i am," harry began. "i never told him, how much he meant to me." "he knew," phineas said softly. "he was very proud of you. i don't think he could have loved you more, if you were his own child. you can't find him, you know? nobody has ever come back from the veil." "i know, dumbledore told me, but that doesn't stop me from wishing." "so much regret in such a young life," phineas commented. harry just stared at the floor. "you're a lot like your father. he was always hoping, always wishing things would be different, too." "what was my father like?" harry asked suddenly, unaware that he had even asked the question. "like you, emotional, head strong, determined. always rushing into things without thought of what might lie beyond. you remind me so much me of both of them, sirius and james, with a little bit of your mother added, just to balance you off." "i wish i could have known him." "sirius always said that too. he missed your father's friendship. they were more like brothers than friends, much like you and your angry friend are. you should have heard the argument your bushy haired friend had with him, after you left," phineas chuckled. "i'd be surprised if he wasn't crawling down the stairs behind her." "he just worries about his sister." "as do you. you don't need to, you know. she's a strong girl." "i know, but that won't prevent voldemort from harming her, if it means getting to me." "don't underestimate your friends, potter." phineas pushed away from the edge of

the painting, and walking to the other side. "you're stronger than you think, even dumbledore thinks so. don't give up the faith, potter, and don't turn away from those who love you. they are stronger than you may think." with that said, phineas disappeared from the painting, making harry think he had probably returned to dumbledore's office. harry stepped out of the room, walking past the bathroom, when he heard ginny inside, singing. he smiled, stopping to listen. how had he survived so long without her? he leaned against the wall next to the door and listened as ginny continued to sing. he never knew what happiness felt like. he had always felt hogwart's was his home, but he had never anticipated that life would exist for him outside of those castle walls. with the simple touch of her lips on his, she had opened up his heart to feel a love he never knew existed. he couldn't blame ron for wanting to protect her. harry knew he would do whatever it took to protect her too. even if it meant, surrendering his own life. he only hoped voldemort would never learn of his feelings for her. he already knew how deeply harry cared for the weasleys and because of that, they were at risk. he couldn't allow anything to happen to her, because he had fallen in love with her. just as he was about to abandon his eavesdropping and head downstairs, he heard the door unlock. quietly he eased away from his perch, hiding against the wall between the bathroom door, and another. he waited silently, a mischievous feeling coming over him. he saw her start to walk by, her long red hair flowing down her back, her slender build calling out to him. without a second thought, harry reached out, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into the empty room behind him. he closed the door and pushed her against it, capturing her mouth with his, as she opened it to speak. ginny felt him slip his tongue awkwardly into the dark recesses, teasing hers with the tip of his own. ginny moaned softly, causing harry to push against her firmer, as she wound her arms around his neck. "mr. potter," she asked, when he finally released her lips, and began kissing his way across her cheek to her ear. "just what do you think you're doing?" she tried to sound stern, but failed miserably, not that she minded though. harry chuckled, kissing the tender flesh beneath her ear, causing her to shiver with an excitement she had never known. "it's not my fault," he whispered, nipping at her earlobe. "i heard the sweet song of siren and knew i was done for." ginny giggled, tilting her head back so he could explore her neck. harry kissed the soft spot of flesh, where her neck joined her shoulder, then back up, across her jaw line, over her cheek, to her eyelids, down to the tip of her nose and finally back to her lips. the kiss was intoxicating, and ginny found herself drinking in his sweetness, wrapping her arms around his neck tighter. she never wanted this day to end. "we should go down to dinner," she argued weakly when he again released her mouth, trailing kisses across the opposite side of her face and neck. she slid her arms down his chest, and back up to his shoulder, caressing the tight muscles beneath the thin material of his shirt. "my mum will send out the entire order, to find us if we don't make an appearance pretty soon." "true," he said gently, continuing his explorations of her neck. "but i seem to have a very serious problem." "what's that," she whispered, feeling the warmth spread through her body, as he reached behind her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist.

"i don't want to stop," he told her, receiving a happy giggle in response. harry smiled, kissing her lips again, before releasing her from where he had pinned her to the door. ginny smiled happily at him, watching the warmth of his smile reach his eyes. "promise me, you'll do this again soon?" she pleaded with him, as he turned her toward the door. "any time, any place," he assured her, then froze as he took in the sights of the dimly lit room, where he had pulled her. ginny looked at him, frowning as he stared at the large bed, with the red and gold comforter. "harry, what's wrong?" she asked him, seeing a mixture of fear and grief cross his face. "it's sirius's room," he whispered, taking not of the dusty contents. it looked as if sirius had just left it, his old cloak laying unceremoniously on the back of he large velvet, wingback chair next to the large four-poster bed, his mud-caked boots on the floor at the foot of the bed. along the wall to this right, situated between the two windows sat a large oak desk. a number of parchments strewn across, along with an open bottle of ink and a quill left lying on top of something he had been writing. harry recognized the letter that lay open on the desktop, as he walked toward it. it was the last one harry had sent to his godfather, telling him of umbridge and filch's control they had on the school. he felt a sudden stab of pain. he should never have been so selfish, as to write to his godfather, complaining about things he couldn't help with. harry lifted the quill and looked at the parchment beneath. there lay a letter sirius had started to him, but never had a chance to send it. harry picked it up with shaking fingers, reading the familiar scrawl. dear harry, i wish i cold be there to help you with umbridge and filch. i know this is a difficult time for you, and i'm sorry. i know it can't be easy seeing malfoy with so much authority, knowing what his father is, but be patient just a little longer. i can't believe the weasley twins dropped out, though i can say it's not a total surprise. school was never really meant for them. they stayed on for dumbledore's sake. with the headmaster gone, there was really no reason for them to remain. i know dumbledore will find a way of saving the school, he always does. harry, i was wondering if you would like to spend the summer with me? i've already taken the liberty of arranging for a trip to africa; it will be a real holiday, just the two of us. have you opened your christmas present yet, harry. if not, do so soon. it will all be explained, when you do. i hope to see you soon, harry. i wish i could do more to help you, but know that i am there with you, and always will be. i miss you, sirius harry folded the letter; tears streaking freely down his cheeks. he wiped them away with the back of his hand, as he quietly slipped the letter into his pocket. he turned around and scanned the room's d?r a little closer. the closet

door in the corner of the room stood open, with a number of articles laying about the floor, where sirius had tossed them. against the wall, at the foot of the bed stood a tall six-drawer dresse, with a round mirror above it. harry stepped up to it, looking at the objects scattered across the top. there was a number of galleons, as well as several muggle coins, a small black comb, a pocket watch with a broken face, and hands that didn't want to move, a rolled up parchment with a red ribbon, and a black leather wallet. harry took the parchment and unrolled it. it was confirmation and an itinerary for the trip he planned to take with harry this year. then he noticed the date. they were to leave today, on his sixteenth birthday. harry rolled the parchment up again, unwilling to deal with the pain of what might have been. he picked up the wallet and opened it. inside was great deal of paper muggle money, a picture of lupin, sirius, and his father when they were still in school, all smiling and waving at him. there was also a picture of a sleeping baby harry, with the inscription: to uncle sirius, with love from your godson, harry. inside was another picture, a still photo, a muggle photo of a woman with long ebony hair, and blue eyes. she was very attractive and appeared to be around twenty years of age. on the back was a handwritten note, which read: my beloved sirius, i'll love you today and forever, sara. harry handed the wallet and the pictures to ginny who stood by his side, then turned and walked toward the four-poster bed. ginny looked at the pictures, and then sat them along with the wallet back to the dresser. she turned to see harry sitting on the edge of the bed, his tears running down his cheeks unchecked. she went to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. in his hand was a small mirror, the other end to the one he had given harry for christmas the year before. "it was a link between us, so we could communicate," he told her through his tears. "i never opened it, i just put it in my trunk. i found it when i was packing to for the summer. if i had only opened it, if i had only known about it, i could have contacted him, i could have found out kreacher had lied, that the whole thing was a set up, but i didn't. if i had only..." harry's voice broke as he began to sob uncontrollably. ginny reached toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. harry immediately picked her up from the bed, sitting her on his lap and burying his face in her shoulder. he held onto her as if she were a lifeline. he didn't want to let her go, ever. the door to the room opened cautiously, and the head of mrs. weasley poked through. she saw her daughter holding harry, and heard his cries of grief, then slowly shut the door again. when moody's magical eye had seen them together, and told her they were alone in an upstairs bedroom, she panicked. she didn't know what was happening between her daughter, and the boy she loved as a son, but she could guess, after the way they had spent the day looking at each other. she hurried up the stairs, concerned for her daughter's virtue, but after finding them together, she realized that ginny would never be in trouble with harry. he would protect her, and she would save him. he may eventually be the boy who would save the wizarding world, yet again, but ginny weasley was the girl, who would save the boy from himself. phineas nigellus had indeed returned to dumbledore's office, just as harry had anticipated. he looked down from his painting at the old wizard, and frowned. he seemed older, every time he looked at him. dumbledore, having heard the old

headmaster's return, sat his quill aside, and looked up at him. "it's as you suspected," phineas commented. "potter and girl are together. the four have joined at last, as the prophecy's predictions are coming to light." dumbledore smiled. "his premonitions have lead us to a key, voldemort would never have expected," the image of headmaster dippet commented. "it was predicted that the mother's blood would be strong, and through the son, the fall would be evident. the prophecy is coming to pass." "what will the boy say, when he finds out you didn't tell him the whole prophecy?" asked an elderly witch, sitting in a large wingback chair, her painted black hat falling into her plump round face. "i will deal with that when the time comes," dumbledore said softly. "you had better get a few more possessions, if you plan on telling him here," dippet commented. "after his last visit, you haven't many left." "the prophecy also predicted another," phineas commented; bring the subject back to the one most important on their minds. dumbledore nodded. "the fifth point of the star," the aged wizard commented, placing his fingers together as he thought. "that one won't be so easy," phineas said, sitting in the painted seat of his portrait. "the fifth one may be difficult to convince." "there will be no convincing. the prophecy has foretold of the five, and it will be completed soon enough. fate has already dictated their destinies." "and if the fifth one is persuaded otherwise, then what happens?" dumbledore looked up over the rim of his half moon glasses. "it that happens, then all is lost." read? review! author notes: thank you all so very much for r/r. please keep reading and reviewing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter eight harry lay on the bed beside ginny, his arms wrapped around her tiny waist. he had cried himself into exhaustion, and had finally laid down only after a great deal of insistence on her part. she lay there listening to his steady breathing, feeling the warmth of his breath against her cheek. the ideas of what this boy must have to endure daily, was more then she could comprehend. she had known him since the summer before she entered hogwarts, and had always heard ron talking about their adventures, but unlike her brother, ginny was more concerned of the lasting effects those adventures had on harry.

ginny drifted off to sleep shortly after midnight, dreams of fighting dementors, played out behind her eyes. she saw herself running beside harry, his hand wrapped securely within hers, the forbidden forest looming ahead of them. as they ran closer, she could see the shimmering image of a portal and felt a sudden urge to run toward it. harry was beside her, trying to pull her away from it, but she couldn't go with him. she could hear the voices calling to her from the other side, beckoning her toward them. "ginny, no," harry was pleading with her. "don't leave me, please don't go." ginny turned to look at him and saw the sadness in his eyes. turning back, ginny saw people standing by the portal. she recognized one of the images as cedric diggory, then the image of a man stepped from the shimmer. he looked like harry, but slightly older, the same messy black hair, the same glasses. he was holding onto the hand of a woman with reddish hair. she was beautiful and ginny saw the eyes she had grown to love; they were harry's eyes. she turned to harry and saw him transfixed on the people, stepping slowly toward them. ginny's heart began to race. what was happening? a sense of fear echoed in her mind. she tightened her grip on his hand and tried to stop him, but he kept walking. she could still hear the voices calling, but they had changed and were now calling to him. she turned back but the shimmering object had disappeared, and in its replace was a black curtain, blowing violently in the wind that had suddenly come up. the others had vanished and harry's eyes were transfixed on the image of sirius. he had stepped out from the curtain and was calling to harry. ginny tried to stop him, but he released her hand and stepped forward, as though in a trance. ginny was horrified, how could she stop him. she tried to move, but her feet wouldn't budge. she looked down and saw the ground she stood on, growing up around her feet, limbs and roots wrapping themselves around her legs, reaching up and snatching her hands. she was being held back from, she had no choice but to watch as harry and sirius walked together through the curtain and disappeared. the skies opened up and rain began to pour down. ginny heard a cold hissing laugh echo all around her, and she screamed. "ginny, wake up," a voice was calling to her. she opened her eyes, feeling the moisture run down her cheeks. the sensation of warmth circled around her, and she suddenly realized she was being held. "it's all right," harry was saying, pulling her closer to him, smoothing her hair down her back, holding her tightly. "harry, it was awful," she cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "we were in the forbidden forest, and there were people everywhere. cedric was there and a man that looked like you with a woman who had red hair, and then sirius walked out from behind a black curtain and you went back in with him, and..." "shh, ginny, it was just a dream. sirius isn't coming back." ginny pulled back and looked up into his green eyes, seeing his own sorrow, mixed with a tint of compassion and love. "i was so scared," she told him through deep sobs, as he wiped the tears from her face. "i couldn't move, the ground grew held me back, and all i could do was watch you, walk away from me." "it was just a dream, ginny," harry told her with a smile. "i'll never walk away from you, and i know sirius isn't coming back. he's gone and i can't do anything about it." "harry, i'm so sorry," ginny fell back into his arms, as they just lay there,

holding each other until sleep finally won out again. it was nearly noon, by the time harry stretched his stiff muscles and opened his eyes. he looked around the room, recognizing where he was. he looked to where ginny had slept next to him, the imprint of her body still on the covers, the pillow holding the impression of her head. he couldn't believe that everything that happened yesterday and then last night, had been done in a single day. he had fallen in love, was confronted with his godfather's death, challenged snape to a duel, and fell asleep in the arms of the girl he now considered his. she would always be there for him, and he would never do anything to make her regret it. with a sigh, harry thought about the love in his life, and shifted reluctantly to his loss. he knew with a deep sense of grief that sirius truly wasn't coming home. but somehow it didn't seem to hurt as much as it had last night. then, he had felt alone and lost. today, knowing that he had ginny, he felt that he could do whatever was required of him, and actually make it through. the door to the dimly lit room opened slowly, and he looked up to see the image of the girl who had occupied most of his dreams, step quietly in, a silver tray in her hands. she tiptoed over to the bed, as harry quietly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. he heard her set the tray on the nightstand, then reach down and brush the hair from his face. with a sly smirk, he reached up and grabbed her around the shoulders, pulling her down to the mattress, as she yelped in surprise. he was laughing at the expression of surprise on her face. "you rat," she scolded. "i thought you were still sleeping." "that was the whole idea," he chuckled, kissing her cheek gently. "sleep well?" he asked, knowing she hadn't. a blush crept up her delicate features, as she lowered her eyes. "it was just a dream, ginny," he told her, leaning over her and capturing her lips with his. he kissed her deeply, feeling the tension leave her tiny frame. "does that feel real to you?" he asked her when they parted. ginny smiled brightly. "if it wasn't real, then i don't ever want to experience anything else." harry chuckled again, rolling over and sitting up, smelling the aroma of food. his stomach gave a hearty growl and he looked at the girl, a blush tinting his own face. "hungry?" she asked, setting up on the bed and reaching for the tray. "i forgot about dinner, last night," he answered, accepting the tray of food and eagerly beginning to eat. ginny watched as he started to devour the meal, amazement etching her honey brown eyes. "if ron saw you eating like that, he'd be jealous," she teased him, receiving a sideways glance from the boy. "nobody can eat like ron," harry said over the food he stuffed in his mouth. ten minutes later, the platter of kidney and steak pie was gone, as were the home baked potatoes, steamed carrots and treacle pudding. he drained the last few drops of pumpkin juice from the small pitcher, before looking contentedly back to the red haired girl beside him. "full?" she asked, watching him wipe his mouth on the napkin. "for now, i suppose," he answered, looking at her with a sly grin. "when's dinner?" ginny laughed happily, removing the tray from his lap, before occupying the abandoned spot herself. she sat boldly across his legs, holding them down as

she reached up and kissed his lips, tasting the remnants of pumpkin juice on his mouth. he groaned softly, and then broke the kiss with a deep blush. "i think i should shower," he told her, easing her off his lap, reluctantly. "all right. then i'll see you downstairs when you're done." harry nodded, staying where he was, watching her leave the room. he didn't exactly know what had just happened, but as she sat on his lap, a very strong physical reaction occurred, and he had the urge to do things he had no idea he'd even wanted to do. with a shake of his head, harry stood up from the bed, adjusting the jeans he wore, around the sudden and very obvious result of her recent position. half an hour later, harry had finished his shower and was heading out of the bathroom, a chill running along his arms from the cold shower he had taken, when he nearly ran head on into the girl who had forced him into the cold shower in the first place. "guess what?" she asked, her face flushed with excitement. harry frowned at the girl, as she continued without catching her breath. "bill and charlie are coming home. they'll be here in a few minutes. come on, i don't want to miss their arrival." she grabbed harry's hand and bolted down the stairs, dragging the boy behind her. harry smiled at the thought of the two oldest weasley boys visit. he really liked them and always enjoyed their visits. harry also knew, how much mr. and mrs. weasley loved their visits, especially after the horrible way their third son, percy, had treated them over the past year. as ginny ran down the stairs enthusiastically, she missed the last step, running full force into the painting of mrs. black, knocking the coverings off of it. instantly the old woman began shouting and screeching at them, causing he house occupants to come running. harry picked up the embarrassed ginny from the floor, making certain she was all right, before turning to the woman's painting. "filthy mudbloods, in my house," she screeched. "good for nothing son, allowing this to happen. how dare you contaminate my home with your worthless filth?" harry stood up and turned on the painting, his anger building to lethal depths. "shut up, you old hag!" he shouted back, receiving a brief moment's silence and a look of surprise. "never speak of sirius in that tone of voice again. he's better than you or any of those worthless purebloods, you call family." "how dare you speak to me? i am the last true black, no thanks to that worthless, filthy, muggle loving son of mine." "enough!" harry bellowed, ignoring those around him, as they tried to stop him from shouting at the enchanted painting. "sirius is dead, you old bitch! don't you have any feelings of that?" the painting was silent for several seconds, the look of grief etching her weathered features. "dead?" she whispered, astonishing those around her into silence. "my son...how?" "your niece, bellatrix, killed him. sent him through the veil." mrs. black looked horrified at the boy's words. "no, not the veil. it's worse than death." "tell that to your niece the next time you send a house elf to betray him."

"i never!" shouted the painting. "liar! kreacher betrayed sirius to voldemort. he was tricked into going to the ministry by your lord and master." "never speak of the dark lord by name," growled the angry painting. "you're not worthy, you're nothing more than a mudblood." "i am not a mudblood," harry whispered in deadly calm. "i am harry potter." the painting gasped, as if never expecting to hear that name. "heard of me have you? then let's get something clear," harry stepped up to the woman's painting as he spoke, his voice remaining calm as he confronted it. "this house is mine now, sirius gave it to me in his will. if you don't want me using muggle turpentine on your ugly face, i suggest you learn to keep a civil tongue in that thick skull of yours." the painting gasped, opening and closer her mouth as though wanting to speak, but not being able to form the words necessary. harry glared at the woman's image for a few more moments, then turned to leave. he stopped short, his hand on ginny's elbow, and turned slowly around. he took another step closer to the painting, touching its frame. the image of the old woman cringed; as though shocked by his touch, but harry ignored it as he investigated the carvings surrounding her. "what is it harry," dumbledore asked, stepping up from behind the crowd. without a word, harry pulled his wand out of his shirt, and pointed it at the woman, who merely smirked. "think you can curse me, potter?" she asked in a voice filled with indignity. harry ignored her, as he stepped back, feeling the others around him move aside. he stared at the carvings and concentrated deeply, his wand pointing at the painting. "open," he commanded in a hissing tone. the others looked on in amazement, as the woman's painting began to shake, then fell from the wall, causing the painting's occupant to yelp as she fell. "you...you're a parseltongue," she gasped as realization struck her, her painting free from its perch, leaning against the wall haphazardly. harry ignored her comment, and walked toward her, pushing the large heavy painting aside. those witness to the event, stared on in shock, when harry revealed a secret door. he looked at the handle, seeing the same snake designs that had been engraved around the woman's painting. he again held out his wand and hissed. the bolts to the door's interior sounded, and the door swung open. "i don't believe it," whispered lupin, turning to look at moody. "didn't you see this room?" moody shook his head. "it must have been hidden with very dark magic, even i couldn't detect." moody was amazed and embarrassed at the fact that there was something hiding inside the house, that he couldn't see with his magic eye. harry pulled the door open wide, raising his wand and whispering, "lumos." the end of his wand began to glow, lighting the large closet sized room beyond. he stepped through the opening, brushing the cobwebs aside. seeing the large rat sized spider scurry under the table, he turned back to ron. "don't come in yet," he warned him, watching as ron backed up two stairs. he leaned down and saw the spider's eyes shining out at him from beneath the old, weathered table. the spider immediately tried to escape its hiding place, but

harry was too quick. "arania exumai," he shouted, watching the spider flip to it's back at the foot of the stairs. ron looked on in horror, his face ashen, his eyes round. lupin stepped forward, wrapping his cape around the insect and leaving the room. "stay out of there," screeched mrs. black's painting. "that is not for the likes of you. only the dark lord may enter. why are you a parseltongue? you're going to ruin everything. how did you figure out my secret?" "hey, harry," fred called to him, stopping him from returning to the room. "what do you say we get rid of the old bat, now that she's off the wall?" "sure, whatever," harry said, turning to return to the hidden room. "abscondere," george said, raising his wand at the old painting. instantly a thick canvas cover appeared, and wrapped around the painting. they listened to the old woman shout her complaints, as the twins picked her up. "where do you want us to put this, mr. potter?" fred teased, looking back to harry who was looking at the objects on the dusty old shelves. harry looked back and smiled. "the cellar should be good. she is after all, found of the dark side." george and fred chuckled on their way down the hall to the door that led to the cellar. "no, you can't go in there," shouted the muffled voice of the annoying painting. "it's not for you, it's for the dark lord, stay out...stay out!" the door to the cellar slammed shut, as the twins and the painting disappeared from the upper level. "look at all this stuff," hermione said, stepping in behind harry, followed close behind by everyone but ron, who was still eyeing the cobwebs clinging to the walls and doorframe. "i've never seen any of these ingredients listed in any book i've ever read." "that's because they are used only for very dark magic, miss granger," snape said, stepping up behind them. "most of them are illegal, and for good reason." "why did she say that this was meant only for the dark lord?" tonks asked, picking up a large bottle of ground pixie livers. "you don't think he knows about grimmauld place, do you?" ron asked, cautiously edging in the room. "it's very unlikely, mr. weasley," dumbledore said, as the others moved aside and allowed the old man to enter the room. "if voldemort had known about this house, he would have already done what was necessary to find it. i believe, mrs. black set up this room while he was in exile, and never lived to see him return to power. the house was moved and special charms placed on it, to prevent unwanted visitors." "look at these books, harry," ginny said, stepping to the shelves and picking up the old, fragile books. harry stepped to her side, and scanned the bindings of several books. they were all old and filled with dust and cobwebs. "administration of deadly curses," ginny read aloud. "torture in the dark ages, beyond death, remember the pain. i can't believe all of these. they're horrible."

"look at these spells," hermione said, turning the pages of a book and peering inside at the disfigured, tortured image of a man. "what kind of a person would do something like this, to another living soul?" "voldemort," harry said, replacing the book he held to the shelf, and turning around. there were a total of forty-two shelves, all filled with antique and rare spells of dark arts, with the worst kind of ingredients known to mankind. there was horntail venom, powdered phoenix heart, unicorn blood, and crushed mermaid's scales, just to name a few. all items used in the darkest magic. "there's a fortune of illegal contraband here," mr. weasley said in amazement. "we'll need a full inventory of everything," dumbledore announced, heading toward the door. "i'll do it headmaster," snape offered, receiving a glare from harry and ron. "feeling at home here, are we snape?" harry asked boldly. "it is only logical that i should be the one to record these items, since i am the positions master," snape replied in a cold tone. "i know in which order these should be stored. if they are placed together incorrectly, mr. potter, they can release curses on anyone who comes near. if you had paid attention in my class a little more, you would have known that." "if i had paid attention in your class, i would have seen a lot more than you would have liked, a long time ago." "what are you insinuating, potter?" harry stood toe to toe with the greasy haired wizard. "you know exactly what i'm insinuating," he said, causing a silence to build up around the small group. "i don't trust you, i don't like you, and if it were up to me, you'd have been in azkaban years ago." "harry, severus, that's quite enough," dumbledore interrupted. "harry, i'd like to speak with you alone for a moment, please." harry and snape stood silent for several long minutes, staring at each other, until ginny grabbed harry by the arm and pulled him out the door to where the headmaster waited. "will you wait for us in the other room please, miss weasley?" he asked, looking over the rim of his half moon glasses. ginny nodded, and then glanced to harry, seeing the anger still lingering in his green eyes. dumbledore led harry into the sitting room, taking a seat in the wingback chair and motioning to harry to sit down. he did as ordered and waited patiently for the old wizard to begin. the room was silent and warm, and harry found it uncomfortable after only a few seconds. "i know i shouldn't have spoken to snape like i did," harry began. "professor snape," dumbledore corrected. "i know you trust him, sir, but i don't. he's never shown any sign of goodness, he's as evil as voldemort, and as black hearted." "harry, professor snape is one of us," dumbledore began, watching as harry stood and paced to the fireplace.

"how can you say that? he's a death eater. he's one of them." "no harry, he is not. please sit down." dumbledore waited until he had sat, then folded his fingers together as he continued. "i can not divulge a confidence, if professor snape wished for you to know his story, he would tell you. what i can tell you is that he was influenced at a young age. after seeing the horror involved in his decision, he came back, but not until after he lost someone he cared very deeply for. when voldemort was at his height, it was professor snape who chose to infiltrate his circle and bring us back information. he was nearly killed for his decision, and he has a price on his head, even today." dumbledore paused, watching harry digest the information, before continuing. "i know you think professor snape hates you harry, but it simply is not true. he admires you, very highly." "are you crazy?" harry asked, looking at the old wizard as if he had just sprouted horns and a tail. "you aren't there in class, or in the halls when he sees me, or ron or hermione. he hates all of the gryffindors. the only one he is even slightly considerate to, is ferret-faced malfoy." dumbledore stifled a laugh, covering it up with a cough. "what do you think would happen, if voldemort were to learn of snape's trust in you?" harry thought for a few minutes. "i suppose snape would be in more danger, than he already is." "yes harry. there is danger lurking in every alley and around every corner. voldemort is uncertain of what to think regarding professor snape. he's being told that snape is loyal to him, by other death eaters who know him. this may be to our advantage, someday. harry, we all have faith in you, we believe in you and we're all willing to back you up, even professor snape." "he blames me for the trouble my father and sirius caused him in school, you can't deny that." "i will not deny it. your father was a good student and an even better friend. he and your mother meant a great deal to me, to all of us. sirius was a prankster, he liked to play tricks and have fun, much like the young weasley twins. professor lupin was the sensible one, the serious one. he was the one who kept sirius and james's feet on firm ground. during all their years in school, it was professor snape they liked to torment, more sirius than your father. at first your father rarely gave sirius a second glance, but then when your mother came into the picture, he felt it necessary to fight for her attentions." "fight for her? with whom?" harry stared at dumbledore, then turned a wide eye expression to him. "snape? my mother had a crush on snape?" dumbledore chuckled softly. "your mother was the brightest student in hogwarts. i haven't seen a student like her, until miss granger. she was always helping others, if there were a student who needed tutoring; lily evans was the one to offer a helping hand. severus snape was one such occasion. they spent a great deal of time together in the library. i think severus developed an attraction to her at that time, but since she was a muggle born, his father would never have allowed him to take it any further. but then your mother had very serious eyes on a young gryffindor seeker. it was during their seventh year at school, that things began to turn dark. voldemort was gaining power, and converting every pureblooded wizard and witch he could find."

"and snape was one of them." dumbledore didn't answer, he simply looked at harry. "you must understand how difficult it is for professor snape to show any signs of affection. he closed his heart years ago, and has yet to reopen it." harry was silent for several moments, staring at the worn carpet as he considered all the old wizard had told him. "i suppose i shouldn't have been so hard on him, but i still don't trust him. he's mean spirited and evil, at least to anyone gryffindor." dumbledore chuckled softly. "old wounds run deep," he mumbled softly. "i'm not asking you to invite him dinner in your dormitory, harry, just try and be a little lenient. he really does have faith in you. perhaps he's a little jealous of the closeness you and your friends have. i'm sure he may even take his anger of the way james and sirius treated him out on you, but patience will prevail." "if you say so, professor. just don't expect me to shake his hand or anything." dumbledore stood, laughing as he reached for harry, patting him on the back. "i daresay, i do not expect miracles in that area." read? review! author notes: for everyone who has r/r, i want to thank you so much. i've never tried to write a story of this type, and it's so great to hear that so many people like my ideas. please be aware, i am trying to keep to character, because i love jk's writing, but my characters are based on my ideas, not jk's. they are different. also, i made a mistake on ginny's eyes. i know they are brown, and the future chapters has that changed. please forgive me. and for those who have emailed me wanting more h/g passion, be patient, it is coming. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter nine hogwarts letters arrived right on schedule, and the house was a buzz with excitement. plans for their trip to diagon alley, and their first dates, was planned for later that afternoon. everyone was running to gather shoes, brush their hair and teeth and fight around the next person who was trying to get in the bathroom. harry had finished first, anticipating the letters and had yet to return downstairs to open his. he was excited to return to school, but in a way he was dreading it. the last few weeks had been grand, even if cleaning was a part of the daily activity. ron and harry had spent a great deal of the time playing wizard chess, and practicing their d.a. lessons they had started last year. harry had told them of the book he'd gotten from diagon alley, and hermione took to immediately studying the spells, curses and hexes. when she thought she had one up on harry, she would blurt out a spell or a curse, and harry would finish it, or tell her the results. he actually found it fun to antagonize her, especially when ron was left to console her, which left time for harry to be alone with ginny. "hey, harry, hurry up!" shouted ron up the stairs. the house had become much more noisy with the removal of mrs. black's painting. life and laughter had entered the house, possibly for the first time in history.

"i'm coming, hold your knickers on," he told his friend stepping down the stairs. "very funny, i don't wear knickers and you bloody well know it." "well, you're screeching like a girl, i just assumed..." "sod off potter!" ron snapped, punching him in the arm. the two laughed as they entered the kitchen, looking at the papers laying spread across the table. "so, are you two unlucky enough to be prefects again this year?" harry asked them, pushing the letters aside to locate his own. "you know it, mate," ron announced proudly. "even with that old hag umbridge's records on us, we still get to keep the badges." "i'm sure professor dumbledore had a lot to do with that," hermione clarified, proudly pinning her badge to her jumper. harry shook his head softly, glancing across the table to ginny, who just smiled at him. he retrieved his letter, slipped the flap open and pulled out the letter welcoming him to school, as well his list of supplies. he scanned the papers quickly, noting the lengthy book list. "can you imagine all of those books?" ron complained. "how are we ever going to get through them all?" "how are we going to pay for them?" ginny asked softly, walking around ron. harry grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to his side. he kissed her cheek and smiled. "your supplies are on me, this year," he told her, nuzzling her ear gently, causing tingles to travel down both of their spines. "that's gross," ron complained, walking around them to the sink where mrs. weasley stood washing the last of the breakfast dishes. "mum, tell ginny and harry to get a grip. they're at it again." mrs. weasley turned and saw the two, their foreheads leaning together, as they were smiling. she liked the idea of her only daughter being with harry. they were happy and for the first time since she met harry, he actually looked like he fit in. "you four had best be getting a move on," mrs. weasley said, as she wiped her hands on the towel. "we'll have to be leaving soon." "i have an idea mum," fred said, as he and george stepped into the kitchen. they had spent the past several weeks at grimmauld place, between sharing shifts at their joke shop. "why don't you let the sweethearts go to diagon alley alone this year, and george and i will take you to lunch in hogsmeade." mrs. weasley looked at the two, blinking several times, before smiling brightly. "you want to take your old mum to lunch?" mrs. weasley's enthusiasm turned quickly to suspicion as she eyed her twin boys. "what's the occasion? what did you do?" "we didn't do anything, mum," george swore. "we just thought you'd like to have lunch with us." "besides, we wanted to show you our new shop," fred commented with a bright smile.

"what new shop? what happened to the one in diagon alley?" "nothing, mum. we're expanding," george explained quickly. "we've become so busy and we're getting so many new orders, we've decided to open another shop, closer to customers." "that's great!" ron exclaimed. "now we'll be able to shop at the new store when we go to hogsmeade this year." "yeah, little brother," fred teased, ruffling his hair. "and if you're really good, we'll even give you a discount." "knowing you, it'll be double the price," ron grumbled, straightening his hair. "now, ronald, you'll need to go to gringott's and get the money you need. be sure and get only what's on the list. here's the key, now be very careful with it." "i've gone to diagon alley with you since i was a baby, mum. i think i know what to do." ron took the key and put it in his pocket, hoping the blush he felt creep up his neck wasn't too obvious. "make certain you help ginny with her purchases as well," mrs. weasley insisted, ignoring her rambling. "come on you guys," tonks complained as she entered the room, her hair a short pale blue mass of curls, her dress simple and black and her face looking much older than normal. "now be careful, and harry please watch yourself," mrs. weasley warned them, brushing their jumpers to make certain they were clean and neat, before giving each a kiss on the cheek. "we'll be fine, mum. can we go now, please?" ginny insisted as ron picked his cloak up from the back of the chair and tucking it in the bag tonks had the other's cloaks in. "we need to get moving, if we're going to get back before school starts. lupin is already waiting by the car." "we're taking a car?" hermione asked, thinking back to last year and how difficult it was to get to the leaky cauldron. "yeah. i think fudge is trying to make up for his stupid attitude towards the way he treated harry, last year." "at least he believes us now," hermione grumbled, as she and ginny walked out of the kitchen behind tonks, followed by harry and ron. they were about to leave the house, when george came rushing up behind them. he slipped a key into ron's hand, and glanced over his shoulder. "don't tell mum," he whispered. "this will open up a vault we've set up for the family at gringott's. get everything you need, as well as a set of new robes. fred and i want to start helping out more, but mum and dad said they can manage." "thanks george," ron said, actually looking like he was about to cry. "don't mention it...ever! and get out extra, to get your girlfriend a treat. she

needs a little something, in order to keep her interest in the likes of you." ron blushed brightly, and george returned to the kitchen chuckling. diagon alley was filled with hogwarts students, much to all of their amazement. the mutual consensus was, now that voldemort's return was public knowledge, many families would choose not to allow their children to return to school. from the looks of the little town, there were not only the normal students shopping for their supplies, but a great number of first years. harry smiled to himself. it was a tribute to dumbledore, knowing the reason so many students would return to school, was because of the faith the wizarding world had in the old wizard. harry followed ron, hermione and ginny down the street, stopping at the quidditch shop and staring at the newest equipment. he and ron had to practically be dragged away from the front window, while ginny pretended not to look at the new display. they looked into the store shop windows, inspecting the robes, the brooms, the owls, even the wands, before winding their way to gringott's to get what they needed. ron, hermione and ginny entered the bank ahead of harry, as a woman with an elegant hat and expensive robes eased out the door, in front harry. he was about to enter the building, when the last person he expected to see stepped out the door. they stood facing each other; green eyes fixing and holding onto gray ones. they stood as if silently challenging each other. harry had his hand on his wand, as he knew the other one did. "draco, stop dawdling," the woman who had just exited the building snapped. draco malfoy, his white blond hair slicked back with his usual perfection. the smirk he had worn for the past five years was gone; in its place was a sneer of hatred. harry watched the boy as he physically pulled himself away from the step, walking beside the woman down the street. "i'm surprised he has the nerve to show his face in public," ron said, stepping out the door of the bank to see what was keeping harry. "it's his father who was imprisoned, not him," hermione said, joining them. "well, that wasn't because we didn't want him there," ron argued. "he deserves to be prison, as well as his creepy father." "the prison's empty, remember ron?" ginny asked joining the three on the steps. harry didn't want to discuss this any further. her reached out and snatched ginny's hand and pulled her into the bank. right now he didn't want to think about his enemies. he just wanted to enjoy their day without adult supervision, even though they knew tonks and lupin were nearby, it was enough to just walk around and talk without interference. at flourish and blotts, ron and ginny made their way toward the used book section, taking their lists with them. harry and hermione glanced to each other, and then went to the other two, pulling them toward the new books. after a great deal of arguing about cost, the four secured their purchases, and left the store, heading toward madam malkin's robes for all occasions. all four were in need of new robes, which they found, allowing the clerk to magically adhere their house emblems on the fronts. harry and ron talked together in hushed tones, while the girls tried on their robes, then excused themselves and left the store. twenty minutes later, they returned in time to pay for their purchases, ignoring the looks from their dates. hermione assumed they had gone back to the quidditch shop, and ginny was sure ron had talked harry into sneaking off the twins shop for treats and tricks.

next stop was debated on with great discussion. ron wanted to return to the leaky caldron for lunch, while harry and ginny wanted to go to the creamery for ice cream sodas. hermione on the other hand, wanted to go the apothecary to check out some of the items they had found in the hidden room. after a long argument in which ron insisted he would starve to death, and harry and ginny simply rolled their eyes, hermione finally got her way and the four of them entered the apothecary. inside, they began to search the store quietly, searching for items the ministry had declared illegal, which ron pointed out, they weren't supposed to have much less know about. the store was quiet, since the school's students didn't need ingredients for their potions, at least not these kinds of ingredients. they could just pick up their potions kits at flourish and blotts, along with the books necessary for each kit. the shelves were long, immaculately dusted and well kept. they contained a great deal of powder filled jars, boxes of chopped toad livers, liquids of every color imaginable, balms, creams, lotions and jells, and hanging above the countertop, were dead chickens, dried bats, rats and toads, along with a great number of animal parts. harry and ron were disgusted at the sight of a table behind an open curtain, which had obviously been used recently to create potions. blood from an animal had run down the leg of the table, dripping to the floor and puddling on the hard, cold stones. the smell that emulated from the room was nauseating, and harry and ron found themselves trying to breathe around it. hermione was fascinated with the array of spell books, so engrossed in them; she hadn't noticed when the clerk arrived at the counter. a witch with snow-white hair, and pale complexion stood behind the counter. her black eyes were so intense; it made anyone who looked at her feel as though she were seeing through to their soul. hermione turned at the soft rustle of the woman behind the counter and nearly screamed. her dark robes and pointed black hat, made her pale complexion seem nearly transparent. "how may i help you children?" the woman asked, her tone soft and barely above a whisper. "um...we were just curious about some potion ingredients," hermione began, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat. "you see, we're doing a report for school, and we are having a difficult time finding any information on what certain ingredients are used for." harry, ron and ginny looked at each other, surprise etching their faces at the obvious lie. hermione never lied, and to hear this coming from her, was a shock to say the least. "what ingredients were you interested in?" the clerk asked. hermione stepped forward, unrolling a small parchment in which she had written several items found in mrs. black's secret room. the woman eyed the list, then looked back to hermione with narrowed eyes. "such ingredients have been deemed illegal by the ministry of magic," she replied. "yes, i know, but our potions professor wants us to understand the more serious ingredients of dark magic." hermione felt a sudden race of her heart as she stared at the woman. "whom, may i ask, is your potions professor?" "um...snape, severus snape, from hogwarts." the woman's eyes returned to their normal almond shape as she sighed heavily, her voice no longer sounding quite so soft and mysterious. "ah, yes, professor snape. he has always been one, interested in the darker side

of magic," the woman stated, setting the parchment on the counter. "i suppose it is a good thing, he is on our side, and that dumbledore has such high respect for him." "do you know the professor?" harry asked, drawing the woman's attention to him. "we attended hogwarts together. does he still have greasy hair?" "and how," ron added with a smile. "i often wonder how dumbledore could trust him, after everything that happened," harry said in a nonchalant tone, even though his curiosity was demanding answers. the woman looked at him again, ignoring his obvious bating of the subject, than took note of the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. "you're harry potter," she said, more to herself than to him. harry nodded, and the woman's dark eyes seemed to grow misty. "i knew your parents," she continued. "i was horrified when i heard the news about them, and then to find out that sirius black was responsible, it was dreadful. they were such good friends." "sirius black did not kill my parents, or sell them out to voldemort," harry saw how the woman flinched at the sound of the dark lord's name. "it was peter pettigrew who betrayed them and caused their deaths." "peter? that wormy little git?" the woman paused as if thinking, then nodded her head. "i can see him doing something like that. he was very jealous of the great three, as they were called; james, sirius and remus. terrible about remus, though. he was always so good looking; i had such a crush on him, and sirius. but then sirius had that muggle he was in love with. more's the pity." "sara," harry added thinking back on the photo he had found in his godfather's bedroom. the woman nod her head, her pale features seeming a bit more normal as she spoke about the past. "did you know her?" "i met her only once, at graduation. sirius brought her and introduced her as his fianc?i heard he married her shortly after school, but she died in childbirth, along with their daughter. he was never the same after that." "sirius was married?" harry asked, shocked and stunned at the news. "sadly yes, but it wasn't meant to be i suppose." "what house were you in, at hogwarts?" ginny asked, watching the woman's thin lips spread into a smile that somehow didn't quite reach her eyes. "ravenclaw, of course," she tapped the small emblem on the collar of her cloak, making note of the badge she had pinned there. "i was head girl in my seventh year." "i'm a prefect," hermione said proudly, showing off her badge to the woman, who smiled brightly. "so is ron." "good for you. now, let's see how i can help you." she turned her attention back to the parchment hermione had given her. "most of these ingredients are used for deadly results. i have a book over here written by paracelsus, who used such ingredients during the middle ages, to create medicines for the muggle population. he hypothesized; the dose of a chemical determines the type and severity of the body's response to it. he rather enjoyed his experiments, and

was quite successful in hiding the fact that he was a wizard, from the muggles. when the ministry caught up to him, he had created a great number of medications for both wizards and muggles, but at a great loss of life." she searched for the book as she spoke, until she found it on the very top shelf. she retrieved her wand, pointed it at the shelf and said, "accio book," holding her hand out as the book fell into it. she returned to the counter, opening the old pages, comparing them to the list hermione had written out for her. "all right now, let's see what we have here. lycintus," she said, finding the first item on hermione's list in the book, reading it as the four gathered around her. "it is usually used in healing potions although it can also be used in poisons. the part of the plant used depends on whether it is used for healing or poisoning. for a healing potion, 4-6 mature leaves are needed. these leaves are then chopped up to retrieve the sticky liquid. the stem is used to make poisons. to make this potion the stem is simply cut up and boiled in a small pot of water. the liquid is then strained and ready for use. if the plant is not disposed of by use of burning, it will kill all other plants within twenty meters of it and the surround soil will be useless to grow anything in for about ten years." the woman continued as she went down the list of ingredients, as the four listened intently on what she was saying, and hermione was busy scrawling notes on a slip of parchment she had brought with her. "platypus poiren, is a waterborne plant in which it eats pollution. it is harmless to humans so long as it remains underwater, but once exposed to oxygen, it releases fatal spores as a defence. the only possible way to kill a platypus poiren is to expose it to harsh sunlight. the plant has legitimate use other then to purify water." "monkshood is the safest and most practical use of aconite, and is used for the relief of pain. it also is used to treat fevers. when used as a poison, it can cause severe fevers, coma, and eventually death. sounds like the kind of plant everyone should have in their gardens," the woman added sarcastically. she continued on in the same manner, inspecting the ingredients on hermione's list. there was mandrake, which all of them knew about from harry, ron and hermione's second year, and ginny's first, when she was lured down to the chamber of secrets by tom riddle's diary. there was also hemlock, which was used to create nervousness, trembling, incoordination, depression, coma, and death; henbane, which was used as a hallucinogenic; the oleander plant, which when sucked, caused death; inkberry which caused muscle spasms, convulsions, respiratory difficulties, and eventually self suffocation; and atropa belladonna, which was used as a powerful sleeping aid, and when used in larger quantities caused the sleep of death. with all of these plants, there was one common factor; they all caused death. "these are some interesting ingredients snape wants you to research," the woman, who had introduced herself as marla mandapole, said, closing the book and returning it to its perch on the top shelf. "i hope he's not planning on trying to use any of these items, in his potions. the ministry will certainly have his head on a platter." "i'm sure he's not," hermione stated, folding the parchment she had been taking notes on, and putting it in her cloak pocket. "thank you for your trouble." "not at all," marla told them, walking them toward the entrance. "i hope this was useful to you." "it was, a great help. thanks again." the four left the shop and walked quietly

away. once they were certain they were out of hearing range, ron turned to hermione with a sly grin. "hermione granger, knows how to lie," he said in a tone of admiration and awe. hermione on the other hand, offered him a look of indignity. "i most certainly did not lie," she told him. "you told her we were doing research for a paper. if that wasn't a lie, than i don't know what was." "for your information, ronald weasley, i intend to write a report on those ingredients for advanced potions, once we return to school." "only you could think of getting out of lie by using homework," ron told her, his voice an echo of admiration and amusement. "now can we get a soda?" ginny asked, hoping to stop any argument between her brother and his date. they walked to the creamery, where harry ordered sodas for himself and ginny, leaving ron to order a double scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, triple whipped cream and nuts for himself, and a single scoop of strawberry ice cream for hermione. the sun was slowly dissolving in the horizon, and they knew that they would have to head back to grimmauld place before long, but the idea of ending the day was one they wanted to avoid a little longer. it had been a very pleasant day, with the regards of running into malfoy. as the four sat chatting about their upcoming school year, a voice called to them from across the street. they turned to see seamus finnigan, and dean thomas heading in their direction. "can you believe the list of books this year?" seamus said, as they joined the four at the table. "i can't imagine what kind of courses we have, if we have to get this list filled." "i just hope we don't have double potions again," ron complained, using his finger to get the last bit of chocolate sauce from the bottom of his dish. "have you heard who's going to be the new quidditch captain this year?" dean asked, his dark eyes darting to ginny on occasion. "angelina graduated last year, so it left the post open," seamus said. "maybe it'll be harry," hermione said, pushing her finished ice cream dish aside. "after all, he is the greatest seeker in all of hogwarts." "i don't think there will be much of a chance in that," harry said, suddenly no longer interested in his half finished soda. "umbridge banned me from the game for life, remember?" "ah, dumbledore will over turn that order, and you know it," ron insisted. "there's no way any of that old hag's orders will be upheld." "fudge approved her decision, ron, remember?" harry argued. "that was before she made such a mess of things. now that dumbledore has taken hold of the school again, there are no concerns."

"you could always be captain," harry told ron, watching the color creep up his friend's cheeks. "you are after all, our king." "sod off potter," ron growled, his cheeks going all the darker. "hey, ginny," dean said softly. "could i speak with you for a moment?" ginny glanced to the boy, then looked to harry who seemed very interested on the straw of his soda, his eyes cast down as if not paying attention. "sure," she said softly, as they walked across the street to stand in front of flourish and blotts. ron turned to harry and kicked him under the table. harry looked up with a glare. "what'd you let her do that for?" he demanded, watching the dark look cross harry's face. "if i were you, i'd curse him where he stands." ron tried to pull out his wand, but was caught by hermione. "don't you dare, ronald weasley," she demanded in hushed tones. "you can't use magic out of school." ron opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw the look on harry's face. he had turned in the direction of ginny and dean, seeing her give him a hug and brief kiss on the lips, and then they walked back to the table. "what's going on?" seamus asked, curious about the way ron and harry were acting. "nothing," hermione assured him. "just brotherly protection." "we have to be heading off," dean told his friend when he and ginny joined them again. "i promised my mum i would spend the last couple of days with the family, before school starts. she's still put out at me for spending so much time at your house, this summer." "all right," seamus said, no longer interested in what was going on between harry and ron. "we'll see you guys in school," he told the four, then turned and left in the direction of the leaky caldron. "what was that all about?" ron demanded, once the two had left, turning his gaze to his sister. "i thought it was over between the two of you, especially now?" "it's not really any of your business, ron, so lay off," his sister told him, glancing to harry, who was refusing to look at her. "i should have cursed him when i had the chance." ron turned to hermione and frowned. "why did you stop me?" "you can't do magic outside of school, you know that. if you had cursed dean, you would have run the chance of being expelled." "we've been doing magic all summer, so why haven't any of us gotten expelled already?" "because we've been at grimmauld place," hermione said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "the charms and wards surrounding the house are too strong for the ministry to get through. they don't even know about the house, or where it's located. if they did, voldemort would have found us before now."

"don't say his name," ron warned her, looking around the area for anyone listening. "why not?" harry said, anger tinting his green eyes. "he's back, ron. the fear is more real now than ever before. there's no need to hide from it." "i just don't like to hear his name," ron said honestly. "i'd like to pretend everything is normal, for as long as i can." "life will never be normal again," harry told him standing up from his seat. "the war has started, remember? i'm surprised we're all still alive." harry turned on his heel, walking toward the leaky caldron, and the exit waiting him. "so much for a happy ending, to a great day," ron said, and the three followed behind the dark cloak of their friend. the hidden figure who watched the four depart remained hidden, a cold, evil smile etched on thin cracked lips. it was only a matter of time before the plans were carried out, and then the boy, the school and the old wizard overseeing it would fall to the dark forces of the great lord voldemort. read? review! author notes: to everyone who's r/r thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! i love hearing what people think, and hopefully i can continue to please you. i'm having so much fun writing this, it's difficult to concentrate on anything else. one clarification in this chapter...the fact that ginny was able to do magic while at grimmauld place, i hope i cleared that up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter ten dinner that night was eaten in near silence. ron and hermione chatted about their day, involving ginny as often as necessary, and having given up on trying to get harry to talk. he was moody and stayed that way the whole trip home from diagon alley, as well as through dinner. he barely ate anything, pushing the kidney pie and mashed potatoes around his plate. ginny had even tried to speak with him, and received nothing more than an occasional grunt in response. "so, ginny," ron started, after finishing about their new line of exploding quills. seemed pretty cozy with him on the street plate, pushing it aside, causing the eyes

a conversation with fred "what did dean want with today." harry tossed his around the table to turn

and george you? you fork to the to him.

"he asked me how my summer was going," she told them, glancing to harry who stood suddenly and walked his plate to the sink. "most people don't snog their ex-boyfriends for asking how their summer was." "i was not snogging him, and for your nosey information, he wanted to apologize for the way he broke up with me, and asked me if i thought we could make it work again." "what did you tell him?" harry asked, the first real sentence he had uttered in hours. he turned away from the sink, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms across his chest.

"so you're going to speak to me now?" ginny asked, her brown eyes locking with his green ones. the silence rose again in the room, as mr. and mrs. weasley stopped their conversation with tonks and lupin, staring at the two. "you didn't answer," harry told her softly, anger lingering on every syllable. "what do you care? you've barely said two words to me since we left diagon alley. besides, i don't think i owe you an explanation." "answer the question, ginny," harry demanded, his tone sharp as daggers. "why should it matter to you, what i said to him? it's not like we have any commitments between us, to interfere with what an old friend had to say to me." "what?" ron nearly choked on his pumpkin juice, as he took up an uninvited place in the conversation. "with all the snogging you two have been doing, you don't think there's a commitment? are you mental?" "ron stay out of it," hermione warned softly, watching the eyes of her best friend and the girl he loved, never once leaving each other. "why? it's obvious harry's bonkers for her, and she's a nutter for not seeing it." "ron, be quiet," ginny told her brother, standing up and walking toward harry, standing a few feet away from him. "answer the question, ginny," harry told her in soft deadly tones. "what did you tell him, when he asked if you could work things out." "why do you care, harry?" "apparently i shouldn't," he told her, his jaw clenching tightly. "i guess i shouldn't have assumed there were any real feelings in you. after all, you've had a different boyfriend every week, why should i be anything more than just a number to you." ginny reached out and slapped harry's face, hard, the smack resounding off the walls. he looked at her as if he hadn't felt the wrenching pain from her assault. "at least i know where we stand, before either of us lost our hearts," he told her softly, walking away from her, and out the door. ginny stood there in silence. her hand hurt from she had slapped harry, her heart breaking at his words. she tried hard to control her emotions, but couldn't contain the tears any further. she was angry and upset in a way she had never felt. she ran from the room, leaving the stunned observers to watch her departure. "bloody hell," ron said softly, echoing the thoughts of the others in a mere two words. harry sat on his bed, in the room he shared with ron. he was miserable. his cheek hurt, and his heart felt like it had just been ripped from his chest. the sounds of phineaus echoed from the painting, causing harry to glance up and see the old wizard standing quietly watching him. "rough day, potter?" he asked, as harry turned over to his stomach, folding his arms and resting his chin on them. "leave me alone," he ordered bitterly.

"ah, female problems i take it. what happened? she get tired of looking at that scar?" "no, she was snogging an old boyfriend in diagon alley." "i see," the old wizard said, remaining silent for so long, harry thought he had left. "did she tell you she didn't want to be with you any longer?" he asked again after several minutes. "she didn't have to. i saw how she looked at him." "potter, this is your first love affair, and you don't know how to deal with females, so let me give you some advice. women like it when their man fights for them. they want to hear words of endearment and they want commitments that they can substantiate. men don't care much for words, but women do, they have to hear them." "then she'll have to hear them from him. i don't have any for her." "are you sure about that?" "positive. besides, she doesn't want to hear them from me, even if i did say them." "i see. so i suppose that's not her across the hallway, crying her heart out? sounds like a very heartbroken young woman, to me. but then again, things were different in my time. when a man wanted his woman, he'd fight for her. if it were i, i'd go to her and prove i was a better man. i'd take her in my arms and kiss her so thoroughly that she wouldn't even remember the other bloke's name." "well things are different now," harry said sadly. "i can't fight for something i never had." "so sure about that, are you? told you that, did she? at the very least, you should demand to hear the words, so you know it's over. otherwise, you'll never know what might have been." phineaus sighed deeply, and then smiled to himself. "well, i'd better go. dumbledore's trying to get things settled before school starts day after tomorrow." harry listened as phineaus left the painting, before turning over to his back. he considered what the old wizard had told him, hearing ginny's crying echo through his heart. he didn't' know if he should go to her and comfort her, or if he should find dean thomas and throttle the daylights out of him. he was angry and hurt, and he just couldn't make his thoughts work for him. slowly he sat up on his bed, looking out the window to the dark skies beyond. feeling like this, he'd rather face voldemort without his wand. what he wouldn't do to have sirius right now. he needed to talk to him, and ask him what he was supposed to do. a few minutes passed by, before a soft knock sounded on the door. harry glanced to it, seeing lupin poke his head around the corner. he carried in a silver tray with a sandwich and a glass of pumpkin juice, setting it on the table between the two beds, than sat on the edge of ron's. "you didn't eat much dinner, so i thought i'd bring you a snack." harry was silent as the two sat there, looking down at their hands. "i thought she cared for me," harry said, his voice breaking with the emotions

that raked his insides. lupin looked up and smiled. "she does care for you, harry," he told him gently. "love is a very complicated thing. it's strong enough to withstand any storm, and yet fragile to the bitterness of emotionally spoken words. this is new to you harry, and it's new to ginny too. right now you're both on shaky ground." "she's had other boyfriends, remus. there's nothing new for her about any of this." "that may be, but ginny's never felt love. not real love. she may have had crushes, but that was different then what she feels for you. i know i'm not an expert at any of this, but i know when a young girl's heart is breaking. go to her, harry, talk to her. tell her how you feel. i think right now there's a lot of miscommunication going on." "i can't go to her. i have nothing to say to her, that she wants to hear." "have you ever told her how you feel?" remus looked at the blank expression on his face. "have you ever asked her how she feels about you?" harry slowly shook his head no. "then how do you know you haven't anything to say to her, that she wants to hear?" remus sighed, offer the boy a soft smile "you're a true potter, harry. you're just like your dad. did you know that your parents broke up twice before they finally made it down the isle? your dad was so upset that lily had male friends, that it was a constant fear to him that he would loose her. he hated it when she would spend late nights in the library tutoring students, especially if they were boys. they fought over it every time they got together. he loved her so much that it ate him alive, until he finally had the courage to tell her his true feelings. after that, sirius and i swore they were locked at the lips." harry thought about this for several long minutes, and then looked back at the man across from him. "you know about the prophecy, don't you?" lupin drew a deep breath, and nodded. "do you think i have anything to offer her, that she won't end up regretting?" "take it from a man who has never known what love is, until recently. it's better to have a few moments together, to treasure forever, than a lifetime of regrets. sirius told me that, shortly after he buried his wife and baby girl. they are words i've thought about every day since then." lupin stood up and stepped toward the door, opening it and looking back at the boy struggling with his emotions. "you deserve happiness harry, i know it, sirius knew it, and your parents would want it for you. don't let what may be, stop you from having what is." lupin left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. harry sat on the bed alone for a long time. the light from the candles burned down, nearly complete, leaving the room in dim shadows. he sat with his head resting against the wall, his eyes focusing on the flames of the candles as they fought to stay lit. he was tired, his head ached and his heart felt numb. the crying from across the hall had stopped a while ago, leaving the upstairs in silence. he could hear the creaking to the wind as it blew gently across the rooftop. the sounds of children playing in a nearby yard echoed up through the open window to where he sat, unseen by the muggle world. the door to the room slowly opened, and harry glanced up to see ron peaking his head through. he smiled awkwardly at his friend, then walked further into the room. he sat on his bed, watching harry stare at the candles. he wanted to say something, but he didn't' know what. he had spent most of the evening in the sitting room with his parents and hermione, while lupin and tonks had gone

out to take watch over the neighborhood. he had eventually talked hermione into a cup of tea, and they sat at the kitchen table talking in a way they never had before. he had spent a wonderful evening getting to know his best friend, feeling guilty for being happy when his sister and his other best friend were upstairs miserable. he had walked hermione to her bedroom door, and was delighted and amazed that she had kissed him goodnight. he was even more surprised, when the simple kiss she started to give him, had deepened and they found themselves, several breathless minutes later, wrapped in each other's arms, gasping for air. "have you talked with ginny?" he asked her, seeing the emotion flicker across his friend's eyes. harry didn't answer, he just shook his head no. "hermione checked on her a while ago, and she told hermione that she was miserable. she said she told dean that she didn't want to be more than friends, because her heart belonged to you. she said she gave dean that hug and kiss when he told her, you were a lucky bloke." harry listened to the words, closing his eyes. he had come to that same conclusion a little while ago, once he sorted out his feelings and the events of the day. "i know i've been a real prat about you two, but honestly harry, i think it's great you two are together. i've never seen either of you so happy before. you belong together." harry stood up and ran his hand through his hair, walking to the door. he didn't want to talk to anyone right now, he just wanted to be alone, to think. he opened the door and glanced back to his friend. "thanks, ron," he told him gently. "but i really need to be alone for a while." he left the room and closed the door on his friend, walking to the stairs. he could hear mr. and mrs. weasley talking in the sitting room, and knew he couldn't go down there, without having to talk with them. he considered going to the attic, but after seeing the light and shadows of the twins on the upper level stairs, he knew he couldn't go there either. with a sigh of reluctance, he chose to walk to the room across the hall. he opened the door, and stepped in. the room was pitch black, and he stumbled over furniture as he tried to make his way to the bed. without hesitation, a light appeared by the bedside, encasing the room in a soft shimmer. harry blinked several times, before his eyes could focus again. he looked at the red-eyed face staring back at him, from under the covers of the bed. "harry," ginny said softly. 'i didn't know you'd be coming in here. i just wanted someplace to be alone. hermione wouldn't shut up about her and ron." "yeah, i know. ron was pretty much the same way," he told her, feeling a twinge of guilt for not telling her the whole truth. "if you want to be alone, i can go," ginny said, starting to crawl out from under the blankets. "no, it's all right, i can leave." ginny caught harry's eyes with her own, seeing the tears he'd cried still lingering on his cheeks. "please, harry, stay. i don't know if i'm ready to talk or not, but i just realized i don't really want to be alone." harry smiled, walking to the other side of the bed, and kicking his shoes off, before climbing under the blankets. he lay there like a stiff board, as ginny rolled over, offering him her back. he could feel the heat radiating from her, and fought the urge to touch her. he couldn't help it, he loved her and he felt miserable without her. "do you still hate me?" she whispered, her voice echoing her heartache, her tears

forcing themselves down her cheeks again, her tone cracking with hidden sobs. "i never hated you, ginny, i couldn't even if i wanted to." ginny suddenly rolled over, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her damp face in his shoulder and crying openly. harry wrapped his arms around her, soothing her hair from her face and down her back. "i'm so sorry, harry," she whispered. trying to pull her emotions under control. "i'm sorry, i should never have gotten jealous over your friendship with dean. you are just friends, right?" ginny nodded. "he's your friend too, harry." "i know that, but i don't want to snog him in public." ginny stiffened at his words, hearing the bitterness lingering behind them. she looked up, wiping her face with her hand. "i wasn't snogging with him. i just gave him a friendly kiss and hug. there was nothing more than that." "i still didn't like it," he told her, reaching up and brushing a few stay tears from her cheeks. "now you know how i've always felt, when you and ron and hermione have left me out of everything. i always thought you and hermione had feelings for each other. i never would have dreamed it was ron and hermione who were in love." "hermione is just a friend, ginny, and she's like a sister to you. i love her, but not the same way i love you." ginny didn't miss the slip of his words. "you love me?" she whispered. harry swallowed hard, looking into her blood shot eyes, feeling a pull at his numb heart. "there's a lot you need to know," he told her, pushing himself up to a sitting position. he reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "i have to tell you something, that happened last year." he drew a deep breath, looking down at his hands resting on the covers. "you know about the prophecy voldemort wanted." "it was smashed, and he never got it. nobody ever heard it." "dumbledore knew about the prophecy, and told me after sirius fell through the veil." harry took a deep breath. now that he was finally telling someone, it was as if a damn had broken open, all his emotions and thoughts from all those long weeks ago flowed to the front of his mind. "the prophecy told of a baby who would defeat voldemort, but it didn't say it was me. neville longbottom and i share the same birthday. voldemort made me his defeater, ginny. he could have chosen neville, but instead he chose me. now i have no choice but to fight him." "but you're not alone harry. we're all behind you and we'll fight by your side, when the time comes." harry shook his head softly, looking back to the blankets. "i have to face him alone. the prophecy said i have to either kill, or be killed by him. neither of us can live, unless the other one dies. i don't want to get involved with you, just to leave you to mourn my death."

"what makes you think you'll die? you're a great wizard harry, you'll defeat him, and i know it." "i wish i had your confidence, but the truth is, he'll use those i love the most to get to me. ginny, you'll be first because i love you more than my own life. he knows i'll come for you, or avenge you. you're an easy mark for him, and i can't let that happen." "harry, i love you, i always have. i know that we were destined to be together, just like the inscription on your parents wedding rings," she lifted the chain from around his neck, fingering his mother's wedding rings. "in this life and the next, we will always be one. i know that in my heart, harry, and i don't care if i have one day, or a million with you. i will never regret loving you...and i do love you, harry, with all my heart." harry sighed, knowing this was wrong, knowing that it was for her best interest for her to forget him, but he couldn't resist. he reached out, cupping her cheek in his hand, and leaning in to kiss her. as his lips touched hers, all doubt slipped away, he didn't care about tomorrow, all he wanted was her and now. he wrapped his arms around her, as she entwined hers around his neck. he laid her down to the mattress, his kiss deepening as she opened her mouth, allowing him to explore the dark recesses beyond. ginny moaned at the invasion of his tongue, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. he pressed his lips against hers harder, his breath coming in rapid succession. when his lips left hers to travel down her neck, ginny was certain they were bruised, but she didn't care. she had harry back in her arms, and that was all she could think about. harry felt the heat and hormones coming to life, rising to dangerous heights, forcing himself to pull away from her all too inviting embrace. he looked at her, clearing his throat, looking at the outline of her delicate body, beneath the thin, faded pink nightgown, her breast straining against the thin, faded pink material. "maybe i should leave, so you can get some sleep." "please, stay. i don't want you to leave. if i had my way, we'd never leave this bed again." "ginny, i don't know if you understand what being in this bed next to you is doing to me, but i'm not ready for this much right now," he told her, knowing she was aware of what he meant. "i want to be with you, and i do want...you know, just not right now. i'm still trying to get used to this whole love thing." "and what makes you think, i'd let you go that far?" she asked him, her eyes holding an indignant expression. "i'll tell you when to stop, and if you don't, i'll conjure up a bucket of ice water and pour it on your head." harry smiled, leaning his forehead down to hers. "you might want to sleep with your wand under your pillow," he told her, kissing the tip of her nose. "you may need that ice water, if i can't stop." "i have faith in you, harry," she whispered. "you'll stop when i tell you to." she leaned into his kiss, pulling him down next to her. harry groaned deeply, feeling the warmth of her breasts straining against the thin material of her nightgown, as she leaned against him, his arms wrapping around her slender waist.

"harry relax," she ordered him, sensing his hesitation. "even my brothers have seen me in my nighty before." "but i'm not one of your brothers, and my reactions are a lot different than theirs would be." "if you don't relax, i'll have no choice but to strip these clothes off and make you watch." harry chuckled, leaning into her embrace, kissing her neck. "i wouldn't consider that a threat, if i were you," he told her, capturing her ear with his teeth. "the idea is far from unappealing." ginny blushed, feeling his lips travel down her throat to the neck opening of her nightgown. she wanted more, but she was suddenly afraid of how much more she wanted. sensing her resistance, harry wrapped her in his warm arms, nuzzling her neck, smelling the sweet aroma of lilacs and spring in her hair. "maybe we should just try and get some sleep," he told her gently. "i'm really tired, anyway." ginny smiled, curling up in his arms and wrapping her legs with his. "harry," she began a few minutes later, certain that he had at last reigned in his hormones, enough to relax. "can i ask you something?" "sure," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "are we okay again?" harry chuckled, easing her out of his embrace and reaching in his pocket, pulling out the small package he had been carrying since he and ron had left her and hermione alone to try on their robes. he placed the small package in her slender fingers and watched as she struggled to sit up. she quickly unwrapped the package and pulled out a small, silver, heart shaped locket. she opened it and saw a picture of herself on one side and one of him on the other. "this is so beautiful," she told him, as he helped her fasten it around her slender neck, allowing his fingers to trail down her back, feeling each vertebra in turn. "i got it for my girlfriend," he told her, seeing the expression cross her face. "in case you weren't aware, that was a declaration of commitment. you are mine; you belong to me. is that the kind of commitment that will allow me to punch the next guy you snog in public?" ginny giggled, wiping the tears for her eyes. "you'll look really funny punching yourself in the nose," she teased, curling back into his embrace again. harry chuckled, fighting the sudden urge to roll her delicate body, beneath him. "i love you harry potter. and i don't care if you are the boy who lived, just so long as you're mine." harry kissed the top her head and hugged her closer to him. "i'm the boy who lived...for you," he told her, drifting off to sleep with his heart wrapped securely in her delicate little hands. he was happy, and nothing would ever make him feel anything else. not even the thought of double potions with severus snape. read? review! author notes: a lot of people have emailed me, wanting passion and emotion between

harry and ginny. i don't think they are ready to go all the way yet, but don't worry, they will. this is just a major teaser! please continue to r/r -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter eleven harry opened his eyes, as the warm body next to him stretched, rolling out of his embrace. he looked down at her and smiled, touching her cheek with his finger, brushing the long red stands of hair from her face. she was so beautiful, he just couldn't believe that this was the same little girl, that a few months ago, had helped him fight the death eaters at the ministry of magic. she was so brave, so determined, and he was amazed at himself for not seeing her for the young woman she truly was. he quietly slipped out of the bed, stepping out of door, closing it behind him. he felt the pangs of hunger, realizing he hadn't eaten much that night at dinner. the old clock in the sitting room chimed four times, as harry passed by. breakfast would be in a few hours, but there was no reason not to have a snack in the meantime. he stepped to the door to the kitchen, and started to push it open, but paused as he heard voices. looking in through the small opening he'd created, he could see the back of arthur weasley, and sitting across from him was his third eldest son, percy. harry frowned. how was it percy was here, when last year he had turned his back on his family, taking the side of cornelius fudge, the minister of magic, over his own parents. harry leaned closer to the door, to hear the two men, listening intently at the conversation. "i'm telling you father, the minister is in trouble," percy was saying, as he sipped his coffee. "his refusal to accept harry's word on voldemort's return, cost him a great deal of supporters, and now with the situation involving azkaban prison, has him looking over his shoulder." "he's proven to be more a politician than a wizard," mr. weasley said. "when he allowed dolores umbridge to take over hogwart's and put out a warrant on dumbledore, it proved he cared little for the people who elected him, and more for the power his title allowed." "his association with lucius malfoy didn't exactly help his standing either. he told me yesterday, he's determined to keep his position as minister, regardless of the cost. he's convinced dumbledore is after his job, and he is still determined to have dumbledore arrested for treason. he just doesn't know how to prove it." "that will be the day. dumbledore arrested for treason, will happen when fudge turns into a thin man. what news have you about malfoy's whereabouts?" "nothing, it's as though he simply walked out of azkaban and off the edge of the world. our guards are still watching malfoy manor, but there has been no sign of him." "and our spy inside the manor?" "i'm afraid that news is worse. there has been no sign of life. i don't like the feel of this." two sipping from their beakers,

we haven't heard from the inside in two days, and even the house elves have left the manor. mr. weasley sat silently across from his son, the considering all that they were told.

"i should be going," percy said, setting his cup down. "penelope will be worried." the younger weasley looked to his father, a sad expression on his stern features "i wish i could tell mum we've married, and she's going to be a grandmother next spring." mr. weasley laid his hand across his son's. "i know this is hard on you, it's hard on all of us, but it has to remain this way, for now at least. harry's premonitions have laid stones to the completion of the prophecy, they will lead us to a conclusion to voldemort's terror, and you'll be back home where you belong. just be patient a little longer, son." "does mum still hate me?" percy's voice actually shook with emotion, and harry could see the tears slip down his freckled cheeks. "she'll understand when the time comes," mr. weasley told him, reaching out and grasping the younger man's shoulder. "you are doing the order, a great service and your mum will understand." "what about the others? will they ever understand that i had to act harshly, in order to convince fudge i'm loyal to him? will they ever forgive me for the way i've turned my back on them?" "percy, you have to listen to me now. i know in my heart, we will all prevail. you'll be back home soon, and all will be forgotten. we'll have a huge celebration for you and penelope and the new baby. just be patient a little longer." "i'm trying father, but it isn't easy. it's hard to hide all this from mum, but penelope thinks i've lost my mind, refusing to contact the family. she's still furious with me, that i won't let her owl mum and tell her about us and the baby." "just think of the world you're helping to give that baby," mr. weasley said, standing and walking toward the kitchen fireplace with percy. "he deserves a free, safe world to grow up in." "thank god for harry," percy said. "i don't know where we'd be if it wasn't for him." "he's a god send, that's for sure. it's a shame he's had to go through so much alone." "he's not alone anymore. he's a part of a great family, i should know. there isn't a day that's gone by, that i haven't regretted accepting this assignment. i miss you." mr. weasley hugged his son tightly, then handed him the pot of floo powder. "you'll be home soon, son. i promise." percy smiled and stepped into the fireplace, taking the floo powder. "tell mum...well, make her understand i'll come to my senses soon." percy smiled, dropping the powder in the fireplace and stating his destination, "percy weasley flat." green flames surrounded the young man, while harry and mr. weasley watched him disappear. harry closed the door quietly, leaving mr. weasley to clean up the kitchen. he hurried up the stairs in silence, returning to the room where he had been sleeping with ginny, his hunt for a snack no longer a thought, his mind consumed on what he had heard. harry glanced to the young girl still asleep in the bed, than sat in the large velvet wingback chair beside her.

for the past year, percy had been rejecting his family, telling ron to cease being friends with harry, even returning his christmas presents to his parents, and all along he was on a mission for the order. he wasn't the family traitor as they had all thought him to be. harry had a new sort of respect for the former gryffindor prefect. harry thought back on the past five years. he knew percy could be pig-headed and stubborn, he was a rule monger, insisting on going by the book, letter by letter. but harry couldn't believe the way he had turned against the greatest family in the world, closing his eyes and heart to them. now he was proving to be more than the hogwart's head boy, he was a hero, infiltrating and spying on the enemy for the goodness of all wizards, worldwide. harry closed his eyes, thinking back on what he had heard. last year percy had contacted ron telling him it was for the best, to severe all contact with harry, but then to hear himself being called a "god send" seemed unreal. a soft moan escaped the delicate lips of the bed's sole occupant, causing harry to shift his attention to her. how was it possible for him to save the entire world, when all he wanted to do was be with her? he didn't want to be the savior of the wizard world; he didn't want people looking at him in awe, pointing at the scar etching his forehead. he just wanted to be a teenager, he wanted to laugh and listen to music, and ride his broomstick. he wanted to play quiddich, and have friends, and never again think of an evil madman out to kill him. why was this happening to him? why didn't voldemort choose neville longbottom? why were his parents the ones to die? why couldn't he just be normal? "harry?" the soft voice sounded from the bed. harry looked up and saw her sitting up in bed, her tired eyes looking to him. he smiled at her, watching her rub the sleep from her honey brown eyes. "i'm right here," he told her, watching as she turned to where he sat. she frowned at the sight of him looking disheveled and thoughtful from the chair. "what's the matter? why are you up?" harry's smile increased, as he returned to her side, crawling in beneath the covers and reaching out for her. "i couldn't sleep," he told her, kissing her forehead as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "what's wrong? have a bad a dream?" harry chuckled, rubbing her shoulders with his warm hand. "i could never have a bad dream, with you next to me," he told her, feeling her blush radiate up her cheeks, as he stared down at her. "you are so sweet," she said, snuggling closer to his chest. "i don't think i'll ever grow tired of being with you." "i hope not. i'm hoping you'll want to be by my side for a very long time to come." "only forever, but i can't promise any longer," she whispered with a yawn, as the two of them curled up beneath the blankets, closing their eyes and falling into a restful slumber. morning brought with it, an array of excitement. one day left until the beginning of school, and the house was bustling with last minute details. tonks and lupin were eagerly attending to security tactics, while trying not to draw

attention to the way they kept looking at each other. mr. and mrs. weasley were making plans of how to get to king's cross, where they would see their children and harry off for another year of school. harry and ginny were sitting at the kitchen table, discussing their classes, and making plans on how they were going to fit time in for each other, between everything else they had to do daily. they were whispering about the many hiding places harry knew of, their heads close together. ginny blushed bright red, when harry suggested they could hide out in the tunnels that led to hogsmeade. "i take it, you two made up," hermione said, as she and ron entered the room. harry leaned closer to ginny, kissing her cheek in answer to his friend's inquiry. "ewww, gross!" ron exclaimed, taking a seat across from the two. "get a grip will you? it's really disgusting seeing my kid sister snogging my best friend." "it could be worse," harry teased, reaching for the glass of pumpkin juice sitting in front of him. "you could watch your sister snog your worse enemy." "if she even thinks of snogging malfoy, i'll disown her and kill him." "like i'd give her a chance," harry mumbled under his breath, glancing up at ginny who smiled at the comment. "good morning, good morning," a cheerful voice sounded from the hallway, causing the room's occupants to turn and see dumbledore, dressed in green and gold robes, enter the room. the gold moons and stars decorating his robes, moved freely among the dark green background. his face seemed less stressful, his eyes holding a happy twinkle, making him appear much younger. "wonderful to see you albus," mrs. weasley chimed in after everyone bid the old wizard a good morning. "just in time for breakfast. what would you like?" "i'll just take some tea, molly, thank you," he answered, setting in the vacant chair at the head of the table. "so, you four, ready for another year of school?" "and how," ron answered. "i'm bloody tired of dusting and cleaning. i'm even looking forward to potions class and bin's homework assignments." "that's a miracle," hermione added, watching the young man next to her glare. she slyly reached over to him, her arm wrapping around his shoulders. "i was just joking," she told him, kissing him on the cheek, causing the color to rise from his neck to his hairline. harry and ginny looked at each other and smiled. "ewww, gross!" they said in unison. "get a grip." the room exploded in happy laughter, causing the color ron was experiencing to travel to hermione. "so, harry, how are you feeling?" dumbledore said after a few moments of light conversation with the older occupants. harry glanced up to the old wizard, frowning. "i'm fine, professor, how are you?" he replied. dumbledore looked down to his teacup, paying a great deal of attention to the dark liquid.

"any more premonitions?" he asked the boy in turn. the room fell into silence, as they all turned to harry, who was suddenly very uncomfortable. "not since the last one, where i saw lucius malfoy killing that woman. why?" harry's voice was filled with suspicion. he could tell the man had something on his mind, but the look in his eyes remained calm and clear. "no reason, harry, just interested." "professor," ginny began looking at the man at the head of the table. "why hasn't harry had any more visions? do you think its over, his seeing the future i mean." "i don't believe so, miss weasley," the older man answered. "if i am not mistaken, lord voldemort is biding his time. he'll grow tired soon, and we'll have harry there to warn us." "i'm not a bloody fortune teller," harry grumbled. "no harry, you're not, but you are the one connection we have to him," mr. weasley told him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "i think too many people are counting on me to defeat voldemort, and i don't think i can do it." the room was silent, as they looked at the boy, who concentrated on the empty glass in front of him. "you're a wise young man, harry," dumbledore began, his tone serious yet confident. "when the time comes, you'll have the skills and the knowledge you need to face lord voldemort. and contrary to current beliefs, you will not be alone when the time comes." "are you sure about that, professor?" harry looked up at the older man, his eyes locking with the older, wiser ones of the headmaster. "i am quite sure, harry." the room was silent for a moment, before the old wizard cleared his throat. "i nearly forgot, harry, i have something for you." he reached inside his robes, pulling out the sealed envelope with harry's name on it, handing it across the table to him. harry looked at the old man with a frown, then turned the envelope over and slipped the seal open. he pulled out the letter, feeling a heavy object folded up in the parchment. he unfolded the letter, his fingers picking up a small gold badge. he looked at the item for a few brief moments, before turning his attention to the letter. the room was silent as harry read the words, his eyes widening, a smile crossing his lips. "well, what's it say?" ron asked, looking at harry eagerly. "'dear mr. potter,'" he began. " 'this is to inform you the life long band from flying placed on you by the former acting head of hogwart's school of witchcraft and wizardry, dolores umbridge, has hereby been lifted. i am further pleased to inform you that you have been selected as captain of the gryffindor house quiddich team, this year. congratulations, professor minerva mcgonagall.'" "wicked!" ron exclaimed, jumping from his seat to read the letter over harry's shoulder. "harry that's wonderful!" ginny told him, hugging his neck tightly. "you must have friends on the board of governors," dumbledore said, standing to

leave. he walked to harry and patted his shoulder, smiling brightly to the boy. "you've had a year off the broom. think you're up to the task?" "yes sir, i'm definitely up to it." dumbledore smiled, chuckling softly as he walked out the door, and out of sight. "i suppose that means you'll be taking over the seeker's spot again?" ginny said suddenly aware that she had just lost her place on the team. harry looked at her and smiled, his fingers stopping his process of pinning his badge to his jumper. "don't worry," he told her, kissing her cheek. "i'll always have a spot for you." "i don't think that's what she was talking about, harry," hermione said, with a wicked grin. "she wants to stay on the team." ron, harry and ginny all looked at the serious expression on the young woman's features, jaws open. "i can't believe she just said that," ron whispered to his friend. "you need to definitely get a grip on those lips of yours, ron," harry teased. "you've created a monster." read? review! author notes: how's that for a new twist? please r/r, and thank you so much for your comments, good and bad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twelve they stood outside the door, waiting for it to open, the large book of spells in harry's hand. he and ron were standing, tapping their toes, waiting as patiently as they could, trying not to make noise. they had to be quiet, or mrs. weasley would hear them, and right now was not the time to irritate the woman, who was already beyond her stress limit, having spent the day rushing to make certain all clothes were washed, mended, pressed and packed. "hello," ginny said as she opened the door, smiling at her boyfriend and brother. "what's up?" "shhh," harry said, glancing behind him. "can we come in for a minute?" he whispered quietly. "sure," ginny whispered back, standing aside for them to enter. she watched as the two stepped through the door, closing it behind them. ron sat on the edge of hermione's bed, kissing her cheek as he did, while harry waited for ginny to join them, taking her hand in his. "what's wrong?" hermione asked the two. "we don't want mum to hear us," ron told her. "ron and i were talking about school, and mostly about neville and snape," harry told them. "you know how snape is always after neville, making him nervous so he'll mess up?"

"poor neville," ginny said with a soft smile. "he's such a sweet boy, but he's really rather clumsy. i've always felt sorry for him." "we need to help him find a girlfriend," hermione said thoughtfully. "what about luna lovegood?" ginny asked. "she's really quite sweet, and they'd make a great couple." "loony luna, are you crazy?" ron asked in surprise. "she's a nutter." "she's a good friend of mine, and she should be your friend too," ginny argued. "she helped out a lot at the ministry last year." "we'll have to think about that later," harry said, putting a halt to the argument about to ensure between brother and sister. "but that's not what we were talking about. we thought maybe we could help him out a little, where snape was concerned." "short of giving him a nerve transplant, i don't know what we can do," hermione told them. harry smiled, opening the book he was carrying, and showed them the page he had found. "this may be the transplant he needs," harry said, watching as hermione and ginny read the page. "courage for the coward," hermione said, reading the words out loud. "harry, this isn't going to work. you have to have a piece of what the person is afraid of, in order to complete the spell, and there's no way snape will ever allow us a piece of him." "he doesn't have to know," ron said with a bright smile. "he just happens to be downstairs with mum and dad." "the spell says anything will work, even hair," harry told them. "look at what hair did for us, with the polyjuice potion. if we can somehow get a piece of his hair, we can cast the spell, and save neville an entire year of bullying, not to mention keep a few extra house points." "it may just work," ginny said, excited at the idea of helping their friend. "but how are you going to get it from him?" hermione asked. "he's not exactly going to just hand us over a lock of hair." "we've got that figured out," harry said with a smile, then looked to the floor of the room. "misty? i need you." they stayed quiet for a few moments, then a soft pop sounded, and misty appeared, her large eyes brimmed with tears. "misty, what's wrong?" hermione said, crouching down near the little creature. "harry potter needs misty," she sniffed. "misty has never heard harry potter say that before. misty is so happy." "misty, don't cry, i just need to ask you if you'd be willing to help us," harry felt strangely squirmy in his stomach. he'd never had anyone cry over him before. "harry potter, misty will be happy to help."

"it's a little tricky," ron told the house elf. "it involves professor snape." misty cringed physically at the sound of the man's name. "misty does not like that professor snape," she said softly. "he scares misty." "we can't ask her to do it, if he scares her," ginny told them. "it's not right." "no, i guess it's not. we'll have to find another way," harry answered, thinking how they would be able to get what was needed. "what does harry potter want misty to do?" the small squeaky voice asked. harry showed her the book with the spell they wanted to use. "we have a friend, named neville longbottom," he explained. "snape really scares him, and we wanted to help him get through one year in his class." "he's really mean to neville," hermione said. "he's always taking house points away from gryffindor, and making neville nervous so he'll make mistakes. it's not fair." "that professor snape is a mean wizard," misty said, a determined, angry look on her face. "misty will help the son of frank and alice longbottom." "you knew neville's parents?" harry asked, watching the smile cross the little creature's face. "yes, very well, sir. mr. longbottom was good friend of mr. potter's. misty liked him very much, and his wife. they had very good magic they were very kind to misty. both babies were born on same day, big celebration." misty looked as though the years had faded away, and she was seeing the past replay itself before her large green eyes. "very sad times ahead, though. misty was very scared for both babies." she looked up at harry and blinked. "misty will help harry potter." "great, misty," harry said happily. "all we need you to do, is help us get some of the greasy git's hair," ron told her. "can you do it, misty?" ginny asked softly. "miss ginny is very pretty," misty told her, as a blush crept up her cheeks. "misty happy harry potter has miss ginny. happy she makes him." with a determined look, misty raised her head. "misty will get hair." the little house elf snapped her fingers, vanishing from sight. harry glanced to ginny who was still blushing, then realized where his house elf had gone. "come on," he told the others, grabbing ginny's hand, and tossing the book aside. "we can't let her do this alone." the four hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen, seeing misty preparing the teakettle. they sat at the table, quietly. snape turned to them, narrowing his eyes as they sat. "i hope you have all studied your potions lessons," he told them. "school does start tomorrow, don't forget." "how can we forget," ron said, forcing a smile across his face. "we're looking forward to returning," hermione told him.

"yes, really looking forward to it," ginny added, a soft blush tinting her cheeks. snape turned his eyes harry and glared at the boy. "what about you, potter? have you been studying your summer lessons?" "not only studying them, but actually completing all of the assignments due." "that will be a surprise," snape growled, ignoring the little house elf who stepped to his side, carrying the tray of teacups. "for once the famous harry potter is ready for class? we shall see when the time comes." misty looked up at the man with an angry glare, and then pretending to trip, spilled the entire tray of hot teas on the greasy haired man. immediately snape jumped up, shouting obscenities at the little creature. "misty is sorry, sir," she said, her tone lacking in sincerity. "look at what you have done to my robes, you clumsy little bug," "lay off her," ron yelled, jumping up and going with harry and the girls to the little elf's aide. "it was just an accident," hermione insisted, as misty jumped up on the table. "misty is sorry sir. please, let misty make better. sit please." snape glared at the four standing around him, and sat in the chair as mrs. weasley hurried to get a dry rag. misty snapped her fingers and a large towel appeared in her hand. she began wiping the wizard's robe, and then smoothed his greasy hair from his face. once she was certain he was significantly dry, she smiled gently. "better, sir?" she asked, watching as snape stood and inspected his robes. "it you see out

will do," he snarled, and then turned back to mr. and mrs. weasley. "i'll see soon," he told them, turning back to his four future students. "we'll you in school." with that said, snape left the room, his dark cape billowing behind him.

"misty, you need to learn to be more careful," mrs. weasley scolded. "easy mum," ron said, looking at the sad expression on the elf's face. "it wasn't her fault." "yeah mum, snape had his foot out," ginny insisted. "misty, go upstairs and wait for me please," harry said and the little creature disappeared with a snap of her fingers. "i'm sorry mrs. weasley. misty means well, she just gets nervous around strange people and you have to admit, snape is pretty strange." "try and explain how things are to her, will you harry?" mrs. weasley said, sitting with an exhausted sigh in the chair next to her husband, as he patted her hand. "we can't have a jittery house elf about." "yes, ma'am, i will." harry nodded to the others and they all hurried out of the room. upstairs, misty sat on ginny's bed, swinging her legs freely. she glanced up as harry and the others entered the room, a sly smile on her little face.

"did you get it?" harry asked her, watching as she held up a lock of greasy black hair. "amazing, how did you do that?" "harry potter wanted misty to help. professor snape will never miss it, sir." "misty, you are incredible," ginny said, sitting beside her on the bed, and hugging her to her chest. "now all we have to do, is make the potion without anyone knowing," hermione said. "we'll have to do it at hogwart's," harry, said, sitting next to ginny and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "we can use myrtle's bathroom again." "the girl's lavatory? again?" ron complained, sitting on the bed next to hermione. "well, at least i won't have percy around to hassle me about it." harry stared at ron for a minute, his memory going back to the conversation he'd heard the night before. "you all right?" ginny asked, seeing the distracted expression on his face. harry smiled, kissing her cheek. "yeah, fine," he answered, watching as hermione took the hair from misty, and placed in a small vial from her trunk, placing a stopper in the top. "listen, this is our last night here, want to do something? maybe play a game, or something?" ron glanced to hermione and shrugged. ginny giggled, patting misty on the hand. "we could always find a deserted closet, and see how long it takes mum to find us snogging," she teased. ron cleared his throat, a soft blush on his freckled face. "i have a better idea," harry told her, kissing her cheek again. "why don't we leave these two alone, and you and i can find a quiet place to discuss your idea." "harry potter is very cute, when he is wanting to be alone with his miss ginny," misty said, smiling as she snapped her fingers and disappeared. harry stood up and held his hand out to ginny, who took and followed him to the door. ron watched them apprehensively for a moment, before standing up. "hey, harry, can i talk to you for a minute?" harry looked at his friend and frowned, then glanced back to ginny. "wait for me," he told her, as the two boys walked out the room and across the hall. once inside the room, ron shut the door, and began pacing the floor. "ron, what's wrong?" "i have to ask you something, but i'm not sure how." "just say it. we've been friends too long for you to get tongue tied now." "okay. have you shagged my sister?" harry gasped, his face turning brighter than ron's hair. he opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a sound that resembled a squeak. "i know it's none of my business, but i just have to know." clearing his throat, harry looked at his best friend, nearly falling to his bed.

"have you and hermione..." "bloody hell, harry! i think she'd probably hex me a hundred different ways if i tried." "so you haven't tried, even a little?" ron blushed, sitting on the bed across from him. "i really want to...i mean...she's not the hermione i knew last year, and she's really..." ron paused, unsure exactly what to say to describe his feelings for his other best friend. "do you want to...you know, because she's gorgeous, or because you love her?" ron looked up and frowned. "would it be weird if i said both?" harry smiled, shaking his head. "i feel the same about ginny," he told him. "but i don't really think i'm ready for that just yet. i mean, when she's in my arms, all i can think about is her. if she wanted to, if she tried or suggested...i wouldn't be able to say no. it's getting really hard to keep that distance between us, but when we're not together i know it's right not to, well, just yet anyways." "i feel the same about hermione, but i'm having a really hard time keeping control. i thought she was going to break my neck last night, after you left. i went to talk to her, and we sort of started a heck of heavy snogging fest, and i sort of touched her...where i probably shouldn't have. she went mental. do you know she actually slugged me? she didn't slap me like she did with malfoy, she slugged me. i thought she broke my jaw. i had to use a healing spell, before mum found out. i thought for sure it was over between us, but then this morning, she met me in the hall and kissed me like nothing happened. i'm really confused." "i think we're supposed to be. it's a weird thing called love." "do you think we'll ever...you know? i mean, i heard the patil sisters comparing notes last year during divinations. did you know they've both done it? i couldn't believe it." "i can," harry said, both of them falling into silence. "do you still care for cho?" ron asked, looking up at his friend again. "not like i do for ginny. cho is just a friend; i don't think she could have ever been anything else. she was really have a hard time dealing with cedric's death, last year. she was really annoying when she cried, and she did that a lot." "do you think her and cedric..." "i don't know. probably. they were going together for a while before he died, and filch was always catching them snogging. if they felt the way we do, it had to have happened, at least once." "want to hear something really weird, especially coming from me?" ron asked, a blush tinting his face again. "i'm in love with hermione. i don't just love her; i'm totally lost in her. i can't think without thinking about her. pretty mental, huh?"

"i think it's great. you two have been moaning over each other for so long, i'm surprised it didn't happen a long time ago." "you're not going to do anything to hurt ginny, are you? i mean she is my sister, and you're my best friend. i don't want to have to kill you." harry chuckled. "if i even think about hurting her, you won't get a chance to kill me. i'll do it myself." "i guess if anything more happens between you two, you will make it right by her, won't you?" it was harry's turn to blush. "i promise, i'll make an honorable woman of her. and hermione..." "don't worry, we'll make it a double ceremony," ron smiled. "that way we'll have each other to force down the isle." read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who has read, and keeps reading my story. to those who are still wanting harry and ginny to go all the way, all i can say, is patience please. let's at least get them back in school! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirteen morning brought with it the usual rush of excitement, always associated with the end of the summer. mrs. weasley was rushing to find everyone's toothbrushes, hairbrushes, socks, scarves, and school bags. shoes were assembled in the kitchen, while matches were being looked for among the other rooms and closets. misty had already packed harry's trunk, leaving him the only one capable of stringing together more than two sentences, that didn't begin or end with "where did you put it?" harry was sitting at the kitchen table listening to ron's complaints about mrs. weasley going mental, a glass of milk in front of him, and the daily prophet in his hands. he was trying to concentrate on the quiddich scores, while ron ranted. hermione and ginny were upstairs trying to help mrs. weasley find the last minute items, before they left for train station. the twins had arrived shortly after seven that morning, bringing with them an assortment of treats and pastries, knowing how their mother was the last day of summer. they were sitting at the table with ron and harry, trying to read over harry's shoulder, while the listened to ron's complaints. "well, you're mother is nearly ready," mr. weasley said, joining the boys. he looked worn out and tired, not surprising, since mrs. weasley had the man chasing about the house all morning in search for mislaid items. "mum won't be ready, until christmas," george complained, pouring more coffee for himself, and a cup for his father. "she's been this way every year since i can remember," fred told them, a smile on his face. "even with bill and charlie, she was a nutter the last day of summer." "your mother just wants to make certain everything is packed, and goes well. it's

just her way," mr. weasley insisted, knowing his boy's were right. "hey, look at this," harry said, turning the page of the paper. "malfoy manor seized by ministry officials" he read aloud. "what?" george exclaimed, looking over harry's shoulder again. "it's impossible," ron said, leaning closer to his friend. "that's what it says," harry insisted, reading the article. "ministry officials seized the property of lucius malfoy, friday by order of the minister of magic, cornelius fudge. ministry insiders stated that there has been no sighting of malfoy, since his escape from azkaban prison, in late july. as you may remember, lucius malfoy was among those captured death eaters arrested earlier this year, after breaking into the ministry of magic, assuring the wizarding world that he-who-must-not-be-named had indeed returned to power. harry potter stated in an exclusive interview with the daily prophet, that he had been warning the ministry of the return of the dark lord, but it was cornelius fudge who insisted it was impossible. with the support of albus dumbledore, headmaster of hogwart's, harry potter and several unknown members of a club curiously called the d.a. (short for defense association) were able to trap and secure the arrest of malfoy and his cohorts. after the outcome of the events at the ministry of magic, minister fudge has lost a great deal of supporters who had at first agreed with him on the unlikelihood of the dark lord's return. since the escape of the death eaters from azkaban prison, many members of the wizarding community are now demanding the removal of the ministry of magic. according to one ministry insider, it is speculated that albus dumbledore is in line for the position, if fudge is impeached from office. this news has been met with a great deal of enthusiasm. keep reading for further updates on this story." "unknown members?" ron snorted. "and where do they get off calling the d.a. the defense association?" "i can't believe fudge is being booted out," fred said. "serves him right," george insisted. "remember how he refused to pay up on all those bets, after the world cup? should have known then, that he was no good." "do you really think dumbledore will accept the position of minister of magic?" harry asked, looking to mr. weasley. "what about hogwart's? who would take over as headmaster?" "probably mcgonagall," ron said, interrupting his father from answering. "could be snape," fred said with a grin. "bite your tongue," ron snapped bitterly. "if snape becomes headmaster, i'm dropping out of school." "calm down, all of you," mr. weasley insisted. "it's true, fudge has lost a lot of support, and there are some very influential wizards demanding he step down from his post, but i doubt dumbledore will accept the position. he has said, for a great number of years, that he doesn't want the job. every time there's a new minister, the daily prophet insists that dumbledore will be the next minister of magic, and when it doesn't happen, they claim to have known all along, that he didn't want to leave his position at hogwart's."

"the article really didn't say much about malfoy," harry said as he reread the words again. "it didn't mention anything about mrs. malfoy or draco malfoy. where were they at?" "draco malfoy has been under the custody of his godfather for a number of weeks now," mr. weasley began, glancing down at the table. "his mother disappeared several weeks ago, and hasn't been seen since." "that's what he meant," harry said softly. "what who meant?" ron asked, causing harry to look up, realizing he had spoken his thoughts aloud. he glanced around the table, trying to find the right excuse, but was saved having to think of one with the arrival of the girls and mrs. weasley. "what are you all just sitting around for?" argued mrs. weasley. "get a move on, or you'll be late. we have to be leaving in a few minutes. arthur, go contact remus and moody. we can't go until they get here, and we're running out of time." "calm down molly," lupin said, entering the room beside moody. "we have everything under control." "well it's about time," mrs. weasley argued. "relax mum, or you'll have an stroke," george teased. "besides, the hogwart's express doesn't leave for another two hours. we'll get there on time," fred insisted. "you two going back to school, then?" ron teased, his mouth full of the muffins sitting in the center of the table. "not a chance," george said. "why would we go back to school, when we're practically millionaires?" fred asked. "that reminds me," mrs. weasley began. "ronald weasley, how much money did you take out of the account at gringott's?" "i promise, i didn't take any more than i was told to," ron answered, hoping he didn't sound as guilty as he felt. "that's it exactly," mrs. weasley with a narrowing of her eyes. "i received an account balance from gringott's and there was nothing taken out, as you were told. where did you get the money for those books, and how did you afford new robes?" "i...um...it was just..." ron stammered, his face turning bright red. "give him a break, mum," fred said. "we gave ron the money for this year's supplies." "you did what?" mrs. weasley gasped. "i thought we already told you boys, we didn't need your help?" mr. weasley scolded.

"you won't let us pay rent, you won't let us help with the solicitors, and we have the money to help out," george argued. "we're not percy," fred insisted. "we have no intention of watching our parents struggle, when we can help out." "why don't you discuss this later," lupin interrupted, looking at the expression on the four older weasleys. "you said it yourself, molly, we're running late." "and that distraction spell we placed on the neighbors will only last a little while," moody insisted. "why don't you two go get the girls, so we can leave." harry and ron jumped up from the table, hurrying out of the room, hearing mrs. weasley scolding the twins for spending their money on items that was the parents' responsibility. "i hope mum lets fred and george live until after christmas," ron told harry as they hurried up the stairs. "why?" harry turned a frown to his friend. "because, i'm asking them for a new wizard chess set, and a new broom. maybe i can get a firebolt too." "you're too much ron," harry chuckled. "why? they've got it don't they? and besides, after all the years of torment they put me through, i think i deserve a little retribution." harry and ron met the girls upstairs, as they were heading out of their room, dragging their trunks behind them. the boys hurried into their own room, securing their trunks and carried them out to join the girls. harry nearly fell over misty as she popped into the hall in front of him. he dropped his trunk to the floor, smashing it to his toes and cursed loudly at the pain that radiated up his foot. he looked down at the little elf, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and shock. "misty is sorry harry potter," the house elf said in a small voice. "you nearly killed us both," harry scolded, holding his throbbing foot in his hand, leaning against the doorframe to his room. misty looked fearful for a moment. "misty is so sorry, sir," she answered, a slight quiver in her voice. "misty just wanted to tell harry potter that she would see him at hogwart's." "what? you're going to hogwart's? why?" harry felt guilty at the tone of his voice, but the pain and shock still lingered in his words. "misty must take care of harry potter," answered the small voice. "misty will stay out of the way. harry potter will never know she is there." "you can't go with me, misty," harry told her, his tone softening as he saw the sad look in her big green eyes. "harry potter does not want misty?"

"it's not that," he began, kneeling down to her and placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "i do want you with me, and we'll be together again soon, i promise. it's just that...mrs. weasley could really use your help here." he knew the woman could manage on her own, as she always had, but he had to find an excuse to make her stay behind. "yeah," ron said, seeing the look in harry's eyes as he searched for help. "mum isn't really that organized, and she's kind of scatter-brained, you know, she looses things a lot. she could really use help, right ginny?" "huh? oh, yeah right," the girl chimed in. "especially with the order and all. she could use help keeping the place clean and fixing the meals, and stuff." "misty, you don't know how much help mrs. weasley really needs," hermione added, kneeling down beside her. "she's a wonderful lady, but she's not as young as she used to be." "misty is not needed with harry potter?" the elf asked shyly. "there are a lot of house elves at hogwart's already," harry assured her. "i'm sure there's always room for more, but you're much more needed here. will you stay here, and help mrs. weasley? please?" misty looked at the four suspiciously, and then smiled. "misty likes to be helpful, sir," she told them. "if mrs. weasley needs misty's help, she will be happy to stay here. but harry potter must promise to be careful. misty will be very sad if harry potter gets hurt, and she's not there to make it better for him." "i promise to be careful, misty, and i'll write you every chance i get." harry hugged the little elf, and stood up, watching her dry a tear before smiling and disappearing. "bloody hell," ron grumbled softly. "the things we have to do, just to go back to school." lupin and moody led the way in kings cross, as mr. weasley and the twins lead up the rear. mrs. weasley walked next to harry and ginny, with ron and hermione on the other side of her. harry knew from the way she walked with her hands in her pockets, she had hold of her wand. he felt strange, knowing how much these people were putting on the line, in order to protect him. they came to the wall entrance of platform 9 ?, stopping and looking around casually. lupin and moody leaned against the bricks nonchalantly, quickly disappearing through them to the other side. next were ron and hermione, followed by harry and ginny. behind them were mrs. weasley, mr. weasley, and the twins. harry looked around the platform, seeing a number of students he recognized from the past years at school, as well as a large number of first years, all bidding their parents good-bye, many tearfully hugging and a couple of them begging the adults who were pushing them into the train, not to send them. "now hurry up you four," mrs. weasley was saying, as mr. weasley, fred and george loaded the trunks and cages f animals onto the train, to await their owners. "be sure to stay together, and be very careful." "blimey, mum," ron complained. "we're not babies, you know? we've done this every year for the past five years. i think we can get on the train, by ourselves."

"don't give me any lip, ronald weasley," his mother insisted. "and harry dear, please try and stay out of trouble." "i never try to get into trouble, mrs. weasley," harry assured her. "trouble just sort of finds me." "don't worry mum," ginny assured the woman, as she squeezed harry's hand. "i'll keep him out of trouble." "you're one to the things, i want him to stay out of trouble with," mrs. weasley insisted, hugging her daughter, then ron, and finally hermione and harry. "remember harry, if you need us, just owl," lupin told him, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. "and keep your eyes and ears open," moody insisted. "be sure and let dumbledore know of any more dreams," mr. weasley insisted, shaking his hand. "don't worry, i will." harry promised. "hey harry," fred said hurrying up to his side. "have a good year, and tell filch we said hello." harry frowned, as george crowded closer to his side, pulling his hand it out of sight of their mother, as he slipped a brown wrapped package into it. "yeah, tell old snape hello for us too," george said with a wink. harry nodded, hiding the package behind his back. "come on," ron complained, seeing the way several of the students stared at them as they passed by. "lets get a compartment, before we get stuck sharing with crabbe and goyle." ron lead the way into the train, pulling his trunk and holding pigwidgeon's cage, followed by hermione, who carried crookshanks, and harry and ginny, who carried along hedwig and their trunks. they found an empty compartment and piled in, lifting their trunks to the luggage racks and putting the cages with the birds on top. hermione let crookshanks out of his cage, and then sat next to ron. harry looked out the window as he sat down, remembering what it was like last year at this time. he remembered the large black dog lumbering beside the train as it sped away, and felt a pang of grief strike through him. "you all right?" ginny asked him, wrapping her arm through his. "i just realized, how much i missed sirius," he said sadly. "i wish i could have told him how i felt." "he knew, harry," ginny said softly. "he loved you like a son, and he knew you felt towards him as a father. he didn't miss out on any of that, just because you never used words." harry smiled, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "have i told you lately, how great i think you are?" ginny blushed, lowering her eyes. "yes, but i won't argue if you want to tell me again." harry chuckled, wrapping her in his arms, and hugging her tightly.

"get a grip," ron complained, his face distorted in a grimace. "i have one ron," harry smiled. "a firm one, on your sister." "ugh... that's so gross," ron complained, slouching in his seat. "depends on who's on the receiving end," hermione told him, a sly smile crossing her face. ron blushed deeply, glaring at harry and ginny who laughed at his sudden predicament. "hey, what was that the twins gave you?" ron asked, seeing the package harry had laid on the seat next to him. harry lifted the package and pulled apart the strings that held it closed. he unrolled it, exposing the contents to the other three. inside was an assortment of their newest creations, weasley wicked whistlers, ginny gum drops, wicked squirters, and musical maladies for every occasion. there was also several of the old stand bys, dungbombs, wild-fire whiz-bangs, canary creams, fainting fancy, and fever fudge. "you had best not try those out on filch or snape," hermione warned, a look of disapproval on her stern face. "lighten up, 'mione," ron scolded with a wicked smirk on his freckled face. "these may come in handy." "how, may i ask, ronald weasley?" "if we ever need a break from the ordinary, we can use these," ron said lifting the musical maladies for every occasion, "and while the teachers are trying to find out who's suffering the unique flatulence, we can sneak into a closet and snog." "you're impossible," hermione snarled, leaning back into her seat and folding her arms across her chest. "oh, come on 'mione," ron said pleadingly. "i was just kidding, don't go getting all sour with me. i didn't mean it." "i should certainly hope you did not mean it," she told him, a look of warning in her honey brown eyes. "are you forgetting we're prefects? we have a standard to uphold." "i remember, and i was only kidding. gees, if you can't take a break once in awhile, then this is going to be a really long year." harry and ginny smiled at each other, as the package was folded up again and rewrapped. harry stood up, placed the tricks in his trunk, and then sat back beside ginny, taking her hand in his again. "well, i don't know about you two," ginny began sternly. "but i have my first o.w.ls to study for this year, and i intend to spend a lot of time with my nose in a book." harry looked at her with disbelief. "but, i'm always up for study breaks," she told him, leaning against his shoulder. "say, in the astronomy tower, after dark?" "hey, wait up there," ron said, stopping harry from kissing her. "the astronomy tower is used for...well, couples use it for...well, it's not called the

deflower tower, for nothing you know." "and how would you know about that?" hermione asked him, watching the blush creep up from his neck to his hairline. "i heard the patil sisters talking about it," ron told her, then gasped. "hermione, i have never...i mean, i'd never try...you don't think i...bloody hell!" "i think we should have a long talk, when we get back to school, ronald weasley," hermione said, huffing slightly, a look so stern she could have rivaled mcgonagall. the four of them spent the next couple of hours talking and playing exploding snaps, until the lunch cart came around. mrs. weasley had made sandwiches of pork back bacon and cheese, porkpies and twiglets. but once the aromas from the sweets the lunch cart carried, they forgot about the nutritious foods, and chose instead a large supply of fruit filled pastry cakes, chocolate mini rolls, raspberry sponge cakes, assorted battenbergs, fruit tarts and jammie dodgers. harry and ron insisted on their usual treats, chocolate frogs, bertie botts every flavor bean, assorted toffees, and licorice. they ate their treats with happy conversation, until hermione noted the time. "we have to go to the prefects meeting, ron," she told him, standing and retrieving her cloak from her trunk. ron wiped his chocolate stained fingers on his pants, and then scavenged around his trunk for his own robes. "we'll be back soon," hermione promised, taking ron's hand and heading out the door, leaving harry and ginny alone inside. "i'm glad was have a chance to be alone," ginny told him, leaning across the seat and kissing his cheek. "i can't believe this may be the last chance we have, to be together, until christmas break." "we'll find convenient times to be together," he promised her, wrapping her in his warm embrace. "remember, you were the one to suggest study breaks." "maybe a reward for us both?" ginny asked, tilting her head backwards, as harry began planting warm kisses along her jaw line and throat. "i may actually study, if i know what kind of reward i have awaiting me." "harry, i have to ask you something," ginny pulled slightly away from him, looking at his chest. "you heard what ron said about the astronomy tower, right?" "yeah, so?" "i know you said you weren't ready for that much...but if you want to...i mean when you are ready...will you consider me?" harry looked at her deeply, lifting her chin in his hand and smiling. "you're the only one i ever will want to do that with," he promised. "when?" she asked. harry sighed deeply. "are you saying you're ready?" ginny blushed deeply, lowering her eyes from his. "i think i've been ready since i gave you, your birthday present." harry leaned

back in the corner of the seat, his hands still holding her around the waist, his face stern with thought. several tense moments passed, before he spoke to her again. "when the time comes, ginny," he began. "and it will come, i promise, i don't want it to be in the astronomy tower. i want it to be special, for both of us. until you came into my life, i never really took the time to think about that side of growing up, or dating. now that i have you, i find it difficult not to think about it." "i won't lie to you, harry," she said, her tone soft, barely above a whisper. "i want you to make love to me. i know i'm younger than you, but that doesn't mean i don't know what i want." harry smiled at her, running his finger along her cheek, down her throat to the opening of her shirt. "i know what i want too," he told her gently. "i want to make love to you, ginny, but i don't know when. it's hard for me to deal with all these emotions, right now. i've never had anyone care for me, and i've never dreamt i'd ever feel like this about another person. when i'm with you, i feel alive in a way i've never known. you make me think that there may be another day for me. i actually believe it's possible for me to defeat voldemort. i have never imagined myself succeeding before." "of course you can defeat him," she told him sternly. "nobody else has the powers you do." "if you would have told me that four months ago, i wouldn't have believed it. now i do." ginny leaned into him, kissing his lips with her own. harry reached forward, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her down as he lay on the seat beside her. he leaned over her, his kisses deepening, his tongue easing its way into her mouth, tasting the sweet remains of their lunch. harry moaned deeply, as she reached up, slipping her hands beneath his jumper. her hands against his bare skin felt like fire, and he could barely contain his desires. his lips left hers, causing her to groan her regret, followed by a gasp, as he kissed his way down her throat, to the opening of her shirt. she felt like she was going to explode in a ball of flames, as his tongue licked a path between her breasts, back up her chest, to her neck, and finally tracing the contours of her ear. she shifted her position slightly, allowing him to place one long leg between hers, as he lay partly on her and partly on the seat. "we can't do this," he told her reluctantly, his hands finding their way inside her shirt, resting just below her breast. "there are consequences to consider, ginny. things i don't know if you've thought about." "i love you, harry," she told him, her tone husky and deep. "what more is there to consider?" "what if we do this, and you become...what if there's a...baby?" ginny opened her eyes, realizing the possible outcome in a way she had never thought of. harry rose above her, his eyes filled with passion, as he looked at her, seeing how deeply his words were making an impact. "i never thought about that," she told him. harry smiled, kissing the tip of her nose, then her lips. "i didn't think you had," he told her a moment later. "we'll just have to be careful," she told him.

"careful and preventative planning, before this happens." harry smiled at her, lying next to her on the seat. "i won't do this, until we've thought through all the possibilities. we have to take precautions, ginny. until we do, there's no way i'll go any further." "if we can find a way to do this without accidents?" she asked, her voice filled with hopefulness. "there won't be anything left to stand in our way," he assured her, as she curled up in his arms, pressing her back against his chest, as he wrapped her in his warm embrace. "then i'll look for a spell, or a charm, or something." "just, promise me, you won't want our first time to be in a closet or the astronomy tower?" "how about on a cloud, in the middle of a star filled night, high above the world?" harry chuckled, as he pulled her against him tighter, before whispering his reply. "it's a date." read? review! author notes: sorry, but another teaser is always nice. it's about time harry and ginny openly discussed what they wanted, don't you think. please keep r/r, i love hearing from all of you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter fourteen harry felt his shoulder being shaken, waking him from his sweet slumber. he felt ginny stir awake next to him, and they looked up to see hermione and ron standing over them. "get up, you two," ron told them, sitting across from them in the opposite seat. "we have great news." "what?" harry asked, rubbing his eyes and looking down to ginny, watching her stretch. "you'll never believe who wasn't at the prefect meeting," ron said, his face lighting up with excitement. "who?" ginny asked, as she and harry sat up on the seat. harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest, as he leaned in the corner of the compartment. "malfoy!" ron's voice was filled with glee. "he's not even on the train." "he's not?" ginny asked with a frown. "maybe he's dropped out of school," ron exclaimed, picking up a handful of chocolate frogs and stuffing them in his mouth. "that would be the start of a

perfect year, no more malfoy." "i doubt that's happened, ron," harry said, frowning at his friend. "remember what your dad said, malfoy's been staying with his godfather? he's probably just taken another way to school." "i can hope, can't i?" ron said bitterly. "i wonder if his father's escape has him being watched by the ministry," hermione asked, smoothing the invisible wrinkles from her robes. "it would make sense," ginny added. "his father would try and make contact somehow with his wife and son." "harry, what's wrong?" hermione asked, seeing the distant look on her best friend's face. harry looked up, seeing all three of them staring at him. "i heard mr. weasley and...a member of the order talking, the other night," he told them. "they said they had lost contact with their spy inside malfoy manor, and that there had been no sign of life for days." "do you think they found the spy?" ginny asked. "wouldn't put it past ferret-face to have done away with him," ron commented. "i wonder if that's when mrs. malfoy came up missing," harry said softly. "what are you talking about?" ron asked around the chocolate frogs. "don't you remember your dad saying that mrs. malfoy had disappeared, and there was no sign of her in weeks?" harry asked. "maybe lucius malfoy managed to contact her, and they are in hiding somewhere together," ron said, with a shrug of his shoulders "i can't believe that," hermione commented. "the order would have every possible avenue covered, the floo network, charms and spells on the house to detect any comings and goings, and the spy inside would have seen or heard anything, and reported it." "what if they found out they were being watched?" ginny asked. "they could have found another way out of the manor, look at all the secret passages at hogwart's. surely, someone like lucius malfoy would have at least a dozen ways to get into his house, if he wanted to." "i don't know about any of that," ron said again. "i'm just hoping draco malfoy is too ashamed of his father, to show his face around school. i can't imagine someone like him, having a godfather, anyways. who would want the job?" "another death eater, no doubt," ginny said. "well, we'll find out soon enough, when we get back to school," harry said, pulling ginny against him tighter. "i just want to spend the rest of the trip with my girl, and not think about the malfoys." "your girl?" ron croaked, staring at the two. "what's wrong with that?" ginny asked. "we've been together practically the whole

summer." "yeah, but i didn't know it was that serious," her brother told her. "he's right you know," harry said suddenly, looking at the red head in his arms. "we've talked about a lot of things, but i've never gotten around to asking you, if you wanted to be my girl." "so what do you think we should do about it?" ginny asked, a shy smile crossing her lips. harry turned her around in his arms, holding her close, ignoring the disgusted look on ron's face. "i guess maybe i should ask you to be mine," he said with a tinkle in his eyes. "that is, if you want me to?" "i guess there's worse things in life," she told him with a smile. "you two are gross," ron grumbled. "hey, harry, did you bring that advanced spell book with you?" hermione asked, hoping to change the subject. "yeah, why?" "wasn't there a spell in there, to ward off the killing curse?" harry frowned. he had read so many spells, charms, hexes and curses; he couldn't remember all of them. "i think there was mention of it, but i can't recall. why do you ask?" "if there was a way to avoid the killing curse's effects, why wouldn't it be public knowledge?" "maybe it doesn't really work," ron said. "or maybe it's just too hard for the average wizard, like the patronus charm ," ginny added. "if it was easy, it wouldn't have been in the advanced book of dark arts and forbidden curses," harry told them. "some of those spells were really complicated." "why are you so concerned about the killing curse?" ron asked the girl next to him. "i'm just thinking of ways harry can protect himself, when he confronts you-knowwho," hermione said. "you know he's going to try and use the curse on harry, so it's only logical to learn all we can about the curse, and find ways to protect against it." "just like you, hermione," ron grumbled, reaching for another box of bertie botts every flavor bean. "even when there's no homework to be done, you find something to study." "and what's wrong with that, ronald weasley?" hermione asked, bitterly. "my studying has saved your arse a number of times."

"i didn't mean anything by it," ron told her, his face suddenly filled with shock. "then why did you mention it?" "i was just joking, honest. i didn't mean to upset you." "there's a lot more to me, then books and lessons, you know?" hermione stood up and walked out the door, closing it behind her. ron looked at the empty space where she had just been, then looked back to harry and ginny. "now what do i do?" he asked them. "if it were me, and it was my girl, i'd go after her," harry told him. ron stood up and rushed to the door, pulling it open behind him. "do you think they will ever get all their problems under control?" ginny asked. "i think the arguing is what makes them attracted to each other," harry said with a smile. nightfall brought with it the thunder and lighting of a typical scotland summer's night. the drizzling rain beat against the windowpanes, as the train pulled into hogsmeade station. harry and ginny had already changed into their uniforms and robes, when ron and hermione joined them. they were talking again, harry noted, but there was still a tense undertone in their words. ron spent a great deal of the time flattering hermione, helping her round up crookshanks, who had snuck out of the compartment shortly after they boarded the train, and had yet to return. he helped her gather up her books she had brought out to study, and even pulled her trunk down and helped her repack her belongings. harry and ginny smiled at each other, knowing he was in the preverbal doghouse, and was trying to rectify the situation. the train huffed and puffed, as the students disembarked, looking around the dark night for friends from the previous year. harry looked to the end of the platform, seeing the lumbering frame of hagrid, holding the large lantern, calling to the first years. harry smiled, waving a friendly greeting to the large man, as he, ginny, ron and hermione found an empty coach to take them to the castle. they had just climbed in, when the door opened again, revealing the far off, mystical expression of luna lovegood and the eager smile of neville longbottom. "hey guys," neville said. "can we join you?" harry was happy to see the two, having gone through so much last year, he was afraid they would have chosen not to return to school. "come on in," hermione said, scooting closer to ron to give them room. ron smiled brightly, as she pushed up tightly against his side, blushing brightly when her hand settled on his knee briefly. "how was your summer?" luna asked, her eyes revealing the almost trance like gleam. "very good," harry said, smiling at ginny, who blushed softly. "how was yours?" "all right," she said, sitting next to ginny as neville sat across from her. "my father and i went to australia to find the clabbert. my father's magazine was doing a feature on them, and he wanted to investigate their natural habitat."

"what's the clabbert?" ron asked, glancing around the small carriage as it began bouncing toward the school. "the clabbert," hermione began, in her usual bookish tone. "is an arboreal creature, which resembles a cross between a monkey and a frog. it has smooth mottled green skin, short horns and a wide grinning mouth. it has long arms with webbed hands and feet that allow it to move easily through the trees. it also has a large pustule on its forehead, which flashes red when it senses the approach of danger and muggles." "gross," ron complained with a sour look on his face. "they are also highly intelligent, and clairvoyant," luna added, receiving a disapproving look from hermione, who silently rolled her eyes. "it is said the clabbert can predict the future." "that's rubbish," hermione said, folding her hands across her chest. "the clabbert is not clairvoyant and can not predict anything more than an immediate threat of danger." "you should have read the quibbler, this past august," luna said, her tone filled with her usual mysterious tone. "you would have known the truth about the clabbert." hermione opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by harry, who saw the impending argument about to erupt. "so, neville," harry said, quickly. "how was your summer? do anything fun?" "my grandmother and i went to the south american rainforest, and found some really fascinating plants," he said with an unusual amount of excitement. "we found the asphodel plant, and monkshood." "sounds like you had a wonderful holiday," ginny said smiling. they all knew how much neville loved plants, and seeing him excited was a rare and unusual occurrence. "it was," he replied. "i was able to get several new specimens, i'm anxious to show professor sprout." "how was your summer, harry?" luna asked, glancing up over her glasses. harry smiled, glancing sideways to ginny again. "i had a marvelous summer," he told her, grasping the red head's hand in his. "we spent the entire summer just sort of being lazy and doing nothing much." luna stared at the young couple for a moment, an odd expression on her face, then lowered her eyes and stared at her hands. "i don't know about all of you," neville said, "but i'm glad to be back at school. things are really kind of weird, with news of lord vol...vol...you know. my gram was pretty upset when she found out about what happened at the ministry. she said i was acting just like my parents." harry saw the proud expression cross his young friend's face. he supposed it was the first time in the boy's life, that he had ever been accused of being as brave as his auror parents. "i don't think i've ever thanked all of you, for what you did last year," harry said, squeezing ginny's hand. "i know when the time comes, it has to be me against voldemort, but it's good to know i have such great friends to help until then."

"we'll never be far away," ginny promised, kissing harry's cheek. "you should know by now mate," ron began. "you'll never get away from us. we're your shadows." "and with the d.a., you'll have even more support when the time comes," hermione promised. "thanks, all of you," harry said again. the rest of the trip to the school was uneventful, and nearly silent, with only the soft rustling of the wind to keep them from drifting too far into their own thoughts. once the carriages stopped in front of the large stone steps of the main entrance, the excitement of being back to school filtered into them, and they jumped to the rain soaked grass. they gathered their trunks, animals and pulled their cloaks around them tighter, hurrying up the steps to the large doors. once inside, the trunks were put aside, pig's and hedwig's cages sat on top along with crookshanks, as the six of them hurried into the great hall. the ceiling was magically transformed to resemble the outside sky, and harry looked up to see the lightening streak above his head. the large house tables were lined with golden plates and goblets, with the promise of a large feast to come. ron's stomach growled loudly next to him, and harry smiled while ron blushed. they hurried to their table, saying good-bye to luna and sat down; harry and ginny on one side, ron and hermione and neville on the other. the massive head table stood empty, the chairs where the many teachers sat remained unfilled. the sounds of the weather outside crackled through the excited chatter of the students, bringing a momentary halt to the endless conversations. "i wish they'd hurry up," ron grumbled, his hand on his stomach. "i'm starving." "i wonder who our new defense against the dark arts teacher is going to be this year?" neville asked, watching as the other four exchanged looks. "i'm sure it will be someone very interesting," hermione told him, nudging ron who was tapping his fork restlessly on the plate in front of him. the students continued to fill the great hall, noise and laughter bouncing off the stonewalls. dean thomas, seamus finnigan, the creevy brothers; colin and dennis, parvati patil and lavender brown soon joined the rest of the gryffindors, and greetings were exchanged. harry smiled and waved as each joined them. he was amazed at how many had returned to school, and delighted that the mood was very happy and joyous. it wasn't long before the doors behind the teacher's table opened, and professors of all shapes and sizes began to filter through. snape was among the first, much to neville's displeasure. professor flitwick was there, so was madame hooch, madame pomfrey, professor sprout (who neville smiled at brightly when she glanced his way), sibyll trelawney, and professor vector. hagrid's seat remained empty, as they all knew he was crossing the lake with the first years, as was professor mcgonagall who was waiting to greet the first years, and professor dumbledore. harry smiled, as tonks walked past the group of teachers to her seat, her hair a lavender mass of curls, pulled on top of her head, her robes were bright orange and her finger nails could be seen across the room, with their blood red paint. "who is that?" lavender asked, leaning closer to ginny.

"she's weirder than professor trelawney," seamus added, receiving an evil glare from lavender and parvati. harry tried to turn a deaf ear to the argument that erupted between the three, the girls insisting that professor trelawney was a "sophisticated, well educated woman, with talents well beyond the imagination of a simpleton such as himself," while seamus argued that she was a "royal nutter, with half a bushel short of a full brain." ron looked like he was eager to join in the conversation, when he saw the look on hermione's face, stopping any comment he may have had to contribute. the door opened again, and harry watched as professor dumbledore stepped to his chair. he seemed tired and somewhat older then he had a couple of days ago, making harry wonder about his health. dumbledore was a very old wizard, how old could only be suspected, but lately he had seemed to age before their eyes. dumbledore looked about the table of teachers, smiling and chatting briefly with many, as he took his seat, looking out at the students. harry looked across the great hall to where the old wizard's eyes had been drawn, seeing the pale blond image of draco malfoy sitting between crabbe and goyle. his eyes were cast down, his hands folded above his plate. he looked solemn, openly ignoring the conversation around him. harry frowned at the image of slytherin's prize student. he didn't seem his usual, snide, evil self. harry imagined how difficult his life currently was, not knowing where or how his mother was, or what to think about his father. "what's wrong?" ginny asked, seeing the expression on his face. "i was just thinking about malfoy," he told her, watching as she turned her eyes to the table across the hall, looking at the image of the school's worse terror. "he doesn't look good, does he?" she asked. harry shook his head. "i almost feel sorry for him." "yeah, so do i. i can't help but wonder what's happening with his family. it must be awful not knowing where your mother is or what trouble your father's up to." harry narrowed his eyes, thinking back on the premonition he had several weeks ago, concerning lucius malfoy. "what is it?" ginny asked again. harry turned to her, not really seeing her but seeing the woman in his vision. "i was thinking about voldemort," he told her. "i wonder what he's up to. i know malfoy and the other death eaters went back to him, but i can't help feeling he's about to do something." "is it your scar?" ginny asked, looking at his forehead, where the lightening bolt scar was hiding beneath hair that needed trimming. "no. it's more like a gut instinct." "relax harry," ron told him, having heard the conversation. "our new quiddich captain can't be worrying about such trivial things as death and evil. it may distract you from your main goal of keeping your star keeper happy." harry smiled at his friend's attempt to make light the situation that always seemed to linger just over his shoulder. "what exactly would you suggest i do, to keep my star keeper happy?" harry asked with a smile.

"you could start by handing over the chocolate frog in your pocket," ron said with an eager grin. "but that's my last one," harry complained, already knowing he would give his best friend the treat he'd stuffed in his pocket, before leaving the train. "come on, mate. i'll trade you for it." "you don't have anything i want." "i have one thing you want," he said with an evil grin. harry frowned, glancing at hermione and ginny, who were both watching them. "what?" harry watched the smile grow across his friend's freckled face. "my sister," ron answered, watching the blush creep up ginny's face, as she narrowed her eyes on her brother. "come on, i have to be responsible for her all year. for your frog, i'll trade you an entire year of my sister's life." "thanks a lot, ron," ginny grumbled, then turned in time to see harry retrieve not just the chocolate frog from his pocket, but a small box of bertie botts. he handed both over to ron with a smile. "it's a deal," harry said with a wink to the girl on his side. "but you have to promise, to let me have her during the holidays too." "that will cost more," ron said, stuffing the chocolate in his mouth, and opening the box. ginny reached into her own pocket, pulling out two frogs and a small strawberry tart, handing them over to ron whose smile brightened. "will that pay your extortion?" she asked, slipping her hand inside harry's under the table. ron snickered under his breath. "sure," he said, looking up under long lashes to his friend across from him. "but i think i'm getting the better end of the deal." "i doubt that," harry said, smiling back to ginny, who blushed deeply, causing her brother to roll his eyes. "get a grip," he told them, stuffing both chocolate frogs into his mouth at once. harry couldn't help but laugh. "i have one. a firm one, on your sister." harry's smile extended across his young, handsome features. this may just prove to be a good year, after all. read? review! author notes: thank you everyone for continuing to r/r/. for misty, who wrote me and mentioned that i had yet to have h/g actually confirm their relationship, i hope this will help. please continue to r/r. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter fifteen the doors to the great hall opened, and professor mcgonagall entered, followed

behind by thirty very small witches and wizards, all in black robes and looking terrified. harry's mind shifted to that fateful day, six years ago, when he stood there with hermione, ron and malfoy; when the sorting hat had placed him in gryffindor, and when his life began for the first real time. he felt like he was born on that day, beneath that same enchanted ceiling. he had found his home at last, the one true place where he belonged. harry watched the young children approach the sorting hat, hearing mcgonagall telling them what was about to happen to them as she stepped into the center of the room, carrying the stool and sorting hat. after finishing her lecture, she stepped aside to allow the old, patched and tattered hat to say its piece. "words of wisdom have i now, for those of faith and those of doubt, four have joined and one will soon, before the battle beneath the moon. secrets yet have been untold, the future for us still unfolds. so listen now, my rhyme's near spent, the houses four, wisdom meant, one will stand affront the five, to live he must, fight or die. so guard them well the five who've joined, anger and fear, the future points, the walls of hogwart's stand strong and sure, for darkness there's one true cure, when evil bangs upon the door, lend thee faith, to dumbledore." "i think that hat needs replacing," ron grumbled as an awkward applause politely sounded. "when i call your name, you will come forward," mcgonagall was saying, and the sorting process began. nine were chosen among the children for ravenclaw, seven for hufflepuff, three for slytherin and eleven for gryffindor. harry looked down the table, seeing the many new faces that joined them glancing or outright staring at him. he knew they were looking at his scar, and eagerly talking about being in the same house as the famous harry potter. it was enough to make his skin crawl. "for those new students, i would like to point out several school rules that must be obeyed," professor dumbledore said, as the room came to a reverent silence. he began issuing the usual orders, "the forbidden forrest is off limits

to all students," and so on. the newer students looked on in interest and fascination as the old wizard gave his orders, while the older students fidgeted, having heard the same lecture every year since they were first given them. "now, i know you're all hungry, but before we begin the feast," dumbledore said, looking over the rim of his glasses to where ron sat, causing the young man to blush. "i would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new defense against the dark arts teacher, nymphadora tonks. professor tonks comes to us from the ministry of magic, where she has served several years as an auror. i'm sure we will all learn a great deal from our newest faculty member." the students applauded the woman, who blushed vividly, while ron, harry and neville whistled loudly for her. "without further adieu," professor dumbledore said waiving his hand. "let the feast begin." the newest students gasped as the tables and plates filled with a large amount of food, all different types and verities, the older students simply began eating, while the castle's ghosts appeared, making their usual first of the term rounds. the first years were fascinated with the bloody barren, the fat friar and the gray lady, but it was the appearance of nearly headless nick that caused the most anxiety. one little gryffindor, a little girl by the name of sabrina wagtail, became so overcome when nick's head fell to his shoulder she passed out in her rice pudding. "students," professor dumbledore said, interrupting the many voices happily chatting around full stomachs and growing fatigue. "your house prefects will lead the first years to their dormitories, while the rest of you turn in. tomorrow starts a new set of classes. good-night." hermione nudged ron's arm, shortly after his third helping of mashed potatoes, fried chicken, kippers, jammie dodgers and scones. he looked up at her, his mouth wrapped around the rim of a golden goblet filled with pumpkin juice. he had finally had enough to make him feel content, at least until breakfast. "come on," hermione insisted. "we have to lead the first years to the dormitories." ron stood up, but leaned down when harry called his name. "when you're finished, we have to get started on that potion for neville," he whispered. "meet us in myrtle's bathroom." ron nodded, hurrying behind hermione who was already calling to the first years to follow her. harry waited with ginny until the great hall had cleared of new students, then stood and headed out the door. he looked across the main hall and saw draco malfoy walking silently with crabbe and goyle, who were snickering and pointing at the group of new slytherins. harry knew there was trouble brewing, no doubt a dirty trick to be had on the innocent children. he was about to head their way and put a stop to whatever it was the mammoth two were planning, when malfoy intervened. he grabbed goyle by the robes, his face merely inches from the larger boy. his face was angry and distorted, as he grabbed the small package hidden under his companion's robes. harry could hear only a portion of what malfoy was saying, but from the look on crabbe and goyle's face, he knew what he didn't hear was far worse then what he did. "i have had enough of your foolish, thick headed antics," malfoy was saying. "if you pull so much as one trick on any of those kids, you'll have me to answer to. you're just like your fathers, big, stupid and worthless. get out of my way both of you, before i curse you straight to hell where the whole lot of you belong." malfoy stormed off toward the slytherin dungeons; leaving behind him two very stunned boys to stare after him.

"that didn't sound much like the malfoy we've all grown to hate and despise," ginny said, as she and harry headed up to the gryffindor common room. "i'm just glad someone finally put a stop to those two's tricks, especially on first years," harry told her, leading her to the fat lady's portrait, giving the password pickled toad livers and stepped inside. he could hear hermione giving the first years the long list of rules, in her usual bookish tone, as he hurried up the stairs. "i'll get the book, you get the ingredients. i'll meet you in the common room in a few minutes," he told her, heading toward the sixth year dorms. he opened the door to find neville, seamus and dean all inside, pajamas already on and sitting on their beds exchanging stories of their summer. "what's up harry?" seamus asked, watching harry scavenge through his trunk for the spell book and his invisibility cloak. "i have to take something to ginny," he told them absently, wrapping his invisibility cloak around the book, and retrieving the marauder's map, his back to the room's occupants. "we were just talking harry," neville said, stopping him from leaving the room. "are you going to start up the d.a. lessons again, this year?" "i don't know," he answered. "dumbledore's back, and i'm not sure if there's a need for it." "dumbledore may be back, but vol...vol...you-know-who is still alive," dean told him boldly. "we have to have all our senses and skills for when we confront him and his type." "you can't give up, harry," seamus told him. "we need the d.a., and that weird looking defense teacher doesn't look like she doesn't know much more about the dark arts, than trelawney does about predictions." "don't worry about tonks," harry told them with a smile. "she's much better than she looks." "you know her?" seamus asked in surprise. "we both do," neville told his roommates proudly. "she helped us at the ministry and she's great." "that doesn't stop us from needing the d.a. back," dean told them. "harry, you have to start it back up, i learned more about dark arts in one year from you, than i have in five years here. with the exception of the fake moody in fourth year." "third year was really good," neville added, remembering how lupin had taught him to stand up to the bogart snape. "yeah, well i'll think about it," harry said remembering why he was in a hurry. "i have to talk to ginny. see you later." harry hurried out of the room and down the stairs to find the red haired girl waiting for him, caldron in one hand and her potions kit in the other. "what took you so long?" she asked him.

"i'll tell you later. got everything?" ginny raised her kit to him. "it was easier to sneak out of my room with this, rather than a handful of loose potion ingredients. easier to explain too." "great, then lets go." he unwrapped the book, tossing the cloak over his head, hiding the two of them from sight. they stepped to the portrait hole and pushed it open, then slipped quietly out the door. harry unfolded the map and touched it with his wand saying, "i solemnly swear that i am up to no good." images of the school's halls and occupants immediately appeared on the blank sheet of paper, revealing the little dots of harry and ginny in the hall outside their dorm, filch and snape together in the potions classroom, dumbledore on the stairs to his office, (which stopped then slowly continued up), mcgonagall was in the transfigurations classroom, madame pomfrey was in the hospital wing, and in a small room marked main hall closet, were the two very small, very close dots of ron and hermione. harry smiled at ginny, folding his map again and walking quickly beside the red head, to the second floor girl's bathroom. inside, they set up the cauldron and opened the book, as moaning myrtle's spirit appeared from the u-bend of the toilet. her cries echoed through the stone and porcelain room, and harry glanced to the sink that led to the chamber of secrets, before turning back to see myrtle emerging from her stall. she stopped with a gasp, and then giggled when she saw them. "oh, hello harry," she said in a little girl's voice. "how are you?" "i'm good myrtle," harry said, hoping his voice didn't sound as uncaring as he knew it had. "how are you?" "dreadful," she moaned. "you haven't been to see me, in ages. i thought you'd forgotten about me." "never," harry lied. "you've been a friend too long, to just forget." this caused the ghost to giggle until she saw ginny sitting on the floor. "who's that?" myrtle asked bitterly. "this is ginny weasley, she's my...very good friend," harry told her, smiling at ginny who blushed in response. "friend, huh? you mean girlfriend?" myrtle said, sounding worse then she had. "i should have known you'd find a girlfriend. forget about myrtle, she's dead, why would anyone want to have myrtle as a girlfriend? what fun would miserable, ugly, moaning myrtle be?" with this said, myrtle began wailing, turning and disappearing back into her stall. "she's a little sensitive," harry told ginny, then set out to create the potion. he began reading off the ingredients, as ginny carefully measured and mixed each one. "in one liter of dragon's blood, add a pinch of graphorn, mixed with the juice of the hellebore plant. stir together six times, with the feather of jobberknoll. add seven tubeworms and a pint of bubotuber pus," harry grimaced. "it's a good thing ron isn't here yet, he'd be joining myrtle in her toilet. next add two peeled abyssinian shrivelfigs, a tablespoon of ginger for taste, and bring to a boil, then reduce the flames beneath the caldron to simmer. once the potion has thickened, approximately ten hours, it will turn to a clear brown

liquid. at this point add a piece of whatever the person is afraid of, mix until dissolved and return to a boil. allow to cook two hours, before administering. when properly stored, this potion will last up to twenty-four months. well that should do it," harry concluded, as he watched ginny add the ginger, using her wand ignited a fire beneath the cauldron. they leaned back and watched the mixture as it began steaming. the smell was nauseating, causing even myrtle to complain, splashing her way back down to the u-bend of the toilet. harry moved with ginny to the sidewall, wrapping his arms around her, as she took the book and began flipping through the many pages. harry watched her scan across page after page, knowing what it was she was truly looking for. he sighed deeply, leaning in and kissing her neck. he had to make her understand his feelings, but he was afraid of hurting her, of chasing her away. "don't rush it, okay?" he whispered into her ear, as he teased the tender lobe with the tip of his tongue. ginny sighed, leaning her head back against the wall, giving him better access to her throat, which he quickly took full advantage of. "how can you ask me to go slow, when you kiss me like this?" she asked, his arms wrapping around her waist. "do you want me to stop?" he whispered against her ear as he came back from planting hot kisses along her throat and collarbone. "that's my point harry," she told him. "i don't want you to ever stop." "but i'm not ready for the full extent of this. this part is fun, really fun, and i don't mind going further, but not all the way, not yet." "usually it's the girl who says this, not the guy," ginny smiled, sensing his sudden tension. harry laughed, hugging her to him. "please understand ginny," he told her a few moments later, looking into her eye, his hand cupping her cheek. "you have grown up in a wonderful, loving family. you've known what it's like to be happy and laugh, and know that you're wanted and loved. i have never known any of that until i met your family." "you're a part of that family now, harry." "it's not the same thing. years of pain and despair can't be washed away with only a few hugs and kisses, no matter how marvelous they are. i just need time to get used to these feelings." "are you afraid of loosing me?" ginny pushed back, looking into his deep green eyes, seeing the passion and confusion echoing in their depths. "every day i wake up, i'm terrified i'll find out it was all a dream, or you've fallen out of love with me." "it won't happen, harry potter." ginny leaned into him, kissing him so hard, he fell back on the cold stone floor, his arms still wrapped around her waist, her arms securely around his neck. her kiss was hard, passionate, and as she lay on top of him, she could feel his response pressing against her thigh. when she realized that she was bruising his lips, she eased up slightly, feeling the tip of his tongue easing between her teeth, teasing and tasting the dark recesses beyond. he moaned deep in her mouth, as she shifted against him,

allowing him to press against her tighter. rolling her to her back, he found an even more convenient position, as she spread her legs for him to lie between, her heels entwining around his knees. he could feel the heat radiating from her lower torso, as he pressed against her. within him was a full raging battle, his mind was telling him to stop, slow down, back off, while his heart was telling him to love her, take her, make her his. he couldn't believe how much he loved her, and yet how afraid he was all in one instant. it wasn't until he felt her hands pulling his jumper up, exposing the tight skin of his back to her delicate fingers, that he could no longer hear the voices in his head. with very little persuasion, he was able to duplicate her actions, his hands slipping beneath her jumper, feeling the slight protrusion of her ribs against her sides. he was amazed at how his fingers actually itched, forcing him to move them upwards to rest beneath her breasts. "harry," ginny whispered, when he released her lips to kiss his way down her throat. "i love you." harry found his way back to her lips, kissing them thoroughly before placing his mouth next to her ear, whispering, "i love you, ginny, with all my heart." "please harry," she whispered again as his fingers began to caress the under band of her lacy bra. "please." harry couldn't bare her pleads, his hands pulled at the lacy material, pushing it out of his way and gently cupping her firm breasts in his hands. he was amazed at how she felt as though she had been made just for him, how she fit perfectly in his hands, her legs and arms matching him, easily fitting against every one of his own curves. he couldn't believe it would be possible for him to want her more, or to become any more aroused, but when his hips began to push against her, he realized how wrong he was. with actions that seemed out of his control, harry kissed his way down her neck, moving down to her flat tummy, kissing every inch of it, his hands caressing her warm breasts, his fingers playing with the hardened nipples. his tongue licked around her tiny navel, making a hot, moist path up and across her ribs to the dip between her breasts. he pushed her jumper over her breasts, relishing in the sight of her exposed body. he loved the moan she offered as he again began to kiss her delicate skin, smiling at the sensations her body gave him in the form of goose bumps. he couldn't believe he was actually feeling her beneath him, or in his hands. she was beautiful, soft, delicate, her skin felt like satin beneath his touch. slowly he led his lips and tongue across the few inches to her firm breast. he kissed the swollen globe, licking his way around the underside, up the front to the pebble hard nipple. he paused for a moment leaning up and looking into her eyes, wondering if the gasp she had just offered was one of pain. she smiled at him, her eyes a dark chocolate brown, as passion consumed them. with a smile, he leaned back down, resuming his tender assault against her delicate flesh. his tongue gently caressed the hardened peak, feeling her arch against his lips. he felt eager, brave, and slowly played with the delicate nub, nipping it gently, licking and kissing until her hips were pressing harder against his loins. he could barely stand it; he had never known such a deep, carnal feeling. he wanted more, needed to feel more. he moved his mouth to the other breast, paying it the same homage, as his right hand slowly moved to her hips, pulling them closer to him, pressing against them savagely. he reached the hem of her skirt and was about to pull it up, when he heard an audible gasp from the other side of the room. "what the...bloody hell!" ron exclaimed, as harry's head popped up, moving quickly

off ginny, blocking her near nakedness from her brother's view. harry felt momentarily stunned. he couldn't remember or think of anything, other than the feelings still raging inside him. all he could do was stare blankly at ron and hermione standing by the entrance of the bathroom. "ronald weasley," ginny snapped, adjusting her clothes. "next time, give a person some warning before you barge in on them." "from the looks of what i saw, you wouldn't have paid attention to anything i said, regardless of warnings. now, care to explain yourself potter?" harry swallowed hard, trying to get his throat to work, but no sound would come out. "do you want to explain what the two of you were doing in the main hall closet, first?" ginny demanded, standing up and confronting her brother, watching the blushed expression cross his face and the girl's next to him. "we sure as hell wasn't doing what i saw you two doing?" ron exclaimed bitterly. "enough," harry said, finally reclaiming his voice. "i won't apologize for what happened...or nearly happened, all i can do is explain that it was totally unexpected and unplanned. now, if we can get this potion finished, we can get back to our dorms, or we'll all end up in detention before the term officially begins." "it had better not happen again, or i'll..." ron tried to threaten his friend, who stood and confronted him, but was interrupted with the slender frame of his little sister pushing between them. "back off ronald," she ordered. "i will do what i want and when i want, and you will not stop us. i love harry, get it through your head, and just for the record i was the one who started that whole thing, and if you hadn't interrupted, harry would have..." "ginny!" harry snapped, as ron gasped. the girl stared a warning glare at her brother for a moment, and then turned back to the very frustrated young man behind her. "do you regret what happened?" she asked him, watching the blush creep up his cheeks. "do you, harry?" she asked when he didn't answer. "i don't regret it, ginny," he told her honestly. "but i still mean what i said before. regardless of how wonderful it was, and how much i wanted it, or still want it, i'm not ready." "but harry, we almost..." "and i would have regretted it." harry reached out, caressing her cheek. "i love you, but it has to be when we both want it. please, ginny? just give it time." "do i have to stop trying all together?" harry chuckled, wrapping her in his arms tightly, his mind still felt her body beneath him, and the sensation of heat and passion coursing through his veins. "i won't object to a little persuasion," he told her, as she kissed him briefly. "let's get finished," hermione told them, a slight frown on her delicate features. "what do we have to do now?" harry retrieved the book, rereading the

potion's instructions. "all we have to do now is reduce the flame, and let it cook for ten hours, that should make it just about breakfast time. then we have to add the hair and cook it for two more hours." "lets just hope potions isn't first on the schedule tomorrow," hermione told them, leaning down and issuing the proper spell, watching with the eye of an expert to make certain the flames were just the right height. "lets get out of here," ron said, still glaring at harry as he turned and led the way through the door. "you two can't be out after curfew," hermione told them, watching as harry received the invisibility cloak, picking up the book of spells and wrapping the cloak around himself and ginny. "good, now be quiet." harry and ginny walked behind hermione and ron, until they reached the portrait of the fat lady. they waited until ron issued the password, stepping in behind them. he slipped the cloak off and held ginny's hand. "i'll see you tomorrow," he told her, kissing her tenderly. "sleep well," she whispered, as ron snorted his disapproval, heading straight up the stairs without saying a word to any of them. "good luck," ginny told her boyfriend, as they separated on the top of the stairs. "just remember, he's weird." "he loves you, ginny, and he's worried about you. you should feel proud he cares so much," harry felt like he was scolding her, but knew she had to try and at least understand ron's side. "i know it, but i can take care of myself, and i don't need protecting against you," ginny told him. "i think harry needs protecting against you, ginny," hermione told her, pulling her by the arm away from harry. "now both of you, get to bed or i'll have to report you for being up past curfew." harry chuckled, turning and walking to his own dorm. inside harry found the room silent; the soft snores from seamus, dean and neville alerted him to the fact that they had long since fallen asleep. ron had already changed, his clothes lying scattered across the floor near his bed, the drapes to his bed pulled shut. harry sighed, replacing his cloak and book to his trunk, pointing his wand at the map and saying, "mischief managed," before returning it to his trunk as well. he quietly undressed, pulling on his pajamas he'd bought in diagon alley a few weeks ago, then crawled into bed, glancing across the room to where he knew his best friend lay awake. he desperately needed to talk to him, to explain things to him, to get his advice, but didn't' know how to separate his friend from the brother of the girl he loved. with a heavy sigh, he pulled the drapes shut and closed his eyes, rolling to his side. he knew things were going too fast, he had only been dating ginny for a few weeks, but he couldn't help it, he loved her. the first time their lips met he felt reborn, he knew they were meant for each other. he felt as though they had known each other their whole lives. the first time he held her, she was his, and they both knew it. if only he could make ron understand

how he felt, if only he could get her to slow down until he felt emotionally ready for the next step. pulling the blankets over his head, harry sighed again, feeling the pain beginning to pound behind his eyes as he slipped his glasses off and tucked them under his pillow. forget voldemort, he thought. this love thing was going to kill him long before the dark lord ever got a chance. read? review! author notes: thank you so much, everyone, for continuing to read and review. for those who want more passion between h/g, here it is...sort of. for those who think it's going too fast, i hope this is satisfactory for you as well. please continue to r/r. things will hopefully get more suspensful in the next few chapters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter sixteen harry yawned, stretching his long arms above his head. even with his curtains shut around his bed, he could tell it was morning. the sounds of the room's occupants were stirring, shoes being slid across the carpet, zippers being raised and tired yawns echoing from one bed to the other. harry sighed, reaching up and pulling the curtains to his bed back, squinting at the sunlight flooding the room. "good morning harry," neville said, tossing a wet towel on his messy dark hair. "you'd better get showered, if you're planning on having breakfast before ron eats it all. he left over half an hour ago." "yeah, sure," harry said, tossing the wet towel back to neville and crawling out of bed. he gathered his clothes, and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. fifteen minutes later, he was wide awake, clean and still fighting an endless battle with his uncontrollable hair. he stepped back into his dorm, sitting on the edge of his bed, pulling on his socks and shoes, and retrieving his glasses from under his pillow. with his cloak in hand, he went down to the common room, to find ginny sitting on the sofa, reading witchcraft among the ages. he stepped up quietly behind her, placing a warm kiss on her neck. "about time you got up," she scolded, turning a happy smile to him. "ron's probably eaten half the food in the castle by now." "so i've heard," harry told her with a chuckle, taking her hand and walking with her to the portrait hole. "is he still angry?" "it's hard to tell. he wasn't exactly happy about last night, but he had hold of hermione's hand when they left, so he can't be too biffed." "he has a right to upset, ginny," harry told her, walking down the stairs to the great hall. "he's worried about you." "he doesn't have to be, i'm with you after all. he knows nothing will happen." harry stopped her at the bottom of the stairs, pulling her out of the line of traffic, when a group of first years came bounding down behind them. "something almost did happen last night, ginny," he told her seriously. "if ron hadn't stopped us, we would have made love. he has a right to be concerned.

what do you think your other brothers, or your parents would say if you owled them to say, 'guess what? i'm pregnant and it's harry's baby.' they'd kill us both, and then they'd go after ron for not watching you closer." "you're taking this too serious, harry," ginny said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "i won't get pregnant, we'll find a spell or a potion or something. you said once we found a way, that nothing would stop us. have you changed your mind?" "no, but i think we're rushing things a bit. why can't we just slow down a little, enjoy being with each other, without anything too physical?" "you don't want me, do you?" harry sighed deeply, pulling her into a tight embrace. "i love you ginny, that. i can't deal than you do, maybe thing, one step at

and i do want you, but i need time. please try and understand with all these feelings at once. i have to go slower it's because i'm thick, but i need to learn how to do this love a time."

"it's not easy, harry," she told him, kissing his cheek and his neck. "i want you so badly, i can barely stand it. i love you and i want to show you." "then show me in another way," he told her capturing her lips with his, kissing her deeply and thoroughly. his tongue caressed hers, teasing and tasting her until she moaned deeply into his mouth. "if you keep kissing me like that," she warned him, "i can't be blamed for my actions." harry chuckled softly. "i think we need to get to breakfast," he told her, his tone slightly shaky. inside the great hall, the students of all four houses were eagerly reviewing their schedules for the upcoming term. harry and ginny sat at the table, each picking up their envelopes and scanning through the list of classes. "we have double potions this afternoon, with the slytherins," hermione whispered. "will the potion be ready by then?" "it only takes two hours once the hairs have been added," harry told her softly, leaning across the table. "how do we know if it will work?" ginny asked. "we'll find out once we give it to neville, i suppose," harry said again, glancing down the table to his friend. "shouldn't we try it out first?" ron asked, glancing to hermione. "how? none of us are afraid of snape, so it won't work," hermione told him. "lets go check on the potion," harry told them. "maybe we can figure something out on the way." the four of them left the great hall, ron grabbing a large handful of toast as he left, and hurried to the second floor bathroom. inside they found myrtle sitting above her stall, crying and moaning in her typical low voice. she glanced down from her perch, looking at the four who quietly slipped in.

"come back for your potion?" she asked. "the only time i see you, harry, is when you need to use my bathroom for something against the rules. and now you come here with her," she pointed at ginny, who stood next to harry, her hand tucked inside his. "why should you care about how i feel? pitiful, poor, ugly, moaning myrtle, she doesn't have any feelings at all, she's just dead. why would anyone want to love her?" with that said, or rather screamed, myrtle disappeared back down the toilet, splashing water all over the floors and walls. "i think she's a bit more sensitive than she used to be," hermione said. "she's a nutter," ron added with a snarl as he tried to sidestep the water flowing out of the stall where the ghost had just been. "come on," harry said. "we haven't much time." they went to the caldron, looking in. it was a thick liquid of pale yellow; steam the smell of rotting eggs emanating from within. ron plugged his nose backing away slightly. harry slipped the spell book from his bag, turning to the marked page, and reading the notations. "the book says in its purest form, one drop of the potion will make the barer brave beyond imagination, but will return them to their original state in thirty minutes. one tablespoon however, will last for seven moons." "so neville will have to take a dose once a week, isn't that dangerous? couldn't he become addicted to it?" ginny asked. "maybe, once he gets used to the effects the real potion has on him, we can substitute a fake one later on. kind of a placebo effect," harry told her. "but how do we know it's even going to work?" ron asked bitterly, still holding his nose. "maybe you messed up on it, you were after all preoccupied last night." harry glared at the red head, opening his mouth to speak when he was interrupted. "i'll test it," hermione said. "if one drop of the purest form will last half an hour, that should give us just enough time to get this over with and get to care of magical creatures." "the book says it will make the barer brave beyond imagination," harry told her. "you're already brave, so what good will it do to test it out on you?" "it also says it will take away the inhibitions of the coward," ginny said, reading the rest of the page. "do you have any inhibitions, hermione?" "we'll find out," she answered, dipping her finger into the smelly liquid and letting one drop fall to her tongue. she looked at the three standing and watching her. "nothing's happening," she said. "i don't feel any different, other than a slight tingling." with a gasp, she closed her eyes, the tingling sensation spreading through her lower limbs, up her torso, into her arms and face, bringing with it a flush of heat. she opened her eyes, focusing on each person individually, then locked gazes with ron. "what? why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, backing up slowly as she began to pace her way toward him. "hermione, you're scaring me," he told her, backing up into a wall. "why should i scare you?" hermione said, reaching forward, grabbing the front of his robes and pulling him toward her and locking her lips to his. ron froze,

his lips pressed soundly against hers, until she began pulling at his jumper. "i want you, ronald weasley," she told him, pulling his jumper up his torso. "hermione, wait!" ron gasped, when he felt her biting the buttons off his shirt, one by one. her right hand reached down to his belt, unfastening it all the while her free hand was roaming across his buttocks. "harry, do something!" ron shouted, looking to his friend pleadingly, holding hermione by the shoulders. "like what? if i get in the way, she may bite me thinking i'm a button." "what do i do?" ron asked, as she ripped his shirt open, trailing her tongue along his chest. "are you kidding?" ginny asked, with a snicker. "what do you want to do?" harry asked, a smile spreading across his face. "are you kidding!" ron snapped, as hermione slipped her robes off, capturing his lips again, this time getting a very firm reaction from her red haired captive, as he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her jumper up her slender body. harry grabbed ginny by the arm, pulling her out of the bathroom door and away from sight of what was happening. he leaned against the opposite wall from the bathroom, bending over at the waist laughing uncontrollably. "i can't believe hermione had inhibitions like that?" ginny said between giggles and snickers. "i can't believe ron didn't know what to do with her," harry gasped, as ginny came closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "i wonder what would have happened if you'd have taken that potion, instead of hermione?" ginny asked with a wide smile. "your brother would now be displaying my head to all of hogwart's, that's what would have happened." the soft moans from inside the bathroom echoed through the hallway, causing both harry and ginny to blush openly, still giggling with thoughts of poor ron's predicament. they listened without trying to listen, hearing the sounds of the two lovers inside, as they slid down the wall, sitting on the cold stone floor to wait the time allotted. the moans continued, echoing off the walls around the hallway and lavatory. minutes seemed to stretch into hours, as harry and ginny tried to ignore the sounds and images flickering in her mind. hermione suddenly cried out in pain, bringing a deeper blush to harry's face and causing ginny to frown. harry cleared his throat, trying to ignore the confused expression on the girl's face next to him. moments later, the moaning began again, this time louder and more urgent, followed shortly by a primal growl from ron. ginny looked at harry, studying the look in his eyes. "it sound disgusting," she whispered, "and painful." "you do know about...i mean the first time is supposed to be..." harry stammered, wondering if what he'd always heard about a girl's first sexual encounter, would be the same with every girl or just a few. "i know, but i guess i just wasn't really thinking about it before." harry was

silent for several moments, trying to think of the right thing to say, but couldn't form more than a few mismatched words together in his head. "have you ever seen anyone do it before?" ginny asked, breaking the tension. harry shrugged his shoulders. "the only time i've ever come close, was once when i was about five, and my aunt petunia and uncle vernon came home from a dinner party, drunk. they didn't remember or care that i was in the cupboard under the stairs, and they ended up doing it in the doorway to the kitchen. it's definitely not the sort of thing a boy wants to remember." "gross! what did they do when they remembered you were there?" "they didn't. it was really quite disturbing." harry shivered at the memory, realizing the sounds within the bathroom had ceased. "do you think it's safe to go in?" ginny asked. "we don't have much of a choice," he said. "if we don't get this over with, we'll be late for class." "you go first," ginny told him, as they stepped cautiously to the doorway. he poked his head around the corner, not hearing anything, then slowly paced his way back into the room. ron was struggling to dress around missing buttons and ripped fabric, and hermione was nowhere to be found. "where's hermione?" ginny asked, causing a deep blush to creep up her brother's face. "she's using the lavatory," he said, glancing back down to the stones where he had just made love to her, seeing the slight tint of blood soaking into the cracks. "is she all right?" ginny asked again, as the door to the stall opened and the bushy haired, red-faced girl stepped out. "i'm fine," she told them. she looked to ron, her cheeks turning a deeper red, as she pulled her wand from her robes and pointed it at him. "repairo" she said, watching as the buttons were replaced, and the rips disappeared on ron's shirt. he smiled at her, briefly saying thanks, before she turned her back and walked over to the potion, slipping the hairs stolen from snape inside the yellow liquid. ron stepped around to the side of harry, who smiled at him and whispered low so the girls couldn't hear. "i suppose that means the potion works?" harry asked. "bugger off harry," ron blushed again. "that should about do it," hermione told them, turning back around. "we'll have to check on it after class, but it should be ready by lunch." "how are you going to get neville to use it?" ginny asked. "as nervous as neville always gets around snape, it won't be that difficult to convince him," ron said, avoiding looking at the bushy haired girl, who was also trying to avoid his eyes.

"well, i have to get to divinations," ginny said, leaning up and kissing harry's lips. "i'll see you at lunch," she whispered, before turning to the other two. "i hope the rest of your day goes as pleasantly as it started," she said with a snicker, then left the room and the blushing couple behind. harry walked silently between the two, who had refused to look at each other or speak to each other since their encounter in myrtle's bathroom. as they approached hagrid's hut, they saw him talking to the familiar red haired man, while a large ugly vulture looking bird roamed nearby. "what's charlie doing here?" ron asked, as they neared the hut. "hey your three," charlie said, waving a hand to them as they approached. "how's the first day of classes?" "don't know," harry said. "this is our first one." "what are you doing here?" ron asked his older brother. "hello to you too, little brother," he chuckled, patting the boy on the shoulder. "i had to come collect buckbeak from hagrid. i'm going to take him back with me to transylvania. sirius asked me to take care of him, if anything should happen." charlie glanced to harry and saw him shift his eyes downward. "i was wondering what happened to buckbeak," hermione said. "he wasn't at the house all summer." "yeah, dumbledore brought him back here to hagrid, after getting his death sentence overturned." charlie smiled at the three, before patting his brother's shoulder again and reaching a hand out to harry, shaking it. "well, i've got to get a move on. we've got a new peruvian vipertooth that's just hatched, and i've got to get him trained up." he reached forward, kissing hermione's cheek, and then smiled at the three again. "keep in touch, and have a great year." they watched as the slightly stalky built man headed back into the forbidden forest to collect the hippogriff, then flew overhead and out of sight. hagrid was his usual cheerful self, waving and greeting them as he instructed the class to join him, where he stood by the large bird. he spent a great deal of the hour discussing their lesson of augurey. "the augurey," hagrid began, "is also called the irish phoenix. its cries used ta be thought of as death omens, but modern wizardry has taught us that it's actually a prediction of rain. normally this little lady remains hidden in its nest in brambles and thorns, flying only in heavy rain, but i found her a while back with a broken talon. after i mended her up, she decided ta stay close by. i guess she'll be wantin' a mate soon, so i'll have ta find her one or send her ta ireland to a magical creature reserve. now, all of ya come forward, but be careful. inside her wings are ink, and it's our job ta milk that ink out of her wings, but she's not just gonna let you grab at her ya know. ya have ta earn her respect. ta do this, you have ta bring her a treat, so i have some chocolate here for each of you. now remember this is for the augurey, not ta be eatin'. if she smells it on yer breath, she'll attack, wanting ta have a taste. when ya've finished, offer her another piece of chocolate as thanks. now, who wants ta be first?" there was a rustle of movement and low whispers from the students, as they decided who would be first to approach the thin, mournful-looking bird that resembled a vulture. harry drew a deep breath, stepping forward, as everyone stopped talking. he took two pieces of chocolate and an empty vial, before stepping up to the bird. her greenish-black

color made her appear deadly and threatening, and yet as she took the chocolate harry handed to her, she seemed to almost purr. he reached forward, taking her wind and milking the black ink from one of her large feathers. when his bottle was full, he slowly backed away, offering her the second piece of chocolate as thanks. "excellent, 'arry," hagrid said, patting the boy on the shoulder. "next, who's next?" ron stepped up and repeated harry's actions, grimacing at the creature as he handed her some chocolate. by the time he had filled his bottle, he looked nearly as green as the bird. one by one the students advanced, picking up their chocolates and feeding the bird, while filling their bottles with ink. malfoy was as successful, though not as cheerful as the other students, yet when his robust friend goyle approached the bird, she flapped her wings violently, her long beak reaching out and trying to peck at the boy's round, fear filled face. "have ya been eatin' the chocolate goyle?" hagrid said, securing the tethers around the bird's neck, and tying her to the post nearby. "i got hungry," goyle grunted, over a mouth full of chocolate covered teeth. "well, thanks ta yer classmate here," hagrid said with an angry glare, "we will have ta finish up with the rest of the class on wednesday. once the augurey gets her feathers all ruffled, there's nothing ta do but let her rest. class is dismissed." harry turned with ron and hermione and was walking behind goyle, crabbe and malfoy. the two larger of the three were snickering and making fun of hagrid and his 'bird brain ideas of mating outside his species...whatever that may be,' when malfoy stopped, pulling his fist back and let it go in goyle's face, knocking the larger boy to the ground. blood began rushing from his broken nose, as he laid there staring with obvious shock at the tall blond standing over him. "i am so sick of the two of you and your stupid jokes," malfoy snarled. "you are both a disgrace to the house of slytherin and should be black balled from ever wearing the robes." with that said, the attacker turned and stormed off, leaving an entire class full of both slytherin and gryffindor to look after him in shock. "what's gotten into malfoy?" neville asked softly. "he's been like that since we arrived at school," answered the weedy looking theodore nott, from behind them. he was a tall, dark haired, thin slytherin, who appeared more like a black snake than a boy. "he wasn't on the hogwart's train with the rest of the students," hermione said. "we heard he was staying with is godfather." "yeah, he came here with professor snape a few weeks before school started. rumor has it, his mum is missing, and his dad's in hiding, no thanks to potter," the boy said, staring an angry eye at harry, who happily returned the look. "hold on," ron began. "you mean snape is malfoy's godfather?" "you mean professor snape, and yes he is, not that it's any business of yours, weasley." ron, harry and hermione watched as the boy stepped around them, heading toward to the castle entrance. once he was out of earshot, and the other students were far enough ahead of them, ron turned to harry and hermione.

"if snape is malfoy's godfather, that means he is a death eater," ron told them. "no, it means he was a death eater," hermione corrected him, speaking to him for the first time in over an hour. "he's been loyal to our side for years." "that's what he wants us to think, hermione," ron said, biting back at her. "how else would he have known to collect malfoy when his mum turned up missing, if he wasn't a part of the group?" "i'm not going to argue with you about this, ronald," hermione snapped. "at least we know where malfoy's been this summer." "come on you two," harry said, pulling on the two by the arms of their robes, heading them toward the castle steps. "let's get to charms class before it's over." he walked quickly between the two again, trying to ignore the tension that built up around them. "if this is what sex does to two people," he told them abruptly, "i think ginny's going to be very disappointed." "what's that supposed to mean?" ron snarled, stopping to look at his friend. "you figure it out," harry told him. "this morning you were friends, probably a lot more, but after that incident in moaning myrtle's bathroom, you're acting like you can't stand the idea you're on the same planet. if that's what making love does to two people who care for each other, i don't want anything to do with. i'd rather keep ginny in my life, then have her in my bed." harry turned and continued on his path, leaving the two alone. "do you wish i wasn't on the same planet?" ron asked, looking at the girl next to him. "no, of course not." "then why haven't you spoken to me, since we...since this morning?" "you haven't exactly spoken to me either." "i was in shock. i had no idea you could do that. i mean, when i've tried to go further, you've stopped me because you weren't ready, and then this morning...i didn't know how to react. i mean it was great and all, but still it was a huge shock." "i didn't think i had inhibitions like that," hermione whispered. "it's embarrassing." "so you do wish i wasn't on the planet?" ron felt miserable, and turned to walk away when hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm. "do not put words into my mouth, ronald weasley," she snarled. "i happen to like the idea that you're on this planet, and with me, i'm just embarrassed that i could be so...slutty!" "you were not slutty, hermione," ron told her, reaching forward and pulling her into his embrace. "it was wonderful, maybe a little more impetuous than i'd expect from you, but i don't regret it. do you?" "not really," she whispered with a blush. "but it would have been nicer in a

warmer, softer place." ron laughed, pulling her tightly against his chest, remembering how she had felt in his arms earlier when he made love to her for the first...and hopefully not the last time. "what if i promise a better place next time," he asked, kissing her cheek. "will you consider repeating this morning?" hermione leaned back and smiled at him. "it would depend on how much better," she told him. "and hopefully not with harry and ginny standing outside the door." ron smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her, when her hand reached up and stopped him. "ron, you have to promise me something," her tone was very serious and it caused him to frown. "ginny and harry really love each other. you have to give them space, and quit being the big brother. harry needs his friend, more than he needs ginny's protector." "it's hard 'mione," ron told her. "she's my kid sister, and i've always had to protect her. i don't know how to just back off and let someone else do it for me." "but she really loves him, ron. and with luck you'll be too busy to get in their way." with that hermione leaned in to him, kissing his lips passionately, promising silently all the things he wanted and more. harry slipped silently into the castle, having stood by the doors watching his two best friends talk. he didn't know what was being said, but he did know that they had ended their conversation the right way. with a smile he headed to professor flitwick's charms class, feeling a little more secure about hermione and ron and a little less secure about him and ginny. maybe he should have tried the potion himself, he thought. at least ginny would have finally gotten what she wanted most, and he would have lost his own inhibitions. "i'm never going to get a hang of this relationship stuff," he thought. "i think i'd be better off looking for voldemort. at least i know what to expect." read? review! author notes: i want to thank everyone for continuing to read/review. for those who wanted more of ron/hermione, i hope this is enough to keep you happy, and for those who criticize that i have left canon, please remember what i said at the beginning of this story; i am not jk rowling, and even though the characters are hers, i am writing this from my own head. i hope this doesn't offend anyone. please keep r/r -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter seventeen "where have you been?" ginny said as the three entered the bathroom. harry shook his head in disgust, as he hurried to the caldron. "i thought i was going to have to send a search party to look for you." "it's not our fault," ron said, glaring at hermione. "someone had to cast a charm on the chandelier and make it dance across the room, blocking the door and shooting hot wax everywhere." ron picked off the dried wax from his cloak as he spoke.

"professor flitwick told me to demonstrate the musical blocking charm. it's not my fault neville knocked my arm and sent the spell into the chandelier." hermione's tone was furious as she turned an angry face on ron. "what's the musical blocking charm?" ginny asked harry, softly. "it's supposed to be more of a distracting charm, and hermione was supposed to cast it on a lizard professor flitwick had there," harry explained, glancing back to the two still arguing. "neville got so excited and wanted to get a closer look, and in doing so, knocked hermione's arm when she was casting the spell. it ricocheted off the chandelier, causing it to jump down from the ceiling and dance and whistle, while it blocked the door. nobody could leave, and it sprayed wax everywhere." "poor neville," ginny said. "poor neville?" ron barked, peeling wax from his cheek and hair. "what about us? i have blisters all over my arms from trying to block the flying wax. i could be scared for life!" "stop being such a baby, ron," hermione told him. "madame pomfrey can heal your burns in a second." "i'm not being a baby, hermione," ron growled again. "i just happen to like my skin in one piece, and not burned and scorched." "let's just get this potion bottled, and get down to lunch," harry told them, unpacking several empty vials from his bag, and uncorking them. "once we get neville settled we can get you looked at." "it's nice to know somebody cares about how i feel," ron complained. "oh for heaven's sake," hermione sighed. "i said i was sorry, what more do you want?" "a little sympathy wouldn't be too much to ask for." "would you like me to kiss it and make it better?" "that would be a nice start," ron said with a frown. hermione sighed, reaching up to his cheek, planting a kiss on a large red mark, where wax had been. he eyed her briefly, holding up his forearm, for her to kiss another burned spot. "oh, for heaven's sake," ginny grumbled looking back to harry, who shrugged his shoulders. "have they been like this all day?" "pretty much," he told them, filling the bottles with the liquid that was now odorless and clear. "if they aren't yelling at each other, they're snogging. at least this way, they aren't fighting." "i'm glad now, we didn't try that stuff," she told him, glancing at the potion he was repacking in his bag. harry smiled, looking up at her under his long lashes. "it wouldn't have worked on us," he told her softly, looking over his shoulder and watching as ron continued pointing out spots for hermione to kiss. "we don't have those inhibitions."

"well, at least i don't," ginny said. harry narrowed his eyes, and smiled wickedly, tucking the small single dose vial inside his cloak. "watch out, miss weasley, you may be surprised one of these days." "promise?" she asked. harry chuckled, turning to leave the room, rolling his eyes as they passed the other two, now wrapped in each other's embrace, lips locked together. harry and ginny entered the great hall, looking at the gryffindor table to where neville was sitting alone, nibbling at his meal. harry glanced up at the professors table, seeing snape in deep conversation with professor flitwick, who was pointing out several spots on his arms and face, no doubt relaying the story of the day's events with the chandelier. harry felt sorry for neville. he meant well, even if he was clumsy. he couldn't imagine what would have happened at the ministry last year, if neville hadn't been there. he showed great courage and put his own fears aside, to join them. now, it was time for him to overcome the dreaded professor severus snape. "hey neville, how's lunch?" harry asked, as he and ginny took a seat across from him. "all right i guess," neville said with a shrug of his shoulders. "you still thinking about what happened in charms class?" harry asked, knowing the answer before he even gave it. "i didn't mean to cause trouble," the boy said, his eyes cast down to his plate. "i guess i'm just a born klutz." "well, mr. longbottom," snape said as he stepped up behind him. "it would appear my class is not the only one you're destined to destroy. i wondered how long it would take, for you to bring the walls of hogwart's crumbling down around you." snape looked to harry and ginny, smirking. "do try and arrive on time to class. i'd hate to deduct points from gryffindor for tardiness." "don't listen to him, neville," ginny told him, as snape walked away. "he's just a prat." "he's right," neville said sadly. "i am destined to destroy everything i touch." "maybe this will help," harry told him, passing the small vial across the table to him. "what is it?" neville took the clear liquid vial with a frown. "liquid courage," harry smiled back at him. "we found a potion to help you overcome snape and all his torment." "do you think it will work?" harry glanced to ginny and smiled. "it'll work, trust us. all you have to do is take it and enjoy an snape-free potions class." "i'll do anything, to make it through one day without a mistake." harry and ginny watched as he opened the vial, drinking the potion in one swallow.

"how do you feel?" ginny asked, seeing the slight flush of color rising on his cheeks. "tingly, but otherwise no different. how do i know if it works?" "we'll know when we get to the dungeons," harry told him with a smile. "and speaking of which, we'd better get going before we get house points deducted for being late." harry kissed ginny's cheek, before standing to leave. "i'll see you after class." "i wish i could be there," she told them with a sigh. "don't worry, we'll tell you all about it later." neville and harry hurried out of the great hall, meeting up with ron and hermione on their way down to the dungeons. they walked together down the stairs to the potions class, arriving just as snape unlocked the door. harry and neville sat together at one desk, while ron and hermione took the one behind them. they quickly unpacked their caldrons and potions kits, while snape wrote the day's lesson on the blackboard. "i was going to start class with a review of last year's lessons, but after what occurred this morning in your charms class i have changed our itinerary," he said, looking at neville, who simply blinked innocently, while the slytherins snickered and laughed. "i have decided to start with a burn healing pulp. since this is double potions, you have exactly two hours in which to finish this potion. for most of you, that will be more than sufficient time to complete the task, but for a certain few, we will be lucky if it's completed by the end of the week. i have an antidote for those who have difficulties following instructions. if it is made improperly, it can create burns, rather than heal them. now begin." the room's occupants silently began assembling the ingredients necessary, uncorking bottles and gathering together scales and measuring instruments. bubotuber was measured and diluted in a beaker, then placed in the caldron along with crushed nettle, the fur of a puffskein, the scales of a plimpy and a silver occamy egg. this was stirred with a wooden skimmer until clear purple, and then strained and the pulp remnants rolled into balls. snape walked around the room, inspecting the different caldrons, complimenting malfoy on his superior technique, scolding lavender for not diluting the bubotuber before adding it to the crushed nettle, and insulting ron for the way he scaled his plimpy. it wasn't until he reached neville, that his smirk was replaced with a frown. "who helped you with this potion, longbottom?" he demanded, looking at harry's potion and eyeing the two with an evil snarl. "i would expect granger to be your accomplice, but since she is not next to you to whisper the correct potion, i can only assume you've been conspiring with potter." "hardly," neville commented. "i beg your pardon?" snape growled, watching as neville leveled his gaze with the greasy haired man in front of him. the room became deadly silent, with all eyes turning to stare at the suddenly brave young man. "i said, 'hardly'. harry did his own potion, and i did mine." "is that a fact? perhaps we should try it out." neville stood, picking up a ball of the healing pulp with the silver tongs, and held it up for snape to

inspect, who took it from the boy. neville raised the sleeve of his robes without hesitation, exposing a spot on his arm where he had been burned earlier that day in charms class. snape smiled wickedly, placing the pulp on the wound, pressing it down with the back of the utensil. neville stared at the man standing before him, his eyes narrowing slightly. snape frowned, expecting neville's arm to begin boiling, anticipating the screams of agony, but when this didn't happen he reached for the hem of his robes, savagely wiping away the concoction. beneath it was perfectly repaired skin, no boils, no peeling skin, no odor of charred flesh, just a smooth, slightly pink arm. snape narrowed his eyes again. "how did you make this potion?" he demanded. "i followed your instructions, professor," neville smiled. "i expect there is more behind this then your sickening sweet smile reveals," snape growled again, eyeing him and harry suspiciously before making his way back around the desks. "hey, harry," ron whispered, poking him in the back once snape's attention was on lavender's potion, cursing her again for not preparing the potion as written. "do you still have that bag fred and george gave you?" "yeah, why?" "let me have one of them, will you?" harry silently reached into his school bag, retrieving one of the items the twins had given him, before leaving king's cross. he handed it to ron, keeping an eye on snape who had turned his attention to parvati. ron unwrapped the elastic band holding the box of tubeworms closed inside his potions kit. he slipped the round green ball inside it, ignoring the disapproving look on hermione's stern face, then aiming it, flinged it toward pansy parkinson's caldron. it splashed once, causing the pug-faced girl to look at the liquid next to her briefly. the room continued as normal, while neville, harry, ron and hermione watched the caldron change slowly from a purple liquid to a deep shade of green. "hand in your potions, and clean your mess," snape ordered. harry quickly wrapped up two balls of the burn healing pulp, labeling both, and then hurrying to snape's desk to turn in his work. he placed one wrapped ball in the pile, only to watch as snape 'accidentally' knocked it off the pile and into blaise zabini's caldron, where it sank to the bottom of the purple liquid. "very clumsy of you potter," snape said with an evil sneer, as the other students turned to see what had happened. "i have no choice but to give you a zero for today's assignment, since you have nothing to turn in." "then it's a good thing i have another sample, isn't it professor?" harry said, carefully setting it on the desk in front of him. harry returned to his seat smiling at neville, as they used a scouring spell to clean out the caldron and desk. they were repacking their potions kits and bags, when a loud whistle erupted form pansy's caldron, followed by an array of sparks and a bubbling explosion of dark green goop. the room instantly filled with a loud melody and a putrid gaseous cloud, while everyone ducked the chunks of burn healing pulp that began to shoot out of the caldron, hitting the walls and desks. millicent bulstrode was hit in the head with a large ball of pulp, knocking her to the floor, while goyle was hit in the stomach and malfoy was plummeted with a number of smaller pieces, messing up his robes and tangling in his pale blond hair.

"get out!" snape shouted, as the students ran to the door. harry looked back in time to see snape get hit in the eye with a piece of flying pulp, laughing as the class quickly emptied. heading up the stairs, neville, harry, ron and hermione all snickering and making light of the joke, stopped short at the sound of malfoy's angry voice. "i am so sick of your antics," he snarled at pansy, who was standing near the wall, her eyes cast down to the floor. "you have embarrassed the slytherin house one too many times. consider yourself under house arrest until i can clear this mess up with professor snape." pansy walked silently out of the hall, followed by a solemn crabbe and goyle, while malfoy turned and strode back to the dungeons. "what is up with malfoy?" seamus asked, joining the group. "he's been acting really weird all day," dean said. "i heard he put goyle on report for eating hagrid's chocolate and disobeying him in class this morning." "what do you expect, living with snape all summer," ron said. "that's enough to make anyone go mental." "speaking of mental, what's gotten into you neville?" seamus asked with a smile. "yeah," lavender said walking up behind the boys. "i can't believe you stood up to snape." "i can't believe you got that spell right," parvati added. "so, what's your secret?" dean asked. neville glanced to harry and smiled. "i guess i just found some courage," he told them. "i think it's really wonderful," lavender said. "i think it's very sexy," parvati commented, with a wink. "um...thanks," neville said with a blush. "if you need help with that charms spell, i'll be happy to meet you in the library after dinner," parvati said. "okay, sure," he answered, swallowing hard when she smiled before turning and walking with lavender up the stairs toward their common room. "no way!" seamus said once they were alone again. "first you stand up to snape, and now you have a date with parvati patil. how lucky can you get?" "please," hermione added. "neville doesn't need those two airheads. he can get a decent girl, without even looking hard." "i can?" neville asked in surprise. "sure. what about lisa turpin of ravenclaw, or hannah abbot or even susan bones of hufflepuff? there's also luna lovegood, she's a friend and she's quite attractive." "loony luna?" ron asked, looking at the girl next to him. "are you mad? she's a

nutter." "she's also a very good friend, ron. she'd be perfect for neville." "i do sort of like her," neville said with a warm blush. "i mean, we rode together on the hogwart's express. but i think she's got a thing for harry, i doubt i'd stand a chance." "she what?" harry asked with a blush of his own. "haven't you noticed?" seamus asked. "everyone else has. she's always looking at you, always following you around. i'm surprised she hasn't asked to switch houses, just so she can be closer to you." "but i'm with ginny," harry said. "i like luna, but not that way." "have you told her that?" dean said. "well, no, but..." "luna isn't interested in harry," hermione commented. "she's just..." "a nutter," ron added, supplying the word for her. "either way," hermione continued, glaring at ron. "i'm sure we can get neville a date with her. our first hogsmeade visit is coming up in a few weeks, we can arrange for them to go together." "how? i can't ask her," neville insisted, feeling much like his old self, nervous, shy and awkward. "i get too tongue tied to talk about anything serious around her." "then we'll ask her for you," hermione insisted. "oh brother," ron said, turning to harry. "lets just go to our dorm, before hermione starts matching up everyone in school." "ronald weasley, what's that supposed to mean?" hermione scolded. "nothing, not one little thing." ron left with hermione still nagging at him, climbing the stairs and disappearing down the hallway. "has everyone gone crazy this year? what's up with those two?" seamus asked, once they were out of sight. harry looked at them, shrugging his shoulders. "they fell in love," he told them, as they followed the path the other two had just gone in. "oh," seamus said. "that would explain it. you never really know a person, until you start dating them." "boy, that's for sure," harry said, shaking his head as they passed the two who were now hiding in the shadows behind a large suit of armor kissing. you just really never knew. read? review! author notes: thank you again and again for r/r. i love reading what you have to

say and your suggestions. for those who are enjoying my fic, i hope this was a good chapter for you because it?s leading up to something soon, and for those who seem to be reading mine and all the other stories just to critique them, please ease up. it's just a story and i'm having too much fun writing it to take too many suggestions to heart. please be patient though. i am a college student and i have a lot of finals coming up, so the chapters may not be as frequent as before, but i promise to finish it. i love reading what you have to say, so please keep r/r. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter eighteen the following few weeks were as uneventful as any could be. harry had set up quiddich tryouts for the second week of school, and was busy nearly every evening arranging for interested students to give those harry had already assigned to the team, a chance to see what they had. ron was appointed as this year's keeper, since he had such an outstanding record from last year. ginny was given the position of chaser along with colin creevey, who was actually an excellent tryout. natalie macdonald tried out for keeper, but showed excellent skills as beater, and was given that position along with dean thomas, much to everyone's surprise. dean was thought of more as an academic striver and artist, then athlete, and much to ron's objections the last position of second keeper was given to geoffrey hooper, who had tried out last year but was rejected by then captain angelina johnson, because he was a real whiner. this year, he appeared to be an improved version of his former self, however when he was told that he would be second keeper after ron who would be helping teach him the finer points of the game, he showed his true colors and complained for nearly fifteen minutes. harry felt secure with his new team, after practicing and training every night and twice on saturday for three weeks. he was a hard coach, pushing his team to near exhaustion night after night. he found himself plotting maneuvers and game strategies while sitting in binns class and during breakfast and lunch, and again after practice. he was becoming obsessed with the sport, putting his homework off even more than usual, having to finish it up in the wee hours of the morning, or just before class. he had even found himself asking hermione if she still had her time turner from third year, so he could fit in enough time for everything else he still hadn't found time for, like sleep. ron and hermione continued in much the same manner as usual, with the exception of being seen snogging while on their prefect rounds. they argued and complained on a regular basis, but surprised everyone by smiling and passing love notes to each other during transfigurations, which mcgonagall had once intercepted, reading to the entire class. they had somehow found an easy pattern to fall into, much to the irritation of ginny and harry, who hadn't found enough time to hold hands, much less be alone. summer was quickly dissolving into autumn, bringing with it the early bite of cold air. practice was becoming increasingly difficult for the entire team, as rain began early in october and didn't seem to let up for weeks. the mood inside the castle was nearly as dismal as the weather itself, with everyone snapping and arguing at the slightest word. even the ghosts seemed to be temperamental, and peeves had stopped tormenting students, keeping himself strictly on reserve for filch alone. it wasn't until the week of halloween, that the memories of what lie outside hogwart's walls came back to the minds of those

inside, with a vengeance. as the morning mail was being delivered, the moods seemed to pick up slightly, as it had everyday around this time. harry was delighted to get a letter from lupin, who told him of plans to get him and the weasleys together for christmas. harry breathed a sigh of relief. he hadn't spent more than ten minutes with ginny in weeks, maybe he'd be able to make up for lost time during the holidays. he mentally began to make plans to look for a special gift to make up his lack of attention, when he noticed his copy of the daily prophet. he reached for it, unrolling it absent-mindedly when the great hall became deathly quiet. he looked around, following the eyes that seemed glued to the slytherin table. "what's going on?" he whispered to ginny next to him, as she nodded toward malfoy, who abruptly stood up, hurrying out of the room, followed by snape and professor dumbledore. "what was that all about?" he asked again. "read this," hermione told him, reaching for the paper and showing him the front page. harry read the headline; "body of narcissa malfoy found on ministry of magic steps" "oh god," harry said softly, scanning the article. his eye caught a sentence and was unable to move forward, reading and re-reading it. "a note attached to the lifeless body of mrs. malfoy said simply, 'a gift from the dark lord. a traitor returned to her own kind.'" "i can't believe it," ginny said softly. "how horrible. how could he just kill her, as if she meant nothing at all?" harry looked up from the paper to the red haired girl next to him, his face pale. "what's wrong harry?" "my vision," he told her, glancing back across the ron and hermione. "it was her, she's the one lucius malfoy killed." they sat staring at him, wide eyed with disbelief. "are you sure?" hermione asked. "positive. i saw a woman with long pale blond hair," he told them, pointing to the old picture of a happy narcissa malfoy smiling back at them from the front page. "it was her, i know it was." "poor malfoy," ginny said sadly. "how do you deal with the thought of your father, killing your mother?" "maybe he doesn't know," ron said. "he was reading a letter when he left," hermione said. "he wasn't looking a the paper." "i feel sick," ginny said, pushing her plate aside. "students," mcgonagall said, interrupting the outburst of conversations in the hall. "professor dumbledore has canceled all classes for the day. prefects are to lead their houses back to their dormitories. further orders will be relayed to you from your house prefects." the students stood up and walked quietly back to their houses. the only sounds in the halls were the shuffling of feet on the stairs and the rustle of cloaks as students walked along.

"i wonder what's going to happen to malfoy now," hermione said, as they quietly sat at the corner table. "do you think he's going to stay in school?" ginny asked. "i can't imagine what he must be going through," hermione said again. harry and ron remained silent. neither cared much for draco malfoy, in fact the three were happier hating each other, but they couldn't imagine how something like this could happen, or wouldn't have wished it on their worst enemy, which just happened to be draco malfoy. "i'm going upstairs," harry said, standing up and walking up the stairs to the sixth year boy's dormitories. he couldn't think anymore, he could only stare. he lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. in a way he felt like he could understand how draco felt, having lost both of his parents, but in another larger way, he couldn't even begin to fathom how the slytherin's pride and joy must be feeling. harry closed his eyes, trying to shut out the image of his premonition, seeing again and again, how lucius malfoy just walked forward and spoke the words that took the woman's life - his own wife. "i know what you're thinking," a soft voice said, bringing harry's eyes open to see ginny leaning against the post of his bed. "it's not your fault." "if only i could have seen who it was," harry said, a sick feeling in his stomach. "maybe i could have warned her, or done something to help." "you couldn't have stopped it, harry." "what good is seeing the future, if i can't stop what's going to happen?" "you can stop it, if you know what it is you're seeing. you didn't know who the woman was, or where they were. you just need time to refine your visions, to control them." "i can't help it, ginny," harry said, sitting up on his bed, pulling his legs up to his chin. "i don't want this thing anymore. i don't know how to do it. i can't be the hero everyone expects me to be." "nobody expects you to be a hero, harry," ginny said, sitting on the bed and laying her hand on his knee. "they just want you to be you. if this is a gift, then you have to try and look for the reason behind your having it. things happen for a reason. you know that." "my parents' being murdered was for a reason?" harry said, his tone rising, his temper growing hot. "malfoy's mother being murdered was for a reason? sirius, cedric, neville's parents, they were all for a reason? tell me ginny, what possible reason could there be for cold blooded murder and torture, because frankly, i can't see it." "maybe i should leave you alone," she said, aware that there was no way of trying to make him feel better right now, and there was very little she could say that would make him understand he wasn't at fault. ginny stood to leave, when he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back down to the mattress. he sat there staring at her, unable to say anything more, but unwilling to let her leave. ginny understood what he needed, and crawled up on the bed, leaning against the headboard next to him. they

just sat there together. no words were necessary; nothing could be said that would help make sense of what was happening around them. but the one thing they definitely knew was that things had changed for all of them. there would never be any going back. the future had just reached them, and it was demanding attention. halloween this year was less then the joyous occasion it usually was. nearly headless nick had arranged his deathday celebration, but knew it wouldn't be the same either. the headless hunt had been canceled, and even the hogwart's ghosts were feeling the despair and tension of the times. harry had started feeling the urge to run, and began getting up at dawn, running laps around the lake five times every morning, before returning to the castle, showering and going down for breakfast. his activity wasn't as rewarding as it had been over the summer, and he found it difficult to think of anything else but death and voldemort. he spent many long nights sitting alone by the fireplace in the gryffindor common room, practicing his occlumency lessons, hoping to focus his mind and prepare for the next time he had a vision of voldemort. it was the eve of halloween, and harry found himself focusing his mind on the flames leaping from the fire. the other students had turned in hours ago, leaving him alone in the room. the thoughts of the impending celebration scheduled for the following evening did little to aid in the improvement of the castle's mood, especially with harry. he didn't want to think about celebrating; instead he tried to focus on his occlumency lessons, with a great deal of difficulty. he couldn't stop thinking about the events of the past week. the more he thought, the more tired he became. all he wanted to do was sleep, knowing eventually he would have to wake up and face reality. with a reluctant sigh, harry stood, leaving the warmth of the common room and climbed the stairs to his dormitory. he didn't bother changing into his pajamas, instead lying on his bed fully clothed. he closed his eyes, trying to block out the images that had been plaguing his thoughts for the last several days. he could feel himself drifting into a state of slumber, when he suddenly found himself standing on a dark sidewalk. he knew instantly what was happening, and looked around for any signs of death eaters or voldemort, but there was nothing. the sound of the night whispered around him, the street lamp above his head was dim; the ashbins lining the curb were abuzz with flies. nearby a dog barked emphatically, then was silenced with a yelp. harry could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching and had the instant urge to hide. the night seemed to suddenly cool, as a rustle in a nearby alleyway caught his attention. harry looked hard, straining to see through the shadows. the footsteps continued to echo up the street, coming closer with every second. the urge to run was pounding in his ears, but instead he found himself walking forward. he glanced down to the sidewalk as he stepped, his shoes silent on the pavement, the light above him from the street lamps could not detect him to cast a shadow. he edged closer to the alley, hearing a rattling breath and feeling the air around him turn to ice. the footsteps were coming closer, and harry felt the need to cry out, to stop the owner from coming closer. then he saw them, two dark figures moving slowly from the alley as if floating on air; dementors. they were moving forward, past him. harry hurried to follow, a slight sense of pleasure at not being affected by the hooded creatures as he always had been. he heard the footsteps falter in the night, then stop altogether. the gasp and scream of misery echoed in the night and he knew what had happened. the dementors had found their prey. he rushed past them, seeing them leaning over a shadowed figure. as he neared he could see the red hair of the man lying on his back, his eyes opened to the sights before him, his mouth in a silent

scream. the hooded creatures straightened up and glided away, leaving the man soulless and worse than dead. they returned to where they had once come, and harry heard a man's voice. "that should stop him from conspiring against me," the man said as the two hooded figures joined him in the alley. "leave now, before anyone else should come by." harry heard the rattling figures and the swish of cloaks as they disappeared into the night, and then stared at the lone figure standing near the alley's entrance. he glanced back to the figure lying on the ground, laughing as a loud pop sounded and he disappeared into thin air. harry turned back to the lifeless body, stepping closer to him and looking down. percy weasley lay in the shadows of the night. his soul kissed by the dementors, his eyes open to the horrors of what had happened. in his hand was a bouquet of roses wrapped with a pink ribbon that read: "to daddy's little girl, with love." read? review! author notes: thank you again for chapter, but i was anxious to get come. and one more thing; for all draco i'd like to ask a question.

everyone who r/r. sorry this is a shorter it out. lots happening in the chapters to who expect the fifth point of the start to be are you sure?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter nineteen harry awoke to an odd sensation, staring into the concerned eyes of his best friend. ron frowned at him, the dim light of dawn shining around him. he sat up with a groan, feeling more exhausted then he had when he went to bed, his mind trying to search what it was that had just happened to him. "are you all right?" ron asked, sitting back on the foot of harry's bed, staring at him. "yeah, i think so," harry answered, reaching for his glasses lying on the table near his bed. "why did you wake me?" "you were having a nightmare or something," ron told him softy, trying not to wake the rest of the room's sleeping occupants. "i was?" "you were calling out percy's name." harry frowned thinking back on the night before. he was so tired, it was hard to focus his mind, but he thought hard remembering sitting in the common room practicing his occlumency lessons, then finally giving up and going to bed. he remembered the strange sensation of walking along a quiet street and the cold air. then it hit him with the full force of what had happened. "percy," harry said, fear and concern etching his face and voice. "i've got to get to dumbledore. percy's in trouble." "what do you mean in trouble? from what?"

"ron, i had a vision. dementors attacked percy, they kissed him. someone sent them after him." "who? why would anyone want to set dementors after percy? was it you-know-who?" "no, but he's in trouble. we have to warn him." harry jumped from his bed, running down the stairs and out the portrait hole, followed by his barefooted, pajama clad, red haired friend. they ran all the way to the statue guarding dumbledore's office, stopping short. they didn't know the password. harry began pacing the area in front of the statue, thinking. he knew dumbledore had odd passwords like lemon sherbet, but what was it now? every year it changed. "hello harry, mr. weasley," sir nicholas said, coming around the corner of the hallway. "up early aren't you? not exactly dressed for running." "nick, please. we're busy," harry said shortly, still pacing the floor. "i can see that. anything i can help with?" "not unless you know the password for dumbledore's office," ron said in an irritated tone. "i'm a ghost, mr. weasley," nick said, adjusting his head as it bobbed to the side. "i do not need passwords." "that's right," harry said stopping his pacing. "you don't need passwords." "that's what i said." "can you get into dumbledore's office and tell him we have to speak with him?" nick looked at the boys, eying them with a frown. "i suppose, but it is against the rules, even for a ghost to disturb the headmaster. what's the problem?" "please nick," harry pleaded. "tell dumbledore i have to see him. tell him i had another vision, he'll understand." nick floated in the same place for a few moments, considering what the young man said, before nodding his head, adjusting it back to his shoulders and disappearing through the wall. "i don't understand any of this harry," ron said once they were alone again. "who would want to kill percy?" "i don't know, but i know we have to help him." "but how? your premonitions aren't exactly dated. how do we know when this is going to happen? for all we know, it's already happened." "no it hasn't, i can feel it. and i do know when." "how?" ron asked, as the statue in front of them jumped aside, revealing the white haired man on the other side. dumbledore looked concerned, stepping aside for the boys. "come with me," he ordered, allowing them to follow him up the stairs. harry glanced back to see nick gliding down the stairs from the upper office. "thank you nick," harry said softly, watching the ghost nod briefly, and then

disappearing through the sidewall. once inside dumbledore's office, the man motioned for the two to sit, taking his own seat behind the desk. they watched him wave his wand, a tray of biscuits and tea appeared in front of them. the teapot took up its own accord, pouring the hot liquid into the three small cups that floated to the recipients. "now harry," dumbledore began, taking his teacup and sipping its contents. "sir nicholas tells me you've had another vision." "yes sir," harry answered, sitting his cup on the edge of the desk and glanced to ron. "i saw the dementors attacking percy weasley. they kissed him on a street, late at night." "do you know who sent them?" the older man asked with a deep furrow of his white brows. harry shook his head, and then looked to ron again before speaking again. "i know something about what's going on," he told the headmaster, watching as he leaned back in his seat, his fingertips meeting as he placed his hands near his mouth. he eyed harry and ron for a moment, inspecting each expression closely. "do you know when this attack takes place?" harry nodded. "it's on the night of his daughter's birth." ron gasped, looking at dumbledore with wide eyes. "daughter? percy's got a daughter?" "he will have mr. weasley," dumbledore answered, reaching for a quill and parchment. he jotted down a note, rolling it and taking it to fawkes. "take this to grimmauld place," he ordered, watching as fawkes spread his wings, flying out the window. dumbledore sat back down, looking at ron. "your brother has been working in secret for the order, since bartemius crouch's death," he explained. "he has been keeping an eye on things at the ministry. it was our intention for him to make public his disapproval of harry and your parents, and his disbelief of voldemort's return." "bloody hell," ron said. "do my mum and dad know about this?" "only your father knows. it was best to keep as few people aware of his actions as possible." "why was he spying on the ministry of magic?" harry asked, taking up the conversation. "we have reason to believe that there is at least one supporter to the death eaters, in the ministry's head office. with mr. weasley's help, we have narrowed it down to two people." "i can't believe percy was a spy," ron said in stunned silence, and then remembered what harry had said. "how does he have a child?" "your brother married penelope clearwater early last year. your father was the only one who knew he had married and that they are now expecting their first child. even his wife does not know about his mission. she is under the belief that

your brother had a falling out with your family and has since refused to make contact with them. it has been very difficult on him to keep his word, and his distance. you see mr. weasley, i am aware of what you and your brothers think, but he is not a traitor to your family. he is working for the order, in hopes of helping bring a quick end to this war." "do you know when the baby is due?" harry asked, thinking back on what he had seen in his vision. dumbledore frowned. "she is expected any day now. even i can not determine the exact date." "what happens if we can't stop the dementors?" ron asked, fear in his voice. "i think you know the answer to that," the old wizard assured him. ron's face turned suddenly pale. "we will take it from here. the two of you need to get back to your dormitory. i believe you have the pitch reserved for your team's practice today. you don't want to miss out on your training." "i can't concentrate on quiddich at a time like this," ron insisted, standing up beside harry. "you must," dumbledore argued softly. "it is important for you to keep your mind occupied on other things. we will let you know what we find out." "professor," harry said, starting to walk to the door. "it wasn't voldemort who sent the dementors after percy. my scar didn't hurt when i woke up, and the person in the alley wasn't him. but i felt like i knew him, or had seen him somewhere before." "thank you harry," dumbledore told him, patting his shoulder. "that narrows it down considerably." harry and ron left dumbledore's office in silence, walking back to their dormitory. they entered through the fat lady's portrait, and went straight to their room. inside was nearly engulfed in the light of morning, yet as any other saturday, all was quiet as the students remained in their beds. nobody was eager to wake early on the weekends, and harry and ron found themselves crawling beneath their covers, staring at the ceiling while listening to the soft snores of the dean, seamus and neville. harry felt miserable. he knew exactly what and when percy was going to be attacked, and yet he didn't know. at least dumbledore knew, and that was the largest task taken care of. "hey, harry," ron said softly, so not to disturb the others. "how did you know percy was working for the order?" "i heard him and your dad talking one night over the summer, when i snuck down to the kitchen to get something to eat. i didn't know how to tell you, or even if i should. your dad was pretty insistent that he continue to keep his mission secret, so i figured it was best to keep it that way." "i don't want percy to die," ron said again after some time. harry sighed. he felt helpless and it was the most irritating feeling he had ever experienced. "he won't, ron. dumbledore will see to it." "it'll kill mum," ron said again, his voice breaking with emotion.

"dumbledore will save him, ron. you have to trust in that." ron turned over in his bed, hiding his face in his pillow. he wasn't willing to let his friend see him cry, but he couldn't stop his tears either. as much as he had always complained and argued with percy, the truth was he loved him and missed him. he couldn't imagine what life would be like without him, even if he was a royal prat at times, he was still his brother. "ron?" harry said softly, tossing the covers aside and standing up out of his bed. "i can't sleep. do you want to go running with me?" ron sniffed, wiping his eyes, nodding. he kicked his covers off and reaching for his clothes, quickly dressing. he pulled on his shoes and joined harry who left their dorm and the castle. they walked in silence toward the lake. the air was crisp and the slight autumn wind sent chills racing through their sweats and jumpers. they began jogging slowly to warm up, harry keeping things at a steady pace. within fifteen minutes the two were running laps around the lake, their minds consumed on what had happened in dumbledore's office. ron grew tired much quicker than his athletic friend, breathing hard after another twenty minutes and slowing his pace, falling to the grass beneath a tree. harry ran one more lap, and then joined his friend under the tree, stretching out on the moist grass. they remained silent, unable to talk at first due to their heavy breathing and then later, due to the renewed thoughts. "harry, isn't that malfoy?" ron asked, after several minutes. harry leaned up on his elbows, looking out across the field to where a lone figure sat. it was difficult not to recognize the pale blond, even at this distance. they watched him just sitting in the middle of the dying grasses, his arms wrapped around his knees, his hair blowing freely in the morning breeze. harry sighed before he stood, brushing the loose blades of grass from his pants and jumper. he knew he had to talk to the slytherin boy, he'd been putting it off for days, but it had been easy since malfoy had not been in class since hearing about his mother. "lets go," harry told ron, watching as he followed suit. they walked toward malfoy, seeing his state of disarray as they neared him. the normally refined, well groomed young man they had spent the past five years hating, looked toward the open field with red rimmed eyes, unshaven chin and hair free of the expensive gels and holding sprays that usually kept it restrained. "he looks like hell," ron said softly. they slowed their pace as they neared the blond. he didn't look at them, but his posture told them he knew they were there. "malfoy," harry said softly, then cleared his throat. "i know you don't give a damn what i have to say, but i wanted to tell you how sorry i am. i never knew your mother, but i'm sure she was a great lady. this shouldn't have happened to her." "she was a death eater, potter," malfoy said softly, his tone reflecting nothing of the boy they had always known. "my father is a death eater, and i'm being trained to be one. what more is there to say?" they were silent for several nervous, stressful moments, wondering if they should turn and leave or say something. "why was she working against voldemort if she was a death eater?" ron asked, using the dark lord's name for the first time without concern, a frown etching his brow. malfoy looked up at them, his eyes revealing his fatigue and grief. "she was scared, weasley. she didn't want me to turn out like my father, so she

turned sides and contacted dumbledore. the dark lord found out and sent two men to bring her to him, in the middle of the night." "crabbe and goyle," harry said softly, suspecting who the two men were. malfoy nodded once, looking back to the open space. "so that's why you've been so hard on them this year?" ron clarified. "i can't stand the idea of being in the same house with the sons who murdered my mother. i want them dead for what their fathers have done." "now you know how the rest of us, who have had to deal with the dark side, feels," harry said again. malfoy glanced up, locking eyes with him. "how do you do this every day?" malfoy asked him. "do what?" harry asked with a frown. "know every day that you will probably die, but still face the threat? how do you go on knowing how your parents were killed, and not demand revenge?" "what makes you think i don't want revenge? i live with the nightmares of their deaths. i hear my mother's screams every time i close my eyes. the only thing that keeps me going, is knowing that i will gladly sacrifice my life in order to make that bastard pay for what he's done to them." "so i suppose it's not that abnormal for me to want all of them dead." "no." malfoy stood, wiping the loose grass from his wrinkled pants, then turned to study the faces of the two staring at him. he looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't form the words correctly. he nodded at the two, leaving them in his wake as he returned to the castle. "what just happened?" ron asked, frowning at harry, who in turn watched the blond walk into the castle, disappearing inside the protective walls. "i think the grinch just grew a heart." read? review! author notes: this was shorter than i had originally wanted, but i really wanted to get it out. hope you enjoy it, and please continue to r/r. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty the weekend passed by in a tense state of silence. the boys told hermione and ginny about the premonition, and they found themselves staring out the window, waiting for any sign or word from home. they dreaded the idea of what the news would bring, and feared knowing but had no other choice but to worry. it wasn't until late sunday night as the four sat alone in the common room, unwilling to go to bed and unwanting to face another day of wondering, that the anticipation confronted them full forced. the clock had just struck midnight, when a soft rapping noise echoed from the window. harry looked up to find

hedwig sitting on the window ledge, her snow white feathers shining like moonbeams in the darkness. he had sent her late friday to grimmauld place, asking to be notified the minute any word was known about percy. harry and ron were first to the window, pulling it open and allowing the bird to enter. he pulled the letter from her foot, offered her a treat, and then eagerly ripped open the letter addressed to him and ron in lupin's hand. "dear harry and ron," he began reading aloud, sitting back at the table they had been trying to study at. "this is to tell you that all is well. the advance guard has been watching percy every second of the day and night, since dumbledore notified us. your premonition came to light early this morning. we were there to ward off the dementors, but the person responsible got away. molly wanted all of you to know, percy had a baby girl at two fourteen this morning, naming her molly ann weasley, and their brother has never been prouder. i'll write later. r.l." "there's another letter," ginny said, picking up the envelope harry had sat on the table. she pulled it out, smiling as she recognized the perfect penmanship. "dear harry," she began reading. "i can not thank you enough for all you have done for me, especially after the way i acted last year. i am very sorry for ever doubting you. penelope hasn't stopped crying since hearing how you saved my life, and i will never be able to repay you for allowing me the chance to be a father to my baby girl. ron was right to bring you into the family, and i am thrilled you are with ginny. she couldn't be in better hands, and you have my blessings. you have been a great addition to the family, and i welcome you as a brother. i look forward to seeing all of you soon. forever your brother, percy." "you did it mate," ron said, patting harry on the back, as ginny jumped up, hugging his neck. "thank god, they got there in time to stop him," hermione said, as ron wrapped his arms around her waist. "but he got away," harry complained, accepting and returning the hug from the attractive girl in his arms. "what's to stop him from trying again?" "don't worry about that, harry," said dumbledore, who had quietly stepped into the room unseen "percy and penelope are safe with the weasleys, and molly is having the time of her life doting over the baby. since knowledge of his mission with the order has come to light, he will no longer be working at the ministry. he has joined the order full time." "wicked," ron said with a smile. "but what about the man who sent the dementors?" hermione asked. "will he still be after percy?" "it is possible, miss granger," mcgonagall added, joining the small group. "but we believe we know who it was that set them after him. it is only a matter of time, before we prove it." "who was it?" harry asked, his arm around ginny's slender waist as she sat on his lap. "we can not say at the moment, mr. potter," mcgonagall added. "but we do believe we can catch him before he tries anything further."

"mr. weasley will not be without a companion," commented dumbledore with a smile. "he has sacrificed enough, for the order." "i can't believe it," ginny said with an almost whimsical smile. "percy and penelope married and with a baby. how wonderful." "you'll be seeing them soon enough," mcgonagall said with a warm smile. "you are to spend christmas holiday at the order with your family." "what about harry?" ginny demanded. "he's coming with us isn't he?" "of course," dumbledore said. "don't be mental, ginny," ron demanded. "he's a part of the family isn't he?" harry smiled at the thought. it had only taken sixteen years, to get a family of his own. a family he was very happy to be a part of, especially since the very attractive red haired girl was in it with him. he thought again, just how happy he was, he wasn't her brother. winter brought with it an unusual amount of snow, arriving the last week in november and not letting up until two days before the christmas holidays. the feelings of despair had worn off and were replaced with the excitement of the season. the great hall had been decorated with live fairies, massive twenty-foot tall trees and mounds of food. the suits of armor shinned and were decorated with mistletoe, garland and holly. presents were exchanged among friends, songs sang between classes, giggles from girls who had been given presents and sweets from boys, and blushes from boys rewarded by kisses. harry sat next to ron in the great hall, with hermione and ginny on the other side of the table. he felt miserable. he had intended to get a special gift for ginny during their first hogsmeade visit in october, but was unable to find anything he really wanted to get her, spending most of his time and money at honeydukes and the weasley's joke shop. about the best he could do, was get her a new pair of mittens she desperately needed. some christmas this was going to be, he thought. their first one together, and he had nothing to show for it. ron looked up at hermione and blushed. things between them had become much more serious, yet ron swore they had not become physical since the day in myrtle's bathroom. he couldn't find the right way to approach the girl about a repeat experience, and was actually having fun just being with her, getting to know her better as a girl rather than a friend. they had agreed not to push things too fast, after enduring three weeks of fear following their first encounter. they had a very real awakening about the consequences to their actions. hermione had missed her monthly menses, and the two of them had spent many sleepless nights wondering, fearing until she learned it was a false alarm. since then, they had been extremely distant in that area, yet growing closer in every other way. ginny however, had felt anything but content. harry had been so consumed with extra lessons from tonks and snape, that he had literally ignored her. they hadn't spent more than ten minutes alone together, outside of studying and quidditch, in over a month. the gryffindor house team had won their first game against slytherin, and the excitement of it still rang in everyone's memories. malfoy had devoted himself to studying in the library most of his evenings, leaving only for classes, meals, sleeping or his prefect duties, though nobody had

the nerve to approach him and ask what it was he was doing. everything seemed a little odd, and yet really right at the same time. everything except harry and ginny, who both sighed at the same instant. the morning owls arrived with the mail, dropping letters, packages and presents all over the house tables. harry picked up the small package from his aunt petunia and uncle vernon. he reluctantly unwrapped it, then looked inside, surprised at the contents. he remembered what arthur weasley had told them before taking harry away for the summer, warning them to send a real present to their nephew this christmas. but he never would have expected to see this. inside was a new watch, a thick black leather band wrapped around a piece of parchment, which simply read, "happy holidays." harry slipped the watch on, and then looked down to the letter that lay in his plate of eggs, kippers and toast, reading the handwriting. lupin had been writing to him weekly, taking up where sirius had left off. harry smiled. it was nice to have an adult in his life, who was just a friend. it made loosing his godfather seem less painful somehow. harry opened the letter, glancing up to see ginny reading one from her parents. he read the words and smiled. lupin assured him that the weasley family would be joining them at grimmauld place during the christmas holidays. he also said he had something serious he wanted harry to help him with, when he got 'home'. harry was excited to see the whole weasley family together again, hoping they could all understand and forgive percy for his absence. "hey mate," ron said, nudging his elbow. "can i talk to you for a minute, before we go to dada class?" harry frowned, then nodded. he glanced to ginny who had been staring at them, then lowered her eyes when he smiled. things between the two of them had become extremely tense and distant lately. harry only hoped the holidays would help mend the rift between them. "i have to show you something," ron said once they were out of the great hall and on their way to their dormitory. he hurried inside, leading harry to their shared room. harry sat on his unmade bed, watching as ron pulled out the small package that arrived for him in the morning mail. he smiled brightly, holding it up for harry who took it and unwrapped the brown paper package. inside was a small velvet box. harry glanced to ron, watching as he suddenly began pacing the room. harry opened it, revealing the small golden band inside, adorned with three small rubies. "it's not my type, so i would assume it's for hermione?" harry teased, picking the ring up from the inside. "smart arse," ron growled. stopping in front of him. "what do you think?" "what's it for?" "i'm going to ask hermione to be mine," he said. "it's a promise ring. i want to give it to her over the holidays. think she'll like it?" "i'm sure she will, but i thought the two of you were already together?" "well, i've never asked her like you asked ginny. i never really had the courage until i found that ring at hogsmeade. it's taken me over two months to get the money together for it." "how did you get the money? it looks really expensive."

"it is," ron said, taking the box and ring back from harry and slipping it into his robe pocket. "i made a deal with fred and george. i agreed to sell their stuff to the students, if i got ten percent commission." "i wish i could find something that nice for ginny," harry said sadly. "i haven't been able to get anything for her for christmas. things between us have been a little stressful, and i just wanted something really nice to tell her i still love her." "she knows you love her," ron said, as the two of them left the room and headed for tonks' classroom. "maybe, but we haven't exactly spent any time together in weeks. i just want to give her something she'll remember and cherish forever." "there's only one thing she wants from you, and you know it." harry sighed. "i know, and i've been thinking a lot about it, especially since we haven't spent even an hour together lately. i mean, it's always been her idea and i told her she would have to wait, which i meant once, but now i'm just not so sure. i don't know how to give her what she wants, or when. i want it to be special for her." "you mean you don't want it in myrtle's bathroom, with your best friend listening outside in the hall?" ron blushed as he smiled his acknowledgement of what it was they were discussing. harry smiled, shaking his head. "i want it to be some place warm and soft. somehow i just can't get excited about taking her on a cold stone floor." "what about grimmauld place?" ron asked suddenly. "there's plenty of rooms there, and it's like a second home to her." "but there will also be plenty of people there too. and a lot of them will be her brothers. remember how you acted when i kissed her? think about how all five of your brothers will act, when they catch me making love to her, right under their noses. no, ron. it has to be something really great, something we'll both cherish forever. until then, i'll just have to try and find the best present i can, in the time i have left." "well we aren't leaving until christmas eve," ron told him, stepping into the dada classroom, and looking to find hermione sitting alone, waiting him. "maybe you can think of something by then." "that's two days, ron. i can't imagine something coming up in that short of time." "why don't you owl fred and george and ask them to pick you up something at hogsmeade for her? maybe they can find her a nice necklace or something." "sure, and have it explode when she puts it on? no thanks. i'll figure something out on my own." "what's wrong harry?" tonks asked, walking up behind him. harry turned shrugging his shoulders. "just trying to think of something for ginny for christmas." "i know something she really wants," tonks told him. "see me after class and we'll

talk." harry sat down next to neville frowning. how did tonks know what ginny really wanted? the only thing he could think of was the one thing she kept bugging him for. she wanted him to make love to her, but that couldn't be what tonks meant, could it? he blushed thinking about how he was going to discuss this with the older, currently red and green haired woman. class was over before he knew it, and he suddenly regretted it. since tonks began teaching the defense against the dark arts class, it had been an exciting experience. she had taught them to block spells and hexes, reviewing the past five years of training, then started teaching more of the defenses against spells and curses voldemort would likely use. she had spent an entire week discussing the unforgivable curses, and the reasons they were called unforgivable. but more than just the lessons, it was her entire outlook and personality. she was always cheerful, upbeat and happy and made everyone a part of the class, bringing them into subject and involving them in the discussions. the students loved her, loved the way she taught, and even loved her constantly changing styles. harry started to pack his bag, when tonks stepped to his side, holding a small box for him. he looked up and frowned at the smile she offered. "ginny has always loved this," she clarified. "i was going to give it to her for her birthday next month, but i think you could use it now." harry opened it up, revealing the cherry oak wood of a small jewelry box. the engraved top had the emblem of hogwart's on it, and inside was lined in velvet, in the gryffindor colors of gold and orange. he smiled as he slipped the box into his bag. "you may have just saved my relationship," he told her, as ron and hermione joined them. "thanks tonks." "glad to be of help. i'll see you guys on the train home," she told them, leaving the three to talk among themselves. "now all i need is something to put in it," harry said softly as they walked out of the room and headed toward their history of magic class. "ginny and i saw a charm bracelet in diagon alley, when we went there for our school supplies," hermione told him. "she really liked it, but it was sort of expensive. you could send an owl to the jewelers and see if they still have it." "that's actually a great idea, but i can't have it delivered where we're going to be for the holidays." "i can owl my mum and see if she will pick it up," hermione suggested again. "she really loves diagon alley, and i'm sure she'll do it for you." "that would be great if she would. i can arrange to have the money waiting for her at gringott's." "i'll owl her right after class," hermione told him with a smile. "hermione, you're the best. thanks so much," harry said, hugging his friend before they entered the class. he felt suddenly elevated and eager for christmas. "hey, that's enough of that," ron said, slipping his arm around hermione's waist. "get your own girl harry, this one's mine."

"sorry ron," harry said, then turned and went into the class, taking a seat next to his two best friends. he was so excited about ginny's present that he actually stayed awake during binns class. he had already penned out the note to gringott's and once class was over, he hurried to the owlery to find hedwig. hermione used one of the school owls to send a letter to her mum, while harry sent hedwig to diagon alley. "this is going to be a great christmas, after all," harry told hermione and ron as they went into the great hall for lunch. they found ginny and neville sitting at the far end of the gryffindor table. "hey guys," ron said, sitting across from ginny and next to neville. "what's going on?" "we were just talking about malfoy," ginny said. "rumor has it, he's spending the holidays here at hogwart's, with snape." "that has to be horrible," hermione said, reaching for the plate of fried chicken. "can you imagine spending christmas with old sour puss?" ron asked. "even malfoy doesn't deserve that," harry said, glancing back to ginny. "i can't imagine what it must be like, not to have your family around for the holidays," ginny said, absently. "i don't know if i could face christmas without mum and dad, and the rest of the family. no presents, no laughter, no love, no presents. it must be horrible." "you get used to it," harry said softly, looking to the girl sitting next to him. ginny looked up, her eyes wide as she saw the distant look on his emotionless face. "oh harry," she said, touching his shoulder gently. "i didn't mean that to sound the way it did. i would never have insinuated...you know i would never deliberately...i'm so sorry." harry smiled at her, not quite as bright as he normally did. "don't worry about it," he told her. "i haven't really thought much about those days, since i came to hogwart's." "and it doesn't matter anymore, any how," ron said around a mouth full of potatoes. "harry's a part of our family now, thanks to you, and that's enough to make him wish he could have just one day alone. just wait until everyone starts laying into us about these two," he motioned to hermione and ginny. "you'll wish you could go back down to the chamber of secrets again. anything rather than dealing with five older brothers all at once." "i can't wait to see them all together again," ginny said with a warm smile. "i'm so glad percy is back, and i can hardly wait to see little molly. i love babies." "watch out harry," ron said softly, seeing the blush creep up across his friend's face. "mum's always said that once a girl starts playing with a baby, they want one of their own." "don't be a prat ronald," ginny scolded. "i may like babies, but i am far too young to consider having one of my own. besides, harry has his auror training

to do while i finish my last year of school. we couldn't possibly think about children for at least five years." "have it all planned out, do you?" harry asked, eyeing the young girl next to him. "of course," she smiled. "one of us has to think about the future, since you won't." "and what do you want to do after school?" neville asked her. "i don't know right now. i may want to be an auror as well, it would give harry and i more time together, but then again i may decide to go into teaching. i'd love to be a professor like tonks, she's wonderful. what about you? any plans yet?" "i definitely want to study herbology," neville said with a smile. "i love plants. i can see myself traveling the world, studying exotic plants and herbs." "not me," ron said, gulping down his juice. "i plan on being an auror with harry, and once the world is safe from evil, i'm going to be the greatest quidditch player the wizarding world has ever seen." "what about you, hermione?" ginny asked, looking at the girl across from her. "what do you plan on doing with your life?" "i don't know right now. i may decide to be an auror as well, it's been suggested i'd make a good one, but then again i love learning so i may go on to college. america has a marvelous university in salem that i may consider." "college in america?" ron asked in surprise. "why would you want to go there?" "what's wrong with america, might i ask? they have witches there, just as here." "it's not that," ron argued. "it's just that i'd never see you. it's a little difficult to have a relationship with a person, when you have an ocean separating you." "you're assuming a great deal, ron," hermione said, staring at him. "what makes you think we'll have any kind of relationship once school is over?" ron's mouth fell open and his eyes grew as large as saucers, while he tried to make sensible words escape his throat. after several moments the most he could accomplish were a few muted grunts. "you can't keep taking me for granted, you know?" she told him after a moment. "i have a life and i have goals, and maybe you should think if they include you or not." "are you saying you don't want me to be a part of your life, once school is over?" "no that's not what i'm saying at all. all i'm saying is you need to make a few choices of your own, and then try and figure out where i fit in to them. i'm not just going to stand by and wait while you take your sweet time deciding whether or not you want me to be a part of them. i won't wait forever ronald weasley." "i'm not asking you to wait forever," ron snapped. "and i do not take you for granted." "really? who do you turn to, expecting answers with homework assignments? who do you expect to bail you out, every time you need help, or when you don't

understand something? who do you turn to when you want to snog in the closets, assuming that i'll just say yes?" "that's not how i look at you," ron tried to explain, only to have hermione stand up from the table and look down at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and anger. "and i don't exactly hear you complaining very much, when we find that empty closet." "rubbish. i think it's time you decide what you want from me, because i have plans of my own and maybe they include you and maybe they don't, but its only fair you think about where you want me in your life." with that said, hermione turned and walked straight for the great hall door, leaving a very stunned gryffindor table to look after her. "what did i do?" ron asked after a moment. "you fell in love with her, and forgot to tell her," ginny said with a sigh. sometimes it was hard to imagine that she could possibly be related to him. read? review! author notes: i felt it was time for ron/hermione to come to light, as well as a little harry/ginny. who knows what the christmas presents might be, once the four are left alone without school books and lessons. please continue to r/r, i love hearing from everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-one christmas eve was a blur of anticipation. the castle was buzzing with happy chatter, songs and eager packing. harry had packed earlier that morning, trying to find a few minutes of sanity before boarding the train in hogsmeade. mrs. granger owled harry late yesterday to tell him she had the bracelet for ginny and was bringing it to king's cross when she met hermione. he was so excited about giving it to her, that he could barely sleep. then this morning he awoke before dawn, packed his trunk and showered before the first rays of light even broke over the horizon. breakfast was eaten in a hurry as many students awoke late, and the train would leave on time, regardless of who was packed and who wasn't. harry helped ron finish his last minute packing, assuring him for the countless time that hermione was going to love his gift. he had planned to give it to her last night, but they were still arguing when they went to bed, so his plans were now to give it to her on the train, before they arrived in london. the train eased out of hogsmeade around ten o'clock, taking with it a load of anxious students. the year had proven less than what everyone had expected it to be, and much calmer. everyone was eager to go home, yet already talking about coming back. harry had agreed to start up the d.a. club again, when they returned from holiday, which made the members eager for christmas to be over with. dumbledore had agreed to allow the d.a. to continue, but insisted they continue to keep it a secret. the last thing they needed was for the dark lord to find out what lessons were being taught. he liked the idea of keeping voldemort off guard when the time came. hermione and ron had prefect duties to perform, and were gone during most of the morning, leaving ginny and harry alone to talk or just snog. they were

making up for lost time, and wasn't all that pleased when neville asked to join them. he seemed a little less than eager to join in the conversation, making harry and ginny feel awkward. ron and hermione returned shortly after noon, and just in time for the lunch lady to stop by. they bought nearly everything on the cart, and settled back to eat. neville ate a little and talked about nonsense things, then fell back into silence. "what's with longbottom?" ron asked harry quietly, as the girls chatted happily about the upcoming week. "i don't know. he came in a while ago, and hasn't spoken more than a few sentences since then." "i tried to ask luna out," neville clarified, hearing the boy's talking about him. he looked miserable and his eyes actually clouded up with tears. "that's great, neville," hermione told him, watching the boy look back out the window. "what did she say?" ginny asked softly. "i made a fool of myself, and couldn't get the question out. i stepped on her robe and ribbed the hem, and then i sat on her bag and broke her quill and spilled her ink all over her books. i'm such an idiot. she hates me, and now there's no way she'll ever agree to go out with me." "oh, neville," ginny said, moving to the seat next to him and placing her arm around his shoulders. "i'm so sorry, but maybe she's not all that upset. what did she say to you?" "she told me i was a clumsy buffoon and so i left." "i'm sure she was just upset. she'll calm down." "no she won't. she'll hate me forever." "maybe we could talk to her," hermione suggested. "ron and i can stop by and talk to her when we go on our next rounds. i'm sure she's not as upset as you think." "she said i was a clumsy buffoon," neville repeated. "that can't be a good thing." "hey, don't take it so hard," ron told him, stuffing a cherry tart in his mouth. "she's a nutter. you're probably better off. i mean if she can't see what a great guy you are, then she's just not worth the time." "ronald weasley," hermione began, catching the young man off guard, causing him to stare blankly at her. "every time i think it's impossible for you to say another stupid thing, you prove me wrong. luna is a wonderful girl, she's attractive and smart and she's very brave. she stayed with us at the ministry last year, despite the threat to all of us. and what's more, neville really likes her, so bugger off! i can't believe you sometimes." hermione stood from her seat, scolding the red head, the turned and stormed out of the compartment. "what'd i do?" ron asked, causing harry to roll his eyes. those three words were becoming redundant. "i think now might be a good time to go after her, and give her your present,"

harry suggested. "maybe it will calm her down, and keep your neck under your head." ron gathered his discarded robes, pulled the small package from his trunk and hurried out the door, following the girl in the direction she had left. harry glanced to ginny who raised her eyebrows. "he bought her a promise ring," he told the girl and neville. "he hasn't bothered to ask her if she'd be his girl, and finally realized it." "i think the twins dropped him once too often on his head," ginny commented with a slight smile. "he's a great guy, he's just thick," harry told her with a warm smile. "at least he has a girl," neville said sadly. ginny couldn't resist, she hugged the boy against her shoulder, patting his back and ignoring the narrowed eyes that stared at her from the other seat. "everything will work out, neville. you'll see. hermione will talk with luna and straighten it all out." neville wrapped his arms around the girl's waist and harry could have sworn he saw a smile cross his lips briefly. "thanks ginny," he said, still hugging her. "i hope you're right." "why don't we go and see if we can help," harry said abruptly, standing and grabbing ginny's arm, pulling her out of the other boy's grip. "let's go find hermione." ginny frowned as harry practically dragged her out of the small compartment and into the passageway, closing the door behind him. "harry potter, that was very rude," ginny scolded once they were out of earshot. harry rounded on her, his eyes a dark green as he stared at her, anger etching his features. "do you have to hug him every time he whines?" harry demanded. "i think he did that, just so you would hug him." "don't be ridiculous. he was upset, what was i supposed to? offer him a chocolate frog and tell him everything would be all right tomorrow." "he smiled ginny," harry grumbled. "he was enjoying your sympathy. i wouldn't be a bit surprised if he planned the whole thing, just so he could get in your arms. if he does it again, i'm liable to hex him into next year." "you're jealous," she finally realized. "how very sweet." "i have a right to be jealous," he snapped. "he enjoyed you hugging him. damned it ginny, you're my girl. can you possibly remember that, the next time you have the urge to hug another guy?" "i didn't mean anything by it, and i am very much aware that i'm your girlfriend. it's you who seems to have forgotten it the last few weeks. if i didn't know better, i'd swear you would rather make love to your broomstick than me." "that's absurd. i happen to be in love with you, and it's not my fault i've been busy with extra lessons. if you want someone to blame, then blame dumbledore. these extra lessons were his idea, not mine. it's not like i asked to be the-boywho-lived."

"this is ridiculous," ginny growled. "let's just see if we can find hermione and ron, and straighten things out between luna and neville." harry frowned, but didn't comment, following the girl down the hall. they passed by several compartments, looking in on the students inside. they passed one passageway, after another, before spotting the mystical looking blond, sitting alone. harry glanced to ginny, and then opened the door, forcing a smile on his lips. "hey luna," harry said stepping in the compartment. "mind if we join you?" "not at all," she answered whimsically. harry and ginny closed the door, sitting opposite her. "we just saw neville," harry began seeing the slight blush creep up the young girl's cheeks. "he's pretty upset about what happened." "he should be. do you know he broke my favorite quill, and ruined three books with ink? he's a clumsy buffoon." "yeah, so we've heard," ginny said softly. "but luna, neville really likes you. he's miserable about what happened." "good," she answered, returning to her book about mystical creatures of the caribbean. "besides, he doesn't like me he likes you." "what?" ginny croaked, glancing to harry who gave her that 'i told you so' look. "but that's ridiculous. i mean he's a friend, but that's all." "tell him that," luna said, her eyes focused on the book she was reading. harry cleared his throat softly. "what if we can explain things to him," he asked her. "would you consider giving him another chance? he really does like you luna, he's just not very good at expressing himself, without stepping on something. he wants to ask you out, but he gets nervous really easily." "well, i suppose if he wants to meet me in diagon alley during the holidays, i wouldn't object. but he has to promise not to break anything." "i'll talk to him," harry said with a smile. luna looked up as if she wanted to say something to him, but glanced to ginny and closed her mouth, returning her attention to the book in her hands. "maybe i should go talk to him," the red head said, picking up on the idea that the other girl wanted to speak to harry alone. she stood up, walking cautiously to the door, and opened it. she glanced back to harry before shutting it and disappearing down the passage. harry sat silently for a few moments, sensing the tension bouncing around the walls. he remembered what dean thomas told him a few months ago, about her having a crush on him. he felt like he should say something to her, to clear up the fact that he wasn't interested, but at the same time he didn't know how to approach it. fortunately for him, he didn't have to. "are you really in love with her, or is this just a teenage infatuation?" harry cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice under control. "i am really in love with her," he replied after a moment. "i can't imagine what

my life would be like without her." "do you think you could ever love anyone else?" harry felt a twinge of panic, when she looked at him. the emotion shining in her eyes was as vivid as the book in her hand. "ginny is more to me than just a girlfriend. she's my soul mate. she knows what i'm thinking even before i can form the words. she knows my heart. love is too simple a word to describe what i feel for her. i don't think i started living, until i kissed her." he paused looking at her, and thought he saw a tear in her eye. "i know you fancy me, or at least that's what i've been told. but you need to understand, i think of you as a very good friend, luna. i don't want to loose that, but i'm with ginny." "i know i could never compete with her," luna said sadly. "but i could try." "ginny is the only girl for me, luna. i'll never want anyone else." harry thought hard for a moment, trying to figure out what it was he could say to make her understand. "do you like neville at all?" luna blushed softly, making her lower her eyes. "i suppose so. he is rather attractive, when he's not trying to ripe my robes apart or sitting on my ink." "give him a chance luna. he really likes you, and i can see some great things for the two of you. you're the kind of girl he needs," harry told her, thinking quickly about his words. "you're level headed, intelligent, very pretty and a sweet girl. neville needs you to keep in on track. he's a great guy, he's just shy and rather self conscious." "i do sort of like him. he's not you, but he is rather nice." "then you'll give him another chance?" luna smiled, her cheeks turning a shade darker as she nodded. "great. i'll go get him. but you may want to try and hide everything he can break, before he gets here. just in case." luna smiled again, and harry stood up, reaching for her hand. he squeezed it gently, looking into her misty eyes. "we're still friends, right?" again luna nodded, causing harry to smile brightly. "i'll always be your friend, harry. even if you don't want me as anything else." "i'm glad we got that cleared up," he told her heading toward the door. he opened it and glanced back to her. "you won't regret this. neville is really a great guy. just be patient and give him a chance to get to know you." he left the compartment, closing the door behind him and sighing deeply. he couldn't believe he just had to practically beg a girl to go out with his friend. being a teenager was much more complicated than he ever thought possible. harry was nearly back to the compartment he was sharing with ginny, when he caught sight of ron and hermione. they didn't notice him walking toward them, and probably wouldn't have given much thought even if they had. ron had the bushy haired girl wrapped in his arms, their lips locked tightly together, as he leaned against her, pushing her into the wall. harry felt extremely uncomfortable, but there was no other way out of the corridor. he was about to try and squeeze past them, when ron's hand reached up capturing one of hermione's round, firm breasts. harry was so embarrassed; he didn't know what to do. he even thought about turning around and gong back to luna's compartment, when the two broke apart smiling at each other. harry cleared his throat,

gaining the attention he wasn't too eager to have in the first place. "you two made up then, i guess?" he teased them, watching the blush creep up both of his best friends. "you could say that," hermione said with a smile. "then, would you mind if i come through? i'd like to find ginny." "no problem," ron told him, leaning against hermione tighter, pushing her harder against the wall. harry smiled as he squeezed past, glancing back to his friends once again locked in a deep snog. harry found ginny alone in their compartment, her legs folded up beneath her, her head leaning against the windowpane. she had her eyes closed and looked almost angelic, as she dozed in the warmth and silence. harry stepped into the small confines, smiling as he sat down next to her. she was just as beautiful asleep as she was awake. he couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch her cheek, causing her to open her eyes slowly. she smiled back at him, a yawn escaping her delicate lips. "you get everything with luna straightened out?" she asked. "i hope so," he answered, reaching out and pulling her into his embrace. "how about you? neville all right?" "yeah, i think so. i told him that you and i were in love, and that he couldn't keep whining every time he wanted a hug. i guess you were right about that, i'm sorry." harry smiled at her, kissing the top of her red head. "did you tell luna that you're mine?" "sort of. but i promised to give her a chance, once i got tired of you." ginny rose up out of his arms, looking at the smirking grin on his face before slugging him hard in the arm. "ouch," he said, chuckling at the expression on her face. "i should really hurt you for that," she told him, falling back into his arms. "but it's more fun to kiss and make up." "that could be true. how would you suggest we go about this making up bit?" harry chuckled against her ear as he kissed the delicate skin beneath it. "well, i've sort of been thinking about that for a while. are you still interested in taking things to a higher level?" ginny pulled out of his embrace, looking at the expression on his face. "are you talking about shagging?" she asked him, a hopeful tone in her voice. "i prefer the term love making. it doesn't sound so cheap." "whatever you want to call it, if you're asking me if i still want to do it, the answer is yes." "even after knowing how it's going to feel the first time? you do remember what we heard between ron and hermione." ginny blushed, lowering her eyes briefly before looking into his bright green eyes.

"i know what to expect, and i know it won't be easy at first, but the second time will be great. when do you want to do it? tonight?" harry smiled at the eager expression on the girl's face. "give me a little more time, all right? i want our first time to be really great. once i have everything planned, i'll let you know." "i hope so. i'd hate to think you'd start without me." harry smiled wickedly, pulling her into his embrace, kissing her soundly. a few minutes later, he pulled back from her, his breathing short and in the form of pants, his tone deep and husky with emotion. "you realize, if you want out of this relationship, you'd better go now. because once i've made you mine, there's no chance i'll ever let you go." ginny stood abruptly, walking toward the door and looking back at the astonished expression on harry's face. she pulled the blind down across the door's glass, whispering a locking charm, and then went back to him, straddling his knees like a horse. "i will never leave you, and and you'd better get used to reached up around her waist, feeling the warmth radiating

i will never regret having you as mine. i love you the idea, that you're stuck with me." harry easing her closer to the main part of his desire, from her.

"i will never regret loving you, and i will never let you go." harry leaned forward and kissed her neck before trailing his mouth across her jumper to her breast. the warmth of his mouth caused the flesh to tingle across her slender frame, as his hands made contact with the skin beneath her jumper. ginny sighed deeply, her head falling back as he continued his assault on her. she wanted nothing more than to pull her clothes off, and allow him to explore her freely, but his hands restrained her when she tried. he wasn't ready to go all the way yet, but he promised her with his lips, the time would come. she wouldn't have to wait much longer, before he made her, his. and when that time came, there would be no power in the world that would ever separate him. in this life and the next, he would always love her. read? review! author notes: okay everyone, here's a lead in to a serious h/g consumation. just a little teaser for now. also, i've been trying to find out when ginny's birthday is. does anyone know? i can't find it in any of the books or in the lexicon site. if you know please email me. in the meantime, please continue to r/r. i love hearing from everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-two the hogwart's express pulled into king's cross shortly after dark, and was met by a very happy molly and arthur weasley, who hugged ron, ginny, hermione and harry in turn. lupin and moody were also there, to add support and protection, and harry noticed how eager lupin was to greet tonks. bill, charlie and percy weasley were also there, and they all insisted the twins would be meeting them back at the house. percy made his way through the group, reaching harry and smiling brightly, shaking his hand firmly. "i don't know how i'm ever going to thank you, harry," he told him, his eyes

misting over. "i promise, whatever it takes, i will prove how grateful i am." "it's not necessary," harry answered with a blush, as ginny wrapped her arm around his waist. "i'm just glad we were able to stop whoever it was. have you heard anything more about it?" "nothing," percy said shaking his head. "but this really isn't the place to discuss such matters," moody insisted, taking a stance beside them. "we have to be going anyway. the night bus should be waiting for us," lupin said, his hand safely surrounding tonks. "we're going by the night bus?" ginny exclaimed. "i've never been on it before. where is it?" "it should be here soon, so we have to get outside," bill added, patting percy's back and looking to his parents. mrs. weasley was thrilled to have her whole family together for the holidays, and made certain everyone knew it. the smile on her face never faded far away, even when ron kissed hermione passionately before allowing her to join her parents. hermione insisted that ron become more acquainted with the grangers, and was able to drag him over to them. ron was a vision of scarlet as he shook hands with both her parents, talking to them silently. hermione had already informed them of hers and ron's relationship - leaving out their encounter in myrtle's bathroom of course - so his holding her hand, or kissing her good-bye wasn't all that surprising to them. ron joined the group again, a small package in one hand, a larger one in the other, his face a picture of crimson. percy looked slightly taken aback, but bill and charlie, who had seen their brother and hermione together over the summer, were eager to tease him without relenting. ron offered each a bitter look, before handing the small package to harry. "mrs. granger said this was for you," he told his friend. "she said she wasn't sure how you wanted it wrapped, so she just had the store do it." harry took the package, ignoring ginny's curious look and slipped it into his jacket pocket, thanking his friend. the group left platform 9 ?, heading out to the main platform. moody looked around, making certain there were no muggles around before sticking his wand hand out. instantly the triple-decker bus swerved to the curb, as the young pimple faced stan shunpike opened the door, smiling at tonks andharry. "'arry potter," he said boldly. "good to see you again. me and ernie were just talking about you yesterday, weren't we ernie? we were wondering how you were doing. come home for the holidays, did you?" "yeah, thanks." harry smiled awkwardly, as he was pushed inside the bus by moody, who caused stan to grimace at the disfigured face. the rest of the group followed behind the two, climbing the stairs of the empty bus to the third deck. "i thought hermione would be spending some of the holiday with us," ginny said as they climbed the steps. "she will, but she has to spend christmas and new years day with her family. she'll be over the day after christmas," ron clarified, taking up a bed next to the one harry plopped down on. ginny smiled, seeing the slightly sadder expression on her brother's face, as she climbed on the bed next to harry. percy

lost his balance as he tried to sit, nearly falling before he was able to gain his backside in the chair. seeing the two sitting comfortably together, caused a serious shock to race through him, as he turned to bill and charlie exchanging glances. harry felt the urge to ignore them, which wasn't easy considering ginny chose that exact moment to lean close to him, kissing his suddenly dry lips. "get a grip, will you?" ron grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. "don't worry ron," ginny teased. "you'll have your girl back in a few days." "it's not soon enough," the red head mumbled under his breath. "why didn't penelope and the baby come with you?" ginny asked percy, who had regained his composure enough to sit down, but was still issuing a curious stare to harry. "they're at the house," he answered, clearing his throat softly. "the baby's had the sniffles, and penny didn't think it wise to take her out." "i can't wait to see them. i can't believe you're a father." "i never thought anyone would be that thick, to want to marry him," ron commented. "did you win her over with your caldron bottoms research?" "no, it was his manly charms," charlie said, chuckling at the soft blush that crept up his little brother's face. "haven't you seen how masculine he is, ron?" bill asked, gripping his brother's stubble covered chin. "he's finally old enough to shave, but forgot how in the years since dad showed him." "bugger off, you two," percy argued. "why don't you have to shave, harry?" ginny asked, realizing she had never once seen the young man with razor stubble. harry blushed, looking down at his hand folded inside hers. "i found a spell to control it," he told her softly. "why don't you just use that razor you got for your birthday?" ron asked, leaning on his elbow and looking at his friend. "i tried to shave once," harry explained. "i used my uncle's razor and nearly cut off my chin. i decided after that to either try a spell or never shave again. i was a mess when i finally got the bleeding to stop. i thought i'd bleed to death, not that the dursleys would have noticed." "well i for one like the idea you didn't bleed to death," ginny said, again kissing his cheek. "i'd hate to think i'd have to snog by myself." "ginny weasley," percy snapped. "that is not how a young lady is supposed to act in public." "please, after catching you and penelope snogging in the dungeons in my first year, and you dare tell me how i should be acting? isn't that a little hypocritical?" percy blushed brightly, remembering the time in which she spoke of.

"that was different, and we were older. besides, i married her." "well good for you, but in case you haven't noticed, we're the same age you were. at least harry is and i will be in four months." "the fact is, you're still too young for this and shouldn't be acting this way in public." "apparently you're too old to remember what young love feels like," ginny scolded, her temper rising as she continued to confront her brother head on. "i happen to remember exactly what it was like to be sixteen," percy stopped suddenly, his face turning ashen as he glanced back to bill and charlie. he indeed remembered what sixteen was like, and just how emotions had a way of taking control of rational thinking, as did his two older brothers. "is there something we should know about?" bill added, barely allowing his brother to finish scolding the girl, before turning his attention to harry, who suddenly looked horrified. "no, i swear it," harry said, a little louder than he had originally anticipated. his tone caused the eyes of lupin and tonks to turn toward them, as well as the elderly weasleys. ron shook his head at the expression on harry's horrified face. "lay off harry, you guys," ron defended. "if anything were to happen, it would be ginny's fault. she's spent the entire year, practically begging him to shag her." "ronald weasley!" his mother snapped, causing the color to rise in the boy's cheeks. "well it's true, mum," ron explained. "you've raised a bloody nymphomaniac. i'm surprised harry's been able to hold her off this long." "ginny, is this true?" mrs. weasley narrowed her eyes at the young girl, who blushed profusely. "so, what's wrong with it? it's not like none of you have ever done it. even ron..." she began boldly then stopped suddenly, realizing just how far she had gone. the eyes turned to ron who sat up on his bed suddenly, his face a deep shade of scarlet again. "harry is my soul mate, mum," ginny continued, bringing all the eyes back to her and a very horrified harry, who couldn't believe the girl was still talking. "i determined how much i loved harry, and how far our destinies joined after seeing it in divinations class. harry and i are fated to be together, and no one can stop it, not even voldemort." "don't say his name," percy scolded again. "why? he's nothing to fear, not with harry around, and you know it. harry saved your worthless butt, or have you forgotten." "of course i haven't forgotten. i still have nightmares about that night. if it hadn't been for harry, my daughter would be without a father. i owe him my life, but not my sister's virtue." "enough," mrs. weasley argued, putting a halt to the conversation, thankful they

were the only ones on the bus. "we'll discuss this further, at the house. in the meantime, young lady, you had best be thinking about your actions. i intend to have a very long talk with you." "gees mum," ron grumbled. "it's not like they've done anything. and even if they did, they are old enough to make that choice on their own. bloody hell, nearly every student in our year has already shagged someone. the patil sisters and lavender brown has shagged just about every boy from the sixth year. by now they're probably starting on the seventh year." "i said that was enough," mrs. weasley insisted. "and your father is going to have a very long discussion with you, as well." ron turned an angry glare back to ginny, who bit her bottom lip, lowering her eyes. she hadn't intended to get her brother in trouble, she just didn't realize what she was saying until it was too late. harry sensed her frustration and embarrassment, squeezing her hand, smiling at her softly when she looked up at him. he wouldn't let her take the fall alone. it was his idea this last time to take things between them further, so why would he let her get in solitary trouble. still, the thought that he would have to confront a very angry molly weasley was enough to make him want to hunt down voldemort and surrender. dinner that evening was joyful and happy, the tension that had developed on the night bus was gone and all thought of what the young red head had said, was now long forgotten. ron had been forced to go into the library with mr. weasley, the minute they walked through the front door - of course at mrs. weasley's insistence, and when they emerged twenty minutes later both father and son were beat red, and avoided looking anyone in the eye. ginny had taken control of little molly practically the instant she laid eyes on her, holding her and cuddling her, talking and playing with her, making her squirm and giggle. she was delightful, and harry felt a sudden longing for a future he was certain he would never have. for a long time, all he could do was watch her. she was absolutely beautiful and he knew she would someday make a wonderful mother. he was feeling the sorrow of not being the father of her children, when she sat down next to him, the baby still cradled against her shoulder. he looked into her eyes and tried to smile, but could barely muster much more than a soft grin. ginny nudged his knee with her own, a look of knowledge on her face. it was amazing how easy it was for her to read his mind, and at times it really bothered him. but this was not one of those times. he was glad she knew what he was thinking, because it saved him having to speak the painful words aloud. "here," ginny said, edging the little baby closer to him. "you hold her." harry shifted suddenly in the seat, backing away from her as if she had just burned him. "no, that's all right," he told her, placing his hands on her shoulders to keep her at a distance. "come on harry. she won't bite." "i don't know anything about babies, other than they cry a lot and smell. i'll just let you continue to play with her." "are you afraid of her?" "maybe," he told her, still keeping his distance.

"i don't believe it. you've bravely faced voldemort more times and in more ways than anyone could ever imagine, and you're afraid to hold a little baby?" "you're not going to bully me into taking her," harry insisted, this time reading the intentions on her mind. "i'll read her stories and tuck her into bed at night, but i will not hold her. she's just too...tiny." "she won't break, harry. she's really quite adorable, and she smells wonderful, just like a new broomstick." harry frowned at the girl. "babies do not smell like broomsticks, even when they stink," he argued with a grin. "well, i didn't think you'd believe me if i said she smells like a soft summer's breeze." "i think you're wonderful, and i love you, but you're a nutter." harry stood up, walking to the stove to pour a cup of tea, and to get away from the girl he suddenly wanted to give a baby of her own to. ginny sighed. mrs. weasley, who had been listening, smiled at her daughter while penelope and percy exchanged glances with bill, charlie, mr. weasley, tonks and lupin. they couldn't believe the young man was actually avoiding a small baby. granted, babies did seem to intimidate some people, but they would never have guessed the famous harry potter would be one of those people. ginny stood up, taking the baby back to penelope then walked to harry, slipping her arms around his waist. harry smiled, looking down at her as he sat his cup on the counter next to him. "i'm sorry if i made you feel uncomfortable," she told him, when conversation began at the table again. "i didn't mean to." "you didn't," he lied, and then smiled at her, pulling her in his arms and kissing the top of her head. "well, maybe a little, but it's not anything i can't handle." "i wish you'd try and relax a little. nothing is going to happen, and you're going to be stuck with me for at least a hundred years." "i wish i had your confidence," he told her softly, aware that the conversation of the room had ceased again. "how about this," ginny asked, leaning up to him, and capturing his hers. the room and time seemed to fade away, as he wrapped his arms her slender waist, falling into the kiss. she was wonderful, simply always had a way of making him feel alive and full of hope. he just believe how fortunate he was to have her in his life.

lips with around perfect. she couldn't

"get a grip," ron said, entering the room. "i swear, you two have more snogging fests than anyone i've ever met." ginny and harry pulled away from each other's lips, looking to the red head. "even more than you and hermione?" harry asked with a smile, watching the blush creep up his cheeks. "bugger off potter," he growled, taking a cup of tea and sitting down at the table. "can we open presents now?"

"not until morning, ron," mr. weasley told him. "you know the rules. no presents before breakfast." "i can't wait that long," ron grumbled, as harry and ginny joined the group at the table. "since it's nearly midnight, i'd say you don't have long to wait," fred said, as he and george joined them. "a lot of help you two are," ron complained. "sorry little brother," george said, ruffling his hair as he passed to take a seat next to their father. "hey harry," fred began, smiling at the dark haired young man. "did this worthless git thank you for saving his arse?" he pointed to percy, who glared at his younger brother. "yes he did, and i told him it wasn't necessary. i was just doing what needed done." "still, it was a gift we'll never be able to thank you enough for," penelope said, cradling her now sleeping baby to her chest, her eyes misting over with unshed tears. "i'm just glad to help," harry said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "harry's not one for flattery," ginny explained. "he's a shy hero." "i'm not a hero, ginny," harry grumbled softly. "sure you are harry," george said with a smile. "you've rescued all of us from ginny. that has to be the greatest sacrifice a man can give." harry turned, chuckling at the look the girl gave her brother. "it's a sacrifice i was willing to make," harry said smiled boldly. ginny narrowed her eyes to harry, punching him in the arm. "see what i mean?" george said laughing. "she's lethal." harry continued to smile, rubbing his shoulder where she had just slugged him. "that's enough," mrs. weasley said. "morning is going to be here before we know it. now then, off to bed all of you. ginny, i'd like you to stay a few minutes." ginny glanced to harry, feeling the escape she had been hoping for was long past. she remained seated, as ron patted harry on the shoulder. the two walked together out the door, and started up the stairs when harry stopped and leaned against the wall, allowing the others to pass by. "what is it harry?" ron asked, once his brothers had disappeared. "i can't let her take the blame herself," he told his friend. "i'm the one who told ginny i wanted to go further. i can't let your mum scold her for what i want too." "harry, you don't want to hear what she's telling her. trust me, i thought i'd die when my dad told me about contraception spells. at least i know it's safe for hermione and i to be together."

"keep that thought in mind," harry told him, walking back down the stairs. "i'll want to know what he said later." harry stepped cautiously back into the room, seeing penelope and mrs. weasley sitting across from the girl he loved. her face was bright red and she looked like she could easily turn into a snitch and fly away. "mrs. weasley, ginny isn't to blame for this alone," he told the woman, laying a warm hand on the girl's shoulder. "i'll admit at first, our getting together was her idea and i told her i wasn't ready, but as we've grown closer my feelings for her have grown as well. i love her, mrs. weasley, and i want this as much as she does." "thank you harry," mrs. weasley said after a few moments. "i appreciate your telling me this, but i have to admit, i'm not happy about it. ginny is my little girl, my last child and only daughter. it's only natural i would be more protective with her than the boys." "yes ma'am. and we will consider your feelings. but i've never felt like this before, and to be honest, i never thought i'd want to. i don't really understand all these feelings, but i know i would never do anything to hurt ginny, or you. your family has been extremely kind to me, and i don't want anything to change that." "i don't think anything will ever change that, harry," mrs. weasley said with a warm, motherly smile. "ginny just needs to control her feelings a little more." "but mum, i can't," ginny complained. "i don't know how. i have never felt this obsessed about anything. i feel like i'm going to go mad if harry and i don't..." "i don't need to know any more, thank you. do you two know what you're getting yourselves into? do you know how serious this? there are consequences you need to consider. ginny, you have two years of school left and harry has one. you can't throw all of that away for a night of passion." "i won't throw it away mum," ginny confirmed. "and it will never be for a single night. harry and i have discussed the consequences. we've chosen to take precautions, and neither of us is ready for the results of our...togetherness. harry still thinks he's going to die when he confronts voldemort again, and he has to overcome those feelings, before we can be truly happy and start a family. but once he's defeated him, harry and i will be together for all eternity. i know that's why we found each other. he's my soul mate mum, i love him." "i know you do, and i have hoped the two of you would get together since your first year," mrs. weasley said, looking at ginny. "but you have to allow me the right to be concerned." "we understand how you feel mrs. weasley," harry commented, taking a seat next to ginny, suddenly feeling his knees go weak on him. "i will never hurt ginny, and i will never take advantage of her. since we first got together, i've felt like i found a missing part of myself. i know what ginny's thinking, and she knows what i'm thinking. i've never felt like this before, even my connection with voldemort can't compare to what ginny and i have. it's as if we're an extension of each other." "you are, harry," dumbledore said, joining the four of them silently. he stepped

further into the room, followed by mr. weasley, bill, charlie, percy and the twins. the only one left out was ron and baby molly. lupin, tonks and moody had gone out on watch, leaving the house shortly after harry joined the girls in the kitchen. "i think it's time you know something about your life, that i've been holding back." harry looked at the old man, as the table became crowded with weasleys. dumbledore sat at the head of the table, where he always sat, folding his hands around a cup of tea bill poured for him, and staring into the dark liquid. "you know about the premonition professor trelawney had regarding you and lord voldemort. there was more to it than what i've told you." dumbledore drew a deep breath, remembering what happened the last time he told harry he'd kept secrets from him. "the premonition told of five points to the star. a star that would prove the ultimate end of the dark lord. the chosen one would join to one with the fire of a dragon and heart of a goddess. she would be known by the mark of a star upon her right shoulder." dumbledore looked to ginny and smiled, as she gasped, lowering the neckline of her blouse to reveal to harry the star shaped birthmark. harry frowned, staring at the girl as the aged wizard continued. "it went further to say the soul of the two would be as one, while two others would be. the one would be a brother to the first, who would join with the strength of the one whose knowledge would outshine all others. together they would bring in the last, the fifth point of the star, one whom the dark lord was eager to gain power over. if unconvinced, the dark lord would gain control and the four would perish beneath the full moon. the world of the wizard would be no more." the room was silent as they stared at harry and dumbledore. ginny reached out and touched the boy's arm next to her, slipping against his chest as his arm wrapped around her. "who is the fifth point of the star?" harry asked softly. dumbledore frowned as he focused on the boy's question. "the prophecy said the fifth one would suffer great tragedy with the loss of a mother's arms, and in two would he be torn, while sharing a bond of common depth with the chosen one." "he?" ginny said. "the fifth point is a boy?" dumbledore nodded his head. "you mean malfoy, don't you?" harry asked, realizing the tragedy the slytherin had just endured. again dumbledore frowned. "i don't know. a few weeks ago, i would have said yes, but after what i've learned tonight i can't honestly say." "what do you mean? what happened?" "neville longbottom's grandmother owled me shortly after the hogwart's express left hogsmeade. his mother died last night, from complications of her treatment caused by the death eaters." "oh no," ginny whispered, hugging closer to harry. "alice longbottom was a very good friend, and a loyal member of the order. she'll be missed greatly," dumbledore added. silence fell around the room, as they all sat considering the news.

"how will we know who the fifth point is?" harry asked. dumbledore studied his tea for several moments before looking back up. "i don't know. but we have two choices to work with." harry looked to ginny, and then to those gathered around the table. "and if we don't find out in time, the wizarding world is lost?" dumbledore didn't need to answer; they all knew what it meant. if it were neville, there wouldn't be a problem convincing him, but if it were draco, they may as well prepare to surrender the world to voldemort now. nobody could possibly convince the slytherin's pride and joy that he should join their side against the dark lord. especially if he were told he would have to join with harry potter, the weasleys and a mudblood. read? review! author notes: for everyone whose been writing and reviewing i just want to say thank you. i love hearing from everyone. the upcoming chapters are going to be interesting, so stay tuned. i already have the story completed, just tweeking it a little. also, thank you everyone who emailed me with suggestions on ginny's birthdate. it helped a lot. please keep r/r. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-three harry lay in bed, in the room his shared with ron, staring at the ceiling. it was nearly dawn, and he had yet to find a way to sleep. he couldn't help but think about all dumbledore had said to him. he knew he and ginny were meant to be together; he just had no idea that it was predicted before either of them was even born. he also knew others would join in their fight, most of the students of hogwart's were already preparing for the new d.a. club, but he couldn't comprehend that there was one among them, prophecized to join their side in the battle, or that the other one could possibly be draco malfoy. how was he to ever convince the one person they had spent the past six years thinking of as their worst enemy, into turning sides against his very own father? harry sighed and rolled over to his stomach, burying his head beneath his pillow. his head hurt, his eyes burned with fatigue and his jaw throbbed in pain from where he'd been clenching it. then a thought came to his mind. maybe it wasn't malfoy at all; maybe it was neville who was destined to join them. he had just lost his mother, as malfoy had, and although harry felt very sympathetic for the boy, he knew it would be much easier to convince him to fight against voldemort than ferret-face malfoy, as ron would call him. as if on cue, the bed next to him creaked and the boy in it stirred. harry knew it was christmas, and just as every holiday for the past six years, ron was eager to see what presents awaited him. he fought back a yawn, as he heard his name whispered in the stillness. harry contemplated for several minutes whether or not to answer, but knew from previous experience; ron weasley wouldn't give up that easily. harry sat up, tossing his pillow aside. "happy christmas," ron said softly glancing down to the foot of their bed, where a stack of presents sat. "happy christmas," harry answered sluggishly, following ron's lead and reaching for the presents and tearing at the wrapping. there were the usual books from hermione, berttie botts every flavor beans from seamus, drawings of each of

them with their girls from dean and socks from dobby. misty had managed to make them a stack of small fruit tarts, while hagrid sent along a large supply of his homemade fudge (which neither were eager to eat) and mrs. weasley had once again knitted them their matching jumpers. "you look awful mate," ron said, stuffing his mouth full of fruit tarts. "i didn't sleep much," harry said, picking at the crust of his own fruit tart. "what happened with mum? you were gone so long, i fell asleep. did she really give you grief?" harry frowned. "not really. she was pretty cool about ginny and i, but dumbledore joined us and told us about more of the prophecy, he neglected to tell me last year." harry spent the next several minutes telling his friend what was said the night before, watching the shocked expression cross his face when he told him about the fifth point of the star, and who it may mean. "malfoy! are you mental? there's no way that...ferret-face would ever turn tail against his father. it has to be neville." "let's hope so, because dumbledore said all would be lost if he was persuaded by voldemort." "i wonder how neville is holding up," ron said after a moment. "it can't be easy for him. remember how he acted last year, when his mum gave him the gum wrapper? i can't imagine how it must be having your parents like that, but then to loose one. it has to be horrible." "sometimes i think i'm lucky, to never have known my parents. at least i was too young to grieve their deaths." "who are you trying to kid? you grieve your parents' loss every day. i think the only time you don't mourn them is when you're snogging with ginny." "my parents aren't exactly the first thought that comes to mind, when i've got your sister in my arms." "bloody hell, i should hope not. that would be really sick." "you're really okay about me and ginny now, aren't you?" harry asked after a few moments. ron blushed, as he stuffed another tart in his mouth. "once i stopped thinking of you as a suitor who wanted to date my sister, and saw how happy you guys were together, i guess i just stopped worrying. i know you won't hurt her. besides, now she's your problem, that gives me more time with hermione." "speaking of which," harry said with a sly smile. "what happened on the train? i take it from the way you were kissing her on the platform, things are better with you two." "yeah they are," ron said blushing deeper than before. "you should have seen how she acted when i gave her the ring. you'd think i just gave her a new copy of hogwart's a history, or something." "so you asked her to be your girl?" ron blushed deeper than harry had ever seen.

"not exactly," he said softly, looking up from beneath his long pale lashes. "i asked her to marry me." "you did what? are you mental? you're only sixteen." "i know, but it just sort of happened. i mean, i went to find her after she yelled at me, just to give her the ring and ask her to be mine, but once she opened it the words just sort of jumped out of my mouth. i didn't even know for sure what i was saying; it was like my tongue had a mind of its own. but once i asked her, it just felt so right, i didn't try to take it back or even explain why i asked her. but we're not going to do it, or tell anyone about it until next year. we've decided to wait until after graduation to make it official. i mean, i've never really heard of hogwart's allowing married students to go to classes, or share the same dormatory. but if it means getting out of potions, i may consider eloping." "i can't believe it," harry said in a stunned tone. "it's one thing to get around the fact that you two fight just to have an excuse to make up, but to be getting married? it's unreal. there are times i could swear you can't stand each other, and then i find you hiding in a corner or a closet somewhere snogging. there's even been bets going around, of which one of you will do the other off first. dean and seamus insist you fight, just because you enjoy seeing how angry the other one gets. are you sure about this? it's a really big step you know?" "have you ever wanted something so badly, that once you have it you realize you don't ever want to let it go?" ron asked, a serious mature look on his freckled face. harry thought for barely a second, when the image of a beautiful read head filtered before his eyes. he nodded silently, allowing his friend to continue. "that's how it was when hermione first agreed to go out with me. then when she let me kiss her the first time, it was like a door to heaven had opened up. and even though it was unplanned and completely unexpected, the first time i made love to her, it was surreal. i can still feel her beneath me, when i close my eyes. i know it sounds weird, harry, but i really love her, and not the same way you do, not as a friend or even a girl, but i'm truly in love with her. i have a hard time breathing if i'm not with her, and when i am, i can't stop looking at her. i can't imagine life without her." "i know you love her, ron. and i'm really happy for you." "when the time comes, would you consider standing as my witness? i mean, you're closer to me than any of my own brothers are and i could use a little support to make it that far." "i'd be honored, ron. but let's wait and see what happens by that time. you never know what life has in store for you. i mean, look at the prophecy about the fifth point to the star. who would imagine malfoy would be willing to change sides?" "i still don't believe it. there's no way that pale faced snake is ever going to turn against his father. he's just too evil and black hearted." "maybe. we'll just have to wait and see what happens." "don't you ever get tired of this?" ron asked, leaning back against the wall and pulling his legs up to his chin. "tired of what?" harry asked.

"every year, something else happens and every year, we end up having to battle someone evil and sinister. is it too much to ask, for just one normal year?" harry smiled. it could only take the illogical mind of ronald weasley to make the obvious seem so simple. breakfast was a flurry of utensils, while everyone ate at a hasty pace. presents weren't allowed until everyone ate, which meant whether you were hungry or not, you had to clean your plate and wait patiently for the others. not an easy task for ron, who finished first and spent the next half hour shifting in his seat or tapping his fingers on the table. mrs. weasley became so irritated with her son's noise that she threatened to put a tear proof charm on all of the wrappings if he didn't sit still. harry sat next to ginny, fighting the urge to tell her about her gift. he was anxious for her to see the bracelet hermione insisted that she had fallen in love with, over the summer holidays. the excitement of christmas was a new and overwhelming experience for him. never had he imagined growing up, that one day he would be a part of a family that loved him, or that he would have presents with his name on them, under the tree. "now can we open presents?" ron grumbled, as his father - the last to finish eating, pushed his plate aside and reached for his coffee mug. mr. weasley looked from his son to his wife, who began to gather the empty dishes. "very well," mrs. weasley agreed, then had to stand aside as the table's occupants suddenly seemed to explode out of their seats and hurry into the next room. ron was first to the door, but it was the twins who made it into the sitting room first, having tripped their younger brother in the hallway, sending him spiraling into the closet across the hall. harry and ginny took a slower pace of walking, yet were anxiously among those who found seats on the old worn carpet around the massive tree, lupin had brought home the night before. ron opened his presents with the zest of a child, smiling at the new wizard chess set from lupin and tonks, a package of wizard treats from the twins (which he carefully put aside, afraid of them blowing up in his face), and a book of quiddich plays from harry that actually had miniature players who zoomed around a replica of a quiddich pitch while each play was explained in detail. charlie had bought him a new school bag with his initials embossed in gold letters, while bill had given him a new white shirt and navy blue tie. percy and penelope smiled at the look on his face when he opened up a penknife they had given to him; similar to the one sirius had given harry the year before. hermione's parents had given him a tan leather jacket, embossed with the chudley cannons logo, two black cs and a speeding cannonball. he was so excited about the jacket, he began penning a thank you note for pig to take to the grangers, immediately. harry opened his gifts, with a renewed excitement he hadn't felt in months. lupin had given him a new set of dress robes, while tonks gave him a book on the dark arts; a gift he promised mentally to read before the first d.a. meeting. the twins favored him with a matching box of wizard treats - which he too carefully put aside. charlie gave him a replica of a hippogriff that remarkably resembled buckbeak. bill gave him a dragon skin wallet, and percy and penelope gave him a gift that made his throat become dry and his eyes sting. inside a small cherry wood box was nestled a small golden spoon shaped hand for mrs. weasley's magical clock, that told where her family was at all times. on the spoon face was a picture of him, and on the thin handle were the words. 'our brother'. harry tried to speak, but couldn't find words that would

form around the tightening in his throat. instead he gently placed the spoon back into the box, nodding to the couple and wrapping his arms around the girl who was suddenly hanging around his neck. conversation continued as the rest of the group opened their presents. harry got bill a dragon skin belt and charlie a new pair of boots, since his had burns and bite marks taken out of them. percy and penelope received a book for new magical parents, and harry teased them about it being an owner's manual, while he gave mr. and mrs. weasley two tickets to the wizard's new year's eve ball. the twins were given a package of assorted muggle candies, which they had been nagging him for so they could duplicate them as wizard treats. harry was about to give ginny her gift when misty suddenly appeared with drinks and cakes. she quietly sat a tray of eggnog on a nearby table, and smiled at the young man. harry reached beneath the tree, retrieving a small red package and handing it to her. reluctantly the little elf took the package and quietly unwrapped it. inside was a small picture of harry and his parents; a duplicate one from his photo album hagrid had given him after his first year at hogwart's. misty smiled, her eyes clouded over with tears and she happily hugged harry before disappearing from the room with a snap of her fingers. "that was very nice, harry," ginny whispered to him, kissing his cheek gently. harry smiled. now was the time for her to have her present. he pulled the last box out from under the tree, handing the gold wrapped package to her and smiled as she looked at him. "happy christmas," he told her, awkwardly aware of the lag in conversation and the eyes that watched the girl, while she quickly and carefully removed the wrapping to reveal tonks' old jewelry box. with large wide eyes, she looked to harry and then to the green and red haired woman sitting next to lupin. "but, this belongs to tonks," she said. "i knew how much you loved it, and harry wanted something special for you. i decided a new muff and scarf were better for me to give to you anyway," tonks explained. "the box is still from tonks," harry insisted, watching the woman frown as he turned back to ginny. "but what's inside is from me." ginny opened the lid and looked at the small package, with its matching gold wrapping. she slowly removed it, setting the jewelry box aside. with hands that shook slightly, she unwrapped the package and pulled the cherry wood lid off the small box. inside was a glistening silver bracelet with several tiny charms dangling from the delicate chain. ginny gasped, looking to harry with wide eyes. "hermione told me how much you loved it," he said in answer to her unasked question. "i wanted to give you something you really wanted." harry frowned as tears began to slip from the girl's eyes. "i thought you'd be happy?" he was devastated. he had hoped she would like the gift, he'd planned it for days and envisioned her reaction in a hundred ways, but never had he anticipated that she would cry. "i do like it," ginny sniffed, smiling at him. "oh, harry, i love it. it's just like you, to take my breath away and give me something so precious." ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the eyes that followed their actions, as she kissed his lips passionately. several silent moments passed before they pulled apart, this time harry could see the pleasure on her face. "so you really like it?" he asked skeptically.

"i love it, and i love you. thank you harry." "anything for you my love," he whispered against her cheek when he leaned in to kiss it. mr. weasley passed out the mugs of eggnog and lifted his in the air. "a toast," the elder man said, watching as everyone followed suit. "to the love of christmas, and of family. we are once again, all together." "to family," they cheered, sipping the sweet liquid. harry sat his mug aside and helped ginny slip the bracelet on her wrist. there were a number of charms dangling against her tender flesh, one was a tiny heart that perfectly matched the necklace he had given her last summer, there was a tiny silver wand, a hat much like the sorting hat, a cat and a deep blue tear drop shaped stone of azurite, much like the one dumbledore had given harry of his mother's. there was also a tiny lightening bolt-shaped charm, which ginny lifted on her finger and caressed with her thumb. "this is just like your scar," she told him. harry frowned, seeing the identical shape of the tiny silver charm everyday in the mirror. "it makes me feel like you're with me, no matter what." harry lifted her chin and kissed her forehead gently. "i am with you always, you know that." "but this is proof, not just knowledge or a feeling. i have real proof now, that we belong together." harry gently lifted the star shaped charm next to the one she played with, caressing it in a similar fashion. "the one you were born with that matches this, is all the proof you need," he told her, then smiled and gently kissed the shoulder of her jumper, where he knew the birthmark was hidden. "i think i am the luckiest girl alive," she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "it would match me, i suppose. because i'm the luckiest guy alive." harry smiled at ginny, pulling her tighter in his arms, leaning his forehead against hers and whispering so only she could hear him. "do you remember my birthday present?" he asked her, watching the color creep up her cheeks. she nodded silently, allowing him to smile seductively as he continued in hushed tones. "maybe we can repeat the gift later, in private?" "maybe we can go further than just the one gift?" she asked hopefully, watching the color of his eyes darkened slightly. harry smiled, leaning closer to her, his lips a breath away from hers. "i can't think of a better christmas gift for us to give each other," he told her, kissing her lips with a promise and a secret, they alone shared. christmas for harry potter and ginny weasley was definitely promising to be an unforgettable experience. with the luck of the stars and the blessings of the gods, ginny knew she would soon find her way into harry's arms and his bed. soon, she would not only be harry potter's girl, but his woman. read? review!

author notes: thank you everyone who has been reading and reviewing. i have recently learned that my fic has been plagerized, and i am unsure if i want to submit any more chapters. please let me know what you think, and if i should continue submitting. this has been very upsetting to me, and i am extremely distressed about my story being stolen, and used word for word. i love writing and have had a lot of fun with this story, but not if it's going to be used for other people's gain. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-four harry's stomach felt like it was in knots. he had decided the moment he gave ginny her christmas present, that tonight would be the night they had waited for. tonight, he would make love to the girl he knew was his destiny, the girl who had saved him from a life of depression and solitude. still, he couldn't help the feeling of nervousness. so many things could happen; so many things could go wrong. what if he made a fool of himself? what if he couldn't please her? what if he couldn't wait for her to find her pleasure? he'd heard that sort of thing could happen, and if it happened tonight, he'd be devastated. the door to sirius's bedroom was a jar, causing harry's curiosity to build. he stepped to the opening and peered in, seeing ginny standing at the foot of the large four-poster bed. he stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to his chest. "what are you doing in here?" he asked softly, the feel of her and the anticipation of what the night would bring caused his already overactive libido to respond, as he found pressing against her inviting and difficult to resist. "i was thinking about tonight," she told him, leaning her head back against his shoulder, allowing him to kiss her neck and ear, which he did eagerly. "what about it?" "i want it to be here," she told him quietly, turning her face to his, seeing the curiosity etched his handsome features. "we first spent the night together here, and you gave me my necklace here. this room holds some wonderful feelings for us, and i can't imagine any place better for our first time, then in here." harry thought for a few moments. he had always said their first time would be something special and something wonderful. he wanted it to be magical, and he couldn't agree with her more. sirius's bedroom was a warm, loving place where they had spent most of their summer nights together. she helped him confront his grief of losing his godfather in this room, they had argued and made up here, this was the first place he had realized he loved her. "i don't think sirius would mind," harry said with a smile. "after all, i suppose it is actually my room now. he left me the house, and since this is the master bedroom..." "then where else for the master to take his woman?" harry chuckled at her overplayed emphasis on the term "master". "we'll have to wait though," harry said, hearing mrs. weasley calling her from the kitchen. "for how long?" ginny sounded disappointed, and frowned at the words she had heard

repeatedly over the past months. "i'll meet you back here, when everyone's asleep," he promised her, turning her in his arms and kissing her lips passionately. ginny sighed, leaning into his lips and expressing her eagerness with her tongue. time was of no essence, as usual whenever they were together, until the sound of mrs. weasley calling her echoed from the bottom of the stairs. with a reluctant moan, harry pulled out of her embrace, smiling at the look of disappointment and frustration in her honey brown eyes. "until later," he whispered, turning her toward the door. he followed her out into the hallway when ron came hurrying up the stairs. "hey, harry," he said anxiously. "come with me. i have to show you something." harry turned back to ginny, squeezing her hand and left her to join her mother. the boys went into the room they shared, shutting the door securely behind them. ron pulled a magazine out from his back pocket, sitting on the bed next to the dark haired young man. "george dropped this from his cloak when he left," ron explained. "look at it." harry glanced across ron's shoulder, looking at the picture of a naked couple on the front cover. "wild wizard's wicked weekend edition," ron read, opening the pages and showing him the many magical pictures of young couples engaged in..."they're shagging!" ron exclaimed. "bloody hell," harry said, echoing his friend's favorite phrase. the two of them looked at the pages in silence for several moments, turning page after page, watching the expressions on the witches and wizards faces. "i wonder if hermione would do that?" ron said pointing to one picture that had caught his attention. "she'd probably slap you for suggesting it," harry assured him. "if she didn't bite it off first. i can't imagine this being possible," he continued, pointing at another picture of an unusual position that made the woman look like she was practically standing on her head. "look here," ron told him, turning the page and seeing a particularly interesting picture. "she looks like she's enjoying this. i'll bet i could do this, if hermione doesn't try and strangle me first." harry didn't answer, his attention was on a particularly interesting article on the next page. "a witch's first love," it said. harry and began reading about a girl's first were charms on how to reduce the pain, heighten her responses and how to ease pleasure and passion.

pulled the magazine out his friend's hand experiences at lovemaking. there suggestions on how to stimulate and her into womanhood with memories of

"i could have used that," ron told him, reading over his shoulder. "you still can," harry assured him. "just because you and hermione shagged once, doesn't mean you can't try and please her the next time." harry turned and looked at the red haired, red-faced boy next to him. "how many times have you done it?" "just once," ron told him. "we almost did it on the train coming home, but we couldn't find an empty compartment. i can't remember feeling so frustrated

in all my life." "maybe it's a good thing you didn't do it. if you read enough of this thing, you may have several ideas on how to really make her feel good when you get back together." "which is tomorrow afternoon," ron said with a smile. "i can't wait. i feel like i haven't seen her in months." "think you two will...you know? during the holidays i mean?" ron's blush became a neon sign of embarrassment, lighting the room. "i hope so." silence fell between the two, as they continued reading the article, and getting ideas of their own, as they quietly looked at each picture that accompanied the words. "i wonder why george had this?" ron asked after a moment. "you don't think he and katie bell are doing any of this stuff, do you?" "if you and hermione are, what's to stop them?" "that would mean fred and angelina are probably doing it too." "hey ron, what did your dad tell you about those protection spells?" ron blushed again, remembering the conversation he had with his father the night before. "he told me of a spell that would work once, or that can be extended for a couple of weeks, depending on the need of it," he reported. "but it was bloody embarrassing. have you ever had to have that talk with a grown man? blimey, i can't believe he was telling me all that stuff." "do you think the spells work?" "beats me. i'm eager to try though." "but ron, not to be rude or anything, your parents have a lot of kids. if he knew of the spells, why didn't he use them?" ron's blush deepened still. "i asked him that, and he asked me which one of us i would suggest they used it with." "so how do we check it out, to see if it really works? i mean, i'm willing and all, but what if it doesn't work and we end up in trouble?" ron was really quiet for a long time, and then took the magazine harry still held and began flipping through the pages. "i thought i saw something in the index about protection charms," he told him. finding the page, he quickly opened it wide so they could both read it. "here's the one dad told me about," ron exclaimed, pointing to the list of about five charms, spells and potions. the two of them read it together; the idea of trying them out was extremely intriguing and peeked their interest to great lengths. "i'm sure it wouldn't be that difficult, providing we remember to use them before anything happens," ron said. "i don't want to go through another three weeks, like last time. i thought i'd go mental worrying about it." "listen, ron," harry began softly, closing the book and handing it back to him.

"if i'm not here tonight, don't go setting off any kind of alarm, all right?" ron frowned at his friend. "what do you mean? where else would you be?" it was harry's turn to blush as he stood and paced to the window and looked out. "ginny and i were thinking about spending some time together tonight," he said. "we haven't really had much time to be alone, and since we've got the next two weeks, we were thinking about making up for lost time, you know..." "bloody hell, harry! are you saying you want to shag my sister?" harry turned, placing his finger up against his lips to hush his friend's loud words. "you don't have to announce it to the whole house," he scolded. "i can't believe you're saying this. i am her brother you know, and somehow i don't think it's the sort thing you're supposed to be telling me." "ron, you're also my best friend, and i was hoping i could talk to you about this. i mean, you and hermione have already done this, and maybe you could answer a few questions." "yeah, all right, but just try not to say any names. maybe i won't have images in my head i don't want." the next hour was spent with the two boys discussing concerns, rumors and worries they both had. they found using the magazine a great help for answering questions, although neither of them were exactly willing to try everything that was listed on the pages, they were willing to try out a few. by the time dinner that night was over, harry didn't feel quite so unsure and uncomfortable. maybe he'd be able to do this after all, and still hold out for her to find her "climax" as the magazine called it. somehow he would prove she hadn't made a mistake, and was happy to love him as much as he loved her. tonight, he would prove to her just how deep that word went. the house seemed to remain alive with useless chatter and activity, until late in the night. harry stayed up for quite a while, and then eventually went up to bed. he had hoped that by going upstairs, it would give the rest of the group the idea that it was getting late, but it didn't' seem to have worked. harry lay awake in his bed, tapping his fingers together and anxiously shifting from one position to another. he was far from tired himself, and anxious to sneak away with ginny into the room down the hall. ron had come to bed over an hour ago, and was now softly snoring in the bed next to him. the sounds of voices continued to echo up the stairs, although not as many as before. fred and george had returned from seeing their girlfriends shortly before dinner, and george seemed to be distracted looking for something he thought he'd lost at the house. ron and harry continued to concentrate on their meals, refusing to acknowledge that they not only knew what he was looking for, but where it was. the twins had retired to bed just after ron had come upstairs, stopping by long enough to ask if they had found anything that day. both boys refused to give in, and played dumb, making george wonder if their mother had picked up the magazine and was now in possession of the "smut" as she called it. ginny had stopped by to say goodnight to the boys, kissing harry and whispering in his ear that she would be waiting for him to get her, across the hall. moody had gone on watch shortly after the table had been cleared of the left over dinner, leaving lupin and tonks to discuss a secret rendezvous in hushed tones, that harry had overheard. they were planning on meeting up in the sitting

room, once everyone was asleep, which meant that harry and ginny would have to be very quite in order to not be heard from the occupants in the room directly below sirius's bedroom. eventually the house became quiet. harry pretended to be asleep, when mrs. weasley poked her head through the door to check on them. he listened with baited breath as she walked across the hall, then heard her footsteps heading up the stairs to the room she and mr. weasley slept in when they were at grimmauld place. it was past midnight before harry felt confident enough to attempt leaving his bed. he slipped as silent as a mouse, out the door and down the hall to the room he would be spending the night with ginny in. he still had work to do, and wanted to make certain everything was perfect for when he brought her here. twenty minutes later, harry smiled at the work he'd accomplished, slowly opening the door. he stepped back inside when lupin and tonks snuck past on their way downstairs, waiting until he heard the soft click of the sitting room door close behind them. he softly padded his way back down the hall to ginny's room, and turned the handle. inside was dark, the slowly deminishing moon, no longer full yet not quite half, shinned in past the opened curtains, bathing the red haired girl in a soft romantic glow. harry didn't move for several moments, all he could do was stare at her. she was absolutely gorgeous. he had never imagined, seeing her like this would make him fall so much deeper in love with her, and yet it had. with a soft moan and a shift of her slender body beneath the blankets, harry was brought out of his trance. he realized with a great deal of disappointment that she had fallen asleep. a part of him wanted to wake her up and take her to the room he had prepared to make love to her in, yet another part of him said to let her sleep. there would be other nights. reluctantly harry turned away, opening the door again to leave. ginny stirred awake, calling out his name gently in the night shadows. harry turned to see her leaning up on her elbow, her hand rubbing the sleep from her honey brown eyes. he smiled, watching the thin old nightgown she wore slip from her shoulder, exposing the star birthmark that prophesized them as one. "is everyone asleep?" she asked him softly. harry shut the door again, then stepped over to sit on the foot of her bed. "everyone except tonks and moony," he told her, holding his arms out for her to slip into. "i overheard them making plans to get together in the sitting room, so we'll have to be really quiet." "i know a silencing spell," she told him, kissing his cheek. "we won't be heard, even a whisper." harry leaned back and looked at her through very serious eyes. "we don't have to do this," he reassured her, watching the smile creep across her delicate lips. "i have never wanted anything more," she assured him, kissing his lips tenderly. "i just can't believe the time has finally come. i've dreamt about it for months, years even, and now it's here, i can hardly stand it." "shall we go then," he asked her, standing from the bed and reaching out for her hand. ginny took his fingers with hers and smiled brightly as he lead her to the doorway. he turned the handle cautiously, peering out into the darkness to make certain the coast was clear, before turning back and pulling her

along behind him. they walked as quietly as possible to the room down the hall, forgetting about the certain floorboard that creaked when touched. they froze in the hall, hoping that nobody had heard it. several anxious seconds ticked by before they felt confident enough to continue their journey. harry opened the door to the room, and then reached for ginny, lifting her in his arms and carrying her across the threshold. he pushed the feeling that this would be his only chance to do so, that someday he would be dead and another man would be carrying her across their marriage door. tonight was their night, and he would not allow such thoughts to distract him. ginny gasped, when harry softly pushed the door shut behind them, setting her back down on her feet. he had spent twenty minutes magically decorating the room, transforming the once dark and dreary decor into a light, welcoming place of romance and fluff. the bed had been made with crisp white sheets, and a thick warm comforter of pastel blue, while a dozen pillows of all sizes lined the top near the headboard. pale sheer curtains hung from the tops of the four posters, etching them in a definite aura of romance. the room was lit up with hundreds of softly glowing candles, and scented oils. the fireplace was lit and a warm glow cascaded into the stillness, inventing them to come in. in front of the fireplace hearth laid a soft white fur rug, and next to the bed sat a silver ice bucket, and a chilled bottle of butter beer, the one thing they both could drink and both liked. harry walked to the end of the massive four-poster bed, picking up the soft sheer gown he had placed there. he turned around and handed it to her, smiling as she gingerly took it in her hands. "i bought this for you, from a mail order catalogue," he told her with a blush. "the first time i saw it, i thought of how you would look in it. you don't have to wear it, i just wanted you to have it." ginny smiled, touching the soft material to her cheek. "it's satin," he told her in answer to her questioning eyes. "i want only the best for you. you deserve it." "you shouldn't have spent so much money on me," she told him with a blush that lit up her entire face. harry stepped to her, capturing her hands in his and kissing each finger gently. he had his money his parents had given him, which was a great deal, and now he had sirius's money. he was richer than he could have once imagined, and yet it didn't seem to mean that much to him. he didn't care about fortunes, or wealth, so long as he had her. "ginny," he began after several moments. "i have more than i will ever need, but nothing i possess could compare to you. you mean more to me than all the gold in the world." he leaned down and kissed her lips, tasting the tears that had slid down her cheeks unchecked. "i love you," he told her softly as he pulled away. "we don't have to do this." "yes we do," she insisted. "i love you and i have wanted this for so long. now that it's here, i can't believe how lucky i am. give me a minute," she told him with a blush. "i'll be right back." quietly she slipped out the door, leaving harry to himself. harry sighed. he wanted this more with each passing moment, and he found himself praying for patience. he had to please her, he wanted nothing more than to bring her the pleasure she had envisioned and dreamt of for so long. he only hoped the restraining spell he's found in george's magazine would last long enough for him to accomplish his goals. he quickly removed his jumper and pants, slipping into a terry bathrobe, feeling the softness against his body. he was totally naked beneath the robe, and

the sight of his arousal was evident, as he forced himself to concentrate on the restraining spell he'd used. the magazine said it would last for one hour, and his time was shortly coming to an end, but he still had to refrain from losing control. he opened the bottle of butter beer, pouring two glasses of the sweet cold liquid, and turned in time to see the girl of his dreams walk through the door. she wore the gown he had bought her, looking like an angel come to life. it was a creamy white satin, low cut on the neckline to reveal the cleavage between her round firm breasts. it hugged her figure just as the magazine he had purchased it from had promised. the molding spell made the gown move with her, as she stepped closer to him, never once revealing more than it was supposed to. the long skirt hung to the floor, finishing in a soft lace hem. there were no sleeves, only two very thin straps holding the top up, and when harry looked at her, he could see the star on her shoulder, reminding him that she was indeed his. "you're so beautiful," he whispered, watching the blush creep up her chest to her hairline. "i would never have imagined how wonderful my life could be, until you entered it. now, i can't imagine living without you. every day i realize i love you more than the day before." "i am yours harry potter," she whispered, reaching out and touching his cheek with her delicate fingers. "i love you and will do anything to make you understand that." "make certain this is what you want, ginny," he ordered her gently. "once we start, i can't promise i'll be able to stop. you may need to remember that threat of using a bucket of ice, if i can't" "harry," she told him, stepping to his and leaning into his lips, her mouth barely a breath away. "shut up and make love to me." read? review! author notes: thanks for r/r. sorry but i couldn't resist a little teaser. don't worry, the passion is next and ginny and harry will finally take a walk on the wild side. please continue to r/r. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-five handing her his wand, harry stepped back and allowed her to use it. "circumago," she whispered, causing a pale blue light to stream out of her wand and encase the room in a soft shimmer for a few moments. harry turned back to her, a questioning look in his eyes. she smiled softly, a blush hinting her otherwise creamy complexion. "how did you learn that spell?" he asked her suspiciously. "i heard george use it back at hogwart's when he wanted to be alone with katie bell," she told him. "it's just a basic distraction spell, mixed with a silencer. now nobody will think twice to come in and disturb us." "you're a very cleaver witch, aren't you virginia?" ginny frowned softly.

"you've never used my real name before," she told him shyly. "i've only heard it when mum or dad is really angry with me." "i could never be angry with you, my princess. i love your name, and i love you." harry pulled her back into his arms, kissing her lips until she was quite breathless. he slipped the wand out of her tiny hand, allowing his fingers to linger for a few precious moments, as they caressed each one of her slender digits. he placed the tip of his wand to her lower abdomen, watching the curious expression cross her delicate features. "tempero partus," he whispered, watching as her eyes widened. "it tingles," she gasped, seeing the seductive smile creep across his lips, the question lingering in her honey eyes. "for protection," he told her, watching the acknowledgement cross her face with another blush. "you are so beautiful," he told her, tossing his wand to the end of the bed, and pulling her back into his arms, kissing her cheek and her neck, then leading his lips to the soft spot beneath her ear. harry knew exactly how to excite her, and was thankful for all those months of kissing and petting that had led him to know how she would respond to his touch. "i'm not beautiful," she argued with a gasp, as his tongue began to trace a moist hot path along her jaw line. "i've got too many freckles, and my hair is too thick and stringy." harry chuckled, kissing her cheek, moving her hair away from her shoulders so he could kiss them. he slowly began walking forward, stepping her backwards toward the fur rug, then gently pushed her down to lie on top of it. the roaring fire was warm against their thin clothing, and harry felt the restraining spell he'd cast on himself wearing off quicker than he had anticipated. "for your information, i happen to love every single freckle, and i love how your hair hangs down your back. it's soft and smells like spring, and feels like satin in my hands. and for future reference, miss weasley, i would greatly appreciate your not insulting my one true love. i'll have to get very angry with you." "what would you do to stop me, mr. potter?" she teased, seeing the darkening of his green eyes when he looked up into her face. harry leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, nipping at her lower lip gently with his teeth. ginny gasped, listening to his soft chuckle. "i'll do what i have to, in order to silence you," he told her, an evil grin crossing his moist lips. "show me," she whispered, watching the intent look cross his face. harry leaned over, slowly, as if time itself had no meaning. they watched the other's eyes, as their lips neared, the softness of that kiss was soul wrenching. harry felt like shouting his love for her, from the very top of the astronomy tower at hogwart's. their kiss deepened, their tongues meeting and mingling like dueling swords, tasting and teasing the other. his hands slid up to the straps of her gown, and he looped his fingers around one. slowly and deliberately he slid it down, until it nearly pulled the top of her bodice off her chest. his lips broke free from hers, kissing their way down her neck and across her shoulder. ginny gasped as he led his tongue across the exposed skin of her chest, up the other arm as he pulled the strap away from her skin. he slowly traced the star pattern of her birthmark with his tongue, causing chills to travel across her delicate flesh.

"harry, i love you," she whispered, feeling the warmth of his breath as he came back to her neck and up to her ear. "one last time," he warned her. "make sure this is what you want. once we're done, there will be no turning back. you'll be mine for all eternity." "i'm sure," she whispered, gasping again as he sucked the delicate lobe of her ear into his mouth, his tongue teasing the tender flesh. harry slowly positioned himself to lay part way across her, leaning down he captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue touching hers, challenging it in a daring caress. he slid the tip of his tongue along her teeth, tasting and exploring the contours of her mouth. when breathing became an urgent demand, he left her mouth, his breath coming in deep pants. he kissed her cheek, up to her ear and the delicate spot beneath her earlobe. his hand, which he had forced to remain stationary on her waist, slid its way up her ribs to rest just below her breast. he remembered exactly how she had felt from their last encounter in myrtle's bathroom, he remembered the feel of her breast against his tongue and felt his mouth watering for another taste. his mouth slowly kissed a path down her neck to her chest, as his fingers made their way back up to the strap of her gown. with cautious fingers, he gently tugged the material, until her breast was exposed to the warm tingling of the night air. harry continued to play with her desires, slowly licking his way down to the deep cleavage between her breasts, as his other hand repeated his actions and exposed both breasts to his eager touch. his hands, large and warm covered the delicate mounds, holding them safely in his grasp. harry found refraining from going faster, from taking her with all his effort and power, difficult to resist. the spell he had cast on himself was wearing off so fast, he was having a very difficult time going slow. ginny moaned as his fingers began to caress the delicate flesh of her breasts, pinching gently until the small pebble like nipples hardened beneath his touch. he led his mouth, moist and eager to explore, across her chest to engulf one of her breasts. slowly he teased the delicate nipple with his tongue, then gently suckled it, nipping at it with his teeth until she nearly screamed with penned up frustration. harry smiled to himself. knowing what he was doing to her and how much she was enjoying it. it was just what he needed to hang on to the remnants of the restraining spell he'd cast. as long as she was finding pleasure in his touch, he could somehow find the strength to resist going faster. "harry please," she pleaded softly, glancing down as he looked up into her eyes, smiling brightly. "do you like that?" he asked her knowingly. "please, i need you," she begged, her eyes filled with deep emotion and desire. harry shook his head. "no," he told her in a hushed, husky tone. "you haven't felt what need is yet. be patient, my love. i promise you'll have what you want soon." harry reached beneath her, pulling the material of her gown down her back, penning her arms to her sides with the satin. he gingerly positioned himself fully between her legs, leaning down he trailed his tongue down her breasts again as he suckled slightly harder, causing her to moan louder and her back to arch toward his mouth.

harry reluctantly left the warmth of her inviting breasts, continuing to move his lips down her flat stomach, his tongue dipping into her navel, teasing and testing her depths of desire. he envisioned the pictures he had seen in george's magazine, remembering how the girl had looked when the wizard she was with spread her legs and settled his lips between them. he wanted ginny to feel like that, to feel a passion and need as she had never imagined, and would never grow tired of. he pulled the gown further down her hips, staring with delight at the sight of her creamy skin, free of knickers. the soft mound of tiny red curls called out to him, and he answered them, his lips kissing a warm path toward the spot he would soon fill with his own desires. "no," ginny argued. "you mustn't do that." harry glanced up, his hands continuing to tug her gown down her body, across her long slender legs and tossing it across the room. "why not?" he demanded in a teasing tone. "it's just not proper." harry chuckled, his eyes twinkling a deep green to her. "we're in a room beneath your sleeping parents, and above two very powerful aurors, preparing to make love for the first time and daring anyone to stop us. now what's so proper about any of that?" "that's different," ginny argued, squirming slightly as he laid his weight on top of her, penning her to the soft fur of the rug. "do you trust me?" he asked gently, capturing her eyes with his. "with my life," she whispered. "then trust me to please you. it's what i want to do, ginny, it's what i've dreamed of. please don't deny me this, don't deny yourself the chance to feel true passion." ginny bit her lip in fear and apprehension, but nodded wordlessly. if harry said she would enjoy this, then how could it be wrong? he was never wrong, and she had willingly put herself in his hands. harry smiled, leaning down and kissing her inner thigh, as he pushed himself down to settle comfortably on his objective. his hand slid beneath her hips while his free hand gently caressed its way across her tummy, testing her responses. he played with the soft curls, as he kissed her tummy. he slid a finger between the moist folds of skin, as he kissed his way down her inner thighs, spreading them apart further. he caressed the tender bud of her desire, as his tongue licked moist hot circles around the back of her knee. slowly he slipped a finger inside the wet portal of her desires, hearing her gasp with a mixture of anticipation and shock. he gently pulled his hand out from beneath her, no longer fearing her escape, laying it across her tummy and held her down to the rug as she squirmed passionately beneath him. his tongue continued to lick a path toward his goal, as his fingers played and tormented her desires to dangerous heights. he smiled as he slowly and nervously slipped his tongue gingerly between the folds of skin his fingers had explored and now held open for him. ginny quickly gasped at the sensation, her hips attempting to move away and her hands reaching his shoulders in an attempt to push him away, but her actions were restrained by his arm across her abdomen, his strength too much for her to dislodge. harry ignored her objections as he explored the hot recesses of her passion, and he smiled to himself as she eased into acceptance, moaning at his tongue tormented and teased her ruthlessly. he continued to slowly move his finger in and out of her, stretching the tightness of her virginity,

imitating the strokes his body would show her in a very short time. his tongue licked, his teeth nipped and his fingers caused a throbbing to erupt from the deepest depths of her womanhood. ginny arched her back upwards while her hands grasped his head, holding him to her. she called out his name, her head tossing from side to side, and harry couldn't believe what was happening. his little ginny was climaxing beneath his touch, he was experiencing a true piece of her that nobody ever had, or ever would. harry felt a power burn to life within him, he had never known. he felt invincible, eager to fill her with his own desires. he just had one thing left to do, before he could proceed. he rose above her, his lips quickly kissing their way back to her neck, his fingers continuing to tease her, allowing her to experience every moment of her first orgasm. he reached his free hand out toward the bed, glancing to her passion filled eyes. "accio wand," he commanded, watching as his wand the deep grinding of her hips against him, as he fingers. she looked up into his eyes, seeing the pointed the tip of his wand to her lower regions

flew into his hand. ginny slowed reluctantly removed his seriousness of his expression. he again.

"what are you doing?" she whispered in a deep, husky tone. "i know a spell to prevent you feeling the pain," he told he. ginny wrapped her fingers around the slender shaft of wood, holding it a few inches away from her, shaking her head. "i don't want you to stop the pain," she told him. "i want to feel it. i have to know it's real." "it is real, my darling, but i don't want you to feel this. i don't want to hurt you. please, let me do this. i promise you'll only feel the pleasure." "no harry. you can't deny me this. i've dreamt of having you inside me for so long, i won't let you deprive me of experiencing this. i'm not a fool, i know it will hurt, but i want to feel it. please, don't deny me this." harry looked devastated. he loved her so much, all he wanted to do was spare her the pain he knew he would cause, yet she was denying him helping her. ginny eased the wand out of his grip, tossing it across the room to slide under the bed. "make me yours," she demanded, arching her hips upward until he felt like he was about to explode. he gently eased the tip of his arousal against the moist portal of her body, and stopped. he looked at her pleadingly, but all she did was smile, nodding her approval. slowly he slid inside her tight body, watching the expression that began to cross through her eyes. "it's not too late," he whispered, seeing the tears spring to her eyes. again she shook her head no, refusing him the use of his wand. slowly he pushed forward, feeling the barrier that stopped him from entering her warm body. he continued to watch the pain shine in her eyes, it was gut wrenching as he pressed firmly against it, feeling the stretching of her flesh, watching the tears slide down her cheeks. he hated what was happening to her, he wanted to stop but his body demanded he continue. he had to press onward, he had to complete his descent into her warm body, his own desires demanded him not to stop. the need was too great, and yet he felt horrible for causing her so much grief. he drew a deep breath, and pushed into her delicate body, with one swift sure stroke. once he was sheathed completely, he found a small degree of patience, and leaned down, kissing her neck, allowing her to become accustomed to the feel of his manhood inside her.

"i'm so sorry," he whispered against her ear, kissing her neck passionately, his tongue licking a warm path to the other side. "forgive me," he begged. ginny shook her head. she couldn't speak at that moment, all she could do was reign in her pain, allow her body to consume it and force it to be absorbed. harry leaned up on his elbows, watching her face slowly relax as her body began to grow accustomed to his size. gently he began to pull out, feeling the urgent demand for his own release building behind his movements. he forced himself to remain under control, while he slipped nearly all the way out of her, and then slowly pushed his way back in. ginny's eyes widened at the sensations of his movements, the pain no longer demanding attention, but was rather a dull throb in the back of her mind. she felt him continue to move in and out of her, just as his fingers had done a few short minutes before, but this was no finger, this was him, and she was quickly becoming aroused with the sensations he was causing. she loved the feel of him, and carefully lifted her legs around his hips, feeling him slide further into her. harry groaned deeply, laying his head against her neck and kissing the delicate flesh there. he was losing all thought, all he could do was feel and feeling right now was the most incredible sensation he'd ever experienced. he loved the hot wet portal that beckoned him forward, and he soon began to pick up speed. he had an urgent demand building inside him, he had to know more, he had to feel more, to experience a release so primal the world itself would explode with him. harry leaned down, pressing his weight against her, wrapping his arms beneath her and cradling her tightly against him. he could feel her need building along with him, and within a few breaths she was arching against him again, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as she called out his name. instantly harry felt the primal demand of his release, burying himself fully inside her, the loud growl of release evidence of his first orgasm as a man. moments ticked by as harry lay down against her shoulder, resting on top of the panting, sweaty form of the only girl he would ever experience this with. he felt completely out of breath and absolutely full of love. he couldn't be sure how she felt, though he could guess easily enough, but he knew he hadn't just succeeded in making a woman out of her, but she had made a man out of him. she had made him ginny weasley's man, and he never wanted to be anything else. read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who wrote me and told me to continue writing. especially to r.h. who made me realize that my work is good enough to plagorize. i should be honored that they found it worth stealing. i suppose i felt like my baby was being abused, which i reacted to without thinking. i love writing and i promise, i will not stop! there are more chapters to come and a seventh year story as well, with ideas for an after hogwart's fic. so please, keep r/r. i love hearing from everyone, even the ones who do my spell checking and structuring for me. thanks again, for all your kindness and support. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: thank you, thank you, thank you!!! to everyone who wrote me and asked me to keep writing, i wanted to thank you. i will not allow anyone

to take my passion of writing from me. please keep reading, and if you decide to steal my work again, why not just ask? i'm not that hard nosed, i can give you suggestions or even help you write your own! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter twenty-six ginny smiled, allowing the man above her to kiss her wherever he desired. she felt alive and happier than she had ever known. harry had made her feel that way, and she had spent the last hour trying to find the right words to tell him. she thought she could express it a little while ago, but when he suggested they go to the bed and get more comfortable, she forgot what she was going to tell him. they had no sooner climbed beneath the warm comforter, when he had pulled her back into his arms, smothering her with kisses. it was barely a few minutes later and she found herself lying beneath him again, his arousal pressing against the moist entrance he had visited just a short time before. harry looked down into her eyes questioningly, unsure if he should follow his desires and try to make love to her again so soon, but felt the sensation of relief flood over him when she reached beneath the covers. her slender fingers wrapped around the object of his arousal, caressing and squeezing gently, before she pressed the tip of him against her. they had made love three times in the past four hours, and as the dawn was beginning to break, ginny felt certain they could easily do it again. unfortunately, she was beginning to feel the consequences of their passion, and was very tender to the touch. this hadn't passed harry's keen attention to every detail of her perfect body. he eased off hery, laying next to her on the pillows and pulling her into his arms. "too much, too soon?" he asked her, kissing her forehead. "are you angry?" harry chuckled, kissing her cheek for the millionth time that night. "i sure am. what guy could possibly survive with only three turns of making love to his recently virginal woman? you should be utterly ashamed for expecting me to wait." "you're such a prat," she teased, snuggling closer to his side. "you need some sleep, darling," he whispered, aware that he had kept her up and active, literally all night. ginny yawned, trying to fight the fatigue from creeping up on her. "would i be presumptuous to ask if we could keep this room for ourselves?" she asked. "i love being in here with you, and i love how you decorated it for me. i don't want to ever leave it." "i don't know how your parents would feel, and your brothers may string me up when they learn where you slept last night," he teased her. "but as long as you wish it, this will be our room, and i won't change a single detail. except for a little cleansing spell." ginny glanced to the bloodstained rug by the fireplace and blushed. "i did sort of ruin the rug," she whispered. harry tipped her chin up, kissing her delicate, swollen lips.

"as i remember, you weren't alone in the ruining of it. besides, it can be replaced. i may just keep it in the condition it is, as a reminder of how wonderful tonight has been." "you wouldn't dare? this isn't medieval times when a husband had to prove his wife's virginity by hanging the sheets from his bedroom window, you know." "i know, but i can still be proud of the gift you gave me, can't i? it's a gift we gave each other, and one i will never regret for as long as i live." "i love you harry potter," she whispered again. "i love you virginia weasley." ginny tipped her head up wanting to say something, but changed her mind quickly, laying her face against his chest. harry knew her too well, he knew what she wanted to say and he prayed more than anything that the future would prove in his favor. with a deep sigh he rolled her to her side, and kissed her passionately before looking at her with the most sincere, serious expression he had ever worn. "if i survive my battle with voldemort," he began gently. "i want you to be my wife. i want to make a life with you, and give you at least a dozen little red haired babies to yell at." "you will survive, and i will be your wife. and for your information, our babies will all have dark messy hair, all two dozen of them." harry chuckled, laying his head against the pillow and pulling her back into his arms. "why do i have a feeling you've been planning our lives, all along?" "i have. and i've even planned our wedding. it will be the day i graduate from hogwart's. you'll have to take a leave of absence from your auror training, for at least two weeks. dumbledore will marry us, hermione will be my witness and ron will be yours. my whole family will be there, and we'll send an announcement to those horrid relatives of yours. i'll make certain it's by the largest owl i can find and i may even invite them into our world, just to scare them and give them whatfor. we'll honeymoon on a deserted island where we can sunbath and make love all day and night. and in a year, we'll have little james arthur potter, and a year after that, a little girl named lily hermione, or should it be lily minerva? anyway, we'll keep having them until we're too old, or too poor to care." "you're impossible," harry whispered with a yawn. "impossible and delightful." the two of them fell into a restful slumber, each dreaming of the life she had predicted. a life harry prayed would come true, with his last waking breath. harry stirred awake some time after noon, feeling an odd sense of emptiness. he rolled over in the bed he'd shared with ginny and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. he looked up to see a very naked ginny, at the foot of the bed, two sets of clothes in her hands. she had used his terry bathrobe and snuck out to gather them something appropriate to wear, and had tossed the robe to the back of the chair, revealing herself in all her glory for him to admire. "you are absolutely beautiful," he told her, catching her eye as she smiled. "i am not beautiful. my hair's too scraggly, and i swear i'm going to hack it off, my legs are scrawny, my neck is long and thin and my breasts are too

small and i'm covered in freckles." ginny walked toward the dark haired young man who pulled himself up to a sitting positon in the bed, reaching down to hold his hands. "i thought we cleared this up last night?" he scolded her, pulling her abruptly back down to the mattress, covering her naked frame with his larger one. "i happen to love your freckles, and if you dare try and cut that hair i'll turn you over my knee - which doesn't sound all that bad, after all," he teased her as he reached down and gently caressed the backside he had just threatened. "your legs are not scrawny, they are very sexy, your neck is absolutely delightful and i love kissing every inch of it, and your breasts are perfect. see? they fit perfectly in my hand and that's all that counts." harry leaned down and began kissing every object she had just critizised, paying particular attention to the breasts he delighted in exploring over and over again. "i wish i could see myself thorough your eyes," she sighed, lacing her fingers in his hair and arching upwards for him to have a better angle at the firm warm mounds. "i'm glad you can't," he told her with a wicked smile. "or you might fall in love with yourself and then you wouldn't have any need for me." "i'll always have a need for you mr. potter." "so i'm good to have around for at least one thing, is that it?" ginny used all her weight to push him to his back, straddling his hips with hers, pressing her tender, moist desire against his arousal. "after last night, i'd have to say you're good to have around for several things." "you are going to be in a lot of trouble, if you keep talking like that." "maybe later, right now i have to get downstairs before mum goes ballistic and i want to find a healing charm so we can have a repeat of last night." harry watched as she deliberately slid her body down the full length of his, pressing his hardened desire into the cleavage of her breasts. he groaned his reluctance and sat up, tossing the covers aside, taking the clothes she handed him and slipped them on. "i need a shower," he told her, taking notice for the first time her damp hair and fresh scent. "you go ahead," she told him. "i'll go help mum with dinner. ron went with moony and tonks to collect hermione and the twins promised they'd be here soon. harry," she said soflty, catching him around the waist as they headed to the door. "i never really thanked you for saving percy. i think it would have killed mum if anything happened to him." harry was getting tired of everyone thanking him for something he felt he had to do, but in this case, he was eager for payment. "you are more than welcome, darling. i would never do anything to deliberately hurt your mum, i love her like my own. but if you are eager to make payment," he teased her, backing her against the door as she turned the handle. "i will gladly accept whatever it is you care to offer. say tonight, same place, same time?" "i hate to be the one to interrupt," said penelope, smiling as the two lovers jumped apart. "but mum asked me to come fetch you two."

"oh, um, penny," ginny began as harry slid his arms around her waist protectively. "relax. i won't tell anyone, besides, i'm thrilled you two are together at last. and harry, i know you're worried about the boys, but don't be. they wouldn't dare do anything to upset ginny or their parents." penelope smiled as she turned to leave, then turned back to look at the two smiling at her. "why do i have the sudden sensation to have a cup of tea?" ginny shrugged her shoulders. "it seemed like a common thought for the distraction spell," she told harry when penelope had gone downstairs. harry chuckled, kissing her cheek. "i'll see you in a little while," he told her. "i have to get a shower." ginny watched with admiration as he walked into the bathroom, before going down to the kitchen. if there were any emotion deeper than love, she knew she was experiencing it now. ginny stood by the stove, helping mrs. weasley with dinner. the room was active with the laughter of bill and charlie, who were relentlessly teasing percy about his encounter with trying to change his daughter's nappy for the first time. harry swung the door opened, and smiled at the bright red face of the young man's face, searching the room until he found the object of his desires. "something in here smells wonderful," he said, stepping up behind ginny and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her slender neck. ginny giggled softly, trying to keep her tone under control. "it's mum's fried chicken," she assured him, turning her head to look up at him. harry turned to see the pans of chicken, pots of potatoes and corn, loaves of homemade bread and the large cheesecake sitting around the stove. "huh? oh yeah, that smells good too," he told her, listening to mrs. weasley's soft chuckle as she walked away from where she stood at the sink. "you're incorrigible," ginny scolded, turning around and wrapping her arms around the boy's neck. harry eagerly kissed her, accepting the promise her lips offered, giving her one of his own. "get a grip, harry, will you?" ron complained as he, hermione, lupin and tonks joined the group. "looks like he has one, ron," bill chuckled stepping up to the stove and pouring a cup of coffee. "yeah, on our sister," percy grumbled. "wonderful, isn't it?" penelope added, punching her husband's shoulder. "how has your holidays been hermione?" mrs. weasley asked, waving her wand and watching as plates and utensils began flying out of the cupboards and drawers to land in place on the table. "i had a wonderful time, thank you mrs. weasley," hermione said with a large smile. "my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins were all there. it was a very large event." "does your family know you're a witch?" harry asked, sitting at the table next to

her, pulling ginny onto his lap, regardless of the looks percy continued to give him. "no, i think they'd probably be worse than yours if they knew. know, i've been going to boarding school in france. my parents my grandmother granger, because she's more open minded, but my absolutely go berserk if he knew. maybe someday our two worlds as one."

as far as they wanted to tell grandfather would will live

"what do you think they'll say when they meet this guy?" ginny said, pointing a thumb across her shoulder to ron. "thanks a lot little sister," ron grumbled. "i think it'll be fine," hermione said with a soft blush. "they are really great people, but it's not them he has to impress." "then who?" ron asked with a look of terror. hermione smiled at the expression on his freckled face. "just me, ron. nobody else really matters." "what about your dad? i thought he was going to murder me when i kissed you goodbye at the station." "no he wasn't," hermione argued. "'mione, he was looking at me like i had just transfigured into aragog." "oh, ron, don't be ridiculous. my dad really likes you. in fact, he wanted me to ask you to come to our house for new years. he wants to get to know you better." "bloody hell, he wants to murder me!" ron exclaimed, receiving a room full of laughter at his expression. dinner was an event like any other, filled with good food; lots of laughter and a full hour of teasing ron about what mr. granger had planned for his new year. moody arrived shortly before dessert, and dumbledore appeared shortly thereafter. the house was a joyous place to be in, and harry and ginny found it easy to laugh and converse, even though their minds kept traveling upstairs to the room that awaited them. dumbledore kept looking at the young couple suspiciously, causing both to blush on several occasions. they continued talking as they all retired together in the sitting room, the boys gathered around ron's new chess set, taking up odds who would be the first team, and the girls took up residence around baby molly. harry and ron were first up to play, but neither really had their minds set on the game. harry kept staring at ginny who played and cuddled percy's baby, while ron continually watched hermione, licking his lips and blushing. the game concluded after nearly forty minutes, and only by pure luck did harry notice the fatal move ron made, setting himself up into a perfect checkmate. when percy insisted on playing against harry next, the younger boy felt it was to prove a point, or to make a statement about harry not being good enough for his little sister. harry and percy played a ruthless game, with harry winning by three moves. next was bill's turn, but harry bowed out, insisting he had a headache and needed

to practice his occlumency lessons. he glanced to ginny and smiled, then left the room, heading up to the room he shared with ron. he quickly gathered together a change of clothing and was about to take it across the hall, when the door opened and percy stepped in. he looked at harry and frowned, or maybe it was the same frown he'd been wearing since he first saw him and ginny together, harry wasn't sure. "may i speak with you?" he asked, glancing to the change of clothes harry had in his hand. harry cleared his throat softly, tossing the clothes back on his bed. "sure. i was just going to take a shower. what's up?" "i want to know what's going on between you and my sister," he said, standing as harry sat on the edge of his bed. "what would you like to know percy? how many times i've kissed her, what we've said to each other when we're alone, the plans we've made for our future, or how many times i've shagged her?" percy narrowed his eyes on the boy, a definite warning etched on his face. "i am not as naive as my parents seem to be," percy insisted. "i know what's going on between you two and i think it's inappropriate and it needs to stop." "what are you talking about?" harry felt his pulse begin to race. he felt like their secret was out, but then he remembered how sneaky percy could be at hogwart's. he always had the idea that he could trap someone into making a commitment or admitting to guilt by using reverse psychology, but he really wasn't very good at it. "don't play coy with me harry, i know you. i've seen how you look at my sister. you want her don't you?" "yes," harry said boldly, watching the expression of shock on the other man's face. "i want to make her happy, i want to see her smile and i want to hear her laugh. i love your sister, and i believe dumbledore, she is my destiny, my soul mate if you will. i know what she's thinking and i know how she's feeling, even if i'm not near her. i would do everything in power to protect her and keep her safe. now, if you're asking me if i want to make love to ginny, then i'll have to decline answering. that is something for her and i to discuss, not for you to know about. i will not dishonor your sister, if that's what's bothering you, and i will never hurt her. but other than that, the rest is none of your business. ginny is a young lady of her own design, she does as she wishes and her will is something that cannot be stopped. i appreciate your being worried about her, but you don't have to worry about me. i will never do anything she isn't ready for, or doesn't want." percy stood as if frozen in place. his arms were folded across his chest, and the look of surprise etched boldly on his freckled face. "she's my sister," he told harry, who looked down at his hands folded in his lap. "i know that, "harry answered, then stood up and faced the other man. "do you want to curse me for loving her? do you want to jinx me for trying to make her happy? or would you rather just punch me in the nose, because she's in love with me too?" percy didn't know what to say or exactly how to react. he wanted to do all those things and more, but it just occurred to him, harry was right. he would never hurt ginny and she was in love with him. if anyone could protect her, it would be harry potter. without a word, he turned and walked

out of the room, leaving harry to stare after him. "that was some speech," phineas said from his painting. "did you mean it?" "every word of it," harry said, turning back and gathering up his clothes again. "why didn't you tell him you've already shagged the girl?" harry froze, then turned and looked back to the painting. "how do you know what we've done?" phineas laughed openly from where he stood against the frame. "haven't you noticed the painting above sirius's bed? it's mine, or rather one of mine. i must admit, you definitely know how to please the young lady. she seemed quite content when you finally went to sleep. i'll be honest, i am a bit jealous. even in my prime, i was never able to make love to a woman more than twice in a single night." "i do not appreciate your spying on us," harry snapped angrily. "you have no right watching us." "calm yourself potter," the painting said. "it wasn't as if i were spying on you. i was merely curious about who was in sirius's bedroom, and when i saw how you had decorated it, i was intrigued. you should feel proud. you made that little girl's first love experience memorable, but i can't help wondering if you've created a monster. i heard her telling that bushy haired friend of yours, that she couldn't wait until you made love to her again." "she told hermione?" "girls do that sort of thing, you know? they can never keep their mouths shut when it comes to anything of importance, especially love." just then the door to the room opened and ron walked in, followed behind by the two girls they were just discussing. harry turned an angry glare to the little red haired girl who stepped to his side. "you told hermione?" he growled bitterly. ginny flinched momentarily, and then looked into his eyes boldly. "hermione is like a sister to me," she told him. "i had to speak to someone who could help me find a healing spell. would you rather i had told my mum?" "i could have helped you find the bloody spell, you didn't have to go blabbing it all over the house." "i didn't blab it to anyone except hermione, and she wouldn't tell anyone." "except for me," ron said with a bright red blush. harry turned an angry glare on both of his friends. "easy there mate, you and i were just talking about it last night before anything happened. what's the difference between that and the girls talking?" "because we weren't talking in front of nosy painting, who is eager to make sure everyone knows it." "now see here, potter," phineas argued. "i am not nosy, and might i remind you, i saw the two of you last night. shall i describe exactly what you were doing, or how many times you pleasured your little girlfriend?"

"shut up," harry snapped. "i can't believe this. i might as well go tell the rest of the family how i shagged their sister. just let me get the rope for them, first. i'm sure none of them would have thought to bring their own." "harry don't be ridiculous," hermione insisted. "you're reacting over nothing. nobody knew about it except for us, and we've never hidden anything from each other. hell, you were even out in the hall when ron and i did it the first time." "that's different hermione," harry bitterly snapped. "your encounter wasn't planned." "harry please," ginny began, and then cowered slightly at the look in his angry eyes. "phineas, get out. and don't try going back into the other room; i'm destroying that painting. and as for you," he told ginny stepping very close to her. "i hope you found the spell you were looking for, because you're going to need it for another part of your anatomy." "what do you mean?" she asked shyly. "remember what i promised if you threatened to cut your hair? think hard about it, ginny, because the way i feel right now, punishment for your hair is going to seem like a picnic." with that said, harry left the room, his hand grabbing hold of ginny's wrist and pulling her behind him. ron was about to follow, when hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm. "leave them to work this out," she ordered him. "but 'mione, he's going to hurt her. didn't you see that look on his face?" "ron, it's harry we're talking about. if it were malfoy he was confronting, he'd probably challenge him or beat him to a bloody pulp without a second thought, but it's ginny that's with him. he won't hurt her." "how can you be so sure?" "because i know what love can do to two people, and we both know harry. he would never raise a hand to the only person in life, he truly loves." ron returned the hug hermione offered him, smelling the sweet aroma of springtime in her soft curly hair. he only hoped she was right. harry could be very dangerous when needed, and it was his little sister that was with him and his temper. if anything happened to her... read? review! author notes: please r/r, i love hearing from everyone. thank you again for all your support and encouragement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-seven harry paced the room, back and forth, over and over. he was furious. he wanted to scream at ginny, he wanted to yell and cuss, he wanted to punch something

really hard. but he couldn't. he loved her, and right now that was the only thing that was holding his temper in check. ginny sensed this, and relaxed, sitting in the middle of the bed, having witnessed harry's temper as he used his wand to set phineas' painting on fire, moments before it vanished into thin air, leaving only the shadow of where it had once been above the bed. she watched him torment himself for ten minutes, occasionally punching the chair as he passed or kicking the bed's posts. ginny understood his frustration; harry was a very private person. it wasn't so much that he didn't want ron and hermione to know, in fact she was certain he would have told them personally when the time was right, it was more the idea that they had been watched by phineas. it was the fact that their perfect night had been sullied by an unseen set of eyes. ginny was tired and watching harry pace the floor was making her feel worse. it had been a long day and it was nearly midnight again. everyone had gone to bed ages ago, and the house was still and quiet. misty had cleaned the room earlier that day, so there was nothing for her to do while harry tried to reign in his emotions. they had managed only a few short hours of sleep last night, and even though she would like nothing more right now than to repeat their night, especially after having already used the healing spell hermione helped her find, she was growing tired of waiting for harry to say something or do something. without hesitation, ginny stood, retrieved his wand from under the bed, and cast the distraction spell on the room. harry barely noticed what she had done, as she went to the door, locking it just to be safe. she then stepped back around him, slowly unfastening her shirt and slipping it off her shoulders. it wasn't until she had removed her skirt, that she noticed harry had stopped pacing and was watching her. a part of her felt embarrassed, while another part of her was intrigued and wanted to torment and tease him into a good mood. she turned her back to him, slipping her knickers off slowly, before reaching around to the back for the fastenings of her bra. she didn't have a chance to unhook them, when a hand came up, stopping her. harry wrapped his free hand around her waist, as his other hand easily unfastened the elastic strap at her back. his breath was warm and tickled her neck, as he bent over her, slipping her bra down her slender arms and tossing it to the floor. harry's hands reached out and cupped her delicate breasts, warming them and caressing them into responding. he leaned over her, licking a path from her shoulder to her ear with his tongue, before tracing the contours of her tiny lobe. she could feel his arousal pushing gently into her backside. she leaned backwards pushing against him, resting her head on his shoulder as he continued to caress her breasts with one hand, his other slowly making a path down to the soft mound of curls between her legs. ginny knew his anger had been burned away, the sight of her body, the body he craved now more than breath, had made him forget everything else, but having her. "i'm still new at this whole love thing," she whispered as his teeth began to graze her neck, his fingers toying with her hardened nipple. "should i deny you pleasure since you've been horribly mean to me, or should i forgive and forget?" "you should definitely forgive and forget," he whispered into her ear. his fingers began to part the fold of skin between her legs, making her feel suddenly weak as he found the bud of her desire and began to stroke it. "that's not what my mum would do," she warned him. "she would make my dad sleep on the sofa until he promised to behave himself."

"there's no sofa around here," he told her, amusement etching his words as he felt her restraints weakening. "there is in the sitting room." "all right," he told her taking a quick step backwards. "i'll go sleep there." ginny stumbled at the sudden loss of the human wall behind her, and was caught inches above the floor by a pair of strong arms. harry chuckled as she gasped in surprise lifting her up and cradling her as she had done downstairs with baby molly. "you are such a prat," she scolded him, leaning her head against his shoulder as he carried her to the bed and laid her gently to the covers. "i was only doing as you suggested. it's not my fault you don't know how to stand on your own two feet." "why should i stand, when i have such warm, strong arms to support me?" "now who's being the prat? you know what your problem is, miss weasley? you're spoiled rotten." "so you're saying i even taste spoiled?" harry narrowed his eyes as he crawled onto the bed, instead of lying next to her, he quickly covered her naked body with his own, still fully clothed. "are you hinting at something, ginny?" the blush that crept up her face, started at her breasts and harry found himself inspecting every pink inch of her delicate body. "i think you know what i want, harry. please?" harry leaned down into her arms, kissing her neck and whispering in her ear. "tell me," he challenged her, knowing she would never ask him directly. "no," she told him, her pink flesh turning red. "i can't, it isn't proper." "i don't want proper in my bed, ginny. i want you, every beautiful, desirable, delicious inch of you. tell me, or i won't do it." "i can't," she whispered shyly. harry chuckled, sensing her desire to tell him what she wanted him to do, but knowing the newness of their relationship wouldn't permit it just yet, no matter how much he pleaded with her. "shall i guess at what you want me to do for you?" he teased, looking at her as she nodded her red head. harry sat up slowly, inspecting her slender, sexy frame with great interest. "let's see," he began, as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off his muscular shoulders. "would you like me to kiss your neck?" ginny nodded, and harry pulled off one shoe. "what about your ears? i know you like it when i lick them, shall i do that as well?" again she nodded, her cheeks a fire red as he pulled off his other shoe. "would you like me to kiss you here?" he asked her, gently caressing the dip of her neck, feeling the pulse beneath his fingers pick up speed. he bent over and kissed her, his tongue darting out to taste the pulse that pounded beneath his touch.

"do you want to know where i would like to kiss?" he asked her, reaching for his belt and tugging it free from the loops of his jeans. ginny nodded frantically, as he bent over her, taking one of her hardened nipples in his mouth and suckling it deeply. he delighted in the gasp he offered him, and then relished the deep moan that escaped her throat. this new game of theirs was making him extremely excited, just the idea of teasing her this way, it was new and intriguing and he was actually quite enjoying it. who would ever have thought that trying to get a girl to ask you to kiss her, could be so much fun? "would you like me to touch you, too?" he asked, standing up from the bed, and pulling his jeans off his well defined and definitely aroused body. ginny blushed deeper than he had ever seen before as he knelt on the bed next to her. "i don't think i will touch you," he told her, watching her eyes dart up to him in surprise. "i think you should do a little exploring of your own. after all, i spent the better part of last night getting to know your beautiful body. maybe it's time you got to know mine." ginny smiled a wicked grin and sat up on the bed next to him, pulling her legs under her. harry saw the glint in her eyes as she leaned forward and kissed his neck. slowly and silently, she trailed hot kisses down his neck, across his shoulder and over his chest. harry knew he wouldn't be able to hold back much longer, especially when her tongue began to trace circles around his small hardened nipples. "lay down," she ordered him, moving aside so he could stretch out on the mattress. harry obeyed, and lay on his back, his hands caressing her shoulders, playing in her hair and cupping her cheek as she continued kissing him. he couldn't believe she was doing this, her lips traveling to his ribs, her fingers caressing and tracing each bone that protruded beneath his taunt skin. her lips were hot and sensuous as she kissed her way down his stomach, her hands reaching further down to caress the soft hair of his thighs. he was nearly spent, and knew there would be little restraint left in him, if she continued on the path she was heading. but the idea of stopping her never entered his mind. instead, he remembered a picture from george's magazine, and recalled how intrigued he and ron had been when they watched the girl in the photo doing what they both wanted their girls to try. ginny's hand traveled up his inner thigh, as her lips traveled down, her tongue caressing his smooth flesh. her fingers found their target and cupped the soft, tender flesh between his legs. he flinched slightly, placing his hand over hers and smiling. "easy there," he whispered. "they're attached." ginny smiled as her free hand began to stroke the length of his desire and her tongue darted out to caress where her fingers were playing. harry closed his eyes. this couldn't be happening, it was too wonderful for words, too delightful to be real. but it was and when she opened her mouth to take him in, he felt like he had died and went to heaven. she was such a surprise and such a delight that he couldn't move for what seemed like hours, but as he felt his passion mounting, he knew this was not where he wanted to be when he found his release. he eased her away from him, smiling as he gently pulled her back up to the pillows, laying her on her back and covering her with his warm body. he kissed her passionately, knowing there would be no way at the moment for him to repeat her exploration of his body, with hers. he had to be inside her, he didn't have much time and nearly exploded as he touched the tip of his engorged arousal to her moist, hot portal. without thought, passion controlling his actions, harry pushed inside her savagely, listening to her gasp of desire as he began rocking against her. his hips picked up a rhythm that she quickly matched, and within

moments they were clinging to each other, their cries of release echoed in unison, desire too overwhelming, too consuming for either of them to speak. "i take it you're not that upset with me anymore," ginny asked after a few minutes to regain her composure. harry rolled off her, pulling her into his arms next to him, their legs wrapped around each other. "i suppose i overreacted. i'm just not used to being the center of attention, i mean i really don't like people knowing that much about my life. i am sorry if i scared you." "you didn't. i knew you wouldn't hurt me, you were just angry. i don't think phineas will ever want to cross you again though." "i can't believe he watched the entire night," harry said, a deep blush creeping up his cheeks. "it's just like when myrtle watched me take a bath in the prefects bathroom." "when did that happen?" ginny asked with a smile, leaning up on her elbow next to him. "when i was trying to figure out the second clue in the triwizard tournament. i don't know how long she was there, but i'm sure she saw more than she should have." "that's why she's so intent on you, harry," ginny teased. "who wouldn't want you after seeing your magnificent body." "it was two years ago, i was barely fourteen, and there wasn't much to see. you're such a prat." he pulled her back down to lie next to him on the mattress, kissing the top of her head. it was a whole new experience for him, to laugh and joke with a girl, to feel so many emotions within a single span of time. it was a new world for him, and he was happy to be in it. as long as he had his ginny, there was nothing that could go wrong, and nothing that they couldn't face. ron rolled over, lighting the candle on the bedside table. he rubbed his eyes with his palms and looked at the young woman who was lying asleep next to him. the smile he offered her was warm and genuine. he never imagined he could love this nosy, book-smart, know-it-all, that just a few years ago he could barely sit in the same room with, without poking fun of her or making her angry. still, her anger was one of the things he found intriguing, weird to him as that sounded. "what time is it?" hermione asked, stirring awake next to him. ron glanced at the bedside clock. "half past two," he told her, then lay down and gathered her in his arms. "why are you up so early?" "i couldn't sleep. i was thinking about meeting your parents. 'mione, i'm really scared. i know your dad isn't going to accept me, the way you think. he's going to murder me, when he finds out i've taken your...that is when he learns we're...oh, hell." "ron relax," hermione chuckled. "my mum knows and she's all right with it."

"she what? you told her? are you mental?" ron sat up in bed, staring at the girl as if she had three heads. "relax. i had to talk to someone, and i needed some questions answered. i told her what happened, and about the potion, and how it was all my idea. she wasn't angry, in fact she found the whole thing amusing. she actually laughed at me, when i told her bit the buttons off your shirt." "that was pretty funny, if you think about it," ron smiled, receiving a punch in the arm from the girl lying naked beside him. "sorry, but you have to admit, looking back on it, it wasn't exactly the most romantic setting for our first time." "well, you made up for that last night," hermione said with a blush, watching the color creep up ron's neck. "where did you learn all those things you did?" ron's color deepened as he smiled at her. "i actually read them in a book." hermione stared at the boy with wide eyes, a look of shock on her creamy features. "i don't believe it. you were reading, during the holidays, and you weren't told you had to?" "it's not that big of a deal," ron said, leaning on his elbow next to her, brushing her hair out of her face. "harry and i had questions too, and we weren't about to ask my dad, so we had to do something." "so what kind of a book was it?" ron cleared his throat softly, then reluctantly reached beneath his bed, and pulled out the magazine of george's. "you were reading a smut magazine?" hermione said in surprise. "don't knock it, 'mione. i got a lot of ideas from that smut, and as i recall it, you weren't all that upset last night when i tried them out on you." hermione blushed, opening the book and looking at the pictures, finding the ones that ron had mentioned. "this isn't really considered a book, you know? there are very few words." "there are some really interesting articles, though," ron told her, turning the pages to the article harry found most interesting. hermione read the words and smiled. "so this is where most of your ideas came from, huh?" "harry said it wasn't too late to make up for our first time. i figured, you deserved something better to remember." hermione's eyes began to fill with tears as she reached up and hugged the boy next to her. "i love you ronald weasley," she said with a sniff. "if you love me, then why are you crying? what did i do this time?" hermione chuckled, shaking her head. "you are so funny sometimes. i'm not upset, i just think it's wonderful that you were so concerned about making me feel better about what happened. last night was marvelous, and i absolutely love what you did."

"would you like a repeat performance?" ron asked, kissing her neck. "are you sure that protection spell will last?" ron eased her beneath him, spreading her legs so he could find the right position. "it was an extended spell," he told her leaning down and gently kissing her breasts. "it will last for two weeks, before we have to repeat it." hermione gasped gently, as he sucked her pebble hard nipple into his mouth. "two weeks will take us through the rest of the holidays," she whispered, as he began kissing his way down her flat stomach. ron chuckled, remembering how she had insisted a short time ago, that this was not proper and he proved to her, proper or not it was very pleasurable. "it may be enough to last, but we'll have to remember to renew it when we get back to school." "are you thinking we'll need it?" "yeah," he said in a patronizing tone. "we'll probably use every closet in hogwart's more than my brothers ever did." "i will not make love with you in the closets," hermione argued, and then gasped when his fingers found their target. ron smiled, knowing it wouldn't take much to convince her to being with him wherever and whenever he wanted. he now knew what it took to turn this library-loving girl, into a puddle of molted lava. "what about the astronomy tower," he asked, as he kissed the tender skin of her inner thighs. "no," she whispered, a little less sternly than before. "what about the mcgonagall's classroom?" he asked, his lips kissing the soft mound of curly brown hair. "no," she whispered softly, no longer really listening to what was being asked of her. "how about anywhere i ask you to?" he said, the tip of his tongue sliding between the folds of skin, touching the bud of her desires. "yes," she moaned, and ron smiled brightly. he knew how to close this girl's books and make her think of other things. he knew it wouldn't take much to convince this girl, this girl who would one day be his wife, into letting him please her. and pleasing her was what he desperately wanted to do and never stop. "have you figured out the rest of the prophecy yet?" the image of dippet asked from his painting, looking down to dumbledore. the old wizard glanced up to his former headmaster. he had been trying to figure out the prophecy for months, but had yet to understand the last of it. "i know it should be simple, but i can't put my finger on it." "it has something to do with lily's sacrifice," the aged, fat witch said from her perch above the current headmaster.

"'the mother's blood would prove strong, and through the son, the fall of darkness will be,'" said dumbledore, more to himself than to the others. "'the light is green and so a flame will grow,'" stated phineas, repeating part of the prophecy he had heard over the past sixteen years. "'the flames of passion will be the undoing,'" dumbledore muttered softly. "what green flame could it be referring to? i have found no writings about a green flame. lily's sacrifice has given harry unique gifts, more than we have ever anticipated. now that he's joined with his soul mate, the powers they possess together will only grow. it won't be long before the connection is tested. if it is meant to be, they will soon have the mind of one." "do you think potter will be strong enough to deal with all that has been prophesized?" phineas asked, watching from his painting as dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "he is only a boy, but he is powerful and more mature than we could ever have hoped for. the time is coming, and all we can do is hope that he will be ready," dumbledore leaned his head back against his chair and closed his eyes. "if only we could understand the last of the prophecy. if only i could find the green flame, maybe we could help harry so he won't feel so alone." "he's not alone, remember?" the old witch said again. "he has the girl and the other three points of the star to help him." "but that puts another damper on the moment," phineas complained. "is the last point malfoy or longbottom?" "i wish i knew. both could be the missing link, and then again there is another to consider." "who? there are only the two, who have lost their mothers. they both have reason to join the fight against the dark side." "there is another, though she has not lost her mother in the same manner, she could easily be the missing point." "she? who?" asked the old witch with a frown. dumbledore looked up from where he sat, a frown to match hers creased his brow, his head pounding with the thoughts and confusion he'd been dealing with for the past sixteen years began to make themselves known, in a painful manner. he closed his eyes again, the images of the three who could be the last to join the fight filtered in front of his closed eyes, as he told the old headmasters the name of whom he had been considering, "miss luna lovegood." read? review! author notes: thank you everyone for continuing to r/r. to p.l. who privately emailed me with concerns about those who are bitterly commenting on different parts of my story. i tried to email you back, but your address was not responding. please don't be upset. i don't mind it. in fact, i think i'd be upset if everyone loved my story. the fact that they read it proves it captures their attention, and their comments are appreciated. maybe it's things i considered; maybe it's things i've over looked. i take some of them to heart, others i just pass off. either way, i continue to write this my way, regardless of the criticism. it is my story, nobody else's. please continue to r/r i love hearing from everyone, good or bad.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter twenty-eight the skies were cloudy and gray; the thunder of a storm echoed the stillness. ginny looked out the window, seeing the first drops of rain begin to fall. she had to go, it was getting late and she had to get home. she stepped out of the shop, pulling her hood over her head and gathering her bag closer to her. she began walking down the street, the chill from the winter's storm beating against her in angry pelts. the rain was cold, and the threat of it turning to snow was imminent. she could feel the chill already soaking into her slender flesh, as she hurried to the shop down at the end of the street. there would be warmth there. she'd be able to get home and back to harry through their fireplace. if only she had thought more rationally before leaving, she would have considered the weather, she would have thought about wearing something warmer than this little tee shirt and jeans. she reached the store, just as the rain began to pour harder. the clock at the other end of the street chimed three, as she pulled her cloak tighter around her, reaching for the door handle. the idea of a warm fire, and a mug of hot chocolate weighed heavily on her mind. at first she didn't see the shadowed figure standing between the buildings next to her. but as she turned the handle to open the door, the shadow moved and she saw it with a start. "miss weasley?" the raspy voice said, barely above a whisper. "miss ginny weasley?" "yes," ginny answered, narrowing her eyes to see the face behind the cloak. "i have a message for you to give to albus dumbledore," the cloaked figure said. ginny relaxed, her hand on the door's handle fell to her side, as she reached forward. instead of handing an envelope over to the girl as she expected, the figure raised his wand. ginny's eyes widened, her mouth opened to scream, but she was silenced instantly. "avada kedavra," the voice said, as a stream of green light flashed from the end of the wand. ginny fell backward, her bag being tossed from her arm, her slender frame hitting the stones in an eerie crash of death. "maybe dumbledore will know better than to steal what is mine," the voice said, then turned and walked back into the shadows. "no! ginny!" harry sat straight up in bed, sweat streaming from his face, his heart pounding violently in his chest. a warm hand touched his shoulder, causing him to jump in alarm. he turned to see the girl sitting next to him, his eyes trying to focus on the image, trying to distinguish if it was real or not. "harry, it's all right," ginny said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "it was just a dream." "no, it wasn't," he told her, wrapping his arms around her so tightly, she could barely breath. "it wasn't a dream. oh, god, ginny. it was a premonition. you're going to be killed. oh, god, please don't let this happen." "harry it won't happen," ginny assured him. "i'm here, it was just a really bad dream."

"no, it wasn't. it was real; it's going to happen and i'm not going to be there to stop it." "but you already have, harry. you've seen it, and you know what's going to happen. that means it can be changed. remember percy? you stopped him from being killed, you'll stop this too." "i can't live without you, ginny," he began to sob, holding her tighter. "everyone i've ever loved is gone, i won't lose you too." "you won't, harry, i promise." ginny struggled out of his grip, to hold his head in her hands, watching the tears streak down his face. "i love you, and i will never leave you." she kissed his lips gently, then pulled away again. "maybe we should contact dumbledore. do you remember the dream?" harry nodded, as ginny slowly crawled off the bed, looking at the clock. it was ten after nine; everyone was up or soon would be. "we can send an owl to hogwart's. he should be here by dinner time." "ginny," harry began, as she gathered her clothes together, and began to dress. "please, you have to stay close to me. i wasn't there in the dream. i have to be there, i can't let this happen." ginny sat on the edge of the bed, holding him again. "without you, i'll die. there's nothing for me to live for." "nothing is going to happen to me, harry. i am with you, i'll always be with you." ginny held him close, cradling him in her embrace. fear was beginning to filter its way into her, but she knew that there was a way to stop it, percy had been saved and she would be too. she just had to convince harry to not worry, but it was a task above anything she had ever done. downstairs was a kitchen full of weasleys, along with lupin, tonks, moody, and dumbledore. ron and hermione had joined them a short time ago, and were currently being teased again about what mr. granger had planned for their visit next week. harry and ginny joined them, both looking a little paler than usual, harry walked on weak legs, finding a chair and sitting into it quickly. he held ginny's hand, and refused to release it, pulling her down on his lap. the room became deathly quiet as the two joined them. harry looked physically sick, his skin ashen and his hands trembled. "harry had a bad dream," ginny told them, watching the expression on dumbledore's face turn quite serious. harry shook his head, looking up at the aging wizard. "it wasn't a dream," he whispered. "i saw ginny...a man came out of the shadows and...i wasn't there to stop it. i can't let it happen." "oh, dear god," mrs. weasley gasped, sitting in the chair next to her husband. "what did you see harry?" dumbledore asked, breaking the tense silence. "ginny was in a shop, i think it was in diagon alley. it was cloudy and it began to rain. she left the shop and walked to a store at the end of the street, but i couldn't see which one, when she reached for the handle...he came out of the shadows. he said he had a message for you," he glanced up to the headmaster, his voice shaking as he spoke. "he used the killing curse. he said you would understand to not steal what was his. we can't let this happen, professor. i won't let ginny die."

"she won't," lupin said, although not as reassuringly as he had hoped. "we'll be there for her," tonks said, making certain harry understood the greatest aurors would protect her. it helped relieve a bit of his anxieties, but not much. "can you tell us anything else?" moody asked. "do you know who it was, or what day it was?" harry shook his head. "it was cold and rainy, and the streets were deserted. the clock struck three when she reached the store at the end of the street. that's when he came up to her. he knew her by name, so he must know her, or know of her." "he said i would know not to steal what was his?" dumbledore said thoughtfully. "do you know who it may be?" ron asked, his face nearly as pale as his friend's. "perhaps. can you think of anything else, harry?" harry thought for a minute and frowned. "there was something," he said focusing on the dream. "he had a ring on his left hand, it was the hand that held his wand. it was a blood red stone, with a golden m in the center." "what is it professor?" hermione asked, seeing the look of acknowledgement on his aged face. "nothing." he stood and walked toward the door. "i don't want you leaving this house," he told ginny as he passed. "stay close to harry, and don't worry. i'll take care of this." mr. weasley followed dumbledore out of the house, as did lupin, tonks, moody and three elder weasley boys. harry sat with ginny on his lap, holding her tightly to him. he wouldn't let go, even when she tried to get a cup of tea. "i'll just be a moment," she told him softly. "i'm not going anywhere." harry smiled. he knew he was being stupid, and released his grip on her, but watched every move she made. he was never letting her go, he would never stop watching her. ginny fixed the tea, then turned her attention to the eggs and pancakes sitting in the pans on the stove. she quickly fixed two plates and took them to the table, setting one in front of harry. he smiled at her, as she handed him the fork, remembering the first time she had ordered him to eat. it didn't seem that long ago when she was just ron's little sister to him. he would do anything to protect her then, but now he would die to do it. he would not allow anyone to take her from him. "harry," ron said after a few minutes of watching him eat. "do you think it was malfoy, or one of you-know-who's death eaters?" "no. it was just like my premonition of percy. my scar didn't hurt, so it couldn't have been voldemort, but i think it was the same person. the voice was the same." "who would want to hurt ginny, in order to get a message to dumbledore?" hermione asked with a frown. "it doesn't make sense." "it doesn't matter," ginny said. "it isn't going to come true, since i'm not going

anywhere alone." "please don't make light of this," harry said quietly. "i don't know how, but this premonition is going to come to life, and i'm not going to be there for you." "harry, it's not going to happen," ginny insisted. "your telling dumbledore about this, is enough to stop it from coming true." "dumbledore did seem to know more about this then he was letting on, didn't he?" hermione said, sipping her tea. "now no more talk of this," mrs. weasley said, her tone slightly shaky. "professor dumbledore will take care of everything, and there will be no need to worry." harry glanced up at her, seeing the concern and worry in her eyes as she looked at ginny. he wasn't the only one who would suffer from her death, she was the only girl in the weasley family, and her loss would be great to everyone around her. the next few days was spent in much the usual way, housework was done with the routine grumbles and complaints, games were played and homework was completed, but one thing stood out among the norm. ginny was being watched every step she took. if she went to the kitchen, someone would follow her, if she went to study, someone was there. even harry made a point of going to her room after mrs. weasley checked to make sure she was asleep, to see if she needed anything, or to invite her into their room for the night. at first, ginny found harry inviting her down the hall fun and exciting, knowing they would spend the night making love, but the last night or two she began saying no. with everyone watching her every move, she was frustrated and angry and refused any time alone with the man she loved. she knew it wasn't his fault, he cared about her and after all the losses he had endured in his short life, he was worried about losing her too, but she couldn't stand being watched like this. she felt that her time with harry was just another excuse to make certain she wasn't alone, where she could sneak out or be coerced into leaving the safety of grimmauld place. the morning before ron and hermione were supposed to go to the grangers for new years, found ginny's mood worse than ever. she had taken a shower earlier than usual, and left the room only to find bill actually sitting in a chair across the hall from the bathroom. he claimed to be looking for somewhere quiet to sit for a few minutes, but ginny didn't fall for it. she lit into him, ranting and raving like a banshee, until everyone in the entire house was on the second floor. she didn't care who heard what, she didn't care whose feelings she hurt, just so long as she could scream. when she turned to go back into the room she shared with hermione, she saw harry standing in the doorway of the room he shared with ron. "and don't go thinking i'm going to let you tell me i'm being irrational," she screamed at him. "i am sick to death of everyone staring at me, and watching me. especially you! you're supposed to be on my side, not theirs. you're supposed to be helping me find a way to get away from their gawking at me, but you're in it with them. i hate everyone. just stay away from me!" with that said or rather yelled, ginny slammed the door to her bedroom so hard the picture of a desert scene fell from the wall, and shattered on the floor. harry stared at the other occupants gathered in the hall, then turned slowly and returned to his room, closing the door behind him. and so the day went. nothing seemed to go right after that. mrs. weasley argued

with the twins about their constant pranks, even though they had not set a single one all holiday, mr. weasley fought with percy about his wanting to return to the ministry to work, and even penelope found fighting with hermione and tonks about their lack of effort in cleaning house a temporary release of frustration. eventually lunch was served, and the entire household found speaking unnecessary. ron and hermione had argued about what kind of clothes he wanted to take with him, and ginny and harry hadn't spoken since her screaming match that morning. it was after twelve noon, by the time the half eaten plates of cabbage stew was pushed aside, and everyone found somewhere else to be. harry had retired to the room he shared with ginny, sitting in the middle of the bed, his arms folded across his chest as he just thought about his life, the direction it had taken and where he was today. ginny had gone into the study, slamming the door on ron who tried to join her, while hermione went up to her room. everyone was pretty much frustrated and worried, no word had come about the perpetrator who had attacked percy or the threat on ginny, and no news was definitely not good news. it wasn't until two thirty that harry felt a sudden twisting in his stomach, like a knife being driven into the pit of his soul. the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he jumped from the bed, running down the stairs. something was wrong, and he knew it without even seeing it. he ran into the kitchen where mr. and mrs. weasley sat with percy, bill and charlie. he flung the door open so hard, it hit into the wall, causing the room's occupants to jump and spill tea across the table. "where is she?" he demanded, looking around the room. "where's who?" percy asked angrily, wiping the hot tea from his new pants. "ginny, where is she?" "last we saw, she locked herself in the study," bill said, as he and charlie took note of the look on harry's face. "why? what's wrong?" charlie asked, as ron, hermione and tonks joined them, having heard the door slamming. "she's gone," he said, turning and pushing his way out the door. the study door was locked, and instead of using his wand, harry's panic forced him to kick it open. he found the room much as he expected it to be, empty. the old grandfather clock struck two thirty, and harry looked at the fireplace. floo powder lay on the floor in front of the brick opening, indicating the recent use of it. "i'll send word to the advanced guard," tonks said, turning and rushing out of the room. "oh, my god," mrs. weasley gasped. "where could she have gone?" "she went to diagon got to get to her." a few moments later and the weasleys in in hand.

alley," harry said. "and it's going on three o'clock. we've he ran out of the room and up the stairs, reappearing with his cloak and wand in hand. he was met by lupin, tonks, the study, where they had gathered, all with wands

"we sent word to moody, he'll meet us at diagon alley," lupin told him, walking to

his side and placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "don't worry harry, we'll find her." "we have to go now, time's running out," harry insisted, stepping to the fireplace and reaching for the floo powder. "maybe you should stay here," mr. weasley suggested. harry looked at him, a stern expression on his young face, making him look years older than he truly was. "no," harry said, turning and retrieving the floo powder. "diagon alley," he said, clearly and plainly. he felt the usual rush surrounding him, and closed his eyes, keeping his arms tucked close to his side. he focused only on the girl he had to try and protect, but he knew they were running short on time. the old clock chimed two forty five when he stepped into the fireplace, which meant there was less than fifteen minutes to search all of diagon alley. harry emerged from a fireplace in the magical menagerie's shop. he ignored the shocked look on the shopkeeper's face, as mr. weasley and lupin emerged right behind him, followed by bill and charlie, ron and hermione, tonks and percy. "i beg your pardon sir," mr. weasley said. "but did you happen to see a young lady today, long read hair about this high?" he asked holding his hand up to where he thought ginny would stand. "yes, as a matter of fact i did," the dark haired man said, adjusting his glasses on his nose and looking past mr. weasley to harry. "she seemed in rather a snit." "where did she go?" harry asked, ignoring the look from the other man, who suddenly recognized the scar on harry's forehead. "down the street, mr. potter," he said in a shaky voice. "i'm sorry, if i'd known you were looking for her, i would have stopped you. i don't want any troubles with you, sir." harry ignored the man and hurried out the door, looking in the direction the shopkeeper had indicated. the streets were deserted, just as they were in his dream. the clouds were thick and gray and the clap of thunder echoed like a giant's growl in the stillness. harry's heart began to pound violently. he had to find her, time was running out. he didn't wait for the others to catch up to him; he took off running as hard as he could, his wand in his hand, rain beginning to splatter across his face. he didn't know where he was going, or what direction he was heading, but he knew his heart was leading him, he would find her, but when was the problem and fear that kept his legs moving. visions of his dream came hauntingly back into his mind, filtering before his eyes. he was living the worst nightmare of his life, and he was powerless to stop it. the clock at the end of the street behind him chimed three and harry nearly screamed her name, seeing her standing by the entrance to the twins shop. she was trying to get home; she was going to be attacked on her own brothers' doorstep. harry ran harder than he ever had, his heart pounding, his side aching, his breath in heavy painful pants. then he saw him, through the sheet of rain pelting him. a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows a wand in his hand. harry was closer to her, but not close enough to protect her. he raised his hand, the only thought in his head was saving ginny, he couldn't allow his dream to come true. he pointed his wand in the man's direction, barely twenty yards from him. without

thought, he began to whisper the words "avada..." "no!" ron shouted, grabbing at harry's arm. "expelliarmus," hermione shouted and watched as the robed figure flew through the air, landing a few feet away, in a crumpled mass of dark robes. ginny nearly fell to the ground, as the door was jerked open and her brothers emerged, wands in hand. harry ignored everyone around them, and ran straight to the girl, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her hard. "what do you think you're doing?" he demanded angrily. "i warned you not to leave, didn't i tell you not to leave the house? why didn't you listen?" ginny began to sob, shaking uncontrollably. "i'm sorry," she said weakly, as harry wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him as tightly as he could. his breath was coming in hard pants, his heart beating harder than it ever had. he couldn't tell if he was more angry or scared at the moment. but one thing he did feel was relief. ginny was still alive, though not by her careless acts. harry closed his eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to escape. he glanced across her shoulder, seeing bill and charlie rushing to the unconscious figure's side, wands raised and angry stares etched on their faces. bill pulled the cloak back to reveal the face of the man who attacked not one, but two of his siblings. he looked back to charlie then turned to where mr. weasley stood guard. "it's fudge," he said. "it can't be," percy said in astonishment, stepping around his brothers. lying in a crumpled heap was indeed the pudgy figure of cornelius fudge, the minister of magic himself. read? review! author notes: thank you and please keep r/r. i love it. there's more excitement to come, so stay tuned. hope you like how it plays out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: sorry about so much fluff and smut, but once i get started, it's hard to stop. hope this will make up for lost time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter twenty-nine "go to your room," harry snapped, the moment they entered grimmauld place. ginny turned and saw the angry glare in his eyes, and for the first real time since knowing him, she felt afraid of what he might do. "but harry, please," she began, hoping to dissipate some of his anger. "now, virginia," he ordered in a soft growl. "i don't want you near me right now. go to your room, and stay there." ginny turned and ran up the stairs, tears streaking down her cheeks and anguished sobs echoing down the hall. harry ignored the eyes that stared at him, as he pushed past them, going into

the kitchen. mrs. weasley was there making dinner, and looked up as he entered. the expression on his face made even her cringe, and she remained silent until the others joined them. mr. weasley went to his wife, placing a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "ginny's fine," he assured her. "she's upstairs." "did you catch him?" she asked, wiping the tears from her face. "yes," mr. weasley began, glancing to harry as he took a cup of tea and sat down at the table. "who was it?" she asked, staring from one face to the other. "it was cornelius fudge," bill said, his voice was still filled with shock. "the minister?" mrs. weasley asked, sitting at the table. "i still can't believe it," percy said. "i knew he had it out against dumbledore, but i would never have imagined he would do something like this." "it makes sense," charlie said. "you were investigating the ministry, so he figured you were investigating him. in order to stop you, he decided to sick the dementors on you. who better than the minister of magic himself to order a dementor to attack someone." "i thought the dementors were with voldemort?" ron asked, from where he sat next to harry and speaking the dark lord's name openly without hesitation. "there's no proof of that," lupin said. "but it's likely they are, or at least most of them." "the ministry has their own dementors," percy said. "there is always a need for additional support for the prison, so when needed, the ministry calls in reinforcements. i can only assume that's where the two who tried to attack me came from." "bloody hell," ron said softly. "you should have let me kill him," harry said softly, causing the room to become silent. "i couldn't," ron told him. "you would have gone to prison if you'd have used an unforgivable curse, especially on the minister himself." "it wouldn't have mattered," harry said in words barely audible. "if i'd have lost ginny..." "you didn't mate," ron said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "you saved her, just like you saved percy." "why did she leave the house?" he whispered again. "because she's stubborn, just like the rest of us," bill said, drinking his tea. "she hates to be told what to do, especially by the people she loves." just then the door to the kitchen opened and professor dumbledore walked in, followed by moody, tonks and lupin. dumbledore sat in his usual seat and accepted the tea mrs. weasley offered him, before turning his attention to the room.

"what's happened with fudge?" charlie asked. "he's been placed under arrest, and will be transferred to our allies in russia." "did he say why he did it?" mr. weasley asked. "he thought i was after his job, and when he found percy snooping around his files, he figured i was trying to find something on him to force his resignation. he's been extremely paranoid since learning of lord voldemort's return. his popularity has slipped, and he's lost a great deal of supporters after learning that he was warned of this two years ago." "i should have been more careful," percy said, running his hand through his hair. "there wasn't anything you could have done," dumbledore insisted. "he placed charms around every corner of the ministry, in order to locate the spies against him. what he didn't count on was his spells helping us filter out voldemort's spies." "you caught them?" bill asked in astonishment. "no, but at least we now know who they are. it's only a matter of time." "but that leaves us with the problem of no minister," percy commented. "without a minister of magic, the death eaters will be able to get back into the ministry and find the secrets to hogwart's defenses as well as gringott's security." "we have a temporary minister, but a permanent one will need to be in place before the end of next month. i've placed additional charms on the ministry, but they will only last for sixty days. we'll have to have a new minister by then." "any ideas who will be elected?" bill asked. "no, but i have made my suggestions. time will only tell." dumbledore turned his attention to the young man at the end of the table, who was sitting silently, his own attention on the cup of tea in front of him. "how did you know she had left the house, harry?" dumbledore asked, the tone of his voice indicating that he already knew without hearing the answer. "i don't know for sure," harry said honestly, his tone still slightly shaky. "i was upstairs and i just...felt it. i knew something was wrong." "your connection with her has grown, much deeper than i would have anticipated. that is a good thing." "how is it a good thing?" harry asked, his tone bitter but his voice soft. "she was nearly killed today, and i wasn't there." "but you were there, harry," dumbledore clarified. "she was never in any real danger, you knew where she was and you stopped her from being injured. your powers are growing much faster than i would ever have predicted." "i don't want them," harry said, placing the heels of his palms against his eyes, to stop the tears that threatened to flow freely. "i'm only sixteen, i don't want all these powers. i want the dreams to stop, and i just want to be a

normal teenager. i didn't ask for any of this. i just want to be normal." "i'm sorry harry," dumbledore said, sympathy etching his voice. "i wish i could take all of this away and give you back everything that has been taken from you. but you can't run away from who you are. you can't run from your destiny." "i can't do this," harry said, his voice shaking with his grief. "i can't lose anyone else. i can't lose her, she's my whole life." "harry," a soft voice said from the doorway, causing harry to look up, his eyes red with unshed tears. ginny stood like a little girl, her delicate face streaked with tears, her nose and eyes swollen and red. she held her hands together, a tissue twisted between her fingers, her shoulders shaking with the sobs that raked her insides. "harry, please don't hate me. i'm sorry i made you mad." harry couldn't bare the sight of her grief, and went to her, pulling her into his embrace. he couldn't stay angry with her, he loved her so much, and having her in his arms was the greatest form of medicine he could ever have asked for. "i can't lose you, ginny," he whispered in her hair, as he held her tight. "without you, i have no reason to go on. you're the only thing in my life that makes sense." "i'm so sorry," she sobbed. "i didn't mean to disobey you, i was just so angry and i couldn't bare another minute of being watched. i thought i could get there and back before three o'clock. i figured the twins were there, i'd be all right." "ginny, don't ever do anything like that again, please. you have to listen to me. i know things you'll never understand." "why don't you two go upstairs," mrs. weasley said, blowing her nose in her handkerchief. "we'll let you know when supper is ready." harry turned and walked out the door, his arms wrapped around ginny. the door closed behind them, leaving the others to wipe away their tears. "why does all this have to happen to harry?" mrs. weasley grumbled, wiping her eyes on the old cloth in her hands. "we have no choice, molly," dumbledore said. "voldemort chose harry, and because of that he has to be the one to face him. we'll all be there to support him and back him up, but the final battle has to be between harry and lord voldemort." silence fell across the room for several moments; the only sound was that from the pots on the stove and ticking of the clock. "has voldemort learned of the rest of the prophecy?" bill asked, breaking the silence. "not yet, but there is the threat he will discover it," dumbledore said. "he is still very interested in knowing the meaning of it. i only hope i can figure it out by the time he does learn of it." "why do so many people know of the prophecy, professor?" hermione asked. she knew of it, because ron told her everything, and she knew ginny knew about it, because harry told her, who in turn also told her best friend. but she couldn't understand how so many others knew. "isn't it dangerous for so many to know about it?"

"only those who are closest to harry know of the prophecy," dumbledore explained. "select members of the order have been chosen, in order to help prepare him and protect him, but there are things that have yet to be revealed. things that still need exploring. lord voldemort will never know of the fullest meaning of the prophecy." "will harry?" the girl asked again, aware that the old wizard had still not relayed the entire prophecy to the one it was meant for. "perhaps when the time is right," the headmaster said softly. "how long has potter and the girl been lovers?" moody asked boldly, his magical eye staring at the ceiling above him, where sirius's old bedroom stood. "what?" percy snapped, glaring at the old deformed man. "well, from what i can tell, it's not their first time." "i knew he couldn't be trusted," percy said, heading toward the door, followed close behind by bill and charlie. "sit down all of you," dumbledore said gently, catching the three from leaving the room. "but albus," bill began. "he's upstairs with our sister." "do you know what he's doing to her?" percy growled angrily. "i'm very much aware of what they are doing. i am very much aware of what all my students do, and where they do it," dumbledore said, glancing briefly to ron and hermione, causing both to blush openly. "now come sit down and have a nice cup of tea." the three boys reluctantly returned to their seats, as silence fell around the room again. it took several moments before percy felt eager enough to clear his throat and speak. "what did you mean, you know everything your students do?" he asked, shifting slightly in his seat. dumbledore laughed, making his features seem a lot younger than he truly was. "i have known everything my students do, for many years. the stories i could tell you." "can you tell us any about harry and our sister?" bill argued. "nothing you'd care to hear." "i can't believe we're just sitting down here, while they're doing...god knows what upstairs!" charlie barked. "they look like they know what they're doing," moody answered, his magical eye still trained on the ceiling. "alastar moody, take that eye off that ceiling, this instant," mrs. weasley snapped, watching as the man jumped in his seat, looking at the woman with both eyes.

"i think it's disgusting, that we're down here allowing this to take place, in this very house." percy was beginning to get angry again, forgetting the concern of his former headmaster knowing what his students did while in school. "it's harry's house," ron said, issuing the only thing that came to mind in support of his friend and sister. "what difference does that make?" percy snapped. "percy weasley, you are a hypocrite," penelope snapped, slapping her husband's shoulder. "penny, please, this isn't the time for that." "time for what? as i recall, you and i were about their age when we first..." "penelope clearwater weasley, do hold your tongue," percy commanded, his face turning nearly as red as the apples sitting on the table. "let me tell you something, percy ignatius weasley, if the walls of the astronomy tower could speak, they'd have many tales to tell," penelope said, her anger matching that of her husband's. "every young couple who goes there, since the beginning of time, has carved their names among the rafters and stones. and what stories do you think they would tell, william, or charles? what about you arthur? not to mention stories i'm sure george and fred would be eager to hear?" the room was silent, the occupant's faces red and their eyes cast down. dumbledore hid his smile at the astonished look on ron's face as he inspected each of his siblings - and parents. "yes, well," the headmaster said. "as much as i would love to stay, i do have work to do. there's a lot that must be done, in order to arrange a new minister of magic." "but professor," percy said, glancing to his wife. "what about harry and our sister?" "why do you think their bond is so strong, mr. weasley?" dumbledore asked, rising from his seat. "why do you think harry knew she was missing, and in which direction to look for her? why do you think he has put his own life on the line for her, since she was held in the chamber of secrets? they are destined for each other. their souls are one. since their...union, shall we say, that bond has grown deeper than any i've ever seen. you do not have to worry about either of them. harry will never hurt her, no matter how angry she makes him, and she will never lead him astray. they complete each other. i know you love your sister and you care for her, but there is no need. harry will never let harm come to her, i know that. especially after today." dumbledore stepped to the door and glanced back, looking over his shoulder. "if you love your sister, you will give her this chance. she and harry are destined to be together, but if you continually interfere, you will drive them apart. is that really what you want for your sister? for her to be unhappy the rest of her life? together they are strong, apart they will never survive." with that said, the old wizard left the room, and left the occupants to consider what he had said. as much as they loved and wanted the best for their sister, they all had to admit, it could never compare to what harry felt for her, or how much harry was willing to sacrifice to keep her safe. in his arms, ginny was whole, and together there may be a chance for a future for both of them,

as well as for the wizarding world. the next morning was less tense than the past few days had been, with the exception of ron's emotions. he had spent the past two hours pleading with hermione not to make him go to her house, to get to know her parents better. he was convinced her father was going to want to murder him the minute he looked at hermione wrong. breakfast was eaten with amused smiles, as ron continued to complain about what mr. granger would do to him over the next twenty-four hours. if he lived long enough to go back to school, he promised to be nicer to snape and do all of his homework faithfully, before it was due. nobody believed him of course, but it lent way to quite a bit of ribbing on his brothers' side. harry and ginny sat quietly listening to the argument, smiling occasionally to each other. they felt sympathetically for the boy, but couldn't help laughing at the jokes being thrown at him. harry was about to wish his friend good luck, when hedwig came soaring through the window, from her daily hunt for winter rodents. attached to her leg was a rolled parchment, with surprisingly familiar penmanship. he took the note and unrolled it, offering the owl a piece of sausage. he began reading it with a frown. "what is it harry?" ron asked, watching the expression cross his friend's face. "it's from st. mungo's hospital," he said. "professor lockhart has asked to speak with me. he said he has something of importance to tell me." "yeah, he's misplaced his mirror and wants to report it as stolen," ron grumbled, receiving an angry glare from the girl at his side. "i wander what he wants with you?" percy said with a frown. "i guess i'll find out this afternoon. he's arranged for me to visit him at two o'clock." "that's very odd," mrs. weasley said. "from the last i heard, gilderoy lockhart could barely spell his name, much less remember individual people." "wasn't he a resident with neville's parents?" ginny asked, remembering what ron had told her last year about seeing the longbottoms in the same ward as the former dada professor. "yeah, he is." "very odd," mr. weasley said, echoing his wife's concern. "i don't think you should go alone, harry," lupin said. "i agree," tonks chimed in. "i'll arrange for a member of the guard to go with you." "is that really necessary? it's just gilderoy lockhart. what harm could he do?" "we can't take any chances harry," lupin said. "i can go with you if you'd like?" "i really think it's unnecessary."

"harry please," ginny said suddenly. "i don't have a good feeling about this. you can't go alone." harry stared at her with a frown, then nodded, seeing the concern on her young face. "all right. i'll take moony with me. it'll be all right, i promise," harry said, leaning closer to her and kissing her cheek, then fell into her hug as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "ginny take it easy, nothing's going to happen to me. i'd know if it were." "i can't help it. i'm scared." "i'll be careful, i promise. besides, i'll have moony with me. who better than a werewolf to protect me." "we'll take ron and hermione to the station, and go to hospital from there," lupin said with a smile, proud his young friend wanted him as a protector. "i'm contacting dumbledore," mrs. weasley said quickly. "if there's any problem, i think he should know about it." "this is all silly," harry said, and then saw the tears in ginny's eyes. "all right. you can use hedwig, she's the fastest owl alive and the most reliable." "we'd better get ready, if we're going to make the train," hermione told ron, nudging his arm. the two left the room, followed by harry who had to change and wash up before leaving. once they were out of the room, ginny turned to tonks and lupin, the tears she had forced to remain in her eyes, rolled down her cheeks. "he's in danger," she warned them. "i know it. you have to protect him." "don't worry, gin, we will," tonks promised, stepping over to her and placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "he'll be all right, i promise." ginny smiled as she watched lupin and tonks leave the room. she couldn't help it, but she knew something was brewing, and she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, a feeling she didn't like and wanted to stop. harry was walking into danger, and somehow she knew it. if only she could be with him, maybe she wouldn't have this feeling that he was about to...die. read? review! author notes: thank you everyone who continues to r/r. i love hearing from you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty st. mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injuries was filled with visitors for the holidays, injuries occurred during the holidays and accidents caused because of presents from the holidays. the welcoming witch who sat behind her desk frowned as harry and lupin stepped toward her. she looked ragged and tired and eager to a cup of tea and a headache tonic. "i believe we are expected by professor gilderoy lockhart," lupin said, watching the woman flip through her page book.

"he's on the fourth floor," she snapped bitterly, handing them each a visitor pass. "leave your wands with the guard and be sure to stay no longer than twenty minutes. visitors on the fourth floor should not become overly excited." harry and lupin took their passes and headed toward the stairs, climbing them in silence. ginny's fears were weighing heavy on harry's mind, and he insisted the twinge of fear and warning that played out in his mind was a result of her concerns. they were in a hospital, nothing could happen to them here. there were too many guards and people around to risk causing a scene of some kind. the guard that sat at the far end of the fourth floor passage, looked up as lupin and harry approached him. they smiled politely, stepping up to the man who raised an eyebrow at them. "may i help you?" asked the man, his voice deep and gruff, his rugged jaw set at a stern angle. "we have an appointment to see professor gilderoy lockhart," lupin said, watching as the man scanned the list of permitted visitors. "i don't have you on the list. who invited you?" "the professor did, just this morning," harry said, watching as the man flipped page after page. he stopped on the back page, reading a note and looked up at harry, scanning the boy's forehead obviously curious to see the scar hidden beneath the hair that needed cutting. "i only have one visitor listed here," the guard said. "who are you?" he asked, looking to lupin. "i am remus lupin, from the ministry of magic. i am harry potter's personal guard." "harry potter needs a guard?" "no, but those who confront him may," lupin said with a warning smile. the man sneered at the comment, then held out a basket. "place your wands in this and sign in," ordered the gruff man, then stepped aside and pulled out his keys. harry and lupin did as ordered, following the man to the door and waited patiently as he unlocked it. "you have twenty minutes," the man growled. "do not make the patients upset, do not give them gifts and do not over excite them." lupin looked up at the man, nearly a foot taller and two feet wider than he and nodded, edging harry through the door. harry looked around seeing the familiar setting from last year. mr. longbottom was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, and the bed next to him, once belonging to his wife, was vacant of occupant, bedding and warmth. a sad feeling suddenly struck harry, making him feel nauseated, as he looked down the row of beds to find lockhart staring out the window. "professor lockhart?" harry said, stepping to his side. the man turned around, his eyes focusing on harry and for a few moments he merely blinked. then as recognition began to filter through, he smiled and reached a hand out to the boy. "professor gilderoy lockhart, nice to meet you young man."

"yes sir," harry said, shaking his hand. "do you remember me?" "i do indeed," he said with a smile. "you're the reporter from the praying dolphin." harry looked to lupin with a frown. "you're here to interview me on my misadventures of the dragon's lair." "um, okay," harry said, glancing around for a medi-witch to assist them. "do you remember sending me an owl today, professor?" he asked. "an owl, filthy rodents, good thing we have rats to hunt them down, wouldn't you say?" lockhart said, sitting down on his bed and crossing his legs. "biscuits?" he asked, pouring tea into the saucer beneath his cup and slurping it up. "what's going on here?" asked the heavy set medi-witch who stepped up behind them. "i'm remus lupin from the ministry of magic," the man said, turning to inspect the woman's gruff exterior, wondering briefly if she were related to the guard. "the professor sent an owl this morning, requesting to speak with us." "i'm not surprised. there are times when he seems nearly normal, and then there are times like now, when he couldn't tell you the difference between a slipper and a broom." "what's happened to him?" harry said. "we were here last year, and he seemed on the road to recovery." "he was, until the longbottom woman died. strange, they were both making remarkable improvements too." "alice longbottom was improving?" lupin asked her, glancing back to lockhart who was currently holding down a conversation with the teapot. "indeed, she was actually able to recall several events from before her attack," the medi-witch said, sounding much less the gruff nurse and more the motherly caregiver. "she had just recalled her son's birth, and was asking to see her baby. a few days later, she was dead." "we heard that she died from results of her attack, is that right?" harry asked. "heavens no. her death is still a mystery. she and the professor there were talking about their time at hogwart's, and the next thing we know she's dead and the professor can barely recall his own name." "was there anything odd that happened to either of them, that could have caused this?" lupin asked. the medi-witch looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shrugged her shoulders. "the only thing out of the ordinary was a visit from mrs. longbottom's brother the day before she died. he brought her a box of lemon tarts, her favorite." "her brother?" lupin asked in surprise. "she didn't have a brother." "are you sure? i'm certain he said he was her brother, maybe it was her brotherin-law. he came with his wife, a rather rude woman if you ask me, foul tempered and nasty." "could you describe them for us?" lupin asked.

"there was nothing out of the ordinary," the woman said, taking the book lockhart was trying to comb his hair with away. "rather distinguished looking man, sophisticated, well mannered, blond hair very polite and well refined. his wife left much to be desired though. she was dressed quite smutty with a tight skirt and barely half a blouse covering her. she was tall and slender, black hair and heavy eyelids. she was very arrogant and was anything but kind to mrs. longbottom. strange, now that i think about it, mrs. longbottom seemed afraid of her for some reason. when she kissed her good-bye, mrs. longbottom was white as a sheet. quite strange." harry and lupin exchanged glances, acknowledgement dawning on them both. "did mrs. longbottom eat any of the tarts they brought her?" harry asked. "why yes she did. she offered one to professor lockhart, but i don't think he ate any. he was quite intrigued with the teas mrs. longbottom's brother brought her. there's one of them," the medi-witch said, retrieving a small can of tea and handing it to them. "quite expensive selection, if you ask me." "did they sign in, like we had to?" lupin asked, taking the tea and smelling it. "why of course. everyone must sign in when they visit and when they leave. it's the rules." "can i see the logs for that day?" the medi-witch looked at the man for a moment, and then shrugged her shoulders. "i don't see what good it will do, but you are welcome to look." lupin glanced to harry as the witch walked away. "stay with lockhart," he instructed. "see if you can't get something out of him. i'll be right back." harry nodded, looking back at his former professor. "professor, do you remember mrs. longbottom?" harry asked, sitting down next to the man. "yes, nice lady. she liked lemon tarts," he answered. "yes, that's right. do you remember the people who visited her before she died?" lockhart looked up at harry and frowned. "died?" he asked. "she died, i didn't even know she was seeing anyone. who's the mother?" harry frowned. "what?" "you must have a mother in order to have a baby, don't you? maybe it's a bottle you need, or nuts, i can't recall when it rains." harry's frown deepened. the man's mind had gone from a state of obliviation to a completely crossed wired circuit board. he stood and prepared to leave, when a hand reached out and caught him by the arm. lockhart was looking at harry with a frown of his own, his eyes trying to focus on the boy as if he was trying to recall where he had seen him before. "harry weasley, right?" he asked in a soft tone. "harry potter," harry corrected.

"yes, harry potter, yes that's right. i have something here," he said scavenging through his many books and papers sitting on his bedside table. "very important. i remembered something, i must tell you. my mind you see, not what it once was, had to ride it down." "write it down," harry corrected, watching as the professor found a rolled up parchment and smiled. "take it, but don't read it until you're gone. it's not very safe here, you know. the woman, she should have been at the quiddich game with us, remember? when i repaired your broken arm. yes, she would have seen her brother there. he was there, you know. watching with professor snipes. too bad she wasn't there; she could have had a nice visit with him. didn't like him much though, and that cat he had with him. she wasn't very nice. kept hissing at her." harry frowned, taking the parchment and slipping into his muggle coat he wore. lockhart seemed intent on him knowing something, but couldn't bring his thoughts together to form a full memory. "harry, let's go," lupin said abruptly as he rejoined him from an inner office. "i have to get to the ministry." "what is it?" harry asked. "i'll tell you on the way out." they left the room, glancing back to lockhart who was currently holding down a conversation with his pillow. they signed the log, retrieved their wands and left the fourth floor, harry following close behind lupin. "moony, what is it?" harry demanded. "i believe i know who it was that visited mrs. longbottom the day before she died." "who?" "think, harry," lupin said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "distinguished blond male, well mannered, sophisticated." harry frowned thinking, and then gasped as he looked at the man next to him. "lucius malfoy," he whispered. lupin nodded. "and if i'm not mistaken, the woman who was with him was..." "bellatrix lestrange," harry finished with an angry look. "we've got to get to dumbledore. if malfoy visited alice longbottom, then her death wasn't an accident." "but why would he want her dead?" harry asked. "she was of no use to him. she could barely remember to blink, much less be of any harm to voldemort or his followers." "don't you remember what the medi-witch said? she was beginning to recall certain things about her past. the new therapy they were trying, was starting to work. she was getting her memory back. she must have remembered something they didn't want anyone else to know about." "like what?"

"i don't know, but i'm sure dumbledore will. he would know what their last mission was, before bellatrix tortured them into the state they have been in for the past sixteen years." harry opened the door, walking into the now deserted waiting room. his thoughts were on the parchment that was rolled up in his coat, and as he was about to tell lupin about it, the hair on the back of his neck stood up on end and he froze in mid step. "something's wrong," harry told him, causing lupin to retrieve his wand and look around quickly. "are you sure?" he asked. "yes. someone is here, i can feel it." "dumbledore said your occlumency lessons had advanced to levels he couldn't explain. try using them, reach your mind out and see if you can locate them." "how?" harry was astonished that the man had asked him to do something so bizarre as to search with his mind for someone. "remember what you did to severus at the house? you used your mind against him, you can do it again. concentrate harry, you can find out where they are." harry closed his eyes, practicing his lessons and quickly cleared his mind. visions of a cloaked figure came into view behind his closed lids. "he's behind a statue, no a water fountain. he's waiting for us." "there's a water fountain in the lobby," lupin said, edging harry back towards the stairs they had just left. "can you still see him?" "yes, he's still there, waiting." "come on, we'll go down to the basement and leave that way." "but we can't let him get away," harry insisted. "we won't. we can circle around and come up behind him. come on, let's go. keep your mind on him, harry." harry continued to concentrate, but stopped on the stairs. "there are two more down here," he said in a hushed whisper. "it's a trap. they're trying to get us to go down to the basement." lupin thought for a moment, trying to figure out which way was best. "can we go back up to the main lobby?" he asked harry in a hushed tone. "yes, there's only one up there." "that's our best bet." the two of them slowly and quietly returned the way they had come, as to not attract attention from those waiting below. they opened the door again, looking around the hallway. there were a number of rooms lining the passage, but nothing that would help them find their way out. "here, in here," harry said, looking into the window of a room across from him. he picked up the healer's cloak hanging on a hook and slipped it around his shoulders. "i can use this to distract him, while you circle around behind."

"no, harry it's too dangerous." "we don't have much of a choice," harry insisted. "it's either this or we just walk out with our hands up. either way, we're in for a fight." "all right, but be careful. dumbledore will kill me if i let anything happen to you." "just keep me covered. i'm not all that anxious to prove ginny right." harry stepped out of the office, pulling the hood of the healer's cloak over his head and walking forward, his wand held tightly in his hand beneath the cloak. he could still see the figure in his mind, crouching behind the water fountain and as he neared the front desk, harry paused, taking up a chart that was left lying on the counter. he pretended to be reading it, keeping the image in his mind. he stood there for several seconds, seeing lupin sneak around the side of the room, but he was blocked. all that lay ahead of him was open space. there was no way for him to get around, without being seen. harry knew he had to do something. without thinking, harry began banging on the counter top. "where is everyone?" he shouted, causing the cloaked figure to edge a little way out of his hiding place, allowing lupin a chance to duck behind a row of seats. "come on, where is everyone?" harry shouted louder, seeing the legs of the greeting witch from behind the wall of the office behind the desk. "isn't anyone working here?" harry continued to shout, as the cloaked figure grew bolder, sneaking a few steps further out from behind the fountain. instantly harry turned, wand in hand, and without a second thought, a stream of rope escaped the end of his wand, wrapping securely around the cloaked figure. lupin jumped out from his hiding place, walking up to the side of the struggling figure. "stupefy," lupin said, silencing the man's noise. "have the others been tipped off?" harry concentrated for a moment, and then shouted. "duck," as a stream of light flew out and struck the plant near where they stood. "i take that as a yes?" lupin said. harry frowned, edging around the back of a row of seats. "now what?" harry asked. lupin looked at the boy, locking eyes with him. without words, they knew what they had to do. "go left, i've got the right," harry said. instantly the two rolled out from their hiding place, wands raised and curses issued. sparks flew around the room, as one shouted a spell over the other. they were in the heat of battle, when harry saw something flash in his mind. "moony, head toward me," he shouted, hearing the sound of a body falling nearby. he tried to reach out his mind, but had to fire a counter spell in order to protect himself. a moment later, a hand landed on his shoulder, as tonks pushed him aside in time to prevent having his head blown off by another spell. "where did you come from?" he asked her, seeing the smile cross her face. "don't think i'd let my two favorite men walk into danger without me, do you?" she asked, ducking a spray of green light. "where's moony?" harry asked, rising up from behind his hiding place and firing his own spell. "i'm all right," he heard lupin shout from across the room. "we could really use some help," harry said, ducking a rather nasty red flame.

"that's what you have potter," mad-eye moody said, shouting from behind a support pillar to his left. the battle continued for several minutes, until the scream of a man echoed through the room, and a door slammed shut. "he's getting away," dedalus diggle shouted, jumping over the figure lying on the floor, his purple hat falling from his head as he ran toward the stairs. mundungus fletcher and kingsley shacklebolt leaned over harry and tonks checking on their welfare, before looking up, following diggle into the stairwell. harry stood up and brushed off the dust and upholstry that had covered him from the many attacks. moody was at his side in a flat second, his magical eye scanning the area as he placed a reassuring hand on harry's shoulder. "you all right potter?" he asked, his good eye inspecting harry. "yeah, but how's moony?" harry turned and saw lupin slide back towards the wall, his hand supporting his leg. "it's just a break," lupin assured him as he and tonks rushed to his side. "what a better place to get hurt, than in the waiting room of a hospital?" tonks looked frightened, but quickly recovered, slapping the man's arm. "what a mess," emmeline vance said walking through the rubble of the once sterile hospital lobby. "anyone check on the staff?" harry looked at the woman, then to tonks. "don't worry, i'll check on them," emmeline said, turning and ordering two other men to follow her. "lets see if we can get you looked at," tonks said, as she and harry helped lupin stand on his leg. she used her wand to bind his leg, giving him the support he needed to walk to a chair. "looks like you owe ginny an apology," lupin told harry with a wicked smile. harry rolled his eyes. "do you have any idea what this is going to do to her? i yelled bloody murder at her just yesterday for walking into danger, and here i ignore what she tells me and i do the very same thing." "so, how you going to make it up to her?" tonks said with a twinkle in her eyes. "the same way she made it up to me i guess. i'll let her yell at me, and then i'll let her make love to me," he finished his comment with a smile and a blush, as the two with him chuckled happily. "just tell me one thing?" harry said after a moment. "how much longer before school starts again?" read? review! author notes: how's that for a little extra twist? please keep r/r. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-one harry handed the parchment lockhart gave him, to dumbledore, watching as the

wizard unrolled it and began reading its contents. the kitchen at grimmauld place was becoming the common meeting place of any and all information concerning voldemort, or his followers. harry felt pleased that he, ron, hermione and ginny were finally being accepted into the fold, to a point at least, but on the other hand, he felt overwhelmed that so much was happening in such a short time. "i also got this from the head healer," lupin said, handing the old wizard a tattered old book. dumbledore took it and flipped through the pages. there were many at first, written years before when alice and frank longbottom were active members of the order of the phoenix, and then nothing but a few drawings and scribbled words after their attack. the old wizard sighed, setting the book aside. "harry, what did professor lockhart say to you?" he asked, looking much older and more tired than ever. "he said it wasn't safe there, and that she should have been at the quiddich game with professor snipes, and that she would have had a nice visit with her brother, because he was there." "professor snipes?" bill asked. "do you think he means professor snape?" charlie asked. "it would have to be," percy said. "the only year lockhart was at hogwart's was the year draco malfoy made the slytherin team. if it was lucius malfoy who visited alice longbottom, then it would make sense that he would make the connection, since he was there to see his son's performances." "but what about the parchment?" harry asked, looking to the old wizard at the other end of the table. "professor lockhart wrote that alice longbottom had remembered her last mission for the order and spoke about something green." "the green flame torch," dumbledore said softly. "what is that?" harry asked. dumbledore sighed. "i should have figured it out before," he said as if speaking to himself. "i'm getting too old for this." "professor?" harry said again, capturing the man's attention. again dumbledore sighed. "the prophecy said the light is green and so a flame will grow. i'm sure it means the green flame torch. i should have realized it earlier." "but what is it?" "there is a legend of a group of witches, wiser and more powerful than any since or any before, who traveled to the east and disappeared into the vastness of time. they are said to have marked their path with a green flame torch, and only the purest of hearts can find it. it's written that the seeker, who searches in truth and light, will find the path and control the flame's powers, and there will the two forces confront each other. the seeker who wins the flame's power will win the hearts of the wizarding world." "i'm not a scholar," harry said with a frown. "what exactly does all that mean?" "it means harry, that only a person who is pure, true and selfless can find the

flame and use its powers to defeat their enemy." "so if i want to defeat voldemort, i have to find this green flame?" "i'm not sure, but it would make sense. unfortunately, i don't know where it is, and unless there's something in her notes, alice longbottom took her secrets to the grave with her. i'll have to study these very closely, as for now all we can do is continue as we have. you must complete your lessons harry, and i think it is still a good idea to continue with the d.a. we will need all the skilled wizards and witches we can find." dumbledore rose from his seat and prepared to leave, when harry stopped him. "what about the death eaters, we caught at st. mungo's? have they said anything about why they were there, or where voldemort is?" dumbledore shook his head gently. "i'm afraid not, harry. they will need a great deal of questioning and very powerful truth potions in order to get anything out of them. unfortunately, lord voldemort has conditioned his followers with multiple doses of anti truth serums, so it will be quite some time before we can get any information from them." the old wizard walked around the table, stopping and placing a warm hand on harry's shoulder. "your skills are remarkable, harry. keep working at them. they will serve you well when the time comes." harry smiled up at the man, knowing he meant well but feeling anything but appreciative right now. "your parents would be very proud of you, harry. you have lived past their expectations." harry watched the old man leave the room, before turning back to the table's occupants. ginny wrapped a warm arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "well, it's new year's eve," mr. weasley said, trying to bring a sense of happiness back into the house. "what say we pull out the twins' gift packs and bring in the new year with a real weasley bang?" "i've already made toffee apples, popcorn, and we have butter beer and we can roast chestnuts," mrs. weasley said in a cheerful tone. "it's little molly's first new years eve, so we'll have to make an especially happy one for her." "i don't think molly is old enough or even awake to care, mum," percy said with a frown. "nonsense," mrs. weasley said. "she's a part of this family, and it's time she understood the traditions. why, your first new years eve was celebrated with you throwing up all over your father's beard." "good think i don't have one, anymore," mr. weasley said with a grimace. "i wouldn't want to walk around the rest of the night smelling like a new born's just thrown up on me." "again?" bill teased, nudging his father's arm. "why don't we all go into the sitting room, and pull out the games and see if you can beat me at gobstones," charlie told the others, as they all gathered into the sitting room, building a fire in the large fireplace and began eating, talking and playing games. harry thought back on the past year, all he had lost and all he had gained. he wasn't sure, but somehow he felt that he had gained so much more than he

had lost. he loved sirius and he missed him, less every day since ginny came into his life, but still there was a void. he thought about the months and the events that had lead him up to this point in his life, and the events that had yet to unfold. if he were asked tonight, he would have to say that his life was better, even with everything that was still ahead of him. he had ginny, he had a family with the weasley's, and he had great friends. in his mind, he was the luckiest guy alive. "i'm glad to be going back to school," ginny said packing the last of her belongings in her trunk. "don't get me wrong," she told harry with a smile. "i've absolutely loved the holidays, most of them anyway, but i'm glad the chaos will soon end and we'll get back to a regular routine." "by regular, you mean studying all hours, not having any time together, eventually getting frustrated and start yelling at each other?" he asked, with a frown. "no, i mean classes, and yes homework, but that's a given. then there are the d.a. meetings to start up with and of course we have study breaks to look forward to." "we didn't get very many study breaks before the holidays, what makes you think we'll get any after?" "well it wasn't my idea not to take breaks. if our quiddich captain would be a little more considerate and let up on the training, maybe i'd have time to spend with you. but no, he's ruthless and controlling and i have no time between practices, games and studying for my o.w.l.s. so i guess finding time for us, will have to be up to you." "you're a real smart arse this morning, aren't you?" harry asked her, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, hugging her against him. "honestly harry, when are we going to find time together?" harry kissed her neck, turning back to his own packing. "i'm not sure, but we will. it may not be as much time as it has been here, but we will find time. we have easter break coming up in a few months, so we can make up for lost time then." "and after that the summer holidays, and you'll be going back to those horrid relatives of yours and i won't see you until dumbledore feels its time. i swear, when we're out of school, i'm going to demand every evening and every weekend be reserved just for us." "it's a deal." harry smiled as he snapped his trunk shut and went to help her close the lid on her own. "hey, you guys ready?" ron asked, pushing the door to their room open. "almost," harry grumbled pushing the top of ginny's trunk down. "what have you got in here, the entire bloody bedroom?" "for your information, i happen to have only what i brought, and my christmas gifts." "well i know i didn't give you anything big enough to stop your trunk from

closing." harry flung the top of the trunk open and reached inside, pulling out the bed pillows and comforter that he had conjured up for their room. he looked at ginny with raised eyebrows. "i wanted to remember our holidays," she said with a blush "i'm surprised you left the curtains," he said, closing the lid again and latching the lock. "what's wrong with my wanting to take something from home with us?" "if you take everything from here, what's left for when we come back?" "i just wanted to keep the memory alive, is that so bad?" harry reached out and took her in his arms, kissing her forehead gently. "ginny, you'll have lots of memories from our holidays, but you can not pack up all of grimmauld place and take it with you. we'll be back, i promise and when we do, we'll need this stuff here. you don't need it at school." "i guess. but i love it." "then leave it for when we come home," he told her, kissing her lips with the promise they would indeed come back here. "if you two don't knock it off, we're never going to get back to school," ron grumbled. harry and ginny followed the boy out of the room, shaking their heads. he had been in a sour mood since he returned from the granger's yesterday, and refused to discuss anything that had happened while he was there. all he would do was blush and say everything was fine. downstairs, the noise and hustle of last minute packing and preparations were under way, as usual. mrs. weasley was busy preparing snacks for the trip, while mr. weasley and the twins were busy loading the trunks into the cars secured from the ministry of magic. the day was proving to be the same as any last day, and harry smiled. it was just the sort of hustle and bustle he loved; it made him feel like a member of a real family. the dursley's never had last minute rushing, everything was prepared the night before and a tight schedule was made and kept for leaving wherever they went. it was utterly boring. "ginny did you get everything?" mrs. weasley began coming out of the kitchen. "oh, ronald, tie your shoes, and harry dear, do straighten your hair." "it doesn't straighten," harry grumbled reaching up and trying his best to flatten his hair down. "yes, well, do your best dear," mrs. weasley said again, as george came down the stairs carrying ginny's trunk. fred smiled at harry ruffling his already messy hair and snickering. "much better, harry dear," he teased, as harry batted his hands away, turning and frowning at ginny. "what? they're your problem." "they're your brothers," he grumbled. "not by choice. i didn't ask for them."

"are we going or not?" moody asked rushing back into the house. "we'll not be able to keep these muggles distracted for much longer." "yes, yes, we're ready. come on you three, we haven't much time." mrs. weasley ushered the rest out of the house and paused to make certain everything was taken, and then hurried to the cars with the rest of them. "do you think we'll ever have a calm exit when it comes to leaving for the train?" ron asked bitterly. "i highly doubt it," harry said, taking a seat between brother and sister. the cars pulled up at kings cross at fifteen minutes to eleven, and everyone felt the rush of making it through the portal in time. ron and harry secured carts, loading the trunks on them and hurrying toward wall between platforms nine and ten. ron had nearly reached it, when he heard his name called out, turning to see hermione rushing toward him followed by her parents. "oh, this is just great," he whispered loud enough so harry and ginny caught it. they turned to see ron pause, and force a smile on his face in greeting. he shook mr. granger's hand and harry could tell there was a great deal of tension between the two. ron helped load hermione's trunk on his cart and quickly bid the two farewell, hurrying toward the wall. harry and ginny passed through it first, followed by a very silent hermione and ron. they loaded their trunks on the train and exchanged hugs with the weasley's in time to hear the whistle blow. they had barely found an empty compartment, when the train pulled away from the station and they were on their way back to school. harry sat beside ginny and sighed. as much as he enjoyed the holidays, he was glad they were over. too much happened in such a short time, that he couldn't even comprehend there being enough time in the day to accommodate it all. he reached out and held ginny's hand then glanced across to the opposite seat, seeing ron sitting close to the window and hermione nearly falling off the end of the seat. "so, how was your holiday?" harry asked hermione, who glanced sideways to ron. "it was fine, thanks," she said rather stiffly, ignoring ron's snort of disapproval. "and what about you ron?" ginny asked. "did you enjoy the holidays?" "just lovely thanks." "all right, out with it," harry said boldly. "everything was going fine, until you came back from hermione's. what happened?" ron glared at hermione, then turned back to the window. "well don't blame me," she snapped at him. "it was your bloody idea, and i'm the one who paid for it," ron growled in return. "what happened?" ginny asked. "your brother decided he wanted to see everything muggle, so we stayed went to the mall and he got stuck on the escalators."

"my pants, which i might add you made me wear, were too long and the got caught in the little steps. i nearly lost my pants right there in front of every teenage muggle in london." "after that, we went home and stayed up watching television after my parents went to bed. he was so fascinated with making popcorn in the microwave, that he just kept popping it, until it caught on fire and set off the smoke detector. then when my father came down to see what was going on, he sprayed water all over him with the sink hose." "i was trying to put the fire out. if i could have used my wand, i would have just extinguished it like a normal person." "my father was so furious, he started shouting at ron and the neighbors thought we were being burgled so they called the police. my dad had to make up an excuse about ron being a distant cousin from the outbacks of australia and didn't understand about modern living, or they were going to arrest both of them for disturbing the peace." "it's not my fault," ron exclaimed. "you should have seen her house. it had more ekltricity and doodads than anything i've ever seen." "then to top everything else off," hermione continued with a bitter look at ron. "i finally calm my dad down and my mum gets him to go back to bed, but ron insists he couldn't sleep if he was given double classes with binns, so we put on a movie and he starts getting...physical, and my dad comes back downstairs to tell us to go to bed." "i told you he wanted to murder me!" ron exclaimed in frustration. "he wouldn't have, if he hadn't caught us doing...things," hermione shouted back. "it was bloody late, he shouldn't have been up. and besides, you were the one that was...i couldn't have done that to myself you know!" "i honestly thought my dad was going to have a stroke," hermione said in exasperation. "it took my mum dragging him out of the room and ron locking his bedroom door to save his neck." "i thought i was going to have to send for the advanced guard to get me out of there," ron said, folding his arms across his chest. the compartment was silent for all of thirty seconds, until harry and ginny exploded laughing. ron and hermione looked at them as though they had gone quite mad. "don't you see how funny it all is?" ginny asked, wiping the tears from her face. "i could just see you spraying water all over hermione's dad," harry said, holding his sides. "and being caught like that," ginny laughed. "and i thought i was going to get strung up by your brothers," harry said in an array of fits. "quit it," ron shouted. "it wasn't funny," hermione exclaimed.

"yes it is," harry said. "oh, think about it from a different point of view," ginny said after forcing herself under control. "what if it were harry and i telling you that story? you'd be rolling on the floor." "think about it ron," harry said, wiping the tears from his face. "can you imagine if your dad caught ginny and i doing those things, what he would say?" "he'd curse you into next week," ron said, and then smiled slightly. "i guess it was sort of funny," he said, glancing across to hermione. "you should have seen your face, when you sprayed my dad," she said chuckling softly. "yeah, well you should have seen your mum's face when she saw you on your knees..." "ronald!" hermione shouted, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks. "i can't believe they caught us practically shagging on the sofa," she said after a few minutes of enduring laughter from harry and ginny. "god, i'm glad to be going back to school," ron said with a smile. "i need a break." read? review! author notes: please keep r/r. the chapters are going to slow down for a while. hope you're more patient than i am. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-two with the holidays behind them, the foursome were able to settle into a somewhat normal routine. quiddich practices began on schedule and classes were as always, loaded down with assignments and homework. ron and hermione had managed to somehow salvage their relationship, and in the three weeks since restarting school, they had been caught twice in a deserted classroom snogging - or worse, which earned them two full weeks of detention with filch and mcgonagall. the weather had proven to be anything other than friendly, and harry had been forced to call off practice once already this week, which didn't help much with his dark mood. he had so far managed to earn demerits from snape as well as trelawney, and had even gotten his face slapped by ginny when he told her to "bugger off" after she offered to help him with his divinations assignment, and it was only thursday. the common room was quiet with the majority of the students already in bed. harry was sitting alone at the table in the corner of the room, trying to work out a schedule so he could fit in d.a. lessons. he had managed to cut his sleeping down to an hour and a half, and work out extra dark arts lessons with tonks, deadly potions and antidotes lessons with snape, advanced transfigurations with mcgonagall, the d.a. meetings twice a week and quiddich practice every evening. he was sure he could manage to a nap in between classes with hagrid and history lesson with binns, which would leave enough time to eat. now, if he could only manage to figure out when to get his homework done, he may

actually survive this year. "want some help?" ginny asked looking over his shoulder. harry instantly felt the sting in his cheek return, and a warning in his head telling him not to turn her offer down again. "i don't know what you can help with," he said softly, pushing the papers aside and rubbing his eyes. "i'm trying to work out a schedule to accommodate everything i have to do." "can i look?" she asked, and he pushed the papers closer to her. an hour later she had managed to work out a schedule that not only accommodated everything he had to do, but worked in and hour for quiddich practices five nights a week and two lessons for the d.a. a week, and still got him a full nights sleep. "i don't know how you just did that, but i thank you," he told her examining the papers she handed back to him. "sometimes it just takes another mind to see things clearly," she told him with a warm smile. harry frowned, looking at the space she allotted from seven to seven thirty every night, which was marked with a big red s.b. "what's this?" he asked, trying to figure out what class he had that started with s.b. "you don't have to keep it, if you don't want to," she said with a sad expression. "what is it?" "it stands for study break. i thought maybe we could manage a few minutes together between everything else you have planned." harry rolled up the parchment and placed it in his pack, then reached for her hand, pulling her onto his lap. "i wouldn't dare change such a well thought out itinerary," he told her, kissing her neck. "i just wanted some time with you, i've missed you harry." "i've missed you too, gin. i'm sorry; i know i've been short tempered lately. i shouldn't have taken it out on you." "it's all right i guess," she smiled wickedly, touching the cheek she had slapped. "i know how to catch your attention." "no kidding," he grimaced, and then smiled when she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "at least i know better than to get you angry with me again." "yeah right. i have a feeling you're comfortable enough with our relationship that you'll say what you want, when you want. and it's all right with me, provided you don't mind the consequences." "that means i'm going to need to get my face toughened up, if we're going to continue dating." "are you saying you want out?" she asked, sitting up straight on his lap. harry chuckled, standing up and gathering her in his arms, carrying her to the sofa.

"there's only one way i'll want out," he told her laying her on the sofa and covering her slender frame with his longer one, any thought of where they were or the possibility of getting caught never entering his mind. "when the earth splits open and falls out of space, i may consider leaving you. until then you're stuck with me baby, so get used to the idea." "baby?" she snickered softly, as he bent down and started kissing her neck. "you have a lot of interesting names for me, you know that?" "which ones do you like the most?" "so far you've called me darling, angel, my love and now baby. oh, and don't forget my least favorite, virginia." "so, which one do you want me to call you by?" "how about ginny, i like how it sounds coming from you." "you don't want any endearing words of love and tenderness?" he teased, slipping his hand beneath the hem of her nightgown, pulling it slowly up her legs. "sometimes it might be nice, but not all the times. i just want to make sure you know who it is in your arms." "trust me, i know who is in my arms. there's only one girl who will ever be in my arms, and that's...what's her name." "i'm going to hurt you for that," she growled, turning in his arms so he could work his hands up higher on her body. "if this is any indication of the torture you're capable of, i think i'd like to go the limits." "harry we can't do this, we're in the common room," ginny argued, trying with very little effort to stop him from slipping his hand beneath her knickers. "would you like to try the astronomy tower," he asked, kissing his way down her neck toward her chest. "no, but we can't do this here. anyone could come in and catch us." "then suggest something fast, because i'm not letting you go tonight." ginny's mind was racing, but nothing was coming to her. she couldn't think clearly with his hands and lips doing such wonderful things to her. "i have an idea," he whispered, rising up from the sofa. "stay here. i'll be right back." he hurried up the stairs to his dormitory, reappearing a few minutes later with his invisibility cloak in one hand and the marauder's map in the other. "come with me," he told her, tapping the end of his wand to the map and saying, "i solemnly swear that i am up to no good." the map revealed the entire layout of the school, with the dots of every person on the grounds. he watched the dots marked mrs. norris and filch who were on the ground floor, and dumbledore who was in his office. other than that, there were no moving dots anywhere to be found. harry slipped his cloak across his shoulders and pulled ginny beneath it. they stepped through the portrait hole and into the corridor, walking slowly and cautiously down the hall. a few moments later and they stopped in front of their destination on the seventh floor. harry checked his map

once more before slipping out from beneath the cloak, pacing back and forth three times, thinking of the place he had imagined. suddenly a door appeared and harry turned to where he knew ginny was standing still beneath the invisibility cloak. he reached his hand out and took hers, opening the door and leading her in. inside was a warm room, with a large fireplace, candles lining the walls, glowing softly. in the center of the room stood a large fourposter bed, with a large pale blue comforter and a dozen fluffy pillows. "harry it's beautiful," she whispered, allowing him to lift her and carry her to the middle of the bed. "i should have thought about this a long time ago," he told her as he stretched out beside her. "i'm just glad you thought of it now," she giggled as he began undressing her. "give me time, and i'll think of lots of things," he assured her, and for the rest of the night he kept his promise, in many wonderful and exciting ways. breakfast friday morning was a much calmer, more relaxed event for most of the students. harry and ginny had managed to get back to their own rooms just in time for the alarms to go off, to wake everyone up. they were tired, not having gotten much sleep the night before, but somehow they really didn't mind much. with the storm ending during the night, the students were eagerly discussing plans to got outside for a brief reprieve from the stuffy castle. the morning owls were beginning to arrive, and harry glanced up just in time to see hedwig bringing his daily prophet. he offered her a piece of toast and untied the paper from her leg. the hall was beginning to come alive with excited chatter, as all the students turned and stared at the gryffindor table. "what's going on?" ron asked, seeing several students glance to him and whisper to another sitting closer by. "holy cow ron," harry said unrolling his paper. "your dad has been named as the new minister of magic!" "what!" ron snatched to paper from harry's hands and began reading the article, looking at the picture of his father and mother, happily waving from the front page. "new minister of magic named," he read aloud. "late last night the governors named a new minister of magic, appointing the long time member of the ministry, arthur weasley as the new minister. mr. weasley, head of the misuse of muggle artifacts department, has been known throughout the wizarding world as a loyal member of the defense against he-who-must-not-be-named, and has proven himself time and again as a worthy and noble friend to albus dumbledore. mr. weasley, as you may recall, is one of the few supporters to harry potter and believed in his story that the dark lord had returned to power. it was this paper that first printed the warning, that young mr. potter had battled and escaped the treacherous clutches of the dark lord two years ago, during the triwizard tournament, when young cedric diggory had been ruthlessly murdered by he-who-must-not-be-named." "first to report," snorted hermione. "it was luna's dad who first reported the return of..."

"shh, hermione, let him finish," neville said, leaning closer to hear the news. "mr. weasley is the proud father of a multitude of children, two of which are currently attending hogwart's school of witchcraft and wizardry. another of the many sons of mr. weasley's, percy, was assistant to the late head of the department for international cooperation, mr. bartemius crouch sr. his only daughter, jenny, is a chaser on the gryffindor house team at school, and his youngest son, john is the team's star keeper." "jenny," ginny scoffed, stuffing a piece of toast in her mouth. "what about me, my name is john now," ron complained. "ron, your dad has been named as the new minister of magic," hermione interrupted. "surely you can overlook a few misprints, and focus on the good news." "bloody hell," ron said, his mind finally registering the news. "my dad is the minister of magic." 'congratulations," harry said, patting the boy on the back. "i guess this means a lot will change for you now." "don't worry, i'll still remember all the little people," ron said with a wicked grin. "what was your name again?" harry slugged his friend in the arm, and hermione hugged his neck. "i don't believe it," ginny said. "why didn't mum tell us?" "the paper said the decision was just made last night, maybe she didn't have a chance," harry said, kissing her cheek. "i'm sure it wasn't a deliberate oversight." "here," ron said pulling out a letter addressed to them in his mother's handwriting. he pulled the ties off the parchment and began reading it. "dearest children, please forgive us for not writing sooner. by now you no doubt have heard the good news. your father is the new minister of magic! i am so proud of him. we will be meeting this saturday at hogsmeade for a family celebration, and professor dumbledore has granted the four of you permission to join us. please be at madame puddifoot's sharply at three o'clock, and dress in your best robes. the press will be there to take pictures." "bloody hell," ron said again. "the four of us?" ginny said looking at harry and smiling. "isn't it wonderful. you and hermione are now part of the 'multitude of children'." "come on," hermione said, taking note of the time. "we have to get to class." the four left the great hall much slower than normal, as so many students had to stop and pat ron on the back and congratulate both he and ginny. classes that morning was a mixture of excitement and questions. everyone wanted to talk to ron, and for the first time since harry knew him, he was happy his best friend was getting all the attention for a change. hermione and harry watched the glow of pride on their friend's face, and stood behind him, allowing him to gloat as teachers congratulated him and complimented his father. even during lunch, the comments continued. harry noticed that dumbledore sat with a proud smile on his face, watching as ron continued to get

congratulated. him kisses and naturally, did ron in the arm about it, that

unfortunately, many girls also wanted to congratulate him, offering asking him if he would like to study with them sometime. this not sit well with hermione, who glared at the girls and punched so hard, when he slipped and told parvati patil that he would think his hand went numb for several moments.

potions class was its usual array of dimly lit candles, damp walls and musty smells. harry sat next to neville, who had just finished taking another dose of his potion; only this one was the first of the substitute potion. they had run out of the real courage potion last week, and hermione had insisted that it was too dangerous to keep him on the real stuff, so they recreated the taste, in pure water. now was the moment of truth, whether neville had grown accustomed to the courage he'd gained over the past few months, or whether snape still had an effect on him. ron and hermione were sitting behind harry and neville, and ron was trying his best to contain his temper with the slytherin's constant jibbing him about his father's appointment. hermione kept a warm hand on his leg and would squeeze it whenever he looked like the teasing was getting to him. malfoy was back to his usual sneer, though he kept his comments to himself. he listened to the constant ridicule and comments offered by his fellow housemates, but refused to say a word either pro or con. "class will come to attention," snape said as he entered the room, gliding in his usual black form to the front of the class. "i'm sure we're all overjoyed with the news of weasley's appointment to the minister of magic, but one famous student in the class is enough," he finished staring at harry. the slytherins snickered happily at the comment, receiving only a dark look from harry, neville, ron and hermione, along with the rest of the gryffindors. "today we will continue studying the varieties of truth serums, with the recreation of the veritaserum, the strongest most powerful of all truth serums. three drops will have you spilling your inner most secrets. if it works correctly, the taker will tell you anything you wish answered, if made incorrectly, the mind of the taker will be a jumbled mess, neither knowing what is truth and what isn't. for those of you who have difficulty recreating simple potions," snape said glancing down to neville and frowning, "i have an antidote. now get busy, you only have an hour to complete this potion, and don't forget, this will be a part of your n.e.w.t.s, so study it well." the next hour was spent in silence, the only noise was that of clanking utensils on the sides of the caldrons and chopping of knifes. harry and neville worked separately, aware that snape was watching them closely. this would normally have made neville a jumble of nerves, but with the courage potion, he was settled and calm, working without fear and able to concentrate on the task at hand. harry couldn't believe the placebo effect was working so well. neville had no idea he wasn't under the spell of the real potion, and harry wasn't about to tell him otherwise. when snape stood up again, the students looked up at him, watching him pace the room, inspecting the different caldrons. he looked at malfoy's, lifting a spoon of the potion and smiling with wicked pleasure. "perfect as usual mr. malfoy," he said, then glanced around at the gryffindors. he had been confused over neville's reactions to him lately, and was eager to learn the secret behind it. he stepped up to neville's caldron, and lifted the spoon, frowning.

"well, lets see if longbottom's got what it takes to make a decent wizard," snape said. "or are you afraid?" neville stood up, confronting the greasy haired man face to face, then picked up the bottle of potion he had set aside for grading. harry's heart began to beat furiously. there was nothing he could do to help his friend this time, he didn't have any treats from the twins with him, and nothing he could think of saying would cause a difference in snape. "three drops will have you telling me your entire life's story, which i do not care to listen to," snape said, an evil grin on his pasty face. "so one drop should suffice for this class." he opened the stopper to the bottle and placed a dropper into the dark liquid, lifting the drop up for his pupil. neville took the dropper without concern, placing the liquid on his tongue. he looked up at his professor, as harry waited with baited breath. "now then mr. longbottom," snape said in a patronizing tone. "tell me, has anyone been helping you these past weeks with your potions?" "no," neville said firmly. "and has anyone been substituting their potions for yours?" "no." "then how is it you've suddenly become so well skilled in the art of potions?" snape growled bitterly. "i followed your directions," neville said with a smile. snape sneered at him, as several students began to snicker. "tell me, mr. longbottom. how is it you have finally decided to follow instructions properly? tell me, what made the difference in you?" "you finally started writing legibly," neville said in a calm tone. "you are above all the most irritating, irrational, worst excuse for a wizard as i've ever seen," snape barked, turning to step back to his seat. "and you are a greasy haired, beak nosed, pasty faced vampire with the worst breath i've ever smelled," neville said in the most calm manner anyone had ever heard. snape turned on his heel, staring at the boy through the silence of the room. nobody spoke; it was as if everyone were holding their breaths, waiting for the explosion. "what did you just say?" snape asked. "i said, you are a greasy haired, beak nosed..." "i heard you the first time," snape growled. "one hundred points from gryffindor, and you will serve a full week's detention." "you can't do that," harry snapped, standing up for his friend. "he didn't do anything wrong, he just answered your question." "fifty more points for your audacity, potter," snape said. "and you can share in your friend's detention. be here tonight at nine o'clock. class is dismissed." 'i can't believe he took a hundred points from gryffindor, just for doing what was

asked," dean grumbled, as the climbed the stairs out of the dungeons. "bloody hell," ron complained. "i wonder if my dad can do anything to get him fired." "i'm sorry you got detention with me, harry," neville said. "i'm just glad he didn't ask if you were taking any potions or spells," harry commented. "what about the d.a.?" seamus asked. "we have lessons tonight." "hermione will have to lead it," harry told them. "i can catch neville up on the lessons separately, and if we get finished with old beak-nose early enough, we'll join you." "i still can't believe an entire week and a hundred and fifty points," ron grumbled. this was going to be a really fun week, harry thought. an entire week with snape, plus classes and secret potions lessons. he was sure to go mad before the week was over. read? review! author notes: thank you everyone, and please continue to r/r. i love hearing from everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-three harry and neville climbed the steps to gryffindor tower, sore and exhausted. it was past midnight, and they had spent the past three hours scouring out cauldrons and scraping mildew off the dungeon walls. they were nearly to the fat lady's portrait, when a sound echoed from a nearby room. harry rolled his eyes. surely it was ron and hermione, but much to their surprise the door opened and parvati patil exited, straightening her robes and running a hand through her hair. neville and harry slid into the shadows, afraid of being seen out this late. they watched as parvati stepped through the portrait and were about to follow her when the door she had just exited opened again, and a very flushed faced blond stepped out. harry nearly gasped when he saw malfoy straighten his expensive robes and smooth back his hair from his face. they watched as he hurried down the stairs and out of sight, then issued the password to the fat lady and crawled through the portrait hole. "where have you two been?" parvati asked, as she headed toward the stairs, catching sight of the two boys. "detention," neville said boldly. "and you?" harry asked. "what have you been up to this late at night?" parvati smiled a seductive smile. "just a little last minute studying," she said. "on a friday night?" harry asked again. "if i didn't know better, i'd say you were

fluttering around after curfew. have a secret rendezvous?" parvati frowned, the smile leaving her petite features. "what do you mean?" "just a question, parvati. you looked like you just came from a serious snogging fest. i mean, you're all flushed and your makeup is smeared." "yes, well," she stammered. "i'm tired, good-night." she turned and hurried up the stairs, disappearing into the sixth year girl's dormitory. "that was really weird," neville said, following harry up the stairs. "i wonder what she was doing with malfoy?" "surely, even you can figure that out," harry said, watching the color creep up neville's face. "what i meant was, i wonder what she was doing with him, apart from the obvious. she's a gryffindor and he's a slytherin. i didn't think he mingled outside his house." "when it comes to parvati patil, i don't think there's a man alive that's safe, slytherin or otherwise." saturday afternoon arrived before they knew it and ron was still having a problem keeping his shoes tied. he'd used two spells already but somehow managed to mess both of them up and instead of tying them separately, either tied them together or tied them to his legs. it took hermione issuing the counter spells to get him loose and get the laces to tie properly. harry had spent over an hour tying to get his hair to stay down, then finally gave up completely and grabbed his cloak, joining the others in the common room. mr. weasley had arranged for one of hogwart's carriages to meet them, taking them to hogsmeade in style. they arrived at madame puddifoot's shortly before three o'clock, much to the surprise of mrs. weasley. ron nearly choked on his laughter, having seen fred and george in pressed new dress robes, their hair slicked back nearly as bad as malfoy's. it wasn't until he saw bill, charlie and percy, each looking as uncomfortable as the others, that his laughter had gotten the best of him. hermione tried to shush ron's laughter and prevent attracting attention from the caf? staff and reporters, but finally had to resort to stepping on his foot - hard - to get him to settle down. the result was ron complaining of his sore foot and limping the remainder of the day. bill stepped up to harry, smiling and pulling on the tie he was sure had a strangulation spell on. he had his hair pulled back, and much to mrs. weasley's disappointment, refused to remove his earring. he looked rather dignified, in a trapped sort of way. "so harry," he said, pulling on his tie again. "how's it feel to be an official weasley?" harry blushed as he looked up and saw mr. weasley smiling proudly at him. "i guess it's all right," harry said, and then smiled brightly when ginny wrapped her arm through his. "maybe a little better than all right," he said again. "well, if it's any consolation it's driving percy nuts. he claims he's glad you and ginny are together, but it's still driving him crazy that neither of

you are asking his opinion. the fact that percy doesn't like, just makes the rest of us like it more." "thanks," harry said with a frown. "don't worry about it harry," charlie said, trying to smooth the wrinkles from his dress robe. "we liked you even before you started sha...seeing our sister," he said, correcting his mistake quickly. bill looked around to make certain the reporters were not listening, and then glared at his younger sibling. "maybe you should learn to not speak unless absolutely necessary," bill scolded. "i swear, you and ron should be the twins, you both speak without thinking." "it was a slip, so bugger off," charlie said in a soft hush, glancing back to their mother. "maybe we should go congratulate dad," ginny said, pulling on harry's arm. mr. weasley was standing near the back of the caf?allowing mrs. weasley to primp over him. she straightened his hair - what there was of it, and smoothed his tie as she brushed the imaginary lint from his new official cloak. "oh harry, dear," mrs. weasley said, hugging him in a fierce hug. "i'm so glad you decided to come. i can't imagine what it would be like, without you." "i'm happy to be here," he told her, returning her hug briefly with a deep blush. he turned to mr. weasley and smiled, shaking his hand. "congratulations minister weasley," he said with a cheerful tone in his voice. mr. weasley seemed to stand a little taller, and his smile seemed a little brighter, as he shook harry's hand. "thank you harry," he said. "i hope the governors haven't made a mistake. i don't know what i'm doing." "you'll learn," ginny told him, kissing his cheek. "i can't think of anyone better than you to be minister of magic." "i can," he grumbled softly. "what about mafalda hopkirk from the improper use of magic, or amelia bones she's head of the department of law enforcement, she'd be perfect for the position. then there's..." "honestly arthur," mrs. weasley grumbled. "mafalda hopkirk hasn't the seniority you have, and amelia bones is busy with...well, she's just busy." "then what about croaker?" mr. weasley insisted. "he has the seniority, he's been with the unspeakable mysteries for years, and he's well thought of. he'd have made an excellent minister." "croaker, father please," percy snapped, stepping to his parents side and listening in on their conversation. "he's a doddering old fool, and he's jinxed. everywhere he goes, he ends up causing chaos. once, he went into the cauldron shop in diagon alley because he was told there was a shipment of enchanted cauldrons from norway, and ended up knocking shelves over filled with very expensive wilda's golden cauldrons, broke two windows and cost the ministry over fourteen thousand galleons worth of damage." "he is not a jinx," mr. weasley insisted. "he's just a little...clumsy."

"regardless of that, you are the minister now, and that's all there is to it," mrs. weasley insisted. "it's because of your loyalty and your respectable reputation for doing the right thing, that convinced the governors that you were the right man for the job." "well, i still say there must have been somebody better for the job," mr. weasley complained. "i thought dumbledore would take over," ron said, limping over to his parents. "that was just fudge's delusional ideas," hermione corrected, curling her lip when ron tried to limp over to a chair. "he was always convinced professor dumbledore wanted his position, but he doesn't want to leave hogwart's. fudge has always been jealous of dumbledore's powers and his group of supporters. that's probably what sent him over the edge to begin with." "i'm just happy, it all worked out the way it did," ginny said, then lowered her eyes at the dark look harry gave her. "i mean with dad's promotion and fudge's imprisonment." "why did he get sent to russia, instead of azkaban?" ron asked his father. "azkaban is no longer safe. our aurors have been able to recapture five of the dark lord's followers, but the most deadly are still loose. we have the ministry's dementors guarding the prison, but even that is no guarantee." "so russia has a stronger prison?" ron asked again. "honestly ron, don't' you ever listen in history of magic?" hermione asked with a disgusted tone. "russia was the first to develop the wizard's prison system. their defenses are nearly as invincible as hogwart's. there, fudge will not be able to try and influence anyone or risk having you-know-who get at him. he's actually safer in a russian prison than in england." "oh," ron said, unable to think of anything else to say. "all right now, that's enough of all this," mrs. weasley scolded. "we're going to have a very lovely day, and a wonderful celebration has been planned for all of us, so let's just relax and enjoy it. ron, you and hermione come over here," she continued, issuing people into position for the publicity photos. harry walked past rita skeeter, who had appeared some time after they had, and saw her scribbling with her magical quill. her jeweled spectacles sat on the end of her nose, her heavily penciled brows rising as she took in the sights of the new minister and his family. she looked rather dignified, her blond hair tightly rolled back on her head, unlike last year when hermione forced her to interview harry for the quibbler. then she looked rather unkept, but now she actually looked much as she had two years ago, when she continually harassed harry, misquoting him and writing about his so-called love life. "i hope you're planning on writing the truth," harry said softly, as he stepped to her side. rita jumped, startled by his appearance, and found her actually sizing him up. "you've grown up quite a bit in the past year, harry," she said, trying to make herself sound calm.

"yes i have, and i'm a little wiser as well. if you cause any problems, or write any gossip, i'll see to it hermione's information gets into the right hands this time. understand?" "i would never consider writing anything but the truth," rita said, sounding as if she had just been insulted horribly. "i am a professional." "yes, we both know what kind of professional. just watch yourself. i don't want anything to tarnish mr. weasley's appointment, and that includes anything you may feel 'bugs' you. if you know what i mean." "yes, well, can i quote you on that, harry?" "quote all you want, so long as it's the truth. and keep your gossiping to a minimum." harry turned and walked back to where mrs. weasley was calling him, standing between ginny and ron. he wrapped his arm around the little red head's waist, and turned back to issue one last warning glare to rita, who actually looked embarrassed. "what did you say to her?" ron asked softly. "i just warned her to keep her nose clean," he told him, glancing back to the woman, watching as she returned her magic quill to her handbag, and removed a genuine one. "she looks like she took you serious," hermione said, leaning closer to the two. "she better had, or the new minister will have a very interesting tale to hear." the pictures were taken and after nearly an hour, the reporters had their stories and left, leaving the family to celebrate on their own. madame puddifoot's staff had prepared a variety of delicacies, ranging from lobster bisque, tripe soup, roast lamb, salmon with creamy arran mustard sauce, blood sausage, haggis broth, glenfiddich whisky cake, cock-a-leekie cake, hasty pudding, syllabub, scones, and moet champagne for the adults, and butter beer for the younger ones. ron ate as if he had died and gone to heaven, with hermione serving up a plate of hasty pudding and blood sausage, while ginny found a definite liking to the syllabub and scones, and harry enjoyed seconds of the salmon and haggis broth. by late afternoon, every bit of food had been eaten, everyone was full and nobody was complaining about a single thing. harry however, was beginning to wonder how the weasley's were ever going to afford such a feast. he knew their financial situation wouldn't stand for such an extravagance, and felt the need to at least pay his and ginny's share. he caught george's eye, and motioned for him to follow, and the two stepped out of the caf?leaning against the side of the building, out of sight. "what's up harry?" george asked, with his usual smile. "come to ask for ginny's hand? shouldn't you be asking the minister about that? i'm sure he can bend the rules and allow under aged wizards to marry, if you need to." "it'snothing like that," harry said with a blush. "i was just worrying about how your parents were going to...i mean, i know they aren't wealthy, and if i can help...see i have some money on me, and if they need help..." "you're quite a gentleman, there harry potter," george snickered. "but don't worry, the whole thing is being picked up by the ministry. it's typical for the new minister to throw a celebration party, and mum and dad wanted it to be a very private affair, family only, you know."

"so, your dad is doing all right then?" "sure is. he's got a huge raise with this promotion and an expense account. i think things are definitely going to change for the weasleys." "i hope so, i mean your parents deserve the best. they are really great people, and i'm glad things have turned out so well for them." "yeah, so am i. fred and i were trying to figure a way of telling them we're moving out. we've built a flat here above our shop in hogsmeade, and well, you just can't take girls back to your parents' place, if you know what i mean. this way we can be close to hogwart's, just in case, and still have our freedom." "i'm sure it will be disappointing to your mum, but i know she'll understand so long as you don't mention the girl part." "yeah, you should have seen me trying to hide katie the other night, when mum walked in on us. i thought i'd have to turn katie into a frog in order to keep mum from finding her." "i can just see it," harry said laughing, glancing up as the sound of footsteps neared them. he looked across the street to see the familiar blond walking into the post office. "wasn't that ferret-face, malfoy?" george asked with a frown. "yeah, it was. i wonder what he's doing in hogsmeade?" harry said. "what's he doing in the post office? there are more owls then you can count at hogwart's. why would he need a private one?" "lets find out," harry suggested as the two hurried across the street, quietly following the boy who had stepped into the post office. they watched him through a side window, as the blond hired a large bird, obviously for long distance travel. he paid the postal clerk for the service, tied a parchment to the leg of the owl and watched as it quickly soared out the window and headed north, before malfoy left the interior, pulling his hood up over his head and hurrying down the street toward hogwart's. "why would he want to hire a long distance bird?" george asked, watching the bird soar away. "i don't know. he's been acting really weird at school lately, and neville and i saw him and parvati patil in a closet together last night." "it's not a surprise with parvati patil, or draco malfoy for that matter. i know he was always being caught by filch last year, snogging pansy parkinson, or some other girl in a closet or deserted classroom. it's only because of his favoritism with umbridge that kept him from earning demerits or detentions." "but pansy parkinson is a slytherin, parvati patil is gryffindor. i thought he never went outside his house?" "he never has before, he's always stuck with the slytherin whores to satisfy his desires. but then again it is parvati patil. she is a real looker. just don't tell katie i told you that. she'd have my balls in a noose." harry chuckled;

as they turned and walked away from the post office, back down to the caf? "don't worry, i won't tell a soul. but i still want to know what malfoy was doing." "see if you can't dig up something at school, i'll see if fred and i can get some information from burt. he's the kid that was on duty today, maybe we can bribe him. he's been wanting a few canary creams to use on his wife's mother. she moved in with them last month, after he and his bride came back from their honeymoon." harry and george hurried back to madame puddifoot's and returned to the table, before anyone missed them. they were both eager to learn more about malfoy and their thoughts were distracted most of the afternoon. by the time they returned to hogwart's, the students had all retired to their houses. harry told ron, hermione and ginny about malfoy, and they all decided to keep a closer eye on him. for harry at least, it wouldn't be that difficult. he and neville had detention in snape's classroom all next week, and since becoming the ward of his godfather, malfoy had been spending a great deal of time in the potions dungeons practicing extra lessons, or so snape had stated bitterly when harry asked about his presence last night. it didn't seem much like draco malfoy, star pupil of severus snape having to take any extra lessons, but nonetheless, that was the excuse and all it did was increase harry's curiosity. especially after the way malfoy had been treating his fellow students. he seemed to somehow be turning back into the old ferret-face they had grown to know and hate, but he was still different. he didn't spend much time with his friends, or wasted any extra time on his quidditch, instead he spent a great deal of time in the library. and until now, it didn't really seem to faze harry. now he began to wonder exactly what it was he was up to. his mood was growing as bitter as the february winds, but harry knew there was something else brewing in the dungeons. something he couldn't put his finger on, but something he was determined to find out about. they had a legitimate reason to be out. perhaps they were nosey, perhaps they didn't want to embarrass parvati? instead of saying afraid of being see; just have: " ...slid into the shadows, not wanting to be seen." why would he frown? i could see teased, or nudged...we know harry doesn't think neville is stupid... read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and writing to me, especially to my new beta reader, "d". please continue to r/r, but be aware, i am extremely stessed right now, so the next chapters may take a few days, but i promise it will be out no later than next week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-four "i found it," hermione said, returning to the table she had been sharing for the past two hours with ron, harry and ginny. they had spent nearly three weeks searching every book in the library for any information on the green flame torch, but until now had been unsuccessful. hermione sat the large old book on the table, turning the pages. the light from the setting sun cast shadows

across the table, giving the group an eerie sense of foreboding "i knew it was here, i remember reading this in fourth year." " 'mione, you really need to get some different interests," ron complained, looking at the size of the book she began flipping pages in. "it was because of harry and the triwizard tournament that i even found this book," she snapped back. "i was trying to help my best friend prepare for a very challenging event, when his other best friend decided to act all jealous and turn his back on him." "all right, take it easy," ron answered with a blush. "just tell us what you found out?" "according to legend, there were three witches, mutgeb, otherwise known in ancient times as the 'mother of all earth', frynani, legend to be a winged troll, and sharane, famed to be the 'serpent's mother'. these witches became disgusted with the evilness of the world, so they traveled east into the vastness of time to the isle of morahana, where time and space have no meaning. there they created the green flame torch, a flame so powerful, that no evil could bear to speak of it. according to this, these three great witches had the power to travel through time, turn the oceans to sand and cause the moon to bleed. their magical powers were so great that all who dared to speak their names did so in reverence and praise, for fear that they would be struck down otherwise. the legend of the green flame torch states that it is only power that can stop the hands of time, to bring back those once gone and defeat the 'king of darkness'. only the purest of hearts will find the flame, and thereby control its powers." "bloody hell," ron exclaimed. "does it say how to find it?" harry asked, looking across the table to hermione, trying to read from the upside-down book. "it says that the seeker who searches in truth and light, will find the path and thus force the greatest powers known to man - good and evil - to confront in battle. the green flame torch will protect only those who are pure and noble, allowing the two forces to face each other at the isle of morahana, which the flame will bring out of hiding." "so if we want to defeat voldemort," ginny said, her tone quiet and soft, "then we have to find this isle of morahana?" "that's what it says. but only the one who searches in truth and light will find it." "what does that mean, truth and light?" ron asked with a frown. "it means that you would have to be honest and look for the flame unselfishly. you can't want to find it for greedy purposes, or for profit." hermione removed a piece of parchment as she spoke, writing down the details of the legend. "i wonder what kind of powers a flame would have?" ginny asked. "according to the legend, it will protect the one who finds it, stop the hands of time and bring back those once gone." "do you think that would mean the dead?" harry asked, a sense of hopefulness in

his voice. "i would assume as much. but that is, if the legend is real. these witches lived thousands of years ago, possibly as long ago as the beginning of time. history has a way of distorting the truth and altering facts." "maybe the possessor of the flame has the power to take lives, rather than bring them back," ron surmised. "it's impossible to say. i'll have to study this more closely. the legend is long, and there are nearly twenty pages of information about it. maybe i can figure out where this isle is." "have you ever heard of the isle of morahana?" ginny asked, aware that if anyone had heard of such a place, it would be hermione granger. "i've hear tales of it," she answered. "its supposed to have creatures never seen or heard of, and plants that could bring about life just by wishing on them." "a place like that wouldn't possibly exist, would it?" ron asked with a frown. "there are a lot of things in the wizarding world, that even dumbledore doesn't know about. why wouldn't a magical island with trees that speak, and caves that travel to every corner of the universe exist?" "so if alice longbottom told lockhart about this green flame torch, would that mean that she found the isle of morahana?" harry asked. "if she did, then it would give reason that her torture was for more than just her knowledge of voldemort's whereabouts," hermione surmised. "that might explain why their torture was so severe, and why lucius malfoy and bellatrix lastrange visited her and wanted her dead," ginny said. "i wonder if alice longbottom remembered anything and told them?" "i doubt it," hermione answered. "according to the mediwitch who spoke with harry, mrs. longbottom was on the road to regaining her memories. if she recognized bellatrix lastrange enough to feel uneasy with her, then its logical she wouldn't have felt comfortable enough to tell them anything serious." "lets hope so," harry said, sitting back in his chair and running his hands through his hair. "it wouldn't matter anyway, harry," hermione said softly. "the legend says only the pure of heart would find it. i can't imagine any death eater as being pure of heart, especially their leader." harry leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms over his head. they had been there so long, his muscles were starting to bunch up on him. "why don't we go get ready for d.a.?" ginny suggested. "why's he here again?" ron asked, looking across the library as draco malfoy laid a stack of books on the table in a far corner. "he's really been spending a lot of time here since school started," hermione said, looking in the direction of the blond boy.

"i wonder what he's up to?" ginny asked, watching as parvati patil stepped into the library, glancing to malfoy. "did you ever find out who he owled in hogsmeade?" hermione asked in a soft whisper. "george said the postal worker didn't know anything," harry said. "he paid four galleons for him to not ask questions." "weird, just like ferret-face," ron said. the four watched as the blond stood up, and walked down the isle of books parvati had just disappeared down. "come on," ron said with a wicked smirk. he stood up and stepped cautiously to the isle of books, followed by a very curious harry, but receiving only a disapproving glare from hermione and a disgusted shake of ginny's head. harry and ron looked around the corner of the books, jaws dropping at the sight of malfoy and parvati wrapped in each other's arms, lips locked and hands groping. harry reached for ron's arm, pulling him out of the isle and back to the table. "that was disturbing," ron grimaced. "why would malfoy and parvati patil be together?" harry asked. "i can understand an occasional tryst, but this makes twice i've seen them together." "lavender brown said she caught them together after transfigurations last week," hermione said quietly. "and michael corner told me he saw them going into the forbidden forrest shortly after christmas holidays," ginny said. "you mean they're an item?" ron asked in surprise. "that's just...gross." "i just wonder why they're hiding?" ginny asked. "are you mental?" ron snapped. "if the slytherin pride and joy were caught snogging a gryffindor, he'd be disowned." "they don't seem to be doing a very good job at hiding," hermione said, watching as the two walked out of the isle of books, malfoy returning to his table and parvati leaving the library. "well, come on," harry said standing up from his seat. "we have to get ready for d.a." "aren't you curious what old ferret-face is up to?" ron asked as they left the library. "yeah, but there isn't anything to do about it, except ask him. and i doubt he'd tell us the truth, so why waste our time?" "i still wonder what he's up to," ron grumbled as they hurried to the room of requirements. harry paced the floor three times, thinking of what he needed and watched as a door appeared before him. he opened it and walked in, followed by hermione, ron and ginny. the room was large, well stocked with pillows and shelves of spell books. harry went to the large stack of pillows, glancing back to ginny and smiling as ron and hermione edged their way toward the bookcases. harry and ginny both blushed, remembering how their lesson last week had ended. after

everyone left, harry and ginny remained behind to secure the room, returning books and gathering the pillows, when ginny tossed a rather large red one at harry, hitting him on the head. within a very short time, the pillows were strung all over the floors again, with two very exhausted young people laying among them, panting from their excursion and eager to begin a new game only two can join. hermione returned to where the two were standing, and frowned. the expression on their faces indicated something else was happening and hermione wasn't all that eager to discover what it was. "what spells do you want to practice tonight?" hermione asked, ignoring the looks she received. "we can practice the shielding spells some more," harry suggested. "we've already practiced all of them," ron complained. "even i have them memorized." "what about appleby arrows?" ginny asked. "that is outlawed," hermione said. "if the ministry finds out..." "you mean if my dad finds out?" ron asked with a smirk. "even your dad can't prevent you from going to prison for performing spells that have been outlawed, ronald." "that makes it all the more important to practice them," ginny argued. "i thought we'd already agreed, voldemort isn't going to follow by the rules or obey the laws. if he pulls out one of the forbidden spells, we have to know how to protect ourselves from them." "i agree," harry said. "but i don't see where he'll use the appleby arrows. all it does is shoot arrows from your wand. what kind of weapon would that be?" "it would make a good distraction," ron said. "but it's against the law," hermione insisted. "all right, we'll practice it for awhile but i want to spend more time on the patronus spell," harry insisted, putting a halt to the argument. "we did fairly well last year, but most everyone needs more practice. i think if the dementors are helping voldemort, we should all know how to protect themselves against them." "that's a pretty advanced spell for most of these students," hermione complained. "we had a lot of problems last year, remember?" "i know but we need to work on it. do you think the dark lord won't have advanced spells at his disposal?" harry asked, receiving a silent response. the next two hours was spent in the most intense training. harry had asked tonks to help him get a bogart, which she did and brought it to the lessons, secured inside a sealed basket. harry instructed everyone to concentrate on a dementor, and to find the happiest thought they could muster. he remembered his happy thought from years ago, but a new one filtered through his mind and with a smile, he nodded to tonks who released the bogart. instantly the room

became cold and a dark robed figure appeared, looming above the occupants. it looked menacing as it approached harry, who raised his wand confidently and issued the spell, 'expecto patronus,' he said, his tone firm and strong. immediately the silvery image of a great stag emerged from the tip of his wand, forcing the bogart to back away. tonks collected the creature, placing it back into the basket. "just hold on to your happiest thought, and it can't harm you," he instructed, allowing each to step forward. hermione was her usual master at the spell, stating the words and watching with pride as a replica of an otter appeared. ginny was next, who took a couple of tries to get her patronus large enough. after a few minutes, she had managed to perfect a large owl, about the size of horse. it screeched angrily at the bogart, and tonks once again collected the creature. ron's turn was next, and with a great deal of nervous clearing of his throat he raised his wand, closing his eyes tightly and nodded to tonks, who released the bogart. ron looked up and watched with wide eyes as the large dark robed creature stretched out its scabbed hand toward him. much to everyone's surprise, he set his jaw and issued the spell, 'expecto patronus," and immediately the image of a hippogriff appeared in front of him. once the bogart had been returned, he turned on shaky legs toward hermione, who hugged him tightly. the smile on his face was enough to inspire the rest of the class, who stepped forward eagerly. even neville had managed to perform the spell, conjuring up a devils snare. when everyone had at least tried the spell, harry allowed the bogart to rest, as tonks secured it inside the basket again. he then turned to the class, and told them they were going to try the appleby arrow's spell, glancing to tonks who surprisingly nodded her head. "now you have to remember," harry told them looking at the disapproval on hermione's young face. "this spell has been outlawed, so there is a risk of ministry involvement, so i strongly suggest you practice this only here and keep the knowledge of it secret." by ten o'clock that night, the students were exhausted but invigorated at the same time. they had reviewed and mastered two very powerful spells in one night. it was enough to encourage them and inspire them to continue their lessons. there was even talk among seamus, dean, lavender and susan bones, about being ready and anxious to meet the dark lord, who most were no longer fearing calling him by his name, voldemort. harry was very tired as he cleaned the room, insisting that the others head back to the dormitories. he even told ginny to go to bed, kissing her tenderly before she left. he had a headache from the noise and felt he needed a few minutes alone to re-focus his thoughts. he had just cleaned the room, putting everything back where it belonged, when a soft voice behind him caught his attention. harry looked up from where he was busy rearranging the books back on the shelves. behind him stood cho chang, the one person he had seen very little of since school began last september. harry smiled as he straightened up, taking notice of how much taller he was than her. somehow the old tingling he'd felt every time he saw her was no longer present. in fact, he didn't even find himself nervous being in the same room with her.

"you were very good tonight, harry," she whispered softly. "thank you," he told her. "i've been doing quite a bit of practicing myself." "it shows," she said, walking closer to him. "i felt it was time we spoke about last year," she told him after a few silent, tense moments. "i owe you an apology for the way i acted, and an explanation." "no you don't," harry told her honestly. "i do. see, i really hadn't confronted my emotions over losing cedric, when you and i started dating, and i sort of took it out on you. i wanted to talk about it, but i wasn't ready to let go. i guess grief can do strange things to a person." "i know," harry said looking down to the floor. "i spent the summer running and nearly drove myself mental exercising. once i was able to confront my grief over my own loses, i was able to focus on other things. i actually found myself moving forward again, probably for the first time in my life. i had something to live for." "i'm jealous," she said with a smile. "i'm still trying to find that something to live for. i suppose it just takes time. my dad said that time will heal all wounds, but i can't help wondering how much time." harry paused a moment, thinking about his response. "be patient, cho. it will happen, but you can't rush it. sometimes you just need to sit down and think about what it is you've lost and how much you still have to look forward to. that's what i did, with the help of someone very special. i was able to confront my grief and let go of it. there's still times, when i feel alone, or sad, but it is getting better." "ginny is a very lucky girl," she said, watching the blush creep up his cheeks. "i just can't find anything right now, to look forward to. this is my last year at hogwart's and then what? i still don't know what i'm going to do with my life. cedric and i spoke about going on and trying out for a professional quidditch team, possibly sharing more of our lives together, but now that's never to be." "you'll find someone cho, someone who will love you and give you what you need. you're a very beautiful girl; you're smart and kind. you have a lot to look forward to, a husband, children, whatever you want." cho stepped closer to harry, looking up into his bright green eyes and smiling. "and what if that something i want is you?" she asked, leaning in to him and placing her lips against his. harry froze briefly. i was just like the day ginny kissed him, but this time there were no emotions, no feelings to explore, no desires to confront. harry eased cho away from him, holding her at arm's distance and tried to smile politely. "it won't work cho," he told her sternly, hoping his voice was calm. "i'm flattered, but i'm in love with ginny weasley. i won't do anything to hurt her." cho looked put down and a sad expression crossed her delicate features. "she's very lucky," she told him softly, turning to leave the room. harry sighed, then turned back to his cleaning when he heard another noise behind him, and spun around in defense. he found himself staring blankly into the aging eyes of professor dumbledore, who smiled as he stepped further into the room,

closing the door behind him. "i'm sorry professor," harry said with a sigh. "i didn't hear you come in." "that's quite all right, harry," the older wizard stated. "it's been quite a night for you, hasn't it?" he asked with a smile, watching the blush creep up the younger man's cheeks. "yes sir, it has." "i wanted to speak with you about tonight's d.a. lessons," dumbledore said, taking a seat in a large armchair that had appeared without harry noticing. he waved his wand and conjured up another chair, along with a tray of teas and biscuits, then motioned for harry to join him. "what about tonight's lessons?" harry asked, afraid he was about to get another week's detention for teaching the students the appleby arrow spell. "you're doing very well, and so are your students," the old man said with a warm smile. "i'm quite impressed with your progress." "the students are doing really well," harry said sipping a cup of hot tea. "i've been surprised at how well they're doing." "you're a remarkable teacher. perhaps you should consider it as a profession, one day." "i don't think so. i really want to be an auror. i want to put a stop to the evil, and prevent anyone losing their parents, the way i did." "you'll make a fine auror harry, but don't give up on the idea of teaching. some of the greatest headmasters of hogwart's has been more than just professors in their lives." "what have you been, professor?" harry asked, watching the smile creep up his aging face. dumbledore sat his teacup back down on his saucer and looked at the young man. "many, many years ago, i was once like you. my brother and i were the only children to my parents, who were both teachers. they wanted us to follow in their footsteps, but i wanted to fight evil and discover the world. my brother, aberforth however, was quite a different fellow. he felt as i did, on quite a few points, but he was a man of his own design." "where is your brother now, professor?" "oh, he's around," dumbledore said with a smile. "he has his own mission." "so you and your brother were both members of the order?" "yes we were. unlike my brother however, i have decided to remain in the forefront and protect the school and the wizarding world to the best of my ability. aberforth has decided to take a defense near the rear." "what does that mean?" "it's not important," dumbledore said with a frown.

"so are you saying, you were once an auror?" harry said after a few moments, remembering what the old wizard had said earlier. "not exactly, but i have had my share of battles." "why did my parents join the order?" dumbledore looked over his half moon glasses perched on his crooked nose. "your parents were unique people, harry. they chose to fight, in order to make the world a safer place for their baby to grow up in. they were very powerful, and your mother was unique for being muggle born. she had powers that even she didn't recognize at first." "like what?" "besides her being a very talented seer, she was also an expert at spells and potions. she spoke four languages, and had the ability to look into the soul of another person. she loved your father so deeply, that i believe they are together even in death." "why couldn't she see wormtail's deception?" "she trusted him, because he was a friend of your father's, and i believe once he knew how powerful her magic was, he avoided her. i don't think he ever wanted to give her the chance to see into his mind." "my mother was telepathic?" "yes, among other things. she used to say it didn't matter with your father, she knew what he was thinking even without seeing his thoughts." dumbledore smiled, thinking back over the years. "tell me about my father. what kind of family did he come from? no one has ever told me about them." dumbledore sighed. "he was an only child, his parents died shortly after he graduated. they were quite wealthy; in fact he inherited a castle not far from here. he never lived there though, he always said it reminded him too much of his parents, and how much he missed them. whenever you would like, i will be happy to take you to your family estates. they do after all, belong to you." "how did they die?" harry asked, ignoring the conversation of wealth and castles. "they were on a skiing holiday when they were caught in an avalanche. your father was supposed to go with them, but changed his mind when your mother invited him to meet her parents. she had a bad feeling about his going away. it proved to be her first true premonition." "so, aunt petunia truly is my only living relative," harry said sadly. "you do realize, you only have one more summer with them, don't you? you will be of legal age next year, and once you've graduated hogwart's you'll be on your own." "that's not a bad thing," harry said with a frown. several long moments passed by with the old wizard staring at the younger one. he knew there was something else on his mind.

"i know there is more to the prophecy than what you've told me," harry said at last. "are you ever going to tell me all of it?" "you have to understand harry, i don't feel the time is right for you to understand all of it." "you still don't think i'm capable of handling it, do you?" dumbledore shook his head, chuckling softly. "harry, i have never known another man, more capable of handling so much, so fast at even twice your age. i trust you and i know you are capable of accepting the information. the reason i don't think you're ready to understand all of it, is because i myself do not understand all of it. there are things associated with you that i have never anticipated and would never presumed you capable of. the premonitions, for one thing. i've always known your mother had the power, but until now you've never demonstrated even an inkling of them." "i only have a year left, professor," harry reminded him. "i think i have a right to know what was predicted about my life, before i have to face it unprepared." "you will not be facing anything unprepared, harry, i promise you that. i also promise, i will reveal the prophecy to you in entirety before you graduate." "hopefully, i'll still be alive by then," harry said under his breath, but still loud enough for the old man to hear. "well, harry, it's getting late. i think we could both do with a little sleep." "professor," harry began feeling slightly guilty. "i have to be honest. i've been teaching the d.a. some spells that are sort of...illegal." "yes, harry i know that. i was quite impressed with mr. weasley's talent with the appleby arrows. he's a natural." harry looked at the man and smiled. "is there anything you don't know?" dumbledore chuckled softly, placing a hand on harry's shoulder as they walked toward the door. "not when it comes to this school or my students. unfortunately, there are times when it becomes a burden. i feel like a peeping tom at times, especially when two of my favorite students engage in a pillow fight. interesting way it was ended, i must say." harry blushed brightly. "ah to be young again. come to think of it, i don't think i had that much energy when i was younger either. there are times when i wonder whether you and miss weasley aren't rabbits." read? review! author notes: i'm sorry it's taken so long to get this out. life hasn't been working out for me lately. please continue to r/r, and i promise, the next chapter is almost ready. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: thank you so much to "d" for all your editing, help, suggestions and friendship. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

chapter thirty-five harry stood by the door to the locker rooms, waiting impatiently for ron to arrive. he was supposed to be there ten minutes ago. after quidditch practice, he disappeared, instructing harry to wait for him. it was important he told him. so here harry stood, tapping his toe on the stone path that surrounded the locker rooms, alone, waiting for his friend and brother to the girl he was late meeting for their scheduled date. "hey, harry," ron shouted from across the quidditch pitch. he ran to his friend's side, out of breath and very flushed. "thanks for waiting," he gasped, holding onto the stitch in his side. "you're lucky i'm still here," harry snapped. "i was about to leave. i have a date with ginny, and you're making me late." "sorry, but i had to talk to you before you spoke with ginny. what are you two doing for valentine's day next week?" "that's what was so important? we haven't made any definite plans. we were going to discuss it tonight, until you made me late." "how about spending the evening in hogsmeade?" ron asked, ignoring his friend's irritation. "that would propably be one idea, why?" "george and fred are having a valentine's party this saturday, and invited us. it's a real party, harry, with food and music and dancing. they've already invited over a dozen couples, and oliver wood will be there, along with angelina and katie. it's a party for couples only. think about it, a real adult party for lovers. great idea, huh!" "are you sure they want us to come? it may be another of their tricks." "i promise. even bill and charlie will be there, they have dates and everything." "i don't know ron. it sounds a little weird coming from fred and george, if you ask me." "come on harry, it's all on the up and up. it'll be fun. i've never been to a real party before, at least not since the triwizard ball." "but you hated the triwizard ball, remember?" "that was because i wasn't with hermione. how would you feel, seeing your girl with a famous quidditch player?" "but she wasn't your girl, ron. you had the chance to ask her out, and you kept dragging your feet until it was too late." "i didn't know how to ask her. you remember what she was like that year, bossy and all." "she's always bossy, ron. that's what makes her hermione." "yeah, well i guess i was just scared. don't you remember how beautiful she was?"

"your girlfriend, mate, not mine. anyway, i'm still not sure about this party. i mean, it's your brothers, the world's most notorious pranksters." "what could happen? we'll be together; and bill and charlie will be there, they won't let anything happen." "well..." ron looked serious as he stared at harry. "come on harry. we can talk it over with the girls, and let them decide." "do you really think hermione would rather go to a party at fred and george's, or have a quiet romantic dinner with her future husband?" ron blushed with the term his best friend used. "she'll love the idea." "this is hermione granger we're talking about, ron. she has never really approved of the twins' antics." "trust me, she'll love the idea." with that said, the two hurried back to the castle, ron practically bubbling over with excitement. he was positive the girls would love the idea of going to hogsmeade for valentine's day. "have you lost your mind?" hermione snapped some fifteen minutes later. "but 'mione, it'll be fun," ron pleaded as harry and ginny looked on silently. "it's a real party, couples only. you said the other day you wished the school would have another ball, so we could go dancing. this is even better, it's for adults only. no snickering little kids hanging around." "but ron, it's your brothers," hermione echoed harry's words from earlier. "i promise everything will be okay," ron pleaded. "we have spend some time there, and if you're not having a good time, we can leave and i'll buy you the best dinner in town. what do you say?" "i don't know," hermione said, glancing across the table to where harry and ginny sat listening. "what about you two? are you going?" "ginny said with bill and charlie there, fred and george would have to behave themselves," harry told her. "so i guess we're going, but we aren't staying if they pull any pranks." "come on 'mione, what do you say?" ron pleaded again. "oh, all right, but if i'm not having a good time, we're leaving." "straight away, i promise," ron said hugging his girlfriend. "this is going to be so much fun. i can't wait." with that said, ron kissed hermione's cheek and headed for the stairs. "i have to make sure my dress robes look good, wouldn't want to look like a slob. "i don't know why he's so excited," hermione grumbled watching the tall red head bound up the stairs to his dormitory. "with fred and george planning this whole thing, merlin only knows what's going to happen." "it's more angelina and katie who are planning it," ginny said with a warm smile.

"i think they are anxious to show the boys what good hostesses they can be." "it's hard to imagine fred and george having girlfriends," hermione said bitterly. "i'm amazed angelina and katie would even associate with them, after all the pranks they pulled in school." "that's just it," ginny said with a wicked smile. "i think they pulled so many, in order to get the girls' attention." "and they say ron's mental," the bushy haired girl said, folding her arms across her chest. saturday evening found ron standing in front of the full length mirror, combing his hair flat against his head. he had used so much sleekeasy's hair potion, his hair was plastered against his head tighter than malfoy ever hoped to have his. "capillus reparo," hermione said, having seen the conditon of ron's hair. "why'd you do that?" he grumbled, though thankful to know his hair no longer looked like it had been painted on his head, but angry that she felt it necessary to rescue him. "i like your hair like this," she told him, ruffling the top with her fingers. "besides, you looked like you had a red tortoise shell sitting on your shoulders instead of a head." "thanks a lot," ron grumbled, then smiled when she leaned up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "it's nice to know you care so much." "i do care, and you've been up here far too long. i was beginning to feel like an old maid, waiting on you." "if this is what an old maid looks like, i think an awful lot of blokes are going to be in trouble." ron smiled as he pulled the beautiful girl in his arms, taking notice of her own appearance. "how did you get that stuff to work?" he asked, looking at the sleek, smooth hair that cascaded down her back and across her shoulders like a satin sheet. "i've used it before," she told him. "i know what to expect. it takes a long time, but i suppose for special occasions it's worth it." "i think i knew i loved you, the first time you used it. remember, at the ball in fourth year? i never thought anyone could be so beautiful." "then you approve?" she teased, watching the wicked gleam cross his eyes. "i'll show you how much i approve later," he promised, kissing her briefly before turning and heading back down stairs to the common room. harry and ginny were already waiting for them, when they arrived. they were dressed in their new dress robes that harry had purchased at the end of summer. the aroma of lavender was eminating from ginny's hair, which harry was currently running his hands through. "ready?" ron asked, holding hermione's hand.

"are you sure you want to do this?" harry said, looking at ginny longingly. "come on, it'll be fun," ron said, ignoring the whistles seamus and dean offered as they stepped through the portrait hole. "whoa, weasley look at you," seamus said with a smirk. "i guess being the minister of magic's son, has really paid off." "don't be an arse, finnigan," ron said with an evil frown. "just calling it as we see it," dean said, stepping to ron and smoothing out his lapel on his robes. "you look like a million bucks, or did you get a raise in your spending money?" "bugger off, you two," ron growled, pushing away the boy's hands, smoothing his robes and walking with hermione to the portrait hole. harry smiled at the teasing expression of the boys, as he and ginny followed his two best friends. the party was much as ron had hoped. oliver wood was there, along with his wife of three weeks, margorie wagtail who stated that her little sister was a first year at hogwart's, and was in gryffindor. harry frowned. he remembered hearing the name at first night back to school, but hadn't paid much attention to the little blond haired girl, though he had seen her often enough in the common room. "margie's dad is someone you'll probably be interested in knowing," oliver said with a warm smile to the attractive blond next to him. "he's part of the weird sisters." "bloody hell!" ron exclaimed. "your dad is myron wagtail." "i know that," margorie smiled. "he's the lead singer," ron said again. "yes, he is. do you like my father's music?" "are you mental...i mean yes, yes i do," ron said again, slightly embarrassed. "well, perhaps you'd like an autograph?" margorie asked. "are you kidding? i'd love one." "then may i ask you to do me a small favor?" ron frowned at the attractive girl, feeling his face redden. "sabrina isn't a very forward child, she's really shy and she hasn't been doing very well socially at school. she's homesick and she says she hasn't any friends, except those who know whose daughter she is and wants to cash in on it. if you would help her fit in, i'd be most grateful." "poor thing," hermione gasped. "we'll all help her," ginny assured the girl's sister. "i appreciate it. i'm going to stop by the school and see her tomorrow before i go back to london. perhaps we can all have lunch." "that would be great," ron said.

"hey harry," oliver said, eager to change the subject. "congratulations on making team captain. i knew you'd do it, i always knew the job was suited for you." "it's been hard, but i'm trying to make it work." "harry, you're too modest," ginny said in a soft whimsical tone that surprised harry, he'd never heard her act so...girlish. he loved how forward and forthright she was, and this was a side of her he didn't know if cared much for. "yeah wood," ron said. "he's a great captain. we've won every game so far, and it looks like the house cup will stay with gryffindor." "i'm proud of all of you," oliver said. "it's so good to know how well you've kept up the team, dispite that horrid umbridge last year. she's a real cretin. i had to deal with her a couple years ago, when the puddlemere united had to get ministry approval to go overseas. i didn't think she was going to let us have the authorization. if it wasn't for ludo bagman's interference, i doubt we'd have ever been approved." "well, she got hers," ron said with a smirk, clicking his tongue to sound much like horse hooves, causing an eruption of laughter from those gathered around. harry and ginny smiled, turning and mingling among the other guests. harry felt a little guilty for having doubted the twins' sincerity. they had been there nearly three hours and were having a wonderful time. angelina and katie had managed a wonderful dinner, complete with games and music. harry and ginny danced so much their legs felt like lead and they were forced to take time out, to relax a bit. ron and hermione had spent a great deal of the evening with oliver wood and his new bride or dancing themselves. ron and hermione left the center of the dance floor angelina and katie had conjured up for the evening. they stepped to the table of refreshments, looking over the assortment of cakes, cookies, pastries, fire whiskey, champaigne and butter beer. ron desperately wanted to try his first fire whiskey, but knew it wouldn't pass his brothers, who seemed to be watching him intently. he reached across the large platter of chocolate covered strawberries and retrieved two bottles of butter beer. he popped the caps off and handed one to hermione, feeling awkward at the way the twins continued to watch him. hermione smiled at ron, the two of them having already made plans to meet up later that night in the room of requirements. harry told them just how helpful of a place it was - away from classes and d.a. meetings. emotions were running high between the two, and ron was actually considering making their escape, regardless of how desperately he wanted to be there in the first place. they took a drink of their butter beers, their eyes meeting as they swallowed, immediately finding the others lips, pressing into a very deep, passion kiss. harry stepped to their side, shaking his head as he reached for two bottles of butter beer for himself and ginny. perhaps it was the idea of the party, but he had never seen ron kiss hermione so openly before, especially in front of his brothers. "you two need to get a grip," harry teased, glancing to the shocked look on their faces, a muffled grunt echoing from their sealed lips, as their eyes searched harry's expression. ron's face was a bright red, his ears flaming and hermione wasn't much better. they stared at harry, their lips still tightly pressed,

a look of horror in their eyes. harry frowned as he looked at the two. "are you all right?" he asked, watching as they tried to shake their heads, still grunting. "what's wrong?" he asked again, touching hermione's shoulder and hearing an outburst of laughter echoing from behind him. he turned to see angelina and katie staring blankly at the hysterical antics of fred and george, who were laughing so hard, they were doubled over, gasping for breath. "what did you do?" ginny snapped at her brothers, looking at a horrified ron and hermione, still connected at the lips. "pep...pep..." fred tried to say around his laughter. "sticking...peppermint..." george tried to add, but was unable to sound much more than his twin. "bloody hell," bill said, setting his glass on the table and grabbing george by the arm. "did you two spike the drinks?" "just theirs," his brother exploded again in laughter. "an attraction spell on the bottles," fred said with a gasp of air, still trying to regain control. "they had to chose them." "what did you do?" charlie insisted. "peppermint sticking charms," bill answered, shoving george into a chair so hard it tipped backward, hitting into a wall. "you two promised you wouldn't play any pranks tonight," katie snapped at her boyfriend. "we couldn't resist," george said, ignoring his younger brother, hoping to stop laughing long enough to sooth his girlfriend. "it's a new line of drinks for the reluctant lovers," fred said with a bright grin. "we'll deal with you two later," charlie said, hurrying behind bill who was already at ron and hermione's side. "we'd better get the basic antidote potion from the medical kit," bill said with disgust. "hold on you two, we'll have you apart in a minute." five minutes later, ron was rubbing his lips, trying to get feeling back into them, as hermione was trying her best to hide her embarrassment. "it would have worn off after ten minutes," george told katie, who was so angry he thought she'd spit fire. "it was just a joke," fred told angelina through a locked bedroom door. "honest, honey, it wouldn't have done any harm, just a little quality time." "we had to try it out on someone," george was telling katie. "who better than our little brother?" ron heard this, and found his face flaming red again, this time more from anger than embarrassment. he stepped up to his brother's side, pulling his fist back and letting it hit the older boy with full force in the face. a sickening crack resounded from george's nose, as blood began dripping from between the fingers that quickly covered the throbbing pain in

the middle of his face. without a word, ron turned and left the flat where they lived above the joke shop. he was so angry, he didn't hear hermione calling to him, or see harry and ginny running after them. "ron, wait!" hermione said, grabbing the young man's arm and pulling him to a halt in the street out front of the store. "i am so sick of being the arse of those two's jokes," ron growled, his fists rolled tightly by his side. "ron, relax," ginny said as she and harry neared him. "relax? what would you know about it? they never pulled stupid jokes on you. you're the sweet little sister, so cute and nice, they wouldn't dare do anything to you. but no, let's just terrorize ron, he's a patsy, he'll fall for anything." "i've had my fair share of their attacks," ginny said angrily. "i've spent more time looking under my bed, and sprinkling a basic antidote potion in my food and drinks, since i was three. look at how many times, they've placed charms and hexes on my stuffed toys." "stuffed toys, do not compare to what i've had to put up with," ron snapped, matching weasley anger to weasley anger. "would you consider an enchanted toy dragon, with being lip-locked to your girl in front of a room full of people, a fair comparison?" "calm down, ron," hermione told him. "let's go to the hog's head and get a drink, that isn't enchanted." "we'll spend the rest of the evening together, celebrating valentine's day as friends," harry suggested, tucking his hand inside the angry girl's hand next to him. "sure, we still have a few hours left," hermione said hoping her calm voice would help sooth things with the boy who was fuming beside her. "we can share a nice drink and go back to the school, and finish our evening the way we planned." ron ground his teeth, looking at the attractive girl. he couldn't speak, but he did nod, and the four of them walked silently down the small narrow road to the hog's head. they would have normally gone to the three broomsticks, but considering how late it was, they knew it had closed over an hour ago. the hog's head however, was open until the wee hours of the night. they stepped into the tavern, looking around at the nearly deserted surroundings. there was an old witch in one corner, her hat filthy and torn, her clothes soiled and tattered. in a booth not far from her were a pair of gruff looking wizards playing a game of cards, and the shadows of a young couple in a dark corner far from the door. harry indicated a finger toward a booth near the front, and sat down next to ginny. the old man behind the counter stared at the four, watchng them extremely close as they sat down and discussed what they were going to drink. ron still wanted fire whiskey, but decided to settle on an un-enchanted bottle of butter beer. harry cautiously stepped up to the counter, and ordered four bottles of chilled butter beer. the barman was a grumpy-looking old man with long gray hair and a beard. he reminded harry of professor dumbledore, in many ways. he was tall and thin and as harry continued to watch him prepare their drinks, he couldn't help but feeling again, that the old man looked familiar. he remembered feeling this way during fifth year, when he first met the old man, but he couldn't put his

finger on where he knew him from. harry took the drinks and paid the old man, who continued to stare at him, making him feel awkward and uncomfortable. back at the table, harry found the tension as thick if not more so, than it had been when he left them. the three sat in silence, refusing to look at each other, as they took their drinks from harry. "this is ridiculous," harry said. "all right, so the twins turned what was a really nice evening into an excuse for a bad practical joke. it's over, forget about it and let's have a nice night. and anyway, i think angelina and katie will make them pay, for ruining their party, don't you?" ron glanced up at harry and gave a small smile, thinking about the revenge his brothers' girlfriends would no doubt have in mind. "harry's right," hermione said, leaning closer to ron. "we're going to have a great ending to a very nice day. i have something for you," she told him, pulling a small package from her inside robes. "what is it?" ron asked quietly. "well, open it," she told him, watching as the boy unwrapped the brown paper and pulled out a small vial of wizard's delight, the newest men's cologne. ron smiled at the girl, uncorking the bottle and sniffing the spicy scent. "thank you," he said softly. "i really like it." "i have something for you, too," harry said, reaching inside his robes and pulling out red velvet wrapped package for ginny. she smiled awkwardly, accepting the gift as she retrieved a rolled up parchment from her own robes. "it isn't much and it isn't expensive, but i hope you like it," she said with a warm blush. harry smiled back, slipping the string off the parchment. it was a handmade greeting card, complete with small cupids that flew around the page, flinging little arrows at the photo of the two of them that she had gotten from colin creevey. along the top were the words, our first valentine's day together. harry smiled, reaching out and hugging the girl to him tightly. "it's the best gift i've ever gotten," he told her, kissing her passionately. a few minutes later, harry released her, allowing her to open her own gift. inside was a small silver box containing a small skeleton key. ginny frowned at the gift, looking at the strange expression on harry's face. "thank you," she said politely, causing harry to laugh out loud. "it's the key to a very special place," he told her softly. "i'll show you later." ginny blushed, looking across the table at the lip-locked couple again. harry followed her eyes, seeing the bottles open in front of them and fearing the worst. "hey, not again," he said. "you guys all right?" hermione and ron pulled apart reluctantly, looking to their friend. "yeah, why?" ron asked with a wicked smirk. harry glared at the two of them, shaking his head. "what a night," he said quietly. ron smiled brightly, leaning into hermione and kissing her neck.

"what do you say we finish up here, and head back to school?" ron asked quietly, glancing across to see harry and ginny also engaged in a little snogging of their own. hermione smiled with a blush to her creamy complexion, and looked up as the young lovers in the corner stood and began to walk past them. "malfoy?" she said, much louder then she had intended. the young blond stopped and looked at the four who were staring openly as he walked hand in hand toward the door with parvati patil. "what are you doing here?" the blond asked, a little shocked, a blush of embarrassment crossing his face. "celebrating the holiday," ron said. "what are you doing here, with one of us?" "that is really none of your business, weasle," he snapped. "just because the governors mistakenly chose your father as the minister of magic, does not give you the right to question my goings on." "we're just curious," hermione said, putting a strong hand on her boyfriend's arm. "we weren't aware a slytherin would associate with a gryffindor outside of school." "there's more to life than petty house rivalries, granger," malfoy told her, less bitter than he normally would have, neglecting to call her his favorite nickname. "i couldn't agree more," hermione added with a polite smile. "so you sneak around, hiring postal owls to deliver your mail instead of using the school's birds, you hide in closets snogging and heaven knows what else, and now you're hiding out in the hog's head," ron said, summing up the boy's activities. "i wonder, what evil plans are you concocting now?" "unless it has to do with the disposal of the likes of you, then it's none of your business. i suggest you four return to school soon, before you get detention again. you are breaking curfew, you know?" "we have permission to be out," harry said. "what about the two of you? any problems sneaking off school grounds?" "we weren't sneaking potter, and it's none of your business either. keep your nose where it belongs, or you may get it burned." malfoy and parvati turned, completing their path and left the tavern, and the four other gryffindor's to watch their departure. "what the bloody hell is he up to?" ron asked. "he's starting to really get on my nerves," ginny said. "why is he sneaking around so much, and why with parvati patil? it just doesn't make sense." "let's not worry about it," hermione said. "we have to be going, or we will get in trouble. we have rounds to make in an hour, anyway." ron glanced up at her and frowned. it wasn't their night for castle rounds, but seeing the look in her eyes, he understood why she wanted to leave. there was a room waiting, with their name on it. "you're right," harry said, reaching out and squeezing ginny's tiny hand. "we'd better get going." they stood and started to the door, when an odd feeling

came over him. harry felt the prickling of hair on the back of his neck, as if he was being watched, deliberately. he looked back but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. the only thing that seemed to stand out, was the way the bar keeper continually wiped the same spot on the counter. "what is it harry?" ginny asked, slipping her arm inside his. harry frowned, looking down to her delicate features. "nothing," he told her, taking one last glance around the tavern, and forcing a smile on his face. "let's go." harry and ginny left the hog's head, followed by a pair of eyes that looked out from beneath a dark, worn cloak. harry potter, the boy-who-lived, even when he shouldn't have. there was something the boy had to know, but the secret keeper was frozen to his seat in fear. harry potter was very powerful, more so than anyone had anticipated. there may be hope for the future, the cloaked figure thought, reaching an unsteady hand toward the glass of fire whiskey, lifting it to his lips with trembling fingers. he had to know what was happening, but the last time they had met was not exactly on very pleasant terms. but there was a debt to pay, and it was wizard custom. a custom that would have to fulfilled, regardless of the fears that held the figure firmly in his seat. perhaps tomorrow, when the day was fresh and the fear of shadows did not matter, the debt would be rectified. perhaps tomorrow, a new day would really begin, for them both. read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who continues to r/r. i appreciate and love hearing from everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-six harry and ginny laid together on a couch in the common room. they had arrived some time ago, allowing ron and hermione to use the room of requirement. neither of them wanted to go to bed and weren't ready to say good night. harry nuzzled his nose in the soft fragrant hair of the girl wrapped securely in his arms. he sighed contently. he hadn't realized just how comfortable or relaxed he felt when he was with her until recently. it just felt right holding her and no matter how bad or strenuous the day had been, even with extra lessons with snape, he could always count on feeling at home in her arms. "harry," she said softly, tingling as he leaned down kissing her neck. "what was the key for?" harry chuckled in her ear. "do you really want to see?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "please?" she asked, turning in his arms. "give me a minute," he told her with a smile, kissing her briefly as he hurried up to his room. ginny laid there on the couch, smiling. she couldn't remember ever feeling so happy. this simple, somewhat shy young man, was the only thing she needed in life to make her feel complete. in her mind, nothing could ever go wrong and nothing would ever change her heart. ginny stretched deeply, her arms above her head and her eyes shut tightly. she was about to sit up when she felt something warm against her breast, like a tender caress. she opened her eyes, but didn't see anything. the pressure continued and she

smiled, knowing exactly what or rather who, it was. "do you really think you can hide from me, under that thing?" she asked, moaning at the tender massaging motion against her thin blouse. "i can try," harry's voice replied, as the hood to his invisibility cloak was pushed away. "you're impossible, harry potter. irresistible, but impossible." harry chuckled, reaching from beneath his cloak and pulling her up by the hand. "ready to see what your valentine's present opens?" ginny nodded with a smile, slipping beneath the cloak with him. they stepped quietly out the portrait hole and down the stairs, harry led her toward the whomping willow. "where are we going?" she asked, huffing slightly from having to keep pace with his longer stride. "you'll see," he smiled and then pulled her down to the cold grass. they crawled together toward the knot in the tree and pushed it, just as the tree began to sense a presence, its branches swinging in the night air. harry raised his wand, whispering the word "lumos" and watching as the end lit in a soft light. he led ginny through the opening in the trunk, removing the cloak and then stood up - to a crouching position below the small confines - and walked for several long minutes in silence. the air inside the cavern was filled with stirred up dust, cobwebs clinging to their faces and hair and their strained to see around the dimly lit surroundings. harry stepped up to a sealed door and turned to the girl beside him. "do you have the key?" he asked, holding his hand up and taking the golden object she handed him. he raised the key to his wand and touched it with the glowing tip. "ave regnare" he said, watching as it began to glow amber, then slipped it into the metal lock. the door immediately unlocked and he stepped aside to allow the young woman to enter. ginny smiled as he slipped the key back into her hand and walked with her into the dusty room beyond. harry led her through the deserted, broken furnishings of the many small rooms and up the stairs to another closed door. he smiled wickedly to her as he pushed it open, allowing her to enter first. inside was a room very unlike the rest of the house. the walls were a crisp, clean white, with elegant gold colored wallpaper halfway up them. along the top of the walls were delicately etched moldings and along one entire wall stood a massive stone fireplace, already glowing with warm inviting flames. in the center of the room was a large four-poster bed, complete with a warm comforter of red and gold and matching drapes hung from all four ends. several large overstuffed pillows lined the headboard and were strung out in front of the fire. several candles lined the walls and mantle, illuminating the room in a soft glow. a small table sat on either side of the bed, draped with matching cloths of gold and red and covering the deeply varnished floor was a large, gold braided rug. ginny gasped when she saw this. even their hiding place in the room of requirements didn't look this elegant. "how did you do all of this?" she asked him, walking to the bed and sitting on the side with a bounce. "i have a confession to make," he told her, stepping up and taking her hand. "i'm a wizard. i believe in magic and have the ability to cast many unusual spells."

"really?" ginny asked with a raised eyebrow. "then you might as well know, i'm a witch and if you don't stop being such a smart arse, i'll hex you into next week." harry smiled, kissing her hands. "you do realize that's impossible even magically?" "that won't stop me from trying," she smiled back, a little too sweetly to be sincere. "so where are we, anyway?" "we're in the shrieking shack. remus used it while he was in school and ron, hermione and i discovered it in our third year, when sirius escaped prison. dumbledore had it sealed shortly after that and i stumbled across the key when i was practicing my occlumency lessons with snape. he's not as good at hiding his thoughts as he would like to pretend. he didn't even know i'd seen his memories of him helping dumbledore seal the shack, or hiding the key in his desk drawer." "how'd you get it without his knowing?" harry sat on the bed next to her, his face taking on a very serious expression. "something strange happened one night, when i was practicing with him," he began in a quiet tone. "i saw his thoughts, i saw things he apparently didn't think i'd be able to see, so he didn't bother using the pensive to remove them. i saw him as a teenager and i saw him when he was a death eater. i saw the woman he loved. she was really beautiful. when dumbledore told me he had lost his one true love, a part of me thought it was my mum, especially since she helped him study so much. but this girl was extraordinary. she had long dark hair and large blue eyes and she was tall and slender. not anything i'd expect to fall for the old greasy git. anyway, after i saw the memory, i was afraid i'd get cursed three times over and thought about my escaping the dungeons, when i noticed snape wasn't moving. it was as if he was frozen or something he didn't blink or breathe. it only lasted a couple of minutes, but he didn't remember anything, not my seeing the memory, not his lack of movement, nothing. i tried it again a couple more times and each time it was the same thing but his freezing lasted longer. that was when i saw his memory of helping dumbledore seal the shack and hide the key, so i took it without his knowing about it." "harry, do you know what you did?" ginny asked in a surprised tone. "you used the 'lapis gelu' spell." "the what?" "the 'lapis gelu' spell. it's a very powerful and very difficult protection spell, where one uses their mind in which to freeze their subject as hard as stone. it's never exactly been outlawed, but it is on the list of dangerous spells, hexes and curses and it's among the ministry's most guarded spells. it can freeze a person indefinitely if done correctly. how long did you say it lasted?" "just a couple of minutes the first time but the last time i used it, it lasted over ten minutes. that's how i was able to look for the key without getting caught." "harry, this is incredible but where did you learn it? it's very dark magic." "i don't know, it just happened. why would i know it, ginny?"

"i don't know, but you really need to tell dumbledore." harry stood and paced to the fireplace, looking into the flames. right now he wished he could speak with sirius, he would be able to explain what happened and how he knew such an advanced, complicated spell. ginny sensed his feelings and walked up behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "i don't know how i did it, ginny," he said softly. "it just happened." "we'll tell hermione tomorrow. i'm sure she'll have an answer." harry turned and looked at the concern in the honey brown eyes that stared at him. "do you think i'm evil?" he asked, watching the shocked expression encase her delicate features. "i would never think you were evil, harry. there has to be a simple explanation, like maybe...i know, snape used to be a death eater, right? he must have known the spell and when you were reading his mind, you picked it out without knowing. you must have used it against him, without any knowledge of it." "it's possible, i suppose," he said unconvinced. harry look, i know you are anything but evil. you may have wicked thoughts sometimes, like setting aside a room in a forbidden shack so we can be alone, but other than that, you're perfectly wonderful. now relax and show me what it is you planned for the rest of our holiday." harry smiled, taking her in his arms. he did love her and as long as he had her support and confidence, he was sure he could never do anything wrong. without thinking about it further, harry lifted ginny in his arms, carried her to the bed and laid her on the covers. he kissed her lips in an act so tender, she could feel herself becoming hot and tingly all over. as he slid his tongue into her mouth to deepen their contact, his hands found their way down the front of her robes, which he quickly removed. he reached beneath the hem of her dress she had worn since her brothers' party, pulling it up her thighs as he trailed his fingers gently along the tender flesh, feeling the goose bumps rise beneath his touch. ginny shivered in anticipation and moaned as he broke his lips away, kissing a hot path down her neck. within minutes, he had her out of her clothing and lying beneath his eager explorations. he knew what it took to excite her and found his own desires raising to heights that matched hers. as his lips trailed down to the spot he knew would be her undoing, he managed to unfasten his pants and kick them off and pulling his shirt across his head, leaving them laying in a heap on the floor. this was how he had planned this night for over a week, ever since he discovered the spell dumbledore had placed on the shack. he had imagined making love to her in a room so distant from the school, that she wouldn't consider anything but him. and somehow the thought that dumbledore always knew what his students did and where, made him less than anxious to be in the castle right now. he didn't want to think about being watched, or even know that anyone was aware of what they were doing. he wanted to be completely free to explore and tease her as they had done back at grimmauld place and maybe allow her to vocalize her own desires as loudly as she wished, make the towns people of hogsmeade think the shrieking shack was once again haunted. ginny stirred against the warmth that surrounded her. she loved waking up in harry's arms and smiled as she snuggled closer to him, then further beneath the warm blankets. harry's chest rumbled slightly as he chuckled, sensing her waking up.

"about time," he said softly. "i thought i'd have to carry you back to the castle like this." he gently ran a hand down her naked back to her hips, where he slowly caressed them. "i don't want to wake up," she complained, tossing a long slender leg across his. "can't we stay here forever?" "that's fine by me, but what happens when the whole wizarding world comes looking for us? you don't think anyone is going to let the new minister of magic's daughter go missing without a full fledged search party, do you? not to mention what you brothers will do when they find us like this. percy still wants to send me to the gallows." "don't be silly, percy would never lift a finger to harm you. he's not that strong and besides he'd have to go through me and i know he's not that brave." "you are absolutely wonderful, do you know that?" he whispered as he began kissing her cheek, rolling her onto her back again. "i know it," she answered with a smirk. "i know you'd never accept anything but the best. after all, look at this elegant room it's obvious you're used to being spoiled." "oh really? and just whom would you accuse of spoiling me? surely not any of my relatives." "nope, just me," she whispered, wrapping her arms and legs around him. harry chuckled, kissing her neck and ear. he didn't really seem to care right now that it was dawn outside, or that they had to return to hogwart's before breakfast. all he cared about was having her in his arms, feeling the soft beat of her heart beneath his lips, hearing the scraping at the door. harry sat up instantly, his hand reaching for his wand he had tucked under his pillow as he retrieved his glasses from the bedside table and put them on. ginny looked alarmed by his actions and followed suit recovering her wand from the inside of her robes lying on the floor beside her. harry slowly slid out of bed, grabbing his pants and pulling them over his legs as he made his way silently to the door, where the soft scratching continued. he glanced back to ginny, seeing her already wrapped in her robes and standing beside the bed ready for whatever was outside that door. he reached for the handle and taking a deep breath, pulled it open with a hard jerk. there was nothing there, but then harry noticed the object close to the ground scurrying inside the room. he pointed his wand at it and shouted, "stupefy", then bent down and picked up the unconscious object by the tail. he looked at the skinny rat with narrowed eyes, his jaw set as he saw the silver front paw. angrily, harry tossed the rodent across the room, to land hard on the floor by the fireplace, his wand raised again and watched as ropes flew from the end, binding the rat tightly. "harry, what is it?" ginny asked, stepping to his side. "wormtail," harry answered, anger tinting every word. "he's the one who betrayed my parents to voldemort, sent sirius to prison for a crime he didn't commit and killed cedric diggory the night he helped his master regain his power." "why's he here?"

"probably trying to sneak into the castle, to help his lord and master find a way in." the rat began to regain consciousness as harry spoke, struggling against the ropes that bound him. harry stepped over to him, picking him up once again by the tail. "if you weren't a wizard, i'd throw you into the fire and let you burn in hell," harry said as the rat tried to squirm free. "harry, let him loose," ginny told him. "he can't go anywhere, we've got him covered, but we need to find out what he's doing here." harry reluctantly unbound the rat, dropping him roughly to the floor and watched as it transformed from ron's once beloved pet to the sniveling form of his parents once trusted friend. the silver arm voldemort had conjured for him, after severing his own to make the potion that brought him back, glistened in the candlelight. he looked much older than harry remembered and much thinner. his head was bald, except for a few stray hairs that didn't know any better. his eyes were sunken into his skull and his skin hugged his bones tightly, revealing the thin bones of his real hand, arm, neck and face. "what are you doing here, traitor?" harry snarled, his wand rose to the man's chest. "i've come to speak with you," the man squeaked in an almost rat like voice. "i've come to warn you." "liar," harry snapped, his wand rising to the man's head. "why would you want to warn me? you helped bring voldemort back to power, you betrayed your own kind, you killed my parents." "you have to listen to me," wormtail insisted. "i know you have no reason to trust me, but i am in your debt harry. you saved my life and regardless of all that i've done, i must repay that debt." "then make it quick, before i call for dumbledore and have you arrested." "the dark lord is not happy about weasley's appointment," wormtail began. "he knows the ministry is under heavy guard, but he is determined to learn the secrets." "what secrets?" "he wants the charms and spells that protect hogwart's. he wants dumbledore. he has a very loyal spy inside the ministry, who has been trying to find the spells used to protect the castle." "why does he want the school?" "there is a secret hidden within, a secret that he knows will bring an end to the war and bring him back to full power." "what kind of secret?" "only he and dumbledore know, but it is something that the dark lord fears above all else. it is said to contain great powers and secrets among the ages." "what is that supposed to mean?" "all i know is that he's been concentrating all his energy on getting the counter

spells for the school. if he gets them, there will be no end to the horrors he can release. this secret he seeks is said to be more powerful than even dumbledore and he is insanely obsessed to find it." wormtail cringed at the thought of how his master had been acting the last few weeks. "he doesn't sleep, he barely eats and he stays alive out of hatred and the venom of his pet snake. narissa malfoy was believed to know what the secret was, but took it to the grave with her, if she did. now he demands satisfaction. he demands the knowledge hidden within the castle walls." harry stared at the man for a moment, disgust and anger biting into his soul as he tried to contain them. "he won't get in," harry said. "who is this spy of his at the ministry?" "i only know that is someone trusted and thought highly of. there is one more thing, harry, something that could bring about a deadly complication." "more than you've already told me?" "bellatrix lastrange is with child." "so? what do i care?" "the child belongs to the dark lord." wormtail paused, watching as the knowledge began to sink in with the young man. he could still remember how thrilled his master had been when he learned that the spell he had used to inseminate her had worked. "it will not be normal. the dark lord is kept alive by nagini's venom and her blood runs through his veins. he used that blood to create the embryo implanted in bellatrix. he has predicted the child will be his heir in both the slytherin kingdom as well as the wizarding world. it cannot be born. it will be the downfall of all wizards everywhere." "why are you telling me? what am i supposed to do? walk into his lair and ask bellatrix to abort it?" "no, but be warned, harry. it will come to birth and when it does, even the dark lord will not be its match. its powers will be greater than any seen before. it must be stopped from being born." "tell me where he is," demanded harry, watching the little man shrivel back in fear. "where's he hiding?" "he is at the one place his father always found refuge...that is all i can tell you. a spell was placed on all of us so that if we dare tell anyone of his location, our tongues would swell up and strangle us. i cannot say directly, you will just have to search the records harry. you will find him." "you know we can't let you go?" ginny told the little man who smiled bitterly. "we have to turn you over to the ministry." "that will never happen, miss weasley," he said. "my life is already worthless, but i will not die in the ministry of magic or any prison known to wizard kind. i will be back, harry," the man said, turning to look at harry. "when the time comes, you will need all the supporters you can find. i will be ready to help you then." harry frowned, his eyes narrowing on the little man who vanished with a loud pop before they could react. harry looked at the spot where wormtail had stood. he had to get to dumbledore and

tell him what he had been told, but more than anything, he wanted to find voldemort, to stop bellatrix from bearing his child and stop him from getting to hogwart's. he had already lost his parents and his godfather to the acts of that creature, he wasn't going to loose his home as well. read? review! author notes: thank you again to "d" for all your hard work, support and listening to a rambling, bumbling idiot! for everyone else, please continue to r/r. i love hearing what you have to say. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-seven harry and ginny sat in the common room, patiently waiting for hermione return from the prefects bathroom. ron had arrived shortly after they returned that morning, smiling contently with wet hair and a cleanly shaven chin. he started telling them all about his night with hermione, revealing certain information that neither of them really cared to hear. he was revealing how they had spent nearly an hour investigating the more interesting segments of the tattered magazine they still hid from george, when the once again bushy-haired hermione stepped through the portrait hole. harry felt a sudden surge of relief, as the girl joined them, smiling brightly. "how was your evening?" she asked, reaching across the table to the bowl of crisps from the house valentine's party the night before. "great," harry said, glancing to ginny and offering a very soft smile. "until this morning." "what happened this morning?" ron asked absent mindedly, reaching toward hermione and tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "wormtail decided to make an unannounced visit," harry said, watching the looks his friends gave him, immediately gaining both of their attention. "what?" hermione asked. "why was he here?" ron said over hermione. "he wasn't here, he was at the shrieking shack," ginny said. "we spent a wonderful night there, and when we woke up we found him sneaking around." "what did he want?" hermione asked. "he told us a very interesting story," harry said, relaying what was exchanged between the animagus and themselves. half an hour later, harry, ginny and ron sat silently looking at the serious expression on hermione's face. "what do you think?" harry asked, watching the frown creasing her brows deepen. "he did owe you his life, harry, a wizard's debt. but why would he be running from voldemort now? why not before malfoy's mother was killed, or after the prison was emptied? why not last year, or two years ago? why now?" "he didn't say, but i can only imagine if it's true, there isn't going to be a

single wizard not looking for him." "he said you could find voldemort where his father found refuge?" hermione asked. "who was his father? it can't be that easy to find, if we don't know who he was." "voldemort's real name is tom marvolo riddle," harry said. "surely we can find information based on that." "didn't you tell us, his father was a muggle?" ron asked. "my dad told me about this thing called a felly-tone book. maybe we can find something in that." "it's a telephone book, ron," hermione clarified. "and it only has the names of live people, not dead ones. harry told us he used a bone from his father to create the potion that brought him back to life. that would mean his father was dead." "i've been in the graveyard before," harry told them. "i've also seen the house and been in it in my dreams. i'll recognize it again, if i see it." "we'll have to check out the vital records and see if there's a birth certificate. in the meantime, we need to see if we can find out anything about this thing he wants. surely dumbledore knows about it." "but dumbledore will never tell us," ron said. "he still hasn't told harry everything about the prophecy." "what about this spy at the ministry?" ginny asked. "wormtail said he was a loyal and trusted member. dumbledore said they had someone in mind, they just had to get the proof." "we need to speak with professor dumbledore," hermione said, standing up from her seat. "lets see if we can speak with him after breakfast. i'm sure he'll know what to do." "i still don't think he'll tell us anything," ron said, as they filed out the portrait hole. breakfast was the usual sunday morning array of students talking, laughing and making plans for hours ahead. harry sat next to ginny talking quietly while making plans to get in a few extra hours of quidditch practice. ron and hermione were sitting across from them, with hermione insisting they should all go to the library and see what they could find out about tom riddle. she had already talked ron into sending an owl to his father, alerting him to what they found out regarding the spy at the ministry, and according to ron, that was enough of being serious for one day. it was a beautiful february day, unusually warm and sunny, and he wanted to play quidditch with harry and ginny. before an argument erupted however, professor dumbledore stood from his seat at the head table, and glanced toward harry with a slight frown. harry and ginny glanced up at him, preparing to follow him, when the old wizard stopped by the gryffindor table, his steady hand on harry's shoulder. "i'd like to speak with the four of you please," he said, indicating to the two couples. harry glanced to ron, who stood as they all followed the headmaster out of the great hall. dumbledore lead the way up the stairs to the second floor with harry, ginny, ron and hermione behind him, silently and obediently following him. they stopped in front of the gargoyle statue, which leapt quickly out of the way when its master whispered the password. they stepped onto

the circular staircase, and headmaster's tower. once in waving his wand and waiting behind them. he sat staring their throat, pretending to

waited patiently as it began moving up to the his office, dumbledore took a seat behind his desk, as his four visitors took the seats that materialized at the four until one of the paintings cleared be asleep.

"i know you are very resourceful young people," dumbledore said at last. "but there is a reason why certain places are out of bounds to students, and sealed shut." harry and ginny glanced to each other, blushing softly. "you never cease to amaze me, nor am i surprised how easily you manage to get in and out of trouble." "professor," harry began, clearing his throat. "i'm sorry for disobeying your rules, but ginny and i wanted to spend valentine's day together and..." dumbledore raised his hand, stopping the young man in mid sentence. "i understand, harry. please don't explain further. i was young once myself you know." the old man smiled whimsically; glancing to ron and hermione, before turning his attention back to harry. "i've had a feeling throughout breakfast, that you wanted to speak with me. what can i do for you?" "we had a visit this morning, professor," he began. "wormtail...peter pettigrew that is, came to the shrieking shack. he said voldemort is not happy about mr. weasley's appointment to the minister of magic. he said he knows the ministry is under heavy guard, but he is determined to learn the charms and spells that protect hogwart's. he also said voldemort wants you." "that really is not much of surprise," the professor said leaning back in his chair, his fingers closing in front of his crooked nose. "wormtail also said voldemort has a very loyal spy inside the ministry, who has been trying to find the spells used to protect the castle. he said that there is something hidden here and that it holds a secret that he knows will bring an end to the war and bring him back to full power." dumbledore was silent for several moments, thinking about what harry had just said. "do you understand what he meant, professor?" hermione asked, watching the expression cross the old man's face. "i do," he answered. "what else did he tell you?" "he said this secret is something that the dark lord fears above all else. he said it contains great powers and secrets among the ages. wormtail said voldemort has been concentrating all his energy on getting the counter spells for the school. he said the secret is more powerful than even you are and that the dark lord is obsessed to find it. he doesn't sleep or eat, and he stays alive with the venom of his pet snake. he thinks narissa malfoy knew about the secret, but took the knowledge of it to her grave." "he won't get in will he professor?" ginny asked softly. dumbledore stared at the young girl for a few moments. "not as long as i am head of this school, miss weasley. did he happen to mention who the ministry's insider was?" "no sir, he didn't know. but he did say it was someone trusted and highly thought of. there was something else, sir," harry said, glancing to ginny. "he said bellatrix lastrange is pregnant with voldemort's child. he said it would not

be a normal baby. voldemort is being kept alive by the venom of the snake, and that he is more reptile than human. he has predicted the child will be his heir in both the slytherin kingdom, as well as the wizarding world." "he said that when it's born, that even voldemort will not be its match," ginny picked up. "he said its powers would be greater than any seen before." "that may very well be," dumbledore said, his tone quiet and methodical. "he wouldn't tell us where he was, although he did say he was hiding in the one place where his father always found refuge, but he was bound by a spell that prevented him from telling us more." ginny drew a deep breath, feeling as if the words were suffocating to get out of her lungs. "wormtail said his life was worthless, but that he owed me a debt and that i would need all the supporters i could get when the time came. he claimed he'd be back to support our side." "he owed you a wizard's debt, harry. i knew he would repay it someday." dumbledore leaned back in his chair again; unaware that he had unconsciously moved forward in his seat. "i don't know how much i can trust him," harry said in hushed tones. "he killed my parents and caused sirius to go to prison for their deaths. i can't believe that he's turned tail and is willing to work on our side." "fate has strange ideas, harry. never judge a spell by the wand which casts it." "professor," hermione began. "what did he mean about voldemort being in a place his father found refuge?" "i'm not sure miss granger, but i intend to find out." "professor, there is one more thing," harry said clearing his throat again. "i found out about the sealing charms of the shrieking shack because..." harry looked to ginny. "he used a spell on professor snape that i believe may have been the 'lapis gelu'," ginny explained on her boyfriend's behalf. dumbledore stared at harry with a frown. "are you sure about this, harry?" he asked. "no sir, i'm not. i've never heard of the spell until ginny told me about it. i don't even know how i made it work. i was just practicing my occlumency lessons, when snape...froze. it happened just a few times, but it went from a couple of minutes to about ten minutes. i honestly don't know how i did it, sir." "that spell is very advanced, even for you. i wouldn't have expected a wizard of university standing to get that spell correct so easily. did you discuss this with professor snape?" "no...i mean no sir," harry said with disgust. "it's hard enough having him for extra lessons, i don't want him to know i've learned something new." "i will have to investigate this further," dumbledore said seriously. "i would like to sit in on your next lesson with professor snape, harry."

"yes sir," harry said. "what about the things scabbers....or wormtail told harry?" ron asked. "there are many things that will need investigating, mr. weasley. but i am sure the order and your father will handle the information with the utmost seriousness." "professor, what is the secret voldemort is after?" hermione asked. dumbledore looked from one young face, to the other, taking time to consider the situation. "there is a device in this school, that maintains harmony in the world. it is an ancient device, and in the wrong hands...such as lord voldemort's, the world would be thrown into pure hell." "what kind of device is it?" harry asked. dumbledore stood up and glanced to the portraits of his predecessors. phineas and the old witch both looked down at him, sternly objecting to what he was about to do. he started toward the stairs that lead to the upper floor of his office, then looked back to the four raising an eyebrow. harry stood first, followed by ron and ginny and a lastly a very reluctant hermione. they stepped toward the old wizard, following him up the circular staircase to the top floor. there standing in the middle of the floor was a large golden globe with a massive telescope pointing out the window. it was sitting on a pedestal that was bolted to the floor, and among the base was a large wheel and crank, which moved the telescope from one location to the next. "this is called the terra auxilium ducere," dumbledore explained. "it is the single greatest device on the planet. without this machine, the world would fall into complete chaos. you use this dial," he stepped over to the golden machine and began cranking the wheel. "you set the location cooridance of the area most chaotic and set the density, say a two and engage it's magic." the machine began to whir softly, then clunked several times before it rattled violently and hissed. dumbledore kicked the base of the machine, and it again began whirring, a pale blue light shooting from the glass end and traveling to its destination. "how exactly does it work?" hermione asked, leaning over to investigate every detail of the machine. "when the four great witches and wizards built this school, they did it on the single greatest source of magic on the planet," dumbledore continued. "this device utilizes that magic and transports it to a location otherwise out of sync. it then cascades a sphere of magic and harmony across the land where it is needed most. there it is absorbed in the land and by all living creatures. depending on the severity of the trouble, it may take several weeks or in the most extreme cases, years to create a euphoria, but eventually it takes effect. the machine is old and is in need of repair, but since the rise of voldemort we have had to put it on hold for now. all the resources have to go to fighting the battle, and training new aurors." "so if voldemort gets his hands on it, it could cause total chaos worldwide, for muggles and wizards alike," hermione said in astonishment. "exactly," dumbledore said with a nod. "bloody hell," ron said.

"voldemort doesn't know exactly what it is, he just knows there's something here that's more powerful than any wizard alive," harry said. "maybe we can use it to our benefit." "that is a very good idea, harry. we'll have to discuss that further when the time comes. right now, you four need should go enjoy your sunday. it's going to be a beautiful day. professor trelawney is predicting an early spring." "great," ron said in disgust. "we're in for another six months of winter." dumbledore smiled at the young man's expression, walking toward the stairs again. "professor," harry said, interrupting his progress. "what about the baby bellatrix is having?" "that is another problem, in itself." "would it really be more powerful than even the dark lord?" ginny asked. "i don't know. but i can guess. that is something i will have to spend time thinking about." "what about the spy at the ministry?" ron asked, stepping down the stairs behind the professor. "that really isn't anything to be concerned about," dumbledore said. "i believe i know who it is. i'll have the order take care of it. by the way, mr. weasley, how was your brothers' party last night?" ron blushed openly as he thought back on the events of the evening. "for the most part it was very nice," harry answered, causing dumbledore to chuckle freely, his aged features looking a lot less wrinkled. "i expect the young mr. weasleys outdid themselves." "you can say that again," ron snorted under his breath. harry was about to leave the office, when he suddenly turned and looked at the headmaster. "what is it harry?" the old wizard asked. "your brother, you mentioned he thought it best to take defense at the rear?" "yes, that's right," dumbledore, said with a soft twinkle in his eyes. "are you sure he's not working at the head instead? perhaps one that resembles a hog?" dumbledore's smile widened, as he nodded. "perhaps that is one way to look at it." harry nodded in return, smiling at the expression on the aging wizard's face. "what was that all about?" hermione asked after they had left the office, and were safely on their way back to their dormitory. "just something between the professor and myself," he told her with a smile. "anything you care to tell your friends about?" ron asked "no, not right now."

"what about your girlfriend?" ginny asked kissing his cheek. "nope, not even you." "what's going on?" hermione asked with a frown. "i think we need to check out the library and see what we can find out about tom riddle," harry said, ignoring the question and heading in the direction of the library, his hand tucked inside ginny's. "and just think, i was worried about this being an ordinary sunday," ron grumbled. read? review! author notes: as always, thanks to "d" and for everyone who continues to r/r, thank you. please keep r/r, because it's almost over! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------chapter thirty-eight the weeks flew past, and still hermione found herself sitting in the library, reviewing nearly every book she got her hands on. she felt certain she could find the information harry needed to locate the green flame torch, as well as some sort of information on tom riddle's heritage, if she just looked hard enough and long enough. ron, harry and ginny were currently battling it out with ravenclaw, before the last game of the quidditch season. gryffindor was leading the season, and once they defeated ravenclaw, they would only have the final game with slytherin left and the house cup would once again belong to them. this meant she was left alone a great deal of time to investigate, since harry had increased their practice sessions to two hours every night. he was actually quite good as team captain and made oliver wood seem less obsessive about winning every game. the group had come to a silent agreement over the past few weeks, that hermione was to be the one researching information and locating anything that would help the d.a. but she didn't really mind. she loved learning, she loved reading and she would do anything to help her best friend succeed against voldemort. there were times though, when she would rather be more like ginny, athletic, outgoing and just 'one of the guys'. in some ways, hermione felt jealous of the relationship ginny had with ron and harry, in other ways she just accepted it. hermione closed her eyes, thinking back on the first time she had met her best friends. at that time in her life, she was actually quite attracted to harry and found herself daydreaming about him nearly as much as ginny had done in her first year. but as time passed, she discovered the more she was with him, the more she felt like his sister, allowing her more time to argue herself into falling in love with ron. funny how fate had its own agenda. who would have thought that the one person she felt herself most irritated by, would now be her future husband? she was still amazed that ron had the courage to ask her to marry him. she had thought he would ask her to be his girl, and after giving her the ring he had worked so hard for, she was convinced without a doubt that he loved her. but when he fell to one knee, there in the passageway of the hogwart's express and asked her to spend her life with him, she had lost all rational thought. her heart reacted and she answered before she knew her mouth even knew the words to

speak. not that she regretted it of course, but there were times when she was certain they were too young to be considering such things as marriage. at least they had agreed to postpone telling anyone, outside of harry of course, until later next year. she only hoped she was able to find the information she needed to help harry before that, or it was going to be one hell of a final year. with a heavy sigh, hermione closed another book, tossing it to the stack along with the other dozen books she had been searching. her eyes hurt, her head throbbed and she had the distinct feeling she was being watched. hermione closed her eyes, her palms pressing against them as she rubbed the fatigue throbbing behind the closed lids. she stood to return to the shelves, when she saw a lone figure watching her. she suddenly felt very self-conscious and quite irritated. she could only imagine what he was doing, or how long he had been watching her. "what exactly are you looking for granger?" malfoy asked his arms folded across his chest as he leaned into the side of a large bookcase. "it's none of your business, malfoy," she answered, gathering the stack of book and returning them to the cart for resorting. "why aren't you out watching your little boyfriend defeat ravenclaw?" "because i have work to do, now if you'll excuse me?" "what are you searching for in all of these?" malfoy picked up one of the books she had been looking through, flipping open the dark green cover with its black letter, which read 'legends and other tales of wizardry'. "reading fantasies and fairy tales? aren't you a little old for such nonsense?" "and i suppose you know every legend of the wizarding world?" "only the real ones not rubbish such as these." "then i suppose i'm one up on you, because i enjoy reading all types of books, even those termed as rubbish." "suit yourself, but i think you're wasting your time." "it's my time to waste then isn't it?" hermione began down an isle of books, when malfoy stepped up behind her, trapping her in a corner between shelf and wall, unable to escape. "i'm not sure what's going on with you and your little friends, and frankly i could care less, but if you're looking for genealogy, you're in the wrong section." "how would you know what i was looking for?" " 'pedigrees of famous wizards'," he read holding up a book she had placed on the stand to be returned to the shelves. "not exactly your typical weekend reading, is it, even for you? if you're interested in finding out if you're from magical blood, you'll need to search the top racks of section nine. that's where the more complete books of family trees are kept." "thanks, but why would you want to help me?" "this has been a rather interesting year for me," he said honestly, tossing the

book back to the stack. "i've had to spend a great deal of time reevaluating my ideas and morals. i'm not as well adjusted as you might think, especially after this past summer." "i am sorry about your mother," hermione said with a soft blush. malfoy didn't answer this, he only nodded. "just don't go getting all girly on me," he said, offering her the famous malfoy smirk. "i'm not really all that anxious to help anyone from the famous potter party, but i wouldn't be object to learning that you're less mud-blood than originally thought." "if i didn't know better, malfoy, i'd swear you just gave me a compliment." "don't take it to heart, granger. i promise it won't happen again." malfoy turned and left her standing in the same spot she was certain she had sprouted roots in. she watched him leave the side door to the library, heading up the stairs that were visible beyond the open wall. it seemed almost impossible that the young man, who was just standing there actually talking civil with her, was the same hateful slytherin, draco malfoy. he seemed almost...if she dared use the expression...pleasant. hermione went to section nine and looked up. there on the top two shelves were over fifty books of famous wizard families throughout he ages. she retrieved her wand from her robes, and summonsed several of the old dusty books, taking them to the table and flipping through the pages. holy cricket, he was telling the truth! perhaps in time, she thought to herself, she would finally be able to understand boys. one moment she was arguing with her best friend, the next she was planning on marrying him. then she was placed in a very awkward position of conversing with a person she had spent the past six years feeling was her worst enemy and then actually finding herself un-repulsed by it. bloody hell, she thought again, it's a good thing ron wasn't here. he'd have called her mental a long time ago. "so what was he doing in the library again?" ron asked, when hermione joined them for the celebration of gryffindor's win. "i don't know, but he did point me in the right direction," hermione said, lifting the book she had checked out of the library. "the riddle family is pretty dominant, or rather the black family is." "black?" harry asked in surprise. "yeah, black. he's a cousin to sirius. his line goes all the way back to slytherin himself. he's related back to phineas nigellus who was his great grandfather three times removed," hermione said, opening the book and reading off the information she had found. "from phineas and his wife artemis dorcus black, it goes to their daughter, nipheria gertrude nigellus and her husband - actually a second cousin to artemis - horace baxter black." "horace baxter black?" ron asked with a frown. "that name sounds familiar." "that's because our great grandmother was his sister, marianne eris black," ginny commented. "she married hyperion andrew weasley." "you mean we're related to the dark lord?" ron asked, his voice cracking in surprise.

"so it would seem," hermione said with a frown. "remember what sirius said? all pure-bloods are related in one way or another? there aren't enough of them left, so there would have to be inbreeding along the lines. maybe that's why you get such evil ideas." ron narrowed his eyes on the young woman, but kept quiet as she continued her lecture on genealogy. "from horace and nipheria, it's their daughter mathilda hestia black, who married julius draco marvolo." "draco?" ron asked again. "like malfoy?" "it would reason, since julius was a great uncle to lucius malfoy." hermione glanced up from her book as she answered. "you mean, not only am i related to voldemort, now i'm related to malfoy? this just keeps getting better and better," ron grumbled, sitting back in his seat and folding his arms across his chest. "the marvolos had a daughter, their only child, anna felicia marvolo, who was 16 when she met tom riddle and they married in a muggle ceremony. according to this notation i found, tom riddle did not know anna was a witch, but learned the truth when she became pregnant. he was confused, but eventually accepted the idea, until her parents learned that he was not a wizard, and threatened his life if he didn't leave their daughter." "but voldemort thought his father left his mother, because he learned she was a witch," harry said with a frown. "according to this book, which was written shortly after anna and tom learned she was pregnant, he didn't leave her willingly. he wanted to run away with anna, but she was having serious complications with her pregnancy and they decided it was best for her to remain where she could get help from a medi-witch. there was a notation that tom riddle had planned on returning to his wife and child after it was delivered, but when anna died shortly after giving birth, it was her parents, mathilda and julius who placed the baby in a muggle orphanage, and told him that the baby had died with his mother. he never knew his son survived. i did however, find two other books written after this one, which stated that tom riddle left his wife, as voldemort said, because he learned of her magical heritage. i tend to believe this first book however, because the notation was written and signed by a very trustworthy wizard. you'll never guess who signed it." "who?" ron asked, as harry narrowed his eyes. "albus dumbledore," harry said, watching as hermione nodded her head. "apparently, he was there as a witness to the birth, when tom marvolo riddle was born, but learned of mathilda and julius's actions only when it was time to send out letters to invite the boy to hogwart's, which his mother had already arranged for and paid for before his birth." "so all these years of voldemort hating muggles, it was because he was told his father left his mother because she was a witch?" ginny asked. "his anger caused him to become the man he is today, but it was a misled and misplaced anger," hermione surmised in her usual lecture-tone. "i guess he was determined to become the greatest wizard alive in order to make his father pay for leaving his mother and putting him in an orphanage." "bloody hell," ron said. "if his grandparents hadn't put him there, he would never

have become the dark lord." "that may not be necessarily true, but it does seem to reason, at least psycologically anyway," hermione answered. "but if dumbledore knew about this all along, why didn't he say something?" ginny asked. "that's a question we'll have to ask him," hermione said. "at any rate, this information may be exactly what we need to use against him," harry said. "when he possessed me in the ministry, i thought about all of you and how i felt about sirius, and dumbledore said it was compassion and love that he couldn't bear. that was the reason he let me go. if he knew his father didn't hate him, he may not be able to adjust to that information and it will give us enough time to use the green flame torch against him." "providing we can find it," hermione said, shutting the large, old book. "i still have not been able to locate any maps or charts or anything that can help us find where the witches traveled." "then we'll have to reexamine the information we already have," ginny said with confidence. "come on hermione, nobody thinks as rationally or as logically as you do. i'm sure you'll be able to find the right course. you'll just have to keep looking and we'll all help." "you still have the final game to practice for," hermione said a little disappointed at the idea of spending more time alone in the library. "but that doesn't mean we can't all look," ron told her, sensing her emotions and picking up on her expression. "we can make it part of the d.a.," ginny suggested, looking at harry. "sure, why not?" he answered. "the more of us looking, the quicker we can find it." "are we ever going to have a normal year, at this school?" ron grumbled. "what makes you think this isn't a normal year?" harry asked with a smile. "so far, something has happened every year we've been here. that would make this just another year, in our books." "what i wouldn't give for a few weeks without incident, chaos, evil spells, or threats of death." harry chuckled at his friend's reaction, while he stood from his chair and smoothed his robes. "i have lessons with snape," he said, suddenly feeling a lot less eager to leave the celebration happening around them. "harry, why are you doing so many weird spells?" ron asked, looking at his friend. "you've never read about this 'lapis gelu' thing, but you know how to do it. don't you think that's a little odd?" "i think it's very odd, but i have no way to explain it. even dumbledore was surprised by that one. i guess i'll find out soon enough though. professor dumbledore's going to sit in on my lesson tonight. maybe he can tell me how i'm doing these things and not know about them." harry leaned down and kissed

ginny briefly before leaving the three of them and headed down to the dungeons. he was passing the closet on the main floor when a strange sound, like a strangled muffle escaped from behind the closed door. he slowly retrieved his wand from his cloak, thinking that wormtail had found a way into the castle after all and stepped to the door, jerking it open. inside were two very surprised, nearly naked young people, staring blankly at harry and his wand. "neville?" harry said in a shocked tone. "harry...i'm sorry...i mean..." neville stammered trying to pull his jumper back across his exposed chest, his pants missing its belt and the zipper undone exposing a little more of his anatomy than harry would have cared to see. standing behind him, trying to cover herself, was a very red faced blonde. luna turned her back on the two, struggling to return her undergarments to where they should be. "i am so sorry," harry said at last, a little more amused than he should have been. "i just heard a noise and i thought...i'm sorry, never mind, just forget i was here." he shut the door quickly and hurried down the stairs, a much lighter mood accompanying him on his final staircase. he was glad neville and luna were getting on so well, he just didn't want to know how well and he certainly didn't care much to see it first hand. inside snape's classroom, harry found professor dumbledore wearing a pale blue robe, with planets magically circling around the material. on top of his head was a tall pointed hat, much like his robes, and beneath it was the friendly face of the man harry most admired. his long gray hair and beard looked as if they had just been brushed, and as he smiled, harry noticed the twinkle of contentment in his eyes. he couldn't remember ever seeing the old man look quite so relaxed or pleased. "good afternoon harry," dumbledore said, stepping to his side and placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "congratulations on your victory today." "thank you sir," harry said with a smile in return, then glanced to the dark expression on snape's pasty face. "i just hope we do as well against slytherin, in the finals." "yes, let's hope so potter," snape said with a tone of bitterness in his voice. "well now, shall we get started?" dumbledore said, stepping up to the front row of desks and taking a seat. "i told professor snape i was going to sit in on tonight's lesson. i am very eager to see how well you're progressing." "yes sir," harry said, feeling suddenly much more relaxed, knowing the old wizard did not let on the real reason he was here. "potter, come here and prepare yourself," snape told him, turning his back and taking the pensive from his desk, placing it on the top shelf of potions. "i suppose it is best if we just start at the beginning. remember to try and block me from your mind." with that said, snape stared in harry's eyes, concentrating on the spell. "protect yourself against me," snape said in a mocking tone, as harry narrowed his eyes, focusing his mind. he could see snape's actions from that day, sitting in the bleachers watching the game, jeering as ginny made a goal, snarling when ron blocked a shot from ravenclaw, and cursing when harry returned from beneath the bleachers with the golden snitch. then he saw him earlier, in his room. he was sitting at the desk behind a stack of homework parchments. he opened the drawer and pulled out the framed picture of the woman

harry had seen in his mind during an earlier lesson. "potter! stay out of my..." snape shouted, and without thinking harry imagined the greasy haired git frozen as solid as a statue. he blinked his eyes, realizing snape had done exactly that, he was frozen in place, the shocked expression on his face revealing his reaction to harry seeing him that morning, his wand gripped hard in his hand. harry turned to dumbledore who rose from his seat and stepped toward his potion's master. "it is indeed the 'lapis gelu' spell," the old wizard said with a frown. "but i didn't do anything, i swear it." "what were you thinking just before this happened?" harry thought for a moment. "i thought about him turning to stone," harry said. "is that how the spell is performed?" "not usually, but then you aren't exactly a usual wizard." "but how did i do it?" "there is another branch of magic, harry, a much more serious and very advanced branch. it borders on the line where magic and evil is divided. it can be crossed over very easily, but once crossed it is difficult to come back. it's known as 'imago- figura'. it's the art of spell casting through thought, using one's mind as the weapon. i suspected you may posses the talent over the summer holidays when you confronted professor snape, but until now i could not be positive." "how did i learn it? we've never had lessons on it, and i've never known of anyone who could do anything even similar." "there are two people i've known capable of doing such magic, but it has been some time since i've seen it preformed so well." "who are the two people?" harry asked, certain he knew of at least one person who could do it. dumbledore looked at harry and smiled. "no harry, one of them was not voldemort," he said, as if reading his mind. "i know he tried to master such magic while here at hogwart's, but to my knowledge he never succeeded." "then who are the two people? "one was your father, he developed the talent shortly before discovering he could perform transfigurations, before he became an animagus. the other one is someone a little closer to you. you consider him much as a brother." "who? you mean one of the weasleys?" harry asked, thinking about whom he considered a brother. dumbledore smiled, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "who is the one person in the weasley clan who seems in control, calm, comfortable with his surroundings? the one person able to keep his temper under control and always seems content." harry thought for a moment, considering each weasley in turn. it was obviously not ginny, since he would never consider her a brother, and it couldn't be ron because he rarely had control over his temper. percy was never comfortable with his surroundings, and the twins were

too high strung to be content. there was mr. weasley, but he was less scatter brained than ron and more a father than a brother, and mrs. weasley was neither a brother, nor in control of her temper. the only ones left were charlie and bill. he thought hard on both, but he couldn't determine which one it may be, until he recalled the way bill had reacted at the valentine's day party at his brothers' house. "you mean charlie?" harry asked with a frown. "but how?" "charlie was a very quiet and very talented student," dumbledore explained. "at school he was rather popular, especially with the girls, though maybe not as much as his elder brother. he was in transfigurations when he transformed a teakettle into a baby dragon. it surprised him so much as it began puffing fire and smoke that he made it freeze like a stone. professor mcgonagall was so amazed, she brought him straight to me. that's when he admitted that he had been able to perform such magic during certain classes, when he was having difficulty and it gave him a few extra minutes to complete his tests or assignments. his powers grew quickly, and it was only with serious dedication, that he was able to use his talent for good. he didn't use it on his teachers again - at least not that he would admit to - but he was able to use it to help him with his dragon training. occasionally he needs it when one of his creatures gets out of hand, and normal magic is not effective." "i never knew," harry said softly, thinking about how he had been able to keep the dragons under control during the first task at the triwizard tournament. "only his father knows, and now you. he had strict supervision and very detailed lessons, in order to master it as well as he has. your father was much the same. he discovered his talent during a rather heated argument with professor snape, over lily's attentions to tutoring. your father felt she was spending too much time with the one person james felt the least affection for. it's not surprising that you were able to perform it on him as well. it seems to run in the potter blood." "i didn't intentionally mean to do it professor, i swear." "i know you didn't harry, but nevertheless, you know how and now your lessons on the subject must be specific. the art of 'imago-figura' is very strong and powerful. you must be trained to use it properly." "that doesn't mean more lessons with snape, does it?" harry asked with a sorrowful expression. dumbledore chuckled softly. "no harry, i'm afraid not. professor snape does not possess the ability, therefore he cannot teach you to use it properly. it will have to be mr. weasley, if he feels he can spare the time to teach you. if not, i will take over your lessons myself." "you professor? but i thought you said there were only two that could do it, my dad and charlie?" "that's true harry, there are only two i knew of - outside of myself. i have many secrets that are not found in books or legend." "does anyone know everything about you, sir?" harry asked with a smile. "only one person came close, and she has been gone for many years. now, we need to release professor snape, before he sticks that way permanently."

"do we have to?" harry asked with a smirk. dumbledore raised an eyebrow at harry, who smiled in return. "you can't blame a guy for asking." "you'll have plenty of time, to understand fate and destiny, harry. until then, patience is a lesson well learned, and well rewarded. i'm sure you learned that with miss weasley?" harry blushed openly, remembering exactly how much the old wizard knew of his students. "now, harry, you need to return to your position in front of professor snape. it would be best if he didn't know about this. he would very angry if he knew you froze him for the past fifteen minutes. stand there," he said, issuing harry back to where he once was, taking his own seat at the front of the class. "all you have to do harry, is think about him as he normally is and reverse the thought you had. you may need to concentrate a little harder." harry looked at snape and curled his lip. it would be so nice to keep him this way, he thought. imagine him as a statue in the owlery. "harry," dumbledore scolded, having sensed his thoughts. harry blushed softly, then focused his mind on the beak-nosed man in front of him. he concentrated as hard as he could, his eyes focused on the dark eyes of his professor, and he thought about him as a living, breathing person. his head was beginning to pound at the temples as he thought harder and harder. "...thoughts!" snape growled. "this lesson is over." harry blinked, jumping in surprise. he hadn't expected him to return to his usual state of shouting, or to pick up his conversation where he left off. snape turned back to dumbledore who was rising from his seat. "i can not teach him further, if he is unwilling to cooperate," snape told the old wizard. "yes, i understand severus," dumbledore said. "i am expect harry's training in the art of occlumency is complete, anyway. i will take over from here on out." "good luck headmaster," snape said, turning back to harry. "he is not a very studious pupil." "yes, well, good night then severus. come harry, i'll walk with you to the second floor." harry left the room in front of dumbledore, glancing back to snape who was running his hand through his hair, glancing at the clock on his desk. he smiled, knowing the old greasy git was wondering what happened to so much time. "harry you must promise me something," dumbledore said as they stepped up to the main floor. "the art of imago-figura is very powerful. you must promise me to listen to all instructions and follow them explicitly. this is not to be taken lightly. if lord voldemort were to discover you could do this, he would stop at nothing to persuade you into joining his side. he would have reason to keep you alive, and that can not happen." harry's eyes widened. "excuse me?" dumbledore shook his head, a gentle smile creeping across his thin old lips. "that is not what i meant harry. i simply mean, we cannot allow him to persuade you into joining him. you must learn these lessons with the most serious mind. you must promise me, harry. you must do as you are told, there can be no diverting from the lessons."

"i promise professor," harry told him. "this can not be like it was with occlumency, harry. you must not promise and not do it." "i will do as i'm told sir, you have my word. i won't lie about this, or take short cuts." "good lad," dumbledore said, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "i'll contact mr. weasley and see if he is available to teach you. if not, i will meet you in the room of requirements for your first lesson, this friday at this same time?" "yes sir," harry said, and watched as the gargoyle statue jumped aside and the old wizard stepped onto the moving staircase. harry frowned as he disappeared from sight. he was starting to look old again, old and weathered, and more fragile than ever. harry turned and headed back to his common room. he didn't know how he was going to do it, or how he was going to fit more lessons into his schedule, but he made a promise to the one man he admired most, and this time he would keep it. no matter how hard it would be. read? review! author notes: thanks again and as always, to everyone who r/r, but a very special thanks to "d" for all your hard work and wonderful suggestions. i am so glad i met you. please continue to r/r, and don't worry there are plans for a book seven and eight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: as always, a very special thanks to "d" for all your great help and hard work. you're the best. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter thirty-nine harry and ron hurried up the stairs to their dormitory, out of breath and late for history of magic. they had forgotten their homework assignments, after staying up for most of the night working on their essays on the witches of the first millennium. harry swung the door open and ran through, stopping so suddenly that ron actually smacked into the back of him. "bloody hell, harry!" ron exclaimed, feeling the pain in his chest from where harry's school bag had hit him. harry didn't answer - he didn't have to. a sudden scream echoed from the bed across the room, as a loud thud hit the floor. ron looked around his friend, seeing a very naked neville scrambling to find his clothes, lying scattered around him. in the bed, hiding beneath the covers was a figure, small and shaking slightly. lying exposed was a long thin leg tangled in the blankets. "h...harry...r...ron," neville stuttered, as he finally found his shirt and wrapped it around his waist, while sitting on the floor. "neville?" ron asked, the shocked expression on his face echoed his feelings as he stared at the young man.

"i thought you weren't feeling well?" harry couldn't believe he just said that, but the words were spoken regardless. "i...i was...i mean i wasn't...i mean i was just...that is..." "who's that with you?" ron asked, as harry turned and stared at the red face of his best friend. quietly, the blankets lowered and an equally red face peeked out from beneath the covers. "loony luna?" ron said, his tone a loud croak. "don't call her that," neville said, standing from the floor suddenly, the shirt dropping from his hand. "bloody hell, neville, get some clothes on," harry said, diverting his eyes, as neville bent quickly and picked the shirt back up, wrapping it around his waist. "lets just get our homework and get to class," harry said, hurrying to his bedside table and retrieving the parchment he'd been working on the night before. he turned back to ron, rolling his eyes at his friend, who remained frozen in the same spot staring at the two in front of him. "ron, come on," harry said, grabbing the parchment on ron's bed and pulling him by the back of the robes, out the door. they walked together down to the common room with ron looking behind him as though he were expecting the two upstairs to come bounding down behind them. "what the hell did he bring her in to our dormitory for?" ron asked, as they stepped through the portrait hole. "you aren't that thick, ron," harry said in an angry tone. "you saw what we interrupted. you've been there yourself enough times." "you know what i mean. she's a ravenclaw, she shouldn't be in our house or even know our password." "we'll have to talk to him later," harry said. "what's happening with him?" ron asked seriously, turning to look at harry. "i can handle him having a girl, even if it is loony luna, but now he's lying to get out of class, sneaking her into our house and into our dormitory and then getting caught shagging her." "i don't know. it's really not like the neville we've always known." "harry, do you remember how you were after...sirius...you know?" ron asked him, stopping close to binns classroom. "do you think he's reacting to his mum's death? maybe he's like you were, you know with all the exercising and stuff. maybe he's using her to kind of feel alive." "i think i can understand how he must be feeling," harry said. "i think maybe that's why i didn't want ginny and i to...you know. i was afraid i'd be using her to feel something other than my own grief." "i've never lost anyone like that, but i think i could probably relate. i know how i felt when my dad was in the hospital last year. if hermione and i were together back then, maybe i would have been acting like neville is."

"i doubt hermione would have let you keep your neck, if you'd tried." "i'm really worried about him, harry. if he is the fifth point of the stars, we need to get his head back together before we need him." "even if he's not the fifth point, we still need to be there for him. we've never even spoken to him about his mother, since we returned from christmas holidays. friends need to be there for each other and we haven't been." "so now we have to get all mushy and start talking about feelings?" ron asked with a disgusted look on his face. "that's worse then when hermione wants to talk." "he's our friend, ron. we need to talk to him. at the very least, we need to make sure he doesn't bring anyone else into our dormitory." "okay, but there better not be any crying," ron grumbled. "why, hermione complain when you start?" harry asked with a snicker, as he walked into history of magic and took his seat. ****************************************************************************** ron and harry had told the girls about neville and it was decided that they should indeed speak with him. hermione was near hysterics when she learned he had brought an outsider into their house and it took all three of them to calm her down and keep her from going straight to mcgonagall. they now sat at the corner table in the common room long after most of the other students retired, waiting for neville to return from his date with luna. the only one left in the common room, was the tiny little first year girl, sitting alone by the fireplace. harry glanced to her, recognizing her from their first night back to hogwart's. with a sigh, he walked over to where she sat reading the same book she'd been looking at for the past twenty minutes, without turning the page. he sat down next to her, smiling as she turned to look at him. "hello. i'm harry," he said smiling at her. "i know, everyone knows you," she said, forcing a smile across her tiny face. "i'm sabrina wagtail." "it's very nice to meet you, sabrina. what are you reading?" the little girl looked at harry in surprise. "don't you want to know about my father?" she asked him. harry shrugged. "why? is he a student here?" "no. he's myron wagtail. he's the lead singer for the wicked sisters." "my dad was james potter. he was a chaser for gryffindor. at least we got that out of the way." "aren't you going to ask me for my dad's autograph, or something?" sabrina asked with a frown. "why should i? it's you i'm talking to." "but everyone else just wants to be my friend, because of who my dad is."

"i understand," harry said with a warm smile. "when i first started here, most people wanted to be my friend because of my name too, or they were afraid because they thought i had some awesome power, so they avoided me. it was really annoying. fortunately, i met ron and hermione and they didn't really care what i was, they just liked me for me. then ginny came the next year. i guess there're still people who look at me weird and everyone wants to see my scar." "i don't," sabrina said with a soft blush. "good, because i really hate showing it. now, what are you reading?" sabrina smiled happily, showing him her first year potions book. "ugh. i hated potions, in fact i still do. but if you need help, hermione is a great tutor and i know she won't ask for your dad's autograph either." "i don't like potions," she said honestly. "professor snape really scares me." "don't let him get to you. he just likes to make people think he's big and mean. he's really just a greasy haired git." sabrina laughed, lowering her eyes and blushing. "if you need help with any of your subjects, just let us know. we'll be happy to help." "thank you harry. i'm glad i have at least one friend here." "you have more than that," ginny said, as she hermione and ron sat down on the chairs surrounding harry and the girl. "we were all new here once too," hermione said, glancing a warning to ron to not open his mouth about the girl's parentage. "and we don't care who your father is. it's you that's important." "yeah, if we cared about people's families, we'd all go mental," ron said with a genuine smile, surprising hermione with his reactions. "i think ferret-face is the only one who really cares about family blood lines." "ferret-face?" sabrina asked, watching as hermione punched the red head's arm. "that's just ron's name for draco malfoy," harry said in defense of his friend. "he's that blond boy from slytherin, isn't he?" "yeah, that's him. the sludge of hogwart's," ron added, rubbing his shoulder. "i've seen him on the quidditch pitch at night, when i've sat in my window. he's always sitting in the bleachers staring at the skies." "are you sure?" hermione asked. "yeah, he's always there. he goes out there late at night and just sits there, like he's waiting for something." harry exchanged glances with hermione, as ron and ginny turned in time to see neville return from his date. they stared at the rumpled appearance of the young man's clothing, his hair less than smooth, his cloak buttoned crookedly. "hey guys," neville said as he entered the room. "hey neville," harry said.

"we've been waiting for you," hermione added, a little less than friendly. "sabrina, would you mind if we continue our conversation later?" harry asked with a smile. "what about over breakfast?" "i'd love to," she said with a blush and a smile, as she stood up taking her book with her. "great, then we'll see you first thing tomorrow." harry looked shocked when sabrina suddenly reached out and hugged his neck, before hurrying up the stairs to her room. "looks like i may have something to be jealous of," ginny said in a soft tone, receiving a smile from her boyfriend. "well, i'm going to bed," neville said quickly. "night." "not so fast," hermione said again, standing and walking to the young man, her arms folded across her chest. "do you realize how much trouble you could get into for having another student in our house?" she asked him. neville looked from one set of eyes to the other, swallowing hard. "she didn't hear the password," he told them quickly. "i put a deafening spell on her, before i said it. i promise, she didn't see anything or hear anything and she was never out of my sight." "it's not just that neville," harry said. "we've all been really worried about you, since we heard about your mum. we're really sorry about your loss." "my mum's death wasn't all that unexpected," he said softly. "the physicians warned us a long time ago, that my parents wouldn't live a long life." "but that doesn't make it any easier," ginny said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "look, neville, we don't really care that you're shagging loo...luna," ron said abruptly. "she's an all right girl. but we don't want you getting into trouble." "we also don't want you failing any of your classes," ginny told him. "we're your friends neville and we only want to make sure nothing happens." harry couldn't help but feel a bit awkward as he watched his girlfriend practically hugging the young man's shoulder. "i promise, it was our first time...i mean, it was her first time...i mean, i've never brought her here before. it won't happen again." neville's face a brilliant red by the time he had finished trying to get his sentence out. "we've all had our share of trying to find places to...be alone," ginny said glancing to harry and smiling. "but you really can't bring her here. you'll be in so much trouble if anyone else finds out." "i won't do it again," her said in a soft voice. "listen neville," harry said, stepping to ginny's side and wrapping his arms around her waist, as if to make certain his friend understood she was his. "if you need a place to...be alone, we can give you some hints and ideas. we've had to find out about places the hard way."

"thanks," neville said softly. "i think we've already found a place." "where?" ron asked, a little more eager than intended and he realized it immediately when hermione turned her disapproving stare to him. "well, it's just that we started thinking and figured the room of requirements seemed like a pretty good place. that is, when we're not in d.a." "i've heard the room is rather convenient," harry said with a smirk, as he exchanged glances with his other friends. "well, if that's it, i'm really tired and i still have my homework from today to catch up on," neville said, leaving the others alone as he went to his room. "if this keeps up, we're going to have to set up a schedule of who gets the room on what days," ron grumbled again, receiving another punch from hermione and a round of laughter from harry and ginny. it did seem as if all of hogwart's sixth years, were starting to find a use for the room, other than their extra lessons and studies, harry thought with a smile as they climbed the stairs to their separate rooms. it should be called the room of recreation, rather than the room of requirements. nobody really had requirements, just a whole lot of desires. sabrina came bounding down the stairs with more enthusiasm than usual. harry looked up as she took the last step and smiled as he stood up to greet her. she looked very pretty with her long blonde hair hanging across her shoulder and her bright blue eyes shining like sapphires in a creamy complexion. harry wondered why it was none of the boys noticed the little girl, or how those a year or two older hadn't started paying attention to her. she had looks that promised to be extraordinary when she grew up. "good morning," harry told her, holding his arm out for her to take. it wasn't until that moment that harry noticed the three younger male students standing by the corner table. it seemed that none of them really cared much for the two of them being together, which made harry rethink his last assumption. "hello harry," sabrina answered, taking his arm with a soft blush. "ready for breakfast? the others are already down in the great hall." "even your girlfriend?" harry chuckled at the obvious darkening of the young girl's blush. "you're not jealous are you?" he teased, watching as she lowered her eyes and smiled, causing him to chuckle again. "ginny knows she has no competition, but you never know. in a year or two, she may have something to worry about." harry nodded to the boys, as they started toward the portrait hole, stepping out into the passageway. harry escorted the young girl down the stairs, taking particular note of the way several younger students noticed them. he felt awkward at first, until he realized how many were looking at sabrina in complete awe. they stepped into the great hall and harry led his new friend toward the elder students sitting near the head of the table. those from the young girl's own year watched as he held her arm, helping her sit down at the table between himself and neville, before sitting next to ginny. "good morning sabrina," ginny said, holding harry's hand under the table.

"we've been talking," hermione began, looking across the table to the girl. "we met your sister at ron's brothers' valentine's day part. her husband oliver is a friend of ours and we were thinking about getting together over easter break and maybe visiting hogsmeade. if you can get permission from your parents, maybe you'd like to join us?" "i'd love to," sabrina said, her face lighting up with excitement. "i can ask my mum and dad. i'm sure they'd agree if i were with harry and if margie joined us." "we took the liberty of owling oliver this morning," hermione added. "this is so cool," sabrina said again. "i've never been to hogsmeade before." "you'll love it," ginny told her. "it's a blast, especially honeyduke's. they have the best candy. well, except for my brothers, but honeyduke's candy won't explode in your face, or turn you purple." "your brothers turn you purple?" "just their candy sometimes. they have a joke shop and they love playing pranks, especially on family." "how awful," sabrina said with a frown. "it's not that bad. it's never permanent and they've made a lot of money with their stupid jokes." "they won't turn me purple will they?" harry looked at the little girl next to him, suddenly feeling what it must be like for ron to have ginny as a little sister. compassion welled up in him and he put an arm around her shoulder without thought. "we'll protect you," he promised her. "they wouldn't dare do anything to you, with the four of us there, or with oliver. he was their quidditch captain for several years you know." "i didn't know that. was oliver any good?" harry smiled at the little girl again. "he was great. a little fanatic and a slave driver, but otherwise he wasn't bad. we won the house cup two years ago because of oliver's dedication to the game." "so he's always been a little weird?" ron snickered from across the table. "yeah, you could say that," the red head said. "he's a little too serious for my taste." the group continued talking about their decision to go to hogsmeade, when a warm hand fell on harry's shoulder. he looked up into the smiling round face of the red haired man. "charlie!" ginny asked, standing up suddenly and hugging her older brother. "what are you doing here?" "since when does a guy need an excuse to visit his brother and sister?" charlie answered, hugging his sister. "i don't remember you ever visiting hogwart's before," ron said. "except for

fourth year and then for buckbeak." "things change little brother," charlie said, sitting on the other side of ginny. "gees, it doesn't seem like that long ago, when i was sitting here with my own class." charlie picked up the food that appeared on the plate in front of him, tasting the eggs and sausage. "the food hasn't changed much. it's still great." "how long are you staying?" ginny asked, watching as he turned his head to her, looking directly at harry. "i'm not sure," charlie answered, returning his attention to the food in front of him. "what about your job?" ron asked, with a frown. "don't you need to be back to work?" "i've taken a leave. i decided i needed some more time with the family." "what's going on?" hermione asked in a soft tone. "nothing to worry about. don't you guys have a class soon, or have they changed the class times since i was here?" "no, you're right," hermione said, standing up from her seat. "we have to get going." "i'll see you guys at lunch," charlie said, looking at harry again, his eyes focusing on those of the younger man's. "i need to speak to dumbledore, but we should be finished by then." harry watched as ron and hermione started down the isle to the door and then turned to ginny. "i'll see you later," he told her, kissing her cheek. ginny looked at him with a frown, but nodded and left. "did professor dumbledore tell you why he sent for you?" harry asked, once they were alone. "he said he needed to see me regarding something about you. want to explain it?" "why don't we discuss this in private." harry and charlie turned to see the old wizard, wearing robes of green and yellow step up behind them. "we can use my office. professor mcgonagall, would you care to join us?" the old man turned to the aged witch behind him and smiled. "what about class, sir?" harry asked. "i'm quite sure hagrid will understand if you're not there." harry nodded awkwardly and then followed the others out of the great hall and up to the second floor, where dumbledore spoke the password to the gargoyle, who quickly leapt aside. once in his office in the top of the tower that overlooked the open grounds, he took his seat behind the desk, waiting as professor mcgonagall summoned three large wing back chairs and a tea tray. "so, what's all this about?" charlie asked, accepting the tea that poured itself in the china cup. "all your owl said was that you needed my help with harry. has something happened between him and ginny i should contact my parents for?" harry blushed openly, choking on the tea he had just sipped.

"no mr. weasley, it isn't anything of the sort," dumbledore said, smiling at harry's reaction. "harry's powers seem to have taken a growth spurt. he's discovered the art imago- figura. he's been able to use the lapis gelu spell against professor snape." "mr. potter is this true?" professor mcgonagall asked and then realized she had practically called the headmaster a liar. "forgive me albus," she said, smiling at the expression of amusement on the older man's face. "i guess it's true," harry answered. "how did you learn imago-figura?" charlie asked, a deep frown creasing his brow. "i don't know. it just sort of happened." "sound familiar, mr. weasley?" dumbledore asked with a smile, as he looked over the rim of his half moon glasses. "professor dumbledore said you know how to do this lapis gelu thing too," harry said looking at the man who so closely resembled ron. "i do. it's been very helpful to me with my dragons. when did you first discover you could do it?" "when i was working on occlumency with snape, even though i didn't need any more lessons. i remember getting angry with him because i didn't feel there was anything more he could teach me about occlumency and it just happened. i saw one of his memories and thought he'd be furious with me, then the next thing i know he froze. it only lasted a couple of minutes, but each time it got longer." "have you been practicing the lapis gelu spell at all?" "no. until i told ginny about it, i didn't even know what i was doing. professor dumbledore saw me do it and suggested you should teach me how to control it." "i'd be happy to harry. but i'm not sure if i'm the right person. i don't know how it happened the first time i did it, either. it came in handy though for getting a few extra minutes to finish my assignments." "mr. weasley," professor mcgonagall snapped. "i do not think that is the sort of example you need to be setting for mr. potter." "professor, this is harry potter we're talking about here. if it hasn't already been done, i'm sure he'll find a way to do it." harry blushed and charlie laughed, causing the frown to deepen on professor mcgonagall's face and the smile to widen on dumbledore's. "i have already arranged for mr. potter to skip his magical creatures and herbology lessons, so you may spend time with him," the headmaster said. "he is already quite proficient in both, so his dropping those classes for the time being should not affect his o.w.l.s in the least." "if you wish, i'll arrange guest quarters for you mr. weasley," professor mcgonagall said. charlie smiled at the idea of having vip status at his old

school. "i would appreciate it, since using the floo network would be too obvious at the moment. when would you like to start your training, harry?" "the sooner the better," harry said. "i will arrange for you to take the rest of the day to practice," dumbledore said, as he stood from his seat and stepped around the desk. "you may use the room of requirements. i believe you have a d.a. class this evening as well. perhaps mr. weasley would care to assist you." "what's the d.a.?" charlie asked. "it's a special dada class we started last year," harry said, glancing to professor mcgonagall watching the curious expression on her face. "we felt it was necessary since umbridge wasn't teaching us anything about the dark arts, to practice what we knew and try some new spells." "i'm impressed," charlie said, patting the boy's shoulder with a warm chuckle. "like i said, it's harry potter we're talking about." read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who continues to r/r. i hope you enjoy the next few chapters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: to "d", thanks as always. i couldn't have done this without you!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter forty harry spent an exhausting day training under charlie weasley. he had no idea the brother of the girl he loved, was so intent on perfection. they had spent nearly four full hours going over the lapis gelu, turning the bogart harry had gotten from tonks for the patronus spell, to stone. over and over he turned it to stone and back again. by the time lunch rolled around, his head was aching worse than it ever had with any of his occlumency lessons. he wanted to return to his dormitory and rest, but he promised ginny and sabrina he'd have lunch with her. reluctantly, harry joined charlie on his walk down to the great hall, where most of the students were already enjoying their meal. harry sat next to ginny while charlie joined tonks at the teacher's head table. the longer harry spent in the noisy room, the worse his head felt. "you look awful mate," ron said with a frown. "where have you been all day?" hermione asked, using her usual 'you're going to get in trouble' tone. "i've been with charlie in the room of requirements," he answered absently. "why were you there?" ginny asked, watching as harry leaned his head against his hand, covering his eyes with his palms.

"i've been practicing that stupid lapis gelu spell," he said softly, his head aching even beyond his own voice could tolerate. "you should go see madame pomfrey," ginny said with a concerned frown. "you look really pale." "i just need to lie down for awhile." "what about afternoon classes?" hermione asked. "dumbledore gave me the day off, so i could work with charlie." the four remained silent for a few minutes, with harry fighting the pain throbbing behind his eyes. he hadn't realized he had said so much about what had happened that morning, and at this rate he was certain he would tell voldemort himself the secrets he wished to know, if he had them. with a sigh of pain, exhaustion and grief, harry stood up from the table. "i'm going to my room," he said, squeezing ginny's shoulder. "i'll see you guys later." harry left the noise of the great hall and quietly walked up to the gryffindor common room. he offered the fat lady the password, then stepped through the exposed hole and went straight to the sixth year boy's dormitory. he kicked his shoes off, pulled off his glasses and climbed onto the made covers of his bed, pulling the drapes closed around him. the curtain clad bed made the light of the exposed spring sun less painful, as he tried to focus his mind on relaxing. his head ached so fiercely that he felt like it was splitting in two. he couldn't concentrate on clearing his mind. it was as if something was taking over his thoughts. he moaned in confusion as images of his common room echoed through his mind, and he felt as though he were climbing the stairs all over. he saw himself standing outside his own dormitory, staring at the sign that indicated the sixth year boys. he felt the warmth of the spring air as it drifted in through the open window from the common room, and frowned. the window was never open when students were in class. a house elf must have opened it to allow the musty, closed smell to clear and forgot to shut it again. he sighed heavily, trying to refocus his mind, but he could feel himself standing outside the door, reaching for the handle, but he couldn't feel it, he couldn't make it turn. it was as though there were a spell blocking him from entering. "harry potter," he heard the wind whisper, as it blew across the empty room. "harry potter." harry didn't want to be disturbed; he didn't want to talk to anyone right now, so he rolled to his side, issuing his back to the room. "you are very powerful, harry," the wind said again, and harry moaned against the words. "very powerful. you could rule the world, if you only had the courage. i can help you, harry. i can give you the answers you seek." "what answers," he thought, his head beginning to pound again. "you want to know about your godfather. you want to know what lies beyond the veil. he's still alive harry, but he's trapped. i can help you bring him back. together we can bring back those you love. your power and mine, together we will be invincible, even dumbledore won't be able to stop us." "no," harry thought. "sirius is dead, he'll never come back. i know that now. there's nothing i can do to bring him back, to bring any of them back." "there is a way harry. go to the mirror of erised. there you will find the answer.

follow the path to the forbidden forrest. he's waiting for you harry. you must save him." "it's not possible," harry thought. "he's dead and i don't know where the mirror is." "use your mother's azurite, it will lead the way. once you are there, you must ask the mirror specifically to show you the way to your godfather. there you will find him. do as i say harry and the world can be ours." harry saw the door of his dormitory disappear as he quietly descended the stairs back down to the common room. he felt his head exploding in pain, as flames burst into life within the fireplace and he stepped in feeling the heat, hearing a voice echoing in his head. "riddle estates," it said and harry could feel himself being pulled back into the common room, back up to his bed where he lay moaning loudly. "harry? you all right mate?" a voice called out to him, as a warm hand touched his shoulder. harry opened his eyes, and then closed them again with a loud moan. his head was exploding in a very familiar way. "no," harry whispered. "voldemort...it was him..." "what? harry snap out of it, what's going on?" the voice said and harry struggled to sit up, fighting to regain control. what had happened? why was he so determined to see find the mirror of erised? "harry, come on, sit up and talk to me. what's going on?" harry opened his eyes again, seeing the blurry red hair trying to come into focus. he felt himself being pulled upright, but the pain in his head was nearly unbearable. he moaned again, as he forced his eyes open. what had happened? why was he feeling like he'd just stood in the same room as voldemort? why had he used the floo network? where did he go? why was he still here? "harry, answer me," ron said, as harry focused his eyes on his best friend. "what's going on?" harry blinked, the pain subsided slowly and he was able to focus. he remembered coming up the stairs and lying on his bed. then he remembered coming back through the common room and up the stairs, but he was already upstairs. he saw the closed door in front of him, but was unable to open it, but he was already inside. then it hit him with all the force of reality. "he was here," harry said in alarm, pulling his wand from his cloak and standing up, forcing his legs to support him. "who was here?" ron asked, staring blankly at his best friend. "voldemort. i saw him, i heard him. he was here, in hogwart's, here in our house. i saw him ron. he told me to go find the mirror of erised. he said sirius was still alive, but he was trapped. he said the mirror would show me the way to get him back." "but that's impossible, harry. there's no way he could have gotten in. dumbledore said so himself." "i'm telling you ron, he was here. i heard him. i've got to tell dumbledore. i can save sirius." harry headed out the door and down the stairs, taking them two at a time. he had to hurry, sirius needed him. he had to find a way; he had to find the mirror.

harry passed by several students on their way back to their dormitories, as he rushed down to the second floor. he stood there unaware he had been followed. he issued the password dumbledore had said earlier that day, then stepped through to the staircase the gargoyle exposed. he nearly ran up the winding stairs, ignoring the fact that they were moving, and began pounding on the closed door. instantly it opened, revealing a very shocked expression from an aging wizard. "he was here, professor," harry gasped as he stepped into the room, followed by ron, hermione and ginny. he turned and glanced to charlie who was sitting in a chair in front of dumbledore's desk and professor mcgonagall who sat next to him. "who was here harry?" dumbledore asked stepping around to stand in front of the young man. "voldemort, he was here. i heard him, i saw him in gryffindor tower. he was there, i swear it. i heard him, i saw him come up the stairs, but he couldn't get into the room. he said sirius was still alive, that i had to get to the mirror of erised and that it would show me the way to bring him back. he said he wasn't dead, he was trapped. i have to save him, he needs me." "harry calm down," dumbledore said with a frown. "i know you want to find a way to save sirius, but there is no way back from the veil." "there is, i know there is. voldemort told me i was powerful, he said i could rescue him. i have to try." "where would you go harry?" dumbledore asked, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "what?" harry frowned at the old man, unable to believe what he was being asked. "harry, sit down," dumbledore conjured up a chair for each of them, and leaned against his desk as he examined the confused expression on the young man's face. "since the veil was first discovered, the greatest scholars and wizards of the world has spent exhausting hours and years trying to figure a way of bringing back those who have passed through. there is no way back, harry. i'm sorry." "but he said...he told me i could use the mirror of erised to find him. he said the mirror would show me the way." "harry i've already told you, the mirror of erised only shows us what we want to see. you want sirius back, and that is exactly what it will show you. i'm sorry harry, but there is nothing you can do." "is it possible he was really in gryffindor tower?" hermione asked, as ginny wrapped her arms around harry, who was suddenly grief stricken beyond words. "i can not believe he was here himself," dumbledore said, looking at the expression on harry's angry face. "harry you said he couldn't get into your room?" harry shook his head, pushing away from ginny. "it was like there was something blocking him, like the door was locked or something." "very interesting," the headmaster said softly.

"what is it albus?" professor mcgonagall asked. "if i am not mistaken, the reason he could not enter was because harry was inside." "but i thought you said he would never be able to get into hogwart's as long as you were here?" ginny asked. "lord voldemort is unable to get into hogwart's, but there may be another way. he may have used a medium in order to make contact." "like he used harry last year?" hermione asked. "is that also how he was able to make contact with harry today?" "i believe so. harry, you've been under a great deal of stress lately because of the new powers you've developed. even if you don't feel it, you're weakened due to the strain of the sudden development of the imago- figura. it is possible that in that momentary weakness, he was able to make contact as he did last year. did you see him in any form, as you did before?" harry shook his head. "i felt myself walking up the stairs and trying to reach for the door, but was unable to open it. then i heard him calling me, telling me about sirius and then he left." "how?" "through the fireplace...the floo network." "you didn't see him even then? no impressions like last time, no image of a great snake?" "no sir." "very interesting." dumbledore walked around his desk and sat down in the large chair, his fingers tapping together as he thought. "what could it have been?" hermione asked. "if i am not mistake, miss granger, harry has experienced what is known as 'locus vehere'." "spirit travel," hermione whispered. "what?" ron asked. "it's called locus vehere," dumbledore said again. "in simpler terms it's known as spirit travel or what muggles call astral-projection. it's when a wizard can travel outside his body and into a distant host. voldemort mastered this ability when he was very young, and still at the orphanage. we learned about it when he arrived here at school. he tried possessing the teachers in order to learn the answers of tests. i should have expected this. he would be able to possess anything and send it through the floo network." "anything?" ron asked. "yes, any form of mammal, reptile, insect, anything capable of moving on it's own accord."

"but the wards surrounding the castle, wouldn't they protect against such things?" hermione asked. "yes, to a point. if he were able to possess something small enough, it would be simple to send it in without detection. the floo network is the least guarded and most massive form of communication in the wizarding world. it is nearly impossible to ward against every location." "so what do we do now?" ginny asked, holding harry's hand tightly in her own. "there are spells i can use to protect the fireplaces of the castle, but it will still be difficult. professor mcgonagall will help set up wards in your common room. did voldemort say anything else to you, harry?" he thought for a few minutes, going over everything in his head. "he said i was very powerful and together we could rule the world." "as i suspected," dumbledore said. "what professor?" charlie asked. "the powers harry has recently discovered has made him a threat to voldemort. if he cannot kill him, then he will try and coerce him into joining him. harry, you have to do everything you can to resist him especially now. i told you before, there is a very thin line between imago- figura an evil. if it is crossed, it is extremely difficult to return." "but sirius," harry said in a soft tone. "are you sure there's no way? maybe voldemort found a way to save him." dumbledore stood up and walked back around the desk, placing a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "i wish there were harry. sirius was a good friend and i miss him too. but there is nothing we can do. he's gone." harry looked defeated as he stood up and walked out the door, leaving the others to watch him go. "professor, are you sure?" ginny asked, her tone cracking with the emotion she felt inside harry's heart. "there is no way, miss weasley. i'm sorry. go with harry now and stay close to him. he needs you more now than he ever has." ginny nodded and followed the young man who had just left. "what's going to happen now professor?" charlie asked, feeling the sadness of the situation himself. "i can't honestly say. we will have to do everything possible to help harry with his training and help him work through this. if voldemort convinces him into turning sides, there will be no hope left for any of us." ginny found harry in his dormitory, searching his trunk. she sat on the end of the bed, watching as he pulled nearly all the contents out. "what are you looking for?" she asked him. "voldemort said i could find the mirror of erised with my mother's azurite. i have to try."

"but dumbledore said there was no way to bring sirius back," ginny said. the hair on the back of her neck began to prick and she knew there was danger ahead. "i have to try ginny," he told her, lifting the small box he kept his parents rings and his mother's necklace in. he lifted it and held it up to the light. the deep blue immediately began to glow, casting a prism of blue rainbows around the room. harry stood up and walked toward the window, as the glowing slowly disappeared. he walked back into the middle of the room, watching the blue begin to glow brighter. harry grabbed his father's old cloak and headed out of the room, the necklace glowing with each step. ginny knew what he was doing and hurried after him. she had to talk him out of this; she had to convince him to listen to what dumbledore said. "please, harry, wait." harry stopped and looked back at her. he could see the fear shining in her eyes. "stay here ginny. i'll be back." "no, please. harry you have to listen..." "ginny, sirius is the only family i've ever known. if i can help him, i'm going to. i have to try." "then i'm going with you," she told him. "no you're not. i have to do this alone." "the hell you will," ginny snatched the cloak from his hand and swinging it around to land across her shoulders. harry frowned as she disappeared from sight. "ginny, please. you have to stay. i can't worry about you right now." "don't you dare assume you have to protect me," she demanded from beneath the cloak. "i'm quite capable of taking care of myself. now if you're fool enough to go against dumbledore's orders, than you're going to have to accept my going with you." "fine, but if things get dangerous, you're staying behind even if i have to petrify you to do it." harry reached out and felt where ginny was standing, stepping beneath the invisibility cloak with her. together they left the common room, following the glowing of the azurite. they wound around the castle so many times, harry lost track of where they were. it seemed like hours, but they finally found a door to what he assumed was on the fifth floor. he pushed on it, but it wouldn't budge. the necklace was glowing with brilliancy, convincing him that he was within reach of where he was destined to be. he raised his wand, whispering the 'alohomora' spell, and then pushed the door open. the room beyond was empty with the exception of another door opposite the first one. they stepped to it, whispering the unlocking spell and walked through. again the room was empty and again there was another door. three empty rooms later, harry found his patience thinning. he pushed yet another door open, but his one led into a dark room. as they progressed toward the middle of the room, candles burst into flame on the walls, reflecting off the tall mirror that sat in the center of the room. harry slipped the cloak off his shoulders, walking up to stand in front of it.

"this is the mirror of erised?" ginny asked in a soft whisper. harry nodded silently. "what do we do now?" harry stood in front of the mirror, remembering what voldemort had told him. "show me how to find sirius black," he said, watching as clouds began to swirl around the glass. within moments, harry saw the image of the forbidden forrest. the image continued to move between the dark trees until it came to a halt at a clearing. there stood a large glowing orb and then the image disappeared. "i know where we have to go," he told ginny. "it's near grawp." harry picked up the cloak again and slipped it over their heads, returning the way they had come, not seeing the final image that floated in the mirror. the image of a thin pale face, with glowing red eyes that smiled out from the darkness of the forest. the image of lord voldemort. read? review! author notes: for everyone who faithfully r/r, thank you. i love hearing from all of you, good or bad, so please continue to r/r. i'm sorry though, the story is coming close to ending. but that just leaves us ready for book 7, and movie 3! don't forget, june 4!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: thank you to "d" for everything; editing, support, friendship, wise words and the shoulder. i couldn't have finished this chapter without you. i would also like to dedicate this chapter to my sister-in-law jessie (19562004). i'll miss you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter forty-one the night was dark and the clouds rolling in promised an evening of rain and cold. harry and ginny hugged each other for warmth, as they stepped further into the forbidden forest. hagrid's hut was long since behind them. harry was certain they were near the edge of the forest, and feeling quite frustrated. he was positive he knew where he was going back at the school, but once he got out here in the dark he couldn't make heads or tails out of what he was looking at. loud snorting from grawp could be heard through the night's stillness, making harry feel a mixture of warning and excitement. he knew he had to be close. he looked through the darkness, afraid of lighting his wand because of the centaurs. he wasn't exactly looking forward to meeting up with them again. "what's that?" ginny asked, seeing a soft glow coming from among the trees. harry narrowed his eyes, his heart pounding and his palms beginning to sweat from nerves. "i think that's it," he told her in a hushed tone. they walked further into the woods, until a clearing came into view. the shimmering image of a portal lay in the center of the clearing, and ginny instantly felt the pricking of hair on the back of her neck again. this all looked so familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it. "i don't like this," she told harry, who was looking through the cloak at the

portal. "maybe you should stay here," he told her, turning to see the trance-like expression in her honey brown eyes. "ginny, what is it? what's wrong?" he asked as she began walking toward the portal, the cloak falling from her head. ginny felt an odd sense of calm as she walked toward the glowing light. harry was beside her calling her name and trying to pull her back, but she couldn't stay, she didn't want to. she could hear voices calling to her from the other side of the portal, beckoning her toward them. "ginny, no," harry began pleading with her. "ginny snap out of it. don't leave me, please don't go." ginny turned to look at him slowly saw the sadness in his eyes. she did want to stay; she wanted to stay with him forever. slowly she turned back to the glowing orb, watching as the images of people began stepping out from the center of the portal. she recognized one of the images as cedric diggory, but she knew that was impossible, he was dead. and then the image of a man stepped from the shimmer. he looked like harry but slightly older, the same messy black hair, the same glasses. he was holding onto the hand of a woman with reddish hair. she was beautiful and ginny saw the eyes she had grown to love; they were harry's eyes. she turned to harry and saw him transfixed on the people, his feet moving him slowly toward them. ginny's heart began to race. what was happening? a sense of fear echoed in her mind. she tightened her grip on his hand and tried to stop him, but he kept walking. she could still hear the voices calling, but they had changed and were now calling to him. she turned back to the shimmering object, watching as it faded away in the darkness of the night and in its replace was a black curtain, blowing violently in the wind of the impending storm. the images of cedric, the man and the woman had vanished as well, leaving harry to stare at the image of sirius. he had stepped out from the curtain and was calling to harry. ginny recognized this place now, remembering a time months ago when she had laid in harry's arms, dreaming of this same scene, the horror of losing harry and she couldn't stop it from happening again. ginny pulled at harry's arm, panic rising inside her. she was going to lose him and she couldn't allow it to happen. she tried desperately to stop him, but he continued to step forward, as though he had no control over his feet. she was absolutely horrified, how could she stop him? how could she get leave him and get help? harry continued to walk forward and ginny found herself yelling at him. "harry no!" she shouted, trying to break through the dense clouds that opened up around them, raining he bitter cold of an early spring shower on their faces and heads. "harry listen to me you have to stay away. it's not safe, please, harry listen to me." still he continued to walk forward as she tightened her grip on his hand, feeling the pulse from her grip pounding beneath her fingertips. "please, harry, please." the tears began streaming down her cheeks as she tried pulling him back. he was now barely two yards away from the curtain and the image of sirius. "i love you," she continued to plead. "please don't leave me, please harry. i love you." harry blinked, turning his attention briefly to the girl next to him. she was getting his attention; she was breaking through his hypnotic state. "i love you," she said again. "please don't leave me, please stay with me. think about our dreams, think about our plans. we're going to get married and live happily ever after, remember? please don't leave me. i need you."

harry stopped walking, staring at ginny's tear streaked face, his attention coming back into focus. he frowned as a bright stream of light echoed from the woods behind him, the sound of a hissing laughter echoed around them. harry felt the hair on his neck stand up as the flame passed by him, barely missing his head. he ducked quickly, turning to see dumbledore, charlie, mcgonagall, snape, kingsley and arthur weasley rushing through the woods. "deletrius," shouted dumbledore and again a light streamed from his wand, striking the curtain, revealing the images of two dementors standing where sirius had just been. the began to progress toward harry and ginny at a quick pace, turning the area as cold as ice, sucking the happiness from around them. immediately harry and ginny both retrieved their wands, pointing them toward the dark cloaked figures. "expecto patronum," they shouted together, watching as the silver clouds burst from their wands. harry's took on the image of a large stag, as ginny's took on the image of a large owl. harry's stag raged back on it's hind legs, as it took off after one of the dementors, while ginny's owl screeched toward the second. the night became deathly quiet; the only sound was that of the rain bouncing off the rocks on the ground and the leaves in the trees. harry looked back to ginny, wrapping his arms around her tightly, kissing her hair. "you saved my life," he whispered. "i heard you crying for me and suddenly nothing else mattered but being with you." "are you two all right?" charlie asked, hurrying up to them. "we're fine," ginny said, her arms still tightly wrapped around harry's waist as her head remained on his shoulder. "i'm sorry," harry said, sensing dumbledore behind him. he slowly turned to see the concern echoing in his eyes. "i was so certain. i had to try." "love has a tendency to alter perception and make things seem what we want them to be." dumbledore said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "that's how he did this," harry said, looking down to ginny. "he knew how much i loved sirius and he used it against me. but he almost had you." "but you saved me," she told him, ignoring those gathered around them. "i heard you calling me and i didn't want to be anywhere but with you." "i am so sorry, my love," he told her, as he gathered her in his arms. "i should never have allowed you to come with me. i should never have come myself. i should have listened to dumbledore." "your love makes you the person you are," she told him, holding him as tightly as he held her. "voldemort knows that's what separates you from all the other wizards. you would give your own life for those you love. sirius was one of those." "i guess he truly is gone. i'll never see him again," harry said with a croak. ginny looked into his eyes and saw the pain in his eyes and hugged him closely. "we'd better get you two back to school," mr. weasley said. "i'll send a team out to investigate the area, but i doubt they'll find anything."

"i'm sorry i got ginny involved in this, mr. weasley," harry said, seeing the stern look on the older man's face. "we'll discuss this later, harry," mr. weasley said, his face set at a determined angle, his eyes glancing to ginny with a silent warning. harry took the hint and lead ginny out of the clearing, gathering up his cloak as he passed. ginny and harry sat silently in the large wingback chairs in dumbledore's office. they knew the consequences of what they had done, and the guilt weighed heavy on harry's shoulders. he should have known better than to get ginny involved in this, he should have made her stay behind. because of his trust in the one person he knew better than to believe, he nearly lost the only person who meant more to him than life itself. harry sat in a dark mood, cursing himself over and he couldn't believe he had allowed a creature such him he could save someone he knew in his heart was that had happened and all that could have happened he felt there was only one sure way of keeping the reoccurring.

over for what nearly happened. as voldemort, to convince gone forever. he considered all and in his heart, events of the evening from

dumbledore entered the office, followed close behind by mr. weasley, charlie, snape and mcgonagall. the elderly wizard took his seat behind his desk as the others conjured up chairs and sat. he looked at harry seriously, studying the aged face. "i know what you're thinking, professor," harry said abruptly. "i should never have listened to voldemort, i should never have believed him." "why did you?" dumbledore asked, leaning back in his chair. "i just wanted sirius back. if there were a chance i could save him, i would have done it. it sounded reasonable at the time. i had to try. but because of me, ginny could have been killed." harry looked at the girl next to him, fighting back the grief tearing at his heart. "i have come to the decision though, that it is best for ginny, if i stop seeing her." ginny gasped, as the others looked on in surprise. "i know voldemort will stop at nothing to get to me. he knows about her, he knows how i feel and she's in danger. he will continue to use her as a means to get to me, and i know that it will only cause her pain." "you're bloody mental, if you think i'm going to step back and allow you to just walk out of my life!" ginny exclaimed angrily. "how dare you assume that i would even allow you to consider such a thing?" "ginny, it's for the best," harry said, ignoring the others that gaped at the two. "you are not going to break up with me on the eve of my birthday, so get the idea out of your head right now." "i'm sorry for the timing, it wasn't my choice," harry snapped back, standing and pacing his way to the table near the door. "but breaking up with me is," ginny growled, following him and standing across the table to confront him. "it's for your own good, virginia."

"don't call me that and don't tell me what's best for me. i'll be the one to decide that." "you could have been killed tonight, doesn't that mean anything to you? it was my fault you were there and my fault that voldemort knows about you." "he would have found out eventually, so stop feeling sorry for yourself. besides, as i recall, it was i who insisted on going along. you told me to stay behind, but i didn't listen. and just for the record, you were the one voldemort wanted, not me. you were the one he set the trap for, not me." "but the dementors wouldn't have cared less, who they were supposed to kiss. you would have been killed, right along beside me and i will not stand by and allow him to take the only person in my life, that i would gladly die for." harry's face was red as he shouted angrily at the girl standing across him. "you are not going to die, you bloody nutter," she shouted back. "i won't let you." "how are you going to stop it? you may be a talented witch, but you can't beat voldemort and his death eaters." "so help me harry potter, i'm going to hex you into next week if you don't stop acting like my self appointed savior." "i keep telling you, that's physically and magically impossible!" "give me a chance, potter. i'll make it possible!" "you can't break up with miss weasley, harry," dumbledore said in a quiet tone that put an instant halt to the shouting. harry turned a frown toward the old wizard sitting patiently behind his desk. "why can't i?" the younger man asked. "voldemort knows your heart, harry. even if you stop seeing miss weasley personally, there is no way of protecting her separate, then there is if you were together." "you can't allow him to stop you from living, harry," charlie said. "if you stop living your life, if you stop loving and laughing, he's already won," mr. weasley added. "i may not like the idea that ginny was in danger again, but it was her own design. she is stubborn like her mother. she does what she chooses. you may as well get used to it." harry was silent for several long moments, as he stared across to the young woman he'd been arguing with. his heart felt like it was in a vice. he couldn't bear to leave her, but he knew he would never be able to live if she died. in his mind, it was for her best interest to fall out of love with her - if that was humanly possible. "if you won't listen to professor dumbledore and the minister, potter, then listen to me," snape said, his tone soft but stern, his eyes filled with dark emotion. harry narrowed his eyes to the man. he couldn't imagine anything he said being of interest to him. "i was young once too," snape continued, standing from his seat and walking a little closer to harry and ginny. "i was not much older than you are now when i met a young, beautiful witch, a new transfer student from australia. her name

was amanda sharp. she was a pureblood naturally and a very talented young woman. she was in slytherin with me. we began our seventh year by bickering and teasing each other, but by the time we graduated we were engaged to be married. six months later we were. by that time, i was already a death eater. i was determined to be one of the dark lord's greatest supporters. amanda hated it, she was afraid for me, but as the months and years passed by i became more valuable than any of the others. i had succeeded. amanda discovered she was pregnant and her fears grew. she didn't want our child to be born under an evil ruler, so she went to your parents. by then, lily was pregnant with you. amanda begged them to hide her, to protect our baby and to convince me the way of life i chose was wrong. "james potter, i hated him in school and that never ended in adulthood. the famous trio managed to capture me, much to my disgrace. i spent two weeks as their prisoner, being told over and over how wrong the dark lord was, but i refused to listen. because i had disappeared, the thought that i had turned sides made my fellow death eaters nervous. they went to my home and found amanda there alone. they took her to the dark lord, who ordered her torture. two weeks i was held by your father before i managed to escape and went back to my home. i wanted to find amanda, to take her into hiding before potter and the others found her. but i was too late. i returned to my master and found my young wife - or what was left of her - minutes before she died. i held her in my arms trying to think of a spell or a charm, anything to save her, but she was beyond help," he paused, shaking. "her last words to me, even after all she had endured, was to plead with me to leave the dark side. she begged me to go to dumbledore, to surrender to him and join his side and fight to save the world. "i lost her and my child, because of what i was. it didn't matter that i wasn't there with her; he knew how i felt and struck out at the one thing in life that would destroy me. he'll do the same thing to you." snape stopped and stared at the young couple, drawing a deep breath to steady the memories ripping his heart apart. "you can't protect her by leaving her, potter. and if you allow him to break you up, then he has succeeded in destroying a part of you that he desperately wants gone; your compassion and love." harry listened silently for a few moments, before glancing back to ginny. his heart swelled with love every time he looked at her, but right now he was certain it was going to explode. "i don't know what to do," he whispered. "i can't lose you. i love you too much." ginny went to the young man, falling into his arms and hugging him close. "i won't leave you," she assured him. "i love you and together is where we belong." "listen to her potter," snape said again. "she may very well be the one link you have that saves your bloody life. it's your love that the dark lord can't compete against. if you lose her, you lose your stance against him." "why are you trying to help me?" harry asked, his eyes narrowing on the man again. "you hate me." snape studied the young man closely, then with an expression of pure honesty he sighed. "i do not hate you, harry," he said, surprising all listening but dumbledore, who smiled knowingly. "i...admire you...and your friends. i never had the kind of friendship you do with weasley and granger, or the one your father had with black and lupin. you are a very powerful wizard; you've proven it over and over again. i have faith in you; i know you can defeat the dark lord. if i am

harder on you than most, it's only because i know you are better than you let on. you have to try harder, potter. you have to be stronger than you're willing to be. if i'm hard on you, it's because i know the dark lord's powers and i know first hand what he is capable of." "what about draco malfoy? i thought he was your favorite little playmate." "draco is a very powerful wizard, but a very troubled boy. he is facing a difficult time in his life and he has to choose his direction. you have direction, you know what you have to do; draco doesn't." "so you're saying, you've been hard on me all these years because you like me?" harry asked, grimacing at the idea. "i wouldn't got that far," snape said with his usual sneer. "i hated your father, i won't deny that, but when you arrived i was...mislead to think you wanted the fame he always sought. i may have been wrong about that, but i was not wrong to push you. you cannot be weak and you cannot show vulnerability. there's too much at stake." "severus is right harry," mr. weasley said, stepping to the young man's side. "we are all worried about you, but you have to stop hiding from yourself and face the fact that you are much stronger then you give yourself credit for. severus can not allow voldemort to know he cares about you," mr. weasley glanced to snape who rolled his eyes at the man's use of words. "if he ever found out, there could be serious consequences. he can not show compassion or concern for you, it would be too dangerous." "somehow i can't imagine the words snape and compassion being in the same sentence," harry said staring at the man, who sneered his usual evil smile. "voldemort knows your powers have grown," dumbledore said. "there will be no running this time. i believe tonight was more a test than an actual trap. he wanted to know your limitations and he found them out. but beyond that, he's made it as far as the forbidden forest. the castle's charms are weakening." "how is that possible?" ginny asked her arm looped around harry's waist. dumbledore shook his head. "i don't know, but i have my suspicions. now the two of you should return to your dormitory. you've had a busy night and i'm sure you both need your rest." dumbledore led the two younger people to the door and watched as they descended the stairs before turning back to his guests. "what are we going to do about the castle, professor?" mcgonagall asked as the old wizard took his seat again. "there's only one thing to do. we have to remove the terra auxilium ducere from hogwart's." read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who continues to r/r. please be aware, the next chapters may take awhile. i have had a death in the family and dealing with that is taking more out of me than i have. please be patient. i will finish this soon. thanks again. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

chapter forty-two harry and ginny walked down the corridors in silence. he knew she was still angry with him, but he still believed his intentions were good. he braved a glance sideways to her, seeing her set jaw and knew the time had come to distract her thoughts before she exploded all over the castle walls, and took him with her. "do you think snape meant what he said?" he asked softly, watching as she shrugged her shoulders wordlessly. "it's hard to imagine him married. can you imagine him as a father? what a horrible thought." ginny again did not answer. she just continued to walk along beside him, her hands tucked into her robe pockets. "ginny, this is ridiculous," he told her with a sigh. "i know you're angry with me, but my reasons seemed logical at the time." without warning ginny turned to him, her hand striking his cheek in a bitter, painful slap. harry stumbled backwards against the stonewalls, his hand holding his stinging face. "what was that for?" he asked in a loud croaking voice. "how dare you try and break up with me?" she snapped back. "do you think i'm some sort of wimpy little girl who can't protect myself? is that what you think?" "no, but you have to admit, i know voldemort better than you do. i know what he's capable of." "yeah, he's capable of causing you misery and pain every time he turns around. and you, i cannot believe you listened to him over dumbledore. you are not that thick." "you weren't there, you didn't hear him. what he said made sense. i thought i could rescue sirius." "i know you love him, but he's gone and you know that. you have to learn to trust dumbledore. he's the greatest wizard alive, don't you know that?" "of course i know that, virginia. but i thought i could rescue sirius." "do you have any idea how angry i am with you? if i didn't love you so much, i'd..." "hex me into next week, i know." ginny turned an angry glare to the young man, her hands on her hips. "don't be a smart arse," she warned him. "why? you're already ticked off with me, you've hit me and you're yelling at me. what more could happen?" "don't tempt me harry potter, or you may just find out." harry stood there confronting her, the realization of just how beautiful she was suddenly struck him. even angry she was more gorgeous than anyone he'd ever seen, with the exception of his mother. "what are you staring at?" she asked, her eyes narrowed as she saw the far off

expression on his face. harry smiled wickedly as he took a step forward, causing her to back up until she was pressed against the wall. "what are you doing?" she asked, her tone filled with a mixture of anger and curiosity. harry continued to smile wordlessly. he reached out and took her by the shoulders, holding her prisoner against the wall. he leaned into her, capturing her eyes with his. ginny gasped at the amused expression dancing in the emerald depths. "i suppose since you're already mad at me, it wouldn't hurt to get you really pissed off, would it?" he asked as he leaned closer, his lips barely a breath away. "what are you talking about?" harry chuckled as he reached down, his hand cupping her breast through the jumper. she gasped again; frightened she looked around her for any onlookers. "harry potter, don't you dare," she warned as he leaned down and began kissing her neck. "my brother or my father can come along at any moment." harry didn't answer, he just continued his assault on her senses. "what about snape, or mcgonagall? they could show up any second." her objections were weakening as his tongue slipped out and began licking a hot path along her jaw. "harry, we can't." "wanna bet?" he asked, pulling her into the empty classroom beyond and locking the door with a sealing charm. ginny smiled as he advanced toward her again, backing up until her legs hit the back of a chair, causing her to nearly fall. "we'll get caught," she warned him as he began to disrobe, pulling his jumper over his head and unfastening his belt. harry shrugged his shoulders uncaring. "haven't you ever wanted to be wicked, for just a little while?" he asked her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to him. "i will never again think rationally when i'm with you, do you know that?" harry chuckled, kissing her neck again as his hands began to pull at her jumper. "wait!" she exclaimed when he slipped his hand beneath the hem of her skirt and began pulling it up. "why?" "we can't do this, not here." "why not? it's empty, we're alone." "but its binns class," ginny said taking note of their surroundings. "he doesn't sleep, remember? he's a ghost. he can interrupt us any second." harry looked around him and frowned. he hadn't thought about where he had taken them, only that it was an empty room. "well i'm not going to let you get away from me," he told her determinedly. "the room of requirements isn't far from here," she whispered. "we can sneak in there, but we can't stay here. we'll get caught for sure." harry narrowed his eyes at her as she pushed his hands away. "i won't let you back out of this," he told her. "when have i ever backed out of making love with you?" she snapped, watching as he

quickly dressed again. "you're still angry with me. i don't want to give you an excuse to run away." "you were the one who wanted to run away from me, remember?" harry blushed at the memory of his telling her they should break up. he knew now, he would never be able to leave her even if she asked him to. harry reached out his hand to smiled brightly when she took within minutes they were once raised her wand to the closed

her, allowing her the opportunity to refuse it, but it and they slipped back out into the corridor. again securely locked behind a door, this time ginny barrier and whispered, "schola opus circumago."

"what was that?" he asked. "just a distraction spell," she smiled. harry narrowed his eyes. "you've used distraction spells before and that was not one of them. what did you do?" "i added a little suggestion, is all. anyone who comes near the door will have a sudden desire to do their homework." harry smiled as he reached out for her, pulling her into his embrace. he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed that awaited them. "you are a very wicked witch, miss weasley," he told her as he laid her on the thick blankets. "you asked if i ever felt wicked, remember? i guess i have an evil streak occasionally." "what else do you feel?" he asked, his hand slipping beneath the hem of her skirt and slowly moving up the inside of her thigh. ginny gasped, raising her arms to him and holding him close as he leaned down across her. "give me a chance and i'll show you." outside in the corridor, ron and hermione were making their nightly rounds. they were worried about harry and ginny, but were reassured when dobby arrived with a tray of sweets for them, as he often did, reassuring them both that he had seen them leaving dumbledore's office. now they were relaxed enough to concentrate on other things. hermione was eager to learn what happened and where they had gone, while ron was eager to just be alone with hermione. they neared the room of requirements and ron smiled. he knew by now that they would make use of the room's secrets and slipped his hand in hermione's, winking at her. hermione blushed, but smiled at the thought of how easy it was for the young man to predict her inner thoughts. they reached the wall where the door to the room of requirements stood and ron reached for the knob, pausing momentarily. he glanced to hermione with a frown, his stomach feeling tight as guilt began to rise within him. "um, 'mione," he began. "would you mind if we did this later? i have a report for potions that i still need to finish and mcgonagall will murder me if i don't practice those transfigurations." "that's fine, ron," hermione smiled. "i have to finish my own report for arithmancy." ron and hermione walked back toward their dormitory, a frown on each

of their faces. ron couldn't believe he actually wanted to finish his homework, rather than being with the girl he loved, while hermione recognized the spell on the room's door, wondering who was using it. there had to be a better way to distract people from interrupting, than to force them to do their homework. especially on a friday night. harry's head was beginning to pound again, his eyes throbbing in pain. he saw the familiar graveyard and found himself walking through the rows of headstones toward the concrete path that led to a large, weather beaten porch. the paint on the banisters was peeling, the wood beneath dry and rotten. he stepped up the three wooden steps to the front door and pushed it open. the door creaked softly, revealing the dark surroundings of the house's interior. he cautiously walked through the threshold, his feet silent on the worn carpet. to his left was a narrow hall and harry could hear voices echoing from somewhere down it. he looked around as he slowly made his way toward the sound. a high-pitched voice echoed off the dirty walls with the peeling wallpaper and harry knew immediately who it was. "he was almost mine," voldemort said as harry poked his head around the corner of the open door. the thin, pale figure was draped in dark robes, pacing the floor back and forth. "i nearly had him this time, but that girl...that weasley bitch stopped him. she has a strong hold over him. i'll have to dispose of her first. what do you know of their relationship?" "all we can determine at this point is that they are dating," lucius malfoy said from the side of the room. "i have not been able to make contact with my son to learn more. i fear he has turned traitor as his mother did." "for his sake, you had better hope he has not changed sides malfoy," voldemort hissed at the tall blond man. "if he has master, he will die as his mother did. no son of mine will ever betray you my lord. but i do know this much about potter...things between him and the weasley girl are new, only since the summer." "she is the new minister's daughter," the large bolder shaped image of the elder goyle said. "i know that you blundering idiot!" hissed voldemort. "i'm not stupid!" "she was rescued by potter in her first year," bellatrix started. "she was lead into the chamber of secrets by an old diary of tom riddle's. he saved her from the basilisk, since then they have had a deep connection that neither of them recognized until late july. our spy at the ministry of magic tells us that weasley has bragged about how proud he is of his daughter and how happy he is that she is with potter. whimple said weasley claims the two are soul mates." "let us hope that is not the case," voldemort hissed again. "why?" asked the stocky image of the elder crabbe. "because," voldemort began, a sigh of irritation escaping his thin lips as he sat in the old leather chair, scratching the head of his enormous snake, nagini. "if they are soul mates, it makes her hold on him stronger than anyone predicted. he will not be easy to get hold of." "have we managed to get the secrets of hogwart's yet?" walden macnair asked.

"only one of over a hundred," avery answered. "it was enough to allow us to lure potter into the forbidden forest," malfoy said. "but it is not enough!" hissed voldemort. "i want them all. i am tired of waiting." "please master," bellatrix said, leaning down on the floor next to his chair. "do not upset yourself so. we will get the charms and spells that protect the school and dumbledore will have no choice but to bow to your greatness." "i no longer care about the old man," voldemort said, his hand smoothing the dark hair of his mistress. "it's potter i want. i must join with him. together we will rule the world." "but if he does not comply, my lord?" asked macnair. "then he will die, but not before his little whore does. she is our key to him. she will bring him to me and he will watch as she is destroyed before his eyes. only then will he know of my power and he will know he is on the wrong side." "but how do we get her to bring him here, master?" bellatrix asked. "by taking her from under dumbledore's very nose," hissed voldemort as he began to laugh. harry could feel himself being pulled back through the darkness and tried to fight it. they were planning on capturing ginny and he had to know how, he had to know their plans, but he couldn't stop from feeling himself being pulled away. his head began pounding violently, his stomach jerking in nauseous spasms. he groaned at the pain, his hand reaching up to his scar instinctively. he knew this pain all too well, but he could never seem to get used to it. it was searing, making him feel as if his head were splitting in two. he was wet with sweat; his heart beating so fiercely within his chest, he felt certain it would explode. the pain didn't want to ease and his head wouldn't stop screaming for mercy. "harry?" a voice called to him, but he couldn't answer. he tried to open his eyes, but moaned in the effort, closing them again. "harry, try and wake up," the voice said again, this time harry could determine it was somewhere close. "ginny," he whispered, his throat hoarse with the effort. "harry, try and focus." the woman's voice was familiar to him, forcing harry to struggle to regain control. he fought to focus his gaze on the tall yellow and pink haired woman standing next to him. "tonks?" he asked again, the pain easily a very small degree. "it's me harry," tonks said, stroking his hair gently. "wake up harry and talk to us." "where am i?" he asked, his surroundings becoming clearer to him. he felt the mattress beneath him, the covers tightly holding him to it. the room was cool and dark, sounds echoing off the stonewalls. this wasn't where he had fallen asleep, he thought briefly. one moment he was in the warm embrace of ginny and the next he was...

"you're in the hospital wing." he heard ginny's voice and immediately turning his head to see her standing on the other side of him. there were other people around him as well. dumbledore stood next to tonks, mr. weasley and charlie at the foot of the bed, ron and hermione next to ginny and mcgonagall and snape near the elder weasleys. "what am i doing here?" he asked, the pain nearly gone, his eyes focusing on the faces that stared at him. "you were having a nightmare and i couldn't wake you," ginny said, her tone filled with fear. "nightmare?" he asked with a frown creasing his dark brows. he tried to concentrate on what he had dreamed, then realization began filtering through and he remembered what he had heard and saw. "voldemort," he whispered. "it wasn't a dream. i was there. it was voldemort. he was talking with bellatrix and malfoy, crabbe and goyle were there, so were macnair and avery. he was planning on capturing ginny. he wants me; he wants me to join him, but in order to do it he needs ginny to lure me to him. ginny, you're in danger. you have to hide, you can't let him find you." "calm yourself harry," dumbledore said. "she is safe here. he won't be able to get in." "but he will, i saw it. he said he was going to steal her right under your nose. he wants me and he'll stop at nothing to get me. she's in danger, professor. she has to go into hiding, please." "harry i'm not leaving hogwart's," ginny insisted, soothing his creased brows with a gentle finger. "he won't get me. i'm safer here than anywhere on the planet." "but ginny..." "no," she insisted. "you're not getting rid of me, i've already told you that." "i'll arrange for security to surround the school grounds," mr. weasley said. "tonks, you need to work on those new charms. we'll need to reinforce the spells already in place." "but voldemort said he already had one of the charms," harry said, struggling to sit up. "that was how he was able to get me into the forbidden forest. bellatrix said that someone named whimple told him about ginny and i." "gilbert whimple?" charlie asked, turning to his father who didn't look very surprised. "are you sure of that name harry?" mr. weasley asked. harry nodded, noticing how mr. weasley and dumbledore exchanged glances. "what is it? who is this whimple anyway?" ron asked. "he's in charge of experimental charms," mr. weasley said. "he's part of the ministry?" hermione asked in alarm. "he is indeed miss granger," dumbledore said, turning to look to snape and

mcgonagall. snape looked at the headmaster then nodded, leaving the room. "where's he going?" harry asked suspiciously. "it's nothing to concern you about harry," the old wizard said. "i think you've been through enough for one night. you need your sleep." "i won't let him get her," harry told the old man. "i won't let them hurt ginny." "of course you won't," dumbledore smiled, laying a warm hand on the young man's shoulder. "but you can't do anything to protect her, if you don't get enough sleep." mr. weasley patted harry's shoulder, charlie smiled, mcgonagall nodded and finally all the adults left, allowing harry, ginny, ron and hermione to speak in private. "do you think it wise to allow the others to remain with him, albus?" mcgonagall asked, once they were all in the corridor. "they are part of the five that will save our world," the old wizard said. "they need to be together. they will be fine." "harry, what happened?" ron asked once the others were gone. he leaned up on the end of the bed, pulling his leg to a bent position in front of him. "i had another premonition," he answered, reaching for ginny's hand and holding it tightly. "i saw voldemort, i heard him. he said he nearly had me, but ginny stopped me. he said she was powerful and that in order to get to me, they would first take ginny. i can't let that happen." "you won't," ginny said confidently. "you would never allow anyone to get close enough to harm me." "don't make fun, ginny," he scolded. "he knows about us. you're not safe." "of course i am. i'm at hogwart's, it's the safest place in the world and i have you. i am not worried." "look harry," hermione interrupted. "so far, you've been able to save percy and ginny because you've recognized your premonitions. this will be no different. because you have warned dumbledore and the others, you've changed the outcome of the premonitions." "i hope so hermione," he said, pulling ginny onto the bed with him and wrapping his arms around her. "did you see my dad and dumbledore's faces when you told them about gilbert whimple?" ron asked, a frown creasing his forehead. "they didn't look all that surprised, did they?" "they said they thought they knew who voldemort's spy was at the ministry," hermione said. "its only logical that they recognized the name, once harry gave it to them." "how do you think they got the charm for the forbidden forest?" ginny asked, reclining next to harry on the bed.

"i thought dumbledore said there were no written records of the charms and spells that protected the school?" ron asked. "there has to be somewhere," hermione commented. "what if he died or was injured? who would know what to do to protect the school and the students?" "but how did he get hold of them?" ginny asked again. "something like that would have to be locked up under heavy guard and very complicated spells." "i don't care how he got it, the point is he's coming after ginny," harry said angrily. "its up to us to protect her, since obviously the others don't think she needs it." "it would help if we could find out who the fifth point of this star thing was," ron grumbled. "maybe we could join forces and defeat voldemort before anything happens." "who do you think it is harry?" ginny asked, looking at the serious expression on his face. "i was hoping it would be neville, or even luna," he said absently. "but after hearing malfoy say he hadn't heard from his son and that he feared he had turned traitor like his mother, i know who it is." "harry, please don't tell me it's disgusted look on his face. harry at him square in the eye. he knew there was no denying it now as he draco malfoy."

who i think you're thinking," ron pleaded with a turned to his best friend, staring his friend's feelings, he too felt similar, but told the others, "the fifth point is

read? review! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: thank you to "d" for all the great work, advice and friendship. you're the best beta reader in the world and i couldn't do this without you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter forty-three the shadows dancing across the ceiling played out in an array of intricate patterns. harry had lay there in his hospital bed for the past hour staring at them, watching and waiting for what he knew would come to pass. ginny was in danger and there was nothing he could do to protect her. she was at hogwart's, the safest place in the entire world and yet the most evil wizard of the century had managed to get as far as the boundaries. harry knew it was only a matter of time and voldemort would get the counter spells that would allow him to advance on the school. he sighed deeply, turning over in his bed. he felt helpless. he knew what was about to happen, he knew what the outcome would be, but he didn't know how it was to be done. if only he could make his premonitions work for him, instead of keeping him a silent spectator. again harry sighed, this time catching the shadow that moved in the corner of the room. instantly he felt his instincts kick in, but he didn't have his wand with him; he had nothing to protect

him. he sat up cautiously in the bed, leaning on his elbow. at least he could put forth the image of calm, even though his insides were exploding in a variety of sparks. "why are you hiding in the shadows?" he asked, proud that his voice was steady and strong. a familiar snicker echoed from near the door as the tall blond figure stepped closer to him. harry shifted his position to lean against the head of the small bed, his mind racing to find something he could do to protect himself. he knew the summonsing spell, but would it work to bring his wand to him from the cupboard where he knew madame pomfrey always kept her patients clothing in? "nervous potter?" malfoy asked as he paced his way to the foot of the bed. "should i be?" harry asked, forcing his eyes to reflect a false calm. "i would be if i were you. your friends aren't around to protect you; your little girlfriend is nowhere to be found. even dumbledore is asleep. you're defenseless and at my complete mercy should i choose to take advantage of your current situation," he smirked. "you sound a little perverted, malfoy." "don't flatter yourself, potter. i don't seduce anyone with hideous deformities like that scar you're so proud of." "then why are you here? as far as i can tell, your friends and girlfriend aren't exactly around either, so there's nobody for you to gloat to. what possible reason would you have to come slithering in here in the middle of the night? aren't you breaking curfew?" "i'm a prefect remember? i can come and go as i wish. but don't worry; i'm not here to attack you or anything. i just wanted to talk." "really? why?" "look potter, i don't like you and i know you don't like me. it's been an interesting year for me, one that i've had to spend trying to make sense of certain aspects of my life and reevaluate what i want out of it." "and since your father has come to such low depths in life, you've found yourself having to consider other means to making ends meet, is that it? what do you want malfoy, a loan?" "don't get flipped potter. i still have the malfoy fortune; it's just tied up in ministry red tape. besides, i have my own money, more than you'll ever dream of and its available to me at my command." "so what do you want?" malfoy began pacing trying to decide to sit or stand, looking at the empty beds around the room and then back to harry. the serious expression on the young blond's face made harry's brows crease in a deep frown. he actually looked like he did want to talk. "do you remember the day the news of my mother's death reached the papers?" malfoy began softly, his voice slightly choked when he spoke of his mother. "yeah, i remember. it was really hard to believe she could have been considered a

traitor." "she was, at least she was according to the dark lord." malfoy finally decided to sit on the corner of harry's bed, looking down at the floor. "i remember the night she disappeared. i heard voices coming from the drawing room and by the time i got down there, she was gone. at first i thought perhaps my father had made it home somehow, but then i saw the tray of cakes and teas she always snacked on at night. everything had been tasted and her tea had been poured from her cup into the saucer. there are very few people i know of who could have made it through my father's protection spells, and only two that have such poor manners. i've grown up taught to think of their sons as friends." "crabbe and goyle," harry said, suddenly aware of the reason behind malfoy's treatment of his cohorts over the past several months. malfoy nodded silently. "do you know i've come to detest my birthday?" harry frowned again, watching as malfoy continued to stare at his feet. "my father promised me to the dark lord the day i was born. i was to join them on my sixteenth birthday. i've been trained in the darkest of all magic since i was old enough to walk. i've been told how i would someday rule by my father's side, that he was the chosen one to take over when the dark lord was defeated. i've grown up hearing about the greatness that lay ahead of me. of how i would one day help bring order to the wizarding world and rule over all muggles." he paused, looking at harry's impassive face. "but after last year my mother became frightened for me. she went to my godfather and told him that she didn't want me to follow my father's path in life. he convinced her to seek council from dumbledore. she was acting as an informer for the ministry, but the dark lord's spies learned of her loyalty to dumbledore and reported her to the death eaters." "so that was why she was killed?" harry said, reluctant to let him know that he had seen how she died and who had done it. he still didn't trust malfoy, regardless of how sincere he seemed. he was still draco malfoy, arch enemy and slytherin. "i didn't read the daily prophet's version of her death. i was too busy reading a letter from my father. he decided it was best to owl me anonymously and tell me how my mother died. he said her death was necessary in order to assure that others who decided to follow her lead and turn against the dark lord, understood what awaited them." malfoy snorted in a disgusted sort of laugh. "my mother's death was necessary, that's what he said." "who have you been sending secret owls to?" harry thought now might be a good time to learn all he could about the blond. after all, if he were the fifth point of the star as prophecy dictated, and then now was as good a time as any to try and persuade him to joining their side in the battle against voldemort. malfoy looked at harry from the corner of his eye, turning his head slightly but not completely. he sneered his usual malfoy smile. "i should have known you would know what i was up to," he said in a soft voice. "you've always had a way of knowing things others didn't. well, if you must know, i've been in contact with my family's lawyer. he believes that i can get my property and fortune back from the ministry. i am the only heir to the malfoy estates and as such, i am entitled to all that my father owned." "but your father isn't dead. isn't there some sort of law that prevents you from getting anything until he dies?" "that is really only a matter of time, don't you think?" malfoy turned his

expression serious once again as he looked at harry. "my lawyer believes that i can file a petition against the estate, based on my father's background and current circumstances. it's all up to the new minster of magic now. i suppose if weasel has anything to say about it, i'll never see a single galleon of what is rightfully mine." "don't judge mr. weasley so harshly," harry snarled. "he's a good man, an honest man. he'll be fair." "well, we'll see won't we?" malfoy stood and turned back to harry who lay in the bed, his eyes locking with his enemy's. "don't take this to heart potter, but i'm rethinking my opinion on your actions from last year. perhaps what happened was for the best." "you said your father promised you to voldemort on your sixteenth birthday," harry asked, aware of the slight cringe the blond offered in response to the dark lord's name. "wasn't your birthday last october?" "it was." "how did your father explain your not joining him then?" malfoy's jaw clenched as he focused his gaze on the emerald eyes staring at him. "he put a warrant out on my head," malfoy whispered. "anyone who turns me over to the dark lord receives ten thousand gold galleons." "what are you going to do now?" harry saw the sorrow in the slytherin's eyes and something else...fear. it was a side of him he had never seen before. malfoy covered his emotions with a shrug of his shoulders. "i suppose i'll finish out my schooling here and then think about what comes next when the time comes." "you have another option," harry said. "you can join us. voldemort's terror has just begun. we could use all the wizards we can find. you're a very powerful wizard, malfoy, we could benefit from your skills." "so it's either join the dark lord and my father, or join potty, weasel and the mudblood? thanks, but i think i'll take my chances alone. it's better than claiming to be associated with anything the famous trio is involved in." "think about it malfoy. you'll have to choose eventually. whose side will you fight on then? the side your mother tried to protect you from, or the one she tried to protect you with." malfoy frowned at harry's words, but turned and walked out of the room in silence. harry watched him leave, thinking that perhaps he had been wrong, that malfoy wasn't the fifth point as he was so certain of a few hours ago. but then there was the fact that he had a bounty on his head. with such a high price, someone was bound to lure him away or figure out a way of capturing him. and then what? what would voldemort do to him once he had him? would he convince him to join the death eaters or would he follow in his mother's demise? and what about all of this tonight? was malfoy honest in what he had said, or was it a trick to worm his way into harry's good graces? there seemed to be more questions than answers and at the moment harry's head was pounding again. it was difficult to say, but he had a feeling things were going to move from bad to worse. spring break came and went with little if any eventful outcome. harry, ginny, ron and hermione had gone back to grimmauld place and spent the week with

lupin, tonks and the weasleys. the four younger members of the house spent a great deal of time discussing the prophecy, or at least the part they knew, as well as all that had transpired between malfoy and harry that night in the hospital wing. they were all confused and amazed that the pompous slytherin would be so open with anyone, much less the one person he blamed for everything that happened in life. ron was still unconvinced that he was sincere and tried to warn the others repeatedly, not to trust him. harry knew there were a extenuating circumstances that led to his friend's mistrust, as there were with him, but something in the way malfoy had spoken and acted, made harry trust his sincerity. he was more convinced than ever that malfoy was the fifth point of the prophesized star, dumbledore continually spoke of. may brought with it the usual excitement of the quidditch final game between the two leaders, gryffindor and slytherin. harry, ron and ginny were busy practicing for the big game, while hermione was left to research in the library. she was determined to find everything she could about both tom riddle and the green flame torch. over the past few weeks, her research had become an obsession. she spent every waking moment away from classes and homework, in the library. so far she had found little, if anything that would benefit their quest. ron was growing frustrated with the added work while they prepared for the quidditch match, as well as their upcoming final exams. he was irritated about the amount of homework and growing angry at the lack of attention from his girlfriend. his attitude was beginning to rub off on everyone around them. even seamus and dean were snapping at each other as the hours grew into frustrating days. harry was trying to keep his head about him, but it wasn't easy. he was spending more time looking out for ginny, watching everything she did and sending dobby to spy on her when she was out of his sight. this of course, didn't set well with the little red head. she was feeling the frustration of her o.w.l.s as well as the irritability of being spied on. this time however, she was determined to listen to harry when he warned her to watch out for herself. she wasn't all that anxious to repeat the close encounter she had experienced in diagon alley over christmas holidays. by the time the final game arrived, the frustration had grown into some violent outbursts. ron and hermione had set it off with a full-blown fight, complete with hermione punching ron in the face, breaking his nose and sending him to madame pomfrey. harry and ginny weren't much better. they had stopped speaking personally two days prior, ever since ginny caught dobby spying on her and was informed it was by harry's orders that he was there. seamus had stopped speaking to dean, neville and luna were on the outs with each other over being caught by snape, shagging by the lake's edge and even the teachers seemed to be fighting. harry had managed to bring about a great deal of practice sessions and when they mounted their brooms for the final game, they knew exactly how to read the actions of the other members of their team. they were in perfect sync with each other, passing the quaffle with ease and skill, while harry kept an eye open for the golden snitch. malfoy seemed back to his old self, sneering at ron and ginny, teasing and tormenting harry and throwing insults to the rest of the team at every chance. harry was about to call a time out after forty five minutes of playing, when he caught sight of the little fluttering sphere near the rings at the gryffindor end of the pitch. he was irritated from having to listen to malfoy's constant jeering and decided to lure the blond away from their target. malfoy had yet to see the snitch, which allowed harry to pretend. he stirred his broom away from the gryffindor end of the pitch,

glancing across his shoulder to see the trick working, as the slytherin seeker headed off right behind him. he dodged and twisted around the support posts of the house bleachers, leading malfoy into a head on buzz toward the ground. instantly harry pulled back on his broom, taking his firebolt into a straight up pitch, and then maneuvered the sleek broom toward the gryffindor end of the field. malfoy saw the trick a little late, reaching the ground and twisting his ankle as he tried to pull up in time to avoid a full-blown crash. with pain throbbing up his leg, the blond headed after harry, but was too late. harry's long fingers stretched out and wrapped around the golden object just as malfoy reached his shoulder. immediately, the slytherin knocked his shoulder against harry's tipping him off his broom. harry scrambled to retain control of his broom with one hand, while the other continued to hold tightly to the winged ball. harry was mad, his anger growing to heights he hadn't felt in a very long time. he regained his composure and headed after malfoy who was half way across the field. he raced up behind him, his leg reaching out and kicking the back of the young man's broom, tipping him backwards until he led his broom into a three hundred and sixty degree circle. the crowd was screaming because harry had caught the snitch, then because the two seekers were about to take on each other, fists balled and looks of hatred on their faces. ron and ginny saw the expressions and headed as quickly as possible toward the two, but by the time they reached each other they were too late. harry and malfoy had hold of each other's robes, harry had a received a particularly nasty blow from malfoy and was forcing himself to see through a very swollen eye, while his opponent was trying to regain composure from receiving a fist in his own face, a fat lip and a crooked nose to show evidence of the angry blow he had received. madam hooch was at their sides in no time flat, blowing her whistle violently. harry and malfoy were too angry to hear, each throwing punches while holding onto their brooms. it wasn't until two very firm sets of hands held them back, did they realize what was going on. snape had mounted a broom - the first anyone had ever seen him on - while ginny had used a rope spell to control harry. both young men were surprised and angry; now with those holding them back then with each other. "detention for both of you," madame hooch growled. "one week starting tonight. this game is over." harry had no choice but to follow after ginny to the locker room, still in ropes, while a violently angry snape was leading malfoy off the field, his arm-twisted in the long claw-like fingers of the potions master. "let me go!" he snapped as she dragged him into the locker room ahead of the rest of the team. "you have to be the thickest wizard in all of hogwart's," ginny insisted, waving her wand and releasing him from her spell. "why the hell did you attack malfoy and right in front of the entire faculty?" "he started it. what was i supposed to do, just walk away and pretend nothing happened?" "geez ginny lay off," ron insisted. "it was ferret-face's fault and you know it. give that snake a chance and he'll bite his own mum in the arse." "that's not funny ronald," ginny growled. "besides, harry's temper just cost him an entire week of detention, with malfoy no less. and now we've gone back to square one where the fifth point is concerned." ginny glanced around to make

certain the other team members had headed to the showers. "well, maybe we were wrong about that," harry said with clenched fists. "there is no way i will ever ask that...slytherin to join us in the fight against his dark lord." "regardless, we'll never have the opportunity to ask him after the way you behaved today." "lay off him, virginia," ron growled. "it wasn't his fault." "hey you guys," dean said heading out of the showers, a towel around his waist, his hair dripping to his shoulders. "are you going to stand here fighting all day, or are you going to join us for the victory celebration?" "yeah, we're coming," ron said, glaring at his sister. "great, because it starts in five minutes." "we'll be there," harry told him, turning back to ginny. "that is if it's all right with you?" "don't be a smart arse, harry potter," ginny said softly. "i'll let you have the worst hex you could ever dream of." "i think i already got that," he growled in an equally soft tone. "when you tied me up in front of the whole school." "if you're not careful, i'll do worse than that next time." ginny turned and left the locker room, ignoring the need to shower. right now the more space she put between the two of them the better. there were times, she thought as she stormed back to her dormitory, that this love thing was for the birds. the evening meal that night was eaten with a great deal of excitement. everyone except for the slytherin house was eagerly reliving the final game. there was a great deal of talk about the fight between harry and malfoy, which did little to relieve ginny's anger. she was so furious with harry, that they both had forgotten it was her birthday. they had been planning to spend the evening together for weeks and harry had even managed to get permission from dumbledore to take her to hogsmeade for a special evening alone. all of that was now forgotten. harry glanced across the hall to the slytherin table, noticing that their pride and joy wasn't with them. he smiled with a sick sense of pleasure, thinking that malfoy hadn't had the courage to stand up and face the fact that he had lost the house cup yet again. he glanced back to ginny and was about to apologize for his actions, having calmed down over the past half hour. he opened his mouth to speak, when he caught sight of snape who had just joined the teachers, ignoring his seat and leaning over dumbledore to whisper in his ear. ginny, ron and hermione saw the direction harry's attention had be drawn and followed suite, looking at the aged wizard. dumbledore looked angrier than any of them had seen, with the exception of harry. last year he saw how mad the headmaster could get, when he confronted voldemort in the ministry. this time however, he looked even angrier. "students, may i have your attention," dumbledore said, standing beside snape. "i need each house prefect to lead their houses back to their dormitories and remain there until further notice." the students all began talking at once and

harry noticed that the slytherin table looked the worst for wear. "i am afraid to say, we've had a student disappear from hogwart's," dumbledore continued, realizing the students were not leaving without an explanation. "until we can sort this out, it is best that all students remain in their proper dormitories until further notice." "who's disappeared?" a student from ravenclaw asked above the chatter. dumbledore looked to snape and then to mcgonagall before glancing back to harry, ginny, ron and hermione. he drew a deep breath then answered without further hesitation. "i'm afraid it's draco malfoy." read? review! author notes: thank you to everyone who has been patient with my delay in submitting new chapters. your kind words and understanding is greatly appreciated. please continue to r/r, as always, i love hearing from everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: as always, thanks to "d" for reviewing, editing and supporting a crazy person during some pretty rough days. i wouldn't have made it this far without you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter forty-four the mood inside the castle was solemn and dark in the days that followed malfoy's disappearance. harry was excused from detention considering the circumstances, while many students looked at him suspiciously. rumors that he had caused the disappearance echoed in whispers around the classrooms and the great hall. the daily prophet had caught hold of the fight between malfoy and harry, displaying their usual array of speculations and accusations directed to harry. new stories appeared daily, each one worse than the first. by the following friday, the daily prophet had once again accused harry of being an outlandish liar and cheat in order to secure the house cup, while in the next sentence assuring the readers that malfoy's disappearance could easily have been an act of his father, still in exile. stories of the reward placed on malfoy's head began casting shadows across the gryffindor table and once again harry found himself isolated from the other students. at least this time he had ron, hermione, ginny, neville and luna to support him. most of the d.a. was backing him up, while many of the professors threatened detention for anyone caught spreading rumors. saturday morning came with an unusual rainstorm, bringing a cold wind and a deeper sense of dread to the school. harry found himself sitting absent-mindedly in a chair in the gryffindor common room, staring at the fire. he had spent the past week regretting a great deal of things that had happened. he felt bad for the fight he had with malfoy, especially after being convinced that he was the fifth point of the star - which he still believed. he regretted the argument he had with ginny, who was still angry with him to a small degree, but most of all, he felt horrible about forgetting the young woman's birthday. he had planed on spending her birthday - the same day as the final quidditch game, alone in hogsmeade with her. he still worried about the premonition

he had, but knew that hogsmeade was currently being patrolled by aurors. he had planned on making her sixteenth birthday a memorable occasion. in a bizarre way, he guessed he had done just that. hermione and ron sat across from him on a couch, aimlessly reliving the information surrounding malfoy's disappearance. it had been determined that he had been taken by portkey. a student from hufflepuff remembered seeing him receive a letter from his personal owl. that was the last anyone saw him, or the letter. it was speculated that the news of his secret owls to his lawyer and his sitting alone on the quidditch pitch at night, had made its back to the dark lord, who took advantage of the news. people were looking at crabbe and goyle suspiciously, who were rather pleased with themselves since their leader's disappearance. even the slytherin house was trying to avoid the robust dual. "i don't care," ron was saying, his temper rising in the quiet room. "i will never accept malfoy as a defender of our side. he's an evil little rodent." "but harry believes he's the missing part," hermione said, her tone softer than ron's as not to attract any further attention from the first years sitting in the corner. "you have to trust in that. even dumbledore believes he's in the running." "well you'll never convince me he could possibly turn good. he's a creepy little worm and you can't trust him." "chances are he isn't even alive," harry said softly, receiving a look of disbelief and concern from hermione and an almost hopeful expression from ron. "don't think like that," hermione scolded. "we'll find him." "how?" harry snapped a little louder than he'd have preferred, receiving frightened looks from sabrina and her new friends sitting at the corner table. harry lowered his gaze, his tone following suit. "we don't even know where he is, or where voldemort is hiding out." "there has to be some record, somewhere," hermione said. "i'm open for suggestions," harry said, tossing himself against the back of the chair, unconscious he had even sat forward. "you know, i'm the last person who wants to find him," ron began, ignoring the expression from the girl next to him. "but has either of you considered checking with the orphanage where he grew up? granted, they wouldn't give information on children currently under their jurisdiction, but i heard my dad once say that it was easy for muggles to get information on ancestors through the wide world cobweb." "you mean the world wide web," hermione corrected patiently. "that may be an idea harry. i can owl my mum and dad and see if they can research it for us. we have the internet at home. at least it's worth a try." "at this point i'll do anything," harry said in frustration. "i'm surprised ron," hermione said in total awe of the young man's aid. "you actually came up with a good idea." "don't worry, i won't let it go to my head."

"can i use pig to send the owl?" "sure, he's up in the owlery. i'll go with you." ron and hermione hurried out of the common room via the portrait hole, leaving harry to continue sitting in frustrated silence. "you don't look very happy," sabrina said, as she stepped up beside him. harry glanced up at her and forced a smile across his lips. "i'm just irritated with everything going on," he told her as she sat on the couch hermione and ron had just vacated. "i don't believe what everyone's saying about you being involved in malfoy's disappearance," she told him with a soft blush. "thanks sabrina. that really means a lot coming from you. i'd hate it if i lost your friendship." "you won't. there are others who feel the same as i do. we're all supporting you." "you're not alone," ginny said from behind him, causing harry to look across the back of the chair to where she stood listening. "there's a lot more supporting you than accusing you." "thanks," harry said in an awkward whisper. they were still arguing and the tension between them was still thick, though now they were able to talk without biting each other's head off. "i've got homework to finish," sabrina said with a smile. "don't give up harry. it will all work out eventually. you'll see." "with friends like you, i'll never have a need to worry," harry told her, watching the blush creep up her neck, tinting her cheeks and nose. he watched as the young girl returned to the table with her friends, and then looked up as ginny took her seat. "what about the rest of us?" she asked him with a half smile. "are you worried you don't have enough followers?" "i don't want followers, ginny. it makes me sound like voldemort." "no, you're too cute to be compared to him." harry smiled, his turn to blush. "i didn't think you still thought of me like that," he said softly. "why shouldn't i? just because you've been acting like a prat, doesn't mean i don't still love you. nothing will ever change that." "you're sure?" ginny leaned forward, placing her hand on his and smiling sweetly. "positive." "i owe you an apology," harry said after a few moments of staring at her. "with everything that's happened lately, i forgot about your birthday." "it's all right," ginny smiled, her eyes lowered to the ground. "i know how weird things have been around here."

"that doesn't give me an excuse. i had plans for a really nice evening in hogsmeade. i'm sorry i never got a chance to show you." "when things settle down, you can show me then." "that doesn't change the fact that i forgot it." "hey you two," ron interrupted as he and hermione rejoined them. "you finally talking again?" "we never stopped, ronald," ginny snapped as her brother sat next to her, pushing her into the arm of the couch. "you could have fooled me." "did you get the letter sent already?" harry asked, watching as ginny tried to struggle free from her prison in the corner of the now, very uncomfortable couch. "yeah. they should get it in a few hours. hopefully they can find the information we need before summer holidays." hermione sat close to ron, her hand tucked inside his assuring harry silently that they spent a little more time in the owlery than actually necessary. "what are you talking about?" ginny asked finally standing up from the penned corner she was trapped in. harry reached out a hand to her, and then pulled her onto his lap when she took it. it had been several days since they had been this close and right now, harry was content to just be holding her again. "hermione owled her parents to see if they could get information on tom riddle from the orphanage he grew up in," harry told her with a smile. "do you think there will be anything of use there?" "hopefully. all we can do is try." "i just hope we can find malfoy before anything bad happens to him." "another bleeding heart," ron grumbled under his breath. "did you know malfoy's father promised him to voldemort when he turned 16?" harry said in an absent tone. "bloody hell," ron said with wide eyes. "you mean like a sacrifice?" "no, like in servitude. he was born to be a death eater. that's why his mum turned against the dark side. she was afraid for him." "are you feeling sorry for him?" "no, i'm just starting to understand him a little better." "harry, have you forgotten the bloody bastard tried to kill you during quidditch?" "no, ron, i haven't forgotten, but that doesn't mean i have to ignore everything else around me. there's more to life than quidditch you know?" "bite your tongue!" ron exclaimed in surprise.

"look, ron, we have to start thinking about our futures. i can't keep hiding behind these walls hoping to find a way to defeat voldemort. he's already proven hogwart's isn't as safe as we had always thought. he made it into the forbidden forest and now he's managed to snatch malfoy. we can't ignore what's happening around us." "we're not ignoring them, we're just ignoring ferret-face disappearing." ron looked at harry and sighed, rolling his eyes. "all right, so we're not as safe as we had always thought. that doesn't mean we have to run right out and find him." "he has a warrant on his head, ron," hermione said angrily. "every dark follower in the wizarding world, would surrender their own mother in order to get it. if voldemort doesn't have him, then it's only a matter of time until he gets hold of him." "and then what?" ron snapped at her. "do we rush in and save his worthless arse and pat him on the back when he insults us?" "why do i bother talking to you?" hermione asked aggravated. "i'm going to the library. there has to be something there i've missed." she left the room, ignoring the pleading look on ron's face as stepped through the portrait hole. "that's just bloody great," he grumbled. "we were going to take advantage of the room of requirements, but instead she's run off to the library again. i swear, if i had my wish i'd burn every book in the place, just so she wouldn't have an excuse to hide behind them." "well if you weren't acting like such a bloody git, she wouldn't have a reason to hide." ginny watched her brother's expression narrow as he considered her words. "look, why don't we all go help her," harry suggested, hoping to put an end to any argument that may develop. "with all of us looking, i'm sure we can find something." "fine. i doubt i'll get anything beyond a paper cut this weekend anyway." ron stood and followed the other two out the door, grumbling his way to the library. reading and researching was not exactly how he planned on spending his time. ****************************************************************************** harry and ginny walked silently to the great hall. news of malfoy's disappearance still echoed through the castle walls, even after three long weeks. those who spoke his name did so in a soft reverent voice, as though news of his death had already reached them. the mood had taken on a tense air of anticipation. every student in every house, was reacting to the tension. classes and activities had become less a chore and more a necessity; something to help occupy the minds and souls of those living within the massive stonewalls. ginny walked with her hand securely inside harry's, squeezing it on occasion to reassure him that she was still there. his concern for her had grown worse over the past three weeks, making him seem paranoid and nervous. he knew it was only a matter of time before voldemort struck again, but knowing that and wondering when were two different things entirely. he turned and smiled at the girl next to him, his heart welling with emotions. the feeling was bittersweet. he knew on the one hand that fate had a way of showing its head, changing the

outcome of a situation when it felt bored or temperamental. on the other hand, it wouldn't take much to cause this beautiful girl to stand and fight, just as he knew he would do. they walked behind a small group of ravenclaws, through the massive doors to the great hall. sitting at the gryffindor table was ron, along with seamus, dean and neville. the creevey boys were close by as usual, reviewing notes from the last d.a. meeting. harry nodded at them, smiling to sabrina as they passed, taking up the seats next to ron. harry reached for a plate of sausages, but didn't feel much like eating. he couldn't believe he was not hungry, especially since he hadn't eaten more than a few morsels since yesterday's breakfast. he sat the plate next to ginny, and then reached for her hand, kissing the back of it. he couldn't help but remember the premonition again. he couldn't seem to let her go, he couldn't be more than a few feet from her without sensing a rise of panic close around his heart. harry looked up as hermione came hurrying toward them, her face flushed; her hair seemed bushier than normal. she sat between ron and harry, gasping for breath as she waved the letter she had received from her parents. "my mum has a patient who works in the muggle department of child services," she said excitedly. "there was no record of tom riddle at the orphanage, because of the length of time since he was there, so my mum called her patient who went through the achieves and found this." she opened the letter and held it out for them to read. "'tom marvolo riddle, born to anna felicia marvolo riddle, died due to complications associated with child birth. father, tom riddle of little hangleton, deceased. no living relatives. child placed in custody of stockwell orphanage.'" "little hangleton?" harry asked in a mixture of surprise and excitement. "that must be where he's hiding. wormtail said he was staying at the one place his father sought refuge and the bones of the father was used in the potion that restored voldemort to human form. it makes sense. he's still there, i know it." "we have to tell dumbledore," hermione whispered. "after breakfast," ron insisted. "if we get up and bombard him now, there's going to be a lot of people listening. what if there's a spy here, like everyone's been saying?" "good point," harry said, glancing toward the headmaster, who, as usual was watching them with interest. they continued eating their breakfasts, each feigning interest in the sausages and eggs, pancakes, french toast, hash browns, ham, juice and milk. harry sat next to ginny, as they listened to something ron and hermione were saying about malfoy, but didn't really hear any of it. he raised the girl's hand, kissing the back of it, then smiled, allowing her to finish her meal. he knew he had to ease up on her, but it was difficult to let go. his love for her was intoxicating and he couldn't find the strength within him to let her go. at least with the news of riddle's hiding place, he had a brief glimpse of hope. harry glanced to the attractive young red head next to him, smiling, as she shifted in her seat, her wand slipping from the inside pocket and falling to the floor. ginny sighed as she retrieved it, setting it on the table next to her plate.

"i really need to get a case for this thing," she complained. "why don't you order one from ollivander's?" "because i don't have the money for one thing. my mum would complain about it being an extravagance i can do without." "what if i bought it for you? i never got you a birthday present, we could order you one to make up for my negligence." "i did get an advertisement in the mail yesterday that had several really nice ones in it." "then pick one out and i'll get it for you." "i think i brought it with me," ginny said softly rummaging through her bag. "it was a really nice flyer. it had a lot of wand supplies in it besides the cases." within the span of a blink of the eye, harry watched her vanish in front of him. her bag fell from the seat she had been in, a flickering light the only reminder of the girl's presence. harry jumped up from is seat, staring blankly at the spot she had just occupied, her wand still sitting on the table. the room became deathly quiet, as every student looked on. ron and hermione were at harry's elbow in a split second. there was nothing to do, she was gone and his premonition had come true. a horrible feeling enveloped inside harry's stomach, twisting like a knife in the knots that had just formed. the scraping of chair legs across stone echoed like thunder in the room as dumbledore stood followed by mcgonagall, snape and tonks. "all prefects are to escort their students back to their houses. you are to remain there until otherwise notified. mr. potter, come with me," harry glanced up toward the headmaster, his face displaying the misery and shock he felt raging inside his soul, while dumbledore laid a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder. harry followed the aged wizard to the room behind the head table, being joined by mcgonagall, snape and tonks. ron and hermione reluctantly turned to their tasks of taking the students back to gryffindor tower. halfway up the stairs, seamus, dean and neville stopped the two prefects. they looked around as other students from all houses joined them. "we're not going back to our houses," seamus told them. "harry needs our help and it's time we put our skills to use." hermione opened her mouth as if to speak, but ron beat her to it. "meet us in the room of requirements," he told them. "we'll be there as soon as we get the younger years settled." seamus turned and led the rest of the d.a. members to the room indicated, while ron and hermione continued on their way. they escorted the students inside, ordering them to remain there until mcgonagall sent word that they could leave and then left the portrait hole again. hermione instructed the fat lady to refuse any student entrance or exit until either dumbledore or mcgonagall told her otherwise, then hurried down to the room of requirements. the d.a. members were already assembled, each had their wands out and each knew what was expected of them. they became silent when ron and hermione joined them, unsure what to ask or how much to say.

"we don't even know where she is," hermione complained. "i think we should wait until dumbledore tells us what's going on." "he's taken her, you know that. we have to go to little hangleton, that's where he's hiding. besides hermione, you know about harry's second premonition," ron snapped. "she's been taken to voldemort and he's going to kill her in order to get to harry. i won't stand by and let that happen." "neither will i," a voice said from behind them. they turned to see harry standing there, a look of determination etching his face. "what did professor dumbledore say?" hermione asked quickly. "he ordered me not to do anything foolish. he said i'd be walking into a trap, but i know where she is and i know how to get there. he wants me and i'm going." "you're not going alone, mate," ron told him, as the members gathered around. "he's expecting me, but he's not expecting all of you. i'm gong to use the floo network, but i'm pretty sure i'll be directed straight to him. all of you can go to the house next to the riddle house." "what house?" hermione asked, fear etching her delicate features. "i've seen it in my dreams. there's a small house like a caretakers cottage next to the main house. i'm sure you can get them there hermione. i'll go by way of the main house." "how do we get there?" dean asked, as harry reached into his pocket, pulling out a small canvas bag of floo powder. "someone will have to distract filch, once he's out of his office, we can use his fireplace to floo there. dumbledore said i shouldn't go, but he's the one who gave me the floo powder, he knows i'll go after her, just as voldemort knows," he explained, seeing the questions in hermione's eyes. "it's dangerous, you should all know that. i have to go, but the rest of you don't." "she's my sister and i'm going," ron said sternly. "i won't stand by hoping for the best." "she's our friend and we won't stand around waiting to hear that she's gone," neville said. "we were together in the ministry last year and we'll be together now." "we won't walk away," luna added in an unusually strong tone. "then lets go. we need someone to distract filch," harry told them. "dobby will do it, sir." harry heard the small voice from the open door, turning to see the house elf standing with his mix matched clothes and a determined look on his face. "dobby will help harry potter save his ginny." "thanks dobby," harry told him. "you can get in my trunk and take all the socks you want." "no sir, dobby doesn't do this for harry potter. he does it to end the evil in our world."

"lets go," harry said, smiling back to dobby. they walked out into the hall, watching as dobby signaled for them to stay behind. he hurried up the stairs and out of sight. a few moments later they heard an earth shattering crash, seeing pieces of a chandelier bounce down the stairs toward them. immediately the sound of filch's angry voice could be heard screeching through the castle. dobby came bouncing back down the stairs with a huge smile on his little face. "harry potter must hurry," he told them. "come on," harry said, leading the way to the dark dismal office of the castle caretaker. they stepped to the fireplace and harry handed them the bag. "you have to give the order to take you to the riddle caretaker's cottage. wait for a signal. if you don't hear from me within twenty minutes, get word back to dumbledore. don't' do anything rash," he told them looking to ron. "i can't save ginny and you too. just be careful, and remember what we've learned." "we're right behind you harry," seamus said with a stern, proud tone in his voice. "so are we," a voice said from the open door. harry turned quickly, his wand in his hand pointed directly at blaise zabini who stood in front of a group of slytherins. "what are you doing here?" ron snapped, his wand pointing at the group, as did those of the other members of the d.a. "not all of us believe in what he-who-must-not-be-named is doing," blaise said. "we want to save malfoy as much as you want to save weasley. not all of us dream of being death eaters you know." "fine, but stay out of trouble. if you cross us..." harry began, watching as blaise stepped forward, his head raised proudly, his hand reaching outward. harry stared at him for a moment, then reached forward and shook his hand. "we're on your side potter." "then lets go. you have your orders," harry glanced to ron. "remember to wait for a signal." "what kind of signal?" "i don't know, but i'll figure something out." with a final glance back to the group, he stepped inside the fireplace, taking a handful of floo powder from the bag ron held out to him. he drew a deep breath, and then spoke in a clear strong voice. "riddle estate in little hangleton," he said, dropping the powder and disappearing. ron turned back to hermione and the others, determination shining on his face. "this is what we've been working for," he said boldly. "now's the time to back out if you're scared." there was no noise and no sense of retreat and ron smiled back at them. "then let's do this." he stepped into the fireplace, taking a handful of powder and looked back to hermione.

"to our destiny," she told him. ron smiled back to her then spoke again, just as clear and strong as harry had. "riddle caretaker cottage in little hangleton." hermione watched as he disappeared, then drew a deep breath. "destiny, here we come," she said as each one followed suit and disappeared into the vast darkness of the floo network. read? review! author notes: this fic is almost finished, so please stay tuned. i hope to have it ready for reviewing by the end of the week. keep your fingers crossed for me, and please keep r/r. i love hearing from everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: thanks as always to "d" for your inspiration, support and editing. i don't think i could have made it this far without your help. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter forty-five the swirling sensation kept harry's head spinning, until a light began to appear in front of him, growing in clarity and dimension. his heart was beating, his pulse was racing and he gripped his wand tightly. he knew the moment of truth had come and he was ready. his anger and concern for the young woman he had promised his love and heart to was the driving force that brought his feet out of the fireplace to confront a room dark and stuffy. crowded around were the black hooded figures of voldemort's death eaters, each pointing a wand toward him. harry returned his wand to the pocket of his robes, forcing the image of calm and confidence across his emotionless face. the high pitched laughter echoed from behind the black robed figures and as they moved aside to form a path to him, harry saw the pasty face of the one man in the world he despised more than uncle vernon and dudley put together. "you are so predictable potter," voldemort cackled from his high backed chair, his red eyes glaring with amusement as harry paced his way toward him. "so are you old man," harry answered calmly. "where is she?" "safe, for now." "i want to see her...now." "bring her," voldemort hissed and harry saw two large cloaked figures drag ginny into the room from the hallway. "you all right?" harry asked in a gentle tone, glaring at the two figures he assumed were crabbe and goyle. "yeah, i'm okay," ginny said, struggling against the strong hands holding her tightly. "i'm just going to kick these two if they don't let go of me." harry smiled at the spunk of his girlfriend. she was stronger than he assumed, which made him proud to have her on his side.

"tell me potter, why would you be interested in such a scrawny thing like her? she's not much to look at if you ask me." "i didn't ask you," harry said with a sneer turning a narrowed eye toward the swollen bellied bellatrix by his side. "but then you haven't much taste in the first place, do you?" "such a tongue harry," bellatrix hissed with a wicked smile. "don't think your parents would approve of such an attitude." "since they aren't around i suppose that's not something i need to worry about, now is it?" "enough of this," voldemort hissed. "i brought you here for a reason." "which is?" "you want me dead and the feeling is mutual. however, recently i have discovered that you are much more powerful than i've ever predicted." "even more so than you?" harry tempted fate as the thin man stood, secure in ginny's safety for now. the death eaters moved aside, allowing more room for their master to confront his enemy one on one. "you will never be as powerful as i am, but you can try." "and try i do. so what is it you want from me? obviously it's not for decorating hints," harry said looking around the peeling wallpaper, cracked walls covered in cobwebs and broken windows. "you've done so many wonderful things already with this place." "think yourself clever do you, potter?" a voice asked from the side, a voice very familiar to harry, who turned to see the tall slender figure take a step further from the crowd. "i was wondering whatever happened to you malfoy," harry said as draco tipped the hood to his black robe off, revealing his pale blond head and flour-white complexion. "miss me, potty?" he sneered. "you wish. just enjoying the peaceful serenity of hogwart's without you. so, voldie, what do you want?" harry asked, turning back to the snake-like man standing a few feet from him. "there is no way you will ever win against me, you understand that don't you?" "no, actually i've never thought of my defeating you as not winning." "clever, but delusional. you are a very powerful wizard, potter and those skills are growing rapidly. join me and together we can rule the entire world." "join you? you're madder than even i had imagined." "you have a choice potter. join me and live, rule by my side as my second in command and your friends will live. you can even keep your little girlfriend as your whore, for all i care, though i'll never understand why you would want her."

"don't listen to him harry," ginny growled, as a hand from one of her restrainers clamped over her mouth. "why would i ever want to join you? you have nothing to offer me. if i'm as powerful as you suggest, that must mean i can stand on my own, perhaps even rule against you. ever think of that?" voldemort laughed his usual high-pitched hiss as he and harry slowly began to pace around each other in a circle. "you are as idealistic as your parents were. your mother was very strong, but even she couldn't compete against me, though she did try. have i ever told you how she died? you would have been very proud of her, potter. she didn't beg me for mercy for herself, only for you. noble don't you think?" "much more than you deserved," harry said softly, fighting back the anger that threatened his composure. "you won't defeat me. unless you join me, you and your precious school will be destroyed." "you can try, but with dumbledore still in control you'll never get further than the front gates." again voldemort laughed, causing harry's temper to rise. "albus dumbledore is a pathetic old man, who's weak and worthless. he'll never stand against me. i have been and always will be the greatest wizard that ever lived." "you may try to be the greatest wizard alive, but you'll never be more than a second rate, half breed, trying to be a success." "i am heir to the great salazar slytherin. it is you who will never reach success." "you may be heir to slytherin, but you are also the son of a muggle." "watch your tongue potter, or i'll be happy to remove it for you," bellatrix hissed in defense of her master. "hasn't he told you about his wonderful, proud heritage?" harry asked, watching the anger grow in his enemy's red eyes. "a heritage that will run through the veins of your bastard child. his mother was actually your cousin, bellatrix, anna felicia marvolo daughter to mathilda hestia black and julius draco marvolo. his father however, was a muggle by the name of tom riddle." "shut up potter," voldemort hissed. "why? are you afraid to hear the truth? are you afraid for them to hear the truth? are you afraid to know that your father didn't hate you, like you always thought? it's true, your great dark lord's name is tom marvolo riddle and he's half muggle," harry said turning to look at the death eaters surrounding them, then turned back to voldemort. "your father was told you died in birth with your mother. he loved you and he loved your mother, he only allowed her to stay in the wizarding world after she became pregnant, because she needed the care of a medi-wizard. he had plans of taking you and her to his world once you were born and she was well enough to be moved. but your perfect, pureblood grandparents had other ideas. they were the ones who were ashamed of you. they were the ones who didn't want the wizarding world to know about you. dumbledore was there when you were born, but your grandparents took you

to the orphanage as a baby before he could contact your father. even he couldn't find you until you were able to enter hogwart's. by then the damage had been done." "you're a liar," hissed the pasty-faced man. "i killed the riddles and destroyed any trace of them from my life." "you may have killed them, but you could never erase them from your life. your father is a part of you, a part of your blood. you used his bones for the potion that gave you back your human form, because of that you made him an even larger part of your life. you owe him for your very existence." "i'm warning you potter. shut up or you'll pay for your insolence." "i've been paying, every day of my life since you killed my parents. have you told draco malfoy the truth about his mother's death yet?" harry asked, turning to look at the tall blond standing, listening to every word the two enemies said to each other. his eyes narrowed at harry as he glanced briefly to the dark lord. "what is he talking about?" malfoy asked. "don't listen to him, son," the dark hooded figure next to him said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "he's trying to confuse you, just as dumbledore tried." "your father never told you how he killed your mother, by order of his lord and master?" harry asked, still pacing around voldemort. "he never told you how she begged for mercy, how she tried to save you from the life he had promised you to? he never told you how he simply raised his wand and issued the killing curse, without so much as single regret?" the younger malfoy glanced to his the man beside him, edging further out of his grip. "how do you know that?" the older malfoy asked. "remember, i have powers even your master didn't realize." "you told me my mother was a traitor and died as a result," the younger malfoy said with an angry tone. "tell me the truth, father. tell me how she died." "her death was necessary," the older malfoy's voice said from beneath his cloak. "she betrayed our dark lord and had to die." "answer me father. did you kill my mother?" "yes and it was my pleasure to serve her body up to our lord." "how could you lie to me like that? how could you kill her? she was your wife." "she was a traitor. i would kill you too, if you hadn't joined us. i will kill anyone for the dark lord." "some love your father has for you, huh malfoy?" harry asked, feeling the leverage growing. at last he was convinced who was to be the fifth point of the star. malfoy was tempted, but was turning, seeing the truth of the world he was promised to. "shut up potter," the elder malfoy growled, his wand rising toward him. "i'll kill you for what you've done here."

"you can try, but you'll never succeed," harry said proudly, his voice showing a slight hint of amusement. "do you remember that prophecy you wanted to get your hands on to, so badly last year? do you really want to know what it said?" "there is no way you could possibly know what it contained," bellatrix said from her perch near voldemort's chair. "it was destroyed before anyone could hear it." "not exactly anyone. i heard it," harry lied, unwilling to reveal dumbledore was the only one who knew the whole prophecy. "it said that voldemort would mark his equal, which he did," harry said, raising his hair with his hand to reveal the lightening bolt scar. "it also said that neither of us can live, while the other survives. it means that that one of us has to kill the other...kill or be killed. nothing you can do to me, will work." "we'll see about that," voldemort hissed as the large image of his pet snake entered his conscious mind. harry saw it immediately, turning toward around to see the massive reptile slithering toward him, tongue flicking and eyes hungrily set on harry. "serpens annihilare," he said, pointing his wand to the snake. "no, nagini!" voldemort cried as his beloved serpent glowed a bright red, hissing in pain as it melted away into oblivion. "you'll pay for that potter." the dark lord raised his wand, but harry was too quick already anticipating his response. using the lessons he'd learned from charlie, he focused his whole mind toward the man, freezing in him in time. the death eaters gasped in shock as their master became as a statue, but the effects were only momentary. within the span of a few seconds voldemort was unfrozen, staring at harry in disbelief. "my powers are not only strong," harry said, locking his green eyes with those of blood red ones. "they are equal to yours." harry seized the moment, reaching out his mind and creating a shield around the two of them, his wand rising simultaneously toward the dark lord. the action took the death eaters by surprise, forcing them to raise their own wand to the dome covering their master and his enemy. they began issuing spells, creating a variety of sparks that lit up the room in an array of colors. without thought, the doors surrounding the room were blown open, as the members of the d.a. burst through, followed by a number of aurors. harry kept his attention to voldemort, ignoring those outside the dome. they continued to pace around each other, circling, as a wild animal would stalk its prey. each had their wand raised to the other, confronting and holding off their opponent. "think you're as strong as i, do you?" voldemort hissed. "you know i am, or you would never have asked me to join you. you're afraid of me, riddle, afraid of the truth, afraid of the power i've developed." "you are overly confident potter. you will never defeat me." "perhaps not, but i will certainly try. i have run from you for too long, i'm tired of it. it's time to end this."

"no it's not, not yet," voldemort hissed in laughter. "you think this simple child's spell will hold me? you are naive boy. i'll not destroy you this time, but the day will come when you will beg me for mercy, just as your parents did. were you aware of how beautiful your mother was as she knelt before me? she was exceptionally beautiful, too beautiful for the likes of your father. i did not kill her right away, as you have been told. she would do anything to save the life of her infant son, anything i asked. she made a pleasing effort in the end. quite the lover, your mother was. no wonder your father enjoyed her so much." "what are you saying?" harry demanded, his anger growing bitterly deep. voldemort laughed again, the hissing echoed about the inner walls of the dome. "can't you figure it out? she made every attempt to save your life, even to the point of offering herself to me." "you're a liar!" harry snapped, the hand holding his wand shook with anger. "am i?" the evil tone echoed in his voice. "my mother would never do that, never. she was..." "my whore, to the very end. your father was killed early, but your mother survived for hours before i tired of her. pity too, she was quite an interesting woman. if it weren't for the fact she was a mudblood, i would have quite enjoyed keeping her at my disposal for a while longer. perhaps if i had known of her talents sooner, you would have been mine rather than james potter's." "i'll kill you for what you've done," harry warned, but before he could issue the spell the hissing laughter echoed again, then vanished from the dome without warning. harry was left within, fuming in anger, shaking with fury. he couldn't believe what he'd heard, he couldn't believe what his mother could have endured or surrendered in that way. the sound of spells being cast against the dome brought harry back to reality, as he dissolved his barrier, joining in the battle against the death eaters. bellatrix had disappeared, as had lucius malfoy, leaving the rest to battle for them. ginny lay on the floor next to voldemort's chair, while crabbe and goyle cowered in nearby corners. harry made his way to her, touching her shoulder. a soft moan escaped her throat and harry released the breath he had subconsciously been holding. a split second passed before he sensed another person by his side. he turned quickly to see malfoy lean down across ginny, his hand on her forehead, tipping it back to look into her face. "she's alive," he said, looking at harry. "we've got to get her out of here." "what do you care?" harry asked, testing the waters of their relationship. malfoy frowned. "i'm not like my father. i want to help." harry smiled briefly, then turned to the battle between d.a. members and death eaters. "we can't leave like this," he said. "we have to help." "go," ginny said in a soft voice. "ginny, are you all right?" harry asked lifting her up to a sitting position, her arm in an awkward position. she moaned in pain, reaching for her shoulder.

"i think it's dislocated," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "leave me and help the others." "go on," malfoy told harry. "i'll stay with her." harry frowned, unsure if the blond was sincere or if he should even be considering trusting him or not. "they need you potter. the dark lord was right, you are a powerful wizard, you have to help them. do you really think weasley will hold them off without you?" "if you're even thinking of double crossing me, malfoy," harry warned. "i'm not." harry stared at the young man across from him, seeing something in his eyes that told him he could trust him, then looked back to ginny. "i'll be right back," he told her. "stay out of the way." "i'll be fine, now go. they need you." harry smiled, glanced back to malfoy then joined in the battle. "you're a real surprise, malfoy," ginny said looking at the young man who reached down to help her move further out of sight. "don't rub it in, weasley," he said with his usual smirk, only his eyes revealed genuine concern. "it wouldn't do for anyone to know i actually helped potter's girlfriend." ginny leaned against the back of the chair voldemort had once occupied. her eyes caught sight of the figure in the corner sneaking up behind them, just as malfoy turned, his wand raised toward the man. "avada kedavra," he shouted, watching as the dark image of the elder goyle collapsed on the ground, dead. "at least one of my mother's tormentor's was punished," he said sadly, glancing around the room. crabbe was gone, sneaking out of the line of fire. the battle was quickly coming to an end, as the aurors cast their spells along side the d.a. members. within a few minutes most every death eater was unconscious or secured, but before the fight was completed several dementors floated into the room, bringing with them the icy cold of death and despair. harry turned in time to see two advancing on him, he raised his wand and with the strength he had grown over the length of practice and time he issued the spell, "expecto patronum." the silver image of a large stag emerged from the end of his wand, fighting back the dark images. several other members of the d.a. followed suit, forcing the dementors back. harry went to ginny and malfoy, reaching for the girl's arm. "we've got to get her out of here," he told malfoy seeing the effects the dementors had on the girl. he raised ginny carefully to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist as malfoy slipped her good arm around his shoulder. ron and hermione joined them, and they quickly made their way out into the hallway. "you guys get back to hogwart's," tonks shouted, ordering the rest of the students out of the room. as each one quickly filed into the hallway, the doors to the room closed and locked behind them, leaving them to floo back to the castle via the caretaker's cottage. the battle may have been fought, but the real war was yet to begin. harry frowned as he wrapped his arm around ginny a little tighter. for the first real time since finding out about his prophecy, since confronting voldemort for the first time when he fought for the

philosopher's stone, harry was confident he would win against him. his powers were stronger than even he knew and today when he stood face to face with him, harry felt in control and powerful. he was the-boy-who-lived and he would one day be the-boy-who-succeeded. read? review! author notes: okay, i know i promised this would be the last chapter of book six, but it was too long for one, so i had to split it up. i'll have the ending soon and then book seven will be uploaded shortly after. please be patient, it is coming. thank you to everyone who reads, reviews and continues to be loyal followers. i love hearing from everyone. please continue. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------author's notes: thank you as always to "d" for your editing, support and friendship. i could never have gone this far without you. also, thank you for giving me the idea and permission to use your 'bubblehead' spell. as for everyone else, i appologize. this is a very long chapter, but i didn't want to break it up a second time. please bear with it and r/r, and as always, thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ chapter forty-six harry sat silently watching ginny sleep. he and malfoy had taken her to the infirmary the moment they emerged from filch's fireplace. madame pomfrey had mended ginny's arm and restored her energy from the dementors with a healthy dose of chocolate and an equally large amount of pepperup potion. now she lay sleeping, her head resting against the soft pillow, her delicate frame tucked beneath a heavy blanket. he couldn't stop reliving the events that had occurred, the danger this beautiful young woman faced, or the bravery she displayed. he would never again assume she couldn't hold her own. a soft rustle brought harry out of his state of reminiscence, to see professor dumbledore walking slowly toward him. he smiled as he stopped at the foot of the bed, looking at the sleeping young woman. he could understand how easily harry had fallen in love with her. in this very moment, she resembled his beloved guinevere, now long gone. a sad sense of loss overcame him for a moment and he found himself forced to refocus on the moment at hand. "have you been here all night harry?" he asked the young man, knowing the answer before he even offered it. "i couldn't leave her professor," harry answered. "i understand. madame pomfrey assures me that miss weasley will recover fully by tomorrow." "yes sir. how are all the others?" harry glanced around to the beds that surrounded them. tonks had been hit hard, but was sleeping soundly across the room, as was kingsley shackelbolt who had nearly been kissed by a dementor, but was rescued in time by charlie weasley. lupin had been wounded the worst. he had been hit in the head and was currently undergoing a series of very complicated spells combined with a variety of powerful potions mixed together by snape. there were others in the room; emmeline vance had minor injuries about the

arms and torso, sturgis podmore had burns across his face and hands, hestia jones had received the misdirected engorgement spell from neville who was also in one of the beds, recovering from very minor injuries that had him receiving quite a bit of comfort and sympathy from luna. elphias doge was trying to breath around a collapsed lung, which madame pomfrey had used a similar bubblehead spell, to re-inflate his lung and keep them oxygen rich while mending, while dedalus diggle who was sporting and comforting a swollen eye and broken nose, from where the senior goyle had kicked him in the face after being bound by ropes. "i suppose they will all recover in time," dumbledore said, smiling as he watched luna feeding neville a spoon of custard. "professor," harry began in a hushed tone. "draco malfoy is the final point of the star, isn't he?" "you can feel it too, can't you harry?" "yes sir. i know ron is going to flip, but he was a huge help today. he stayed with ginny and protected her from the dementors. if it wasn't for him, i don't know what would have happened to her." "the prophecy is coming to life," dumbledore whispered softly, more to himself than to harry. "i think it best for you to explain things to mr. malfoy, harry. there are things i believe you two need to work out. perhaps years of aggression to sort through." "i'll try professor, but i won't guarantee anything. he's not exactly the cooperative type you know?" dumbledore chuckled softly. "as i recall mr. potter, you haven't exactly followed by the rules either. perhaps you two are more alike then you'd care to admit." "i wouldn't go that far. but i will talk with him. it's the least i can do, considering what he did for ginny." harry paused and looked back to the sleeping girl, then looked up to dumbledore again. "malfoy used the unforgivable curse on goyle." "i know." "what's going to happen to him?" dumbledore drew a deep breath before answering. "he has been put on suspension for the remainder of the year and his wand has been confiscated until the ministry passes judgment, but i do not believe it was so much the use of the spell as it was his joining the death eaters. i doubt, considering the circumstances, he will be arrested or expelled from school. the ministry wants to keep a close eye on him for now, to assure that he does not rejoin his father. he used the spell to protect the minister of magic's daughter and to fight against a death eater. it's difficult to punish the deeds when the outcome was so beneficial. he has however, lost his prefect privileges." "what about his father? he escaped again, along with voldemort and bellatrix." "only time will tell on that point. my sources tell me, the bounty on young mr. malfoy's head has been tripled. every dishonest wizard in the country will be looking to collect on it. he's sacrificed a great deal in order to help you."

"i know. and the thought doesn't exactly sit well. it's hard to imagine someone like malfoy doing anything honorably." "there is a great deal about mr. malfoy you do not know." "but i'm afraid i'm going to find out." harry sighed; leaning back against the chair he was sitting in and closed his eyes. "tell me harry," the headmaster said as he turned to leave. "how did you learn about lord voldemort and his parents?" "we found a book in the library with a note written by you in it. there were others that told the story voldemort held to, that his father abandoned his mother when he learned of her magical heritage. but this one told a different story, one of love and lies. why didn't you ever tell him when he was in school?" "i should have, perhaps it would have saved us years of misery. but he was never interested in knowing of his muggle father. he was bitter and hurt. i thought that if he had time to adjust and work through his feelings of rejection, that he would be willing to hear the truth. he left hogwart's before that time ever came. by the time i saw him again, it was too late. he was already the evil dark lord we know today." "i don't know if he was really listening, but i had to tell him the truth. at least he knows the story, rather he believes it or not is another subject. professor," harry paused thinking back on some of what he had been told that night. "voldemort told me a different version of my mother's death. he said...she made an offer to him, in order to save my life. he said she didn't die as quickly as my father. do you know anything about this?" dumbledore leaned against the end of the bed, closing his eyes behind the half moon glasses. it was as if he were fighting off the images threatening to overwhelm him. when he opened his eyes again, there was deep regret and sadness. "there was speculations at the time," he began with a heavy sigh. "your mother was a great woman, harry. she loved you with every fiber of her being. i doubt there was anything she wouldn't have done to protect you. if you're asking me if i believe he...raped...her, i'd have to say no. she was a powerful witch, but she would never betray your father's love like that. i heard the rumors as well, but i will never believe them. i would rather think of lily in the way i always knew her, full of laughter and hope." "was there an autopsy done?" "muggles do autopsies harry. we do mind retrievals. even after death, the memories and dreams of the mind remain. i know there was a retrieval ordered, but i never knew of the results. i chose not to know. perhaps i was wrong about that, but i didn't want to know more than i did." "i need to know," harry whispered softly. "why?" "if he did what he claimed..." "will it change your impression of your mother? will it change the way you feel about her? will it change how you feel about lord voldemort? she was your mother, first and foremost. she died tragically, but her love for you was greater

than any magic known to wizard kind. you have to remain focused on your mission in life harry. dwelling on what might have happened, or what claims were made, won't change anything now." "you think i should just let it go, is that it?" harry asked, bitterness in his tone. "i think you should look deep within your heart, find that memory of lily and hold onto it. that is the woman she was. nothing else matters." "who was guinevere?" harry asked abruptly, seeing the shocked expression on the older wizard's face. "how do you know of...you're very tricky harry. i didn't even realize you had seen my thoughts." "i can see thoughts clearly now, even when people don't know it. i saw voldemort's thoughts about my mother. either he was thinking of what he had hoped would have happened, or he did...then when you came in, i saw your thoughts when you looked at ginny. who was she?" "she was someone very special to me once, a very long time ago. but that time is over and she is gone. it's best left that way." "she was more than that to you, she still is." "harry, i would ask you to stay out of my memories. what is there really has no purpose for you." "i'm sorry professor. i wasn't trying to pry. i just thought she was very beautiful." "yes, she was. well then harry. good night. i know it is useless to tell you to get some sleep, but i think you should try. final exams start next week and you need your concentration for them." "yes sir. good night." harry watched the old man leave, feeling an odd sense of loneliness following him. harry had seen more than just the image and memory of his guinevere. he had seen more, a hint of something dealing with the present. when he looked at ginny, he saw...what? a life forgotten. he saw dumbledore with the woman, with two children, a boy and girl, both with brown-red hair. he saw a brief image of them as adults with families of their own, gathered around a bed like those of the infirmary. but more than that, he saw...what? something familiar to him, but he couldn't place it. a brief glimpse into something that made his heart stop and then skip a beat all within the span of a single breath. but the more he concentrated on the image, the further away it slipped until he could no longer remember what it was he had seen. "potter? you awake?" harry started to the sound of a voice, raising his head from the bed beside ginny. he didn't even realize he had laid it down, or that he had drifted off to sleep. one moment he was thinking about dumbledore and the next he was waking to his name being called. "i'm awake," harry said in a groggy tone. next to him stood malfoy, blond hair free from the styling potions he'd normally wore, his robes gone. he wore only a pair of dark slacks and a light blue jumper. malfoy chuckled as he watched harry fight for control over his fatigue.

"sure you are. why are you still here? i thought you'd be up in your common room, relaying your heroic tales to the younger gryffindors." "i wasn't the hero tonight, malfoy, you were. i suppose i owe you for protecting ginny." "don't worry about it. i won't make you pay...too badly at least." "thanks. i feel much better about the debt i owe you." malfoy laughed this time, not like he usually did, but a sincere laugh. it was a sound harry had never heard from him. "how's little weaslette?" he asked looking down at the still sleeping ginny. "her name is ginny and she's doing well, just sleeping. madame pomfrey gave her a sleeping draft." "i suppose she would need it. she was quite brave, for a weasley that is. not much like her brothers." "all the weasleys are brave. there is nothing they wouldn't do for each other." "i guess that's what separates families from housemates." harry stared at the young man for a few silent moments, then turned back to ginny. he brushed a stray hair from her forehead, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. as he straightened, he saw sadness in malfoy's eyes that had never been there before. he could only imagine how great his loss was. "come walk with me malfoy," harry said quietly, so as not to disturb the others. the two of them left the hospital wing together, walking down the hallway. they silently made their way to the room of requirements, where harry paced three times and opened the door. inside was a room unlike any he had ever seen inside the walls before. sitting in the center were two large wingback chairs, a small round table sitting between them. along the walls were lit candles, illuminating the room in a soft glow. against the far end of the room was a large fireplace, much like the one in the great hall. on the floor was a thick covering of an oriental rug and on the table was a tray of steaming tea and cakes. "cozy," malfoy sneered, looking much like the old malfoy. "not at all like the last time i was here." "when was that?" harry asked, walking to chairs and sitting in one. "about a month ago," malfoy said with a chuckle as he followed suit and joined harry at the table. "parvati and i were here. it's quite a useful room, you know?" "yes i know," harry chuckled at the surprised look on the blond's face. "i wonder if this room has always been this useful, or if it's a new thing this year?" "from what i've overheard the past six years, it's a secret as old as hogwart's." malfoy and harry drank from their teacups and snacked on the cakes in silent for several moments. "so potter, why did you bring me here? i'm sure it wasn't for a midnight snack." "i needed to speak with you about a few things. like...what...are you going to do

now?" "what do you mean?" "you said you were trying to get your family's fortune back. have you done it yet?" harry felt like a fool making small talk, but he was trying to figure out a way to tell him about the prophecy and his being the fifth point of the fabled star dumbledore spoke of. "the petition my lawyers have filed is in the hands of the minister," malfoy said, a disgusted look on his pale face. "after being suspended, having my wand revoked, losing my prefect privileges, not to mention carrying the surname of malfoy, i suppose we can both guess what weasley is going to say to my request." "don't judge mr. weasley so harshly, malfoy. he's a very fair man. and as long as you're making a list you might want to add the fact that you fought against voldemort and his followers, turned against your own father, protected ginny and helped save her from goyle and the dementors. i'm sure if anything is going to carry weight with the minister of magic, it will be the fact that his only daughter is alive because of you." "please don't say that. the idea of saving a weasley doesn't set well with my upbringing." "there comes a time, when a person has to decide his own destiny, regardless of his past. look at me. if i chose my future based on the way i was raised, i'd as worthless as my muggle relatives thinks i am." "who says you aren't, potter?" malfoy smiled, more in a teasing manner than his usual condescending one. harry narrowed his eyes without speaking, causing the young man to chuckle. "what are you trying to get at?" "there was another part of that prophecy, i didn't tell voldemort," harry began softly. "it spoke of five points to a star...a star that would unite and defeat the dark lord. dumbledore believes that ron and hermione are two sides of the star and ginny and i are the other." "that still leaves one part missing." "the prophecy said that the fifth point would be identified by the loss of a mother. that the dark lord would tempt the depths of the power, but that the father would lose to the truth. i think the missing part of the star is you, malfoy." "you're joking, right?" malfoy stared at harry with a frown. "you honestly think that i would stand by your side and help you defeat the dark lord? do you have any idea what you're asking?" "i understand completely," harry said boldly. "i'm asking you to forget the past six years, to forget that you and i have always hated each other, that ron and ginny are weasleys, that hermione is muggle born. i'm asking you to forget all that your father has told you, all that he taught you. i'm asking you to forget the anger and the bitterness and join us in the fight to save our world. i'm asking you to remember the sacrifice your mother made for you, the sacrifice so many parents have made for their children in order to give them a future." harry stared at the young man across from him, seeing the conflict that crossed his face as he listened. "we need you malfoy. we need your skills and

your power. i know we have never seen eye to eye on anything and we probably never will. i'm not asking you change who you are, or to forget where you come from. i'm just asking you to help us." malfoy stood slowly, staring at harry through a deep frown. the confusion and disbelief shined on his face like a beacon. "you're crazy potter," he said as he walked toward the door. "the time will come when you have to decide, malfoy," harry said softly as the young man's hand reached for the knob of the door. "you will have to chose then. do you fight with us, or do you fight on the side your mother died trying to protect you from?" malfoy didn't turn around or look back. he opened the door and stepped out into the hall, closing the wooden barrier behind him. harry stared into the silent room, wondering what the future would bring now. was there hope for them, or was destiny as cold as the night air? the celebrations were running ramped among the different houses. final exams were over; the o.w.l.s and n.e.w.t.s were taken and now forgotten until results were sent out in august. hogwart's was safe, for now at least. the spells and charms placed upon the school were reinforced and new ones added to protect against simple things as portkeys. it was determined after an exhausting investigation that the portkey in which ginny had been taken with was in actuality the magazine she had received containing wands and accessories. it was also discovered that ginny's robes had been jinxed to drop her wand whenever she sat down. afterwards the magazine arrived and she began considering the purchase of a new holster. the spell was charmed to activate only when she tried to read the magazine in harry's presence. it was quite an ingenious spell, one that surprised even dumbledore. it was determined that either crabbe or goyle, or perhaps both, were responsible for jinxing ginny's robes. dobby told the headmaster he had found ginny's robes in their dormitory while cleaning and returned them to the laundry. he had neglected mentioning it earlier, not considering any consequences of their being found where they had. malfoy had been received back at hogwart's with a hero's welcome, with the exception of his two main cohorts who had left the school the night after his return. they had learned of the senior goyle's death and it was believed that they had been summonsed by the dark lord to join him. the senior crabbe had disappeared during the battle and had yet to be found, making all believe he had rejoined his master in hiding. harry had not been able to convince malfoy of his involvement in the prophecy and had actually found malfoy deliberately avoiding him. even though he had been suspended for the rest of the school year, he remained at hogwart's, having been relinquished into the custody of his godfather, snape. his hearing with the ministry had been scheduled for late august, which meant that a decision would be made as to whether he returned to school for his final year, or was sent to azkaban for his use of the unforgivable spell. mr. weasley had considered the petition malfoy's lawyers had filed, choosing to return the young man's fortune back to him. malfoy manor remained under ministry control however, while the many aurors tried to break the spells, hexes, jinxes and charms that protected it. there were still the threats that malfoy or voldemort would return there, since it was virtually invisible to the ministry's observations. harry and ginny had long since made up, spending nearly every night either at the shrieking shack or in the room of requirements. they were anxious to share as much time as possible together, before harry would return to surrey and his horrid relatives. at least it would be his last summer there, which was

the only thought that kept them looking forward to the end of summer holidays. ron and hermione had let it slip during one of their many arguments that they were engaged and news had reached the daily prophet, who were reporting their many speculations on the subject, on a weekly basis. so far the rumor that hermione was pregnant had been cast and squelched, yet remained in many students minds, who continued to whisper and stare openly at the couple. then there was the rumor that ron had inherited a million gold galleons and hermione was with him in hopes of obtaining her share of it, and the most popular of all rumors, that hermione was under a love spell cast on her by ron. the last rumor the daily prophet had reported was that hermione was on the rebound from harry, turning instead to her best friend for condolence. needless to say, by the last day of classes ron was fit to be tied. he had spent his last night at hogwart's in detention, scraping the many dung bombs bought from the weasley twins and set by students, from the walls of the potions classroom. hermione had grown quite upset and frustrated with both ron and his temper, as well as not finding any further information on the green flame torch in the library...the one single place she held in highest esteem, even more so than her prized book, 'hogwart's; a history'. she had a renewed sense of hope after learning about tom riddle's family home from her parents. she was certain she would receive her answers by the end of school and was furious when she hadn't. the farewell dinner was the usual feast, far surpassing even the welcoming back feast. everyone was happy and filled with enthusiasm for the summer. plans for holiday trips were discussed, as well as the many ideas of how summer would be spent with loved ones, sweethearts and even homework (mainly from hermione). ginny was telling harry all the things that her mother had planned for the holiday, from shopping for 'suitable clothes' to spending a few weeks at the seashore. she insisted of course, that he would be coming along and was eagerly scheduling their days, making certain there was 'alone' time for them each afternoon or evening - both in some cases. that night, harry lay in the large oversized bed, beside ginny in the room of requirements. the flames in the fireplace were dying down and harry found himself being pulled gently into a deep slumber. he couldn't remember being this content or this happy. it may have been his last night with his girlfriend for what could be weeks, but he was also embarking on his last summer with the dursleys. he didn't care about voldemort or facing another year of wondering what would happen. he didn't worry about malfoy or the fifth point of the star, he didn't even care about the many added lessons dumbledore, tonks, moody and lupin insisted he undergo during his seventh year. all he cared about was the hopeful, happy outlook he saw for his immediate future. just as sleep began of to overtake him, harry could hear the whisper of his name being called. he felt himself being lifted up out of bed, away from ginny's inviting embrace and found himself standing on the beaches of a small island. all around him were the sweet fragrances of flowers and fresh seawater. the sounds of birds in the trees sang out to him, beckoning him forward. harry's feet dug into the soft, warm sand as he moved inland. the massive trunks of palm trees crowed the overgrown path of ivy as he pushed his way through. there was a sense of peaceful solitude and foreboding as he made his way to the center of the island. there stood a large, rickety looking house, very much like the burrow. the paint of the outer walls and the wooden shingles of the roof looked fairly new, as did the glistening windows that seemed to twinkle to him in the bright sunlight. harry walked up the steps of the front of the house, pushing open the large red

door. he walked into a bright, sunny room filled with vases of island flowers. the furnishings were consistent to those of hogwart's with many large wingback chairs, sofas and wooden tables. the curtains hanging across the windows displayed a variety of stars and planets moving among the dark blue background. the smell of tea brewing and the sweet aroma of berry filled crumpets met him as he walked around the room. beyond was a closed door and as harry stared at it, it began to open. he felt his heart skip a beat. was this another premonition? it seemed different somehow, unlike any he had before. he felt happy and content here, there was no hint of fear or death. as he watched the door open, the figure of a stalky little witch with rather unkept gray hair and a crooked nose entered carrying a silver tray with a teapot and four teacups. she wore a black dress beneath a ragged old apron, her feet bare. she walked past harry and sat it on the table in front of the sofa. following shortly behind the first woman, was another this one much taller and slimmer, her hair neatly braided at the nape of her neck, her slender frame snuggly wrapped in a pale blue summer dress and like the first woman, her feet were bare. she stepped toward the window and looked out. the two remained silent for several moments as harry stood out of the way watching them. the older, gray haired woman poured the tea and placed crumpets on four little china saucers. the young, neater looking woman pulled the drapes shut across the window, turning as the front door opened. in walked a rather nice looking, middle-aged woman with dark blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. her skin was tanned, much more so than the pale skin of the two other women. she smiled at the sights of the room, and then turned to the direction harry was standing. "please, come and sit. tea is ready." harry blinked his eyes, looking around him. surely she didn't mean him, he was just a spectator in this dream. he watched the three women sit down around the small table, picking up their teacups. the darker skinned woman looked up again, cocking her head to the side as she stared at harry. "you're not dreaming dear boy," she said, causing harry to gasp aloud. "please, come sit with us. i promise we won't bite." "you...you can see me?" harry asked, edging closer to the three women looking at him. "of course we can see you. we've been waiting a long time for you. now come, join us. have a cup of tea." "who are you?" harry asked softly. "i am mutgeb, this is frynani," the woman said, pointing at the stalky, gray haired woman. "and this is sharane." "the three witches of old," harry whispered reverently. mutgeb chuckled softly. "i see you've been reading the books of legends," she answered. "please sit," she indicated to one of the large chairs near the sofa. "have one?" asked sharane, the thinner of the first two witches that had come from the other room. "frynani makes the best wild berry cakes in the world." harry took one of the sweet smelling cakes from the tray held out to him and smiled, thanking her politely. he placed it to his lips and bit into it. he could taste it, the rich fruit filling, the soft cake and crumbly topping. he couldn't believe he was eating this and tasting it.

harry looked around at the three witches as he hungrily ate the cake and took another. mutgeb was known by legend as the mother of all earth, while the thinner woman, sharane was famed to be the serpent mother, though he couldn't tell why. she didn't resemble any serpent he had ever seen. frynani, the baker, was known through legend as a winged troll, but again he couldn't tell why. harry blushed when she caught his eye, looking down at the cup of tea before him. a soft laugh brought his eyes back to mutgeb. "no harry, frynani does not have wings, nor does sharane have a fork tongue. they are however, the first of their kind. frynani was called the winged troll because she flew among a tribe of primal trolls and was treated with respect and kindness." "i was proud to be known as their friend," the stalky woman said, a tear in her dim eyes. "i was known as the serpent mother, because i raised serpents and learned to speak with them. i believe they call it parseltongue now. you speak to snakes as well, if i'm not mistaken, don't you?" harry gulped his tea, nearly choking on the scalding liquid. he nodded wordlessly. "i was called mother of all earth," mutgeb said, "because i created the many varieties of plant life on this island. many species of these plants are seen in other places around the world. i'm a herbologist. i love plants of all kinds, much like your friend neville." "how do you know about neville?" harry asked in a surprised tone. "how do you know who i am, by that matter?" "we know a great deal, mr. potter," frynani said with a warm smile that lit up her otherwise dim eyes. "we have watched you grow over the years," sharane said. "as i said harry, we've been waiting a long time for you." harry frowned at mutgeb's words. "why?" "the world is a very unstable place right now," she said seriously. "the dark forces have taken over and the time has come to defeat the one called voldemort. you are seeking the green flame torch, are you not? your friend hermione has been trying to find writings about it, but she never will. even though she has read about it many times, the knowledge of it will not retain with her. she is a powerful witch, harry. she will be of use when the final battle comes, as will your ginny. we are proud to see that witches survive in the wizarding world. there was a time, when the three of us were younger, that witches were feared and mankind tried to destroy all of us." "muggles didn't care much for us back then," frynani said sadly. "witches were feared and hated once," sharane said in turn. "muggles still fear magical folks to a point, but they at least no longer hunt them down like wild beasts," frynani said. "how do you know this?" harry asked. mutgeb sighed.

"you never look beyond what is in front of you," she told harry. "you must learn to look with your heart, with your soul and not your eyes. your mind is a vast horizon. look past the obvious and into the possible." "i'm not sure i know what you mean," harry said. "no, you don't. but the time is not right for you to understand. just remember what i said, someday it will make sense to you." "but for now, you seek the green flame torch. it is here harry and you must find it," sharane said. "where is here? where am i?" "you are on the island of morahana, where time and space have no meaning," frynani replied. "here we can see into the future or relive the past. we have been there with you harry. through all the horrible years with your hateful muggle relatives, to the day you discovered you were a wizard." "we knew you were the one to use the green flame wisely," sharane said. "you are braver than any who have come before." "we are the ones who gave the prophecy to sybil trelawney," mutgeb said. "we are the ones who saw the evil rising and warned dumbledore of the future. in you, even as a baby, we saw great things. your parents sacrificed all for you, as we knew they would." "their sacrifice was only in the physical form, harry," frynani told him. "their spirits and souls never died. they transferred their own magic, all of it, to you when they died. you have them within you, all you need do is look within." "i don't understand," harry said with a frown. "and you don't have to right now," sharane said. "just know this harry," mutgeb continued. "the time is coming. you must seek the green flame torch. you will have three tasks that you must overcome to prove your worthiness. the first one will be found in the east, where the sun is cast out and the moon shines bright for a year's half. there you will find an old woman by the name of gilda. you will identify her by the mark upon her head." "seek her and answer her this question," sharane added. "when a man seeks his path upon four legs, how will he come?" "once you have the answer, your next task will be revealed," frynani said. "but what does it mean?" harry asked. "that is what you must discover," mutgeb replied. "the time has come for you to return," frynani said, looking out the window. "remember what you have been told harry. your journey must begin and end within the span of three moons. find the green flame torch and you will have the powers you need to defeat the king of darkness. but be warned," mutgeb said. "he who seeks the flame for glory or greed, will seek their death within the

span of time. but he who seeks the flame in truth and light will open the window of time." "how will i know if i am the right person?" harry asked. "we will know. that is all that matters." "can i ask you another question before i leave?" harry questioned as he stood. mutgeb nodded. "can i turn back time with the green flame torch?" "why would you want to?" frynani asked. "if the flame can change time, perhaps i can stop voldemort from coming to power. many lives will be saved if i can." "including your parents and cedric?" sharane surmised. "you must choose harry," mutgeb said. "do you seek the flame for yourself, or for others? is the journey worth desire, or is desire worth the journey?" harry frowned, but nodded all the same. he wasn't planning on having to answer so many riddles. "this is what we will grant you," sharane said as harry neared the door. "once you have completed your goal, one wish will we grant you. but do not dwell on it now, for time has it's own destiny. what you wish for today, may not be what you wish for tomorrow." harry found his feet back in the sands of the island, far from the house he had just stood. he blinked hard, looking out into the open blue waters of the ocean. he tried to think about all he was told, but right now he had to find his way home. as he took a step into the cool waters, he felt a hand upon his shoulder and he looked up into the sun, watching as it faded away to darkness. he eyes began to focus on the pale face of the moon, seeing it take shape before him. honey brown eyes shined down to him, the sweet smile of the girl he loved leaned closer. he could feel her touch, taste her kiss and felt at ease once again. as the moment lent way to reality, harry moved quietly back into the realm of reality. he pulled away from the warm embrace and smiled. "what were you dreaming about?" ginny asked, laying her head back down to his bare chest. "i had a dream i was on the island of morahana," he told her, watching as she sat up on her elbow. "i spoke with the three witches. they told me i had to journey to the east." "you had a premonition?" she asked him with a frown and as he sat up, he looked down to his hand, where he held the remnants of a crumpet and handed it to her. "it was no premonition and it was no dream," he told her. "i have to seek the green flame torch. my destiny is at hand." "but how will you find it?" harry smoothed the hair from her face and smiled, easing the concern from her brow with his thumb. "they will lead me. i know they will."

"but..." "the future is here ginny. and i'm ready for it." ****************************************************************************** the train pulled into kings cross shortly after dark and harry found himself standing at the entrance to platform 9 ? before he really wanted to. he held ginny's hand tightly, watching as their luggage was unloaded from the baggage car. lupin had arrived at hogwart's earlier that morning, as did moody who insisted on riding the train home with tonks and the students. now the entire weasley family surrounded them, each smiling and chatting eagerly to see how the trip had gone. harry had made ginny swear to secrecy concerning his enounter with the witches on the isle of morahana. he knew his trip east to find the green flame torch had to remain silent. if voldemort learned what he was doing, he would send out his dementors or his death eaters to stop him. it was risk too great to ignore. beyond the portal stood hermione's parents who waved eagerly to their daughter and ron, and the dursleys who frowned openly. harry couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his three relatives. uncle vernon wore a wrinkled dress shirt, once white now faded pink. dudley looked at least a size smaller and his hair looked like it had been cut during an earthquake. aunt petunia looked thinner and paler than normal and glared at harry with venom. "i don't like the idea of your going back with those creatures," ginny told him. harry smiled to her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and pulling her into a tight embrace. "we'll be together again soon, i promise," he whispered in her ear, catching the sight of his relatives who stared at him with dropped jaws. he smiled again, knowing he was making a spectacle of himself, but couldn't resist giving the dursleys a more intensified show. he leaned down to ginny, looking deeply into her honey brown eyes and slowly, seductively, kissed her tender lips. several moments passed before he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. reluctantly he pulled away from her, looking across his shoulder to see a very happy, smiling mr. weasley standing patiently by. "if you two are finished," he teased. "we'd like to have a word with your relatives." harry chuckled again, remembering what it was like last year at this time, when they spoke - or rather threatened uncle vernon. "we're finished," harry said, then turned back to ginny and smiled again. "for now," he promised softly, walking along with the weasley men, lupin and moody. they stepped up to uncle vernon who actually seemed to cower slightly. "you remember us don't you?" moody asked, watching the expression from aunt petunia as he pulled his hat covering his deformed face slightly aside. "what do you want?" vernon asked with as much dignity as possible. "we sent the bloody boy a christmas present. didn't you tell them?" "it's not about the watch," mr. weasley said, assuring him that harry had indeed reported to them. "it's about the coming months." "this is harry's last summer with you," lupin began boldly. "next year he will be old enough to go about his life on his own. with the fortune he has inherited from his parents as well as his godfather, he will not be in need of your services

further." "fortune?" vernon asked with a frown. "harry happens to be a very rich young man," charlie added, his arms folded across his chest. "and a very powerful wizard," bill added, assuring the muggle of his nephew's standing. "i'm quite certain, once school is over harry will be moving into his father's castle," mr. weasley insisted, watching the shocked expression on dudley's face. "until that time, you will treat this boy with the respect you demand he treat you with, is that understood?" moody demanded. "he is to be fed properly, given clothes that fit him and treated with the dignity he deserves," percy added, surprising even harry. "i'm sure you remember what happened to chubby there, the last time we were at your house," fred commented with a wicked smile. "you don't want us to stop by for another visit, now do you?" george asked with a smile to match his brother's. "you will not threaten me again," vernon said in a louder than normal voice, drawing attention from a few passers by. "do you think we need to stoop to threats, you bloody idiot?" ron added, standing a good foot taller than the chubby older man. "if we do not hear from harry on a weekly basis," moody interrupted. "we will come by for a visit and this time we won't be leaving quietly." "once harry has graduated hogwart's, your protection will be gone. you'll be on your own," mr. weasley said. "that means, muggle," percy began to clarify in a hermione-like tone. "if harry hasn't defeated voldemort by then, you're butt is open to an arse whooping. the dark lord isn't all that happy about not knowing where harry's been all these years when he's not at school. without harry, you're on your own." "i'm not afraid of this voldie-wart," vernon said proudly. "it's voldemort, you bloody bugger," ron said in disgust, no longer afraid to use the dark lord's name. "you had better be worried," bill told him in a dangerously low tone. "you'd better be very worried." "harry, take care of yourself and if you need us just send word," lupin told him, patting his back with a fatherly affection. "we'll be there in a heart beat mate," ron told him, shaking his hand. "keep in touch," percy added. "i'd hate to listen to ginny if you don't write at least once a day."

"tell mrs. weasley thanks," harry said, as mr. weasley handed him a package of tarts. "best be going," moody said, looking around the station. harry knew his magical eye was going crazy scanning the area from under his hat. "an owl every day, remember that." "i will, don't worry." harry shook each hand in turn, and then looked across the station to where ginny stood wiping her eyes. he smiled at her, winking an eye of reassurance before turning back to see his relatives standing there staring at him. he smiled again, lifting his trunk and walking toward the entrance. read? review! author notes: i want to thank all of you who have faithfully r/r throughout this long story. i have loved hearing from all of you, good and bad. book seven; harry potter and the prophecy true will be starting soon, so please watch for it. your loyalty, encouragement and support continue to amaze me. i will never forget your kindness. this has been a fun and at times emotional book to write and i thank you again for supporting me. your friend always, dee --------------------------------------------------------------------------------